From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 07:44:33 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:44:33 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] PERU: Cuzco gripped by anti-neoliberal protests over privatisation of historic sites Message-ID: <008c01c89e3e$0f17ad30$0802a8c0@andy1> * Anti-neoliberal protests in the Inca capital Cusco over privatisation of historic sites * Protesters blocked the road, air and rail links between Cusco and Machu Picchu and the rest of the country * They also clashed with riot police at the airport and elsewhere * Blockages up and down roads and railtracks proved difficult to clear * Construction workers, students and market traders were among the participants * Demonstrations recurred through two weeks in February * Protesters, backed by the local government, fear the measures could lead to foreign companies exploiting the sites * Controversy has caused the government to amend the law, giving greater autonomy to the Cusco local government in implementing it * Tourists have been arrested under obscure anti-foreigner legislation for taking part in the protests Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2008-02/2008-02-21-voa63.cfm?CFID=32316840&CFTOKEN=80422667 Peruvians Protest Tourism Plans in Ancient City By VOA News 21 February 2008 Protests against a tourism development plan in the ancient Peruvian city of Cuzco have led to the suspension of public transportation and airport operations. Local authorities and media say protesters marched through the city and used rocks and sticks to block major roads Thursday. The trouble forced authorities to temporarily ground flights at Cuzco's airport and affected train service to the famed ruins of Machu Picchu. Police say they provided escorts to tourists visiting Cuzco's historic sites. Demonstrators are protesting a new law that promotes the development of tourism services near archaeological sites. Cuzco is the site of the ancient Incan civilization and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thursday's protest is the second to hit Peru this week. On Tuesday, three people were killed in a demonstration by farmers in Ayacucho state protesting a free trade deal with the United States. http://www.livinginperu.com/news/5801 22 February, 2008 [ 11:15 ] Peru: Cusco riot / protest to end today, Velasco Astete Airport could open tomorrow (LIP-ir) -- After Cusco's 48-hour strike ends Friday evening, flights to the Imperial City will resume once again on Saturday morning, said Carlos Puga, the vice minister of transportation and communication. The Peruvian Corporation of Airports and Commercial Aviation (CORPAC) closed Velasco Astete Airport at 10 a.m. on February 21 because of violent protests that were taking place in the region. In an effort to keep passengers safe, airport authorities closed the airport just before protesters surrounded it. "It is likely that if protests don't stop then the airport will not reopen. We are sorry for the inconvenience this may cause passengers and tourists, but we believe it would be worse if we opened the airport under these circumstances", said the vice minister. Approximately 500 police officers are guarding the airport to make sure it is not overrun by violent protesters, said Peruvian police colonel Alfonso Chavarri. The officers were sent from Lima and guarded the airport on Thursday as students and construction workers attempted to take control of it. Police used tear gas to drive protesters away, who had completely surrounded the airport and tried to get onto the property by making a hole on one of the airport's outside walls. Upon realizing they could not get into the airport, protesters made their way to the city and had several encounters with Peru's national police. The majority of Cusco's main roads are completely blocked in some cases protesters are charging those that want to use the road. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/02/080211-AP-peru-machu.html Residents Protest Proposed Hotels Near Machu Picchu Lima, Peru Associated Press February 11, 2008 Residents near Peru's southern highland tourist destinations are fighting two government proposals to expand private development around Machu Picchu and other historical sites, including the ancient Inca capital of Cusco. After burning tires and blocking roads around Cusco last week, protestors are threatening more unrest if the Peruvian Congress does not reject the two proposed laws, said Hugo Gonzales, president of the department of Cusco, where Machu Picchu (see video) is located. PeruRail suspended the only train service to Machu Picchu on Thursday after protesters closed roads and blocked access to public transportation. Tourists were transported out of the affected areas in police vehicles. The proposed laws, one of which was already rejected but requires a second vote, would ease construction restrictions in Cusco and allow for more hotels to be built near archaeological sites. The area between Cusco and Machu Picchu is dotted with ancient Inca ruins. The second law is expected to be voted down as well. Machu Picchu, ruins of a citadel built in the 1400s, is perched in the clouds at 8,000 feet (2,430 meters) above sea level on an Andean mountaintop. Currently there is only one train to the nearby settlement of Aguas Calientes, and one hotel at the Machu Picchu site. http://www.livinginperu.com/news-5766-agriculture-peru-protesters-cusco-block-machu-picchu-train-tracks 18 February, 2008 [ 17:00 ] Peru: Protesters in Cusco block Machu Picchu train tracks (LIP-ir) -- Approximately 400 tourists traveling to Machu Picchu were unable to reach the Inca Citadel because train tracks were blocked this morning by farmers taking part in an agriculture protest / strike, reported PeruRail, the company that provides visitors with transportation from Cusco to Machu Picchu. Beginning at approximately 9:30 a.m., villagers and farmers blocked the 38th kilometer of the train tracks with rocks and sticks, said Gonzalo Rojas, a spokesperson for PeruRail. The tracks were blocked in the Izcuchaca sector, which is located in the province of Anta. Carriages such as the luxurious Hiram Bingham as well as the Backpacker were carrying about 400 passengers - unable to reach their destination, they were forced to return to their departure point. Another protest on the 82nd kilometer of the train tracks forced a different group of travelers to return. Even though several sections of the tracks were cleared by Peru's national police and PeruRail workers, it was reported that there are still several sections of the railway that have not been cleared yet. PeruRail representatives reported it was evident tourists were bothered by protests and the inconvenience of having to return to train stations. PeruRail is considering bringing some of its passengers back to Cusco by bus and then by train. http://www.flickr.com/photos/distra/2216523021/ Protest in Cuzco shuts down the center Taken in Cusco, Cusco (See more photos here) 13?31' 02" S, 71?58' 42" W-13.517316-71.978248 Yesterday there was a huge protest in Cusco that shut down the center of the city. They were protesting the presidents plans to privatize state run businesses. By this he means to sell off to the highest foreign bidder the rights to run cultural heritage sites such as : Machu Picchu, Ollayantaytambo, Chinchero, Pisac... The people are not pleased in the least with this plan. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7234224.stm Friday, 8 February 2008, 07:36 GMT Draft law sparks protests in Peru By Dan Collyns BBC News, Peru Protesters fear Peru's heritage may be at risk Thousands of people have brought Peru's tourist capital, Cuzco, to a near standstill in a demonstration against development near Inca monuments. A proposed law would make it easier for private investors to build near some of Peru's most famous ancient sites. In the 24-hour protest, main roads were blocked, tours were cancelled and the rail service between Cuzco and Machu Picchu was suspended. Peru's ancient monuments draw millions of tourists every year. Cuzco residents marched in opposition to the law, which they say will say will harm the city's heritage. Major roads in and out of town were blocked and access to the famous Sacred Valley and the city's Inca fortress, Sacsayhuaman, was blocked with rocks and burning tyres. Suspicion The proposed law will make it easier for private investors to be awarded concessions for the construction of hotels in areas near archaeological sites and Cuzco's historic centre. But in Cuzco there is deep suspicion of the central government and many, including the regional authority, argue that such a law would allow foreign investors to grow rich from Cuzco's archaeological and cultural heritage. Machu Picchu is probably the most familiar symbol of the Inca Empire In the first of two votes, Peru's Congress rejected the proposed law. Nevertheless, Cuzco's regional president, Hugo Gonzalez, said the protest, which was timed to coincide with the vote, was necessary to ensure it is rejected a second time. Cuzco's regional authority, which had strong backing from local businesses and unions, says the proposed legislation would have a negative impact on its income and the preservation of the Inca monuments. But Peru's Tourism Minister, Mercedes Araoz, said the law was intended to promote investment and the protest was the result of a misunderstanding. http://www.chinapost.com.tw/headlines/2008/02/10/52314/Residents-plan.htm Residents plan to block historic roads, Machu Picchu rail to protest Peru's tourism proposal Sunday, February 10, 2008 AP LIMA, Peru -- Residents near Peru's southern highland tourist destinations are fighting two government proposals to expand private development around Machu Picchu and other historical sites, including the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco. Protesters, who burned tires and blocked roads around Cuzco last week, are threatening more unrest if Congress does not reject the two proposed laws, said Hugo Gonzales, president of the department of Cuzco where Machu Picchu is located, on Saturday. PeruRail suspended the only train service to Machu Picchu Thursday after protesters closed roads and blocked access to public transportation. Tourists were transported out of the affected areas in police vehicles. The proposed laws, one of which was already rejected but requires a second vote, would ease construction restrictions in Cuzco and allow for more hotels to be built near archaeological sites. The area between Cuzco and Machu Picchu is dotted with ancient Inca ruins. The second law is expected to be voted down as well. Machu Picchu, ruins of a citadel built in the 1400s, is perched in the clouds at 2,430 meters (8,000 feet) above sea level on an Andean mountaintop. Machu Picchu is designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. But the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has threatened to put it on an endangered list because of overuse by tourists. Currently there is only one train to nearby Aguas Calientes, and one hotel at the Machu Picchu site. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/2/19/worldupdates/2008-02-19T051942Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-320203-1&sec=Worldupdates World Updates Tuesday February 19, 2008 MYT 7:46:04 AM Striking farmers shut access to Peru's Machu Picchu LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian farmers upset over a free trade deal with the United States blocked rail service to the famous Inca ruins at Machu Picchu on Monday and paralyzed vast swaths of the Andean country by halting traffic on key highways. The protests stranded thousands of travelers, including some 400 people who were stuck on the train to the ancient Incan citadel, Peru's top tourist attraction. A tourist sits at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cuzco July 7, 2007. (REUTERS/Andina Agency/Handout/Files) The Pan-American highway, the major road on the Peruvian coast, was blocked north and south of the capital, Lima, travelers and police said. Farmers nationwide snarled traffic with tree trunks, rocks and sand. "The government only listens to us when we strike," said Antolin Huascar, the head of a national farmers' group. He said farmers would strike until the government agrees to meet with them about their demands. Farmers are frustrated by rising fertilizer costs, want debt relief, and say a free trade deal with the United States will flood local markets with imports of subsidized U.S. agricultural goods. Peru signed the free-trade agreement in December and plans to strike deals with China, Canada and Mexico soon. Peru exports grapes and asparagus to the United States, and the government says the trade pact will give local farmers permanent access to the U.S. market. President Alan Garcia is pushing free trade as a way to lift incomes in a country where some 12 million people live in poverty. Peru is one of the world's fastest-growing economies, expanding nearly 9 percent last year. The South American country is a leading minerals exporter and most mines rely on railroads to get their metals to ports on the Pacific Ocean. http://www.theperuguide.com/peru_travel_adventure_news/2008/02/08/cusco-protest-against-tourism-draft-law/ Cusco protest against tourism draft law February 8th, 2008 According to El Comercio, a demostration in Cusco that draw some 25.000 protesters ended without consequences. The protest was called after knowledge of a draft Law that would make it easier for private investors to build near famous ancient sites in Cusco. Roads were blocked and the train service from Cusco to Machu Picchu was suspended, as had been previously announced by Peru Rail, the company managing the railway. Flights in and out of Cusco, though, continued to operate normally. The proposed law, number 20167, will make it easier for private investors to be awarded concessions for building hotels near Cusco's historic centre and in areas adjacent to archaeological sites. But Cusque?os -including the regional authority- fear that the law would just make it easier for foreign investors to grow rich from the old Inca Capital's cultural heritage. The controversy, though, is far from coming to an end. One of the leaders of the protest announced they will call for a new demonstration if the central government in Lima didn't revoke the law. http://www.livinginperu.com/news/5735 14 February, 2008 [ 07:45 ] Peru: Cusco to protest despite modification of tourism investment law (LIP-ir) -- After protests and strikes were held in Cusco over a law that would facilitate foreign investment near and around archaeological sites as well as ease the concession of these sites to private investors, Peru's Congress approved the legislation after several changes had been made. Congress approved the law after it had been decided that full power would be given to Cusco's government to apply the law or not. The law has been modified so that the process to acquire a license to build a hotel is easier in areas that are not heritage sites. After concerns that the new legislation would put Peru's archaeological heritage at risk, Congress decided that the law would not apply to these sites, placing the responsibility of deciding where new establishments were built on the regional government of Cusco. Despite the changes made, the regional government of Cusco has announced that a protest and strike will take place on Friday. Samuel Gleiser, president of Lima's Chamber of Commerce has stated that the decision to hold a protest is irrational because the law has been changed and control has been given to Cusco's government. Peru's Minister of Tourism, Mercedes Araoz asked Cusco's regional authorities to rethink their actions, stating it was irresponsible not to discuss the matter and encourage the region's people to protest. Araoz explained the new legislation had not been created to concede Cusco's sites to investors or privatize these areas, but had been established so that an investment plan could be created to benefit the entire region. http://www.livinginperu.com/news/5748 15 February, 2008 [ 12:15 ] Peru: Strikes & Protests to cost Cusco $7 million per day (LIP-ir) -- After severe criticism from Peru's central government and being told to seriously reconsider his actions, the regional president of Cusco, Hugo Gonzales, announced yesterday that the strike which had been planned for Friday would be postponed. A protest took place last week when the government announced it would pass a law that would make if easier for private investors to be granted concession in Cusco and build hotels near archaeological ruins. Despite violent protests, the law was modified and approved. Changes to the law state that the regional government of Cusco has the power to decide where establishments are to be built and if concessions will be granted. Despite changes, regional authorities are unsure whether to support a strike in the city or not. Unions and political fronts have gathered in Cusco and are ready to strike but have not received the regional government's approval yet. After a meeting with Cusco's regional authorities and considering the changes made to the law, Hugo Gonzales announced that protests and strikes would be postponed. Cusco will lose approximately $7 million per day and more importantly will damage its image, assured Jaime C?ceres Say?n, the president of Peru's National Confederation of Private Companies (CONFIEP). "Airlines will stop flying to Cusco, tours will be canceled and worldwide repercussions will be terrible", said C?ceres Say?n. http://www.livinginperu.com/news-5790-law-order-five-foreign-tourists-detained-taking-part-protests-peru 21 February, 2008 [ 08:15 ] Five foreign tourists detained for taking part in protests in Peru (LIP-ir) -- Five foreign tourists were detained by Peru's national police in Cusco for taking part in protests against a new tourism law that facilitates the concession of cultural sites and the expansion of hotels in the region. Three tourists from Argentina, one from Colombia and another from Spain were detained for taking part in protests alongside merchants from the San Pedro de Cusco central market earlier this week, said police at the Imperial City. According to lawyers, by taking part in open manifestations against the Peruvian government and protesting alongside merchants, the tourists violated aliens act 703. The five tourists were identified as 57-year-old Mercedes P?ez Guerrero from Colombia, Marta Dom?nech Jim?nez (41) from Spain, Alejandro Mario Beretta (32) from Argentina as well as Mat?as and Bruno Murabito (24 and 21 years old). Farmer's protests Peru's President Alan Garcia blamed "pseudo leaders and extremists" for the deaths of several people during farmer's protests earlier this week. He stated that the leaders of these organizations did not go out and protest themselves but sent their members out as "cannon fodder". On Tuesday evening, union leaders officially called off protests, which were begun to push for state subsidies and concessions on loans. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 07:50:41 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:50:41 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] PANAMA: Workers revolt after police shooting Message-ID: <009001c89e3e$ea262af0$0802a8c0@andy1> * Protest in Panama City after police shoot trade union activist in suspected imitation of Colombian murders * Workers went on strike and blocked roads with burning tyres * Protesters clashed with police in protests over several days * Workers have been on strike over lax safety standards in Panama's booming building sector * Hundreds were arrested off building sites in police retaliation http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/PAN01.htm PWNED PLZ http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N15367402.htm Panama workers, police clash; hundreds arrested 15 Feb 2008 20:35:54 GMT Source: Reuters (Updates arrests, adds detail) PANAMA CITY, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Nearly 300 protesters were arrested in Panama on Friday as construction workers clashed with police for the third day running over the shooting death of a fellow worker earlier this week. A dozen police were injured in Friday's protest, which kept much of the capital paralyzed, with piles of tires burning on busy roads and highways across the city. Police reported 286 arrests, bringing the number of people detained since Tuesday to around 780, police said. Protesters also threw stones at riot police in the affluent Paitilla area of the city, home to many of Panama's glass-covered skyscrapers, local television images showed. It was the latest in a series of clashes since the fatal shooting of a construction worker from the SUNTRACS union during a demonstration on Tuesday over safety conditions. A construction boom has boosted the country's economy and created a shimmering skyline in Panama City, but union members have been protesting at they say are lax safety standards at the city's many building sites. SUNTRACS leaders accuse the police of killing Airomi Smith, a union leader, during Tuesday's confrontation as part of an orchestrated campaign. The government says it will investigate. Speaking to RPC TV on Friday, Panama City Mayor Juan Carlos Navarro called for calm and for the union to return to the negotiating table. Hundreds of workers marched to the presidential palace late on Thursday to present a series of demands to the government. They called for new laws governing building-site safety and the resignation of the minister of justice and the head of the national police force. (Reporting by Andrew Beatty) http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N15550675.htm Panama construction workers, police clash again 15 Feb 2008 14:43:33 GMT Source: Reuters PANAMA CITY, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Panamanian construction workers clashed violently with police and blocked major roads on Friday, the third day of protests that have paralyzed the capital since the death of a worker earlier this week. Local television showed piles of tires burning on roads and highways across the capital that would ordinarily be choked with rush hour traffic. Protesters also threw stones at riot police in the affluent Paitilla area of the city, home to many of Panama's glass-covered skyscrapers. It is the latest in a series of clashes since the fatal shooting of a construction worker from the SUNTRACS union on Tuesday during a protest. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N13393570.htm Panama unions clash with police over shooting death 14 Feb 2008 00:57:11 GMT Source: Reuters (Adds detail and byline; updates number arrested) By Andrew Beatty PANAMA CITY, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Panamanian construction workers clashed with police on Wednesday, and nearly 200 people were arrested, after the fatal shooting of a labor leader inflamed tensions over building site safety concerns. Officials said 193 people were arrested and 10 police officers injured in clashes across the capital, after a worker was shot dead during a protest on Tuesday. A construction boom has boosted Panama's economy and created a shimmering skyline in Panama City, but members of the SUNTRACS construction workers union have taken to the streets in recent months to protest what they say are lax safety standards at the city's many building sites. On Wednesday, hundreds of carpenters and brick masons took to the streets. Many hurled rocks at police, who fired tear gas canisters and doused the protesters with water cannons. Police carried injured officers away from the melee as piles of tires burned in the streets. The union says police shot dead Airomi Smith, a union leader, in the province of Colon during a confrontation with workers on Tuesday. Images of the incident broadcast on local television showed a police officer shooting his weapon after a scuffle with workers. Justice Minister Daniel Delgado said the government would investigate the shooting and appealed for calm. "The government ... deplores the death of a Panamanian citizen," he told a news conference, but added: "The situation is intolerable. It is putting the safety of Panamanians at risk. It is not possible for it to continue." Wednesday's clashes left debris strewn across many of Panama City's main thoroughfares, with sirens from emergency vehicles blaring for much of the day. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N13385110.htm Panama unions clash with police over shooting death 13 Feb 2008 22:39:16 GMT Source: Reuters PANAMA CITY, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Panamanian construction workers clashed with police on Wednesday after the fatal shooting of a labor leader inflamed tensions over union complaints of unsafe working conditions at building sites. Police said at least 60 people were arrested and six police officers injured in clashes across the capital, after a worker was shot dead during a protest on Tuesday. A construction boom has boosted the economy and created a shimmering skyline in Panama City, but members of the SUNTRACS construction workers union have taken to the streets in recent months to protest what they say are lax safety standards at the city's building sites. On Wednesday, carpenters and brick masons hurled rocks at police, who doused the protesters with water cannons. The union says police shot dead Airomi Smith, a union leader, in the province of Colon during a confrontation with workers on Tuesday. Images of the incident broadcast on local television showed a police officer shooting his weapon after a scuffle with workers. Justice Minister Daniel Delgado said the government would investigate the shooting and appealed for calm. "The government ... deplores the death of a Panamanian citizen," he told a news conference, but added: "The situation is intolerable. It is putting the safety of Panamanians at risk. It is not possible for it to continue." Wednesday's clashes left debris strewn across many of Panama City's main thoroughfares. Sirens from emergency vehicles blared for much of the day and there was little traffic on the streets. (Reporting by Andrew Beatty; Editing by Jason Lange) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/185837,hundreds-arrested-in-demonstrations-in-panama.html Hundreds arrested in demonstrations in Panama Posted : Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:49:08 GMT Author : DPA Category : World News Alerts by Email click here ) Panama City - Some 478 workers and students were arrested in connection with violent protests in Panama, police said Thursday. Genaro Lopez, secretary of the construction trade union Suntracs, complained that those arrested Wednesday were being kept in isolation. He said authorities had denied lawyers access to their clients, in a "violation" of the country's constitution. Relatives of the workers and students arrested in Wednesday's protests demanded information on the legal status and physical condition of their loved ones. The Suntracs leadership alleged that many arrested workers had not taken part in the protests but were taken into custody when police stormed construction sites in Panama City. Some 25 people - demonstrators and police - were injured in the clashes, in the capital and the provinces of Bocas del Toro, Colon, Cocle and Chiriqui. Lopez said Suntracs union members were indignant following the death of worker Iromi Smith, who was shot in the back Tuesday when he took part in a protest in the Caribbean city of Colon to demand rules on health, hygiene and safety in the industry. The clashes wreaked havoc in urban areas and caused the destruction of bridges, bus-stops, advertising billboards, shop windows and cars. The authorities confirmed that unknown attackers raided a police station in Colon late Wednesday. Four police officers suffered bullet wounds. Domingo Latorraca, president of the Panamanian Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, estimated that the clashes have caused more than 12 million dollars in damage. On Thursday, Suntracs planned to march to the seat of the Panamanian Presidency to denounce the repression and demand the sacking of National Police Chief Rolando Mirones and Interior and Justice Minister Daniel Delgado Diamante, whom they blame for the crisis. Delgado Diamante stressed that the authorities are obligated to guarantee public safety and free transit. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?section=theworld&xfile=data/theworld/2008/february/theworld_february533.xml Panama construction workers clash with police (AFP) 16 February 2008 PANAMA CITY - Thousands of construction workers protesting the death of three colleagues and demanding higher wages clashed with police Friday in Panama City leaving dozens of people injured. Angry workers brandishing clubs, rocks and crowbars confronted riot police armed with tear gas and rubber bullets, blocking traffic on several busy streets. Police said dozens of people were injured and they made several hundred arrests. The demonstrations were part of a week-long, nationwide protest by the National Union of Construction Workers (SUNTRACS) that on Tuesday resulted in the death by gunfire of union leader Airomi Smith. Clashes Wednesday left 14 police officers injured and more than 200 people arrested. President Martin Torrijos on Friday called for "dialogue and tolerance," and said authorities were investigating Smith's death, who was shot in the back by a police officer during a demonstration in Colon, 70 kilomters (43 miles) northeast of here. Attorney General Ana Gomez said a police officer has been arrested and charged in Smith's shooting. The workers are demanding higher wages, better safety regulations - they allege 25 workers fell to their death last year - and investigations into the death of another two SUNTRACS leaders killed last year. A union leader said there would be more protests on Saturday and hinted at a possible general strike by 80,000 workers that would affect 1,000 construction sites around the country. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7244758.stm Construction workers and police clashed in Panama's capital, Panama City, over the fatal shooting of a union leader during an earlier protest. Some students joined the demonstration by hundreds of carpenters and brick masons, hurling stones at police. Police responded by firing tear gas and dousing protesters with jets from water cannon. Protesters blocked roads, while some shopkeepers shut up shop to avoid sustaining damage to their property. Some 500 people were detained and 26 people hurt during the clashes. The government called for order to be restored in Panama City and other towns where protests took place. Tuesday's death happened during a demonstration led by a builders' union over working conditions at building sites in Panama City, which is enjoying a construction boom. http://www.sglnetwork.com/people/mark.friesen/?p=33 Panama Riots It could take some time for Panama to recover from the past four days of intense demonstrations. Construction workers have been battling police in both Panama City and Col?n (located at the Atlantic end of the canal). The high level of emotion and the large areas of both cities affected is not something Panama has experienced for many years. Without actually visiting Panama, I think it would be hard to understand the magnitude of the construction boom here. There are nearly 1500 commercial construction sites in Panama City. For a country that has a population of around 1.5M people, that is one site for every 1000 people in Panama. It seems that nearly every family, both rich and poor, has at least one person working full-time in the real-estate/construction industry. Panama has seen its share of street demonstrations. They are mostly organized by a few labor unions that represent construction workers. The most predominant of these is SUNTRACS, which is the largest construction labor union in Panama. The unions and the police have had an understanding on how these protests proceed: workers at a particular job site will go out on the street and bring traffic to a complete standstill for 30 minutes to an hour. They then go back to work. The police's response has been to direct traffic around the demonstration. The cooperation between the demonstrators and the police even goes so far as to have an informal agreement to clear the way for any emergency vehicle - including police cars - if they have lights flashing. That arrangement abruptly came to end Tuesday, when a protest in Col?n by SUNTRACS' workers somehow got a little out of hand. Two workers were injured and transported to a medical clinic. The police show up at the clinic, apparently to arrest the two workers. A showdown transpired between union members and the police, and one union organizer was shot and killed. Why that particular protest did not follow the typical modus operandi will perhaps never be known. The new Minister of Government and Justice, Daniel Delgado Diamante, was installed, in part, because the previous minister was perceived as weak when handling these demonstrations. It is possible that this was Triple D's (what many in Panama call Diamante) opportunity to show a tough hand. It is equally possible that it was an inevitability; given enough protests, one was eventually going to turn violent. What is clear is that any previous gentleman's agreement between police and protesters is now moot. By Wednesday morning there were protests at nearly every SUNTRACS construction site in the country. This time, protesters used permanent barricades and burning debris to keep streets closed. Diamante's response was one of force. Throughout Panama City and Col?n, protesters and police alike exchanged rocks, bricks, tear gas, and rubber bullets. The police attempted to respond to every protest, but they were badly outnumbered and poorly positioned. The now emboldened demonstrators started taking over larger areas than just the usual intersections in front of construction sites, and, in some cases, they surrounded police squads who were running out of non-lethal ammunition. While thousands of commuters were stranded for hours, somehow there were no additional fatalities on Wednesday. On Thursday it seemed as if things may have calmed down. Protests were scheduled for the evening and remained peaceful. But this was not to last. This morning, construction workers again snarled traffic throughout Panama City. Diamante had seemed to learn his lesson from Wednesday. He picked his battles and used overwhelming force. What is happening now looks more like urban warfare than protests: as police arrive at a construction site, the workers leave the street and go back into the building. The police surround the building and attempt to take the first floor. The workers respond by throwing bricks and bags of cement from the upper floors. Once the police gain access, they gradually work their way up the floors using tear gas, rubber bullets, and bird shot to subdue the workers. The workers are then handcuffed and loaded into buses. This is being repeated throughout the city, and the demonstrators are starting to change tactics in response. The lasting impact of these demonstrations for Panama could be significant. Panama's astounding economic growth has been possible because its reputation for stability and safety has attracted foreign investment and tourism. Representatives from SUNTRACS, the government, and human rights NGOs are meeting as I write. The outcome is still unclear, but it will take more than one afternoon of talks to repair Panama's image as the sleepy, tropical paradise for both travelers and off-shore investors. http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/newsfeed/2008/02/17/007-star-craig-s-riot-terror-78057-20322528/ 007 Star Craig's Riot Terror Feb 17 2008 BOND star Daniel Craig has been given armed bodyguards to protect him while filming in riot-hit Panama City. Violence erupted last week after police shot dead a union leader and clashes forced shooting on 007 flick Quantum Of Solace - due out in November - to halt. The riots are not the first problem to hit the production. Crew members were also robbed by locals last month. http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20080214090613741 Protests and Riots Hurt Tourism and Cause Millions in Losses Thursday, February 14 2008 @ 09:06 AM EST Contributed by: Don Winner Views: 514 By Mireya Rodr?guez for the Panama America - The riots yesterday in Panama City and Colon brought serious losses to the economy. Cruise ship activity was paralyzed, as was commerce in the Colon Free Trade Zone and tourism in general. Jaime Campuzano, manager of the El Panama hotel, said some clients called to cancel reservations they had in the restaurant today to celebrate Valentine's Day. Other activities within the hotel were delayed because of the disturbances, he added. Other hotel owners agreed that these kinds of protests damage tourist activity. Some 2,000 passengers on a cruise from Miami aboard the MSC Lirica could not enjoy tourist activities in Colon. Riots and protests in the area made it impossible and not safe for them to go out on the tour that was programmed for them. Augusto Terracina, the manager of Aventuas 2000, said the cruise ship was docked at Pier 6 in Crist?bal. The passengers aboard the cruise ship were Italian, German and French, among other nationalities. These types of situations, said Terracina, harm the tourist industry as well as the image of the country. There are two cruise ships programmed to arrive on Sunday, and the 2007-2008 season is only half over. Commercial activity within the Free Zone of Columbus was also affected by the disturbances. David Cohen, the President of the Users Association said losses are in the millions because in some companies workers could not get to their jobs. http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20080215200428613 New Riot Control Vehicles Take a Beating - First Time Out Friday, February 15 2008 @ 08:04 PM EST Contributed by: Don Winner Views: 405 By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The Panamanian National Police Unidad de Control de Multitudes (UCM) (Riot Control Unit) recently purchased a new fleet of Ford F350 vehicles especially hardened for riot control duty. These most recent confrontations with striking construction workers were the first time they've had a reason to put them to use. And, they really took a beating. Several of the vehicles had serious damage from the rocks and debris the construciton workers were throwing at the police. At least it was the machines taking the damage and not the officers. http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20080215194725727 Riots in Panama Affect Tourists in Paitilla Friday, February 15 2008 @ 07:47 PM EST Contributed by: Don Winner Views: 581 By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Tourists visiting Panama had a front-row seat for confrontations between rioting construction workers from the Sindicato ?nico Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria de la Construcci?n y Similares (SUNTRACS) and the Panamanian National Police Unidad de Control de Multitudes (UCM) (Riot Control Police) in Paitilla this morning. There were running battles in front of the Plaza Paitilla Inn all morning, with protesters throwing rocks and police returning fire with tear gas and rubber bullets. Eventually the UCM gained the upper hand and arrested some 350 striking workers http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/PAN04.htm Riot police arrest construction workers during a protest in Panama 15 Feb 2008 Source: Reuters Riot police arrest construction workers during a protest in Panama city February 15, 2008. Panamanian construction workers clashed violently with police and blocked major roads on Friday, the third day of protests that have paralyzed the capital since the death of a worker earlier this week. REUTERS/Alberto Lowe (PANAMA) REUTERS/ALBERTO LOWE Riot police take cover behind shields during a protest against the death of a worker in Panama city February 15, 2008. Panamanian construction workers clashed violently with police and blocked major roads on Friday, the third day of protests that have paralyzed the capital since the death of a worker earlier this week. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5b997540-de7f-11dc-9de3-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1 Panama construction strike threat renewed By Adam Thomson in Panama City Published: February 19 2008 01:40 | Last updated: February 19 2008 01:40 Panama's largest construction workers' union on Monday renewed its threat to call a national strike as part of protests to raise safety conditions on building sites, boost the minimum wage and lower basic food prices. The threat, made by Genaro L?pez, secretary-general of the Suntracs builders' union, comes in spite of a presidential decree on Saturday that aims to address workers' demands for more rigorous safety standards on most of Panama's building sites. But in an interview on Monday with the Financial Times, Mr L?pez hinted strongly that the decree might not be enough: "This protest goes far beyond labour safety conditions." He said his union had called a meeting this Saturday to decide its action. Some experts fear that a long protest by Suntracs' 50,000 members could disrupt a dynamic sector of Latin America's best? performing economy. Last year, the country grew 10 per cent, according to official figures released this week, about 30 per cent more than initial government estimates made at the end of 2006. Much of that growth was thanks to a construction boom that is transforming the Panama City skyline. According to Samuel Lewis, Panama's vice-president, direct foreign investment was expected to have reached $2.5bn by the end of last year. Mr L?pez's comments follow a week of protest as construction workers took to the streets at the beginning of last week. On Wednesday, about 200 union members were detained and arrested after Iromi Smith, a colleague, was shot dead. Residents of Panama City and Col?n on the country's Atlantic coast, waited in anticipation on Monday of further clashes between police and protesters at Mr Smith's funeral, on Tuesday in the city of C?lon. http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20080304171313465 Construction workers lead fight against police murder in Panama Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 05:13 PM EST Contributed by: Don Winner Views: 289 By Luke Stobart for Socialist Worker - "You were a good son, a good father, a good brother and a good husband. I only hope that you give strength to your brothers and sisters to keep fighting." Those were the emotive words of a grieving mother speaking at the funeral of Al Iromi Smith, a construction worker recently killed by police in Panama. Smith was a 28-year old activist in the Suntracs union in the city of Col?n. He was shot in the back by police as he entered hospital after receiving a plastic bullet wound on a demonstration. Suntracs is a radical and relatively strong union of 40,000 members. It had been protesting against the lack of safety on Panama's construction sites - last year 25 construction workers were killed at work. (more) Editor's Comment: I publish this piece for those readers out there who do not share my views on many political issues. There are, however, a great number of simple errors in this article; too many to address in fact. The timeline is twisted (as to what happened when), the numbers and economics with regards to income and poverty are off, and it's full of inaccuracies and misrepresentations of the facts related to the events on the ground. In addition, and it's an article whose writer clearly starts out with a political position and an agenda. Far from fair or balanced, the author clearly wants to win over or influence (so it's not a news report.) Whatever. Some people like to read this stuff. So, here you go. Have a great time, lap it right up... (Article Continues) In response to Smith's death, construction workers blocked the traffic across Col?n. The police response was yet more repression. Soon students from Panama State University joined construction workers in pitched battles against the police. Dozens of workers were wounded - by real and rubber bullets - and hundreds arrested. Violent scenes showing construction workers and passers-by being subjected to savage attacks were broadcast across Panama's TV stations. Suntracs activists are not treating the incident as an isolated case of state violence. Two union leaders were murdered last summer by police officers and hired gunmen linked to business organisations. Earlier this month the union publicly denounced a plot to "selectively kill" union leaders - an echo of a common practice in neighbouring Colombia. Union leaders say the violence is the product of an "increased militarisation" of government under Matin Torrijos whose current cabinet includes several senior ex-military men. The protests of construction workers represent much deeper concerns about the situation of workers in Panama, the fastest growing Latin American economy with an annual growth rate of over 11 percent. Panama has benefited from a building frenzy, which involves the construction of an enormous urban centre around the Panama Canal area. This is being developed by the British company London & Regional and will cost $10 billion. Panama is also the site of increasingly large numbers of retirement and second homes, bought mainly by North Americans. Nevertheless the benefits of economic growth are far from being equally shared out. Panama is the second most unequal country in Latin America and inequality is rising. Some 60 percent of the population live in poverty. Nearly half a million people out of a population of three million live on less than a dollar a day. Worse still, the welfare state has come under savage attack from the neoliberal government of Mart?n Torrijos, which took office in 2004. Torrijos has used the popularity of his family name - his father was the reforming nationalist dictator Omar Torrijos - to try and push through privatisation of pensions and health. But his attempts have been met with an astonishing resistance that has often derailed his plans. In 2005 Suntracs along with the social security employees' union led a month-long general strike against pension "reform". They forced a 90-day suspension of the pensions package and major concessions on the retirement age. This year a strike by doctors forced the government to back off from health privatisation. Many recent protests have been coordinated through the united campaign group Frenadeso, the National Defence Front for Economic and Social Rights. One of its leaders, Priscilla V?zquez, is president of the Social Security Employees' Association. She says that the group's strength comes from having a radical leadership but also involving reformist organisations. The movement is also strengthened by the class solidarity and politicisation of the Panama's trade unions. When Suntracs struck last summer in response to the assassinations of two of its leaders, several other major unions struck alongside it. And Suntracs' most recent protest did not just call for labour safety but an increase in the minimum wage, control of price rises and even the scrapping of environmentally damaging mining projects. Frenadesco has called a national demonstration on 13 March, and Suntracs' national union federation has threatened a general strike if its many demands are not met - including the sacking of the government minister responsible for law and order. Frenadesco leader Saul M?ndez says that the next step is to build "coordination and dialogue" with "sectors of the people" that are mobilising over education, health, mining and transport issues. There is currently a protest every two days in Panama. Despite its recent growth, Panama is not a highly developed country. Half of its economically active population work in the so-called "informal sector" - involved in small trading, street stalls or casual labour. Yet the Panamanian experience shows that even in such contexts the organised working class is able to lead wider social forces and win significant victories. Faced with increased violence by the state, the Panamanian unions deserve our wholehearted support. http://miami.indymedia.org/news/2008/02/10432.php Panama: SUNTRACS Worker martyred at protest by ug blog Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008 at 4:32 PM updates at blog Col?n - The violent repression of Sindicato ?nico de la Construcci?n y Similares (SUNTRACS: look for earlier posts on more about Panama's radical construction union) last August has continued, as a protest in Col?n turned deadly yesterday, according to the country's major newspapers and the SUNTRACS website. SUNTRACS workers were protesting for safer working conditions and higher wages in the Caribbean coast's largest (and predominantly Afro-Panamanian) city, when police fired tear gas and then live rounds into the crowd. 28-year old Airomi Smith Renter?a (some newspapers report his name as Iromy Smith) was killed.* F?lix de Le?n, 24, and Donaldo Pinilla, 28, were wounded, and they will survive. More than thirty more workers were arrested, though no police were wounded. Police then issued a warrant for the arrest of the branch leader, Eustaquio M?ndez, similar to an August warrant for SUNTRACS second-in-command, Saul M?ndez (who is Eustaquio's brother). Eustaquio M?ndez went into hiding. "These acts are miserable and we know that the government is behind this campaign of terror against Suntracs," M?ndez said through a spokesman. "They have an ongoing campaign to assassinate our leaders...but this will not end here." SUNTRACS is calling this a 'dirty campaign', a reference to 'dirty wars' in countries across Latin America in the 1960s and 1970s. Police allege the shots were self-defense as protesters charged at the officer. Police chief Rolando Mirones claims that, while the shooting is under investigation, the workers initiated the violence, though again, no officers were hurt. But in SUNTRACS statements on its website, the blame is placed squarely at the central government's calculated effort to repress the union. Rosaura Renter?a, Smith's mother, said that she is proud her son was a fighter for the working classes, but hurt that he died in this way. And Saul Mendez made a statement that "We are not afraid, not of you (Mirones), not of Daniel Delgado Diamante (another security official), not of the hitmen that they want to contract for these assassinations." According to the same newspapers, the protests have continued through to today, with SUNTRACS members blocking streets around the country. They are also remembering Luiyi Arg?elles, Osvaldo Lorenzo, and other SUNTRACS members recently martyred by police and private security. More actions are planned for later today, including a march in the capital from Parque Porras to the presidential palace. * It is common for Panamanians to have Anglo last names, which most often means they are descended from Afro-West Indians who came mostly between the 1850s and 1910s. Update: Today's Protests According to newly posted articles, there have been a wave of SUNTRACS protests across the country. Waving the red flag of their union, scenes are described of praying workers being shot with tear gas, and of footage of other workers in other protests throwing stones, sticks, and metal bars at police. Streets and bridges across the country were blockaded, and demonstrators are said to have barricaded themselves into wealthy districts in the capital where luxury buildings are being built (by them, as it is a construction union). "We have made a call to tolerance and sanity," Panama's President Martin Torrijos has pleaded. He added that "violence is not the way to put forward demands." And Public Works Minister Benjamin Colamarco (who deals often with SUNTRACS and himself was in the 1980s military regime) has red-baited that the protests were pre-meditated by Trotskyist groups. SUNTRACS's leadership and ideology is openly Marxist, but it is certainly not linked to any Trotskyist groups. Protests took place in Panama City, Colon, San Carlos, Rio Hato, Penonome, Santiago de Veraguas and David. http://www.bwint.org/default.asp?Index=1423&Language=EN Solidarity campaign Panama: SIGN UP! Trade unionist shot dead - Workers from SUNTRACS are arrested SUNTRACS says police shot dead Hiromi Smith, a trade unionist, in the province of Colon during a confrontation with workers on Tuesday 12 February 2008. Panamanian construction workers clashed with police after the shooting. Bro. Hiroshi was demanding health and safety rules at construction sites. Genaro Lopez, secretary of the construction trade union SUNTRACS, complained that those arrested were being kept in isolation. Many arrested workers had not taken part in the protests but were taken into custody when police stormed construction sites in Panama City. A press release from the national police says that the construction workers threw rocks at police. Actually, the police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd. At least 26 persons were injured and around 500 were arrested. In the recent months, SUNTRACS construction workers union have taken to the streets to protest what they say are lax safety standards at the city's building sites. BWI office in Panama has addressed a strong protest message to the President Mart?n Torrrijos protesting at the death of trade unionist Hiromi Smith. In his letter to the president, BWI regional representative, Carlos Salguero, requests a thorough investigation into the facts put forward by SUNTRACS. The union had initially called for the demonstrations to protest the cost of basic food items and demand greater safety measures in construction. Take two minutes to help SUNTRACS in its struggle. http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/743/38421 Panama: Unionist murdered, repression stepped-up 7 March 2008 @intro2 =Below is a February 29 statement by the International Trade Union Confederation, which represents 168 million workers in 155 countries and territories and has 311 national affiliates. Visit . The ITUC has strongly condemned and denounced the murder on February 12, in Colon province, of trade union leader Hiromi Smith from the Sindicato Unico Nacional de trabajadores de la Industria de la Construccion y Similares (SUNTRACS). Smith was shot by police anti-riot forces following a protest against unsafe working conditions at his place of work. Another two workers, Donaldo Pinilla and Eustaquio Smith, were injured. According to reports on the national TV channel Canal 2, the police used tear gas and Smith was shot as he approached the Hugo Spadafora Policlinic to seek refuge and medical attention for his colleagues injured during the protest. Some 30 workers were arrested during the clashes. In a letter to the Panamanian authorities, the ITUC recalled that it had already written in protest six months ago, following the murder of two SUNTRACS activists, Osvaldo Lorenzo Perez and Luigi Antonio Arguelles. This was during the union's campaign against safety standard violations, which aimed to end the deterioration in working conditions and the wave of deaths in the construction sector. The ITUC, pointing out that nothing has been done to resolve these problems, urged the Panamanian authorities to take every possible step to ensure the urgent implementation of the safety regulations applicable to the Panamanian construction industry, and to end the national police's excessive use of force against workers. "Panama needs to see the opening of a broad dialogue in which all those concerned, especially SUNTRACS and the Panamanian Construction Chamber, can commit to optimising workers' safety", said Guy Ryder, ITUC general secretary. "Panama is under an obligation to respect ILO Conventions 87 and 98, both of which it has ratified." From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 08:18:28 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:18:28 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] MOZAMBIQUE: Mass revolt over price rises Message-ID: <009201c89e42$cc3bcb40$0802a8c0@andy1> * Massive street unrest over rising fuel and food prices in Mozambique * Minibus taxi drivers protested price hikes introduced by the government under World Bank pressure * Thousands joined mass protests, burning tyres, building barricades and fighting back against police * Beginning in the capital Maputo, the unrest spread to other towns * Several protesters were killed as police attacked to clear roads * The government was forced to back down following the unrest Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/world.aspx?ID=BD4A699702 Posted to the web on: 06 February 2008 Police kill protester in Maputo fuel riot Charles Mangwiro Reuters MAPUTO - Police opened fire on at a crowd protesting at transport price hikes in Mozambique's capital yesterday, killing one person. Thousands of people joined the protests in Maputo, burning tyres and throwing stones at police cars. Police fired rubber bullets as they tried to clear roads, residents said. "We are aware that one person was killed," police spokesman Arnaldo Chefo said yesterday. "We will investigate in what circumstances police resorted to live ammunition instead of rubber bullets or tear gas." Fares have been driven higher by rising fuel prices. This year the price of petrol in Mozambique has increased 46% and diesel almost 90%. Paraffin prices climbed 61%. OTM, the largest Mozambican trade union federation, said workers were spending 35% of their wages on transport. A recent United Nations development report said that nearly 40% of Mozambique's people were living on less than $1 a day. The union federation has called for an extraordinary meeting of officials from labour unions, the government and other associations to discuss rising fuel prices. Mozambicans often use overcrowded and battered buses because state-owned transport companies have a shortage of vehicles. http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=8b04b393-4726-4372-863b-8032f6d642d2&k=16494 Mozambique capital erupts in riots soon after Province reporter arrives By Elaine O'Connor, The Province Published: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 MAPUTO - The capital of Mozambique exploded into violence on Tuesday as citizens rioted in protest against increased bus prices. All across the large southern city, impromptu roadblocks of burning tires and overturned dumpsters were set up at the main bus depots. Men wielding rocks and clubs stopped traffic cold and attacked cars that dared try to pass. The price of fuel in the region has risen rapidly in the past month, from 29 Meticals per litre to 35 Meticals per litre (about $1.21 to $1.47 Cdn), and the bus and taxi drivers were demanding the government dramatically increase fares to compensate, up to a 15 Meticals increase. View Larger Image Protesters outside a Maputo bank where employees and Province reporter Elaine O'Connor were holed up during rioting in the Mozambique capital on Tuesday. Ben Botha As a compromise, the government increased fares on short routes from 5 to 7.5 Meticals and from 7.5 on long routes to 10. Those fares went into effect Tuesday. The trouble began in the morning as a simple bus strike - with the minibuses called chapas that are the mainstay of local traffic, staying off the roads - leaving people to walk to work. But by mid-morning, the strike had transformed into a violent protest. Groups of men were setting up roadblocks at half a dozen points in the city. Police opened fire crowds with rubber bullets throughout the day. But in at least one case, resorted to live ammunition. One person was reported killed as of 4:30 p.m. local time. Thousands of people joined the protests across the city, and calls to the local television station from protesters threatened to escalate rioting and violence if the government failed to lower fares. By afternoon, thick acrid clouds of smoke rose above the capital's highrises. The country's largest trade union, OTM, stated that the average Mozambican worker spends 35 per cent of their wages on transportation. UN data reports that 40 per cent of Mozambicans live on less than US $1 a day, making even a few cents increase in chapa fares a great hardship. This year in the southern African country, fuel prices have been on a tear: gas is up almost 46 per cent and diesel 90 per cent. At one primary school in downtown Maputo, the Escola Primaria 3 de Fevereiro, the 2,300 students were panicked and being kept on the grounds as volleys of gunfire rang out around the city. Police shot into the air to scatter the protesters and allow traffic through, but only periodically. By noon, traffic on the main routes was at a standstill. Outside the Opportunity International Bank (Banco Opportunidade de Mocambique) on Avenida 24 de Julho, dozens of men gathered and set tires alight and beat back cars. The bank had closed at 10 a.m. after the U.S. Embassy in Maputo issued a security alert citing widespread rioting in the city and some violence involving fires and car vandalism. By 1 p.m. the area became impassable, and riot police were called in. Several ambulances drove into the crowd. Shots rang out. "This is pretty extraordinary, this is pretty violent," said bank director Trudi Schwartz. Protests after price increases are common - about once a year - but they rarely take such a turn. And, as Schwartz recalls, as her bank employees peer out the windows at the crowds, at least this time their windows remained intact. Last year, after a munitions plant exploded, some of the bank's windows blew just as the CEO was on a conference call with the Gates Foundation. It is, she points out, just a part of doing business in this part of Africa. - Province reporter Elaine O'Connor is in Rwanda and Mozambique this month reporting on B.C. residents who are working for change in Africa. She is the recipient of a CIDA-Jack Webster Foundation Seeing the World Through New Eyes Fellowship. Her reports will appear periodically online and in The Province. http://allafrica.com/stories/200802060964.html Mozambique: Fare Rise Leads to Rioting And Barricades Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo) 6 February 2008 Posted to the web 6 February 2008 Maputo Traffic ground to a halt in many Maputo neighbourhoods on Tuesday morning as rioting broke out against the increase in fares charged by the private minibus operators who provide much of the Mozambican capital's passenger transport. Last week, the Transport Ministry and the Federation of Road Transport Associations (FEMATRO)agreed fare increases of up to 50 per cent for the minibuses (colloquially known as "chapas". In Maputo and the neighbouring city of Matola the fare for a journey of up to five kilometres rose from five to 7.5 meticais. The flat fare for longer journeys rose from 7.5 to 10 meticias (at current exchange rates there are about 24 meticais to the US dollar). The main reason given for these increases was the latest rise in the price of fuel. Due to the surge in crude oil prices, the Ministry of Energy on 23 January decreed a 14 per cent increase in the price of diesel and an 8.1 per cent increase in the price of petrol. The fare rises were to take effect on Tuesday - but crowds came onto the streets shouting "Five meticais! Five meticais!", and physically prevented minibuses from operating. Barricades were improvised, out of lumps of concrete or burning tyres, on several of Maputo's main thoroughfares. Enormous clouds of smoke billowed from the burning tyres that blocked Lurdes Mutola avenue in the neighbourhood of Malhazine. The demonstrators even stopped vehicles belonging to the public bus company, TPM, from circulating, even though the TPM flat fare has only risen from 4.5 to five meticais. In the suburb of Magoanine, AIM reporters watched as protestors stopped a TPM bus, and obliged all its passengers to leave the vehicle and join them. Schoolchildren took an active part in the protests. Pupils from the Laulane Secondary School told AIM "some of our colleagues are studying, but we prefer to be here to show that the increased cost of transport is a problem that affects everybody". In some areas, demonstrators turned against journalists. Stones shattered the windows of a vehicle belonging to the television station, STV, and one of the STV reporters was injured. Riot police intervened, firing rubber bullets into the crowds in an attempt to bring the situation under control. Despite the police presence, most chapa owners gave up any attempt to take their vehicles onto the streets. Thousands of workers found themselves unable to reach their workplaces, while pupils who live a long distance from their schools found it impossible to reach classes. Some people resigned themselves to walking to work or school. Reports reaching the AIM newsroom, not yet confirmed, spoke of several people injured in the demonstrations and at least one death. A police car was reportedly burnt in Zona Verde, in Matola. But Matola was much quieter than Maputo, probably because Tuesday is a public holiday in Matola, marking the 36th anniversary of its elevation to the status of a city. http://allafrica.com/stories/200802121018.html Mozambique: Choke Riot - More Details Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo) 12 February 2008 Posted to the web 12 February 2008 Maputo Although the authorities insist that only one person died in Monday's riot in the town of Chokwe, in the southern Mozambican province of Gaza, eye-witnesses cited in Tuesday's issue of the independent newssheet "Mediafax" put the number of deaths at between three and six. The Chokwe District Administrator, Agostinho Faquir, told the paper that the man who died "was in the middle of the demonstrators, waving a pistol. He began to open fire on the police, and the police had to react. It was then that the police shot and killed this person. But it's not true that three people died". This time it seems certain that the police were using live ammunition rather than rubber bullets. Seven people were admitted to the local hospital, at least two of whom were suffering from gunshot wounds. The rioters were protesting against the high cost of living, particularly rises in the price of food and of fuel. The disturbances began at about 7.30 on Monday morning, and at about 11.00 degenerated into a full scale battle between the police, and rioters. The police only gained the upper hand once reinforcements had arrived from the provincial capital, Xai-Xai. At least three shops and a warehouse were looted. An eye-witness told "Mediafax" that one shop only avoided the same fate because its owner was armed, and managed to close his establishment in time. Reports from Chokwe on Tuesday morning suggest that life there has now returned to normal. However, disturbances on Tuesday spread to the Gaza town of Chibuto, where a group of youths looted stalls in the town's central market. A Chibuto municipal official, interviewed by the private television station STV, described these rioters as "a group of opportunists", who were merely interested in stealing goods from market stalls. The disturbances started at about 10.00, but the police brought the situation under control within about half an hour, the official said. http://allafrica.com/stories/200802130702.html Mozambique: Copycat Riots in Chibuto And Jangamo Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo) 13 February 2008 Posted to the web 13 February 2008 Maputo Disturbances spread on Tuesday to the town of Chibuto, and the district of Jangamo, in the southern Mozambican provinces of Gaza and Inhambane, as gangs of youths sought to copy the riots that took place in Maputo on 5 February. The rioters, protesting against the high cost of living, attacked the main market in Chibuto, looting several stalls and destroying shop windows. They also threw up barricades on the main road into the town, preventing access to Chibuto for part of the morning. According to Wednesday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", police shot into the air to disperse the crowd. There are no reports of deaths or injuries, but the police say they arrested 12 of the protesters. The local police commander, Francisco Taimo, said the police were able to prevent any worse damage, because they were already on a state of alert. Police officers were stationed at strategic points in Chibuto before the riot began. The Chibuto district administrator, Zacarias Soto, said "it's unclear what the group of protestors wanted". In Jangamo district, protestors mounted barricades at Malaica on the country's main north-south road. Traffic was interrupted for several hours before the police cleared the road. Again the specific objectives of the protesters were not at all clear. Meanwhile, in Maputo the city authorities have launched a campaign in schools to urge children not to take part in demonstrations. This backfired when pupils at the Laulane secondary school told Maputo city governor, Rosa da Silva, that they believed the 5 February riots were justified. The teenagers rejected the commonly held view that they were "made use of" by the adult demonstrators. An outspoken teenage girl, Lurdes Muianga, speaking on behalf of the pupils, told Silva they had taken part in the riots, not because anybody else told them to, but because the problem of increased transport fares directly affected them. Speaking to reporters, Muianga pointed out the awkward truth that rioting can work. It was only in the wake of the riots that the government and transport operators cancelled the fare increase. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL07903820 Mozambique says will not compensate for riot damages Thu Feb 7, 2008 8:20am EST By Charles Mangwiro MAPUTO, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Mozambique will not pay compensation for property damaged during violent protests over increased transport fares that left three people dead and 104 others injured, a senior government official said on Thursday. Thousands of people took to the streets early this week, protesting against a 50 percent rise in the cost of mass transport. Protesters looted shops, damaged vehicles and burnt some electricity poles. Police using live ammunition, shot and killed three people while trying to disperse the crowd. Transport and Communications Minister Antonio Mungwambe said the cost of damaged property could total millions of dollars but the government had no plans to compensate for the losses. "No where in the world the state compensates for losses sustained by any person in respect of damages by riots," he said in a statement. Fares have been driven higher by rising fuel prices. This year the local price of petrol has climbed 46 percent and diesel almost 90 percent. Kerosene prices rose 61 percent. Transport operators said they would scrap the planned fare increases and continue to negotiate with the government for a solution. Mozambicans frequently use overcrowded and battered buses because state-owned transport firms have a shortage of vehicles. Mozambique's largest trade union federation, OTM, has said workers spend 35 percent of their wages on transport. A recent U.N. development report said nearly 40 percent of Mozambique's people live on less than $1 a day. (Editing by Phumza Macanda and Mary Gabriel) http://allafrica.com/stories/200802070775.html Mozambique: Government Will Not Pay for Riot Damages Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo) 7 February 2008 Posted to the web 7 February 2008 Maputo The Mozambican government will not assume any responsibility for damages or loss of property incurred by individuals, business and other institutions as result of the riots that shook the Maputo and the surrounding neighbourhoods on Tuesday and Wednesday. Angry mobs destroyed property worth millions of dollars in many Maputo neighbourhoods on Tuesday morning as rioting broke out against the increase in fares charged by the private minibus operators who provide much of the Mozambican capital's passenger transport. The fuel price rise that led to the increase in minibus fares results form the soaring prices of oil in the international markert. Furthermore the owners of the minibuses had not increased their fares since 2005. Initially, minibus owners were demanding the fare to be increased from the current 5.0 and 7.5 meticais to 18 or 19 meticais per journey. Eventualy they were forced to settle with 7.5 to 10 meticais for journeys within Maputo and Matola (at current exchange rates there are about 24 meticais to the US dollar). Following the riots that plunged the capital into a total chaos, however, the government and transport operator reached an agreement to reverse the fare increase. The statement of the government follows the concerns expressed by a number of citizens whose property and other goods and assets have been vandalized by the demonstrators. "Nowhere in the world the State compensates for losses sustained by any person in respect of damages by riots", said Mozambican Minister of Transport and Communications, Antonio Mungwambe. This means that individuals, shop owners, business and other institutions whose property was destroyed will have to cover their own expenses for the losses incurred. Only a handful of businesses have already started to assess the losses sustained, and most are expected to embark on the same exercise later in the week when things settle down. Demonstrators also attacked a secondary school which bears the name the country's President, Armando Guebuza, in the neighbourhood of Chamanculo and that was opened about seven months ago. According to the representatives of "Olhar de Esperanca" (A Look of Hope), a project from the Mozambican Ministry of Education, that sponsored the construction that school the damages sustained amount to over one million dollars. "Olhar de Esperanca" is a public-private partnership that aims at promoting the improvement of the learning-teaching process through the construction of schools and the acquirement of the basic means for students and teachers. Among other business that have been severely hit by the riots include a huge warehouse of the milling company Sasseka, a recently inaugurated branch of ProCredit Bank in the neighbourhood of Jorge Dimitrov, few petrol stations, several hundred of private vehicles, and two police vehicles. Meanwhile, three people have been killed, two adults and one adolescent, who were victims of stray bullets. This despite the claims of deputy Interior Minister, Jose Mandra, did not use live bullets to disperse the demonstrators. Relatives of the deceased were on Wednesday demanding the authorities to pay for their funerals. On the other hand, the number of injured have risen to 104, this according to Thursday's issue of the daily paper "Noticias". To alleviate the current transportation crisis in Maputo, Mungwambe said the government will have to address urgently the problem. To that end, that government is planning to increase its fleet from the current 40 to reach a number of 150 buses. The government is well aware that even this number will not meet the current demand. "We are seriously addressing the issue of public transportation. We can't say when the problems will be resolved, but the situation will certainly improve", said the minister. Mungwambe also said that the government is planning also to revamp the whole transportation system that could see dedicated roads for public transport, to speed up the traffic. http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/06/mozambique-a-riot-organized-through-sms-and-reported-by-bloggers/ Mozambique: Riot organized via SMS is covered by bloggers Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 @ 19:27 UTC by Paula G?es Three people died and more than 250 were injured in a riot yesterday in Maputo, which followed a protest against the increase in fares charged by the chapas (private minibus operators from the Mozambican capital). One of the first people to bring the news to the public was the blogger and sociologist Carlos Serra [pt], in a post just after 8:00 am, which was continuously followed up as he had fresh information to share. He reported on barricades being improvised to prevent minibuses from operating and halting of all bus and mini-bus services soon after, as well as the police intervention, stranded commuters and the first person left dead. People started to contact the blogger directly to provide their first accounts of what they had heard and seen. While most of the local TV stations were showing soap operas and the radios broadcasting football, people flocked to the Internet to get more information. Carlos Serra received dozen of comments on his report, with many readers thanking him for his minute-to-minute updates, the only source of virtually real time information available. Micas [pt] said in his comment: Revoltante! A R?dio n?o deveria estar ao servi?o da informa??o, ao servi?o do povo? N?o ? um servi?o p?blico? Que me desculpem mas o futebol poder? ficar para depois. Disgusting! Shouldn't the Radio be at the service of information, at the service of the people? Isn't it a public service? Excuse me, but football can be left for later. Bayano Valy [pt] brought today an analysis of the poor participation of the mainstream media and its consequences: O que me pareceu ter acontecido ontem foi que mais uma vez os ?rg?os de comunica??o p?blicos furtaram-se de cumprir com uma das suas obriga??es de informar o p?blico sobre quest?es de interesse p?blico. E me parece que as manifesta??es de ontem eram de interesse p?blico. Ao furtarem-se do dever e obriga??o de reportar sobre o que estava a acontecer n?o ter?o os nossos ?rg?os p?blicos contribuido para que mais pessoas se pusessem ? rua com todas as consequ?ncias que da? podiam advir? What seemed to have happened yesterday was that once again the public media avoided complying with one of its obligations: to inform the public on matters of public interest. And I think that yesterday's events were of public interest. On avoiding the duty and obligation to report on what was happening, wouldn't our public agencies have contributed to more people going to the street with all the consequences that could arise from this? Other citizens were recording the events even closer. The short video below, by KaeDhee was shot from a roof terrace in one of the quietest areas, Coop, near OMM Square at around 14:30. SMS mobilization Such widespread demonstrations are unprecedented in Maputo and apparently the mobilization started soon after the Transport Ministry and the Federation of Road Transport Associations (FEMATRO) agreed that fares would increase up to 50% for the chapas (from 5 meticais to 7.5 - US$0,20 to US$0,30). People used SMS to send text messages inviting others to protest in the day the new fare would take effect, according to Orlando Castro [pt]: Hoje o protesto registou uma inova??o. Foi convocado por sms e inclu?a fortes cr?ticas ao Governo da FRELIMO: "O povo est? a sofrer, os filhos de ministros, deputados e outros dignit?rios n?o andam de chapa e os chapas est?o caros. Vamos fazer greve e exigir justi?a. Lutemos contra a pobreza". The protest today had an innovation. It was convened through sms and included strong criticism of the FRELIMO's government: "People are suffering; ministers, parliamentarians and other dignitaries' children don't travel on chapas and they are expensive. Let's go on a strike and demand justice. Let's fight against poverty. " The increases were justified by th latest rise in the price of fuel, which saw a 14% increase in the price of diesel and an 8.1% increase in the price of petrol. On the other hand, the official minimum wage is less than US$2 per day, and the poorest people would be the most affected by the new fares. Some bloggers, such as Ivone Soares [pt], were not happy satisfied with this justification: O sal?rio m?nimo est? aqu?m das necessidades b?sicas das popula??es, ademais que o ?ndice de desemprego em Mo?ambique ? vergonhoso para um Governo que se diz do Povo, mas que preocupado com os mega-empreendimentos. The minimum wage is below people's basic needs, and in addition to this the unemployment rate in Mozambique is shameful for a government which is said to be [a government] of the people, but is concerned only about mega-ventures. Manoel de Ara?jo [pt] writes an open letter to Mozambican president Armando Guebuza asking him to speak up about the unprecedented event in Maputo: Pela primeira vez depois da independencia nacional a populacao de Maputo saiu a rua com um unico proposito- dizer de forma clara e inequivoca de que ja esta farto das instituicoes estatais e que pelo menos desta vez, iria resolver os seus problemas, usando as suas proprias maos! For the first time after the national independence, the population of Maputo gained the streets with a single purpose - to say in a clear and unequivocal way that they are already tired of the state institutions and that at least this time, they would solve their problems themselves, with their own hands! Leonardo Vieira [pt] says he is not surprised that people have run out of patience after so many price rises in less than one month: fuel, bread, and the chapas fare. He blames the government for its passivity, which leaves the population with no choice but the use of violence. In this case, the protesters achieved what they were fighting for: E qual foi a consequ?ncia??? Na pessoa do ministro dos transportes, o Governo anuncia que j? n?o mais ir?o subir os pre?os. And what was the result? Through the minister of transport, the Government announced that it will no longer raise the prices. In a comment to the above blog post, Nelson Livingston [pt] agrees with Leonardo's theory that people's patience is coming to an end, and makes a dark prediction [pt] for the future: O que me intriga ? como o governo subestima o povo. Como n?o l? os sinais de insatisfa??o. Ser? por estar demasiado desligado da situa??o popular ou por uma cruel insensibilidade que se "ignora" o resultado de algumas medidas tomadas l? no topo. Agora aprendeu o povo que "crian?a que n?o chora n?o mam?". Aprendeu que "governo n?o gosta de barulho". O povo aprendeu a "mexer o remoto control" o futuro ? assustador. What I have been intrigued by is how the government underestimates people. How it does not read the dissatisfaction signs. Is it because they are turned off to people's situation or is it a kind of cruel insensitivity which "ignores" the consequences of some decisions made up there. Now people have learned that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." They have learned that the "government is averse to noise." People have learned how to "operate the remote control". Future is frightening. A phantom city Today, Carlos Serra reports that after the protests continued in some places into the evening, this morning Maputo was like a phantom city. There was no public transport, most schools and shops remained closed. Rubbish was soon building up along remnants of the barricades thrown up the day before. Only in the afternoon the chapas started again to circulate. However, there are still some tension in other parts of Mozambique. Carlos Serra has been, as usual, providing all the last updates, quicker than any other media in the country. In his 28th update today at 20:40, the latest at the time of publication of this piece, he reports: Tr?s mortos e 268 feridos - eis o rescaldo dos levante popular de ontem, segundo a esta??o televisiva TVM no seu notici?rio das 20. Mas segundo o "O Pa?sonline", calcula-se em 93 o n?mero de feridos que deram entrada no Hospital central de Maputo, dos quais 25 continuam ainda internados. Three dead and 268 injured - this is the aftermath of yesterday's popular uprising, according to the TV station TVM in their news at 8 pm. However, according to "The Pa?sonline", it is estimated that there were 93 wounded brought to the Central Hospital of Maputo, of which 25 are still in hospital. http://allafrica.com/stories/200803200866.html Mozambique: Renamo Lines Up Behind Rioters Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo) 20 March 2008 Posted to the web 20 March 2008 Maputo Parliamentary deputies of Mozambique's main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, have enthusiastically defended the Maputo riots against fare rises of 5 February. On that day, rioters protesting at increases of up to 50 per cent in the fares charged by the private minibuses (colloquially known as "chapas") that provide much of the capital's passenger transport effectively shut the city down. The rioters erected barricades of burning tyres, and stoned any vehicles that attempted to drive past. There were repeated clashes throughout the day between the police and gangs of stone throwing youths. The rioters won, in that the government rapidly renegotiated the fares with the Federation of Road Transport Associations (FEMATRO). The fare increase was withdrawn, and the government opted to offer the chapa owners a fuel subsidy instead. At a parliamentary debate on Thursday on the cost of living and rises in the price of fuel, Renamo deputy Francisco Maingue declared that the "unbearable cost of living" had been the cause of the riots, and the fare rise was "the last straw". He described the 5 February rioters as "heroes", and condemned the police for daring to arrest several of them. The country was being paralysed by "the Marxist government of Frelimo", he declared, apparently unaware that Frelimo had jettisoned Marxism in 1989. Although Renamo claims to be a party of the right, in favour of free markets, some of the proposals its deputies made were straight out of a command economy textbook. Thus Viana Magalhaes called not only for a minimum wage but also for a maximum wage and suggested that the minimum wage should be ten per cent of the maximum wage. Magalhaes may be unaware of it, but this is rather similar to Lenin's policy on wages after the Bolshevik revolution. Like Renamo, Lenin demanded both a maximum and a minimum wage - the only difference is that Lenin wanted a maximum wage no more than four times the minimum, while Magalhaes would allow it to be ten times as large. Another Renamo deputy, Manuel Pereira, seemed nostalgic for the days of the one party state. He called for a return to the food subsidies that had existed in the early 1980s. Deputies from the ruling Frelimo Party argued that, while the right to demonstrate was enshrined in the constitution, it must be exercised peacefully. "Violence never resolves any problems. It only worsens them", said Edson Macuacua. "Violence generates violence". Renamo deputy Luis Gouveia replied with the remarkable claim that there is no such thing as a peaceful demonstration. "Demonstrations are never peaceful anywhere in the world", he declared. "The only place where there are peaceful demonstrations is a cemetery". Some Frelimo deputies traced poverty and the high cost of living back to Renamo's war of destabilisation. "You (Renamo) destroyed Mozambique yesterday, and today the Mozambicans are paying the bill", declared Damiao Jose. "You were being manipulated, you were pleasing your bosses, and you didn't realize what the consequences would be". A critical remark by a Frelimo deputy about an anti-government rap singer who uses the stage name Azagaia, led to Renamo suggestions that Frelimo wants to censor musicians. "All musicians are free to sing !", declared Luis Boavida. Moreira Vasco immediately retorted that there are no musicians among the Renamo deputies, but the Frelimo parliamentary groups contains several (indeed it does - AIM counts at least three, namely the head of the Frelimo group, Manuel Tome, Roberto Chitsondzo, and Esau Menezes).. "If Renamo were in power, there would be total chaos", said Vasco. "They forget that they used to blow up factories, schools, hospitals, bridges. Did they think they were improving citizens' lives then ?" http://maputo.wantedinafrica.com/news/news.php?id_n=4171 transport: Government to subsidise fuel for chapas owners. The government has decided to subsidise the cost of fuel for "chapas" operators following a recent hike in the cost of diesel. The decision comes after it revoked a rise in fares introduced in early February to offset the increase in operating costs for public transport providers, which sparked violent protests in Maputo and neighbouring Matola. Now operators of the privately owned mini-bus taxis will pay the old price of 31 meticais per litre of diesel rather than the new price of 35.35 meticais per litre introduced on 23 January as a result of rising oil prices on the global market. However the government and representatives of chapas owners still have to work out how to implement the decision without damaging the interests of petrol pump operators. Meanwhile, the police have now admitted using live ammunition as well as rubber bullets during the February riots in Maputo and Matola that left four people dead and over 100 more in need of hospital treatment. Of these, 68 had been shot and ten were suffering from tear gas poisoning. Until now the police had insisted that they only used rubber bullets. http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKL1263886620080212 Mozambique cuts fuel price to end street protests Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:02pm GMT By Charles Mangwiro MAPUTO, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Mozambique's government agreed to cut the price of diesel fuel for private minibus taxis on Tuesday to end a wave of protests over high fuel prices and the rising cost of living in the southern African state. The booming but impoverished country has been rocked by violence that has killed six people and injured more than 100 after police clashed with crowds of demonstrators who looted shops, destroyed vehicles and burned electricity poles. Commuters were angered by high fuel costs and a decision, later scrapped, to raise transport fares by 50 percent. "The decision to reduce the price takes effect immediately," Transport and Communication Minister Antonio Munguambe said, after announcing the diesel price would fall to 31.0 meticais ($1.30) a litre, from 35.35. Last week, three people were shot to death by police and more than 150 were injured. Violence erupted again late on Monday in the southern province of Gaza when protesters, some wielding machetes, seized a popular market, sealed off roads and looted shops, Radio Mozambique said on Tuesday. Six people were seriously injured when police moved in to disperse the crowd, which the broadcaster said was linked to anger over rising transportation and other costs. "We called them (the protesters) for a dialogue, but nobody accepted our offer, making it difficult for us to understand the real motives of the violent demonstration," Jorge Macuacua, the mayor of Chokwe, told Radio Mozambique. Bus companies and other transport operators had announced steep price increases in response to rising fuel costs, but these were later scrapped. The price of petrol has climbed 46 percent and diesel by nearly 90 percent. Although Mozambique's economy is expected to grow robustly in 2008 -- GDP growth is forecast at 7 percent, versus 7.5 percent in 2007 -- the bulk of its 20 million people continue to eke out a subsistence living and many are mired in poverty. Economic growth in the former Portuguese colony has also triggered inflation that has pinched Mozambicans. The inflation rate for 2007 was 8.4 percent, higher than the government's forecast of 6.4 percent. (Editing by Michael Winfrey) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7242323.stm Mozambique riots push fuel down Police were accused of opening fire on protesters Mozambique has revoked a recent increase in the price of diesel fuel for private minibus taxis. The move follows a week of clashes between police and rioters that killed at least four people and seriously injured more than 100. Transport Minister Antonio Mungwambe said the price of diesel would drop by 14% for minibus owners. In the immediate aftermath of the riots, the government cancelled plans to raise transport fares by up to 50%. Temporary measure During the demonstrations, crowds looted shops, destroyed vehicles and burned tyres and electricity poles. The key problem is people's low salary Agostinho Matsinhe Transport operator The price of fuel was increased by 14% last month in response to rising prices on the world market. Food prices have also increased as a result. Analysts view the government move as a temporary measure while it works out a durable solution to the crisis. "The key problem is people's low salary," transport operator Agostinho Matsinhe told the BBC at one of the terminals in the outskirts of Maputo. "So, passengers are right when they complain and so are the transporters. "Practically, the reduction in the price of fuel does not help much for both of us." http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:wTbAMQLdnGUJ:www.gg.rhbnc.ac.uk/Simon/GG3072/Moz-Bull-125.pdf+maputo+fuel+protest&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=23&gl=uk&client=firefox-a 5 DEAD IN DEMONSTRATIONS; NOTICIAS EDITOR SAYS CAUSE IS GOVERNMENT OBEDIENCE TO WORLD BANK Demonstrations in Maputo on 5 February and then four other towns against the high cost of living, triggered by an increase in bus fares, have shocked Mozambique. At least five people were killed and more than 100 injured, many shot by the police. Frelimo dismissed the rioters as marginals and vandals, and writers initially argued that government had no control over world oil and wheat prices. But in the past few days, the government-owned daily newspaper has published a series of more thoughtful articles. Rogerio Sitoe, editor-in-chief of the government owned daily, Noticias, led the way with a remarkable column, arguing that the root cause is "the religious way we applaud and accept the prescriptions of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund", when these are really "poison prescriptions". They have destroyed jobs and failed to promote agricultural development, which has "contributed greatly to the impoverishment of the countryside and forced a migration to the cities, particularly of the youth." The government needs its own development policy and needs to stop treating World Bank and IMF statements as if they were "bible verses". A subsequent letter to the editor was published saying the demonstrations were not vandalism, but a strike by the people demanding their rights. And a columnist said the demonstrations were useful because before the riots, the elites simply did not understand the economic crisis of not just of the poor, but of the middle classes. In Maputo in the 5 February demonstration, between four and eight people were killed, and over 100 injured - including 68 shot by the police; 31 people were arrested. Police in Maputo admitted they used both live ammunition and rubber bullets. Disturbances spread to Chokwe in Gaza on 11 February. Between one and six people were killed. The following day there were demonstrations in Chibuto in Gaza province and Jangamo in Inhambane. Later, protestors in Chidenguele in Gaza blocked the main road through the town to protest at the increase in the bus fare to the provincial capital, Xai-Xai. At least 20 people were arrested in the Gaza demonstrations. In Maputo a deal was agreed with minibus operators that they would pay only 31 meticais ($1.30) a litre for diesel, the price before the 23 January increase to 35.35 meticais a litre From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 08:46:07 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:46:07 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] GLOBAL UNREST: Revolts against state abuse Message-ID: <009901c89e46$ab7574c0$0802a8c0@andy1> * CHILE: Anti-dictatorship day marked by youth protests, street fighting * NAURU: Police station torched, police routed in unrest over phosphate exports * DENMARK: Police abuse of minorities leads to week-long mass unrest * AUSTRALIA: Yet more unrest in Northern Territory - this time Echo Island * INDIA: Villagers block roads over police abuse, wrongful arrests * KENYA: Murder by police sparks revolt by villagers * NWFP, PAKISTAN: Diesel pump operators block roads to army * INGUSHETIA: Anti-corruption protests and more clashes with police * JAMAICA: Arrests spark taxi strike * IRAN: Shoppers "riot against modesty police", resist arrest of woman * GUATEMALA: Villagers hold police hostage to demand release of land activist Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN2843349620080329 Rocks and tear gas in Chile's annual youth protests Sat Mar 29, 2008 7:27am EDT By Rodrigo Martinez SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Masked youths threw stones at police who responded by firing tear gas and water cannon in the Chilean capital on Friday at the start of annual protests against the government and the country's free-market system. Dozens of youths, some in school uniforms, threw objects into the Santiago's main street, the Alameda. Some wearing hoods or bandannas over their faces scattered pink pamphlets that read "Popular Union of Students." Police in armored vehicles sped through the street spraying clouds of tear gas as officers riot gear rounded up youths and bundled them into police buses as sirens blared. Barriers were erected cordoning off the presidential palace nearby. Police said they had detained 185 people. The protests were aimed at Chile's capitalist-style economic model and the government, which the groups say manipulates the education system to favor the wealthy and exclude the poor. President Michelle Bachelet condemned the violence. "Democracy in Chile is solid and there is no justification for violence," she told reporters as riot police in flak jackets and helmets manned intersections and street corners. Two small bomb blasts have rocked banks in the two weeks running up to Saturday's anniversary of "Day of the Young Combatant." The day marks the deaths of two brothers, Eduardo and Rafael Vergara, during Augusto Pinochet's 1973-90 dictatorship. Bachelet was herself briefly detained and tortured along with her mother during Pinochet's harsh dictatorship, in which nearly 3,200 people were killed. "If one wants to pay homage to the tremendous tragedy of the Vergara brothers, during a period when Chile was not democratic, the right thing to do is guarantee that democracy means being able to express yourself but without violence," Bachelet said. Chile is one of the most stable countries in the region, but Bachelet's popularity has taken a bashing because of the way her government has handled past student protests as well as a botched transport system for the capital. There have also been corruption allegations against members of her administration. "We think this neo-liberal education system that the government has introduced should be stopped," said Saray Acevedo, of the National Popular Coordinator of Students. She handed out the flyers to passers-by that read "Against a neo-liberal education. Struggle by the people and students." Some ordinary Chileans say the protesters have a point. "The government speaks but does not act. I think the people should protest more, they are too passive," said Rodrigo Nunez, a 39-year-old engineer, as he walked past armored police trucks. "There are so many problems. It is true education is expensive and marginalizes the poor. The cost of living is high. Electricity and gas prices are up. Look at how they protest in Argentina! I voted for this government and feel conned," he said. Last year, students wearing balaclavas clashed with police in Santiago and other cities, throwing stones and gasoline bombs. Police retaliated with tear gas and water cannon. At least officers were wounded in those clashes and police arrested more than 850 people across the country. Many businesses shut down. Several explosive devices detonated but no one was injured. Chile has vowed to clamp down on groups who set off bombs and extra police will patrol the streets of Santiago on Saturday. (With reporting by Simon Gardner and Reuters TV; Editing by Chris Wilson) http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/03/29/chilean_protesters_clash_with_police/8276/ Chilean protesters clash with police Published: March 29, 2008 at 2:12 PM SANTIAGO, Chile, March 29 (UPI) -- Nearly 200 people were arrested in Santiago, Chile, during a demonstration honoring two men killed during a previous military regime, according to authorities. Police clashed with protesters and used tear gas to subdue the crowd, estimated at several hundred, La Nacion reported Saturday. Saturday in Chile marks the "Day of the Young Combatant," the anniversary of the death of two brothers, Eduardo and Rafael Vergara, who opposed the dictatorship of former Chilean leader Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). http://www.pslweb.org/site/News2/459048564?page=NewsArticle&id=8827&news_iv_ctrl=1261 Chilean students protest on Day of the Young Combatant Tuesday, April 1, 2008 By: Stefanie Fisher In brief Hundreds of students and youth took to the streets on March 28 in Santiago, Chile, stopping traffic on their way toward the government palace. Protesters were attacked by hundreds of riot police with tear gas and water cannons. The cops rounded up and arrested over two hundred youth and their supporters. More demonstrations and actions are planned throughout the weekend to mark the annual "Day of the Young Combatant," which honors teenage activists Eduardo and Rafael Vergara, who were killed on March 29, 1985 during Augusto Pinochet's brutal dictatorship. Protesters denounced the Chilean government's free-market economic model that has left many Chileans poor and disillusioned with President Michelle Bachelet's unfulfilled promises. Students were also protesting the government's manipulation of the education system, which benefits the rich and excludes the poor. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/10/asia/AS-GEN-Nauru-Riot.php Rioters in Nauru torch police station during weekend violence The Associated Press Published: March 10, 2008 WELLINGTON, New Zealand: Rioters on the Pacific island nation of Nauru set fire to the tiny nation's main police station during a weekend protest by about 100 young people, New Zealand's government said Monday. No one was injured in the violence although the police station was gutted and several people were arrested, said James Funnell, a spokesman for New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters. The larger Pacific nations of Australia and New Zealand maintain close ties with Nauru and other small island nations in the region. The cause of the Nauru rioting was not immediately clear. Political turmoil there came to a head late last year when a breakaway group of Cabinet ministers ousted President Ludwig Scotty in a no-confidence motion, accusing his government of taking no action on corruption allegations. Marcus Stephens, Nauru's former champion weightlifter and a Commonwealth Games medalist, was elected as the new president on Dec. 19. Funnell said the latest reports from the island said the situation was calm. Officials in Nauru - a speck of land halfway between Australia and Hawaii - were not immediately available for comment. "It appears from our inquiries the origin of the violence is a long-standing commercial dispute," Funnel said. He did not give further details of the problem or say how many people were arrested in the violence. "Police reservists were sworn under emergency authority to protect national infrastructure," he said. Those detained were being held in a camp the Australian government set up on the island in 2001 to house foreign asylum seekers, who were caught while heading for Australia by boat, while their asylum requests were being processed. The program ended earlier this year and no asylum seekers were still in the camp, Funnell said. Nauru was the third South Pacific country to suffer rioting and arson in the past two years. Similar problems have hit Samoa and Tonga. Nauru was once was a major supplier of phosphate, which is used for making farm fertilizer. Its population of about 12,500 had one of the world's highest per capita incomes about 25 years ago. The country's fortunes dwindled as its phosphate reserves ran out, however, and have been worsened by bad investments and poor economic management by its government. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4433454a12.html Riot hits Nauru, NZ ponders action BY MICHAEL FIELD - Fairfax Media | Monday, 10 March 2008 The main police station in the South Pacific nation of Nauru has been gutted by fire after rioters attacked it over the weekend, and authorities fear more violence ahead. Rioters objecting to the export of phosphate burnt the station on Saturday, prompting local authorities to deputize a hundred people, including teenagers, to protect other buildings. A New Zealand Government spokesman said they were discussing the situation with their Australian counterparts in the event Nauru called for assistance. When similar riots broke out in the Solomon Islands and Tonga in 2006, New Zealand forces were flown in along with other Pacific units. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, only 21-square kilometre in area and with just 12,000 people. It has been stripped down to a bleak landscape of bleached coral pinnacles. A New Zealander, Albert Ellis, discovered its high grade phosphate in 1900 and in what amounted to colonial robbery, saw much of it mined and turned into super phosphate for the farms of Australia and New Zealand. Nauru won independence from Britain, Australia and New Zealand, becoming the world's smallest republic in 1968. Nauruans became the world's richest people on a per capita basis but over three decades saw most of their money disappear in poor investments and corruption. The bulk of the phosphate ran out around 10 years ago but mineable quantities are known to exist in previously mined areas. The Government of Nauru created a new company, Ronphos Corporation, to reopen the mines. The first shipment was being loaded up last week, prompting public concern. World phosphate prices have nearly doubled in recent years. AAP reported that Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs believes there is a chance of further violence and has warned Australians in Nauru to stay indoors at night. No people have been harmed in the disturbance. The Howard government in Australia turned Nauru into an offshore detention centre for asylum seekers under its so-called "Pacific Solution". The centre has been closed but some Australian police remain. http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news621.htm Copenhagen Riots - It's been no fairy tale in Denmark with a full week of argy-bargy in Copenhagen. Racist policing pushed the immigrant population to a flash point when a 65-year-old immigrant man was beaten severely by police on February 9th - and it flared out to into riots across the country. Cars were set alight and barricades burnt, mostly started by young immigrants but joined by anti-racist activists and other 'avin it' types. The incident which sparked it all off was during a car search, where children no older than thirteen who tried to help the victim were also beaten. This was just one too many times for the common practice in Copenhagen of police searching people on grounds of race. It's the same ingredients as the Paris riots in recent years. While the mainstream media did their best to align the riots with fundamentalist Muslims offended by a newspaper reprint of the infamous Muhammed cartoon - or boredom in the barrios - the real reasons were outlined when a group calling itself "Drengene fra indre N?rrebro" (the boys from inner N?rrebro) sent a letter to a national newspaper saying that the riots had been about discrimination and harassment by police to immigrants on the urban estates. Cars and buildings - including several schools - were destroyed and around 45 were arrested and charged with arson and vandalism during the week. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL16445295 Danish youths riot for sixth night, several arrests Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:20am EST COPENHAGEN, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Gangs of rioters set fire to cars and garbage trucks in northern Copenhagen on Friday, the sixth night of rioting and vandalism that has spread from the capital to other Danish cities, police said on Saturday. Five youths were arrested in the capital on Friday after 28 cars and 35 garbage trucks were burned, Copenhagen police duty officer Jakob Kristensen told Reuters. Danish media said arrests in other towns brought to 29 the number of people police were holding. Scores of cars and several schools have been vandalised or burned in the past week. Police could give no reason, but said that unusually mild weather and the closure of schools for a winter break might have contributed. Police arrested two Tunisians and a Dane of Moroccan descent on Tuesday for planning to kill a cartoonist who drew one of the cartoons printed in a Danish newspaper two years ago that roused a storm of protest in Muslim countries. Fifteen Danish newspapers reprinted his drawing on Wednesday in protest against the alleged murder plot. Several hundred Muslims gathered in central Copenhagen on Friday to protest against publication of the cartoon. Most Muslims consider depictions of the founder of Islam offensive. Social workers said the arrests, the reprinting of the cartoon and protests against its appearance might have fuelled the riots. Publication of the cartoons two years ago led to protests and rioting in Muslim countries in which at least 50 people were killed and three Danish embassies attacked. In October police arrested more than 400 people in Copenhagen after demonstrators evicted from a youth centre earlier in the year tried to occupy a new building. (Reporting by Kim McLaughlin, editing by Tim Pearce) http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gb_Oh9rwoIfa6wxMsitw7VG4k9Fw Youths riot across Denmark for sixth night in a row: police Feb 15, 2008 COPENHAGEN (AFP) - Six people were arrested in Copenhagen overnight after small groups of youths torched cars and dumpsters across the city for the sixth night in a row, police said on Saturday. Up to eight others were arrested in towns across the country, media reported. "In Copenhagen there were 28 cars set on fire, 35 dumpsters and 14 garbage fires in the streets," Copenhagen police chief inspector Lau Thytesen told AFP. Of the six people arrested in the capital, five were to be charged with arson while the sixth had been released, he said. Other violence was reported in Denmark's second biggest city Aarhus, as well as Odense and North Zealand. The cause of the troubles was not known. The youths, who have acted in small groups with no apparent organisation, have not spoken out about their motive. One of the organisers of a peaceful anti-racism demonstration held in Copenhagen on Friday, Rasmus Lingnau Amossen, told daily Politiken that many youngsters felt harassed by police and believed the police were racist. New regulations allow police to search people at random for weapons, even without suspicion, in certain areas of Copenhagen, including the heavily immigrant areas of Noerrebro and Vesterbro where the troubles began last weekend. "I've spoken with some of them and asked them why they're doing it (rioting). And they said it was because of the harassment they're subjected to in connection with the searches," Amossen said. "When police choose to stop everyone with Arab features or the wrong skin colour while they let other people pass by, it's not about a specific effort anymore. It's about racism," he said. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/11/2159634.htm Man dies following riots on Elcho Island Posted Mon Feb 11, 2008 2:50pm AEDT Northern Territory Police say things have calmed down on Elcho Island following a weekend riot. Officers say they had to use force to control a dispute involving 400 people which erupted in Galiwinku yesterday afternoon. Police say a man, who was not involved in the fight, collapsed and died shortly afterwards. His death is not being treated as suspicious. http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?date=2008-03-10&usrsess=1&clid=10&id=221272 Villagers protest against police arrogance Statesman News Service MALDA, March 9: Hundreds of villagers, residents of Sadipur between English Bazaar and Kaliachak police station, blocked a state highway for over 14 hours today in protest against alleged police highhandedness. Police arrested three persons last night from that village in connection with a lynching case. Villagers claimed that three persons were innocent. Villagers alleged that police damaged their houses and tortured women members of their family in the name of raid. It may be noted that two youths were killed a few days ago there. Villagers suspected them to be criminals and hacked them to death. After the incident, Malda SP Mr Satyajit Bandyopadhyay said: "Police would not spare any one for taking law in their hands". But police could not conduct a raid just after the incident in Sadipur and adjoining villages due to on going Madhyamik and Madrassa examinations. The police later raided the villages but failed to identify any one who killed the two youths brutally. Villagers dragged the two youths from their area, tied them with trees, killed them at night and lastly dumped their bodies on the other of the village. Though police asked the villagers to confess the crime and surrender them, no one agreed to come forward. Last night police picked up three persons from that village when villagers refused to confess and disclose the names of those who killed the two men. Malda SP Mr Satyajit Bandyopadhyay said: "Raid would be continued to nab others involved in this case. Action would be taken if police personnel were found guilty as per the allegations by the villagers. Villagers finally lifted the road block around 2 pm today which began at 6 am. http://allafrica.com/stories/200802070185.html Kenya: Death At Police Post Sparks Riot The Nation (Nairobi) 7 February 2008 Posted to the web 7 February 2008 Nation Team Nairobi A man who had been arrested on accusations of robbery died Wednesday at a police post. Shortly afterwards, residents of Katanga village in Thika District started rioting. Central provincial officer Japhter Rugut said the man had been arrested for attacking people. "He died at the Administration Police post before he could be handed over to the regular police, but residents thought he had been tortured," he said. He said the man believed to be mentally ill, had been attacking residents and snatching items from them. Gatundu North MP Clement Waibara urged protesters to end the riots. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C15%5Cstory_15-2-2008_pg7_37 NW army camp attacked, diesel pump owners threaten protest MIRANSHAH: Unknown militants fired two missiles on the Miranshah army camp, but no casualties were reported, officials said. Meanwhile, diesel pump owners have announced to close the Bannu-Miranshah Road for an indefinite period in protest against the suspension of supply of diesel to 25 pumps in North Waziristan Agency, and even the army vehicles would not be allowed to use the road. NW Agency Political Agent Auranzeb Khan told Daily Times it was the army that had stopped diesel supply to the agency, and not the tribal administration. staff report http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2008/01/3afe394d-3c71-4c7d-b1aa-f524ef1b13c3.html Russia: Security Forces Violently Disperse Protest In Ingushetia The offices of the state-owned 'Serdalo' newspaper were set on fire following the demonstration (AFP) Police have clashed with hundreds of protesters rallying against corruption and human rights abuses in Russia's southern Republic of Ingushetia. One demonstrator was reported wounded in the violence, while others were detained, including journalists and human rights activists. RFE/RL's Russian Service reported that the violence began after about 1,000 demonstrators tried to gather in a central square in Ingushetia's capital, Nazran, but heavily armed riot police blocked streets leading to the square. Protesters then began throwing rocks and incendiary devices at the police, who fired shots into the air before moving into the crowd. Police and paramilitary forces then chased protesters through the center of Nazran. RFE/RL's Danila Galperovich, who was on the scene, said that "local police special forces were attacked by demonstrators with stones and Molotov cocktails. Special forces responded with heavy force, using tear gas and hand guns." Later, he and other journalists with independent media, as well human rights activists, were detained by police. The others detained included "Novaya gazeta" correspondent Olga Bobrova, Ekho Moskvy radio correspondents Vladimir Varfolomeyev and Roman Plusov, and two activists from the Russian human rights group Memorial, Yekaterina Sokiriaskaya and Timur Akiyev. "After the clashes ended, I was trying to clear up how many casualties there were on both sides," Galperovich said. "When I introduced myself to the police officers, they, without any comment, took away all my belongings and detained me for two hours at the local police department. Then when the republican and Nazran prosecutors appeared on the scene, all my personal belongings were returned to me. And I'm still in the local police department, waiting to be freed." Reports say smoke and flames poured from the offices of the state newspaper "Serdalo" and from Ingushetia's main hotel. It was not clear who set the facilities on fire or why. Protesting Police Crackdown, Abuses The demonstrators carried placards calling for the resignation of Ingushetian President Murat Zyazikov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Organizers say they informed the authorities of their plan to hold the rally and that it was intended to protest corruption and the abductions, beatings, arrests, and killings of suspects by government forces and local allied paramilitaries. On January 25 Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) launched a large-scale security operation in Ingushetia in response to a surge in violence and abductions in the republic -- mostly against police. Nazran and other parts of the republic were declared "counterterrorism zones," giving emergency powers to the security forces. On November 24, 2007, police in Nazran used force to disperse hundreds of people taking part in a protest similar to today's gathering. Reports said 100 protesters were detained at that time. The mostly Muslim republic of fewer than 500,000 people shares the religion, language, and culture of neighboring Chechnya. Its population includes a large number of refugees from Chechnya, where Russia has fought two wars against separatist rebels over the last 15 years. Federal officials last year tripled the number of law enforcement troops in Ingushetia in an effort to tighten the authorities' control there. [From: Chechnya Weekly (The Jamestown Foundation, USA) January 31, 2008-Volume IX, Issue 4] http://www.jamestown.org Police and Protesters Clash Again In Nazran OMON riot police on January 26 forcibly dispersed protesters who gathered in Nazran to protest the policies and actions of the administration of Ingushetia's president, Murat Zyazikov. Kommersant reported on January 28 that while the demonstration's organizers officially billed it as being "in support of President Putin," its real aim was to demand once again Zyazikov's resignation. A similar protest, held in Nazran last November 24, was also broken up by riot police (Chechnya Weekly, November 29, 2007). The independent Ingushetiya.ru website and other media reported that while thousands of demonstrators tried to get to Nazran's central square, the demonstration's planned site, the area was surrounded by heavily armed riot police and armored vehicles and thus only several hundred manage to get near the square. Protesters reportedly threw stones and Molotov cocktails at the riot police, who in turn beat protesters and fired over their heads, wounding one protester. At that point, the protest's organizers decided to call it off and reschedule it for February 23, the anniversary of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's mass deportation of the Chechens and Ingush in 1944. "We understood that we couldn't force our way onto the square without a clash, that blood might be shed, so we decided to call off the demonstration," one of the protest's organizers, Ingushetiya.ru proprietor Mamgomed Yevloev, told Kommersant. Still, Kommersant reported that the protesters then split into two groups, one of which headed for the Nazran police headquarters while the other headed to the Assa Hotel and the offices of the government newspaper Serdalo, both of which were set ablaze. According to police officials and Serdalo's chief editor, Khusein Shadiev, the protesters threw Molotov cocktails at both buildings. Shadiev said the protesters - who, he said, numbered around 200-were not "peaceful demonstrators" but "real [rebel] fighters," and that neither the military nor the police had tried to "prevent these outrages." According to Kommersant, the newspaper's offices were seriously damaged by the fire but the hotel escaped serious damage because the fire there was extinguished quickly. No one was hurt at either location. Kommersant quoted Svetlana Gorbakova, an aide to the head of the investigations department of the federal Investigative Committee's branch for Ingushetia, as saying that police found more than 100 unused Molotov cocktails in a garage near the newspaper's offices. Magomed Yevloev, for his part, said the opposition was not responsible for the arson attacks or other acts of violence in Nazran on January 26. "The opposition has nothing to do with the mass riots that took place in the city," he told Kommersant. "Provocateurs acting in the interests of the authorities fought with the police and burned the buildings." Police reported that 43 people were arrested in connection with the January 26 demonstration and violence in Nazran. Among those detained were two human rights activists-Memorial staff members Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya and Timur Akiev, who were held for 10 hours and interrogated as witnesses to "mass riots" -and 10 journalists, including correspondents for Ekho Moskvy radio, Novaya Gazeta and Radio Liberty. Kommersant reported that Mustafa Kurkiev, a correspondent for the newspaper Zhizn, was severely beaten by police after they detained him along with Said-Khussein Tsarnaev, a photojournalist for RIA Novosti. Kommersant quoted sources in the Zyazikov administration as saying the journalists had been "detained for resisting the authorities." Human Rights Watch condemned the detention of the journalists in Nazran. "Ingush authorities are trying to silence dissent by stopping journalists from doing their jobs," said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. She said it was "disgraceful" Kurkiev and Tsarnaev were "detained and ill- treated by police just because they were covering a protest," adding that with tensions rising, Ingushetia "needs more independent reporting, not less," and that Ingushetia's government "should stop harassing journalists and ensure freedom of expression." The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also condemned the detention of the journalists and human rights activists in Nazran, stating in a January 29 press release that, according to its interviews, two of the detained journalists had been "badly beaten." "We are appalled by the abusive actions of the Ingush authorities, which effectively prevented news of civil protests from reaching the rest of the world," the press release quoted CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon as saying. Joel added, "The forceful prevention of journalists from covering important news is the reason why Russia's North Caucasus has become a virtual black hole for information." Ingushetia's two main Internet providers blocked access to Ingushetiya.ru over several days prior to the January 26 protest in Nazran. http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080318/lead/lead5.html Cabbie protest over lock-ups leaves commuters stranded published: Tuesday | March 18, 2008 Nedburn Thaffe, Gleaner Writer Taxi drivers use their vehicles to block the Stewart Town main road in St Mary, yesterday, in protest against the decision of a resident magistrate to jail for two days those who continue to breach the Road Traffic Act. - Roger Robinson/Freelance Photographer St Mary commuters were left stranded for almost the entire day yesterday, as taxi drivers took protest action against a ruling in the parish's Resident Magistrate's Court. The protest also prevented schoolchildren who had to use the Highgate route from travelling to school. Heavy trees that were cut down for roadblocks also caused power outages in the communities of Clonmel, Belfield and White Hall. The taxi drivers were protesting against the decision taken last Thursday, by Resident Magistrate Crisanthia Brown, to have 20 taxi drivers jailed for two days after they made an appearance in the St Mary Traffic Court for breaching the Road Traffic Act. The drivers said they were also protesting against what they claimed was the Transport Authority's failure to provide them with the badges and other materials that they had paid for. The Gleaner understands that most of the taxi drivers were in court to answer to offences of having no PPV badges, uniforms or logbooks. No payment However, Keith Goodison, general manager at the Transport Authority, told The Gleaner that none of the persons involved in yesterday's protest or those detained has paid for their badges. "I am not aware of anyone who has gone through the process of paying for their badge and hasn't received it," said Goodison. He said that many of the taxi drivers had only paid for the badges but had not gone ahead to do the fingerprinting which is a crucial part of the process. "Many of them are complaining that the process is too long and that they don't want to go all the way to Kingston to have their fingerprints taken," he said. Goodison said many of the drivers, instead, travel with the receipts, claiming the Authority had failed to issue them with badges. Last Thursday, Constabulary Communication Communication Network liaison officer for the parish, Corporal Angella McTaggart, told The Gleaner that RM Brown was sending a strong message to motorists. "Many of these traffic offenders take it as a joke. They just expect to come to court and pay the fine, they never expect anything like this," she said. http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/iranian_shoppers_vs_the_modest/ Iranian Shoppers Riot Against Modesty Police February 26, 2008 - by Ardeshir Arian The Iranian regime does its best to keep a tight rein on news outlets, but new media - cell phone video, YouTube, and the countless number of blogs and news forums in Farsi - means that when large-scale protests against the regime occur in public they are impossible to completely conceal. This is apparently what happened over the weekend. Sources have told PJM of a major public uprising over the weekend in Tehran - an account corroborated by other reports on the Web. This is the story they tell: at approximately 7 pm on Saturday, February 23, the Ershad patrol, or modesty police assigned to enforce clothing regulations, accosted and attempted to arrest a young woman at Goldis Shopping Mall, located in western Tehran, presumably because her dress was not sufficiently modest. In recent weeks, the police squads charged with enforcing modesty have become more rigorous in their enforcement, with thousands of women detained, questioned, and arrested for violating hijab standards. Instead of meekly submitting to her fate, the woman fought back. A young man - it is unclear whether he was accompanying her - came to her defense and joined her in fighting the police. In an attempt to subdue - and humiliate him - the police grabbed the young man and threw him into the garbage can nearby. That was when the large crowd, predominately made up of young people, rose up against the police and attempted to liberate the young woman themselves. Faced with a full-blown riot - complete with angry crowds with garbage cans being set on fire - the frightened police jumped into the van and fled the scene, except for one unfortunate officer who was left behind. The policeman was reportedly attacked and beaten by the mob. The police returned, reinforced by a full-fledged anti-riot unit. To gain control of the situation, members of the unit fired warning shots into the air and threatened to fire directly into the crowd. There were reports of between 10-15 arrests. The incident was documented by a cell phone video that was uploaded to YouTube. While the quality of the video is extremely poor, the Farsi narration and background voices were intelligible and translatable. Among the calls coming from the angry crowd after the police were first driven away: "You have put us on since 1979 until now," the crowd cheered after repeating the slogan multiple times. Another slogan was chanted repeatedly and accompanied by boos: "We do not want the Islamic regime." The crowd continuously boos and heckles the police: "A revolution is happening." When a police vehicle approaches, there is a call: "Look, this guy is entangled too." "He is going the wrong way." "What the hell are you going to do?" "How many people do you think you can kill?" Then, there are cries of "death to the police." On the video, the voice of an individual - a citizen reporter - narrates: "They (police) arrested a girl and put her in the van, people rushed to free her from the police custody. The arresting officer let go of her and they started attacking him. The van belonging to the agents left the scene, not wanting to be hit by the people and left that officer behind. People ambushed him as he was running away from them and beat him up badly." In a report on the event that appeared on the Iran Press Service web site, student web sites are quoted as saying that "to disperse the angry mob, heavy police and anti-riot units that arrived fired into the air but were met with a crowd of more than 300 people, now chanting slogans against the regime and its leaders, mostly Ayatollah Ali Khameni and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, chanting 'We don't want dictatorship,' 'We don't want emergency and martial law.'" The story comes on the heels of reports of student uprisings. As with this story, the reports are nowhere to be seen in the official Iranian press or the Western media - but by those who are determined that stories of resistance are somehow told. http://psychodiva.blogspot.com/2008/03/young-shoppers-riot.html Wednesday, March 05, 2008 You might think that is nothing- that it's just another story about yobs and the media does after all adore savaging young people and making them out to be the worst thing since the last generation that was the worst thing- which started around 1750 I think? Or maybe a lot lot earlier "What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?" Attributed to Plato (424/423 BCE-348/347 BCE) "I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise [disrespectful] and impatient of restraint" (Hesiod, 8th century BCE). Anyway- these particular young people live in one of the most oppressive regimes in the world- second only to Saudi Arabia - and they rioted- they rioted against the 'modesty police' who were - again as they do multiple times daily- trying to arrest a young woman for some perceived infraction of the 'modesty code'. This news - and news of other riots and demonstrations against the regime in Iran - does not appear to have reached the western press - I wonder why? I like young people- I think they are great-I like working with them and I like listening to their crazy ideas and watching them when they really get an idea or notion that you have been trying to teach them for what feels like decades and any young person that has the courage to stand up to this regime is a hero to me. We do not often portray young people as heroes unless they have somehow managed to catch the attention of the media with some tear-jerking story - I say lets spread the news about young people in Iran - young people who do not want to live under the present regime- what are western governments doing to support them? Or does support only depend on the amount of oil and other revenue that the conglomerates of the world - and mainly the US - can get from your country? Then of course, it's mainly women and young girls who are being hurt by this regime- and as I have said before in earlier posts- women don't matter to the world - and it would probably matter more if it were black people being treated in this way. Go and look at the video on the Pajamasmedia website - the quality is bad and you have to turn the laptop on its side through some of it- but it is worth seeing and worth reading the translation below. Meanwhile in South Africa behaviour is not much different- a young woman was sexually assaulted by a gang of men who decided- all on their own - that she was dressed so 'immodestly' (in a miniskirt) that she was 'asking for it' - and I thought the days of 'she was asking for it' had been laid to rest by the equality of women - fat chance eh when you get judges in the UK telling the jury to take the way a woman is dressed, the amount she has drunk and her previous sex-life into account when she complains of being raped - even when the 'woman' is a girl under 16! And over in Germany violence towards women in the name of tribal culture is continuing despite cries of 'multiculturalism' and support for religious views by the UN and despite also the UN's support for the universal equality of rights for women. although some do still seek to complain about women's rights undermining their religion. -------------------------------------------------------- Associated Press: Mob Kidnaps 30 Police in Guatemala GUATEMALA CITY (AP) - An angry mob took 30 police officers hostage in Guatemala and threatened to kill them unless authorities release a farm leader who was detained last week, a police official said Friday. The crowd surrounded the police station in the Caribbean coastal town of Livingston on Thursday night, disarmed the agents and took them in small boats to their remote village of Maya Creek, national police spokesman Faustino Sanchez told The Associated Press. Local media estimated there were hundreds of people in the mob. "They told us they are going to kill them one by one," Sanchez said. "We hope that after establishing negotiations we can reach some type of agreement or at least a more direct communication that will help us to get them freed." The villagers demanded the government free Ramiro Choc, who was arrested Feb. 14 on charges of illegal land invasion, robbery and illegally holding people against their will. Choc allegedly incited community residents to invade land and take over protected nature reserves. Maya Creek is accessible only by boat and then a half-hour walk through dense jungle, Sanchez said. The hostages have asked authorities to send negotiators instead of backup forces. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 09:06:42 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:06:42 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] GLOBAL UNREST: "Food riots" and protests as food prices rise Message-ID: <00a101c89e49$892eb540$0802a8c0@andy1> NOTE: The main cause of rising food prices is the conversion of land to produce biofuel. This is partly connected to rising oil prices and partly to neoliberal responses to global warming. Biofuel is also squeezing rainforests, natural habitat and indigenous peoples in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Brazil. The rush to biofuels is failing to distinguish varieties which reduce carbon emissions from those which do not, or to take into account costs of transporting biofuels. In principle, the rising prices should benefit farmers. In practice, farmers are also being squeezed by the demand for land. In the world's poorest countries, even fairly small price rises can be the difference between life and death. I haven't been able to find specific stories on all the incidents mentioned in the general accounts (unrest in Uzbekistan and protests in Namibia and Zimbabwe). The reference to Senegal and Guinea may be to earlier events included in previous roundups. The reference to Cameroon is presumably to the huge revolt recently, Egypt the strike wave, and Mexico the farmers' and grain price protests. * GLOBAL: "Food riots" are the new face of hunger * MOROCCO: Unrest reverses price rise; several killed in clashes in remote area * HAITI: UN base torched in unrest over food prices; Prime Minister forced to resign * MAURITANIA: Protesters fight police in revolt over food prices (Nov 07) * COTE D'IVOIRE: Two days of unrest and clashes prompts U-turn on food price rises * BURKINA FASO: Unrest shuts down major towns * YEMEN: A week of protests in the south over food prices; military repression leaves several dead * PAKISTAN: Unrest over food prices in Peshawar, government sends emergency food aid * PHILIPPINES: Protest at National Food Agency over rising global prices * CAMBODIA: Hundreds protest against price rises Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/apr2008/2008-04-09-02.asp Angry Food Riots Are the New Face of Hunger DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, April 9, 2008 (ENS) - Warning that spiralling food prices are leading to increased poverty and unrest, several senior United Nations officials are calling for urgent measures to tackle the global crisis, which is causing the most suffering among the world's poor. The World Food Programme's deputy executive director is warning of a "new face of hunger" that will require the combined efforts of governments, the private sector, and humanitarian organizations to overcome. "Food prices are now rising at rates that few of us can ever have seen before in our lifetimes," John Powell told the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference, DIHAD, a three day event that opened Tuesday at the Dubai International Convention Centre. Powell said he is concerned about the fact that markets are full of food, but large numbers of people simply cannot afford to buy. Last month, the World Food Programme said it is seeking funding to close a $500 million gap caused by the global spike in food and fuel prices, which have increased by an estimated 55 percent since last June. DIHAD participants welcome UN official John Holmes to the Dubai International Convention Centre. (Photo courtesy DIHAD) Yesterday, at the same conference, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes warned that rising food prices could spark worldwide unrest and threaten political stability. In the past few weeks, violent protests over rising food prices have occurred in a number of countries, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Senegal, Morocco and, most recently, in Haiti, where four people died in food riots last week. The Haitian riots are continuing despite orders to stop from President Rene Preval, and 9,000 UN peacekeepers have not been able to end the looting and violence over rising food prices. The world's largest food distribution agency, the World Food Programme has called on donors once again to urgently support its operations in Haiti, which has been particularly vulnerable to the spike in costs. So far the agency has only received 13 percent, or $12.4 million, of the $96 million required to assist 1.7 million people in Haiti, the Western Hemisphere's poorest country. Hungry Haitians set tires ablaze in a riot over rising food prices. April 7, 2008 (Photo courtesy UN) As a result, the World Food Programme says it barely has enough funding to support operations throughout April. Holmes, who is also UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, discussed the issue of high food prices today in meetings with officials in Kuwait, the latest stop on his four-nation visit intended to encourage greater partnership with Gulf states in international humanitarian efforts. "I have found a shared concern around the region about the potential effects of the current structural shift upwards in basic food prices across the world," said Holmes. "Tackling this global issue is a long-term challenge to the wider international system, but meanwhile we need to be aware of the short-term humanitarian effects in terms of increased hunger and greater strain on our resources in trying to combat this," he said. "This is a huge common problem we have to address together." There are ways to enjoy learning about this overwhelming problem - two games through which players can help. Food Force, the world's first action game about hunger and the importance of humanitarian work in Arabic, was unveiled at the Dubai conference on Tuesday. Created by the World Food Programme to raise awareness among students about global hunger, players join a virtual team of WFP experts to get food to the needy in an emergency situation, a race against time. The game, which was first introduced in English in 2005, has been played by some six million players worldwide. It is available as a free Internet download at www.food-force.com/ar, along with information about WFP and its work. Another game puts free rice into the bowls of needy people at: http://www.freerice.com/index.php. Free Rice is an Internet vocabulary game that donates 20 grains of rice for each word the player gets right in a multiple choice format. The nonprofit FreeRice.com is a sister site of the world poverty site, Poverty.com. Started in October 2007, Free Rice has now donated 25,846,953,850 grains of rice, paid for by advertisers on the site. The rice earned by correct vocabulary choices is distributed by the World Food Programme. "World food prices have risen 45 percent in the last nine months and there are serious shortages of rice, wheat and maize," Dr. Jacques Diouf said today. Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, Diouf was addressing the first Global Agro-Industries Forum in New Delhi, India. A combination of factors, including reduced production due to climate change, historically low levels of stocks, higher consumption of meat and dairy products in emerging economies, increased demand for biofuels production and the higher cost of energy and transport have led to surges in food prices, he said. Director-General of the UN Industrial Development Organization Kandeh Yumkella, told the New Delhi conference, "Climate change will impose great stresses on the world's ability to feed ever growing populations. This challenge brings new threats to arable land areas, livestock rearing and fisheries through droughts, water shortages and pollution of land, air and sea. "It is, after all, agricultural and livestock production that provide the raw materials that are basic to human existence," said Yumkella, "especially food." The United Nations estimates that the cost to end world hunger completely, along with diseases related to hunger and poverty, is about $195 billion a year. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/feb/26/food.unitednations The impact has been felt around the world. Food riots have broken out in Morocco, Yemen, Mexico, Guinea, Mauritania, Senegal and Uzbekistan. Pakistan has reintroduced rationing for the first time in two decades. Russia has frozen the price of milk, bread, eggs and cooking oil for six months. Thailand is also planning a freeze on food staples. After protests around Indonesia, Jakarta has increased public food subsidies. India has banned the export of rice except the high-quality basmati variety. http://michaelannland.blogspot.com/2008/03/food-riots-grow-we-can-expect-more.html Monday, March 31, 2008 Food riots grow; we can expect more In Cote d'Iviore, 1500 people took to the streets today to protest rising food prices. In Egypt last week, two people were killed in a clash over bread. 10,000 Indonesians demonstrated outside Jakarta's presidential palace earlier this month. Recent food riots have also taken place in Zimbabwe, Namibia, Cameroon, Morocco, Burkina Faso, India, Mexico, Uzbekistan, Yemen and Italy. Food prices are increasing everywhere. Soybean prices have doubled in a month and gone up 125% in a year. Wheat prices have risen 90% since last March, while unseasonable weather in Canada and Australia, two main producers, has limited supply. In Asia, the price of rice has almost doubled since January, causing India, Cambodia, Vietnam and Egypt to limit or completely end exports in an effort to feed their own people. This is bad news for the Philippines, which depends on rice from Vietnam to help meet its country's food needs. In Haiti some have returned to making cookies from salt, shortening and edible clay-- but even the price of the clay has risen. Food demonstrations have taken place in Haiti, Egypt, Zimbabwe, India, Namibia, Mexico, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Uzbekistan, Yemen and even in Italy. the U.N. Food Programme says that as of December, 37 countries faced food crises, and 20 had imposed some sort of food-price controls. The U.N. also says it has a $500 million shortfall to feed 89 million of the world's hungriest people. Even in the U.S., dairy products are up 15%, fruits and vegetables 10%, and cereals and bread is up 8%. The average middle class family would spend $253 more for the same groceries this year compared to two years ago.. And 28 million people are expected to receive food stamps this year, the highest level since the program was created in 1964. http://libcom.org/forums/news/moroccan-bread-riots-27092007 Quote: CASABLANCA, Morocco - Violent protests over the cost of bread prompted the Moroccan government to annul a 30 percent price hike linked to soaring global grain costs. Protesters clashed with police, cars were torched and buildings damaged in the demonstrations Sunday in Sefrou, 120 miles east of the capital Rabat. Some 300 people suffered injuries, Moroccan newspapers reported Tuesday. The state news agency said more than 30 people were arrested. The government held an emergency meeting Monday, and Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa ordered the price hike canceled, the Interior Ministry said. Amid rising world prices for wheat, the government authorized a bread price rise of 30 percent on Sept. 10, soon before the start of Ramadan. Moroccan consumption of breads and pastries rises sharply during the Muslim holy month, as families hold large feasts after sundown to break the all-day fast. The decision prompted widespread complaints from consumers that peaked at Sunday's protest, organized by the local branch of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights. The protest degenerated into violence that left schools, stores and administrative buildings damaged and several cars burned, the provincial governor, Mohamed Allouche, said. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights, a well-established group operating since 1979 with branches around the country, has organized several sit-ins against food price rises over the past year. The weekend protests raised the specter of bread riots in 1981 that left hundreds dead in Casablanca. Those riots were prompted by the government's decision to raise bread prices by 30 percent. This year, wheat prices have soared worldwide amid rising demand and shrinking stocks. One reason is increasing demand for biofuels, which can be made from wheat. European consumers have seen prices rise sharply for breads, pasta and meat products as a result of rising grain costs. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B00EED61F38F936A15752C0A962948260 More Deaths Reported In Morocco Food Riots RABAT, Morocco, Jan. 24 (AP) - Several people were killed Monday in a clash between Government forces and demonstrators in a northeastern village, local and diplomatic sources said today. It was the first reported violence since King Hassan II on Sunday suspended plans to increase food prices. Published: January 25, 1984 The deaths occurred in Berkane, near the Algerian border, the informants said, but they did not know how many people had died. Diplomats estimated Monday that 60 demonstrators in northern Moroccan cities died during riots last week over the increase in food prices. Local sources in Nador, 45 miles west of Berkane, said some shops and factories there were closed Monday as workers went on strike to protest the methods used to suppress the riots last week. But the sources said the strike, called by the leftist revolutionary movement Illal Ammam, or Forward, was only partly effective. An official at Nador City Hall, reached by telephone from Rabat, said, ''Everything is calm in Nador and slowly returning to normal.'' Nador, on the Mediterranean coast, 350 miles northeast of the capital, Rabat, is an iron mining and steel producing center of 200,000 inhabitants. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry in Rabat said today that all of northern Morocco had returned to calm. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7331921.stm Food riots turn deadly in Haiti At least four people were killed and 20 wounded when demonstrations against rising food prices turned into riots in southern Haiti, officials say. Reports say scores of people went on the rampage in the town of Les Cayes, blocking roads, looting shops and shooting at UN peacekeepers. The UN said its personnel had opened fire at some of the armed protesters. For two days running, parts of Haiti have been erupting into violence triggered by the soaring cost of food. The prices of rice, beans and fruit have gone up by 50% in the last year. Earlier this week, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued a report saying that the food crisis threatened the Caribbean nation's fragile security. Government food aid The demonstrations against the high cost of living began on Thursday in a number of towns, but in some areas they turned into riots. On Friday, thousands took to the streets again, with some blocking roads, burning cars and looting shops. A small group of protesters also broke into the UN compound in Les Cayes and damaged its gate. We know that these demonstrations have been infiltrated by individuals linked to drug dealers and other smugglers Jacques Edouard Alexis Haitian Prime Minister Some also fired shots at peacekeepers deployed in the town in an attempt to maintain public order. The UN troops fired back in response. The ensuing unrest left three dead in Les Cayes, including one young man who demonstrators said was fatally shot in the head by the UN peacekeepers. The UN said it was investigating the death. Haiti's Prime Minister, Jacques Edouard Alexis, condemned the violence, but said the mass demonstrations had been manipulated. "We know that these demonstrations have been infiltrated by individuals linked to drug dealers and other smugglers," he said. Mr Alexis said he had made $10m (?5m) available for schemes to help fight the rising cost of food, including food aid and half-price fertiliser. He also announced job creation and credit programmes. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Americas. Around 80% of the population lives on less than $2 (?1) a day. http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ihMOuft41NmAWqoE4k4p-J6rYLsA UN base attacked during protest Apr 3, 2008 Demonstrators angry over Haiti's rising cost of living attacked a United Nations peacekeeping base and looted food shops in the south. About 5,000 people demonstrated in the southern peninsula city of Les Cayes, where protesters chanting slogans against President Rene Preval attempted to set the UN police base on fire and stole rice from trucks as Haitian police stood by helplessly. Hundreds more demonstrated in the north-western port city of Gonaives. UN workers were evacuated to a police base there, though protests in the coastal city remained peaceful. At least one demonstrator was shot in the foot in Les Cayes, but there were no reports of serious injuries. Crowds were under control by late in the day, said UN police spokesman Fred Blaise. Though food prices are rising worldwide, they are a particular problem in Haiti, where 80% of the population lives on less than ?1.05p a day. Rice cost 31p at a Port-au-Prince market in January, up 50% from a year before. Beans, condensed milk and fruit went up at a similar rate, while spaghetti has doubled. The food unrest threatens the country's fragile security, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon said in a report this week on the 9,000-member peacekeeping mission there. Graffiti declaring: "Down with the expensive life!" has spread throughout Port-au-Prince. Some of the most desperate Haitians depend on a traditional hunger palliative of dirt, salt and vegetable shortening to get through the day. http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/&articleid=324529&referrer=RSS Mauritanian govt says food riots engineered Nouakchott, Mauritania 09 November 2007 05:25 The government in Mauritania on Friday defended its handling of food riots this week, claiming that violent protests in opposition strongholds that left one dead were deliberately orchestrated. "The government regrets the victims, but will remain firm to guarantee the security of people and property. It will not keep its arms crossed in the face of extremism or provocation," said Sidi Ould Zeine, adviser to the country's prime minister. In the north-west African nation's coastal capital, Nouakchott, several dozen youths on Friday hurled rocks at buildings and burnt tyres in some parts of the city before they were dispersed by anti-riot police. But the worst violence was reported on Wednesday and Thursday in several places in the south-east, when police faced down crowds of predominantly youthful demonstrators protesting hikes in the price of staple goods. One person died and several were injured. "The fact that they are young high-school pupils and not householders who demonstrated shows that there was some manipulation," said Zeine. Two local leaders of the opposition, which has fiercely criticised the recent price hikes, were arrested in the south-eastern district of Kobeni on suspicion of stirring the riots. The south-east of the vast, largely arid country was formerly a stronghold of ousted president Maaouiya Ould Taya and has been a trouble spot for the first democratically elected government in the Islamic republic. Residents allege that their region has been marginalised since Taya was toppled in a military coup in 2005 and with the emergence of the new government of Sidi Ould Sheik Abdallahi. Authorities have largely blamed the recent price hikes on soaring oil prices. To alleviate the impact, the government said cereals and other staples would be exempted from customs duty. -- Sapa-AFP http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=77538 COTE D'IVOIRE: Food price hikes spark riots Photo: Alexis Adele/IRIN Riot police in the Cocody district of Abidjan clashing with protestors demonstrating about the rising cost of living ABIDJAN, 31 March 2008 (IRIN) - At least a dozen protestors were wounded during several hours of clashes with police on 31 March as they demanded government action to curb food prices. "We have so far registered eight people wounded at the hospital in Yopougon and four others in Cocody," said Thomas Kacao of the Ivorian Consumers Association (ACCI), one of the civil society groups behind the march. The demonstrations took place in Cocody, where Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo has a residence, and in Yopougon, a thriving area for shopping and nightlife. Ivorian police used tear gas and batons to disperse protestors who were burning tires and overturning parked cars. At the height of the demonstration, before riot police started firing tear gas, IRIN saw around 1,500 protestors chanting "we are hungry" and "life is too expensive, you are going to kill us." "A kilo of beef has increased from 700 CFA (US$1.68) to 900 CFA (US$2.16) in just three days," one of the protestors, Am?lie Koffi, told IRIN. "One litre of oil has increased from 600 CFA (US$1.44) to 850 CFA (US$2.04) in the same time." "We only eat once during the day now," said another protestor, Alimata Camara. "If food prices increase more, what will we give our children to eat and how will they go to school?" Kacao said the ACCI has recorded an "unending" rise in the cost of basic foodstuffs over the last three months. Some goods have increased by as much as 30 percent and 60 percent from one week to the next. "When women go to the market they don't stop complaining about how much more expensive things have become," he said. "Today, with 2,000 CFA (US$4.80) they cannot buy enough food to feed even a family of five," Kacou complained. Marcellin Kpangui, who has formed a new civil society organisation called No-to-the expensive-life, said the cause of the food price hikes in Cote d'Ivoire is rising petrol prices that are being passed on to consumers. "We have called on the government many times [to do something] but we have the impression that no-one wants to give a response on this issue," Kpangui said. IRIN's requests for comment from the Ivorian ministry of commerce, to which the Kpangui's NGO had addressed its criticisms, were declined. But a member of the commerce minister's cabinet told IRIN, "I think the government will intervene by making a television announcement to calm things down," he said. Yacouba Fandio, a taxi driver in Abidjan said he like many people in the city are interested in taking part in protests but have not done so so far. "Many times we hear that a protest will take part against the cost of living but it has been called off at the last minute. Next time a demo is called, the turn out will be so huge [the government] will have to listen," he said. The World Food Programme says high global fuel prices coupled with an increased demand for food in wealthier Asian and Latin American markets and an increased demand for bio-fuel are behind food price rises around the world. So far the worst instability resulting from high prices has been felt in West Africa, which is where many of the poorest countries in the world are found. In Senegal and Mauritania the high price of imported wheat and rice products brought people onto the streets in late 2007. Protestors again clashed with police in the Senegal capital on 30 March, prompting the police to temporarily take a television broadcaster which was reporting on the clashes off the air. In Cameroon protests against food prices in late February turned violent and in Burkina Faso this year there have been food riots in all the major towns in the country in which hundreds of protestors have been arrested. http://www.agoravox.com/article.php3?id_article=7983 Ivory Coast: Price Rise Riot: Laurent Gbagbo cancelled custom duties and cut taxes on staples. After a second day of violent protests against price rise, President Laurent Gbagbo cancelled custom duties and also cut taxes on basic household products to stabilize prices and prevent any similar protest. Violent demonstrations against the rising coast of living have shaken Abidjan, the economic hub of Ivory Coast these last two days, Monday 31st and Tuesday 1st April 2008. These demonstrations began to spread to the other towns of the country where populations also faced rising food prices. Yesterday morning, April 1st, at around 11.am, in an attempt to disperse the growing number of demonstrators who set up barricades and burned tyres to close major roads, the Anti-riot police fired on protestors and gunn down the young demonstrator, SEA Abel, in Port Bou?t Gonzagueville, a seaside suburb of Abidjan. The Anti-riot police also injured around 39 demonstrators and made many arrests. The demonstrators started to confront Anti-riot police and ransack public buildings as the news about the assassination of the young demonstrator SEA Abel spread out. In the afternoon, at 4.pm, the Secretary General of the Government, Tyeoulou Felix announced on the National TV Channel that the government has immediately decided to cancel custom duties on imported staples and cut taxes on the basic household products; rice, sugar, milk, fish, flour, oil, canned tomatoes, cement. He then begged the demonstrators to withdraw from the streets. On 8.pm, the President Laurent Gbagbo delivered a speech focussing the price rise issue aired on the National Radio and TV channels, RTI. He has appealed for calm and has invited the leaders of all the national consumers associations and the economic operators to a talk at the presidency. No demonstration has been witnessed this morning in the streets, the concern of all the Ivorian citizens and non nationals living in Ivory Coast focuses the pending price stabilization discussions. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iPOZt6WNg1ytneNCupZj-yFj_qdg 10 hurt as riot police break up Ivory Coast price demo Mar 31, 2008 ABIDJAN (AFP) - More than 10 people were injured Monday when Ivory Coast riot police moved against several hundred demonstrators, mainly women, in Abidjan protesting over high prices. Riot police used batons, tear gas and, apparently gunfire, to disperse the demonstrators on the outskirts of the economic capital's working-class Yopougon district, when they tried to put up roadblocks during their protest. AFP journalists and witnesses saw at least a dozen wounded people some of whom had bullet wounds. "We were only protesting against an increase in food prices when the police came to gas us," one demonstrator said, asking not to be named, but showing where he had been clubbed on the torso. "My friend's leg was fractured by a bullet and I saw injured 'mamans'," he added, referring to the women traders who hold sway in many African street markets. Protesters shouting slogans about their hunger and against President Laurent Gbagbo barred one of the main roads leading out of the port city to the north of the country. Officers with the Anti-Riot Brigade briefly detained two AFP journalists, including a photographer, at the scene. Gbagbo is unpopular in Yopougon, but made a surprise visit there on Friday with French former government minister Jack Lang and many journalists to visit the Rue Princesse nightclub, one of the most renowned in the city. http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=76905 BURKINA FASO: Food riots shut down main towns OUAGADOUGOU, 22 February 2008 (IRIN) - Riots over the cost of living hit three major towns in Burkina Faso this week, a situation which has raised fears among some observers about the peaceful but impoverished country's stability. "This reaction was expected," Laurent Ou?draogo, secretary general of the Conf?d?ration Nationale des Travailleurs du Burkina (CNTB) told IRIN, stating that the riots happened after anger welled up because of constantly rising prices for basics like food, cloth and petrol. "Misery does not wait and you see people witnessing everyday rising prices and they do not know what to do. The situation is like having matches near cotton that can catch fire at any moment," Ou?draogo said. Protesters first swept onto the streets of Bobo-Dioulasso, the second largest city in the country, on Wednesday, when they attacked government offices and burned, shops, cars and petrol stations. Protests continued in Bobo on Thursday when 100 people were arrested after a government delegation dispatched to make peace was stoned by rioters. Similar protests erupted the same day in Ouhigouya, the third largest town in the country hundreds of kilometres north of Bobo-Dioulasso, and in another town in the west of the country, Banfora. Government premises, mainly those of customs, taxes and street lights have been destroyed or burned by the demonstrators including merchants and traders who took on the streets to denounce mounting costs of taxes and goods. The riots come two weeks after a government announcement that it was imposing "strong measures" to control the price of food and other basics which it said had increased by between 10 and 65 percent. Life was returning to normal on Friday but soldiers, paramilitary and police forces could be seen at strategic points throughout all the towns and cities, as well as in the capital Ouagadougou, which had not seen any violence. Speaking live on national television on 22 February, the Minister of Finance and Economy, Jean Baptiste Compaor? blamed high oil costs for the country's woes. "The government is working to find solutions, but the solution must be regional if we want a sustainable solution", Compaor? said. The government has confirmed it has been releasing emergency stocks onto the market to try to keep prices down. Some government officials said that informally customs has been blocking exports of grains and cereals, although this is not a nationwide policy. The government also says it has also lowered taxes on some basic goods by between 30 and 35 percent. Compaor? suggested the government having "dismantled" fraud techniques used by traders to avoid paying import and export taxes was the cause of the violence. "This is where it is painful for them," he said. The Africa Flak blog, which is written from Ouagadougou, reported on 22 February that some local press has blamed new government taxes for the high prices, which the government "strongly denies". Other parts of the local media "claim that the new reforming Prime Minister has struck down much of the culture of bribes that the customs agents had set up with larger food merchants and grocery distributors" the blog reported. Riots over high food prices have already erupted in Burkina Faso's Sahelian neighbours Mauritania and Senegal this year which are unusual in the region for being highly dependent on imported wheat and rice, products which have become more expensive worldwide this year. In West Africa that situation is being compounded by unusually high food prices because of a disrupted growing season in some parts of the region in 2007 and reports that traders are hoarding stocks at markets in northern Nigeria, Ghana and elsewhere. Another West African country, Guinea Conakry, is deemed among the most unstable countries in the world by conflict analysts, in large part because of five successive nationwide anti-government riots over the last 18 months sparked by mass discontent over the rising cost of living. http://www.inteldaily.com/?c=148&a=5876 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 06:01:00Email this Print this PDF version Food riots rock Yemen By Bill Weinberg (WW4 Report) -- Tanks have been deployed in parts of southern Yemen after a fifth day of angry protests by thousands of mostly young people. Youth are blocking roads and burning tires, and up to 100 have been arrested. In al-Dalea, two police station were torched, and military vehicles burned, while riot police fired into the air and used tanks against street barricades. In response, armed protesters threw up roadblocks on the main road between the capital, Sanaa, and the port of Aden, halting traffic. The unrest started in the Radfan region of al-Dalea province March 30 and spread the next day to the province of Lahj. President Ali Abdullah Saleh called an emergency meeting of the National Defense Council on April 3. Al-Dalea residents report that one of at least 14 people wounded had died. The official Saba news agency said April 2 there were no fatalities. Rising food prices helped trigger the protests. The price of wheat has doubled since February, while rice and vegetable oil have gone up 20%. Disaffection in southern Yemen has been long-standing following the civil war of 1994, in which the south lost its independence. Southerners say a government amnesty granting former southern soldiers re-admission to the army has not been fulfilled, and that they are kept out of government jobs http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9501E0D61F3DF93BA35757C0A961958260 Food Riots Hit Pakistan Published: April 8, 1997 Food riots paralyzed the northwestern city of Peshawar and hit other towns today, forcing the Government to order special trains to take wheat there. The police said they had used batons and tear gas to stop the looting of stocks and blocking of roads. Wheat has not been available for several days. The Government links the wheat shortage to several factors: smuggling to neighboring countries, particularly war-shattered Afghanistan; hoarding, and the late arrival of imported wheat. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080328-126937/Youth-group-stages-protest-at-NFA-over-rice-crisis Youth group stages protest at NFA over rice crisis By Abigail Kwok INQUIRER.net First Posted 11:33:00 03/28/2008 MANILA, Philippines -- While a small crowd was beginning to form inside the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse to buy a kilo of NFA rice for P18.25, another group was sitting outside the gates of the warehouse eating instant noodles. The group, composed of around 20 youths, was protesting the rising prices of rice amid an alleged looming shortage. The group, led by militant group Youth Revolt, held a noise barrage and ate instant noodles in front of the NFA-NCR (National Capital Region) warehouse at the corner of Visayas Avenue and Elliptical Road in Quezon City at 10 a.m. on Friday. The group had no permit to rally and even NFA security personnel were surprised upon the youth's arrival. The NFA warehouse closed its gates to prevent protesters from entering the premises. "Wala namang rice shortage eh. Ano kinakatakot nila [There is no rice shortage. What are they afraid of]?" asked an NFA personnel who refuse to be named. Andreb Asido, spokesman of Kadamay-NCR, said the poor were the victims. "Sa Tondo at sa ibang lugar sa Manila kinakain nila ang mga tira-tira ng Jollibee at iba pa na napupulot nila sa basura [In Tondo and in other areas in Manila, they are eating leftovers from Jollibee and others that they might find in garbage]," he said. But Rex Estoperez, NFA spokesman, denied that there was a shortage although he admitted that there was a need to import rice to support the increasing population. Estoperez said the government would have to import 2.1 metric tons of rice this year, compared to the 1.85 metric tons last year. Estoperez said the problem of higher prices was a "global phenomenon" brought about by the increasing oil prices in the world market and global warming, affecting basic commodities like rice. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i4k-_y-HkHmgLASfkc4UNK-45Lxw Hundreds of Cambodians protest against inflation Apr 6, 2008 PHNOM PENH (AFP) - About 300 people rallied Sunday outside Cambodia's parliament to protest against double-digit inflation and to demand wage increases to deal with soaring food costs. The protesters, led by Cambodia's main opposition Sam Rainsy Party, carried banners reading: "We want pay raises. Government must stop inflation." "The current government is unable to curb inflation... We are pushing them to reduce the prices of essential items or to increase salaries in line with inflation," opposition leader Sam Rainsy told reporters. The demonstrators later walked to the nearby site of a 1997 grenade attack, where 16 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded during an anti-government protest. About 100 anti-riot police carrying electric prods and tear gas blocked the surrounding streets to prevent the protesters from entering neighbourhood markets. Cambodia's inflation cracked into double digits late last year, hovering around 11 percent, driving up the cost of food and other staple goods. The price of meat and other essential items has risen by as much as 40 percent over the past year. Rice -- Cambodia's staple food -- now costs nearly one dollar per kilogramme (2.2 pounds), deepening the poverty of the one-third of the country's 14 million people who live on less than 50 cents a day. "The prices of commodities have increased so much -- especially oil, rice and meat -- that I can't afford to live," said 20-year-old Huor Ly Ly, a garment worker whose salary is under 60 dollars a month. The Cambodian government earlier pushed out a series of measures meant to halt price hikes, banning rice exports and lifting a ban on imported pork. Prices of basic foods, however, have remained stubbornly high. Aid agencies have warned that the growing food crisis could threaten tens of thousands of rural Cambodians with hunger in the coming year, as even food handouts have become significantly more expensive and harder to distribute. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 09:14:05 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:14:05 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] SOUTH AFRICA: Township, school student, worker and other revolts Message-ID: <00a601c89e4a$90d250d0$0802a8c0@andy1> * Police shoot at protesters at Phomolong protest over service delivery * Rumour of queue-jumping sparks unrest among landless poor in Delft * Cop injured during unrest at housing protest in Klaarwater, Durban; streets barricaded * School students in Mamelodi block roads, fight police, smash stores; angry over police refusal to record rape * Anger over shootings in shanty-town spills over into stone-throwing at trial * Cops attack protesting commuters in KwaZulu-Natal * Cape Town municipal workers clash with police; workers trash council property, police shoot workers * Police murder "car spinner" in attack on revelry; police car burnt, police stoned in response Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2253852,00.html Protest ends in violence 17/01/2008 18:29 - (SA) Johannesburg - Police fired rubber bullets at angry Phomolong residents after a service delivery protest ended in violence on Thursday, Free State police said. Two people were arrested and one man was injured in the scuffle between police and protesters. About 2 000 protesters gathered at the entrance to Phomolong to march to the office of Freestate MEC for housing, Malesatsane Masereka, at 06:00, said Superintendent Susan Moseki. The protesters wished to deliver a memorandum. "From what we understand they are not satisfied with service delivery in the township, especially sewerage," said Moseki. Violence between the two groups began when protesters barricaded roads and began throwing stones at police, she said. No one was seriously injured and the crowed dispersed at about 14:00, police said. The office of the MEC confirmed that it had received the memorandum. "We have received the memorandum; the MEC has not been able to review the demands yet. We will release a statement once he has been able to do so," said department spokesperson, Figi Zolo. http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=124&art_id=vn20080305053034783C501937 Rumour sparks Delft riot Quinton Mtyala March 05 2008 at 10:32AM A rumour that people who had been on the housing waiting list for less than four years had been moved into disputed N2 Gateway homes in Delft on Tuesday sparked a riot. Former residents, who had last month been removed from N2 Gateway Project homes which they had illegally occupied in December, on Tuesday confronted those whom they believed had jumped the housing waiting list. Police and security guards intervened to make sure a second batch of beneficiaries moved into their homes. This did not go down well with people who had earlier been evicted from the homes following a Cape High Court decision and who now lived in a tent camp. As police chased protesters into the camp, bricks were thrown at them and they responded by firing rubber bullets at some rioters. 'They can throw us out of these homes...' As the protesters were pushed behind a fence, some women held babies in their arms as they shouted abuse at police officers and private security guards. A protester, Desmond Gedult, alleged that some of the new homes had already been occupied by "Somalians and Nigerians". "How is it possible that they can throw us out of these homes only for them to be occupied by refugees?" asked Gedult. Another protester said the refugees had opened up tuck shops and were renting space from the new homeowners. http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=182191 Cop badly injured in housing protest 2008/03/12 A POLICE officer was stoned during a protest at Durban's Klaarwater township. The officer had been monitoring a residents' protest. "He sustained severe head injuries and is in hospital," said Superintendent Vincent Mdunge, who added that 12 protesters were arrested for public violence. Earlier, at least 500 residents used scrap cars, fridges and burning tyres to barricade several streets leading into the township. The residents demanded that an ANC ward councillor leave his office and move out of the area as he had "not kept his word on service delivery". Mdunge said the crowd marched to an ANC office with their demand. George Mari, DA spokesperson for Housing in KZN, said the emotive issue of housing had been highlighted in Delft in the Western Cape, Newlands East in KZN and at Klaarwater, Mariannhill. "We are seeing the absolute failings of government policy to provide as many houses to as many people as fast as possible." The provincial shortfall in the 2006/2007 financial year was 27361 houses. - Sapa http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=nw20080311082522315C974899 Cop stoned during protest in Durban March 11 2008 at 08:45AM A police officer was stoned during a protest at Durban's Klaarwater township, police said on Tuesday. Superintendent Vincent Mdunge said the officer had been monitoring a residents' protest near Mariannhill on Monday when he was stoned. "He sustained severe head injuries and is in hospital," he said. Mdunge said twelve protesters were arrested for public violence. Earlier in the day, at least 500 residents used scrap cars, fridges and burning tyres to barricade several streets leading into the township. The residents demanded that an African National Congress ward councillor leave his office and move out of the area as he had "not kept his word on service delivery." Mdunge said the crowd marched to an ANC office and demanded that the ward councillor leave. There had been reports that those protesting were unhappy ANC supporters, who had voted ANC member Talent Hlongwa into office. ANC regional secretary John Mchunu said 6 000 people had voted for the ANC in that ward. "If only 500 are protesting, they are the minority. Where are the 5 500 other voters?" He said only the majority could remove the ward councillor from office, not the minority. No other injuries were reported. - Sapa http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=13&art_id=vn20080226044408885C280362&set_id= Pretoria pupils riot Graeme Hosken February 26 2008 at 06:31AM Thousands of high school pupils ran riot in Mamelodi on Monday, damaging businesses and waging running street battles with police. The marauding pupils attacked businesses and stoned passing motorists. A petrol station in Tsamaya Road was targeted - the owner put the damage at thousands of rands. Pupils of at least 10 secondary schools in Mamelodi East and West blocked roads with burning tyres, rubble, planks and poles, and hurled bottles and stones at police. Police retaliated, firing rubber bullets into the crowds in an attempt to restore order. 'They must not allow their frustrations to control them' The pupils ran amok after police allegedly chased them away from Mamelodi East police station when they tried to report a rape. A high school girl was raped last week, allegedly by a man who is apparently out on bail after allegedly raping another schoolgirl last year. The man had been apprehended by pupils in May after police failed to arrest him. At the time thousands of pupils took to the township's streets to vent their anger over the police's inability to stop crimes against children. On Monday pupils also turned on vendors. 'They are tsotsis and must be locked away' CCTV video footage from Khutsong Shell garage in Tsamaya Road showed scores of children hurling stones through the windows and looting the store. Garage owner Sibusiso Mgwenya said the pupils had caused damage amounting to more than R40 000. "As a local businessman I condemn their actions. Children must understand that they can't do this," he said. "They must not allow their frustrations to control them. If they are upset because they are not getting assistance from the police, they must take their grievances to the relevant people. "They must not go and damage the property and possessions of people who have nothing to do with their issues. "I am appealing to the youth to stop this. This is not the appropriate way to deal with your problems," he said. Vendor Sarah Kotlolo said she had lost everything. "About 20 children pushed my stall over and took all the food and sweets that I sell. It was chaos. I tried to stop them, but they just laughed and ran off. "I can understand their frustration at the police's failure to stop crime, but they do not have to steal. They are tsotsis and must be locked away." James Mohlongo, also a vendor, said three boys beat him and stole his fruit and vegetables. "They took everything," he said. Pupil Penelope Masilela (16) said crime was affecting Mamelodi's schoolchildren. "The police don't want to stop crime. We tried to tell them about the rape, but they chased us away. "The only way that we could get them to come to us (was to) behave like criminals." Police spokesperson Constable Sam Shibambo said: "We are investigating the allegations that children were chased away when they tried to report the rape. "If the allegations are true, action will be taken against those police members. "We are also investigating the allegations that a man released on bail after allegedly raping a schoolgirl last year has raped another girl. "If it is true, then we will arrest the suspect for his own safety and to protect women and children," he said. He said cases of malicious damage to property and public violence had been opened. No arrests have been made. http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=690997 Bottles fly at Swartruggens court Werner Swart and Paula Chowels, reporting live from SwartruggensPublished:Jan 24, 2008 A crowd of about 2,000 protesters outside the Swartruggens Magistrate's Court turned violent, hurling bottles and stones at a Nyala police vehicle as alleged Skielik shooter Johan Nel was taken from court. Minutes before, the crowd surged forward, pulling down the gate at the court's main entrance. Armed police officers in riot gear had to use their shields to push the crowd away as the Nyala, carrying the 18-year-old murder accused, budged forward through the angry throng. As the vehicle moved, protestors grabbed onto it, shaking it and beating it with their fists as they bayed for Nel's blood. Several stones and bottles were pelted at the vehicle and a couple of hundred protestors ran after it as it drove off. A police helicopter hovered over the court building. Earlier, a group of more than 1,000 angry protestors had surrounded the building, blocking exits. Forty minutes after appearing before magistrate Andre Kleynhans, a group of heavily armed police officers struggled to get Nel out of court. Chanting protestors were blocking police at every turn when they attempted to drive the police van out. During Nel's brief appearance, Kleynhans pleaded with community members and the broad South African public to keep calm in the wake of last week's shooting that left four Skielik informal settlement residents, among them two children, dead. The tiny courtroom was packed with curious locals, reporters and protestors who were bussed in from elsewhere. The case has been postponed to February 12. http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=694406 Cops shoot commuters during taxi riot Mhlaba Memela 30 January 2008 Police used rubber bullets and pepper spray to disperse an angry group of more than 300 protesting commuters at Peacetown in Ladysmith, northern KwaZulu-Natal. The commuters were fuming after taxi operators blocked the entrance of the Brake Throw Investment (BTI) bus company depot in a bid to stop buses transporting locals yesterday. A group of disgruntled taxi operators were allegedly aggrieved over the low bus fare. Taxi operators complained that buses charged R6,50 in the morning and dropped the fare to R5,50 during the day while taxis charged R8. Klipriver Taxi Association chairman, Bhekuyise Masondo, said their members are "sick and tired" of lo sing out to bus companies. "Buses are trying to compete with the taxis while our fare is standard. We have been raising our concerns with the bus company for a long time but they won't listen," Masondo said. Commuter Xolani Shabalala said the taxi owners' actions had inconvenienced them but what the police did was not necessary. "There was no need to shoot at us. People were worried that they might lose their jobs," he said. Police captain Charmaine Struwig said the taxi and bus company leaders met yesterday and opted for an amicable resolution. The taxis moved from the depot entrance and allowed buses to continue operating. "But commuters did not want to accept the fact that they were inconvenienced going to work. "The enraged commuters threw stones at the police and they were left with no option but to retaliate with rubber bullets," Struwig said. Police will maintain a strong presence in the area for the next few days. http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=594&art_id=vn20080201044553327C322594 Damp squib strike runs riot February 01 2008 at 07:57AM By Anel Powell Police used rubber bullets and pepper spray to control hundreds of agitated municipal workers who threw bottles and destroyed council property during Thursday's march to Cape Town's Civic Centre. The SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) said at least 12 of its members were injured and taken to hospital for treatment. Two members, including senior union leader Leon Johannes, were arrested. Last night they were still being charged. 'One more bottle and we shoot' Almost 1 000 Samwu members turned over rubbish bins as they marched through the city centre to hand over a memorandum of grievances to Mayor Helen Zille. But the city says Samwu will pick up the bill for cleaning up the mess and for any damage caused. "We will also be identifying individuals who have intimidated fellow staff members or broken other laws, and will take disciplinary steps against them," said city spokesperson Charles Cooper. Meanwhile, Samwu said it was "disgusted and appalled" that its members were shot "at close range with plastic-coated steel bullets". What started as a peaceful procession from Keizersgracht to the Civic Centre soon turned ugly as protesters turned over rubbish bins and threw litter in the streets. Some marchers started from Cape Town station, where rubbish bins were knocked over. The march was part of Samwu's indefinite strike action against the City of Cape Town's staff placement and restructuring process, which it says is unilateral and illegal. 'There will be no peace in the city until Samwu's needs are met' Hertzog Boulevard was strewn with litter, upturned municipal bins and pieces of paper as the mass of protesters made their way towards the Civic Centre. Protesters tore up pieces of paper and threw bags containing rotting food on to the roads. In the midday sun, the smell of refuse was overwhelming. They waved placards saying "Down with the racist Zille regime" and "No to Zille baasskap". Security was tight at the Civic Centre. The main doors to the building had been locked since early on Thursday morning. Only people who could prove they were there on official council business, were allowed to go in. Outside, a barbed wire barricade prevented strikers from getting too close to the building, where curious council workers had gathered on the top steps to watch the proceedings. Many of the strikers were spotted drinking beer and other types of alcohol while Samwu representatives spoke to the crowd. Samwu organisers had their hands full trying to control unruly protesters who wanted to clamber on top of the main truck. Some strikers were clearly intoxicated, falling over themselves as they tried to provoke police. Andre Adams, of Samwu, said the union was "relatively happy" with the turnout. He said more would have turned up if there had not been intimidation from the council. Workers had been warned that they risked losing wages or being suspended if they took part, he said. But the city said there were incidents of non-striking staff being intimidated at several depots. Sport and recreation staff at the Kraaifontein depot were forced to take part in the strike, while staff were relocated from the Nyanga Housing office after they were harassed by strikers. Cosatu's Tony Erhenreich said other unions would join the Samwu strikers in their protest. "Helen Zille must know that there will be no peace in the city until Samwu's needs are met." He said the DA-led administration was trying to reduce the levels of service with its staff restructuring. The strikers demanded to hand over their grievances to Zille, but were informed by her head of security that she was at a lekgotla. When the city's executive director, Mike Marsden, appeared to collect the document, the strikers became even more agitated and threw plastic containers and paper at him. Samwu organisers tried to calm the crowd, saying that they would return again when Zille was available. Adams said further action would be decided at a meeting next week. The strikers continued their rampage as they returned to Keizersgracht Street. Some started throwing bottles at police and at council workers watching the protest from the Civic Centre's steps. A policeman warned: "One more bottle and we shoot." In Oswald Pirow Street, protesters slashed municipal bins with sticks and kicked bins over. Some walked through the traffic, shouting at motorists. The city council dispatched staff to clean up the mess. Cooper said the 1 000 council workers absent on Thursday represented less than 5 percent of the more than 22 000 staff. He said the highest absenteeism was in the transport, roads and stormwater directorate, followed by housing and utility services. Cooper said the city accepted Samwu's right to strike, but it had a formal objection process which was open to employees who were dissatisfied with the process. Samwu said it was collecting evidence and affidavits to make a legal case against the police for its "unprovoked attack". http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=703699 Car-spin riot killing Andrew Hlongwane 12 February 2008 At least one man was shot dead and seven police officers were injured in Mpumalanga on Sunday following a confrontation with car spinners. A police van was also burnt to ashes during the scuffle in Bhuka Trust near Nelspruit. Police said they were patrolling the main road on Sunday afternoon when they spotted a crowd that had gathered to watch a car-spinning spectacle as part of a sendoff for a deceased taxi owner. "We tried to instruct them to stop drinking in public and ululating because this was disturbing public safety on a busy road. But the residents ignored the police and continued drinking and cheering the spinners," said Constable Muzi Ngomane of KaBokweni police. "We then called for backup from our KaBokweni police and the nearby KaNyamazane police station to help control the situation. When the officers arrived the situation turned ugly." He said stones, bottles and other objects were thrown at the police, forcing them to fire rubber bullets at the unruly crowd. "Unfortunately one of the officers mistakenly used a live bullet and shot one of the residents. "The victim was taken to Themba Hospital in KaBokweni where he died on arrival," said Ngomane. In the ensuing chaos, seven officers sustained minor injuries and were treated at the local clinic. One of the police vans was left behind when the injured officers were taken for treatment and it was burnt to ashes. Four suspects were arrested and charged with attempted murder, arson, drinking in public and malicious damage to property. The suspects will appear in KaBokweni magistrate's court today. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 09:32:54 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:32:54 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] GLOBAL UNREST: Jamaica, Trinidad, Egypt, Kenya Message-ID: <00af01c89e4d$323df210$0802a8c0@andy1> * JAMAICA: Residents block roads in protest over cemetery after driver attacks residents; building earlier torched, blockaded * JAMAICA: Protest and unrest as worker is killed by car; security guards blamed, buildings, vehicles attacked * TRINIDAD: Residents blockade roads, demanding repairs * NIGERIA: Four killed as police attack protest over electricity shutdown * EGYPT: Residents battle police in protest against land grab in Luxor * KENYA: Slum dwellers revolt over arrests for unpaid rents Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20080225T200000-0500_132925_OBS_BURNT_GROUND_RESIDENTS_STEP_UP_PROTEST_AGAINST_CEMETERY.asp Burnt Ground residents step up protest against cemetery BY HORACE HINES Observer staff reporter hinesh at jamaicaobserver.com Tuesday, February 26, 2008 BURNT GROUND, Hanover - Furious residents yesterday set fire along the main road running through this community to protest against a suspected burial at Dale Delapenha's controversial $40-million Royale Rest cemetery. The protest which started from about 3:00 am with angry residents piling huge trees and other debris along the road between the Haughton Grove and Ramble communities, kept a strong contingent of police busy as traffic backed up for miles. Burnt Ground residents protesting yesterday against a suspected burial at the Royale Rest cemetery in Hanover. "Any duppy over deh we a go dig them up and if bad man over deh we deh dig them up too," screamed one protestor, in reference to two men whom they accused of opening fire on them. The men who were allegedly hired to protect the 17-acre picturesque property which has been a bone of discontent in the community because of its proximity to the area's water table and fears of its potential to contaminate the water supply, were whisked away by the police to have their hands swabbed for gun powder residue. "The Rasta one with the hoody come round and beat four shots and the ball head one come round and beat two more, we have to flee and the police them right down there and naw do nothing about it," one resident claimed. However, the two men told the police that the loud explosions were as a result of the residents firing at them. In the meantime, the police, who teargassed the protesters in an attept to maintain control, took a number of them into custody. Two fire units fought the fire which had spread to a large orange field nearby. Repeated efforts to reach Dale Delapenha by telephone proved futile yesterday. Residents of Burnt Ground have, since 2005, staged several protests to push government to shut down the Royale Rest cemetery, which has a chapel and roughly eight acres of burial ground. Just two weeks ago a section of the property was set on fire, causing about $2-million damage to heavy duty equipment, while prior to that an attempt to conduct what would have been the first burial at the cemetery was thwarted by angry residents who turned back the hearse. Yesterday, the fuming residents said they were incensed when men travelling in a van owned by the funeral home on Saturday attacked a man from the community. http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080226/lead/lead3.html Hanover residents take to the streets in protest published: Tuesday | February 26, 2008 Tashieka Mair & Richard Morais, Gleaner Writers Police escort protestors away from the vicinity of the Burnt Ground main road near the controversial Royale Rest Cemetery in Hanover, yesterday. The protestors had earlier blocked the Burnt Ground main road and lit fires in their ongoing protest against burials at the site. - photo by Richard Morais WESTERN BUREAU: Residents of several communities in Hanover and Westmoreland were stranded or had to find alternative routes to get to school and work as militant residents of Shettle Wood and surrounding communities protested against a burial at the controversial Royale Rest Cemetery in Burnt Ground, Hanover. Stones, trees, burning tyres and other debris were used to block several sections of the road, causing motorists to divert from their regular routes. Residents say they are angry at the fact that, despite their best efforts, a body was buried at the cemetery on Saturday under questionable circumstances. The residents said they went to the controversial site on Saturday after reading in a local newspaper that a burial would be taking place there. The residents claimed they had to flee after several armed men came to the location in a bus and demanded they leave the area. They want the intervention of the prime minister and the Ministry of Health. "Right now is 32 communities this thing affect and, when them finish laying the pipes in the area, it is going to affect the five parishes in western Jamaica. So, if this is what it takes for our voices to be heard, that is what we are going to do," a female resident stated. Reactions no surprise When The Gleaner contacted Dale Delapenha of Delapenha Funeral Homes, owner of the cemetery, he confirmed that a body was in fact buried at the site and said he was not surprised by the residents' reactions. When asked about the allegations that gunmen had provided security during the burial on Saturday, he said, "This is the type of propaganda and misinformation that this campaign to stop the cemetery has been built on. So, nothing at this stage surprises me." The protests come two weeks after arsonists firebombed a storehouse on the property, causing damage in excess of $2 million, and three weeks after the cancellation of the first planned burial that failed to take place as residents blocked off the area, preventing the hearse from taking the body on to the premises. In November last year, a stop order that was placed on the cemetery was lifted and permission was granted for the company to exercise its legal rights. http://www.radiojamaica.com/content/view/5917/26/ Man killed during riot at Fiesta Hotel in Hanover Wednesday, 27 February 2008 The Fiesta hotel site in Hanover was the scene of a riot and fatal accident Wednesday morning. A painter Peter Evans, 47, of Baulk, Hanover was also mowed down by a truck in the midst of the incident. Two persons have since been taken into custody following the melee. The workers reportedly became irate and began hurling stones after being prevented from entering the property because they lacked the company's identification (ID) which is an armband. This was shortly after a security guard reportedly used a knife to ward off the workers and in the process allegedly cut one of them on the palm. During the melee a truck tried to enter the property and the driver reportedly lost control and hit Mr. Evans from his bicycle killing him on the spot. As tension mounted, some of the workers set fire to a guard house and a vehicle on the property, claiming that Mr. Evans was shoved into the path of the truck by one of the security guards. A large contingent of police personnel then turned up at the site asking workers to clear the facility, but the infuriated men and women began hurling missiles at the police sending them, and reporters, scampering for safety. In the process one of our cameramen was hit along with one of the policemen. The police fired several shots in the air to disperse the crowd then fired canisters of tear gas which finally helped to clear the area. The incident comes one year after a similar riot which followed the fatal shooting of a worker by a security guard, which led to a large section of the facility and several vehicles being burned. The police are maintaining a strong presence in the area, while the driver of the ill-fated truck and the man accused of setting the car ablaze are being interrogated. http://www.newstalk.com.jm/module-Pagesetter-viewpub-tid-23-pid-160.html Tragedy again struck the Fiesta Hotel Tragedy struck the Fiesta Hotel once again after a 47 year old painter at the hotel was killed in a freak accident today. The incident sparked yet another riot at the hotel, as workers staged a demonstration at the site, during which a pick up truck was destroyed by fire and several villas damaged. Police reports are that about 8:30 this morning, Peter Evans was standing at the entrance of the hotel. While identifying himself to the security guard at the gate, as is required of all employees, a truck attempted to entire the compound. It is said that the truck, which is suspected to be defective, hit him to the ground. Mr. Evans sustained serious injuries and died on the spot. The driver of the truck was subsequently taken into police custody for questioning. The Fiesta Resort has been plagued with several serious problems since the beginning of its construction. http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070228/lead/lead1.html Fury at Fiesta - Workers set vehicles ablaze in hotel protest published: Wednesday | February 28, 2007 A man examines one of the four vehicles that were set afire by workers at the Fiesta Hotel site in Point, Hanover, during a massive demonstration yesterday. -Photo by Noel Thompson Noel Thompson, Freelance Writer WESTERN BUREAU: Tempers flared, fires raged and thick, black smoke which billowed hundreds of feet high could be seen for miles as the Fiesta Hotel constructionsite at Point, Hanover, descended into anarchy yesterday. That was what the small district of Point resembled when about 2,000 construction workers staged a massive protest, after news spread that one of their colleagues, 57-year-old Anthony Williams, of Prospect in the parish, had been shot, allegedly by the police. "We are not being treated fairly. We are contracted to start working at 8:00 a.m. but the site manager instructed the security guards to lock out persons without identification and workers who turn up for work later than 7:30," said a worker, who was strongly supported by her colleagues. "This (yesterday) morning we turned up for work and were locked out. One worker was paying the taxi driver his fare when he was shot in the head." Donovan Williams, a security officer employed to Acid Security Firm, which is contracted to the site, said it could not be ascertained who had shot Mr. Williams. According to him, workers were firing a barrage of shots, when police and security personnel responded. 11 vehicles destroyed Several buildings on the site were set ablaze and about 11 vehicles reportedly belonging to the Fiesta Hotel were damaged or destroyed. Fire was set to at least four of the vehicles. The Gleaner news team saw two pickup trucks, a small truck and a jeep being set ablaze. Protestors hauled a group of men from the jeep while they were travelling along the main road, then set it on fire. The news team was also informed that rampant pilfering took place during the demonstration when men loaded several items onto boats. Persons were also seen stealing sheets of zinc from the premises. In the wake of yesterday's incident, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has given instructions for a full and complete investigation to be carried out into the matter. Speaking on radio yesterday, the Prime Minister's press secretary, Lincoln Robinson, said a report was to be presented to Mrs. Simpson Miller as soon as possible. The situation was only brought undercontrol when a contingent of armed police personnel, numbering about 75, was brought in and the workers were addressed by Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Area One, Clifford Blake. A private helicopter later rescued a group of foreign workers who had locked themselves inside a building under the watchful eyes of the police. ACP Blake said all the police personnel involved in yesterday's incident have been removed from frontline duties, pending investigations. According to a statement from Dr. Donald Rhodd, Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, the weapons fired by police personnel, and security guards are to be sent for ballistic testing. He said the police are moving to establish a continuous presence at the construction site to prevent any further incidents. The site was closed following the incident. The 1,600 room hotel is being built by the Spanish at a cost of US$150 million (J$10 billion). http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,73923.html Riot police, cops clear Woodlands protest By RICHARDSON DHALAI Tuesday, February 26 2008 RIOT POLICE, backed by soldiers were called out to the Woodland district yesterday where over 200 residents staged a fiery demonstration over the dilapidated main road leading from San Fernando to the rural community. The action which started at 4.30 am, saw residents using old logs, tires and derelict fridges and stoves to block La Fortune/Pluck Road which resulted in scores of people including students being left stranded. Traffic was also reportedly backed up for several miles with motorists forced to use alternative routes to San Fernando, Debe and Fyza-bad. However by 6.30 am police and fire officers had arrived on the scene and quickly put out the blaze and cleared the roadway. http://allafrica.com/stories/200801160463.html Nigeria: 4 Killed in Protest Over Transformers This Day (Lagos) 16 January 2008 Posted to the web 16 January 2008 Reuben Buhari Kaduna Four youths, including a pregnant woman were yesterday killed by Policemen in Kaduna when irate youths numbering thousands who claimed to have been without electricity for more than a year, took to the streets in protest. Also injured in the demonstration, which took place in Sabon Tasha, were 18 policemen who were manhandled by the youth and had their uniforms and booths removed from them. The demonstration started the previous day when Ungwan Boro, a settlement in Sabon Tasha demonstrated by blocking the main road that runs through the area, totally blocking movement in and out. Those most affected were workers of the Nigeria National petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and others, who couldn't go to the refinery for work. Following the demonstration, the state government in a swift reaction, announced on state radio that the government had ordered the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to immediately install a 200 KV transformer in the area.It was the government's swift reaction in providing a transformer to the Ungwan Boro community that triggered the violent one yesterday. Residents of Ungwan Gwari, Kadara, Gimbiya, Bulus and Matari, having realized that their neighbours had been given a transformer because of the previous day demonstration, also came out around 7.30am in their thousands to demonstrate.They blocked the Kachia road that leads to NNPC and the eastern part of the country and set fire to old tires. Workers who were going to work in town were stranded as no commercial vehicle was ready to come to the area. The first batch of mobile policemen that came to the area shot sporadically at the crowd leading to the death of the four people. At this stage, the demonstrators became enraged when they realized that the police had shot dead some people. The PHCN office in the area was ransacked and everything in it was brought outside and burnt. Two of their pick-up trucks were also dragged across the road and burnt. Four luxurious 32-seater buses belonging to NNPC were also burnt, in addition to other cars and motorcycles. The upper customary court was also not spared as everything in it was brought out and set ablaze.According to some of the youths interviewed by THISDAY, the demonstration would not have turned violent if the policemen had not shot the four people. They also added that the state government had clearly shown that it would respond to its citizens' request only when they statge a protest. "We have been staying in our area which is Ungwan Kadara for close to two years without electricity. The PHCN officials took the transformer when it developed fault promising to fixed it and return it, it's close to two years now that PHCN refused to either return the old one or give us another one, even after repeated visits to their office. So when we heard that Ungwan Boro people had been given a new transformer within a single day of their demonstration, we also decided to demonstrate since we also need a transformer. It was a peaceful demonstration that turned violent when those mobile policemen shot and killed all those people."When THISDAY visited the Sabon Tasha police station were it was alleged that the dead bodies were taken to, the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO), Mark Wain, who spoke to THISDAY, claimed that only one person was killed, however adding that "if it is true that there are others we have not heard about them but I can only tell you that only one person was shot."The Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Haz Iwendi who confirmed the incident, however said that only one person was killed in addition to the 18 policemen who were seriously injured, however denying the allegation that the situation became violent when the police started shooting at the demonstrators."It is not true. The previous day we had the same demonstration and there was no cause for us to use firearm. I spoke to the governor and he ordered that they be given a transformer. They had a 200 KV which was not enough for them and so a 500 KV was given to them. Today's (yesterday) demonstrators came out more violently, they blocked the road and started smashing cars windscreen and there was no cause for them to have gone violent, and once they go violent, it is a must that we the police react,' he stated.When THISDAY visited the house of 25 year-old Awalu Auta, one of the people killed, his sister, known as Ajia explained that "he was going out to the football field to train in the morning. He was not even among the people demonstrating, only later, for some youth to bring in his corpse saying he was shot by the police while trying to cross the road,"said, the grief-stricken sister. THISDAY also found one person in Amangala hospital in the area who was shot by the police. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080328/ap_on_re_mi_ea/egypt_luxor_protest Luxor residents clash with riot police By HAGGAG SALAMA, Associated Press Writer Fri Mar 28, 3:09 PM ET LUXOR, Egypt - Hundreds of residents of the ancient Egyptian city of Luxor clashed with riot police Friday during a protest against government attempts to move them to make room for an open-air museum free of modern buildings. The demonstration turned violent when police prevented the protesters from entering Karnak Temple, one of the most famous sites from the Pharaonic era, according to witnesses. Residents hurled stones at police, who responded by firing tear gas and arresting 13 people. The government has offered compensation and temporary housing to many of the displaced residents, but some complain the money is insufficient or that they simply do not want to move. "I was born in the house where I live now, and my grandfather and my father lived in it," said Mohammed Abdel-Radi, one of the residents forced to move. "I don't want to leave to any other place to make new friends and new neighbors." Another protester, Nabawi Mohammed Khalil, expressed similar views. "The alternative houses offered by the government to some of my friends were not good, and the money was also little," said Khalil. Located on the Nile River, Luxor's West Bank contains the Valley of the Kings and its famous collection of well-preserved Pharaonic tombs, including King Tutankhamun's, that draw thousands of tourists daily to the area. The government plans new excavations in the area, with the goal of turning much of the town into an open-air museum free of modern housing and other structures. http://news.scotsman.com/world/New-Kenya-riot-as-80.3799712.jp New Kenya riot as 80 held over unpaid rent By TOM ODULA FRESH riots broke out in Kenya yesterday as angry slum residents confronted police amid claims that they were unfairly arresting people over unpaid rents. About 250 men brandishing daggers and metal poles attacked a bus full of people soon after dawn, forced them out, then torched the vehicle, blocking a road through the Mathare slum in the capital, Nairobi. The trouble followed overnight police raids in which 80 people were arrested. But local people say the chaos that has engulfed the area since December's disputed presidential election has made paying rent, or even finding a landlord, impossible. More than 1,000 people have been killed and some 600,000 forced from their homes in Kenya in the weeks of violence since the election. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20080221/ai_n24313034 Rent dispute leads to riot Independent, The (London), Feb 21, 2008 --nairobi Rioters attacked a bus full of passengers and blocked roads in a slum in Kenya's capital after they accused police of unfairly arresting 80 people for not paying rents. Tenants in Mathare said it was impossible to pay or to even find landlords in the chaos that has engulfed the area since the disputed presidential election of 27 December. Police said the rioters dispersed after an hour. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 09:51:04 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:51:04 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Antifa revolts in Greece and Spain Message-ID: <00b101c89e4f$bbfd16f0$0802a8c0@andy1> * GREECE: Antifa battle fascists in the centre of Athens; police side with fascists, let them snipe from behind lines * SPAIN: Antifa battle fascists and police at neo-Nazi rally Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20080203152302925 Greece: Massive riots, police cooperates with fascists, during Antifa demo Sunday, February 03 2008 @ 03:23 PM PST Contributed by: Collin Sick Views: 413 Detailed update of the events of Saturday 02/02, that took place in the center of Athens, as a response to the attempt of an extremist right wing organisation to commemorate a nationalist anniversary. Since early in the morning about 50 fascists had been gathered in Kolokotroni sq, where the Neo-Nazi organisation "Chrissi Avgi" had planned a demonstration for 7pm. An anti-fascist demonstration had been scheduled for 2pm, organised by many organisations; though, since the square had been occupied since early, 400 demonstrators from the left and anarchist/anti-authoritarian space, gathered in Propylaea an Klafthmonos sq. When the antifascists approached Kolokotroni sq, they saw a chain of cops, forming a shield for the fascists, who were standing behind the cops. At some points the cops left some space for the fascists to move in between them. This way, the fascists managed to stub two of our comrades and hit another two ones with stones. The guy who was stubbed, was moved to Evangelismos Hospital, where he stayed, after being having a surgery; his situation is not critical. A young man who had been stabbed on his leg and another one who was hit with a stone on the head, had to be treated for just a few hours. A fourth person, hit by stone, didn't need any treatment. At about 11am, there was an attack towards the fascists, stones were thrown and the two opponent blocks came very close. The cops intervened, pushing the demonstrators back, spraying tear-gas and beating with batons. An antifascist fainted, beaten with a baton, while a video of the corporate media showed fascists, holding greek flags, flare rockets etc, to be in the lines of the policemen attacking the antifascists. Confrontations also took place in several places in Athens, as groups of individual fascists and antifascist, who were moving down-town, meet each other. At 1 o'clock, another march, consisting of 200 people protesting against Bionova and Genetically Modified Organisms, started, since it had been planned long time ago. They finally chose to walk on Panepistimiou and join the others. The antifascists made chains and started moving to Panepistimiou to let the two marches together. 2pm: Antifascists threw stones and sticks to the fascists, at the junction of Panepistimiou and Sina str.. The cops intervened and there was tension, including tear-gas, sth that happened again later. The left antiracist organisations, which organised the demonstration, announced they have decided to leave the place. The riot police attacked with chemicals, so that they can reclaim Panepistimiou str. About 500 demonstrators, blocked in Propylaea, occupied the Prytaneum, made a plenary and called for an antifascist demonstration at 6pm. A little later than 3pm, the Public Prosecutor announced their decision to ban the manifestation of the fascists and disperse their gathering. The fascists initially refused, but left when they saw more squads coming. MP of a left party said to radio station that he saw with his own eyes, riot policemen to be loading a van with sticks, which were given to the fascists. 7pm: evening demonstration from Propylaea: A little after the march had started, with more than 600 people, the riot police attacked without reason, beating mercilessly with batons and throwing a big mass of chemicals and flare rockets. The batons and the chemicals resulted in many people to be beaten or stepped over, including demonstrator, passer-by civilians and TV camera operators. About 120 people were arrested and brought to the police headquarters, including some injured ones, while the more seriously injured ones went to the hospital in an ambulance. Small groups of demonstrators were isolated and blocked in several places, while 300 people managed to run to Exarchia sq; the formed roadblocks as they were surrounded by police squads. The situation got calm at about 10pm, when all the arrestees were released with no charges. Those who were in Exarchia dispersed in small groups, after some time. Among the ones in hospital, 4-5 of them stayed there, including a female comrade who had been hit by a tear-gas shot directly on her eye and her forehead. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/02/390563.html http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100008_05/02/2008_93005 Police pass riot blame around Law enforcement officers were blaming each other yesterday for the poor policing of Saturday's demonstration ahead of an upcoming annual review of senior police positions next month. Three people were injured on Saturday as hundreds of extreme leftists and self-styled anarchists clashed with far-right Chryssi Avgi members in central Athens. The clashes brought central parts of the city to a standstill as shoppers ran for cover in a situation that appeared to have gone beyond police control. Some 200 police were called in to defuse the situation but no arrests were made, despite 100 people being initially detained. Senior police sources gave conflicting accounts of what happened in what is widely perceived as being a failed police operation. "Police had been given the wrong information. The far-right groups and anarchists gathered at 10 a.m. instead of 2 p.m. as expected. This resulted in having only 20 police at the ready when the violence broke out," said Costas Karadimas, a member of the riot squad. Others sources said the police had been well-prepared. "There was absolutely no element of surprise involved. We followed the steps of the demonstrators. We made available 100 police so the plan would be completed successfully," another police source said. The government is scheduled to review senior police positions in March as part of an annual review that could lead to changes at the top of the force. http://deviousdiva.com/2008/02/04/riots-in-athens/ Riots in Athens Published by deviousdiva February 4th, 2008 in Neo-nazi. On Saturday here in Athens there were riots when an anti-fascists groups clashed with Golden Dawn (Chryssi Avgi, the far-right extremists). I had to go downtown but before I left the house I checked to find out exactly where they were so that I could avoid that area. Thankfully, I didn't come across any trouble. Apparently there will be an investigation into whether the police protected the neo-Nazis and allowed them to attack the demonstrators. I think it is quite well known that the police (not only in Greece) generally side with the neo-nazis either by doing nothing or by actually allowing them to attack people. There is a suggestion here that the police actually helped them. I doubt very much if any of the Golden Dawn people will be arrested or charged with anything even though two people were stabbed and others were injured by flying stones. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100006_04/02/2008_92961 Hundreds of extremists run riot in city center PETROS GIANNAKOURIS/AP A youth prepares to throw a stone during clashes between extreme leftists and demonstrators from the far right in the center of Athens. Riot police fired tear gas to disperse the two groups as passers-by ran for cover from the hail of missiles being launched by the two sides. The center of Athens erupted into violence on Saturday when more than 500 extreme leftists and self-styled anarchists clashed with far-right demonstrators, resulting in three people being injured but no arrests. The clashes began on Saturday morning when two groups of extreme leftists met on Stadiou Street in the city center and ran into members of the far-right Chryssi Avgi (Golden Dawn) group that had gathered in Kolokotroni Square to mark the 12th anniversary of the Imia islets dispute with Turkey. It is estimated that there were at least 400 leftists and about 100 right-wingers involved in the clash. The two groups hurled rocks, pieces of wood and any other objects they could get hold of. Some 200 riot police were called in to try and defuse the situation. Officers used tear gas to disperse the rioters, who had erected burning barricades along Stadiou Street. The leftist demonstrators also clashed with riot police on Panepistimiou Street a little later. The clashes led to two people suffering head injuries that required hospital treatment. Another person was stabbed in the stomach and needed a minor operation. None of the injuries were life threatening. Four policemen were also slightly injured after being struck by rocks. The police issued a statement yesterday saying that 100 people, 66 men and 34 women, had been detained and questioned following the riots but all of them were released. According to a police statement, six banks, one store and four CCTV cameras were damaged during the clashes. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/01/content_7697293.htm Spanish riot police clash with anti-fascists www.chinaview.cn 2008-03-01 19:36:16 Print Spanish riot police clash with anti-fascists, who were trying to stop a rally of right wing supporters, in central Madrid Feb. 29, 2008. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at anti-fascist protesters in central Madrid on Friday night as they tried to stop a right-wing rally near an immigrant area of the city. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) http://www.newsnet14.com/2008/03/09/anti-racists-riot-in-madrid-police-respond/ Police teargas anti-racist rioters in Madrid 29 Feb 2008 23:15:41 GMT Source: Reuters By Andrea Comas MADRID, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Spanish police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at anti-fascist protesters in central Madrid on Friday night as they tried to stop a right-wing rally near an immigrant area of the city. Anti-fascists threw rocks behind burning barricades in narrow cobbled streets and at least one car was set alight. Some of hundreds of far-right activists, separated from left-wing protesters by lines of riot police, gave Nazi salutes. According to a Reuters witness more than 1,000 anti-fascists gathered to protest the far-right meeting in Tirso de Molina, a few hundred metres from Madrid's main square, after local authorities sanctioned the rally. The violence comes just over a week before Spaniards vote in a general election where immigration has become a major issue for the first time. Posters had been pasted on walls in the area earlier in the week warning of a racist demonstration. Protesters, joined immigrants, blocked roads leading down into Lavapies, an area with a large African and Chinese populations. Demonstrators chanted "You shall not pass," and "Brother Carlos, we will not forget you", referring to 16-year-old Carlos Javier Palomino, an anti-racist protester who was stabbed and killed during a confrontation with rival groups last November. A spokesman for Madrid's ambulance service said nobody had been injured though left-wing media said one protester had been blinded in one eye. Anti-fascist protesters also threw bricks through the windows of several banks and smashed up offices inside, eyewitnesses said. The number of migrants living in Spain has increased fivefold in the last 10 years and now account for 9 percent of Spain's 45 million people. The opposition Popular Party calls immigration a "problem" and proposes measures to compel immigrants to integrate, including restricting the use of Islamic headscarves. The ruling Socialist party has dismissed the Popular Party proposals as xenophobic. (Writing by Ben Harding) http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D943591F-1C4A-4129-A6C3-096FDEDBDE46.htm Police break up protest in Spain Madrid's ambulance service said nobody was injured in the confrontations [AFP] Spanish police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at anti-fascist protesters in central Madrid as they tried to stop a right-wing rally near an immigrant area of the city. Anti-fascists threw rocks behind burning barricades in narrow cobbled streets on Friday and at least one car was set alight. Hundreds of far-right activists, separated from left-wing protesters by lines of riot police, gave Nazi salutes. The violence comes just over a week before Spaniards vote in a general election where immigration has become a major issue for the first time. Reports said more than 1,000 anti-fascists gathered to protest the far-right meeting in Tirso de Molina, a few hundred metres from Madrid's main square, after local authorities sanctioned the rally. 'Racist demonstrations' Posters had been pasted on walls in the area earlier in the week warning of a racist demonstration. Protesters, joined immigrants, blocked roads leading down into Lavapies, an area with a large African and Chinese populations. Demonstrators chanted "You shall not pass," and "Brother Carlos, we will not forget you", referring to 16-year-old Carlos Javier Palomino, an anti-racist protester who was stabbed and killed during a confrontation with rival groups in November. A spokesman for Madrid's ambulance service said nobody had been injured. One media source said a protester had been blinded in one eye. Anti-fascist protesters also threw bricks through the windows of several banks and smashed up offices inside, eyewitnesses said. The number of immigrants living in Spain has increased fivefold in the last 10 years and now account for nine per cent of Spain's 45 million people. The opposition Popular Party calls immigration a "problem" and proposes measures to compel immigrants to integrate, including restricting the use of Islamic headscarves. The ruling Socialist party has dismissed the Popular Party proposals as xenophobic. http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_15356.shtml Anti-riot police in clashes with demonstrators in Madrid By h.b. - Mar 1, 2008 - 8:57 AM ALSO SEE : . Ten Injured as Police break up anti-fascist demonstration in Madrid - Nov 25, 2007 - 11:47 AM The scene of destruction in the Plaza de Tirso de Molina - Photo EFE enlarge photo The clashes came after anti-fascist demonstrators went to stop a pro-fascist demonstration in the capital Anti-riot police have been out on the streets of Madrid as clashed have been seen with hundreds of anti-fascist demonstrators. The protestors went to the Plaza de Tirso de Molina in the capital where supporters of Francisco Franco were holding an act in homage to the dead dictator. As the demonstrators fled from police they damaged cars, threw stones and bricks at the police, and set fire to rubbish containers in the street. It seems there was not direct fighting between the two groups of demonstrators. Police responded using rubber bullets and smoke bombs, and made a total of six arrests. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 11:03:51 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:03:51 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Students and education, part 2 of 2 Message-ID: <01b001c89e59$e8ef6460$0802a8c0@andy1> * KENYA: Student revolt over downgrading of exam results * SUDAN: Unrest during student protest in Khartoum, after death of student * SOUTH AFRICA: Student revolt over accusations teacher was involved in murder * PAKISTAN: Student protest attack on activists in Lahore * IRAN: Students protest food quality * PAKISTAN: Students protest for accreditation of university * FIJI: South Pacific students want registrar removed over strict rules * UK: Protests stop school closures * US: John Swett students march against school cuts * UK: Academics rally at Keele against layoffs * US: Thousands protest New York school cuts * SOUTH AFRICA: School students stage lockout to protest lack of teachers * UK: Surrey villagers protest against administrative exclusion from school * TRINIDAD: Parents protest for new teacher * TRINIDAD: Students protest for new school * KENYA: Students, MP protest against headteacher, corruption Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=48848 Students riot over downgrading of KCSE results. Written By:Mac Kemoli , Posted: Sat, Mar 15, 2008 Ntunene Girls' high School in Igembe has been closed and students suspended indefinitely following riots over downgrading of the KCSE results and the transfer of the school's deputy head teacher. The students destroyed a lot of school property during the rampage. Police officers from the nearby Laare station had to be called in to restore calm and spent the night in the compound to prevent further damage. Area District Education Officer Paul Ngugi held a meeting with the school management before resolving to send the students home to enable the school board deliberate on the matter. The school had registered a mean score of 6.03 but after the KNEC recalled the results, the new mean grade was down graded to 5.67. http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/4712.htm Demonstration Turns Into Riot In Central Khartoum Thousands of Sudanese students, members of the Democratic Front which is identified with the country's oppositionists, as well as ordinary citizens, demonstrated in central Khartoum. The demonstration was to protest against the death last week of an Al-Jazeera University student in a clash with Islamist students identified with the ruling National Congress party. During the demonstration, cars were set on fire and calls for democratization were heard, as well as statements of lack of confidence that legal authorities would bring the killers to justice. Clashes broke out between demonstrators and police, and dozens of demonstrators were arrested. Source: Al-Ayyam, Sudan, January 21, 2008 http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=105&art_id=vn20080219044321798C446397School riot after pupil's death Latoya Newman February 19 2008 at 10:18AMLessons were suspended at Nkonka High School, in Murchison, on the SouthCoast, on Monday after pupils rioted, alleging that one of their teacherswas linked to a pupil's death at the weekend.The police and the education department were involved in resolving thematter.Police Superintendent Vincent Mdunge said the uproar was believed to havebeen linked to a fight that had claimed the life of a pupil at the weekend."It appears that one of the female pupils was seen by her boyfriend walkingwith three other boys. The boyfriend and his friends then attacked the threeguys, beating them with unknown objects and killing one boy," Mdunge said."The girl was also seen in a minibus owned by one of the teachers at theschool. But the community has told police that the teacher gave her a liftin good faith and is not linked to the incident at all," he said.Mdunge said two people had been arrested in connection with the attack,while police were looking for three others."We know who the outstanding suspects are and we will arrest them. But wewant to assure the pupils that our investigation has proved that the teacheris not linked to the incident," Mdunge said.Nontembeko Boyce, the secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers'Union's lower South Coast region, said teachers were escorted off the schoolpremises on Monday when the pupils toyi-toyied."All the teachers had to be moved off the school by police because it wasnot safe. Classes have been suspended," she said.KwaZulu-Natal education department spokesperson Nto-kozo Maphisa said thematter was being investigated."We want to establish what happened and we will take appropriate actionwhere necessary. In the interim, we are taking steps to calm the situationdown and bring it back to normal," Maphisa said.Department officials were expected to meet the school governing body onTuesday.Mdunge said police would be sent to the school to monitor the situation.http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C04%5Cstory_4-2-2008_pg7_34SAC protest 'brutal' attack on members* SAC denounces Amer Mehmood, PC principal, govt for supporting attackersStaff ReportLAHORE: The Students Action Committee (SAC) held a protest at the LahorePress Club on Sunday against the Punjab College administration for 'brutally' attacking five SAC members.According to a press release issued by the committee, SAC members, bravingthe chilly and rainy weather, protested against Nazim Amer Mehmood andPunjab College Principal Sohail Afzal who is also caretaker specialeducation minister.The crowd shouted slogans against the government for supporting 'barbarousofficials' who so relentlessly brutalised the five SAC members to the pointthat one of them fell unconscious. They also denounced the police forbecoming a mere spectator and bystander when the five members were beingbrutalised.The SAC members condemned the government for encouraging such individuals toact as 'academics and educationists'. They also shouted against the MuslimTown superintendent of police for delaying the registration of an FIR.SAC convener: LUMS student and SAC Convener Sundas Hurain told Daily Timesthat the Punjab College principal was also a government minister. "He hasabused his authority and there is no one to take notice of this injustice,"she said, adding that the committee was fighting against the absence of awrit of law in the country.She said Usman Gill was being beaten up till the point he spoke up about hispolitical connections. "It is lamentable that only influential and those whohave connections and relations can save themselves from being brutalised,"she said. "What else can be expected in the absence of the rule of law andthe judiciary," she asked and said that it was only public condemnation thatcould force the 'unbridled to restraint.'The SAC convener said that no civilised people would do this. She said thesebeatings could not deter them from their struggle. "It is a noble cause torestore the rule of law in the country and we are proud of struggling andbeing beaten up for this cause," she added.http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C01%5C29%5Cstory_29-1-2008_pg4_18Iranian university students protest food qualityTEHRAN: Around 150 Iranian university students held a protest on Sundaychanting political slogans and demanding the resignation of universityofficials, the ISNA student news agency said on Monday."About 150 students started a demonstration to protest at the quality offood and demanded that some university officials resign," the report saidadding that demonstrators also shouted political slogans. "The studentsbroke a campus gate and tried to get out but the police pushed them back," auniversity official, identified only by his last name Ghamsari, said of theprotest at Tehran University's dormitory compound.Student websites said the protestors, who they reported numbered severalhundred, chanted "Release jailed students" and slogans against the policeand Tehran University head, Ayatollah Abbasali Amid Zanjani. Students atTehran's main universities have staged regular demonstrations in past monthscalling for the release of jailed colleagues and criticising PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad. Dozens of Iranian students have been arrested in recentmonths but Iran's judiciary said last week an unspecified number have beenreleased on bail. afphttp://pajamasmedia.com/xpress/michaelledeen/2008/02/03/theyre_rioting_in_tehran_again.phpThey're Rioting in Tehran AgainNot that it's made any headlines on this side of the world. Here's thereport I received:Sunday, Jan. 27, was marked by the third day of protest by Tehran Universitystudents at the Kouy-e Daneshgah - or the students dormitory. The protestbegan by 250 students with a basic demand for improvement of the foodquality at the KOUY, but it rapidly turned into a full-fledged politicalprotest against the government as the protest progressed. The protestingstudents broke the door between the KOUY and the main campus and entered thearea inside the School of Technology. By this time the crowd had grown to1,000. Clashes broke out and a number of students suffered broken arms andheads. The State Security Force and the Special Guard, in full armed gears,threw stones and the students answered.By 9.30 p.m., the students lit a big fire in the area of the School ofTechnology (FANNI) and chanted, "Death to the Dictator" and "Death toTyranny". They used molotov cocktails to defend themselves against guards'attack. Some 60 students were injured and 40 were arrested. The guardscovered the arrested students with sacks so that they could not beidentified. The protest lasted until midnight.The state-run press were compelled to report the three-day unrest, of courseto minimize its importance. For example, the official news agency, IRNA,reported that there were no clashes between the students and the securityforces and the protest was simply over food quality. Some of the press saidthe President has advised university officials to attend to the needs ofstudents regarding food and other accommodations of the dorms.Participating students in Sunday's protest said the scene resembles thescene of protests by student in July 1999, when six days of student protestswere joined by ordinary people and spread to the streets of central Tehran,seriously scaring the regime.On Friday, 1,500 TU students marched out of the KOUY over low quality foodand staged an angry demonstration on Amir Abad Ave. with anti-governmentslogans. They clashed with the special guards and were badly beaten up. Anumber of students were arrested.The protest resumed in the cold afternoon of Saturday at 4.30 p.m. The crowdgradually swelled to 1,500 by 7.30 p.m. The students hurled stones at theState Security Force who had surrounded the university and blocked allstreets leading to TU.They chanted, "We want no rule of force, we want no mercenary police" -"People, why are you sitting down? Iran has become another Palestine" -"Students die but will not succumb" - "Children of Kaveh and Siavosh willnot relent until the Islamic Republic regime is overthrown."The SSF clubed the students, breaking the noses, arms and legs of some 20students. The SSF also brought Fire Engines and flushed water on thestudents who staged their protest under heavy snow until 10 p.m.On Saturday, Jan. 26, workers of Kiyan Tire staged a protest at 9 a.m. Theystarted by a sit-in in the factory while all the factory departments wereshut down. Kiyan Tire workers have not received their wages of seven monthsand have terrible living conditions. Finally, they blocked Saveh Road andset fire to tires. Smoke filled all the area of Char Dangeh where thefactory is located. All 2500 workers of the factory are on strike. Theprotest on Saturday lasted until noon. Workers said they would continuetheir protests until their demands are met.I also learned of another major protest by workers of Alborz Tire Factory onSaturday. 2000 workers work at Alborz Tire Factory. They have not receivedtheir salaries for three months and this protest has been going on at leastfor a week. Angry workers chanted: "So much injustice (under an Islamicregime claiming justice of Imam Ali)" - "Death to Tyranny" - "Jobs,Salaries, Justice are our inalienable right" (This contradicts the officialmotto of Nuclear Energy is our inalienable right) - "A decent living is ourinalienable right" - etc.So much for a busy weekend.Remember that the people of Iran, the students and workers and women wish tobe heard by the world and they need your kind and sympathetic attention totheir cause and naturally a decent reporting of their anti-governmentprotests.ML:They wish to be heard by the world. If only the world were listening.http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C01%5C23%5Cstory_23-1-2008_pg11_2Accreditation with PEC: Urdu varsity students vow to continue protestBy Sohail ChaudhryISLAMABAD: Students of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science andTechnology (FUUAST) said on Tuesday that they would continue their protesttill the accreditation of the university with the Pakistan EngineeringCouncil (PEC).They gathered on the premises of the university and chanted slogans againstthe administration for its inability to get accreditation with the PEC. Thestudents said they would not open the classrooms to press the authoritiesfor their demands. They also expressed their distrust in commitments made tothem by their teachers in this regard.They raised slogans against the administration and demanded resignation ofElectrical Department head Dr Asar Khan, campus in charge Dr MansoorulAnsari and Administration Officer Iqbal Joya. They said these officials wereresponsible for their exploitation and were not fulfilling the promises theymade to them regarding the university accreditation.The students said these officials were forcing them to indulge inunconstructive activities and asking them to press the recently appointedVice Chancellor (VC) Dr Muhammad Qaiser to establish his office at IslamabadCampus instead of Karachi. The students said they were not in favour of suchdemands and only wanted solutions to their problems and accreditation of theuniversity with the PEC.The students said they would welcome the VC at Islamabad campus instead ofputting officials' demands in front of him.The students also criticised the government for the establishment ofacademic institutions lacking necessary facilities. They urged thegovernment to pay attention to students' future instead of inauguratingincomplete projects and institutions.http://www.abc.net.au/ra/news/stories/200803/s2201096.htm?tab=pacificUniversity of South Pacific students plan protestPrintEmailUpdated Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:50pm AEDTMore Fiji Stories:Fiji elections top forum leaders issueThreat of rice shortage in FijiOusted Fiji PM awaits ruling on 2006 coupStudents from the University of the South Pacific are preparing a massprotest after the institute's registrar refused to resign.The student association president, Steven Maiseola, has told the PacificNews Service the protest is most likely to take place next week.But he's refused to detail problems the student association has withregistrar Walter Fraser.Earlier press reports suggest students at the campus are unhappy with someof the stringent laws introduced by Mr Fraser.The student association had previously given Mr Fraser a two-week deadlineto resign, which ended on Sunday.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/shropshire/7217062.stmSchool closures are put on holdProtesters want all school closure proposals reconsideredPlans to consult on closing 22 Shropshire schools have been put on holdafter a protest by hundreds of parents, teachers and pupils.But Shropshire County Council still intends to press ahead with proposals tomerge 16 others.Large crowds of protesters, many waving placards, and shouting "save ourschools", gathered outside the meeting.It comes as the government was accused of giving conflicting advice onhundreds of rural school closures.Parents, pupils and teachers from the 38 Shropshire primary schools facingclosure or merger led the demonstration on Wednesday morning.This is a great result for people power in ShropshireMP Philip Dunne'Muddle' on school closuresCouncillor Ann Hartley, cabinet member for schools, announced the revisedpolicy at the beginning of the meeting.Ludlow MP Philip Dunne welcomed the decision."The county council will now have to go back to the drawing board to workout how to bridge the funding gap which this decision will leave."This is a great result for people power in Shropshire."Mrs Hartley said the closure consultation plans would be stopped untilconsideration was given to the outcome of a meeting on Wednesday nightbetween Shropshire MPs and minsters.'Absolutely fantastic'Further talks with schools and key "stakeholders" and another examination ofpupil numbers will also take place before closures are reconsidered, shesaid.The Rev David Chantry, governor at Beckbury Primary School, said: "I thinkwe need to keep our eyes on it very carefully because this is an issue thatwill go on."Andrew Spreadborough, head teacher at Rushbury Primary School, said: "I'djust like to know more information, what do they exactly mean by put onhold?"Are they going to come back with more amalgamations and less closures?"'Confused policy'But Beckbury parent governor Gary Welburn said: "We're ecstatic it'sabsolutely fantastic, it really is."The schools minister is writing to local authorities in England remindingthem there is a legal presumption against closing rural schools.But government guidance issued last month also told them to close smallerschools and remove surplus places.Lib Dem spokesman David Laws said government advice was "confused andhypocritical".http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8576144John Swett students march across bridge to protest cuts, layoffsBy Kimberly S. WetzelSTAFF WRITERArticle Launched: 03/14/2008 02:35:24 PM PDTChart: Cuts by school (pdf)Also: More coverage of school budget cutsHundreds of John Swett High students walked out of their first periodclasses this morning and marched across the Carquinez Bridge to protestschool district budget decisions that include laying off a popular teacher.Some of the 200 to 300 students wore T-shirts with a picture of historyteacher Steve Trotter and clutched signs imploring the district to "Keep oureducational inspiration, keep Trotter," leaving the Crockett campus about 8a.m. They marched halfway across the bridge before Vallejo police officersforced them back, then they headed to the school district's office buildingin Rodeo four miles away, chanting "Trotter! Trotter!"The district informed Trotter recently that his full-time teaching job atJohn Swett would be reduced to part time next year, most likely forcing himto find work elsewhere. That angered many of his students, who say Trotteris the best teacher they've ever had."He's one of the most respected teachers in the school," said sophomoreJohnny Zamba, 16. "We all just decided to stick up for him with a walk-out.We'll do this again and again until they take away the pink slip."The John Swett Unified School District board cut six full-time teachingpositions a few weeks ago as part of $850,000 in budget reductions to offsetGov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to slice more than $4 billion fromeducation statewide. The district, which serves about 1,700 students, alsohas cut campus supervisors, computer lab assistants and secretaries, and iscontemplating further reductions that could include music and athletics.Students this morning angrily swarmed the district headquarters parking lot,and many peppered Superintendent Michael Roth with budget questions when heemerged from the building.One student egged the crowd on when he climbed to the roof.Teachers who learned Thursday of the planned walk-out warned students thatthey would fail their next test if they took part. But students walkedanyway, and many declined to get on the buses provided by the district afterthe march was over. District officials announced to the crowd that anyonewho did not go back to school would be marked truant for the day."My mom said I'm grounded, but it's worth coming out here," said DanielFreeman, a 15-year-old sophomore.While many students were upset about Trotter's likely departure, others saidthey are angry that the school board was not considering budget cutselsewhere. Some said they also were marching in protest of the planned statebudget cuts that have pinched districts across California.Trotter was not at the protest and could not immediately be reached forcomment. But earlier this week, he and several of his students sobbed asthey pleaded with school board members to reconsider reducing his duties."I just think that we deserve good teachers, and I want you guys to realizehe's one of the best teachers in that school," senior Precious Arnold said.Trotter choked back tears before asking the board to "Please reconsider."School board President Bill Concannon said today that he understands thestudents' pain, but noted that teachers are selected for layoffs based onseniority calculations per their contracts. The board has no say over whostays and who goes."We're faced with making really hard choices," Concannon said. "I wouldthrow it back to the governor. The governor is responsible for this budget.He's the one who called for cuts; this is not the school board's doing."Concannon said he hopes that the budget picture improves and the districtwill be able to rescind the layoff notice to Trotter and others. But hedoubts the board will revisit it's decision to cut teaching staff."I was very disappointed to hear that Mr. Trotter was the one who received areduction-in-force notice," Concannon said. "I know him, and I have a lot ofrespect for him."http://education.guardian.co.uk/universitiesincrisis/story/0,,2269756,00.htmlClash of culturesIndustrial action by Keele University lecturers isn't just about jobs, it'salso a full-blown ideological rowFrancis BeckettTuesday April 1, 2008The GuardianWhen Keele lecturers demonstrate outside their council meeting on Thursdayfor the second time this year - this time swelled by lecturers from otheruniversities - it will be about much more than saving the jobs of theircolleagues.University proposals mean that 38 of the 67 academic staff at the School ofEconomic and Management Studies (Sems) are likely to be made redundant. Butthat is only part of what causes leading lecturers to carry placards roundthis small, pretty, isolated Midlands campus, brought a one-day strike inSems and looks like causing more, and has all Keele's members of theUniversity and College Union (UCU) taking "action short of a strike". Thismeans that since February 21 they have been refusing to cooperate with theaudit for the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, to sit onteaching committees, and to help at open days.This is more than a conventional battle over redundancies, for two reasons.First, this is Keele - the first of the 1960s wave of new universities, withits unique dual-honours degree system, and its emotional attachment to theideas of broad, liberal education, of free thinking, and of bucking trends.Trade unionsSecond, Sems has been bucking the trend for years. As other universitiesfall in with the move to conventional business schools, fitting in with thehighly specific requirements of powerful accrediting bodies such as theAssociation of MBAs (Amba), the Sems MBA does not meet Amba requirements andis not intended to, partly because Amba requirements make an MBA veryexpensive. Sems has the only industrial relations unit left in Britain thatis not based in a business school, and it takes trade unions seriously.The trouble began last year, when the university set up a committee underProfessor John Purcell of Warwick Business School to decide on Sems'sfuture. Purcell admitted that industrial relations lecturers at Keele werestill attracting students, "a testament to their energy and determination tosurvive in a hostile environment".But the hostile environment was the mood of the times. Purcell proposed thereplacement of Sems by a Keele business school or management school; the endof the full-time MBA; and the closure of many courses, including those ineconomics and industrial relations.The university accepted the report, and added that many of the staff did nothave "an appropriate skillset to support the change". It set up a redundancycommittee. The UCU countered with its industrial action.Since then, the dispute has been bogged down in accusations andcounter-accusations. Sems was losing money and students, said theuniversity. No, it wasn't, said the UCU, the university was using selectivestatistics and the department was actually doing rather well. The universitywas refusing to consult and negotiate properly, said the union. Not at all,said the university, it was the union's fault.Keele's vice-chancellor, Professor Janet Finch, wrote to all academicsasking if they would be taking part in industrial action. The UCU regionalofficial, Sue Davis, wrote back: "I shall be advising our members that theydo not have to complete any form sent by you seeking further information."The union asked for the consultation period to be extended by six months;Finch said no.Underneath it all, you could hear the growl of a full-blown ideological row."Many people see us as deeply unfashionable, though I think what we do isrelevant and contemporary," says the chair of the Keele UCU actioncommittee, Mike Ironside. "The vice-chancellor has her heart set on creatinga conventional business school."Finch resents the implication that she is less than committed to socialscience teaching. She wrote to the university's academics: "I want tore-state my personal lifelong and strong commitment to the social sciencedisciplines, both generally and at Keele ... I am proud to be thevice-chancellor of a university which has strong social sciences, and have arecord over my whole period at Keele of seeking to support and promotethem."There is an odd symmetry in Keele University moving away from industrialrelations and towards human-resource management. During the 2006 lecturers'dispute, it took an unusually hard line. When lecturers were refusing tomark coursework or set exams, the university agreed to award degrees basedon work already submitted, rather than wait for a student's full marks. As abroad rule of thumb, industrial relations experts would be horrified, buthuman-resource management people might applaud. In the event, the disputewas resolved before graduation day.Founder's dreamSo it is hardly surprising that the two cultures are now clashing at Keele,half a century after the founder, Lord Lindsay, set out his dream of auniversity to unite the two, to be a place that taught "the arts person tounderstand how the scientists thought and the scientist to keep in touchwith the arts". It is going to be hard to reconcile the two cultures thistime.Last week, the university declined to discuss the broader issues, and toldEducation Guardian: "The current proposals represent a commitment by theuniversity to develop and retain a vibrant, competitive business school aspart of its future portfolio. The proposed restructure creates aconfiguration which is appropriate for purpose, reflects market demand, andestablishes the school both academically and financially."The proposals are subject to widespread consultation within the university,and any decisions taken will arise from this consultation exercise. Theuniversity has assured students of its commitment to delivering the currentrange of courses within the school and to maintain quality standards forthese and all other courses. The university recognises that change can beunsettling for staff and students, and is working hard to ensure that allgroups are fully informed of the proposals and that any concerns areaddressed."If that sounds as though it was written by a human-resources manager, thereply from Ironside is identifiably that of the industrial relationsspecialist he is. "Until now, the university has handled it very badly. Mostof management's objectives could have been achieved without conflict," hesays, carefully leaving the door open for compromise. There will be a lotmore campus demonstrations before either side learns how the other sidethinks.http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/nyregion/20schools.html?ref=nyregionThousands Protest Budget Cuts Aimed at City SchoolsBy JENNIFER MEDINAPublished: March 20, 2008Thousands of parents, students, teachers and administrators rallied in frontof City Hall in late afternoon rain Wednesday, denouncing budget cuts to theEducation Department and demanding that the state and the city fulfillpledges they made last year to drastically increase spending for the publicschools."This is all parents talk about," said Alicia Cortes, the parent coordinatorat Intermediate School 302 in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn. "We have been gettingbetter for a while, and we thought there was a way to progress, and then allof the sudden there's these cuts. You can't cut off people's legs and thenexpect them to succeed."Ms. Cortes said she was extremely frustrated that her school had to scaleback after-school programs this year when it lost more than $107,000.In January, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Gov. Eliot Spitzer said adramatic downturn in the economy was forcing them to reduce the amount ofmoney they had planned to spend on schools after a longstanding educationfinancing lawsuit was settled last year. Schools were forced to cut 1.75percent from their current budgets in January, and more dramatic cuts areexpected for next year.The protest came the day before Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein wasexpected to testify about the budget cuts before the City Council'sEducation Committee. City officials arranged a background briefing withreporters before the protest began, emphasizing that Mayor Bloombergconsidered money for public schools a priority and had increased educationspending by 72 percent since 2002.But the figure did little to satisfy the protesters, who repeatedly chanted,"Keep the promises!" in English and Spanish during the two-hour rally."I'd be the first to acknowledge that we are spending more money," saidErnest A. Logan, the president of the city's principals' union. "But youhave to remember that we have been suffering and waiting for a long time. Wecannot wait anymore."Many people in the crowd lining Broadway arrived on buses provided by theteachers' union and several community groups, which spent weeks organizingwhat they had hoped would be a large protest. When rain began in themorning, organizers tempered their expectations and seemed happily surprisedthat so many people did come.Richard Burgess, whose two children attend elementary and middle schools inWashington Heights, said he was fearful of losing after-school programs andteaching assistants. "The only thing this is going to do is hurt ourchildren," he said.http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=181271Pupils' lock-out protest over lack of teachersPERHAPS NOW WE WILL GET ACTION: Angry pupils from Sakhisizwe SecondarySchool in Mdantsane locked the gates to their school yesterday to promotetheir demand for the appointment of a mathematics teacher.Picture: MASI LOSI2008/03/09FRUSTRATED pupils locked the gates of their Mdantsane school yesterday aftertheir numerous requests for a maths literacy teacher had gone unanswered formonths.About 200 pupils from Sakhisizwe Secondary School in NU13 had had enough ofthe Education Department's attitude and hoped to get the department's fullattention, they said. They threatened to lock up the school until thedepartment "comes to the party".According to SRC deputy president and Grade 11 pupil Nomakorinte Tshona,frustration turned to anger following unkept promises to provide the schoolwith a Grade 11 and 12 maths literacy teacher.After the previous teacher died last November, pupils and teachers wrotecountless letters and paid several visits to the district education officesat Rubusana to highlight their plight. "We have had enough of this," saidTshona. "We will not tolerate it any more. It's almost the end of the firstterm and they have done absolutely nothing."She said at the beginning of February, delegates from the school, includingteachers, pupils and parents, met with East London district directorMpangazita Ngwanya. "He told us that the matter would be prioritised," saidTshona, "and that we would get a teacher within days. More than a monthlater we are still waiting."Grade 12 pupil Andiswa Ngetu said they had already missed out on almost twomonths of maths literacy teaching. The department's procrastination wascausing further "damage"."This is our most important school year and we start it off on such a badnote," said Ngetu. "When we don't do good in maths then we are told we arelazy, but it's because there are unnecessary interruptions like these."Pupils have put up with a similar situation in the past. The Grade 11s, theysay, went without an accounting teacher for an entire year. There are alsoover-burdened teachers; one science teacher has to teach all Grade 8-to-10smaths and science and all Grade 11s and 12s science.Principal Funeka Zweni, who was standing with teachers outside the gate,refused to comment as pupils continued to toyi-toyi, held up placards andchanted "Naledi, come sort out this mess".Education spokesperson Loyiso Pulumani said the post had been advertised but"we are battling to attract suitable candidates". There was a nationalshortage of maths and science teachers, he added.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/surrey/7223922.stmFamilies march in school protestGodstone Walk to School protesters marched to Oxted SchoolMore than 500 people from a Surrey village have marched to its nearestsecondary school to protest against plans to shrink the catchment area.Godstone families are angry that Surrey County Council proposals couldexclude their children from Oxted School - even though it is only 2.9 milesaway.East Surrey MP Peter Ainsworth began Saturday's march and met the parentsand children at Oxted School.The council said a consultation on the admission changes had now closed.Oxted School is oversubscribed but cannot expand any further.It has more than 2,000 pupils and is Surrey's biggest comprehensive.'Keep association'The council's proposals to change the admissions procedure for September2009 mean that Godstone, along with Lingfield and Dormansland, could be leftout of its catchment area.Campaigner David Green said children from Godstone had attended Oxted sinceit opened in 1929 as Surrey's first mixed Grammar School."We want to keep that association - and it is our nearest school," he said."We don't know which schools our children would go to otherwise."The council's consultation on the admissions changes closed on 31 January.Mr Green said Godstone families had returned 500 response forms and a750-signature petition."This march is another way to demonstrate the depth of feeling in thevillage," he said.Campaigners in Lingfield and Dormansland held their own protest march on 12January.The council said details of its findings as a result of the consultationwould be published in due course.The final proposal will be considered by the full council in March.http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161283077Parents protest for new First Year teacherCarolyn Kissoon South BureauSaturday, February 23rd 2008Parents held up placards and stood outside the gates of Charlieville ASJAPrimary School yesterday, demanding that an existing vacancy be filledimmediately.Reyaz Khan, president of the school's Parent-Teacher Association, called onEducation Minister Esther Le Gendre to intervene and assign a teacher to theschool."The school has two First Year classes. Last year November, one of theteachers retired, leaving one teacher to supervise both classes, whichtogether have about 52 pupils," he said.Khan said the children's education was being jeopardised. He said if thepupils did not meet the requirements, they would not be promoted to SecondYear, which will ultimately threaten their chances at the Secondary EntranceAssessment examinations."We have been begging for a teacher for months and nothing is happening. Oneteacher cannot possibly look after so many young children," he said.Khan added that if a decision was taken not to promote the pupils, it meantthat fewer children from the community would also be admitted to the schoolin September."This has a trickling-down effect. If fewer children are taken in from thecommunity, then what would happen? When there is no education there is morecrime. This school has been serving the community for years," he said.Khan said parents intend to take their plight to the Minister if theyreceive no answer from the ASJA Board of Education.An official at the ASJA Board of Education said a recommendation was madefor a new teacher, but could not say why one was not assigned to the school.http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161292201Pupils protest into night for new schoolNikita Braxton South BureauWednesday, March 12th 2008Pupils of the Lengua Presbyterian Primary School turned up in their uniformslate yesterday to protest into the night for a new school. They have notbeen to classes for the past three weeks.Saudia Mohammed, president of the school's Parent Teachers' Association,said protest action would continue until they get a new school."We want the Ministry of Education and the Presbyterian Board in one room togive us some answers," she said yesterday evening.Mohammed said the school has been closed for the past three years and thepupils have been housed in an annex of the nearby Inverness PresbyterianSchool. She said the children have had to share three ten-by-ten footclassrooms.Holding placards, one of which read "Mansion and jet you get, what wegetting?", the children chanted, "We fed up of the same thing over andover."Protest action is being held during the day and on two evenings of the weekto give parents who are employed a chance to join, Mohammed said.The population at the school has been on a steady decline since therelocation to Inverness Presbyterian, Mohammed added."We had over 300 on roll and now we have 78," Mohammed said. She said sincethe structure was built 63 years ago, the same building has been used."The Ministry of Health condemned the building in 2001," Mohammed said.President of the Presbyterian School Board, Windy Partap, said: "We have metthe parents of Lengua (Presbyterian Primary school) and the PresbyterianBoard is trying as best as we can to have the matter resolved. We wouldcomment on the whole situation shortly.http://allafrica.com/stories/200803201110.htmlKenya: MP, Girls Protest Against Head TeacherThe East African Standard (Nairobi)21 March 2008Posted to the web 20 March 2008Antony GitongaNairobiMore than 500 schoolgirls took to the streets demanding the removal of theirhead teacher, moments after an MP stormed the institution.The demonstration by Naivasha Girls' Secondary School students startedmoments after the local MP, Mr John Mututho, went to protest against poorexamination results and alleged mismanagement.The principal, Ms Pauline Kinyua, forcibly removed the MP and other leadersfrom her office on Thursday, and threatened to call the police.The morning drama attracted students, who abandoned classes and protestedagainst the principal.Mututho and the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) officials had gone toverify complaints of congestion in dormitories.They denounced last year's Kenya Certificate of Secondary Educationexamination results, and accused the principal of running down the school."I'm disturbed by the poor KCSE results. I came to know what is ailing theschool," said Mututho.The school's mean grade dropped from 9.6 to 8.1.The MP questioned the use of more than Sh1 million CDF money allocated forthe construction of a dormitory. He also accused the principal of corruptionin Form One admissions.But Kinyua accused Mututho of incitement and harassment."I wonder what interest the MP has in the school ... I order you to move outor l will call the police," she told the legislator.After the MP left, the students took to the streets two hours later. But theDistrict Education Officer, Mr J Kimotho, and the police persuaded them toreturn to school. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 11:48:43 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:48:43 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] WORKER PROTESTS AND STRIKES, Global North Message-ID: <01c501c89e60$2bb8f5d0$0802a8c0@andy1> * AUSTRALIA: Queensland firefighters protest pay and conditions * UK: Cadbury's workers protest closure * IRELAND: Sacked shop stewards go on hunger strike * US: Detroit workers picket builder over failure to use local labour * US: Pay cut at IBM leads to online protest * CANADA: Forestry workers protest at legislature * US: Cafeteria workers protest on Wall Street * IRELAND: Meat packers target Marks and Spencer over international discrimination * AUSTRALIA: Injured workers protest against coverage cuts * GERMANY: Workers protest against closure of Nokia plant * FRANCE: Civil servants strike * IRELAND: Protest over rights of agency workers * NORTHERN IRELAND: Bus drivers protest over lack of bus lanes, unreasonable travel times * FRANCE: Workers protest possible takeover of SocGen Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/28/2175023.htm Qld firies march to protest pay conditions Posted Thu Feb 28, 2008 11:28am AEDT Map: Brisbane 4000 An expected 500 Queensland firefighters will protest against a State Government wage offer with a march on Parliament in Brisbane today. The Queensland Firefighters Union says an independent report, agreed to in enterprise bargaining negotiations, found the job value of firefighters has increased by nearly 50 per cent. State secretary Mark Walker says the Government's offer is inadequate. "We've invited both the Premier and the Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts to address the gathering of firefighters to explain what they believe to be a fair offer as a result of the job evaluation and explain why," he said. "So far their offer to the vast majority of firefighters has been for not one cent extra." Mr Walker says the State Government needs to put an adequate pay offer on the table, or face more marches. "It depends on whether the Government is preparted to be fair dinkum about a reasonable offer for Queensland firefighters," he said. "It's the first, we hope it's the only [march] but that's up to the Government." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/7198128.stm Protest against Cadbury closure The factory will finally close in 2010 with production moving to Poland Employees and union officials from Cadbury's chocolate factory at Keynsham have been out campaigning and urging people to boycott the firm's products. The small demonstration was held outside Asda, Longwell Green, to get the protest message across. Earlier this week it was confirmed plans to shut the factory and move production to Poland would go ahead. A Cadbury's spokesman said it was disappointed a few individuals had called for the boycott. 'Sensitivity and understanding' He added: "We appreciate feelings are running high after the announcement. "We will treat all employees with sensitivity and understanding as we move to closure by 2010. "But there will be no reduction in head count at the [Keynsham] factory during 2008." Around a dozen protesters waved placards outside the store on Saturday. Unite spokeswoman Lydia Hayes said it was important shoppers knew about the product boycott. She said: "We are here to make sure people know about it and are asking shoppers not to buy Cadbury's chocolate." http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/Sacked-shop-stewards-in-hunger.3954078.jp Sacked shop stewards in hunger strike protest TWO sacked airport shop stewards one a 72-year-old are planning to go on hunger strike from today. Madan Gupta and Gordon McNeill, 38, and say they will continue their protest until their union Unite honours commitments they say were made to them last summer. According to the men, this involved promises in relation to a 200,000 legal bill incurred after the pair became embroiled in a court battle with airport security company ICTS over their dismissal. The hunger strikers plan to start their protest outside Transport House in Belfast. The men say a similar protest, combined with a rooftop demonstration at the same venue in September, was called off after the union agreed their demands would be met within seven days. However, with no change in their situation, Mr McNeill and Mr Gupta are resuming their protest this morning. Mr McNeill said: "Not one of the promises they made have been kept. We have been left to pay half of our 200,000 legal bill, an impossible amount for low paid workers who found themselves out of work because we were betrayed by our union." He went on: "We also want a public inquiry set up to examine the union's handling of this dispute from day one until now." Mr McNeill said that he and Mr Gupta were not entering into their protest lightly. "Madan Gupta is 72 years old and suffers from diabetes," he said. "I am 38, but in poor health with a heart condition. We know the consequences of starting what this time is likely to be a protracted hunger strike but we are absolutely determined to face the consequences." http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080125/NEWS01/80125033/1009/NEWS07 Union workers protest hiring for Midtown project But firm defends practice, commitment to Detroit BY BOWDEYA TWEH . FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER . January 25, 2008 Union workers picketed for a second day in front of a Detroit apartment development because they believe a contractor hasn't hired city workers to complete skilled trades work. Between 100 and 250 people were protesting in front of the Studio One development in Midtown, according to Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters Local 687 member Barabbas Shabazz. Shabazz, 52, of Detroit said there is a policy that when construction contracts are made in the city, half of the skilled trades workers are supposed to be Detroit residents. He said the city has defaulted on its responsibility to send representatives to construction sites to determine if the ratio of employees from the city and minorities is in order. He said a city representative visited the site for fewer than 20 minutes Thursday and he is unsure of what will come of it. Shabazz has not worked on this construction site. "We are the ones that should have first placement on the jobs," Shabazz said. ".This affects everyone in Detroit who [has] a skilled trades and they don't hire us." The Studio One project involves apartment units, a parking structure and retail space. Groundbreaking for the project began last March and construction began in following months. Wayne State University is a partner in the development and it will comprise the school's South University Village. President and owner of Houseman Construction Co. Mike Houseman said Studio One is a private project except for the parking structure, which the university is building and financing. Studio One is leasing the land from WSU. Grand Rapids-based Houseman Construction is the general contractor for the project and Grand Rapids-based Prime Development is the lead developer. Gerard Grant Phillips, head of the city's Human Rights Department, said the work the contractor has done on the site in getting Detroit residents on the job site is better than most. Phillips said 48% of the skilled workers on the Studio One site are Detroiters. Phillips agreed with Houseman's assessment of the situation with the executive order and added there is also a requirement that 30 percent of the contractual dollars spent on a project using public funds has to go to Detroit's small businesses, Detroit-based businesses and businesses with Detroit headquarters. The human rights office hired five compliance officers in July to help out with checking local construction sites. Phillips, who has served as chair of the department since January 2006, said the responsibilities on the compliance officers is large, but the job they are performing is important to sustaining the local economy. "We are working diligently to make sure people are doing what they are supposed to do." "I don't think they're protesting the city ordinance," Houseman said. "What they are protesting is the fact that Sciamanna Group [a suburban subcontractor] is not affiliated with the local union organization." They are claiming that there are no local jobs or local people. They are very misinformed, on the contrary, we've committed to the city." Former Mayor Coleman Young created Executive Order 22 in 1983. The order stated any construction project funded partly or wholly city, state or federal funds, "worker hours shall be performed by not less than 50% bona fide Detroit residents, not less than 25% minorities and at least 5% women." The order also said percentages would be applied on a craft-by-craft basis. Demolition projects were included under the order a year later. Houseman said some elements of the executive order were rendered unenforceable through Proposal 2's passage in 2006. However, he said the company is working to hire at least 50% Detroit workers on the job site. Houseman said the city gave his company a letter recognizing it as a model for how the executive order is supposed to work. Houseman said at the time of the project bidding, the union's participation was little to none. He said once the structures started to be erected, union members started coming to the job site. Houseman said the contracting companies have about 50% union-based workers and nonunion workers on the job site. "We are working very hard to bring the work to the people of Detroit," Houseman said. While picketing, Shabazz said between 15 and 20 Detroit police officers responded to a call made by the security team on the site. He said police officers threatened to arrest workers and it almost turned into a confrontation. Police limited the protesters to a certain perimeter in front of the development. The Detroit Police Department saw it a little differently. Officers were dispatched to the scene around noon responding to a call that the picketers were blocking traffic. No problems or arrests resulted from visiting the scene. The union office suite, 3800 Woodward Ave., is located less than half a mile away from the development. Shabazz said he believes the issue will go under further debate in the union's next meeting in February. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9062598&intsrc=news_ts_head Wage cut prompts online protest at IBM IBM lowers the pay for a large chunk of workers, who voice their opposition online By Patrick Thibodeau February 13, 2008 (Computerworld) Labor protests in the high-tech industry are rare, but IBM is in midst of one -- and it's unfolding entirely online. Instead of waving protest signs outside the company gates, affected workers are airing, in comments accompanying an online petition, disappointment, anger and bitterness with the company over a salary cut affecting 6% of IBM's U.S. workforce. Since its announcement last month, more than 1,200 people have signed a petition sponsored by the Alliance at IBM, protesting pay cuts to 7,600 technical support employees.. Whether all these signatures are from affected employees is not certain, but many of the comments seem authentic, and often heartfelt. Comments such as "11 years on call ... Now less money than when in started in 97," "Previous loyal employee ... No more," and "This is not fair. I did not deserve this after all my hard work," are typical. This change in how technical support workers are paid stems from a federal class action lawsuit filed by some employees in early 2006. In it, the workers complained they were not getting paid overtime after a 40-hour work week and they sought back pay. IBM settled the case that same year for $65 million. Last month, IBM told workers that it was reclassifying technical services and IT specialist jobs to nonexempt positions, making them eligible for overtime. But the company said it was also making a 15% base salary adjustment -- down. Overtime pay, as a well as a transition payment to help where overtime doesn't meet the base pay adjustment, will offset this pay cut according to the company. The company characterized the change as a "pay remix" in a series of slides to managers that was subsequently leaked. But not all the employees will be able to offset the pay cut with overtime, according to information sent to managers; about one third of the affected employees are working on average less than 45 hours a week, the apparent salary parity threshold. IBM spokesman Fred McNeese said that were IBM to pay overtime on top of salaries that were already competitive with the industry, the company would be uncompetitive. McNeese's point is listed as a key one in the slides sent to managers. "Adding overtime compensation to already competitive pay would quickly produce costs that exceed competitive levels -- an undesirable result for employees and our clients." McNeese believes that overall compensation for employees after the change "should be the same." Two affected employees, who spoke on the condition that their names not be used, disagreed that their pay would be similar. They argued that overtime was far from certain, required managerial approval, and opportunities for it could vary depending on business. Moreover, the cut in base pay affected those aspects of compensation calculated on base salary alone, such as insurance and disability. They also argued that it could affect personal areas, such as ability to qualify at a certain mortgage amount. One employee said that it rolls back his salary to what he earned in 2001. The employees were also skeptical of the company's assertion that this change wasn't put in place to cut overall costs, and there are suspicions that wage pressure from offshore centers may be at work -- something IBM denies. "As far as I am concerned, they are going to save money," said one employee. Lee Conrad, a former IBM employee who is now national coordinator of the Alliance at IBM in Endicott, NY, said he believes globalization may be a factor in the pay cut decision and suspects other companies will be looking at how IBM manages the pay cut. "If IBM is an indication of what's ahead, it's going to be a rough ride for American workers," he said. The union, which is part of the Communications Workers of America, represents about 6,000 of IBM's total U.S. workforce of 125,000. It would need at least 60% membership to have bargaining power with the company, said Conrad. Conrad said he been impressed by the outspoken reaction of IBM employees. "For IBMers to sign their name publicly to a petition -- that says a lot," he said. http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=9ca7729c-c728-4280-8e3f-885ce882212f&k=82467 Forestry workers protest on steps of B.C. legislature By John Bermingham, Vancouver Province Published: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 VICTORIA -- About 100 forestry workers and their supporters joined NDP MLAs yesterday to protest against job cuts in B.C.'s biggest industry. More than half the workers were bussed in from Campbell River, where the Elk Falls sawmill is to close May 9 with the loss of 257 jobs. "We have a severe problem in this industry," said union local president Scott Doherty, standing on the steps of the Legislature. "Our Liberal government is doing nothing." NDP forestry critic Bob Simpson said that since logging was no longer tied to milling in 2003, tens of thousands of forestry jobs have been lost. The big forestry companies promised at the time to create value-added jobs and revitalize coastal forestry, he said. But instead, raw log exports to the U.S. have increased, B.C. sawmills are closing, and most of the value-added work is gone, he said. "They did not deliver on any of the promises they made," Simpson said of Interfor, TimberWest and Weyherhauser. "That is the Premier's fault." In Tuesday's Throne Speech, the B.C. government promised to set up a Working Roundtable on Forestry, and help older workers retire earlier and re-train forest workers. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/cafeteria-workers-protest-on-wall-street/?hp March 5, 2008, 6:27 pm Cafeteria Workers Protest on Wall Street By Sewell Chan Workers for Aramark, a giant food-services company, protested om Wednesday afternoon outside the offices of several Wall Street financial companies where union members serve in the cafeterias. (Photo: Josh Haner/The New York Times) Hundreds of cafeteria and other food-service workers rallied in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday afternoon for higher wages and improved benefits as part of an ongoing battle between the Aramark Corporation and the union Unite Here, which represents about 20,000 Aramark employees, including about 4,000 in the New York region. The workers rallied outside the headquarters of Bank of New York Mellon at One Wall Street before traveling to the Goldman Sachs headquarters headquarters at 85 Broad Street and then returning. Some chanted slogans like, "Who's in the kitchen? We don't know. Aramark has got to go." Unite Here has engaged in several skirmishes with Aramark over the last several months, but the outcome of the battles has not been decisive. From Nov. 12 to Feb. 12, 91 Aramark workers assigned to the cafeterias at the New York Life Insurance Company and an office tower at 55 Water Street were on strike over terms for a new contract. On Tuesday, 34 workers assigned to two Bank of New York Mellon cafeterias (One Wall Street and 101 Barclay Street) began a strike, again over contract talks. Kevin Heine, a spokesman for Bank of New York Mellon, declined to comment on the strike against Aramark. "I'm not saying, Shame on you for making $50 million," said Jose Maldanado, secretary-treasurer at Local 100 of Unite Here, to loud cheers by a crowd of more than 300 people, many of them waving purple and yellow flags. "I'm saying, Shame on you for not sharing that $50 million with your employees." The two sides have traded accusations. In a phone interview, the union's national president, Bruce S. Raynor, singled out Goldman Sachs, one of Wall Street's most prosperous firms, which is not only a client of Aramark but a part-owner. GS Capital Partners, a private-equity arm of the firm, helped take Aramark private in a deal that was completed in January 2007. "There is no greater example of income inequality in American society than the Goldman Sachs cafeteria," Mr. Raynor said, adding that average employee compensation at Goldman Sachs was $660,000 last year, while employees in the company cafeteria typically are paid about $21,000 a year. "Aramark is in the middle of this equation, and as an owner and as a client Goldman Sachs needs to get Aramark to do the right thing." Two spokespeople for Goldman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Kristine Grow, a spokeswoman for Aramark, said the company "does pay competitive wages and benefits both for its industry and in the geographies in which it operates." She added, "The vast majority of our employees do have access to health care options - some as inexpensive as $10 a week." About 30 percent of the company's 165,000 hourly workers nationwide are union members, she said. Ms. Grow attributed the tensions with the union to the union's demand for card checks, in which workers form unions by signing cards, instead of formal unionization elections supervised by the National Labor Relations Board. Unions generally prefer card checks, which they consider easier to win than elections. Ms. Grow asserted the union had missed a deadline requiring it to notify Aramark at least 60 days before the latest contract expired, at the end of February, that it wished to renegotiate the terms of the contract. As a result, she said, the contract was automatically renewed for a year. Matt Furshong, a researcher for Local 100, conceded that the union had missed the deadline, but he called it a technicality and said the union planned to contest the extension of the contract. As the protest went on, several workers at the affected companies did not seem particularly concerned. Mark DeWitt, 56, a Bank of New York employee who lives in Pittsburgh, was waiting for a ride to an airport as the protesters chanted. "They can demonstrate," he said. "They can do whatever they want." http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ghQAX50oSk32cgdnTetw8EICXRsA Union in protest over meat workers Mar 5, 2008 Protesters are staging a demonstration outside Marks & Spencer's Irish flagship store over alleged discrimination of workers in the international meat industry. Trade union Unite claims suppliers to the food and clothes giant and other major retailers exploit some employees. It alleges that meat suppliers operate a permanent two-tier workforce which sparks conflict between migrant and local workers, leading to community disharmony. Jimmy Kelly, Unite regional secretary, said the union will stage a protest outside Marks & Spencer's Grafton Street shop in Dublin to highlight the plight of workers. "M&S and the other retailers must face up to their responsibilities and start putting workers, communities and consumers first," he said. "They dictate the price of the contracts, and they cannot wash their hands of responsibility. M&S must show respect for workers in its supply chain and insist that the meat supply industry ends exploitation and discrimination." http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/08/2184133.htm Injured workers protest against WorkCover cuts Posted Sat Mar 8, 2008 2:15pm AEDT Map: Adelaide 5000 A group of injured workers has confronted the South Australian Government's adviser on cutting WorkCover payments at a community meeting in Adelaide this morning. Independent consultant Alan Clayton made recommendations to cut injury payouts to reduce the Government's unfunded WorkCover liability of more than $800 million. Mr Clayton faced about 50 workers at the Enfield community centre this morning to defend the changes. "My role was to produce a report according to the terms of reference," he said. Other speakers included the independent MP Kris Hanna, who has criticised the Government's proposal. "These people are emotional because most of the injured workers who are here today are going to be dumped onto the dole," he said. The workers are vowing to rally outside State Parliament when the WorkCover bill is debated in April. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/23/content_7475333.htm Germans protest against Nokia plant closure BERLIN, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of German workers took to the streets in protest against the closure of a Nokia cell phone assembly plant, local reports said Tuesday. Some 20,000 demonstrators attended the protest called by Germany's trade union IG Metall in the western city of Bochum in the Ruhr industrial area, German radio Deutsche Welle reported. Nokia announced last week that it planned to close its plant in Bochum and move most of the operation to Cluj, Romania, where the production cost is much lower. Over 2,000 German employees could therefore lose their jobs. IG Metall said Tuesday that its talks with the Finnish mobile-phone manufacturer had been fruitless. It pledged to fight on to keep the German plant open. Nokia's decision has ignited anti-Nokia anger in the country as some politicians called in public for boycott against the firm's cell phones. http://www.webinfrance.com/civil-servants-strike-in-france-125.html Civil servants strike in France - A labor ritual, says French authorities January 25, 2008 Civil servants held demonstrations all over France on Thursday protesting job cuts and demanding higher salaries for al French government workers. The government of France characterized the marches as simply another "labor union ritual." Strikes and protest marches in France have become a commonplace and regular occurrence. Seven out of the eight public servants' unions in France, representing around 5 million workers, called on its workers to strike, with teachers, hospital workers, firefighters and postal workers answering the call. According to France's CGT labor union, about 400,000 people took to the streets all across France. Marchers carrying banners and bullhorns choked streets in Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Marseille. In Paris, the unions claimed up to 40,000 people had turned out to march, while police low-balled the numbers at 17,000. The day follows a similar strike on November 20 and a separate wave of stoppages over pensions by transport and energy workers across France. Civil Servants Minister Eric Woerth was quoted as saying, "This is a maneuver that amounts to a labor union ritual," dismissing the seriousness and validity of the marchers' concerns. He added that he would have preferred a dynamic of "dialogue, not confrontation." However, Woerth had recently announced plans to cut 22,900 civil service jobs this year, one of the issues that had workers up in arms. On the subject of the across-the-board pay raises civil servants in France are demanding, union leader Francois Chereque called for open salary talks with the government. He also criticized President of France Nicolas Sarkozy, saying he has failed to augment French purchasing power, a major issue in France. The strike raises pressure on Sarkozy, who is facing a dip in approval ratings in France, festering consternation over scandals in his private life and rising doubt about his election promises to raise the standard of living for workers. Strikes in France are regarded by many both in the public and government as a needless nuisance, with complaints that unions in France use strikes as a first resort rather than a last. However, according to an opinion poll in Wednesday's Les Echos business daily, 57 % of the public said the day of strikes was justified. This particular walkout was a response to the unions' dissatisfaction with the result of December negotiations, when the government of France rejected demands for sweeping salary increases. While transport workers have recently struck three times, they did not join Thursday's strike http://www.northallertontimes.co.uk/latest-irish-news/Protest-over-agency-worker-rights.3790294.jp Published Date: 19 February 2008 Source: Press Association Location: The Press Association Newsdesk Protest over agency worker rights Trade union activists are holding a protest outside the Dail demanding legislation to protect agency workers. The protest, organised by Siptu, will coincide with a Dail debate on the rights of agency workers, including vulnerable migrant workers. The Labour Party and Sinn Fein have jointly tabled a private members motion expressing concern over workers they say are subjected to poor pay and conditions. The motion will be debated during private members time on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7234948.stm Bus drivers in protest over lanes Metro drivers have staged a protest in Belfast Bus drivers have taken to the streets of Belfast in protest over dedicated bus lanes. The union, Unite, said 68% of drivers suffered severe to moderate stress due to pressure to meet unrealistic running times during peak times. It has urged a ballot on industrial action over the difficulties of providing a "first class transport system with uninterrupted bus lanes". Translink said there was a plan to install more bus corriders. On Friday, Unite launched a campaign to urge the government to take action. Sean Smyth of Unite said: "Translink are losing ?3m a year on fuel. There's at least another ?2m to ?3m probably lost on sickness caused by insufficient running times. "That's about ?6m. How much is the Northern Ireland economy losing by people arriving at work late?" Last week, the union called on Minister Conor Murphy to meet promises made to introduce dedicated bus lanes into the city centre. It questioned how long the Rapid Transport System outlined by the Department for Regional Development would take to come into effect. On Friday, Metro Bus Drivers chairman Michael Doran said: "The government has failed to provide the bus priorities promised and that's what we're asking for." Ciaran Rogan of Translink agreed driving buses was a difficult job, particularly during congested times but pointed out that some of the bus lanes worked very well. "With our colleagues in road service we have a programme to put in a lot more bus priorities measures and quality bus corridors. "We are moving as fast we we can to do that. But the drivers are quite right to highlight that congestion is an issue and it's getting worse week by week. "The travelling public are losing out." http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,23636,23142495-31037,00.html Employees protest SocGen takeover >From correspondents in Paris February 01, 2008 05:40am Article from: Agence France-Presse Font size: + - Send this article: Print Email ABOUT 4000 employees of crisis-hit French bank Societe Generale demonstrated today in front of the company's headquarters in Paris to protest a possible takeover, the bank said. Another minor demonstration involving 300 employees took place in front of another Societe Generale office in the Paris area. BNP Paribas, France's biggest bank, suggested overnight that it might be interested in a takeover of Societe Generale, which is seen as a target after a rogue trader scandal. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 15:05:15 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:05:15 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Eco-protests - climate change, GM etc Message-ID: <02e301c89e7b$a2126660$0802a8c0@andy1> * AUSTRIA: Steamroller protest at US embassy over GM corn * BRAZIL: Protesters trash GM crops * US: Hundreds turn out to support Annapolis carbon emissions bill * US: Protest at Discovery Communications over lack of environmental coverage * AUSTRALIA: Opening of parliament greeted by eco-activists * UK: Greenpeace coal protest at cricket ground * GREECE: Solidarity protests over arrest of eco-warrior * NEW ZEALAND: Peaceful protest not peaceful, says cop; Greenpeace stop coal ship * WALES: Climate change protesters stop work at mine, target power station * CANADA: Huge eco-protest encircles parliament * US: Protests for and against tree-sitter at Berkeley - protests BP deals, Native American remains, nuke links * AUSTRALIA: Climate change banner drop at station Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hx5MGeZS5mZB9NwL_bsCwnZ_Q9wA Steamroller protest outside US embassy in Vienna over GM corn Mar 20, 2008 VIENNA (AFP) - Around 30 environmental activists used a steamroller to crush corn outside the US embassy in Vienna Thursday to protest alleged US pressure on Austria to accept genetically modified corn. "Greenpeace is protesting the Bush administration's threat to impose prohibitive taxes on Austrian imports if Vienna continues to forbid genetically modified products," one of the activists said at the rally. The United States "is violating our sovereign right to use only products free of genetically modified organisms, because the majority of Americans strictly reject foods that contain GMOs," he added. The Austrian branch of the environmental group called on US diplomats working in Vienna Thursday to prevent the imposition of import taxes. Greenpeace Austria said the US government was currently preparing a black list of products that would be subject to http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Brazilian_protesters_destroy_GM_crops_group_999.html Brazilian protesters destroy GM crops: group by Staff Writers Sao Paulo (AFP) March 7, 2008 Around 300 women rural residents in Brazil burst into a property owned by the US company Monsanto and destroyed a plant nursery and crops containing genetically modified corn, their organization said. The women were protesting what they saw as environmental damage by the crops. They trashed the plants within 30 minutes and left before police arrived at the site in the southern state of Sao Paulo, a member of the Landless Workers' Movement, Igor Foride, told AFP. The Brazilian government had "caved in to pressure from agrobusinesses" by recently allowing tinkered crops to be grown in the country, he said. In Brasilia, a protest by another 400 women from an umbrella group, Via Campesina (the Rural Way), was held in front of the Swiss embassy against Syngenta, a Swiss company that is selling genetically modified seeds in Brazil. The demonstrators called attention to an October 2007 incident in which private guards working for Syngenta killed a protester taking part in an occupation of land owned by the company. Via Campesina said in a statement that "no scientific studies exist that guarantee that genetically! modified crops won't have negative effects on human health and on nature." It added that on Tuesday, another 900 of its members had entered a property owned by the Swedish-Finnish paper giant Stora Enso and ripped out non-modified eucalyptus saplings they claimed were illegally planted. http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news624.htm Whilst the spectre of genetically modified foods occasionally rears it's deformed head here in Europe (see SchNEWS 583), the GM companies are trying to get a bigger share of the food market in the global south, but like in Europe they are getting a kicking by the majority of the population who are opposed to their Frankenstein food. Last November we recently reported how a Brazilian anti-GM campaigner was murdered at a Syngenta GM crop trial in Paran?, Brazil, after security forces opened fire on the Via Campesina (The International Peasants Movement) camp at the experimental farm (See SchNEWS 610). Deadly force has not been enough to stop the resistance however, which has been continuing with increasing intensity. Last week in Brasilia, a protest by 400 women from Via Campesina was held in front of the Swiss embassy against Syngenta, (a Swiss company). Via Campesina summed up their position by releasing a statement saying that, "no scientific studies exist that guarantee that genetically modified crops won't have negative effects on human health and on nature." Meanwhile, also last week around 300 rural women residents from the state of Sao Paulo burst into a property owned by Monsanto and destroyed a plant nursery and crops containing genetically modified corn. They were in and out in half an hour and long gone by the time cops arrived on the scene. There was also an action the previous week when another 900 members of Via Campesina broke into a facility owned by the Swedish-Finnish paper giant Stora Enso and ripped out non-modified eucalyptus saplings they claimed were illegally planted. It's good to know that wherever they ply their evil trade, there's no hiding place for the GM corporations. * See also www.viacampesina.org * To keep up to date on British GM resistance, see www.mutatoes.org http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bay_environment/blog/2008/01/global_warming_protest_snowed.html Global warming protest frosted with snow It snowed, but they still came. A heavy snowfall blanketed a global warming protest outside the State House in Annapolis this morning, but it did not dampen the shouts of about 400 activists who urged lawmakers to pass the nation's toughest greenhouse gas control law. As supporters waved signs, chanted and banged drums, 18 legislators walked down a symbolic green carpet to sign up as co-sponsors to a bill that would mandate that all businesses in Maryland cut emissions of global warming pollution by 25 percent by 2020 and 90 percent by 2050. "We are going to pass this bill this year," said State Sen. Paul Pinsky, a Democrat from Prince George's County and chairman of the senate's environmental matters subcommittee. "We are not going to rest, we are not going to stop....We are going to keep going until we pass this bill." Pinsky and co-author Del. Kumar Barve, the house Democratic leader, proposed a similar but unsuccessful Global Warming Solutions Act last year. It would have created a system of financial rewards and punishments (known as a "cap and trade" system) to force all businesses to reduce their emissions. The Maryland legislature over the last two year has approved more limited cuts in carbon dioxide pollution from coal-fired power plants and cars. Together, these add up to an expected 25 percent reduction. The Maryland Chamber of Commerce, Constellation Energy and many Republicans oppose the 90 percent mandate, saying such aggressive regulation could cripple the states economy if other states don't have such limits. "It would be harmful for employment," said Senate Republican Leader David R. Brinkley. "We have a conscientious business community, and nobody wants to contribute to pollution, but these guys are intent on making Maryland uncompetitive." Rob Gould, a spokesman for Constellation Energy, the state's biggest owner of power plants, said federal or international regulation of greenhouse gases makes more sense. And he suggested that power shortages could result from excessive state regulation. "Constellation Energy is very supportive of federal and international regulation. Our concern with last year's bill was that it limited the ability to trade to sources inside Maryland. Given that the only way to reduce CO2 from non-nuclear power plants is to run those plants less, our concern remains that a single small state like Maryland cannot meet these aggressive targets without reliability impacts occurring." The U.S. Congress is considering legislation that would set up a national system of greenhouse gas reductions through a "cap and trade" system. But the Bush administration has opposed any mandatory limits in part because China, India and other economic competitors of the U.S. have refused to impose cuts. California has approved a law with an 80 percent reduction by midcentury, and Maryland's law is modelled after this proposal. The bill would order state agencies to come up with a variety of regulations to increase energy efficiency, encourage mass transit, discourage the burning of fossil fuels and boost clean energy. After last year's bill failed, Gov. Martin OMalley appointed a climate change advisory commission that recommend that the state adopt a California-style program and cut greenhouse gases by 90 percent by 2050. A spokeswoman for O'Malley, Christine Hansen, wouldn't say this evening whether the governor would support the Pinsky/Barve legislation, but said he is going to look "very seriously" at the bill. "The governor knows that we need to work to address global climate change," Hansen said. Many of the protesters who endured the cold to chant "Stop Global Warming!" said they didn't think the snowfall conflicted with their message. Davey Roegner, a 22 year old student at the University of Maryland College Park, beat on an African Djembe drum to rev up the crowd. He said the snow was a "gift" to remind eveyone about how rarely Maryland has been blanketed with beautiful white in recent years as temperatures have increased. "It's only the second snow of the year, which is very sad," said Rogner, from Silver Spring. "Global warming is the most important issue of our generation. The state of Maryland should be taking a leadership role in it, because of our vulerability with all our shoreline." Barve said the snow was a good sign: "At least we have weather appropriate for winter time, finally." The 18 legislators who "walked the green carpet" to co-sponsor the "Global Warming Solutions Act" included: Senators Frosh, Rosapepe and Pinsky; and Delegates Hecht, Nathan-Pulliam, Cardin, Stein, Bobo, Barve, Carr, Waldstreicher, Manno, Mizeur, Barnes, Kullen, Anderson, Neimann and Ramirez. Claire Douglass, Maryland driector of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, told the cheering crowd: "Maryland is the third most vulnerable state in the nation to sea level rise. With over 3,100 miles of coastline, it is our job to protect it." Dr. Cindy Parker of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health said: "I'm a physician, why am I here for a rally for an environmental bill? It's not an environmental bill, that's why. It's a health bill. This is the biggest threat to our health of anything going on right now, and anything we expect this century. We have to pass this bill for our health and for the health of everybody in the world and our children and their children." Ted Rouse, an owner of the Baltimore-based development firm Struever Brothers Eccles and Rouse, and a leader of the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance, said: "You can make a profit while looking after the planet. There is opportunity in this bill for business. So business supports this bill as well." Reached by phone, a spokesman for the Maryland Chamber of Commerce disagreed. Will Burns, director of communications for the chamber, said Maryland should not impose restrictions that companies in Virginia, Pennsylvania and other regional states don't face. "With an issue like this, its best not to act unilaterally. It's best to act regionally, so that you're not stepping out on your own," said Burns. "Our economy is not like California's...You certainly would put Maryland at a disadvantage when it takes such radical action alone." A nonpartisan analysis of last year's proposal, by the Maryland Department of Legislative Services, said the law would impose new regulations on "all businesses, small and large" across the state. "Accordingly, costs could increase significantly, but any such increase cannot be reliability calculated at this time." (Note: this story was featured on the Drudge Report soon after it went online this evening, and so many of the comments you'll see below are from readers who came to this blog from that web page). ------------------------------------------------------- http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washbizblog/2008/02/a_protest_at_discovery_1.htmlA Protest at DiscoveryIt's a nine-day protest, organized by a man who gives his name as just"Lee," against Silver Spring-based Discovery Communications. His issue, asexplained on his Web site, is that he believes that the shows that Discoveryairs don't help the environment. The protest was scheduled to go from 9 a.m.to 9 p.m. Feb. 15-23, which he admits "seems a bit long." But, the organizersays, he wants to make sure Discovery takes the protest seriously.He's also run an ad in the Express, owned by The Washington Post Co.And on Flickr, "chip py the photo guy" says the organizer was paying people$10 an hour to demonstrate. He posts a photograph of a man he claims wantedto be paid after it started raining.http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/brumby-to-set-new-agenda-despite-protest/2008/02/04/1202090323405.html[.]Today's opening of Parliament will also be marked by a protest rally on thesteps of the house by groups opposed to a range of Government water andenvironmental policies.These include the imminent dredging of Port Phillip Bay to deepen shippingchannels, and the plans to build a $3 billion water desalination plant nearWonthaggi and a $750 million pipeline to enable water to be sent from thenorth of the state to Melbourne.Protest leaders will tell the crowd they are fed up with Mr Brumby's"contempt" of their views.But Mr Brumby yesterday said the infrastructure projects were vital tosecure Victoria's continued economic prosperity, and rejected suggestionsthe Government had not consulted widely enough.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7230386.stmGreenpeace protest over coal useEnvironmental activists have staged a protest outside Lord's cricket groundat the start of a conference on coal.The Greenpeace activists were protesting about government plans to build acoal-fired power station at Kingsnorth, near Rochester, Kent.The group claims the station would emit eight million tonnes of carbondioxide a year.Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks is to give a speech at the north-west Londoncricket ground on Wednesday.Greenpeace claimed up to 40 people took part in the protest in London butthe Metropolitan Police said there were about 20 demonstrators.FORWARDED MESSAGE (from Greece)There were some environmental actions on 24/2(http://directactiongr.blogspot.com/2008/02/environmental-actions-athens-patras.html)In spite of some police attention, no one was arrested. Todaythough, a candidate for the municipal board in Pefkonas, Athens, wasattacked by truck drivers, while taking photos of the privatization worksagainst the Pefkonas forest.---------------------------------------------------------------From: greekelp at yahoo.grA Solidarity March was organised in Thessaloniki, onVaggelis Botzatzis' case. He is detained in Komotini juridicial prisonaccused for: burning two power company cars protesting the pillage againstthe nature, and the workers that died in the workplace, a bank arson againstcapitalism and in favor of anarchists detained for bank robbery, and anarson at a french brand car yard, that is said to be in solidarity to theyouth revolts, but no communique was sent. Vaggelis was arrested in hishouse on day after the last arson under the "anti"terrorist law, since asecurity guard claims he recognised his car. Vaggelis doesn't accept theaccusations and states he was framed up. Some more info on the march at:http://directactiongr.blogspot.com/2008/02/few-actions-during-solidarity-march.htmlif anyone needs any further information on this case, send me an email.Therewere also some environmental actions on 24/2(http://directactiongr.blogspot.com/2008/02/environmental-actions-athens-patras.html )In spite of some police attention, no one was arrested. Todaythough, a candidate for the municipal board in Pefkonas, Athens, wasattacked by truck drivers, while taking photos of the privatization worksagainst the Pefkonas forest.Earth Liberation Prisoners Support! -Greecehttp://greekelp.blogspot.comhttp://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1316907/1656779Greenpeace protest ties up resourcesMar 26, 2008 6:14 AMChristchurch police say they are disappointed a Greenpeace protest tied upmany emergency resources.Six Greenpeace protesters were arrested after they blocked the coal shipHellenic Sea from leaving Lyttelton harbour.They used the Greenpeace flagship The Rainbow Warrior to block the cargoship, while protesters used ropes to climb the side of the vessel.Police say 30 officers were fully involved at the scene for up to threehours. They say that left the Christchurch central city under-resourced anda traffic officer forced to attend a brawl without back-up was assaulted.However Christchurch police are reassuring the public that they have theresources to cope with incidents like the Greenpeace protest. SeniorSergeant Peter Laloli says they are angry at Greenpeace for wasting theirtime and the protest, along with normal police activity, meant inner-citypolice resources were tied up.Greenpeace rejects culpabilityThe protesters are refusing to accept any blame for the assault. Campaigndirector Carman Gravatt says it's a shame but it is not their faultsomething happened while police resources were tied up.She says Greenpeace has a long history of being non-violent and she cannotunderstand why that many officers were needed. She says they were also veryclear with police about what they were doing and it's absurd to think it istheir fault something else happened.There were tense scenes when the protesters tried to stall the shipment ofcoal to Europe.Greenpeace says it is a message to the government to get tough on climatechange and spokesman Simon Boxer says New Zealand has very little time toact before the situation gets out of control."Greenpeace is using the Rainbow Warrior and climbers to prevent this coalshipment from leaving Lyttelton," says Boxer.It is the first time the iconic Greenpeace boat has been used to blockadeanother ship in New Zealand waters and the police reacted quickly.Thirty officers stormed both vessels, attempting to get rid of protestersand to get the Rainbow Warrior to move.A Spanish protester was bolted to the anchor chain of the peace vessel andsix people were eventually arrested, three for obstruction and three forunlawfully getting onto a boat. More charges could be laid.The blockade by Greenpeace was a political move."It seems to be the only way, especially in an election year, to getpoliticians to listen," says Boxer.Greenpeace is calling for the government "to wake up and smell the carbon"and to seriously address the issues of climate change."We're bringing to attention that fact that in this country the politicians,especially the government, are not doing enough on climate change. There area lot of words but not enough action," says Boxer.But their action was thwarted and the coal shipment, which belongs to SolidEnergy, set sail.Greenpeace is keeping quiet on the possibility of future protests. TheRainbow Warrior is currently on a nationwide tour.Gravatt will not say what they have planned but she says it is a big tourfor them, and because climate change is a key issue they will be doing allthey can to raise awareness.Gravatt says there has been a positive response to Greenpeace's actions.http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1662680Coal ship protest "beyond peaceful"Mar 26, 2008 6:46 PMAnnoyed police are calling the action of Greenpeace protesters who boarded acoal ship in Lyttelton Harbour risky, beyond peaceful and a waste ofvaluable resources.Six Greenpeace protesters were arrested after they blocked the coal shipHellenic Sea from leaving the harbour.They used the Greenpeace flagship The Rainbow Warrior to block the cargoship, while protesters used ropes to climb the side of the vessel.The protest action was aimed at stopping coal exports and embarrassing thegovernment over climate change, but it also annoyed the police."When they actually go and climb on board a ship and try and prevent it fromleaving, that definitely goes beyond the realms and my definition of apeaceful protest," says Andy McGregor acting district commander.Thirty officers were diverted from other work in what according to policewas a waste of resources."They may've been community constables, investigative staff, beat sectionstaff. And we also called in some staff from days off," says McGregor.Greenpeace say its not their fault."I think having as many out there as that is a bit over-kill. But the policeare the ones that chose to send that many officers out there," says JoMcVeagh of Greenpeace.But McGregor says police don't know what would have happened if they didn'thave 30 officers at the protest.What is known is that coal prices are increasing and the protest hasn't madeany difference."We're not proposing to ban the export of coal. It wouldn't reduce worldemissions because whoever is buying that coal would just buy it fromsomebody else," says David Parker, Climate Change Minister.His view does not go down well with the Green Party."New Zealand talks about being carbon neutral but actually we're mining moreand more coal every year and exporting to other countries where emissionsare just as bad as they would be here," says Jeanette Fitzsimons of theGreen Party.Its an issue that is not going away."We are drawing alot of media attention to what we're doing. But it's forthe right reason," says McVeagh.That is not how Solid Energy sees it. Coal production is likely to increasenext year, with the State Owned Enterprise saying it fuels New Zealand'seconomy and brings big money from overseas. http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/04/01/climate-change-protest-halts-mine-work-91466-20701008/Climate change protest 'halts mine work'Apr 1 2008 icWalesDEMONSTRATORS today claimed to have stopped work at an open-cast coal minein a protest about climate change.The protesters chained themselves to excavation machinery at the site on theoutskirts of Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales, as well as blocking one of themain entrances.The group said it was highlighting the "hypocrisy" of Government claims thatministers were taking climate change seriously.The demonstrators pointed out that coal has the biggest impact on climatechange of any fuel and claims that local residents had been opposed to theopen-cast mine for many years.The action coincided with Fossil Fools Day, which saw protests across theworld aimed at highlighting the threat to the environment.http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/04/04/protest-sees-13-arrested-91466-20719046/Protest sees 13 arrestedApr 4 2008 by Ben Glaze, South Wales EchoPOLICE arrested 13 climate change protesters who tried to disrupt work atWales' biggest power station.Campaigners from the Bristol Rising Tide pressure group blocked roads andchained themselves together outside coal-fired Aberthaw power station nearBarry yesterday to show their opposition to the use of non-renewable energysources.One, named only as Ciara, said: "The burning of coal at Aberthaw and the newpower stations across the UK such as Kingsnorth will only exacerbate theproblems of climate chaos."People need to know that the government is hell-bent on returning us to thedark age of fossil fuel."But in effect the protesters harmed their own objectives by interruptingwork on new environmentally-friendly technology being installed at the powerstation, it has been claimed.A power station spokesman said: "We have to keep some coal-fired powerstations to keep the lights on."We are building a carbon capture and storage test plant at Aberthaw tocapture CO2 from emissions and store them."Aberthaw is at the centre of trying to improve burning coal. It is amassive investor in cleaner gas."Station manager Clive Smith said: "We've been able to keep the powerflowing."He added the protest had interrupted work to install the technology toreduce sulphur emissions, described as "a ?100m project that has been goingon for some time".Friends of the Earth Cymru Barry and Vale group co-ordinator Keith Stockdaleclaimed the blockade came after attempts to use "official channels" forobjection had proved ineffective.He added: "This power station is the biggest generator of CO2 in Wales andis intending to emit more of the climate-changing gas."With its new plant fitted its present emissions of seven million tonnes ayear is expected to increase to 10 million tonnes or more."He went on: "We find the authorities are exempting Aberthaw from making realefforts to reduce their coal emissions."The plans to use wood-fuel instead of 300,000 tonnes of coal are hardlyprogressing."Earlier this week protesters demonstrated at Ffos y Fran opencast mine inMerthyr Tydfil.A South Wales Police spokeswoman said: "Of the 13 people arrested, five werecharged with aggravated trespass and eight were cautioned."The five people who were charged will appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Courton Wednesday, April 16, and during that time they are not allowed to enterthe Vale of Glamorgan or go within 500 yards of any power station."ben.glaze at mediawales.co.ukhttp://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=64ae3caf-4c3e-41d0-b8a0-aa4728aebde1&k=65134Huge environmental protest encircles Victoria legislatureJudith Lavoie, Victoria Times ColonistPublished: Saturday, March 29, 2008VICTORIA -- There was a unique dance Saturday as about 1,300 chantingprotesters shuffled their feet and stretched out their arms to hold hands asthey encircled the legislature.Then came the victory yell as the human chain extended twice around thebuildings in the biggest environmental protest since Clayoquot Sound rallies15 years ago.For Ken Wu, Western Canada Wilderness Committee campaign director, who waskeeping his fingers crossed for 1,000 participants, it was a moment oftriumph.View Larger ImageEnvironmentalists and forestry workers marched on the legislature to demandprotection for B.C.'s old-growth forests and a ban on raw log exports.The turnout should show the provincial government that the fate of forestsand forest jobs can bring out committed crowds more than any other issue, hesaid."For the vast majority of British Columbians it's a no-brainer that weshould save the remaining old-growth forests on Vancouver Island and theLower Mainland and protect forestry jobs by ensuring a sustainablesecond-growth logging industry and banning raw log exports," Wu said.The numbers received a boost from about 100 Crofton and Harmac millworkers,members of the Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada."It's an issue for working communities," said Mark Noonan, who has worked atpulp mills for 32 years.Log exports should be stopped and companies should use local resources toprovide local jobs, he said."The companies were given the land to provide jobs for communities. Theydidn't buy it," he said, referring to a 2003 government decision that logsno longer had to be processed at mills in the area where they wereharvested.The government is only harming itself, said Wilfred Phillips from Harmac."People are losing jobs and they're taking away jobs with wages like mine,at $72,000 a year, and people end up earning minimum wage. They can'tsupport their own government budget on that."Valerie Langer of environmental group ForestEthics, who spoke to protesters,admitted a sense of deja vu. Langer, a former activist with Friends ofClayoquot Sound, was a leader of the Clayoquot protests."It was a really good feeling. This was not an angry crowd, it was a crowdthat had a real sense of power. These are people who are willing to work,"she said."To me it's a sign of a growing, active movement that we haven't seen for along time."The forest industry is going through tough times and everyone is looking foranswers, Langer added."Perhaps hearing what the solutions could be, from a building movement ofunusual allies, could shift government," she said.University of Victoria students Alex Sherman and Andrew Liss, accompanied byBuck, a rottweiler/shepherd cross, were at the rally because they believegovernment has to change its forest policy."I think people need to be more involved," Sherman said.Despite a cloudburst, people lined up to sign a petition asking thegovernment for timelines to phase out old-growth logging on Vancouver Islandand the Lower Mainland, sustainable logging of second-growth, a ban on rawlog exports and help in redeveloping mills to take smaller logs."We need to do this for the climate, for endangered species, for forestryjobs, for the coastal tourism industry, for our salmon streams and for ourquality of life. Let's hope government sees the light soon," Wu said.Forests Minister Rich Coleman could not be contacted Saturday.http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8579250By Kristin Bender, Staff WriterArticle Launched: 03/14/2008BERKELEY _ He called himself Fresh, but a group called StudentsAgainst Hippies in Trees said his routine for protesting variousuniversity policies was getting stale.Seventeen days after protester Michael Schuck _ aka Fresh _ climbedinto an oak just north of Sather Gate on the University ofCalifornia, Berkeley campus, tree-sit opponents mobbed the treeFriday calling for Schuck to follow the rules for public discourseand get out of the tree.The 23-year-old Schuck finally did come down and was cited by policefor illegally lodging and trespassing and released, a universityspokesman said Friday.He said he came down from his perch because anti-tree sit people andhis supporters debated the issues he was promoting peacefully andrespectfully.``I felt like my mission had been accomplished,'' Schuck said afterbeing released from police custody. ``I went up there to raiseawareness and start dialogue on campus.''Schuck climbed into the tree near Sproul Plaza on Feb. 25, protestingthe university's deals with BP and Dow Chemical, the housing of13,000 Native American remains on campus and UC's involvement withnuclear weapons. Schuck, who is not a student, was also calling forthe democratization of the UC Board of Regents.No one opposed Schuck's right to his opinion or his protest of campuspolicies. But for some, living in a tree didn't seem like thesensible way to make a point.``He has the right to protest but climbing a random tree on campusseems like the wrong way of going about it,'' said sophomore ScottNightingale, who was at the rally Friday.Calum Wright is one of the students who launched Students AgainstHippies in Trees on the social networking site Facebook.com.``It's not a normal thing to do, to go up a tree and live there inaid of so many causes,'' said Wright, a freshman. ``He doesn't haveone specific thing he's trying to change. It's a joke. It started offas the trees then it moved to bones then nuclear weapons then anti-BPand now it's anti-regents. I mean, make up your mind.''A few days after Schuck went into the tree, campus police put up ametal barricade around the tree and stationed officers there.On Friday morning campus police used a cherry picker to try andremove Schuck from the tree. They confiscated some of his belongingsbut he defied them by moving higher in the oak.Student Tyler Brandt said all the police presence was a waste ofuniversity money.``We are here to illustrate that (Schuck) does not have the supportof the student body and I think it's ridiculous that (the university)is wasting all this money on this.''But Schuck said his two weeks living in a tree with little more thana blue sleeping bag, water, and a small amount of food that wascovertly lifted to him, was well worth it.``(Today) started with some heated argument but then went to adialogue circle and that is exactly what I hoped to achieve,'' he said.The rally at the tree started about noon Friday when Students AgainstHippies in Trees squared off with Friends of Fresh.``We students are here to support the positions Fresh hasarticulated, such as democratizing the UC Regents and canceling theBP contract and releasing the 13,000 Native American remains held atthe Phoebe Hearst museum,'' said Matthew Taylor, a fifth year peaceand conflict studies major. ``Fresh is raising awareness among thestudents.''Taylor said he didn't mind that the opposing group wanted theirvoices heard. But did object to the Internet postings on Facebook.comthat were ``filled with hate speech,'' he said.``Instead of angry confrontation, let's have a dialogue,'' he said.In fact, that is exactly what happened. After a short screaming matchbetween the two sides, people sat down on the cement below the treeand started a ``dialogue circle.''About an hour later Schuck climbed down from the tree and was cartedoff by university police. He received a citation that mandates thathe appear in court next month.That's OK, he said.``(Living in a tree) was amazing, it was beautiful,'' he said. ``Imet so many people and got to connect with people who really want toinspire change.''His supporters called Friday a success as well.``Today was a huge success," UC Berkeley junior Jessica Schley said."Today was the day that we can move forward with this movement todemocratize the Regents of the University of California. We want todo it because we believe students are not being acknowledged in theirneeds.''Neither side became violent and no arrests were made at the rally.Schuck's tree sit is over but the one near Memorial Stadiumcontinues. Since December 2006, a group of people have been living intrees in an oak grove near the football stadium to protest UCBerkeley's plan to build a $125 million sports training center on the grove.Eight to 10 people continue to live and sleep in those trees. A courtinjunction is preventing any construction on the grove site. Plansare tied up by lawsuits, which will continue to be heard in a Haywardcourt on Thursday.http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/31/2150789.htmFlinders Street GM ProtestPosted Thu Jan 31, 2008 10:20am AEDTGreenpeace hung the banner at Flinders Street Railway Station in MelbourneJanuary 31, 2008 (ABC TV)Map: Melbourne 3000Greenpeace has hung a banner under the Flinders Street Railway Stationclocks in central Melbourne, to protest against genetically engineeredfoods.The Victorian Government will lift a ban on genetically modified crops atthe end of next month.The protest has been timed to coincide with today's meeting of healthministers in Melbourne.Campaigner Rebecca Hubbard says Genetically Engineered foods threaten publichealth, the environment and the economy."We're asking Premier Brumby to reverse his decision and extend themoratorium on GE crops for another five years and introduce liabilitylegislation that protects farmers and consumers from unwanted GEcontamination," she said.Victoria Police say the Greenpeace protesters did not have permission toclimb onto the roof of the station.A spokeswoman says if the two protesters do not comply with requests to comedown, members of the Search and Rescue Unit will climb up and remove them. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 16:17:40 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:17:40 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Conservation protests - whaling; Woodlark Island; Papuan wood Message-ID: <030801c89e85$bdb20a60$0802a8c0@andy1> * JAPAN: Sea Shepherd keep whalers on the hop * UK/JAPAN: Protest at embassy * AUSTRALIA/HOLLAND/JAPAN: Japanese upset by embassy protests * JAPAN: Activists injured by whalers' gunshots * JAPAN: Activists kidnapped by whalers, handed over to customs after long delay * PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Activists, scientists stop biofuels project on remote island * AUSTRALIA: Activists target retail giant over import of West Papuan wood Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://news.smh.com.au/protest-ship-keeps-whalers-on-the-hop/20080223-1u82.html Protest ship keeps whalers on the hop February 23, 2008 - 9:35PM Anti-whaling protest ship the Steve Irwin has the Japanese whaling fleet on the run again in the Southern Ocean. The Sea Shepherd's ship located the Japanese fleet about 6am (AEDT) on Saturday after returning to the Southern Ocean from Melbourne, where it made repairs and stocked up on fuel and supplies. The Steve Irwin's presence in the icy southern waters has effectively stopped whaling for the day, its captain Paul Watson said "The great Southern Ocean whaling ship chase is on again," he said. "I don't think any whales are going to be dying today. Our goal is to keep the harpoons quiet for the next three weeks." The Steve Irwin found the Fukuyoshi Maru No. 68 at 6am (AEDT), which tried to lead it away from the whaling fleet. Capt Watson said they continued on course finding other fleet vessels including the Nisshin Maru. The first Japanese vessel, which Capt Watson believes carries armed Japanese coast guard officers, then turned and began chasing the Steven Irwin. "It is believed that the Fukuyoshi Maru No 68 carries armed Japanese coast guard officers," a Sea Shepherd spokesman said. "The Steve Irwin is now pursuing the Nisshin Maru and two harpoon vessels with the Fukuyoshi Maru No. 68 in pursuit of the Steve Irwin." Australian Protester Jeff Hansen, from Fremantle, said: "Seeing the Japanese whalers running like cowards from the Steve Irwin is a very satisfying experience." "I can't think of a place I would rather be right now," Mr Hansen said. Before the Steve Irwin had found the Japanese whalers, the protest ship chased another ship, a Namibian Toothfish vessel, the Antalles Reefer. "The vessel refused to give a fishing permit number and threatened the Steve Irwin by reporting that it was armed," a Sea Shepherd spokesman said. The spokesman said the Antalles Reefer captain claimed to only speak Russian. "The Steve Irwin has a Russian speaking crew member and during the conversation the captain said he would resist with force if there was any interference with his operations," the spokesman said. "Captain Paul Watson relayed the information to the Australian Customs vessel Oceanic Viking and reported that a suspicious toothfish fishing vessel was operating inside the Australian Economic Exclusion Zone." The 32 crew members on board the Steve Irwin include 15 Australians and volunteers from New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Sweden, South Africa, the Netherlands, Britain and Spain. The great Japanese whaling chase is happening about 80 miles north of the Shackleton Glacier, well inside Australian Antarctic Territorial waters. An Australian Federal Court ordered in January that Japanese whaling be restrained in Australian territorial waters. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23335670-663,00.html Japan fumes over London embassy protest Article from: Agence France-Presse Font size: Decrease Increase Email article: Email Print article: Print >From correspondents in Tokyo March 07, 2008 03:25pm Anti-whaling protester storms Japanese embassy Japan's foreign minister says situation is intolerable Embassy security dramatically boosted JAPAN today voiced outrage and said it was boosting security around its embassy in London after an anti-whaling protester trespassed and chained himself to the balcony. The activist climbed to the third floor and strapped himself to the balcony where he lowered the Japanese flag to half-mast and unfurled a banner saying, "Stop Your Illegal Whaling,'' before being arrested. "This is intolerable. And if this was an organised crime then it is all the more intolerable,'' Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told reporters in Tokyo. The protester was a Briton who is part of US-based environmentalist group Sea Shepherd. The foreign ministry said it was unclear how he was able to climb onto the embassy building, which is in an open area overlooking Green Park. "Upon hearing about the incident, the Japanese embassy in Britain has requested that local police bolster security and is increasing the number of security guards,'' a foreign ministry statement said. It said that another activist, who also identified herself as a Sea Shepherd member, entered the embassy grounds and shouted against whaling before leaving voluntarily after 15 minutes. Japan says that whaling is part of its culture and accuses Western nations of insensitivity. It kills up to 1,000 whales a year using a loophole in a 1986 global moratorium that allows "lethal research'' on the giant mammals, with the meat ending up in supermarkets. Only Norway and Iceland defy the moratorium outright. Sea Shepherd, which considers whaling barbaric, has constantly harassed the Japanese ships on their annual hunt in Antarctica. The group Monday hurled stink bombs at the mother ship, slightly injuring three, according to Japan. Japan also voiced anger about that incident and said it would raise it at the London meeting. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23106412-5005961,00.html Girl, 14, arrested in whaling protest Article from: Font size: Decrease Increase Email article: Email Print article: Print By staff writers January 25, 2008 09:55am A 14-YEAR-old British girl has been arrested after protesting against whaling outside the Japanese embassy in London, inspired by the work of Greenpeace in the Southern Ocean. Sophie Wyness and her father Martin were removed by police after tying themselves to a railing inside the embassy. The pair was charged with criminal trespass and will appear in court on February 6. "I honestly think that me having a criminal record is not a big price to pay when what the whales are going through is so much worse," Sophie said, according to the British Press Association. The teenager took action after watching a film about the Greenpeace vessel Esperanza - which is disrupting the activities of the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean. One video clip which showed a whale being blown up, had "hit me hard", she said. The video pushed her to stage the hour-long protest because she felt it was wrong to wrong to "brutally murder" whales. "It's a very important subject at the moment. They're such amazing creatures and they deserve rights and love and a bit of respect," she said. "I have total respect for the Japanese people but not what they're doing out there with the whales." Direct action was the only way to focus attention on whaling, she said. It is not the first time the 14-year-old has been removed from a protest but it is the first time she has been arrested. She has previously campaigned against Australia's nuclear policy. Mr Wyness has previously been arrested for environmental actions. He was removed by security guards from the British Museum in October for a climate change protest in which he put face masks on two figures from the Terracotta Army. Japan has faced international condemnation over its plans to kill endangered whales in the Antarctic as part of its annual "scientific program". Earlier this month, the Japanese announced they were dropping plans to kill 50 humpback whales but were pressing ahead with the hunting of 935 minke and 50 endangered fin whales. http://news.smh.com.au/diplomats-summoned-after-whaling-protest/20080304-1wpl.html Diplomats summoned after whaling protest March 4, 2008 - 1:13PM Advertisement Japan has called in the Australian and Dutch ambassadors in Tokyo to urge them to rein in anti-whaling protesters. The diplomatic move by Japan comes after protesters on Monday pelted a Japanese whaling ship in Antarctic waters with foul-smelling acid and "slippery" powder. The Australian government condemned the actions of protest group Sea Shepherd, which says it threw beer bottles containing butyric acid, found in rotten butter, at the whaling ship Nisshin Maru. Japan described the US-based Sea Shepherd as "terrorists" and has lodged protests with Australia, where the Sea Shepherd's Steve Irwin vessel last called into port, and The Netherlands, where the boat is registered. Japan summoned Australian Ambassador Murray McLean and Dutch Ambassador Alphons Hamer, urging them to prevent more clashes, the Japanese foreign ministry said. Japan complained that several crew members were hurt in Monday's clash, but Sea Shepherd denied anyone had been injured. "That was an inexcusable act to inflict unjustifiable damage to Japan's ship and to harm the safety of the crew who are operating legally in the public sea," said Japan's top government spokesman Nobutaka Machimura. Japanese authorities said they were still investigating a substance in envelopes thrown by Sea Shepherd protesters, said to make the Japanese ship's deck so slippery that the crew could not work. Sea Shepherd head Paul Watson said he was disappointed Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith had condemned the anti-whaling group's actions on Monday, and again disputed Japanese claims four crewmen were injured. "If you hold up a picket line and say `stop killing whales' they (Japanese whalers) will claim injuries. They didn't show any evidence," Mr Watson said via satellite phone from aboard his ship. "I have been disappointed with everything the Australian government has been doing since the election. Every single promise was just posing and posturing and making sure they don't upset the Japanese. "Instead of condemning us he should condemn the Japanese for what they are doing." Mr Watson said Sea Shepherd had no plans for further confrontations soon. Instead Sea Shepherd would follow the Nisshin Maru and was confident it could stop Japan killing another whale this season. Sea Shepherd head Paul Watson said his ship, the Steve Irwin, had enough fuel to stay with the Nisshin Maru for about two more weeks. "We have enough fuel on here to be about here for another ten to fourteen days at this speed because we're burning a lot chasing them but I think that we can effectively make sure they're not going to kill any (more) whales," Mr Watson told ABC Radio. The hunting season ends around the middle of this month as the winter weather sets in across the treacherous Southern Ocean. "They're going to have to get out of here because the weather's changing and becoming nastier," Mr Watson said. "I think we can shut them down for the rest of the season. "There'll be at least five hundred or possibly six hundred whales that will have been spared this season because of our interventions." Western nations, led by Australia, strongly oppose Japan's whaling. Japan, which kills up to 1,000 whales a year, says whaling is part of its culture, and accuses anti-whaling countries of insensitivity. It harpoons whales using a loophole in a 1986 global moratorium on whaling that allows "lethal research" on the giant mammals, although the meat often ends up on Japanese dinner plates. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said Mr McLean held discussions with the Japanese government on Monday but had not been formally summoned over the whaling incident. "The Australian Ambassador was not formally summoned over the incident," a DFAT spokeswoman said. "He did have discussions ... with the Japanese government in Tokyo over the incident as part of his normal liaison with relevant Japanese officials." http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/393165.html Sea Shepherd activists injured as Japanese military open fire UK Indymedia Features | 07.03.2008 12:37 | Animal Liberation | Ecology | World A clash between the crew of the Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin, who is in the Southern Ocean to fight the ongoing Japanese whaling slaughter near the Antarctic, turned violent when the Japanese Coast Guard began to throw flash grenades at its crew. Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd ship was struck by a bullet in the chest. Fortunately, the bullet was stopped by his Kevlar vest. Other injuries were sustained by crewmembers Australian Ashley Dunn and Ralph Lowe. Dunn suffered a hip injury as he tried to get out of the way of the exploding grenades. Lowe received bruises to his back when one of the flash grenades exploded behind him. Japan is denying that any bullets have been fired, saying "warning devices" were thrown after their ship was attacked. According to the Japanese foreign ministry their coastguard on board on of the whaling ships had thrown a "baseball-sized device, which exploded near the activists' ship emitting a loud noise". However, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has posted a video on their website, clearly showing devices being thrown from the whaling ship exploding and a bullet being recovered from Paul Watson's jacket. One UK activist (from Nottingham) is also onboard the ship, but it has not been reported he suffered any injuries. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23064648-601,00.html Oceanic Viking to end high-seas drama Font Size: Decrease Increase Print Page: Print January 17, 2008 AN Australian customs ship is preparing to transfer two men held on a Japanese whaling vessel in the Southern Ocean as soon as possible. The Australian government has agreed to let the Oceanic Viking customs vessel assist in the transfer of Benjamin Potts, 28, of Sydney and Giles Lane, 35 from Britain from the Yushin Maru No. 2. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told reporters in Perth the government would use the Oceanic Viking to transfer the pair back to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel the Steve Irwin. "We would like the transfer to be expedited as soon as possible but people should understand it is a difficult operation," Mr Smith said. He said the risky high seas operation required the cooperation of the two vessels, the two captains and the two men. The foreign minister said the Oceanic Viking was currently trying to contact the two vessels to enable a transfer as soon as possible. Mr Smith said the two men were reportedly safe and well. "The formal advice from the Japanese authorities is the two men are safe and well." Mr Smith would not comment on possible motivation of the parties involved in the stand-off, but he said having called for assistance he now expected full cooperation from the Sea Shepherd crew. Mr Smith refused to discuss the legalities of the two men's actions but said he did believe "restraint has been lacking". He said he would not condone any unlawful activity. "I not only don't condone it I absolutely condemn it." This afternooon Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called on the Japanese government and environmental activists to exercise restraint to allow the safe return of the men. Speaking in Brisbane, Mr Rudd said Mr Smith was in constant talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to procure their immediate safe return. Mr Smith said the Oceanic Viking, a customs vessel steaming south from Fremantle, was already within sight of the Japanese whaling ship Yushin Maru 2 and he was considering what action to take. Greenpeace meanwhile has spotted Japan's floating whale processing factory Nisshin Maru also on its way to the scene of the drama. Mr Rudd called on activists and those on board Yushin Maru No. 2, to exercise calm. "I have concerns about the safety of all people involved with the operation ... therefore I would again urge restraint on the parties, full cooperation on the part of those involved to ensure the safe return of these two individuals," he told reporters. Mr Rudd said the Australian government still remained committed to ending commercial whaling. Mr Smith said the Oceanic Viking could be used to pick up two detained anti-whaling activists. "Obviously one option in rendering assistance is the use of the Oceanic Viking and that is one of the options we are currently considering," Mr Smith told reporters in Perth. The government dispatched the Oceanic Viking to Antarctic waters last week to monitor Japanese whaling and gather evidence for a possible international legal challenge to end the annual hunt. "I can advise the Oceanic Viking is currently within sighting distance of the Japanese whaling vessel," he said. Australia's role as an intermediary in the return of Australian Benjamin Potts, 28, and Briton Giles Lane, 35, has been accepted by both Japan and Sea Shepherd. The Japanese whalers have been adamant that the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society agree not to interfere with Japan's whaling operation as a condition for their crew members' return. But they have left open the option for the Oceanic Viking to act as an intermediary and pick up the two protesters if the conditions were not met. "If Sea Shepherd don't comply (with Japan's conditions) it would be acceptable if the Australian government used the Oceanic Viking to act an as intermediary," a spokesman for the Japanese whalers said. "It would be quite acceptable for the Australian government to come up alongside and collect the two men if they really want them and give them back to the Sea Shepherd. "You must understand the reluctance of the Japanese to lash their vessel up to the Steve Irwin -- it's just not going to happen like that," said Glenn Inwood, spokesman for the whalers. The skipper of the protesters' vessel Steve Irwin told The Australian that there was no way the conservation society would give into the demands of "terrorists". In an online audio interview today, Captain Paul Watson ruled out protesters using arms and boarding the Yushin Maru No 2 to free his two crew members. But he was considering manoevering his vessel in front of the Yushin Maru No 2 to block it from moving as a means to force it to return the captive crew members. He said the whalers had demanded that the Steve Irwin remain at least 10 nautical miles away from the Japanese vessel, and send a small boat to pick the men up -- something Watson rejects as too dangerous. "Apparently the Japanese government has told the Yushin Maru No 2 to give our crew members back and yet we still don't have them on board. So we want to know why they haven't been released. "They (the Yushin Maru No 2) are making demands of us and holding two of our crew members hostage. "That's extortion and we have no interest in negotiating with criminals. They are out there breaking the law." Greenpeace meanwhile says the Japanese whaling factory - Nisshin Maru - was on its way back to the hunting zone in the Southern Ocean, the scene of a tense standoff between whalers and environmental activists. Expedition director Karli Thomas, on board Greenpeace ship Esperanza, said the Nisshin Maru turned back towards the rest of the fleet in the whaling waters on Tuesday. The Esperanza has been following the Japanese ship since it located the whaling fleet on Saturday. With AFP and AAP http://de.indymedia.org/2008/01/205247.shtml Protests stop PNG island oil palm project Diet Simon, sourced on Rettet den Regenwald 17.01.2008 08:38 Themen: Weltweit ?kologie Massive local and international protest has stopped a Malaysian company's plan to grow oil palms on nearly all of a pristine Papua-New Guinean island. The PNG agriculture minister, John Hickey, who first approved the plan has now confirmed that it's been dropped. The palm oil was to be exported for agrofuel production. The Malaysian Vitroplant Ltd. had intended to clear away 60,000 hectares of rain forest on the island of Woodlark, which lies about 280 kilometres from Papua New Guinea and has a total area of about 85,000 hectares. The 6,000 islanders would have lost their culture, their hunting grounds and their lands for growing food. The palm plantation would have destroyed almost all the still intact flatland rain forest of the island and with it a breathtaking biodiversity. Marine life along the island's coasts would also have been destroyed by wastes produced by the palm oil project. Almost without exception the islanders resisted the plan, backed by pressure from environmental activists around the globe. Almost 8,500 people sent protest letters just through the Germany-based "Rettet den Regenwald" (Save the Rain Forest) website ( http://www.regenwald.org). Rettet den Regenwald has started another protest campaign asking for letters to demand that the European Union give up its plan to mandate 10% agrofuels in transportation by 2020. Even the EU's Environment Commissioner, Stavros Dimas, conceded in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation on 14 January 2008: "We have seen that the environmental problems caused by biofuels and also the social problems are bigger than we thought they were. So we have to move very carefully." A draft internal report gives the EU Commission a scathing assessment of the European agrofuel plans and warns of devastating ecological and social problems resulting from them. On 23 January 2008 the Commission intends to present a climate and energy package of which the agrofuel quota is a core element. For more on the devastation caused by palm oil see http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/protest-against-palmoil-german-candle-production. http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0212-hance_woodlark.html How activists and scientists saved a rainforest island from destruction for palm oil By Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com February 12, 2008 Saving an island: analysis of Woodlark Island's victory over palm-oil development How Woodlark Island's plight went from local to global In mid-January, Mongabay learned that the government of Papua New Guinea had changed its mind: it would no longer allow Vitroplant Ltd. to deforest 70% of Woodlark Island for palm oil plantations. This change came about after one hundred Woodlark Islanders (out of a population of 6,000) traveled to Alotau, the capital of Milne Bay Province, to deliver a protest letter to the local government; after several articles in Mongabay and Pacific Magazine highlighted the plight of the island; after Eco-Internet held a campaign in which approximately three thousand individuals worldwide sent nearly 50,000 letters to local officials; and after an article appeared in the London Telegraph stating that due to deforestation on New Britain Island and planned deforestation on Woodlark Island, Papua New Guinea had gone from being an eco-hero to an 'eco-zero'. The endemic Woodlark Cuscus is safe for now. Photo by Tim Flannery Except for the article in the London Telegraph, the issue of Woodlark Island was largely ignored by mainstream western media. For many involved this was disappointing, since the plight of Woodlark Island so perfectly presented the wholesale destruction palm oil plantations have been causing in Asian and Pacific forests for years. Dr. Glen Barry, founder and director of Ecological Internet, referred to the situation as the "epitome of ecological evil" since this "incredibly diverse island would be turned over to a monoculture crop". Although the issue barely touched mainstream media, it still found its way from local protestors to scientists to global organizations, eventually putting international pressure on the decision-makers. Mongabay first learned of the plight of Woodlark Island from a blog entry by the conservation organization EDGE (Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered). The organization had been contacted by researchers on the ground. After receiving help and information from Alexander Rheeney, an environmental journalist who covered the issue locally, Mongabay sent word to various campaign organizations. Dr. Barry's Ecological Internet took it on, setting up the campaign to flood Papua New Guinea's government with e-mails from around. In the meantime, island natives continued to pressure the government and the London Telegraph picked up the story. It appears that the combined protests and negative attention were enough to sway the government to drop the project. Opposition in many forms There can be no doubt that the most important part of the opposition to the deforestation of Woodlark Island was the courageous citizens of Woodlark themselves, who decided not to allow the government and Vitroplant Ltd. to devastate the island's ecology, resources, and way of life for short-term monetary gain. Mongabay had been in contact with one of the leaders of the local opposition, Dr. Simon Piwuyes, from early on. He had this to say when the government pulled the project: "This is fantastic. It is important that the livelihood of the Woodlark Islanders and the eco-system that surrounds them is maintained. Woodlark Islanders live care-free lives in the midst of the ocean and their rich forest land. The forest and the animals play an irreplaceable importance in the lives of the islanders. It is a great relief to learn that the government has spared rare species that our earth desperately loves to keep. I, on behalf of the Woodlark Islanders, salute the government for the decision." When asked why he thought the government changed its position, Dr. Piyuwes stated: "Number one: pressure from the landowners, number two: pressure from the NGOs, and number three: pressure from international organizations and individuals". He added, "On this note I salute all organizations and individuals for signing up for this great issue. Our earth needs such cooperation." The cooperative efforts also included scientists and researchers. Dr. Kristofer Helgen, a mammalogist who focuses on species in the Papua New Guinea and its neighboring islands, stated, "I think that this is very good news. Woodlark Islanders loudly objected to major oil palm development on Woodlark. Their campaign to prevent this action involved contacting international researchers to attract attention to their cause, which is how I came to be aware of the situation." Researchers and scientists proved instrumental in spreading the word and providing continual context and information. Without them the issue would never have made it to a variety of media sources. Forests.org, part of Ecological Internet, was the largest organization to take on the issue. Ecological Internet asks online members to send out protest letters regarding various environmental issues. When asked why he decided to set-up a campaign for Woodlark Island, Dr. Barry expressed a personal link to the region: "[Ecological Internet's] efforts began with Papua New Guinea. The country is near and dear to my heart. I married a woman from Papua New Guinea, and my wife and daughter are there visiting now." Dr. Barry also felt positive about his organization's ability to make a difference in this situation. "I was quite confident," he says, "given the secrecy of this project with the shady Malaysian company that once we exposed it we could either halt the project or delay it long enough for further scrutiny and oversight". Dr. Barry describes the power of his organization as 'the boomerang effect': the issue goes out to his over 100,000 members worldwide-living in almost every nation-and then boomerangs back to the local nation involved. Carly Waterman, project coordinator for EDGE, believes that the victory for Woodlark Island "really highlights the power of the Internet, where one person's voice can turn into millions overnight" Map modified from Google Earth At the time of the protest by Ecological Internet there was an opportunity to remind Papua New Guinea of its previous pro-environmental statements, namely its desire to receive funds for preserving its forests to mitigate climate change. Papua New Guinea even made headlines during the Bali conference on climate change when one of its members, Kevin Conrad, had the courage to stand-up to the world's super-power. "I would ask the United States, we ask for your leadership," Mr. Conrad said, "but if for some reason you're not willing to lead, leave it to the rest of us. Please get out of the way." His comments were met with applause from leaders worldwide and shortly thereafter the U.S. caved to international pressure. The article on Woodlark Island in the London Telegraph alluded to this very moment in its observation that Papua New Guinea was not truly an 'eco-hero' but an 'eco-zero' due to its willingness t engage in deforestation. Dr. Barry also grasped the opportunity: "You were leaders of rainforest conservation, now you are going to allow an island with endemic species and people living in harmony with their rainforest to be essentially mowed down." There is no question that the comments made during the Bali conference, and in previous arenas, came back to haunt the government of Papua New Guinea. What the decision protects: the singularity of Woodlark Island Papua New Guinea and its surrounding islands is a region of ecological wonders. Woodlark Island alone possesses at least twenty-four endemic animal species; the island has been only partially surveyed by biologists; each new expedition usually turns up a species unknown to science. Most famous of the endemic species is the Woodlark Cuscus, an arboreal marsupial. Islanders occasionally hunt and eat the Cuscus, but this has not affected its healthy population. If Vitroplant Ltd. had been allowed to go ahead it is quite conceivable that many of Woodlark Island's species would have become endangered. Dr. Helgen noted that "for animal species unique to Woodlark Island, including the beautiful Woodlark Cuscus, the island's forests are their only home. The decision not to destroy those forests is a clear victory for everyone interested in the long-term survival of all of Papua New Guinea's unique wildlife species, which have fundamental cultural and ecological importance in this island nation of ancient and beautiful forests." The very ecological systems of the island would have been affected as well. Dr. Dan Polhemus stated in a previous article that supplanting forest with palm oil greatly degrades local water systems. As well, it was believed that chemicals and fertilizers used on the island would end up contaminating the surrounding coast, eliminating the fish supply that islanders depend upon. It is not only the ecology of the island that has been preserved by the government's decision, but the islander's unique culture as well. Deforestation of 70% of the island would have drastically changed a culture whose subsistence relies on the island's ecology, an ecology that has been shaped by the islanders as much as the islanders have shaped it. Dr. F.H. Damon, an anthropologist who has been studying the Woodlark Island for over thirty years, says that "there remains on the island something of a unique example of a regional social and ecological system that supported human and other life for 2000 and more years." Employing gardening, small-scale hunting, and pig-herding the islanders have built a sustainable way of life for themselves and the island's other species within a mere 80,000 hectares (the size of New York City). It is easy to list off what is being preserved by not developing Woodlark Island, but it's more difficult to fully comprehend the agglomerate richness of a place like Woodlark Island in its global context. Dr. Barry describes Papua New Guinea as "one of four remaining areas of rainforest wilderness-in terms of size and contiguous intactness." He says that "as well as Papua New Guinea, the other three areas are the Amazon, the Congo, and the Guyana Shield. Unlike Europe, China, or the United States, where all habitats are small and fragmented, it is very important not to let these last four remaining areas become fragmented." Still not safe: the future of palm-oil Unfortunately such fragmentation may still occur in Papua New Guinea. Most people involved with Woodlark Island believe that the island is still not safe from palm oil plantations or other forms of destructive development. "It is very likely this issue will appear again in the near future," Dr. Barry said, "any rainforest is never truly protected." Dr. Damon agrees, "In the scheme of things this is a small decision amidst massive movements which may yet overwhelm the island's ecology and culture, a culture that has been being eroded for 150 years. Yet the people of the island said no to one possible direction for their future. That is a courageous act." Dr. Simon Piyuwes is aware of the danger. He said that while the islanders welcomed the government's rejection of the project they stilled demanded the company's official withdrawal. "This is because the land lease has been granted to the company," Dr. Piyuwes explained, "we would like the lease to be nullified." It seems the future of palm oil remains strong, even though this 'green' biofuel is no greener than gasoline. A recent study of biofuels and carbon sequestering has proven that virtually all agricultural biofuels actually increase emissions that drive climate change. This report has received worldwide attention. In a comparison with various biofuel crops, palm oil proves to be the most environmentally damaging, especially as it is usually produced on cleared rainforest and peatlands. According to the study, it would have taken Woodlark Island eighty-six years for the palm oil plantations to make-up for the amount of carbon their development released in the atmosphere, and yet the lifecycle of a palm oil plantation is around thirty years, meaning that it could never overcome its carbon debt and would be a net source of CO2. Despite these reports, scientists believe that biofuels, and in particular palm oil, will continue to threaten Papua New Guinea's forests. Both Malaysia and Indonesia, the kings of palm oil, have felled so many forests and peatlands for the crop that few places remain for expansion, which is one reason why Papua New Guinea is suddenly under great pressure to cave into the palm oil industry. "I am sure that palm oil plantations will continue to expand in Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea, at least as long as global demand for palm oil remains high," says Dr. Helgen. "This demand is linked to strong interest in... 'biofuels' as alternative and inexpensive sources of energy, and especially by demand for biofuels in the rapidly growing economies of China and India." In addition, Dr. Barry points out that the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Michael Somare, never commented on the government's decision to pull Vitroplant out of Woodlark Island. Barry says that Prime Minister Sumari's "interest in logging and bad environmental record has shown him to be a hypocrite. I have seen this happen in Uganda, a minister cancels a project while the Prime Minister does not comment on it. It means that it will be likely that palm oil production and logging will be seen again in Papua New Guinea." Dr. Damon adds a further warning for the future: "until we devise new energy sources and models of the human good, [palm oil production] is a track to destruction. Monocrop agriculture is not a viable future but so many things have to change before we have a realistic alternative that it is almost hopeless to think about a different future." Some scientists believe there are ways to counter the current biofuel rush. "I think that part of the solution to countering the 'blitzkrieg' expansion of palm oil plantations into former rainforested lands across Asia and Melanesia is getting the word out globally that the global biofuel industry," says Dr. Helgen, "especially those parts of the industry that involve massive tropical deforestation, involve catastrophic losses of biodiversity... and may have a huge negative impact in worldwide efforts to counteract the acceleration of global climate change." With more attention placed on biofuels by researchers and governments-the EU has already taken notice-it is possible the palm oil industry will begin to wan in South East Asia. Dr. Barry sees hope in current trends, "I think the kind of unfettered growth that we have seen in the last few years as biofuels and oil palm were heralded as climate savior is being legitimately questioned." He adds that "as we approach 7 billion people, countries will have to choose between adequately feeding and adequately transporting themselves." Such choices will hopefully lead to further research studies and a greater focus on more effective ways to fight climate change. The necessity of celebrating victories Beginnings of an oil palm plantation. Courtesy of UNEP While Woodlark Island is still threatened, while so much of South East Asia's forests have succumbed to palm oil, and while every year more and more effects from climate change are seen, some might believe that claiming any victory is premature. However, Dr. Barry who has seen both victories and disappointments in his organization, says, "I don't know how else to sustain a movement and grow a movement than celebrating positive developments." Such celebrations, whether of preserving Woodlark Island or ending the use of rainforest wood to make New York City's benches, are important "to sustain ourselves, and give ourselves hope... We live to fight another day." Dr. Barry concluded that for environmentalists, "A lot of this is fighting a defensive action. When the moment comes where the world finally begins to focus on the necessity of large-scale ecological renewal the seeds of habitat will remain to make this restoration possible." For Dr. Piyuwes, and the inhabitants of Woodlark Island, there is no question that this is a victory. When asked what advice he would give to those participating in future struggles for conservation, he had this to say: "We need to preserve our forest from deforestation. There are other alternatives to development. There are many organizations and individuals nationally and internationally who are willing to support you on the issue of deforestation. My advice is to engage the international organization and media to battle the issue." Dr. Piyuwes is now able to imagine a much more celebratory future for his native island than anyone could have a month ago. "Number one," he says, "we will demand the Government to give back the land to the islanders (woodlark is state land). Number two, declare woodlark as protected land. Number three, encourage eco-tourism." Only the victory over Vitroplant allows such happy plans to be realistic. http://www.times.co.nz/cms/news/2008/04/art100019881.php Protestors picket retail giant over kwila wood products Wednesday, 09 April 2008 By CAMERON BROADHURST . Howick and Botany Times COLOURFUL street theatre protests took place outside Manukau's Harvey Norman store recently to highlight illegally logged kwila wood products on sale. KWILA CONTROVERSY: A chainsaw attempts to cut down a kwila tree while watched by a bird of paradise at a protest outside Manukau's Harvey Norman store. Photo supplied. The small protest at Ronwood Avenue was held by the Indonesian Human Rights Committee. Spokeswoman Maire Leadbeater says: "Virtually all kwila is coming from West Papua and virtually all of it is illegally logged." The wood is popular in outdoor furniture in New Zealand, but many retailers have stopped selling it. Concerns about the wood include that it's becoming extinct, as forests in West Papua and Papua New Guinea are denuded by illegal logging and that indigenous Papuans are being adversely affected by the tree removal. The committee worked together with Greenpeace to produce a report rating outdoor furniture retailers, some of which have already changed policy since it was issued a month ago. Ms Leadbeater says the protesters, a few dressed as birds of paradise, were able to get their point across and even march through the store to talk to the manager. A manager for Harvey Norman says the company uses suppliers and does not import anything directly. He refuses to comment further. Ms Leadbeater says the committee is considering protesting at the Four Seasons store in Botany, which is selling kwila and has an E rating on the chart. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 16:26:01 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:26:01 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Protests by farmers, taxi drivers, truckers, fisherfolk, small businesspeople Message-ID: <030e01c89e86$e8e46e70$0802a8c0@andy1> * INDIA: Farmers protest at parliament for price support * IRELAND: Farmers protest at supermarkets over low potato prices * IRELAND: Farmers stage sit-in over state payments * AUSTRALIA: Fisherfolk's union to protest offshore abalone farm * UGANDA: Medics leave bodies in wards to protest unpaid allowances * SRI LANKA: Port security streamlined to head off truckers' protest over delays * AUSTRALIA: Taxi drivers protest over numbers increase; one protester "lunges at" local Prime Minister * JAMAICA: Taxi drvers protest against license fees * PHILIPPINES: Taxi drivers protest public transport scheme, claim loss of livelihood * FRANCE: Taxi drivers' go-slow slows traffic * UK: Taxi drivers hold brief strike over poor road surface * US: Truckers slow traffic to protest fuel prices * ISRAEL: Sderot business owners petition for compensation * CZECH REPUBLIC: Protest saves traditional sausage stands Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200802171840.htm BKU to organise 'indefinite protest' at Parliament Moga (Punjab) (PTI): The Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) on Sunday said it would organise an "indefinite protest" at Parliament from February 27 to press the Centre to waive off farmers' debts. "The national executive of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) and chiefs of nothern state units decided to start an indefinite protest at Parliament from February 27 ... the protest is to press the Centre to waive off more then "Rs 50,000 crore of farmers' debt," Punjab unit president Ajmer Singh Lakhowal told reporters here. Farmers were also demanding Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops according to price links. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/politics/article3416543.ece Potato farmers protest against low prices from supermarkets Saturday, February 09, 2008 Potato farmers are lashing out at the country's major supermarkets, amid claims that they are being underpaid for their produce. The Irish Farmers Association has claimed that some growers are getting as little as 20% of the retail price for their potatoes. The group is mounting a protest in Dublin today against what it says the disastrously low prices they are receiving from supermarkets. IFA president Padraig Walshe said the situation is forcing some growers out of business. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/article3418671.ece IFA to support farmer's sit-in protest over payments Sunday, February 10, 2008 The Irish Farmers' Association is holding a protest at the Department of Agriculture offices in Limerick this afternoon. The IFA said it is supporting a sit-in protest by a Limerick farmer who says the Department has failed to deliver REPs payments to him. Donal O'Brien has claimed that he hasn't received payments under the scheme since last August. IFA members will gather at the office in Raheen from 2pm. Mr O'Brien's protest appeared to escalate last night as he threatened to go on hunger strike. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/15/2190387.htm?section=business Union to protest against offshore abalone farm Posted Sat Mar 15, 2008 12:09pm AEDT Map: Semaphore 5019 The Maritime Union says it will stage a floating protest this afternoon where a foreign ship is anchored about three nautical miles off Semaphore Beach in Adelaide. The Destiny Queen is the world's only floating abalone farm. Spokesman Jamie Newlyn says the vessel is avoiding maritime regulations by staying outside Australia's migration zone. He says the Chinese crew are being paid low wages and made to work in substandard conditions. "We're going to get a few boats out there today and have a protest around the ship, like a floating community protest," he said. "We're going to try and get our ITF [International Transport Workers' Federation] inspector to board the vessel at least and check on the crews' conditions and welfare." He says so far the ship's operators have refused requests for inspectors to board it, which has fuelled suspicion about the treatment of its crew. "We've got a humanitarian concern in terms of the crew," he said. "Some of them have been on that ship for up to 12 months, don't come ashore, they're paid as little as a $100 a week. "At this moment it's operating off the beach at Semaphore where people can see it, it's right on our doorstep. We're not happy about it." The ship's operators say the State Government has approved its refuelling at sea and Australian Customs has cleared its departure to Shanghai in China on Monday. http://www.eastafricayote.com/showthread.php?t=41 Ugandan medics in bizarre protest over unpaid allowances Ugandan medics in bizarre protest over unpaid allowances MEDICAL STAFF at a northern Ugandan hospital striking over unpaid allowances recently employed a rather bizarre tactic to draw attention to their plight - they left at least 11 dead bodies in the wards alongside unattended patients. "I was called in and what I saw was very horrifying," said Musa Ecweru, Minister for Disaster Preparedness, when he visited the hospital. "Three bodies had started decomposing in the ward as the sick people and their families looked on helplessly." Ecweru, who was travelling in the north to assess the reconstruction needs of a region scarred by two decades of conflict, had to literally stand guard as the situation was corrected. http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=8719 Colombo Port security streamlined to ward off protest Container Transporters' protest called off; four check points added; four gates to be opened with two on 24-hour basis By Ravindu Peiris Security at the port has been spruced up following a protest by the Container Transporters Association of delays resulting in four check points established in order to maintain four gates opened at the Colombo port. "Although we were going to launch a protest campaign due to the issues prevailing at the port, we have decided to call it off since the Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA) has come to terms with our demands," Association of Container Transporters (ACT) President Sunil Fernando said. Speaking to the Daily Financial Times President Fernando said that ACT had held a meeting with the SLPA, Navy and Sri Lanka Customs on Friday and that they have come to an agreement on the major issues for the container transporters prevailing at the port at present. "One of the major issues is the long queues at the port which is time consuming, an exercise which normally should be completed in 2 hours now takes 12 hours" he claimed. The meeting was held with some of the senior officials of the organizations such as SLPA Chairman, Saliya Wickramasuriya, Vice Chairman R.M.P.B Wickrama, Director of Customs Tilak Perera and the Navy represented by Captain D.M.B Wettewa and Commander K.L.U Nishantha. A decision made at this meeting was to ease the congestion of container carriers at the Port Access Road by establishing 4 container check points in four lanes at the Port Access Road and keep 4 gates opened for the smooth flow of import containers. According to Fernando a sufficient number of SLPA labourers detailed by the Operations Division and supervised by the Security Staff will assist to check the containers at the Port Access Road Gates. The Port Entry Permits are to be issued for a period of three months instead of one month for the container transporter personnel and instead of writing down the details of the CDN at port Access Road Gates accept a copy of the CDN to minimize the delay. It is intended to provide an additional seal cutter to the Customs to expedite the cutting of seals and register new transport operators. At the meeting it was decided to keep No.6 (Port Access Road) and No.8 (De Saram Gate) open 24 hours a day provided that the security situation is satisfactory to transport containers and hauliers to the port. Furthermore entrance of cleaners to the port in container carriers is to be stopped gradually and entrust the drivers to bring the container lorries without the cleaners. However this is not applicable to those who wish to continue their service as a cleaner. It is settled that action to blacklist or otherwise is not to be taken when a vehicle is broken down within the port premises. The Joint Council of Transporters headed by the ACT was to launch a protest with work stoppage commencing from today at the Ingurukade Junction. However due to agreeable terms presented by the SLPA the protest will be called when the workers gather at the junction at 10.00 a.m. today. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/27/2174149.htm?section=australia WA Premier in security scare during taxi protest Posted Wed Feb 27, 2008 2:07pm AEDT Updated Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:10pm AEDT Slideshow: Photo 1 of 4 Police hold back a man after he lunged at Alan Carpenter. (ABC TV) Map: Perth 6000 The Western Australian Premier has been at the centre of a security scare outside State Parliament in Perth during a rally by hundreds of angry taxi drivers. Alan Carpenter was booed off the steps of Parliament House as he told the drivers: "We need more taxi drivers, sorry, I got a job to do." As he retreated, a man lunged at him but was dragged away by police officers. About 500 taxi drivers are striking for 48 hours over the introduction of more peak period taxis in the morning on weekdays. Chris Kelsey from the Taxi Industry Forum says the man who attempted to attack the Premier was not a taxi driver and claimed they had been set up. The drivers have voted to move the protest to Perth's Domestic Airport terminal. No hard feelings The Premier Alan Carpenter has spoken to the man who lunged at him while he was in police custody. The man told him he was coming to lend some support to his mates. Mr Carpenter shook the man's hand and told him there were no hard feelings. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20080225T200000-0500_132935_OBS_MINIBUS__TAXI_OPERATORS_PROTEST_AGAINST_HIKE_IN_LICENCE_FEES.asp Minibus, taxi operators protest against hike in licence fees Tuesday, February 26, 2008 SCORES of commuters in Kingston, the Jamaican capital, were yesterday left stranded after a number of minibus and taxi operators withdrew their services to protest against the increase in road licence fees announced last Wednesday. The transport operators, who service routes in Seaview Gardens, Waterhouse and some sections of Portmore, said they were not prepared to pay the increased fees, and called for a meeting with the transport minister, Mike Henry, to discuss the matter. Angry taxi and minibus operators surround communications manager at the Ministry of Transport and Works, Reginald Allen, who tried to discuss their concerns about the increase in licence fees. (Photo: Bryan Cummings) "We can hardly pay the $50,000, how are we going to pay $75,000?" Pernel Latouche, president of the Waltham Park Taxi Association, told the Observer. "A $25,000 increase is too much. We have to buy gas and pay thousands of dollars to service the vehicles when they need servicing; how are we going to find it and taxi fare don't raise?" Latouche lamented. Yesterday, the police had to disperse the large crowd that surrounded communication manager at the Ministry of Transport and Works, Reginald Allen, who tried to restore some level of calm when the taxi and minibus operators went to the ministry. The operators are scheduled to meet with the minister at 12:30 this afternoon with representatives of the various taxi associations to discuss the matter. http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/news/view/20080209-117776/PUJ-drivers-will-protest-Bus-Rapid-Transport-system PUJ drivers will protest Bus Rapid Transport system Cebu Daily News First Posted 06:52:00 02/09/2008 THE PUBLIC Utility Jeepney drivers groug will protest the proposed Bus Rapid Transport System that the Cebu City Government wanted to implement in Banilad and in the South Road Properties (SRP). The BRT system, conceptualized by Mayor Tomas Osme?a in 1996, will use city-owned buses as a solution to the traffic congestion in the city. Ruben Rama, secretary general of the Nagkasahiusang Drayber sa Sugbo (Nadsu), said the BRT system will displace PUJ drivers plying the Banilad and SRP roads because buses will be given priority by the city government. Rama said it is difficult for PUJ drivers to transfer to other routes because they would need approval by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board. Vice Mayor Michael Rama assured the drivers' group that once the project is be implemented, they will be transferred to other areas where buses won't be assigned. The vice mayor appealed to everybody to be open to the BRT idea because the traffic in the city is getting congested and the BRT system is one of the proposed solutions. Correspondent Chris A. Ligan http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/06/travel/06taxis.php French taxi protest slows traffic around the country The Associated Press Published: February 6, 2008 PARIS: Road traffic slowed in cities around France on Wednesday as striking taxi drivers drove at a snail's pace to protest government plans to increase competition in the taxi sector. The so-called "escargot" operation follows a similar protest last week, when thousands of striking drivers held up traffic across France. Taxis from Paris and other French regions gathered at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports and all headed to Paris, according to the main taxi driver's union. Police said some 3,200 taxis had gathered at the western edge of the city at midday. Labor union members were to meet in the afternoon with government officials at the office of Prime Minister Fran?ois Fillon to discuss changes to the way they get licenses and work. "The taxi profession system does not work well, in any case, in some cities," Fillon said. The proposed deregulation of the taxi sector was among hundreds of proposals in a report commissioned by President Nicolas Sarkozy to find ways to bolster France's moribund economy. The national federation of taxi drivers fears the government will scrap quotas on the number of taxi drivers and present them with a flood of competitors. http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080308/lead/lead5.html Taxi drivers protest against poor road published: Saturday | March 8, 2008 Nedburn Thaffe, Gleaner Writer A section of the road which prompted taxi drivers in Islington to withdraw their services last Monday. - Photo by Nedburn Thaffe Taxi drivers who operate along the Islington main road in St. Mary are back on the job following a protest against the deplorable road conditions. The operators withdrew their service on Monday in an effort to see some measures taken by the relevant authorities to curb the problem. They said they had been forced to put up with the poor road conditions for the past two years. The drivers complain that the road had badly deteriorated and despite many pleas for assistance from Dr Morais Guy, member of parliament for the constituency, the problem had not been solved. Taking Frustrations to the street According to one taxi operator, their cup overflowed last Sunday, March 2, at an association meeting when efforts to make contact with Guy proved futile. They decided to take their frustrations to the street and withdrew their service all day Monday to see if any actions would be taken to effect improvements.. When The Gleaner contacted Dr Guy, he stated that he was well aware of the condition of the Islington main road. He said that work was being carried out by the National Works Agency last year to improve situation, but had stopped. The MP added, "My understanding is that they have run out of funds." Some areas patched He said there were areas that were patched but the recent heavy rains had make matters worst. Guy noted that measures would be taken to fill some of the major holes with marl in an effort to temporarily ameliorate the situation. However, he noted that there were areas that would have to be asphalted, but these would have to wait until there were sufficient funds to do so. In the meantime, the taxi operators say they will launch another protest come Monday, March 10, if no measures are taken to improve the road. http://uk.reuters.com/article/wtMostRead/idUKN0129345520080401 UPDATE 2-US truckers disrupt traffic to protest fuel prices Tue Apr 1, 2008 11:08pm BST By Janet McGurty NEW YORK, April 1 (Reuters) - U.S. truckers caused minor traffic snags in parts of the country on Tuesday to protest soaring costs for diesel, according to members of a major trucking association and law enforcement officials. The mild disruptions from New Jersey to Chicago came in the midst of a week-long effort by independent truckers to get federal help easing the strain of high fuel prices through public protests or work stoppages. "Our fuel costs have doubled over the past five years and the cost of doing business has doubled," said one Florida-based driver. "Our industry is in ruins and the rest of the economy is going into a huge tailspin." On the New Jersey Turnpike, one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United States, hundreds of people took part in a protest at a service area and truckers reportedly were driving at slow speeds to back up traffic. "There are some localized minor disruptions. We have taken enforcement actions which resulted in issuing summonses," said Lt. Gerald Lewis, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police. Police also handed out tickets to a few truckers driving below the legal minimum speed on a three-lane interstate near Chicago, while other small protests were reported in several other states. The protests, however, did not appear widespread. A spokesman for the California Highway Patrol said there was no evidence of any disruptions in the state, which has some of the nation's worst highways and biggest ports. In Florida, four dozen truckers gathered near the Port of Tampa to rail against high fuel prices but no attempts to block traffic were reported. "We haven't experienced any traffic delays or any protests," said Lt. Ron Castleberry, at the Florida Highway Patrol headquarters in Tallahassee. DIESEL SQUEEZE The protests by independent truckers -- who make up 90 percent of the U.S. trucking industry -- came amid a 50 percent spike in diesel prices since last year that has brought the cost of a gallon to nearly $4 on average nationwide, according to the latest U.S. government survey. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which represents many of the truckers taking part in the protests, said it wants Congress to mandate a 100 percent pass-through of fuel surcharges to drivers as well as full transparency from trucking brokers to match loads and drivers. The OOIDA has about 161,000 members, slightly less than half of the 350,000 independent truckers in the United States. The group said it does not call for strikes and gave no estimates of now many of its members might participate in protests or work stoppages this week. The protests are loosely organized over Internet chat boards, members said, with truckers opting for the level of participation that suits their needs -- including just putting up protest signs on their trucks. "If you have an obligation to a customer and can't stop driving, you can put up a sign even if you can't come off the road," said an independent trucker. One South Carolina-based independent trucker, who said he pays thousands of dollars up front for fuel, said he has not worked for three weeks. "There is not enough money to take my truck on the road," he said. Mike Schermoly, a spokesman for OOIDA, warned that without help easing the strain of high fuel costs on the trucking industry, prices of groceries and other goods could rise. "Some drive home, some find another job, some go fishing," he said. "Whatever they do the effect is to take the more trucks out of the market and there will be a shortage of trucks. Price of milk, lettuce will continue to rise." (additional reporting Nick Zieminski in New York, Andy Stern in Chicago, Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles, and Jane Sutton in Miami; Editing by David Gregorio) http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3507952,00.html Sderot business owners stage High Court protest Residents of southern town refuse to leave High Court of Justice following discussion on compensation to business owners Ynet Latest Update: 02.17.08, 22:08 / Israel News Southern protest reaches High Court: About 40 Sderot residents announced Sunday evening that they refuse to leave the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem. The residents were protesting the postponement of the discussion on a petition submitted by Sderot business owners. After several hours, the protestors left the court while avoiding clashes with security guards. However, two Sderot women fainted during the protest and were treated by Magen David Adom paramedics who rushed to the scene. One business owner, Sasson Sara, told Ynet: "It's impossible that the government treats us with contempt and that the judicial system also hurts us. We will sit here and wait for the finance minister to arrive and explain his policy to us." During the court session, many of those present interrupted the words of High Court justices with shouts. Following the discussion on the status of Sderot business owners and compensation rights, and after judges gave the State 10 days to respond to the petition, several business owners refused to leave the building even though the session ended and the judges left the building. Some of those present started yelling in protest and slammed the State for failing to take care of them. Journalists barred from court A spokesperson for the court said that the situation is under control and that residents who initially insisted on staying in the building are gradually leaving. However, in an unusual move, court guards refused to allow journalists to enter the court and cover the incident. In a petition submitted in May of last year, business owners argued that Sderot should be included in the list of borderline communities for compensation purposes. Following the petition, the Knesset approved in June 2007 emergency regulations for Sderot and Gaza-region communities. Aviad Glickman, Shmulik Hadad, and Aviram Zino contributed to the report http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hFiXGn9qXm-Br9ogOnQVVDD-KltQ Prague protest saves traditional sausage stands Feb 12, 2008 PRAGUE (AFP) - Prague city lawmakers have swallowed their pride and caved to protests against plans to ditch one of the capital's most succulent landmarks -- the sausage stands in central Wenceslas Square. The stands were due to shut as part of a facelift for the famous square but popular opposition, marked by the collection of thousands of signatures against the measure, forced lawmakers to back down. "Prague klobasa are one of the typical culinary delicacies of the city. Locals and visitors want to save this long tradition and we respect their views," deputy mayor and former critic of the stands, Rudolf Blazek announced, paying homage to the popular, greasy sausages on offer around the clock. Still, the number of stands and their opening hours will be pared in the future, and vendors will be banned from selling spirits. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 16:34:18 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:34:18 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Global peace protests Message-ID: <030f01c89e88$10880670$0802a8c0@andy1> * PHILIPPINES: Mass protests against US presence * IRAQI KURDISTAN: Mass protests against Turkish border invasion * TANZANIA: Muslims protest Bush visit * UKRAINE: Protests against NATO membership in Kiev, Crimea * UK: Protest at Sheffield army recruitment centre, three arrested * POLAND: Anti-war protest * NEW ZEALAND: Protest targets spy base * UK/DIEGO GARCIA: People's Navy targets occupied island * ISRAEL: On 20th anniversary, Women in Black continue to protest http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/02/19/7145/ Published on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 by Associated Press Thousands of Protesters Greet US War Games in Philippines by Teresa Cerjano MANILA, Philippines - Demonstrators calling for US troops to withdraw from the Philippines protested the start of annual joint military exercises Monday, with hundreds of American troops heading to southern islands where al-Qaeda-linked militants operate. The two-week drills - called Balikatan, or "shoulder-to-shoulder" - bring together 6,000 US and 2,000 Filipino troops at a time when Philippine forces are battling militants from the Abu Sayyaf and its allies from the Indonesia-based Jemaah Islamiyah terror network. About 30 protesters from the left-wing coalition Bayan burned a US flag and chanted "US troops out now!" outside the gate of the military headquarters in Manila, where US Ambassador Kristie Kenney, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo and top military officials led the opening ceremony. Rallies also were held in at least four southern cities to demand US troops leave because of alleged involvement in combat operations - prohibited by Philippine law - and human rights abuses, activists said. In Cagayan de Oro, police estimated the crowd at 3,000, including priests and nuns who joined lawmakers and Muslim activists, although rally organizers said more than 5,000 joined the protest march. Representatives Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza of the Bayan Muna and Garbriela partylist, respectively, led the protest march early Monday which had the city's traffic paralyzed for hours. Disputing the government's claim that the holding of the Balikatan exercises was based on the provisions of the Visiting Forces Agreement, Ocampo said that there was no provision in the agreement allowing for successive military exercises. "Continued or successive joint military exercises violate the Constitution and even the provisions of VFA. And as we see now, these are not even joint exercises but a one-sided conduct of civic actions by American troops," Ocampo said. Maza also lambasted the government for allowing American troops to conduct civic action in the country, saying the humanitarian mission was just a cover. "These humanitarian missions are just an excuse to allow US troops to enter our communities and pursue their real agenda of justifying their war against terrorism," she said. Maza warned that the presence of US troops in Mindanao will lead to more human rights abuses, especially against women and children. Nuns, priests, and students joined farmer's groups in the protest, bearing anti-US placards and chanting slogans calling President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo a terrorist. In Davao City, around 3,000 protesters belonging to Bayan and the Out US Troops-Mindanao Coalition marched through the streets demanding the immediate pull-out of American soldiers from Mindanao. Protests were also held in Pikit, North Cotabato, and Davao City. Zainab Ampatuan, chair of the partylist Suara Bangsamoro (Voice of the Moro People), told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone that the contingent coming from Kidapawan City was harassed by government troops along the highway in Pagalungan town in Maguindanao. "They accused us of failing to secure a permit from them. We were able to secure from the local government of Pikit," Ampatuan said. She said that activists from Kidapawan City were forced to abandon their chartered vehicles and had to walk going to the venue of rally in the town proper of Pikit. Ampatuan estimated the number of protesters in Pikit at 7,000. "Instead of these exercises, we are calling the government to resume the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. We fear that hostilities may happen considering that Philippines and US troops will hold their humanitarian missions in controlled areas of the MILF," Ampatuan said. US troops will conduct medical missions and repair schools in Mindanao, where Muslim rebels have waged a decades-long separatist insurgency, US officials said. The areas include Jolo island, an Abu Sayyaf stronghold, and central Mindanao, a base of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the country's biggest separatist group, now holding peace talks with the government. Tensions flared recently on Jolo after villagers accused the military of killing seven civilians and an off-duty soldier during operations to hunt down suspected terrorists. Rawina Wahid, whose husband was killed in the raid early this month, said she was tied up and put on a naval boat with several US soldiers on board. President Arroyo has ordered an investigation into the deaths. Last week, US Embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Thompson denied American soldiers took part in any combat operations. Military chief General Hermogenes Esperon said the emphasis of the exercises, which have been held since 1981, has shifted to humanitarian assistance, part of efforts to win over local Muslim populations. America's soft counterterrorism approach here has won praise in contrast to mounting criticism of US-led incursions in Iraq and Afghanistan. A manhunt continues on Jolo for Abu Sayyaf commanders and two top Indonesian militants wanted for alleged involvement in the 2002 nightclub bombings that killed 202 people on Indonesia's Bali island. The Abu Sayyaf, blacklisted by Washington as a terrorist organization, has been blamed for deadly bomb attacks, beheadings and high-profile kidnappings, including of Americans. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/25AC0DF1-EFFE-4186-9B58-C2EF354AD7D5.htm Kurds protest against raids on PKK The protesters said they were acting as human shields to prevent assaults on bases in neighbouring Iraq Members of a pro-Kurdish political party have set up camp near Turkey's border with Iraq to protest against military raids on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters. About 150 activists from the Democratic Society party (DSP) arrived on Tuesday at Mount Cudi in Sirnak province to demand a peaceful solution to the conflict. In the overnight gathering, Kurdish parliamentarians and supporters slept in tents and danced around a camp fire at dawn. The protesters said they were acting as human shields to prevent assaults on bases in neighbouring Iraq. They urged the Turkish parliament to rescind the authorisation that it gave to the government to carry out cross-border raids against the PKK, saying the fighters in turn should refrain from hostilities. Emine Ayla, one protester and member of parliament, told the crowd from the top of a bus: "We don't need another 30 years or another 30,000 deaths to understand that the policy of violence doesn't solve the Kurdish problem." Ayla also called for an improvement in the "living and health conditions" of Abdullah Ocalan, the founder of the PKK who is serving a life sentence. In defiance of Turkish law, some people in the crowd held posters that showed Ocalan's image. Ocalan's welfare is a concern for DSP party members, reflecting the sway that the imprisoned leader holds over many Kurds. Military service The DSP party won 20 seats in the 550-seat legislature in last year's general elections, leading to hopes that the many disaffected Kurds in Turkey were poised to play a meaningful political role. But the mood has soured since then, with prosecutors seeking to close down the party because of reported subversive activity. On Wednesday, the leader of the party, Nurettin Demirtas, went on trial on charges that he used forged health documents to avoid military service. Demirtas, who was jailed for 10 years for PKK membership and denies the current charges, faces up to five years in prison. Most Turkish men must serve in the army for up to 15 months, and many do their service in zones where Kurdish fighters are active. Car bomb In related news, two police officers were wounded in a bomb explosion in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast, the Anatolia news agency reported on Wednesday. A roadside bomb was set off by remote control as a police vehicle was driving past late on Tuesday in the town of Yuksekova, in Hakkari province bordering both Iraq and Iran, the report said. One of the officers in the car sustained serious injuries. No group immediately claimed carrying out the attack, but the PKK is active in the region. The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, has threatened retaliation following Turkish air raids on its bases in northern Iraq. Since December 16, the Turkish army says it has carried out five air raids against PKK positions in northern Iraq as well as a ground operation to stop a group of fighters trying to enter Turkey. The PKK has been fighting for Kurdish self-rule in Turkey's southeast and east since 1984 in a conflict that has claimed more than 37,000 lives. http://www.haaba.com/news/2008/02/15/7-91947/hundreds-of-tanzanian-muslims-protest-bush-visit.html Hundreds of Tanzanian Muslims protest Bush visit Friday, 15 February 2008 DAR ES SALAAM, Feb 15, 2008 (AFP) - Hundred of Tanzanian Muslims on Friday held a demonstration in the streets of Dar Es Salaam to protest against US President George W. Bush's upcoming visit to the country. Some carried placards with anti-Bush slogans and others burnt US flags, an AFP correspondent reported. Security has been stepped up in the seaside city ahead of Bush's visit but police did not intervene and no violence was reported. 'Bush is a cruel leader. It is sad that Tanzania has allowed his visit,' said Juma Ramadhani, one of the demonstrators. Bush is expected Saturday in Tanzania as part of a five-nation tour of Africa. President Jakaya Kikwete has urged the nation to give the US president a warm welcome. http://en.rian.ru/world/20080125/97723298.html Anti-NATO membership protest in Ukrainian capital 13:04|25/ 01/ 2008 KIEV, January 25 (RIA Novosti) - An estimated 1,000 people took to the streets of the Ukrainian capital on Friday to protest against moves by the country's leadership to join NATO. Some 30 MPs from opposition parties also disrupted parliamentary work in a further show of opposition to President Viktor Yushchenko's intention to seek membership in the Western military alliance for Ukraine, a one-time Soviet republic and the largest country completely in Europe. The protesters in Kiev chanted slogans such as "NATO is slavery for Slavs" and "No to NATO!" Last week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko handed a request for Ukraine to join NATO's Membership Action Plan to the alliance's secretary general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. The Action Plan is a necessary step on the path to eventual full membership of the organization. Earlier on Friday, members of the Party of Regions and the Communist Party of Ukraine called on the country's leadership to recall the request for NATO membership, claiming that such a step was only possible after a referendum. Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko previously stated that a decision on whether Ukraine should take up any future NATO offer to join the alliance would only be taken after a national referendum. Ukraine's leadership hopes that a decision on its membership application will be taken in early April in Bucharest during a NATO summit meeting. A recent poll carried out by Ukraine's Democratic Initiatives foundation reported that over 50% of Ukrainians would vote against joining NATO. In the survey, 51.9% of respondents said they viewed NATO as an "aggressive imperialist bloc that would draw Ukraine into military conflicts." http://en.rian.ru/world/20080316/101421182.html Crimean residents protest Ukraine's move towards NATO membership 17:27|16/ 03/ 2008 SIMFEROPOL, March 16 (RIA Novosti) - Residents of Ukraine's Black Sea autonomy of Crimea are holding a rally on Sunday to protest the country's move towards NATO membership. In January, Ukraine's pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and Parliamentary Speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk sent a letter to the alliance's Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer saying they hoped that the country could join the NATO Membership Action Plan. However, the opposition Party of Regions led by former prime minister Viktor Yanukovych and the Communist Party blocked parliamentary work for over a month in protest against the move, demanding a referendum on the matter. Recent opinion polls showed that over 50% of Ukrainians would vote against joining NATO. Parliament recently reopened for work after a compromise decision was reached on the possibility of holding a referendum on the issue. Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, has threatened to target nuclear missiles on Ukraine if it joined NATO. The ex-Soviet republic of Georgia is also seeking membership in the organization. Western countries have been cautious about the two countries' NATO bids, unwilling to further anger Russia, already irritated by and wary of the alliance's ongoing eastward expansion. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/7249500.stm Three charged over army protest Three men have been charged with trespassing offences after a protest at an Army recruitment office in Sheffield. The demonstration took place outside the Church Street Army branch to mark the fourth anniversary of London's anti-war march. On Saturday, two men, aged 23 and 25, appeared before Sheffield magistrates and were remanded into custody. A third man, aged 21, was due to appear in court on Monday. A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said the men were arrested following the protest on Friday and had been charged with aggravated trespass. http://www.poland.pl/news/article,Anti_war_protest_march_through_Warsaw,id,319408.htm Anti war protest march through Warsaw 2008-03-16, 08:40 The march was staged against the instalment of US anti missile shields in Poland and the participation of Polish troops in the Iraq and Afghanistan missions. The protesters marched through the city centre, carrying banners with slogans 'We do not want to be a traget' or 'Stop the occupation of Iraq'. The organiser of the action, Filip Ilkowski from the Initiative "Stop to War', said that the 5th anniversary of the intervention of the coalition units in Iraq will be celebrated with anti war demonstrations. The anniversary falls on March 20th and protest actions are prepared by all anti war organisations in the world. Poland has some 900 soldiers stationed in Iraq at present, while in Afghanistan there are some 1200 with 400 more planned to be sent there in the near future. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10488872 Protest targets spy base 5:00AM Saturday January 26, 2008 By Jarrod Booker The Waihopai satellite base collects information from around the world to share overseas. Photo / Mark Mitchell A small band of protesters know they will be ignored as they march on New Zealand's top-secret Waihopai "spy base" today. Just like every other year, their calls for the closure of the facility that "leaves blood on New Zealanders' hands" will be met with deafening silence from those behind the high-security perimeter fence. But protest organiser Murray Horton will not be put off. "We keep going as long as the bloody place is there ... to at least remind people about it. "If we didn't go, even in our small and insignificant numbers, that place would get zero coverage. "It just would not even register, which is the idea." Situated in a remote Marlborough valley, the Waihopai satellite communications interception station quietly goes about collecting information from airwaves throughout the world that can be shared with other nations. The base's opponents argue that it is primarily feeding information to the United States in support of wars New Zealanders do not support. There is another base at Tangimoana, near Bulls. But the secretive Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), which operates the base, rejects this. A bureau spokesman told the Weekend Herald: "The station is wholly owned and operated by the GCSB on behalf of the New Zealand Government to serve New Zealand's own needs for foreign intelligence to inform our Government's decision-making processes. "The GCSB, and by extension the Waihopai facility, operate exclusively in support of ... Government policy." Mr Horton, of the Anti Bases Campaign group, says United States-led wars such as that in Afghanistan rely heavily on electronic intelligence collected around the world. Today's protest is part of a global day of action against foreign military bases by networks around the world. Among the protesters expected are veteran activists such as Green Party MP Keith Locke and John Minto, of Global Peace and Justice Auckland. The intelligence game * The secretive Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) collects "intelligence" on New Zealand's behalf, and is responsible for guarding the country's secret information. * Its budget for the current financial year is $39.288 million and it employs about 370 staff. * The GCSB's head office is in Wellington and it operates intelligence-gathering posts at Waihopai, in Marlborough, and at Tangimoana, near Bulls. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/12/humanrights.military British campaigners arrested at sea in Diego Garcia protest ? 'People's Navy' veterans detained by UK authorities ? Move to highlight military use and plight of islanders Duncan Campbell The Guardian, Wednesday March 12 2008 Article history About this article Close This article appeared in the Guardian on Wednesday March 12 2008 on p6 of the UK news section. It was last updated at 01:29 on March 12 2008. Diego Garcia. Photograph: US Dept of Defense/PA Two British human rights campaigners have been arrested at sea off Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean after protesting against the island's use in British and US military operations. The two men were demonstrating against the island's admitted use by the US for rendition flights and the historic removal of the Chagos islanders from their homes nearly 40 years ago. Peter Bouquet, 59, originally from Devon, and Jon Castle, 56, originally from Guernsey, were detained by UK authorities after allegedly failing to leave the waters around Diego Garcia on board their vessel, Musichana. Both men are former captains of Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior and veterans of environmental and human rights direct actions around the world. They are currently part of a group called the People's Navy which has been seeking to highlight the plight of the Chagossians and to protest against the military use of the islands, which form part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. In a statement before their arrest, the men said that they wanted to show "the serious nature of our concerns about the plight of the Chagossians and about ... military activities on Diego Garcia". The pair hope to draw attention to the cause of the Chagos islanders, who were removed by the UK in 1971 to make way for the base, following an agreement with the US, and have still not been able to return permanently, despite victories in high court actions in London. The statement said the protest was also against the recent use of Diego Garcia by the US for the transportation of prisoners being "rendered ... without regard to even the most basic and accepted concepts of justice". It added that although some Chagossians had been allowed to return temporarily to clean and restore graveyards, they should be allowed to return permanently. A Foreign Office spokesman confirmed last night that two men had been detained "after entering the waters illegally". He added that an investigation was continuing. Bouquet, a former member of the merchant navy, made his first protest against whaling off Iceland more than 30 years ago. Castle has been involved mainly in environmental campaigns. Both men said that they were motivated by Quaker ideals "that you should bear witness to a crime, even if you cannot stop it happening". The arrests come in a week in which MPs and human rights groups have demanded an independent inquiry into the use of Diego Garcia by the CIA. Lord Malloch Brown, the Foreign Office minister, has spoken to Manfred Novak, the UN's special investigator on torture, about the alleged use of Diego Garcia as a detention centre for holding US suspects. Last month, the foreign secretary, David Miliband, admitted to MPs that, contrary to earlier assurances, two CIA flights had landed at the base, each with a detainee on board. It has also been alleged that detainees have been interrogated at the base, although the foreign secretary has denied the claims. http://www.hindu.com/mag/2008/01/20/stories/2008012050050200.htm Two decades of protest and hope ADITI BHADURI As it moves into its third decade, Women In Black has progressed from its initial protest of Israeli occupation of Palestine. I love Israel, but that does not give Israelis the right to go and settle in territories that don't belong to us. Gila Svirsky Photo: AFP Long vigils: A protest that also m0arked the 20th anniversary of the pacifist group. It was on a typical winter's day in Jerusalem that I first met Gila Svirsky. It was a rainy chilly gloomy day, the second intifadah or Palestinian uprising had just broken out a few months ago, and the place was tense and foreboding. Though it was an extremely busy day for her, Gila still made time to pick me up from the old city. The old city of Jerusalem is where the great Israeli-Palestinian divide begins. Though the holiest sites of the three Abrahamic faiths converge here and the place is under Israeli rule, Jews from outside the old city are still hesitant to visit it. And when they do, like Gila did, they insist on meeting only near the Jaffa gate, the entrance to the Christian and Armenian quarters, even if the other gates are closer. And so over a delicious breakfast of humous and pitta bread accompanied by cardamom-laced kahwa at an old Syrian Christian restaurant in the Christian quarters of the old city of Jerusalem, I got to know Gila Svirsky, the public face of the Women In Black (WIB). It began exactly 20 years ago, in December 1987, soon after the first Intifadah or Uprising broke out in the occupied Palestinian territories against Israel's military occupation. A small group of Jewish women from Jerusalem like Dafna Amit, Mimi Ash, Ruth Cohen and Hagar Roublev - left-wing activists, a mix of professors, teachers, and women -decided to launch a simple protest to express their belief in peace and demand that Israel end its occupation of Palestinian lands. Determined stance Once a week at the same location - Paris square in central Jerusalem and a major traffic intersection - they'd dress in black to symbolise the suffering and tragedy of both Israelis and Palestinians and raise their trademark "black hands" placard bearing a single line 'End the Occupation' written in Arabic, English and Hebrew. Grim and determined, they vowed to stand there till Israel gave them what they wanted. Their inspiration came from the "Black Sash Movement" of South Africa where white women fought apartheid and whose trademark had been the black sash each wore to express their disgust with the racist system. Gila Svirsky, the current unofficial leader and head of the WIB, joined the movement in January 1988. Born and raised in an orthodox Jewish family in the U.S., Gila moved to Israel some 40 years ago. A grandmother at 61 (she hopes her grandsons will not serve in the Israeli army), she stands six feet tall and straight. Under a shock of white hair and glasses, her eyes twinkle and she explains, "I love Israel, but that does not give Israelis the right to go and settle in territories that don't belong to us; our occupation of Palestinians is wrong. I protest against it to save our country from the corruption of the occupation." Her sentiments are echoed by other members, though many like Maya Rosenfeld, a lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, or Ditta Bitterman, a Tel Aviv based architect, were born and brought up in Israel. The movement spread to other locations like Tel Aviv, Haifa and Nazareth. Soon, women were standing in 40 different locations throughout Israel. Growing links The vigils attracted Arab women - both Christian and Muslim - citizens of Israel too. Nabiola Espanioli and Khulood Badawi, two renowned Israeli Arab activists are some of the best known Arab members of the WIB. Soon after, the Israeli women heard of "solidarity vigils" in Canada and the USA: women in black - both Jewish and Palestinian, carrying similar hand-shaped placards bearing slogans "Palestinian and Jewish women United" and "Two Peoples, Two States". The Women in Black began to flower in many European cities and, at the turn of the last decade, they took off with "a life of their own", meaning that many of these groups now had nothing to do with the Israeli occupation but began taking up and protesting against local issues relevant to each individual group. In Italy, the WIB protested against Mafia violence; in Germany, they protested against neo-Nazism and xenophobia; and in Belgrade and Zagreb, they condemned the war, the mass rape of women and ethnic strife, setting an example of inter-ethnic cooperation among themselves. In London, the WIB protested against Operation Iraqi Freedom; now they protest the allied occupation of that country. Today the International Movement of the Women In Black forms an integral part of all global feminist and peace movement and studies. Feminists like Cynthia Cockburn and Haifa Zangana feel proud to be associated with it. But it is the Israeli Women in Black that claims matriarchal superiority. At a vigil When I accompanied Gila to the meeting on Friday, it was drizzling and cold. A group of sombre-faced women and men, all dressed in black stood keeping vigil, marking the 14th anniversary of the movement. Each held a black hand-shaped emblazoned with "End the Occupation". A lone Palestinian woman had made it to the vigil and together with a Jewish woman held a banner that said "we refuse to be enemies"' - a simple but potent resolve. Passers-by reacted. Some gave the group the thumbs-up sign; others abuse. Two motorists slowed down and silently held out a picture of Rehovam Zeevi, the Israel minister who had recently been shot dead by a Palestinian. The police stood guard, since the vigils haven't always been smooth sailing - the women have often been threatened and sometimes assaulted, accused of being traitors. WIB members had also been arrested once when they lay down across from the entrance to the defence ministry to illustrate what a closure for Palestinians was like. Arab women have been at the receiving end too. WIB has also forged relations with Palestinian women in the West Bank. Kawther Salam, a Palestinian journalist and resident of Hebron, one of the partners in the West Bank has been disdained as a "traitor and Jew lover" by many Palestinians. Ideological differences between the Israeli and Palestinian women have often surfaced too. A few years later, after that winter's Friday, I found myself back in Jerusalem. It was the August of the Gaza withdrawal and the weather was decidedly hot and sticky. And again on a Friday afternoon, this time a scorching one, I found groups of women dressed in black keep their weekly vigil there. Because of the Gaza withdrawal, opposed by most Jerusalemites, the mood in Jerusalem was resentful. There were more jeers than cheers. "Traitors, Arab lovers" were hurled more angrily at the WIB. Resolute, the women stood there, not forgetting or forsaking their tryst with destiny. Recently the WIB completed 20 years of its existence and its Friday vigil on December 28, 2007 marked its 20th anniversary. Five hundred people participated, all talking and promising to not lose hope, and reaching out across the lines that divide. There is a hint of optimism as people in Israel are now more than ever aware that the occupation has to end and it has to end soon. Rough journey It has been a rough journey, but there have been some encouraging moments. There are solidarity movements in some 150 cities across the globe. The Israeli movement won the Aachen Peace Prize (1991) , the peace award of San Giovanni d' Asso in Italy (1994), and the Jewish Peace Fellowship's Peacemaker Award" (2001). In 2001 the International Movement of Women in Black won the Millennium Peace Prize awarded by the UN Development Fund for Women. The Israeli and Serbian groups were also candidates for the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. 2008 sees the movement steps into its third decade. But as Gila, proud yet despondent, says, "I hope we don't have to have these vigils for too long. I hope this occupation soon ends and there are two states - Israel and Palestine - existing side by side.' Around the World www.acttogether.org/index.htm - Act Together: Women Against Sanctions and War on Iraq. www.coalitionofwomen4peace.org - Coalition of Women for a Just Peace. www.donneinnero.org - Women in Black, Italy. www.womeninblackoz.com - Women in Black, Australia. www.zeneucrnom.org.yu - Women in Black, Yugoslavia. www.wib-zeneucrnom-belgrade.org - Women in Black, Belgrade, Yugoslavia. www.camwib.org.uk Women in Black, Cambridge, U.K. www.neww.org - aims to empower women and girls throughout Central and Eastern Europe, and NIS and the Russian Federation and the West. www.womeninmourningandoutrage.com - a justice project created by women of colour who oppose brutality, discrimination and acts of hate. www.grandmothersforpeace.org - Grandmothers for Peace, a non-profit organisation, was formed in May of 1982 at the height of the Cold War. www.madre.org - supports community development and training that enables women to play leadership roles in their homes, communities, countries and the international arena. www.batshalom.org - Bat Shalom of the Jerusalem Link is a feminist centre for peace and social justice working with a Palestinian women's centre to achieve peace. For more info see www.womeninblack.net/index From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 17:37:42 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:37:42 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Anti-deportation protests Message-ID: <032001c89e90$eb981130$0802a8c0@andy1> * UK: Detained immigrant mothers hold naked protest * UK: Hunger strike at Oakington over immigration status delays, food * UK: Success for Sukula family anti-deportation campaign * UK: Student protest halts Plymouth family's deportation * UK: Protests at threat to deport Nigerian * SWEDEN: Protesters block roads, prevent deportation of Iraqi * UK: Curry bosses rally in Scotland against immigration crackdown, claim it will ruin curry industry * BOSNIA: Muslims protest against deportations, withdrawals of citizenship Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/mothers-detained-in-immigration-centre-hold-naked-protest-807802.html Mothers detained in immigration centre hold 'naked' protest By Emily Dugan Friday, 11 April 2008 A group of mothers held in the Yarl's Wood immigration centre have staged protests over the extended detention of children. They argue that locking up minors is cruel and say being kept in close confinement has caused outbreaks of viruses. Many of the women, who have been awaiting deportation from the Bedford immigration removal centre for months, stood naked in a corridor and have gone on hunger strike in a bid to make their demands heard. The detention of children is increasingly contentious, following the Independent Asylum Commission's verdict that the practice is "wholly unjustified". It is understood that 15 mothers took part in the protest at the family wing of Yarl's Wood yesterday morning. The incident followed a period of confrontation between detainees and officers, as the women demanded to have their concerns heard by the UK Border Agency. The confrontation began on Wednesday night after 11 detainees tried to stop a mother and child being removed. The action was in protest at not being granted time with immigration officials to address the issue of young detainees. Yesterday a pregnant Nigerian woman who led the protest was allegedly parted from her six-year-old son and taken to a solitary wing. At least 15 women protested outside the staff office, demanding to know where she had been taken and reiterating requests for a fair hearing. Several of them removed their clothes to mark their disgust at the "imprisonment" of their children. A spokesperson for Serco, the company which runs Yarl's Wood, said discussions had taken place between residents and staff, but "no significant protest" had occurred. Mercy Guobatia, 22, from Nigeria, was one of the mothers who stood naked in the centre as a symbol of the inhumane way she felt they were treated there. "I took my clothes off because they treat us like animals. We are claiming asylum, we're not animals. They treat us as if we've done something terrible." She said that both her daughters, one aged six months and a a two-year-old, have lost weight and been consistently ill since arriving at Yarl's Wood. "Just five days after arriving they started being ill," she said. "They have had diarrhoea and been vomiting ever since. It's because we are kept so close together in detention." Ms Goubatia pleaded with the Border Agency to consider a more humane policy. Serco would not comment on individual cases, but a spokes-man confirmed: "There has been a localised outbreak of a common vomiting virus at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre. This is being dealt with by our medical staff who are in close liaison with the Health Protection Agency and the local primary care trust. Donna Covey, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: "We remain absolutely opposed to the detention of children under any circumstances. The evidence shows it is physically and emotionally harmful for children to be locked up this way, and there can be no justification for it." Sources at the centre say many women are on hunger strike and more protests are planned. A UK Border Agency spokes-person said: "Families with children are detained only where absolutely necessary and for as short a period as possible and in designated accommodation." http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_cambridge/displayarticle.asp?id=302590 Detainees go on hunger strike to protest delays stephen.exley at cambridge-news.co.uk and john.downing at cambridge-news.co.uk MORE than 150 immigrants waiting to be deported from the UK are continuing a hunger strike at Oakington Immigration Removal Centre. Kenneth Dilworth, who has been detained for three weeks, spoke to the News yesterday and said they were protesting at the length of time the Home Office takes to come to a decision on their fate. And he said the hunger strike will last "as long as it takes". Mr Dilworth, originally from Jamaica and recently living in Bristol with his partner and two-year-old daughter, has applied for leave to remain in the UK and is increasingly frustrated at the speed of the response from immigration authorities. He said: "The hunger strike is continuing. We will keep on as long as it takes. "We are fed up at being stuck inside here. I've been here three weeks but people have been waiting here for months waiting for their applications to be sorted out. "This is affecting family life. I have lived with my partner for four years and we have a daughter who is two years old." He said he had no complaints about the officers at Oakington but was critical of the food. He said: "We want better food. We get chicken and chips seven days a week." The partner of an inmate told the News detainees were furious about their conditions. She said: "Most of the people there are normal, hard-working people. "The food is dreadful - the average meal is a plate of chips. They just get a little blanket to sleep on as well. They must have basic human rights." A spokesman for the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) insisted the situation was under control. He said: "There have been some passive protests by detainees at Oakington. "The situation remains calm and we are discussing with detainees their concerns. "But we have got our priorities straight. In 2007 we deported the highest ever number of foreign lawbreakers, up by a huge 80 per cent, and we attacked illegal working much harder because it undercuts British wages, with 40 per cent more illegal working operations than in 2006. "On top of this, we are making asylum decisions quickly. By the end of the year we were beating our target of 40 per cent of cases being concluded within six months and we are on track to conclude the majority of cases within six months by the end of the year." Oakington was slammed in a report for the BIA in January which said it was the second worst in the UK and the least secure of all 10 sites. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, pictured far left, and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, visited the centre and met staff and detainees in February. They discussed political and human rights issues associated with immigration and gave a homily after a short service. ------------------------------------------------------------------ u n i t e d k i n g d o m - - > >> Campaigning victory for Sukula famliy > By IRR News Team 10 April 2008, 12:00pm Three years after contacting IRR News and launching their anti-deportation campaign, the Sukula family have won indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Daniel Sukula, then aged 15 and living in Bolton, wrote to IRR News in 2005 telling of his fears of being deported. 'I am writing this because me and my family face deportation to Congo,' he wrote. 'I don't want to go back to Congo because there is a war there and, if I go back, my life will be finished.' IRR News visited Daniel and his family in their home in Bolton and spoke to them about their intention to launch an anti-deportation campaign. That campaign went on to win the support of the local newspaper, trade unions and over 3,000 people who signed a petition calling for the Sukulas to be allowed to remain in Bolton. Over the last three years, the family were also threatened by the notorious Section 9 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004, under which parents were made destitute while their children risked being placed in the care of social services. But the strength of the local campaign meant that supporters were ready to physically blockade any attempt to evict the Sukulas from their home. And Bolton Unison backed social workers who refused to initiate care proceedings against the family. This defiance of government policy by local authority workers later spread to other councils in Greater Manchester and Yorkshire, where the 'Section 9' policy was undergoing trials. Similarly, an attempt to expel Daniel's sister Flores from Bolton Sixth Form College - purely on the grounds of her being a 'failed asylum seeker' - was successfully opposed by Bolton NUT and the NUS. On hearing the news of the campaign victory, mother Ngiedi Lusukumu, aged 42, said: 'I slept properly for the first time since arriving in this country after I found out we were allowed to stay. For the first time I feel my family, my beautiful children, are safe and have a future. We are no longer living in fear of being sent to a place where our lives would be in danger. The threat to my family was very real.' The family and campaign thank everyone who supported them and have pledged to continue fighting against all deportations. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jan/28/politics.world Student protest halts family's deportation Steven Morris The Guardian, Monday January 28 2008 Article history About this article Close This article appeared in the Guardian on Monday January 28 2008 on p13 of the UK news and analysis section. It was last updated at 23:53 on January 27 2008. A family of seven threatened with deportation has been reprieved after a campaign that began in a Devon classroom, spread around the world, and led to the government being bombarded with thousands of protest letters. Last night more than 10,000 people had joined a Facebook group devoted to saving the family from being sent back to Nigeria, and the youngsters who launched the campaign from a sixth-form common room vowed to keep up the pressure. The mother, Helen, who has asked for the family name not to be published, and her six children had lived in Plymouth for four years. They claimed asylum because they feared they would be persecuted if they were sent back. Helen was afraid her 14-year-old son, Emmanuel, could die in Nigeria because he has sickle cell anaemia and she could not afford the medication. Friends of the family at Stoke Damerel community college in Plymouth were outraged when they were seized by immigration officials and held in an immigration centre, ready to be flown back to Africa. Alex Stupple-Harris, 17, who was in the same year as two of the brothers, Mac and Winston, told how he went back to school on the evening he heard about his friend's plight and began printing off protest letters. They wrote to MPs, the Home Office and even executives of the airline that was to fly the family home. The campaign quickly spread through the school. "Thirteen-year-old boys were coming up to me and asking for 150 letters. They would come back with them all signed. The Facebook campaign has also been amazing." The family was permitted to stay for three more weeks and on Wednesday officials are to look at the case again. Stupple-Harris said he was sure that the campaign had helped to give the family a second chance. "The strength of feeling has been immense. We're going to carry on, even if the hearing that's beginning on Wednesday goes the wrong way." The family were described as "model citizens" by Father Sam Philpott, of St Peter's Church, Stonehouse, where they worshipped. He said they would be hugely missed if they were sent back to Nigeria. Helen has worked as a volunteer for the Devon and Cornwall Refugee Support Council and as a university researcher. She is a governor of a primary school in Plymouth. The Home Office will not talk about individual cases but said: "We only remove people whose asylum claims have been dismissed by an independent judge. Families with children are detained only where this is absolutely necessary for as short a period as possible." Helen claims she has been told she may be killed if she returns to Nigeria. Stupple-Harris last spoke to her on Friday. She is refusing most food but taking a little nourishment in case the family is suddenly flown from the UK. He said: "Despite everything she was on good form. We spent most of the conversation laughing, which sums her up." http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2008/03/03/birmingham-family-to-be-deported-back-to-nigeria-97319-20550798/ Birmingham family to be deported back to Nigeria Mar 3 2008 By Alison Dayani, Birmingham Mail A NIGERIAN mother who has sparked a campaign to stop her deportation is set to be flown out of the country this week. Immigration officers seized Jumoke Adediwura and her two children, Elizabeth, aged three, and Daniella, aged two, from their Brandwood home in the early hours of Saturday. Campaigner Holly Nolan said the family were being held in a detention centre and had been told they will be deported to Nigeria on Wednesday. Holly said: "Jumoke phoned me in a panic to tell me she had been taken to a detention centre and we have just days to try and stop the deportation. "The mums in Allens Croft are still fighting to keep their good friend Jumoke and her daughters here in Brandwood. "We have got a new solicitor looking into a judicial review on new grounds and also hoping to get St Luke's Church, in Bristol Road, where Jamoke worships to fund a new appeal. "Immigration is a sensitive issue, but it is by no means black and white. Jumoke is part of our community." The campaign to stop the family's deportation has already gained supporters from UB40 to Sting, Benjamin Zephaniah and Pato Banton. Ms Adediwura came to Birmingham four years ago after fleeing violence in her home village and was forced to leave her 13-year-old son behind. The 35-year-old settled in Kings Heath and gave birth to her two daughters in Birmingham. But the Home Office plans to deport the mother-of-two who claims special needs Elizabeth would be murdered if they are sent to Africa due to extremists who may believe her disability is a punishment from God. The family was detained before Christmas but won an eleventh hour reprieve when Elizabeth caught an ear infection meaning she could not be given an essential malaria jab before she left the country. http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20080408120814496 Sweden: Activists Blocked Road, Stopped Deportation of Iraqi Refugee Tuesday, April 08 2008 @ 12:08 PM PDTContributed by: AnonymousViews: 24 At 4:30 local time today, a man from the Iraqi Kurdistan Region was to be put on an airplane from Gothenburg, Sweden, and leaving towards an unknown fate. However, it did not turn out that way. Activists who had gathered outside the Detention Center of the Department of Migration at K?llered in the area, managed to stop the deportation.At 4:30 local time today, a man from the Iraqi Kurdistan Region was to be put on an airplane from Gothenburg, Sweden, and leaving towards an unknown fate. However, it did not turn out that way. Activists who had gathered outside the Detention Center of the Department of Migration at K?llered in the area, managed to stop the deportation.Around 30-40 people had gathered outside the detention center. They did it to show support for hungerstriking Afghan refugees there and to stop the deportation to Iraq.- I think all deportations should be stopped, says a member of No Human Being Is Illegal (Ingen m?nniska ?r illegal, Im?i) to the newssite Yelah.net.- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advices people not to go to Iraq, so it is absurd that they send people there. Everybody should live where they want and Swedish authorities should not have the right to send people to die.According to the Im?i member, activists blocked the road to the detention center and prevented cars from leaving the area.The police showed up but did not succeed in interrupting the blockade. Instead, the man was brought back into the building.In Swedish:http://www.yelah.net/news/20080408183157 http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hlz9XNSoA5GBS9ktTbhk43HVFOtg Curry bosses demo over immigration Mar 13, 2008 The curry industry will die if action is not taken to address tough new immigration laws, restaurant bosses have warned. They claim food quality will deteriorate and warned up to half of the Indian restaurants currently in business could shut. The stark warning came as around 100 restaurateurs staged a protest at Holyrood over the changes to immigration rules. http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL02301372.html Muslim ex-fighters in Bosnia protest deportations Sat 2 Feb 2008, 14:28 GMT By Danilo Krstanovic ZENICA, Bosnia, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Several thousand Muslim ex-fighters and their supporters protested on Saturday against a Bosnian government plan to start deporting foreign volunteers who stayed in the country after the 1992-95 war. Thousands of fighters from the Middle East and Africa arrived in Bosnia to fight alongside Bosnian Muslims against Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats. Most left after the war but hundreds stayed on after marrying local women. The protest was organised under the slogan "Forgive Us, Hamza" in the central town of Zenica, where most of the ex-mujahideen live, ahead of the expected deportation next week of their informal leader Imad Al Husayn, known as Abu Hamza. "We organised this meeting as a protest against his deportation and the only support we can extend to Hamza," said Aiman Awad, one of the organisers. Former fighters and their Bosnian wartime comrades spoke of courage on the battlefields and the hypocrisy of authorities who now wanted to get rid of them under pressure from the West. Under pressure from its ally the United States, Bosnia has revoked over the past two years more than 600 of the 1,300 citizenships awarded to foreigners from a wide range of countries during and after the war. Most are expected to appeal and may be allowed to remain, but dozens are set to be deported because the government has said they represent threats to national security. The first ex-fighter, Algerian-born Atau Mimun, was deported in December. Many Bosnians of all faiths view volunteers who live in strict Islamic communities with suspicion and fearing they want to impose their strict religious practices on the traditionally moderate Bosnian Muslims. Hamza, who has a Bosnian wife and six children, must leave by Wednesday or face forced deportation. Authorities call him a threat to national security, a label he said might cause him much harm once he returns to his native Syria, where he may be tried for fighting in a foreign country. Human rights groups called on Bosnia last year not to deport ex-fighters if they may face rights abuses. The European Court for Human Rights issued a ban this week on Hamza's deportation until the Constitutional Court can rule on his new appeal. (Writing by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Michael Winfrey) From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 18:09:33 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:09:33 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Miscellaneous protests Message-ID: <033d01c89e95$5ef6fde0$0802a8c0@andy1> * ITALY: Pope cancels visit after more student protests * UK: Woman stages rooftop protest in Hull over failure to charge sex attacker * GUATEMALA: Protest over murders of bus drivers * SOUTH AFRICA: Schools close in protest over rape * ISRAEL: Haredim protest over autopsy, shopping mall * IRELAND: Fathers' rights activists protest at court * UK/GLOBAL: Masked protesters denounce Scientology * INDIA: Protest over politician's remarks * UK: Liverpool fans call for American owners to sell club Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL173516320080117 Students stage new anti-Catholic protest in Rome Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:39pm EST By Phil Stewart ROME (Reuters) - Students at Italy's top public university protested against the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday after forcing Pope Benedict to cancel a visit. Riot police stood guard near the loud but peaceful march at Rome's La Sapienza university, which was founded by a pope more than 700 years ago and is now at the centre of a national debate about the role of religion in secular society. Students marched in the rain with banners reading "Freedom for the University", after decrying what they view as Church meddling in Italian affairs through its public stance on issues like abortion, gay rights and euthanasia. The tone was different inside at the ceremonies marking the start of the academic year, with speakers warning of censorship of religious leaders in the name of secularism after the Pope decided on Tuesday to scrap his appearance. The speech the Pontiff had been due to deliver was read aloud by a faculty member to a standing ovation and shouts of "Viva il Papa" from a group of students. "Ideological vetoes of any kind are unacceptable. Everyone must have space and be respected, whatever their opinion," Renato Guarini, La Sapienza's chancellor, told the university. He said he planned to invite the Pope again. The German Pontiff decision not to attend Thursday's ceremony followed protests by a small but vociferous group of students and faculty members. Some occupied part of the campus to demand he stay away. Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni described the episode as "unacceptable" during his address to the college. "Intolerance can never be allowed to remove someone's right to speak. Less still if ... it is Pope Benedict -- a cultural, spiritual and moral reference point for millions," he said. Much of the controversy centered on a speech the Pope made in 1990, when the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger quoted an Austrian philosopher as saying the Church's heresy trial against Galileo in the 17th century was "rational and just". By arguing the Earth revolved around the sun, Galileo had clashed with the Bible, which read: "God fixed the earth upon its foundation, not to be moved forever." The Pope's defenders say the quotation did not reflect his own position, but that failed to quell the Rome protests. Another quote the Pope used in 2006 upset Muslims around the world. In a speech at a university in his native Germany, he quoted a 14th-century Byzantine emperor as saying Islam had only brought evil to the world and that it was spread by the sword. The Pope said he was misunderstood and has several times expressed his esteem for Muslims. A group of students at La Sapienza held a banner on Thursday reading "Eppur si muove" -- "and yet it moves" -- the phrase Galileo uttered after the Church condemned him, referring to the Earth moving. "The fight pays off: Ratzinger's visit to the university was rejected! We must continue to fight against the Vatican and its servants," read a pamphlet distributed by some students. (edited by Richard Meares) http://news.uk.msn.com/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=7612928 Woman arrested over Huntley protest A woman who claims she was attacked by child killer Ian Huntley was arrested during a roof-top protest against the police's alleged failure to charge him with sexual assault. Hailey Giblin is being questioned by police on suspicion of criminal damage after a six-hour demonstration on the top floor of Hull College. The 21-year-old, who wanted to camp there for two weeks, was marking the tenth anniversary of Huntley's alleged molestation. She began the demonstration by putting up a banner and dropping 5,000 leaflets criticising Humberside Police. Mrs Giblin, of Barton-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire, claims she was sexually assaulted by Huntley when she was 11 and living near Grimsby, but he was not prosecuted and went on to kill Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire. She reported the attack to Humberside Police in 1998 and 2005 but the Crown Prosecution Service ruled there was not sufficient evidence for a prosecution. Mrs Giblin, who has waived her right to anonymity, brought a civil case against Huntley, who initially denied the attack. He reversed his plea from his prison cell, and at a hearing at Manchester County Court last year she was formally told that Huntley would not contest the case. Speaking from the top of the building, Mrs Giblin said: "I'm doing fine up here. They are trying to send negotiators up but I'm staying put. Ian Huntley has admitted sexually assaulting me and police can't be bothered to do anything about it. "This investigation is a sham - another smoke screen to shut me up, but I will not shut up. My cries for help have fallen on deaf heartless ears. The police are trying to work out how I got up here." Mrs Giblin sealed the doors to the roof with glue and putty to stop police getting in. Although Huntley is already imprisoned for life, Mrs Giblin said she wants the closure of seeing him stand trial in her own case. Her husband, Colin Giblin, said he was very proud of her standing up for herself. "Obviously she wants to provoke Humberside Police into reinvestigating her claim properly," he said. http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKN0738189520080207 Guatemalans protest wave of bus driver murders Thu Feb 7, 2008 9:13pm GMT By Herbert Hernandez GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Protesters in Guatemala angered by the brutal murders of bus drivers this week blocked traffic on Thursday demanding more security from the country's newly elected government. Over the past week, close to a dozen bus drivers and fare collectors have been murdered, with five killed on Tuesday alone. The government says it was a coordinated assault. "The situation is really bad ... nobody wants to work if they are going to get killed," said one city driver who declined to be named, as military helicopters circled above. Attacks against bus drivers are common in Guatemala, one of the most violent countries in the Americas, with 48 murdered last year. Many of the killings are blamed on violent youth gangs extorting fees from drivers. Guatemala's new left-leaning President Alvaro Colom said organized criminals trying to destabilize his government were behind the murders. "These are terrorist attacks against the government," Colom said on Thursday. "Five bus drivers were killed systematically by professionals." Colom beat a right-wing former general in last year's election promising to reduce endemic poverty and crime. Since the bookish former businessman took office he has fired 72 military and 32 police officers for suspected links to criminal gangs. Guatemala is a transit point for drug traffickers moving Colombian cocaine up through Mexico and into the United States. http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=179482 Schools close for Transkei protest against child rape TSOLO PROTEST: Pupils from five different schools march on the local magistrates' court to express anger at the alleged rape of an 11-year-old schoolgirl. Picture: LULAMILE FENI 2008/02/29 THREE Transkei schools closed their doors yesterday so pupils could stage a protest outside a court where a a 33-year-old taxi owner was facing a child-rape charge. More than 500 pupils and teachers from Victory Christian School, Tsolo Residency Junior Secondary School and Rainbow Primary School gathered outside Tsolo Magistrate's Court. Inside, the man, who cannot be named because it may also identify the under-age victim, made a third appearance accused of sexually abusing the 11-year old girl from Victory Christian School, a private institution. The case was remanded to Qumbu Regional Court, where it was set down for trial on April 16. The accused was released on R2500 bail. Outside the court, the pupils were joined by community members who displayed placards and posters which read: "Real men don't abuse children" and "Taxi owner sleeps with 11yrs old girl". The children and adults sang Senzeni na kulomhlaba ("What have we done wrong on this earth?"). Sibongile Qwesha, principal at Victory Christian School who co-ordinated the march, said they wanted to express their anger over the incident and also support the girl's family. She said the school got to know about it at the end of January when the girl's parents alerted the school management. "We were shocked and we are very upset about this." Qwesha said the sexual abuse allegedly began in June last year but was not discovered until the child was seen with the man when she should have been at school. In a petition handed over to a magistrate, the protesters demanded to know why the suspect was given bail and called for harsh punishment for those who abuse children. Parents of the girl also joined the protest. They said they were hoping justice would prevail. Their child was currently receiving counselling. The father said they noticed the standard of her school work had dropped during the period of alleged abuse. "What kills me is that this man (the suspect) was my very close friend," he said. The latest incident is the third reported case of its kind in Tsolo in as many years. In 2006, a pupil from Tyeni Junior Secondary School was raped, said Noluthando Ndzanga, who teaches at Tsolo Residency Junior. "She ended up dropping out from school." Then last year a child from Ndzanga's school was raped and a male pupil who was with her at the time was murdered by the rapists. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1202064579309&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Feb 4, 2008 17:21 Haredim burn trash cans to protest planned autopsy of J'lem woman By ETGAR LEFKOVITS Dozens of haredim set garbage bins on fire in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighborhood on Monday in protest of police plans to carry out an autopsy on the body of city resident, police said. There were no injuries reported in the lunchtime incident in the neighborhood's Sabbath Square but traffic was blocked in the area. The violence stemmed from police plans to carry out an autopsy on the body of a woman who had choked to death on a small rubber glove. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1201867281701&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Haredi residents of Ramat Beit Shemesh are protesting plans to build a shopping mall complex in their neighborhood. A man walks next to graffiti saying: 'Entrance with modest dress only' next to the Shefa Shuk supermarket in Ramat Beit Shemesh Aleph. Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski [file] The project in Ramat Beit Shemesh Aleph has gained initial city approval and includes a mall, office buildings, a college, and apartments, Beit Shemesh Municipality spokesman Yehuda Gur-Arieh said. The proposal is being marketed to contractors by the Israel Lands Authority, and is intended for both religious and secular residents, Gur-Arieh said. But haredi residents of the predominantly haredi neighborhood said the plan was not appropriate because it would bring in secular outsiders. "We want to see as few secular people as possible in our neighborhood and certainly not on Shabbat," said resident Michal Shtrafberg. "It is clear that such a plan will cause immense opposition and a huge mess." MKs from United Torah Judaism and Shas are working to change the project's location, said Beit Shemesh Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Perlstein, an opponent of the building plans. "People here feel very uneasy about this plan, which was originally made 10 years ago, and which opens up this small neighborhood to the whole world," Perlstein said in a telephone interview. Beit Shemesh has 90,000 residents, including around 24,000 in Ramat Beit Shemesh Aleph and 11,000 in the even more religiously conservative Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet. Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet - where placards tell passersby to wear modest dress - has experienced violence over such issues, with the city's secular police chief repeatedly called a Nazi. A shopping center in Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet lies empty because of haredi opposition, residents said. The mixed part of Beit Shemesh has a large, popular mall. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/article3405800.ece Fathers group mount protest outside Four Courts Wednesday, February 06, 2008 The Unmarried and Separated Fathers of Ireland group has mounted a protest outside the Four Courts as part of its campaign for reform of family law. The organisation claims men are currently discriminated against when family law cases come before the District Court. It says it has received a worrying amount of complaints from fathers who feel they are not treated fairly in those courts as a result of unqualified judges sitting on the bench. The group is calling on the Government to ensure that only specially trained judges be allowed to deal with family disputes. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7237862.stm Masked protest over Scientology The Church of Scientology said the group were cyber terrorists Masked demonstrators gathered outside London's Church of Scientology in protest against the organisation. The group, called Anonymous, said they wanted to highlight the organisation's "inherent flaws" and "fight for freedom of knowledge and information". The City of London Police said about 200 people took part in the peaceful protest in Queen Victoria Street. After about two hours the protestors moved to the Scientology Recruitment Centre in Tottenham Court Road. Similar gatherings took place outside Scientology Centres across the UK and in countries including Australia, Canada and the US. In a video statement broadcast online, the organisers said: "The idea of Anonymous is to systematically dismantle the Church of Scientology in its present form." 'Religious bigotry' They said they were campaigning against "toxic ideals" and a "corrupt leadership", not the beliefs of members. Anonymous posted a Scientology video of Tom Cruise on the internet last month, which was taken down after complaints about copyright infringement. Janet Laveau, from the Church of Scientology, said the protest group were "cyber-terrorists" motivated by "religious bigotry". She said: "The actions of Anonymous will not interrupt the church's normal activities serving its parishioners and the community, and the church is working in co-ordination with local authorities to minimize the negative impact of this mask-wearing, cyber-terrorist group." The protests were held on 10 February to mark the birthday of Lisa McPherson, an American scientologist who died in 1995 while under the care of the organisation. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pune/Mob_rally_to_protest_Chavan_remark/articleshow/2716389.cmsMob rally to protest Chavan remark21 Jan 2008, 0251 hrs IST,TNNPUNE: The alleged criticism of former deputy prime minister YashwantraoChavan during the inauguration of the 81st Akhil Bharatiya Marathi SahityaSammelan - the prestigious all India Marathi literary meet - being held atSangli, had repercussions here in Pune, as a mob of nearly 40 peoplemanhandled former Congress corporator and member of Maharashtra SahityaParishad (MSP) working committee Satish Desai and one Purushottam Kale hereon Sunday.According to the Vishrambaug police, the incident took place during theprotest rally of Congress-party activists at the MSP office on Tilak road inthe afternoon.It may be noted that Koutikrao Thale-Patil, president of the Akhil BharatiyaMarathi Sahitya Mahamandal - the apex Marathi literary body, stronglycriticised late Chavan for "leaving the job of Samyukta (combined)Maharashtra incomplete, which resulted in Maharashtra getting fragmentedareas, with some parts going to Gujarat and Karnataka".The criticism evoked intense reactions in Sangli as well, promptingThale-Patil to tender an apology on Sunday.In the incident at the MSP's Pune office, the mob tried to blacken the facesof Desai and Kale. Though Desai did not register a complaint with thepolice, the Vishrambaug police station registered a case against theactivists for burning an effigy of Thale-Patil.The mob also raised slogans, and Desai intervened as the protestors tried toburn Thale-Patil's effigy. He assured that a statement condemningThale-Patil's remarks was being issued by the MSP. However, the mob refusedto be mollified and manhandled both of them."The manhandling incident was unexpected. The Maharashtra Sahitya Parishadhas already condemned the statement made by Thale-Patil, and does not haveany connection with his statements. The incidence took place when both of ustried to prevent the mob from agitating," Desai told TOI.Congress leader Sanjay Balgude said, "We strongly protest against thestatements made by Thale-Patil about former deputy prime ministerYashawantrao Chavan."http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gSFdva5EOBTCyP9Qb4lXWn-eqWQgLiverpool fans call on American owners to sell club in Anfield protestMar 5, 2008LIVERPOOL, England - Liverpool fans staged a mass protest during Wednesday'sPremier League match against West Ham, urging the club's American owners tosell the team to a Dubai consortium.The Kop - Liverpool's most loyal and vocal supporters - stayed packed intoits 72 rows throughout the 15-minute halftime interval and recited chantswarning Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. not to cling to power. The duorejected a 400 million pound (C$800 million) offer from Dubai InternationalCapital this week."Liverpool Football Club is in the wrong hands," the Kop sang.Banners were also raised emblazoned with the text "Take ya bounty and getout of our club" and "Dubai SOS. Yank Out."Liverpool won the match 4-0, moving it into fourth place in the standings.Fans are upset that the duo, which took charge last March, have saddled theclub with debt, failed to start building a new stadium and sought to replacepopular manager Rafa Benitez.Hicks has repeatedly said he wants to keep is stake in the club, whileGillett - who also owns the Montreal Canadiens - has signalled a willingnessto sell. However, Hicks has said he can block Gillett from selling.Fans outside Anfield just want harmony to return to the 18-time Englishchampion and five-time European Cup winner."I'm not interested who they sell to," 36-year-old lifelong fan Philip Smithsaid. "I just want an end to the uncertainty, whether it's DIC buying outthe Americans, or Hicks buying out Gillett."Les Weston said fans should give Hicks more time to put things right."Lots of the fans are being rash and hasty, it's not Hicks or Gillett toblame for things going wrong on the pitch - it's the players on the pitch,"the 30-year-old Weston said."I reckon Hicks is best for the club's long-term progress. He's going tobuild a new stadium and has already signed players. Come back in a couple ofyears and the fans' views will have changed and they will be more positive." From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 07:25:19 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:25:19 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] CAMEROON: Unrest over high prices rocks regime Message-ID: <006d01c89e3b$653e4d20$0802a8c0@andy1> * Unrest in Douala, also in the capital Yaounde, in Buea and in the west of the country * Unrest sparked by taxi strike over police abuse, protests and strikes over commodity prices, and attempts by president to stand for re-election * Reports of clashes with police, looting, burning buses and tyres, and ?what looked like an uprising? * A number of people ? maybe 20 - were killed, some murdered by police, others in clashes or accidents * Police attacked protesters with live ammunition and tear gas dropped from helicopters * In one case police forced people off a bridge into the river * Police retributions included house raids, rapes, torture and robbery * Mass arrests ? hundreds sentenced to up to 2 years in unfair trials; many ?buy their freedom? or are released * The unrest forced concessions including wage increases and price cuts * Police attacks on independent radio stations have been widely denounced * While some journalists and politicians look for scapegoats, blaming opposition leaders and ?bandits?, serious analysts suggest the unrest shows the impact of global price rises on fragile patronage systems Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/27/africa/27cameroon.php Anti-government rioting spreads in Cameroon Reuters Published: February 27, 2008 YAOUNDE, Cameroon: Anti-government riots paralyzed the Cameroon capital and main port on Wednesday as popular anger exploded over high fuel and food prices and a bid by President Paul Biya to extend his 25-year rule. Local journalists said one protester was killed by armed police on Wednesday in the southwest town of Buea. The unrest - the worst in over 15 years in this central African oil producing nation - has killed at least seven people since it broke out at the weekend in the port of Douala, a major African shipping hub. There were unconfirmed reports of several more deaths on Wednesday but no reliable total was immediately available. Local journalists said Cameroonian authorities were instructing state media and hospital staff not to publicize deaths. The rioting spread on Wednesday to the capital Yaounde after sweeping through western towns in the last four days. Riot police fired tear gas at protesters in both cities, sometimes using helicopters to drop gas canisters from the air. State radio appealed for calm, saying the government had agreed with union leaders to make cuts in gasoline and fuel prices, one of the key demands of the protesters. But people expressed outrage at the small size of the reductions. In Yaounde, bands of stone-throwing youths blocked streets with barricades of burning tires and timber. Businesses and shops closed and parents rushed to fetch their children from schools. Some vehicles were smashed and torched. Some protesters chanted slogans against Biya, whose announcement last month that he might seek changes in the constitution to prolong his mandate has angered many opposition supporters. "Biya has gone too far, he must go," shouted one demonstrator in Yaounde. Others chanted: "We're fed up." In the commercial capital of Douala, a police helicopter dropped tear gas on hundreds of protesters who marched to demand bigger cuts in fuel and food prices. As the marchers scattered in panic on Wouri Bridge, some fell into the river. Witnesses saw police arrest dozens of protesters, taking them away in trucks. Some were beaten with rifle butts, the witnesses said. Anti-government protests were also reported in Bamenda in the northwest. Cameroon is the world's fourth largest cocoa producer; no details were immediately available on disruption to shipments. Cameroon's government and union leaders reached an agreement late on Tuesday to end a taxi drivers' strike which had triggered the rioting and widespread looting in Douala - a hotbed of opposition to Biya - and other towns. The government agreed to cut the price of a liter of gasoline to 594 CFA francs, or about $1.36, from 600. Similar small reductions were agreed for other fuel products like kerosene. The riots followed similar protests against the high cost of living in other West African countries after soaring oil prices pushed up prices for energy products and basic foodstuffs. Biya announced eight weeks ago that he might change the constitution to stay in power when his term ends in 2011. Critics say Biya, 75, could use his party's majority in Parliament to make the constitutional modifications. The U.S. embassy in Cameroon advised its citizens to avoid travel in the country. "Roadblocks have been erected without notice by both demonstrators and petty criminals on many of the major thoroughfares of Cameroon," it said in a message posted on the embassy Web site. "Food, fuel and water are increasingly scarce, not only in Douala but in other cities where expectation of shortage has sparked a run on gasoline," it added. http://www.niletext.gov.eg/news.asp?sub=World&storyid=14662 Protests paralyse Cameroon's capital and port city (27/2/2008) Anti-government riots paralysed Cameroon's capital and main port on Wednesday as popular anger exploded over high fuel and food prices and a bid by President Paul Biya to extend his 25-year rule. Local journalists said one protester was killed by armed police on Wednesday in the southwest town of Buea. The unrest -- the worst in over 15 years in the central African oil producer -- has killed at least seven people since it broke out at the weekend in the port of Douala, a major African shipping hub. There were unconfirmed reports of several more deaths on Wednesday but no reliable total was immediately available. Local journalists said Cameroonian authorities were instructing state media and hospital staff not to publicise deaths. The rioting spread on Wednesday to the capital Yaounde after sweeping through western towns in the last four days. Riot police fired tear gas at protesters in both cities, sometimes using helicopters to drop gas canisters from the air. State radio appealed for calm, saying the government had agreed with union leaders to make cuts in gasoline and fuel prices, one of the key demands of the protesters. But people expressed outrage at the small size of the reductions. In Yaounde, bands of stone-throwing youths blocked streets with barricades of burning tyres and timber. Businesses and shops closed and parents rushed to fetch their children from schools. Some vehicles were smashed and torched. Some protesters chanted slogans against Biya, whose announcement last month that he might seek changes in the constitution to prolong his mandate has angered many opposition supporters. "Biya has gone too far, he must go," shouted one demonstrator in Yaounde. Others chanted: "We're fed up". In the commercial capital of Douala, a police helicopter dropped tear gas on hundreds of protesters who marched to demand bigger cuts in fuel and food prices. As the marchers scattered in panic on Wouri Bridge, some fell into the river. Witnesses saw police arrest dozens of protesters, taking them away in trucks. Some were beaten with rifle butts, the witnesses said. Anti-government protests were also reported in Bamenda in the northwest. Cameroon is the world's fourth largest cocoa producer but no details were immediately available on disruption to shipments. PRICES Cameroon's government and union leaders reached an agreement late on Tuesday to end a taxi drivers' strike which had triggered the rioting and widespread looting in Douala -- a hotbed of opposition to Biya -- and other towns. The government agreed to cut the price of a litre of gasoline to 594 CFA francs ($1.36) from 600. Similar small reductions were agreed for other fuel products like kerosene. The riots followed similar protests against the high cost of living in other West African countries after soaring oil prices pushed up prices for energy products and basic foodstuffs. Biya announced eight weeks ago he might change the constitution to stay in power when his term ends in 2011. Critics say Biya, 75, could use his party's majority in parliament to make the constitutional modifications. The U.S. embassy in Cameroon advised its citizens to avoid travel in the country. "Roadblocks have been erected without notice by both demonstrators and petty criminals on many of the major thoroughfares of Cameroon," it said in a message posted on the embassy Web site. "Food, fuel and water are increasingly scarce, not only in Douala but in other cities where expectation of shortage has sparked a run on gasoline," it added. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5itrCnalXSGAMyav1o3WScSPMLwRQ At least three killed as riots sweep Cameroon Feb 25, 2008 DOUALA, Cameroon (AFP) ? Three people were killed when riots broke out Monday in Cameroon's economic capital Douala, the country's communications minister said, but witnesses put the body-count as high as six. Police battled protesters from early morning and small demonstrations began at road junctions, while youths armed with clubs looted shops during a road haulage strike, witnesses and an AFP correspondent saw. The city is a stronghold of opposition to President Paul Biya, who has been in power since 1982 but last month made clear that he wanted to stand for office again in 2011. This triggered protests in Douala and a ban on rallies, which Biya's government said was for fear of turmoil similar to the rioting and killing seen in Kenya since a disputed election there in December. "There have been three deaths," Communications Minister Jean-Pierre Biyiti Bi Essam said in a television interview late Monday. Nevertheless, a journalist from the independent daily La Nouvelle Expression told AFP he had seen four bodies -- a teenager, a woman and two men -- in the city's Bonaberi district. Two other people were shot dead in another area, Bessengue, according to a witness and another Cameroonian journalist, who said these bodies were taken to the morgue at the city's Laquintinie hospital. Bi Essam, reached by telephone earlier in the day, said he knew of one of the Bonaberi dead as well as the Bessengue victims. "Service stations and shops have been looted on the road into the town," the minister added, giving no further details. Witnesses said police battled protesters who set fires and burned cars on the main road to Yaounde, the political capital, while residents of a few other towns also spoke of disturbances and transport strikes. Many of Douala's three million people stayed indoors and kept stores closed after a road haulage strike was announced for Monday, fearing that the protest called over the price of fuel and basic products could turn violent. An AFP correspondent saw several injured people taken to the Laquentinie Hospital -- one, shot in the chest, in a wheelbarrow. A kiosk was in flames in front of the hospital, surrounded by a menacing crowd. Gunfire could be heard in the Bonaberi district, where thick columns of smoke rose into the air. Violent clashes were reported in several other parts of town and vehicles and piled-up tyres were on fire. State radio reported that in one city district, the town hall and several other public buildings had been ransacked and the news broadcast spoke of "a tense situation," but made no mention of any casualties. The ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC) released a brief radio statement lashing out at "blind and unjustified violence, intolerable under the rule of law." It also presented condolences to "grieving families", without details of casualties, and accused unnamed politicians of "manipulating" protesters. "So that's democracy," one local man exclaimed on seeing an injured man trying to reach the hospital. "Look what Cameroon's come to." "Biya must go," another said. The head of state's intentions remained unclear until early January, when he said that a current constitutional limit on a third elected mandate "sits badly with the very idea of democratic choice." With business disrupted, traffic at a standstill and taxi drivers also on strike, gangs of youths sought to profit from the disturbanceson Monday. In the Akwa district, they raided shops owned by Chinese traders. A resident of Buea, 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Douala, described a "confused situation" with clashes between "people throwing stones at police who are trying to take down barricades." At Dshang in the west, a student told AFP that "hooligans have smashed up everything, ransacked the university." Also in the west, clashes were reported from Foumban, Bafoussam and Kumba. Apart from a transport strike, Yaounde itself was unaffected by the trouble and so was Bamende, the stronghold in partly English-speaking west Cameroon of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) led by opposition veteran John Fru Ndi. But SDF supporters in Douala have defied the ban on political protests. One man in his 20s was shot dead on Saturday during clashes with police arising from a banned SDF rally. http://stopdeportationofguy.wordpress.com/2008/02/28/death-toll-reaches-17-in-cameroon-protests/ Death toll reaches 20 in Cameroon protests Posted by kirrily on February 28, 2008 Police and soldiers in western Cameroon shot and killed at least three protesters on Thursday as anti-government riots smouldered on despite a government appeal for dialogue, witnesses said. http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL28876577.html Cameroon clashes claim more lives after strike ends Douala, Cameroon, Feb 27, 2008 (AFP) http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iG8xiu5ZfwzCyRsPQqEJtuuAAm-g - Renewed violence broke out Wednesday in Cameroon, where the mayor of the western town of Njombe reported eight more deaths in clashes, after a two-day transport strike triggered unrest.Eric Kingue, a member of the ruling Cameroon People?s Democratic Rally, told private Canal 2 television that two people were killed on Wednesday morning in Njombe itself, and six others died on Tuesday night in Loum, further north.Strife over the price of fuel and essential products erupted on Monday and tapped into opposition protests against a proposal to change the constitution to enable President Paul Biya to run for office again in 2011. The latest reports of violence brought the death toll to 17 since an opposition protest in Douala on Saturday, according to an AFP tally. The economic and political unrest has been accompanied by looting and vandalism. Witnesses reported further clashes between protestors and riot police in several districts of the western port city of Douala, the central African country?s economic capital. National radio reported that unions representing transport workers had won a small cut in petrol prices, appealed for calm and called off the strike they launched on Monday. The Roman Catholic archbishop of Yaounde, Christian Tumi, also called for an end to the unrest, after the unrest spread Tuesday to the capital itself, east of Douala and in the heart of the country. Gunfire again broke out in the Bonaberi district of Douala, a stronghold of opposition to Biya, as riot police took up positions on the main bridge over the Wouri river in the city, where streets were empty of traffic. Witnesses said that the police on the bridge turned water cannon on protesters there and some people fell into the river. There were also reports of gunfire and columns of smoke in the southwestern town of Buea. In Yaounde, after a tense night, traffic reappeared in the morning but ground to a halt later, as bands of vandals roamed the streets and petrol stations remained closed for fear of attacks, an AFP correspondent noted. One witness said that rioters burned a bus. ?Shops and stores are closed. Everybody?s trying to get home,? a Yaounde resident told AFP. Though road haulage unions decided to call for a return to work after the government agreed to cut petrol prices, the unrest comes against a background of protest at the cost of living and a crackdown on the opposition. ?What?s happening in Cameroon has nothing to do with a simple strike against a rise in fuel prices,? Joshua Osih, vice-president of the opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF), said Wednesday. ?It?s the expression of multiple frustrations among the Cameroonian people. The trouble runs deep,? Osih added, pointing out that most of those engaged in vandalism were unemployed people under 30. Douala authorities in mid-January banned rallies and demonstrations in the city because of political opposition to a constitutional change Biya wants that would enable him to run for another term of office. Biya, 75, has been in power since 1982, on succeeding Ahmadou Ahidjo, who resigned. He has made no statement on the unrest and rarely speaks in public. The opposition, spearheaded by veteran John Fru Ndi and his SDF, accuses the his government and ruling party, which is divided into a hardline old guard and reformers, of plunging the country into corruption and poverty.The head of state?s intentions remained unclear until early January, when he said that a current constitutional bar on a third elected presidential term ?sits badly with the very idea of democratic choice.?A first person was killed when riot police on Saturday violently broke up a rally in Douala, where the SDF vowed to defy the ban. Protest banners carried in several towns since have combined protests at the cost of living with calls for Biya?s resignation. http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL28876577.html Three killed as Cameroon protests smoulder on Thu 28 Feb 2008, 17:41 GMT [-] Text [+] (Recasts with fresh deaths, adds cocoa deliveries disruption) By Tansa Musa YAOUNDE, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Police and soldiers in western Cameroon shot and killed at least three protesters on Thursday as anti-government riots smouldered on despite a government appeal for dialogue, witnesses said. In the worst unrest in over 15 years in the central African oil producer, up to 20 people have been killed in street demonstrations that have swept through western towns and the central capital Yaounde to protest at high fuel and food prices. Protesters are also opposing a bid by President Paul Biya to extend his mandate after 25 years in power. In at least two western towns, Bamenda and Bafang, new protests flared on Thursday, local journalists said. They said soldiers and police in Bamenda shot dead three people as stone-throwing protesters confronted them. A local official, who asked not to be named, also confirmed the deaths. "Our beautiful country is at a crossroads, people are dying in our main cities," Communication Minister Jean Pierre Biyiti bi Essam said. "Let's call for dialogue and negotiations between people whenever there are differences." The death toll was "very high, but less than 20", he said. Yaounde and the main commercial port of Douala, which were paralysed by rioting and looting on Wednesday, were tense but relatively calm on Thursday. Police and soldiers patrolled the streets, but most businesses remained closed. The protests have blocked goods and workers from reaching the harbour in Douala, a key port hub on Africa's west coast. Cameroon is the world's fourth-ranked cocoa producer. Late deliveries to the coast from its 2007/2008 main cocoa crop were blocked in the southwest growing region because of the riots. Gangs of youths stood menacingly in the Bonaberi shanty town on the edge of Douala. The few taxi drivers who ventured out said it was too dangerous to cross into the city centre. SOMBRE BROADCAST The latest unrest came after a warning from Biya that he would use "all legal means" to maintain order. The sombre-faced president, 75, appeared on state television late on Wednesday to accuse political opponents of fomenting the riots to try to topple him by force. He offered no concessions to protesters demanding lower fuel and basic foods, beyond slight fuel price cuts agreed by the government on Tuesday. Biya announced eight weeks ago he might change the constitution to stay in power when his term ends in 2011. Critics say he could use his party's majority in parliament to make the constitutional amendments. The president's broadcast appeared to have infuriated many protesters, including taxi drivers whose strike over high fuel prices on Monday triggered the wider unrest. "This man is not serious. Is he taking us for fools?" said Sebastien Ebanga, a taxi driver in Yaounde. "The strike will continue," he added. John Fru Ndi, president of the main opposition Social Democratic Front party, denied Biya's charge that the opposition was behind the demonstrations. He said Biya ruled like an "absentee landlord, not always in touch with the people". Soaring oil prices have pushed up costs of energy products and basic foodstuffs in West Africa, causing outbreaks of unrest. In poor suburbs of Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou on Thursday, police fired tear gas against residents protesting against high prices who blocked roads with burning tyres. (Additional reporting by Talla Ruben in Doula and Mathieu Bonkoungou in Ouagadougou; writing by Pascal Fletcher, editing by Mark Trevelyan) http://en.afrik.com/article12667.html Riots kill 12 in Douala At least 12 persons were killed in a riot that broke out Monday in Douala, the economic capital of Cameroon. The riot stemmed from a general strike action by urban and interurban transport unions protesting against an increases in foodstuff and petroleum prices. Tuesday 26 February 2008, by Will Ghartey-Mould The unrest which started on Saturday in Douala, escalated on Monday with scenes of looting coupled with clashes between police forces and strikers in what looked like a city in an uprising. "Two people were pulled out of their cars and beaten to death in the Bonaberi area", according to an eye witness. "A third person was burnt to death in a fire that ravaged an administrative building in the 5th arrondissement of Doula, while a young man suffocated to death from tear gas used to quell the riots, as well as two others in Bessengue, an area close to the commercial area", he added. In other developments, a female gendarme who found herself caught in a stranglehold among rioters, opened fire killing a college student, whose body is presently being kept at the Laquintinie Hospital morgue, according to sources. Last Saturday, two protesters were shot to death when the police opened fire using real bullets in an area known as "Rond point Dakar", a working-class neighbourhood in the Cameroonian economic capital, during a political meeting organised by the Social Democratic Front (SDF, the main parliamentary opposition party) which was finally postponed. The SDF had planned to protest the amendment of the Cameroonian Constitution to favour a third term representation by Paul Biya in the next presidential election in 2011. A well supported general strike The rallying cry for the general strike, Monday, by fourteen Camerooninan transport union organisations against the increase in petroleum prices that has in turn increased prices for other products, was largely supported across the country, especially in Douala. No car nor motto bikes were to be seen in the city?s streets on Monday morning. This forced thousands of people to get to their work places by foot. The strikers, endorsed by the National Union of Transport Owners and Taxi-Motto drivers, demanded an end to abuses from city guards and police forces both in Douala and Yaound?, a lowering of foodstuff and petroleum prices, as well as a collective labour agreement governing their occupation. Populations in Douala erected roadblocks and burnt car tyres. Widespread looting was also reported among gas service stations and shops. Clashes between police forces and protestors also took place in Douala. No incidents were reported in Yaond?. With Panapress http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=76932 CAMEROON: Douala burns as taxi strike turns into general rioting Photo: Elizabeth Dickinson/IRIN Rioters burning vehicles and tires in Douala DOUALA, 25 February 2008 (IRIN) - Residents of Douala awoke to heavy gunfire on 25 February. Columns of thick black smoke rose over the city as youths burned buses, cars and tyres, blocking off major arteries in the city. There were also reports of widespread looting. ?We can?t leave our homes,? a man in Akwa, an area in the city centre, told IRIN. ?I live near a school and can see teachers sending home all students that arrive. Rioters are occupying other schools in the area." At least two dead bodies have arrived at the city morgue with gunshot wounds to the head, a journalist told IRIN. IRIN also saw people with serious gunshot wounds being carried to a hospital. The rioting appears to have been sparked off by a taxi strike planned for 25 February. Many people say they are sympathetic with drivers? complaints of rising fuel prices and the cost of living. IRIN saw no vehicles in the city centre other than those belonging to security forces. Political tensions have been high in recent days with the government attempting to push through constitutional reforms that would remove restrictions on the number of times that Cameroon?s long-time leader Paul Biya can be re-elected. He has been in power since 1982. An unauthorised demonstration took place on 23 February in Newtown, a suburb near the airport, in which police reportedly fired tear gas and water cannons at a crowd of several hundred people. One protestor was killed, according to government officials, but eye witnesses said at least one other youth also died. The following day, Sunday, the city was calm until the evening when gunfire erupted again near the airport. By Monday morning rioting had broken out throughout the city. Accounts of the violence One of the main bridges to the city has been blocked by burning tires, according to an eyewitness living nearby. ?We see smoke everywhere and hear constant gunfire,? she said. A national radio station reported that many government buildings were on fire, including a town hall and one of the finance ministry buildings. Photo: Elizabeth Dickinson/IRIN The rioting appears to have been sparked off by a taxi strike planned for 25 February The main road between Douala and the capital, Yaounde, is blocked by burning tires and IRIN saw a number of petrol stations being looted along that road. Youths have also reportedly broken into at least one major retail store. In the city centre, IRIN saw large gangs of youths moving through the streets with no police in sight. But elsewhere police were seen arbitrarily arresting civilians. ?I saw two people in front of my office being stopped by the police and arrested for no reason,? said Madeline Afite, a human rights advocate for NGO Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture. People catching flights out of the city had to walk to the airport. IRIN saw young men attempting to enter the airport compound. Some were armed and appeared to be shooting at the police. Police also appeared to be returning fire. ?I think what is happening is that youths saw recent events in Kenya and are now trying to copy,? Mary Mballa, a mother in Newtown, told IRIN. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL28501881 Cameroon government urges dialogue to end riots Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:37am EST By Tansa Musa YAOUNDE, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Cameroon's authorities appealed for dialogue on Thursday to defuse the worst anti-government riots in over a decade, but opposition leaders called President Paul Biya "out of touch" after 25 years in power. Officials estimate up to 20 people have been killed in five days of protests in several cities, including the main port of Douala and the capital Yaounde. Protesters have vented their rage over high fuel and food prices and a bid by Biya to prolong his presidential mandate in the central African oil producer. Yaounde and Douala, which were paralysed by rioting and looting on Wednesday, were tense but relatively calm on Thursday. Police and soldiers patrolled the streets, but most businesses were closed and public transport was not operating. A sombre-faced Biya, who is 75, appeared on state television late on Wednesday to accuse political opponents of fomenting the riots to try to topple him by force. He offered no concessions to protesters demanding falls in the cost of fuel and basic foods, beyond slight fuel price cuts agreed by the government on Tuesday. The government would use "all legal means" to guarantee the rule of law, Biya said. Communication Minister Jean Pierre Biyiti bi Essam followed up on Thursday with an appeal for dialogue. "Our beautiful country is at a crossroads, people are dying in our main cities and peace is in danger ... Let's call for dialogue and negotiations between people whenever there are differences," he told Reuters after meeting newspaper editors to urge them to contribute to the dialogue process. Biyiti bi Essam said it was difficult to give a precise death toll from the riots, in which stone-throwing protesters clashed with armed riot police and public buildings, businesses, shops and vehicles were set ablaze in a string of western towns. "The death toll is very high, but less than 20," the minister said. But he said not all the deaths occurred in clashes between security forces and protesters. Some resulted from the settling of personal scores and fights over loot. Far from pacifying citizens, Biya's broadcast appeared to have infuriated many protesters, including taxi drivers whose strike over high fuel prices on Monday triggered the wider unrest. Witnesses reported protests overnight in the western towns of Limbe and Bamenda and at least one person was killed. CLAMOUR FOR PRICE CUTS "This man is not serious. Is he taking us for fools?" said Sebastien Ebanga, a taxi driver in Yaounde. "The strike will continue," he added. John Fru Ndi, president of the main opposition Social Democratic Front party, denied Biya's charge that the opposition was behind the demonstrations. He said Biya ruled like an "absentee landlord, not always in touch with the people". "He does not know their problems," he added. Biya announced eight weeks ago he might change the constitution to stay in power when his term ends in 2011. Critics say he could use his party's majority in parliament to make the constitutional amendments. The riots followed similar protests against the high cost of living in other West African countries after soaring oil prices pushed up prices for energy products and basic foodstuffs. (Additional reporting by Talla Ruben in Doula; writing by Pascal Fletcher, editing by Mark Trevelyan) http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=45037§ionid=351020506 Riots in Cameroon kill 4, injure 11 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 05:08:17 Rioters raid shops in the Akwa district of Douala Protests in Cameroon over high commodity prices have killed at least four people and injured 11 others in three days, officials say. One of the victims was a student who suffocated in a tear gas attack in Douala, 250 kilometers south of Cameroon's capital of Yaounde, according to police. At least 11 people were rushed to Yaounde Central Hospital with injuries on Wednesday, including a woman who was shot in the face, said hospital physician Dr. David Mote. The protest began in Douala, Cameroon's economic capital, on Monday with a transportation strike as taxi and bus drivers called for lower fuel prices. It gathered strength on Tuesday and erupted with full force on Wednesday, spreading north to Yaounde, as protesters expanded their complaint to include cement, rice and other commodity prices. Thousands of people holding placards blocked intersections in Yaounde, ransacking cars that attempted to pass. Police used tear gas and rubber batons to beat back protesters. AGB/RA http://news.aol.com/story/_a/protest-turns-violent-in-cameroon/n20080227165709990044 Protest turns violent in Cameroon BY EMMANUEL TUMANJONG, AP Posted: 2008-02-27 16:57:48 YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) - At least four people have been killed and 11 injured in three days of protests over high commodity prices in Cameroon's two largest cities, according to police and a doctor. In Douala, 250 kilometers (150 miles) south of Cameroon's capital of Yaounde, police said four people were killed Monday, including a student that suffocated in a tear gas attack. "A student who was among the vandals perpetrating looting was suffocated to death in the Bonamussadi neighborhood," said the officer who requested anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to the press. At least 11 people were rushed to Yaounde Central Hospital with injuries on Wednesday, including a woman who was shot in the face, said hospital physician Dr. David Mote. The protest began in Douala, Cameroon's economic capital, on Monday with a transportation strike as taxi and bus drivers called for lower fuel prices. It gathered strength on Tuesday and erupted with full force on Wednesday, spreading north to Yaounde, as demonstrators expanded their complaint to include cement, rice and other commodity prices. President Paul Biya spoke angrily as he addressed the nation Wednesday evening on state-run TV: "It is unacceptable that such attitudes should serve as a pretext for violence against people and property," he said. "Public buildings (have been) destroyed or burnt down and shops looted or devastated. State property is our common heritage. These are your effort, reduced to nothing," he said. But longtime opposition leader John Fru Ndi said Biya had only himself to blame for the eruption of violence. "Mr. Biya is an absentee landlord. He's never around the people," he said, adding: "He never knows how much a market woman goes through to bring her goods to the market. He doesn't know anything. To say that fuel is not expensive, Mr. Biya wouldn't know because he has never gone to the gas station." Thousands of people holding placards blocked intersections in Yaounde, ransacking cars that attempted to pass. Police used tear gas and rubber batons to beat back demonstrators. In both cities, government offices and private businesses were looted and some were set ablaze. Over the weekend, three people were reported dead in a separate demonstration calling for the reopening of the shuttered Equinoxe TV station in Douala. The private http://www.friendsofcameroon.org/2008/03/01/after-week-of-unrest-cameroon-appears-calmer/ March 2, 2008 After Week of Unrest, Cameroon Appears Calmer By WILL CONNORS The New York Times LAGOS, Nigeria ? Calm appeared to be returning to Cameroon after rare violent demonstrations inspired, in part, by frustrations over the president?s recent announcement that he wanted to amend the Constitution to allow him to run for another term. President Paul Biya has been in office for 25 years and critics say he has allowed too few freedoms in his efforts to maintain stability. Up to 20 people were killed last week after riots in the capital, Yaound?, the main port city of Douala and several western towns, according to news reports, but it was unclear how they died. The reports said that government soldiers had fired bullets and tear gas at demonstrators. The government has said that fewer than 20 people were killed and blamed ?delinquents? bent on looting and opposition politicians trying to foment unrest for some of the violence. The unrest began last weekend when a transport union went on strike in Douala to protest high fuel prices and angry youths took to the streets to protest fuel and food costs. The strike ended Wednesday, but the violent demonstrations continued and spread to Yaound?, and quickly took on a political edge. ?It?s the expression of multiple frustrations among the Cameroonian people,? Joshua Osih, vice president of the main opposition group Social Democratic Front, told Agence France-Presse. ?The trouble runs deep.? By Friday, soldiers were patrolling the streets of the capital for the first time in years, shops were reopening and taxis were operating again. In January, Mr. Biya, president since 1982 and prime minister for seven years before that, said he would amend the Constitution, which was written in the 1990s and dictates a two-term limit on presidents, so that he could run for another seven-year term in 2011 elections. He was last elected in 2004. ?For some people the objective is to obtain through violence what they were unable to obtain through the ballot box,? the president said in a speech last week. The government closed a popular radio station Thursday after listeners called in to complain about the president?s handling of the protests, according to the media watch group Reporters Without Borders. On Friday the United States Embassy in Cameroon issued a warning encouraging all Americans to evacuate. As violence eased, the statement was amended to urge Americans to exercise strong caution and to avoid unnecessary travel. http://www.friendsofcameroon.org/2008/03/01/travel-alert-cameroon/ Travel Warning United States Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs Washington, DC 20520 CAMEROON February 28, 2008 This Travel Warning is being issued to advise American citizens of the unstable security situation in Cameroon. On February 28, the Department of State authorized the departure from Cameroon of eligible family members of American employees of the U.S. Embassy throughout Cameroon. American citizens in Cameroon should exercise extreme caution and try to depart the country if their situation permits. American citizens outside of Cameroon should defer non-essential travel until the security situation stabilizes and critical services are restored. International flights into Douala and Yaounde continue, but may be diverted or cancelled on short notice. U.S. citizens should monitor the U.S. Embassy Yaounde website at http://yaounde.usembassy.gov and media sources for the latest information. This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Alert for Cameroon of February 27, 2008. Since February 25, the city of Douala has experienced violent demonstrations, roadblocks, looting, and clashes with police resulting in numerous fatalites. Although the violence has been worse in Douala and the Littoral, South West, West and North West provinces, unrest began in the capital city of Yaounde on the morning of February 27 and the security situation throughout Cameroon is dynamic. Critical services continue to deteriorate and there are growing shortages of food, fuel and water, as well as transportation disruptions, throughout the country. U.S. citizens or family members concerned for the safety of American citizens in Cameroon or with an after hours emergency may call 24/7 at 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada. Callers outside the U.S. or Canada should call our regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. American citizens in Cameroon are urged to register with the U.S. Embassy at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/. http://www.friendsofcameroon.org/2008/03/10/166/ Tidbits of Cameroon?s Civil Unrest - Feb - March 2008 March 10th, 2008 by FriendsofCameroon By Joe Dinga Pefok Leocadia Bongben & Elvis Tah Bamenda: Northwest Governor, Achidi Achu, J. B Ndeh Tear-gassed Northwest Governor, Abakar Ahamat, who had braved it to the Bamenda Commercial Avenue grandstand to conclude his maiden tour of the seven Divisions on Tuesday morning, was greeted by angry rioters. As the surging crowd invaded the grandstand, anti-riot gendarmes and soldiers fired teargas, which nearly suffocated the officials who went crashing on their bellies. Apart from Abakar, former Prime Minister, Simon Achidi Achu, John B. Ndeh and a host of others came short of taking to their heels. Free Booze There was a free for all self-service boozing at three brewery depots in Bamenda. Youths were seen with crates of beer looted from Guinness S.A and Les Brasseries du Cameroun all over major streets. Some who got drunk were arrested and they only regained soberness in detention camps. Yaounde:Transporters Warn Government Against Obsolete Methods Transporters? trade unions have warned government to do away with colonial methods of solving problems. The transporters sounded this warning at a meeting with the Director of the National Hydrocarbons Price Stabilisation Fund, CSPH, Ibrahim Talba Malla, and government officials. They said government instead of addressing a problem, turn around it. They urged government to ensure that the promises made are redeemed. The trade union leaders argued that if government had just reduced the price of fuel even by FCFA 5, there wouldn?t have been a strike. They accused government for being responsible for the strike. Though the meeting was to inform them of the price fixing methods employed by the CSPH, the trade unionists said they had learned such mathematics since 2005 and wanted only cuts in the price of fuel. Gendarmes Vandalise Magic FM Gendarmes reportedly made their way into the studios of Magic FM on Wednesday and ceased broadcast equipment. They snipped wires, ceased telephones and took away computers. According to information from Kiyeck, Magic FM Editor-in-Chief, the problem is that ?Magic Attitude? a call-in programme is allegedly critical of government. He said the gendarmes accused them of inciting the people to make them revolt, the consequence being the strike. Kiyeck said that it should have been the work of the Ministry of Communication that is silent on the issue. Drivers Say Their Leaders Were Bribed Drivers have accused their leaders of being corrupted by the government for them to call off the strike. They say this explains why they did not negotiate well enough. To them, it is normal for the government to raise fuel price by FCFA 16 only to take it down by a meagre FCFA 6. Following the accusations, some of the syndicate offices are said to have been destroyed and the leaders are in hiding. Though there are threats for the strike to resume on Monday, the President of the Taxi Drivers? Trade Union has maintained that efforts are underway to ensure that the arrested drivers are released before Monday. Students Circulate Tracts Students who joined the strike circulated tracts with a heading which read, ?Youths are Saying: No to Constitutional Amendment?. Following a meeting that held in Douala on February 17, the youths represented by ADDEC, CECODEV, UNECA, UBSU, FCJ, MOCPAT, Uone, SOS- Jeunesse Libre, Un Monde a Venir, SURCI, and Masters of the Game, they declared that the constitutional revision can be envisaged only after 2011. They announced the creation of the Youths? Patriotic and Popular Council to independently organise and federate without any external influence of youth political participation. Buea: Brutality The transporters? strike plunged Buea on Monday, February 25 into a ?ghost town? of sorts. This situation was made worst by death and several injured youths after protestors clashed with anti-riot police. Troops fired live bullets in the air and used teargas to disperse stone-throwing youths, while several youths were arrested and detained. Besides this, the troops went on the rampage breaking into private homes, beating household members and looting property such as TV sets, cell phones, money and other valuables. Man Hides Under Bed A father in Great Soppo reportedly hid under his bed leaving his wife and two little children in the parlour when troops invaded his house. The troops ordered one of his kids to go to the room and call his father, which he did. The father reportedly chased the boy, who lied to the troops that his father had escaped. The officers then asked for money from the man?s wife, who received some strokes for not giving anything. Police Stopped From Looting Policemen got to a palm wine drinking spot belonging to a certain Romanus. There were people drinking palm wine outside while others were inside his parlour watching TV. When the police arrived, those who were outside alerted those in the house and they all escaped, causing a stampede. The police ate some bananas that were for sale, and were about going away with the TV set, when Romanus and a group came out of their hideout and stopped them. The policemen quietly gave back the TV set when Romanus and his group and other people started jeering at them, calling them thieves. In Sandpit, it was a combination of armed forces, gendarmes and policemen that raided hous es and beat up the occupants. One of the victims, Richard Tanto, a barber, who was badly wounded on the head and arm, told The Post that he was sleeping in his saloon when the soldiers smashed the door and started brutalising him. ?The soldiers hit me with the end of a gun, destroyed my shaving mirror and other items?? Tanto said. 4 Shot, I Killed In Muea Troops deployed in Muea reportedly shot four youths killing one on Wednesday, February 27. A boy of about 12 was shot in the chest and he died immediately. Bullets caught three others in their legs and buttocks. A certain Roland Moki was shot in his right buttock, while another, Yengong Abubakar, received a bullet in his ankle. The third, whose only name we got as Eric, received a bullet in his right leg that was amputated. The Post learned from the Buea Provincial Hospital Annex that five victims injured by police bullets were received on Tuesday, February 26. The youths had reportedly blocked the entrance and exit of Muea. They destroyed part of King David Square Hotel and the house of its owner, Chief David Molinge, who allegedly told the protesters to go and strike in Bamenda. Douala: Prostitutes Count Losses All economic operators in Douala are counting their losses following the closure of their businesses due to the recent strike including prostitutes, especially those who service ?Rue de la Joie? at Deido. They registered their complaint that February 25 to 29 was bad a business period for them. They said their situation was aggravated by the fact that many men in Douala were more preoccupied with survival and security than with sex. Things got rougher when many people were forced to cut down on their daily food consumption, due to the scarcity and the skyrocketing prices of food. However, in the night of Saturday, March 1, Rue de la Joie was as busy a beehive as the prostitutes tried to catch up on lost time. Many of them were already complaining about lack of their weekly or monthly ?njangi? money. Most of them didn?t ask for drinks or accepted drinks. It was straight to business, as they each tried to secure as many men as possible for the night. But then some young armed soldiers almost spoiled the sport by all pestering the prostitutes about their ID cards. Mboua Massock -The ?Nuisance? Political activist Mboua Massock, ?Combatant?, has been regular in the news these days in Douala. To the local administration, especially the Littoral Governor, Francis Fai Yengo and the Wouri SDO, Bernard Atebede, Mboua Massock is a big nuisance. It is also widely believed that Mboua Massock was one of those President Biya attacked in his violent address of February 27, of wanting to use unorthodox means to unseat him. It is worth noting that Massock had for some years been silent, until when he was last November in Geneva, Switzerland, awarded the newly created Felix Moumie Prize, by an association of Cameroonian political activists in the Diaspora that calls itself ?Collectif des Organisations Democratiques et Patriotiques de la Diaspora?. At a press conference in December 2007, Mboua Massock announced a series of public demonstrations aimed at getting the Government to institute official recognition of martyrs like Um Nyobe, Felix Moumie, and Ernest Ouandie. He had also announced that he has to launch a campaign to get all colonial statutes in the country, especially those of some former French Generals, destroyed. On Saturday, February 12, Mboua Massock went to Ndokotti market area and organised a march to call on the Government to get history text books in colleges revised, so as to include chapters on those he considered as Cameroon?s martyrs. But then when Mboua Massock arrived in Ndokotti, he realised that the main interest of the youths who joined him for the march, was rather the issue of the controversial plan to change Article 6 (2) of the 1996 Constitution. Massock immediately added that issue as one of the reasons for the public demonstration, which the police later disrupted. Seeing that the focus of many people in Douala these days is rather on the issue of the planned constitutional change, Mboua Massock, has since that February 12 shelved the issue of martyrs and statutes of colonialists and has gone full time staging ?illegal? public demonstrations against the planned constitutional revision. Illegal Image Distributors There are said to be some 600 cable distributors in Cameroon involved in the piracy of images supplied by Canal Satellite. A bulk of these illegal cable distributors are in Douala. It would be recalled that on January 19, the cable distributors went on strike, when the authorised sole representative of Canal Satellite in Cameroon, Multi TV Afrique, seized the equipment of one of the biggest cable distributors in the country. The seizure was said to be an implementation of court judgement, which by then was over two months old. Considering the period of the strike action, the administration had to quickly intervene in the crisis, to get the cable distributors end the strike and reinstate images to their thousands of clients. The issue here however is that, the strike and the subsequent meetings, which the Minister of Communications has held with Multi TV Afrique and the cable distributors, are now making many people in Douala realise that they had for years been dealing with illegal cable distributors. French Schools Remain Close In spite of the song being sang by the CPDM government all over the State-owned CRTV that everything is now back to normal in Cameroon, the French Embassy is not taking any chances. A copy of a communiqu? from the French Embassy dated February 29, states that French schools in Yaounde and Douala that were temporarily closed due to the strike action, will only reopen on Thursday, March 6. These schools include Savio, Fustel de la Coulanges and Flamboyant. http://www.friendsofcameroon.org/2008/03/14/the-people-versus-biya/ The people versus Biya March 14th, 2008 by FriendsofCameroon Africa Confidential Vol 49 Number 6, 14th March 2008 CAMEROON The people versus Biya The President wants to go on for ever but recent protests show the people may not let him Having ruled for 25 years, President Paul Biya wants to go on ruling until 2018, when he will be 85. The constitution decrees that he cannot stand for a further seven-year term in the 2011 elections. Although there are dissenters in the ruling Rassemblement D?mocratique du Peuple Camerounais, Biya would not have much trouble persuading his parliament to pass the necessary constitutional amendment, since he controls it through his iron grip on the RDPC. Some observers fear that Cameroon might replicate the troubles of C?te d?Ivoire and Kenya. The violence in its larger towns late last month was the worst for 15 years. The rioters were ostensibly protesting against fuel price rises but a slight reduction in prices after two days of strikes did not calm things down and the protests became overtly political. Mboua Massock (?father of the ghost towns?), who helped to organise nationwide anti-government protests in the early 1990s, had led previous demonstrations against the proposed constitutional changes. He was promptly arrested. The weak but sometimes noisy official opposition, led by the Anglophone John Fru Ndi of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), is united in its opposition to any constitutional change. So too are most of Cameroon?s numerous civil society organisations. After some looting and destruction, the police and later the army responded in the way they know best, by shooting down demonstrators: twenty were killed during a week of protests. This is how Biya and his government have reacted to public protest for 20 years. When protests against the constitutional change started, the Governor of Littoral Province, Fai Yengo Francis, banned all demonstrations in Douala, the economic capital. The protesters responded by erecting barricades, destroying government property and looting. As during the anti-government strikes of the early 1990s, Gilbert Tsimi Evouna, Government Delegate to the Yaounde Urban Council, put into circulation 20 taxis to cripple the core of the protest, the taxi-drivers? strike. Information Control The regime vigorously blocked public information. Communications Minister Jean-Pierre Biyiti Bi Essam sent soldiers to close down two private radio and television stations, Equinoxe in Douala and Magic FM in Yaounde. He claimed that neither had paid the 100 million CFA francs (US$200,000) required for an operating licence. Equinoxe Editor-in-Chief Charles Akoh said the stations had been shut for being too critical of the government crackdown on peaceful demonstrators; the Minister summoned newspaper editors and threatened to close them down, too, if they went on criticising the government. On state radio and television at the height of the crisis, Biya accused the opposition of trying ?to obtain through violence what they were unable to obtain through the ballot box? and threatened ?legal action? against anyone fomenting trouble. Fru Ndi denied any involvement in organising the demonstrations but said he supported the protests against the ?illegal increase in fuel prices?. Transport union officials called the demonstrations but failed to control their consequences. Many demonstrators acknowledged that the strike had given them an opportunity to vent their anger about other grievances. The presidential succession is particularly problematic, because Biya is grooming a successor. After a failed coup d??tat in 1984, Bello Bouba Ma?gari, then Prime Minister and probable presidential successor, was fired and the post scrapped. From the Northern Province, Bello Bouba was accused of supporting former President Ahmadou Ahidjo (another northerner), who was in turn accused of staging the coup. Bouba fled to neighbouring Nigeria but came back and is now Minister for Posts and Telecommunications. Critics are rare and soon silenced. Titus Edzoa, who had been Secretary General at the Presidency and a presidential confidant, resigned as Health Minister in 1997 to stand in the presidential election, was promptly arrested and is serving 15 years in gaol for embezzling state funds. Ayissi Mvondo, who aimed to run against Biya, died under mysterious circumstances. C?lestin Monga, an economist, challenged the President?s failing economic policies, was promptly put on trial, escaped with a suspended sentence and now lives abroad. Mila Assoute also challenged Biya and now lives in France. Opposition leaders are called unpatriotic if they criticise the President. Last month, Biya accused them of manipulating youths to destroy property and called them ?demons?. Standing for election against Biya is not a rational move, since local and foreign observers consistently describe his elections as ?flawed?. The government has resisted all suggestions that it might create an independent electoral commission to organise free and fair polls; it did, however, make economic reforms just sufficient to gain admission in 2000 to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries programme, which the International Monetary Fund designed to reduce unsustainable debt owed by countries that agree on fiscal and economic reform (normally, but not in this case, including transparency for government accounts). Somewhat behind the times, Biya?s opponents tend to assume that France, the former colonial power, will have a big say in who becomes the next president; the late President Ahidjo lost his job when France withdrew its support. Biya met President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris last year but although Sarkozy has twice been to Africa since his election in May 2007, he has not visited Cameroon - and seems keen to escape the African entanglements that in the recent past have aligned France with various dictators. In any case, there is nobody left who looks worth backing. John Fru Ndi, the best-known opposition leader, is a militant English-speaker who, during the turbulent 1990s, called for a boycott of French goods in protest against French influence. This February?s street protesters attacked French businesses, including stores belonging to the brewery Brasseries du Cameroun, kiosks of the betting company Pari Mutuel Urbain du Cameroun, Total oil company (and Mobil) and even French-owned driving schools. A protester said these were legitimate targets as symbols of the hated French influence in politics. In fact, there are few other foreign businesses to attack. Charles Ateba, a supporter of the ruling party who opposes any constitutional amendment to make Biya president for life, describes Cameroon as ?a volcano waiting to erupt?. Adamou Ndam Njoya, leader of the opposition Union D?mocratique du Cameroun, believes the country is on the brink of civil strife. Political pundit (and former SDF Secretary General) Tazoacha Asonganyi sees similarities between the violence that followed elections in Kenya and events in Cameroon. Yet there are big differences. Biya has held power far longer and has entrenched it far deeper than Kenya?s Mwai Kibaki, who was originally democratically elected. Cameroon has no powerful opposition leader (ethnically based or otherwise) such as Raila Amolu Odinga. Yet many of the ingredients for an eventual explosion are in place. http://www.friendsofcameroon.org/2008/03/03/dark-days-in-country/ Dark Days in Country March 3rd, 2008 by FriendsofCameroon The Post (Buea) 3 March 2008 By Francis Wache & Azore Opio With Field Reports Calm has now returned to Cameroon after a week of demonstrations that crippled the nation.It all started on Monday, February 25, when taxi drivers called a strike to protest against the hike in fuel prices. Nobody on that Monday, February 25, could have predicted that the nationwide transporters? strike action would take such a dramatic and bloody clash.Though the strike action by the Syndicate of Transporters had been announced, the State owned CRTV, said on Sunday, February 24, that the strike action had been called off by the leaders of the Syndicate of Transporters after clinching a deal with the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Prof. Robert Nkili. And, so, both the government of Cameroon and the population were surprised when, on Monday, February 25, not only were the streets without taxis, but the inter-urban and intra-urban buses were grounded paralysing all movements. The situation soon degenerated when disgruntled and mostly unemployed youths seized the opportunity and took to the streets expressing their discontent. They complained that those in power had not created enough avenues for employment and economic opportunities. The strike action, peaceful at first, quickly turned violent with the rampaging and sometime marauding youths engaged in running battles with the forces of law and order. While the troops fired gunshots into the air, the mob responded with volleys of stones. Then the troops riposted, tossing teargas canisters. Worse, bandits and petty criminals soon joined the fray and then began an orgy of violence, savagery, brutality and the looting of private property and the destruction of public buildings. Lives, too, were lost and trigger-happy forces of law and fired live bullets at fleeing demonstrators. The situation was not improving faster as expected. Cameroon was progressively plunging herself into the abyss of endless destruction. Calls for peace and calm began to surface from all nooks and crannies from the country. But the angry youths and Cameroonians in general felt that the most soothing words must come from the Head of State. Biya?s ?Declaration Of War? Speech President Paul Biya, on Wednesday, February 27, made a declaration on the situation. He castigated the opposition that had failed to win power by the ballot for turning to the bullet to destabilise the country. In a vitriolic tone, and in less than five minutes, he defiantly told the ?demons? instigating the demonstrators that their efforts were doomed.Immediately after President Paul Biya?s address, the protesters, in Bamenda, for example, infiltrated by bandits, went amok, destroying and looting anything on their way. Targets: PMUC, Breweries, Taxation Offices? In most towns, demonstrators targeted PMUC offices. When they could not torch them, they turned to the ubiquitous PMUC kiosks planted along the streets and set them ablaze. In Bamenda, they ransacked all the offices of PMUC building owned by the SDF National Chairman, John Fru Ndi, on Commercial Avenue. The angry crowd evacuated computers, electronic gadgets, money and other valuable property and burned them outside the building. They tried to make away with the safe in vain. The same scenario was enacted at the Cow Street Taxation Office, Nkwen, where the rioters could not remove the safe. They, however, carted away laptops and valuable documents and set them ablaze outside the office. The protesters also ransacked and burnt down the Nkwen Post Office immediately after Biya?s speech on Wednesday night. The angry youths proceeded to the Bamenda Urban Council, where Abel Ndeh?s three cars were all razed. An inventory conducted by The Post indicated that two seven-ton loaders were burned, one trailer damaged, three vans ?Keep Bamenda Clean? vandalised, windscreen of European Union service car shattered, two salon cars and a motorcycle parked on the Council premises were burned; and six tippers had their windscreens shattered. Several private vehicles impounded at the Council premises were also destroyed. The rioters left the Council premises at Ntarikon and stormed a primary school known as County Primary and Nursery School, owned by Abel Ndeh?s wife. They inflicted some damage on the structure. In Nkambe, Donga Mantung, the Police Post at the Nkambe Main Market was razed. In Kumbo, the protestors vented their anger on some government institutions and private establishments. Despite pleas from Bui Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, Daniel Panjouono, they stormed the Transport Delegation at Bam-bui Quarters; a building that also housed the Public Works Service and Radio Meteo and set fire to it. They later ransacked the Divisional Delegation of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Delegation of Commerce, where they emptied offices and burnt documents, furniture and damaged computers and photocopiers. Brasseries Du Cameroun depot at Ta Mbve, the Guinness Depot and a police van did not escape the wrath of the protestors. The Taxation Office and Finance Control Service at Mbve received the same treatment, while some taxation officials were equally visited and their property destroyed. Indeed, the youths went out of hand as they extended their ire to billboards at the Tobin Roundabout mobile phone kiosks. In Mbengwi and Babito and other parts of Momo, protestors set administrative installations on fire. Meanwhile in Santa, rioters burned the DO?s office and a vehicle. In Kumbo, Bui Division, Divisional Delegation of Transport, Public Works were burned as well. At Taxation Office and that of Education and Youth Affairs, the protesters brought out all the office equipment and set it on fire. Guinness and Brassieres were depots were looted. Meanwhile, in Kumba in the Southwest, the Delegations of Taxation, Education, Social Affairs, Town Planning and Treasury were burnt. The most affected was PMUC, which had all its properties and kiosks burnt. Les Brasseries du Cameroun had its Kumba Regional office completely burnt. Demonstrators also burnt down and destroyed Kumba I (Kumba Town) and Kumba II (Mbonge Road) and Kumba Central Police Posts. Also, two Total Filling stations were destroyed. Demonstrators equally looted treated palm oil from a timber company near the train station. The looters have reportedly sold the ?poisonous? palm oil, which was meant for the treatment of timber. The timber company has put up a notice cautioning the population against consuming the oil, since it might be harmful. This has caused general panic, as the local population are unsure of palm oil. Muea in the Southwest Province witnessed part of its police post burned down. Arrests, Torture, Rape Over 150 youths arrested in Bamenda are now undergoing severe torture in various detention camps. Rumour holds it that in the days ahead they would be transferred to Yaounde. When over 200 Koutaba special troops landed in Bamenda in the wee hours of Thursday, they treated nearly every home at Mile Two, Foncha Street Junction, Ntarikon, Commercial Avenue and Hospital Roundabout to a good dose of torture. They even raped a soldier?s wife whose names we are withholding. Several cases of rape were reported in Mile Three, Ntarikon, and Hospital Roundabout, where the soldiers broke into private houses, forcing boys out to clear off the debris and road blocks. On Ghana and Cow Streets, most of the houses broken into were owned by free women. Most women were deprived of their cell phones and money. One woman who spoke to The Post regretted, ?when they broke open my door, they pulled out my brothers and beat them to near death. The reason was that two of the soldiers pulled down their trousers and were about to rape me in front of my brothers, but my brothers protested and the soldiers thrashed them severely.? Also, two students from Progressive Comprehensive High School, PCHS Bamenda, were reportedly raped at Ayaba Hotel. In Kumbo, no death was reported, but over 30 persons were arrested. Meanwhile, in Nkambe, the Senior Divisional Officer for Donga-Mantung, Godlive Mboke Ntua, declared that over 20 youths were arrested and would be prosecuted. In Kumba troops moved into quarters, beating and arresting those suspected of being involved in looting and destruction of properties. They visited places like Fiango and Hausa Quarters were most of the demonstrators were suspected to have come from. Buea, like other towns, was also paralysed with troops and the youths occasioning destruction, theft and torture. In all, about ten youths sustained wounds from gunshots, while one died of a bullet wound at the Buea Hospital Mortuary. Others are still nursing their wounds in various hospitals after being severely tortured by troops. Those arrested were about fifty, most of them teenagers picked at random. They are now incarcerated at the Mobile Intervention Unit, GMI, waiting for the Governor to seal their fate. On their part, troops went amok breaking into private homes, beating its occupants and looting whatever they could. They looted cell phones, money etc, and destroyed TV sets, electronic gadgets and other valuables. Hordes Of Looters To Serve Jail Terms In Yaounde, about 400 alleged looters, who were judged and convicted at the Legal Department, have been transferred to the Kondengui Maximum Prisson where they are to serve a two-year jail terms each. Most of the arrests were arbitrary as the troops swooped on passers-by and took them away. They even ransacked homes arresting those they found there. The convicts were transferred in four trucks on Friday, February 29, under the mournful eyes of parents and relations who were helpless at such convictions without ample evidence. According to the family of Baba Abdoulaye, one of the supposed looters, in the ?Derriere Combatant? neighbourhood, their son, was sleeping in the house when a group of children who ran into their house for safety, woke him up. When the police invaded the house, they whisked him away with others and no amount of pleas could make the police release him.For Fabrice Kamdem, who resides at Polytechnic, when violence started on Tuesday, he decided to park the CD plates he was selling in the usual place before heading home. He said his friend decided to eat before going home. As the friend was leaving the restaurant, the police asked him to identify himself. Although the friend produced his ID card, the policeman yelled, ?c?est vous? (you are the ones). Then he was bundled him into the truck. Children who flocked to the streets out of curiosity were also arrested. Some of the kids sent on errands by parents were whisked to detention cells. Civil rights and other observers describe the arrest, trial and incarceration of the putative looters as a violation of human rights and a blatant disrespect for the new Criminal Procedure Code. Those who were lucky to escape the detention cells had to buy their freedom after being beaten and bruised. They were subsequently released after paying sums ranging from FCFA 10,000 - FCFA 80,000. Those whose mobile phones were seized never got them back. In Limbe, soldiers arrested a human rights activist, Djibril Ngeve Nyeke, at the Mile I neighbourhood and accused him of encouraging mob action. But The Post learned that Ngeve had been trying to dissuade some of the boys from perpetrating violence. A 16-year-old welder, Clinton Ngwa, was also brutalised by soldiers as he went to pick his younger brother from school. Meanwhile, in Kumba, over 30 youths have been arrested and detained at the Gendarmerie and police cells. Although they were arrested indiscriminately, they were accused of orchestrating looting, violence and destruction of properties. Death Toll When reinforcement arrived from Koutaba Military Base in the West Province, a bloody confrontation ensued in Bamenda. At the end of it, six youths were shot to death. These included; Emmanuel Che, 24, of Ndamukong Street who was shot at Mile Two Junction, Ashley Fontoh, 14, student of GTC Bamenda, shot at Ntarikon Junction, Devoline Awah was shot in the head at Brassieres Junction, and Bernard Ngwa was shot on Che Street, Ntarikon. Among the several youths shot with live bullets and currently receiving treatment at the Bamenda General Hospital are; Gerald Nichia and Janet Nimbong. Kumba recorded one of the highest death tolls in the Southwest Province, with seven youths shot to deaths. Crates of beer killed three others as they looted beer from Les Brasseries regional office. In Limbe, soldiers deployed to quell demonstrations shot dead a petty trader, Richard Tangie Nwonfor, 32, about three hours after President Biya?s address.Tangie had sallied out to observe youths, irked by the President Biya?s declarations, battle with the police and the military. The troops shot him around the hips and ran before collapsing on the campus of UNICS Secondary School, where he died. The long and short of the transporters? strike is that it ignited a heap of smouldering grievances among the youths and other Cameroonians; those who see Brasseries du Cameroun as a ?drug? industry, PMUC as drain on the economy as well as fuelling corruption amongst the armed forces, vacillating politicians who tell youths blatant lies and voracious tax collectors who feed fat from both the government and taxpayers. Some of the grievances, however, were not addressed during the protests - the medical corps, the judiciary, businessmen, teachers and just the ordinary Cameroonian looked on as the youths attempted to send their messages home. The damages, human, material and financial losses caused by the strike have left painful gaping wounds in the economy and the society. In nearly all the places where the strike reached, there was a recurring refrain; trigger-happy troops, with the police to bear most of the blame, toyed with tear gas and live ammunition, dropping unfortunate youths to their untimely deaths. The government did its best to stifle any sort of protest with batons, tear gas and water canons. By press time, the prices of essential commodities that had started creeping upwards even before the idea of the strike had formed in the minds of the transporters, had at the weekend doubled up - a cup of garri in most scantily attended markets sold at FCFA 100, rice went at FCFA 100 a cup, a fresh tomato FCFA 50, a loaf of bread (blockade) FCFA 350 and so on and so forth. *With Field Reports By Chris Mbunwe, Peterkins Manyong, Kini Nsom, Walter Wilson Nana, Leocadia Bongben, Willibroad Nformi, Francis Tim Mbom & Ernest Sumelong http://www.friendsofcameroon.org/2008/03/04/cameroon-crisis-continues-as-inflation-surges/ Cameroon crisis continues as inflation surges March 4th, 2008 by bobebill The Financial Times By Matthew Green in Douala, Cameroon Published: March 4 2008 Only a few crumbs were left on the counter at the Boulangerie du Rail delicatessen in Douala after looters swept the shelves of cake, croissants and champagne. But anger with Paul Biya, Cameroon?s president, is still boiling after the worst unrest in 16 years failed to thwart plans to change the constitution to prolong his quarter-century rule. ?People are hungry, they have nothing to eat,? said Felix Djoyo, the manager, who had locked himself behind a metal door while shanty dwellers ransacked his bottles of Bordeaux. The crisis in Cameroon might have generated few headlines abroad, but the violence shows how soaring oil and food prices on global markets are threatening the patronage systems propping up some of Africa?s longest-serving leaders. Protests linked to surging inflation have broken out in Guinea and Burkina Faso in recent months, where presidents have ruled for more than two decades. Niger, Ghana and Senegal have also seen demonstrations. In Cameroon, a government increase in petrol prices last month triggered a taxi drivers? strike that quickly developed into a week-long outpouring of rage at the prospect of Mr Biya extending his stay in office beyond elections in 2011. The convulsion revived memories of months of protests in the early 1990s when the opposition came close to toppling Mr Biya, before splintering. While Cameroon is perhaps best known abroad for the exploits of its Indomitable Lions football team, last week?s unrest will resonate in Beijing, the Pentagon and the Texas headquarters of ExxonMobil. Tucked between oil-producing Nigeria, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, the country of 18m has acquired a new strategic value in recent years as the global race for energy security has reached west Africa. Both China and the US are seeking closer ties. ExxonMobil opened a pipeline through Cameroon in 2003 ? as part of a project with Chevron and Petronas of Malaysia ? that exports about 170,000 barrels a day of oil from southern Chad. Costing about $4bn (?3bn, ?2bn), the scheme is among the biggest investments in sub-Saharan Africa. As discord flared and expatriates trapped in a hotel in the coastal resort of Limbe wondered who might rescue them, the grey hull of the USS Fort McHenry floated offshore. The navy transport vessel visited Cameroon as part of a plan to train west African forces to boost security in the Gulf of Guinea. The region is expected to supply a quarter of US oil imports within a decade. The question now is whether unrest will erupt again despite Mr Biya ordering one of the biggest military deployments for a generation. At least 20 people were reported to have been killed during the rioting, although on Monday Cameroon was calm. Much of the anger comes from a younger generation who see few career options beyond driving motorcycle taxis, known as ?Bendskins? after a dance approximating the hip-swaying motion of swerving round potholes. ?If you see people throwing stones, it means if they had guns, they would have been shooting,? said Frederick, an economics graduate who survives by driving a Bendskin. The government has agreed to a small reduction in fuel prices to placate protesters, saying it cannot afford the kinds of subsidies needed to shield the economy from global market forces. But many residents blame Mr Biya for the hardship, saying years of venal rule have skewed the economy to favour a tiny elite. Despite some recent arrests of senior officials on corruption charges, campaigners wonder whether Mr Biya?s 60-odd ministers are too compromised to undertake reforms needed to ward off the risk of future unrest. ?It?s unprecedented, people are actually being investigated,? said Akere Muna, founder of Transparency International in Cameroon. ?But it?s like asking the fish to buy the hooks.? http://www.friendsofcameroon.org/2008/03/17/cameroon-embassy-official-blames-protesters-for-riots/ Cameroon Embassy official blames protesters for riots March 17th, 2008 by editor (Exclusive story on Cameroon protests in Washington, D.C. and interview with Cameroon Embassy) By Andy Matthews Editor The Mount Airy News WASHINGTON, D.C. ? A spokesperson for the Cameroon Embassy said on Friday that anti-government protesters are not looking for a peaceful resolution to their quarrels with President Biya?s administration, suggesting that they prefer instead to incite riots and civil unrest that have led to the country?s worst violence in the last 15 years. Modeste Michel Essono, the First Secretary of Communication for the Embassy of Cameroon?s Communication Center, also said that some Cameroon protesters in the United States are deliberately misleading the media, providing news outlets with sensational stories of government brutality so that they can seek refugee status in the United States. The military was forced to act, Essono said, to restore order in the country, adding that there is no way to know if some of the deaths linked to the military?s crackdown weren?t ?accidents? separate and apart from the demonstrations. ?The duty of the government is to protect the people; to make sure everything is done peacefully,? Essono said in an exclusive interview with The Mount Airy News from his D.C. office. ?These people ? these protesters; they show you a lot of pictures. They just come here with pictures of dead people. How are they sure they did not die in accidents? How are they sure they are killed by the military . . . ?They just want to go out and start fires everywhere. Why do this? They just want to create some stories to convince people there is unrest in Cameroon . . . They are insulting their own country.? Essono?s comments came as about 100 hundred protesters gathered Friday morning in front of the Cameroon Embassy to demonstrate against President Paul Biya just weeks after protests rocked the central African country, leading to the worst violence the country has seen since 1992. Human rights activists claim that more than 100 lives were lost and many more injured. The Cameroon government initially placed the death tool at 15 but has since raised it to 40. Biya wants to amend the Cameroon constitution to allow him to go on ruling until 2018 when he will be 85. Currently, the constitution says that Biya cannot stand for another seven-year term in the 2011 elections. Property damage from the protests, which began February 25, has been estimated at 10 billion CFA francs (23.4 million dollars). Between 1,500 and 1,700 people are thought to have been arrested so far. Many have been sentenced to prison terms in a process that has been decried by the independent press as unfair. Taxi drivers parked their vehicles and many cities resembled ?ghost towns? as protesters burned tires, tossed stones at vehicles and destroyed some gasoline stations. The protests were a response to a rise in fuel and living costs. The government has since cut fuel prices marginally and said it plans to raise civil service pay. Standing in front of a crowd of demonstrators, Chief Alexander Tabre lifted up a bullhorn as he excoriated the Cameroon government for what he called the brutal repression of free speech and prominent opposition leaders who he says are routinely locked up by the military when they oppose Biya?s desire to extend his presidential rule. ?My friends, we do not know the exact numbers of children who have died,? Tabre shouted, turning his voice and attention to the large three-story Cameroon Embassy complex. ?We don?t want the United States or the United Nations to come after people have died. We want to avoid that. We want a peaceful transition of power.? If anyone is to leave, Tabre said, it should be Biya. ?The only person we want to exile is Biya,? Tabre shouted as the crowd exploded in applause and cheers of ?Yes we can!? As more protesters continued to gather in front of the Cameroon Embassy, the small grassy area was adorned with signs demanding that Biya step down. ?No to Constitutional Change? said one sign. ?No to Biya?s Life Presidential Bid After 26 Years,? said another. ?Amnesty International: Cameroonians Need Your Help,? said a sign that showed a beaten, bloody body on a hospital stretcher. ?President Bush Helps the Cameroonians,? said yet another placard. Larry Eyong-Echaw laid out the protester?s requests. ?We want peaceful change through elections,? he said as the crowd chanted ?Down With Biya.? ?We don?t want bloodshed. We want a peaceful resolution . . Biya wants to put his son in power.? It?s difficult to imagine how an opposition party will be able to wrest control from Biya since all opposition leaders are called unpatriotic if they criticize the president. In a rare television appearance on Feb. 28, three days after the riots began, Biya accused demonstrators of manipulating youths to destroy property and called them ?demons.? Organizers of Friday?s protests still believe that they can use the power of the media, the Internet and diplomacy to achieve their goals. They want to avoid civil wars that have plagued other African countries. ?The only way to get results is through international pressure,? said Admin T. Tazifor, who like many protesters, drove several hours all night to arrive at the early morning protest. Two protesters, Talla Corantin and Eric Tagne, say they are political exiles in the United States. If they return to Cameroon, after organizing anti-government protests, they will be arrested by the military. ?We cannot do this in Cameroon,? Corantin said. ?This is forbidden in Cameroon.? Tagne agreed, noting that his wife and daughter remain in Cameroon while he tries to find them a home in America. ?If I go back, I?m dead,? Tagne said. ?As a student I organized a strike and I was tortured.? Larry Eyong-Echaw said that the United States and France are ?colluding? with multi-national corporations to reap the benefits of Cameroon?s natural resources. ?If you take our oil, you must take our refugees,? Eyong-Echaw told a cheering crowd. There was one tense moment in Friday?s demonstrations as members of the Civil Society Platform for Democracy in Cameroon, which organized the protest, delivered a letter to Cameroon Embassy officials. Washington, D.C., police moved toward the crowd, instructing demonstrators not to cross the street. The letter to Cameroon Parliamentarians pleads with government officials to oppose a constitutional amendment that would allow Biya to extend his rule until 2018. ?We remain hopeful that the President of the Republic will listen to the message we sent to him,? the March 14 letter says in part. ?Nonetheless, we are cognizant of the fact that you remain the voice of the people and we are calling on you to recognize the potential for civil unrest and political instability that may ensue if the intention to modify the constitution is put into effect.? Andy Matthews Editor The Mount Airy News www.mtairynews.com Amatthews at mtairynews.com 1-336-749-8974 http://www.friendsofcameroon.org/2008/03/07/over-1600-arrests-so-far/ Over 1600 Arrests So Far March 7th, 2008 by bobebill Cameroon Tribune (Yaound?) 7 March 2008 By Nkendem Forbinake Amadou Ali says every action being taken is within the framework of the law. The Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals Amadou Ali yesterday stepped in a most salutary manner to stop the running rumours about generalized arrests in the country following last week?s social upheavals in Cameroon. In a press briefing held in the third floor conference room of the Ministry yesterday morning, a confident Amadou Ali announced that as at February 27, 2008, some 1671 arrests had been made across the country broken down as follows: Centre province, 400; Littoral, 671; North West, 220; South West, 100 and West, 280. These figures, the Vice Prime Minister said had been communicated to him by the Procureurs Generals of the various provinces concerned. He said the arrests had been made following instructions given out to judicial police officers by the Procureurs general by virtue of Article 103 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Mr Amadou Ali said in matters of preliminary investigation, two types of procedure can be used: the simple procedure and the flagrante delicto. The simple procedure system can be initiated by any judicial police officer on the instructions of the State Counsel or by a complaint by an affected person. The flagrante delicto system, under which the recent arrests were made, is activated when a crime is being committed or when it has just been committed or, after the commission of a crime, there is public clamour or when after such a crime, the suspect is found in possession of incriminating objects. Under this system, 25 individuals were arraigned before the Yaounde-Ekounou Court of First Instance on February 28. Of this number 12 pleaded guilty and were sentenced to two years in prison while the 13 others asked for adjournements. At the Yaounde-Centre Administratif Court of First Instance there were 281 suspects. 18 persons pleaded guilty when hearing opened on February 29, 2008. They received prison sentences ranging from 15 months to three years. In Douala, II people received sentences ranging from seven months to one year at the Douala-Bonanjo Court of First Instance. The same court acquitted 22 arrested suspects. In the Douala-Ndokoti Court in the same city 48 persons received prison sentences between six months two years while 17 were acquitted. In Nkongsamba, of the nine persons brought before the court last March 4, 2008, two were acquitted, six sentenced to prison terms between four and 16 months while one case is pending. In neighbouring Mbanga, the six arrested persons brought before the court last Wednesday were each sentenced to 18 months in prison. In Limbe in the South West Province, two of the six persons brought before the Court of First Instance were acquitted while four received sentences of six to eight months. In Tombel, three people appeared before the court on Wednesday, March 5. One was acquitted while two others were fined CFA 50 000 or an imprisonment term of six months. The Vice Prime Minister said investigations were still underway in Buea, Tiko, Bamenda, Kumbo, Kumba, Dschang and Bafang. He said all proceedings were bing carried out in strict respect of the Criminal Procedure Code. In Yaounde specifically, Mr Amadou Ali said proceedings are being held in public, with defence counsels and are covered by journalists. The Minister insisted on the legal character of what has happened so far, insisting that all sentenced people have a right to appeal. Following the Vice Prime Minister?s introductory remarks, journalists sought to know why the judgements had been so expeditious and if the people pulling the strings had actually been identified. To this, Mr Amadou Ali said in such events, the immediate concern of the public authorities is to stop disorder first. He said in a state in which the rule of law reigns such as Cameroon, the responsibility of determining whoever were behind the upheavals devolves on the specialized security services. But he was quick to say that most of the arrested people are an important source of information for those investigating the matter. The Justice Minister said although no names were yet handy, there was no doubt that the behind-the-scene perpetrators of the disorder really exist. To buttress his point, he revealed that a number of youths had been arrested as they made their way up to the northern provinces to incite disorder. Mr Amadou Ali also took exception with some news organs which gave the impression that the social upheaval had gripped the whole country ?I can assure you, he said, that only five of the ten country?s provinces were affected; and even in some of the affected provinces, some divisions were not involved, such as Nkam and the Sanaga Maritime in the Littoral; Lebialem, Kupe Muaneguba, Manyu and Ndian in the South West; Nde in the West etc.? He said although the press had started identifying some of the hidden faces, it was the sole responsibility of the justice delivery system to do such a job. ?In matters of justice, only facts count, not rumours?, the VPM counseled. The press briefing was held in the presence of the Minister of Communication Jean Pierre Biyiti bi Essam, the Minister delegate in the Ministry of Justice, Maurice Kamto and the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice in charge of Penitentiary Administration Emmanuel Ngafesson. http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=17431 Cameroon: Lawyers decry indiscriminate jailing of riot suspects Author: Ernest Sumelong Date Written: 7 March 2008 Primary Category: Central Region Document Origin: The Post News Secondary Category: -none- Source URL: http://www.postnewsline.com Key Words: Cameroon, human rights, demonstrations, trail, layers African Charter Article #6: Everyone shall have the right to liberty and security of his person including freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention. (Click for full text...) African Charter Article #6 Every individual shall have the right to liberty and to the security of his person. No one may be deprived of his freedom except for reasons and conditions previously laid down by law. In particular, no one may be arbitrarily arrested or detained. (Click to hide charter text) Summary & Comment: Usually justice is an illusion in Cameroon where power is extremely centralised. Reports say youths between 16 and 18 were indiscriminately arrested during recent nationwide demonstrations. They were given speedy, melodramatic trials, many without any counsel. Lawyers think the fate of those suspects may have been decided even before their trials began. JM Lawyers decry indiscriminate jailing of riot suspects Lawyers have frowned at the sentencing of hundreds of youths in Douala and Yaounde without fair trial following indiscriminate arrests during nationwide demonstrations recently. The lawyers cried foul after hundreds of youths were sentenced to two years or more jail terms in unclear swift trials. On Friday, February 29, some 400 youths were sentenced in Yaounde, while The Post learned that others were jailed on Monday, March 3, in Douala. Following the spate of imprisonments and other scheduled trials in many parts of the country, the Cameroon Bar Council met on March 3 in Yaounde and urged lawyers to mobilise so that the rights of the suspects are upheld. They also agreed to appeal the cases of those who have been jailed in connection with the strike action. The Bar Council Representative for the Southwest, Innocent Bonu, told The Post that they want to ensure that the suspects are given a fair trial. "We realised that in the trials of the other youths, the courts were not well constituted, and they did not have the right to a defence counsel. The defence, according to the new criminal procedure code, has three days to prepare his case but this was not the case with the other trials. The Bar Council is urging all lawyers to go out and defend the suspects. Although the Bar Council does not endorse violence and destruction, we feel that any accused person deserves a right to a fair trial." In the Buea Court of First Instance, a college of lawyers led by Barrister Eta Besong Junior frustrated what many described as a precipitated trial of riot suspects brought before the court on Monday, March 3. The youths had been charged jointly following their arrests during the strike action, The Post learned. Prior to Monday?s abortive trial, the State Counsel for Buea, Alfred Suh, asked the youths that were brought to court to go to separate courts so that they could be tried. But Eta Besong, leading the defence counsel, objected the move, insisting that they be tried in the same court since they were charged for the same crime, same purpose and same area. The defence counsel and the State Counsel were thus engaged in a war of words, with Eta Besong emphasising that Cameroon is a State of law and the laws must be respected. Seemingly frustrated by the stance of the defence counsel, the State Counsel asked police officers to take away the youths and keep them in custody. Among the detainees was former University of Buea Student Union President, David Abbia, who revealed to The Post that he was only victimised. The objection by the defence counsel reportedly forced the Bench to reconsider and modify the nature of the charges. In a hearing on Tuesday, March 4, the suspects were charged and tried separately with the defence counsel putting up a spirited fight. Even though lawyers admitted that in cases of flagrante delicto the trials have to be speedy, most of them picked faults with the way the others had been conducted. After Tuesday?s trial, others continued on Wednesday, while others have been adjourned to Monday, March 10. On his part, the presiding Judge assured the defence counsel that justice would be done to the suspects. But observers believe that the trials had a political undertone and the executive has muffled the judiciary leaving it no chance than to comply with instructions from the administration. In Kumba, the trial of over 30 youths also arrested in connection with the strike started on Tuesday, March 4. Most of the suspects are reportedly standing trial without any counsel. When one of the suits came up, two benevolent lawyers, Patrick Enu Atem-Anya and Eddy Etape Mesumbe, reportedly entered appearances for the defendants. On his part, the Southwest Regional Secretary of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedom, Christopher Tambe Tiku, described the trials as melodramatic. He said he was informed that most of the suspects were taken from their houses and probably would have been innocent. He expressed hope that the lawyers would put a formidable fight to ensure that justice is done and uphold the right of the suspects. He, however, expressed fears that the fate of the suspects might have been decided even before the trial and the struggle of the lawyers might be futile. Police sources say close to 50 youths were arrested in Buea, with many of them either buying their freedom or released by certain officials.For now, the fate of scores of youths arrested indiscriminately during the recent nationwide strike action hangs in the balance pending hearing in Buea and other parts of the country. http://allafrica.com/stories/200803171305.html Cameroon: Fate of Riot Suspects Uncertain, Bail Denied The Post (Buea) 16 March 2008 Posted to the web 17 March 2008 Ernest Sumelong The fate of some 40 riot suspects in Buea still hangs in the balance pending judgements to be delivered on Monday, March 17, as a sequel to adjournments during the week. Presently, none of the suspects has been convicted and none granted bail in spite of applications by their defence counsel. When the suspects were arraigned in court on Tuesday, March 11, for continuation of the hearing that started on Monday, March 4, they were handcuffed, looked emaciated and dishevelled. Some of the suspects are reportedly sick, following torture at the time of arrest and have so far been denied access to medical attention. The denial of bail, even to minors, has become a vexing issue to both the defence counsel and human rights activists. An application submitted by one of the defence counsel, Barrister Joseph Tanyi Mbi, for one of the minors to be granted bail, was overruled. But the court, in one of the rulings to a submission, argued that granting bail might defeat the legal department's process of a speedy trial in conformity with cases of flagrante delicto. The defence was also granted three days, in accordance with the new Criminal Procedure Code, to prepare a case file. Southwest Regional Secretary of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, Christopher Tambe Tiku, described the treatment meted out to the suspects as poor. "They are handcuffed from the Buea Central Prison to the court as if they committed felonies. These suspects are still presumed innocent and have been charged for simple misdemeanours and should not be paraded around like criminals." Another worrying issue the Human Rights Secretary raised was the denial of bail. "How do you justify the fact that people charged with murder are granted bail and are moving about freely, while these youths have been denied bail? This is unfair" On their part, prison officers who accompany the suspects to court defend the handcuffing, stating that they are taking precaution against any escape. The prison guards have been handicapped by the absence of vehicles to transport the suspects to court. Police Chief To Testify Southwest Judicial Police Boss, Peter Adjoffoin, might testify in a Buea Magistrate Court on Friday, March 14, in connection with the arrest of former University of Buea Student Union, UBSU President, David Abbia. The court ruled on Tuesday, March 11, granting an application submitted by the defence counsel to summon the Police Chief to appear in court. The former UBSU President, who was apprehended during the recent nationwide strike action, had testified that Adjoffoin occasioned his arrest, supposedly with instructions from the Provincial Delegate of National Security. Leading the defence counsel, Barrister Eta Besong Junior, submitted that the Police Chief be summoned before the case could be heard. He had also submitted that the trial be adjourned, pending the summon appearance of Adjoffoin, and due to health reasons on the part of the counsel. Abbia told The Post the police boss had called him from his residence to his office and ordered officers to remand him in custody, with the blessing of the Security Delegate. According to Abbia, this is the second time he is being arrested on the instructions of hierarchy. After Abbia's tenure of office as UBSU President, local administrative authorities had linked him with organising strike actions both on and off the campus of the University of Buea, The Post learned. In a conflict at the DO's office in Buea during the July 22 twin elections, Abbia revealed, he was also arrested on yet, the same instructions. Even though Justice Minister, Amadou Ali, in a press conference, justified the hasty and shady trials of riot suspects in Yaounde and Douala, lawyers in Buea and Bamenda have been hailed for setting a precedence in ensuring that the suspects get a chance to fair trials. The lawyers all mobilised and have been offering pro-bono services throughout the trial to ensure that justice is done. It is one of the first times that police officers involved in arrest cases take turns to testify in court. http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=5d37c3e2-4c68-4328-a3b7-47f79842a00f Canadians trapped by Cameroon riots rescued Cindy E. Harnett , Canwest News Service Published: Saturday, March 01, 2008 VICTORIA - As the ra-tat-tat of gunfire reverberated through the riotous streets around their compound in Cameroon last week, two terrified Canadian women hid in the dark and did what came naturally. They watched Sex and the City and played chess. "It's totally surreal," said Victoria's Lindsay Luke. "You're sitting there, and you feel it, but still you feel so removed from it. But in hindsight, of course, I was petrified in the moment." Luke is now safe in a hotel in Buea, a southern city in Cameroon, after she was rescued from her residence in Limbe, after riots broke out in the West African country last week, leaving about 17 dead according to news reports. Luke and other Canadians will fly out of the area on Tuesday. Cameroonian riot police patrol a street during violent protests in the port city of Douala last week. Protesters upset over rising fuel and food prices have brought chaos to the country. Reuters Luke is on an employment internship organized by Victoria's Camosun College and the Canadian International Development Agency. Luke's rescue, along with that of her friend Taryn Barry, of Edmonton, came thanks to some quick thinking by Luke's mother, Tracy Shenton. Earlier in the week Shenton tracked down Capt. Ed Smith, a Canadian Armed Forces officer working in Cameroon. Smith, based in North Bay, Ont., arranged with Capt. Ayang Frederick, of 21st Battalion of Buea, to pick up the girls and get them home safely, Luke said. "He has a good relationship with the Cameroon military and asked them to come and get us," Luke said. "They don't have to do this. They're just doing it to be helpful." Protesters upset over rising fuel and food prices have brought chaos to Cameroon over the past week. But Luke and Barry thought they were safe in quiet Limbe. On Tuesday the women, unable to find a cab, walked to work with a large stream of locals. All was fine until later in the day when they heard the thundering sound of people running in the streets. The violence swelled quickly. People threw rocks and lobbed anything they could onto the main road. Cars were set ablaze while plumes of smoke could be seen in the distance. Then came shots from military vehicles streets ramming through the streets, pointing guns at people. That sent the crowds running back in the opposite direction. "I was shocked, to be honest, this happened in Limbe," Luke said. "People are poor and they work so hard but the biggest thing they find frustrating is they just don't have any power to change anything. The president (Paul Biya) has been in power since I was born. But they're still considered a democracy." Businesses hastily began closing, a hint of tear gas infected the air and a local man had to negotiate Luke and Barry through two gangs of youth. From Monday until early Friday, the two women hid in the home they rented in the city, until Smith showed up in an armoured vehicle and drove them to safety. Despite the close calls, the women both feel bad about leaving their work behind unfinished, Luke's mother Shenton said. "They only had two more weeks to go, but they didn't get to say goodbye. They both volunteer in an orphanage. They have survivor's guilt." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7267731.stm Cameroon head blames opposition There have been scenes of unrest in Douala since the weekend President Paul Biya has blamed the opposition for violence which has left at least seven dead in Cameroon. Protests, sparked by a fuel price rise, continued despite a government decision to scale back the increase. Police tear gassed stone-throwing youths in the capital, Yaounde, who had set up burning barricades. Correspondents say protesters are also angry about suggestions President Biya might amend the constitution to try to extend his 25 years in power. In a televised address on Wednesday evening, the president accused political opponents of trying to force him from power. He said some people were trying to obtain through violence what they had failed to achieve through the ballot box. He used colourful language as he described those behind the violence as "the apprentice sorcerers in the shadows" who, he said, did not care about the consequence of their actions. "What we're looking at here is the exploitation... of the transport strike for political ends," said President Biya. Bridge clash The BBC's Randy Joe Sa'ah in the city of Douala says a taxi-drivers strike was called off on Tuesday night after the government agreed to a small reduction in the price of fuel. There are plans for Mr Biya to run for president again in 2011 But the unions have lost control of the situation and the violence has not ended, he adds. Protesters are demanding more cuts in the price of food and fuel. Police in Douala clashed with some 2,000 protesters as they tried to cross a bridge, causing about 20 to fall into the river below, our reporter says. Tear gas was also used to quell demonstrations in other cities like Bamenda and Yaounde. Opposition groups have been calling for protests to stop the constitution being amended to allow Mr Biya to run for re-election when his current term expires in 2011. On Saturday, tear gas and water cannon were used to disperse hundreds of opposition supporters in Douala. The day before, the government had announced the closure of private television station Equinoxe, which has broadcast interviews with politicians opposed to plans to change the constitution. The BBC West Africa correspondent Will Ross says Cameroon is home to more than 100 different ethnic groups, and keeping the country relatively stable has been one of the major achievements of President Biya's time in office. The violent scenes across the country this week are a sign that the population is becoming increasingly frustrated in what is one of the most corrupt countries in Africa, he says. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L08721706.htm Cameroon ups state wages, cuts prices after riots 08 Mar 2008 15:39:54 GMT Source: Reuters (Updates with measures in Niger, Burkina Faso paragraph 7-9) By Tansa Musa YAOUNDE, March 8 (Reuters) - Cameroonian President Paul Biya has raised state salaries by 15 percent and suspended customs duties on basic foodstuffs like fish, rice and cooking oil to ease discontent over high prices which provoked riots last week. In two presidential decrees broadcast on state radio late on Friday, Biya increased the wages of civilian and military personnel from April 1 and raised their family allowances by 20 percent of the monthly basic salary. The radio also said custom duties on cement would be cut to 10 percent from 20 percent until the end of August, to ease an acute shortage of building materials which has led to a doubling in the consumer price for cement in recent months. Biya also urged the government to settle its payment arrears, maintain salary and pension advances, strengthen youth employment programmes and recruit more part-time teachers. In the medium term, he demanded a review of the pricing of fuels, telephone rates and bank charges and he urged the government to press ahead with stalled industrial, mining and agricultural projects. "I urge the prime minister to scrupulously carry out with celerity and efficacy the instructions I have just given. I will not tolerate any failure in their execution," Biya said. Neighbouring West African countries have announced similar measures to counteract the effects of high food prices. Niger on Saturday announced the suppression of all taxes and customs duties on rice imports for three months, and said it would increase government stockpiles of rice and cereals. Burkina Faso also announced a reduction in customs on basic foodstuffs last month after several towns were hit by protests. IMF Director General Dominique Strauss-Kahn, visiting the region last month, said the Fund would support measures to counteract the price rises. The measures in Cameroon came in the wake of a Feb. 25-28 taxi drivers strike to protest at fuel price hikes in the central African country that degenerated into rioting in several towns against the high cost of living and Biya's intention to extend his 25 years in power. The government put the death toll from the clashes at 24, although human rights activists put it at over 100, most of these shot dead by the police in the economic capital Douala. The government said 1,671 people were arrested, about 200 of whom have so far been tried and sentenced to serve between six months and three years in prison. Rights organisations denounced the summary trials behind closed doors and heavy jail terms. Meanwhile, union groups criticised Biya's announcements. "For us, these are just cosmetic measures and a non-event," said the president of the Cameroon Teachers Trade Union (CATTU) Simon Nkwenti. "What we want is the restoration of salaries to their pre-1993 levels." In 1993, as part of IMF-backed reforms, Cameroon cut wages by 70 percent and, one year later, the CFA franc currency was devalued by 50 percent, slashing consumer purchasing power. In the early 1980s, Cameroon was one of sub-Saharan Africa's most successful economies, with annual growth of over 7 percent. But the country was plunged into a prolonged economic crisis in the mid-1980s by a collapse in coffee, cocoa, and oil prices, which exposed the weakness of economic policies. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/ ) (Additional reporting by Abdoulaye Massalatchi in Niamey; writing by Daniel Flynn, editing by Mike Peacock) http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/&articleid=333630&referrer=RSS Cameroon govt accused of muzzling media over riots Tansa Musa | Yaounde, Cameroon 29 February 2008 02:16 Cameroon's main journalists' union accused the government on Friday of trying to silence media coverage of anti-government riots after police shut down a popular radio station that aired criticism of the president. Magic FM 94, a private radio station in the capital Yaounde, was closed down by armed gendarmes on Thursday after callers to the station criticised President Paul Biya for his handling of a wave of protests that have swept the central African country. Officials estimate up to 20 people, possibly more, have been killed in violent riots this week that gripped the capital, the main port city of Douala and several western towns. They were the worst anti-government protests in Cameroon in over 15 years. The protesters have been demanding cuts in fuel and food prices, but have also expressed anger over a bid by the reclusive, veteran president to prolong his 25-year rule. In a broadcast to the nation late on Wednesday, Biya, who is 75, offered no concessions to the protesters but said the authorities would use "all legal means" to restore order. Soldiers and police have been deployed in the streets of Yaounde and Douala -- which were reported calm on Friday -- as well as in other riot-hit towns in the west. The closure of Magic FM 94 followed the shutting down of another private radio, Equinoxe, in Douala on Tuesday. Equinoxe's sister TV station was closed by authorities last week after its coverage of growing opposition to an announcement early this year by Biya that he might change the Constitution to stay in power when his term ends in 2011. The head of the National Cameroon Journalists' Union, Jean Marc Sobboth, condemned the measures against private media. "This is simply a case of transferred aggression, because I cannot understand why the authorities have decided to close these radios only at a time when the country is traversing a serious crisis," he told Reuters. Opposition anger Magic FM 94 journalist Martin Nzogo, who was conducting the call-in programme when police interrupted on Thursday, said "people were calling in from all parts of the town to denounce the president". The gendarmes turned off the station's power and carried off studio equipment and transmitters, he said. Biya said in his new year message last month that his government would "re-examine" the Constitution after what he said were popular calls for him to stay on past 2011. The Constitution requires Biya to step down that year. Biya's party won an overwhelming parliamentary majority last year in elections the opposition dismissed as a sham. This could allow it to change the Constitution. Earlier this month, Equinoxe TV broadcast an interview with John Fru Ndi, leader of the main opposition Social Democratic Front, in which he accused Biya of wanting to rule for life. Like many other TV and radio stations in Cameroon, Magic FM 94 and Equinoxe were operating without broadcasting licences while media authorities considered their applications. Stations are generally allowed to continue operating during the lengthy application process under what the authorities have termed "administrative tolerance". - Reuters http://www.friendsofcameroon.org/2008/02/29/breaking-news-anti-government-riots-hit-cameroon-capital / Negotiations Sought After Deadly Riots February 29th, 2008 by FriendsofCameroon Negotiations Sought After Deadly Riots The Washington Post, 2/29/08 Authorities in the central African country of Cameroon appealed Thursday for negotiations to defuse the worst anti-government riots in more than a decade, but an opposition leader said President Paul Biya was out of touch after 25 years in power. Officials estimated that as many as 20 people had been killed in nearly a week of protests in several cities, including the main port of Douala and the capital, Yaounde, over high fuel and food prices and an effort by Biya to prolong his tenure in office. Douala and Yaounde, which were paralyzed by rioting and looting Wednesday, were tense but relatively calm Thursday. Police and soldiers patrolled the streets, but most businesses were closed and public transport was not operating. Reuters: Cameroon govt accused of muzzling media over riots Fri 29 Feb 2008, 12:12 GMT By Tansa Musa YAOUNDE, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Cameroon?s main journalists? union accused the government on Friday of trying to silence media coverage of anti-government riots after police shut down a popular radio station that aired criticism of the president. Magic FM 94, a private radio station in the capital Yaounde, was closed down by armed gendarmes on Thursday after callers to the station criticised President Paul Biya for his handling of a wave of protests that have swept the central African country. Officials estimate up to 20 people, possibly more, have been killed in violent riots this week that gripped the capital, the main port city of Douala and several western towns. They were the worst anti-government protests in Cameroon in over 15 years. The protesters have been demanding cuts in fuel and food prices, but have also expressed anger over a bid by the reclusive, veteran president to prolong his 25-year rule. In a broadcast to the nation late on Wednesday, Biya, who is 75, offered no concessions to the protesters but said the authorities would use ?all legal means? to restore order. Soldiers and police have been deployed in the streets of Yaounde and Douala ? which were reported calm on Friday ? as well as in other riot-hit towns in the west. The closure of Magic FM 94 followed the shutting down of another private radio, Equinoxe, in Douala on Tuesday. Equinoxe?s sister TV station was closed by authorities last week after its coverage of growing opposition to an announcement early this year by Biya that he might change the constitution to stay in power when his term ends in 2011. The head of the National Cameroon Journalists? Union, Jean Marc Sobboth, condemned the measures against private media. ?This is simply a case of transferred aggression, because I cannot understand why the authorities have decided to close these radios only at a time when the country is traversing a serious crisis,? he told Reuters. OPPOSITION ANGER Magic FM 94 journalist Martin Nzogo, who was conducting the call-in programme when police interrupted on Thursday, said ?people were calling in from all parts of the town to denounce the president?. The gendarmes turned off the station?s power and carried off studio equipment and transmitters, he said. Biya said in his New Year message last month that his government would ?re-examine? the constitution after what he said were popular calls for him to stay on past 2011. The constitution requires Biya to step down that year. Biya?s party won an overwhelming parliamentary majority last year in elections the opposition dismissed as a sham. This could allow it to change the constitution. Earlier this month, Equinoxe TV broadcast an interview with John Fru Ndi, leader of the main opposition Social Democratic Front, in which he accused Biya of wanting to rule for life. Like many other TV and radio stations in Cameroon, Magic FM 94 and Equinoxe were operating without broadcasting licences while media authorities considered their applications. Stations are generally allowed to continue operating during the lengthy application process under what the authorities have termed ?administrative tolerance?. (Additional reporting by Talla Ruben in Doula; Writing by Pascal Fletcher) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Another president who won?t go Feb 28th 2008 | DOUALA The Economist Many Cameroonians are angry because their president refuses to retire THE MAN who has presided over Cameroon for 25 years touts a simple slogan: ?Paul Biya for peace?. But it no longer rings true. On February 24th and 25th, in Douala, Cameroon?s commercial capital on the Atlantic coast, protesters lit fires on the streets, shooting broke out, and looters ran amok. Taxi drivers went on strike and many other people stopped work too. Shops and petrol stations were ransacked, cars burnt. Black clouds of smoke and the noise of gunfire enveloped the residential area along the main road out of Douala towards the capital, Yaound?, where police later tear-gassed stone-throwing youths who had set up burning barricades. The reason for the mayhem was the president?s heavy hint, in an end-of-the-year address, that he might stay on for a third term of another seven years; the present constitution, which came into force in 1996, allows for only two terms. Since then, many Cameroonians, usually a quiet lot, have taken to the streets. Mr Biya has yet to make a clear bid to change the constitution but the issue has been widely aired in the newspapers, on television, and on street corners. Mr Biya has reacted angrily. Several people who organised demonstrations against him have been arrested. Douala?s governor has banned any more rallies. Earlier, the minister of communications closed one of the country?s most popular private television stations for running too many programmes candidly discussing the prospect of a third term for Mr Biya. A musical artist, known as Joe La Conscience, was prevented from walking the 320 kilometres (200 miles) to Yaound? from the town of Loum, north of Dowala, singing songs against the proposed constitutional change. Many strikers say they are merely protesting against the high cost of fuel. But the problem runs a lot deeper. Mr Biya?s bid for another term has unleashed a rare outbreak of public discussion and dissent at a time when the country has fallen heavily into debt. Transparency International, a Berlin-based lobby that measures corruption, says it has become ?endemic? in Cameroon. Elections in the last few years have been so patently rigged that few voters bother to turn up. Still, the opposition is weak, though Mr Biya excoriated ?the apprentice sorcerers in the shadows?. More than 200 parties have sprung up since multi-party politics was allowed in 1990. Garga Haman Adji, a former minister in Mr Biya?s government who is now in opposition, says that many opposition parties have been infiltrated and bought out by Mr Biya?s party. In any event, the 75-year-old president has been badly rattled. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Army patrols capital after days of unrest in Cameroon 2/28/08 YAOUNDE (AFP) ? Troops were out in force on the streets of the Cameroonian capital Yaounde Thursday, after days of violence that President Paul Biya has blamed on an orchestrated campaign to overthrow him. The violence has left at least 17 dead since Saturday, according to an AFP toll. Soldiers took up positions at the city?s main junctions and guarded petrol stations, the targets of vandalism in the past days? unrest. Taxis and buses were not running in the capital, a day after the end to a transport strike observed by lorry and taxi drivers, though there were a few cars on the streets. The strike was called off after the government agreed to cut the price of petrol: it was the price rise that had provoked the strike. There was no sign of the gangs of youths who had clashed with riot police on Tuesday and Wednesday, into the small hours of Thursday morning. The most recent clashes centred around the city?s university district, where student leaders accused riot police of having launched an ?expedition? after a speech by Biya late Wednesday. Students told AFP that soldiers had wrecked residence halls and injured several students. Biya, in a televised address, blamed the unrest on an orchestrated campaign by ?apprentice sorcerers in the shadows?. He added: ?For some ? the objective is to obtain by violence what they have not achieved through the ballot box,? Biya said on state television. ?What we?re looking at here is the exploitation ? of the transport strike for political ends.? Biya said he would use all legal means to re-establish order. The situation was also calm in the western port of Douala, the country?s economic capital and a stronghold of opposition to Biya. On Wednesday, gunfire was heard as protestors clashed with riot police there despite the end of the strike. Witnesses reported sporadic gunfire overnight Wednesday. Calm had also returned to the northwestern city of Bamenda, the stronghold of the main opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF), after unrest late Wednesday following Biya?s speech. ?What?s happening in Cameroon has nothing to do with a simple strike against a rise in fuel prices,? Joshua Osih, vice-president of the SDF, said Wednesday. ?It?s the expression of multiple frustrations among the Cameroonian people. The trouble runs deep,? Osih added, pointing out that most of those engaged in vandalism were unemployed people under 30. In mid-January, the authorities in Douala banned rallies and demonstrations there because of political opposition to a constitutional change Biya wants to make to enable him to run for another term of office. Biya, 75, has been in power since 1982, with the opposition, spearheaded by veteran John Fru Ndi and his SDF, accusing his government and ruling party of plunging the country into corruption and poverty. Biya said last month that a current constitutional bar on a third elected presidential term ?sits badly with the very idea of democratic choice.? Protest banners carried in several towns since have combined protests at the cost of living with calls for Biya?s resignation. *************************************** Unrest paralyses Cameroon By Matthew Green in Limbe, Cameroon Published: The Financial Times February 28 2008 03:01 Protests paralysed Cameroon on Wednesday as anger over plans to change the constitution to extend Paul Biya?s rule as president beyond the 30-year mark exploded into violence. Both China and the US are seeking to deepen economic and military ties with Cameroon, strategically placed between west African oil producers Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. But the worst unrest in the country since the early 1990s has exposed the depth of frustration over rising costs of basics such as fuel, flour and cement as well as Mr Biya?s plans to prolong his stay in power. Mr Biya, who took over in 1982 and won a seven-year term at the last presidential elections in 2004, is obliged by the constitution to step down at the next polls in 2011. But he signalled two months ago that he would consider changing the law to allow him to run again, dismaying opponents who accuse him of favouring a venal elite while doing little to lift the country of 18m out of poverty. The crisis has revealed the potentially destabilising impact of rising global oil prices on Africa, where many countries have seen fuel import bills soar. Plans by the government to pass some of the cost on to consumers by raising the price of subsidised petrol sparked protests by taxi drivers in the commercial centre Douala, crippling the country?s main port. Cameroon pumps about 85,000 barrels a day of oil and the port is a lifeline to landlocked Chad and Central African Republic. The unrest has spread to the capital, Yaounde, and towns in the south. Mr Biya has deployed troops for the first time in a decade to contain the unrest as stone-throwing youths blocked main roads and burned tyres. Media reports said at least eight people had been killed, though some residents said the toll could be higher. Mr Biya on Wednesday night struck a defiant tone in a televised address to the nation, disappointing those who had hoped he would take a more conciliatory approach. ?To those who are responsible for manipulating the youth to achieve their aims, I want to tell them their attempts are doomed to fail. All legal means will be brought into play to ensure the rule of law,? he said. ?What we are seeing is an accumulation of grievances and anger and frustration,? Fru Ndi, national chairman of the opposition Social Democratic Front, told the Financial Times. http://www.friendsofcameroon.org/2008/03/07/cameroonians-in-washington-dc-protest/ Cameroonians in Washington D.C. protest March 7th, 2008 by bobebill (from http://constitutioncamerounaise.skyrock.com/) Cameroonians resident in the United States marched in Washington, D.C. on March 6th in concern for recent occurences in Cameroon. After a protest at the Cameroon Embassy, they marched several blocks to demonstrate in front of the White House. http://www.friendsofcameroon.org/2008/03/06/cameroon-not-quite-back-to-normal/ CAMEROON: Not quite back to normal March 6th, 2008 by bobebill YAOUND?, 6 March 2008 (IRIN) - Traffic jams and urban bustle have returned to main towns and cities in the west and centre of Cameroon, belying the violence that just weeks earlier left many of people there dead and a general population so scared most did not leave their homes for several days. Yet human rights groups remain concerned that the government is employing heavy-handed tactics in clamping down on the media and arresting and imprisoning hundreds, possibly thousands, of youth who they say are not receiving due process. ?The arrests [of those accused of taking part in the violence] continues,? human rights advocate Madeleine Afit?, of House of Human Rights, told IRIN The number of arrests is in dispute. A government spokesmen said the total is around 1,500 but Afit? said the number is much higher. ?Around 2000 people were arrested in Douala alone,? she said. A lawyer in Yaound?, Me Francis Djonko, told IRIN that those arrested are not receiving due process. ?The accused should have at least three days to prepare their defence but that is not being respected in the cases I have had to defend,? he said, adding some of the accused have already receiving prison sentences of up to three years. A source close to Cameroon?s President Paul Biya said that some members of the government are suspected of fermenting the violence and may soon by taken into custody. President Biya went on state media on 27 February during the rioting to say that ?certain politicians? were seeking to overthrow his government in a coup d??tat. Figures on the number of dead also remain unclear. The government spokesperson Jean-Pierre Biyiti Bi Essam told the French Agency Press (AFP) on Wednesday that only 24 people had been killed but human rights groups say the number is far higher. ?We are still trying to cross-check information but we can already say that a hundred or so people must have died,? Afit? said. International media monitoring groups have accused government of censoring the media and beating and intimidating journalists as well as confiscating their equipment. The government has also closed down at least three media houses but denies that it is part of a general effort to censor the press. ?[The media houses] either carried out certain broadcasts which are insensitive, provocative, or controversial and obviously certain administrative decisions have been taken in order to ensure that these broadcasts do not endanger the stability or social order,? government minister Elvis Ngolle Ngolle told Voice of America. The riots started in the economic centre Douala in the west of Cameroon on 25 February, and quickly spread to the political capital Yaound? and other cities as youths protested against rising fuel and food prices and efforts by President Biya to change the constitution so that he could run again in the 2011 elections. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Cameroon activists say riots kill more than 100 Thu 6 Mar 2008, 6:53 GMT By Tansa Musa YAOUNDE (Reuters) - Human rights campaigners in Cameroon accused the government on Wednesday of covering up the true death toll from riots last week, in which one organisation said at least 100 people were killed. Crowds of youths fought police and soldiers in several towns and cities when a strike by taxi drivers over fuel prices turned violent amid anger over President Paul Biya?s plan to change the constitution to extend his 25-year rule. Communication Minister Jean-Pierre Biyiti bi Essam told Radio France International on Tuesday that 17 people had died, and accused human rights groups of exaggerating the death toll. But Madeleine Affite, Littoral Province coordinator for Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT), said the true death toll was higher. Littoral Province includes the commercial capital Douala and several other towns hit by riots. ?The information we have received from our field workers in the various towns affected by last week?s violent incidents, as well as complainTs from families, indicate that at least 100 people died in clashes with security forces, over 10 others missing and several hundred others injured,? she said. ?I?m afraid this number could even be higher when a final count is made in the coming days,? she told Reuters. Fellow human rights activist Alice Nkom, who is a lawyer in Douala, agreed the official toll was too low. ?There are many more than they are saying, and they were killed by bullets,? she said. ?They don?t want people to know.? BODIES IN RIVER Affite said 20 bodies had been recovered from Douala?s Wouri river where security forces confronted demonstrators a week ago. ?They were trapped by security forces on both ends of the bridge who started throwing tear gas at them. In the confusion that followed many of them were forced to jump into the river in a bid to save their lives, but died,? she said. Affite said the authorities had instructed hospital morgues not to release the bodies of those killed in order to hush up the scale of the violence and the security forces? response. ?We?ve met aggrieved families, we?ve met with hospital authorities who have told us that mortuaries are filled with corpses from last week,? Affite said. Members of the Cameroon Bar Council criticised summary trials of hundreds of people detained in last week?s violence. Many are being charged with looting of private and public property, destruction of property and erecting barricades, said Francis Ndjonko, one of six lawyers who have offered to represent defendants in court for free in the capital Yaounde. ?Once they appear in court, they are hurriedly tried without any defence counsel, with trials lasting sometimes just about five minutes, and sentenced to heavy terms in prison ranging from 14 months to two years and payment of fines,? he said. Alice Nkom, a lawyer and human rights activist in Douala, said the city?s courts were working through some 450 defendants, many of whom she said had been beaten in custody. ?They have been tortured ? They are naked from the waist up in court, and you can see the marks,? she said. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com) http://allafrica.com/stories/200801170671.html Cameroon: SDF's Feeble Protest Against Constitutional Amendment The Post (Buea) 17 January 2008 Posted to the web 17 January 2008 Joe Dinga Pefok The first of the street protests against President Paul Biya's much-loathed scheme for a constitutional amendment for a third term started feebly in Douala on Sunday, January 6. Organised in Bepanda by the SDF Littoral Provincial Bureau led by Jean Michel Nintcheu, the protest march ended after barely a couple of metres. Critics now have it that the SDF party embarked on a feeble start by taking the march to an obscure location rather than to Akwa or Bonanjo where it would have registered a greater impact. Another, no less ugly, error, the critics argue, is that the SDF would have first tried to contact other opposition parties to jointly embark on the anti-constitutional amendment protests. A political activist in Douala, Robert Simo, criticised the very idea of protesting against the modification of the constitution. Speaking to reporters in Douala, Simo explained that a large part of the 1996 Constitution has not yet been implemented. To him, it is irrational for the SDF or any other party to talk of protest against the modification of an article in the Constitution, instead of calling for its effective implementation. Nintcheu, speaking on Radio Equinoxe on January 13, tried to vitiate Simo's criticisms. He said the SDF does not only take interest in Article 6.2 of the 1996 Constitution, but that the party has, over the years, been relentlessly calling for the implementation of the entire 1996 Constitution. He also described their January 6 protest march as symbolic. Nintcheu also said after listening to President Biya's statements on December 31 as regards the modification of the Constitution, he is now convinced that Biya was secretly behind the series of meetings that CPDM Sections organised in some parts of the country, to urge for the modification of Article 6.2 of the 1996 Constitution. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 07:37:52 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:37:52 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] TIBET: Uprising against Chinese regime Message-ID: <008a01c89e3d$20545310$0802a8c0@andy1> * Protests begin with hundreds of monks calling for independence * They spread into a general mass uprising with burning barricades in Lhasa, and spread across Tibet and to neighbouring provinces * Chinese repression claims dozens of lives as soldiers attack protesters; activists claim 100 or more have died, with 1000 arrests * New incidents are reported continuing into April * An analyst suggests Tibetan youth groups are becoming increasingly radical NOTE: There is also a completely different set of news stories on the Xinhuanet (Chinese government-sponsored) news site portraying the unrest as an ethnic pogrom from which people needed to be rescued, and a plot coordinated by conspirators. Disturbingly, this propaganda is remarkably similar to what is heard in the American, British or Australian media about similar unrest in these countries. Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSSP306110 CHRONOLOGY-Day-by-day record of Tibet protests Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:36am EDT March 21 (Reuters) - Tibet's largest anti-China protests in almost two decades broke out on March 10, sparking riots in Lhasa, demonstrations in nearby ethnic Tibetan provinces, and daily pro-Tibet protests around the world. Here is a timeline of the largest and most sustained protests Tibet has seen since Beijing crushed pro-independence demonstrations in 1989. * Monday, March 10: Five-hundred monks from the Drepung monastery defy Chinese authorities to march into Tibet's capital, Lhasa, to mark the 49th anniversary of a quashed rebellion against communist rule. Monks from Lhasa-area Sera and Ganden monasteries also protest. * March 12: Thousands of Chinese security personnel fire tear gas to try to disperse more than 600 monks from the Sera monastery taking part in another day of street protests. * March 14: About 300-400 residents and monks take to the streets in Lhasa. Shops and cars are set on fire. Chinese authorities seal off Drepung, Sera and Ganden monasteries. China says 10 people killed in Lhasa, in unrest masterminded by the Dalai Lama. Spokesman for the Dalai Lama rejects the claim as baseless. * March 15: Chinese authorities say Lhasa rioters will gain "leniency" if they give themselves up by midnight on Monday. Protesters in Sydney remove the Chinese flag at China's consulate building and try to raise a Tibetan flag. * March 16: Armed police patrol streets of Lhasa. China suspends foreign travel permits to Tibet. Protests spread to ethnic Tibetan areas in Sichuan and Gansu provinces. Tibetans hurl petrol bombs and set a police station and market on fire in Sichuan's Aba region. In Gansu's Machu town, a crowd of 300-400 carry pictures of the Dalai Lama, in defiance of authorities. Tibet's government-in-exile, in Dharamsala, India, says 80 people have been killed in riots. French riot police use tear gas to disperse about 500 pro-Tibet protesters outside the Chinese Embassy in Paris. New York police say protesters throw stones at officers outside the Chinese consulate in Manhattan. * March 17: Tibet governor Qiangba Puncog says security forces exercised "massive restraint" and did not use lethal weapons against protesters, but 13 "innocent civilians" were killed. Midnight deadline passes. * March 18: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao dismisses calls for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics in August, and accuses the Dalai Lama of inciting unrest to sabotage the Games. About 100 pro-Tibet protesters clash with Australian police by the Chinese consulate in Sydney. * March 19: China turns foreigners back from areas close to Tibet and says that about 160 Lhasa rioters have given themselves up to authorities. Olympic organisers vow the Olympic torch will travel to Tibet despite the deadly riots. * March 20: China arrests 24 suspects charged with "grave crimes" in Lhasa, and reports that four protesters were shot and wounded by police in a Tibetan community in Sichuan province earlier in the week. Troops block roads in Kangding, Sichuan, a town with a large Tibetan population. In Nepal, riot police detain at least 20 Tibetan protesters, including monks, to stop an anti-China march to the United Nations office in Kathmandu. * March 21: Tibetans in southwest Sichuan province say they believe several people were killed in anti-Chinese riots in Aba prefecture when police fired on protesters. Source: Reuters (Writing by Gillian Murdoch, Singapore Editorial Reference Unit; Editing by David Fogarty) http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-tibet13mar13,1,3364494.story Tibetan monks protest Chinese rule template_bas template_bas The demonstrations unnerve Beijing, which is struggling to contain growing pre-Olympics criticism of its human rights record. By Barbara Demick, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer March 13, 2008 BEIJING -- The largest pro-independence demonstrations in the Tibetan capital in nearly two decades have rattled the Chinese government as it struggles to contain growing criticism of its human rights record in the run-up to the 2008 Summer Olympics. More than 500 Buddhist monks participated in marches toward the center of Lhasa, shouting slogans against China's 57-year rule over Tibet. Two of Tibet's three most important monasteries participated in the protests Monday and Tuesday. Monks at the third, the remote Ganden Monastery in the mountains 29 miles from the capital, were said to have staged their own demonstration Wednesday, said Robert Barnett, a Tibet scholar at Columbia University in New York. Related Stories -TRAVEL BLOG: Some travel companies canceling tours over violence in Tibet "It is an astonishing development after 20 years that this is happening," Barnett said. Activists quoting witnesses in Lhasa said Chinese security forces were setting up roadblocks around the city. In another security move, China notified tour operators this week that Mt. Everest would be closed to climbers this year until May 10. Although the letter of notification cited environmental concerns, analysts say the Chinese want to avoid a repeat of an incident last year, when climbers made a video of themselves on Everest with a "Free Tibet" banner, and posted it on the Internet. China has ruled Tibet since 1951, and critics say it has stifled its culture, language and religion. This week's protests marked the March 10 anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against China. Separately, several hundred Tibetan exiles tried to march into Tibet from the north Indian town of Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama presides over a government in exile. Some were arrested. The U.S.-funded Radio Free Asia's Tibetan-language service reported that it received a phone call Wednesday from a witness in the Ganden Monastery who said monks were demonstrating. The service also reported fresh accounts of a protest Tuesday in which several hundred monks were seen marching near a police station. "There were probably a couple of thousand armed police. . . . Police fired tear gas into the crowd," the witness was quoted as saying. Although some witnesses said they heard gunshots, no serious injuries were reported. The blockades kept the monks far from the city center, where they had hoped to demonstrate. But the marches clearly rattled the Chinese government, which has been trying to fend off human rights activists from all corners of the globe using the Summer Olympics as a platform for their causes. "The Olympic charter requires that the Olympic Games not be politicized," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said at a news conference Wednesday in Beijing. He also criticized the Dalai Lama, saying the Tibetan spiritual leader's "conspiracy to split Tibet from China and his secessionist attempt is doomed to fail," according to the official New China News Agency. Tibet is a potentially explosive issue for the Chinese in this sensitive year because it commands a large international following with high celebrity interest. The Chinese were shocked last month when Icelandic singer Bjork shouted "Tibet, Tibet!" from a stage in Shanghai after performing her song, "Declare Independence." Kate Saunders, an official of London-based Free Tibet, said, "We want to use the Olympics as a means of leverage on China to press for positive change." Since 1988, when a monk was shot to death for unfurling a Tibetan flag in Lhasa, the Chinese have kept such a large paramilitary presence in Tibet that protests against their rule have been virtually impossible. Barnett said this week's events were linked to the Olympics and to resentments that have been pent up since 2005, when Zhang Qingli, a confidant of President Hu Jintao, took over as head of the Communist Party in Tibet. "The control of Tibet has become more aggressive in the way they've controlled religion and the aggressive language they're using about the Dalai Lama," Barnett said. "And deciding to route the Olympic torch through Tibet was really provocative. They were setting themselves up for trouble." Barnett noted, however, that the protests this week were handled with more sophistication than previously by the Chinese People's Armed Police force, which is stationed in Tibet. In the 1980s, brutality toward the monks inflamed the general population, leading to riots. The State Department this year dropped China from its list of worst abusers of human rights, but accusations continue. Human Rights Watch issued a report Wednesday charging the Chinese with systematically abusing migrant workers involved in Beijing's pre-Olympics construction boom. http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/news/article_1395338.php/Riot_erupts_in_Lhasa_as_Tibetan_protests_escalate_in_China_is_to_be_available_later__Roundup_ Riot erupts in Lhasa as Tibetan protests escalate in China is to be available later (Roundup) Mar 14, 2008, 10:41 GMT Beijing - Violence erupted Friday in the centre of Lhasa, the capital of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, as the government deployed paramilitary riot police to control protests initiated by Buddhist monks, witnesses said. The protestors beat up at least three firefighters and several police officers and tore down a Chinese national flag in the square outside Lhasa's Jokhang temple, the holiest site in the city for Tibetan Buddhists, one witness told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. The witness said she saw three fire trucks in flames and protestors overturn and set fire to a police car. Six or seven truckloads of paramilitary police were sent to the square with some police in protective riot gear, she said. Groups of monks, students and other lay Tibetans ran toward the police and attacked them with sticks and stones, forcing the officers to retreat from the square, she said. Another witness said a market in central Lhasa was also ablaze on Friday and that he had heard rumours of three deaths in the rioting. Dark smoke was seen coming from the square outside the Potala Palace, the traditional residence of the exiled Dalai Lama, witnesses said. A worker at the Jokhang confirmed that a large protest had taken place outside the temple. 'Yes, there was a protest outside this morning,' the worker told dpa by telephone. 'Now the Jokhang is closed, so we can't go out and people can't come in,' he said. Later on Friday, the government confirmed that shops were set on fire and that some people were injured during violence in Lhasa on Friday afternoon. 'Witnesses said a number of shops along two main streets ... and Chomsigkang Market were set on fire around 2 pm, sending out heavy smoke,' the official Xinhua news agency said. The agency said all shops near the Jokhang and the nearby Ramogia monastery were closed. Many people reportedly ran out of the square in front of the Jokhang soon after the fire erupted, it said. An unspecified number of people were treated for injuries in local hospitals, vehicles were burned, and violence was continuing at 4:30 pm (0830 GMT), the agency said. Friday's riot came amid reports of escalating unrest in Lhasa and at major monasteries in the region with reports of paramilitary reinforcements sent to control several of the monasteries. US-based Radio Free Asia reported Friday that two monks were in critical condition after apparently attempting suicide during the protests. The monks from Drepung monastery on the edge of Lhasa slit their wrists and stabbed themselves in the chest earlier this week, witnesses told the broadcaster. Monks from Sera monastery in Lhasa have begun a hunger strike as Chinese troops surrounded the three largest monasteries in the city in a government crackdown on the protests, Radio Free Asia reported. The monasteries are now off-limits to tourists. The protests have since spread to Ganden monastery and to Reting monastery north of the city, the broadcaster said. The protests apparently began Monday, the 49th anniversary of a Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule that was crushed by troops. The Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism's highest leader, fled to India after the uprising. http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=becd7fa9-1bed-4794-b219-a74033924177&&Headline=Two+dead+as+Tibet+protests+spread Chaos in Tibet as protests spread, deaths reported Tibet burns Ads By Google Will India Survive? Surrounded by China's Surrogates? E-B'desh,W-Pak,N-Nepal,S-Lanka? BharatDefence.com Luxury Apartments Noida India's first Wish Town. Get all that you could wish in a house! JaypeeGreensNoida.co Invest in Forestry Turn ?7,490 into ?21,000 Investment period 6 to 8 years www.greenwood-invest ALSO READ India 'distressed' over situation in Tibet, says MEA March 15, 2008 'Dalai Lama masterminding it' March 14, 2008 Factbox | Tibet, Dalai Lama... March 14, 2008 Chris Buckley and Lindsay Beck, Reuters Beijing, March 14, 2008 First Published: 17:17 IST(14/3/2008) Last Updated: 08:35 IST(15/3/2008) Protesters in Tibet's capital burnt shops and vehicles and yelled for independence on Friday as the Himalayan region was hit by its biggest protests in two decades, prompting the Dalai Lama to warn Beijing against using "brute force". There were also reports at least two people died in the violence, possibly more. Peaceful street marches by Tibetan Buddhist monks over past days gave way to angry crowds of hundreds who confronted anti-riot police in the remote region -- testing China's grip on control just as it readies for the Olympic Games. "Now it's very chaotic outside," an ethnic Tibetan resident said by telephone. "People have been burning cars and motorbikes and buses. There is smoke everywhere and they have been throwing rocks and breaking windows. We're scared." US-funded Radio Free Asia said Chinese police fired on rioting Tibetan protesters, killing at least two. Residents around the Jokhang temple in old Lhasa which was a scene of protests said they were hiding indoors. Some said they had seen lines of anti-riot police, but none spoke of gunfire. "We are waiting to see what will happen tomorrow," said an ethnic Tibetan woman. "It could get much worse." Up to 400 protesters, including students, had gathered around a market near the Jokhang temple early on Friday and were confronted by about 1,000 police, according to a witness cited by Matt Whitticase of the Free Tibet Campaign in London. Four police were injured in the contention that followed, and another protest broke out near the Potala Palace, Whitticase added. An ethnic Tibetan resident said there were "protests everywhere" accompanied by shouts for independence from China. "It's no longer just the monks. Now they have been joined by lots of residents," the man said. The eruption of anger comes despite Beijing's repeated claims Tibetans are grateful for improved lives, and it threatens to stain preparations for the Olympics, when the government hopes to show off national prosperity and harmony. "These protests are a manifestation of the deep-rooted resentment of the Tibetan people under the present governance," Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, said in a statement. "I therefore appeal to the Chinese leadership to stop using force and address the long-simmering resentment of the Tibetan people through dialogue with the Tibetan people." http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/19/tibet.video/ Tourist video shows riot, flames in Tibetan capital Story Highlights Michael Smith shot video of anti-Chinese rioting in Lhasa, Tibet, last week The Australian tourist videotaped Tibetans smashing windows, setting fires Once home, Smith shared his video with Australia's ABC News (CNN) -- Australian tourist Michael Smith says he was eating lunch in a restaurant in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, on Friday when he heard an explosion and saw smoke. Video shot by an Australian tourist shows protesters in the streets of Lhasa, Tibet, last week. As armored vehicles and trucks carrying Chinese soldiers rushed past, Smith started videotaping. "We're standing here in the middle of Lhasa and the place has just [expletive] exploded," Smith narrated during the rioting. Smith, who was traveling in Tibet when anti-Chinese rioting broke out Friday, returned home this week with dramatic video of the violence in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, which aired on Australian TV on Wednesday. Watch Smith's video of chaos in streets ? Tibetan exile groups maintain at least 80 people were killed by Chinese security forces that day, but Chinese authorities insist they acted with restraint and killed no one. Instead, China says 13 "innocent people" were killed, some brutally burned, by the Tibetan rioters. No apparent deaths or injuries were seen on the video, which Smith shared with Australia's ABC News, a CNN affiliate. The video shows Tibetans smashing windows and setting fire to Chinese shops and cars, while people are heard cheering. It also shows Chinese security forces, but no clashes between them and the rioters. "It's absolute mayhem on the streets," Smith said. Don't Miss Further protests in Nepal as Tibet tension spreads News of Tibet under scrutiny Free Tibet parties meet Dalai Lama TIME.com: The Dalai Lama's dilemma Other video released of the rioting was broadcast by the Chinese government's CCTV, and it did not include pictures of Chinese security forces. Smith said as he made his way back to his hotel on Friday, he "met so many Tibetan people on the streets, so many young Tibetan boys just screaming for Tibet's freedom." "We don't have any freedoms," one young Tibetan male shouted to Smith's camera. "The Tibetan people are going crazy," Smith said. See protests around the world over Tibet ? Many of the businesses targeted by the rioters were operated by Han Chinese, China's largest ethnic group. The Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, has blamed the violent protests on deep resentment fueled by Chinese treatment of Tibetans as "second-class citizens in their own land." Tibetan activists said an influx of Han Chinese from other provinces is threatening their ancient culture. While many of these "Free Tibet" activists demand independence from China, the Dalai Lama said he wants only "genuine autonomy" so that Tibetans can preserve their heritage. Watch Tibetans on horseback storm a Chinese town ? Meanwhile, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday that more than 100 people surrendered themselves to police and admitted involvement in the clashes last week in Lhasa. Tibet's regional government said 105 people had turned themselves in to authorities by 11 p.m. Tuesday (1:15 p.m. ET), Xinhua said. Authorities had urged those who participated in the protests to turn themselves in, offering them leniency if they did. "Those who surrender and provide information on other lawbreakers will be exempt from punishment," Xinhua quoted a police notice as saying. http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=183911 Tibet protests intensify HEAVY-HANDED: Nepalese police officers detain a Tibetan protester in front of the UN offices in Katmandu, Nepal, yesterday. Police used bamboo batons to disperse about 100 Tibetan protesters and Buddhist monks in the capital yesterday, arresting around 30 marchers in the latest crackdown on pro-Tibet demonstrations. Picture: AP 2008/03/18 AT LEAST eight people were killed when police opened fire after a protest by monks in southwest China at the weekend, three activist groups said. The latest incident took place on Sunday in Ngawa town in Sichuan province ? which borders Tibet and has a large ethnic Tibetan population. The monks and some laity were protesting against Chinese rule in their Himalayan homeland, the campaign groups said. The International Campaign for Tibet said one of the victims was a 15-year-old student. It further stated that more than a thousand monks had joined the protest at the Kirti monastery. The London-based Free Tibet Campaign and the Tibetan Campaign for Human Rights and Democracy, in India, said at least eight dead bodies were brought into the monastery. The protest was one of many that have broken out across China in the past week against Chinese rule in Tibet. These occurred on the anniversary of a 1959 uprising that led to the Buddhist spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fleeing into exile. On Friday a protest in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, descended into violence which resulted in the deaths of at least 13 people after shops and markets were set on fire. According to Tibet?s government-in-exile, a total of 80 people have been killed so far in the ongoing protest action. In neighbouring Nepal, dozens of Tibetan protestors were arrested yesterday by police following clashes during anti-China demonstrations in the capital, Kathmandu. The clashes erupted when Tibetan demonstrators, numbering about 400, tried to picket the UN offices in Kathmandu. Police made baton charges and fired tear gas to disperse the Tibetan demonstrators gathered outside the UN offices. ?We will continue our protests in Nepal,? said Thupden Tenzing Zamphel, the leader of the Nepal-Tibetan Volunteer Youth Forum. ?We will not stop our protest in the face of police action.? According to Zamphel, few protesters were injured during the clashes, but he said he did not know the exact figures. ?A few people sustained head injuries, while others have injuries elsewhere on the body due to the police action,? Zamphel said. He also said the police had detained between 50 to 60 of the demonstrators who had gone to picket the UN offices. In the northern Indian hill town of Dharamsala, the seat of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile, five Tibetan non-governmental organisations condemned the ?violent crackdown? by Chinese authorities. ?We fear the worst for our Tibetan brothers and sisters as the Chinese authorities lock down Lhasa and deploy armed police and troops across the country,? said Ngawang Woebar, president of GuChuSum Ex-Political Prisoners? Movement of Tibet. ? Sapa-DPA http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSPEK296114 China releases gory details of Tibet riot violence Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:16am EDT By Benjamin Kang Lim BEIJING, March 17 (Reuters) - China released gory details on Monday of knife-wielding Tibetan protesters carving off a chunk of flesh from a Chinese paramilitary policeman and cutting off the ears of passers-by. But the accusations by Qiangba Puncog, chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region government, and a Chinese-language Web site could not be independently confirmed because foreign reporters are barred from the region. "The mob used methods that were extremely ruthless. It makes one's hackles rise," Qiangba Puncog, an ethnic Tibetan and the top government official in the region, told a news conference. A member of the People's Armed Police was beaten unconscious by a mob, one of whom then used a knife to carve out a chunk of flesh the size of a fist from his buttocks, said Qiangba Puncog, who holds a rank equivalent to a provincial governor. A passer-by was burnt alive after petrol was poured over him, he said. Monk-led pro-independence protests erupted in Tibet's regional capital Lhasa last Monday -- the 49th anniversary of an uprising that drove the Himalayan region's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, into exile in India. The Chinese edition of the official Web site www.chinatibetnews.com published a picture of a paramilitary policeman crawling on his knees outside a temple while "lawless elements madly attacked him". "The mob was extremely vicious ... even cut off the ears" of passers-by, the Web site said. It also ran a picture of a mob beating up two cyclists. The biggest protests in the predominantly Buddhist region since 1989 have spilled over into neighbouring Chinese provinces populated by ethnic Tibetans. Some have turned ugly. Protesters torched 56 vehicles and 300 venues, including 214 houses and shops, Qiangba Puncog said. Tibet's self-proclaimed government-in-exile said up to 80 people had been killed in total, but Qiangba Puncog put the figure at 13. Tsegyam, head of the Tibet Religious Foundation of the Dalai Lama in Taiwan, told reporters that more than 100 people had been killed and about 1,000 injured in the rioting. It is near impossible to obtain independent confirmation. Most local residents fear political repercussions for speaking to foreign reporters. Protesters also burned down a mosque and Muslim restaurants, fuelling ethnic tensions not just between Han Chinese and Tibetans but also Tibetans and Hui Muslims. Separately, the International Campaign for Tibet said eight bodies were put on display outside a police station in Aba prefecture in the southwestern province of Sichuan in an apparent warning to the local populace against further acts of protest. (Additional reporting by Chris Buckley and Guo Shipeng in Beijing and Ralph Jennings in Taipei; Editing by Nick Macfie and Alex Richardson) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h5Z6bJwtN_roGSIUQiQnfbf2NkhgD8VB3FGO0 Tibet Government Leader Confirms Protest By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN ? Mar 11, 2008 BEIJING (AP) ? The head of China's regional government in Tibet confirmedTuesday that about 300 Tibetan monks staged a protest march this week in the capital of Lhasa but said authorities diffused the incident without arrests. The march Monday was one of the boldest public challenges to China's rule in nearly two decades, but Champa Phuntsok, chairman of the Tibetan government, said it was resolved without incident. The monks from Drepung monastery outside Lhasa set off on their march to the city on the anniversary of a failed Tibetan uprising against Beijing rule in 1959. Phunstok also confirmed a smaller protest at which nine monks shouted slogans near a main temple. The U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia and an overseas Tibetan Web site, phayul.com, had earlier reported the demonstrations. Phunstok said an unspecified number of marchers were brought in for questioning and were released shortly after. "It's really nothing," he told The Associated Press on the sidelines of National People's Congress, China's annual legislative session. There was no way of independently confirming Phunstok's comments. Drepung was sealed off Tuesday and increased numbers of armed police guarded temples in and around Lhasa, according to Radio Free Asia and phayul.com Web site, which is run by Tibetan exiles. Up to 71 people, mostly monks, were detained following the protests, they said. Always edgy about protests in frequently restive Tibet, China is particularly nervous in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics in August. Tibetan exiles and their supporters have tried to draw the Olympic spotlight to China's often harsh 57-year rule over the Himalayan region. Meanwhile, several hundred Tibetan exiles tried to march to Tibet from Dharmsala, India, where their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has presided over a government-in-exile since the abortive 1959 uprising. The activists started their march Monday, but police told them they were banned from leaving the area. However, they resumed their march on Tuesday. Monday's Lhasa protests are believed to be the largest demonstrations in the city since Beijing crushed a wave of pro-independence demonstrations in 1989. Since then, China has pumped investment into the region, vilified the Dalai Lama and tried to weed out his supporters among the influential Buddhist clergy ? moves that have alienated some Tibetans. http://in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-32499920080316 Tibetan riots spread, security lockdown in Lhasa Mon Mar 17, 2008 12:33am IST By Benjamin Kang Lim and Chris Buckley BEIJING (Reuters) - Rioting erupted in a province neighbouring Tibet on Sunday, two days after violent protests by Tibetans against Chinese rule in Lhasa in which the region's exiled representatives said 80 people had been killed. Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, said the Tibetan nation was in serious danger and called for an investigation into what he called cultural genocide in his homeland. A police officer in Aba county, Sichuan, one of four provinces with large Tibetan populations, said a crowd of Tibetans had hurled petrol bombs in the main county town, burned down a police station and a market and set fire to two police cars and a fire truck. "They've gone crazy," said the officer, her voice trembling down the telephone as the main government building there came under siege. Security forces fired tear gas and arrested five people. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said on a Web site that paramilitary police shot and killed at least seven protesters. A police officer, reached by telephone, denied this. One ethnic Tibetan resident in Aba said there were sounds like gunshots and there was widespread talk of 10 or more dead. "Now it's very tense. There are police going round everywhere, checking and looking over people for injuries," said another Aba resident, adding that many of the rioters were students of a Tibetan-language high school. Anti-riot troops locked down Lhasa -- remote, high in the Himalayas and barred to foreign journalists without permission -- to prevent a repeat of Friday's violence, the most serious in nearly two decades. A businessman there, reached by telephone, said a tense calm had descended on the city and most people were staying indoors. Xinhua news agency said the authorities had stopped granting foreigners tourist permits to visit Lhasa for their "safety". "We also suggest foreign tourists now in Tibet leave in the coming days," Xinhua quoted Ju Jianhua, director with the region's foreign affairs office, as saying. The Dalai Lama, the Nobel peace laureate who fled to India in 1959, called from his Dharamsala base in the Himalayan foothills for an investigation into the situation in Tibet. "Whether China's government admits or not, there is a problem ... the nation with ancient cultural heritage is actually facing serious dangers...," the Dalai Lama, reviled by Beijing as a separatist, told reporters in Dharamsala. "Then also, whether intentionally or unintentionally, somewhere cultural genocide is taking place," he said, calling on Tibetans to express their resentment peacefully. The Dalai Lama, who says he wants more autonomy but not independence for Tibet, said China deserved to host the August Olympic Games, but the international community had a "moral responsibility" to remind China to be a good host. State-run China Central Television (CCTV) said on Sunday that social order had "basically been restored" in Lhasa, but showed footage of deserted streets choked with debris and burnt-out buildings near the central Jokhang temple area. Clean-up crews were out on city streets on Sunday to shovel charred wreckage onto trucks and remove overturned vehicles, and government agencies and schools would resume normal operation on Monday, Xinhua news agency said. The spasm of Tibetan anger at the Chinese presence in the region followed days of peaceful protests by monks and dealt a sharp blow to Beijing's preparations for the Olympics, when China wants to showcase prosperity and unity. The Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala said 80 people had died in the clashes between authorities and protesters last week, and 72 had been injured. Xinhua news agency said only that 10 "innocent civilians" had died, mostly in fires lit by rioters, and that 12 policemen had been seriously injured. Tibet is one of several potential flashpoints for the ruling Communist Party at a time of heightened attention on China. The government is concerned about the effect of inflation and wealth gaps on social stability after years of breakneck economic growth, and this month it said it had foiled two plots by Uighur militants in the large Muslim northwestern region of Xinjiang, including an attempt to disrupt the Olympics. Kang Xiaoguang, a political scientist at the People's University of China who has long studied social stability, said there was very little chance of the Tibetan protests sparking a chain reaction in broader China. "I think the chances are minimal," he said. "This is a localised problem. In the Han Chinese regions there's virtually zero sympathy for the Tibetan rioters, and so virtually zero chance that this will spread." The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said in an e-mail that monks of the Amdo Ngaba Kirti monastery, also in Sichuan's Aba prefecture, had raised the banned Tibetan flag and shouted pro-independence slogans after prayers on Sunday. Chinese security forces stormed the monastery, fired tear gas and prevented the monks from taking to the streets, it said. The report could not be independenly confirmed. (Additional reporting by Jason Subler, Lindsay Beck and Ian Ransom in Beijing, John Ruwitch in Chengdu and by Jonathan Allen in Dharamsala) http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jT70u_gPX-WoR4WUozLOZ5-vy7fA China sees 'life or death struggle' in Tibet Mar 18, 2008 BEIJING (AFP) ? China said Wednesday it was engaged in a "life or death struggle" over Tibet as dramatic footage emerged of Tibetan protesters rampaging on horseback and hoisting their national flag. With China deploying a massive security force to quash the uprising and sealing off the hotbed areas from foreign media, activists and a rights group warned hundreds of Tibetans believed arrested may be at risk of torture. Activist groups also released photos on Tuesday of eight dead Tibetans they said had been killed by Chinese forces at a protest in Sichuan province, saying it was proof of the brutal methods being used to quell the unrest. [?] The protests began in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa last week and escalated into deadly incidents on Friday. While blanket security of the city appeared to have stymied any further major protests there, Tibetans living in neighbouring and nearby provinces have continued to defy authorities and protest for independence of their homeland. China has tried to block foreign reporters from travelling into these regions, but Canadian TV said it was able to witness one of those protests on Tuesday in Gansu province, and showed dramatic footage of the unrest. In the broadcast, more than 1,000 ethnic Tibetans, some of them on horseback, charged into a remote town, attacking a government building, pulling down the Chinese flag at a school and hoisting the Tibetan one. Inside the town the crowd of Tibetans was repelled by about 100 heavily armed soldiers using tear gas, CTV said. CTV's story was posted on YouTube on Wednesday and could be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxm2obArsBs. China has insisted it has used no deadly force to quell the unrest, reporting that the only people who have died so far were 13 "innocent civilians" killed by rioters in Lhasa on Friday. However Tibet's parliament-in-exile said on Monday that "hundreds" of people had been killed in the Chinese crackdown. Activists also pointed to photos said to be of dead Tibetans from a protest on Sunday in Ngawa, in southwest China's Sichuan province, as proof that Chinese forces were using lethal force. The photos purportedly showed different men and at least one woman who appeared to be dead, with a bullet wound over the heart of one man. The body of another man is lying naked on a plastic sheet saturated in blood. The veracity of the photos could not be independently verified by AFP. Meanwhile on Wednesday, China's official Xinhua news agency said 105 Tibetan "rioters" in Lhasa had surrendered by late Tuesday night, following a midnight Monday deadline to turn themselves in. But exiled groups and rights activists said at least hundreds of Tibetans had been detained and were at risk of torture amid a sweep by Chinese security forces throughout Tibet and other hotspot areas. "It seems like there are many hundreds of arrests at least, possibly thousands, across the country," Lhadon Tethong, director of Students for a Free Tibet, told AFP, as other groups gave similar tallies. Human Rights Watch warned those in custody were at great risk of being tortured. "Given the long and well-documented history of torture of political activists by China's security forces there is every reason to fear for the safety of those recently detained," said Brad Adams, Human Rights Watch's Asia director. A male official with the public security bureau in Lhasa would not comment on the surrenders or reported arrests on Wednesday and told AFP not to call back. The protests began in Lhasa last week to mark the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. Chinese authorities have repeatedly accused Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who fled his homeland after the 1959 uprising, of masterminding the latest unrest. But the Nobel Peace laureate, 72, has repeatedly insisted he does not want independence, but an end to what he has said is widespread repression in his homeland. China's officially annexed Tibet in 1951, a year after sending troops in to "liberate" the region. http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/news/article_1396042.php/Rights_group_Chinese_forces_gun_down_three_people_at_Tibet_protest Rights group: Chinese forces gun down three people at Tibet protest Mar 19, 2008, 7:44 GMT Beijing - Chinese security forces opened fire on Tibetan protesters and killed at least three people, an exile group said Wednesday. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said from India that it received confirmation from multiple sources that three people were killed in the peaceful protests Tuesday in Kardze in Sichuan province, which borders Tibet. On Tuesday, the group said at least 39 people were shot by Chinese troops in Aba in Sichuan and in Machu in the northern province of Gansu. The Free Tibet Campaign also released photographs it said were taken at the Kirti monastery in Aba showing bodies with gunshot wounds. Protests occurred not only in Kardze Tuesday, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said, but also in Gannan and Sangchu in Gansu. Monks and other Tibetans demonstrated for independence for the Himalayan region and the return of the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism's highest religious figure, the group said. Chinese security forces deployed tear gas in some places, it added. Protests by Tibetans in and outside Tibet began March 10, the 49th anniversary of the failed uprising in Tibet against Chinese rule. http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=213174&Sn=WORL&IssueID=31010 Fresh protests hit Lhasa DHARAMSHALA, India: Fresh protests took place in Lhasa yesterday, even as diplomats wrapped up a visit organised by Beijing in an effort to blunt criticism of its crackdown on unrest in the region. The protest began at the Ramoche monastery, where earlier protests started on March 14 that led to the crackdown, but calmed down after a few hours. People also protested at the Jokhang Temple, a major Buddhist site. A 15-member group of diplomats from the US, Japan and European governments returned to Beijing after a tightly controlled two-day visit to Lhasa. China offered diplomats from a dozen countries a closely monitored 21-hour tour of Lhasa, a Western embassy representative said. Two countries declined the invitation. Diplomats toured damaged areas of Lhasa and met people selected by Chinese authorities, who accompanied them at all times, the American Embassy said. "The delegation was not permitted to move about independently in Lhasa, and was unable to hold unsupervised conversations with local residents," the statement said. The Chinese government said it would pay compensation for people killed in the rioting, give the injured free medical care and help to repair damaged homes and businesses. Families of 18 civilians killed will each receive 200,000 yuan (BD10,773). Meanwhile, Dalai Lama accused Beijing of "demographic aggression" by encouraging settlers from China's ethnic Han majority to move to the sparsely Tibetan populated region. He said the number of settlers in Tibet was expected to increase by more than one million following the Olympics, but did not say where he obtained such information. "There is evidence the Chinese people in Tibet are increasing month by month," he claimed. Lhasa has 100,000 Tibetans and twice as many outsiders, the majority of them from the Han majority, he said. In Hong Kong, veteran activist John Kamm, who met recently with Chinese officials, said they indicated that Beijing would not back down on Tibet despite any possible complications over the Olympics. Chinese security forces sealed off parts of Lhasa and Tibet's government-in-exile said it was investigating reports of fresh protests. The London-based International Campaign for Tibet said it had heard that security forces had surrounded Lhasa's main temples, Jokhang and Ramoche. http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2008/03/26/255.html Wednesday, March 26, 2008. Issue 3869. Page 10. 2 Dead as Monks Clash With Police in West China Protest The Associated Press BEIJING -- A clash between protesters and police in a Tibetan area of western China killed at least two people, state media and a rights group said Tuesday, as the country's top police official called for stepped-up "patriotic campaigns" in monasteries to boost support for Beijing. The demonstration in Garze, a prefecture in Sichuan province, started Monday as a peaceful march by monks and nuns but turned violent when police tried to suppress the crowd, which grew to about 200 after residents joined in, the Dharmsala, India-based Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy said. China's official Xinhua News Agency said the protesters attacked police with knives and stones, killing one policeman. The Tibetan rights group said an 18-year-old monk died and another was critically wounded after security agents fired live rounds. It was not immediately possible to confirm either claim. Officials answering telephone calls Tuesday at police and government offices in Garze either denied anything had happened or said they had not heard of such reports. Garze borders Tibet, where anti-government protests led by monks spiraled into violence on March 14 in Lhasa. Demonstrations in support of the Lhasa protests have since burgeoned rapidly throughout provinces surrounding Tibet. The unrest in Garze indicates that Tibetan defiance is still running strong a week after thousands of Chinese troops fanned out to patrol areas outside of Lhasa and clamp down on fresh protests. Meng Jianzhu, the minister of public security, ordered Tibet's security forces to remain on alert for further unrest and said "patriotic education" campaigns would be strengthened in monasteries, according to the Tibet Daily newspaper. http://www.macaudailytimesnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8950&Itemid=31 One policeman killed in fresh riot in China Wednesday, 26 March 2008 One Chinese policeman was killed and several others injured on Monday in a riot in a Tibetan-populated area of south-west Sichuan province, state media reported early yesterday, citing local authorities. Xinhua said in a one-paragraph dispatch that the incident took place in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, a traditional part of greater Tibet that is now part of Sichuan province. The officer, who was named by Xinhua as Wang Guochan, was killed when a group attacked armed police with knives at about 4.30pm, the agency said. "The police were forced to fire warning shots, and dispersed the lawless mobsters," an official was quoted as saying, adding that he said an investigation was underway. The riots come after violent protests over China's rule of Tibet broke out in the Tibetan capital Lhasa on March 14, before spilling out across other parts of the country. Chinese authorities have repeatedly accused the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader who fled his homeland after a 1959 uprising, of masterminding the latest unrest but have provided no evidence. http://www.gulfnews.com/world/China/10203242.html Eight killed in fresh Tibetan riots at monastery Agencies Published: April 05, 2008, 08:58 Beijing: At least eight people have been killed in unrest at a monastery in southwestern China, a rights group said. Skirmishes with police on Friday also left at least two people injured, including an official who was attacked in a riot. The International Campaign for Tibet said that police fired into the crowd after some monks at the Tongkor monastery were detained following a police search. Over the past weeks, China has seen clashes between police and pro-Tibetan protesters against what they say is unfair Chinese policy on Tibetans. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/964461.html 16/03/2008 China cracks down on Tibetan protests; at least 100 people killed in Tibet capital By News Agencies Tags: Olympics BEIJING - Chinese security forces swarmed Tibet's capital yesterday and tourists were ordered out as Beijing gambled that a crackdown on violent protests against Chinese rule will not bring an international boycott of this summer's Olympics. The tough response by the Chinese authorities came after fierce protests on Friday which contradicted China's claims of stability and tarnished a carefully nurtured image of national harmony as it readies to stage the Olympic Games in August. Official Tibetan judicial authorities gave protesters until Monday night to turn themselves in and benefit from leniency. "Criminals who do not surrender themselves by the deadline will be sternly punished according to the law," said a notice on the Tibetan government Web site International pressure mounted on Beijing to show restraint. Australia, the United States and Europe urged China to find a peaceful outcome, while Taiwan, which China claims as its own, predictably condemned Beijing for launching a crackdown. Xinhua news agency said 10 "innocent civilians" had been shot or burned to death in the street clashes in the remote, mountain capital which has been sealed off. The dead included two people killed by shotguns. Xinhua said 12 police officers had been "gravely injured" and 22 buildings and dozens of vehicles were set on fire. A source close to the Tibetan government-in-exile, however, questioned the official death toll of 10. He said at least five Tibetan protesters had been shot dead by troops. The Tibetan government in exile, based in northern India, said tThere have been 30 confirmed deaths until Saturday, and over 100 unconfirmed deaths." The riots emerged from a volatile mix of pre-Olympics protests, diplomatic friction over Tibet and local discontent with the harsh ways of the region's Communist Party leadership. The protests, the worst since 1989 in the disputed region, have thrust China's role as Olympic host and its policy toward Tibet back into the international spotlight. A rash of angry blog posts appeared after the deaths were confirmed. Hollywood actor Richard Gere, a Buddhist and an activist for Tibetan causes, urged an Olympics boycott. International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge opposed a boycott, saying only the athletes would suffer. Accounts from the remote region were fragmentary and China restricts access for foreign media, making it difficult to independently verify the casualties and the scale of the protests and suppression. Yet the details emerging from witness accounts and government statements suggested Beijing was preparing a methodical campaign - one that if carefully modulated would minimize bloodshed and avoid wrecking Beijing's grand plans for the Olympics in August. Signs of violence persisted yesterday. Several witnesses reported hearing occasional sounds of gunfire. One Westerner who went to a rooftop in Lhasa's old city said he saw troops with automatic rifles moving through the streets firing, though did not see anyone shot. Even as Chinese forces appeared to reassert control in Lhasa, a second day of sympathy protests erupted in an important Tibetan town 1,200 kilometers away. Police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of Buddhist monks and other Tibetans after they marched from the historic Labrang monastery and smashed windows in the county police headquarters in Xiahe, witnesses said. The China-installed governor of Tibet, besieged by reporters as he entered a legislative meeting in Beijing, vowed to deal harshly with the protesters in Lhasa, but said no shots had been fired and promised that calm will be restored very soon. "Beating, smashing, looting and burning - we absolutely condemn this sort of behavior," said Champa Phuntsok, an ethnic Tibetan. He blamed the protests on followers of the Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule and is still Tibet's widely revered spiritual leader. >From Dharamsala, India, the Dalai Lama appealed to China not to use force. He said he was deeply concerned and urged Tibetans not to resort to violence. Preparing the Chinese public for tough measures, state-run television on the evening newscast showed footage of red-robed monks battering bus signs and Tibetans in street clothes hurling rocks and smashing shop windows as smoke billowed across Lhasa. "The plot by an extremely small number of people to damage Tibet's stability and harmony is unpopular and doomed to failure," a narrator said as the footage played. Chinese newspapers and Internet sites, all state-controlled, ran no reports on the violence except a brief Xinhua statement vowing to reassert order - a further sign the government was managing public expectations. Foreign tourists in Lhasa were told to leave, a hotel manager and travel guide said, with the guide adding that some were turned back at the airport. Tibet's latest unrest began Monday, the anniversary of the 1959 uprising, with protests by Buddhist monks demanding the release of other detained monks. Sporadic, largely peaceful protests and spiraling demands - including cries for Tibet's independence - continued throughout the week until Friday when police tried to stop a group of protesting monks. http://www.kansascity.com/451/story/532563.html Protests turn violent in Tibet By EVAN OSNOS AND LAURIE GOERING Chicago Tribune http://www.chicagotribune.com/ Tibet under Chinese rule The largest protests in Tibet in two decades, which have coursed through Lhasa, the capital, and left vehicles and shops in flames, pose a political dilemma for Beijing as it struggles to bring the unrest under control. The Chinese government, already facing international pressure to improve its human rights record before the summer Olympics in Beijing, confronts two unappealing options: permit protests to continue and risk broader unrest, or clampdown and face scrutiny and censure from the world. Varying accounts suggest that Tibet's three main monasteries have been surrounded by police and troop carriers, foreign tourists are confined to hotels, and ethnic Chinese-run businesses have been targeted for damage from angry Tibetans. Some Buddhist monks reportedly are on hunger strike and, in two cases, have attempted suicide to protest police handling of the demonstrations. The scale and details of the events, however, remain hard to verify. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing "has received first-hand reports from American citizens in the city who report gunfire and other indications of violence," according to an advisory sent Friday. The embassy urged Americans in Tibet and especially in Lhasa to "seek safe havens" and "remain indoors to the extent possible." As of late Friday, much of Lhasa was under a curfew. With only scattered reports of gunfire, Tibet experts said it appears, for the moment, that public scrutiny may have stalled or prevented a more forceful crackdown, though it's not clear how protesters will be dealt with after the initial violence subsides. "I think we are seeing (public relations) considerations and I think that's helpful. They haven't used much shooting," said Robbie Barnett, the program coordinator in Modern Tibetan Studies, at Columbia University. "It's progress, but we're not yet seeing signs that it translates into open-mindedness and not notions of punishment and retribution." China has sent stern warnings that it will not permit unrest to undermine the Olympic games. "Anyone who wants to sabotage the Games will get nowhere," Qiangba Puncog, the top government official in Tibet, was quoted as saying this week in state media. With nearly five months remaining before the opening ceremony on Aug. 8, the clashes in Tibet deal another blow to Chinese leaders already struggling to defuse foreign criticism that threatens to taint what China hopes will be a showcase of the nation's integration with the world. Activists have brought pressure on corporate sponsors, foreign heads of state who plan to attend, and celebrities involved in planning. Last month, Britain's Prince Charles said that he would not attend the games in protest of China's treatment of Tibet, and Steven Spielberg withdrew as an artistic advisor, blaming China's continuing support of the government of Sudan, which has failed to quell violence in its Darfur region. China considers foreign support a critical measure of a successful games, and a crackdown in Tibet could risk the prospect of international condemnation or a boycott. The tension in Tibet comes just days after the U.S. State Department removed China from a list of the world's worst human rights violators, despite objections from human rights groups. However, China's "overall human rights record remained poor" in 2007, according to the State Department's annual human rights report released Tuesday, which cited stricter controls on the Internet and the press, and limits on the freedom of religion in Tibet and the northwestern region of Xinjiang. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/13/wtibet113.xml Tibet's anti-China protest monks gassed By Richard Spencer in Beijing Last Updated: 2:35am GMT 16/03/2008 Tibetan Buddhist monks, staging the most serious protests against Chinese rule in years, were driven back with tear gas and electric batons, according to reports from Lhasa, the capital. ? US drops China from worst human rights list Two days of protests led by hundreds of monks shouting "Independence for Tibet" and "Long live the Dalai Lama" were broken up by thousands of police Tibetan exiles protest march Scores of monks were reported to have been arrested, with the remainder surrounded by security forces in their monasteries and in many cases shut up in their rooms, according to reports. Meanwhile, the Chinese authorities sent a letter to mountaineering organisations saying that the Tibetan side of Everest, and the nearby mountain Cho Oyu, were being closed to climbers until the middle of May. This was interpreted by Tibet support groups as an attempt to disrupt plans to take the Olympic torch relay to the top of Everest as part of its advance on Beijing for this summer's games. The report was denied by the Chinese authorities, which said the letter had been "misunderstood", but tourist authorities have been warned to pay extra attention before issuing the permits that foreigners need to enter the region. The protests on Monday, first reported by the Tibetan-language service of Radio Free Asia, marked the 49th anniversary of the uprising in 1959 which led to the Dalai Lama fleeing into exile, where he has remained ever since. The monks marched on Lhasa from different directions, including Drepung, once the largest monastery in the world. What happened next was described in a dramatic blog entry by two European tourists, who said they saw hundreds of ordinary Tibetans gather in Barkhor Square to try to protect the small group of monks. "They form a strong, silent, peaceful circle around the police who keep the middle of the square open," wrote Steve Dubois and Ulrike Lakiere. "Soon they call for backup. Undercover agents, not so difficult to recognise, film the whole happening. Especially the faces. This is one method to create fear. "Suddenly there is panic. Six or seven monks are arrested and driven away. Tibetans are very scared because of the stories about the prisons and tortures. In the meanwhile big numbers of policemen arrive. They drive everybody apart." On Tuesday, the protests were apparently aimed at freeing the monks, estimated to be 60 or 70, who were under arrest. "A sort of momentum seems to be building up," said Kate Saunders, of the International Campaign for Tibet. Unusually, the Chinese authorities confirmed Monday's protests, saying 300 monks had been involved. Jampa Phuntsok, the ethnic Tibetan governor of Tibet, who is in Beijing for the annual meeting of the National People's Congress, said the incident was "really nothing". http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=431578&sid=NAT Chinese policies responsible for tension in Tibet: Dalai Lama Zeenews Bureau Dharamsala, March 20: Dalai Lama ? the exiled spiritual head of the Tibetans ? on Thursday held China responsible for the unrest and tension in Tibet. In a direct reference to the Communist State, Lama said that ambiguous Chinese polices were responsible for problems in Tibet and it has nothing to do with the people of China. However, he expressed his willingness to hold parleys with the Chinese leadership over the issue of autonomy status for Tibet, but not without full preparation. Dalai Lama assured the international community that he is committed to remove negative feelings amongst Tibetans and distrust among Chinese citizens. Hardening his stand, the spiritual leader said that he has no moral authority to stop the agitating Tibetans, who have for long cherished the unfulfilled dream of an independent homeland. He further cautioned that the Chinese establishment needs to show more concrete signs for the restoration of peace in the region. His statement comes at a time when hundreds of Tibetans living in India are likely to hold protest marches to Lhasa in batches to press for freedom. Exiled Tibetans, who have gathered in large numbers in Dharamsala, are also seeking the immediate intervention of the international community to yield more pressure on Beijing to stop its crackdown in Tibet. Last week, on March 10, a group of about 100 marchers were detained by police on orders of the Indian government, but a second group, which picked up the route from where the first group was stopped, has been allowed to go ahead. The marchers are planning to get to Tibet via New Delhi, where they hope to coincide with the arrival the Olympic torch as it passes through the Indian capital. According to reports, anti-China sentiment is at its peak, where hundreds of monks, nuns and young children, holding placards and banners, are demanding urgent action by the international community to restrain China. The proposed march is being backed by the Tibetan community spread across the globe, which has been expressing its solidarity for their brethren living in the Communist State by demanding freedom for Tibet. The organizers of the march are demanding that the Beijing Olympic Games be stopped. Apart from this, the marchers have called for allowing their spiritual head - the exiled Dalai Lama - to live in Tibet. The Chinese crackdown following the recent unrest in Tibet and neighbouring Chinese provinces is believed to have claimed hundreds of lives and sparked calls for a boycott of the Games. At the height of the row, establishment in Beijing has accused the Dalai Lama, of masterminding the recent monk-led protests and rioting. However, Dalai Lama has categorically denied masterminding the protests, which culminated last Friday in Lhasa. The Tibetan protests are said to be the most serious in the Himalayan region for nearly two decades, which aims to wreck the start of August 8-24 Olympic Games. A war of words has already started between the exiled Tibetan Government and the Chinese government as the former claims that so far 99 people have died in the clashes in Lhasa and other Tibetan cities. Beijing, however, says that only 13 "innocent civilians" have been killed in the violence. The issue also holds significance as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is on an ?only India visit? is likely to discuss the Tibetan cause with Indian leaders and Dalai Lama. Beijing has reportedly deployed hundreds of its troops to contain the protest march. China is apparently keen to stamp out the unrest as quickly as possible and restore stability in the far-west before the Olympics, which they hope will showcase China`s prosperity and unity. New Delhi is treading a delicate balance with its giant neighbour, with whom it is trying to expand diplomatic and trade ties after decades of rivalry that included a brief war in 1962. http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-03-22-voa1.cfm Situation Tense in Tibet Neighborhood of Southern Chinese City By VOA News 22 March 2008 Chengdu, China covered in a heavy haze (file photo) Authorities in a major city in southwestern China have clamped down on a Tibetan neighborhood where there have been unconfirmed reports of protests this week. Witnesses in Chengdu say security forces have locked down the neighborhood in the capital of Sichuan province near the Wuhou Temple and the Southwest University of Nationalities. There were unconfirmed reports of a protest in the neighborhood earlier this week and of a Tibetan stabbing a Han Chinese man. Police told a VOA correspondent in Chengdu that the situation is normal and that the rumors of Tibetans planning bomb attacks are false. But the correspondent says there is a heavy police presence near the Tibetan neighborhood and vehicles are not allowed through. Han Chinese taxi drivers told the correspondent they are refusing to take Tibetan passengers because they fear for their safety. The United States and six other countries, France, Germany, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand maintain consulates in the city. But a State Department spokesman Thursday declined to say if U.S. diplomats are able to confirm reports of protests in Sichuan province and other Tibetan areas. Chinese authorities have admitted firing on Tibetan protesters in Sichuan's Ngaba prefecture, but denied killing anyone. The Indian-based Tibetan government-in-exile says 19 people were shot and killed by police during the protests. Rights group have released photographs of several bodies with bullet wounds that they allege were caused by police gunfire. The Foreign Correspondents Club of China has reported official interference with journalists working in Chengdu, and authorities have tried to prevent foreigner reporters from traveling to other areas of the province where there have been demonstrations. A Time Magazine correspondent earlier this week reporting seeing about 150 military vehicles traveling on the road to the Tibetan city of Lithang in Sichuan. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hLdtNvaCDIMR-qxvbf_BLS2Cj_ng China reports fresh Tibetan unrest, police fire warning shots Apr 4, 2008 BEIJING (AFP) ? China on Friday reported a fresh outbreak of violence as it sought to contain the biggest challenge to its rule of Tibet in decades, saying police were forced to fire warning shots to quell "rioters." One local official was seriously wounded during the "riot," which took place in a Tibetan-populated area of Sichuan province in southwest China on Thursday evening, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Xinhua said security forces showed restraint during the incident but the International Campaign for Tibet and the Free Tibet Campaign, citing various sources there, said eight Tibetans had been killed when police opened fire. The protest was the latest in three weeks of deadly unrest pitting Tibetans against Chinese security forces, which has angered and embarrassed China as it prepares for the Beijing Olympics in August. China has blamed exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama for the protests and accused him of trying to sabotage the Olympics, claims he strenuously denies. Nevertheless, an envoy of the Dalai Lama, Lodi Gyari, on Thursday urged Beijing to cancel plans to run the Olympic torch relay through Tibet, saying to do so would be "provocative and insulting" given the unrest. The protests began in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, to mark the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule of the remote Himalayan region. Four days of peaceful protests erupted into rioting in Lhasa on March 14, and the unrest spread to other areas of western China with Tibetan populations, including Sichuan province. China says Tibetan rioters have killed 18 civilians and two policemen. Before the latest unrest, Tibetan exiled leaders said 135-140 Tibetans had been killed in the Chinese crackdown. Communist China has ruled Tibet since 1951, after sending in troops to "liberate" the Buddhist region the previous year. In the latest incident, in Garze county of Sichuan, Xinhua said rioters had attacked the local township government office, seriously wounding one official. "Local officials exercised restraint during the riot and repeatedly told the rioters to abide by the law," Xinhua quoted a local government official as saying. "(But) police were forced to fire warning shots and put down the violence, since local officials and people were in great danger." Xinhua did not give other key details in its brief dispatch, such as how many "rioters" were involved or why they had marched on the government office. But the London-based Free Tibet Campaign, citing one source in the region, said security forces opened fire when 370 monks from the Tonkhor monastery and about 400 other Tibetans staged a protest. Eight Tibetans were killed after security forces opened fire on the protesters, Free Tibet Campaign spokesman Matt Whitticase said. The International Campaign for Tibet, another overseas activist group with strong Tibetan connections inside China, also said its sources had told it eight people had been killed. Campaign spokesman Kate Saunders and Whitticase said the Tibetans had been protesting over the detention of two monks on Thursday. Tensions had escalated when authorities came to the Tonkhor monastery to conduct "patriotic reeducation," which involved denouncing the Dalai Lama, according to Whitticase and Saunders. All the monks at the monastery reportedly refused to do so. Independently verifying what happened, as with the previous three weeks of unrest, is extremely difficult because China has barred foreign reporters from travelling to Tibet and the other hotspot areas. In his comments to a US Congressional hearing, Gyari said the Olympic torch should not climb to the top of Mount Everest next month and should not travel through Lhasa in June, as is currently scheduled. "This idea of taking the torch through Tibet, I really think, should be cancelled precisely because that would be very deliberately provocative and very insulting after what has happened," he said. Gyari said that if the Chinese authorities went ahead with the torch run in Tibet, it would "bring more adverse publicity" to the Olympics in Beijing -- which China wants to be a national showcase of its rising standing. Zhu Jing, a spokeswoman for the Beijing Olympic organising committee, said Gyari's comments were further proof the "Dalai clique" wants to sabotage the Olympics. Meanwhile, the Tibet Commerce newspaper said late Thursday that more than 1,000 people had either been caught by police or had turned themselves in for their involvement in the unrest. Trials of at least some would begin this month, the paper reported, citing the deputy chief of the Lhasa communist party, Wang Xiangming. 22-March-2008 RADICALISATION OF TIBETAN YOUTH By B.Raman http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers27/paper2639.html 1. The world-wide demonstrations of Tibetans of all ages against China and the uprisings in Greater Tibet since March 10,2008. have come as the culmination of a long debate in Dharamsala and among Tibetan refugees all over the world, including India, over the wisdom of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's continued adherence to his Middle Path policy. By Middle Path, he meant autonomy and not independence and a non-violent struggle to achieve that objective. By autonomy, he meant on the Hong Kong model of one country, two systems and not the present Chinese model of total integration and Han colonisation in the name of autonomy. He was seeking a dialogue with the Chinese leadership in the hope of thereby making his Middle Path a reality. 2. Tibetan youth organisations such as the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), formed in 1970 under the blessings of His holiness, and Students For A Free Tibet went along with him till 2003 despite having serious reservations as to whether the policy would work and about the insincerity of the Chinese. The action of Shri A.B.Vajpayee, the then Indian Prime Minister, in agreeing to Tibet being described as a part of China in a statement issued during his visit to China in 2003 set off alarm bells ringing in the Tibetan community abroad as well as in Greater Tibet. 3. Large sections of the Tibetan youth felt that even while pretending to keep the door open for a dialogue with the Dalai Lama, the Chinese were undermining his political and spiritual authority, encouraged by the silence of the Indian authorities. While they continued to respect and venerate the Dalai Lama as their religious and spiritual leader, the Tibetan youth started looking upon him as politically naive. They began stepping up pressure on him for giving up the Middle Path policy. 4. The disenchantment of the Tibetan youth over the policies of His Holiness and their concern over the perceived headway being made by the Chinese in strengthening their occupation of Greater Tibet was reflected in the seventh session of the Tibetan Parliament held at Dharamsala in March, 2004. It adopted a private member's resolution which called for a review of the policy of the 'Middle Path' after a year, if the Chinese failed to start formal negotiations with His Holiness to solve the Tibetan problem. The elder members of the Tibetan community criticised the resolution as disrespectful to the Dalai Lama and as tending to undermine his political authority. 5. An editorial on this subject in the September,2004, issue of the journal of the TYC said: "The on-going Middle Path policy came into being after the then Chinese supreme leader Deng-Xiaoping set the precondition that we should abandon the demand for independence. For the last 24 years, our leadership has been sincerely trying to hammer out a compromise solution but from the Chinese side, there has always been deceit, double-dealing and delaying tactics so that we have not even managed to make the beginning of a meaningful dialogue. Many thinking Tibetans, Tibetan supporters and China- watchers have now come to honestly conclude that the Chinese have no intention to conduct negotiations. They are only biding time for the Dalai Lama to pass away and in the meantime evade international pressure and condemnation by indulging in the periodical delegation diplomacy. It is vitally important that we Tibetans should not fall prey to their devious ploys. Another important matter to be taken into consideration is the so-called Chinese 'White Paper' of May last. With the finality of the tone and tenor of that document, all our hopes for a negotiated settlement on the lines of the One-Nation- Two-Systems theory of Hong Kong and Macao or a genuine autonomy have been dashed irrevocably. The only choice given to the Tibetans is to accept the arrangement under Tibet Autonomous Region as the best one and return. This, surely, is not the answer to the Middle Path! The Chinese 'White Paper', in one go, has fully rejected what the Tibetan government has been trying to achieve during the last nearly 25 years through that policy. Therefore, a rethinking on the part of our leadership is called for whether we like it or not. The present resolution is nothing new or surprising. In fact, the need to review the Middle Path policy has become more urgent and relevant after the issuance of the Chinese 'White Paper'." 6. The trend towards the radicalisation of the Tibetan youth and their disenchantment with theMiddle Path policy became pronounced as the TYC came increasingly under the influence of American citizens of Tibetan origin. Tibetan youth, living in India, paid heed to the words and advice of the Dalai Lama even while criticising his Middle Path policy. They went along with his advice against any attempt to sabotage the Olympics even while taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the Olympics for drawing attention to their cause. They contined to respect the authority of the Dalai Lama as a spiritual and political leader. 7. But, the Americans of Tibetan origin, who had migrated to the US from India and obtained US citizenship under a special dispensation of the US Immigration Department, which granted the US citizenship to 1000 Tibetan refugees, came increasingly under the influence of anti-China groups in the US, which egged them on to sabotage the Olympic Games in order to embarrass China. This group was every vocal in the criticism of the Middle Path policy and started expressing its reservations over the wisdom of the policies of His Holiness on political issues. The Tibetan youth, who continue to be resident in India, shared His Holiness' gratitude to India for giving shelter to the refugees and looking after them, but the youth, who had settled down in the US and obtained US citizenship, did not share this gratitude. Under the advice or instigation of the anti-China groups in the US, it started itching for a confrontation with China even if this caused unhappiness in the Dalai Lama and created difficulties for India. 8. The influence of American citizens of Tibetan origin on the policies and activities of the TYC increased after Mr Tsewang Rinzin, an American citizen, was elected as the President of the Executive Committee of the TYC at its session held at Dharamsala last September, and Mr.Tenzin Yangdon, another US citizen, was elected as a member of the Executive Committee. Many Tibetans in India were surprised as to how Mr.Rinzin was elected as the President and who proposed his name and influenced his election. Some claim that even His Holiness was surprised by his election. Since his election, he has been following the agenda of the anti- Beijing Olympics groups in the US, which want to sabotage the Olympics in contravention of the wishes of His Holiness that nothing should be done to sabotage the Olympics. 9. The Dalai Lama's own views on the Olympics are as follows: "I have, from the very beginning, supported the idea that China should be granted the opportunity to host the Olympic Games. Since such international sporting events, and especially the Olympics, uphold the principles of freedom of speech, freedom of expression, equality and friendship, China should prove herself a good host by providing these freedoms. Therefore, besides sending their athletes, the international community should remind the Chinese government of these issues. I have come to know that many parliaments, individuals and non-governmental organisations around the globe are undertaking a number of activities in view of the opportunity that exists for China to make a positive change. I admire their sincerity. I would like to state emphatically that it will be very important to observe the period following the conclusion of the Games. The Olympic Games no doubt will greatly impact the minds of the Chinese people. The world should, therefore, explore ways of investing their collective energies in producing a continuous positive change inside China even after the Olympics have come to an end." 10. As against this, Mr.Rinzin has warned of attempts to disrupt the passage of the Olympic torch and the Games itself. The "Wall Street Journal" (March 20,2008) has quoted him as saying as follows: "This is a golden opportunity for our struggle." He is the son of a Tibetan driver in South India.He migrated to the US in 1993 and obtained US citizenship. Till his election last September, he was working in a bank in Portland/ Vancouver in northwest United States. He was also the President of the local chapter of TYC. Since his election, he has shifted to Dharamsala, but his wife, also an American citizen of Tibetan origin, and their two children continue to live in the US. 11. In January last,the Tibetan Youth Congress, the Tibetan Women?s Association, Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet, the National Democratic Party of Tibet, and the Students for a Free Tibet, India, issued a statement announcing the launching of a Tibetan People?s Uprising Movement (TPUM). They described it as " a global movement of Tibetans inside and outside of Tibet taking control of our political destiny by engaging in direct action to end China?s illegal and brutal occupation of our country. Through unified and strategic campaigns we will seize the Olympic spotlight and shine it on China? s shameful repression inside Tibet, thereby denying China the international acceptance and approval it so fervently desires.We call on Tibetans inside Tibet to continue to fight Chinese domination and we pledge our unwavering support for their continued courageous resistance. " It called upon the international community to cancel the Beijing Olympics. 12. In February last, the TPUM is alleged to have held two training camps in Dharamsala for selected Tibetan youth in subjects such as the Importance of a Co-ordinated Movement, Contemporary Chinese Political Scenario, Strategy and Vision, the Situation inside Tibet, Olympic politics, Media and Messaging, Non-Violent Direct Action and Fund-Raising Strategy." 13.On March 10, the TPUM launched synchronised protests and demonstrations all over the world, including in Lhasa, to mark the 49th anniversary of the flight of the Dalai Lama from Tibet. The protests and demonstrations in Lhasa took a violent turn on March 14,2008. On coming to know of this, the Dalai Lama threatened to resign as the political leader of the community if the violence continued and also called the office-bearers of the TYC to express to them his unhappiness over their activities. (The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. He is also associated with the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2 at gmail.com ) From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 07:42:04 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:42:04 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] TIBET: Global solidarity demonstrations Message-ID: <008b01c89e3d$b9515d10$0802a8c0@andy1> * Solidarity protests at the UN and in Sydney, Melbourne, London, Kathmandu, Tel Aviv, Bangkok, Ottawa, Delhi and India near the Chinese border * In Kathmandu police violently suppressed the protests, sparking clashes * Repression was also used against protesters in India and Australia * Protests then hit the Olympic torch relay in London, Paris and San Francisco - the Paris leg was abandoned after the torch was put out, and the San Francisco route changed in secret * Uighur and Tibetan exiles also protested the torch relay in Turkey and India * As well as Tibet, Olympic-related protests have targeted China over Xinjiang, press freedom, Falun Gong, and Darfur Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/17/AR2008031702578.html Far-Flung Tibetans Find Unity In Protest Identity, Pride Expressed In Quiet Defiance, Anger Protests Erupt in Support for Tibet In countries all over the world, protesters took to the streets to oppose Chinese rule of Tibet after demonstrations in the province turned violent. By Maureen Fan Washington Post Foreign Service Tuesday, March 18, 2008; Page A06 LANZHOU, China, March 17 -- A group of Tibetan college students, heads downcast, sat silently in the middle of a soccer field Monday as nervous officials, teachers and plainclothes security officers watched from the sidelines. One official walked onto and off the field, pressing the students to return to their dormitories. On Sunday, about 500 students staged a sit-in here at Northwest Nationalities University, following the uprising in Tibet that has rattled this country over the past week. About 50 students stayed through the night -- an unwelcome display in a country determined to divert attention from controversy. "They're commemorating their family members who have been killed in Lhasa," said a student with a knapsack decorated with Tibetan embroidery. "It's not convenient to talk now," he added, before slipping a visitor his cellphone number. In provinces outside China's Tibet Autonomous Region, protests have started to percolate. Some, like the sit-in here in Lanzhou and another at a university in Beijing on Monday, have been quiet vigils that do not directly challenge the government. In other cases, Buddhist monks have clashed with police, and soldiers have been deployed to quash dissent. The groundswell of activity suggests that anger over the Chinese government's role in Tibet extends far beyond the remote mountainous region, particularly to outlying provinces that are home to an estimated 3 million ethnic Tibetans. Many resent Beijing's criticism of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and the economic development that has mainly benefited the region's Han Chinese, China's dominant ethnic group. "What we've seen is a revitalization of a sense of shared Tibetan identity and cultural and religious pride in the last few days," said Kate Saunders, a spokeswoman for the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet. Well before Beijing declared Tibet part of China in 1951, the region was divided into three parts. The central part resembled what is today the Tibet Autonomous Region, where violence in the capital, Lhasa, has led authorities to blanket the streets with soldiers this week. Other areas of historical Tibet, however, are now part of present-day Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. The Tibetans in those provinces live mostly in rural or autonomous areas close to monasteries. In the more prosperous cities, they say, they have been marginalized by an influx of Han Chinese entrepreneurs, who own restaurants passed off as traditionally Tibetan and karaoke bars bedecked with Tibetan prayer flags. Chinese also dominate souvenir shops and tour guide operations at major monasteries. In recent days, the roads into those areas have grown thick with army convoys. Outsiders have been kept out. Meanwhile, at the Kumbun Monastery on the outskirts of Xining, the capital of Qinghai province, police cars were conspicuously parked inside and outside the grounds Monday. Many of the 700 to 800 monks who live and pray there were too frightened to talk to a reporter. "I'm not clear about what happened in Lhasa recently," said one monk checking tickets inside. An elderly woman who appeared to work at the monastery said in Mandarin, "I don't speak Chinese." An important Tibetan holiday Saturday added to crowds at the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe, a heavily Tibetan area of southwest Gansu province, where riot police over the weekend fired tear gas on about 1,000 protesters. Monks were no longer holed up inside the monastery Monday, but the streets were still full of riot police and army soldiers, witnesses said. "Yesterday, the government gave notices to all hotels saying that we are not allowed to let any foreigners stay," a woman at Xiahe's Hongshi hotel said in a telephone interview. "Many monks and Tibetan people were arrested and injured," said the woman, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals. "As a Tibetan, we all like the Dalai Lama. All of us want to see him, even just one glance. We hope he can come back. I support the protesters because they say he should come back, but I'm not thinking about Tibetan independence." Over the weekend, protests spread to Aba county in Sichuan province, where witnesses told human rights groups that clashes between monks and police had led to seven deaths. On Monday, there were reports of continued protests outside a monastery in Tongren county in Qinghai province's heavily Tibetan Zang Nan autonomous area, and in Maqu county, an area of Gansu province that borders Sichuan. "It does seem that under modern Chinese rule, and perhaps because of Chinese policies such as its anti-Dalai Lama campaign and its aggressive patriotic education drives, that Tibetan nationalism has increased and brought more sense of shared purpose to Tibetans across the plateau," said Robbie Barnett, director of modern Tibetan studies at Columbia University. "This appears strongly to lend credence to the Dalai Lama's negotiating position, which is that all the different Tibetan areas within China should be turned into a single administrative entity," Barnett said. "The Chinese have condemned this as a splittist plot." At Northwest Nationalities University here in Lanzhou, the Gansu provincial capital, dozens of uniformed police officers patrolled the campus entrances Monday. The city's entire police force seemed to have descended on the school. The student with the embroidered backpack, who said his first name was Agu, explained that teachers had persuaded most of the students at the sit-in to depart. All of the teachers, he said, were Han Chinese. Another Tibetan student, sitting with friends in the campus cafeteria eating noodles and rice porridge, said the sit-in had been "very peaceful." "They didn't show a flag saying, 'Free Tibet,' and they aren't calling for independence," he said. The student said his first name was Da Ke, a Chinese pronunciation of a Tibetan name. "The Dalai Lama is our spiritual and religious leader," he said. "We hope he can come back one day. I agree with his ideas that Tibetan people should have more freedom." Correspondent Edward Cody in Beijing and researcher Zhang Jie in Lanzhou contributed to this report. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j8VJXaP5g-2kzl4Axw0_Q1MPNOcA Protest in London as Tibet deadline passes Mar 17, 2008 LONDON (AFP) - More than 100 demonstrators rallied outside the Chinese embassy in London on Monday, as a deadline passed for protesters in Tibet to surrender or face heavy punishment. "Free Tibet, stop the killing in Tibet" and "Chinese out" the protesters chanted and at one point briefly surged towards the embassy, before being kept back by police. Tashi Gyaltsen, who lives in London after his parents fled Tibet as children, said: "We are here to show our support for Tibetans who are risking everything to protest. "As free Tibetans living in the UK, we are very lucky to be able to protest without any danger to our lives," added the 31-year-old. "It is so sad -- Tibetans in Tibet are in the worst situation. "Everything they do is under restrictions," he said, as the midnight Tibet time (1600 GMT) Chinese deadline passed. Earlier Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged China to show restraint in Tibet, while warning that violence there risked tarnishing Beijing's image ahead of this year's Olympic Games. "All of us are concerned about what is happening in Tibet," he told lawmakers in the House of Commons. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/15/2190483.htm?section=justin Three arrested in Sydney during Tibetan protest Posted Sat Mar 15, 2008 5:32pm AEDT Updated Sat Mar 15, 2008 8:44pm AEDT Video: Tibetan protests turn violent in Sydney (ABC News) Map: Sydney 2000 Three people have been arrested in Sydney during a protest by members of the Tibetan community outside the Chinese consulate. One man was arrested for assaulting a police officer, while three protesters scaled the fence of the consulate. The protesters were demonstrating against the Chinese Government's crackdown on protests in Tibet this week. Despite the arrests, police say the protest organised by the Australian Tibetan Council is now under control. http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=a05d8401-e36e-41e4-b7e7-77918ba3f616&ParentID=138656db-0d3e-4c8b-a14e-ab55f0e40285&MatchID1=4678&TeamID1=6&TeamID2=3&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1179&PrimaryID=4678&Headline=Tibetan+protest+outside+UN+headquarters Tibetan protest outside UN headquarters 7 people killed in Tibetan capital Lhasa: Xinhua March 15, 2008 YOU WERE READING China says ten killed in Tibetan capital Lhasa China warns it would use a firm hand to quash the biggest protests in Tibet for decades against their rule. Associated Press New York, March 15, 2008 First Published: 08:19 IST(15/3/2008) Last Updated: 13:30 IST(15/3/2008) Dozens of Tibetans, young and old, held a noisy protest against Chinese rule outside the United Nations while President George W Bush was speaking elsewhere in Manhattan. Three demonstrators tried unsuccessfully to enter the UN during the protest yesterday and six people were arrested, officials said. The protesters carried placards and Tibetan flags, bearing dragons and a yellow sun with red and blue rays, and shouted "Free Tibet!" "No freedom, no peace, no Olympics!" and "Wake up United Nations!" The spontaneous protest was a smaller, more peaceful version of one in Katmandu, Nepal, where police scuffled on yesterday with about 1,000 protesters, including dozens of Buddhist monks. About 12 monks were injured. The demonstrations were held in support of monks in Tibet, where flaring violence resulted in burned shops and vehicles, and gunshots fired in the streets of the capital, Lhasa. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/964681.html Dalai Lama: World must investigate possible cultural genocide in Tibet By Ofri Ilani, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies Tags: Tibet, China, Israel The Dalai Lama said Sunday that the international community must investigate whether cultural genocide has been taking place in Tibet, two days after violent street protests against Chinese rule during which 100 people were reportedly killed. The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader added that China was relying on force to achieve peace. He said that the international community had the "moral responsibility" to remind China to be a good host for the Olympic Games, but added that China deserved to host the games. Advertisement "The Tibet nation is facing serious danger. Whether China admits or not, there is a problem," the Dalai Lama told a news conference at his base of Dharamsala in northern India. On Saturday, for about a quarter of an hour, a few dozen Tibetan exiles stood in the plaza of the Tel Aviv Cinematheque and sang a lament in memory of some 100 kinsmen who were reportedly killed by Chinese authorities during demonstrations in Tibet on Saturday. A few brought Buddhist prayer books. Most of the participants, who are attending an agricultural training program in the Arava, have never stepped foot in Tibet. They were born in India, in refugee camps for Tibetans in the north and south of the country. Saturday they came to Tel Aviv for an event organized by the Israeli Friends of the Tibetan People (IFTP) to mark the 49th anniversary of the March 10, 1959 uprising against the Chinese government. The event was planned a few months ago, but the suppression of the demonstrations in Tibet lent it special significance. For Tibetan student Sunam Yangchen, the anniversary is connected to her family history. In 1958, the Chinese authorities arrested her grandparents and her family was forced to flee to India. "They crossed the border on foot," Yangchen related. "We wander from country to country but we don't forget our culture." Yangchen was born in southern India. She has never been to Tibet but has never given up her dream of returning to her homeland. "Everything I know about Tibet I learned from my parents. I'd like to go back there," she says. For the past few years Yangchen has worked at Tibetan Buddhist Meditation and Study Center in Bangalore. Now she is training to become an agricultural counselor through the Arava Program. The program, operated in cooperation with IFTP, has trained more than 300 Tibetans so far. Yangchen says that news about events in Tibet comes from international news outlets. "It is hard to get information from Tibet," notes Lobsang Yeshi, a Tibetan who lives in Tel Aviv with his Israeli wife and was the organizer of the prayer gathering. "Even if you manage to make contact by phone or through the Internet, you usually can only ask general questions, like 'How are you?.' The Chinese Internet police monitor communications," Yeshi said. "The Olympic Games are the most shameful thing in the world," says Tenzin, another one of the organizers. "China enables genocide in Darfur, defends the oppression in Burma and beats down the Falun Gong," Tenzin says. The IFTP was founded in 1994 by Israelis who sought to help Tibetan refugees after visiting Tibet and northern India. The organization has about 1,000 members. "As Jews, we feel a need and a duty to help oppressed peoples in other places," says Meira Abulafia, one of IFTP's leaders. "After Israel obtained international support for its independence, the time has came for it to offer support to other oppressed people. The likelihood of [Tibetan] political independence is very small, but we still believe there is a chance for cultural autonomy." China cracks down on Tibetan protests as at least 100 people killed Chinese security forces swarmed Tibet's capital Saturday and tourists were ordered out as Beijing gambled that a crackdown on violent protests against Chinese rule will not bring an international boycott of this summer's Olympics. The tough response by the Chinese authorities came after fierce protests on Friday which contradicted China's claims of stability and tarnished a carefully nurtured image of national harmony as it readies to stage the Olympic Games in August. Official Tibetan judicial authorities gave protesters until Monday night to turn themselves in and benefit from leniency. "Criminals who do not surrender themselves by the deadline will be sternly punished according to the law," said a notice on the Tibetan government Web site. International pressure mounted on Beijing to show restraint. Australia, the United States and Europe urged China to find a peaceful outcome, while Taiwan, which China claims as its own, predictably condemned Beijing for launching a crackdown. Xinhua news agency said 10 "innocent civilians" had been shot or burned to death in the street clashes in the remote, mountain capital which has been sealed off. The dead included two people killed by shotguns. Xinhua said 12 police officers had been "gravely injured" and 22 buildings and dozens of vehicles were set on fire. A source close to the Tibetan government-in-exile, however, questioned the official death toll of 10. He said at least five Tibetan protesters had been shot dead by troops. The Tibetan government in exile, based in northern India, said there have been 30 confirmed deaths until Saturday, and over 100 unconfirmed deaths." The riots emerged from a volatile mix of pre-Olympics protests, diplomatic friction over Tibet and local discontent with the harsh ways of the region's Communist Party leadership. The protests, the worst since 1989 in the disputed region, have thrust China's role as Olympic host and its policy toward Tibet back into the international spotlight. A rash of angry blog posts appeared after the deaths were confirmed. Hollywood actor Richard Gere, a Buddhist and an activist for Tibetan causes, urged an Olympics boycott. International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge opposed a boycott, saying only the athletes would suffer. Accounts from the remote region were fragmentary and China restricts access for foreign media, making it difficult to independently verify the casualties and the scale of the protests and suppression. Yet the details emerging from witness accounts and government statements suggested Beijing was preparing a methodical campaign - one that if carefully modulated would minimize bloodshed and avoid wrecking Beijing's grand plans for the Olympics in August. Signs of violence persisted Saturday. Several witnesses reported hearing occasional sounds of gunfire. One Westerner who went to a rooftop in Lhasa's old city said he saw troops with automatic rifles moving through the streets firing, though did not see anyone shot. Even as Chinese forces appeared to reassert control in Lhasa, a second day of sympathy protests erupted in an important Tibetan town 1,200 kilometers away. Police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of Buddhist monks and other Tibetans after they marched from the historic Labrang monastery and smashed windows in the county police headquarters in Xiahe, witnesses said. The China-installed governor of Tibet, besieged by reporters as he entered a legislative meeting in Beijing, vowed to deal harshly with the protesters in Lhasa, but said no shots had been fired and promised that calm will be restored very soon. "Beating, smashing, looting and burning - we absolutely condemn this sort of behavior," said Champa Phuntsok, an ethnic Tibetan. He blamed the protests on followers of the Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule and is still Tibet's widely revered spiritual leader. >From Dharamsala, India, the Dalai Lama appealed to China not to use force. He said he was deeply concerned and urged Tibetans not to resort to violence. Preparing the Chinese public for tough measures, state-run television on the evening newscast showed footage of red-robed monks battering bus signs and Tibetans in street clothes hurling rocks and smashing shop windows as smoke billowed across Lhasa. "The plot by an extremely small number of people to damage Tibet's stability and harmony is unpopular and doomed to failure," a narrator said as the footage played. Chinese newspapers and Internet sites, all state-controlled, ran no reports on the violence except a brief Xinhua statement vowing to reassert order - a further sign the government was managing public expectations. Foreign tourists in Lhasa were told to leave, a hotel manager and travel guide said, with the guide adding that some were turned back at the airport. Tibet's latest unrest began Monday, the anniversary of the 1959 uprising, with protests by Buddhist monks demanding the release of other detained monks. Sporadic, largely peaceful protests and spiraling demands - including cries for Tibet's independence - continued throughout the week until Friday when police tried to stop a group of protesting monks. http://news.scotsman.com/world/Scot-joins--monks-and.3881811.jp Scot joins monks and nuns in exiles' protest By CLAIRE SMITH A PROTEST march of Tibetan exiles in India ended abruptly yesterday when 100 monks and nuns who had planned to walk to Lhasa were arrested. Leanne McKenzie, 27, from Irvine, and Maryla Cross, a Polish student at Edinburgh University, were among 30 or so westerners who joined the march. Initially the protesters planned a hunger strike, but after intervention by the Dalai Lama, they agreed to eat. Ms McKenzie, who was working at a Tibetan school in McLeod Ganj, where the Tibetan government in exile is based, said she had been moved to help the protest because she felt the world was not listening. "I realised nobody is fighting for anything any more. Everyone is scared to do anything. I never take part in protests at home but I just felt this was the time to do something." Police yesterday rounded up the protesters and took the Tibetan nationals to prison. Last night, as news began arriving of violent protests in Lhasa, Ms McKenzie was one of hundreds of people at a candlelit vigil in McLeod Ganj. A spokesman for Tibet's government in exile, Thupten Samphal, said: "I do not think that this group of peaceful marchers going home have flouted any law." However India's foreign ministry said on Thursday that it "does not permit Tibetans to engage in anti-China political activities in India". http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/19/asia/AS-GEN-Nepal-Tibet-Protests.php Tibetans protest again in Nepal against Chinese crackdown, 30 arrested The Associated Press Published: March 19, 2008 KATMANDU, Nepal: Police in Nepal blocked about 100 Tibetan protesters from approaching the U.N. headquarters in the capital Wednesday to demand an investigation into China's crackdown in Tibet. About 30 people who tried to break through police lines were arrested. The protesters, carrying banners reading, "U.N., we want justice, free Tibet, stop killings in Tibet," were allowed to march along a separate main street, but were prevented from shouting any slogans against China. An officer who spoke on customary condition of anonymity said police had orders not to let the protesters say anything against Beijing. Nepal's government does not want to harm its good relations with neighboring China, and has not issued any statements on Beijing's recent crackdown on protesters in Tibet. It was the fourth protest in recent days by Tibetans close to the U.N. headquarters in Katmandu. Police used batons and tear gas on demonstrators in the earlier protests and arrested scores of people. The demonstrations follow a week of protests in Tibet against Chinese rule. On Friday, Tibetans attacked ethnic Chinese and torched their shops in Lhasa, Tibet's capital. Sixteen people were killed, according to China's government. Tibet's government-in-exile in India said at least 80 Tibetans died. Major Tibetan exile communities, including ones in Nepal and India, have organized their own protests during the past week, often clashing with authorities. Nepal's border with China in the Himalayas is a key route for Tibetans fleeing Chinese rule in the region. Most of the refugees eventually move to India, where the government-in-exile and the Tibetans' spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, are based. http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iV62DRGNU7vcoQKYShyLOK0CDBLA Tibetans protest in front of Chinese Embassy in Nepal's capital, 90 arrested Apr 1, 2008 KATMANDU, Nepal - Tibetan exiles and monks protested Tuesday in front of the Chinese Embassy, but were quickly stopped by baton-wielding Nepalese policeman who detained at least 90 of them. Demonstrators against Chinese rule in Tibet have gathered in recent weeks outside the United Nations and the Chinese visa office, which is about three kilometres from the embassy. Tuesday's demonstration was the first so close to China's mission. Riot police stopped some 50 protesters who marched on the embassy, dragging them across the street by their feet and hands and throwing them into waiting vans and trucks to be taken into custody. A second group of about 40 gathered in the same area an hour later and were also taken into custody. Hundreds of police were posted around the embassy Tuesday. Security around the embassy and visa office have been stepped since the protests began on March 10. Nevertheless, the first group of protesters slipped past the police in a bus before disembarking and continuing on foot, chanting "Stop killing in Tibet." They managed to get about 20 metres from the main embassy building before dozens of policemen in riot gear moved in. One tearful woman spat in the direction of the embassy and shouted: "Killer China!" The protesters, including monks, refused to disperse and police later detained them. Ordinarily, Buddhist monks are highly respected in Nepal. The second batch of protesters trickled to the same area in small groups, but they were also pushed back then detained. Human rights groups and the United Nations have criticized Nepal for using excessive force to quell the anti-Chinese protests and for not allowing peaceful demonstrations. Nepal has said it won't allow protests against friendly nations, including China - a key trading partner that assists with development work in the Himalayan nation. Earlier Tuesday, two international rights groups asked Nepal's government to stop abusing and threatening Tibetan exiles protesting China's recent crackdown in their homeland. Dozens have been beaten with batons or rounded up after rallying in front of the Chinese Embassy visa office and the United Nations compound in the heart of Katmandu in recent days. Some have been told they faced possible deportation, said New York-based Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/25/asia/AS-GEN-Nepal-Tibetan-Protest.php Nepal police crackdown on Tibetan protest in front of Chinese Embassy The Associated Press Published: March 25, 2008 KATMANDU, Nepal: Police armed with bamboo sticks stopped a protest by Tibetan refugees and monks in front of the Chinese Embassy in Nepal on Tuesday and arrested about 100 participants. Chanting "Free Tibet" and "Chinese thieves leave our country," the protesters approached the visa office of the Chinese Embassy in Katmandu. Police officers stopped the protesters at the gate of the fortified compound and tried to push them away from the area. When the demonstrators refused to leave, the officers shoved some 100 protesters into vans and trucks and drove them to detention centers. About 50 more protesters ran away. Tibetans have been protesting near refugee camps or near the United Nations' office in Katmandu since March 10, but this was the first anti-Chinese rally near the Chinese Embassy. Police at the scene said they had been ordered to not allow any protests or slogans against China, which Nepal's government considers an ally. Police broke up at least two protests by Tibetan refugees, monks and their supporters on Monday and arrested about 475 people, the U.N. said. The U.N. human rights office has said it was "deeply concerned at the arbitrary arrests and detentions of several hundred individuals." Nepal has not issued any statements on Beijing's crackdown on anti-Chinese protests in Tibet. Nepal's border with China in the Himalayas is a key route for Tibetans fleeing Chinese rule in the region. Thousands of Tibetan refugees live with relatives in Nepal or in camps funded by aid groups. Most of the refugees eventually move to India, where Tibet's government-in-exile and its spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, are based. http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=Philippines+%26+South+Asia&month=April2008&file=World_News2008040371120.xml Sixty-six arrested in pro-Tibet protest in Nepal Web posted at: 4/3/2008 7:11:20 Source ::: AFP KATHMANDU . Nearly 70 Tibetan exiles including maroon-robed monks and nuns were detained yesterday as they shouted "Free Tibet" in protests outside the Chinese embassy in Nepal's capital, police said. The demonstrators gathered outside the gates of the embassy compound, crying "Stop the killing in Tibet" and other anti-Chinese slogans before being hauled away by police. "We have 66 Tibetan protesters in our custody and they will be released later yesterday," said Prakash Pandit, a police officer at the barracks where the detainees were being held. The same Tibetan exiles are turning up day after day at protests, getting detained and then released the same day by police, witnesses said. The protests have been going on since unrest in the Tibetan capital Lhasa erupted on March 10, the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. Nepal is home to at least 20,000 Tibetans, who started arriving after the unsuccessful revolt. International human rights groups have urged Nepal to allow the peaceful protests and told police to stop beating and detaining the exiled Tibetans. Aid-dependent Nepal officially recognises Beijing's "One China" policy that regards Tibet and Taiwan as an integral part of China. Nepalese officials have said they will not tolerate any pro-Tibet activities out of respect for their giant northern neighbour. http://newsblaze.com/story/20080326090622kash.nb/newsblaze/TOPSTORY/Top-Stories.html Tibetan Refugees in Kashmir Protest Against China By Fayaz Wani Srinagar, March 26: The Tibetan refugees settled in Kashmir and staged protests against Chinese government's crackdown on Tibetans in Lhasa. They called on United Nations to intervene and pressed China to grant independence to Tibet. About 70 young Tibetan refugees dressed in yellow carrying placards and banners surfaced in the summer capital Srinagar and protested against the Chinese government for launch crackdown on Tibetan in Lhasa. They demanded release of all the Tibetans detained by the Chinese military. "All the detained persons should be released," they said. They alleged that since March 10 about 135 Tibetans were killed and 1300 arrested and tortured by the Chinese military. They alleged that there are martial law like situations in Tibet as thousands of Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) personnel have been deployed to thwart peaceful protests. "The atmosphere there is very tense. Many new protests are taking place daily and the Chinese army is using brutal force to disperse them," said the protestors. The protesting Tibetan refugees demanded that United Nations should intervene and dispatch independent fact finding delegations to Tibet. "The UN should press China to step brutal killings in Tibet and release all arrested Tibetans", they said. They also appealed UN to press China to grant independence to Tibet. Tibetan refugees have settled in Kashmir are selling warm clothes and shoes. Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir. http://news.smh.com.au/protibet-protests-continue-in-australia/20080316-1zob.html Pro-Tibet protests continue in Australia Pro-Tibetan demonstrations continued around Australia on Sunday as the international community pressed China to show restraint over its handling of strife in Tibet's capital Lhasa. Chinese soldiers are blanketing Lhasa as part of a security clampdown which followed deadly protests in the city against China's rule of Tibet. Official Chinese reports put the death toll at 10 but the exiled Tibetan government believes it is more like 30, and possibly as high as 100. Washington has urged Beijing to exercise restraint, as has Australia. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has called on China to allow the peaceful expression of dissent, a position backed by the opposition. "I think what's been said and done to date is appropriate," opposition foreign affairs spokesman Andrew Robb told reporters. Concern about the plight of the Tibetans has prompted sympathy protests around the world, including Australia. In Melbourne, more than 100 protesters demonstrated outside the Chinese consulate, with some hurling eggs and water bottles at the mission in suburban Toorak. What began as a peaceful affair turned rowdy as a handful of demonstrators repeatedly surged towards the consulate's gates, before being pushed back by federal and state police officers, including mounted police. At one point, a car driven by an unidentified Chinese man was pelted with eggs and battered with flagpoles as it drove into the consulate compound. A female protester who sneaked past the police line and followed the car inside was chased by police and frogmarched back outside before being cautioned. The Melbourne demonstration follows protests in Sydney on Saturday which ended with clashes between police and activists. A protest outside the Chinese embassy in Canberra, which had Australian Federal Police (AFP) vehicles stationed outside, was peaceful. An AFP spokeswoman said about 20 people had been protesting outside the embassy but there had not been any problems. In Sydney, a 31-year-old man was charged with assaulting a police after four pro-Tibet activists were arrested during a protest outside the Chinese consulate. Members of the Australian Tibetan community have apologised for the behaviour of some protesters at the consulate on Dunblane Street, Camperdown. Police said the protest escalated when activists climbed onto the front gate of the consulate and damaged a flag inside. "A police officer was allegedly hit over the head with a placard before being punched and kicked," a NSW police statement said. Officers used capsicum spray to control the crowd of about 100 people. Four people were arrested during the protest, but three were later released. A 31-year-old man has been charged with common assault and assaulting police. He was granted bail and is due to appear at Newtown Local Court on April 4, 2008. The protests in Lhasa were held to mark the anniversary of the Tibetans' 1959 uprising against the Chinese that forced the Dalai Lama into exile. The unrest has presented China's communist rulers with a huge domestic crisis just five months out from the Beijing Olympics. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200803171516.htm Protesting Tibetans detained in Nepal Kathmandu (PTI): More than 100 Tibetans were arrested and over a dozen others injured as police used batons to disperse a major protest against the Chinese rule. Around 1,500 Tibetans, carrying placards bearing "Stop killings in Tibet", "Stop holding Olympic 2008 in bloody China" had gathered to stage a sit-in near the UN building starting early morning Monday where police lathicharged. Some of the women demonstrators, carrying the flag of Tibet, were crying. "Hundreds of people might have been killed as our brothers and sisters demonstrated in Tibet to commemorate the Uprising Day", an activist said. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gMnUvFCg43Ic-RxhiOEHBz3Adipw Tibet supporters protest in Canada Mar 20, 2008 OTTAWA (AFP) - Some 200 protestors draped in Tibetan flags Thursday marched on Canada's parliament, waving "Free Tibet" placards and calling on China to abandon its bloody crackdown on Tibetan demonstrators. They immediately got support from Canada's prime minister and some two dozen MPs and senators. "We're rallying for human rights," Tibetan emigrant Wooeser Tenzin told AFP. "Here in Canada we are free to speak out. Peaceful protest is the right of every Canadian. But when Tibetans try to speak out in their homeland, they are crushed by Chinese troops and the Chinese government," he said. The boisterous crowd urged Ottawa to help Tibetans win freedom from Chinese rule, chanting "China out of Tibet," "Long live the Dalai Lama" and "No Olympics." Tenzin said Canada has a "moral obligation" to help them. In a statement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that "Canada shares (their) concerns about what is happening in Tibet" and pressed China "to fully respect human rights and peaceful protest." "Canada also calls on China to show restraint in dealing with this situation," Harper said. "As his holiness the Dalai Lama told me when I met him and as he has been saying recently, his message is one of non-violence and reconciliation and I join him in that call." Meanwhile, two dozen MPs and senators sent an open letter to China's ambassador in Ottawa, Lu Shumin, asking to be allowed to immediately travel to Tibet to assess the situation. "The recent show of force, loss of life, and detention of peaceful protesters has been shocking. The expulsion of journalists from the region who could ensure impartial reporting is also deeply troubling," the group said. "If authorities in Tibet are abiding by international standards they should have nothing to hide, and we and other international observers should be welcomed in," Senator Consiglio Di Nino, chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Tibet, said in a statement. The group's three previous requests over the past year for Chinese entry visas were denied, he noted. "The fear is that hundreds if not thousands of Tibetans are being rounded up beyond the prying eyes of the world and may face lengthy imprisonment and torture as acts of retribution," Di Nino said. A week of protests against China's 57-year rule of Tibet erupted into full-scale rioting in Lhasa on Friday. Demonstrations and attacks on government buildings have since spilled over into nearby Chinese provinces with sizeable ethnic Tibetan populations, according to Tibetan activists. The unrest has shone a harsh spotlight on China's controversial rule of the Himalayan region and provoked whispers of possible Olympic boycotts and mounting calls for talks on Tibet's future. http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jrV9oOAAiE_2CSLveQDc7_bhMdSg Several hundred people take to Vancouver streets to protest violence in Tibet Mar 22, 2008 VANCOUVER - About 300 people crowded outside the Chinese Consulate on Saturday to protest the ongoing violence in Tibet. Many of them waved the Tibetan flag, and adorned their faces with its colours of blue, red and yellow. People came from as far away as Portland, Ore., to demonstrate. The demonstrators began their march outside the city's art gallery and then clogged the Granville Street bridge, which is a major artery to the downtown core. Beijing sent thousands of troops to Tibet to quell widespread demonstrations against Chinese rule that began March 10. The situation has sparked protests worldwide with many demonstrators calling for a boycott of China and the Beijing Olympics. Mati Bernabei, with the Canada Tibet Committee and one of the Vancouver event's organizers, said the fact that the Chinese flag at the consulate was down was "an extreme act of cowardice." "They're pretending they're not home," she said. "Even more than them not responding to our calls for dialogue they're actively (verbally) abusing our community and Tibetan activists for even asking for dialogue." Bernabei said that by keeping China in the spotlight, changes can be made. "My hope is that this type of action that's happening globally will force the Chinese government to rethink and come at this in a different way and ideally participate with the global community." Wuangchuk Durjee came to the protest from Vancouver, Wash. He said fled his home country of Tibet in 1959 but still has family there. "I haven't heard from them at all, everything is cut off," he said. A representative from the Chinese consulate could not be reached. http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=3342 Tibet protest at Chinese embassy seeks Beijing Olympics boycott BANGKOK, March 19 (TNA) - About a dozen demonstrators staged a protest at the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok, calling for the Thai government to condemn China's Tibet crackdown and boycott this year's Olympic Games in Beijing. A force of about 30 Thai police officers reinforced security at the Chinese embassy and erected barricades in response to the protest by the Free Tibet Network and the Federation of Students for Democracy led by Giles Ungphakorn, a social activist. The demonstrators called for the Chinese government to cease its alleged violations of human rights and to refrain from using violence on the Tibetan demonstrators. They asked the Thai government to issue a statement condemning the Chinese government and to boycott the Beijing Olympics in August by not sending Thai athletes to compete in the games. Worldwide protests over China's crackdown in Tibet are spreading, putting pressure on Beijing's Communist leaders just months ahead of their showpiece Olympic Games in August. China has denied any wrongdoing and has blamed Tibetans for the unrest. The protests began on 10 March, on the anniversary of a Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule, and gradually escalated. Tibetan exiles say at least 99 protesters have died in clashes - in Lhasa and beyond - with authorities. China says 13 people were killed by rioters in Lhasa. (TNA)-E004 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,338331,00.html Police in Nepal Clash with Tibet Protesters, Monks; 30 Arrested Monday, March 17, 2008 March 16: Tibetan exiles hold a candle-light vigil to those killed in the ancient Tibetan capital of Lhasa at a monastery in Katmandu, Nepal. KATMANDU, Nepal - Police used bamboo batons to disperse about 100 Tibetan protesters and Buddhist monks in Katmandu on Monday, arresting around 30 in the latest crackdown on pro-Tibet demonstrations in neighboring Nepal. The protesters were demonstrating peacefully near the main U.N. office in Katmandu, holding banners reading "Free Tibet" and demanding the United Nations investigate a Chinese crackdown on protests inside Tibet. But police quickly moved in to break up the gathering, dragging protesters away and throwing them into the back of trucks that then took them to a nearby detention center. There was no word on whether they would be charged with any crimes or simply released, as is common in Nepal. Tibetan exiles in neighboring India, meanwhile, held a similar protest outside U.N. offices in New Delhi. But police allowed them to gather peacefully, and U.N. staff met with a few of the leaders before the protest ended. The demonstrations in Nepal and New Delhi followed a week of protests against Chinese rule in Tibet that culminated in violence Friday when Tibetans attacked ethnic Chinese and torched their shops in Lhasa, the region's capital. Officials there said 16 people died in the violence, but exiled Tibetans say as many as 80 people may have been killed. Throughout the past week, major Tibetan exile communities, including ones in Nepal and India, have organized their own protests, often clashing with authorities who do not wish to jeopardize improving relations with Beijing. A Nepali police official said he had received orders from top officials to break up Monday's protest with whatever force was necessary. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing police policy. A rally Saturday outside the U.N. offices in Katmandu was also forcibly broken up by police. U.N. officials have not made any comments about the crackdown on protests outside their offices. Mountain climbers are also being told by Nepalese officials that the summit of Mount Everest, which straddles the Nepali-Chinese border, will be off limits during the first 10 days of May, when China, the host of this year's Summer Olympics, plans to carry the Olympic torch up its side of the mountain. The move is aimed at heading off any high-altitude confrontation over Tibet's future. Nepal's border with China in the Himalayas is a key route for Tibetans fleeing Chinese rule in the region. Most of the refugees eventually move to India, where Tibet's government-in-exile and the Tibetans' spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, are based. A travel warning was issued by the U.S. Department of State Saturday asking Americans to defer travel to Tibet until at least April 14. http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/b8de8e630faf3631/id/340904/cs/1/ Riot police in Nepal bash Tibetan protestors Malaysia Sun Monday 24th March, 2008 Riot police in Nepal have brutally beaten unarmed Tibetan refugees, including women, nuns and monks. The police have also arrested over 300 people in a battle which took place near UN headquarters in Kathmandu Valley, at a park famous for pro-democracy and human rights protests. The park became the scene of violence as the police armed with batons and guns swooped down on groups of Tibetans who were sitting peacefully and chanting slogans for independence from China. Human rights activists were also in the park to observe the Nepalese police dragging over 300 people into vans after tearing down their pro-Tibetan placards. The police were unmoved by protests from human rights activists from Amnesty International, who had organised the protest. Peaceful Tibetan refugees have been living in Nepal for decades since their parents and grandparents fled Tibet after China invaded the Buddhist kingdom in the 1950s. They have been staging peaceful protests in front of the UN office and the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu for a week and a half. The protests, which started after a rally last week, triggered a suppression by the Nepal government. Nepal supports Beijing's 'One China' policy, which holds Tibet and Taiwan to be an integral part of the communist republic. http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=31d80723-28bf-45c8-8add-d1549198521a&ParentID=8d054a2a-8e52-4db6-9368-d0b4529a3a6b&MatchID1=4678&TeamID1=6&TeamID2=3&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1179&PrimaryID=4678&Headline=Tibetans+protest+Lhasa+crackdown Tibetans protest Lhasa crackdown Ravi Bajpai , Hindustan Times Email Author New Delhi, March 16, 2008 Delhi Police detained around 25 Tibetans on Saturday for protesting outside the Chinese Embassy in the Capital. They were protesting against the use of force on Tibetans in Lhasa, Tibet, by the Chinese government. More than 350 protesters also gathered near Jantar Mantar on Saturday for a peaceful protest. All roads leading to the Chinese Embassy were barricaded and all vehicles moving in the area were checked and people were frisked. Policemen from more than two police stations were deployed and a company of the reserve police force was put on alert, said a police officer. This was the third demonstration in four days by the Tibetans-in-exile outside the Chinese Embassy. More than 80 protesters have been arrested under preventive detention till now. On Friday, more than 200 policemen from the entire New Delhi district were deployed to control the protesters, said an officer. Kunchok Yamphel, one of the coordinators of the protests, said, "The Indian government has been supportive of our cause till now, but the attitude has changed. People will sit on an indefinite hunger strike soon." The protesters, who were detained, had reached the Chinese Embassy in a bus and had started marching towards the diplomatic installation carrying the Tibetan national flag and banners declaring their protest. "A few women suddenly broke away from the group and started running towards the embassy. A group of officers chased them and stopped them," police said. Meanwhile, the protesters said they would not relent till the tension in Tibet recedes. "We will stay here until we get support from India and the world," said a protester. http://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUSL3067149920080330 Olympic flame heads to China amid protests Sun Mar 30, 2008 3:36pm EDT By Karolos Grohmann ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece handed the Olympic flame to China, the hosts of the 2008 Games, on Sunday despite attempts by pro-Tibet protesters to disrupt the ceremony. A small group of activists tried to stop the flame from reaching the Athens stadium where Beijing officials were waiting, but they were quickly removed by Greek police. Hundreds of police lined the flame's route, scores of security vehicles followed the torch bearers and helicopters hovered overhead -- the strictest security measures since torch relays were launched at the 1936 Berlin Games. "In 130 days the 2008 Beijing Olympics begin. We and the other nations of the world look forward to this moment," said Beijing Games organizing chief Liu Qi before accepting the flame. The Games run from August 8 to 24. Protesters holding Tibet flags and shouting "Free Tibet" and "China out of Tibet" failed to break through the police cordon and get to the final torch-bearer entering the stadium, said a Reuters witness. Police detained 21 Greeks and foreigners for staging the protests but said they would be released later. Several others were moved away from police cordons. Lit at a protest-disrupted ceremony in ancient Olympia last week, the flame will arrive in Beijing from Greece by charter plane at about 9 a.m. (9 p.m. EDT on Sunday) on Monday before being officially welcomed at a ceremony on Tiananmen Square. Security will be tight on the square, the focal point of democracy protests that were crushed in 1989, to ensure chief Beijing organizer Liu is not embarrassed a second time. Rights activists unfurled banners condemning China's rights record at last Monday's flame-lighting ceremony. SECURITY >From Beijing, the torch will be taken around the globe and across China on a 137,000 km (85,130 mile) relay before being used to light a cauldron at the opening of the Games. It arrives in London next Sunday and will then be paraded in Paris and San Francisco -- a four-day stretch where most protests are expected. "Look at all this police and all this security," said Yiorgos Konstandopoulos, an office clerk attending the ceremony at the stadium where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896. "It's the (IOC's) fault for awarding the Games to China." Protests marred the relay within Greece. Demonstrators lay on the ground in front of vehicles accompanying the flame in Olympia and the northern city of Thessaloniki, holding up the runners several times. Exiled Tibetans and human rights activists targeted the Olympic flame to protest against a crackdown by Chinese forces on protests in Tibet and parts of western China. China has ruled Tibet since a 1950 invasion and has accused Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama of plotting "terror" ahead of the Olympics. (Additional reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Beijing; Writing by Dina Kyriakidou; Editing by Keith Weir) http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gQwaIHohaFAGKgc0FOcitJT3416A Thousands of Tibetans hold anti-China protest in New Delhi 3 days ago NEW DELHI - Thousands of Tibetan demonstrators carried 154 shrouded effigies, representing the compatriots they believed were killed in a crackdown on anti-China protests in the Himalayan region, in a rally Thursday in the Indian capital. Carrying placards saying "Stop Cultural Genocide in Tibet" and "China has turned Tibet into a Killing Field," protesters urged China to release imprisoned Tibetans and remove its heavy military presence from the region. Roughly 200 protesters marched to New Delhi from Dharmsala, the seat of Tibet's government-in-exile and home to the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader. The rest of the demonstrators arrived from neighbouring states. The crowd carried effigies to represent the 154 victims they believe were killed in the protests and the ensuing crackdown in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, last month. Chinese authorities say 22 people died in the riots that broke out March 14. China has accused the Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, of orchestrating the violence to sabotage the Beijing Olympic Games in August and create an independent state. Samdhong Rinpoche, the prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, said Tibetan leaders were hoping for a peaceful settlement with China. "If they are wise enough, some path for reconciliation might be opened," Rinpoche told reporters in New Delhi, where he addressed the protesters. "If they remain rigid, the movement will not end and it will sustain by itself." The protests are the longest and most sustained challenge to China's 57-year rule in the Himalayan region, and have focused increased international scrutiny and criticism on China in the run-up to this summer's games. The Olympic torch was scheduled to pass through New Delhi on April 17. The international torch relay has faced chaotic protests in London and Paris because of China's human rights record in Tibet and elsewhere. On Thursday, five Tibetan protesters briefly displayed a banner reading "No Olympic torch through Tibet" on the path the torch was scheduled take through New Delhi, but they left before police arrived. http://voanews.com/english/archive/2008-02/2008-02-08-voa17.cfm?CFID=214041687&CFTOKEN=93381154 Reporters Without Borders Holding Demonstration to Protest Free Speech Curbs in China By Lisa Bryant Paris 08 February 2008 The Paris-based journalist advocacy group Reporters Without Borders is holding a demonstration Friday to protest free speech curbs in China. Lisa Bryant has more from the French capital. Chinese man poses during 'Reporters sans Frontieres' (Reporters without Borders)in Paris, 08 Feb 2008 The demonstrations come six months ahead of the opening on August 8 of the Olympic games in Beijing. China had promised to improve its human rights conditions ahead of the games. Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, is one of a number of human rights groups who fear this is not the case. "Our concern is that despite all the promises that were made in 2001 by the Chinese authorities to get the games, we monitor a lot of press violations. Especially detention of journalists and cyber dissidents," explained Vincent Brossel, the head of the Asia desk at Reporters Without Borders in Paris. According to RSF, 35 journalists and 51 dissidents and human rights defenders have faced political subversion charges in recent months. And Brossel says there are more Chinese journalists in jail now than in 2001. Earlier this year, Beijing also formally arrested a prominent Chinese human rights advocate, Hu Jia. But China is also debating whether to relax control of the Internet during the games. Beijing lifted travel and interview restrictions on foreign journalists at the start of this year. And on Tuesday, China freed a Hong Kong-based reporter jailed for five years for allegedly spying for Taiwan. Brossel hopes the Paris protest will send a message to the Olympic committee as well. "The main message goes to the IOC - the International Olympic Committee. In talking freely and strongly to the Chinese government they have the responsibility to defend Olympic values," Brossel said. Other human rights groups have also protested China's human rights abuses in recent weeks, and Amnesty International is organizing a similar protest on Monday. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23425754-1702,00.html Protest disrupts Olympic flame ceremony By staff writers and wires March 24, 2008 08:44pm Article from: Font size: + - Send this article: Print Email THE Beijing Olympics flame was lit in a tightly guarded ceremony in Ancient Olympia today at the birthplace of the ancient Olympics, but it was not without controversy. The ceremony launches the Olympic torch relay that marks the countdown for each Games. The Beijing Games relay is the longest and most ambitious ever planned, lasting 130 days and covering 137,000km worldwide. The Beijing Olympics, the first to be held in China, will open on August 8 and run until August 24. Prior to the lighting of the flame, the ceremony was marred when three unidentified protesters tried to disrupt the speech of China organising committee chief Liu Qi. The protesters tried to grab the microphone, and unfurled a banner reading "Boycott the Games in the country that tramples on human rights." The three men are believed to be part of the international rights group Reporters Without Borders. Police rapidly moved into the spectator stand and Greek state television quickly cut its live broadcast to another image. Chinese state television also cut away from the ceremony. Broadcaster CCTV's news channel cut to what appeared to be stock pictures of the ceremony site in Olympia. Several Chinese channels were showing the traditional ceremony in Olympia and it was being shown on CCTV with a short delay, compared with BBC World images seen in China. Campaign groups are expected to target the torch route to highlight their causes, which include improved human rights in China and anger at the clampdown following rioting in Tibet over the past two weeks. "The Olympic flame will radiate light and happiness, peace and friendship, and hope and dreams to the people of China and the whole world," Mr Qi said in his speech. On an overcast day inside the archaeological site, that played host to the Olympics in ancient Greece, actress Maria Nafpliotou playing the high priestess used a break in the clouds to light the torch in front of the Temple of Hera. Greek athlete Alexandros Nikolaidis, an Athens 2004 Games taekwondo silver medallist, will be the first torchbearer starting a six-day Greek relay before the flame is handed over to the Chinese on March 30. Earlier today, a Tibetan activist briefly confronted International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge at his hotel in Ancient Olympia. Deadly protests started March 10 in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa on the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule. The demonstrations turned violent four days later, touching off demonstrations among Tibetans in three neighbouring provinces. Beijing's official death toll from the rioting is 22, but the Dalai Lama's government-in-exile has said 99 Tibetans have been killed. http://www.cesnur.org/2005/falun_03.htm "Police face call to free Falungong protesters" ("Bangkok Post," December 19, 2005) Bangkok, Thailand - Thai practitioners of Falungong have sought the release of six Chinese practitioners, including a four-year-old boy, detained on Friday by Immigration Police. The six were among the eight practitioners arrested in front of the Chinese embassy in Bangkok while holding a peaceful sit-in to protest the alleged rape of their colleagues by Chinese police in Hebei province. The other two members of the group were released soon after their arrest. The four-year-old, identified as Kai Shin, was also taken to the detention cell after the boy refused to leave his father's side. "Right now, Falungong practitioners are staging a sit-in protest in front of Thai embassies in 60 countries, petitioning for the release of their colleagues who have done nothing wrong," said Chachalai Sutakanat, a Thai practitioner of Falungong, at a press conference yesterday. According to a statement released by the group, the detention of the six practitioners was unacceptable as the victims were all persons of concern (PoC) and under the UNHCR's protection. The detainees have begun a hunger strike to protest their arrest which, they claim, was directed by the Chinese embassy. Ms Chachalai also expressed concern for the boy whose mother was killed during a violent crackdown in China. Fourteen-year-old Wang Anqi, who was arrested and then released, said her parents were still in the detention cell. The Anqi family fled with other groups of Chinese practitioners to Thailand following the crackdown and are now holding PoC refugee status. Ms Wang said the basic human rights of the six detainees were being violated. The Chinese government outlawed the Falungong in 1999, naming the group the "cult of evil." The Chinese authorities often resorted to heavy-handed crackdowns to punish the practitioners. Over 2,000 practitioners were thought to have died in the suppression drive. Falungong is a Chinese spiritual practice - a blend of qigong and religious belief purporting to improve the mind, body, and spirit. Falungong was introduced in Thailand in 1996. Practitioners provide free daily instructions at Lumpini Park. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/china/article3372282.ece February 15, 2008 Activists to turn torch's global journey into a path of protest Ashling O'Connor, Olympics Correspondent and Jane Macartney in Beijing Human rights activists plan to disrupt China's "journey of harmony" as the Olympic torch is taken around the world before the Beijing Games this summer. The presence of protesters along the 85,000-mile route through 20 cities across the continents is part of a campaign by human rights groups to use the Olympics to focus international attention on China's role in Darfur. It follows the withdrawal of Steven Spielberg, the Hollywood director, as artistic director of the Games on the ground that China had failed to use its influence to end the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. Mr Spielberg had been invited to act as an artistic consultant for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games. However, on Tuesday night he put out a statement saying: "I find that my conscience will not allow me to continue business as usual. My time and energy must be spent not on Olympic ceremonies but on doing all I can to help bring an end to the unspeakable crimes against humanity that continue to be committed in Darfur." In its first response, China yesterday voiced "regret" at his decision but lashed out at those it accused of "ulterior motives". Liu Jianchao, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said: "We hope not to see such a major event anticipated by the whole world disturbed by political issues. This is not in line with the Olympic spirit." Mr Liu said: "It is understandable if some people do not understand the Chinese government policy on Darfur, but I am afraid that some people may have ulterior motives, and this we cannot accept." China commonly makes reference to "ulterior motives" as a term to describe people it considers to be operating with the purpose of doing it harm. The plan to disrupt the torch route will cause further consternation to Chinese officials, who consider it "one of the grand ceremonies for the Beijing Olympic Games". As these protests will be held outside the country, China will be powerless to stop them. Dream for Darfur, a US-based lobby group linked to the actress Mia Farrow, will start its rally in Ancient Olympia in Greece next month where the Olympic flame begins its 130-day journey from the last host city to the next one in Beijing. Further protests are planned in London, Paris, San Francisco and Hong Kong. "The thing that bothers the Chinese the most is the idea of demonstrations. So we are planning a series of demonstrations starting in Athens," Jill Savitt, executive director of Dream for Darfur, said. "We hope the protests will follow the flame around the world as momentum gathers." Announced amid great fanfare last April, the torch relay, along the historic Silk Route, up the world's highest peak and to the world beyond had been billed as China's first opportunity to "enhance mutual understanding and friendship among people of different countries". Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, described the relay as a "journey of harmony bringing friendship and respect to people of different nationalities, races and creeds". The torch, 72cm-high (2ft 4in), designed to withstand wind and rain, will arrive in Beijing for the opening ceremony on August 8. It will pass through London in in the first week of April. Organisers of the 2012 London Games plan to use the event to promote interest in their own Games and test the local appetite for the Olympics. The flame is to be carried through the city by 80 torchbearers, the last of whom will light a cauldron. The London Organising Committee has said it is not concerned that any politicisation of the Beijing Games might have a longer-term detrimental effect. "The Olympic Games can become a platform for protests but it has always transcended every protest or boycott and we are confident that London 2012 will be no different," a spokeswoman said. Within China itself, where most provinces will receive the Olympic flame on its travels, there is unlikely to be any negative reaction amid a media blackout of the Darfur controversy. Yesterday a lone Chinese newspaper reported Mr Spielberg's protest withdrawal. The Global Times, a current affairs tabloid run by the Communist Party's People's Daily, said: "Western exploitation of the Olympics to pressure China immediately provoked much disgust among ordinary Chinese people. The vast majority of Chinese people have expressed bafflement and outrage at the Western pressure. In their view, it's absolutely absurd to place the Darfur issue, so many thousands of miles away, on the head of China." China is believed to be able to wield special influence with the government in Sudan because it buys some 40 per cent of the country's oil exports while selling it weapons and defending Khar-toum in the UN Security Council. Ms Farrow tried this week to deliver to the Chinese mission to the United Nations a letter signed by a group of Nobel Peace laureates including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Shirin Ebadi, Elie Wiesel and Bishop Carlos Belo as well as politicians, Olympic medallists and entertainers. Zhu Jing, a spokeswoman for the Beijing Olympics organising committee , said: "Linking the Darfur issue to the Olympic Games will not help to resolve this issue and is not in line with the Olympic spirit that separates sports from politics." The Chinese public, in internet comments, have rallied around the Games. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/bjorks-protest-a-sign-of-things-to-come-for-china-791352.html Bjork's protest a sign of things to come for China By Clifford Coonan, China Correspondent Wednesday, 5 March 2008 Bjork is better known as a pop eccentric than as a political force, but the Icelander showed she can still raise establishment hackles when she caused a storm in Shanghai by crying "Tibet! Tibet!" at the end of her protest song, "Declare Independence". Discussing anything to do with Tibetan calls for greater autonomy is one of the great taboos in China but Bjork lived up to her billing in the Chinese financial capital - local media had called her the "Queen of the Wildly Unpredictable" and flagged the show as "Bjork's Shanghai Surprise". Her comments, low key as they were, illustrate the kind of problems the Chinese government is going to have keeping a lid on athletes and other visitors making political statements during August's Olympic Games in Beijing. Bjork, who performed in the ceremonies at the Athens Games, has used the song "Declare Independence" to highlight political issues during her current tour, including backing Kosovo's independence. Many of the 3,000 fans gathered for the show in the Shanghai International Gymnastic Centre reportedly missed the reference, and state media did not report the incident, but news of Bjork's message did prompt a number of outraged responses on bulletin boards and blogs. "If she really did this, then this woman really makes people throw up," ran one comment on Sina.com, while the Danwei website quoted another person saying: "Those who put on the show should be severely fined and not allowed to bring this kind of trash in for performances." Bjork is the latest of a host of singers to play in China. Until a couple of years ago only the safest pop was allowed. Lately, more risqu? acts have come to China but bands like The Rolling Stones have stuck closely to the agreed text to avoid offending their hosts. Bjork has always insisted she is an amateur when it comes to politics, but she once said: "Maybe I can be a spokesperson for people who aren't normally interested in politics." Tibet is rarely discussed in China. The People's Liberation Army occupied Tibet, which has a distinctive Buddhist culture, in 1950 and Beijing has kept a tight grip on it ever since, though it claims the region enjoys significant autonomy. Bjork's protest comes as several Tibetan independence groups are running campaigns to promote their cause ahead of the Olympics. http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_8870620 San Francisco alters Olympic torch route to avoid protests By Bridget Johnson, Staff Writer Article Last Updated: 04/10/2008 06:03:18 AM PDT SAN FRANCISCO - A scattershot route for the Olympic torch ensured that it made its way out of AT&T Park unscathed Wednesday, but spirited protesters made sure it never got to the ceremonial stage set up along San Francisco's scenic Embarcadero. As the flame moved through the streets of San Francisco, it traveled in switchbacks and left the crowds confused, forcing protesters to alter their plans and try to keep up with the rerouted torch. Long before the torch even left the baseball stadium - where a phalanx of police eyed pro- and anti-China demonstrators - protesters had gathered at the historic waterfront, where the big closing ceremony was set to take place. There, barricades lined the planned route for the Beijing Olympics flame. A strong presence of Chinese supporters waving giant flags and banging drums faced off with equally vocal demonstrators for Tibet, Darfur, Burma and the Chinese Muslim minority Uighurs. As the hours dragged on, rumors buzzed around the crowd about the current location of the AWOL torch: It was in a bus on Van Ness Avenue. It was on a boat headed for the Ferry Building. It was hiding in an unknown, nearby building. Then at 3:30 p.m., a protest leader announced through a bullhorn that the ceremonies had been canceled. Soon after, the torch was spirited away to San Francisco International Airport after its first and only stop in the United States. Tony Hoeber, a San Jose resident who took the day off work to protest, stood on a concrete wall along the Embarcadero with his pro-Tibet sign, drawing a crowd of booing, pro-China demonstrators. One, waving a large Chinese flag, shouted at Hoeber to "get out." "Hitler had his big lie. China has their big lie," Hoeber said to the China supporters as they tried to cover his sign with the large Chinese flag. "... You're still young. You can learn about freedom!" "China is free!" a man yelled back at Hoeber. Crowds poured into the street as one policeman told his officers to "stand down." The pro-Tibet demonstrators, who arrived at the scene in a series of marches, rallied up and down the waterfront with flags, banners and even a faux Chinese tank whose "soldiers" stopped every so often to pretend to beat monks. Bing Rong Wang, a native of Beijing and a San Francisco resident, wandered through the Chinese side of the protests with a sign indicating she was Chinese and supported Tibet. As a Buddhist, she said, she followed the Dalai Lama. "I grew up in China and want the truth to be heard," Wang said. "China is portrayed as a leader who tries to give peace and that's a lie." As she spoke to a reporter, China supporters gathered around. "Where are you from?" one asked. "Why are you against China?" asked another. "I'm not against China," Wang said. "I'm for Tibetan people living their own life." One of the Chinese who argued with Wang was Anna Zhou of Fremont. "I'm just really excited that China is hosting the Olympics," she said. "China is open to the whole world." She conceded that the country "has problems," yet said that the recent crackdown in Tibet was about the Chinese government peacefully trying to suppress a "very violent situation." "Every year, China gives hundreds of millions of dollars to build Tibet," Zhou said. "... Tibet is free and more free than before." Xhijiang Lia joined a contingent of fellow Chinese students from the University of California, Davis. "We came to support the Olympics and the unity of the country," he said, adding that the students had mobilized via e-mail. "We came to protest against media bias (against China)." Lia said he believed Tibet was better off now than 50 years ago. "Certainly there are some problems," he said, "but there is no room for a free Tibet." A large group of Darfur demonstrators, easily recognizable by their forest-green shirts and hats, also moved into the roadway, with many staging a "die-in" to protest China's economic and military support for the Sudanese government. Phil Spiegel of Los Altos came to support Darfur with Congregation Kol Emeth in Palo Alto and a group of other Jewish communities. "We feel strongly that there should never again be any sort of genocide or Holocaust in the world," he said, adding that he opposes China's support of Sudan. "I hope that President Bush doesn't go (to the Olympics)," Spiegel added. Smaller protest groups included three nude men lobbying for ancient Grecian-style, in-the-buff Olympic Games, though one of the men, George Davis of San Francisco, acknowledged "that's not gonna happen this year." Davis, who expressed his support for the human-rights demonstrators, said passers-by had been supportive of their skin statement. "It's been a total thumbs-up all the way," he said. As the protests heated up, with opposite sides trying to seize each other's flags and arguments escalating into minor scuffles, a Tibetan protest leader reminded them of the directive they'd received the day before in a rally at U.N. Plaza: no violence. Less than an hour before the torch relay began, officials cut the original six-mile route nearly in half. Then, at the opening ceremony, the first torchbearer took the flame from a lantern brought to the stage and held it aloft before running into a waterfront warehouse. A motorcycle escort departed, but the torchbearer was nowhere in sight. Officials drove the Olympic torch about a mile inland and handed it off to two runners away from protesters and media, and they began jogging toward the Golden Gate Bridge, in the opposite direction of the crowds waiting for it. More confusion followed, with the torch convoy apparently stopped near the bridge before heading southward to the airport. The Associated Press contributed to this story. http://www.standardnewswire.com/news/476312530.html Tibet Activists Scale Golden Gate Bridge to Protest China's Torch Relay High Profile Action Demands 'No Torch in Tibet' Contact: Lhadon Tethong, 917-418-4181; Kate Woznow, 917-601-0069; Alma David, 646-202-0704; Students for a Free Tibet, 415-244-8218 SAN FRANCISCO, April 7 /Standard Newswire/ -- Seven Tibet independence activists were detained this afternoon after three of them scaled the Golden Gate Bridge and unfurled a large protest banner reading "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 08." The three climbers remained on the bridge for about 2 hours before coming down voluntarily. Upon their descent they were met and arrested by officers of the California Highway Patrol. The daring action comes two days before China's torch relay is expected to be greeted by thousands of Tibet protesters from across North America when it arrives in San Francisco. Already, the torch's so-called 'Journey of Harmony,' which China's leadership hoped would improve its global image and divert attention from its ongoing occupation of Tibet, has been overshadowed by boisterous protests in Olympia, Istanbul, London and Paris. In all these cities, Tibet campaigners have engaged in dramatic actions to highlight China's ongoing brutal crackdown on freedom protests inside Tibet. Photo: April 7 Golden Gate Bridge demonstration, video footage and hi-res photos at: http://drop.io/sfapril7 "In two days, the Chinese government is bringing the Olympic torch to San Francisco, while inside Tibet it continues its brutal and violent crackdown on Tibetans crying out for freedom," said Tashi Sharzur, spokesperson for Students for a Free Tibet and one of the activists detained in today's action. "The International Olympic Committee must immediately withdraw Tibet from the Torch Relay route. Carrying the Olympic torch through Tibet would exacerbate the crisis and cause yet more suffering for the Tibetan people." "San Francisco has a long, proud history of standing up for human rights and freedom, and we will not allow China's government to make a mockery of everything this city stands for," said Laurel Sutherlin, one of the climbers and a spokesperson for Students for a Free Tibet. "Gavin Newsom has privately agreed to express his concern with the IOC over China's torch going through Tibet. Mayor Newsom must now publicly follow up on this promise and call for Tibet to be removed from the torch route." Tibetans and supporters from New York, Washington DC, Toronto, Minnesota, Santa Fe, Salt Lake City, Portland, Calgary, Seattle, Los Angeles, Vancouver and other cities in North America are converging in San Francisco for mass protests on Tuesday and Wednesday to demand Tibet be removed from the torch relay route. China's latest deadly attack on Tibetans came in in Tongkor Township (Kardze County), in southeastern Tibet on April 3rd after Chinese authorities detained two monks for possessing photos of the Dalai Lama. Following a raid by over 3,000 armed police at Tongkor monastery, the police opened fire on the crowd of over 700 people - nearly half of whom were monks - gathered to protest the arrests. All Tibetan areas remain closed off to independent media, but eyewitness reports from all across Tibet describe severe beatings, suicide attempts by monks locked inside their monasteries, house-to-house searches and, in one instance, a large group of Tibetans being boarded onto a train to an unknown destination at Lhasa's new railway station. http://media.www.daily49er.com/media/storage/paper1042/news/2008/04/10/News/Csulb.Student.Protests.Olympic.Torch.Ceremony-3315357.shtml CSULB student protests Olympic torch ceremony Christine Pham supported the "Free Tibet" movement Wednesday in a San Francisco rally against China's 2008 Summer Olympics. Andy Franks Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: News Media Credit: Kyle Smith Protesters for Tibetan freedom await the passing of the Olympic torch at a San Francisco rally Wednesday. Thousands of protesters swarmed the streets of San Francisco Wednesday to protest the scheduled relay run for the 2008 Beijing Olympics torch. The event was another not-so-welcoming reception for the torch, which has already been met with protest in London and Paris over what critics say is a bad human rights record of the Olympics' host nation, China, specifically in regards to recent political unrest in provincial Tibet. Cal State Long Beach student and junior illustration and geography major Christine Pham was there alongside protestors to show her support for the "Free Tibet" movement. "After what happened in France, it makes it clear that there is a universal call for human rights," Pham said in a phone call with the Daily Forty-Niner over background protest chants on San Francisco's Embarcadero waterfront. "We're all really happy to be here. It's electrifying." Pham, a follower of Tibetan Buddhism, said she was initially reluctant to make the trip, but made the last-minute decision on a moral gut-reaction. "I wanted to be in solidarity with the Tibetan community and its values of religious freedom and free speech," Pham said. Pham, who spent the day with fellow protestors on The Embarcadero, did not follow the torch when it deviated from the scheduled route. The relay path, which was set to run from the downtown Financial District across The Embarcadero and back, was interrupted when the first torch was led by police down an alternate inland route on Van Ness Avenue and eventually toward the Golden Gate Bridge. Spectators and protesters scrambled to follow the torch runners. "It wasn't just about seeing the torch," Pham said. "The torch is a symbol of lighting the way. The fact that they hid it was really disgraceful - we're a free country and should have nothing to hide." Pham said she made the trip with her sister, Connie, who is also a CSULB alumna, and friends from the Buddhist temple she attends. While not a member of any organization related to the liberation cause, Pham has strong ties to the Tibetan community in Southern California. "There's the Tibet Association of Southern California, and Students For a Free Tibet; I grew up with all these folks because we all went to the same temple," Pham said. Pham's brother, Donald, is a Buddhist monk living near Tibet. She recalled a phone call from her brother as he watched the protests in the city of Dharamsala in northern India days after the March 10 protests. Her brother stressed the importance of the protests in the non-violent quest for peace. "My brother is a monk in Tibet, but that doesn't mean it's personal," Pham said. "I am a Tibetan Buddhist myself, but I think the important thing of Tibetan Buddhism is to see friends, enemies and strangers as the same. We're all people." The Chinese People's Liberation Army invaded Tibet in 1950 at the end of China's Communist Revolution. After a treaty was signed between Tibet's governing Lamas and the Republic of China, Tibet was given provincial status in China with limited autonomy. Violence last March against liberation protesters in Tibet, including Buddhist monks, brought international attention to China's human rights record, resulting in controversy over the approaching summer games in Beijing. In response to criticism that the Olympics should be kept separate from political issues, Pham said the event is the right place to talk about social issues. "You can't talk about the Olympics without talking about politics," Pham said. "You're there to promote the values you get from your culture. It's not just about winning and medals." Pham said that she and fellow protesters have nothing against the Chinese people or their athletes, but feel it's their responsibility to stand against the policies of the Chinese government. When confronted with Chinese-sided spectators at the event, Pham said she smiled back and felt no ill feelings toward them. "There's no animosity toward the Chinese government or its athletes, but the Olympics are there to promote diversity and to be proud of your country," Pham said. "But if your county has basic violations of human rights, there's really nothing to be proud of." http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/03/europe/EU-GEN-OLY-Olympic-Torch-Istanbul.php Uighur expatriates protest China during Olympic torch ceremony in Turkey The Associated Press Published: April 3, 2008 ISTANBUL, Turkey: Police detained at least six Uighur Muslims on Thursday at a protest against China during the Olympic torch ceremony near one of Turkey's most famous tourist destinations. The demonstrators were detained after they broke away from a larger group of protesters and shouted slogans just meters (feet) away from Tugba Karademir, a Turkish figure skater and Olympic athlete who started to run with the torch through the city. About 200 Uighur Muslims had converged ahead of the ceremony near Istanbul's Blue Mosque and the domed Haghia Sofia church. The Olympic flame is on a global tour before the games in Beijing. Activists have called for protests following unrest in Tibet. There have also been reports of unrest by the Uighur minority in China's Xinjiang region. Uighurs are related to Turks, and Turkey is home to a Uighur community. "Turkey, stand by your brothers," read a banner at the protest in Istanbul. "We don't want a country like China, with a bad human rights record, to hold the Olympics, which symbolize humanity, peace and brotherhood," protester Hayrullah Efendigil said. Police outnumbered the protesters and made it difficult for them to move around. Some tourists photographed the group. Some members of the Uighur expatriate community in Turkey have been militant in calling for independence for Xinjiang, or what they refer to as East Turkestan. In the late 1990s, the Chinese leadership exerted a lot of pressure on Turkey to silence and withdraw any government support for these advocates, an effort that was said to be largely successful. There is resistance to Chinese rule in parts of China's far-western Xinjiang province, which is populated largely by Muslim Uighurs and other Turkic groups. The Uighurs had their own Republic of East Turkestan during a short period of independence from 1944 to 1949, when China's Communists seized power. Several dozen Turkish athletes, politicians and other prominent people planned to carry the torch through Istanbul, including a detour across the Marmara Sea to the Asian side of the city. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 08:04:56 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:04:56 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] LATIN AMERICA: Farmers protest neoliberalism - Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil Message-ID: <009101c89e40$e9eb8100$0802a8c0@andy1> * PERU: Farmers strike against free trade agreement; five killed in police attacks - farmers demand debt relief and compensation * MEXICO: Farmers revolt against GM crops * MEXICO: Rising corn prices prompt protests * MEXICO: Farmers clog Mexico city in protest against free trade * ARGENTINA: Farmers stage month-long strike over export taxes * BRAZIL: Landless peasants blockade railroad and mine, protest displacement; dam also targeted * BRAZIL: GM crops trashed in protest by landless movement Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.ww4report.com/node/5154 Peru: five killed in trade protests Submitted by WW4 Report on Tue, 02/26/2008 - 02:51. Campesinos and farmers started an open-ended strike in eight Peruvian departments on Feb. 18, holding marches and blocking highways to demand government measures to ease the impact of a free trade agreement (FTA, or TLC in Spanish) with the US. The action was called by the National Convention of Agriculture (Conveagro), the National Council of Irrigation Users (JNUDR) and the National Agrarian Confederation (CNA). According to JNUDR president Enrique Malaga, the FTA, which is to lift tariffs on heavily subsidized US farm products, will harm more than 1.75 million Peruvian farms. One protester was killed in Barranca, north of Lima, on Feb. 18; police said he was shot by an angry motorist. Three more protesters were killed on Feb. 19: two were shot dead when police fired into a march in Ayacucho department in the central Andean region; another protester fell to his death as he was fleeing police tear gas near the Pan-American Highway in the southern department of Arequipa. At least 150 people were arrested. The government declared a state of emergency in the eight departments on Feb. 19, and by the end of the day the organizers had suspended the strike and resumed negotiations with the government. Also on Feb. 19, teachers marched on Congress in Lima to protest a decree by social democratic president Alan Garcia on the hiring of teachers with university degrees in the public schools. Despite the suspension, campesinos continued the strike through Feb. 20 in the southern departments of Cusco, Arequipa and Ayacucho to protest the four deaths in the preceding days. According to CNR radio, a fifth protester, Edgar Huayta Saccsara, was killed during the Feb. 20 strike. He was reportedly shot in the head during disturbances in Huamanga, capital of Ayacucho; some 73 other people were injured. Also on Feb. 20, US ambassador Peter Michael McKinley spoke out in favor of the trade pact, which the US Congress approved in December. It would "establish modern systems of trade regulation and design a discipline which will improve Peru's competitiveness and promote its prosperity," he said. (Bloomberg News, Feb. 21; Earth Times, Feb. 20; TeleSUR, Feb. 19; EFE, Feb. 20; Prensa Latina, Feb. 20) The protests continued two more days in Cusco, where local people called a 48-hour strike starting on Feb. 21 to protest a law allowing companies to set up businesses near archeological zones. Strikers blocked roads out of the city of Cusco, while some 500 marched in the downtown area. On Feb. 21 protesters marched on the airport, causing some damage and leading the authorities to suspend flights for the duration of the strike. Hundreds of tourists were stranded, but five of them-three from Argentina, one from Colombia and one from Spain-were reportedly detained by the national police in Cusco for joining the protests. (AFP, Feb. 22; Living in Peru, Feb. 21) On Feb. 22, Peruvian vice president Luis Giampietri blamed the week's protests on "subversion" by former presidential candidate Ollanta Humala and his Nationalist Peruvian Party (PNP). (La Prensa, Panama, Feb. 24 from DPA.) http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20080220165800519 Hot Time in Peru Wednesday, February 20 2008 @ 04:58 PM PST Contributed by: Oread Daily Views: 517 Clashes between police and farmers in Peru left at least four protesters dead on Tuesday. Farmers had called a nationwide action to push for state subsidies as part of a free-trade agreement with the U.S., for lower prices on fertilizer and for a halt to farm seizures by banks. Peru, the world's largest exporter of organic coffee, asparagus and paprika, boosted agricultural exports to the U.S. and China by 10 percent to $2 billion last year. HOT TIME IN PERU Clashes between police and farmers in Peru left at least four protesters dead on Tuesday. Farmers had called a nationwide action to push for state subsidies as part of a free-trade agreement with the U.S., for lower prices on fertilizer and for a halt to farm seizures by banks. Peru, the world's largest exporter of organic coffee, asparagus and paprika, boosted agricultural exports to the U.S. and China by 10 percent to $2 billion last year. The government yesterday declared a state of emergency and granted the armed forces control over the states of Lima, Ancash and La Libertad in a bid to free about 1,000 stranded buses after protesters battled police and blocked roads and railway lines, Prime Minister Jorge del Castillo said Tuesday. Bloomberg reports the protest left more than 140,000 passengers stranded yesterday at a dozen roadblocks around the country, causing 25 million soles ($8.6 million) in losses for Peru's transport industry. Railways and roads, including the Pan-American highway, the major route on the Peruvian coast, were blocked with tree trunks, rocks and sand. Rail services to the country's Machu Picchu site were also blocked on Monday, with about 400 travellers left stranded near the ancient Inca ruins, Peru's biggest tourist attraction. "The government only listens to us when we strike," said Antolin Huascar, the head of a national farmers' group. According to government sources, the farmers have now declared the "strike" over. ``We've told our people to return to normality,'' Enrique Malaga, president of the National Irrigation Board, helped organize the protest, said in a telephone interview. ``We will be discussing issues which have yet to be resolved with the government.'' While all this is going on activists have been threatening to again block access to the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu and the airport in nearby Cusco as a protest against a new law that would allow increased development near Peru's archaeological zones. Protesters burned tires and blocked roads around Cuzco earlier this month as 30,000 demonstrators asked the government of Peruvian President Alan Garcia to repeal two laws that make it easier to obtain licenses to build hotels and other works near historic and archaeological sites. The proposed laws, one of which was already rejected but requires a second vote, would ease construction restrictions in Cuzco and allow for more hotels to be built near archaeological sites. The area between Cuzco and Machu Picchu is dotted with ancient Inca ruins. The following is from Prena Latina. Three More Peruvian Farmers Killed Another three Peruvian farmers were killed in Police operations against strikers demanding compensation for damages derived from the Free Trade Agreement with the United States. The deaths occurred in central Andean Arequipa and Ayacucho regions, where protesters built road blockages. An unidentified farmer, who was blocking the strategic Panamericana Sur Highway, died when the police-launched tear gas canister knocked him into a ravine, according to witnesses. In Ayacucho, farm workers Ruben Pariona and Emiliano Garcia were shot dead by police during repression of another road blockage, according to Canal N TV. Prime Minister Jorge del Castillo requested a four-year sentences for the over 160 people that have been arrested since last Monday. In spite of the strike?s magnitude, Agriculture minister Ismael Benavides claimed the protests have failed. http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/agitating-peru-farmers-clash-with-cops-toll-rises-to-four_10019460.html Agitating Peru farmers clash with cops, toll rises to four February 20th, 2008 - 7:06 pm ICT by admin - Email This Post Lima, Feb 20 (IANS) Two more farmers have been killed in clashes with the police on the outskirts of the Peruvian city of Ayacucho, raising the toll to four in the two-day nationwide demonstration by farmers, EFE news agency reported Wednesday. The farmers were demanding concessions on loans, water rights and compensation for losses caused by the free trade agreement with the US. The incident Tuesday occurred when a group of farmers tried to block the highway, leading from Ayacucho to the Pacific coast, and burnt a gasoline station located on the outskirts of the city. According to RPP radio, several people were injured in the incident and were taken to hospitals in Ayacucho. One farmer died Tuesday morning when he fell into a ravine while he was fleeing from the police. Another person died the previous day after he tried to attack a bus on a road. The Peruvian government has declared a state of emergency in eight districts where protests were held. Hundreds of vehicles were left stranded on the roads as a result of the protests. Many cases of robbery on the highways were also reported. http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/farmers-protest-turns-violent-in-peru_10019801.html Farmers' protest turns violent in Peru February 21st, 2008 - 5:47 pm ICT by admin - Email This Post Lima, Feb 21 (IANS) Fresh clashes broke out between the protesting farmers and the police in the southern Peruvian city of Ayacucho despite suspension of a nationwide strike by the farmers, EFE news agency reported Thursday. The farmers organised a rally Monday to push their demand for compensation of the losses caused by the free trade agreement with the US, better water supply and debt relief. However, the protest by the JUNDR, an association of Peruvian farmers, turned violent after police killed two demonstrators Wednesday. The police also arrested ten people, Congresswoman Juana Huancahuari told the news agency. "Some people had thrown projectiles and clashed with police. And after that, the situation became violent. Otherwise, it would have been a peaceful march," she said. Meanwhile, the government has started an inquiry into the incident. On Wednesday, the JUNDR suspended the seven-day nationwide strike spearheaded by them earlier. The group's president, Enrique Malaga, said the farmers were returning to work, adding, that the suspension would give sufficient time to work out an agreement with the government to address the problem. The farmers had blocked roads across Peru to demand their rights Monday, following which the stranded motorists were targeted by robbers. The police arrested around 150 demonstrators. http://www.mcgilldaily.com/article/2998-seeds-of-worry Seeds of worry Charles Mostoller, a former Daily editor, reports from Mexico's movement against genetically modified corn Charles Mostoller After 14 years of the North American Free Trade Agreement's devastating effects on the majority of Mexican farmers, Mexico's food system now faces another serious threat. Illegally planted and unknowingly imported since the late nineties, genetically modified (GM) corn has contaminated farms all over Mexico, threatening the livelihoods of small farmers, endangering consumer health, and putting at risk the incredible genetic diversity of native Mexican corn. But for over a year now, farmers, scientists, and activists all over Mexico have been mobilizing under the banner Sin ma?z, no hay pa?s - without corn, there is no country. The campaign has been organizing protests against the import of GM corn and in support of maiz criollo, known in English as "Indian corn" or maize. At a recent Sin ma?z, no hay pa?s event in Huajauapan, Oaxaca, longtime indigenous-rights activist and honorary Zapatista Commander Don Felix Serd?n called for the prohibition of GM corn, saying that it represented a threat to food security and to Mexico's sovereignty. "If we lose our corn, we lose our sovereignty, our very dignity," he says. "We will depend on the U.S., we will have to buy their GM seeds. That will be slavery. Now, we're no longer self-sufficient and there is no food security.... We have the responsibility to avoid the contamination by GM corn, to protect our communities." The sad story of Mexico Mexico's 109 million people consume about 300 million tortillas every day. Nobody knows how much of the maize in these tortillas is genetically modified, and serious concerns persist about GM corn's effects on human health. The planting of GM corn has never been legal in Mexico, although some biotech companies have permission to plant small "pilot fields" to test out their GM varieties. But according to a recent Reuters article, there are an estimated 9,000 hectares of GM corn in northern Mexico's Chihuahua state. The government is aware of this, but has done nothing to stop it. Mexico does allow the importation of GM corn, and since the late nineties, enormous quantities of it have entered - unlabelled - into Mexico's food system. Farmers also unwittingly plant GM corn, and native varieties have been contaminated by GM corn all over the country - thanks to the fact that pollen can travel long distances by wind. The Mexican government hasn't taken any steps to slow or stop the influx of GM corn, nor has it tried to study the consequences of GM contamination or the effects on human health. And despite the importance of Mexico's native corn diversity, and the fact that GM contamination has been discovered all over the country, the corn keeps flooding into Mexico. "Today, approximately 60 per cent of the corn that enters Mexico is genetically modified," says Cati Marielle, Director of the Sustainable Agricultural Systems division of the Environmental Study Group (known by its Spanish acronym, GEA), a non-governmental organization dedicated to helping indigenous farmers. "It's the sad story of Mexico, to be subordinate to the interests of the United States government, which in turn represents the interests of transnational corporations," she continues. Financial interests v. health risks In the U.S., a GM corn variety approved only for livestock feed made its way into Taco Bell food and triggered a massive recall scandal in 2000. The corn, known as Starlink and made by biotech company Aventis, had been marketed as feed corn because of the possibility of adverse health effects in humans. Introducing radically different elements into food is not something to be taken lightly. But that's just what biotech companies have done; they have charged ahead with the unlabelled distribution of GM food, despite little real knowledge of long-term health issues. When that GM food is corn, the lifeblood of Mexico, there is even greater cause for concern. In Mexico some 44 million tons of second-generation foodstuffs are produced annually from imported GM corn, possibly including Starlink corn. GM corn is distributed without any indication that it is modified. More than 11 million tons of GM corn were imported last year, of which 8 million was directed to internal food production, representing one-third of the corn consumed annually in Mexico. Since corn products are the foundation of the Mexican diet, the pervasiveness of GM products worries Marielle and health advocates. "Officially, GM corn only enters [Mexico] for consumption by animals and for industrial products for human consumption. But if you go to the supermarket, you'll find an astonishing quantity of products that contain corn, although it appears that you aren't buying corn," Marielle says. Greenpeace Mexico has published a list of commercial products that contain GM corn. It includes various commercial brands of tortillas, as well as snacks and breakfast cereals. GM corn is also the basis for many industrial food products like corn syrup, fructose, and vegetable oils. The principal biotechnology corporations doing business in Mexico are Monsanto, Dupont-Pioneer, Syngenta, and Dow. But Monsanto is the key player, both in Mexico and worldwide; it owns 90 per cent of GM seed patents globally and raked in profits of $8.6-billion last year. The company is infamous for its aggressive legal action against farmers whose crops are unwittingly contaminated by Monsanto's patented varieties. A Monsanto press representative, Darren Wallis, says that GM products have been eaten by humans since their inception, but does not reply to questions about GM corn's possible negative effects. "Biotechnologies, from Monsanto and many other companies," says Wallis, "have been used in parts of the world now for more than a decade. Food products from staple crops like corn and soybeans have used ingredients from these crops for the same amount of time and have been widely consumed by people around the world." GM contamination: is it worth it? The long-term effects of GM contamination on native maize are still unknown - even the science behind genetic modification remains unclear. The biotech companies themselves are clueless as to exactly how and where transgenes attach themselves to DNA in the process of creating a GM food variety. When GM contamination of native maize was discovered throughout Mexico in 2001 by both independent and government studies, it was revealed that some plants had been contaminated more than once, and by different GM corn varieties - including Starlink. Farmers in areas of contamination have also reported high rates of mutated cobs. Although the real extent of contamination is uncertain, it is clear that GM corn can seriously affect insect populations - both pests and those beneficial to crops - with possibly catastrophic results. One of the most common types of GM corn is known as Bt corn. Bt is a primary contaminator of maize in Mexico, and produces its own insecticide thanks to the genetic fusing of a toxic bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis, into the corn genome. Some studies have shown that Bt pollen is harmful or fatal to the larvae of Monarch butterflies - millions of which breed each year in central Mexico - although the biotech industry's own studies claim otherwise. More alarming is that crop-destroying pests can become resistant to the Bt toxin, posing a threat not only to GM farms, but contaminated ones as well - which could lead to widespread crop failures in the not-so-distant future. Even Monsanto has realized this. Although the company has published strategies on avoiding the development of Bt-resistant pests, it maintains that such a possibility is unlikely. "[Bt corn] is a good tool for farmers because it is toxic to target pests like the corn ear worm in corn, and specific pests in cotton, and is something already found in nature," says Wallis. To protect non-GM corn varieties from contamination, Monsanto suggests separating some corn in "refuge areas" in order to maintain separate pest populations and avoid contamination from GM varieties. "Monsanto has a rigorous stewardship plan that protects technologies, like Bt, and promotes its longevity. For Bt in particular, this comes in the form of natural refuge in cotton and refuge acres in corn," Wallis says. In spite of such efforts, Marielle feels that the risks just aren't worth it. "When we talk to Monsanto's scientists who work with GM crops, they say, 'What we know is really very little.' With so much information lacking, they want to sell us a product that's really not as safe as they say it is," she says. It's the patents, stupid Recently, Mexico has passed two laws relating to the planting and sale of GM seeds: in 2005, the Biosecurity Law - known as the Monsanto Law for that company's alleged involvement in its creation - and in 2007 the Law of Seed Production, Certification, and Sale. Both laws set the stage for the legal planting of GM corn, as well as the criminalization of farmers found to have fields contaminated by GM corn. These laws are part of a process to institutionalize the rights of the transnational agro-biotech sector, similar to one already established in the US and Canada. After a few years of planting GM crops - in test fields, or by farmers who have bought the seed - Monsanto takes farmers whose fields have been contaminated to court for patent violations, forcing these farmers to buy Monsanto's GM variety, year after year. In Canada, Monsanto won a case in 2001 against Percy Schmeiser, a Saskatchewan canola farmer whose field was contaminated by the company's GM canola from a neighbouring field. Although the judge ruled that Schmeiser did not have to pay Monsanto, he is not yet free from their grasp. In 2005, Monsanto's canola continued to pop up in Schmeiser's field, cross-pollinating his crop and contaminating his seed. According to Marielle, the issue comes down to biotechnology patents. "Everything is tied to the patents," she says. "For farmers, they represent a threat to a common good - maize - with the inheritance of hundreds of generations of farmers and 7,000 years of maize agriculture in Mexico. Fifty-nine maize races with over 1,200 identified varieties are cultivated here. There is a continuous diversification of maize that creates varieties adapted to every ecological niche." But Marielle says that Monsanto wants to control the seed and fertilizer markets, turning every farmer it can into a lifelong client, and in the process effectively wiping out the genetic diversity of maize. "It's not just the introduction of a GM gene into the native maize varieties, but the fact that the gene is the private property of Monsanto, entering into a public good," she emphasizes. Monsanto: a step ahead of the game Marielle believes that Monsanto's next step is to appropriate the genome of native maize varieties, and to turn some of them into Monsanto's private property. "To date, all GM seeds are made out of hybrid seeds, but Monsanto is very interested in knowing what is it that makes a maize variety blue, or red, or resistant to droughts. They are promising to develop a GM corn that is drought-resistant," she says. "But here in Mexico we already have drought-resistant varieties - or how do you explain that farmers plant corn in the desert? It's because farmers have been selecting, throughout many centuries, to adapt their seed to such extreme conditions." Monsanto has already made inroads with farmers in the north of the country, despite the fact that it remains illegal to promote GM corn in Mexico. Of course, the farmers in Chihuahua who planted 9,000 hectares of it had to buy it from somewhere. "Recently, farmers in the north have been quoted saying that 'We want GM corn, and since the government hasn't decided its position, we're already planting it'," says Marielle, adding that Monsanto has influence in Mexico through an organization called Agrodinamica Nacional A.C. Leonardo Estrada, a leader of the National Confederation of Farmers (CNC) - tied to the country's longtime ruling party, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) - in Guanajuato state, says that the CNC has strong ties with Monsanto and other bio-tech firms. "We have a special office in the CNC, the office of Storage and Comercialization, which already has all the necessary ties and connections with the transnationals that can sell us GM seed," he says. Recently, Monsanto signed an agreement with the CNC, formalizing the future sale of GM seed to CNC farmers as soon as it is legal. In exchange, Monsanto has initiated a project to "conserve" native varieties, hoping to create a database and seedbank of Mexico's maize varieties. The project could give Monsanto the raw material to start patenting new GM varieties based on Mexico's native maize. Monsanto's stated goal in undertaking efforts to "conserve" Mexico's maize diversity is to protect maize in the poor southern Mexican states - by not planting there. Some of most contaminated regions, however, are in Oaxaca and Puebla, two southern states that are among Mexico's most impoverished. Out of reach? Biotech companies are campaigning hard in Mexico's industrialized north, trying to convince farmers to buy GM corn. Farmworkers are led to believe that GM corn will save them money, and are generally unaware of the risks of contamination. "We are really ignorant as to how GM corn works," says Miguel, a farmer from Guanajuato state. "But GM corn yields more, and it doesn't need herbicides. In total, it already comes with everything, which for us represents a lot of money saved. We want the government to let us plant it, because it yields more with less water." Biotech companies' own studies support the claim that GM corn yields more product, but critics argue that independent data indicates otherwise. "Independent studies by scientists in the U.S. and Europe demonstrate that the improvement in yields isn't true," Marielle argues. "In some cases, yes, but it's never more that ten percent. Sometimes it's negative. There's one study that shows that, in the U.S., the average yield increase is two percent. Is it really worth it to run so much risk for such an insignificant increase in yield?" Monsanto, however, maintains that GM corn is beneficial to farmers because of yield increases. "In [GM] corn, some of the most dramatic benefits have come in the shape of increased yields which have helped create more food and feed for people and animals," says Wallis. Although some farmers believe that they will save money with GM technology, even its proponents admit that small farmers can't afford to buy the large quantities of seed, fertilizer, and irrigation that GM corn requires. "We have to make the federal government give us a subsidy, because our farmers in the CNC don't have the financial capacity to be buying large volumes of seeds," Estrada says. "We are only waiting for the financial resources to bring [GM corn] in." A recent study on GM crops by Friends of the Earth International shows that since 1994 - when herbicide-tolerant varieties of GM soy, corn, and cotton were introduced in the U.S. - there has been a 15-fold increase in herbicide use. Some of the GM corn varieties in Mexico are herbicide-tolerant, resulting in the increased application of glyphosate - a Monsanto-produced herbicide known as Roundup. In Mexico, Monsanto's glyphosate-resistant YieldGuard corn varieties, along with Monsanto's Bt corn, are the principal GM contaminators of native maize. Sin ma?z, no hay pa?s A lot of attention has been paid recently to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a so-called "doomsday" bank in Norway to keep the world's seed wealth in suspended animation. But farmers are the real seed bank; they are the original biotechnicians, constantly adapting and bettering their seed as conditions change. Helping farmers maintain that seed diversity is the real key to food security. Corn is one of the most important crops on the planet, with some 687.2 billion kilos harvested in 2006 and 2007. Although the majority of that corn is produced in the U.S. and in China - and a large portion has recently been diverted to production of ethanol and other industrial products like glues - it remains a staple food crop all over Africa and the Americas. Preserving the diversity of Mexico's maize is key to future world food security. The import and planting of GM corn in Mexico - whether illegal or legal - threatens to contaminate maize all over the country, turning campesinos into Monsanto's slaves, obligated to buy its seed year after year. Campesinos in contaminated areas filed suit in 2002 with the Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America (CEC), NAFTA's ruling authority on environmental issues, calling for a review of the risks of GM corn in Mexico. The CEC report called for Mexico to uphold its ban on planting GM seed, and to minimize the import of GM produce. For the moment, Monsanto is content to wait before taking Mexican farmers to court to formalize their patent rights. "Right now they're not going to persecute those who have contaminated fields. What they want to do is let their seed proliferate throughout the country," says Marielle. But indigenous farmers all over Mexico have begun to fight back, holding rituals to cleanse their maize and starting their own seed banks to protect local diversity. However, testing for GM contamination is prohibitively expensive, costing over $200 for each sample. According to Marielle, a moratorium on the import of GM corn is the only solution to wprotecting Mexico's maize. She argues that consumers must reject GM products and force the government into action. "What is really needed is a total moratorium. And it's nothing more than a question of political will. It could be done tomorrow," says Marielle. "Why can Japan, who imports a lot of corn and rice from the U.S., successfully reject the importation of GM crops? Because the government of Japan is very strong, and most importantly, Japan's consumers are very strong." On January 31, in one of Mexico's biggest protests ever, some 200,000 farmers from all over the country flooded Mexico City's central plaza, calling for the government to re-negotiate the terms of NAFTA's agricultural chapter and to immediately stop the importation GM corn. Bety Cari?o is an activist from Oaxaca's Sierra Mixteca - 150 kilometres from where GM contamination was first discovered in 2001 - and part of the Sin ma?z, no hay pa?s campaign. She says that GM contamination represented the final straw to not just farmers, but also to Mexico's indigenous peoples, for whom maize is often an important cultural item. "The government has abandoned real support for the countryside, leaving our fields empty here in the Mixteca, where the youth have to leave for the United States to survive, leaving their communities behind and abandoning the field," she says. "And now, GM corn is going to finish off the countryside - which is to say, Mexico's indigenous peoples." However, thanks to organizations like GEA and Greenpeace and the Sin ma?z, no hay pa?s campaign, Mexican consumers and farmers are learning the risks of GM corn and starting to fight back. Despite the government's inaction, campesino and indigenous activists all over Mexico have vowed to keep fighting to do what no one else will: protect Mexico's corn, farmers, and indigenous peoples. "Better to die fighting," says Don Serd?n with tears in his eyes, "than on our knees, begging for the food that we ourselves can produce." http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/how-the-rising-price-of-corn-made-mexicans-take-to-streets-454260.html How the rising price of corn made Mexicans take to streets By Jerome Taylor Saturday, 23 June 2007 Mexico was ablaze in late January. Just two months after the election of Felipe Calderon as Mexico's President, protests had broken out across the country. Thousands of people were marching on the main cities calling on their pro-free trade businessman President to halt a phenomenon threatening the lives of millions of Mexicans. In their hands the protesters clutched cobs of corn, the staple crop that makes tortillas and for many of Mexico's poor the main source of calorific sustenance in an otherwise nutritionally sparse diet. Over the past three months the price of corn flour had risen by 400 per cent. Despite being the world's fourth largest corn producer and a major importer of supposedly cheap American corn, millions of Mexicans found the one source of cheap nutrition available to them was suddenly out of reach. Poor Mexicans, who normally expect to set aside a third of their wages for corn flour, had always been particularly vulnerable to price fluctuations in the corn market, but a four-fold increase was both unheard of and potentially catastrophic. The reason for such a substantial increase in the price lay north of the border. In order to wean itself off its addiction to oil, the US was turning to biofuels made from industrial corn like never before. Farmers in Mexico and America had been replacing edible corn crops with industrial corn that could then be processed into biofuels, leading to a decrease in the amount corn available on the open market. As corn imports and domestic production dropped, greedy wholesalers in Mexico began hoarding what supplies they could get their hands on, forcing the price of corn to rise astronomically. Eventually tortillas became unaffordable, so people took to the streets. President Calderon found himself caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand were the corn importers and major multinationals who would not look kindly on any government intervention on the free market. On the other side were Mexico's teeming poor, the vast majority of the population who already viewed Mr Calderon as a discredited pro-business leader that ignored the needy. In the end, Mr Calderon compromised. He capped the price of flour at 78 cents per kilogram but made the scheme voluntary for businesses. So far the price has largely stabilised but many are becoming increasingly concerned that Mexico's tortilla wars were simply the sign of things to come. "Recently there's been a huge increase in the demand for industrial corn for the production of ethanol which inevitably pushes up the price of food stuffs," says Dawn McLaren, a research economist at the W P Carey School of Business in Phoenix, Arizona. "But if we get a particularly bad harvest or if a weather system like El Ni?o strikes we could be really stuck." Mrs McLaren says that as the West looks to replace its oil, poor people will pay the price. "It doesn't strike me as a very good idea to start using yet another vital and limited resource to wean ourselves off oil," she said. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hDUCfa3JCjUuDZcRUdkTGGP3dRvg Farmers clog Mexico City in corn tariff protest Jan 31, 2008 MEXICO CITY (AFP) - Tens of thousands of farmers on foot and on lumbering tractors clogged Mexico City Thursday to protest the lifting of corn tariffs under a free trade agreement, which they say is hurting their pockets. "No corn, no country" was the byword of the protest plastered in signs on tractors and buses, as the angry farmers, some of them leading herds of cattle through the streets, demanded equal treatment with farmers in the United States and Canada. While it was mostly peaceful, there was some tension late Wednesday when a column of slow-moving tractors ground to a reluctant halt before a phalanx of anti-riot police that barred access to the Zocalo, the city's main square. By late Thursday, however, the protest was allowed to move on Zocalo, where organizers said some 50,000 people congregated, while police put the crowd estimate taken by helicopter at between 20,000 and 25,000. Some 1,500 police fanned out across the city to prevent any unrest stemming from the protest. Farmers from across the country have made their way here, some on foot for 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles), since January 18. A provision of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) lifting tariffs on corn -- Mexico's staple food -- and other products kicked in on January 1, 14 years after the agreement between the three neighbors came into being. Many farmers in Mexico have been against NAFTA from the start, but their protest has escalated as the date for lifting corn tariffs approached. The National Peasant Confederation (CNC), Mexico's chief farmers' union with more than five million members, has also warned against NAFTA regulations lifting tariffs on milk and sugar cane products. Farmers say that government subsidies their counterparts in Canada and United States receive are unfair. CNC said farmers get some 20,000 dollars in annual subsidies in the United States compared to only 700 dollars in Mexico. They also complain of mounting fuel, fertilizer and electricity prices which they claim represent 60 percent of the average cost of running a farm and place them at a severe disadvantage to their northern competitors. The farmers and opposition politicians are insisting that some NAFTA provisions be renegotiated, but the three NAFTA governments refuse to do so. Canada's Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz last week said the United States, Mexico and Canada were pleased at how NAFTA was working and saw no reason to reopen negotiations. Mexican leftist opposition lawmaker Victor Quintana, however, asked that "at least corn and beans be removed" from the list of products allowed tariff-free into Mexico. The NAFTA agremeement, he told reporters, "is a disaster for Mexican farmers, for the people's food security, for national security and for the country's democratic rule." For University of Chapingo agronomist Rita Schwentesius, the 1,000 farm products exempt of tariffs since January 1 "will have no ecomomic impact. There will be no crisis because grain prices (corn and beans included) have gone up on the international market." But corn grower Luis Valdiga, 49, who drove his tractor here from central Aguascalientes state, saw things differently. "Before NAFTA we could live off our crops. Now they're worthless. What can we do?" http://elmundo.es/elmundo/2008/01/30/internacional/1201716984.html http://www.dailyradical.org/News/Miles_de_campesinos_en_pie_hacia_M_xico * 'We need a new National Agreement for the Countryside' claim Mexican Farmers, on their way to the capital. (Photo: AP) Enlarge Mexican Farmers, on their way to the capital. (Photo: AP) Last Wednesday 30/01/2008 19:28 (CET) Listen noticiaImprimirEnviar noticiaDisminuye letraAumenta letter JACOBO GARCIA MEXICO .- Under the slogan 'No Country no maize' thousands of Mexican farmers begin to reach the streets of the City to participate in the'Megamarch' that is prepared on Thursday to defend the camp and againstthe Free Trade Agreement (FTA ) signed with the United States and Canada. Alongside them, dozens of cows, milk tanks and hundreds of tractors and trucks arrived from the most remote country have already installed camps in major locations in the capital, pending a joint demonstration thattomorrow will reach the Zocalo, the heart Federal District. The massive influx of peasants promises desquiciar a little more thealready chaotic traffic itself from the world's largest metropolis. The Mexican countryside decided to stand up against the full opening ofthe agricultural sector which came into force on January 1 under theNorth American Free Trade Agreement of North America (NAFTA), signedwith the United States and Canada. All farming organisations in the country have come together against thisagreement ratified in the year 90, and claim compensations and a renegotiation of the treaty. Convened thousands of workers Faced with the full opening of the market for maize, beans, sugar andpowdered milk, postponed until now by a moratorium, peasantorganizations have joined unions like the Electricians, Telephone,teachers, UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) , miners and Social Security. Act jointly in protest with making government offices, bank branches, blocking roads and marches scheduled for today and tomorrow throughout the country. The merger will bring together, according to the organizers, over 200,000 people. Yesterday Tuesday, farmers from Veracruz, Oaxaca and San Luis Potosi protested in front of the presidential residence of Los Pinos. "We need a new National Agreement for the Countryside, NAFTA should be reviewed and try to make it now should benefit small producers who have not been able to enter the international trade," said Jorge Arredondo, president of the organization Furrow. Requiring national peasant and social organizations of the federal government to renegotiate the agricultural chapter of NAFTA faced with the political class and has managed to divide several states, such as Michoacan and Sinaloa, the strategy forward. While the agent Michoac?n Lazaro Cardenas supported the protest because it believed that the trade agreement will subtract on sovereignty to the country, the governor of Sinaloa, Jesus Alberto Aguilar, defended the modernization of the countryside in the north of the country has promoted the export of vegetables to the United States and the white maize harvest http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/013588BE-DB1E-494D-94FF-5D68B9758CBD.htm Mexican farmers hold trade protest Tractors were burned during the protest [Reuters] Thousands of Mexican farmers, many riding tractors and herding cows, have marched through Mexico City to demand government protection against cheap US agricultural imports. Trade barriers were lifted in January under the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta), opening Mexico up for the first time to tax-free US exports of traditional food like corn and beans. "The free trade agreement is like an open wound for the Mexican countryside," said Victor Suarez, the head of a small farmers' group. "You can give the patient medical attention, but if you don't stop the hemorrhage first the patient will die." Mexican farmers complain that the government of Felipe Calderon, the president, is not doing enough to protect them against heavily subsidised US goods and are demanding that Mexico renegotiate the treaty. Since Nafta came in to force in 1994, corn tariffs have gradually been phased out and imports of US yellow corn to Mexico, mostly used in animal feed, have increased. They now account for close to 35 per cent of Mexican consumption. Government support Farmers set one tractor on fire and built an enclosure for dairy cows in front of the Mexican stock exchange. Some carried black crosses or coffins representing the death of rural Mexico. The farmers fear the absence of tariffs will encourage large US farms to start producing white corn, which has been a major part of the Mexican diet since the Aztec era. Opposition politicians have called for the resignation of Alberto Cardenas, the agriculture minister, for failing to do enough to support farmers. Cardenas said on Wednesday the government would offer support to farmers to buy corn for animal feed, since international prices have rocketed in recent months. The minister said the negative effects of the trade deal for corn and wheat growers would be offset by high international prices caused by increasing US demand for ethanol, which is made from corn. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/02/01/mexico.farmers/index.html Mexican farmers protest NAFTA Story Highlights Farmers want the government to renegotiate the 1994 free trade agreement Farmers: Mexican products are undermined by subsidized U.S., Canadian grains Pleas have fallen on deaf ears in the Mexican government, farmers say Mexican officials: Grain prices have been stable in January MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Hundreds of thousands of farmers clogged central Mexico City Thursday with their slow-moving tractors, protesting the entry of cheap imported corn from the United States and Canada. Farmers protest in Mexico City Thursday against the removal of import tariffs on U.S. and Canada farm goods. On January 1 Mexico repealed all tariffs on corn imported from north of the border as part of a 14-year phaseout under the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. The farmers want the government to renegotiate the 1994 free trade agreement, which removed most trade barriers among Mexico, Canada, and the United States, saying livelihoods are at stake. "NAFTA is very bad, very bad for Mexican consumers and for Mexican producers," said Victor Quintana, head of Democratic Farmers Front, which organized the protest. The farmers complain that U.S. and Canadian grains are heavily subsidized and therefore undermine Mexican products. "The NAFTA agreement is in place and that's that," said farmer Armando del Valle. "But all producers should be under equal conditions, and as Mexicans, we are not working under the same terms as our neighbors up north." Watch a tractor go up in smoke, as farmers plead their case ? Ramon Garcia, who grows corn just outside Mexico City, said he couldn't afford to fertilize his crop this year and had to rent a tractor to till his field. The work is too much work for too little return, he said. "Corn is too cheap," Garcia said. "For me to make a profit, it has to bring in 15 pesos ($1.4) a kilo, and I can barely get 10." The farmers say their pleas have fallen on deaf ears in the Mexican government, forcing them to take their protests to the streets. The government has said NAFTA is working fine and won't be renegotiated but promised to negotiate with farmers to find ways to increase their subsidies. Grain prices in Mexico have been stable since subsidized U.S. and Canadian grains appeared on the market in January, Mexican officials said -- but still too low for many farmers. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/01/america/01mexico.php Mexican farmers protest end of corn-import taxes By James C. Mckinley Jr. Published: February 1, 2008 MEXICO CITY: Tens of thousands of farmers clogged the streets of the capital on Thursday to protest the end of tariffs on corn from the United States, warning that the elimination of trade barriers could drive them out of business and lead more Mexicans to migrate north. The farmers brought a herd of cattle and more than 50 tractors to make their point, jamming the historic center and blocking the central artery, Paseo de la Reforma. One rowdy group burned a tractor. Stretching for more than four miles, the march was a sea of tanned faces, cowboy hats, flags and calloused hands gripping banners with slogans like "Without farms there is no country." The police said at least 50,000 people joined the protest; organizers put the number at 100,000. "We cannot compete against this monster, the United States," said one farmer, Enrique Barrera P?rez, who is 44 and works about five acres in Yucat?n. "It's not worth the trouble to plant. We don't have the subsidies. We don't have the machinery." One the nation's largest labor coalitions, the National Union of Workers, joined dozens of farmers' organizations like the National Campesino Confederation to finance the march. The organizers bused people in from as far away as Chihuahua in the north and Yucat?n on the Gulf Coast. Today in Americas On Jan. 1, the last tariffs on corn, beans, sugar and milk were lifted under the North American Free Trade Agreement, completing a 14-year transition to an open market between Mexico, the United States and Canada. Since then, Mexican leaders of farm coalitions and other unionists have been calling for the government to renegotiate the treaty, putting them at odds with President Felipe Calder?n, a staunch free-trade advocate. The farmers worry that a surge of inexpensive corn could doom millions of peasants who farm plots of less than 12 acres. They also complain that the government has done almost nothing to prepare farmers for the open competition. Much of the $1.4 billion in annual aid for farmers, they say, has gone to large agricultural businesses in the northern states rather than to small farms. "We are mostly angry with the Mexican government," said Victor Su?rez, the leader of ANEC, a farmers' coalition. "They have left the small producers to fend for themselves." Opposition politicians have also seized on corn- along with an unpopular proposal to allow foreign investment in the state oil monopoly - to whip up sentiment against the administration. Calder?n has fought back. In a speech on Jan. 7, he declared that the free-trade agreement had brought Mexicans lower prices for goods while increasing exports fourfold, even when oil is excluded. "As with all agreements of this nature, the treaty presents challenges and opportunities, but in general it has been beneficial to Mexicans," he said. Yet the renewed debate seems to have touched a nerve in Mexico, where corn was first domesticated 5,000 years ago and the culture revolves around its consumption. Underlying the political discourse is a widespread sentiment that poor Mexicans have benefited little from free-trade policies, while giant businesses have reaped profits. In practice, however, nothing changed on Jan. 1. Mexico had been gradually dropping its tariffs on corn since 1994, when they stood at more than 200 percent, and most of the corn imports in recent years had entered without tariffs under import quotas. What is more, the corn from the United States is yellow corn, used to feed livestock, rather than the white corn Mexican farmers produce for tortillas. Some opponents of the treaty, however, say a spike in demand for American corn to produce ethanol has protected Mexico's farmers so far. Over the long haul, these critics say, small farmers in Mexico cannot face off with the Americans' heavily subsidized and mechanized farms. "How are you going to compete with the enormous subsidized farms in the United States and Canada?" said Francisco Hern?ndez Ju?rez, the president of the National Union of Workers. "It's totally unequal." Agricultural officials here agree that the peasant farmers cannot hope to stay in the game. They say four-fifths of the nation's 2.6 million small farms have plots so little that they produce only enough to live on and never market their goods. "Our small producers are not affected by the free trade agreement," said Marco Sifuentes, a spokesman for the agriculture department. "They don't participate in the market." Francisco L?pez Tostado, an assistant secretary of agriculture, said the answer lay in peasant farmers' forming large competitive agricultural cooperatives, a policy the administration has pursued. Several marchers who farm less than five acres said they no longer planted corn or beans except to feed their own families. Even with corn prices high, they said, the high costs of fuel and fertilizer had made it unprofitable to market their corn. Others with larger farms said they could still make a living, but they feared that imports from the United States would eventually drive the prices down to a point where they could not compete. Francisco Javier R?os, 66, a farmer from Bahia de Banderas, in Nayarit State, said he planted 15 acres with white corn each year. Depending on prices and weather, he can make between $3,000 and $4,000 of profit. He worries, however, that imports from the United States will cut his thin profit margin. "The free market should exist, but it should be more level," he said. "To compete against them is unfair to us because we don't get the same subsidies. Our costs are 100 percent ours." http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D89F60B9-695E-4794-B52D-394E182810DB.htm Argentine farmers resume protest Farmers in Argentina have restarted their 17-day-old national strike over an increase in export taxes, barely 24 hours after it calling a brief truce with the government. The strike, which has caused nationwide food shortages and prompted clashes between farmers and transporters, began again on Saturday after negotiations broke down. The strike has become the biggest test so far for Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the Argentine president, whose mandate began in December. Kirchner's government had refused farmers' demands to suspend an increase in the tax on soya products, Argentina biggest export, for at least 90 days. Protest to stay "Since farmers and livestock producers have not had an answer to their complaints ... we have decided to continue with protest measures," the country's four big agro-industrial groups said in a joint statement. They said they would talk with the government on Monday but that the protest would remain in place at least until Wednesday. There was no immediate response from the government, which has repeatedly refused to meet the farmers while they are blocking transportation of farm goods. The strike was suspended on Friday night after Kirchner called for talks over their concerns about the increase of taxes on soya bean exports from 35 to 44.1 per cent. Half of Argentina's fertile farmland is used for soya bean cultivation, and the country is the biggest soya exporter in the world, sending $13bn worth annually to China, India, Southeast Asia and Europe. During the brief truce farmers allowed trucks with agricultural products to circulate and began negotiations at the government palace. But after five hours the negotiations ended in failure and the groups ordered a resumption of the protest that has paralysed exports from Argentina, a top world supplier of soya bean, corn, wheat and beef. Kirchner and other ministers had labelled the farmers "extortionists", and claimed that sky-high commodities prices on the world market, coupled with Argentina's devalued peso, have made many rural landowners very wealthy. But farmers complain the tax increase, combined with income taxes, transport costs and the high cost of land, would push many of them out of business. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gl-raBs_euhuHTWKgdoP-LMVgciQD8VLJRLO0 Argentine Farm Protest Enters Third Week By BILL CORMIER - Mar 26, 2008 BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - Striking farmers built new highway blockades around Argentina's agricultural heartland Wednesday in a standoff with the president over tax increases on major export crops. The nationwide farm and ranch strike headed into a third week, all but paralyzing one of the leading world exporters of soybeans, beef and wheat. There were no reports of major violence despite tension and fisticuffs at one barricade and huge traffic jams elsewhere. Demonstrators held a second straight night of noisy pot-banging protests late Wednesday, rallying in the hundreds outside the downtown Government House and the suburban presidential residence. The downtown demonstration melted away quickly after a similar-size crowd of counter-protesters arrived waving flags in support of President Cristina Fernandez. Television footage showed scattered fistfights between rival bands, with three people slightly injured. One man was spotted leaving the demonstrations with his face bloodied after he was reportedly hit by a pot thrown by a rival demonstrators. The strike by farmers against the government decree, which raises taxes on soybean exports from 35 percent to 45 percent and slaps new taxes on other farm exports, has led to shortages of beef, milk, cooking oil and other products on supermarket shelves in Argentina. Fernandez's ruling center-left coalition, which controls both houses of Congress, passed a resolution in the Senate supporting tax hikes and urging strikers to call off the 14-day-old protest. A similar proposal was expected to sail through the House. Earlier, farmers rumbled in a convoy of tractors through the central city of Cordoba and laid sharp spikes across a key trucking route through farmland in Buenos Aires province. Long-distance bus companies scrapped service as more demonstration gauntlets went up in six provinces. Fernandez has angrily refused to roll back new export taxes, facing down angry farmers as aides warned police could forcibly free up highway transit, arresting anyone who resists. In a nationally televised address on Tuesday, Fernandez rejected any rollback of the March 11 decree. Fernandez chided strikers and said rich "oligarchs" benefited the most from a recent boom in world commodity prices, though she wanted to redistribute some of their wealth to those less fortunate. The tough words only hardened the resolve of protesters. "This country is fed up with taxes. Where does the tax money go?" retired flight attendant Karina Sagemuner said outside the president's Olivos residence. "What they are doing to the farmers is shameful by confiscating their money." The president's speech also drew an unexpected new player into the crisis confronting a three-month-old administration: thousands of middle class Argentines, who took to the streets Tuesday night to support the farmers. Argentines complain high inflation and taxes are universal problems still unanswered in Argentina despite a robust recovery from a 2002 economic meltdown. The country's last major pot-banging protests, called "cacerolazos" in Spanish, helped bring down the government of President Fernando de la Rua during the December 2001 prelude to Argentina's economic free fall. http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living-1/1207297911260790.xml&coll=2 Argentine farmers suspend protests Sunday, April 06, 2008 Larry Habegger Special to The Plain Dealer In Argentina, farmers suspended a three-week-long protest that has created food shortages around the country, keeping meat and grain from reaching supermarkets and prompting demonstrations of support in Buenos Aires and other cities. The original protest began March 11 when the government imposed a 44 percent export tax on their crops. The farmers suspended the protests March 28, then resumed them March 31 when talks with the government failed to address their grievances. The farmers lifted the road blockades again on Wednesday, but warned that they would shut down transport again in 30 days if the government did not negotiate concessions. http://www.reuters.com/article/RAILRD/idUSN1049089520080310 UPDATE 1-Brazil peasants end Vale railroad protest Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:26pm EDT (Recasts with protest end; adds byline; changes dateline from Sao Paulo) By Denise Luna SAO PAULO, March 10 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Brazilian peasant farmers ended a daylong blockade on Monday of a railroad operated by mining giant Vale, one of several multinational companies targeted by a wave of protests. The activists cleared the Vitoria-Minas railroad in the central state of Minas Gerais peacefully in the afternoon, after Vale obtained a court order to have them removed, a spokesman for the activist group Via Campesina told Reuters. Vale (VALE5.SA: Quote, Profile, Research)(RIO.N: Quote, Profile, Research), the world's biggest exporter of iron ore, said because of the protest it did not transport 300,000 tonnes of ore on Monday. Vale said it was evaluating when it would resume shipment. The Via Campesina group was protesting against the construction by Vale and its partner of a dam in the area known as Aimores that would flood an area the size of 2,000 soccer fields. The iron ore is shipped to Tubarao port and then loaded onto ships for export. In October, the leftist Movement of the Landless Rural Workers, or MST, and its related international umbrella organization, Via Campesina, blocked Vale's other railroad in Carajas for two days, briefly leaving a pellets plant without raw materials. On Saturday, MST activists invaded a Vale-owned forestry and charcoal unit near the company's pelletizing plant in Carajas -- the Amazon area where Vale's biggest iron ore mine is located. Vale called the invasion "a criminal act of extreme violence," saying the protesters damaged buildings and equipment and took one worker hostage. The peasants made social and economic demands that had no relation to Vale and should be resolved by the federal and state governments, the company said. "Clearly there is a movement forming in Brazil to use Vale as an instrument to publicize and pressure," Tito Martins, the company's corporate affairs director, told reporters in Rio de Janeiro. Via Campesina, which defends peasants' rights and land reform, denied it took any hostages. On Friday, about 300 Brazilian women activists from the Via Campesina group raided a research unit of U.S. agricultural biotech company Monsanto (MON.N: Quote, Profile, Research), destroying a tree nursery and an experimental field of genetically modified corn. The protests are aimed against multinational companies to draw attention to the need for land reform in Brazil, where most land is concentrated in the hands of a few big landowners. (Additional reporting by Andrei Khalip and Raymond Colitt; editing by Mohammad Zargham) http://www.radionetherlands.nl/news/international/5679348/Brazilian-peasants-end-mining-company-protest Brazilian peasants end mining company protest Published: Tuesday 11 March 2008 07:33 UTC Last updated: Tuesday 11 March 2008 10:31 UTC Resplendor - Brazilian peasants have ended a day-long blockade of a railway line belonging to the Vale mine company. They took the action in protest against the building of a dam, which will flood an enormous area of land. The activists say the land could be put to better use as agricultural land to feed the poor population of the state of Minas Gerais. They only left the rail line after a judge gave the mining company permission to use force to remove them. Vale says as a result of the protest, 300,000 tonnes less iron ore was transported than normal. It is the second protest against Vale mining company in a week. On Saturday, in the northeastern state of Maranhao one of the company's factories was besieged http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7289334.stm Brazil landless blockade railway The protest halted the transport of iron ore for export Hundreds of landless farmers in Brazil blockaded a railway operated by mining giant Vale for several hours. The demonstrators occupied the line in the state of Minas Gerais to protest against the construction of a dam by Vale and a partner company. They left after Vale obtained a court order to have them removed. The action comes amid a widening campaign by landless groups to target major agricultural businesses and multinationals over a range of issues. Several hundred protesters, led by activist groups Via Campesina and MST, occupied the railway in the town of Resplendor on Monday. Pressure The demonstrators said they were protesting against a hydroelectric dam built by Vale and an energy company that had, they said, displaced more than 2,000 people. Vale, the world's biggest exporter of iron ore, said the blockade prevented the transport of some 300,000 tonnes of iron ore to port. The company said the action was "a criminal act of extreme violence", accusing demonstrators of destroying railway signals. Vale said the protesters' demands had no relation to the company and should be resolved by the federal and state governments. "Clearly there is a movement forming in Brazil to use Vale as an instrument to publicise and pressure," said Vale corporate affairs director Tito Martins, according to Reuters news agency. In the past, groups that represent landless rural workers focused on occupying farmland they regarded as unproductive, says the BBC's Gary Duffy in Sao Paulo. But their actions have been increasingly aimed at businesses, he says. In a protest earlier this month, protesters invaded property to destroy genetically modified crops. http://noticias.notiemail.com/noticia.asp?nt=12138044&cty=200 EFE: 10/03/2008-17:53:00 Protest shuts down mining rail line in Brazil Rio de Janeiro, Mar 10 (EFE).- About 800 activists from social organizations like the MST Landless Movement on Monday blocked a railroad line operated by Brazilian mining giant Vale. The MST announced on its Web site that the protest was being staged against a dam that is being constructed by Vale and which is affecting the residents of Resplandor, a municipality in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. According to Vale, the world's largest producer of iron ore, the demonstrators arrived at 5 a.m. and occupied a stretch of the so-called Estrada de Hierro Victoria-Minas railway in the jurisdiction of Resplandor, forcing the firm to suspend its transport of minerals by train. The rail line runs some 900 kilometers (560 miles), in total. The firm announced in a press release that it had requested the intervention of the police in the matter. It added that the railway is used to transport different minerals from Minas Gerais, where it operates several mines, to the Atlantic port of Victoria. The demonstration, according to the MST, is to "denounce (the fact that) the construction of the Aimores dam, started by Vale and by the Energy Company of Minas Gerais (Cemig), left the city's sewage system unviable, which caused the flooding of 2,000 hectares of land." A hectare is about 2.5 acres. The organization representing the peasants seeking lands to cultivate in Brazil added that the takeover also was part of a national day of protest to denounce the Brazilian production model, which allegedly favors large agribusiness concerns over family farmers. "Vale is one of the main (entities) responsible for the destruction of the environment in Minas Gerais and for the concentration of land through the planting of eucalyptus," the MST added. In keeping with the day of protests, MST activists on Friday had already occupied a Vale farm devoted to the production of charcoal in the northern Amazonian state of Para. Some 1,000 women from the organization invaded the Monte Libano farm. Meanwhile, Vale said that the occupation was an act of "extreme violence" in which the firm's installations and equipment were damaged. Also in keeping with the day of protests, activists last week attacked a eucalyptus farm operated by forest-products multinational Stora Enso in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and a Monsanto transgenic corn production farm in Sao Paulo state, among other things. EFE cm/bp http://uk.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUKN1044651620080310 Brazil peasant protest halts miner Vale's railroad Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:25pm GMT SAO PAULO, March 10 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Brazilian peasant farmers blocked a railroad operated by mining giant Vale on Monday, carrying on a wave of protests that started across Brazil last week. "The railway has been halted, we've ceased transporting 2,500 passengers a day and 300,000 tonnes of ore," Vale (VALE5.SA: Quote, Profile, Research)(RIO.N: Quote, Profile, Research), the world's biggest exporter of iron ore, said in a statement. The blockage on the Vitoria-Minas railroad is in the central state of Minas Gerais. The iron ore is shipped to Tubarao port and then loaded onto ships for export. Vale said the port had stocks but it was not clear how long they would last if the protests continued. The Via Campesina group was protesting against the construction by Vale and its partner of a dam in the area known as Aimores that would flood an area the size of 2,000 soccer fields. Last October, the leftist Landless Peasants Movement, or MST, and its ally Via Campesina blocked Vale's other railroad in Carajas for two days, briefly leaving a pellets plant without raw materials. On Saturday, on International Women's Day, MST activists invaded a Vale-owned forestry and charcoal unit near the company's pelletizing plant in Carajas -- the Amazon area where Vale's biggest iron ore mine is located. Vale called the invasion "a criminal act of extreme violence", saying the protesters damaged buildings and equipment and threatened workers. It said the peasants made social and economic demands "that have no relation to Vale" and should be resolved by the federal and state governments. On Friday, about 300 Brazilian women activists from the Via Campesina group raided a research unit of U.S. agricultural biotech company Monsanto (MON.N: Quote, Profile, Research), destroying a tree nursery and an experimental field of genetically modified corn. Earlier last week, a group of 900 women briefly raided a eucalyptus plantation owned by European paper maker Stora Enso (STERV.HE: Quote, Profile, Research), felling trees and destroying saplings before they were kicked out by the military and police. The protests are aimed against multinational companies to draw attention to the need for land reform in Brazil, where most land is concentrated in the hands of a few big landowners. (Reporting by Alberto Alerigi and Andrei Khalip) http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/brazil-demonstraters-block-access-to-dam/n20080324153809990013 Brazil demonstraters block access to dam to protest utility privatization By ALAN CLENDENNING, AP Posted: 2008-03-24 15:38:25 SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - About 500 activists opposed to the privatization of a large Brazilian electricity producer blocked an access road Monday at one of the company's dams, protesting Wednesday's multibillion-dollar auction of a majority stake in the state-owned company. Companhia Energetica de Sao Paulo SA, or CESP, said in a statement that the protest did not affect operations and that the protesters stayed on public land just outside the hydroelectric facility before dispersing. The auction to privatize CESP requires a minimum bid of 6.6 billion reals (US$3.8 billion; euro2.5 billion). The company generates about 60 percent of the electricity used in Sao Paulo state, Brazil's most populous, and has six hydroelectric facilities with a capacity of nearly 7,500 megawatts. Sao Paulo state plans to use much of the auction's proceeds to improve the metro system in Sao Paulo, South America's largest city. But CESP's stock fell 10.7 percent Monday on Sao Paulo's Bovespa exchange amid speculation that the auction may fail to generate minimum bids because Brazil's federal government hasn't promised to renew licenses on two of the company's dams. Licenses for those dams, which account for two-thirds of Cesp's generating capacity, run out in 2015 and analysts say uncertainty over their future after that could scuttle the privatization auction. The activists with the Landless Workers Movement and Movement of Dam-Affected People are fiercely opposed to most privatizations of state-owned companies, saying Brazil's poor frequently end up with few benefits after valuable industries are sold off to wealthy investors. The Landless Workers Movement has frequently invaded property owned by miner Vale do Rio Doce SA, the world's biggest iron ore miner. Vale was privatized in the 1990s. A court last week banned the movement from using violence in protests against Vale and said protesters must demonstrate peacefully without hurting Vale's business. Earlier this month, the group blocked a railway that carries some 300,000 tons of iron ore to port each day and destroyed railway signal machinery. It also vandalized buildings and machinery after invading a pig iron plant, Vale said. http://www.viacampesina.org/main_en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=493&Itemid=1 Farmers repression in Rio Grande do Sul: Solidarity with the women defending life and biodiversity Friday, 07 March 2008 We express our solidarity with the women of Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil in their action against green deserts. On March 4th, around 900 women of Via Campesina Rio Grande do Sul occupied the 2.100 hectares "Fazenda Tarum?" in Ros?rio do Sul. The women cut the eucalyptus and planted native trees in a land illegally purchased by the giant Finish-Swedish paper and celluloses company Stora Enso. The police violently attacked the peaceful gathering, injuring badly as many as 50 women. This action was taking place among other activities organised for the International Women Day on the 8th of March. Women farmers are the most affected by the current export-oriented agriculture model based on the plundering of natural ressources and the exclusion of small farmers by transnational companies. All around the world, eucalyptus plantations as well as other monoculture plantations (green deserts) destroy the environment and prevent small farmers from making a living and producing food for all. We strongly condemn any violence against farmers, women and men, defending their right to live and feed their communities in a socially and ecologically sustainable way. Via Campesina members all around the world promote a model of peasant or family-farm agriculture based on sustainable production with local ressources and in harmony with local cultures and traditions. We promote equality between women and men! We promote food sovereignty! Henry Saragih, General Coordinator of La Via Campesina International Jakarta, 07 March 2007 http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Brazilian_protesters_destroy_GM_crops_group_999.html Brazilian protesters destroy GM crops: group by Staff Writers Sao Paulo (AFP) March 7, 2008 Around 300 women rural residents in Brazil burst into a property owned by the US company Monsanto and destroyed a plant nursery and crops containing genetically modified corn, their organization said. The women were protesting what they saw as environmental damage by the crops. They trashed the plants within 30 minutes and left before police arrived at the site in the southern state of Sao Paulo, a member of the Landless Workers' Movement, Igor Foride, told AFP. The Brazilian government had "caved in to pressure from agrobusinesses" by recently allowing tinkered crops to be grown in the country, he said. In Brasilia, a protest by another 400 women from an umbrella group, Via Campesina (the Rural Way), was held in front of the Swiss embassy against Syngenta, a Swiss company that is selling genetically modified seeds in Brazil. The demonstrators called attention to an October 2007 incident in which private guards working for Syngenta killed a protester taking part in an occupation of land owned by the company. Via Campesina said in a statement that "no scientific studies exist that guarantee that genetically! modified crops won't have negative effects on human health and on nature." It added that on Tuesday, another 900 of its members had entered a property owned by the Swedish-Finnish paper giant Stora Enso and ripped out non-modified eucalyptus saplings they claimed were illegally planted. http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news624.htm Whilst the spectre of genetically modified foods occasionally rears it's deformed head here in Europe (see SchNEWS 583), the GM companies are trying to get a bigger share of the food market in the global south, but like in Europe they are getting a kicking by the majority of the population who are opposed to their Frankenstein food. Last November we recently reported how a Brazilian anti-GM campaigner was murdered at a Syngenta GM crop trial in Paran?, Brazil, after security forces opened fire on the Via Campesina (The International Peasants Movement) camp at the experimental farm (See SchNEWS 610). Deadly force has not been enough to stop the resistance however, which has been continuing with increasing intensity. Last week in Brasilia, a protest by 400 women from Via Campesina was held in front of the Swiss embassy against Syngenta, (a Swiss company). Via Campesina summed up their position by releasing a statement saying that, "no scientific studies exist that guarantee that genetically modified crops won't have negative effects on human health and on nature." Meanwhile, also last week around 300 rural women residents from the state of Sao Paulo burst into a property owned by Monsanto and destroyed a plant nursery and crops containing genetically modified corn. They were in and out in half an hour and long gone by the time cops arrived on the scene. There was also an action the previous week when another 900 members of Via Campesina broke into a facility owned by the Swedish-Finnish paper giant Stora Enso and ripped out non-modified eucalyptus saplings they claimed were illegally planted. It's good to know that wherever they ply their evil trade, there's no hiding place for the GM corporations. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 08:48:53 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:48:53 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] GLOBAL UNREST: Youths, revellers, fans and miscellaneous people battle police Message-ID: <009d01c89e47$0baa0ea0$0802a8c0@andy1> * UK: Police attack youths with CS spray after rowdy party [what's the betting the "anti-violence crackdown was the CAUSE of the trouble?] * IRELAND: Young revellers fight police in small town * ARGENTINA: Death of football fan sparks unrest * US: Galveston becomes liberated zone as police outclassed by concert-goers * INDIGENOUS/CANADA: Riot police target indigenous community after unrest over colonial imposition of chief * COTE D'IVOIRE: Soldiers revolt over killing * NIGERIA: Party congress leads to unrest * MADAGASCAR: Football cancellation sparks unrest * DENMARK: Police "evacuation" of rap concert sparks revolt Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://icrenfrewshire.icnetwork.co.uk/pde/news/tm_headline=drunken-teens-run-riot-after-birthday-bash&method=full&objectid=20476031&siteid=63858-name_page.html DRUNKEN TEENS RUN RIOT AFTER BIRTHDAY BASH Feb 14 2008 POLICE had to use CS spray to control rampaging teenagers who were causing mayhem in the street following a town centre birthday bash. The frightening melee led to seven young revellers being arrested. A source has told how teenagers, believed to be high on drugs and booze, clashed in the street, smashed windows of homes and parked cars and hurled abuse at anyone who challenged them. The appalling incident was part of 36 hours of trouble that left many families in Johnstone and Linwood terrified. Police had to deal with at least 150 phone calls from residents complaining about serious youth disorder over three nights last weekend. More than 60 of the complaints were from families living in the Clippens Road area of Linwood. But the worst incident was in Dimity Street, near Johnstone town centre, where cops used CS spray to calm revellers who had spilled out of a party and on to the street. At least five police vehicles responded to the emergency and blocked off the street during the early hours of Sunday morning. A large group of youths, aged 16 to 19, were shouting abuse at each other and some were punching and lashing out with their feet. Within minutes, officers wearing stab-proof vests swooped on the scene and, after using CS spray on some of the teenagers, arrests were made. Horrified residents have told how it sounded like open warfare in the street outside their homes. One woman said: "The din woke me up and, when I looked through my curtains, I could see there were police everywhere. I counted five or six police vehicles blocking off the street. "I saw officers using CS spray to try to bring youngsters under control." And a neighbour added: "The police didn't stand for any nonsense. The troublemakers had been at a birthday party nearby and there was violence when they got outside but they were no match for the cops. "I found the whole thing scary. Dimity Street is usually a quiet place." Meanwhile, in Clippens Road, Linwood, gangs of boisterous boys and girls faced up to each other near a row of shops. One concerned resident said: "Police were back and forward here for most of the weekend. "They made a number of arrests and some of the kids involved were obviously high on booze or drugs. "Something has got to be done about this. The parents of these yobs should be ashamed. "Can't they control their own sons and daughters, or do they just not care?" A police spokesman confirmed officers were busy throughout the weekend as a result of youth disorder. He added: "Calls kept coming into the police station at Johnstone well into the early mornings of Saturday and Sunday. "The worst incident was in Dimity Street, Johnstone, but there were also serious incidents in Linwood." Police are continuing with their anti-violence blitz this weekend and will again be out in force on local streets. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/riot-police-arrest-12-in-city-suburb-after-chaotic-scenes-1320313.html Riot police arrest 12 in city suburb after chaotic scenes Garda riot police attend a disturbance in Finglas, Dublin, after gangs of youths set cars alight and assaulted a motorist By Breda Heffernan Tuesday March 18 2008 Dozens of riot squad gardai were drafted into the capital last night after a day of drinking descended into chaos. Twelve people were arrested in Finglas after gangs of youths rioted, setting at least two cars on fire in the Berryfield area the the north west of Dublin. Earlier, gangs pulled a motorist from his car in the nearby Wellmont Avenue area and beat him up, before setting his car alight. At least half a dozen garda vans and patrol cars rushed to the scene at around 7.30pm and dispersed a large crowd. A local woman said a gang of youths had been driving stolen cars around the neighbourhood since early morning. "This always happens every Paddy's Day. It's the same thing every year. They are rallying cars around and burning them out. The gardai in riot gear were telling people to get into their gardens," she said. Gardai confirmed 12 people had been arrested for public order offences in the area. A number of cars had been set on fire in Finglas, gardai said. In different areas across the capital, four people were also arrested for public order offences following the St Patrick's Day celebrations. Earlier in the day, a strong garda presence in the city centre ensured there was no repeat of the scenes of drink-fuelled violence that marred previous years' celebrations. An extra 800 gardai were drafted into the city in a major public order operation. However, hundreds of revellers insisted on drowning the shamrock outdoors, with alcohol hidden in soft-drink bottles and paper cups. The worst of the St Patrick's Day excesses yesterday afternoon was in the usual haunts of Temple Bar and the Liffey boardwalk, where revellers soaked up the warm spring sunshine as well as the booze. Patrols Despite frequent patrols by gardai who confiscated opened cans of beer and cider, the boardwalk was littered with pools of vomit and broken bottles by late afternoon. One girl, no older than 14 years old, swigged from a bottle of Barcardi Breezer as she yelled into her mobile phone demanding where her friends were. Further along, another teenager sat against the railings with her head in her hands as concerned friends tried to get her on to her feet. Meanwhile, two people were arrested following clashes in the centre of Belfast last night after a day of drinking. A teenager was taken to hospital with facial injuries after violence involving around 30 people in rival groups, who battled it out with hurley bats and sticks close to St Anne's Cathedral in Donegall Street. His injuries were not thought to be life-threatening. A 16-year-old youth and a 25-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and possession of offensive weapons, according to a police spokeswoman. The trouble occurred a short distance from where a crowd of 5,000 people attended a free open-air concert. - Breda Heffernan http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootballNews/idUKL1521140020080315 Soccer-Argentine match called off as fans riot over death Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:44pm GMT BUENOS AIRES, March 15 (Reuters) - An Argentine football match was called off on Saturday when visiting fans rioted over the death of a supporter on the way to the stadium. Velez Sarsfield fans tried to break down a fence and invade the pitch at San Lorenzo after hearing that a 21-year-old supporter had died from gunshot wounds when the bus he was travelling in was shot at. The teams were on the pitch when referee Hector Baldassi decided to call off the Clausura championship game. Another match between Gimnasia-Jujuy and defending champions Lanus in the northern city of Jujuy was also called off because local authorities said they could not provide sufficient policing. Velez Sarsfield vice-president Baldomaro Bianchi confirmed that the supporter, named as Emanuel Alvarez, had become the latest fatal victim of Argentina's notorious soccer violence. Bianchi told reporters Alvarez was travelling in a convoy of about 40 buses of Velez fans when the vehicle was shot at some 20 blocks from San Lorenzo's stadium in the sprawling suburbs of Buenos Aires. He died in hospital shortly afterwards. CALLED OFF Velez players went up to the fence to appeal for calm as the rioting began. "The fans are saying it will be worse if the game is played," defender Hernan Pellerano told Argentine television. After the game was called off, Velez fans left the stadium first while the home fans were kept behind, which is standard practice in Argentina. San Lorenzo president Rafael Savino agreed with the decision to call off the match. "It involves the death of a fan. We didn't know anything until the Velez supporters began to break down the fence," he told reporters." In Jujuy, the president of local side Gimnasia said the police could not safeguard the match because they were needed at the headquarters of the state government, where employees have gone on strike to demand higher wages. "The police cannot provide security for the match," Raul Ulloa told the Clarin newspaper. (Reporting by Luis Ampuero; Writing by Brian Homewood; Editing by Ken Ferris) http://www.khou.com/news/local/galveston/stories/khou080316_tj_riot.6046c251.html Twelve arrested after beach rap concert 12:23 PM CDT on Monday, March 17, 2008 By Sara McDonald / Galveston County Daily News GALVESTON - At least 12 people were arrested after mass chaos broke out on East Beach Sunday evening when a rap concert ended and its attendees crowded island streets fighting, smoking, drinking and dancing on top of cars. Only four off-duty police officers were hired to monitor the concert, and as the music ended, they quickly became "completely overwhelmed," Galveston Police spokesman Lt. Jorge Trevi?o said. Problems began when a fight between a few men broke out and officers tried to arrest them, Galveston police Sgt. Byron Franklin said. The crowd surrounded the officers as multiple fights broke out across the beach. All officers across the city were called out to help control the crowd, Franklin said. One officer broke his finger while trying to control the crowd, Trevi?o said. Extra police officers from the night shift who hadn't yet begun, and Galveston County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to help get 4,500 to 5,000 cars full of people off the beach, Franklin said. The Daily News Revelers cruise Seawall Boulevard on Sunday night after a riot at the Scion Spring Break Beach Bash on East Beach in Galveston. Galveston police cleared the beach, but revelers continued to cruise on Seawall and Broadway for several hours. As police tried to evacuate the line of cars, the people at the concert took their partying to the streets. Police shut down Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and 14th streets and blocked off a portion of Seawall Boulevard so the cars could leave the island. Johnny Smecca, owner of Mario's Italian Restaurant, said cars were swerving into incoming traffic, blocking off streets, and people were partying in the streets and parking lots. He saw people urinating in the alley behind his restaurant, dancing on top of cars, smoking marijuana and drinking beer, he said. "It was an absolute fiasco," Smecca said. "Last time this happened, everybody played the blame game and someone got shot in front of my restaurant. I'm done with hearing excuses and complaints. I pay enough taxes to this city that there's absolutely no reason for this to happen." When he told all the people to leave his parking lot, they left trash and beer bottles behind, he said. It took almost four hours for police to clear all the people out of the area and get the crowds under control, Franklin said. The concert was held by radio station Party 93.3 from 2 to 5 p.m. and featured Party Artist 2 Pistols, Colby O'Donnis, Lil Wil & Lil Keke and Webbie, according to the radio station's Web site. http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=5664e30a-616c-46e9-a5b2-15783132fd1e Riot police ensure calm at Barri?re Lake Chief Casey Ratt returns to reserve Jorge Barrera, The Ottawa Citizen Published: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 BARRIERE LAKE, Que. - An uneasy calm descended on the Barri?re Lake reserve yesterday as S?ret? du Qu?bec officers equipped with riot gear ensured that the return of the Algonquin community's new chief did not spark another round of violent clashes. Police controlled the flow of traffic into the community, letting in cars four at a time while a group of about two dozen men, women and children loyal to the previous leadership held signs supporting him and heckled supporters of Chief Casey Ratt. "We are trying to show the people that we don't agree with Indian Affairs choosing who is in control" said Margaret Wawati, 54, who was demonstrating against Chief Ratt. "The majority of the people here are not in favour of (Ratt)." The leadership crisis began last September, when former chief Jean Maurice Matchewan stepped down after being charged with gun- and drug-related offences. He remained on council, and Benjamin Nottaway was named acting chief. Chief Ratt said the change was made without consultation and his supporters held their own selection process, which ended in January. However, the Algonquin Nation Secretariat, a tribal council that counts Barri?re Lake as a member, recognized Mr. Nottaway as the legitimate chief on Feb. 22. A dispute erupted in violent clashes last week between community members after Chief Ratt was given an ultimatum to either stop lobbying for recognition as chief or face permanent banishment from the community, which is 300 kilometres north of Ottawa. Indian Affairs legitimized Chief Ratt's leadership in a letter issued Monday that said the department would now only deal with his council. Chief Ratt and his supporters returned to Barri?re Lake yesterday amid threats they would be met with barricades. The S?ret? cleared away several logs yesterday morning that had been placed across the seven-kilometre road leading to the reserve, which sits off Highway 117. They set up a checkpoint near the highway and another at the edge of the community. Officers in riot gear sat in their cruisers. Much of the anger among Chief Ratt's opponents was directed at Indian Affairs, which they accused of helping orchestrate "a coup d'?tat." "We are going to keep on fighting the government for the decision they made," said Mr. Matchewan, the former chief. http://allafrica.com/stories/200803250986.html C?te d'Ivoire: Soldiers Riot in Western Towns UN Integrated Regional Information Networks 25 March 2008 Posted to the web 25 March 2008 Abidjan Two towns in western Cote d'Ivoire have been shut off by two days of riots by disgruntled Ivorian soldiers. Troops started rampaging through the town of Du?kou?, 400 km north west of the commercial capital Abidjan, on the morning of 24 March, protesting the murder of a low-ranking soldier by robbers the night before, Commandant Vazoumana, a gendarme in Du?kou? told IRIN. "We have been unable to leave our houses," Flora Gbaz?, a civilian in Du?kou?, said on 24 March. "Since the morning soldiers have been shooting in the air." Later the same day riots broke out in nearby Guiglo, army sources in the town told IRIN. According to a humanitarian source in the region, one civilian death has been confirmed by stray gunfire. Rioting continued in Guiglo on 25 March, however in Du?kou? the soldiers spent the day in negotiations with government officials, a humanitarian official familiar with the situation told IRIN. The soldiers were demanding the resignation of the governor in the region, the source told IRIN. "The signals coming from both the government and military leaders are not at all clear," the source said, noting that Ivorian soldiers had been petitioning the regional authorities to improve their security arrangements for some weeks. While Cote d'Ivoire has been progressing towards peace since a peace deal was signed in 2006 between rebels who had been controlling the north of the country and the government, the department of Du?kou? has been seen as less stable. There have been clashes between different ethnic groups in the area, as well as disputes over access to cocoa fields and returns by people displaced during a brief civil war in 2002. UN agencies including the World Food Programme, UN Children's Fund, UN Refugee Agency, and non-governmental groups Solidarite and Save the Children all have projects in the Guiglo area. http://allafrica.com/stories/200803070193.html Nigeria: PDP Congress - Riot in Lafia This Day (Lagos) 7 March 2008 Posted to the web 7 March 2008 George Okoh Lafia Resident of Lafia, Nasarawa State capital, woke-up yesterday morning to heavy rioting, emanating from Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)'s rescheduled local government congress in four local government areas. As early as 7a.m., hordes of youths and party supporters from Obi, Keana, Doma and Awe, the affected local governments, stormed Lafia, venue of the congress, immediately after which pandemonium broke out at different venues, as supporters engaged each other in a brawl, following alleged imposition of candidates by leaders of the party. Major roads were blocked by the supporters who brandishedguns, machetes, bow and arrows, stones and other dangerous weapons. The entire Shemdam road and Jos road in Lafia town,were barricaded by supporters singing warsongs, before they were dislodged by a strong team of the police force. A competent PDP source said the problem begun with the plan by some powerful members to impose former chairmen of the council on the party. "The whole trouble had to do with imposition of candidates. The congress will determine the outcome of the forthcoming local government primaries, and so, election of delegates are being stage-managed by some powerful members of the party, to install their stooges," the source said. As at the time of filing this report, policemen had taken full control, while schools, markets and government offices remained shut. http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL02513690.html Malagasy football riot leaves fan in coma Sun 2 Mar 2008, 16:18 GMT By Fanja Saholiarisoa ANTANANARIVO, March 2 (Reuters) - A Malagasy football fan was fighting for his life on Sunday after a cancelled match between teams from Madagascar and Mozambique led to rioting, hospital and match officials said. "(The fan) is badly injured and still in a coma," said Bruno Andriamiarana, the director of the capital's Joseph Ravoahangy Andrianavalona hospital. The match between Madagascar's Ajesaia and Mozambique's Costa Do Sol was cancelled because of a disagreement over a match official. "At the last moment, the Confederation of African Football did not accept the Malagasy touch judge," said Jeremia Randriambololona, Ajesaia's trainer. When the cancellation was announced, angry fans began ripping up the stadium's seats and other fittings, said a local sports journalist at the scene, Dina Razafimahatratra. Two policemen were also injured and a total 13 people arrested, police sources said. The match would have been the second leg of an African Champions' League match. Ajesaia lost the first leg 2-0. "We're unhappy because the organisers could have told us beforehand that there wouldn't be a match," said spectator Serge Rakotoson. "Everybody had bought a ticket for at least 3,000 ariary ($1.60)," he said. Madagascar, located in the Indian Ocean and the world's fourth largest island, has a population of 20 million people, of whom 85 percent were living on less than $2 per day in 2005, according to official data. (Writing by Ed Harris; Editing by Giles Elgood and Jon Boyle) http://www.pr-inside.com/akon-fans-riot-at-danish-concert-r450996.htm AKON FANS RIOT AT DANISH CONCERT R&B singer AKON's free concert at a shopping mall in Denmark descended into violence on Wednesday (20Feb08) when fans began rioting as police evacuated the venue due to a fire alarm alert. The Smack That hitmaker put on the free gig at Fields Shopping Mall in Copenhagen, but demand to enter the 1,000-capacity concert area exceeded the organiser's expectations and around 2,000 people were forced to watch Akon's performance from afar. Mall director Jens Geppel says, "It was a free concert and we knew that many people would come, but there were a lot of people there, more than we had expected." And there was more trouble for police soon after the concert began - when Akon was three songs into his set, a fire alarm was set off, prompting cops to usher the large crowd out of the retail centre. But fans were not pleased and protested as they were being evacuated. The unrest escalated once everyone was outside as concert-goers started hurling rocks and drinks bottles at the officers, resulting in eight arrests. Several people were injured in the incident, but none are thought to be serious. The fire turned out to be a false alarm and mall security have launched an investigation into what went wrong. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 09:23:28 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:23:28 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] GLOBAL UNREST: Oppressed nationalities - Kurds, Basques, Uighur, South Yemenis Message-ID: <00a701c89e4b$e0785f20$0802a8c0@andy1> * KURDISTAN/TURKEY: Police violently attack Kurdish protests on two occasions, kill protesters; fightback with stones and burning barricades * Protests in support of the PKK after an invasion of northern Iraq are followed by four days of clashes when the police attack New Year celebrations NOTE: Video of the most recent Kurdish protests can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=istH18jifDY * KURDISTAN/SYRIA: Clashes as police attack Kurdish New Year festivities [notice the biased coverage, implying protesters were asking for it because the event was banned] * EUSKAL HERRIA/SPAIN: Bans on yet more political parties spark protests, unrest in Bilbao * XINJIANG/CHINA: Protests over police abuse; women occupy marketplace [notice that ABC News follows the Chinese line in this case, blaming "Muslim extremists" - contrast coverage of Tibet...] * YEMEN: Days of protest over mistreatment of the formerly-independent South; failure to enlist former Southern fighters in army triggers street protests and clashes; socialist politician issues call to arms * BANGLADESH: Protest by Muslims in Baitul Mukarram over... not quite sure what [Three radically different accounts of the same incident - seemingly undecided over whether the unrest was a bigoted reaction to women's rights, or a response to police repression against local groups. Obviously, which of these is the case changes the character of the unrest greatly - though it seems clear police initiated the conflict by blocking a previously peaceful march, and that they took costs including torched police stations as a result] Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/27532 1 dead as Kurds protest rebel's capture Hundreds of Kurdish protesters battled police in southeast Turkey. 18 February 2008 (Associated Press) Print article Send to friend Hundreds of Kurdish protesters battled police in southeast Turkey on Friday, leaving a young demonstrator dead and dozens injured on the ninth anniversary of guerrilla leader Abdullah Ocalan's capture. The clashes took place in several towns across the Kurdish-dominated southeast and police detained scores of demonstrators. The protests are called each year on the anniversary of Ocalan's capture to demand the rebel leader's release. Demonstrators hurled rocks at police and smashed windows at shops that had opened for business, despite a call to join the protest. A boy died of head injuries in Cizre, near the Iraqi border, local governor Gokhan Azcan said. The state-run Anatolia news agency identified him as 12-year-old Yahya Menekse. Authorities did not immediately say how the boy was killed or whether he had been among the protesters. But the private Dogan news agency reported the boy had been hit in the head by stones hurled by demonstrators during a clash with police. In the city of Hakkari, police fired warning shots in the air to disperse a crowd and used tear gas to force some demonstrators to leave a building where they were hiding, Dogan reported. At least 15 people were hospitalized in the city and police rounded up around 50 protesters, the news agency said. Some children were seen throwing stones at police in Diyarbakir, the region's largest city. Several shops across the region closed after reportedly being threatened by Ocalan's rebel group, the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. The pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, which faces closure on charges of ties to the rebel organization, raised a black flag outside its office in Diyarbakir. Ocalan was captured in Kenya after being forced to leave a Greek diplomatic mission there in 1999. He was sentenced to death for leading an insurgency in Turkey's southeast that has claimed tens of thousands of lives since 1984. His sentence was commuted to life in prison, which he is serving as the sole inmate on a prison island near Istanbul. The U.S and EU have branded the PKK a terrorist organization. The group has been fighting Turkish troops for Kurdish autonomy in the southeast since 1984. U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey, wrapping up meetings in Ankara on Friday, said his country was "committed to stand side by side with Turkey" against the PKK as well as Islamic militants linked to al-Qaida. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/10CD2E89-9437-4E91-99C4-A87329B446D6.htm Kurds killed in Turkey protests Protesters threw stones at security forces in the town of Yuksekova [Reuters] Hundreds of Kurdish protesters have thrown stones at police and soldiers in southeastern Turkey, in the fourth day of clashes that have killed at least two people and injured dozens of others. Authorities banned gatherings in several cities after celebrations to mark the Kurdish New Year, or Newroz, turned violent. One person died from a bullet wound in the town of Yuksekova, in southern Hakkari province, where riot police clashed with hundreds of protesters who took to the streets in defiance of the ban on Sunday, hospital sources said. Witnesses told the AFP news agency that demonstrators shouted slogans in favour of the armed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Abdullah Ocalan, its jailed leader. Warning shots Security forces fired warning shots in the air and used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Television footage showed riot police chasing young men in the streets as armoured vehicles sprayed pressurised water. The demonstrators, mostly members of the Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP), were angered by the death of a Kurd earlier on Sunday after being shot during clashes with police in the city of Van on Saturday, local authorities said. Around 50 people, among them policemen, were wounded and about 130 others were detained after the clashes in Van, according to the police. Police blamed the unrest on members from the DTP who organised gatherings despite the decision by local authorities to allow the celebrations only on Friday. DTP officials were among those detained in Van. In the western city of Izmir, home to a large Kurdish migrant community from the southeast, demonstrators attacked the police with chunks of concrete and broke the windows of buildings and cars, the Anatolia news agency reported. At least 20 people including DTP provincial chairman were detained. Istanbul celebrations Thousands of Kurds also gathered for Newroz celebrations in Istanbul on Sunday, dancing, singing and waving flags of green, yellow and red, the traditional Kurdish colours. Thousands of Kurds gathered in Istanbul to celebrate Newroz [Reuters] Some carried portraits of Ocalan and chanted pro-PKK slogans, but no incidents of violence were reported. Freshta Raper, an activist with the Kurdish National Congress, told Al Jazeera from London that the 40 million Kurds in Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria should be allowed to celebrate their cultural identity without restriction. "Every culture, every nation in the world, not matter how minority or majority you are, you should the right to celebrate your day," she said. Newroz is traditionally celebrated on March 21 and is often a flashpoint for clashes between Turkish forces and supporters of the PKK, the Kurdish independence movement that took up arms against Ankara in 1984. In 1992, about 50 people were killed by the security forces in clashes across the southeast. This year's Newroz came in the wake of intensified Turkish military action against the PKK, including a week-long cross-border offensive last month against rebel bases in neighbouring northern Iraq. http://www.euronews.net/index.php?page=info&article=472918&lng=1 Riot police and Kurds clash at rally Supporters of a pro-Kurdish party have clashed with police in Istanbul. They were demonstrating against Turkey's recent military incursion in northern Iraq to rout rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party, the PKK. Riot police used tear gas, batons and water to disperse the demonstrators. Turkey pulled out of Iraq on Friday, just a day after the US president urged a swift end to the conflict. Ankara denied any foreign influence on the decision. The army says it killed 240 rebels and lost 27 soldiers, figures contested by the PKK. Questions have been raised over the success of the mission as the army apparently did not root out all the PKK's bases. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JC29Ak01.html Mar 29, 2008 Jitters over Syria's Kurdish clashes By Sami Moubayed DAMASCUS - Clashes took place last week in the Kurdish district of Qamishly, northeastern Syria, between Syrian security and Kurds celebrating their Nawrooz new year. Three Kurds were killed, enraging both Masoud al-Barazani, the president of Iraqi Kurdistan (a former ally of Syria) and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. This might explain why Talabani will not be heading his country's delegation to the upcoming Arab summit in Damascus this weekend. Barazani said, "We strongly condemn the killing of the innocent people in Qamishly. These people were just celebrating the beginning of their new year and had committed no crime," calling on the Syrians to launch an investigation into the event. Security forces had tried to disperse a gathering of 200 people, who had lit candles and a bonfire, celebrating a holiday that is not recognized by the government. Syria has been governed by martial law since 1963, meaning no such gathering can take place without prior approval. The Kurds knew that, but went ahead with their festival, almost looking for trouble. Syrian authorities claimed the police initially tried to disperse the demonstrators peacefully. When that failed, they resorted to force. Before that, young demonstrators had burned tires and thrown stones at riot police, enflaming the situation. A similar demonstration took place on the same day in the Turkish city of Diyarbakir, attended by about a million Kurds. They, too, lit bonfires and Turkish planes hovered nearby, but did not disperse the demonstrators. In other parts of Turkey, however, the Nawrooz new year was banned - just as it had been for as long as anybody could remember - by Turkish authorities, in Hakkari, Urfa and Siirt. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/10/europe/EU-GEN-Spain-Basque-Protest.php Spanish riot police stop street protest in support of Basque separatist parties The Associated Press Published: February 10, 2008 BILBAO, Spain: Riot police dispersed an illegal street protest by several thousand supporters of Basque separatist parties in the northern city of Bilbao on Sunday. Four people were arrested and one police officer was slightly injured during clashes, a police spokesman said on condition of anonymity in keeping with force rules. Fires were lit and streets blocked with burning debris by sympathizers of two parties that have been barred from fielding candidates in Spain's general elections March 9. The protest had been called in support of Basque Nationalist Action and the Communist Party of the Basque Lands and took place despite a ban on the march issued late Saturday by National Court judge Baltasar Garzon. On Friday, Garzon had barred the parties from political activity for three years on the grounds that they were linked to Batasuna, the outlawed political wing of the armed Basque separatist group ETA. Regional police arrived in around 30 vans and told the protesters to disperse, according to an Associated Press photographer on the scene. Riot officers then charged at the demonstrators, who refused the calls to leave, forcing them to flee in all directions. Spain's Supreme Court cut the parties' public funding and backed Garzon's decision by ruling that Basque Nationalist Action could not take part in the general election. Garzon's ruling against both parties is legally binding. ETA has killed more than 800 people since the late 1960s in a campaign of shootings and bombings. It seeks an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwest France. The group ended a unilateral cease-fire in June and has since killed two Spanish police officers and carried out several small bombings. ___ Associated Press writer Harold Heckle contributed to this report from Madrid. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7239288.stm Bilbao rally Last week the same judge suspended two Basque parties, the Basque Nationalist Action and the Communist Party of Basque Lands. Police broke up a demonstration against that decision by thousands of supporters of the parties in Bilbao on Sunday. Several people were arrested during the protest, and one police officer was injured. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/02/390966.html Protest action against recent banning on Basque political parties EHAK and ANV Basque Information Centre | 09.02.2008 07:52 | Repression | Social Struggles | Terror War The Basque Information Centre calls to protest against the banning by the Spanish justice at 8 February on the Basque political parties EHAK and ANV through casting a vote on the website www.vredesprocesbaskenland.nl for the banned party ANV. Press statement 9 February 2008 Protest action against recent banning on Basque political parties EHAK and ANV The Basque Information Centre calls to protest against the banning by the Spanish justice at 8 February on the Basque political parties EHAK and ANV through casting a vote on the website www.vredesprocesbaskenland.nl for the banned party ANV. For more information you can contact us at info at baskinfo. Or visit our website on www.baskinfo.org In favor of the right for self-determination of the Basque Country! For an independent and socialist Basque Country! Vote ANV! Again Spain bans democratic political parties from the Basque Country. Again an important part of the Basque voters are excluded from participating in elections, now it concerns the Spanish parliamentary elections of 9 March. After a previous ban on the political party Batasuna and successors from the Basque leftwing independence movement - since 2003 all parties representing the choice for a leftwing and independent Basque Country are banned - Spain now bans the political parties EHAK and ANV. While Spanish politicians are demanding from the Basque independent movement only using democratic means to achieve their political objectives, they make it impossible for that same movement to participate in elections. The so-called 'Transition' - the transition from dictatorship to a parliamentary democracy - is not only never completed but is also partly reversed with these latest banning. The Accion Nacionalista Vasca, the ANV, dates from far before this 'Transition', even from before the Spanish Civil War and the following dictatorship. The ANV is a leftwing party that split off from the rightwing Basque nationalist movement. Shoulder to shoulder with a.o. the Spanish social democrats they fought before, during and after the Civil War against the fascism of the Franco-regime. The small ANV was a loyal defender of the Second Republic, in the end defeated by Franco. The party participated in the struggle with four battalions and lost 550 members defending the Republic. In the last years of the Republic the ANV even took part in the Basque government and after the victory of the fascists the ANV was active in Basque exile governments together with the social democrats and committees for the preparation for the return of democracy in Spain. The ANV is used to be banned, she has been illegal for 40 years. But she could never have expected that her former brothers in arms of the Spanish Socialist Party PSOE would - more than 30 years after the death of Franco - conspire with the inheritors of the dictator to ban the party again. The ANV's goal is a leftwing and independent Basque Country. The ANV wants to achieve that aim by democratic means - she rejects the use of violence in her founding documents - and demands of Spain that the political system had to be adjusted to make this possible. In other words, the ANV demands that the Basques are allowed to decide their political future themselves. Madrid reacts with a ban. Not only on the ANV, but on every organisation that pursues these goals. The main argumentation of Madrid is that these organisations pursue the same goals as ETA without condemning the means ETA uses. With that argumentation not only ETA's'means are banned, but also their aims. That's called political prosecution. The Basque Information Centre calls for protest against the banning and to stand up for the democratic right of the Basque people to cast a symbolic vote for the ANV on this website. With kind regards BIC Pobox 2884 3500 GW Utrecht info at baskinfo.org www.baskinfo.org www.vredesprocesbaskenland.nl http://www.rfa.org/english/news/politics/2008/04/01/uyghur-protest/ Uyghurs Protest in China's Remote Xinjiang Region 2008.04.01 Silk scarves are sold at a silk factory in Khotan, 13 October 2006, in China's far west Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in Central Asia. AFP ISTANBUL, April 1-Several hundred ethnic Uyghurs have staged protests in China's remote and restive Xinjiang region following the death in custody of a prominent Uyghur businessman and philanthropist. Witnesses report protests at two locations in Khotan prefecture-in Khotan city March 23-24 and Qaraqash county March 23, RFA's Uyghur service reports. Several hundred protesters were taken into custody, numerous sources said, and security remains tight. Numerous sources said the demonstrations followed the death in custody of a wealthy Uyghur jade trader and philanthropist, Mutallip Hajim, 38. Police returned his body to relatives March 3 after two months in custody, saying he had died in hospital of heart trouble. According to an authoritative source, police instructed the family to bury him immediately and inform no one of his death. The unrest comes two weeks after ethnic Tibetans in neighboring provinces staged riots against Chinese rule, prompting a deadly crackdown and countless arrests. Both Tibetans and Uyghurs-two of China's major religious and ethnic minorities-have chafed under Beijing's rule for the last six decades, and Chinese authorities have faced persistent accusations of repression and abuse. But while exiled Uyghur leaders have voiced support for the Tibetan protesters, the Uyghur unrest appears unrelated. Protesters' demands In both areas, the protesters were demanding that authorities scrap a bid to ban head scarves, stop using torture to suppress Uyghur demands for greater autonomy, and release all political prisoners, sources said. In Khotan, the crowd of several hundred protesters comprised mainly women. Hotel employees said police produced lists of alleged protesters, mainly women, and told them to report to police if anyone using tried to register as a guest under any of those names, they said. The protesters, who according to several accounts numbered around 600, began their march at the Lop bus station. An unknown number of men joined their 2-km (one- mile) march to the Big Bazaar shopping area, where they were surrounded by police who arrested around 400, the sources said. How long they were held was unclear. The sources, who declined to be identified, reported six casualties, although no details were available. Police in Khotan city and its Chinbagh district, contacted by telephone, denied any protests had taken place. Police say protest 'peacefully dispersed' In Qaraqash, a police officer on duty said protesters there "peacefully dispersed." "There were no injuries or deaths, and we persuaded the people gathered for the protest to leave," the officer said. He told a reporter to phone back later for an accurate crowd count but hung up when the reporter rang back after 15 minutes. Two additional sources in Khotan said they knew nothing of protests but had witnessed extraordinary security measures there, including an order for all local residents to remain in their homes. One local worker told RFA's Mandarin service that police were quick to quash what she described as riots in Khotan. "There was an immediate crackdown. Now everything is stable," she said. "Protesters were arrested although I don't know how many were. Now travel is back to normal." A local restaurant employee said: "Indeed there were some riots, but now it's calm and the restaurant is open. Some rioters were arrested but I don't know how many were arrested. The restaurant was closed for a few days while the riots were going on." But an employee at another restaurant had a different account. "The restaurant is still closed," the employee said. "There's no chef, and there aren't any customers either." Tense area Khotan, a rich oasis fed by a several rivers, is located on the southwestern edge of the historic Tarim Basin and about 2,000 kms (1,300 miles) from the regional capital, Urumqi. Uyghurs, who number more than 16 million, constitute a distinct, Turkic-speaking, Muslim minority in northwestern China and Central Asia. They declared a short-lived East Turkestan Republic in what is now Xinjiang in the late 1930s and 40s but have remained under Beijing's control since 1949. China has waged a campaign over the last decade against what it says are violent separatists and Islamic extremists who aim to establish an independent state in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which shares a border with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Mongolia. In March 2008, Chinese authorities announced that they had foiled a plot by Uyghur terrorists targeting the Beijing Olympics. In the early 1990s, Uyghurs in Xinjiang launched large-scale riots, attacking and killing Chinese officials. Chinese authorities alleged that such acts killed 162 people and injured another 440, prompting a harsh crackdown. After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Beijing took the position that Uyghur groups were connected with al-Qaeda and that one group, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), was a "major component of the terrorist network headed by Osama bin Laden." The ETIM has denied that charge. U.S.-based Human Rights Watch says authorities in Xinjiang maintain "a multi-tiered system of surveillance, control, and suppression of religious activity aimed at Xinjiang's Uyghurs...At a more mundane and routine level, many Uyghurs experience harassment in their daily lives." "Celebrating religious holidays, studying religious texts, or showing one's religion through personal appearance are strictly forbidden at state schools. The Chinese government has instituted controls over who can be a cleric, what version of the Koran may be used, where religious gatherings may be held, and what may be said on religious occasions." Original reporting from Istanbul, Washington, and Hong Kong by RFA's Uyghur and Mandarin services. Translation by Omer Kanat and Jiayuan. Uyghur service director: Dolkun Kamberi. Mandarin service director: Jennifer Chou. Written and produced in English by Sarah Jackson-Han. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/02/2206438.htm?section=world Muslim extremists incite marketplace riot Posted Wed Apr 2, 2008 9:30pm AEDT China has accused Muslims in the nation's north-west of trying to start a rebellion, following what an exile group said were peaceful protests against injustices under Chinese rule. The unrest occurred in China's Muslim majority Xinjiang region last month, after Chinese authorities warned that terrorists based there were planning attacks on the Beijing Olympics and had tried to bomb a Beijing-bound plane. In a statement on its official website, the local government said in the latest event, extremist forces tried to incite an uprising in a marketplace in the city of Khotan on March 23. "A small number of elements tried to create disturbances in the marketplace and even trick the masses into an uprising," the statement said. The statement said the people involved adhered to the "three evil forces", a Chinese expression that refers to separatism, religious extremism and terrorism. "Our police immediately intervened to prevent this and are dealing with it in accordance with the law," it said. Most of the population in Xinjiang, which borders Afghanistan and central Asia, are Muslim Turkic speaking Uighurs, many of whom bridle at what they say have been 60 years of repressive communist Chinese rule. Rights groups and Uighur exiles have alleged that China is trying to stoke fears about terror attacks in Xinjiang as an excuse to silence dissent and justify tight control there ahead of the Olympics in August. http://sport.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,,-7441142,00.html Business as usual in Xinjiang town after protests By Lindsay Beck KHOTAN, China, April 6 (Reuters) - Vendors bartered livestock and haggled over spices at the weekly bazaar in Khotan on Sunday: despite simmering tensions in this Xinjiang town after protests by ethnic Uighurs two weeks earlier, it was business as usual. The Sunday bazaar was the site of a demonstration of the sort that China's Communist authorities, who fear separatist sentiment in border regions, are at pains to avoid -- all the more so since the wave of unrest that has rippled through ethnic Tibetan areas. "After the protest there were police everywhere here," said a 17-year-old student, who declined to be named. "But everything is stable again now." Overseas Uighur groups have reported increased security throughout Xinjiang, an oil-rich, Central Asian region bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, following the demonstrations in Tibet. Underscoring the sensitivity of even talking about protests or discontent among Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking, Muslim people who make up about half of the population of Xinjiang, the student gave few details about what happened late last month. "It was all women. They were protesting because someone's husband was taken away," said the student, who, like almost all women in the town, wore a headscarf. That description echoed a report from U.S.-government funded Radio Free Asia, which said that the gathering was to protest against the death in custody of a prominent Uighur member of the community. Many others were loathe to even admit witnessing the demonstration and said they knew nothing about it. The city government in Khotan, a dusty, Uighur-majority town skirting the edge of the Taklamakan desert, blamed it on what China calls the "Three Forces" of ethnic separatism, religious extremism and terrorism. "THIS IS NOT TIBET" On the surface, there was little to suggest any tension as traders thronged the streets of the market as they have for centuries in the town that was a stop on the ancient Silk Road. Whole sheep, freshly slaughtered, were hauled onto the backs of flatbed scooters, donkey carts were piled high with vegetables, and at one stall hunks of camel meat hung from hooks, the head of the dismembered animal positioned below. But neither Han nor Uighur has much good to say about the other. "Right now there is no unity between ethnicities. People don't want to learn Chinese. If they see a Uighur speaking Chinese, they curse them," said a 47-year-old woman named Amangu. A Han migrant from the inland province of Anhui who makes her living selling sunflower seeds in Khotan, known as Hetian in Chinese, says she doesn't have much contact with Uighurs, outside of business. "The educated ones are fine. But the uneducated ones are just not civilised," she said. But as the spring winds swirl dust through the market streets, few fear that Khotan's protest will escalate to the level of unrest in Tibet, and there is little security presence to suggest otherwise. "This is not Tibet," said a Chinese construction worker. "Social order here is very good." (Editing by John Chalmers) http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1143&p=front&a=1 After two days of riots Al-Dhale' and Lahj residents in state of emergency By: Yemen Times Staff Al-DHALE', April, 2 - Al-Dhale' province and Al-Habeeleen city in Lahj are experiencing a relative calm amid traffic paralysis and an extensive security deployment after last Sunday's protests turned violent and led to rioting throughout the week. The incident began when young men protested after their efforts to enlist in the army were rejected. Although the situation in Al-Dhale' has settled down somewhat, Al- Habeeleen is still witnessing some clashes between protesters and Yemeni security forces as of Wednesday, said local witnesses in the southern governorates. On Tuesday, army deployments stormed the areas after two days of rioting and demonstrations carried out by hundreds of young men in the southern governorates. The men were protesting "over unfulfilled government promises to enlist them in the army." Eyewitnesses said that security forces supported by tanks moved into Al-Dhale' and Radfan on Monday evening. Additionally, the security forces in the two governorates arrested at least five people on Tuesday, and are still hunting down 18 other wanted demonstration organizers. Locals said that demonstrators attacked governmental facilities, blocked roads and burned car tires, which covered the area with clouds of black smoke for hours. "So far, we have been informed that there is at least one dead and five injured in the clashes that took place in Lahj on Wednesday," said Mohammed Husain, a resident of Lahj. He confirmed that the local councils announced a state of emergency and prevented people from gathering in the streets. "There is heavy security deployment in the two cities that discouraged many people from taking to the streets," said Yemen Times correspondent Fuad Mussaid, a resident of Al-Dhale'. "The stores are closed, students do not go to school and people rarely get out their houses." "Some people feel secured due to the existence of the army forces who say that will provide them with protection. However other citizens revealed their frustration as the security forces arrested citizens randomly who were not involved in the riots but found walking in the streets," added Mussaid The presence of army forces prevent citizens from protesting against the arrest of a number of political and social figures who were involved in organizing the marches, according to security sources who wished to remain anonymous. According to national media, 13 people were injured last Tuesday in confrontations between security forces and demonstrators in the two cities. The security forces also fired on the demonstrators and released tear gas into the crowd, causing serious injuries to a number of citizens. Demonstrators attacked governmental facilities, blocked roads and burned car tires. The injured were later taken to Al-Habeeleen Hospital for treatment. Eyewitnesses also revealed that demonstrators broke into a number of public facilities and privately-owned stores. Protestors picked up a donkey and carried it aloft while chanting "no donkeys after today," referring to the symbol of the ruling General People's Congress party, the horse. Electricity was cut in various Al-Habeeleen neighborhoods after an electric generator was shot. The local university's Faculty of Education in Lahj was also subjected to gunfire and tear gas bombardment in its yard. The Joint Meting Parties (JMP) in Al-Dhale' issued a press release concerning the events in the governorate. The statement they issued placed responsibility on the government for the youths' outrage that resulted in the ensuing chaos. While the GMP in Al-Dhale' considered the events to be a result of the government's irresponsible dealings those men applying for army recruitment. The press release claimed that the government deals with army enlistees in an opaque way that arouses anger, which is what happened with the army applicants in Al-Dhale'. Tariq Al-Shami, head of the GPC's media circle accused the JMP of instigating the riots and spreading hatred inside the society. Al- Shami pointed out that recruitment in the army varies according to population and under service law conditions. He also noted that JMP intends to agitate people and warned against the consequences of such behavior. An official source from Al-Dhale' local authority accused some parties affiliated with the JMP of instigating sabotage, riots and the looting of private and public property that took place last Sunday. The local authority pointed out that the parties don't consider their national responsibility when they aim to create disturbances that eventually incite violence. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=90690 Two dead as protests continue in southern Yemen Compiled by Daily Star staff Monday, April 07, 2008 Two Yemenis were killed and eight others wounded Sunday in continued clashes between security forces and protesters in the country's south, local residents said. The casualties occurred when troops fired into a crowd of demonstrators in the southern town of Kode in Abyan Province, said the residents, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of government reprisal. Local security officials confirmed the two deaths Sunday, raising to three the total number of people who have been killed in recent days in clashes between authorities and thousands of former southern Yemen army officers, political activists and unemployed men who accuse the Yemeni government in the north of unequal treatment. The security officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. Protesters in Abyan said in a statement they would continue their demonstrations until the government released everyone it had detained since the protests began on March 30. They also called on the government to withdraw army and police forces that it had deployed with tanks and armored vehicles in several southern towns. But local residents said the government sent more troops and tanks to the town of Zinjibar in Abyan on Sunday and also to Al-Mukalla in Hadramawt Province. They also spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. The clashes underline tensions between northern and southern Yemen 14 years after a civil war. Northerners dominate the government and economy in this impoverished country, and many protesters are former members of the defeated southern army. After the civil war, many southern soldiers fled to the mountainous hinterlands and Saudi Arabia, returning only when Yemen's government issued an amnesty and promised to readmit them to the army a promise southerners say has not been kept. Abu Bakr Batheeb, assistant secretary general of the opposition Yemen Socialist Party, said in Sanaa on Sunday that the recent clashes were "the natural reaction from the long years of suffering, neglect and abandonment of the south." The first death occurred Wednesday when troops opened fire on 5,000 demonstrators in the southern town of Al-Hablain in Lahaj Province. The southern town of Dhalae has also witnessed protests in recent days, but Deputy Governor Hassoun Saleh Qassim said Sunday that town was quiet and authorities had charged 42 people, some of them former army officers, with rioting, sabotage, theft and destabilizing the country. Last week, rioters set fire to at least two police stations and burned military vehicles in Dhalae. Opposition parties in Hadramawt Province have called for big demonstrations Sunday evening in a continued push for southern demands. Meanwhile, clashes broke out Sunday between pro-government tribes and Shiite rebels in northern Yemen, killing some 18 people. About 18 people were killed in fighting between Shiite rebels and a pro-government tribe in Yemen from the same sect, tribal sources and residents said on Sunday.Thirteen people were wounded in the fighting between the Al-Bukhtan tribe and the rebels, they said. The fighting, which broke-out on Saturday in a market in the mountainous Saada Province, came two months after Zaidi rebels killed an Al-Bukhtan member who they accused of supporting the government. Government forces have since joined the battle by shelling Zaidi rebel positions. The on-off insurgency led by the Zaidi rebels against the Yemeni government has claimed thousands of lives since 2004. The rebels reject the regime of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh as illegitimate, although Saleh is a Zaidi. Offshoots of Shiite Islam, the Zaidis are a minority in mainly Sunni Yemen but form the majority in the northwest. The government is also headed by Shiites, but the rebels accused the administration of corruption and being too close to the West. - Agencies http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1144&p=local&a=1 Soldier dies amidst call to arms against government in southern Yemen Saddam Al-Ashmori For Yemen Times SANA'A, April 6 - The situation in the southern governorates is still shaky after a one-week intensive security deployment backed with tanks attempted to control rioting that erupted when a protest turned violent. Around the same time, a soldier died during an attack in Hadramout following a Parliament member's call for armed struggle in the south. A soldier was killed and another seven were injured when unknown armed men attacked two separate military checkpoints in Hadramout province in southeast Yemen on Saturday. The governor of Hadramout told the Yemen Times that the armed men shelled two checkpoints in Al-Qatn and Hawrah districts. He said security authorities are currently looking for the aggressors in order to bring them to trial, adding that preliminary investigations were unable to disclose the motive behind the attacks. Yemeni Socialist leader calls southerners to arms against the government The attacks came after Salah Al-Shanfarah, a Parliament member and prominent leader in the Yemeni Socialist Party, threatened to resort to armed struggle and revolution against the state authorities. In a statement last Friday in Al-Dhale', Al-Shanfarah said, "We shall announce revolution and armed struggle in the mountains of Al- Dhale', Yafei, and Radfan." "They [state's leaders] should know that our areas are not like those of Sa'ada and our men are not like Al-Houthi's, whom we highly respect. We have military plans that are accurate and scientific that can destroy their [state's leaders] army," he added. He further noted that if the blockade continues and security forces conduct attacks on citizens' homes arbitrarily, then locals of Al- Dhale' province will carry out operations that target high-ranking figures in the state. "Al-Dhale' city is about to see a large humanitarian crisis if southerners do not move now," said Al-Shanfarah. "You southerners go to your positions in Radfan, Al-Dhale', Yafei, Al-Mahfad, Mukairas, Baihan and all the cities bordering northern Yemen that occupied our land and country," he said. Al-Dhale' reels after last week's violent protests. After last week's violent protests in Al-Dhale' and Lahj, security authorities arrested several people who organized the protests, which were held when local youths were refused entry into the army. One protestor was killed and more than 18 were injured. A well-informed source in Al-Dhale' said though main cities were open and the tanks drew back, there is still one district in the governorate blockaded by security authorities. A source in the Ministry of Defense denied the presence of tanks in those areas and also denied that there was a state of emergency in the governorate. Meanwhile, hundreds of citizens in Radfan city in Lahj governorate are protesting for the second week against the arrests carried out by security authorities. Eyewitnesses said security and army forces in Radfan raided the more recent protests, also organized by youths. The forces used tear gas and live bullets to disperse the protesters, which caused several protestors to faint from the fumes. No one was hit by the bullets fired into the crowd. At Aden University, security and army troops surrounded the Faculty of Education in preparation for any possible reactions on the part of students or university staff after one student from the university was arrested last week. Authorities in the governorate said 30 people were referred to the prosecution after they were proven to be involved in the riots. Lahsoun Saleh, deputy governor of Al-Dhale', said initial investigations on those people proved that they were involved in the riots and other 32 were released on bail. Almotamar.net quoted the deputy governor online, who said that among the 62 soldiers arrested, 12 were referred to the military court system. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/6B94B423-C437-41EE-B1D5-DA61ED73073F.htm Yemen police break up protest Dozens of people were arrested in protests in southern Yemen on Tuesday [AFP] At least five people have been injured after police dispersed a protest in the southern Yemeni city of Radfan, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Yemen says. According to the AFP news agency, one protester was killed in the fourth day of demonstrations over alleged discrimination towards the local population. Police also used tear gas on Wednesday to separate a group of protesters who gathered outside the local government headquarters in the province of Lahj. The protesters say a number of men from the area were not admitted into the army after responding to a recruitment campaign. On Tuesday, dozens of people were rounded up by security forces, including three politicians from the Yemeni Socialist Party, in a crackdown on activists suspected of inciting protests in the provinces of Aden, Lahj and Dhaleh, witnesses said. 'Government terror' In a statement, the former ruling party in south Yemen confirmed the arrest of some party members and accused the government of seeking to "terrorise leaders of the peaceful protest movement". However, the government alleges that "subversive elements" had engaged in "acts of sabotage and rioting" in southern provinces, "attacking innocent citizens and damaging public property". Several protests have been held in southern Yemen in recent months to demand greater state aid for more than 60,000 people retired from the military and civil service, most of whom insist they were forced into early retirement. Local residents often complain of discrimination since a 1994 southern secession bid, led by socialists, was crushed by northern forces loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president. http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=31858 Second Day of Protest in Baitul Mukarram Area Violent clashes with cops leave 200 hurt Shotgun looted by activists found in mosque compound Staff Correspondent Hundreds of Islamist activists clashed with police for hours on the second day of violent protests in the city's Baitul Mukarram National Mosque area yesterday, leaving over 200 people injured. Police used batons and fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells to break up demonstrations against the recently announced national women development policy in defiance of the state of emergency. At least 52 policemen and five journalists were among the injured. Some 17 people were arrested in connection with the clashes. Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mazharul Islam of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Motijheel zone last night said they filed a case accusing over 100 people of assault on police and looting firearms. An intelligence official requesting not to be named told The Daily Star that they have already identified those inciting violence. "We have suggested that the government take a tough line against them," he added. Eyewitnesses said violence broke out at around 1:35pm, minutes after Jum'a prayers when police barred a procession coming from the north gate of the mosque. Incensed, the other members of the radical Islamist outfits who were preparing to join the march began throwing projectiles at the law enforcers. As chase and counter-chase continued for hours, hundreds of those who went to the mosque for Friday prayers became trapped inside. At around 3:00pm, some demonstrators caught a policeman cut off from his colleagues and beat him up. They snatched his shotgun and broke it up into pieces, said the media cell of DMP. Earlier, some 50 people were wounded in Thursday's fight between the Islamist groups and law enforcers. Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed announced the National Women Development Policy-2008 on March 8, causing a firestorm of protests among Islamist organisations. Since then, some radical groups have been claiming that the policy gives equal inheritance rights to men and women, while the government maintained there is no such provision. In efforts to scotch the discontent, four advisers of the caretaker government on March 27 met Islamic leaders and formed a review committee headed by the acting Khatib of Baitul Mukarram Mosque. A report by the committee is due by April 16. But some Islamic groups including Ahkam-e-Shariah Hifajat led by Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee, Anti-Quran Law Resistance Committee of Allama Azizul Huq Shaikhul Hadith, Islamic Law Implementation Committee led by Islami Oikya Jote's Fazlul Huq Amini and Chhatra Jamiat Andolon of Maulana Muhiuddin Ahmed opted not to wait and launched violent street agitation Thursday. A huge number of students from madrasas across the city took part in the pitched battles with police yesterday. They acted on instructions from their teachers who were staying inside the mosque, said the eyewitnesses. After around four hours of fighting, areas like Purana Paltan, Dainik Bangla intersection, Bangabandhu Avenue, Gulistan and national stadium were littered with brickbats as smog from tear gas hung heavily over them. The agitators launched attacks on the police from every corner of Baitul Mukarram and took shelter inside whenever police went on a counter-offensive. They took bricks off under-construction structures on the mosque premises and split those into pieces to hurl at police. Around 1,500 law enforcers in riot gear struggled all along to control the crowds. At one stage, rumours spread that three of the protesters were killed, adding fuel to the agitation. To escape tear gas, both the law enforces and agitators burned carpets of the mosque, woods, furniture of several street side stalls and papers making the air heavier and adding to the sufferings. The marchers chanted slogans demanding resignation of Women and Children Affairs Adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury and the interim government. The injured policemen were admitted to Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital while journalists, pedestrians and protesters received treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and various private medical facilities. DMCH sources said 22 madrasa students were admitted there. Monirul Islam and Hasan Raja of Prothom Alo, Abu Taher Khokon of New Age, and Belal Hossain of Ekushey TV--all photographers--were badly injured. Of the policemen wounded, condition of inspector Selimuzzaman, Sergeant Israfil, Sub-Inspector Kamrul, and constables Belayet, Enamul, Emdad, Kamrul, Monir, Kabir, Shafique, and Sarwar was stated critical, according to the DMP media cell. An official of the cell told The Daily Star last night that during the clashes, police shot 312 tear gas shells and 243 rounds of rubber bullets. DMP (Motijheel) DC Mazharul Islam said, "They attacked first, forcing us to retaliate with baton-charge and tear gas." He said at least 35 platoons were engaged to disperse the agitators till 3:30pm. Meanwhile, Islami Oikya Jote Chairman Fazlul Haque Amini at a press conference at Purana Paltan in the afternoon alleged that police attacked them without provocation. He claimed that more than 100 of their workers were injured in the clashes. "We called a rally to drum up support for the anti-Quran rules," he added. Amini also said, "If our demands are not met, the fire ignited today [yesterday] will spread like wildfire across the country." Asked about mosaic stones taken off the mosque's wall, he said he was not aware of it. .................................................................... http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=31873 Madrasa students go on rampage, storm Hathazari police station Our Correspondent, Ctg Hundreds of madrasa students went on the rampage and stormed Hathazari Police Station in Chittagong yesterday over rumours that an imam was killed earlier in the day in clashes between police and religious militants in Dhaka. Clashes that followed left more than 10 people, including five police, injured. Police said students of Darul Ulum Moin Ul Islam, a local religious institution, brought out a procession at about 6:30pm protesting police action on the activists of Anti-Quranic Law Resistance Committee in Dhaka. The procession became unruly while passing by the Hathazari Police Station as rumours spread that an imam was killed in clashes between police and religious militants in Dhaka earlier in the day. They began raining stones on the police station. The madrasa students later forced into the police station, ransacked all its rooms, set the doors and windows on fire, disabled telecommunications facilities and damaged four vehicles parked inside, witnesses said. They also attacked the adjoining police barracks and torched a motorcycle there. A police officer said the militants entered the police station all on a sudden, giving them no room to put up any resistance. Reinforced police later baton-charged the unruly students and lobbed tear-gas canisters in a bid to disperse them. Five cops and the imam of police station mosque were injured in the clashes. They are Sub-Inspector Mizanur Rahman, constables Abdul Haq, Bahar Uddin, Mostafa and Hamid and mosque imam Abdul Kalam. The injured were admitted to local hospital. The madrasa students later put up barricades on Hathazari road. According to the latest news, the militants took position on the madrasa rooftops. Deputy Inspector General of Police of Chittagong Range Shahidul Haq and other high officials rushed to the spot. .................................................................... http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=31724 Bigots fight fiercely with cops to protest women policy 50 including 10 policemen injured Staff Correspondent The surrounding areas of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque turned into a battlefield yesterday when members of an Islamic organisation clashed with police leaving over 50 injured including 10 policemen and 15 pedestrians. Witnesses said the hour-long clash started around 2:15pm when police resisted about 500 activists of Anti-Quran Law Resistance Committee attempting to march towards the office of the chief adviser in a procession after holding a rally on the mosque premises. Khelafat Majlish and Islami Shashontantra Andolan recently formed the Anti-Quran Law Resistance Committee to protest against the National Women Development Policy approved by the advisers' council recently. "As police halted their progress, the agitating activists started pelting them with brickbats and broke through the police ring," said pedestrian Mostofa Kamal who took shelter near the mosque during the clash. Fifteen pedestrians including two children Shaon, 12, and Badhon, 9, were injured. Employees of nearby shop Mithu Carpets said, "When police locked the gate at the north side, the activists came through other gates and attacked police with bamboo sticks and brickbats." At one stage, police resorted to charging truncheons and firing teargas canisters to disperse them. Police used around 10 teargas shells. During the clash, the activists set fire to two motorbikes of law enforcers and damaged over 10 vehicles including two sports utility vehicles of the Islamic Foundation and the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Chases and counter chases took place between the police and the activists. Other witnesses said all business establishments were closed for three hours due to repeated attacks of the activists. The injured activists and pedestrians received treatment from Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Suhrawardy Hospital and different clinics in the area while the policemen were treated at Rajarbagh Police Hospital. Farid Uddin Ahmed, officer-in-charge (OC) of Paltan Police Station, told The Daily Star, "The unruly attackers injured several policemen, including Assistant Commissioner [AC] Pankaj Roy." He said they would take legal action against those who were involved in the offence. Two units of Fire Service and Civil Defence rushing to the spot to douse the burning motorbikes could not do their jobs as the Anti- Quran Law Resistance Committee activists attacked them and chased them away. People who went to the mosque for Zohr prayers were stuck inside the mosque. Vehicular movement in the area came to a halt during the clash and created gridlocks on nearby streets which had a knock-on effect on traffic situation on other parts of the city. Before the clash, the Anti-Quran Law Resistance Committee held a rally on the mosque ground where they demanded resignation of Rasheda K Chowdhury, adviser to the caretaker government. Terming the National Women Development Policy an anti-Islamic law, they threatened the government of toppling it if it did not amend the policy. After the clash, the organisation held a press conference at the office of Khelafat Majlish. They claimed police prevented them from carrying out their peaceful activities and injured over 100 activists. Maulana Abdur Rob Yusufi, Nayeb-e-Amir of Khelafat Majlish, spoke at the press conference among others. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 09:47:59 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:47:59 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Student revolts at Evergreen, Olympia and in Miami; protest in British Columbia Message-ID: <00b001c89e4f$4dbf8060$0802a8c0@andy1> * US: Police car damaged in response to police repression at Evergreen; wrongful arrest at rap concert leads to protest before riot police attack A racially-motivated arrest, denounced by the band on stage, and frustration over arming of campus police triggered resistance Peaceful blockades of the police car were attacked by riot police Students then responded by flipping and destroying a police car * US: Violent police attack on Miami school student protest; protesters respond by throwing things School bosses called police to break up protests against administrators * US: Police attack student street party in Los Angeles Police suppressed attempts to video their actions, covered their badges, and assaulted with weapons including tasers, pepper balls and batons to the head; police explicitly deny that people have rights One masochistic individual supported the police despite being attacked himself?! Students defended themselves with a peaceful sit-in and later by throwing bottles * CANADA: BC students stand up to police violence at protest against land grab of popular student hangout Students peacefully formed a line around a police cruiser and earlier to stop a cop abusing a protester Police attacked and arrested students, and solidarity protests have been held NOTE: Police at Evergreen are launching a vicious vindictive crackdown because of the unrest they caused. Five students have been charged with exaggerated "offences" which police are hoping to use media hysteria to push through the courts. In addition, the school management have suspended the local chapter of SDS, interfering with their cashflow and ability to help defendants. Contributions to legal defence are needed. They can be made here: http://evergreen6.x10hosting.com/ Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.komotv.com/news/local/15665292.html Riot at Evergreen State damages deputy's car Sheriff's Deputy Jamie Gallagher walks past her patrol car that was destroyed during a riot at The Evergreen State College early Friday morning, Feb. 15, 2008. (AP Photo/Tony Overman, The Olympian) Story Published: Feb 15, 2008 at 7:11 AM PDT Story Updated: Feb 15, 2008 at 6:24 PM PDT By KOMO Staff & News Services Watch the story OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A concert at The Evergreen State College ended in a disturbance in which a Thurston County sheriff's patrol car was overturned and looted. Washington State Patrol Trooper Brandy Kessler said officers were pelted by rocks early Friday but there were no serious injuries. She says it began about 1:30 a.m. when a fight broke out at the 'Dead Prez' concert and a campus police officer tried to arrest a concertgoer for misdemeanor assault. Kessler said a crowd of about 200 surrounded the officer's car, demanding that the man be let go, so the officer called for backup. "Some people blocked the police car that was trying to take the student away," said Dan Hilden, a 20-year-old Evergreen student who attended the concert. Sheriff's deputies responded and removed the campus officer and her car and released the man, since they knew his identity and he could be summoned later to court. A deputy's car was disabled and when it wouldn't start, the crowd overturned it, broke out the windows and wrote graffiti on it. Kessler said the deputy's laptop computer and a radar gun were stolen. No weapons were lost. Troopers and a Thurston County SWAT team dispersed the crowd using pepper spray with no more arrests. "Well, this was a threat," said Thurston County Sheriff Dan Kimball. "The only way to describe it would be mayhem. This is every officer's worst nightmare. Talking to the deputies there and reading the reports they filed, this is serious stuff. We're fortunate that really all we lost was property." Alvina Wong, who was at the concert, says both sides were wrong and the crowd may have interpreted the rap duo's comments as encouragement to rebel. "They did suggest that the crowd should question why this guy was being detained," she said. "It's not their message to destroy police cars or anything. It's just, they want people to be more aware... and to have that awareness in the decisions that they make." Samples of saliva and blood from people who cut themselves on the overturned car were being tested for DNA evidence that may help identify those responsible, Kessler said. Thurston County Chief Criminal Deputy James Chamberlain said officers made the right call in releasing the man because of the unruly crowd. http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/northwest/story/286973.html Agency denies group incited riot JEREMY PAWLOSKI; The Olympian Published: February 19th, 2008 01:00 AM Carolyn Hauser said that when an Evergreen State College police officer handcuffed a friend and escorted him out of the Dead Prez concert early Friday morning, the hip-hop duo said words to the effect of "Are you going to let this happen at your school?" and "What are you going to do about it?" But Dead Prez's management on Monday denied that either member of the hip-hop duo exhorted the crowd to riot. Hauser also said that even though she heard the Dead Prez members ask the crowd if they were going to do anything about the arrest, she doesn't think the band was responsible for inciting the crowd to riot. Hundreds of young people blocked an officer's patrol car after she put the young man in the back seat outside the concert at The Evergreen State College's Campus Recreation Center. The crowd later rioted, throwing bottles, trash and rocks after backup law enforcement units arrived, police said. Ultimately, the rioters caused $35,000 to $50,000 in damage to four Thurston County Sheriff's patrol units, including one patrol car that was overturned and damaged beyond repair. Riot police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd. Scott Beibin of Dead Prez's management group, Evil Twin Booking Agency in Philadelphia, said the only thing that Dead Prez members said to the crowd was, "Get his badge number." The members did not know that a female officer was making the arrest, he said. Beibin said he worries that Evergreen will not have Dead Prez or any other hip-hop act back to play again at the school. Evergreen spokesman Jason Wettstein said Monday that the school does not blame hip-hop for causing the riot. He added that the college plans to continue to book concerts for all types of music. "We've had a number of hip-hop concerts in the past and never had any incidents," he said. "It's not about the type of music, it's about personal responsibility." The Thurston County Sheriff's Department plans to continue its investigation today. Beibin confirmed that Dead Prez has a song called "(Expletive) the Police," and that the song is part of their normal set list. But Beibin said he does not know at what point they performed that song in the concert at Evergreen. http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20080215105517174 Saturday, March 29 2008 @ 01:44 PM PDT Washington: Riot at Evergreen State College Friday, February 15 2008 @ 10:55 AM PST Contributed by: Anonymous Views: 1,651 Last night, following a Dead Prez concert, a campus police officer at Evergreen State College in Olympia took a student into custody for allegedly fighting with another student. After a few students began yelling, in order to call attention to the police misconduct, a crowd of 200 (according to corporate press) surrounded the officer's patrol car which contained the student and officer. The crowd began screaming, "Let him go!" and refused to allow the patrol car to move. Terrified by the power of the students, the officer let the arrestee go and called for back up. Upon arrival, the back up rushed the officer out of the crowd, leaving behind multiple patrol cars. The cars had windows smashed out of them, were looted, and spray painted. One police car was flipped and completely totalled. On a wall behind the flipped car someone spray painted, "Welcome to Evergreen! (A)." Soon it became clear that a few police officers would not be able to subdue the crowd, so riot squads were quickly mobilized. Students were shot at with pepper spray and rubber bullets before finally dispersing. Video coverage can be seen here: http://www.komotv.com/news/local/15665292.html With this type of resistance becoming increasingly popular and liberals now using terms such as, "direct action" the Political Conventions this summer will prove to be rather interesting. http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/373116.html Views of police action at riot split Evergreen Dozens gather in anti-police rally; others voice their support of officers Jeremy Pawloski The Olympian OLYMPIA - More than 30 demonstrators took turns speaking through a bullhorn Wednesday at The Evergreen State College, marching on Evergreen's Police Services building to condemn perceived brutality during a Feb. 15 riot outside of a hip-hop concert on campus. The protesters were met by some students who expressed pro-police views. The riot has created divisions among Evergreen's faculty members, police officers, administrators and 4,500 students who see the riots - and widely circulated riot footage on YouTube - from strikingly different perspectives. Deputies' reports Deputies wrote in reports that they were surrounded by an intimidating mob outside of the school's Campus Recreation Center when they responded to provide support for an Evergreen officer. The concertgoers had surrounded the Evergreen officer and were angry about her arrest of a man during the concert by the hip-hop group Dead Prez. Rioting concertgoers flipped and destroyed a Thurston County Sheriff's patrol car. They damaged three other patrol cars, causing $50,000 in damage, the sheriff's office has said. Many students who spoke during Wednesday's forum criticized Olympia police actions. Olympia police are seen on videos striking concertgoers with batons or flashlights and firing pepper spray at them. Complaint filed Student Bruce Wilkinson, who has filed a complaint against Olympia police for officers' roles in the riot, said, "The Thurston County sheriffs did a pretty good job; Evergreen police did a pretty good job. The Olympia Police Department started the riot, though. They were the most violent people of the bunch." Also during the forum: Student John Jacobsen said the riot was "really just a reaction to police beating people up." Other students stated their support for Evergreen police, including the officer who arrested a student accused of assault during a fight earlier at the concert. "When April tried to talk to students (after she made the arrest but before the riot), there was absolutely no listening whatsoever," Elisa Otter said, adding that she doesn't support the Olympia police response to the riot. Josephine Jarvis pleaded with fellow students to look at police as real people. "They are people, and they have feelings; they're capable of being intimidated," Jarvis said. "Really open yourselves up to the idea that police could actually be people." 'Disarm the cops' The anti-police demonstrators who marched at Evergreen earlier Wednesday afternoon chanted "disarm the cops" as they marched on the campus's police building. They carried signs with slogans such as "Get the Pigs Off Our Streets" and "All Cops are Murderers." Student Casey Jaywork said he, too, has questions about the behavior of police, but "I'm frustrated by how easy it is to turn the police into this bogeyman excuse for what students do." Student Dave Anderson, standing near a group of students who had an "I heart police" sign, didn't think the police protesters were representative of the student body. "They don't represent all of Evergreen; they represent a small fraction," Anderson said. Jeremy Pawloski covers public safety for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5465 or jpawloski at theolympian.com. http://www.theolympian.com/570/story/360206.html Crowd destroys deputy's cruiser Jeremy Pawloski and Christian Hill THE OLYMPIAN A hip-hop concert at The Evergreen State College ended in a riot early Friday in which a Thurston County sheriff's patrol car was overturned and looted. A campus police officer was dispatched around 1:30 a.m. following a report of a fight inside the College Recreation Center where the group Dead Prez was performing. The female officer arrested a man and placed him in the back of the patrol car. Some of the concertgoers were taunting and questioning the actions of the officer, said Trooper Brandy Kessler of the Washington State Patrol. "They didn't feel the arrest that was being made was fair," she said. Campus police Sgt. Darwin Eddy refused to release the man's name Friday afternoon saying, "I don't have the authority to release that and I've got to call a concerned parent." He did say the case would be forwarded to prosecutors for review. The crowd continued to grow and became more aggressive. "Some people blocked the police car that was trying to take the student away," said Dan Hilden, a 20-year-old Evergreen student who attended the concert. Concerned for her safety, the officer called for backup and the man in the police car was eventually released. The officer took down his name and address. Thurston County Chief Criminal Deputy James Chamberlain said authorities made the right call in releasing the male because of the escalating unruly behavior of the crowd. "It was a very volatile situation at one point, and I'm proud of the officers in how they responded," Chamberlain said. "They backed out of there to try and de-escalate the situation instead of making more arrests and possibly making it worse." Six sheriff's deputies who arrived to assist the campus officer reported that several people in the crowd were throwing rocks, bottles and even a garbage can at the them, and others were grabbing at the deputies' guns. They were, however, able to clear a path so the campus police officer could leave the scene in her car, Kessler said. http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/2008/02/264774.shtml A Series of Fortunate Events (Dead Prez) author: Rook Feb 17, 2008 17:26 The following is a statement from a witness, Rook. He/She was there, at the "riot", and it is only meant to put shine some sort of light onto the events that took place. This is what happened. This is how. This is in what order. This does not try to explain why in great detail, it is meant only to put fact into a topic of riddled with suppositions and rumors. Only the characterizations of inanimate objects are embellished, and Rook assures you that it is purely for reading pleasure. A- Violence begets violence Five hundred humans filled half a gymnasium. Someone confronted someone, confrontation turned to altercation. Ten people had a scuffle, and the scuffle ended. The show must go on. Thirty minutes later an Evergreen Cop arrived, and listened to the story of someone involved in the fight. Thirty minutes after that the cop went into the concert and arrested the only black person anywhere near the fight, as picked out by the informant. There is still confusion as to whether or not he was even one of the ten people fighting. He was escorted outside by the police officer, the snitches, the suspect's friends, and concerned people, and put in the back of the cop car. Dead Prez said something to the tune of 'the cops are here, they are taking someone. Get the badge number.' Outside, other witnesses approached the officer and told her the suspect was wrongly accused, and offered their eyewitness accounts. The police officer told them to file reports at the police station the next day. The cop also stated that she had 'probable cause' to arrest him. Demands were made to let the captive go, on the grounds of blatant racial profiling. Did I mention that ten people were involved in a fight, and the only black person around was the only person arrested? The now discontented people outside asked the officer if more arrests were to be made, specifically of the people who were fighting with the 'suspect' (the snitch did admit they were involved in the fight), and the officer repeated that people should give forms to the bureaucracy the next day, implying no more arrests were to be made and no more evidence would be heard. The officer told the crowd that more police were on their way, and she was going to take the "prisoner" to the station when they arrived. Five minutes of frustration followed until three more cops arrived. The Evergreen police officer began to drive away in her car with the captive, while the other cops stood around and got yelled at for allowing racism to not only exist but actually be state-supported. A trash can knocked itself over in front of the car. The policed sighed and cleared it. One person now stood in front of the cop car, the car stopped. He was pushed out of the way. Two people took his place, and the car again stopped. One was pushed and the other dragged from the path. The car then stopped in front of a whole row of people, with rows behind them. The concert was now over, and the crowd had grown to two hundred plus. The squad car was surrounded and chants ensued. "Let him go." "Where's our friend?" "Fuck the Police." Simple garbage like paper wads and soda bottles bounced off the cop car. The car drew on itself. The first letter of the alphabet with a halo around it. "FUCK THE POLICE" Chants found harmony with the sound of fists pounding on the car (who would have thought drum circles would be so inspiring? - I jest.). The police suddenly realized they had no control of the situation. They began to entertain the idea of release. One cop wanted to speak. He was allowed: "We're going to let him go. We need to ID him first". A few cheered, many did not believe. More chanting, more drums, more papers and plastic. One cop looked over the crowd to the east, he held up his hand, he pointed his index finger up and he bent it repeatedly- pepper spray. Within seconds more cops were beating a hole into a crowd with batons, pepper spray, flashlights, and taunting with tasers. Those attacked retreated, covering their faces. B- Police violently attacked people who had done nothing violent. therefore C: A myriad of objects rained at the attackers. The first bottle broke; glass glittered in the air, then on the car and the ground. The cop car quickly started leaving, still with the suspect. The car and the cops were chased by people, bottles, rocks, and trash cans. A second car was dented. A third car's windshield was attacked by the trashcan that knocked itself over not long before. The suspect was finally let go just outside of the crowd, not many noticed. The fourth car wouldn't start? Police shoved things into a container from inside the car and made a hasty retreat. The crowd was angry at the cops, nothing else. Someone broke the first window. Others broke the rest. Someone else grabbed something from inside and yelled "I GOT THE MIXTAPE!" Twenty or thirty people convinced the car to roll over, after coaxing it three times before. This car, too, drew on itself. The bumper ripped. Someone cut his or her hand on some broken glass. Other than this, nobody was hurt. Government property was damaged. NOBODY WAS HURT. http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/2008/02/264735.shtml Olympia's V-Day Ruckus author: kohlrabi Feb 15, 2008 23:52 100 people raise a ruckus after V-Day Dead Prez show in response to questionable arrest of African American man and violent police retaliation. 3 cop cars sustain significant damage, a fourth is rolled over and looted. Estimated $30-50,000 in damage. About 100 people raised a ruckus after Evergreen State College (TESC) police officers arrested a Dead Prez concert goer on alleged assault charges. The event took place around 1 AM (2/15), shortly after Dead Prez finished their set. TESC police officers were called to the show after a fight broke out among 3-5 people in the crowd. The sole arrest was of a black man, although most of the "fighters" were white. As police escorted the man to their cruiser they were confronted by a small crowd of people who had witnessed the fight, including one woman who had been hit. They all told the cops that the man they were arresting was not involved in the altercation and they needed to let him go. The cops responded that the community members could file their statements/objections at a later date. In response a handful of people stood in front of the police vehicle and demanded that the man be freed. As more and more people left the venue, they added their numbers to the crowd that now surrounded the police vehicle. Chants of "Fuck the police!" and "Let him go!" accompanied a steady percussion of fists on the hood and roof of the car for about 20-30 minutes. During this time TESC cops called in Olympia, Thurston County and WA State police for backup. When the cops had sufficient numbers, they proceeded to charge the crowd preceded by a cloud of pepper spray and flying clubs. Throughout the incident police never made an audible public announcement via megaphone ordering the crowd eto disperse. After thoroughly enraging the already on-edge crowd, the cops found themselves looking for a fast exit. Unfortunately they had all parked in such a way as to be in one line facing the same direction and essentially blocking themselves in. The slowed retreat of cop cars offered easy targets for rocks, garbage cans, bottles, and boots. Much to the delight of many ruckus raisers one Thurston County car was left behind in the fray. In short order the car was on its roof and became the target of any remaining anger. After the majority of people dispersed, the State Police SWAT team moved in to "secure" the area. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004263998_evergreen06m.html Evergreen State College divided after riot By Nick Perry Seattle Times higher education reporter PREV 1 of 9 NEXT MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES A sign stuck to a building on Red Square at The Evergreen State College reflects the vibe at the Olympia-area liberal-arts school, which is known for political activism but is undergoing some soul-searching after last month's riot. TONY OVERMAN Thurston County Sheriff's Deputy Jamie Gallagher walks past her burning patrol car, set afire and looted during last month's riot at the college. MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES The 4,500 students at The Evergreen State College do not declare majors and there are no departments; they design their own courses of study. The also agree to a "social contract" that emphasizes intellectual freedom, civility and respect for others. MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES April Meyers, a police officer at The Evergreen State College, says rioters spit on her patrol car and pelted it with bottles. Chase Hill, charged with theft Nina Hinton, charged with rioting and malicious mischief Monica Ragan, charged with rioting and malicious mischief Jake Silberman, charged with malicious mischief, rioting with a deadly weapon Peter Sloan, charged with rioting, malicious mischief Related Archive | Riot at Evergreen State College damages deputy's car Hip Hop Congress: Rap not to blame for riot The Evergreen State College About:The Evergreen State College is a small, state-funded liberal-arts college. It's unusual in that there are no departments or majors, and students don't get letter grades. Rather, students get individual written evaluations from professors and design their own curricula. History: Opened in 1971. Located on 1,100 acres of forest near Olympia. Student and faculty profile: 4,500 students, 93 percent of whom are undergraduates. Twenty percent are students of color, and 78 percent of students are Washington residents. Median student age is 22. There are 158 full-time and 84 part-time faculty. Popular programs: Visual and performing arts; social sciences; natural resources and conservation Mascot: The geoduck, a giant, edible clam that can live more than 100 years Source: The Evergreen State College; Seattle Times archives OLYMPIA - The Evergreen State College is known across the country as a liberal, politically active campus where students are ready to challenge authority. But when a riot broke out here three weeks ago in which a police cruiser was overturned and trashed, the mood changed. The campus has found itself divided over who is to blame. Already-strained relationships with police have deteriorated. And Evergreen has found itself with a mark against its name that may be difficult to erase. On Wednesday, Thurston County sheriff's deputies arrested five suspected rioters on felony charges and were holding them overnight pending a hearing today. Four of them are Evergreen students, including two women who play college soccer and one man who plays baseball. The sheriff's office said it expects at least a dozen people will face felony charges by the time the investigation is complete. The riot was the first in Evergreen's 37-year history and came as a shock to alumni, students and faculty, many of whom consider the close-knit school a bastion of peace. Students even agree to a "social contract" when they attend, which emphasizes intellectual freedom - as well as civility and respect for others. The riot Some Evergreen students have been at odds with Olympia police since last November, when dozens of people were arrested at the Port of Olympia during protests against military shipments to Iraq. Two students and a professor are among four people who are suing Olympia Police for more than $10 million, alleging officers' use of batons, pepper spray and other crowd-control methods amounted to brutality. What's become known as the Valentine's Day Riot began peacefully enough Feb. 14 with a hip-hop concert in Evergreen's recreation center featuring the group Dead Prez. Organizers say 900 people showed up - about 500 Evergreen students and 400 other fans. At two minutes past midnight, April Meyers, the lone college police officer on duty, got a call: Organizers had tried to toss out a man for allegedly smoking pot and groping women. But he'd thrown punches and now, half-a-dozen people were fighting. By the time Meyers arrived, the suspect had left. But another man, who witnesses said also threw punches during the scuffle, remained. Meyers handcuffed him and led him away. Someone in the crowd told the men on stage. "Oh yeah? ... Say '[Expletive] the police! [Expletive] the police!' " the hip-hop group told the crowd, which chanted in response. But the group quickly changed its tone, video footage posted on the Internet shows: "Hold up, hold up, it's not just '[Expletive] the police.' That's great. But now you've got to organize behind this here. Make sure you find out that man's name and after we organize and have some justice, right?" Some concertgoers remained incensed at the arrest. They followed Meyers out, arguing that the man had simply tried to intervene and was singled out because he was African-American. As Meyers led the man to her car, the crowd continued chanting and grew increasingly agitated. Meyers tried to reason with students and explain her actions but was soon surrounded by about 200 people. Several deputies from Thurston County arrived to help out, but they, too, soon felt overwhelmed. Meyers tried, unsuccessfully, to drive away with the suspect. "Within a minute, I could hear my car getting struck," Meyers said. "The windows were getting covered in spit, and glass bottles were bouncing off the windshield." Meyers, a former Seattle police officer, said she finds it ironic that part of the reason she moved to Evergreen is because she strives for social justice. "I wanted to be in an environment that questions authority and is socially conscious and active," she said. "I was attracted to the very thing that got me in trouble." Meyers let the suspect go, but it went almost unnoticed by the crowd. By then, officers from the Olympia Police Department were also getting involved. The Olympia officers moved in with batons and released pepper spray to try to extract the other officers. The situation exploded. Meyers described it as "Lord of the Flies-esque." The officers retreated under what they describe as a hail of rocks, trash cans and branches that rioters used as spears. One Thurston County deputy couldn't start her car, so she grabbed the weapons inside and left it behind. Perhaps a dozen rioters overturned the car, trashed it and stole a laptop computer, a hand-held breath tester, even a seat. The laptop contained no sensitive data, according to police. Nobody was seriously hurt during the riot, although at least one officer and several protesters sought medical treatment for minor injuries. Film clips of the riot soon surfaced on the Internet and became central to the sheriff's investigation. Damage to the trashed cruiser and three other police vehicles is estimated at $50,000. The aftermath Evergreen has been nursing the hangover since. At a campus forum, a shaken Evergreen President Les Purce told students that the college would pay the costs for the vehicles, and that campus concerts were banned until further notice. "The range of emotions that I have gone through - from just being flat sad, to disappointed, to angry, to violated - have just swung back and forth," Purce told students. "Because I think about ... the promises that we made to you and your parents about what this place was and what we strive for it to be. And to have that kind of event occur in our house has caused me great pause." But soon after the president finished talking, Peter Bohmer, a professor of political economy, spoke out with a different message. "I really urge people here not to cooperate with campus police and administration," he said to raucous cheers and boos. "We need to deal with this among ourselves rather than use a police state, what appears increasingly like a militarized police state that is more and more restrictive." Bohmer, an MIT graduate who took part in the port protests, said he made the comments because he was worried that students could implicate each other and face felony charges when the matter should be dealt with in-house. "The police came in swinging. They were the original aggressors," he said. Since the riot, there have been a number of campus demonstrations and meetings. "I saw a sign yesterday that said, 'All cops are bad cops,' " sophomore Rebecca Papageorge said last week. "I just disagree with that. I feel like it poorly represents us." Another student, who didn't want to be named, said he admired the rioters for taking a stand. "Everybody's been talking about it," said Belinda Man, a freshman and the photo coordinator for the campus paper, the Cooper Point Journal. "People are still venting their emotions." Some say it's time to think again about having campus police carry weapons on all patrols, the policy since 2003. There are seven patrol officers in the Evergreen force, which is stretched thin covering 24-hour shifts. But others say the riot only reinforces the need for tight campus security. The healing Student leaders and administrators hope that continuing forums and discussions will help the campus heal. Trevor Kinahan, a representative of the Geoduck Student Union, said it may be time to review the social contract, reassess police protocols and perhaps set up meetings with Olympia Police and the Olympia community. He said the riot may become a point of discussion in classes. And a student group has formed: Greeners for Truth and Reconciliation. The man who was arrested at the concert, Kaylen Williams, 24, has been charged with misdemeanor assault. He is not an Evergreen student. Purce said he will put measures in place "to make sure nothing like this ever happens again." "We are relatively quiet here in the woods, but we ended up with a wake-up call," Purce said. "Sometimes, events come together in ways that no one expects." Nick Perry: 206-515-5639 or nperry at seattletimes.com http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/2008/02/264867.shtml Olympia SDS Statement on Police Racism and Violence on February 14th author: Olympia SDS Feb 20, 2008 21:38 Olympia SDS Statement on Police Racism and Violence on February 14th The Olympia chapter of Students for a Democratic Society condemns the racist arrest that occurred after the Dead Prez show on February 14th. The police are an occupying force that brings violence and enforces racism in our community, and they demonstrated both of these traits during the incident. The violence after the concert was not initiated by the performers or the crowd, but rather by the police. This is a concrete result of a history of interactions between our communities and the police. In accordance with our mission statement, Olympia SDS supports all people who resist racist, sexist and fundamentally oppressive police. This statement does not mean that all members of SDS agree with all tactics used, but we agree that the police were the initiators of the violence and had previously demonstrated racism that evening. Olympia SDS urges complete non-cooperation with police investigations. We call for the removal of police from The Evergreen State College as they enforce racism and violence in our community. http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/29/school.disturbance/ Protest at Miami high school turns rowdy Story Highlights The disturbance began during lunch hour and involved about 200 students Students say they were angry the principal put a student in a "choke hold" Officials: Police secured the area and got students safely back into the school Several students and police officers were hurt in the incident I, Florida (CNN) -- Police were called to Miami Edison Senior High School after a student protest became unruly Friday, officials said. Parents wait behind crime scene tape after a disturbance at Edison Senior High School in Miami. "A couple of hundred" students were involved in the protest, which began during lunch hour in an open patio next to the cafeteria, said Quintin Taylor, a spokesman for the Miami-Dade School Board. Minor injuries were reported among police and students, and video from the scene showed several students being led away as if under arrest. Students told CNN affiliate WSVN they were angry the principal put a student in a "choke hold" Thursday. Taylor said officials are investigating how the protest, which started peacefully, became unruly. "Our officers assigned to the school became a target at the school of objects being thrown at them ... books, soda pop, water bottles, milk cartons," Miami-Dade Schools Commander Charles Hurley told WSVN. The Miami-Dade superintendent of schools issued a statement saying police "were able to secure the area and get students safely back into the school. ... Police will continue to investigate this matter to find out exactly what took place today and ensure that this type of incident does not happen again." Watch as some students are led away in handcuffs ? Don't Miss WSVN: Police put down disturbance at high school Ten Miami-Dade School police officers received non-life threatening injuries, according to Lt. Iggy Carroll with the Miami Department of Fire Rescue. Several students complaining of minor injures were treated on scene and one student who said she is four weeks pregnant was taken to a hospital as a precaution after she said she was hit in the stomach, he said. Some students told WSVN police were using stun guns and pepper spray to break up the protest. Miami Police spokesman Delrish Moss said there was no evidence to support those claims. http://www1.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI78489/ Police put down disturbance at high school Related Links Interview with police and school officials First person account from students that witnessed Interview with Lt. Ignatius Carroll, Miami Fire Interview with an injured student MIAMI (WSVN) -- Several Police units have arrived at Edison Senior High School to break up what they are calling "a disturbance." At about 11:30 Friday morning, scores of police cars surrounded the school, and police could be seen running around the perimeter of the school. Many were in the middle of making arrests. It remains unclear how many students police arrested and how many individuals were injured. School Board police, City of Miami Police and Miami-Dade Police all reported to the scene. City of Miami spokesperson Delrish Moss said the situation is under control and officers are investigating into exactly what occurred. "It's no longer an active situation. It's now a crime scene," Moss clarified. The Interstate 95 northbound exit to Northwest 62 Street, the road that runs right in front of the high school, has been closed to traffic. Moss said his department first reported to the scene when school board police called for backup in the arrest of several unruly students in an open-air courtyard where students often have lunch. "We did get a emergency call for back up to assist them for several arrests that had been made," he said. Miami-Dade Schools Commander Charles Hurley said they had to call for backup when a demonstration "became very unruly." He said students started hurling projectiles at them. "Our officers assigned to the school became a target at the school of objects being thrown at them ... books, soda pop, water bottles, milk cartons," he said. Fire rescue also arrived on the scene but the extent of injuries have yet to be confirmed. City of Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Ignatius Carroll said some police officers suffered some scrapes and bruises. Several upset students reported that police hit students with batons, slammed some of them to the ground, used tasers, fired pepper spray and left some students bloodied. "You should have seen the way they were doing those children," said one of the witnesses who appeared on the scene as police were making arrests. "What I saw when I came here was people grabbing children by the hair, slamming them on the ground, beating them." Some students even said police punched a pregnant girl in her stomach. Carroll said none of the students received any life-threatening injuries. Commander Hurly added that his officers did not deploy any tasers. At one point there were rumors of a shooting, but Carroll quickly put that rumor to rest. "There was no shooting, there was no stabbing," he said. Two witnesses who said they watched the disturbance unfold said they had been trying to stage a protest against an incident involving a student and-- who the witnesses identified-- as Assistant Principal Javier Perez. They said Perez put a student in a choke-hold Thursday, and they wanted to protest his actions. They said when school police arrived, things went out of control. John Schuster, spokesperson of the Miami-Dade School Board, reported to the scene and said "classes have returned to normal." He added dismissal will occur, as scheduled, at 2:30 in the afternoon. He was unable to shed much light on how the riot started, but he said he was aware of the incident that students said inspired their protest. "At this time we are still looking at the cause of it," he said. "There is something that happened yesterday between a student and an administrator and a police officer, and a student attacked a police officer." http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hGkcUlTenkwCwtwMpugutUTcGyWwD8V5KN880 Students Held in Miami Protest Released Mar 2, 2008 MIAMI (AP) - More than two dozen teens who were arrested after seven police officers were hurt in a violent demonstration at a high school have been released, an attorney said Sunday. Circuit Judge Barbara Areces found insufficient evidence Saturday to hold two of the students held in Friday's clash. Another 16 juveniles, most charged with resisting arrest and disturbing the peace, were given home detention until a Monday hearing. Two 18-year-old students charged with resisting arrest with violence, disturbing a school assembly and disturbing the peace bonded out after a hearing Saturday, said Karen Andre, an attorney with the Haitian Lawyers Association. Six other adult students bonded out before the Saturday hearing, Andre said. The disturbance at Miami Edison Senior High School north of downtown Miami began during a protest Friday over the arrest of another student the day before, according to police. Dozens of police cars responded to the school, which has an enrollment of more than 1,100. Injuries to the officers included a dislocated shoulder, a broken nose, a twisted ankle as well as cuts and bruises. No students or teachers were seriously injured. Students met with school officials Sunday afternoon over how police responded. http://media.www.dailytrojan.com/media/storage/paper679/news/2008/01/28/News/Riot-Forces.Break.Up.Party-3170685.shtml Riot forces break up party Many students reported incidents of unnecessary police violence. Alexander Comisar and Dan Loeterman Issue date: 1/28/08 Section: News Media Credit: Courtesy of Savannah Wood Pushing back | A woman falls to the ground as students struggle against an LAPD task force dispatched to clear the street A seven-house 30th Street block party turned into a mob scene Friday night when police tried to break up the party and more than 1,000 partygoers refused to leave, prompting at least 75 Los Angeles Police Department officers in riot gear to use clubs, smoke bombs, Tasers and pepper ball guns to control the crowd. Nine were arrested after at least 100 students staged a "sit-in" in the street to prevent police from ending the party. Witnesses said students taunted the officers and threw beer bottles at them. Officers responded by shooting students with pepper balls and striking them with nightsticks, according to students at the party. Shortly after midnight, Department of Public Safety officers, who had learned about the party a week earlier, warned the party's organizer that the party had become overcrowded. The hosting houses turned off their music, but hundreds of people remained in the street. DPS then called LAPD officers to break up the party. Because of the crowd's size, LAPD declared a tactical alert, said police spokesman Mike Lopez. The crowd turned hostile when two police squad cars arrived at the party. "The kids were throwing beer bottles, not just at the cars but the officers, too, so they called us out," said an LAPD officer who responded to the alert. "Basically there were too many people in the street and they got LAPD out here to control the riot." Between 75 and 100 LAPD officers arrived from several different divisions, some in riot gear, witnesses said. The officers gathered in front of the crowd and warned students through a megaphone they had three minutes to disperse. When students continued to sit in the street, a line of officers began to walk into the crowd to force them to leave. Most students stood up and left the area, but some confronted the officers, according to witnesses and video footage of the incident. Multiple videos posted on YouTube captured much of the conflict. "Two cop cars were in the middle of the street and people were dancing and singing around them," said Ray Morales, a senior majoring in psychology. "When the cops told us to leave, we staged a sit-in. They just sat on the street and refused to leave." Students said they were angered by the conduct of LAPD officers during and after the confrontation. Many students said they were Tasered by officers or struck with nightsticks. Daniel Bell, a junior majoring in communication, said he was recording LAPD officers struggling with students on his cell phone when one of the officers pointed at him. "Three officers jumped me and threw me onto a car. I didn't struggle or anything. They made me put my head down and spread my legs." When Bell realized he had lost his phone and asked for it back, "The officer picked it up, looked down at it, pressed the delete button, switched it off and put it in my pocket." Some students also said LAPD shot them with rubber bullets. One student also said that an officer covered up his badge when the student tried to read the number. Another student claimed an officer denied a mark on his ribs was caused by a Taser shock. "When I was filling out my police report, I told one of the cops I got Tasered," said Dan, a USC student who asked that his last name not be used. "The cop looked at the big mark on my ribs and told me it wasn't a Taser mark." Dan also said that while he filled out his police report, he attempted to read a police officer's badge number, but the officer covered his chest. "I got a baton to the face and I tried to scuffle backward, but they came at me too fast," Dan said. "I got another baton to the knee, and the wall of police just continued to move at us." Mario Imbert, a student at the Art Institute of California, said a police officer used a Taser to subdue him. "Dan got hit, and I tried to help him up," Imbert said. "Then [police] tased me a couple times. It felt like my entire body was out of control. They Tasered me in my ribs, and I could feel it in my jaws and in my feet." Not all students were frustrated by the LAPD response. Schwartz said he thought LAPD's actions were necessary to settle a party dangerously close to being out of control. "Every house was full and the street was full," Schwartz said. "It was way too out of hand. It wasn't a good feeling at all." Schwartz said an LAPD officer fired a pepper ball at him, but that he thought it was necessary. "People were yelling obscenities and egging them on," he said. "It was a good thing LAPD came. I don't think they were doing anything that was unjustified." An LAPD officer on the scene, who declined to give his name, said nightsticks had been used but that no shots had been fired. But Elizabeth Whitham, who lives on 30th Street and watched a large part of the disruption from her balcony, said she saw an officer fire pepper balls at her apartment complex's manager. Other students also reported being shot by pepper balls. Four students were arrested on suspicion of failing to disperse when police told them to leave the party. One student was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an officer, and four others on suspicion of trespassing. Joel Avery, who organized the party, said he thought the party atmosphere cultivated partygoers' defiant attitudes. "There was just this really awesome party and it was being taken away," he said. "There was too much energy for it to have ended at that point." Dan said he and other students tried to ask police why the partying was being broken up. He said the officer responded, "You don't have any rights." A member of the Daily Trojan's editorial board was one of the nine students arrested. http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gBHl0lTc080RyoUrikGQHo609OdA UBC students arrested after development protest bonfire Apr 5, 2008 VANCOUVER - Nearly 20 people at the University of British Columbia face a series of charges including assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest after a protest escalated into a confrontation and arrests. Police arrested students rallying Friday in support of a peer who was blocking a fire hose being used to douse a protest bonfire. About 100 people with Students for a Democratic Society and Trek Park for People gathered outside UBC's Student Union Building to demonstrate against the redevelopment of a nearby grassy knoll, a popular student hangout, for a bus loop. A release from the society said a woman was told she was violating a bylaw by blocking the hose. "(the woman) was grabbed by an RCMP officer and thrown to the ground, pinned, and handcuffed. Her face was literally shoved in a puddle of mud while an RCMP officer sat on top of her," the release said, describing it as an "uncalled act of police aggression." The society said another student was immediately arrested for questioning the police action. It said the detentions led to students forming a human chain in protest. As a result, the release said, 26 students were arrested after 30 police cars from throughout Metro Vancouver arrived on the scene. However, RCMP Cst. Annie Linteau with RCMP's E Division said only 19 people were arrested at the scene. She said they received a call from campus security and the Vancouver fire department for assistance of dealing with the large crowd and bonfire. "Upon their arrival, the firefighters deemed the fire to be unsafe and asked for our assistance to move the protesters," she said. When they protesters were told to move, Linteau said "they banded together against the police and prevented the fire crews from putting out the fire." At this point officers from Vancouver and Richmond detachments were called in the deal with "combative" protesters. When one man was arrested and put in a police cruiser, the protesters banded around the car. Police then made their arrests. University students belong to the Alma Mater Society, the school's student association. Society vice-president of administration Tristan Markle called on university president Stephen Toope to condemn the arrests. He called the arrests a "collective punishment" for students who have been protesting development on the campus. Steve Klein from the Students from Democratic Society said protesters confronted security after they were holding a female on the ground in a puddle of water as they were trying to put out the fire. He said they tried negotiating with the officer to let the woman go. "He finally stood her up and eight people locked arms around her and said that this was a complete overreaction," Klein said, in a phone interview, adding that they spoke with the officer for about an hour. The woman wasn't arrested but the same people who were negotiating with the police, surrounded a car where a fellow protester was inside, under arrest. "We danced around the police cruiser and sang songs for maybe an hour," he said. "We were careful not to touch the police cruiser or anything else." At this point, more officers were called in and the situation escalated. Klein counted 18 police cruisers, two paddy wagons, a police van and several undercover police car. He said the commanding officer at the scene would not allow the people surrounding the car to negotiate with them and the crowd started to get upset. It was then that the arrests were made. "It seemed to me like it was inexperienced police officers escalating the situation rather than diffusing it and letting it get completely out of hand," Klein said. http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/2008/04/07/5216551-sun.html Students protest RCMP arrests at UBC UBC undergrad Steven Klein took issue with RCMP accounts of a Friday night dust-up as he gave an eyewitness account yesterday of students being arrested at a protest rally on campus. (Rob Kruyt, 24 hours) By MATT KIELTYKA, 24 HOURS UBC students are demanding answers after 19 of their colleagues were arrested Friday night in what police called a "volatile" protest. But if you ask Steven Klein, a student who witnessed the police crackdown at UBC's "grassy knoll," the only thing volatile about the incident was police reaction. "There was no threat of violence or aggression," Klein claims. "Students feel the arrests were unjustified and want to know why police dealt with it the way they did." According to the RCMP, some of the students attending the KnollAid 2.0 event - an all-day concert to help save a small green space behind the school's student union building from development - lit a large bonfire and blocked firefighters from putting it out. One student was arrested and a group of students locked arms around a police car to prevent the student from being taken away. At that point, scores of police arrived at the site to deal with the crowd, resulting in the arrest of 19 students. But Klein and fellow student Morghain Gibbons told 24 hours that while the students did protest the arrests, they were far from "volatile" or "dangerous." "It's just absurd," Gibbons said. "There were like 20 cop cars called in when it looked like everything was under control." The Students for a Democratic Society UBC group is planning on filing a complaint against the RCMP. SDSUBC organizer Margaret Orlowski said students will continue to protest the development plans and their petition to save the grassy knoll already has over 3,000 signatures. "It's an important part of student life," she said. "There is so much development on campus right now and none of it is for the students' benefit." From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 10:01:02 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:01:02 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Worker unrest - Egypt, Zambia, China, Greece, UAE, Eq.Guinea, Nigeria Message-ID: <00b201c89e51$22745cd0$0802a8c0@andy1> * EGYPT: General strikes, street protest rock Mubarak despite massive police repression Police effectively shut down Egypt to stop demonstrations; workers fought police with stones at one factory Solidarity strikes were attempted and students also protested * ZAMBIA: Smelter workers revolt, take managers hostage * CHINA: Workers revolt at container factory after beating of colleague * GREECE: Protesters battle police during general strike over neoliberal reforms * UAE: Migrant workers revolt in Sharjah, battle police * EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Statists kill two workers during clashes; Chinese migrant workers confronted the military * NIGERIA: Workers and supporters trash Apapa Port after deaths Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_26084.shtml Egypt: strikes shake US ally By Hossam el-Hamalawy Feb 20, 2008, 03:31 Workers at the Ghazl el-Mahalla textile mill in Egypt staged a mass demonstration last Sunday, calling for the end of the US-backed regime of Hosni Mubarak. The textile mill is the biggest in the Middle East. Its 27,000- strong workforce has been instrumental in forcing the regime into making economic concessions. The workers stormed out of their factory chanting, "Down, down Hosni Mubarak! Your rule is shit!" As they spilled out into the Nile Delta town they were joined by up to 10,000 local people. The protest inside the factory began by demanding a rise in the national minimum wage. The demonstration was called the day before the National Council for Wages - the government body in charge of setting the minimum wage - was due to convene for the first time since the mid-1980s. The minimum wage in Egypt has been held at ?3.26 a month since 1984 - while inflation has rocketed. The workers are demanding the government raise the minimum wage to ?112 a month. The protest was organised in secret by left wing activists in the factory. Bosses called in police in riot gear. At this point the workers stormed the gates and drove them away. They marched through the streets waving loaves of bread and chanting, "We are sick of eating beans while the rich eat chicken and pigeons." Others chanted against Mubarak's son and heir, "Gamal Mubarak, tell your dad we hate him!" Kamal al-Fayoumi, a union organiser and activist in the unofficial textile workers' union, told the crowds, "We are demanding social justice for all workers in Egypt. We want all the resources shared equally between workers and peasants, and not for this government of businessmen." Hosni Mubarak's regime is a key US ally in the region. Last month hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip poured into Egypt after demolishing the border fence built by Israel. Mubarak had sealed the border as part of a US-Israeli siege on the Palestinian territory intended to destroy Hamas - the resistance movement that won the 2006 elections. Attempts by Egyptian security forces to ailed after they were confronted by Palestinians and resistance fighters. Images of Egyptian riot police beating Palestinians were beamed across the Egypt, fuelling angry protests in the capital Cairo. Mubarak was forced to back down and begin negotiations with Hamas. Now the struggle has shifted back into the Egyptian working class. Sunday's demonstration marks a deepening of the wave of industrial struggle that began in Ghazl el-Mahalla in December 2006. That strike over bonuses set the standard for a wave of similar disputes, including those of rail workers, nurses, cement workers and tax collectors. The Sunday protest also marks a shift in the tempo of the struggle. In previous disputes Mahalla workers fought over local economic demands and made appeals to Mubarak to intervene against factory bosses. The chants against Mubarak and his family indicate a political crystallisation of the current movement. This demonstration was the first time since bread riots in 1977 that national demands have been raised in mass street demonstrations. This current wave of struggle began with the pro-Palestinian demonstrations in 2000, which metamorphosed into 30,000 strong anti- war protests in Cairo on 20-21 March 2003. The demonstration, known as the "Tahrir Intifada" after the square in the heart of the capital, broke Mubarak's regime of fear. The resistance to war and neoliberalism is transforming the movement for change inside the Middle East. http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_26475.shtml Hossam el-Hamalawy is an Egyptian journalist. Day of angry protest stuns Egypt By Michael Slackman Apr 6, 2008, 23:41 Cairo: The center of this normally bustling, overcrowded, traffic-clogged city was largely quiet Sunday, the roads nearly empty, many of the stores shuttered, as the riot police came out in force to prevent a general strike aimed at signaling widespread discontent with President Hosni Mubarak and his government. Egypt has virtually no organized political opposition, except the Muslim Brotherhood, which is banned and barred from politics. But events Sunday underscored the rise of a potentially more dangerous challenge to the government's monopoly on power: Widespread public outrage and a growing willingness by workers and professionals to press their demands by striking. The main complaint is economic, driven by rising food prices, depressed salaries and what opposition leaders say is an unprecedented gap between rich and poor. It is hard to say if the streets were empty Sunday because people stayed home for fear of getting caught in the crossfire between protesters and police, or because of the call to stay home as a form of protest. Either way, the government took the threat of a mass mobilization so seriously that it issued a warning to potential strikers, saying it would "take necessary and resolute measures toward any attempt to demonstrate, impede traffic, hamper work in public facilities or to incite any of this." In Cairo, riot police officers massed in Tahrir Square, the center of the city. They stood in formation outside the lawyers', doctors' and journalists' syndicates. State security agents had visited government workers in advance and ordered them to attend work on Sunday, some workers said. At the lawyers' syndicate, a few hundred protesters stood on the roof and on a balcony chanting "Down, down Hosni Mubarak." Hundreds of students demonstrated at three universities in Cairo. In Mahalla al-Kobra, the center of Egypt's textile industry north of Cairo, a melee broke out late in the day as the riot police fired tear gas and workers threw stones. Officials said there were more than 200 arrests around the country, including at least seven people arrested for their efforts to use the Internet to promote the call for a day of unrest. "I am not about to claim that the Egyptian people are finally rebelling," said Abdel Ahab El Meseery, an organizer with Kifaya, an opposition movement, who once served as the Arab League's cultural attach? to the United Nations. "The element of fear is there. The people are afraid of the government, but the government is as afraid of the people." Under Mubarak and his governing National Democratic Party, officials have succeeded in stunting the growth and influence of political opposition. The only opposition group with a broad network and a core constituency is the Muslim Brotherhood, which has little ability to effect political change because its members are routinely arrested and jailed. Local elections are scheduled for Tuesday, and the government has arrested hundreds of Brotherhood members and supporters in advance. The Brotherhood, struggling to regain its footing after the intense and persistent police pressure, distanced itself from the call to strike and said it would not participate. Since September 2007 the government itself has scrambled to keep pace with the growing reliance on strikes as a tool to press worker demands. Textile workers, tax clerks and university professors have all held strikes or threatened to strike. Doctors have also threatened to strike, complaining that physicians with 20 years experience, for example, often make no more than 450 Egyptian pounds a month, the equivalent of about $80. "What made us take more confrontational measures is that we saw other groups doing so and making their demands," said Hamdy El Sayyid, longtime chairman of the doctors' syndicate. But what has turned the demands of individual workers into a potential mass movement, officials and political analysts said, has been inflation on food products, mostly bread and cooking oil. The rising cost of wheat, coupled with widespread corruption in the production and distribution of subsidized bread, has prompted the president to order a resolution to the problem. But that has done little to calm public outrage, or lower bread prices. On Adly Street, a broad thoroughfare in central Cairo, many more stores than usual were shuttered Sunday, according to street vendors and local residents. It was a windy day, with a sandstorm and rain showers, which may have offered people added encouragement to stay off the streets. "People are staying at home today," said Ashraf, a clerk in a luggage store on Adly Street. He was afraid to give his last name, for fear of arrest, but he said he kept his children home from school and dressed in all black as signs of support for the protest. "Because of the prices, because we can't get food," he said explaining the reason for the strike. The strike plans began with the workers in Mahalla, who had said they would strike at 7 a.m., when workers changed shifts, to protest low wages. But state security forces arrived in mass and workers said they grew intimidated and went to work. But the initial plan led other, smaller groups to call for the day of protest as a general sign of discontent with the direction Egypt is taking. Kifaya, which had been in the vanguard of opposition movements until 2005, when its public following dwindled, joined the call. What may have spooked government officials mostly is the way in which technology - especially text messages on cellphones - was used to spread the word, without any formal organization promoting the call, political analysts said. Residents of Imbaba, a conservative, poor neighborhood inside Cairo, asked neighbors to stay home as a sign of protest. Belal Fadl, a scriptwriter and satirist in Cairo, said that Egypt was going through a very confusing time, one in which, he warned, the government should not rely on a population that is politically apathetic. The problems, he said, were now too widespread, and too close to home. "People in Egypt," Fadl said, "don't care about democracy and the transfer of power - they don't believe in it because they didn't grow up to it in the first place. This is unfortunately the case. Their problem is limited to their ability to survive and if that is threatened then they will stand up." Mona el Naggar contributed reporting. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/06/africa/egypt.php Taken from http://www.anarchistblackcat.org/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=598 I've just got back after spending a whole day in Cairo trying to go to one of the solidarity protests. But as usual downtown Cairo was literally under siege with thousands of police, plainclothes thugs, vans, water cannons etc. everywhere. Protesters were that turned up in small numbers were arrested (I think about 30-50 in Cairo alone) or were forced to disperse. A group of about 200 were holed up in the Lawyers Syndicate by hundreds of police. In Mahalla several workers (up to 200) were arrested. Mahalla and the Misr Spinning and Weaving Factory has been under siege for days and today all attempts at striking or occupying the factory were effectively stopped by the security forces. There has apparently been a split between militant and co-opted workers in Mahalla, with the former strike leaders (Attar and Habib e.g.) belonging to the latter group (they even signed documents affirming that they would not strike today). I haven't got all the news for other places in Egypt, but there appears to have been a general police repression everywhere. I just heard that two boys were killed in Mahalla and that the city has been closed down (i.e. no-one can leave or enter). The call for a general strike was just posturing by the Islamic Labour Party. It was a call to strike being passed around on facebook, e-mails, sms etc. but not backed up by anything organized at workplaces. However, Cairo was relatively empty today and some reports I've read say that "significant parts of the population actively or passively were supporting the strike". Lots of university students apparently did not attend classes today. None of this I have been able to confirm, but I will probably get a clearer picture of what happened later this evening or tomorrow. http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL06355028.html Egyptian Security forces abort day of protest Sun 6 Apr 2008, 9:43 GMT [-] Text [+] By Wael Gamal CAIRO, April 6 (Reuters) - Egyptian security forces thwarted plans for a strike by about 20,000 textile workers in the Nile Delta on Sunday when hundreds of plainclothes agents took control of the factory, worker activists told Reuters. Solidarity stoppages and protests in other parts of the country were cancelled or failed to draw widespread support, disrupting attempts to launch a nationwide general strike. Karim Al Behiry, a blogger who works in the textile factory in Mahalla el-Kubra, 100 km (60 miles) north of Cairo, said the security men made it impossible to protest. "They are inside and outside the factory and workers who managed to reach the place were taken one by one to their machines and were forced to work," he told Reuters. "Many workers couldn't reach the factory in the first place because of the security siege," he added. A workers group at state-owned Misr Spinning and Weaving Company had called for workers across the country to strike on Sunday in solidarity with their demands for wage increases to face recent rises in prices. Egypt's urban consumer inflation jumped to an 11-month high of 12.1 percent in the year to February. Higher prices for food have hit the the poorest of Egyptians hardest. The strike call won overt support only from the anti-government protest movement Kefaya and some small opposition parties and movements. The influential Muslim Brotherhood, the main opposition force, gave it only tacit approval. On the social networking Web site Facebook a group in support of the protest had accumulated more than 60,000 members by Sunday morning. DETAINED FOR LEAFLETS Security forces arrested 28 people in Cairo, Alexandria and the Nile Delta city of Mansoura late on Saturday and on Sunday as they were distributing leaflets in support of the strike, security sources and a committee of legal observers said. "These included the opposition blogger Malek Mostafa and members of the frozen Islamic Labour Party," lawyer and human rights activist Gamal Eid told Reuters. The organisers of the strike have called for demonstrations in main squares in Cairo, Alexandria and other cities to protest declining standards of living, especially among the poor. But the Interior Ministry threatened to prosecute any strikers or protesters and mobilised thousands of riot police in the streets of Cairo to prevent them. The security presence was especially strong around Tahrir Square in central Cairo and at the headquarters of the lawyers and journalists association, popular venues for protests. "We tried to demonstrate in Tahrir Square but we were chased out and some of us were arrested," Abdelwahab El-Messiri, the general coordinator of Kefaya, told Reuters. "So we decided to cancel it because we don't want to have victims," he added. Workers in Kafr Al Dawar and Shebine Al Koom said there too organisers had cancelled solidarity strikes and demonstrations. But some private schools in Cairo cancelled classes and told pupils to stay at home for fear of trouble in the streets. (Editing by Jonathan Wright and Mary Gabriel) Frustrating day, and on top of that there was a sandstorm and it rained. http://www.mideastwire.com/topstory.php?id=22481 2008-04-07 00:00:00 "The Egyptian giant is on the move" On April 7, the Palestinian-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following opinion piece by Chief Editor Abdel-Beri Atwan: "Like an elephant, Egypt moves heavily and and enjoys a high tolerance level. However, when it starts to move, there is no stopping it as it destroys everything that stands in its way, especially if it is hungry and if its children can't find anything to eat. The strikes and demonstrations staged in Egyptian cities yesterday are just the beginning, or the beginning of the end of the regime. What is important now is not the success or the failure of the demonstration, as much as it is the fact that the giant represented by the popular base has started to rebel against hunger, oppression and corruption and has started to raise its voice in protest. "After thirty years of fake peace and false promises, and after having humiliatingly joined the American war projects against Arabs and Muslims, the good Egyptian people are now hungry and dying in bread queues, while other populations are advancing, prospering and becoming economic tigers. I lived in Egypt when I was a university student at the end of the sixties, beginning of the seventies, as well as during the depletion war and before the country shifted Westwards and surrendered its neck to the International Monetary Fund. "I can say that cooperatives were filled with all kinds of food products and the entire Egyptian people wore wool and cotton clothes and high-quality Egyptian shoes, from the president of the republic to the smallest employee in the state... The great Egypt was sold under the headline of privatization to the US and Israel, in exchange for a very small price, which was collected by a group surrounding President Mubarak, his sons and the ruling elite, so that it differentiates itself from the vast majority of good and patient Egyptian people... America is the biggest wheat-producing and exporting country in the world. "Why doesn't it rush to save its ally President Hosni Mubarak, who helped it in all its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and maybe in its war against Iran and Syria in the future, and who became its mediator for peace and normalization in the region? The answer is simple: The problem is not as much the US as it is the Egyptian regime itself. This regime does not know how to manage its alliances and exploit them to serve its people and the coming generations. What this regime is interested in, is remaining in power at any cost while filling the foreign bank accounts of those surrounding it... Now Egypt has no economy, no politics and no leadership. It is like a piece of wood floating on a river, not knowing when, where and how it will stop. "It is not controlling its own fate and its captain has eluded his responsibilities and has retreated to his own world in the Sharm al- Shaykh resort far from all problems and concerns... However, the Egyptian people have started to rebel, to break the circle of silence and make loud demands for a drastic change. They will undoubtedly achieve their goals, for this has been done throughout eight thousand years of civilization and creativity. Their rebellion will mark the beginning of salvation from the state of submission that this nation is undergoing, considering that ever since Egypt left with its flock with the Camp David Accords, its situation has been deteriorating..." - Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom Call for Class Solidarity from Egyptian El Mahalla Workers http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/mahalla070408.html 6 April 2008 -- The government's police attacked the Mahalla workers' strike. Since the night of 5 April, so many worker leaders have been arrested. Police besieged the city. The strike couldn't start in the morning. In the afternoon, workers, their families, and the unemployed started demonstrations. Police have attacked brutally with real bullets and gas bombs and killed 7 people, one of whom was a 9-year-old boy. 200 have been arrested in Cairo and 400 in Mahallah. Two of them are professors. Hundreds of wounded demonstrator are in three hospitals. Half a million demonstrators are in streets and clashes with police are continuing. However, workers are trying to start the strike. Below are calls for solidarity issued before the strike. -- Cigdem Cidamli Call for Class Solidarity from Egyptian El Mahalla Workers 6th April will be a very significant day for the laborers in both southern and northern coasts of the Mediterranean sea. That day, the labourers in Turkey will take another important step in their struggle against the neo-liberal social security reform law. And in Egypt, El Mahalla textile workers, the pioneers of the two years of the strike wave in this country, declared a new wildcat strike for 6th of April and a general strike atmosphere is constituted against the neo-liberal, oppressive, corrupted Hosni Mubarak regime. 25 thousand workers of Mahalla factory, which is one of the largest textile factories in all Middle East, declared a strike action on 6th April, which is a work day in Egypt, demanding their wages at the level of an average 350 Egyptian pounds (60 dollars) to be increased with the high inflation rate and the conditions in the factory clinic to be improved. However, the strike of the Mahalla workers has a meaning beyond their mere demands for the Egyptian working class and people. If Mahalla workers can really do the strike and be successful, the broader struggle against the Mubarak regime will be gaining a very important new achievement by the hands of the Egyptian working class. Hence the strike action of the Mahalla workers, pioneers of the wave of independent and de facto trade union organisations and strikes of the last two years, is declared illegal today by the Ministry of Interior. The state security forces, hand in hand with the official trade union organisation General Federation of Trade Unions and Ministery of Labour, announced that they will use all measures in order the prevent 6th April strike. Mahalla, which is a worker town in two hours distance to the capital city Cairo, is surrounded by 35 thousand security police and entrance to the town is prevented. And in the capital city at least 5 people distributing solidarity leaflets are arrested today. The worker leaders of the factory are not staying in their houses in order to prevent the arrests to halt the strike action. On the other hand, the tax collectors movement, which shares the leadership of the strike wave with Mahalla workers and various other independent worker organisations in different cities in the whole country, decided to make solidarity strikes and demonstrations the same day. Solidarity Commission in Support of Mahalla Workers called on all Egyptian workers and people to support the strike action of the Mahalla workers. It seems that neo-liberal, pro- market and corrupted Hosni Mubarak regime will use all kinds of oppression to prevent the 6th April action. Militant workers of Mahalla are calling all workers and laboring people of the world to support their fair cause and to show their solidarity. Contact for solidarity: Solidarity Commission in Support of Mahalla Workers, 6apri08 at gmail.com, 6april.blogspot.com Workers of Mahalla Unite behind Your Rights A great comprador's salute to the militant workers of Ghazl El- Mahalla, who announced that they will go on strike today in order to demand their rights, and above all their right to a fair fixed minimum wage, along with the need to link wages with prices. And, all the shame and condemnation is the share of the workers' syndicate that does its best to halt the workers movement and break their rightful strike. Your strike, today, is an enormous step forward since it does not only relate to you, but concerns each and every person who works in return for a wage in Egypt. Workers of Mahalla, you are not alone today for the whole of Egypt supports you in your just demands. Do not be dissuaded by the continuous trials at breaking your unity and stand firm against all the games of the treacherous syndicate and the regime's oppressive machine and media used to break your will. Long live the struggles of all the Egyptian people, and the workers' struggle at their core, to free themselves, win back their rights, and fight against the strategies of oppression, exploitation, and corruption. Long Live the militancy and revolt of El-Mahalla workers The Solidarity Commission in Support of Mahalla Workers A Call to All Egyptians, Workers, and Populace at Large! Stand Together and Unite! To every honourable effort, and every drop of sweat exerted by those who worked hard for a morsel of bread soaked in the blood and sweat of a worker. To those whose wages have been enveloped by the deamon that is inflation, subjected to the monstrosity of those who invest in the workers' efforts and feast on their sweat. To all the workers . . . To the hope of this nation, of its peoples, its children and its women . . . You are called upon today to stand together as one, with all that you have; be it your effort, your words, or your actions; behind the pioneers of your struggle; behind the workers of Mahalla. The pioneers that stand today, declaring a strike and calling for their rights to a minimum wage rate aligned with inflation and market prices. These demands they do not call for the workers of Mahalla only, but for every workers in Egypt, for every wager-earner on this land. Undaunted by the treachery of the General Federation of Egyptian Workers, or the Ministry of Labour, who supposedly represent the plight of every wage-earner for his/her rights. The workers of Mahalla were not daunted by the state securitys' various attempts to instill fear in their hearts. Nay, they stood strong in the forefront, speaking in the names of the hopes and aspirations of all Egyptians for a more dignified life, particularly after the inconceivable rise in prices. We are called upon today to lend our voices to yours, God is with you, and so are we. Standing behind you to support your every effort and every cause for a more dignified life for us and our children. The committee in solidarity with the workers of Mahallah. Sendika.org (Cairo-Mahalla) Cigdem Cidamli is a co-editor of the Turkish edition of Monthly Review. http://www.pr-inside.com/egyptian-security-forces-prevent-planned-r522282.htm Egyptian security forces prevent planned textile strike, workers riot Print article Refer to a friend ? AP 2008-04-06 17:09:48 - MAHALLA AL-KOBRA, Egypt (AP) - Security forces clashed with workers in the gritty industrial city of Mahalla al-Kobra in northern Egypt Sunday afternoon after earlier plans for a strike at the nation's largest industrial complex were foiled, according to eyewitnesses and security officials. Meanwhile in the capital Cairo many citizens responded to activists' calls for nationwide action by skipping work or school to protest deteriorating economic conditions, amid a heavy security crackdown that saw massive amounts of riot police occupying public squares. Police have arrested four workers in Mahalla following the clashes and another 94 people in several provinces across the country, including several prominent activists and trade unionists, reported a security official on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the press. The factory strike over low wages and rising prices was scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. when the workers changed shifts, but hundreds of security forces arrived hours earlier and took control of the Mahalla al-Kobra textile plant, said Mustafa Foda, a 25-year veteran of the company. ?From 3 a.m. they took control of the inside of the company with plainclothes security,? said Foda. ?Anyone who tried to talk was taken. The 55-year-old worker said that security prevented him and many others from entering the factory and arrested some 150 workers ahead of the shift change. The strike was also hindered by the decision from several worker leaders not to carry out any strike inside the factory due to ongoing negotiations with the government-controlled union and factory management. ?They are working on our demands, so why go on strike?? he told The Associated Press. ?We have to give them a chance to see improvements,? he added, suggesting that labor would reconsider the strike in July. Inside the factory, throughout Sunday, business continued as usual, but after the day shift ended at 3:30 p.m. local time (1330 GMT) locals and workers gathered in the main square where they were confronted by large numbers of riot police, according to eye witnesses. ?A lot of rocks are being thrown and there are indications that people are being beaten,? said Joel Beinin, a professor of Middle East Studies from the American University at Cairo who was at the scene. There were later reports of tear gas fired into the crowd of several hundreds. Traffic was significantly lighter than usual in Cairo on Sunday and schools were almost completely empty, indicating many of the city's millions of residents were heeding the activists' call. Egyptians are often characterized as being politically apathetic, and many Cairo residents seemed surprised by the enthusiastic response. Hundreds of students demonstrated in Helwan and Cairo universities in the capital after previously skipping classes and chanted anti-regime slogans. Hundreds of intellectuals and activists also protested inside the grounds of the Bar Association in downtown Cairo, waving banners and chanting slogans demanding economic reform. The protesters congregated despite a warning by Egypt's Interior Ministry on Saturday against civil disturbances. ?The strike is legitimate against poverty and starvation,? chanted the protesters, who were surrounded by hundreds of riot police personnel. People on the roof later showered security forces with glass bottles and bits of wood. Other attempts to stage demonstrations in the city's main squares were swiftly dispersed and dozens of activists were arrested. The strike calls were the first major attempt by opposition groups to turn the past year's labor unrest and rising anger over the economy into a wider political protest against the government, only two days before key elections for local councils on Tuesday. The government had announced a ban on political rallies inside mosques, hoping to blunt the protests. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak also lifted import duties on some foodstuffs in an effort to soften economic complaints brought on by a near doubling of prices of food stuffs due to international and local influences. ?The regime is terrified and Sunday's strike is a test for the upcoming popular uprising,? said a headline in the Sunday edition of the Sout El-Umma opposition newspaper. In recent days, anti-government groups have been sending mobile phone messages and e-mails to people around the country to hold protests, stay home from work, avoid shopping, wear black clothes and hang the Egyptian flag from windows and balconies in a show of support for the strikers. Strikes and demonstrations are illegal in Egypt under the country's emergency law, and protesters are often silenced by Egyptian security forces. Associated Press writer Maggie Michael contributed to this report from Cairo. http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/03/04/afx4726795.html Striking Zambian workers riot, temporarily take Chinese managers hostage 03.04.08, 7:54 AM ET LUSAKA (Thomson Financial) - Striking construction workers rioted at a copper smelter in Zambia on Tuesday, temporarily taking a group of Chinese managers hostage and damaging property in protest against poor working conditions. The hostages were set free a few hours after workers locked them in their offices and shut the perimeter gates to the 200 mln usd Chinese-owned site near the town of Chambeshi, company spokesmen and police said. Police surrounded the premises and locked out the rioting Zambian workers, but not before they had set fire to part of a hostel housing Chinese workers, said a policeman who could not be named as he was not an official spokesman. Managers of the Chambishi Copper Smelter and worker representatives were locked in talks by lunch time to try and resolve their differences. Company spokesman George Jambwa said more than 500 workers began strike action on Monday to press for better wages and safer working conditions. http://africa.reuters.com/business/news/usnBAN436190.html Workers riot over pay at Zambia's Chambishi smelter Tue 4 Mar 2008, 10:03 GMT By Shapi Shacinda LUSAKA (Reuters) - Workers at Zambia's Chinese-owned Chambishi Smelter rioted over pay on Tuesday, injuring a Chinese manager and damaging property as a wage dispute entered a second day, a union official told Reuters. "There was some kind of rioting and one Chinese manager sustained a cut on the lower lip after he was hit by a stone," National Union of Allied and Mining Workers (Numaw) secretary Albert Mando told Reuters by telephone from Chambishi, 420 km (263 miles) north of the capital of Lusaka. He said workers who went on strike on Monday gathered outside the smelter on Tuesday and hurled stones at managers inside. "Another Zambian manager was also injured on the leg while some property has been destroyed," Mando added, saying police were called in to break up the riot. "Police have managed to calm the situation, but the workers are still gathered outside the smelter ... They are demanding improved conditions of service and better salaries," said Mando. Numaw officials were in talks with management at the smelter to resolve the pay dispute, he said. Union president Mundia Sikufele told Reuters on Monday the workers stopped work after learning that salary negotiations between the Chinese managers of Chambishi Smelter and the Numaw had collapsed. Sikufele declined to state how much workers at Chambishi were paid, but confirmed they were demanding salaries ranging from $325 to $400 per month. A government official close to the negotiations told Reuters workers were now paid about $80 in monthly pay. Chambishi Smelter, which will cost more than $200 million to construct, is part of China's planned $900 million investment in the mining town of Chambishi, which the government has turned into a tax-free economic zone to attract Chinese investment. Copper production is Zambia's main economic activity and the vast copper mines are a major employer in the southern African country of 12 million people. http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/media/news/viewnews.cgi?category=8&id=1204878276 State probes Chambishi riot By ANGELA CHISHIMBA GOVERNMENT is investigating the wrangles at Chambishi Copper Smelter Limited (CCS) and the subsequent riotous behaviour by workers, which led to damage to company property. And management at CCS has back-pedaled on its decision to dismiss the workers and instead asked them to exculpate themselves on whether or not they took part in the riot. About 500 workers at the CCS were on Wednesday issued with summary dismissal letters following their two-day riotous behaviour in protest against alleged poor conditions of service. Minister of Labour and Social Security, Ronald Mukuma said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that although Government would investigate the wrangles at Chambishi Mine before any action was taken, it was disappointed at the workers' unruly behavior. He said the workers should not have taken the law into their own hands because labour laws did not stipulate such action. "We are spending hours at the tripartite committee discussing the importance of dialogue and yet people are doing the contrary," he said. Mr Mukuma said he was disappointed that workers damaged property, which belonged to them as Zambians. He said labour laws clearly stipulated procedures to follow when there was a dispute, other than the action taken by the workers. Mr Mukuma said Government's intervention in the matter would depend on the outcome of the investigations. "Officials from my Ministry are already on the ground carrying out investigations. The officials have actually been there from day one," he said. Mr Mukuma said negotiations between CCS management and the workers were supposed to start before the riotous behaviour. "I don't understand why workers had to strike and riot before negotiations commenced," he said. Mr Mukuma was also disappointed at some National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) officials who were reported to have incited workers to go on strike. Meanwhile, CCS company secretary Sun Chuanqi said in a statement the workers will not be dismissed indiscriminately, report MUKULA MUKULA and ALEX NJOVU. Mr Chuanqi said CCS would be guided by its in-house code of conduct and the country's labour laws. "For now, none of the workers has been fired. We have merely given them three days in which to exculpate themselves, and there after, that is when management is going to make a decision. But for now, they still remain our employees," he said. Mr Chuanqi said the company's idea to write summary dismissal letters to the workers was meant to keep them away from work because some of them were intent on destroying company property. He said it would be unfair for the company to fire its workers that had worked so hard since the smelter project started in 2006. "We have come a long way with our workers and their services to this company are valuable. In fact, this is their investment, and the challenge is upon them as employees to guard it jealously," Mr Chuanqi said. He said management and the union would continue negotiations for improved salaries and conditions of service and that both parties were committed to ensuring that workers were given a salary increase. Mr Chuanqi said management established that only a quarter of the workers took part in the riot while most of them were unwilling participants who were persuaded by their colleagues to take part. He was convinced that most of the workers would soon resume work. By yesterday afternoon, management had given 300 employees their summary dismissal letters while 100 had already exculpated themselves and were working. A Zambia Daily Mail team that visited the plant found workers taking turns in walking into human resource offices to be interviewed on whether they took part in the riot or not. The interviews of the workers were conducted under heavy presence of police in riot gear. The company says it lost property worth US$200,000 following the workers' two-day protest against alleged poor conditions of service. Meanwhile, the six NUMAW who were arrested and detained by police have been released. Copperbelt police commanding officer Antonneil Mutentwa said the six officials were released without charges. He, however, said police would continue with investigations on who was responsible for the riot. http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/media/news/viewnews.cgi?category=8&id=1204878276 State probes Chambishi riot By ANGELA CHISHIMBA GOVERNMENT is investigating the wrangles at Chambishi Copper Smelter Limited (CCS) and the subsequent riotous behaviour by workers, which led to damage to company property. And management at CCS has back-pedaled on its decision to dismiss the workers and instead asked them to exculpate themselves on whether or not they took part in the riot. About 500 workers at the CCS were on Wednesday issued with summary dismissal letters following their two-day riotous behaviour in protest against alleged poor conditions of service. Minister of Labour and Social Security, Ronald Mukuma said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that although Government would investigate the wrangles at Chambishi Mine before any action was taken, it was disappointed at the workers' unruly behavior. He said the workers should not have taken the law into their own hands because labour laws did not stipulate such action. "We are spending hours at the tripartite committee discussing the importance of dialogue and yet people are doing the contrary," he said. Mr Mukuma said he was disappointed that workers damaged property, which belonged to them as Zambians. He said labour laws clearly stipulated procedures to follow when there was a dispute, other than the action taken by the workers. Mr Mukuma said Government's intervention in the matter would depend on the outcome of the investigations. "Officials from my Ministry are already on the ground carrying out investigations. The officials have actually been there from day one," he said. Mr Mukuma said negotiations between CCS management and the workers were supposed to start before the riotous behaviour. "I don't understand why workers had to strike and riot before negotiations commenced," he said. Mr Mukuma was also disappointed at some National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) officials who were reported to have incited workers to go on strike. Meanwhile, CCS company secretary Sun Chuanqi said in a statement the workers will not be dismissed indiscriminately, report MUKULA MUKULA and ALEX NJOVU. Mr Chuanqi said CCS would be guided by its in-house code of conduct and the country's labour laws. "For now, none of the workers has been fired. We have merely given them three days in which to exculpate themselves, and there after, that is when management is going to make a decision. But for now, they still remain our employees," he said. Mr Chuanqi said the company's idea to write summary dismissal letters to the workers was meant to keep them away from work because some of them were intent on destroying company property. He said it would be unfair for the company to fire its workers that had worked so hard since the smelter project started in 2006. "We have come a long way with our workers and their services to this company are valuable. In fact, this is their investment, and the challenge is upon them as employees to guard it jealously," Mr Chuanqi said. He said management and the union would continue negotiations for improved salaries and conditions of service and that both parties were committed to ensuring that workers were given a salary increase. Mr Chuanqi said management established that only a quarter of the workers took part in the riot while most of them were unwilling participants who were persuaded by their colleagues to take part. He was convinced that most of the workers would soon resume work. By yesterday afternoon, management had given 300 employees their summary dismissal letters while 100 had already exculpated themselves and were working. A Zambia Daily Mail team that visited the plant found workers taking turns in walking into human resource offices to be interviewed on whether they took part in the riot or not. The interviews of the workers were conducted under heavy presence of police in riot gear. The company says it lost property worth US$200,000 following the workers' two-day protest against alleged poor conditions of service. Meanwhile, the six NUMAW who were arrested and detained by police have been released. Copperbelt police commanding officer Antonneil Mutentwa said the six officials were released without charges. He, however, said police would continue with investigations on who was responsible for the riot. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2008/01/17/china_riot/ Workers Riot at Maersk Factory in Southern China 2008.01.17 Promotional photo on the Machong development Web site. Photo: Machong government HONG KONG-Hundreds of workers at a factory in southern China owned by Danish shipping giant Maersk rioted earlier this week, clashing with security guards and smashing property after a colleague was beaten for jumping a lunchtime queue. "It is total chaos here. We don't even know where to start," a member of the administrative staff at Maersk Container Industri in the port of Machong, near Dongguan city, said. "There are lots of broken windows. Wherever there was a piece of glass, it has now been broken," he told RFA's Cantonese service. The riots were triggered by a dispute in the canteen Monday lunchtime involving migrant worker Zhao Hongwei. Zhao said he was beaten by security guards after he refused to pay a fine of 200 yuan for jumping the barrier in the canteen. Canteen dispute China's economic miracle is being accomplished at the expense of people's rights and at the expense of their health. Chinese labor expert Han Dongfang "I didn't have time to queue because [our shift ended late, so] we only had 30 minutes to eat, so I jumped over the barrier. The security guards saw me and called me over. They wanted to fine me 200 yuan. I said that was too much. So they just kept on upping the amount until it was more than 1,000 yuan," he said. "As I was leaving the canteen, they blocked my way and wouldn't let me leave. They were waiting for me outside the door. They surrounded me and started hitting me with their walkie-talkies around the head," Zhao said. "I managed to get away, and then I ran back to the canteen and shouted 'The security guards are beating me!' They could see it was true because I was covered in blood by then. The workers were already very angry and they rushed to attack the security guards. The guards saw they were getting some makeshift weapons, and they fled." Zhao, who was taken to hospital by police along with an injured security guard, said the workers had been angry at pay cuts and demands from management for greater productivity and longer hours for a very long time. After the police left, they starting attacking the main administrative building, smashing all the windows with bricks, Zhao said. Some reports said they set fire to the security guards' office and their living quarters. The riot lasted into the early hours of Tuesday morning. Local media reports said the workers were angry after Maersk adjusted the number of days off that they would have over the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday. The new system allowed workers to have five days off over the national holiday period, but only if they worked overtime during weekends prior to the holiday. Employees argued that if they worked overtime on weekends, then they should be paid for it (and not given days off for a major Chinese holiday that they should receive anyway), according to a report in the Southern Metropolis Daily translated and posted on the CSR Asia blog. Labor expert Han Dongfang estimates that strikes involving at least 1,000 workers occur daily in the economic powerhouse that is the Pearl River Delta, along with many smaller strikes. Officials vow to investigate Han, who hosts the Labor Bulletin program for RFA's Mandarin service said there were also many smaller strikes daily in the region, where about one-third of Chinese exports are manufactured and where, according to a published study, workers lose or break about 40,000 fingers on the job every year. Zhao, who has worked at Maersk for nearly a year, said the security guards often bullied and beat up the workers, but it was the workers who always ended up getting fined by the company. The office workers were unhappy too, because the company kept cutting their wages. "Why do you have to take the side of the security guards in your factory?" he asked. "The security guards were in the wrong here. Added to that, you keep cutting our wages and demanding greater productivity and longer hours." Repeated attempts to interview a senior executive at Maersk met with no response. An officer who answered the phone at the Machong township police station declined to comment on the incident. But an official at the local government's foreign trade and economic affairs bureau said they would be investigating. "We will liaise with all sides and investigate this manner," an official said. Han Dongfang says China's labor problems are widespread and largely unrecognized in the wider world. He estimates that there is a major strike of at least 1,000 workers somewhere in the country at least once a day. "The international community is in the middle of a completely unrealistic fantasy about China, which states that because there is economic development in China, that things will inevitably improve gradually," Han said on the launch of his recent book on China's labor movement A Cry for Justice. But things won't turn out that way, Han says. "China's economic miracle is being accomplished at the expense of people's rights and at the expense of their health, and the international community needs to understand this." "Those who infringe on the rights of the Chinese worker know exactly what they are doing. These people do not have the power to negotiate. Their own government refuses to respect or enforce legislation. In such a climate, we have got to the point where bosses are allowed to do exactly as they please, and infringe the rights of their workforce in the most blatant manner." He called for a wider recognition of value of negotiated settlements between labor and management. "If collective bargaining was going on at the level of China's companies, this in itself would provide a valuable education to China's bosses, and put more pressure on them." "It would prevent them from doing exactly as they please. This would not only have the effect of strengthening workers' rights; it would also prevent the more flagrant abuses of those rights," Han told RFA's Mandarin service. In 2007, factories that supplied more than a dozen corporations, including US giants Wal-Mart, Disney and Dell, were accused of unfair labor practices, including using child labor, forcing employees to work 16-hour days on fast-moving assembly lines, and paying workers less than minimum wage, according to a recent report in the New York Times. Minimum wage in Guangzhou province, part of the Pearl River Delta area, is about 55 U.S. cents an hour. Han urged multinational companies to give greater consideration to workers' welfare and rights. Original reporting in Cantonese by Lee Yong-tim, and in Mandarin by Shen Hua. Cantonese service director: Shiny Li. Mandarin service director: Jennifer Chou. Translated and written for the Web in English by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Sarah Jackson-Han. http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=950854 Demonstrators clash with riot cops during Greece general strike Posted By Elena Becatoros Posted 10 days ago Riot police fired tear gas at demonstrators throwing rocks and firebombs in central Athens during a national general strike by millions of Greeks protesting against government pension changes. An estimated 100,000 people marched in downtown Athens on Wednesday and when the demonstration ended, groups of anarchists fought running battles with riot police in the capital. Clouds of tear gas hung over Exarhia Square and cafe customers scrambled for cover. Clashes had broken out during the march when a group of demonstrators threw two or three firebombs and rocks at riot police outside parliament and police responded with tear gas. About 8,000 people also marched in the northern city Thessaloniki, where protesters set fire to two banks and three bank machines. No injuries were immediately reported in either Athens or Thessaloniki. Wednesday's walkout, like two other general strikes since December, shut down public services and forced the cancellation of dozens of flights. "We're marching for a socially just pension system," Socialist opposition leader and former foreign minister George Papandreou said earlier as he marched through downtown Athens. He accused the government of eroding "the most basic of pension rights," particularly for women, while offering tax cuts for the rich and benefits for large corporations. "It's unacceptable. We're fighting and we hope we can win this fight for a much better and much safer Greece," he said. Oppose changes Opinion polls show most Greeks oppose changes to the pension system that would unify pension and health funds, raise the effective retirement age for women and working mothers and create incentives and disincentives to keep employees working longer. "No to the continued robbing of our pension funds and rights," read a banner carried by protesters in Athens. "We will not back down," read another. Hospital doctors, air-traffic controllers, teachers, port workers, hotel employees and gas station workers joined others already striking this week against the fiercely contested changes. Thousands of Greek workers walked out Tuesday when a 24-hour strike by rail workers also brought subway and train transport in Athens to a standstill. Banks shut down and most courts were empty because of a weeklong lawyers' strike. Mounds of trash continued to pile up on city streets Wednesday because of a garbage-collectors' strike, while strikes by employees at the main power company have caused rolling blackouts for the last two weeks. Since winning re-election in September, the rightist government has pushed to change the pension system, warning it could collapse in a few years' time if it is not reformed. Yiannis Panagopoulos, head of one of the two main labour unions, GSEE, said unions would continue to resist the changes, even if they are voted into law Thursday. "The battle doesn't stop with the vote on the legislation," he said Tuesday. "The legislation needs to be implemented when it becomes law. And there resistance will reach its climax." http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?id=18834&t=1&c=33&cg=4 Sharjah Police quells labour riot UAE. Sharjah police personnel were able to bring calm on Wednesday night to Al-Nahda district in Sharjah where workers of Tiger Contracting Company were staging a protest in an area of residential towers under construction. Tipped off by a road user who was heading from Dubai to Al-Nahda Bridge, the Sharjah Police Operations Room despatched patrols to the scene of riots. "At 10.55 pm and to the surprise of motorists, a group of people blocked the road by heaps of building materials and wood cable drums", the source said. Sharjah Police said in a statement to the official news agency WAM that the rioters were Indians, Bengalis, Afghans and Pakistanis working for Tiger Contracting. When the policemen tried to talk to the labourers on the scene to find out their reasons for carrying out the riot acts, some labourers who managed to get to the upper stories of the building started to attack the police personnel and cars with stones, bricks, ceramic slates and other building materials endangering the lives of passerbyes and motorists who happened to be at the scene. After being forced to block the road, Sharjah Police continued to try to talk to the workers in a bid to calm them down and persuade them to stop throwing stones and bricks. When rioters refused to listen to the policemen's repeated calls for calm, emergency backup was called in to eventually control the scene and rioters and restore discipline within a few hours. The Public Prosecution has started questioning workers who were involved in the riot acts to find out the reasons. Some rioters and policemen sustained few minor injuries as a result of darkness at most of the upper stories of the building and bids by the police to evacuate the scene. The injured received first aid at the scene. According to Director General of Sharjah Police, Brigadier Humaid Mohammed Al-Hudaidi, the incident was a riot act and has "nothing to do with labour disputes". An official at the Ministry of Labour said that the construction workers at Tiger Contracting receive between AED 750 and AED 850 per month after the salaries were increased in February 2008. The company's workers, he added, also receive overtime wages which take the total monthly salary up to AED 1,100. The official said the company used to increase worker salaries in February each year. Al-Hudaidi said that the Public Prosecution and the other authorities investigating the riots will take rioters to court. "The UAE's security authorities will never allow any individual or group whatsoever to jeopardise the country's stability and security and whoever attempts to do so and violate the law will be totally strictly dealt with," stressed Al-Hudaidi. "The UAE's security authorities are always on the high-alert and are highly prepared to shoulder their responsibilities of maintaining the security and stability of our courtiers", he added. However, he added, the security authorities always act to protect the country's security and stability. He said they will support anyone in getting their rightful claims only through law and not through unlawful acts which endanger lives and damage public property. None of the UAE newspapers quoted any comments from the protesters. http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL3164273.html Two killed as Chinese workers riot in Eq. Guinea Mon 31 Mar 2008, 15:57 GMT MALABO, March 31 (Reuters) - Two Chinese were killed and four injured in Equatorial Guinea when striking Chinese construction workers clashed with security forces in a labour dispute that turned violent, Chinese authorities said on Monday. A senior government official in Equatorial Guinea said the clash occurred last week during what he called a "riot" by some 200 Chinese contract labourers working at Mongomo on the continental mainland part of the West African oil producer. "We don't want this kind of revolt in the country," the official told Reuters, asking not to be named. But he added he could not confirm the deaths, which were reported by the English-language China Daily in Beijing on Monday, citing a posting on the Chinese Foreign Ministry Website. While details were sketchy, it was believed to be the first case of Chinese workers being killed in a labour dispute in Africa. Separatist Ogaden rebels killed nine Chinese in a raid on an oilfield in Ethiopia last year and Chinese employees have been taken hostage in other incidents in Nigeria and Niger. In an economic offensive that has alarmed the West, Beijing is pumping billions of dollars into energy, mining and infrastructure projects on the world's poorest continent to secure oil and minerals for its fast growing economy. At the same time, increasing disputes and protests at Chinese-run or financed projects in Africa have given ammunition to western critics who say Beijing is cutting corners on labour and human rights safeguards in its African investment drive. China had asked Equatorial Guinea's government to investigate last week's incident, according to the posting on the Chinese Foreign Ministry Website. "There was a riot of Chinese workers in Mongomo ... they confronted our military," the Equatorial Guinean official said. He said the dispute turned violent when the strikers tried to stop other Chinese from carrying on working in Mongomo, where companies from China are constructing roads and buildings. According to the China Daily report, the Equatorial Guinean government expressed deep regret over the incident, adding it was willing to work with the Chinese side. TOUGH CONDITIONS It was not immediately clear whether the incident would damage Beijing's relations with Equatorial Guinea, sub-Saharan Africa's third biggest oil producer where China National Petroleum Corp has invested in deep-water exploration. The country's oil sector is dominated by Western companies. Chinese companies have also been working on several infrastructure projects. The Mongomo incident focused attention on labour issues at Chinese economic projects in Africa, where local African workers have protested over low pay and harsh conditions. "The more Chinese projects you have in Africa, the more this sort of thing is likely to occur," said Alex Vines, head of the Africa Programme at Chatham House, a London-based think tank. African projects operated by Chinese companies not only caused resentment among locals because of their tough demands on workers but also because they often brought in Chinese contract labourers, reducing the creation of local jobs. Vines said Mongomo, close to Equatorial Guinea's eastern frontier with Gabon, is the ancestral home of the family of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who has ruled since 1979. "Equatorial Guinea has been using the Chinese to play them off against Western companies and obtain better terms from the West," he added. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/) (Writing by Pascal Fletcher; Editing by Janet Lawrence) http://allafrica.com/stories/200804010283.html Nigeria: FG Sets Up Panel On Apapa Port Riot This Day (Lagos) 1 April 2008 Posted to the web 1 April 2008 Onyebuchi Ezigbo Abuja The Federal Government yesterday inaugurated a 10-man Administrative Panel of Enquiry, to investigate recent disturbances at the Apapa ports, which led to destruction of properties worth millions of Naira. Minister of State for Water Transportation, Prince John Okechukwu Emeka, while inaugurating the panel inAbuja, warned that government will not fold its armsand allow a few individuals drag the economy to thepits under any guise. Represented by Alhaji Buba Umar Faruk, Director Maritime Services Department, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Emeka said he was dumb-founded when he saw the level ofdestruction during his assessment visit, as a result of the incident. Emeka assured investors in the various sectors of the economy that their investments will be protected at all times, adding that "government will do everything within its powers to get to the root of the problem and bring the perpetrators to book." A statement, signed by the Press Secretary, Mr Abiodun Oladunjoye, said the terms of reference for the Panel is to determine immediate and remote causes of the invasion at Messrs ENL premises, ascertain the level of destruction andrecommend remedial measures and roles played byindividuals, groups or organisations in the mayhem. The panel is to also determine if any organisation wasnegligent in the performance of its duties, beforeduring or after the incident, evaluate the securityarrangements at our ports and make recommendations that would forestall future occurrence. http://allafrica.com/stories/200803210523.html Nigeria: Minister, Lawmakers, Others Condemn Destruction At Apapa Port This Day (Lagos) 20 March 2008 Posted to the web 21 March 2008 John Iwori Lagos More condemnations have trailed last week's destruction of properties belonging to ENL Consortium Limited, the concessionaire at Terminal C and D, Apapa Quay, Lagos Port Complex. Hell was let loose on Friday at the terminal as dockworkers in collaboration with hoodlums popularly called area boys invaded the port protesting the death of three seafarers who reportedly died following a crane failure on a vessel discharging cargo at the terminal. During the rampage which lasted over two hours, over 20 vehicles were vandalized, just as over N10 million cash kept in the safe of ENL Consortium Limited was carted away by the protesters. A female staff of the company was also reportedly raped, just as its General Manager was beaten black and blue by the protesters who were joined by some aggrieved dockworkers who had been disengaged from the ports in the wake of the economic reforms programme initiated by the immediate past administration led by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Properties conservatively estimated at about N500 million were destroyed as the hoodlums stormed the port under the pretence of showing solidarity with three dockworkers that lost their lives at the terminal while working at the quayside. An eyewitness of the early morning accident told newsmen that the dockworkers were working at the quayside at berth 10 where a ship called Green Majestic was discharging fish. In the course of the discharge, the crane of the ship which was doing the discharge suddenly snapped and fell on two ENL dockworkers killing them instantly. Another dockworker was said to have been severely injured. Other dockworkers working at the Terminal had marched to the office in protest of the death of their colleagues demanding that the ship, Green Majestic, be detained and compensation paid to the families of the deceased. The management had assured the mourning dockworkers that justice will be done in the death of the two company staff but news filtered out in no time that two dockworkers had died at ENL terminal. It was gathered that some dockworkers who had earlier been disengaged from the system and paid severance benefits took advantage of the situation to unleash mayhem. Brandishing axes, machetes and other dangerous weapons, the hoodlums went past all security barriers and stormed ENL Consortium chanting war songs. They destroyed every ENL Consortium vehicle in sight numbering about 20, shattered doors, windows, partitions and broke into all the offices of the company including that of the Executive Vice Chairman, Princess Vicky Haastrup. The hoodlums also entered the company's finance department breaking into the locks of every safe carting away not less than N10 million cash. They also allegedly stripped some female workers of the company naked and dispossessed them of their cash, jewelleries and telephone sets. The General Manager, Mr. Mark Walsh was saved from being lynched by ENL's dockworkers. "They destroyed everything in sight including all the software we have just developed at a cost of over N100 million", Walsh said. According to him, all those who destroyed and looted the company's property were not the company's dockworkers but hoodlums who took advantage of what he described as an "unfortunate incident". The President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Comrade Onikolaese Irabor in his comments over the incident, disowned those who perpetrated the destruction. "Dockworkers are not vandals or criminals so we don't go about destroying properties. We are however very sad about the development", he said. According to Irabor who is also the National Deputy President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the protest by the dockworkers is a clear indication that they are not happy with current situation at the port saying that they deserve a better deal than they are currently getting from the terminal operators. As the riot continued, the Nigeria Ports Authority security personnel made desperate attempt to prevent journalists from covering the event. It took the intervention of some dockworkers who forcefully led the journalists to the scene of the accident. The scene was littered with bloodstains. Ports Police led by the Commissioner of Police Mr. J.O. Uzuegbunam were at the scene to restore normalcy. He told the journalists that what happened was an accident and that the dockworkers were angered by the incident. Reacting to the development while on a visit to see things for himself at the terminal, the Minister of State for Tansportation, Prince John Okechukwu Emeka condemned the destruction that trailed the protest. Emeka who was obviously shocked at the level of carnage perpetrated by some of the dockworkers said: "This is a systematic destruction of the property of ENL Consortium and it is not acceptable to government. This is a total disgrace. There will definitely be a high powered enquiry to enable government appreciate the extent of damage done here. "I have gone round and I assure you that there is absolutely no reason for the kind of destruction that I saw here today especially at this time that government is trying to attract private sector investment into the country". The Minister described the action of those who perpetrated the dastardly act as a total and unacceptable disgrace. Some yet to be identified persons pretending to be in solidarity with the dockworkers had cashed in on the unfortunate death of a dockworker and a motor boy last Friday to rape, steal and destroy at ENL Consortium Limited. Apparently irked by the incident, the House of Representatives Committee on Marine Transport also expressed deep shock over the accident at the ENL Terminal in Apapa Lagos. In a statement made available to THISDAY in Lagos, the committee said it was unfortunate that the situation could not be brought under control before it became uncontrollable , leading to deaths. According to the statement signed by its chairman, Hon. Ifeanyi Ogwuanyi, it expressed condolences to the families of the deceased dockworkers. "We are saddened that lives were lost and we commiserate with families of those who died as a result of the crane accident. The committee promises to step into the circumstances that led to the death of the dockworkers with a view to ensuring that operations at our seaports meet international standard". "We are aware that the present dispensation of port concession has brought certain challenges into the fore and also called certain operational practices to question. The accident which snowballed into death and wanton destruction of properties is a test case for private sector participation in port operations. It is also a confirmation of the need to continue to fine-tune the current system", the committee added. It also acknowledged the various concerns that have been expressed at different quarters about the present system. "The House of Representatives and indeed the National Assembly will not fold its arm and watch innocent Nigerians lose their precious lives in avoidable circumstances. We will soon invite all the parties including the terminal operators, the workers union, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). "In the meantime, we appeal for calm, especially among our dockworkers considering the fact that our sea ports are the gateways to our economy. Once again, we commiserate with the families of the deceased, the union and sympathize with all those who lost things as a result of the mayhem," the committee concluded. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 10:06:57 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:06:57 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] UGANDA: Unrest over social cleansing of street traders' market Message-ID: <00b301c89e51$f3fe2d80$0802a8c0@andy1> There has been unrest at two separate markets in Kampala, mainly at Kisekka Market but also Nakasero. Kisekka is under dispute between two groups, with the government supporting a business deal which would expel many of the current traders. Police started the trouble by trying to send traders away from the market. Traders have repeatedly protested and revolted over attempts to "redevelop" the market and transfer it to a private owner. http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/611455 City market riot paralyses schools Wednesday, 13th February, 2008 The Police charge at the rioting vendors who had gathered outside their shops in Kisekka Market yesterday By Chris Kiwawulo and Steven Candia SEVERAL schools in Kampala were yesterday forced to close as the Police battled rioting vendors at Kisekka Market for a second day. Anxious parents were seen rushing to Ramgharia Sikh, Muslim Girls and Agakhan Primary School to collect their children. Some pupils were affected by the teargas fired by the Police to disperse the rioters. The schools closed their gates to bar rioters from taking refugee in their premises. Yesterday's rioting started at around 10:00am when the Police ordered the vendors, who had gathered outside their closed shops, to disperse. "What have we done? This is our market," they shouted. The Police charged at them and started beating them. In retaliation, the vendors pelted the officers with stones and hurled insults at them. The Police fired live ammunition in the air to disperse the rioters. About 180 policemen, backed by SPCs, had been deployed overnight to guard against a recurrence of violence. Kampala Police boss Edward Ochom rushed to the scene at around 10:30am and ordered for the arrest of the police officers who were shooting as he tried to broker a truce. When his mediation efforts failed, the vendors resumed throwing stones, while others lit bonfires along Namirembe Road and at the entrance to the New Taxi Park, which bellowed thick clouds of smoke. Ochom then ordered anti-riot Police to disperse the rioters, which they did by lobbying teargas canisters and clobbering them. At one point, Ochom narrowly missed being hit by a big stone. The military Police, led by Capt. Fred Asaba, later beefed up the Police. A total of 14 people were arrested. They face charges of inciting violence and malicious damage to property, said Kampala Extra Police spokesperson Simeo Nsubuga. Another three Police officers were arrested for shooting without orders. Yesterday's clash came as the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative, in a release, condemned the Police for using excessive force to quell the riots of the previous day, in which five people sustained gunshot wounds. The problems started on Tuesday when one group of vendors, led by Robert Kisembo, discovered that Kampala City Council (KCC) had leased the market to Rhino Investments, owned by retired Col. John Mugyenyi. Kisembo insists the only way to solve the conflict is to cancel the lease. But Mugyenyi said he followed the right procedures to acquire the 49-year lease to redevelop the market. "Both KCC's contracts committee and the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets approved the lease," he told The New Vision. He promised he would not evict any traders. "I will give first priority to the sitting tenants. I am not going to build a church or a residential house but shops for traders. The problem is that KCC has not come out to explain this to the traders," he said. Asked for a reaction, Mayor Nasser Ntege Sebaggala said KCC could not intervene since it was no longer responsible for the market. "As far as we are concerned, the market is no longer in our hands. KCC as the landlord leased the market to the vendors and Rhino Investments," Sebaggala said. Rhino Investments, he added, had already paid a premium and cleared the vendors in order to redevelop the market. Rhino was given 2.2 acres, while the vendors got one-and-a-half acres. The entire land was leased at sh1.52b as premium and sh76m as ground rent. Debating the anarchy that has engulfed the market, MPs yesterday said the Government should give the vendors the land title for redevelopment under its policy of giving sitting tenants first priority. They blamed the Government's indecision for the chaos. Among the rioters arrested yesterday were Michael Kisitu, Sulaiman Kato, Musa Musende, Michael Kirabira, Patrick Rwomunyoro and Ronald Kalema. Other suspects taken in were Eddy Zirimwabagambo, Hakim Nsubuga, Paul Ssekabira, Adam Ssembatya, Frank Ndawula, Ibrahim Kiwewa and Robert Mwesigye. Of the five vendors who had been arrested on Tuesday, two were released on Police bond yesterday. Additional reporting by Florence Nakaayi, Cyprian Musoke and John Odyek http://allafrica.com/stories/200802260037.html Uganda: Anti-Riot Police Stop Nakasero Protest New Vision (Kampala) 25 February 2008 Posted to the web 26 February 2008 Conan Businge, Charles Ariko and Madinah Tebajjukira Kampala ANTI-RIOT and military Police yesterday suppressed a strike by Nakasero Market vendors and traders. The traders accused Geoffrey Ekanya, the chairman of the parliamentary committee on local government, of taking a bribe to write a contradictory report to Parliament over the market's re-development. They said the new report favoured Kampala businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba and Kampala City Council (KCC). The traders and Basajjabala have disagreed over the management of the market. The vendors said in the first report, Ekanya noted that the contract of Basajjabalaba's company, Sheila Investments, expired in 2005 and that any transactions after that were illegal. However, in a new report, Ekanya advised Parliament to wait for the court's ruling on the matter. "We (vendors) unlike MPs cannot wait for court. The President's word is law and final. He gave a directive that we redevelop this market," the chairman of the vendors, Godfrey Kakooza, said. The strike, which started in the wee hours of the morning with vendors blocking Market Street, was quelled by patrol and anti-riot Police. The anti-riot Police unblocked the road as the vendors pelted them with stones. Armed with batons, shields and teargas guns, the Police stationed themselves on Duster and Market Square streets, cutting off the vendors from the rest of the city. The rioters held placards, among others reading: "We are ready to fight Ekanya. We shall stay as long as M7 stays. Ekanya has embarrassed FDC." At about 11:00am, vendors from Kisseka Market attempted to join their colleagues of Nakasero, but they were blocked. Shops and stalls in both markets remained closed for half of the day. The Kampala Extra Police spokesperson, Simeo Nsubuga, said security would be maintained around the markets and within the city. "These markets belong to the vendors and we shall protect them. We shall not allow chaos to reign. As of now, we know that the vendors have rights over these markets," Nsubuga said. In the afternoon, state minister Maurice Kagimu turned up at Nakasero Market, but was chased by the vendors. His attempts to get their attention failed as vendors booed him. Kagimu later told journalists that the President's word on the market was final. "There is no way the market will be taken away from the vendors. It can only be Parliament and Cabinet to change this directive," Kagimu said. The Kampala resident district commissioners and the Central MP, Elias Lukwago, asked the vendors to call off the strike but their pleas were ignored. Last year, Museveni gave the vendors a go-ahead to redevelop the market, overturning an earlier decision by KCC allocating the facility Basajjabalaba. In August last year, Kampala mayor Nasser Sebaggala, told a committee investigating irregularities in the Central Division that the vendors lacked the capacity to re-develop the market. Sebaggala's comments came days after Basajjabalaba vowed not to leave the market, unless ordered by court. Basajjabalaba yesterday said he was still waiting for the President's directive on the matter. "In a meeting I held with the President last year, we agreed that he would resolve the row. I am still waiting for his clearance. I have the title and my next move will be after his word. Vendors have nothing in Nakasero Market. Eighty per cent of the stalls and shops are mine," said the businessman. Basajjabalaba also attacked Lukwago for fuelling rumours intended at inciting violence. "I do not want to hear of the name Lukwago. He is like a mosquito, which moves everywhere. "Last time he was in Masaka, now in Kampala causing havoc. This is a misguided fellow." He denied bribing MPs, saying he only met the legislators when he appeared before them last year. "I don't know who is who on that committee." Additional reporting by Mark Owor and Moses Mulondo http://72.3.244.61/stories/200802131095.html Uganda: Kisekka Market Closed The Monitor (Kampala) 14 February 2008 Posted to the web 13 February 2008 Robert Mwanje & Andrew Bagala Kampala POLICE closed Kisekka Market yesterday and fought running battles with vendors as riots over the market's ownership entered day two. The police, which was heavily deployed, shot live ammunition in the air to disperse the traders and arresting more than a dozen people in the process. The arrests, however, did not spare errant police operatives. Kampala Regional Police Commander Edward Ochom ordered the arrest of 10 police officers who had shot live bullets in attempts to rattle the rioters. Mr Ochom shocked traders when he had a verbal altercation with the District Police Commander Kampala, Mr John Bahibise, over the shooting. "I don't want to see this. Why are these officers shooting?" a visibly infuriated Ochom charged. He, however, said the market would remain "closed until these wrangles are solved." Traders are embroiled in a bitter contest over ownership with Rhino Investments Limited, a local trading company owned by Col. John Mugyenyi, an employee of State House. A combined force of the Military Police and Special Police Constables (SPCs) simultaneously fired live bullets in the air and used teargas to force angry traders away from the market. The unrest, which first erupted on Tuesday, resumed yesterday at 9:30 am, forcing traders in and around the area to close their shops. Armed with stones and clubs, vendors blocked Rashid Khamis Road, Kisekka Lane, Martin Road and set several tyres on fire near Kyaggwe Road towards Makerere Hill Road. "We shall not rest until City Council considers our presence as traders. We are meeting the Residents District Commission to clarify on our concern before we consider another approach," said Mr Godfrey Kamulegeya, the chairman of the New Nakivubo Vendors Association. Police loot Rioters were left shell shocked after some SPCs, who had sealed off the market and were standing on guard, broke into it and looted fresh food stuffs. Bizarrely, the looting operatives did not wait to carry their bounty home, they feasted immediately. Police officers were seen quenching their thirst with sodas and serving themselves with chicken thighs and matooke. Kampala Extra Police spokesman Simeo Nsubuga described the actions as "unprofessional." At the heart of the market dispute is Kampala City Council which insists that Rhino Investment is the bona fide owner of the market after it was leased out for redevelopment in a 49-year lease deal effective 2010. But traders argue that as sitting tenants, they have first rights over the market and can develop it on their own. City Mayor Nasser Ssebaggala told Daily Monitor yesterday that KCC allocated the controversial market to Rhino Investments, with the consent of the traders, adding that it is "high time" vendors gave way for the planned re-development. "Whoever is fighting Rhino Investments is not a lawful tenant. KCC signed a tenancy agreement with all market landlords who are supposed to share the market land with the identified developer," he said, adding, "Majority of those rioters are vendors who had turned Kisekka Market into a thieves' den." Kampala Town Clerk Ruth Kijjambu backed Mr Ssebaggala's claims but insisted that the market land must be parcelled out and shared with the traders. "We allocated the market to Rhino Investments who must share the land with the registered traders. I really don't know why they are protesting yet they have a share," Ms Kijjambu said. Traders are furious that out of the 3.7acres of land that the market is sitted on, only 1.7 acres has been left for them. However, Ms Kijjambu claimed that following several squabbles over the land, meetings were held last year "where an understanding" between the traders and the developer was reached and their grievances settled. Rhino speaks Col. Mugyenyi told Daily Monitor that the demonstration was based on wrong information and rumours which suggested that his company was plotting to chase away the vendors from the market. "I am not going to build a church or sleep in Kisekka Market. I am going to build a modern shopping mall which will help the vendors. But if the vendors don't want Rhino Investments Ltd as a partner, I am ready to leave so long as they refund my full dues and interest. I am not dying to invest in Kisekka. I can go elsewhere," he said, adding that Rhino Investments had fulfilled part of their bet, including paying all the premium, ground rent and preparing a construction plan in which the company and a total of 680 vendors will inject Shs13 billion to develop the market into a six-storey shopping mall. The riots spread to the New Taxi Park and Namirembe Road as protestors hurled stones at commuter taxes that were exiting the park. Not taking the attacks lightly, taxi operators retaliated, throwing back the stones. Fourteen people, all whom the police identified as traders, were arrested in the ensuing melee. Mr Nsubuga said the suspects would appear in court today on charges of malicious damage of property. The riot was sparked off after attempts by traders to have the release of colleagues who had been arrested a day earlier, failed to bear fruit. The traders besieged Kisekka Police Post, said Mr Joseph Magala, the market secretary for defence, and were promptly repulsed by force. The Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) strongly condemned the police's handling of the riot, saying in a statement; "The use of live ammunition by the police against civilians was unreasonable and unjustifiable in the democratic society that Uganda purports to be." Meanwhile, the government yesterday condemned those involved in the demonstration but insisted the situation was under control. "We assure the public that the situation is under control and the deployment has continued to ensure law and order," Internal Affairs Minister Ruhakana Rugunda told Parliament. Additional reporting by Joseph Miti, Zurah Nakabugo and Mercy Nalugo http://72.3.244.61/stories/200802130034.html Uganda: Police Shoots Rioters At Kisekka Market New Vision (Kampala) 12 February 2008 Posted to the web 13 February 2008 Chris Kiwawulo Kampala THE Police shot and injured at least five people as they fought to stop a clash between two rival factions of traders at the Kisekka Market in Kampala last evening. A market vendor identified simply as Gonzaga along with another man, two women and a girl, were injured and rushed to Mulago Hospital by the Police. Several other people were injured in the scuffle that started at about 3:00pm, but they did not require medical attention. The fighting pitted supporters of Rhino Investments, a company said to belong to retired Col. John Mugyenyi, and the other led by Robert Kisembo. Each group wants to redevelop the market, which has been at the centre of a row between the traders and Rhino. The majority of traders are said to be opposed to Rhino taking over the market. Police spokesperson Gabriel Tibayungwa said the Police opened fire when the rioters pelted them with stones and burnt a car. "We don't use live ammunition except in extreme circumstances, like in a situation where an officer is about to be disarmed by rioters," he said. He, however, added that they would investigate the shooting. The chaos started after the anti-Rhino faction was reportedly informed by the Kampala City Council that it had only Rhino's application to modernise the market that deals mainly in used car spareparts. Regular Police appeared to have failed to contain the mayhem that ensued and were joined by the anti-riot Police. Kyaggwe Road was closed to traffic as shop-keepers on the road hurriedly closed their premises for about four hours as the rioters engaged the Police in running battles. They lit bonfires in the middle of the roads around the market. They burnt a saloon Honda car that was at a washing bay on Rashid Khamis Road behind Aldina mosque in Old Kampala. The owner of the car escaped a lynching by hiding in the mosque. The rioters accused him of identifying them to the Police. "When the Police arrived, the car owner directed them where the rioters were. The Police shot and injured one of them. That is why they burnt his car," an eyewitness said. http://allafrica.com/stories/200802181207.html Uganda: Vendors Clash Over Kisekka Market New Vision (Kampala) COLUMN 16 February 2008 Posted to the web 18 February 2008 Esther Namugoji Kampala IT does not take much to provoke a riot of some sort these days. Money is such a big motivator that even medical workers who are supposed to save lives are pushed to suspend their values to get some attention. This happened in Lira Hospital whose medical staff was protesting the non-payment of risk allowances promised six months ago. By the sixth day of the strike, about 11 people are said to have died out of negligence. Pregnant women helped to deliver one another's babies and the dead were left to lie in their ward beds alongside patients. District authorities and the ministers of health and disaster preparedness were bamboozled by the attitude of the workers. Hopefully authorities will learn to forestall such actions by dealing with the workers' grievances. The grievances of striking Makerere University staff include the absence of teaching materials and misuse of their pension fund. The University Council ordered them to resume teaching or have their jobs advertised. The lecturers remained defiant. Not even the pleas of the new Chancellor, Prof. Mondo Kagonyera, could move them. It emerged that the university spent sh100m for top officials to attend the Uganda North America Association Convention in the US. The lecturers questioned the relevance of such a trip to the university. Meanwhile, an estimated sh300m is lost each day of the lecturers' strike. As if reading from the same script, even Budo Junior School staff downed their tools over pay. Thankfully, they agreed to resume teaching after a meeting the same day. There was also chaos at Kisekka Market when rival factions of vendors clashed over its ownership. One group of vendors was angry on discovering that Kampala City Council had leased a big part of the market to Rhino Investments in conjunction with another group of vendors. After similar clashes last year, a tentative resolution was reached that vendors would be given first priority to redevelop the market. KCC washed its hands of the deal because technically Rhino is in partnership with some vendors. Five people were injured when the Police shot live bullets to disperse the unruly crowd. The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, eventually apologised to all who suffered. A law that attempts to control similar demonstrations was nearly revoked in Parliament. The Statutory Instrument 2007 No.5 states that a permit from the IGP is required to convene a gathering of more than 25 people. The opposition says it is meant to stifle their right to assemble, turning Uganda into a 'police state'. In a heated session, the government side was forced to consider reviewing the law following a motion moved by Kampala Central Member of Parliament, Hon. Erias Lukwago. Meanwhile, Lukwago had a session in jail after he was arrested for uttering false documents in Masaka. Lukwago denied the charge that he released a false Scotland Yard report on the death of Andrew Kayiira. He was released on bail. Rubaga North MP Beti Olive Kamya was also charged with promoting war, sectarianism, sedition and inciting violence following a newspaper article she wrote. President Yoweri Museveni also said he would sue her for implying in the same article that he is not a Ugandan citizen by birth. Kamya denied the charges. http://www.ugee.com/20080213498/Latest-News/-Kiseka-market-traders-strike.html Kiseka market traders strike One person has died and two others injured during the riot over the illegal sell of Kiseka market, to a UPDFofficial, Col. Mugenyi of Rhino Investments. Timothy Sibasi with the rest of that story. This is the third time that the illegal sale of Kisekka market is causing running battles, between traders and the police. The strike was sparked off, after a businessman identified as Gonzaga, was gunned down by a policeman. Two other traders were injured in the riot. The traders claim that Kampala city council did not considered them as capable development partners, in the biding process of this market. The market was allegedly sold off to a one Col. Mugyenyi. President Yoweri Museveni issued an order stopping the illegal sale of city markets, especially if traders are willing to participate in developing them. Traders vow not to vacate the land. Mean while business also came to a stand still as most of the shops were closed and access roads to the market closed. School children going back home were heavily escorted with traffic police through Nakivubo and old Kampala roads which had been paralyzed by the running battles. Police spokes person, Gabriel Tibayungwa, said this riot was unexpected. http://allafrica.com/stories/200803210337.html Uganda: Kisekka Market Probe Begins New Vision (Kampala) 20 March 2008 Posted to the web 21 March 2008 Anne Mugisa and Florence Nakaayi Kampala Tempers flared on Wednesday as the commission probing the affairs of Kisekka Market quizzed the town clerk, Ruth Kijjambu, on how the lease was awarded to developers. Kijjambu was angered by Kampala Woman MP Nabillah Ssempala's demand for a clarification as to whether KCC acted legally. The situation was saved from deteriorating further by the chairman, Jacob Oulanyah, who told Kijjambu that the commission was not trying to condemn her. Kijjambu said KCC permitted the New Nakivubo Road Market Vendors Association and Rhino Investment to redevelop the market in August last year. She said wrangles erupted when a splinter group, The Nakivubo Road Old (Kisekka) Market Vendors, emerged disowning the first group and asked KCC to cancel the offer. The splinter groups, Kijjambu said, claimed that the first group led by Samuel Ssekibenga was not representative. They, however, admitted that they had mandated Ssekibenga to represent them, Kijjambu told the commission. According to Kijjambu, she told them their request was confusing because they mandated Ssekibenga and the offer was made. On the riots, Kijjambu absolved both groups, saying other selfish people had hired mercenaries to cause chaos. http://allafrica.com/stories/200802121104.html Uganda: Four Shot in Fresh City Market Riots The Monitor (Kampala) 13 February 2008 Posted to the web 12 February 2008 Robert Mwanje & Andrew Bagala Kampala FOUR people were yesterday shot and seriously injured by police in fresh demonstrations that erupted at Kisekka Market. Traders protested the government's failure to fulfill its pledge of offering them a chance to redevelop the market, resulting into a four-hour clash with police. According to the chairman Kisekka Market block A, Mr Mubiru Ssebagala, two of the victims were identified as Rose Nangobi and Gonzaga Ssenkumba. The victims were rushed to Mulago Hospital. The riot that began at around 3pm developed into serious clashes between police and traders as the rioters burnt tyres along Kyaggwe and Nakivubo roads. The clashes forced traffic police to seal off part of Bombo Road, Johnson Street, Kamis Rashid Road, cutting off Old Kampala areas. Several lanes were also blocked, causing terrible traffic jams. Chaos at the market worsened at 5:25pm as a group of furious youthful vendors started spreading burning objects towards police trucks along Kyagwe Road near the New Taxi Park. The irate group also used empty bottles and stones to battle police, damaging a number of buildings around the market. The chairman for New Nakivubo Vendors Association, Mr Godfrey Kamulegeya, said traders were disappointed by President Yoweri Museveni's failure to fulfill his pledge that traders would be the ones to redevelop their market instead of the proposed Rhine Investments. "Traders were promised by the President, through Local Government State Minister Hope Mwesigye, that soon after Chogm, they would receive a letter from State House confirming their ownership of the market but we (traders) were disappointed when we received information from the City Council that Rhino Investments are the rightful developers," Mr Kamulegeya said. "Traders are ready to fight for their market to the last person. We have seen how a few individuals and City Council sell off other markets. This is unacceptable," added Mr Kamulegeya. The burnt tyres created thick clouds of smoke over the market area. Business was also paralysed in the market as Kampala witnessed yet another strike by traders. Many rioters fled, while others squatted as the police riot team fired canisters at the people who were regrouping along city streets. Fire officers extinguished the bonfires as the angry traders resorted to pelting police with stones and empty bottles. The damage on police trucks, insults and constant stoning from the traders forced the police officers to fire in the air in a bid to scatter the regrouping crowd. Early this year, KCC approved a Kisekka market redevelopment plan by Rhino Investments Ltd, in conjunction with the New Nakivubo Road Market Vendors Association for 49 years, effective 2010. It was agreed that Rhino Investments would draw the building plans and clear the premium and ground rent costs and in turn take 2.2 acres while traders would own the remaining 1.5 acres. The sale of markets in Kampala has turned to be a chaotic issue, positioning Kisekka Market as a tip of an iceberg. Last year, Nakasero Market was a no go area as traders kept on rioting against Sheila Investments, a local company to which city council had awarded the market against traders' interest. Currently, traders are in control of Nakasero although it's highly doubted whether they have its legal ownership. Natete Market is largely seen as the next market in the city market bonanza. The market give-away bonanza has sparked a lot of controversy in Kampala, with KCC controversially allocating markets to city businessmen against traders' interests to manage them. Earlier protests Last year, Kisekka Market traders made several demonstrations against the planned redevelopment of the market by Rhino Investments. Several arrests were made then. In April 2007, President Yoweri Museveni ordered Local Government Minister Kahinda Otafiire and KCC to stop selling markets belonging to Kampala City Council to private individuals. In an April 19 letter to the minister titled "Fraudulent sale of Nateete Market to Hassan Basajjabalaba" - Mr Museveni's order was in the first sentence of his letter: "These markets were owned by the public through the city and Town Councils. I do not remember Cabinet deciding on this issue i.e. authorising local governments on privatising markets," the letter, copied to Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi and Kampala Mayor Nasser Sebaggala, read in part. It further said: "We privatised factories and hotels because they are moneymaking enterprises. The parastatals were inefficient, making losses and not advancing our industrialisation policy." In his letter, President Museveni said he had failed to understand the rationale behind the sale of markets to private individuals instead of giving them to the vendors through their own associations. "The market operators should own it themselves," the letter said. http://allafrica.com/stories/200803241319.html Uganda: Kisekka Market Vendors Oppose Lifting of Caveat The Monitor (Kampala) 25 March 2008 Posted to the web 24 March 2008 Robert Mwanje & Al-Mahdi Ssenkabiwa Kampala KISEKKA Market vendors have petitioned Kampala City Council protesting what they call the illegal lifting of a caveat on the market land. In their letter to KCC also copied to Kampala Central MP Erias Lukwago, the vendors demanded the immediate reinstatement of the caveat. The vendors' Chairman, Mr Kasolo Kisembo, said vendors' want the caveat on the market land reinstated before investigations are carried out. "We have learnt that the caveat on the market land has been lifted by the City Council and the former market leadership without our consent. This is very risky as another demonstration may crop up any time as a result of this," Mr Kasolo said in his letter. Kisekka Market has been a centre of endless riots in the recent past stemming from the vendors refusal to allow a private developer to take up management of the market. KCC had earlier resolved to offer the market to Rhino Investments, a local trading company owned by Col. John Mugyenyi. Traders under New Nakivubo Vendors Association also protested the council's decision to offer the market to Rhino Investments and Nakivubo Road Market Vendors Association. But city Mayor Nasser Sebaggala insists KCC is right to allocate the market to Rhino Investments and New Nakivubo Road Market Vendors Association because it consists of lockup owners and not vendors. Recently, Local Government Minister Maj. Gen Kahinda Otafiire set up a six- member committee to investigate the rampant wrangles in Kisekka Market. Former member of Parliament for Omoro County Jacob Oulanyah heads the committee. Gen. Otafiire said the committee would help to identify the genuine traders' association to which the government will offer the market for redevelopment. http://72.3.244.61/stories/200802252081.html Uganda: Market Vendors Strike Over Leaked Report The Monitor (Kampala) 26 February 2008 Posted to the web 25 February 2008 Robert Mwanje & Risdel Kasasira Kampala FRESH protests broke out at Kisekka and Nakasero markets yesterday following a leaked parliamentary report, which recommended that only courts and not President Museveni should decide who has first rights to develop the markets. Days after two people were shot dead by police in a demonstration at Kisekka Market; traders at Nakasero staged a sit-down strike protesting the parliamentary recommendation. The vendors were riled by leaked details of the report by Local government Accounts Committee, which apparently contradicts the committee's earlier recommendation that vendors be given first priority to redevelop the market. It also emerged that Kampala MP Erias Lukwago, a member of the committee, is now in the eye of the storm after fellow committee members accused him of leaking the report before it is debated in Parliament. "Our rules of procedure are clear and Honourable Lukwago is aware that you can not leak a committee's report before it's presented to the House. So he must face disciplinary action," said Committee Chairman Geoffrey Ekanya (FDC, Tororo). COME GET ME: A street boy ready to battle the police at Nakasero Market yesterday. Photo by Willy Tamale "Mr Lukwago faces suspension because committee members had unanimously agreed that he shouldn't continue to be a member of this committee." Mr Lukwago said he was unmoved by the threats and was ready to defend himself before the House Committee of Rules, Discipline and Privileges. "I am used to battles. I will spill the beans because they have now opened the pandora box," he said yesterday. Last year, Kampala City Council offered Nakasero Market to M/s Sheila Investment Ltd against the traders' wishes, forcing Parliament to intervene. The traders insisted that they have the financial muscle to redevelop the market. Sheila Investment is a local trading company owned by city businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba. "Although the transaction subsequent to the expiry of the management contract in 2005 between KCC and Sheila Investments Ltd, to date has been riddled by fraud and characterised by illegalities, the government should wait for the outcome of the court ruling in order to take care of the vendors in a transparent and competitive manner under the direct supervision of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets (PPDA)," read a copy of the addendum to the report signed by 11 of the 20 MPs who sit on the committee. Mr Ekanya also signed. According to Nakasero Market Sitting Vendors and Traders Association publicist Musa Tamale traders want President Museveni to make good on his promise and hand over the market land title to them. "The strike will continue untill the President fulfils his pledge. We are worried by the twist in the new parliamentary report where traders are not protected at all," Mr Tamale said. However, in an interview with Daily Monitor, Mr Basajjabalaba scoffed at the traders insisting that he is the legal owner of the market. "I have the land titles for both plots on which Nakasero market is sited. Those are simply jokers who must vacate my land unless the President compensates me," Mr Basajjabalaba said, adding, "Is that their father's land? The question of land has no shortcuts you either have a land title or not". In efforts to end the long-standing rift over Nakasero Market, President Museveni met Mr Basajjabalaba last year and reportedly agreed to compensate him. Speaking to veterans from Kampala, Mukono and Kayunga in separate meetings in Kyankwanzi, Mr Museveni said on Sunday that the system of selling public markets and bus parks was hatched by the former administration of Kampala City Council. "I do not want to see those people (vendors) displaced or even disturbed," the President said last Sunday. Amid heavy police deployment, the sit down strike began at around 9 am and remained peaceful. The strike, however, paralysed business in the city centre especially shops on Market Street, Duster Street and Luwum Street. Protestors accused city mayor Nasser Sebaggala and Mr Ekanya of practicing double standards. Kisekka Market vendors only joined their Nakasero colleagues, and revived their demands for first priority. A group of about 100 vendors from Kisekka Market joined Duster Street demanding government's immediate intervention to settle their grievances. The chairman for New Nakivubo Vendors Association, Mr Godfrey Kamulegeya, said traders were disappointed by the mayor's remarks recently that suggested that traders were wasting time demonstrating over "already given-away property." http://allafrica.com/stories/200802141036.html Uganda: President Museveni Backs Kisekka Market Vendors The Monitor (Kampala) 15 February 2008 Posted to the web 14 February 2008 Andrew Bagala & Robert Mwanje Kampala PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has insisted that Kisekka Market vendors be given the first priority to redevelop their market. In a message delivered by the Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, President Museveni said the issue of how city markets should be redeveloped was resolved in the government's policy document last year. At the Police headquarters yesterday, Gen. Kayihura said, "When I contacted President Museveni, he confirmed that the policy document on redevelopment of markets is in place and should be followed." "The sitting tenants who own stalls shall be registered and given the first priority to develop the markets," the IGP read part of the policy document. Gen. Kayihura held in a meeting with the Kisekka Market vendors and Kampala Resident District Commissioners. The policy document gives the sitting tenants wide options of having influence in the development of the markets. It gives them first priority. When they fail, they shall identify a partner to redevelop the market. Another option is the government redeveloping the market for the good of the tenants. "With that, you shall not see Rhino Investments disturbing the people in Kisekka Market again. I don't care who is who. I am following the government position," Gen. Kayihura said. Kisekka Market vendors and tenants have spent two days fighting running battles with police after vendors learnt of fresh plans by Rhino Investments - owned by Col. John Mugyenyi, to take over the market. The riot left several people seriously injured and others detained. Traders are embroiled in a bitter contest over ownership with Rhino Investments Limited. The IGP said, "Sitting tenants shall be free to develop their market on condition that they mobilise money for the project." He said they would stay in the market to see that the existing status quo remains. Kisekka Market was yesterday reopened after government's assurance. However, the policy document has never been translated into law, it is still in the Attorney General's office. The IGP, while visiting Kisekka Market promised vendors that he would talk to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs so that a statutory instrument is put in place as the President and cabinet ordered. He laboured to convince vendors that the Presidential directive was genuine. "The Land Bill the president is supporting is also aimed at protecting tenants in towns, like you vendors, from evictions. So how can the President think about the people in rural areas when you are also here?" the IGP asked. But the vendors shouted at the IGP saying, "That is old information. What we want are documents proving that the market is ours." They questioned him about brutal police officers who shot live bullets at them, looted their food and mobile phones. Ms Alice Muwanguzi, Kampala RDC said "the status quo should remain. http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/9/579/612611 Kisekka Market riot: Is it the price for KCC's lack of funds? Wednesday, 20th February, 2008 Vendors rioting over who owns Kisekka Market and who has the right to redevelop it KAMPALA By Joshua Kato FOR the fourth time since Kisekka Market's inception in 1999, traders went on strike over its redevelopment. This follows a directive from the Government in November last year that traders redevelop the market. However, according to the resident district commissioner (RDC), Alice Muwanguzi, the absence of documentation made it difficult to act upon the directive. In addition to this, there are rival factions of traders led by Robert Kisembo and Samuel Ssekibenga fighting over who should redevelop the market. History of market Kisekka Market deals in both new and old vehicle parts. It has about 5,000 official traders and hundreds of others doing vehicle repairs. Initially, the market was a temporary business area, for traders displaced by the construction of the new taxi park. In 1999, Kampala City Council (KCC) and the vendors reached a lease agreement of 11 years under which KCC allowed the traders to construct permanent lock-ups. The lease is due to expire in 2011. Cause of conflict In 2000, KCC made a policy stipulating that all markets in Kampala were to be modernised. Initially, KCC intended to construct the buildings and rent them to traders. However, due to lack of funds, KCC opted to lease out market construction to investors, with the first option going to vendors. According to mayor Nasser Sebaggala, it is under this arrangement that vendors from Kisekka requested to modernise their market. "On November 3, 2006, we received an application from the market management of New Nakivubo Road Market Vendors Association to redevelop the market," says town clerk Ruth Kijjambu. On February 6, 2007, KCC received a communication from the then RDC Stanley Kinyatta, granting the association permission for the project. The commendation was supported by the Minister of Local Government Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire. "[Vendors] should have priority in developing their place of work. Allow them to develop the market," Otafiire wrote. Subsequently, KCC allowed the traders to redevelop the market on condition that they identified an investment partner for the task. On April 27, 2007, KCC received a communication from the vendors saying: "We have identified an investor who appreciates the interests of the vendors and owners of lock-up shops. We have since concluded an agreement with the investor company M/S Rhino Investments Limited," it stated. In a meeting on May 4, 2007, KCC considered the application for a partnership between the vendors' association and Rhino Investments and approved it. As is the legal procedure, KCC communicated to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets (PPDA) about the decision. On June 27, 2007, PPDA communicated to KCC, saying: "Under regulation 127 (1) (b) of the Local Government regulations, an entity is permitted to use a method of direct negotiations with a tenant and it is reasonable to give the tenant the first option to buy. Split creates chaos However, the vendors split into two with one group led by Kisembo, accusing the other led by Ssekibenga of bringing Rhino Investments on board without their consent. Kisembo's group argues that Ssekibenga's group does not represent the traders. "By the time they struck that deal with Rhino Investments, they were no longer the leaders of the market and we did everything we did in the name of the traders," Kisembo says. However, Ssekibenga denies this saying: "We are the elected leaders of the market." Interestingly, the Kisembo group registered after the Ssekibenga group had got the tender to develop the market. The Kisembo group is registered as a limited company and ssekibenga's group is an association. Ssekibenga claims to have the backing of most of the 680 stall owners in the market, while Kisembo is backed by casual mechanics who do not have stalls. According to KCC, everything was done legally and they have passed ownership of the market to Rhino Investments and the Ssekibenga group. "It is now the duty of the vendors to iron out their differences and continue to develop the area," Sebaggala said. The fact that Rhino Investments have paid the requisite premium to KCC means it would be difficult for the other vendors to recover the market. In fact, KCC is no longer responsible for Kisekka, Sebaggala said. "As far as we are concerned, KCC as the landlord leased the market to the vendors and Rhino Investments," he said. Rhino was leased two acres while the vendors got one and a-half acres. The director of Rhino Investments, Col. (rtd) John Mugyenyi, says the strife among the vendors was caused by misinformation. For example, false rumours were being peddled that Mugyenyi was going to evict traders. "I have no intention of evicting anybody from Kisekka, because the redevelopment plan is a joint venture with the vendors," he says. He explained that Rhino Investments has fulfiled part of their deal, including paying the premium, ground rent and preparing a construction plan in which the company and the traders will inject over sh13b. After the chaos, the President's office directed that the market be given to the vendors. http://www.zibb.com/article/2688643/Kisekka+Market+Investor+Speaks+Out Kisekka Market Investor Speaks Out Kampala, Feb 13, 2008 (The Monitor/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- THE director of Rhino Investments Ltd yesterday said the vendors' demonstration was due to misinformation and rumours that the company was going to evict them from the market. "I have no intention to chase anybody from Kisekka market because the re-development plan is a joint venture with the vendors. That agreement is in writing, "Col. John Mugyenyi, a retired UPDF officer told Daily Monitor late last evening. "I am not going to build a church or sleep in Kisekka market. I am going to build a modern shopping mall which will help the vendors. But if the vendors don't want Rhino Investments Ltd as a partner, I am ready to leave so long as they refund my full dues and interest, I am not dying to invest in Kisekka, I can go elsewhere," he said. Col. Mugyenyi said the proposed redevelopment had followed all the procedures because vendors identified Rhino Investments Ltd as a capable partner able to build a modern market. Accordingly, the re-development plan, which was approved by both the KCC Works committee, the Executive and the Council's Contracts Committee after the vendors approached the minister of local government to allow them to re-develop the market. After the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority, the body that oversees procurement in the country, ratified the deal, KCC in July last year offered the market for redevelopment on a 49-year lease, effective 2010. Col. Mugyenyi said Rhino Investments Ltd had fulfilled part of their deal, including paying all the premium, ground rent and preparing a construction plan in which the company and a total of 680 vendors will inject Shs13 billion to develop the market which covers 3.7 acres into a six-storey shopping mall. Col Mugyenyi said the rioting vendors lack proper information which he blamed on government officials. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 10:28:24 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:28:24 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Student and education protests, part 1 of 2 Message-ID: <00c201c89e54$f3054730$0802a8c0@andy1> * PHILIPPINES: Police attack student protest at education summit; students oppose neoliberal "reforms" * FRANCE: Shops trashed during high school protest; student oppose cuts * INDIA: Bihar students "riot for right to cheat" (oppose cheating crackdown) * SOUTH AFRICA: Revolt at Durban University over fees, students shut down campus, get shot by police * SOUTH AFRICA: Protest and property damage at Tshwane University * SRI LANKA: Students protesting for post-tsunami reconstruction block roads * NIGERIA: University in Mubi closed after protests and unrest over new tests * UGANDA: Student unrest at Makerere and Kyambogo in support of lecturers' strike * SWAZILAND: Students battle police during protests over exams http://wrongbee.blogspot.com/2008/02/police-brutality-at-education-summit.html Saturday, February 02, 2008 police brutality at education summit protest January 31, 2008 NEWS FLASH!* Police violently disperse student protest vs. Palace-led educ summit (photo courtesy of EPA. more photos here. view news footages here and here.) Six students were illegally arrested while 23 others were injured after police forces brutally dispersed today's protest against what they called the 'anti-student education summit.' Joanna Rose Adenit and Emman Montado of the Philippine Normal University, Crimson Laglera of Anakbayan-Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Alvin Cerrano of the League of Filipino Students-PUP, Vic del Rosario from Caloocan and Arlo Cervantes of UP Diliman were among those arrested. A certain Ophie of Caloocan is still missing. As of press time, they are said to have been brought to the Ospital ng Maynila. Meanwhile, their companions are holding an indignation rally in front of the Western Police District Main Headquartes to demand their immediate release. Twenty-three students from UP, PUP, UE, Adamson, PNU and Lyceum also suffered injuries from the police's attacks. Alliance of Concerned Teachers President Antonio Tinio acquired cuts and bruises on his arms while attempting to negotiate with WPD Chief Rosales. Youth groups National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), ANAKBAYAN, League of Filipino Students and Kabataang Pinoy, along with teachers from ACT, staged a protest rally against the Malacanang-sponsored education summit which opened this morning at the Manila Hotel. The students commenced with the protest just as Pres. Gloria Arroyo entered the hotel to deliver her keynote address. The rallyists were immediately dispersed as they marched towards Manila Hotel without the benefit of negotiations. >From Roxas Avenue, they were chased towards Luneta Park, a Freedom Park, where they were able to hold a short program. They were about to end the program when police troops arrived at the scene and attacked them again. The rallyists criticized the non-inclusion of student and teacher representatives in the summit. They also protested against the government's general thrust of commercialization and privatization of education resulting in yearly budget cuts and a deregulated tuition policy. "All we wanted was to voice out our issues and demands as primary stakeholders in the education sector. It was not at all our intention to disrupt the summit. All we wanted was to air our grievances because the government appears to have deliberately ignored our interests. Hindi na nga kami pinakinggan sinaktan pa kami," said NUSP President Alvin Peters. "We are determined to file legal charges against our police attackers," said Peters. The youth groups, however, remained unperturbed as they vowed to stage a bigger protest tomorrow, the last day of the summit. Students from Southern Tagalog are expected to join the protest. They also said that they are preparing to come up with a critique of the recommendations of the education summit over the weekend. ### *the students were released yesterday after more than 24 hours of detention. we will be filing charges of assault and violation of BP 880 against the perpetrators and their police commanders by next week. will update. we were also able to hold another protest the next day at the same venue. this time, the police negotiated with us and allowed us to hold a short program. seems the police acquired more bruises from the flak and condemnation they received due to the violent dispersal and illegal arrests. below was Anakbayan's statement presenting the reasons for the student protest: Education not for sale Youth group slams 'anti-student education summit' Palace-led conference to worsen rising cost of education Anakbayan along with other youth and student groups held a rally in front of the Manila Hotel as the Malacanang-led education summit opens today. The youth groups summarized in three points the reason for their protest: . The non-inclusion of the student sector in the summit. . The blatant prioritization of interests of private sector groups, especially capitalist-educators, in the agenda and selected topics of discussion. . The composition of the so-called Presidential Task Force on Education. "Firstly, it is most hypocritical and in fact anti-youth and anti-student to hold an education summit without taking into consideration that youth and students are the primary stakeholders in the education sector. This sole point proves how the Arroyo administration deliberately overlooks and neglects youth and students' demands and interests," said Anakbayan chairperson Eleanor de Guzman. De Guzman added, "The Arroyo administration is also unapologetic and continues to promote without remorse the privatization and commercialization of education in favor of big businesses, at the expense of students." De Guzman said that the basic and most pertinent dilemma of the sector at present is the rising cost of education brought about by privatization and commercialization schemes. "It is common knowledge that education has become more and more inaccessible to our youth because of yearly budget cuts and the general scheme of tuition deregulation wherein capitalist-educators are given free reign to increase tuition and other miscellaneous fees without any sanctions from government education agencies." Lastly, de Guzman questioned the composition of the Presidential Task Force on Education, namely, CHED Head Romulo Neri as acting chair, DepEd Chair Jesli Lapus, the TESDA Chair, the Presidential Assistant for Education and five representatives from the private sector appointed by the President. "These are all people close to the president and in tune with the government's anti-student policies. CHED chair Neri, for one, aside from his qualifications for the CHED chairmanship being questioned, has failed to address tuition regulation issues, consequently allowing for the average 10 percent tuition increase in almost 100 schools for this academic year without consultation with students. Deped head Lapus, meanwhile, continues to champion the anomalous and controversial CyberEducation Project over the basic woes of classroom and textbook shortages." "We do not have to wait for Pres. Arroyo's keynote address to conclude that this government's main thrust is to transform education as a commodity. It is geared not for nation-building or academic development but for the production of cheap labor through voc-tech courses and other outsourcing institutions that benefit not youth and students but big business and foreign interests. Thus the primary roles of the TESDA and the private sector in the summit." "Education is not for sale. We declare the education summit a failure because it falls short of addressing the issues that have plagued the education sector for so long." ### other related reports: http://www.tribune.net.ph/metro/20080201met1.html http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20080131-115958/UPDATE-2-6-militants-nabbed-others-hurt-in-protest http://bulatlat.com/2008/01/6-students-nabbed-teacher-hurt-rally-dispersal http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080201-116090/Education-summit-aims-to-fix-mess-in-RP-schools http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20080201-116217/6-arrested-activists-released-after-Manila-mayor-intervenes http://www.tempo.com.ph/news.php?aid=36430 http://www.gmanews.tv/story/78974/Detained-students-released-to-press-counter-charges-vs-cops http://philstar.com/index.php?Metro&p=49&type=2&sec=26&aid=20080201119 http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/feb/02/yehey/metro/20080202met7.html Posted by adarna at 8:31 PM http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20080131-115958/UPDATE-2-6-militants-nabbed-others-hurt-in-protest (UPDATE 2) 6 militants nabbed, others hurt in protest By Tina Santos Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 13:40:00 01/31/2008 MANILA, Philippines -- Six youth activists were arrested and several others hurt after their protest rally against the education summit in Manila was dispersed by anti-riot policemen Thursday morning. Arrested were Joanna Rose Adenit and Emman Montado of the Philippine Normal University, Crimson Laglera of Polytechnic University of the Philippines (Anakbayan), Alvin Cerrano of PUP-League of Filipino Students, Arlo Cervantes of University of the Philippines-Diliman, and Vic del Rosario from Caloocan. They were taken to the General Assignment Section of the Manila Police District on United Nations Avenue for questioning. Prior to the arrests, a group of 30 protesters managed to sneak past truncheon-wielding policemen and unfurled anti-government banners around 10:30 a.m. at the corner of A. Bonifacio Drive, near the Manila Hotel where the education summit was being held. Another group of 100 protesters were blocked by Manila policemen at the corner of Orosa and T.M. Kalaw Streets. A confrontation between the activists and anti-rally policemen ensued, which led to a violent dispersal. The demonstrators claimed that from A. Bonifacio Drive, policemen chased them toward Luneta Park where they held a short program. They said they were about to end the program when policemen arrived and attacked them again by hitting them with truncheons. The injured protesters were brought to the Ospital ng Maynila, while the others went to MPD headquarters to demand the release of the arrested students. According to Anakbayan, the protesters were dispersed as they marched towards the hotel "without the benefit of negotiations." However, police said the protesters had no rally permit from the city government of Manila. Among those who joined the rally were members of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students, Kabataang Pinoy, and Alliance of Concerned Teachers. The groups criticized the non-inclusion of student and teacher representatives in the summit, and the government's "general thrust of commercialization and privatization of education," which they said led to yearly budget cuts and deregulation of tuition fees. They said they are planning to stage a larger protest Friday and expect students from Southern Tagalog to join them. They also said that they are preparing to come up with a critique of the recommendations of the education summit over the weekend. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20080201-116217/6-arrested-activists-released-after-Manila-mayor-intervenes 6 arrested activists released after Manila mayor intervenes Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 17:04:00 02/01/2008 MANILA, Philippines -- Six student activists arrested by Manila policemen during a protest Thursday against the education summit were released Friday afternoon after Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim intervened. Student leader Alvin Peters said Lim negotiated with police to release Joanna Rose Adenit and Emman Montado of the Philippine Normal University, Crimson Laglera of Polytechnic University of the Philippines (Anakbayan), Alvin Cerrano of PUP-League of Filipino Students, Arlo Cervantes of University of the Philippines-Diliman, and Vic del Rosario from Caloocan. "They were released for further investigation, no charges were filed," Peters said. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/78974/Detained-students-released-to-press-counter-charges-vs-cops Detained students released, to press counter-charges vs cops 02/01/2008 | 11:31 PM Email this | Email the Editor | Print | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us Six militant students arrested in a violent rally dispersal in Manila Thursday were released Friday afternoon, even as their colleagues plan to file charges against police. The National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) said that had the students not protested, the six would not have been released, and charges against them not dropped. NUSP president Alvin Peters said the students were eventually released with all charges dropped pending further investigation. He voiced appreciation to Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim for helping expedite their release. "We are determined to file the necessary criminal and administrative charges against the police involved and their respective commanders," Peters said in a statement posted on the Kilusan Web site before midnight Friday. " We want to teach the police a lesson. What happened yesterday should not happen to innocent youth and students again. We were treated worse than common criminals," he added. Students from Southern Luzon also participated in the student rally held earlier Friday at the Manila Hotel while students from Mindanao simultaneously held a Mindanao-wide walkout of classes. The students were protesting the government-backed education summit attended by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. "We have every right to air our grievances regarding the worsening crisis in education especially since we were deliberately excluded from participating in the education summit. But instead of listening to us, all we got in return was brutal violence from the government," Peters said. - GMANews.TV http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/feb/02/yehey/metro/20080202met7.html Protesting students released, Sen. Roxas scores dispersal Mayor Alfredo Lim of Manila on Friday personally ordered the release of the six student activists who were arrested on January 31 at the Luneta Park for staging a protest against the Malaca?ang-initated Education Summit held at the Manila Hotel. Sen. Mar Roxas 2nd scored the dispersal and arrest of the students. "The organizers of the Summit and the police must explain why this happened, and why these students and teachers were, as they were complaining, not included in the Summit," Roxas said. >From the Manila fiscal's office, Lim personally gave the release order to Manila Police District Director Roberto Rosales for five of the six students namely, Joanna Rose Adenit and Emman Montado of Philippine Normal University, Crimson Laglera of Anakbayan-Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Arlo Cervantes of University of the Philippines-Diliman and Vic del Rosario from Caloocan City. Police released Alvin Cerrano of the League of Filipino Students-PUP also on Friday because he was a minor. Rosales told The Manila Times that Lim should have called him instead of personally handing him the release order. "He could have only called me, because he has the power to do that. We have filed two cases against the students, illegal assembly and disturbance of peace," he said. It was not disclosed if the said charges will be pressed against the students. Twenty-three students participating in the rally, as well as Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) President Antonio Tinio, were also injured during the dispersal. The National Union of Students of the Philippines, College Editors Guild of the Philippines, Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students and Kabataang Pinoy, along with teachers from ACT, took part in the protest action. They criticized the non-inclusion of student and teacher representatives in the summit, and protested against the government's thrust of commercializing and privatizing education. -- Ruben D. Manahan 4th http://bulatlat.com/2008/01/6-students-nabbed-teacher-hurt-rally-dispersal POSTED BY BULATLAT January 31, 2008 - 12:43pm Six students were arrested while 24 others -- including a teacher -- were injured after police dispersed a rally against what a Malaca?ang-led education summit. Joanna Rose Adenit and Emman Montado of the Philippine Normal University (PNU), Crimson Laglera of Anakbayan-Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Alvin Cerrano of the League of Filipino Students-PUP, Vic del Rosario from Caloocan and Arlo Cervantes of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City were among those arrested. A certain Ophie of Caloocan is still missing. They are reported to have been brought to the Ospital ng Maynila. Meanwhile, their companions held an indignation rally in front of the Western Police District Main Headquartes to demand their immediate release. Twenty-three students from UP, PUP,University of the East( UE), Adamson University, PNU and the Lyceum of the Philippines also suffered injuries from the police's attacks. Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) President Antonio Tinio acquired cuts and bruises on his arms while attempting to negotiate with WPD Chief Rosales. Youth groups National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), Anakbayan, LFS and Kabataang Pinoy, along with teachers from ACT, staged a protest rally against the Malacanang-sponsored education summit which opened this morning at the Manila Hotel. The ralliers began their program just as President Gloria Arroyo entered the hotel to deliver her keynote address. The rallyists were immediately dispersed as they marched toward Manila Hotel, before any negotiation could take place. >From Roxas Avenue, they were chased towards Rizal Park where they were able to hold a short program. They were about to end the program when police arrived at the scene and attacked them again. The rallyists criticized the non-inclusion of student and teacher representatives in the summit. They also protested against the government's general thrust of commercialization and privatization of education resulting in yearly budget cuts and a deregulated tuition policy. "All we wanted was to voice out our issues and demands as primary stakeholders in the education sector," said NUSP President Alvin Peters. "It was not at all our intention to disrupt the summit. All we wanted was to air our grievances because the government appears to have deliberately ignored our interests. "Hindi na nga kami pinakinggan, sinaktan pa kami" (They didn't listen to us and they even hurt us). "We are determined to file legal charges against our police attackers," said Peters. The youth groups, however, remained unperturbed as they vowed to stage a bigger protest tomorrow, the last day of the summit. Students from Southern Tagalog are expected to join the protest. They also said that they are preparing to come up with a critique of the recommendations of the education summit over the weekend. Bulatlat http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7010539042 Peaceful Protest Over Planned Teachers Job Cut Turned Violent In France April 4, 2008 11:11 a.m. EST Florida Padilla - AHN Paris, France (AHN) - A peaceful demonstration participated by thousands of French students on Thursday, turned violent when a few hundred broke their line and attacked the store fronts along the march route. Police then detained some of the high school protesters, who took to the streets in Paris to voice out their discontent over the government's plans to reduce teacher job in the country next year. Violence erupted when protesters started throwing stones and bottles at police lines. Authorities however, responded with teargas and rounded up more teenage protesters. Police authorities reported no injuries but confirmed that 13 of the protesters were detained. Students who attended the peaceful march were estimated by the police at nearly 7,000. The peaceful march started at Luxembourg Garden. This is the third protests by high school students over the plan of President Nicholas Sarkozy to cut down the educational positions by next school year. Police said the first protest was estimated by about 2,000 and the second, by 4,500. Students oppose Sarkozy's plans to cut secondary teaching jobs estimated nearly 11,000. Nearly 9,000 of the projected figure come from the state schools. The government has argued that the reduction plan was due to the decrease in number of high school students enrolled in school, estimated at 150,000 in the last three years http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=India&month=February2008&file=World_News2008020305042.xml Students riot for right to cheat Web posted at: 2/3/2008 0:50:42 Source ::: IANS patna . Hundreds of law students in Bihar boycotted exams and went on a rampage yesterday after they were not allowed to carry books and mobile phones inside the examination centre. Official sources confirmed that students appearing for LLB part III examinations at Jagjivan Ram College in Gaya, T.P.S. College in Patna and Sher Shah College in Sasaram went on a rampage and boycotted the exams. "After the local administration, including police officials deployed at the examination centre, did not allow the examinees to carry books, exercise books and mobile phones into the exam hall, the students turned violent, shouted slogans and boycotted the exam," a senior official of the home department said over telephone yesterday. Bihar Education Minister Brishen Patel said that the government would not allow the students to cheat in the exams. "It is a firm decision of the state government not to allow unfair means in examinations," Patel said. The protesting students justified their action by saying that not a single class had been held during the whole year. In Sasaram, students boycotted the exam for the second consecutive day. Students there had turned violent on Friday and some shots were also fired in the air by the mob to terrorise the college staff. Later the mob set ablaze the office and classrooms in the college. In Bihar, cheating in academic examinations is rampant and action by authorities to stop this practice has often led to violent protests. http://www.tios.co.za/?fSectionId=1015&fArticleId=vn20080130120510658C914837 'SRC riot' halt registration at DUT 30 January 2008, 20:35 By Amelia Naidoo Crime has reared its head again at the Durban University of Technology, but this time Student Representative Council (SRC) members were responsible for wanton destruction on two campuses on Tuesday. This resulted in registrations being halted on all campuses. Registrations will, however, continue on Wednesday, university officials said. According to DUT spokesperson Nomonde Mbadi, SRC members on Tuesday damaged property at two registration venues. Since the beginning of the week, the SRC-led students were disrupting the registration process without damage to property and injury to people, but this changed on Tuesday. The university requested extra security to prevent further damage. "It was so frustrating to wait for hours to register at the Fred Crookes Sports Hall only to be told to go home after students started toyi-toying," said a retail management student on Tuesday. The university's management last week received a memorandum from the SRC, which they responded to, however the student body submitted a second document to vice chancellor Professor Roy du Pre on Tuesday. "Management is in a meeting now to address the SRC's memo. The main issue surrounds outstanding fees," Mbadi said. In addition to this, the SRC has disputed high registration fees, poor accommodation facilities and poor campus security, which was not addressed adequately in 2007 said spokesperson Mthunzi Gumede. In an earlier report, SRC president Mandla Shange said one of their biggest gripes was that hundreds of students could not register because of a shortfall, on the DUT's part, of their fees. The DUT was apparently supposed to pay R19-million to cover a shortfall for financial aid students and it had not, he said. - Daily News Reporter http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=105&art_id=nw20080201164348210C264399 Protest erupts at Durban Tech February 01 2008 at 05:35PM More than 200 students at Durban's University of Technology (DUT) protested over registration fees at the institution's Steve Biko campus on Friday. Police said the protests at the institution started around 10am and that the situation at DUT's Steve Biko Campus was "very tense". There were claims that police had used rubber bullets to disperse students in the early afternoon. There were no reports of protests from other DUT campuses and by late afternoon the students had dispersed. Protests were expected to resume on Monday morning outside the offices of vice chancellor and principal. Students, led by the DUT's Student Representative Council, are demanding student debt be rolled over for students, especially those receiving financial assistance. A memorandum issued by the SRC on Tuesday accused the university of not properly applying a means test for needy students. The SRC is demanding that the entire debt of all students who joined DUT in 2007 and received financial aid be rolled over. On Monday, the university said in a memorandum that total student debt at DUT was R175-million - and R72-million of that was from the 2007 academic year alone. Protests on Monday brought registration at the Steve Biko campus's Sports Centre to a halt and the financial aid offices on the same campus were forced to close after students marched from the management buildings. The SRC is also demanding that DUT does not increase accommodation fees. However, according to the DUT management, the SRC participated in the council meeting approving the increase in accommodation fees. The SRC has complained about poor accommodation facilities and insufficient campus security as well as poor transport services between the various residences and campuses. On Wednesday evening the institution's management obtained an interdict against the SRC ordering that the SRC members do not organise protests on campus or disrupt registration at the institution. A DUT statement issued on Friday said the SRC memorandum was very similar to the students' original demands and the "concessions it has (already) offered to students with outstanding fees is fair and reasonable in the circumstances". Last week SRC president Mandla Shange threatened to shut down the entire registration process at all the institution's campuses. - Sapa http://www.observer.org.sz/main.php?id=42046§ion=main Swazi student shot in SA riot By Sisho Magagula A Swazi student, Sindi Thwala, studying at the Technikon of Mangosuthu University was last Wednesday morning shot in the left thigh during a clash between rioting students and police. Sindi is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in South Africa. There is currently turmoil at the university as students have boycotted classes in protest of, among other thins, high tuition fees, and shortage of accounting lecturers. http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20080205062254328C233834 DUT doors close as students riot Latoya Newman February 05 2008 at 07:38AM The Durban University of Technology has been closed for the rest of this week after students rampaged through the institution's campuses, breaking windows and damaging other property. During the incident, which lasted for about three hours, a crowd of about 200 students threw bricks and bottles at police officers and security guards. Mercury photographer Terry Haywood was chased off one of the campuses and struck on the back with a blunt object while trying to photograph part of the crowd. Six students came to his aid and shielded him. On arrival at the university's Steve Biko campus journalists were met with the sound of shots being fired as a private security team hired by the institution and a crowd of protesters clashed. Pepper spray bullets were fired to ward off students who were throwing stones, bricks and bottles. Both sides claim they were "attacked" first. Initially about 30 police officers were called to help with crowd management. But within an hour the situation worsened and dozens more SAPS and metro police officers were called in. Windows were smashed and some cars were also hit by bricks as the crowd moved from the Steve Biko campus to the Ritson Road campus. Eventually officers used stun grenades and rubber bullets to subdue the protesters. Students have been protesting for about two weeks over registration fees, poor accommodation facilities and insufficient campus security, among other complaints. Most of those protesting yesterday wanted their student debt to be written off. One student, who refused to be named, said: "I am 18 years old. I have R3 650 outstanding on my fees and because I can't afford to pay that they have not given me my results and I cannot register for my second year. I was promised 100 percent cover for my government student loan and because they never keep their promise I must suffer. Where must I get that kind of money from? Now my future is on hold." 'He was struck by a blunt object' Another protester said in the past students could pay off state loans once they started working, but they had now been told that they needed to pay off the interest while they studied. "The students are very angry. This is not over. We will close this institution down if we need to," said the student. Student representative council spokesperson Mthunzi Gumede said the student body was not involved in the protests because of an interdict secured by the university management. "Because of the interdict we are not allowed to be among the crowd to control them, because then we will be accused of inciting violence. So we are not on campus and we are keeping away from the masses. "But the student representative council wants these matters to be resolved peacefully. But how does management expect these students to react when they say they cannot roll over outstanding fees, but they use the budget to hire Combat Security who then shoot at students?" he said. Police Inspector Michael Read said three units responded to the incident and one officer was injured. "He was struck by a blunt object and sustained minor injuries. We will send officers back tomorrow to monitor the situation," he said. Metro Police spokesperson Thozamile Tyala said that one person had been arrested. University spokesman Nomonde Mbadi said the university was closed until Monday. "Staff and students have been requested to go home. Staff are expected to return to work on Wednesday and students are expected to return on Monday," she said. Education department spokesman Lunga Ngqengelele said the department was monitoring the situation. "If we are asked to intervene then we will," he said. http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=nw20080220180334539C948489 Students held after TUT protest February 20 2008 at 06:11PM About 10 students from the Tshwane University of Technology were arrested on Wednesday following a protest which turned violent, said Pretoria police. Captain Dumisani Ndlazi said the 10, who were part of a protesting group, were arrested at the university's main campus in Pretoria West. "They were arrested after they destroyed university property," said Ndlazi. He said that police had to fire rubber bullets at the protesting group who demanded a response from the institution following a memorandum of grievances handed over to it. 'They were arrested after they destroyed university property' The students were protesting over hike fees and academic exclusion. "They will face charges of malicious damage to property," said Ndlazi. University vice-chancellor and principal, Professor Errol Tyobeka said he was shocked at what had happened. He said it was unclear as to why the protest turned violent since council was already committed to providing a response to the memorandum submitted to the university on Monday. "The university regrets the inconvenience this protest action is causing to students, their parents and staff... We are still hopeful that we will resolve the issues as a matter of urgency, since broad-based agreement on most issues already exists," he said. University spokesperson Willa de Ruyter said the protest started around 10.30am and the protesters dispersed around 2.30pm. She said the protesters broke windows and intimidated residential students. Earlier on Wednesday student leaders met with senior officials of the education department. "I do not know the outcome of the meeting as it was a closed meeting," said de Ruyter. The SA Union of Students which represents most Student Representative Councils of universities in South Africa, confirmed that it attended the meeting. Secretary general of the union Mbulelo Mandlana said: "We attended the meeting called by the department. The meeting was called so as the department could get a clear understanding about what students are upset about." Tyobeka called on students to refrain from violence. The university would remain closed. - Sapa http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=8041 Riot in school: Principal summoned to court By Sajeews Wijeweera and D.G.Sugathapala A Galle school principal was yesterday summoned to appear in Court next Monday after a group of students staged a protest campaign demanding the immediate reconstruction of the school which was destroyed in the tsunami disaster. Following a report submitted to Courts by the police, Galle Chief Magistrate Chamara Tennakoon ordered that the principal of Gintota Maha Vidyalaya appear before him on Monday. The protesting students on Wednesday obstructed traffic by burning tyres on the Galle - Colombo main road. Meanwhile, a police anti- riot squad was stationed yesterday in close proximity to the school to prevent any unruly incidents. Last Thursday's talks between UNICEF representatives and the students aimed at resolving the issue also collapsed after the students refused to accept proposals put forward by the UNICEF. http://www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=02/05/2008&qrTitle=Adamawa%20varsity%20shut%20over%20students%E2%80%99%20riot&qrColumn=EDUCATION Adamawa varsity shut over students' riot . Tuesday, Feb 5, 2008 The Adamawa State University, Mubi, has been closed down, following a rampage by newly-admitted students over post-JAMB screening. The spokesman of the University, Mr Ahmed Sajo, told newsmen, Saturday in Mubi, that the students on Thursday morning held a meeting, where they resolved to resist any attempt to screen their certificates. Sajo said that the violent protest was against plans by the institution to subject them to post-JAMB test, adding they destroyed the institution's property, including vehicles. He however, denied that the faculty of public administration building was torched by the irate students. Sojo said that the rioters attempted to set ablaze the office of the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences but that they did not succeed. The spokesman confirmed that three vehicles were destroyed by the students, who he said, were supported by some hoodlums out to loot. He said that the police moved in quickly at the invitation of the university's authorities to stop further destruction of public property. He confirmed that a security guard was injured in the riot and said it was sad that those who embarked on the protest were prospective students, who were yet to matriculate. "They are yet to be matriculated and we wanted to screen them as some of their results are doubtful" he said. "It is the post-JAMB test being carried out by various universities across the country that they wanted to be exempted from" he said. "Following this development, the senate called an emergency meeting and it decided that the school should be closed down indefinitely", he said. http://allafrica.com/stories/200802180015.html Uganda: Police Quells Makerere Students Riot New Vision (Kampala) 15 February 2008 Posted to the web 18 February 2008 Kampala ANTI-RIOT Police, backed by regular Police, yesterday morning moved in fast to contain a demonstration organised by Makerere University students. A group of students, mainly from Lumumba and Nkrumah halls, had by as early as 2:00am mobilised their colleagues to protest what they called the 'sabotage of their education' by the university. The students want the demands of their lecturers, who are on strike over pension money and teaching materials, to be addressed so that they can resume teaching. "All we want is to study because we pay tuition. We are losing precious time. The lecturers should be paid. Where does the university put all the money we pay?" a law student asked. Shouting at the top of their voices, students chanted "We go, we go, we go", as they barricaded a roads within the university. They also lit logs and bonfires near Nkrumah, Mitchell and Lumumba halls and overturned a telephone booth near the main library. The Police moved in at around 4:00am after they were tipped off that some students were planning to torch a parked car and telephone booths on the campus. They removed the barricades. They then sealed off all the gates to the university. Anti-riot Police, equipped with water canons and teargas, were seen patrolling the university until around 10.00am when the students dispersed. "We deployed early to thwart any chaos. We did not want to be taken by surprise like with the Kisekka Market riot," said the Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, in an interview with The New Vision. He noted that they also deployed to protect the businesses around Makerere. The University Guild president, Susan Abbo, said that those staging the protest were basically students from Nkrumah Hall. "The problem was that we had not communicated to students what we had resolved in the meeting we had on Thursday. Early next week, the university will hopefully open. It was a big mistake to attempt to demonstrate," she observed. She warned that if students continued their protest, they would be sent home. However, the University Council was expected to sit on Friday evening to consider closing the university after lecturers maintained that they would not call off the strike. The Council Chairman, Matthew Rukikaire, said they were considering disciplinary action against the lecturers for breaching the agreement. In a meeting on Thursday night, it was resolved that the lecturers would resume teaching as their grievances were being addressed. But the lecturers demand that the agreement be put in writing before they call off the strike. The lecturers' association, MUASA, condemned the protest action by the students. "Students are spoiling what we are creating. It is very sad that students are interfering with the progress that we have tried to establish," said MUASA chairperson, Augustus Nuwagaba. The over 2,500 lecturers are striking over what they describe as failure by the university management to provide teaching materials, as well as the diversion of their pension money towards paying salaries. They are also protesting what they call the university's weak management system which they want to be changed. Issues at Makerere University On January 28, 2008 the lecturers held a general assembly and passed a resolution that they would not start teaching if the university did not provide teaching materials, including paper, chemicals, internet services and money for field work. On February 4, two days after the university had officially opened, the lecturers decided that they would go on strike. They accused the university administration of mismanaging their pension funds by using some of the money to pay their salaries. In a letter to the University Council, the lecturers observed that the state of teaching at Makerere University had reached unbearable levels with no teaching materials and aids and deteriorating teacher-student ratio. They also complained that fieldwork and practicals had nearly disappeared from the curriculum. In addition, they protested the diversion of pension funds amounting to sh807m to avoid a penalty of Uganda Revenue Authority. The university management proposed to refund this money by paying sh10m per month, which would make the repayment period last almost seven years. The lecturers also complained that the Leadership Incentive Allowance for professors and associate professors was paid only up to April 2007 and that the salary enhancement of sh1.6b had not been received. Another complaint raised was that the 20% contribution to the Deposit Administrative Pension had not been paid to the Standard Chartered Bank account. In addition, they demanded that the transfer of internally generated funds to the units be effected as agreed, namely 51% for day programmes, 59% for evening programmes and 75% for graduate programmes. They also want the management to refund the balance for the Katanga plot and the sh100m trip to the US for the Uganda-North American Convention in September 2007. On February 1, the University Secretary, Sam Akorimo, informed MUASA in writing that sh200m had been set aside for teaching materials. He also promised that payment of arrears for teaching and non-teaching allowances up to December 2007, amounting to sh150m, would be made available. He further stated that sh120m had been identified for field work. According to the latest demands, the lecturers want the management to be replaced before they resume teaching. Compiled by Fortunate Ahimbisibwe http://allafrica.com/stories/200803060055.html Uganda: Kyambogo Students Riot New Vision (Kampala) 5 March 2008 Posted to the web 6 March 2008 Conan Businge Kampala KYAMBOGO University students yesterday joined the lecturers' strike, throwing the second largest tertiary institution into chaos as armed Police fought for hours to contain the riot. The strike began at dawn when the students blocked roads and pelted the Police with stones, injuring one. Students argued that they were missing lectures, yet they had just paid their tuition. Anti-riot Police, backed by water canon trucks, poured into the campus and unblocked the roads, which had been cut-off by the students. In retaliation, the students stoned the constables who fought back with tear-gas, forcing the attackers to retreat to their halls of residence. Others vanished into the nearby trading centres of Banda, Ntinda and Nakawa. The lecturers could not hold a general assembly for lack of quorum as only 53 of the 439 members turned up. The strike started on Tuesday when the lecturers protested over the reduction of their pay on the recommendation of the finance ministry. The ministry and the Auditor General had argued that the lecturers should not be paid according to their qualifications but rather by scale. Yesterday, the lecturers met the university management but failed to resolve the matter. But another meeting on Tuesday gave a committee 10 days to report on the lecturers' grievances and find solutions. "We also agreed that after approval of a new salary structure, staff will be put on appropriate salary scales and enhancements for 2007/08 be paid," said vice-chancellor Dr. Mpandey Basiima Basiima appealed to the lecturers to call off the strike as they wait for the committee's report. Some lecturers protested his comment. "The salary structures for all public universities are already stated. Is Kyambogo not a public university," asked Sr. Dr. Maria Kaahwa from the education faculty. "They make us suffer. I feel like crying because we are being mistreated. I have been here for seven years and the continued promises have been our daily, though unfulfilled, consolations. Management is just buying time." Alexander Isiko of the religious studies department said management's biggest problem was "refusing to understand." http://www.observer.org.sz/weekend/main.php?id=41009§ion=mainweek UNISWA calm after 'riot' storm By Fanyana Mabuza Although all seemed quiet on the UNISWA front by yesterday afternoon, there was also a thick feeling of tension that cut through the air, as police and students nonchalantly brushed shoulders while casting accusatory glances at each other. Both sides attended to their businesses, as if all was well, downplaying a minor fracas that had ensued in the mid-morning. It would seem that examinations will go ahead full blast next Monday, as UNISWA cleaning staff were seen rubbing and scrubbing the marquee floors, where the examinations are to be held. All the examination halls sported recently erected razor wire fence, as a precautionary safety measures. Police were present everywhere with their weapons slung on their shoulders, while they had their meals out of Styrofoam take-away dishes. The students were allowed inside, while others milled purposelessly about at the main gate. One could have been fooled into denying that there was a major riot just the previous night which left a number of students hospitalised after colliding with the uncompromising police. The riot left a number of students nursing wounds and hospitalised, while one student, not from the college, was shot, allegedly by the police and he was rushed to the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital, and later to the Manzini Clinic. It could not be ascertained whether he has been discharged or not by yesterday, after the bullet had lodged itself on his abdomen. Sources at the campus yesterday confirmed that there was again, a minor skirmish near the main gate as uncompromising police broke up mini-meetings between the students. This was as per a ruling by the University authorities that students meetings were banned for the duration of the examinations. Eye witnesses stated that at one stage, the students ermerged from the rented rooms in a big crowd singing songs, while they carried bags of stones they intended to use to defend themselves if the police pounced. But the police outsmarted them and appeared from behind. It was then that the fracas ensued with the students running helter-skelter, as baton connected with flesh. Most fled to the rented rooms next to the main gate, with the police in hot pursuit. Others were reportedly flushed out of the rooms with teargas smoke, while some jumped fences to escape the police wrath. By midday calm had returned and both camps rubbed shoulders as they milled about, inside and outside the campus precincts. There were reportedly no serious injuries on both parties reported, even though some students claimed shots were fired, while some of their colleagues sustained bodily bruises. The students leadership yesterday called for a mass prayer to seek the Lord's guidance over this matter, which began last year and has since been not resolved. The prayer meeting is slated for tomorrow, at a venue still to be decided. University authorities are adamant that exams begin come Monday, while the students are standing their ground that they will not undertake them. http://www.observer.org.sz/weekend/main.php?id=41007§ion=mainweek Four students arrested for riot By Sabelo Mamba Four students of the University of Swaziland have been arrested in connection with the riot at the Campus on Thursday evening. They are Langelihle Dlamini (20), Bheki Mhlanga (28), Emmanuel Ngubane (22), Qiniso Nxumalo (21). Police Public Relations Officer Superindent Vusi Masuku said Dlamini was arrested on Thursday while the rest were rounded up yesterday. He said Dlamini was arrested by members of the public, who handed him over to the police after pelting a bus windscreen with a stone and another car. "Before being handed over to the police, Dlamini was severely beaten up by the public," he said. Supt. Masuku said Dlamini appeared before the Manzini Magistrate's Court for two counts of malicious damage to property and that he was granted bail of E500. He said the others appeared before the Matsapha Circuit Court, which released them on their own cognisance. They are expected to make appearances in court on February 1, this year. The PRO said Mhlanga was arrested for public disturbance in that he placed some stones on the highway and in the process disturbing the free flow of traffic. He added that Ngubane and Nxumalo were charged with malicious damage to property. Meanwhile, police have launched investigations to determine the circumstances in which a Swaziland College of Technology student was shot during a confrontation between UNISWA students and the police on Thursday evening. Police Public Relations Officer Superintendent Vusi Masuku said the issue was still being investigated yesterday and a conclusion had not been reached. "The student is still in hospital, hence it is only after he has been discharged that we can make conclusive analysis of what occurred," he said. The student was identified as Nkosinaye Dlamini. He was allegedly in the company of UNISWA students within a rented flat near the university. Police are said to have fired at the direction of all that were in the house, missing a four year old child and hitting Dlamini on the stomach. It was said the rubber bullet penetrated Dlamini's stomach and was embedded there. He was subsequently admitted to the Manzini Clinic. Other students were also injured when armed officers pounced on them to distract them. This was after the students ran riot and vandalised a car belonging to Vice Chancellor Cisco Magagula on Thursday evening. UNISWA students want the institution's administration to withdraw a semesterisation programme, and postpone examinations scheduled for Monday. http://www.observer.org.sz/main.php?id=41427&Section=main&articledate=Thursday,%20January%201,%201970 Third Force behind UNISWA riots Date Published: Thursday, January 1, 1970 By Hlengiwe Ndlovu CHAOS and mayhem is brewing at the already trouble-ridden University of Swaziland (UNISWA) as a third force has formed a dissident group calling itself the 'Choir'. A section of students, many who come from the distance education unit, are said to be subscribing to the ideologies of the 'Choir'. Even though the origins of the name choir are not yet clear and its objectives have not yet been established, the movement reportedly has a strong political base and is said to be largely responsible for the violent activities and dissenting views among the students. A large fragment of students from all the faculties at the Kwaluseni campus this week wrote a letter to the institution's administration raising serious concerns about the 'Choir students'. The disgruntled students, through the Dean of Student Affairs said they were strongly willing to learn and were thus very concerned and touched by the confusion going on around them. In the letter, the students highlighted that it had come to their attention that some students especially the part-time students and those who call themselves the 'Choir' had resolved to stay away from classes with the intention of disturbing the entire student body. "The student representative council (SRC) is willing to allow everyone back to class but these IDEs and the unruly 'Choir' opposes this move and it should be known that these students want to use us to serve their own secret interests which we are not prepared for, since it will jeopardise our future," reads part of the letter in our possession. So serious is the situation that students who are not members of the 'Choir' have pleaded with the institution's administration to seek for the services of the police and soldiers or both, as protection measures. The disgruntled students further registered concerns about the 'Choir' because some of its members are also members of political groups, which the students said are 'eager to serve their own secret agendas'. The concerned students further said it was a cause for concern that some of them were not of the 'Choir's' idea yet their move is intended to bind and affect all of them. The students have called upon the arrest of the 'Choir' members. The letter reads: If they have to be arrested let it be, we are tired of their madness. We cannot be delayed by course codes, only codes for that matter, it is unthinkable and it cannot be'. The students who are exposing the activities of the 'Choir' also stated that the 'Choir' movement is not interested in considering the consequences of their activities and behaviour. Students who do not subscribe to the 'Choir's' chore activities further claim to have received intimidation and threats against dishonouring resolutions made by the movement. The aggrieved students in their letter therefore said: "We humbly ask for our academic authorities to please try some possible means of ensuring that our rights and lives are protected, this could be done with pleading with police and soldiers or both to ensure that we who are willing to learn are able to do so without any disturbances".. The letter further reads: "They have to allow us to continue with our lectures or studies while they continue their madness and stupidity at their homes," said the students. They further claim that their course instructors are equally ready to go back to class. "What we need is to be back in class, finish up our degrees and graduate this academic year, and the administration should promptly intervene." Meanwhile, Timothy Simelane reports that UNISWA Mbabane Campus embarked on a strike action yesterday to put pressure on the administration to de-link them from a recent resolution to suspend the semesterisation programme. They said they had already written examinations under the semesterisation programme but feared that the suspension would create confusion for them. President of Student Representative Council (SRC) Mbabane Branch Mancoba Zwane said the boycott was called off in the afternoon yesterday. "We will call a meeting tomorrow (today) to announce developments anticipated to emerge from a meeting with Senate," he said. http://www.observer.org.sz/main.php?id=40555&Section=main&articledate=Thursday,%20January%201,%201970 UNISWA E1.1m RIOT MESS Date Published: Thursday, January 1, 1970 Stories by Fanyana Mabuza The University of Swaziland (UNISWA) Kwaluseni Campus has revealed that it incurred damage, in its property and equipment, to the value of E1.118m during the recent upheavals by students, which saw the institution being closed prematurely. In a statement released by the institutions Physical Planner, the most affected items were computers, printers, cameras, copiers and other related equipment, which according to estimates is to the tune of E653 000. Damage on buildings and windows ran to E100 000, while security lights and distribution boxes also incurred the same value of damage. According to the Physical Planner, in his cost summary, these amounts were provisional figures based on estimates of items that were inspected at the aftermath of the skirmish. The inspections are still ongoing and as new damage is identified, the figure is bound to swell, as whatever new findings will be added to the figure below. As the institution receives quotations for repair and purchase of new material, the figure is expected to soar much higher than the damage currently looks at face value. But a firm figure will be available at completion of all repairs. Affected buildings following the student's riot on December 9, 2007 include the administration block where windows were smashed while aluminum and timber frames were ripped off. Venetian blinds were damaged by the stone projectiles hurled by the students. The broken glass shards managed to cut the vertical blinds, while the stones left marks and chips on both the exterior and interior walls while the photocopier at the photocopying room was also damaged by the broken glass which found its way to its interior. The Old Administration and Bursary block was also damaged with windows shattered, aluminum frames broken and three rooms severely burnt. Here documents, furniture, computer equipment, printers, flooring, network cabling power, skirting, vertical and venetian blinds, cable trunking, air conditioning unit, smoke detectors, lights and fittings were damaged. A gas cylinder was also found slightly burnt at this section. The Library was also not spared, but damage was confined to broken glass and windows which were shattered by stones. The refectory lost most of the glasses in the glass doors with curtains being severed by the glass shards. Damage at the Computer Centre and science offices was confined to windows again, where venetian blinds were damaged. At the Science Education Centre damage was limited to the windows along the road to the Administration. An attempt was made to set the purchasing office afire after a bottle containing an unidentified flammable liquid was thrown in through a window. The fire was extinguished timeously managing to lick with its flames a small section of the network cabling, the trunking and curtains. At the Education, Humanities and Social Science departments damage was confined to windows, while louvres at the Multi Purpose Hall were broken and the asbestos cladding on its sides were extensively broken. Its amphitheatre, face bricks lining the terraces were removed and used in vandalising most of the damaged buildings. At the Institute of Distance Education damage was limited to lights and fittings, vertical blinds and windows. Glass also damaged, not extensively though, some photocopiers. There ware visible attempts to set the examination marquee on fire but it could not spread, though causing minor damage by burning a small hole on one of the panels. The tents have a fireproof lining. Other 12 or so panels were damaged with sharp objects, while a new distribution box sending power to the marquee was flattened and damaged. A forklift hired from CTA to lift air conditioning units was vandalised in an attempt to set it on fire. CTA is yet to quantify the damage on its forklift. Windows were extensively broken at the entrance and main gatehouse while a surveillance camera, a computer and a monitor were vandalised. The Langa Bricks pavers were removed from the island kerb next to the road. They were used to as part of the weapons of academic destruction. The gates and perimeter fence were also slightly damaged while security lights in the walkways, corridors, buildings and main car park were broken. http://www.observer.org.sz/main.php?id=40981&Section=main&articledate=Thursday,%20January%201,%201970 UNISWA STUDENTS INJURED IN RIOT Date Published: Thursday, January 1, 1970 By Simon Shabangu SEVERAL University of Swaziland students at Kwaluseni Campus were injured during clashes with police yesterday afternoon. Among those injured is a Swaziland College of Technology student attached to the Swaziland Brewers. Police, however, have denied that any shots were fired or that police assaulted any students, but said they were investigating the allegations though. Nkosinaye Dlamini is currently battling for dear life at Manzini Clinic after he was shot with a rubber bullet below the heart. The rubber bullet is said to have been embedded in the bowels. Dlamini was inside his rented room opposite the bus terminus near the Kwaluseni campus entrance. Thembela Simelane, his neighbour, said after giving Dlamini a thorough hiding and a 'parting shot' they went for his house where they found his wife and his brother-in-law. He claimed that they beat up his wife after breaking the glass door with the nozzle of the gun. He alleged that they then entered the house and proceeded to assault the two. In another incident, three students were allegedly heavily assaulted by the police while they were studying in their rented flat situated opposite Swazi National High School. The students are Chazile Magagula, Gabsile Dlamini and Ncobile Mashinini. Chazile had a serious injury in the head and other parts of the body. She and her peers were found at Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital where she was being attended to by doctors. When interviewed, she said they were inside their flat when they noticed police approaching. "I was so scared and I decided to close and lock the door since I feared that they might attack us. Indeed, my fears were confirmed when the police came running and demanded that I open the door. I resisted but they threatened to fire tear gas inside the house if I did not open. I eventually opened the door with the hope that they would talk to us. "They jumped inside and started beating us up with sjamboks and kicked us all over the body. I was injured on the head," said Chazile, who was soaked in blood and sporting a bandage, which covered the head round the chin. Her peers complained about stomach and body pains, which they claimed were a result of the beating. Seven other students were reported to be injured and were treated at RFM Hospital. Reporters from this publication were denied access to the emergency ward where the students were being attended to. The campus was yesterday afternoon turned to a war zone during a serious confrontation between the police riot squad and students. This scenario occurred after the students tried to hold a meeting outside the campus where they intended to have a briefing about the outcome of a court case between lecturers and the UNISWA administration. It was at around 5:30 in the afternoon when the students gathered with a view of having the briefing. Just when they were about to carry out the task, the police ordered them to disperse and soon after fired tear gas canisters. According to students found in the bushes below Ngabezweni Royal Residence, some of the students gathered next to the Mbabane-Manzini Highway about 300 metres from Eteteni Filling Station where they are said to have pelted stones to passing traffic. An undisclosed number of car owners had their vehicles damaged during the process. Relating the ordeal, a male student said it was not the first time they gathered outside the campus since they were banned to gather within the premises. "We used to have small gatherings at the bus station next to the main entrance to the campus. Yesterday there were a lot of students, something which I think intimidated the police officers. They fired teargas and all hell broke loose," he said. He continued to say that they were stranded as the police officers did not want anyone coming in or going out of the campus by the time we visited the scene. Cars were not allowed inside the campus at the time. "As of now, we do not know where to go and where to sleep. Our clothes are locked in there," his friend added. Police Public Relations Officer Superintendent Vusi Masuku when contacted about the fracas said police were still investigating the reports of beaten students. He, however, highlighted that one student was arrested and will be charged with malicious damage to property after he was caught pelting a passing bus with stones. Supt. Masuku said the student was saved by police from the angry mob, which alighted from the bus and pounced on him. He was rushed to the RFM Hospital where he was attended to while under guard by the police. http://www.observer.org.sz/main.php?id=40307&Section=main&articledate=Thursday,%20January%201,%201970 Rioting students stone 14 cars Date Published: Thursday, January 1, 1970 AT least 14 vehicles using the Eteni-University road were damaged by rioting students who had blocked traffic, collecting cash from any driver utilising this strip. Nine vehicles were damaged yesterday whilst the other five on Sunday evening. This was confirmed by Police Public Relations Officer Superintendent Vusi Masuku who said some students were taken in for questioning following scenes of violence but they were later released as investigations continue on the case. Students injured during the fracas totalled three as confirmed by the Police PRO and none amongst the police camp although the UNISWA administration had said two officers and eight students had been injured. One student was from Botswana whilst two; male and female were Swazis. They were injured following blockade of the road leading to the varsity as confirmed by Masuku. fired It was said the Botswana student was hit by a rubber bullet as police fired gunshots to disperse the rioting students. On the other hand, the female student was injured on the hand whilst the boy got injured on the thigh. It was said some occupants of a foreign registered vehicle opened fire on the group of students blocking the road, leaving the two injured. "However, we are still conducting investigations on the matter but evidence so far is that the vehicle was a foreign registered one," said Supt. Masuku. He added that the police came into the scene to protect lives and property against unruly students. He added that police had to apply special methods to restore order. The students were demanding cash from drivers utilising the University-Eteni public road and some (drivers) parted with E50, E20, E10 and varied amounts to gain a passage through the crowd blocking the road. Police officers watched from a distance as a first attempt by traffic police from Matsapha Police Station, was interrupted by the students. Drivers of the damaged vehicles were apparently those had refused to comply with orders by the students to part with cash to gain passage through them (students) who had blocked the way. However, UNISWA Assistant Registrar Corporate Affairs Ambrose Gama said they were not aware of the matter. "We've been locked in discussions in the administration block since morning thus unaware of the ongoings outside," Gama said. One motorcyclist was assaulted on the back with a sjambok as he made his way through the crowd of students. His sin was that he failed to give cash to the uncompromising students. Earlier a kombi driver got more than he had bargained for when the students smashed windows of his vehicle after he sped off and refused to pay up. Motorists paid up under the pretext that the money was to be used in settling hospital bills at RFM in Manzini. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 11:43:06 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:43:06 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] WORKER PROTESTS AND STRIKES, global South and semi-periphery Message-ID: <01c401c89e5f$62792f50$0802a8c0@andy1> My favourite quote... CSKA executive board member Emil Kostadinov added: "The players should realise this is Bulgaria and that 10 or 15 days' delay of their payment is not a delay." * SOUTH AFRICA: Workers protest restructuring in Cape Town * BULGARIA: Kremikovtzi mill workers protest over closure, problems * INDIA: Jajpur workers strike over attack by ruling party * POLAND: Teachers protest over pay * GREECE: Pension reform plan sparks protests * PUERTO RICO: Teachers strike over free education, right to strike * INDIA: Journalists strike, protest over unpaid wages * BULGARIA: CSKA soccer players protest unpaid wages * BAHRAIN: Strike hits development project * SIERRA LEONE: Administration workers protest unpaid allowances * TRINIDAD: Boss faces protest for insulting worker * KENYA: Council workers protest over pay delay * SWAZILAND: Border workers protest over lack of work * INDIA: University teachers protest over salary, infrastructure * TRINIDAD: Trade unions protest for wage board * INDIA: Airport workers protest privatisation * TRINIDAD: Steel workers stage musical protest over bonus * NIGERIA: Medical teachers protest boss appointment * BAHRAIN: Contracting workers strike over pay, allowances * JAMAICA: Worker strike causes airport delays * NIGERIA: Oil workers protest against job cuts * TRINIDAD: Trade unionists target bank for protests * MOZAMBIQUE: Former migrant workers occupy labour ministry * MOZAMBIQUE: Sugar workers strike * PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Mine shut down in pay dispute Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=594&art_id=vn20080120092257359C132280 Workers protest Cape restructuring Helen Bamford January 20 2008 at 02:58PM Up to 10 000 Cape Town workers intend going on an indefinite strike on Monday to voice their dissatisfaction with the city's restructuring programme. The SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu), which has called for the strike, has 10 000 members representing half the City of Cape Town's workforce. No workers involved in essential services are allowed to strike. City spokesperson Charles Cooper said they would monitor the situation but would only be able to tell by midday tomorrow how many workers had downed tools. It was not clear yet what form the strike action would take, but access to the Civic Centre would be restricted during the strike. "As far as I know they haven't applied to march or hand over a petition." http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/kremikovtzi-workers-announce-protest/id_27140/catid_66 Kremikovtzi workers announce protest 17:32 Fri 18 Jan 2008 - Rene Beekman Photo: Asen Tonev Kremikovtzi workers announced they will protest on January 23 from 8.00am in front of the central management office of the company. Organisers of the protest were the unions KT Pokrepa and KNSB in the steelmill, zagrada.bg said. Unions complained that the workers in the mill did not receive their salaries regularly. They wanted the State, who owned 25 per cent of the company, to cancel the deal with majority stakeholder Pramod Mital from India, zagrada.bg said. Unions accused Pramod Mital of not investing in the mill and exposing it to the risk of being closed down because it did not meet ecological requirements. Economy Minister Petar Dimitrov said that the State was holding an audit of Kremikovtzi and wanted to make the company economically healthy and meet ecological requirements. Dimitrov said he was against closing the mill, as Sofia's mayor Boiko Borissov proposed. Ecology Minister Djevdet Chakurov said that he was not happy with the work of the management of the company. "The mill received permits to operate under the condition that it would meet legal requirements. How is it possible that all companies in the branch can work within the norms, except Kremikovtzi who have done nothing and are damaging a city of more than two million," Chakurov said. "For the two-and-a-half years that I have been minister, I have not seen any progress at the mill," he said. http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:WUE8OSQgYUMJ:www.thestatesman.org/page.arcview.php%3Fdate%3D2008-01-19%26usrsess%3D1%26clid%3D9%26id%3D213594+%22Protest+by+employees+of+Bari+block+office%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk&client=firefox-a Protest by employees of Bari block office JAJPUR, Jan. 18: For the second day today, the employees of the Bari block office in Jajpur district are on a pen down strike, following an attack on their block development officer, Mr Bishnu Mohan Bhanja, allegedly by supporters of the ruling BJD on 16 January. Local Congress activists led by Mr Naba Kishore Samal pledged their full support to the agitating employees. Discontentment is brewing among the block employees. ?We are demanding the security of the employees and an immediate arrest of the attackers. Our agitation will continue until and unless our demand is fulfilled,? said Meghanad Jena, head clerk of Bari block. ?Though police claimed to have arrested nine persons , none of them are the real culprits, charged the employees. n sns http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0118/poland.html Poland's teachers protest over pay Friday, 18 January 2008 18:06 Thousands of teachers from across Poland have marched in Warsaw, demanding the country's new government raise wages in elementary and secondary education. The protestors demanded a meeting with Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Organisers said 12,000 teachers took part in the demonstration, the largest since Mr Tusk took office in November after his Civic Platform defeated the conservative-nationalist government of Jaroslaw Kaczynski in a snap election. Advertisement Mr Tusk's party campaigned on promises of creating an 'economic miracle' in Poland that would benefit all, similar to the spectacular growth in fellow EU member Ireland. The education ministry has proposed a 200-zloty (?55) wage hike, but the teachers' union wants 600 zlotys for junior staff and 11,000 zlotys for senior staff. Teachers are among the worst paid public sector employees in Poland, with maximum gross salaries for senior teachers running under 2,000 zlotys per month. Salaries for public sector nurses and physicians are comparably low. The new government has become the target of several groups of public sector employees. Health service staff have also staged protests demanding wage rises in recent weeks. Coal miners from the southern Polish Silesian coal basin staged underground protests, while their wives lobbied for wage hikes in Warsaw yesterday. http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=165029 Greeks to participate in protest against pension reform plan ATHENS (Chinaview) -- Tension is intensifying between the Greek government and trade unions in view of the debate on social security system reforms, opening in the competent Parliament Committee, on Tuesday. Trade unions react against increase in age of retirement, reductions in supplementary pension and merging of social security funds. The General Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE) and the Civil Servants Supreme Administrative Council (ADEDY) are staging a three-hour work stoppage and rally on Wednesday, March 12, while they have announced a 24-hour nationwide strike on March 19. Garbage bags continue to pile up on the streets as local administration employees strike goes on till Wednesday. Municipal authorities appeal to citizens to keep garbage at home. Employees in the banking sector have also joined in industrial mobilizations with work stoppage on Wednesday along with GSEE and ADEDY while the Federation of Bank Unions, OTOE is staging a 48 hour strike on Thursday and Friday, on March 13 and 14. Bank of Greece employees are staging a 24-hour strike on Tuesday while doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, notary publics and engineers on Wednesday. ------------------------------------------------------------ On February 7, 2008 over 50 individuals & representatives of different organizations met to create a NYC - solidarity committee for the teacher's union of Puerto Rico, FMPR (la Federacion de Maestros de Puerto Rico). We are organizing fundraising, media, and outreach committees. Join us! AN URGENT CALL TO SUPPORT THE TEACHERS'FEDERATION OF PUERTO RICO AS FEBRUARY NATIONAL STRIKE LOOMS February 2, 2008 Puerto Rico's teachers and workers are fighting for their rights to free quality public education, to union independence, to freely strike, to democratic representation and against privatization. The government of Puerto Rico, in collaboration with leaders of several U.S. unions, (e.g. the American Federation of Teachers, SEIU, Change To Win) is attempting to destroy the rising militant and effective organizing efforts of the FMPR to improve educational and teaching conditions on the island and to undermine opposition to President Bush's No Child Left Behind, a privatization program on the island. In January '08, the Puerto Rican government acted to decertify the Teachers Federation of Puerto Rico (FMPR), which represents 42,000 teachers. The FMPR called for a strike vote of its Delegates' Assembly in September 2007 that was overwhelmingly ratified by the membership. The colonial government is using the anti-strike and other anti-labor clauses of Law 45 in its attempts to destroy the democratically elected representative of the teachers. (Law 45 is similar to the New York State Taylor law.) The unconstitutional nature of Law 45 is currently being challenged in the courts by the FMPR. The FMPR has successfully fought government attempts to squash the voice of teachers and community in decision-making in Puerto Rico's school system. The FMPR effectively seceded in 2006 from American Federation of Teachers which abysmally failed to crusade for better conditions while collecting millions in dues money from Puerto Rican teachers. The FMPR has a proven track record of defending teachers, students, parents, and community control of the educational process. It has successfully opposed the U.S. federal government's efforts to undermine the rights of Puerto Rican teachers to exercise their judgment in the classroom and in making decisions about instruction according to their needs and within their own context. The FMPR has steadfastly opposed all attempts at privatization fomented by the federal NCLB, inclusive of Charter Schools. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/Protest_by_cricketers_scribes/articleshow/2706484.cms Protest by cricketers, scribes 17 Jan 2008, 0221 hrs IST,TNN BANGALORE: They have not received their salaries for the past four months. To draw the governor?s attention to the plight of wildlife protection staff, the Journalists Association of Wildlife (JAW) held a protest on Wednesday. "The forest department received Rs 700 crore from Japanese Bank Forestry Project to ?grow forests?. However, the staff is not in a position to protect existing forests. Unfortunately, the budgets of wildlife reserves are heavily loaded with civil works," said a JAW member. Apart from wildlife reporters and freelancers, cricketers Sunil Joshi, Vijay Bhardwaj and Brijesh Patel took part in the protest. http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootballNews/idUKL2388094620080123 Soccer-CSKA Sofia players protest over unpaid wages Wed Jan 23, 2008 5:00pm GMT SOFIA, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Bulgarian premier league leaders CSKA Sofia's players turned up 30 minutes late for training on Wednesday in protest over unpaid wages. The players went on to the pitch with their pockets pulled out of their tracksuits to symbolise the lack of money. "I hope that the club management can find a solution to the problem," CSKA captain Alexandar Tunchev told reporters. "We are ready to become champions and play in the Champions League but we don't want to be deceived." Club sources said CSKA's management owed several cash bonuses to the players as well as monthly wages. "I'll punish those responsible for this act of protest, even if I have to punish all the players," said CSKA president Alexandar Tomov. CSKA executive board member Emil Kostadinov added: "The players should realise this is Bulgaria and that 10 or 15 days' delay of their payment is not a delay." (Reporting by Angel Krasimirov; Editing by Sonia Oxley) http://www.arabianbusiness.com/510747-gulf-hit-by-more-labour-strikes?ln=en Bahrain hit by further labour strikes by Amy Glass on Sunday, 10 February 2008 INDUSTRIAL ACTION: Over a thousand workers on the $6 billion Durrat Al Bahrain development have gone on strike. Bahrain has been hit with its second major labour strike in under a week, with over a thousand labourers on the $6 billion Durrat Al Bahrain development downing tools over pay and conditions. Around 1,300 employees of contractor GP Zachariades, who live at an on-site labour camp, went on strike Saturday, demanding higher salaries and better living conditions, Bahrain's Gulf Daily News reported on Sunday. Employees are calling for an increase in their monthly pay, which is reportedly just 57 Bahraini dinars ($151), and for adequate medical facilities, the newspaper said. http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/1yr_arc_Articles.asp?Article=209055&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30335&date=2-18-2008 Another Durrat company hit by protest By Begena p Pradeep MANAMA WORKERS at a second company working on the $6 billion (BD2.26bn) Durrat Al Bahrain project downed tools yesterday, demanding improved pay and living conditions. Asian workers from the Bokhowa Construction Company, based at labour camps in the landmark Durrat Al Bahrain development, Tubli, Ma'ameer and Sitra, staged the wildcat strike. It comes just days after workers of another leading Bahrain contracting company working on the project, G P Zachariades (GPZ), resumed work on Friday after a six-day strike. Nearly 1,300 GPZ returned to work after being promised an increase of BD15. Labourers of Bokhowa Construction Company yesterday claimed that all workers employed by that firm had now gone on strike. However, the company rejected this figure and said only 500 had downed tools. A spokesman for the workers claimed their basic monthly pay was BD57 and said they were living in poor conditions. The company rejected this and said they were paid BD60 to BD85 a month. "There are nearly 2,200 labourers who work for this company in four different camps," the spokesman told the GDN. "The salary of labourers who have been working for 10 years is BD57 - the rest get BD53." The spokesman said the decision to strike was their own and blamed the company for it. "The company agreed to increase our salary from January, though an amount was not fixed," he added. "But when we got our salaries for January on Thursday, we found there was no increase and we decided to strike." The workers alleged that the company gives them a one-way ticket to go home on holiday after two years and takes BD40 from their salary to make sure they return. The company denied the claim. They also complained that they do not get a food allowance. However, a spokesman for the company admitted the workers were being locked inside the camps while they continue to strike. "I am sure the labourers can survive with the same salary they earn now," he said. "They wouldn't be getting this much in India, but now they are making a big deal out of it. "They have come to Bahrain aware of what they would get and have signed contracts." The spokesman also described the strike as illegal. "We will not be threatened into increasing wages and will not tolerate strikes," he added. Meanwhile more than 350 workers out of almost 450 at the Technical Construction Company and the Luqman Al Haddad Construction Company - who downed tools on Saturday - resumed work yesterday after the company verbally agreed to their demands. http://allafrica.com/stories/200802081064.html Sierra Leone: Junior Workers Protest At Ipam Concord Times (Freetown) 8 February 2008 Posted to the web 8 February 2008 By Ibrahim Jaffa Condeh Freetown Junior workers at the University of Sierra Leone's Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) Thursday protested for allowances and drawback salaries due them since 2007. An executive member of the staff association Edward A Kamara told Concord Times on their AJ Momoh Street campus in Freetown that 30 percent of their basic allowance has not been paid to them by the university authority. He said the authority promised to pay all allowances on January 15 this year but to no avail. Ali Kamara, a junior staff worker said two years ago half of their salaries were deducted for social security but they later learnt that from the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) that none of them is registered with the scheme. Meanwhile, minister of labour Minkailu Mansaray has told the demonstrators to stay away from work until their backlog salaries and allowances are paid. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_business?id=161275538 Protest at TSTT over CEO's e-mail Rohandra John rohjohn at trinidadexpress.com Saturday, February 9th 2008 An e-mail sent out by the CEO of the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) Roberto Peon to a female employee last week sparked a rowdy protest outside the company's headquarters in Port of Spain yesterday with employees accusing their boss of violating the work ethic when he called her a "fool". A couple dozen employees participated in the lunchtime protest which was held outside the company's headquarters in Port of Spain and which received the support of their representative union-the Communication Workers Union (CWU). CWU's general secretary Lyle Townsend charged that Peon's "insult" to the female employee "was a total disrespect" to all employees of the company and by extension citizens of this country. Townsend said the worker had done nothing to provoke Peon's reaction. "The worker simply asked through an e-mail, why it is that TSTT employees have to go to the Square in order to get one of the Carnival jerseys that they themselves produce and that was his (Peon's) disrespectful outburst," he said. Townsend said the union was repeating its calls for the company to remove Peon, "a foreigner", from his current post. TSTT in an immediate response said Peon had "unreservedly apologised" for the e-mail issued "both to the affected staffer and to the entire company", last week. The company in a statement said the majority of TSTT employees had "accepted the CEO's apology in good faith" but charged that CWU was only "now seeking to capitalise on this within the context of the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations". Townsend said yesterday's protest was also held to highlight the union's grouse with the company which has since failed to "execute an agreement to pay workers their outstanding money since December 19. The company has reneged on this agreement and it has refused to pay workers their backpay and to implement the new terms of the agreement," he said. TSTT dismissed the union's claims saying that "the union has already rejected a generous offer from the company which included a proposed employee stock ownership, salary increases well ahead of market rates, and a series of enhanced benefits". http://allafrica.com/stories/200802060578.html Kenya: Council Employees Protest At Pay Delay The Nation (Nairobi) 6 February 2008 Posted to the web 6 February 2008 Benson Amadala Nairobi A protest by workers over the salary delay disrupted operations at Kakamega municipal council Tueday. The 230 workers staged a sit-in at Town Hall, demanding their salaries amounting to Sh22 million. Officials of the Kakamega branch of the Local Government Workers Union said they had written to the town clerk, Mrs Margaret Jobita, demanding the pay arrears dating back to August last year. But they said she had not responded to the demand notice. They called on the Ministry of Local Government to replace her for being insensitive to their plight. "We have been patient enough but the chief officers at the council are unwilling to address our grievances and settle the salary arrears," said the union's branch secretary, Mr Samson Ananda. Our grievances Mrs Jobita was said to have travelled to Nairobi on official duty and efforts to reach her on her mobile phone were fruitless. The provincial Local Government officer, Mr Zachary Onchieku, said he was aware of the problems at the council and promised to act. http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2266554,00.html Too little work sparks protest 07/02/2008 20:39 - (SA) Eric Lubisi Schoemansdal - Road workers near the Swaziland border in Mpumalanga held a demonstration on Wednesday in protest against doing too little work. One worker, Bheki Thumbathi, said they had worked only five days in the past three weeks because they were sometimes turned away or told not to come to work without reason. "We're then told that the 'no work, no pay' principle is applied. We are going to earn very little at the end of the month. We are just like the unemployed with no income," said Thumbathi. Local ward councillor Bhutana Lubisi had to call an urgent meeting. "Everything has been resolved," he said. The foreman, Ray Mokoena, blamed the demonstration on a communication breakdown. "There are about three people that I take instructions from, which creates the misunderstanding between the workers and sub-contractors," said Mokoena. He said it had been agreed that the workers would be paid for the days they were turned away. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lucknow/Salary_row_Protest_spreads_to_streets/articleshow/2747356.cms Salary row: Protest spreads to streets 1 Feb 2008, 0248 hrs IST,TNN LUCKNOW: Demanding salary hike and better infrastructure, teachers of Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University (CSMMU) on Thursday took to streets and took out a procession at busy Vidhan Sabha marg. They also gave a memorandum at Raj Bhawan in support of their demands which included time-bound direct promotions and lifting of ban on private practice. As per the announcement made earlier, teachers arrived in buses at dharna sthal and walked all the way to Sardar Patel statue for staging a demonstration. Carrying placards and wearing badges, over 150 teachers assembled at the venue. They were stopped by the police in front of Vidhan Sabha. However, administration had to relent when teachers sat on the road, threatening to block the traffic. While demonstration in front of Sardar Patel statue lasted for two hours, a delegation of teachers was later allowed to go to Raj Bhawan where they handed over the memorandum to a special secretary as governor TV Rajeswar was not present. The delegation was led by teachers' association president Prof Ramakant, general secretary Dr Naim Ahmad, Prof Mazhar Hussain, Prof SC Tiwari, Prof Ashok Sahai, Prof Shadab Muhammad, Dr Manju Shukla, Dr Indu Tandon and Dr Suresh Kumar. The visit to the Raj Bhawan was part of the agitation programme being run by teachers for last ten days. They will sit on relay hunger strike from February 4. The general body meeting of the teachers' association has been called on Friday to decide the future course of action. Teachers have also decided to meet chief minister soon to press for their demands. The teachers of CSMMU for long have been demanding better pay scales at par with their counterparts at SGPGIMS and AIIMS, lifting of ban on private practice, improvement in patient care and teaching facilities and time-bound direct promotion as per Tikku Commission report. Though teachers' association leaders said that lifting of ban on private practice was at the bottom of their demand list, many practising teachers were said to be lobbying hard for the cause. Private practice is prohibited under a government order.On the directions of the High Court, district administration and CSMMU authorities are gearing up for action against doctors violating the ban. That's the reason why practising teachers desperately want government to lift the ban first before taking any other decision on pay and perks. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_business?id=161276700 Natuc threatens protest over lack of wage board Tuesday, February 12th 2008 THE National Trade Union Centre (Natuc) is threatening worker protests over what it says is the Government's refusal to appoint a minimum wages board. In a statement issued yesterday, Natuc said it had made repeated calls on both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Labour on this matter. It said the Prime Minister had promised to implement a $10 minimum wage when he led his party's campaign for the general election in 2002. And, it said, the Prime Minister made an announcement to this effect in the budget for 2008 last August. But the trade union umbrella organisation said in its statement that this has not been done. "Thousands of families are being adversely affected with constant increases in the cost of living, while the authorities refuse to appoint a national minimum wages fixing machinery," this statement said, adding that international labour standards set by the International Labour Organisation require all member countries to have in place such machinery. Trinidad and Tobago has been without a minimum wage board since 2006, Natuc said, claiming that the Government had abandoned the process of minimum wage fixing. "Natuc is calling on all trade unions and workers in general to spare a thought for workers who are not unionised and also have to live on an outdated minimum wage. Recent increases in the price of milk, bread, eggs and vegetables have impacted adversely on low income earners, and yet the Government has refused to appoint the minimum wages," it said. "Should the Government continue to refuse to appoint the board, workers will have to vigorously protest this failure of the Government," it added. http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14603521 Airport employees protest privatisation Tuesday, 12 February , 2008, 15:13 Mumbai: More than 21,000 airport employees across the country launched a day's ?relay fast? to protest against privatisation of airports. ?We are protesting the privatising of airports being implemented by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and also in support of other pending demands,? Dilip Gujjar, National Assistant General Secretary of the Airport Authority Employees Union (AAEU), said. According to an official at the Mumbai Airport, the protest is unlikely to cause any disruption in air traffic control but could hit ground operations at airport terminals. ?Most of the non-executive workforce of the union is involved in cleaning the terminals and managing the conveyor belt operations,? the official said. The AAEU is also protesting the development of green field airports at Hyderabad and Bangalore, which will close down airports currently run by the AAI. ?In Delhi and Mumbai, where the government has privatised the airports, the employees are being compelled to join the consortium. This is not acceptable to us," Gujjar said. He added that there were several other demands of AAI employees that have not been met despite several requests to the government in the past one and a half year. The Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd., which manages the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, has said that flight operations will not be affected. The Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi has prepared a backup plan to meet any emergency situation. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_business?id=161292691 Steel workers take $$ protest to Whitehall Renuka Singh Thursday, March 13th 2008 MUSICAL PROTEST: Arcelor Mittal Point Lisas Ltd workers and SWUTT members play music and display placards at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain, yesterday opposite Whitehall during their protest to demand payment of the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and their annual production bonus which they say is owing since January 1, 1995. (See Page 19) -Photo: CURTIS CHASE A wave of orange washed through the streets of downtown Port of Spain yesterday, as almost 300 employees of Arcelor Mittal walked in solidarity to take their fight, for money they claim is owed to them, to Whitehall, Port of Spain. The march was dubbed the first of its kind because it was the biggest organised march by the Steel Workers Union of Trinidad and Tobago (SWUTT). The march moved from Riverside Plaza to the Eric Williams Financial Complex, and then proceeded through Port of Spain until finally reaching Whitehall. The energised crowd clapped, sang and chanted as one, kept in time and to pace by former president of SWUTT, Elias A Williams. The employees have been demanding their Employment Share Ownership Plan (ESOP) and their annual bonuses, which they insist have not been paid in 12 years. The union claims the figure amounts to almost US$300 million. He called on the curious onlookers to join the march as the fight was "a fight for the nation". President of SWUTT, Lex Lovell, said their intention was "to sensitise the Government" and while he felt sure they would not have met the Prime Minister yesterday, he was sure his office would," hear the rumbling of the people and ask why". Vincent Cabrera, General Secretary National Trade Union Centre of Trinidad and Tobago (NATUC), had the crowd applauding wildly as he accused the Government of fraud. He also promised the support of all unions of Trinidad. "Other workers have to join the struggle as well to ensure that at the end of the day, workers receive their just due," Cabrera said. Steel union members said they understood that the plant sustained an almost 90 per cent absenteeism yesterday. Contacted on the issue yesterday, Fazad Mohammed, communications manager at Arcelor Mittal, insisted that the CEO and Human Resources would be continuing dialogue in the hope of reaching an amicable settlement of the issue. "We are in the process of finalising the issue to re-present to the union," Mohammed said. He claimed the company was attempting to make modifications to the previously proposed figure of US$6.5 million and they remained open to constructive dialogue. He said they were also still in discussions with group management in the hope of resolving the issue as quickly as possible. http://allafrica.com/stories/200803140184.html Nigeria: UATH Staff Protest Medical Director's Appointment Daily Champion (Lagos) 14 March 2008 Posted to the web 14 March 2008 Lagos The University of Abuja Teaching Hospital(UATH)staff, on Wednesday in Gwagwalada protested against the appointment of Dr. Peter Alabi as the hospital's substantive Medical Director. The staff were protesting under the umbrella of "Movement for Better Hospital Environment". They said in a statement signed by Mr. Steven John and Ibrahim Usman, that the appointment was mischievous and betrayal of principle of justice. "We wish to categorically state that Alabi was not among the three shortlisted candidates and is not competent to represent the interest of the hospital community. "He was imposed like Dr. Edugie Abebe,"the statement said. According to it, the appointment was an internal arrangement between some ministry officials and their agents in the hospital to replace Abebe with Alabi. "The appointment lacked consideration for the wishes of staff," it said. The statement blamed the Health Minister for "violating the agreements reached between the joint unions and the ministry. "The agreement reached included the appointment of Medical Director from the three shortlisted and interviewed candidates,"the statement said. "The minister gave the assurance that the three names had been submitted to President Umar Yar'Adua for approval. "Alabi was not among and we are surprise about his appointment."The Movement shall continue to resist any abuse of the due process by imposing a leadership of the hospital," the statement said. It appealed to Yar'Adua to intervene in order to ensure justice and fair play. " We are calling on the presidentto look into the hidden agenda behind Alabi's appointment by some selfish individuals of the health ministry," the statement said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the health ministry conveyed Alabi's appointment in a letter dated February 11. http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=211086&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30356 Workers protest again for better pay By BEGENA P PRADEEP MORE than 600 workers at a contracting company downed tools for the second time in 10 months yesterday to demand pay rises. It was Bahrain's 12th strike in five weeks and was staged by workers at the Mohammed Jalal Contracting Company. They previously went on strike in May last year, but returned to work three days later after management agreed to improve salaries. The workers originally demanded a BD15 food allowance to be added to their basic salaries, which the company apparently agreed to. However, they went on strike again yesterday complaining that another demand for a 20 per cent pay rise had not been met. The workers claimed the company had offered increases of three to five per cent to some employees based on their performance. They yesterday demanded an extra BD20 a month each and threatened to continue their strike until they get it. The workers include Indians, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis who live at the firm's Salmabad labour camp. They said their salaries ranged from BD45 to BD55 before May last year, but with the introduction of a food allowance they now ranged from BD60 to BD70. "We also earn nearly BD40 as overtime, but it is very hard to survive on this small amount," said one worker, who asked to remain anonymous. "The price of everything has increased in Bahrain and back home. "To make matters worse the Indian rupee has got stronger, which means less money is reaching our homes. "We need a BD20 raise and in writing this time." Workers told the GDN they submitted a written notice to the company a month ago threatening to go on strike if their demands were not met. They said they were happy with their accommodation, but argued that their salaries were too low - particularly since some had worked for the company for many years. "The written notice was submitted during the first week of last month explaining our demands and the consequences if they were not fulfilled," said another worker." The labourers claimed the company came forward with an offer of a BD10 pay rise on Saturday in an attempt to avert a strike. "They somehow came to know of our plan to go on strike and offered us a BD10 raise, but this is not good enough now," said one worker. Some workers who joined the company recently claimed that although they had signed contracts for a basic salary of BD70 and a BD20 allowance, they never received the allowance. "We signed contracts for BD70 a month with a BD20 allowance," said one worker, who joined the company last October. "When we didn't get the BD20 and asked for it they threatened to send us back home." Labour Ministry officials have urged the workers to resume duty and accept the BD10 pay rise offered by the company, but they were holding out for a better deal yesterday. Mohammed Jalal Contracting Company general manager David Bailey declined to comment. http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=211000&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30355 Workers end protest after wages rise vow By BEGENA P PRADEEP A FOUR-DAY strike by more than 700 workers at a Bahrain contracting company ended yesterday after management agreed to improve their salaries. Employees at the Olympic Contracting Company camps at Salmabad and Arad downed tools on Tuesday demanding better pay. Management earlier declared the strike as 'illegal', and said it had halted work at several of its sites. Officials allegedly offered staff a BD10 food allowance on Friday in a bid to encourage them to end the strike, which they rejected. Workers demanded BD20 added to their basic salaries, arguing an allowance could be removed after two or three months. However, employees accepted the company's offer yesterday of a pay rise of BD15 to BD20 on their salaries. Those who have been working in the company for less than five years will get a BD15 increase to their salaries while those who have been working for five or more years will get BD20. Workers returned to their duties at around 10.30am yesterday. "The company agreed to raise our basic salaries and this is what we have been asking for for the past few days," said a worker who declined to be named. "This pay rise is fair enough, " he said. Company officials earlier said they had taken a "soft view" of the strike over the last few days, but it could not go on. Human resources manager Abdulelah Saleh Abdalrehman confirmed to the GDN yesterday that the strike was over after the workers and the company reached a deal. "The strike is over and the workers will resume duty," he said. "We have agreed to increase their salaries and everything is fine now." However, he did not reveal the amounts involved. Mr Abdalrehman earlier appealed to the Labour Ministry to step in and officials warned workers to return to work and make their claims through legal channels or face action. Indian Embassy officials also urged the men to return to work and file a complaint at the Labour Ministry if they had grievances. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20080310T230000-0500_133394_OBS_PROTEST_CAUSES_DELAYS_AT_SANGSTER_INTERNATIONAL.asp Protest causes delays at Sangster International KERIL WRIGHT, Observer staff reporter Tuesday, March 11, 2008 MONTEGO BAY, St James - A protest by frontline workers employed to All Jamaica Air Services (AJAS) yesterday led to delays at the Sangster International Airport. Yesterday afternoon there were unusually long lines at several airline check-in counters. The workers walked off the job in protest over what they claimed was 'unsatisfactory' representation from the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU). "We are still operating but we are experiencing some delays," said Elizabeth Scotton, MBJ Airports Limited's director of marketing and communications. More than 100 of the 317 AJAS workers, employed as customer service agents, ramp attendants, cargo handlers and aircraft cleaners for several airlines at Sangster International, left their posts yesterday and did not return until late evening after top AJAS officials met with them. Scotton told the Observer that ground handlers from Air Jamaica and other airlines had to double up yesterday to minimise delays at the airport, after the placard-bearing employees walked off the job and staged a noisy protest outside the airport's departure lounge. The workers said they wanted a change of union from the BITU as they were dissatisfied with the level of representation they had been receiving. BITU delegate, Devon Black, said the workers, many of whom took home as little as $24,000 monthly, had requested the change of union representation, but said they were told that there were not enough workers supporting the move. It was the second time in recent months that operations at Sangster International were being disrupted. In November last year, 150 unionised workers at the airport staged two days of protest. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=a6kG.7CZg8Vo&refer=africa Nigerian Oil Union Threatens Protest Over Job Cuts (Update2) By Dulue Mbachu March 17 (Bloomberg) -- A Nigerian union representing senior oil-industry workers may begin an indefinite strike on March 19 to protest job cuts, threatening to slow shipments from Africa's biggest crude producer. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, or Pengassan, may withdraw its members from ``the entire petroleum sector,'' Peter Esele, the Lagos- based union's president, said in an e-mailed statement today. Layoffs by Mobil Nigeria Plc were unlawful and targeted union officials working at the company, he said, accusing the Labor Ministry of ``questionable complacency'' over the issue. ``We shall ensure that all our members withdraw their services from all offices, base and field locations, plants and facilities in the entire petroleum sector,'' Esele said. Nigeria pumped 2.04 million barrels of oil a day in February, according to Bloomberg data. About half of the West African nation's exports go to the U.S. Pengassan members occupy senior managerial positions in the oil industry and previous strikes by the union have slowed activity, including oil exports. Mobil Oil Nigeria is a unit of Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest oil company. Akin Fatunke, spokesman for Mobil, wouldn't comment when contacted today because the dispute between the company and the union is being heard before the Lagos-based Industrial Court. To contact the reporter on this story: Dulue Mbachu in Lagos via Johannesburg at pmrichardson at bloomberg.net. Last Updated: March 17, 2008 11:56 EDT http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_business?id=161296835 Workers protest in Port of Spain Royal Bank sale Friday, March 21st 2008 Protest time: Members of Federation of Independent Trade Unions and NGOs protest in front of RBTT headquarters on Park Street, Port of Spain, yesterday. -Photo: ABRAHAM DIAZ Trade Union leader David Abdulah has sworn to stay opposed to the proposed sale of RBTT Financial Holdings (RBTT) to the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), holding the first of many promised protests outside the local bank's Park Street, Port of Spain, branch yesterday. The head of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions and NGOs (FITUN) said yesterday that the union's reasons are "primarily economic" but also has roots in a "socio-economic perspective". Just over a dozen workers placarded outside RBTT during the first half of the morning, led by Abdulah. In a letter sent earlier to RBTT management and copied to the media, FITUN stated that it did not make its decision lightly. "You know our position. It is that RBTT ought not to be sold to the Royal Bank of Canada. We make no apologies for this position," Abdulah said. The letter asked shareholders to consider carefully before the upcoming March 26 Special Shareholders Meeting, where it will be decided whether or not RBTT will be 100 per cent owned by RBC. The proposed sale is supposed to take place by way of an amalgamation. Abdulah said the decision will have far-reaching consequences for growth and development of Trinidad and Tobago, which is still a very young nation. Speaking outside RBTT yesterday, he warned, "The interests of a few must not take precedence over the interests of many." RBTT is a source of pride among Caribbean nationals, being one of the financial institutions that are locally owned and developed, Abdulah said. http://allafrica.com/stories/200803130812.html Mozambique: Former Migrants Invade Labour Ministry Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo) 13 March 2008 Posted to the web 13 March 2008 Maputo Over a hundred Mozambicans who had once been migrant workers in the now defunct German Democratic Republic (GDR) on Wednesday burst into the Labour Ministry, demanding to speak with Labour Minister Helena Taipo. The former migrants (known colloquially as "Madjermanes") alleged that the Minister had interfered with their right to demonstrate. They claim that they sent a letter to Maputo Municipal Council, informing the Council of their intention to hold a peaceful demonstration on Wednesday. They say they were surprised when the Council replied that, in the absence of an agreement from the Labour Minister, the demonstration could not go ahead. The protestors said they had been unfairly treated, since the right to demonstrate is enshrined in the Constitution. Zeca Cossa, who claimed to represent the majermanes, justified the invasion of the Ministry, saying all they wanted was to know why "the Minister is interfering in the exercise of our civic right and why she would not allow us to demonstrate". A group of about 170 protesters tried to enter Taipo's office, but were stopped by the security guard, so they decided to invade other offices on the ground floor of the Ministry, including that of the Permanent Secretary. Since the Permanent Secretary was not in his office, they decided to wait. Shortly afterwards, the police showed up, including a unit of the Riot Police, who forced them out of the Ministry. Two the demonstrators were arrested, allegedly because they tried to throw stones at the police. "All we wanted was to march peacefully to protest against the way our problem is being dealt with by the government. We came to the Labour Ministry, and we wanted to talk to the minister, but shortly after this the police came, and some of our colleagues were beaten up", said Cossa. The National Director of Planning and Statistics in the Ministry, Paulino Mutombene, told reporters he did not know why the group had stormed into the Ministry. "I can't tell you what they wanted, since it was impossible to speak with them", he said. The former migrants say they want a meeting with the government to demand further payment for what they claim had been deducted from their wages during the time they spent in East Germany. However, the government reached a final settlement of the majermanes' claims in December 2005. This amounted to payment of 48 million US dollars (staggered over several years). Since there were around 16,000 majermanes registered with the Labour Ministry this settlement came to an average payment of 3,000 dollars per former migrant. Yet the demands for more money continue: the latest is that the government should pay them interest on their deferred wages. In the final years of the migrant labour agreement with the GDR, 60 per cent of the migrants' wages were paid on their return to Mozambique in the local currency, meticais. The majermanes successfully challenged the exchange rate used and the government agreed to revise it upwards. On top of this comes the demand for interest, which was never raised in the earlier negotiations. To make matters worse, the majermanes have split. The group around Cossa no longer recognises the leadership of Alberto Mahuaie, the chairperson of the Forum of former Workers in the GDR. He is the man who has been negotiating with the government, and the government will not deal with anyone else until there are fresh elections in the Forum. Zeca Cossa heads an association called ATMA (Association of former Mozambican Workers in Germany), and it is not clear how many former migrants it can claim to represent. http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:wTbAMQLdnGUJ:www.gg.rhbnc.ac.uk/Simon/GG3072/Moz-Bull-125.pdf+maputo+fuel+protest&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=23&gl=uk&client=firefox-a Xinavane sugar workers strike About 600 seasonal workers on the Xinavane sugar plantation in Maputo province went on strike on Friday, demanding a wage increase of more than 100% -- from the minimum wage of 1,126 meticais per month to 2,500 meticais (from $46 to $104). Angry strikers attacked the company offices, breaking windows, overturning desks and smashing computers. In the plantation, they set 20 hectares of sugar cane ablaze. Police were called in and in the clashes 14 people were injured, four of them seriously. The management refused to raise wages, but immediately made concessions on other demands, agreeing to supply workers with protective equipment, allow them to take the day off in the event of a death in the family, pay them for any Sundays or other rest days on which they work. The majority shareholder in Xinavane is the South African sugar giant Tongaat-Hulett, which also owns the Mafambisse mill and plantation in central Mozambique. The Tongaat-Hulett group made an operating profit of $133 million in 2006. The strike does not have the backing of the Sugar Workers Union ? indeed the strikers have dismissed the union as ?sell-outs? ? or the main trade union federation, the OTM. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/12/business/mine.php Papua New Guinea mine looks for quick end to strike Reuters SYDNEY: The Papua New Guinea miner Ok Tedi Mining said Wednesday that it hoped an unauthorized strike over wages at its copper and gold mine in the western part of the country would end within 24 hours, after it sought assistance from labor negotiators. The mine is a major supplier of copper concentrate for the world smelting market, and copper prices have been racing higher on concerns of a looming world shortage of the concentrate. The mine's managing director, Alan Breen, said in a statement that he hoped for "a return to work during the next 24 hours." Mining, milling and shipping at the mine, which is near the Papua New Guinea border with Indonesia, halted Tuesday when disgruntled workers walked off the job. The strike was in reaction to a decision by management to exclude the general work force from a pay increase of 100 percent awarded to the mine's engineers in an effort to retain them after a number had been lost to better-paying jobs overseas. Local media outlets reported that Breen had closed the door on the union after being shouted down by union members during an attempt to address the staff. The management "breached a 2005 award agreement that gave an undertaking for improved benefits and working conditions for employees," said a member of the Allied Workers Union, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to talk to the media. "All employees contributed equally to the well-being of the company and consequently should be equally remunerated for their efforts," the union worker said. "Consequently, we want a 100 percent pay rise." The company, which reported a 2007 profit of $707 million, has asked the Papua New Guinea Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to intervene to resolve the dispute, according to the statement. Ok Tedi is 52-percent owned by PNG Sustainable Development Program, an independent company set up to finance development projects in Papua New Guinea. The company acquired its shares from BHP Billiton after environmental concerns over waste discharged into local rivers. Papua New Guinea's government has a stake of 30 percent and Inmet Mining of Canada has 18 percent. The mine produced 169,184 tons of copper concentrate in 2007. Its gold production was 498,790 ounces last year. The government has long feared that closing the mine would devastate the economy and ruin communities in the area bordering the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya. The mine accounts for about 10 percent of the impoverished South Pacific nation's gross national product and 20 percent of total exports. Papua New Guinea has been struggling to retain overseas investment in its mining sector. A copper mine run by Rio Tinto was left rotting in the jungle on Bougainville island after secessionist rebels staged a bloody uprising more than two decades ago. Copper on the London Metal Exchange reached a record high price of $8,820 a ton last week. http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2008/3/12/workers-strike-at-ok-tedi-mine-in-papua-new-guinea/ Workers strike at Ok Tedi mine in Papua New Guinea Port Moresby (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Production has halted at Papua New Guinea's giant Ok Tedi copper mine after 300 workers walked off the job over a pay dispute. Mining and milling operations at the Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) site, along with concentrate handling and shipping at Kiunga, in PNG's Western Province, came to a complete halt yesterday. The strike was in response to OTML management's decision to implement a 100 per cent pay increase for the company's PNG engineers in a bid to stop them heading overseas. Mining and Allied Workers Union members called on management to increase wages for all PNG workers. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 12:02:08 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:02:08 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Protests - health, welfare, pensions, arts, services Message-ID: <01c901c89e62$0b3deb10$0802a8c0@andy1> * UK: Hundreds protest east England arts cuts * UK: Protest over closure threat of museum in Burton * IRELAND: Thousands rally for healthcare * ITALY: Big Brother hit by "far right" protest for social housing [the right campaigning for housing??? are they sure???] * UK: Western English train service hit by ticket fare strike * US: Unrest at Boca Raton housing office over need for subsistence housing * NEW ZEALAND: "Bikers for Boobs" campaign for breast cancer drug * SCOTLAND: Mothers protest over creche cuts * BAHRAIN: Homes protest continues * PAKISTAN: Low gas pressure in cities sparks protest * AUSTRIA: Vienna doctors protest healthcare policy * SCOTLAND: Post office closure protested * UK: Big protest over fire station closure "breaks fire safety rules" * INDIA: Opposition protest food, fuel price rises * AUSTRALIA: Protest against sell-off of NSW power industry * SOUTH AFRICA: Bread price protest at parliament * INDIA: Mumbai locals protest for health care, water * NIGERIA: Retired railway workers protest unpaid pensions * SOUTH AFRICA: Irate Durban airport passengers protest delay - glass smashed * INDIA: Bhopal survivors reach Delhi after long march * PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Development protesters target Australian PM Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7198137.stm Protest march over cuts to arts Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Norwich to protest at cuts to the arts across the East of England. Organisations face the prospect of losing all their Arts Council England funding next year. Those under threat include the Norwich Puppet Theatre, Community Music East, King's Lynn Arts Centre and Momentum Arts in Cambridge. The Arts Council England will make a decision on cuts in the East, which could be as much as ?1m, next week. Protesters marched to City Hall on Saturday led by the Norwich Samba Band http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/burtonmail-news/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=304296 Protest march: hopes for a good turn-out by KEITH BULL CAMPAIGNERS hoping to keep open the Coors Visitor Centre and Museum of Brewing are being urged to turn out for a protest march today. The march will begin from 10.30am at the town's memorial gardens, in Lichfield Street, and continue into High Street, where the Coors head office is based, before winding into Horninglow Street, Guild Street, Station Street, and back. Protesters, armed with banners, are expected to stop outside Coors headquarters in the middle of a working day to chant to bosses: 'Save Our Heritage!' Police patrols will monitor the parade, but organisers say they want a peaceful event which demonstrates the strength of feeling in the town. Organiser Michael Rodgers, Burton representative on East Staffordshire Borough Council, said: "I would urge people to turn up and show their support. "There has been a lot of media interest, BBC Midlands Today is coming down, and I hope enough people will get their coat on and get out to support us. We are not prepared to raise a glass and say goodbye to the museum yet." People wanting to take part in the protest march are being urged to meet at the town's memorial gardens from 10am. Former Bass Museum director Adrian Wedgwood will be meeting Jon Douglas from BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme at the start of the march. Mr Wedgwood will show his guest round the museum to be recorded talking about why it should be saved for a programme to be broadcast some time next week. He told The Mail: "I'll extol the virtues of the place and show him some fascinating things that reveal why it should be saved. It will be good to see a nice turnout at the march." http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gIkc0Mo_LoroQlTpDFUBPeDI8cKQ Health protest backed by thousands Mar 29, 2008 Thousands of people joined a mass rally in Dublin to demand improvements to the public health service. Trade unions, patient and hospital groups called on the public to take to the streets of the capital to demonstrate their anger and frustration at the Health Service Executive. People assembled at the Garden of Remembrance before marching to Leinster House. The rally was to be be addressed by a range of speakers including Janette Byrne from Patients Together, Conor MacLiam, husband of Susie Long, and Dr Orla Hardiman, consultant neurologist, Doctors Alliance for Better Healthcare. http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0329/breaking10.html?via=me ast Updated: 29/03/2008 18:13 Thousands at health service protest Several thousand people marched through Dublin city centre this afternoon in protest at the state of the health service. Among those in attendance was Conor MacLiam, the husband of Susie Long, who died last October of cancer having been unable to get a diagnosis in good time because of long waiting lists. Trade unions, patient and hospital groups called on the public to join the march to demonstrate their anger and frustration at the Health Service Executive (HSE). Patients Together had hoped as many as 50,000 would turn but the figure was much less. There was no official estimate. The march went from the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square to Leinster House this afternoon. Sinn F?in D?il leader and health spokesperson Caoimhgh?n ? Caol?in was among the politicians at today's rally. He said that contrary to the claims of Minister for Health Mary Harney and HSE chief executive Brendan Drumm, health cuts were affecting patient care. He said Fianna F?il and the Green Party had promised improvement in the health service but instead the situations has worsened. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is under pressure about his finances but the "chaos" in our health service "is the biggest reason for the Taoiseach to go", Mr ? Caol?in said. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jan/23/italy.bigbrother Big Brother besieged by far-right protest Tom Kington in Rome The Guardian, Wednesday January 23 2008 This article appeared in the Guardian on Wednesday January 23 2008 on p23 of the International section. It was last updated at 07:13 on January 23 2008. Three aspiring Italian Big Brother contestants preparing for a few weeks of easy celebrity in a comfortable apartment got a dose of hard reality on Monday as 60 supporters of a far-right political party trapped them in a Rome piazza to demand housing rights for low income Italians. Waving fire crackers and carrying a banner reading "A home is no game", the protesters attacked and burst a four metre high transparent plastic bubble set up in the piazza to host the hopeful contestants, who were appearing live on TV waiting to hear if they had been selected to enter the Big Brother house. The live footage was quickly blacked out as chanting protesters stabbed holes in the bubble using knives according to press reports. The party behind the demonstration, Fiamma Tricolore, denied knives were wielded, although the bubble slowly collapsed as the contestants inside - a young student, a mechanic and a gym instructor - fled to safety, leaving protesters, some masked, to dump leaflets demanding cheap housing. By the end of the evening, the student had been voted into the Big Brother house, set up at Rome's Cinecitta film studios, joining an entire Sicilian family and a transsexual from north Italy among other contestants. The protesters, meanwhile, marched away in triumph across the nearby Roman Milvian bridge. The Milvian Bridge neighbourhood today boasts a lively youth scene but has also recently witnessed frequent knife fights involving Roma fans and rival supporters including Manchester Utd fans, with five British supporters stabbed before a Champions League match in December. The area was also the scene of violent clashes between football fans and police after a Lazio supporter was mistakenly shot by police in November. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b57e3d12-cdf8-11dc-9e4e-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1 First Great Western hit by ticket protest By Robert Wright, Transport Correspondent, and Jamie Martin Published: January 29 2008 02:15 | Last updated: January 29 2008 02:15 The group behind a planned fares strike by West Country commuters on Monday insis?ted the event had been successful, although the company targeted said only 100 passengers had declined to pay for their journeys. Tony Ambrose, one of the organisers of the Bristol-based campaign group More Train Less Strain, said the protest on First Great Western, one of the UK's worst-performing rail franchises, had achieved its objective, with 10,000 fake tickets bearing protest slogans handed out at 20 stations. He claimed that the aim of the action - billed in advance as a fares strike - had never been to withhold fares from the operator, part of FirstGroup, the UK's largest train operator. Mr Ambrose said: "Our aim was to make a public statement." First Great Western, which runs services from London Paddington to the Thames Valley, Wales and the West Country, suffers the second worst punctuality of any UK passenger train operator, according to figures from the Office of Rail Regulation. In the year to September 30 2007 - the last period for which figures are available - 82.7 per cent of its trains arrived within 10 minutes of schedule. The only operator with a worse record was GNER, whose InterCity East Coast franchise has been handed to National Express East Coast. First Great Western came last for passenger satisfaction in the national passenger survey by Passenger Focus, the passenger group, published last week. One FGW commuter at Paddington station on Monday told the FT: "They are often late. I almost always have to stand, and the prices are extortionate." "I've been commuting on this line for six years and it has been consistently bad," said another disgruntled traveller. The salesman added: "They used to say, and I'm sure it's still true, that mile for mile it is more expensive than Concorde." First Great Western argues it is working hard with Network Rail, owner of the rail infrastructure, to improve services on its routes, where track and signalling have had little investment in 30 years. As on other parts of the rail network, most delays to trains on First Great Western are a result of signal failure, flooding or other problems related to the track. However, First Great Western has also suffered problems in areas it controls, such as the allocation of rolling stock to services. When First Great Western's current, 10-year franchise started in April 2006, the Department for Transport forced it to give up some trains that had previously run on routes in its area. The result was the shortening of some busy trains and acute overcrowding. More Trains Less Strain wants the DoT to strip FirstGroup of the Great Western franchise, but there has been no sign so far that the department is considering such a dramatic step. http://www.turks.us/article.php?story=RiotPoliceRestrainRestiveCrowdAtBo Riot Police Restrain Restive Crowd At Boca Raton Housing Office Thursday, March 13 2008 @ 10:14 AM Central Daylight Time Police in riot gear intervened Wednesday when hundreds of people seeking a chance at subsidized housing grew frustrated after officials ran out of application forms. At least one person was arrested and at least six others were hospitalized for exhaustion during chaos at the Boca Raton Housing Authority that some believed would have grown into a riot. Judith Aigen, executive director of the housing authority, said the crowd surged forward when told applications remained only for disabled people. She said mothers with children and people in wheelchairs were almost crushed. ''We have got a major crisis right now,'' she said. People began gathering at the housing authority before midnight, and before long there were far more than the 600 applications officials planned to distribute. Many of those waiting were women with infants or toddlers in their arms, or a baby on the way. ''We're all working people, and we're all bitter right now,'' said Deborah Davis, 37. ``To be turned away like this hurts.'' She said, ``They should have anticipated having a large crowd.'' http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1318360/1634908 'Bikers for Boobs' present petition Mar 12, 2008 7:12 PM First there was Boobs on Bikes, now a new group, Bikers for Boobs has hit the road. Thirty riders arrived in Wellington from Auckland, stopping at the bottom of parliament's steps and holding a protest rally. They presented a petition calling for twelve months access to the early stage cancer drug Herceptin. The government's drug buying agency will fund nine weeks of Herceptin but has refused to fund it for a year. Spokeswoman Maxine Cook told those gathered that she feels let down by the government and its failure to respond to women who need the drug. Doctors and lobby groups have criticised the decision, saying the 12 months option has proven to be effective. They say the nine-week combination treatment is unproven and based on a small sample of women in a Finnish trial. Eight patients took Pharmac to court last month seeking a judicial review of Pharmac's funding. A ruling is expected later this month. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7292171.stm Mothers protest over creche cuts Mothers are planning to protest at Edinburgh City Chambers Mothers and carers are to protest outside the City Chambers against the closure of creches at Edinburgh's leisure and sports centres. The move follows the announcement by Edinburgh Leisure to cut six of its eight creches as part of efforts to save ?300,000. The Royal Commonwealth Pool and Ainslie Park Leisure Centre are the two creches which will remain running. Demonstrators will hand a letter of protest to Edinburgh Leisure. Closure of the creches will effectively stop many mums from enabling their kids to take part in sports and fitness Joanna Duff, creche user Joanna Duff, who regularly uses Edinburgh's Ainslie Park centre with her two sons, said: "It is vital that, from an early age, a child experiences the sports environment, and understands their parents' participation in physical activity. "These early experiences will develop the child's interest in sports, making them comfortable in the routine and fun of regular physical exercise. "Closure of the creches will effectively stop many mums from enabling their kids to take part in sports and fitness. "This will seriously limit parental understanding of the importance of physical activity in tackling obesity, and promoting healthier lifestyle choices." http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=210055&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30345 Homes protest continues By RASHA AL QAHTANI MORE than 1,000 families from Nuwaidrat and neighbouring villages continued protesting for the seventh day yesterday over the allocation of government homes. Their representatives will meet Central Municipal Council chairman Abdulrahman Al Hassan today to discuss the issue. Housing Civil Committee representative Abdulkhalik Ebrahim Qambar said nobody had approached them and that they were still protesting. "If nothing happens after the meeting with Mr Al Hassan, we will start thinking of other measures, which we will announce at a later stage," he said. On Sunday evening, some of the families continued protesting despite the Central Municipality removing their tents from the protest site. Municipal officials said they had not been shown any kind of proof that the families were granted a licence from the Interior Ministry to erect the tents, which the protesters were using during the day. However, residents said the ministry had granted them a licence legalising their protest and also allowing them to set up tents. The families are protesting outside a BD21million vacant housing project in Nuwaidrat until it is "justly" allocated to residents of Nuwaidrat, Ma'ameer, Eker and Sanad. They claim that it has been promised to a group of MPs for people in their constituencies, which they say lie outside their four villages. This allegedly followed a call for a share in the project by MPs Abdulatif Al Shaikh, Salah Ali, Jassim Al Saeedi and Abdulhalim Murad. The families claim they were promised that 50 per cent of the project would be allocated to Nuwaidrat residents and the remainder to the other three villages. The families recently learnt that only half of the project would go to the four villages, while the other half would be allocated to other constituencies. The families have sent a petition disapproving the new move to the Royal Court. The Housing Ministry and Mr Al Shaikh, Mr Ali, Mr Al Saeedi and Mr Murad were not available for a comment yesterday. http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=209727&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30342 Protest over housing plan By RASHA AL QAHTANI MORE than 1,000 families yesterday pledged to continue protesting outside a vacant housing project in Nuwaidrat until it is "justly" allocated. They have erected three tents near the completed but vacant project, where their protest continues for the fifth day today. The families are demanding that the new government housing project be allocated to residents of Nuwaidrat, Ma'ameer, Eker and Sanad. They claim that it has been promised to a group of MPs for people in their constituencies, which they say lie outside their four villages. The alleged move followed a call for a share in the project from MPs Abdulatif Al Shaikh, Salah Ali, Jassim Al Saeedi and Abdulhalim Murad. The families claim they were promised that 50 per cent of the project would be allocated to Nuwaidrat residents and the remainder to the other three villages. Housing Civil Committee representative Abdulkhaliq Ebrahim Qambar said yesterday that they learnt only half of the project would go to the four villages, while the other half would be allocated to other constituencies. "This project has been implemented in many parts of the country and it has followed the same procedure, where 50pc goes to the village it is being built in and the other 50pc goes to neighbouring villages in the same constituency," he said. "We are only asking for our rights and we have sent a petition disapproving the new move, which we sent to the Royal Court." Mr Qambar said they will continue to protest until their demands are met. "We have a licence from the Interior Ministry legalising our protest and we were allowed to set up our tents," he said. "We even added a third tent as the number of protesters increased and we had to accommodate all of them." Mr Qambar said this was the first government housing project they have been given. "But we are having a tough time for something that is rightfully ours," he said. MP Dr Abdali Mohammed Hassan, who represents Nuwaidrat, said that the project was meant for its residents and the neighbouring villages. "It is called Nuwaidrat Government Housing and the Housing Ministry should follow the law accordingly," he said. "I am acting as a link between the residents and the ministry so that their voices are heard." The Housing Ministry and Mr Al Shaikh, Mr Ali, Mr Al Saeedi and Mr Murad were not available for comment yesterday. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C01%5C27%5Cstory_27-1-2008_pg11_7 Protest against low gas pressure ISLAMABAD: Over 70 people, including women and children, from Rawalpindi staged a protest demonstration on Saturday in front of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) Islamabad office against low gas pressure in different localities of the city. Pakistan People's Party, Rawalpindi chapter, President Zamurd Khan led the protestors, who said that low gas pressure had disturbed their routine life. They slammed the government for increasing the gas tariffs and failing to ensure its adequate supply. They said low pressure had forced them to buy coal and wood for cooking and heating in the cold weather. They said SNGPL senior officers' phones remained busy all the time due to which their complaints could not be addressed. Later, the protestors apprised SNGPL General Manager Muhammad Ismail Paracha of their concerns. staff report http://www.wienerzeitung.at/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4082&Alias=wzo&cob=326777 Vienna doctors begin protest against health-care policy The Vienna Physicians Chamber has begun a protest against the government's health-care policy that will last until March 26. The campaign will feature posters and informational material at 2,000 doctors' offices that accuse SP? Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer of being "an ex-social fighter" who is responsible for the alleged creation of a two-class system of health-care in Austria. There will also be lists of concerned patients in the offices that visitors to them can sign. The lists will be given to Gusenbauer at the end of the campaign. Chamber President Walter Dorner calls government health policy "a mess that is hurting doctors." Chamber Vice President Johannes Steinhart adds that political decisions have caused financial deficits at the Vienna health-insurance fund office. He is calling on politicians finally to take steps to improve the health-care system. Doctors oppose proposed ceilings on their fees and changes in their contract with the health-insurance fund and what they call the government's "anti-doctor" policy. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7235504.stm Post office closure plan protest Nairn, near Inverness, could lose its sub post office A protest march has been held in Nairn over plans to close the town's Harbour Street post office. Nairn River Community Council organised the march, which was held in the Inverness-shire town on Saturday. The town's sub post office is among those in the Highland Council area earmarked for closure. Meanwhile, the local authority has drafted a response to Post Office Limited's planned shake-up of rural services. Neighbouring shops The response will be considered by councillors at a special meeting of the full council next Thursday. The Post Office intends to close 29 post offices across Highland. It has been proposed to shut 18 with no new replacement service provided and two with services relocated to neighbouring shops. Nine would be closed with reduced services provided through new outreach provision and four new outreach services provided where no post office is currently available. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/7230506.stm Wednesday, 6 February 2008, 12:35 GMT Fire protest 'broke safety rules' Firefighters turned away 100 people protesting about a fire station closure near Grimsby because the venue was so crowded it broke fire regulations. About 300 people packed into Waltham Leas Junior School on Tuesday night for a parish council meeting over plans to close the village's retained station. Fire officials, who had been invited to address the meeting, had to ask many in the hall to leave on safety grounds. A fire service spokesman said: "It was dangerous and didn't meet regulations." Humberside Fire Service wants to shut the Waltham station because full-time firefighters from Grimsby could reach a fire in Waltham sooner than their part-time counterparts in the town. Not popular Parish councillors in Waltham had earlier voted to oppose the cuts and invited fire chiefs to present their case for closure. The meeting was held in the school because it was the largest venue in the village. Glenn Ramsden, from the Humberside Fire Service, said: "The council has the right to open its meetings to the public. "But when we arrived we had to point out to them that there were far too many people in the building, which is only licensed to hold about 200 under fire regulations." Many of the villagers attending the meeting were angry over the fire service's plans to shut the 80-year-old fire station. Mr Ramsden added: "Quoting fire regulations to that audience at that time was probably not the most popular thing to do. "But if an incident had occurred they would not have been safe and that was our only consideration." http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/PoliticsNation/NDA_MPs_protest_against_Rail_Budget/articleshow/2818722.cms Left, NDA MPs protest outside parliament 27 Feb, 2008, 1155 hrs IST, IANS NEW DELHI: There were two sets of protests outside parliament house on Wednesday with MPs from Orissa demonstrating against the railway budget and Left parliamentarians alleging that there was discrimination in food grain quotas to Kerala. MPs from Orissa's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged an angry protest in front of the Gandhi statue, accusing Railway Minister Lalu Prasad of doling out "lollipops" to the state in his budget Tuesday. The MPs said the railways division that covers much of Orissa provides 35 per cent of the ministry's national revenue, but there was not a single new project for the region in the budget. They have decided to continue their protest inside the house too. The Left MPs - presenting a united front unlike Tuesday when those from West Bengal voiced their protest against the rail budget but those from Kerala expressed satisfaction - staged a sit-in at the main gate of parliament. Led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), they alleged that the central government was playing politics with food allocation to Kerala. The group of vociferous parliamentarians, including CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury and Brinda Karat, shouted slogans like "Don't play politics with rice" and "Stop discrimination against Kerala". They demanded immediate restoration of food grain quota to the state, governed by the Left. Kerala's food grain quota was cut down last year. http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/16/stories/2008021657240400.htm Protest against price hike Staff Reporter Delhi BJP workers court arrest, demand immediate rollback Photo: Anu Pushkarna Looking for cover: BJP workers being dispersed with water cannon during the rally in New Delhi on Friday against the latest fuel price hike. NEW DELHI: The Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party staged a demonstration at Jantar Mantar here on Friday to demand immediate withdrawal of the increase in the prices of petrol and diesel announced by the Centre on Thursday. Led by Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan, a large number of demonstrators courted arrest when the police did not allow them to proceed to Parliament which they wanted to "gherao". The police used water cannons to disperse the protesters when they tried to march ahead after breaking the barricades. 'Unjustified' Addressing the protesters, Dr. Vardhan said the latest increase in the prices of fuel was unjustified as the price of crude had started declining in the international market. He said the hike would only lead to higher inflation and further increases in prices of essential commodities due to rise in transportation costs. Dr. Vardhan also demanded that Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit provide relief to the Capital's citizens by reducing the sales tax rates in Delhi. The BJP leader charged that the Left parties were only shedding crocodile tears over the issue of oil price hike. He claimed that the prices had actually been raised with their consent. Senior party leader and South Delhi MP Vijay Kumar Malhotra said people had lost faith in the Congress and Left parties and exhorted them to teach the Congress Governments a lesson. Stating that the Government could have neutralised the increase in the price of oil by reducing tax, he pointed out that India is the only country in the world where more than 50 per cent tax is imposed on the most essential fuels, namely diesel, petrol, kerosene and cooking gas. http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/19/stories/2008031953291200.htm Left parties protest price rise Special Correspondent Leaders blame it on budget proposals and speculation in forward trading - Photo: R.V. Moorthy Left leaders Sitaram Yechury, Brinda Karat and other MPs of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha staging a demonstration against price rise at Parliament House in New Delhi on Tuesday. NEW DELHI: During a daylong agitation within and outside Parliament against price rise, the Left parties on Tuesday demanded restoration of the allocation of subsidised foodgrains to several States, especially Kerala and West Bengal. They said speculation in forward trading was responsible for the recent rise in prices, mainly of essential commodities. Before both Houses convened for the day, the Left MPs squatted at the main entrance of the Parliament House, holding placards and raising slogans against the government policies that led to price rise. They then spoke on the issue in both Houses during zero hour and walked out. The West Bengal Left Front Committee submitted a memorandum, signed by its chairman Biman Bose, to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Left parties then held a mass dharna, addressed by their leaders, in the national capital. Statement sought Raising the matter in the Lok Sabha, Rup Chand Pal (CPI-M) wanted Dr. Singh to come out with a statement on price rise. Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) said the prices of all essential commodities went up after the budget presentation. The budget and economic reforms were solely responsible, he said, adding the Finance Minister had failed to control prices. The two members described the reduction in the allocation of wheat and rice to West Bengal and Kerala as "political victimisation." In the Rajya Sabha, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) raised three points. First, he demanded an immediate ban on forward trading in 25 commodities as proposed by a Parliamentary Standing Committee. Second, "at a time when price rise is eating into the vitals of the economy," the allocation of foodgrains under the public distribution system was reduced to several States. West Bengal and Kerala, in particular, had their allocation cut by 82 and 44 per cent. He also opposed the removal of above poverty line cardholders as that move would "cripple" the PDS. All CPI(M) members later left the House. Rural electrification The West Bengal Left Front Committee memorandum, besides reiterating these points, referred to the problems in implementing the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, the slow pace of rural electrification, re-imposition of import duty on naphtha and refugee repatriation. The mass rally was addressed by Mr. Biman Bose, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan, Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party leaders Debabrata Biswas and Abani Roy, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat, D. Raja (CPI) and A. Vijayaraghavan (CPI-M). The speakers sought a reduction in customs and excise duties on oil imports so that the retail prices of petrol and diesel were not raised, and demanded stringent action against hoarding of essential commodities. Responding to the Left charge, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi quoted Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee that of the Rs. 70,000 crore invested by the United Progressive Alliance government in various projects in States, West Bengal alone accounted for Rs. 20,000 crore. He accused the Left of raising the bogey of step-motherly treatment by the Centre for decades. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/labor-mps-join-power-sale-protest/2008/02/26/1203788296123.html Labor MPs join power sale protest Protestors march down Macquarie Street. Photo: Jon Reid Thousands of demonstrators including 15 Labor MPs rallied outside NSW State Parliament in Sydney today to protest against the planned sell-off of the NSW power industry. But even the most committed protesters conceded they had an uphill battle to change the minds of NSW Premier Morris Iemma and Treasurer Michael Costa. Workers from trade unions across NSW gathered at Hyde Park from 10am before making their way down Macquarie Street, haranguing state MPs on their way to the first parliamentary sitting of the year. Crowd estimates varied, with organisers claiming 12,000 and police and other observers putting the number closer to 4000. Fifteen Labor MPs joined the protesters, including former frontbench MPs Kerry Hickey and Grant McBride and current upper house president Peter Primrose and Blacktown MP Paul Gibson. Mr Gibson said he was "sticking to the Labor platform". "Let me tell you this. There is nobody, no member of Parliament on our side who is bigger than the Australian Labor Party," Mr Gibson said. With a Labor caucus meeting running at the same time as the protest, Unions NSW chief John Robertson was determined to apply as much pressure as possible to Mr Iemma, Mr Costa and other Labor MPs thought to be wavering in their support of the sell-off. Referring to the anti-WorkChoices campaign last year, Mr Robertson said it was "disturbing that we are here once again protesting against a Government that refuses to listen to the people". "This is political arrogance at its highest," Mr Robertson said. "We just threw out a federal government that had lost touch and was arrogant. We don't want to have to get rid of a Labor Government that has lost touch and is arrogant [as well]. "We want a political leader with the courage and the strength to admit we got it wrong. It would be refreshing and enlightening to see a leader actually listen to the people of NSW." But when the MPs left for the caucus meeting to discuss the controversial sell-off plan, there was little confidence - even among the protesters - that their voices would change their leaders' minds. "They're arrogant - they don't listen to anyone except their union mates," power station worker Les McAllister, 53, said. Mr Iemma said during question time that the Government would go ahead with the plan, regardless of the opposition to it. "This state will require extra energy and more electricity by 2014," Mr Iemma said. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=594&art_id=nw20080120160356583C385821 Bread price sparks protest January 20 2008 at 05:18PM The Congress of SA Trade Unions in the Western Cape is to stage a protest against the price of bread outside Parliament later on Sunday. Cosatu provincial general secretary Tony Ehrenreich told Sapa the protest involved handing over a memorandum to government representatives from the premier's office and the department of trade and industry. The bread price rose sharply again last week, between 35c and 40c a loaf, following a finding by the Competition Commission late last year that some manufacturers had colluded and fixed prices. Ehrenreich said he expected about 200 people at the protest, set to start at 5.30pm. - Sapa http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Locals_protest_water_shortage/articleshow/2751842.cms Locals protest water shortage 3 Feb 2008, 0011 hrs IST,TNN MUMBAI: Mira-Bhayandar residents on Saturday protested against the perennial shortage of water, load-shedding and poor health facilities in the area. The local BJP unit also organised a morcha and hunger-strike outside the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation. "Corruption is the only thing that is flourishing in Mira-Bhayandar," said Sreedhar Mandke, who lives in Bhayandar. According to residents, water is being diverted to construction sites in the area. Local corporator Milind Mhatre said the HC had directed the corporation to build a 200-bed hospital more than a year ago but there had been no progress. "The need for a full-fledged hospital has been upheld by the HC but the corporation is yet to act," Mhatre added. http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/16/stories/2008021653750500.htm Widespread protest against fuel price hike Special Correspondent Thiruvananthapuram: The hike in the prices of petrol and diesel has started fuelling a series of protests in the State. The State unit of the BJP stole a march over the other political parties by organising the first protest on Friday. It organised demonstrations at the panchayat-level throughout the State as part of the protest. CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan called for organising demonstrations at the local level all over the State on Saturday. The Mahila Morcha will picket the Secretariat as part of a countr ywide action against price rise in general and the hike in the prices of petrol, diesel and milk in particular on Saturday. CPI State secretary Veliyam Bhargavan called for observing February 18 as protest day to place on record his party's resentment. The UDF had issued a call for a State-wide hartal on February 19 to protest against the price rise which would be given an added impetus by the hike in petrol prices. http://allafrica.com/stories/200803140167.html Nigeria: Retired Railway Workers Protest Non-Payment of Benefits Leadership (Abuja) 14 March 2008 Posted to the web 14 March 2008 Nnamdi Mbawike Retired staff of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), eastern district, yesterday staged a peaceful demonstration in Enugu over the non-payment of their arrears of pension. Hundreds of the ex- railway workers marched within the premises of the secretariat of the railway near sub-way, Ogui, Enugu, with placards, some of which read;" railway pensioners are killed silently", "Fed Govt. pay us our 25, 18 and 25 months pension arrears". In a press conference shortly after the protest, chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) Railway branch, eastern zone, Comrade Dennis Iweanya, stated that over 10,000 railway pensioners had died while waiting for the payment of their arrears of pension. He further disclosed that the Federal Government owed the Railway retirees about N3.8 billion, adding that the government was not fair to them by owing 25 months arrears pension to pre-1966. "We have observed with disappointment that government interest was only in the army, police, prisons and other security services pensioners whom they consider to be a risk to government should anything happen as a result of non-payment of their arrears." The railway pensioners lamented that government allowed the railway corporation to decay in such a manner that it has lost relevance within the transport sector in the country. Nether the railway management nor the Federal Ministry of Transport is thinking of granting railway pensioners the 12% and 15% salary revision of 2003 and 2005 respectively to meet with inflationary trend in the country", he said The labour leader recalled that they were informed by the authority that fund for gratuity and pension for post 1966 retirees was deposited with NICO Insurance Company in 1966, pointing out that payment of pension fo these retirees became effective in 1999 only to be stopped in 2004 when the NICON company was sold to private entrepreneur. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=181&art_id=vn20080323081901798C286800 Passengers smash glass in protest Lynnette Johns March 23 2008 at 08:57AM Passengers at Durban Airport, some of them heading for the Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town on Saturday, were so enraged when a Mango flight was cancelled that one of them smashed a glass door and armed riot police were called. Mango has now promised a full internal investigation. The 9.45pm flight to Cape Town on Friday was delayed after an air hostess became ill and couldn't fly. Passengers who had already checked in and were waiting to board were informed by ground staff that their flight to Cape Town had been cancelled because the pilot had exceeded his permitted flying hours. As passengers shouted in anger and frustration, one enraged man stormed the door leading to the apron and kicked it, shattering the glass. Airport security apprehended the man before he could run onto the apron. Then six riot policemen arrived armed with sub-machine guns. Many of the people were on their way to the Mother City for family gatherings, weddings and the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon. Former Weekend Argus editor Jonathan Hobday, who was scheduled to be on the flight, said one disappointed couple had booked their flight to the Two Oceans Marathon in July. The woman, who had trained for months, was in tears because she knew she would not make the starting line. Hobday spoke to the pilot who told him he would be in contravention of the law if he continued flying as he would exceed his flight hours for the day. But pilots do have discretion to extend their shifts by a few hours. Hobday said he and his wife got to a hotel after midnight. Even though they were promised a 9am flight on Saturday, they boarded only after 11am. Hobday blamed Mango management for the eventual 16-hour delay, saying they should have had a stand-by crew as they had known hours in advance that the pilot would not be able to fly to Cape Town. Mango spokesperson Hein Kaiser said a relief crew was dispatched on the first available flight to Durban. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iiAbD1gzmWpFnXJhQgIgzbwoIScg Bhopal tragedy survivors reach Delhi after 37-day protest march Mar 28, 2008 NEW DELHI (AFP) - Fifty survivors and victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas leak arrived in New Delhi on Friday after a 37-day march and demanded to meet the premier to seek a clean-up of toxic waste at the site. It was the second such 800-kilometre (500 mile) trek from Bhopal city in central India to the national capital in two years. The protesters included three 11-year-old children and a woman in her eighties. "I could walk because there was a doctor with us to take care of our problems. This time, we'd rather die rather than go back if our demands aren't met," said Munni Bee, a woman in her sixties. Activists and protesters want the site to be cleared of thousands of tonnes of toxic waste embedded in the soil as well as jobs and compensation for health problems suffered by the victims. The disaster occurred on December 3, 1984 when a storage tank at the Union Carbide India Ltd. pesticide plant spewed deadly cyanide gas into the air, killing more than 3,500 slum dwellers immediately. The death toll has since climbed to more than 15,000, the government says. The survivors want US giant Dow Chemical, which took over Union Carbide in 1999, to pay for the clean-up and health damages. They also want a supply of clean water. Dow says all liabilities were settled in 1989 when Union Carbide paid 470 million dollars to the Indian government to be allocated to survivors and families of the dead. But local court cases in India have since challenged Dow's stand and called for more compensation for victims as well as for the environmental damage. Activists say the plant site still contains around 5,000 tonnes of toxic chemicals, which have contaminated soil and water up to five kilometres (three miles) away. "We have been drinking poison. We have nowhere to go as no one will buy our house," said Bee, one of the marchers. She said her daughter-in-law suffered two miscarriages because of the toxic water. Many survivors and nearby residents complain of breathlessness, neurological disorders, diminished vision and other ailments. Others suffer from cancers doctors attribute to chemical poisoning. Birth defects have also been reported. "When the gas leaked, we felt a burning sensation in the eyes and fell unconscious. Our children got left behind as we ran for our lives," Bee said. "I found my daughter after eight days." In 2006, after protestors went on a hunger protest -- refusing to eat anything for days as a mark of protest -- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh promised to set up a panel to look into their demands. "The committee has since met three times, held discussions but hasn't done anything till now," said Nityanand Jayaraman, spokesman for the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, who had been on the march. Activists said the protestors will not go back this time unless they are given a timetable for action planned by the government. "We have been very naive in believing them earlier," Jayaraman said. http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1287626/papua_new_guinea_protesters_kept_away_from_australian_pm/ Papua New Guinea Protesters Kept Away From Australian PM Posted on: Sunday, 9 March 2008, 12:00 CDT Excerpt from report by Papua New Guinea newspaper The National website on 7 March [by Harlyne Joku] Koiari villagers were prevented by police from meeting Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to demand answers to the future of the World War Two icon, the famous Kokoda Track. Mr Rudd, who flew into Port Moresby on an Australian Defence Force aircraft, was probably unaware that villagers from the area sacred to Australians were gathering nearby with placards to tell him they had enough of living in poverty. "What have you done for us in the past 65 years Rudd?", a placard read. Over 30 landowners protested peacefully in front of the Airlines PNG terminal yesterday, but were prevented by police from reaching the Jackson Airport VIP area where Mr Rudd was inspecting a guard of honour. "It is our right to express our concerns. This is a democratic country," the leader of the Kokoda Track Authority, Barney Jack, said. [passage omitted] Mr Jack said the people wanted to develop their land which had remained idle for 65 years, lacking basic services such as water, power and roads. "This is our land not Australia's land," the protesting landowners said. An Australian company proposes to mine gold in the area, where part of the sacred track runs through. The Mining Ministry has, however, refused to renew the mining lease of the company, prompting demonstrations in recent weeks by landowners supporting the mine. The Australian government wants to fast-track its listing on the World Heritage Listing, which would effective stop mining in the area. The landowners say they have lived in poverty for over 60 years, and if there is no mining, what alternatives are being offered by Australia. Prime Minister Rudd at a press conference later said the issue had to be resolved amicably and effectively. Mr Rudd he respected that PNG was a sovereign state and should make its own decisions. He said Prime Minister Somare and himself had discussed the Kokoda issue at great length yesterday and is confident that both their officials will reach an understanding by the ministerial forum meeting in Madang in April. Mr Rudd stressed the officials will look at various aspects of the issue which includes the interests of the landowners. "They are important to the equation than anybody else," Mr Rudd said. Sir Michael said they have to sit down and work out how they could have Kokoda listed on the World Heritage Listing, and still develop part of the area. Originally published by The National website, Port Moresby, in English 7 Mar 08. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 12:39:27 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:39:27 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Prison uprisings Message-ID: <028a01c89e67$44421260$0802a8c0@andy1> * INDIA/PUNJAB: Five hours of prison unrest after jailers cut Sikh's hair; fires started * CANADA: Abbotsville prison uprising, fires started in protest over recreation, "media events" * US: Brownsville contraband crackdown leads to unrest * CANADA: Vancouver screws routed by prisoners with baseball bats * CANADA: Joyceville uprising - inmates flood prison, trash cells * CANADA: Vancouver transfer attempt met by uprising * CANADA: Short uprising at Thorold * US: Fires started in Adelanto prison revolt * SAUDI ARABIA: Prisoners stage walkout, injure guards in protest over TV access * UK: Muslim prisoners stage uprising against racists ["al-Qaeda"... yeh right...] [NOTE: I've also heard reports of unrest at the main site holding Muslim prisoners, where prisoners fought back after abuse from guards] * US: Escape attempt and unrest at Virginia prison * UK: Screw injured in Brixton prison unrest * MEXICO: Guards held hostage during prison revolt * QUEBEC/CANADA: Smoking ban reversed after it causes prison uprising * PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Prisoner breaks out... and back in again * UK: Guards injured in uprising at "unit" for children * UK: Two escape during revolt at youth prison * MOROCCO: Political Islamist prisoners stage successful jailbreak * GUANTANAMO BAY: Trial delayed by prisoner protest Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/prisoners-riot-in-jalandhar-jail_10032881.html Prisoners riot in Jalandhar jail March 30th, 2008 - 7:01 pm ICT by admin - Email This Post Jalandhar, March 30 (IANS) Scores of inmates went on a rampage in the central jail in this Punjab city Sunday following the mysterious death of a prisoner inside the jail complex. The police and jail staff took over three hours to bring the riot by jail inmates under control. This is the second time within three months that jail inmates have indulged in a riot inside the jail premises. In January this year, the inmates had gone on a rampage for nearly five hours after a clash with jail staff. The provocation then was that jail officials cut a Sikh inmate's hair. The inmates went on a rampage after Jaspal Singh, an inmate, was found dead Sunday morning. They alleged that Singh died because contaminated water was being supplied to the inmates and also because he was not given timely medical attention after he suffered from stomach ache. The riotous inmates damaged jail property and even set parts of the prison complex on fire. Over 10 fire tenders had to be rushed to the jail complex to put out the fires set by the prisoners. Senior district officials, including the deputy commissioner and the district police chief, rushed to the jail after trouble broke out. A probe has been ordered by the district administration into the death of the jail inmate and also into Sunday's rioting, said deputy commissioner A.S. Pannu. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=6f3baca0-23b4-4345-b17b-e0df496cf38e&k=39513 Matsqui Institution under lockdown after inmate protest Vancouver Sun Published: Saturday, January 26, 2008 ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - A medium-security prison in Abbotsford remains under lockdown today after an inmate disturbance late Friday. The incident at the Matsqui Institution started around 9 p.m. when an estimated 170 prisoners refused to leave the exercise yard and return to their living unit, the Correctional Service of Canada said in a news release. For over three hours, the inmates refused to budge despite the deployment of a negotiator and the emergency response team. A number of fires were set in garbage, foliage and to an outdoor structure. Starting at 12:30 a.m. inmates were escorted to their cells one at a time, with the lockup completed by 3:25 a.m. No injuries were reported. The prison said inmates were protesting difficulties in assessing recreational activities, as well as "recent media events." The lockdown will remain in effect pending an assessment and search, the Correctional Service of Canada said. The Matsqui Institution has a capacity of 350 inmates. http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/jail_84372___article.html/detention_inmates.html Riot breaks out at county jail February 13, 2008 - 11:44PM By JOS? BORJ?N/The Brownsville Herald A riot broke out Wednesday night at the Carrizalez-Rucker Detention Center in Olmito after detention guards found contraband inside a jail cell, Sheriff Omar Lucio said. "Some of the detention guards found some contraband inside a cell pod," he said. "A couple of the (inmates) in the pods got upset and began to act rowdy." Lucio said jail supervisors called the SWAT team shortly after 8:30 p.m. The riot began shortly before that. "We took action, we activated the SWAT and this is because we try to keep (the jail) contraband free," he said. "We are getting people out here because we don't want anybody to get hurt - detention guards and inmates." Brownsville fire and emergency medical services were called to the Olmito jail, though no injuries were reported. The 13 inmates who were being rowdy were taken to another cell where they would be held, pending suspension of privileges. Lucio himself supervised the incident. "I stayed in there to make sure all the inmates were OK," he said. "I talked to some of them. I was there about 30 minutes to make sure everything went smoothly." http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v5/content/subscribe?user_URL=http://www.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2Fstory%2FLAC.20080402.BCPRISON02%2FTPStory%2FNational&ord=70392769&brand=theglobeandmail&force_login=true Rioting prisoners were armed with gym's aluminum bats ROBERT MATAS VANCOUVER -- Two lone, unarmed correctional officers in charge of as many as 40 prisoners fled for their lives when inmates armed with aluminum baseball bats from their B.C. prison's sports equipment room went on a rampage on the weekend that left two men dead, one of them beaten to death. http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=968679 Emergency reponse team quells riot in Joyceville penitentiary Posted 10 days ago Convicts at medium-security Joyceville penitentiary are confined to their cells and visits to the prison are cancelled after an uprising that was quelled by an emergency response team. Corrections Canada says the disturbance began Monday evening when inmates in one unit covered the windows of their cell doors and began smashing property and setting fires. Inmates also broke open water pipes, causing flooding. The prison's emergency response team, a squad dressed in riot gear, brought the incident under control. Corrections says no one was seriously injured. Earlier Monday evening, at 5 p.m., prison staff found an injured inmate who had been assaulted. He was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. It's not known when the prison's normal routine will resume. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/02/10/bc-prison-riot.html B.C. prison remains in lockdown after riot Last Updated: Sunday, February 10, 2008 | 4:50 PM ET CBC News Calm has been restored at a maximum-security prison in B.C. following a riot by about 30 prisoners on Saturday. A tactical team ended the disturbance at the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre in Maple Ridge without serious injuries, a union spokesman for prison guards said Sunday. "A riot inside a maximum security prison is very frightening and scary. It's a very dangerous situation," Dean Purdy, a spokesman for the B.C. Government Employees Union, told the CBC's Leslie Pritchard. The RCMP said it appeared some prisoners were upset they were being transferred to another facility. While there have been complaints of overcrowding at the facility, it's not known whether that played a part in the angry confrontation. Purdy said the prison has a capacity of 430 inmates but held 65 more than that Saturday. At one point during the riot, prisoners could be seen breaking windows and throwing objects to other inmates in the yard below. Inmates took other inmates hostage and two small fires were started. The uprising started about 10 a.m. local time and ended four hours later with prisoners either being put back in their cells or arrested by police. Ambulance and fire crews were called to the prison as a precaution, but the police spokesman said neither service was necessary. Both the RCMP and correctional centre officials will be investigating the cause of the disturbance. http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=926546&auth=MATTHEW+VAN+DONGEN Thorold jail riot quelled; Staff act quickly to remove inmates who set fire at detention centre Posted By MATTHEW VAN DONGEN Posted 26 days ago A fire set by a group of angry inmates at the Thorold Detention Centre was quickly doused Saturday night. A "minor disturbance" started among 14 inmates in a unit of the maximum-security jail around 7:45 p.m., said Stuart McGetrick, spokesman for the provincial Ministry of Correctional Services. "They began banging around in their cells, making demands, and staff were quick to respond," McGetrick said. The centre's Institutional Crisis Intervention Team began rounding up the "ringleaders" and removing them from six cells in the unit. While that was happening, one of the inmates lit a towel on fire and threw it into a pile of garbage in the unit's day room. The fire was doused by staff and the inmates were removed before Thorold firefighters and Niagara Regional Police arrived at the scene. "They caused a stir. They set fire to a couple of things, chairs and clothing, but it was dealt with quickly and contained," NRP Sgt. Chris Scotland said. "We attended, but we weren't required. The team they had to deal with these situations did so quickly." One inmate was treated for smoke inhalation at St. Catharines General hospital, but no one else was injured and the public was never in danger, Scotland said. Detention centre staff evacuated 14 inmates and transferred them to other areas within the facility. Thorold firefighters used fans to ventilate the 1355 Uppers Lane jail, which is used as a temporary holding facility and for prisoners serving shorter sentences. http://www.pe.com/localnews/sbcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_B_bprison24.4393cdc.html 17 inmates sent to hospitals after riot at Adelanto prison 10:00 PM PST on Saturday, February 23, 2008 By MARK MUCKENFUSS The Press-Enterprise A prison riot Saturday sent 17 inmates of the Desert View Corrections facility in Adelanto to area hospitals. Tim Franke, a spokesman for the San Bernardino County Fire Department, said the agency responded to a call at 4 p.m. Over the course of the evening, Franke said, 16 more inmates with undetermined injuries were transported to hospitals in the Victorville and San Bernardino areas. Rick McClintock is the battalion chief at the county's Adelanto fire station. The station, McClintock said, is next door to the prison. McClintock said three engine companies responded, and 10 fire personnel were involved. Two inmates were treated on scene. The most seriously injured inmate was airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. The extent of his injuries and his identity were not released. Firefighters left the prison shortly after 10 p.m. Nathanial Peinado, a spokesman for American Medical Response in Rancho Cucamonga, said the company sent seven ambulances to the prison. People answering the phone at Desert View Corrections, a privately run prison, said they had no comment. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-prison24feb24,1,1344413.story 19 injured in riot at prison in Adelanto template_bas template_bas >From a Times Staff Writer February 24, 2008 Nineteen people were injured Saturday in a riot at the Desert View Modified Community Correctional Facility in Adelanto, authorities said. San Bernadino County Fire Department officials said one victim suffered serious injuries and needed to be airlifted to a hospital. The others suffered minor injuries and also were taken to area hospitals, said Tim Franke, a fire dispatch supervisor. Franke, who could not specify whether the injured were all inmates, said units arrived at the prison at 4 p.m. in response to a riot in progress. He said firefighters stayed at the facility for six hours as correctional officers secured the prison and identified the injured. Desert View officials could not be reached for comment. A 2006 annual report by Boca Raton, Fla.-based The GEO Group, which owned the facility at the time, described Desert View as a medium-security prison with 643 inmates. http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=123&art_id=nw20080226132830747C149892 Saudi prison riot February 26 2008 at 02:12PM Riyadh - A riot that erupted in a prison in Saudi Arabia overnight over a request to watch satellite TV left several inmates and police officers injured, a newspaper reported on Tuesday. Inmates at the prison in the northern Saudi city of Arar walked out of wards and refused to go back until their demand to watch satellite TV channels was met, the al-Riyah daily quoted security official Major-General Bandar al-Ida as saying. Police said they regained control of the prison after encircling it until late Monday after gunshots were heard and ambulances were seen evacuating the wounded, mostly police officers, to hospital. - Sapa-dpa http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=107266&d=28&m=2&y=2008&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom Inmates at Arar Prison Riot Over Satellite TV Abdul Rahman Abdul Wahid, Arab News A guard who was injured during Monday night's prison riot receives treatment at the Arar Central Hospital. (AN photo) AL-JOUF, 28 February 2008 - A riot that erupted in a prison in the northern border town of Arar over a request to watch satellite TV was brought under control by security officials, police said yesterday. The rioting on Monday night left several inmates and police officers injured. Inmates of the Arar Central Prison walked out of wardsaround 8.30 p.m. on Monday and refused to go back until their demand to watch satellite TV channels was met, said Col. Bandar Al-Ayda, spokesman for the Northern Border Region Police. "Some inmates refused to return to their wards unless their demands were approved. The actions to bring the situation under control resulted in the rioting. A total of five men, including two security men, were injured during the altercation," Al-Ayda said. The demands of the rioters also included changes in their daily ration, he said. Al-Ayda said security forces regained control of the prison late Monday. Witnesses reported that gunshots were heard inside the prison and ambulances were seen evacuating the wounded to hospital. Al-Ayda said when the prisoners turned belligerent the jail chief tried to pacify them by holding negotiations with their leaders. But while the prisoners' representatives were meeting with the jail officials, some prisoners damaged doors of their wards and others started a riot outside. In the ensuing melee a few warders and inmates suffered minor injuries, the police spokesman said. "All the injured were given necessary treatment and are now in good health," he said. Al-Ayda added that the jail officials resorted to routine security procedures to bring the situation under control. According to a jail source, the inmates of Ward No. 4 made a bid to break out at 8:30 p.m. after staging a hunger strike demanding that the jail authorities allow some popular satellite TV channels in their wards. "An inmate attacked some guards while they were questioning him. But when he was sent back to the ward, he attempted to break the door of his cell, which prompted intervention of the warders. This was followed by a violent clash between the guards and inmates," said the source. He said the prisoners used clubs and sharp objects to attack the guards, and they broke several doors and bulbs. They also vandalized the jail's operations room, he added. "Some of them ran to the roof of the jail in a bid to escape but security forces immediately surrounded the prison and stopped them," the source said. According to local residents, a number of gunshots were heard inside the prison. They said security officers were seen deploying around the prison. Several ambulances were seen entering the jail premises to evacuate the wounded. "We found security forces cordoning off the jail area and Red Crescent ambulances rushing in and taking out wounded people," one resident told Arab News. According to a hospital source, the emergency room in the Arar Central Hospital received several security officers and prisoners with minor injuries. The source said that the leader of the rioters, a murder convict, was among the injured. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2008/03/25/al-qaeda-jail-gang-spark-riot-89520-20362353/ Al-Qaeda jail gang spark riot EXCLUSIVE By Greig Box Turnbull 25/03/2008 An al-Qaeda jail gang sparked a brutal riot at Britain's toughest prison after claiming an inmate insulted one of them. The Muslim Boys mob armed themselves with socks packed with tinned food as they ambushed rival prisoners in a fearsome revenge attack. All warders on duty were scrambled into action but it took 10 minutes to quell the violence. An insider at Belmarsh prison, South East London, revealed: "They attacked a group of non-Muslim prisoners at meal time. "It was brutal and all hell broke lose. One of them was verbally abused and the fight is thought to have been retaliation. "They have no qualms about using violence to exert their authority." Belmarsh staff have grown furious at what they see as bosses' soft approach to the gang. Last year, they battered four officers with pool cues in a riot. And three officers were attacked during a separate incident. http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=7761326 Riot erupts in escape attempt at state juvenile jail Associated Press - January 23, 2008 10:55 AM ET GRUNDY, Va. (AP) - A riot that erupted at a state juvenile facility in Buchanan County has ended peacefully. Buchanan County Sheriff Ray Foster says a riot broke out about 10 p.m. Monday that involved five juveniles and an adult in an escape attempt at Virginia Wilderness Institute. He says one room was vandalized, but the disturbance was quelled by early Tuesday. Foster said several deputies and the state police assisted institute personnel in restoring order. Foster said the Virginia Wilderness Institute is handling the investigation, and the Sheriff's Department has filed no charges. Information from: Bluefield Daily Telegraph http://www.bdtonline.com/local/local_story_022202249.html Juveniles incite riot at Buchanan facility By CHARLES OWENS Bluefield Daily Telegraph GRUNDY, Va. - A riot at a juvenile facility in Buchanan County ended peacefully early Tuesday, police said. The Buchanan County Sheriff's Department was dispatched to the Virginia Wilderness Institute in the Patterson community around 10 p.m. Monday night in reference to a riot and attempted escape involving five juveniles, Sheriff Ray Foster said. "There was five juveniles and one adult," Foster said. "They started a riot, and vandalizing the room." Foster said the six individuals attempted to escape from the facility. "They didn't escape," Foster said. "They just attempted to escape." Foster said law enforcement officials cleared the facility around 2 a.m. Tuesday. "We had several deputies, and the state (police)," Foster said. "We just assisted the Wilderness Institute." Foster said no charges were filed by the sheriff's department. Foster said the Virginia Wilderness Institute is handling the investigation. - Contact Charles Owens at cowens at bdtonline.com http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23435471-details/Woman%20governor%20tumbles%20down%20stairs%20as%20100%20prisoners%20riot/article.do Woman governor tumbles down stairs as 100 prisoners riot Last updated at 00:52am on 04.02.08 Prisoner governor Sonia Brooks suffered a broken wrist in the riot A woman prison governor suffered a broken wrist after falling down a staircase during a riot in which more than 100 inmates fought with chair legs, pool cues and snooker balls stuffed into socks. Sonia Brooks fell when she tried to help break up a violent brawl between rival Irish and Muslim gangs at Brixton Prison in South London. Two of her male colleagues were knocked unconscious and one warder suffered a fractured cheekbone as inmates went on the rampage. Twelve staff were treated in hospital and one had to take a week off after suffering severe concussion. It took 60 prison officers more than an hour to bring the situation under control. Ms Brooks, a junior governor, had recently been transferred from Feltham Young Offenders' Institution in Middlesex. The Ministry of Justice played down the extent of the trouble, claiming it was a "minor disturbance" with only 25 prisoners involved in the fighting. But the Prison Officers' Association (POA) accused the Government of a "cover-up" and demanded a public inquiry from Justice Secretary Jack Straw to establish why the Prison Service failed to order a "Gold Command Suite" - a top-level meeting of civil servants who direct responses to major jail unrest. Insiders at Brixton said the riot had been brewing for 'some time' but managers had ignored repeated warnings from staff. The inmates were packed two to a cell and a series of botched drug deals between the Muslim and Irish gangs are said to have stretched tensions to breaking point. On January 10, tempers boiled over and a minor scuffle on A Wing escalated into a full-scale riot. "It was hand-to-hand combat - an absolute free-for-all," said a source. "Prisoners were fighting on three different landings armed with chair legs, pool cues and snooker balls wrapped in socks. One hundred and twenty prisoners were involved. "All 60 staff on duty had to rush over from all areas of the prison and several received punches and kicks to the head." Thirty suspected ringleaders have since been moved to other jails in an attempt to calm the atmosphere. "We had to draw our extendable batons which is very unusual," claimed another insider. "It was nothing like anyone had seen before. "We are increasingly having to use our batons because we do not have enough staff to man our overcrowded prisons." The POAs claim the battle could have been "nipped in the bud" if the number of staff had not been halved in recent years. Colin Moses, the POA's national chairman, said: "Clearly, this Government is more interested in covering up what happens in prisons rather than trying to solve problems of its own making. "What we saw in Brixton is indicative of an under-resourced, under-staffed Prison Service, at a time when my members are having to deal with more violent inmates than ever before. "We want a full independent inquiry into what happened at Brixton to ensure that it never happens again." Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Herbert said: "Jack Straw must provide the full facts about this incident. It is essential that in conditions of overcrowding we can be confident that prisons are under control." A Ministry of Justice spokesman said last night: "There was no attempt to mislead anyone. Approximately 25 prisoners were involved in aggression and a further 60 refused to return to their cells. "Gold Command Suite was not opened because Brixton prison authorities believed they could control the situation. "A number of staff were injured including a female prison governor who stumbled down some stairs. Ministers were told the following day about the incident." http://itn.co.uk/news/8920bfb8c3ea5c711b999af8ca9f095c.html Prison riot in Mexico Updated 10.56 Thu Jan 17 2008 Keywords: riot, prison, mexico city, mexico, world More than a dozen guards have been held hostage after a riot at a prison in Mexico City. The attorney general's office said 16 guards were held at the Neza-Bordo prison. "The last director was better than this" - inmate's relative Six of the hostages were later taken to hospital. Reports claim some prisoners were prevented from escaping and reacted by starting the riot that involved more than 700 inmates. Over 500 officers from Mexico's state security agency tried to bring the situation under control and used tear gas against the prisoners. Outside the prison, a relative of one of the inmates said: "This is very bad, really bad, the last director was better than this, and the last deputy director, usually came and faced us, not like this. Listen to the gunshots, look how many are coming." Reports said the riot ended after more than four hours. http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=f2904795-a028-4005-8b0d-f1636ed8e8d8&k=77653 Prisoners can smoke after riot over ban Jason Magder , Canwest News Service Published: Friday, February 08, 2008 Quebec's public security minister is denying he backtracked on a smoking ban in light of a small riot that broke out at the Orsainville detention centre late Thursday night. A law prohibiting smoking both inside and outside of Quebec's 18 prisons went into effect on Tuesday. Just before midnight on Thursday between 30 and 50 prisoners began fighting and set fire to a wing of the Orsainville detention centre just north of Quebec City. The section was evacuated for about an hour while firefighters put out the fire. There were no injuries. 0n Friday, Public Security Minister Jacques Dupuis issued a statement saying prisoners would be allowed to smoke outside - an activity that was prohibited under the ban. "The minister is not backing off," said Philippe Archambault, a spokesman for Dupuis. "He made this decision on Monday, but the prisons had to make a few adjustments to respond to the change." Prisoners will be allowed to smoke during their hour of outdoor exercise each day and Archambault said the canteens in prisons will resume selling cigarettes, something they'd stopped doing last week in advance of the ban, but many prisoners had stocked up. The smoking ban was wildly unpopular both among prisoners and guards. About 80 per cent of prisoners smoke - in part because the prison environment encourages it, said Jean-Claude Bernheim, the president of the Prisoners' Right Committee. "It's also a way to socialize and to relieve boredom because there is very little to do in prison." Stephane Lemaire, vice-president of the Syndicat des agents de la paix en services correctionnels du Quebec, said guards were worried for their safety under the new ban. He said a shortage of prison guards will make even the relaxed rules difficult to enforce. Bernheim suggested many guards will turn a blind eye to inmates smoking. He said the ban is unfair to inmates. "It's abusive," Bernheim said. "There is a whole drug culture in prisons, and cigarettes are a big part of it. We can't change the mentality overnight." About 70 per cent of inmates in provincial jails are incarcerated for a period of three months or less, Bernheim said. The longest sentence in a provincial jail is two years. Quebec is now the only province that allows smoking in jail. In federal penitentiaries, where inmates serve sentences of two years or more, a total smoking ban will go into effect on April 30. Prisoners will have access to stop smoking groups, and be given free nicotine patches, as well as access to nicotine gum and the stop-smoking drug Zyban. jmagder at thegazette.canwest.com ? Montreal Gazette 2008 http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=68050 01/29/2008 10:35 AM ID: 68050 Man With Double Life Sentence Breaks Back in to Set Fire After Escaping 45-year-old Leo Aiyak, who's been in jail for several murders for the last 17 years, escaped from a Papua New Guinea jail early Thursday where he was serving out a double life sentence. Three days later, he cut his way back in and set fire to it. He was soon found by a nearby riverbank. An official at the jail said that "He has done this before, he escaped then returned to set another jail on fire. After this, we think he will now spend the rest of his life in jail." The motive was unknown. "We believe it may have been sparked after Bihute guards discovering him carrying 200 kina (about $A80)," said the official. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2008/03/10/four-guards-wounded-after-riot-at-dangerous-kids-unit-86908-20346232/ Four Guards Wounded After Riot At Dangerous Kids Unit Mar 10 2008 Exclusive by Lachlan Mackinnon FOUR warders were taken to hospital after a riot in a secure unit housing dangerous children. One guard had his thigh slashed in the mayhem at St Mary's Kenmure. Another suffered a suspected broken nose. Around 15 police officers in riot gear were called to the unit, which houses murderers and sex offenders, on Saturday night. Uproar is thought to have broken out after a boy barricaded himself in his bedroom. The unit in Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow, houses 30 kids aged 11 to 16 who have emotional and behavioural problems. A source said: "We deal with the worst of the worst in here and it was utter bedlam. "Some of our staff used to work in jails and they likened Saturday night to a full-scale prison riot. "Once the kids in one unit started acting up, it spread like wildfire and things were being ripped up and thrown everywhere. "They tore up their furniture, which is supposed to be securely fitted, and used it to smash their bedroom windows to escape into the central courtyard. "One staff member was smacked in the nose and his whole face swelled up. "In another unit, an oldfashioned, heavy TV box was put up in the air. "A boy picked up a six-inch shard of glass from the broken screen and tossed it across the room at another warder. "It tore through his trousers and slashed his thigh open. "Those two staff and a couple of others, who also suffered some scrapes, were taken to hospital. "I'm not sure when they will be back at work." The source said all the kids at St Mary's had their own rooms with en-suite toilets. He added: "One boy totally destroyed his toilet and flooded the entire floor of his unit. "The police were called in at 8pm and left a couple of hours later after helping us get the situation under control." But the trouble didn't stop there. The insider said: "The children started playing up again as soon as they left. Some of them broke out of their rooms into the central courtyard where we have a playing field. "It was four or five in the morning before we had everyone back in their rooms. "The repair bill will run into thousands of pounds." It is understood a 15-year-old girl could face a charge for assaulting a policeman while resisting arrest. The insider said there is low morale among staff. He added: "The kids here are among the most dangerous in Britain in their age group. There is a high stress factor involved in working with them. "Staff are off all the time after being assaulted, kicked and punched. "These kids come through the criminal justice system and children's panels from all over the UK. "Many have been relocated from other homes because they are too hard to handle. You can't take your eyes off them for a second. One of the boys started a fire by setting his mattress alight a couple of months ago. "A few members of staff were taken to hospital suffering from the effects of inhaling the smoke. "The kids can be incredibly devious and we have to be wary of giving them anything they can use as a weapon. "Some should be in psychiatric wards because they need intensive specialist care. We do have psychiatrists, but it's not enough. "Staff often have to restrain children up to six times a day and many feel the management don't appreciate their efforts. "Many of the kids, especially the boys, are quite formidable. "Some are around 6ft and look as if they weigh 14 stones so you can't take any risks with your safety. "Some of us have even suffered broken ribs trying to restrain them. "Even if you are dealing with a murderer, you still have to develop relationships to show them people can be normal and caring. "After incidents like Saturday's, we need to feel like our bosses are backing us." A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said: "A 14-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl are subject of a report to the procurator fiscal following an incident at StMary's." The 14-year-old is expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court today. A spokeswoman for East Dunbartonshire Council said the unit was run by the Cora Foundation - a charity committed to Christian social care and education - for the Catholic Church. A spokesman for the Catholic Church said yesterday: "Following a fire alarm being set off, police and fire officers were called and two arrests made." A spokesman for the Care Commission, who oversee the unit, said: "Any serious incidents which take place in care services will be examined by us. "While the events at St Mary's Kenmure are the subject of a police investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further." StMary's is where LukeMitchell was detained in 2004 while he was on trial for murdering Dalkeith schoolgirl Jodi Jones, 14. William McDermott, of Foxbar, Paisley, was 15 when he was held at St Mary's after he stabbed Scott Ferguson to death in September 1996. Claire Codona was also housed at St Mary's. In October 1995, she became Scotland's youngest convicted murderer at the age of 14, for her part in the killing of Michael Doran, 35. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7322494.stm Two on run after secure unit riot The unit can hold up to 36 young residents Ten young offenders went on the run from a secure unit after a late-night riot, it has emerged. Police are still hunting two of the youths who escaped from St Mary's Kenmure in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire early on Sunday. The building was badly damaged after fires were started, computers smashed and staff attacked. Twelve of those involved in the disturbance are due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court later. The unit is run by the Cora Foundation, which is owned by the Bishops' Conference of Scotland. It can hold up to 36 youngsters aged between 11 and 16. One male member of staff suffered a slight cut in the disturbance, which began on Saturday night before escalating in the early hours of Sunday. The disorder ended with 10 young people breaking through security-toughened glass in an accommodation block St Mary's Kenmure spokesman A Strathclyde Police spokesman confirmed: "Ten youths made off from the premises and eight were traced a short time later. "Inquiries are continuing to trace two males, aged 14 and 16. "A total of 12 youths have been arrested in relation to the incident and are presently in police custody." He added that a report would be sent to the procurator fiscal. A spokesman for the unit's board of managers said the facility had been temporarily closed while an investigation and repairs were carried out. The spokesman added: "The disorder ended with 10 young people breaking through security-toughened glass in an accommodation block. "During the disturbance there was minor fire damage to carpets and the electronic security system was damaged, along with a number of rooms and public areas." Behaviourally challenged A Strathclyde Fire and Rescue spokeswoman confirmed they had attended the unit after reports of an alarm being activated. St Mary's Kenmure is a residential facility designed to offer support and education to behaviourally challenged young people who are referred from the Children's Panel system and sometimes from Sheriff Courts. It is not a prison, although the young residents are not free to leave unless under supervision. Rooms at the unit have en-suite toilet and shower facilities. It also features a swimming pool, gym and all weather playing fields. A Scottish Government spokesman said the justice secretary had been made aware of the incident and was being kept up to date with developments. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7335004.stm Casablanca bomb convicts escape Nine people convicted for links to suicide bombings in Casablanca have escaped from a Moroccan prison, officials say. Prison authorities at Kenitra, 40km (25 miles) north of the capital, Rabat, noticed the escape on Monday morning, the Justice Ministry told state media. An interior ministry source told AFP news agency that the prisoners had tunnelled their way out. The 2003 attacks left 45 people dead, including 12 bombers, and many injured. Most of the nine men were serving life sentences for involvement in the bombings, a group which supports Islamist prisoners said. Message The men were reported to have escaped just after morning prayers on Monday. A source close to Islamist prisoners told the BBC the nine men had left a message on their wall of their jail. It said they had suffered from injustice and were escaping because they saw no other solution to their woes, stressing that they received no outside help for their prison break. All possible measures were being taken to find the fugitives, the Justice Ministry said in a statement on state news agency MAP. Officials had been sent to the prison to investigate how the convicts had broken out, it said. In December 2007, drugs baron Mohammad Ouazzani escaped from the same jail. Eight prison guards were subsequently convicted of helping him. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-gitmo13mar13,1,1393823.story Guantanamo trial delayed amid prisoner's protests An Afghan accused in attack on U. S. soldiers refuses to cooperate in what he calls an "illegal" tribunal.By Carol J. Williams, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer March 13, 2008 GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA -- -- The Bush administration's pursuit of a quick conviction of an alleged terrorist unraveled Wednesday when the young Afghan, accused of lobbing a grenade at two U. S. soldiers, refused to cooperate with what he called an "illegal" tribunal. Mohammed Jawad, 23, now faces a months-long postponement in his trial because the Army colonel assigned to defend him will be leaving military service in five days. Jawad had to be dragged from his cell for his initial appearance before the military commission and was wearing the orange prison garb that denotes an unruly detainee when he arrived in court. He refused to accept any military lawyer to defend him and told the judge, Marine Col. Ralph Kohlmann, he couldn't explore his right to a civilian attorney unless he was freed and accorded "justice and fairness." He also said he had been tortured while in U. S. custody and listed as 21 years old even though he says he was 16 when he was arrested after the Dec. 17, 2002, attack in Afghanistan. Jawad's case had been placed ahead of 13 others who have been charged, including six facing the death penalty if convicted of aiding the Sept. 11 hijackers. There are 275 men imprisoned here. The charges of murder and terrorism against Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and five other Sept. 11 suspects have not yet left the desk of the military commissions' convening authority, Susan J. Crawford. A 30-day deadline for arraignment starts ticking as soon as the charges are delivered to the defendants, but the war-crimes tribunal remains mired in legal and procedural challenges. With only one of the six Sept. 11 suspects assigned a military defense lawyer, the administration has turned to prosecuting what were considered easier cases, like Jawad's, in hopes of proving that the system for bringing terrorism suspects to justice is working. Wednesday's erratic arraignment of Jawad exposed further flaws in the Pentagon's offshore court, said Col. J. Michael Sawyers. Sawyers, an Army Reserve lawyer, was assigned to defend Jawad five months ago when Pentagon prosecutors first swore out the charges against him. The delivery of the charges to Jawad was inexplicably delayed nearly four months after their swearing, and Sawyers said his remaining time on active duty had run out, making him ineligible to represent Jawad under the commission's rules. Army. Col. Steve David, the chief defense lawyer for the tribunal, has informed Kohlmann that he is unable to assign a new lawyer for Jawad in the near future because he has only nine on staff with 14 active cases. That includes the six Sept. 11 suspects, who by American Bar Assn. rules for capital cases should each have at least two military lawyers. The prosecution has more than 30 attorneys preparing the government's side. While the judge and lawyers discussed the complications in the Jawad case behind closed doors, the Pentagon announced charges of supporting terrorism against another Afghan prisoner here, 30-year-old Mohammed Kamin. Jawad was asked to enter a plea despite his rejection of legal representation but had slumped onto the defense table by then and refused to respond to Kohlmann's questions. Sawyers recommended that a plea be delayed until his successor as defense attorney was chosen and brought up to date. Jawad told Kohlmann he understood his rights before the tribunal but didn't trust it. He said that he had been tortured while in U. S. custody at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan after his arrest, and that he had been mistreated in Guantanamo as well. "The American government said the Taliban has been very cruel in Afghanistan, that they killed people without any trial and imprisoned people without trial," Jawad told the judge. "When I was in detention at Bagram, Americans killed three people. They beat people and arrested us without trial. We're not given any rights." The Afghan was born in a Pakistani refugee camp, had only a seventh-grade education and "Western concepts of justice and court I think are just completely foreign to him," Sawyers said. Jawad held his head in his hands through much of the two-hour proceeding and complained of a headache from round-the-clock bright lights in his cell. He repeatedly removed the headset carrying the translation in his native Pashtu and slumped onto the defense table, moaning. "What we had very clearly today I believe is a direct result of taking a 16- or 17-year-old boy and putting him in confinement for five years without contact with the outside world," Sawyers said. Jawad has been charged with attempted murder and intent to inflict bodily harm for allegedly throwing a homemade grenade into a jeep carrying a National Guardsman from Long Beach, Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Martin; his colleague in a Special Forces unit, Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Lyons; and an Afghan interpreter. Jawad told officers during his Combatant Status Review Tribunal three years ago that he was in the vicinity of the attack in a Kabul bazaar but denied having thrown the grenade. Martin and Lyons were both wounded, and the interpreter suffered minor injuries. Martin, back in civilian life with the Long Beach police, was not expected to be called to testify. Prosecutors have his account in an affidavit. Kohlmann acknowledged that the change in defense attorneys -- if Jawad changes his mind and accepts one -- was likely to cause a considerable delay before the next proceeding, which according to commission rules should come within 120 days of the defendant being served with charges. David said that nine attorneys joined his staff in recent days but that they couldn't start work until at least May. With weeks or months needed for the new lawyers to get familiar with the cases, neither Jawad's trial nor those of the Sept. 11 defendants are expected to get underway until late this year. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 12:54:07 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:54:07 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Anti-capitalist and anti-corporate protests Message-ID: <029401c89e69$4f1f1190$0802a8c0@andy1> * US: War resisters disrupt militarist conference in Santa Barbara, effectively shut it down * SWITZERLAND: Police repression hits Davos protests * CANADA: Unrest on police brutality march as police attack * BELGIUM: 1000 protesters "close down" NATO, climb fences * US: Billboard Liberation Front target AT&T over wiretaps * CANADA: BC premier's office paintbombed by anti-Olympic protesters * US: Local group resists McDonald's, plants crops at site * THAILAND/FRANCE: Activists oppose ending of cheap drugs * BAHRAIN: Protest over mall building * MEXICO: Lopez Obrador back on the streets leading oil price protest * EGYPT: Food price protests foreshadow revolt * INDIA: Protesters blockade Dow plant in Pune, win temporary victory * PHILIPPINES: Farmers protest appointment to ministry, demand land reform, end to land grab * GLOBAL: Bloggers delete accounts in protest against MySpace * US: Surfers protest and sabotage wave cams, blame for crowding * YEMEN: Attempt at pipeline sabotage defeated Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://la.indymedia.org/news/2008/02/213851.php 350 War Resistors Blockade and Disrupt UCSB Army/Industrial Conference - 3 Arrests by Not24601 Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008 at 11:05 AM ztk2006 at gmail.com 350 anti-war activists converged and clashed with police to disrupt, blockade and shut down the ICB Military/Industrial collaboration conference at UCSB this past Tuesday, February 12th. ISLA VISTA / SANTA BARBARA, Tuesday, February 12, 2008 About 350 anti-war activists met to rally at Pardall Tunnel, where they were addressed by speakers at an open microphone, including a man from Iraq and a former Marine-turned-organizer. Emotions ran high and alternated between intense anger against the war, sadness over the loss of life, and hope, joy, and optimism for the future. At times, feelings were tense, and the police helicopter circling overhead made an ominous presence. The demonstrators shortly proceeded to converge on UCSB's Corwin Pavilion with the goal of shutting down the 2008 ICB (Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies) Army-Industry Collaboration Conference. Police attempted to barricade the event against the approaching students, but the crowd forced itself through police lines and dismantled blockades. Police appeared helpless to stop the flow of demonstrators, who proceeded to occupy the courtyard in front of the pavilion, where collaborators, some in business suits and others, more honestly, in military fatigues, had been in the midst of a lunch break. While the crowd went wild in their occupied space, the entire area was redecorated using chalk and marker. A space previously reserved for war makers was soon covered in anti-war, anti-government, pro-peace, and pro-freedom slogans, as well as peace signs, hearts, circle-A's, and the now-infamous Anarchy Heart, a common symbol amongst today's growing anarchist movement. Also present were anti-police messages and web addresses for sites like crimethinc.com and indymedia.org. While most were encouraging the act of reclaiming space, some present felt hesitant about the property destruction, especially police, as it represented a physical blow to the military conference they were protecting, rather than simply a symbolic one. At the same time, several black-bloc anarchists grabbed open trays of food from the conference and distributed them amongst demonstrators, police, and collaborators alike. "Cookies for the Revolution!! As Free and Beautiful as all of you!" were the words of one masked young man as he carried around a liberated tray of sweets. At this point protestors locked down, keeping some military collaborators outside, and some locked in. Police attempted to pull some students away from the doors forcefully, but were met with heavy resistance. Solidarity amongst the students and other demonstrators seemed to be the best it's been in Santa Barbara since the late 1960's. When two young men were grabbed by the police without apparent cause, the crowd leaped upon them and attempted to secure their freedom. As police brought out batons and pushed back against the crowd, the young men were dragged away. At this point, a large portion of the crowd charged and cut off the police, surrounding their cars, sitting down and linking arms, refusing to allow the police cruisers to leave until the eventual release of the young men had been negotiated, despite the threatening presence of armed and dangerous riot cops. The only charges ever filed against these young men, as justification for their arrest, were one charge each of 'resisting arrest'. So much for freedom of speech; welcome to America. As the battle raged on, occupations and blockades of the war collaborators inside their conference continued. At some points, demonstrators who had snuck into the meeting managed to burst through the doors, and students and police both rushed to get in first. It was always the police, who would quickly drive the peace protestors back with batons and raised cans of pepper spray. At one point, one of the meeting doors was wedged open and kept that way with the help of a couple plastic bottles jammed in the crack. A megaphone was placed up against the open crack and every tactic imaginable was used to raucously disrupt the proceedings inside. Several resistors fought police away from the opportunity the crack presented until the crowd rushed in to push police back. One policeman, a certain Officer Stern, grabbed and twisted a young woman's arm in apparent frustration at his impotence in removing the bottles jammed in the doorway. Disruption, speeches, songs, and acts of defiance continued as the sun was beginning to set. Suddenly, there was an opportunity; the doors were unlocked, and, while riot police managed to secure two doors, a third was forced open and the protest rushed inside. The meeting was just about finished, but as the march moved into the building, the same young woman whose arm had been twisted previously was grabbed around the throat from behind by two and then more police as she was removing posters from the walls of the conference. The crowd rushed to her defense, but was beaten back by riot cops with batons and pepper spray, and she was beaten, slammed into a glass door, and forced face down on the cement before being dragged away. The conference had been successfully disrupted, but there would be another act of resistance. The crowd beat the police to their cruisers and another standoff took place as they locked down once again to prevent the removal of the young woman. It seemed as if the police were more agitated then before, having failed to prevent the disruption of the Army's conference. In response to accusations of brutality from the crowd, police made nervous excuses, claiming to have been attempting to secure the 'free speech' of the war makers, or to have been 'only following orders'. Organizers addressed the crowd, reminding them that the police did not have a legal leg to stand on, and that these senseless acts of brutality in defense of war had no legitimacy, and therefore, the entire law enforcement apparatus present had no more legitimacy in the eyes of the war resistors. The sitting crowd, arms linked in solidarity, managed to remain locked despite attempts at forceful dispersal by the police present, and they faced down the riot police yet again, until it was clear that the young woman would be cited and released, at which point demonstrators allowed the police cruiser to beat a hasty retreat. The young woman's current condition is unknown to this reporter. UPDATE: Word has been received from an anonymous source amongst the catering team working at the conference that the Military has been successfully forced from UCSB, and the second day of the 2-day conference is to be carried on downtown at an undisclosed location. To those who chanted 'UCSB, Military Free!!' this means a dramatic success; the removal of representatives from the most powerful military institution the world has ever seen from their University. Despite this victory, protestors will meet at Corwin Pavilion today, Wednesday, February 13th, at 12 noon, to celebrate and discuss the next steps in uprooting the roots of imperialism from the soil of the Santa Barbara community. http://sbindymedia.org/story/ucsb-students-against-war-disrupts-collaborative-biotechnology-military-research-conference UCSB Students Against War Disrupts Collaborative Biotechnology Military Research Conference Tue, 02/12/2008 - 23:07 ? Anonymous Today more than five hundred UCSB Students Against War disrupted the military Institute of Collaborative Biotechnology conference to demand an end to UC complicity in illegal weapons research designed to kill Iraqis in an illegal war. Students and supporters of peace and demilitarization marched directly into the Corwin Center Pavilion where the ICB conference attendees were having lunch between their Army-sponsored research sessions. Speakers for the march made it clear that students support scientific research but when research is done for military paymasters it makes campus scientists into war accomplices at a time when the U.S. is occupying foreign lands in internationally condemned wars of agression. For example, A UCSB researcher worked on technology for a new type of bomb which was dropped on an Afghan wedding, killing 40 Afghanis gathered to celebrate the love between two people and their families. U.S. officials denied responsibility for the bombing until camera footage made it impossible to deny. To the researcher's horror, his teammates working on the bomb expressed no remorse for the innocents killed by their invention. Instead, they celebrated the news because the bomb worked as they intended it to. Protesters reminded ICB attendees that scientists have moral responsibility for the consequences of their actions and when they work for the military, the consequence is that people die, many of them innocent civilians. One speaker gave numbers on just how much money is being funneled into military research: "UCSB rakes in 50 million dollars a year for following the Army's orders. We came here to get an education and make valuable contributions to the world, not to help conquer it. This is not a military base, it is a university. It's time to demand an end to UCSB's participation in the war machine." There was a heavy police presence but protesters were not intimidated and conducted their non-violent direct action against UCSB war profiteering with courage and determination. Police arrested three protesters. Eyewitnesses said there was no justification for the arrests and hundreds of people chanted "Let them go! Let them go!" and laid their bodies on the pavement around police cars as a human shield demanding that the peaceful protesters be released. The arrested protesters urged everyone to return to the ICB conference to finish what they came to do and protesters returned to the Corwin Pavilion peacefully to continue disrupting the ICB. Students Against War Santa Barbara declared victory as the ICB conference was disrupted, military scientists were informed about the consequences of their actions and a message was sent to UCSB officials that students will not rest until UC complicity in war ends. UPDATE: The ICB conference was shut down and did not continue its second day sessions. This constitutes a major victory for UCSB students in the campaign to demilitarize UCSB and the whole UC system. http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/feature/Second_anti_WEF_protest_to_go_ahead.html?siteSect=104&sid=8666915&cKey=1201272975000&ty=nd Second anti-WEF protest to go ahead The Bern authorities have approved a demonstration by an anti-globalisation organisation protesting against the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos. Last Saturday over 200 members of the "Alliance for Global Opposition" were detained in the Swiss capital for carrying makeshift weapons and throwing firebombs. The trouble came after officials revoked permission for a planned demonstration by the group. The leader of the anti-capitalist group, Giovanni A. Schumacher, has promised a peaceful demonstration this weekend. City officials granted permission under strict terms. Organisers have promised to carefully monitor the demonstration using mobile telephones and will be held responsible for any violence that occurs, according to police. Some politicians had been opposed to granting permission, while others said the protest ought to go ahead, as it was an important part of the public debate. Bern officials decided to ban last weekend's demonstration after comments made by Schumacher in a television interview. http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/front/More_than_200_detained_in_Bern_demonstration.html?siteSect=108&sid=8642821&cKey=1200837189000&ty=st January 19, 2008 - 9:46 PM More than 200 detained in Bern demonstration Image caption: Police were out in force during the demonstration (swissinfo) Police in the Swiss capital, Bern, have used tear gas and rubber bullets against leftwing anti-globalisation demonstrators taking part in an unauthorised protest. The event, which comes four days before the annual meeting of the Geneva-based World Economic Forum in the alpine resort of Davos, had been banned after fears of violence. The organisers of the demonstration, the "Alliance for a Global Opposition", had said they would not respect the ban, with their leader, Giovanni A. Schumacher, explaining the group wanted a march that was calm and without violence. The group, which criticises "the World Economic Forum, the capitalist system and repression" had originally been allowed to demonstrate by city officials, but the authorities reversed their decision after remarks made by Schumacher in a television interview Schumacher was among more than 240 people reported to have been detained temporarily by police. Several hundred are said to have taken part in the demonstration. The head of the Bern cantonal police, Stefan Bl?ttler, said the first people held in the morning were carrying baseball bats. According to Swiss law, those detained can be held for up to 24 hours. Police ? who turned out in large numbers from both Bern and northwestern Switzerland ? carried out a number of identity checks in the city, including on young people arriving at Bern railway station. Bottles and smoke bombs Problems began in the late afternoon with police using tear gas and rubber bullets against activists, some hooded, who threw bottles and smoke bombs. Skirmishes followed, although damage to property was said to be limited. There was confusion in the old city for a time as demonstrators repeatedly regrouped at various places. However, the demonstration petered out after 6.30 pm. Bern authorities have been wary about allowing demonstrations in the city after violence that erupted when extremists attacked a rally by the rightwing Swiss People's Party before October's parliamentary elections. At least 20 people were injured and dozens detained for questioning after extremists went on the rampage. St Gallen protest In a related development, about 120 anti-WEF demonstrators in the northeastern city of St Gallen protested peacefully on Saturday afternoon. The city authorities had authorised the event but police were also out in force for the march. The demonstration, organised mainly by the Greens and centre-left Social Democrats, was noisy but passed without incident. Protestors, who were fewer in number than last year according to local police, called for global solidarity and for people to fight neo-liberalism. http://tinyurl.com/226jnr Police and protesters clash at anti-brutality march by David Parker News Writer Montrealers caught downtown near Berri Square and Place des Arts Saturday afternoon were witness to violent clashes between police and protesters during the 12th annual International Day Against Police Brutality. Despite mass arrests, property destruction, and incidents of police brutality, organizers said the event was successful overall. ?There have been mass arrests at this event in past years, but people aren?t afraid to come out in big numbers to denounce the brutality,? said Francois Du Canal, a member of le Collectif oppos? ? la brutalit? polici?re (COBP). About 300 protesters assembled at Berri Square, including a troop of dancing clowns and a 10-piece anarchist marching band. Approximately 100 police officers were already stationed around the square by the start. Officers filming the crowd refused to reveal to journalists why they were filming, prompting a protester to grab the camera and throw it to the ground. Members of Stella, a sex workers? rights organization and one of the 22 organizations endorsing the march, spoke to the crowd at the start of the protest. ?Sex workers are criminals in Canadian law. Police harass sex workers who can?t get legal protection from abuse because they are constantly evading the law,? said Jenn Clamen, a member of Stella. As the crowd wound through the streets towards Place-des-Arts, a S?ret? de Qu?bec helicopter followed the protest from above -- which Du Canal pointed to as one of many police intimidation tactics. ?They struck protesters with batons, performed illegal searches in the metro before the march, filmed the crowd, used pepper spray, intimidated the crowd with rubber bullet guns and ... and made arrests in civilian clothes,? Du Canal said. Marching down Maisonneuve, protesters with covered faces smashed signs and windows of commercial stores including Starbucks, McDonald?s and Bell Canada. Police, passersby, and other marchers were forced to dodge hurled snowballs, ice, rocks, and wooden sticks. Participants paintbombed police cruisers and vans and firebombed a car. When a handful of rioters smashed in the window of a police van, 30 police in riot gear descended from vans and rushed the crowd. At about 4:30 the police announced that the demonstration was illegal and ordered the crowd to disperse. Within seconds, officers in riot gear charged the march from Ste. Catherine and forced the demonstrators up St. Denis, cornering dozens of marchers. Police pushed and shoved them in the ribs with batons. Damon Van Der Linde, a former editor of Concordia?s The Link, was arbitrarily arrested and assaulted by a police officer. ?When getting put into the group, I was hit in the ribs a bunch of times,? Van Der Linde said, adding that he had not been protesting when he was arrested. ?I was just standing on the corner when I was rounded up. I just happened to be there,? he added. Many were put in police vans, detained, searched, and then let go. Others were charged with unlawful assembly and ?failure to move.? ?It?s mostly the same people being arrested,? said Montreal police media relations officer Olivier Lapointe. ?Some people arrive ready for war.? COBP organizers said that 42 people have been killed by the Montreal Police in the past 21 years. In December, 38-year old Quilem Registre died several days after being tasered six times by police following a drunk driving infringement. In 2005, Mohammad Annad Bennis was killed by police officers. No officer has been formally charged for his death. Other incidents include police assaulting three women at a march for last year?s International Women?s Day, and police inciting violence and using batons at August?s Security and Prosperity Partnership Summit in Montebello. http://www.themuse.ca/view.php?aid=41066 MUN grad witnesses Montreal riot Police and protestors overreacted, says bystander By Katie Hyslop A protestor defaces a McDonald?s sign at this year?s march against police brutality. [Photo: Ion Etxebarria/CUP] John Matchim just wanted to return his library books in downtown Montreal on Saturday, March 15, but instead he ended up in the middle of an anti-police brutality protest gone wrong. ?I was in the eastern part ? of downtown, and was returning books, but everything was closed down. All the security at the Universit? du Qu?bec ? Montr?al and [La Biblioth?que Nationale], they were all going off their fucking heads about something,? said Matchim, a MUN graduate and former Muse submissions editor. ?I couldn?t piece together what the problem was, and then, I?m walking down the street and one of the main streets in Montreal ? there?s about, I?d say 700-800, a nice crowd, of people marching against police brutality.? March 15 marks the International Day Against Police Brutality, an annual event since 1997, to mark the beating deaths of two Swiss youth, ages 11 and 12, supposedly at the hands of Swiss police officers on March 15, 1996. Matchim says when he returned from the library and saw the downtown core crawling with police, and being monitored by a police helicopter, he assumed the protest was over and headed for home. ?By the time I had [left] the university and the library ? there were riot cops, a good 20 riot cops there, and what they had done is they had cornered in about 50 or 60 people, and were basically chasing what amounted to a bunch of kids, running them down the street, trying to dissipate the crowd,? he said. ?This is so scripted, when you actually see this in person you understand how foolish this type of tactic is ? it?s just one side wants to provoke another side: The cops hate those kids, and the kids thoroughly dislike the cops.? Finding his way home blocked by riot police, Matchim sat on the sidelines with other observers to watch the events unfold before them. But he quickly found himself the subject of police attention. ?They were ? chasing everyone, I mean everyone, just pedestrians on the street ? trying to chase them into one direction,? he said. ?This small group of five or six riot cops come up, and they?re basically like ?I want you to get out of here now. Move!?? One of them gets a hold of me and pushes me, says ?Get the hell out of here,?? he said. He tried to oblige, but found he wasn?t able to move fast enough because of the icy streets, and was literally pushed down the street by police using their riot shields. Thinking he had gotten far enough from the crowd to wait it out, Matchim sat down in a doorway, but was again intercepted by a police officer. ?This cop comes up ? and this is the same guy who basically had his way with me ? comes up and he basically lunges at me,? he said. ?This guy lunges at me, hits me somewhere between my shoulder and my cheekbone, and basically says ?Get the fuck out of here.?? According to the Centre for Media Alternatives Quebec?s website, this year?s protest also focused on the recent Taser deaths of Robert Dziekanski in Vancouver, Claudio Castagnetta in Quebec City, and Quilem Registre in Montreal. As well, a Montreal police officer, Lt. Michel Masse, was accused in February of being paid by Taser International and Taser France to promote Tasers to police forces in Europe and Canada. Matchim doesn?t place sole blame on the police officers, saying protestors threw garbage cans, set the front of a car on fire, threw snowballs at cops, and reportedly threw a Molotov cocktail. ?I thought that the protestors acted very foolishly ? I don?t see really what they proved. I understand the reasons why they had to get out there and let these issues be known, but putting a garbage can through a Desjardins doesn?t exactly make a lot of sense to me,? he said. ?There were no leaflets passed out, or anything like that, it was basically just screw you police.? According to an article on the Canadian Press website, there were 200 protestors, some of whom reportedly threw beer bottles, snowballs, and chunks of ice at passersby and members of the media ? 20 arrests were reported. Matchim says he witnessed protestors throw objects at cops, not pedestrians. http://quebec.indymedia.org/en/ Callout for March 15th, 2008 : 12th International Day Against Police Brutality (IDAPB) COBP, Tuesday, February 19, 2008 - 00:22 (Communiqu?s | Repression) Image: First paragraph (Teaser): Since 1997, the Collective Opposed to Police Brutality (COBP) has organized a protest in Montreal on March 15th to highlight the International Day Against Police Brutality (IDAPB). This day of action (decreed after the violent beating of two youths, ages 11 and 12, in Switzerland on March 15th, 1996) has been highlighted in numerous cities and countries around the world. On March 15th, 2007, protests and other events took place in Montreal, Trois-Rivi?res, Toronto, Belleville (Ontario), Guelph, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver, and Oaxaca, Mexico. This year, COBP once again invites concerned groups and individuals to participate in the 12th International Day Against Police Brutality in Montreal, on the 15th of March, 2008, at 3pm at Berri Square. We also encourage you to organize an event in your city and to endorse this callout if you support our demands. http://www.indymedia.org/en/2008/03/903165.shtml 1000 activists close down NATO 24 Mar 2008 16:54 GMT About 1,000 people from 17 European countries went to the NATO headquarters in Brussels on the 23rd of March to take part in the international non-violent action NATO GAME OVER. 5 years after the start of the Iraq war and 10 days before the Bucharest NATO summit, peace activists from all over Europe demonstrate that preventing war starts in Europe. TIMELINE: | Photos 1, 2, 3, 4 | Video 1, 2 NEXT ACTIONS: March 29-30: Stop the Shield! | S?upsk, Poland [1] [2] [3] [4] | Czech April 2-4: Anti-NATO Bucharest | Romania NATO agreements make European countries into logistical hubs for the US military. Through our ports, airports and highways the US war machine is transported to Iraq. And our own military is involved in Afghanistan as well. Iraq was invaded and Iran threatened because they are supposed to have, or to be developing weapons of mass destruction. Meanwhile NATO has 350 US nuclear weapons deployed in Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK and Turkey. According to international humanitarian law these weapons are as illegal here as elsewhere. As from the beginning of the afternoon, peace activists walked in big numbers in the direction of the NATO and tried to get inside the site in a non-violent way. There was a huge contrast between the non-violent attitude of the peace activists and the aggressive behaviour of the police forces, who where massively present and used dogs, horses, pepper spray, sticks, water canons, etc... Around 500 people were arrested. Despite this, more than 50 activists were able to get inside the military compound to close it down. NATO GAME OVER is not only about preventing a crime, but also about restoring a piece of democracy. The peace activists were faced with a huge amount of police, preventive arrests, kilometers of barbwire, etc... This is a pity. When citizens commit a crime, they are punished and their crime has to be repaired. But now that our own authorities are committing a crime, they use the police not to stop the crime, but to keep it in place. Without NATO the war in Iraq and Afghanistan would not be possible 5 years ago the war in Iraq started. All over the world anti-war demonstrations are taking place. With NATO GAME OVER we target the military structures which make the war possible. In Afghanistan, soldiers from European NATO countries fight in the US-led war on terror. NATO agreements make European countries into logistic hubs for the US military. In 2003, 54,000 Europe based US military personnel were deployed or worked in direct support of the war against Iraq. The US Army was deployed out of Germany and Italy, while bombing flights departed from UK bases and aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean. In 2006, two thirds of the Europe based US military were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, preparing to depart or had just returned. Without Europe, the Iraq war would be impossible. NATO is creating more problems than it solves NATO is discussing its future. Ten days after NATO GAME OVER the NATO-summit and protests against it take place in Bucharest. In a lot of European countries a large amount of the population disagree with the choice of world leaders to use war and military threats to solve conflicts. Missile defense, nuclear weapons, new military bases, soldiers to Afghanistan, ... the people do not want it. But governments do not listen to these wishes; every time NATO stands in the way. NATO is creating more problems than it solves. NATO GAME OVER: an international action day On the 22nd of March, activists from 17 European countries nonviolently attempted to enter NATO HQ, Brussels, in order to close it. Action groups from all over Europe give the signal that nuclear weapons have to disappear. Activists from Germany, Italy and Spain make clear they do not want new military bases or infrastructure. Czech and Polish peace activists find missile defense installations with a NATO flag as unacceptable as with a US flag. Croatian, Macedonian, Finnish and Swedish activists do not like their country joining NATO or developing a narrow military relation with NATO. Also from the Netherlands, France and the UK comes a NO against the war policy. homepage:: http://www.vredesactie.be/article.php?id=506 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7310077.stm Arrests at Belgian Nato protest Police in Belgium have detained about 150 demonstrators as they tried to climb security fences outside Nato headquarters in Brussels. Organisers of the protest said they wanted to draw attention to what they called Nato's role in promoting war. Water cannon was used to dislodge those who tried to get over the fences, some using mats to cover the barbed wires. Police were prepared for the protest and had cordoned off a wide security perimeter around the Nato buildings. Organisers Bombspotting and Vredesactie (Action for Peace) said about 500 protesters took part in Saturday's demonstration in the suburb of Evere to mark the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war. They claimed Nato was the tool of US policy in Iraq and Afghanistan. http://www.justseeds.org/blog/2008/02/blf_strikes_again.html BLF Strikes Again Posted February 28, 2008 by jmacphee in Political Art I've long thought that the Billboard Liberation Front, beyond being one of the longest running billboard alteration groups, is also one of the smartest. Rather than simply playing off corporate logos, they often are able to use billboards to create a critique that cuts a little deeper, and yesterday they put up a good one in San Francisco. Here is an extended excerpt from their press release: The Billboard Liberation Front today announced a major new advertising improvement campaign executed on behalf of clients AT&T and the National Security Agency. Focusing on billboards in the San Francisco area, this improvement action is designed to promote and celebrate the innovative collaboration of these two global communications giants. ?This campaign is an extraordinary rendition of a public-private partnership,? observed BLF spokesperson Blank DeCoverly. ?These two titans of telecom have a long and intimate relationship, dating back to the age of the telegraph. In these dark days of Terrorism, that should be a comfort to every law-abiding citizen with nothing to hide.? AT&T initially downplayed its heroic efforts in the War on Terror, preferring to serve in silence behind the scenes. ?But then we realized we had a PR win on our hands,? noted AT&T V.P. of Homeland Security James Croppy. ?Not only were we helping NSA cut through the cumbersome red tape of the FISA system, we were also helping our customers by handing over their e-mails and phone records to the government. Modern life is so hectic ? who has time to cc the feds on every message? It?s a great example of how we anticipate our customers? needs and act on them. And, it should be pointed out, we offered this service free of charge.? Commenting on the action, and responding to questions about pending privacy litigation and the stalled Congressional effort to shield the telecoms from these lawsuits, NSA spokesperson [REDACTED] remarked: ?[REDACTED] we [REDACTED] condone [REDACTED] warrantless [REDACTED], [REDACTED] SIGINT intercepts, [REDACTED] torture [REDACTED] information retrieval by [REDACTED] means necessary.? ?It?s a win-win-win situation,? noted the BLF?s DeCoverly. ?NSA gets the data it needs to keep America safe, telecom customers get free services, and AT&T makes a fortune. That kind of cooperation between the public and private sectors should serve as a model to all of us, and a harbinger of things to come.? http://www.canada.com/topics/news/politics/story.html?id=c9ae3ba5-6f55-456a-9798-2fad5691a7d5&k=92583 B.C. Premier's office paint-bombed in protest Vancouver Province Published: Thursday, February 21, 2008 VANCOUVER - B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell's Vancouver office was paint-bombed by anti-Olympic protesters on Thursday afternoon. Anti-Poverty Committee spokesman David Cunningham said four protesters went to the premier's Vancouver office armed with "gallons of paint in the colours of the Olympic rings." The protesters, three women and one man, were wearing white painter's suits and face masks. One was carrying a digital video camera and recorded the event. constituency assistants, said he could see the protesters through the blinds of his door, plastering posters outside the building. Marsh said they tried to enter the building but he prevented them by closing the door as they were coming in and locking it. The group then threw paint on the storefront window and door. The paint was removed within two hours of the attack. The committee has staged several protests against the Olympics, including paint-bombing Vancouver's Olympic countdown clock and hijacking an outdoor Olympic promotion. Several committee members work for the provincially funded Downtown Eastside Residents Association. B.C. Attorney General Wally Oppal said it was disturbing that the activists were government workers. "But they are entitled to protest like any citizen," Oppal said. "We encourage peaceful protest but they are intimidating people and acting like thugs." Vancouver police spokeswoman Const. Jana McGuinness said police will attempt to identify the culprits and press mischief charges against them. "A group may take this action and think it's funny, or think they want to make a statement. But this is, bottom line, a criminal act," she said. Cunningham said the committee will continue its anti-Olympics campaign until the government's budget surplus is spent on social housing, community centres and student tuition. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10496209 Anti-McDonald's protest takes root in southern town 5:00AM Wednesday March 05, 2008 By Jarrod Booker Protesters planted flowers and vegetables on the site. A true grassroots protest has occurred on the proposed site of a McDonald's restaurant as residents of a small town fight to keep the fast-food giant out. Consent has been given for the restaurant to be built on the site at Motueka, near Nelson, but a group calling itself Uniquely Motueka is standing in the way. The group says McDonald's will add only unwanted health, trash and traffic problems to the town of about 7000. The proposed restaurant site was dug up into a "community garden" on Sunday night with a variety of flowers and vegetables planted "to represent the diversity in the community that McDonald's never will", said Uniquely Motueka spokeswoman Tara Forde. A 1000-signature petition against the restaurant has also been given to the local Tasman District Council. "I don't think it's as easy as winning or losing," Ms Forde said. "It's about showing McDonald's they are not welcome in a lot of small towns around New Zealand, and the tide is turning on their business as people become more socially aware." Residents in the Auckland suburb of Balmoral are fighting a similar battle. A McDonald's spokeswoman said the company was "relatively surprised" at the level of opposition in Motueka. "But it's important to understand that generally people who oppose things will be the loudest. "We feel that part of the community are supportive of us." The Motueka McDonald's restaurant is due to be built by May. The Mayor of Tasman District, Richard Kempthorne, said it was "absolutely a done deal", and the matter could no longer be influenced by the council. http://www.essentialaction.org/access/index.php?/archives/118-Paris-protest-against-ending-drug-licensing-Threats-of-retaliation-overblown,-they-say.html Paris protest against ending drug licensing: Threats of retaliation overblown, they say Friday, February 22. 2008 by Achara Ashayagachat Published at Bangkok Post Foreign activists and academics have lent their support to the struggle by the Thai civic sector to save compulsory licensing (CL) of patented medicines. Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsab is pushing for a review on the CL of three cancer drugs, which was approved by his predecessor Mongkol na Songkhla. On Wednesday, members of the group Act-Up staged a peaceful protest in front of the Thai embassy in Paris. On the same day, activists and academics from various institutions issued a letter to Mr Chaiya, urging him to resist pressure from foreign pharmaceutical firms to abandon CL. ''Thailand's review of compulsory licences on three high-priced cancer drugs should not be distorted by groundless threats of potential trade sanctions from the brand-name pharmaceutical industry,'' the letter said. ----- The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) said this week it would push the US Trade Representative to impose trade sanctions if Thailand implements compulsory licensing and imports low-cost generic drugs. However, activists said the threat has no basis in law or political reality. A WTO mission had found that Thailand's policy was legal, said a letter signed by Essential Action, American Jewish World Service, the American Medical Students Association, Global Aids Alliance, Health GAP, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), Oxfam America and the Student Global Aids and Trade Justice Campaigns. They said that PhRMA always asks for more than it has any hope of achieving. In 2006, for example, PhRMA asked that Canada and Germany be designated Priority Foreign Countries, a request the US Trade Representative rejected. Threats that PhRMA would push for Priority Foreign Country status were less significant than they may seem, activists said. They said leading US presidential contenders should take a more critical stance towards the pharmaceutical industry than US President George W Bush. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama of the Democratic party have endorsed poor countries' rights to affordable, quality-assured generic drugs for important health needs. John McCain of the Republican party has not issued a policy on the matter, but he has been critical of the brand-name pharmaceutical industry, recently characterising the companies as ''the big bad guys''. Regardless of who is the next US president, it is certain that the next US administration will be less responsive to pharmaceutical industry interests than the current administration. It was also likely that the next administration would support efforts in developing countries to speed up the introduction of generic competition to make essential medicines available. A senior Thai diplomat told the Bangkok Post that there was only a slight possibility that the US would petition the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over Thailand's CL implementation as the stakes were too high and the case might damage the industry if Thailand won. Taking legal action at the multilateral level needs careful consideration - in this case trade issues relating to public health are a sensitive topic worldwide and if the chance of a US win is not 100%, it should not take the risk because there are several developing countries which might benefit from the ruling, he said. Mr Chaiya yesterday said he expected a final decision on CL would come in a month. He confirmed that the permanent secretaries of Health, Commerce and Foreign Affairs agreed that CL on cancer drugs be kept intact. He said he would discuss the matter with the commerce and foreign affairs ministers before forwarding any proposals to cabinet for approval. http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=208843&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30333 Protest over BD22m mall Residents of areas in Arad and Hidd, near the Muharraq Club, yesterday continued their weekly protest against the construction of a proposed BD22 million mall near the club, saying it will be a threat to the "beauty" and "serenity" of the area. They gathered waving banners and raised slogans against the proposed project, saying it had been given the go-ahead despite their protests. Residents are also going to court in a bid to halt work after a ground-breaking ceremony went ahead last week. The people of the area have been protesting since October last year against the mall, being built on land previously owned by the Royal Court. They claim the acquisition of the land by the Muharraq Club was illegal and that it will spoil the area, earmarked for a new walkway. http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN2424787620080224 Mexican leftist back on streets in oil protest Sun Feb 24, 2008 3:30pm EST Radical Mexican leftist claims party leadership win 17 Mar 2008 By Catherine Bremer MEXICO CITY, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Eighteen months after he crippled the capital with protests over a 2006 election defeat, Mexican leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was back on the street on Sunday to protect the state monopoly on oil. Obrador, who says he was robbed of the presidency by electoral fraud in July 2006, mustered thousands of protesters outside state oil firm Pemex's 52-story headquarters to slam fledgling proposals to allow private investment in oil. The firebrand leftist told the crowd that if rallies did not work, they would take over the Mexico City airport, highways and the stock exchange and hold a national strike. "We do not accept anything to do with privatization of Pemex or sharing oil profits," he told a cheering crowd. Lopez Obrador has seized on a planned oil sector reform as a new rallying point for protests against President Felipe Calderon's conservative government. Calderon wants to pass an energy law by April that would give Pemex more autonomy and possibly allow joint ventures in deepwater oil fields that straddle the U.S. maritime border. Mexico, a top three supplier of crude oil to the United States, saw oil exports slip last year to their lowest level since 2002. Public support for Lopez Obrador's new cause could determine whether the man whose presidential ambitions rattled Wall Street in 2006 still has a political future and could also set the tone for Mexico's rudderless left for the next few years. "We're against privatizing Pemex. Lopez Obrador is the only one who can fight against this," said Saul Monsalvo, a graphic designer who arrived at the protest by bus from the neighboring State of Mexico. Lopez Obrador's resurgence into the limelight after a year licking his wounds comes three weeks before his Party of the Democratic Revolution, or PRD, will elect a new leader, with an eye on the 2012 presidential election. Sen. Jesus Ortega is seen the favorite to win but Lopez Obrador's oil protests could boost the standing of his candidate, Alejandro Encinas, a former Mexico City mayor. SYMBOL OF SOVEREIGNTY Pemex says alliances with experienced foreign oil firms could speed its entry into deepwater oil. But the PRD objects to tampering with the constitution, which gives Pemex sole drilling rights in Mexico. It says allowing foreign alliances smacks of privatization. "Alliances with foreign firms, under the pretext that we lack technology, are privatization," Lopez Obrador told the crowd. Mexicans view the oil industry as a symbol of sovereignty since it was expropriated in 1938. A newspaper poll this week showed half the country opposes foreign investment in oil. "They want to sell it to foreign companies but we're not going to let them," said Hester Palma, 48, selling hotdogs at a stall. "We're going to defend it with our blood." Still, faced with declining output and reserves, Mexico's other main opposition, the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, has softened its opposition to energy reform. PRI Sen. Francisco Labastida, the head of the Senate energy committee, said this week Lopez Obrador was opposing something that had not even been suggested. "It's a movement against ... the ghost of privatization because I haven't seen anyone who wants to sell Pemex," he told La Jornada daily. Even after his defeat was confirmed by an election tribunal, Lopez Obrador supporters blocked Mexico City streets for weeks with sit-in camps. Today Lopez Obrador calls himself Mexico's "legitimate president" and refuses to recognize Calderon. (Editing by Bill Trott) Memories of 1977 http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/881/eg5.htm Do public protests about the increased cost of basic commodities have overtones of the bread riots more than three decades ago, asks Mohamed El-Sayed Egyptians are generally not rebellious people though when their stomachs are empty the government should beware. That, at least, is the feeling of many commentators who felt a sense of d?j? vu when looking at the demonstrations that hit the streets of Cairo, Port Said and Mahalla in a week when the public finally began to protest against increases in the price of basic commodities. Memories of the bread riots that broke out when President Anwar El- Sadat attempted to cut subsidies on a range of basic foodstuffs were never far away when, beginning last Thursday, the Egyptian Movement for Change (Kifaya) attempted to stage the first demonstration in Cairo's Sayeda Zeinab Square. Security forces arrested around 50 Kifaya members along with a number of journalists covering the event. While those detained were held in Central Security trucks the rest of the protesters headed to the Press Syndicate to continue the protest. The heavy-handed approach adopted by the police towards the protesters prompted the Washington-based Human Rights Watch to criticise the Egyptian authorities. "Egyptian authorities are taking every opportunity to signal to citizens that when it comes to peaceful criticism of government policies forget about exercising your rights," said Joe Stork, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Middle East division. On Saturday, the Ghad Party organised a demonstration in the Mediterranean city of Port Said, about 220 kilometres north east of Cairo. Blaming the government for the increase in prices of basic foodstuffs they carried bread and cooking oil bottles and warned the government against removing subsidies on basic commodities. A day later 5,000 people attended a demonstration in the industrial city of Mahalla, Gharbiya governorate, 123 kilometres north of Cairo, organised by Wafd, the Nasserist Arab, Ghad and the frozen Labour parties and the Muslim Brotherhood. Raising anti-government and anti- National Democratic Party slogans, protesters accused the government of failing to raise salaries to keep pace with inflation. They warned government officials that another bread uprising could be in the offing. The same governorate was the site of another demonstration by 300 people protesting a shortage of flour at the only bakery in the village of Kafr Hassaan. "The government is scared of another hungry riot," argued Kifaya general coordinator Abdel-Wahab Elmessiri, who was forced by a group of plainclothes security personnel into a van and then driven with seven others to the outskirts of New Cairo. "They prevented our protest because we raised slogans that were closely related to the livelihood of people." The prevention of peaceful demonstrations calling for a reduction in basic commodity prices, Elmessiri continued, could lead to "a populist uprising in the form of catharsis that could destroy everything". He had hoped that the government would be more rational in its response to such protests and work on reducing basic commodity prices. "This [rebellion], if it happens, will not be to the benefit of any party, the people, the government or the opposition." Elmessiri concedes that skyrocketing commodity prices are a global phenomenon but insists that the sufferings of ordinary Egyptians are compounded by government corruption. But could Egypt really see a repeat of the January 1977 bread riots? "Since the 1977 bread riots political awareness among the people has been in decline. However, they have been restoring it step by step of late," says Elmessiri, citing the series of labour strikes that hit the country last year. "Even [Egyptian] pilgrims organised sit- in strikes during the pilgrimage season in Mecca, and strikes have been organised by civil servants, unheard of in Egypt's modern history." While opposition leaders are using an alarmist tone, Mohamed Kamal, member of the ruling National Democratic Party's Policies Committee, told Al-Ahram Weekly that the warnings against potential riots are exaggerated. "Egyptian society is going through a period of political and economic mobility. Our society is witnessing an unprecedented degree of freedom of expression, and it's normal for societies in a state of transition to experience what's happening in Egypt." Kamal dismisses the notion that Egyptian society is on the verge of "social upheaval" and defended the government, arguing that the rise in prices was a global phenomenon. "The government continues to subsidise basic foodstuffs, and at the same time increases salaries, the problem is that the increase in salaries hasn't matched inflation." The string of protests still sounds alarm bells for many observers. "The atmosphere that prevailed before and during the 1977 bread riots is similar to now, especially in that there is no confidence in the government," Ammar Ali Hassan, director of the Middle East Studies and Research Centre, told the Weekly. "The desire to protest has overwhelmed a large sector of society." That said, Hassan argues that although current living conditions are "much worse than 1977, the ordinary Egyptian nowadays is unable to stage wide protests because he has become fragile. Egyptians in 1977 were more politicised than now and the regime's security grip was less strong," he said. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a35318f0-fb80-11dc-8c3e-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1 Unrest grows in Egypt as food prices soar By Heba Saleh in Cairo Published: March 26 2008 22:29 | Last updated: March 26 2008 22:29 A wave of discontent has been sweeping through Egypt in response to mounting food prices and the return of long queues in front of bakeries selling subsidised bread ? the only food item that has not recently risen in price. Civil servants, industrial workers and even groups considered privileged such as doctors and university lecturers have been staging strikes and demanding higher pay to meet price increases of up to 50 per cent for some basic foods. State university lecturers have gone on strike this week, bringing many classes to a halt for a day. "Faculty members in Egypt are normally a very conservative group who do not want to expose themselves to trouble," said Hany Al Husseini, one of the strike organisers. "But now the economic situation has become so bad that people are prepared to do anything." The starting monthly salary for university staff members is $115 (?73, ?57), while those nearing retirement take home about $675. The lecturers are demanding the doubling of their pay and a fund to boost pensions. Although unlikely to meet this pay demand, the government is mindful of the potential for social unrest sparked by economic hardship and has begun to address some of the workers' grievances. It has promised to raise the pay of 5.6m civil servants from July, and there are moves to revisit the minimum monthly salary, which is $50. The government is also spending more on food subsidies and adding millions of families to the list of people eligible to receive subsidised sugar, rice and oil. Yesterday Mena, the state news agency, reported the government had banned rice exports for six months from April 1 in an effort to hold down local prices. Although most Egyptians are too young to remember the bread riots of 1977, since then successive governments have made it a priority to support the prices of some foods to pre-empt any boiling over of popular anger. "Of course officials are worried [about social unrest]," said Samir Radwan, an economist commissioned by the government to look into raising the minimum salary. "You can judge by the number of cabinet meetings they have been holding to deal with the price rises." Almost everyday official pronouncements about the government's concern for those "on limited incomes" vie for space on the front pages with the latest on the bread queues, in which a few people have been killed after fights erupted. Hosni Mubarak, the president, has ordered the army and police to use their bakeries to put more cheap bread on the market to reduce queues. More people have turned to the subsidised loaves as rice and pasta have become more expensive. In a bread line in Imbaba, a poor district in Cairo, Ragaa Abdel Hakim, a mother of five, says she gets up at 6am to buy bread because the two bakeries in her village sell off their flour illegally and produce little bread for the public. "Rice and oil are now too expensive," she said. "My husband is an agricultural labourer who makes 10 Egyptian pounds a day ($1.80, ?1.15, ?0.91). Is this going to be enough for seven people? What about my children at school ? they need clothes and food. If we don't pay the teachers for private lessons, they fail them." A fifth of Egypt's 80m people live under the poverty line of $2 a day, and a sizeable proportion is only just above it. Mr Radwan has recommended that the government increase the minimum salary to $112. "We should be worried because food prices are rising and they will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. So how do we foot the bill? Ultimately, that will depend on increased exports and increased tourism. Otherwise the situation could become tragic." http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news621.htm A blockade by villagers in India is in its sixth week - halting plans by US giant Dow Chemical to build a new 100 acre research plant in Pune. Since January 16th, the road which passes through Shinde - the only way to access the site - has been dug up and occupied by locals and supporters, including 500 women from the local Bhamchandragarth Bachao Warkari Kisan Sangharsh Samiti campaign group (how?s that for a snappy name). There have also been several other demonstrations at the site and elsewhere, and this Saturday (23rd) sees a mass demo in central Pune. The campaign has gained a lot of national support, with memories still fresh of the 1984 Union Carbide chemical catastrophe in Bhopal - the worst industrial disaster in history (see SchNEWS 523). A leak of methyl isocynate killed 20,000, injured millions more and Union Carbide bailed without bothering to clean the site site up. Dow Chemical took over Union Carbide in 2001, but they refuse to accept any responsibility for Bhopal. Not only are the protesters worried about something similar happening in their region, they also want Dow ? a company worth $54bn - to accept liability for Union Carbide?s corporate mass murder and compensate for the 1984 disaster. At a meeting held near the site on February 2nd, Rasheeda Bi from the Bhopal Group for Information and Action said, ?We are still suffering in Bhopal as Union Carbide has not yet cleared the toxic waste. It is the right of the villagers to know what kind of unit is coming up in their village. We never knew what was coming and we suffered a lot.? Dow claims the centre will work on energy conservation, molecular research and even low-cost housing! But while they say they won?t manufacture chemicals, the plant will experiment with volatile chemicals. It is one of three new R&D labs, the others will be in Shanghai and somewhere in Europe. * On February 20th, Bhopal survivors began an 800km walk to Delhi to confront Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the promises he made two years ago concerning economic, social and medical rehabilitation, and provision of clean drinking water, which are yet to be met. http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news623.htm Protesters have had a dramatic victory (for the time being), at the site of the Dow Chemical?s proposed new chemical plant at Pune, 150km southeast of Mumbai in India. Since January 16th, villagers and other supporters have occupied a road ? having dug it up with bullocks - to blockade and stop construction work on a new Dow Chemical research lab. Last week things came to a head when armed police were sent in to break it up. Initially they arrested twelve women from the BDBWSSS group after a massive protest rally on Feb 28th, but things got lairy when another group of 50-100 women actually surrounded the 200 police and held them hostage, demanding the release of the arrestees. Back-up police were called in but after the ensuing barny it took until after midnight before a further 143 were nicked. By morning, the protesters had built up numbers and ferocity once more - and the authorities started to take the threat seriously. After the intervention of a Judge all arrestees were released unconditionally, and it was agreed to stop building work until the government committee submits its report. For the time being the road blockade is still on, and going into its eighth week... See www.bhopal.net http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20080212-118333/Laguna-farmers-protest-Pangandaman-appointment-at-Senate Laguna farmers protest Pangandaman appointment at Senate By Julie M. Aurelio Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 12:56:00 02/12/2008 MANILA, Philippines -- Over 150 farmers from Calamba City in Laguna marched to the Senate Tuesday morning and lit 103 candles to protest the appointment of agrarian reform secretary Nasser Pangandaman. The farmers, who belonged to the Hacienda Yulo Farmers Association, were on the fifth day of their 14-day march to protest the government's failure to place the 7,100-hectare Hacienda Yulo under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). ?We cannot ignore this [Senate hearing on Pangandaman's appointment] because right under the leadership of Pangandaman, the Yulo farmers continue to suffer,? said Roli Petate, HYFA president. The marchers, who came all the way from Calamba, Laguna, marched to the Senate on foot to coincide their protest with the Commission on Appointments (CA) hearing of Pangandaman. Outside the Senate's gates, the 174 farmers also demanded for Pangandaman's resignation. ?Pangandaman appointment tutulan! Nasser resign! I-reporma at balasahin ang DAR! CARP ituloy at repormahin [Protest Pangandaman appointment! Nasser resign! Reform and reshuffle DAR! Reform and continue CARP!],? the peasant protesters said. The 103 lighted candles symbolizes their 103-year fight to have the Yulo land, Petate said. ?We have been here since 1905 even before the Yulo family owned the land. But because they are rich, they were able to gain the titles for the 7,100 hectares. Now we are being driven out of the land we have tilled for years,? the HYFA official explained. In 2006, the farmers filed a petition to nullify the 1992 exemption order for a 943-ha Yulo landholding because the order had not been complied with for over 15 years. In December 2007, Pangandaman denied the petition on the ground that it had been filed ?out of time or too late.? But the farmers claimed it was the duty of the DAR to monitor such exemption orders and that it was Pangandaman who was ?out of time.? ?Who is 'out-of-time' really? Isn't it the DAR? Isn't it its duty to monitor the compliance of exemption orders? Why did it have to take 15 years and why did we farmers have to stand up and complain?? Petate asked. The 7,100-ha agricultural land in question is owned by the family of Jose Miguel Yulo Sr. and is spread over Calamba City, Sta Rosa City, Cabuyao and Bi?an in Laguna. The 14-day march also protests what the farmers called the government's failure to stop to unabated efforts by the Yulos to convert its 7,100-hectare land into commercial and residential businesses. Petate claimed the landholdings were part of the target for redistribution under the CARP. ?The issue of reclassification involving the Yulo lands is just one of the issues that corroborate our call against Pangandaman's appointment,? he added. The HYFA is a member of the Pambansang Ugnayan ng mga Nagsasariling Organisasyon sa Kanayunan, a national federation of local peasant organizations. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20080209-117853/Laguna-farmers-begin-protest-march Laguna farmers begin protest march By Jerome Aning Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 21:05:00 02/09/2008 MANILA, Philippines -- Some 200 farmers from the old Hacienda Yulo in Laguna have begun a two-week march to Manila to appeal to the government to stop the conversion of the land they are tilling into commercial zones. On the second day of the march from Calamba, members of the Hacienda Yulo Farmers Association (HYFA) on Saturday denounced the establishment of Eton City on 1,000 hectares in Sta. Rosa, which its developers have dubbed the future ?Makati of the South.? Eton City was part of the extensive Hacienda Yulo owned by the late Speaker and Supreme Court Justice Jose Yulo Sr. His descendants have broken up the hacienda and have sold, leased, or are developing the land which straddles Calamba, Sta. Rosa, Cabuyao, and Bi?an. Some 2,600 farmer families are claiming 3,811 of the 7,100 ha that comprise the Yulo estate. Chanting "Land use plan, irebisa, irebisa (Revise the land use plan),? the marchers said the project had marginalized hundreds of farmers as it was established right in their farms. HYFA president Roli Petate said the Sta. Rosa City mayor should be held to account for the project, claiming the developers had failed to secure a development permit from the mayor's office. ?Mayor Arlene Arcillas-Nazareno needs to act immediately on the illegal project as it runs counter to the intent of our government and agrarian reform program to distribute lands to the legitimate farmers and provide them with support services,? Petate said. In 2006, HYFA filed with the Department of Agrarian Reform a petition to nullify the exemption order granted in 1992 for a Yulo landholding covering 943 ha on the ground that it was not complied with for over 15 years. Last December, the DAR denied the petition on the ground it had been filed too late. http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,23142807-5014239,00.html MySpace accounts deleted in protest By Chloe Lake, Technology Editor February 01, 2008 10:32am UP to a few thousand people deleted their MySpace accounts as part of one blogger's symbolic protest against the social network. Simon Owens, 23, declared January 30th "International Delete Your MySpace Account Day" (IDYMAD). He made the announcement two weeks ago on Bloggasm.com, his personal blog about online media. "After months of only visiting my MySpace profile in order to delete spam friend requests from half-nude women, I?ve reached the end of the line," he said. Mr Owens, a newspaper journalist from Virginia, posted instructions to help readers delete their MySpace accounts. He estimates "between a few hundred and a few thousand" people deleted their MySpace accounts on January 30th. "It's incredibly hard to calculate how many people participated," Mr Owens told News.com.au. "Hundreds of people either emailed me or wrote in my comments that they had deleted (their MySpace account)." Rebekah Horne, vice president of Fox Interactive Media and MySpace in Australia and New Zealand, commented on the event last week. "This Delete-Your-MySpace day is just about being controversial," she said. "MySpace is the biggest social networking site in the world." A few thousand deleted MySpace accounts would not have a great impact on MySpace numbers. "We are still signing over five thousand users per day," Ms Horne said. Mr Owens started IDYMAD in an attempt to move people over to his preferred network, Facebook. "I've had a Facebook account longer than I've had a MySpace account - since college. And I plan on keeping the Facebook account." Mr Owens launched Bloggasm as a hobby in 2006. He receives revenue from ads on the site, "but not enough to quit my job". Global traffic to his blog has peaked at almost an 18-month high since the anti-MySpace declaration. There have been similar anti-MySpace movements organised through forum communities, but none have gained as much widespread coverage as Mr Owen's. Ms Horne was not concerned by the controversy. "Some people love social networking, some people don't," she said. "Some people find their natural fit with other sites." http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/27/surfers_protest_wave_cams/ Surfers protest wave cams They're blamed for crowding hot sites By Corey Kilgannon New York Times News Service / January 27, 2008 EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. - Ever since Jimmy Minardi mounted his $8,500 video camera last summer and aimed it at the Atlantic Ocean, the surfers here have been complaining. more stories like this The camera streamed video straight to Minardi's website, letting surfers check the waves without having to pack up their boards and wet suits and heading to the beach with fingers crossed. These surf cams, or wave cams, which have gained in popularity in recent years, help advertise lesser-known beaches to outsiders who are looking for new surfing spots. But the cameras have also caused problems in the territorial world of hard-core surfers, many of whom blame them for leading crowds to once-secluded beaches. Today, there are perhaps a dozen cameras along the South Shore of Long Island and another dozen along the Jersey Shore, surfers said. Vandalism is common enough that the operators - from surf shops that run a single camera to large surfing-related companies that own dozens of them - keep the locations confidential. Officials at Wavewatch.com and Surfline.com, two of the larger surf cam sites, said they tried not to pick spots where the regulars would be riled. Still, Jonno Wells, the chief executive of Surfline.com, which operates about 100 Web cameras at beaches from the Hamptons to Hawaii, said his company regularly received angry e-mails from "squawkers blaming cameras for crowding." Rafael Patterson, the brand manager for Wavewatch, which operates 18 cameras nationally, said his company also received complaints, but tried to be sensitive in selecting surf cam locations. Wells said several of his company's cameras had been damaged; Patterson said he did not know of any vandalism. Minardi, 45, a native of East Hampton, is a fitness instructor whose celebrity clients include Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld. He said he shrugged off the complaints he received - until someone ran off with his camera last month. The East Hampton Village police are questioning local surfers in search of a suspect. Was it the actor and surfer who sent Minardi an e-mail message saying that as a member of the Screen Actors Guild, he would bill him at union scale every time he appeared on camera? Was it the person who threatened to block the camera by putting a sign in front it? The camera was planted just east of the Georgica Jetties, a good wave break that does not attract the big crowds that flock to better-known surf spots like Ditch Plains in Montauk. But the problem, said Matt Norklun, the surfer-actor who sent the e-mail message, was that the camera attracted too many surfers to the area, many of them neophytes (known to experienced surfers as groms or kooks). As a result, there were jokes among the tight-knit surfing community here about how to block the camera. But after its disappearance, Norklun said, not even a whisper surfaced about who might have taken it. Or why. Minardi said the camera could simply have been stolen for its value. An outspoken critic of the camera, Norklun said the police questioned him after it disappeared. "I don't know who took it, but whoever it is, he's a folk hero around here," he said. "The police asked me, 'Would you tell us if you did know?' And I said, 'Probably not.' " As for his demand to be paid union wages, he said, "A lot of guys were angry with Jimmy, and I wanted to drive the point home that the camera was a nuisance." Minardi received permission to install the camera on the oceanfront property of advertising executive Jerry Della Femina, in the rarefied Georgica Pond section of East Hampton, where Steven Spielberg and Mortimer B. Zuckerman, to name just two, have large summer homes. The camera was mounted on a wooden post, tucked between two juniper bushes, that was cut down cleanly, perhaps with a power saw. Della Femina said he was unhappy that someone would cut down the camera on his property. As for the surf cam controversy, he said, "I find it incredible that there are surfers who think they have the right to a spot in the ocean." http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\02\25\story_25-2-2008_pg4_2 Yemen foils attempt to bomb oil pipeline * Officials suspect saboteurs linked to last year's pipeline bombing SANAA: Yemeni forces have foiled an attempt to blow up a crude oil pipeline in the Marib province and arrested a number of "saboteurs", the official Yemeni news agency Saba said on Sunday. "Interrogations are under way, but the initial results indicate that this group is linked to the terrorist bombing of the pipeline last year," Saba said, citing the head of security in the province. In November, tribesmen blew up a pipeline that carries crude oil from the Marib oil basin to storage tanks at the Ras Issa terminal for export. No one was harmed in the bombing, which took place in a desert area in the eastern Marib province. Officials said at the time that the perpetrators were not linked to militants. Tribesmen sometimes kidnap holidaymakers and foreigners working in Yemen to press for better schools, roads and services or the release of prisoners. Yemen foiled two suicide attacks on oil and gas installations in 2006, days after Al Qaeda urged Muslims to target Western interests. Al Qaeda's wing in Yemen claimed responsibility for the foiled attacks and promised more strikes. US ally Yemen is a small producer of oil with output of around 330,000 barrels per day (bpd) and exports of about 200,000 bpd. It has one large oil refinery at Aden with a throughput capacity of about 100,000 bpd. Yemen has been widely seen in the West as a haven for militants, including Al Qaeda supporters. It joined the US-led war on terrorism launched after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and has been battling Islamic militants for years. In 2002 militants bombed the French oil supertanker Limburg off Yemen's coast. In 2000, a suicide attack on the US warship Cole killed 17 US sailors. reuters From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 13:05:49 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:05:49 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] GLOBAL UNREST: Land rights, social cleansing resistance and Zapatistas Message-ID: <029501c89e6a$f0f7e900$0802a8c0@andy1> * THAILAND: Clashes over steel mill land grab turn deadly * INDONESIA: Protest over price rises * INDIA: Chengara land struggle in Kerala - dalits, adivasis and Muslims fight for land rights * INDIA: Squat eviction in Hyderabad leads to protests, blocked road * MEXICO: Border region battles for human rights, against gentrification * TRINIDAD: Protest over closure of street market * UK: Police "military siege" of squat party resisted inside and out * INDIA: Chennai residents protest against eviction threat * CANADA: OPAC interrupt council to protest cuts to homeless shelters * US: Anti-poverty activists upstage politician in protest over attacks on the poor * UK: British expatriates protest demolition drive * INDIA: Christians protest "illegal sale" of YMCA grounds * INDIA: Activists target Pune minister over broken promises to squatters * NIGER: Critis, repression in Tuareg areas continues * CHIAPAS/TABASCO: Tabasco Mayan community joins Zapatistas * CHIAPAS: Protests, hunger strike secure release of political prisoners * OAXACA: Direct actions and protests against prison over political prisoners * CHIAPAS: Water shortages, crime crackdown hit highlands * CHIAPAS/GLOBAL: EZLN anniversary prompts celebrations Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-asia-news/24034-prachuap-khiri-khan-deadly-steel-mill.html Prachuap Khiri Khan - Deadly steel mill protest Deadly steel mill protest Prachuap Khiri Khan - Clashes between supporters and opponents of a planned steel mill got out of hand on Thursday, leaving one protester dead and four wounded by gunfire. By Chaiwat Satyaem Local people resumed their protests against the construction of the mill Thursday at Mae Ram Phung swamp, where the company was digging drainage ditches. Gunshots were heard during the confrontation and Raksak Kongtrakul, a supporter of the project, was later found shot in the chest. He died at Bang Saphan hospital. The violence came after a similar clash on Tuesday, which saw police and soldiers drafted in to restore order. The giant steel firm was awarded a licence by local administrators in November to build the mill. Within weeks opponents demanded the licence be suspended, arguing that the company had not prepared a flood-prevention plan. The company later came up with a plan and the project was approved again. Part of the plan is to dig drainage ditches on both sides of the mill site, to prevent flooding in surrounding communities. Suwan Thongkroy, a lawyer with the provincial branch of the Lawyers Council, said police treated supporters of the development unfairly. Officers searched supporters for weapons but did not do the same with opponents, he said. Supoj Songsiang, a leader of the protesters, said he had asked the Bang Saphan district chief to search everyone involved in the stand-off for weapons, but the officer apparently did not follow his advice. He said the gunshot which killed Raksak may have been fired by someone in the supporters group, rather than by an opponent of the mill. The protesters were largely elderly people and women and were not carrying any deadly weapons, said Mr Supoj. The Sahaviriya Group claimed in a statement Thursday that the protesters against the mill were carrying weapons and accused the mill's opponents of shooting Raksak dead. Pairote Makkadara, the director of Sahaviriya Group's special project division, said he was extremely saddened by the incident. "The company intends to help sort out flood problems by digging drainage ditches. We always use a peaceful approach," he said. Pol Maj-Gen Wirat Watcharakachorn, the provincial police chief, admitted police may have been lax when searching protesters for weapons. He said it was still not clear whether opponents or supporters of the development shot the man. The provincial police chief also did not rule out another party being involved. Sahaviriya Group, the country's largest steel miller with a capacity of 9.5 million tonnes a year, has been facing strong local opposition to its plan to expand capacity to 30 million tonnes by building the country's first smelter at the site. Last month villagers filed a complaint with police, claiming they were attacked by the company's workers. Sahaviriya Group denied the allegation. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Earlier report: Hua Hin - Clashes between supporters and opponents of a planned steel mill got out of hand on Thursday, leaving one protester dead and four wounded by gunfire. Protesters clashed at the site of the Saha Viraya steel mill project in Bang Saphan district of Prachuab Khiri Khan province, despite the deployment of hundreds of police to keep the peace. The red-shirted supporters of the plant rushed to the site after hearing that more than 200 opponents in green T-shirts had assembled to protest against plans to build the mill. Rapsap Kongrakul, 36, a supporter of the steel project, was shot dead in the melee, police said. "I think he was probably shot by his own people because most of the people opposed to the steel mill project are elderly," Suphot Songsiang, a leader of the project's opponents was quoted by the Thai media as saying. Saha Viraya, one of Thailand's leading steel producers, has been trying to build a new mill in the area for years but opponents claim the mill will pollute the area. http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1016&Itemid=32 Steel Mill Killing Mars Progress on Thai Industrial Disputes Daniel Ten Kate 30 January 2008 Thailand's heavy industries have taken steps to engage local communities in recent years, but more work is needed Raksak Kongtrakul was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time last week when a gunman shot him dead at the construction site of Thailand's first steel smelting plant in southern Prachuab Khiri Khan Province. The 36-year-old male had taken a temporary job as a construction worker for Sahaviriya Steel Industries, Thailand's largest steel firm, to support his wife and eight-year-old daughter. Tragically, he was caught in the crosshairs of an ongoing battle between supporters and opponents of a huge five-phase $15.1 billion steel smelting project that had recently broken ground on the first phase. Sahaviriya announced that it has video evidence implicating opponents of the project in the shooting, and provincial police fingered assistant village headman Bamrung Soodsawat as the gunman. He has denied the charges, claiming he wasn't even at the protest site, and has sought help from human rights groups to plead his case. Nonetheless, the incident followed a series of violent clashes at the steel plant over the past month in which both sides used fists, knives, slingshots, guns and other weapons. No matter who is to blame for Raksak's death, the entire episode reflects the government's laissez-faire attitude towards disputes between industrialists and local leaders. "I don't think any government has tried to deal with this issue seriously," said Jon Ungpakorn, a former senator and leading social activist. "Conflicts between communities and companies are simply allowed to take their course, which can have very dangerous consequences, as seen at the steel mill." Killings associated with major construction projects are by no means unusual. According to the Bangkok Post, at least 15 community leaders in Thailand have been slain since 2001 mostly because they opposed industrial projects peddled by local crime bosses and politicians - sometimes one in the same. To its credit, last year the military-appointed government took steps to try and ease tensions between local communities and industrial firms eager to expand, mostly through setting up various local development funds. Although critics say the new policies won't work and they will need time to bear fruit, executives and policymakers say the government has at least tried to instill a framework for villagers and industrialists to work together for mutual gain. Last year the government passed an energy law that creates a fund for communities within a five-kilometer radius of the country's 109 power plants. The fund will total $54 million by the end of this year, and jump to more than $63 million by 2011. It's controlled by a board with a majority of locals, although it also includes representatives from power producers and the government, said Tawarath Sutabutr, director of the Energy Ministry's policy and strategy coordination office. "It's not only the money, but the fund itself sets up a forum for people and power plant producers to share views," he said. "Through the forum people can meet and talk and get a better understanding of each other." Similar efforts are afoot in the petrochemical industry. A major protest erupted in early 2007 after villagers blamed pollutants from Map Ta Phut in Rayong province - Thailand's largest industrial estate and a petrochemical hub for the region ?- for making people sick. Former premier Surayud Chulanont's government immediately halted approvals of all environmental impact assessments until investigators could determine where the pollutants were coming from and what could be done to stop them. Before allowing approvals, the government raised emissions standards and created funds to help the local communities. "We are doing our best to coordinate with 25 nearby communities to gain their trust, and that is now taking effect," said Supachai Watanangura, chairman of the petrochemical industry club of the Federation of Thai Industries, the country's leading business group. "The communities are not really blaming us for the problems, but they are working together with us and inspecting factories on a regular basis to gain a better understanding. The whole picture is looking better than it was a few years ago." Supachai acknowledged that the protests forced the petrochemical companies, power plants and refiners in Map Ta Phut to do more to control pollution. He also said that most firms now understand that transparent operations, environmental protection and good communication with villagers are all good for the bottom line. That said, however, he added that local communities must understand the benefits of industrial investment. "It's clear that we cannot go back to the year 1900 when we have no investment and we all live happily with nature," Supachai said. "The world moves forward. Industry moves forward. We now have the technology to invest in Thailand without spoiling the beauty of nature." More investments are on the way. Capacity utilization in many sectors in Thailand is nearing 90 percent, and many firms are just waiting to expand once political stability returns. In 2007, net applications to the Board of Investment rose 32.7% year-on-year to 655.8 billion baht, with most heading to Rayong province and the petrochemical, utilities and automotive sectors. "Industrialists know they cannot take advantage of natural resources now because it will backfire," Supachai said. "We need to be transparent and take care of communities. The problems are not gone, but hopefully we can all come together and talk things out to find solutions." In the case of Sahaviriya's steel plant, the principles learned by the power and petrochemical sectors this year did not apply. The company has taken aggressive measures to defeat protesters, including lawsuits and refusing to participate in an investigation by the National Human Rights Commission on whether the plant is located on public land. Moreover, Sahaviriya has proceeded with construction even though the environmental impact assessment has yet to be approved. Steel mill opponents blame the company escalating the tensions that led to Raksak's death last week. (A company spokesperson declined to comment.) Part of the problem is that villagers near the smelting plant see the wetlands where it is being built as vital to the community's livelihood. Though Sahaviriya's executives say any huge project is bound to face major protests, some activists don't believe that's the case. "I'm sure it's possible to choose areas where communities welcome the investment," said Jon. "They are probably more close to urban centers where people are looking for jobs." Although petrochemical and power executives seem confident that community funds might help appease local opposition, critics fear the money may simply mask the underlying problems. Big company cash usually ensures that local authorities sign off on a project and environmental concerns are overlooked, but it may not be a panacea to dispel local opposition even with a council to oversee it. "For opponents of a project, funds simply don't work," Jon said. "The reasons people oppose projects are because they want to preserve the old way of life, protect the environment and help small farmers. Compensation is not the answer. The answer is to find locations where communities will welcome the investment." To ensure investments are placed in the correct locations, activists have urged the government to pass a proper law on public hearings so they are not rushed through with the end result already a foregone conclusion. Moreover, they say, authorities should enact zoning regulations and conduct community mapping to discover which villages prefer a more traditional way of life and which are more open to the jobs and other benefits industrial projects can offer. Although Thailand has plenty of industrial estates that accommodate sector clusters, other projects like power plants and Sahaviriya's smelting plant are located in more rural areas. Sourcing major projects will become increasingly important over the next few years. The new government must consider where to locate a planned new massive industrial estate complete with power plants, a deep seaport and other facilities that can support large-scale refining and petrochemical operations. Several studies have said it could be located in Nakhorn Si Thammarat on the Gulf of Thailand, while others have even tossed around the idea of putting it in the majority Malay-Muslim southernmost provinces, where an insurgency has killed more than 2,800 since January 2004. Beyond that, the government must also find a site for a nuclear power plant scheduled to come online in 2020. The plant is essential for the country's energy security since Thailand depends too heavily on natural gas for electricity, but it's almost certain that protests will arise wherever it goes. To ensure things stay peaceful, the next government would be wise to engage local villagers early and often. "In the past decisions about locations for projects were made before the community even learned about the plans," Jon said. "A new approach to find amenable communities and start a dialogue with them would help alleviate some of the problems." Your reporter is far too sympathetic to these Neoliberal imperialists. : John Francis Lee ' "It's clear that we cannot go back to the year 1900 when we have no investment and we all live happily with nature," Supachai said. ' Sahaviriya has proceeded with construction even though the environmental impact assessment has yet to be approved... villagers near the smelting plant see the wetlands where it is being built as vital to the community's livelihood... petrochemical and power executives seem confident that community funds might help appease local opposition... big company cash usually ensures that local authorities sign off on a project and environmental concerns are overlooked... ' "The reasons people oppose projects are because they want to preserve the old way of life, protect the environment and help small farmers. Compensation is not the answer. The answer is to find locations where communities will welcome the investment." ' We cannot turn back the clock but we can, and must, live happily with nature. The Thai people stand only to be exploited by these industrial developments. While the rest of Asia, especially China, takes the fast track to environmental degradation Thailand ought to make its national project the restoration of paradise and the education of its rural people. No one is more adept at pleasing foreign tourists than rural Thais and demand for the paradise on earth that Thailand could and ought to be will spiral upwards in coming years as Chinese environment, for example, is debased, polluted, and destroyed. But the industrialists are Bangkok imperialists who care not a whit about Thailand. Thaksin is their archetype. Play the people for all they're worth and sell out the very ground beneath them. Your reporter is far too sympathetic to these Neoliberal imperialists. February 1, 2008 http://cempaka-nature.blogspot.com/2008/01/consumers-protest-commodity-price-rise.html Sunday, January 27, 2008 Consumers protest commodity price rise The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Housewives have protested the soaring prices of basic commodities which have left traditional markets and shopping centers empty, nationwide. Nurin Agustion, a 35-year-old mother of two young children in Pundak Payung, Semarang, said she could only afford 15 kilograms of rice where previously she could get 20. She said she has bought more local fish than meat or chicken and has reduced her usage of cooking oil because of the soaring prices of commodities including meat, palm oil, fruit and vegetables. "I can not increase my daily budget because my husband's monthly income has not been raised. I have to manage our monthly budget carefully so that we can survive this difficult situation," she told The Jakarta Post. Traditional markets and shopping centers, including department stores and malls in urban areas in Central Java, have substantially quietened since the 2006 earthquake which shook the province and Yogyakarta. "Following the quake many rice-belt areas in the two provinces could not meet their rice production targets," National Logistics Agency (Bulog) local office chief Indiarto said. "This condition has been worsened by the soaring price of soybeans, the raw materials for tempeh and tofu, two primary foods in Java," he said. Menik, A fishmonger at Depok Beach in Yogyakarta, said her sales had dropped by 50 percent over the past few weeks with the lack of buyers following the soaring prices of basic commodities in the province. "Before the price increases, my sales were around Rp 1 million a day but recently it has dropped to around Rp 500,000. I could earn on the average of Rp 40,000 a day," she told the Post. Depok fishermen said they had to increase fish prices by 20 percent due to the soaring price of rare fuels, especially kerosene. They said the prices could be stabilized if the government guaranteed the distribution of fuel to rural areas in the province. Darmi, another fish trader, said she could understand the quiet fish market on the beach with the increased prices of all commodities which had weakened people's purchasing power. Sumarti, a rice vendor at Beringhardjo traditional market in Yogyakarta, said the market was crowded for only a few hours in the morning but then became silent in the afternoons. The price of C-4 rice rose to from Rp 5,300 to Rp 5,600 per liter, while regular cooking oil rose from Rp 9,000 to almost Rp 12,000 a liter. The price of wheat flour went from Rp 5,500 to Rp 7,000 per kilogram. "The price hikes have a lot to do with increased cost of transportation and have been triggered by the soaring prices of rice, eggs, chickens and soybeans," Sumarti said. The Post correspondent in Batam, Riau Islands, reported that the price of consumption commodities had continued to soar in line with price increases in other provinces, despite the island's status as free-trade zone. Local trade and industry office chief Achmad Hijazi said the prices of basic commodities in the province were similar to other provinces because all consumption commodities were supplied to the island from regions under government supervision and regulation. "Local authorities are not allowed to import rice or other basic commodities directly from Vietnam, to maintain the price of basic commodities and protect local products," he said, adding that the soaring prices had affected the livelihoods of low-income earners on the island. www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/chengara_land_struggle_in_kera.html Chengara Land Struggle in Kerala Thousands of landless Dalits, Adviasis and Muslim groups in the Southern Indian state of Kerela, have been in struggle for the last 8 months in Chengara Harrison Malayalam Estate, (also called as Laha Estate) seeking ownership of cultivable land to all 5,000 struggling families. Land struggle in Chengara, Pathnamtitta district, Kerala started on 4 August 2007. The movement is a fight to re-claim ownership of land that has been part of a long standing promise of the Government. At present nearly 5000 families, more than 20,000 people, have entered the Harrison Malayalam Private Ltd Estate, living in makeshift arrangements. The Chengara Land struggle demands permanent ownership of agricultural land through transfer of ownership from the Harrison Company to the Dalits and Adivasis. The Sadhu Jana Vimochana Samyuktha Vedi (SJVSV), the collective that leads the struggle, has opted for the land take-over as strategy remembering the tradition of the great leader Ayyankali, the militant dalit leader whose mission was to ensure liberation of dalits from various forms of slavery, right to agricultural land, as well as right to education in Kerala. The movement salutes Ayyankali and Ambedkar whose role in rights movements in Kerala is disproportionately highlighted in the modern social literature on Kerala. Raising the names of Ayyankali and Ambedkar as sources of inspiration is a political challenge to the mainstream political left parties. There is a widespread popular belief in Kerala that the official left were the sole forces which ensured rights to Dalits, including land rights. Such misrepresentations are now globalised through some academic works as well. Chengara Pledge: As Recited by Soumya Babu, an 11 Year old Girl who said she will go to school only after she gets land: "I love my country. I will try to learn about the Constitution and laws of my country. I will work for fulfilling the pristine objective of the Constitution. I will take part in the nation building process in my own way. I will not discriminate against any Indian on the basis of religion or caste. I understand us as owners of a great tradition as well as protectors of a great democracy. Country for the people (/Janangalkku Vendi Raashtram)/ People for the country /(Raashtrathuinuvendi Janangal)." The movement has till now survived attacks, threats, epidemics and hunger. The families staying there have faced threats from local communist party (Marxist) members as well as workers of the estate. The rubber trees in the estate have become too old for tapping. However the allegation is that the land struggle affects plantation activities. Harrison's continued possession of land even after the land lease exhausted in 1996 itself is illegal. So is the case of immediate take over of land held in excess to the 1048 acres of land originally earmarked for Harrison Company. (According to laha Gopalan, President of the SJVSJ, the company got the land for lease for 99 years from a family to whom the local landlord had given for 34 years of lease for banana cultivation. This agreement was said to have been breeched when this family gave the land to the Harissons Company for 99 years.) The excess land occupied is expected to the tune of 6000 hectares. The Sadhujana Vimochana Samyuktha Vedi (SJVSV) is a radical departure in people's initiative to attain land rights. It exposes the socio-cultural reasons for landlessness among dalits and adivasis in Kerala. It says that 85% of the landless in Kerala are the Dalits, and Adviasis, who were also traditionally excluded from attaining wealth, power, titles and assets. Various governments set up by different coalitions failed to address this social reality and avoided to eradicate it as priority. The SJVSV says that dalits and adivasis live in extremely uninhabitable slum like situations in Kerala. According to SJVSV there are 12,500 dalit colonies and 4083 adivasi colonies where tens of thousands of families live with extreme lack of basic amenities - facing civil, political, economic and cultural rights violations. This condition - together with that of families living in temporary hutments, pavements, and the homeless - was excluded from Kerala's social reality by the high tide of recent discussions on Kerala's world renowned achievements in the field of social development. Landlessness continues after a poorly formulated land reform Act (implemented after fifteen years after its creation) was implemented in 1972. Public sphere in Kerala is abuzz with a misinformation that land question has been solved in Kerala, addressing the needs of the landless communities. The SJVSV says that dalits and adivasis could not benefit from the land reform of 1970s since its major focus was on conferring land to the tenants. In Kerala's context the caste and cultural hierarchy, with strong oppressive segregation of these communities, did not allow them to be tenants; which is why many of them could not avail the benefits. Also, the lower rates of social membership, founding institutions etc. were essential factors which contributed to the concentration of distributed land (under the Land Reform Act) to some caste group which had developed these `abilities'. There was also the lack of a strong land rights movement from among the ranks of the dalits and adivasis. In the present day context, common resources including land are monopolized by corporate agencies in flagrant violation of principles like 'public trust'. Policies and laws in the past decade enabled monopolies to own land while the previous mode of relationship was in possession of land for long lease with abysmally low royalties. This was done at a time when the state had a constitutional obligation of ensuring social justice to all marginalised communities through the principle of positive discrimination, while dalits and adivasis remained landless and oppressed. To explain the situation in Kerala's context, it is important to see that in 1972 the State government had issued a government order allotting 1,43,000 acres of land to Tatas. In comparison with this the total land distributed to thousands of families as part of land reforms was only between 3 and 4 lakh acres (as per official figures in 1966, around 10 lakh acres of land was available for distribution). Such facts clearly indicate where the state stands when it comes to identifying the nature of land question and link it with the principle of right to live with dignity for the the dalits and adivasis. The demand for meaningful and dignified survival with sufficient area of agricultural land for dalit, adivasi communities is to be understood in this context. Together with this there is a need to examine the official understanding on the area of land required for dalit and adivasis. The earlier land rights movements in the 1990s have described how the dalit adivasi families were forced to bury their beloved inside their houses in many places. Even such families are considered as landed in official records. It was also observed that many dalit, adivasi families live in plots of a cent (one cent is one-hundredth of an acre) which is much less than the U.N..Habitat estimates for healthy life in * Urban *environments. Considering that contiguity of homestead and agricultural land is an essential condition for agrarian communities in Kerala, seeking refuge under technical definition is equal to avoiding responsibilities. So the acute landlessness among dalits and adivasis becomes an immediate human rights concern in Kerala. Kerala's land reform tells us how a state policy for land reforms overruled the objective of the Article 14 of the Indian Constitution through formulating eligibility stipulations disregarding the long standing socio-cultural segregations faced by the dalits and adivasis. Kerala was a land of unknown land struggles till the historic land agreement in 2001 October was signed between the protesting Dalits and Adivasis of Kerala and the State government. Since then dalit and adivasi land struggles in Kerala attained a new order of practice. First ever, large scale mass reclamation of land happened in Muthanga, which also proved that the state response to militant struggles for land rights leads to extreme forms of state violence in Kerala like in other states in India. While we write this we are still unable to decide what would be the state response to such struggles in Sonbhadra ( U.P.), Rewa (M.P.) Khammam (A.P.) Kodaikanal (T.N) and many other known and unknown places where the people who for generations have tilled the lands have fallen to the ire of the state. Coming back to the Chengara Land struggle since 4 August 2007, one of the core factors that influenced the making of the struggle was the unjustifiable delay in responding to the rights of these communities by the state, in honoring the understanding between the state and the dalit-adivasi combine on distribution of fertile land as an immediate measure. Dalits and Adivasis in India are united in their experience of high forms of land alienation as well as the permanent forceful displacement from their natural habitats. Chengara explains to the world a not-so-much discussed reality in Kerala. On the other side the land struggle that has passed over one hundred days and could face an eviction through an order from the Kerala High court. The people are facing continuous threat from the ruling left front activists - including one which is said to have appeared in the print media that the CITU proposed to evict the people engaged in the land struggle, if the police fail to do so. (Note: CITU is a trade union organization, affiliated to CPI-M.) Another critical question is how the present state government will approach the land struggle in the context of an response to the Kerala High Court which the Government needs to submit on the modalities of vacating people from Chengara estate. So the question become more of what a peoples government could do in such situations where rights movements of historically alienated and oppressed communities are in an organic struggle united to defend their human rights. Also, how the law of the land could adopt a new turn to defend the peoples demand rather than branding the struggles as mere illegal, violent and anti-state militancy. Another important factor is that how Chengara land struggle is understood in the Kerala society, considering the fact that the origin of this is connected to the historical struggle which Ayyankali had led in 1907 demanding cultivable land to landless dalits and adivasis, and also to the dalit land rights movement of 1990s. While encoding these historical influences as major factors, it is also clear that Chengara movement has espoused a new politics of defining rights and achieving them through direct action. Why solidarity visit Chengara connects Kerala to the larger reality of land struggles across the world where landless oppressed have successfully mobilized to assert land rights. While the official, state version on these movements remained as anti-state consolidation for vested interests, such movements have realized land for people, whose generations never hand chance to own and cultivate land. Land rights movements in Brazil, many African countries and Australia have made such historic land marks. In India, as we see the right to own and preserve land as well as protect land from corporate and state-sponsored land acquisition led to death of hundreds of people, many who were killed still remain unknown. It is in this context, we see that state responses to peoples democratic rights to land become more aggressive. The Solidarity Team had following objectives: 1.To assess the ground situation through exchanges with struggling people. 2.To discuss the politics of land movements in other parts of the country. 3.To facilitate solidarity for the Chengara movement outside Kerala. 4.To present a report concerning the demands of the struggle, factors that led to the struggle, as well as responses towards it. The SJVSVS politics is based on few important interpretations of the national and local political and social processes in the last few decades. These processes, which the SJVSV believes have sustained the coercive and non coercive forms of exclusion faced by the dalits and adivasis in India. One of the prominent landmarks in this connection is the historic Pune Pact between Gandhi and Ambedkar, which the SJVSV believes, was coerced upon the dalit leadership in order to facilitate a fictious national trans-caste unity. Background The Chengara struggle got a lot of inspiration from the land struggles of 2001, led by a Dalit Adivasi combine. By 2001 land struggles in Kerala attained a new order of practice. First ever, large scale mass reclamation of land was marked in the history of peoples struggles. Muthanga firing in 2002 was an eye opener to the supporters of struggle movements in Kerala when it was shown that the state response to militant struggle for right to land could face extreme forms of state violence in Kerala. The chronology of events concerning the implementation of agreements reached between state and the land rights movement indicates: Chengara explains a land question spanned in colonial and post colonial era. The welfare-ist democratic state has failed to address the illegality involved in the transfer of the land to the Harrison's or the illegal possession of land (raised by the descendant of the original owner of the land) as cited in the Kerala High Court Judgement on 24 September 2007. Such situations indicate the need for immediate positive obligations from the state to provide fertile agricultural land in sufficient quantities, which the families in struggle could use as assetas well as means of survival. For any one who believes that the true function of social engagement is to expose realities and opening avenues for natural justice and Human Rights of oppressed sections, Chengara has many things to offer. At a time when the state Chief Minister has come out with an idea of second land reforms, it is important to see how the people of Kerala, the opinion makers and leaders perceive the demands raised by the Chengara movement. The following are the observations of the Solidarity Team on what a government, with intention to defend Human Rights of oppressed communities, could do in the context of Chengara Struggle. * No bloodshed is the first demand from all those who support the movement. This demand is very important since we have seen what land rights movements in various parts in Kerala have faced with state and non-state violence where people were killed and injured. * Withdraw all cases against activists of the SJVSJ. The police and district administration should examine the matters regarding atrocities against the dalits and adivasis considering the interpretations of atrocity as laid down in the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. * Stop official as well as media projections of the movement as extremist and illegal. Rather the state and civil society of Kerala should declare solidarity and support to the movement so that Dalits and adivasis are freed of the historical injustice faced through generations. This is important and possible though meaningful dialogues between the communities in struggle and the state. * Accepting the movement as a peoples movement is key to this. Such being the case there must be a halt to the efforts by the police, in the main, to portray the movement as a law and order problem. From experiences around India, such branding of peoples resistance for right to reclaim and protect land have been used as alibis for indiscriminate use of force to suppress movements. * Since 4 August 2007, the arrests or illegal detentions are common in the area near the estate. Such acts indicate gross human rights violations including freedom of movement and freedom of assembly. Such acts of illegal detention are also alleged to be done by aggressive local cadre of the ruling party (CPI-M) misusing state power to suppress peoples movement. Subtle social boycott and denying freedom of movement result in loss of work and access to essential services for the already impoverished families, who are thus are facing great threat. All forms of violence result to threat to life and livelihoods and so this has to be stopped at the earliest. * In the past, due to absence of strong articulations of landless and marrginalised people about their right to own land, the state was adopting a go slow attitude to the needs. Considering that land ownership is key for all communities in Kerala to attain versatile economic and social potentials, such opportunity should be provided to the dalits and adivasis in a way they wish to materialise it. * Considering that the movement has come up in the context of repeated indifference from various governments; the solutions should be urgent, and must consider that the right to land is a human right to marginalised communities. * Land rights movements like Chengara are suggesting methods for meaningful elimination of landlessness. Chengara movement, quoting from the authentic data from the state as well as reputed agencies, says that there is enough land to be distributed to the landless. Such scientific options should be at the core when deciding on solutions, rather which adopting a charity or welfare approach. * Dalits and adivasis are the people living in harmony with the land, instead of an exploitative relationship. So it becomes the natural right of these communities to have possession of the lands since they were the people who always oriented their lives in a symbiotic relationship with the land. * Landlessness among dalits and tribals is the highest among all social groups in Kerala according to a study by the Kerala Shastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP). Average land possession by Dalit families' is 0.43 acres as against the state average of 0.86 acres. Reading this in the backdrop of social and cultural segregations, it is the duty of a democratic government to accept land rights by these communities as inalienable rights. * Delay in ensuring fertile land in sufficient quantity must be looked upon as a practice of segregation and discrimination against these historically suppressed communities. Solidarity Team Members Bijulal M.V., Human Rights and Law Unit, Indian Social Institute. Co-Convener, Delhi Support Group for people's movements. Ashok Chaudhury, National Federation of Forest People and Forest workers. Forest Rights Campaigner and Organiser, Uttar Pradesh. Prakash Louis, Director, Bihar Social Institute, works on Peasant Question in Bihar and Dalit Rights Roma, Kaimur Kisan Mazdoor Mahila Sangharsh Samiti Activist. Working with people's movement for land rights in Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh. Shanta Bhattacharya, Kaimur Kisan Mazdoor Mahila Sangharsh Samiti Activist. Working with people's movement for land rights in Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh. Vijayan MJ, Coordinator, Delhi Forum, New Delhi, Source: www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/chengara_land_struggle_in_kera.html http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hyderabad/Demolition_drive_triggers_protest/articleshow/2770559.cms Demolition drive triggers protest 10 Feb 2008, 0601 hrs IST,TNN Print Save EMail Write to Editor HYDERABAD: Nearly 500 people squatted on the National Highway No. 9 paralysing traffic for nearly an hour near Miyapur in protest against demolition of their huts on Saturday. The protesters, including the activists of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and locals, staged a rasta roko on NH-9 for demolishing their shelters in the wee hours of Saturday in Miyapur. In a pre-dawn swoop, officials from Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (Huda), revenue and police descended on a colony at Miyapur and started removing encroachments on a land belonging to Huda. However, the squatters resisted their move. The angry mob also tried to set fire to three poclains engaged for the demolition work. Seeing the surging mob, the poclains drivers fled from the scene. Later, the officials also left the place. Cyberabad DCP Abraham Lincoln accompanied by about 200 policemen arrived on the spot and brought the situation under control. "Huda has 445 acres in survey numbers 100 and 101 in Miyapur. But some local people and migrant labourers occupied the land illegally and erected temporary shelters like huts and one-room tenements. On January 29, we went to Miyapur and removed some encroachments with police help. However some encroachments were left after people stopped our demolition work and staged a protest," Huda estate officer S Srinivas Reddy said to STOI. On Saturday, Huda resumed the drive to remove the remaining encroachments. At 9.30 am, around 500 protesters started pelting the officials with stones. For sometime, the officials could not identify the source of the raining stones. Later, they realised that the missiles were being fired from behind the hillocks. "The protesters also damaged two RTC buses. An RTC driver suffered minor injuries," Miyapur SI Y Narasimha Reddy said. "We arrested 30 people and later shifted them to Miyapur police station. As a result of the protest, traffic was disrupted on the NH-9,"he added. http://americas.irc-online.org/am/5142 Border Land Battle Pits Development against Human Rights Kent Paterson | April 8, 2008 Americas Program, Center for International Policy (CIP) americas.irc-online.org Not too long ago, the high desert community of Lomas de Poleo was considered a desolate, impoverished outpost of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Settled by working-class pioneers who landed jobs in the border city's maquiladora assembly plants, Lomas de Poleo was emblematic of the marginalization that existed on the edges of a booming town built on the export of legal and illegal products. When the sprawling, dusty settlement received attention it was usually for the wrong reasons, such as in the mid to late 1990s when the bodies of at least eight murdered young women were found dumped in the neighborhood. Now, the several dozen families who still inhabit the upper mesa of Lomas de Poleo are at the center of a growing international battle that could define the nature of urban and community development in the Paso del Norte borderlands that cross Texas and New Mexico in the United States and Chihuahua in Mexico. Ringed in by mean guards and forbidding towers that evoke images of J.R. Tolkein's Mordor, long-settled families are locked in an ownership battle over hundreds of acres of land with members of the Zaragoza family, one of Ciudad Juarez's most powerful clans. Once isolated, Lomas de Poleo's resisters are increasingly gaining support from international human rights organizations, New Mexico political leaders, and a host of activist groups in both Mexico and the United States. In a significant development, they've joined forces with the Paso del Sur organization that's fighting gentrification of the historic Chicano Segundo Barrio neighborhood across the border in El Paso, Texas. On both sides of the border, elected officials and developers are busy razing old buildings, planning San Antonio-style river walks and binational arts corridors, trying to lure amusement parks, and hoping to snag the 21st Century factory. "Residents are sending a message to local businessmen and transnational money that the poor of the border are no longer willing to permit the construction of big businesses at the expense of their own extermination," says Juan Carlos Martinez, an activist with the pro-Zapatista Other Campaign in Ciudad Juarez. Backed by a Mexican court, lawyers for the Zaragozas lay claim to the land based on its supposed purchase in 1963 by Pedro Zaragoza Vizcarra, the father of current disputants Pedro and Jorge Zaragoza. However, settlers led by Luis Urbina petitioned Mexico's Institute for Agrarian Reform for titles in 1970, and have been waiting ever since then. Locals attribute the aggressive efforts of the Zaragoza family to claim ownership of their neighborhood to the land's sudden industrial value in a fast-growing corridor of the Chihuahua-New Mexico border. Their homes lie close to a planned international port of entry at Anapra as well as the envisioned binational city of Jeronimo-Santa Teresa. Pedro Zaragoza was named a member of the New Mexico-Chihuahua Commission set up by former Chihuahua Governor Patricio Martinez and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson in 2003 to oversee mutual development, tourism, and environmental projects. Once a virtually worthless patch of wasteland, Lomas de Poleo is now a potentially hot piece of real estate. In Ciudad Juarez, Jeronimo-Santa Teresa is a controversial issue. Many community leaders and activists oppose the development on the grounds that it will divert scarce water and financial resources away from the city. A 2005 referendum campaign to condition development plans on approval by Ciudad Juarez's voters was shunted aside by the Chihuahua Supreme Court. The land on the U.S. side of the development is controlled by the Verde Group, a border development outfit founded by wealthy businessman William Sanders. In a recent letter to Kent Evans, the chairman of New Mexico's Dona Ana County Commission, Verde Realty Co-Chairman Ronald Blankenship disassociated his company from the Lomas de Poleo and Jeronimo land controversies. "There is no formal or informal relationship or coordination between Verde Realty's potential development in Santa Teresa and the potential development of the San Jeronimo project," Blankenship wrote. Planned as a community of 100,000 people, Santa Teresa has also been an object of controversy in southern New Mexico. Last year, Verde Realty proposed the creation of a Tax Increment Development District to help fund two new industrial parks and a 5,000-lot development in Santa Teresa. Under the formula, a portion of sales taxes generated within the district would go to pay off bonds worth $113 million needed to finance the project. The proposal bogged down in the Dona Ana County Commission amid criticisms that the public till would suffer in order to benefit a private development. In a region facing long-term water shortages, the scope of the Jeronimo-Santa Teresa development, which could eventually house 500,000 people, is also a matter of concern. Driving Out Local Residents The conflict between Zaragoza and Lomas de Poleo's residents heated up in 2003. Residents and supporters charge that street gang members employed by Zaragoza to guard the area are responsible for three violent deaths, including two young children who died in a house fire allegedly set by the guards to pressure residents out of their homes. They have also been implicated in burning down the Jesus Nazaret Church, multiple attempts to destroy other properties, power cut-offs, and the ongoing harassment of people attempting to come and go in a fenced-off community monitored by guard patrols and watchtowers. At one point, an unknown individual or individuals defaced crosses that had been set up to commemorate the femicide victims. Twice last fall, outside supporters of the land resisters who were attempting to enter the community for planned forums were halted by armed guards. In one case, counter-demonstrators organized by an individual identified with Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) were allegedly rewarded with grocery bags full of goodies. According to the Lomas de Poleo support group, a pro-Zaragoza youth was heard to remark that it would be "cool to shoot some bullets into the crowd." On Feb. 20, Gustavo de la Rosa Hickerson, an investigator for the official Chihuahua State Human Rights Commission, charged he was beaten and involuntarily detained by Zaragoza guards for 15 minutes. On different occasions, members of Ciudad Juarez's municipal police force, who are currently under investigation by the Mexican army for alleged ties to drug trafficking and organized crime, reportedly stood by and watched as residents and supporters were threatened. Responding to an international S.O.S., an international delegation including observers from Amnesty International, the International Civil Commission for the Observation of Human Rights, La Raza Centro Legal, National Lawyers Guild, and other organizations visited the Paso del Norte in late February. For eight days, the human rights observers toured the area, reviewed documents and photographs, spoke with residents and their supporters, and interviewed a handful of low and mid-level Mexican government officials. However, attempts to meet with Pedro and Jorge Zaragoza and higher-level Mexican authorities were unsuccessful. In a 20-page report, the delegation concluded that a pattern of harassment of residents existed. "The majority of these actions constitute human and civil rights violations under the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Mexican Constitution," the report stated. The documents mention violations of the guarantee to freedom of speech and assembly, the right to free transit, and the right to decent living conditions, among others. Police have stood idly by as these events unfolded and so far no prosecutions have taken place. Due to its geographical proximity to planned border developments in New Mexico, Lomas de Poleo has recently become a political issue on the U.S. side. In 2008, activists succeeded in putting the land battle on the agenda of the Dona Ana County Commission, the local governing authority that helps regulate regional development. A draft resolution that linked future border development to respect for the human rights of Lomas de Poleo's residents, removal of "private guards and militia" from the community, and a fair resolution of the land ownership conflict was presented to the County Commission earlier this year. At a Feb. 26 County Commission meeting in Las Cruces, New Mexico, elected representatives heard firsthand testimonies from Lomas de Poleo residents and Father Bill Morton, the Catholic priest whose church was torched in the embattled community. A Lomas de Poleo resident for almost 40 years, Alfredo Pinon told the meeting he had "the misfortune" of watching friends and neighbors killed. "The hardest thing is to watch your friend killed in front of you, or hear two children scream but not be able to do anything about it," Pinon said. Taking the floor, Commissioner Oscar Vazquez-Butler sympathized with the residents' plight. "We have a human rights crisis going on in Lomas de Poleo," Butler said. "There's civil exploitation, there's civil injustice. There's a gated community with barbed wire and guard dogs and bats and guns and rifles ..." At the County Commission meeting two weeks later, Zaragoza attorney Mario Chacon reiterated his client's contention that the land was legally purchased by Zaragoza's father in 1963. Contrary to residents' complaints of a violent atmosphere in the community, Chacon maintained that the situation was "not that serious." The Dona Ana County Commission approved the resolution, and ordered copies sent to New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman and other officials. Quoted in the Las Cruces Sun-News, Dona Ana County Commissioner Kent Evans doubted his colleagues' action would have much effect. "We can express our dissatisfaction and hope they listen, but that's about it," Evans said. In a subsequent meeting with Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora and Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Arturo Sarukhan, Bingaman raised the Lomas de Poleo issue and passed along the Dona Ana County Commission's resolution to the two federal officials. "I'm glad I was able to bring this issue to the attention of the Mexican attorney general, and that he committed to looking into the situation," Senator Bingaman said in a news release. Until now, no agreement has been reached between Lomas de Poleo's resisters and the Zaragozas. Meanwhile, Ciudad Juarez's other residents are getting a taste of what life has been like in Lomas de Poleo. Since the beginning of the year, gang land gunfights, record levels of narco-related executions and the unearthing of mass, clandestine graves have jolted the border city. And more young women and men have disappeared. On March 28, the Mexican army intervened in the bloody contest raging away for control of Ciudad Juarez's lucrative drug trade. Armed to the teeth, over 2,000 Mexican soldiers arrived as part of the Mexican government's Operaci?n Conjunta Chihuahua and began patrolling the streets, stopping residents, and setting up checkpoints. Whirling Mexican military helicopters brought more war sounds to the border. Living in the shadow of a police state has been a grim reality long familiar to Lomas de Poleo's residents but conveniently ignored by others in the Paso del Norte region. Now as turf battles for real estate and drug routes spread, other residents are getting a bitter taste of that reality. In this context of mounting violence, the struggle of Lomas residents for basic human rights has become an example for the rest of the borderlands. Kent Paterson is a freelance journalist who covers the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Latin America, and an analyst for the Americas Policy Program at www.americaspolicy.org. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_business?id=161301533 Charlotte St vendors ready to protest Kimberly Castillo Tuesday, April 1st 2008 VENDORS who have sold their goods on Charlotte Street, Port of Spain, for as many as five years, are gearing up to protest a decision to close down the Charlotte Street Heritage Programme today. On Friday, Port of Spain Mayor Murchison Brown said that as of today, vendors will no longer be allowed to sell on Charlotte Street. In a letter sent out to an estimated 150 vendors on Friday, Brown informed them of the end of the programme, which began in October 2006. But on the eve of the end of the programme yesterday, vendors' feelings were as mixed as the fruits and produce they sell. And while many of the few who turned out to sell on the holiday said they would support the protest action today, a few vendors said they would only be spectators. "To put it simply, everyone of us is to blame for this programme closing down. Plenty of us look for this. You have vendors who are not registered coming on the street to sell and they are the ones that put us in this position today," said one vendor who did not want to be identified. She explained that one of the conditions of the programme was that vendors sell only three days a week, Friday to Sunday, from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. on the western side of the street only. A few feet away from her stood Momar Ngiya, who, for the past three months, has sold shoes on Charlotte Street. Ngiya is from Senegal, West Africa. Like many of the other vendors, Ngiya said he has nowhere to turn to when the programme closes. Ngiya worked as a construction worker on the Hyatt Regency Hotel, but since its completion has had trouble finding jobs. "What am I to do? I came to the Caribbean because work back home is hard to find. I have a family to mind. I will have to pray to God that something works out," Ngiya said. Pointing to the heavy presence of police and soldiers, who zig-zagged among vendors on Charlotte Street yesterday, Ngiya said, "The Mayor said that many people were complaining about the state of this street, but the same police that are here today should have been around to monitor the situation before it got out of control." Many vendors feel protesting the closure of the programme is their only hope, since Brown said the Port of Spain City Corporation has nowhere else to relocate the vendors. On Friday, Brown said that the move to clean up the street was necessary, as apart from the numerous complaints by members of the public of the congestion caused by the vendors, the corporation also had to clean up to city in preparation for the hosting of several regional and international conferences in the future. http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news623.htm TAA'rd with Same Brush Squatters fought off police as they used 'military siege tactics' to surround a squatted fund-raising gig in Brighton last weekend. The benefit was for the forthcoming Brighton Temporary Autonomous Art (TAA) space. The old Sainsbury's on London Rd (empty for over a year) was squatted as avenue for live bands and a sound-system. Police arrived in numbers just after midnight. One party-goer told us, "There were a 150 people inside the building but another 200 were kept outside by police lines, which was stupid as they managed to create a public order situation. They deployed vans, dog units and special ops units, and taped the area off, working side by side with private security. "The Chief Super in charge actually admitted that we were in legal occupation - but that didn't stop them trying to shut the party down. We opened another entrance to allow people in and the police attacked with pepper spray and dogs. One 16-year-old girl was badly mauled by a police dog and had to go to hospital with nasty puncture wounds." Police then tried to storm the original entrance but were held off by hand-to-hand fighting - and they lost some of their equipment to the protesters. They didn't manage to gain entry and so Police served a Section 63 of the CJA 1994. Eventually people had living vehicles and equipment seized, and five arrests were made. Brighton TAA: "We want the people of Brighton to come together to create a cultural, interactive autonomous space where people are free to be, free to create and free to express themselves." 2-5th April 2008 - venue TBA (of course) http://www.subterraneanartbrighton.org * Call For Decentralized Days of Action for Squats and Autonomous Spaces - On the weekend of April 11th-12th there will be two days of demonstration, direct action, public information, street-party, squatting. in defence of free spaces and for an anti-capitalist popular culture. Linking and inspiring people and autonomous spaces, Europe wide. For updates and events see http://april2008.squat.net http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/14/stories/2008011458820400.htm Pallavaram residents protest against eviction notice Staff Reporter It has been served on them by the PWD CHENNAI: Residents of several areas near the Pallavaram lake went on a fast on Friday in front of Government Guest House, Chepauk, protesting against eviction notice served on them. Residents of Zamin Pallavaram said they were residing near the lake and had not encroached upon it. They said most of the nearly 3,000 residents were residing in areas including Joseph Colony, Joy Nagar, Ganapathy Nagar and Sanjay Gandhi Nagar North for over three decades. The residents have been served eviction notice by the Public Works Department as part of its drive to remove encroachments and restore lakes on the fringes of the city. President of Human Care Human Rights Protection A. Joseph, who led the demonstration, said the water in the lake was polluted due to discharge from leather factories and not suitable for drinking. The residents have also been provided with ration cards and voter identification cards, he pointed out. http://www.ctvtoronto.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20080304/OCAP_protest_080304/20080304/?site_codename=Toronto OCAP interrupts council to protest shelter cuts Updated: Tue Mar. 04 2008 3:00:59 PM Poverty activists stormed city hall today, interrupting a council meeting to protest Toronto's services for the homeless. Members of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty planned the protest after a homeless man was found dead in a downtown stairwell on Feb. 27, reportedly as a result of freezing temperatures. About a dozen Toronto police officers were on hand and ushered the protesters out of council chambers. In a news release issued by the organization Monday, OCAP said the city needs to address a shortage in Toronto shelters. "Over the last decade the city has refused to address the serious over-crowding and lack of beds that exist in the shelter system," the statement said. "We cannot bring this man back. But we can demand no further deaths occur." The week before the homeless man died, city officials heard deputations from social service agencies as well as homeless people, advocating for more financial support to services. OCAP member Gaetan Heroux was quoted in Monday's news release saying people who stay in hostels face dangerous conditions. "Not only do crowded hostels create violence and psychological damage, but many people will face the bracing cold of February and could sustain cold injuries and even perish," he said. According to OCAP, the city recently closed down five shelters in the downtown core, resulting in a total loss of 312 beds. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-mayor2apr02,1,3139211.story Impromptu protest cuts in on mayor's skid row speech As Villaraigosa attempts to highlight enhancements aimed at curtailing illegal activity, soup kitchen volunteers seize the moment to decry the treatment of the area's homeless. By Duke Helfand, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer April 2, 2008 Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is accustomed to being the center of attention when he holds news conferences. On Tuesday morning, he got upstaged. Villaraigosa traveled to downtown's skid row to announce the installation of 100 light fixtures to discourage narcotics sales and other illegal activity. But when he stepped to a portable lectern at the corner of 6th Street and Gladys Avenue, about five impromptu protesters appeared from a soup kitchen across the street, taking up position directly behind him and drowning out his news conference with chants of "Shame on you" and "Housing, not jails." Not easily intimidated, Villaraigosa soldiered on -- delivering his prepared remarks even though reporters only a few feet away could barely hear him. City Council members Jan Perry and Jose Huizar, who represent downtown, stood at Villaraigosa's side -- looking mildly uncomfortable. Two Los Angeles police officials kept a worried watch as the event hovered close to chaos. One of the mayor's press aides shook his head glumly. As the event wound down, the disruption finally appeared to get at Villaraigosa. Briefly acknowledging the protesters, he said: "The folks behind me, almost none of them live on skid row." As it turned out, Villaraigosa was right. The protesters were volunteers at the Los Angeles Catholic Worker soup kitchen. Two of them live at a Catholic Worker home in Boyle Heights, another lives in West Covina. In addition to the "hippie kitchen," as the skid row site is known, the group runs a medical and dental clinic. Their Catholic Worker protest emerged out of thin air. The workers said they had been preparing beans for the soup kitchen crowd when they spotted people gathering on the street about 9 a.m. The volunteers, who have protested at City Hall and elsewhere in the past, seized the opportunity to call attention to their cause -- what they say is harassment of skid row's homeless population by the Los Angeles Police Department. Several grabbed ready-made signs used on other occasions, including a sit-in at the mayor's office a while back. One read "Antonio: Lighten up on the poor." Another said "The poor need more than street lights." Soup kitchen volunteer Clare Bellefeuille-Rice kept up a steady drumbeat as Villaraigosa did his best to ignore the disruption. "We are always prepared," she said. "We always have our signs ready." After the news conference, a few longtime skid row residents condemned the dissenters, saying Villaraigosa and the city have made positive strides to reduce crime and clean up one of L.A.'s dirtiest pockets. "You can't speak for me. I live here," Emanuel Compito, wearing a suit and a large cross, said loud enough for everyone to hear. "They're only here from 9 to 5. They're gonna go home to their nice, comfortable conditions." But the protesters were undaunted. Michael Wisniewski followed Villaraigosa as he made his way to his GMC Yukon parked down the street. "Mayor," he said, "would Jesus incarcerate the poor?" Villaraigosa ignored the question as one of his LAPD security personnel held Wisniewski off. The mayor hopped into the SUV and sped off down 6th Street. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2008/01/27/wexpat127.xml Expatriates protest Spanish demolition plans Last Updated: 5:01pm GMT 27/01/2008 Hundreds of British expatriates have taken to the streets in the small coastal town of Vera in southern Spain to challenge the Spanish government over plans to demolish their homes. ? Telegraph Expats homepage Leonard and Helen Prior, the retired British couple whose villa was the first to be torn down earlier this month, addressed a gathering in the town's main square. "I would like to look Senor Zapatero (the Spanish Prime Minister) in the eye and ask him how he feels about leading a government that has made two old-age pensioners homeless," she said before breaking down in tears. Owners of Spanish villas are protesting over planned demolition The Priors are now living in a caravan on the site of their three-bedroom villa which was demolished after the regional government of Andalusia revoked a building licence issued by the local mayor. The demolition caused shockwaves across the Spanish costas where many British expatriates have homes that have now been declared illegal. In 2006 Antonio Vercher, the official in charge of protecting Spain's environment, ordered prosecutors throughout the country to be relentless in pursuing demolition orders and said that some 10,000 properties had been earmarked for destruction. Another four houses in the same development as the Priors have demolition orders issued against them as have a further 11 properties in the nearby resort of Albox. But thousands of other property owners in the region have doubts about the legality of their own homes and are living in limbo. "We did everything possible to ensure that the home we bought was legal," said Robert Old, who shares a beachfront home in Vera with his wife "We hope that we are safe but after what happened to the Priors we just don't know. It has caused a lot of people a great deal of worry." The Olds were among the hundreds of concerned residents who have called for reassurance that the homes they had bought in good faith were safe from the wrecker's ball. "This is an opportunity for people to stand together to support the Prior family - who are the first victims in all this - and to demand that this sort of thing never happens again," said Angel Medina, president of Ciudadanos Europeos, a political party formed to support foreign residents in the region. "The authorities just can't go round knocking down houses as part of a political point scoring exercise," he told the crowd. Paco Vazquez, the head of planning at Vera Town council, said everything was being done to persuade the regional authorities not to pursue further demolition orders but to seek other solutions to problem developments. "We have asked that all demolitions are delayed at least until a new urban plan is in place," he said adding that the Priors had the full support of the town hall. "They suffered an injustice and one that we hope will not be repeated. We welcome British people and are very proud that so many have chosen to come and live here," Mr Vazquez added. The demolition of the Prior's home has also stunned the Spanish community. "What has been done to this family is one of the cruellest things I have seen," said Herman Torne, a resident of Vera, who was one of many Spanish residents turning out to lend their support to the Priors. "This is a problem that affects Spanish homes too but more than that we have to think of the message this sends to British people buying property in the region," he said. "The last thing our economy needs is for buyers to abandon Spain and start looking elsewhere." http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C01%5C29%5Cstory_29-1-2008_pg12_8 Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Christians to protest illegal 'sale' of YMCA sports ground Staff Report KARACHI: Hundreds of Christians have decided to hold a demonstration Wednesday protesting the alleged illegal sale of the YMCA Sports Ground, which is located near the Karachi Press Club. The call was given by the Churches Property Welfare Association (CPWA), which has asked community members to gather at the press club and raise their voice against the officials who sold 10 acres of prime land owned by the YMCA. CPWA President Chaudhry Patras told Daily Times that YMCA School Principal Henry Pillay and General Secretary Farrukh Harrison had allegedly illegally executed an agreement of tenancy with a private party for 10 years and Rs 1.5 million in rent. "The principal and general secretary also obtained a huge sum from tenant Chaudhry Muhammad Amin, who had started illegal construction work on the sports ground, which is property that was inherited by the Christian community of Pakistan, and especially of Karachi," he claimed. He also mentioned that the administration and board of directors of the YMCA had allegedly misused their powers in respect of the YMCA Karachi bye-laws. "The ground is only for sports and religious seminars but the tenant is converting this plot for commercial purposes, without any prior permission from the government departments concerned," he said. Patras, on behalf of the Christians, demanded strict action be taken against the culprits involved and those who signed the tenancy agreement. He also demanded an impartial inquiry committee be formed to unearth the whole scam. He accused the principal and general secretary of the YMCA of selling this property and then claiming that they have only given it on rent. "According to tenancy rules, the owner and tenant must sign an agreement for 11 months. Here they have signed an agreement for 10 years," he said. He also mentioned that the litigation for its commercial use is pending before the Sindh High Court. The CPWA president added that they approached various higher-ups so that they would intervene, but, so far not a single authority has taken this seriously. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pune/RPI_protest_against_Ajit_Pawar/articleshow/2850658.cms RPI protest against Ajit Pawar 10 Mar 2008, 0257 hrs IST,TNN PUNE: Around 200 workers of the Republican Party of India (RPI), Kasba Peth and Mangalwar Peth divisions, staged an agitation against the district guardian minister Ajit Pawar accusing him of not fulfilling the promises made to slum-dwellers prior to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections. Led by RPI president of Mangalwar Peth-Kasba Peth division Datta Pol, the agitation was held outside the Shivaji Stadium, where a wrestling competition had been organised. Ajit Pawar was to give away the prizes after the competition. Pol said, "The slum-dwellers were promised 500 sq.ft. hutments before the PMC elections by Ajit Pawar. Similarly, Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi had also promised 400 sq.ft. hutments for slum dwellers under the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme (SRS). However, all assurances were forgotten, once the elections were over. We want them to fulfil their promises." Pol presented a written communication to Pawar, at the wrestling competition, which held a list of demands of the slum dwellers. In his letter, Pol said that other than the 500 sq ft hutments, "all the hutments built before the year 2000, slums located beside railway lines and rivers should also be included under the SRS. Moreover, slum dwellers, and not corporators, should be part of the government's decision making team regarding slums." http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\02\25\story_25-2-2008_pg4_7 Niger extends state of alert in uranium-rich north NIAMEY: Niger's President Mamadou Tandja extended a state of alert in the desert north, home to some of the world's largest uranium reserves, where security forces have been battling an uprising led by Tuareg nomads. The announcement prolonged for a further three months from Sunday extra powers of arrest first given to the security forces in August in the region around the northern town of Agadez. The rebel Niger Movement for Justice (MNJ) has killed at least 50 soldiers and taken dozens hostage since launching a revolt a year ago to demand more autonomy and a greater share of mining revenues. The unrest has threatened to disrupt activities by firms including French nuclear group Areva, whose uranium production in Niger has fuelled France's nuclear industry for decades, and Sino-U, a unit of China's state-run nuclear firm which is preparing to start production in Niger. "By a presidential decree, the state of alert in the region of Agadez has been extended by three months from February 24, 2008," said an official statement issued late on Saturday. The emergency power were already extended once, in November. Reuters http://tinyurl.com/2hxgaa Tabasco Maya community joins Zapatista movement Submitted by Bill Weinberg on Mon, 03/10/2008 - 02:05. The Chontal Maya community of Villa Vicente Guerrero, in Centla municipality of Mexico's oil-rich Gulf Coast state of Tabasco, has declared itself an "autonomous municipality" in a letter to the Sixth Commission, civil wing of the Zapatista rebel movement in neighboring Chiapas state to the south. The declaration said Vicente Guerrero, in remote swamplands of the Rio Grijalva delta, is withdrawing from all government institutions in response "abandonment" by the official authorities despite "the extraction of millions of barrels of petroleum and natural gas" on local lands. The community also cited human rights abuses, including the arrest of seven residents by federal police in connection with a supposed attempt to illegally detain government functionaries. The statement said the seven were "brutally tortured." (La Jornada, March 3) http://www.narconews.com/Issue51/article3045.html Facing Escalating Protests, Chiapas Frees 30 Political Prisoners With 17 prisoners still inside, the Other Campaign declares April 3 an International Day of Action By Kristin Bricker Special to The Narco News Bulletin April 1, 2008 In what has been declared a stunning but partial victory for the Other Campaign, the Chiapas government freed thirty political prisoners last night in response to years of protests for their freedom, but not before giving some of them one last thorough beating. Seventeen prisoners remain incarcerated in Chiapas and Tabasco, thirteen of whom are on a hunger strike that has lasted 37 days so far. Prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families and supporters are gearing up for an increasingly tense battle for the freedom of the remaining political prisoners. Outside medical experts say that the symptoms the hunger strikers report and the amount of time they've gone without food has put their lives in danger, and that they may begin to die as early as Sunday. The state government, however, declared that it refuses to negotiate over the remaining prisoners. D.R. 2008 Photos: Kristin Bricker The liberated prisoners have declared that they will remain in the plant?n (permanent protest encampment) outside the state government headquarters in Tuxtla until all of their compa?eros are free. They maintain their fearless resolve despite the government's best efforts to keep them away, including threats and physical violence. Police refused to allow prisoners from the Cereso #17 prison in Catazaja to see the route they were taking to arrive at the government's press conference where it released the prisoners as part of a media stunt. According to the recently released prisoners, the police beat them on the way to the press conference until their heads and arms were purple and they were bleeding. Their wrists were bound tightly with tape, cutting off circulation to their hands. After the press conference, the police loaded them back into a government vehicle, beat some of them again, and told them they were going to be returned to jail, but then released them. Their Crime: Being Indigenous and Poor The prisoners belong to a variety of organizations, including EZLN bases of support, adherents to the Zapatistas' Other Campaign, an evangelical Christian organization, and the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD in its Spanish initials). The amount of time they've spent in jail varies: the two Zapatista prisoners in Tabasco have been imprisoned for twelve years, other prisoners for one year. The prisoners were incarcerated under a wide array of circumstances. Paramilitary organizations accused some Zapatista support bases of crimes the paramilitaries themselves committed. Antonio Garcia Flores, for example, is a member of the EZLN and participated in the Zapatista's 1994 uprising. He was arrested then in Ocosingo after members of the paramilitary organization Chinchulines turned him in, then later released under an amnesty law that freed all Zapatista prisoners. The Chinchulines later dissolved and integrated themselves into the Organization for the Defense of Indigenous and Campesino Rights (Oppdic in its Spanish initials), an anti-Zapatista paramilitary organization with a civilian face of legitimacy. In 1999, Oppdic members accused him of "robbery with violence," and in March 2006 the government imprisoned him under those charges. After serving two years in prison for a crime he did not commit, he was released last night. Other prisoners, such as Julio Cesar Perez Ruiz, who became an adherent to the Other Campaign in prison, were imprisoned because a crime was committed and the government needed to jail someone for it, and any poor indian would do. While Perez was working in his cornfield with his father, a homicide occurred 40 km away. Despite his alibi and witness accounts of other suspects entering the area of the homicide, the government, having no desire to do the necessary work to solve the murder of a poor campesino, decided to jail another poor campesino and wash its hands of the whole matter. Perez was not released last night and remains on hunger strike. Most of the ex-prisoners report that they had inadequate legal defense and did not understand court proceedings because the government did not provide a translator into their native languages of Tsotsil and Tzetal. In this sense, the common thread that links all of the political prisoners is that they are poor indians. Years of Struggle Inside and Outside the Prison Walls According to Jose Perez Hernandez, father of Julio Cesar Perez Ruiz, the movement within the prison began when prisoners from various organizations began to talk to each other about how they were unjustly imprisoned. In this way they became aware of the epidemic of unjust imprisonment and their common willingness to do whatever it takes to win their freedom, so they decided to organize. Two years ago, members of the prisoners organization "La Voz del Amate" in el Amate prison began a plant?n within the prison. They camped out day and night on the prison grounds in a vocal protest of their unjust imprisonment, petitioned the state government for their release, and organized outside support through their families and activists who visited them in prison. Through their various organizational affiliations and outside support, they organized across four different prisons, including the Carcel Publica Municipal in Tacotalpa, Tabasco, where two Zapatistas are imprisoned. On February 12, 2008, Zacario Hernandez Hernandez, a member of La Voz del Amate, stepped up the protest and declared a hunger strike to demand their freedom. This sparked an escalation in the prisoners' tactics, and in the following weeks dozens more prisoners in the four jails joined the huger strike and plant?nes. At its peak, 37 prisoners participated in the hunger strike with twelve more joining the plant?n who couldn't hunger strike for health reasons. Many other prisoners supported the plant?nistas and protected them from the prison guards. On the March 24, the 29th day of the hunger strike, families and friends of the prisoners declared a planton outside the Palacio de Gobierno, the Chiapas state house in Tuxtla. They hung signs on the walls and windows of the Palacio and left coffins on the front steps under a banner that says, "This is how the government wants us to end up." A week later, on March 29, Other Campaign adherents from Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Mexico City marched on the Palacio de Gobierno and encircled it in protest. The following day dozens of supporters and family members attempted to visit the prisoners, but after taking their IDs and recording all of their personal information, the prison authorities suddenly declared Sunday a families-only visit day and turned away all but one non-family visitor. On March 31 the government announced that it planned to release 137 prisoners at a press conference that evening, including some of the hunger strikers and plant?nistas. In a staged media spectacle called "Freedom to Do Justice," the government released the prisoners and unilaterally ended negotiations over the remaining prisoners due to its claim that all unjustly imprisoned Chiapans were now free. This contradicts Gov. Juan Sabines' position up until said press conference, wherein he denied that there were any political prisoners in Chiapas. In the press conference the government laid out fruit and yogurt for the prisoners, hoping that the media would snap pictures of hunger strikers accepting food and reconciliation from the government. Refusing to be pawns in the government's public relations strategy, the released hunger strikers refused all government food and only ate once they were released and joined the plant?n. Family members of the prisoners protested the press conference, repeatedly interrupting government officials with chants of, "We're not all here! Other prisoners are missing!" and "Sabines! Listen up! The prisoners don't sell out!" Journalists and activists want the list of all 137 pardoned prisoners because they suspect that the government used this opportunity to free many paramilitary members. The Struggle Continues When the family members declared their plant?n outside the Palacio de Gobierno, they agreed that none of them would leave until all of the protesting prisoners were free, even if some individual family members were released. Upon learning that some but not all of them would be released, the prisoners met and agreed that prisoners inside the jails would continue the plant?nes and hunger strike, and those on the outside would immediately join the plant?n outside the Palacio de Gobierno. The Other Campaign in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, has also vowed to continue their protests until all prisoners are freed. Given the striking prisoners' grave health situation and the notice that this might be the last week to act before prisoners begin to die of starvation, the Other Campaign will hold a march and procession of coffins to the central plaza in San Cristobal on Thursday, April 3. The Other Campaign declared Thursday, April 3, an international day of action for the freedom of the striking prisoners and calls on activists outside Mexico to stage protests and actions at Mexican embassies and consulates. http://www.indcatholicnews.com/meci323.html LONDON - 7 April 2008 - 340 words Catholic Church helps broker deal to free Mexican political prisoners A total of 145 Mexican political prisoners, many of whom were held in appalling conditions for several years and forced to confess to fabricated crimes under torture, have been freed after the Catholic Church helped broker a deal with the Chiapas state government. The prisoners ? 43 of whom spent more than a month on hunger strike in protest against their detention ? had been accused of being linked to the Zapatista revolutionary movement. Earlier this week the Chiapas Minister of Justice, Amador Rodriguez Lozano, publicly acknowledged the inmates' innocence and said they had not had adequate legal representation. He also promised to prosecute those responsible for unlawfully imprisoning them. Prominent bishops and The Fray Bartolom? de las Casas Human Rights Centre, which works in partnership with aid agency CAFOD, campaigned for the release of the hunger-strike prisoners for many weeks, which in turn led to cases of nearly 300 inmates being reviewed. At the beginning of March the Chiapas state governor, congress and judiciary, set up a Reconciliation Commission. Some 100 lawyers were brought in to study cases from 1994 - 2006 and discovered the systematic use of torture and sexual abuse and the fabrication of evidence. On March 18th Zacario Hernandez - who began the hunger-strike - was freed, followed by the remaining 143 men and one woman on March 31 and April 1. However, 17 political prisoners who are supported by the Fray Bartolom? de las Casas Centre are still being held in Chiapas jails and continue to fast. In 1994 the Zapatistas led an armed uprising ? which gained massive public support ? protesting against the poverty and deprivation of the indigenous communities and calling for greater political autonomy in Chiapas. Since then, successive Mexican governments have favoured a policy of military force over negotiation and stationed large numbers of soldiers in the region to repress any further unrest. The Mexican army and prison authorities have a brutal human rights record, with torture being used to extract forced confessions commonplace. Sarah Smith-Pearse, from CAFOD's Latin American and Caribbean department, said: "This is a real breakthrough in the long-standing political conflict in Chiapas. The Mexican authorities haven't just freed a few prisoners; they are saying that torture and false imprisonment are unacceptable and that they are going to address the issue. It's a complete turn-around and a gesture of peace and reconciliation after so many years of military repression." http://www.ww4report.com/node/5232 Chiapas: prisoners on hunger strike; land conflicts continue Submitted by Bill Weinberg on Mon, 03/10/2008 - 01:32. Fourteen Toztzil and Tzeltal Maya prisoners at Social Readaption Center Number 14, known as El Amate, in Cintalapa, Chiapas, went on hunger strike Feb. 28, in protest of harsh conditions and to demand recognition as political prisoners. Eight are followers of the Zapatista rebels' "Other Campaign" political initiative. Most have been imprisoned five years, in connection with the Tres Cruces case involving land conflicts in the highland village of San Juan Chamula, which is ruled by notorious political bosses known as the caciques. The Fray Bartolom? de las Casas Human Rights Center has issued an urgent statement expressing concern for the men's health. (La Jornada, Feb. 29) On March 3, nine indigenous prisoners being held in the highland city of San Crist?bal de las Casas announced they were joining in a solidarity hunger strike with the Cintalapa 14. (La Jornada, March 4) Land conflicts from highlands to rainforest Land conflicts continue to dominate the news from Chiapas. Followers of the PRI political machine in communities around Huitepec, a mountain outside San Crist?bal which the Zapatistas have declared a rebel-administrated ecological reserve, appealed to the city's mayor, Mariano D?az Ochoa, to expel the rebel presence. "We have been patient with this problem, but if we do not meet with a response, the affected communities will join together to take the necessary measures." (Cuarto Poder, Chiapas, March 4) On Feb. 24, the Zapatistas hosted a national gathering of indigenous activists at the community of Betania, Ocosingo municipality, attended by hundreds, mostly Nahua, Mixtec and Triqui from Oaxaca. The gathering issued a statement protesting the "silent eviction" of indigenous communities from Las Ca?adas, the region on the edge of the Chiapas rainforest that forms the Zapatistas' heartland. (La Jornada, Feb. 24; La Jornada, Feb. 24) That same weekend, Chiapas state officials reported a disturbance at the conflicted community of Bolom Ajaw, in Tumbal? municipality near Agua Azul ecological reserve, in which a "reporter" was supposedly detained by Zapatista rebels. Hermann Bellinghausen later wrote for the national daily La Jornada that the "reporter" was actually an armed agent of the National Security Investigation Center (CISEN), Mexico's top intelligence agency, who had been filming a Zapatista encampment on contested lands without permission of the community. He was released, but disarmed and his weapons kept, Bellinghausen reported. He quoted unnamed "police sources" in nearby Palenque saying they were considering "an operation to recover the arms." (La Jornada, Feb. 24) Defections reported-on both sides Following a boycott of their coffee crops organized by Zapatista supporters, leaders of the Union of Ejidos of the Selva (UES), a PRI-aligned group that has been petitioning for eviction of Zapatista communities from Las Ca?adas, called for dialogue with the rebels. UES leader Arturo Jim?nez Hern?ndez called for the Catholic dioceses of San Crist?bal to mediate the conflict. (La Jornada, Feb. 28) In the rainforest community of Monte L?bano, more than 2,000 followers of the PRI-aligned Organization for the Defense of Indigenous and Campesino Rights (OPDDIC)-decried by the Zapatistas as a violent paramilitary group-announced they were leaving the organization to pursue their aims through "institutional" channels. At the "desertion" ceremony, they said the OPDDIC would dissolve into the National Campesino Confederation (CNC), Mexico's largest peasant union and an official arm of the PRI. (La Jornada, March 2; Cuarto Poder, March 1) Reports of Zapatista desertions have also made it into the English-language media for the first time. Associated Press reports that nearly 200 families have abandoned the Zapatista movement at the highland community of Polh?, in order to receive government aid-which the rebels bar to their followers. AP said each family received an initial payment of $43 in a ceremony with Salvador Escobedo, a top official with the federal government's Social Development Department. The government is promising similar payments every two months, as well as a school and medical center. The AP report claims there were similar desertions at the Ca?adas community of La Realidad in 2004, leaving the settlement divided. The report quoted Zapatista leader Subcomandante Marcos, upon declaring that he is withdrawing from the public spotlight in December, that national and international support for the Zapatistas has been "insignificant or null" recently. (AP, Feb. 7) http://elenemigocomun.net/1412 Urban paramilitaries attack University Today, January 15th, 2007, before the beginning of a youth march for the liberation of political prisoners, Urban Paramilitaries (porros) have initiated a series of provocations to defame the social movement. Known urban paramilitaries (identified as Aladin and Crusty) have occupied and burned at least two buses to provoke violence before the march, and other urban paramilitaries have began to open fire at UABJO (Benito Juarez Autonomous University of Oaxaca). Students are being force out of classrooms and clashes have ensued. The youth march is scheduled for 4 pm and is beginning to get together. Students and organizers are concerned for their safety, seeing as how these tactics of provocation always lead to violence in peaceful actions. Please post widely and remain vigilant. The march went off with out a hitch. There was a lot of graffiti and some property destruction. It ended up at Ixcotel prison where several international observers and video cameras watched over as the entrance was graffittied, and chants were made against appx. 50 heavily armed (militarized) riot police. thanks for paying attention. Simon Sedillo http://www.ww4report.com/node/5018 Crime, water wars rock Chiapas Highlands Submitted by Bill Weinberg on Sat, 02/02/2008 - 02:52. Mexico's federal Public Security Secretariat (SSP) announced the detention of 13 "delinquents" at Rancho San Isidro, in San Andr?s Larr?inzar, a highland municipality in conflicted Chiapas state Jan. 30. The SSP said 45 stolen vehicles were confiscated, as well as two firearms and an "arsenal" of ten home-made bombs. (La Jornada, Jan. 31) Meanwhile, the Good Government Junta "Coraz?n C?ntrico de los Zapatistas delante del Mundo," governing body of the Zapatista rebels for the Highland region, issued a statement protesting deprivation of water to Zapatista followers in Zinacant?n municipality. Citing lack of action by the state or federal governments, the statement said Zapatista authorities would "directly resolve" the problem and restore water to Sok?n hamlet. It blamed the caciques (political bosses) of Nachig hamlet for diverting the water, calling them "pri?stas-perredistas"-meaning they have collaborated with both parties that have held power in the state and municipality, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD). (La Jornada, Jan. 28) Also Jan. 30, two members of the Zapatista base community were convicted in the February 2002 slaying of two militants of the Organization for the Defense of Indigenous and Campesino Rights (OPDDIC) at Banavil, Ocosingo municipality. Alfredo Hern?ndez P?rez, 48, and Fidelino Ruiz Hern?ndez, 73, both received sentences of eight years. The Center for Political Analysis and Social & Economic Investigation (CAPISE) said the men were serving as "scapegoats" (chivos expiatorios) for internecine violence within the OPDDIC, which is said to be a PRI-linked paramilitary group. (La Jornada, Jan. 30) http://www.narconews.com/Issue49/article2963.html Over Three Thousand People From Five Continents Danced and Partied with the EZLN on its 14th Anniversary Comandanta Rosalinda: "The reclaimed land was bought with the flesh and blood of compa?eros. That blood hasn't disappeared; it sings and cries for joy over the years" By Ra?l Romero Special to The Narco News Bulletin January 17, 2008 The streams.when they run downstream.they can't turn back.just underground. Old Antonio LA GARRUCHA, CHIAPAS, January 1, 2008: As the final moments of 2007 wound down, over three thousand attendees of the Third Encuentro of the Zapatistas with the People of the World, named "Comandanta Ramona and the Zapatista women," came together in the center of the caracol of la Garrucha. Their faces were lost amongst the hundreds of bases of support that have come from different Rebel Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities (MAREZ in its Spanish initials) to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the public appearance of the EZLN. Photos: D.R. 2008 Ra?l Romero Nationality, language, and skin color were not impediments as various people melted together in hugs, wishing each other the best in the new year. Neither was it an impediment that the majority had only known each other for three days; since the beginning of the encuentro "we share a dream of a different world and that has already made us brothers in the struggle," said one teenager as he hugged another. Some members of the Indigenous Revolutionary Clandestine Committee-General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (CCRI-CG-EZLN) appeared on the stage. Applause and cries of "viva!" got louder. However, many were surprised not to see Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos. Comandantes Tacho, David, and Zebedeo, the most widely known commanders, are also missing. Somewhere in the crowd someone said, "The Zapatistas mean business. When they say something they follow through." A couple weeks earlier, on the final day of the four-day "International Discussion in Memory of Andres Aubry. Planet Earth: Anti-systemic Movements," Marcos had announced that they would no longer appear at public events as a measure of precaution in the face of the strong threats they've received over the past months. This decision has been interpreted by many as a "strategic retreat." At ten minutes to midnight, Comandanta Rosalinda took the microphone and kicked off the EZLN's anniversary festivities. The Mexican national hymn was sung first, making it very clear that this is not a separatist movement and that they claim the tri-colored flag as their own, as well as the "great nation" called Mexico. Next, the same comandanta briefly recounted how the EZLN appeared and how it was betrayed by then-president of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Le?n, when on February 9, 1995, "plain-clothed soldiers" violently showed up in some Zapatista communities. "Later, dressed as soldiers, they entered with tanks.they wanted to make us disappear, finish us off, but they didn't succeed." Rosalinda said that the land reclaimed on January 1, 1994, "was bought with the flesh and blood of the compa?eros." She also noted "that blood hasn't disappeared; it sings and cries for joy over the years." Now paramilitary organizations want to take these lands from them. But more than harboring feelings of rancor or rivalry towards these groups, who are also indigenous, the Zapatistas show understanding and know they are not the true enemies, they know that these paramilitaries are "indigenous brothers cheated by the bad government who bought off them with handouts of expired food." Comandanta Rosalinda concluded her remarks by naming each one of the EZLN members who have died since 1983 while attendees responded with "?presente!" after each name. Next to speak was Comandante Omar, who said that he felt happy because men could now participate. It should be mentioned that during the four days of the women's encuentro no man was able to use the microphone. "After 14 years the party goes on," said Omar, who also mentioned that for the Zapatistas, it is important to "party with happiness in our hearts, without worrying about the bad government's threats, the bad government that imprisons us and beats us for defending what is originally and naturally ours." He also stressed that during those 14 years the Zapatistas have resisted "a shit-ton of provocations" and that the bad government has continued purchasing people's consciences. The political parties are no longer an option for change, continued Omar, because as soon as they come to power their promises are forgotten, and "they only change their discourse when they need something from the people." He also said to those present: "Don't let them fool you, the parties aren't going to change if we the people don't demand that they do." Comandante Omar concluded by making a call to all of the participants, inviting them to organize themselves and "struggle against the bad governments. So that one day things might change into a better world." Then came the Zapatista hymn. Those who knew it well sang it out loud, while those who just learned it raised their voices when it got to a verse they had memorized already. One girl saluted like the comandantes do from the bandstand. Her compa?era questioned her: "You're not in the militia." Blushing, she raised her left hand and made a "V" for victory with her fingers. The hymn ended and the chants started, including some classics that the foreigners like so much. And then came the dancing. The dancers formed a line that ran the length of the plaza and grew and grew, just like the streams - when they run downstream their flow increases and then they no longer have a way back nor a dam that holds them back. Originally Published in Spanish on January 11 From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 15:19:09 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:19:09 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] eco-protests - against "development" projects, for local environments Message-ID: <02e401c89e7d$92776d20$0802a8c0@andy1> * BULGARIA: Protest against oil pipeline in Sofia * AUSTRALIA: Protest against truck traffic near port * IRELAND: Protesters dig in to save Hill of Tara * UK: Protest delays phone mast at school * UK: Secret plan for new town building sparks protest * AUSTRALIA: Local leaders rally against planning shakeup, loss of locals' say in developments * MEXICO: Activists tackle air pollution * PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Locals protest against mine * GREECE: Solidarity protests as eco-activists face trial and are acquitted * UK: "Flash mob" protest at new Heathrow terminal * AUSTRALIA: Protesters claim shutdown of Barrick Gold * AUSTRALIA: School students walk out and protest against Gunns' pulp mill * TRINIDAD: Local residents protest plan to build port * ITALY: Tunnel through Alps opposed * US: Demolition of toboggan slides is target of protest * AUSTRALIA: Save Happy Valley Coalition marks end of second year in occupation * AUSTRALIA: Locals protest north-south water pipeline * AUSTRALIA: Protesters disrupt destruction of Tasmanian forests * US: Florida Power and Light Co hit by protests, construction of new site halted * US: ELF blamed for fires against urban sprawl * GERMANY: Protest to save historic bridge - highlights habitat, UNESCO status Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/protest-against-the-construction-of-bourgas-alexandroupolis-oil-pipeline-in-bulgarias-capital/id_27133/catid_66 Protest against the construction of Bourgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline in Bulgaria's capital 13:18 Fri 18 Jan 2008 - Elitsa Grancharova Photo: Elitsa Grancharova A protest against the construction of the Bourgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline was held in front of the National Palace of Culture (NDK) in Bulgaria's capital Sofia. The protest coincided with the two-day visit of Russian president Putin to Bulgaria. The Bourgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline will transport crude oil from Russia, Azerbaijan and Central Asia to the port of Alexandroupolis on the Aegean Sea. From there the oil will be transported by tankers to Western Europe and the USA. At the protest, a blue stage with Bulgarian flags on it had been erected, with the slogan "No to the Bourgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline" written on it. About 300 people - citizens, representatives of different political parties - Ataka, Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB), Middle European Class (MEC), and of different eco movements gathered. There were members and supporters of the Green Policy Institute, the official Greenpeace representative for Bulgaria. Six buses with protesters from Bourgas arrived. Deputy chairman of the Ekoglasnost (Eco Publicity) political club Petar Penchev commented that the protest was held with the permission of Sofia municipality. After the protest at NDK, a march to the Sveta Nedelya square was held. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/20/2167411.htm?section=business Residents protest against truck traffic Posted Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:33am AEDT Updated Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:28am AEDT Residents are worried about the additional traffic that will result from an increase in container movement through the Port of Melbourne. (ABC TV) Map: Yarraville 3013 About 200 protesters caused traffic chaos at Yarraville in Melbourne's west this morning by blockading a busy truck route to the Port of Melbourne. The morning peak hour protest by the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group closed the intersection of Francis Street and Williamstown Road for half an hour. The group says at least 8,000 trucks pass through the intersection each day, most carrying shipping containers. The protesters are concerned truck traffic will increase by 25% after the Port of Melbourne's shipping channels are deepened. They say the Victorian Government has not planned for the impact of Port expansion on traffic congestion. Protest spokesman, Peter Knight says the trucks are causing health problems, road accidents and stress to residents. "In the last 10 years you've got to realise that this truck traffic has increased by about double since the completion of Bolte Bridge and Ring Road and people's houses are literally falling apart," Mr Knight said. http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news624.htm FORT FOR A DAY AS PROTESTERS DIG FOR VICTORY TO SAVE THE HILL OF TARA The intense battle between protesters and the M3 Motorway, carving it's way through the archaeological heritage landscape surrounding the ancient Hill of Tara (see SchNEWS 597) in County Meath, Ireland continues... having gone underground - literally. Protesters at the direct action camp on top of the Rath Lugh National Monument, using tactics reminiscent of Britain in the mid-nineties, have built a network of tunnels into the hillside to stop or hamper any construction work. This week, with one archaeologist warning that the whole hill and the fort on it is unstable and under threat of collapse if construction goes ahead, one brave woman has sealed herself in a tunnel, chaining herself by the neck to a jack which could bring down the tunnel if she is forcibly removed. Yesterday (13th) there was a dawn raid on the camp only four hours before an injunction brought by protesters to stop the work was due to be heard (unsurprisingly it was later rejected in any event). During the raid, clueless construction workers acted like police, throwing their weight around, while dismantling the camp. Protesters inside the tunnel network are vulnerable and need legal observers to protect them, the bulldozers are continuing to work on top of them, knowing full well that the ground is mainly sand and silt. One said, "The eviction is blatantly not being done with any care or proper training to remove the tunnel inhabitants" - and they'd welcome any advice or visits from tunnel veterans of the 90's to help them deal with the situation. For Whom The Toll Sells This part of the M3 route is where Halliburton (Dick 'the Puppetmaster' Cheney's warmongering company) are planning to build the tolls for the motorway. The construction workers are using compulsory purchase orders to access the area, where they've already started to cut into the esker foundations of the hill (an esker being a not-so-solid sounding ridge made of small rocks, silt and sand left behind by a ancient glacial river).This will result in lowering the water table, preventing water reaching the roots of the forest situated on top of the monument, gradually destroying hundreds of ancient oak and beech trees. The National Roads Authority and the Irish Government are choosing to ignore the fact that Rath Lugh is protected under the National Monuments Act 2004 and are continuing to break EU Laws left, right and centre. Further along the route, concrete flyovers are going up and tarmac is being laid at Soldiers Hill for the massive three acre interchange. Developers have plans for the surrounding area which will include shopping centres, hotel complexes and the usual Starbuckery and McShite everywhere!! People are desperately needed to go to Tara now, to build a new direct action camp. Activists are meeting at Holyhead ferry port between 12-1pm on Saturday 15th March - and money may be available to contribute towards tickets - which are only ?50 rail & sail or ?30 booked in advance. If folk want to come, get in touch with SchNEWS. * For updates and info on how to get to Tara see www.tarataratara.net www.tarawatch.org & www.savetara.com * See the 'Skulduggery' SchMOVIE about Tara at www.schnews.org.uk/schmovies http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7212127.stm Phone mast delayed after protest A blockade by parents has prevented a mobile phone mast being erected on school grounds. The T-mobile mast was supposed to go up at Chipstead Valley Primary school in Coulsdon near Croydon. A large crane required to put up the mast was barred from entering the property by dozens of parked cars. The protestors fear radiation from the mast could be damaging to children but Reigate and Banstead Borough Council said they were powerless act. Kevin Browning, whose children attend the school, said many parents were worried about potential health risks for pupils. "There is clear evidence to show that these masts are harmful for children," he said. "The council is clearly in breach of its promise to look after its constituents." He added: "We look forward to any dialogue with them, angry or not." But a council spokeswoman said that under government legislation no planning permission is needed for certain masts. She said: "The General Permitted Development Order is government legislation which allows mast operators to erect certain masts without seeking planning permission from the local authority, therefore we have no control over the development." http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/feb/10/communities.planning1 'Secret' eco-town plans spark protest Government will soon unveil 10 sites nationwide Jo Revill and Caroline Davies The Observer, Sunday February 10 2008 This article appeared in the Observer on Sunday February 10 2008 on p2 of the News section. It was last updated at 15:01 on February 12 2008. Controversial plans for a string of eco-towns have sparked nationwide protests. Demonstrations against the developments have begun two weeks before Housing Minister Caroline Flint is due to announce the 10 locations she has chosen for the first green communities. Local groups are complaining that they have been kept in the dark about proposals to create the towns, some of which involve building 20,000 homes as well as schools and roads, although developers have already submitted their plans to the government. Ministers want to provide thousands of carbon-neutral homes in towns that will have up to 40 per cent social housing to make up for the severe national shortage of cheaper properties. But protests have already begun in many areas, with the protesters signing petitions and organising marches. Although ministers decided last year not to make public the full list of applicants, individual schemes for greenfield sites, including Derbyshire's national forest and a town on the edge of the Cotswolds, are now coming to light. In Stoughton, Leicestershire, yesterday, protesters held a march against the Co-operative Group, the insurance and consumer group which is planning to build Pennbury eco-town with 15,000 homes. In Derbyshire, where the Grovewood development is planned for 5,700 homes, retired headteacher Andrew Otway is helping put together an online petition to Downing Street. He said: 'There has been such secrecy... The proposed development is in the heart of the national forest, the lungs of the Midlands.' Flint said: 'There is a rigorous process for the selection of bids and only the best will succeed. They must meet tough tests, proving they make best use of brownfield land, safeguard wildlife and habitat areas and provide low and zero carbon technologies and good public transport systems.' But the Council for the Protection of Rural England is unconvinced and is asking the government to clarify how it will pick the 10 sites. Its planning expert, Kate Gordon, points out that, once the government has put its seal of approval on places, it will be far harder for local authorities to object and justify taking on expensive legal counsel to fight the plans. 'We support the idea of eco-towns, but they must be in the right place and developed in the right way. The most sustainable approach would be to regenerate existing quarters of old towns,' said Gordon. The Wildlife Trusts, a voluntary body, is dismayed at the lack of attention being given to ecology. Its chief executive, Stephanie Hilborne, said: 'The government's proposals make a mockery of the term '"eco-town". We need to see the planning system being used to avoid insensitive development and restore and create new wildlife habitats.' Questions are being asked about the involvement of Tony Blair and his friend, Lord Leitch. The former Prime Minister is an environmental adviser to Zurich Financial Services, parent company of Eagle Star, the developer proposing a 12,500-home town in Hampshire. Eagle Star, which could make up to ?1bn from the eco-town proposal at Micheldever Station, is also sponsoring the government's regional seminars on eco-towns. Leitch, the former chairman of Zurich, is credited with having persuaded Blair to join his group as an adviser. Eagle Star has denied that either man will have any role over the eco-town proposal. However, campaigners want assurances from ministers that they have not been involved in lobbying for the scheme. http://news.theage.com.au/nsw-community-leaders-protest-da-plans/20080130-1ozi.html NSW community leaders protest DA plans 11:24AM Advertisement More than 200 NSW local government leaders have converged on Sydney on Wednesday to protest against state government plans for a shake-up of development planning. NSW Planning Minister Frank Sartor released a discussion paper in November detailing 83 possible reforms of the state's planning laws. They include a proposal to circumvent lengthy development approval processes by expanding the number of developments subject to certifier approval. The period of public consultation on the discussion paper ends on February 8, with plans to pass new legislation by the middle of the year. About 250 NSW mayors and local government general managers are on Wednesday putting forward a number of alternative planning reforms at their meeting. President of the NSW Local Government Association, Genia McCaffery, said the alternatives being canvassed would provide faster development decisions without compromising the character of neighbourhoods or community input. Changes to building certification and broader appeal rights for residents were two possible reform solutions being tabled at the Sydney forum Wednesday. "The government's changes will lead to home owners being denied a say in what is being built next door, the character of many neighbourhoods being compromised, and the same rules being applied to residential developments regardless of whether you are in Bourke or Balmain," Ms McCaffery told the meeting. "As community representatives we have a responsibility to oppose changes that are not good for the community, and float ideas which protect the rights of residents and ensure good development decisions are made. "The alternative suggestions, which we have asked the government, community and industry to consider, focus on making sure planning decision makers are accountable, building codes reflect local needs and neighbours have the opportunity to appeal developments." http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0304/p04s02-woam.html In Mexico, a clean-air bucket brigade A grass-roots group to monitor air quality has sprouted in one of Latin America's largest industrial corridors. By Sara Miller Llana | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor Ixhuatlan del Sureste, Mexico As most people here, Gonzalo Rodriguez grew up with little environmental consciousness. He often washed up with chlorine and burned his plastic bags of trash. Today he walks around this southern Mexican town with a clear plastic bucket equipped with a vacuum, which he uses to draw and test air from this industrial corridor, one of Latin America's largest. He is a leader of the country's first "bucket brigade" to test air for hazardous pollutants. And he hopes that with this project, a low-cost initiative that depends on community participation, he can awaken that same environmental consciousness within others -- particularly young people. He and his family have mobilized dozens of their neighbors, friends, and family to force industry standards and more government oversight. "Some people think we are crazy," said Rodriguez on a recent day, sporting a beige "Bucket Brigade" cap. "We know that we aren't." While bucket brigades have sprouted up in industrial communities across the US in the past decade, this is the first of its kind in Mexico. Supported by a US nonprofit and led by a group of small farmers and fishermen called the Ecological Producers Association of Tatexco (Apetac), the project has been limited to this petrochemical and refinery hub, but leaders are hoping to expand to neighboring states. The goal: to bolster "social consciousness" in the face of weak pollution laws and the sheer power of big industry. Apetac's most important role "is organizing rural people on the impact of hydrocarbon [pollutants]," says Lorenzo Bozada, an ecologist who has documented pollution here since the 1970s. "To be successful, a social consciousness must grow here first." Growing ecological push The stretch, rich in oil fields and installations, is one of the heaviest industrial zones in the region. The population here grew by 20 percent in two decades, mostly due to rural workers seeking jobs with the state oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex). Scientists have long been concerned about the impact that such heavy industry is having on both the environment and residents' health. Studies show high rates of some diseases and contaminants among locals, who also cite anecdotal evidence. Rodriguez's daughter, for example, was born in 1986 with a facial deformation. A brewing ecological movement here grew in force in the late 90s, after a local fisherman saw a Pemex subcontractor dumping toxic waste in a marshland. The community prevailed in a lawsuit, the first successful prosecution of environmental crime in Mexico's history. Now organized under the Apetac umbrella and headed by Rodriguez, the movement's 3,000 members seek to increase community participation. They view the "bucket brigade" as the perfect vehicle. The San Francisco-based Global Community Monitor first launched the low-cost system in the 1990s, and has since trained communities in 19 different countries and 20 US states. They train them not only to collect samples, but to use the data to press companies to clean up and politicians to enforce tighter responsibility laws. "It's an empowerment model," says Denny Larson, who heads the organization. Their first Latin American project was in Mexico, where they helped launch Apetec's project two years ago. Since then, Rodriguez says, he has trained some 150 people, from fishermen to members of women's groups -- but mostly youths. This month they are planning to send a third batch of samples to a lab in the US. (Mexico lacks a certified laboratory of its own.) The workshops have piqued the interest of many who had never given the environment a thought. "I became curious about what I'm breathing," says Ezequiel Jimenez, who has since become a leader in the youth movement, collecting money to pay for sending samples to the US. While Mexico does monitor air quality in more than 20 parts of the country, including its infamously polluted capital, Mexico City, there are no government-run monitors in this region, according to the website of the National Institute of Ecology. They did not respond to requests for an interview. Cecilia Navarro from Greenpeace M?xico says the work of the "bucket brigade" is crucial. This is particularly true, many say, in a country that has weak environmental laws, and where many politicians have not fought against big industry. Their tests revealed high toxin levels, including levels of benzene 130 times higher than the maximum approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency -- and carbon disulfide, which has been associated with birth defects and other illnesses. Apetac has written letters to local politicians about their results, but they still need to carry out more tests, says Bozada, who advises the group. Controversial effort Trying to develop environmental consciousness in Ixhuatlan del Sureste has not been easy. Rodriguez was sued by a peroxides plant for defamation. His wife, Julia Cano el Faro, says he is constantly harassed. In pushing against local industry, the group often runs up against Pemex, which funds up to 40 percent of Mexico's national budget. It is also one of the largest employers in the region. "These efforts have always been controversial," says Anna Zalik, an assistant environmental professor from York University in Canada who helped Apetac launch the "bucket brigade." "People in the region are aware of the environmental impacts, but in this case, the economy is so dependent on that industry. They are concerned about their health, but they are also worried about employment." She and many others say the Rodriguez family's dogged persistence is paying off. Rodriguez says Pemex has been more responsive to their complaints, and the government has been open to their work. He was recently hired by the local mayor's office to carry out a reforestation project with several community youths. http://news.theage.com.au/png-locals-protest-against-ramu-mine/20080130-1ozl.html PNG locals protest against Ramu mine January 30, 2008 - 11:39AM Advertisement Managers from China Metallurgical Construction Company (MCC), the Chinese state-owned firm running the project, and four local chiefs held crisis talks on Tuesday in Madang town, capital of Medang province in PNG's north, over a range of grievances. "Enough is enough," 50 landowners shouted during the protest, while others served a "seizure of operation" notice and demanded MCC stop operations until the dispute was settled, PNG's Post Courier newspaper reported. The landowners presented 18 points, complaining about their lack of participation in spin-off business, the employment of heavily armed Chinese security guards, discrimination at the work site and language barriers. Steven Saud, chairman of Coastal Pipeline Landowners Association, said locals wanted better working conditions and opportunities for surrounding communities. "We know what was happening is sub-standard. Mining in PNG had been going on for 20-25 years, and we know what (benefits from mines) to expect," Saud said. "You go to Ok Tedi, Lihir, Porgera, Misima, Tolukuma, and you will find that Papua New Guineans are running those mines. "Expatriates are working under Papua New Guineans there. Why was it not the same in Ramu nickel project?" he said. MCC vice chairman Wang Futian and other officials listened to the landowners' grievances with the aid of translators. An MCC representative told AAP meetings between managers and locals would continue on Wednesday. Former PNG health minister Peter Barter called earlier this month for an independent environmental impact study of the Ramu nickel project after discrediting the existing report. PNG's Lutheran head bishop, Doctor Wesley Kigasung, has said pollution from the mine could cause up to 80,000 sea-dependent locals to lose their livelihood. Dr Kigasung, representing more than 1.2 million church members, wrote to PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare urging him to review the mine. PNG labour officials have accused MCC of not providing safety gear, overtime pay and forcing employees to use pit toilets and take showers in nearby bushes. Concerns have also been raised over the associated social impact from prostitution and HIV-AIDS. ************************************************************ Sunday, July 29 2007, one month after the destructive sprawl arson at Parnitha mountain, Athens, 27 activists got arrested near the mountain, accused for a symbolic attack with paintbombs against the 'Mont Parnes' casino, earlier that day. The casino is built within the natural forest of Parnitha, and remained untouched during the arsons that destroyed a large part of Greece's forests and wildlife and costed more than 67 people their lives, since the local firemen were sent to protect the casino's infrastructure and not the forest. The casino is even planning its expansion inside the damaged forest area, a part of wich (around 20.000 acres) was donated to the casino by the Greek government, right after the arsons, so as to 'protect' it. The casino belongs by 51% to a Greek state's agency, and by 49% to private companies, mainly 'Regency Entertainment-BC Partners'. Two days before that, an 'Open Assembly from Strefis hill' organised a march in the forest and blockaded the casino's teleferik, facing intense police pressure. On the 29th, the police mobilised riot-policemen, police cars, helicopters and special police squads. This operation resulted in the arrest of 27 activists, who were beaten while hand-cuffed. Inside GADA (Athens police headquarters), they were tortured and deprived of any phone calls, even to their lawyers. After their strong dissent inside GADA, and the gathering of supporters outside the building, those injured heavily were sent to a hospital, and the police announced the accusations against the 27. On Monday 30, the 27 activists appeared before a district attorney. The riot police, outside the jury, attacked supporters gathered but was repelled succesfully. The activists, in a communique they circulated on August 5, signed 'The deers of Parnitha' state they decided to act against the casino 'recognising the fact that its presence is irrelative and totally competitive to the natural forest, and that it is needed to kick it out and prevent its expansion. That's why this paint attack was a symbolic, fair and posetive action aiming to contribute in the awakeningof an equal social justice'. They also mention that 'The day we climbed up the mountain was when a provocative declaration of a goofy celebrity of the ruling class named Aris Spiliotopoulos, parliament member of New Democracy, accusing the anarchists for the forest arsons' and that 'as friends of the forest and the mountain of Parnitha we couldn't limitate to the protests that took part in the city, we went up to the place of the crime, where the forest was burnt and the monstrous casino raised among thousands of burnt trees. Thus, the morning of Sunday, June 29 we realised an intervention outside Regency Casino at Parnitha, lifting a banner writing 'Kick the casino out of Parnitha' and chanting slogans as 'Our rage won't be put out - kick the casino out', 'Either a casino or a forest, take your roulettes and go home', while the security guards run away inside the casino from where they kept watching us, once they realised they 're not in danger. During the intervention, red paint (symbolizing the blood of innumerable animals lost during the last fire) was thrown at the entrance and the front walls of the casino, and slogans were spray painted on them, against the presence of the casino in the forest. Then, after our intervention and the symbolic attack against this church of gambling, and after we passed through the burnt zones, we continued our route through passages inside the forest zones and the streams of our beloved mountain, while above us two police helicopters were looking for us, and police units with buses, jeaps and motorbikes, riot policemen, crime units, special police forces, frontier patrols and undercover policemen where hunting us. We are also aware of the fact that the chief leaders of the Greek police went up the mountain and settled outside a refuge at 'Bafi' where they headed the whole operation asking desperately for the arrest of all those that 'dared to hit the casino'. According to witnesses, local municipality officers but also a few residents helped the police spot them. On Monday, January 7, around 30 persons occupied a radio station in Athens and transmitted messages of solidarity to the 27 arrestees. Meanwhile, many groups around Greece circulated posters and communiques in solidarity to the 27 activists. On January 10, the 27 activists faced a jury in Athens, where more than a hundred supporters attended. All 27 were found not guilty for the accusations concerning throwing paint at the casino, while two of them were found guilty for 'dissobedience' and set on parole because they denied to give their identity while they were under arrest. After the trial, while they were leaving the jury, the cops tried to stop the two claiming they had to pay around 70 euros for extra jury expenses, though supporters from the audience intervened so they managed to leave without paying anything. The 27 are set free, without charges. Also check out some photos of the marches at Parnitha: at athens IMC http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=784086 http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=782687 of the paint attack against the casino: at indy.gr http://www.indy.gr/newswire/drasi-enantia-sto-kazino-27-syllpseis-gia-plimmelmata-6-traymaties-meta-apo-ksylodarmo-astynomikn-sygkentrosi-allileggyis-ekso-apo-ti-gada of a march, at the site of the Open Assembly at Strefis hill: http://strefis.ath.cx/index.php?option=com_zoom&Itemid=27&catid=2Earth http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gl8e_X2PP-eLrALezyrIjr7_bOfg 'Flash mob' protest at Terminal 5 Mar 26, 2008 Hundreds of demonstrators will stage a "flash mob" protest against airport expansion when Heathrow's ?4.3 billion Terminal 5 (T5) opens for business. Formed by local residents and what are described as "environmental activists", the protest at T5 will, according to organisers, be a "peaceful and legal event". The demonstrators are due to gather at the international arrivals area at the new terminal at 11am. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/25/2198975.htm?section=business Barrick Gold denies protest 'victory' Posted Tue Mar 25, 2008 7:00pm AEDT Map: West Wyalong 2671 Mining company Barrick Gold has rejected environmentalists' claims they shut down its Lake Cowal Gold Mine, near West Wyalong, over Easter. The Cyanide Watch environmentalists are claiming a victory, saying their annual protest at the mine this year halted production and members did not even have to go onto the mine site. Barrick's community relations manager, Bill Shallvey, says the group has a right to protest but its claim is wrong. Mr Shallvey says mining stopped for a few hours for safety reasons but they had a good weekend of production. "I don't think I saw 20 people out there but I'm not going to argue about that," he said. "As far as their reactions were concerned, they didn't have any impact on our operations on site. "The only time that we actually stopped over the weekend was Sunday for a little while, when we had that heavy rain." http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/01/2204861.htm?section=business Students in pulp mill protest Posted Tue Apr 1, 2008 2:45pm AEDT Updated Tue Apr 1, 2008 2:51pm AEDT High school students wave their banners at a rally urging the ANZ Bank not to support the Gunns pulp mill. (ABC News: Annah Yard) Map: Hobart 7000 Around 100 young people have gathered at Parliament House to protest against timber company Gunns' plans to build a pulp mill in the Tamar Valley. High school and university students walked out of class to take part in the rally. The students wearing yellow bandannas and chanting slogans in protest at the ANZ bank's potential backing for the pulp mill project rallied on the Parliament House lawns at lunch time. Four students gave speeches, all with the central message that Tasmanian students do not want the pulp mill. The rally marched to the ANZ bank in Hobart's Elizabeth Street Mall, where one protest organiser, Alby Dallas planned to close his account with the ANZ. He urged other students to do the same. Mr Dallas says he does not want the mill and closing his account gives him a voice. "I will be one of hopefully a few people who will be closing their ANZ account in protest of the possibility that ANZ will fund the mill," he said. "Hopefully this sends an inspirational message to other youth, this way it shows them a way that they can be positively and active and campaign against this pulp mill." http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/01/2205218.htm?section=business No fallout for pulp mill protest students Posted Tue Apr 1, 2008 6:06pm AEDT Tasmania's Education Minister, David Bartlett, says high school students who left class to attend a protest in Hobart today were within their rights. About 100 students marched to the ANZ bank in Hobart's Elizabeth Street Mall to protest against the ANZ's potential backing of Gunns' Tamar Valley pulp mill. Mr Bartlett says the students won't be in trouble. "Well I would much prefer that they were in school, I believe that every day lost to learning is a day that can't be given back. "But ultimately parents who have provided notes for young people to be out of school in a situation like this are free to do so," the Minister said. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/14/2189594.htm Rowdy protest over Gunns pulp mill Posted Fri Mar 14, 2008 1:07pm AEDT Updated Fri Mar 14, 2008 1:16pm AEDT Anti-pulp mill protesters outside Gunns headquarters in Launceston, Friday March 14, 2008 (ABC News: Chook Brooks) Map: Launceston 7250 250 protesters have gathered outside the Launceston headquarters of the Tasmanian timber company, Gunns Limited, to mark the anniversary of Gunns' withdrawal of the pulp mill from the state's planning process. The protest's key speaker Dr Warwick Raverty is a scientist who was on the Resource Planning and Development Commission (RPDC) assessment panel. Many of the protesters mourned Gunns withdrawal from the RPDC as a death, wearing black and carrying coffins. Police are present and say they have encountered no violence so far. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161276186 Pranz Gardens residents protest port plan -Louis B Homer Monday, February 11th 2008 Several residents of Pranz Gardens, Claxton Bay, are calling on the National Energy Corporation to stop the construction of a port in the area which is to be used by ESSAR Steel. A group of residents led by Sahadeo Pooran, chairman of the Pranz Gardens Development Association, last week protested in front of the NEC's offices at Rivulet Road, Couva, calling on the company to scrap the project. Pooran said the NEC plans will destroy a large portion of the mangrove in the area in which the port will be built. He said a delegation from Pranz Gardens met officials of the NEC but they have not been assured that there will be no damage to the environment and marine life. "We do not want them to destroy the mangrove which took 100 years to grow," Pooran said. He said the construction of the mill will affect the lives of six communities close to the area earmarked for the development of the steel mill. NEC president Prakash Saith said the company met the protestors on two occasions in nearby California and outlined to them the proposals for the development of the area. Saith said: "We have no intention of destroying the mangrove. A small portion near the mangrove site will be used for reclamation." He said as far as the port was concerned nothing was final. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jPr5MSBAP_xdBbsk-aOe8Ny9nbBA New protest planned against rail tunnel through Italian Alps Mar 29, 2008 CHIOMONTE, Italy (AFP) - A multi-billion-euro project to bore a tunnel through the Italian Alps to create a high-speed rail link between Turin, Italy, and Lyon, France, will face a new protest on Sunday. In Chiomonte, in northwestern Italy's Susa Valley, diehard opponents of the project will line up to buy a symbolic square metre of land each along the route of the planned rail line. More than 1,250 activists including ecologists, artists and intellectuals are involved in the initiative to oppose the tunnel, which has an estimated pricetag of 7.6 billion euros (12 billion dollars). Several thousand others have gathered in the town to signal to the authorities that no one can change the mind of the protest movement that has dubbed itself the "Indians of the Valley." "This tunnel isn't needed. The old (1871) rail line under Mount Cenis will always be enough for traffic that is not going to increase," said organiser Alberto Perino. "You don't buy a Ferrari when you can't afford a dentist for your children," he told AFP, adding that the project would create longstanding debt as well as "causing considerable ecological damage by draining the valley's water resources." He added: "Ravaging nature to gain a few minutes between Lyon and Turin is madness." An extraordinary commissioner and 57 meetings with the mayors of the 23 towns directly affected by the project have failed to dissuade its opponents, who have mounted sometimes violent protests involving up to 80,000 people over the past three years. "We approached the mayors because it's clear that they are the ones who can liaise between people and the tunnel project," said the extraordinary commissioner, Mario Virano, an architect and professor at the University of Venice. He designed the Frejus road tunnel between Modane, France, and Bardonecchia, Italy -- along the planned rail route linking Lyon and Turin -- that opened in 1980. A new Italian government to be elected in mid-April will likely be headed by the centre-right whose base is in the north. http://www.wqad.com/Global/story.asp?S=8127131&nav=1sW7 Palos Park mayor to protest demolition of toboggan slides Associated Press - April 7, 2008 6:14 AM ET PALOS PARK, Ill. (AP) - Mayor John Mahoney of the Chicago suburb of Palos Park is stepping up his activism against the planned demolition of the Swallow Cliff toboggan slides in Palos Township. Mahoney says he will board a bus tomorrow and lead a group of southern suburban residents to the Cook County Building to protest a forest preserve commission plan for the demolition, which is expected to cost $1 million. The now-shuttered slides were once among the most popular winter recreational facilities in the Chicago area. Mahoney says he will ask commissioners to leave the slides alone until all possible options have been exhausted. He says that once the slides are gone, they're gone. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/410965/1569680 Coalition marks two years of protest Feb 3, 2008 12:44 PM Environmentalists are marking their longest running occupation campaign and say Solid Energy is ignoring the environmental concerns. Save Happy Valley Coalition has spent two years protesting against the energy company's proposal for an open-cast coal mine at Happy Valley on the South Island's West Coast. Coalition spokesman Alan Liefting says the two year campaign to save the ecological area has stopped the mine's progress so far. But he says it is time the government stepped in. Liefting says the coal that is mined will release 1800 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is one of the world's biggest environmental problems, and would place endangered species under threat. Liefting says Solid Energy is not listening to concerns for endangered species, and has acted inappropriately by putting a spy in the protest group. Liefting says resistance to the scheme is strong enough to carry on until a decision is made to stop the mine. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23153892-2862,00.html North-south pipeline sparks protest at Sugarloaf Ashley Gardiner February 04, 2008 12:00am ANTI-pipeline protesters blocked the entrance to the Sugarloaf Reservoir yesterday as part of the campaign to stop the controversial north-south pipeline. They blocked a road to the reservoir, near Yarra Glen, for about 90 minutes yesterday, campaigner Jan Beer said. Ms Beer said about 150 cars travelled in convoy on the Melba Highway before staging the demonstration about 10.30am. The road was blocked for about 90 minutes while speeches were made. "We're now picketing the entrance. The police won't allow a blockade," she said. "At this stage we're not willing to be arrested." The protesters remained at the site during the day and don't intend to leave until at least midday today. Another protest will be staged outside Parliament when it sits tomorrow. "We're trying to tell this State Government there is simply not enough water there for you to take," Ms Beer said. Under the plan, irrigation systems in northern Victoria will be upgraded, with a third of the water saved used to boost Melbourne's supply. Water Minister Tim Holding said he respected the right of people to protest, but the project would be going ahead. "These are vitally important projects for Victoria's water future," Mr Holding said. "We need to modernise this irrigation infrastructure." http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/01/2152450.htm Southern forest protest continues Posted Fri Feb 1, 2008 3:48pm AEDT Map: Geeveston 7116 Forestry Tasmania says protesters in the southern forests are blocking work. The Huon Valley Environment Centre says two of its protesters remain in a coup in the Esperance Valley, with one of them up a tree. Forestry says the coup in question does contain some old-growth trees. The general manager of operations, Kim Creek says continuing protests are preventing people from going about their lawful work. "Mostly the money - the costs are to the manufacturing industries, the sawmills and the small contractors in the area who are our primary concern at this stage and with the fire fighting and all the other things we have on our plate at the moment," he said. "We've got a little difficulty to go back and size up the cost of these, but I'd allege it's certainly tens of thousands of dollars." Jenny Webber from the Huon Valley Environment Centre says the protesters are acting peacefully, and they have a democratic right to protect high heritage value forests. "Well the search and rescue have been down into the Esperance Valley in the past couple of hours they've actually moved the obstruction that the tree sit was attached to," she said. "So currently the woman in the tree sit is not halting any work, she's just sitting in the tree sit and deciding what her future will be." http://tinyurl.com/2pqr2t Activists are small in number, but strong in advocacy: Anti-FPL demonstrators have long rattled system Monday, March 24, 2008 Some call themselves social justice activists. Others are self-described anarchists or agitators. There are those who have been rattling the system for decades and have a long, proud list of arrests that attest to their resolve, and newcomers who had never been in jail before last month's daylong venture into civil disobedience outside a new Florida Power & Light Co. power plant. Ever since a core handful of local activists protested together at the Free Trade Area of the Americas Summit in Miami in 2003, a larger, loosely cohesive band of social "warriors" has operated in Palm Beach County. So when 27 got arrested after they locked arms and blocked a truck route at FPL's new West County Energy Center, many of the faces were well known. >From the outside, a city commissioner, a former physics major, an environmental agitator and a tattooed 48-year-old roof washer might appear to have little in common. Beneath the surface of this disparate -- some say radical -- group lies a common set of beliefs. They share not just war stories but also a hardened devotion to right what they see as injustice, whether to man, plant or animal, and to live a life connected to the earth. "In a way, we are all warriors ... fighting for a better world, for what we dream of," said Peter Shultz, who at 48 has been an activist longer than some of his co-defendants have been alive. If getting arrested is the only way to get people to realize that "building a power plant in the middle of the Everglades is insanity," then so be it, he said. That their latest theatrics outside the power plant have the State Attorney's Office calling for them to pay an estimated $20,000 in restitution is of less concern to them than the damage they fear the plant will do to the environment. "We live in an oil empire, so changing it and fighting it is not easy," said Panagioti Tsolkas, co-chairman of the Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition, which brings together several environmental groups here. A veteran activist at 27, Tsolkas was a teenager in the Tampa area when he was expelled from high school for resisting the newly established FCATs. He moved to Lake Worth in 2000 to be near fellow activist Cara Jennings. He's been grabbing headlines since. He was arrested for climbing a bamboo tripod blocking downtown traffic in Lake Worth during 2004 anti-development protests. He was arrested with Shultz and others for taking over the county's Business Development Board, where they dumped sand and rotten fruit to protest a plan locating Scripps Florida on a western citrus grove. He was a losing candidate in the 2005 Lake Worth mayoral race and, last month, was dragged away from the site of the new FPL plant. Tsolkas and Jennings share a house in Lake Worth, joined recently by another activist, Lynne Purvis. Jennings, 31, is an immigrants rights protester first, who grew up in an Irish Catholic family that "viewed Jesus as an agent of social change and an activist." She's a vocal anarchist who, from her perch on a bicycle, won a Lake Worth City Commission seat in 2006 to see what it is like "agitating from within the system." At the Feb. 18 protest, Jennings wasn't arrested. Her job was to negotiate with deputies to keep the standoff peaceful. But she has no aversion, she said, to squaring off with the law, pointing to her November 2006 arrest at a protest outside the Mexican Consulate in Miami. "As an elected official, it is important to walk your talk," Jennings saidshortly after the FPL protest. "If I am going to talk about the urgency of these issues, then I need to live that urgency. ... I am more concerned about global warming and sea level rise than I am about re-election." Purvis, 28, is a Palm Beach County native who danced in high school, studied physics and Hindu philosophy in college and is passionate about human rights. She sports a nose ring and pink-streaked hair and met many of her Lake Worth colleagues in 2001, rallying for Guatemalan rights. She gained fame when she and another protester appeared topless at a Scripps board of directors meeting at The Breakers hotel in Palm Beach with the message "Nature, yes. Biotech, no" painted on their bodies. "We are all made out of the same stuff, and what happens to one affects the other," she said. "I have no choice but to fight for my own liberation by fighting for the liberation of the planet and other people." With their activism part of an overall lifestyle, the three run a unique household. They live on part-time jobs. They buy food in bulk, grow the rest in their rain-watered garden and have a solar panel for some of their electric needs. Tsolkas, who works for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, hopes to one day get off the utility grid completely. He recently dismantled his water heater saying he'd rather take cold showers. Each sees activism as his or her real life's work. Earning money is a necessary distraction. "What would money give me that I don't have now?" asked Purvis, a Palm Beach County native who gave up her car for a bicycle, relinquished her cell phone and is fond of "Dumpster-diving" -- taking food others discard. "I guess the idea of shying away from consumption is pretty anti-American these days," Jennings noted. "But it hasn't always been that way. There used to be great pride in being sustainable." Effects of their agitating are difficult to pin down. Tsolkas thinks the protests bolstered environmental lawsuits that got Scripps moved. When the No Nukes protests in the '80s were waged, hundreds of power plants were supposed to go online and never did, he said. "Maybe it was Three Mile Island, and maybe it was the movement," he said. Today activists are fighting another industrialized push. "Maybe climate change will stem the tide," he said. "Maybe we will." Their sometimes-flamboyant antics do draw criticism, especially among some business and law enforcement leaders who see the activists as a threat to law and order. "These are basically radical revolutionaries," said John Smith, president of the county's independent, pro-business political action committee BizPac. The fruit tossing at the Business Development Board, though not on the scale of "eco-terrorists" thought to have burned down houses in Washington state, was born of the same destructive ideas, he said. "If they had the power, the ability to destroy, they would be a major destructive force in my view. They protest because that is all they can get away with," Smith said. "They want to bring down the earth-brutalizing capitalist machine. If they could bring it down they would. This is not some gentle group of bird lovers or environmentalists. They are in-your-face people." Purvis said civil disobedience is her tactic of choice. She opts against more extreme tactics, but doesn't necessarily oppose them. "There's a lot of tools in the toolbox, and all of them need to be used," Purvis said. "That's not what I would do, but I won't judge people who do things in order to protect the planet or other people." Tsolkas thinks civil disobedience is empowering and people should practice it as often as they vote. He said he believes in open rebellion and sees direct action as a tradition dating back to the Boston Tea Party. It's not lost on this barefoot posse that as one of the wealthiest and fastest-growing regions in the nation, Palm Beach County is a tough environmental challenge. But to those who belong to the area's alternative community, it is home. "It's so important to put roots down and push for policy changes in places that are difficult," Jennings said. "And when you are successful, the significance of your victory is astounding." Dianna Cahn can be reached at dcahn at sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6645. PROFILE OF AN ACTIVIST Marie Zwicker, a part-time nurse and former truck driver with striking gray hair and children in their 30s and 40s, lives in Lake Worth and off the grid with her husband in Maine. Got her start: Civil rights movement and protesting the Vietnam War. Believes in spreading the word by talking, whether to dump truck drivers blocked by their recent FPL protest [she wasn't arrested] or to people on lines in the supermarket. "This is the world our children and our grandchildren and all our future generations will inherit. If we don't do something, who will?" Brian - RT wrote: Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:05:29 -0500 From: Brian - RT To: risingtide at lists.riseup.net Subject: Earth First! Blockades Power Plant Construction Site, 27 Arrested Photos available at www.risingtidenorthamerica.org Earth First! Blockades Power Plant Construction Site, 27 Arrested Palm Beach County - Early Monday morning dozens of concerned community members from Palm Beach County and all over the nation put their bodies on the line to halt construction of FPL's West County Energy Center (WCEC), demanding energy efficiency, truly clean, renewable energy and a moratorium on development in south Florida. Everglades Earth First! blocked the main entrance to the WCEC site, a proposed massive 3800 MW gas-fired power plant that would emit 12 million tons of CO2, a leading greenhouse gas, every year. The plant is currently under construction despite ongoing legal challenges to the plant's needed permits and certification, which have been spearheaded by the local Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition. A dozen activists locked themselves together through metal pipes as 200 supporters rallied around them. The blockade stopped work on the construction site for six hours before a total of 27 people were arrested. This confrontational action was taken to protect the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge which sits 1000 ft from the power plant site and to protect the larger Everglades system. Restoration would be undermined by new development that the power plant is expected to encourage in the area. The civil disobedience action also aims to protect the entire planet from the destructive effects of climate change caused by power plant emissions. "We just don't need this plant," said Lynne Purvis, an activist with Everglades Earth First! who was born and raised in the Loxahatchee area. "I'm not willing to threaten the integrity of the Loxahatchee, one of the last large, intact pieces of northern Everglades, so that people can fuel their greedy energy desires." Purvis says that the Everglades Earth First! group intends to continue a sustained campaign of direct action against this power plant and its adjacent gas pipeline. The protest was also attended by grassroots activists and group across the United States who have been participating in the annual Earth First! Winter Rendezvous. One such group, Rising Tide North America, is part of an international movement for climate justice, which connects the social and environmental issues related to the growing climate crisis and calls for urgent and bold responses to the global human-caused dilemma. Brian Sloan, an organizer with Rising Tide North America and participant in Monday morning's protest, said "FPL is doing what we call 'green-washing'. Gas-fired power is not a clean or sustainable energy. It is a dirty and dwindling fossil fuel." Sloan also states that Rising Tide does not trust energy companies to solve the climate crisis. "The solutions to climate change will never come from the people who created the problem." Earth First! and the Rising Tide movements recognize that the fight against fossil fuel power is being used by the energy industry to push a new wave of nuclear energy. These grassroots groups are committed to extending their fight against the dangers of nuclear power with an eye on other FPL proposals, such as Turkey Point and St. Lucie. >*Earth First! Blockades Power Plant Construction Site, 27 Arrested* > >Palm Beach County - Early Monday morning dozens of concerned community >members from Palm Beach County and all over the nation put their bodies on >the line to halt construction of FPL's West County Energy Center (WCEC), >demanding energy efficiency, truly clean, renewable energy and a moratorium >on development in south Florida. Everglades Earth First! blocked the main >entrance to the WCEC site, a proposed massive 3800 MW gas-fired power plant >that would emit 12 million tons of CO2, a leading greenhouse gas, every >year. The plant is currently under construction despite ongoing legal >challenges to the plant's needed permits and certification, which have been >spearheaded by the local Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition. > >A dozen activists locked themselves together through metal pipes as 200 >supporters rallied around them. The blockade stopped work on the >construction site for six hours before a total of 27 people were arrested. > >This confrontational action was taken to protect the Loxahatchee National >Wildlife Refuge which sits 1000 ft from the power plant site and to protect >the larger Everglades system. Restoration would be undermined by new >development that the power plant is expected to encourage in the area. The >civil disobedience action also aims to protect the entire planet from the >destructive effects of climate change caused by power plant emissions. > >"We just don't need this plant," said Lynne Purvis, an activist with >Everglades Earth First! who was born and raised in the Loxahatchee area. >"I'm not willing to threaten the integrity of the Loxahatchee, one of the >last large, intact pieces of northern Everglades, so that people can fuel >their greedy energy desires." Purvis says that the Everglades Earth First! >group intends to continue a sustained campaign of direct action against >this >power plant and its adjacent gas pipeline. > >The protest was also attended by grassroots activists and group across the >United States who have been participating in the annual Earth First! Winter >Rendezvous. One such group, Rising Tide North America, is part of an >international movement for climate justice, which connects the social and >environmental issues related to the growing climate crisis and calls for >urgent and bold responses to the global human-caused dilemma. > >Brian Sloan, an organizer with Rising Tide North America and participant in >Monday morning's protest, said "FPL is doing what we call 'green-washing'. >Gas-fired power is not a clean or sustainable energy. It is a dirty and >dwindling fossil fuel." Sloan also states that Rising Tide does not trust >energy companies to solve the climate crisis. "The solutions to climate >change will never come from the people who created the problem." > >Earth First! and the Rising Tide movements recognize that the fight against >fossil fuel power is being used by the energy industry to push a new wave >of >nuclear energy. These grassroots groups are committed to extending their >fight against the dangers of nuclear power with an eye on other FPL >proposals, such as Turkey Point and St. Lucie. > ELF Blamed for Arsons in Washington State> > > http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_030308WAB_street_dreams_fires_LJ.1a79d3a7.html > > 'Street of Dream' homes burned by blaze> > Monday, March 3, 2008> > By > > TIM ROBINSON / KING 5 News and Associated Press> > WOODINVILLE, Wash. - > > An early morning fire still burning at the "Street> of Dreams" model > > luxury home development in Echo Lake just north of> Woodinville has > > destroyed at least three homes, and officials believe a> well-known > > arsonist group is responsible.> > No injuries have been reported in the > > three-alarm fire, which started> around 5 a.m. Monday.> > Snohomish > > County District Seven Chief Rick Eastman said a sign saying> ELF was > > left at the scene. ELF or Earth Liberation Front has claimed> > > responsibility for other arsons, including one at the University of> > > Washington in 2001 for which a woman is now on trial in Tacoma.> > > > Eastman said some of the homes were still under construction and no one> > > was living in the homes at the time. Three homes were completely> > > destroyed and one home had heat and smoke damage. Eastman said fires> > > also were set at a total of six homes.> > Eastman said that the fires > > were suspicious because they were set in> multiple places in separate > > homes. Firefighters were letting the fires> burn out for fear they could > > possibly be booby-trapped.> > "I'm not letting crews get in the > > buildings. It's a defensive fire right> now," said Eastman. "We heard > > several explosions inside of there, so> we're not sending any crews in > > for the fear that they are booby> trapped...We're in a contain mode."> > > > A 5-ft. by 5-ft. sign found nearby the scene read "Built Green? Nope> > > BLACK! McMansions + RCD's r not green. ELF" RCD means rural cluter> > > development.> > Eastman says police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, > > Firearms and> Explosives were investigating.> > The Street of Dreams is > > an annual showcase of luxury homes in the> Seattle area. The latest > > development is off Highway 522 at Echo Lake Drive.> > > > http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_030308WAB_street_dreams_fires_LJ.1a79d3a7.html> http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gJFEwPQuw2So28q9la7kNwNPLm-w 15,000 protest Dresden bridge plan;: would end UNESCO heritage designation Mar 9, 2008 BERLIN - Thousands of people protested in Dresden today against the planned construction of a bridge that could cost the city its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO warned in 2006 that 635-metre-long span would mar the skyline and landscape of the eastern German city. On Sunday, 15,000 protesters rallied in favour of an alternative endorsed by UNESCO, a tunnel under the Elbe River instead of the bridge. Besides concern over the UNESCO ruling, environmentalists complain the bridge would encroach on the habitat of the rare lesser horseshoe bat. A court ruled in November that construction could proceed despite the threat to the bat. However, legal authorities did order a strict nighttime speed limit of 30 kilometres an hour to limit disruptions to the bat's habitat. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 16:13:45 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:13:45 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Protests - animal rights Message-ID: <030701c89e85$3172b860$0802a8c0@andy1> A quick note... DON'T FORGET TO SEND EMAILS... (see below) Because e-mails are helping to cheer Michal up ELP has decided to go public with this story and we ask that everyone please help aid Michal's recovery by sending him an e-mail of support. The address to e-mail is realita.tv at gmail.com [NOTE: I haven't been able to find details on the allegations of police misconduct which appear in the mainstream report on the York animal rights arrests as having appeared on the "ALF website" - they aren't on the YAFA, ALF (US) or ALF-SG (UK) websites, though it appears the activists were arrested without much evidence on suspicion of making phone calls and that items such as computers were stolen by police] * INDIA: PETA leader arrested for protest against bullfighting * FRANCE: Chinese Olympics protested over dog eating * PHILIPPINES: Protests call for ban on cock-fighting * ASSAM/INDIA: Protest over failure to stop rhino poaching * AUSTRALIA: Activists protest kangaroo killing * RUSSIA: Stars protest against baby seal hunt * CANADA: Activists head for the coast as seal killing begins * US: Animal rights activists burn down taxidermy shop * IRELAND: Mink released from fur farm * MEXICO: 24 ALF raids in three months; KFC, restaurants targeted * US: Animal rights activists target rodeo * US: UCLA animal abusers get home visits, threats and public protests * US: ALF liberates goats set for slaughter * UK: Animal rights activists free rabbits from farm * UK: Monkeys saved from vivisection in Chile after protests * UK: Cambridge restaurant stops serving foie gras after protests ["Are our restaurant menus to be determined in future by whether or not animal activists approve of the way the animals, birds and fish on offer have been treated?" - silly Guardian columnist... LET'S HOPE SO] * CHINA: Students beg for lives of mistreated animals, stop butchery * EUROPE/GLOBAL: ALF actions * UK: York animal activists succeed in stopping foie gras - but get targeted by police * US: Crap arrests at Novartis demo * US: PETA protest Ringling Bros circus * US: PETA target presidential rallies with campaign against climate costs of meat-eating * AUSTRALIA: Protest at hunting expo - two arrests * US: Buffalo Field Campaign continue fight against Yellowstone bison killing Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSSP199140 PETA founder held in India over bullfight protest Fri Jan 18, 2008 7:12am EST CHENNAI, India, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Police arrested the head of the animal rights group PETA for a breach of public peace and insulting religious feelings while protesting against a bullfighting festival in south India, officials said on Friday. Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, was held on Thursday after she blindfolded a statue of Indian independence leader Mohandas K. Gandhi to protest against cruelty towards bulls in the ancient sport of "jallikattu". Organised as part of the January harvest festival of "pongal", jallikattu is India's version of the running of the bulls which takes place every year in the Spanish city of Pamplona. Fighters and muscular wild bulls -- often pepped up with large amounts of homemade liquor -- dash after each other in the streets of the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Unlike the Spanish version of the sport, the aim is not to kill the bulls but to dominate and tame them, and pluck away bundles of money or other treats tied to their specially sharpened horns. Police said Newkirk was held on charges of breaching public peace, hurting religious sentiments and damaging statues after she entered a park in Coimbatore town and put a cloth around the eyes of Gandhi's statue. She then hung a placard saying: "Reject cruel sport jallikattu". She was released on bail. Newkirk told Reuters she did not mean any disrespect to Gandhi but blindfolded his statue to symbolically shield him from the cruelty of the sport. "In the name of taming of the bull, 10, 20, 50 people torment the animal and thousands cheer," she said. "You can see fear and confusion in the eyes of the animal as it tries to flee." India's animal welfare board has also criticised the festival saying men beat the animals and throw burning chilli powder in their eyes, ears and mouth to enrage them. India's Supreme Court banned jallikattu last year, saying it was cruel and not in keeping with what it described as the country's non-violent traditions. But that ban was watered down this month, and the court said the popular sport could be held under strict government vigil. Fighters and spectators have been gored or trampled to death, and the number of injured fighters has often run into the hundreds. The festival has been marketed as a tourist attraction in recent years. (Writing by Krittivas Mukherjee; editing by Simon Denyer and Sanjeev Miglani) http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hcqbO7l-1Bm1b77FTH0Ct5LxbuFQ French animal lovers launch Olympic protest over dog kill Feb 18, 2008 PARIS, Feb 18, 2008 (AFP) - A French association of animal lovers on Monday launched a petition aimed at encouraging China to ban, by the Summer Olympics, the killing of dogs for food. One Voice said the practice of preparing canines for the pot often involves slow and brutal methods in which the animal is beaten to death, boiled alive or hung up to bleed while still breathing. "This trade is widespread in China, even in large cities, although in Beijing, the authorities are trying to push it outside the city ahead of the Olympics," said Muriel Arnal, president and founder of One Voice. The association said it had researched the practice for six months and then sent a team out across China for more than three weeks with the help of Chinese associates, filming and photographing dogs being cruelly put to death. Several years ago, the backstreet butchers' targets of choice were Saint Bernards, but now the favourite dogs for slaughter are German shepherds, it said. Stolen pets, some of them still bearing collars, were also being killed, it said. One Voice said its online petition, launched on websites in France and Britain, aimed at pushing China to pass laws banning the killing of dogs, in time for the August Olympics. Hong Kong, which is a special region of China, and Taiwan, which China views as a renegade province, both have laws banning the consumption of dogs, One Voice noted. http://sports.inquirer.net/inquirersports/inquirersports/view/20080205-116832/Despite-protest-sabong-is-here-to-stay Despite protest, 'sabong' is here to stay By Manolo I?igo Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 04:55:00 02/05/2008 MANILA, Philippines -- I find it futile to totally ban cockfighting in the Philippines because there is no popular opposition to the game yet among Filipinos, unlike in the United States where the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a force to reckon with. Not only that. Cockfighting is tolerated here because the cash-strapped government earns billions of pesos from the operation of more than 1,400 cockpits all over the country. In fact, even top government officials, including some Cabinet members and congressmen, are among the frequent habitu?s of big-time derbies. Many people are wondering, too, why the Makati Coliseum and the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City are serving as venues for cockfights. Aren't these supposed to be public edifices/buildings where cockfighting is not allowed? * * * Recently, animal rights activists belonging to the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) protested the holding of the just-ended World Slasher Invitational 8-Cock Derby at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. PETA's Francis Anthony Regamit said the protest was part of their crusade to ban cockfighting in the country. He stressed that cockfighting "only sends wrong signals to the youth," adding that "cockfighting teaches kids not only to engage in gambling, but it also teaches them to be violent and cruel to animals." Another PETA crusader, Jennilyn Tagasa, belied the claim that cockfighting is part of the Filipino culture. "Cruelty (to animals) is not an excuse for tradition. They force the animals to fight against each other," she said. * * * In the US, only the state of Louisiana allows cockfighting. Cockfighting is banned in all other US states following the passage of a bill filed by Sen. Wayne Allard in the 106th Congress way back in 1999, amending the US Animal Welfare Act of 1976. "It's unfair and it's not even funny," said American cocker-breeders from the affected states. "It's killing the honorable sport of cockfighting." Even Big Dome owner Jorge "Nene" Araneta, husband to former Miss Universe Stella Marquez of Colombia, said he does not bet much and that some of his cockfighting cronies do not bet at all. "They just love the thrill of breeding victorious gamecocks," he said. Hotelier Biboy Enriquez of Firebird fame also considers cockfighting a sport. * * * On the other hand, anti-gambling advocates said cockfighting destroys the lives of people and undermines the moral fiber of the nation. "People need jobs, not gambling," former Manila Mayor Mel Lopez once said. Is cockfighting a sport or a gambling activity? "Sabong" or cockfighting is both a sport (entertainment) and gambling activity. If memory serves, the Bureau of Internal Revenue levies an admission tax of 30 percent on the cost of a ticket because it is considered an entertainment. At the same time it imposes an 18-percent tax on all incomes from the operation of the cockpit as a gambling activity. * * * Vintage retired colonel Julian Malonso, a former Philippine Olympic Committee president, wrote to say that before the war, the dean of sportswriters was Pedro "Pete" Villanueva. He was among the first Filipino graduates of physical education from the United States, in Chicago. He was the sports editor of DMHM Debate-Mabuhay Herald and Monday Mail, owned by the Madrigal family and later acquired by the Sorianos. During the Japanese occupation, Villanueva became the sports editor of the Manila Times, formerly the Tribune, owned by the TVT Tribune, Vanguardia and Taliba chain of publications. Tony Siddayao of the Manila Times was widely regarded as the dean of sportswriters of the post-war era. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200802022074.htm Protest against rhino killing Guwahati (PTI): The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) on Saturday staged a state-wide dharna to protest against the state government's alleged failure in checking rhino killing by poachers in the Kaziranga National Park. The AASU staged protests in offices of the forest departments in all district and sub-divisional headquarters of the state. AASU Advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya alleged here that the state government has failed in all respects to check the killings of rhino, which is a national treasure, by poachers. "We demand Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain's resignation fo failing to take adequate steps to stop this heinous crime", he alleged. The forest minister, on the other hand, said that the question of his resignation on this issue does not arise as the Chief Minister has already set up a high-level commission to inquire into the killings. The Commission has already completed the inquiry and would soon submit the report to the Chief Minister. He thanked the students organisation for creating awareness about the killings but pointed out that they should have done so since the earlier AGP rule when a large number of rhinos were killed by poachers. Poachers have killed three rhinos during the month of January last while 22 rhinos were killed last year in the Park. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iTQf3EPUk5iaOSMpZNxoAdjKYZgQ Kangaroo pie on menu as activists protest Aussie cull Mar 13, 2008 The findings, published in local media Friday, come amidst growing international protests over plans to cull 400 kangaroos on defence department land where they are said to be overgrazing. The British-based Viva! -- Vegetarians International Voice for Animals -- says more than 2,000 people have signed a petition on its website against the cull and local protesters have threatened to blockade the site from Saturday. But millions of kangaroos are slaughtered in the wild every year on the basis that there are too many, with much of the meat being used for pet food, and attempts are being made to make it more appetising for humans. [.] Official government figures show the kangaroo population "has fluctuated between 15 and 50 million animals over the past 20 years in the harvested areas, depending on seasonal conditions." A supporter of the animal rights group Viva!, former Beatle Paul McCartney, has called the commercial slaughter of kangaroos a "shameful massacre." "There is an urgent need for action to protect kangaroos from a barbaric industry which slaughters them for meat and leather," he is quoted as saying on Viva's website. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j1UXwcYRxNKJHNehXZleuU4cOlDw Russian stars protest against baby seal hunt Mar 11, 2008 MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian stars and environment defenders rallied Tuesday on the White Sea's shore against hunting baby seals, which is still practiced in Russia in March and April, Russian media reported. "I think that today we did a great thing and stopped these killings for at least some time. A law must put an end to this," Russian sports commentator Viktor Gusev said as quoted by the Interfax news agency. Television channels transmitted images of men walking in the vast white snow desert wielding ice-picks, hitting baby seals one after another as snow turned red with blood. "I call on Russia to ban killing of baby seals. They are just like human babies -- they also cry for their mothers," pop star Laima Vaikule said. Some 335,000 people signed a petition calling for the practice to end, the deputy chief of Russia's environment monitoring agency Rosprirodnadzor, Oleg Mitvol, said Tuesday. According to Russia's natural resources ministry, up to 35,000 baby seals are killed in the White Sea annually. "Let us recall that the hunt of baby seals is authorised only in Russia," the letter said, adding that their soft white fur coats are partly exported to Norway. http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=ff72842d-5f5b-4503-b676-ec103414bbaa Seal hunters, protesters head for the ice floes Ken Meaney , Canwest News Service Published: Friday, March 28, 2008 Sealers and observers headed to the ice floes Friday as the annual seal hunt began in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Animal welfare activists had accused the Canadian government Thursday of denying them observer permits as part of a "cover-up" of the hunt just as the European Union is weighing a ban on the import of seal products. But on Friday, Phil Jenkins of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, said 60 observer permits had been issued, "so the flap you saw yesterday afternoon about coverup and all that kind of stuff is nonsense and always was." A harp seal pup lies on an ice floe March 24, 2008 in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in Canada. Canada's seal hunt is expected to start later this week and the government has said this year 275,000 harp seals can be harvested. Joe Raedle/Getty Images The Southern Gulf hunt is concentrated in the Cabot Strait area between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, but vessels have not yet reached the floes there because of heavy ice. Most of the hunters, so far, are from the Magdalen Islands. About 16 vessels were taking part in the hunt on Friday. A separate hunt in the northern part of the gulf, between Newfoundland and Quebec, will likely open next week. The largest part of the hunt, off Newfoundland's northeast coast, will probably open the week after that, he said. The Newfoundland hunt is responsible for about 70 per cent of the animals killed. Observer permits were issued for groups such as the Humane Society of the United States and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. There were also permits for media organizations such as the United Kingdom's Sky TV. Once on the ice floes, observers, who usually go to the hunt by helicopter, are allowed no closer than 10 metres to sealers. On Thursday, a spokeswoman for the International Fund for Animal Welfare said the Canadian government was trying to limit access to the hunt while it works to lobby against a possible ban on seal products by the European Union that could come as soon as June. The government denied the claim and said it is only driven by safety concerns. A delegation of Canadian officials and hunters headed to Europe Friday to make their case for the sealing industry. For this year's harvest, the government set a quota of 275,000 seal harps out of a population of nearly six million. Canadian officials have long maintained the hunt is well-monitored and sustainable and Ottawa announced earlier this year that hunters will now have to take extra steps to ensure the seals die humanely. ------------------------------------------------------------- Taxidermy Shop Destroyed By Fire Letter says activists caused blaze By Patricia Breakey Delhi (New York) News Bureau DELHI _ A letter has claimed animal-rights activists are responsible for the fire that destroyed Perkins Taxidermy on Jan. 25. The blaze at the Arbor Hill Road taxidermist shop in Delhi was reported at about 11:20 p.m., and the 911 call was believed to have come from a motorist on state Route 10, Delhi Fire Chief Dan Brandenburg Sr. said at the time. Two to three weeks after the fire, owner David Shaw said, he found a letter that had been dropped off in the mailbox at the shop. "Greetings Human," was the salutation on the typed letter that bore no postmark, Delaware County Undersheriff Doug Vredenburgh said Wednesday. "The letter took credit for the fire in the name of animal rights," Vredenburgh said. "It talked about humans overpopulating the earth and indicated that the fire was 'just a warning.'" The letter, which has been turned over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for examination and testing, was signed ARF, which may be the acronym for the Animal Rights Front Inc., a group based in New Haven, Conn. Vredenburgh said it has not been determined whether the letter is "legitimate or not or if it has any connection with the fire. "The letter was vague, and we have not determined whether or not the ARF is a legitimate organization or even what the initials actually stand for," Vredenburgh said. "Anybody can write a letter claiming anything, and at this time, there is no way to verify it." Shaw said he considered the contents of the letter threatening. "Let me just say I took it serious enough that when I leave the driveway in my truck, I have a friend with me," Shaw said. "There are a lot of lunatics running around out there that no one can stop." Vredenburgh said that based on the rhetoric in the letter, he believes it was written by an animal activist. However, because of the lapse of time between the fire and the delivery of the letter, he questions whether the person who wrote the letter was actually connected with the fire. Rich Bell, Delaware County Emergency Services director, said the fire has been listed as an incendiary blaze, and the investigation has been turned over the sheriff's department. Vredenburgh said the determination that the fire may have been arson was based on ruling out all other usual causes, including electrical causes and malfunctioning stoves. He added that testing was done to determine if there was an accelerant, but none was found. "It would be very difficult to prove that the fire was arson because there is no physical evidence and no accelerant," Vredenburgh said. The one-story building housing the shop was a "total loss," Brandenburg said previously. Shaw said it was "more of a setback than a big monetary loss because he salvages a lot of the stuff." He added that he intends to re-establish the business at his home. Shaw said he purchased the taxidermy business 11/2 years ago from Bill Perkins, but he had been working for Perkins for more than 24 years. Shaw said he leased the building. He said he wouldn't let the threat stop him from reopening his business. "Why should I give up 26 years of my life?" he asked. There are several references to ARF on the Internet. In New York Times articles from 1987 and 1988, Bill Manetti, of New Haven, Conn., is listed as both the president and the spokesman for the nonprofit animal rights organization, but there is currently no phone listing for a Bill or William Manetti or any group using the organization's name nationwide. Vredenburgh said the FBI has not been able to locate anyone connected with any group using the acronym ARF. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information about the fire, letters of a similar nature or the person who left the letter in the mailbox is asked to call the ********** Sheriff's Department at ********* -------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, March 20, 2008 Mink farm targeted by animal rights group By: Joe Barrett GARDA? in Portlaoise are investigating an attack by animal rights activists at a mink farm in Vicarstown after a large number of mink were released from their pens over the weekend. A garda source told the Laois Nationalist sometime over the weekend the mink farm was accessed when someone broke a lock from a gate, released over 500 mink and sprayed graffiti around the farmyard. Una Heffernan of Vasa Limited which owns the farm, said while the mink had been released from their cages they were contained in the holding compound of the yard and none had escaped into the countryside. Ms Hefferan said graffiti sprayed around the buildings was quite specific and gave the name of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). She was unable to say whether this group has any connections with another group the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade who have held protests outside her farm on a number of occasions. This is not the first time the mink farm has been targeted in such a way. About five years ago animal rights activists released about 50 mink into the wild. These were quickly rounded up. To date no one has ever been arrested, charged or convicted with any illegal activity in attempting to release mink from the farm. There have been sporadic protests outside the farm over the past number of years by the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade venting their opposition to the farm's activities. Speaking to the Laois Nationalist yesterday (Tuesday) from a protest line outside the Department of Agriculture in Dublin Laura Broxson, a spokesperson for this group, denied any of her members was involved in any way in the weekend's events. She said her group has no connections to the Animal Liberation Front. "This is the first we've heard about this. We're not a group that gets involved in any illegal activities. We do however support direct legal action. We demonstrate and distribute publications opposing the fur trade and would not condone last weekend's actions. "We can understand though why some people are inclined to take matters into their own hands in this way. There is a lot of frustration at the slowness of the Government in coming forward with legislation to outlaw the fur trade in the country. "Some people see this type of action as similar to freeing slaves. Those underground activists see mink farmers as locking up wild animals against their nature in confined spaces." Ms Broxson said her group intends organising "an awareness" day in Portlaoise in May or June which will be followed by a protest outside the mink farm and she is asking local people opposed to the fur trade to join them in their day of action. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mexican ALF On A Roll; 24 Raids Against Animal Abusers in Last 3 Months Received Anonymously March 6-11, 2008 Mexican Animal Liberation Front On A Roll 24 Raids Against Animal Abusers in Last 3 Months; Here Are The Last Four On March 6 the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) focused on attacking businesses that profit from the blood of animals. 3 restaurants in Mexico State where they sell dead animals, fried and roasted, were in the sights of the ALF. Not only were paints used but also their glass was sprayed with red paint and a grill was made unusable. NO MATTER, SOONER OR LATER, THESE BUSINESSES WILL FALL BY THE HAND OF THE ALF! ------------------------------------------------------------------ March 7: A very unpleasant surprise brought managers, employees and police to 'work' on the night of March 7. One of the many KFC located in Mexico State was spoiled by radical activists brought together in the Animal Liberation Front; what they found was economic sabotage like: x Walls with slogans like Murderers! x Floors, walls and doors stained with red paint. x Posters and announcements of KFC with spilled 'blood' paint. x Lighted signs and cables sabotaged, painted and made unusable. The worst nightmare of bourgeois speciesists has reached them.... Go vegan sXe! ALF ------------------------------------------------------------------ March 8 Once again the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) made use of direct action to remind the animal abusers that we are here and we remain standing in this struggle. In the early morning hours of this day, militants of the ALF in Mexico attacked two restaurants but this time not with spay paint because it is easily erased. This time we decided to attack its large windows with hydrofluoric acid; the acid is highly corrosive and permanent on glass. The slogans MURDERERS!, MEAT IS MURDER!, FLA were what these bastards, who have no consideration for the lives of non-human animals, received. Stop dreaming, direct action now! Posted: For the speciesists with rancor, the ALF. ------------------------------------------------------------------ March 11: Activists from the Animal Liberation Front once again made our presence known, reminding national and foreign speciesists that we exist and that vengeance for our animal brothers and sisters has come. Very early in the day we decided to attack one of the fast-food restaurants originating in the darkest interests of the American empire, KFC, which was hit with red paint resembling the blood of innocent animals and FLA appeared in permanent acid on their windows; this is not the end! ALF Mexico http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/default.asp?ArID=201749 Animal rights activists protest at rodeo 3/2/2008 12:10 PM By: News 8 Austin Staff Protesters worked to educate the public about ethical animal treatment. The Rodeo may be your idea of a fun time but there are some who oppose the methods used to put the show on. Friday night, some animal rights activists rallied at the rodeo to protest what they call serious abuses inflicted upon animals during the rodeo. The activists are angry with the yearly events and want the public to know what's going on behind the scenes in regards to the treatment of animals. "They don't buck because they're wild animals like most people believe they buck because of flank straps that go tightly around their abdomen or electrical shocks," Kelly Sloan, an animal activist at the protest said. Through the protests, groups hope not only to end or change the way rodeo animals are treated, but also to educate the public about what is being done. -------------------------------------------------------- For Immediate Release February 22, 2008 UCLA Gets Watered Down 2-Week Restraining Order Against Five Activists Meanwhile, Animal Liberation Front Takes Credit for Latest Attack on Primate Killer Edythe London Los Angeles- As UCLA spent the day in a Santa Monica Courtroom securing a temporary watered-down restraining order against legal protesters, the Animal Liberation Front(ALF) coincidently issued an anonymous communique taking credit for the latest attack on infamous primate killer Edythe London. London is widely despised for her abusive treatment of non-human primates, including those she addicts to nicotine and methamphetamines in gruesome, redundant and useless experiments in UCLA laboratories. The communique reads in part: "Edyth London, you and your work are deplorable. You are given paychecks in exchange for addicting primates, the closest kin that the human species knows, to numerous sickeningly addicting drugs like crystal meth. For forcing these innocent and sensitive beings to suffer through a type of hell that they would never encounter if it wasn't for your deranged science you deserve to know true justice. This is why on February 3rd 2008 we left an incendiary device at your house at 1246 Shadybrook in Beverly Hills. Edyth, the fire that night was exactly the size we wanted it to be. It was just a little outreach because we want to see you make the sound ethical choice to stop vivisecting primates. We know what we are doing and fires can be much larger. Edyth, your secrets are very ugly and the spotlights on them are getting brighter. You make us sick and you inspire us into action Edyth. As each day begins and nothing that you own is burning consider yourself lucky. Now is the time to stop vivisecting. We don't back down. Ever." While high-priced UCLA lawyers spent Thursday morning arguing that five above ground picketers working with the UCLA Primate Freedom Project should be "restrained" from focused demonstrations 50 feet from private residences (already a local law in most jurisdictions), it was business as usual for other activists planning further protests for the upcoming weekend. Strangely enough, the clandestine activists of the Animal Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Brigade didn't bother to arrive in court; it seems unlikely a civil restraining order will deter them much. Meanwhile, the lawsuit filed by activists in federal court 2 months ago threatens to take some of the wind out of UC Regents, who may see a large sum of money going activists' way. Attorney Christine Garcia filed the suit on behalf of activists, charging UCLA with ten causes of action, including depriving them of their constitutional rights to free speech. Animal Liberation Press Officer Jerry Vlasak, MD: "UCLA accomplished absolutely nothing in court today; underground activists will probably never even know the restraining order exists, and all but five picketers can continue their protests against the atrocities being committed by primate vivisectors on the UCLA campus. Even the five activists named in the TRO have been given such limited restrictions that they will barely notice the difference. For more information, and to read the entire communique from the ALF, visit: www.animalliberationpressoffice.org. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/10/AR2008031002591.html California Regents Sue Animal Activists UC System Aims to Protect Researchers By Ashley Surdin Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, March 11, 2008; A03 LOS ANGELES -- It was late into the night when 25 people in ski masks descended on professor Dario Ringach's family home. Pounding on the door, frightening his small children, they screamed into megaphones, "Animal killer! We know where you live! We will never give up!" And they apparently meant it. That year, 2006, according to court documents, animal rights activists launched a summer-long campaign of harassment against Ringach, an assistant professor of psychology and neurobiology at the University of California at Los Angeles and other scientists who conduct research with laboratory animals. They hurled firecrackers at his house in the middle of the night and planted Molotov-cocktail-like explosives at other faculty houses, threatening to burn them to the ground. UCLA hired private security, but Ringach feared for his family. "Effectively immediately, I am no longer doing animal research," he finally wrote in an e-mail to his persecutors, pleading to be left alone. "Please don't bother my family anymore." The University of California regents have responded by suing UCLA Primate Freedom, the Animal Liberation Brigade, the Animal Liberation Front and five people allegedly affiliated with them. It is a tactic that the regents successfully employed nine years ago. The regents hope to win a permanent injunction similar to one granted against Last Chance for Animals in 1989. But some experts note that the regents now are battling more violent, Internet-savvy foes who thrive in online communities, post faculty "targets" on Web sites and upload how-to guides for their attacks. "The reality is that, unlike in the past, where movements really relied on interpersonal communication and gatherings to ferment this radicalization, all this is happening online now," according to Oren Segal, co-director of the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism in New York. "The ability for people to learn about the movement and how to carry out attacks on behalf of it are easier than it's ever been because of the Internet." Indeed, a temporary restraining order -- prohibiting harassment and posting of faculty members' personal information on the Internet -- was granted Feb. 21 by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge. But three days later, six masked protesters reportedly disrupted a child's birthday party at the home of a University of California at Santa Cruz researcher and confronted her husband at the door, hitting him on the hand. It is unclear whether the protesters are connected to those named in UC's lawsuit. Harassment by violent animal rights activists has climbed at universities across the country, including Oregon Health and Science University, the University of Utah, and Ohio State University, where researchers have been victims of home visits or, in one case, found their windows slathered in glass-eating acid. Scientists, administrators and lawyers are closely watching the effectiveness of the California regents case. Experts say the shift toward more personal attacks is a response to increasingly fortified laboratories, which universities began securing in the 1980s and 1990s as attacks heightened. Now, groups have shunned "Fort Knox" in favor of ill-prepared homes, said Jerry Vlasik, the former vivisector turned spokesman for the North American Animal Liberation Press Office. Vlasik has repeatedly advocated for using "whatever force against animal research scientists necessary." "If killing them is the only way to stop them," he said in a telephone interview, "then I said killing them would certainly be justified." Some scientists refuse to relinquish their work, but others are not taking chances. Like Ringach, some continue to work but not with animals. Most who leave the profession make their decisions quietly, not wanting to fuel the movement. Still, ripples are spreading through the science community. Positions in animal research are increasingly difficult to fill, according to Frankie Trull, president of the Foundation for Biomedical Research, a national organization that supports the humane and responsible use of animals in medical and scientific research. "I do hear scientists say that they have open positions and nobody to fill them because it's animal research," Trull said. "The bigger question, and we worry about this a lot, is what will happen to the future of biomedical research? Will brilliant young minds go to some other field because this field has become too contentious?" ------------------------------------------------------ Goats Liberated from Future Animal Abusers of America (FFA) Carpenteria, CA Gets First Visit from Animal Liberation Front In the early hours of Saturday, Feb. 9th 2008, three young goats were liberated by the ALF from the Carpinteria High School FFA in California. After cutting through one lock and one fence, we took them from their small pens with concrete floors and carried them to freedom. They were taken to a place where they will be able to live their lives free from cages and fences, able to enjoy sunshine and grass as opposed to steel bars and concrete floors. As we brought them to their new home, they immediately stopped crying, began eating the grass around them, and enjoyed their surroundings. They listened to us and licked our faces as we soothed them before leaving the three of them on their own. They will no longer be victims to animal exploitation or slaughter for human greed. The FFA is an organization that teaches kids from a young age how to carry on the fucked up tradition of anthropocentrism, where they are taught how to raise animals for exploitation, abuse, and eventually murder. FFA is known for keeping animals in small, dirty, unkempt, confined places where they lack nurturing and stimulating interaction with other animals. As long as the FFA continues to raise animals for the meat, dairy, or egg industries, the A L F will continue to take actions against these practices. http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=156130&command=displayContent&sourceNode=242285&home=yes&more_nodeId1=156139&contentPK=19820582 ANIMAL LIBERATION GROUP RAIDS FARM 08:00 - 09 February 2008 A gang claiming to be part of the Animal Liberation Front has stolen 129 rabbits from a Lincolnshire farm. The crooks raided Highgate Farm, Normanby-by-Spital, near Lincoln. They then posted images and video footage, allegedly showing them inside the farm, on various websites around the world. The gang claims it loaded the rabbits, some of which are bred for medical research purposes, into bags in order to release them into the wild at a later date. It also claims that before leaving the farm its members glued up the locks of a sports car, a van and a lawnmower on the premises before covering them with paint stripper and filling their exhausts with expanding insulation foam. The owner of the farm, who wants to remain anonymous, said he was worried about his animals. "I was shocked and disappointed when we discovered the burglary," he said. "We have been producing meat rabbits for the table for many years to the highest of welfare standards. "I am worried about what has happened to the stolen rabbits as they would not survive long in the wild and are not suitable to live as family pets in solitary confinement. They have lived in communal groups and to be happy need to feel part of a colony." Lincolnshire Police is investigating the raid, which happened in the early hours of January 7, and is calling on the public to help catch the gang. http://www.envirolink.org/external.html?itemid=200802020921210.99692 Protests free monkeys from cages By Sarah Crabtree A SHEFFIELD-based animal rights organisation is celebrating today after 88 monkeys, destined for experiments in South America, were saved. The capuchin monkeys have been flown to England six weeks after huge International Animal Rights Day protests initiated and coordinated by Sheffield animal protection group Uncaged. Mass marches were staged last December through the centre of Santiago in Chile, finishing at the Universidad Cat"lica where a primate research centre was based. Six weeks later news broke that the centre was to close, and the centre's 88 monkeys were flown to Monkey World in Dorset by a Chilean Air Force plane, arriving last Tuesday. The monkeys, aged between two and 30, had been kept in small cages in a lab, some of them in solitary confinement for up to 20 years. All spent years only being taken out for medical experiments and never seeing daylight. Dr Alison Cronin, the director of Monkey World, said the animals had "lots of psychological and potentially medical problems" and will need to be rehabilitated before settling into social groups at the sanctuary's Capuchin Lodge. Capuchins can be found in the wild in Central and South America, where they live in groups of around 35. They have a life expectancy of more than 30 years. http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news621.htm COUP DE FOIE GRAS A restaurant in Cambridge has stopped selling foie gras after months of campaigning by animal rights activists. The last straw came when protesters from the ALF visited Midsummer House in Cambridge on Sunday and did a spot of redecorating, graffitiing the walls, gluing door-locks and damaging door-frames and windows to encourage the Michelin-starred restaurant to remove the dish from their menus. Slogans such as "Stop Selling Foie Gras" and "Ban Foie Gras" were spray-painted on to the outside of the building. The posh pate is made by filtly duckers in France where 30 million ducks a year are force-fed until their livers are 10 times the normal size - whilst being held in cages so small they can't even stretch their wings. And it's demand here that helps keep these horrific practices going. In a press release the group stated, "Because of the continued support by Midsummer House of such a vile industry, direct action had to be taken." The restaurant was closed on Monday, with staff spending the day scrubbing the walls clean. It followed Animal Rights Cambridge who brought their own Valentines message to staff and amorous diners on the 14th, protesting outside and waving placards saying "Foie gras = diseased liver" and "Don't buy into cruelty". In the end the restaurant management seem to have given in to the pressure. *See www.directaction.info and www.viva.org.uk/campaigns/foiegras/index.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/feb/27/5 One restaurant has given in to intimidation and changed its menu. How many more will follow? a.. b.. a.. Marcel Berlins b.. The Guardian, c.. Wednesday February 27 2008 d.. Article history About this article Close This article appeared in the Guardian on Wednesday February 27 2008 on p5 of the Comment & features section. It was last updated at 00:18 on February 27 2008. A Cambridge restaurant announced last week that it would no longer have foie gras on its menu. Not, perhaps, an important event in itself, affecting not too many people. But the circumstances leading to the decision were disturbing. Daniel Clifford, the chef-owner of Midsummer House - honoured with two Michelin stars - didn't stop serving the dish because he had been persuaded to do so by the argument that its manufacture involved the maltreatment of geese and ducks. He changed his mind through fear. The Animal Liberation Front admitted responsibility for acts of vandalism that included glueing the restaurant's locks, throwing a brick through a window (narrowly missing a waiter), spray-painting the windows and generally trashing the place, causing several thousand pounds of damage. "My initial feeling was, 'Sod 'em, we'll get cameras and security to guard the restaurant,' " said Clifford. "But when the police told me what the ALF was capable of, I decided to give in. Ultimately I have to think of the safety of my staff and customers." There wasn't much media coverage of or reaction to the outrage. Many restaurants in Britain serve foie gras. Have they all now become potential targets of ALF violence? Are our restaurant menus to be determined in future by whether or not animal activists approve of the way the animals, birds and fish on offer have been treated? Today foie gras - tomorrow chicken? The life of a goose, even one primed for its valuable liver, is far pleasanter and its distress far less (especially with modern methods of feeding it) than that of a battery chicken. A few thousand geese and ducks might have suffered in preparing the small quantities of foie gras consumed in this country; many millions of chicken and other animals, destined to be food for humans, have suffered more. I do not for a moment blame Midsummer House's owner for submitting to the threats and violence, but I have an uneasy feeling that the day he did so marked the beginning of something new and sinister. ------------------------------------------------------ http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2008-01/18/content_6403020.htm Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 7:23 PM Subject: (CN) Students beg for the lives of butchered animals (CN) Students beg for the lives of butchered animals Posted by: "Cate" cateanna at yahoo.com Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:34 am (PST) Students beg for the lives of butchered animals 2008/01/18 After seeing cats, dogs and birds butchered and sold as food, 10 college students got down on their knees to plead for clemency for the animals at a market in Changchun, Jilin province, on Saturday. Despite temperatures as low as -27C, the students begged for half an hour until the slaying stopped. "We hope we can stick up for the poor animals and urge more people to join us to protect them," Yu, one of the student's leaders, said. (New Business) ........................... Getty Photos: CHANGCHUN, CHINA - JANUARY 12: A student from the Northeast Normal University wears a cat mask as he demonstrates with other students behind cages full of partridges to be slaughtered at a market on Taibei Street on January 12, 2008 in Changchun of Jilin Province, northeast China. The animal market mainly sells cats, dogs, rabbits, partridges and other small animals for eating. Some of the students knelt outdoors in temperatures reaching 27 degrees centigrade below zero in protest to the slaughter. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images) http://legacyeditorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/details_pop.aspx?iid=78911634&cdi=0 http://legacyeditorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/details_pop.aspx?iid=78911633&cdi=0 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389888.html 18th-20th January 08 France - STORES PAINTED, GLUED Mexico - NEW HOMES FOR PUPPIES ***USA - L.A. GOV'T OFFICIAL VISITED BY ALF Italy - VIVISECTION PROTESTED WITH STONES AND PAINT UK - ALF TARGETS SEQUANI TORTURE LAB Italy - CAMPAIGN CONTINUES AGAINST PET STORE CHAIN Germany - HUNTING STANDS DESTROYED FRANCE: STORES PAINTED, GLUED anonymous report: "- During the night of January 19, ALF activists glued and tagged the window of a well-known store: the pictures speak for themselves: ASSASSINS (ALF) NO to sadistic cosmetics!! The moment was great. WE WILL RETURN!!!! VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS578Z7wgBk - Same night, the front of a butcher was tagged, glued locks, and windows broken. MEAT = DEATH Special dedication to the butcher: you had been warned that we would return, and we have!" MEXICO: NEW HOMES FOR PUPPIES "January 16: The Animal Liberation Front Commando-Green Black of Mexico State rescued 4 puppies and gave them a better life. Every animal is important as we continue the fight. FLA/ALF!" ITALY: VIVISECTION PROTESTED WITH STONES AND PAINT On New Years Eve, a building in Busto Arsizio that will house a vivisection laboratory was hit with stones and paint. More information about a new campaign against vivisection in universities in Italy's Insubria region: http://www.bastavivisezione.net/home.php UK: ALF TARGETS SEQUANI TORTURE LAB "Above ground activists have received the following anonymous reports from December 2007 & January 2008. 1. 'DHL Deliver to Hell' & 'Close Sequani Puppy Killers' sprayed on a bridge next to a DHL depot. We were ready to smash the place in but there was lots of police activity around. The ALF are watching you Sequani Quintiles and following those unmarked vans DHL are sending in. How long before we trash them too? Animal Liberation Front 2. A billboard advertising TNT was covered in anti-Sequani slogans. Perhaps TNT would like to stop dealing with the animal lab industry and stop delivering for Arrowmight to Sequani. Nigel Arthur Edmondson works at them both, so we will hit them both. ALF 3. Boards advertising McDonalds were torn down and destroyed. This company kills thousands of animals every day and has come back into the eye of the ALF. Until every cage is empty. ALF 4. A van belonging to a butcher was wrecked in West Yorkshire. Black paint was poured all over it because of his black heart, and the windows were smashed. No rest for the wicked. Animal Liberation Front 5. Bayer kills animals inside HLS so we subverted their adverts near York. They had pictures of happy animals on them to try and sell their products so 'Bayer Butchers Beagles - Smash HLS' was painted over them. A.L.F." ITALY: CAMPAIGN CONTINUES AGAINST PET STORE CHAIN recent actions reported by activists in Italy: "december 22 sassuolo (MO) Windows at Zoolandia pet-store smashed 23 Sassuolo (MO) Zoolandia store attacked with 2 litres of paint on the entrance 28 Emilia 2 hens liberated from a small farmer. 31 Sassuolo (MO) A 15 kilos stone helps activists to smash the entrance at Zoolandia pet-store january 5: Emilia a hamster is 'stolen' from a small pet-shop and is now in good hands." Zoolandia are a chain of pet shops in Italy who have been targeted douzens of times this year: http://www.directaction.info/news_dec18_07.htm http://www.directaction.info/news_apr24_07.htm http://www.directaction.info/news_mar09_07.htm http://www.directaction.info/news_feb18b_07.htm http://www.directaction.info/news_jan28d_07.htm GERMANY: HUNTING STANDS DESTROYED anonymous report: "on nov 27th we destroyed 3 hunting stands in an area close to haltern am see, north rhine westphalia, germany. stop hunting, and keep your local forest hunter-safe. ALF" ------------------------------------------------------- YORK ACTION FOR ANIMALS DUO BUSTED AND LABELED "TERRORISTS" Oread Daily http://oreaddaily.blogspot.com/ British police raided undisclosed locations in York two nights ago and arrested two individuals on charges of harassment. This has been labelled as a terrorist activity due to their membership in York Action for Animals (YAFA). The cops have linked YAFA to the radical Animal Liberation Front thus their use of the terror label. YAFA has succeeded in taking fois grois off the menu in York. As they report: "In October 2007 we were aware of 6 places in York with foie-gras on their main menu, now there are none - the majority of these places stopped selling foie gras after polite emails or conversations - their management were friendly and professional and were able to talk and discuss concerns - there was one notable exception, which will be kept under surveillance." After the YAFA and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Europe staged demonstrations in the York, its city council voted last fall to stop all future sales of culinary product. Yet, despite the ban, it became known that the restaurant at the Blue Bicycle although the dish had gone from its main menu, it was still available on the specials board and for outside catering contracts. So YAFA directed a campaign at them (see article below). As you know foie grois is the swollen liver of ducks that have been force-fed with metal pipes- this force feeding causes severe excruciating pain for the poor birds as their livers swell up to 10 times their natural size and they suffer from a medical condition which a veterinarian would call 'hepatic lipidosis'. After the ban was passed in York, Councilor Paul Blanchard said York could help spur a nationwide effort against foie grois. "The process which leads to the production of foie grois is cruel and should be banned," he said. "It is so cruel it is banned in 15 countries." "This motion will be a start and it will raise awareness of this intolerable cruelty," he added. "This could genuinely be the end for foie grois in this country." The following is from The Press (Great Britain). Animal rights pair held TWO animal rights campaigners thought to be involved in protests against a York restaurant have been arrested on suspicion of harassment. North Yorkshire Police said today that a number of items were also seized as part of an investigation. A spokeswoman said that the two people who were arrested were a 40- year-old man and a 32-year-old woman. They were suspected of harassment "relating to an incident connected to a restaurant in York". She said both had been released on police bail while inquiries continued. A number of allegations have been made on the Animal Liberation Front's (ALF) website about police officers' alleged conduct during the arrests. The website carries a request for supporters to email North Yorkshire Police's professional standards. Postings on the site claim the arrests related to the sustained campaign by YAFA (York Action for Animals) against the sale of foie gras by the Blue Bicycle restaurant in Fossgate. YAFA organised a series of demonstrations outside the restaurant, which it said was the last in York to sell the controversial pat?. Earlier this month, it claimed victory, saying foie gras had been dropped from the menu. But the Blue Bicycle said although the dish had gone from its main menu, it was still available on the specials board and for outside catering contracts, and it could reappear on the main menu in the future. It is claimed on the ALF site that a property was raided by police under a search warrant issued in relation to unproven allegations of a "harrassing" phone call made on New Years Eve. It is also claimed that items removed from the property included computers, mobile phones, a video camera and magazines and that cars were also searched. Another posting on the website contains information on how to avoid "sensitive" information - for example about an "upcoming illegal project" - being obtained from computers when raided by the authorities. The police spokeswoman said because two arrests had been made, the force would be unable to make any further comment. A spokeswoman for the Blue Bicycle declined to comment. Alan Swain, spokesperson for YAFA, said today that news of the arrests had come as a shock. "YAFA is a peaceful, law-abiding organisation committed to bringing about change through the democratic process," he said. "We exercise our right of peaceful protest, and have worked very closely with North Yorkshire Police throughout our demonstrations to keep them fully appraised of our plans. We have developed a positive working relationship with the police and are proud that our demonstrations have always passed without incident. "We have been made aware that two of our members have been arrested in correction with a complaint of harassment. "We understand that these complaints do not relate to our demonstrations, and the two individuals deny any wrongdoing," he said. >From www.dc.indymedia.org: http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/142763/index.php (PHOTOS and audio in article and comments) (text portions reproduced below): Activist arrested on trumped-up charge at Novartis(HLS) demo A little after 1 PM on Friday, March 21, animal rights activists showed up at the DC office of Novartis, a Huntingdon Life Sciences customer. Shortly therafter, a DC cop showed up, went inside-and then grabbed one protester and said "as of right now you are under arrest." She told him the charge was assault for an alleged incident at a PREVIOUS protest. There is just one problem-the alleged incident(I saw it last time around) involved a security guard pushing an activist, NOT the other way around! This sort of thug tactic-assault someone and then have the victim CHARGED with assault-marks a dramatic escalation by Novartis and by MPD in the conflict over Huntingdon "Death" Sciences. Afterwards, warnings were issued to Novartis that any attempt to make legal protests during the day a non-viable strategy(due to risk) would likely provoke the ALF and other underground activists to focus intensely on Novartis. Novartis is located at 701 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Suite 725, DC 20004 Phone: 202 626-0100 Fax: 202 393-0912 The police attack was not successful in stopping the protest at Novartis, nor did it deter activists from going on to protest at the offices of Merck(Dupont is in the same building), nor at Sanofi-Aventis, both of which are also HLS customers. ----------------------------------------------------- Urgent ELP Bulletin (17th of March 2008) Dear friends Last week a group of Austrian and Czech animal rights activists broke into a chicken farm to as part of an open "ploughshares style" animal rights action. However during that raid one of the Czech activists, Michal, fell from a ladder onto a concrete floor. He was knocked unconscious, he broke his leg and badly injured his back. ELP did not reveal the news at the time as we wanted to make sure Michal was okay before breaking the news. The latest news is Michal has had to endure 2 operations and is still in hospital. However he is recovering but is said to be feeling very depressed. Since the accident Michal has received a few messages of support, from people who were told about the accident and these are said to be cheering him up. Because e-mails are helping to cheer Michal up ELP has decided to go public with this story and we ask that everyone please help aid Michal's recovery by sending him an e-mail of support. The address to e-mail is realita.tv at gmail.com Oh and there is some good news about this action. At least one hen was rescued during this action, despite the accident. ---------------------------------------------- Columbia, S.C. -- Wearing prisoner costumes, elephant masks, and shackles and holding signs that read, "Ringling Beats and Chains Elephants," PETA members will protest the arrival of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the Colonial Center on Thursday (opening night). Other PETA members will hand out leaflets that detail Ringling's abuse of animals, including the practice of constantly keeping elephants chained and confined, which is not only cruel but can also be deadly. http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A40029 Should we be taxed for eating animals? CliMeat Change By Stratton Lawrence FEBRUARY 6, 2008: For those attending any of the presidential candidates' major events last month, it was hard to miss the pigs. Outside of nearly every rally and campaign stop across the state, you could find members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) dressed in bright pink pig costumes, handing out buttons and literature emblazoned with the slogan "Stop Global Warming: Tax Meat." "Every time someone sits down to a steak dinner, they're basically doing the equivalent environmental damage of taking a very long journey in a Hummer," says Ashley Byrne, a coordinator for PETA's campaign. "One pound of meat is equivalent to driving about 40 miles in a big SUV." That's surprising to most, but it's true. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization found in 2006 that livestock production generates 18 percent of greenhouse gases worldwide --- more than the entire transportation sector of cars, trucks, planes, and ships combined. Cows constantly belch methane from their four stomachs, and lagoons of pig effluent release the gas into the air. Much of the world's beef comes from deforested areas (70 percent of former Amazon rainforest is now used for cattle grazing), a one-two punch from the loss of carbon dioxide-absorbing trees and the addition of more animals. ------------------------------------------------------ > http://news.smh.com.au/two-animal-activists-arrested-at-wodonga/20080209-1r8e.html > > Two animal activists arrested at Wodonga> > February 9, 2008 - 3:59PM> > > > Two animal activists who chained themselves to railings outside a> > > hunting expo on the NSW/Victorian border have been arrested.> > Animal > > Liberation ACT activists Bernie Brennan, 43, and Chris Connock,> 22, > > chained themselves to the Wodonga Leisure Centre to protest the> > > nation's largest animal hunting expo.> > Wodonga police were forced to > > use bolt cutters to remove the Canberra> men who were taken to the local > > police station and charged.> > Mr Connock was charged with trespass and > > resisting arrest and Mr Brennan> with trespassing, a police said.> > > > Both were released on bail.> > The men were among 12 activists from > > Animal Liberation ACT who travelled> to Wodonga to protest against the > > expo.> > The protesters have spent the entire day outside the expo > > waving banners> and blowing whistles in an effort to disturb the > > events.> > Animal Liberation ACT spokeswoman Angie Stephenson compared > > the expo> attendees to poachers in Africa.> > "They are nothing but > > trophy hunters who mount animal heads on their> walls and boast about > > the big kill," she said.> > "Hunting any animal is a senseless act of > > cruelty, any reason to> continue such slaughter can never be > > justified."> > The hunting expo features about 200 exhibitors and allows > > people to gain> relevant hunting-firearm permits and weapons. ------------------------------------------------------------ Buffalo Field Campaign PO Box 957 West Yellowstone, MT 59758 (406) 646-0070 phone (406) 646-0071 fax buffalo at wildrockies.org www.buffalofieldcampaign.org PRESS RELEASE CITIZEN TAKES ACTION TO SHUT DOWN BISON TRAP "I called, I wrote, and no response...This is my response." For Immediate Release, February 25, 2008 Contact: Buffalo Field Campaign, Stephany Seay or Mike Mease 406-646-0070 WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA - An unidentified man has made it impossible for Montana Department of Livestock agents to capture bison in the recently erected Horse Butte bison trap. The man is perched upon a platform suspended from the top of a pair of poles that are standing on end and anchored to the walls of the trap. A large banner hanging from the platform reads, "I called, I wrote, and no response...This is my response." Photos of the blockade are available here: http://gallery.buffalofieldcampaign.org/v/da/My_Response_HB_2-08.jpg.html The banner's wording is an apparent reference to a series of call-in days organized by local and national environmental and animal rights groups targeting government agencies responsible for the bison slaughter. According to Stephany Seay, Media Coordinator with Buffalo Field Campaign, "Thousands of wild bison advocates from around the world have made calls, written letters, and attended public meetings to strongly speak out against the slaughter of America's last wild bison. Unfortunately we have been completely ignored, put on hold, or otherwise disregarded by these decision-makers, revealing that our public officials are not interested in the public interest. Sometimes people, after exhausting every other means of public participation, have no other choice than to take direct action to stop the slaughter and have their voices heard." The Montana Department of Livestock was expected to begin capture and slaughter operations in the Horse Butte trap this week. Construction of the Horse Butte trap, which hasn't been in place since 2004, was completed last week. In spite of receiving thousands of calls from concerned citizens opposed to the bison slaughter, Yellowstone National Park remains intent on capturing and killing bison. Between February 8 and February 21, Park officials used a similar trap to capture and slaughter 290 bison on the north side of Yellowstone National Park and Yellowstone officials captured 157 bison this morning. While the government's official reason for the slaughter is to prevent the spread of brucellosis from wild bison to cattle, no such transmission has ever been documented. Because there are no cattle on any part of the Horse Butte Peninsula at any time of the year, such a transmission is impossible and Montana's intolerance for bison in the area unjustifiable. According to a statement made by the man occupying the platform, "Until bison management in Montana is guided by sound science and fiscal responsibility with input from every interested party, I choose this stance. In the past few years I have tried every conceivable method of redress. I have written, I have called, and I have gotten absolutely no response. I have nothing left but to put my own life and freedom on the line. The bison are that important." 2,336 wild American bison have been killed or otherwise removed from the remaining wild population since 2000 under actions carried out under the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP), as well as state and treaty hunts. The IBMP is a joint state-federal plan that prohibits wild bison from migrating to lands outside of Yellowstone's boundaries. Wild American bison are a migratory species native to vast expanses of North America and are ecologically extinct everywhere in the United States outside of Yellowstone National Park. Buffalo Field Campaign strongly opposes the Interagency Bison Management Plan and maintains that wild bison should be allowed to naturally and fully recover themselves throughout their historic native range, especially on public lands. Buffalo Field Campaign is the only group working in the field, every day, to stop the slaughter of the wild American buffalo. Volunteers defend the buffalo and their native habitat and advocate for their lasting protection. Buffalo Field Campaign has proposed real alternatives to the current mismanagement of American bison that can be viewed at http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/solutions.html. For more information, video clips and photos visit: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: marcel_berlins_140x140.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 4378 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 16:46:07 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:46:07 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] US peace protests Message-ID: <031001c89e89$b7f05bf0$0802a8c0@andy1> NOTE: Photo gallery from LA anti-war protest here: http://ringospictures.com/index.php?page=20080315 The Holy Name 6 are facing trumped-up charges for an anti-war protest. Legal defence donations via Paypal to: holyname6 -AT- riseup -DOT- net * Protests across America mark Iraq war anniversary; 32 arrested in blockade of IRS in Washington * In San Francisco, protesters stage mass die-ins in the road * Berkeley protesters target Marines recruitment; 2 arrested as protesters surround police * Couple put up protest sign to attract attention to Iraq war * Iran war protest greets Clinton * Atlanta grannies continue anti-war protests * Protesters form human wall to stop arrests at Santa Barbara anti-war protest * Protest in Senate gallery - 10 arrests * Macalester protesters close down recruitment centre * In Portland, police pepper-spray protesters during anti-recruitment demo * Dockers to shut down port in anti-war protest on Mayday * 16 arrested in counter-recruitment protest in Minnesota * March in Manhattan * New York recruitment office bombed * Chicago peace protesters hold die-in at Holy Name church * Protest against war and oil profits targets Chevron * War anniversary protests in Connecticut Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1649769 More arrested in antiwar protests Mar 20, 2008 10:42 PM More than 200 people were arrested across the United States as protesters marking the fifth anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq obstructed downtown traffic and tried to block access to government offices. There were 32 arrests in Washington after demonstrators attempted to block entrances to the Internal Revenue Service, while 30 others were arrested outside a congressional office building, police said. Protesters had hoped to shut down the IRS, the U.S. tax collection agency, to highlight the cost of the war. Police cleared the building's entrances within an hour. In San Francisco, long a centre of anti-Iraq war sentiment, police arrested more than 100 people who protested through the day along Market Street in the central business district, a spokesman said. Sergeant Steve Maninna said officers had arrested 143 people on charges including trespassing, resisting arrest and obstructing traffic. Four women were also detained for hanging a large banner off the city's famous Golden Gate Bridge and then released, said bridge spokeswoman Mary Currie. On Washington's National Mall, about 100 protesters carried signs that read: "The Endlessness Justifies the Meaninglessness" and waved upside-down US flags, a traditional sign of distress. "Bush and Cheney, leaders failed, Bush and Cheney belong in jail," they chanted, referring to US President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. One hour after the IRS standoff, several dozen protesters waved signs that read: "Stop Paying to Kill" and "How Much Longer?" as a ragtag brass band played. IRS employees were easily able to enter the building. "We wanted to put our bodies between the money and what that money goes to fund -- the war, the occupation, the bombs," said Frida Berrigan, an organizer with the War Resisters League. The war has cost the United States $500 billion since the invasion to topple Saddam Hussein began in March 2003 and is a major issue in November's US presidential election. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed and millions more displaced, with almost 4,000 US soldiers killed. Blocking traffic Later, scores of noisy protesters blocked a busy intersection in Washington's business district. They picketed in front of the offices of The Washington Post and threw red paint on the building that houses the Examiner newspaper and Bechtel National Inc, which has handled major reconstruction projects in Iraq. In New York, about 30 members of the "Granny Peace Brigade" gathered in Times Square, knitting in hand, to demand troops be brought home now. "We're out here to show people that this war is madness. We never should have gotten into this war in the first place," said Shirley Weiner, 80. Police in Boston arrested five people who blocked access to a military recruitment centre by lying on a sidewalk dressed as slain Iraqi civilians, an Iraqi mourner, a slain U.S. soldier and an American citizen in mourning. "We went to this military recruiting station today because we want to see the war end immediately," said activist Joe Previtera in a statement. "Silently waiting for Congress to act on this war in 2009 will condemn thousands more people to injury and senseless death. Enough is enough." http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5glBSs69Q1lYEffFXjw8Sf4XMK8lQ Protests in US mark Iraq war anniversary Mar 19, 2008 WASHINGTON (AFP) - Protesters on Wednesday launched sit-ins and marches across the United States as they marked five years of war in Iraq, demanding an immediate withdrawal of US soldiers. Police in Washington arrested 33 people in front of entrances to the Internal Revenue Service, organizers and local media reported, as demonstrators sought to focus attention on taxpayers' money that bankrolls the deployment of about 158,000 troops in Iraq. "This war needs to end and it needs to end now," Leslie Cagan, national coordinator of United for Peace and Justice, told AFP. "I think people are looking for new ways to express their opposition." Anti-war groups planned other acts of civil disobedience throughout the US capital, seeking to disrupt traffic against "war profiteers" on K Street, known as the home of Washington's corporate lobbyists. Demonstrators were targeting government agencies, lawmakers, oil companies and "corporate media" who they accuse of promoting and sustaining the war, organizers said in a statement. "It's really time we end this occupation force and start making amends," said Rachel Payne, 19, who joined a small demonstration in front of the American Petroleum Institute not far from the White House. As protesters banged drums with police looking on, Payne held up a sign reading "What's our exit strategy?" Hundreds of protest events were planned nationwide, including vigils and larger rallies in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami. The demonstrations come as the death toll of US soldiers approaches 4,000 in a war that remains unpopular among American voters. Although attendance at anti-war demonstrations has declined in recent years, organizers of Wednesday's events said they were confident of attracting large crowds to the marches. Public disapproval of the war has yet to translate into massive waves of street demonstrations in the United States like those seen during the Vietnam war. While the war remains unpopular, with a majority of Americans calling the decision to invade a mistake, public opinion is divided over when to withdraw the US soldiers deployed in Iraq. The demonstrations come after a new poll for British television showed more than two-thirds of Iraqis believe US-led coalition forces should leave. In New York, protesters from the Granny Peace Brigade were to hold a "knit-in" at the Times Square military recruitment center that was targeted in a home-made bomb attack earlier this month. The grandmothers were to knit stump socks for amputee veterans and baby blankets for Iraqi families. "We grannies hope to highlight our message demanding an end to this useless and catastrophic war," said Barbara Walker, 74, among the group's members arrested when they tried to enlist in the military in 2005. In Chicago, a rally and protest march was to be held in the central business district while in Louisville, Kentucky protestors will read aloud the names of some of the nearly 4,000 US troops killed and the Iraqi civilians killed and displaced. Protestors in Dallas, Texas will perform skits, play music and hear Iraq veterans speak against the war on the grassy knoll overlooking the plaza where president John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Some 4,000 empty T-shirts will be strung along a street in Cincinnati, Ohio to memorialize the US soldiers killed. On the west coast, the focal point of protests in Los Angeles will be a military recruitment center in the heart of Hollywood, said the ANSWER coalition, or Act Now To Stop War And End Racism. The demonstration follows a weekend rally where about 2,000 people marched to protest the war. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_8626408?nclick_check=1 Iraq War anniversary protest heats up in San Francisco, Berkeley Staff Reports Article Launched: 03/19/2008 01:03:47 PM PDT A demonstrator is arrested for blocking the intersection of Market and... (Karl Mondon/Staff) 6:53 p.m. - Thousands of protestors have shut down traffic between McAlister and Van Ness and Market streets. They are staging die-ins; a big group lying down on the sidewalk representing those killed in the war. A marching band is passing through and inviduals with megaphones are yelling chants about the freeing of Palestine. One of main chants is, "No blood for oil. U.S. off Arab soil." Kylee Cronin, 18, said a year ago today her friend committed suicide rather than being deployed to Iraq, His partner had a child and died and now Cronin is raising that 6-month-child. There is a huge line of riot police walking along Market Street. People piled onto the hood of a Veterans for Peace truck, caused near misses for people on foot and bicycles and wheelchairs. ---------------------- 6:15 p.m. - No one has started marching yet, but as many as 20 police officers in riot gear have arrived to separate protesters in Civic Center Plaza from about two dozen representatives from College Republican groups based at local campuses. The police have formed two lines in front of City Hall to separate protesters in the plaza from the groups from University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco State University and University of California, Berkeley. Before police arrived, the groups were shouting at each other across the street, but now each side is standing peacefully. ---------------------- 5:40 p.m. - The crowd from Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco is going to take off down Mission Street in about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, the crowd continues to grow in the plaza. Groups holdings signs reading ``The Irish Against the War, A Vigil for Peace'' mingle with representatives form the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. Small dogs wear shirts reading, ``Pups for peace.'' The College Republicans from San Francisco State University are there, too, standing on the outskirts of the plaza and carrying an American flag and signs in support of the troops. Catherine Savvides, 21, an international student from the Mediterranean studying at San Francisco State University, said she thinks the entire world is against this war. ``Bush needs to be impeached,'' she said, ``and we need to stop the government from being a terrorist nation.'' San Francisco police said some 143 people were arrested today, and two protesters shouted to a reporter that they saw a caravan earlier today taking away a busload of arrestees. John Friedberg, 63, of San Francisco, says he's been protesting since the Vietnam War. ``This is Vietnam 2, the sequel,'' he said, ``only now the hole in the ground is bigger and deeper.'' ---------------------- 5:10 p.m. - Colorful crowds of nearly 1,000 are flocking from BART trains and neighborhood streets for a massive protest at San Francisco's Civic Center. People such as Simon Hyatt, 22, and his friends, all students at Sacramento City College, have spent the day on Amtrak and public transportation to be a part of the march. Hyatt carries a sign that he said represents the steps toward a totalitarian regime in the U.S. It reads, ``Secret prisons, fear, torture, lies and wire taps.'' Police in riot gear are surrounding the crowd and stage in a chilly Civic Center Plaza, and several helicopters are circling overhead. Everyone is screaming in response to speakers calling out, ``Are we ready to stop this war?'' Chris Morris, 29, of San Francisco, and his young son, both adorned in reggae clothing, have been dancing all day to get their voices heard. ``People need to understand that we're at an important place in history and we need to make a choice to respect one another,'' he said, ``not die for the wealth of others.'' ---------------------- 2:30 p.m. - Looks like it's about all over. For the last 10 minutes, San Francisco police officers have been arresting members of the group on Market Street dressed like Iraqi prisoners in orange jump suits and black hoods. Officers used a power saw to cut the chain that was binding them together, then escorted the 20 demonstrators one by one to a waiting police bus. Unlike the scuffles earlier, the arrests were peaceful. ---------------------- 2 p.m. - Among the protestors marking the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War in Berkeley was Aaron Taecker-Wyss, 14, a ninth grader at Berkeley High. He said he missed five of his classes in order to participate in the protest. He said his parents weren't in favor of his missing classes. He received his homework assignments in advance and completed them all on Tuesday. "The main reason I am participating is that I'm really against the war," he said. "I don't understand why we continue to kill innocent people and spend money on the war, when the only people really benefiting are the rich people and the corporations." Taking part in the march and demonstration is the most he can do, he said. Taecker-Wyss said he was 9 years old when the war started and he remembers watching it on TV. He recalled that it seemed like a small thing. "It was downplayed on the news," he said. ---------------------- 1:45 p.m. The arrests of the people lying down on Market Street have been completed. But across the street, on the west side of Market, a group of 20 people, dressed in orange prison jumpsuits and black hoods, are chained together. One demonstrator, Kate Rafael, said they are there to represent the 20,000 people who have disappeared in Iraq. "Just because we're not hearing about torture, doesn't mean it's stopped," she said. Nearby, a lone counter-demonstrator held up a hastily made sign that says "Thank U SFPD." The man, who declined to give his last name, said he's from Michigan. "I was going shopping, but this caught my eye. It's pretty said. They're wasting people's time," he said. His lone sign drew yells and taunts from the crowd. ---------------------- 1:30 p.m. - An antiwar march and demonstration and a counter-demonstration has ended peacefully in Berkeley. A crowd of about 60 Iraq War protesters from World Can't Wait _ Drive Out the Bush Regime marched from Civil Center Park across the street from Old City Hall on Martin Luther King Jr. Way to the U.S. Marine Recruiting Center at 65 Shattuck Square in downtown Berkeley. Antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan, whose son, Casey, a U.S. Army soldier who was killed in Iraq, addressed the crowd, which included a number of pro-Marine demonstrators carrying American flags. "The Army recruiter broke every promise he made to Casey," she said. The recruiter told him he could be a chaplain's assistant. He ended up being a Humvee mechanic, she said. "My son was forced to into combat five days after he got to Iraq," she said. "The war machine will eat you up and spit you out. The war machine does not care about you." The Marine recruiting station, which has been the subject of protests for six months, is closed today. Berkeley Police Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said that 50 officers were called out on overtime to ensure the day was peaceful. So far it has been. Among the dozen people carrying American flags supporting the Marines was Glenn Palmer, 57, of Sacramento, who is retired from the U.S. Army and served two years in Vietnam. "Our whole thing is to get the Berkeley City Council and these people off our troops," he said. "It's not the military's fault, no matter what you think about the war." ---------------------- 12:45 p.m. Things are getting more intense. For the last five minutes, San Francisco police have been pushing or hitting demonstrators and onlookers standing on Market Street back to the sidewalks. Officers have been aggressive, using their batons to forcibly return people to the sidewalks. Meanwhile, about 40 demonstrators remain lying down in the middle of Market and it appears that police may be about to arrest them. As police forcibly shoved onlookers back onto the sidewalk, one protester, Mitchell Anderson, 26, stuck a camera in the face of an officer and took a photo as the officer shoved him back onto the sidewalk. The officer shoved him back into the street, where it appears he may be arrested. Two girls walking their bicycles across Market were also shoved hard onto the sidewalk by police with batons. ---------------------- 12:15 p.m. San Francisco Police Sgt. Steve Mannina reports there have 44 arrests so far, all on misdemeanor charges. Mannina said several were arrested at 101 California, 14 at 343 California. All were cited fro trespassing and resisting arrest. At 11 a.m., 12 women and 11 men were arrested for obstructing traffic at Third and Market streets, Mannina said. 12:17 p.m. The die-in has begun on Market Street at Montgomery. About 40, perhaps 50 people, are lying down in the street. There are about 300 protesters and onlookers at the scene. Police are leaving them alone for the moment. ---------------------- 11:50 a.m. As the noon hour approached, protesters continued to speak, using a portable sound system. They had nothing good to say about President Bush and the Iraq war. "There is no neutral position on this war," said Rebecca Solnit. "We are all taking sides every day." 'We, whose story is never told on Fox news, we, whose pictures are never on the front pages of your newspapers, we do not support the war," said Guillermo Gomez-Pena. ---------------------- 11:45 a.m. A noisy protest in San Francisco's financial district and down Market Street, marking the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, is gathering steam as the noon-hour approaches. The demonstration is centered at Market and Montgomery Street. Traffic is deadlocked and police advise anyone driving to avoid the area. About 200 demonstrators marched down Montgomery Street to Market. The protest is peaceful, with police standing by quietly. In Berkeley, the crowd was growing in front of the U.S. Marine Recruiting Station on Shattuck Avenue. Activist Cindy Sheehan was expected to speak shortly after noon. So far this morning, the Associated Press reports about a dozen protesters have been arrested. Police deployed additional resources in San Francisco's financial district to "to help facilitate First Amendment activities or to take enforcement action," said Sgt. Steve Mannina. He said a handful of people had been arrested, though couldn't pinpoint an exact number. At the BART station at Market and Montgomery, demonstrators were conducting a street theater. One woman, Susan Witka, dressed in pink, said she was from Code Pink, the antiwar group. She was carrying a constantly beeping alarm clock. "It's time for America to wake up," she said. "We've been at war for five years and it seems like America is asleep." Nearby, protesters have set up a coffin, an American flag and flowers on it, with a woman in black sitting beside it holding a mock baby. Anti-war protester Alex Roselle said protesters hoped to turn the city into a "festival of resistance against the Iraq war, the occupation and the corporate greed that's been driving it all." Black balloons were tied to trees along the city's main downtown thoroughfare, and protesters at a table offered coffee and oranges and "unhappy birthday cake" to passers-by. "For five years some people have struggled to end the war, and some gave up in despair," said Siri Margerin, 56, of San Francisco. "We have to keep doing everything and we have to keep doing it all the time." This report came from MediaNews correspondents Sean Mather and Allison Baca and Staff Writers Kristin Bender and Doug Oakley. It is being written by Staff Writer William Brand. http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8339246 Two arrested in Berkeley Marine recruiting center protest Contra Costa Times Article Launched: 02/22/2008 07:41:12 PM PST BERKELEY -- Two people were arrested Friday after they encircled police during a protest of the U.S. Marine recruiting center, a police spokeswoman said. A group called The World Can't Wait -- Drive Out the Bush Regime was demonstrating at the downtown center Friday to protest military recruiting in Berkeley. The issue has been in the limelight recently after the City Council last month called the recruiters "uninvited and unwelcome intruders." Police spokeswoman Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said about 20 protesters marched from the Marine recruiting center at 64 Shattuck Square to Shattuck Avenue and Center Street to rally for their cause. Two Berkeley police bike officers followed the group to protect the community, she said. At the corner of Shattuck and Center, a protester screamed into a megaphone, a violation of a city permit because it was away from the recruiting center, where protesters have a sound permit. Police tried to detain him to talk about the violation, Kusmiss said. At that point, the crowd surged and surrounded the bike officers and closed in on them, she said. Police called for backup and at least a dozen cars arrived in downtown, Kusmiss said. Kusmiss said officers had to use some force to make the arrests and protect their colleagues during the surge. No one was seriously injured although a couple of police officers sustained minor injuries, Kusmiss said. Police arrested Rafael Schiller, 26 of Berkeley, and another man who refused to give his name, police said. Officials from World Can't Wait were not immediately available for comment. Police said the arrests were for resisting arrest, but the two could also face other charges for refusing to give their names and violating the city permit. -- MediaNews http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/02/17/sign_0218.html Couple takes unexpected journey to protest Iraq war By MONI BASU The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 02/18/08 It's just another sign, one that would be unremarkable at an anti-war protest. Pouya Dianat/AJC (ENLARGE) Jim and Suzanne Barksdale changed their sign to include a photo of a soldier killed and it turned the tide of emotion. Handcrafted and crudely assembled, the two facing Masonite boards bolted on wooden posts bemoan the human cost of the Iraq war. Only, this sign sits at a luxe Atlanta address on West Paces Ferry Road, a few skips from the governor's residence. The sign rudely interrupts the flow of manicured lawns and winding driveways that lead to plush homes. Passers-by do a double take, craning their heads to figure out what the sign says. What they don't know is that its unexpected placement mirrors the unexpected journey of the homeowners who erected it. Jim and Suzanne Barksdale don't have a son or daughter in uniform and will never know the personal pride or the acute loss that war can bring. But in publicly opposing the war, they bucked the norm in their circles and discovered there is a price to pay. Four years ago, the Barksdales moved into their stately home, well-appointed with art and antiques, just as their opinions about the war were reshaping their emotions about the president they'd helped elect. It was uncharted territory for the couple. Jim 54, and Suzanne, 53, were raised in comfortable Atlanta homes and later earned degrees at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. At 18, Jim drew a high draft lottery number. He knew he'd never go to Vietnam. The tide of unrest sweeping the nation in the 1960s blew past the Barksdales. Jim built a successful business career and opened his own investment firm. Equity Investment Corp. manages more than $450 million in assets. He considered himself a conservative and voted for Republican candidates, including President Bush in 2000. But he soured when the president ordered the bombing of Baghdad. Unswayed by the argument that Iraq posed a national security threat, he believed that this war was governed by emotions, not logic. He read media reports about an FBI memorandum revealing infiltration of anti-war groups and bristled at the thought of fellow Americans being arrested for peaceful protests. "We had always voted. We had always been thinkers," Suzanne said. "But there was never this feeling that things were completely off track." Jim's first public outcry was placing a John Kerry campaign sign on the lawn. He stuck an "Impeach Bush" sticker on his car but felt compelled to tear it off when conservative clients paid a visit at work. Such is the discomfort of dissent after one is already settled, after one's reputation is known. But Jim could not stay quiet. "I don't know how we can bring an end to the fraud and deception behind the Iraq war. For me, it is that chastisement from the book of James - he who knows what is good, but does not do it, has sinned," wrote Jim, a churchgoing Baptist, in an e-mail to friends. He felt he was surrounded by silence on the war. "Here in Buckhead, it's the elephant in the room," he said. He decided to "pinprick the silence" by taking advantage of his tony address on a high-traffic road traveled by commuters as well as the curious. So he posted his message last summer - in the form of a U.S. flag flying at half-staff and a large homemade sign. One side screamed the numbers of U.S. casualties since various milestones of the war: the day that America invaded Iraq, when President Bush declared "Mission Accomplished," and since the start of the "surge." On the other side, Jim pasted a montage of photographs showing American soldiers who had lost their lives and the grieving families left behind. The Barksdales knew that many of their friends and neighbors would object. They understood that speaking out could be seen as unpatriotic - even treasonous - in a time of war. But they were not prepared for the range of emotions their sign elicited. Several neighbors told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution they supported the Iraq war and were put off both by the message and its lack of aesthetics on a "nice street." But they respected the Barksdales' right to free expression and would never think to undermine it. Mostly, they were curious about why the Barksdales put up the sign. Immediately after it went up, a woman drove up and asked Jim: "Do you have a permit for that?" A few days later, the city of Atlanta's Bureau of Code Compliance sent the couple a citation. After effort on Jim's part, the city dropped case No. 07-0022301. The sign did not require a permit because the city's definition of campaign signs includes those that express a position on a public issue. Legal it was but protected it wasn't. Every week, the sign was vandalized. Someone covered it up with their own message: "We [heart] Bush" stuck on with bathroom caulk. Others ripped off the photos and yelled at the Barksdales when they were outside. One night their yard was trenched. Suzanne worried about the family's security. Then last August, the sign was stolen. Jim was determined not to be defeated in his own yard. He built another sign. This time, he used an enlarged photo of Sgt. Ryan Campbell blowing out the candles of his 18th birthday cake. Above it, Jim wrote the words: "The cost of acquiescence. Ryan - # 832." Ryan, of Kirksville, Mo., was the 832nd U.S. casualty in Iraq. He died April 29, 2004, in a car bombing. Jim knew Ryan's sister Brooke from her days as a graduate student at Emory University. She had actively worked to defeat Bush in 2004 after her brother's last e-mail from Iraq, which she published in an AJC article: "Just do me a big favor. Don't vote for Bush." The Barksdales asked Brooke for permission to use Ryan's picture. Last fall, Jim put the sign back up. This time, the reaction was different. The Barksdales got notes of sympathy in their mailbox. "Today I cried when I drove past and saw the picture of Ryan," said one. Another thanked the Barksdales for "giving those traveling down West Paces a little reality check." Someone left lilies by the sign. And a poinsettia at Christmas. One woman baked the couple a cake. The Barksdales realized that replacing the photo montage with Ryan's smile tugged at people's hearts. No matter their views on Iraq, Ryan put a face on the statistics. "Some people think he's our son," Suzanne said. "That makes me feel bad. I don't want to mislead people. But I think it's made people less angry. They excuse us for being in their face." A single sign sprouted a range of sentiment. In the end, it was a small act by the Barksdales. But a bold one for two Atlantans who had never protested anything in their lives. They recognize they may never change anyone's mind. They hope, at least, to make people ponder the cost of war as they sail past houses that epitomize the American dream. Wednesday, Jim watched a man take two smaller signs in his yard that say: "Stop the Iraq war funding" and then get stuck in the morning rush-hour jam on West Paces Ferry. Jim said he walked down to talk to the stranger. "Why did you steal the signs?" he asked. The man told him he was a soldier who had done three tours of Iraq and said he objected to the Barksdales' anti-war message. America is on track in Iraq, he said. "Is this the kind of America you are fighting for, where people can't freely express their opinions?" Jim asked. The soldier contemplated the question and handed back the signs. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/02/01/632196.aspx Silent protest at Clinton rally Posted: Friday, February 01, 2008 7:05 PM by Mark Murray Filed Under: 2008, Clinton >From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones SAN DIEGO, CA -- About 40 minutes into a speech Clinton was delivering in front of a huge crowd at San Diego State University, two young men stood up and unfurled a red banner that read: "Nepotist tyrant hands off Iran", with the senator's picture attached to the middle. The men had been seated behind Clinton -- and directly across from the press riser -- as she spoke and she had her back to them the entire time they were standing. She never turned their way and it was unclear whether she was aware they were there. The students stood for several minutes as a handful of Clinton supporters came up each side of the aisle to talk to them. Eventually, a man wearing a yellow SMART union for Hillary T-shirt snatched the banner from the men. The crowd cheered. The senator did not take questions after the event. Clinton has been criticized for her vote to call the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization, which she has repeatedly said was not a vote to authorize force. http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/03/18/grandma_0319.html Grandmothers to protest again Wednesday following arrests By STEVE VISSER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 03/18/08 Not many criminals want their names spelled right when booked into jail. But then Ann Mauney, 65, of Lake Claire and her nine partners in crime aren't most criminals. First, they are older women; mostly grandmothers, who normally would never have their mugshots taken. And, second they wanted to be arrested. The Atlanta Police arrested the women, ages 57 to 80, for criminal trespass on Monday after they converged on the Army recruiting office off of Ponce de Leon in Midtown. The women said they were there to enlist and refused to leave when they were rejected. They called themselves "Grandmothers for Peace," a play off "Veterans for Peace," whose members will lead a larger protest Wednesday back to the Army recruiting station at the Midtown Place Shopping Center to mark the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. They are part of the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition. The women arrested Monday, who were released on their own recognizance after about 10 hours in the booking area of the Fulton County jail, were brought together by their opposition to the war. Some, like Mauney are retired teachers, others are retired social workers or therapists, and at least two claim ties to the armed services. They said they represented the metro area - from Little Five Points to Snellville- and while the Grandmothers for Peace may be more representative of the liberal wing of American politics, the war had brought together protestors from across party lines. "There were two Republicans in that group," said Gloria Tatum, 65, of Decatur, who was arrested Monday. "We were bipartisan." The women, who have 26 grandchildren between them, acknowledged that none have any children or grandchildren serving in Iraq. "We consider all young people - including Iraqi children and US soldiers sent to kill and be killed in Iraq a- to be our children," said lifelong Republican Doris Benit, 80, of Kennesaw. "We believe our young people were sent to Iraq on a web of lies and deceit. "We believe they are being used as cannon fodder in an illegal and unjustified war against a nation which posed no threat to us." They came up with the idea of staging an enlistment stunt , saying they wanted to enlist so that a younger soldier could come home. The group feared that the public was forgetting about the war. "We were trying to get media attention," Mauney said Tuesday night. "We are very distraught that the Iraq occupation is on the back burner and not on the front pages." Mauney said she believes that many of the enlistees are drawn into the service for economic reasons and the promise of big bonuses. She doubted that many joined because they believed in the war. Reminded they could have chosen another branch of service, Mauney said, " The Coast Guard doesn't spend as much money on advertising as the Army and I think that makes the difference." The "Grandmothers for Peace" plan a press conference before the coalition's larger protest Wednesday that will come during evening rush hour. On Wednesday, the coalition plans to march back to the Midtown Army recruiting station in the Midtown Place Shopping Center, across from City Hall East, following five coffins, from the intersection of Freedom Parkway at Ponce de Leon at 5 p.m in hope of focusing public attention on the Iraq War. The coffins represent what the coalition says is the victims of the war: U.S. troops, the Iraqi people, the economy, justice and the truth. Monday's arrest was the second for Mauney, who said she was arrested in 1970 in a protest march in Atlanta on behalf sanitation workers. She said another of the women had been arrested during a civil rights march in the 1960s. On Wednesday, she said, the protestors will have a permit to march so they won't fear arrest. Their biggest worry will be the weather. "I'm hearing there will be thunderstorms (Wednesday) and that will determine how many people we have," Tatum said. "If we have bad thunder and lighting, it may be canceled but we're hoping we can run between the raindrops." http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=15807 Anti-War Rally Intensifies After Arrests Protesters Form Human Barrier to Block Police Cars Carrying Two Participants By Benjamin Gottlieb / Staff Writer Published Wednesday, February 13, 2008 Issue 76 / Volume 88 Enlarge this image Sabrina Ricci About 300 anti-war protesters begin their march from the end of Pardall Road toward the UCSB campus. The march and rally started at noon and lasted until about 4:00 p.m. With heavy police presence and two aircrafts hovering above UCSB, as many as five hundred anti-war protesters marched across campus yesterday, resulting in the arrest of three participants. The marchers, who were protesting the war in Iraq as well as the University of California's involvement in military research, gathered around Pardall Tunnel at noon and then descended upon Corwin Pavilion to disrupt the 2008 Army-Industry Collaboration Conference. The two-day conference serves as a gathering between defense industry and army officials and is hosted by UCSB's Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies. Although the march was initially peaceful, the demonstration quickly intensified when protesters responded to the arrest of two male participants. After police officers pulled the two men from the crowd and placed them under arrest, several demonstrators rushed to obstruct the path of three police cars. Forming a human barrier, they proceeded to link arms and assume a seated position, demanding the release of the persons in custody. According to Matt Bowman, the UC Police Dept. Community Relations and Training Officer, the two individuals - who were unaffiliated with UCSB - were issued citations for resisting or delaying a police officer and ordered off campus for disturbing university business. Additionally, during the protest, some members of the crowd proceeded to flip over lunch tables, grab food and pound on the conference doors, shouting, "UC military free" and "Hey, hey, ho ho, ICB has got to go." Sitting in the middle of the road while facing off against a police cruiser, Sam Sherman, a second-year environmental studies major, said he was confident the group could confront authority. "The police look pretty confused and speechless," Sherman said. "I don't think they quite know what to do." Officers responded rapidly, shielding the cruiser from the demonstrators. Bowman said his department successfully controlled the crowd without resorting to force. "I was manhandled myself, many times, but we refrained from using force," Bowman said. "There was no use of batons, tazers or pepper spray . We feel the officers did a good job interacting with the public despite heightened emotions, and [the police] acted professionally throughout the event." However, Kyle Knoebel, a second-year environmental studies major, alleged he was jostled by a police officer during the stand off. "As I was sitting down in front of the car, the officer grabbed my neck and threw me to the ground," Knoebel said. "Then he kicked me when I was on the floor." Yesterday's student-organized event also targeted UC involvement with weapons research - chiefly its co-management of the Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos National Laboratories, which receive government funding in part to develop military technology, as well as engaging in other studies. Erin Rosenthal, a third-year biopsychology major, said she participated in yesterday's protest in order to help strengthen peaceful sentiment at UCSB, a movement that she said could lead to the end of the war in Iraq. "We have to build a community voice to speak out against the war," Rosenthal said. "It starts small as a protest and gradually, it will get bigger and bigger until we can do things such as stop a war, like we saw with Vietnam." Although the majority of participants in yesterday's spectacle were opposed to the war in Iraq, the demonstration was not without its dissenters. Dan Duran, a fourth-year business economics major, led a counter-protest. Waving an American flag, Duran offered an opposing standpoint to the issues highlighted during the protest. "The main reason that I am out here to protest this rally today is because I feel [the protesters] tried really hard to group every special interest group together," Duran said. "War made us a nation, ended Nazism and slavery, and I just don't believe in what people here today are saying." Counter-protester Zac Gates, an undeclared first-year student, said two female demonstrators approached and allegedly assaulted him and a friend. "We were having a discussion with two girls participating in the protest when they suddenly started shouting at us," Gates said. "They took my signs and ripped them up and told us to get out of here . We were simply trying to engage them in a dialogue, and they wouldn't have it." The day's third arrest occurred after a female protester gained entry to the AICC conference and began tearing down posters. The woman was spotted attempting to flee the premises when UCPD intervened, issuing a citation for theft and resisting or delaying a police officer. In spite of the reports of discord, the event saw no reports of serious injury. At the height of the protest, Bowman said the UCPD, Community Service Organization, Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Dept., Santa Barbara Sheriff's Gang Unit Squad and California Highway Patrol worked in conjunction to regulate the event. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/20/MNAIVMIAP.DTL A day of protest across Bay Area Meredith May, Matthai Kuruvila,Anastasia Ustinova, Chronicle Staff Writers Thursday, March 20, 2008 (03-19) 22:25 PDT San Francisco -- War protesters converged in San Francisco Wednesday for the five-year anniversary of the war in Iraq and, from early morning to late evening, rallied, marched, shouted, sang, danced and committed acts of civil disobedience to demonstrate their opposition. Roughly 150 people were arrested, many of them in front of the office of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Many of those arrested were participating in an afternoon "die-in" - collapsing en masse to evoke deaths in Iraq - though a few actively scuffled with police. Demonstrators gathered in the evening at Civic Center Plaza to hear speeches and take an evening march to the Mission District. They carried signs with slogans such as "impeach" and chanted mantras like "money for health care, not warfare." In the morning, a crowd of about 500 people snaked its way through the Financial District, periodically prompting police to shut down intersections and city blocks and Muni officials to reroute buses. Yet, despite the often creative costumes and messages, the protests were a far cry from the large and dramatic protests that marked the buildup to the war as well as the conflict's early months. Tens of thousands came to San Francisco in those days, making it an epicenter of the anti-war movement. Roughly 2,150 protesters were arrested during the first three days of the war, Mar. 19-21, 2003. The city's hotels were crammed, and mobs tried to shut down the Bay Bridge. Wednesday's biggest demonstration in the city occurred in the evening. Answer coalition organizer Richard Becker estimated the crowd of participants at 7,000. Some yearned to renew the hope of those early days, emboldened in part by an upcoming presidential election that does not include the candidacy of George W. Bush. "There's been a lot of despair, a lot of feelings that the protest movement couldn't do anything and a lot of complacency," said Venee Call-Ferrer, who protested on the first-year war anniversary but hadn't done so again since Wednesday evening. Veils of mourning The 42-year-old Berkeley woman and three of her friends dressed in black, wearing veils of mourning. They wore red ribbons around their wrists to symbolize blood on their hands as U.S. citizens. "This year, there's a feeling that things are going to change," she said. It wasn't just San Francisco. Sparse attendance marked anti-war demonstrations nationwide, from Washington, D.C., to Syracuse, N.Y. to Hartford, Conn. With song, signs, chants, costumes and even physical scuffles, the many expressions of protest in San Francisco seemed to reflect the eclectic and varied feelings among those opposed to the war. The most dramatic acts were committed in front of the Feinstein's office at Market and Montgomery streets. About two dozen demonstrators staged a "die-in" at about 12:15 p.m., but were quickly surrounded by 80 police officers in riot gear. As protesters were arrested, more demonstrators from the scores who were watching from the sidewalk rushed to fill their places. Among those taken away were 20 people, calling themselves Act Against Torture, who were wearing orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their heads. They were costumed as prisoners at the controversial U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, where "enemy combatants" of the "war on terror" have been held. President Bush declared in 2003 that prisoners suspected to be terrorists didn't merit the protections of the Geneva Conventions. After more than two hours of protests - and about 100 arrests - authorities finally cleared the intersection and reopened Market Street to traffic at 2:30 p.m. Among the arrested were three demonstrators who wrestled with police. One officer was knocked to the street. Left-wing activist Daniel Ells-berg told the crowd, "The symbolism of people lying in death appears to symbolize the life and death seriousness as we enter the sixth year of this crime against the American people." He soon sat down in the street and was arrested. Biggest protest The largest protest of the day came after work hours in front of San Francisco's City Hall. "This is America," said State Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco. "We are not proud. So we say to the world, to the people who are watching, we are Americans, we are against it, and we are sorry." The protesters stood elbow-to-elbow on Civic Center Plaza, occupying roughly half the space between the plaza's two main rows of trees. Businessmen in suits and fathers with children on their shoulders were among those gathered, as well as Marxists and 9/11 conspiracy theorists, who had booths set up nearby. The protesters included three men wearing only purple peace signs painted on their chest An officer told the men "Put a towel or jacket around yourselves. People don't want to see that." But they simply moved. "Protesting like this is no better than some other way," said San Francisco resident Rusty Mills. "But it's our way." A large portion of the crowd appeared to be in their teens, many in leather studded belts and Mohawks. Luis Martinez, 17, held a sign that read "no se puede la paz con la guerra" - "you can't get peace through war." "I'm against the war because of all the killing," he said," and the military is made of young people like me." At least 27 people were arrested at a die-in at Market and Third streets around 10:30 a.m. As officers encircled the group, they briefly pushed other protesters onto the sidewalk and confiscated at least one bicycle and a sign. Across the bay in Berkeley, about 100 demonstrators gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park at noon to hear peace activist Cindy Sheehan speak. About 80 people marched afterward to the Marine Corps recruiting station on Shattuck Square, where demonstrators had gathered earlier. Elsewhere in San Francisco, more than a dozen people were arrested in nonviolent actions at the Federal Reserve Bank on Market and the Chevron building at California and Battery streets. The main group of protesters carried signs, shouted slogans and blasted music as they roamed the Financial District. Some threw play money in the air and waved pink flags. One large sign carried by four people read: "Was it worth it?" -- For a video from the downtown San Francisco protests, go to sfgate.com. http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b7_2protest.6311842mar14,0,1556798.story Two local men jailed after Iraq war protest in Senate gallery They're among 10 activists arrested Wednesday in D.C. By Patrick Lester | Of The Morning Call March 14, 2008 Two local men were among a group of people arrested while protesting the Iraq war in the Senate gallery Wednesday, U.S. Capitol Police said. Tim Chadwick, 54, of Bethlehem and Art Landis, 74, of Sellersville spent Wednesday night in jail and were awaiting a court appearance in Washington, D.C., late Thursday afternoon. Chadwick and Landis were among 10 war protestors who called themselves the ''ghosts of the Iraq war'' and shouted in the Senate gallery during a federal budget debate. The demonstrators wore gauze shrouds over their heads and black shirts that read, ''We will not be silent.'' They chanted ''The war is immoral! Stop funding the war!'' Police officers removed them from a visitors gallery overlooking the Senate floor. The protest was organized by the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance, a national network of activists trying to end the war. Chadwick said the protest took place Wednesday because lawmakers were discussing budget issues and are nearing the end of their session. ''With the war coming to the fifth anniversary, we felt that we could not continue to do what we're doing [in Iraq],'' Chadwick said. He said the group was arrested about 3 p.m. Wednesday. Six of the 10 were released from a jail at midnight Thursday. Chadwick said he was not sure why the other four were not released. It's not known what charges the protesters face. He said all 10 have been arrested multiple times for protesting. Chadwick said he's been arrested eight or nine times. ''This is not a neophyte group of activists,'' Chadwick said, adding that he's on probation after an arrest at a similar protest last year. ''We're not doing this with the idea that we're going to get arrested. We're doing it because it has to be done.'' Landis was sentenced in February to 30 days in federal prison for trespassing at the Army base in Fort Benning, Ga., during a Nov. 18, 2007, protest of the Army's Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, which Landis claims is a terrorist training camp. Landis is still waiting to hear where he'll serve that sentence. Landis has been arrested at least five times for protesting the war. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/15/BAOTVKT24.DTL http://tinyurl.com/3m5cnv Anti-war protesters close down recruiting center By: Zac Farber Posted: 4/4/08 Eight Macalester students lashed themselves together with PVC pipes fortified by duct tape and chicken wire while two students used U-shaped bike locks to fasten their necks to the entrances of army and navy recruiting centers on Washington Avenue near the University of Minnesota campus. Macalester Students for a Democratic Society organized the March 27 event to protest the Iraq war, one week after its fifth anniversary. A crowd of about 100 people, most of whom voiced support for the protesters, gathered around the spectacle. Some, who were members of University of Minnesota's College Republicans, said the Macalester protesters were infringing on potential recruits' right to join the military. The atmosphere was jubilant, with protesters waving signs and preening in front of the Fox and Kare 11 cameras. Macalester students carpooled, bicycled and took buses to the Minneapolis recruiting stations, where they were joined by U of M students, passers-by and students who played hookey from local high schools. MPJC-SDS coordinated the protest in conjunction with the Anti-War Committee, a U of M student group. More than 200 U of M students attended an Anti-War Committee rally. Students proceeded to march to the Army National Guard recruitment office on Washington Avenue, across the street from the recruiting centers where Macalester students were protesting. Police on horseback and bicycles arrested 16 protesters who entered the National Guard office on trespassing charges, Minneapolis Police Sgt. Jesse Garcia said. None of the arrested students attend Macalester and MPJC-SDS declared their protest a success. "We declared Mission Accomplished because the centers were shut down all day, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m." a member of MPJC-SDS who called himself "DanarchyMacSDS" wrote in a post on Infoshop News, a website that bills itself as "anarchist news, opinion and much more." At the protest the eight students who chained themselves to the recruiting centers doors declined to give their names and directed questions to Sadie Cox '11 and Daniel Balogh '10. "We chose this particular place," Cox said, "because we think it is the closest thing there is to a military presence in the cities." Cox said that 70 percent of the Iraqi people want the United States to leave and that it is time to withdraw American troops. "We've been relying on the idea that the people who were elected will get the U.S. out of Iraq soon," she said, referring to the Democratic victories in House and Senate elections in 2006. She cautioned against similar false hopes for change in the presidential election. "The dream candidates--as wonderful and idealistic as they are--might not be the be all and end all," she said. The protesters' press statement, which they distributed to local media, hinted at dissatisfaction with the limited role of direct democracy in the American political system. "We will not tolerate a system," the statement read, "which only allows for dissent to be registered through infrequent elections and party politics." Bryan Axelrod, a sophomore at the U of M, served three tours of duty in Iraq's Anbar province. He said that the protesters thwarted potential recruits who showed interest in non-controversial military positions such as navy doctor or pilots who assisted in rescue missions after Hurricane Katrina. "The only way the occupation is going to end," he said, "is when the Iraqi government is strong enough to stand by its own." Axelrod countered the protesters' claim that Iraqis want the United States out of their country. "What you don't really hear about," he said, "is the Iraqis who invite American soldiers into their homes when they're already at war, and they offer them food and offer them water." But most of the Macalester students in attendance disagreed. "I think it's really important," Natalia Shulkin '08 said, "that people speak out against the war and what's happening in our name." Many Macalester students heard about the Minneapolis protest at a "speakout" against the war held at 11 a.m. that morning at Bateman Plaza. Students passed around a bullhorn and gave extemporaneous speeches about why they opposed the Iraq war as about 30 students and community members watched. "I think we've been killing for far too long," Carl Skarbek '11 said. "There were over 165 investigated reports of sexual assault by the army," Jon Branden '11 said. In clear terms Margaret Beegle, executive assistant at the Institute for Global Citizenship, blamed Bush and Cheney for what she called a "destructive geopolitical game." "Take them to Hague," she said. "Charge them with crimes against humanity. "I'm willing to be on a committee if somebody wants to do something like that." Cox later read a statement that concluded by calling for "an end to this illegal, unethical and disgraceful war on the Iraqi people, once and for all." Then she asked the crowd to come join her at the Minneapolis recruiting stations. "They really do need our support," she said. "A bunch of cops just got there." Kayla Burchuk '10 helped sell the onlookers on the benefits of traveling 4.5 miles to cheer on the protesters. "They made these really cool box structures to lock their arms in," she said. "They look like robots." http://tinyurl.com/2cguqp 3/20/2008 12:47:00 PM Iraq war protesters get pepper-sprayed Fifth anniversary brings demonstrators to the streets The Associated Press PORTLAND -- Police used pepper spray on demonstrators protesting the Iraq war in downtown Portland on its fifth anniversary. The demonstrators later hopped a train and headed for a military recruitment center across town. Police Bureau spokesman Sgt. Brian Schmautz said Shawn Biggers, 23, was arrested Wednesday and charged with assaulting an officer, disorderly conduct and interfering with an officer after he allegedly kicked a policeman in the knee. Schmautz said police used "a little pepper spray." A group of about 100 demonstrators headed away from the confrontation toward a plaza for a rally, accompanied by police on bicycles, horseback and motorcycles. They then piled onto a MAX light rail train to a shopping center located near a recruiting station. A string of police motorcycles and a van of police in riot gear followed the train. "Sorry, no room for bikes," one of the riders told an officer who looked ready to board. They marched from the Lloyd Center to the recruiting center, where a diminished group blew horns, beat drums and chanted, "tear it down" and "end the silence, stop the violence." Passing cars honked and waved, some impolitely. Some protesters wore bandanna masks, carried black flags and identified themselves as anarchists, an established counterculture movement in Oregon, or as members of Students for a Democratic Society, a strident anti-war group that flourished mostly in the 1960s and 1970s on many college campuses. A smaller demonstration earlier Wednesday went to the offices of Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden, a Democrat, and Gordon Smith, a Republican, and U.S. Rep. David Wu, D-Ore. All are on record as favoring withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, as are the state's other three Democratic congressmen. One member of the smaller march, Nancy Kurkinen of Portland, a member of Families for Peace, acknowledged Oregon's Congressional opposition to the war. "So, let's do something about it; they are in a position to do things we can't do," she said. "Talk is cheap. This is a $700 billion war." http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2008/03/12/1361650-war-protesters-arrested-in-senate War Protesters Arrested in Senate Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:52 PM EDT senate, protesters, capitol-police, politics Associated Press WASHINGTON - U.S. Capitol Police arrested 10 war protesters who began shouting in the Senate gallery Wednesday. The protesters were quickly hustled into a hallway and out of the view of reporters. They had chanted, "The war is immoral! Stop funding the war!" - as police officers grabbed them and physically removed them from a visitors gallery overlooking the Senate floor. The demonstrators wore gauze shrouds over their heads and black shirts that read, "We will not be silent." One member said they represented the "National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance." Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas was speaking during debate on the federal budget when the protest broke out. She stopped talking while the protesters were removed. Outside the chamber, police ordered reporters to leave the public hallway where authorities were detaining the protesters. An officer could be heard reporting that there had been 10 arrests in the incident. http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/03/01/18482849.php ILWU to Shut Down West Coast Ports May 1 Demanding End to War in Iraq, Afghanistan In a major step for the U.S. labor movement, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) has announced that it will shut down West Coast ports on May 1, to demand an immediate end to the war and occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Middle East. In a February 22 letter to AFL-CIO president John Sweeney, ILWU International president Robert McEllrath reported that at a recent coast-wide union meeting, "One of the resolutions adopted by caucus delegates called on longshore workers to stop work during the day shift on May 1, 2008 to express their opposition to the war in Iraq." This is the first time in decades that an American union has decided to undertake industrial action against a U.S. war. It is doubly important that this mobilization of labor's power is to take place on May Day, the international workers day, which is not honored in the U.S. Moreover, the resolution voted by the ILWU delegates opposes not only the hugely unpopular war in Iraq, but also the war and occupation of Afghanistan (which Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and Republican John McCain all want to expand). The motion to shut down the ports also demands the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the entire region, including the oil sheikdoms of the strategically important Persian/Arab Gulf. The Internationalist Group has fought from the moment U.S. troops invaded Afghanistan in September 2002 for American unions to strike against the war. Despite the fact that millions have marched in the streets of Europe and the United States against the war in Iraq, the war goes on. Neither of the twin war parties of U.S. imperialism - Democrats and Republicans - and none of the capitalist candidates will stop this horrendous slaughter that has already killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. The only way to stop the Pentagon killing machine is by mobilizing the power of a greater force - that of the international working class. The action announced by the powerful West Coast dock workers union, to stop work to stop the war, should be taken up by unions and labor organizations throughout the United States and internationally. The ILWU should be commended for courageously taking the first step, and it is up to working people everywhere to back them up. Wherever support is strong enough, on May 1 there should be mass walkouts, sick-outs, labor marches, plant-gate meetings, lunch-time rallies, teach-ins. And the purpose of such actions should be not to beg the bourgeois politicians whose hands are covered with blood, having voted for every war budget for six and a half years, but a show of strength of the working people who make this country run, and who can shut it down! Now is the time for bold class action. Opposition to the war is even greater in the U.S. working class than in the population as a whole, more than two-thirds of which wants to stop the war but is stymied by the capitalist political system. In his letter to Sweeney, the ILWU president asked "if other AFL-CIO affiliates are planning to participate in similar events." Labor militants should make sure the answer to that question is a resounding "yes!" There should be no illusions that this will be easy. No doubt the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) bosses will try to get the courts to rule the stop-work action illegal. The ILWU leadership could get cold feet, since this motion was passed because of overwhelming support from the delegates despite attempts to stop it or, failing that, to water it down or limit the action. And the U.S. government could try to ban it on the grounds of "national security," just as Bush & Co. slapped a Taft-Hartley injunction on the docks during contract negotiations in the fall of 2002, saying that any work stoppage was a threat to the "war effort," and threatened to occupy the ports with troops! The answer to every attempt to sabotage or undercut this first labor action against this war, and against Washington's broader "war on terror" which is intended to terrorize the world into submission must be to redouble efforts to bring out workers' power independent of the capitalist parties and politicians. If the ILWU work stoppage is successful, it will only be a small, but very important, beginning that must be generalized and deepened. It will take industrial-strength labor action to defeat the imperialist war abroad and the bosses' war on immigrants, oppressed minorities, poor and working people "at home." http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,342553,00.html 16 Arrested in Twin Cities Anti-War Protest Thursday, March 27, 2008 16 people were arrested after a group of student protesters entered a National Guard recruiting office on the University of Minnesota campus on Thursday, according to MyFOXTwinCities.com The group, mostly of students from Macalester College, was there to protest the 5th anniversary of the war in Iraq, according to the report. Police say two people chained their necks to the door of the recruiting station using bike locks, while others locked arms on the sidewalk. When asked by a reporter why they didn't stage their protest on the official 5th anniversary of the Iraq War, one protester said it was because they "were on Spring Break," MyFOXTwinCities reports. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/nyregion/23protest.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin A War Protest Falls Short in Manhattan Laurie Wen was among marchers on 14th Street protesting the Iraq war, which began five years ago last week. The war is "so under the radar, it's like it's not happening," a protester said. By ANTHONY RAMIREZ Published: March 23, 2008 Correction Appended The goal of the organizers of the "River to River: Join Hands for Peace" protest on Saturday was modest. To make a statement against the war in Iraq, they needed thousands of people to stretch their arms fingertip to fingertip across most of the width of Manhattan, along 14th Street from 11th Avenue in the west to Avenue A in the east. "We figure three feet per person, not including the intersections," said Leslie Kielson, 44, a New York coordinator for a group called United for Peace and Justice and the lead organizer of the march. "So we need about 2,500 people." The protest marking the fifth anniversary of the war fell short. There were huge gaps a block or so west of where Ms. Kielson spoke, at the south end of Union Square. Organizers asked passers-by, "Hello, would you like to join the peace line for a second?" On many blocks, there were more people waiting at bus shelters than demonstrators. Ms. Kielson said her group was a 75-member coalition of unions, religious organizations and neighborhood groups. She said that in contrast to protests against the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War and the early stages of this war, large groups of students from Columbia, New York University and other institutions did not turn out Saturday. For the most part, the demonstrators were parents with children, middle-aged people or older protesters with long white hair tucked underneath berets or bandannas with antiwar buttons. Jonathan Fluck, 53, an actor from Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, who attended the protest, was frustrated. The war is "so under the radar, it's like it's not happening," he said. Two of the few protesters in their 20s were Jose Negroni, 26, a schoolteacher from Queens, and his fianc?e, Claire Noelle Frost, 24, a professional organizer. Both carried small drums to beat on in case their voices became strained from chanting. Mr. Negroni said the volunteer Army had removed a goad to war protests. "If there were a draft, there would be probably 150,000 people for every protester like you and me," he said to Ms. Frost. Farther down the human chain, Eileen Stareshefsky, a school office worker from Manhattan, said she had been to scores of protests since her first, in 1967. "This could be my 100th protest," she said. Her friend Sheila Zukowsky, 57, of Washington Heights, said, "We're both children of the '60s." She was puzzled by the lack of college students protesting. She said, half joking, "Maybe they weren't on the right e-mail list?" The protest ended with a procession of two cardboard coffins to the corner of Park Avenue South and East 17th Street - one draped with an American flag, and the other with an American flag and an Iraqi flag. Organizers said they would hold a candlelight vigil in Union Square on the day after the 4,000th United States military death in Iraq. As of Wednesday, the Department of Defense had identified 3,984 service members killed since the start of the Iraq war. On Friday and Saturday, four more soldiers were killed. Colin Moynihan contributed reporting. This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: Correction: March 30, 2008 An article in some editions last Sunday about a protest in Manhattan against the Iraq war misspelled the surname of one protester in some copies. She is Eileen Stareshefsky, not Scareshefsky. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1720061,00.html Does New York Have a Serial Bomber? Thursday, Mar. 06, 2008 By ALEX ALTMAN/NEW YORK CITY New York City's Times Square - the pulsating heart of this teeming metropolis - was its usual, frenetic self Thursday morning, its scores of corporate billboards and animated displays shimmering brightly above the crush of people bustling to work. But something was amiss. Sections of the district were cordoned off with barricades and yellow tape; traffic was snarled, and police swarmed the area. For those unaware of what transpired here overnight, news crawls bellowed the troubling headlines: "TIMES SQUARE BOMBED." Authorities are investigating whether the attack is linked to two previous bombings that bore eerie similarities. At approximately 3:45 a.m. Thursday, a "low-order" explosive device was detonated on the Times Square traffic island bounded by 43rd and 44th Streets, Broadway and Seventh Avenue. No one was injured and no suspects have been apprehended. "This was not a particularly sophisticated device," said New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, who cautioned the explosive was nonetheless "capable of causing injury or death." At a news conference, Kelly brandished an unassuming green ammunition container - readily available, he said, in military supply stores - similar to that which held the crudely fashioned bomb. He said witnesses placed a hooded man with a backpack riding a bicycle on the island before the blast. Police released a grainy surveillance video Thursday afternoon of the attack showing a bicyclist on the island immediately before the loud blast, which sent white smoke billowing through the empty intersection. The explosion was apparently "deliberately directed" at a U.S. military recruiting station, the Armed Forces Career Center, situated on the triangular space dubbed "Military Island". No one was inside the steel and glass-paneled facility at the time of the blast, which cracked the front door and shattered a window. The building, which is positioned across the street from a police station and jointly houses Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine recruiters, has been the site of anti-war demonstrations. Late Thursday, Politico.com, citing congressional insiders, said that eight House Democrats were mailed a letter and photo of the Times Square recruiting station in Manhattan before it was bombed. Though the attack resulted in no injuries and minimal damage, it raised unsettling concerns: chiefly, that it could be connected to two prior bombings with similar hallmarks. Last October, a device containing explosive powder was lobbed over the fence at the Mexican consulate, located just a few blocks southeast. The British consulate, also in Midtown, was the target of a similar bombing in 2005. Both of those attacks blew out windows. Those attacks also reportedly took place between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. and were perpetrated by a person riding a bicycle. Forensic evidence is being sent to FBI headquarters in Quantico, Va., to examine possible links between the incidents. Officials denounced Thursday's attack with strong language. "Whoever the coward was that committed this disgraceful act on our city will be found and prosecuted to the full extent of the law," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters at a press conference Thursday morning. "We will not tolerate such attacks." Army Captain Charles Jaquillard, commander of recruiting in Manhattan, told the Associated Press, "If it is something that's directed toward American troops, then it's something that's taken very seriously." The city quickly regained its equilibrium. Streets reopened and subway service was restored. "New York City is back and open for business," Bloomberg said. Even tourists at the scene - holding cameras aloft and chattering on cell phones - seemed largely unruffled by the incident. "I do feel quite safe still," says Sandra Bell, a tourist on vacation from Glasgow, Scotland. Still, she says, standing just yards from the spot where she's often watched the iconic ball descend to herald each New Year, "it's amazing to think something would happen here." As uniformed military personnel ducked in and out of the recruiting office, the poster of Uncle Sam maintained his familiar pose - eyes fixed on prospective recruits, index finger outstretched, issuing his trademark beckoning call: "I Want You." But to Damian Brown, 31, peering at the scene from across the street, the blast conveyed the opposite message. "Time to bring those boys home," he says quietly. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-easterprotest1mar24,0,5791594.story War protest mars Holy Name mass Demonstrators spatter selves and worshipers with fake blood By Stacy St. Clair and Erika Slife | Tribune reporters 12:17 AM CDT, March 24, 2008 As they listened to the gospel during mass Sunday, few parishioners at Holy Name parish could have imagined how their holiday service and their Easter finery were about to be tainted. Six protesters disrupted the beginning of Cardinal Francis George's homily to shout their opposition to the Iraq war. The demonstrators-who called themselves Catholic Schoolgirls Against the War, despite their male and female membership-squirted fake blood on themselves and nearby worshipers as security guards tried to usher them from the parish's auditorium, where mass is being said during repairs on the downtown Chicago cathedral. The syrupy red substance-which one protester later described as "stage blood"-initially drew horrified gasps and a few shrieks from the 600 worshipers at the mass. The shock, however, quickly gave way to anger as people booed the demonstrators while they were being removed from the hall. Several churchgoers then rushed to the bathroom to wash off the sticky liquid. Others cried openly. A few livid parents followed the protesters into the lobby and berated them for scaring children at mass. "Are you happy with yourselves?" Mike Wainscott of Chicago shouted at the demonstrators as they were being handcuffed by police. "There were kids in there. You scared little kids with your selfish act. Are you happy now?" The protesters were all charged with felony criminal defacement of property and two counts of simple battery for defacing church property and the worshipers' clothes with the fake blood. Chicago police identified the six arrested as: Donte D. Smith, 18, of Chicago; Ephran Ramirez Jr., 22, of Chicago; Ryne Ziemba, 25, of Chicago; Mercedes Phinaih, 18, of Bloomington; Regan Maher, 25, of Chicago; and Angela Haban, 20, of Prospect Heights. Mike Harding, a friend of the protesters, described them as a group of students and local activists who do good deeds for their community, such as teach classes, plant gardens and distribute food to the poor. If the demonstrators' actions ruined some people's Easter, then perhaps they'll have more empathy for Iraqi citizens who have seen their holiest days marred by violence, said Harding, 21. "The idea is to bring that back here, not necessarily in a brutal way, but in a peaceful way," said Harding, who went to a police station after the arrest for information about his friends. Speaking to reporters afterward, Harding said officers were being verbally abusive toward the protesters and were denying one of them medical treatment for his asthma. He said the accusations against them were "trumped-up" charges. Protests aren't uncommon at Holy Name, the home parish to George and the epicenter of Chicago's large Catholic community. Some parishioners, however, said the faux bloodshed, which the protesters described as a "die-in," ventured into frighteningly unacceptable territory. "The fact that people have to come to Easter mass and do something like that is disturbing," said Carroll Baker, whose face was splattered with the fake blood during the fracas. "It's very sad, and it's very irritating." Bob Gowrylow, a 70-year-old Holy Name usher who is battling cancer, wept in the lobby as he tried to clean the fake blood from his blazer. Gowrylow said he blames himself for not rushing down the aisle quickly enough to prevent the protesters from frightening parishioners. Gowrylow, who said he had been recently released from a hospital, worried the worshipers missed an important Easter message because of the disruption. He missed the cardinal's homily himself because one of the demonstrators had squirted the fake blood in his ear and damaged his hearing aid. "I've been an usher for 40 years, and something like this has never happened," he said. "I wish I could have done something to stop it." The protest erupted as the cardinal began his Easter homily, a sermon that celebrates the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion. Dressed in their Sunday best-shirts and ties on the men, and the women in skirts-the six demonstrators moved into the auditorium aisles from their center-row seats and shouted their opposition to the war. They decried the deaths of 4,000 U.S. soldiers and thousands of Iraqi citizens, drawing angry heckles and shouts of "Sit down!" from churchgoers. As ushers and security guards rushed down the aisle, the group denounced the cardinal for having lunch with President Bush and Mayor Richard Daley in January. They then discharged packets of fake blood, spurting it over themselves and hitting those seated nearby. The ushers pleaded with them to stop disrupting mass, while security guards threatened arrest. "Even the pope calls for peace," they chanted as they were escorted from the auditorium hall. "Even the pope calls for peace." "And so should we all call for peace," said George, drawing strong applause from the parish. The cardinal returned easily to his Easter homily, but Connie Gallegos found herself staring at disbelief at her husband's blood-splattered khaki pants and his light-blue Polo shirt. The scene seemed so surreal, she said, she didn't register what was happening until after the protesters had left the auditorium. For the rest of the mass, she sat and thought about the Northern Illinois University students who were seated in a lecture hall on Feb. 14 when a gunman opened fire, killing five before taking his own life. She wondered if those students sat frozen as she did, muted by the confusion and emotions swirling around her. "I have a son who goes to NIU," she said. "I keep thinking about how those students must have reacted." Catholic Schoolgirls Against the War, however, may have been preaching to the choir-literally. Both Pope Benedict XVI and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have opposed the war since its inception, with the pope using his own Easter homily Sunday to renew calls for an Iraq resolution that would "safeguard peace and the common good." After the service, the cardinal reiterated the Catholic Church's opposition to the war, but he said mass is not the place to protest the U.S.-led invasion. "We should all work for peace," George said, "but not by interrupting the worship of God. It's an act of violence to come among a group of believers and try to manipulate worship to your own purposes, no matter how noble and good they are." In a statement issued by Catholic Schoolgirls Against the War, the group said it protested at the cathedral "to reach both Holy Name's large Easter audience-including Chicago's most prominent Catholic citizens, who commonly attend Easter mass at the church-and the many more viewers and readers of the local press, which usually extensively covers their services." The statement lauded protesters' efforts to remind the churchgoers that George and Daley met two months ago with the president, described as the "principal public figure responsible for initiating the carnage in Iraq." The six protesters are expected to appear Monday afternoon in Bond Court. http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/81819/index.php 3/23: Peace Protesters Stage Dramatic Die-in to Oppose Iraq War at City's Most Prominent Catholic Parish CHICAGO, March 23 - Six members of the anti-war group "Catholic Schoolgirls Against The War" staged a dramatic die-in during the 11AM Easter mass at Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago's most prominent Catholic parish - and the home of one of the nation's most conservative church leaders, Cardinal George. The action included a denunciation of Cardinal George's January 7 meeting with Mayor Daley and President Bush, the 'chief architect' of the ongoing carnage in Iraq. Four people were arrested at Bush's January 7 visit, one of whom was slapped with bogus felony charges. (Photo by Kevin Clark) CHICAGO, March 23 - Six members of the anti-war group "Catholic Schoolgirls Against The War" staged a dramatic die-in during the 11AM Easter mass at Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago's most prominent Catholic parish - and the home of one of the nation's most conservative church leaders, Cardinal George. The protesters also denounced Cardinal George's January 7 meeting with Mayor Daley and President Bush, who they charged was the "chief architect" of the ongoing carnage in Iraq. The three men and three women activists timed the action to reach both Holy Name's large easter audience -- including some of Chicago's most prominent citizens, who commonly attend Easter mass at the church -- and the many more viewers and readers of the local press, which usually extensively covers the services. The action was staged in the Gold Coast cathedral's parish center, an auditorium where mass is being said while the main cathedral undergoes renovation. Easter services at Holy Name are traditionally one of the most heavily attended masses of the year, and this mass was no exception, with people packed wall to wall for today's Easter morning holiday service. The group of young men and women, dressed in their Easter best, sat through the 11AM mass until George reached the homily. George had just uttered the words, "Often, we hear people say 'love is blind," when the protesters rose from their seats to address George and the hundreds of parishioners in the auditorium. "The sixth commandment says 'Thou shall not kill'" said one protester. "Yet more than a million Iraqis have been killed since the invasion of Iraq," said a second. Many members of the audience audibly gasped and murmered at these words. "On January 7, Cardinal George met for lunch with George W. Bush," said a third protester, saying that Bush was responsible for the ongoing carnage in Iraq. That statement referred to a January 7 meetng Cardinal George and Chicago mayor Richard Daley had with George W. Bush during a presidential visit to Chicago that was capped by the arrest of four peace protesters. In the wake of the Bush visit in January, peace activists vigorously criticized the Cardinal and mayor Daley for failing to publicly raise the issue of the war -- and the need to end it -- with Bush, and the Holy Name action was staged in part to remind George of his resonsibility to press for the issue of an end to the war with public officials, particularly leading war boosters like Bush. At this point during the church service, ushers had rushed around the protesters, who then squirted themselves with stage blood and collapsed to the floor in the aisle. Some stage blood spattered on non-protesters in the vicinity. The protesters voluntarily got to their feet at the ushers' urging and walked out of the auditorium, chanting "Even the Pope calls for peace!" "And so should we all call for peace," said George from the alter as the last protester was led out. The protesters were arrested outside by Chicago police, and conducted a series of media interviews with local television outlets, which had packed the auditorium to film George's service, while cops waited for a police wagon to take them to lockup. The six peace activists -- Angela Haban, 20 years old, female; Regan Maher, 25 years old, female; Mercedes Phinaih, 18 years old, female; Ephran Ramirez, Jr., 22 years old, male; Donte D. Smith, 21 years old, male; and Ryane J. Ziemba, 25 years old, male -- chose Holy Name as a way to ratchet up a sense of urgency about the war with the cardinal and many of the city's elite who attend services there. The protesters' sense of urgency seems to be well placed -- four more U.S. soldiers were killed today in Iraq, bringing the total number of soldiers killed there to over 4,000 since the war began just over five years ago. Estimates of Iraqi dead total in the hundreds of thousands, and perhaps as high as a million or more. The U.S. government has chosen not to keep track of the number of civilian casualties in this conflict. "On a day when we're celebrating the resurrection of the Prince of Peace -- a man whose ministry was deeply tied to comfort and relief for the most oppressed among us -- it's critical that we remind ourselves and others everywhere of the need to reject business as usual and demand peace in Iraq from our own government and its supporter," said Kevin Clark, a supporter of today's protesters. "The fact is that many in attendance today at Holy Name Cathedral are among the city's most powerful people, and it's incumbent on them to endure a little discomfort to be reminded that unless they're working tirelessly to end this war immediately, then their presence in this church on Easter Sunday is an act of hypocrisy." This afternoon, the Chicago police announced that the six young people arrested at the Holy Name Cathedral die-in have been charged with one count of felony criminal damage to property and two counts of simple battery. They are currently being held at Cook County jail at 26th and California, and are expected to be arraigned on the felony charge some time Monday morning, possibly as early as 9AM. Police denied one arrestee who is hypoglycemic access to his medication. Police have also repoortedly been telling concerned callers that supporters of the peace protesters could be investigated for terrorism by Homeland Security -- a tactic supporters says underscores the repressive political nature of the police response to the protest. Supporters are working to arrange jail solidarity and legal support. For more info, call Kevin Clark at 312-259-4380 or email him at solitaryleftist (at) aol.com. Supporters have also set up a paypal account to raise bail funds. The contact email for that effort is holyname6 (at) riseup.net. Paypal donations can also be sent via the following url: www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr ---------------------------------------------------- Protest against war and oil profits at Chevron's gate Anastasia Ustinova, Chronicle Staff Writer Sunday, March 16, 2008 (03-15) 21:50 PST RICHMOND -- More than 300 people marched from downtown Point Richmond to the Chevron refinery today to protest the company they say is profiting from the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Twenty-four demonstrators were arrested for trespassing late in the afternoon after removing a police barricade, entering refinery property and linking arms, said Lt. Mark Gagan, a Richmond police spokesman. He said they cooperated with the arresting officers. The protesters were marching against the war in Iraq - Wednesday will mark the fifth anniversary - as well as a proposal to upgrade the refinery's processing capability. They accused Chevron of profiteering from the oil obtained by the U.S. invasion, which has cost many thousands of lives and billions of dollars. Kayla Starr, 66, from Ashland, Ore., said she was participating because of her 2-year-old granddaughter, Dahlia. "I don't want her to get asthma and cancer from breathing the polluted air, and I don't want her to live in the world where we're killing innocent people," she said. The demonstrators arrived at the refinery on Chevron Way around 1:30 p.m. About 50 formed human chains at the entrance while others held banners, sang and danced. Gopal Dayaneni of Berkeley, a spokesman for the organizers, said some protesters decided about four hours later to "take it closer to Chevron" and enter company property. Gagan, the police spokesman, said no property was damaged. Chevron spokeswoman Camille Priselac said operations at the refinery were not disrupted by the protests and that alternative means existed for vehicles needing to enter and leave the facility. "We have also taken steps to ensure the safety of our employees," she said, adding that because of the safety measures, those steps would not be disclosed. Chevron has said in the past that the proposed refinery upgrade will not cause additional pollution. About 45 Richmond police officers in helmets were at the scene. Two young women were cited for trying to hang a banner on a pole. The protest at the refinery was preceded by a two-hour rally at Judge G. Carroll Park. Speaking at the gathering, Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin said, "It's time to clear the smoke of lies, the smoke of pollution and the smoke of war." The protest was co-sponsored by Direct Action to Stop the War, Greenaction, West County Toxics Coalition, Amazon Watch, Richmond Progressive Alliance, Richmond Greens, Community Health Initiative, Communities for a Better Environment, Global Exchange and Rainforest Action Network. The action coincided with several other anti-war protests today in the Bay Area. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gbpZpzf22HQklONb49NWXybzhSAgD8VGDF200 Protests on 5th Anniversary of Iraq War By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN - Mar 19, 2008 NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - Octogenarian Jim Barron has hearing aids and a pacemaker. The prostate cancer survivor received a cortisone shot this month to ease the pain from an old shoulder injury. "It got to the point where I couldn't lift a glass of water," Barron said. Despite his aches, Barron planned to risk arrest Wednesday, the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which has claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 U.S. troops. He's part of a nationwide peace movement using the anniversary to protest with nonviolent civil disobedience. Anti-war protests were scheduled in Washington, D.C., where demonstrators vowed to block the entrance to the Internal Revenue Service and to disrupt the offices of lobbyists who represent military contractors and oil companies profiting from the war. College students from New Jersey to North Dakota planned walkouts, while students at the University of Minnesota vowed to shut down military recruiting offices on campus. Barron geared up to participate in a protest in Hartford, Conn. "This is the first time coordinated direct actions of civil disobedience are happening," said Barbra Bearden, communications manager for the group Peace Action. "People who have never done this kind of action are stepping up and deciding now is the time to do it." The Iraq war has been unpopular both abroad and in the United States, although an Associated Press-Ipsos poll in December showed that growing numbers think the U.S. is making progress and will eventually be able to claim some success in Iraq. The findings, a rarity in the relentlessly unpopular war, came amid diminishing U.S. and Iraqi casualties and the start of modest troop withdrawals. Still, majorities remain upset about the conflict and convinced the invasion was a mistake, and the issue still splits the country deeply along party lines. Activists cite frustration that the war has dragged on for so long and hope the more dramatic actions will galvanize others to protest. "If you are determined and your cause is right, the American people will eventually come around," Barron said. Though he has participated in demonstrations for decades, Barron has never risked a trip to jail. He opposed the war from the beginning and has written letters of protest to Congress, but his feelings intensified while hearing the names of the war dead read each week in his church. The final straw, he said, was reading an article about U.S. soldiers who suffered permanent brain damage in Iraq. "I'm tired of being a futile old man not able to have any participation in this decision," Barron said. "I'm 80 years old. I'm still alive. I want people to say, `If he's not afraid to do it, what am I doing being so silent?'" Barron, who ran a kitchen remodeling business with his wife before he retired in 1995, said he helped organize efforts to integrate restaurants in Richmond, Va., during the 1960s. He saw police drag college students from lunch counters, and said authorities stood and watched as the students were attacked on sidewalks. But the attacks only encouraged more protesters to engage in civil disobedience, he said. "I saw the effectiveness of civil disobedience," Barron said. "Those kids paid a helluva penalty, but they got the good people of Richmond awakened. This chemistry needs to happen again." Planning to join Barron on Wednesday were his minister, the Rev. Kathleen McTigue, and others from his Unitarian church in New Haven. McTigue said she was surprised when Barron told her he wanted to join the action, but he assured her he was up it. "I'm very proud of him," McTigue said. "I find him very inspirational." From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 17:02:31 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:02:31 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Pro-democracy protests - Africa, Asia, Americas, Western Europe Message-ID: <031101c89e8c$049e4370$0802a8c0@andy1> * PHILIPPINES: Protests, "mass for peace" target Arroyo * INDONESIA: Protests against plans to make hero of Suharto * MALAYSIA: Police attack small opposition rally, Hindu "flower power" protest and fuel price rally * MALAYSIA: Malays protest after election losses * PAKISTAN: Protests by indigenous people over rigging in local election * MYANMAR: Self-immolation in protest against regime * ZIMBABWE: MDC defy ban on pre-election rallies * ZIMBABWE/SOUTH AFRICA: Expat Zimbabweans protest over voting rights at embassy * KENYA: Kibera supporters in unrest over cabinet deal; opposition earlier continues protests, and police continue killings * CUBA: "Signs of protest from patient children of the revolution" * JERSEY: Scandal prompts pro-democracy protests in dependency * EGYPT: Islamists protest government crackdown http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ieoSWeNhn7OupRuQAoEcjLKjsjIg More protests vowed against Philippine leader Mar 1, 2008 MANILA (AFP) - Foes of embattled Philippine president Gloria Arroyo held a "mass for the truth" on Sunday and vowed more street protests in the coming weeks to press for her resignation. Hundreds of students and church workers joined former president Corazon Aquino and other members of the opposition in the mass at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. They sang nationalistic hymns and raised clenched fists as they repeated demands for Arroyo to resign. Also in the gathering was Rodolfo Lozada, a former mid-level government official who implicated Arroyo's husband and a political ally in a corruption case surrounding a botched telecoms deal. Lozada's explosive testimony has led to mounting calls for Arroyo to step down, and on Friday more than 15,000 people gathered in the capital's Makati financial district in the largest protest since the scandal broke last year. "There will be more rallies to come," said Adel Tamano, a spokesman for the political opposition. We believe that the rally last Friday has led to a snowballing effect." He noted that universities around Manila had become major starting points for protests, with students coming out in their thousands last week. "We are beginning to reach a critical mass," Tamano said on local radio, adding that the protests in Manila were matched by smaller rallies in key cities around the Philippines. Aquino and another ex-president, Joseph Estrada, were the key figures in last week's protest and both called for Arroyo to step down. Renato Reyes, secretary general of the activist group Bayan, said Friday's rally was the "strongest rejection" yet of Arroyo. "This is an encouraging sign of political maturity among Filipinos," he said, adding that the next protest would be on March 8, to coincide with International Women's Day. Arroyo has kept a low profile amid the anti-government protests, and her spokesman Ignacio Bunye on Sunday said she had spent Friday chairing a mining conference and visiting development projects in the countryside. The president earlier said she would not step down until her six-year term ends in 2010 and denied that her family had profited from government deals. She has earlier survived three impeachment bids in Congress, and put down two coup attempts. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=110062 Protests held as organizers look for new venue for Feb. 25 mass Small protest actions were held on Friday especially in some universities in Metro Manila as well as other cities in the provinces even as organizers were left looking for a new venue for a mass on February 25, the 22nd anniversary of the EDSA I People Power revolution. Rodolfo Noel "Jun" Lozada Jr. the Senate's latest star witness said a scheduled "Mass for truth" that would be led by former President Corazon Aquino was left without a venue as of Friday after officials of Sto. Domingo church in Quezon City declined their application. "I guess somebody called Baby Nebrida from Malacanang already went to Sto. Domingo and told them that they also would like to have a mass in Sto Domingo on February 25. So we cannot hold our own mass now that we originally scheduled on February 25. Pati sa simbahan inano pa nila kami. (Even in church they are interfering with us.)," said Lozada. He said that the church officials decided to decline both applications. "So ang Sto. Domingo kaysa raw may mag-mass na dalawang kampo, sabi nila (So Sto. Domingo officials opted instead of two masses they said) we will just not allow anyone to hold a mass here. Its sad but that's the reality," said Lozada. Lozada is the latest star resource person in the investigation of the scrapped national broadband network (NBN) deal. Support has grown for Lozada for his testimonies on briberies and overpricing in the NBN deal as well indignation were expressed against the Arroyo administration after the alleged kidnapping of the Senate star witness purportedly to prevent him from testifying in the Senate. A "Mass for Truth" in support of Lozada which was led by former President Aquino was held last February 16 at the La Salle Greenhills and was attended by an estimated 5,000. Reports said organizers of the mass have applied for a mass to be held in Redemptorist Church in Baclaran as a possible alternative to the canceled mass in Sto. Domingo church. QC officials nix rally at People Power monument A radio dzMM report said earlier that the Quezon City government turned down a request of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) to hold a protest rally at the People Power Monument on Monday. Manuel Cabalza, head of the city's Department of Public Order and Safety, said the local government does not have the authority to allow political gatherings at the monument. Cabalza instead referred the letter from BAYAN secretary-general Renato Reyes Jr. to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which coordinates with the Eastern Police District and the Metro Manila Development Authority. The People Power Monument was erected to commemorate the four-day bloodless revolt that toppled strongman Ferdinand Marcos and catapulted the wife of the late Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., Corazon, to the presidency. Mendiola rally gets permit Manila City government has however allowed BAYAN to hold a protest action on Monday at the historic Chino Roces Bridge (formerly Mendiola) in commemmoration of the 22nd anniversary of the 1986 People Power revolution. Reyes said in a text message that BAYAN has been given a permit to rally on the historic bridge, which is just a few meters away from the front gate of Malaca?ang Palace. "We expect a medium-sized rally, short program, reaffirming need for people power," Reyes said in a text message to abs-cbnNEWS.com. BAYAN was among the opposition groups that organized the "resignation call" demonstrations at Makati City last Friday. The group had promised more protest actions to force Mrs. Arroyo's resignation. Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim has been strictly implementing the city government's "no permit, no rally" rule for the historic bridge. The city government however allows protesters to hold protests near the bridge during holidays. Malaca?ang had recently declared the date, Feb. 25, 2008, a holiday. A rally and noise barrage would reportedly also be held along with other civil society groups and opposition groups at the Mabuhay (Welcome) Rotunda along Quezon Boulevard after the rally in Mendiola. Metro Manila schools hold noise barrage Students from various colleges and universities in Metro Manila carried out noise barrage in an effort to encourage those involved in the ZTE-broadband scandal to tell the truth. The Ateneo de Manila University and Miriam College along Katipunan in Quezon City expressed their dismay over Malaca?ang's alleged cover-up to conceal the truth by using car horns. At the St. Joseph's College in E. Rodriguez Avenue in Quezon City, an estimated 200 consisting of priests, faculty members and students joined the noise barrage followed by a candle lighting event to support Lozada. Students of the University of the Philippines meanwhile expressed their support to Lozada with a walkout from their classes. Lozada was warmly welcomed by students during his visit at the UP Malcolm Hall. >From the balcony, Lozada delivered a short speech about his testimony "in the name of truth" which aptly applies to the theme of the gathering set by organizers which was for "truth, accountability and reform." A short program was followed by a candle-lighting ceremony to condemn the series of issues against the Arroyo administration. At the UP Manila campus, students went from room-to-room to encourage other students to join the protest while the White Ribbon Movement and Health Alliance for Truth and Justice tied white ribbons along Taft Avenue. At 6 p.m. around 500 students from De La Salle Manila, College of St. Benilde and St. Scholastica's College also gathered and used car horns to create noise as they called for the resignation of President Arroyo. Thomasians also did their part by persuading motorists to join in their noise barrage along Espa?a. The University of Sto. Tomas will also hold a Mass for Truth scheduled on March 2. However, the turnout on the planned meet among law students from different universities in Metro Manila was less than expected. Diverse actions held in key cities Different progressive and civic groups, non-governmental organizations and members of the church held what they dubbed as "Busina para sa Katotohanan" at 6 p.m. Friday where vehicles were encouraged to honk their horns while passing through major streets in Iloilo City. A candle-lighting ceremony was also conducted to signify the Ilonggos' prayer for truth and urged for government reform and the eradication of graft and corruption in the country. In Cotabato, the Archdiocese of Cotabato stood by the call of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) for "communal action". The Catholic Church here will not join protest-actions to commemorate people power on Monday. In Bacolod, members of the United Negros Yearning for Truth or UNYT, affirmed to mount sustaining activities to seek for truth on Lozada's testimony regarding the ZTE-NBN deal. The academe has the most number of participants in the motorcade Friday with their banners expressing support to Lozada. Seven colleges and universities in the city served as the venue for the "Mass for Truth". The church-led activity aimed to awaken and enjoined students to participate in moves seeking the truth amid graft and corruption issues being hurled against the Arroyo administration, in the wake of Lozada's expose. In Naga, the private sector and religious groups in Camarines Sur backed off its initial plans to join Friday's protest rally in Naga City. The decision came as some towns in the first district of the province were submerged by floodwaters due to heavy and continuous rains. Nevertheless, militant groups in Camarines Sur pursued with its protest action at Plaza Quince Martires at the center of Naga City around 4:30 p.m. Officials of the Social Development Council of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University issued a statement urging all Zamboangue?os to support CBCP's call for truth and accountability in the present administration. After a brief program, faculty and students then marched toward La Purisima Street in front of the school for a symbolic candle lighting ceremony. Different religious schools in Zamboanga City are set convene on February 29 for its call for transparency and condemn the widespread corruption in the country. In Davao City, the Ateneo de Davao community and other concerned citizens here also joined the "Communal Action for Truth" rally at the Freedom Park of the main campus. Students, faculty, administration, staff as well as some members of civil society groups joined the prayer rally. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080207-117424/Protest-actions-vs-corrupt-govt-NBN-deal-set Protest actions vs 'corrupt' gov't, NBN deal set By Jerome Aning Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 19:33:00 02/07/2008 MANILA, Philippines -- Militant and civil society groups voiced support for national broadband network (NBN) deal witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. and announced protest actions on Friday to score alleged government corruption and abuse of power. The leftist umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan, New Patriotic Alliance) slammed what it called a "blatant conspiracy" to cover up the truth about the bribes and the overpricing in the NBN deal with China's ZTE Corp. through Lozada's alleged abduction. The civil society group Black and White Movement hailed Lozada as "a great Filipino" for coming out in the open to give light on the controversial deal, which was scrapped after the Senate opened an inquiry into allegations of bribery and kickbacks. "Though exhausted, stressed and emotionally drained, Lozada showed his strength of character as he told his explosive story. By facing his great fear, he found the heroism to defeat it at great risk to his personal safety and the wellbeing of his family. We have never doubted his resolve to keep telling the truth," the group said in a statement. Bayan and its affiliate groups staged an "emergency protest action" in front of the Senate to express support for Lozada and the senators investigating the NBN deal. The scandal is also among the issues to be raised during Bayan's "Black Friday" protest caravan, which will start from The Fort in Taguig City all the way to Camps Aguinaldo and Crame in Quezon City. "This is another low point for an already discredited administration," said Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr., referring to what he described as "one of the most outrageous attempts of the Arroyo regime to cover up the truth about its corruption." The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya, National Federation of Fisherfolk Organizations), a Bayan affiliate, said: "Whatever term you call it, it is still political kidnapping done to suppress the truth in the name of the President [Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] and her mafia family's survival." Reyes said people were becoming "more and more outraged with the desperate cover-up tactics employed by the Palace." "That Malaca?ang is part of this cover up is basis enough to call for the resignation of the President," he said. Another umbrella group, Sanlakas, will also hold a series of protest rallies in the Senate and other places. Sanlakas information officer Don Pangan lambasted Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye's statement belittling the impact of the Lozada expos? on the NBN deal and said people were tired of controversies. "Yes, people are really tired of controversies hounding this illegitimate government and that is why majority of the people want Ms. Arroyo out of Malaca?ang," said Pangan said. "We have to provide a venue for the people to express their sentiments, and the street is the only place for them to do so," he said. Pangan said Lozada's expos? bouyed people's hopes that "genuine change will take place by ending this regime." "People will never get tired of fighting for truth and aspiring for change," said Pangan. Bayan also called for the resignation of Philippine National Police Director General Avelino Razon Jr. and the head of the Police Security and Protection Office because of their involvement in the alleged cover-up. "They gave the public and the Senate the runaround. They're clearly part of the cover-up. They should be ashamed of staying in office a minute longer," Reyes said. Bayan said Lozada's statements implicating First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. in the NBN deal should bolster calls to hold Arroyo accountable. "There is very strong basis to impeach Arroyo given all these new facts. These things happened right under her nose and she did nothing to stop them. The important thing now is to sustain public pressure on the administration and provide support for Lozada and others who can testify against the regime," Reyes said. Even Commission on Higher Education chair Romulo Neri, another witness in the scandal, should consider breaking his silence, Reyes said. The Senate and the Filipino people have a strong case against the chain of command in the PNP, Pamalakaya chairman Fernando Hicap said as he called on the House of Representatives to join the Senate in conducting legislative inquiries on the incident to "teach a lesson" to Lozada's alleged abductors. http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-31746720080203 Indonesians protest push to make Suharto hero Sun Feb 3, 2008 3:56pm IST JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian activists held a protest in central Jakarta on Sunday to protest against calls to make former president Suharto a national hero, a week after the death of the leader who ruled with an iron fist for 32 years. Suharto, who was ousted in 1998 amid political and economic chaos, died last Sunday at the age of 86 of multiple organ failure. Supporters of the late former general, including members of Indonesia's largest political party Golkar, want him to be declared a national hero for his contributions to the nation, while opponents say he does not deserve such an accolade. "We held this protest to refuse the calls for the hero title for Suharto as he committed a lot of human rights violations when he was a president," said Mustar, an activist. He was among a group of about 50 people from an organisation representing families who said they had suffered rights abuses under Suharto. During the protest at a central Jakarta square, 1,000 mock tomb stones were displayed to represent victims. Some of the group also carried placards saying "Put Suharto on trial" and "SBY-JK, Where is your promise?", referring to the initials of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla. Indonesians are divided over the legacy of Suharto. The former general is credited by many for pulling millions of Indonesians out of abject poverty, but his rule was also marred by human rights abuses and widespread corruption. Attempts to bring criminal charges for graft against Suharto were dropped because of the former president's poor health, although before he died he faced a $1.4 billion civil suit over allegations of misuse of state funds by a charity he headed. Critics say Suharto and his family amassed as much as $45 billion in kickbacks or deals. Transparency International put Suharto's assets at $15-$35 billion, or as much as 1.3 percent of gross domestic product. Suharto and his family always denied any wrongdoing. http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-31969620080215 Malaysian police arrest two in protest as polls loom Fri Feb 15, 2008 4:14pm IST KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian police broke up a small anti-government protest on Friday, arresting two people after a scuffle, as the country braced for a fresh flurry of protests ahead of elections next month. In a sign of the administration's sensitivity to street protests in the run-up to the March 8 poll, about 100 police turned out to disperse a group of just 15 opposition party supporters outside the Malaysian king's palace. They had gathered at the imposing yellow-domed palace to urge the king to alter what they said were unfair electoral rules. The monarch, currently abroad on holiday, is a symbolic head of state, but opposition parties have chosen to lobby him because they say they distrust the Election Commission and the ruling coalition, which has effectively governed since independence. "The Election Commission lies," said a large yellow banner held aloft by protesters outside the palace. A fight broke out when they defied orders to disperse, but no one was injured. The Barisan Nasional coalition is widely expected to regain power in the March 8 poll, though with a reduced majority. The commission denies the electoral system favours Barisan Nasional, but opposition parties say electoral boundaries are drawn unfairly and electoral rolls stuffed with "phantom voters". Though small, the protest points to an unruly campaign, with another planned for Saturday by a Hindu rights group, which last November brought more than 10,000 ethnic Indians onto the streets of the capital in an anti-government rally. Many Indians accuse Barisan Nasional, a multi-racial group dominated by ethnic Malays, of racial discrimination. http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-31980420080216 Tear gas scatters Malaysian 'flower power' protest Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:37pm IST By Liau Y-Sing KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian police used water cannon and tear gas on Saturday to break up an anti-government protest by ethnic Indians carrying roses to symbolise a peaceful demand for justice. With the Malaysian government concerned about street protests in the run-up to early general elections on March 8, around 100 policemen, including riot police with helmets and shields, turned out to disperse a gathering of about 300 men, women and children. Nine protesters were arrested, state-run Bernama news agency quoted a police spokesman as saying. The rally's organiser had earlier said 20 were arrested. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's ruling coalition is widely expected to retain power at the polls, although with a reduced majority, but many Indians accuse his multi-racial coalition, dominated by ethnic Malays, of racial discrimination. The Hindu Rights Action Force first announced the protest in January as a way to press its demand for the release of five of its leaders jailed under tough internal security laws. The Malaysian government detained the men without trial soon after more than 10,000 ethnic Indians marched in the capital last November to complain about a lack of job and education opportunities, in response to a call from the group. "I want the five to be released," said Parvathy Raman, a 30-year-old accounts executive from Kuala Lumpur, who joined the protest. "I want the government to hear our problems. Everyone knows there is discrimination, but the government denies it." Children as young as 10 were among the demonstrators at Saturday's protest, where some people carried yellow and red roses, while chanting slogans such as "We love Badawi". Others wore orange T-shirts printed with the slogan "People Power". The protesters aimed to march to the Malaysian parliament to give the roses to Abdullah, but were halted by police a short distance away after being refused a permit to assemble in public. The red roses symbolised love and peace, while the yellow roses symbolised the group's demand for justice and the release of the jailed men, Hindraf said. "We want our rights and justice," said one demonstrator, Tamilarasu, 21, a casual labourer at a golf resort who rode a bus for several hours from his home on the northern island of Penang to attend the protest in the capital. "We're not happy with the government." Police helicopters hovered overhead as protesters waved the Malaysian flag, portraits of the Malaysian king, and orange banners that read, "We want our rights, No to the Internal Security Act". Protesters defied police orders to disperse, but scattered when sprayed with tear gas and water laced with chemicals. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/25C616BD-7520-4106-A000-A38E39AF6564.htm Hindu protest broken up in Malaysia In the run up to elections any gathering of more than four people requires a police permit [Reuters] Police in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur have used tear gas and chemical-laced water to break up an anti-government protest by ethnic Indians demanding racial equality. On Saturday about 300 men, women and children were dispersed by about 100 policemen, including riot police with helmets and shields. "Police were too rough. They used their power," said S Manikavasagam, a spokesman for the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), the ethnic Indian group that organised the protest. Leaders detained Since Friday about 60 people, including two leaders of Hindraf who organised the protest, have been detained in a police crackdown, said N Surendran, a lawyer and Hindraf member. Protesters were carrying roses to symbolise a peaceful demand for justice. Police disperse ethnic Indian protesters in KL The Malaysian government is concerned about street protests in the run up to early general elections on March 8 and any gathering of more than four people requires a police permit. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Malaysian prime minister, is widely expected to retain power at the polls with his ruling party coalition, but with a reduced majority. Many Indians accuse his multi-racial coalition, which is dominated by ethnic Malays, of racial discrimination. Hinraf first announced the protest in January to press the government to release five of its leaders who have been jailed under tough internal security laws. Indian grievances The men were detained without trial after more 10,000 ethnic Indians marched in the capital last November to complain about a lack of job and education opportunities. The protesters on Saturday planned to gather outside parliament to hand a protest note and roses to Abdullah, but they were halted by police a short distance away. "I want the five to be released," Parvathy Raman, a 30-year-old accounts executive from Kuala Lumpur, said. "I want the government to hear our problems. Everyone knows there is discrimination, but the government denies it." Hindraf said the red roses symbolised love and peace, while the yellow roses symbolised the group's demand for justice and the release of the jailed men. Protesters defied police orders to disperse, but scattered when sprayed with tear gas and water laced with chemicals. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/1/27/nation/20143884&sec=nation 56 held for attending illegal protest rally KUALA LUMPUR: Fifty-six people, including several opposition and non-governmental organisation (NGO) leaders, were arrested for attending a rally to protest against rising prices of fuel and other essential items. City police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Muhamad Sabtu Osman said police obtained an order from the magistrate's court to stop the rally by the Coalition Against Inflation (Protes). He said police dispersed the rally without using any force. Among those arrested were five members of Protes named in the court order: PAS treasurer Dr Hatta Ramli, PKR information chief Tian Chua, Arutchelvam Subramaniam, Simon Oii and DAP leader Ronnie Liew. Others included Parti Sosialis Malaysia pro tem chairman Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim, PAS vice-president Mohamad Sabu, PAS think-tank head Dr Zulkifli Ahmad and Tian Chua's secretary Ginie Lim. Malaysiakini journalist Syed Jamal Zahiid was detained for "asking too many questions". According to Jamal, all he had asked was on what grounds were the police arresting people. Dr Hatta, Tian Chua and lawyer Jonson Chong were arrested while they were giving a press conference at a restaurant opposite the Australia High Commission in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng near KLCC. Dr Hatta told reporters that they would challenge the court order obtained by the police. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/15/world/asia/15malay.html?_r=1&ref=asia&oref=slogin Privileged Status at Risk, Malays Protest After Election Losses By THOMAS FULLER Published: March 15, 2008 PENANG, Malaysia - Chanting "Long live the Malays!" several hundred members of Malaysia's largest ethnic group gathered Friday on this largely ethnic Chinese island, defying a police ban on protests and raising tensions after sharp electoral losses by the country's Malay-dominated governing coalition. Skip to next paragraph Related Malaysia's Governing Coalition Suffers a Setback (March 9, 2008) Newly elected state governments have moved rapidly to abolish some of the long-held privileges of ethnic Malays. Those efforts have challenged the core of Malaysia's ethnically based political system and inflamed Malays' sensibilities. Before elections last Saturday, Malays dominated politics through the country's largest party, the United Malays National Organization, known as U.M.N.O. The opposition parties that beat the governing party and its partners in five states say the nation's affirmative action program for Malays should be based on need rather than ethnicity. But the opposition, too, is struggling to contain fissures along ethnic lines as a Chinese opposition party competes with its Malay counterpart. The affirmative action program, more than 35 years old, gives Malays benefits like discounts on new houses and 30 percent quotas in companies' initial public offerings. "I don't think many people have bothered to investigate the details of the policy itself," said Tricia Yeoh of the Center for Public Policy Studies, an independent research center in Kuala Lumpur, the capital. "But it's an affirmation of their identity in the country, of their significance and their worth." Demonstrators here on Friday chanted "Allahu akbar!" - "God is great!" in Arabic - and vowed to return for more protests. They were dispersed by riot police officers. Nasarudin bin Mat Nor, 70, a retired teacher who took part in the protest, said, "If there is no help for the Malays, they will get poorer." Malaysians are split as much along religious lines as ethnic, with Muslim Malays governed by a separate legal system. The protest Friday immediately followed Friday Prayer at a mosque. But the election showed that the Malays are also divided between educated, wealthy and often urban Malays and poorer families in the countryside. "U.M.N.O. is going to go through some sort of consolidation," said Ibrahim Suffian of the Merdeka Center, an independent polling agency. "A lot of people are looking for someone to take the fall for the results." For the first time since independence from Britain in 1957, the governing coalition has lost control of Malaysia's largest and wealthiest states, including Penang, Selangor and Perak. The governing coalition, the National Front, won slightly more than 60 percent of the seats in the federal Parliament, down from 90 percent of the seats in the 2004 elections. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has vowed to stay, but is under pressure to quit. Mukhriz Mahathir, the son of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is from the same party, called Friday for Mr. Abdullah to step down. Mr. Abdullah came to power in 2003 promising to end corruption and make government more accountable. But scandals, rising prices and protests by ethnic Indians over religious freedom and income inequality caused his popularity to fall. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C20%5Cstory_20-2-2008_pg7_32 Tribesmen protest against post-poll 'rigging' * Jirga meets political agent * Authorities declare Qadri as winning candidate, while Kokikhel tribesmen not ready to accept result Staff Report LANDI KOTAL: Local people besieged the office of political administration in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency and pelted it with stones in protest against the alleged post-election rigging here on Tuesday. The supporters of Ibrahim Kokikhel, a candidate from NA-45 in Jamrud, blocked all routes leading from Jamrud to Landi Kotal and Torkham when they heard that Khyber Agency political administration had declared Noorul Haq Qadri as winner from the constituency. Malik Ibrahim Khan accused the political authorities of post-election 'rigging' in favour of Noorul Haq Qadri. He said that till 1:00 am the polling day, he (Ibrahim) was leading the election race with a great margin. Ibrahim claimed to have proofs from the concerned presiding officers in written, which showed he had won the election. Jirga meets PA: Later, a jirga led by Ibrahim Koki Khel met Khyber Agency Political Agent Ameerudin Shah at the Khyber House and lodged their complaints. However, a jirga member named Wazir Ahmad quoted the political agent as saying that he was helpless to arrange a re-election or recounting of votes. He said the PA advised jirga members to move the courts if they had any solid proof. Meanwhile, local elder Malik Attaullah told a gathering in Jamrud that their protest would continue till the authorities declare Ibrahim as winning candidate. He also demanded a re-election or re-counting of votes to resolve the issue. Qadri successful? According to tribal authorities, Noorul Haq Qadri secured 14,115 votes, Ibrahim remained runner-up with 12,535 votes and Zahid Khan obtained 5,155 votes. A grand jirga of Kokikhel tribe would decide the next phase of their protest today (Wednesday), local tribesman Akram Ullah Jan said. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/23/asia/AS-GEN-Myanmar-Fire-Protest.php Man sets himself ablaze in political protest in military-ruled Myanmar The Associated Press Published: March 23, 2008 YANGON, Myanmar: A man set himself on fire at Yangon's most famous landmark in a political protest against Myanmar's military junta, witnesses said Sunday. Thousands of pilgrims were gathered at the city's famed Shwedagon pagoda for a Buddhist holiday Friday when a 26-year-old man shouted "Down with the military regime," doused himself with gasoline and set himself ablaze, witnesses said. They spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fear of official reprisal. The man remained in critical condition with severe burns at a hospital Sunday, a hospital official said on condition of anonymity because he did not have the authority to speak to the press. The incident was the first known case of self-immolation in Myanmar since the military regime took over in 1962. Shwedagon pagoda was one of the main gathering points for Buddhist monks and pro-democracy protesters last September when at least 31 people were killed and thousands more were detained when the country's military rulers cracked down on peaceful demonstrations. Myanmar's current junta seized control of the government in 1988 after violently suppressing nationwide pro-democracy protests. It held a general election in 1990, but failed to hand over power to the victors, the National League for Democracy Party led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7201141.stm Last Updated: Monday, 21 January 2008, 17:51 GMT MDC to defy ban on Harare protest People are facing economic meltdown in Zimbabwe The Zimbabwean opposition says it will defy a police ban and hold a protest march in the capital on Wednesday. The Movement for Democratic Change said the protest was aimed at highlighting the economic crisis in the country. It also wants a new constitution before parliamentary and presidential elections due in March. The MDC warned earlier this month that it would boycott the polls if it was not satisfied with preparations to ensure they would be free and fair. "We're marching because our people are suffering... there's no water, no electricity," Tendai Biti, secretary-general of the MDC faction that is led by Morgan Tsvangirai, told reporters. "The government is totally bereft and bankrupt of any capacity to govern this country." 'Rioting' Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said the police had reversed its decision to allow the march saying they feared it could degenerate into rioting. "The march is not going to be peaceful as the MDC told us, so we have cancelled it," he told AFP news agency. "As the police, we cannot stand idly while people break the law. Anyone who participates in this march will be arrested." But Mr Biti rejected the ban. "The illegality of the action by the police is in blatant disregard of the new provisions of the Public Order and Security Act." The government last year said it would relax tough security laws which have been used to block political rallies. The MDC has said it called the march to test the government's commitment to political reform. South African President Thabo Mbeki is trying to mediate between the government and the opposition to try and resolve differences. http://allafrica.com/stories/200801230961.html Zimbabwe: MDC Stages Successful Protest March, Despite Police Crackdown SW Radio Africa (London) 23 January 2008 Posted to the web 23 January 2008 Tichaona Sibanda The political crisis in Zimbabwe deepened on Wednesday after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was prevented from leading a protest march, calling for a change to the country's electoral laws. Tsvangirai, together with two of his closest aides, were taken by police from their homes at 4am but were released soon after 8am. The other two who were detained were Ian Makone, the party's director for elections, and Dennis Murira, a top aide to Tsvangirai. They were all released without charge. The MDC leader told Newsreel from his home in Harare that the police had wanted to know what their plans were for the protest rally. 'I told the police I had nothing to say to them because we had a court case which was going to hear our appeal against the police ban. They also threatened to come after me if our supporters defied the ban and went ahead with the protest march.' At the urgent court hearing Harare magistrate Priscilla Chigumba allowed the MDC to proceed with their rally but prevented them from marching in the streets of the capital, giving possible disruption of traffic as her reason for ordering them to go straight to their meeting point. She told the hearing; 'The MDC marchers should withdraw peacefully and in a non-riotous behaviour, and proceed to the Glamis Stadium.' The ruling was met with wild jubilations from MDC activists gathered outside the court. But before the activists could march, heavily armed police in riot gear began breaking up the groups of supporters. Running battles broke out between the police and the protestors but Tendai Biti, the party's secretary-general, managed to lead the supporters to the stadium. Tsvangirai did manage to travel to the stadium and address the crowd, which the MDC claims was close to 20,000. In his address the MDC President said Wednesday's protest march was only the beginning and that nothing was ever going to stop him from leading the protests from the front. He blamed Mugabe for what was happening in Zimbabwe and said he had reneged on promises given at the talks to Thabo Mbeki, that the elections would be free and fair. Police in Harare had originally given the MDC permission for the protest march, but cancelled it on Monday saying that new intelligence suggested the protest would turn violent. Commenting on Tsvangirai's arrest, Biti said it only goes to show they are dealing with a 'fascist party and hooligans' who are not yet ready to recognise that the people of Zimbabwe are suffering. 'Effectively we are dealing with reckless people, violent people, bankrupt people, people with no plans for Zimbabwe,' Biti said. The outspoken MP for Harare East said even in the face of a court order allowing them to march to Glamis stadium, a few kilometres west of the city, the police still beat and tear gassed their supporters. 'This is typical behaviour you see in a dying horse. The days of dictatorship are numbered. We will live to fight another day,' he said. This was the first time this year that a crowd had gathered to express its opposition to the regime and demand free and fair elections. Luke Tamborinyoka, the MDC director of information, said a number of their activists were abducted and taken to the Zanu-PF headquarters. 'Police made it very difficult for our people to proceed to the Glamis stadium in compliance with the court ruling. This merely confirms some of the reasons why we are marching; we are merely marching for equal access to the media. The mere fact there is a media blitz of misinformation also confirms one of the reasons why we want equal space in the media,' Tamborinyoka said. Earlier in the day, an aide to Tsvangirai described the scene to Newsreel when he drove around the streets of the capital. He said he saw many opposition activists being beaten and many others being arrested. Some of the peaceful protesters were waving white handkerchiefs, to emphasise their peaceful intent. http://voanews.com/english/archive/2008-01/2008-01-29-voa71.cfm?CFID=214543723&CFTOKEN=76330279 Zimbabwean Youth In Voting-Rights Protest At Harare's Pretoria Embassy By Patience Rusere Washington 29 January 2008 About 200 young Zimbabwean activists demonstrated at the Zimbabwean Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday to demand the right for Zimbabwean expatriates to cast ballots in presidential, general and local elections set for March 29. The protest was organized by the Zimbabwe Revolutionary Youth Movement, a South African based group of young Zimbabwean emigr?s. The protesters marched to the Zimbabwean Embassy carrying banners and singing songs dating from the black Zimbabwean struggle in 1980s Rhodesia to bring about majority rule. The demonstrators tried to hand a petition to Zimbabwean Ambassador Simon Moyo. But sources among the demonstrators said Moyo declined to accept it and remained at a distance standing outside the embassy accompanied by security guards. The petition demanded that Zimbabweans residing outside the country be allowed to vote in the elections to be held in nine weeks. It also demanded, as the opposition has urged, that a new constitution be adopted before the next elections are held. Secretary General John Chikwari of the Zimbabwe Revolutionary Youth Movement told reporter Patience Rusere of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that his group will keep organizing such demonstrations at the embassy to press those demands. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/01/24/wzim124.xml Riot police break up Zimbabwe protests By Byron Dziva in Harare Last Updated: 2:11am GMT 28/01/2008 Thousands of opposition supporters in the Zimbabwean capital Harare were dispersed with tear gas and baton charges yesterday as the first test of supposedly more liberal security laws failed miserably. ? Morgan Tsvangirai arrested in Zimbabwe Scores of supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were injured as they marched from the city centre to a rally two miles away. Scores of opposition supporters were injured as they marched from Harare city centre to a rally Protesters ran for cover after riot police fired tear gas into the procession. Running battles ensued, and the police beat the marchers with batons, prompting a stampede that left several injured. Gas hung in the streets for hours afterwards and the MDC claimed several supporters were arrested, while an unconfirmed number of women were reportedly taken to the intensive care unit at a private clinic in Harare after the skirmishes. Police had banned the rally the previous day, but a court intervened to give it the go-ahead in a rare judicial defeat for the authorities. The "freedom walk" was called to demand political reforms ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections due in March, which the opposition wants delayed so that a new constitution can take effect. http://allafrica.com/stories/200802070824.html Zimbabwe: 15 Woza Members Detained Briefly By Riot Police in Harare SW Radio Africa (London) 7 February 2008 Posted to the web 7 February 2008 Tererai Karimakwenda About fifteen members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) were briefly detained Thursday afternoon after riot police descended on them in Harare's Africa Unity Square. The WOZA members hail from Bulawayo and were in the capital to attend the "People's Convention" that starts Friday morning. WOZA coordinator Jenni Williams said there was some mix up at the hotel and security staff told them to clear the area. They decided to wait in the Square where riot police immediately approached them and searched their bags. Soon after several vehicles arrived and took the activists to Harare Central Station. It is not clear why they were detained. About 30 minutes later more police vehicles arrived at Africa Unity Square looking for the remaining WOZA activists. But lawyers were already at the scene and they blocked additional arrests. Williams explained that the People's Convention had received police clearance. But on Thursday lawyers were summoned back to the station where the police interrogated them about trivial issues such as the location of toilets at the Convention. Williams believes the police were being difficult, as always. WOZA members from all over the country are in Harare to attend the People's Convention. The event provides a platform for ordinary Zimbabweans to discuss critical issues that affect their lives. This includes the type of a democratic dispensation they want and expect. The group said 4,000 people are expected at the Convention. Despite notifying the police WOZA members have been arrested on several occasions over the past few years. Many have been severely assaulted during the arrests and while in police custody. Additionally, police have consistently raided the homes of WOZA members, claiming they are looking for WOZA coordinators Jenni Williams and Magodonga Malhangu. The defiant activists have vowed to continue their street actions pressuring for a decent living, including affordable food, housing, school fees and health care. http://www.nehandaradio.com/zimbabwe/mdc/kadomarally120208.html Riot police block MDC Kadoma rally Morgan Tsvangirai confronts riot police at a prayer rally in Highfields last year. Nehanda Radio 12 February 2008 KADOMA- Thousands of MDC supporters were on Saturday, 9 February turned away from attending a rally by armed riot police in the central business district of Kadoma Town despite the MDC officials notifying the police about the rally. Ketayi Makosa, the district chairman for Kadoma Central, said the move by the police was in contradiction with the new Public Order and Security Act (POSA) which stipulates organisations including political parties only need to notify the police of their intention to hold a public gathering. "We notified the Kadoma District Police Headqaurters (KDPH) last Monday about our intention of holding a rally in Kadoma Central district at Cameron Square but by Friday they had not given us a reply. "So we decided to go ahead with the rally but we were surprised when over 50 armed riot police details stormed the venue when we were about to start the rally and ordered everyone to disperse," said Makosa. Several senior MDC officials in Mashonaland West including the sitting Member of Parliament for Kadoma Central, Hon Editor Matamisa, were expected to address the rally. The SADC-brokered talks between the MDC and Zanu PF broke down after the regime reneged on key issues such as the election date, the implementation of a transitional constitution and the political environment.-MDC Press. http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=49308 Rowdy Kibera youths riot over Cabinet Written By:Anthony Kaikai , Posted: Tue, Apr 08, 2008 Rowdy youths Thursday engaged police in running battles in Kibera slums when they protested over the delay in the naming of a grand coalition cabinet. The youth who engaged police in running battles for the better part of the day barricaded several roads and lit bonfires in Olympic area before anti-riots police dispersed them. It took the intervention of the local provincial administration to calm down the rioters who were demanding an immediate solution to the political stalemate. Property of unknown value was destroyed during the riots. The riots came as opposition leader Raila Odinga suspended talks meant to bring about a new cabinet. Odinga failed to show up for a meeting with President Mwai Kibaki Monday, saying Kibaki's Party of National Unity (PNU) was not willing to share power, despite an accord brokered in February that would create a coalition government between their parties. On Tuesday, Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) said it would suspend all talks until PNU agrees to a 50-50 split of ministries. "We regret that PNU's refusal to equally share power with ODM ... now threatens the future stability of this country and that of the grand coalition," said ODM party secretary Anyang Nyong'o. However President Mwai Kibaki Monday issued a statement saying he has been ready to name the cabinet all along and asked the ODM not to issue new pre-conditions and ultimatums which are clearly not envisaged by the National Accord and Reconciliation Act. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h6b_55YjReGbnAy76-Bh0GPaz0RQ Kenyan opposition calls for fresh protests Jan 19, 2008 NAIROBI (AFP) - Kenya's opposition called Saturday for another day of peaceful protest next week after a violent police crackdown on three days of demonstrations against President Mwai Kibaki's re-election left more than 30 people dead. "On Thursday, we will stage our next set of peaceful rallies throughout the country," Henry Kosgey, chairman of opposition leader Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), told a news conference. Other days of the week would be devoted to prayers, he said. Odinga says he was robbed of the presidency by Kibaki in December 27 elections that fell short of international standards. Ensuing violence left at least 700 people dead as international mediation efforts failed. Opposition protests Wednesday, Thursday and Friday provoked a fierce crackdown by anti-riot and paramilitary police. Police said Saturday that they had shot dead three people in the Nairobi slums of Baba Dogo and Kibera. Five others were killed in Kisumu in the west of the country. "We will restore law and order no matter the case," a top police official, who requested anonymity, told AFP, adding that the killings in Kisumu were being investigated. Five other people were killed near the western town of Kipkelion when a group of youths attacked displaced people, pushing the death toll to 38 dead since Wednesday, police said. The ODM had said Friday it was ending the protests because civilians were paying too heavy a price, saying it was switching to a "new phase" including a boycott of large companies owned by Kibaki's cronies. The situation in the main trouble spots appeared calmer Saturday, with inhabitants of the Kibera slum -- where on Friday police with AK-47 assault rifles clashed with stone-throwing locals -- going about their daily business. But police were on high alert in Nairobi and several western opposition strongholds, amid fears of fresh protests and violent action by ODM supporters against companies owned by members of Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe. Calm had returned to the western town of Eldoret after several days of unrest, with streets busy and shops open again, though police vehicles were still visible in the city centre. The killing of two demonstrators by a police officer was caught on tape by a local television station, it emerged on Saturday, prompting the police to launch an enquiry. "Following complaints aired in the media that a police officer in Kisumu unjustifiably used his firearm, occasioning the death of two demonstrators, the Commissioner of Police has constituted a new independent team of investigators to proceed to Kisumu and conduct a fresh inquiry into the matter," a statement said. International efforts were due to resume, meanwhile, with former UN head Kofi Annan due to arrive in Nairobi on Tuesday. Louis Michel, European development commissioner, met separately Saturday with Odinga and Kibaki and said that a solution to the crisis could be found with "a little political will". "Having heard the parties, I have noted that even on issues of substance, there are large areas where we can find agreement, easily, in my opinion, with a little political will," he said. "President Kibaki of course recognises that there is a serious problem in his country and he's very concerned about that, that there is a need for dialogue, cooling down, and trying to get peaceful solutions." Michel, referring to both men as president, added that Kibaki was "really demanding for a meeting with Raila Odinga. He even asked me to transmit that demand to president Odinga." Asked about the opposition's plan for new demonstrations, Michel said both sides should avoid creating further tensions and allow for negotiations. On Thursday members of the European Parliament called for a freeze in EU aid to Kenya until the current political crisis is resolved. Nine Western governments, including Australia, Britain and Canada, said security forces should "exercise their duties strictly within the boundaries of law and desist from any extraordinary or disproportionate use of force and, in particular, the killing of unarmed protestors." The United States called for negotiations to start in earnest and condemned the violence. "We've already seen too much of it already and the two parties need to act with haste and seriousness in seeking a solution between them," US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. Britain on Saturday toned down its travel advice for Kenya, but warned nationals against all but essential travel to certain parts of the east African country. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23065411-1702,00.html Two killed, several wounded at protest rally >From correspondents in Nairobi January 17, 2008 12:39am Article from: Agence France-Presse Font size: + - Send this article: Print Email KENYAN police fired on opposition protesters Wednesday (AEDT), killing two and wounding several others as rallies protesting against President Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election spread across the country. The worst violence took place in the western opposition stronghold of Kisumu, the country's third city, when riot police clashed with supporters of opposition leader Raila Odinga. "One man was shot in the back as police were trying to disperse about 1000 youths who were trying to to gather here," a police commander said. Three young supporters of Mr Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) were also wounded when police fired live rounds in Kibera, Nairobi's largest slum. Small groups of supporters were trying to converge on Nairobi city centre to heed Mr Odinga's call for a mass rally, which he also vowed to join despite a police ban. Police vehicles criss-crossed the central business district, shouting orders through loudspeakers for everybody to leave town, beating suspects and dispersing groups with tear gas. "The police are using strong-arm tactics, but the people are coming out. This is not an event, it is a process and the struggle continues," ODM secretary general Anyang Nyongo said. Police launched tear gas at Mr Nyongo and several other senior ODM leaders outside a central Nairobi hotel, causing them to seek shelter inside. In the western city of Eldoret, which saw the worst violence following President Kibaki's December 30 re-election, two demonstrators were slightly wounded when the 2000-strong crowd clashed with police. Police broke up the protest march several times, but the demonstrators regrouped, chanting "No Raila, no peace, Kibaki must go". One cardboard banner read: "Kibaki rest in peace, in a coffin, buried alive." The decision by Mr Odinga's ODM to take to the streets for three days of rallies had heightened fears of a fresh eruption of violence. At least 700 people have already been killed in riots, police raids and tribal violence following Mr Kibaki's re-election last month, which Mr Odinga claims he obtained by rigging the ballot. As protests picked, Mr Odinga was defiant and warned that his movement's victory in a parliament election for the post of speaker on Tuesday was the beginning of a fresh challenge to President Kibaki's rule. "Nothing will stop us from mounting such rallies," he said. "We showed in parliament yesterday that there will be no business as usual in our country." The opposition's narrow victory in parliament was a first setback for the government since President Kibaki was sworn in more than two weeks ago, but the session nevertheless ended with ODM lawmakers swearing allegiance to the president. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/83da7784-c49e-11dc-a474-0000779fd2ac.html Bullets and tear gas greet Kenyans as protest is taken back to the street By Barney Jopson and Matthew Green in Nairobi Published: January 17 2008 02:00 | Last updated: January 17 2008 02:00 Police fired tear gas and bullets to break up groups of opposition supporters in cities across Kenya yesterday as Raila Odinga's party succeeded in disrupting urban life as part of its strategy to keep President Mwai Kibaki under pressure. Senior figures from the opposition Orange Democratic Movement began the day in high spirits after the party scored its first parliamentary victory over the government on Tuesday by winning a vote to install one of its members as speaker. But the focus of attention turned from parliament to the streets as the ODM launched three days of "mass action" to protest against the government's alleged rigging of December's disputed presidential election. The opposition's success in mobilising activists in the face of a police ban was mixed. In Rift Valley province, which has seen the worst violence between rival political supporters, about 4,000 people massed in the town of Eldoret, while in Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold in the west, witnesses said police shot dead two protesters while dispersing a crowd of more than 1,000. A small protest was broken up in central Mombasa, while in Nairobi's business district police dispersed gatherings of as few as 12 people by firing tear gas. The opposition nonetheless succeeded in preventing the capital from functioning normally as buses were blocked from entering the city centre and many office workers left early to avoid further trouble. ODM leaders are pushing for the formation of a coalition government in which Mr Kibaki's powers would be reduced and the opposition would be given full control of certain ministries - but they are willing to negotiate only through international mediators. The government has shown no signs of being willing to compromise and has played down the significance of a planned mediation trip by Kofi Annan, the former secretary-general of the United Nations. Opposition leaders have discussed putting pressure on Mr Kibaki through a campaign of civil disobedience, strikes and boycotts that would hit tax revenues and damage businesses owned by his many corporate allies. Some economists have downgraded growth forecasts this year in east Africa's biggest economy from about 7 per cent to 4 or 5 per cent. But the opposition has not issued specific plans and is likely to face difficulty in maintaining momentum among its supporters. Yesterday's protests were not on the scale of those two weeks ago because people who are able to return to work safely have been keen to do so and the ODM's parliamentary victory on Tuesday lowered tensions. "We showed in parliament that there will be no business as usual in Kenya," Mr Odinga told reporters in Nairobi. "The government seems to be completely unaware that it has been left without a shred of international credibility." The movement emerged as the largest party after a broadly credible parliamentary poll. Opposition leaders say that by capturing the speaker's position they have increased their ability to harry Mr Kibaki by, for example, obstructing the budget. Parliament, however, is not likely to open until March. http://allafrica.com/stories/200801180907.html Kenya: One Killed in Mombasa Riots The East African Standard (Nairobi) 19 January 2008 Posted to the web 18 January 2008 Nairobi At least one person was shot dead by police in Mombasa as ODM supporters staged a demonstration. Red Cross official, Mr Abdalla Athman, said the man was shot dead along Hail-Selassie Road as he was running away from charging police officers. Coast General Provincial Police Officer, Mr King'ori Mwangi, declined to comment when contacted. During the demonstration, the police shot and injured several people. Two people were shot in the hand while another was hit in the thigh. They were admitted to Coast Provincial General Hospital. Those shot by police included a two-and-half year-old boy, who was admitted to the Mombasa Hospital in critical condition. The violence, which erupted in various parts of the town after 1pm Muslim prayers, saw the demonstrators and the police engage in running street battles that paralysed business in the city centre. Mvita MP, Mr Najib Balala, evaded arrest as ODM supporters shielded him from riot-police. Balala had just left Mbaruk mosque after 1pm prayers in the company of several demonstrators when riot police - under the command of Mombasa OCPD Mr Wilfred Mbithi - intercepted them and ordered them to disperse. Immediately, supporters allied to Balala formed a strong human shield to prevent police from arresting him. Balala walked from the mosque towards the General Post Office (GPO) where police called for reinforcement and started shooting in the air and lobbying tear gas canisters. Balala was whisked away into his car, which sped towards Mwembe Tayari. Police pursued Balala and his convoy but lost track. At Sakina mosque near Majengo, protesters engaged police in running battles for many hours after the 1pm prayers led by Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) Organising Secretary, Sheikh Mohamed Khalifa. In Kisumu, hundreds of ODM supporters engaged riot police in running battles during the third day of mass action. But for the first time since the protests began, no killings were reported. Police only shot in the air to scare away the demonstrators. Transport paralysed The town, however, remained deserted. Government services were also paralysed for the third straight day with only a handful of civil servants turning up for duty. Transport out of town also remained paralysed. Kondele, Kachok, Nyalenda, Obunga, Manyatta and Bandani areas were battle zones as police dispersed demonstrators who attempted to force their way into Kenyatta Sports Grounds in the town centre. Demonstrators blocked all roads leading to the lakeside town, paralysing transport to and out of town. Neither boda boda nor motorbike operators were allowed to ferry passengers, forcing residents to walk to their destinations. Demonstrators assembled at Kondele, barricaded the road and lit bonfires. One group pushed a lorry, parked it at the market, before setting it ablaze. As all these happened, riot police watched from the Kondele Police Station. On realising that police had no intention of dispersing them, the demonstrators started marching to town. They almost managed to reach the Kenyatta Sports Ground but their efforts were thwarted by APs at Kisumu Bus Park. What started as a peaceful demonstration turned chaotic as police descended on them as they approached the Kisumu Bus Park. The situation was the same at Nyalenda, Kachok and Manyatta as police lobbed teargas canisters at the demonstrators who wanted to push their way to town. In Siaya, Migori and Homa Bay, police battled demonstrators who lit bonfires and blockaded roads. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23067952-32682,00.html Riot police fire on Kenyan protesters Font Size: Decrease Increase Print Page: Print January 18, 2008 NAIROBI: Kenya was braced for more violence yesterday as opposition protesters continued with nationwide protests, a day after police opened fire, killing two and wounding several others. Kenyan police fired tear gas and live bullets on protesters rallying against President Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election, in the latest post-election violence that has claimed more than 700 lives and forced more than 250,000 people from their homes. The worst violence took place in the western opposition stronghold of Kisumu, the country's third city, when riot police clashed with supporters of opposition leader Raila Odinga. "One man was shot in the back as police were trying to disperse about 1000 youths who were trying to gather here," a police commander said, adding that several others had been wounded, one seriously. He later said another man died of gunshot wounds in hospital. Three young supporters of Mr Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement were also wounded when police fired live rounds in Kibera, Nairobi's largest slum, witnesses said. Mr Odinga, who claims Mr Kibaki engineered his narrow victory in the December 27 election through a rigged ballot count, called the three days of demonstrations after talks to find a political solution failed. The announcement on December 30 of Mr Kibaki's re-election, despite concerns expressed by international vote monitors and complaints by the opposition, sparked unrest that rapidly descended into Kenya's worst tribal violence in more than 25 years. As protests picked up on Wednesday, Mr Odinga was defiant. "They are shooting at our supporters, but this will not intimidate us from carrying on with our protests. It is an illegal Government using brute force on unarmed people," he said. A victory this week for the opposition candidate in the election of the parliament speaker was the first setback for the Government since Mr Kibaki was sworn into office more than two weeks ago. Mediation efforts suffered a fresh blow on Tuesday when former UN chief Kofi Annan postponed his scheduled mission to Kenya because of "severe flu". He had been expected in Nairobi to try to broker direct talks between Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga. The Kenyan Government initially urged him to stay at home, arguing there was nothing to mediate, but issued a statement on wednesday insisting he was welcome. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/20/cuba2 Signs of protest from patient children of the revolution Oliver Balch in Havana The Guardian, Wednesday February 20 2008 Article history About this article Close This article appeared in the Guardian on Wednesday February 20 2008 on p14 of the International section. It was last updated at 00:30 on February 20 2008. In a country of shortages, political symbols are one of the few objects of plenty in Cuba. Hasta la victoria siempre (always, on towards victory) screams from billboards and television screens across the Caribbean island. But, almost 50 years after Fidel Castro marched into Havana, many younger Cubans are beginning to ask how much longer the promised "victoria" will take. Hospitals may be free, they say, but they lack medicines; pupils may not pay for school, but there are few textbooks. Before yesterday's announcement of Castro's retirement, many had already started tuning out of Cuba's revolutionary rhetoric. "They [younger generations] don't care who died in the attack on the Moncada barracks or in the Sierra Maestra," said Jos? Arango, 46, a lawyer in Havana, referring to events leading to the 1959 revolution. "These things are as relevant to youngsters as Arthur and his Round Table are for young Britons." Low incomes, high prices and increasing inequality are the daily realities that concern people. The average wage in Cuba hovers around 250 Cuban pesos (?5.50) per month. Doctors, lawyers and other trained professionals can expect around ?11. "It's not enough to get through the first week, let alone the whole month," said Alabardo, the driver of a government-owned taxi in Havana, who survives on tips from tourists. Monthly state rations of rice, sugar and other basic necessities last at best 10 days, according to Alabardo. Cuba imports around 85% of its food. The increasing number of everyday goods that are now sold in convertible pesos (CUC) aggravates popular disgruntlement. The CUC was introduced as a parallel currency primarily for foreign tourists. Cubans still receive their wages in Cuban pesos, worth 25 times less. "If you've got Convertibles, you can buy whatever you like; medicines, food, you name it," said Yidrany Le?n, a plumber. "Those of us that don't [have them] suffer an internal embargo, in addition to the external embargo imposed by the United States." Restrictions on self-employment, quotas on agricultural goods and a ban on the sale of private property add to daily aggravations. Rarely do Cubans complain in public. But in a debate at the University of Information Sciences, a group of students openly criticised restrictions on internet access, foreign travel and staying in tourist hotels. Alejandro Hern?ndez, a student, questioned the validity of January's parliamentary elections, which saw 614 candidates present themselves for 614 seats. "Who are these people? I don't know them," he said. The criticisms were voiced in the presence of the president of Cuba's national assembly. A video of the interchange was circulated on the internet. The previous month, workers at Acorec, the state-run employment agency that contracts Cuban employees out to foreign companies, protested about a tax paid on gratificaciones received from international employers. The increase in public complaints is credited to Ra?l Castro's stint in charge. Perceived as a moderate reformer, Ra?l called for a national debate about Cuba's problems and their potential solutions. "If there's a change that has taken place in the last 18 months, it's that more people are open about the problems Cuba faces," said a senior western diplomat in Havana. The state-run newspaper, Granma, now publishes the occasional critical letter from readers. Rumours of a relaxation on private and cooperative ownership of small farms, are also circulating. Dramatic change should not be expected overnight, the diplomat said. "Whether Fidel is officially president or not, it doesn't make much difference to the running of government. He'll still be the one in charge." The ex-president has committed to "carry on fighting like a soldier of ideas" through his newspaper columns. But for the seven in 10 Cubans who have never known another leader, a change of face will be a symbol in itself. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/after-decades-of-silence-islanders-of-jersey-rise-up-in-protest-at-their-political-masters-793144.html After decades of silence, islanders of Jersey rise up in protest at their political masters By Jerome Taylor Saturday, 8 March 2008 The Royal Square in Jersey's capital, St Helier, is one of the most visible signs of the island's proud history of self-rule. The cobbled, pigeon-filled square stands at the site of the Battle of Jersey - France's final, disastrous attempt in 1781 to recapture an island that had been a British possession since William the Conqueror arrived in 1066. On the north side of the square stands the States of Jersey, the island's parliament, where 12 senators, 12 constables and 29 deputies vote on all matters pertaining to the island other than defence and foreign policy, which is decided in Westminster. The battle is re-enacted each January to celebrate Jersey's heritage and independence. But today Royal Square will host a very different crowd - protesters angry at the way politicians are running the island and dealing with the child abuse investigation that has shaken the community. Ever since police found fragments of a child's skull at the former Haut de la Garenne children's home while investigating child abuse allegations stretching back four decades, Jersey's political elite has struggled to cope with the scrutiny of the world's media now encamped on the island. Last night, the latest revelation to emerge was that specially trained dogs have found blood spots invisible to the naked eye on a bath inside an underground chamber at the former care home. Last week, the chief minister, Frank Walker, accused his political rival Stuart Syvret of "trying to shaft Jersey internationally" for highlighting recent child abuse scandals in care homes and detention centres. The off-hand remark outraged some islanders, who felt their leader cared more about Jersey's international reputation than the victims. This week, the Health minister, Ben Shenton, caused further embarrassment with a leaked email in which he mocked the officer in charge of the inquiry. Mr Shenton compared Lenny Harper, the island's deputy police chief, to the comic Lenny Henry, saying: "My wife keeps referring to Lenny Harper as Lenny Henry - I don't think she's far wrong." Mr Harper described the email as "childish and bizarre", saying he could not understand why "the very man responsible for children's welfare on this island would wish to sabotage the investigation". Mr Shenton said his remarks were taken out of context and has since apologised. But many of those behind today's protest say it is time to reform Jersey's political system and, in particular, the way the chief minister is chosen by his fellow senators in a secret ballot. "The protest is going to be an opportunity for people to finally speak out at how our island is run," said Montford Tadier, one of the organisers. "Your average person in Jersey looks upon the island's political system, particularly over the past two weeks, as a total sham. The way they have reacted to Haut de la Garenne is just revelatory. We are ruled by a government that is totally incompetent." Since the investigation at Haut de la Garenne began, more than 160 victims have come forward to police and up to 40 potential suspects have been identified. Mr Syvret, a former health minister, has accused the government of operating within a "culture of concealment" by covering up the abuse allegations, a claim that the States of Jersey vehemently denies. But Mr Tadier believes the inquiry has encouraged islanders to be more vocal in their criticism of politicians. "I think the abuse scandal mirrors our political scandal," he said. "For years, people have kept quiet but now they are speaking out." Martyn Day, a Jersey-born student, runs the Facebook discussion group "Vote Frank Walker Out Of The States", which already has more than 1,000 members. He said the abuse investigation had made islanders more determined than ever to seek some sort of political reform. "It is certainly a good time now for the people of Jersey to try and speak up," he added. In a statement, Jersey's Council of Ministers criticised the rally organisers for their "political undertones" and said none of its members would be attending. Mr Walker, meanwhile, refused to say whether he thought the island's political system, including the secret election of the chief minister, was in need of reform. An ancient regime independent of Westminster *Jersey is not a part of the United Kingdom or the European Union. It is constitutionally a dependency of the British Crown, with the Queen as head of state. * The island, 12 miles off the coast of France, has its own legislative and taxation systems, which are a blend of Norman and English methods. * Jersey (population 88,000) jealously guards its independence governing rights of residency. It is also reluctant to accept controls over its thriving financial services industry. *It does not have a formal party political system. * The legislature is called the States of Jersey and has 53 elected members: 12 senators (elected for six-year terms), 12 constables (heads of parishes elected for three years), 29 deputies (elected for three-year terms); the Bailiff and the Deputy Bailiff (appointed to preside over the assembly) and three non-voting members (the Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General) who are appointed by the Queen. * Senators have an island-wide mandate; deputies are elected for their local area. * The British Government is responsible for the island's defence and global affairs. http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iPpE_JU8JMlxJaWgLgVKEA7DsQmA More bones found at children's home Mar 8, 2008 Further pieces of bone have reportedly been unearthed by forensic teams at a former Jersey care home where it is claimed children were raped and flogged. The fragments have been found at Haut de la Garenne as police complete their search of an underground chamber at the home and the fields surrounding it, the Sunday Telegraph has reported. Earlier, sorrow for the victims of alleged child abuse and anger at a claimed "culture of secrecy" on the island brought residents out on to the streets. The crowd laid daffodils at the door of the government building, both as symbol of hope for the future and to represent lives shattered by abuse. Several hundred people gathered in Royal Square, St Helier, outside the main government building to voice their support for those alleging abuse at Haut de la Garenne and to call for political change. Former residents of the home, many of whom found their memories too painful to speak about, stood in the crowd. A number wept silently as they listened to speakers from the newly formed Time 4 Change, a group calling for an end to what they say is "a culture of secrecy" in Jersey. The bones, which are believed to be human remains, add to the grim discovery two weeks ago of the partial remains of a child buried in a stairwell. Tests will have to be run on the bones before officers can confirm if they were human. Officers are also waiting for the analysis of blood spots found on Friday on a concrete bath in the same cellar. Police are reportedly now poised to make three arrests in the next two weeks, two in Jersey and one in the UK mainland. The man leading the investigation, Jersey's deputy chief officer Lenny Harper, told the newspaper that police are concerned that one incident could have lead to the death of a child. Officers also fear, reports the newspaper, that bones could have been removed from the home as recently as five years ago, either accidentally or in a deliberate attempt by perpetrators to cover their tracks. http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-03-09-voa21.cfm Thousands of Egyptian Islamists Protest Government Crackdown By VOA News 09 March 2008 Thousands of opposition Muslim Brotherhood members demonstrated in Egypt Sunday to protest a government crackdown on their movement ahead of local elections. Egyptian security officials say about 5,000 protesters gathered outside a local council building in the Nile Delta town of Tanta. The Egyptian Islamist group put the figure at 10,000. Egyptian islamists face riot police in Alexandria, 09 Mar 2008 A similar rally in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria drew hundreds of Brotherhood supporters. The Brotherhood says it is protesting the arrest of hundreds of its members by Egyptian security forces in recent weeks. Many of those arrested were potential candidates in local elections scheduled for April 8. The opposition group also accused authorities of refusing to accept nomination papers from other Brotherhood activists who want to run in the elections. The Brotherhood is banned in Egypt as a political party, but its members run for office as independents. The movement did better than expected in the 2005 parliamentary elections, winning a fifth of the seats. Egypt's local councils have long been dominated by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party. The councils previously held little power, but they became more important in 2005, when a constitutional amendment gave elected council members a role in nominating presidential candidates. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 17:03:07 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:03:07 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Pro-democracy protests, former USSR Message-ID: <031201c89e8c$16cea2b0$0802a8c0@andy1> * ARMENIA: Mass protest over election result ended by riot police, sparks clashes; police kill eight * Protests called off by opposition leader, but resume weeks later * RUSSIA: Police squelch opposition protests over electoral corruption * RUSSIA: Civil rights groups hold rally * RUSSIA: Protests after election of Putin ally * RUSSIA: National Bolsheviks protest election results * BELARUS: Police attack a series of opposition protests * GEORGIA: 10,000 rally against government Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/turkey/8354086.asp?gid=231&sz=345 Armenian opposition ends protest after state of emergency declared Armenia's opposition ended a standoff with riot police in the capital Yerevan on Sunday after the government declared a state of emergency and mobilised the army in response to the worst unrest in a decade, Reuters reported. Violent clashes killed 8 protesters and left 33 police injured. Authorities imposed a state of emergency late Saturday following clashes between riot police and protesters that also left 33 police injured. A spokeswoman for the foreign ministry told AFP, seven civilians and one police officer had been killed. One police officer was in critical condition and 17 had been hospitalised for gunshot wounds, she said. "The police are calling on all citizens to be careful, to hold back and to obey all the rules of the state of emergency," a police statement read. A dozen armoured personnel carriers and about 100 soldiers stood guard outside the main government building and foreign ministry. Several tanks could be seen at the scene of the nighttime clashes. The last protestors dispersed during the night, but burnt-out cars, stones and poles still littered the streets. The city was calm Sunday and shops and cafes around Yerevan were open as residents walked and examined the damage done overnight. The state of emergency will be in effect in the capital until March 20 under a decree signed by President Robert Kocharian. The state of emergency bans public demonstrations and requires the media to only publish or broadcast information from government sources. Armenias National Assembly voted overnight to support the measure and called in a decree for "wisdom and restraint... so that life in the country can return quickly to normal." The violence began early Saturday when riot police cleared a central square where protestors had been camped since a February 19 presidential election won by Kocharians ally, Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian. The runner-up, opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian, said he had been placed under house arrest, although the government denied this. Between 6,000 and 8,000 demonstrators quickly regrouped in another square. When police tried to disperse them after nightfall the protestors fought back with petrol bombs, sticks and stones. Police used tear gas and fired live ammunition into the air. Protestors finally left the streets after an appeal by their leaders. A police spokesman said eight police officers had suffered gunshot wounds during the unrest and that several were in a serious condition. Several protesters could be seen with head injuries and burns, but there was no official information on casualties among the demonstrators. Ter-Petrosians spokesman blamed authorities for the unrest. "The authorities are entirely responsible for these clashes," spokesman Arman Musinian said. "We said that for the situation to be resolved peacefully it was necessary for Levon Ter-Petrosian to be able to speak with his supporters." The protesters had massed in Yerevan Saturday for an 11th consecutive day protesting alleged rigging of the presidential vote -- which Europes main election monitoring organisation said "mostly" met international standards. In a statement Saturday, the current chairman of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva, condemned the use of force against demonstrators. Official results gave 52.9 percent of the vote to Sarkisian and 21.5 percent to Ter-Petrosian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/03/1 Eight killed in Armenia protest Associated Press in Yerevan The Guardian, Monday March 3 2008 Article history About this article Close This article appeared in the Guardian on Monday March 03 2008 on p22 of the International section. It was last updated at 00:06 on March 03 2008. A 20-day state of emergency has been declared in Armenia after clashes between troops and protesters in the capital left eight dead and more than 100 injured. Demonstrators had been gathering in Yerevan since the presidential election on February 19, protesting over alleged election fraud. Police first raided a protest camp in the central Liberty Square, claiming the protesters, supporters of opposition presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian, had weapons and were plotting a coup. About 15,000 demonstrators later returned to the square and police fired shots in the air and let off teargas to break up the gathering. Groups of demonstrators then marched around town, looting shops and setting cars ablaze. Yesterday, hundreds of servicemen, wearing bullet-proof vests and wielding Kalashnikov assault rifles, patrolled the streets. Residents were warned by loudspeaker not to gather in groups. Ter-Petrosian, who was the country's first post-Soviet president, finished a distant second to the prime minister, Serge Sarkisian, in the official results from the election. He appealed to the constitutional court last week to overturn the results. Independent observers have issued an overall positive assessment of the election, but noted flaws, especially during vote counting. The outgoing president, Robert Kocharian, appealed for calm. "What's going on now is not a political process. It has gone over the edge," he said. "I appeal to the people of Armenia to show restraint and understanding." http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-32240420080301 Armenian riot police break up election protest Sat Mar 1, 2008 11:27am IST YEREVAN (Reuters) - Armenian riot police used truncheons to break up an opposition protest in the capital Yerevan on Saturday, witnesses said. Several thousand opposition supporters had been protesting daily since a Feb. 19 presidential election was won by Prime Minister Serzh Sarksyan. The opposition said the vote was rigged to deny them victory. A Reuters correspondent in Freedom Square, scene of the protests, said it was now surrounded by several hundred riot police who were blocking access. A spokesman for Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the opposition leader who had been leading the protests, said riot police moved in at 7.30 a.m. (0330 GMT) on Saturday when some protesters were holding an overnight vigil in the square. "They came, they beat people up and they removed everyone," said Arman Musinyan. A police spokesman said he was unable to make any immediate comment. A man near the square, who did not want to give his name, said he had been with the protesters when the police arrived. The man's finger was broken. "We were asleep. They came and they started to beat us up. They had truncheons," he said. Authorities said earlier their patience was running out with the protests. Sarksyan and his close ally, the outgoing President Robert Kocharian, said the opposition was abusing its right to protest and hampering normal life in the city. Observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the Feb. 19 election broadly met Armenia's commitments on democracy, though there were some flaws. http://www.eurasianet.org/armenia08/news/022608.shtm l Armenia: Dueling Protests Occur in Yerevan, as President Calls on Opponents to Sober-Up By Gayane Abrahamyan: 02/26/08 Yerevan was the scene of competing rallies on February 26. A protest mounted by supporters of opposition presidential hopeful Levon Ter-Petrosian extended into its seventh day, while, only a kilometer away, Serzh Sarkisian, the man declared the winner of the controversial February 19 presidential election, mustered his loyalists in an attempt to promote the legitimacy of the balloting results. The visiting chief of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe could only describe the situation as "complicated." Ter-Petrosian backers, claiming widespread fraud, are calling for the annulment of the presidential official election results, which handed Sarkisian a slim majority of the ballots cast, or just enough to obviate a run-off against Ter-Petrosian, the second leading vote-getter. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The OSCE initially characterized the conduct of the election as a step forward for Armenia's democratization process. At the same time, election monitors noted poor practices in several areas that could have influenced the outcome, especially given the tiny margin by which the run-off was avoided. Evidently concerned that the Ter-Petrosian protest movement is gaining traction, supporters of Sarkisian, the sitting prime minister and putative president-elect, felt compelled to organize a demonstration of their own. According to some reports, government employees were required to attend. At the rally, Sarkisian sought to play the role of conciliator, a politician who could bring the country back together after the divisive election. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. "We are here to heal the wounds that have opened on the body of our nation after the election," Sarkisian said. "We must overcome the trial; we must make the wounds heal quickly." The role of bad cop was left to outgoing President Robert Kocharian, who in comments broadcast on Public Television harangued Ter-Petrosian as irresponsible, and warned that his patience with anti-government activity was running out. "No country would tolerate illegal rallies for more than a day. It's time everybody gets sober and realizes no one can come to power via coercive measures," Kocharian stated. The president also called on people "not to become an instrument in the hands of irresponsible politicians. It is not your game. You won't win it, you will only lose and the country will lose." Despite the presidential words of warning, the ranks of Ter-Petrosian supporters show no signs of breaking. Indeed, pressure seems to be mounting on both sides. On February 25, for example, the leadership of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation issued a statement that denounced the election irregularities. The vote was "guided by varying degrees of abuses. The leading candidates' supporters engaged in rampant, obvious and veiled bribery. [And] in some precincts ballot stuffing and [the use of] brutal force were observed," the statement asserted. The ARF statement stressed that it was imperative for Armenia to avoid "post-election polarization." Thus, the party leadership opted to acknowledge Sarkisian to be the election winner, and wished him "the best of luck." At the same time, ARF members stated that they had no desire to serve in Sarkisian's cabinet, and called for a thorough, impartial investigation into the election abuses, as well as the creation of an electoral system that "does not allow bribery, the participation of non-political, semi-criminal elements and the use of administrative resources." Under Kocharian, the ARF was part of the governing coalition. There were several signs that officials are nervous about the strength of the pro-Ter-Petrosian protests. For example, a spokesman for the State Security Service, Karen Ter-Stepanian, accused opposition supporters of conspiring to attempt the armed take-over of Public Television studios, the Russian news website Gazeta.ru reported. The conspirators supposedly wanted to broadcast a Ter-Petrosian statement denouncing the election results. Meanwhile, government arrests of suspected opponents are continuing. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. On February 26, six more high-profile politicians, including Suren Sureniants, a leading member of the political council of the opposition Republic Party, were taken into custody. Sureniants is reportedly accused of violating legislation governing public demonstrations. Armen Harutiunian, Armenia's ombudsman, has visited the detainees in jail, and has been in contact with 10 opposition activists who are conducting a hunger strike to protest the election results. Harutiunian announced that a task force has been established to monitor developments. "The detained have lawyers," Harutiunian said. "Some of [the] hunger strike[rs] suffer from various types of illnesses, so the necessity for medical help may occur at any time." The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Ilka Kanerva, visited Yerevan on February 26 for a first-hand look at the brewing crisis. Kanerva endorsed the initial findings of the OSCE election monitoring mission, while striving to foster "political dialogue" that can promote "legal solutions" and end the current stand-off. "The post-election period at the moment is quite complicated and the post-election tensions are obvious," he said. What appears to be the only legal avenue still open to Ter-Petrosian forces is an appeal to the Constitutional Court. Any legal challenge, however, faces several obstacles. For one, the deadline for recounting ballots has passed without the vast majority of ballots being reexamined. Some cases where the votes were double-checked turned up wide discrepancies with the original results. The most infamous adjustment occurred in ballots cast at electoral district 9/31, where the original total of 709 votes for Sarkisian was reduced to 395. Meanwhile, only 3 of the 120 ballots cast for the ARF candidate Vahan Hovhannisian were properly recorded, with the others mysteriously awarded to Sarkisian. In addition, 50 votes for third-place finisher Artur Baghdasarian were not counted. Not only the vote itself, but the recount has come under attack by opposition leaders. Baghdasarian, told EurasiaNet that the recount was being manipulated "to mislead the international community." At a February 26 news conference, a member of the Heritage Party leadership and MP, Zaruhi Postanjian, characterized the recounts collectively as a "false procedure." "What recount can we talk about, when representatives of candidates were kidnapped and beaten for [whistle-blowing] against [ballot-box] stuffing on Election Day," Postanjian said. "Nothing can be changed by recounting the ballots" that were cast illegally in the first place, he added. Baghdasarian said that he personally could not place much faith in the Constitutional Court to deliver an impartial verdict in any electoral dispute. "Having the unsuccessful experience of appealing to the Constitutional Court after the parliamentary election 2007, I don't believe we will achieve any result. Everybody knows the court system in the Republic of Armenia is not independent," he said. Editor's Note: Gayane Abrahamyan is a reporter for the ArmeniaNow.com weekly in Yerevan. http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKL0229545320080302 UPDATE 1-Armenian opposition ends protest after violence Sun Mar 2, 2008 1:36am GMT (Adds quotes and details) By Margarita Antidze YEREVAN, March 2 (Reuters) - Armenia's opposition ended a standoff with riot police in the capital Yerevan on Sunday after the government declared a state of emergency and mobilised the army in response to the worst unrest in a decade. Earlier, police fought pitched battles with opposition supporters who had held daily protests since a Feb. 19 poll that the opposition said was rigged in favour of Prime Minister Serzh Sarksyan to become president. At least one person was killed. About 2,000 protesters remained after those clashes in a square in the centre of Yerevan armed with metal rods and Molotov cocktails as army trucks headed towards the capital. But the crowd melted away after a message was read out from Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the protest leader and defeated challenger in the election, urging his supporters to go home. "I do not want any victims and clashes between police and innocent people. That is why I am asking you to leave," said the message from Ter-Petrosyan, a former president who since Saturday has been barred by police from leaving his home. He said in his message he would be holding negotiations with the government, reversing a previous stance that talks were out of the question unless the election result was overturned. A hard-core of about 60 protesters initially refused to go home and set fire to police jeeps abandoned after the earlier clashes. But a few minutes later all the protesters had gone, leaving the square strewn with debris. Armenia is a former Soviet republic of 3.2 million people in a Caucasus mountains region that is emerging as a key transit route for oil and gas supplies from the Caspian Sea. The violence was the worst since 1998, when a mass uprising had forced Ter-Petrosyan to resign. FAULT LINE Sarksyan's opponents accused him of stealing victory through ballot-rigging and intimidation. Sarksyan denied this and Western observers said the vote had been broadly fair. The main political fault-line is that Ter-Petrosyan's supporters accuse outgoing President Robert Kocharyan of running a crony state where only those with ties to the ruling elite have access to business opportunities and decent jobs. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe issued a statement saying it "condemned the use of force against peaceful demonstrators". When the violence erupted on Saturday, demonstrators armed with metal rods and sticks pelted police with Molotov cocktails, setting cars ablaze. At one point police fired their weapons into the air, sending tracer fire through the night sky. Television pictures showed a body being driven from the scene on the roof of a car, with protesters hanging on to the sides of the vehicle to hold it in place. Shops in the centre of the city were looted. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/world/europe/21armenia.html?_r=1&ref=europe&oref=slogin Thousands in Armenia Protest Results of Presidential Election Karen Minasyan/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images Political protesters faced the police in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, on Wednesday. By SABRINA TAVERNISE Published: February 21, 2008 ISTANBUL - Thousands gathered Wednesday in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, to protest Tuesday's presidential election, which they said had been rigged, although international observers evaluated it as relatively free and fair. On Wednesday, election officials declared Serge Sargsyan, the current prime minister, the winner, with 53 percent of the vote. The presidential election - the fifth since Armenia won independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 - pitted Mr. Sargsyan against Levon Ter-Petrosian, Armenia's first president after the Soviet Union's fall. Mr. Sargsyan is an ally of the current president, Robert Kocharian, who is stepping down because of term limits. The protests have so far not turned violent, as political protests have in many former Soviet states, including those in Armenia's neighbors Georgia and Azerbaijan. Armenia is also bordered by Turkey and Iran. Still, they have cast a shadow over democracy in Armenia, a tiny landlocked country whose governments have tended to be more tolerant of dissent than those in many other post-Soviet states. "At the moment it looks quite serious," said Boris Navasardian, president of the Yerevan Press Club, by telephone from Yerevan. "It could make some tension in the country." Arman Musinyan, a spokesman for Mr. Ter-Petrosian's campaign, said: "It could hardly be called an election. There was an undeclared war against us." Mr. Musinyan said the governing party used state resources to influence the vote and had engaged in double voting, ballot stuffing and physical intimidation. The worst violations, he said, were recorded in a suburb of Yerevan called Abovian. But a delegation of international observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said in a statement that the election had been fair, though it did acknowledge problems. The election "was conducted mostly in line with the country's international commitments, although further improvements are necessary," the organization said in a statement on Wednesday. Armenia has a better democratic record than many other post-Soviet states, largely because of tense relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan and its lack of natural resources requires it to forge international alliances to survive. International observers gave the parliamentary election last year a stamp of approval. But democracy in Armenia had a turbulent start. In 1999, at least eight officials were killed, including the prime minister and the speaker of Parliament, when nationalist gunmen stormed Parliament. Mr. Navasardian said that the police might act to disperse the demonstrators, but that Mr. Ter-Petrosian was "a person who never recognizes that he lost," and was unlikely to give up quickly. Mr. Musinyan said the protests would not stop until Armenia's Central Electoral Commission annulled the results of the election. "The goal is to hold a new election," he said. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-02-21-armenia-protests_N.htm Armenians protest P.M. election win Supporters of opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian during a rally in Yerevan, Armenia, on Wednesday. YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) - Tens of thousands of opposition supporters rallied for a second straight day in Armenia's capital Thursday, claiming the presidential vote was rigged and vowing to continue their protest until new elections are held. Activists set up about dozen tents on a central Yerevan square in an effort to stage round-the-clock protests, but authorities warned they could intervene to maintain order. Election officials said Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian - the favored successor of outgoing President Robert Kocharian - received almost 53% in Tuesday's vote, enough to win the presidency outright. The leading opposition candidate, Levon Ter-Petrosian, had 21.5%. The opposition members say the real winner was Ter-Petrosian, who was Armenia's president after the 1991 Soviet breakup, and his supporters have claimed widespread violations and violence targeting opposition activists. An estimated 25,000 protesters waved flags, raised clenched fists and shouted, "Levon! Levon!" Meanwhile, Ter-Petrosian claimed that two deputy defense ministers had switched to his side and promised him that the army would not interrupt the demonstration. The Defense Ministry later denied this. "Both deputy ministers stand together with the people and they will defend the candidate who has the people's trust," Ter-Petrosian said. "The army will not intervene in politics." Opposition activists later erected tents on the main square and a steady supplies of warm clothing and blankets could be seen arriving. The mood was festive despite freezing temperatures and people set off fireworks and danced traditional dances as loud music blared through loudspeakers. "Today we begin non-stop protests and rallies," Ter-Petrosian aide Nicol Pashinian said. "We're going to stay here until we win." The crowed thinned to several thousand by late Thursday who said they were determined to stay through the night. Several dozen police officers patrolled the area. The opposition faces an uphill struggle in mustering support for a new vote, after the election received endorsement from regional power Russia. Western observers noted violations but said the vote was generally positive. The standoff has raised concerns of instability in the volatile, strategic country at the junction of the southern Europe and the energy-rich Caspian Sea region, with Russia and Iran nearby. Memories of economic hardships of the early 1990s are still fresh for most Armenians, as is the devastating conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The mountainous region in neighboring Azerbaijan has been under ethnic Armenian control since a cease-fire ended six years of fighting in 1994. The capital was the scene of weeks-long protests following Kocharian's re-election in 2003, which the opposition also called fraudulent, but the protests never gained momentum. Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia on Sunday added an element of uncertainty for Armenians, many of whom see clear analogies between Kosovo and Nagorno-Karabakh. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/21/europe/EU-GEN-Armenia-Opposition.php Armenia state of emergency lifted, hundreds gather to protest arrests The Associated Press Published: March 21, 2008 YEREVAN, Armenia: Several hundred opposition supporters rallied across the Armenian capital on Friday after authorities lifted a 20-day state of emergency. Friday's demonstrators protested the March 1 arrests of dozens of opposition activists after clashes between police and protesters. Eight people were killed and dozens were injured in those clashes. That was followed by the state of emergency, banning public gatherings, which ended at midnight Thursday. The latest demonstrators lit candles and held pictures of those arrested March 1. Police officers approached the protesters, who formed a chain across downtown Yerevan, urging them to disperse but not using force. Several protesters yelled curses at the police, but there were no clashes. The violence March 1 broke out after police forcibly dispersed protesters who claimed the government rigged the Feb. 19 presidential election and demanded a new vote. According to the official results, the favored candidate of outgoing President Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian, won nearly 53 percent of the vote, while opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian received about 21 percent. Sarkisian is scheduled to be inaugurated April 9. The opposition has alleged the election was affected by widespread fraud and sometimes violent pressure on its supporters. Sarkisian said Thursday that 106 of the scores of opposition supporters who were detained remain under arrest, including some of Ter-Petrosian's former allies. "We are demanding that the authorities explain to us why these 106 people have been arrested," said one protester, Armen Martirosian, 38. The opposition has capitalized on widespread public anger over poverty, which remains endemic in Armenia despite an economic growth of recent years. "We have nothing to eat," said another protester, Alla Arutyunian. "I'm wondering whether Sarkisian and his family could survive on the money they give me." Western countries have expressed concern about the government's crackdown, while Russia - which has close ties with Armenia and maintains a military base in the ex-Soviet republic - expressed support for law and order. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7308860.stm Armenian opposition stage protest Mr Ter-Petrosian wants the election results overturned More than 1,000 Armenian opposition supporters have attended a protest in Yerevan following the end of the state of emergency imposed three weeks ago. The demonstrators lit candles and held pictures of the more than 100 activists who were arrested after clashes with police on 1 March left eight dead. fighting erupted when officers tried to end a protest against the result of last month's presidential election. The poll gave victory to the current Prime Minister, Serzh Sarkisian. The opposition says there was widespread fraud and wants to result overturned. Vigil Supporters of the main opposition leader, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who came second, took part in the march in Yerevan on Friday, only hours after the state of emergency was lifted. The procession was a peaceful vigil to remember the 106 opposition activists arrested since the clashes for allegedly plotting a coup. No violence was reported, although several protesters shouted at riot police. When announcing the end of the state of emergency, outgoing President Robert Kocharian warned that any unauthorised protests would not be tolerated. A new law passed this week allows the authorities to ban demonstrations if they are said to be a threat to public order. But the opposition says it has the right to protest and will find a way to work around the legislation. The party of President-elect Sarkisian and three other parties have agreed to form a coalition government ahead of his inauguration on 9 April. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,334633,00.html Russian Police Detain Dozens in Attempt to Thwart Opposition Protest Over Election Monday, March 03, 2008 File: Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and First Deputy Prime Minister and presidential candidate Dmitry Medvedev. MOSCOW - Police detained dozens of people Monday at a protest over the presidential election in Moscow, manhandling many and hauling them into buses as demonstrators chanted "Shame!" and "Down With the Police State!" In Russia's second largest city, meanwhile, Garry Kasparov - the former chess champion who is now an ardent Kremlin foe - led as many as 3,000 people on an authorized march to protest the vote, which was won resoundingly by outgoing President Vladimir Putin's protege, Dmitry Medvedev. Moscow riot police with helmets and shields encircled a little square outside a subway station while small groups of activists tried to light flares and unfurl anti-government banners. As some chanted "This Is Our City!" and "We Need Another Russia!" police stormed through the crowd, tackling people and dragging them away, their arms wrenched behind their backs or their shirts half-torn off. Most of those detained appeared to be younger, and targeted specifically by police, though a leader of a liberal political party, Nikita Belykh, was also taken away by camouflaged officers holding him above their heads. Also arrested was prominent human rights activist Lev Ponomaryov. Two members of Kasparov's coalition were detained in Moscow, his Web site said. "Fifteen years ago I wouldn't have thought that my children would be growing up in a country that reminds me so much of the Soviet Union," said Alexander Ivanov, 48. The display of police force was sign that authorities would allow no significant dissent as the Kremlin celebrates Medvedev's victory - a victory dismissed by Kasparov and other opposition leaders as a farce. In St. Petersburg, Kasparov and his co-leader in the Other Russia opposition coalition, Eduard Limonov, appeared at a simultaneous protest. Unlike in Moscow, the group in St. Petersburg had permission for the rally. A crowd estimated by police at up to 3,000 gathered in a square and marched toward the heart of the city, shouting "Down with the Police State!" and "This City is Ours!" Police did not intervene. "Medvedev's appointment is illegitimate," Kasparov said. "March 3 is the day we start fighting against an illegitimate regime." "Where have you come from, Mr. Medvedev? Russia doesn't belong to Putin and Medvedev, Russia belongs to us," Limonov told the crowd. "We aren't going to live under President Medvedev, and we are going to prove that in the coming weeks and months." Medvedev faced only token competition in Sunday's vote. Kasparov and other opposition leaders were barred from appearing on the ballot on technicalities. The Other Russia coalition held several so-called "Dissenters' Marches" in the months before the election to highlight its assertions that the Kremlin has strangled democracy and tightened its grip over politics and society. The Other Russia has drawn thousands of people to its rallies, but has had trouble attracting broad support. "The authorities are doing this because they're afraid of democracy in Russian society," said Olga Chernovskaya, 46, a nurse at the Moscow protest. "People are sitting behind closed doors around their kitchen tables discussing all this and condemning it, but people are still afraid to come out and freely speak their minds." http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5B0630C9-7AB5-41DD-8E8E-B2D406911EBD.htm Russia crushes election protest By David Connolly in Moscow The police, some wearing helmets and carrying riot shields, seized people from the crowd At least 17 opposition protesters have been arrested as riot police put down a banned rally in Turgenevskaya Square in central Moscow. The protesters from the Other Russia coalition of opposition parties - who were heavily outnumbered by the hundreds of police - were grabbed and forced on to buses to cries of "no police power". The police, some wearing helmets and carrying riot shields, surrounded a park and the entrance to a metro station seizing people from the crowd. Monday's demonstration was called to protest against Sunday's presidential election which was won by Dmitry Medvedev. As the police moved forward the crowd broke out into chants of "False-Dmitri out of the Kremlin!" and "Russia without Putin". Others were pulled from a nearby fast food restaurant. 'March of Dissent' The city authorities had refused to authorise the so-called "March of Dissent", saying that the pro-Kremlin Young Russia group had already planned gatherings at every large meeting point in the capital. Other Russia decided to go ahead with the march and had said it would appeal against the city's decision. Police vehicles filled the streets around the area as plainclothes security officials helped identify the opposition activists. Nikita Belykh, the head of the Union of Right Forces, was among those detained. His party has been particularly vocal in its criticism of Vladimir Putin, who supported Medvedev as his successor. "Nowadays, every opposition activity is unsafe," Belykh said ahead of his arrest. "The elections that were held on March 2 can be called a farce... each organisation calling itself liberal or calling itself democratic must be in opposition." Constitution violated Korneev Yakov, one of the protesters who was waving a copy of the Russian constitution, told Al Jazeera that everyone should be able to gather without risking arrest. "According to the constitution, everybody can meet together without weapons and give their opinion. What does this lead to, you've just seen," he said, referring to the arrests. "Our democracy, it's right there in helmets," he said, pointing to the security forces that had ringed the square. Garry Kasparov and Eduard Limonov, two leaders of Other Russia, appeared at another protest in St Petersburg, which officials had allowed to go ahead. That also took place amid tight security. Kasparov told the crowd of several hundred: "Now there is very heavy pressure in the country. "It's important now for people not to be afraid and to understand that it's our city and it's our country." Maxim Reznik, head of the Yabloko opposition party in St Petersburg, was detained ahead of the St Petersburg protest. 'Fascism' Other Russia said it was organising the protests to allow ordinary Russians to express their thoughts about the political climate in Russia. Adel Naidenovich, a member of Limonov's National Bolshevik party, asked where the other opposition parties were. "No Zyuganov here, where is Zhirinovsky," she asked, referring to two of the defeated presidential candidates who have complained about the conduct of the vote. "We have eight parties not allowed to take part in elections, where are they? There is nobody here because they know that it is fascism, they are afraid of being beaten." http://tinyurl.com/32ztup Civil Rights Groups Unite at Protest Event By Sergey Chernov Staff Writer Sergey Chernov The St. Petersburg Times Twenty five political and social organizations gathered peacefully on Saturday to protest against Kremlin policies, and those of its ally City Hall, as well as to "demonstrate both the autonomy and cooperation of the members of social movements," as the Movement for Civil Initiatives (DGI), the local NGO that coordinated the rally, put it in a statement. With the motto "For Civil Rights and Social Justice," the rally's slogans were "Rights Are Not Given, Rights Are Taken" and "Stop the Bear Reforms" (a bear is the symbol of the Kremlin-backed United Russia party). Sanctioned by the local authorities, the rally, which drew an estimated 400 participants, was part of the World Social Forum's Global Day of Action campaign, in which many movements around the world took part. The date was chosen to coincide with the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, which closed on Sunday. Such rallies were held in 24 Russian cities. Several activists were detained by the police. But although the site of the protest near the Finland Station was tightly surrounded by OMON special forces police officers and trucks, detentions were made covertly, before and after the rally -- without the aggressive crowd-control measures taken at an anti-Gazprom Tower protest earlier this month. The OMON policemen wielded batons, but were not equipped with shields and helmets, which have been a frequent sight at recent rallies. The event started with presentations by various groups and movements and was followed by a meeting. To comply with the Russian Social Forum regulations, political parties could not act as the rally's co-organizers, but could take part via individual representatives and social organizations. Apart from the liberal party Yabloko and the Communists, it was mostly representatives of pressure groups such as the Living City (Zhivoi Gorod), Okhta Bend (Okhtinskaya Duga) and ZOV (Defend Vasilyevsky Island) who spoke at the rally. Labor was represented by trade unions from the local Ford Plant and dockers. While speakers raised objections to Dmitry Medvedev, President Vladimir Putin's declared "successor" in the upcoming presidential elections, and criticized the State Duma elections in December as rigged, most speeches were devoted to local problems, such as the planned Gazprom Tower, or Okhta Center as it is now officially known, and multiple violations of the city's planning code. "During the rule of [Governor] Valentina Matviyenko, there have been a lot of conflicts over in-fill construction; there have been protests, lawsuits and letters to the prosecutor's office," said Tatyana Kuchurina of DGI. "It is the same situation with the chopping down of parks and public gardens: it looks like after a couple more years of the city mistress' stormy behavior, there won't be a single living bush or tree left. "The governor's decrees often override federal laws and the constitution. [...] But we understand that the city's residents are not the cattle that the authorities think them to be. Residents have become expert, intelligent, active, and more and more people are coming out to defend their rights," she said. Living City, a group that fights for the preservation of the cultural and architectural heritage of St. Petersburg, held a performance using papier-mache models of classical buildings that were attacked by an activist wearing an "I Love $Pb" helmet. But his attempts to erect a skyscraper made of cardboard boxes and destroy the city's historical landscape were stopped by protesters. Many speakers urged all the groups to unite in their struggle and coordinate their actions. However, The Other Russia, the pro-democracy coalition behind the past year's most visible marches and meetings and often suppressed by the OMON police, did not take part. Coordinator Olga Kurnosova said she was not informed about the event by the organizers. "There are two reasons, one essential and one formal [why the Other Russia didn't take part]," she said. "The essential one is that under the current political situation where democratic institutions have been destroyed, there's no sense discussing social issues. Everybody should unite and demand the restoration of basic civil liberties, first and foremost. When there are normal elections and a normal media, then social issues can be dealt with in a normal way." "As to the formal reason, we only learned about the event from the media. I think the organizers should inform everybody, and then actions will be broader and more effective." Meanwhile, charges against Kurnosova for taking part in an unsanctioned march and for refusal to follow police orders at the suppressed Dissenters' March on Nov. 25 were dropped by a court on Monday. Police witnesses for the prosecution failed to appear. At Saturday's protest event the police's attention was drawn to a group of anarchists and left-wing activists from the newly-formed Association of Libertarian Initiatives (ALI), who stood shoulder to shoulder wrapped with banners, some with their faces covered with scarves, and chanted slogans. Their banner -- reading "The Only Way Is Resistance" -- was disapproved of by a police colonel, who, after an argument with the demonstrators, brought in a dozen police officers to form a line covering the slogan from public view with their backs. "They tried to detain the group of DSPA [the left-wing Pyotr Alekseyev Resistance Movement, part of ALI], who stood up for radicalism in their slogans and behavior, but as the organizers we interfered and managed to prevent the police's action against them," said Yevgeny Kozlov, the chairman of DGI's coordinating board by phone on Monday. However, an unidentified man was taken away by two policemen as protesters gathered at the site at about 12.20 p.m. More detentions took place after the event as protesters headed to the metro. Several activists from Food Not Bombs, who had been offering free warm boiled buckwheat to protesters at the rally, were detained in the metro. "We were carrying a pan with some food left in it, in a bag, and near the metro we were approached by three plain-clothed men who told us to go with them -- they didn't introduce themselves, but it was obvious that they were from the police," said Dmitry, a Food Not Bombs activist who asked that his last name be withheld. According to Dmitry, the activists were searched, had their photos taken and were interrogated at the metro police station. One was held at the police station for three hours, he said. "We were asked why we were distributing the food in the sector where the Association of Libertarian Initiatives stood, anarchists and the like, if we knew anyone out of them. I asked them what the reason for the detention was. They said, 'A document check. And maybe you were carrying something [illegal] in your bag.'" The head of DGI Yevgeny Kozlov said the rally was a success. "Sometimes one can judge the importance of our events by the reaction from the authorities, which was evidently inappropriate considering the number of OMON policemen present," he said. "More people came than we had counted on, despite the bad weather. Despite some organizational problems, the first attempt at a city social forum was a not a flop." http://www.ecanadanow.com/news/world/election-protesters-clash-with-russian-riot-police-20080304.html Election Protesters Clash With Russian Riot Police Moscow (eCanadaNow) - Riot police in Russia clashed with protesters who were holding an unauthorized rally in Moscow against the newly elected president, Dmitri Medvedev, who will replace his ally, Vladimir Putin. Over 300 riot police had to be called in to try and keep the protesters under control. They dragged many people away to police buses to escort them out of the area. Flares were lit, spreading smoke throughout the sky. The opposition is unhappy with the election of the friend of former President Vladimir Putin, Dmitri Medvedev. The protesters stated that the elections in Russia were pre-planed, and falsified. Figures have shown that Medvedev won over 70% of the vote in the country. The leaders of Russia's liberal opposition continue to call for action against the results. http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2008/01/28/012.html Monday, January 28, 2008. Issue 3829. Page 3. Riot Police Detain 27 Protesters The Moscow Times OMON riot police on Friday detained 27 activists from the banned National Bolshevik Party who were protesting the results of last month's parliamentary elections, the group's spokesman said. Around 35 activists gathered on Ulitsa Ulofa Palme, a street in western Moscow where several State Duma deputies live, and shouted slogans demanding they resign, said Alexander Averin, the banned party's spokesman. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2160065720080121 Belarus protest dispersed by police Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:25am EST By Andrei Makhovsky MINSK (Reuters) - Police in ex-Soviet Belarus dispersed a protest on Monday by about 2,000 entrepreneurs denouncing President Alexander Lukashenko's decree that places restrictions on hiring staff. The rally, the second such protest this month, went ahead in central October Square without official permission and organizers said about 15 activists were detained. Clearly wanting to avoid confrontation after Interior Minister Viktor Naumov threatened to remove them by force, they were pushed to nearby pavements by riot police beating their shields. "We now see a general practice in Belarus of state pressure on business," Viktor Krival, one of the leaders of the small business protest, told protesters in the square, scene of big demonstrations against Lukashenko's re-election two years ago. "The decree aims to destroy the individual entrepreneur." Businessmen say the new regulations deny them the right to hire workers outside their immediate families or obliges them to re-register and be subject to higher taxes. Leaders of the 200,000-strong movement of small entrepreneurs have threatened to go on strike from next month and to withhold tax payments. Protests three years ago prompted authorities to roll back on changes in regulations. Lukashenko is accused by Western countries of running roughshod over basic rights by jailing opponents, crushing independent media and rigging elections, including his re-election to a third term in 2006. Dozens of activists were detained at a similar protest two weeks ago and handed short jail terms for public order offences. Belarus's most prominent opposition leader, interviewed by Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, said authorities were reacting "very nervously" by arresting protesters. Entrepreneurs, once apolitical, had been galvanized by the threat to their livelihood, Alexander Milinkevich said, and the liberal and nationalist opposition was helping them. "While Lukashenko is putting the thumbscrews on the domestic private sector, he is handing out licenses everywhere in the cities to foreign supermarket chains which small businesses can no longer compete with," Milinkevich told the daily. "In this situation, the merchants recognize that their only chance for survival is to take their protest on to the streets." (Additional reporting by Ian Rogers in Berlin, Writing by Sabina Zawadzki; Editing by Jon Boyle) http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5A022E00-6643-4A4C-A02B-0F2AEDFE99E0.htm Belarus riot police crush protest Protesters were prevented from reaching a central Minsk square by armed police [AFP] Dozens of Belarusian opposition supporters have been detained after clashes with riot police during a banned protest in the capital Minsk. The government had vowed to prevent any demonstrations on Tuesday, but thousands of people attempted to gather in a central square that had been blocked off by heavily armed police. After warning the crowd that the protest was illegal, the police moved in, beating demonstrators with truncheons and dragging them on to waiting buses. Anatoly Lebedko, chairman of the opposition United Civil Party, said: "The authorities have resorted to extreme measures. "By doing this, they are showing to the world that Belarus is a dictatorship with no freedom of speech nor freedom to gather." 'Freedom Day' The rally was staged to mark the anniversary of the brief period of independence declared in Belarus in 1918. March 25 - referred to as Freedom Day by the opposition - has long been a day of protest. Demonstrators waved the country's red and white striped pre-Soviet era flag and the blue and gold-starred banner of the European Union. "By doing this, they are showing to the world that Belarus is a dictatorship with no freedom of speech nor freedom to gather" Anatoly Lebedko, opposition leader Some shouted "fascists" and "shame" at the police. Later, hundreds of people broke off from the main protest and tried to march down a central street to the presidential administration building. The road was blocked by police trucks and officers in riot gear, who also carried protesters away into waiting police trucks. The interior ministry said about 80 people were detained, according to the Interfax news agency. But an official from the Belarusian Helsinki Group, a human rights body, told the AFP news agency that the number was more like 100 activists. Opposition groups reported that security agents arrested activists across the country before Tuesday's demonstrations and closed bus and underground stations near the scene of the demonstration. A spokesman for the Belarusian People's Front said that Ales Kalita, the leader of its youth wing, was one of several activists detained ahead of the demonstration. Vladimir Naumov, the Belarus interior minister, said before the event: "Of course today more forces and equipment will be deployed. Any unsanctioned march will be prevented in accordance with the necessary laws." http://naviny.by/rubrics/inter/2008/01/21/ic_articles_259_155089/ Riot police break up unauthorized march in Minsk, some 10 people reported arrested 21.01 // 17:14 // English Police in riot control gear broke up a march that hundreds sole entrepreneurs and sympathizers staged through Minsk on Monday afternoon. The protesters were forced out of Independence Square, where they had arrived to demand a meeting with Prime Minister Syarhey Sidorski, and then split into several groups and scattered by riot police. Some 10 people were said to have been arrested. An estimated crowd of between 1,500 and 2,000 marched on the House of Government after an unauthorized rally held at Kastrychnitskaya Square in protest against the government's restrictive policy toward sole entrepreneurs. The protesters walked on sidewalks along Independence Avenue but entered the road at the busy intersection between the city's thoroughfare and Lenin Street, bringing traffic to a halt. However, policemen pushed the crowd back to the sidewalk. Armored police prisoner vans followed the protesters as they continued moving toward Independence Square, where the House of Government is located. As the crowd reached the square, they were confronted by a heavy police presence. Speaking through a loudspeaker, Interior Minister Uladzimir Navumaw accused the demonstrators of "paralyzing the entire city" and warned that police would use force if the crowd did not disperse within 10 minutes. The protesters were then forced out of the square and turned their way back. At least three demonstrators were grabbed and bundled into police vehicles as police cleared the square. The crowd marched just a few dozen meters when they were separated into several groups and dispersed. http://rawstory.com/news/afp/10_000_protest_against_Georgia_gove_02152008.html 10,000 protest against Georgia government Published: Friday February 15, 2008 About 10,000 opposition protesters demonstrated in Georgia's capital Tbilisi on Friday calling for concessions from the government ahead of parliamentary elections in the ex-Soviet state. At the demonstration in front of parliament, opposition leaders called for greater independence for public television and the resignation of the head of the electoral commission, who the opposition sees as too close to the government. "We have restarted permanent demonstrations to force the authorities to satisfy our demands," said Levan Gachechiladze, who lost to President Mikheil Saakashvili in a January 5 election. "I call on all Georgians to gather and show the authorities the strength of our determination to defend democracy," he said. Opposition leader Zviad Dzidziguri told the crowd "everything is false in Georgia -- false democracy, a false and illegitimate president, a false judiciary, false media freedom." "We demand true democracy, free and fair elections, free media and an independent judiciary," said Dzidziguri. Among the protesters, 46-year-old Maya Vashnadze told AFP "we want to show that Georgia is ready to rejoin the family of democratic European nations." A member of the opposition Conservative party, Kakha Kukava, announced that opposition parties, which share a broadly pro-Western agenda, would run on a joint ticket at the parliamentary polls expected in May. The opposition is also demanding the release of people it says were jailed during anti-government protests in November that led to a nine-day state of emergency and the holding of early presidential polls. While Saakashvili has offered some concessions, the opposition say these fall short. The opposition also disputes the results of the January presidential election, at which Saakashvili was awarded 53.5 percent. However international observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe gave the polls a clean bill of health. Friday's demonstration passed off peacefully, with the protesters dispersing in the late afternoon. Opposition spokeswoman Nino Sturua said the coalition would organise a nationwide hunger strike starting on February 22. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 17:16:34 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:16:34 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Global civil and human rights protests Message-ID: <031a01c89e8d$f81fa560$0802a8c0@andy1> * INDIA: Attack on academic freedom leads to rally * PAKISTAN: Clashes and teargas as lawyers' rallies resume [NOTE: This wave of protests has now been successful - the new government has reversed Musharraf's attacks] * PAKISTAN/UK: PPP holds protest in London * PAKISTAN: Radical students protest arrests * PAKISTAN: Students protest against police baton charge * PAKISTAN: Protest against violence by political Islamists at Punjab university * PAKISTAN: Rawalpindi journalists protest against anti-journalist laws * INDIA: Milk delivery workers protest against army ID requirement * INDIA: Lucknow locals protest against arrest of local boy * INDIA: Film artists protest gag order on racist actor * NEW ZEALAND: Protesters rally at Tame Iti bail hearing * NEW ZEALAND: Election finance reform silent protest * URUGUAY/GLOBAL: Political prisoners on hunger strike; solidarity attack on Goethe Institute * ARGENTINA: Rally at prison in support of anarchist prisoners * BOLIVIA: Cops lynched for attempted extortion * INDIA: Sex workers protest against police raids, brutality * CAMBODIA: Police squelch Mia Farrow genocide Olympics protest * TAMIL EELAM/UK: British Tamils rally against Sri Lankan government * PERU: Politicians chew coca to denounce UN agent's call for ban * GLOBAL: Online protest denounces enemies of internet freedom * UK, FRANCE: Olympic relay targeted * INDIA: Maoists hold series of bandhs against encounter killings, repression; seize police rifles in raid * US: Rapper takes long walk against death penalty Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/23/stories/2008022360970300.htm DUTA holds silent protest Staff Reporter NEW DELHI: Earlier in the day, the Delhi University Teachers' Association organised a silent protest outside the institution against the serving of show-cause notices on the two senior History lecturers of the college. Teachers of various departments sat outside the college with their faces covered with a black cloth as a mark of their "silent" protest against the "blatant assault" on the academic freedom and freedom of expression of the teachers. The teachers were served show-cause notices for "abusing the teaching space". The DUTA also noted with "utter disappointment and regret" that the University, despite maintaining in an affidavit that the appointment of Officer on Special Duty was illegal, had ignored the order of National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions for replacing Mr. Thampu. --------------------------------------------------------------- Islamabad Clashes, tear gas at rally to greet CJ in judges enclave 1000 + people showed up. The rally was led by Imran Khan and Justice (r) Tariq. The Rally had participation from Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, Student Action Committee, Awami Jamhoori Itehad, Insani Haqooq Itehad and the lawyers community. Karachi 15,000 people at rally at Karachi Press Club. Ends at Supreme Court Building (Karachi). THIS IS THE LARGEST RALLY SO FAR IN THE MOVEMENT! The rally was only possible by the untiring efforts of the People's Resistance Group in Karachi ever since Nov 3rd. The event had attendance from political parties, NGO's, lawyers, traders, reform groups and the civil society. Speeches were given by Fakhruddin Ibrahim, Rashid Rizvi and Munir Malik. Awami Tahreek rally opposit to press club Karachi. Lahore Rally from Neher Ghar to Justice Ramday's House. The rally was led by Bushra Ahsan and swelled to over 1000 outside justice Ramday's house. The police was so overwhelmed by the numbers that they did not stop the protesters from entering Justice Ramday's house. Speeches were given by Aitzaz Ahsan and Justice Bhagwandas. The rally had participation from Concerned Citizens of Pakistan, Student Action Committee, lawyers, some political party workers and members of civil society. Aitzaz welcomes joint statement of Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari to reinstate all deposed judges within 30 days of Parliament. States that countdown will begin. Political parties will be supported from tomorrow. Focus should now be on Musharraf. 10th March Events Karachi: Complete BOYCOTT OF ALL THE COURTS. Flag Hoistings: 3:00 pm >> Hotel Jabees, Saddar Islamic Lawyers Movement (ILM) People's Resistance and all other friends are invited to join 5:00 pm >> Iqbal Haider's House D-25, Block 4, KDA 5, Clifton Just after Abdullah Shah Ghazi's Mazar, off 26th Street Behind Designers. Lahore: 1. Black Flag will be hoisted 10:30 A.M. 2. Complete BOYCOTT OF ALL THE COURTS. 3. G.H. Meeting of L.H.C. 10:30 A.M. 4. Address of Mr. Aitzaz Ahsan (President SCBA ) 11:00 A.M. 5. Rally of LBA 11:30 A.M. 6. Black Flag Rally at Liberty Roundabout - 5.00 -5.45 pm Islamabad: Complete BOYCOTT OF ALL THE COURTS. Car Rally with nearly 50 cars with black flags, taking a round of almost all of the busiest areas of Islamabad, honking all the way, starting from Suharwardy Road at Fire Brigade (4 pm), and going through Aabpara,then welcoming Ali Kurd's arrival at the Rawalpindi International Airport at 5 15-5 30 pm and then going around Islamabad again. The rally will have a public address system to also address public at busy intersections. Fwd by: Ayaz Latif Palijo Advocate http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C29%5Cstory_29-2-2008_pg7_29 Aitzaz announces week-long protest from March 9 By AR Qureshi KARACHI: Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Aitzaz Ahsan announced on Thursday that lawyers would observe a week-long protest from March 9-16 in support of the judiciary. The SCBA president made the announcement over telephone while addressing a general body meeting of the Karachi Bar Association (KBA). The first day of the protest coincides with the completion of a full year of the judicial crisis that started on March 9, when former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was suspended and President Pervez Musharraf sent a reference against him to the Supreme Judicial Council. In his speech to the lawyers, Ahsan advised the president to quit and transfer power to representatives elected by the people. He also urged political parties to restore the pre-November 3 judiciary so that justice could be dispensed to the people of Pakistan. Ahsan said, "Political parties have shown their strength by securing a two-thirds majority in the parliament. They should now take steps for a free and independent judiciary. People voted them into power to acquire independence of all kinds, including independent of judiciary, free media and freedom of speech." http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/22/top11.htm PPP's anti-Musharraf protest at 10 Downing Street By M. Ziauddin LONDON, Jan 21: The Pakistan People's Party staged a protest demonstration here in front of 10 Downing Street for about two hours on Sunday afternoon raising slogans against President Pervez Musharraf and his government The demonstrators, some 300 strong and mostly of Kashmiri origin from London and outside, carried placards demanding UN-led investigation into Benazir Bhutto's assassination and asking Musharraf to step down. The PPP UK presented a memorandum to Prime Minister Gordon Brown calling for his cooperation in persuading Islamabad to seek UN help to unveil the actual plotters behind Ms Bhutto's murder. The memorandum was received by an official on behalf of the PM. Later in the evening some 50 professionals of Pakistani origin, mostly doctors staged another protest demonstration in front of the Pakistan High Commission. They were demanding the restoration of pre-Nov 3 state of superior judiciary and immediate release of incarcerated judges and lawyers. Meanwhile, it is learnt that the PPP is planning an even bigger demonstration on January 28 in front of 10 Downing Street when Mr Musharraf is tentatively scheduled to meet Prime Minister Brown. In another development, the Campaign Against Martial Law in Pakistan (CAML), a group formed by students, lawyers, doctors, other professionals, businessmen and civil society activists of Pakistani origin following the March 9 confrontation between the president and the superior judiciary, has also planned protest demonstrations against Musharraf during his three-day stay here next week. Asma Jahangir of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and Imran Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf both of whom are expected to be here on Monday next have agreed to join the demonstration at 10 Downing Street. Jemima Khan with her two sons is also expected to be present at the demonstration on Jan. 28. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C22%5Cstory_22-2-2008_pg12_1 Lawyers get back on the protest beat Staff Report KARACHI: A Karachi Bar Association (KBA) rally carrying a coffin-clad dummy of President Pervez Musharraf was stopped from going on to M. A. Jinnah Road, resulting in hours of clashes and the disruption of traffic. Members of the KBA held a silent rally after a protest general body meeting, which was followed by token hunger strike and boycott of court proceedings. The rally participants carried a dummy of Musharraf in a white coffin. When it moved ahead towards the main road, hundreds of baton-wielding policemen warned the lawyers and ordered them to go back to the KBA premises. According to witnesses, the lawyers refused to go back and the policemen pelted them with stones. The lawyer retaliated in the same manner. As the tension escalated, the fully geared-up police started firing tear-gas. Hundreds of shells were fired and the lawyers were taken by surprise. According to KBA office bearer Muzaffar Iqbal Sufi, 21 lawyers were arrested and detained at a number of police stations including Jackson, Risala, Arambagh and SITE. According to lawyers present at the rally, 28 lawyers were injured. The arrested lawyers included KBA Honorary Secretary Naeem Qureshi, Managing Committee members Waheed Baloch and Samad Baloch, Fateh Shah, Jehangir Warejo, Zia Alam, Anwar Ahmed Yousuf Zai, Sathi Ishaq, Saeed Qureshi, Riaz Affendi, Munsif Jan and a few unidentified younger members. The lawyers dispersed at around 2:30 p.m. KBA to hold 'black day' Monday: The defiant lawyers, encouraged by the results of the general elections and angered by the police action against Karachi Bar Association (KBA) members, resolved to observe Monday, February 25 as a Black day to protest brutality without any provocation. As soon as reports of the police action against the KBA, including the burning of the token-hunger strike camps, got out, the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) held an emergency meeting of its managing committee. More than 21 lawyers were arrested while dozens sustained injuries in the clashes. 13 lawyers released after 2 hours in custody: Thirteen lawyers, including Karachi Bar Association (KBA) General Secretary Naeem Qureshi, were released on orders of a district judge south after two hours in the police lockup. They were arrested earlier for crossing their protesting limits after a general body meeting in City Courts. The rally was led by KBA President Mehmood-ul-Hassan. The lawyers wanted to stage a sit-in on M. A. Jinnah Road, but, the police started baton charging and firing tear gas shells in a bid to foil the attempt. The lawyers then pelted stones at the police in retaliation, and the police followed suit. Some lawyers, including Nabi Bux, Ahsan Ali Rind, Sardar and Pervaiz, and some police officers sustained minor injuries from the shelling and stoning. Later, police cordoned off the area and arrested the lawyers. The clash continued for over one-and-a-half hours. Police arrested thirteen lawyers including KBA General Sectary Naeem Qureshi, Saeed Qureshi, Jehangir Ranju, Raja Arif, Waheed Baloch, Munsib Jan, Riaz Afandi, Tahir Rehman, Anwaar Ahmed, Syed Mohammad Zia Alam, Syed Mohammad Hussain and Fateh Ali Shah. The lawyers were shifted to the Risala police station lockup of Saddar Town and FIR no. 15/08 (under sections 147, 148, 149, 427, 353) was lodged on behalf of the government. Judicial Magistrate Khawaja Ashraf Hussain went to the Risala police station on the directives of District Judge South Arjun Ram Tilani and got the lawyers released. "The arrests were bailable, so we had the authority to release them," said Chaudhry Nazeer, the investigation officer. DSP Salman Hussain was also present at the scene. Hussain told Daily Times that the lawyers are authorized to protest outside the City Courts, and they do this every Thursday and the police never bother them. However, this time they tried to cross their limits and tried to go onto M. A. Jinnah Road. "The police tried to stop them and asked them to get back within their limits, but they didn't listen. Some of them then threw stones so we had to use batons to disperse them. The lawyers got even more adamant and we had to resort to tear gas and arrests," he claimed. KBA President Mehmood-ul-Hassan told Daily Times, "We were just trying to record our protest peacefully." http://www.dawn.com/2008/02/24/top18.htm Lawyers protest heats up RAWALPINDI, Feb 23: Lawyers' post-election protest for reinstatement of the deposed judges seems to gain momentum as they once again marched towards the camp office of President Pervez Musharraf in a large number and protested in front of the barriers laid near the army house on Saturday. The members of the Rawalpindi Bar Association (RBA) took out a protest march and gathered at Katchery Chowk and then moved towards Jinnah Park where they were stopped by a heavy police contingent from going towards the army house. But the angry protesters deceived the law enforcers and after passing through the parking lot crossed the railway track and assembled on the road leading to the army house. At this, the police men rushed towards the barriers of the camp office where army soldiers already stood vigilant. After protesting there for about 10 minutes and chanting pro-deposed judges and anti-Musharraf slogans - the most repeated being "Quit the army house" - the lawyers came to the busy Jhelum road and staged a sit-in for some time before returning to the district courts. Before coming out of the courts, the lawyers organised a token hunger strike against the removal of judges and arrest of their leaders after the November 3 emergency. Meanwhile, addressing a meeting of the RBA general body, a journalist from a private TV channel said the results of February 18 elections vindicated the power of ballot. Praising the struggle of the lawyers, he said the movement of the legal fraternity had created awareness among the people about what was right and what was wrong. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C07%5Cstory_7-2-2008_pg7_27 Lawyers weekly protest, boycott continues Staff Report LAHORE: Following the call of the Pakistan Bar Council, lawyers will boycott courts and hold their weekly protest rally, demanding the restoration of the deposed judges and release of the detained lawyers. The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) have given the call for the rally and the boycott. LHCBA Secretary Sarfarz Cheema on Wednesday announced the call for the protest rally, saying the lawyers would completely boycott the courts. Both the bars will hold their general house meetings before taking out the rally. The LBA rally will be taken out from Aiwan-e-Adal courts. The LHCBA lawyers will join the LBA rally at the GPO Chowk, The Mall. The joint rally will end at the Faisal Chowk. LBA Secretary Latif Sarra told Daily Times that lawyers would continue their movement till the restoration of the deposed judges and the removal of the judges who took oath under the Provisional Constitution Order. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C04%5Cstory_4-2-2008_pg13_1 People protest against Aitzaz's house arrest * CCP members distribute pamphlets on Canal Road * PGC denounced for thrashing SAC members * People urged to participate in today's car rally to Islamabad Staff Report LAHORE: Lawyers, journalists, students and other civil society activists on Sunday protested outside Supreme Court Bar Association President Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan's house, demanding that the government should release him and other detained lawyers and restore the deposed judges. On the call of the Concerned Citizens of Pakistan (CCP), a non-governmental organisation, the demonstrators thronged in front of Aitzaz's house where he was detained on Saturday for another 30 days. The protestors, holding national flags, posters and black flags, shouted slogans against the government for detaining Aitzaz Ahsan, Justice (r) Tariq Mehmood and Ali Ahmed Kurd, after the completion of their 90-day detentions. Justice (r) Nasira Javed Iqbal, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mrs Bushra Aitzaz, Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique and many other renowned personalities participated in the protest. The protestors recited the national anthem and marched towards the Canal Road. They stood alongside the road in a row, chanting slogans and waving flags. Some members of the CCP distributed pamphlets - inscribed with poetry and quotations to appreciate the deposed judges and the protesting lawyers - among the passers by. After staying there for half an hour, the protestors returned to Aitzaz's residence and then dispersed. Before the march, some speakers addressed the protestors and urged them to continue participating in the protests for the 'noble cause'. CCP activist Hamid Zaman said the protest was necessary to create awareness among the masses to initiate a decisive movement against the 'unconstitutional' government. He denounced the administration of the Punjab Group of Colleges (PGC) for allegedly thrashing the members of the Students Action Committee (SAC), and the police for not registering a case against the accused. Beena Qureshi of the CCP, addressing the protestors, urged them to maintain the momentum of the movement for the deposed judges and detained lawyers. She requested them to participate in a car rally, which would proceed to Islamabad from Aitzaz's residence on Monday (today). She said, from Islamabad the rally would head for Peshawar, then to Sindh, Balochistan and then back to Lahore. She said the rally was to mobilise the people to join the movement for the independence of the judiciary. "The rally will give a message of unity to the people of all four provinces," she said and added that the CCP would continue its struggle till the restoration of all the deposed judges. Advocate Anwar Kamal said the lawyers' movement would be a success when the chief justice and all the deposed judges were reinstated. Shoaibuddin, a journalist, said the media was supporting the movement for the restoration of the judiciary. He said the government had made bread and butter 'out of reach' for the masses. He said the revival of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was necessary for an independent judiciary and for the relief of the common people. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C03%5C05%5Cstory_5-3-2008_pg11_10 Lawyers protest sacked CJP's detention Staff Report ISLAMABAD: Civil society and lawyers on Tuesday protested against the detention of sacked chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The protesters gathered outside the Judges Colony, holding placards and banners inscribed with anti-government slogans. They shouted 'go Mushrraf go'. Heavy contingent of police ringed them but no violence was reported as the protest broke up peacefully. The protesters said they would continue their movement until the sacked judges were restored and the judiciary was made independent. They also hanged an effigy of President Pervez Muharraf to express their anger against his policies and actions. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C03%5C07%5Cstory_7-3-2008_pg7_42 Weekly protest : Lawyers ask colleagues to boycott courts, attend rally Staff Report LAHORE: Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) representatives on Thursday visited all court rooms of the Lahore High Court (LHC) by 10am, when they observed that more than 60 percent of the lawyers were appearing before judges. The LHCBA officials urged their colleagues to boycott the court proceedings and join the weekly protest rally. Later, the lawyers took out their weekly protest rally on The Mall. However, the lawyers appeared before the judges for the election petitions, after they had taken out the weekly rally on The Mall. The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) had called for a full-day boycott of the courts on Thursday, but various 'prominent' lawyers were seen appearing before the courts. LHCBA President Anwar Kamal, Vice President Mian Aslam, Secretary Rana Asadullah, Finance Secretary Feroza Rubab and PBC member Khuram Latif Khosa, besides ten other lawyers went in all court rooms and requested the judges not to take up cases, and told them that the lawyers were on strike. The judges, however, asked the lawyers' representatives not to interrupt the court proceedings. The lawyers who appeared before the courts on Thursday included PBC member Anwarul Haq Panoon, Pakistan People's Party Senator Dr Babar Awan, Tayyeba Zameer Qureshi, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz elected member of the National Assembly advocate Naseer Ahmad Bhutta and advocate Tariq Aziz. Supreme Court Bar Association President Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, LHCBA President Anwar Kamal and PBC member Muhammad Iqbal Mohal's petitions were fixed for hearing on Thursday, but they did not appear before the court. http://www.dawn.com/2008/03/10/top16.htm 'Black flag week' protest held in London By Our Special Correspondent LONDON, March 9: A group of 100-strong protesters held a vociferous two-hour demonstration in front of the Pakistan High Commission here on Sunday in solidarity with the black flag week being observed throughout Pakistan to commemorate the day Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry refused to accept General Pervez Musharraf's orders. The demonstrators included lawyers, doctors, media person, civil society activists, workers and leaders of the PPP, PML-N and students of Pakistan origin with sprinkling of non-Asian sympathisers of the movement in Pakistan to get the ousted superior judiciary restored. The black flag waving demonstrators were being led by solicitor Sibghatullah Kadri QC, Ghous Ali Shah of PML-N and Mr Munib of the lawyers' movement. The demonstrators kept chanting 'Go Musharraf Go', Release the judges from house-arrest and reinstate them. Ghous Ali Shah and Mr Kadri in their speeches welcomed the signing of the power-sharing accord between the PPP and PML-N. They also paid rich tribute to Iftikhar Chaudhry and other incarcerated judges and expressed complete solidarity with the ongoing movement of the bar and the bench for independence of the judiciary. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200804011550.htm Pak. radical students protest outside Zardari's house Islamabad (PTI): Students of a radical seminary in central Islamabad protested outside the residence of Pakistan People's Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, and sought the release of Lal Masjid's former cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz. Dozens of female students of Jamia Hafsa protested outside the house of Zardari, and sought the release of the radical cleric, who was arrested during a major security operation against Islamist militants holed up inside the Lal Masjid complex last year. Led by human rights activist Khalid Khawaja, the students carried placards and banners with slogans against President Pervez Musharraf, and called for the immediate release of Maulana Aziz, the Daily Times newspaper said on Tuesday. The security around Zardari House had been beefed up ahead of the protest. Khawaja went to Zardari House but failed to meet the PPP leader. They handed over their demands to party officials, the report said. The students demanded the reconstruction of Jamia Hafsa, the seminary in the Lal Masjid complex, in accordance with the judgment of Pakistan Supreme Court. The angry students agreed to end their protest after PPP leaders Fauzia Wahab and Zamurd Khan assured them that their demands would be conveyed to the co-chairman, the report said. Meanwhile, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Monday ordered the return of seized jewellery, cash and other items to the wife and daughter of the former chief cleric of the Lal Masjid. The security forces had seized these items when the top cleric was arrested from the mosque last year. Judge Chaudhry Habibur Rehman directed the police to submit a report on implementation of the order, the daily reported. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C11%5Cstory_11-2-2008_pg11_3 Students protest against police baton-charge ISLAMABAD: Around 20 members of the Student Action Committee (SAC) on Sunday staged a protest demonstration in front of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club camp office to condemn the police baton-charge on lawyers and students done here on Saturday evening. SAC members raised anti-government slogans. They were carrying placards inscribed with slogans such as 'no to oppression, ' no to dictatorship, and 'we condemn the baton-charge'. They said the police had attacked the freedom of expression by roughing up the peaceful protestors. It is people's constitutional right to raise their voice peacefully to get fundamental rights, they said, adding that police baton-charge was unjustifiable. staff report http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C03%5C16%5Cstory_16-3-2008_pg13_5 SAC protest against IJT 'hooliganism' By Adnan Lodhi LAHORE: Dozens of Students Action Committee (SAC) members and others protested on Saturday against the Punjab University (PU) Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) activists for beating the three SAC members in the presence of the PU vice chancellor and security guards on Friday. Members of the Labour Party of Pakistan and Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party, representatives of civil society organisations, political activists and people joined the SAC protest that was held outside the Lahore Press Club. The protestors raised slogans against the IJT and demanded strict action against those involved in the beating. They were wearing black armbands and held posters that read 'Stop hooliganism in the name of Islam' and 'Go, Jamiat, Go'. PU IJT Nazim Rana Zahid said that students were being pitted against each other by some "hidden elements". He said, "There are only four PU students who are SAC members. They are on the pay role of the government agencies. We are all struggling together for the restoration of the judiciary, but they want to 'create fuzz' in the university." PU Resident Officer Dr Bashir Ahmed said that the initial enquiry had shown that those involved in the beating were IJT activists. Most of them had already been expelled from the university for such activities, but they were still illegally residing in the PU hostels, he said, "IJT activists include Usman Ashraf, Muazam, Imran Kiyani, the PU IJT media secretary and a student, named Bhatti, of the Punjabi Department." Dozens of PU IJT activists on Friday beat three PhD students after the Friday prayers. Amir Jalal, Haroon Riaz and Sajjad Ahmad Sajal wanted to protest in favour of the sacked judges when the IJT activists beat them. Rafiullah, a PU Physics Department student, said that the IJT activists Asif, resident of PU hostel number 3; Bilaal Ahmed from PU Chemistry Department; Usman Ashraf and dozens of other IJT activists had beaten the SAC members. "The IJT activists have set up torture cells in the PU hostels, despite the administration's claims that the hostels have no influence of the IJT," he alleged. Pakistan Labour Party spokesman Farooq Tariq said that they were protesting because the IJT activists had no right to beat students. Sadiqa Sahib Daad Khan said, "It is the hypocrisy of the IJT activists that they are using religion to muster support." SAC Media Advisor Halima said that the protest would continue as the IJT had no right to beat the SAC members. "The SAC students, who they beaten last Friday, are not Shia, and the IJT activists only wanted to incite sectarian hatred to achieve their ends," she said. PU Resident Officer Dr Bashir said that they had held a preliminary inquiry into the incident and it had been ascertained that students who beat the SAC members were IJT activists and most of them had already been expelled from hostels due to their illegal activities. Deep, a human rights activist, said that the beating of the SAC students was a violation of their fundamental right to protest against what they believed to be wrong. The SAC announced a protest on the coming Friday at the place where the three SAC students were beaten. http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/line-16/0802058754152020.htm Protestors clashed with riot police in Islamabad Islamabad, Feb 5, IRNA Pakistan-Police-Clash Hundreds of supporters of Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami clashed with riot police in Islamabad as they tried to proceed to the residence of deposed Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry who has been under house arrest since November 3rd. Police fired tear gas shells and used batons to disperse the demonstrators who insisted on moving towards the judges colony where Mr Chaudhry is under house arrest. Mr Chaudhry was sacked and put under house arrest when President Pervez Musharraf proclaimed emergency and sacked those judges who refused to show allegiance to the President. The government has blocked main road to the residence of Mr Chaudhry and has so far not allowed opposition leader to visit the deposed chief justice. Jamaat-e-Islami staged a rally in Islamabad to observe Kashmir Solidarity Day but when its Chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed addressed the participants, they started marching towards the residence of the former Chief Justice. But the police stopped the demonstrators while erecting barbed wire and cemented blocks but the demonstrators removed the hurdles and started moving towards the residence of the deposed justice. The police fired tear gas and started baton charge to disperse the demonstrators near the judges colony. Jamaat chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed appealed to his workers to remain peaceful. The angry demonstrators removed all hurdles and threw them at the police. The demonstrators also pelted stones at the police. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C01%5C28%5Cstory_28-1-2008_pg7_22 Journalists protest media curbs Staff Report ISLAMABAD: The Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) held a protest rally on Sunday to condemn media curbs. The protest rally was held in front of the Rawalpindi Islamabad Press Club camp office. The protesting journalists raised slogans against restrictions imposed by the government on media Speaking on the occasion, RIUJ President Muhammad Afzal Butt urged the government to remove the anti-press freedom ordinance and lift restrictions on media. He said the journalists would continue their protest until their demands were accepted. He alleged that as a result of the ban on media, injustice, corruption and lawlessness had increased in the country. "Cases would be registered under terrorism act against the institutions responsible of introducing black laws against media," he added. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chandigarh/Milkmen_protest_Army_move/articleshow/2799833.cms Milkmen protest Army move 21 Feb 2008, 0318 hrs IST,TNN Print Save EMail Write to Editor JALANDHAR: Piqued by the recent decision of Army officials to debar them from entering Jalandhar cantonment without identity cards, the milkmen staged a dharna against the order on Wednesday. They were later joined by local Akali MLA Jagbir Singh Brar. The fracas began when some milkmen, who supply milk to civilians residing in the Cantonment, were denied entry on Wednesday. Protesting this, the milkmen staged a dharna at the Sansarpur check point around 6 am. Addressing the dharna, local Congress leader Uma Vashist criticized the attitude of Army officials. Meanwhile, ruling SAD MLA from Jalandhar Cantonment Jagbir Singh Brar joined the protesters. Later, he entered into heated arguments with some senior Army officers present there. Thereafter, the protesters moved towards NH where they blocked traffic. All shops in the cantonment market remained closed. Jalandhar ADC (Development) Ashok Sikka pacified the protesters, asking them to lift the blockade after which the protesters gave a time limit of five days to the district administration to solve the issue. Meanwhile, defence spokesperson Naresh Wig said I-cards were a must due to security reasons. "The Army has never refused IDs to anybody but the milkmen have to come forward to claim them," he said. He denied any high-handedness on the part of the Army. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lucknow/Protest_against_arrest_of_boy/articleshow/2768729.cms Protest against arrest of boy 9 Feb 2008, 0541 hrs IST,TNN LUCKNOW: Traffic movement in Shahadatganj area in the state capital was thrown out of order on Friday morning when a boy was arrested by the police on charges of possessing a 32-bore revolver. According to the police the arrested has been identified as Farooq alias Farru a resident of Bhola Nath Kua in Shahadatganj police circle. According to the family members and neighbours of Farooq, he was arrested on Thursday night. According to the police Farooq was involved in illegal supplying of revolvers. Police have also arrested another friend of Farooq identified as Sarvesh. Police are also alleging that Farooq was also the friend of one Santosh Sahu involved in a kidnapping case. The police are interrogating Farooq and Sarvesh. http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080043195&ch=3/6/2008%208:49:00%20AM Film stars protest gag order on Raj Thackeray Samriti Grover Thursday, March 6, 2008 (Mumbai) After his controversial hate campaign, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray has made his debut on the big screen, taking up the cause of the film artistes. Big names like Nana Patekar and Suneil Shetty, among others, have signed a petition to protest the gag order imposed by the state on the politician. ''How can I support what he says about north Indians leaving Mumbai. Me and my family are from the north. I find his stand completely unreasonable, but at the same time I also find this gag completely unreasonable,'' said Salim Khan, script writer. With the support of the biggies signed and sealed, Thackeray's next move is a cine-artistes' union. It will be a smart work by an ambitious politician widening his vote-bank, a year ahead of the Assembly elections. ''But it is obvious that if one political party steps in, others will not be far behind. So your backyard would be full of all kinds of political parties fighting each other, saying that my kind of help is the best kind of help, which inevitably leads to war,'' said Mahesh Bhatt, filmmaker. Raj Thackeray is a politician, whose friendship with the film stars goes back a long way. And, it is this camaraderie with the industry that Thackeray is leveraging, an industry interestingly not dominated by Maharashtrians. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411365/1618737 Protest peaceful as Iti wrangles bail Mar 5, 2008 7:51 PM Despite a strong police the protest outside the Auckland District Court on Wednesday was noisy but peaceful. Dozens of protesters gathered in support of 18 people arrested after nationwide police raids in 2007. The accused appeared on various charges including unlawful possession of firearms. Following the raids in October, the Solicitor-General ruled out laying terrorism charges because of insufficient evidence that those arrested intended to create terror. While all of those arrested are currently out on bail ahead of a depositions hearing, prominent Tuhoe activist Tame Iti was after more favourable conditions, ostensibly to pursue his acting career. Police currently hold Iti's passport. Since his arrest his movements have been restricted and he now wants remaining limitations lifted so he can follow his thespian pursuits offshore. Iti's lawyer Annette Sykes explains that her client had a number of theatre obligations including cultural festivals in Japan and Europe. "We are in negotiations with the police and the court that will enable him to meet his contractual obligations," says Sykes. Those obligations first arose in 2007 when Iti, moonlighting as an artist and actor, took to the stage for the AK07 Auckland Festival in Samoan choreographer Lemi Ponifasio's The Tempest, the story of Tuhoe. Iti's role has already taken him to Vienna and he says more international venues beckon including Spain, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. Sykes says she hopes to persuade both the district court and police of his role as an ambassador in taking the piece overseas. Iti remains optimistic about more favourable results. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4398415a6160.html Anti-election finance reform campaigner in silent protest NZPA | Tuesday, 12 February 2008 Anti-election finance reform campaigner John Boscawen has used the opening day of Parliament to protest about the Electoral Finance Act. Mr Boscawen, former ACT MP Stephen Franks and several others sat in Parliament's public galleries today with masking tape across their lips in a protest against the Act they say restricts freedom of speech. They moved off quietly when asked to leave by Parliamentary security. Mr Boscawen said it was fitting to use the first day of Parliament to mount the protest, given that it had been the last sitting day of Parliament last year when the Electoral Finance Bill was passed into law. Mr Boscawen, who has been accused by the Government of being an ACT "bag-man", told NZPA he was organising a series of protest marches against the new law starting with one in Auckland on March 9. That march would leave Auckland Town Hall in Queen St at 2.30pm that Sunday. Others would be held in major cities and provincial towns throughout the year to allow people to voice their objections to the law which came into effect on January 1. While he had not succeeded in stopping the law being passed, he would continue to protest against it, Mr Boscawen said. He would not be breaking the law because he was campaigning against a particular issue rather than urging people to vote for or against a particular political party, he said. But his concerns included that Parliament had ignored the Electoral Commission and the Human Rights Commission, government organisations which had made submissions against the bill, particularly with the spending limit of $120,000 on third parties. Those organisations had said the spending limit should be $250,000 to $300,000. http://uruguay.indymedia.org/news/2008/02/65523.php Solidarity Action in Uruguay With European Political Prisoners on Hunger Strike On the morning of February 27, 2008, there was an attack on the Goethe Institute of Montevideo, an organization connected to the German state, resulting in all of its windows being totally destroyed. This attack represents a show of support and solidarity with the hunger strike that is taking place from February 18 to 29 by insurgent and anarchist prisoners in diverse countries of the world, between Germany, Spain, Switzerland and Argentina. This hunger strike involves a mobilization against prisons and repression, the isolation regimes, torture and perpetual imprisonment, and for the freedom of all sick prisoners. Those behind this inititative of struggle are the anarchist prisoners Marco Camenish (Switzerland), Rafa Mart?nez Zea "Jon Bala" (Puerto III, Spain), Joaquin Garces (CP Castellon, Spain), Gabriel Pombo "Musta" and Jose Fern?ndez (Germany), Petrissans (Argentina) and Thomas Meyer Falk (Germany). Solidarity with the prisoners in struggle in every part of the world. Down with the walls of the prisons. *http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/02/26/18481930.php* Americas | International | Global Justice and Anti-Capitalism | Police State and Prisons *Argentina: Anarchist demonstration in front of the prison of Devoto* by anarchists /Tuesday Feb 26th, 2008 3:30 PM / This Sunday, February 24, 2008, a group of companions demonstrated in front of the prison of Devoto in solidarity with the anarchist prisoners on hunger strike and for the destruction of all the prisons. Argentina: Anarchist demonstration in front of the prison of Devoto This Sunday, February 24, 2008, a group of companions demonstrated in front of the prison of Devoto in solidarity with the anarchist prisoners on hunger strike and for the destruction of all the prisons. During this activity, flags with anti-prison markings were used and leaflets were given out to the people leaving the prison after visiting and were read to the prisoners who listened from the windows of their cells. We reproduce the leaflet here: International Hunger Strike of February 18 to 29 Between the days of the 18th and 28th of February 2008, a series of revolutionary anarchist individuals incarcerated in Germany, Switzerland, Argentina and Spain have called for a hunger strike and mobilization against prisons and repression, isolation regimes, torture, life sentences, and for the freedom of all sick prisoners. Those who took this initiative of struggle are the anarchist prisoners Marco Camenish (Switzerland), Rafa Mart?nez Zea "Jon Bala" (Puerto III, Spain), Joaquin Garces (CP Castellon, Spain), Gabriel Pombo "Musta" and Jose Fern?ndez (Germany), Diego Petrissans (C.P.F.-N2- Marcos Paz, Argentina) and Thomas Meyer Falk (Germany). Thomas is not sharing in the method of the hunger strike. In Argentina, in the prisons and the police stations of progressivism there is torture, and the only function that all the prisons have is not to re-socialize but only to punish, isolate, subjugate and denigrate the human being. The only thing made by incarcerating a person and depriving a person of their freedom is the worst torture. We make present our solidarity and extend the struggle of our companions, for the freedom of all prisoners. Long live freedom, death to the prisons!!! Anarchists. http://cnabsas.blogspot.com http://www.libertyforum.org/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=news_crime&Number=296098755&t=0#Post296098755 Three police officers lynched in Bolivia Category: News & Opinion (General) Topic: Crime & Corruption Synopsis: Source: Reuters LA PAZ, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Three off-duty policemen were stoned, beaten and hanged to death in a central Bolivian town after residents said they tried to extort money from a man driving without license plates, local media said on Wednesday. Including the three policemen, 10 people have died so far this year in Bolivia in lynchings. Most of the victims were thieves caught in the act, as frustration over official corruption and the slow justice system boils over. Deputy Interior Minister Ruben Gamarra called the lynching a "cowardly assassination" and said there would be an investigation into the possible participation of local authorities in the town of Epizana, in the province of Cochabamba, 600 km (373 miles) southeast of La Paz. According to local media reports, enraged residents said the policemen had stopped a driver and were trying to get money out of him because he did not have license plates, which is common in Bolivia. A journalist with Bolivision television network, who saw the lynching, said the three policemen were beaten with sticks and stones. "The three officers asked for help and were begging for their lives," the reporter, Limbert Sanchez, said in a report on Bolivision. Sanchez said he and his cameramen were also beaten, and his camera was taken away after they filmed the lynching. Gamarra said the policemen were not on duty at the time and that authorities would investigate what they were doing in Epizana. President Evo Morales backs a proposed new constitution that would more reflect the traditions of the indigenous majority. It includes a controversial judicial reform allowing communities to mete out justice according to local customs, rather than through the courts. But Gamarra said community justice has nothing to do with lynchings. "It's to resolve minor disputes between neighbors. In no way does it mean physical punishment, much less an assassination," he said. "Nobody can take justice into their own hands. Community justice should be a culture of life, not a death culture," Gamarra said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmedabad/Sex_workers_protest_against_raids/articleshow/2830323.cms Sex workers protest against raids 2 Mar 2008, 0341 hrs IST,TNN AHMEDABAD: A group of sex workers, supported by an NGO, moved in a procession to the office of the police commissioner in Ahmedabad on Saturday to submit a representation against police brutality. The submitted an application seeking humane treatment from the women police cell, headed by ACP Usha Rada, that has carried out several raids and arrested sex workers from guest houses and beauty parlours. Rada had conducted seven raids in last two months and arrested several proprietors of beauty parlous and guest houses. According to police officials, more than 50 women were nabbed, questioned and later released after the raids. "They are earning their bread by working with beauty parlours or as call girls. They have every right to follow their choice of profession," said a member of Sakhi Jyot Sangathan, working closely with unorganized sex workers. tnn Gaurang Jani, advisor, Sakhi Jyot Sangathan told TOI that 30 members were detained when they went to the police commissionerate and later released. Four members were allowed to meet the commissioner. "We conveyed the problems of the sex workers to the commissioner and he was very considerate. He said that he will take necessary action," said Joshi. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/article3356477.ece Police halt Mia Farrow's genocide protest Monday, January 21, 2008 By Andrew Buncombe The Hollywood actress Mia Farrow has been prevented from holding a rally at a former Khmer Rouge prison where thousands of Cambodians were held and tortured before being dispatched to their deaths at nearby "killing fields". Cambodian police prevented the activist and fellow campaigners from lighting an Olympic-style torch outside Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh. There was some pushing and jostling before Ms Farrow and her group left the scene. "My heart - our hearts -are breaking for what happened in Cambodia today, especially for the survivors of genocide," she said. Ms Farrow is part of a group called Dream for Darfur that is calling for China to use its influence on the government of Sudan to end the atrocities and killing in Darfur. China, the next Olympic host, is one of Sudan's major trading partners. To raise awareness, the group is visiting seven countries that have witnessed genocide. During the latter part of the 1970s, up to 1.7 million people in Cambodia were killed either as a result of forced labour, starvation or execution after the extremist Khmer Rouge seized power and held power for four years. Both China, and later the US, supported the Maoist-inspired group. Tuol Sleng, built on the site of a school, is notorious as the place where thousands of people were brought and tortured by the regime. Today, preserved as a museum, black and white photographs of the people brought here are posted to the walls. Some of the rooms contain the bare steel beds to which victims were chained. Of the estimated 17,000 people taken to Tuol Sleng, there are only a dozen known survivors. The Cambodian government banned the Dream for Darfur ceremony several days ago, calling it a political stunt to smear China. Its spokesman, Khieu Kanharith, accused Ms Farrow's group of trying "to exploit the bones of the dead Cambodians [to further a political cause]". He added: " Why don't they just go to China to do that?" When Ms Farrow, 62, arrived at the site , dozens of police pushed back the group, who had linked arms. Ms Farrow, holding a bunch of white lotus flowers, a traditional offering for the dead in Cambodia, said: "Our goal today was to deliver these flowers in deepest respect." http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/06/stories/2008020652801900.htm U.K. Tamils protest outside Downing Street Hasan Suroor LONDON: Britain's pro-LTTE Tamil groups on Monday used the 60th anniversary of Sri Lanka's independence to launch a high-profile campaign to highlight the "sufferings" of Tamils in the island nation, with a protest outside Downing Street. The protest, organised by the Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO) was condemned by the Sri Lankan authorities here with a spokesman of the High Commission describing it as "LTTE propaganda". He expressed concern that although the LTTE was banned under Britain's terror laws its "front organisations" were operating freely. Organisers said the protest was intended to mobilise world opinion against "state terrorism in Sri Lanka". Protesters carried banners and raised slogans demanding "justice" for Tamils in Sri Lanka. "Let us all unite together to save our relations, to ask for our rights," a leaflet distributed at the rally said. Barely a few yards away, the British Tamil Forum organised a photo exhibition depicting what it described as the "history of the past 60 years of oppression, ethnic cleansing and discrimination" faced by Sri Lankan Tamils. "The aim is to educate the second generation Tamils who live in the U.K. and the general public about the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka. We also intend having this exhibition in other major cities here in the U.K. and in Canada, Australia, United States of America and South Africa during the year," said Suren Surendiran, a Front spokesman. He claimed that several public figures, including MPs, were expected to visit the exhibition. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan authorities claimed that two London-based LTTE activists were arrested in Canada on suspicion of stealing "thousands" of credit cards of British customers. "Toronto Police said two Londoners, Kirubakaran Selvanayagam Pillai (38) and Sethukavalar Saravanabhavan (35), connected with Tamil Tigers and arrested there may have stolen information of thousands of credit cards of U.K. customers," the Sri Lankan High Commission spokesman Walter Jayawardhana said. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/15/drugstrade.unitednations Peruvian politicians in coca protest Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent The Guardian, Saturday March 15 2008 This article appeared in the Guardian on Saturday March 15 2008 on p28 of the International section. It was last updated at 00:09 on March 15 2008. The drug war has been condemned, ridiculed and lamented, and now, in a more original critique, it has been masticated. Dozens of members of Peru's congress chewed the coca leaf in protest at a UN recommendation to criminalise traditional uses of the Andean plant. The politicians munched on the raw ingredient of cocaine during a boisterous session this week to defend the plant's medicinal and cultural value. "The coca leaf has existed for thousands of years," one congresswoman, Hilaria Supa, told Reuters. "It's part of our agriculture, our food and our medicine. It's sacred. The UN doesn't know our culture." This month the UN's International Narcotics Control Board urged Peru and Bolivia to ban coca chewing, which is especially popular among indigenous people in the highlands, as part of a crackdown on cocaine production. The US has argued that coca growers exploit the ancient habit of leaf chewing as legal cover for crops destined for the illegal laboratories of drug cartels. Critics say the drug war, funded largely by the US and Europe, has been costly and ineffective. http://voanews.com/english/2008-03-12-voa48.cfm Online Protest Denounces 'Internet Enemies' By Brian Wagner Miami 12 March 2008 Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders is organizing an online protest to denounce Internet censorship in 15 countries around the world. VOA's Brian Wagner reports the protest aims to raise attention to at least 62 people jailed as cyber-dissidents. Reporters Without Borders Web site promotion about the campaign Reporters Without Borders is holding the online protest to raise pressure on governments that it lists as Internet enemies, including China, Cuba and Eritrea. The Paris-based group said this year it added Ethiopia and Zimbabwe to the list of countries that tightly restrict Internet use and monitor Web traffic for dissident activity. The protest at the Web site of Reporters Without Borders (www.rsf.org) allows people around the world to take part in a virtual demonstration which the group says would not be possible in many of the targeted countries. Clothilde Le Coz, director of the group's Internet freedom desk, says users at the site can join with others around the world to send a message to the targeted governments. "Pick a slogan, for example 'Free all the cyber-dissidents' or 'Free our Internet' and you will be virtually demonstrating with other demonstrators," she said. The watchdog group says at least 62 people are in jail around the world because of online dissident activity, and more than 2,600 Web sites were shut down or blocked in the past year. Le Coz says Reporters Without Borders also publishes a guide to help bloggers and dissidents avoid Internet censorship and publish their information online. But she says security officials, especially in some Asian countries, are increasing their efforts to track banned activity. "The Chinese government for example knows how people are circumventing the censorship and is trying to find new ways to censor," said Le Coz. Despite the dangers, many journalists and informal online reporters continue to use the Internet to distribute information. Le Coz points to August protests in Burma, where dissidents and others were able to upload pictures and videos of a police crackdown for use by news organizations abroad. In Cuba, Internet access is restricted to Web sites on the island, while the use of computers that connect to other countries is limited to foreign tourists. The restrictions make it very difficult for reporters and dissidents to communicate with rights groups off the island, such as the Cuban Democratic Directorate in Miami. Janisset Rivero-Gutierrez, the group's national secretary, says says reporters and activists still use the Internet despite the dangers, including laws that impose 20-year prison terms on people who report on certain events in the country. http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1311912,00.html?f=rss Olympic Torch Finishes Chaotic Relay Updated:01:19, Monday April 07, 2008 The Olympic torch has completed a chaotic relay through London after the event was disrupted by organised bids to extinguish the flame and the arrest of 37 protesters. The O2 Arena in Olympic colours Demonstrators waving Tibetan flags and shouting "shame on China" congregated all along the 31-mile route as they staged protests at the Chinese government's record on human rights. Despite scuffles and a fire extinguisher attack, the Olympic flame remained lit and was passed to double Olympic middle-distance gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes for the final leg. She then concluded the relay by using the torch to light the cauldron at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, one of the venues for the 2012 Olympic Games. Hundreds of members of the public turned out to see the conclusion of the day-long relay. But alongside their cheers were protesters' chants of "free Tibet". Demonstrators struck as soon as the torch arrived at Wembley on a double-decker bus. Two others were detained after an incident in north-west London involving former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq. She was carrying the flame from Lancaster Road to Blenheim Crescent when protesters rushed forward and grappled with her. Elsewhere two activists were taken away by police after attempting to put out the torch with fire extinguishers. Martin Wyness and Ashley Darby were waiting to pounce on the corner of Holland Park Avenue and Ladbroke Grove in west London. Anger spills over In a statement, the pair claimed the relay was a propaganda campaign by China to cover its "appalling human rights record". Around 2,000 Metropolitan Police - including airborne, mounted and river units - were mobilised for the eight-hour event. A mobile protective ring remained around the torch, including a team of police cyclists in a convoy of security, VIP and media vehicles. Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell denied the relay amounted to an "endorsement" of the Chinese government's repressive policies in Tibet. Protesters surround Konnie Huq She also defended Gordon Brown's decision to welcome the torch in Downing Street, where it was handed to former Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis. "It is absolutely not an endorsement of any of the aspects of the Chinese government that in this country we find completely unacceptable," she told Sky News's Sunday Live programme. "This is an an endorsement of the Olympics, what the Olympics mean to athletics, to sport around the world, the principles that the Olympics stand for." Sports stars and celebrities were among the 80 people who were carrying the torch from Wembley Stadium to the O2 Arena. First away was Britain's greatest Olympian, five-times rowing champion Sir Stephen Redgrave, who passed the flame to 16-year-old Cheyenne Green at Wembley. The flame is on an 85,000-mile journey round the world to Beijing where this summer's Games are being held. http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1311970,00.html?f=rss Olympic Torch Snuffed Out In Paris Updated:12:15, Monday April 07, 2008 The Olympic torch has been extinguished by officials in Paris amid protests by anti-China demonstrators. A protester in Paris Reports from the French capital say the flame was snuffed out and the torch put on a bus. It was not immediately clear why the step was taken, but it is likely to have been prompted by protests taking place as the relay made its way through the streets. Thousands of police were sent out to try to make sure there was no repeat of chaotic scenes seen when the Olympic flame was carried through London. A very tight security cordon was kept around the torch as it made its way through the streets of Paris. Sky News Europe correspondent Greg Milam said the flame's loss was significant because the torch was supposed to be kept alight on its journey around the world. "It's supposed to symbolise peace between nations," he said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7334545.stm Protests cut short Olympic relay Hundreds of protesters were on the streets of Paris Paris protests French security officials have been forced to cut short the Paris leg of the Olympic torch relay following anti-Chinese protests along the route. The torch was extinguished three times due to the protests before being taken on a bus to the relay's end point. It comes after 37 people were arrested in London as protesters disrupted the torch relay there on Sunday. The Olympic flame is being carried through 20 countries before arriving for the Beijing Games in August. The Paris relay started to go wrong almost from the start, despite the presence of 3,000 police along the route, riding motorcycles, jogging or on skates. A member of the French Green party was restrained by police after attempting to grab the torch from the first of Paris's 80 torch bearers, former world 400 metres hurdles champion Stephane Diagana, Reuters news agency said. "Nothing's happening as it was meant to," Mr Diagana told French TV. "It's a shame. It's sad because of what this symbol represents but it can be explained by the context we're aware of." See the Paris route Police were forced three times to put out the torch and carried it onto a bus, as police cleared protesters from the route. On the second occasion, the flame was being relayed out of a Paris traffic tunnel by an athlete in a wheelchair when it was taken onto a bus because protesters booed and began chanting "Tibet", the Associated Press news agency reported. The flame itself has been kept alight the whole time in a safety lantern. The International Olympic Committee has expressed its serious concern and calls for a rapid peaceful resolution in Tibet Jacques Rogge, IOC President How is the flame kept alight? Long history of Olympics protests Send us your comments Later, Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe cancelled a ceremony to welcome the torch relay after Green party activists hung a Tibetan flag and a black banner depicting the Olympic rings as handcuffs from the Hotel de Ville (city hall). Activists have hung Tibetan flags or the black banners from several other Paris landmarks including the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame cathedral. Several hundred protesters have been involved in the demonstrations, near the Eiffel Tower and along the torch's zig-zag route through Paris to a stadium in the south of the city. Finally, after several delays, security officials decided to put the torch on a bus to take it to Stade Charlety, where it arrived 30 minutes late at 1530 GMT). Olympic appeal The Paris relay was meant to be a colourful advertisement for the Beijing Games, instead it has turned into a grotesque embarrassment, says the BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris. Speaking in Beijing earlier on Monday, IOC President Jacques Rogge said he was concerned over both the recent unrest in Paris and the torch protests. "The International Olympic Committee has expressed its serious concern and calls for a rapid peaceful resolution in Tibet," Mr Rogge said. China has expressed disgust at the torch protests in London In pictures: Paris protests He condemned the attempts to disrupt the torch relay, saying violent protests, "for whatever reason," are "not compatible with the values of the torch relay or the Olympic Games". China said the protests during London's Sunday torch relay were the work of "a few Tibetan separatists" attempting "to sabotage" the event, AP reported. London's relay saw protesters trying to douse and even snatch the Olympic flame as athletes and celebrities carried it through the city. The demonstrations have been sparked by China's security crackdown in Tibet following a series of protests against Chinese rule which swept the region last month. Tibetan exile groups say Chinese security forces killed dozens of protesters. Beijing says about 19 people were killed in rioting. The torch was lit in Olympia, Greece, on 24 March and will go through 20 countries before being carried into the opening ceremony at the Beijing Games on 8 August. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080222/jsp/frontpage/story_8933828.jsp JHARKHAND Rebel strike affects rural areas OUR BUREAU Ranchi/Jamshedpur, Feb. 21: The Maoist bandh in Jharkhand was peaceful but the strike hit business and other activities in rural areas, driving home the point that the rebels hold sway there. Police spokesperson DIG R.K. Mallick confirmed that no untoward incident was reported. Traffic and other activities were on as usual in urban areas. Traffic on the national highways was light, though. Naxalites called the one-day bandh after seven of their comrades fell to police bullets in Ghatshila. The rebels had warned people against defying the bandh. Areas affected by the bandh included the Dhanbad division of East Central Railway, which suffered a loss of more than Rs 4 crore as no loading of coal happened at 12 places - all Naxalite strongholds. "We did not take the risk of operating coal-laden goods trains in Naxalite bastions. Goods trains are always a soft target for the rebels," said a senior railway official posted at Dhanbad . Officials of South Eastern Railway (Chakradharpur division) said no trains were detained or cancelled. Some trains were diverted, though. Public transportation on roads came to a standstill. In Ranchi, the long-distance bus terminus wore a deserted look. In Jamshedpur, cancellation of the bus service caused inconvenience to some students set to write their matriculation and intermediate examinations tomorrow. Those pupils whose examinations centres are far from home - not reachable by travel the next morning - had to bank on auto-rickshaws to reach their destinations. Taking advantage of the situation, three-wheeler drivers charged high rates. From Mango to Chandil and Chowka cost a student Rs 100 while those wishing to reach the capital were asked to pay between Rs 200 and 250. "I have to reach the examination hall by 9.30am tomorrow. I had no other alternative but to travel to Chowka today," said Shyamlal Mahto, an examinee who had to travel by an auto-rickshaw. State bus owners' association claimed that the day's loss for the members was over Rs 2 crore. "If you include the business that the petrol pumps across the state lost, then the amount would increase by another two crore," said a senior member of the association, Krishna Mohan Singh. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080307/jsp/jharkhand/story_8990672.jsp JHARKHAND Red bandh peaceful OUR CORRESPONDENT Giridih, March 6: The 24-hour bandh called by the Naxalites to protest the killing of two "innocent" farmers passed off peacefully today with police staying on their toes. Rebels had called the Giridih bandh to protest against the police gunning down two suspected Maoists on February 8 on Parasnath hills. The Naxalites claimed that the two victims - Rati Murmu and 60-year- old Mane Marandi - were farmers. During the bandh, the rebels pasted posters in several areas, including Giridih-Dumri road, Chainpur, Harladih, Bander-Kuppi and Parasnath railway station. The railway station was the first place the rebels pasted their posters, said sources. Hundreds of Maoists took out a torchlight march at Chainpur, they added. At Bander-Kuppi, the Naxalites hoisted the organisation's flag. Yesterday, the Maoists had put up posters at Topchanchi (in Bokaro) asking people to bring the Giridih superintendent of police and his deputy to a jan adalat to punish them for killing the two farmers. Traffic on the four main roads at Giridih was minimal throughout the day and no long-route buses and passenger vehicles plied today. Understanding, the sensitivity of the situation, the deputy inspector-general of police (Hazaribagh range), Ajay Kumar Singh, camped at Dumri to ensure that the strike was peaceful. Giridih police force, led by superintendent of police M.L. Meena, additional superintendent of police Kuldeep Divedi and deputy superintendent of police A. Kishpotta, were on high alert. http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=9&theme=&usrsess=1&id=192264 ORISSA Petition against `harassment' Statesman News Service BHUBANESWAR, Feb 24: Expressing grave concern over the post-Nayagarh operations, civil rights activists have decided to submit a petition to the National Human Rights Commission to examine the reports of alleged harassment of innocent villagers and whether all prescribed legal procedures were bei-ng followed. Addressing a Press conference here today a fact finding team comprising activists of People's Union for Democratic Rights ( PUDR), People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), An-dhra Pradesh Civil Lib-erties Committee (AP-CLC), Centre for Protection of Civil Liberties (CPCL) and All India Students Federation (AISF) also urged upon the government to enter into a dialogue with the Maoists and other Naxal organisations. They emphasised that the current law and order approach, which is guiding the government response should be replaced by a comprehensive socio-economic-political and legal response. They said that Gosama village where combing operations had led to recovery of arms and ammunition remained tense and the tribals were scared a lot, . Mr Manoranjan Mohanty, Prasanta Jena and others claimed that they had met innocent people who alleged that they were picked up by the security personnel and interrogated. "We even met people who have been beaten up to coerce them to giving information, charged the human rights activists. "Everybody keeps referring to `several casualities' on the Maoists' side but no specific figures are being given. None of the villagers told us that they had seen bodies being carried away by fleeing Maoists and yet the government claims it had received such reports from villagers. The entire question of dead bodies remains `open' both for the government and us because once someone is killed in an encounter several prescribed legal procedures of preserving and handing it over to relatives should be followed,"Mr Mohanty said. Replying to a question Mr Mohanty said the fact-finding team had not received any complaint of missing or dead villagers. He also said the team had had a discussion with the Home Secretary Mr T K Mishra, the DGP Mr Gopal Nanda and other officials. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080312/jsp/jharkhand/story_9008984.jsp JHARKHAND Cops lose rifles in rebel sting OUR CORRESPONDENT Jamshedpur, March 11: Maoists today used chilly powder to attack Jharkhand Armed Police jawans at Chowka and steal three rifles from them. Two of the rifles taken away from the Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) jawans were Insas while the third was a self-loading rifle. The incident occurred this afternoon under Chandil police station jurisdiction in Seraikela-Kharsawan district, triggering a sensation in the area. The rebels then reportedly fled into the forests in Dinai hills near Urmal, about 5km from Chowka police station. Police and paramilitary forces have circled Dinai hills. When this report was being filed, heavy exchange of fire between the police and rebels was reported. The superintendent of police (Seraikela-Kharsawan), Laxman Prasad Singh, confirmed that rebels had stolen three sophisticated rifles. The attack occurred around 3pm, sources said, when the three JAP jawans were sitting on a bench under a tree in front of a dhaba at Chowka More. The trio were on patrolling duty. They were watching vehicles travelling from Chandil to Chowka. The stretch had lately become a hotbed of Naxalite activities. Police said a group of "seven to eight youths" suddenly pounced on the jawans. "While two rebels sprinkled chilly powder on the jawans' eyes, four overpowered the paramilitary personnel and snatched their rifles. One or two Maoists fired in the air to create panic and keep passers- by away," said an officer. A larger group of rebels, "about 30", were standing some distance away. The gangs consolidated and the group disappeared into the jungles. The superintendent of police said: "The Naxalites were headed towards Tamar and took refuge in Dinai hills after the attack." The residents of Chowka wanted to mobilise forces against the rebels but were dissuaded from doing so because the rebels had opened fire in the air, Singh said. The senior police officer said he has asked for more police and paramilitary forces to be deployed at Dinai hills. The jawans who lost the Insas were identified as Chamru Oraon and Dutaraj Kunkal, and the one who lost the self-loading rifle has been identified as Chamru Tigga. http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/22/stories/2008032257440300.htm ANDHRA PRADESH Maoists call for AOB bandh VISAKHAPATNAM: The Communist Party of India (Maoist) has given a call to observe an AOB (Andhra Orissa Border) bandh on March 24. In a statement AOB Special Zone Committee secretary Bhaskar, said that the bandh was being observed to protest against the murder of Maoist leaders in 'fake encounters'. -Staff Reporter http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/01/stories/2008040152340300.htm ANDHRA PRDESH Maoist bandh peaceful Staff Reporter KHAMMAM: The Maoist sponsored bandh against the Darelli encounter killings was peaceful in Khammam well as in South Bastar. According to reports reaching here, the bandh was partial in all the mandals of Bhadrachalam and Palvancha divisions. The bandh was total in Charla and its adjoining areas. So was the case with Pamedu area in Bijapur district of Chhatisgarh. No autos could ply in Charla - Pamedu forest route in the day. The RTC also suspended some of its night services to the remote areas in the district. The power supply to many villages in Bijapur and Narayanpur districts of Chhattisgarh was affected as some of the transmission towers were blown up by the Maoist squads. The chilli trade was suspended by the traders for some time. It was attributed to anonymous caller who wanted the bandh to be a success. http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=23&theme=&usrsess=1&id=192762 WEST BENGAL Maoists protest against Somen's arrest Statesman News Service PURULIA/KRISHNAGAR, Feb. 26: The first day of the Maoist sponsored four-day bandh in Purulia passed off peacefully without any untoward incident being reported. The bandh has been called in protest against the arrest of the CPI (Maoist) state secretary, Himadri Sen Roy alias Somen. Meanwhile, the Maoists have given a bandh call in Nadia and Murshidabad on 28 February, protesting against Somen's arrest. Maoists leaflets, informing about the bandh in the two districts read: "Under the leadership of Rajiv Kumar, a police officer and an eminent follower of the CPI-M party, Tathagata, Pallab, Koushik, Arijit and Joy have formed a special anti-naxalite force to demolish our party. They are spending a lot of money to know our whereabouts and then are attacking our party members. We strongly oppose these activities of the administration." Few posters were also found in Purulia town on the bandh day today. The leaflets found in Nadia also read: "The CPI-M government does not have the courage to ban our party in this state. They have arrested our leader and have harassed him both physically and mentally. We strongly protest against these tarnished activities of the police and CPI-M government." ---------------------------------------------------------------- March 31 NEW JERSEY/TEXAS: Ex-con rapper walks from Trenton to Texas to protest capital punishment How far would you go to protest against the death penalty? For Andre Latallade, he'll walk 1,700 miles to advocate abolishing capital punishment. Latallade, a Newark native who raps under the stage name Capital-"X," will start his "Walk 4 Life" journey about 5:30 this morning at the statehouse. Over 54 days, Latallade will head south toward the nation's capital then cut westward until he ends up at the governor's mansion in Austin, Texas the highest executing state in America. "Being an ex-prisoner and being an ex-prisoner that changed," Latallade said last week, "I just believe that prisoners can change. I think that we are incredible beings, and I think we should focus more on trying to preserve life instead of taking it away." Latallade served 2 stints in the slammer, the 1st time on drug charges and the 2nd for resisting arrest. He said being in prison "is no joke" and that life imprisonment without parole is a sufficient replacement for the death penalty. "Just being taken away from your existence, from your family, it's just really tough," Latallade said. "When you walk by and you see the prisoners playing checkers it looks like, 'Oh, that's nothing. They're coddling the prisoners.' But it's an inner torment that these guys ain't gonna show you out in the open." As Capital-"X," Latallade kicks rhymes advocating changes to the American criminal justice system. He'll be joined by an entourage that includes a diverse group of people. "I have families of murder victims walking with me also," he said. Latallade has researched capital punishment extensively over the years, even visiting several of the 27 European Union nations the EU bloc has long prohibited capital punishment. "I made numerous trips to Italy, Germany, Austria," he said. "I went into the prisons there. They value life so much over there, and their communities are so much closer." Latallade said it's unacceptable for the United States to have capital punishment on the books when most advanced democracies have already abolished it. "All of these other countries have abolished the death penalty, and they do just fine," Latallade said. Latallade will travel through roadways in 10 states during his 54-day walking journey. There could be some delays, he admitted, but he said he hopes to make it to Austin, Texas, before the U.S. Supreme Court makes its ruling on the constitutionality of lethal injection. "I just want to kind of do my part to stop the killing," the prison rights activist said. "I want to let people know that these are human beings in there." Go to www.myspace.com/capitalxaka305375 for updates on Latallade's anti-death-penalty walking tour and to listen to his music. (source: The Trentonian) From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 17:36:53 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:36:53 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Anti-discrimination protests - religion, gender, sexuality Message-ID: <031f01c89e90$cebb74d0$0802a8c0@andy1> * NEPAL: Muslims stage general strike to protest mosque bombing * INDONESIA, PAKISTAN: Muslims protest Islamophobic Dutch film * UK: Jewish students boycott exam over Shakespeare racism * PAKISTAN: Protest against church demolition * QATAR: Protest at UK embassy over refusal of visa to Qaradawi * GERMANY: Jews, Catholics oppose conversion comments * ITALY: Women protest for abortion law * SOUTH AFRICA: Women protest over attack on woman in miniskirt * INDIA: Protest against sexual harassment at college * PAKISTAN: Women's action group hold protest * TAIWAN: Students protest alleged coercion in obtaining naked modelling agreements * CHIAPAS: First Zapatista women's encuentro is voice of resistance * AUSTRALIA: Hundreds protest Sydney gay-bashings * US: Protest in Washington over homophobic remarks by Oklahoma senator Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/31/asia/AS-GEN-Nepal-Mosque-Bombed.php Nepal Muslims call general strike to protest mosque bombing The Associated Press Published: March 31, 2008 KATMANDU, Nepal: A general strike called by Muslim groups to protest the weekend bombing of a mosque shut down parts of eastern Nepal on Monday, officials said. Two people were killed and two more were seriously injured in the attack on the mosque in Biratnagar during evening prayers on Saturday. The chief government administrator in the area, Madhav Regmi, said schools, markets and transportation were shut down in Biratnagar, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Katmandu, and surrounding areas. The bombing was the first targeting a mosque in predominantly Hindu Nepal, where Muslims are a minority. No serious conflicts have occurred in the past between followers of the two religions. Regmi said he met Monday with Muslim leaders who were concerned about the security situation and demanded that the government compensate the victims' families. Police were still searching for the attackers and have not arrested any suspects, Regmi said. A group calling itself the Nepal Defense Army claimed responsibility for the attack. It sent a statement to the independent Kantipur Television network saying it "would continue such attacks until Nepal is reinstated as a Hindu nation." Nepal was declared a secular state in 2006. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/31/asia/AS-GEN-Indonesia-Quran-Film.php Indonesian Muslims protest film by Dutch lawmaker The Associated Press Published: March 31, 2008 JAKARTA, Indonesia: Hard-line Muslims called Monday for the death of a Dutch legislator for producing a film critical of their faith. Scores of police stood guard as 40 demonstrators from the Islamic Defenders Front - a small group that has occasionally staged violent protests against Western targets - rallied outside the Dutch embassy in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. "Kill Geert Wilders," the filmmaker, read one banner held by protesters, who threw a few empty plastic bottles and a couple of eggs at the compound before dispersing. A spokesman for the Islamic Defenders Front said he had yet to see the film, but nevertheless called on the government to sever all diplomatic links with the Netherlands over it. "It is a great insult to all Muslims," Soleh Mahmud said. "The Dutch government must arrest him. Wilders must be killed because he has declared war on Muslims." Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation, but hardline interpretations of the faith generally do not attract much support. The government condemned the film soon after its release last week. Wilders' 17-minute film intersperse scenes of recent terror attacks with versus from the Quran, Islam's holy book, and speeches from Islamic extremists. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged protesters not be violent. "I urge all the Indonesian people not to do anything untoward, like vandalism," he told reporters. "We have to show that Islam ... does not agree with violence." Yudhoyono, who relies on Islamic parties for support in parliament, also urged Internet service providers to block Web sites showing the film, though it is unclear how effective that will be even if they agreed to do so. Experts say a recent law banning pornographic Web sites in Indonesia will be very difficult to implement because of problems blocking sites from abroad. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jCBFcFjbyexWnWCJWd0SDqKFkFfgD8VMD4B81 Pakistanis Protest Dutch Film Mar 28, 2008 KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) - Dozens of Islamists in Pakistan have staged a protest over an anti-Quran film made by a Dutch lawmaker. The film sets verses of the Muslim holy book against a background of violent images from terror attacks. Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilder made the film and released it on the Internet late Thursday. Some Dutch TV channels aired excerpts. Pakistan's largest Muslim party, Jamaat-e-Islami, organized Friday's protest outside a mosque in Karachi. Some protesters demanded Pakistan cut diplomatic relations with the Netherlands over the film. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/jewish-pupils-boycott-exam-in-shylock-protest-790021.html Jewish pupils boycott exam in Shylock protest By Richard Garner, Education Editor Saturday, 1 March 2008 Teenagers at a Jewish comprehensive school have refused to sit a Shakespeare test because they believe the Bard is anti-Semitic. Nine students at the single-sex Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls' School in Hackney, east London, took their stance as part of a protest against the portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. As a result, they were stripped of their marks for the English national curriculum test for 14-year-olds - and their school plummeted from top of the league tables to 274th. The girls, supported by their parents, refused to answer any questions on Shakespeare or even write their names on the top of the paper, even though the play they were studying was The Tempest - not The Merchant of Venice. Rabbi Abraham Pinter, the school's principal, said: "They refused to sit the Shakespeare test because it was their perception that he was anti-Semitic. "Many Jewish people would not listen to Wagner on the same grounds. I do not see an exact comparison and I don't share their view, but their decision is something I respect. I think Shakespeare was reflecting the ethos of the time in his portrayal of Shylock. If he was alive today, he would probably be going on anti-war marches." Rabbi Pinter said there had been similar actions in the past but because previous protesters had signed their names on the paper, their marks for other sections of the exam had not been forfeited. The Shakespeare test accounts for 18 per cent of the marks so, if a pupil scored highly in the other sections of the paper, they would still acheive the level five award, the standard expected of a 14-year-old in English. Shakespeare is the only writer to be a compulsory part of the English secondary school curriculum. However, Rabbi Pinter said: "I think it was a bit harsh to remove all their marks. Next year I will be recommending they put their name on the paper." He said the school was not worried by its league table position, stating: "274th out of more than 3,000 is still good." He added that it was important for young people to be able to express their sincerely held views. The portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice has always been seen as controversial - with many viewing it as anti-Semitic. Some, however, consider the play to be Shakespeare's plea for tolerance. Some critics say the character of Shylock, the moneylender who demands a pound of flesh from a defaulting debtor, has helped fuel anti-Jewish feeling for centuries. Others say the character can be portrayed sympathetically, citing his "If you prick us, do we not bleed?" speech. Simon Gibbons, of the National Association for the Teaching of English, said: "I do not believe The Merchant of Venice is anti-Semitic. But it is noble of the school to take the view that the individual pupils' views are more important than their league table position." A spokesman for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, the Government's exams watchdog, said that the rules stated quite clearly that any pupil who failed to write his or her name for any section of the tests would score nothing overall. Rabbi Pinter said he felt he might have more difficulty with protests if The Merchant of Venice had been the chosen text. It is not on the published list of works to be studied over the next few years. Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls' School, an Orthodox Jewish school with 249 pupils, was a private school until two years ago, when it took advantage of new government legislation allowing independent schools to opt in to the state sector. It was launched as a state school with a high-profile visit from Tony Blair, then prime minister. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C01%5C22%5Cstory_22-1-2008_pg7_32 HLCP to protest against church demolition Staff Report LAHORE: The Human Liberation Commission of Pakistan (HLCP) announced on Monday to hold a protest procession on January 25 against the alleged demolition of the Church of Christ building, Garden Town, desecration of the Bible and the cross and unlawful occupation of the land. Several non-governmental organisations' representatives, Christian former MPAs and MNAs and union council representatives participated in the meeting. HLCP president Peter Gill said the organisation would announce a nationwide protest against the land grabbing in the January 25 protest, if the government did not take action against the culprits within 8 days. Participants in the meeting said that protests would continue till the property was not returned to the Christians. They said a nationwide protest movement would be launched if the government failed in evicting the illegal occupants. "The Christian community will not hesitate to sacrifice lives for its rights until the culprits are taken to court," they said. The participants said the church had been constructed in 1963 and since then had been used as a worship place. They alleged that a few months ago, Sheikh Hafeezullah, Haji Iqbal, Aqeel Ahmad, Arshad Manzoor and Mian Aslam Iqbal demolished the church building, desecrated the Holy Bible and the cross and illegally occupied the land. They alleged that with the efforts of a committee, led by district council member Waqar Gill, the land was regained and was handed over to Mushtaq Shajeel Bhatti. They alleged that about two months ago, the church was again closed down and on enquiry Bhatti told them that the church service had been cancelled because a church secretariat and flats were being constructed. They alleged that Mushtaq had sold the church for Rs 70 million and had already received Rs 30 million in advance. The participants alleged that consequently Bhatti had been dismissed from the church's organisation and a case was lodged against him and his accomplices Munir Masih Khokar, Wasim Javed and Rashid Joyea. They appealed that a case under Section 295 A, B should be registered against those who illegally seized the church's property and also desecrated the Bible and the cross. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=89164 Protest targets UK's embassy in Qatar after London denies visa to cleric By Agence France Presse (AFP) Thursday, February 21, 2008 Supporters of a Qatar-based Muslim scholar, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, staged a sit-in outside the British Embassy in Doha on Wednesday to protest London's denial of a visa to the controversial cleric. "Mr Brown: Why are you rejecting tolerance and dialogue?" read one of the banners raised by the protesters. http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/107369.html German Jews, Catholics protest 'conversion' prayer Published: 03/05/2008 German Catholics and Jews are pushing the pope to withdraw his modified Good Friday Mass, which urges the conversion of Jews. The General Rabbinical Council of Germany issued a statement Wednesday saying that the German-born Pope Benedict XVI's decision has damaged Jewish-Catholic relations in Germany. The council expressed hope for "a satisfactory solution in the near future," though observers admit the chances of influencing the pope are slim. The statement followed an official protest on Feb. 29 of the Jewish-Christian Circle of the Central Committee of German Catholics, an independent group that includes rabbinical council president Rabbi Henry Brandt. Separately, two prominent German Jews announced last week they would not attend Germany's annual Catholic convention in May. Rabbi Walter Homolka, the rector of the Abraham Geiger Reform rabbinical college in Potsdam, and Micha Brumlik, a professor at the University of Frankfurt, said they wanted to draw attention to the issue. Other rabbis -- including Jonathan Magonet, the president of the Leo Baeck College in London -- reportedly were asked to replace them as speakers at the convention but refused. "It is very rare for a pope, for an infallible person, to renounce a decision because he had a bad day," Homolka said in a telephone interview. The protest has garnered attention in Rome. Homolka said Cardinal Waltar Kaspar, who heads the Vatican commission for religious relations with Jews, will address the issue publicly on Thursday, and again when Israeli rabbis visit Rome next week. Chances of effecting change are slim, said Brandt, who will attend the Catholic convention. "One has to be a realist, but we have to work in that direction anyway." http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10492649 Italian women protest in defence of abortion law (+video) 11:29AM Friday February 15, 2008 Photo / Reuters Watch Video: Italian abortion protest Groups of women staged protests to defend current legislation on abortion in towns and cities across Italy. The confiscation of an aborted foetus by Italian police has rekindled a highly charged debate over abortion in Catholic Italy before April's snap elections. So has a centre-right candidate's call for a worldwide moratorium on abortion - a position supported by former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. Abortion on demand is legal until the end of the third month of pregnancy. Aside from a 1981 referendum that upheld the status quo, until now there's been little sign in Italy of a public appetite for more restrictive abortion laws. - Reuters http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7276654.stm SA protest over miniskirt attack Some of the protesters wore short skirts Hundreds of South African women have marched to a Johannesburg taxi rank, where a woman was sexually assaulted for wearing a miniskirt. Nwabisa Ngcukana, 25, returned to where she was allegedly attacked by a group of taxi-drivers and street hawkers, who said she was indecently dressed. "I came here to show the guys that I'm not scared of them - to face my demons," she told the BBC. The taxi drivers shouted insults at the women, some of whom wore miniskirts. Some shouted that South African women were being given too many rights. The leaders of the Noord Street taxi rank had to urge the drivers to show restraint. Traditional Police on horseback were on hand to keep the rival groups apart. There were angry scenes on Friday at a similar march, when both women and taxi-drivers removed their clothes. Nwabisa Ngcukana's skirt was torn during the attack. Pic: The Sowetan The case has caused a huge row over women's rights and public decency. Passers-by reportedly laughed and cheered when Ms Ngcukana was assaulted last month. "What we want to highlight is that women have rights - they have the right to choose what to wear," said Nonhlanhla Mokeona from the People Opposing Women Abuse (Powa) organisation. She urged men to take part in the protest, to show they supported women's rights. During Friday's march, some of the women exposed their thighs and breasts - a traditional form of protest in Africa amongst those who consider themselves powerless. A group of taxi-drivers called the protesters "prostitutes" and then some also pulled down their trousers to show their buttocks. The authorities have appealed to the taxi-drivers' association to help find those who allegedly assaulted Ms Ngcukana and other women in recent weeks. While some South Africans have said it is against local culture for women to wear miniskirts, the National House of Traditional Leaders last week said that women often wore short skirts in traditional ceremonies. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article3485961.ece March 5, 2008 Marchers protest in miniskirts after woman 'punished' because of dress Jonathan Clayton in Johannesburg Hundreds of South African women took to the streets yesterday calling for an end to sexual harassment after a young woman was assaulted by taxi drivers for wearing a miniskirt. The demonstrators marched to the Johannesburg taxi rank where the attack took place, demanding action from the Government and for taxi associations to punish those responsible for such acts. Minibus taxis are notorious for packing in as many passengers as possible and for their poor safety record. Women passengers are often exposed to taunts, jeers and drunken sexual advances. In the latest incident Nwabisa Ngcukana, 25, who was travelling from her Soweto home to work, at a bar in the suburb of Sandton, was set upon by taxi operators. They stripped her and sexually assaulted her as "punishment" for being what they said was indecently dressed. "I hated the taxis and comments and leers, but nothing too bad ever happened until this," she said. "I was getting off a taxi to change to another one when they started whistling, yelling and shouting . . . they started pulling at the dress and then it all began . . . There were dozens of them. I fought all the time but it quickly moved to another level." Ms Ngcukana was paraded naked around the rank and while onlookers jeered, beer was poured over her. The incident has highlighted violence against women in South Africa, which has one of the highest incidents of rape in the world. Redi Direko, a radio talk show host, led yesterday's march. Dressed in a miniskirt, orange strap-top and high-heel sandals, she said: "While I was growing up, this sort of thing was commonplace. It is time to end all this. Drivers need to be taught how to behave. There is no dress code for women who frequent the taxi rank and we say to the drivers, 'Mind your job'." Nearly 23,000 women were raped in the six months to the end of September, according to official statistics. Women's rights groups say that only one in nine attacks is reported. Ms Ngcukana said: "I was traumatised but determined not to let it go." Women activists blame senior African National Congress leaders for not helping to change the way women are treated. They point to the rape trial of Jacob Zuma, president of the ANC, who was acquitted in May 2006, but said in court that he knew from the way a woman sat if she wanted sex. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Delhi/Protest_in_Stephens_over_harassment/articleshow/2729648.cms Protest in Stephen's over harassment 25 Jan 2008, 0343 hrs IST,Neha Pushkarna,TNN NEW DELHI: The corridors of St Stephen's had been swept with hushed tones ever since the college started churning out controversies. However, those whispers found a pitch on Thursday when the members of Coalition for a Safe Campus staged a protest right inside the college in support of the ongoing inquiry in the sexual harassment case involving a teacher from the Sanskrit department. The coalition, which is an umbrella organization of many smaller socially active groups like Progressive Student's Union, Stree Adhikar Sangathan and Campaign for Girl's Hostel on the campus, protested against the petition filed by the teacher of Sanskrit department facing inquiry for allegedly molesting a student from US. The teacher had moved the HC alleging that the College Complaints Committee was biased against him. "This was the first-of-its kind protest on the premises of St Stephen's. According to ordinance XV D of the university, the functioning of a complaint's committee can be challenged either when it is formed or after it has completed the inquiry and submitted its report. He was probably trying to find an escape by filing a petition during the course of the inquiry," said a member of the coalition, who is also a student of the college. The protest also aimed at preserving the internal structure of St Stephen's College where the management and the teachers have been rubbing against each other, said a protester. Incidentally, the teacher facing the inquiry is still taking classes and the coalition may demand that he step down till the inquiry report comes out. It also plans to sit in protest next week. "We will issue a memorandum and distribute pamphlets to make people aware of ordinance XV D. We want that inquiry in the case is concluded. We will meet the vice-chancellor and the OSD to ensure the protection of the members of the College Complaints Committee, which is the first elected committee in St Stephen's," said Amrapali, one of the organizers of the coalition and lecturer, department of English, Kirori Mal College. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C12%5Cstory_12-2-2008_pg7_34 WAF to mark Women's Day of Protest today Staff Report LAHORE: The Women's Action Forum (WAF) is observing today (Tuesday) as 'Pakistan Women's Day of Protest' according to a press release issued by the WAF on Monday. According to the press release, Tuesday (today) it would be 25 years since 1983 that the women of Pakistan first came out into the streets of Lahore to challenge General Ziaul Haq's military regime. Since then, every year the WAF has commemorated February 12 to celebrate women's resistance against oppression in order to uphold the democratic rights of the people of Pakistan. It was said that the WAF also supports the judges who refused to sign the Provisional Constitution Order 2007 agreement. It celebrates the lawyer's movement and honours all those who have joined them in the fight for democracy. It expressed its outrage at the bomb blast in Charsadda where the Awami National Party (ANP) meeting was held. It grieved with the families of those who lost their lives to this inhumane and barbaric act while protesting against the government's inability to ensure the safety of its citizens in the home, the street, and at public meetings. According to the press release, the WAF also rejected Scotland Yard's findings regarding the cause of Benazir Bhutto's death as the report was based on insufficient and incomplete data, and reiterated the demand for an independent United Nations Enquiry Commission investigation into the cause of her death. It was also demanded that conditions should be created for a fair and free election and the arrest of Pakistan People's Party workers in different cities especially in the cities of Sindh and Southern Punjab was condemned. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2008/03/10/2003404837 Nursing students protest school policy By Wang Yu-chun STAFF REPORTER Monday, Mar 10, 2008, Page 1 Nursing students have protested the policy of obtaining "body exposure agreements" from students, which allow teachers to ask them to strip for classroom demonstrations in all-female classes. Students at the Chang Gung Institute of Technology's Chiayi branch said they were pressured to sign permission forms stating that they were willing to act as models for demonstrations of medical examinations. The demonstrations require the students to expose their upper torso. The school responded to the complaints by saying the policy was not intended to demean students and the school would consider scrapping the practice. Students said that they feared their grades would be affected if they did not sign the form. Some also felt that bonus points awarded to students who signed the form were inappropriate. One student, "Lulu," said students were told that anyone who did not sign the form would need to discuss the matter with their teacher. This made students fearful of repercussions, she said. Other students said they supported the policy. Nurses need to be familiar with anatomy, some said, and teachers allowed students to cover their breasts with tape. The school said the form was meant to explain to students that their class would involve exposing certain parts of their bodies. The demonstrations were done in closed classrooms to ensure privacy, with no cellphones allowed, it said. Legal experts and the Ministry of Education said the school was in the wrong if it was compelling students to sign the forms. Ministry officials recommended that the school discontinue the policy. http://www.wombles.org.uk/article2008011502.php The First Zapatista Women's Encuentro: A Collective Voice of Resistance North America | Gender | Zapatistas from uppingtheanti, 26 January 2008: Written by Cory Fisher-Hoffman, Tessa Landreau-Grasmuck, Kaya Weidman, and Mandy Skinner collectively, Thursday, 24 January 2008, Upside Down World. Just after midnight on January 1st, was the 14th anniversary of the Zapatista uprising, and the caracol of La Garrucha was alive with celebration. From the top of a refurbished school bus we watched a mass of bodies dance to norte?os below a vast sky littered with stars, and the occasional covering of fog that characterizes the mountains of the Mexican southeast. This night marked the end of the third Encuentro [Gathering] of the Zapatistas with the People of the World, and the first Encuentro of Zapatista Women and the Women of the world. Why a women's encounter? "Because it was time," repeated the voices of the masked women speaking before a seated audience of women from Zapatista support bases across Chiapas, as well as from social movements in Mexico and the world. >From December 28th 2007 to January 1st, women of the world were invited into the mountains and jungles of Chiapas which are home to the Zapatistas. This revolutionary indigenous movement erupted onto the international stage in an armed uprising on January 1st, 1994, with members calling out "!ya basta!" [enough already!] As the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), implemented on that same New Years Day, continued to decimate impoverished, indigenous campesino communities in Mexico, the Zapatistas began to build autonomous structures in resistance to over 500 years of exploitation, marginalization, and genocide. However, as we heard emphasized throughout the recent encuentro, "the struggle began before and continued after" that much referenced New Years Day. And, it is important to remember that the previous year, in 1993, clandestine Zapatista communities and their army, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) experienced an internal uprising of Zapatista women who implemented the Women's Revolutionary Law: The Women's Revolutionary Law: Women, regardless of their race, creed, skin color or political affiliation, have the right to participate in the revolutionary struggle, in the place and to the degree their willingness and ability permit. Women have the right to work and receive a just pay for their labor. Women have the right to decide the number of children they will bear and care for. Women have the right to participate in community affairs and hold political office if they are elected freely and democratically. Women and their children have the right to PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE in health and food issues. Women have the right to education. Women have the right to choose their spouses and not to be forced into marriage. No woman may be hit or be physically abused, neither by relatives nor strangers. Rape assaults and actual rapes will be severely punished. Women may hold leadership positions in the organization and hold military rankings in the Revolutionary Armed Forces. Women have all the rights and obligations set by the revolutionary laws and obligations. In La Garrucha, one of 5 autonomous political-cultural centers known as caracoles (snails) in Zapatista territory, we joined over 3,000 people to listen, observe, celebrate, and build stronger resistances with these rebellious Tzetzal, Tzotzil, Chol, and Tojolabal Zapatista women. Dressed in traditional colors, a line of some 200 Zapatista women filed in and out of the auditorium in a rainbow of resistance for each of the four daily plenary sessions. Voices from different autonomous Zapatista regions offered a cascade of testimonies of their resistance. Representatives from the Juntas de Buen Gobierno [Good Government Councils], education and health promoters, comandantas [leaders] of the EZLN, and support bases young and old, told of how Zapatista communities, and women in particular, lived before the uprising, and how they live now, how they resist the violence of the mal gobierno [bad government], and what their rights and responsibilities are within their movement. Women from throughout Mexico, the Americas, Europe and the world gathered inside the auditorium to bear witness to the testimonies of these women who are exploited three times over, "for being poor, for being indigenous, and for being women." The surrounding fields were full of tents; families opened their homes, their yards, and their kitchens to foreigners and to compa?eras and families from other autonomous communities. Many slept under make-shift shelters at food stands, on the ground in the auditorium, in trucks and cars, or beneath the stars. We arrived to the Encuentro with a caravan of some 150 people from Mexico City organized by Mujeres y La Sexta. Most of us, like many of the non-Zapatistas who participated in the Encuentro, are adherents to La Otra Campa?a [the Other Campaign], or its international component, the Sexta International. With the release of the Sixth Declaration of the Lancandon Jungle in June of 2005, the Zapatistas initiated a national plan of struggle, which seeks to unite struggles "from the left and from below." A delegation of EZLN comandantes traveled across Mexico in 2006 in the first wave of this Other Campaign, with the intent to listen to the voices of those who struggle against capitalism and neoliberalism in all its forms, and to create new political spaces. The days were filled with talk of the concrete measures Zapatista women and girls have taken to organize for self-determination, liberty, democracy and justice in their own communities. As the voices of the women rose up from behind their pasamonta?as and paliacates (the ubiquitous ski masks and bandanas that have come to symbolize autonomous resistance in Chiapas), and began to echo each other, the significance of the testimonies became clearer to those of us from the outside. The voices being amplified were not individual voices, but reflections of a collective experience, a collective resistance. And while we national and international women listened, the lessons of the Other Campaign filtered through the plenaries like the fingers of sunlight sneaking through the wooden slats of the walls; in order to build a world in resistance, a world in which many worlds fit, we must listen and we must organize. As Comandanta Hortencia said, "To organize, we must identify why and for what." Humbly, the Zapatista women apologized for their Spanish, which is not their mother tongue, and for their lack of education. "Before, we did not know how to read and write, and now we have learned, and send our daughters to learn too." The elder Zapatista women told of their experiences before the 1994 uprising. It was a dark time, when women were sexually exploited by land owners, frequently mistreated by their husbands and silenced by their communities. They told of how they organized clandestinely before the uprising, wearing certain colored shirts or bracelets to notify each other about meetings, which would be held quietly in the night far into the jungle. Since then, there have been many advances in Zapatista communities, where alcohol and drugs are outlawed as measures to curb domestic violence, a demand made by the Zapatista women. Women continue to take more positions of representation and responsibility, as education and health promoters, in the Good Government Councils, as comandantas of the EZLN, and in artisan cooperatives. The voices of Zapatista youth punctuated the plenaries with hope and solemnity. "Without the organization, I would not be alive," said Marina, a precocious and well spoken 8-year-old girl "I would've died of a curable disease." Her empowered articulation exemplified the fortitude and success of the autonomous schools, as well as the sense of mutual respect between the youth and elders of the Zapatista communities. Despite the advances made this far, the compa?eras know that there is still a long and difficult road ahead. In the past 6 months Zapatista communities have faced heightened military and paramilitary aggression. While the Encuentro went on, an isolated Zapatista community named Bolom Ajaw (located in a strategic tourist zone) experienced violence from neighboring paramilitary troops and is currently being threatened with displacement. During the informal conversations held around tables at meal times, people spoke of the recent shift in tactics of governmental repression. Rumors and propaganda incited by paramilitary provocations between Zapatista and non-Zapatista indigenous communities is creating violence and conflict that allows the paramilitary groups to appear blameless. National and international civil society whispered of the strategic retreat and preparation of the Zapatistas. "I'm calm in my struggle," proclaims Elisa, echoing words heard again and again during the Encuentro; "There is no other path." And with that, the loudspeakers boomed again with the rolling upbeat music that punctuated every session, and the Zapatista women lined up to walk ceremoniously out of the auditorium. For those three days, men were given a decidedly secondary role, and the comandantas ran a tight ship in enforcing the rules posted on multiple signs throughout the gathering space: Men were not allowed to represent or translate, nor sit inside the auditorium. Instead they were offered the tasks of cooking, childcare, cleaning the latrines and hauling firewood. For centuries, indigenous and poor women have carried the responsibility of these tasks. Their backs have held the weight of the survival of their families, communities, and cultures. Their resistance is inseparable from that of their communities, serving as an integral source of strength. The Zapatista women emphasize a dynamic relationship between derechos y deberes [rights and responsibilities]. As young women born to white feminists in the US, we joined many 2nd and 3rd wave feminists in the crowd who've been taught that women's liberation means equal rights, that it is a movement towards independence and self-determination. Our politics of feminism and solidarity are perhaps tested, seeing the women of this indigenous Zapatista movement declare their rights as integral to their collective responsibility, for the well-being of their community. Indigenous men, standing at the edges of the auditorium, shading their eyes from the sun nodded in agreement as the voices of the Zapatista women demanded the right to education, emphasizing the responsibility to become promoters of education. As their voices demanded the right to choose their own partners, they emphasized the responsibility of participating in family and community matters. By having a women's encuentro, they sought to have their voices heard and not spoken over or marginalized. But when questioned about whether this was the beginning of their own women's movement, and if they wanted to create more women-only spaces; they emphasized that the movement included their brothers, husbands, children, elders...everyone in the community. This appeared as something distinctly different from women's liberation; more like collective liberation. Or better yet, described as Zapatismo. When asked what non-Zapatista communities could do to support their work, the Zapatista women replied "Organize yourselves." On the final day of the Encuentro, International women responded. Women from the La Otra Campa?a, Via Campesina and student organicationss addressed the Zapatista women and the women of the world. Letters were read from political prisoners around the world. In the afternoon, Trinidad Ramirez took the stage holding her machete high, and spoke for the rebel farmworkers and political prisoners of Atenco. "We are not capable of abandoning our sisters," she told the crowd, teary eyed with her testimony of trauma and unbreakable resistance. As she turned and climbed down the stage to a chorus of "?Viva?" [Long Live!], rain suddenly began to pound on the tin roof. In sun and water, the struggling women of the world are suddenly reminded that we are all echoes of that which is alive and vibrant in the world. As the last plenary came to a close, a group of young Mexican students from the School of History and Anthropology offered to the seated Zapatistas a giant puppet called Emiliana Digna Ramona who had danced among the crowd the evenings before. "Though born in Mexico City, her heart is Zapatista, filled with the dreams of a better world." >From the top of the bus on New Years Eve we watched this collective resistance, this collective survival, in all its celebration. When the New Year rolled in, it was met with silence, to honor the fallen martyrs of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation. The Comandancia climbed onto the stage, and the masses below took off their hats. Fog swept over the caracol as we sang the National Anthem and Zapatista Hymn, and embraced strangers and friends. The dancing picked up again and lasted all night. As the sun rose on another year of struggle, we carried with us the tiny piece of our responsibility to build a better world: to go home and organize. Tessa Landreau-Grasmuck is a writer and activist from Philadelphia. She is currently working with a team to create a children's book about Mayan spirituality and struggle. Cory Fischer-Hoffman is an organizer with the Student Farmworker Alliance, she is currently working on her MA degree in Latin American Studies at the University of Kansas. Kaya Weidman is a farmer and activist from Upstate New York. She is currently working to connect the practical work of sustenance with the broader work of building solidarity within the movement towards collective liberation. Mandy Skinner's main interests are in popular education, arts, and youth organizing. She has worked with the Beehive Collective and is on the board of ENGAGE, an organizing network linking students returning from grassroots/community-based study abroad programs. http://www.latinamericapress.org/article.asp?lanCode=1&artCode=5507 Sunday, March 30, 2008 MEXICO Printer friendly version Rebel women John Ross. Feb 21, 2008 Zapatista women celebrate their long road to empowerment Dozens of Zapatista compa?eras, many of them Tzeltal Maya from the Chiapas lowlands decked out in rainbow-hued ribbons and ruffles, their dark eyes framed by ski masks, emerged from the rustic auditorium to the applause of hundreds of international feminists gathered at the opening session of an all-women's "Encuentro," or meeting, hosted by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) late last year. Last July, at the conclusion of a meeting with farmers from a dozen counties in the village with the haunting name of La Realidad - "The Reality" - a young rebel from that community, "Evarilda," apparently without clearing the invitation with the EZLN's General Command, called for the all-women encounter, explaining that men were invited to help with the logistics but would be asked to stay home and mind the children and the farm animals while the women plotted against capitalism. True to Evarilda's word, at the Dec. 29-31 gathering which drew 300-500 non-Mexican mostly women activists to this village, officially the autonomous municipality of Francisco G?mez, and which honored the memory of the late Comandanta Ramona, men took a decidedly secondary role. Signs posted around the area called "Resistance Until the New Dawn," a sort of Zapatista cultural and political center, advised their male counterparts that they could not act as "spokespersons, translators or representatives in the plenary sessions." Instead, their activities should be confined "to preparing and serving food, washing dishes, sweeping, cleaning out the latrines, fetching firewood, and minding the children." A role change Indeed, some young Zapatista men donned aprons imprinted with words like "tomato" and "EZLN" to work in the kitchens. Meanwhile, older men sat quietly on wooden benches outside of the auditorium, sometimes signaling amongst themselves when a compa?era made a strong point or smiling proudly after a daughter or wife or sister or mother spoke their histories to the assembly. The role of women within the Zapatista structure has changed drastically since the rebellion's gestation. When the founders of the EZLN, radicals from northern Mexican cities, first arrived in the Tzeltal-Tojolabal lowlands of southeastern Chiapas, women were kept monolingual by the husbands as a means of control, dedicated themselves to raising families and had little standing in the community. Those from the outside offered independence and invited the young women to training camps in the mountain where they would learn to wield a weapon and a smattering of Spanish. They became part of the EZLN fighting force. On Jan. 1, 1994, when the Zapatistas seized the cities of San Cristobal and Ocosingo and five other county seats, women comprised a third of the rebel army - women fighters were martyred in the bloody battle for Ocosingo. Integrating women into the military structure proved easier than cultivating participation in the civil structure, which was rooted in the life of the villages. Although women occupied five seats on the 19-member Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee, the EZLN's General Command, their numbers fell far shorter in 29 autonomous municipal councils and the five "Juntas de Buen Gobierno" ("Good Government Committees") which administrated Zapatista regional autonomy. But as the Zapatista social infrastructure grew, women became health and education promoters and leaders in the commissions that planned these campaigns. Women's liberation in Zapatista culture has been boosted by the rebels' prohibitions against the consumption of alcohol in their communities. Whereas many inland Maya towns like San Juan Chamula are saturated in alcohol with soaring rates of spousal and child abuse, the Zapatista zone has the lowest abuse indicators in the state, according to numbers offered by the women's commission of the Chiapas state congress. As a state, Chiapas has one of the highest numbers of feminicides in Mexico - 1,456 women were murdered here between 2000 and 2004. The low incidence of violence against women in the zone of Zapatista influence is more remarkable because much of the lowland rebel territory straddles the Guatemalan border, a country where 500 women are murdered each year. A story to tell With the men tending the kids and cleaning latrines, the women told their stories in the assemblies. Many of the younger compa?eras like Evarilda had grown up in the rebellion - which is now in its 24th year - and spoke of learning to read and write in rebel schools and their work as social promoters or as teachers or as farmers and mothers. Zapatista grandmothers told of the first years of the rebellion and veteran comandantas like Susana, who spoke movingly of her longtime compa?era Ramona, "the smallest of the small," recalled how in the war, the men and the women learned to share housekeeping tasks like cooking and washing clothes. "Many of the compa?eros still do not want to understand our demands," Comandanta Sandra admonished, "but we cannot struggle against the bad government without them." The Zapatista compa?eras' struggle for inclusion and parity with their male counterparts grates against separatist politics that some militant first-world feminists who journeyed to the jungle espouse. Lesbian couples and collectives seemed a substantial faction in the first-world feminist delegations. Although no Zapatista women have publicly come out, the EZLN has been zealous in its inclusion of lesbians and gays and incorporated their struggles in the rainbow of marginalized constituents with whose cause they align themselves. Among international delegations in attendance were women representatives from agrarian movements as far removed from Chiapas as Brazil and Senegal, organized by Via Campesina, an alliance that represents millions of poor farmers in the developing world. Dozens of Zapatista compa?eras, many of them Tzeltal Maya from the Chiapas lowlands decked out in rainbow-hued ribbons and ruffles, their dark eyes framed by ski masks, emerged from the rustic auditorium to the applause of hundreds of international feminists gathered at the opening session of an all-women's "Encuentro," or meeting, hosted by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) late last year. Last July, at the conclusion of a meeting with farmers from a dozen counties in the village with the haunting name of La Realidad - "The Reality" - a young rebel from that community, "Evarilda," apparently without clearing the invitation with the EZLN's General Command, called for the all-women encounter, explaining that men were invited to help with the logistics but would be asked to stay home and mind the children and the farm animals while the women plotted against capitalism. True to Evarilda's word, at the Dec. 29-31 gathering which drew 300-500 non-Mexican mostly women activists to this village, officially the autonomous municipality of Francisco G?mez, and which honored the memory of the late Comandanta Ramona, men took a decidedly secondary role. Signs posted around the area called "Resistance Until the New Dawn," a sort of Zapatista cultural and political center, advised their male counterparts that they could not act as "spokespersons, translators or representatives in the plenary sessions." Instead, their activities should be confined "to preparing and serving food, washing dishes, sweeping, cleaning out the latrines, fetching firewood, and minding the children." A role change Indeed, some young Zapatista men donned aprons imprinted with words like "tomato" and "EZLN" to work in the kitchens. Meanwhile, older men sat quietly on wooden benches outside of the auditorium, sometimes signaling amongst themselves when a compa?era made a strong point or smiling proudly after a daughter or wife or sister or mother spoke their histories to the assembly. The role of women within the Zapatista structure has changed drastically since the rebellion's gestation. When the founders of the EZLN, radicals from northern Mexican cities, first arrived in the Tzeltal-Tojolabal lowlands of southeastern Chiapas, women were kept monolingual by the husbands as a means of control, dedicated themselves to raising families and had little standing in the community. Those from the outside offered independence and invited the young women to training camps in the mountain where they would learn to wield a weapon and a smattering of Spanish. They became part of the EZLN fighting force. On Jan. 1, 1994, when the Zapatistas seized the cities of San Cristobal and Ocosingo and five other county seats, women comprised a third of the rebel army - women fighters were martyred in the bloody battle for Ocosingo. Integrating women into the military structure proved easier than cultivating participation in the civil structure, which was rooted in the life of the villages. Although women occupied five seats on the 19-member Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee, the EZLN's General Command, their numbers fell far shorter in 29 autonomous municipal councils and the five "Juntas de Buen Gobierno" ("Good Government Committees") which administrated Zapatista regional autonomy. But as the Zapatista social infrastructure grew, women became health and education promoters and leaders in the commissions that planned these campaigns. Women's liberation in Zapatista culture has been boosted by the rebels' prohibitions against the consumption of alcohol in their communities. Whereas many inland Maya towns like San Juan Chamula are saturated in alcohol with soaring rates of spousal and child abuse, the Zapatista zone has the lowest abuse indicators in the state, according to numbers offered by the women's commission of the Chiapas state congress. As a state, Chiapas has one of the highest numbers of feminicides in Mexico - 1,456 women were murdered here between 2000 and 2004. The low incidence of violence against women in the zone of Zapatista influence is more remarkable because much of the lowland rebel territory straddles the Guatemalan border, a country where 500 women are murdered each year. A story to tell With the men tending the kids and cleaning latrines, the women told their stories in the assemblies. Many of the younger compa?eras like Evarilda had grown up in the rebellion - which is now in its 24th year - and spoke of learning to read and write in rebel schools and their work as social promoters or as teachers or as farmers and mothers. Zapatista grandmothers told of the first years of the rebellion and veteran comandantas like Susana, who spoke movingly of her longtime compa?era Ramona, "the smallest of the small," recalled how in the war, the men and the women learned to share housekeeping tasks like cooking and washing clothes. "Many of the compa?eros still do not want to understand our demands," Comandanta Sandra admonished, "but we cannot struggle against the bad government without them." The Zapatista compa?eras' struggle for inclusion and parity with their male counterparts grates against separatist politics that some militant first-world feminists who journeyed to the jungle espouse. Lesbian couples and collectives seemed a substantial faction in the first-world feminist delegations. Although no Zapatista women have publicly come out, the EZLN has been zealous in its inclusion of lesbians and gays and incorporated their struggles in the rainbow of marginalized constituents with whose cause they align themselves. Among international delegations in attendance were women representatives from agrarian movements as far removed from Chiapas as Brazil and Senegal, organized by Via Campesina, an alliance that represents millions of poor farmers in the developing world. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/27/2147384.htm?section=justin Hundreds protest against Sydney gay-bashings Posted Sun Jan 27, 2008 7:22am AEDT Several hundred people have attended a rally in inner Sydney to express their concern about violent attacks on the gay and lesbian community. There have recently been a number of attacks along Oxford Street and other parts of Darlinghurst. Rally organiser Ben Veenkamp welcomed the support of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore and Councillor Shayne Mallard, but says more needs to be done. "We've heard all these proposition already over the last two years. What we need to see is results," he said. "The thing that I'm hoping [to do] by drawing all these people to this park, is for people to [be] empowered to get those results, rather than to depend on the agencies who've been promising for so long." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/us/19brfs-LAWMAKER8217_BRF.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin Oklahoma: Lawmaker's Comments Bring Protest By HAILEY R. BRANSON Published: March 19, 2008 Hundreds of gay and lesbian rights advocates protested at the Capitol over comments a state representative made about homosexuals. Representative Sally Kern, Republican of Oklahoma City, drew national attention last week when a January speech she gave before a Republican club in Oklahoma City was posted on the Internet. In the speech, she said homosexuality was "the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam." Mrs. Kern, the wife of a Baptist minister, has refused to apologize for her remarks. She was not present for the 40-minute protest, and the door to her office was locked. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 17:38:31 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:38:31 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Anti-racist protests Message-ID: <032101c89e91$08fa3140$0802a8c0@andy1> * SOUTH AFRICA: Mass protests at university over racist video * US: Clashes at skinhead rally in Calgary * HOLLAND: Protests as Dutch singer who performed for Nazis takes stage * INDIGENOUS/AUSTRALIA: Flag burned at Invasion Day protest Hundreds rally to stop the intervention Hundreds rally to support alleged Palm Island insurgent Aboriginal people drown out opposition response to apology * UK/NEPAL: Gurkhas hand back medals in protest over discrimination * CANADA: York University students rally against racist graffiti * INDIA: Indigenous protests after cop rapes girl * SOUTH AFRICA: Zimbabweans protest police brutality, racism * NEPAL: Madhesi minority stages strikes, protests, armed actions in Terai * GERMANY: Immigrants rally against racist murder of Moroccan * US: Indian workers march to White House in anti-slavery protest * INDIA: Gandhis jailed in protest over sacking Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1582590/20080229/id_0.jhtml Feb 29 2008 4:55 PM EST South African University Erupts In Protest Over Racist Video Students at a South African university staged protests this week after their campus was rocked by a video that depicted black university workers being tricked by white students into eating stew with urine in it. The video ? created in September 2007 by four white students in response to the University of the Free State's policy to integrate campus housing ? sparked a rally on Wednesday in which approximately 600 black students marched on the university's management offices to deliver a memorandum demanding that officials expel the students in the video and ban them from attending all other universities in South Africa. "I know that emotions are running very high," Free State Premier Beatrice Marshoff shouted into a megaphone to the crowd. "We are all very, very upset by what we have seen on those videos." Although the university said in a statement the demonstration was a "peaceful protest," it did admit there were "sporadic instances of intimidation," property damage and five arrests. Two of the white students behind the video apologized in a statement issued by their lawyer Thursday (the two other individuals involved in the video are no longer students at the university). The students, Roelof Malherbe and Schalk van der Merwe, said in the statement that they regretted making the film, which they said was intended as a "satirical slant" on the issue of racial integration at the university dormitories. "If you see the video in context you'll see it's been ripped out of proportion," the lawyer, Nico Naude, told MTV News. Naude ? who noted that the workers involved in the video were friends of the four men ? said in the statement, "[Malherbe and Van der Merwe] claim they acted without any malicious intent, but apologize for any embarrassment they may, unintentionally, have caused." The two are "not racists and, most certainly, had no intention of humiliating or degrading the employees concerned or black people in general or of detrimentally affecting their dignity," the statement continued. Tensions have simmered down on campus since Wednesday while students await a response from the university. If the response is not favorable another rally will take place, student and protest organizer Lonwabo MacFarlane, 20, told MTV News. "We felt humiliated," he said. "Those ladies in that video could've been our grandmothers, or our mothers for that matter." The women in the video are also speaking out. "We feel pain," 40-year-old Emma Koko told the crowd at a press conference on Thursday, according to the AP. "It's something we were not expecting. We regard [the students] as our children." In the video, the workers seem comfortable in the company of the students and are in high spirits throughout the "competition." A blond male, speaking in Afrikaans, even refers to the activities as "Reitz Fear Factor." Reitz is the name of the men's residence hall where two of the students lived. The video opens in a dorm-room-type setting where one of the students appears to urinate into a beef stew mixture and puts it into a microwave. (The students said in the statement that a "harmless" liquid was used.) Later in the clip, three female residence workers and one male worker are seen on their knees drinking the stew from plastic cups, and then vomiting into buckets. The prize is a bottle of whiskey which one of the women gladly accepts as her friends cheer her on. The video ends with the words (in Afrikaans), "This is what integration looks like," superimposed against an image of one of the black women doing dishes. The university "has condemned the video and gross violation of human rights that it portrays," Vice-Chancellor Frederick Fourie said in a press release. Classes were also canceled Wednesday "in a proactive step to allow the emotions of staff and students to calm down," he added. According to the statement, the university also plans to press criminal charges against Malherbe, van der Merwe and former students Danie Grobler and Johnny Roberts. Malherbe and Van der Merwe will also be suspended. Although apartheid in South Africa officially ended in 1994, Vice-Chancellor Fourie admitted that "the university is going through a difficult time with its efforts to racially integrate its residences and to create a new residence culture based on diversity, respect, human dignity and human rights." The South African Human Rights Commission also issued a statement claiming the University has a "whites only" history. It also makes note of discriminatory events that have taken place at the school, such as a racist advertisement that was once posted on the school's Web site and a claim that new students are forced to visit all churches, regardless of their faith. The University of the Free State is located in the city of Bloemfontein and is regarded as a bastion for Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch settlers who are often most closely linked with apartheid rule, according to AP. On Friday (February 29), the South African magazine Drum reported that one of its black journalists covering the video story had been assaulted in what was apparently a racial attack at a restaurant in Bloemfontein. His attacker was a "burly white man" who followed him to the bathroom, where he assaulted him using racial slurs, the magazine reported in a statement. Protest organizer Macfarlane said that although a majority of the students at the university are black, the racial climate at the school is "Afrikanerdom." "We want no dominance of one culture over another," he said. "We just want equality." http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20080227114203137C786319 Riot police react against students February 27 2008 at 11:49AM Police used a stun grenade to disperse a group of students protesting at the University of the Free State (UFS) on Wednesday during a protest march over a racial video. The video, which was made at the hostel last year, surfaced on Tuesday. Police spokesperson Captain Chaka Marope said a group of protesting student's broke away from the main group and rushed to the Reitz men's hostel where "some stones were thrown". Marope said they were told that the gathering was illegal in terms of an interdict that was secured by the university's management during protest action last week. Marope said he was not sure if the students were arrested or just taken away from the scene by police. Once the group dispersed, a small group of students stayed behind at the main building of the campus in defiance against the removal of the protesters. Marope said police would stay on campus to monitor the situation. Some 500 students, workers and personnel protested against the video and unions handed memorandums over to management. The video shows university employees on their knees eating food which had been urinated on. It allegedly depicts a mock integration of five black staff members - four women and a man - into the hostel. It was made by the Reitz men's residence and has added to an already tense situation at the UFS after student riots over the university's hostel integration policy last week. - Sapa http://tinyurl.com/34l5jr March 22, 2008 Skinhead rally causes clash Neo-Nazi march downtown sparks anti-racism rally By PABLO FERNANDEZ, SUN MEDIA Tensions boiled to a fevered pitch when white supremacists and anti-racist demonstrators clashed in the city's downtown core yesterday. A group of neo-Nazis calling themselves the Aryan Guard staged a march from Mewata Armouries down 8 Ave. to city hall, prompting anti-racism activists to stage their own demonstration. Activists, union leaders, anarchists, minority groups and passers-by held their own rally as a counter-demonstration to the white supremacist rally, said Anti-Racist Action Calgary's Jason Devine. "Our message is that there's strength in numbers ... that the community is united, that racism will not be tolerated, that it shouldn't be tolerated and that we shouldn't just turn from it," he said. Roughly 25 Aryan Guard members amassed at the Franklin LRT station, rode the C-Train downtown and made their way down to Mewata Armouries, when they were blocked by counter-demonstrators along 7 Ave., in front of the Kerby Centre. The animosity between the two groups reached an instant peak, prompting police to set up a human barrier between the two groups. An activist who asked to be identified only as Mike said he was saddened by the fact the last time his group stood up against the Aryan Guard, the neo-Nazis had a fraction of the numbers they bolstered yesterday. "Calgary's the only city where they can go out in public, show their faces and hand out leaflets," he said. "They're cancerous and we have to fight them every time they show up in our community." Many of the anti-racist protesters covered their faces with bandanas, explaining they need to protect their identities since at least two fire-bombings in the city this year have been tied to possible neo-Nazi activity, said Devine. "If you're denouncing a group that likes to pose with guns and talks about how much they love Adolf Hitler, I think it would be a little foolish not to have a little bit of ... caution," said Devine. >From the Kerby Centre and under police escort, Aryan Guard members made their way down 7 Ave. taunted by anti-racism demonstrators, which by this time had swollen to more than 200. The two groups faced off again on the steps of city hall, with police between the two. After almost two hours, police brought in a school bus and escorted the neo-Nazis -- one of whom launched at a female demonstrator but was pulled back by officers -- onto the bus, which drove away with flags and Nazi salutes flying out the windows. The rally was particularly close to the heart of Bonnie Collins, the victim of one of the city's Molotov attacks. "Canada and Calgary were not built on hate or violence ... but on equality and for humanity," she said. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/954753.html Last update - 21:37 16/02/2008 Dozens protest as Dutch singer who performed for Hitler takes stage By The Associated Press Tags: Johannes Heesters Several dozen protesters gathered outside a theater in the Netherlands Saturday where a singer who once performed for Adolf Hitler was due to take the stage in his native country for the first time in four decades. Johannes Heesters, 104, has been a popular figure in German-language cabaret since the 1930s, earning him the epithet "the Netherlands' most durable product." He was never accused of being a propagandist or anything other than an actor who was willing to perform for the Nazis, and the Allies allowed him to continue his career after the war. But in his native country he is viewed by some as irredeemable. Advertisement "He kept singing for the Nazi regime, for the Wehrmacht, and he earned millions," said Piet Schouten, representative of a committee formed to protest Heesters' performance. "Those are facts and we have a problem with that on behalf of all the victims" he told national broadcaster NOS. In Heesters' previous attempt to perform in the Netherlands, in 1964, he was booed off the stage in Amsterdam when he tried to appear as Nazi-hating Captain von Trapp in "The Sound of Music." Around 50 demonstrators gathered outside De Flint theatre in Amersfoort, where Heesters was born in 1903. A handful of neo-Nazis turned up - uninvited - to support Heesters, and several were detained by police after throwing eggs at the demonstrators. Concertgoers were forced to submit copies of their passports and undergo airport-style security scans before being allowed to enter the theater, which seats 800. During the war Amersfoort housed a camp where Jews were interned before deportation to Germany during the occupation. Many of Heesters' critics focus on a visit his theater company made to Dachau in 1941. He had never disclosed the visit, but it became known when photos of him with Nazi soldiers were published in 1973. Heesters says he didn't perform for the soldiers, and didn't know about conditions at the concentration camp. After the war "I was ashamed of myself and I still haven't stopped feeling this way," Heesters wrote in his autobiography. "I am angry with myself for being gullible, credulous and naive." In an editorial, Dutch newspaper Trouw wrote Saturday that "the stain will always remain, but Heesters is welcome home in the Netherlands - it's nice that he's appearing here 104 years after his birth." "It's all too easy for people today, most of whom grew up after the war, to pass judgment on the collaborators then," the paper wrote. "What would we do under comparable circumstances?" In a chapel near the theater, a counter-concert was being held to celebrate music composed by people who died in concentration camps. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23125398-1244,00.html Australian flag burned in protest January 29, 2008 08:56am AN Australian flag was burned in Launceston by an Aboriginal man to mark what he called Invasion Day. Adam Thompson burned the flag in protest against "the atrocities committed against my people under the colours of that flag". He was watched by as many as 200 Aborigines. "We burnt the Australian flag out of outrage at Australians celebrating invasion day - even after they know what it means to Aboriginal people," Mr Thompson said. "Atrocities such as rape, murder and theft of land have all occurred under the banner . . . and people are waving it around proudly." Police at the rally did not intervene. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/12/2160692.htm?section=australia Thousands protest to 'stop the intervention' By Penny McLintock Posted Tue Feb 12, 2008 3:19pm AEDT Updated Tue Feb 12, 2008 4:24pm AEDT Slideshow: Photo 1 of 3 United: thousands march across the lawns of Paliament House. (ABC News: Penny McLintock) Map: Canberra 2600 Related Story: G-G urges support for apology Related Story: Parliament opens, new Speaker sworn in Thousands of people have marched across the lawns of Parliament House to protest against the Federal Government's intervention in Northern Territory Aboriginal communities. Aboriginal people from across the country and non-Indigenous supporters gathered at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy near Old Parliament House to hear leaders speak against the intervention. They called for the intervention to be overturned and an end to quarantining of welfare payments and compulsory land acquisitions. Members of the crowd threw leaves onto the sacred fire, chanting "Stop the intervention - human rights for all". Mark Lord from near Bourke in north-west New South Wales was one of the Aboriginal dancers leading the march, which began just after midday. He says the intervention order is not the Australian way of doing things. "It's a racial act really. We want to be like white people, walk in [to shops] and pay for things with our own cash not half with Centrelink payment and the rest in vouchers," he said. "We human people, we are not animals. "If they don't listen to us, they are going to hear us. They can not listen to us all they want, but they will hear us today." A group of school students travelled from southern Sydney to take part in the rally. Teacher Mark Goudkamp from Kingsgrove High School says the intervention repeats a lot of mistakes made in the past and the students wanted to speak out. "It's punitive, it punishes people who are doing the right thing with welfare quarantining," he said. "The other thing Rudd should do to break with the Howard legacy, is to wind back the intervention." Kingsgrove student Ross Bougoukas says it is important young people are involved. "Other young people will see us and hopefully follow our lead. We can give a fresh approach to this," he said. Surrounded by media, the group marched around Old Parliament House and up Federation Mall. Some Aboriginal elders were taken in a bus Australian Federal Police lined the the ring road around Parliament House keeping an eye on the procession as they walked to the top of the lawns. A large Aboriginal flag was laid on the lawns and protesters gathered to hear key speakers condemn the intervention. Isabelle Coe from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy told the crowd, the intervention needs to stop. "We're here to tell Kevin Rudd that he's gotta recognise our sovereignty and we want to get rid of the intervention laws, we've got to demand that the intervention laws be dropped straight away," she said. Greens Leader Bob Brown also spoke, labelling the intervention "racist legislation". http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news620.htm In the build-up to the ?sorry? day, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy site, one of the longest continual protest camps in the world since 1972 (See SchNEWS 339), grew to a tent city as Aboriginal groups camped after long treks from all around the country. On Tuesday thousands marched from the Tent Embassy to Parliament House against the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Act 2007 ? a set of law enforcement and welfare tightening legislation aimed at Aboriginals, masquerading as a knee-jerk response to domestic abuse in remote communities. This law, commonly known as the ?intervention? ? and sent the army into 70 communities - broke international human rights conventions by suspending indigenous Land Rights claims in the NT, as well as ?quarantining? (withholding) benefit payments and introducing a voucher system, plus making it easier to enter remote communities without permits. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/protest-against-intervention/2008/02/12/1202760301388.html Protest against intervention United front ? indigenous and other Australians march to Parliament House yesterday. Photo: Glen Mccurtayne Advertisement Yuko Narushima February 13, 2008 AS A military marching band played on the forecourt of Parliament House to a thin crowd of tourists, a group of thousands gathered metres away to protest against the federal intervention in the Northern Territory. About 20 police officers stood in a row to separate the dissenters from the formalities as indigenous leaders took the stage on a nearby lawn. "God save the Queen 'cos nothing will save this parliament if they don't pull out of the Northern Territory," said the president of the National Aboriginal Alliance, Sol Bellear, borrowing from the former prime minister Gough Whitlam. "We have people who have served in the world wars having their pensions quarantined. It's like the stolen wages all over again." #It was Mr Bellear's group that organised the rally of thousands of indigenous and non-indigenous Australians in Canberra yesterday.. One woman, who identified herself as Aunty Valerie from Yuendemu, 300 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs, vented her frustration with the intervention. "We know how to look after our kids," she said. "We don't want to be treated like animals. We want to be treated like human beings." Frank Djirrimbilpilwuy, from Elcho Island, off Arnhem Land, was angry about the portrayal of indigenous people in the media. He spoke directly to reporters. "Get this down right," he said. "We came all the way to talk about what problems we are having out there because of the intervention." Common complaints were the constraints put on indigenous welfare payments and the imposition of laws based on race. The Greens senator Kerry Nettle said the Government needed to work with indigenous groups. "You can't impose things," she said. "I don't want governments 10, 20 years from now having to say sorry again." For Josie Agius, an Aboriginal woman who travelled from Port Adelaide in South Australia, the events of this week were worth the trip. "It just makes you proud," she said, sitting in the afternoon sun. Patricia Waria-Read, also from Port Adelaide, agreed. "It's a day we stand up and make changes for the better. When we say rights for one and all." http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/05/2208856.htm Hundreds rally to support Palm Is riot accused Posted Sat Apr 5, 2008 5:00pm AEDT Map: Melbourne 3000 Around 200 supporters of a Palm Island man accused of rioting have rallied in Melbourne today. Forty-year-old Lex Wotton will face the District Court in Brisbane later this month over the 2004 riots on Palm Island, off the north Queensland coast. Wotton has pleaded not guilty. Indigenous Social Justice Association spokeswoman Alison Thorne says another rally is planned in Brisbane at the opening of Wotton's trial in the District Court later this month. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23206475-1702,00.html Nelson broadcast cut in apology protest February 13, 2008 10:33am Article from: AAP Font size: + - Send this article: Print Email A BROADCAST of Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson's reply to the Prime Minister's apology to indigenous Australians was cut in Perth as Aboriginal people clapped to drown him out. More than 1000 people had gathered just before dawn on the Perth esplanade to hear Prime Minister Kevin Rudd say sorry. But midway through Dr Nelson's reply in support of the apology an Aboriginal woman, Catherine Coomer, started yelling out that the Opposition leader was degrading Aboriginal people. Ms Coomer stood up and turned her back to the screen showing the speech. The crowd then began clapping loudly, and the broadcast was unplugged. Premier Alan Carpenter said afterwards it was unfortunate that Dr Nelson had missed the mark. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/965075.html Illegal immigrants' clinic closes in protest of state's inactivity By Ruth Sinai Tags: Israel, medicine, welfare Thousands of illegal immigrants, many of whom suffer from tuberculosis and other contagious diseases, will be denied medical care next week when a medical clinic in Tel Aviv closes. The Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) organization Sunday announced that it will be closing its clinic to protest what it termed the Health Ministry's refusal to take responsibility for foreign migrants and homeless people in need of medical attention. "A volunteer clinic, with a low budget, cannot, should not and is incapable of being a worthy substitute for a proper solution from the state," the PHR wrote Health Minister Yacov Ben Yizri. "We lack the means to diagnose and treat and lack the means available at hospitals." Ministry officials, however, claim people staying in Israel illegally are not entitled to medical care and will receive it only in urgent cases at hospital emergency rooms. They added that illegal aliens may pay for health insurance for their children from the Meuhedet health maintenance organization. Advertisement Last year, the number of patients at the PHR clinic in south Tel Aviv, which is home to Israel's largest population of foreign workers, grew by over 70 percent, from 301 a month in 2006 to 504 in 2007. About 100 patients a night have been receiving treatment at the clinic in the past few months. The organization has handed out brochures to the clinic's patients, advising them how to receive medical treatment at emergency rooms after the clinic closes. In recent weeks, the health bureau in Tel Aviv has enlisted the organization's help in finding illegal immigrants with chicken pox. A few of the women, who were also pregnant, received treatment paid by the state at the Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv. The ministry, in tandem with the PHR, has been trying to locate illegal immigrants staying at shelters in Tel Aviv who carry tuberculosis. "The situation in which the Health Ministry considers us a senior partner in preventing the outbreak of diseases among refugees is unacceptable," PHR director general Hadas Ziv said. http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5j4AxQYL1TiOkGldyzmpSsBI2TpDg Gurkhas hand back medals in protest Mar 19, 2008 Crowds of Gurkhas have descended on Parliament to watch 50 veterans hand back their medals in protest at their "immoral discrimination". The 50 retired Gurkhas gave their Long Service and Good Conduct medals to Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who will pass them on to Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Nepalese Gurkhas have been part of the British Army for nearly 200 years, but they are unhappy that they receive lower pensions than UK soldiers. If they retired before 1997, Gurkhas have no automatic right to remain in the UK. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg told the crowds: "When I tell people what you get from the Government in return for the years of brave, loyal, uncomplaining success people simply don't believe it. It is quite simply a national disgrace. "I am simply saying you should be treated with the respect and honour you deserve as brave soldiers. I will do everything I can to end this unacceptable and immoral discrimination." He said he would raise the matter personally with the Prime Minister. Damber Ghaly, chief co-ordinator of the protest for the Gurkhas United Front, handed back his six medals, including his MBE. The 50-year-old who served in the Gurkhas for 28 years, said: "It is very sad and emotional but I think it is the only thing we can do. I served in Kosovo and Bosnia where I was in charge of my troops. It is not a case of being angry but we feel very disappointed and let down." He estimated more than 2,000 Gurkhas were protesting. http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20080124/racism_rally_080124/20080124?hub=TorontoHome A rally was held at York University on Jan. 24, 2007 to protest racist graffiti. York students rally to protest racist graffiti toronto.ctv.ca Several hundred students joined a rally at York University Thursday in protest of racist graffiti scrawled in the school's student centre. The slurs targeted the school's black community and were written outside the offices of York University Black Students' Alliance (YUBSA). The rally was also in protest of what some students called a slow response by university officials to call the incident a hate crime. University President Mamdouh Shoukri tried to ease tensions by showing up at the rally and posting a note on the school's website condemning the act. "I was dismayed to learn of the racist graffiti in the Student Centre earlier this week," he said in the posted statement. "These acts are deplorable and unacceptable anywhere and at any time. "York is comprised of a community of communities; an attack on any group at York is an attack on our entire community" the letter continued. "That's why it's important that we all speak up loud and clear to condemn racism and oppression of every kind." At the rally Shoukri said the school will conduct a review to see where improvements can be made. "We are going to a third party evaluation of all our safety and all our security systems and it will be a very transparent process," he said. "The students will be part of selecting the third party to do that." Programs will also be reviewed to see where improvements can be made with African-Canadian contributions, Shoukri said. Students had called for a security review after a girl was sexually assaulted on campus last week. With a report from CTV Toronto's Roger Petersen http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Constable_rapes_10-year-old_tribals_protest/articleshow/2733063.cms Constable rapes 10-year-old, tribals protest 26 Jan 2008, 0259 hrs IST,Law Kumar Mishra,TNN GIRIDIH: A 10-year-old tribal girl was raped by a cop in a remote village of Giridih districtin Jharkhand leading to protests by hundreds of tribals armed with bows and arrows at a police station. Arvind Kumar, 24, was arrested on Friday and district police chief M L Meena said he would be dismissed from service. The cops were in the village for an anti-Maoist operation. According to the girl's elder brother, his sister had gone from their village Ganhar to collect firewood at Chandwa, 17 km from Giridih, along with her six-year-old brother when three policemen approached them. "Two of the policemen kept my brother in their custody while the other cop took my sister to the nearby jungle," he said in a complaint to the police. The girl's father had died a few years ago. He said the three cops later gave Rs 500 to his younger brother and told him not to disclose the incident. When the girl didn't return home even after several hours, her mother went to the jungle with her neighbours and found the girl unconscious. http://allafrica.com/stories/200802111706.html South Africa: Zimbabweans Protest Police Brutality And Xenophobia SW Radio Africa (London) 11 February 2008 Posted to the web 11 February 2008 Tererai Karimakwenda A group of about 200 immigrants, the majority of them Zimbabweans, descended on the Central Police Station in Cape Town last Thursday to protest against police brutality and xenophobia. The demonstration was organized by People Against Suffering, Suppression, Oppression and Poverty (PASSOP), a rights group in South Africa that assists immigrants and refugees. The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), a lobby group for people who are HIV-positive, also assisted with organising the demonstration. Braam Hanekom from PASSOP, said the police raid on the Methodist church in Johannesburg at the end of January prompted the protest; "Frequently immigrants are beaten and even killed by local South Africans and for police to have engaged in such a manner was absolutely unacceptable." He was referring to the behavior of police during the church raid, where they assaulted Bishop Verryn and his staff and destroyed property belonging to the church and the refugees who shelter there. 1,500 people were arrested. Last week Regis Matutu, projects officer for TAC, said it was important to protest this behaviour because so many of the people arrested had been denied access to medication while in police custody. The police had denied permission for the demonstration last week, claiming there was not enough manpower to provide adequate security. The police suggested that the event be delayed by at least a week. Hanekom said this did not stop them, saying; "We had no choice but to do it and we weren't going to let the police disallow our protest against their brutality." He explained that there were 15 people still in jail after the Johannesburg church raid and the message against police brutality and xenophobia could not wait. The police have now retaliated against the organisers of the protest. Hanekom said they informed him that they had opened a docket for the gathering and he says they might be issuing a warrant of arrest for him. On the positive side Hanekom said that it was encouraging to see Congolese, Burundis, South Africans and even American students join the protest in solidarity. The protestors marched to the Cape Town Central Police Station where they picketed and presented a memorandum against police hostilities towards foreign immigrants. http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=136283 Madhesi, Limbuwan strikes cripple eastern Nepal Kantipur Report BIRATNAGAR, Feb 3 - Normal life across swaths of eastern Terai plains and hills have been thrown out of gear due to general strikes called by a number of agitating Madhesi and other ethnic groups. Highways in the region were a deserted look while businesses and educational institutions have been affected. The Joint Madhesi Front comprising the Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal Sadbhavana Party led by Rajendra Mahato and a few other groups has called a two-day banda in eastern Terai from Sunday. A strike called by the Federal Limbuwan State Council in nine districts in eastern Nepal entered third day Sunday. Jhapa and Ilam districts have been affected due to the transport strike called by the Limbuwan group to seek release of its activists arrested by the police a few days back. >From districts in the eastern region such as Ilam, Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Saptari, Siraha, to those in central Nepal including Rautahat and Bara in central Terai have been partially affected due to the strikes. The Sunsari-Morang industrial corridor has come to a grinding halt. This morning, the MPRF activists have taken 14 motorcycles under their control in Biratnagar for defying the banda. They said the bikes would be returned to their owners after the strike ends. Nasty turns Limbuwan protestors have vandalised a truck at Birtamod in Jhapa. Also this morning, cadres of an armed outfit called the Madhesi Mukti Tigers torched a passenger bus at Nikuniya stretch of the East- West Highway in Siraha. A group of around a dozen MMT cadres forced the passengers to get off the bus heading from Pokhara to Kakarvitta before setting it on fire. They have also looted cash and other good belonging to the passengers. The Madhesi activists are demanding implementation of 22-point agreement sealed with the government a few months back while the indigenous Limbuwan group wants its activists arrested a republican Nepal and autonomy for the community before the Constituent Assembly elections slated for April 10. Almost regular strikes in eastern Nepal have only aggravated the woes of the common people of the region. http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/notes5/note431.html Posted on: 2008-02-03 01:23:03 (Server Time) Note No. 431 29-Feb-2008 NEPAL: Terai Agitation Ends- Update No. 152 By Dr. S.Chandrasekharan. On the sixteenth day of agitation and loss of two more lives on the 27th, the Government and the Madhesi leaders signed an eight-point agreement tht partially fulfilled their demands. Prime Minister G.P.Koirala was personally present along with the two leaders of UML and the Maoists ( Madhav Nepal and Prachanda) to sign the agreement and on behalf of the Madhesi Movement, Mahanta Thakur, Upendra Yadav and Ramchandra Mahato signed. G.P.Koirala, after signing the agreement started in Hindi and then switched to Nepali much to the delight of the Madhesis who had assembled at the venue. Briefly the eight point agreement covered the following aspects. 1. Those killed during the Madhesi movement will be declared as martyrs and their families will be given one million rupees as compensation. ( This is only a reiteration of what was agreed to in the 22 point agreement though the list has grown longer with deaths even a day before the agreement) 2. The structure of the Madhesi and other autonomous regions, devolution, division of powers between the states and the centre and sharing of resources will all be done through the Constituent Assembly without any detriment to the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country. ( This is as vague as it could be, as no interim government can promise something that it cannot accomplish and it would now depend on the configuration of the elected constituent assembly after April 10.) 3. The inclusive list is only for parties that file more than 30 percent of the total seats and not 20 percent as the Election Act had declared before. ( This is a reasonable and a doable clause as the Madhesis form 32 percent of the population and the parties representing the Madhesis need not diffuse its representation to non Madhesis so long as it is within the percentage limits of their population.) 4. The government will ensure that proportional representation of Madhesis, aboriginal people, indigenous nationalities, Dalit and backward communities in all sections of governance including the security organisations, in appointment, promotion and selection process. (This again is a reiteration of what had been agreed to and the civil service act has since been amended.) 5. Madhesis including the marginalised groups will be recruited group wise in Nepal Army so as to ensure the principle of inclusiveness (This was a tricky issue and an agreement was reached only at the last minute. En masse recruitment as Madhesis wanted would not have been possible, but so long as the govt. keeps in mind the accepted policy of "Iinclusivess", group recruitment should go a long way in redressing the balance) 6. Both the Government and the UMDF call on all armed groups in Terai to come to the negotiating table, urging all to help conduct the forthcoming CA Polls in a peaceful, violence free, impartial and fearless manner. ( This by itself may not bring the armed groups to the table. One suggestion was to give them amnesty just as has been done for the Maoists and it is necessary for the people to persuade them to come to the negotiating table and not disrupt the elections) 7. In pursuance of the 22 point agreement with the MJF, the government will release all the MJF leaders and cadres from custody and withdraw all lawsuits filed against them. ( The government was dragging its feet after the 22 point agreement entered on August 30, 2007 and it is now being re stated.) 8. The UMDF has agreed to end all kinds of agitation immediately in Terai (This should be a welcome relief to those residing in Terai who were in constant fear amidst curfews and shortage of essential goods.) http://www.nepalitimes.com/issue/383/Update/14401 Tackling the tarai 3.25PM NST | 18 January 2008 >From Issue #383 (18 January 08 - 24 January 08) | TABLE OF CONTENTS A meeting of the high level taskforce advised the government on Wednesday to arrange for talks with madhesi militant groups, who have threatened to launch protests in the tarai from Saturday. Talking to the press after the meeting at the Maoists HQ at Buddhanagar, the UML's Madhab Kumar Nepal said: ?The meeting advised the government to talk to the dissatisfied groups in the tarai to create a suitable environment for the election.? The meeting also agreed that the integration of the PLA will be done as arranged by the interim constitution and according to the decision of a cabinet committee. Meanwhile, the seven party will meet in Biratnagar on Saturday for their second joint assembly. Despite plans of protest by the various madhesi groups, organisers claim that the mass meeting will go ahead. UML leader Madhab Kumar Nepal, Bimalendra Nidhi of NC, Maoist leader Baburam Bahttarai, Shyam Sundar Gupta of Anandadevi Sadvawana Party, Sunil Parajapati of the Communist Workers and Peasants Party and Bam Morcha leader C P Mainali are expected to address the assembly. According to the organiser, party workers in Jhapa, Sunsari, Saptari and Udayapur are preparing to participate in large numbers. Upendra Yadav led MJF and Rajendra Mahato?s Sadhvawana Party have also called their party workers for an assembly in Lahan on the same day. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,532423,00.html February 01, 2008 'WE'RE SITTING ON A POWDER KEG' Immigrants Protest Death of Moroccan Teenager in Cologne By Barbara Schmid and Andreas Ulrich Following the violent death of a Moroccan teenager in Cologne, hundreds of immigrants have taken to the streets in nightly demonstrations to protest what they see as evidence of their second- class status in Germany. Police warn the city could be ready to explode. The owner of an electronics shop on Cologne's Kalker Hauptstrasse had rolled down the shutters on the windows in case there was unrest. Now they have photos of a 17-year-old Moroccan boy taped to them. The teenager, whose name was Salih, was killed in front of the shop two weeks ago. The sidewalk is a sea of candles as hundreds of people chant: "Salih! Salih! We want justice!" They feel that Salih was one of them -- a youth from an immigrant family. For the police, the case is clear cut. According to their version of events, Salih allegedly wanted to mug a 20-year-old German man, who tried to defend himself. But he panicked and pulled out a pocketknife that he plunged into Salih's heart with an unlucky stab. Prosecutors said it was a clear case of self-defense, and there are witnesses. But none of that matters any longer. Every night last week, up to 300 protestors gathered at the spot where Salih died to demand "justice" instead of letting his killer walk free. They are protesting against "racism in Germany" -- but since it appears clear that this case involves self-defense, it's obviously about more than just the unfortunate Salih. It's more about how immigrants and their children feel they are currently being treated in Germany. The incident has struck a chord with those who feel disenfranchised from German society -- those without a proper education or vocational training, those without a future. The frustration is palpable. "We're sitting on a powder keg," warns former police commissioner Winrich Granitzka, who is also head of the Christian Democratic group in Cologne's city council. "There's the danger we could see a situation like in the suburbs of Paris." Cologne certainly isn't Paris and the district of Kalk can't be compared with the high-rise suburban ghettoes surrounding the French capital. But Kalk, which used to be home to a chemical plant, is certainly depressing. The only bright spot is the large and colorful new shopping center, which stands out from its gray surroundings. Immigrants and people with at least one non-German parent make up 54.7 percent of Kalk's population. The amount of young people between 15 and 18 living there is above average; education levels, on the other hand, are below average. Some 90 percent of people without a job in the area count as long-term unemployed. "It seems to me as if they only send losers here," says Kemal D?zardic, a 22-year-old friend of the dead teenager. He and the others gather near the photos and candles even in the cold and the rain. One question weighs heavily on their minds. What if a German had died and the killer had been one of them? A mere eight hours after the incident happened, the police announced it had been a case of self-defense and no charges would be pressed. The statement was "somewhat unfortunately formulated," admits Cologne police officer Catherine Maus in hindsight. The "unfortunate" wording came at a particularly unfortunate time. "We have too many criminal foreigners," Roland Koch, the conservative governor of the state of Hesse, said in late December. In his re-election campaign, which many observers considered xenophobic (more...), Koch made clear he thought immigrants should assimilate and shouldn't expect Germans to accommodate their cultural practices. Of course, many of the Kalk youths who were born and raised within sight of Cologne's towering cathedral and speak the local German dialect don't consider themselves "foreigners." But Koch's populist attacks still resonated throughout the immigrant community. "Stop this Racist," was the headline in the Turkish newspaper H?rriyet, accompanied by a caricature of the Christian Democrat politician with an extra-long nose. The Social Democrats, the left- wing Left party, the Greens and even a few Christian Democrats distanced themselves from Koch. Only the mass circulation newspaper Bild took his side and delighted in featuring new stories about "foreign" repeat offenders with long criminal records on an almost daily basis. But the people with immigrant backgrounds in Kalk read Bild too. "What's with this crap?" says one irritated young man. "We grew up here, we aren't criminals. So why are we treated differently than other Germans?" 'We Feel like Second-Class Citizens' For more than 40 years, the German mainstream tried to assert that Germany wasn't a "country of immigration." That attitude has had repercussions. Around 72 percent of Germany's 1.7 million Turks -- the largest group of foreigners living in the country -- don't have proper vocational qualifications. Some 40 percent of young people from immigrant families neither study nor pursue a traineeship after they leave school. They do odd jobs or hang around -- and they make up a disproportionate amount of violent offenders. "The city of Cologne does a lot for integration," says police director Michael Temme, who has been keeping a careful eye on how his officers have been policing the demonstrations. But he admits there are "hot spots" in the city, including in Kalk. And so every evening he finds himself wondering if this will be the night when a spark finally ignites the powder keg, if this will be the night when shop windows get shattered and cars go up in flames. "We feel like second-class citizens," says a middle-aged Moroccan man. "It will never stop, maybe it will even get worse," adds a young man. A group of intimidating-looking youths chant: "Salih, Salih!" They want a different kind of justice. It sounds more like a call for revenge. Part 2: The High Cost of Failed Integration "Something needs to happen to shake up Germany," says Social Democratic parliamentarian Lale Akg?n, quoting a phrase made famous by former President Roman Herzog. "We need, at long last, social policies that are based on acceptance, and we need a fundamental reform of both education and social policy," she says. Germans need foreigners and foreigners need Germans, she says. It's an opinion shared by demographers and labor market experts. If people aren't given the opportunity to get vocational skills and qualifications, there will be "mass unemployment with a simultaneous dearth of skilled labor," according to the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). A study commissioned by the Bertelsmann Foundation has calculated that a lack of integration of immigrants in Germany has already cost the country ?16 billion. Many immigrants are unemployed, earn less and pay smaller amounts of tax and social security contributions. The protesters in Cologne's Kalk district know this and that's what makes the situation so explosive. There's a feeling of not getting a fair chance and of being disenfranchised. Around a fifth of foreign children see themselves as being "strongly discriminated against" or "individually disadvantaged," according to a survey by the Germany Youth Institute (DJI) in Munich. More than half feel they are neither respected nor treated equally. "Those are strong opinions that they have formed based on their own experiences," says DJI researcher Jan Skrobanek. "We're not welcome here," says 14-year-old Fatima from Kalk. She ostentatiously pulls down her headscarf to cover her face as she stands in front of Salih's photo. "After elementary school we all get shoved into the Hauptschule," she says, referring to the lowest level of Germany's three-tier high school system. "None of us go to Realschule (apprenticeship-track high school), only Germans go there," she says. Her three older siblings couldn't find a traineeship after finishing high school. Fatima doesn't believe her luck will be any better. Experts agree that youth crime in Germany isn't an ethnic problem, but rather a social one. Immigrant children from middle-class families and those that do well in school generally aren't troublemakers. Those that manage to find an apprenticeship or a job have a "significantly smaller feeling of being disadvantaged," according to youth researcher Skrobanek. "We have to do everything we can to lower the high proportion of 40 percent of young immigrants without vocational qualifications," Maria B?hmer, the German government's commissioner for integration affairs, announced recently. The federal government wants to spend ?350 million over the next three years to work toward that goal. An employer will receive a subsidy of at least ?4,000 if they give an apprenticeship to an applicant that has already unsuccessfully applied for one. It's a beginning. "But immigrants have to do their part as well," insists Social Democrat Lale Akg?n. "They have to give up their attitude of rejection and join society." In a survey carried out by the Center for Turkish Studies in Essen, one-third of immigrant parents admitted that they would have problems with a German son-in-law. Hence, not much can be expected from the older generation -- which makes the future prospects of the children that much worse. "Many children experience an inconsistency in the way that they are raised which they find very challenging," says Haci-Halil Uslucan from the University of Magdeburg. At home they might be raised in a patriarchal fashion that puts an emphasis on obedience, while at school they are taught self-responsibility, individual choice and equality. "This disconnect is extremely difficult to deal with," says Uslucan. Anyone interested in establishing equal opportunities and preventing young immigrants from drifting into criminality has to start promoting language development and education as early as kindergarten, says economist and criminologist Horst Entorf. Salih, the dead teen from Kalk, had never had any run-ins with the police. "He wanted to get his high school diploma," says his 23-year- old brother Abdallah, who is studying electronics. Abdallah was part of the street protests last week. But the more radical protesters made him uneasy. A few days ago, the Moroccan consul general visited Abdallah and his parents. He explained to them that the police investigation had been carried out conscientiously. But Abdallah still wonders whether a foreigner would have been released so quickly. http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14633535 Visa protest: Indian workers to march to White House Monday, 31 March , 2008, 08:48 Washington: Nearly 100 Indian workers, who claim they were lured to move to the US by false promises of permanent jobs, will march up to the White House on Monday and return their H2B visas in a symbolic rejection of the guest worker programme used to traffic them here. For more news, analysis click here>> | For more NRI news click here >> The workers, who complain they underwent "slave-like treatment" at a Mississippi shipyard, will also demand a Congressional investigation of their former employer Signal International. Signal, a Northrop Grumman subcontractor that held them as bonded labourers and is already the subject of a criminal human trafficking investigation by the Department of Justice, a statement issued on behalf of them by the organisers said. Allies from 'Jobs With Justice', a national campaign for workers' rights in United States, will join the workers, who arrived in Washington last week after a nine-day satyagraha, or "journey for justice" from New Orleans to Washington DC. The group is among over 500 Indian welders and pipe-fitters trafficked to the US to work for Signal International after Hurricane Katrina. The workers have filed a major class action anti-racketeering suit against Signal and its US and Indian recruiters in federal court. Last Thursday, the workers had staged a protest rally at Dupont Circle and then marched to the Indian Embassy on Massachussetts Avenue where they had a three-hour meeting with the Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen. They had also demanded a CBI probe into their case. Sen gave the workers and their representatives a patient hearing at the embassy in which he promised to take up their grievances but only though appropriate and established channels. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Arun_Gandhi_son_held_during_protest/articleshow/2817799.cmsArun Gandhi, son held during protest27 Feb 2008, 0204 hrs IST,AGENCIESMUMBAI: Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Arun Gandhi was arrested on Tuesday whiletrying to stage a demonstration, defying prohibitory orders, near the statesecretariat.Gandhi and his activist son, Tushar, were taken to the Marine Drive policestation along with over 20 others, who the police charged with unlawfulassembly. They were released on personal bonds.The protest was against the "unfair treatment" of Gandhi by Zionist groupsin the US. Gandhi was pressured to resign from the MK Gandhi Institute forNon-Violence, Rochester University after his piece on the Palestine-Israelconflict came in for criticism. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 17:45:21 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:45:21 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Protests and unrest in Iraq, Afghanistan, Waziristan Message-ID: <033a01c89e91$fd3c4090$0802a8c0@andy1> IRAQ: * US-allied Sunnis protest sectarian local ruler * Basra protesters demand resignation of top cops over insecurity * Iraqi soldier shoots US "allies" to prevent abuse * Sunni militia stages walkout from US guardposts over civilian deaths * Shiites protest Baghdad crackdown AFGHANISTAN * Women protest aid worker's kidnapping * Thousands rally against ban on pyramid scheme, job losses * Secularists protest death sentence for downloading article * Afghan women protest Danish cartoons, Dutch film * Afghan-Americans protest for women's rights WAZIRISTAN/NWFP * Tribal groups organise anti-insurgent patrols * Tribal militants overwhelm military fort Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://news.corporate.findlaw.com/ap_stories/i/1107/02-09-2008/20080209123504_25.html US-Allied Sunni Tribesmen Protest Bias By LAUREN FRAYER Associated Press Writer BAGHDAD (AP) - Hundreds of U.S.-backed Sunni tribesman shut their offices and rallied northeast of Baghdad Saturday, demanding the resignation of a provincial police chief they accuse of sectarian bias. The demonstration in the city of Baqouba was organized by local Sunni fighters who left the insurgency to work with the Americans in ousting al-Qaida and other militants from their hometowns. The men, whose patrols are credited with tamping down violence in their neighborhoods, in recent months have grown frustrated with the province's Shiite-dominated government. Some have been denied jobs in the Iraqi security forces, and they accuse Gen. Ghanim al-Qureyshi, the Shiite director general of police in Diyala province, of trying to maintain a Shiite majority in the department. "Al-Qureyshi targets Sunnis and kidnaps women," a banner hoisted above the crowd read. A spokesman for al-Qureyshi said the police chief did not want to comment on the protests. The Sunni fighters' threats to end their cooperation underscores the challenges U.S. forces face in managing the relationship with the new allies, who have been credited with helping to uproot al-Qaida in Iraq from strongholds first in Anbar province, west of the capital, and then in difficult districts in Baghdad and satellite cities to the north and south. Elsewhere in the country, Iraqi police arrested 31 Shiite activists in raids south of Baghdad on the third day of U.S.-Iraqi operations in an area that includes several Shiite holy cities. The raids have raised tension with some Shiite tribesmen and fighters who have pledged to halt attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces. Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered a six-month cease-fire for his Mahdi Army militia, but some members have broken away and violated the pledge, which expires later this month. Fifteen of Saturday's arrests were in Karbala, a Shiite holy city 50 miles south of Baghdad. Sixteen others were arrested in a Sadrist area in Nasiriyah, about 200 miles southeast of the capital, police said. Rahman Mshawi, spokesman for Karbala police, said four of the Karbala suspects are members of the Iraq-based People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, or Mujahedeen Khalq. The group was founded in the late 1960s and fled to Iraq in the early 1980s after it fell out with the clerical regime of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. During Saddam Hussein's rule, the movement used Iraq as a base for operations against Iran's government. Thousands of its members remain in Iraq, and both the U.S. and Iraq consider the Khalq a terrorist organization. Khalq issued a statement denying any of its members were arrested in Karbala. The U.S. military announced Saturday that five American soldiers were killed in two roadside bombings the day before. Four died in Baghdad and one in the northern Tamim province. At least 3,958 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. North of Baghdad, Iraqi police said a local al-Qaida in Iraq leader was killed in his home. Abu Omar al-Dori resisted police for about an hour before he was killed early Saturday in Samarra, a mostly Sunni town about 60 miles north of Baghdad, a police officer said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media. Near Baqouba, Iraqi forces found a mass grave with 12 bodies, including three of women, according to police and morgue officials. --- Associated Press writer Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad contributed to this report. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/F4B9AA07-FA1E-4F65-BB25-8813B65325D2.htm Mass protest over Basra insecurity Protesters were demanding the resignations of top police officers [AFP] Thousands of people took to the streets in southern Basra, protesting against deteriorating security in a city where Iraqi forces assumed responsibility for safety last December. A long line of marchers - estimated to be as many as 5,000 people - demonstrated near the Basra police command headquarters on Saturday, demanding that Major General Abdul-Jalil Khalaf, the police chief and Lietenant General Mohan al-Fireji, the commander of joint military-police operation, resign. Many carried banners, decrying the killing of women, workers, academics and scientists. Different Shia groups have been wrestling for control of Basra, Iraq's second-largest city and the urban centre of an oil-rich region. Residents are becoming increasingly alarmed about security, saying that killings, kidnappings and other crimes have increased significantly since British forces turned over responsibility for the city at the end of last year. In February, two journalists working for CBS were kidnapped in Basra. One was released but the other, a Briton, is still being held. Shia protesters Dozens of women were slain in Basra last year because of how they dressed - their mutilated bodies found with notes warning against "violating Islamic teachings". Saturday's protesters, who were mostly men, came from several Shia political movements, including the biggest Shia party, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council and its militia wing, known as the Badr Brigade. Khalaf said at a news conference later that "today's demonstration was a natural right of the citizens and the political parties to express their opinions". He defended the performance of the police, saying they had freed 10 people who were kidnapped in the past 10 days and "detained 64 people accused of carrying out sabotage and terrorist operations all over Basra". Bullet-riddled bodies The protests came as Iraq witnessed more violence. Separate roadside bombings killed six people in Wajihiya, about 25km east of Baquba. In the first attack, a bomb destroyed a car - killing a mother and her two children and wounding two others, including the woman's husband. The second attack hit a bus, killing three men and wounding two others, said a security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Also on Saturday, a mass grave containing about 100 bodies was discovered near Khalis in Diyala province, about 80km north of Baghdad. Colonel Sabah al-Ambaqi of the Iraqi police said the grave was discovered in an orchard near al-Bu Tumaa, a Sunni village outside Khalis. Khalis is a Shia town surrounded by Sunni communities and has been the scene of repeated sectarian attacks.. --------------------------------------------------------------- ** Dahr Jamail's MidEast Dispatches ** ** Visit the Dahr Jamail website http://dahrjamailiraq.com ** Killer of U.S. Soldiers Becomes a Hero Inter Press Service By Ali al-Fadhily and Dahr Jamail* BAGHDAD, Jan 7 (IPS) - The recent killing of two U.S. soldiers by their Iraqi colleague has raised disturbing questions about U.S. military relations with the Iraqis they work with. On Dec. 26, an Iraqi soldier opened fire on U.S. soldiers accompanying him during a joint military patrol in the northern Iraqi city Mosul. He killed the U.S. captain and another sergeant, and wounded three others, including an Iraqi interpreter. Conflicting versions of the killing have arisen. Col. Hazim al-Juboory, uncle of the attacker Kaissar Saady al-Juboory, told IPS that his nephew at first watched the U.S. soldiers beat up an Iraqi woman. When he asked them to stop, they refused, so he opened fire. "Kaissar is a professional soldier who revolted against the Americans when they dragged a woman by her hair in a brutal way," Col. Juboory said. "He is a tribal man, and an Arab with honour who would not accept such behaviour. He killed his captain and sergeant knowing that he would be executed." Others gave IPS a similar account. "I was there when the American captain and his soldiers raided a neighbourhood and started shouting at women to tell them where some men they wanted were," a resident of Mosul, speaking on condition of anonymity, told IPS on phone. "The women told them they did not know, and their men did not do anything wrong, and started crying in fear." The witness said the U.S. captain began to shout at his soldiers and the women, and his men then started to grab the women and pull them by their hair. "The soldier we knew later to be Kaissar shouted at the Americans, 'No, No,' but the captain shouted back at the Iraqi soldier," the witness told IPS. "Then the Iraqi soldier shouted, 'Let go of the women you sons of bitches,' and started shooting at them." The soldier, he said, then ran off. The Association of Muslim Scholars, a Sunni organisation, issued a statement saying the Iraqi soldier had shot the U.S. soldiers after he saw them beat up a pregnant woman. "His blood rose and he asked the occupying soldiers to stop beating the woman," they said in the statement. "Their answer through the translator was: 'We will do what we want. So he opened fire on them." The story was first reported on al-Rafidain satellite channel. That started Iraqis from all over the country talking about "the hero" who sacrificed his life for Iraqi honour. The U.S. and Iraqi military told a different version of the story. An Iraqi general told reporters that Kaissar carried out the attack because he had links to "Sunni Arab insurgent groups." "Soldier Kaissar Saady worked for insurgent groups who pushed him to learn army movements and warn his comrades about them," a captain of the second Iraqi army division told IPS. "There are so many like him in the army and now within the so-called Awakening forces (militias funded by the U.S. military)." One army officer speaking on condition of anonymity described Kaissar's act as heroic. "Those Americans learned their lesson once more." Sheikh Juma' al-Dawar, chief of the major al-Baggara tribe in Iraq, told IPS in Baghdad that "Kaissar is from the al-Juboor tribes in Gayara -- tribes with morals that Americans do not understand." The tribal chief added, "Juboor tribes and all other tribes are proud of Kaissar and what he did by killing the American soldiers. Now he is a hero, with a name that will never be forgotten." Many Iraqis speak in similar vein. "It is another example of Iraqi people's unity despite political conspiracies by the Americans and their tails (collaborators)," Mohammad Nassir, an independent politician in Baghdad told IPS. "Kaissar is loved by all Iraqis who pray for his safety and who are ready to donate anything for his welfare." Col. Juboory said Kaissar who had at first accepted collaboration with the U.S. forces "found the truth too bitter to put up with." The colonel said: "I worked with the Americans because being an army officer is my job and also because I was convinced they would help Iraqis. But 11 months was enough for me to realise that starving to death is more honourable than serving the occupiers. They were mean in every way." Independent sources have since told IPS that Kaissar was captured by a special joint Iraqi-U.S. force, and he is now being held and tortured at the al-Ghizlany military camp in Mosul. Despite a recent decline in the number of occupation forces being killed, 2007 was the deadliest year of the occupation for U.S. troops, with 901 killed, according to the U.S. Department of Defence. (*Ali, our correspondent in Baghdad, works in close collaboration with Dahr Jamail, our U.S.-based specialist writer on Iraq who has reported extensively from Iraq and the Middle East) http://www.democracynow.org/2008/2/18/headlines#5 Sunni Militia Ends Cooperation with U.S. over Civilian Deaths In Iraq, a U.S.-allied militia staged a massive walkout from its guard posts this weekend in protest of U.S. attacks that have killed twelve civilians this month. Members of the group, known as Sons of Iraq, are paid ten dollars a day and issued military vests to fight alongside U.S. forces. But nearly two thousand members abandoned their positions Saturday following a U.S. attack on a town south of Baghdad the day before. Militia members say U.S. forces deliberately opened fire after landing in a helicopter. The group says they will no longer work with the U.S. military. http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2008/03/28/shiites_in_baghdad_protest_crackdown/ Shi'ites in Baghdad protest crackdown Authorities set curfew to quell the violence A man burned an image of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during a protest in the Kazimiyah neighborhood of Baghdad. (Hadi Mizban/Associated Press) Email|Print|Single Page| Text size - + By Tina Susman Los Angeles Times / March 28, 2008 BAGHDAD - In a sign of growing rage against the Iraqi and US governments, tens of thousands of Shi'ites marched in their strongholds across Baghdad yesterday to protest a crackdown on Shi'ite militiamen that has led to more than 125 deaths. more stories like this In speech, Bush points to progress in Iraq. A7 The government announced a curfew across the capital until Sunday in an attempt to quell violence, which has spread to several cities since the offensive began Tuesday in the southern city of Basra. Loyalists of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr rejected US and Iraqi assertions that the Basra operation was aimed at rogue militiamen, and insisted it was targeting Sadr's Mahdi Army militia. A statement released late yesterday by Sadr's political office said the clergyman remained committed to a cease-fire that Sadr imposed on his militia last August. "Moqtada al-Sadr is calling on everyone to follow political solutions and peaceful protest, and not to spill Iraqi blood, to reach a solution to the current crisis," the statement said. But a fourth day of ferocious rocket and mortar attacks in and around the US-guarded Green Zone, home to the US Embassy and most Iraqi government offices, underscored the sense among Shi'ite fighters that the United States and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki were working to cripple Sadr's movement ahead of local elections planned this fall. The US military said the attacks were launched from Shi'ite areas of eastern Baghdad and that American forces killed two "terrorists" yesterday suspected of involvement in the barrages. An American civilian working with the US Embassy was among those killed yesterday when a rocket was fired into the Green Zone in central Baghdad. The showdown has placed Iraqi and US officials in an awkward position. Both have described the Iraqi Security Force crackdown as a sign of Maliki's determination to stabilize areas plagued by fighting between rival Shi'ite militias. But they also are insisting that Sadr's fighters are not the problem, despite his militia's role in such unrest. Mollifying Sadr is crucial if he is to continue his cease-fire, which is credited with helping to reduce violence nationwide. "This is not the Sadr trend led by Sayyid Moqtada Sadr that has been the ongoing source of violence and instability," said a US Embassy spokesman, Philip Reeker. His use of the honorific "Sayyid" was a sign of the United States' attempts to remain on relatively good terms with Sadr. Reeker blamed a "subset" of the Mahdi Army for the violence. "They really are essentially criminal militias, and they are the ones that have been the difficulty in Basra," said Reeker. Such statements have been met with skepticism from Sadr supporters. "They made this crisis because the Sadr movement, they feel, will be an obstacle in the upcoming elections. They feel they won't succeed in the elections," said Abu Ali, a Mahdi Army member in Sadr City. The Baghdad slum is a stronghold of Sadr, and thousands took part in yesterday's march. Ali said violence would soar if Maliki did not halt the operation and meet Sadr's demands for negotiations. "We will be more determined. Enough humiliation," he said. Maliki reiterated his demand that "criminal gangs" causing unrest in Basra should disarm within a three-day deadline that expires tomorrow. "We are capable of facing any forces everywhere. We are determined to eradicate these criminal gangs. There will not be any negotiations with them," he said. Maliki also made a point of not naming Sadr's Mahdi Army as the troublemaker. Scores of people have died since the fighting erupted early Tuesday, including at least 80 in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, police said. They said another 45 people had died in Kut, the capital of Wasit Province, in clashes between militiamen and Iraqi security forces. In Baghdad, the dead have included at least two Americans fatally injured by rockets fired into the Green Zone Sunday and yesterday. The State Department ordered employees yesterday not to go outside without wearing helmets and flak vests, harkening back to the summer when daily bombardments were the norm. At least five barrages hit the Green Zone or nearby neighborhoods yesterday, the US military said. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/world/asia/30afghan.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin Afghan Women Protest Aid Worker's Kidnapping By TAIMOOR SHAH and CARLOTTA GALL Published: January 30, 2008 KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - About 500 Afghan women gathered Tuesday in this southern city to protest the kidnapping of an American aid worker and her Afghan driver and to call for her release. The kidnapped woman, Cyd Mizell, 49, works for the Asian Rural Life Development Foundation and was seized Saturday on her way to work in Kandahar, along with her driver, Abdul Hadi. Afghan officials said that they had no leads on who abducted them and that there had not been any contact with the kidnappers or demands by them. In a strong show of support for Ms. Mizell, who has lived in Kandahar for six years, working on educational projects and women's development, Afghan women's associations called in speeches for officials, elders, ordinary citizens and young people to work for her release. "This is against Islam, this is against Afghan culture, particularly against Kandahari custom, a woman's abduction," said the director of women's affairs in Kandahar, Runa Tareen. "Cydney Mizell was here to help Afghan women. She was living here and was proud and confident that Afghans have a nice culture that does not harm women." Soraya Barna, a member of the provincial council of Kandahar, said: "We are so sad and we want her to be released as soon as possible. We want officials and others to multiply their struggle to find her soon and hope she will be back safely." Taimoor Shah reported from Kandahar, and Carlotta Gall from Kabul. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jWKX5zxSu-K42UPol5zo5udMUqpQ Thousands protest in Afghan capital for banned pyramid scheme Feb 10, 2008 KABUL (AFP) - Around 3,000 mostly young Afghan men marched through Kabul Sunday to demand the government lift a temporary ban on an international money-making scheme. The protesters marched to the gates of the palace of President Hamid Karzai, where they read out a resolution demanding the government lift a temporary order on the Afghan version of the Internet-based QuestNet pyramid scheme. The scheme, in which people encourage others to buy a product over the Internet to become a member, started in Afghanistan two years ago with 600 members and now has about 21,000, head of the Afghan Quest Union, Najmudin Fayaz, told reporters. "We are here to ask for our rights," Fayaz said. "We have been active here for two years and have been given a licence for our business." Kabul issued the scheme a licence two years ago but withdrew it last week, saying it needed to draw up an operating law, leaders of the demonstration said. "If you cannot provide us jobs, don't take our jobs," read one of the banners held up by the demonstrators, many of whom wore Western dress. "Fight corruption, drugs, and warlords -- not IT and information technology," said another, referring to the scheme's use of the Internet. One of the participants, Karim Wasal, said it had rescued him from poverty and helped "make my dreams come true." Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world after three decades of war. There is high unemployment -- although the government releases no figures -- and the development of industry is held back by insecurity, including linked to an extremist insurgency, and the lack of basic infrastructure like electricity. The QuestNet website (www.quest.net) says the scheme, also known as GoldQuest, was set up in 1998 and has a presence in 160 countries. Critics say it is a scam in which few people make any money. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/afghan-protest-he-just-shared-an-article-with-friends-whats-the-problem-776784.html Afghan protest: 'He just shared an article with friends. What's the problem?' AP Members of the Solidarity Party of Afghanistan march during a demonstration in Kabul yesterday to protest against the death sentence on Sayed Pervez Kambaksh By Jerome Starkey in Kabul Friday, 1 February 2008 One the streets of the Afghan capital last night, public opinion on the fate of Sayed Pervez Kambaksh was divided. Residents of Kabul are invariably more secular than people in rural areas but, even so, they have mixed views on whether Mr Kambaksh deserves to die. Madina, a 17-year-old journalism student at Kabul University, said that his execution would represent a terrifying return to Taliban-style injustice, and urged the courts to pardon her fellow student. She said: "They should forgive him. He is young. He is a student. He just printed something off the internet - he should not lose his life. We should not go back to the Taliban times. We should think of something new, we should engage with him, we should talk to him and listen to his opinion." Metra Khonari, a 20-year-old flight attendant, said the case offered a chance to overhaul the legal system. "In a free country, everyone should have the right to criticise religion," she said. "We shouldn't go backwards. Conservative people should not be allowed to victimise the young. It was not a fair trial, the court was not free and he didn't have a proper defence." Under the oppressive Taliban regime Ms Khonari would have been banned from working. She added: "We should reform our justice system because most of the judges have been educated in madrassas. They have not had a proper, modern education." Mr Kambaksh's plight has been widely reported in the Afghan media, and everyone you meet seems to have an opinion. Najibullah, a 25-year-old Kabul shopkeeper, said: "He just shared an article with his friends. He didn't write it, so what's the problem?" Sale Mohammed, a 19-year-old student, said it was up to human rights groups to intervene. "I really disapprove of the court's decision," he added. "He just wanted to show his friends what he had found in a report. I want the human rights commission to help us to release him." Mir Ahmadi Joyinda, an Afghan MP, said: "It is unacceptable and unbelievable. We have laws about the media but he did not have a fair trial. We want him released." But there were also those, young and old, who approved of the sharia court's ruling. Abdul Wasi Tokhi, an 18-year-old student at the American University in Kabul, called for a swift execution. He said: "The guy should be hanged. He was making fun of Islam's rules and regulations. He was making fun of the Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him. You cannot criticise any principles which have been approved by sharia. It is the words of the Prophet." Qari Imam Bakhsh, a Muslim cleric, agreed, saying: "I think he is not a Muslim. A Muslim would not make this kind of mistake. He should be punished so that others can learn from him." http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-04-02-afghan-protest_N.htm Afghan women protest anti-Islam art KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Dozens of Afghan women have burned the Dutch and Danish flags in protest of an anti-Islam cartoon and film. About 70 women chanted slogans against Denmark and the Netherlands during Wednesday's protest outside the Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture. Most wore the all-covering blue burqa. The women called on Danish and Dutch troops to leave Afghanistan. They also urged the Afghan government to shut down their embassies and cut diplomatic relations. The film, made by a Dutch politician, intersperses images of recent terrorist attacks with verses from the Quran and fiery speeches by Islamic extremists. The protesters were also angered by the recent republication of a cartoon showing the Prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban. http://www.mercurynews.com/alamedacounty/ci_8501498?nclick_check=1 Protest to support rights of Afghan women By Lisa Fernandez Mercury News Article Launched: 03/08/2008 01:33:49 AM PST A group of Afghan-Americans is inviting people to take a stand today for women's rights in Afghanistan with a show of support on a Fremont street corner. Rona Popal, executive director of the Fremont-based Afghan Coalition, said she told police she thought 100 people might show up at 1 p.m. on Fremont Boulevard at Thornton Avenue - in an area that's been nicknamed Little Kabul. But she's hoping even more will come. The purpose is to raise awareness about the condition of women living in Afghanistan. While women are now allowed to work and leave the house, they are still treated unequally as traditional thinking, along with Taliban factions, continues to gain a stronghold in the country. "It's just getting worse and worse," Popal said. The backdrop of Fremont's protest is International Women's Day. And the demonstrators will be asking people to sign a petition of solidarity for Afghan women, as well as contact congressional representatives asking them to push for change. Similar protests are occurring in New York and Annandale, Va. Popal said local Afghan-American women were inspired by two women in Ireland who created a women's peace movement in the 1970s to protest violence in Ireland. http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373893 South Waziri Tribesmen Organize Counterinsurgency Lashkar By Andrew Mc Gregor [From: Terrorism Monitor (The Jamestown Foundation, USA) Volume 6, Issue 1 (January 11, 2008)] Four days after the murder of nine members of a government-sponsored peace committee in the Pakistani region of South Waziristan, tribal leaders have vowed to organize a special force of tribesmen to expel foreign militants from the region. The deceased were involved in an attempt to broker a ceasefire between government forces and local militants (PakTribune, January 7). The killings are part of a continuing rash of nighttime assassinations of tribal elders who refuse to cooperate with the Taliban/al-Qaeda insurgency against Pakistan's central government that began in 2004. The growing violence marks the collapse of the conciliatory "Waziristan Accord" negotiated by regional governor Ali Muhammad Jan Orakzai in September 2006. Orakzai resigned on January 6. Maulvi Nazir-a 33-year-old tribal leader also known as Mullah Nazir- is leading the effort to take retribution for the slayings. Most of those killed in the attacks were loyal to him. A former Taliban commander believed to have connections to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI), Nazir has publicly accused Baitullah Mehsud for the killings. Baitullah, appointed as the leader of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan coalition late last year, has also been blamed by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf for the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto on December 27, 2007, a charge Baitullah has denied. Baitullah's ascendance as leader of Pakistan's Taliban began with the death of militant leader Nek Muhammad in a U.S. Hellfire missile attack in June 2004. As a result of Baitullah's alleged involvement in the murders, members of his Mehsud tribe have also been targeted by Nazir's followers, who are members of the rival Ahmadzai Wazir tribe. The Ahmadzai are particularly strong in the western part of South Waziristan, where they control the passes and trade routes into Afghanistan. Vehicles mounted with loudspeakers have been driving around the Wana region, ordering Mehsud tribesmen to leave the area (Daily Times [Lahore], January 9). Shops and markets in the area remain closed in anticipation of renewed violence. The killings were the result of two separate rocket attacks on the evening of January 6. The first, in the regional capital of Wana, killed three; the second, at the office of Maulvi Khanan-a close aide of Maulvi Nazir-in nearby Shakai, killed six and wounded five (Dawn [Karachi], January 8). Immediate retribution took the form of one Mehsud tribesman killed and four abducted the next day (Daily Times, January 9). Forming the Lashkar Thousands of angry tribesmen assembled in a jirga (a tribal meeting to consider important issues) on January 9. Malik Ghaffar, a tribal chief, declared that one man from each house should gather the following day to plan a course of action (Dawn, January 9; Daily Times, January 10). A lashkar is a body of tribesmen formed as a war party to deal with a particular incident. This may be in response to a family feud, a tribal clash or in reaction to a specific government policy. The size of the lashkar is in proportion to the perceived degree of threat [1]. In this case the lashkar will be formed from 600 armed tribesmen. According to tribal elder Meetha Khan, "The lashkar will give two options to those sheltering the foreigners, either to stop sheltering them and return to their tribe, or face the eviction of their families from the area" (AP, January 10). Situation in South Waziristan South Waziristan is one of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of western Pakistan, a region where the central authority of Islamabad is very weak. The region was also highly resistant to British colonial rule, has little infrastructure and is difficult to reach or travel through. Despite the presence of at least 80,000 soldiers from the regular army and the paramilitary Frontier Corps in the region, government control remains light, and is administered through a series of colonial style political agents. Sharia law is enforced through self- appointed leaders like Maulvi Nazir. Technically the area is officially subject to the Frontier Crimes Regulation, a colonial holdover that still incorporates the concept of collective responsibility, which has long been abandoned in most parts of the world. The Ahmadzai, for example, were fined $95,000 in 2004 for failing to stop rocket attacks on federal security forces (BBC, March 4, 2004). Demolition of homes, closure of businesses and seizure of vehicles remain common punishments regardless of the guilt of the individuals so affected. Homes in the region are built like small fortresses, increasing the difficulty of rooting out militant suspects. Violation of the integrity of these homes is regarded as a major offence, while the death of an individual in security operations inevitably leads to a vendetta (badal). The IMU in South Waziristan The Ahmadzai believe that the assassins of the elders are Uzbek militants from the community of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) fighters who crossed into South Waziristan from Afghanistan in 2001. Led by Tahir Yuldash, the Uzbeks had been allowed by the Taliban to take refuge and set up training camps in Afghanistan after a number of setbacks in their Central Asian jihad. Initially trained and led by Uzbek veterans of the Soviet armed forces, the Uzbeks are skilled fighters who have taken on security duties for the al-Qaeda leadership in the tribal regions of Pakistan. Since their arrival the Uzbeks have established successful farms and businesses as well as integrating into the local community through intermarriage. By doing so, the Uzbeks have availed themselves of the powerful local custom of melmastia ("hospitality"), which involves the protection of the host party against all attempts to harm or seize the guest. At the same time the Uzbeks have become involved in local vendettas as guns-for-hire and are blamed for much of the violent crime in the region. This has resulted in a number of violent battles between tribesmen and Uzbek fighters in recent years. Already well-known in Afghanistan as a Taliban commander, Maulvi Nazir made his reputation locally by leading tribesmen in successful attacks against the Uzbeks last year, driving most of them from the Wana Valley in April 2007. The Uzbeks have developed especially close ties to members of the Mehsud tribe but are no longer united under a single leader. Tribal Differences and Rivalries There are indications that the murders of the Ahmadzai leaders may be part of an intra-clan struggle for leadership of the Ahmadzai. According to one report, Maulvi Nazir's brother and rival, Noorul Islam, has claimed responsibility for the attacks as retaliation for Maulvi Nazir's alliance with the government and his initiation of a war against the Uzbeks. According to Noorul, "Maulvi Nazir is the government's agent and he will pay a heavy price for killing mujahideen" (Udayavani, January 10). Not all members of the Mehsud tribe support Baitullah's growing feud with the Ahmadzai: a jirga of 80 Mehsud elders met with Baitullah's followers on January 8 to try to defuse a potentially devastating tribal war. Nazir is a member of the small Kakakhel sub-clan of the Ahmadzai and achieved dominance over larger and traditionally stronger groups within the tribe such as the Zalikhel clan and the Yargulkhel sub- clan through the political and military support of the Afghan Taliban and the ISI. There are other local Taliban leaders, however, like Hajji Umar-a Yargulkhel and brother of the late Nek Muhammad- who oppose Maulvi Nazir. Conclusion Even though Baitullah Mehsud has denied involvement in the assassinations of the Ahmadzai elders, his men continue to attack Pakistani security forces in South Waziristan. A rocket attack on a security post at Chugmalai on January 7 killed one and injured three. Three security men were abducted the next day near Mouli Khan Sarai (Daily Times, January 9; Udayavani, January 10). Security forces responded with mortar attacks on Mehsud targets. Militants have also cut off food and water supplies to the security forces' fort at Laddah (Dawn, January 8). Interim Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz announced that Pakistan's intelligence agencies and the Pakistani army have begun a joint operation to take Baitullah Mehsud alive in order to "trace his accomplices," but denied rumors that foreign agencies would take part in the hunt (Daily Times, January 8). There have been reports in U.S. newspapers in the last few weeks that the Bush administration was considering inserting U.S. Special Forces and CIA operatives into the tribal regions of Pakistan (New York Times, January 5; Washington Post, January 6). It would be a mistake to regard Maulvi Nazir as either pro- Washington or pro-Islamabad. Nazir acts in his own interest, those of his clan and those of his tribe and will ally himself with anyone he perceives may further those interests. His extended family owns property on both side of the Afghan-Pakistani border and he travels freely between the two without interference from the Afghan Taliban. The apparently impending explosion of violence in the Waziristan frontier region will only create further instability that can be exploited by the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Notes 1. Sher Muhammad Mohmand, The Pathan Customs, Peshawar, 2003, p.42 http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373914 Pakistan's Frontier Corps Struggles to Hold Forts against Taliban Attacks By Rahimullah Yusufzai [From: Terrorism Focus (The Jamestown Foundation, USA) Volume 5, Issue 3 (January 22, 2008)] On the night of January 15, the Sararogha Fort manned by Pakistan's paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) fell to Islamic militants in a remote part of the South Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan (The News [Islamabad], January 17). It was the first time in the 60-year history of the country that a military fort was lost to a non-state group and had most of its defenders killed or captured. This was the second embarrassing defeat in recent months for Pakistan's armed forces in South Waziristan, where military operations were launched in early 2004 to hunt down militants suspected of links with al-Qaeda and the Taliban. On August 30 last year, some 300 besieged Pakistan Army soldiers surrendered without firing a shot to the same group of tribal militants led by Pakistani Taliban military commander Baitullah Mehsud (The News, August 31, 2007). They were held hostage for more than two months and were exchanged on November 4 for 25 of Mehsud's men as a result of mediation by the 21-member jirga (council) of tribal elders and clerics belonging to the Mehsud Pashtun tribe. Though Mehsud secured freedom for some of his most loyal fighters- including four who had been convicted and jailed on terrorism charges-he was angry that seven others were not freed despite a promise reportedly made by military authorities to the jirga. To press the government to release his men and accept his other demands, Mehsud ordered the abduction of security forces personnel while his spokesman, Maulvi Omar, claimed that around 100 troops were now in Taliban custody. In retaliation, the government arrested Mehsud tribesmen, mostly detained under the "collective responsibility clause" of the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) that empowers government administrators in tribal areas to apprehend anyone without specifying any charge and deny bail to the accused. The implementation of such questionable laws, together with the ongoing shelling and bombing of the entire area populated by the Mehsud tribe by long-range artillery guns and Cobra gunship helicopters, has fuelled anger against the security forces and enabled the Taliban militants to recruit more fighters. Under the February 2005 Sararogha peace agreement concluded between commander Mehsud and the government, and following last November's prisoners' swap, the Pakistan Army withdrew regular soldiers from five forts located in South Waziristan territory populated by the Mehsud tribe. Only 41 FC troops-including civilian employees such as cooks and barbers-were left to defend the Sararogha Fort, sited on a ridge overlooking the Razmak-Jandola road in hostile Taliban- controlled territory (Dawn [Karachi], January 18). The British-era fort-which, like the other forts, was meant to serve as a forward military base-was stormed by around 400 Taliban fighters armed with light and heavy weapons including mortars, rocket-launchers and machineguns at 9 PM on January 15. Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar maintained that the fort was captured an hour later by breaching one of its walls. Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas insisted that the hopelessly outnumbered troops put up a brave resistance for six hours. He put the number of dead soldiers at seven and listed another 20 as missing. According to the general, 12 soldiers managed to escape and reach another military fort at Jandola, which is located about 15 miles away. General Abbas also claimed that 40 militants were killed in the fighting. The Taliban spokesman, on the other hand, conceded the death of only two of their fighters and claimed that 16 FC men were killed and another 14 captured. The military and the militants continued to make conflicting claims when another FC fort at Siplatoi was overrun by Mehsud's men. The Taliban militants insisted that 60 paramilitary soldiers based at the fort surrendered peacefully and were forgiven, though the military rejected this claim (Dawn, January 18). Other reports insist the garrison escaped to the nearby fort at Chagmalai (al- Jazeera, January 17). The Taliban also continued to fire rockets and mortars at the fort in Ladah, which was better defended with more than 200 paramilitary soldiers. Supplying the Ladah Fort has become difficult due to control of the supply lines by Taliban fighters and their supporters. The military is now trying to advance into the Taliban-held territory in a pincer-movement from Razmak, Shakai and Jandola in an apparent bid to relieve the embattled forts and flush out the militants. That may not be easy to achieve considering the failure of similar military efforts in the past. However, the military is under pressure to regain control of the forts and improve defenses against future Taliban attacks. Heavy fighting involving aircraft and artillery is ongoing in the Ladah and Jandola regions following an attempted Taliban ambush of a military convoy near Chagmalai (Daily Times [Lahore], January 19). The fall of Sararogha Fort showed once more that the Frontier Corps- which is drawn from Pashtun tribes and has officers from the Pakistan Army-has become a demoralized force after suffering repeated losses at the hands of the Taliban fighters. Desertions from its ranks have increased and fresh recruitment drives are failing to meet targets. Progress in the U.S.-funded plans to better train and equip the paramilitary soldiers has been slow. More importantly, the Pashtun tribesmen serving in the force are not sufficiently convinced that the war against fellow tribal members is in the interest of Pakistan and Islam. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 17:53:47 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:53:47 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Palestine protests Message-ID: <033b01c89e93$2b161df0$0802a8c0@andy1> * Thousands protest Gaza assault in Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem and across West Bank * Thousands also rally in Gaza itself, form human chain * Gazans break through wall to buy food in Egypt * Hundreds protest siege of Gaza in East Jerusalem * Activists protest at Gaza border crossing * Solidarity rallies in Jordan, New York, Syria, Egypt, Israel * Activists seek to cross from Egypt to bring aid * Fights between Hamas, Fatah activists at Ramallah protest * Scottish solidarity activists target Israeli fundraising event * Protest in London over Israel Turin invitation * In Canada, protesters disrupt Israeli ambassador's speech * Jaffa to be focus of Palestinian Land Day protest * Protests continue in Bil'in; international activist jailed * Long list of Gaza solidarity protests * Angry Arabs in Israel protest police impunity for killings Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C03%5C03%5Cstory_3-3-2008_pg4_8 Palestinians protest over Israel's assault on Gaza NABLUS: Thousands of Palestinians swarmed onto streets across the West Bank on Sunday to protest Israel's deadly assault on Gaza Strip. Around 4,000 people demonstrated in the northern town of Nablus, chanting "National unity". Around 2,000 people gathered in the West Bank political capital Ramallah, waving flags of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party and green flags of the Islamist Hamas movement. The crowd called for unity among the two largest Palestinian factions, bitterly divided since Hamas drove Abbas's pro-Fatah security forces from Gaza in a week of bloody clashes in June. Later, the chanting grew more ominous. "Fatah, you know what to do... send me to Afula," one young man yelled, referring to a northern Israeli town near the West Bank hit by several suicide bombings during the early years of the latest Palestinian uprising. "Martyrdom operation!" he called out as the crowd repeated the line in chorus. Meanwhile, in the southern town of Hebron, 15 people were wounded by rubber bullets in another demonstration when protesting youths threw stones at Israeli forces, said medics. afp http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jGjjxi7m7wXa5t32ls5pGRadARWw Palestinians protest over Israel's assault in Gaza Mar 2, 2008 NABLUS, West Bank (AFP) - A teenager was killed and more than 70 people were wounded on Sunday when thousands of Palestinians swarmed onto streets across the West Bank in protest at Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip. A 13-year-old boy was killed in clashes with Israeli soldiers in the southern town of Hebron, Palestinian medics said, amid initial confusion over whether he had been killed by live or rubber bullets. At least 70 other people were wounded by rubber bullets in and around the flashpoint town when protesters began throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers, medics said. One demonstrator was shot in the head and severely wounded, they added. Another five protesters were wounded by gunshots to the legs in clashes south of the West Bank political capital of Ramallah, officials at the city's hospital said. And three others were wounded in clashes with Israeli forces around Bethlehem, where some 1,000 demonstrators gathered outside the Church of Nativity, revered as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Across the West Bank demonstrators protested against an Israeli blitz on Gaza that has killed at least 70 people, including children and women, in less than two days. In the biggest gathering, around 4,000 people demonstrated in the northern town of Nablus, chanting "National unity! National unity!" Around 2,000 people in Ramallah waved the flags of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party and also the green flags of his rivals in the Islamist Hamas movement. They called for unity among the two largest Palestinian factions, bitterly divided since Hamas drove Abbas's pro-Fatah security forces from Gaza in a week of bloody clashes last June. Later the chants grew more ominous. "Fatah, you know what to do... send me to Afula!" yelled one young man, referring to a northern Israeli town near the West Bank that was hit by several suicide bombings during the early years of the latest Palestinian uprising. "Martyrdom operation!" he called out. The crowd echoed him. In a more subdued demonstration, some 500 schoolchildren marched peacefully through the streets of Jericho near the Joranian border, waving Palestinian flags. In mostly Arab east Jerusalem and in the winding alleys of the Old City most shops closed their doors in a gesture of solidarity with Gaza, which has declared a three-day period of mourning for the victims. Protests were also held in the Gaza Strip itself, where some 1,000 Fatah supporters demonstrated in Khan Yunis in a rare public show of support for the pro-Abbas movement in the Hamas-ruled territory. http://voanews.com/english/2008-02-29-voa74.cfm Thousands of Palestinians Protest Deadly Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza By VOA News 29 February 2008 Palestinian children wear white and fake blood as they march during a rally against Israeli strikes in Gaza, 29 Feb 2008 Tens of thousands of Palestinians rallied in the Gaza Strip Friday to denounce Israel's deadly airstrikes this week, as a senior Israeli official threatened a widescale invasion to stop rocket fire from the territory. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh told the rally that the Islamic militant group will not be deterred by Israeli military action. Israeli airstrikes this week in Hamas-controlled Gaza have killed at least 32 people, about half of them civilians. Palestinian militants have fired scores of rockets, including one that killed an Israeli civilian Wednesday. Also today, Israel's deputy defense minister told Israeli radio the Jewish state has no choice, but to launch a widescale military operation in Gaza. He said Israel will use all of its power to defend itself. He said the more Palestinians intensify rocket fire and extend the reach of the rockets, the bigger the "shoah" they will bring upon themselves. "Shoah" is the Hebrew word for holocaust or disaster. An Israeli spokesman says the deputy defense minister used the word to denote a disaster, not as a reference to the Holocaust. On Thursday, Palestinian gunmen carried out their deepest rocket attack ever on Ashkelon, an Israeli coastal city of about 120,000 people, about 40 kilometers from Tel Aviv. Previously, the militants had mostly targeted Sderot, a small town near Gaza. A Hamas official said the Islamic militant group targeted Ashkelon in response to escalating Israeli airstrikes. http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=164115 Thousands of Palestinians protest deadly Israeli raids GAZA CITY (Agencies) -- Tens of thousands of Palestinians on Friday protested against deadly Israeli raids as the Zionist regime mulled a major ground invasion in Gaza. The demonstrators poured into the streets throughout the impoverished and isolated territory in response to Hamas calls to denounce Israel's air strikes, whose victims include several children. "They've killed my right to childhood," read a sign held by a child, clad in a red-stained white funeral shroud, who attended a large rally in the northern town of Jabaliya. Among the protesters in Gaza City was Khalil al-Hayyah, a Hamas leader who lost a 25-year-old son in an Israeli air strike on Thursday. "We will never recognize Israel, even it it assassinates all our leaders and kills our children," he shouted to the crowd. A senior Hamas official earlier told worshippers at a Gaza City mosque that the coastal strip which the Islamic Resistance Movement has ruled for more than eight months was faced with war. "Gaza today faces a real war, a crazy war led by the enemy against our people," said Ismail Haniya, the premier in a Hamas-led government which Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas fired after the Islamists seized control of Gaza. Haniya lashed out at the U.S. administration, which he said backs the Israeli attacks by portraying them as "legitimate self-defense." He also accused the Arab world of "encouraging the Israeli aggression" through its silence. The 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) later Friday condemned the Israeli raids and urged the United Nations to rein in Israel. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/26/gaza.israel Gazans link hands in protest at Israeli blockade ? Low turnout foils attempt to form 25-mile chain ? Boy, 9, badly wounded by Palestinian rocket attack Toni O'Loughlin in Jerusalem The Guardian, Tuesday February 26 2008 This article appeared in the Guardian on Tuesday February 26 2008 on p20 of the International section. It was last updated at 00:40 on February 26 2008. Palestinians hold hands during a protest calling for the end to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip in front of the destroyed metal border wall between Egypt and Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, February 25, 2008. Photograph: Eyad Bada/AP Thousands of Palestinians mounted a public protest against Israel's blockade on Gaza yesterday but the turnout fell short of the 40,000 to 50,000 that organisers had hoped would form a 25-mile human chain from north to south of the strip. While ordinary Palestinians protested peacefully, militants launched several rockets at southern Israel, badly wounding a nine-year-old in the town of Sderot. Jamal al-Khadary, of the People's Committee Against the Siege, which organised the protest, said neither the low turnout nor the rockets marred their message to the international community. "The important thing is to tell the world about what's happening in Gaza," he said. The organisers were hoping to repeat Hamas's success last month when it buoyed community spirit and drew international attention to the human effect of Israel's isolation of Gaza by blasting open the wall on the border between the impoverished territory and Egypt. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians streamed across to buy food, medicines, building materials and other items in short supply as a result of the blockade. Israel feared a similar breach would occur yesterday and put its military on high alert, deploying extra troops and police officers around Gaza's perimeter. "Israel will work to avoid a deterioration of the situation but declares unequivocally that Hamas must assume full responsibility if that happens," Israel's foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, and its defence minister, Ehud Barak, said in a joint statement. But yesterday's protest in Gaza was largely peaceful except for a group of young Palestinians who broke away at the end and hurled stones at the Israeli army, who fired their guns into the air in retaliation. The army detained 49 people. Israel's air force also killed three Hamas militants and wounded at least four in two strikes on Gaza early yesterday before the protest began. Israel began its economic siege last June in an attempt to isolate Hamas after it took control of Gaza. The militant Islamic group refuses to acknowledge the Jewish state's right to exist. Hamas and other militant groups have retaliated by launching rockets and mortar shells into Israeli suburbs. The pressure of the blockade, which has plunged Gaza into poverty, has also caused anger among those who voted for Hamas in 2006 in the belief that it would clean up corruption and improve services. Some analysts said yesterday's protest was partially an attempt at rebuilding confidence among Gazans. "In their election promises to the people, it wasn't [about] jihad, it was about change and reform, meaning a better life, better services, more freedom of movement," said Shalom Harrari at the Institute for Counter Terrorism in Herzliya. "But on the contrary, life has become 100% worse because of internal factional fighting and the closure of the borders." An International Crisis Group analyst, Nick Pelham, added that Hamas needed to "convince the population that their way was going to work" and as a result, it was "re-examining political and military options" for reopening Gaza. http://www.kansascity.com/news/world/story/505451.html Gaza protest worries Israel By Rushdi abu Alouf and Richard Boudreaux Los Angeles Times BEIT HANOUN, Gaza Strip | As Israelis watched nervously from across the border, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip staged parallel protests Monday against the Jewish state. They placed a few thousand placard-waving demonstrators along the main highway and fired five rockets into Israel. One of the rockets injured 10-year-old Yossi Haimov in the town of Sderot as an air-raid siren sent him and his 8-year-old sister rushing for cover against a wall. He underwent surgery for severe shrapnel wounds in his right shoulder. Israel had braced for a day of trouble. Incoming rocket fire is a near-daily occurrence in Sderot and other communities near Gaza, but after a civic group linked to Hamas called for a human chain of 40,000 people along the strip's 25-mile length, the army sent troops to prevent a mass storming of the border. Thousands of Israeli troops and police were deployed along the border fence and were backed, according to Israeli media reports, by an artillery battery and a team of snipers. Turnout for the 2?-hour demonstration, a protest against Israel's blockade of the coastal enclave, fell far below expectations. As the crowd dispersed, about 200 people tried to march to the border, but Hamas police turned most back. About 40 teenage boys believed to have been throwing rocks were arrested by Israeli border guards. Palestinian organizers attributed the low turnout to bad weather. Stepped-up rocket fire from Gaza last month prompted a tightening of sanctions, causing chronic shortages of vital supplies of food, medical supplies, fuel and electricity. This week, Gaza hospitals reported running low on gasoline for ambulances. Hamas' response to the tighter restrictions alarmed Israeli leaders: Militants used explosives last month to knock down part of the wall along Gaza's border with Egypt, enabling hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to pour across and buy scarce goods. Predictions had reached a point of hysteria on Israel's airwaves in the run-up to Monday's demonstration. Effie Eitam, an ultranationalist member of the Israeli parliament, told Israel Radio: "The mob will stream into our territory. . It will be the end of the state of Israel." Palestinian organizers said that was never the intention. "This is a peaceful event aimed to send a message to the world that the people of Gaza want to live in freedom," said Jamal Khoudary, an independent Palestinian lawmaker whose Popular Committee Against the Siege staged the protest. Munir Dwayet, a Palestinian taxi driver who ferried demonstrators to the gathering points, told Israel Radio: "I hope this punishment will end and calm will return to the people of Sderot as well as to the Palestinians." http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=04c37b9a-4def-47b5-a823-b60d13216f65 Gazans defy Egyptian riot police Border remains open as Hamas bulldozers make second breach Matthew Fisher in Jerusalem and Lamia Radi in Rafah, Egypt, The Ottawa Citizen; with files from Agence France-Presse Published: Saturday, January 26, 2008 Egyptian security forces trying to shut the border with Gaza were no match yesterday for impoverished Gazans given a feverish glimpse of freedom and the creaking shelves of goods in Rafah. "Let us live, don't shut us out," hundreds chanted as they laid siege to shops in the border town for a third consecutive day, resisting initially determined attempts by the border police to turn them back. Many surged through new breaches in the border wall forged by Hamas militants using a bulldozer, in brazen defiance of security forces. Rather than take forceful action against the Gazans, who had been under a stringent economic blockade by Israel since Hamas routed Fatah in a brief but bloody civil war in the territory, Egyptian forces retreated from the chaos for the night, leaving the border once again totally open. The failure of Egyptian security forces to re-establish sovereignty over the border and the small Egyptian border town of Rafah has been a sharp embarrassment to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's government. The audacious new rupture in the border, which came amid the crackle of gunfire from the Gazan side, was observed by bearded gunmen wearing the black shirts and trousers of Hamas, the radical Islamist group, which seized power in Gaza seven months ago. As night fell, throngs of people continued to cross back and forth over the sundered wall, making a mockery of earlier announcements by Egyptian security forces that the border would be closed by 1300 GMT. Stores were doing a brisk trade as Gazans snapped up Chinese-made motorbikes, aluminum pots, potato chips, linen bed covers and cement, despite the fact that rising demand meant rising prices. "We need everything back there. Even if you have money, you'll find nothing to spend it on," said Mushir al-Shawwa, a Palestinian from Gaza, as a fuel tanker quickly found itself under siege. Palestinians carrying plastic jerrycans tried to convince the driver not to deliver his cargo to the local gas station, but to sell it to them instead. The security forces were barring goods trucks carrying everything from blankets to motorbikes from crossing the Suez Canal on their way from Cairo to replenish Rafah's rapidly depleting stocks. Egypt now faces the hard choice of sending reinforcements to close the border or find another way out of the crisis. In an attempt to find a solution, Mr. Mubarak invited leaders from Hamas and Fatah to meet in Cairo, Reuters reported last night. Hamas has spoken before of its ambition to jointly manage the Rafah Crossing with Egypt and Fatah representatives, who remain the internationally recognized leaders of the Palestinian Authority. There was also to be a meeting about Gaza in Jerusalem tomorrow between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. One of many reasons why Mr. Mubarak has tried to keep Hamas at a distance -- and its members out of Egypt -- is the fear that the group, which is on western terrorist watch lists, might embolden the country's own restive Islamic radicals. If Egypt relaxes its strict border controls, the move would trouble Israel and incur the wrath of the United States, which provides billions of dollars in annual aid. For Israel, which has been tightening its blockade of the territory for months because Hamas does not recognize the Jewish state's right to exist, the latest drama presents a quandary. It has opposed Hamas having anything to do with Gaza's border with Egypt, but would like nothing better than to pass on to Egypt responsibility for providing all essential services to the enclave and its 1.5 million Palestinians -- an option Cairo has categorically rejected. The latest crisis arose after Israel cut off all fuel shipments to Gaza in retaliation for a huge increase in the number of rockets and mortar attacks by Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees and Hamas on its border communities. Months of retaliatory air strikes and several limited ground incursions have also failed to halt the rocket and artillery barrage. "This has not been good for both Israel and Egypt. Both countries are in a delicate situation" said Moshe Ma'oz, professor emeritus of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at Hebrew University. "This has not been about shopping (for Israel) but about arms smuggling. It is not good for Egypt if its border is not respected, but it has to respect the opinion of its own population, which is sympathetic to the Palestinians." Meir Litvak of Tel Aviv University's Dayan Centre said that what Hamas had achieved on the Egyptian border was "a propaganda coup. ''They have obviously outmanoeuvred Israel,'' he said. ''It will be difficult now for Israel to make a complete siege. What has happened at the Egyptian border has weakened that strategy. It will be hard for Israel to go back to the status quo." Mr. Litvak, who is an expert on Islamic radicalism, added that while opening the border with Egypt poses more security problems for Israel, it also undermines the Palestinian argument that Gaza is under Israeli occupation. "The Palestinians cannot have it both ways. If the Gaza border is open, then Gaza is not closed. And this is not a bad thing for Israel." Whatever happens to resolve the tense border situation, "Mubarak may be forced to get more involved in Gaza," Mr. Litvak said. Another academic, Barry Rubin, director of Israel's Global Research in International Affairs Centre, disputed the contention that Hamas had scored propaganda points by its action on the border with Egypt. "I am not surprised by this perception, but it's a defeat," the historian and Israeli political columnist said. "There has been a lot of criticism of Hamas in the international media for how they have exaggerated the humanitarian situation in Gaza. "We all know Hamas talks a big game. What they tell the media is one thing. They have to pay attention to erosions in their public support and how angry Israel gets because that is what effects the number of rockets that Hamas launches. ''The question for Israel is what really works to keep the rocket attacks below a certain level. Sanctions will remain. Objectively, the pressure is still on." An option that has been much discussed by Israeli academics, the media and politicians is the possibility of Israel reoccupying Gaza, from which it withdrew its forces and 8,500 settlers in 2005. "Yes, we can occupy Gaza again, but it will cost both sides dearly, and then what?" Mr. Ma'oz said. "All in all, there is no military solution. Israel must think of an alternative to starving the Palestinians. This never works. It makes them identify more closely with their leadership. "Perhaps this is an opening for Israel to talk indirectly with Hamas. The only way may be to talk with Hamas, even if they don't acknowledge our right to exist." http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-gaza23jan23,1,1493829.story?coll=la-headlines-world Gaza border breached; thousands flood into Egypt Palestinians protesting Egyptian cooperation with Israel's blockade crash a crossing gate, curtailing a resumption of aid. By Rushdi abu Alouf and Richard Boudreaux, Special to The Times January 23, 2008 GAZA CITY -- Masked gunmen used explosives to blow holes in the Gaza Strip's border fence early today, enabling thousands of Palestinians to pour into Egypt to buy food, fuel and other supplies that had been cut off because of an Israeli blockade, witnesses said. Egyptian and Palestinian border guards did not resist the mass crossing at the Rafah terminal. Witnesses said Palestinian security officials later closed some of the breaches but kept two open, allowing Gazans to cross into Egypt and return with milk, cigarettes and plastic bottles of fuel. Hundreds of Gaza women had crashed a gate at the same border Tuesday to protest Egypt's cooperation with Israeli sanctions. They were turned back during a riot that injured 35 people and curtailed a resumption of food aid to the impoverished territory. Gaza came under total blockade Thursday after a sharp increase in Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel. The attacks continued Tuesday, but at a reduced rate, with more than 20 rockets landing harmlessly. Israel nonetheless eased the blockade Tuesday by delivering 317,000 gallons of diesel fuel for Gaza's shut-down power plant and for near-empty backup generators at hospitals. By evening, lights were back on in much of this capital after a two-day blackout. But the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and the World Food Program said the border disturbance prevented 14 of the 24 truckloads of aid they had dispatched to Gaza from getting in. The two agencies supply food donations to about three-fourths of Gaza's 1.5 million people. The trouble started at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt during a protest organized by the Islamic militant group Hamas. About 400 women chanted accusations against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, calling him a coward for sticking to an agreement with the United States and Israel to keep the border closed most of the time and Gaza's Hamas-led government isolated. The crowd surged against a tall metal gate and broke through, spilling into a no man's land between Gaza and Egyptian territory. Demonstrators hurled rocks at Egyptian police officers, who drove them back with clubs, tear gas and water cannons. Hamas border guards waded into the crowd to help restore calm. But their warning shots appeared to inflame the situation, prompting Egyptian police to start shooting too. An Egyptian policeman and a Palestinian demonstrator were wounded, medical authorities said. Nine other Egyptian police officers and 24 other protesters were injured in the hourlong melee. For a few hours Tuesday, Israel had allowed truckloads of food to pass through its Kerem Shalom crossing into Egypt en route to Gaza through the Rafah crossing. But the disorder prompted Israel to close the Kerem Shalom terminal early. Goods that got through were distributed quickly to Gazans standing in long lines. A shipment of cooking gas from Israel was gone in an hour. But gasoline stations and most bakeries remained closed. Hospitals pooled scarce fuel to maintain surgery and intensive care units while coping with dwindling medical supplies and a lack of central heat. Israeli officials said the food shipments would resume today, along with deliveries of enough diesel to keep the power plant operating for a week. The plant supplies electricity to most of Gaza City and about one-third of the Gaza Strip. European Union officials, who are handling the diesel deliveries, said Israel had authorized them indefinitely. But Shlomo Dror, an Israeli Defense Ministry spokesman, said he knew of no such deal. He said the government would reassess the situation each week. Israel agreed Monday to ease the blockade after intense criticism from the United Nations and European and Arab governments. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, speaking to reporters en route to Berlin, said Tuesday that U.S. officials also had voiced concern "about the importance of not allowing a humanitarian crisis to unfold" in Gaza. Israeli officials insisted this week that Gazans were not on the brink of a crisis and that the measures were a justified reaction to rocket and mortar attacks by Hamas and other militant groups that call for the Jewish state's destruction. International relief workers gave a bleaker picture. They said the effects of the closure highlighted how fragile Gaza's network of essential services has become since June, when Hamas' violent takeover of the territory prompted Israel to cut off most cross-border commerce and start restricting fuel and aid deliveries. "In terms of the supplies coming in today, welcome as they are, they are nothing but the first step," John Ging, head of the U.N. relief agency in Gaza, told Reuters news agency Tuesday. Without a sustained flow of aid shipments, "we will face another disaster very quickly," he said. Palestine Resistance News posted at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Revolutionary_Diary/ Thousands participate in demonstration in Nazareth, Palestine demanding end to siege on Gaza In response to a call by Abna'a el-Balad, Tajammu' (the Democratic National Assembly) and the Islamic Movement, thousands of Palestinians gathered in the Court of the well of the Virgin Mary in the city of Nazareth, where the march began, before proceeding down Paul VI street. The demonstration demanded the immediate breaking of the siege on Gaza and called for national unity between all Palestinians, in Palestine and in exile. The demonstrators chanted, praising the Palestinian resistance before concluding with a rally. Comrade Rawia Shanti, member of the Political Bureau of Abna'a el-Balad, spoke at the rally, stressing on the continuation of resistance until victory and the establishment of the Palestinian state on the entire land of Palestine. Comrade Shanti said, "Our people in Gaza are under siege, which is a part of the siege that is being imposed on the Palestinian people in their entirety. Our people in the occupied homeland since 1948 are also under siege. Thirty martyrs have fallen since October 2000 and more than 150 of our activists and leaders are in the Israeli prisons." She accused Israeli leaders and generals of being war criminals, and called for Palestinian national unity to uphold Palestinian national constants, particularly the right to return and self-determination. Sheikh Raed Salah, of the Islamic Movement, called upon Abu Mazen and Ismail Haniyeh to establish national unity government to confront the U.S. terrorism and Israeli occupation and to confront the pressure imposed upon our people. Sheikh Salah said, "Every so-called 'agreement' that prevents us from reaching to Al-Aqsa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, we will put it under our foot and crush it." Sheikh Salah directed a statement to the U.S. government, "You cannot force us to compromise by using the milk of our children as a weapon. We tell you that we will crush your U.S. dollars. We will not bow." The General Secretary of the Democratic National Assembly, Awad Abdelfattah, in his speech, warned from the international conspiracy against the Palestinian people. He said that "the crime in Gaza is an American/Israeli-made crime. Its objective is to deepen the Palestinian internal division." He further called upon all Palestinian parties to return to the national dialogue without conditions. He said to them, "Have mercy on our people in exile and in Palestine." Abdelfattah questioned the Palestinian leadership, "How can you sit with the Israelis and you cannot have a dialogue with your brothers?" He ended his remarks with "Death to occupation" and "Break the siege on Gaza immediately." Other speeches were delivered in the rally by representatives of various Palestinian organizations, particularly from the Popular Committee to End the Siege on Gaza, who distributed a statement calling for an immediate end of the siege and calling for support and solidarity for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3497082,00.html East Jerusalem: Hundreds protest Gaza siege Hundreds of Palestinians gather near Nablus Gate in show of solidarity with Gaza's residents and in protest of Israel's sanctions against Strip Ali Waked Published: 01.21.08, 20:21 / Israel News Hundreds of Palestinians attended a rally held near the Nablus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem Monday evening in protest of the Israeli siege on Gaza, and the cutting of fuel supply to the Strip, which Palestinians claim has led to extensive power outages across the Strip. The protesters lit candles, held up PLO flags and chanted slogans against the closure. Some shouted, "With our spirit and our blood we shall redeem you, Gaza," and "Allahu Akbar," and called on the Strip's residents to stay strong and fight for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Rally in Jerusalem (Photo: Ali Waked) One Palestrina in woman who attended the march told Ynet that the Palestinians should unite against "the cruel siege on the Gaza Strip" and fight the occupation together. Another young protester said, "I'm a Fatah member, but there's no difference between Fatah and Hamas on this issue. The sick and the old who are suffering from the blackouts don't care about the political conflict, they just want to live." Most of the businesses and shops in east Jerusalem remained closed Monday, as a show of solidarity with Gaza's residents. Efrat Weiss contributed to the report http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/960847.html Last update - 00:02 05/03/2008 Thousands protest IDF Gaza offensive in Umm al-Fahm By Yoav Stern, Jonathan Lis, and Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondents Tags: Balad, Umm el-Fahm, Hadash "Don't forget that Umm al-Fahm is the underground name for Palestine," Mayor Sheikh Hashem Abd al-Rahman told the thousands of demonstrators who gathered at one of the city's soccer fields Tuesday to protest against the Israel Defense Forces recent operation in the Gaza Strip. "Our city's streets are narrow but in the hearts of its people there is room for all... Use caution as you leave," he said in a fatherly tone to those who came to the city for the demonstration. The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee decided to hold the demonstration in the city's old center, away from the main road, in order to prevent clashes between hotheaded youths and the police officers deployed on the city's outskirts. Despite this precaution, the police reported that some rocks were thrown at cars at the intersection leading to the city. No damage or injuries were reported. Two young men were arrested. Advertisement As is usual at mass events in Umm al-Fahm, ushers from the Islamic Movement were stationed at intersections to direct the demonstrators as efficiently as possible. The city's topography foiled the best intentions of the organizers, however, as the streets leading to the main venue became clogged. Demonstrators were forced to spend at least 15 minutes climbing the steep byways just to get to the parade's starting point. Arab community leaders expressed satisfaction with the turnout, although the initial estimates of the crowd numbers proved to be exaggerated. "I would have expected twice as many people," one Arab politician told Haaretz, "but apparently people knew there were technical difficulties. Apart from that, maybe we've already lost the momentum." One difficulty faced by the monitoring committee is the high cost of organizing public events, due to the need to obtain a consensus among all of the relevant political parties. On Saturday, when the date for Tuesday's demonstration was set, it appeared that the IDF operation was going to continue for several more days. In Israel, as in the Arab world, the public was greatly affected by the images broadcast from Gaza. The parties had no problem organizing protest vigils, but by Tuesday a mass recruitment of support was difficult and most of the demonstrators were local residents. Those who did attend found themselves at a particularly noisy event clearly tilted in favor of youth. Some of the young demonstrators clumsily wrapped keffiyehs around their faces in imitation of Palestinian militants, but they were exposed when their inexpert knots came undone. The crowd was roused with the obligatory chant, "With blood and fire we will redeem Palestine." Sheikh Ra'ad Salah, the head of the northern faction of the Islamic Movement, arrived late at the field where the protest march ended, accompanied by a television crew and trailed by demonstrators. Activists from other organizations did not concede the attention to the Islamic Movement. Important figures from Hadash, Balad and Soms of the Village were in attendance. There were even a few Jews who came, much to the pleasure of the Hadash members. Large Palestinian flags were evident everywhere, and there was even a Syrian flag. "From Gaza to Jenin, one people unbroken," the crowd yelled. Many demonstrators wore black-and-white keffiyehs around their necks as a mark of solidarity with the Palestinian people. Despite the impressive VIP turnout, the organizers decided in advance to save the public from having to listen to numerous speeches. Only two leaders spoke: the mayor, Abd al-Rahman, and the head of the monitoring committee, Shuweiki Hatib. Abd al-Rahman, who is from the Islamic Movement, emphasized the need for the rival Fatah and Hamas movements to cooperate. His statement exposed one area of disagreement within the Arab public: The Islamic Movement is known to support cooperation between Fatah and Hamas, while Hadash and other groups stand behind the Fatah position, according to which Hamas fomented a revolution in Gaza. "Our unity is here- from Umm al-Fahm, Sakhnin and Taibeh, from the Triangle, the Negev and the Galilee, we call in one voice: The Palestinians must be united so that we can create the independent Palestinian state," Abd al-Rahman said. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3498945,00.html Left-wing activists protest Gaza blockade at Erez border crossing Dozens of buses carrying a thousand leftists arrive at Erez crossing to bring food, humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza Strip and to protest blockade on enclave. MKs from Balad and Hadash, youth from Sderot take part Yonat Atlas Published: 01.26.08, 17:16 / Israel News More than a thousand left-wing activists made their way to the Erez border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel on Saturday in order to bring food and medical equipment to the costal enclave. The activists held a demonstration against the Israeli-imposed blockade on the Strip. Palestinians on the opposite side of the crossing also organized a rally of their own. ------------------------------------------- Jordanians Rally Jordanians rally in support of Hamas in Gaza / Reuters Muslim Brotherhood activists march in Amman to protest Israel's closure on Gaza, and call on Hamas to resume suicide bombings Full Story Twenty-five buses and around 100 cars arrived at Erez from all over Israel. The activists collected three tons of food and medical supplies during the demonstration. The items will be brought to the Kerem Shalom crossing where, according to the protesters, they will be transferred to Palestinians in Gaza on Monday. MK Jamal Zahalka (Balad) attended the event and called for an end to the blockade and the reopening of border crossings to the Hamas-held enclave. "The Israeli government holds the responsibility for the humanitarian disaster in Gaza," Zahalka said during the protest. According to the MK, Israel is employing "fascist methods" by preventing food and fuel from reaching the area. Palestinians crossing into Egypt to break siege (Photo: AP) "We'll continue to protest and reveal the war crimes (being carried out) against one and a half million Palestinians in the Strip," he said. Shir Shodzik, 17, a resident of the battered town of Sderot also took part in the demonstration in order to express her opposition to the Israeli-imposed sanctions. Despite the fact that Shodzik's aunt and cousin were injured in a Qassam rocket attack in Zikim, the teen wanted to express her dissatisfaction with Israeli government policy vis-?-vis the Gaza Strip. "I came to show my identification with the Palestinian people. There is no need for violence or (the use of) force in order to solve this situation," she said. Shodzik added that she "knows it is absurd that I am taking part in this protest," but explained that it is the path she has chosen. 'We won't be party to this crime' Left-wing activist Uri Avnery made a speech during the rally in which he said: "Three days ago, a wall fell here, like the Berlin Wall fell, like the separation wall and all walls and fences will fall. But the inhumane closure that has been imposed on one and a half million Gaza residents by our government and by our army in our name - this closure will continue with all its cruelty. "As Israelis who came here with basic supplies, in our desire to tell the Israeli public and the whole world: We won't be part of this crime. We're ashamed of this siege," Avnery said. Avnery added that: "Our hearts are with our Palestinian brothers who are demonstrating with us on the other side of the fence. Don't lose hope that one day we will meet without fences and walls, without weapons and violence, as two nations living together in peace, in friendship, in partnership. "Our hearts are also with our brothers in Sderot. The Qassam threat must be stopped, but it won't be stopped through a policy of an eye for an eye or 100 eyes for one, because this leaves us all blind. It will end when we speak with the other side. Yes, yes, with Hamas," Averny said. AnnaLynne Kish, an activist from the left-wing New Profile organization also took part in the rally. "We decided to come here as a sign of identification with the Palestinians in Gaza. The closure on the Strip is inhuman and goes against international law. This is an instance of collective punishment. "We decided to bring food and water to the residents and if only we could bring them electricity - we would do this too," she said. Another Sderot resident who wised to remain anonymous told Ynet in response to news of the demonstrations that "for seven years we haven't seen one of them in Sderot. They didn't come to (see) us even once after a Qassam barrage. "Suddenly, they discover that the other side is suffering and come to protest, but what about our suffering? They should stop trying to look so good (in the eyes of others) and return to their strongholds in northern Tel Aviv. "I invite them to spend a week in Sderot with their children. Then it will be interesting to see if they continue to protest in favor of the Palestinians." http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/106610.html U.S. Arabs protest Israeli blockade of Gaza Published: 01/25/2008 U.S. Arab groups went to Israel's consulate in New York to protest Israel's blockade of Gaza. Friday's protest outside the offices of Israel's consulate and U.N. mission was organized by groups including the Arab Muslim American Federation, the National Council of Arab-Americans, the Palestinian American Congress and Jews Against the Occupation. The demonstration Friday was called to protest the tightening of Israel's blockade of Gaza, which followed a surge in Gazan rocket attacks on Israel and has limited fuel, food aid and supplies flowing into Gaza. Responding to the blockade, Hamas this week blew up the Gaza-Egypt border, enabling hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to pour into Egypt to stock up on supplies. Ahead of the demonstration in New York, organizers announced that protesters would call for an immediate end to the "siege of Gaza," "Israeli war crimes," "targeted assassinations" and killings of Palestinians. The groups also said Israel should end its occupation of Palestinian territory and stand accountable for war crimes. http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=162203 Students protest Israeli crimes in Gaza TEHRAN (IRNA) -- Hundreds of students member of Basij (volunteer forces) gathered at Palestine square, Tehran, on Monday to protest against the Zionist crimes in the Gaza Strip. The students carried placards condemning the Israeli brutality in the Gaza Strip and urged international bodies to prevent the Zionists from committing more crimes. The protesters also carried pictures of savage killings of the Palestinian youth, children, and women displaying violation of human rights. They called for the world nations to force Israel to stop massacre of the innocent children in the occupied lands. Demonstrators voiced their anger over the Zionists' savage attacks on the occupied territories. At the end of their gathering, the Basijis signed a scroll expressing disgust at genocide of the defenseless Palestinian people by the apartheid regime. Breaking the Siege of Gaza, Taking to the Streets 9:03pm Friday, Mar 7 PALESTINIAN YOUTH NETWORK http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2008/03/07/pyn-paz-ahora-ism-spain-breaking-the-siege-of-gaza-taking-to-the-streets/ March 5, 2008 Breaking the Siege of Gaza, Taking to the Streets After three and a half weeks of waiting at Rafah with much needed medicines for Gaza, on the evening of Wednesday, March 5, Saif Abu Keshek, General Coordinator of the Palestinian Youth Network (PYN) managed to enter the besieged Gaza Strip. Carrying 50,000 euros worth of medicines unavailable or in very short supply in Gaza, Saif has been at Rafah since February 12, 2008, waiting for permission to enter, each day told to wait a little longer. "I finally made it in," said Saif, but there are tons more aid for Gaza in dozens of trucks, still held up at the border." Last week's Israeli military onslaught on Gaza, which killed over 120 Palestinians, many of them women and children, was met with deafening silence from government leaders and international agencies. This reality should not only sadden and enrage us, but also make us realize how important it is that civil society steps up to defend human rights in the face of organized impotence. Saif's entry into Gaza shows that the siege can be broken, but it needs pressure and persistence and pressure, which governments and the United Nations are not willing to exert. On the evening of Sunday, March 2, Palestinians young and old took to the streets of Ramallah banging loudly on pots and pans, blowing whistles, and screaming for people to wake up! See video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvhtUkVd2VY Wake up we must. We must wake up and believe that we indeed have the power to effect change; then we must organize to show our representatives and decision-makers our strength. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1200572519983&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Jan 22, 2008 18:39 | Updated Jan 22, 2008 18:42 Hamas and Fatah loyalists scuffle during protest against blockade By ASSOCIATED PRESS RAMALLAH, West Bank Fist fights broke out between Palestinians loyal to rival Hamas and Fatah during a demonstration in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday to protest Israel's sealing off of Gaza. Men swung fists at each other in scuffles in downtown Ramallah after youths from the Fatah youth movement tried to break up a protest by the Islamic Hamas. The Fatah men, waving the black and white checkered flag of their movement, waded into the protest by some 150 Hamas activists, and pushed them out of the square, setting off the fistfights. Associated Press TV filmed two men pushing a youth against a car, appearing about to hit him, before others intervened. "We want your head, Zahar," the Fatah loyalists shouted, referring to Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gD-E7E_IrcMkCLx2Ouqu6IY9f-DAD8V66OAG4 Syrians Protest Israeli Attacks in Gaza By ALBERT AJI - Mar 3, 2008 DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Tens of thousands of Syrians filled the central square of the capital Monday to protest an Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip that has left scores of Palestinians dead. Thousands more held similar protests in Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan. The Syrians chanted slogans against Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and called on Arab leaders to take a tough stand on U.S. support for Israel. "With soul and blood we sacrifice ourselves for you Palestine," the crowd shouted in central Damascus. Fighting in Gaza has killed 121 Palestinians and three Israelis since Wednesday, one of the bloodiest spates of violence in more than seven years of clashes. Half the dead were civilians, according to Palestinian medical officials and the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem. Israeli troops withdrew from northern Gaza on Monday, but Israeli airstrikes and Palestinian rocket attacks persisted into the night. Israel launched the offensive in response to rocket fire by the Islamic militants of Hamas. The Syrians carried pictures of Palestinian children they said were killed in the fighting. Banners at the protest read "No to Arab silence," "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." "Are the Gazan children terrorists?" said Mohammad Zaraa, 20, one of the protesters. Many Arab governments have denounced the Israeli strike, while moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has suspended peace talks with Israel. State and independent media in Arab countries have carried daily stories on the Israeli attacks in Gaza with pictures of wounded children and women. In neighboring Lebanon, about 2,000 students - supporters of the militant Hezbollah group - demonstrated against the Israeli attacks outside the U.N. building in downtown Beirut. Hezbollah drew thousands more for a similar rally later in the day in Beirut's southern suburbs. In Egypt, about 2,000 students demonstrated in al-Azhar University in the southern town of Assiut. Another thousand students demonstrated on Cairo University's campus. In Jordan, thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of Karak, 125 miles south of the capital Amman, calling on the international community to stop the "Israeli machine of destruction." Associated Press writers Omar Sinan and Shafika Mattar contributed to this report from Cairo, Egypt and Amman, Jordan. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7205403.stm Last Updated: Wednesday, 23 January 2008, 17:00 GMT E-mail this to a friend Printable version Egypt cracks down on Gaza protest Routed demonstrators regrouped at the lawyers' syndicate Egyptian police have rounded up hundreds of members of the Muslim Brotherhood group accused of holding illegal protests against Israel. Riot and plainclothes police broke up a pro-Palestinian demonstration near the Arab League headquarters in central Cairo with batons and tear gas. The protest was called to press the Egyptian government to do more to help people in the blockaded Gaza Strip. The arrests come amid a crackdown on the Brotherhood ahead of council polls. Security forces chased Brotherhood members through the streets of central Cairo as they gathered in Tahrir Square, but demonstrators were able to regroup away from the planned protest venue. Protesters shouted: "Gaza residents, we are with you night and day" and "Keep strong Haniya, don't let go of your gun" in reference to the ousted Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of the militant Hamas movement that controls Gaza. Security officials, quoted by Associated Press news agency, said 460 members, including leading figures, had been rounded up to prevent the demonstration. Security sources say police had earlier in the week arrested more than 50 Brotherhood members in raids in Cairo, Alexandria and parts of the Nile Delta. Blockade The non-violent Brotherhood is Egypt's most popular opposition group; it is banned by law, but activists participate in elections as independent candidates. Egypt has been kept under emergency rule since 1981, giving the authorities sweeping powers to quash demonstrations and arrest suspects. Brotherhood leaders have been accusing the Egyptian government of collaborating in Israel's blockade of Gaza to put pressure on Hamas, with which the Brotherhood shares close ties. However, on Wednesday many of the border defences were breached from the Gaza side and Egyptian security forces stood by as Gazans streamed across to buy food and other supplies. Israel says its blockade is to stop Palestinian militants firing rockets into southern Israel, but it has been condemned as collective punishment by the European Union and international agencies. Egypt is preparing to hold municipal elections by March after a postponement of two years. In the 2005 parliamentary elections, the Brotherhood sent shockwaves through the ruling National Democratic Party by attracting strong support, winning one-fifth of seats despite what observers said was an unfair vote. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/947165.html Last update - 18:55 22/01/2008 Israeli Arabs protest Gaza crisis; rightists stage counter-protest By Haaretz Service and The Associated Press Tags: Israeli Arabs, Ahmed Tibi Hundreds of Israeli Arabs demonstrated on Tuesday near the Erez crossing on the Gaza border, protesting Israel's blockade on Gaza and calling it a "war crime," Army Radio reported. The protesters, which included Arab MKs Ahmed Tibi (Hadash) and Wasil Taha (Balad), tried to send a truckload of food and medical supplies into Gaza. The Arab protesters were faced with a counter-demonstration set up by right-wing activists. National Union MK Effi Eitam attacked Tibi: "He is a traitor. As far as I'm concerned, he and his family can move to Gaza." Advertisement "What infuriates me most is Tibi's cowardice," Eitam continued. "We're fighting, Hamas and Jihad are fighting, but Tibi has a finger in every pie. He supports Qassam fire and stirs hatred against IDF soldiers - he is protecting himself. I call him Doctor Blood." Tibi's response to Eitam soon followed: "I find his style deplorable. I have no respect whatsoever for the soldiers of the occupation. What's going on in Gaza is immoral; it's the most criminal, despicable and monstrous siege." Tibi said he has received distressed phone calls from Gaza. "It's unacceptable that people can't operate life support machines. The most painful thing is that they've run out of body bags." 10 Egyptian police, 60 Palestinians injured in scuffle on Gaza border Hundreds of Palestinian protesters briefly broke through the Egypt-Gaza border terminal Tuesday, pushing back helmeted Egyptian riot police who fired in the air to try to contain the crowd. The Palestinians were demanding Egypt open the Rafah crossing to let goods into Gaza, after Israel closed its borders with the coastal territory last week. Ten Egyptian police and about 60 protesters were hurt in melee, in which protesters hurled stones and Palestinian gunmen fired briefly in the air. One of the injured police officers sustained a gunshot wound and was hospitalized in serious condition, medical sources said. Israel temporarily lifted the blockade on Tuesday to allow fuel and medicine shipments into the coastal territory for the next three days. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h_QoXogcNDwHlsKrAQsjPJFHgWnA Thousands protest against Gaza blockade Jan 25, 2008 AMMAN (AFP) - More than 3,000 people held an anti-Israeli and anti-US protest in the centre of the Jordanian capital on Friday against Israel's more than week-long blockade of the Gaza Strip. "God is the greatest, and America is the enemy of God," chanted the demonstrators, in a protest called by Jordan's opposition parties, including the Islamic Action Front, and trade unions. "God is the greatest, and Israel is the enemy of God," rang out from the protesters, who carried Jordanian and Palestinian flags, and burnt those of Israel and its ally, the United States. Hundreds of thousands of Gazans have poured into Egypt to stock up on desperately needed supplies since the Palestinian territory's border with Egypt was blasted open on Tuesday night. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called on Egypt to control its border as Israel defended its week-old Gaza lockdown that has raised fears of a humanitarian crisis in the impoverished Hamas-ruled territory. In Doha, thousands of Qataris and expatriates demonstrated after the weekly Friday prayer in mosques against the Israeli army's raids, with participants chanting slogans in support of Hamas. "Oh (Ismail) Haniya, Oh (Mahmud) Zahar... You are the sword, we are the fire," chanted the protestors in support of the Hamas leadership besieged in Gaza. "We are ready to fuel the lanterns of Gaza with our blood." http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/887/eg6.htm Consistent demands Students take the lead in protests denouncing Israel's carnage in Gaza, with demonstrators demanding Egypt unilaterally open the Rafah border, reports Serene Assir Click to view caption Demonstrators voice their anger against Israel's carnage In response to Israel's brutal incursion into the occupied Gaza Strip which began last Friday and during the course of which at least 115 Palestinians have been killed, Egyptians voiced their anger in a series of demonstrations. The largest came on Sunday when over 1,000 students at Cairo University called for an immediate end of the incursion, as well as the siege of Gaza. Protesters also demanded that Egypt open the Rafah terminal unilaterally. "Though the protest began inside university grounds gradually we made our way to the gate and broke through the police line," said fourth- year law student and member of the Socialist Students organisation May El-Bassiouni. Reiterating the stand of opposition movements, she added that, "we also demanded Israel's diplomatic presence in Egypt be expelled". On Monday action shifted to the Bar Association in downtown Cairo. "As Egyptians we understand how important it is that our voice is heard on this issue. The fate of the Palestinians is inextricably linked to that of Egypt," said Naglaa El-Qalioubi, a member of the executive committee of Al-Amal Party. "The Arab people are one," she insisted. Representatives from Kifaya, Al-Amal and the Socialist Revolutionaries were all present at the Bar Association demonstration, chanting slogans that included jihad and muqawma (resistance). The country's strongest opposition movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, also took to the streets, with the group's MPs walking from Tahrir Square to the parliament building in protest. Activists from the movement were present at both the Cairo University and the Lawyers' Syndicate protests. In addition the Brotherhood issued an official statement, signed by Supreme Guide Mahdi Akef, condemning the incursion as part of a "great international conspiracy the goal of which is to empty Palestine of its people". The statement went on to condemn Arab and Muslim leaders for their refusal to act. On Tuesday a smaller protest, attracting just 100 demonstrators, was held on the steps of the Press Syndicate. As during Monday's protests, demonstrators held placards depicting Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah and distributed pamphlets calling on Egypt to unilaterally lift the siege of Gaza by opening its border. "Down with America, down with its clients!" shouted protesters. There was disappointment among some of the demonstrators at the silence of the bulk of Egypt's civil society. "It is unfortunate that so many of our institutions have been infiltrated to the extent that even the average Egyptian, who feels solidarity with the Palestinians, no longer believes in the possibility of change," said protester Rabaa Fahmi. "What the Egyptians need is a change of government. The government is opposed to any action in solidarity with the Palestinians because it exposes the government's own lack of popular support. Until our government changes we cannot expect that the voices of ordinary Egyptians will be heard beyond our borders." The previous day workers at Ghazl Al-Mahalla textile factory had been prevented from holding a planned demonstration in solidarity with the people of Gaza by a massive police presence. People in the town have now rescheduled the action for Thursday. The factory workers have a reputation for organisation and successfully securing their demands, convening protests and strikes that have involved up to 15,000 people. Protesters also criticised what they believed was a lack of proper care by the government when four of the wounded Palestinians who were allowed to enter into Egypt died. "We did what we could for them, but their condition was so grave," said an administrative source at Arish General Hospital. However small the protests those participating remain committed to ending the siege of Gaza, by unilateral Egyptian actions if necessary. "The key is that we show consistency," said Mohamed Abdel-Qoddous, head of the Liberties Committee at the Press Syndicate. A demonstration has been planned for Friday at Al-Azhar Mosque, in defiance of a government ban on all protests at religious sites. http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hcHEoz6s0ii6hET0qP4-ThjQqx9w Palestinian activists protest as Goldie Hawn entertains Israel fundraiser Mar 9, 2008 GLASGOW, Scotland - Pro-Palestinian activists beating drums and blaring horns have protested a visit by Hollywood actress Goldie Hawn to an Israeli charity's fundraising dinner. Around 150 demonstrators marched on Glasgow's Hilton hotel, where the actress was speaking to supporters of the Jewish National Fund. The fund is Israel's main land distributor. But the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which organized the protest, believes it is a racist organization and criticized Hawn for lending her support. Israel's Supreme Court has ordered the JNF to change its policy of selling property only to Jews. --------------------------------------------------------------- Egyptian govt blocks solidarity delegation to Gaza Thursday, 03 April 2008 Protest against the complicity of the EU in the genocide On March 31, 2008, an international delegation with some 30 participants from the Basque country, Austria, Scotland, Norway, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, France, Spain, Greece, USA, Turkey, Palestine, Jordan and India was determined to reach Rafah, in order to bring relief to the besieged Palestinian people in Gaza and to extend our solidarity with their courageous resistance. But the Egyptian security forces halted the delegation at Baladua, 190 km from the border. After staging a protest at the check point we began to walk towards Rafah, since our bus was blocked from moving ahead. Finally, after the police was blocking the road, taking away our passports and threatening us with arrest, we decided to take our protest back into Cairo itself. A rally was staged outside of the delegation of the European Union. We received encouraging support from the Egyptian people and from the media. It is our fervent appeal to the governments and the peoples of the world to pressurize the Israeli Apartheid State, the US, the EU as well as the Egyptian government to end the genocidal siege of Gaza. This year we commemorate that 60 years have passed since the Nakba, the catastrophe, expulsion and ethnic cleansing that followed in the wake of the establishment of the Zionist state of Israel. As the Israeli government threatens with a new holocaust on the Palestinian population in Gaza, we cannot remain silent. While the governments of Europe do not say a word to stop the Israeli war crimes, we represent the consciousness of all those in Europe who understand that the people of Gaza should not be punished for their democratic choice of electing Hamas as their government. We proved our point; the complicity of the European governments on the inhuman and disastrous US-Israeli embargo imposed on Gaza. This was a further step of a series of actions we intend to take from now, in order to raise the issue of the siege on Gaza and to lift it on the ground. We call every descent human being to work with us in this direction. ------------------------------------------------------------- European campaign against the siege on Gaza April 1, 2008, Cairo PROTEST IN LONDON AGAINST ISRAEL'S INVITATION TO TURIN BOOK FAIR On Monday 31 March over two dozen people picketed the Italian Embassy in London with placards, banners and loudhailers, calling for a boycott of the Turin Book Fair, which has invited Israel as the "guest of honour". Protesters were appalled that the President of the Italian Republic has added his weight to this decision by publicising his intention to open this Book Fair on May 8, even though this is in the week of Nakba - the 60th anniversary of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people by the Israeli state. Jewish anti-Zionist women and men in the Global Women's Strike and Payday men's network, who called the picket, and activists from Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods (J-BIG) and Camden - Abu Dis Friendship Association (CADFA) were vocal in their denunciation of Israel's deputy defence minister Vilnai's call for a "shoah" - a holocaust - against people in Gaza. A speaker from the Utility Workers Union of America (AFL-CIO) decried that the AFL leadership had helped support and finance the occupation. Anti-Book Fair demonstrations at the weekend in Turin, Rome & Milan were reported to the picket. Over 700 people had rallied in Turin's main square, with street theatre and a photo exhibition; and there were sit-ins at Feltrinelli bookshops in Milan and Rome because they announced that they would take part in the Book Fair. The police attacked the demonstrators in Milan following an afternoon of provocation by Zionists, who tried to tear up one of the banners. Representatives of the London picket tried to deliver a letter of protest to the Ambassador, but the carabiniere representing the Embassy said that the Ambassador would not accept the letter without an appointment! A demonstrator commented on her loudhailer that "They'd rather welcome Israeli Zionists!" Demonstrators, who were also from Canada, Egypt, Germany, Iran, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, Turkey and the US, were incensed at the Ambassador's refusal and declared that they would contact their networks to flood the Embassy with letters. http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=55b9b33a-fad4-4943-9ff1-456027a70862&k=14360 Protesters disrupt Israeli ambassador's speech The Gazette Published: Wednesday, April 09 In spite of security precautions, some 25 pro-Palestinian demonstrators pushed their way into a major midtown hotel to disrupt a luncheon speech by Israeli ambassador to Canada, Alan Baker. Shouting 'Free Palestine' and 'Refugees Will Return', protesters managed to evade hotel security. Uniformed Montreal police officers burst through two doors as Baker was in mid-speech. The demonstrators, part of the social activist group Tadamon, were forced to leave the Queen Elizabeth Hotel after some 10 minutes. There were no arrests. Baker was speaking about Canada-Israel relations to 110 people at a luncheon sponsored by the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations. "It's regrettable that they managed to find their way up to the hall, but these things happen," Baker said after the incident. Asked to comment on what appeared to be a security breach, Baker said, "I am a diplomat and I wouldn't want to comment one way or the other." Council president Pierre Lemonde said he "deplores and profoundly regrets the incident." "I don't know what happened exactly ... Montreal police called for reinforcements, and there were insufficient numbers at the beginning," he said, referring to the three uniformed cops on duty prior to the demonstration. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/967037.html Jaffa to be focus of Israeli Arab protest on 32nd Land Day By Yigal Hai, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Land Day, Israeli Arabs For the first time in the event's 32-year history, Jaffa is to be one of the main centers of Land Day, which will be marked on Friday. The decision was made by the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee in response to a request from representatives of Jaffa's Popular Committee to Defend the Right to Housing and Land. Jaffa's Popular Committee seeks to focus attention on the housing shortage for Jaffa's Arab population. The Jaffa event, which organizers described as a joint Arab-Jewish one, will include a rally and a protest march. The other main venues for this year's Land Day commemoration are Arabeh and Kalansua. According to leaders of Jaffa's Popular Committee, in the past two years the Israel Lands Administration and the Amidar Public Housing Authority have issued eviction requests to 500 Arab families in Jaffa, mainly in the Ajami neighborhood, on the grounds that they invaded the properties and engaged in illegal construction. The first Land Day took place on March 30, 1976, when the Arab public held a protest strike against the expropriation of lands in the Galilee "for purposes of security and settlement." Six demonstrators were shot and killed by Israeli forces in Sakhnin, Taibeh, Arabeh and Kafr Kana when protests turned violent. Since then, Israeli Arabs have commemorated Land Day annually in various locations with rallies, protest marches and other events. The Jaffa activists say the city has never been the site of a major Land Day event, although small demonstrations - the last of which was about 10 years ago - have been held there. "Usually the main events are in the Galilee, in the Triangle [formed by the communities of Baka al-Garbiyeh, Taibeh and Tira] or in the Negev," Gabi Abed, deputy chairman of Rabita - the League for the Arabs of Jaffa, said. "Only rarely are major events held in the mixed cities. Due to the sensitive situation in Jaffa, this year we want to sound an alarm in the face of the establishment, Abed said. According to one of the founders of the Jaffa Popular Committee, Fadi Shabita, "The eviction requests that were sent to residents of Jaffa are a continuation of the same land policy that led to the first Land Day. The holding of Land Day in the city is a way of stepping up our expression, of saying that we will not quietly accept this process." http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2008/01/23/maariv-leviev-boasts-a-contribution-that-never-existed-2/ International arrested at Bil'in demonstration still in jail January 23rd, 2008 | Posted in Bil'in Village, Photos On Friday 14th March, dozens of residents from the village of Bil'in, joined by Israeli and international activists, protested against the illegal annexation of their land by Israel's segregation wall. 6 demonstrators were injured, while one international was kidnapped and arrested as Israeli soldiers charged the demonstration. American activist Blake Murphy appeared in court today (15th March) as the judge extended his detention until the 18th March. The non-violent demonstration moved along the wall before being attacked by the army with steel-coated rubber bullets, tear gas and sound bombs. The Israeli army then attacked the demonstration, tackling Blake Murphy to the ground, sprayed mace into his eyes and violently assaulting him as well as other demonstrators. One other protester was also maced as the soldiers carried out their kidnapping. As the soldiers were retreating to the wall they then shot an Israeli activist in the leg from close range with a rubber-coated steel bullet causing serious injury. Another two protesters were also shot by rubber bullets, one in the side of the head and the other in the hand. Blake Murphy appeared in Israeli court on the 15th March, with the judge agreeing to extend his detention for a further three days before a decision on his future will be made. The army attack Bil'in non-violent protest: six injured, one kidnapped Friday March 14, 2008 15:01 Dozens of residents of Bil'in, a village near Ramallah, took to the streets on Friday in their weekly demonstration protesting against the illegal confiscation of village land through Israel's continued expansion of the wall. The residents were joined by many international and Israeli peace activists. Israeli troops manning the wall and the gate in the wall that cuts off the villagers from their lands showered the protesters with tear gas and rubber coated steal bullets as soon as the protesters arrived at a military blockade nearby. In addition, when the protestors arrived back to the village, Israeli troops attacked them at the entrance of the village with rifle butts and batons. Eyewitnesses told IMEMC that soldiers also used sprayed the eyes of the peace protesters with pepper spray. In total, six people were injured, among them a freelance European journalist known as Tom. The other five were known as Iran, an Israeli activist who was shot in the leg by Israeli troops; Scern, from Israel, shot in the hand with a rubber-coated steal bullet; Cope, also from Israel, was attacked with pepper spray; Aiad Burnat was beaten up by the soldiers; in addition to Jake from the USA, who was beaten up and kidnapped by the army. For more information: The Bilin Friends of freedom and Justice -society Email: majdarmajdar at yahoo.com Tel: 972 547 847 942 http://www. Ffj-bilin.org ffj.bilin at yahoo.com On March 12, 2008 Students For Justice In Palestine will be hosting a Emergency Die-In Protest to voice opposition against the ongoing genocidal Israeli policies against the beseiged Palestinian people of Gaza. http://aycu05.webshots.com/image/44724/2004671636706912077_rs.jpg UPDATED LISTING OF DEMONSTRATIONS TO BREAK THE SILENCE ON GAZA! The following is a partial listing of emergency protests taking place over the next few days in the US, Europe and Australia. If you are planning your own protest for Gaza, please write to info at al-awda.org so we can post information about your action on our website http://al-awda.org . Anaheim, California: Saturday, January 26, 1 PM 512 S. Brookhurst St. Between Orange Ave. & Broadway Champaign, University of Illinois at Urbana: Tuesday January 22, 11 AM at the Quad Charlotte, North Carolina: Saturday January 26, 4 PM Forum, Charlotte Energy Solutions, 337 Baldwin Ave; Organized by Charlotte Action Chicago, Illinois: Tuesday January 29, 5 PM at the Lakeshore Theater, 3175 North Broadway (at benefit for the Friends of the 'Israeli Defense Force'). Initiated by ISM. Call 773-463-0311 for more information. Cleveland, Ohio: January 26, 2 PM at Cleveland's Market Square at W. 25th & Lorain Avenue, across from the West Side Market - March to West 25th and Franklin Costa Mesa, California: Friday, January 25, 5-7 PM, vigil at Bristol & Anton Edinburgh, Scotland: Wednesday January 23, 5.30 PM at the foot of the Mound, Princes Street. Glasgow, Scotland: Friday January 25, 5.30 PM George Square. London, England: Thursday January 24, 6 PM and Saturday January 26, 4 PM Opposite 10 Downing Street, Whitehall. Melbourne, Australia: Details to be posted. Montreal, Canada: Wednesday January 23, 5 PM, Phillips Square, Saint Catherine Street opposite The Bay department store (Metro McGill) and Friday January 25, 2:00 PM De Maisonneuve Boulevard corner of MacKay Street, Montreal (Metro Guy-Concordia). New York, New York: Friday January 25, 3 PM, and Saturday Janusary 26 1 PM - both at the 'Israeli' Embassy, 43rd St. and 2nd Ave. Paris, France: Wednesday January 23, 5:30 PM at the Palais de l'Elysee. Phoenix, Arizona: January 26, 6:30 PM Downtown Tempe, at the corner of Mill Ave and University Drive. San Diego, California: Friday January 25, 3:00 - 5:30 PM downtown corner of Broadway and Front Street. San Francisco, California: Friday, January 25, 4-6 PM, Israeli Consulate, 456 Montgomery St. (near California). Seattle Washington: Friday January 25 4 PM, Westlake Park, 4th & Pine streets. Sioux Falls, South Dakota: Saturday January 26, 12 Noon at 12th & Phillips St. Paul, Minesota: Friday January 25, 4:15-5:30 P.M., Corner of Summit and Snelling Aves Toronto, Canada: Friday January 25, 5 PM Israeli Consulate at 180 Bloor St. West Washington DC: Friday January 25, 4 PM at the Israeli Embassy, 3514 International Dr. N.W. BREAK THE SILENCE ON GAZA! DON'T DELAY! TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/11698E07-9AED-4E08-898B-F24CD0FC100D.htm Angry Arabs protest in Israel About 15,000 people took part in the protest in Sakhnin in Northern Israel [AFP] Israeli Arabs have staged mass strikes in the north of the country in protest against a government decision to end an inquiry into a police shooting which killed 13 people. On Friday Arab owned shops in the town of Sakhnin completely shut down while three quarters of stores in Nazareth also closed in protest. The strike comes after Menahem Mazuz, the Israeli attorney general, announced on Sunday that there would be no legal action against police over the death of 12 Arab Israelis and a Palestinian in October 2000. The decision has led to relatives accusing the justice system of discrimination. A 2003 state commission found that the police were largely to blame for the civilian deaths during protests in Sakhnin in support of the Palestinian uprising. On Monday, a group of Arab Israeli representatives, the so-called "Follow-up Committee", urged all Arab Israeli businesses and public services to join a general strike in protest at the closure of the investigation. Thousands of protesters took part later in a demonstration in central Sakhnin. Police prejudice Mazuz said there was insufficient proof for a conviction and that the families of the victims would not allow post-mortems to be carried out for ballistics purposes. Representatives of the Arab minority reacted angrily to the news. Shawki Khatib, the head of the Follow-up Committee, accused Israel of "giving its backing to the murder of Arab citizens". Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin reporting from Sakhnin said: "The organisers of today's event have put the number of Palestinians participants at about 15,000. "Today the Palestinians came here, had a loud message....They wanted the world to know that they live in a system where they cannot get any justice." The Orr Commission's report of September 2003 found that government prejudice and police incompetence lay at the heart of the incidents during the pro-intifada demonstration. Israel's Arab minority today accounts for 1.2 million of Israel's seven-million population. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3499793,00.html Arabs plan strikes, protests in response to Mazuz decision Following Attorney General Menachem Mazuz's decision to close case of October 2000 riots, Arab sector set to embark on protest marches, strike on Friday Sharon Roffe-Ofir Published: 01.28.08, 16:30 / Israel News General strike coupled with appeals to international bodies - The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee has decided that these are the proper responses to Attorney General Menachem Mazuz's decision to close the case against the police officers involved in the riots of October 2000, which left 13 Israeli-Arabs dead. A general Arab sector strike is planned for Friday and will take place alongside protest marches in Israeli-Arab cities and towns. The largest demonstration is expected to take place in Sakhnin. "We were responsible enough in the last seven years to deal with this case through Israeli legal channels. Unfortunately, the legal institutions pushed us aside and we will (now) seek justice out through international legal bodies," Shawki Khatib, chairman of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee said in a conversation with Ynet. Khatib said that Israeli Jews should "ask themselves - if those murdered, the dead, had been Jews, would they not have sought out the guilty (parties)." During a meeting of the Monitoring Committee, United Arab List-Ta'al Chairman MK Ibrahim Sarsur said: "I don't expect an appeal to international channels (to lead to) someone doing something, or that the International Court of Justice will try someone. By appealing to them, we're trying to prevent the next murder and make the leaders of the State of Israel regain their senses and wake up, because if not, I am afraid that the state of relations between Jews and Arabs, which was in a fragile state to being with, will deteriorate and come to a dead end." Earlier Monday, President Shimon Peres said that he did not believe that "Mazuz was looking to cover anything up, apparently from a legal perspective there wasn't enough evidence." Peres made the remarks during a tour of Nazareth and Nazareth Illit. "In a democratic country, there is a judicial, legislative and executive branch. I am not in the legislative branch and I don't need to rate it. That being said, I don't think (Mazuz) was trying to cover anything up," Peres added. He said he was aware of the anger within the Arab sector following the controversial decision. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 18:04:55 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:04:55 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Ethnic and religious protests Message-ID: <033c01c89e94$b98d6920$0802a8c0@andy1> NOTE: "Given word that potentially thousands of people from Serbia were heading by bus to Mitrovica to join protesters Friday, police and troops closed the border "for a short period of time," Bonneau said. That resulted in the buses being turned back. "When the situation was back to normal, people were able to cross on both sides," he said. "We believe in freedom of movement, as long as we have public order."" http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60240&archive=true Which is EXACTLY the same as NOT believing in freedom of movement, which is held hostage to "order"! * SUDAN, PAKISTAN, BAHRAIN, AFGHANISTAN, THAILAND, UAE, OMAN, MOZAMBIQUE: Protests over reprinting of Mohammed cartoons * NIGERIA: Two dead in unrest over anti-Muslim leaflet * US: Vietnamese rally for "Little Saigon" * SERBIA: Mass unrest and protests over Kosovan independence in Belgrade, Banja Luka (Bosnia), Mitrovica (Kosova); US embassy trashed, border posts torched Protests also held by Serbs in Canada, Austria, Belgium; in Melbourne a police car was damaged * CANADA: French language activists protest * LEBANON: Eight shot in opposition protests; soldiers charged Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7267732.stm In pictures: Sudan cartoon protest Thousands gathered in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, to protest against the republication of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad by Danish newspapers. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C25%5Cstory_25-2-2008_pg7_34 School-going children stage anti-blasphemy protest By Ali Waqar LAHORE: A few dozens of schoolchildren held an anti-blasphemy demonstration on the Multan Road to protest against the publishing of sketches of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) in Danish newspapers. The protest, termed an awakening call for the students of a few private schools, was arranged by Bazam-e-Pegham, an association working with the aim to 'enlighten' students on Islam. Some teachers and Bazam-e-Pegham society members also accompanied the students in the protest. The students, wearing shrouds, posed as Ghazi Ilamud Din Shaheed (the Muslim who killed Raj Pal on writing a blasphemous book in the Subcontinent). The students of the Allama Iqbal High School and Lahore Islamic Mission High School branches in the Canal View Housing Society and on Wahdat Road participated in the protest. A Bazam-e-Pegham spokesman told Daily Times that the protest was to send a message to Denmark that the students of the city were ready to sacrifice their lives for the love of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). "This is not extremism, but our love for our Holy Prophet (PBUH)," said the spokesman. He said the demonstration was also a call for rejecting European products. Executive District Officer (Education) Chaudhry Zahid Hussain, commenting on the issue, said no permission had been granted to public (government) schools to hold such demonstrations. He said it was surprising that some private schools and associations had been engaging students in such activities (holding shroud-wearing rallies). "Surely, we will take notice of this thing and seek an explanation from the schools," he said. "There is no compromise on the dignity of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), however, to propagate such issues through minor students is also something 'strange'." Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, an Islamic scholar and a member of the Council of Islamic Ideology, stressed the need for resolving the issue in a civilised manner. "The Muslims need to promote tolerance instead of encouraging rallies and protests amongst minor students," he said, adding that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) had never promoted violence and had always taught to deal with problems in a peaceful manner. Mufti Sarfaraz Ahmed Naeemi of Jamia Naeemia, however, had a different point of view. He said the reaction to the cartoons could have been logical if they had been printed in a book. "These cartoons have been printed in newspapers and that is why the Pakistani Muslims want to stage protests to highlight their sentiments through the media," he said. He added that there was no harm in peaceful protests, even by students, as the objective of such protests could be to create stir the emotions of the youth and students. http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=209679&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30341 Protest over cartoons HUNDREDS of people took to the streets yesterday in protest against the reprinting of blasphemous cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed in the Danish media. The protest started from Al Qadam roundabout in Budaiya, moved towards Sehla and ended at Al Hashimi Centre in Jidhafs. It was organised by the Islamic Scholars Council and spearheaded by organising committee head Sayed Mohammed. "The citizens of Bahrain expressed their anger and disapproval of the westerner's uncivilised behaviour towards the continuous insult of Prophet Mohammed," he said. "The Bahrain government should have a clear stance on such actions and take our protests seriously. "We are also expressing our disapproval to the careless Islamic governments, who allow such atrocities and do not defend their prophet." "We are shocked to see that these Islamic countries are ignoring these continuous oppressions and that is why today we are calling upon all Islamic countries to stand up and defend their religion." MPs condemned the reprinting of blasphemous cartoons during a parliament session on Tuesday. However, they were divided on whether to form a temporary committee to discuss their response or simply issue a statement. In the end they did both, pledging to do all they could to fight those who mock Islam. The general-secretariat office assigned members to the committee and issued a condemnation on Thursday. http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2008-02/2008-02-22-voa37.cfm?CFID=32317849&CFTOKEN=90809349 Hundreds of Pakistanis Protest Danish Cartoon By VOA News 22 February 2008 Supporters of Pakistan's hardline fundamentalist party, Jamaat-e-Islami shout anti-Danish slogans during protest in Karachi, 22 Feb 2008 Hundreds of people took to the streets in Pakistan's major cities Friday, to protest the re-publication of a controversial Danish cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammed. In the capital, Islamabad, more than 300 students rallied outside a mosque, burning Danish flags and chanting slogans against Denmark. A similar protest was also held in Pakistan's biggest city in the south, Karachi. Danish newspapers re-printed a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammed wearing a turban with a bomb in it last week. The papers said the publication was an expression of freedom after police foiled a plot to murder the cartoonist. The drawing caused bloody riots across the Muslim world when it was originally published two years ago. Islamic law generally prohibits any images or depiction of the Prophet. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/05/AR2008030503169.html Cartoon, Film Spark Protest In Afghanistan Associated Press Thursday, March 6, 2008; Page A15 KABUL, March 5 -- Hundreds of Afghan protesters burned the Dutch and Danish flags Wednesday and demanded that their troops leave Afghanistan in the latest outcry against the reprinting of a cartoon of the prophet Muhammad in Denmark and an upcoming Dutch film criticizing the Koran. The United Nations, meanwhile, called for a peaceful dialogue to overcome the animosity caused by the cartoon and film. More than 300 people gathered in central Logar province for a demonstration organized by students, deputy provincial police chief Abdul Majid Latifi said. Protesters burned the Danish and Dutch flags and urged President Hamid Karzai to issue a statement of condemnation, said Mohammad Shafiq Popal, head of a Logar youth association. Last month, in a gesture of solidarity, Denmark's leading newspapers reprinted a cartoon of Muhammad after Danish police said they had uncovered a plot to kill the artist, whose drawing helped spark deadly riots in 2006. The reprinting triggered further protests. The Afghan protesters were also angered by an upcoming Dutch short film that reportedly portrays the Koran as a "fascist book." Aleem Siddique, a U.N. official in Afghanistan, pressed for calm in resolving the misunderstanding. Criticism of Muhammad and the Koran carries the death sentence in Afghanistan, a Muslim nation. More than 200 Afghan lawmakers gathered Tuesday, urging the Danish and Dutch governments to stop blasphemy against Islam. http://news.monstersandcritics.com/southasia/news/article_1394495.php/Thousands_of_Afghans_protest_reprint_of_Danish_Mohammed_caricature Thousands of Afghans protest reprint of Danish Mohammed caricature Mar 8, 2008, 8:06 GMT Kabul - Thousands of people in western Afghanistan gathered on Saturday to protest the reprint of a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed in Denmark and an upcoming film by a Dutch legislator that criticizes the Koran, officials said. The protesters gathered in the stadium of Herat city and were chanting slogans against Denmark and the Netherlands, Noor Khan Nikzad, spokesman for the provincial police chief, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. 'More than 10,000 people, including scholars, school and university students and local citizens of Herat city, have gathered in the stadium,' Nikzad said. The people were informed about the gathering though an announcement by state-run television in the province, he said, adding that hundreds of police officers were deployed around the centre of the city to provide security and control the mob if they turned violent. Hundreds of schoolboys also tied black cloths around their heads with the inscription 'God is great' and carried banners that condemned the reprint of the cartoon and the making of the film. 'We want to show to the world that the Muslim people of Afghanistan can not tolerate an insult to our religion or our holy prophet,' Aslam Mohammadi, a scholar and one of the organizers of the demonstration, told dpa by phone. The protesters were chanting slogans 'Death to Denmark and death to Holland,' protester Gulab Shah said. The demonstration in Herat followed a similar gathering in different parts of the country in the past week. Several Afghan officials also condemned the cartoons. 'For Afghanistan it is intolerable and unacceptable that the religious belief and faith of 1 billion people is subjected to disrespect,' Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta told a press conference on Wednesday. 'Those who print these kinds of insulting cartoons, they are pioneers in cultural clashes ... and they are against peace and friendship of human beings,' he said. The protesters in Herat also asked the Afghan government to expel the Dutch and Danish soldiers, who serve in the country as part of the NATO-led peacekeeping forces. There are over 1,600 Dutch soldiers in the volatile southern province of Uruzgan, and nearly 800 Danish soldiers mostly stationed in neighbouring Helmand province, where the Taliban-led insurgency is the most active. The first publication of the Prophet Mohammed cartoons in a Danish newspaper in 2006 sparked widespread condemnations and demonstrations throughout the Islamic world. Several people were killed in bloody demonstrations in Afghanistan after the Afghan police opened fire on protesters. A leading Danish newspaper reprinted the cartoons after the Danish police discovered a plot to kill the artist. Afghanistan is a conservative Islamic country that regards disrespect of the Prophet Mohammed and the Koran as blasphemy, the punishment for which is death. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0310/p25s01-wosc.html Danish cartoons: one Afghan's peaceful protest Muhammad Sediq Afghan's hunger strike has inspired dozens to join his nonviolent efforts. By Anand Gopal | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor from the March 10, 2008 edition Kabul, Afghanistan - Hundreds of demonstrators marched the streets of Kabul Sunday, calling for the eviction of Danish and Dutch troops, while in the western city of Herat, thousands assembled and burned the nations' flags. Yet even as angry protests sweep the country in response to the republication of cartoon images of the prophet Muhammad, in one park in Kabul, protesters are taking a different approach - one they say better reflects their religion of peace. Muhammad Sediq Afghan, a professor at the Kabul-based World Philosophical Mathematics Research Center, is sitting in a small tent near the center of town, where he has spent close to a week without food. Mr. Afghan is leading a dozen others in a hunger strike to protest the Danish cartoons and a film by a Dutch politician that compares the Koran to Hitler's "Mein Kempf." "I will continue to fast until the authors apologize," he says. "Others are burning flags and rioting. We don't like this - we want to do things peacefully." It is an unlikely tactic in a war-torn country with a history of violent protests. Two years ago, a Danish newspaper printed cartoon images of Muhammad that many Muslims considered offensive, sparking protests and riots across the Muslim world. Last month, Danish newspapers republished the images after police uncovered a plot to murder the cartoon's author. At the same time, Dutch papers announced the March release of a film that contends that the Koran is "an inspiration for intolerance, murder and terror." Protests erupted again throughout the Muslim world, including in Afghanistan. In the eastern city of Jalalabad, furious protesters torched the Danish and Dutch flags, while more than 200 Afghan lawmakers shouted, "Death to enemies of Islam," in a demonstration outside the parliament building in Kabul. But Afghan insists that the violent few do not represent most Muslims. When two locals passed by his solitary tent last week, they were inspired to plant tents of their own and join in the hunger strike. "I was visiting from Kunduz [a distant province], when I saw Mr. Afghan's tent," striker Bashir Ahmad says. "I agreed with his message, and I don't think violence is the way to solve this issue. So I decided to join the strike, and I've been here ever since." The following day a few more joined. By Day 5, more than 60 people had gathered in this small Kabul park, transforming one man's stand into a forum where strikers give passionate speeches defending Islam. The protests come at a time when many Afghans feel that the West judges them unfairly, observers say. Local journalist Hamid Asir asks, "British newspapers agreed not to publish stories about Prince Harry's stay in Afghanistan. But when someone publishes something that is hurtful to over one billion people, why does the West talk about press freedom?" Analysts warn that the specter of continued violence still looms large, especially if the Dutch film is released, and that some will seek to gain from the events. "Violent protests are often orchestrated or manipulated by powerful religious figures," says Nadim Shehadi, London-based analyst. But Afghan and his fellow strikers hope their peaceful methods will strike a chord. "Europe has spent billions on Afghanistan," says the mathematician, pallid and emaciated from a week without food. "But we'd much rather just have them respect our religion." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7285168.stm Saturday, 8 March 2008, 14:31 GMT Afghans protest against cartoons Protesters are incensed at the reprinting of the cartoons Thousands of people in Afghanistan have been protesting against the reprinting of cartoons in Danish newspapers they say are insults to Islam. At the scene of the biggest protest, in the western city of Herat, police say more then 10,000 people took to the streets to denounce Denmark. They also condemned the planned release of a Dutch film critical of the Koran. They burned Dutch and Danish flags, and called for their troops to be removed from the Nato force in Afghanistan. Saturday's protests have been the largest in the last two weeks in Afghanistan. Thousands of demonstrators walked to Herat's main sports stadium, shouting angry slogans against Denmark and the Netherlands for alleged insults against Islam. One of the protesters, Mir Farooq Hussaini, blamed the US and its allies for what he saw as blasphemy against Islam. "We are here today to show our anger for what happened in Denmark, and to all infidels in the leadership of criminal America for what is going on in the world," he said. "If next time our beliefs are insulted, we will give a lesson to America and its allies the way we gave a lesson to Russia when they had occupied our country." Biggest protest These protests are believed to be the biggest since 2006, when cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad were published in a Danish newspaper, causing outrage and sparking riots across the Muslim world. Last month, Denmark's leading newspapers reprinted one of the cartoons, after Danish police said they had uncovered a plot to kill the artist, whose drawing was one of 12 cartoons that had angered many Muslims. The reprinting triggered another wave of protests in Islamic countries. Saturday's protesters in Herat were also angered by the forthcoming release of a short film by a right-wing member of the Dutch parliament, Geert Wilders, as the film reportedly portrays the Koran in a negative light. Afghanistan is an Islamic republic where criticism of the Prophet Muhammad and the Koran can carry the death sentence. Last week, more than 200 Afghan MPs protested in parliament, and urged the Danish and Dutch governments to prevent what they said was blasphemy against Islam. http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/2008/03/muslim-protest-outside-danish-embassy.html Around 800 Thai Muslims claiming to represent the Bangkok Islamic community burnt a Danish flag and marched on the country's embassy on Wednesday to protest the reprinting of cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammad by Danish newspapers. Members of the Thailand-based Muslims Group for Peace rallied outside the embassy, shouting "Allah Akbar," (God is great"), burnt a flag and photos of the Danish prime minister Anders Fosh Rasmussen and Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard. They called on all Thai Muslims to boycott Danish goods. There also were demonstrations in Pakistan, where young people burnt tyres and blocked roads in Multan to protest the reprinting of the cartoons. In Bangkok, leaders of the group denied reports they were organised or supported by the Iranian embassy in Bangkok. They said that the protesters came from Nong Chok district in Minburi, a Muslim neighbourhood in Bangkok, but were Sunni Muslims with no affiliation to Iran. They also denied any political motivation behind their demonstration, apart from a protest against the Danish government's "disregard" of the offensive cartoons. "We should do something more violent than just protest, but today we are keeping it peaceful," said Suloh Salaimad, a member of the Muslim group for Peace. The Bangkok protest followed a call last Friday in Teheran by prayer leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami for the Islamic world to cut ties with Denmark over the cartoons, and hardline members of parliament echoed that call. According to the Teheran media, Iran hopes to make the cartoons and "those who desecrate Prophet Muhammad" a central issue at the summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference which opens on Thursday in Dakar, Senegal. The protesters, some of them wearing T-shirts reading "Jihad" or "We Love Mohammad," sat in the road in front of the embassy and listened to speeches denouncing the Scandinavian country. Several demonstrators unfurled a banner saying "Boycott Denmark." The Bangkok protest was purportedly prompted by last month's reprinting of 12 cartoons that triggered an uproar in 2006 when they were first published in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten newspapers, sparking violent protests in many Muslim countries. The cartoons were reprinted in February in several Danish newspapers after police said they had foiled a murder plot against Danish newspaper cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, whose cartoon of Muhammad with a bomb in his turban was deemed especially offensive. "We want the world to know that you can't fool with Islam," said Mureed Teemasean, addressing the demonstration outside the Danish embassy in Bangkok. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200803171117.htm UAE, Oman boycott Danish products Dubai (PTI): Supermarkets in the UAE and Oman have stopped selling Danish products to protest against the new publication in Denmark of a controversial newspaper cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed. In the UAE, the Union Co-operative Society in Dubai has withdrawn all Danish products from its shelves as a mark of protest against the resurfacing of the blasphemous cartoon controversy, representatives of the various branches of the Society in the emirate said Monday. The recent republication of the 2005 offensive cartoons by several Danish newspapers has sparked a series of protests and anger among Muslims around the world. http://www.poptel.org.uk/mozambique-news/newsletter/aim315.html Muslims march in protest at cartoons More than a thousand Muslims marched in Maputo city on 25 February to protest against the publication of the controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed by the independent weekly "Savana". The cartoons in question, which caused a wave of demonstrations by Muslims around the world, were first published in a Danish paper, in September 2005. On 17 February "Savana" republished eight of the 12 cartoons on the founder of Islam, the Prophet Mohammed, which first appeared in the Danish paper "Jyllands-Posten". Among the cartoons which "Savana" chose to reprint is the most polemical of all - which shows Mohammed with a bomb in his turban. The march in Maputo started in the suburb of Alto Mae and ended in Independence Square, where the demonstrators prayed for about three hours. Some of the banners carried by the demonstrators demanded the sacking of Savana's director, Kok Nam, and its editor, Fernando Goncalves. Demonstrators wore T-shirts proclaiming that "Islam equals Peace and Tolerance", and held banners with slogans such as "Danish papers please do not offend us", "Prophet Mohamed, compassion to humankind, we repudiate all those who offend prophet Mohamed, shoulder by shoulder we will win". The "Savana" management has formally apologised to the Muslim community for publishing the cartoons, and has stated that the publication of the cartoons was only aimed at showing people what was the object of such a hot controversy. The cartoons were first published in Denmark, and elicited no reaction beyond Denmark's borders. They were then republished in October in an Egyptian paper - and, although the great majority of the Egyptian population are Muslims, there was no reaction. Only in late January, when a few Danish Imans hawked the cartoons round the Middle East (plus three forged ones that did not appear in "Jyllands-Posten"), was an artificial fury inflamed. Islamic fundamentalists started issuing death threats, and boycotts of Danish products were initiated. In solidarity with the Danes, newspapers in several other European countries, starting with Norway, republished the cartoons. Mobs in Syria sacked the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus, and the same fate overtook the Danish embassy in Beirut. The row has subsequently spread across the Islamic world. Muslims account for about 18 per cent of the Mozambican population, according to the 1997 census. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/184708,riot-over-anti-moslem-leaflet-leaves-at-least-two-dead-in.html Riot over anti-Moslem leaflet leaves at least two dead in Nigeria Posted : Sat, 09 Feb 2008 12:28:05 GMT Abuja - At least two people including a police inspector were reported killed in Nigeria's predominantly Muslim North Saturday during a violent protest over a leaflet allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammed. A riot broke out in Sumaila town in Kano state when a group of youths protested circulation of a leaflet deemed slanderous to the Prophet Mohammed, according to the chairman of Sumaila Council area in the state, Zubairu Hamza. Briefing the Deputy Governor of the State, Abdullahi Gwarzo, at the site of the violence, Hamza said the Sumaila police outpost and vehicles parked outside the building were also destroyed. Hamza said a "mob" trailed one of a group of non-Muslim students of the Government Secondary School suspected of being behind the distribution of the leaflet to the police station where he was taking refuge. The violence broke out when police refused to surrender the "suspect". Deputy Governor Gwarzo described the incident as "unfortunate" and gave an assurance that those responsible would be brought to book. He stressed that no religion condoned slandering of a prophet and urged the people of the town to expose any person who indulged in acts capable of disturbing the peace. Police Commissioner Mohammed Yesufu later confirmed the arrest of 25 persons in connection with the riot, and added that two persons, not three as stated in earlier reports, had been killed. A similar riot occurred at Tudun Wada, headquarters of Tudun council area of Kano state last October, during which several lives were lost. And last Sunday, one person was killed and dozens wounded in religious violence in the Shira council area of Bauchi State, also a predominantly Muslim state in Nigeria's north-east. The Bauchi protesters also burnt down a police station and places of worship in the area because police officers on duty refused to hand over a woman taking refuge in the station after being accused of desecrating the Koran. A year ago 30 people were killed during a similar religious uprising following the alleged desecration of the Koran by a female teacher in a state-run secondary school in Bauchi. In 1991, about 200 people were killed in sectarian violence in Bauchi state. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_8429927?nclick_check=1 'Little Saigon' protest draws 2,500 in advance of Tuesday's vote By Joshua Molina More than 2,500 people converged at San Jose City Hall on Sunday to demand that the city name a Vietnamese retail area on Story Road "Little Saigon, as new allegations emerged that Councilwoman Madison Nguyen had a "private deal" with a developer to pick a different name. The rally - the largest ever at City Hall - set the stage for a climactic vote Tuesday night. The spirited crowd waved the red and yellow flag of South Vietnam before the 1975 communist takeover, shouting "Little Saigon" in unison. Young families with babies in strollers and seniors seemed united in their rage against the city. The huge turnout was the latest - and most vivid example - that the city council has let the Little Saigon controversy spin wildly out of control. Last November, by an 8-3 vote, the council approved "Saigon Business District" as the name - a move that led to the extraordinary backlash. "The whole city council spat in our face," said Thien Ho, a 23-year-old bio-chemistry major at San Jose State University. "Even though we came out and showed our support for Little Saigon, they didn't listen. It was like they had already made up their mind." While the official crowd estimate from City Hall security staff was 2,500, Little Saigon supporters claimed several thousand more were in attendance. The Little Saigon blowup has become the biggest political issue in San Jose, sparking international interest that the council would gladly see go away. Many protesters believe that the council betrayed them and that Nguyen - who is at the center of the firestorm - cooked up a deal behind the scenes nearly a year ago with a developer, Lap Tang, to name the area "Vietnam Town Business District." Tang is building a new mall that he plans to call "Vietnam Town." On Sunday, organizers announced to the crowd and presented e-mail correspondence between Nguyen and the city's redevelopment agency, showing that the councilwoman as far back as April was pushing for the name "Vietnam Town" and that the developer was willing to pay for signage. The e-mail exchange, her political opponents charge, is proof of a hidden agenda and early dislike of the name "Little Saigon." The "Vietnam Town" name fell through after the city attorney informed the redevelopment agency staff that private outside dollars could not be used to fund the project. On Sunday, Nguyen dismissed the allegations. She said that early on she contacted many of the property owners on Story Road because she thought that naming the area "Vietnam Town" might be "cool" because it was also the name of the private development. But, she said, once the city attorney weighed in on the issue, she backed off - and began to reach out to the public to decide on a name. At that point, Nguyen said, she had no preference for a name. "I have been accused of everything possible under the sun," Nguyen said. "This is just another scheme to steer the public in the wrong direction. This is just another mechanism or tactic to continue this charade." Members of San Jose Voters For Democracy, the main group pushing for the name Little Saigon, plan to focus on the e-mail exchange on Tuesday night as another reason that the council should name the area Little Saigon. "They know what the community wants, so why deny it?" said Martha Nguyen-Le of Fremont, a Vietnamese emigre. "Here, it is supposed to be about democracy." In recent weeks, the council has faced allegations of breaking the Brown Act, the state's open meeting law. Because of questions about whether Nguyen spoke to a majority of the council prior to the November vote, the city attorney said the perception alone is enough reason why the council should reconsider its vote. The controversy has also had its surreal moments. Ly Tong, a 63-year-old anti-communist crusader, launched a hunger strike on Feb. 15 and is camped out in front of City Hall. Tong has escaped from several communist prisons, trekked 1,600 miles across Southeast Asia and hijacked a Vietnam Airlines jet and dropped 50,000 leaflets over Ho Chi Minh City, proclaiming himself the "commander in chief" of an anti-communist revolution. The stunt landed him six years in prison during the '90s. Since the vote, the activists have also held weekly rallies outside City Hall. The issue has also soured relationships among city council members. Vice Mayor Dave Cortese originally voted against Little Saigon but has since broken ranks with Nguyen. "This is an issue of freedom," said Cortese, who is running for county supervisor. "This is an issue of human rights. This is an issue of democracy. The people have spoken. I will do everything in my power to make sure on Tuesday Little Saigon prevails." Nguyen has maintained throughout the ordeal that a "silent majority" opposes Little Saigon. And recently more than 500 people in the Vietnamese community put their names on an open letter calling for a calm solution to the controversy. But for thousands of Vietnamese-Americans, who believe that Little Saigon represents their homeland, the solution is simple. "I support Little Saigon," said Dung Tran of San Jose. "It stands for my country. I want that name back. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-madison22mar22,1,2845957.story Vietnam echoes in a San Jose feud Email Picture Joanne Ho-Young Lee / San Jose Mercury News PROTEST: Thousands of Vietnamese from all over California, including Le Tu, left, of Orange County and Tuan Nguyen of San Bernardino, rally in front of San Jose City Hall in support of the Little Saigon name earlier this month. Selecting a name for a business district sparks emotional debate and tests the mettle of a young councilwoman. By My-Thuan Tran, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer March 22, 2008 SAN JOSE -- The protesters gathered outside City Hall, marking another day of anger. They waved South Vietnamese flags, yelled into bullhorns and held signs saying "No Democracy in San Jose." Down the street, a fellow activist was on Day 19 of his hunger strike. Eighteen floors above the spectacle, Madison Nguyen attended to city business. From her office, the chants of "Down with Madison" or the placards with a slash drawn across her smiling face couldn't be seen or heard. But the repercussions can be felt everywhere in San Jose's Vietnamese community. Only months earlier, Nguyen was embraced as the beloved daughter of the ethnic community. Now, some constituents are calling her a traitor and communist sympathizer. "My only intent was to bring a positive image to the Vietnamese," said Nguyen, 33. "I didn't know I was opening up a big can of worms." San Jose's Vietnamese community has been torn for more than eight months over what to name the city's first Vietnamese shopping district, a decision that might seem mundane if not for the fact that it cuts to the deepest sensibilities in one of the country's largest Vietnamese American communities. Nguyen's popularity began to plunge when she suggested the area be named Saigon Business District rather than Little Saigon, a name that to many here is a powerful symbol of defiance to the Vietnamese communist regime and one that would link them arm and arm with other Vietnamese enclaves that have adopted the name. The councilwoman's position -- a compromise selected from half a dozen suggestions -- was taken as an insult. The street protests that followed underscored again that the rules of politics are different for a Vietnamese American politician, who must navigate the lingering emotions of a community still defined by the Vietnam War. Even business owners, reporters, and pop singers carefully tiptoe around inferences and innuendo that can cast a person as being soft on communism. A misstep can launch vocal protests and accusations; reputations can be tarnished. Most bow to the pressure. Madison Nguyen, however, has played her hand differently. She said she was willing to risk votes and upset constituents to exert her political independence. It's a risky gambit in places such as San Jose and Orange County, where Vietnamese American politicians rely on the ethnic community as their base and where the mood is colored by the loudest voices. Fled Vietnam Like many of her critics, Nguyen escaped Vietnam in the late 1970s. She was 4. Her family eventually migrated to Modesto, where Nguyen and her eight siblings helped her parents pick cherries and apricots after school. While attending UC Santa Cruz, Nguyen skipped classes to protest with farm workers for higher wages. Nguyen became a history major and changed her name from Phuong to Madison to honor former president James Madison. She started a doctoral program studying the evolution of the Vietnamese American community. She won a seat on the Franklin-McKinley school board in San Jose and became the city's first Vietnamese American councilwoman in 2005. Her eagerness to be independent and to strike compromises has rubbed some the wrong way. She believes the Vietnamese community is going through "growing pains" and at times lacks an understanding of how local government works, but some see Nguyen as young, immature, failing to be deferential. "I feel that when [Vietnamese] people look at me, they feel that I am their daughter instead of an elected official," she said. Naming choices When Nguyen proposed naming the Vietnamese retail district along Story Road, there was a push to incorporate the name of the fallen capital of South Vietnam, as in Little Saigon or New Saigon. Other proposed names, including Vietnamtown or Vietnamese Business District, were criticized as glorifying the communist country. Nguyen initially refused to choose sides but finally proposed a compromise: Saigon Business District. She thought it would placate her constituents because Saigon had been renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Her council colleagues sided with her. But the protests outside City Hall grew louder and bigger. One rally drew 2,500; a council hearing attracted more than 1,000. She wasn't invited to the annual Tet festival, a snub in the Vietnamese community. "A non-Vietnamese can have the excuse of misunderstanding the sentiment of our community," said Tom Vuong, 63. "But she is one of us." At the recent council meeting, Nguyen sat poker faced for 6 1/2 hours as hundreds in the community chastised her. Many invoked the memories of war. "My family lost everything. Everything!" said a young man wearing a Little Saigon sticker. Some council members apologized, saying they had misgauged the Vietnamese community's fervor. But Nguyen refused to apologize. "I can't just represent a small segment or the most vocal segment of the community," she said. In the past, Vietnamese American politicians who have failed to cater to the vocal rallying calls have come under fire. Tony Lam, the first Vietnamese American elected official, had his Westminster restaurant picketed for two months when he failed to show up during the massive 1999 protests against a store owner who displayed communist icons. Lam said he was following the advice of the city attorney, but the protests continued. Little seems to have changed in Vietnamese politics, said Caroline Kieu Linh Valverde, a UC Davis professor who spoke in Nguyen's defense at the meeting. Some of the hundreds who signed a petition disagreeing with the "tactics" of the Little Saigon supporters say they have been castigated as communist sympathizers. "We need to change the way Vietnamese Americans have conducted politics in the last 30 years through intimidation and tough tactics that silence so many of us," said Valverde. To Nguyen, the district naming is a test of whether the community is ready to move forward. "I look at the situation and I say, 'You can either bring down the Vietnamese community or you can elevate the image of the Vietnamese community.' That's always in the back of my mind." But the daily gossip about Nguyen rages at the Vietnamese coffee houses, where some accuse her of acting with with the communist government or conducting "back door dealings" with a developer to name the area. Some among them suggest it may not be too late for Nguyen to repair her reputation. "We want her to learn to be better," said Barry Hung Do, a Little Saigon supporter. He suggests that the councilwoman hold a community meeting, explain herself and ask for forgiveness. Nguyen said she has lost sleep over the issue, but she bursts into chuckles when she tells of community leaders wanting her to "get permission" before proposing the district name. "If I ask one person, I have to ask 96,000 other people," Nguyen said. "I don't have the time or the energy to go ask for everyone's permission whenever I want to do something." Residents decide Earlier this month, the City Council rejected naming the area Little Saigon and gave business owners and residents the right to decide. A week later, officials signed an agreement with protesters allowing a sign to be erected in the area. "Welcome to Little Saigon," it will read, even though the area will lack such an official designation. Some called it a victory. The hunger striker immediately stopped his protest. Nguyen said she hopes things can get back to normal so she can focus on other problems in her district. Little Saigon backers remain weary. They are now trying to remove her from office. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-02/18/content_7620371.htm Protests in Belgrade against Kosovo's independence turn into riots BELGRADE, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- The protests against Kosovo's independence in Serbian capital Belgrade turned into riots on Sunday, with two policemen injured, local media reported. Two riot police were hit when protests in front of the U.S. embassy escalated into riots. Protesters destroyed cars, threw stones at and set fire to the embassy building. Riot police managed to keep protesters away from the embassy. Protesters also smashed windows at the Slovenian Embassy in Belgrade, and took the Slovenian and European Union flags away from the buildings. Slovenia is the current holder of the EU presidency. Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci declared independence at an extraordinary session of the Kosovo parliament earlier on Sunday. Kosovo was a southern autonomous province within Serbia before the breakup of Yugoslavia. Among its population of 2 million, over 90 percent are ethnic Albanians and about 7 percent are Serbs. The independence-seeking province has been run by a UN mission since NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) drove the Serbian troops out there in 1999. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/22/wbelgrade122.xml Serb mob storm US embassy in Kosovo protest By Alex Todorovic in Belgrade, and Harry de Quetteville in Pristina Last Updated: 3:33am GMT 26/02/2008 Hundreds of Serbs have set fire to the American embassy in Belgrade as they vented their outrage at the West's support for Kosovo's independence. A group of 300 masked demonstrators broke away from a mass protest organised by the government and smashed their way into the building as police looked on. Serb nationalists celebrate as flames rise from the US embassy after protests in Belgrade turned violent Fires were started on two floors of the building and the mob threw furniture from an office window as they were egged on by hardline elements in the crowd of 300,000 people. Flames quickly spread. The building had been closed in advance of the protest and diplomatic staff were told to stay at home. However, images of an American embassy in flames in a European country will provoke fury in Washington and stoke tensions between the US and Serbia. With the rioters turning their attention to the neighbouring Croatian embassy, the Belgrade government took action to quell the growing unrest and sent paramilitary police armed with teargas to expel the intruders from the two embassies. Firemen were then able to put out the blaze. The protesters fled into side streets where they fought running battles with the police. Sean McCormack, the US state department spokesman, said that while the embassy had been empty, security officials and US marines were in a different part of the mission's compound. The ambassador was at his residence and in touch with Washington. Mr McCormack said the Serb government had a responsibility to protect the embassy. The US ambassador to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, said he was "outraged" by the riot and he would seek condemnation by the UN Security Council. The Turkish and Bosnian embassies also came under attack from protesters. Earlier, the Serb prime minister, Vojislav Kostunica, denounced the new Kosovo government and its backers in America and the European Union. "Kosovo belongs to Serbia," he said. "There is no force, no threat, no punishment that is strong enough and bad enough for any Serb to say differently." The world's third-seeded men's tennis player, Novak Djokovic, addressed the rally by video link. The vast protest was echoed by others across the Balkans as incensed Serbs demonstrated from Bosnia to Kosovo itself. Many Western embassies had closed their doors and warned their nationals to stay away from the protest. Despite the attack on the US embassy, most demonstrators remained calm as darkness fell over Belgrade's parliament square, the rallying point ?where bells rang out and prayer vigils were held. The seething crowds cheered as Mr Kostunica thanked Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, for Moscow's support. Electronic signs displaying the message "Kosovo is Serbia" were flashed up in Russian, as well as in Spanish - a reference to Spain's refusal to recognise the new state amid its own fears about Catalonia and the Basque country's aspirations for nationhood. The hardline nationalist Tomislav Nikolic, who narrowly lost Serbia's presidential election to the moderate Boris Tadic earlier this month, compared the struggle over Kosovo to the Second World War. He said: "Hitler could not take it away from us and we will not rest until Kosovo is again under Serbia's control." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/22/wbelgrade222.xml Western shops are targets for Serbian rioters By Alex Todorovic in Belgrade Last Updated: 3:33am GMT 26/02/2008 Western banks, shops and restaurants were targets for Serbian rioters last night as protests against the independence of Kosovo turned into a cycle of looting, vandalism and street brawls with police. Foreign clothing shops were left looted and smashed, banks were damaged, street furniture and signs were battered, while a bitter mix of smoke and tear gas hung on the air. Young men with scarves covering their faces loitered everywhere about the city, by turns fighting with or running from the police. advertisement The two McDonald's restaurants in the city centre were smouldering ruins by the end of the evening. Foreign banks, such as the French Societe Generale or the Austrian Raiffeisen Bank, were damaged, with cash machines mangled in heaps plastic and metal outside. Clothing shops were picked clean before being demolished; the Levi's store on Belgrade's central shopping street Terazije was barren, down to the last garment, as was the Bennetton shop and any number of sports shops. Two young men struggled to lift a sliding metal gate in front of a Sector watch shop on Srspski Vladar ("Serbian Rulers") Street. One man finally managed to hold the heavy sliding door while the other piled a dozen watches in his shirt, which he used as a makeshift "shopping basket". Police officers appeared from a side street, chasing dozens of young men who fought back with stones and detritus from smashed shops. The police responded with tear gas, and then the mass of hoodlums dispersed into other streets. The young men, many of them drunk on plastic-bottled beer, spent the evening moving in circles along side streets, showing some resistance, looting, then finding a new area. The hooligans had tried to destroy the British embassy earlier in the evening as they had the American, but the British compounds tall perimeter iron fence prevented the attack. The American embassy, with no fence and facing one of Belgrade's largest thoroughfares, was particularly vulnerable and the the onslaught of hundreds of hooligans had overwhelmed any defences. Ostensibly, the young men were demonstrating Kosovo's declaration of independence, but hardly any of these men know the first thing about Kosovo. Though Kosovo was the heart of Serbia's medieval kingdom for 200 years until the Battle of Kosovo joined it to the Ottoman Empire, most Serbs have never visited. As with the Los Angeles Riots in 1993, when the Rodney King verdict served as a catalyst to express frustration over that city's intransigent economic problems, Kosovo's independence seems to have served as an excuse for young unemployed men to vent their rage over festering economic difficulties. Serbia's average salary is just a few hundred euros per month, yet people are lucky to even have a job. Most young people are unemployed and the transition economy has been particularly tough on young people with few job skills. http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/story.html?id=f0242c89-be2f-4530-948a-5d612b4a63c2&k=46574 Prayer and protest on eve of Kosovo independence Ivana Sekularac, Reuters Published: Saturday, February 16, 2008 MITROVICA, Serbia (Reuters) - Serbs held a day of prayer and protest on Saturday on the eve of the secession of their cherished province Kosovo, whose Albanian majority has struggled for its own state for almost two decades. "We are all expecting something difficult and horrible," Bishop Artemije, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo, told hundreds of Serbs at the St Dimitrije church in the north Kosovo town of Mitrovica. "Our message to you, all Serbs in Kosovo, is to remain in your homes and around your monasteries, regardless of what God allows or our enemies do," he said. Kosovo's parliament will declare independence on Sunday, almost nine years since NATO went to war to save the province's 90-percent Albanian majority from a wave of killings and ethnic cleansing by Serb forces trying to crush a rebel insurgency. The declaration will be made during a parliamentary session in the capital Pristina due to begin at 3.00 p.m. (11 a.m EST), according to the schedule of events leaked to media on Saturday. In Belgrade, more than 1,000 people gathered with banners, flags and religious icons to protest against the loss of land many consider their religious heartland, steeped in history and the site of dozens of centuries-old Orthodox monasteries. "We're ready to fight for Kosovo," said protester Ivan Ivanovic. "Kosovo will be returned to us, we'll never accept its independence." They delivered a petition to the embassy of current European Union president Slovenia, condemning the EU's support for Kosovo's "illegal" secession. A full-page advertisement in Serbian dailies called for more demonstrations against this "punishment and humiliation." "Kosovo, the most precious part of Serbia, is being taken away," said the ad by the unknown group "Active Centre." "We must ... never give up the fight for its preservation." It is unclear how strongly ordinary Serbs will vent their anger at the final loss of a place that has been mainly Albanian for almost a century. PROVOCATION In Kosovo, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci prayed at the graves of the Jashari family in the village of Prekaz, remembering the March 1998 massacre of more than 50 people by Serb forces that swelled Albanian support for guerrilla war. "We are on the brink of making official the independence of Kosovo," he said on the snow-swept hillside. Albanian and U.S. flags flew from cars and shops across the U.N.-run territory as its 2 million Albanians prepared to celebrate the culmination of a decades-long drive for their own state. Despite the backing of Russia, Belgrade can do nothing to stop independence or Kosovo's recognition by the West. Serbia's uneasy coalition government is split over whether to reject ties with the European Union over the bloc's backing for Kosovo. Brussels has approved the launch of a 2,000-strong police and justice mission for Kosovo that will take over from the current U.N. administration after a 120-day transition. Commenting on the mission, Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic, an ally of nationalist Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, said Serbia would "have to question its ties" with the EU and states that recognize Kosovo's independence. The commander of NATO peacekeepers in Kosovo, French Lieutenant-General Xavier de Marnhac, said the force, KFOR, "will react and oppose any provocation that may happen during these days, whether from the Albanian or the Serb side." The United States and most EU members will recognize the new state, the last to be carved from Yugoslavia. They say Serbia relinquished the moral right to rule its people because of the brutality against them under the late Slobodan Milosevic. Serbia rejects the secession and has told Kosovo's 120,000 remaining Serbs to do the same. Many of them live in the north adjacent to Serbia proper and look set to cement a de facto partition that will weigh on the new state for years. (Additional reporting by Fatos Bytyci and Ellie Tzortzi; writing by Matt Robinson, edited by Richard Meares) http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gdGRegAVABp_IFgyG6NOP7Ntps3A Belgrade 'Riot Girls' prove unlikely YouTube hit Feb 22, 2008 BELGRADE (AFP) - Internet surfers in Serbia were aghast Friday at footage of a pair of "Riot Girls" shamelessly taking advantage of riots in the capital Belgrade to go on a looting spree. The video clip, which has become an unlikely hit after being posted on the videosharing website YouTube, shows the two young women going from shop to shop and helping themselves to anything from chocolates to designer clothes. The link www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VWZoKWBYXE had received well over 2,000 comments within 24 hours of being posted. The video entitled "Kosovo for a pair of sneakers," was uploaded by a user called "Gvantanamo" (eds:correct), who described it as "Belgrade chicks use riots and shamelessly steal from smashed up boutiques." "They are so greedy and even carry goods in their teeth," added "Gvantanamo". In the footage, the two blondes can be seen stealing from a ransacked grocery store, picking up chocolates and drinks, before rushing into an adidas shop that had been broken into, bagging shoes and jackets. It was apparently filmed by someone on a mobile phone camera. The unidentified cameramen kept asking them for their names, but one of the girls only shouted "Go away, stop filming," as the other tried to pick up stolen goods that had fallen out of her hands. Serbian police said almost 200 people were detained after the rioting, which broke out after a government-organised rally to show Serbia's opposition to Kosovo's independence. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b7c94334-e0e8-11dc-b0d7-0000779fd2ac.html Body found as riot hits US embassy By Neil MacDonald in Belgrade and Daniel Dombey in,Washington Published: February 22 2008 02:00 | Last updated: February 22 2008 02:00 The US branded Serbia's behaviour yesterday as "unacceptable" and condemned the country's government for what it said was the incitement of violence after scores of protesters broke into the US embassy in Belgrade and set part of it ablaze. A charred body was found in the embassy, which security personnel later managed to secure. US officials said they believed it was probably a protester rather than of an embassy employee. The violence comes as a contrast to US and European Union hopes of a smooth resolution to the long-running dispute over Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia at the weekend and which the US and leading EU countries have recognised. It also underlines the obstacles facing Washington and Brussels as they seek to strengthen Belgrade's ties with the rest of Europe. Nicholas Burns, the US undersecretary of state, who earlier this week spelled out the US's ambition to "reach out" to Serbia, delivered a formal protest yesterday to Vojislav Kostunica, Serbia's prime minister. "The message was very clear: that the situation was intolerable, that they needed to act immediately to provide the adequate security forces so that our embassy compound and our personnel were not under attack," said Sean McCormack, the state department's spokesman. Mr Burns, who called Mr Kostunica under personal instructions from Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, told the Serbian prime minister that no recurrence of yesterday's events was acceptable and obtained his assurance that no repetition would occur. Tens of thousands of protesters had converged on Belgrade to insist that Kosovo remained part of Serbia. Government leaders joined with the hardline nationalist Radical party for the huge rally. Hundreds of buses and free transport on the national railways ensured that citizens could come from all over Serbia, with turnout expectations running as high as 1m. One protester climbed up to the first floor of the building, ripped the US flag off its pole and briefly put up a Serbian flag. Some protesters jumped up and down on the embassy balcony, holding up a Serbian flag as the crowd cheered them on. Additional reporting by agencies. http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gOOd4tK30P-TqprIFsObWhnlglRw Serbian-Canadians protest in four cities over Kosovo independence Mar 1, 2008 TORONTO - To chants of "Kosovo is Serbia" hundreds of protesters gathered at the Ontario legislature Saturday to urge Ottawa not to recognize Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. Ontario Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis joined organizers in exhorting Serbian-Canadians to sign petitions to their local MPs, and call the prime minister. He criticized what he called the international community's rush to recognize Kosovo. Scott Taylor, a former soldier who served in Bosnia, said Canada's recognition of Kosovo as an independent province would be a mistake. Taylor said UN Resolution 1244, which Canada signed as a NATO member, firmly states that Kosovo remains Serbian sovereign territory. The federal government has yet to announce its position. Rallies were also planned for Ottawa, Winnipeg and Calgary. Last weekend, thousands of Serbian-Canadians marched outside the U.S. consulate in Toronto, and hundreds more past the U.S. consulate in Montreal, saying Kosovo's independence declaration on Feb. 17 is illegal. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/26/europe/kosovo.php Bosnian Serbs try to storm U.S. Consulate during Kosovo protest Reuters, The Associated Press Published: February 26, 2008 BANJA LUKA, Bosnia and Herzegovina: The police fired tear gas at Bosnian Serb rioters Tuesday to prevent them from storming the U.S. Consulate during a rally to protest Kosovo's declaration of independence. Hundreds of protesters split away from the almost 10,000 peaceful protesters in Banja Luka and headed toward the consulate, breaking shop windows and throwing stones at police officers who blocked the streets leading to the building with armored vehicles. A rain of stones poured down on the police before they fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. Several officers were seen limping. The police were also seen detaining several demonstrators as they tried to flee to a nearby park. The latest violence came as Kosovo told Serbia on Tuesday that it would not yield one inch of its territory. Today in Europe Responding to a pledge by Belgrade to rule Serb-dominated parts of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, the ethnic Albanian prime minister of Kosovo, said, "I am constantly in contact with NATO to prevent anyone from touching even one inch of Kosovo's territory." About 120,000 Serbs remain in Kosovo, just under half in the north in a slice of land that runs adjacent to Serbia and where Serbs seem intent on cutting remaining ties with Pristina. The attempt on the consulate on Tuesday follows a violent protest Thursday in which hundreds of hooligans attacked the U.S. Embassy in central Belgrade, setting part of it on fire and smashing windows. One person died and hundreds were wounded and arrested. The protest Tuesday began with participants gathering peacefully at the main square in central Banja Luka, carrying Serbian flags, pictures of President Vladimir Putin of Russia and banners reading "No America." At least one U.S. flag had a swastika drawn on it. Some bystanders returning from the peaceful part of the protest Tuesday yelled "Shame on you!" at the rioters and one man, apparently a former Bosnian Serb soldier, shouted, "This is not what I fought for!" The incident occurred despite repeated calls by organizers to hold a peaceful protest. The police secured diplomatic missions in the city ahead of the rally and warned that it would use all legal means to prevent violence. Bosnia consists of two mini-states, one run by Bosnian Serbs, the other by Bosnians and Croats. The Bosnian Serb Parliament has condemned Kosovo's declaration of independence and said it would consider a referendum to secede from Bosnia if more countries considered Kosovo independent. The United States and major European Union powers have recognized Kosovo, nine years after going to war to save its Albanian majority from ethnic cleansing by Serbian forces. Russia is Serbia's main ally in rejecting Kosovo's secession, promising political and economic support. A NATO peace force of 16,000 has stepped up security in the north of Kosovo, particularly Mitrovica, where Serbs and Albanians are divided by the Ibar River. The NATO force took control of two northern border crossings last week after they were burned down by Serbian mobs. The EU, which is deploying a 2,000-strong police and justice mission to Kosovo, withdrew its small team from Mitrovica because of security concerns. http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60240&archive=true Serbs continue Kosovo protest By Kent Harris, Stars and Stripes European edition, Tuesday, February 26, 2008 More than a week after Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia, protesters continue to march each day in the volatile northern city of Kosovska Mitrovica. Hundreds of protesters in the city have taken to marching each day beginning at 12:44 p.m. - a reference to the U.N. Security Council resolution that made Kosovo a protectorate in 1999 after a 78-day NATO bombing campaign. French Navy Capt. Bernard Bonneau, the spokesman for Kosovo Force, said about 500 demonstrators showed up each day over the weekend. "It seems like the number of people is decreasing," he said in a telephone interview Monday. KFOR and the U.N. police had a role in that. Given word that potentially thousands of people from Serbia were heading by bus to Mitrovica to join protesters Friday, police and troops closed the border "for a short period of time," Bonneau said. That resulted in the buses being turned back. "When the situation was back to normal, people were able to cross on both sides," he said. "We believe in freedom of movement, as long as we have public order." By all accounts, that hasn't been a problem in the U.S. sector of Kosovo that's set up in the southeast along the border with the Republic of Macedonia. First Lt. Lamartine Station, a public affairs officer for Task Force Falcon at Camp Bondsteel, said Monday that all remained quiet in the sector. "Today is the exact same as it was last Friday," Capt. Jeff Blowers, commander of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment, said on Friday. Many of the soldiers in Task Force Bayonet - hailing from the 34th Infantry Division of the Minnesota National Guard - were in Kosovo the last time that problems in Mitrovica spiraled out of control. Ethnic Serbs were blamed for the deaths of ethnic Albanian youths in March 2004, causing riots around the province - including the U.S. sector. Hundreds of people were arrested. Bonneau said that Mitrovica is a potential flash point for trouble because of a few hard-liners living among its population. There are about 20,000 Serbs believed to be living in the city that's ethnically divided by a bridge spanning the Ibar River. A larger ethnic Albanian population lives on the other side of the river. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1203343706307&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Feb 19, 2008 18:25 Kosovo Serbs set border crossings on fire to protest independence By ASSOCIATED PRESS KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Kosovo Chanting "Kosovo is Serbia," thousands of Serbs marched Tuesday to a bridge dividing them from ethnic Albanians while others torched UN border checkpoints and cars to protest Kosovo's declaration of independence. Smoke billowed from two checkpoints separating Kosovo from Serbia and flames engulfed several UN vehicles set ablaze in protest against Kosovo's weekend proclamation of independence and anger over international recognition of the new nation. For two days, Kosovo's Serbs have shown their determination to shun the declaration by destroying UN and NATO property, setting off small bombs and staging noisy rallies through the Serb stronghold of Kosovska Mitrovica. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iwqCJTu9VCkM7R8-AJca3Z9Pk9Mg Russia slams US 'cynicism' on Kosovo, Serbs protest in Vienna Feb 24, 2008 BELGRADE (AFP) - Russia accused the United States Sunday of seeking to humiliate Serbia over Kosovo, while Serb protesters clashed with riot police amid ugly scenes in Vienna. Passions were high as up to 10,000 Serbs demonstrated in the Austrian capital, going by police and organiser estimates. A mob of around 400 charged towards the US embassy after burning an American flag. Stopped by police, they made for a neighbourhood with a high number of immigrants from Kosovo and smashed store windows -- with separate scuffles between youths from Serbia and Kosovo breaking out on the city's main shopping street. Police spokesman Manfred Simettinger said two officers were injured before the crowd was dispersed around 6:30 pm (1730 GMT). Austria has recognised Kosovo's independence declaration. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-02/25/content_7662268.htm Serbs rally in Brussels to protest Belgian stance on Kosovo BRUSSELS, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Several hundred Serbs held a demonstration in Brussels on Sunday to protest Belgium's plans to recognize Kosovo as an independent state, Belgian public broadcaster VRT reported. The protesters said last Sunday's unilateral declaration of independence by the Kosovo's parliament contravenes international law, the report said. One of the demonstration's organizers, Serbian historian Alexis Troude, told journalists that the declaration of independence contravenes the United Nations Charter, UN resolution 1244, the 1975 Helsinki Final Act and the Serbian constitution. The protesters said the recognition of Kosovo independence will have consequences elsewhere in Europe. "Today it's Kosovo, but tomorrow it could be the Basque Country, Corsica, Sud-Tirol (Italy)," one of the protesters told Belgian press agency Belga. A majority of the 27 EU member states have officially recognized or plan to recognize Kosovo's independence. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-02/19/content_7626910.htm Protests staged against Kosovo independence in Belgrade, N Kosovo Serbs hold a protest against Kosovo's declaration of independence in front of the Embassy of the United States in Belgrade, capital of Serbia, Feb. 18, 2008. Kosovo Albanians declared independence on Sunday, drawing instant condemnation from Serbia and triggering protest in Belgrade. BELGRADE, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Belgraders and Serbs in northern Kosovo on Monday staged protests against Kosovo's declaration of independence. Thousands of people gathered in downtown Belgrade to protest the unilateral independence of Kosovo. The protest, organized by the Association of Citizens Active Center, was later joined by students of the law faculty of Belgrade University. Protesters waved Serbian national flags and banners, chanting "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia." Meanwhile, Serbs in the northern Kosovo city of Mitrovica voiced in a peaceful protest their rejection of "the creation of anew quasi-Albanian state in the territory of Serbia," Serbia's official Tanjug news agency reported. Protesters carried numerous Serbian flags and banners in the Serbian and English languages, saying "Kosovo not for sale", "No giving up of Kosovo,"... Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci declared the independence of Kosovo during an extraordinary session of Kosovo's parliament on Sunday. The Serbian leadership annulled Kosovo's independence shortly afterwards. Kosovo was a southern autonomous province within Serbia before the breakup of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Albanian-dominated region was plunged into ethnic conflicts in the1990s. Kosovo has been under UN administration since mid-1999, after NATO air strikes drove Serbian forces out of the province. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23238213-1702,00.html Police car damaged as Serbs protest February 19, 2008 04:09am Article from: AAP Font size: + - Send this article: Print Email A POLICE car was damaged in Melbourne last night during a small but vocal protest against Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia. A group of about 200 people described by police as Serbians gathered at Melbourne's Federation Square about 9pm (AEDT) and marched along St Kilda Road to the US consulate. "A bottle was thrown through the back window of a police car, but apart from being a bit vocal, they were OK," Victoria Police spokesman Senior Constable Wayne Wilson said. "They stayed outside the consulate for a while and went home. Police and federal agencies kept watch on the demonstrators, he said. Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leadership announced its independence from Serbia on Monday, and suspense gripped the province as its citizens awaited key backing from the US and key European powers. http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5g7irEJbOC3guWLpF-pvA7yedmSOQ Serbian Canadians protest Kosovo independence in weekend marches Feb 25, 2008 TORONTO - Amid a sea of Serbian flags and passionate chants of ``Kosovo is Serbia,'' about 2,000 demonstrators marched to the U.S. consulate in Toronto late Saturday afternoon to protest what they call the ``illegal and unilateral'' secession of Kosovo from Serbia. The often-noisy but peaceful protest was the first of several Serbian-Canadian demonstrations planned over the next couple of weeks. On Sunday, protests are scheduled in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery and on Montreal's McGill University campus. Organizers of the Toronto event urged the federal government not to recognize the Kosovo declaration because they say it violates international law and Canadian standards, and could have ramifications on this country's unity. ``It would be contrary to Canada's national interests because we don't want separatists in Quebec getting the precedent from Kosovo that it's OK to secede unilaterally,'' said Bojan Ratkovic, a Brock University student who led the event hosted by the University of Toronto Serbian Student Association. Under the Clarity Act which became law in 2000 in Canada, Quebec or any other province wanting to secede would have to win a ``clear majority'' in a referendum that is based on a clear question. The Harper government has yet to take a public stance on Kosovo's declaration. The U.S. and many European nations are recognizing Kosovo's independence, while Serbia's ally Russia, China and Spain are among those who have said they will not. Kosovo, which is 90 per cent ethnic Albanian, has not been under Serbian control since 1999, when NATO launched air strikes to halt a crackdown on separatists. A UN mission has governed Kosovo since, but Serbia - and Kosovo's Serbs, who make up less than 10 per cent of the population - refuse to give up a territory they consider to be the ancient cradle of the Serbian state and religion. ``It's the heart of our culture, our history, our religion,'' said Olivia Alaica, 18, who took part in the protest with her mother and two sisters. ``Kosovo is Serbia as in Toronto is Canadian,'' added her 20-year-old sister Amanda. Protest organizers also point to UN Security Council Resolution 1244 passed in June 1999 to back their argument. It reaffirms ``the commitment of all member states to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the other states of the region.'' Several hundred protesters led by bicycle-mounted police proceeded from near the Ontario legislature to the consulate just down University Avenue, where hundreds more greeted them. Many carried placards, including some reading ``Kosovo is the heart of Serbia'' and ``Kovoso (equals) Quebec.'' By that time, the crowd had swollen to over 2,000 by a police estimate. Rows of officers, riot gear helmets attached to their hips, stood behind metal barricades on the west side of University Avenue as others were mounted on horseback, keeping demonstrators well away from the consulate building. The concern for violence at the event was heightened by the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade Thursday night, which saw one man killed and 150 others hurt. As well, a violent protest in March 1999 saw the consulate building damaged after it was firebombed. No one was inside the consulate Saturday, which was closed. After speeches from organizers, a moment of silence was held to remember Serbian Orthodox churches burned in Kosovo since 1999. Police then allowed seven children through the barricades to place a placard in front of the consulate and light candles before the crowd marched back up University Avenue. Further protests are planned next weekend in Ottawa, Edmonton and Calgary. http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=300b4996-dc9d-41f2-baf8-bb8b51f5eef1&k=48408 French-language activists stage protest JAN RAVENSBERGEN, The Gazette Published: Saturday, February 02 Young people predominated in a flag-waving crowd of about 60 that gathered Saturday at 2 p.m. outside the downtown Montreal office of Quebec Premier Jean Charest to condemn his government's language policies, complaining that French is being given short shrift. Among the slogans they most frequently shouted was "Charest vendu!" --- which translates as "Charest sellout!" Unless provincial authorities act on this "linguistic crisis," said Fran?ois Gendron, 25, spokesperson for protest organizer Jeunes Patriotes du Qu?bec, "we risk starting to speak Frenglish in Quebec in the next couple of years." At 2:45 p.m., demonstrators started parading eastbound along Sherbrooke St. W. from their rallying point near the corner of McGill College Ave., just south of the main entrance of McGill University. They called for the resignation of Culture Minister Christine St-Pierre and of France Boucher, head of the Office qu?b?cois de la langue fran?aise. A recently disclosed 2006 study concluded that people whose mother tongue is French now are in the minority on Montreal Island. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2727791920080127 Eight shot dead in Beirut opposition protests Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:38pm EST By Laila Bassam BEIRUT (Reuters) - Eight Lebanese opposition supporters were shot dead in Beirut on Sunday in some of the worst street violence since Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war, raising tensions in a country gripped by political conflict. A senior opposition source said all the dead were members of Hezbollah or Amal -- Shi'ite Muslim groups that have been locked in a power struggle with the anti-Damascus governing coalition for more than a year. At least 29 more people were wounded. The violence spiraled after an Amal activist was shot dead when the army moved to break up a protest over power cuts. Security sources said the army, seen as neutral in the political crisis, fired in the air to disperse the protest and that other gunman in civilian clothes were nearby. Most of the eight dead activists, all men, were killed in the same area, but it was not clear who was responsible. The army said it was investigating who was behind the shooting. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora urged calm and declared Monday a day of mourning. Schools and universities were to be closed. "In these moments, our country is passing through its most difficult and dangerous times," he said in a statement. "What we have built during the past years is in danger of crumbling." Gunfire was heard into the night in Beirut, and the streets were deserted. Gunmen were seen in Shi'ite and Christian areas near the scene of the shooting in Mar Makhaeil. In nearby Ain Roummaneh, the site of a massacre that had triggered Lebanon's civil war, a hand grenade wounded seven people, security sources said. Cars there were set ablaze. The governing coalition and its Syrian-backed opponents have sought to contain violence since clashes a year ago between their supporters. But tensions are still high between Sunni Muslim followers of governing coalition leader Saad al-Hariri and Shi'ites loyal to the opposition. PROVOCATEURS? Animosity also runs deep between rival Christian groups. Opposition and governing coalition leaders last year accused each other of arming and training followers. "This is the work of agents provocateurs -- someone is in there stirring trouble," political analyst Oussama Safa said, adding he expected rival leaders to defuse the situation. "I really think they want to get a hold of the situation. But someone, somewhere is doing this." Protesters used blazing tires to block several main roads, including the highway to the airport. The protests spread beyond the capital to Shi'ite villages in the south and the Bekaa Valley to the east. Amal, led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, called on its followers to leave the streets. "We have no link to this action. We call on people not to react. We call on them to pull out of the streets," senior Amal official Ali Hassan Khalil told Reuters. Hezbollah, which leads the opposition alliance, used loudspeakers to urge calm. Arab foreign ministers backed an Arab League initiative to solve Lebanon's political crisis, which has left Lebanon without a president since November, the Cairo-based organization said. At an emergency session in Cairo, the foreign ministers agreed that Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa should press his efforts to help rival parties reach an agreement on the make-up of a cabinet, the draft final communique read. Efforts to end the Lebanese crisis have been complicated by rivalry between Syria and Saudi Arabia, which backs the governing coalition. U.S. rivalry with Iran, which supports Hezbollah, is also partly to blame, analysts say. Rival leaders have agreed that army chief General Michel Suleiman should be the next president. But his election to the post has been held up by a dispute over the make-up of a new government. (Additional reporting by Nadim Ladki; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Elizabeth Piper) http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=88676 Judiciary charges 11 soldiers, six civilians over deaths at protest Daily Star staff Monday, February 04, 2008 Lebanon's Military Tribunal took custody on Sunday of 11 soldiers and six civilians detained in connection with recent clashes that left eight people dead in the Mar Mikhael-Shiyyah area. Protests deteriorated into riots on January 27 after army troops opened fire, reportedly in response to gunfire from unidentified assailants. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7240504.stm Charges over Lebanon riot deaths The deaths raised fears of conflict between the army and the opposition Lebanese prosecutors have charged 19 soldiers, including three officers, over the fatal shooting of opposition protesters during riots last month. Seven protesters were killed on 27 January in a mainly Shia suburb during protests over power cuts. Correspondents say the shootings raised tensions in Lebanon, already in a deep political crisis, to new levels. The indictment says six victims were killed by army bullets. An enquiry is ongoing to find who killed the seventh. Lebanon has been without a president since 23 November due to divisions between the pro-Western ruling majority and pro-Syrian opposition. A parliamentary vote to elected a new leader was delayed for a 14th time on Monday. Rival Lebanese factions have agreed in principle to elect army chief Gen Michel Suleiman, but have repeatedly disagreed over constitutional details and the make-up of the cabinet. The army has been seen as one of the country's most neutral institutions, but a BBC correspondent in Beirut says the latest killings threaten to draw it into the conflict From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 18:19:03 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:19:03 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Miscellaneous articles, part 1 Message-ID: <033e01c89e96$b4d35190$0802a8c0@andy1> * NICARAGUA: Cocaine enriches indigenous villagers * BRAZIL: Destruction of Amazon surges despite outcry * CHINA: Inner Mongolian nomads dispossessed, displaced * PERU: Tech-savvy activists and indigenous people launch eco-lawsuits * INDONESIA: Indigenous peoples tricked out of rainforests for palm oil * US: Alaskan indigenous village files lawsuit over flooding, blames climate change * VENEZUELA: Exxon-Mobil cut off from oil after legal attack on regime * WEST PAPUA: Gas plant brings misery despite early benefits * WEST PAPUA: Radio station targets highland isolation * PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Law undermined by local kinship security [The ethical loading of the article is upside down - supporting the superficial belief in law rather than the social actuality of warding it off for example. But it is revealing that law is being warded off in this way.] Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=272&objectid=10491443&pnum=0 Catch of the day: Cocaine 5:00AM Saturday February 09, 2008 By Jonathan Franklin At first glance, Bluefields in Nicaragua looks like any other rum-soaked, Rastafarian-packed, hammock-infested Caribbean paradise. But Bluefields has a secret. People here don't have to work. Every week, sometimes every day, 35kg sacks of cocaine drift in from the sea. The economy of this entire town of 50,000 tranquil souls is addicted to cocaine. Bluefields is a creation of the gods of geography. Located halfway between the cocaine labs of Colombia and the 300 million noses of the United States, Bluefields is ground zero for cocaine transportation. Nicaraguan waters are near Colombian territorial limits, making the area extremely popular with cocaine smugglers using very small, very fast fishing boats. The US military calls them "go fast boats", which is a bureaucratic way of describing these mini-water-rockets. Typically these 12m boats have 800 horsepower of outboard motors bolted to the stern. A Porsche 911 Turbo, by comparison, has 485 horsepower. While they are very fast, they are also very visible to the array of radars set up by roaming US spy planes, Coastguard cutters and helicopters which regularly monitor the speeding cocaine traffickers. "With night vision equipment, I have seen a lit cigarette from two miles," a US Navy pilot said. "Or the back light from their GPS screen? It looks like a billboard." When the Americans get close, the traffickers toss the cocaine overboard, both to eliminate evidence and lighten their load in an escape attempt. "They throw most of it off," says a Lt Commander in the US Coastguard. "I have been on four interdictions and we have confiscated about 6000 pounds [2720kg] of cocaine, and I'd say equal that much was dumped into the ocean." Those bales of cocaine float, and the currents bring them west right into the chain of islands, beaches and cays which make up the huge lagoons that surround Bluefields on Nicaragua's Atlantic coast. "There are no jobs here, unemployment is 85 per cent," says Moises Arana, who was mayor of Bluefields from 2001 to 2005. "It is sad to say, but the drugs have made contributions. Look at the beautiful houses, those mansions come from drugs. We had a women come into the local electronics store with a milk bucket stuffed full of cash. She was this little Miskito [native] woman and she had $80,000." Hujo Sugo, a historian of Bluefields, says the floating coke has created a new local hobby. "People here now go beachcombing for miles, they walk until the find packets. Even the lobster fisherman now go out with the pretence of fishing but really they are looking for la langosta blanca -- the white lobster." Given the remote setting and lack of infrastructure, there are few roads, few cars and the biggest shop in Bluefields sells nothing more sophisticated than a washing machine or TV set. So what do the locals do with all this cocaine? They sell it to travelling buyers who cruise the coast, disguised as used clothes vendors. "We know there are small shop owners who do this," says Yorlene Orozco, the local judge. "We are talking about people without a profession, no home, no job. One day later they have a new car, go to the casino and are building a home that costs I don't know how many thousands of dollars." Law enforcement in Bluefields is practically invisible "I just had a Swiss tourist tell me that when she went to the supermarket they tried to sell her cocaine," says Orozco. The police and Navy have few resources and less trust from the local public. Bluefields is effectively an anarchist nation -- no Government, no organised institutions and the rules are made by community groups. Given the massive amount of cocaine in town, violence is surprisingly rare. Gunfights are nearly unheard of and most of the town seems to lounge around or play baseball all day and then erupt into a frenzy of energy by late afternoon, fuelled by Flor de Cana, a Nicaraguan rum, fresh fish, an endless supply of native oysters, and "the white lobster". "Down by Monkey Point, a family found an entire boat ... they stashed it and bought up houses all over town. It was 57 sacks [about 1995kg]," says Jah Boon, a local Rasta man. "Those people have money and still have coke buried in them hills. It is another way of having money in the bank." At a local price of $3500 per kg, the typical 35kg sack nets a cash sale price of $122,500, which by all accounts is spent immediately. "Last time bags and bags washed up, everyone [felt like] a millionaire, but that money does not last." explains Helen, who runs a university research institute in Bluefields. Asked how the locals unload their cash, she said: "Beer, beer, beer. You should see the amount they drink here. Go to the pier and see how much alcohol goes out to the islands." "When the drugs come in, everyone is happy, the banks, the stores, everyone has cash." Arana, the former mayor, recalled one month when the village bought 28,000 cases of beer. With literally tonnes of cocaine buried in the hills, stashed in yards and piled up around town, why doesn't the Colombian mafia storm into these remote communities and repossess their coke bales by coercion or brute force? "Hell no," says Peter, a local businessman. "The Miskito [local Indians] are guerrillas. They have been through war. They have AK-47s and up." The US Drug Enforcement Agency, in a report to Congress, noted: "A unique historical situation and civil conflicts have left Nicaragua with a tradition of armed rural groups and institutionalised violence that greatly complicates counter-drug enforcement." For hundreds of years, the local Miskito Indians have fished this stretch of the Caribbean. They are master sailors, capable and brave. They endured hurricanes and storms back when GPS still meant "God Please Save me". Many of their 4000 small fishing boats are still wooden canoes with sails made of coloured plastic, hand-sewn and fragile. But the pros have gone Japanese and switched to the 200-horsepower Yamaha outboard motor, a six-cylinder beast that is the region's connection to the world. Because the Miskito often live in isolated communities, they maintain their own rules, independence and traditions, including the belief that whatever treasures arrive in a river or from the sea are gifts, blessed by God and to be enjoyed and shared. That includes the Caribbean lobster and the white Colombian variety. The cocaine business is reshaping the face of these Indian communities. Tasbapauni Beach is now nicknamed "Little Miami", because so much cocaine washes up on its long shoreline that it has fuelled a construction boom. Luxurious oceanfront condos protected by security guards now sit side by side with wooden fishing shacks. "If shit washes up on your shore it belongs to that family. Every family owns their turf," said a Miskito fisherman. But when a fisherman finds white lobster the entire village shares the treasure, with a percentage going to the community, a smaller percentage to the church and the majority split among the crew of the small boat that found the loot. "It is like a municipal tax," says Sergio Leon, a local reporter who has been writing about the drug situation in Bluefields for many years. "The schools and churches are not built by the Government, that money comes from the fishermen and their finds." Drug money has been used to build a school and replace the church roof. "The pastors here get mad when they don't get their cut from the find," says Francisco a court official. "If a member of the congregation has found 15kg, the church calculates 15 times $3500, that's $52,500, and at 10 per cent they are saying: where's the $5250?" At night, Bluefields wakes up. The locals wander down to Midnight Dream, a reggae bar that locals have nicknamed Baghdad Ranch because of the surreal nature of its party scene. Young black men wear baseball hats, NBA sleeveless shirts and Nike Air sneakers. They are bedecked in gold chains. My new drinking buddy says: "I got protection," and lifts his Houston Rockets NBA shirt to show off the butt of a pistol. "You won't get thieved here." Tribal music echoes from across the bay while darkened skiffs navigate the shallow waters. Half-sunken boats dot the horizon. Blown in by Hurricane Joan in 1988, these rusty wrecks are now used as guide buoys for captains entering the pier and as mini-apartments by locals. The waiter offers carne de tortuga -- a grilled slice of endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtle. While locals insist they only slaughter the older specimens, that did little to ease my sensation that here in Bluefields pleasure trumps morality. When the lyrics scream out "I feel so high, I can touch the sky", practically on cue the three girls at the next table pile coke on the back of their ebony hands and snort openly, laughing. Then they start the maypole dance the traditional fertility festival for this month, May, which has evolved into a wickedly sexy dirty-dancing routine. A stunning line of 1.8m black women swirl on the dance floor. A Rasta man stumbles by, his nose white, clumps of coke stuck in his beard. This party is all paid for by the white lobster, which sells for $5 a gram. "Those guys over at that table, they are Miskito, they found seven bags," explains the waiter with the hint of jealousy usually reserved for lottery winners. "He will buy a couple of ranches, two boats and have someone else fish for him." As the night progresses, the winners slowly disappear behind a wall of Tona beer bottles. No one ever seems to get tired. * For the well-being of individuals, some names and locations have been changed in this report. Humble town living in the slow lane Bluefields is a humble town. Electricity is sporadic: the main generator has been under repair for nine months. Residents remain so isolated from Central America they speak English and feel closer to Kingston than the Nicaraguan capital of Managua. To get here the traveller must fly a 25-year-old plane that looks like a fat pigeon and doesn't fly much faster. The outside of the fuselage is tagged with instructions on how to rescue victims after a crash "Cut Here for Easy Entry". Even today, the Nicaraguan central government classifies Bluefields as an "Autonomous Area", meaning the government pretty much ignores the region. At the local casino the payoffs are far less if the bet is placed in Nicaraguan currency, the cordoba. A roulette win, for example, pays 30-1 if the bet is in cordoba and 36-1 if the original bet was made in dollars. "We don't even use the Nicaraguan currency here, to the South we use the colon (from Costa Rica), in the North we use the lempira (Honduran) and everywhere else it is the dollar," said Eugenio, a local fisherman. "We only see politicians when there is an election -- or a hurricane." The daily schedule rarely changes in Bluefields. The light comes up at 5am though there aren't a whole lot of people who notice the town is in slow motion. Streams of children in pressed blue and white uniforms amble off to the Moravian school, their mothers and grandmothers spreading the scent of fresh coconut bread through the village. The shops sell rum, bananas, sneakers and baseball hats. A man sits by his store, cuts the calluses off his feet with a small knife, then immediately slices into a fresh coconut. The loudest noise is the shriek of a magpie or the yap of a dog. Snagging shrimp and trapping lobster are the principal -- maybe the only form -- of legitimate work in Bluefields. But by all reasonable observations, work itself is barely considered legitimate. Why not just enjoy nature's bounty? With so much fresh fish, coconut, bananas and mangoes, the idea of sweating or long-term planning seems foreign. Especially when the daily heat shoots into the upper 90s, and a two-block walk leaves you drenched in sweat. About the only work tool needed in Bluefields is a Yamaha outboard motor. Everyone who wants to search for white lobster has a V6 Yamaha 200 horsepower engine. Often these machines are racked up side by side on the back of a 25-foot fishing canoe so the lightweight wooden or fibreglass craft can practically fly. By noon, the streets are filled with men playing cards, laying their bets on a card table, and sitting on stools made out of used Yamaha or Johnson outboard motors. On the streets, one man walks around with a bag of white powder the size of a golf ball, dipping his fingers in like he was snacking on popcorn or chips. Casual to an extreme, he strolls up to his friends who dip in for a snack. Outside the Bluefields prison, two maximum security prisoners have been brought out to the street -- no handcuffs -- and told to cut the grass with huge machetes. These prisoners are each serving a 30-year term for murder, but they hardly work and instead idly chat with pedestrians, occasionally whack the grass but usually just watch the girls and life go by. Most of the guards are inside a classroom studying Nicaraguan history with their classmates, the inmates. For the more hands-on prisoners, a workshop churns out jewellery, crafted chairs and green and yellow Rasta-style beanies. http://environment.independent.co.uk/green_living/article3348001.ece Destruction of rainforest accelerates despite outcry By Daniel Howden, Deputy Foreign Editor Published: 18 January 2008 The destruction of the Amazon rainforest has surged in the past four months, raising the prospect of 2008 being a disastrous year for the world's most important eco-system, a senior Brazilian government scientist has warned. Dr Carlos Nobre, a scientist with a government agency that monitors the Amazon said thousands of square miles of rainforest had been destroyed since October, after four years in which deforestation rates had begun to slow. "I think the past four months is a big concern for the government and now they are sending people to do more law enforcement," Dr Nobre, told a seminar in Washington yesterday. "But I can tell you that it [deforestation] is going to be much higher than 2007." The claims from the head of Brazil's National Institute for Space Research appear to undermine the government's record on environmental protection and come in the same week as a major report was released detailing the growth of cattle ranching in the Amazon. Dr Nobre said 2,300 sq miles of forest had been lost in the past four months. That compares with an estimated 3,700 sq miles in the 12 months that ended on 31 July, which Brazilian officials hailed as the lowest deforestation rate since the 1970s. Those figures had already been hotly disputed by conservationists who point to increasing pressure from sugar cane plantations to feed the ethanol boom, illegal cattle ranching for beef exports, soybean production and illegal logging operations. "All those drivers of change are there," said Dr Nobre. "The three years of reduced deforestation... did not bring by themselves a cure for illegal deforestation." Roberto Smeraldi, from Friends of the Earth Brazil, said the surge was part of the same cycle of destruction that has seen so much of the forest cleared in the past. "We had a real overdose of deforestation between 2002 and 2005, which led to abundant availability of cleared land," he said. "Now this land has been occupied, the process heats up again." Friends of the Earth released a report this week which revealed that 74 million cattle are reared in the Amazon basin where they outnumber people by a ratio of more than three to one. Deforestation has emerged as the second leading source of the carbon emissions driving climate change. Brazil is now among the four main carbon polluters in the world and deforestation accounts for more than three quarters of its emissions. Despite its acknowledged role as one the largest carbon sinks on the planet, its unrivalled biodiversity and the fact it stores half the world's fresh water, one fifth of the Amazon basin has been destroyed in recent years. There are serious concerns that the very survival of the world's largest rainforest is threatened and, last month, the WWF published research suggesting the Amazon could be wiped out by 2030. A record drought two years ago reduced the Amazon to less than a trickle in large sections and fires last year, caused in part by forest-clearing for ranches, scattered tonness of ash over Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. Now in his second term Brazil's President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has made a series of commitments to safeguarding the Amazon and his Environment Minister, Marina da Silva, has been feted for her stance on conservation. But there is serious criticism of the government's record: that it has tended to favour industrial growth over environmental concerns. President Lula's administration has signed off on a rash of questionable infrastructure projects. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080306.wmongolia06/BNStory/International/home "Infrastructure is associated with aggressive and progressive land use change," said Dr Nobre. Mongolian herdsmen no longer free to roam In an effort to fight desertification, China has forcibly moved thousands of Inner Mongolians off traditional pastures and into crowded cities GEOFFREY YORK >From Thursday's Globe and Mail March 6, 2008 at 4:44 AM EST WU XING, CHINA --- For as long as anyone can remember, Bator and his ancestors were horse-riding herdsmen, free to roam the vast grasslands of Inner Mongolia with their animals. On a spring day in 2002, his freedom was abruptly cancelled. A Chinese official drove his jeep to Bator's pasture, brandishing a piece of paper and announcing that the government was terminating the Mongolian way of life. Since then, Bator has not been on a horse. Today he lives in a small brick house in a new Chinese village, crowded among hundreds of other dispossessed herders. He survives on a paltry income from three dairy cows that the government forced him to buy, supplemented by labouring jobs at a railway station. He yearns to go back home to his grasslands and his horses. "I feel like a bird in a cage," Bator says. "We have no freedom and no land." Bator is among thousands of Inner Mongolians who have been forcibly moved off their traditional pastures in the past few years as China fights desertification, the ecological disaster that has triggered massive dust storms across northern China, sending clouds of pollution toward Japan, Korea and even as far as British Columbia. The Mongolian herders, like millions of other impoverished people around the planet, have become environmental refugees. Their ranks are rapidly growing. There are already an estimated 24 million environmental migrants around the world, twice as many as the number of refugees fleeing wars or political persecution. By 2010, the United Nations has warned, as many as 50 million people could be displaced by crises such as desertification, deforestation, droughts, famines, floods and climate change. And by mid-century, the number of environmental refugees could swell to 200 million. Around the world, examples abound. In the low-lying river deltas of India and Bangladesh, global warming has forced thousands of villagers to flee from islands that are threatened by severe storms and rising sea levels. In Africa, desertification is triggering an exodus by farmers abandoning barren fields. Regions such as Darfur are suffering from water shortages that contribute to their refugee crises. In the Pacific Ocean, whole islands are on the verge of disappearing. Rogue waves have sometimes swept across the entire length of populated islands. In East Asia and Southeast Asia, droughts and floods are expected to grow worse as climate change accelerates, with millions more losing their homes. Many people are still in refugee camps after the giant tsunami of 2004. And even in North America and Europe, thousands have died or lost their homes because of bushfires, heat waves, hurricanes and floods, believed to be linked to climate change. For those forced to migrate, the dislocation is traumatic. The herders of Inner Mongolia, who found themselves on the front lines of the desertification crisis, were among the first to pay the price for China's belated efforts to tackle the problem. Since 2001, more than 800,000 people in Inner Mongolia have been relocated from their pastures in an attempt to reduce overgrazing and sandstorms. Grazing has been prohibited in more than one-third of Inner Mongolia's territory. "Ecological immigration is a painful, disruptive and involuntary process that is not only against the will of the local Mongolians but also against nature," said a report by the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Centre, a U.S.-based group. It said the relocation policy has endangered the very existence of the Mongolians as a people. Those who resisted the relocation were arrested, detained or assaulted, and their property was destroyed or confiscated, the report said. China insists that the heavy-handed tactics are necessary. More than 27 per cent of its territory is now covered by deserts, compared with 18 per cent in 1994. China's grasslands have shrunk by 15,000 square kilometres every year since the early 1980s. Sandstorms from the expanding deserts are blowing into China's northern cities, choking millions of people and causing respiratory diseases and eye infections. Beijing alone is hit with a million tonnes of desert dust annually. The dust binds with airborne pollutants from factories and coal plants, creating a toxic haze that drifts to Korea, Japan and North America. Much of the desertification is a result of overgrazing by new farmers from the Han Chinese ethnic majority, who poured into Inner Mongolia to raise goats when the cashmere industry became lucrative in the 1980s. Today the number of Han Chinese in Inner Mongolia is five times greater than the number of Mongolians who traditionally lived on the grasslands. By the 1990s, cashmere had become a highly profitable business, allowing China to export millions of cheap cashmere sweaters to Western consumers. And by 2004, there were 25 million goats in Inner Mongolia, more than 10 times the number in 1950. With their sharp hooves and voracious eating habits, the goats denuded the grasslands. But while the newly arrived farmers were responsible for much of the overgrazing, the targets of the relocation campaign included many Mongolians whose ancestors had lived here for centuries. Among them were Bator and his brother, Bayila. (Like most Mongolian herders, they use only one name.) Throughout the 1990s, Bator and Bayila could see the desert spreading into the land of their neighbours, getting closer every year. The grass was disappearing, replaced by barren plains. Their own pastures managed to survive, but the government ordered them to leave anyway. "We didn't want to move," Bator says. "But we weren't given a choice. The government wouldn't allow any grazing of sheep or goats after 2002." They were forced to live in the newly built town of Wu Xing, created from scratch eight years ago to house the dispossessed herders. More than 130 families are jammed together in the dusty streets of the town, living in small brick houses built close together in Chinese style, constructed so cheaply that they don't have running water or bathrooms. "It's no good," Bator says. "We're not used to living together like city people. We prefer to live in the grasslands; that's the way we've always lived." Before their relocation, Bator and his brother owned more than 200 sheep and goats, 20 cows and five horses. The government confiscated their 60 hectares of pasture land and ordered them to get rid of their animals. In the new town, the herders were given their brick houses at a discount, but they were also required to pay $2,100 for each of the dairy cows that they were allocated. Most have been left with debts they cannot repay. Their net income has dropped sharply. The revenue from their milk is far less than the income from their sheep and goats, and the milk produced by each cow is only half of what the government promised, they say. The two brothers have been obliged to take part-time jobs on construction sites or the railway station, carrying bricks and cement, to make ends meet. They say they can't even afford to buy new clothes. "Life is getting harder," Bayila says. "We are barely keeping alive. In the past, when we were short of money, we could always sell a sheep or a cow. Now we only have the milk." He suspects that corrupt officials are stealing the money that was intended to compensate the herders. "We watch the television news and we hear about the huge investment in relocating the herdsmen. But after the money arrives at our local government offices, it disappears." Even more painful than the loss of income is the loss of their traditional way of life, their cultural identity. In the past, they always welcomed a guest with fresh food from a newly killed sheep or goat. "Now we can't welcome our guests in the traditional way," Bator says. "We feel embarrassed and uncomfortable." They can't adjust to the cookie-cutter houses and the loss of privacy in the crowded new town. "If one family does something, the gossip is immediately everywhere," Bator says. "It spreads so quickly." A group of doctoral students at Inner Mongolia University who studied the relocated herders in several new towns concluded that they were suffering heavy stress from the traumatic change in their way of life. Most of the ex-herders are confined to 100 square metres of land. "Their small living space and suppressed life is a torture to them," the students wrote in a report. The unhappiness of the Mongolian herdsmen has fuelled a quiet mutiny against China's relocation policies. Just a few kilometres from Wu Xing, thousands of goats and sheep are grazing on the meagre remains of the grasslands. Some of the herders have refused to leave their land. Others sent their animals back onto the land, defying the new rules. "We are desperate to move back to our old pastures, but it's forbidden," Bayila says. "In the past, we could ride our horses and graze our sheep, and we felt free. Now we are landless, and we've lost all our animals. It's sad." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/30/AR2008013003744.html For Peru's Indians, Lawsuit Against Big Oil Reflects a New Era* * Outsiders and High-Tech Tools Help Document Firms' Impact* By Kelly Hearn Special to The Washington Post Thursday, January 31, 2008; A14 NUEVO JERUSALEM, Peru -- Tom?s Maynas Carijano strolled through his tiny jungle farm, pinching leaves, shaking his head. The rain forest spread lushly in all directions -- covering what oil maps call Block 1AB. "Like the trunk of that papaya, the cassava and bananas are also dying," said the spiritual leader of this remote Achuar Indian settlement in Peru's northern Amazon region. "Before Oxy came, the fruits and the plants grew well." Oxy is Occidental Petroleum, the California-based company that pulled a fortune from this rain forest from 1972 to 2000. It is also the company that Maynas and other Achuar leaders now blame for wreaking environmental havoc -- and leaving many of the people here ill. Last spring, U.S. lawyers representing Maynas and 24 other indigenous Peruvians sued Occidental in a Los Angeles court, alleging that, among other offenses, the firm violated industry standards and Peruvian law by dumping toxic wastewater directly into rivers and streams. The company denies liability in the case. For indigenous groups, the Occidental lawsuit is emblematic of a new era. The Amazon region was once even more isolated than it is today, its people largely cut off from environmental defenders in Washington and other world capitals who might have protected their interests. Now, Indians have gained access to tools that level the playing field -- from multinational lawsuits to mapping technologies such as Google Earth. Oil companies that once traded money and development for Indians' blessings are increasingly finding outsiders getting involved. "History has shown that oil companies will cut corners if someone isn't watching," said Gregor MacLennan of Shinai, an internationally funded civic group in Peru. "We try to get to local communities first to help them make informed decisions about oil companies and the changes they bring." Lured by global energy prices, Peru is placing record bets on Amazon energy lodes: Last year the country's concessions agency, PeruPetro, signed a record 24 hydrocarbon contracts with international oil companies. EarthRights International, a nonprofit group that is helping represent the plaintiffs in the Achuar case, says half of Peru's biologically diverse Amazon region has been added to oil maps in the last three years. Occidental pumped 26 percent of Peru's historic oil production from Block 1AB before selling the declining field to Argentina's Pluspetrol in 2000. "We are aware of no credible data of negative community health impacts resulting from Occidental's operations in Peru," Richard Kline, a company spokesman, said in an e-mail statement. Kline said that Occidental has not had operations in Block 1AB in nearly a decade and that Pluspetrol has assumed responsibility for it. Occidental made "extensive efforts" to work with community groups and has a "long-standing commitment and policy to protect the environment and the health and safety of people," he said. The California-based group Amazon Watch has joined the suit as a plaintiff, and the case is now inching through U.S. courts. In a federal hearing scheduled for Feb. 11, company lawyers will ask a judge to send the case to Peru, where Indians say corruption and a case backlog will hurt their chance of winning. Learning Their Rights The primitive trumpet -- a hollowed cow's horn -- brayed over this gritty river community at sundown. Residents of Nuevo Jerusalem, the Achuar settlement on the Macusari River, trudged up a path, toting shotguns and fishing nets. Some stepped down from palm huts, walking to the meeting in twos and threes. Soon, Lily La Torre was on stage. "I've come to give you news of the Oxy suit," said La Torre, a Peruvian lawyer and activist working with Maynas's legal team. Barefoot women in dirty skirts circled the room, serving bowls of homemade cassava beer. La Torre distilled legal strategies into simple terms. She told villagers that the case had been moved to the federal level in the United States. "Now they are trying to move the lawsuit to Peru," she said in Spanish, pausing for an Achuar interpreter. "But we must pray that the suit stays in the U.S. We know it cannot survive in Peru." Later, as people approached her with questions, a man who was looking on said in broken Spanish: "When Oxy came, we did not know our rights. Now we do." In addition to alleging that Occidental illegally dumped toxic wastewater, the Achuar suit accuses the company of generating acid rain with gas flares, failing to warn Indians of health dangers and improperly storing chemical wastes in unlined pits. The "irresponsible, reckless, immoral and illegal practices" left Maynas and his people with poisoned blood, polluted streams and empty hunting grounds, the suit says. Plaintiffs want damages, declaratory and injunctive relief, restitution and disgorgement of profits. One woman is suing on behalf of her child, whose death she alleges is related to environmental contamination. Last spring, before the Achuar case was filed, a team of health experts, lawyers and scientists funded by EarthRights International said in a report that the wells, pipelines and other infrastructure built here by Occidental had directly caused water and soil contamination, which in turn has caused health problems for many local people in Block 1AB. Kline said the report contained "inflammatory misstatements, unfounded allegations and unsupported conclusions" and failed to provide basic information that would help determine whether oil operations contributed to the alleged environmental and health problems. "Nonetheless . . . we will evaluate the claims and the lawsuit and respond accordingly," he said. A Technological Assist Environmental groups are going beyond word of mouth and lawsuits to assist indigenous groups. One day last fall, Guevara Sandi Chimboras was bouncing a pickup truck along a remote oil road near the Achuar community of Jose Olaya. Carrying a digital camera, notepad and a Global Positioning System transceiver donated by the civic group Shinai, Sandi walked through a grassy field to a pool of stagnant water. With a stick, he dug up a clump of glistening, pungent mud, and sniffed. "The companies say these sites are clean," he said. "They won't believe us without documented photos. With words, they don't believe us." There are no mass media in the rain forest. But Shinai has translated a U.S.-made documentary about the Achuar's problems into Machiguenga, the language spoken by Indians in southeastern Peru, where a U.S.-backed natural gas project is underway. The group uses DVD players powered by solar panels and generators to show the film to Indians considering agreements with oil companies. Meanwhile, Google Earth is proving to be an omniscient eye. Peter Kostishack, a Colorado-based rights activist, uses the application to record coordinates and satellite images of rain forest erosion and post them on his blog. With help from the U.S.-based Amazon Conservation Team, Indians in Brazil's Amazon Basin have used Google Earth imagery to spot river discoloration caused by illegal mining operations. "Many times a company claims natives don't have the technical knowledge to understand that it is doing the best it can, when in fact it may be doing as little as possible," said Bill Powers, chief engineer of E-Tech International, a nonprofit engineering firm based in California that provides Indians with technical expertise. "We make it a battle of equals, at least in the knowledge area," he said. "Foreign Exchange," a weekly public broadcasting program, will air a segment about the Achuar and Block 1AB beginning this week. For local listing times, go tohttp://foreignexchange.tv. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/02/11/eaindo111.xml Indonesians being tricked out of rainforest land Native peoples who depend on the rainforest for survival are being tricked out of their land by corrupt officials so they can grow lucrative biofuel crops, according to environmental groups By Paul Eccleston Last Updated: 1:01pm GMT 11/02/2008 Forests that have supported generations of native peoples are being snatched and levelled for palm oil plantations, says Friends of the Earth. Unscrupulous companies are using force or conning families in the Indonesian rainforests into giving up their rights to the land by promising jobs and new developments. In its report Losing Ground FoE claims people end up in poorly paid work and locked into debt while the companies profit from palm oil plantations which destroy the forest and pollute village water supplies. It blames the rush to biofuels for fuelling demand for the huge amount of land needed to grow oil palm and calls on the EU to scrap its 10 per cent target for road transport biofuels by 2010. The report claims that although the EU wants to use biofuels sustainably it has not addressed the problems caused by its production and this will lead to more of the types of problems seen in Indonesia. More than 85 per cent of the worlds palm oil is produced in plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia. Indonesia alone plans a further 20m hectares of plantations by 2020 - an area the size of England, Holland and Switzerland combined. The palm oil industry says that plantation expansion is vital for economic development and methods used are both environmentally sustainable and benefit the local people. In reality little else survives in the plantations and half the habitat of the orang-utan lost in the last decade has been linked to palm oil plantation expansion. The deforestation and drainage of peat swamps for palm oil production has made Indonesia the third highest emitter of green house gases after the USA and China. FoE, which worked with environment groups Sawit Watch and LifeMosaic on the report, says there is mounting evidence that biofuels cannot deliver on the reduction needed in CO2 emissions to combat climate change. Hannah Griffiths, Friends of the Earth biofuels campaigner, said: "This report shows that as well as being bad for the environment, biofuels from palm oil are a disaster for people. MEPs should listen to the evidence and use the forthcoming debate on this in the European Parliament to reject the 10 per cent target. "Instead of introducing targets for more biofuels the EU should insist that all new cars are designed to be super efficient. The UK Government must also take a strong position against the 10 per cent target in Europe and do its bit to reduce transport emissions by improving public transport and making it easier for people to walk and cycle.". The environment groups have been helping communities affected by palm oil plantations in Indonesia since 2005 to give an insight into the social, economic and cultural impacts of oil palm plantations. Serge Marti from LifeMosaic said: "Indonesia is a uniquely diverse country whose communities and environment are being sacrificed for the benefit of a handful of companies and wealthy individuals. "This report should help the Indonesian government to recognise that there is a problem, and to step up efforts to protect the rights of communities. In Europe we must realise that encouraging large fuel companies to grab community land across the developing world is no solution to climate change. The EU must play its part by abandoning its 10 per cent target for biofuels." Abetnego Tarigan, deputy director of Sawit Watch, said: "Oil palm companies have already taken over 7.3 million hectares of land for plantations, resulting in 513 ongoing conflicts between companies and communities. "Given the negative social and environmental impacts of oil palm, Sawit Watch demands reform of the Indonesian oil palm plantation system and a re-think of plantation expansion plans." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/us/27alaska.html February 27, 2008 Flooded Village Files Suit, Citing Corporate Link to Climate Change By FELICITY BARRINGER map: The New York Times - Flooding is forcing Kivalina, Alaska, to relocate. SAN FRANCISCO --- Lawyers for the Alaska Native coastal village of Kivalina, which is being forced to relocate because of flooding caused by the changing Arctic climate, filed suit in federal court here Tuesday arguing that 5 oil companies, 14 electric utilities and the country's largest coal company were responsible for the village's woes. The suit is the latest effort to hold companies like BP America, Chevron, Peabody Energy, Duke Energy and the Southern Company responsible for the impact of global warming because they emit millions of tons of greenhouse gases, or, in the case of Peabody, mine and market carbon-laden coal that is burned by others. It accused the companies of creating a public nuisance. In an unusual move, those five companies and three other defendants --- the Exxon Mobil Corporation, American Electric Power and the Conoco Phillips Company --- are also accused of conspiracy. "There has been a long campaign by power, coal and oil companies to mislead the public about the science of global warming," the suit says. The campaign, it says, contributed "to the public nuisance of global warming by convincing the public at large and the victims of global warming that the process is not man-made when in fact it is." Kivalina, an Inupiat village of 400 people on a barrier reef between the Chukchi Sea and two rivers, is being buffeted by waves that, in colder times, were blocked by sea ice, the suit says. "The result of the increased storm damage is a massive erosion problem," it says. "Houses and buildings are in imminent danger of falling into the sea." The estimated cost of relocating the village is up to $400 million, the suit says. Some lawyers in the case participated in the long-running litigation against American tobacco companies in the 1990s, and some of the same legal theories echo through the complaint. But the hurdles may be greater than those in the tobacco wars. Global warming is a diffuse worldwide phenomenon; a successful public nuisance case requires that defendants' behavior be directly linked to the harm. "Public nuisance law has been used from time immemorial to address issues that have not been addressed by the political branches," said Kirsten H. Engel, a law professor at the University of Arizona. But Professor Engel added, "It's very difficult to get a court to jump in here and say that what these companies are doing, and have been doing for years, is unreasonable and creating a public nuisance." Two similar lawsuits, one brought by California against six automakers and another by a coalition of Eastern states against utility companies, have been dismissed by federal judges. Both judges said the issues involved were political and did not belong in the courts. Those decisions have been appealed. Matt Pawa, a lawyer for Kivalina, said this case was different because it sought monetary damages for an injured party. "The kind of harms to property and public welfare caused by global warming are classic public nuisance injuries," Mr. Pawa said. He added that the other cases had no conspiracy claims, which he said courts routinely addressed. Reached late Tuesday, spokesmen for three defendants --- Jason Cuevas of Southern, Vic Svec of Peabody and Gantt Walton of Exxon Mobil --- said they would not comment on the substance of the lawsuit. But Mr. Svec said, "Rather than unreasonably suing companies for the weather, we would encourage everyone to join Peabody in supporting aggressive development of carbon capture and storage projects and other technologies that help us provide both energy security and carbon solutions." Of the accusation that Exxon Mobil participated in a disinformation campaign, Mr. Walton said, "The recycling of this type of discredited conspiracy theory only diverts attention from the real challenge at hand --- how to provide the energy to improve living standards while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions." http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/02/12/venezuela.oil.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview February 12, 2008 -- Updated 0138 GMT (0938 HKT) Exxon Mobil cut off from Venezuela's oil CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuela's state oil company said Tuesday that it has stopped selling crude to Exxon Mobil Corp. in response to the U.S. oil company's drive to use the courts to seize billions of dollars in Venezuelan assets. President Hugo Chavez has said Exxon Mobil is no longer welcome to do business in Venezuela. Exxon Mobil is locked in a dispute over the nationalization of its oil ventures in Venezuela that has led President Hugo Chavez to threaten to cut off all Venezuelan oil supplies to the United States. Venezuela is currently the United States' fourth largest oil supplier. Tuesday's announcement by state-run Petroleos de Venezuela SA, or PDVSA, was limited to Exxon Mobil, which PDVSA accused of "judicial-economic harassment" for its efforts in U.S. and European courts. PDVSA said it "has paralyzed sales of crude to Exxon Mobil" and suspended commercial relations with the Irving, Texas-based company. "The legal actions carried out by the U.S. transnational are unnecessary ... and hostile," PDVSA said in the statement. It said it will honor any existing contracts it has with Exxon Mobil for joint investments abroad, but reserved the right to terminate them if permitted by the terms of the contracts. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/mar/19/fossilfuels.indonesia Shattered illusions When BP set out to build a ?3.5bn natural gas plant in remote West Papua, local villagers hoped for a bright future. But all is not well. John Vidal The Guardian, Wednesday March 19 2008 Article history About this article Close This article appeared in the Guardian on Wednesday March 19 2008 on p8 of the Society news & features section. It was last updated at 00:10 on March 19 2008. Recently, with hundreds of Indonesian troops just out of sight in scenes of intense security, Prince Andrew, the government's official business envoy, dropped in on Bintuni Bay, one of Indonesia's mots remote corners. The plan was to inspect BP's new ?3.5bn natural gas plant. What the Duke of York probably did not know was that he had walked straight into a row between the giant oil company and local villagers. The British firm had promised its new neighbours, who live on the edge of the pristine Papuan rainforest, better homes, long-term jobs and full environmental protection when it started several years ago to build its giant plant to extract 14 trillion cubic metres of gas. But with the gas about to flow, village leaders have now complained bitterly that the company has reneged on its agreements. In a long letter sent to the Guardian and in telephone conversations, Papuan leaders requesting anonymity have complained that the company has blocked off their fishing grounds, attracted a flood of migrants to the villages, provided very few jobs for local people and is now siding with the Indonesian authorities against native Papuans who are engaged in a long struggle for independence. "Everything we feared when BP came to the area has come true," claims one community leader. "People are not allowed to catch any fish or shrimps in the exclusive zone established by BP. More and more migrants are coming because of the plant. There is very high inflation because there is lots of money around. The number of local people from Bintuni Bay who work in the project is very low. Local Papuans are never recruited as full-time members of staff." BP has been desperately keen to avoid the experiences that it, Shell and other oil companies, have had in Africa and Latin America, where oil and gas extraction has left a trail of pollution, human rights abuses and distressed people with no share in the wealth extracted from their land. The company pledged from the start to set new social and environmental standards, and to be a model of corporate social responsibility. It hired some of the best development NGOs to offer advice. Papuan leaders say they were initially impressed when BP completely rebuilt one fishing village, poured money into the nearby communities, and employed leading environment, human rights and health groups to advise them on how to avoid conflict and bring prosperity to the villages. But as the project has come closer to opening, people have flooded into the area. "Conflicts between local communities and migrants have begun," says the leader. "The migrants [from all over Indonesia] have come here to look for jobs, and are staying. There are about 1,500 in the village of Babo and 1,200 in Bintuni. They are the majority now in all the villages," he says. The Tangguh gas field, believed to be eventually worth more than ?100bn to BP and the Indonesian government, is one of the largest in the world. Known as a "super giant", it is contracted to provide gas for China, Mexico and the US, and should last 30 years. But the Papuan leaders, who have long been pressing for independence from Indonesia, say they fear that BP is taking sides with the Indonesian government, as they are bypassed from all the lasting benefits. According to documents seen by the Guardian, less than ?30m was budgeted for the Tangguh social programme over six years, including money for resettlement and security; nearly ?15m was earmarked for "consultants" and administration. The nine most affected villages in the area are being given ?15,000 a year for five years, and others in the area ?5,500 a year. "BP has built 100 houses for 100 heads of families. All looks wonderful," another village leader says. "But the people actually suffer mentally from their new settlement. Their access to the sea is limited because of the company's exclusion zone, and they cannot expand their gardens. They do not have enough [space] to expand their families." Criticism of BP's employment policy was levelled at the company last year and the Tangguh Independent Advisory Panel, chaired by Lord [David] Hannay, to monitor the project, encouraged BP to employ more Papuans and to educate the local population about the "demobilisation" process when the construction work is complete. Although nearly 6,000 people have been employed in constructing the plant, fewer than 500 will be employed by the company after the building is complete later this year. Of these, only around 50 are expected to be Papuan. "People's dependency on BP is very high. There will be problems when the work ends. There will be economic and psychological degradation," say Papuan leaders in their letter to the Guardian. "We predicted that BP and Indonesia would not care about the very survival of the Papuans on their land and their nation. We expected that BP and Indonesia would continuously destroy our forests and our trees and pollute the rivers and seas," they says. "And we feared that BP and Indonesia would bring misfortune for the Papuans by employing skilled workers from outside West Papua, claiming that we Papuans are not 'skilled workers'. I have to tell you that our worst predictions and fears have come true." BP denies that it is causing environmental damage, or that it is favouring non-Papuans. The company said it is bound by strict guidelines about how many Papuans should be employed. A spokesman says: "We think about 30% of the construction workforce is Papuan. The intention is that there will be long-term employment for Papuans. We are prioritising the most affected villages," says a BP spokesman. But he also concedes that Papua is large and that it has been difficult to identify who is an original inhabitant of these villages. On the fishing situation, he points out that BP has provided outboard motors to some people so they can travel further to fishing grounds. "We believe we have set new standards for the BP group. There has been a lot of progress but there is no complacency," he says. http://insideindonesia.org/content/view/1056/47/ Radio Pikonane Connecting Papua's Central Highlands Tessa Piper In the Jayawijaya mountains of West Papua live some of the most isolated communities in the world. Lack of access to information resulted in the death of 55 people from hunger in the district of Yahukimo in December 2005. Two years later, a radio station has been built there to help bring an end to this isolation. Radio Pikonane Tessa Piper The sub-district of Anyelma is like many across Papua's Central Highlands. Largely cut off from development, poverty is rampant, basic services such as water, electricity and telecommunications are unavailable, literacy is low, health services almost non-existent, and subsistence farming is the norm. As part of its efforts to extend access to information in remote locations such as this, Indonesia's only independent national radio news agency, KBR, proposed to build a radio station there. This initiative is part of a six year program to set up radio stations as a means of disseminating information to some of the least developed parts of Eastern Indonesia. The station in Anyelma, Radio Pikonane, was to prove the most challenging yet. As well as the obstacles presented by the isolated location - the only road into the area from the nearest town, Wamena, is periodically cut off by flooding - limited local human resources, and the lack of any nearby power source, the KBR team first had to overcome some deep suspicions among members of the local community that there might be a hidden motive behind their initiative. West Papua is, after all, one of Indonesia's most naturally resource rich, yet paradoxically deeply impoverished, provinces, that has yet to benefit from any sustained and substantial development. First steps Initial meetings in August 2006 to reach agreement in principle on the benefits of establishing a radio station in this remote area were followed by many more hours of deliberation as local leaders and the KBR team discussed the practicalities of its establishment. In order to ensure genuine commitment on the part of the local community, KBR required that they contribute some time and resources towards its establishment. For its part, KBR agreed to cover the cost of building the radio station and training local staff to run it. But even with agreement reached on these aspects, there remained one huge obstacle that KBR had never before encountered. Lack of electricity has been a challenge in one or two other locations where KBR has built stations, but in Yahukimo the prohibitively high cost of fuel - five times higher than in Jakarta - meant that a generator could not be relied upon to power the station if it was to have any chance of long-term sustainability. After some investigation, hydropower was determined to be the most practical alternative, and a 9000 watt micro-hydro plant was commissioned and built on the nearby Kut river. This was a major undertaking, and broke entirely new ground for KBR, but the results are striking. For the first time, Anyelma has electricity and, in addition to the radio station, the local school, church, village hall and several homes are all now also being hooked up to the supply. Station content Interestingly, despite Anyelma's isolation, its inhabitants were very clear about what they wanted to hear on their radio station. 'We want to know what is happening elsewhere in Indonesia, even in the region, and we also want people to know what is going on here,' a village elder confirmed. As the only source of entertainment in the area, Radio Pikonane's music programs are proving popular too Despite the steep learning curve for the Radio Pikonane staff, none of whom had any previous radio experience, the impact of the in-house training provided by KBR is already evident. By early 2008, the station was already producing a weekly farming program, a regular health program, and another program in which village and sub-district leaders respond to questions and complaints from listeners. But while elsewhere in Indonesia people can simply pick up the phone or send a text message in order to have their say, lack of phone access means that this is not an option for Radio Pikonane listeners. This does nothing to deter them. Following a news report the station broadcast in early 2008 about the closure of the Anyelma village school, women from two other villages walked several kilometres to inform Radio Pikonane staff of the same problem and requested the station to report on this too. As the only source of entertainment in the area, Radio Pikonane's music programs are proving popular too. A satellite dish and receiver also allows the station to access KBR-produced programs and to select for live broadcast those of most relevance and interest to their listeners, whether national news bulletins, or talk shows on issues ranging from human rights to the environment, and from education to health. By broadcasting on an AM frequency, the aim is to maximise the station's reach to the scattered populations that inhabit the surrounding hills, and an estimated 70,000 people are believed to be within range of its transmitter. Nevertheless, ownership of radios is limited, so group listening is encouraged and 1500 radios are being distributed, mostly to women, to facilitate broader listening. The official launch of the station in September 2007 proved to be a major event that underlines its significance for the inhabitants of the area, with some 5000 men, women and children walking for hours or even days to witness Radio Pikonane go on air. As one local leader commented, 'We have received promise after promise from the government to provide development here. This is the first time anyone has delivered on their promise.' The future Hopes are high for a positive impact now that the area has both a radio station and electricity and their isolation has ended. 'We have new opportunities to help ourselves,' commented Kores Weitipo, a teacher who donated the land on which the station is built. 'We plan to have farming programs on the radio to help improve our crops. And with electricity those crops can earn more income because we can sell not just the raw product. Now we can also grind our coffee beans or blend carrot juice for sale.' Military officers present at the launch were guarded in their response to the station Although the positive response from the government to date - exemplified by the attendance of a government minister, the deputy provincial governor and representatives from the national and local parliament at the station's official launch - is welcome, it is unlikely to be all smooth sailing. Military officers also present at the launch were guarded in their response to the station and, in a part of the country where human rights violations are rife and have been taking place until now largely unreported and unchecked, a radio station seeking to broadcast the truth is bound to encounter problems. This fact is not lost on those working at Radio Pikonane, who are very conscious of the close eye that the military is likely to keep on the station and the risks involved. KBR, too, is aware of the potential danger. Although it cannot guarantee its security, KBR Director Santoso believes that the radio news agency does offer a level of protection and support for the station. 'We had an experience with a station we built in Tual, South East Maluku, after it exposed local government corruption. Ironically, the regent who had fully supported the station's launch, was later the one trying to close it down. But we broadcast reports about this and listeners all over the country protested against the regent's actions. Today the station is still on air.' For now, Radio Pikonane is focusing on overcoming some technical problems and on steadily increasing the quality and quantity of its output. KBR will also continue to offer mentoring to station staff over the next 18 months, not only to raise journalism standards, but also by providing technical and management training. Sustainability Key to the survival of Radio Pikonane is long-term financial self-reliance. For now, the station receives a subsidy to cover operational costs, but this will be phased out over time. In its place will be station-generated income. In a remote location such as this one a common source of income for radio stations elsewhere - commercial advertising - is not a viable option. However, there are alternative solutions. For example, radio is one of the only means for family members living apart to convey messages to one another about marriages, births, deaths and the like. By setting modest fees for broadcasting these announcements the station can secure vital income. Similarly, the station's enormous potential for local government and national and international NGOs to disseminate critical public education messages that may otherwise not reach these communities can also serve as an important revenue stream. Thus, while providing listeners with access to the information they need, the station can simultaneously secure necessary income to ensure its sustainability. KBR and the Indonesian non-profit media development organisation, PPMN, plan to use Radio Pikonane as a model for the establishment of two more radio stations in Papua in 2008. If successful, these stations have the potential for replication in other parts of the country where lack of information access is similarly hampering development. ii Tessa Piper (tessa.piper at mdlf.org ) is the Indonesia Country Program Director for the Media Development Loan Fund (www.mdlf.org ) that is supporting the radio building program in conjunction with the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Jakarta. For further information about KBR and PPMN contact info at ppmn.or.id , telephone +62218573388, sms +622198279935, or fax +62218515891. For information about human rights in this area, see Out of Sight: Endemic Abuse and Impunity in Papua's Central Highlands, Human Rights Watch, June 2007 (http://hrw.org/reports/2007/papua0707/papua0707web.pdf ). http://www.thenational.com.pg/021508/lead_editorial.htm Supporting the law THE quest for a solution to the unrest that is evident within Papua New Guinea today has predictably drawn a popular solution. Those who are disgusted at our murder and rape statistics clamour for "tougher" laws. Those who want an end to incest and the sexual abuse of children demand "far more effective" laws. Papua New Guineans alarmed at the rise of tribal confrontations and ethnic group clashes insist on "new laws" to control these scourges. In most cases those behind the demands, while they are invariably well-meaning, have made few attempts to familiarise themselves with the laws we already have. And that's one part of our problem. In many cases, the existing laws of PNG are more than adequate to meet the demands of the public and the decisions of our courts. Wilful murder has for nearly two decades been punishable by the death penalty and a small number of condemned Papua New Guineans continue to languish in PNG cells awaiting execution. Theoretically, the only obstacle barring their death at the behest of the State is the ongoing lack of a decision about the appropriate form of execution and the provision of equipment to carry out the sentences. Crimes seen by the public as marginally less serious can still result in life sentences or many years behind bars. Theft, armed assault, kidnapping and abduction and a host of other crimes have for many years, attracted severe sentences. PNG's laws are an amalgam of borrowed and home-grown legislation drawn from British common law; and, the laws of various Australian states, notably those of Queensland and the increasing body of laws drafted and approved by our own Parliament. While they may have a variety of backgrounds, the provisions of our laws relating to serious crime rarely lack severity. Yesterday we carried a statement by the mayor of Kimbe concerning the current ethnic and tribal violence in the West New Britain province. Making a plea for peace, Leo Kalasi said that the ethnic problem had existed for more than 20 years "and past leaders had failed to enact laws that would have allowed settlers to abide by them when clashes broke out". We find it hard to subscribe to that belief. The laws of any country can only be effective if first, the people both believe in them and try to observe them and second, if those laws are enforced without distinction by properly empowered groups such as the RPNG Constabulary. Laws cannot effectively be superimposed upon a society against the wishes of the majority of the people. If a majority of citizens regard the laws as an irrelevant to daily life, then those laws will be consistently flouted and over time will become part of the huge backlog that are still on the books but are never used. In PNG we have become the victim of our own social security, the wantok system. Policeman, village court magistrates and even judges can find it gravely troubling to pursue the arrest, charging, prosecution or sentencing of a relative or clansmen. In too many cases, it is simply an impossibility. It seems to us that this inability or unwillingness to enforce the existing law lies at the root of the perceived "weakness" of court decisions and the penalties that flow from them. Many, perhaps the majority of those who are most vocal about the need for "stronger" penalties, would quail at the prospect of a son or brother being handed down the death penalty under existing laws, no matter how just that decision might seem to others in the community. If we want to have a society that lives within the framework of the law, then we must respect those laws. We must support those who try to enforce them. And we must recognise that the strength of those laws is only as great as the extent of our willingness to see them enforced. The strongest possible body of laws is meaningless unless all involved in the judicial and legal chain can honestly support their implementation - and the public can acknowledge the justice and value of the penalties imposed. The strength to shape PNG society lies in our own hands. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 18:26:23 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:26:23 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] miscellaneous articles part 2 Message-ID: <033f01c89e97$b9405330$0802a8c0@andy1> [NOTE: I was pleasantly surprised to read the report on what seems to be a big U-turn from Sarkozy. Maybe he's given up his plan to ruin France? We'll have to see...] * CALL FOR ACTION: Support freedom of speech in Afghanistan * INDIA: Survey reveals huge majority think the masses distrust the police * RUSSIA: Negotiations to bring Doomsday cult out of caves * IRAQ: Millenarian cults * INDIA: Naxalites raid police * FRANCE: State plans investment, community support for deprived areas * CHIAPAS: Zapatistas "stronger", despite paramilitary backlash * CHIAPAS: Revolution of the snails * PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Six killed in ethnic clashes, 1000 homeless * PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Land where spirits still rule * PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Protests pit landowners against Australian conservationists * UK/US: Banksy graffiti fetches hundreds of thousands - despite his objections * PAKISTAN/INDIGENOUS: Behind the uprising in SWAT * BALOCHISTAN/IRAN: Indigenous insurrection against Iranian state Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance Urgent ELP Bulletin (1st Feb 2007) Dear friends As everyone who knows ELP's history will be aware, ELP has a strong belief in the freedom of speech. We would therefore like to raise peoples awareness to an arrest in Afghanistan where a young journalist risks loosing his life for merely promoting womens rights! Please read the below e-mail and do everything you can to support Parwiz Kambakhsh (many thanks to the 'Revolutionary Association of Women in Afghanistan' for this e-mail)....... Declare Your Strong Support for Immediate Release of Young Afghan Journalist Parwiz Kambakhsh Galileos are still being interrogated in the disastrous courts of ignoranceYoung Galileos are crying Oh You! Darkness lovers: We will not be frightened of burns and fires We are the everlasting flames of history Sirus Tabristani, an Iranian Poet The criminals who are in power in Afghanistan have imprisoned Parwiz Kambakhsh, a young journalist, since October 2007 in Balkh province - Northern Afghanistan. He is threatened to be hanged by the dark-minded and ignorant judges in the medieval courts of Afghanistan. The accusations are so ridiculous and injudicious that they make any freedom-loving person want to stand and say enough is enough. Mr. Kambakhsh is accused of printing/distributing an article from the Internet, which points out controversial verses of the Quran regarding women?s rights. The book ?Religion in the History of Civilization? (by Will Durant) taken from his living room has been kept as an evidence against him in the court! In a country where for the last six years there are many claims regarding ?democracy?, ?human rights?, and ?freedom of press?, the religious fascists have their grip on justice and try every possible way to mute anyone who criticizes or comments about the Northern Alliance criminals. Imprisonment of Parwiz Kambakhsh is not only for his enlightening articles in a local newspaper, Jahan-e-Now (The New World), but also because of his brother Yaqub Ibrahimi, who is a well-known, brave and realistic reporter and exposed many criminal faces from Jehadi mafia in Northern Afghanistan to the world public. The Jehadi criminals, who could not silence Ibrahimi, now try to pursue a traitorous agenda by unlawfully imprisoning his brother in order to hush him. The Religious Scholars Council of Balkh province who have never condemned the criminal acts of the fundamentalist warlords in the north, now disgracefully issued a verdict for the execution of Parwiz Kambakhsh. Above everything, the shocking detention of Mr. Kambakhsh is a great disgrace for Mr. Karzai and his Western patrons who decorated the notorious criminals in pants and ties and brought them in power under the guise of ?democrats?. Now Mr. Karzai says he is not as powerful to control them. Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) kindly asks all freedom-loving individuals and organizations who believe in human rights and democracy to stand up against the unjust imprisonment of Parwiz Kambakhsh, and ask for his immediate release. Only your strong support for justice and freedom can stop the mediaeval acts of the Afghan government and its allies, which are in the style of the brutal Iranian regime. Please email your protest letters to: Presidential Office:president at afghanistangov.org United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)spokesman-unama at un.org The Supreme Court of Afghanistanaquddus at supremecourt.gov.af You may also send protest letters to Afghan embassy in your country. http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news608.htm Proving SchNEWS reaches all corners of the globe, we this week received an email from a punter in the punjab (well somewhere in india anyway). Apart from singing our praises (of course), he alerted us to the fact that we?re not the only ones with trust issues when it comes to cops, demonstrated by a recent online poll by the Times of India ? largest circulation of any English broadsheet in the world (over 2.5 million and rising ? in your face Murdoch, your tired rag gets less than 700,000. Plus T of I is still family owned, resisting selling out any of the corporate media tycoons since getting independence from the Brits in 1950). They asked for opinions on the statement, ?Police in India spells fear and trouble in the common man?s mind?- to which the answer was pretty unequivocal: Agree ? 96%, Disagree ? 3%, Not sure ? 1%. Impressive figures, even for our anarcho-anti-capitalist ?Resist the facist pigs? bi-monthly meeting... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7320086.stm Hope for end to Russia cave siege Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov was brought in to negotiate Fresh talks are under way to persuade 28 doomsday cult members in Russia to end a five-month cave siege after seven sect women came to the surface. The women were allowed to leave with cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov after he was brought to the scene to negotiate. The True Russian Orthodox Church members barricaded themselves into the cave in the Penza region, about 650km (400 miles) south-east of Moscow. They are waiting for doomsday, which they believe will occur in May. The members entered the cave in October and have refused to come out. They threatened to detonate gas canisters if attempts were made to remove them and this week reportedly shot at police to drive them off. However, there are reports of a split in the cult after a number of cave-ins due to prolonged rainfall. There are fears the cave could collapse completely. 'Prophet' Mr Kuznetsov, who is undergoing court-ordered psychiatric treatment, was brought to the scene and after negotiations was allowed to take the seven women to his home in a nearby village to await the May doomsday date there. The vice governor of the Penza region, Oleg Melnichenko, said the women were in good health and did not need medical help. "The women who have come out will continue their isolation until May, when supposedly the end of the world will happen. That was their condition, which we promised to respect," Mr Melnichenko said. The governor's office said it hoped the remaining members would come out soon, possibly as early as Saturday. Four children are among those still in the cave. Mr Kuznetsov, who calls himself Father Pyotr, declared himself a prophet a number of years ago and has attracted followers in Russia and Belarus. He is thought to have ordered his followers into the cave but did not join them. http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373990 The Ansar al-Mahdi and the Continuing Threat of the Doomsday Cults in Iraq By Fadhil Ali [From: Terrorism Monitor (The Jamestown Foundation, USA) Volume 6, Issue 4 (February 22, 2008)] On January 18, a day before the annual Shiite festival of Ashura, most of the concerns in Iraq revolved around possible attacks by Sunni extremists against the Shiites. What happened was unexpectedly different?the attacks came from the little-known Shiite cult of Ansar al-Mahdi (Helpers of the Expected One). Gunmen of the cult? believing that a Shiite Messiah was coming to help them?launched simultaneous attacks against Iraqi forces in the cities of Basra and Nasiriya in Shiite-dominated southern Iraq. The attacks came a month after British forces handed over security responsibilities in Basra to Iraqi security forces. During the clashes in Basra and nearby Nasiriya, 97 members of Ansar al-Mahdi were killed and about 500 arrested. Among these were doctors, engineers and other respected professionals (al-Hayat, January 30). The media mistakenly referred to the group as the Soldiers of Heaven, another small Shiite cult with similar beliefs. By the end of the second day of fighting, Iraqi forces succeeded in restoring order in the two cities, but the mystery of Ansar al-Mahdi was not completely solved?especially with the disappearance of the leader of the group, Ahmad al-Hassan, better known as Shaykh al-Yamani. It is possible, as some suggest, that al-Yamani commands the allegiance of as many as 5,000 followers. Development of the Post-Invasion Doomsday Cults in Iraq The apocalyptic radicalism of the Ansar al-Mahdi derives from a militant interpretation of the "Twelver School" of Shiite theology. Twelver Shiites await the return of a Mahdi (Expected One) in the form of the twelfth Shiite Imam, Muhammad ibn Hassan ibn Ali, born in 868 A.D. It is believed that the Imam is still alive, but has been hidden by God from mankind?a process known as "occultation"? until the appointed time of his return. The Imam will help the Nabi Isa (Prophet Jesus) to defeat al-Masih al-Dajjal (the false Messiah? an Anti-Christ figure) and establish social justice on earth prior to the Day of Judgment. Mahdism is not unique to Shiite Islam, though many orthodox Sunnis frown on the concept as being unsupported by Quranic tradition. The most notable Sunni "Mahdi" was Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi?who lived from 1844 to 1885 and led a successful revolt against Turco-Egyptian rule in the Sudan during the 1880s. During the January 2007 Ashura festival, a millenarian cult known as the Jund al-Samaa (Soldiers of Heaven, or SoH) engaged in severe clashes with Iraqi government forces in southern Iraq's Shiite holy city of Najaf. The SoH were led by Dhia Abdul Zahra al-Gar'awi, or the Judge of Heaven as he is known among his followers. According to the Iraqi government, hundreds of gunmen of the SoH were about to implement a plan to assassinate the top Shiite clerics. The SoH believed that killing those clerics who are followed by the majority of Iraq's Shiite population would pave the way for the return of al- Imam al-Mahdi (the Shiite Messiah). The Iraqi government announced that it had uncovered the plot. Coalition-backed Iraqi forces surrounded the SoH in a rural area and attacked them?263 of the SoH members, including al-Gar'awi, were killed and a further 500 arrested. Al-Mahdi Army The radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and his followers in the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia might not believe in an imminent return for the Mahdi, but their ideology still gives the impression that his return is close. Whenever al-Sadr or other leading members of the movement are asked about the possibility of disbanding the militia, they reply that only the Imam al-Mahdi (the returned savior of mankind) could do this and no one else, including militia founder Moqtada al-Sadr. The Sadrists deny any connection with Ansar al-Mahdi. Some media reports mentioned that Sadr's men were fighting with the Iraqi army against Ansar al-Mahdi, but an anti-Sadrist web forum suggests that Ansar al-Mahdi is merely a group of al-Mahdi Army. There are reports that former members of the Baathist Fedayeen Saddam militia have joined the Ansar al-Mahdi and al-Mahdi Army in an effort to regain their old power and influence (Shababeek, January 19). Al-Yamani and the Ansar al-Mahdi Ahmad al-Hassan al-Yamani?whose real name is Ahmad Ismail Gat'a?was born near Basra to a well-known and well-respected Shiite family. One of his brothers had a doctorate in nuclear technology and worked as an assistant to General Hossam Ameen, the spokesman of Saddam's nuclear program. Another brother of al-Yamani was a colonel in the former Iraqi Army. The strong family ties to the regime could not help al-Yamani when he was sent to jail in the 1990s for unknown reasons. After the 2003 Coalition invasion, al-Yamani?who already had a college degree in civil engineering?enrolled as a scholar in the Shiite religious institutes of Najaf and became a cleric. In 2004 he participated in the Najaf battle between Coalition forces and Moqtada al-Sadr's al-Mahdi Army. Eventually al-Yamani led his followers to his home town of Basra and the adjacent Nasiriya and Emara areas where they established their own mosques and offices. The mission expanded quickly in the poor Shiite far south of Iraq (al-Malaf, February 2007). In 2006, the Ansar al-Mahdi started to increase their propaganda efforts in Basra and Baghdad with slogans like "Every solution has failed but the solution of al-Mahdi" or "Democracy is the people's rule but al-Mahdi is Allah's rule." On August 28, 2007, the first issue of the group's newspaper (al-Sirat al-Mostakeem) was published to express the policy and ideology of the cult. Intellectual adherents of al-Yamani were placed in charge of editing the paper. Al-Sirat al-Mostakeem was mostly devoted to the cult's propaganda, but the editorials had a clear anti-American position. In the October 13, 2007 issue, there was an article about "jihad by words and swords" based on Jihad is the Gate of Heaven, a book written by al-Yamani. In the January 25 issue, there was a statement by al- Yamani?allegedly answering a Christian woman?declaring that America would fall by Imam al-Mahdi's hands. The United States is customarily referred as al-Masih al-Dajjal (the "Grand Imposter" or "False Messiah," a personality comparable to the Anti-Christ). In the same issue, al-Yamani writes that the Americans?whom he cursed? supported the enemies of Islam, like the apostate rulers of the Gulf countries. He claims that Osama bin Laden was raised up by U.S. support and says elsewhere in the same issue that the campaign against the followers of Moqtada al-Sadr is intended to clear the ground for U.S. occupation. In a video released on YouTube, al-Yamani stresses his role as a representative and deputy of Imam al-Mahdi while challenging other Shiite clerics to a debate. Al-Yamani has made this challenge many times, but while the traditional senior Shiite clerics have not responded, some junior members of the Shiite movement have offered to take up al-Yamani's challenge. The top Shiite spiritual leader in Iraq, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has urged the government to address those who spread defective views on religion. The Sadrists blame the Iraqi government for the emergence of "spoiling movements" like that of al-Yamani, claiming that while the national army was busy tackling al-Sadr's al-Mahdi army, more dangerous extremist groups were proliferating in southern Iraq. An Iranian Role? The Iraqi government first accused neighboring countries of sponsoring the extremist millenarian Shiite groups. Later on, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh stated that there was no evidence that the cult was supported by any party from outside Iraq (al-Sharqia, January 28). In an interview with al-Hurra TV, an arrested senior member of Ansar al-Mahdi admitted that there were foreign individuals but no states involved in the financial support of the cult. Unnamed political and security sources took a different view by telling the Iraqi press that "the interrogations with Ansar al-Yamani showed that they are agents of Iranian intelligence and some of them were trained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The weapons and ammunition of the cult's fighters were Iranian made" (al- Malaf, February 6). Conclusion Although the Iraqi forces succeeded in putting down the Ansar al- Mahdi rebellion in two days, the danger is still present. Cult leader Ahmad al-Hassan al-Yamani managed to escape and might return to launch other attacks against the Iraqi government or the Coalition. The possibility of attacks outside Iraq cannot be ruled out. Militant cults like Ansar al-Mahdi and the SoH have an international agenda as they believe that al-Imam al-Mahdi is coming back to liberate the entire world and defeat the unbelievers. It was a worrying sign that one of the SoH had a British passport. The clashes at Basra and Nasiriya occurred a month after the security handover between the British and the Iraqis in the south and a month before the end of the six-month suspension of al-Mahdi Army activities. The Iranians have expressed many times that they are willing to be involved in the security arrangements in Iraq and fill what they describe as a security vacuum that will exist after the Coalition withdrawal. A connection between Ansar al-Mahdi and Iranian intelligence could explain the clashes?even partially?as an unusual means for Iran to send a message about potential instability in Shiite Iraq. The followers of al-Sadr ascribed the violence in southern Iraq to the government's crackdown on their militia. By accepting al- Yamani's call for a debate, the Sadrists are apparently trying to gain the political benefits of negotiating on behalf of the Iraqi government or being a mediator. They are likely thinking of bringing the cult back to its wider Shiite environment and more specifically to al-Mahdi Army. It is important that the Iraqi government not underestimate the threat of such cults; the Shiite-led government must avoid being affected by its historical relationship with Iran if Iranian forces are indeed behind these cults. Dealing with radical Shiite groups is complicated by the delicate internal balance between the different Shiite parties that form the government. Whether al-Yamani is captured or remains on the loose, the danger of the doomsday cults could linger for years, even after the backbone of the movement has been destroyed. http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/17/stories/2008021750190100.htm ORISSA 15 killed in naxalite raids on Orissa police depots Prafulla Das Large quantities of arms and ammunition looted NAYAGARH (ORISSA): Hundreds of armed Maoists simultaneously raided several police establishments in Nayagarh district late on Friday night, killed 15 persons, including 13 policemen, and looted large quantities of arms and ammunition. A village guard and one civilian were the others killed. Ten persons, including nine policemen, were injured. The operation started at 10.30 pm and ended at 12.30 am. Police swung into action on Saturday and encircled the Kupari forests where the Maoists had taken shelter. Till last reports came in, two extremists were gunned down in the combing operation undertaken by 800 security personnel belonging to the Orissa police, Andhra Pradesh police, and Central para-military forces. Two Maoists were also arrested. Two Air Force bomber helicopters were pressed into service to locate the Maoists. If needed the authorities would bomb the naxalites, highly placed sources said. According to Nayagarh Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar, the naxalites first blocked all the four entry points to Nayagarh town and then all at once attacked the arms depot at the local police training school, district armoury and the local police station catching the security personnel off guard. The Maoists, numbering around 600, came in several vehicles. There were three trucks, one jeep, and several motorcycles. Around 100 women were part of the attackers. While a majority of the extremists opened fire at the arms depots and police stations, many stood guard at prominent locations of the town after blocking the road with boulders and their vehicles. The roads to Mr. Kumar?s residence were also blocked. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jan/23/france.international Sarkozy unveils ?1bn plan to stop repeat of 2005 riots ? Minister promises to create 45,000 new jobs ? Investment to focus on notorious 'banlieues' Angelique Chrisafis in Paris The Guardian, Wednesday January 23 2008 Article history About this article Close This article appeared in the Guardian on Wednesday January 23 2008 on p23 of the International section. It was last updated at 09:27 on January 23 2008. Firemen run past a car set ablaze during riots last November in Villiers-le-Bel, outside Paris. Photograph: Martin Bureau/AFP/Getty Images Nicolas Sarkozy's government yesterday unveiled its first moves to tackle problems on France's run-down high-rise estates, which remain plagued by poverty, unemployment and race discrimination two years after major riots in 2005. Yesterday at Vaulx-en-Velin, the site of France's first suburban riots in 1979, the junior minister for urban affairs, Fadela Amara - an outspoken leftwing campaigner handed responsibility for the plan - promised to create 45,000 new jobs in areas where up to half of young men who are black or of north African origin are out of work. Amara, who grew up on a rough estate with her illiterate Algerian parents and still insists on living in a council flat, said the aim was to cut youth unemployment by 40% in three years, providing tutors for struggling children and work placements for school-leavers. The government will invest ?1bn (?750m) on education, employment schemes and transport focusing on 100 out of more than 300 areas that erupted in violence in 2005. Amara said she wanted to create a banlieue elite and restore hope to French citizens in these ghettoes who were treated as outcasts because of their colour, immigrant origins or address. She described "discrimination, exclusion, misery, a France that is very poor" and tense. But bickering between ministers, and the president's desire to take control of the plans himself meant yesterday's promises of jobs and investment were thin on detail. Sarkozy has promised a full explanation of his strategy for the riot-hit suburbs at a media event at a tower block next month. The French president is a hate figure to many of the 5 million who live on France's decaying suburban estates after he called wayward youths "scum" and endorsed riot police squads when he was interior minister. He was unable to do walkabouts during his election campaign last year because of fear for his own safety. But before his election he promised an ambitious "Marshall Plan" for the banlieues that would end the poor living conditions, discrimination and poverty in neighbourhoods where the rate of unemployment for under-25s hovers around 35%. The urgent need for action was driven home by riots last November in Villiers-le-Bel, north of Paris, where rioters shot at police. On Monday night, Sarkozy staged a surprise visit to a fragile estate west of Paris, his first such trip since his election. He told youths: "We won't let anyone down, on one condition: that those who have been given advice and training make the effort to get up in the morning." This month, the government announced it would restore a form of community policing - a practice Sarkozy had scrapped as interior minister, favouring the sporadic use of riot police and officers bussed in from outside. The president also vowed to compensate people whose cars are torched on estates. At least 46,800 cars were burned in France in 2007, compared with 44,000 the year before. Sarkozy, stung by his recent poor poll ratings, is hoping that his own highly-anticipated detailed banlieue plan next month will boost his standing. But on the ground, some remained sceptical. "If this is just another thin sprinkling [of measures] it won't work," warned the Socialist mayor of Villiers-le-Bel. http://www.ww4report.com/node/4957 Chiapas: Zapatistas "stronger" ?despite paramilitary backlash Submitted by Bill Weinberg on Sun, 01/20/2008 - 00:37. Refuting widespread media portrayal of the "erosion" (desgaste) of the rebel Zapatista movement, Jorge Santiago, director of the local group Economic and Social Development of the Indigenous Mexicans (DESMI), which has been working with Maya communities in the Highlands of Chiapas for 35 years, told Blanche Petrich of the Mexican daily La Jornada that 14 years after the armed uprising, "we are stronger, because we are linked" with social struggles across Mexico. "Our word has to do with the words of others. The people are beginning to have confidence in themselves as builders of relations, with the local base." He especially credits the Zapatistas' maintenance of the moral high ground?"The decision not to instigate confrontations with the local enemies, in spite of harassment and the onslaught on their territory." (La Jornada, Jan. 6) Paramilitary harassment of the Zapatista communities continues unabated. At Bolon Ajaw settlement, near Agua Azul nature reserve, gunmen with shotguns and rifles opened fire on community members working in the corn fields on Jan. 2. Although there were no casualties, community members say this was but the most recent in a series of such attacks. They say gunmen routinely set up illegal roadblocks, threatening community members and impeding access to their farmlands. They blame the attacks on the Organization for the Defense of Indigenous and Campesino Rights (OPDDIC), which they charge is a paramilitary group loyal to the political machine of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). (CGT Chiapas, Jan. 5) The attacks have continued despite a public ceremony Dec. 19 in which the pro-PRI leaders of the community Ejido Agua Azul supposedly "defected" from the OPDDIC and handed their arms over to Chiapas state authorities. La Jornada reporter Hermann Bellinghausen called the ceremony a media "show" organized by the state government. He also notes that attacks have continued despite the establishment of new Mexican army camps near Agua Azul in a supposed crackdown on arms and drug plantations. (La Jornada, Dec. 22) Since then, the leaders of Ejido Agua Azul have publicly called for the eviction of the local Zapatista communities, accusing them of causing ecological damage and threatening the nature reserve. (Noticias Palenque, Jan. 12) Local Zapatista leaders, in turn, charged the Ejido Agua Azul leaders of seeking to clear the lands to make way for tourism development. A statement from the Zapatista community Nuevo Progeso Agua Azul said: "We are natives here. Like our parents. Our grandparents were resident farmworkers [peones acasillados] of the landlord [patr?n]. And for more than 13 years we have been in resistance." (La Jornada, Jan. 16) Two local campesinos, Fidelino Ruiz Hern?ndez, 73, and Alfredo Hern?ndez P?rez, 48, could face 25 years in prison in an imminent judicial ruling for the killing of two OPDDIC members in 2002. Accused by local authorities of being "Zapatistas," the two have been held at the prison in Ocosingo for almost five years. The Zapatistas deny any attacks on the OPDDIC. (La Jornada, Jan. 15) At an international memorial held in the Highland city of San Cristobal de Las Casas for the late anthropologist and Zapatista supporter Andr?s Aubry, writers John Berger and Naomi Klein, Belgian priest Francois Houtart and dozens of other academics and activists issued a statement on the growing paramilitarism in Chiapas, saying "a new Acteal must not be permitted in Mexican territory." (La Jornada, Dec. 18) La Jornada's Hermann Bellinghausen, who has reported aggressively on the paramilitary activity, reports that in recent weeks his house in San Cristobal has been under constant surveillance by unknown men with cameras in matching sports jerseys, and that vehicles have followed him as he leaves his home. (La Jornada, Jan. 11) In an ominous sign that elements of the violent PRI machine are being incorporated into the Chiapas state government now under a coalition led by the center-left Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), Gov. Juan Sabines has appointed prominent rancher Jorge Constantino K?nter as his sub-secretary for commerce in the Agriculture Secretariat. K?nter is a bitter opponent of the Zapatistas, and was widely known in the '90s as leader of the "White Guards," a paramilitary force established by the state's cattle lords. (La Jornada, Dec. 16) The struggle over turf in Chiapas even extends to San Cristobal, where Zapatista-loyal inhabitants of the poor neighborhood (colonia popular) 5 de Marzo have announced that they will re-install water services, which were cut off to their families by municipal authorities. (CGT Chiapas, Jan. 14) Escalating social struggles in Chiapas also extend beyond the contest between the Zapatistas and their opponents. On Jan. 7, members of the Coalition of Independent Organizations of the Lacandon Selva (COCISEL), an alliance of 30 community groups from the lowland rainforest, peacefully occupied the offices of various state and federal agencies in the state capital, Tuxtla Guti?rrez, to demand better government services for the impoverished region. (La Jornada, Jan. 8) http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/tomdispatch/2008/01/revolution-of-the-snails.html Revolution of the Snails Commentary: Encounters with the Zapatistas: Real change takes time. By Rebecca Solnit January 15, 2008 I grew up listening to vinyl records, dense spirals of information that we played at 33-1/3 revolutions per minute. The original use of the word revolution was in this sense?of something coming round or turning round, the revolution of the heavenly bodies, for example. It's interesting to think that just as the word radical comes from the Latin word for "roots" and meant going to the root of a problem, so revolution originally means to rotate, to return, or to cycle, something those who live according to the agricultural cycles of the year know well. Only in 1450, says my old Oxford Etymological Dictionary, does it come to mean "an instance of a great change in affairs or in some particular thing." 1450: 42 years before Columbus sailed on his first voyage to the not-so-new world, not long after Gutenberg invented moveable type in Europe, where time itself was coming to seem less cyclical and more linear?as in the second definition of this new sense of revolution in my dictionary, "a complete overthrow of the established government in any country or state by those who were previously subject to it." We live in revolutionary times, but the revolution we are living through is a slow turning around from one set of beliefs and practices toward another, a turn so slow that most people fail to observe our society revolving?or rebelling. The true revolutionary needs to be as patient as a snail. The revolution is not some sudden change that has yet to come, but the very transformative and questioning atmosphere in which all of us have lived for the past half century, since perhaps the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, or the publication of Rachel Carson's attack on the corporate-industrial-chemical complex, Silent Spring, in 1962; certainly, since the amazing events of 1989, when the peoples of Eastern Europe nonviolently liberated themselves from their Soviet-totalitarian governments; the people of South Africa undermined the white apartheid regime of that country and cleared the way for Nelson Mandela to get out of jail; or, since 1992, when the Native peoples of the Americas upended the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in this hemisphere with a radical rewriting of history and an assertion that they are still here; or even 1994, when this radical rewriting wrote a new chapter in southern Mexico called Zapatismo. Five years ago, the Zapatista revolution took as one of its principal symbols the snail and its spiral shell. Their revolution spirals outward and backward, away from some of the colossal mistakes of capitalism's savage alienation, industrialism's regimentation, and toward old ways and small things; it also spirals inward via new words and new thoughts. The astonishing force of the Zapatistas has come from their being deeply rooted in the ancient past?"we teach our children our language to keep alive our grandmothers" said one Zapatista woman?and prophetic of the half-born other world in which, as they say, many worlds are possible. They travel both ways on their spiral. Revolutionary Landscapes At the end of 2007, I arrived on their territory for a remarkable meeting between the Zapatista women and the world, the third of their encuentros since the 1994 launch of their revolution. Somehow, among the miracles of Zapatista words and ideas I read at a distance, I lost sight of what a revolution might look like, must look like, on the ground?until late last year when I arrived on that pale, dusty ground after a long ride in a van on winding, deeply rutted dirt roads through the forested highlands and agricultural clearings of Chiapas, Mexico. The five hours of travel from the big town of San Cristobal de las Casas through that intricate landscape took us past countless small cornfields on slopes, wooden houses, thatched pigsties and henhouses, gaunt horses, a town or two, more forest, and then more forest, even a waterfall. Everything was green except the dry cornstalks, a lush green in which December flowers grew. There were tree-sized versions of what looked like the common, roadside, yellow black-eyed susans of the American west and a palm-sized, lavender-pink flower on equally tall, airily branching stalks whose breathtaking beauty seemed to come from equal parts vitality, vulnerability, and bravura?a little like the women I listened to for the next few days. The van stopped at the junction that led to the center of the community of La Garrucha. There, we checked in with men with bandannas covering the lower halves of their faces, who sent us on to a field of tents further uphill. The big sign behind them read, "You are in Territory of Zapatistas in Rebellion. Here the People Govern and the Government Obeys." Next to it, another sign addressed the political prisoners from last year's remarkable uprising in Oaxaca in which, for four months, the inhabitants held the city and airwaves and kept the government out. It concluded, "You are not alone. You are with us. EZLN." As many of you may know, EZLN stands for Ej?rcito Zapatista de Liberaci?n Nacional (Zapatista Army for National Liberation), a name akin to those from many earlier Latin American uprisings. The Zapatistas?mostly Mayan indigenous rebels from remote, rural communities of Chiapas, Mexico's southernmost and poorest state?had made careful preparations for a decade before their January 1, 1994 uprising. They began like conventional rebels, arming themselves and seizing six towns. They chose that first day of January because it was the date that the North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect, which meant utter devastation for small farmers in Mexico; but they had also been inspired by the 500th anniversary, 14 months before, of Columbus's arrival in the Americas and the way native groups had reframed that half-millenium as one of endurance and injustice for the indigenous peoples of this hemisphere. Their rebellion was also meant to take the world at least a step beyond the false dichotomy between capitalism and the official state socialism of the Soviet Union which had collapsed in 1991. It was to be the first realization of what needed to come next: a rebellion, above all, against capitalism and neoliberalism. Fourteen years later, it is a qualified success: many landless campesino families in Zapatista-controlled Chiapas now have land; many who were subjugated now govern themselves; many who were crushed now have a sense of agency and power. Five areas in Chiapas have existed outside the reach of the Mexican government, under their own radically different rules, since that revolution. Beyond that, the Zapatistas have given the world a model?and, perhaps even more important, a language?with which to re-imagine revolution, community, hope, and possibility. Even if, in the near future, they were to be definitively defeated on their own territory, their dreams, powerful as they have been, are not likely to die. And there are clouds on the horizon: the government of President Felipe Calder?n may turn what has, for the last 14 years, been a low-intensity conflict in Chiapas into a full-fledged war of extermination. A war on dreams, on hope, on rights, and on the old goals of the hero of the Mexican Revolution a century before, Emiliano Zapata: tierra y libertad, land and liberty. The Zapatistas emerged from the jungle in 1994, armed with words as well as guns. Their initial proclamation, the First Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, rang with familiar, outmoded-sounding revolutionary rhetoric, but shortly after the uprising took the world by storm, the Zapatistas' tone shifted. They have been largely nonviolent ever since, except in self-defense, though they are ringed by the Mexican army and local paramilitaries (and maintain their own disciplined army, a long line of whose masked troops patrolled La Garrucha at night, armed with sticks). What shifted most was their language, which metamorphosed into something unprecedented?a revolutionary poetry full of brilliant analysis as well as of metaphor, imagery, and humor, the fruit of extraordinary imaginations. Some of their current stickers and t-shirts?the Zapatistas generate more cool paraphernalia than any rock band?speak of "el fuego y la palabra," the fire and the word. Many of those words came from the inspired pen of their military commander, the nonindigenous Subcomandante Marcos, but that pen reflected the language of a people whose memory is long and environment is rich?if not in money and ease, then in animals, images, traditions, and ideas. Take, for example, the word caracol, which literally means snail or spiral shell. In August 2003, the Zapatistas renamed their five autonomous communities caracoles. The snail then became an important image. I noticed everywhere embroideries, t-shirts, and murals showing that land snail with the spiraling shell. Often the snail wore a black ski mask. The term caracol has the vivid vitality, the groundedness, that often escapes metaphors as they become part of our disembodied language. When they reorganized as caracoles, the Zapatistas reached back to Mayan myth to explain what the symbol meant to them. Or Subcomandante Marcos did, attributing the story as he does with many stories to "Old Antonio," who may be a fiction, a composite, or a real source of the indigenous lore of the region: "The wise ones of olden times say that the hearts of men and women are in the shape of a caracol, and that those who have good in their hearts and thoughts walk from one place to the other, awakening gods and men for them to check that the world remains right. They say that they say that they said that the caracol represents entering into the heart, that this is what the very first ones called knowledge. They say that they say that they said that the caracol also represents exiting from the heart to walk the world?. The caracoles will be like doors to enter into the communities and for the communities to come out; like windows to see us inside and also for us to see outside; like loudspeakers in order to send far and wide our word and also to hear the words from the one who is far away." The caracoles are clusters of villages, but described as spirals they reach out to encompass the whole world and begin from within the heart. And so I arrived in the center of one caracol, a little further up the road from those defiant signs, in the broad, unpaved plaza around which the public buildings of the village of La Garrucha are clustered, including a substantial two-story, half-built clinic. Walking across that clearing were Zapatista women in embroidered blouses or broad collars and aprons stitched of rows of ribbon that looked like inverted rainbows?and those ever-present ski masks in which all Zapatistas have appeared publicly since their first moment out of the jungles in 1994. (Or almost all, a few wear bandannas instead.) That first glimpse was breathtaking. Seeing and hearing those women for the three days that followed, living briefly on rebel territory, watching people brave enough to defy an army and the world's reigning ideology, imaginative enough to invent (or reclaim) a viable alternative was one of the great passages of my life. The Zapatistas had been to me a beautiful idea, an inspiration, a new language, a new kind of revolution. When they spoke at this Third Encounter of the Zapatista Peoples with the People of the World, they became a specific group of people grappling with practical problems. I thought of Martin Luther King Jr. when he said he had been to the mountaintop. I have been to the forest. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7227787.stm Six killed in PNG ethnic strife At least six people have been killed and several seriously injured in ethnic violence in Papua New Guinea. Clashes between Western Highland Jiga tribesmen and Engan settlers broke out after a Jiga man was killed in the town of Mount Hagen on Sunday. Police have set up road blocks and hundreds of residents have sought shelter in a police gymnasium. Local media say the gym is running out of food and water, and the town's schools and businesses remain closed. Appeals for calm Fighting erupted after a brawl in Mt Hagan, the country's third-largest city, in which a Jiga man working as a hotel security guard was killed. Relatives and tribesmen of the man arrived in the area carrying guns and knives and began attacking Engans. Homes and properties in Mt Hagen have been burned or damaged in revenge attacks, which local police say they could not prevent. Security personnel are being drafted in from other towns and community leaders have appealed for calm amid concerns that the conflict could spread. A senior Western Highlands police official, Kaiglo Ambane, told Australia's ABC News: "Things are slowly getting back to order, it will take some time to recover." http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23163058-5005961,00.html 1000 homeless in PNG ethnic clashes Article from: AAP Font size: Decrease Increase Email article: Email Print article: Print By Ilya Gridneff in Port Moresby February 05, 2008 11:50am ABOUT 1000 people remain homeless following ethnic violence in Papua New Guinea's Western Highlands Province that left six dead. PNG Police Commander Gari Baki has ordered 35 Port Moresby officers to fly to Mt Hagen, in PNG's central west, to help restore law and order after a weekend hotel brawl triggered fierce retaliation attacks in the city's settlements. Six men died and several more suffered serious injuries, while an estimated thousand people are homeless after homes and businesses were torched or destroyed by Jiga tribesman. Family and friends from the Jiga tribe rushed to Mt Hagen seeking revenge against settlement dwellers they blamed for killing a relative - a hotel security guard. In the ensuing violence an Engan man who lived in the settlement was killed in a drive-by shooting, while four more died in violence between groups wielding bush knives and guns. Many of the homeless have been moved to a police gym and businesses and schools are slowly reopening. Meanwhile highlands men have been told to stay at home to avoid the rick of reprisal attacks. Western Highlands Acting Provincial Commander Chief Inspector Kaiglo Ambane said about 1000 people were staying in police barracks because they have no home or feel threatened. "There is a lot of speculation and talk and these rumours don't help the situation,'' he said. "Things are slowly getting back to order, it will take some time to recover,'' he said. Police will investigate reported allegations of rape, he said. Senior government officials condemned the violence and some community leaders called on the government to declare a state of emergency, PNG's Post Courier newspaper reported. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/7/story.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=10489389 Papua New Guinea: Land where spirits still rule (+photos) It is believed black magic cannot cross water, so homes in Hanuabada Village, Port Moresby, were built over the sea. Drive along the brand new freeway from downtown Port Moresby to the sea and you may notice a huge chunk of stone about the size of a car standing beside the highway. "See that?" says Steven, who is showing me round the capital of Papua New Guinea. "That's a spirit stone." Eh? Looks just like a big lump of brown rock to me. "When they cut the road through here," he continues, "they found this stone was too hard to break up so they put it on a truck, took it down to the harbour and dropped it in the sea. But the next morning it was back here again. That happened three times. They dropped the stone in the harbour but overnight it returned, so finally they left it here." Steven, who is telling me this, is a well-educated man, speaking not only his clan language and pidgin but also English and Japanese. He moved to the capital from his home in the Highlands to find work as a guide for PNG Explorers International. But clearly, as far as he is concerned, spirit stones, black magic and such are a normal part of life. Seeing my sceptical look, Tom, our driver, nods his head. "This sort of thing happens a lot," he says. "There are many powerful spirits living in the hills and stones and it is not a good idea to disturb them." Unfortunately, he adds, Government officials from other parts of the country, who do not know where the local spirits dwell, often try to push through works in the wrong places. "Near my village here in Port Moresby they tried to bulldoze a mountain where a very strong spirit dwells. The spirit was angry and froze the bulldozer so it could not move. The bulldozer is still there today." And was the mountain left alone after that? "Oh, yes, the mountain has not been touched. Now they know about the spirit." Tom is another well-educated man who, when he is not driving tourists, does the accounts for the travel company. But he, too, accepts such spirits as just a matter of fact. As we drive around Port Moresby the two of them compete to swap the scariest spirit story. For my money, Steven won with his tale of "the spirit who kills", a spirit who invades the bodies of men and forces them to kill people. Does this spirit, I wonder, strike very often. "Oh no," he says, "only sometimes." And then the two of them discuss various murders attributed to the spirit. Later, when we stop at the village of Koki, one of several around Port Moresby where the houses are built on stilts over the sea, Steven whispers to me that they are really refuges from black magic. "Tom would not tell you this, because he is a Motu [the people who built the villages], but I can tell you because I am from the Highlands." For generations, he explains, the Motu who live on the coast have feuded with the Koiatu people from the surrounding hills, who are famed for their knowledge of black magic. "Black magic cannot cross water so the Motu built their houses on the sea so they would be safe from their Koiatu enemies." Indeed, even though Port Moresby is a modern-looking city, signs of magic are all around. Even the National Parliament, designed by New Zealander Cecil Hogan, is based on a spirit house from the Sepik River area. Above the entrance doorway is a magnificent mosaic depicting different aspects of PNG life - the modern world is represented by a helicopter and a longhaired pilot - including the figure of a witchdoctor. And inside is a superb totem pole, carved from five huge logs, with spirit figures representing the main regions of the country. Taking pride of place in the foyer is an amazing collection of the country's insects, which includes the world's largest moth, largest butterfly and what may be the largest stick insect. However, Steven is more interested in the fine fat cicadas, which he assures me are "good to eat, very sweet". There are some even bigger cockroaches in the display and I can't help wondering if they are also good to eat. "Not for me," says Steven, "but some do. Many people like these too," he adds, indicating the giant stag beetles, "but I don't like them." The nearby National Museum also has plenty of reminders of the national fascination with magic. The focal point is an extraordinary collection of spirit figures, some merely weird, but many with great artistic power. The other highlight, for me, is the display of that other great driving force of the human race, money, which in PNG used to be made from shells, pig or dog teeth, cowries, nuts, cassowary bone and even pig tails, all much more interesting than our circles of metal and pieces of paper. Of course in PNG it's not just black magic that people seek protection from these days but the more modern menace of the bad characters who are rather quaintly called "rascals". That's seen most clearly on the hill above Port Moresby's central business area, where the well-to-do live, their houses and apartments surrounded by high walls topped with vicious broken class and ferocious entanglements of razor wire. One property we pass has such extensive fortifications, including a solid metal gate protected by an armed guard in a tower, that I ask if it is the prison. "Oh, no," says Steven, "that is just a rich man's house." Crime in Port Moresby is not as bad as a few years ago, Tom adds, but there are still problems with people moving in from outside in search of work - at this point he grins at Steven, who is one of those outsiders - and living in squatter settlements on the outskirts. Those unable to get a job often turn to trading to make money, buying vegetables or betel nuts from the surrounding villages and peddling them in town, or purchasing packets of cigarettes and on-selling them as singles. But others resort to crime. The central business area, with its cluster of contemporary buildings, is full of people from the squatter settlements, most of the women sitting behind small piles of produce, most of the men standing around aimlessly. Despite their presence the atmosphere wasn't hostile and I felt quite comfortable wandering round. Having heard horror stories about the threat of the rascals in PNG, and Port Moresby in particular, I asked several locals about safety. The general response was summed up by Steven: "Tourists are okay if they have a guide and ask advice about where to go. Mostly it is okay but there are places you should not go, especially at night." Hideo Kamioka, who owns PNG Explorers International, says he can recall only one instance of a tourist travelling with his company getting into trouble. "This man wanted to go for a walk at night and I told him, `No, this is not a safe area.' But he went for a walk anyway. Well, he is not a child, I cannot put him on a lead. And he met a man with a knife and had to give him 20 kina [about $10]." As muggings go that sounds fairly mild, but it's obvious the authorities don't want the fledgling tourist industry ruined by a nasty incident and there are security precautions everywhere. Hotels and lodges have barbed-wire fences, barred windows and entrances manned by security guards. And I couldn't help noticing as I strolled through Port Moresby's delightful Botanical Gardens - the highlight is the orchid house displaying many of the 3000 species of orchid found in PNG - that a security guard shadowed me the whole way round. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=aN77kThgUgWk&refer=australia Australia Seeks to Protect World War II Kokoda Trail (Update1) By Michael Heath and Shani Raja Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Australia wants an accord with Papua New Guinea to safeguard the Kokoda Trail, the World War II battle site, after local villagers blocked part of the track to support the building of a gold and copper mine. ``Australia has the very strong view that the Kokoda Trail needs to be protected,'' Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said yesterday, adding he will make this point to his Papua New Guinean counterpart, Sam Abal, when they meet in Canberra next week. ``The Kokoda Trail for Australia and Australians is iconic.'' Frontier Resources Ltd. plans to dig up part of the track between Kokoda village and Owers Corner about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the capital, Port Moresby, to mine a $6.7 billion gold and copper deposit. Local landowners have been offered a 5 percent stake in the mine and are calling on Papua New Guinea's government to allow its development to proceed. The Kokoda Trail has become a central event for Australians in war, as was the Gallipoli battles in Turkey in World War I, in which more than 25,000 Australians were killed or wounded. Troops were rushed there in July 1942 to intercept Japanese forces marching across Papua New Guinea to Port Moresby. The Australians turned back the Japanese advance in fighting that included hand-to-hand combat in the mountainous terrain, preventing the capture of Port Moresby and a possible invasion of Australia 160 kilometers to the south. Mining Study Peter McNeil, managing director of Australia-based Frontier Resources, defended the project, which may bring as much as $115 million to local landowners. ``The track is 96 kilometers long, a mining study shows the area of impact from the Kokoda deposit will consume about 600 meters of the track,'' McNeil said today by telephone from Port Moresby. ``You can move the track around it.'' About 5,000 Australian tourists visit the track each year to pay homage to the 600 soldiers, known as Diggers, who died there. ``We very strongly believe that Australia and Papua New Guinea can work cooperatively to protect the iconic value of the Kokoda Trail,'' Smith said in Perth, Western Australia, according to a transcript. ``We also very strongly believe that, to Papua New Guinea, the Kokoda Trail provides great potential and capacity for tourism.'' In July 1942, the 39th Australian Militia Battalion was sent to fight the Japanese and hold the only working airstrip at the village of Kokoda. Inferior Numbers The soldiers, sick from dysentery, malaria and malnourishment, were pushed back by superior numbers of Japanese. They managed to reverse the retreat as they moved back toward their own supply lines and the Japanese lines became overextended. Troops were supported by Papuan carriers, guides and soldiers, who also helped the sick and wounded Australians. They became known as ``Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels,'' from a soldier's verse that included the line, ``May the mothers of Australia when they offer up a prayer, mention these impromptu angels with their fuzzy wuzzy hair.'' Papua New Guinea's government is waiting for a briefing on the mine, expected in the next few days, before making a decision, the office of Prime Minister Michael Somare said. The government will put the interests of Papua New Guinea's people first, Berta Somare, the prime minister's spokeswoman, said by telephone from Port Moresby today. ``We're sensitive to the feelings of Australians who want to use the track, but we have to put the needs of the people and the economy first,'' she said. Papua New Guinea shares the island of New Guinea with Indonesia. Highlands villagers in the nation of 6 million people didn't come into contact with Europeans until the 1930s. http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2008/03/08/former_graffiti_artist_makes_his_mark/ Former graffiti artist makes his mark Banksy has risen from hip outsider to gallery star The spray paint stencil titled "Riot Green" is among the works of British artist Banksy on exhibit in London's Andipa Gallery. (ALASTAIR GRANT/ASSOCIATED PRESS) Associated Press / March 9, 2008 LONDON - At a white-walled gallery in one of London's priciest quarters, a small army of stenciled rats and smiley faced storm troopers is awaiting an invasion. more stories like this U.S. trader bonuses hit harder than in London: poll Britain targets Muslim women to fight extremists Gold opens higher in London Recycling and wild cats keep London busy `Sin taxes' hit Britons The chic Andipa Gallery is expecting a stampede of art buyers to its latest exhibition of works by Banksy, the pseudonymous "guerrilla artist" whose satirical images have gone from street-corner graffiti to coveted artworks that sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Gallery owner Acoris Andipa says Banksy's rise from hip outsider to art-world star has been rapid, as he discovered when he held a preview in the exclusive Swiss resort of Gstaad. "Last year, we were having to explain who Banksy was and why his canvases were 30,000 or 40,000 pounds ($60,000 to $80,000)," Andipa said. "This year, every single person - including clients who'd come in their Lear jets - walked in and said, 'Wow, Banksy - and it's only 150,000 pounds ($300,000).' " Such prices are no longer exceptional. Last year, a Banksy went for almost $600,000 at a London auction. Earlier this month, "Keep It Spotless" - a Banksy stencil over a polka-dot painting by British artist Damien Hirst - sold for $1.8 million in New York. The 60 works in the Andipa show range from $15,000 for limited-edition prints to $900,000 for a painting of sharks circling supermarket trolleys full of bright orange fish. Banksy's opinion of all this can only be guessed. Andipa does not know or represent him. The works in the show - on wood, canvas, fragments of wall, and pieces of metal - were bought from collectors around the world. Banksy's website says the artist does not endorse gallery shows of his work and disapproves of auction houses selling his street art because "it's undemocratic, it glorifies greed, and I never see any of the money." His publicist, Jo Brooks, said the artist had no connection with the Andipa show. "It's absolutely nothing to do with him, and there is no comment," she said. It's a classic Banksy contradiction that he is famously publicity shy, but also employs a publicist. He's an expert at blending an outsider image with commercial savvy. He almost never gives interviews, avoids being photographed, and has not even confirmed his real name. Most agree his name is Robert - or possibly Robin - Banks, he is in his early 30s, and he comes from Bristol in southwest England, where he began his graffiti career in the 1980s and 1990s. Using spray paint and cardboard stencils to tag walls, bridges, and street signs, Banksy evolved a cheekily subversive style. His most famous images include two police officers kissing, armed riot police with yellow smiley faces, and a chimpanzee with a sign bearing the words, "Laugh now, but one day I'll be in charge." In various corners of London, he stenciled rats holding placards saying, "You Lose" and "Get out while you can." Several of the rats are in the new show, as are Vladimir Lenin on roller skates, a masked rioter preparing to hurl a bouquet of flowers, a military helicopter topped with a jaunty pink bow, and a group of well-heeled lawn bowlers tossing bombs. Andipa said that Banksy has a knack for "boiling satirical points down to a simple, single image." "Everybody gets it. It's so accessible," he said. That accessibility does not impress everyone. Art critic Matthew Collings wrote recently in The Times newspaper that Banksy's ideas "only have the value of a joke." Owning his work "would make you modern and clever - or stupid. It's a fine line." Banksy's reputation has been boosted by a series of attention-grabbing art pranks. In 2005, he hung an image of a spear-toting ancient human pushing a shopping cart in the British Museum. The next year he smuggled a life-size figure of a Guantanamo Bay detainee into Disneyland. For a 2006 exhibition in Los Angeles, he spray painted an elephant red and gold and placed it in a living room with matching wallpaper. People lined up around the block outside the warehouse where the show was held. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were among those who bought work. As his fame and reputation grow, it's becoming increasingly hard to see Banksy's work in its original setting - the streets. At first, the main threat was local authorities removing it. In recent years, building owners have sold entire walls, or covered up Banksy stencils to preserve them. Lately someone has been painting over Banksy works in London, leaving the stenciled words "all the best" beside them. Some say the vandal is a rival street artist. Others say it is Banksy himself. We may never know. http://icga.blogspot.com/2007/11/akond-of-swat.html Saturday, November 24, 2007 The Akond of Swat Who or why, or which, or what, is Maulana Fazlullah of Swat? Recent headlines from Pakistan have been grim - pitched battles with many reports of casualties and mass migration of civilians from the conflict region. Yet, the foreign media hasn't really focused on Maulana Fazlullah - perhaps thinking that the story of "Talibanization" covers this particular mullah just as well as it does any other (Baitullah Mehsud, in Waziristan, is slowly getting some attention, though). At a cursory glance, it all does blend in. The overall deterioration in the NWFP (North Western Frontier Province) and the FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) areas in recent years - specifically in Waziristan, the Malakand Agency regions, Dir, Bajaur, Swat and areas around Peshawar - is often called "Talibanization" and is often pegged to the aftermath of the Afghanistan war of 2001. There is, though, a longer history that offers some additional venues of thought. At the very least, it tells us to pay attention to the local even as we highlight transnational movements like the Taliban. Shah Ismail (1789-1831) and Sayyid Ahmed Barelvi (1786-1831), specifically, are pivotal figures in the memory and history of Swat.1 In the late 1820s, they waged a religious war against Ranjit Singh's forces for the control of Peshawar. They succeeded briefly, declared themselves an emirate where the creed of Muhammad held sway, and were swept away in 1831 - killed in battle. Shah Ismail and Sayyid Ahmed, though defeated, emerged as an integral part of the narrative of anti-imperialism. But not simply for their militant struggle for the establishment of an Islamic polity, they came to represent a profound connection to the revivalist thought of nineteenth century Muslims in India. Shah Ismail was the grandson of Shah Waliullah - the progenitor of the deobandis, who have continued to enjoy a wide following in NWFP. I know that it is more fashionable nowadays to connect Shah Waliullah to Abdul Wahhab and build an argument about some unitary "fundamentalist" strain of Islamic thought - but, it is a wrong notion. There are crucial difference, not only in history but in the theological arguments underlining deobandi and wahabbi ideologies of revivalist Islam. The deobandi, in particular, combined the idea of a polity based on Islamic Shar'ia and free from foreign influences with a more quixotic attempts to "migrate" or "settle" a Caliphate in Afghanistan. (The migration of thousands of Muslims to Afghanistan in 1920 needs recent historical attention.) The mountainous regions between Kabul and Peshawar and across Baluchistan and Gilgit remained an odd absence in the centralizing ideology of Pakistan. Partly it was due to the linguistic and ethnic communities that stretched beyond the nation-state. Partly it was a function of the lack of political legitimacy for any federal government in the region. The Pakistani State, created with unequal halves of East and West Pakistan, proved unequal to the task of imagining itself. In 1971, Bangladesh emerged out of the political chaos and opportunism and military destruction wrought by West Pakistani armies. In 1972, Pakistan embarked on a new path to re- affirm itself. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the father of Benazir Bhutto, was the chief architect of a program of Islamization to glue together the rest of Pakistan. He looked towards the Pan-Islamic movement to position Pakistan as an international entity that wasn't simply a footnote in the red hot Cold War. Bhutto's Islamization efforts continued under Zia ul Haq, who overthrew Bhutto in 1977. Except, that under Zia ul Haq, they became the Sunnification efforts to counter his (and Saudi) fears of a Shi'a revolution sweeping out of Iran and across the Muslim world. The frontier, as always, of these efforts was the NWFP. It is around this moment that the Soviet- Afghan war overshadows all local narratives but I would like to put in a call to study the movement of Pashtun men out of NWFP territories and into the urban centers of Karachi and Lahore - and further to Riyadh and Doha - for economic reasons. We are sorely lacking scholarship that can trace these movements back to the origins where petro-dollars (from doing labor in the Gulf States) transformed these small communities. (It is one sad casualty of our current myopia that we are interested only in the monolithic account of Soviet-Afghan war and the "Talibanization" and continue to stress "top-down" factors in our analysis.) In November 1994, the year old government of Benazir Bhutto faced a crisis in NWFP. Some of the Pashtun tribal chiefs, led by a Maulana Sufi Muhammad proclaimed that Shari'a needed to be enforced in NWFP. His movement, the Tehrik Nifaz-i Shariat Muhammadi (Movement for the Establishment of the Path of Muhammad), enjoyed wide-spread support. He was shutting down airports and businesses and making life hard for the PPP. So, she cut a deal. It may be shocking to remember that this same Benazir Bhutto who is now proclaiming herself as the Sole Secular Leader was none too shy about cutting deals where it suited her. The Musharraf regime also turned to TNSM and Maulana Sufi Muhammad to try and operate in the Swat region. But, the Bajaur strike and the Lal Masjid crisis ended their partnership. Maulana Sufi Muhammad is under arrest but Musharraf is actively trying to broker another deal. The reason is Maulana Fazlullah and his declaration of open hostility against the Pakistan military. Fazlullah is the son-in-law of Maulana Sufi Muhammad and has organized his own army called Shaheen Commandos. He is operating in and around Matta and openly calling themselves the Taliban. He is young - 30 or 32 - and comes from Imam Dheri area in Swat. Around a year or so ago, as the Imam of the seminary in Imam Dheri, he established an FM radio channel in the area to deliver sermons and became a local celebrity.2 After the Lal Masjid crisis, he declared jihad on the state of Pakistan. His Shaheen Commandos now control Matta. And the fight is slowly reaching the capital. This is certainly a complex and deeply troubling development for the state of Pakistan. The rise of local militias and the oppressive reaction by the military was certainly a contributing factor in the secession of East Pakistan. And a similar pattern is clear in Baluchistan. Just two days ago, Mir Balach Khan Marri was killed - something that is sure to have wide repercussions for thatseparatist movement. So to wrap it up: separatist religious movement in Swat, separatist nationalist movement in Baluchistan and a separate Musharraf from his dictatorship movement in the rest of the country. Things can only get better, no? ??? 1) See, for example, http://ghazwah- urdu.sitesled.com/Articals/Jihad/Qafla/11.htm [↩] 2) FM radio channels have proliferated in the past 3 years as the key means of transmission of ideas and information. They are very cheap to set up, mobile and can usually transmit up to 80 miles. No militant is without one. [↩] http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373892 Insurrection in Iranian Balochistan By Chris Zambelis [From: Terrorism Monitor (The Jamestown Foundation, USA) Volume 6, Issue 1 (January 11, 2008)] Issues of dissent and rebellion amongst Iran's elaborate patchwork of ethnic and sectarian minority communities are receiving increasing international scrutiny. Many advocacy organizations representing Iranian minorities accuse Tehran of operating a policy of cultural subjugation aimed at erasing identities distinct from Iran's dominant Persian culture and Shiite brand of Islam. In some cases, these grievances have led to unrest and bloodshed. The latest round of violence between ethnic Baloch nationalists led by Jondallah ("Soldiers of God") and Iranian security forces in the province of Sistan-Balochistan is indicative of this wider trend in Iranian society. The shadowy Jondallah group emerged sometime in 2003 to advocate on behalf of Baloch rights. It has been known to operate under other monikers as well, including the People's Resistance Movement of Iran (PMRI). Tehran has implicated Jondallah in a series of high-profile terrorist and guerrilla attacks against the security forces and symbols of the regime in Iranian Balochistan. Bold operations?such as the June 2005 abduction of Iranian military and intelligence personnel along the Iranian-Pakistani border and the February 2007 car bomb attack against a bus transporting members of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) just outside of the provincial capital of Zahedan that left 11 dead and scores injured? have become a Jondallah signature (see Terrorism Focus, February 27, 2007). Iranian government sources reported a series of clashes in recent weeks between Jondallah rebels and the IRGC and provincial police forces in Iranian Balochistan. On December 13, Iranian security units reported killing 12 men belonging to Jondallah and arresting others affiliated with the group in the city of Iranshahr. Security officials also reported the discovery of a weapons cache that included automatic rifles, ammunition, detonators and explosives material, as well as communications equipment and what were described as "important internal documents." They also claimed that the detainees confessed to being part of a cell planning a series of bombings across the province in an effort to foment ethnic and sectarian unrest (Islamic Republic News Agency, December 13, 2007). Subsequent reports alleged that Jondallah leaders and four men directly implicated in previous terrorist attacks were among those killed and detained by Iranian security forces (Voice of the Islamic Republic TV, December 19, 2007). In a December 14 interview, Jondallah's young leader Abdulmalak Rigi disputed the official casualty count, and claimed that only one member of his group was killed in the battle. Rigi, who is reported to be in his mid- twenties, also claimed that Iranian forces killed civilians during the skirmishes?including women and children?and that his forces killed 26 IRGC officers. He vowed to "take revenge for the women and children who were killed" (Voice of the Islamic Republic TV, December 19, 2007). In another sign of escalating tensions, Iran hanged two Baloch men convicted of armed robbery and drug smuggling on December 31, in a Zahedan prison and amputated the right hand and left foot of five others convicted on armed robbery and kidnapping charges a few days later (Iranian Students' News Agency, January 6; balochpeople.org, January 7). Baloch activists accuse Tehran of systematically harassing dissidents in the province by accusing them of false criminal charges in an effort to intimidate opposition elements. In a January 3 incident, Baloch sources reported that Iranian security forces opened fire against a vehicle delivering drinking water to a wedding ceremony on a busy street in Zahedan. Witnesses videotaped the alleged incident and the ensuing chaos and posted it online [1]. Nationalism and Rebellion in West Balochistan The Baloch national question has been a source of simmering tensions for decades. Iran's approximately one to four million-strong Baloch community inhabits the southeastern province of Sistan-Balochistan [2]. This desolate and underdeveloped region is one of Iran's poorest provinces. Unlike most Iranians, the Baloch are predominantly Sunni Muslims. Violent crackdowns and repression by security services in the economically backward province have engendered deep-seated animosity toward the Shiite Islamist regime among the fiercely independent and proud Baloch people. Iranian Baloch identify with their kin in neighboring Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan?home to the region's largest Baloch population at approximately four to eight million?and the smaller Baloch community in southern Afghanistan. The Pakistani Baloch are engaged in their own long-running struggle for greater rights and independence through a violent insurgency against Islamabad. The sum of these circumstances imbues the Baloch national consciousness with a sense of historic persecution at the hands of imperial powers that left the Baloch nation divided and without a state of its own. Baloch nationalists see the unification of their people in an independent "Greater Balochistan" as a historical right. The plight of Iranian Balochistan, referred to as "West Balochistan" by Baloch nationalists, is a pillar of the wider Baloch nationalist cause [3]. Despite a lack of evidence, Tehran accuses Jondallah of serving as an affiliate of both al-Qaeda and the Taliban, claims the group emphatically denies (see Terrorism Monitor, June 29, 2006). Jondallah does, however, rely on religious discourse to highlight its grievances against the Shiite Islamist regime. This most likely represents an effort to highlight the Iranian Baloch position as an oppressed ethnic and sectarian minority within the Shiite Islamist clerical regime. Nevertheless, there are no indications that the group has ties to radical Sunni Islamists. Iran also links Jondallah to other Iranian opposition groups?including the radical People's Mujahideen of Iran (PMOI), more commonly referred to as the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), and the affiliated National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)?in an effort to tarnish its reputation. Tehran also accuses Jondallah of harboring secessionist aspirations. Abdulmalak Rigi has stated on numerous occasions that his group's goal is not secession, but the achievement of equal rights for his people in a reformed Iran. Essentially, Jondallah frames its campaign as a war of self-defense. At the same time, Rigi has gone so far as to declare himself an Iranian and Iran as his motherland (roozonline.com, May 10, 2006). This is a position held by other Iranian Baloch dissident groups advocating on behalf of greater Baloch rights. Organizations such as the Balochistan United Front and the Balochistan National Movement coordinate closely with other ethnic and sectarian-minded opposition groups agitating for greater rights and representation in Iran, including the Congress of Nationalities for a Federal Iran [4]. Iranian authorities often describe the group as Pakistani-based in an apparent effort to implicate outside forces in the insurgency, especially the United States. Iran also occasionally accuses Pakistan of turning a blind eye to Jondallah activities, despite a strong record of Iranian and Pakistani cooperation in suppressing Baloch nationalism on both sides of the border. Iran also suggests Jondallah is a creation of the CIA, an allegation strongly denied by Rigi himself. Iran believes that the United States and other hostile forces are providing moral, material and financial support to ethnic and sectarian-based secessionist movements?including insurgent and terrorist organizations?to undermine the Islamic Republic. Tehran is convinced that any potential U.S. attack against Iran stemming from tensions over its nuclear program or alleged support for insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan will include a campaign to destabilize the Islamic Republic from within. Groups such as Jondallah would figure prominently in such a strategy (see Terrorism Monitor, August 2, 2007). There is no concrete evidence that Jondallah maintains a formal operational base in Pakistan. The difficult terrain that characterizes the Iranian-Pakistani border region is, however, a major crossroads for drug and arms smuggling between locally-based gangs. The porous border also facilitates links between Baloch families and tribes on both sides of the border. In a testament to the extent of Iranian and Pakistani Baloch links, a controversial proposal by Islamabad to construct a wall along the border inspired vocal protests from Pakistani Baloch leaders who labeled the initiative the "anti-Baloch wall" (The News International [Karachi], May 28, 2007). Given this background, it is likely that Jondallah maintains contacts over the border in Pakistan, possibly with Baloch insurgent groups operating there, such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). There is no evidence, however, of formal operational links between the two groups, as both appear committed to furthering their respective causes separately within the Iranian and Pakistani contexts. The recent assassination of two-time Pakistani Prime Minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto raises questions about the trajectory of the Baloch insurgency in Pakistan and?by extension? Iran. As a center of Baloch nationalism, events in Pakistani Balochistan have a profound impact on the Baloch cause in Iran. In an effort to win support in Pakistani Balochistan for her campaign to oust incumbent President Pervez Musharraf, Bhutto promised that her Pakistan People's Party (PPP) would implement a general amnesty for Baloch prisoners and rebels and immediately enter into negotiations with local leaders to help settle the conflict. She also criticized Islamabad's heavy-handed approach in dealing with the Baloch insurgency, accusing Musharraf of exacerbating regional tensions (Dawn [Karachi], December 21, 2007); her assassination was strongly condemned by Baloch activists. Ironically, tensions between Pakistani Baloch and the state during her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's tenure as prime minister in the mid-1970s were high. The senior Bhutto used brutal tactics?as well as direct material and military support from the Shah of Iran that included helicopter gunships and armored vehicles?to quell the armed Baloch uprising [5]. The history of Iranian-Pakistani cooperation in jointly repressing Baloch nationalism?a trend both countries see as a potential threat to their respective territorial integrity and stability?suggests that Iranian accusations of Islamabad's support for Jondallah in Iran are unfounded. Bhutto's assassination is not likely have a major impact on the situation in Iranian Balochistan, at least not directly. Despite expressions of solidarity and what is most likely limited contact, ethnic Baloch rebels in Iran and Pakistan will continue to devote their efforts to pursuing local agendas, essentially focusing on furthering the Baloch cause in Iran and Pakistan, respectively. Although Bhutto's amnesty proposal may have set an interesting precedent for relations between Tehran and Iranian Balochistan had she lived to implement it, it is unlikely that Islamabad will pursue a similar course of action in the foreseeable future. Conclusion The simmering tensions and violence in Iranian Balochistan will continue to characterize Tehran's interface with its Baloch minority. The social, political and economic grievances of the Iranian Baloch will remain a source of resentment toward the clerical regime until Tehran commits to integrating minorities into the fabric of society. Despite Iranian claims, there is no conclusive evidence that the United States is providing material support to Jondallah. It is likely, however, that the group calculates its activities and operations to correspond with periods of tension between the United States and Iran. This enables Jondallah to maximize the effect of its campaign. At the same time, Iran does have cause for concern, as the United States could consider the possibility of supporting active insurgencies as a means to pressure Iran during any potential conflict. Notes 1. See "Iranian Security Forces Shooting at Furious Baloch Demonstration," Balochistan News, January 1, 2008. For footage of the alleged incident, see the official website of the Baloch People's Party (BPP), a Baloch nationalist organization based in Sweden: . 2. Demographic figures related to ethnic and sectarian minority representation in Iran tend to be heavily politicized, hence the wide ranging estimates. 3. The Baloch national cause is bolstered by a sophisticated network of activists in the diaspora and online advocating for their kin in Iran and Pakistan. For more details, see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and . 4. The Congress of Nationalities for a Federal Iran includes Kurdish, Azeri, Ahvazi (Arab), Turkmen, Baloch and other organizations advocating the federalization of Iran along ethnic and regional lines. For more details, see . 5. Stephen Philip Cohen, The Idea of Pakistan (Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 2004), pp. 219-221. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 18:33:22 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:33:22 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Miscellaneous articles 3 Message-ID: <034001c89e98$b29f48a0$0802a8c0@andy1> * KENYA: Understanding the opposition - rival factions explain antinomies * KENYA: Failure of elite transition * NEPAL: Analysing Madhesi demands; understanding the movement * INDIA: Villagers develop forest protection system, parallel "justice" system * AFGHANISTAN: Taleban footsoldiers "ignorant of the world" - study * JORDAN: Overview of anarchism in Jordan * CANADA/US: American "economic refugees" head for Canada * UK/US: British head for America for bargains * US/GLOBAL: Do hamburgers cause crime? Abattoirs linked to violence against humans * TECHNOLOGY: RFID chips hackable * INDIGENOUS: History of a global land grab http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/ngugi050208.html Understanding the Kenyan Opposition by Mukoma Wa Ngugi INTRODUCTION: UNDERSTANDING FOR PEACE Much has been written about the Kenya elections -- the rigging and the violence that has ensued, and the way to peace. But next to nothing has been written regarding the nature of Raila's Orange Democratic Movement. To struggle for peace, which in turn calls for engaging with the political leadership, demands that we think about nature of the competing political interests, what motivates them, and how they function and to what effect. It is a sign of how little we have come to expect of ourselves and of African political processes that we forgo even the most basic of analysis. Ask some of the people commentating on Kenya about the differences within ODM, whether it's a coalition or a party with a single vision, who are the main players, and the implications for peace, and the answers will be on the surface. Ask the same people about the internal workings of the US Democratic Party, and they will tell you the differences between Hilary Clinton and Barrack Obama, how Bill Clinton is influencing the race, the intersections of class, race, and gender, and how each candidate might relate to Africa or the Middle East. How can we agitate for peace when we do not understand the nature of the parties involved? This question is becoming increasingly urgent. The violence has started to perpetuate itself through the logic of counter killings and revenge. The solution to ethnic cleansing is becoming counter-ethnic cleansing. The myth that the violence is a spontaneous reaction to the rigged elections has to be debunked because its persistence only gives cover to the cleansers and counter-cleansers. A January 21st New York Times article argues that the massacres "may have been premeditated and organized." Human Rights Watch has said that it has "evidence that ODM [the Orange Democratic Movement] politicians and local leaders actively fomented some post-election violence." And the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for an independent investigation while the International Criminal Court has said it is following the violence closely. These concerns are coming at time when the government response to ODM protests -- using a police force that from the time of British colonialism to the present has kept peace at the expense of innocent Kenyans -- is racking up a high body count of its own. A closer analysis of the two political parties finds that they are mirror image of each other. They both represent the elite of their different ethnicities, and they manipulate ethnicity to hide their bankruptcy. The prevailing ideology is ethnocracy. The state, already seen as the bad ogre, is expected to stomach a high number of deaths without blinking. In this regard the state remains predictable. But that the ODM is prepared to do the same has been unexpected -- and also unexplored. THE THREE COMPETING ELEMENTS Within the opposition leadership (or the Pentagon as they refer to themselves), there are at least three competing elements -- the activist-intellectual left, the Moi-ist retrogressives, and the populists. The first camp is exemplified by Prof. Anyang Nyong'o, an intellectual activist, and Salim Lone, a former editor of the UN Africa Recovery magazine and spokesperson for the United Nations Mission in Iraq. They speak a language that the international media understands -- and that anti-establishment friends of Africa like to hear. It is this group that has marketed ODM as a people power movement, in the process glossing over the ethnic killings. The intellectual activists favor boycotts, smart sanctions, and peaceful civil disobedience -- tactics that gather sympathy and support from the international community while calling attention to the government. Had their strategies been followed without bending to the Moi-ist retrogressives, ODM could very well have solidified international support. The Moi-ist retrogressives are represented by William Ruto, a former treasurer for the thuggish Youth for KANU (known as YK 1992). This group is widely seen as having been responsible for ethnic violence that in 1992 and 1997 left hundreds dead and thousands displaced in the Rift Valley. The recent Eldoret church burning and cleansing took place in Ruto's constituency. William Ruto is leading the ODM delegation in the Kofi Annan mediated talks. Surrogates of the Moi regime (the same dictator who was embraced by the ruling party, hence the mirror image), the retrogressives lack political finesse. They are crude in their methods. They prefer a historically tested, albeit failed, solution: ethnic cleansing -- that is, drive them out, or kill them. The Moi-ist retrogressives have cost ODM a lot of political mileage. After the Eldoret church burning, the support shifted from getting Raila back the disputed presidency to bringing him and Kibaki to a negotiated solution. If the ODM is to survive into the future, it must rid itself these element. In the populist camp you find the Pentagon leader -- Raila Odinga, the immovable centerpiece. Raila has solid activist credentials, having been imprisoned by Moi for six years and having spent most of his life agitating for democracy in Kenya. The irony is that he later joined forces with Moi, even serving as his minister of energy as he positioned himself to be anointed successor. Raila has a solid Luo support base and youth appeal across ethnicity. Had ODM not run a campaign along ethnic fault lines, his support amongst the poor would have been solidified. Raila has all the contradictions that come with populism. Populists prefer loud rallies and protests. They want to draw violence from the state because the consequent anger unites the people and earns then international political mileage. Populists also like to "shock and awe." Flamboyant and a millionaire, Raila drives a red Hummer and at one point hired Dick Morris, the discredited former Bill Clinton adviser, as ODM's political consultant. Dick Morris, a political mercenary who services despots, Democrats and Republicans alike, he is also infamous for being called (or led) by his first name in red-light districts. When the populist agenda leads the day, ODM calls for mass protests. However, mass protests that are ethnically driven are a contradiction, and they inevitably end with ethnic violence. Raila's populism therefore gives fuel to the Moi-retrogressives while isolating the intellectual-activist left. CENTER THE PEOPLE Understanding these three elements explains why ODM has since the beginning of the political crisis sent mixed calls -- one day it calls for mass rallies, the other worker strikes; it wants to form a parallel or coalition government, it will accept only a recount or rerun of the elections while calling for Kibaki's resignation or for power sharing. At the same time, there was a refusal during the first month of the violence to seriously call for peace amongst ODM supporters. ODM totters in different directions depending on which element leads the day. Because each of the three elements are mutually dependent (but with Raila needing everyone less), it is not certain which element will eventually triumph -- which makes Kenya's future also uncertain. At the very least both the government and the opposition need to let their respective Moi-ist retrogressives go. When both sides are not swayed by the extremists, a return to the center where sanity prevails will be possible, and a political solution within grasp. Ultimately any solution, be it a recount, re-election, or coalition government, must be one that has the Kenyan people at the center. And if the cycle of cleansing and counter-cleansing is to be broken, those responsible for organizing the cleansing and counter cleansing must also be brought to justice. A political solution must bring with it much needed justice. Mukoma wa Ngugi is editor of Pambazuka News (www.pambazuka.org), author of Hurling Words at Consciousness and a political columnist for the BBC Focus on Africa Magazine. http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/kaara090208.html Kenya: Failures of Elite Transition by Kiama Kaara The events in Kenya after the much criticized and controversial elections of 27 December 2007 have exposed the planned failures of our nascent democracy and the ideological rot and inadequacy across the Kenyan body politic. This has left many wondering what actually went wrong. I posit that an ideologically bankrupt political process that revolves around access to power, its consolidation, and its use to accumulate wealth is a recipe for failure. A bastard political economy founded on self preservation ushers in not only a 'bandit' economy but a flawed political process that on one hand is divorced from the aspirations of the citizenry (based on a 'social contract' typology) and on the other hand is appended to the global capital class, to serve it and act as a transmission line for resource extraction and capital flows best expounded by Walter Rodney in How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. With a relative calm and stability since independence and ground gained as the economic powerhouse on this eastern seaboard of Africa, Kenya's unraveling has confounded many. As a haven of peace in the midst of warring neighbors across all its borders, Kenya has attained and played a significant strategic role within the global political, financial, and economic architecture. It is arguably the most dependable and consistent gateway to Anglo-American imperialist interests on these shores. But in the aftermath of the December 2007 elections, it has shown that calm doesn't necessarily mean peace. An innate, now glaring conflict -- suspicion, mistrust, competing, contested, and contentious interests especially on the question of access to resources and ability to secure livelihoods -- threatens to tear the social fabric of the Kenyan nation apart. Commentators and observers alike vary in their approaches to the analysis of the underlying issues and the emergent aftermath (albeit all too often based on their persuasions relative to the warring sides). But across the board, all are united on the fact that this was not just a one-off affair and that its consequences -- tangible in the numbers of deaths, rapes, internally displaced persons (IDPs), forced displacements and forced occupations, razed houses, collapsed businesses and infrastructure, as well as animosity, mutual suspicions, lawlessness, and the general rapture of the social fabric -- will have a wide-ranging effect, with monumental influence on the character, pace, and nature of the emergent Kenyan body politic. In this paper, with the hindsight of various discussions and comments on the Kenyan situation (notable among them took place at the Kenya Seminar, the Centre for Civil Society, UKZN, Durban, 22 January 2008; at the World Social Forum, Day of Action, Durban, 26 January 2008; through email communication with Lee Strauser for the Socialist Register; at the GENTA - Africa Trade and Finance Linkages Meeting, Johannesburg, 30 January 2008; and in the Jubilee USA Newsletter), I strive to answer the question: "The crisis in Kenya -- the accident of a fraudulent elections outcome or a deep-seated structural problem of the country's political economy and history?" In this quest, I will focus on the class structure of the political economy in Kenya; the root of the conflict and its contemporary features; and lessons for African countries, particularly Zimbabwe and Swaziland which are to hold their elections this year and where the potential for similar conflicts is real. 'Elite Transition' "We are a nation of ten billionaires and twenty million beggars. . . ." -- Statement attributed to J.M. Kariuki, a populist politician murdered in the 1970s . . . and whose murderers have never been arrested or brought to justice "Do you know? A one percent increase in Africa's share of trade would deliver seven times more than Africa receives in Aid? In 2005, the UK imported 20,700 tonnes of cut flowers from the North and Sub-Saharan Africa! This had a declared value of around US$ 110 million. Of these, the majority came fro Kenya (18,650 tonnes) with a value of 104 million!" -- Msafiri, Kenya Airways In-flight Magazine, November-December 2007 The above quotations give a glimpse of the construct of the Kenyan political economy. J.M. Kariuki, a vocal 'populist' voice for the poor, squatters, and the landless, was very wealthy in his own right. But his outspokenness lifted the veil from the inherent politico-economic mindset of the ruling elite in post-independent Kenya. The second quotation speaks for itself. Forty five years after independence, the pride of our economy, carried through our aptly named airline "Pride of Africa," is that we are a raw material- producing, export-oriented economy. Our share of global wealth is on the basis of how best we feed the desires (romantic or otherwise) of our Western counterparts. Any person with a slight idea on horticulture farming (our second most important exchange earner after tourism) will attest, it's a sweatshop business littered with blood of the faceless poor, especially young women who never get to Valentine Day candlelight dinners! But, again, we must not be left out on the globalization train. These are the social costs of our march to economic development, we are told. I argue that Kenya's problems today are a result of the planned failures of the development paradigm of a well entrenched bureaucratic state. A relic of colonialism, the dominant neo- colonial patrimonial state founded on patronage has only served to develop a perverse brand of a rabid 'winner-takes-all' brand of capitalism. As the guiding ideology, this has undermined both nation formation and integration and only served to perpetuate the state as the site of competition for an anarchic 'primitive' mode of accumulation. In the process, a distinct 'elite,' the elite who control both the instruments of the state and the economic machinery, have gelled to ensure the continuation of control and domination best manifested in the rise of an imperial presidency. I posit that it's the dysfunctional nature of this political and economic 'elite' in its blind pursuit to concentrate power among its members that has plunged Kenya in the current abyss. In quest of an 'Elite Transition,' the political class has ignored the resistance of the people to domination, increasing inequality, poverty, and penury, unemployment, hopelessness, and despair. Kenya's crisis today lies in this historical malady and the perpetuation of the concentration of power around the presidency, an imperial presidency built on patronage and nepotism, under which access to power is the driving motif of any political persuasion and engagement. Thus, the state is the site of accumulation of personal wealth, its protection, and an assurance of a free rein to multiply it. This has been the perverse legacy of the Kenyatta, Moi, and Kibaki regimes. Networks of patronage deepen, a powerful cabal of individuals runs the state for a strong, pervasive corruption network, whose interest is to use state coffers both to enrich itself and to perpetuate its hold on power by any means. This has been coupled by the subcription to the dictates of the global political and economic architecture with the overall embracing of deregulatory neo-liberalism as the dominant economic model. Democracy has functioned as a mere facade to facilitate access to power. People's development, as well as the idea of the state as the pivotal development agency allocating values and resources in society, takes a back seat. As a result, the gulf between the rich and the poor continues to grow exponentially, with Kenya ranking both as one of the most unequal and corrupt nations in the world. To hold the edifice together, the powerful and dominant class has deliberately used the identity of ethnicity to entrench a notion of collective responsibility. Casting the dominant class's gains in the context of tribes and representing any criticism of that class as an onslaught on the whole tribe(s) holding power at a particular moment. Kenyatta set the fertile ground for this, giving rise to the infamous 'Kiambu/Kikuyu' mafia that held sway in his government, while Moi and Kibaki have only managed to deepen this, albeit in different shades. Hence, valid discussions of equality and equity, social development and societal wellbeing, are projected as primordial competition of one tribe trying to gain the upper hand over the others. A misrepresentation that unfortunately international journalists, commentators, and observers of Africa seem to swallow hook, line, and sinker! The 2007 election has to be seen in the backdrop of sustained pressure to correct these historical injustices. Whereas the import of this is still debatable, I am of the opinion that the 2007 election afforded the opportunity when the Kenyan people were united in the conviction that they could correct these historical injustices through their democratic power -- the ballot -- as shown by the intensity of political campaigns, the large voter turnout, the patience exhibited at voting centers, the degree of youth participation, the massive increase in women's participation, and the voting patterns themselves. Notable commentators have argued, however, that certainly not all Kenyans were united in this quest -- otherwise how would you explain a very large number of people (largely Kikuyu) who, even the rigging notwithstanding, still voted for Kibaki and his elite cronies? In any event, Raila Odinga himself is hardly a progressive thinker; he is a populist and rank opportunist. It is this contradiction that warrants a deeper look. Does Kenya have a class formation in the classical sense: a (national) bourgeoisie; a middle class; a proletariat; and a lumpenproletariat? My take would be that the cleavages are not in black and white, but in massive shades of grays. What we have in Kenya is a national elite who controls the political and economic realms and sets the agenda. It derives its sustenance on the ability to monopolize the state as the site of accumulation and to link up to international capital albeit as a mere appendage. It's the 'shape-shifting' nature of this 'elite,' from political office to economic mandarins through civil service bureaucracy and back, that shapes and sustains its existence. Access to the state has been its supreme consideration in all instances. Whether it's a bourgeoisie remains debatable. As for a middle class, functioning as a 'class of ideas,' I contend that what we have in Kenya is an aspiring intellectual elite, who, though lacking in the excesses of wealth, has at least enough from careers and other forms of employment, in service of the bureaucratic state. Otherwise how else do you explain the big rush of professionals in civil service, civil society, or private sector for parliamentary office? Certainly this is not founded on philanthropic altruistic notions of 'service to mankind is service to God' but the appeal of entry into the political/economic government machinery for more accumulation and wealth. Exceptions exist but the rule remains. Hence defense of Kibaki centered on an ethnic mantle doesn't deter the overall conviction that one of the driving motifs of the past election was pursuit for change. Raila Odinga may as well ride that wave through populism, but what curtails his ability to do so is his failure to internalize the message of citizenry and present himself as a viable alternative. The ideological bankruptcy that I alluded to earlier informs this failure, though the power of the political process to smokescreen the dichotomy of anti-people and pro-people struggles and initiatives does not disfigure the fact that the persuasion of a whole lot of citizenry revolves around a challenge to the status quo. It is in this political void that the 'ethnicization' of the political/economic process rears its ugly head. The 'us' versus 'them' typology plays on 'offensive' and 'defensive' abstractions interpreted in the context of contending forces, preventing an explicit understanding of the political/economic dynamics at play. With the benefit of hindsight, however, the adverse limitations of liberal democracy as a political process, especially when twinned with the debilitating effects of neo-liberalism and its attendant capital onslaught on all facets of life, are now clearly emerging into view. Thus we see that the defining moment of the Kenya crisis is not just the flawed elections but the historical construct of the state. Inbuilt are the changing roles of various 'elites' and how transition from one set of 'elite' to another at any time plays itself out. None of the 'elites' fits into an identifiable class structural function due to their reliance on the sate as the main lever of their coming and going through necessary ethnic mobilization. It's worth noting that the elections themselves were not a revolutionary attempt at reconfiguring the Kenyan society -- they were merely a formal democratic exercise whose outcome however manifested the deep divisions existing between the poor urban working class, the peasantry, and the lumpenproletariat. It's sad indeed that it's these deprived classes which are attempting to eliminate one another rather than their common enemy, the rich propertied classes. But again, this misidentification has to be blamed on the well entrenched and well propagated notion of ethnic collective responsibility, i.e., the overwhelming belief that one is in a sense connected to one's ethnic lords by some affinity and hence it warrants their defense in the face of ascendancy of other ethnic groups. Such has been the divide and rule script of colonial hangover. A Look through History When Kenya gained independence in 1963, the seeds whose fruits are plaguing the nation today were sowed. Instead of embarking on an integrative reconstruction of society to build a shared identity, Kenya under Kenyatta took the path of 'everyone for himself -- only the strongest survive.' This was a well choreographed strategy to cheat and disinherit those who had fought for independence, especially the Mau Mau, silencing the clarion call for Land and Freedom. In their place, Kenyatta embraced former colonial home guards and their lackeys as the pillars of the independent nation. And in a vintage Orwellian fashion, the British colonial administrative policy of 'divide and rule' for 'some are more equal than others' was re-entrenched and perfected after independence. Such was the first betrayal. Without embarking on a historical literature review, it is worth remembering that the initial contestation of the space of independence represented by the fallout between Kenyatta and Odinga, and best captured in the latter's seminal work Not Yet Uhuru, attests to this. Whereas Odinga and company stood for a more equal society with guaranteed access for all, Kenyatta and his cabal adopted a more individualistic stance. Throw in the Cold War dynamics, and it was a pure conflict of what kind of a development model to adopt. Kenyatta stuck to the capitalist notion of 'winner takes all' while Odinga and his group of socialist orientation of equality and social welfare were ostracized. Thus Kenya missed the opportunity that Nyerere took in Tanzania: to build a cohesive nation through the integration of society. With the independence 'high' giving Kenyatta a blank check to maneuver, he set in motion the first most elaborate and deliberate pursuit to 'ethnicize' politics, having the all too often embraced perception of a 'Kikuyu' versus 'Luo' conflict set the stage. More was to follow as ethnic identities and orientations helped to service this juggernaut. Subsequent regimes have only served to entrench this. Playing ethnicity as a political populist agenda reigned, but a more instrumental policy to underwrite this orientation is superbly presented in the "Sessional Paper No.10 on African Socialism and Its Implications and Principles on Economic Development." Whereas this was celebrated as a great blueprint for a nation emerging from colonialism, it set the basis for the neo-colonial agenda. With its broad adherence to the principles of capitalism and the emergent neo- liberal agenda, it served to divide the nation into compartments of "high potential and low potential areas." Thus, the focus of the government would be on the "high potential areas," gains made this way supposedly trickling down to the "low potential areas." Thus the folly of trickle down economics was embraced as the development model, and hope was generated that, at the end of the day, all Kenyans would be lifted to new heights of development. It's worth noting that the high potential areas were mainly around the white highlands extending through central Kenya and the Rift Valley: the broader home of the Kikuyu and those who had been integrated earliest to the colonial capitalist economy. A continuation of the 'White Mischief' in other ways! The Failures of Elite Transition: Lessons for Zimbabwe and Swaziland Patrick Bond has written authoritatively on the elite deal making and pacting that wheels political processes with specific reference to South Africa. But this can also be applied to the Kenyan situation and moreover can present classic lessons for other nascent democracies in Africa, especially Zimbabwe and Swaziland, on the pitfalls of electoral democracy. The central theme is the state as the site of patronage and largesse. Competing interests for access to the state are masked as pro-people challenges to the status quo in a quest to reassert people's sovereignty and ability to secure their livelihoods. With bankrupt ideological foundations, an 'elite' cabal controls power across the government, the civil service bureaucracy, the private sector, and the military. It gels into an edifice that is purely anti-people, though on occasion it needs to mask its interests in the language of the people to facilitate the 'elite pacting' and transition for purposes of reinventing itself. It never breaks from the orthodoxy of neo-liberalism and neo-colonial interests that continues to chain the people to servitude, poverty, and penury. Otherwise how do you explain the emergence of the same faces on the power circuit every time? The failures of this elite transition in the Kenyan case is a telling example that the progressive forces in Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and the rest of Africa need to pay attention to closely, so that they can fashion comprehensive alternatives. When all is said and done, this election was not between Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki. It was a quest by the Kenyan people to correct past injustices and re-orient their development priorities. With the sad outcome as it has turned out to be, in the end, the losers will be the Kenyan people. As one American friend commented tongue in cheek, "How ironic? In Kenya, people riot when the president steals an election. In the US we sit and wait." . . . Perhaps. Our stakes are higher, which requires that we illuminate our progressive prospects in a clear and decisive manner, devoid of the usual suspect appeal of 'Talking Left and Walking Right.' - Kiama Kaara was formerly coordinator of the World Social Forum's youth gathering in Nairobi in 2007 and is presently a researcher with the Kenyan Debt Relief Network. He is a regular commentator on political affairs and is embarking upon post-graduate study at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Centre for Civil Society. http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=137551 Six-point demand By AMEET DHAKAL Life in the tarai remains crippled due to a strike called by the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF). The UDMF has said the strike would continue until its six-point demand was addressed. What is in the six-point demand? Is the UDMF demanding something that is impossible to meet? Is it something that the state has been ignoring even though it could readily address it? Below is my take on it. The first in the six-point demand is declaring 45 people who died in the Madhes movement as martyrs besides providing compensation to their families and the injured who have become handicapped for the rest of their lives. The state has already made reparation to the families of 24 people who were killed in the Madhes movement based on the findings of the Khila Raj Regmi Commission constituted to probe the agitation. But it hasn't so far recognized the dead as martyrs. It also hasn't paid compensation to the Madhesi people rendered handicapped during the movement. On the other hand, the state has recognized all protestors killed during the April movement as martyrs and paid one million rupees in compensation to each of their families. Those who were disabled for life in the April movement have also been paid two hundred thousand rupees each as compensation. If you engage any Madhesi leader in a conversation for a few minutes, you will soon realize that dignity and equality form the emotional core of the Madhes movement. By refusing to recognize those who died during the Madhes movement as martyrs, the state has insulted the Madhesi call for equality and dignity. This is a national shame and should be corrected immediately. All citizens are equal and should be treated identically by the state. So far as how many actually died during the Madhes movement is concerned, the state and the Madhesi parties should form a quick inquiry commission to find out if the Khila Raj Regmi Commission miscounted those who lost their lives during the Madhes movement. Not to recognize those who actually died during the movement is an injustice, and to confer martyrdom on those who died in other incidents would, actually, be an insult to the real martyrs. On the issue of compensation to those who suffered grievous bodily injury during the Madhes movement, the state should again follow the principle of equality and provide compensation and other facilities to all of them on a par with those handicapped in the April movement. The second demand relates to a constitutional commitment to form a Federal Democratic Republic with autonomy and the right to self- determination. The Interim Constitution already says that Nepal will be a Federal Democratic Republic in the future. Federation, in principle, is always about autonomy and sharing of power and resources. The only question is about the degree and modality of the autonomy. That's an issue only the Constituent Assembly can and should decide. There seems to be a great misconception about the right to self- determination. Does that mean the right to secession? Hridayesh Tripathi, senior leader of the UDMF, said in a recent TV interview that the right to self-determination means cultural, political and economic rights and not the right to secede. I think the UDMF hasn't done enough to clarify this point to the public, and different Madhesi leaders have been interpreting it differently. Mainstream party leaders and the intelligentsia, by and large, are also unnecessarily suspicious about the Madhesi leaders' intentions. As far as the demand to include the principle of autonomy and the right to self-determination in the Interim Constitution is concerned, it actually has no meaning. The present constitution cannot be legally binding on the freshly elected Constituent Assembly. The Interim Constitution was amended for the third time to include the clause of Federal Democratic Republic only as a face-saving formula for the Maoists. But if this again serves as a way for the Madhesi parties to save face, let's do it. Why not for the fourth time? The third demand of the UDMF is more problematic and perhaps the most contentious issue in the six-point demand. It has demanded an amendment to Article 7 of the Election Act 2007. The article makes it mandatory for any party contesting in more than 20 percent of the constituencies under the first-past-the-post system to prepare an inclusive list of candidates to be selected through the proportional system. The UDMF wants the exemption limit raised to 50 percent. This demand is fraught with many problems and contradicts the principle of inclusion, the central philosophy of the Madhesi movement itself. If a party fielding candidates in 50 percent of the constituencies is allowed to flout the principle of inclusion, why should it be binding to the other parties? Will it make the Constituent Assembly more inclusive? The only defense in support of this argument that I have heard so far is that the state should recognize the existence of regional parties. Fine. But can a party contesting in 50 percent of the constituencies in a national election call itself just a regional party? Moreover, does that mean that regional parties do not have to be inclusive? Does this mean, for instance, that a state government that could be based in Janakpur in the future will have the luxury of ignoring minorities in the region? Above all, is the principle of inclusion, which has been raised by the Madhesi parties, applicable only to others and not to them? Forgive me for my language, but this is sheer hypocrisy! The fourth demand relates to proportional representation of Madhesis, Janajatis, Dalits, other minority groups and women in all state organs and at each level. Wait a minute! Does this mean that the state should fill all its posts on the basis of quotas allocated to different castes and ethnicities and abandon free competition altogether? The Madhesi parties are yet to clarify their stand on this matter. But what I know is that there is no modern state on earth that allocates all the places in the civil service in proportion to the ethnic make-up of the country. India's Supreme Court put a cap on reservation at 50 percent when some states tried to increase that quota to over 60 to 70 percent of the total positions. We have a serious exclusion problem, and it needs to be addressed. No doubt about that. Realizing the need, the government recently amended the Civil Service Act and reserved 45 percent of state jobs for underprivileged groups. What more needs to be done in this area? The UDMF should come forward with specific suggestions. The fifth demand is that Madhesis should be enlisted in the Nepal Army en masse since it discriminated against them in the past. The Nepal Army already has a separate battalion comprising of underprivileged Madhesis. So it's not that the army has totally ignored the call for inclusion. But that is certainly not enough. The Nepal Army Act should also be amended and 45 percent of the positions should be reserved for ethnic groups and castes that are least represented in the army. The sixth and final demand says that the government should take the initiative to hold talks with the political groups waging an armed struggle in the tarai. Who disagrees with that so long as the armed bands are ready for unconditional talks? http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/others/guestcolumn/feb/guest_columns_10.php Understanding the Madeshi Movement for Inclusive Nation Building Those who make sweeping remarks such as Madhesi movements being the act of criminals or that it it's a planned attempt by the `regressive forces' including the monarchy, Hindu fundamentalists and (phantom) imperialist forces to disrupt the CA election and thus prevent the eventual takeover by the Maoists display how much (dis)respect they have for Madhesi leaders and their lack of sympathy for the grievances of the people living in that part of the country. By B. Sijapati The year-long continuous political crisis in the Terai-Madhes region has gathered further momentum after the indefinite general strike called by the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF). Available information indicates that the entire Terai-Madhes region is in flames with an adverse effect to the already crippled social, economic and political situation of this nation. This crisis is most likely to hamper the Constituent Assembly (CA) election and, if there is not immediate solution, it may even force the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) government once again to postpone the election. However, none of the members of the ruling alliance is prepared to face the consequences of postponing the election again. Last week's developments that witnessed government's desire to be more inclusive by announcing commitments for a reasonable proportional representation in governance, creation of a credible negotiation team by replacing one-man team consisting of the Minister of Peace and Reconstruction, and the meeting held between the Prime Minister and the UDMF leaders gave some room for hope. However, within less than 24 hours of his meeting with the agitating leaders the Prime Minister declared he was not willing to negotiate on the two key demands of the UDMF, i.e., right to self- determination and the formation of Terai-Madhes as one autonomous region. Thus, by preempting issues for any negotiated settlement, he has once again pushed the country back to square one. The root cause of this state of affairs can be found in the attitude of the ruling elite who consider themselves to be more Nepali than their Madhesi brethren. These chauvinist elements always questioned the integrity and national identity of Madhesi leaders. The statements made by the so-called established leaders, including the prime ministers-in-waiting Madhav Kumar Nepal and Sher Bahadur Deuba, show their lack of respect for the people in the Terai and a genuine appreciation of their grievances. Recently, the prime minister declared that he could solve the crisis in ten minutes if he got necessary cooperation from the India, implying that he does not see any use of negotiation with the Terai-Madhes leaders. More recently, he did not even hesitate to declare that the "Terai demands that affect national unity won't be met". Such insensitive remarks reinforce his doubts over the loyalty of the Madhesi leaders towards Nepal. Those who make sweeping remarks such as Madhesi movements being the act of criminals or that it's a planned attempt by the `regressive forces' including the monarchy, Hindu fundamentalists and (phantom) imperialist forces to disrupt the CA election and thus prevent the eventual takeover by the Maoists display how much (dis)respect they have for Madhesi leaders and their lack of sympathy for the grievances of the people living in that part of the country. On their part, the established Madhesi leaders grossly underestimated the significance of the spontaneous civil unrest across the entire Terai-Madhes for almost a year. Only recently did they seem to have realised how they were being by passed by the change of events in the region. The vacuum created by the depleting political hold of the established leaders nonetheless, it was gradually being filled by armed extremist groups. The recently launched UDMF movement has thus two main objectives: (a) strong desire to bring about greater say in the governance process (by establishing a separate identity); and (b) to regain the lost political ground, i.e., political survival. The second is the main reason behind the willingness of so many well-established leaders to sacrifice their positions, power and privileges. In order to achieve these goals they are replicating techniques adopted by the Maoists. The Maoists so far succeeded by flexing their muscles. The UDMF decided to join the bandwagon and provided impetus to the on going agitation by launching a fresh movement of civil strife. It is apparent that the top brass of the SPA continues to suffer from the chauvinistic complexes and is underestimating the extent and magnitude of the issues involved. Responsible leaders are once again assuring us that the government will conduct the CA election by hook or by crook, implying possible deployment of the armed forces. They are also citing example of elections being held in the Indian states of Kashmir and Punjab under similar security situation. It is true that pro forma elections can be organised in any conflict situation. The SPA leaders overlook the fact that the proposed election is not for governance but to write a new constitution. Those who are advocating for the election to go ahead irrespective of the political situation are the ones who know they do not stand a chance if a fair election is held. It is, therefore, understandable why they prefer the CA election to be conducted in a hurry. However, if the SPA government wishes to honor the wishes of common people it has no choice but to explore all avenues possible to find a solution within a day or two. It is high time for both the SPA government and the agitating UDMF to defuse the situation since both have a lot to lose if the existing unsettled situation continues. But this requires commitment on the part of the establishment to prove it-self as a reliable and credible partner. The situation also calls for the UDMF to be more flexible. Traditional wisdom suggests that should both the government and the UDMF do not succeed in resolving the issues at the negotiation table, sooner than later both are going to end up being the losers. If the SPA government does not succeed in holding the CA election it will lose what ever credibility it has. This will also end the relevance of its existence. Postponing CA election may pave the way for another cycle of violent confrontation. For the UDMF, there is a danger that the leaders will be systematically marginalised by militant groups. If the government were to allow this to happen, it will have to confront the armed separatist groups in the Madhes. The result will be more bloodshed, increased sufferings and the inevitable disintegration of the nation. The looming catastrophe can only be avoided if both parties show their desire and commitment to embark on the journey to create a more inclusive nation-state. http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/18/stories/2008021856450300.htm ORISSA Experts fault Maoists for roping in forest dwellers Satyasundar Barik Villagers have evolved a unique forest protection practice called Thengapali BHUBANESWAR: Did the dense forests and its human inhabitants in Nayagarh district provide Maoist rebels the launching pad to attack security establishments on Friday night? The answer seems to be in the negative. Although exploitation of poor people under "restrictive" forest laws provided a fertile ground to the extremists, Nayagarh may not fit into the scheme of Maoists. The district witnessed first naxalite attack but all Maoist cadres came from outside, intelligence sources said. Experts on security opined the extremist groups could never have roped in Nayagarh's forest dwellers to attack police establishments but it was a well-devised plan and they executed it immaculately to loot. Forest dwellers of Nayagarh are one of the most vibrant forest communities in the country and they are aware about their rights better than of their counterparts in other naxalite-infested districts such as Malkanagiri, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada and Sambalpur. The awareness level was high so much so that villagers dictate implementation of Government welfare schemes in their respective regions. "At any given point of time, each forest of the district is manned by villagers. Reports of any unusual movement inside the jungles gets circulated immediately," Laxmidhrar Balia, former president of Jungle Surakshya Mahasangh (JSM) of Nayagarh, said. Villagers in remote areas have evolved a unique forest protection practice called Thengapali (rotation of batons). As per the practice, every family of forest fringe areas is bound to donate one day for protection. Moreover, forest dwellers of Nayagarh have managed to bargain better deals from minor forest produce traders by sheer strength of their awareness and community unity. JSM President Prasanna Kumar Panda said police interference, which was often considered as way to further exploitation and favourable ground for naxalites to get closer to people, in day to day affairs of forest communities was almost negligible. The forest communities have instituted an innovative parallel "judiciary system" called Jan Ban Adalat, (People's Forest Court) for conflict resolution. While forest protection federation is the apex body to decide people's quarrel, six zonal committees and hundreds of regional committees dispose off petty matters at their own level. At present, more than 700 villages are actively involved in forest protection in dense forested regions such as Dasapalla, Nuagaon, Ranapur and Khandapada. During last two decades, their efforts have helped regeneration of denuded jungles and prevent timber mafi as from cutting down trees. The forest communities are very assertive about their rights and they determine as to how would be the shape of development in their regions," Nayagarh Divisional Forest Officer Bansidhar Behera said. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Taliban foot soldiers deeply ignorant of the world Survey reveals Kandahar fighters know next to nothing about Canada or U.S., contradicting view Taliban are sophisticated terrorists GRAEME SMITH gsmith at globeandmail.com March 27, 2008 The Globe and Mail KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN -- The typical Taliban foot soldier battling Canadian troops and their allies in Kandahar is not a global jihadist who dreams of some day waging war on Canadian soil. In fact, he would have trouble finding Canada on a map. A survey of 42 insurgents in Kandahar province posed a series of questions about the fighters' view of the world, and the results contradicted the oft-repeated perception of the Taliban as sophisticated terrorists who pose a direct threat to Western countries. Faced with a multiple-choice question about Canada's location, only one of 42 fighters correctly guessed that Canada is located to the north of the United States, meaning the insurgents performed worse than randomly. None of them could identify Stephen Harper as the Prime Minister of Canada, and they often repeated the syllables of his name - "Stepheh Napper," "Sehn Hahn," "Steng Peng Beng," "Gra Pla Pla" - that reflected their puzzlement over a name they had never heard. Nor did they seem to associate the word "Canada" with anything except, in some cases, the soldiers now serving in Afghanistan. Most could not distinguish between the French- and English-speaking rotations of troops. One of The Globe and Mail's questions offered the Taliban a chance to volunteer any information about Canada: "Do you know about this country? What kind of people are there? Is it a big country or a small country? Poor country, rich country? Cold or warm? Do Muslims live there?" None offered any meaningful responses, and most of them simply declined to answer. One of the few who guessed, a 21-year-old farmer, seemed to think the word "Canada" indicated a faraway city. "It might be an old and destroyed city," he said. The results show the depth of ignorance among front-line insurgents in Kandahar. In a previous visit to the tribal areas of Pakistan, a reporter for The Globe and Mail personally met with more sophisticated Taliban who demonstrated a keen grasp of politics and appeared to know the latest news of the war. But those politically astute Taliban were hundreds of kilometres away from the battlefields, and it remains unclear how much control such organizers exert over the day-to-day operations of the insurgency. The Taliban became synonymous with ignorance during their years in government, banning media such as television that might bring foreign ideas into the country. As insurgents, however, they've shown a newfound flair for technology, distributing video propaganda and sending press statements via text message to reporters' mobile phones. "The Taliban also have a sophisticated media strategy and full grasp of modern technology," said a report by the European Council on Foreign Relations in January. Canadian politicians and military officials often make public statements that suggest the Taliban monitor political trends in Ottawa and choose to attack at politically sensitive moments: General Rick Hillier, Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff, raised the possibility that a suicide bombing that killed more than 100 people in Kandahar province in February may have been connected with debates in the House of Commons about the future of the mission. But a Western expert who reviewed The Globe's video footage said the kind of worldliness described by Gen. Hillier isn't the most likely explanation. "Those [insurgents] making decisions are more sophisticated than those you are interviewing, so there is some chance of this being plausible," the expert said. "But I think they're working to their own calendar, not ours." Three fighters in the survey didn't recognize the name of U.S. President George W. Bush, and another mispronounced his name as "Bukh," suggesting he wasn't familiar with the word. Those who had heard of the U.S. President often gave responses that revealed more of their parochialism. He was called a "Jew," and "King of America." Sometimes, amid the errors, the Taliban showed their simplistic view of world politics. "He is the son of George W, [and] he is the son of Clinton W, and he is American, and is a serious enemy of Islam," said one fighter in his description of Mr. Bush. "Why is he an enemy of Islam?" he was asked. "The Koran says: 'Jews and Christians will be unhappy until you obey them. When you obey them, they will be satisfied,' " the insurgent replied. "This means if you obey them they are happy, but if you don't accept their commands, they will fight you." Some of the comments about Mr. Bush showed the Taliban's enthusiasm for crude violence: "If I were to capture him, I would cut a piece of his flesh even as he was still alive." They were equally vitriolic in their descriptions of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, calling him a "slave" of the Americans. "There is no difference between the red-faced and green-eyed infidel, and him," one said. When the Taliban demonstrated any understanding beyond their immediate surroundings, it was often references to their own version of Islamic history. They invoked stories of ancient Egypt and compared the U.S. President to one of the pharaohs, also drawing a parallel between the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and the medieval Christians who launched Crusades. Another described the war in Afghanistan as part of a conflict that stretches back to the founding of Islam as a religion. "Non-Muslims have been against Muslims for a long time," he said. "Just as they attacked the Prophet Mohammed and broke his teeth, so they are against us since that era." http://tinyurl.com/2zr925 An overview of anarchism in Jordan today by hamza -- jordanian anarchists Wednesday, Mar 26 2008, 6:36pm hamza_hhh at hotmail.com phone: 00962788467931 mashriq / arabia / iraq / anarchist movement / news report Anarchists in Jordan . . . theory and activites Finally after more than 50 years of communist activism in Jordan the anarchists started to gather . . . most Jordanian anarchists are artists who work in music, film making, and graphic design, one of our comrades is finishing his master in gender studies . . . some comrades are Jordanian and others are Palestinian refugees living in Jordan. Most of us come from Marxist background so theory has great importance for us.two comrades finally found an Arabic book that talks about anarchism . . . actually we found three more books but with different Arabic words for "anarchism" 1- Fawdawiya which literary means kenotic 2- La soltawiya which literary means anti-authoritarianism 3- Taharoriya which literary means libertarianism 4- Anarkeya which literary means anarchism We also found an Egyptian and Lebanese anarchist websites which were extremely helpful. Until now we are about 20 comrades . . . I believe that there more anarchists in the country but it is hard to find them! Lately, We became part of a bigger movement called the social left which consists of Marxists feminists and others . . . despite the fact that the movement has more than a 1000 member, we -- anarchists -- have, relatively, very strong influence and effect in/on the group . . . we meet in Anti-globalization office in Jordan When we started reading we looked for any form of anarchy in our own history and local culture . . . after reading a book called "Sufi tropics" written by an Iraqi writer (Hadi al Alawi) . . . we found that Sufism is ALL ABOUT anarchism . . . actually we found a website on the internet that talks abut Sufi-anarchism . . .now most of us label themselves as Sufi anarchists . . . we even found Sufi anarchist movements and groups from the 8-16 century . . . So after reading what we were able to find from Bakunin's Prodon's [Proudhon's] Kropotkin's books . . . and after studying the history of anarchy in Spain Ukraine Paris Mexico . . . and after studying Sufism, we started to have our own understanding of anarchism . . . others r messed up comrade of us even worked on his own understanding of sufi-anarchism in away compatible with his own understanding of post modernism and the fall of ideology or what he called nihilist Sufi anarchism (plz don't ask me to explain!!!) We heard about other groups in Egypt, morocco, Lebanon and Palestine but never met any of them . . . Last week, a very important columnist wrote about us -- anarchists -- in the most popular newspaper in the country . . . after he saw our flag for the first time in a protest . . . All political movements and parties in Jordan have a problem with numbers, . . . recruiting more people can be very difficult because most people are too afraid to participate . . . In Jordan we still suffer from expulsion from universities because of any political activities laws that r extremely hard to understand and interpret which r used against political activists like: disturbing civil harmony! bashing higher status! long tongue!!! copying without permission! Unauthorized gatherings! Human Rights Watch talks about torture, kidnappings . . .there is also 3 years in prison because of founding unauthorized groups . . . So, anarchism in Jordan still have a long way to go but it is expected to grow in the upcoming years . . . From ur brothers/sisters . . . comrades Anarchists of Jordan http://www.chycho.com/?q=node/1631 chycho.com blog about contact login donate RSS Home ? Blog ? chycho's blog American Refugees are flooding into Canada: Tens of thousands of Americans are now economic refugees In September of 2007, the city of Windsor, which borders the United States, officially asked for financial assistance from Ottawa to deal with American refugees flooding into Canada. This is proving to be the tip of the iceberg, and only the first wave of economic refugees that have been created in the United States. There are now tent cities being built outside most large metropolitan areas, one of the largest of which is in Los Angeles. The following report from the BBC highlights the consequence of the US subprime meltdown and the fears that the crisis is growing. The homelessness situation has grown so rapidly in the United States that certain cities are issuing color-coded wristbands - blue for those who can stay, "orange for people who need to provide more documentation, and white for those who must leave." Refugees will no longer be able to stay in one area, meaning that many towns and cities will now have to be prepared to receive migrant refugees displaced by local governments from other districts and States. Canadians will also need to be prepared for this influx, especially considering that the average processing time for a refugee claim in Canada is currently 14.2 months, "a period during which the applicant is eligible for financial and other support. A failed claimant then also has the right to seek leave to appeal his or her rejection to federal court." If the American refugee crisis continues to grow as analysts predict, then the cost to Canadians will be astronomical. Aside from tens of thousands of Americans becoming refugees in their own country, there is another problem. As The Atlantic is reporting, "the subprime crisis is just the tip of the iceberg. Fundamental changes in American life may turn today's McMansions into tomorrow's tenements." Over 60% of the homes in certain communities "were in foreclosure as of late last year. Vandals have kicked in doors and stripped the copper wire from vacant houses; drug users and homeless people have furtively moved in." "The experience of cities during the 1950s through the '80s suggests that the fate of many single-family homes on the metropolitan fringes will be resale, at rock-bottom prices, to lower-income families-and in all likelihood, eventual conversion to apartments. much of the future decline is likely to occur on the fringes, in towns far away from the central city, not served by rail transit, and lacking any real core. In other words, some of the worst problems are likely to be seen in some of the country's more recently developed areas-and not only those inhabited by subprime-mortgage borrowers. Many of these areas will become magnets for poverty, crime, and social dysfunction." All of this is occurring while: the US government bails out Wall Street; credit card companies raise record amounts of money by issuing shares; the economic crisis draws comparison to the 1929 stock market crash; investigation of predatory banks gets killed; The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. prepares for bank failures; and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta releases a crisis peparedness video. And some thought that Stocking the Root Cellar was only for conspiracy theorists. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rant: Take Them Back to Dear Old Blighty The ugliest byproduct of the sagging dollar Michael C. Moynihan | April 2008 Print Edition Last December, Ricky Hatton, a stout-chugging, ruddy-faced British boxer, was laid out on a Las Vegas canvas by the American welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather. The crowd of Union Jack-bedecked fans -"drunken dullards" and "boors," according to The Daily Telegraph's horrified sports correspondent-became so unruly that for the first time in its history, the MGM Grand casino shut down its archipelago of bars. Hatton's troglodyte supporters achieved what was long considered impossible: They managed to class-down Vegas. Drawn by a plummeting dollar, the British are arriving en masse on American shores. In the streets of Manhattan, pale-skinned men in Manchester United shirts marvel loudly at what all these iPods, "trainers," and Nike track suits would cost them back home. While generously pumping much-needed money into the U.S. economy, the feral packs of lager louts are, one hopes, helping correct America's long-held misperception that the English are a nation of Inspector Morse bit players-sophisticated, fastidious, snobby-especially when compared to us rubes. We're not quite free of our inferiority complex just yet. After a 2005 stint playing on London's West End, former Top Gun actor Val Kilmer enthused that English audiences were "smarter" than their American counterparts because "they read books." (This is true, though if the current British bestseller list is any indication, our bibliophilic cousins are feeding their heads with diet guides and biographies of topless models.) The American blogger Matt Janovic, enraged by his intellectual isolation in the Midwest, summed up the prevailing confusion nicely: "Face it: an English schoolgirl sounds more authoritative than the voice of most American politicians.we sound like the cavemen that many around the world (rightly) think we are." And the filmmaker Michael Moore, always eager to play suck-up abroad, told one English audience in 2003 that the "dumbest Brit here is smarter than the smartest American." In other words, theirs is a nation of abeyant Evelyn Waughs. Waugh himself bristled at such stereotypes-insisting, for instance, that in etiquette "Americans are immensely the superiors of the English." When Esquire asked the curmudgeonly novelist to write of the "crudeness" of America's literary milieu, Waugh demurred, arguing that the Yanks were far more "literate" than his London-based contemporaries. It's high time that self-hating, pusillanimous Americans everywhere revisit Waugh's assessment. And there is no better educational tool than extended encounters with that breed of Britons known colloquially as the chav, a pejorative recently added to the Collins English Dictionary to describe "a young working class person who dresses in casual sports clothing." (Also added, incidentally, was asbo, an acronym for youths racking up violations of the "anti-social behavior order," a malady which midwifed the British reality show ASBO Teen to Beauty Queen.) While Britain is fast catching up to America-and leading Europe-in illiteracy, obesity, and violent crime (despite ubiquitous surveillance cameras and an ineffective ban on handguns), the Wittgenstein references in Monty Python still shape our assumptions of British cultural supremacy. But as the English social critic Theodore Dalyrymple observed in 2004, to profess an interest in high culture in today's Britain is to be met with accusations of homosexuality. So before President Ron Paul restores the gold standard, it should be acknowledged that the sagging dollar is providing one useful service: a long-overdue corrective to our self-image as lesser Brits. Europeans, who ranked the English as the "world's worst tourists" in a recent Expedia poll, have long ago disabused themselves of such stereotypes. Take a look around New York, Boston, or Los Angeles, and spot the omnipresent gaggle of chavs, waddling through the Adidas shop, shouting drunken insults in local Irish pubs, converting the currency on every product within reach. England is just America writ small. Michael C. Moynihan is an associate editor of Reason. http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/do-hamburgers-cause-crime/ April 3, 2008, 3:04 pm Do Hamburgers Cause Crime? Most of us who eat meat regularly would still rather not kill an animal with our own hands. So we have, for generations, delegated that work to others. Jennifer Dillard, at Georgetown Law, authored a new paper looking at what that delegation costs the workers of industrial slaughterhouses. She argues that prolonged work on a kill floor exposes workers to the risk of psychological damage, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and that they should be compensated under O.S.H.A. for any ill effects they suffer. Giving slaughterhouse workers therapy might also reduce another cost associated with the meat-processing industry: increased crime. Writing for the American Sociological Association, Amy Fitzgerald finds a spill-over effect from the violent work of the slaughterhouse into the surrounding community. According to her research, U.S. counties that have slaughterhouses consistently have higher rates of violent crime than demographically similar counties that don't. http://www.boingboing.net/2008/03/19/bbtv-how-to-hack-an.html BBtv - How to hack RFID-enabled credit cards for $8 Posted by Xeni Jardin, March 19, 2008 7:00 AM | permalink A number of credit card companies now issue credit cards with embedded RFIDs (radio frequency ID tags), with promises of enhanced security and speedy transactions. But on today's episode of Boing Boing tv, hacker and inventor Pablos Holman shows Xeni how you can use about $8 worth of gear bought on eBay to read personal data from those credit cards -- cardholder name, credit card number, and whatever else your bank embeds in this manner. Fears over data leaks from RFID-enabled cards aren't new, and some argue they're overblown -- but this demo shows just how cheap and easy the "sniffing" can be. Link to complete Boing Boing tv post with discussion and downloadable video. END http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/357294_ecocultural02.html *Land Grab on a Global Scale* by Dennis Martinez April 2, 2008 by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Among the English-speaking settler societies --- U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand --- an irrational but powerful myth still prevails. It drove "manifest destiny" and is still alive and well, if usually unconscious. Divinely inspired colonists wrested lands occupied by native peoples and bestowed the mixed blessings of civilization on them. The rationalization for dispossession then --- and now --- was that these "primitive" peoples were not making productive use of their lands. What they did not know, and still do not, is that they took over lands that were largely shaped and maintained by indigenous peoples through extensive and intensive land care practices that enabled them to not only survive but also thrive. Enter the 21st century. The work of indigenous dispossession is about to be completed. The last great global land grab and indigenous asset stripping is happening as I write. (I borrowed these phrases from Rebecca Adamson of First Peoples Worldwide and Andy White of Rights and Resources Initiative at a meeting of the World Bank that I participated in.) We have a big problem. Some unintended outcomes of well-intentioned climate mitigation measures are below the media radar screen. Land values are dramatically increasing because of demand by northern multinational corporations for land to produce biofuels, plantation monocultures for carbon trading offsets and transfat substitutes such as palm oil in the developing south. Indigenous peoples presently occupy 22 percent of the Earth's land surface, are stewards of 80 percent of remaining biodiversity and comprise 90 percent of cultural diversity. As demand increases the value of indigenous lands --- already poorly protected --- the rate of loss of indigenous assets and livelihood options becomes more rapid. Adding to these losses are losses of homelands set aside by big environmental NGOs and third-world government elites for conservation reserves and parks through forced evictions. Also disappearing is global genetic diversity maintained by indigenous peoples, which is essential for maintaining the capacity of plants and animals to adapt to climate change. Disappearing with land and resources are an incalculable wealth of stewardship experience and knowledge. But climate change is here. While the developed north (west) is scrambling for solutions, indigenous peoples are receiving the brunt of the effects of climate change caused by the north. Ignored in the global debate are indigenous cultures that have survived intact for millennia while "great" civilizations have repeatedly collapsed. Indigenous peoples are neither noble nor ignoble. Some have made environmental mistakes in the past and did not survive. The cultures that survived have done so in proportion as they have learned to adapt. They are just people like everyone else, but people with great practical know-how. The current economic asymmetry is the result of the myth that wealth will eventually filter down to the poor through so-called free trade and speculative global markets. But as the wealth of a small number of privileged individuals has increased, world poverty has increased fivefold. The Rio Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), Article 8 (j), and Agenda 21 affirmed that indigenous cultures protect biodiversity and should be compensated for their sustainable practices and products. But the U.S.-dominated Uruguay round of GATT in the same year effectively shut out indigenous peoples from any protection or compensation. In the meantime the world is losing its best strategy for mitigating climate change --- viable indigenous cultures who are the stewards of genetic diversity through traditional land practices. They will also lose the continuing contributions of native knowledge to medicine, sustainable agriculture, health products, lubricants, common foods, wildlife and fisheries management, and more. The tobacco industry is now liable for costs to states for paying smokers' health bills. Why not hold the developed nations accountable for the damage to ecosystems and indigenous ecosystem peoples who are suffering from climate change that they didn't cause? Where is the accountability? Why not support existing national and international laws and treaties that are simply ignored? We do not want victimhood. We want parity and compensation through recognition of our substantial contributions to your wealth. It is not an "ethnic" issue. Indigenous peoples are the miner's canary. It is about the survival of all humans and it is about the loss of the collective heritage of our species. It is all of our lands and all of our assets that are being stolen by economic criminals. They benefit and we pay. Dennis Martinez is founder and co-chairman of the Indigenous Peoples' Restoration Network of the Society for Ecological Restoration International. http://www.ser.org/iprn/default.asp From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 18:51:12 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:51:12 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Repression in America 1 of 2 Message-ID: <035c01c89e9b$30966020$0802a8c0@andy1> * Cop to get training after illegal sign grab * Security guards stop masked man from getting on train * "Disruptive" signs banned from council meeting [WTF?! Disruptive signs?! How is holding a sign disruptive? This kind of regulation is a typical example of micro-management for the sake of chilling free speech And as for a cop getting ?retraining? for illegally taking a banner ? I can imagine a protester would face far worse] * US court tries to close down whistleblower website Wikileaks * American imam at risk of deportation * Airport pervs order woman with nipple rings to remove it * Lynne Stewart - convicted for defending her client; associate gets 28 years in prison just for sharing information * Absurd charges over Evergreen unrest; media bias is so bad that activists ask for change of trial venue * Administration target SDS at Evergreen * Evergreen student victim of crap arrest * Police steal valuables, guns after Kansas tornado * LA launches attack on murals * SWAT team stages violent raid on family... to take boy to hospital * Police arrest mall-goer for anti-war T-shirt * Princeton students punished for protest * Man faces felony charge... for being ill * California judge outlaws homeschooling * National ID card opposed * Activist reports jail term for swearing in court * US seeks to extradite Puerto Rican * San Jose to use microwave weapons on protesters * UCSC arrests for giving food to treesitters Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/352851_protest27.html Trooper to get more training after protest sign altercation By LEVI PULKKINEN P-I REPORTER A state trooper will be receiving additional training following an altercation with a handful of student protesters Monday on a University District overpass. Six members of the student chapter of Justice Works, a group advocating reform in the criminal justice system, were holding a large mesh sign on the 45th Street bridge of Interstate 5 when they were approached by the trooper, said Jon Yousling, one of the students organizing the protest. Protesters had been holding the sign -- which read "Education not incarceration" -- for more than an hour without disturbance when the trooper arrived. Heated words were exchanged as the trooper demanded the protesters remove the sign, which the State Patrol now acknowledges was displayed within the law. "We knew what the regulations are," said Jaime Brown, a junior at the University of Washington. "He was still trying to get us to release the sign." The trooper grabbed the sign, then dragged it and one of the protesters into the street, Yousling said. As more officers arrived, it became clear that the broken sign was returned to the protestors. No arrests were made and no one was injured in the incident. State Patrol Lt. Bill Gardiner said the incident will be noted in the personnel file of the trooper, who's been with the department for about 18 months. He will also receive training in conflict resolution. "The bottom line is the trooper was probably a little gruff toward these students," Gardiner said. "It also looks like they were kind of egging him on as well, so there's a little of that." http://ringospictures.com/index.php?page=20080315 What actually made the story interesting to me was the question of allowing a person with a full backpack, and their face covered, to ride on a subway car. Is it their right to do so? The security guard was prepared to call the police, and? the train was not about to leave the station until it was settled. http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/story/508867.html Protest signs at Jackson County Legislature meetings confined to back of room If you want to hold up a sign expressing an opinion at Jackson County Legislature meetings, step to the rear. That?s the new policy in response to small signs displayed by former legislative aide Bob WitbolsFeugen. On Monday, a deputy sheriff escorted WitbolsFeugen out of the meeting to show him a notice posted on the door that all protest signs should be confined to the back of the room. Dennis Waits, Legislature chairman, said he encourages free expression but signs can be disruptive. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/02/392191.html Wikileaks censored by US Court imc-uk-features | 24.02.2008 12:57 | Repression | World Transparency website Wikileaks has been muzzled with a legal injunction by a US court following the publication of leaked documents about a Swiss bank implicated in alleged money laundering. The anonymous whistleblower site, devoted to battle against corruption and censorship, published several hundred documents from a Swiss banking whistleblower purportedly showing that Bank Julius Baer and its Cayman Islands subsidiary had been involved in offshore tax evasion and money laundering by extremely wealthy and, in some cases, politically sensitive clients from the US, Europe, China and Peru. Rather than ordering the removal of specific documents, however, the San Francisco District Court ordered Wikileak's DNS registrar, Dynadot, to remove all DNS hosting records for the wikileaks.org domain name and prevent it from resolving to the wikileaks.org website or any other website or server other than a blank park page. There have also been reports of attempts to lock down the site through Denial of Service attacks and threats to its DNS record. >From the newswire: US judge arranges summary execution of Wikileaks.org | US Court order shuts down Wikileaks.org | US court attacks web freedom, enjoins Wikileaks.org out of existence | Wikileaks and Internet Censorship: a comparative study | Full correspondence between Wikileaks and Bank Julius Baer | Reports elsewhere: IndyBay | Indymedia Ireland | About Wikileaks Wikileaks has published important leaked documents in the past, such as the Rules of Engagement for Iraq, the Guantanamo Camp Delta Standard Operating Procedures and evidence of major bank fraud in Kenya that apparently affected the Kenyan elections. It has recently faced similar legal threats after publishing a confidential briefing memo relating to the dramatic collapse of the Northern Rock bank. Knowing that governments and institutions will go to extreme lengths to censor the truth, its founders had created an extensive network of cover names from which one can access their materials or continue leaking secret documents. Thus, while Wikileaks.org is down, other mirrors (copies of the site) are still up and running, like wikileaks.be. The site can also still be accessed via its IP address in Sweden. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/19/wikileaks_shut_down_in_us/ US judge arranges summary execution of Wikileaks.org Many-headed whistleblower site still standing By Dan Goodin in San Francisco ? More by this author Rate this story Published Tuesday 19th February 2008 02:31 GMT Reg Whitepaper - Data Quality and your Business: Keep it clean Nail down your security priorities. Ask the experts and your peers at The Register Security Debate, April 17, 2008 The US arm of Wikileaks, a website that makes it easy for whistleblowers to leak documents, has been cut off after hosting evidence that claimed a bank located in the Cayman Islands engaged in money laundering and tax evasion. Dynadot, the US-based company that hosted Wikileaks' main site, not only severed wikileaks.org from the net; it also agreed to lock the domain name so it can't be transferred to another provider. A federal judge in San Francisco signed off on the agreement on Friday (15 Feb). The agreement came in a lawsuit brought by bank Julius Baer, the parent company of the accused Cayman bank. After trying unsuccessfully to get Wikileaks to remove the documents, Swiss-based Julius Baer went after Dynadot, which according to this copy of the court order, agreed to roll over in exchange for the suit against it being dismissed. Dynadot also agreed to turn over records related to Wikileaks, including "IP addresses and associated data used by any person, other than Dynadot, who accessed the account for the domain name". Wikileaks allows whistleblowers to post documents anonymously - at least when its webhost isn't coerced into turning over IP addresses and other information most customers would consider confidential. According to this piece from Wired News, Wikileaks was unable to argue its position on the matter at a Friday court hearing because it only learned of the hearing a few hours before it started. Astonishingly, US District Judge Jeffrey White of the Northern District of California signed off on the stipulation, anyway. The episode is another reminder that an organization's security is only as good as the security of the people who provide its internet connection. Wikileaks claims that it is an "uncensorable Wikipedia for untraceable mass document leaking and analysis". But this is true only if its webhosts can be trusted not to pull the plug on its customers or divulge sensitive client information. In this case Julius Baer quickly realized it couldn't silence Wikileaks, so it went after a weaker link in the chain, which evidently was much less willing to put up a fight. Wikileaks was founded in 2006 by people from a host of countries, including the US, Taiwan, Europe, Australia and South Africa. It has generated headlines by hosting documents exposing several high-profile scandals, including those related to the collapse of the UK's Northern Rock bank and to prisons in Iraq and and Guantanamo Bay. The site says it has posted more than 1.2 million documents. According to Julius Baer, a former vice president called Rudolf Elmer posted the documents, which purport to show that the Cayman Islands bank helped customers hide assets and launder funds. The contested documents remain available on Wikileaks websites hosted in other countries, including in here in Belgium and here in India. The site says here that over the past few days it has also withstood a 500 Mbps denial-of-service attack and a fire to its uninterruptible power supply. Of course, there's no evidence that Julius Baer was behind either the attacks or the fire. But it's clear that Wikileaks hasn't been silenced, at least for now. Hey, maybe there really is something to these claims about being uncensorable. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/02/392040.html Wikileaks and Internet Censorship: a comparative study Jonathan Werve (Director of Operations, Global Integrity) | 22.02.2008 13:56 | Repression | World Using data from the Global Integrity Index, we put a U.S. court's recent order to block access to anti-corruption site Wikileaks.org into context. In summary: The Wikileaks.org shutdown is unheard of in the West, and has only been seen in a handful of the most repressive regimes. Good thing it doesn't work very well. Starting in 2007, Global Integrity added specific questions about Internet censorship to the Integrity Indicators, which are a set of 304 questions addressing the practice of anti-corruption in national governments. We have always held that a free and critical media is an essential component of good governance; adding an analysis of Internet censorship was an overdue refinement. We asked two questions: Are Internet users prevented from reaching political material on the Internet? Are content creators prevented from posting political material to the Internet? The results of this work are generally encouraging. In examining a diverse group of 50 countries, a majority earn a full score on both counts. Freedom of speech is a widely held right. Moreover, Internet censorship is difficult and is often ineffective in suppressing political activity. Most governments, aside from targeted libel restrictions, don't bother regulating online political speech at all. The Many Flavors of Internet Censorship A few countries, however, are deeply committed to trying to make censorship work. On this list in 2007 are Algeria, China, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Russia and Thailand. Each has it's own flavor to the repression of online speech -- Internet censorship is still in an experimentation phase, and even the most aggressive approaches don't seem to work very well. Algeria has no firewalls or filters, but outlaws hosting content critical of the government, and monitors chat rooms for political speech. China is home to 1.3 billion people and has a highly scalable technological approach based onextensive content filters known satirically as the Great Firewall of China. China is also uses technology to discourage content creation, deploying cute animated police characters (pictured above) to remind Internet users they are being watched. Egypt has limited technical means to discourage content creation, so it relies on an old-fashioned technique -- harassment, beatings and arrests. Hala Al-Masry used to publish in a blog entitled "Cops Without Boundaries" until the government harassed her, "unknown people" beat her father, and she and her husband were arrested and signed a commitment to shut down the blog. Similar techniques have shut down websites of opposition parties. Kazakhstan has little Internet capacity. The government uses this to mask censorship -- rather than block sites, it slows them down, frustrating the users of political content into looking elsewhere. The KNB (formerly the KGB) has a special program called Bolat, which slows down, but does not stop, access to sites of terrorist organizations. Popular opinion holds that it is used to slow opposition party sites as well. Russia has a mixed bag of state persecution and neglect, allowing a rare opening for free expression in a country with highly restricted media. However, the sophistication of the attacks that do occur is frightening, with hackers singling out individual online targets. For instance, the website of Ekho Moskvy, a liberal Moscow radio station critical of the Kremlin, was brought down by a DDoS attack last year. Thailand's military junta moved aggressively to shut down message boards and the formerly-ruling party Thai Rak Thai website after taking over the country in 2006. But the junta's censorship cops work to keep the thinnest appearance of tolerance -- message boards were allowed to reopen under the condition that they did not "provoke any misunderstandings." Message received. So how does the United States fit into this picture? The court order that muzzled Wikileaks.org (covered here) was prompted not by the government but by a bank registered in the Cayman Islands. The bank used American courts and a compliant domain registrar to scrub the wikileaks.org URL from the Internet. It is extremely unlikely that this decision will stand up in an appeals court, but the larger point is that there is no reason this case should even be fought. Wikileaks should not need a legal team to explain to the courts that the First Amendment requires freedom of speech. The whole event seems to encapsulate the constant criticism of governance in the United States: that the government has been captured by corporate interests, and that the world-leading rule of law and technocratic mechanisms in place can be hijacked to serve as tools for narrow, wealthy interests. Online Censorship: Sounds good, but it never works. While there is much diversity in the style of Internet censorship among the world's worst offenders, one common thread unites them: Internet censorship doesn't work. Cut off one site, and a thousand more pop up. In China, censorship online is sparking criticism that off-line censorship has rarely seen. So Wikileaks.org went offline, but Wikileaks mirror sites hosted overseas hold the same content, and the original site is still up and running from Sweden (http://88.80.13.160) without its easier-to-type URL. As it turns out, shutting down Wikileaks-the-website has focused our attention on Wikileaks-the-idea, which is spreading at the speed of light. Jonathan Werve (Director of Operations, Global Integrity) Homepage: http://wikileaks.be/wiki/Wikileaks_and_Internet_Censorship_-_a_comparative_study ------------------------------------------------- Asalaamu Alaikum Brothers and Sisters. Please sign the online petition www.americans4qatanani.com. Dr/Imam Qatanani of the "Islamic Center of Passaic County", in NJ is currently facing deportation and needs our support. The story is disturbing but unfortunately a very common practice. Do your part, pass it on! --------------------------------------------------- http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSREE85411920080328 Nipple rings fall foul of airport check Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:03am EDT By Dan Whitcomb LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A woman who claims she was ordered by federal airport screeners to remove her nipple rings with pliers demanded an apology from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration on Thursday. Mandi Hamlin, 37, also called for an investigation into the February 24 incident in Lubbock, Texas, saying that snickering male agents violated TSA policy by forcing her to remove the jewelry. "I felt surprised, embarrassed, humiliated, scared and angry," Hamlin told reporters at the offices of her Los Angeles attorney, Gloria Allred. "This situation was totally out of control. I will not sit quietly. No one deserves to be treated this way." The TSA, a unit of the Department of Homeland Security that was set up after the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001, said it was investigating the incident but that agents were trained to search people with piercings in "sensitive areas" with dignity and respect. "TSA is well aware of terrorists' interest in hiding dangerous items in sensitive areas of the body, therefore we have a duty to the American public to resolve any alarm we discover," the agency said in a written statement. The TSA said incidents of female terrorists hiding explosives in "sensitive areas" were on the rise and provided a picture of a "bra bomb" that was used in training its agents. Allred said the incident began when Hamlin, who has a number of piercings, set off a hand-held metal detector and told a TSA officer that her nipple rings were the problem. A small group of TSA officers gathered around Hamlin, Allred said, and told her she would have to remove the jewelry from her nipples if she wanted to board her flight. Hamlin went behind a curtain and removed one of her nipple piercings but could not budge the other, tearfully telling the officers it could not be taken out without pliers, Allred said. "As Ms. Hamlin struggled to remove the piercing behind the curtain, she could hear a growing number of predominantly male TSA officers snickering in the background," the attorney said. Allred said TSA policy called for a pat-down under such circumstances but did not require the piercings to be removed. (Editing by John O'Callaghan) http://www.counterpunch.org/lendman04032008.html Apri1 3, 2008 Targeting Defense Lawyers Lynne Stewart's Long Struggle for Justice By STEPHEN LENDMAN On April 9, 2002, Attorney General John Ashcroft made a symbolic visit to "Ground Zero." While in New York, he held a well-publicized press conference at the US Attorney's Office and used the occasion for an indictment. Four individuals were named on charges of conspiracy and materially aiding a terrorist organization. One of them was long-time civil rights lawyer Lynne Stewart. On the same day, FBI agents arrested her at her home and illegally seized documents there and from her office that are protected by attorney- client privilege. In July 2003, Federal District Court Judge John Koeltl (a 1994 Clinton appointee) dismissed the original charges for being "unconstitutionally void for vagueness" and because they "revealed a lack of prosecutorial standards." Nonetheless, Stewart was symbolically reindicted on November 22, 2003 (the 40th year anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination) on five counts of aiding and abetting a terrorist organization under the 1996 Antiterrorism Act. Specific charges included: * "conspiring to defraud the United States; * conspiring to provide and conceal material support to terrorist activity; * providing and concealing material support to terrorist activity; and * two counts of making false statements." Stewart was also accused of violating US Bureau of Prisons-imposed Special Administrative Measures (SAMS) that included a gag order on her client, Sheik Abdel Rahman. These measures are imposed on some prisoners to forbid discussion (even with an attorney) of topics DOJ claims are outside the scope of their "legal representation." It's all very vague, does more to harass and obstruct justice than protect state secrets, yet Stewart was forced to accept them to gain access to her client. In her case, police state-type attorney-client monitored conversations provided the basis for her indictment. However, engaging in this practice stretches the limit of the law, gives DOJ sole authority to decide how far and for what purpose, and in this instance egregiously overstepped it by charging defense counsel with aiding and abetting terrorism for representing her client as required. At former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark's request, Stewart agreed to join him as a member of Rahman's court-appointed defense team. He was convicted in his 1995 show trial and is now serving a life sentence for "seditious conspiracy" in connection with the 1993 World Trade Center Center bombing despite evidence proving his innocence. However, in what's now common practice, the government's case related more to his affiliations and anti-western views than specific evidence presented. Rahman was connected to the Egyptian- based Al-Gamaa al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group) - a 1997 State Department-designated "Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Ironically in the 1980s, he was handled much differently as a "valuable (CIA) asset" for his influential role in recruiting Mujahadeen fighters against the Soviets in Afghanistan. It was no accident that he got a US visa, green card and State Department-CIA protection for as long as he was valued. When he wasn't, he became a target along with Lynne Stewart who represented him at trial. Stewart's charges were trumped up, outrageous, and likely first time ever instance of a defense attorney in a terrorism case facing terrorism-related counts - for doing her job as the law requires and that renders attorney-client confidentiality sacrosanct under our criminal justice system. No matter, if convicted, she faced a possible 30 year sentence. In America's "war on terrorism," her precedent-setting case is chilling, and president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, Michael Ratner, explained it: Its "purpose....was to send a message to lawyers who represent alleged terrorists that it's dangerous to do so." It's also an effort to exploit the current atmosphere, incite fear and suspicions, stifle dissent, and make it just as risky for anyone with openly critical views of government policies. In Police State America, we're all Lynne Stewarts. At the time of her indictment, her attorney, Michael Tigar, explained what was at stake: "This case (still ongoing) is an attack on a gallant, charismatic and effective fighter for justice (and has) at least three fundamental faults: (it) attack(s) the First Amendment right of free speech, free press and petition; (it) attack(s)....the right to effective assistance of counsel ....chills the defense....(and) the 'evidence' in this case was gathered by wholesale invasion of private conversations, private attorney-client meetings, faxes, letters and e-mails. I have never seen such an abuse of government power." In America's "war on terrorism," many other defense attorneys can cite similar instances of lawlessness and injustice today. However, in targeting Stewart, DOJ may have gotten more than it bargained for. Whatever the outcome, her case shamed the government, gave her worldwide recognition, made her a powerful symbolic figure, and elevated her to iconic stature. For her honor, devotion to principles, and lifetime of service to society's most abused, she deserves it and more. Throughout her 30 year career, she never shunned controversy or her choice of or duty to clients. She represented the poor, the underprivileged and society's underdogs and unwanted who never get due process unless they're lucky enough to have an advocate like her. She knew the risks and understood the state uses every underhanded trick possible to convict these type defendants and overwhelm, outspend and/or discredit their counsel doing it. Nonetheless, she did what the American Bar Association's Model Rules state all lawyers are obligated to do: "devote professional time and resources and use civic influence to ensure equal access to our system of justice for all those who because of economic or social barriers cannot afford or secure adequate legal counsel." Defending Sheik Rahman was especially risky, and Stewart knew it. His case was so high-profile, it made her a target, and she remains one today. It was the beginning of her long struggle (six years and running) that included a battle against breast cancer that's now in remission. Her trial played out in the same Foley Square courtroom where Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were unjustly framed, convicted and sentenced to death in April 1951 on charges of conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act. It was an earlier time of hysteria when "communism" was the "threat," national security again the issue, and, in Stewart's case, she's the victim. Her trial was a travesty and gross miscarriage of justice with echoes of the worst type McCarthyist tactics. Inflammatory terrorist images were displayed in court to prejudice the jurors, and prosecutors vilified Stewart as a traitor with "radical" political views. In fact, she always embraced the rule of law with equity and justice for everyone under it. Nonetheless, prosecutors falsely accused her of saying violence may be justified to overthrow oppressive governments and claimed she advocated regime change in Egypt under its president, ruling despot, and close US ally Hosni Mubarak. In addition, just days before the verdict, the extremist pro-Israel Jewish Defense Organization put up flyers near the courthouse displaying Stewart's home address, threatened to "drive her out of her home and out of the state," and said she "needs to be put out of business legally and effectively." Prosecutors ignored it. It was all part of a government-orchestrated scheme inside and outside the courtroom to heighten fear, convict Stewart, and tell other defense attorneys to expect the same treatment if they represent "unpopular" clients. It worked on the jury, and on February 10, 2005 (after a seven month trial and 13 days of deliberation) Stewart was convicted on all five counts. Key now would be sentencing for a decisive DOJ victory. If gotten it would seriously weaken First Amendment free expression rights and Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. It would also destroy fundamental ones under Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment that guarantees all US citizens won't be deprived of their right of "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." In addition, it would challenge the landmark 1963 Supreme Court Gideon v. Wainwright decision that affirmed defendants' Sixth Amendment rights "in all criminal prosecutions (to) the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury....to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense." October 17, 2006 was Stewart's sentencing date. Prosecutors asked for 30 years and hoped getting it would set a precedent. Instead, the same Judge Koeltl, who dismissed Stewart's first indictment, again defied DOJ. He sentenced Stewart to 28 months, let her remain free on bail pending appeal, implied it might be overturned as a gross miscarriage of justice, effectively rebuked the government, and handed them a major defeat. The trial ended with Stewart proud and vindicated. Next came her chance for a full exoneration before the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit three judge panel. Defense attorney Joshua Dratel represented her on January 29, 2008 in a packed courtroom of mostly Stewart supporters with many others denied admittance for lack of space. Dratel's job was to convince the court that Stewart had First Amendment protected speech rights to release her client's statement to his followers and other interested parties. He also cited Judge Koeltl's unconstitutional use of US Code Title 18, Part I, Chapter 113B, 2339 (a) relating to "harboring or concealing terrorists" because he "failed to abide by his promise to impose a specific intent requirement" when he charged the jury. In addition, Dratel argued that evidence against Stewart amounted to no more than three meetings with her client over a two year period. He further said that she was charged for "isolated and sporadic conduct" in an alleged plot where no "violent acts were planned or occurred," and, in fact, there was no plot. In response to one judge's question about her allegedly saying Rahman withdrew his support for a cease fire, Dratel stated the "cease fire was not abrogated. It remained in effect." He insisted that Rahman merely said it was time to "reevaluate" the cease fire because of the Egyptian government's oppression and recalcitrance. Dratel stressed that with no intent to "incite imminent unlawful conduct or violence," the First Amendment protected Stewart's statements. So does the Supreme Court's unanimous 1969 Brandenburg v. Ohio decision that overturned Ohio's Criminal Syndicalism statute. The Court ruled that government cannot constitutionally punish abstract advocacy of force or law violation and only can do so in instances of directly inciting "imminent lawless actions." Dratel referenced the "Brandenburg standard" that's the law of the land and under which Stewart was within her rights. Assistant US attorney in the Southern District Anthony Barkow, who was part of the prosecutorial team, argued for the government before a potentially sympathetic court. It's at a time two-thirds of all federal judges are from or affiliated with the extremist Federalist Society. It advocates rolling back civil liberties; ending New Deal social policies; opposing reproductive choice, government regulations, labor rights and environment protections; and subverting justice in defense of privilege. This is what Stewart is up against as she awaits the decision that can go either way in an age of police state justice. Under New York state law, she was automatically disbarred, and the state Supreme Court's Appellate Division denied her petition to resign voluntarily. Adding insult to her unjust conviction, it ruled that "federal convictions provide a proper predicate for automatic disbarment." It was the fourth injustice against a woman who spent a lifetime advocating for society's most disadvantaged. It followed two falsified indictments, a kangaroo court proceeding, and an unjustifiable conviction on all counts. Combined they represent an outrageous miscarriage of justice. An appeals verdict is due any time, and legions of Stewart supporters hope justice delayed won't be denied to her. She deserves full exoneration, readmittance to the state bar, and to be able again to represent society's most unwanted who need her advocacy and remain hopeful. So does everyone who respects the law at a time it's being desecrated. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen at sbcglobal.net. http://www.thevillager.com/vil_94/lynnestewart.html Volume 74, Number 41 | February 16 - 22, 2005 Villager photo by Mary Reinholz Lynne Stewart outside Revolution Books ? after hearing a talk on an uprising in Nepal ? two days after her conviction on charges of aiding terrorism. Lynne Stewart still combative after terror verdict By Mary Reinholz Two days after an anonymous jury convicted her in federal court of aiding terrorism by conveying messages from her imprisoned terrorist client Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman to an Islamic network in Egypt, Downtown activist lawyer Lynne Stewart took the cold evening air in Manhattan with her husband Ralph Poynter. The couple stopped at Revolution Books on W. 19 St. to listen to an author discuss an uprising in Nepal. ?Like I told The Times, I feel like a truck hit me,? said Stewart, 65, bundled up in a black coat and red stole as she paused to let a reporter snap pictures of her outside the bookstore, which forbade taking photographs inside. She held a bottle of Schweppes seltzer water and smiled wanly. But during a subsequent Valentine?s Day telephone interview from her Lower Broadway office, across the street from her former headquarters, which she was required to leave eight months ago when a jittery landlord refused to renew her lease ?for any amount of money,? Stewart resumed her characteristic feistiness. She dismissed her five-count Feb. 10 conviction as the work of ?paranoid? prosecutors and jurors who went along with a government line ?like little tin soldiers.? ?They basically strung together their own paranoid view of the world,? Stewart said of the prosecution team, one of whose members, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Dember, had claimed in his summation that Stewart ?secretly? hoped to overthrow the Egyptian government by issuing a press statement for the blind and diabetic sheik, a fundamentalist Muslim cleric, in defiance of jailhouse rules. Stewart contended that the jurors who convicted her ?wanted to believe? what the government charged in her case, like the general public ?wanted to believe there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The government must be right when they said there were W.M.D. The government said we were terrorists and that must also be so,? she added sardonically, referring to herself and two co-defendants, Arabic interpreter Mohammed Yousry and Ahmed Abdel Sattar, a paralegal for the sheik. Both men were also convicted on all counts following a closely watched post-9/11 trial that spanned more than seven months and ended after 12 days of jury deliberation before U.S. District Court Judge John G. Koetl at Foley Sq. The verdict shocked and disappointed Stewart and her supporters, some of whom had attended her trial nearly every day.?The motivating factor would have to be a terrible fear of the government,? Stewart continued in evaluating the jurors? decision, noting that three of the women jurors ?wept throughout the entire verdict. This tells me they were unhappy with the verdict but didn?t have the spine to stand up? to the other jurors. Sattar, a former Staten Island postal worker who had made thousands of government-tapped telephone calls to the sheik?s followers, was found guilty of the most serious charges and faces the prospect of life imprisonment. Yousry faces 20 years in jail. Stewart, who could spend 30 years in prison after sentencing, remains free on a $500,000 bond put up by her three adult children after her 2002 indictment, but must remain in New York. She was unable to explain why prosecutors permitted her stay out of prison, claiming she expected to be ?locked in irons? after being pictured in court as ?the Devil incarnate.? Herbert Hadad, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney?s Office in New York, Southern District, acknowledged the arrangement, but would not comment on details. As for her current plans before sentencing on July 15, Stewart said: ?We?re going to organize? a letter-writing campaign.?We have just been overwhelmed, deluged really, with support from people stopping me in the middle of the street and writing e-mails.? Stewart noted that when she and Poynter went into a Village store to get some valentines ?people came up and said, ?We?re with you.? There are people all over the country who thought I was going to win and now they?re fighting mad. We?re going to make a big push. We?re hoping to get 100,000 letters? to present to Judge Koeltl, she said. Stewart also is ?crafting an appeal? with her lead defense attorney Michael E. Tigar, who will file motions before the judge late in March, Stewart said, calling to set aside the verdict and schedule a new trial. She is more optimistic for success in sentencing, claiming there are ?new sentencing rules? and Koeltl is no longer bound by federal guidlines on sententencing in her case. Federal prosecutors successfully argued that Stewart defrauded the U.S. government and aided Islamic terrorists when she released a May 2000 press statement to a Reuters reporter in Cairo on behalf of Abdel Rahman, after first signing an agreement that severely limited his communication to the outside world. In the press statement, the sheik announced to fellow members in the militant Islamic Group that he was withdrawing his support for a ceasefire with the Egyptian government. He is currently serving a life sentence at a U.S. prison hospital facility for inciting the first attacks on the World Trade Center in 1993 and conspiring in a thwarted conspiracy to bomb New York City landmarks. Alberto Gonzales, President Bush?s designated attorney general suceeding John Ashcroft ? who had flown from Washington to announce Stewart?s 2002 arrest and indictment ? said the convictions ?send a clear, unmistakable message that this department will pursue both those who carry out acts of terrorism and those who assist them with their murderous goals.? Stewart, who was Abdel Rahman?s trial lawyer and continued visiting him after his 1995 conviction, said the government?s claim that she was engaged in a conspiracy with Islamic fundamentalists was based mainly on ?just talk? secretly monitored by prosecutors. She adamantly denies she?s a terrorist, noting that no terrorist violence resulted from her conduct. Stewart added she has no Islamic leanings either: ?I?m no fundamentalist, that?s for sure. And I have a fairly strong aversion to most religions. When I represented Sammy the Bull,? she went on, alluding to her former Mafia turncoat client, Salvatore Gravano, prosecutors ?didn?t say I was a murderous moll from Bensonhurst.? In issuing the press statement for Abdel Rahman, Stewart said she was simply acting as a zealous advocate for the ailing sheik, hoping that the publicity she provided him would ease his isolation in jail and facilitate his transfer to a prison in his native Egypt. As for breaking jailhouse rules, Stewart claimed: ?I never felt I was breaking anything. I thought they could cut me off from the client,? she acknowledged of the Bureau of Prison rules known as Special Administrative Measures or SAMS that she signed under both the Clinton and Bush administrations. ?It said on this piece of paper that breaking the SAMS could result in being cut off from visits. Neither Reno nor Ashcroft threatened any kind of prosecution,? she added, referring to former Attorney Generals Janet Reno and Ashcroft when they headed the U.S. Justice Department. New York?s legal community appears to be divided on whether Stewart?s conviction sends a chilling message to criminal defense lawyers who represent unpopular clients. Some clearly think it does. ?I think the jury verdict, like the decision by the government to charge Lynne Stewart, will have an enormously chilling affect on the abillity of lawyers to take on unpopular clients,? said Downtown lawyer Daniel L. Alterman, a former president of the New York City chapter of the National Lawyers Guild and an adjunct professor at New York Law School who has taken on constitutional cases. ?They will perceive that their actions will come under greater scrutiny by the govenrmment and hit them where they don?t want to be hit ? in the public eye and the pocketbook.? Michael G. Dowd, a Manhattan criminal defense lawyer who has represented defendants ranging from battered women who have killed abusive husbands to accused gunrunners for the I.R.A., said he felt ?physically ill? over the verdict and predicted that it ?will curtail really good advocacy. It means there?s a new set of rules.This is about politics and it smacks of the kind of fear I would have imagined was from the McCarthy era but am too young to remember,? added Dowd, whose license was suspended in the 1980s for three and a half years after he acted as a whistle blower in the Parking Violations Bureau scandal. Stewart faces automatic disbarment because she?s been convicted of felonies. Martin Stolar, who is the current president of the New York City Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild and a strong supporter of Stewart, said she had an obligation as a criminal defense lawyer for the sheik ?to do everything she could to keep him in the public eye, rather than having him locked away in the dark hole the government put him in. So it makes me a little nervous because I do these kinds of cases and feel I have a target on my back.? In response to the verdict, on Feb. 17, Both Stolar and Stewart will be among the speakers at a Guild-sponsored ?Day of Outrage? forum starting 7:30 p.m. at the Community Church of New York, 40 E. 35th St., between Park and Madison Aves. But other legal minds in the city are clearly not outraged by Stewart?s legal problems, claiming she crossed a professional line.?I?m not troubled by the verdict,? said Stephen Gillers, a professor at New York University School of Law who specializes in legal ethics. ?A bar license is not a license to violate the criminal law,? he said. ?I don?t know whether or not Stewart did what the government said she did, but its evidence did not merely show zealous behavior by an aggressive lawyer. Defense lawyers who fight hard for their clients are not threatened from this prosecution or verdict.? Former Mayor Ed Koch, who now works for a New York law firm, said he ?agreed with the verdict? and contended the jury did a ?splendid job.? He said Stewart had ?an obligation under the law? to abide by the prison agreements she repeatedly signed. ?She was convicted by a jury who had the facts before them,? he said. ?Her defense is that she was immune to such charges because she was a lawyer. I think she violated her responsibility as a lawyer and as an officer of the court.? Koch said he ?wasn?t going get into details? about the government?s charge that Stewart participated in an Islamic conspiracy ?because I wasn?t in the courtroom.? Ron Kuby, the radical lawyer and radio talk show host who briefly represented Sheik Abdel Rahman with the late William Kunstler in the 1990s, said the jurors who convicted Stewart were clearly not ?drawn from the ranks of those activists steeped in the robust tradition of political dissent. Their view was more narrow ? lawyers, of all people, should know where the line is drawn and should not cross it,? he said. ?We are expected to know exactly what is and what is not permissible. In the context of Lynne?s case ? a radical lawyer in the post-9/11 era ? trying to explain not only why her actions were justified, but why they were necessary to uphold the liberty of us all ? it was just not going to fly.? Some of Stewart?s friends who are not lawyers took a decidedly earthy view about her conviction. ?It sucks,? said Brooklyn prankster Aron Kay, a Yippie known for splattering political enemies with pies. ?It?s a prelude to a police state.? http://ahmedabdelsattar.org/ [see link for action suggestions] The Tragedy of Ahmed Abdel Sattar: Egyptian-American Political Prisoner The case of Ahmed Abdel Sattar should be a matter of serious concern for all Americans. It is the classic case of the U.S. government targeting a U.S. citizen merely because he is an opponent of a client regime of the White House. Who is Ahmed Abdel Sattar? Originally from Egypt, Ahmed is an unassuming, humble U.S. citizen, who worked honestly and diligently for the U.S. Postal Service in New York. He was never involved in criminal activity of any kind. In fact, he was known in his community for his piety and virtue, and no one"friend or foe"ever accused him of any underhanded or crooked activities. A long-time community activist, he was deeply involved in his local mosque in the hopes of creating a better future for the children of his largely Egyptian community. He never preached, instigated, or supported violence against the United States. Ahmed had deep roots in America. Married to Lisa Sattar, an attractive and compassionate Caucasian-American Muslim from Chicago, Ahmed was confident that he had a future in this land of immigrants. Lisa and Ahmed have four children: Omar (age 19); Ali ( age 18); and twins Amina and Mohamed (age 14). Fusion of American Democratic Values and Knowledge from the Qur'an led to Opposition to the Egyptian Regime As Ahmed studied the Qur'an and surveyed the Egyptian political scene, he become an opponent of the murderous Hosni Mubarak regime in Egypt. It seemed to him that anyone who supported democracy and human rights should oppose such a regime. Ahmed's Relationship with Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman Many Americans are not aware of the cataclysmic changes which occurred in Egypt during the '70s and '80s. These changes included the Egyptian government's decision to recognize Israel, against the will of the majority of Egyptian people. The CIA had evidently infiltrated the top echelons of the Egyptian government. In response to this hijacking of Egyptian national policy (and the resultant domestic crackdown on dissidents), various Islamic groups evolved. The most successful of these was Gamaa al-Islamiyya, known for its social work in the Egyptian slums. Gamaa also urged its members to resist the regime's repression, torture and murder. Gamaa al-Islamiyya proliferated into thousands of decentralized groups. Its spiritual leader was Dr. Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, a Ph.D from al-Azhar University, whose dissertation was on the meaning of jihad in the Qur'an. The mass movement "rooted in mosques, villages, and the poor" posed a serious challenge to Mubarak's brutal regime. Under severe repression and after repeated arrests, Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman emigrated to the U.S. Blind and diabetic, he viewed the U.S. as a place of refuge where he hoped to live in peace, as a traditional Muslim scholar teaching the rulings of Islam on a variety of issues. His learning won him the admiration of thousands of American Muslims, and he was invited to speak at mosques around the country. He did not preach against the U.S., but was a harsh critic of the Mubarak regime. The era of Osama bin Laden had not begun. Ahmed Abdel Sattar was drawn to the Shaikh, as a valuable source of Islamic knowledge. Ahmed admired the honesty of the Shaikh's rulings, his otherworldliness, his erudition in Qur'an and hadith, and his opposition to the Hosni Mubarak regime. Ahmed often disagreed with the Shaikh, but even in disagreement, he found the Shaikh's learning attractive and infectious. The more he listened to the Shaikh, the more he was drawn to him. It never dawned on Ahmed that the U.S. was being taken over by Israel, and would no longer be a haven for opponents of regimes linked to Israel. The Arrest of Shaikh Omar The Shaikh was eventually arrested, charged, and convicted on trumped up charges, likely to please Hosni Mubarak, who was disturbed by the former's growing support in the U.S. Ahmed could hardly believe that a man of God could be arrested and brought to trial in the Land of the Free on terrorism charges, simply because he opposed the criminal regime of Hosni Mubarak. Why is Ahmed Abdel Sattar in Prison? The Zionists in New York wanted to 'get' Ahmed for his unwavering efforts to mobilize support to stop violation of the Shaikh's human rights. Initially they did not succeed, because U.S. law did not allow a person who stands up for the rights of a dissident to be labeled terrorist for his views. Ahmed had lived a clean life, giving the authorities no ammunition for their witch hunt against him. Soon after 9-11, Ahmed's house was raided on the pretext that there might be weapons there. None were found. Then, in April 2002, he was arrested on charges which may only be described as absurd. The government had monitored his phone conversations with Egyptian dissidents, in which he'd urged opposition to Hosni Mubarak. Ahmed was kept in solitary confinement for a year and four months. When his case finally came up for review, the judge found there was no case of terrorism to be made against Ahmed. Despite this, Ahmed continued to be held without bail. Because of his standing in the Egyptian community, upstanding members of the community offered their homes as collateral for bail. However, at the bail hearing, the judge accepted the prosecution notion that Ahmed was a "flight risk." As he was led away following the hearing, he waved to Lisa and his children and said: "Be not afraid. Allah is with us." (Slight abbreviation of the Prophet's (PBUH) words to Abu Bakr (R.A.) given in Sura Taubah.) From July 2003 onwards, the government held Ahmed without bail on frivolous charges of "soliciting violence" and "fraud." On October 24, 2006, Ahmed was convicted and sentenced to 28 years in prison as punishment for his phone conversations with members of the Egyptian opposition. Sattar had been held in solitary confinement and on 24-hour lockdown for an extended period leading up to his conviction, and appeared pale at his sentencing. His co-defendants, Lynne Stewart and Mohammad Yousry were sentenced to 28 months and 20 months, respectively. In January 2007, Sattar was moved from New York to Colorado's infamous Supermax, far away from family and friends. Left without head of household, Sattar's family was hounded and persecuted in New York. His sons were fired from their jobs by an employer who invoked 9-11 (as if these children had been personally involved in the event!). The bank accounts of Lisa Sattar, and the Sattar children were closed without explanation by Sovereign Bank, where they'd held accounts. They were completely and utterly abandoned by New York's major masajid and Majlis-e-Shura (largest Islamic organization in the New York area). 2001-10-27 Sat 15:23ct Ahmed Abdel Sattar , the reknowned human rights activist, paralegal/translator to Shaikh Omar 'Abdel Rahman, ( NewTrendMag.org/rahman.html ) lived in Staten Island, New York. He went downstairs from his apartment to stop a fight between two 15-year olds. Minutes later, after he had come upstairs, the police entered his apartment without a search warrant claiming he had beaten up one of the young people. They had been keeping an eye on his apartment and used this opportunity to carry out a search without a warrant, messing up his home and disturbing his family. 2004-07-14 Wed 19:18ct Lisa Abdel Sattar: On July 7, 2004, after 8 months of reliable and prompt service my sons were fired from their jobs as busboys at the corner restaurant, The Elm Park Inn 238 MorningStar Rd. in Staten Island, NY 10303. We live two doors from this establishment which proved to be very convenient for the owners. However, upon learning of my husbands incarceration, nationality/religion, the owner Jim Walsh, confided in a waitress that he had fired my sons because of who their father was. Knowing that this could have negative repercussions, he covered up by telling co workers that my sons were fired because business was slow and they needed to cut back. Not satisfied with this explanation my oldest son, Omar 17, decided to look into the real reasons. After questioning the cooks and waitresses it was disclosed that they were indeed fired for who they are. My son Omar decided to go straight to the boss and ask him to his face why they were fired. Well, the truth came out in front of customers and other employees. "My wife died 9-11, every time I look at you I think of my wife and I don't want you working here!" My son told him that firing him for this reason was discrimination and that was illegal, not to mention the fact. His response," I don't care." Approximately half an hour later two men, 30-35 6ft. 200lbs, door asking for my 17 year old son. came to my They proceeded to tell him that if he caused any problems for his father or the business they would come back and take care of the problem and that he and his brother, Ali 15 yrs. old, should stay out of the restaurant. During the incident I was on the phone with 911 explaining that there were two men at my door threatening my 17 year old son. It took police over 45 min to get here. http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_030508WAB_evergreen_riot_arrests_SW.25436f35.html Five charged in Evergreen riot case 09:59 PM PST on Wednesday, March 5, 2008 KING5.com Staff OLYMPIA - Five people have been charged with felonies in connection with the riot at Evergreen State College in Olympia last month. Raw cell phone video of the riot All five suspects are being held without bail until their first court appearance Thursday. The Thurston County Sheriff's Office says four of the suspects are Evergreen students, and fellow students came out to protest the arrests. Officials say more arrests are coming, but they won't say how many more suspects face charges or when they'll be rounded up. "This isn't retribution, this is justice," said Thurston County Sheriff Dan Kimball. Related Content More arrests coming Charged with Riot and Malicious Mischief in the 1st degree are Monica L. Ragan, 18, of Olympia; Nina R. Hinton, 19, of Mount Vernon; and Peter B.B. Sloan, 18, of Olympia. Ragan and Hinton are students at Evergreen. Chase E. Hill, 23, of Olympia has been charged with Theft 2nd Degree. He is listed as a student at Evergreen. Jake D. Silberman, 19, of Olympia has been charged with Riot while armed with a deadly weapon and Malicious Mischief 1st degree. Silberman is also listed as a student at Evergreen. Videotapes from the riot helped detectives identify suspects. Roughly 200 people were involved in the melee on the campus following a rap concert in the school gym. A Thurston County patrol car was destroyed in the incident. Investigators say Silberman, an Evergreen baseball player, pulled the bumper off the car. Hill allegedly admitted to stealing a rear seat from the squad car and taking it to his dorm room. Sloan is accused of spray-painting the car, and Hinton and Ragan apparently kicked the car. "We'll see what happens with this, let's hope justice is served," Ragan said Wednesday. An Evergreen spokesperson says the school is conducting an internal investigation. It's possible students could face suspension or even expulsion from the college. Anyone with information is asked to [***************] http://www.theolympian.com/570/story/379497.html TCSO Five people have been charged with felonies in connection with the riot at Evergreen State College in Olympia in Feb., 2008. Arrests made in connection with Evergreen campus riot Jeremy Pawloski The Olympian OLYMPIA - The Thurston County Sheriff?s Office arrested five people - three males and two women - Wednesday morning in connection with the destruction of sheriff?s patrol cars during a riot outside a hip-hop concert at The Evergreen State College Feb. 15. Photo gallery: 5 Arrested in Evergreen Riot Case Four of the five individuals to be arrested in connection with the behavior of concertgoers at the riot are Evergreen students, said Thurston County Chief Criminal Deputy James Chamberlain. The two women who were arrested are members of the 2007 Evergreen women?s soccer team, according to Evergreen?s Web site. One of the males who was arrested is a member of Evergreen?s club baseball team. All were arrested on felony warrants, according to Chamberlain. One of the male arrestees was arrested at campus housing at around 7 a.m. Wednesday. The rest were arrested off-campus. Jake Silberman, 19, of Bush St. Northwest in Olympia, was arrested on suspicion of riot while armed with a deadly weapon and first-degree malicious mischief. Silberman is listed as a student at Evergreen. He is a member of Evergreen?s club baseball team, according to the team's Web site. Peter Sloan, 18, of Schinke Road Northeast in Olympia, was arrested on suspicion of riot and first-degree malicious mischief. He is not an Evergreen student. Chase Hill, 23, of Indian Pipe Loop, Northwest in Olympia was arrested on suspicion of second-degree theft. He is listed as an Evergreen student. Monica Ragan, 18, of 9th Avenue Northwest in Olympia, was arrested on suspicion of riot and first-degree malicious mischief. She is listed as an Evergreen student. Nina Hinton, 19, of Mt. Vernon, Wash., was arrested on suspicion of riot and first-degree malicious mischief. She is listed as an Evergreen student. Evergreen?s Web site lists Ragan and Hinton as members of Evergreen?s women?s soccer team. A total of four sheriff?s patrol cars were damaged during the riots, including one that was flipped over and completely destroyed. Sheriff?s detectives are still investigating. Anyone with information about the riots can call the sheriff?s office at 786-5500, or Crime Stoppers at 360-493-2222. Thurston County Sheriff Dan Kimball said of Wednesday morning?s arrests, ?On the morning of February 15, mob rule took over on the campus of the Evergreen State College. This morning you began to see the rule of law take back over.? Kimball said the arrests were made by identifying students on video footage of the riots that was seized by Evergreen police and handed over to Thurston County detectives. Detectives also used other investigatory techniques to develop probable cause for arrests, Kimball said. First-degree malicious mischief is a class B felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. Riot is a class C felony when a committed while in possession of a deadly weapon. Class C felonies are punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Second-degree theft also is a class C felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/401698.html Two riot defendants ask for change of trial venue Jeremy Pawloski The Olympian Two of the five people charged with the destruction of Thurston County Sheriff's patrol cars during a Feb. 15 riot outside a hip-hop show at The Evergreen State College want a change of venue, saying that inflammatory coverage in The Olympian has prejudiced Thurston County's jury pool. "In the case at hand there has been extensive media coverage (especially photographs of the defendants) allegedly involved in the Saint Valentine's day unrest at Evergreen State College," reads Joseph Sloan's motion. "The local newspaper, The Olympian, has provided not only photographs of the events, but video images of the events on its Web site, including individuals destroying a Sheriff's Office patrol car, and the Defendant being taken into custody in handcuffs." A fair trial A change of venue to Pierce County would ensure a fair trial, Sloan argues in his motion. Joseph Sloan is the father of his client, Peter B. Sloan. Four patrol cars were damaged at a cost of about $50,000 during the riot, according to the sheriff's office, and one was flipped and destroyed. The riot started after concertgoers outside a Dead Prez show at the Campus Recreation Center challenged an Evergreen officer's arrest of another concertgoer accused of fighting, court papers state. Some members of the crowd thought the arrest was racially motivated. When backup arrived, police used pepper spray and batons or flashlights to move the crowd, which was blocking the Evergreen officer. Police said crowd members threw objects at them, according to court papers. The two defendants who are part of the change-of-venue motion are Sloan, 18, and Jake Silberman, 20, both of Olympia. The Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney's Office has opposed the motion. "In any event, any defendant, no matter what his appearance, would be hard pressed to find a more diverse community than Thurston County," reads prosecutor Michael Maltby's motion to deny change of venue. Maltby's motion also argues that it is premature to argue that the jury pool is prejudiced. Sloan, the only one of the five defendants who is not a student at Evergreen, has pleaded not guilty to charges of riot and first-degree malicious mischief. He is accused in court papers of tagging the rear bumper of a Thurston County Sheriff's patrol car with black spray paint. Silberman, a member of Evergreen's baseball team, has pleaded not guilty to riot while armed with a deadly weapon and first-degree malicious mischief. He is accused of striking a sheriff's patrol car and tearing off its rear bumper. Sloan and Silberman have signed declarations stating they do not think they can get a fair trial in Thurston County. Joseph Sloan also has filed a motion asking prosecutors to file a "bill of particulars" disclosing what specific behavior establishes his client's criminal liability. The motion also asks prosecutors to disclose all evidence supporting their theory of liability in the case. The change-of-venue motion is pending. All five of the defendants face prospective jail sentences and felony convictions if they are found guilty. http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/2008/03/265325.shtml Political Repression at TESC: Administration and Police Move Against SDS author: Olympia SDS Mar 12, 2008 15:02 The Evergreen State College administration has specifically targeted Olympia Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) for political repression by canceling events and threatening to suspend its student group status. This is an attack on student activism and free speech generally and on SDS' political statements and affiliations specifically. After the events of February 14th, SDS discovered that the administration had encouraged the police to investigate the organization as well as prominent activists from the Port of Olympia demonstrations. SDS was the first group to come out publicly against the administration's cooperation with law enforcement and police racism, sexism, and violence. The fact that SDS has been singled out for scrutiny highlights the administration's focus on repressing dissent. This scrutiny culminated in the cancellation of two events that SDS planned for Friday, March 7th. The events were planned months ahead of time and all the paperwork was finished weeks in advance. One of the events, a panel discussion and film screening, centered on the San Francisco 8 (SF8), a group of former Black Panthers and community activists brought up on thirty-five-year-old charges obtained through torture. Following this event was an acoustic performance headlined by David Rovics. This event was a benefit for an anti-war activist, Carlos Arredondo. Given that the concert moratorium did not pertain to some other events, such as The Tim and Travis Grievance Show, The Wet Spots (a musical comedy), Contra Dancing, and Kimya Dawson (drawing three hundred people), the folk performance was singled out and cancelled for purely political reasons. Also, since the concert moratorium had absolutely no bearing on non-musical events, such as Christa Bell's She-ism, Diversity Race and Power in Academe, Resisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detention Centers, the Palestine Education Project, and Jo Kadi on Feminism and Militarism, the SF8 panel discussion should not have been cancelled. These events were publicized as separately occurring one after the other, not as a single concert. Given the punitive reason for the cancellations, SDS consulted with the various performers and speakers about their wishes for the events and decided to hold them anyway. This decision was not made lightly, as organizers had spent over one hundred hours planning, promoting, and executing both events. Roughly one hundred people packed Lecture Hall One on Friday for the SF8 presentation, and nearly fifty people stayed for the acoustic benefit afterward. On Monday morning, SDS was informed by the administration that it faced potential suspension as a student group for its actions, which would include a ban on the use of pre-approved funds, holding events, and access to school facilities and meeting spaces. This is not in keeping with the Student Activities Handbook, as the first course of action for the administration is not suspension but a warning. Furthermore, disciplinary action is usually reserved for violating official written policy. The concert moratorium was a publicity stunt announced to pacify the public, not official school policy. If the administration continues its unprecedented use of executive decrees as school policy, then SDS will challenge them with legal and community action. In one of his recent emails to all members of the campus community, college president Les Purce stated that "open discourse is a core element of our learning process" at Evergreen. His administration is in direct violation of this statement, as he is trying to prevent a large segment of the community from exercising its right to free speech. Profit-Based? Posted by: ./ at Mar 14, 2008 10:20 Evergreen is a state college, dude. The arrests aren't about college money -- public or private. It would have been easy to brush the incident off as the results of rowdy college students, the strangely hypnotic power of hip hop, or some phat ass chronic. However, the incident occurred during television sweeps, so the local media chose to distort the story in order to generate a climate of public fear and anger. Why? Because fear/anger equals news rating. Nothing creates fear in a liberal like a police car flipped over. Shame on the Evergreen administration for not standing up against the news hype. The University of Washington administration would have been in front of the story -- and thoroughly investigated the situation itself rather than let the media (and the cops) run roughshod over its students. tesc administration's evalution Posted by: mariposa d9, serial number 949623 at Mar 17, 2008 12:34 your swastikas are showing Dear OlySDS Posted by: Andy Rosenberger at Mar 19, 2008 15:24 I myself was stopped carrying a few beers late at night and was basicly tackled and threatened to be tazor'd. I've talked to folks who went to Evergreen decades ago and they said on spring days like this you'd see kids leaving class, lighing up joints and walking around free, instead of this annoying police state found there today. The issue is students should be policing themselves, the fact that a large number of students end up getting arrested every year for drug use, causing a disturbance, or for beer in their own dorm disheartening to say the least. Especially at a university like evergreen, that now seems to be straining towards the right, this situation comes off as a bit embarrising. When students realize the real problem is from invasive police department then action can be effectively taken to rid the campus of the complex, to send the goat out. Thats right, the only sane response is a reconnoiter, the police ought to be kicked off campus, the power of RAs limited, and on various level the parties will improve. http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/2008/03/265502.shtml Olympia SDSer Arrested! author: Kyle Kaunas Mar 21, 2008 00:14 Free Forrest Student! On Tuesday, March 18, local activist Forrest Student and member of SDS at The Evergreen State College in Olympia was targeted by Officer Perez of the Evergreen Police. Perez has a history of harassing and abusing students and other people on campus. When Perez approached him and started questioning him, the person said he had the right to have an attorney present and because of that, Perez arrested him for obstruction. Forrest continued in his refusal, demanding an attorney while in jail and at his arraignment. In response his charges were increased to misdemeanor criminal mischief. The judge refused to set bail and Forrest is still sitting in jail. He will not be released until he appears before a judge, which at the earliest will be on Friday. Forrest has been very involved in local politics of late, participating in the Port of Olympia protests in November and being very vocal in his criticism of the conduct by the Administration on campus in the wake of the events on Feb. 14th. In the current environment of political repression on campus and elsewhere, this development proves significantly troublesome. Forrest has been held in jail and is facing charges for exercising a right protected by the Fifth Amendment, the right not to speak to law enforcement without representation. If you would like to lend assistance to Forrest for legal matters, send check or money to: Forrest Student 910 4th Ave. E Olympia, WA 98506 http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/2008/03/265258.shtml Evergreen 6 Legal Defense Fund author: Tom Mar 08, 2008 18:24 Please help the Evergreen 6! Olympia SDS has set up a legal defense fund to contribute to the defense of the Evergreen 6, the individuals charged with felonies in relation to the incident at Evergreen on February 14th. We have also set up a website at http://evergreen6.x10hosting.com/ which has more information and allows you to donate online. Please donate if you can, and let others know about the defense fund and the website (the site will soon be located at http://www.evergreenlegaldefense.org/ once the domain registration goes through). The people unjustly arrested need all the support we can give them. For more info, please contact evergreenlegaldefense at gmail.com. Free the Evergreen 6! http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/2008/03/265208.shtml Report from the Support Rally For Evergreen Arrestees author: dj questionmark Mar 06, 2008 18:11 Five people were arrested Wednesday March 5th in relation to the events at The Evergreen State College on February 14th . They were arraigned March 6th at the Thurston County Courthouse. Supporters of these members of our community called for a rally outside of the Courthouse. Audio from Courthouse Rally Five people were arrested Wednesday March 5th in relation to the events at The Evergreen State College on February 14th . They were arraigned March 6th at the Thurston County Courthouse. Supporters of these members of our community called for a rally outside of the Courthouse. --------------------------------------------------------------- GREENSBURG KANSAS POST TORNADO GUN CONFISCATIONS This town was locked down tight for several days and no one was allowed in or out. The only people in that town during this time were Sheriffs Officers, Kansas Highway Patrol Officers, ATF, FEMA, National Guard, Police Officers from surrounding areas and some volunteers from Ft. Riley, generally speaking, government officials. Authorities claim no one else was there or could have gotten in or out. Interestingly enough, I have been told repeatedly by all sources that the media was allowed to roam freely without escorts through Greensburg. Shall we ask why residents were not allowed to stay on their own property but media was allowed unfettered access? Many guns and other valuables such as jewelry have gone permanently missing and have never been recovered. There were some houses that were not destroyed and were in tact and habitable. Those folks did not want to leave but were forced to do so. When they returned they found their houses had been broken in to and all of their guns missing. One gentleman reports that when he went to claim his guns, taken from his secure home, they were returned to him in damaged condition. They were not damaged by the tornado. They were locked up in his home and illegally confiscated. So how do we suppose that damage occurred? www.whatreallyhappened.com http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=121607 GREENSBURG KANSAS POST TORNADO GUN CONFISCATIONS Posted By: J Date: Monday, 31 March 2008, 5:04 p.m. READ AND KEEP THESE IN MIND: NEVER have firearms purchased through a 4477 federal registration form. Buy privately, with cash for no records. NEVER openly store your firearms, and that includes a standard rifle safe. Make a sturdy hidden safe or hidden room that will withstand high wind, fire, or earthquake. Have more than one in case one is broken into/lost. ALWAYS expect the government's priority post disaster to be setting up a control grid, and rounding up YOUR GUNS. Maybe, they'll let you have them after you re-register them. ALWAYS expect the worst response by federal goons for even the mildest reasonable objection you might have to their police state tactics. ALWAYS expect the cops and feds to lie to you-except when they say they'll kill you. J. Croft http://freedomguide.blogspot.com GREENSBURG GUN CONFISCATIONS By Patricia A. Stoneking I would like to start this report by noting that I have personally spoke with several sources who were directly involved in the incidents that I am about to report that took place in Greensburg, KS in the aftermath of the horrible CAT 5 tornado that ravaged and destroyed that town. I will not be divulging their names in this article as they have requested I not do so. The first thing I would like for everyone to acknowledge is that the residents of Greensburg were forced to evacuate and that, in and of itself, was an illegal action as martial law had not been declared. There were many people who wanted to stay and they were threatened with arrest and forcible removal if they did not leave as ordered. The tornado happened at 9:46pm on Friday evening, May 4, 2007 and they were forced to leave within a couple hours of it, being given no time to collect themselves or assess the damages or even try to pick up anything such as guns and valuables. Ed Klummp, Police Chiefs Association, testified at the House committee hearing with a position opposing The Emergency Powers Act and said the evacuations were so they could search for bodies and shut off gas and power and that the evacuation was for the safety of the residents. I have been told by a reliable source that the electricity was shut off prior to the tornado striking and the gas was shut off within a few hours after. It would seem that the evacuation was not necessary in light of that information. Perhaps the position should have been that those who want to leave be provided a way to do so and those who wish to stay be allowed to stay. This town was locked down tight for several days and no one was allowed in or out. The only people in that town during this time were Sheriffs Officers, Kansas Highway Patrol Officers, ATF, FEMA, National Guard, Police Officers from surrounding areas and some volunteers from Ft. Riley, generally speaking, government officials. Authorities claim no one else was there or could have gotten in or out. Interestingly enough, I have been told repeatedly by all sources that the media was allowed to roam freely without escorts through Greensburg. Shall we ask why residents were not allowed to stay on their own property but media was allowed unfettered access? Many guns and other valuables such as jewelry have gone permanently missing and have never been recovered. There were some houses that were not destroyed and were in tact and habitable. Those folks did not want to leave but were forced to do so. When they returned they found their houses had been broken in to and all of their guns missing. One gentleman reports that when he went to claim his guns, taken from his secure home, they were returned to him in damaged condition. They were not damaged by the tornado. They were locked up in his home and illegally confiscated. So how do we suppose that damage occurred? Guns and ammunition that were collected were taken to a trailer and an ATF agent manned the trailer. When people first came to collect their guns they were asked for proof of ownership such as receipts and serial number lists and they had to fill out a 4473 and get a NICS approval before they could claim their guns. No one had paperwork, receipts, or lists of serial numbers because it had all blown away. Later into the process they quit demanding these items and asked only for a list with make, model and description of the firearm. In one case, in the collection trailer, a gun case was claimed by one man who had a very nice trap shotgun in it and when he opened the undamaged and closed case, he found not his nice BT99 but another damaged gun that did not belong to him. That $1500.00 BT99 has never turned up. One comment made by all sources is that many "nice" guns were never recovered. Every source has reported that little to no care was taken with any of the firearms retrieved and taken into protective custody and they were not catalogued in any fashion. One resident said "they were just thrown in there in piles". One family, whose house was not damaged, reported that officers were going to remove them at gun point when they refused to leave their property and a gun fight was only averted when a KBI agent stepped in front of the other officers and pleaded with them to consider what they were doing. Those residents had taken up their shotguns and were not going to leave. We can only say thank heavens for that KBI officer who had the sense to realize what pressing these people at gun point would mean. As I talked to these residents of Greensburg the accounts of their personal experiences kept flowing and they all had certain things in common. Their rights were violated, guns were confiscated illegally and they were forced to leave their homes illegally. When government agents came to their property they did not ask them if they were okay or needed help. They were there to forcibly remove them and confiscate their property. Many of them expressed fear of reprisal should they go public. Do they have the names of the officials who they believe acted illegally and inappropriately? In many cases, the answer is yes. Did all officials act illegally and inappropriately? NO. Many were very helpful and had great concern for the well being of the residents and were there to assist them with the best of intentions. The people in Greensburg are a close, tight knit community, everyone knows everyone kind of place. They were very resentful of government coming in and telling them what they had to do. They would have preferred to stay and help each other locate valuables and guns and not leave their property. Several residents have reported that FEMA did more harm than good and would not even cooperate with local law enforcement. Residents of the town who were firefighters and trained in rescue operations wanted to stay and help their neighbors and friends and were told they could not. The many stories that have been shared with me are too lengthy to include in this report. I just pose these questions. If there was even one act of misconduct or illegal activity by any governmental official are we to stand by idly and allow it without complaint? Should those who broke the law be allowed to continue to "serve" as law enforcement officials without question? Should the residents of Greensburg have to fear reprisal if they report and file complaints about what happened to them? Should Kansas and its legislative body do nothing to see to it that this never happens again? I am turning over all of the information I have obtained to the NRA complete with names and numbers of those residents which I have spoke with. I am also going to turn the information over to some members of the Kansas House and Senate. I would urge KSRA members to contact their legislators and demand that a full investigation be conducted in to the events that took place in Greensburg. HB 2811, The Emergency Powers Act is a bill designed to prevent this exact kind of thing from happening and provide a remedy if it does (see that article). At the time of this publication that bill is in the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee. Rise up Kansas! Let your voice be heard! Don't let your town be next!! http://www.citywatchla.com/content/view/1075/ When did LA Start Hating Murals? LA Art? By Judy Baca Within the borders of the City of Los Angeles all murals must receive a permit from the Cultural Affairs Commission before they can be painted on public or private property. This means that if you chose to paint a mural on the outside of your own property you would need to receive a permit from Cultural Affairs to do so. If you do not have a permit you could be fined or jailed and the mural can be removed by the Department of Building and Safety. This policy is apparently in question at the moment and rightfully so as it seems to be a blatant violation of first Amendment rights of the public and individual property rights which are held in higher regard than the interest of the public in most all debates in our country. What seems to be happening is that some muralists who have been given permission to work on private walls with full support of building owners for the creation of a fine art work have sought Cultural Affairs permits and have been told that they cannot apply while the city sorts out this issue. In one case, a mural was removed at Cesar Chavez and Breed Street in January of this year because it was not permitted even though they sought and were denied the right to apply for a permit. The beautiful community mural was destroyed one month after it was painted. Actually, this is not uncommon. There have been many cases in which works that were controversial, perhaps only to one person who complained, have been removed without notification to the artist by the Department of Building and Safety. A beautiful mural of a Zapatista was removed from a wall in East Los Angeles a couple of years ago because it did not have a permit while many banal murals which are used for decorating pizza houses or little markets with purely advertising intent are not enforced. Has the Department of Building and Safety become a mind-policing agency? The City of Los Angeles has a sign ordinance that is written ambiguously enough to make it possible to confuse a mural with a sign. Since the percentage of language was one of the methods the city used to distinguish a sign from fine art (is it really that hard?) the advertising companies seized the opportunity to reduce language on supergraphics and declare them fine art. Today every inch of the public's eye space is being filled with advertising and art is disappearing. Most Angelenos would advocate for control of advertising particularly supergraphics as the chosen images to dominate the urban landscape. Who wants to drive through the city and see a ten-story cell phone or Mickey Mouse as the definer of the downtown skyline? Sign legislation seems to be controlling only artists and not the creators of ?corporate graffiti? by advertising agencies who essentially are ignoring the law and polluting the urban landscape with what amounts to corporate vandalism. The most outrageous acts of permit violations are perpetrated by the super graphic advertising companies who often do not seek permits at all and simply pay the fines associated with illegal advertising if they are caught at all. The city does not seem to have the means, or perhaps the will, to enforce the law on advertising agencies consistently. What is occurring as a result is that super graphics are proliferating and art is not. All public funding for murals in Los Angeles has ended and the SPARC mural program, which existed for 20 years, is gone. This program, through a city and nonprofit partnership, provided public and private monies to produce hundreds of murals in our city. SPARC is working to reinstate this program. Is Los Angeles fast becoming an environment hostile to murals? The debate continues. (Judy Baca posted this report following a March 6 Cultural Affairs Department meeting. She was the founder of SPARC and posts on www.savelamurals.org ) _ http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=5956 6 (article contains links that are not available in this posting) By Bob Unruh WorldNetDaily.com Nearly a dozen members of a police SWAT team in western Colorado punched a hole in the front door and invaded a family's home with guns drawn, demanding that an 11-year-old boy who had had an accidental fall accompany them to the hospital, on the order of Garfield County Magistrate Lain Leoniak. The boy's parents and siblings were thrown to the floor at gunpoint and the parents were handcuffed in the weekend assault, and the boy's father told WND it was all because a paramedic was upset the family preferred to care for their son themselves. Someone, apparently the unidentified paramedic, called police, the sheriff's office and social services, eventually providing Leoniak with a report that generated the magistrate's court order to the sheriff's office for the SWAT team assault on the family's home in a mobile home development outside of Glenwood Springs, the father, Tom Shiflett, told WND. WND calls and e-mails to Garfield County Social Services were not returned, and Leoniak, who earlier served as a water court clerk/referee, also was not available. Sheriff Lou Vallario, however, did call back, and told WND he ordered his officers to do exactly what the magistrate demanded. "I was given a court order by the magistrate to seize the child, and arrange for medical evaluation, and that's what we did," he said. According to friends of the family, Tom Shiflett, who has 10 children including six still at home, and served with paramedics in Vietnam, was monitoring his son's condition himself. The paramedic and magistrate, however, ruled that that wasn't adequate, and dispatched the officers to take the boy, John, to a hospital, where a doctor evaluated him and released him immediately. The accident happened during horseplay, Tom Shiflett told WND. John was grabbing the door handle of a car as his sister was starting to drive away slowly. He slipped, fell to the ground and hit his head, Shiflett said. He immediately carried his son into their home several doors away, and John was able to recite Bible verses and correctly spell words as his father and mother, Tina, requested. There were no broken bones, no dilated eyes, or any other noticeable problems. The family, whose members live by faith and homeschool, decided not to call an ambulance. But a neighbor did call Westcare Ambulance, and paramedics responded to the home, asking to see and evaluate the boy. The paramedics were allowed to see the boy, and found no significant impairment, but wanted to take him to the hospital for an evaluation anyway. Fearing the hospital's bills, the family refused to allow that. "This apparently did not go over well with one of the paramedics and they started getting aggravated at Tom for not letting them have their way," a family acquaintance told WND. "The paramedics were not at all respectful of Tom's decision, nor did they act in a manner we would expect from professional paramedics," the acquaintance said. So the ambulance crew, who also could not be reached by WND, called police, only to be told the decision was up to the Shiflett familiy. The paramedics then called the sheriff's office, and officers responded to the home, and were told everyone was being cared for. Then the next day, Friday, social services workers appeared at the door and demanded to talk with John "in private." They were so persistent Tom ended up having to get John out of the bathtub he was just soaking in, to bring him to the front porch where the social workers could see him, the family reported. Then, following an afternoon shopping trip to town, the family settled in for the evening, only to be shocked with the SWAT team attack. The sheriff said the decision to use SWAT team force was justified because the father was a "self-proclaimed constitutionalist" and had made threats and "comments" over the years. However, the sheriff declined to provide a single instance of the father's illegal behavior. "I can't tell you specifically," he said. "He was refusing to provide medical care," the sheriff said. However, the sheriff said if his own children were involved in an at-home accident, he would want to be the one to make decisions on their healthcare, as did Shiflett. "I guess if that was one of my children, I would make that decision," the sheriff said. But he said Shiflett was "rude and confrontational" when the paramedics arrived and entered his home without his permission. The sheriff also admitted that the injury to the child had been at least 24 hours earlier, because the fall apparently happened Thursday afternoon, and the SWAT attack happened late Friday evening. Officials with the Home School Legal Defense Association reported they were looking into the case, because of requests from family friends who are members of the organization. "While people can debate whether or not the father should have brought his son to the ER ? it seems like this was not the kind of emergency that warrants this kind of outrageous conduct by government officials," a spokesman said. Tom Shiflett said when John was evaluated by the physician, "they didn't find anything wrong with him." He said the paramedics never should have entered his home, but they followed his wife in the front door when she came in. "My attention was on my son," Shiflett said. He said the SWAT team punched a hole in his door with a ramrod, and the first officer in the home pointed a gun right in the face of Tom's 20-year-old daughter. "I don't know where social services ever got started, or where they got their authority," he said. "But I want to know why we have something in this country that violates our rights, that takes a parental right away." He said he saw a multitude of injuries in Vietnam, and while he recognized that his son needed to be watched, he wasn't willing to turn his child over to the paramedics. With 10 children, most of them older than John, it's not as if he hasn't seen a bruise or two, either, he said. "Now I'm hunting for lawyers that will take the case ? I'm going to sue everybody whose name was on that page right down to the judge," he said. Mike Donnelly, a lawyer with the HSLDA, told WND the case had a set of circumstances that could be problematic for authorities. "In Doe V. Heck, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals held that parents have a fundamental right to familial relations including a liberty interest in the care, custody and control of their children," he said. He also said many social services agencies apply "a one size fits all approach" to cases, regardless of circumstances. http://www.newsday.com/news/local/nassau/ny-liwar305631629mar30%2C0%2C1085417.story Police arrest anti-war protester, 80, at mall BY ANASTASIA ECONOMIDES AND MATTHEW CHAYES | March 30, 2008 An 80-year-old church deacon was removed from the Smith Haven Mall yesterday in a wheelchair and arrested by police for refusing to remove a T-shirt protesting the Iraq War. Police said that Don Zirkel, of Bethpage, was disturbing shoppers at the Lake Grove mall with his T-shirt, which had what they described as "graphic anti-war images." Zirkel, a deacon at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Wyandanch, said his shirt had the death tolls of American military personnel and Iraqis - 4,000 and 1 million - and the words "Dead" and "Enough." The shirt also has three blotches resembling blood splatters. Police said in a release last night that Zirkel was handing out anti-war pamphlets to mallgoers and that mall security told him to stop and turn his shirt inside out. Zirkel refused to turn his shirt inside out and wouldn't leave, police said. Security placed him on "civilian arrest" and called police. When police arrived, Zirkel passively resisted attempts to bring him to a police car, the release said. But Zirkel said he was sitting in the food court drinking coffee with his wife Marie, 77, and several others when police and mall security officers approached and demanded they remove their anti-war T-shirts. The others complied, but Zirkel said he refused, and when he wouldn't stand up to be removed and arrested, authorities brought over a wheelchair. "They forcibly picked me up and put me in the wheelchair," said Zirkel, a deacon at one of the poorest Catholic parishes on Long Island, where a devastating fire recently destroyed the rectory and storage areas. Zirkel was charged with criminal trespassing and resisting arrest. He was released on bail. A spokeswoman for mall owner Simon Property Group did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Generally speaking, a mall has the right to control what happens on its property, said John McEntee, a Uniondale commercial litigation lawyer. Activists with dueling opinions had gathered to support and oppose America's five-year campaign. As Zirkel was being wheeled to the police car, the crowd chanted "We shall not be moved!" Moments later, they moved; police and mall security had ordered them off the property. Many joined a larger anti-war crowd assembled by the mall's entrance, off mall property, on Veterans Memorial Highway. They were complemented nearby by protesters saying the Iraq war is vital for security. -------------------------------------------------------- Defend the Princeton HS Walkout Students! 250 Princeton High School students are facing 2 days of detention after walking out of class and attending an hour long rally and speak-out protesting the five-year US occupation of Iraq on March 19th, 2008.Principal Gary Snyder had originally promised that the students would not receive detention, but reneged when it became clear that hundreds of student were planning on walking out. Four weeks earlier, the students were required to miss three periods of class while a New Orleans band played and Mardi Gras beads were thrown at them. What are the priorities of Princeton High School? We urge all student and community members to support students that have the courage to take a stand and educate themselves. "This detention is unfair, because we were taking a chance to voice our opinions and educate ourselves, which we are not given the opportunity to adequately do so in school," said Aislinn Bauer, a Princeton High School sophomore and one of the organizers of the walkout. "We're turning this punishment into something productive." "What I do not understand is how we were able to miss three periods to see Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience perform and throw Mardi Gras beads at us, which had little to no educational value," said Russell Cavallaro, another Princeton High School sophomore. "This walkout actually had educational value. Students were educated on the causes of the war, why it should never have happened, and had a chance to offer their respects to the fallen soldiers." CALL and Email Princeton High School Administrators and demand that the students should be commended and not punished SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION. Petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/PHS250/petition.html Office of the Superintendent- Judy Wilson- 609-806-4220 Principal Gary R. Snyder 609-806-4280 Gary_Snyder at monet.prs.k12.nj.us Assistant Principal for grades 10 & 12 Julianne Inverso 609-806-4280, ext 3503 Julianne_Inverso at monet.prs.k12.nj.us Assistant Principal for grades 9 & 11 Harvey Highland 609-806-4280, ext 3502 Harvey_highland at monet.prs.k12.nj.us http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jAZcFs8-asSLXGzG3az_hEV3AC3AD8VK83F81 TB Patient Faces Felony Charges in Ariz. By TERRY TANG ? Mar 24, 2008 PHOENIX (AP) ? A man with a virulent form of tuberculosis who once was confined to a hospital jail ward for failing to wear a mask in public has been indicted on felony charges. Prosecutors said Monday there was no evidence that Robert Daniels had exposed anyone to his multiple drug-resistant TB before he was quarantined in 2006, but they still charged him with two counts of unlawful introduction of disease or parasite. County officials have been putting together a case to prove Daniels knowingly introduced a disease into the state, endangering others. "We took our time looking at the evidence to make sure the evidence fit the crime," said Sally Wells of the Maricopa County attorney's office. Daniels, who has American and Russian citizenships, was determined no longer to be contagious after undergoing lung surgery in September. He has been living in Russia since October. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Russian authorities did not know Daniels' exact whereabouts on Monday but were looking for him. "If he does come here, he'll be arrested on these criminal violations," the sheriff said. In an interview with The Arizona Republic Monday, Daniels says the case demonstrates that the sheriff is a vindictive man. "You've got to be kidding me," Daniels said. "They don't really have evidence. They can't accuse me of anything unless there's a person who got the disease from me." Daniels said he has recovered fully in Moscow. "The TB is gone. I have no diseases whatsoever. If I had stayed in Arizona even a month longer, I'd probably be dead," Daniels said. A call to the sheriff's office Monday night seeking comment on Daniels' whereabouts was not returned. A phone message left for Daniels' last known lawyer was not returned. Daniels lived in Russia for 15 years and returned to the United States in 2006 after doctors discovered he had a difficult-to-treat form of tuberculosis. He said he briefly worked in an office in Arizona for a chemical company before he was put away. "Where I come from, the doctors don't wear masks," he told The Associated Press last year. "Plus, I was 26 years old, you know. Nobody told me how TB works and stuff." In August 2006, a judge ruled Daniels recklessly exposed others to his illness by going out in public without a mask. Even though he was not charged with a crime at the time, he was placed in solitary confinement and spent nearly a year in the jail ward at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix. While in custody, he was treated as an inmate, confined in isolation and kept under video surveillance most of the time. Daniels was not given a phone, shower, television or other comforts. He then underwent lung surgery in Colorado and moved back to Russia. Atlanta attorney Andrew Speaker, who caused an international health scare in May after he flew to Europe knowing he had a drug-resistant form of tuberculosis, was treated at the same Denver hospital where Daniels underwent surgery. Speaker was initially thought to have extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis; later tests found he had the less dangerous multidrug-resistant TB. http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=2008030710590758 State of California Outlaws Homeschooling Friday, March 07 2008 @ 10:59 AM PST Contributed by: Admin Views: 712 A California appeals court ruling clamping down on homeschooling by parents without teaching credentials sent shock waves across the state this week, leaving an estimated 166,000 children as possible truants and their parents at risk of prosecution. Homeschoolers' setback sends shock waves through state Bob Egelko, Jill Tucker, Chronicle Staff Writers Friday, March 7, 2008 (03-07) 04:00 PST LOS ANGELES -- A California appeals court ruling clamping down on homeschooling by parents without teaching credentials sent shock waves across the state this week, leaving an estimated 166,000 children as possible truants and their parents at risk of prosecution. The homeschooling movement never saw the case coming. "At first, there was a sense of, 'No way,' " said homeschool parent Loren Mavromati, a resident of Redondo Beach (Los Angeles County) who is active with a homeschool association. "Then there was a little bit of fear. I think it has moved now into indignation." The ruling arose from a child welfare dispute between the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and Philip and Mary Long of Lynwood, who have been homeschooling their eight children. Mary Long is their teacher, but holds no teaching credential. The parents said they also enrolled their children in Sunland Christian School, a private religious academy in Sylmar (Los Angeles County), which considers the Long children part of its independent study program and visits the home about four times a year. The Second District Court of Appeal ruled that California law requires parents to send their children to full-time public or private schools or have them taught by credentialed tutors at home. Some homeschoolers are affiliated with private or charter schools, like the Longs, but others fly under the radar completely. Many homeschooling families avoid truancy laws by registering with the state as a private school and then enroll only their own children. Yet the appeals court said state law has been clear since at least 1953, when another appellate court rejected a challenge by homeschooling parents to California's compulsory education statutes. Those statutes require children ages 6 to 18 to attend a full-time day school, either public or private, or to be instructed by a tutor who holds a state credential for the child's grade level. "California courts have held that ... parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children," Justice H. Walter Croskey said in the 3-0 ruling issued on Feb. 28. "Parents have a legal duty to see to their children's schooling under the provisions of these laws." Parents can be criminally prosecuted for failing to comply, Croskey said. "A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare," the judge wrote, quoting from a 1961 case on a similar issue. Union pleased with ruling The ruling was applauded by a director for the state's largest teachers union. "We're happy," said Lloyd Porter, who is on the California Teachers Association board of directors. "We always think students should be taught by credentialed teachers, no matter what the setting." A spokesman for the state Department of Education said the agency is reviewing the decision to determine its impact on current policies and procedures. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell issued a statement saying he supports "parental choice when it comes to homeschooling." Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, which agreed earlier this week to represent Sunland Christian School and legally advise the Long family on a likely appeal to the state Supreme Court, said the appellate court ruling has set a precedent that can now be used to go after homeschoolers. "With this case law, anyone in California who is homeschooling without a teaching credential is subject to prosecution for truancy violation, which could require community service, heavy fines and possibly removal of their children under allegations of educational neglect," Dacus said. Parents say they choose homeschooling for a variety of reasons, from religious beliefs to disillusionment with the local public schools. Homeschooling parent Debbie Schwarzer of Los Altos said she's ready for a fight. Schwarzer runs Oak Hill Academy out of her Santa Clara County home. It is a state-registered private school with two students, she said, noting they are her own children, ages 10 and 12. She does not have a teaching credential, but she does have a law degree. "I'm kind of hoping some truancy officer shows up on my doorstep," she said. "I'm ready. I have damn good arguments." She opted to teach her children at home to better meet their needs. The ruling, Schwarzer said, "stinks." Began as child welfare case The Long family legal battle didn't start out as a test case on the validity of homeschooling. It was a child welfare case. A juvenile court judge looking into one child's complaint of mistreatment by Philip Long found that the children were being poorly educated but refused to order two of the children, ages 7 and 9, to be enrolled in a full-time school. He said parents in California have a right to educate their children at home. The appeals court told the juvenile court judge to require the parents to comply with the law by enrolling their children in a school, but excluded the Sunland Christian School from enrolling the children because that institution "was willing to participate in the deprivation of the children's right to a legal education." The decision could also affect other kinds of homeschooled children, including those enrolled in independent study or distance learning through public charter schools - a setup similar to the one the Longs have, Dacus said. Charter school advocates disagreed, saying Thursday that charter schools are public and are required to employ only credentialed teachers to supervise students - whether in class or through independent study. Ruling will apply statewide Michael Smith, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association, said the ruling would effectively ban homeschooling in the state. "California is now on the path to being the only state to deny the vast majority of homeschooling parents their fundamental right to teach their own children at home," he said in a statement. But Leslie Heimov, executive director of the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles, which represented the Longs' two children in the case, said the ruling did not change the law. "They just affirmed that the current California law, which has been unchanged since the last time it was ruled on in the 1950s, is that children have to be educated in a public school, an accredited private school, or with an accredited tutor," she said. "If they want to send them to a private Christian school, they can, but they have to actually go to the school and be taught by teachers." Heimov said her organization's chief concern was not the quality of the children's education, but their "being in a place daily where they would be observed by people who had a duty to ensure their ongoing safety." Online resources The ruling: To view the ruling by the Second District Court of Appeal, go to links.sfgate.com/ZCQR. E-mail the writers at begelko at sfchronicle.com and jtucker at sfchronicle.com. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/07/MNJDVF0F1.DTL http://www.reason.com/staff/show/135.html Hiding From REAL ID Why honest people might run from a national ID card Kerry Howley | February 1, 2008 When our sad pack of presidential candidates look you in the eye and tell you they can unite a divided America, believe them. The one thing each of them knows how to do?present the citizenry with unworkable, invasive, underfunded mandates?is the one sure way to bring together bizarre masses of humanity.Take the REAL ID Act, the sputtering effort to unite Americans under a common banner of department of motor vehicle regulations and porous databases. In common purpose, it has united the Amish, gun owners, and advocates for victims of domestic abuse, all of whom want to see it killed. Though severely hobbled by a state-level revolt, REAL ID is set to enter its first phase in May, when states that have not applied for extensions will be required to comply with new requirements for issuing licenses. Amish groups and other religiously sensitive groups suggest that REAL ID portends the mark of the beast, and those who receive it will be thrown into eternal abyss. Appealing as it is to view REAL ID author Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) as an agent of Satan, it is probably the victims of domestic abuse who provide the best case study in the plan?s overreach. Organizations such as the National Network to End Domestic Violence contend that stores of half-guarded data would empower stalkers, violent exes, and obsessive abusers hunting for information. Abuse survivors are living repudiations of the assumption that only criminals need seek the comforts of anonymity. But try telling that to the Department of Homeland Security. ?Any state or territory that does not comply,? bellowed senior DHS official Richard C. Barth during Congressional testimony, ?increases the risk of the rest of the nation.? This is easy to swallow if your chief conception of danger involves foreign evildoers bent on random slaughter of unidentified victims. It?s less so for women who fear actual human beings with whom they may share a history. DMVs and local governments have always been vulnerable data dumps where a stalker with a good story could potentially score an address. But DMVs were at least limited in scope; you could move from your small town where your abuser knew a guy who knew a police officer who could demand confidential information to another state with another system. The REAL ID Act would interlink all of them, so an irresponsible or incompetent official in Arkansas could track a target in Missouri. ?A data breach at one DMV will be a data breach in all of them,? says Guilherme Roschke of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. DHS regulations also demand that a ?residence of principal address? be printed on the cards in a machine-readable format, which presents an obvious danger to women trying to hide said residences. More recently, DHS conceded that women enrolled in state confidentiality programs can claim an exemption. According to Jill Morris of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, that?s not enough. Few women are actually enrolled in these programs, which sometimes require participants to provide verification of abuse such as police reports or restraining orders. ?There are millions of women who won?t call the police,? says Morris. ?And police can be abusers too.? There are other loose ends that leave abuse victims hanging. One way women escape their histories is changing names and having the court record sealed. This will be more risky with REAL ID in that the history of the name change may be present in the various databases. The record threatens to stymie the task of starting over and erasing the past. Proponents of REAL ID counter that we?re already living in an age of free information, a nationalized ID system being just a single droplet in the waves of revealing data washing over all of us all the time. But the wave itself is blessedly easy to get lost in, which is, after all, part of what scared our solons into passing REAL ID in 2005. The same technology that brings you the exhibitionism of Twitter-addicted teens is also a powerful force for anonymity. Women trying to avoid detection have benefited from the ability to pay bills online, to contact help undetected, to engage with the world from behind a veil of pixels. The REAL ID concept poses myriad civil liberties issues, and survivors of domestic abuse pose a small--and perhaps surmountable--problem in a much larger debate over national idenfication. But their predicament lays bare the hubris of a government that thinks itself so completely just, so perfectly coordinated, that no honest person ever needs to hide. DHS officials may claim that no one can be secure so long as anyone remains off the grid, but they risk destroying the lives of people for whom the only real security remains anonymity itself. Kerry Howley is a senior editor of reason. ----------------------------------------------------- ----- Original Message ----- From: Otto Yamamoto To: smygo at yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2008 2:12 AM Subject: Re: [smygo] California Outlaws Home Schooling On Saturday 08 March 2008 2.31.11 pm Dan Clore wrote: > ....Began as child welfare case The only 'liberals' the facsisti really fear. They make up their own law here in New York if the criminal law doesn't work for them. Case in point: a friend's daughter accuses her father of raping her(encouraged in this action by a 'liberal' school administrator, whose own 24 year old son was caught a year later in a Connecticut hotel with his pregnant 14 year old girlfriend-he didn't get one day in gaol, and the Kingston Freeman quietly redacted the story from it's online archives). The DA gets 4 or 5 different stories from the girl; takes her to an ob-gyn, who finds an intact hymen. Oops. Well, for Ulster County National Socialist Services, the facts weren't good enough. They levelled civil accusations against my friend, and the Family Court Judge went right along with it, despite the DA's testimony. I was in the court, as a witness for my friend. I ended up with a 90 day sentence for contempt for calling the CPS worker Judy Igo a 'filthy hippie cunt'. I served a week. My friend was not so lucky, he got mandated to a year's attendance in both the county sex offenders group, and some 'abuse' group run by some quasi-governmental hippie collective. ------------------------------------------------------------- Associated PressFeb. 11, 2008Although presumed Machetero Avelino Gonz?lez Claudio requested that he betried in Puerto Rico and declared himself a "political prisoner," federalmagistrate Marcos L?pez ordered his extradition to Hartford, Connecticut,in a generally automatic judicial proceeding.Gonz?lez Claudio's lawyer also denounced to the judge that his client isreceiving "inhumane treatment" en the federal prison, because he is beingheld in a cell where the only window has been sealed with a sheet of metalso he can't see daylight.Migdalia Torres, spokeswoman for MDC Guaynabo, stated in a letter writtento Associated Press that some cells in the prison are being repaired, andthat this work could require that the windows be temporarily sealed. Shedenied that Gonz?lez Claudio is receiving special or different treatmentthan the rest of the prisoners. "The treatment of prisoner Gonz?lez Claudio is no different than that anyother detainee awaiting trial and with the same security needs," Torresdeclared in the letter.Gonz?lez Claudio was arrested last week for allegedly participating in the$7 million Wells Fargo robbery in Hartford, CT, on Sept. 12, 1983.Gonz?lez Claudio stated that he responds to that name, although heestablished through his legal representation that he does not recognizethe authority of the U.S. court in Puerto Rico to extradite him.Avelino Gonz?lez Claudio does not deny his identity. This Puerto Ricancitizen in front of you is Avelino Gonz?lez Claudio," Juan Ram?n AcevedoCruz, lead defense attorney for the supposed member of the BoricuaPeople's Army-Machetero, stated to magistrate Lopez."In terms of extradition, we vigorously object to any attempt by the U.S.government to remove Gonz?lez Claudio from his home, Puerto Rico," addedthe attorney during the accused's identification hearing.Federal prosecutor Jose Ruiz indicated to AP that the extradition couldtake more than 20 days and that if no bail is imposed in the jurisdictionto which he will be transferred, he would remain incarcerated. "If bail isimposed here, it is usually respected there," Ruiz indicated.According to Acevedo, Gonz?lez Claudio, as a "political prisoner," demandshis right to remain in his home country, as stated by international law.The attorney also demanded that the U.S. government comply with UN GeneralAssembly Resolution 1514, which declares colonialism to be "the negationof a fundamental human right.""Since 1972, the UN Special Decolonization Committee has recognized theinalienable right of Puerto Ricans to self-determination and independenceaccording to Resolution 1514," added the attorney, citing the resolution.The defense also requested a bail hearing, which was set by the magistratefor Feb. 21 at 1:30 in the afternoon.The federal prosecutor's office, represented by Ruiz and Carlos Cardona,did not object to guaranteeing the suspect's bail hearing.They successfully requested that Gonz?lez Claudio remain incarcerated inMDC Guaynabo because he is considered "a flight risk" and "a danger to thecommunity" because he used false names for 22 years and due to the natureof the crimes he is accused of.The magistrate stated that the denunciation of inhumane treatment is notunder the court's jurisdiction.Faced with the attorney's demands that he be able to visit Gonz?lezClaudio in a visiting room and not in a conference room where they have noprivacy, and that his shackles be removed so he can sign documents, themagistrate responded that the attorney would have to make the pertinentarrangements with the federal BOP. He indicated that the tribunal couldonly intervene if the situation persisted.While the hearing was taking place, there was a protest by independenceorganizations outside the federal building in Hato Rey."This court represents the interests of the empire and they willfaithfully follow the orders of Washington, but we are going to fight allthe legal battles so he can remain here," expressed the accused's brother,Osvaldo Gonz?lez Claudio. He added that he hopes his brother will be tried"by his peers" and not in Connecticut. http://www.infowars.net/articles/february2008/270208sound.htm San Jose Police To Use Crowd Control Sound Wave Weapons What's good enough to force a terrorist out of a cave is good enough to make you fall into line Steve Watson Infowars.net Tuesday, Feb 26, 2008 San Jose police are to begin using high tech sound wave weapons that are designed to disperse crowds by firing concentrated beams of sound at 150 decibels, causing intense pain and possible deafness. The police department is to get $27,000 in state grant money to purchase the device, which is the exact same model used by armed forces against insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. The dish-shaped, sonic weapon is officially called a Long Range Acoustic Device ? or L-RAD. It seems that now that the government considers the American people the enemy, defense contractors have a new lucrative market selling high tech weapons, normally sold to the military, to the police. "Think louder than a jet engine. Think the front row of a Metallica concert. Think of the piercing scream of a smoke alarm - inches from your ear." reports Mercury News. "Police say it will be used mostly as a high-grade sound system to clearly amplify a police officer's order at great distances. But it can also be used as another of the department's "less-lethal" weapons, along with Tasers and 40mm projectile guns," the report continues. http://www.scsextra.com/story.php?storySection=Local&sid=65938 30 UCSC faculty, staff support legal fund for tree-sitters J.M. BROWN SENTINEL STAFF WRITER February 20, 2008 Thirty UC Santa Cruz faculty and staff members are supporting a legal defense fund for tree-sit demonstrators they say are merely exercising "civil disobedience." Professors Bettina Aptheker and Paul Ortiz, nationally known social activists, have founded an nonprofit advocacy group called "Friends of Flora and Fauna" with the help of filmmaker Mathilde Rand. Also involved is professor Zack Schlesinger, who was arrested in December for bringing hot tea and soup to tree-sitters. Former Santa Cruz mayors Jane Weed, Bruce Van Allen, Celia Scott and UCSC professor Tim Fitzmaurice also are supporters, according to a solicitation letter Aptheker said her group has mailed to more than 600 "progressive" residents. UCSC spokesman Jim Burns said the support is to be expected: "On a campus as diverse as ours, it's not at all surprising that there would be UCSC people who would lend their name to a letter of this nature." The university says the tree-sit violates an overnight camping rule and endangers demonstrators and pedestrians. Schlesinger, student Cruz A. Molina and seven others not directly tied to the campus were brought to court by the UC Regents in December in an attempt to shut down the three-month protest over UCSC's Long-Range Development Plan, a growth plan to add 5,000 students by 2020. Most defendants and others arrested at the site since November are not accused of climbing into four redwood perches, but rather "aiding and abetting" by bringing food or other supplies. A judge will hear arguments March 6. The letter seeking money for legal fees told potential donors their contributions would be tax-deductible and "provide help to people putting themselves on the line to question UCSC expansion plans that could damage the environment, degrade the quality of education at UCSC and impose unacceptable traffic, water and housing impact on Santa Cruz communities." "The lawsuit, which demands punitive damages from supporters of the tree-sit, appears designed to intimidate and stifle protest and dissent," the letter said. "UCSC's bullying tactics are inappropriate, and especially egregious when aimed at people who have very little money." "We'll give money to anyone who was arrested," Aptheker said Tuesday. Schlesinger said he will pay for his own defense. UCSC's handling of the demonstration, which has included at least two pepper spray-laced melees, has put it at odds with some high-profile employees. But several professors who support the legal defense group said Tuesday they don't fear retribution. "It would be foolish," said Aptheker, who also brought food to the tree-sit but was not cited. "The letter is basically to say, 'That's enough,'" she said. Literature professor Christopher Connery said he supports the defense fund because, "I felt actually that the university or some people in the university are just taking too confrontational an attitude toward protests of any kind. The university should understand that the faculty are the university. I don't think the university should be arresting them." Tree-sit spokeswoman Jennifer Charles said lawyers representing defendants are working for free, "but there are other legal expenses that could with court cases, so it will be helpful." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 19:52:39 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:52:39 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Repression in the global South, part 2 of 3 Message-ID: <036b01c89ea3$c5e9a260$0802a8c0@andy1> [NOTE: Banning a group for "supporting" terrorism, even for being directly a political wing of an armed opposition group, is usually a sign of determination by political leaders to prevent conflict resolution - adopted recently in Spain and Britain, and for a long time in Turkey, such a move would have prevented the ending of other conflicts such as in Northern Ireland. It is also pretty much impossible to operate a democracy if the ruling elite is able to choose which other parties are allowed to operate.] * MOROCCO: Islamist party banned after arrests * BHUTAN: Atrocities against Nepalese documented * INDIA: Police tactics against Naxalites denounced * INDIA: Persecution of Islamic student group continues - 5 arrests * ETHIOPIA: As clashes continue, Ethiopian forces retaliate against Ogaden civilians, carry out summary executions * LEBANON: Palestinians left in limbo by lack of official status * PAKISTAN: Lawyers freed - but Balochistan's "Nelson Mandela" still in jail * PALESTINE: Israeli forces besiege university * ISRAEL: Starhawk denied entry, deported * ISRAEL: Palestinian beaten for filming arrest * ISRAEL/PALESTINE: Crackdown targets leftists in Bethlehem * NIGERIA: Crackdown on miniskirts * SWEDEN: Court refuses to outlaw snakes * GREECE: Squats under attack from cops, fascists * COLOMBIA/MEXICO/ECUADOR: Killings of innocent students by Colombian military * Extrajudicial executions recorded in Colombian border incursion * ITALY: Trial of anarchists for defending woman continues * ITALY: Attempt to ban pigeon-feeding in Venice * ROMANIA: Neoliberal cart ban leads to abandoned horses * MALAYSIA: Indigenous community receive death threats * KENYA: Police hunting Ogiek in reprisal for killing * THAILAND: New drug war is threat to Akha * PALESTINE/ISRAEL: How can a dying man be a security threat? * IRAN/AFGHANISTAN: Refugees forcibly returned; country unable to cope * IRAQ: Prison amnesty to exclude gay men Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-morocco-islamists.html?_r=1&oref=slogin February 20, 2008 Morocco Bans Islamist Party After Arrests By REUTERS Filed at 3:11 p.m. ET RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco outlawed an Islamist party on Wednesday after authorities linked its leader to what they called a terrorist network rounded up by police this week. The government said the network, tied to al Qaeda and other groups, planned a spate of killings in Morocco, a staunch ally of the U.S.- declared global war on terrorism. The outlawed party was al Badil al Hadari (Civilized Alternative), which had been among Islamist parties allowed to operate legally. It contested national elections in September. Al Hadari's chief, Mustapha Moatassim, was among 32 people arrested in a police operation on Monday and Tuesday and accused of planning to slay top army officers, government ministers and some Moroccan Jews, the interior minister said. "The network has a two-pronged strategy: one for political activity with al Badil al Hadari as its public face and another clandestine focusing on military action," Chakib Benmoussa told a news conference. "The network set up a military wing named Special Action Group," he said, adding it had links with Algeria's Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which last year changed its name to al Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb. "The network developed links with terror groups abroad to give military training to its members," he added, naming al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Abdelhafid Sriti, Hezbollah's Al Manar television correspondent in Morocco, was among the 32 detained. Benmoussa said members of the network, launched in 1992, had carried out six murders in Belgium, where its Moroccan leader, Abdelkader Belliraj, lived. The allegations of links to terrorism against Moatassim were the first leveled at a leader of a legal Islamist party. WEAPONS Three other small Islamist underground groups were linked to the network, Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi's office said, as well as a group widely known as moderate, the Oumma Movement. Oumma Movement, whose leader Mohamed Merouani was among those detained, applied for legal status as a party, but the Interior ministry dismissed its request last year. Police discovered at least 34 weapons, including two Israeli-made UZI assault rifles, when they raided homes and offices of the suspects, Benmoussa said. "The prime minister decreed the dismantling of al Badil al Hadari within the framework of the break-up of the Belliraj terrorist network and in the light of the proven links between this network and the creation of this party," Fassi's office said in a statement. It also said a member of the network had carried out a hold-up on a Brussels subsidiary of business security firm Brink's CO in 2000 to steal 17.5 million euros, with the help of European gangsters. "The heist from this hold-up enabled the network to introduce the equivalent of 30 million dirhams ($3.89 million) in 2001 to Morocco to fund its activities," it added. Morocco's government, on alert since suicide bombings killed 45 people in Casablanca nearly five years ago, says it has broken up more than 60 cells of terror suspects since then. It has arrested more than 3,000 people in the process. The largest Islamic opposition movement, Al Adl Wal Ihssane (Justice and Charity), is tolerated by King Mohammed's government but banned from mainstream politics because of its open hostility to the monarchy. The moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) has 46 seats in Morocco's 325-member parliament. (Reporting by Lamine Ghanmi; Editing by Charles Dick) Drukpa atrocities on Nepali-speakers BY UPENDRA POKHAREL http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=138150 BHUTAN, Feb 19 - Following the declaration of armed struggle by Bhutan Communist Party Marxist-Leninist and Maoist (BCP-MLM) in Bhutan, Drukpas, the indigenous Bhutanese, have allegedly started unleashing atrocities against Nepali-speaking Bhutanese here, and local authorities are not helping the latter. According to victims, Drukpa employers are denying them their salary, while local administrators, almost all of whom are Drukpas, are beating them for no obvious reason. Some administrators have even begun threatening to force them into exile. A bus driver, who is a Nepali-speaking Bhutanese, said one Ekka Drukpa, the owner of local Chima Travels, mistreated him. "Drukpa is close to the Bhutanese King. No one dares speak against him despite his atrocities," said the driver who recently faced Drukpa rage. In another recent case, local police refused to register a complaint filed by one Ramesh Chhetri, an employee at Rinchen Supply Agency in Phuntsholing, after he was allegedly beaten up by his employer Rinchen Dorjee. "Dorjee stopped giving me my salary. Police refused to register my complaint against him," said Chhetri. Most Nepali-speaking Bhutanese, who have been issued citizenships of 4th and 5th categories by the Druk government, have been doing low- class jobs for a living, local Tilak Chhetri informed. "They are deprived of all government facilities," he said. The BCP- MLM recently owned up responsibility for the bomb blast that occurred in the southern district of Samchi on February 3, stating "it was aimed at destroying election related documents of the government and starting a war against the government." 80,000 more Bhutanese preparing to come to Nepal Meanwhile, Bhutanese refugee leader Tek Nath Rizal said that as many as 80,000 Bhutanese of Nepal-origin were preparing to leave for Nepal due to the local government's harsh treatment in recent days. Talking to journalists at Maidhar of Jhapa Tuesday, Rizal said, "The government has restricted free movement of Nepal-speaking Bhutanese, apart from denying them opportunities." He claimed that no matter how many refugees are taken for third- country resettlement, many others will arrive in Nepal and deepen the problem. He also charged that India was the main obstacle to the resolution of this problem. He was of the opinion that the Bhutanese refugee problem would be solved only through repatriation. WEST BENGAL Mahasveta condemns police tactics Statesman News Service http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=6&theme=&usrsess=1&id=192690 KOLKATA, Feb. 26: While the CPI-M leaders have been offering bouquets to police officers for arresting two senior leaders of the CPI (Maoist), intellectuals including Magsaysay award winner, Mahasveta Devi came down heavily on the state government today, alleging policemen have been "terrorising political workers" and harassing their family members on the plea of launching a crackdown on Maoist terror module. Speaking to the Media at the Kolkata Press Club this afternoon, Mahasveta Devi said, several people have joined CPI (Maoist) and lent their support to the Maoist outfit because of aggression on poor people by the ruling party in the state for a long period of time. "People have joined CPI (Maoist) after facing torture for a long period of time," she said. "Those who have joined CPI (Maoist) have not done anything wrong. Where will they go, if the state government doesn't stop aggression on the common people? Go and read the history of revolution. If you do so, you will come to know that people had to declare war against the rulers after facing sustained torture to change the society," said the writer. "I don't expect anything good from this government and the political parties running it. It is our misfortune that these political parties will rule us in the future, because the opposition parties in the state don't enjoy the support of the people," she said. She also highlighted the failure of the government to run the rationing system properly. Members of Bandi Mukti Committee (BMC), who organised the press meet announced they would stage a dharna in Metro Channel and in front of major correctional homes in the state on 28 February demanding release of political prisoners. Seventy-year-old, Ms Mankumari Saha, who came to meet the writer, alleged that "more than 40 policemen" had raided her house at Risra in Hooghly last night and even "broke down the collapsible gate" to enter her house to nab her son Pradip on the charges of being involved in a Maoist terror module. "Most of the policemen were in an inebriated state and they hurled abusive remarks at me after I told them to leave. The policemen have been harassing my son who is a human rights activist," said Ms Saha. The Magsaysay award winner and other intellectuals who spoke to the Media alleged policemen have sealed the house of one Mr Sushil Bachar at Barasat alleging he had given shelter to a Maoist. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Five_suspected_SIMI_activists_held/articleshow/2932765.cms Five suspected SIMI activists held 7 Apr 2008, 1525 hrs IST,PTI GUNA: In the ongoing crackdown against banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), five suspected activists of the outfit were detained by police for interrogation here on Monday. They were detained following questioning of arrested SIMI leaders, sub divisional police officer (SDOP) Awdhesh Pratap Singh told reporters. Meanwhile, police arrested one more SIMI activist from Indore for allegedly indulging in illegal activities and aiding anti-national elements. The arrested SIMI worker was identified as Naved Irfan, police said, adding he was arrested from Khajrana area of the city. Thirteen top SIMI leaders, including its former chief Safdar Nagori, were arrested from a house in Indore on March 27 where they were holed up to conduct the meeting of the banned outfit. Since then over a dozen SIMI workers have been arrested from different cities in the state. [NOTE: Allegations of terrorist involvement FOLLOW the ban, suggesting criminalization may be a self-fulfilling prophecy] Apr 4, 2008 India 'decapitates' jihadi group By Sudha Ramachandran http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/JD04Df01.html . SIMI was charged with "anti-national and destabilizing activities" for "making controversial remarks questioning the country's sovereignty and integrity", "working for an international Islamic order" and of having "links with militant outfits and supporting extremism/militancy in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere". Critics of the ban said the allegations leveled against SIMI were vague and not adequately substantiated, that the offenses it was accused of and the provocative statements its leaders were alleged to have made were tame compared with those made by Hindu extremist groups against whom no action was taken. The proscription of the organization was followed by sweeping arrests of SIMI cadres. . Police officials say that the arrest of the SIMI top brass is a breakthrough. But they are cautious about evaluating the impact it will have on the organization. "SIMI has been decapitated but this doesn't necessarily signal the beginning of the end of the organization," the senior police officer said, pointing out that the outfit's network is widespread and will be difficult to dismantle. More importantly, "SIMI enjoys the patronage of politicians." Hardcore activists, who were arrested in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh "have often been released on orders from above [politicians]", the police officer said. http://www.milligazette.com/dailyupdate/2006/20060806_simi_india_muslims_organisation.htm Media trial of SIMI The Milli Gazette Online 6 August 2006 The Indian "mainstream" media planted a plethora of stories in recent months to convince the Indian public opinion that SIMI was a "terrorist" organisation which should continue banned. Slowly an environment has been built in which the Tribunal looking into the ban, which must pronounce its judgement before 7 August 2006, will not find it easy to escape unimpressed by the propaganda blitz unleashed by vested interests in the intelligence and security community aided by the BJP which has hijacked the "security" plank so much so that Advani went out on a fresh yatra on the issue and his holier than thou party tried to communalise the issue in Jammu where its leaders, including a former chief minister of Delhi, announced huge rewards to anyone killing "terrorists" - it was free for all to kill Muslims and claim rewards from the party which plundered India for more than six years. In the face of imminent arrest and court cases, these leaders quickly recanted their criminal announcements in the best traditions of their Sangh parivar which wrote pardon-me-please letters to the British colonialists and to Indira Gandhi during the Emergency. Below are two reports about SIMI which expose the hollowness of the official case against SIMI which was targeted by BJP as a soft target (editor). The case of the government against SIMI is based on thin ice The last few months saw Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) a lot in the news with references to the faceless Intelligence Bureau's leaked "information" that "dreaded terrorists" are a part of SIMI or that "dreaded terrorists" were apprehended and they were "ex-SIMI cadres". One wonders why no one questioned the press as to why all of a sudden, after February 2006, SIMI started appearing in the news. The reason is quite obvious. SIMI was banned for the third time on 8 February 2006 and the ban notification itself said that "there is no violent incident involving SIMI since 2004". The government needed to first condemn SIMI in the eyes of the general public with the active aid and abetment of the mainstream media including "respectable" news papers and television channels who have carried on a vicious campaign against SIMI. Even before the Tribunal constituted to decide the correctness of the ban imposed by the government could arrive at a decision (expected before 7 Augsut 2006), SIMI was totally demonized in the eyes of the general public and the media trial of SIMI was over. All incidents that took place in the meantime like the hoax attack on the headquarters of RSS at Nagpur, the Aurangabad arms haul, the Mumbai blasts were immediately blamed on SIMI without a shred of evidence whatsoever. So one would assume that since this government and its agencies, which are ready to blame SIMI for all that is wrong in the country, must've had much to say against SIMI before the Justice B.N.Chaturvedi Tribunal hearing the case of the government to ban. Even in the course of hearings before the Tribunal, most newspapers were misreporting the proceedings. It would be interesting to see why the government had to resort to a media war rather than fight its case before the specially constituted tribunal. This was the case of the Government before the Tribunal: The ban notification was issued by the Joint Secretary, Home Ministry, Mr BA Coutinho who stated before the Tribunal that it was his decision to ban SIMI. The ban notification and the background note stated that SIMI deserved to be banned for clandestine activities and links with 20-odd organizations through whom SIMI was allegedly operating. The background note clearly says that there was no violent incident in which SIMI was involved in the last 2-3 years. Coutinho, who was the main witness of the Government, stated before the Tribunal that the Government was not concerned with the period prior to the previous ban, that is 27 Sept 2003, and the period subsequent to the present ban, i.e., 8 Feb 2006. He also admitted that there was no action taken regarding the several allegations made in the notification against SIMI. The note mentioned that the erstwhile president of SIMI [Shahid Badr Falahi] was training Muslim youth in the use of lathis and in karate and judo. However, he said that the government despite having "information" about all this, did not register a single crime though they felt that such incidents amounted to crimes. This obviously casts a doubt on the truth of the allegation itself. If they knew that the former president of SIMI was training persons in judo and karate then what was the difficulty in prosecuting him for it? It is another matter that training in judo, karate and lathis is no crime in this country. There is no action taken by the Government with regard to a 19-page note issued by the government in support of the ban. When asked if the Government's case was contained in the notification and the note, Coutinho stated that its case was in 'addition' to the note and notification contained in "secret files" which could not be shown to SIMI as the Government claimed "privilege" on the said files. The note in support of the notification according to him was not the "only" material based on which Mr Coutinho sought the ban. Thus the government was not even willing to disclose the basis of the ban to the banned organization! Five large "secret" files were submitted in sealed envelopes to the Tribunal. The note which supports the ban and the notification in support of the note don't refer to any "secret" material. The case of the Government was that these five files and a VCD containing a movie were the "secret material". At the instance of the tribunal, however, the movie was shown. It turned out to be a movie titled 'Jehad-e Hindustan' which had clips of violence against Muslims from Gujarat obviously lifted from the many documentary films made on the Gujarat carnage in 2002 as also clips of violence against Palestine by Israel and clips of the demolition of the Babri Masjid etc. Any person who is reasonably computer-literate could have used existing digital footage to put together such a film. The voiceover was either songs or vitriolic speeches, the substance of which was difficult to decipher. None of it was in English, Hindi or any other language which any of the 34 government witnesses understood. The star witness of the government Mr Coutinho did not even know what the substance of the voiceover was. He did not have a transcript. He admitted that the VCD was of a very poor quality and it was difficult to decipher its contents. He could not show the connection between that VCD and SIMI in any manner. He also did not disclose who it was seized from. He also fished out several Urdu magazines which he claimed were found circulating in the market and stated that they were published by SIMI. He said that he did not know their contents or who published them or whether they were yet available in the market and did not know why they were not banned if publishing them amounted to crimes. In fact, in all those magazines the full details of the printer, editor and publisher were given, yet he did not even know about those details! To add to that, he "quoted" from his secret files and admitted that even the secret files did not say that the magazines belonged to SIMI or had any connection with SIMI. To prove its case against SIMI, the government cited several cases under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act registered between 1998 - 2001. Is it not surprising that SIMI has been in existence sine 1977 and had close to 24,000 members, a central office at Delhi and about 10 zonal offices, and several other offices with its activities known to all in civil society. All of a sudden it turned "criminal" and "terrorist" after the NDA regime with the BJP in the driver's seat came to power? In about 1998, the government of the day started registering cases systematically against SIMI's members and on 27 September 2001, it banned SIMI for the first time. Most members of SIMI especially office-bearers were picked up in the night of the 26-27th September itself and put behind bars. All kinds of false cases were registered during the next 5 - 10 days against most persons who were associated with SIMI. Most of these cases did not reach even the trial state and the government later refused to give sanction to prosecute. Several have resulted in acquittals due to the inconsistency of the statements of police officers themselves. After those cases no fresh cases were registered with any reference to SIMI or to any crimes under the Unlawful Activities Act till much after April 2006. The government had no evidence to offer by way of activities of SIMI during the entire period extending from 27 Sept 2003 to 27 Sept 2005. It was the Government's case in the words of their star witness Mr Coutinho that the present ban was a "fresh" ban. That it was based on the material for the period 27 Sept 2003 to 27 Sept 2005 or even 8 Feb 2006 (though technically SIMI could have had legitimate activities during the period of 27 Sept 2005 to 8 Feb 2006 as there was no ban operating then). However, after the ban was imposed on 8 Feb 2006 in four "crimes" cited in evidence, SIMI has been mentioned. No proof, however, has been placed to show the connection of those accused with SIMI. In fact, with regard to a case registered in Aurangabad against one Amir, who is supposed to have "confessed" that he is a member of SIMI. Way back on 9 May 2001 when he had been involved in some crime, SIMI had clarified in 'Lokmat Times' that Amir was not a member of SIMI. The newspaper clipping was filed by SIMI before the Tribunal and the government could not dispute it. Mr Coutinho specifically stated that the Aurangabad crime of May 2006 was not relevant and not taken into consideration while imposing the ban. Even the rest of the cases were grossly motivated. In Khandwa there were altercations between two communities on 12 April 2006 on the occasion of Id Milad. Several FIRs were registered and are probably forgotten by now. However, four days later, on 16 April 2006, another FIR was registered calling the clashes of the 12th of that month as a "conspiracy by SIMI" and several persons from far-off Jalgaon and Kota etc including young women, were arrested for this "crime". The house of the erstwhile president of SIMI Shahid Badr was also raided in the night of 5 May 2006 even as he was attending the hearing before the Tribunal in Delhi. That being the case, the government at the end of the day relied only on the "Secret Files" as they had no real evidence to offer in support of the ban notification. The so-called "cases" against SIMI during the relevant period of 27 Sept 2003 to 27 Sept 2005 are the most shocking. None of them have a mention either of SIMI or of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. In particular, they are Crimes Nos. 882/2004, 632/2004, 618/2004, 101/2004 (all of Andhra Pradesh), none of which mentioned SIMI/ Students Islamic Movement of India nor had crimes under Section 10,11, and 13 of the Unlawful Activities Act or any crime of cession or cessation. In fact, the first three were cases in connection with protests by the Muslim community angered by the false implication of the 54-year-old Maulana Naseeruddin. In one of the crimes, the first accused is the local MLA. In another case, a local youth who was protesting, was shot in cold blood by the Gujarat police party then in Hyderabad. The last crime is a protest by citizens of Hyderabad against the visit of George Bush to Hyderabad.! The government has shown that it is willing to cite anything against SIMI in its desperate attempt to ban it. In Crime No. 40/2005 (Special Cell Delhi), the chargesheets did not have any mention of SIMI. As also in crime no 16/2003 (Gujarat) which is also of this period, the chargesheet does not mention SIMI. The Supreme Court in Mohinder Singh Gill vs Chief Election Commissioner AIR 1978 SC 851. para 8. State of UP vs Lalai Singh Yadav (1976) 4 SCC 213 at paras 6,8,9,10,15,17; Harnam Das versus State of UP (1962) 2 SCR 487. paras 11-13) has clearly held that the decision of the government should speak for itself and stand on its own. It cannot be buttressed by affidavits filed later neither can material, that was not in contemplation of the government at the point of time it made up its mind, be taken into consideration. These cases further say that the court has to asses the case of the government based on the evidence it offers in support of the case and cannot rely on other material. In other words, the court cannot substitute its decision for that of the Government. Surely, therefore, on Coutinho's admission, the material that relates to the period prior to 27 Sept 2003 and after 8 Feb. 2006 cannot be taken into consideration. The government, even as per the decision of the Supreme Court in Sodhi Sukhdev Singh versus State of Punjab (1961) 2 SCR 371. @ 383, 384, 388 - 393 and 411, cannot take into consideration the "secret files" unless it files an affidavit explaining the reason it cannot disclose the contents of the document, the nature of the document and what injury to public interest would be if the same was disclosed to the banned association. In short, en masse "privilege" without any classification of the documents is not permissible. If the Government has its way, it would like the Tribunal to decide the ban on SIMI solely on the basis of the "Secret Files" without disclosing any of its contents to SIMI or its counsel. If such a procedure were to be adopted, there would be no need to have a hearing. The tribunal can decide the case on its own without any reference to SIMI because, anyway, all the "evidence" is so secret that it cannot be shown to SIMI or its counsel. It is, of course, beyond one'es comprehension as to what is so secret about the files or evidence against SIMI. If one is to go by the VCD, then it is obvious that the government does not wish to disclose the files as they will only expose the weakness of the Government's case! In the case of the ban on RSS (which is the only case in Indian history where a Tribunal constituted to adjudicate a ban has lifted the ban), the tribunal of Justice P.K. Bahri refused to look into 'secret files' which the government did not wish to disclose to the banned association on the ground that when valuable fundamental rights of the association were being curbed by the ban, the adjudication of the correctness of the ban ought not to be done on the basis of secret files. The alternative ground that the government tried to base its case on, is that the two judgments of the previous two tribunals are relevant for the purposes of the present tribunal. They deal with different periods and they have both blindly accepted the case of the government. For example, the Judgement of the Tribunal of 2003 blindly accepted the case of the government and even went to the extent of saying that if SIMI could mobilize funds for putting up a defence before the tribunal it certainly must exist! The 2001 tribunal said in its judgment that confessions though not acceptable under the Indian Evidence Act can be used by the tribunal! The correctness of the judgments are at large before the Supreme Court (2001 judgment) and the High Court (2003 judgment) and their facts do not pertain to the period in question. Yet the government in the absence of any other evidence is seeking to rely on them. If an organization which is supposed to remain banned for two years is again banned after the expiry of the two years on the basis of the previous judgment banning it, then there will be no end to the number of years for which it can be banned for the same old reasons. The government also tried to make much of the language of SIMI's constitution. This constitution has been around since 1977 and no one objected to it till the BJP came to power and decided to ban SIMI in 2001. Why then is the Government so hell-bent upon banning SIMI? It's not an organization that is underground, its activities were out in the open, known to all and its representatives have through lawyers contested every ban imposed by the Government. No organization, which has terrorist and cessationist objectives and does not recognize the Indian constitution and sovereignty, has ever appeared before the tribunal adjudicating the ban. SIMI is obviously a soft target for the Government to show to the majority community that it is not appeasing Muslims. The government has chosen a legitimate and progressive Muslim organization to perpetrate its policy of gagging Muslims on the ground that its is extremist. There is nothing in Indian laws to call an organisation "extremist" merely because it has an open religious composition. The government has missed the point that having such religious organisation overground is in fact an insulation against the youth turning to terrorist and clandestine activities. Won't such ban result in the Muslim community of this country getting further alienated and wondering if anything that is "Muslim" will not be tolerated by the government of the day even if it is legitimate, over-the-ground and in the public sphere? It is an understatement to say that the Government has done a great disservice to the Muslim community and the country by banning SIMI. As the hearings before the tribunal were going on, several persons who were earlier with SIMI prior to the 2001 ban, were "picked up". They were referred to as "dreaded terrorists." "Cell phones" and "magazines" were "recovered" from them. The witch hunt became stronger as the case of the Government before the Tribunal grew weaker. SIMI's erstwhile members were unable to get a single news item putting forth their point of view published even in respectable newspapers with stated "secular and leftist" credentials. It certainly has ruined the faith of the Muslim community in the Government and the fairness of the Indian polity. (To appear in The Milli Gazette's print edition of 16-31 August 2006) There is no case against SIMI The Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs by notification dated 8.2.2006 has banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) for the third time. SIMI was first banned on 27th September, 2001 immediately after the bombing of twin towers of the World Trade Center at New York, USA on 11th September, 2001. SIMI remained banned from September 27, 2001 to September 27, 2003 during which period several prosecutions were launched against its erstwhile members for crimes such as putting up posters, making speeches, putting up stickers etc. SIMI's name was also dragged into several prosecutions under the provisions of Terrorist And Disruptive Activities Prevention Act (TADA) or the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) or even the Unlawful Activities Provisions Act 1967 of persons who were not even members of SIMI but however, the Government alleged that they have been members of SIMI. In fact the erstwhile president of SIMI Shahid Badr Falahi, against whom 7 cases have been registered for putting up posters and giving speeches has already been acquitted in two. Despite the fact that it is the Central Government's case that they have not registered a single crime against any member of SIMI after May 2003, they have yet banned SIMI for the third time on 8.2.2006. In fact, the second ban of SIMI dated 27.9.2003 came to an end on 27.9.2005. Therefore SIMI was in existence between 28th September, 2005 and 7th February, 2006 but it was unable to function in any manner because of the fact that all its offices were yet sealed, most of its members were demoralized or had crossed the age of 30 years which automatically disentitled them to continue as a member of SIMI, as SIMI has an age limit of 30 years for membership and due to lack of offices and as all its accounts were frozen, some of the erstwhile members also had to fight the criminal cases foisted against them by the State. No persons would of course be willing to take up membership of SIMI fearing harassment and prosecution by the Government. In the background note to the ban, not a single instance of any activity of any sort has been mentioned for the period 28.9.2005 to 7.2.2006. In this background, the 8th February, 2006 notification has been passed by the Central Government notifying the ban on SIMI under Section 3(1) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act but also imposing an immediate ban under Section 3(3) proviso of the said Act. According to the judgment of the Supreme Court of India in the case of Mohd. Jafar vs. Union of India 1994 Supp. 2 SCC 1, for an immediate ban to be imposed, the reasons should be distinct and different from the reasons for the ban itself. To cite an example, if the stated objectives of an organization are secessionist or unlawful in any manner, it could be banned under Section 3(1) and the ban will become operative if after hearing the case of the Central Government and the organization proposed to be banned, the Tribunal constituted to adjudicate the ban comes to the conclusion that the organization is such that it deserves to be banned. However when an immediate ban is imposed, the ban comes into effect immediately even before the adjudication is completed. For such a ban to be imposed, apart from the organizations' stated objectives, goals and aims being illegal if the organization is also involved in the violent secessionist anti-national activities it merits an immediate ban. Such special reasons would have to be cited by the Central Government to impose an immediate ban upon the organization in addition to the reasons for the ban itself. Such grounds further should not pertain to stale incidents but should pertain to incidents, which immediately precede the ban. In the case of SIMI, on all three occasions an immediate ban has been imposed and on none of the occasions were special reasons given for imposing immediate ban. By the notification dated 8.2.2006, immediate ban has been imposed though not a single instance of so called unlawful acts have been cited subsequent to May 2005. It is therefore surprising as to how an immediate ban has been imposed. The ban notification which itself shows that there is no violent incident involving SIMI since 2004 yet says that SIMI has the potential to indulge in illegal activities. The reasons given for the ban are that SIMI if not banned would, (i) Continue their subversive activities and reorganise its activists who are still absconding. (ii) Disrupt the secular fabric of the Country by polluting the minds of the people by creating communal disharmony. (iii) Propagate anti-national sentiments. (iv) Escalate secessionism by supporting militancy. Apart from making vague allegations as above without reference to any specific instances, the ban notification alleges that SIMI is involved in 'clandestine' activities or that it has secret links with militant organizations like Jaish-e-Mohd and Lakshar-e-Tiaba. No specific incidents of any crimes have been cited though numerous organizations have been named in the notification claiming that SIMI is involved with them or functioning through them in a pseudonymous fashion. Most of such organizations named in the background note to the notification either do not even exist and if they do, they have not been banned and no crime has been registered with regard to the functioning of these organizations. Some of them are respectable organizations such as Tamil Nadu Muslim Munetra Khazhagam which took part in the electoral process as alliance partner in the Democratic Progressive Alliance of which DMK and Congress in Tamil Nadu are members. TMMK participated in the electoral process both for Parliamentary and State Legislature elections. The President of the TMMK has represented the minority community before the United Nations' Council for Human Rights 9th Session of the United Nations Working Group on Minorities conducted by the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva in May 2003 and also met the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh on 6th December, 2004 as a leader of a delegation from Tamil Nadu. This being the case, the Government has to prove before 8th August, 2006, before the Tribunal constituted and headed by Justice B. N. Chaturvedi of the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi that the Government has a case against SIMI to confirm its ban. The Tribunal is traveling all over India to examine the witnesses being produced by the Government of India in the form of police officers and the SIMI is permitted to cross examine them. The Government has so far produced 3 witnesses in Maharashtra, one in Kerala and one in Tamil Nadu. None of these witnesses in their examination or cross examination have confirmed anything that has been said in the background note. All these are public documents. However, wherever witnesses do not have an answer in the allegations made by them they conveniently claim that the same are based on 'intelligence reports' and that they would not like to disclose such intelligence reports. In fact, it is the erstwhile National Democratic Alliance which banned SIMI in September, 2001 and September, 2003. The Tribunals appointed to look into the previous bans (Justice S. K. Aggarwal in 2001 and Justice R. C. Chopra in 2003) confirmed the ban on SIMI on the basis of the statements of Government witnesses and called the statements of the erstwhile President of SIMI as a self-serving and also stated that the SIMI had the wherewithal to defend itself before the Tribunal and therefore obviously it meant that it existed. The fact that SIMI defended itself before the Tribunal was itself held against it. The challenge to the confirmation of the ban by the first Tribunal in 2001 is pending before the Supreme Court and the challenge to the decision of the second Tribunal is pending before the High Court of Delhi. In fact, SIMI activists and their Lawyers who appeared before 2001 and 2003 Tribunals claim that they were not even allowed to properly cross examine the witnesses, most of their questions were disallowed, evidence of witness of Government were given to them at the last minute and they were not given enough time to prepare for cross examination. In one instance during the adjudication of the 2003 ban, the venue and dates of hearing of the Tribunal in Gujarat was not clear to the local counsel as a result of which he could not appear during the sitting of the Tribunal. Taking advantage of the absence of representation by SIMI at the hearing, the most important witness against the SIMI who was the Joint Secretary of Government based in Delhi was flown to Ahmedabad and was examined and his affidavit was accepted without cross examination. He was not even supposed to depose in Gujarat. A writ petition moved by SIMI saying that they were not even aware of the time and place of the sitting of the Tribunal and therefore were unable to cross examine the witness and in any event that witness (Joint Secretary to Government of India) was supposed to be examined in Delhi and so his examination in Ahmedabad was deliberately done to not to give them the opportunity to cross examine him, had to be withdrawn as the High Court of Delhi was disinclined to entertain the same. SIMI is one of the few organizations though religious and devoutly Islamic but has been over the ground and in existence in civil society. Even the ban document of 8.2.2006 does not accuse SIMI or its activities of any violent incident. Parallels can be drawn with organizations such as All India Catholic University Foundation (AICUF), which like the SIMI is involved in educational, cultural, religious and philanthropic activities. The stated objectives of the AICUF include following the catholic religion. SIMI has been praised for its philanthropic service after the earthquake in Gujarat, which it executed without collection of a cent of foreign funds. It clearly seems to be a soft target for the Government to show the majority community that the Government is not going slow on Muslim organizations. The Congress Government by banning it seems to be making a point that it is not going soft on Islamic fundamentalism and is using SIMI as a scapegoat to establish its aims. It is also clear that a war is being carried out in the media against SIMI. After each hearing the affidavit of the Government is widely publicized in the news paper reports though no correspondent from any newspaper attends any of the hearings to acquaint themselves with the proceedings and to find out if the statements of the Government were able to withstand the test of the cross examination. Not a single Press person ever attended these hearings but very promptly the case of the government against SIMI finds mention in all leading newspapers. In Aurangabad and Nagpur crimes as late as May 2006 and the recent bombing of the Rashtriya Swamsewak Sangh (RSS) in Nagpur are being blamed on SIMI. There is no doubt that these are the crimes which are required to be dealt with severely under the provisions of the existing law. But it is only due to the fact that the government has absolutely no basis to support its ban on SIMI that subsequently events like the bombing of the RSS office or the recovery of arms from one Mohammed Amir Shakeel Ahmed are being blamed on SIMI. It is being said that these persons particularly Mohammed Amir Shakeel Ahmed is a part of SIMI. SIMI had clarified way back on 9th May, 2001 that this person Mohammed Amir Shakeel Ahmed had nothing to do with SIMI. However, the Press continues to report that he is a part of SIMI obviously at the instance of the Government Agencies. A sustained and concerted effort is being made to seek to reinforce these false impressions in the minds of the public that SIMI is a terrorist organization. This obviously will lead to interference with the judicial process of the Tribunal. The Supreme Court of India, the High Courts of various States and many Courts all over the world have held that press reports, movies, Television reports trying to show accused persons / defendants as guilty while they are being tried by judicial forum, certainly amounts to interference of justice and contempt of court because there is clear and present danger to the valuable right of the person to defend himself. Even if the Tribunal is not supposed to be influenced by the references in the newspapers but after an impression is being created in the minds of the public that SIMI is a terrorist organization by the so-called respectable newspapers and thereafter if the Tribunal holds otherwise for the lack of evidence, the said judgment of the Tribunal will be viewed with disrespect and suspicion by the citizens of this country. After the concerted and consistent media reports against SIMI especially after the ban was made and that too in the partisan manner by the newspapers without taking into consideration what transpires in the hearing but merely reproducing the affidavits of the government in the daily news papers, certainly amount to interference with the courts of justice. The ban being in the nature of a fetter on the right to association, right to religion and right to freedom of expression no useful purpose will be served if time and again associations are banned and not allowed to exist. This kind of an attitude on the part of the government will certainly lead to alienation of minority organizations from the mainstream. Very few organizations which have been banned under the Unlawful Activities Provisions Act have even cared to appear and challenge the ban before the Tribunal. They have simply refrained from appearing before the Tribunal adjudicating the correctness of the ban and the bans were confirmed. SIMI is one of the few organizations which has been appearing, leading evidence and contesting the ban through judicial process. However every ban imposed against any organization in the history of India has always been confirmed by the Tribunal appointed to look into the ban except in the case of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh whose ban was lifted by the Tribunal appointed under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Given the fact that SIMI is a democratic organization with no motives or activities which are a threat to sovereignty of the country and that it has had no activities for the last five years, and no activist of SIMI has been found to be guilty for pursuing illegal activities for and on behalf of SIMI surely the government will not be helping the case of communal harmony by banning such an organization and singling it out for discrimination. Today SIMI has no members, no offices and no activities to speak for the last five years yet it stands banned. However, within a short period i. e., by the 7th August 2006 the fate of SIMI will be decided by the Justice B. N. Chaturvedi Tribunal. Ogaden rebels claim killing 43 Ethiopian soldiers Wednesday 27 February 2008 04:15. http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article26149 Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) Military Communiqu? 26 Feburary 2008 - Forty three TPLF Regime troops have been killed with dozens more wounded in fighting between Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) soldiers and regime forces over the last two weeks. The bulk of the fighting has taken place in northern Ogaden in and around the Nogob province. Significant amounts of ammunition and over two dozen rifles as well as communications equipment were captured during the engagements. One armored vehicle belonging to the regime was destroyed near Shilaabo town in western Ogaden during this period. The TPLF regime continues to retaliate by targeting ethnic Somali civilians in Ogaden where arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings continue. The regime has also re-instituted the practice of holding open air military courts in remote villages which often sentence local villagers to death by hanging without due process. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7325147.stm Non-ID Palestinians in Lebanon limbo By Mike Sergeant BBC News, Sidon Mohammed and Maysa (centre) face many problems over their status Mohammed and his sister Maysa are Palestinians, but they have no passports and no identity cards. They are not even given the status of refugees. Legally, they don't seem to exist at all. They are among about 3,000 so-called "non-ID" Palestinians in Lebanon. Many don't qualify for aid and have been unable to leave the refugee camps, find jobs or even get married. "Last year the government prevented me from doing my exams," says Mohammed, a 21-year-old student. "They arrested me because I don't have an ID. Without an ID, I can't do anything." "We face many problems," says his sister Maysa. "No travel, no marriage, no work. We live in the camp like a prison." Their mother Aida has lived a life of regret. "It's my husband's problem," she says. "If I had known at the time what a big issue this would be for us, I would never have married him." Late arrivals Aida's husband is one of the original "non-ID" Palestinians who came to Lebanon in the 1970s. His lack of official status has been passed on to his children. Their situation is very different from that of the majority of Lebanon's 400,000 Palestinian refugees. Most come from families who fled here when the state of Israel was created in 1948. I was forced to be a fighter. If this continues, I will tell my children and my grandchildren to be fighters too Ragheb Bitar But the "non-ID" Palestinians arrived more than 20 years later via Jordan. Many of them came to Lebanon to fight for the Palestine Liberation Organisation after its expulsion from Jordan in 1971. "They cannot move out of the camp. They cannot work officially. They cannot register their marriages, their births, their deaths. "They cannot own a car or a motorbike. So they face a lot of problems," says Mireille Chiha of the Danish Refugee Council, an organisation which has been working with the families. On a hill overlooking Ein al-Hilweh, the biggest refugee camp in Lebanon, I meet one of the original "non-ID" Palestinians. Surrounded by chickens and almond trees, Ragheb Bitar looks every inch the proud former warrior. He fought in many wars against Israel. But for the past 20 years, he hasn't been able to go beyond the camp's perimeter fence or see some of his children. "People without IDs, we are all prisoners," he says. "I was forced to be a fighter. If this continues, I will tell my children and my grandchildren to be fighters too." Promised liberty That is a possibility that is worrying the Lebanese government. Relations with the Palestinians have a complex and turbulent history. With hundreds of thousands of refugees already registered in this small country, the authorities have been reluctant since the 1970s to accept any extra burden. But that could finally be about to change. Dr Khalil Makkawi represents the Lebanese government. He says "non-IDs" will now get similar status to the others. "They will be able to move freely from one place to the other," he says "They will have the liberty to do whatever they want just like other Palestinians in Lebanon." The process of documenting the "non-ID" Palestinians will begin over the next few weeks. Why the change of policy? It's partly an acceptance of the reality that these people are Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon, with nowhere else to go. Dr Makkawi also says that there is a potential security risk, if thousands of people are living in the camps with no official identity. Equality for "non-ID" refugees, though, won't help solve a much bigger issue. The fate of all the 400,000 Palestinians in Lebanon is still unsettled, after almost 60 years. http://freedetainees.org/248 Pakistan's Nelson Mandela By Dazeylin Share This! Categories: Detainee, Disappeared and Pakistan Tags: No Tags. Pakistan's continued detention of the Baluch nationalist hero, Akhtar Mengal, is fanning the flames of insurrection The years of western-backed dictatorship in Pakistan are coming to an end. Candidates supporting the tyrant Pervez Musharraf were trounced in last month's elections. Now, the democratically elected government of Pakistan's new prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, has ordered the release of the judges that Musharraf deposed and detained. They were dismissed because they dared uphold the rule of law and challenge his regime's systemic violation of human rights. The next big democratisation step being urged by the people of Pakistan is the release of the vast, unknown numbers of political prisoners. As well as the hundreds of people who are known to be detained, there are thousands more who have simply disappeared into hidden detention centres. One of Pakistan's most celebrated political prisoners is the former chief minister of Pakistan-ruled Baluchistan, Akhtar Mengal, the president of the Baluchistan national party. To the people of Baluchistan he is a nationalist hero. Many see him as their Nelson Mandela - unjustly jailed for defending the human rights of the oppressed Baluch people. His continuing detention without trial is fanning the flames of nationalist resentment and popular insurrection against Islamabad's tyranny. According to Amnesty International and the Asian human rights commission, Mengal is illegally detained. Held in solitary confinement in Karachi prison since December 2006, he has been denied justice by the use of delaying tactics. In all this time, he has never been tried in an open court. Cursory court hearings have been conducted inside prison. No one, except one family member, has been allowed to witness any of the legal proceedings against him. Mr Iqbal Haider, secretary-general of the human rights commission of Pakistan, was present at the first hearing of Mengal's case in Karachi prison and this is what he saw: "Mr Mengal was brought into the courtroom and shoved into an iron cage with bars all around that stood in a corner away from his counsel." Akhtar Mengal has not been arrested on corruption charges nor has he been charged with the abuse of power. He is facing trial for the alleged "abduction" of two undercover agents of Pakistan's security forces. He was arrested, along with 500 party activists, in November 2006, the day before President Musharraf was due to visit Baluchistan. The mass arrests were apparently intended to stop party members from protesting against the savage Pakistani military operations on Baluch territory, and against the widespread arrests of Baluch human rights activists and their enforced "disappearance". The events that led to his arrest began in April 2006. Mr Mengal reports that he and his family had been receiving threatening phone calls at the time. Because of these threats, he personally chauffeured his children to school. On April 5, two men on a motorbike followed his car as he was taking his kids to school. Feeling menaced, Mengal stopped his car and asked the men who they were. They refused to explain themselves. Fearing for his safety, Mengal's security guards detained the two men and took them back to the Mengal residence, intending to hand them over to the police. By this stage, the two men admitted being army personnel. The Pakistani senator, Sanaullah Baloch, recently recounted what happened next: "Almost immediately, a large party of law-enforcement agency men arrived on the spot and took away their two colleagues who had been picked up, and laid siege to the house and its occupants. On the intervention of the Sindh chief minister, it was agreed that no case would be filed if Mr Mengal's guards who were involved in the case were handed over to the police for questioning . Akhtar Mengal remained free till November 28, 2006, when the Baluchistan police arrested him, along with senior members of his party. Since then, all proceedings are being conducted in camera. Repeated humiliation of the Baluch and their political representatives will intensify the animosity felt by the troubled Baluch population. The judiciary's tilted role and the unproductive hearings . have already shattered the credibility of the bench." Akhtar Mengal is not the only political prisoner. Many other leaders from Pakistan's minority nationalities - Baluch, Sindhi and Pashtun - have been detained and abused on trumped up charges. Veteran Baluch nationalists Sardar Attaullah Mengal, Nawab Khair Bux Khan Marri, Khan Abdul Wali Khan, Mir Ghous Bux Bizenjo, Sher Mohammed Marri and Mir Gul Khan Naseer have spent many years in prison for defending the human rights of the Baluch people and refusing to act as quislings for the Punjabi-dominated political and military establishment in Islamabad. Senator Sanaullah Baloch has noted: "Mengal's prolonged detention, mortification and the delay in the dispensation of justice has exposed the inequality that characterises our system. They also point to the inability of our courts to act independently without being influenced by the powers that be. The (Pakistan) constitution guarantees that 'all citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law'. The international convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination also emphasises 'the right to equal treatment before the tribunals and all other organs administering justice'. However, the Baluch have not been treated according to national and international laws. Constitutional guarantees and the courts have failed to protect their fundamental rights. Akhtar Mengal, as a senior leader of a political party, is entitled to all basic rights and facilities. But he has been denied basic legal and human rights because of his political affiliations. The large number of political activists in Baluchistan, who have been detained and denied legal and prison rights, are entitled to just treatment in accordance with UN conventions. The government of Pakistan must abide by the laws of the country and international law and respect the rights of the Baluch. There should be an end to the injustice, intimidation and harassment being meted out to them." JENIN: URGENT APPEAL Arab-American University Under Siege Palestine News Network March 24, 2008 http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2561&Itemid=29 Jenin / PNN - For going on 18 hours now, Israeli forces have besieged the Arab - American University near Jenin City. Students are appealing for help. Via telephone, Student Council Member, Murad Abu Rabb is asking that humanitarian and media institutions intervene to lift the siege. "The presence in such density on the campus and neighboring area is unprecedented. Helicopters are circling overhead and they are launching flare bombs." Israeli forces have arrested at least 30 students, while 10 others students and staff are still unable to leave the besieged student housing buildings. "We expect them to break down the doors at any moment." All roads in the area are closed, while hundreds of residents, students and staff re unable to move. Director of Public Relations for the University, Jamal Sana, said that the siege on his building began "abruptly at 3:00 am." Israeli forces "set up barriers and aircraft began flying low and soldiers were jumping out. Dozens of soldiers are in the neighboring mountains. All faculty, students and staff are forbidden to move. They have spread themselves throughout every corner of campus." A brother and sister were in the roads nearby and instead of passing home were held for hours under interrogation, reported their father Khalid Kamil. In an adjacent village Israeli soldiers used dogs and explosives inside homes, forcing several families outside. They were also blowing up water wells, as reported by eyewitnesses. Journalists were unable to get close, while one photographer was severely beaten. All were threatened with arrest and beatings if they did not leave, including from Reuters and Al Jazeera. http://www.imemc.org/article/53454 American activist and feminist Starhawk denied entry and deported from Israel. author Thursday March 13, 2008 15:25 author by Mary Firth Starhawk, well known American activist was deported by the Israeli government on Thursday. Starhawk, author of many works celebrating the Goddess movement and Earth-based, feminist spirituality arrived in Tel Aviv Wednesday, 12 March. She was here to help teach a permaculture course in the northern West Bank as well as working with earth activists to develop a project in the Bethlehem area. Dr. Joanne Taylor, a British psychologist commented on the deportation "clearly the Israeli authorities are paranoid even about letting people grow crops and conserve rainwater on their own land." Declaring herself as 'a peace, environmental, and global justice activist and trainer, a permaculture designer and teacher, a Pagan and Witch', perhaps this earthy combination was just too threatening for the powers that be. Starhawk's key message is that the power we hold within ourselves has potential far greater than any people can have over us. Certainly survival of the Palestinian people depends on being able to feed themselves; whilst even access to water is under threat from the Israeli military occupation, learning ways to recycle and store this is an urgent priority. One of the most respected voices in modern earth-based spirituality, Starhawk is also well-known as a global justice activist and organizer, whose work and writings have inspired many to action. Her works have been translated into many languages and her essays reprinted across the world. An 'out' lesbian, Starhawk's newest book is The Earth Path: Grounding Your Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature. It would seem that Israel has much to fear from such open-minded thinking and this cowardly move will only help spread her word more widely. Israeli police violently assault and arrest a Palestinian citizen of Israel for filming them give a parking ticket to another Palestinian. A Palestinian citizen of Israel was filming another Palestinian receive a parking ticket in Jaffa. The police then focus on the cameraman, assaulting him and arresting them both. The assault and arrest is captured on film. watch the video and spread it around you http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2008/03/13/violent-arrest-of-cameraman-in-jaffa-by-israeli-police/ Political sweep of influential leftists in Bethlehem Palestine News Network March 3, 2008 http://www.uruknet. de/?s1=1&p=41891&s2=11 After a memorial for the death of founder of the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, George Habash, in Bethlehem's Church of Nativity on Sunday morning, Israeli forces stormed the city early Monday and arrested eight of its members. In a large incursion, as reported by security sources and eyewitnesses, Israeli forces stormed the West Bank city from all directions. Twenty military machines hit Deheisha Refugee Camp, raiding a number of homes, tearing them apart in invasive searches. Six citizens were blindfolded, bound and taken away, including 53 year old journalist Hassan Abdel Jawad. He is a member of the board of the Palestinian Journalists Union. Also arrested in Deheisha were 40 year old Naim Abu Akr, 33 year old Shabab Mezher, and 34 year old Mohammed Fawzi Al Sadjadi. In the town of Beit Sahour, to the southeast of Bethlehem, Israeli forces arrested 44 year old Yousef Hiat, and then in Al Doha Village closer to Deheisha Camp the Israelis conducted a raid campaign and took a 36 year old government school teacher. Eyewitnesses report Monday morning that Israeli soldiers began the arrest campaign at 2:00 am and ended at 5:00 am. Some 40 of the soldiers were dressed in civilian clothes and all entrances and exits to Bethlehem were closed, with flying checkpoints imposed throughout the governorate. Sources report that all the detainees are members of the leftist party and worked voluntarily in leading positions in the cultural community. This was seen as a political sweep of influential leftists. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/apr/02/gender.equality Nigeria's immorality is about hypocrisy, not miniskirts A bill that seeks to stop women dressing indecently shows how warped our notions of culture have become. My friend Funmi Iyanda hosts a talk show on Nigerian TV in which she interviews state governors, actors and pastors. Her social consciousness is crusading without being self-righteous, her journalism intelligent and honest, her mind deeply kind. One day last December, on her way back from Lagos, she was stopped by policemen. They pointed at her knee-length dress and called her a prostitute, a harlot, a useless woman. They told her she was immoral, that women like her were the reason Nigeria was in such a bad state. Other women have no doubt experienced similar harassment, but things will become worse, horrendously so, if the senate passes a bill that would criminalise "indecent" dressing: necklines must be two inches or less from the shoulders, and the waist of a female over 14 must not be visible. It would be hilarious if it weren't so dangerous. When I told a male friend who lives in Lagos that this bill is an attack on women, he said it was not about women because the senator who sponsored the bill is a woman. Very facile reasoning, I thought. Gay people have supported institutionalised homophobia. Black police officers in the US have carried out anti-black racial profiling. I know men and women who don't accept any oppression of women. I know men and women who do. That the senator is a woman does not make the bill any less targeted at women. As Reuben Abati wrote in the Nigerian Guardian: "Men are quick to complain about how they are exposed to sexual intimidation from women. They do not talk about indecent dressing among men." As always, gender will be complicated by class: women who do not have cars, who have to hitch up their skirts to climb on okadas (motorbike taxis), who do not know a Big Man or Big Woman to call for help, who will be vulnerable to rape at police stations - these will be disproportionately harassed. Many Nigerians have pointed out how silly the bill is when we have serious problems with power, health, education, roads, water. Still, to offer these alternatives is to give the bill a legitimacy of sorts. If we solved these serious problems, would it then be acceptable to punish a woman in a putative democracy who chooses to wear a miniskirt? This bill is, in a larger sense, about societies for whom women are safe scapegoats, and Nigeria is only one example. The country is immoral, and we must legislate morality by imprisoning women in miniskirts. (Most Nigerians use "immoral" to mean sexual. They rarely use the word to refer to real immorality: institutional corruption.) Even challengers of the bill have mostly agreed that it might be a good thing to regulate immoral dressing, but best to leave it to private organisations. This is the populist way to reason in a country where a majority of people choose to be rigidly conservative when it is convenient. (But is dressing ever really an issue of morality?) I was once asked to leave my church in Nsukka because my blouse had short sleeves (I refused); apparently my bare arms would tempt the otherwise pious men. To accept that dressing is a moral issue is to accept this: a woman must not tempt a man. We focus on Adam eating the apple because Eve gave it to him. We don't focus on Adam's responsibility, on why he did not say no. This Judaeo-Christian-Islamic notion of controlling the female temptress so as to save the helpless male dehumanises women and insults the dignity of men since it assumes that men are incapable of restraint at the sight of a woman's flesh. Or incapable of simply looking away. "Culture" is the other justification. We must preserve our culture, and miniskirts aren't our culture. Rape and incest and sexual abuse of children are not our culture, even though they happen all the time. There are accounts of rape all over Nigeria, especially in urban areas, yet a collective silence reigns. This bill is particularly dangerous because it increases the likelihood of women being blamed for rape: if she hadn't worn that blouse, she would not have been raped. Perhaps it is time to debate culture. The common story is that in "real" African culture, before it was tainted by the west, gender roles were rigid and women were contentedly oppressed. There are men and women who, while holding their imported cellphones and driving their imported cars, say that women should conform to certain gender roles so as to preserve our "real" culture. The historical truth is that most of these reductive gender ideas came from Victorian England. But assuming that we agree that there is such a thing as a "pure" culture and that we would like to return to it, then we would go back to pre-colonial west Africa when gender roles were fluid, when there was little gender differentiation in Yorubaland, and when Igbo women could marry women. The culture-preserving senator would be surprised if she were transported back to her home in 1800. Never mind low-cut blouses. The women trading in the markets would be bare-breasted. There has always been a strange dissonance between the public and the private in Nigeria. We say what we think we should in public. This bill has many supporters who must surely know that the moral decadence in our society is not because women are wearing miniskirts but because men and women are stealing and publicly thanking God after they have stolen; because the ability to speak honestly is compromised by a literal and figurative hunger; because we have embraced and codified the culture of hypocrisy. And it is this culture of hypocrisy that the bill will preserve. By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ? Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is the author of Half of a Yellow Sun, which won last year's Orange prize for fiction; next Monday she will be discussing her work with the writer Jackie Kay at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London halfofayellowsun.com The Guardian, Wednesday April 2 2008 http://www.thelocal.se/10700/20080326 / Court rules in favour of man and his snakes Published: 26 Mar 08 07:06 CET Online: http://www.thelocal.se/10700/ An environmental court has overruled both the County Council and G?vle municipality in central Sweden, finding there is nothing wrong with a man keeping 47 snakes--20 of which are poisonous--in his apartment. According to the court, nothing demonstrates that people feel mental discomfort from living near a neighbor with snakes, according to the legal news website Pointlex. G?vle municipality had denied the man the right to house the snakes in his apartment because "it is generally accepted that many people in society are afraid of snakes." And the fear is also justified as it is not unlikely that the snakes could escape, the municipality contended. In his defence, the snake-man said that an insufficiently grounded fear shouldn't constitute a nuisance. The environmental court found that the man had a great deal of knowledge about snakes and that he seemed able to handle them appropriately. He was aware of all applicable animal protection regulations, and the snakes' living quarters were escape proof, assuming the outer door was closed. An examination of the case also failed to provide support for the claim that Swedes in general feel discomfort from having a neighbor with snakes. And even if the snakes make some feel a bit queasy, their concerns can't be judged from a medical perspective to affect health and welfare in such a way that the snakes be considered a public nuisance according to Sweden's environmental code. Subject: A report on the firebombing of Prapopoulou squat and more... To: elp4321 at hotmail.com During the night of 24-25/3/2008, Prapopoulou Squat at Halandri, Athens was firebombed. Neighbours claim they saw three men running out of the building right before the explosion that wrecked large part of the building, the roof and the library. (photos: http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=846797). Prapopoulou squat is managed by an open assembly, active in neighbourhood and environmental issues (for example, the protection of a local stream against privatization and constructions, activities against the sprawl arsons in Parnitha mountain, Athens etc). Their blog: http://protovouliaxalandriou.blogspot.com/ This arson came after a series of similar attacks against self-managed infoshops. Few examples: 24/12/2007: Second arson with an identical device containing mothball and bullets at Thersitis self-managed infoshop. 25/12/2007: Unknown persons broke in the offices of 4 base-syndicates, didn't steal anything, but messed stuff up. 1/1/2008: Unknown persons hurl a molotov coctail against Ypogeios at Kallidromiou social center (their blog: http://ypogeiws94.blogspot.com/). 4/1/2008: Arson at the Southern Suburbs Residents Initiative self-managed infoshop (their blog:http://www.prwkat.blogspot.com/). Meanwhile, in the previous months, another 2 squats, Salamandra at Patissia and Millerou and Germanikou at Kerameikos were evicted by the police. All these action, while evidence came to light proving the police's "special attention" (investigations and surveillance) on self-managed infoshops (Photos of the police reports: http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=846651) as well as the cooperation between nazi groups (that tend to undertake actions against infoshops and activists) and the official police (when they 're not the exact same persons, as in the case of this officer right here: http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=846633). One can see for example the photos of cops and nazis fooling around and working together (during the February 2 antifascist riots in Athens) at: http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=822697. Also, a document on nazi group leaders funding by the greek government, here: http://athens.indymedia.org/local/webcast/uploads/metafiles/ertzfzlyr.jpg Earth Liberation Prisoners Support! - Greece http://greekelp.blogspot.com http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41695 MEXICO: Rights Groups Protest Killing of Students in FARC Camp By Diego Cevallos InterPressService March 21, 2008 Mexico City - Human rights groups in Mexico and Ecuador plan to take legal action against the Colombian government for what they call the "unjustified massacre" of four Mexican students in this month's attack on a FARC guerrilla camp in Ecuador. "It will be a lengthy process, carried out in different courts or international bodies, which could take from three to 10 years, but we have agreed to not allow this crime to go unpunished," Adri?n Ram?rez, president of the Mexican League for the Defence of Human Rights (LIMEDDHH), told IPS. In a cross-border aerial bombing and land incursion in Ecuador, the Colombian military killed 25 people in a FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) camp on Mar. 1, including the rebel group's international spokesman Ra?l Reyes. The attack ordered by the Colombian government, without notifying Quito, prompted Ecuador to sever ties with Colombia and triggered an acute political crisis in the Andean region, which was, however, resolved a few days later. Four Mexican university students were killed in the attack on the camp, and a fifth was wounded and is recovering in a military hospital in Quito. It is also possible that an Ecuadorean citizen was killed, although the body, which is in the hands of Colombian authorities, has not yet been fully identified. Ecuadorean forensic experts have established that the four Mexican students were killed while they were sleeping, when the bombs fell on the camp in the wee hours of the morning. Ram?rez said LIMEDDHH and four other human rights organisations from Mexico, the Quito-based Latin American Human Rights Association (ALDHU), and the Ecumenical Human Rights Commission (CEDHU) of Ecuador will work with the families of the four Mexican students killed in the camp in taking legal action against the Colombian government. "We will take this as far as we have to," said the activist. He said the groups would seek a condemnation by the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino) and by the legislatures of Colombia and Mexico, and that the case may be brought before the Mexican courts and before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. "The final objective is to achieve sanctions for those guilty of this crime," said Ram?rez. ?lvaro Gonz?lez, the father of one of the Mexicans killed in the camp, said he would resort to "the relevant bodies, whatever they may be, until those guilty of the deaths of our children are punished." ALDHU has already brought a lawsuit in Quito against Colombia for the Mar. 1 bombing raid, which it describes as a "terrorist act." As Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa stated after the attack, forensic evidence shows that several of the bodies had bullet wounds in their back, fired from a short distance, indicating that they were the victims of extrajudicial execution. Colombia's incursion into Ecuadorean territory was condemned by the Rio Group, Latin America's highest-level political forum, and "rejected" by the Organisation of American States (OAS). Ram?rez and the families of the Mexicans killed in the raid are calling on President Felipe Calder?n to order an investigation by Mexican authorities into what they call a "treacherous crime" in which high-powered bombs were dropped, "possibly from U.S. airplanes." Military and diplomatic sources told IPS in Ecuador that the United States played an important role in the attack. Although the Mexican government condemned the violation of Ecuadorean sovereignty, it has so far refused to do the same with respect to the murders of the Mexican students in the FARC camp. However, Mexican diplomatic personnel flew to Quito to provide advice to the students' families, who had travelled to Ecuador to identify and bring home the remains of their loved ones. The families returned to Mexico on Thursday and Friday. The Calder?n administration is carrying out an investigation to determine what kind of ties the students had with the FARC. The information available so far indicates that they were leftist activists who "sympathised" with the guerrilla group that emerged in the mid-1960s in rural Colombia, and who were involved in a FARC solidarity group at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), where they studied. The Mexican newspaper Exc?lsior reported Friday that the student activists had sold and distributed at UNAM a video showing the military training received by young people who decide to join the FARC. However, the students' families and the human rights groups supporting them say the students were visiting the FARC camp to carry out an academic study on the last major rebel group active in Latin America. UNAM denies that the students were on an academic mission linked with the university. Next week, LIMEDDHH and student organisations will stage demonstrations demanding that the government condemn the killings of the Mexican students. On Tuesday they will hold a march on the UNAM campus, on Wednesday an open forum, and on Friday a protest outside the Foreign Ministry. There is evidence that the camp in Ecuador was the site of ongoing negotiations between the FARC and international negotiators for the release of hostages held by the rebels, including French-Colombian citizen Ingrid Betancourt. "Colombia knew that, and attacked it anyway, violating the sovereignty of a neighbouring country and killing innocent people, including the Mexicans," said the activist. Ecuadorean President Correa and Betancourt's husband Juan Carlos Lecompte have said that the raid and Reyes's death thwarted the imminent release by the FARC of Betancourt and 11 other hostages. Lecompte said the release operation had been scheduled for Mar. 14 or 15. Diplomatic sources in Quito also told IPS that French negotiators were near the camp, on their way to a meeting with Reyes, the day he was killed. The press reported that the camp had areas for cooking, eating, sleeping, and military and physical training, electric generators, and TV sets. Bogota acknowledged that it violated Ecuadorean sovereignty, but argued that it had a right to self-defence. The camp was reportedly visited in February by a group of Chilean activists who, like the Mexican students, had participated in Quito in the Second Congress of the Bolivarian Continental Coordinating committee, made up of radical leftist groups from around Latin America. (END/2008) http://www.rebelion.org/noticia.php?id=64725 A textbook definition of cowardice March 17, 2008 ? No Comments International Criminal Court - The Hague Blanche Petrich filed this report for La Jornada. The Surviving Mexican Student Reveals that Colombian Soldiers Killed the Wounded and Those Who Had Surrendered Yesterday the Mexican student Luc?a Morett gave her first declaration to Ecuador's Attorney General, William Pesantez, from the Military Hospital in Quito, and testified that Colombian soldiers who bombed the FARC camp in the Sucumbios zone - where until now the bodies of 5 women and 17 men have been recovered - killed the people who were wounded and who'd surrendered. The other two survivors of the massacre, Doris Boh?rquez and Martha Per?z, two Colombians kept by force in the camp to perform domestic work, backed up her declarations with this statement, given in an interview with the Secretary General of the Latin American Association for Human Rights (ALDHU): "The soldiers were shouting for people to give themselves up, that their lives would be respected, and once they did so, they were killed." The jurist, who represents the three survivors in their lawsuit against Colombia for an illegitimate act of war - an invasion using cluster bombs where wounded people were annihilated and the injured abandoned at the scene, among other crimes against human rights - said that ALDHU and the Ecuadoran human rights organizations "hoped to have the support of the Mexican government." He said that he was also studying the possibility of presenting the case to the International Criminal Court, inasmuch as it was a military attack against a group of entirely civilian Mexican students, who were legally in Ecuador, where their activities were legal. "Of course first this initial stage of the process must be done away with, where the victims have been blamed as guerrillas and terrorists, as if that excuses the fact that they were massacred." What expectations do they have of the Mexican government? "Every sovereign country should protect its citizens outside of its borders. Mexico has done this energetically in the past, and we hope that this will not be the exception. These young people were civilian students who were here legally, their activities were legal and even the Attorney General has said so. Therefore they are victims of a massacre. "The Mexican authorities will determine what to do, but next week we are going to submit a lawsuit to the Mexico's Public Minister and the respective authorities demanding protection of the people and their rights. If it is not done, it will be the Mexican people who will judge this conduct. As a civil Latin American society we will not rest until these crimes have been punished and that impunity does not remain," he indicated. ALDHU delivered all the documentation to the Ecuadoran attorney general, certifying that the young Mexicans had entered on a 40 day tourist visa, where they visited various universities and interviewed social leaders and indigenous groups. They also presented a theatrical work at the Second Bolivarian Continental Congress in Quito, which was captured on video. >From there someone proposed that they go to learn about a FARC camp," said Parra, referring to the substance of the statements made yesterday in the Military Hospital. "They were enthusiastic about the idea, first out of curiosity and second because some of them had been working on Latin American movements as part of their theses. "On February 28 they took a bus to Lago Agrio, the city closest to the border. They arrived the morning of the 29th, went around the city and made contact with a man, an adult of few words, dressed in civilian clothing, who drove them in a vehicle for a little more than two hours. Later they traveled by boat on a river and then walked quite a long time until they arrived at the clandestine FARC camp around 6 p.m. on the 29th. "There they were received by a woman who indicated a place where they could eat and assigned them sleeping places. They were to begin their interviews and activities the following day, but that very night they were bombed." Luc?a Morett said the bombing happened in two stages. She was wounded but protected herself with a backpack. She explained that after a few minutes the soldiers arrived. Five of them surrounded her and shone a light on her while she told them that she was a Mexican student. She mentioned the sexual harassment to which she was submitted. Later another wave of Colombian soldiers arrived, but with another uniform, who were identified as police. They didn't kill her but she mentioned hearing bursts of gunfire against groups of people who captive or wounded. Afterwards, they brought her to higher ground, underneath a roof, because the sun was already high in the sky. There they left her. The young woman has an infected 10 centimeter wound in her backside which is difficult to heal. She has been in surgery a number of times. Parra indicated that while the attorney general took her statement yesterday he was accompanied by Mexico's ambassador and consul. "This gave her comfort, because until last night she'd been very sorrowful, feeling that her embassy had practically abandoned her." Yesterday the family of Fernando Franco arrived. His body was identified along with that of Juan Gonz?lez of Castillo. Today the arrival of the family of Ver?nica Natalia Vel?zquez Ramirez is expected. The Mexican embassy was also able to contact the family of Soren Ulises Avil?s, graduate of the National Polytechnic Institute. Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-Peoples Army (FARC-EP) The Cost of Unilateral Humanitarian Initiatives http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19544.htm By James Petras 16/03/08 "ICH" -- - President Uribe's troop and missile assault, violating Ecuadorian sovereignty came very close to precipitating a regional war with Ecuador and Venezuela. During an interview I had with President Chavez, at the time of this bellicose act, he confirmed to me the gravity of Uribe's doctrine of 'preventive war' and 'extra-territorial intervention', calling the Colombian regime the 'Israel of Latin America'. Earlier, during his Sunday radio program 'Alo Presidente', in which I was an invited guest, he followed up with an announcement that he was sending ground, air and sea forces to the Venezuelan frontier with Colombia. Uribe's cross-border attack was meant to probe the political 'will' of Ecuador and Venezuela to respond to military aggression, as well as to test the performance of US-coordinated remote, satellite directed missile attack. There is no doubt also that Uribe aimed to scuttle the imminent humanitarian release of FARC prisoner, Ingrid Betancourt, being negotiated by the French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, Ecuador's Interior Minister Larrea, the Colombian Red Cross and especially Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Kouchner, Larrea and Chavez were in direct contact with FARC's leader, Raul Reyes who, along with 22 others, including non-combatants of various nationalities, were assassinated in Ecuador by Uribe's American-coordinated missile and ground attack. Uribe's military intervention was in part directed at denying the important diplomatic role, which Chavez was playing in the release FARC-held prisoners, in contrast to the failure of Uribe's military efforts to 'free the prisoners'. Raul Reyes was recognized as the legitimate interlocutor in these negotiations by both European and Latin American governments, as well as the Red Cross; if the negotiations succeeded in the prisoner release it was likely that the same governments and humanitarian bodies would pressure Uribe to open comprehensive prisoner exchange and peace negotiations with the FARC, which was contrary to Bush and Uribes' policy of unrelenting warfare, political assassinations and scorched earth policies. What was at stake in Uribe's violating Ecuadorian sovereignty and murdering 22 FARC guerrillas and Mexican visitors was nothing less than the entire military counter-insurgency strategy, which has been pursued by Uribe since coming to office in 2002. Uribe was clearly willing to risk what eventually happened - the censure and sanction of the Organization of American States and the (temporary) break in relations with Venezuela, Ecuador and Nicaragua. He did so because he could count on Washington's backing, which covertly (and illegally) participated in and immediately applauded the attack. That was more important than jeopardizing cooperation with Latin American nations and France. Colombia remains Washington's military forward shield in Latin America and, in particular, it is the most important politico-military instrument to destabilize and overthrow the anti-imperialist Chavez government. Clinton and Bush have invested over $6 billion dollars in military aid to Colombia over the past 7 years, including sending 1500 military advisers and Special Forces, dozens of Israeli commandos and 'trainers', funding over 2000 mercenary fighters and over 10,000 paramilitary forces working closely with the 200,000-man strong Colombian Armed Forces. Notwithstanding these and other international considerations, influencing Uribe's extra-territorial 'act of war', I would argue that the main consideration in this attack on the FARC campsite in Ecuador was to decapitate, weaken and isolate the most powerful guerrilla movement in Latin America and the most uncompromising opponent to Washington and Bogot?'s repressive neo-liberal policies. International politicians, including progressive leaders like Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez and Rafael Correa, who have called for the end of armed struggle, seem to overlook the recent experiences of FARC efforts to de-militarize the struggle, including three peace initiatives (1984-1990), (1999-2001) and (2007-2008) and the heavy costs to the FARC in terms of the killing of key leaders, activists and sympathizers. During the mid-1980's many leaders of the FARC joined the electoral process, formed a political party - the Patriotic Union. The scores of successfully elected local and national officeholders and.5,000 of their members, leaders, congress-people and three presidential candidates were slaughtered. The FARC returned to the countryside and guerrilla struggle. Ten years later, the FARC agreed to negotiate with then President Pastrana in a demilitarized zone. The FARC held public forums, discussed policy alternatives for social and political reforms to democratize the state and debated private versus public ownership of strategic economic sectors with diverse sectors in 'civil society'. President Pastrana, under pressure from US President Clinton and later Bush, abruptly broke off negotiations and sent the armed forces in to capture the FARC's high level negotiating teams. The US-funded and advised Colombian military failed to capture the FARC leaders but set the stage for the scorched earth policies pursued by paramilitary President Uribe. In 2007-2008, the FARC offered to negotiate the mutual release of political prisoners in a secure demilitarized zone in Colombia. Uribe refused. President Chavez entered into negotiations as a mediator. The French government and others challenged Chavez to ask for 'evidence' that the FARC prisoners were alive. The FARC complied with Chavez request. It sent three emissaries who were intercepted and are being detained by the Colombian military under brutal conditions. Still the FARC continued with Chavez request and attempted to relocate the first set of prisoners to be turned over to the Red Cross and Venezuelan officials - but they came under aerial attack by Uribe's armed forces thus aborting the release. Still later, under increased risk, they were able to release the first batch of captives. The French Foreign Minister Kouchner and Chavez made new requests for the release of Ingrid Betancourt, a dual French-Colombian national and former presidential candidate. This was sabotaged when Uribe, with high-level US technical assistance, launched a major military offensive throughout the country, including a comprehensive monitoring program, tracing communications between Reyes, Chavez, Kouchner, Larrea and the Red Cross. It was this high-risk role played by Reyes as the highest level FARC official involved in the negotiations and coordination for captive release that led to his assassination. Outside pressures for a unilateral release of prisoners caused the FARC to lower their security. The result was the loss of leaders, negotiators, sympathizers and militants - without securing the release of any of their 500 comrades held in Colombian prisons. The entire emphasis of Sarkozy, Chavez, Correa and others demanded unilateral concessions from the FARC - as if their own tortured and dying comrades in Uribe's jails were not part of any humanitarian consideration. The subsequent summit in the Dominican Republic during the weekend of March 8-9 led to a condemnation of Colombia's violation of Ecuador's territorial sovereignty, but the Uribe government, responsible for the invasion, was not actually named or officially sanctioned. Moreover, no mention was made (let alone respect shown) for the treacherously assassinated leader, Raul Reyes, whose life was lost in pursuit of a humanitarian exchange. If the meeting itself was a disappointing response to a tragedy, the aftermath was a farce: a smiling Uribe, walked across the meeting hall and offered a hand shake and perfunctory apology to Correa and Chavez, while Nicaraguan President Ortega embraced the murderous leader of Colombia. By that vile and cynical gesture, Uribe turned the entire military mobilization and weeklong denunciations by Chavez and Correa into a comic opera. The post-meeting 'reconciliation' gave the appearance that their opposition to a cross-border attack and the cold-blooded murder of Reyes was merely political theater - a bad omen for the future if, as is likely, Uribe repeats his cross border attacks on an even larger scale. Will the people of Venezuela or Ecuador and the armed forces take serious another call for mobilization and readiness? Less than a week after the Santa Domingo 'reconciliation' meeting, Chavez and Uribe renewed an earlier military agreement to cooperate against 'violent groups whatever their origins'. Clearly Chavez hopes that by dissociating Venezuela from any suspicion of providing moral support to the FARC, Uribe will stop the large-scale flow of paramilitary infiltrators from entering Venezuela and destabilizing the country. In other words, 'reasons of state' take precedence over solidarity with the FARC. What should be clear to Chavez however is the fact that Uribe will not abide by his side of the agreement because of his ties to Washington, and the latter's insistence that the Chavez government be destabilized by any or all means, including the continued infiltration by Colombian paramilitary forces into Venezuela. Uribe could apologize to Correa and Chavez because the real purpose of his military attack was to destroy the FARC leadership, any way, any place, any time and under any circumstance - even in the midst of international negotiations. Washington placed a $5 million dollar bounty on each and every member of the FARC secretariat, long before Chavez or Correa came to power, Washington's top priority - as witnessed by its military aid programs ($6 billion dollars in 7 years), size and scope of its military advisory mission (1500 US specialists) and the length of its involvement in counter-insurgency activities within Colombia (45 years) - was to destroy the FARC. Washington and its Colombian surrogates were willing to incur the predictable displeasure of Correa, Chavez and the slap on the wrist by the OAS if they could succeed in killing the Number Two commander of the FARC. The reason is clear: it is the FARC and not the neighboring leaders, who influence a third of Colombia's countryside; it is the FARC's military-political power which ties down a third of Colombia's armed forces and prevents Colombia from engaging in any major military intervention against Chavez at the behest of Washington. Uribe and Washington have pressured Correa into cutting most of the FARC's logistical supply lines and many security camps on the Ecuadorian-Colombian border. Correa claims to have destroyed 11 FARC campsites and arrested 11 guerrillas. The Venezuelan National Guard has turned a blind eye to Colombian cross border military pursuit of FARC activists and sympathizers among the Colombian refugee-peasantry camped along the Venezuelan-Colombian border. Uribe and Washington's pressure has forced Chavez to publicly disclaim any support for the FARC, its methods and strategy. The FARC is internationally isolated - the Cuban Foreign Ministry proclaimed the phony 'reconciliation' at Santo Domingo to be a 'great victory' for peace. The FARC is diplomatically isolated, even as it retains substantial domestic support in the provinces and countryside of Colombia. With the 'neutralization' of outside support, or sympathy for the FARC, the Uribe regime - before, during and immediately after the Santo Domingo meeting - launched a series of bloody murders and threats against all progressive and leftist organizations. In the run-up to a March 6, 2008 200,000-strong 'march against state terror', hundreds of organizers and activists were threatened, abused, followed, interrogated and accused by Uribe of 'supporting the FARC', a government label, which was followed up by the death squad killings of the leader of the march and four other human rights spokespeople. Immediately following the mass demonstration, the principle Colombian trade union, the CUT (the Confederation of Colombian Workers) reported several assassinations and assaults including the head of the banking employees union, a leader of the teachers union, the head of the education section of the CUT and a researcher at a pedagogical institute. All told, over 5,000 trade unionists have been killed, 2 million peasants and farmers have been forcibly removed and their land seized by pro-Uribe paramilitary forces and landlords. Former self-confessed death squad leaders publicly have admitted to funding and controlling over one-third of the elected members of Congress backing Uribe. Currently 30 congress-people are on trial for 'association' with the paramilitary death squads. Several of Uribe's most intimate cabinet collaborators were exposed as having family ties with the death squads and two were forced to resign. Despite international disrepute, especially in Latin America, with powerful support from Washington, Uribe has built up a murderous killing machine of 200,000 military, 30,000 police, several thousand death squad killers and over a million fanatical middle and upper class Colombians in favor of 'wiping out the FARC' - meaning eliminating independent popular organizations of civil society. More than any other past Colombian oligarchic rulers, Uribe is the closest to a fascist dictator combining state terror with mass mobilization. The opposition political and social movements in Colombia are massive, committed and vulnerable. They are subject to daily intimidation and gangland-style murder. Through terror and mass propaganda, Uribe has so far been able to impose his rule over the working class opposition and attract mass middle class support. But he has utterly failed to defeat, destroy or disarticulate the FARC - his most consequential opposition. Each year since he has come to power, Uribe has pledged massive, all-out military sweeps of entire regions of the country, which would finally put an end to the 'terrorists'. Tens of thousands of peasants in FARC-influenced regions have been tortured, raped, murdered and driven from their homes. Each of Uribe's military offensives has failed. Yet he absolutely and totally fails to recognize what some generals and even US officials observe: the FARC cannot be militarily annihilated and at some point the government must negotiate. Uribe's failures and the enduring presence of the FARC have become a psychotic obsession: All territorial, legal, international constraints are thrown overboard. Alternating between euphoria and hysteria, faced with internal opposition to his mono-maniac strategy of terror, he screams 'FARC supporters' at any and all overseas and Colombian critics. To Ecuador and Venezuela, he promises 'not to invade their territory again' unless 'circumstances warrant it.' So much for 'reconciliation.' The period of humanitarian exchange is dead; the FARC cannot and will not accommodate the requests of well-intentioned friends, especially when it puts in risk the entire FARC organization and leadership. Let us concede that Chavez intentions were well meant. His pleas for a mutual release of prisoners might have made sense if he had been dealing with a rational bourgeois politician responsive to international leaders and organizations and eager to create a favorable image before world public opinion. But it was na?ve for Chavez to believe that a psychotic politician with a history of annihilating his opposition would suddenly discover the virtues of negotiations and humanitarian exchanges. Without question, the FARC understands better than its Andean and Caribbean friends through hard experience and bitter lessons, that armed struggle may not be the desired method but it is the only realistic way to confront a brutal fascist regime. Uribe's killing of Raul Reyes was not about Chavez initiatives or Ecuador's sovereignty or Ingrid Betancourt's captivity, it was about Raul Reyes, a consequential and life-long revolutionary and leader of the FARC. The war-scare is over, differences have been papered over, the leaders have returned to their palaces, but Raul Reyes has not been forgotten - at least not in the countryside of Colombia or in the hearts of its peasants. James Petras, a former Professor of Sociology at Binghamton University, New York, owns a 50-year membership in the class struggle, is an adviser to the landless and jobless in Brazil and Argentina, and is co-author of Globalization Unmasked (Zed Books). His latest book is "The Power of Israel in the United States" (Clarity Press, 2006). ------------------------------------------------------------ BREAK THE SILENCE (inspired by a few leaflets from ' Fuoriluogo') Saturday 13th October 2007 at around 4am: a girl is sleeping in piazza Verdi in Bologna (northern Italy). Police on patrol decide that the girl's behaviour is 'abnormal' and must be corrected by compulsory sanitary treatment (TSO), which means internment in a psychiatric hospital and forced administration of psychotropic drugs. The cops call the ambulance while keeping the girl under their custody against her will. Five comrades of the anarchist place 'Fuoriluogo' witness the episode and cannot help expressing their contempt at the police. They do their best to prevent the arrest of the girl. The police's answer is brutal: armed with truncheons and even guns they chase the comrades. As the latter flee, six more police vans are called on the scene and the short escape ends in piazza San Vitale. The 5 are handcuffed while being severely beaten by the cops. A few residents in the area are clearly indignant at the police's behaviour but do not intervene. The accusations against the comrades are quite heavy: aggravated robbery (the cops have lost a pair of handcuffs), resistance and damage (of a police van in which one of the comrades had been taken). The 5 are immediately imprisoned in La Dozza prison. Two girls are eventually put under house arrest. That very night and the following morning the police search the houses of other comrades in Bologna with the pretext that they are searching for the disappeared handcuffs. In the evening a spontaneous march in solidarity to the arrested anarchists is carried out. Some of the demonstrators decide to express their solidarity also through 'dangerous' writings on the walls of the town. Caught by Digos officers, they are arrested and tried summarily: Juan and Bogu are sentenced to 10 months and taken to prison whereas Davide, Alessio and Belle are sentenced to 4 months and put under house arrest. All the arrested anarchists are inflicted high surveillance regime and censorship on their mail. In the following months, Cristian, Federico, Andrea, Madda, Manuela and Bogu are unlocked and put under house arrest without the possibility (in Bogu's case) to receive mail, make telephone calls and see anyone who doesn't live in the house. Juan, on the contrary, is still in jail and has been transferred from one prison to another a number of times. At the moment he is being held in Poggioreale prison (Naples). In February 2008 another three anarchists are arrested (house arrest) following the same investigation concerning the former. These are the latest in a long series of episodes that in recent months have brought about the adoption of suffocating repressive measures in Bologna. Prohibitions of all sorts are imposed all over the city and the centre is constantly patrolled by a massive presence of police. Houses and social squats are being evicted, camps of gipsy people are being demolished with excavators and all forms of social and political dissent are being criminalized. This is done in the name of 'social security' and to solve so called 'social uneasiness', topics that have been filling the front pages of the press with the intent of stirring a sense of social fear in the citizens and divert their attention from real problems, and of fomenting an atmosphere of cynicism, indifference and resignation. Right now that it is governed by a 'leftist' major, Bologna seems to be once again a laboratory where more and more refined and widespread techniques of social control are being experimented. It is the mayor of Bologna the father of the 'security laws' approved by the committee of Italian majors and eventually adopted at a national level thanks to home secretary Amato. In fact the 'question of security', far from being a local problem, has become the tour de force of all politicians in Italy, and a subject that gives left-wing and right-wing politicians the opportunity to be engaged in a game in which everyone tries to propose the most suitable solutions to suppress freedom. Day by day intolerance towards the 'weakest' categories is growing up. A system based on authoritarian subjugation establishes who are those to be protected and who are those to be persecuted, and inevitably exposes the excluded to cowardly violence: from the attacks against gypsy camps and the community of immigrants in general to the use of total institutions (prisons and psychiatric hospitals) and the more and more frequent raids carried out by gangs of neo fascists. This progressive and obvious devastation of social relationships is not carried out at random. On the contrary, we think it demonstrates that a well-thought process of restoration of order is under way, a process that is making giant steps in order to change the rules of this 'democratic' State. It is not a restoration directed to the past, it is rather a condition necessary to consolidate a political, economic and social system, which is strategically based on war. In fact, while the armies of all western States (including the British and the Italian ones) are engaged into massacring the poorest populations in order to 'export democracy' in every corner of the world, the suppression of any space where opposition and dissent can express themselves has become absolute priority at all levels, from the international one to the local one: massive militarisation of urban space, increase in the number of prisoners, deportation of immigrants and shameless persecution of all social struggles, from workers' strikes to squatting of houses, from protests against eco-devastation to opposition to war. Obviously the most persecuted are those who openly declare themselves enemies of the State and its social order. Those people who don't let themselves be deceived by the propaganda of the regime can therefore recognize the real causes of 'insecurity' and 'social uneasiness'. Deaths at work and fires in workplaces that are occurring in Italy almost on a daily basis cause more dead and injured than any criminal activity. At the same time the impoverishment hitting most people does not depend on thefts and robberies but on wages that are more and more inadequate to the cost of living. The real insecurity is caused by the constant growth of precarious jobs, which are paid very poorly and do not offer any safeguard, by continuous dismissal of workers (due to the transfer abroad of businesses, where labour force is cheap enough according to the bosses' needs), by unaffordable renting prices and by a welfare that cannot offer anything, on the contrary: in Italy people die because of wrong sanitary treatment or get intoxicated by rubbish left to accumulate in the streets. This is not only an Italian story: repressive strategies and social control aimed at preventing the excluded and exploited to unite against their common enemy are being adopted everywhere. This story, therefore, concerns all of us. SOLIDARITY TO THE ARRESTED IN BOLOGNA LET'S PUT FIRE TO ALL PRISONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear friend, SAVE THE PIGEONS OF VENICE! I am writing to ask you to help prevent a plan to starve to death many thousands of pigeons in and around Venice's St Mark's Square. For generations, locals and tourists alike have bought food from eighteen licensed corn sellers on the Square and fed the semi-domesticated flock. Over the years, just as in Trafalgar Square, the birds have come to depend on this food source for their survival. And, just as in Trafalgar Square, Venice's Mayor, Massimo Cacciari, is planning to outlaw the feed sellers from 1st May. Even the traditional throwing of rice at weddings at Palazzo Cavalli, the nearby registry office, will be criminalised. With the feeding of pigeons in the areas surrounding St Mark's Square already illegal, mass starvation amongst the birds is inevitable. Mayor Cacciari is going further. Already his officials are trapping large numbers of these trusting, semi-tame birds and breaking their necks. Incredibly, the barbarism even has the support of the Chief of Police, Marco Agostini, who described the birds as "unbearable". Please email or write to Mayor Cacciari urgently, urging him to halt the culling and to abandon his plans to ban the sale of pigeon food. Email: sindaco at comune.venezia.it Postal Address: Comune di Venezia Ca Farsetti San Marco 4136 Venezia Italy Thanks for caring. Yours for the birds, SAVE THE TRAFALGAR SQUARE PIGEONS http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/17/wrom117.xml Horses left to starve after Romania bans carts By Gethin Chamberlain in Galati, Romania Last Updated: 3:30am GMT 26/02/2008 Ribs showing clearly through their tattered flanks, the starving horses corralled on the edge of the eastern Romanian city of Galati are just a few days away from death. ? In pictures: Romania's abandoned horses Once, they would have pulled wooden carts along the city's streets or worked in the fields, as horses have done in Romania for centuries. But now they have been abandoned by their owners, victims of a disastrous attempt to bring the country into line with European Union law by banning horse-drawn carts from main roads. Over the past month, hundreds of stray horses have been found roaming the streets and parks of Romania's major cities. Many are half-starved and barely able to walk; some have died where they were discovered, unable to get back to their feet. Pitifully thin and bearing the scars of frequent beatings, the horses rounded up in Galati will be sent to the slaughterhouse within days unless someone comes forward to claim them, or to offer them new homes. But there is little demand for an ailing animal in a country where an estimated one million working horses have been officially labelled an anachronism. Some owners have decided it is cheaper to dump the animals than to keep them, since the cost of feeding a horse is now about ?80 a month. Many people living in the countryside earn just ?50 a month. "People only care about exploiting the animal," said Corina Daniela Grigore, who runs the Help Labus animal welfare group in Galati, home to Romania's giant Mittal steel plant. "They think that if it is no use to them any more they can just set it loose." She said the authorities were struggling to cope with the scale of the problem and were turning to private groups for help. "We had a call to say there was a sick horse next to the steel plant," she said. "We had to rent a truck to pick him up and we looked after him for four days, but his legs were injured and he could not get up off the ground. We had to watch him die." Similar stories have emerged across Romania after police started to enforce laws banning carts from the roads in order to bring Romania into line with European road safety legislation. Romanian police, who say they were under pressure from the EU to cut accident figures, blame horse-drawn carts for 10 per cent of the country's 8,400 serious road accidents last year. Chief Commissioner Carol Varna, head of the Romanian police traffic safety department, said that more than 1,000 carts had been seized since officers started to enforce the law. "There are some owners who just let their horses go when they cannot afford them any more," he said. In the past month, at least 15 horses have been found abandoned in the centre of the capital, Bucharest. Elsewhere in the country, campaigners have been told of animals pushed into ditches and beaten to death with sticks. Television news reports showing abandoned horses dying in the snow prompted 200,000 people to sign a petition calling for a new government body to look after animals. Calin Alexandru, a vet who is co-ordinating Bucharest's attempts to deal with the problem, said it was a struggle to find homes for the horses. "We are seeing more and more abandoned," she said. "We cannot find their owners." In response to the outcry, the government is introducing tough fines and jail sentences for anyone found to have beaten or abandoned a horse. But horse owners, who face fines of up to ?100 and the confiscation of both their cart and their animal if they are caught on main roads, believe that it is the end of a way of life. Vasile Adresana, 25, said he had no choice but to get rid of his horse when the police started cracking down on the roads around his home town of Roman, in the north-east of the country. "I used to work gathering wood which I would sell, but the government introduced these laws under EU pressure. Everyone ignored them for a while, but when the police started enforcing the laws there were many roads that I was no longer allowed to travel on with my cart. "There was not enough thought given to the consequences." His wife Miheala, 23, said one of their neighbours had kept his horse, but only because he could no longer get rid of it legally. "The animal is all skin and bone and he beats it all the time - he can't use it for anything and he gets frustrated, but it's not the horse's fault." John Ross, a British equestrian who arranges riding holidays in Transylvania, said that the police were too quick to blame animals for the high accident statistics. "The ban was slipped in stealthily," he said. "There are some villages where farmers cannot legally get to their fields any more." . Additional reporting: Carmiola Ionescu in Bucharest http://www.survival-international.org/news/2888 Penan receive death threats 9 JANUARY 2008 A small community of Penan tribal people in Sarawak, Malaysia, report that an official from the company logging their forests has threatened them with death. The Penan say that the official, from the Malaysian company Samling, told them, ?If you people try to stop our plans, we will kill you.? The Penan have spent many years opposing the destruction of their land by Samling and other companies. The Penan community of Long Data Bila is inside an area claimed by the Penan in a major land rights case, which has been awaiting trial since 1998. Penan leader Kelesau Naan, who was recently found dead, was one of the four plaintiffs in the case. His relatives suspect he may have been murdered due to his opposition to the logging. Commenting on the death of Kelesau Naan, Yap Swee Seng of human rights group Suara Rakyat Malaysia said, ?This .. development in Sarawak is worrying as it points to the taking root of the practice of enforced disappearance and extra-judicial killings, two of the most serious form of human rights violations. --------------------------------------------------------- 19. Jan 2008 - Elburgon / Kenya - WTN Horrible reports from Elburgon speak of police and para-military units hunting members of the Ogiek community, whom they allegedly blame for the death of one police officer. Security personnel, however, could not provide any evidence that the Ogiek are involved in this case at all. The officer was shot in the head with an arrow. Though the Ogiek, one of the hunter-gatherer tribes of Kenya, regularly carry bows and arrows to maintain their marginalized life while collecting mainly honey and wild fruits from the forest, many other peoples living in the area, like Kikuyu, Maasai and Kalenjin have armed themselves with such traditional weapons since the post-election skirmishes broke out in Kenya three weeks ago. After that police officer died in hospital, a manhunt has been launched now to find the culprit, but during the mayhem of the the search in the vast forests around Mariashoni mainly the indigenous Ogiek are suffering from police brutality. Last night more than 20 houses belonging to resident Ogiek in Mariashoni / Mau Forest were torched and burned to the ground by groups of Kikuyu youth, who apparently did this after the Ogiek had fled from the houses in order not to be entangeled in the police operation. The Kikuyu youth allegedly receive protection from the security personnel and could launch the arsonist attack against the Ogiek while security personnel was watching. Roadblocks errected by Kikuyu youth along the road to Elburgon have so far made it impossible for Human Rights lawyers to reach the zone. Please see also www.ogiek.org and support the relief aid to the Ogiek www.ecoterra-international.org Dear Friends: We continue to chip away at the bus, will take some time yet. Your donation can help with this effort. www.akha.org There are quite a few things going on. For one, Thailand has started a new drug war, promising it to be a killing show for the media. There have been no prosecutions of innocent people killed in 2003. As the new PM says, if they were innocent, why did they die? The US government has resumed military aid to Thailand. This is the reward for being lawless. The DEA is well established in Thailand and is no friend to the hill tribe. The Thai government would prefer to blame any woe on the hill tribe and drug problems are no exception. The Thai Government says that the drug war will focus on Bangkok and border areas, which of course means the mountains in many cases and that means the hill tribe peoples. ------------------------------------------------- How Can A Dying Man Pose A Security threat? By Roi Mandel Ynetnews Na'al al-Kurdi, 21, from Gaza is dying of cancer; for the past four months Na'al has been waiting for a permit from the State of Israel to enter the country in order to receive medical care in one of its hospitals. This permit has not been granted so far due to "security concerns." On Monday the High Court has ordered the State to reexamine its decision regarding the transfer of seven Palestinian patients from Gaza into Israel for treatment, and issue a decision on the matter within one week. The High Court's ruling came following a petition by Physicians for Human Rights filed last week. Some of the organization's members said they were astonished by the state's refusal to allow people in critical condition to enter Israel on the pretense that they posed a security threat. The group petitioned the court last Thursday and requested that 11 patients in critical condition be allowed entry into Israel, or passage to the West Bank or Jordan in order to receive life-saving treatment there. On Monday morning, shortly before the High Court handed down its ruling on the petition, the Shin Bet declared it would allow four of the 11 patients entry into the country. 'Can't even stand up' One of those whose entry has been banned is Na'al, who suffers from a carcinogenic tumor in his testicles. Na'al has undergone chemotherapy at the Shifa hospital in Gaza, but last July his doctors recommended that he undergo further tests at the Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv. However, Na'al has not been able to obtain an entry permit, despite a medical opinion supporting the move from the head of the Radiotherapy Unit at the Wolfson hospital in Holon, Prof Eyal Pfenig. Recently, Na'al's condition has deteriorated, and several days ago his doctors found secondary growths in his liver and diagnosed him with cholestatic injury related to jaundice. Two other medical opinions by prominent Israeli physicians stated that without urgent treatment, Na'al faces a painful deterioration in his condition that would inevitably lead to his death. PHR stressed that Na'al could no longer even stand up, let alone walk, and wondered how a man in such state could be branded by the Shin Bet a security risk. AFGHANISTAN: Unable To Cope With Returning Refugees By Anand Gopal http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41450 Afghan refugees return to camps like this in Kabul, with no prospects. Credit:Anand Gopal/IPS KABUL, Mar 4 (IPS) - The rate of return of refugees to Afghanistan from neighbouring countries is causing tremendous stress to the Afghan government and society, government officials here say. According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), in 2007 alone the Iranian government deported over 360,000 Afghans, most of whom struggled to find adequate housing and social services. In addition, thousands more have returned to their home country voluntarily, assisted by UNHCR and government programmes. Shir Mohammed Etibari, head of the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Returnees, recently told reporters that the Afghan government does not have the capacity to absorb the large numbers returning from Iran and elsewhere. Officials here worry that the influx of refugees has sparked food, housing and job shortages and fuels resentment against the government. "We are trying to come to an agreement with Iran, because we are not able to provide for all of these refugees," says Abdul Qader Zazai, chief advisor to Etibari. Millions of Afghans fled their homes because of the decade-long Soviet occupation, subsequent civil war and the rise of the Taliban. According to UNHCR spokesman Ahmed Nadir Farhad, for decades Afghans constituted the world's largest refugee population -- at the height of the exodus, up to eight million Afghans were living outside their country, mainly in Iran and Pakistan. While aid agencies say that the rate of voluntary return has slowed due to the worsening economic and security situation, Iran is deporting large numbers and Pakistan is beginning to do so. The former refugees say that they are returning to a bleak situation, where a lack of social services, job and food insecurity have sparked disillusionment with the Karzai administration. "It is very difficult to find a job," Daoud, 35, a returned refugee from Pakistan, tells IPS. "Without a job, we have many problems. Since the government has not given us help, we can't afford most things. My daughter is sick but I don't have money to go to the doctor." The U.S. reports that Afghanistan's unemployment rate is at least 40 percent, and rising every year. Kabul's population has swelled from an estimated 500,000 in 2001 to over three million, according to the Afghan Central Statistics Office, and returning refugees comprise the bulk of this increase. But employment opportunities under the Karzai administration and international presence are at numbers nowhere near the number of job seekers, fuelling widespread discontent. In addition, skyrocketing food prices threaten to push thousands into hunger. While the problem affects all Afghans, it hits the refugee communities the hardest. "We have nine people in my family," says Mohammed Tazib, 35. "During this winter, we can't support our family. Middlemen hoard the food and only sell it when the prices increase. We don't have enough money to get all of the goods we need. The government doesn't pass any laws to control the price of goods. The dignitaries in power -- especially Hamid Karzai -- have not even paid attention." The returning refugees also bring an additional problem to Afghanistan's streets - drug addiction. Iran has one of the highest drug addiction rates in the world, and thousands of Afghan refugees pick up the habit and spread it to their friends and family back home. Afghanistan now has close to one million addicts, transforming a country known to be relatively addiction free into one of the fastest growing drug populations in the world. Zakih, 33, returned from Iran six months ago. "When I was working in Iran," he recalls, "we worked very hard all day. At the end of the day, my boss, who was Iranian, gave me some drugs and said 'take them -- you will feel better'". Hundreds of addicts like Zakih live in abandoned parks and bombed- out buildings around Kabul. Most are jobless and are forced to beg and steal to earn their drug money. "When someone is drug dependent and has no money, anyone can buy him," says Jehenzeb Khan, director of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime Demand Reduction Programme. "They are vulnerable to insurgents, petty criminals, and others." "This is directly affecting the health of the society," he adds. "When so much of the youth are addicted, it is difficult to rebuild our society." While the government cites a lack of resources, many insist that supporting the refugees is possible if the Karzai administration and foreign forces focused on developing social services and not just on waging counterinsurgency. "The Americans are more interested in killing their enemies than rebuilding the country," says one Afghan media worker, who requested anonymity. Washington currently spends close to ten US dollars on the war effort for every dollar spent on reconstruction. According to a recent report by the aid watchdog Action Aid, international "donors have failed to deliver money pledged for aid, distributing five billion dollars less than promised between 2002 and 2006." Experts say that the trends augur ill for the future of the Afghan government. A U.N. news agency recently reported that the lack of economic prospects is driving poor youths into the hands of the Taliban and fuelling the insurgency. In the ghettos and makeshift refugee camps that dot Kabul, things have not yet reached this point. But the residents here agree that something must be done. "Government vehicles drive by our camp every day, without stopping." Daoud says. "We have too many problems -- we just can't continue like this." http://www.365gay.com/Newscon08/01/010208iraq.htm Iraq Prisoner Amnesty To Exclude Gays by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff Posted: January 2, 2008 - 11:00 am ET (Baghdad) The Iraq government is considering the release of some 5,000 prisoners but a spokesperson said it would not include terrorists or homosexuals. The Iraqi government has about 20,000 people in custody, while the U.S. military holds about 25,000. Homosexuality itself is not illegal in Iraq, but police regularly arrest gays on other charges often trumped up. The amnesty bill drafted by the Shiite-dominated government falls far short of Sunni demands. About the only thing on which the two sides agree is that imprisoned gays not be freed. The amnesty would cover less than a quarter of the total number of people held in Iraqi prisons, and none of those held by the American military. Sunni parliamentarians have criticized the bill for its limited scope. They have argued that most prisoners are charged with terrorist crimes, rendering it ineffective. Some also fear referring the bill to Iraq's gridlocked parliament will actually delay prisoner releases. The total number of gays being held is not known. And, they may be the lucky ones, according to some LGBT activists. Death squads imposing strict Islamic law are reportedly responsible for the murders of hundreds of gay men across Iraq. Last year the leader of an exiled Iraqi LGBT rights group told a London conference on homophobia that that militias blamed for the murders of hundreds of gay men and women are sanctioned by the government and the US-led coalition is doing little to stop the killings. (story) Ali Hili said that the Badr and Sadr militias - the armed wings of the two main Shia parties that control the government of Iraq - are routinely rounding up men and women, primarily in Baghdad, suspected of being gay. The men and women are never heard from again. Five members of Hili's own group were taken away in November of 2006. About a dozen members of Rainbow For Life, another Iraqi LGBT group also have been seized and are presumed dead. Another 70 have been threatened with kidnapping Rainbow For Life has said. In 2006 the Iraq government strongly criticized a U.N. report on human rights that put its civilian death toll in 2006 at 34,452, saying it is "superficial" because it included people such as homosexuals. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 20:02:02 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:02:02 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Repression in the global South, part 3 of 3 Message-ID: <036c01c89ea5$15ea53d0$0802a8c0@andy1> * RUSSIA: Military draft used to curb opposition * IRAQ: Occupation ruins farmers * BANGLADESH: Surviving torture * PAKISTAN: US fires missiles into remote areas, kills civilians * CHAD: Capital turned into gated city * MALDIVES: State attacks non-Muslims and radical Muslims * TURKEY/KURDISTAN: Civilians killed in Iraq border zone * KUWAIT: Shiites victims of crackdown * INDIA: Cameras in forests to catch Naxalites * PAKISTAN: Another US air strike * THAILAND: Detained Muslims tortured by army * PAKISTAN: "Missing people" may have been turned over to America * EGYPT: Activists, bloggers rounded up in crackdown on protests * YEMEN: State abuse sparks Sana'a conflict renewal * TURKEY: Hijab ban persists * PAKISTAN: Indian death row prisoner pardoned * ISRAEL: Military service atrocities haunt women ex-soldiers * ISRAEL: State won't give rights to Palestinians trapped west of apartheid wall * SAUDI ARABIA: Forced annulment keeps couple apart * CANADA: First Nations people face exposure * CHILE: Mapuche hunger striker force-fed * INDIA: Borderlands human rights defender held on dodgy charges * EL SALVADOR: "Terrorist" and other charges against protesters dropped * SAUDI ARABIA: Blogger in jail * BELARUS: Opposition protesters beaten, detained * CHINA: Tibetan protesters make (iffy) confessions * WEST PAPUA: 11 arrested for raising flag; human rights activist arrested; police on shooting rampage Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://tinyurl.com/3578um Draft used to curb opposition, Russian activists say By Peter Finn Washington Post January 29, 2008 MOSCOW -- For two years, Oleg Kozlovsky has been a fixture at anti-Kremlin street demonstrations, confronting riot police and just as often getting arrested. One of the leaders of a youth movement called Oborona (Defense), Kozlovsky, a 23-year-old graduate student at Moscow's Higher School of Economics, said his group's goal is nothing less than the "downfall of the authoritarian regime." "The police system has not been able to cope with this small yet cohesive and dedicated group," Kozlovsky wrote last year on a blog. "Oborona has now been transformed into a serious political force." But the system, as Kozlovsky calls it, has finally silenced him. Late last month, Kozlovsky was picked up by police, taken to a military conscription office, and quickly shipped to a military base to serve a year in the army. He and friends say his status as a student legally exempts him from service. Authorities are increasingly using the threat of the draft to intimidate the small but hard-nosed community of young activists who oppose President Vladimir Putin, according to opposition and human rights activists. Service in the army, which has a well-documented history of violent and sometimes fatal hazing, is feared by many young Russians, not just those who oppose the government. "All young people understand the repressive character of our army, so it's a real threat," said Pavel Shaikin, a member of Oborona. "And in Oleg's case, I think they wanted to take him out of circulation before the presidential elections." Russia will elect a new president March 2, but opposition groups have pledged to take to the streets to protest what they see as Putin's determination to allow no challenge, however marginal, to the election of his chosen successor, Dmitry Medvedev, the country's first deputy prime minister. The group Citizen and the Army, which opposes the draft and wants a volunteer army in Russia, said that in the past year it has documented dozens of cases of young political activists being taken to conscription offices. In nearly all cases, the draftees had a history of joining protests led by Garry Kasparov, the chess grandmaster, and his ally Eduard Limonov, head of the outlawed National Bolshevik Party. "Illegally drafting people is not new, and it's happening all over the place. But the political motivation is a new tactic," said Maxim Burmitsky, head of legal defense at Citizen and the Army. "Kozlovsky's case is finally drawing some welcome attention to a serious problem." Just this month, Burmitsky said, at least four cases came before the courts involving young activists appealing their conscriptions. In the city of Pskov, near Russia's border with Estonia, a court is hearing the appeal of two National Bolsheviks who were drafted despite their insistence that they are legally exempt. And in Novokuznetsk, in southwestern Siberia, two young people who call themselves anarchists are involved in a similar hearing. Kozlovsky said in an interview with a Russian publication that his problem began Dec. 20 as he was leaving an apartment in Moscow. He was approached by a police officer, who told Kozlovsky he had to go to a military enlistment office to "solve a few problems." Two plainclothes officers were waiting nearby in a police car, he said. "None of them would show me their identity documents," Kozlovsky told Generation P, a Russian newspaper, which reached him by telephone. "I was later informed that the two in plainclothes were FSB agents." The FSB is the domestic successor to the KGB security service. The Generation P interview was posted on the English-language blog La Russophobe, which, along with Russian human rights groups, has taken up Kozlovsky's cause. Kozlovsky said he was subjected to a quick medical examination at the enlistment office, then taken to a military base just outside Moscow. When supporters rushed to the base, he was taken to a military facility in Ryazan, about 150 miles southeast of Moscow. Military officials declined to discuss the case. http://dahrjamailiraq.com/hard_news/archives/iraq/000746.php#more Occupation Strangles Farmers Inter Press Service By Ahmed Ali and Dahr Jamail* BAQUBA, Feb 29 (IPS) - New plant diseases, attacks by occupation forces and escalating fuel prices are strangling farmers in Diyala province. Prior to the U.S.-led invasion of March 2003, farmers in Baquba, the capital city of Diyala province 40 km northeast of Baghdad, struggled with plant diseases they believed were caused by bombs dropped during the U.S.-led war against Iraq in 1991. Trees were infested with white fruit fly, aphids and plant louse, and there was a shortage of water for irrigation. The directorate-general of agriculture used helicopters to spread insecticide. After the invasion, the situation has worsened. Helicopter spraying seems unthinkable. "With helicopters large distances can be sprayed in one stroke," Aboud Ibrahim, a 55-year-old local farmer told IPS. "In the case of white fruit fly, when a farmer sprays the insecticide, the disease can move back to his farm again from the neighbouring farm within six hours. This is why simultaneous treatment of all farms is so efficient." Helicopters now mean something else. "Helicopters and fighters of the coalition forces attack farmers who work at night on their farms," said a local farmer who did not want to be named. "Due to the water quotas, farmers are forced to water their farms even at night. Some farmers have been shot in firing by coalition forces. Farmers would rather neglect their farms than risk death." The ministry of agriculture pays no attention to the array of problems. "The spread of plant diseases has caused a shortage of crops, and this has a direct effect not only on the farmers but also on the Iraqi people in general," a supervisor at the directorate-general of agriculture in Diyala province told IPS on condition of anonymity. "Iraq now imports almost all its crops from neighbouring counties like Syria, Iran, Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon, after decades of exporting to these same countries." By now, the supervisor said, 90 percent of local farmers in Diyala have left their farms and orchards because "the farms have been severely attacked by diseases and the shortage of water." Also, he said, the prices of imported vegetables and fruit have increased tremendously. "We produce potato, tomato, cucumber, onion, celery, lettuce, and eggplant, in addition to all kinds of fruit, but now our product covers only 30 percent of the people's needs, so they are forced to buy imported goods which are much more expensive," a local agronomist, also speaking on condition of anonymity, told IPS. "Farmers were living very comfortably before the invasion because they were doing their job freely." Lack of security stands in the way of agriculture. "The blocking of streets and the presence of the militants and sometimes coalition forces prevents farmers form marketing their produce," Mahmod Mehdi, a local fruit shop vendor told IPS. Mehdi said that curfews, which are imposed on Baquba every night, and sometimes during the day, also cause losses to farmers, who are then unable to sell their fruits and vegetables. "If there is a curfew, long lines of pickups loaded with different crops wait in the entryway of the highways to the city," Mehdi added. "Sometimes, they have gone back dropping the crops on the streets, or they accept any trivial price. The number of farmers around is much fewer now." Many farmers have sought jobs in the police and army, about the only employment available now in Iraq. "We want our sons to be recruited in order to earn a living for the family," Abdul-Kareem Abas, a local farmer, told IPS. To cap it, many farmers have given up in the face of threats and violence. "I left tens of acres and went to another province because of the sectarian violence," a local farmer whose son was killed by militiamen, told IPS. "My farm, which is worth hundreds of millions of Iraqi dinars, is ruined. We were forced to leave everything, otherwise we would all die." Many farmers have sold land, others have begun to divide their farms into pieces and use some of the land to offer housing. This area was once called the Fertile Crescent. (*Ahmed, our correspondent in Iraq's Diyala province, works in close collaboration with Dahr Jamail, our U.S.-based specialist writer on Iraq who travels extensively in the region) Posted by Dahr_Jamail at March 1, 2008 12:00 AM Surviving torture in B'desh By Tasneem Khalil http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=139601 My wife says I talk too much and invite trouble. On May 11, 2007, her observation was confirmed: I "invited" trouble by talking too much against the military-backed interim government in Bangladesh. With a midnight ring of my doorbell, three or four plainclothes men- who identified themselves as the "joint forces"-entered my Dhaka apartment, detained me without charge, and seized my passport, cell phones, computers and documents. I was threatened at gun-point while my wife, holding my six-month-old son, watched. I was pushed into a car, blindfolded and handcuffed. Four months earlier, in January, the Bangladesh military had installed a puppet technocrat government through a bloodless coup and declared a "state of emergency." The junta's emergency rules suspended parts of the Constitution, made any criticism of the government or the military a punishable offense, put a blanket ban on political activity, and sharply curtailed press freedom. The military intervention brought an end to gruesome street-battles between two feuding political camps led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Awami League, and at first many Bangladeshis welcomed the de facto coup. But skyrocketing prices, a devastated economy and rampant human rights abuses have changed their minds. Over the past year, the military has set up torture and detention facilities across the country and targeted political parties with an "anti-corruption" witch hunt that saw the arrests of more than 400,000 people, including two former prime ministers who lead the two biggest political parties. The military intelligence agency, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, or DGFI, which remains the driving force behind the de facto military rule, led a campaign to establish control over civil and political affairs, carrying out overt and covert operations against opposition parties and members of the media. After my arrest, I was taken to a torture facility set up by the directorate inside its Dhaka headquarters. Thus began my 22-hour ride on the torture train, as my captors-high- and mid-level DGFI officers-tortured me, interrogated me and forced me to sign false confessions. I was questioned at length about my work as an editor for the Dhaka-based Daily Star newspaper, as a news representative for CNN in Bangladesh, and as a consultant researcher for Human Rights Watch. In all these jobs, I obviously talked too much. As a journalist, I reported and commented on extra-judicial executions and torture by the Rapid Action Battalion, a paramilitary force; persecution of Ahmadiya Muslims (a heterodox sect of Islam) by extremist-Islamist groups with the active patronage of intelligence agencies; military repression in the region known as the Chittagong Hill Tracts in southeaster Bangladesh; and, perhaps most dangerous, sponsorship and patronage of Jihadist outfits by the DGFI and the National Security Intelligence agency. As a consultant for Human Rights Watch, I documented Bangladesh military involvement in extra-judicial executions and torture, systematic curtailment of press freedom, and rampant human rights violations carried out by the security forces under the "state of emergency." So I became a target for a junta that considered itself above criticism, even above the law. The military labeled me an "enemy of the state." In the torture chamber, five or six DGFI officers took part in nightmarish torture sessions, using batons, boots and fists to inflict serious injuries on me. I saw sophisticated torture equipment. When I was moved out of a soundproof torture chamber, I could hear other detainees, locked inside cells, screaming and moaning in pain. I was forced to record false confessional statements on paper and video, admitting to imaginary terrorist, treasonous acts, and implicating my friends, associates and colleagues. Only when I fell sick from the torture were my blindfold and handcuffs taken off-briefly. I was constantly humiliated, exposed to obscene verbal abuse and racial slurs. My captors kept threatening me with extra-judicial execution. News of my arrest sparked an outcry. I was fortunate that CNN, The Daily Star and Human Rights Watch stood by me and worked to secure my freedom. A network of bloggers and activists engineered a global campaign demanding my release. Foreign governments lobbied the Bangladeshi authorities. Within 24 hours of my detention, in an unprecedented move, the DGFI set me free. I went into hiding with my family. Eventually, we were allowed to fly out of the country and found a refuge in Sweden, where the authorities offered us political asylum. I was not the first or last person marched into a torture chamber in Bangladesh. But I have the opportunity to detail my survival, while hundreds, if not thousands of stories relating to inhuman torture and Kafkaesque detentions in Bangladesh remain untold. I am tempted to remind foreign governments that the abuses happening in Bangladesh in the name of "reform" and "anti-corruption" are possible thanks to their complicity and complacence. The support of donors like the United States and Britain, eager to address political paralysis and corruption but na?ve about our history with military governments, has been crucial in providing legitimacy to an illegal, unconstitutional arrangement. Supporting a monster to kill a demon might work for computer gamers, but in politics and diplomacy it is usually disastrous. It is time for Bangladesh's friends in the United States, Britain, and European Union to support our struggle for democracy and pressure the military to end its "state of emergency" and declare an early date for free and fair elections. Military torture centers should be shut down and extra-judicial executions ended. And every perpetrator of human rights violations should be prosecuted and punished. No one else should experience what I went through. (The author is a Bangladeshi journalist currently in exile in Sweden. A full account of his detention, "The Torture of Tasneem Khalil: How the Bangladesh Military Abuses its Power under the State of Emergency," was published in a report by Human Rights Watch.) -IHT Mar 6, 2008 Pakistan's grand bargain falls apart By Syed Saleem Shahzad http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/JC06Df01.html The grand bargain is unraveling, though. The recent missile attack by a US Predator drone on militants in the tribal area helped stir the militants' skepticism of any deal and different independent groups continued to attack the security forces. The first glimpse the iron fist came last week when Kiani ordered more than 1,000 raids in several cities and hundreds of suspected militants were arrested. This was the biggest operation in the past 12 months and followed the assassination of the surgeon-general of the Pakistani army. Oil Industry at the Heart of the Zaghawa Power Struggle in Chad By Andrew Mc Gregor [From: Terrorism Monitor (The Jamestown Foundation, USA) Volume 6, Issue 5 (March 7, 2008)] http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2374021 Chadian Reaction Following the assault, President D?by instituted a State of Emergency, set to last until March 15. D?by's forces are fortifying the capital to deter similar attacks. Armed vehicles will no longer be able to strike across the savanna into N'Djamena with the construction of a three-meter deep trench around the city that will force all traffic to go through fortified gateways. The trees that offer the only refuge from N'Djamena's blistering heat are also being cut down after rebels used some cut trees to block roads during the raid (Reuters, March 3; BBC, March 4). The regime is also seeking to buy half a dozen helicopter gunships from Russia or other East European sources. Paper no. 2610 07-Mar.-2008 Islamic Radicalisation of Maldives R. Upadhyay http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers27/paper2610.html It is said that President Gayoom used Islam as a tool to marginalise his political opponents. In his presidential address to the nation on the occasion of country's national day, he often blamed opposition for their alleged motive to bring other religions to the country. The 1997 Maldives constitution designated Islam as the official religion and law prohibits the Maldivian citizens to practise any religion other than Islam. The first Islamist terror strike was in Sultan Park of Male, the capital of Maldives on September 29, 2007 targeting the foreign tourists in which about a dozen of them were injured. Maldives police believed that the blast was a plot of Islamic militants against the tourist industry of the country. Even President Gayoom admitted that Islamist terrorism has begun to affect the peaceful image of the island. He ordered a ban on entry of Mullhas and Islamic clerics from outside Maldives without any invitation from the authorities. His government also cracked down on religious dissent banning foreign preachers and unlicensed prayer groups (AtollTime.com). Asharq Al-Awsat's Secret Trip into PKK Territory 11/03/2008 By Hewa Aziz http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=3&id=12058 Qandil, Asharq Al-Awsat- In the aftermath of the nine days of fierce battles that took place two weeks ago between the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters and the Turkish Forces, the situation still remains very tense. Turkish forces withdrew suddenly and incomprehensibly from the Kurdistan region, contrary to expectations that they would remain there for a long time. However, the strict and comprehensive curfew imposed by the Kurdistan government on the region, especially in the areas with heavy Kurdish rebel presence and in remote villages, is still ongoing and had started before the outbreak of the latest battles. Any car passing through the town of Sanksar, which is part of the Qalat Dizah town in the Sulaymaniyah province or through the towns of Soran and Rowandiz in Arbil is subjected to thorough searches and lengthy interrogation about the reasons for visiting the Qandil villages. Journalists and media personnel in particular are barred entry and cannot access the Qandil Mountains irrespective of their pretexts or justifications. For this reason, a reporter from Asharq Al-Awsat had to disguise himself in traditional villager's clothes and arranged transport with a taxi car that frequently travelled these roads. The taxi driver had cleverly planted a camera and recording device that were secretly concealed in the car; however the latter was emitting loud static noise that was painful to the ears. Sitting amidst a group of villagers, we reached the last checkpoint in Sanksar where the Peshmerga forces were stationed. The fall of heavy rain proved to be our saving grace as the security men did not get the chance to thoroughly check our identity documents and search the car before dropping the passengers off as usual. Thus, we passed through the checkpoint without any problems and made our way to Leyoozi, which prior to the battles was the main PKK Kurdish rebels' stronghold. This village, comprised of 35 houses, has mostly been razed to the ground as had five other neighboring villages after a series of Turkish raids that preceded the ground operations by approximately three weeks. The raid had also destroyed many residential houses, in addition to the only hospital (affiliated to the PKK) that used to provide the villagers with treatment and medicine free of charge. During the air raid, a rocket fired by a Turkish forces aircraft landed 50 meters from the hospital building and largely demolished it, while another rocket remains lodged five-meters deep in the mud in front of the hospital door. Since it had not detonated, everyone keeps a safe distance from it thus making efforts to rebuild the hospital and area impossible for fear of activating it. The villagers are deeply concerned and believe that it is like a time bomb that can explode at any moment. A junior ranking fighter, assigned the duty of accompanying Asharq Al-Awsat on its mission, spoke into his military radio transmitter and soon a Kurdish rebel vehicle drove up and took us to a secure place at the foot of a chain of mountains that was surrounded by large rocks. There we met with a tall dark-skinned man in his forties named Ahmed Deniz who a few weeks prior to the outbreak of battles had been appointed to take charge of the Foreign Relations Office of the PKK's political wing ERNK (Eniya Rizgariya Netewa Kurdistan, aka National Liberation Front of Kurdistan) succeeding Abdul-Rahman al Chadarchi, who according to one of the fighters had been dispatched on a mission to another area far from where we were. After greeting us, the chief of the party's foreign relations office wanted to know what the international press, and especially the Arab press, thought of the PKK and its cause. Deniz who joined the PKK in 1991, in response to the question about the number of casualties on both sides said, "The official statistics that we received from the People's Defence Force leadership, the PKK's armed wing, confirms that at the end of the clashes, 125 were killed and 150 injured on the Turkish forces side let alone the hundreds of soldiers and other senior ranking officials who have fled and deserted the army service. All this was a direct result of our solid resistance and defense firstly, but also due to the cold weather. As for the human losses on our side during the first week of the battle that began 21 February 2008, they amounted to five injuries and then nine, and on the eighth day four fell during the final battles. This means that the final census is nine killed and nine injured." With regards to the likelihood of the Turkish forces carrying out further operations against the PKK rebels during the coming spring or summer: "The Turkish forces have been preparing to launch an attack on us for a long time and there has been intensive training in the mountainous Simara region. In light of the harsh weather conditions there, a large number of the Turkish soldiers died as a result of the severe cold despite being well prepared with all the necessary equipment to fight in battles in the snow and on the mountainous terrain," he said Deniz added, "Turkey has suffered a major military, political, economic and historical defeat and numerous senior military leaders have been killed - and the burial ceremonies were aired on Turkish television. However, what was unexpected in the aftermath of the battles was the brave resistance that the Kurdish people demonstrated in all parts of Kurdistan and which embodied the most elevated meaning of national spirit that we hold in highest regard and respect. We always anticipate the enemy's attack." Asked whether the fighters collected the bodies of the Turkish troops, Deniz replied, "The People's Defence Force is currently comprehensively sweeping the area in which the battles erupted in search of mines - many were planted by the Turkish army there, and they are also searching for the enemy's fallen troops in the battlefield." [.] Crackdown on Shiites stirs sectarian tensions in Kuwait By Agence France Presse (AFP) Friday, March 14, 2008 http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=89882 KUWAIT CITY: A crackdown on leading clerics and politicians from Kuwait's Shiite minority has stoked sectarian tensions in the oil- rich Gulf state, raising questions about its aim and timing, analysts say. Claims that Shiite activists who took part in a controversial rally in February are seeking to topple the regime "amount to a sectarian campaign by the security agencies ... against prominent figures of the Shiite community," a group of leading Shiite clerics said in a statement on Wednesday. "If you're a Shiite in Kuwait, you have to swear five times a day after each prayer that you hate Iran and love Israel" in order to prove loyalty to the majority Sunni country, Shiite writer Abdulhameed Dashti lamented in the Arabic newspaper An-Nahar. Some commentators have blamed the regional standoff between the United States and Iran for the crisis which began after a rally by Shiite activists to mourn Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh, who was killed in a Damascus car bombing last month, triggered the arrest of eight prominent activists. They included two former MPs, a cleric and senior members of the National Islamic Alliance (NIA), a Shiite political grouping which holds two seats in Parliament. Mughniyeh is accused in Kuwait of hijacking a passenger plane in 1988 that led to the killing of two Kuwaiti civilians. Instead of being questioned about the rally, the activists were accused of being members of "Hizbullah Kuwait," a group not known to exist, and of working to overthrow the regime, their lawyer said. The men were also accused of spreading false news about Kuwait to undermine its position abroad, Abdulkarim bin Haider told AFP. The charges "were based on information from the 1980s" when Sunni- Shiite tensions peaked at the height of the Iran-Iraq war, he added. Seven of the eight men were released on bail after paying hefty sureties. The eighth, former MP Abdulmohsen Jamal, remained in police custody until Thursday, when he was also released on bail and banned from leaving the country. The public prosecution also asked Parliament to strip two Shiite MPs, Adnan Abdulsamad and Ahmad Lari, of their parliamentary immunity so they could be questioned in the same case. Parliament is expected to debate the request next week. The crackdown has angered the Shiite community, which makes up at least a third of Kuwait's native population of one million, sparking two noisy demonstrations during which anti-US and anti-Israel slogans were chanted. Shiites have only four MPs in the 50-member Parliament and two ministers in the 16-member Cabinet. "I love Kuwait. It is my country, but actions like these make me feel I am not welcome," said Abbas, a young Kuwaiti Shiite. Shiites were also angered by calls in some Kuwaiti papers for those who took part in the Mughniyeh rally to have their citzenship withdrawn and be deported to Iran. "The issue has snowballed from an action against the Mughniyeh rally into a major crackdown on a political grouping known for its bold national positions," said the chairman of the Kuwait Society for the Advancement of Democracy, Nasser al-Abdali. "It has raised sectarian tensions. I really don't see any threat by the group that warrants making such serious accusations against its members." The scope of the accusations reminded Shiites of a crackdown launched two decades ago when Kuwait backed Saddam Hussein's Sunni- dominated Iraqi regime in its 1980-1988 war with Shiite Iran. Some liberal Kuwaiti writers have claimed that the crackdown was instigated by the United States and some neighboring countries to rein in potential pro-Iran elements. "I'm afraid that Kuwait has become a target - like Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Pakistan - for the so-called 'creative chaos' plot launched by the neoconservatives in Washington," Ahmad al-Dayeen wrote in Aalam Al-Yaum daily. However, columnist Nabeel al-Fadhl charged that Iran was behind the current escalation, with the aim of deterring Kuwait from providing the launch-pad for any future US military action against it. "What is happening in Kuwait is a clear threat [to show] what Iran can do through its parties and followers if Kuwait became a springboard for the [US] military strike against Iran," Fadhl wrote in Al-Watan. - AFP JHARKHAND Cameras to snoop on naxals in Jharkhand Devesh K. Pandey http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/19/stories/2008031960221400.htm Jawans vulnerable to landmine attack in hilly terrain and thick forest: CRPF 2,000-strong task force a la Andhra Pradesh's Greyhound being raised RANCHI : Intensifying their anti-naxal campaign, the Jharkhand police will install video cameras for surveillance in the Parasnath Hills, where an operation, carried out in coordination with the Central Reserve Police Force, unearthed a base of the outfit this January. The cost-effective video cameras, to be put at vantage points in the thick forest, will have an in-built mechanism to automatically transmit footage to the central monitoring system, giving ample time for the police to chalk out an action plan if they spot any naxal activity. Through heavy deployment and regular combing operations, the police are preparing to sanitise the region, a Jain pilgrimage centre. Also, a special task force, on the lines of Andhra Pradesh's "Greyhound," is being raised specifically to fight naxalism, which has gained ground in 18 of the 24 districts, said Director-General of Police Vishnu Dayal Ram. The 2,000-strong task force would be fully equipped for conducting operations in inhospitable terrain of the State that has in the recent years seen a steep rise in naxal violence owing to underdevelopment and apathy on the part of the State administration to basic requirements of the people. Another US Strike Inside Pakistan's Border Region By Peter Symonds 19 March, 2008 WSWS.org http://www.countercurrents.org/symonds190308.htm An air strike on Sunday on a compound in the Pakistani tribal area of South Waziristan that borders Afghanistan has left up to 20 people dead. While Washington has not acknowledged responsibility, there is little doubt that the US military or the CIA carried out the attack as part of a widening covert war against anti-American militants entrenched in the Pakistani border areas. Up to seven missiles or bombs flattened the compound just south of the regional centre of Wana at around 3 p.m. "When I heard the explosions, I rushed to the place where it happened. I saw dead bodies scattered everywhere," a villager Aziz Ullah Wazir told the Washington Post. Local residents and officials claimed that the house belonged to a Taliban sympathiser, Noorullah Wazir, and was frequented by "Arabs"-the term used to denote foreign supporters of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Veteran journalist Sailab Masood told the Guardian, however, that local tribesmen were angry that innocent civilians had been killed. Details of the attack are scanty. According to the New York Times, villagers said a B-52 bomber carried out the raid. Other reports cite locals who claim to have heard the sound of a US Predator drone- an unmanned surveillance vehicle that has been used in previous attacks inside Pakistan. The Pakistani military acknowledged that the blasts had occurred, but pointedly refused to identify the attackers, saying only that the army had no operations in the area. Both Washington and Islamabad are deliberately playing down the attack, which will only further fuel anger at Pakistan's support for the US-led occupation of Afghanistan. President Pervez Musharraf's involvement in the Bush administration's bogus "war on terrorism" and tacit approval of US operations inside Pakistan were a major factor in generating opposition to his regime. The issue remains highly sensitive as the winners of last month's elections-the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-prepare to form a government. Whatever their limited criticisms of US militarism during the campaign, both parties have a long record of supporting Pakistan's alliance with Washington and collaborating with the US military. Significantly, neither party has protested against the latest missile strike, an indication that the new government, like Musharraf, will acquiesce to US strikes in the tribal areas. There are many signs that the Bush administration has expanded covert operations inside Pakistan since the beginning of the year. In early January, the New York Times reported that a top-level White House meeting, involving Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and other senior officials, discussed in detail "far more aggressive covert operations" inside Pakistani border areas. "The new operations for expanded covert operations include loosening restrictions on the CIA to strike selected targets in Pakistan, in some cases using intelligence provided by Pakistani sources, officials said. Most counter terrorism operations in Pakistan have been conducted by the CIA... [I]f the CIA were given broader authority, it could call for help from the military or deputise some forces of the Special Operations Command to act under the authority of the agency," the article stated. While the New York Times claimed that no decisions were taken at the January meeting, another article last month reported that the CIA had established a base inside Pakistan. "Among other things, the new arrangements allowed an increase in the number and scope of patrols and strikes by armed Predator surveillance aircraft launched from a secret base in Pakistan-a far more aggressive strategy to attack Al Qaeda and the Taliban than had existed before," the Times explained. In its report of Sunday's strike, the Times noted that Mike McConnell, director of national intelligence and General Michael Hayden, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, reached an agreement in January with the new Pakistani army chief, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, to allow the US greater freedom to strike targets in the tribal areas without specific permission from the Pakistani Army. The article claimed that the US was receiving "better on-the-ground human intelligence" by providing "large cash payments to tribesmen". There has been a marked increase in visits to Pakistan this year by senior American military officers, including two by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen. During his latest visit on March 4, Admiral Mullen discussed US assistance to expand Pakistan's Frontier Corps to a force of around 85,000 recruited from tribesmen in the border areas. The Pentagon has already spent around $25 million to provide the Frontier Corps with equipment, including vehicles, radios and surveillance devices, and plans to spend another $75 million over the next year. At least two other US aerial attacks have taken place inside Pakistan this year. On January 29, a missile destroyed a compound in the village of Khushali Torikhel in North Waziristan, killing 13 people. US and Pakistani officials claimed that Abu Laith al-Libi, a senior Al Qaeda commander, was among the dead. On February 28, a missile strike destroyed an alleged Taliban safe house in the village of Kaloosha in South Waziristan, killing at least 10 people. A local tribal leader told the Washington Post that women and children were among the dead, and that at least six others were injured. It is not possible to confirm the identity of the victims of these attacks. In neighbouring Afghanistan, US officials routinely brand the casualties of US operations as "Taliban" and "Al Qaeda" and deny civilian deaths even in cases where locals have provided clear evidence to the contrary. On-the-ground intelligence provided by paid informants is often unreliable and coloured by local rivalries and animosities. Claims about the outcome of US strikes inside Pakistan are undoubtedly just as uncertain. Other attacks on targets within Pakistan are taking place from US bases inside Afghanistan. Pakistani officials lodged a formal complaint with the US military after artillery fire from Afghanistan hit a house in North Waziristan last Wednesday, killing two women and two children. According to the Pakistani-based News, last Friday four missiles fell on the village of Botraki, just inside the Pakistani border. The extent of Washington's covert war inside Pakistan remains unclear, but such operations are fuelling widespread anger and provoking a rising number of suicide bombings and attacks on Pakistani security forces and other targets. Last Saturday, a bomb blast at a restaurant in Islamabad popular with foreigners killed a Turkish woman and wounded at least 10 others, including five American officials, two Japanese journalists and a British police officer. Four of the five Americans were FBI agents operating in Pakistan. The escalation of US operations can only have a profoundly destabilising impact, not just in the border regions, but throughout Pakistan, which is already wracked by deep political crisis. While the PPP and PML-N won a decisive victory in last month's election, in part because of their criticism of Musharraf's collaboration with the US, the mood will quickly turn as the new government seeks to maintain the US alliance amid ongoing American strikes on Pakistani soil. Detained Muslims tortured by Thai army: rights body http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\03\27\story_27-3-2008_pg4_12 BANGKOK: The mysterious death of an imam in Thai army custody last week has highlighted the plight of Muslim rebel suspects who say they have been tortured while detained for interrogation, the Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday. Torture included ear-slapping, beating with wooden and metal clubs, forced nudity, exposure to cold, electric shocks, strangulation and suffocation with plastic bags, the rights body quoted freed detainees as saying in a statement. "Muslims in southern Thailand live in fear of the army storming in to take their men away to be tortured," Brad Adams, Asia director at the New York-based agency, said in the statement. "The army is fighting an insurgency, but that doesn't mean soldiers can abuse people. And prosecuting troops for mistreatment could actually help calm the situation and rebuild trust with the Muslim community," said Adams. But Army spokesman Colonel Acra Tiproch said only "a small faction" of Muslim detainees had been abused and then only because they "provoked" interrogators as a ploy to demonise the Buddhist state and its troops. "Some of these suspects are well- educated and they know well how to make junior interrogators lose their patience and start beating them," he said by telephone from the Malay-speaking zone, a former sultanate annnexed by Bangkok a century ago. Reuters Apr 1, 2008 Pakistan in tug of war over terror By Syed Saleem Shahzad http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/JD01Df02.html A central issue in the judicial row last year was "missing people". These were the hundreds of people picked up by the security agencies for alleged involvement with the Taliban or al-Qaeda. They were detained without trail or formal registration of a police case against them. The Inter-Service Intelligence released several people under court pressure, but this pressure eventually came to a dead end. This was not because the security agencies necessarily wanted to defy the courts. The problem was that not all of the detainees were in the custody of the Pakistani security agencies. Dozens of them were handed over to the Americans, ending up in Bagram air base in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay in Cuba or other US facilities. Cairo puts down textile strike with 'intimidation' Authorities round up activists, bloggers By Agence France Presse (AFP) Monday, April 07, 2008 http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=90669 CAIRO: Plans for a general strike in Egypt collapsed Sunday after the government made good on its warning to take firm action against protesters by arresting 40 people, including bloggers and politicians, for incitement. "Forty people have been arrested around the country, including in Cairo and Alexandria, for inciting unrest," the official said, adding that workers had failed to heed the call to strike. Among those detained are opposition leaders including Islamist journalist Mohammad Abdel-Qudoos and Magdi Hussein who heads the Labor party, suspended since 2000 after its mouthpiece published articles critical of the government. Two members of the opposition Ghad party, one from the Nasserist party and three members of the opposition movement Kefaya were also taken into custody. Plans for a strike at Egypt's largest textile factory also collapsed on Sunday after pressure from security forces and internal divisions among the workers, employees said. "Police in civilian clothes entered the factory in the middle of the night, and the strike failed due to intimidation," Karim al-Baheiri, a worker at the Misr Spinning and Weaving Company in the Nile Delta city of Mahalla told AFP. Another leader, Sayyed Habib, who led factory protests in 2006, said "demands made have already been fulfilled a week ago," highlighting divisions between workers at the factory. A strike would have been considered illegal without the backing of unions which are mainly linked to the ruling National Democratic Party. In Cairo, police and riot police trucks were deployed in downtown areas where protests had been planned. Skyrocketing food prices in Egypt since the start of the year have been matched recently by a rumbling wave of popular discontent and unprecedented strikes and demonstrations. International organizations, including the UN, the French embassy and the American University in Cairo have warned staff to avoid the Cairo city center, where a protest was planned for the afternoon. The Interior Ministry Saturday threatened "immediate and firm measures against any attempt to demonstrate, disrupt ... traffic or the running of public establishments and against all attempts to incite such acts." The call for a general strike has been circulating for more than a week on the Internet, via text messages and on the social networking site FacebookThe-New-Faces-at-Facebook . It is unclear who initiated the call, which snowballed after some 25,000 employees at the textile plant in Mahalla announced plans to strike from Sunday over low salaries and price hikes. The Interior Ministry insisted that all public institutions - including schools and state-run factories - should be open for business as usual on Sunday. And it accused "provocateurs and illegal movements" of having "spread false rumors and called for protests, demonstrations and a strike on Sunday." However, despite official claims that the strike action had failed, traffic around the country was unusually light for a Sunday, the first day of the Egyptian work week, AFP reporters said. A Facebook group called "April 6" calling for the strike has attracted 64,000 members. Liberal economic reforms and price hikes have led the social gap to grow, Cairo University's Mohammad Kamel al-Sayyed said, but said "a large social explosion" was unlikely. 12 killed, another 2 injured as Sa'ada clashes renew Mohammed Bin Sallam http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1144&p=front&a=2 SA'ADA, April 6 - Tension and fierce clashes between government troops backed by some tribesmen broke out against Houthi supporters in different districts of the Sa'ada governorate, according to reliable sources in the governorate. Other confrontations between Houthis and pro-government Bakhtan tribesmen in Al-Salem district killed at least 12 people and left two injured on both sides. The same sources said that government troops evacuated an area which, according to the Doha agreement, was to be under Houthi control. According to them, troops backed by fighter jets and tanks launched offensives against Houthi supporters and their leadership on Monday. Citizens reported seeing the fighter jets striking Houthi strategic positions in Al Salem area. Army forces, positioned on a hill overlooking the main road fired at a car below, injuring citizen Ezzi Al-Mishet, who was left bleeding until he died because soldiers did not allow other passengers to take him to the hospital, local sources noted. Umma.net, the mouthpiece of Al-Haq Party, quoted Houthi loyalists as saying the authority still attacks innocent citizens on a daily basis in different parts of the governorate. Speaking to media outlets by phone, Houthi representative Sheikh Saleh Habra warned the military and security leaders against breaching the Doha ceasefire agreement. "The authority continues to kill citizens and destroy their property. Following the arrival of the Qatari mediation team, the government troops set up more ambushes and killed more citizens, thus giving a message to us and the Qatari mediators that the agreement is merely `ink on paper' through which the governments only wants to get more support from Qatar," Habra commented. "We condemn such irresponsible attacks and claim that the authority should respect the agreement and abide by its terms," said Habra. "The government must bring perpetrators, who committed massacres against detainees in the Fakhra Jail, to the competent courts. We also demand that these courts try the irresponsible soldiers who killed innocent citizens Qasim Al-Yousifi, Hassan Jaber Al-Gubeiran and Aziz Al-Mahram. The government should also bring to court the military soldiers who attacked Dhaiban Mosque while citizens were performing Friday prayers, thereby injuring four children near the mosque." According to the representative, Houthi followers tolerated repeated aggressive attacks by the army in order not to breach the agreement because they care about peace and stability in the governorate. "We are closely observing how the authority instigates some sheikhs and tribal leaders of Khawlan Bin Amer tribe to kill innocent citizens and damage their property," added Habra. "We informed the presidential mediation committee and Qatari mediation team about such violations committed by the army." With regard to efforts expended by the mediation committee, Habra told the Yemen Times that Saleh Qara'a, the mediation committee head, is too biased on the side of government authorities. "We are happy about the involvement of Qatari mediators in the reconciliation efforts expended by the committee," said Habra. "The Qatari mediators are reliable, honest and trustworthy and we expect them to play a vital role in convincing both conflicting sides to abide by the ceasefire agreement and cease bloodshed." The Houthi representative claimed that the authorities should abide by the Doha-brokered peace deal, signed by the government and Houthis on February 1, which stipulates that the authorities must stop directing false charges to Houthi followers by accusing them of creating obstacles to the ceasefire agreement. He said that the government has abided by only 10 percent of the agreement terms, ignoring or even violating the others. "We request Yemeni authorities to remain committed to the agreement terms, as well as stop creating problems and obstacles with the attention of foiling reconciliation efforts," Habra went on to say. Regarding terms of the agreement signed by both sides in Doha, Habra said, "We are ready to abandon our mountaintop positions and hand them over to the authority in conformity with Term 7 of the agreement." "We have already evacuated more than 30 strategic positions, but the government has not abided by any one of the agreement terms. It did not release those detained over alleged connections with the Sa'ada fighting," said Habra. "It did not pull out its troops from citizens' homes and farmlands, which were badly damaged during the four years of fighting. Army forces are still deployed in most Sa'ada districts." The Houthi representative added that because of the government's arbitrary conduct and practices, Houthi followers cannot abandon their strategic positions, notably as their houses and farms are still occupied by government troops. Habra pointed out that the clearest evidence of the government's lack of commitment regarding the terms of the agreement is its refusal to free the 500 detainees from the various governorates, who are jailed over alleged connection with the Sa'ada events, their being Hashimis or affiliated with the Zaidi sect. "Under the agreement, the authority must release all these detainees within one month after signing the agreement, but this requires that government officials be serious about ending the fighting and ceasing bloodshed," he reiterated. Asked about the causes of fundamental differences between them and the Yemeni government, Habra replied, "Prior to the war, our demands were limited to allowing us to practice our religious rituals freely like other Yemeni citizens. But now, we also demand that the government release the detainees and compensate citizens whose property was damaged in the war." A recent international report recorded many abuses the authority committed against civil society organizations in the nation over alleged connections with the Sa'ada fighting. Released by World Movement for Democracy and entitled "Defending Civil Community," the report revealed that the Yemeni government has disbanded tens of private organizations and societies, including the Sana'a-based Badr Cultural Center, for political reasons. The report added that the government took such a procedure based on its belief that these organizations are loyal to Abdulmalik Al-Houthi. Lawfare and Wearfare in Turkey Hilal Elver April 2008 http://www.merip.org/mero/interventions/elverINT.html (Hilal Elver is a visiting professor of global and international studies at the University of California-Santa Barbara and an editor of Middle East Report.) With war on its eastern borders, and renewed turmoil inside them, Turkey is transfixed by something else entirely: the desire of university-age women to wear the Muslim headscarf on campus, a seemingly innocent sartorial choice that has been forbidden by the courts, off and on, since 1980. At public meetings and street demonstrations, in art exhibits, TV ads, and dance and music performances, headscarf opponents argue vociferously that removing the ban will be the first step backward to the musty old days of the Ottoman Empire. A quieter majority of 70 percent, according to a recent poll, thinks that pious students should be allowed to cover their heads, perhaps because approximately 64 percent of Turkish women do so in daily life. There is almost no middle ground between the two poles: Even completely apolitical Turks have gravitated one way or another. Headscarf opponents see themselves as following in the footsteps of founding father Mustafa Kemal Atat?rk, who launched an ambitious program, beginning in the 1920s, to remake the heartland of the longest-lasting Islamic empire into a modern, Westernized nation- state. In the Kemalist camp are the majority of the officers in Turkey's powerful army, as well as high court judges, opposition party leaders in Parliament, secular women's organizations, business associations, many university presidents and professors, and the bulk of the mainstream media. They will stop at little to prevent what they perceive as the downfall of secular Turkey. Proponents of lifting the ban also claim the mantle of history. In July 2007 elections, the Justice and Development Party (or AKP), made up of politicians with roots in a series of outlawed Islamist parties, retained its healthy parliamentary majority in one of the most decisive victories in the history of the Turkish multi-party system. The landslide came despite the disappointment felt by the AKP's core constituency, the devout middle class, in the party's failure to lift the headscarf ban at universities during its first term in office. To the surprise and perhaps the dismay of the secular opposition, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an carefully avoided the headscarf issue from 2002-2007, so as not to be seen as defying the will of the outspoken generals. Now that the Turkish public has endorsed its rule, and implicitly rebuked the army, the AKP feels justified in pleasing its electoral base. The proscription of the headscarf is not black-letter law, but rather the Constitutional Court's interpretation of the provisions for secularism and equality in the Turkish constitution. To lift the ban, Turkish politicians have tried multiple times to pass more specific laws or to amend the constitution, as the AKP succeeded in doing on February 9. Opponents of the headscarf have long relied on the courts to block such efforts. This time around, both sides have waged such "lawfare" with unprecedented vigor, bombarding not just the Constitutional Court, but also a host of lower courts, with claims and counter-claims. The chief prosecutor of Turkey, a staunch Kemalist, drastically upped the ante by asking the Constitutional Court to consider the extreme measures of closing down the AKP and banning Prime Minister Erdo?an and his top 69 colleagues, including President Abdullah G?l, from politics. On March 31, the judges agreed to hear the case, raising the prospect of a second "postmodern" coup in Turkey. Unlike the first of these in 1997, this coup would take place without the army's direct involvement and would depose a party that, not even one year ago, was reelected by a significant margin. [.] Key AKP constituents -- in particular, students who want to wear the headscarf and their families -- let the party hear their disgruntlement with the deadlock. The startling result was that the AKP took up an offer from the far-right Nationalist Action Party (MHP) to find an ad hoc solution to "the headscarf problem." It was an unlikely alliance, to say the least. The MHP is implacably opposed to Turkey's European aspirations and routinely blasted the AKP's efforts from 2002-2007 to bring the country's legal and political system into line with the Copenhagen criteria. MHP activists organized many an angry demonstration against the government's tentative overtures toward Kurdish rights and softening of the traditional Turkish hard line on Cyprus, among other issues. But together, the two parties command a super-majority in Parliament, and amidst the clamor from the AKP faithful over the headscarf, the right-wing nationalists' olive branch was too tempting to spurn. Rumor has it that this offer traded MHP backing for lifting the headscarf ban for the government's agreement to postpone or even forego other important human rights reforms. It is perhaps no accident, for instance, that the AKP's promise to get rid of the notorious Article 301 of the penal code, which allows citizens to be prosecuted for "insulting Turkishness," has vanished from the party's agenda. On February 9, by an overwhelming margin, the AKP-MHP coalition passed amendments to two constitutional articles, Article 10 concerning equality and Article 42 concerning the right to education. The wording in Article 42 is as follows: "Except as otherwise stated in the laws of the Republic, no one can be prevented from pursuing the right to university education. The limit to the ways in which this right is pursued is specified by law." It was a quick fix that satisfied no one: For headscarf-wearing women, it was too narrowly worded, while for secularists, it was too broad. Far from being resolved, the battle was rejoined. [.] In the 1990s, more and more young women were showing up for classes wearing the headscarf. It was an index of the growing clout of religion-friendly parties, and it made the Kemalist establishment nervous. In February 1997, the military carried out its "post- modern" or "e-coup" against the Islamist Welfare Party, warning in a communiqu? that Deputy Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan's statements were threatening to secularism. The communiqu? makes clear the headscarf connection: "Clothing practices that have emerged against the law and will direct Turkey to an outdated appearance must be prevented." Erbakan's cabinet stepped down. [.] In 1999, the Turkish judicial system again resorted to highly dubious reasoning to settle a headscarf confrontation in the Turkish parliament. Newly elected Merve Kavak??, of the Virtue Party that had arisen from the ashes of Welfare, petitioned to assume her seat with her head covered. Her fellow parliamentarians accused her of a political attack on secularism and Turkish democracy. The Constitutional Court dissolved the Virtue Party, on the grounds of anti-secular activities, among them tolerance of the headscarf, and Kavak?? lost her Turkish citizenship. Subsequently, public institutions were much more strictly policed for the headscarf, as more than 100,000 students, over 1,000 civil servants and more than 300 primary and secondary school teachers were forced to leave their positions. The minister of education declared: "[Wearing the headscarf] is a crime, and the punishment is dismissal from the civil service. Everybody must comply with this rule. If they don't, they have no place among us."[6] Thousands of university students again filed suit against the ban. Some of the applications were settled in favor of the students in lower courts, only to be turned down on appeal. [.] Concurrently, the headscarf dispute was playing out in Europe. In the 1990s, the European Human Rights Commission (now the European Court of Human Rights) agreed to be tribunal of last resort for the member countries' domestic courts. (In 1987, when Turkey formally applied for EU membership, it accepted the principle that Turkish citizens could file complaints against the state in Europe; two years later, Turkey recognized the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights.) As early as 1993, when a Turkish university refused to award diplomas to headscarf-wearing female students, the Commission declined to hear the students' appeal, on the Turkish Constitutional Court's own grounds that the secular state has the right to restrict religious practices consistent with citizens' rights to equal treatment and religious freedom.[7] The Turkish educational establishment happily cited this decision as European validation of the ban. The 1993 decision, questionable as it was in human rights terms, was consistent with a later ruling on the abolition of the Welfare Party. Turkey is the world champion of political party banning -- no fewer than 24, communist, socialist, Kurdish and Islamist, have been shuttered since 1963. One by one, the parties sued in the European Court of Human Rights. In every case, except that of Welfare, the court ruled that Turkey had to pay compensation to the party, emphasizing the importance of protecting political rights, freedom of association and freedom of expression. Upon the negative judgment for Welfare, the Virtue Party withdrew its own case. As a result of this decision, a swath of Turkish public opinion is convinced that that the European Court of Human Rights is biased against Islamic values, and that it has acted politically, not legally. When the Commission became the Court, headscarf ban victims again sought relief (including the wife of current President Abdullah G?l, though she withdrew her petition when her husband became foreign minister in 2002). In its first, and most recent, decision, the Court ruled in 2005 that medical school student Leyla ?ahin's education could indeed be obstructed in Turkish universities because she wears the headscarf. The decision came as a surprise to many liberal legal scholars and human rights organizations in Turkey, Europe and the United States. The Court's basic argument was that the headscarf ban is not necessarily against freedom of religion and could be justified on grounds of "protecting the rights and freedoms of others and maintaining public order." Legally speaking, the decision conflicts with the Court's mandate to redress individual injustices as laid out in the European Convention on Human Rights. The decision suggests a double standard, particularly since the Court raised the specter of Islamic extremism, when there was absolutely no evidence that Leyla ?ahin was part of any political movement, and since the Court accepted the claim that she wears the headscarf because of religious belief. The Court even disclosed a value judgment about Turkish democracy, that it is "fragile." [.] The AKP's second electoral sweep in 2007 raised the stakes of the debate considerably. Under Turkish law, the majority party in Parliament has the right to nominate the president of the republic, and the AKP put forward the name of former Foreign Minister G?l. Secular Turks bluntly proclaimed that while they can accept the headscarves of their pious grandmothers, or those of maids from rural Anatolia, the prospect of a first lady wearing a headscarf was too much to bear. Here, urban secular elites, or "white Turks" as they are sometimes known, hinted that they fear losing power to the emerging Anatolian elite and middle class as much as they fear Islamization. For the first time in modern Turkish history, devout, socially conservative Turks are staking a claim to be equal participants in politics, the economy and society. [.] Most of all, the political struggle over the headscarf has overshadowed the fact that two generations of Turkish women have been stymied in their educational and professional pursuits -- simply because they choose to cover their heads. From university administrations and government offices, these young women have heard the same message about their life prospects: Go back home and bear children. The first women to be expelled from universities are now grandmothers. Headscarved women are barred from holding public office. Headscarved lawyers are not allowed to represent their clients in court, and have difficulty entering court buildings. Defendants have been asked to remove their headscarves before they testify.[9] Women wearing the headscarf were even prosecuted for participating in a workshop on strengthening the penal code's provisions against discrimination, because it was held in ministerial offices.[10] [.] Most of all, the political struggle over the headscarf has overshadowed the fact that two generations of Turkish women have been stymied in their educational and professional pursuits -- simply because they choose to cover their heads. From university administrations and government offices, these young women have heard the same message about their life prospects: Go back home and bear children. The first women to be expelled from universities are now grandmothers. Headscarved women are barred from holding public office. Headscarved lawyers are not allowed to represent their clients in court, and have difficulty entering court buildings. Defendants have been asked to remove their headscarves before they testify.[9] Women wearing the headscarf were even prosecuted for participating in a workshop on strengthening the penal code's provisions against discrimination, because it was held in ministerial offices.[10] The headscarf ban, lacking a legal rationale, is based in Kemalist conceptions of "public space," but of course it bleeds into the private sector as well. Women wearing the headscarf face discrimination on the job market, both in finding employment and in wages. A few brave "independent intellectuals" with means, after encountering the hostility of secular feminists, have established their own organizations to study and publicize the problems of headscarved women and advocate for their constitutional rights. But this civil society movement willing remains weak in the face of a judicial establishment long known as dogmatically secular. On a few occasions, judges have been fired, demoted or exiled to far-off districts for deciding in favor of headscarf rights, or even prosecuted themselves because their wives were wearing the headscarf. [11] These incidents raise serious questions about the independence of the Turkish justice system. Because the headscarf ban is applied inconsistently, it is hard to document, or even estimate, the numbers of women who have been discriminated against. There are no reliable statistics on how many girls have been expelled from universities, because university administrations do not necessarily record the real rationale for expulsion. Indeed, 90 percent of female students who were not permitted to attend classes after the ban were kicked out under the guise of absenteeism.[12] But one scholar believes that 270,000 of the 677,000 students ejected from higher education institutions since June 2000 are victims of the ban.[13] There are reports that the number of fired female teachers is approximately 5,000.[14] Bearing in mind that the informal ban goes back to the 1980s, it seems reasonable to conclude that the number of women who have been deprived of their rights to work and get an education reaches into the hundreds of thousands. The extent of the economic, social and, more importantly, emotional impact of the ban on women and their families, generation after generation, will likely remain unknown. As the political crisis over the headscarf continues to unfold, it is disturbing that the AKP seems to be searching quietly for ways to neuter their Kemalist opponents, as their precursor parties did before being closed down one after another. The right-wing nationalist MHP seems to play a key role in such parliamentary mathematics, and the AKP may conclude it has no choice but to accept what the MHP offers to survive. A reprise of the "Turco-Islamic synthesis," the right-wing and particularistic ideology behind the 1980 coup, is one nightmarish scenario. There is a much better way: for liberals to overcome their prejudices, resist the pull of Kemalist fearmongering and stand up for the rights of everyone, even those not like them, in a genuinely free and liberal Turkey. For the obduracy of the Kemalist establishment over the headscarf has not only undermined the prospects for a "civilian constitution," but has also come to threaten the future of the democratically elected AKP government, and indeed, the future of Turkish democracy. ------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf pardons Indian death row prisoner Press Trust Of India Islamabad, February 28, 2008 www.hindustantimes.com Indian prisoner Kashmir Singh, who spent 35 years on a death row in Lahore jail, will be released immediately as President Pervez Musharraf has approved his mercy petition, Pakistan government said on Thursday. Caretaker Human Rights Minister Ansar Burney, who found Singh during a visit to Lahore's Central Jail, told reporters that Musharraf had accepted the Indian's mercy petition on humanitarian grounds and ordered his immediate release. Singh, who was arrested in Rawalpindi on espionage charges in 1973, was sentenced to death by an army court. He has become a mental wreck after long years of solitary confinement. After Burney's intervention, Singh was taken to hospital for treatment. The approval of the mercy petition filed on Singh's behalf by Pakistan's human rights ministry came a day after Burney, one of the country's leading rights activists, announced that the prisoner's family had been traced in Hoshiarpur in the Indian Punjab. Syed Fahad Burney, a kin of the minister and acting chairman of the Ansar Burney Trust, told Dawn News that Singh's family is not expected to visit him in Pakistan since it is hoped that he "might return home soon". Burney, who played a pivotal role in Singh's release, said he would try to secure the release of any other Indian prisoner that he might come across in Pakistani jails. "If we find any other Indian or foreign prisoners in Pakistani jails, I will get them out," he said. Military service haunts Israeli women Reuters http://www.stuff.co.nz/4285752a12.html NOT FOR EVERYONE: Many Israeli women are forced to bury uncomfortable memories of their compulsory military service. One posed for a photo as she scrubbed a Palestinian corpse. Another stripped a man to his underwear and then beat him. A third helped cover up the abuse of a young boy. The six Israeli women who feature in the documentary, To See If I'm Smiling, each wrestle with memories of their compulsory military service that they would rather erase. But after years of trying to bury the past, they have spoken out in a film that explores the darker side of Israel's 40-year-old occupation of the Palestinian territories and examines its impact on a generation of young men and women. "It's easy to finish your military service and push it to the back of your mind," said director Tamar Yarom. "But these girls are telling their personal stories - which are not always very nice - to show people what is going on." All but one of the women spent time as conscript soldiers in the Palestinian territories during the uprising that erupted in 2000. In the film, they recount their memories from that period, describing how they coped with military machismo and with the residual guilt about what they witnessed. One girl who had wanted to save lives as a paramedic said she ended up scrubbing corpses to hide signs of abuse by Israeli soldiers. Visibly distressed, she looks for the first time in years at a photo of her and a dead Palestinian man. "How in hell did I think I'd ever be able to forget?" she says, brushing away tears. Although female soldiers are kept out of the front line, Israel is one of the only countries to enforce military service for women. Yarom aims to highlight the fragility of some girl soldiers - many still in their teens when they start their two year army stint - and the violence into which they are thrust. "You expect women to be more sensitive to suffering and more empathetic to the other side. But the strength of the film is how it shows what happens to human beings in such a warped situation, and how women are not immune," Yarom said. Yarom hopes the documentary will prompt soul-searching in the Jewish state, where military service is a core part of national identity, and encourage other traumatised ex-soldiers to talk about violence they may have inflicted or witnessed. "This country is in a coma. With all the bombs and attacks, we are numb," she said. "People feel we are in a war of survival and it's better not to criticise soldiers, because they are the ones protecting us." Israel's army said in a statement that soldiers adhere to a strict ethical code and that in exceptional cases, where the code is violated, an investigation is launched. It said the number of ethical violations involving Palestinians had "consistently dropped" since the events described in the film. Yarom expects the film will provoke criticism both from the Israeli left - because of her sympathetic portrayal of the soldiers - and from the right - which often balks at criticising the army. Yarom said personal experience prompted her to make the film. As a support soldier during the earlier intifada of the 1980s, she was shown a Palestinian torture victim but failed to speak out. Almost two decades later, she still cannot shake the image of the man, slumped over a generator, his neck bent to the side and his face covered in blood. "It's the kind of picture that stays with you forever," she said. "During my service I detached myself. When you try to re-attach yourself afterwards it's painful." Report: Gov't won't grant rights to Palestinians west of fence By Shahar Ilan, Haaretz Correspondent http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/935078.html The State of Israel will not grant permanent or temporary residency to West Bank Palestinians whose homes were annexed to the Jerusalem municipal area by the separation fence, the Palestinian newspaper Al Quds reported on Sunday. The measure, which was reportedly approved by the cabinet in October, stipulates that the Palestinians in question could at most apply for residency permits from the military authorities - which confer no right to work in Israel, to obtain Israeli health insurance or to enjoy any of the other benefits of legal residency. At the fringes of Jerusalem's municipal area are a few neighborhoods that are officially part of the West Bank. Their residents are Palestinian Authority citizens, and are legally banned from entering Israel. The newly-built separation fence between Israel and the West Bank disconnected them from the rest of the West Bank. Advertisement The decision effectively means that the communities that were forcibly annexed to Israel will not be permitted to work and study in Israel and receive welfare benefits. In order to work they would have to travel to the West Bank, but travel expenses are in most cases higher than a day's salary. The Association for Civil Rights said that "the government strives to make the lives of the Palestinians who were annexed to Jerusalem intolerable to a degree that they would leave their homes and move to the West Bank." Forced Annulment Keeps Couple Apart By DONNA ABU-NASR Associated Press Writer Sun Jan 20, 2008 http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SAUDI_FORCED_DIVORCE?SITE=ORLAG&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT AP Photo/HASAN JAMALI RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Two years ago, a knock on Fatima and Mansour al-Timani's door shattered the life they had built together. It was the police, delivering news that a judge had annulled their marriage in absentia after some of Fatima's relatives sought the divorce on grounds she had married beneath her. That was just the beginning of an ordeal for a couple who - under Saudi Arabia's strict segregation rules - can no longer live together. They sued to reverse the ruling, publicized their story and sought help from a Saudi human rights group. But the two remain apart and Fatima said she is considering suicide if her recent appeal to King Abdullah does not reunite her with her husband. "Only the king can resolve my case," Fatima told The Associated Press by telephone in a rare interview. "I want to return to my husband, but if that is not possible, I need to know so I can put an end to my life." Fatima's case underscores shortcomings in the kingdom's Islamic legal system in which rules of evidence are shaky, lawyers are not always present and sentences often depend on the whim of judges. The most frequent victims are women, who already suffer severe restrictions on daily life in Saudi Arabia: They cannot drive, appear before a judge without a male representative, or travel abroad without a male guardian's permission. Recently, the king did intervene and pardon another high-profile defendant - a rape victim who was sentenced to lashes and jail time for being in a car with a man who was not her relative. The two cases have brought Saudi human rights once again into the international spotlight, revealing not only the weakness of the kingdom's justice system, but the scant rights of Saudi women. "When I heard that the (rape victim) was pardoned, I couldn't believe it. My case is so much simpler than hers, since my divorce is invalid," Fatima said. Fatima said her husband, a hospital administrator, followed Saudi tradition in asking her father for permission to marry her in 2003. "My brother reported good things about him, so my dad accepted his proposal," said Fatima, a computer specialist who was 29 when she married. She said her father knew that Mansour came from a less prominent tribe than hers, but that he did not mind because he "cared about the man himself." A few months after the wedding, several of Fatima's relatives, including a half brother, persuaded her father to give them power of attorney to file a lawsuit demanding an annulment, she said. Then her father died, and Fatima said she had hoped the case would be dropped. But on Feb. 25, 2006, police knocked on the couple's door to serve Mansour with divorce papers - which said his marriage had been annulled nine months earlier. "We were shattered. How did this happen? Why?" Fatima asked. Under Saudi law, a woman needs the permission of her family to marry. Saudi lawyer Abdul-Rahman al-Lahem, who used to represent the couple, said local interpretations of Islamic law hold that relatives of a married couple have the right to seek an annulment if they feel the marriage lowers the extended family's status. He said authorities are reluctant to overrule such annulment orders, believing they are private matters within extended families. Fatima took the couple's 2-year-old daughter and 4-month-old son to live with her mother, who had persuaded her to let Mansour deal with the legal issues on his own. But after three months without her husband, Fatima and the children sneaked out of her mother's house and flew with Mansour to the western seaside city of Jiddah, where they sought to live in anonymity. Saudi police soon discovered them and imprisoned the family for living together illegally. "The police told me I either return to my (mother's) family or go to jail," Fatima said. "I chose jail." "My children and I were thrown in a cell with women sentenced for pushing drugs, practicing witchcraft and behaving immorally," Fatima said. Authorities allowed her to send her daughter back to live with her father, but the infant stayed with Fatima in jail. "He learned to speak in jail, he learned to walk in jail and his teeth came out in jail," she said. Meanwhile, Mansour went to court to appeal the divorce ruling, but a Riyadh appeals court upheld the decision in 2007. Last September, the head of a prominent Saudi human rights group reportedly asked the kingdom's highest court to review the case. Bandar al-Hajjar, head of the National Society of Human Rights, submitted two Islamic studies concluding that the divorce was invalid, according to the Arab News, a Saudi English-language daily. The studies, conducted by Islamic researcher Adnan Al-Zahrani and Bassam Al-Bassam, a counselor at the Court of Cassation in Mecca, said that if a woman's legal guardian represented her at the original wedding, then other relatives have no right to object to the marriage based on compatibility. Both studies concluded that Fatima married Mansour with her father's permission, and that only the wife can decide whether she wants her marriage annulled, the paper reported. Despite their legal fight, Fatima and Mansour remain apart. After nine months in jail, Fatima moved to an orphanage where she and her son share an apartment with several other women. Fatima said she is holding out hope the king might pardon her, and recognize her as "married to Mansour, before God." "I love him more than ever. He's the only one who has stood by me," she said. Street life for aboriginal poor in Montreal proving more and more deadly A life of daily danger by Stefan Christoff http://hour.ca/news/news.aspx?iIDArticle=13178 As night falls over Montreal, the disturbing reality facing many First Nations people in this city becomes apparent as the park benches, alleyways and stairwells surrounding Cabot Square, at Atwater metro, transform into sleeping dens for dozens of urban indigenous people, most originating from Northern Quebec. As the winter months rest around the corner, fear of freezing deaths within Montreal's urban indigenous communities is on the rise. "[E]xposure to the elements is a major concern throughout the year, especially in the freezing months," explains Brett Pineau, co-ordinator of the street patrol team for Montreal's Native Friendship Centre, a non-profit community organization on the corner of St-Laurent and Ontario that serves an estimated 1,750 indigenous people in the greater Montreal area. "In January, February, as temperatures drop to minus 25 [Celsius] or lower, a number of Montreal's urban aboriginals fall asleep at night and never wake up the next morning." "Each year the Native Friendship Centre loses community members to the streets," continues Annie Pisuktie, an Inuktitut-speaking outreach worker for the centre. Around five indigenous people die on the streets of Montreal each year due to multiple factors including freezing, drug overdose and physical abuse or street violence, according to the centre. The majority of indigenous people who die on Montreal streets are from Northern Quebec's Inuit communities or from Nunavut. "Three years ago my niece died on the streets of Montreal," explains Pisuktie. "After the death, as we were in mourning, her body stayed in the morgue for two full weeks as I frantically raised the thousands [of dollars] involved in sending the body back to the north, without any assistance from the government." Street suicide is another growing reality for urban First Nations in Montreal, according to the Native Friendship Centre. "One man who was in contact with us at the centre recently committed suicide on the street," continues Pisuktie. "This man who took his own life had been beaten by the Montreal police numerous times in the past, and when a friend called the police in the middle of a dispute, [he] committed suicide that same evening." Walking around in the early morning hours, accompanied by an outreach team from Montreal's only grassroots centre servicing urban indigenous people, quickly illustrates the striking extent of the crisis facing Montreal's homeless First Nations people. Alleged abuses and violence at the hands of police are widely discussed in conversations that crisscross between English, French and Inuktitut in city alleyways. "Many people from our communities end up in Montreal for medical reasons, specialized medical treatment, which you can't access on the reservations," says Pineau. "Given that life on the reservation in Northern Quebec is basically Third World conditions, often people are forced to relocate to the city as basic needs on the reservations aren't being met in terms of health care, education [and] clean drinking water." Relocating to Montreal from Northern Quebec translates into major readjustments in terms of language, culture and lifestyle. "Most people in Canada don't understand the ongoing trauma facing our people due to colonization. Rage is still inside of our people, as many of our families were ripped apart by the Canadian government," continues Joey Saganash, a youth outreach worker at the centre, "especially in past generations when many children went to government residential schools and never returned." Life for indigenous people on the streets of Montreal is like war. "Our people are on the streets, facing a hard life of drugs, alcohol, cold weather," explains Saganash. "You can look really good coming into the street, and five years later you can look like you went through a war. Every day there is danger coming at you." Information on the Native Friendship Centre is at www.nfcm.org. -------------------------------------------------------------- Mapuche Hunger Striker Force-Fed by Chilean Authorities Wednesday, January 23, 2008 Mapuche International Link has received information from various sources regarding the case of the hunger striker Patricia Troncoso Robles and recent protests in support of the Mapuche cause. HYPERLINK "http://www.mapuche-nation.org/library/fotos/grande/patricia-troncoso-04.jpg "Photo: Patricia Troncoso Robles Since January 21, Patricia has been force-fed against her will by a team of doctors set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs. According to a witness from the Catholic Church, she has been tied up and sedated in order to quell her resistance. The witness, Father Jose Luis Ysern, is the only person who has been allowed to see Patricia recently and told a reporter that she had asked him to give her the last rites. Her own family has been denied visiting rights and this has led to much concern about her real state of health. Patricia has been on hunger strike since 10 October 2007, in protest against the violation of her due process. She had been accused of an arson attack against a pine plantation owned by the Mininco Forestry Company, situated in ancestral Mapuche land. The case against Patricia was widely known throughout Chile to have been manufactured, and she was unjustly sentenced to ten years' imprisonment after an unfair trial. Her aims are to establish a re-trial, to secure the release of other Mapuche political prisoners and end the ongoing persecution against Mapuche activists. According to information provided by Radio Bio-Bio, Patricia has now been moved from Chillan Prison to the special unit of the Martin Herminda hospital in Chillan to receive intravenous feeding. Her personal doctor, Berne Castro, said she fears that Patricia's life is in imminent danger and stated: "After 106 days of this hunger strike, with a serious immunity deficiency, with renal failure and cardiovascular damage, it is important that the procedure of intravenous feeding is performed in careful conditions. If it is not, they put Patricia at risk of death or irreparable neurological damage." Dr Castro further alleged that: "the procedure is being carried out in a unit without cardiovascular or respiratory monitoring, without sufficient equipment if Patricia enters into a cardiac arrest, and without the necessary monitoring equipment to observe her dangerous condition, which could lead to her suffering comprehensive neurological damage." Dr Castro also states that Patricia's doctors are professional prison doctors. "No prison doctors have clinical experience in this field. One of them has had no clinical practice for a long time and another, who is directly involved, is a general practitioner without much experience in procedures like this." The Declaration of Malta on Hunger Strike adopted by the World Medical Association (AMM), in November 1991, and revised by the General Assembly of the AMM, Pilanesberg, South Africa, in October 2006, states that: "the doctor must respect the autonomy of the individual and should not force people on hunger strike to be treated if they reject. Force-feeding against an informed and voluntary rejection is unjustifiable.. Force-feeding is never ethically acceptable, even with the intention of benefiting. Food threats, pressure, use of force or physical restraint are forms of inhuman and degrading treatment." Mapuches and other supporters throughout Chile have reacted with anger to the news that Patricia is now being force-fed, as they consider this a further violation of her human rights. In Chillan groups of supporters have been holding night-long vigils in tents outside the hospital where she is being held. The police have intervened, destroying tents and dispersing a crowd that included women and children, who were holding a religious ceremony at the time. There have also been demonstrations every day in Santiago since the killing of a young Mapuche man, Matias Catrileo, who was shot in the back by Chilean police on 3 January this year on the outskirts of Vilcun, IX Region of Araucan?a. On 22 January five protestors were detained by police in La Moneda Palace in Santiago. Mapuche International Link ---------------------------------------------------- To 26 February 2008 The Hon'ble Governor Government of West Bengal Raj Bhaban Kolkata - 1 Sir, For your kind information Mr. Julfikar Ali s/o Abdur Rahim Mia of Village : Lalkup, P.O.: Shibnagar, P.S. Ranninagar, District: Murshidabad has been working as District Human Rights Monitor (DHRM) in Murshidabad under the programme namely 'National Project for Preventing Torture in India' (NPPTI) supported by European Union and FNSt. His primary task is to report the incidents of human rights violation in the district and to interact with different cross-section of the society in minimizing torture, i.e. the heads of the local administration, the teachers, political leaders, police authorities, Officers of BSF, etc. He is a human rights defender as he is working to uphold the fundamental rights guaranteed by our Constitution and also the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR). During his course of action, he has been reporting series of incidents of torture and firing by Border Security Forces (B.S.F.) killing people of the bordering areas along with other torturous act committed by the state agencies. By course of his dedicated effort, he has won the wrath of B.S.F., as he has been reporting torture committed by B.S.F. on the people of the said locality. Our organization has been continuously intervening and complaining against the torturous and illegal acts of B.S.F to the state government, union government, various human rights institutions and also to international communities. Under such backdrop, the B.S.F. has lodged a complaint at Ranninagar Police Station vide said Police Station case no. 8 of 2008 under sections 147/148/149/186/353/307/326 of Indian Penal Code describing one incident which purportedly took place in the night of 11/12th January 2008 at about 1-25 a.m. at Kaharpara border out post, point number 8, under police station Ranninagar. In the complaint along with three other persons, the name of Julfikar Ali, the DHRM has been named as an accused person though he has been misdescribed as Julfikar Shiekh and also his address was not fully correct. The police party has been haunting for him and raided his house in his absence. We conducted fact finding over the matter and found that at that point of time as mentioned in the F.I.R. Julfikar Ali was not at all present at the time place of occurrence which is almost twenty five kilometers from the place of residence of Julfikar. He has been falsely implicated in the said police case by B.S.F. lodged by one Inspector, Vikash Chandra, B Company, 90 BN B.S.F. The allegation against Julfikar is false, fabricated and act of malice on the part of B.S.F. He was not connected with the incident anyway nor did he have any inkling with other accused persons in the said case. B.S.F. has deliberately instituted this complaint in order to put pressure on him so that he is constrained to refrain himself in reporting the incidents of violation of human rights. The act of lodging false complaint against the innocent person in order to gag voice of a human rights defender is per se illegal and criminal act done in a conspiratorial manner misusing and abusing the procedure of law in a democratic set up of this country. In all cases as mentioned above, we informed and sought redress for the victims of BSF torture / killings to state government authorities, higher BSF officials, human rights institutions- both state & national level, international communities and others. In many cases the appropriate authorities have been enquiring / seeking reports from the concerned department. It is important to note that BSF personnel physically tortured one aged widow name Ms. Chanu Bala Mondal and after our complaints to different authorities over such brutal incident, departmental enquiry was initiated against some BSF personnel. Under this situation, Ms. Chanu Bala has been put under continuous threat and also inducement from a section of BSF with the help local smugglers. Mr. Julfikar always stood beside her at the time of distress while she refused to succumb to the wish of those BSF personnel. Mr. Gurpal Singh, Commanding Officer (CO) of 90 Battalion arranged meeting over this issue at Bamnabad School, under Raninagar police station on 17.12.2007 for amicable settlement with Chanu Bala and we were also present there at the relevant time. But Mr. Singh retracted from the announced programme finding media people present there. Conspicuously in this meeting he arranged huge force with number of accessories with sitting arrangements to give the meeting a grand colour. The rancor in the mind of BSF became multiplied after the failure of compromise meeting and they became very vindictive and the present case is the outcome of such attitude of BSF of that battalion. The matter is very serious and grave. If a human rights defender is falsely implicated in grave police cases for his apparent act of reporting human rights violation incidents by B.S.F. is detrimental to the free society. We draw your attention on this issue which demands immediate intervention on your part. An innocent person who is a human rights defender can not be harassed in false and fabricated police case. The Indian State is bound to recognize, respect and obey United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. We urge you to immediately take step for exonerating of Julfikar Ali or drop charges from the above criminal case and also start proper proceeding against the BSF personnel / officer responsible for falsely implicating Mr. Julfikar in a serious police case. original available on request or at < http://tinyurl.com/323aqf/ > From: "CISPES National Office" cispes.org> To: Date: Thu, 21 Feb > 2008 10:48:02 -0500 Subject: [Cispes-update] All charges dropped in case against "Suchitoto 13" All charges dropped in case against "Suchitoto 13" CISPES News Update *vaya aqui para CISPES informes en espa?ol* February 21, 2008 Also in this update: - ARENA's smear campaign against FMLN bolstered by U.S. intelligence report; FMLN proposes campaign finance reform - Assassinations of mayor and municipal employee in Alegr?a remain unsolved On Tuesday, February 19, 13 political activists arrested last July in the town of Suchitoto were set free, and all charges against them were dismissed. This victory for the "Suchitoto 13" comes on the heels of the initial charges of "acts of terrorism" being dropped on February 8, following a drawn out, 7-month investigation. The terrorism charges, enabled by El Salvador's 2006 Special Law Against Acts of Terrorism, were universally denounced by human rights organizations in El Salvador and around the world, and carried a potential sentence of up to 60 years in prison. After the government's February 8 admission that it did not have evidence to substantiate the original terrorism accusations, the charges were reduced to "public disorder" and "aggravated damages," crimes carrying sentences of up to 4 years. Accordingly, the case was moved from the jurisdiction of a special anti-terrorism tribunal in San Salvador - also established by the 2006 law - to the regular court system in Suchitoto. On Tuesday, the judge in Suchitoto dismissed the new, lesser charges, granting the defendants "definitive liberty" after the prosecution failed to appear at a preliminary hearing to present evidence. The government's attorneys later said their car broke down en route to the court. It is unclear whether the government will seek to appeal the decision. The "Suchitoto 13" were violently arrested at a July 2, 2007, demonstration against Salvadoran president Antonion Saca's plan to "decentralize" Suchitoto's public water system, a move that was widely viewed as a first step toward the eventual privatization of that system. Following their arrests, several of the defendants were psychologically tortured by members of El Salvador's National Civilian Police (PNC), a police force that the U.S. State Department has praised as one of the best in Latin America, and which it trains at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in San Salvador. Starting on Monday, February 11, various social organizations participated in a three-day march from Suchitoto to San Salvador to ensure that public attention remained focused on the case, even after the charges had been reduced. The march had two clear messages: opposition to El Salvador's anti-terrorism law and the call for all charges to be dropped in the Suchitoto case. The latter demand was met with Tuesday's court ruling. In support of the march, the mayor of Soyapango, Carlos Ruiz of the FMLN party, declared, "this is a protest to say 'No more state terrorism!' It is a just, rebellious response to oppression." In a further development, the Supreme Court of Justice petitioned the Legislative Assembly to rule on the constitutionality of the Special Law Against Acts of Terrorism, approved by a right-wing block in September 2006. ARENA's smear campaign against FMLN bolstered by U.S. intelligence report; FMLN proposes campaign finance reform In a recent visit to the United States, Salvadoran president Antonio Saca expressed concern about the findings of a recent U.S. intelligence report, which predicts that Venezuela will intervene in El Salvador's 2009 elections. In his Annual Threat Assessment, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell states that "we expect [Venezuelan president Hugo] Ch?vez to provide generous campaign funding to the Farabundo Mart? National Liberation Front (FMLN) in El Salvador in its bid to secure the presidency in the 2009 election." Similar U.S. national security reports, later exposed as false and comprised of politically-manipulated intelligence, were used by the Bush administration to justify its preemptive war against Iraq in 2003. Nevertheless, Saca ordered an investigation into the U.S.'s claims and recalled a diplomat from Venezuela for consultations, declaring, "we are instructing the diplomat to return to El Salvador to provide first hand information on this topic." Additionally, Saca warned that "any interference of a government such as Venezuela's in El Salvador's domestic affairs is unacceptable." Conversely, Saca seems to view electoral intervention by the United States government as not only acceptable, but welcomed. In a November 2007 press conference with President Bush, Saca stated that the U.S. "can help out a lot in preventing citizen support for certain proposals in the upcoming elections." FMLN presidential candidate Mauricio Funes denied the U.S.'s accusations and pledged that his party would not receive financing from Venezuela. Funes promptly proceeded to propose a campaign finance reform package to the Legislative Assembly that would cap campaign spending, mandate transparency in campaign financing and expenditures, and ban donations from foreign sources. For his part, Venezuelan president Ch?vez also dismissed the intelligence report, stating that the FMLN did not need his support because it is a "solid" and "well-organized" party with popular support. "It's a lie. We don't need to do that, and they don't need it," Ch?vez said. In further response to the U.S.'s claims, Saca's right-wing ARENA party accused the FMLN not only of accepting electoral financing from Venezuela, but also of allowing economic intervention by means of a petroleum importation agreement between FMLN municipalities and the Venezuelan state oil company. ENEPASA, the enterprise that imports and distributes subsidized oil from Venezuela, publicly expressed its willingness to submit to any type of investigation and insisted that it has complied with all legal requirements and paid all necessary taxes for the project. Assassinations of mayor and municipal employee in Alegr?a remain unsolved Hundreds of family members and social organization representatives took part in a public demonstration in the central park of the municipality of Alergr?a on Sunday, February 17, to call for justice to be served in the double assassination that occurred in the town last month. On January 9, the young mayor of Alegr?a, Wilber Funes, was shot dead along with municipal employee Zulma Rivera as the two drove to an outlying area of the municipality to assess progress on a public works project. Sunday's activity was supported by Funes' FMLN party, which gathered signatures on a petition to Attorney General F?lix Safie demanding that this case not result in impunity. More than a month after the killings, there has been little sign of an investigation moving forward. Although the Attorney General's office says it has identified suspects, no arrests have been made. During Sunday's event, the father of Zulma Rivera offered his analysis of the situation, stating, "if justice is not carried out, it is because they don't want it. The killers are from here, from Alegr?a." He added that he believes there are people in the municipality who are concealing the identities of the assassins. http://blogger-for-freedom.org/en/?p=17 Blog silence to support imprisoned Fouad Al-Farhan January 5th, 2008 simon columbus Posted in Saudi Arabia | Fouad Al-Farhan is being held in prison since weeks, without any reason being given to the public. But the causes seem to be clear: Critical articles on politics and society threatened conservative circles - and may have made him enemies. An international coalition works on his release - and calls for blog silence on January 6. Fouad Al-Farhan had been warned: Not just, that Saudi government silenced his blog from February to July 20071 - a few days before his detention he announced it in a letter to his friends2: "I was told that there is an official order from a high-ranking official in the Ministry of the Interior to investigate me. They will pick me up anytime in the next 2 weeks." Before, he had been "asked" to sign an apology - without being told for what. Soon after this, the "Godfather" of the Saudi blogosphere has been arrested at his office and was brought to an unidentified location by security forces. It is the first time a Saudi blogger is taken into custody for his writing. On January 1, three weeks after the detention on December 10, a statement was given by the ministry of the interior. It says, Al-Farhan was being held for "interrogation for violating non-security regulations".3. The detailed backgrounds of the detention are still in the dark. Fouad Al-Farhan himself suggested in his letter - before being arrested - his postings on a group of political prisoners had led to accusation2: "The issue that caused all of this is because I wrote about the political prisoners here in Saudi Arabia and they think I'm running a online campaign promoting their issue. All what I did is wrote some pieces and put side banners and asked other bloggers to do the same." These political prisoners are a group of businessmen from Jeddah, who are accused to have supported terrorism, even though their lawyer claims, their plan to found a human rights group had really caused their detention4. Another prominent Saudi blogger, Ahmad Al-Omran, suggests on his blog Saudi Jeans, that the real backgrounds for Al-Farhan being arrested can be found in the conflict between King Abdullah and parts of the government5: "I have no doubt that King Abdullah is pushing for a reformist agenda. However, it is very unfortunate that some elements in the government are not happy with this agenda because it could curb their powers and change their status. That's why these elements are so threatened by freedom of expression and therefore try to stifle this freedom even if that means violating basic human rights, national law and international accords." Al-Omran refers to the lately case of the "Qatif Girl", a young woman, who first got sentenced to prison by fundamentalist judges, but then was pardoned by King Abdullah. The case can be seen as a sign of the power struggle in Saudi Arabia6. As seen in the "Qatif Girl" case, there is a high international media interest on the detention of Fouad Al-Farhan - detailed coverage can be found from the BBC, CNN, New York Times or Washington Post7, but the Saudi media is silent8. No one can seriously suppose the government will yield due to the media coverage. In fact, a general may have stated Al-Farhan will not be held in prison for a long time, but if the backgrounds suggested by Al-Omran prove to be true, this seems more than unlikely. To fulfill Fouad Al-Farhans wish not to be forgotten in jail, his friends have started the blog "Free Fouad"9. In English and Arabic, it covers the development of the case. Together with other platforms, they have started a petition to support the release of Al-Farhan10. Also, they call for a blog silence on January 6. All blogs may be silent for one day, only showing a banner to support Fouad's case11. Not, that the government will react on this action directly, but an intervention by a higher official could cause Fouad's release. What can I do? To support Fouad Al-Farhan, you may sign the petition. Also, you are called to silence your blog on January 6 and only post of these banners, together with a link to Free Fouad. Fouad's supporters have created all kinds of banners, which you can use on your blog. The linked one shows an automatically rotated quote from one of Fouad's blog posts, "Why do we blog?" http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=a8wloTgsqtbI&refer=europe Belarus Riot Police Beat, Detain Dozens of Opposition Activists By Michael Heath March 26 (Bloomberg) -- Belarus riot police beat and detained dozens of opposition activists in the capital, Minsk, when they broke up an unsanctioned rally yesterday marking the 90th anniversary of an independence declaration from Russia. Pro-democracy groups celebrate March 25 as Freedom Day when an independent Belarus was declared in 1918. Independence lasted until Soviet Russia retook control after World War I ended. Hundreds of protesters, many waving the red and white banner of the briefly independent state and the European Union flag, gathered in the city center before clashes broke out yesterday, according to images broadcast on Russian state channel Vest-24. President Alexander Lukashenko, who won office in 1994 on pledges to control prices and boost ties with Russia, has criticized the anniversary as anti-Soviet. It has become a rallying point for the opposition. About 80 opposition members were detained yesterday, Russia's Interfax news agency cited the Belarus Interior Ministry as saying. An independent Belarus was declared after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, when the Soviet government ceded much of the west of the country to Germany in order to exit World War I. Soviet rule was restored after Germany's defeat in November 1918. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called Lukashenko ``Europe's last dictator'' for his crackdown on opposition groups in the country located between Poland and Russia. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Lukashenko's regime. Sanctions Strengthened Belarus withdrew its ambassador to Washington and told the U.S. to withdraw its envoy on March 7, a day after sanctions on oil and petrochemical company Belneftekhim were strengthened. Belneftekhim's assets were frozen in November because of Lukashenko's control of the company. Ties with the U.S. will improve once the sanctions are lifted, Belarus Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Popov said. ``The American administration is striving to inflict maximum damage on the Belarus people and state to make the country submit to American interests,'' Popov said yesterday in a statement on the Foreign Ministry's Web site. A report on Belarus state television this week accused the U.S. embassy of running a spy ring in the former Soviet republic. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack expressed ``regret'' that the U.S. was forced to cut its number of personnel at the embassy in Minsk at the insistence of Belarus. ``We would like a different relationship with Belarus, but that can only happen when the government of Belarus shows commitment to respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms,'' McCormack said in a statement two days ago. The U.S. and EU accuse Lukashenko of shutting down independent media, jailing opponents and rigging elections. He was re-elected in 2006 with 83 percent of the vote against 6.1 percent for second-placed Alexander Milinkevich, according to official results. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the vote didn't meet international standards. About 1,300 activists were arrested and held in the four months after the ballot, according to the opposition. To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Heath in Sydney at mheath1 at bloomberg.net. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-03/24/content_6561688.htm Five confess arson attacks during Lhasa riots (Xinhua) Updated: 2008-03-24 20:43 BEIJING -- Five criminal suspects have been detained over two arson attacks in which 10 people died during the Lhasa riots and have confessed their guilt, said an official with the Chinese Ministry of Public Security here Monday. A mourner mourns the five girl employees who were burned to death in a clothing shop after rioters set fire to the shop during the March 14 Lhasa riot March 23, 2008. The civilian death toll has reached 18 after the riots. [Xinhua] The ministry's spokesperson Shan Huimin briefed the public on the two arson cases at a press conference. Three suspects have been detained for an arson attack at a shop named Yishion at 2:30 p.m. March 14 in which five female sales assistants were burnt to death. In another case, two people were detained over an arson attack in a motorbike shop at around 10 p.m. March 15, which caused the deaths of five victims including an eight-month old boy and his parents. Riots erupted in Lhasa on March 14 when rioters set fire to and looted public facilities, buildings and shops. The violence has 242 police officers injured, according to Shan. Shan said facts had proved that the March 14 riot was by no means a "peaceful demonstration" and "peaceful protest", but a severe violent criminal incident. The criminal sabotages were well-organized, premeditated and an outcome of overseas forces instigating domestic separatists to resort to violence. Their ulterior motive was to disturb the Beijing Olympic Games, destroy the peace and stability and split the country. The whole nation were indignant and fiercely denounced all the cruel acts of the mob. The spokesperson said currently the riot has been calmed down and social order in Lhasa had been restored. The spokesperson said in the process of dealing with the March 14 riot in Lhasa, police always maintained great restraint and never used any lethal weapons. YISHION OUTLET ARSON CASE The suspects, themselves also young women, came to the shop on March 14after other mobs broke into the shop and looted it, and set fire to the remaining clothes, according to Shan. One suspect named Ben'gyi, 21, used a lighter to ignite jeans, another suspect, whose name is also Ben'gyi but 23 years old, set fire to other clothes and inflammable subjects. A 20-year-old Qime Lhazom threw clothes to the fire, said Shan. They left the shop after the fire burnt fiercely, which caused the deaths of the five victims who were hiding in the shop, said Shan. The five victims were all young girls in their 20s. MOTORCYCLE SHOP ARSON CASE Shan said the two male suspects involved in the motorcycle shop arson case were named Loyar, 25 and Kangzug, 22. Loyar participated in the riot at 10:00 p.m. on March 15, by throwing stones at shops, attacking police and setting fire to a grain shop named "Minhe". He later joined Kangzug to break into and set fire to a motorbike shop. After the motorbike shop was burnt, Loyar went to a food shop next door and threw two liquid gas jars from the shop into the motorcycle shop, which caused the death of five victims hiding in a room on the second floor, said Shan. She added that all the five criminal suspects have confessed their guilt after initial investigation. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/13/2189039.htm?section=justin 11 arrested for raising banned Papuan flag Posted Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:27pm AEDT Indonesian police have arrested 11 people in Papua for raising the Morning Star flag. Police broke up a rally in the west of the province when demonstrators held the banned flag aloft and called for a referendum on Papua's future. The demonstrators could be charged with promoting separatism. Police have rejected claims that they beat several of the demonstrators. The Morning Star flag is a symbol of the Papuan independence movement and was the official flag of West Papua when it was under UN control in the 1960's. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=38768 Indonesian police detains Chief of Council for West Papua National Authority Posted at 23:20 on 25 March, 2008 UTC Indonesian Police have detained the Chief of Council for the West Papua National Authority, Eli Kaiway, in connection with demonstrations in Papua earlier this month. Mr Kaiway presented himself under summons for interrogation, and Police arrested him over his alleged role among demonstrators who police say broke rules by raising the Papuan Morning Star flag. He is being held at the POLRES Manokwari headquarters. Police say Eli Kaiway will be charged with Rebellion and spreading hatred against the state, claiming he gave the order for the flag raising. There are now 11 political detainees linked with the Authority in Manokwari at the peaceful rallies nearly three weeks ago. A West Papua National Authority media release says the student political organisation has grave concerns for some of the detainees who have been tortured in police interrogation. The Authority notes however that an underage political prisoner, Silas Carlos Tevez May, has been released now on bail. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0803/S00224.htm Indonesian Shooting Rampage In West Papua Thursday, 27 March 2008, 10:56 am Press Release: Institute for Papuan Advocacy And Human Rights Indonesian Defence Minister visits Australia after Indonesian security forces go on shooting rampage in West Papua One teenage student is in hospital in a serious condition after being shot in the stomach when Indonesian security forces went on a shooting rampage against local people in the Paniai Lakes region of West Papua two weeks ago. The human rights violation coincides with the visit of Indonesian Defence Minister Sudarsono who is in Australia to attend the East Asia Dialogue Forum. The report from the remote region of Paniai demonstrates the disastrous role that Indonesian combat troops and paramilitary police are having throughout West Papua. The shooting rampage by the Indonesian security forces was sparked when local people demonstrated outside a local Police station on the 10th of March 2008. Indigenous residents of the remote highland town of Enarotali [1], about 120 km inland of the coastal city of Nabire, gathered at the police station after Police beat a local civil servant, Yavet Pigai. Local human rights workers at the scene report that the police were supported by Indonesian military forces from the Koramil (district headquarters) and Tim Khusus (Army Special Services). These military forces were described as combat troops from outside the province. Police and Military personnel are reported to have opened fire on the group. Local sources said the military and Brimob (Police Mobile Brigade) continued shooting for two hours. One report said hundreds of troops were involved and that local people, some of who had been wounded had fled into the forests. "Our sources described the incident as a terrifying experience for local people. It was clearly an action to intimidate local people and show that the Indonesian police and military were the authority in the region" said Matthew Jamieson on behalf of the Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights (IPAHR). A total of 9 local people were reportedly wounded. The names of two young men were given to IPAHR by these local sources, both of whom were described as students. Mangki Pigai (aged 18 years) was taken to hospital in a serious condition after a bullet lodged in his stomach. Another student, John Pigome (aged 20 years) was beaten by Police and sustained serious head injuries consistent with being beaten with a gun. The incident was sparked after Mr. Yavet Pigai, the civil servant, was knocked off his motorbike by an excavator working on road works near a village called Mogokobitadimi.[2] At the time of the incident Mr Pagai, who works for the District Government of Paniai was travelling to a meeting at the local government office in the town of Madi. Mr. Yavet Pigai was then beaten by police on the road and taken to the police station at Enarotali where he was beaten again. Mr. Pigai sustained injuries to his face and back. Police and Army personnel had been supervising the work of a road building contractor. The incident is believed to be related to local opposition to road building business in the Paniai region, which are supported by the security forces. It was reported by Human Rights sources that Paniai's head of the regional administration Mr. Naftali Yogi told a press conference that the police and army "must apology to the local people and reflect on what they have done". Mr. Yogi said that, "the police and army should take full of the responsibility on the incident because the case was a simple one but the security forces took a very serious action on trying to kill innocent people there". In a report tabled at the most recent session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (2008), the Catholic Office of Justice and Peace in Jayapura (SKP) reported 242 documented individual cases of torture and ill treatment by the security forces in West Papua since 1998. In the course of their human rights investigations SKP found that most of the human rights violations were committed by the police or military were outside of police or military custody. SKP said that most documented cases were not prosecuted. The only case of torture that was brought to trial was after the Abepura case in 2000 in which the two (Brimob) police officers who charged were acquitted. Finally, SKP found that the use of torture and cruel and degrading treatment by the security forces towards the Indigenous population was both widespread and formed a culture of violence and racism embedded within the security forces. Matthew Jamieson, spokesperson for Institute for Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights stated today that, "the shooting in Paniai follows the common pattern of indiscriminate violence against indigenous West Papuans. There is virtual legal impunity from prosecution for police and military forces involved in Human Rights abuses. Indonesian forces are stationed throughout West Papua, right down to the village level. The policy of stationing large numbers of combat troops and paramilitary police in every region is proving calamitous for indigenous West Papuans." "There are reports of both police and military at all levels of the command chain being involved legal and illegal business activities. In the Paniai Lakes region this includes road building and construction industries, logging, illegal wildlife rackets and goldmining. These business operations give the security forces a vested interest in generating conflict in order to justify their continued presence in the troubled territory." "The presence of senior commanding officers in West Papua, such as Burhanuddin Siagian, who have been indicted for 'Crimes Against Humanity' in East Timor, reinforces the culture of violence and impunity within the Indonesian security forces. " Reports of police and military violence in Enarotali come in the wake of widespread nonviolent demonstrations in Jayapura, Manokwari, Serui and Sorong protesting the Indonesian government's decision to ban the Morning Star flag. Several West Papuan leaders arrested in these demonstrations are in custody facing charges of rebellion and subversion. Notes: [1] The Indigenous Mee people of the Paniai Lakes region sustain a large population through intensive agriculture based around pigs and sweet potato. The group has suffered greatly during Indonesian rule in West Papua with many thousands of people killed by Indonesian security forces, especially during the 1960s and 1970s. In recent years the main Indonesian government development has been road building to link Enarotali and the interior with the coastal port city of Nabire. The Paniai region is highly prospective for minerals and is adjacent to the Freeport McMoRan/Rio Tinto gold and copper mine, which has been conducting exploration in the region. [2] There has been a recent history of human rights violations and community decent associated with road building. In January 2006 a young boy, Moses Douw, was shot dead in the community market on his way to school in the village of Wahgette. On three young local people were shot by the military after local people had protested about issues related to road building. ENDS From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 19:06:48 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:06:48 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Repression in America - part 2 of 2 Message-ID: <036101c89e9d$5e96e2e0$0802a8c0@andy1> * Protesters charged over SF anti-war protest * After seven months interned, Arab man has freedom but no answers * Muslim charity under attack, accused of terror links * More than 1 in 100 Americans now in jail * NYPD seeks to ban pollution detectors * Global biometric database mooted * Bureaucracy impedes spread of organic farming * ACLU: Pentagon sought citizens' bank records * Tacoma bans hip-hop * US troops asked if they would shoot American citizens * FBI deputises mercenaries to shoot Americans * 911 campaigner arrested for shouting at Clinton rally * ACLU: 900,000 on US terror watch list * Quaker university teacher fired for changing loyalty oath * Police murder cancer patient over marijuana * Animal activist found guilty for rescuing abused dog - judge tries to censor case * Police beat up defenceless woman for arguing * WalMart sues disabled ex-employee for money she doesn't have * Jeff Luers' sentence reduced - but still not free * At some sites, fingerprints replace clocking-in; workers condemn surveillance, fear * Homegrown Terrorism Act fails in Congress * City sued for handcuffing, terrorising 4-year-old "nap nixer" * Academic sentenced to 11 YEARS in jail for refusing to inform * Priests jailed for five months for trespassing to protest torture * Woman stripped naked by mob of cops * Congress trip deemed "aiding Iraq", man charged * Sami al-Arian transferred back to jail as hunger strike continues * Courts deny human rights to humans, give them to corporations * Congressman charged for lobbying for now-banned charity * Police officer caught sending vicious personal letter * Cop caught with racist cartoon - "cop by day, Klan by night" * Protesters charged for pouring fake blood on themselves * Microsoft designs office spy software * Tasers are torture says UN * Bison extermination continues - and is covered up - at Yellowstone * Collection of police brutality and taser vids Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance Solidarity is something very important to many of us anarchists especially when our friends and loved ones are put behind bars, or when we happen to find ourselves held captive there, being kept from those we care about. Yesterday, the 19th of March, more than one-hundred people were arrested in the streets and side walks of San Francisco at the DATW. Among those were three anarchists Bryan Riggins, Kenneth Pack and Mitch Inclin who where wrongfully arrested and are now being held at the Sheriff's Dept. at 850 Bryant St. These are people who have done amazing work within their communities and have no place behind bars. We wan't them back home as soon as possible. We have been told that their arraignment will probably be on Monday, and if not on Tuesday. We would like not only support from those who are anarchists but support for all of those who have been jailed and have had friends locked away standing up and saying no to those who think it is ok for them to put profit over people and bussiness over our communities. As of right now the charges are as follows: Mitch I.- one felony weapons charge, one felony conspiracy charge, and one felony asult of an officer charge. bail set at $40,000 Bryan R.- one felony weapons charge, one felony conspiracy charge, and one felony asult of an officer charge. bail set at $40,000 Kenneth P-one felony of concieled weapon charge. bail not known by those posting this. We have heard that there is an other who also has not been released as of yet. This would be Kurt Therkslen who is facing a Felony charge and has had no arraignment date has been set. He is being held at the Sheriff's dept. at 850 Bryant as well. We do not know much info on Kurts specific charges or wheather or not Kurt will be arrained at the same time as the other three; however, we would strongly encurage support at Kurts arraignment as well. Kurt was arrested during the protests and should be showed solidarity and supported in court. The SF Booking Centers # is (415) 575-4419 They would love to hear from every one and explain when our friends and comrades will have their arraignment and be released. As of right now, the times of these arraignments are unknown, and when more specific details about their arraignments are released we will keep everyone updated to the best of our ability. In the mean time, please keep in mind the importance of solidarity in these situations. It would be greatly appreciated, especially to those who are being detained. Update on three anarchists arrested in San Francisco One of our three friends have been released. Kenneth P. is now free on bail while Mitch I. and Bryan R. remain in jail. Their arraignment will be on Tuesday, some time after 9 am, along with the other person arrested, Kurt. We have been told to go to room 101 at 850 Bryant St. to find out about when the arraignment is. That is thanks to the pressure put on the jail by those of you calling asking them all the questions they love hearing. Hope to see people there. Again the number to those amazing people at the jail is (415) 575-4419. They would love to hear from every one with concerns and questions. In solidarity, -anarchist comrades -------------------------------------------------------------- After seven months, man has freedom but not answers Immigration authorities will not comment on his case. By REBECCA CATALANELLO and ABBIE VANSICKLE, Times Staff Writers St. Petersburg Times Iyad Abuhajjaj, 37, poses for a portrait outside the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Tampa. Abuhajjaj has been released from Krome Detention Center in Miami, following 7 months of detainment throughout Florida. He said he was not told why he was being held during that time. TAMPA -- Iyad Abuhajjaj walked out of jail last week with as many questions as he had when he went in 7-1/2 months earlier. Over those weeks, he had been questioned by police detectives, FBI agents, newspaper reporters and attorneys. Every part of his life from birth to now was spilled and discussed in detail with strangers. And yet, he says, he never got the answer he craved: Why was he held by immigration authorities 3,000 miles from home? He lost 20 pounds, his job in California, his car. He prayed every day for God to release him in time to celebrate the last day of Ramadan with his wife, Karen. He got that wish, reunited with her the day before the end of the Muslim holy month, but not much more. "Seven and a half months of my life are wasted," he said this week during a stop in Tampa. "Taking me away from my family, my work, my clients, my friends, my soccer team, my singing choir." Justice Department and immigration officials won't talk about his case. One of his attorneys said he thought the government was trying to recruit Abuhajjaj to be an informant. Another attorney thinks bureaucracy played a role. On Tuesday, 37-year-old Abuhajjaj boarded a Southwest Airlines plane, bound for San Jose, Calif., where he lives. A thousand times he wondered whether he shouldn't just drive cross country instead. It was, after all, a Southwest flight that led to his incarceration in the first place. Water pooled in his eyes when he thought about what might happen next. * * * The details of that first Southwest flight on Feb. 28 come from Abuhajjaj, a physical therapist who works with the developmentally disabled. He wanted a Florida vacation. On the flight from San Jose to Phoenix to Tampa, he went to the restroom and stretched his legs and was told to be seated. On his laptop, he watched scenes from a movie he acted in: The Strange Case of Salman abd al Haaq, a film by two Stanford University students about terrorist torture. When he landed, police questioned him about the flight and the movie. They found a warrant for his arrest out of Okaloosa County. A Florida woman he met online accused him of accessing her AOL account without her permission, according to documents. Abuhajjaj said he thought the charges had been dropped. He was jailed in Tampa but was moved to Okaloosa County.On March 14, he pleaded not guilty, posted $20,000 bail and expected to be released. Instead, the Department of Homeland Security took him into custody and shipped him to the Wakulla County Jail in Crawfordville. * * * What are my charges? he wanted to know. Why am I being held? Abuhajjaj tried to see into the minds of his questioners for answers. Two men who introduced themselves as FBI agents grilled him for four to five hours. "They talked about my life," he remembered this week, "since I was born to the day I met them -- Palestine, Israel, my travels elsewhere, my stay in America, my activities, my work." Abuhajjaj's attorney wrote in court documents that Abuhajjaj believed he was being detained to force him to spy on fellow Muslims. The same month Abuhajjaj was arrested in Tampa, Hamas terrorists killed his nephew while trying to kidnap Abuhajjaj's brothers, both of whom work for the Palestinian National Authority police, records show. Federal prosecutors argued in court filings that it was time to boot Abuhajjaj from the United States. He had come here with conditional residency in 2000, married to an American. But in 2001, he was convicted of stalking the same woman, now his ex-wife. He said he was merely being insistent, as is expected of men in his homeland. The concept of stalking, he said, was new to him. The government ordered his deportation after the 2001 conviction, documents show. While Abuhajjaj was free on bail and living his life in San Jose, he spent three years appealing the government's decision on grounds of changed political conditions. In 2005, he got a break: An appeals court granted a stay, allowing him to remain. But amid reapplying for asylum in 2007 came his Florida arrest. Abuhajjaj was dangerous, prosecutors argued, and his most recent charge in Florida showed a pattern that should not be ignored. * * * Growing up in Rafa, Gaza, Abuhajjaj was kidnapped and tortured more than once, according to Justice Department records. He threw rocks at Israelis during demonstrations against Israeli occupation in 1987, records said. He was shot in the leg walking home from school at age 19. As recently as 2000, he told authorities, an Israeli officer detained him, asking him to provide information about the Palestinian National Authority. When Abuhajjaj came to the United States to live, he says, he did so seeking refuge. "I wanted peace," he said. "I had a very tough life back home. ... I wanted to come and just have a better life." * * * In June, while Abuhajjaj was still in the Wakulla County Jail, the Justice Department found that he had successfully demonstrated cause to reopen his request for asylum from persecution. He fears Hamas, they said. In August, without explanation, authorities took him to Miami's Krome Processing Center, an immigrant detention center. A few days later, he entered a deal with Okaloosa prosecutors, pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of "attempting to access a computer without authorization" in exchange for time served. It would be another two months before a judge would grant Abuhajjaj what he really wanted: freedom. On Oct. 11, Abuhajjaj posted $25,000 bail and walked into his wife's arms. "I think it was just bureaucracy," said Elias Shamieh, a San Francisco lawyer who will represent Abuhajjaj in the next phase of his asylum case in California. "He was bond-eligible from day one. He should not have been held in custody for this length of time." The Homeland Security Department would not immediately disclose documents related to Abuhajjaj's case. * * * Iyad and Karen Abuhajjaj flew from Orlando to California on Tuesday aboard another Southwest flight. That was deliberate. "I wanted to tell them that I've never done anything wrong," he said, "and I'm not afraid to fly Southwest." He touched down in California. The Abuhajjajes made it home without incident. "It feels good," he said Wednesday. "It's my own bed. I saw my cats. I'm very relaxed from the first minutes I came to my home." Now, he will continue his plea for longer-term asylum. He will apply for a green card because he is married to a U.S. citizen, his attorney said. He wants to stay. He thinks of the United States as his country. But he said he's still seeking the peace he wanted when he first arrived on American soil. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Judge won't release 3 in Muslim charity case By Lee Hammel - lhammel @ telegram.com TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF Saturday, January 26, 2008 WORCESTER, MA? Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV yesterday refused to set conditions for the release of three defendants jailed since their conviction Jan. 11 for conspiracy to defraud the government in a Muslim charity case in U.S. District Court. Judge Saylor said Muhamed Mubayyid, 43, of Shrewsbury, and Emadeddin Z. Muntasser, 43, of Braintree, and Samir Al-Monla, 50, of Brookline, both formerly of Worcester, "have not carried their heavy burden of establishing by clear and convincing evidence that they are not likely to flee" before they are sentenced in April. Judge Saylor held bail hearings Jan. 18 at the federal courthouse inWorcester to consider whether to set conditions under which they could be freed. Yesterday's decision was not without good news for the defendants, with Judge Saylor observing that "at a minimum, this case ? which is both complex and relatively unique ? presents a variety of substantial issues for possible appeal, and has a significantly greater-than-average chance of resulting in a reversal." Judge Saylor is scheduled to hear defense requests to acquit the defendants or to set a new trial. All three were convicted of the conspiracy charge and of scheming to conceal material information from the government. Mr. Mubayyid was also convicted of three counts of making a false statement on an income tax return and of obstructing the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Muntasser was also found guilty of making a false statement, while Mr. Al-Monla was acquitted on that charge. The government charged the three officials of the defunct Muslim charity in Boston, Care International, received and kept tax-exempt status that it might not have gotten, had the officials not withheld information from the government. That information, the government said, is that Care was an outgrowth and successor to Al-Kifah Refugee Center, which later was named a specially designated global terrorist organization, and that Care supported and gathered contributions for Muslim holy war and the mujahedeen who fought it. Judge Saylor noted the arguments for freeing the defendants, including that each has substantial ties to the community and that Mr. Muntasser offered to put up $1.9 million in addition to the $422,000 ? both in real estate ? that he previously put up for security and Mr. Mubayyid's offer of the home in which he has more than $100,000 equity. But he said he was swayed by the U.S. Attorney's arguments that the defendants are citizens of other countries with family, financial and other substantial supports outside this country. Assistant U.S. Attorney B. Stephanie Siegmann said the defendants are citizens of Lebanon, Libya and Kuwait, respectively, which do not have extradition treaties with the United States. She said that they are convicted of serious crimes for which the government is likely to seek higher sentences than the 3-1/2 to 4 years recommended by the advisory sentencing guidelines. ----------------------------------------------------------- What does this say about our society? Report: More than 1 in every 100 Americans now behind bars >From the Associated Press February 28, 2008 For the first time in history, more than one in every 100 American adults is in jail or prison, according to a new report tracking the surge in inmate population and urging states to rein in corrections costs with alternative sentencing programs. The report, released today by the Pew Center on the States, said the 50 states spent more than $49 billion on corrections last year, up from less than $11 billion 20 years earlier. The rate of increase for prison costs was six times greater than for higher education spending, the report said. Using updated state-by-state data, the report said 2,319,258 adults were held in U.S. prisons or jails at the start of 2008 -- one out of every 99.1 adults, and more than any other country in the world. The steadily growing inmate population "is saddling cash-strapped states with soaring costs they can ill afford and failing to have a clear impact either on recidivism or overall crime," said the report. Susan Urahn, managing director of the Pew Center on the States, said budget woes are prompting officials in many states to consider new, cost-saving corrections policies that might have been shunned in the recent past for fear of appearing soft in crime. "We're seeing more and more states being creative because of tight budgets," she said in an interview. "They want to be tough on crime, they want to be a law-and-order state -- but they also want to save money, and they want to be effective." The report cited Kansas and Texas as states which have acted decisively to slow the growth of their inmate population. Their actions include greater use of community supervision for low-risk offenders and employing sanctions other than reimprisonment for ex-offenders who commit technical violations of parole and probation rules. "The new approach, born of bipartisan leadership, is allowing the two states to ensure they have enough prison beds for violent offenders while helping less dangerous lawbreakers become productive, taxpaying citizens," the report said. While many state governments have shown bipartisan interest in curbing prison growth, there also are persistent calls to proceed cautiously. "We need to be smarter," said David Muhlhausen, a criminal justice expert with the conservative Heritage Foundation. "We're not incarcerating all the people who commit serious crimes -- but we're also probably incarcerating people who don't need to be." According to the report, the inmate population increased last year in 36 states and the federal prison system. The largest percentage increase -- 12 percent -- was in Kentucky, where Gov. Steve Beshear highlighted the cost of corrections in his budget speech last month. He noted that the state's crime rate had increased only about 3 percent in the past 30 years, while the state's inmate population has increased by 600 percent. The Pew report was compiled by the Center on the State's Public Safety Performance Project, which is working directly with 13 states on developing programs to divert offenders from prison without jeopardizing public safety. "For all the money spent on corrections today, there hasn't been a clear and convincing return for public safety," said the project's director, Adam Gelb. "More and more states are beginning to rethink their reliance on prisons for lower-level offenders and finding strategies that are tough on crime without being so tough on taxpayers." The report said prison growth and higher incarceration rates do not reflect a parallel increase in crime or in the nation's overall population. Instead, it said, more people are behind bars mainly because of tough sentencing measures, such as "three-strikes" laws, that result in longer prison stays. "For some groups, the incarceration numbers are especially startling," the report said. "While one in 30 men between the ages of 20 and 34 is behind bars, for black males in that age group the figure is one in nine." The nationwide figures, as of Jan. 1, include 1,596,127 people in state and federal prisons and 723,131 in local jails -- a total 2,319,258 out of almost 230 million American adults. The report said the United States is the world's incarceration leader, far ahead of more populous China with 1.5 million people behind bars. It said the U.S. also is the leader in inmates per capita (750 per 100,000 people), ahead of Russia (628 per 100,000) and other former Soviet bloc nations which make up the rest of the Top 10. http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_244/nypd.html N.Y.P.D. looks to regulate environmental detectors By Julie Shapiro A far-reaching bill before the City Council would make it illegal to possess a biological, chemical or radiological detector without a permit from the New York Police Department. The bill, Intro 650, met resistance even among its proponents at a Public Safety Committee hearing Tuesday morning. Because of concerns about the impact of the bill on independent environmental health assessments following a terrorist attack, the committee postponed a vote. Downtowners in particular were concerned because many relied on independent environmental tests after 9/11 in response to the Environmental Protection Agency's questionable assertions. In a recent explosion of technology, detection equipment once available only to the military is trickling down into the private sector. The mayor's office, prompted by the Department of Homeland Security, proposed the bill to control the proliferation of these detection devices, sorting the useful from the fraudulent and minimizing false alarms. There are currently no guidelines on possession of detection devices, and individuals who detect contamination are not required to notify the authorities. The bill, the first of its kind in the country, requires owners of the devices to apply for a free, five-year permit and requires all owners, whether they have permits or not, to inform the city of any contamination. "Our mutual goal is to prevent false alarms and unnecessary public concern by making sure that we know where these detectors are located and that they conform to standards of quality and reliability," said Richard Falkenrath, N.Y.P.D. deputy commissioner for counter terrorism. The public generally believes the N.Y.P.D. should be involved and aware of these devices, said Councilmember Peter Vallone, Jr., the bill's sponsor. However, the broad language of the bill caused concern among several members of the Public Safety Committee and many members of the public, who pointed out that the bill does not explicitly exclude commonplace devices such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Vallone said those devices would not require permits. Falkenrath promised that the Police Dept. would "whittle down" the coverage of the bill in enforcement, but he implored the council to pass the broad version of the bill. The rapidly evolving technology of detection devices would make it hard for the council to pinpoint which types of devices to regulate, he said. Falkenrath would not commit to publishing a list of approved devices or approved device specifications, because he said that list could give terrorists information about what the city is capable of detecting. Vallone replied that the council normally does not pass bills with such broad language, but that he would defer to the Police Department's judgment in this case. Borough President Scott Stringer, who testified next, was less willing to accept N.Y.P.D.'s reasoning. "This legislation will undermine an important check on the government," Stringer said. "It would undermine environmental advocates." After 9/11, the first group to sample the air at the World Trade Center site was the National Hazmat Program of the International Union of Operating Engineers, which came from West Virginia. Under the bill, that group would have had to register with the N.Y.P.D. first, substantially delaying the tests, Stringer said. "Had Intro 650 been in place in 2001, it is possible that we still would not have an accurate understanding of the air quality Downtown," he said. Stringer added that he has never heard of a false alarm caused by private monitoring. "This is a fake emergency that doesn't exist," he said. "If it's not a problem, let's not try to create one." In response to the council's concerns, Falkenrath gave several examples of the types of devices he wants to regulate. The bill would not require permits for radiation equipment used to treat oncology patients, but it would require them for emergency-room radiation detectors, since terrorists whose experimental weapons go wrong often end up there. The bill also would not regulate industrial safety chemical detectors or detectors used for instruction in university classrooms. Falkenrath emphasized that he wants to keep the application process simple and swift, to keep good devices in good hands. Vallone was concerned that there is no appeal process for N.Y.P.D.'s decisions. Falkenrath replied that people will be able to resubmit their applications if they make the requested changes. Vallone also mentioned the widespread concerns about the E.P.A.'s assurances about air quality after 9/11. "If an independent group wants to verify the air quality, how would the [new] regulations affect that?" he asked Falkenrath. "Our interest is in weapons," Falkenrath replied, saying he is less concerned about chemicals like asbestos. However, he said, "An independent group could run into a problem." That's exactly what's worrying Steve Abramson, who has lived near the World Trade Center since before 9/11. Abramson and the other residents of 114 Liberty St. hired a consultant to test their building after 9/11. "Frankly, in our building we didn't trust [the E.P.A.] and we wanted to do it on our own with an independent paid consultant," Abramson said after the hearing, "so we didn't have to worry about any government interpretation or anybody using standards we disagreed with." As a result of the consultant's recommendations, Abramson and the other building residents agreed to replace all the central air-conditioning ducts, a measure the E.P.A. did not think was necessary. "The E.P.A. didn't feel we needed to go through rigor we went through," Abramson said. But the residents went with the consultant's opinion "because at end of day you want it clean not only for your physical health but for your peace of mind, too," he said. Abramson does not see why the bill is necessary, and he worried that it would delay future testing by independent contractors. "It sounds like it adds just another layer of bureaucracy onto everything," he said. Esther Regelson, a resident of 109 Washington St., was dissatisfied with E.P.A.'s testing of her apartment after 9/11. "We have reservoirs of dust in and around our building from 9/11 and we should be able to test that if we need to," she said. "Who would trust E.P.A. after what they told us on 9/11?" The city seems concerned that people who independently test for contamination will create alarm, Regelson said, but she disagrees. Independent testing "creates an informed population, not an alarmed population," she said. At the hearing, City Councilmember John Liu asked about community groups who do air-quality testing in schools and parks. "Obviously no one is opposed to the N.Y.P.D. keeping us safe," Liu said. "But it seems to me the administration is asking for a huge amount here." The bill amounts to a "blank check," Liu added. Falkenrath replied that it comes down to an issue of public safety versus public health. The bill would not affect air-quality monitoring in schools, he said, but he would not want to specifically state that in the bill for fear of creating a loophole. The bill should explicitly refer to weapons detectors, not detectors in general, said Dave Newman, industrial hygienist at New York City Occupational Safety and Health. After the hearing, Newman added that unions have a right under federal law to bring in outside experts to test environmental conditions. City Councilmember Alan Gerson has not taken a position on the bill and said he would look into it further. "My immediate reaction is that it's a little overbroad, or a lot overbroad," he said. The committee was originally supposed to vote on the bill after the hearing, but Vallone postponed the vote to give the committee more time to address concerns with the city. http://infowars.net/articles/january2008/150108Grid.htm A vast intelligence program is to establish a global biometric database known as Server in the Sky that will collate & provide a International Information Consortium with access to the biometric measurements and personal information of citizens of the US,UK,Australia, and Canada, in the name of fighting the War On Terror. As reported by the London Guardian, he plan is being formulated by the FBI with the cooperation of the home offices and law enforcement agencies of American allies. Biometric measurements, irises or palm prints as well as fingerprints, and other personal information are likely to be exchanged across the network. The FBI told the Guardian: "Server in the Sky is an FBI initiative designed to foster the advanced search and exchange of biometric information on a global scale. While it is currently in the concept and design stages, once complete it will provide a technical forum for member nations to submit biometric search requests to other nations. It will maintain a core holding of the world's 'worst of the worst' individuals. Any iden- tifications of these people will be sent as a priority message to requesting nation. Of course as well as holding the information of the world's 'worst of the worst', the database will eventually hold the records of every other citizen who's ever traveled in and out of the member states,or has ever been arrested with or without charge. Britain's National Policing Improvement Agency has been the lead body for the FBI project because it is responsible for IDENT1, the UK database holding 7m sets of fingerprints & other biometric details used by police forces to search for match- es from scenes of crimes.Many of the prints are either from a person with no criminal record, or have yet to be matched to a named individual. Any non national now entering the US must provide an Iris scan and 10 fingerprints. This week has also seen Britain enact legislation ensuring that anyone applying for a visa from 133 countries covering three quarters of the world?s population now has their fingerprints checked against UK databases. Police in Britain hold vastly more DNA samples than any other country in the West- ern world, & many are from people who have never committed a crime.More than three million samples have been added to the national DNA database: more than 5 percent of the population, and this is rising exponentially. We previously noted that the vast array of databases currently being employed by intelligence agencies,government and law enforcement agencies worldwide were designed to be linked together in a system which will tie in the management and control of all facets of life for citizens to one central hub. The Guardian report on "Server in the Sky" further notes: IDENT1 was built by the computer technology arm of US defence company Northrop Grumman. In future it is expected to hold palm prints, facial images & video sequen- ces. A company spokeswoman confirmed that Northrop Grumman had spoken to the FBI about Server in the Sky. It can run independently but if existing systems are connected up to it then the intelligence agencies would have to approve. The component systems have been designed by the military industrial complex to strengthen and perpetuate its own existence. The news of global database network dovetails with announcement that US Nat- ional Intelligence Director Mike McConnell is drawing up plans for cyberspace spying that would make the current debate on warrantless wiretaps look like a walk in the park.The plan would mean giving the govt the authority to exam- ine the content of any email,file transfer or Web search. Last month it was revealed that another military spy agency, the NSA has increasing control over SSL,now called Transport Layer Security,the cryptographic protocol that provides secure communications on the internet for web browsing,email,messaging, and other data transfers. In other words the agency is capable of intercepting & reading your emails & instant messages in real time. At the same time a lawyer for an AT&T engineer went public with claims that within 2 weeks of taking office,the Bush administration was planning a comprehensive eff- ort of spying on Americans phone usage.That is BEFORE 911, before the nation was embroiled in freedom stripping exercise known as the War On Terror had begun. This swell of surveillance activity was also enhanced with news that Department of Homeland security is forging ahead & finalizing plans to use network of spy satellites for domestic surveillance. The DHS plans to create a new department branch called the National Applications Office to oversee the program and be responsible for pro- viding images from the satellites to non military law enforcement agencies. After 911 the work of 16 different intelligence agencies,including the CIA & the giant NSA,which eavesdrops on international communications,as well as the Energy De- partment & the Drug Enforcement Administration was centralized under the office of the Director of National Intelligence. Over decades we have witnessed the evolution of Govt surveillance programs and information databases targeting citizens.We are now witnessing the centralization of this vast control grid Panopticon beyond our own borders. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/01/opinion/01hedin.html My Forbidden Fruits (and Vegetables) by Jack Hedin March 2, 2008 by the New York Times If you've stood in line at a farmers' market recently, you know that the local food movement is thriving, to the point that small farmers are having a tough time keeping up with the demand. But consumers who would like to be able to buy local fruits and vegetables not just at farmers' markets, but also in the produce aisle of their supermarket, will be dismayed to learn that the federal government works deliberately and forcefully to prevent the local food movement from expanding. And the barriers that the United States Department of Agriculture has put in place will be extended when the farm bill that House and Senate negotiators are working on now goes into effect. As a small organic vegetable producer in southern Minnesota, I know this because my efforts to expand production to meet regional demand have been severely hampered by the Agriculture Department's commodity farm program. As I've looked into the politics behind those restrictions, I've come to understand that this is precisely the outcome that the program's backers in California and Florida have in mind: they want to snuff out the local competition before it even gets started. Last year, knowing that my own 100 acres wouldn't be enough to meet demand, I rented 25 acres on two nearby corn farms. I plowed under the alfalfa hay that was established there, and planted watermelons, tomatoes and vegetables for natural-food stores and a community-supported agriculture program. All went well until early July. That's when the two landowners discovered that there was a problem with the local office of the Farm Service Administration, the Agriculture Department branch that runs the commodity farm program, and it was going to be expensive to fix. The commodity farm program effectively forbids farmers who usually grow corn or the other four federally subsidized commodity crops (soybeans, rice, wheat and cotton) from trying fruit and vegetables. Because my watermelons and tomatoes had been planted on "corn base" acres, the Farm Service said, my landlords were out of compliance with the commodity program. I've discovered that typically, a farmer who grows the forbidden fruits and vegetables on corn acreage not only has to give up his subsidy for the year on that acreage, he is also penalized the market value of the illicit crop, and runs the risk that those acres will be permanently ineligible for any subsidies in the future. (The penalties apply only to fruits and vegetables - if the farmer decides to grow another commodity crop, or even nothing at all, there's no problem.) In my case, that meant I paid my landlords $8,771 - for one season alone! And this was in a year when the high price of grain meant that only one of the government's three crop-support programs was in effect; the total bill might be much worse in the future. In addition, the bureaucratic entanglements that these two farmers faced at the Farm Service office were substantial. The federal farm program is making it next to impossible for farmers to rent land to me to grow fresh organic vegetables. Why? Because national fruit and vegetable growers based in California, Florida and Texas fear competition from regional producers like myself. Through their control of Congressional delegations from those states, they have been able to virtually monopolize the country's fresh produce markets. That's unfortunate, because small producers will have to expand on a significant scale across the nation if local foods are to continue to enter the mainstream as the public demands. My problems are just the tip of the iceberg. Last year, Midwestern lawmakers proposed an amendment to the farm bill that would provide some farmers, though only those who supply processors, with some relief from the penalties that I've faced - for example, a soybean farmer who wanted to grow tomatoes would give up his usual subsidy on those acres but suffer none of the other penalties. However, the Congressional delegations from the big produce states made the death of what is known as Farm Flex their highest farm bill priority, and so it appears to be going nowhere, except perhaps as a tiny pilot program. Who pays the price for this senselessness? Certainly I do, as a Midwestern vegetable farmer. But anyone trying to do what I do on, say, wheat acreage in the Dakotas, or rice acreage in Arkansas would face the same penalties. Local and regional fruit and vegetable production will languish anywhere that the commodity program has influence. Ultimately of course, it is the consumer who will pay the greatest price for this - whether it is in the form of higher prices I will have to charge to absorb the government's fines, or in the form of less access to the kind of fresh, local produce that the country is crying out for. Farmers need the choice of what to plant on their farms, and consumers need more farms like mine producing high-quality fresh fruits and vegetables to meet increasing demand from local markets - without the federal government actively discouraging them. Jack Hedin is a farmer. http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/101507R.shtml ACLU: Pentagon Sought Citizens' Bank Records The Associated Press New York - The American Civil Liberties Union said Sunday that newly uncovered documents show that the Pentagon secretly sent hundreds of letters seeking the financial records of private citizens without court approval. The ACLU said an analysis of 455 so-called national security letters issued after Sept. 11, 2001 shows that the Pentagon collaborated with the FBI to circumvent the law and may have overstepped its legal authority to obtain financial and credit records. The ACLU has been reviewing the letters and the accompanying documentation over the past few days. "Once again, the Bush administration's unchecked authority has led to abuse and civil liberties violations," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero in a statement. "The documents make clear that the Department of Defense may have secretly and illegally conducted surveillance beyond the powers it was granted by Congress." No spokesman for the Pentagon was available for comment Sunday. The New York Times first disclosed the military's use of the letters in January, and members of Congress and civil liberties groups said the practice conflicted with traditional Pentagon rules against domestic law-enforcement operations. Vice President Dick Cheney defended the practice as a "perfectly legitimate activity" used to investigate possible acts of terrorism and espionage. The documents relating to the letters were obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The Times reported Sunday that the documents show that the Pentagon's own review of the program found systemic problems and poor coordination. According to the Times, the documents suggest that military officials used the FBI to collect records for what started as purely military investigations. The Times said military officials defended the letters, which they said had been used to gather information about military personnel and contractors. Maj. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, told the Times that investigators could use the letters, for example, to examine the assets of a military contractor who seemed to have sudden and unexplained wealth. But the Times said internal memos issued by Defense Department agencies seemed in some cases to encourage the gathering of records on nonmilitary personnel. Recipients of national security letters, including Internet service providers, financial institutions and credit reporting agencies, are generally forbidden to disclose that they have received the letters. The ACLU filed Freedom of Information Act requests with both the Defense Department and the CIA in April seeking all documents related to their use of the letters to gain access to personal records of people in the United States. And in June, the ACLU filed a lawsuit to force those agencies to turn over the documents. "The expanded role of the military in domestic intelligence gathering is troubling," Melissa Goodman, staff attorney with the ACLU's National Security Project, told The Associated Press on Sunday. "These documents reveal that the military is gaining access to records here in the U.S. in secret and without any meaningful oversight. There are real concerns about the use of this intrusive surveillance power." http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/2008/03/265271.shtml March 10th: Rally Against Tacoma's Ban on Hip Hop author: tac-tivist Mar 09, 2008 19:38 Tacoma recently passed legislation that will ban hip hop shows from Tacoma's public venues. The legislation came into effect last Friday. Tacoma hip hop artists and producers heard about this just recently and are staging a rally at the Pantages Theaters, Downtown Tacoma, Monday, March 10 at noon. The community-led rally will be in front of the Pantages Theater at noon on March 10th. Be there to show your support. http://prisonplanet.com/articles/february2008/020408_shoot_americans.htm U.S. Troops Asked If They Would Shoot American Citizens Iraq vet exposes how he was trained to round up Americans in martial law exercise, asked if he would kill his own friends and family Paul Joseph Watson Prison Planet Monday, February 4th, 2008 U.S. troops are being trained to conduct round-ups, confiscate guns and shoot American citizens, including their own friends and family members, as part of a long-standing program to prepare for the declaration of martial law, according to a soldier who recently returned from Iraq. We received an e mail from "Scott", a member of a pipefitters union that runs an apprenticeship program called Helmets To Hard Hats, which according to its website, "Is a national program that connects National Guard, Reserve and transitioning active-duty military members with quality career training and employment opportunities within the construction industry." Scott writes that his company hired a soldier who had recently returned from Iraq, who told him that U.S. troops were being quizzed on whether or not they would be prepared to shoot their own friends and family members during a national state of emergency in America. "I have become very close to this young man and have gained his respect and trust," writes Scott. "I want you to know that he informed me about one particular training exercise his superiors made them perform. It was concerning the rounding up of American citizens that disobey any type of martial law or in other words any type of infringement on our freedoms." "He was asked if he could shoot his friends or family members if ordered to do so. At the time he said he could," writes Scott. Scott says that the soldier later "had time to clear his head" and realize the truth, recanting his vow to kill his own countrymen if ordered to do so. The issue of whether U.S. troops would be prepared to round-up, disarm and if necessary shoot Americans who disobeyed orders during a state of martial law is a question that military chiefs have been attempting to answer for at least 15 years. Its known origins can be traced back to an October 1994 Marine questionnaire out of the Twentynine Palms Marine Base in California. Recruits were asked 46 questions, including whether they would kill U.S. citizens who refused to surrender their firearms. Documentary film maker Alex Jones brought to light similar training programs that were taking place across the country in the late 90's which revolved around U.S. Marines being trained to arrest American citizens and take them to internment camps. During one such program in Oakland California, dubbed "Operation Urban Warrior," Marines refused to answer if they would target American citizens for gun confiscation if ordered to do so. During hurricane Katrina, National Guard units were ordered to confiscate guns belonging to New Orleans residents. As we first exposed in May 2006, Clergy Response Teams are being trained by the federal government and FEMA to "quell dissent" and pacify citizens to obey the government in the event of a declaration of martial law. Pastors and other religious representatives are being taught to become secret police enforcers who teach their congregations to "obey the government" in preparation for the implementation of martial law, property and firearm seizures, mass vaccination programs and forced relocation. Many scoffed at our original story, which was based on the testimony of a whistleblower who was asked to participate in the program. Claims that the story was a conspiracy theory soon evaporated when a mainstream KSLA news report confirmed the existence of the program. The experiences of U.S. troops in the worst areas of Iraq, where soldiers are ordered to go door to door and arrest all men of military age as well as confiscate their weapons, is a mere portend of what is being planned for America if these training programs ever come to fruition. http://www.progressive.org/mag_rothschild0308 EXCLUSIVE! THE FBI DEPUTIZES BUSINESS By Matthew Rothschild Progressive March 2008 (posted Feb. 7) Today, more than 23,000 representatives of private industry are working quietly with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The members of this rapidly growing group, called InfraGard, receive secret warnings of terrorist threats before the public does -- and, at least on one occasion, before elected officials. In return, they provide information to the government, which alarms the ACLU. But there may be more to it than that. One business executive, who showed me his InfraGard card, told me they have permission to "shoot to kill" in the event of martial law. InfraGard is "a child of the FBI," says Michael Hershman, the chairman of the advisory board of the InfraGard National Members Alliance and CEO of the Fairfax Group, an international consulting firm. InfraGard started in Cleveland back in 1996, when the private sector there cooperated with the FBI to investigate cyber threats. "Then the FBI cloned it," says Phyllis Schneck, chairman of the board of directors of the InfraGard National Members Alliance, and the prime mover behind the growth of InfraGard over the last several years. InfraGard itself is still an FBI operation, with FBI agents in each state overseeing the local InfraGard chapters. (There are now eighty- six of them.) The alliance is a nonprofit organization of private sector InfraGard members. "We are the owners, operators, and experts of our critical infrastructure, from the CEO of a large company in agriculture or high finance to the guy who turns the valve at the water utility," says Schneck, who by day is the vice president of research integration at Secure Computing. "At its most basic level, InfraGard is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the private sector," the InfraGard website states. "InfraGard chapters are geographically linked with FBI Field Office territories." In November 2001, InfraGard had around 1,700 members. As of late January, InfraGard had 23,682 members, according to its website, www.infragard.net, which adds that "350 of our nation's Fortune 500 have a representative in InfraGard." To join, each person must be sponsored by "an existing InfraGard member, chapter, or partner organization." The FBI then vets the applicant. On the application form, prospective members are asked which aspect of the critical infrastructure their organization deals with. These include: agriculture, banking and finance, the chemical industry, defense, energy, food, information and telecommunications, law enforcement, public health, and transportation. FBI Director Robert Mueller addressed an InfraGard convention on August 9, 2005. At that time, the group had less than half as many members as it does today. "To date, there are more than 11,000 members of InfraGard," he said. "From our perspective that amounts to 11,000 contacts . . . and 11,000 partners in our mission to protect America." He added a little later, "Those of you in the private sector are the first line of defense." He urged InfraGard members to contact the FBI if they "note suspicious activity or an unusual event." And he said they could sic the FBI on "disgruntled employees who will use knowledge gained on the job against their employers." In an interview with InfraGard after the conference, which is featured prominently on the InfraGard members' website, Mueller says: "It's a great program." The ACLU is not so sanguine. "There is evidence that InfraGard may be closer to a corporate TIPS program, turning private-sector corporations -- some of which may be in a position to observe the activities of millions of individual customers -- into surrogate eyes and ears for the FBI," the ACLU warned in its August 2004 report *The Surveillance-Industrial Complex: How the American Government Is Conscripting Businesses and Individuals in the Construction of a Surveillance Society*. InfraGard is not readily accessible to the general public. Its communications with the FBI and Homeland Security are beyond the reach of the Freedom of Information Act under the "trade secrets" exemption, its website says. And any conversation with the public or the media is supposed to be carefully rehearsed. "The interests of InfraGard must be protected whenever presented to non-InfraGard members," the website states. "During interviews with members of the press, controlling the image of InfraGard being presented can be difficult. Proper preparation for the interview will minimize the risk of embarrassment. . . . The InfraGard leadership and the local FBI representative should review the submitted questions, agree on the predilection of the answers, and identify the appropriate interviewee. . . . Tailor answers to the expected audience. . . . Questions concerning sensitive information should be avoided." One of the advantages of InfraGard, according to its leading members, is that the FBI gives them a heads-up on a secure portal about any threatening information related to infrastructure disruption or terrorism. The InfraGard website advertises this. In its list of benefits of joining InfraGard, it states: "Gain access to an FBI secure communication network complete with VPN encrypted website, webmail, listservs, message boards, and much more." InfraGard members receive "almost daily updates" on threats "emanating from both domestic sources and overseas," Hershman says. "We get very easy access to secure information that only goes to InfraGard members," Schneck says. "People are happy to be in the know." On November 1, 2001, the FBI had information about a potential threat to the bridges of California. The alert went out to the InfraGard membership. Enron was notified, and so, too, was Barry Davis, who worked for Morgan Stanley. He notified his brother Gray, the governor of California. "He said his brother talked to him before the FBI," recalls Steve Maviglio, who was Davis's press secretary at the time. "And the governor got a lot of grief for releasing the information. In his defense, he said, `I was on the phone with my brother, who is an investment banker. And if he knows, why shouldn't the public know?' " Maviglio still sounds perturbed about this: "You'd think an elected official would be the first to know, not the last." In return for being in the know, InfraGard members cooperate with the FBI and Homeland Security. "InfraGard members have contributed to about 100 FBI cases," Schneck says. "What InfraGard brings you is reach into the regional and local communities. We are a 22,000- member vetted body of subject-matter experts that reaches across seventeen matrixes. All the different stovepipes can connect with InfraGard." Schneck is proud of the relationships the InfraGard Members Alliance has built with the FBI. "If you had to call 1-800-FBI, you probably wouldn't bother," she says. "But if you knew Joe from a local meeting you had with him over a donut, you might call them. Either to give or to get. We want everyone to have a little black book." This black book may come in handy in times of an emergency. "On the back of each membership card," Schneck says, "we have all the numbers you'd need: for Homeland Security, for the FBI, for the cyber center. And by calling up as an InfraGard member, you will be listened to." She also says that members would have an easier time obtaining a "special telecommunications card that will enable your call to go through when others will not." This special status concerns the ACLU. "The FBI should not be creating a privileged class of Americans who get special treatment," says Jay Stanley, public education director of the ACLU's technology and liberty program. "There's no `business class' in law enforcement. If there's information the FBI can share with 22,000 corporate bigwigs, why don't they just share it with the public? That's who their real `special relationship' is supposed to be with. Secrecy is not a party favor to be given out to friends. . . . This bears a disturbing resemblance to the FBI's handing out `goodies' to corporations in return for folding them into its domestic surveillance machinery." When the government raises its alert levels, InfraGard is in the loop. For instance, in a press release on February 7, 2003, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General announced that the national alert level was being raised from yellow to orange. They then listed "additional steps" that agencies were taking to "increase their protective measures." One of those steps was to "provide alert information to InfraGard program." "They're very much looped into our readiness capability," says Amy Kudwa, spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security. "We provide speakers, as well as do joint presentations [with the FBI]. We also train alongside them, and they have participated in readiness exercises." On May 9, 2007, George Bush issued National Security Presidential Directive 51 entitled "National Continuity Policy." In it, he instructed the Secretary of Homeland Security to coordinate with "private sector owners and operators of critical infrastructure, as appropriate, in order to provide for the delivery of essential services during an emergency." Asked if the InfraGard National Members Alliance was involved with these plans, Schneck said it was "not directly participating at this point." Hershman, chairman of the group's advisory board, however, said that it was. InfraGard members, sometimes hundreds at a time, have been used in "national emergency preparation drills," Schneck acknowledges. "In case something happens, everybody is ready," says Norm Arendt, the head of the Madison, Wisconsin, chapter of InfraGard, and the safety director for the consulting firm Short Elliott Hendrickson, Inc. "There's been lots of discussions about what happens under an emergency." One business owner in the United States tells me that InfraGard members are being advised on how to prepare for a martial law situation -- and what their role might be. He showed me his InfraGard card, with his name and e-mail address on the front, along with the InfraGard logo and its slogan, "Partnership for Protection." On the back of the card were the emergency numbers that Schneck mentioned. This business owner says he attended a small InfraGard meeting where agents of the FBI and Homeland Security discussed in astonishing detail what InfraGard members may be called upon to do. "The meeting started off innocuously enough, with the speakers talking about corporate espionage," he says. "From there, it just progressed. All of a sudden we were knee deep in what was expected of us when martial law is declared. We were expected to share all our resources, but in return we'd be given specific benefits." These included, he says, the ability to travel in restricted areas and to get people out. But that's not all. "Then they said when -- not if -- martial law is declared, it was our responsibility to protect our portion of the infrastructure, and if we had to use deadly force to protect it, we couldn't be prosecuted," he says. I was able to confirm that the meeting took place where he said it had, and that the FBI and Homeland Security did make presentations there. One InfraGard member who attended that meeting denies that the subject of lethal force came up. But the whistleblower is 100 percent certain of it. "I have nothing to gain by telling you this, and everything to lose," he adds. "I'm so nervous about this, and I'm not someone who gets nervous." Though Schneck says that FBI and Homeland Security agents do make presentations to InfraGard, she denies that InfraGard members would have any civil patrol or law enforcement functions. "I have never heard of InfraGard members being told to use lethal force anywhere," Schneck says. The FBI adamantly denies it, also. "That's ridiculous," says Catherine Milhoan, an FBI spokesperson. "If you want to quote a businessperson saying that, knock yourself out. If that's what you want to print, fine." But one other InfraGard member corroborated the whistleblower's account, and another would not deny it. Christine Moerke is a business continuity consultant for Alliant Energy in Madison, Wisconsin. She says she's an InfraGard member, and she confirms that she has attended InfraGard meetings that went into the details about what kind of civil patrol function -- including engaging in lethal force -- that InfraGard members may be called upon to perform. "There have been discussions like that, that I've heard of and participated in," she says. Curt Haugen is CEO of S'Curo Group, a company that does "strategic planning, business continuity planning and disaster recovery, physical and IT security, policy development, internal control, personnel selection, and travel safety," according to its website. Haugen tells me he is a former FBI agent and that he has been an InfraGard member for many years. He is a huge booster. "It's the only true organization where there is the public-private partnership," he says. "It's all who knows who. You know a face, you trust a face. That's what makes it work." He says InfraGard "absolutely" does emergency preparedness exercises. When I ask about discussions the FBI and Homeland Security have had with InfraGard members about their use of lethal force, he says: "That much I cannot comment on. But as a private citizen, you have the right to use force if you feel threatened." "We were assured that if we were forced to kill someone to protect our infrastructure, there would be no repercussions," the whistleblower says. "It gave me goose bumps. It chilled me to the bone." --Matthew Rothschild is the editor of the Progressive magazine and the author of You Have No Rights: Stories of America in an Age of Repression. This article, "The FBI Deputizes Business," is the cover story of the March issue of the Progressive. http://rawstory.com/news/2008/911_protester_arrested_after_yelling_at_0303.html 9/11 protester arrested after yelling at Bill Clinton RAW STORY Published: Monday March 3, 2008 A protester has been charged with disorderly conduct after yelling at former President Bill Clinton during a campaign stop. The Corpus Christi Caller-Times says that the man was holding a sign saying the Sept. 11 attacks were an inside job as Clinton spoke. The man yelled at Clinton later as the former president shook hands with the crowd. Police were approaching the man when someone in the crowd grabbed his sign and tore it in half. The paper says the unidentified man screamed at officers to protect his First Amendment rights. Police handcuffed the man and took him to a patrol car and said he would be charged with disorderly conduct. Campaigning for his former first lady, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, he spoke Monday to fewer than 1,000 people in a gym at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, touching on his wife's plans to reinvigorate the economy, provide health insurance and make college affordable. In his 17-minute speech, Clinton did not mention his wife's rival, Barack Obama. Obama spoke to more than 5,000 on the campus two weeks ago. Last month, the former president had an angry response to another 9/11 protester, as RAW STORY reported. "9/11 was not an inside job, it was an Osama Bin Laden job," Clinton said at a campaign event in Denver. "We look like idiots, folks, denying that the people who murdered our fellow citizens didn't when they are continuing to murder people all around the world," he added. "So we heard from you, you go away." http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2008/02/aclu-900000-nam.html ACLU: 900,000 Names on U.S. Terror Watch Lists Email Print Share February 27, 2008 12:40 PM Justin Rood Reports: The FBI now keeps a list of over 900,000 names belonging to known or suspected terrorists, the American Civil Liberties Union said today. If that number is accurate, it would be an all-time high, exponentially more than the 100,000 names on the list several years ago. But the number needs to be taken with a grain of salt: after all, the ACLU doesn't keep the list, the FBI does, and the bureau doesn't generally like to talk about it. (Indeed, the FBI has not yet responded to a request for comment for this post.) But if the ACLU's figure isn't accurate, it's also unlikely to be off by that much. Last September, the ACLU notes, the Department of Justice's Inspector General reported the FBI watch list was at 700,000 names, and growing at 20,000 names per month. The ACLU says they "extrapolated" from those figures to determine the list's current size. ACLU's Barry Steinhardt added that the group had spoken privately with people familiar with the watch list, who told them the 900,000 figure was not outlandish. In the past, The FBI has told ABC News that the size of its watch list is classified. Despite that, both the bureau and the DoJ Inspector General have published the total figure in unclassified reports. There's no doubt the FBI's list is growing: just last June, ABC News reported it was at 509,000 names, based on information in an unclassified FBI budget document. But strangely, the list may be growing not because of swelling legions of foreign terrorists. Instead, it appears the FBI may be adding tens of thousands of names belonging to U.S. persons it suspects of being domestic terrorists -- people who have no known ties to international terrorist organizations. A separate entity, the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), keeps a list of all names believed to belong to terrorists linked to international terror groups. That list, which was at 100,000 names in 2003, grew to 465,000 names by last June ? but since then has grown only modestly, according to NCTC spokesman Carl Kropf. Today, Kropf said that list stands at roughly 500,000 names. (Unlike the FBI, the NCTC does not maintain that the size of its watch list is classified information.) The FBI takes that list and adds to it a new collection of names which belong to U.S. persons believed to be domestic terrorists: people who have links to terrorism but not to any international group. Last June, the NCTC was responsible for putting 465,000 names on the watch list, and the FBI appeared to add an additional 44,000. By September, extrapolating from the DoJ Inspector General's report, the FBI's contribution appears to have grown to somewhere north of 200,000 names. Today ? if the ACLU is to be believed ? the FBI's contribution may be as high as 417,000 names. Which would raise a new question: Where are so many domestic terrorists coming from? Or do they simply use more aliases than foreign terrorists? Update: The FBI responded late Wednesday afternoon. Spokesman Chad Kolton did not dispute the ACLU's figure, but noted that the watch list contains names, aliases and name variations for individuals. The number of people on the watch list, he said, was around 300,000, and only 5 percent are U.S. persons. Kolton noted that the list is "regularly reviewed for accuracy." Last year the bureau removed 100,000 records "related to people cleared of any nexus with terrorism," Kolton said. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/29/BAQPVAUVO.DTL Quaker teacher fired for changing loyalty oath Nanette Asimov, Chronicle Staff Writer Friday, February 29, 2008 California State University East Bay has fired a math teacher after six weeks on the job because she inserted the word "nonviolently" in her state-required Oath of Allegiance form. Marianne Kearney-Brown, a Quaker and graduate student who began teaching remedial math to undergrads Jan. 7, lost her $700-a-month part-time job after refusing to sign an 87-word Oath of Allegiance to the Constitution that the state requires of elected officials and public employees. "I don't think it was fair at all," said Kearney-Brown. "All they care about is my name on an unaltered loyalty oath. They don't care if I meant it, and it didn't seem connected to the spirit of the oath. Nothing else mattered. My teaching didn't matter. Nothing." A veteran public school math teacher who specializes in helping struggling students, Kearney-Brown, 50, had signed the oath before - but had modified it each time. She signed the oath 15 years ago, when she taught eighth-grade math in Sonoma. And she signed it again when she began a 12-year stint in Vallejo high schools. Each time, when asked to "swear (or affirm)" that she would "support and defend" the U.S. and state Constitutions "against all enemies, foreign and domestic," Kearney-Brown inserted revisions: She wrote "nonviolently" in front of the word "support," crossed out "swear," and circled "affirm." All were to conform with her Quaker beliefs, she said. The school districts always accepted her modifications, Kearney-Brown said. But Cal State East Bay wouldn't, and she was fired on Thursday. Modifying the oath "is very clearly not permissible," the university's attorney, Eunice Chan, said, citing various laws. "It's an unfortunate situation. If she'd just signed the oath, the campus would have been more than willing to continue her employment." Modifying oaths is open to different legal interpretations. Without commenting on the specific situation, a spokesman for state Attorney General Jerry Brown said that "as a general matter, oaths may be modified to conform with individual values." For example, court oaths may be modified so that atheists don't have to refer to a deity, said spokesman Gareth Lacy. Kearney-Brown said she could not sign an oath that, to her, suggested she was agreeing to take up arms in defense of the country. "I honor the Constitution, and I support the Constitution," she said. "But I want it on record that I defend it nonviolently." The trouble began Jan. 17, a little more than a week after she started teaching at the Hayward campus. Filling out her paperwork, she drew an asterisk on the oath next to the word "defend." She wrote: "As long as it doesn't require violence." The secretary showed the amended oath to a supervisor, who said it was unacceptable, Kearney-Brown recalled. Shortly after receiving her first paycheck, Kearney-Brown was told to come back and sign the oath. This time, Kearney-Brown inserted "nonviolently," crossed out "swear," and circled "affirm." That's when the university sought legal advice. "Based on the advice of counsel, we cannot permit attachments or addenda that are incompatible and inconsistent with the oath," the campus' human resources manager, JoAnne Hill, wrote to Kearney-Brown. She cited a 1968 case called Smith vs. County Engineer of San Diego. In that suit, a state appellate court ruled that a man being considered for public employment could not amend the oath to declare: his "supreme allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ Whom Almighty God has appointed ruler of Nations, and expressing my dissent from the failure of the Constitution to recognize Christ and to acknowledge the Divine institution of civil government." The court called it "a gratuitous injection of the applicant's religious beliefs into the governmental process." But Hill said Kearney-Brown could sign the oath and add a separate note to her personal file that expressed her views. Kearney-Brown declined. "To me it just wasn't the same. I take the oath seriously, and if I'm going to sign it, I'm going to do it nonviolently." Then came the warning. "Please understand that this issue needs to be resolved no later than Friday, Feb. 22, 2008, or you will not be allowed to continue to work for the university," Hill wrote. The deadline was then extended to Wednesday and she was fired on Thursday. "I was kind of stunned," said Kearney-Brown, who is pursuing her master's degree in math to earn the credentials to do exactly the job she is being fired from. "I was born to do this," she said. "I teach developmental math, the lowest level. The kids who are conditionally accepted to the university. Give me the kids who hate math - that's what I want." --------------------------------------------------------------------- The story I?m about to share with you sickens me. It?s a story of how our government turns the prohibition of medical marijuana into an excuse for murdering a cancer patient. Dallas resident Stephen Thorton was a thyroid cancer survivor who used marijuana to control chronic pain, eliminate nausea, and gain weight. In 2005, a federal court in Texas convicted Thorton of "possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance and for distributing marijuana and marijuana plants." In other words, this cancer patient faced a federal prison sentence for having a gun that would have been legal except for the presence of marijuana, which he was using to treat a life-threatening illness. Thorton fled Texas in late 2005, fearing that his prison term would undermine his battle against cancer ? and in the process became a fugitive who was wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service. He took up residence in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he continued to grow his medical marijuana. Last week, he was shot and killed by law enforcement officers in a drug raid at his home. Investigators said they thought Thorton was the "kingpin" of a marijuana manufacturing ring. You can read more about this latest victim of our government?s war on marijuana users here. While this story is outrageous, it isn?t unique. On MPP?s Web site, you can read a whole series of stories about other drug war victims. Please help end marijuana prohibition ? and the frightening police actions that accompany it ? by making a financial contribution today. We cannot keep fighting the federal government ? including lobbying Congress to pass legislation to end the federal government?s raids on medical marijuana patients ? without the generosity of people like you. Thank you. I?m grateful for anything you can do to help end the government?s cruel war on the sick. Sincerely, Rob Kampia Executive Director Marijuana Policy Project Washington, D.C. http://www.animallawcoalition.com/tethering-penning/article/388 Justice for Tammy: Watch and Listen to the Tribute to a Hero! Posted Feb 14, 2008 by lauraallen o Tethering-Penning Click here to play Justice for Tammy by singer/songwriter Maria Daines. http://www.maria-daines.com/music-65.html and Click here to watch the video put together by Kathy Smola. http://iacmusic.com/Stations/KIAC2157.htm Also, watch and listen here: In Support of Tammy Grimes online. Update February 22, 2008: Judge Elizabeth Doyle sentenced Tammy Grimes to 300 hours of community service and one year of probation. Oh, and Tammy must pay the costs of the trial, $1700. Judge Doyle ordered the community service must be provided to a "people organization". And, Tammy must pay the cost of community service, whatever that means, but the total will be around $1500. Judge Doyle has also said Tammy must remove everything related to Doogie from websites she controls. The judge said Tammy cannot profit from the sale of materials that refer to Doogie. Tammy is the founder of the 501c3 non-profit, Dogs Deserve Better, http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/ Judge Doyle added that Tammy was not Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King, Jr, that she is a disgrace to her cause and her supporters. The judge did say two wrongs don't make a right, so maybe she is admitting the Arnolds' treatment of Doogie was wrong. Actually, it was criminal. District Attorney Richard Consiglio who has been criticized for wasting taxpayers' money by pursuing the charges against Tammy, chimed in that her saving Doogie was a "publicity stunt". He said the Arnolds were victim of her "lies". Consiglio claimed Tammy showed "disrespect for the law". Actually, Consiglio has showed an ongoing disrespect for the law in his refusal to enforce animal cruelty laws. Tammy's lawyer has said he will appeal the potential First Amendment violation in the order to remove all Doogie-related information from the internet. He might also want to appeal the judge's comment that because Tammy chose to go to trial, she should be required to pay the costs. The 6th Amendment frowns on retaliation for exercising the right to a jury. A really tough day for Tammy. Our heart goes out to her and all the chained dogs she works tirelessly to save.. Tammy is one of the heros of the animal welfare movement. But most people won't recognize that until it becomes more mainstream to treat animals as living sentient beings with rights. That's also how it was for Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. To get a pardon for Tammy Grimes, it will help to contact these legislators: Click on the names of state representatives for Blair County below and contact them and urge them to recommend a pardon for Tammy Grimes who was convicted of theft and receiving stolen property for rescuing a dying dog on the end of a chain: Open Letter from Tammy Grimes, December 17, 2007 Dear [name deleted] On September 11, 2006, I rescued a dog that was dying at the end of a chain in a muddy yard in a small Pennsylvania town. I was subsequently arrested. A little over a year later, on December 15, 2007, I was convicted of theft and receiving stolen property.The last year has been the most traumatic and the most inspirational of my life. I have been labeled a "terrorist" a "vigilante", a "publicity hound" and an "anarchist." I have been called a hero. I have been humbled by encouragement and well wishes from people all over the world. I have been attacked in person and in print in my small town, where the prevailing view is that it is fine and dandy to tie a dog to a tree or a dog house and leave it to pace back and forth for year after agonizing year, in skull-cracking cold or 100-degree weather, with nothing but parasites for company. I don't regret what I did. Not for one second. And when it comes to rescuing dogs and changing minds and laws, I'm just getting started. Here's why.The dog at the center of all this, a dog we would eventually name Doogie, had been lying in the mud and rain for three days, chained to the dog house he had been attached to for years. He was unable to stand and was pawing the air in desperation. His owners chose to go four-wheeling and to work on Monday instead of getting him the vet help he needed and deserved, but most importantly was entitled to by law. A distraught neighbor had called animal control repeatedly over the course of the three days. But as so often happens, no "humane" officer called back. No one ever showed up. (Surprised? Trust me, it happens all the time, and not just in my town.) The frantic neighbor eventually reached out to me and to Dogs Deserve Better.What I did next set in motion a chain of events that would eventually garner national attention, the wrath of some, the support of others, and an agonizing trial during which I had to listen to lies and mischaracterizations for three days: I removed that dog's chain and I took him to the veterinarian. It was all very clear to me as I lifted the emaciated, wet dog into my van. I had been in animal rescue long enough to know that I would probably be labeled the villain while the dog's caretakers wouldn't even be questioned for leaving a suffering dog on the ground for three days, not to mention all the years they tied him to a shabby box in the yard; letting his toenails to grow so long they were curling back toward his pads, denying him vet care when he most needed it.But I also knew that what I was doing was morally correct. It was the compassionate thing to do. It was the only thing I could do. Time was of the essence. A dog was suffering. I felt he was dying.In court, it became increasingly clear that our 'humane officer' left me "holding the bag," in this case little more than a bag of bones. He had been offered the dog by me as part of what should have been a cruelty case against the caretakers 2 times on September 11th, but ignored me both times. On the witness stand the officer, in an attempt to cover his own hide, stated he told me and the vet assistants not to remove Doogie from the vets. This is absolutely untrue, and if he had done so I would not have been put in the position of choosing between Doogie's skin and my own.So, now I'm guilty. Ah yes, guilty of caring about a dog that had been left to die. Guilty of putting myself and my reputation on the line because I can't stand to see suffering. Yes, call me guilty.At Dogs Deserve Better, we see dogs in horrific situations every day. Sometimes these sad animals are neurotic or aggressive from years at the end of a chain. Sometimes, they are half-starved or have collars embedded in their necks. Sometimes they are dead. So, why go out on a limb for one old dog? Why take a moral stand in this one instance? Why challenge a law, when Dogs Deserve Better has stuck to the letter of the law in almost 1,000 rescues to date? The answer is simple: because it was the right thing to do. Because our laws regarding personal property and animal welfare are contradictory and archaic. Because Michael Vick can't kill his dogs, but the Arnolds can. Because, at the end of the day, I knew I simply couldn't live with myself if I walked away from that dog and left him to suffer there in the mud. Doogie blossomed after we got him medical care and showed him a warm bed and a little love. He not only walked again, but actually ambled around with a spring in his step. Imagine. A dog that for many years could not take more than a few steps before being yanked back by a chain, was trotting around a yard and enjoying soft hands and a warm home!I have no illusions about my life's work. I know some people will never get it. I know some people think "it is just a dog." I know some people consider me the representation of all that is evil because I have compassion for animals and because in one isolated incident, where the clock was ticking and life was ebbing, I took someone's "property" -- property that the owners had for all intents and purposes abandoned on the ground like a used-up piece of junk. But I don't care what my detractors think because I now know that I have more support, more friends, more allies, than I ever dreamed possible.The support I have received during the last year has made me stronger in my convictions and more steadfast in my work. I know that the vast majority of reasonable, educated, compassionate people believe that it is barbaric beyond imagining to chain a dog for its life. I know that anti-tethering laws will continue to be passed in states, cities and counties across this country. ("No-brainers" a recent news article called these laws.) And I'm going to work harder than ever to make sure that happens. Five years ago, when I started Dogs Deserve Better, people laughed in my face when I talked about laws against chaining. Today, three states have passed laws that severely limit the practice, as have hundreds of cities and counties, some banning chaining altogether. I know that I will see the day when our society sees tying a dog to a doghouse for 15 years as abhorrent as eating a dog. Oh yes, make no mistake: times change and morality and compassion eventually triumph over ignorance and stupid, blind habit. Slavery ended. Women got the right to vote. Wife beating is no long accepted. You don't see a lot of kids working in mines or sweat shops anymore. Even dog fighting was made a crime. I can't help but think about Rosa Parks. We can be sure she never regretted refusing to budge from that Montgomery bus seat. And though I may never be as brave as she was, I'll never regret taking a half-dead dog from someone's yard. In memory of Doogie. May he rest in peace.-Tammy Grimes, December 17, 2007To read the press release and view just-released photos, visit the Doogie page. http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/sponsor2007.html http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/february2008/021908_thug_cop.htm Thug Cop Beats Up Defenseless Handcuffed Woman Claims victim who ended up with two black eyes in a pool of her own blood "fell over" Paul Joseph Watson Prison Planet Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 Shocking police station video of an argumentative woman who ended up unconscious in a pool of her own blood with two black eyes, a broken nose and broken teeth did not lead to criminal charges against the cop after officials claimed the woman "fell over." Quite how Angela Garbarino received two black eyes, a broken nose, broken teeth and blood pouring from her head after a "slip and fall" is not quite explained by officials or ABC News, who ran with the headline Police Brutality or Slip and Fall? http://news.aol.com/story/_a/wal-mart-sues-disabled-ex-employee/20080329083609990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001 Wal-Mart Sues Disabled Ex-Employee CNN Posted: 2008-03-29 09:54:15 Filed Under: Nation News, Law News JACKSON, Missouri (March 29) - Debbie Shank breaks down in tears every time she's told that her 18-year-old son, Jeremy, was killed in Iraq. The 52-year-old mother of three attended her son's funeral, but she continues to ask how he's doing. When her family reminds her that he's dead, she weeps as if hearing the news for the first time. CNN "Who Needs The Money More?" Debbie Shank, 52, suffered severe brain damage after a traffic accident in 2000. The Wal-Mart employee received about $470,000 from the retailer's health plan for medical expenses, but the company has sued to get the payout back. Shank suffered severe brain damage after a traffic accident nearly eight years ago that robbed her of much of her short-term memory and left her in a wheelchair and living in a nursing home. It was the beginning of a series of battles -- both personal and legal -- that loomed for Shank and her family. One of their biggest was with Wal-Mart's health plan. Eight years ago, Shank was stocking shelves for the retail giant and signed up for Wal-Mart's health and benefits plan. Two years after the accident, Shank and her husband, Jim, were awarded about $1 million in a lawsuit against the trucking company involved in the crash. After legal fees were paid, $417,000 was placed in a trust to pay for Debbie Shank's long-term care. Wal-Mart had paid out about $470,000 for Shank's medical expenses and later sued for the same amount. However, the court ruled it can only recoup what is left in the family's trust. The Shanks didn't notice in the fine print of Wal-Mart's health plan policy that the company has the right to recoup medical expenses if an employee collects damages in a lawsuit. The family's attorney, Maurice Graham, said he informed Wal-Mart about the settlement and believed the Shanks would be allowed to keep the money. "We assumed after three years, they [Wal-Mart] had made a decision to let Debbie Shank use this money for what it was intended to," Graham said. The Shanks lost their suit to Wal-Mart. Last summer, the couple appealed the ruling -- but also lost it. One week later, their son was killed in Iraq. "They are quite within their rights. But I just wonder if they need it that bad," Jim Shank said. In 2007, the retail giant reported net sales in the third quarter of $90 billion. Legal or not, CNN asked Wal-Mart why the company pursued the money. Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley, who called Debbie Shank's case "unbelievably sad," replied in a statement: "Wal-Mart's plan is bound by very specific rules. ... We wish it could be more flexible in Mrs. Shank's case since her circumstances are clearly extraordinary, but this is done out of fairness to all associates who contribute to, and benefit from, the plan." Jim Shank said he believes Wal-Mart should make an exception. "My idea of a win-win is -- you keep the paperwork that says you won and let us keep the money so I can take care of my wife," he said. The family's situation is so dire that last year Jim Shank divorced Debbie, so she could receive more money from Medicaid. Jim Shank, 54, is recovering from prostate cancer, works two jobs and struggles to pay the bills. He's afraid he won't be able to send their youngest son to college and pay for his and Debbie's care. "Who needs the money more? A disabled lady in a wheelchair with no future, whatsoever, or does Wal-Mart need $90 billion, plus $200,000?" he asked. The family's attorney agrees. "The recovery that Debbie Shank made was recovery for future lost earnings, for her pain and suffering," Graham said. "She'll never be able to work again. Never have a relationship with her husband or children again. The damage she recovered was for much more than just medical expenses." Graham said he believes Wal-Mart should be entitled to only about $100,000. Right now, about $277,000 remains in the trust -- far short of the $470,000 Wal-Mart wants back. Refusing to give up the fight, the Shanks appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. But just last week, the high court said it would not hear the case. Graham said the Shanks have exhausted all their resources and there's nothing more they can do but go on with their lives. Jim Shank said he's disappointed with the Supreme Court's decision not to hear the case -- not for the sake of his family -- but for those who might face similar circumstances. For now, he said the family will figure out a way to get by and "do the best we can for Debbie." "Luckily, she's oblivious to everything," he said. "We don't tell her what's going on because it will just upset her. http://eugeneweekly.com/2008/03/06/letters.html AN HONORABLE MAN On Feb. 28, environmental activist Jeff Luers' 22 years and 8 month sentence was reduced to 10 years. Mr. Luers was resentenced to 90 months for an admitted June 16, 2000, arson that caused $50,000 of reparable damage to three trucks, and to 30 months for an alleged, but denied, May 27, 2000, attempted arson that caused $0 in damage. If Lane County Assistant DA Hasselman had decided that Luers could serve the 90 months for the admitted Romania fire and the 30 months for the Tyree non-starter concurrently, he would have been free to leave the courtroom with the rest of us at 9:30 am because he has been incarcerated since his June 16, 2000, arrest, 92 months ago. But Hasselman argued that Jeff should serve the 90 and 30 month sentences consecutively. Judge Billings agreed, even though he described Luers' statement as the most impressive he'd heard in 35 years as a lawyer, compared him to a returning war hero and heaped praise on Luers' male lawyers, Hugh Duvall and Jesse Barton. Judge Billings did note Luers' female lawyer, Lauren Regan. As a resident of Lane County, I am disgusted that Luers did not walk out a free man on Feb. 28. It is not surprising that Luers was the most thoughtful defendant Judge Billings has encountered in 35 years ? Luers was the most thoughtful and honorable man in the courtroom on Thursday. Deborah Frisch, Eugene -------------------------------------------------------------- Fingerprint Scans Replace Clocking In Mar 27, 6:42 AM (ET) By DAVID B. CARUSO NEW YORK (AP) -"They don't even have to hire someone to harass you anymore. The machine can do it for them," said Ed Ott, executive director of the New York City Central Labor Council of the AFL-CIO. "The palm print thing really grabs people as a step too far." The International Biometric Group, a consulting firm, estimated that $635 million worth of these high-tech devices were sold last year, and projects that the industry will be worth more than $1 billion by 2011. Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies, a leading manufacturer of hand scanners based in Campbell, Calif., said it has sold at least 150,000 of the devices to Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's franchises, Hilton hotels and to Marine Corps bases, who use them to track civilian hours. Protests over using palm scanners to log employee time have been especially loud in New York City, where officials are spending $410 million to install an automated attendance tracking system that may eventually be used by 160,000 city workers. Scores of civil servants who are members of Local 375 of the Civil Service Technical Guild rallied Tuesday against a plan to add the city medical examiner's office to the list of 17 city agencies which already have the scanners in place. The scanners have rankled draftsmen, planners and architects in the city's Parks Department, which began using them last year. "Psychologically, I think it has had a huge impact on the work force here because it is demeaning and because it's a system based on mistrust," said Ricardo Hinkle, a landscape architect who designs city parks. He called the timekeeping system a bureaucratic intrusion on professionals who never used to think twice about putting in extra time on a project they cared about, and could rely on human managers to exercise a little flexibility on matters regarding work hours. "The creative process isn't one that punches in and punches out," he said. A spokesman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Matthew Kelly, said the system isn't meant to be intrusive and has clear benefits over old-style punch clocks or paper time sheets. The city expects to save $60 million per year by modernizing a complicated record keeping system that now requires one full-time timekeeper for every 100 to 250 employees. The new system, dubbed CityTime, would free up thousands of city employees to do less paper-pushing. Another benefit of the system is curtailing fraud. Several times each year, New York City's Department of Investigation charges city employees with taking unauthorized time off and falsifying timecards to make it looked as though they worked. Other cities have embraced similar technology. Cities as big as Chicago and as small as Tahlequah, Okla., have turned to fingerprint-driven ID systems to record employee work hours in recent few years. And the systems have been introduced into plenty of other workplaces without much grumbling by employees, especially those already used to punching a clock. But the New York workers aren't the first to fight it. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees complained vigorously two years ago after the city of Pittsburgh proposed installing fingerprint readers. "We had a lot of questions, a lot of concerns, and so far they haven't put it in," said AFCME Council 84 Director Richard Caponi. Jon Mooney, Ingersoll Rand's general manger of biometrics, said the privacy concerns are unfounded. The hand scanners don't keep large databases of people's fingerprints - only a record of their hand shape, he said. Still, union officials in New York said they are concerned that the machines could eventually be used not just to crack down on employees skipping work, but to nitpick honest workers or invade their privacy. "The bottom line is that these palm scanners are designed to exercise more control over the workforce," said Claude Fort, president of Local 375. "They aren't there for security purposes. It has nothing to do with productivity. ... It is about control, and that is what makes us nervous." I know that i can be accused of being a reformist for forwarding this, but i think that if the news are good, they are good. -------------------------------------------------- - -------- Original Message -------- Dear Friends, Have you heard the news? The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act is dead. And I think grassroots opposition killed it. According to an obscure paragraph in CQ Politics on December 14, the Senate version of the bill "died a quiet death" in early December. What's amazing to me (or really, shouldn't be a surprise, I guess) is how well hidden this is. I could find no mention on Thomas, or anywhere else on the web (please help me if I've missed something). Thanks to our friends at the ACLU for alerting us to this obscure paragraph! The wildfire of grassroots opposition to this "thought crime" bill, which apparently stopped it cold, is receiving no credit. And because this lone CQ article is the singular reference to the death of the bill, articles churning up opposition to _HR 1955_ and _S 1959_ continue to populate the Internet. In a case of odd timing, the Committee on Homeland Security issued a _"Fact Sheet"_ declaring each point of opposition to the bill to be myth. The "Fact Sheet" was released (according to _Atlantic Free Press_ ) on December 17, though the bill had expired in the Senate earlier in December. http://www.nypost.com/seven/03102008/news/regionalnews/public_enemy_no_1_101271.htm PUBLIC ENEMY NO.1 CITY SUED FOR CUFFING 4-YR.-OLD NAP NIXERS By DENISE BUFFA BABY-FACE NELSON:Jaden Diaz may not look dangerous, but a suit says he was handcuffed in school for . . . not being sleepy. March 10, 2008 -- The parents of two Bronx preschoolers are suing the city, charging that their kids were tossed out of class - and handcuffed by a school-safety officer - for refusing to take a nap. Lawyer Scott Agulnick said Jaden Diaz and Christopher Brito - both then 4 and students at CS 211, The Bilingual School - told their parents that a substitute teacher took them and another boy to an empty classroom on Nov. 17, 2006, and left them there alone. Soon, the lawyer said, the school-safety officer entered the room, cuffed the boys' wrists - and further terrified them by telling they that they would never see their parents again. "I wasn't shot, but my hands were tied," Christopher, now 5, recalled, according to his mother, Vasso Brito, a 34- year-old office worker - who says the little guy is now scared of police officers. Brito, who's trying to transfer Christopher to another public school, said she was "shocked" to learn of what she considers to have been an absolute abuse of authority. "Right now, I feel [there are] monsters in school," she said. "I'm still perturbed. As I'm talking to you, I'm shaking." Jaden, now 6, remembers that a man who was dressed like a cop walked in, sat at a big desk - "like the one the judge is on" - and threatened them. "He was police," Jaden said. "He said, 'You know what happens when you don't go to sleep in there? . . . 'When you go to jail, you're not going to have no fun, no TV, no toys.' " Jaden - who asked his dad to move far enough away from him so as not to be able to hear his account of what happened-whispered to a reporter that he got a "little scared" when he saw the handcuffs attached to the safety officer's "costume." He insisted that he was not handcuffed - though his mom, Sasha Diaz, said he confided in her that he was. "It took me about a day to get it out of him. He didn't want to tell me . . . I don't know if he thought it was his fault," said Diaz, 27, an assistant teacher who now finds herself suddenly struggling to pay for her only child to attend Catholic school. The families are seeking unspecified damages, said Agulnick, adding: "Failure to comply with nap time is hardly an offense that warrants being handcuffed, or threatened, for that matter. Nothing would've warranted that." The city Department of Education and the NYPD, which oversees school-safety officers, did not return requests for comment. The boys' claims recall two other recent cases. In one, a mentally challenged 10-year-old Brooklyn girl said a school-safety officer handcuffed her outside school. In the other, a 5-year-old Queens boy said a school-safety officer snapped the cuffs on him inside his school. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/22/us/22hamas.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin Former Professor Is Sentenced in a Hamas Case CHICAGO ? A former business professor accused of taking part in a Palestinian terrorist network was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury. The defendant, Abdelhaleem Ashqar, 49, a former associate professor of business at Howard University in Washington, was taken into custody by federal marshals immediately after the sentencing. In a passionate, arm-waving statement before sentencing, Dr. Ashqar painted a grim picture of the suffering of Palestinians in the occupied territories and said that some of his own relatives had been killed or jailed. He said he would rather go to prison than betray his people as they strived to free themselves from Israeli domination. "The only option was to become a traitor or a collaborator," Dr. Ashqar said, "and this is something that I can't do and will never do as long as I live." The case, based on a long-running federal investigation of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, was closely watched as a major Justice Department initiative in the war on terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks. Dr. Ashqar and a co-defendant, Muhammad Salah, were acquitted this year on a racketeering conspiracy charge that accused them of bankrolling Hamas. But prosecutors presented telephone records showing that Dr. Ashqar had been in contact with Hamas leaders. Dr. Ashqar was convicted of obstruction of justice and criminal contempt for refusing to testify before the grand jury on June 25, 2003, even after he had been granted immunity from prosecution. Mr. Salah was convicted of lying on a document and sentenced to 22 months in prison. Defense lawyers said Judge Amy J. St. Eve of Federal District Court imposed an unusually stiff sentence on Dr. Ashqar given the complex political background. In addition to 11 years and 3 months in prison, he was fined $5,000. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18584.htm Priests Protesting Torture Jailed By Bill Quigley Louis Vitale, 75, a Franciscan priest, and Steve Kelly, 58, a Jesuit priest, were each sentenced to five months in federal prison for attempting to deliver a letter opposing the teaching of torture at Fort Huachuca in Arizona. Both priests were taken directly into jail from the courtroom after sentencing. Fort Huachuca is the headquarters of military intelligence in the U.S. and the place where military and civilian interrogators are taught how to extract information from prisoners. The priests attempted to deliver their letter to Major General Barbara Fast, commander of Fort Huachuca. Fast was previously the head of all military intelligence in Iraq during the atrocities of Abu Ghraib. The priests were arrested while kneeling in prayer halfway up the driveway to Fort Huachuca in November 2006. Both priests were charged with trespass on a military base and resisting orders of an officer to stop. In a pre-trial heating, the priests attempted to introduce evidence of torture, murder, and gross violations of human rights in Afghanistan, Abu Ghraib in Iraq, and at Guantanamo. The priests offered investigative reports from the FBI, the US Army, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Physicians for Social Responsibility documenting hundreds of incidents of human rights violations. Despite increasing evidence of the use of torture by U.S. forces sanctioned by President Bush and others, the federal court in Tucson refused to allow any evidence of torture, the legality of the invasion of Iraq, or international law to be a part of the trial. Outside the courthouse, before the judge ordered them to prison, the priests explained their actions: "The real crime here has always been the teaching of torture at Fort Huachuca and the practice of torture around the world. We tried to deliver a letter asking that the teaching of torture be stopped and were arrested. We tried to put the evidence of torture on full and honest display in the courthouse and were denied. We were prepared to put on evidence about the widespread use of torture and human rights abuses committed during interrogations at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo in Iraq and Afhganistan. This evidence was gathered by the military itself and by governmental and human rights investigations." Fr. Vitale, a longtime justice and peace activist in San Francisco and Nevada, said: "Because the court will not allow the truth of torture to be a part of our trial, we plead no contest. We are uninterested in a court hearing limited to who was walking where and how many steps it was to the gate. History will judge whether silencing the facts of torture is just or not. Far too many people have died because of our national silence about torture. Far too many of our young people in the military have been permanently damaged after following orders to torture and violate the human rights of other humans." Fr. Kelly, who walked to the gates of Guantanamo with the Catholic Worker group in December of 2005, concluded: "We will keep trying to stop the teaching and practice of torture whether we are sent to jail or out. We have done our part for now. Now it is up to every woman and man of conscience to do their part to stop the injustice of torture." The priests were prompted to protest by continuing revelations about the practice of torture by U.S. military and intelligence officers. The priests were also deeply concerned after learning of the suicide in Iraq of a young, devout female military interrogator in Iraq, Alyssa Peterson of Arizona, shortly after arriving in Iraq. Peterson was reported to be horrified by the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners. Investigation also revealed that Fort Huachuca was the source of infamous "torture manuals" distributed to hundreds of Latin American graduates of the U.S. Army School of Americas at Fort Benning, GA. Demonstrations against the teaching of torture at Fort Huachuca have been occurring for the past several years each November and are scheduled again for November 16 and 17 this year. Bill Quigley is a human rights lawyer and professor at Loyola University New Orleans. Bill can be reached at Quigley @ loyno.edu . -------------------------------------------------------------- Police pile-on draws Ohio Attorney General's interest via Disloyal Opposition by J.D. Tuccille on 2/11/08 The bizarre case of Hope Steffey, the Salem, Ohio, woman who was forcibly stripped naked by a mixed-sex mob of Stark County sheriff's deputies after being arrested and dragged to jail by the officer responding to an assault complaint in which Steffey was the victim, is drawing high-level attention. First, Gerald McFaul, the sheriff of Cuyahoga County, criticized Stark County deputies, saying their conduct was "way out of line" and that male deputies should never forcibly remove the clothes of a female. Now, Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson has formally asked the Ohio Attorney General to investigate the incident. This is quite a turnabout from his earlier claims that his deputies behaved properly, and that the policy requiring strip searches to be conducted by officers of the same sex as the prisoner didn't apply because, while Steffey was stripped, she wasn't actually searched. Apparently, it was all just good fun. Swanson's change of heart comes as video of the jail-house assault on Steffey hits the airwaves and the Internet, allowing people to see the actual incident for themselves. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ku7pbvOr2Y Swanson just might be trying to get ahead of the wave of revulsion that could make the Steffey family's federal lawsuit a winner. http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN2627725720080327?sp=true Man charged as Iraqi agent over Congress trip Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:19pm EDT By Randall Mikkelsen WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An Iraqi-American who helped organize a controversial U.S. congressional trip to Baghdad in 2002 was charged on Wednesday with working for ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's government, which paid for the visit, the Justice Department said. The indictment against Muthanna al-Hanooti said Iraq's foreign intelligence service funneled $34,000 through the Islamic charity Life for Relief and Development to pay delegation expenses. It said al-Hanooti had been a lobbyist and public-relations coordinator for the charity, based in Southfield, Michigan. The indictment did not name the three lawmakers who took the trip in September-October 2002, less than six months before the U.S.-led invasion to oust Saddam. But during the time in question, Democratic U.S. Reps. Jim McDermott of Washington, Mike Thompson of California and David Bonior of Michigan, who were all opposed to war against Iraq, took a highly publicized trip to Iraq. Delegation members said during their trip they warned Saddam's government it must allow U.N. arms inspections, and McDermott charged that President George W. Bush was willing to "mislead the American people" about the need for war. Republicans accused delegation members at the time of sounding a bit like spokesmen for the Iraqi government and threatening to undermine U.S. efforts to assemble an international coalition against Iraq. Thompson said on Wednesday the trip had been approved by the U.S. State Department and the United Nations. "I was determined to learn as much as I could before voting on whether or not to commit US troops to war," he said. "Obviously, had there been any question at all regarding the sponsor of the trip or the funding, I would not have participated." ECONOMIC SANCTIONS McDermott spokesman Mike DeCesare said the congressman, a medical doctor, had gone on the invitation of a Seattle church group. "We went to see the plight of children under economic sanctions in Iraq," DeCesare said. "In terms of who or whatever from Michigan, we didn't know them or anything about them." The indictment said al-Hanooti traveled to Baghdad with the delegation. Bonior left office in 2003. He later served as manager of John Edwards' unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign. Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said, "None of the congressional representatives are accused of any wrongdoing, and we have no information whatsoever that any of them were aware of the involvement of the Iraqi Intelligence Service." Al-Hanooti was arrested on Tuesday when he entered the United States from abroad, Boyd said. He was charged with working as an unregistered Iraqi agent, violating economic sanctions against Iraq and making false statements. He was released on $100,000 bond with an electronic monitor after an initial court appearance in Detroit. The indictment said Saddam's oil ministry gave al-Hanooti two million barrels of oil in exchange for his help, and he resold the oil. It said al-Hanooti traveled to Iraq and met with Iraqi intelligence agents, who asked him to publicize the negative effects of economic sanction against Iraq, and he reported to the agents information about members of Congress. The charity says on its Web site it was founded in 1992 by "Iraqi-American professionals" to respond to a humanitarian crisis after the 1991 Gulf War. It said it has provided more than $50 million in humanitarian assistance worldwide. The group was not immediately available for comment on the al-Hanooti indictment. (Additional reporting by Joanne Allen, editing by Todd Eastham) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Al-Arian Transferred to Virginia Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace March 18, 2008 ALEXANDRIA, Va.-- Yesterday, Dr. Sami Al-Arian was transferred from the Federal Medical Center in Butner, NC back to the local jail in Warsaw, Virginia where he was held previously, to comply with a judge's March 3 order granting him immunity for a THIRD grand jury appearance. Today is the 17th day of a water and food strike that Dr. Al-Arian began to protest persistent harassment and psychological torture by the Department of Justice. He has since lost 29 pounds. Dr. Al-Arian is being asked to testify before yet another grand jury less than three weeks before his scheduled release date. His attorneys have advised Dr. Al-Arian not to testify, as the plea agreement signed with prosecutors in April 2006 removed the possibility of cooperation. Additionally, these grand jury subpoenas are a trap intended to prolong Dr. Al-Arian's imprisonment long after his promised release date. If he testifies, he is to be charged with perjury, facing years of additional prison time. If he is convicted of criminal contempt for not testifying, Dr. Al-Arian faces a minimum of five years in prison. These efforts to convict Dr. Al-Arian in a wholly separate case (more than two years after he was acquitted by a federal jury) are clearly a last-ditch, vindictive effort on behalf of the Justice Department, led by a rogue prosecutor who has made bigoted statements against Muslims, to punish Dr. Al-Arian for his acquittal. The Department of Justice must keep the prom! ise it made to Dr. Al-Arian in his plea agreement and release him on April 7, when his current sentence is up. Members of Dr. Al-Arian's family visited him last weekend at the prison medical facility where he was being held in Butner, North Carolina. They observed the effects of the hunger strike on Dr. Al-Arian, noting symptoms of severe dehydration. As of Monday, Dr. Al-Arian was examined by a doctor only one time in nearly a week. The government refuses to allow an outside doctor to examine Dr. Al-Arian despite requests by his attorneys, family members, and thousands of supporters. Butner Medical Center received thousands of telephone calls from concerned people from across the country and around the world. http://tinyurl.com/ypychj Friday, February 8, 2008 CommonDreams.org Corporations Given ?Human Rights,? Humans Are Denied Them by Jeffrey Kaplan In evaluating allegations that U.S. military forces deprived four British men of human rights during two years they were held captive in Guantanamo Bay prison, a U.S. appeals court found an innovative way to let the Bush administration off the hook. Two of three judges ruled the men -- because they are not U.S. citizens and, technically, were not imprisoned in the U.S. -- were not legally ?persons? and, therefore, had no rights to violate. While those judges were defying common sense and decency by denying legal personhood to living human beings, an appeals court in Boston has been reviewing an April 2007 decision by Federal Judge Paul Barbadoro that engaged in a different form of judicial activism -- granting human rights to corporations. Barbadoro struck down a New Hampshire law that prevented pharmaceutical corporations from learning exactly what drugs doctors prescribe and how much they prescribe. The law aims to protect doctors and, indirectly, their patients, from drug companies pressuring doctors to choose their products. The judge?s grounds? He claims corporations, as legal persons, have ?free speech rights? that would be infringed by such a measure. The real issue in these cases (Maine recently passed a similar law) isn?t free speech at all; it?s manipulation and control. The drug salespeople only will decide what to say after poking into the doctors? prescription records. Under the guise of protecting speech, Judge Barbadoro denied both legitimate privacy rights of doctors and key protections to ensure patients are prescribed drugs based on their medical situation, not pressure applied to their physician. Taken together, these two rulings are a perplexing and dangerous development. The founding principle of our country is right in the Declaration of Independence: all people are ?endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.? It is not for judges to decide who is and who is not a human being. Nor should the courts play Creator by endowing legal constructs like corporations with human rights. Our constitutional rights exist to prevent large, powerful institutions -- whether governments, corporations, or other entities -- from oppressing us humans. For too long a strange dichotomy has persisted between principled people on the political left and right wings. The left wing often warns against the growing power of business corporations. The right wing complains the left ignores the overweening power of the government and is ?anti-business.? Both sides have been seeing only part of the same elephant. What?s happening is a merger of corporations and state. Already there are corporate ?black holes? for human rights that rival government affronts like Guantanamo. Under the Bush administration?s legal framework for Iraq during its occupation, the Iraqi government wields no authority over Blackwater corporation?s security guards. And it?s not clear the U.S. government does either. As a result, we may never see anyone punished for Blackwater?s wanton killing of Iraqi civilians in Baghdad last September. Then there?s the case of Jamie Leigh Jones, an American employee of Halliburton/KBR in Iraq who claimed she was gang raped by co-workers in 2005. U.S. officials reportedly handed the evidence to KBR, whereupon the evidence apparently disappeared. Nobody in Congress, Democrat or Republican, has been able to persuade the Bush administration to reveal what it has done about the case since then. Halliburton/KBR, like Blackwater, apparently enjoys the rights of a person, but not the responsibilities. The danger of ?corporate personhood? is a bit like global warming; people have warned us of the threat for decades only to go unheeded because the dire consequences seemed far-fetched. But look at what?s happened to the First Amendment. Corporations use it to strike down laws clearly designed to protect citizens, even while courts deny prisoners the right to know what evidence the government is using against them. It?s time for alarm. We should take offense whenever we hear the dangerous notion of ?corporate citizenship? promoted. Soon, the only citizens with real power in the United States may be the corporate kind. Jeffrey Kaplan is a researcher with http://ReclaimDemocracy.org , a non-profit organization working to restore citizen authority over corporations. http://tinyurl.com/ytx3xz Ex-Congressman Charged in Terror Conspiracy By LARA JAKES JORDAN ? 38 minutes ago WASHINGTON (AP) ? A former congressman and delegate to the United Nations was indicted Wednesday as part of a terrorist fundraising ring that allegedly sent more than $130,000 to an al-Qaida and Taliban supporter who has threatened U.S. and international troops in Afghanistan. The former Republican congressman from Michigan, Mark Deli Siljander, was charged with money laundering, conspiracy and obstructing justice for allegedly lying about lobbying senators on behalf of an Islamic charity that authorities said was secretly sending funds to terrorists. A 42-count indictment, unsealed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., accuses the Islamic American Relief Agency of paying Siljander $50,000 for the lobbying ? money that turned out to be stolen from the U.S. Agency for International Development. Siljander, who served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, was appointed by President Reagan to serve as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations for one year in 1987. http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15256835/detail.html DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- A mother got a shocking flyer in the mail calling her daughter a homewrecker. Now a police officer is in big trouble for sending it. That DeKalb County police officer admits using a classified law enforcement computer to look up another woman's personal information. She then mailed flyers to the woman's family and friends. ?I read it and I sat there. I was devastated. I?m looking at my child?s picture. I was totally devastated,? said Susan Barcon. Words like "homewrecker," "ashamed," and three Bible verses about adultery were scrawled across the page along with a picture of Susan Barcon's daughter. Barcon was stunned as was her daughter, Samara, when she heard from two neighbors, her former boss and other relatives who got the same letter. ?She just knew so much about us, our personal lives and it was frightening,? said Barcon. [The question "Why did the police kept files about personal life of an average person?" just doesn't seem to surface. - Volodya] "She" is Officer Teresa Shover, a 13-year veteran of the DeKalb County Police Department. She was separated from her husband and had just found out he was dating Samara and wanted to get even, according to officials. "I felt that they were here to protect us and not to harm us and for a police officer to do this to us, it just kind of violated our trust,? said Barcon. Especially since Shover used the Georgia Crime Information Center to look up Samara?s personal information -- her address, birthdate, tag and picture. Every officer signs a form acknowledging that that is a crime. "The citizen?s trust is very important to us. That's big for us,? said Deputy Chief Michael Burrows. Burrows recommended the five week suspension and says Shover's actions were extremely severe but criminal charges aren?t necessary. [If this was an animal liberation activist, this would not be the official story. - Volodya] "Handling it internally was the best route to take. It would serve no legitimate or useful purpose to pile on. We feel that we got the employee's attention,? said Burrows. "We didn't want her to be fired, we felt like that punishment was just and hopefully it's a warning to others," said Barcon. In her statement to Internal Affairs, Shover said she has since gotten counseling to help her deal with her divorce. Her ex-husband is also a DeKalb County police officer. http://tinyurl.com/yotdx8 Cop's lawyer: Racist cartoon was prank on his client Narcotics officer alleges an unidentified colleague planted stickers on his locker By WENDY RUDERMAN Philadelphia Daily News rudermw at phillynews.com 215-854-2860 SCOTT SCHWEIZER, the narcotics officer accused of keeping racist propaganda inside his locker, was the victim of a "practical joke," his attorney claimed yesterday as new details about the case emerged. Schweizer's attorney, Allan J. Sagot, acknowledged that police superiors had found not one - but two - inflammatory stickers affixed to the inside of his client's locker: One sticker said, "White Power." The other depicted a cartoon of a man, half as an officer in uniform and half as a Klansman, with the words "Blue By Day - White By Night." But the stickers didn't belong to Schweizer, Sagot said. Sagot said another officer within the Narcotics Strike Force slapped the stickers on Schweizer's locker on separate occasions. In both instances, Schweizer ripped the sticker off his locker and quickly stuck it on the inside without thinking, Sagot said. "We know that the stickers were placed on the outside of his locker by a person unknown to us," Sagot said. "I believe it was a practical joke by one of his fellow officers." When asked why Schweizer had not thrown the stickers in the trash, Sagot said, "It's a wonderful 20-20-hindsight question . . . He just said he wanted to get [the stickers] out of sight, so he threw them inside his locker. He was in a hurry, and he never really spent much time thinking about it." The Internal Affairs Bureau is investigating the origin of the stickers and exploring whether the case is limited to Schweizer or somehow broader. Police sources familiar with the probe said that investigators had dusted Schweizer's locker for fingerprints and that only his prints turned up. Sagot declined to discuss the investigation further, saying it was ongoing. William Colarulo, chief inspector in the Internal Affairs Bureau, said the investigation was nearly finished. "I only see a few interviews that need to be done," Colarulo said yesterday. "I think it should wrap up relatively soon." Yesterday, Barry Morrison, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, wrote a letter to Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey expressing concern. "You can understand why we would be troubled to learn of such a cartoon seemingly showing sympathy for the Ku Klux Klan, appearing in the locker of a police officer," Morrison wrote. "We are writing not only to voice our concern, but to ask for clarification." In an interview, Morrison cautioned against jumping to conclusions. He said the "Blue By Day - White By Night" phrase and the imagery of a police officer juxtaposed with a Klansman is typically associated with extremist groups that are anti-police. For example, an anarchist punk band called MDC, sometimes calling itself "Millions of Dead Cops," used a version of the image on an album in the 1980s. "Typically, people who use this imagery are not admiring the police but denigrating the police and saying, in their view, that the police and the Klan are cut from the same evil cloth," Morrison said. Yesterday, Rochelle Bilal, president of the Guardian Civic League, which represents 3,000 African-American officers, said: "We are appalled by that type of material on city property and on or in somebody's locker. However it got there, it still was on the property. As for a practical joke, we African-Americans are not laughing." The internal case against Schweizer began earlier this month, after an African-American officer in his unit spotted the stickers inside his locker and complained to superiors. Schweizer was removed from the elite narcotics surveillance unit and put on desk duty at police headquarters. He faces discipline ranging from a reprimand to dismissal, if administrative charges are brought against him. Schweizer is not likely to face criminal charges because possession of such stickers is not a crime, legal experts said. Meanwhile, defense lawyers across the city began to strategize on behalf of convicted and suspected drug dealers arrested by Schweizer. Schweizer, 33, who joined the force 10 years ago, orchestrated dozens of undercover drug busts in predominantly African-American neighborhoods while serving on the strike force. Schweizer often testified in court as a witness for prosecutors. "It seems like Christmas Eve for defense attorneys like me," Michael Coard said. The allegations against Schweizer, if true, "open up an ugly and smelly can of racist worms because this thing can go much, much deeper," Coard said. Coard, a Philadelphia-based defense lawyer, said he expects dozens, if not hundreds, of criminal defendants to file appeals or seek post-conviction relief. Coard said defense lawyers could request a new trial based on "newly discovered evidence in terms of a failed opportunity to cross-examine a key witness as to his bias or motive to lie on black defendants." If a judge accepts that argument, the floodgates could open and hundreds of defendants could get their cases reheard, Coard said. Troy Wilson, chairman of the criminal-justice section of the Philadelphia Bar Association, said the investigation of Schweizer presents not only an opportunity for defendants sitting in jail, but a problem for the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, which must decide how to proceed with pending cases in which Schweizer was the arresting officer. "Let's say I'm a prosecutor: Do I want to take the risk of losing a case by putting someone like that on the witness stand?" Wilson said. "I doubt it." Wilson said that if the D.A.'s office is "crazy enough to want to use [Schweizer] as a witness in active cases . . . one of the first things that I'm going to do is cross-examine him. I could hold up a copy of the front page of the Daily News and say, 'Isn't it true that this came from your locker and who did you lock up in my case? An African-American male.' " Cathie Abookire, spokeswoman for D.A. Lynne Abraham, declined to comment on the matter yesterday. http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/religion_theseeker/2008/03/whos-to-judge-h.html Who's to judge Holy Name protesters? Cardinal Francis George has long opposed politics at the communion rail. But Sunday?s anti-war protest at the start of his Easter homily spotlighted a frustrated faction in the Roman Catholic church who believe committed Catholics must do more than preach and pray for peace. Chicago police charged six young protesters Sunday with felony criminal defacement of property and two counts of simple battery for spattering parishioners? clothes with sticky red stage blood. Five of the protesters are being held in lieu of $25,000 bail. The sixth, who served time in prison for illegally entering a U.S. military installation, received $35,000 bail A friend of the activists, who called themselves Catholic Schoolgirls Against the War, told the Tribune that he hoped the marred Easter service might inspire parishioners to consider the Muslim holy days that have been marred by violence in Iraq. Dan Daley, a founding member of Call to Action, a Chicago-based Catholic activist group, said that while calls for social justice are important, they must be carefully considered when they disrupt the worship experience. "Peace and justice is part of what we believe. We always need to be challenging each other in the church to do more," Daley said. "[Where] very much depends on the individual situation and who they hope to communicate with." The peace movement is especially thriving on Catholic college campuses. Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, more colleges and universities have implemented programs to teach students how to develop a culture of peace. Some believe peaceful activism requires civil disobedience or political statements in sacred settings. But Gerard Powers at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies said the sacred space is not the right place for a political protest. "They can be applauded for their concern about a critically important issue," he said. "But their protest I think was misdirected. The focus should be on the policy makers who got us into this war, not on the bishops who opposed the intervention ... It?s really a violation of the sacred space." George, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has called for a responsible transition in Iraq, has been adamantly opposed to mixing politics with the Eucharist. For that reason, he has instructed priests to deny communion to parishioners who participate in what has become a traditional gay rights demonstration on Pentecost Sunday. The Eucharist should not become a political forum, he has said, an argument he also has used to explain why bishops will not put out a blanket decree for priests to deny communion to pro-choice politicians. http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/81859/index.php Holy Name 6 Update #4: Bail Has Been Posted for All Prisoners! As of 5:00 pm this evening, bond has been posted for Ephran, Mercedes, and Regan?the remaining three people arrested Sunday morning. Around 2 pm this afternoon, bond was posted for Ephran Ramirez. Two hours later, supporters were on their way to the Cook County Courthouse to post for the remaining two defendants, Mercedes Phinaih and Regan Maher. All three will be released later this evening. Everyone's delighted that we will be seeing them soon. However, our work isn't finished yet. In order to return our friends to freedom, some very generous souls have fronted the money for several of the bonds. We have promised these folks that they will be repaid, and that runs into several thousands of dollars. And posting bond isn't the end of the fund-raising; there will be lawyer's fees and restitution costs. We'd like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has stood up in solidarity and thrown down with cash! This is just the beginning for Ryne, Regan, Donte, Mercedes, Ephran, and Angela, but we couldn't have gotten them out this quickly without your help. Peace and Solidarity! -The Holy Name 6 Support Team http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/...cle3193480.ece >From The Times January 16, 2008 Microsoft seeks patent for office 'spy' software Alexi Mostrous and David Brown Microsoft is developing Big Brother-style software capable of remotely monitoring a worker's productivity, physical wellbeing and competence. The Times has seen a patent application filed by the company for a computer system that links workers to their computers via wireless sensors that measure their metabolism. The system would allow managers to monitor employees' performance by measuring their heart rate, body temperature, movement, facial expression and blood pressure. Unions said they fear that employees could be dismissed on the basis of a computer's assessment of their physiological state. Technology allowing constant monitoring of workers was previously limited to pilots, firefighters and Nasa astronauts. This is believed to be the first time a company has proposed developing such software for mainstream workplaces. Microsoft submitted a patent application in the US for a "unique monitoring system" that could link workers to their computers. Wireless sensors could read "heart rate, galvanic skin response, EMG, brain signals, respiration rate, body temperature, movement facial movements, facial expressions and blood pressure", the application states. How computer spy will monitor everything Even bosses need to look over their shoulder Film rental service puts MacWorld in a spin The system could also "automatically detect frustration or stress in the user" and "offer and provide assistance accordingly". Physical changes to an employee would be matched to an individual psychological profile based on a worker's weight, age and health. If the system picked up an increase in heart rate or facial expressions suggestive of stress or frustration, it would tell management that he needed help. The Information Commissioner, civil liberties groups and privacy lawyers strongly criticised the potential of the system for "taking the idea of monitoring people at work to a new level". Hugh Tomlinson, QC, an expert on data protection law at Matrix Chambers, told The Times: "This system involves intrusion into every single aspect of the lives of the employees. It raises very serious privacy issues." Peter Skyte, a national officer for the union Unite, said: "This system takes the idea of monitoring people at work to a new level with a new level of invasiveness but in a very old-fashioned way because it monitors what is going in rather than the results." The Information Commissioner's Office said: "Imposing this level of intrusion on employees could only be justified in exceptional circumstances." The US Patent Office confirmed last night that the application was published last month, 18 months after being filed. Patent lawyers said that it could be granted within a year. Microsoft last night refused to comment on the application, but said: "We have over 7,000 patents worldwide and we are proud of the quality of these patents and the innovations they represent. As a general practice, we do not typically comment on pending patent applications because claims made in the application may be modified through the approval process." http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22814674-5001028,00.html?from=public_rss Tasers a form of torture, says UN >From correspondents in Geneva November 24, 2007 TASER electronic stun guns are a form of torture that can kill, a UN committee has declared after several recent deaths in North America. "The use of these weapons causes acute pain, constituting a form of torture,'' the UN's Committee against Torture said. "In certain cases, they can even cause death, as has been shown by reliable studies and recent real-life events,'' the committee of 10 experts said. Three men, all in their early 20s, were reported to have died in the United States this week, days after a Polish man died at Vancouver airport after being Tasered by Canadian police. The man, Robert Dziekanski, 40, fell to the ground and died after the police officers piled on top of him. There have been three deaths in Canada after the use of Tasers over the past five weeks. The company that makes the weapons has said that similar deaths have been shown by "medical science and forensic analysis'' to be "attributable to other factors and not the low-energy electrical discharge of the Taser". The UN committee made its comments in recommendations to Portugal, which has bought the newest Taser X26 stun gun for use by police. Portugal "should consider giving up the use of the Taser X26,'' as its use can have a grave physical and mental impact on those targeted, which violates the UN's Convention against Torture, the experts said. ------------------------------------------------------------- BUFFALO FIELD CAMPAIGN (BFC) P.O. BOX 957 WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA 59758 406-646-0070 bfc-media at wildrockies.org http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org * PRESS RELEASE* YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK CAPTURES 53 OF AMERICA'S LAST WILD BISON Park Intends to Slaughter Without Testing; Calves May Be Sent to Experimental Quarantine Facility For Immediate Release, February 8, 2008 Contact: Buffalo Field Campaign, Stephany Seay 406-646-0070 GARDINER, MONTANA - Yellowstone National Park officials captured 53 wild American bison this morning inside the Stephens Creek bison trap located within Yellowstone National Park's borders. The captured bison are members of the last wild, genetically intact population existing in the United States, and number fewer than 4,600. Most, if not all, will be sent to slaughter without being tested for brucellosis antibodies. "The National Park Service is caving in to the unreasonable demands of Montana's livestock industry at the expense of an American icon, our national heritage," said Stephany Seay, media coordinator for Buffalo Field Campaign. The bison were captured for following their natural migratory instincts and walking onto habitat that is privately owned by the Church Universal & Triumphant (CUT). CUT land hosts fewer than 250 head of cattle. Wild bison are also refused access to publicly owned Gallatin National Forest lands adjacent to Yellowstone National Park and CUT property. In the winter months, grasslands in the Park are obscured by deep snow and bison and other wild ungulates venture to lower-elevation habitat where they find critical forage necessary for survival. Yellowstone National Park officials said they will send the adult bison to slaughter without first testing them for exposure to brucellosis. Bison calves may be tested for brucellosis antibodies. If testing occurs, those testing negative for antibodies will be sent to a state-federal quarantine feasibility study facility, while the rest will be slaughtered. More than half of the calves previously captured and quarantined by the government have been slaughtered, while the rest are being raised in pens like livestock. Cattle interests claim such actions are necessary to prevent the spread of brucellosis, a livestock disease introduced to native wildlife in the early 20th century, from wild bison to cattle. However, there has never been a documented case of wild bison transmitting brucellosis to cattle. "In one day the National Park Service is sending more than half as many bison to slaughter as have been killed during Montana's entire three-month bison hunt," said Mike Mease, co-founder of Buffalo Field Campaign. "When will the Park Service understand that they are in charge of protecting our wildlife, not protecting cattle interests?" 2,120 wild American bison have been killed or otherwise removed from the remaining wild population since 2000 under actions carried out by the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP), as well as state and treaty hunts. The IBMP is a joint state-federal plan that prohibits wild bison from migrating to lands outside of Yellowstone's boundaries. Wild American bison are a migratory species native to vast expanses of North America and are ecologically extinct everywhere in the United States outside of Yellowstone National Park. Buffalo Field Campaign strongly opposes the Interagency Bison Management Plan and maintains that wild bison should be allowed to naturally and fully recover themselves throughout their historic native range, especially on public lands. Buffalo Field Campaign is the only group working in the field, every day, to stop the slaughter of the wild American buffalo. Volunteers defend the buffalo and their native habitat and advocate for their lasting protection. Buffalo Field Campaign has proposed real alternatives to the current mismanagement of American bison that can be viewed at http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/solutions.html. For more information, video clips and photos visit: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org. A Sickening Slaughter http://www.counterpunch.org/jackson03012008.html Why is Yellowstone Destroying Its Bison Herd? By BOB JACKSON March 1 / 2, 2008 I spent 30 years in Yellowstone protecting its resources, which I carried out with all my heart. Yellowstone, for most of those years, enthusiastically supported me whenever I brought a poacher to court. But the black and white of whether a person is a poacher is not the same as managing the greater population of animals in the Park. Yellowstone has always been prone to politics. But due to its mission, Yellowstone has always led the country, with science, in countering the detrimental political influence imposed on Park resources. Employees always rose to the occasion because they had the deep conviction to protect the Park's resources. But not now with the bison issue. I wish one could simply say Yellowstone has rolled over and given up, but it is much worse. I see the Park actively ensuring the status quo of ignorance. Yellowstone IS CULPABLE in the destruction of its bison. I had heard of the elk reductions in the 50's and 60's. A few of the old time rangers, during evenings shared in backcountry cabins, would confide in me. None liked what they had been ordered to do. I was told the Model 70 Winchester 30-06, the very same one I slipped into my saddle scabbard for all those years of boundary patrol, had kill over 2000 elk in Yellowstone. But those days of unenlightened and exploitive management were over! I was proud to carry the same gun used to kill so many Park elk, because now it protected them. No one thought Yellowstone would ever again stoop to allow such abuse of its resources. Black and white has blurred into shades of gray. The best Yellowstone administrators can offer is backroom whispering to non profits telling them to save their bison. Where is the honor and conviction of these public servants to stand up for what is right? If they had it, there would be a desperate search for answers, as was done for Yellowstone's elk in the 60's. Yellowstone had a lot of years to address this bison issue and has unequivocally failed to take the lead. There is so much Yellowstone can do to fight for their bison. To start with, they need to acknowledge bison herds are composed of families and extended families, the same as elephants. Then they could focus studies showing the effects to the remnants of these families after they are broken up in the Park corrals. After determining family order, they also would realize each bison has a role within its family. Therein lies the solution to the brucellosis issue. For example, elimination of scout bulls, the Jim Bridgers and Kit Carsons of the bison world, upon entering unoccupied (ranch) lands, would solve the problem of bison families expanding into areas of concern. Culpability comes from Yellowstone's administrators lobbying against all but perfunctory University research to study these family groups. Why? It was something too far out of their knowledge grasp and thus became threatening to in-house status quo. Second, Yellowstone needs to acknowledge the Mountain Bison culture of the non-migratory Mirror?Pelican herd still exists as a distinct functioning entity. The matriarchal segments of this herd are much warier than the introduced Plains bison and would never occupy areas where humans habituate. Protecting these bison from human contact in the summer means expansion of this native herd and at the same time be assured these animals will not leave the Park. Why doesn't Yellowstone acknowledge this unique herd? Because they would have to reassess then rewrite their Bison Management Plan. Include in this the fear of the inevitable demands to remove the introduced Plains Bison. More culpability comes in because Yellowstone had already been given this information about Mountain Bison. They have done nothing but give precautionary research lip service to it. Of course if they wait long enough, biologists "in-the-know? can then claim it as their own "discovery?. All this stalling, while our last native bison herd is fractured and destroyed. Third, Yellowstone is covering up abuse of bison at their Stevens Creek Corrals. The Humane Society asked to film these corrals because they had heard of injuries and deaths at this facility. Even though no animals were around when filming was to be done, one excuse led to another until finally the Park's Public Affairs Office had to come out and say NO. The Humane Society has a long history of cooperation and is welcome in other National Parks as a monitor. Not Yellowstone! Nor is the media now permitted to film corralling activities-- in the name of animal welfare. Culpability also comes from Yellowstone not questioning the off limit policy of filming carcasses after shipment of animals from Yellowstone. But with initial reports of massive bruising and broken ribs wouldn't administrators, in the name of humane treatment, insist on independent monitoring? They do not, and thus they are culpable. I wish I could simply say Yellowstone doesn't have the backbone for a fight like they did with 50's elk reductions or eliminating garbage dumps. But what Yellowstone has allowed to happen on their soil today, to my "alma mater,? is sickening. I ask the rank and file in Yellowstone; rise above the fear of job retaliation and remember why you joined the Park Service. To cower in the closets of your Ranger Stations, maintenance sheds, and Mammoth administration buildings may secure careers, but every year of compromise means adding another year of personal slow death. Is it worth it? Lack of initiative by park administrators to have employees' concerns heard and documented lets employees know their "leaders? are more like political lemmings following Washington pied pipers. Perhaps "political servant? is more appropriate than public servant. For the public, I ask you to question the Park on these culpabilities. In fact question my statements. It is the best way to come up with personal conviction. Your questions means substantiating facts are disclosed. The cover up of inhumane treatment especially needs to be addressed. >From the beginning, the interagency bison committee insulated themselves by writing in "experimental handling? language, making them immune to Montana State's animal humane treatment laws. There is nothing going on at Yellowstone's Steven's Creek corrals today to justify being above the law, unless one believes in the validity of Holocaust experiments. I ask Yellowstone and any of the public who cares about Yellowstone to take the bull by the horns. Let's rectify what's happening to our Park and its wildlife. PSYCHO COPS Strip Search Innocent Woman - part 1 of 2 http://youtube.com:80/watch?v=a1yUsYIk2EM PSYCHO COPS Strip Search Innocent Woman - part 2 of 2 http://youtube.com:80/watch?v=iQ6Lsqmf9yM&feature=related Man's Wife Attacked, Stripped Naked and Abused By Police http://youtube.com/watch?v=6YBYje0sCkI&feature=related Woman TASED At Best Buy http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2007/12/20/tased_at_best_buy.html?refresh=1 Video showing officers arresting Carol Ann Gotbaum at Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport just before she DIED WHILE HANDCUFFED in a holding cell. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/04/airport.death/index.html#cnnSTCText http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/05/airport.death/index.html?iref=mpstoryview#cnnSTCVideo Speeding Ticket Taser in Utah http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMaMYL_shxc Student Tasered: Judge Napolitano Is Outraged! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKppgYEVsis University of Florida student Tasered at Kerry forum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bVa6jn4rpE Woman Tasered / Police Brutality http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rM6x2XeMiU Alexandria, La. Police Brutality http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx6Ve9RXPy8 Policemen Joking About a Taser Attack http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESzvBL0cXUc&NR=1 Pittsburgh Police Taser http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUO0RZbTsgg&feature=related miami police taser protesters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LCQgREv5b8&NR=1 From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 19:22:05 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:22:05 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Repression in the UK Message-ID: <036501c89e9f$81193280$0802a8c0@andy1> [NOTES: I saw footage of the protests over the Olympic torch and China in Tibet in London, and as usual there was a lot of police violence and repression, including one man thrown to the ground and pinned, another dragged away while trying to give comments to the media, and police physically pushing activists behind a fence at Downing Street. There have also been informal news reports that the Chinese security personnel surrounding the flame runner were physically assaulting protesters - and even police! Meanwhile French police were seen literally sitting on one protester's face, stealing a flag, and brutalising people by pushing them over backwards] * Council tries to charge fee for student protest * MI5 seeks powers to trawl commuters' records * MOD tells teachers to rewrite Iraq history * Paramilitary police operation hits innocent shoppers in London * Headteacher wins appeal over riot police abuse at school * Man jailed for 18 months for not giving insubstantial information to police * Poole council uses CCTVs to monitor if parents are in right catchment area * Animal rights activists effectively interned * London councils seek to ban free food * Animal rights activist given indefinite (life) sentence * Police use intimidation against arms trade movie * Peace protesters put on suspect database, car stopped in London * Victory for protesters over beating, theft by police * Police target free food stall, try to use "dispersal zone" to crush it * Government plans to hide GM crop trials * Bias against animal rights activists shown in hunter's sentence * Police "terror" attack on BBC journalist * Attempts to stop entry of Snoop Dogg * Aldermaston protest camp outlawed ASBOTROCITIES * Elderly "eccentric" woman under attack for harmless skipping * Child jailed for two months for exercising basic right of free association * Manic-depressive woman harassed by state * Criminalisation of begging condemned, overturned by one judge * Heathrow fingerprint plan on hold * Foie gras protest attacked by police * Activist arrested for giving treesitter water - attempt to starve him out * Suspicious death in custody of detained refugee * Researchers under attack: police demand manuscript on terrorism * Iraqis deported * Government seeks to grab power for executive, declare impunity for corruption * Huge jail sentence just for Internet propaganda, recruitment * Microchip implants planned Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/05/nschool105.xml Council charges pupils for protest march By Nigel Bunyan Last Updated: 2:37am GMT 07/02/2008 A Labour council has been accused of "flying in the face of democracy" after telling children at a threatened school that they will have to pay to stage a protest march. The schoolgirls' protest is supported by their head Officials at Salford City Council insist that they need ?2,500 to cover the cost of "traffic management", and say that pupils rather than taxpayers should foot the bill. The move has so angered both staff and pupils at St George's RC High School that they are considering reporting the council to the European Court of Human Rights. They say they are being denied a fundamental right to protest. Furthermore, they say the officials are being "completely hypocritical" in demanding a charge when they recently paid thousands of pounds for security guards to "manage" a consultation meeting at the school. Lizzie Finch, 16, one of four Year 11 girls who are coordinating the protest, said yesterday: "It's appalling and outrageous. How dare they try to take away our rights? "There is no way we are going to pay this charge because it's completely out of order". Another protest leader, Heather Ennis, said: "We are incandescent with rage. We just can't believe they are trying to charge us when 22,000 police officers marched through London recently and didn't get charged a penny. "They are trying to stop us because we are kids and we are fighting against their proposals". The school's headmaster, Philip Harte, is fully supportive of the girls' stand and has asked the council to withdraw its demand. So far officials have refused. Mr Harte said: "It seems that democracy and Salford is now an oxymoron because they have lost sight of the concept. "The level of their hypocricy is also quite breathtaking. As a school we have instilled the principles of fairness and democracy, of doing things through the proper channels, and yet this is the way the children's own council behaves. "It's a total disgrace and I'm absolutely convinced it is an act of vindictiveness towards the school". The school's deputy head, Peter Fisher, said he was clarification from the European Court on Human Rights on whether the children were being denied their right to peaceful assembly. St George's - motto Fight the Good Fight - has been earmarked for closure by 2012 because of an anticipated fall in the number of Catholic children in the area. This is despite this year's Year 7 intake being massively oversubscribed, and despite Ofsted inspectors describing it as recently as December as "a good school with outstanding features". Four 16-year-old girls - Lizzie, Heather Ennis, Hannah McCarthy and Becky Traynor - began to coordinate the protest against closure after becoming disenchanted with the "disingenuous" way the council was dealing with the issue. They have already set up a group called Justice 4 Georges (sic) and are about to launch a website. The teenage protestors initially planned to march on Salford Civic Hall on a Saturday. However, after consulting with teachers and local police they amended this to a Sunday protest near the school. This is scheduled for February 24. Jill Baker, the council's strategic director of Children's Services, said: "We have no issue with St George's pupils wanting to make their views known in this way. There are, however, real costs to the council in organising the necessary road closures - costs that need to be met from some source. "Road closure orders were only recently delegated to local authorities and we have a responsibility to our council tax payers to not set a precedent in ultimately passing on costs to them. "Regardless of the reasons why the road closure was requested, we would be making the same decision. This arrangement does not affect existing long-standing events". She added: "Whether or not the school decides to hold this demonstration, I'd like to reassure the pupils that (their) comments and opinions are, of course, valued and being considered". A council spokesman said the "typical costs" involved in facilitating the school march would include: ? the cost of workers closing the road, putting out cones or diversion signs and collecting them later; ? the cost of drawing up and publishing formal public notices about the road closure. She added: "There would also be charges for workers to turn traffic lights to red, and for escort vehicles to supervise the march". http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/mar/16/uksecurity.terrorism MI5 seeks powers to trawl records in new terror hunt Counter-terrorism experts call it a 'force multiplier': an attack combining slaughter and electronic chaos. Now Britain's security services want total access to commuters' travel records to help them meet the threat Gaby Hinsliff, political editor The Observer, Sunday March 16 2008 This article appeared in the Observer on Sunday March 16 2008 on p22 of the News section. It was last updated at 01:49 on March 16 2008. Millions of commuters could have their private movements around cities secretly monitored under new counter-terrorism powers being sought by the security services. Records of journeys made by people using smart cards that allow 17 million Britons to travel by underground, bus and train with a single swipe at the ticket barrier are among a welter of private information held by the state to which MI5 and police counter-terrorism officers want access in order to help identify patterns of suspicious behaviour. The request by the security services, described by shadow Home Secretary David Davis last night as 'extraordinary', forms part of a fierce Whitehall debate over how much access the state should have to people's private lives in its efforts to combat terrorism. It comes as the Cabinet Office finalises Gordon Brown's new national security strategy, expected to identify a string of new threats to Britain - ranging from future 'water wars' between countries left drought-ridden by climate change to cyber-attacks using computer hacking technology to disrupt vital elements of national infrastructure. The fear of cyber-warfare has climbed Whitehall's agenda since last year's attack on the Baltic nation of Estonia, in which Russian hackers swamped state servers with millions of electronic messages until they collapsed. The Estonian defence and foreign ministries and major banks were paralysed, while even its emergency services call system was temporarily knocked out: the attack was seen as a warning that battles once fought by invading armies or aerial bombardment could soon be replaced by virtual, but equally deadly, wars in cyberspace. While such new threats may grab headlines, the critical question for the new security agenda is how far Britain is prepared to go in tackling them. What are the limits of what we want our security services to know? And could they do more to identify suspects before they strike? One solution being debated in Whitehall is an unprecedented unlocking of data held by public bodies, such as the Oyster card records maintained by Transport for London and smart cards soon to be introduced in other cities in the UK, for use in the war against terror. The Office of the Information Commissioner, the watchdog governing data privacy, confirmed last night that it had discussed the issue with government but declined to give details, citing issues of national security. Currently the security services can demand the Oyster records of specific individuals under investigation to establish where they have been, but cannot trawl the whole database. But supporters of calls for more sharing of data argue that apparently trivial snippets - like the journeys an individual makes around the capital - could become important pieces of the jigsaw when fitted into a pattern of other publicly held information on an individual's movements, habits, education and other personal details. That could lead, they argue, to the unmasking of otherwise undetected suspects. Critics, however, fear a shift towards US-style 'data mining', a controversial technique using powerful computers to sift and scan millions of pieces of data, seeking patterns of behaviour which match the known profiles of terrorist suspects. They argue that it is unfair for millions of innocent people to have their privacy invaded on the off-chance of finding a handful of bad apples. 'It's looking for a needle in a haystack, and we all make up the haystack,' said former Labour minister Michael Meacher, who has a close interest in data sharing. 'Whether all our details have to be reviewed because there is one needle among us - I don't think the case is made.' Jago Russell, policy officer at the campaign group Liberty, said technological advances had made 'mass computerised fishing expeditions' easier to undertake, but they offered no easy answers. 'The problem is what do you do once you identify somebody who has a profile that suggests suspicions,' he said. 'Once the security services have identified somebody who fits a pattern, it creates an inevitable pressure to impose restrictions.' Individuals wrongly identified as suspicious might lose high-security jobs, or have their immigration status brought into doubt, he said. Ministers are also understood to share concerns over civil liberties, following public opposition to ID cards, and the debate is so sensitive that it may not even form part of Brown's published strategy. [.] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/iraq-teachers-told-to-rewrite-history-795711.html Iraq: teachers told to rewrite history MoD accused of sending propaganda to schools By Richard Garner, Education Editor Friday, 14 March 2008 Britain's biggest teachers' union has accused the Ministry of Defence of breaking the law over a lesson plan drawn up to teach pupils about the Iraq war. The National Union of Teachers claims it breaches the 1996 Education Act, which aims to ensure all political issues are treated in a balanced way. Teachers will threaten to boycott military involvement in schools at the union's annual conference next weekend, claiming the lesson plan is a "propaganda" exercise and makes no mention of any civilian casualties as a result of the war. They believe the instructions, designed for use during classroom discussions in general studies or personal, social and health education (PSE) lessons, are arguably an attempt to rewrite the history of the Iraq invasion just as the world prepares to mark its fifth anniversary. Steve Sinnott, the general secretary of the NUT, said: "This isn't an attack on the military - nothing of the sort. I know they've done valuable work in establishing peace in some countries. It is an attack on practices that we cannot condone in schools. It is a question of whether you present fair and balanced views or put forward prejudice and propaganda to youngsters." At the heart of the union's concern is a lesson plan commissioned by an organisation called Kids Connections for the Ministry of Defence aimed at stimulating classroom debate about the Iraq war. In a "Students' Worksheet" which accompanies the lesson plan, it stresses the "reconstruction" of Iraq, noting that 5,000 schools and 20 hospitals have been rebuilt. But there is no mention of civilian casualties. In the "Teacher Notes" section, it talks about how the "invasion was necessary to allow the opportunity to remove Saddam Hussein" but it fails to mention the lack of United Nations backing for the war. The notes also use the American spelling of "program". Addressing whether the MoD should be providing materials for schools, Mr Sinnott said that he did not object, as long as the material was accurate, presented responsibly and contained a balanced view of opinions. The union has protested to the Schools Secretary, Ed Balls, who has referred the complaint to the MoD. In a letter to Mr Balls, Mr Sinnott said: "I have to say that were the MoD pack to be distributed and followed without the legally required 'balanced presentation of opposing views' there would, in my view, be very serious risk of a finding of non-compliance with section 406 (of the 1996 Education Act) at least. "I do not doubt that there would be many members of this union who would not accept as 'fact' the assertions made particularly in the Teacher Notes, nor, I think, could some of the assertions made in the Student Worksheet be regarded as non-controversial." Mr Sinnott reminded Mr Balls that a High Court judge had ruled that the film An Inconvenient Truth, by the Oscar-winning former American vice-president Al Gore, could not be used in schools without teachers counteracting some of the assertions made in it. Mr Balls sought to distance himself from supporting the material. He said: "I am sure you are aware my department does not promote or endorse specific resources or methods of teaching for use in schools but I appreciate you drawing this to my attention." Mr Balls added that he had instructed his officials "to take this matter up" with the MoD. A spokesman for the MoD said the ministry had consulted with interested parties over the proposed lesson plan in order to ensure it had the support of the education community. "We did ask the Stop The War coalition to take part although it refused." The spokesman added that the programme was "a set of web-based resources" whose use was "completely voluntary". "We have consulted widely with teachers and students during the development of these products and feedback from schools has been extremely encouraging," he added. "Teachers and students found them to be valuable and fun resources for applied learning. "They are designed to support teachers in delivering a whole range of subjects across the national curriculum and its equivalents in Scotland and Wales. "We are happy to engage with the NUT and we will be writing to them." Union members say they are also worried that armed forces recruitment fairs in schools glamorise the job by citing exotic countries that recruits will visit but fail to mention that they may be required to kill people. According to an independent assessment of the MoD's recruitment material by the Joseph Rowntree Trust, however, the material concerned was "very dubious". The trust said it had used misleading marketing with advertising campaigns that "glamorise warfare, omit vital information and fail to point out the risks and responsibilities associated with a forces career". Mr Sinnott said: "On their recruitment material, it tells what an exotic lifestyle this can be, but it doesn't mention that being in the military involves killing people. These things don't feature as they should in a proper, balanced view of what it is like being in the armed forces." What the MoD's guide says... and what it omits * "Iraq was invaded early 2003 by a United States coalition. Twenty-nine other countries, including the UK, also provided troops... Iraq had not abandoned its nuclear and chemical weapons development program". After the first Gulf War, "Iraq did not honour the cease-fire agreement by surrendering weapons of mass destruction..." The reality: The WMD allegation, central to the case for war, proved to be bogus. David Kay, appointed by the Bush administration to search for such weapons after the invasion, found no evidence of a serious programme or stockpiling of WMDs. The "coalition of the willing" was the rather grand title of a rag-tag group of countries which included Eritrea, El Salvador and Macedonia. * "The invasion was also necessary to allow the opportunity to remove Saddam, an oppressive dictator, from power, and bring democracy to Iraq". The reality: Regime change was not the reason given in the run-up to the invasion - the US and UK governments had been advised it would be against international law. Saddam was regarded as an ally of the West while he was carrying out some of the worst of his atrocities. As for democracy, elections were held in Iraq during the occupation and have led to a sectarian Shia government. Attempts by the US to persuade the government to be more inclusive towards minorities have failed. * "Over 7,000 British troops remain in Iraq... to contribute to reconstruction, training Iraqi security forces... They continue to fight against a strong militant Iraqi insurgency." The reality: The number of British troops in Iraq is now under 5,000. They withdrew from their last base inside Basra city in September and are now confined to the airport where they do not take part in direct combat operations. * "The cost of UK military operations in Iraq for 2005/06 was ?958m." The reality: The cost of military operations in Iraq has risen by 72 per cent in the past 12 months and the estimated cost for this year is ?1.648bn. The House of Commons defence committee said it was "surprised" by the amount of money needed considering the slowing down of the tempo of operations. * "Over 312,000 Iraqi security forces have been trained and equipped (Police, Army and Navy)." The reality: The Iraqi security forces have been accused, among others by the American military, of running death squads targeting Sunnis. In Basra, the police became heavily infiltrated by Shia militias and British troops had to carry out several operations against them. On one occasion British troops had to smash their way into a police station to rescue two UK special forces soldiers who had been seized by the police. * "A total of 132 UK military personnel have been killed in Iraq." The reality: The figure is 175 since the invasion of 2003. A British airman died in a rocket attack at the airport two weeks ago despite British troops not going into Basra city on operations. Conservative estimates of the number of Iraqi civilians killed since the beginning of the invasion stand at around 85,000. * "From hospitals to schools to wastewater treatment plants, the presence of coalition troops is aiding the reconstruction of post-Saddam Iraq." The reality: Five years after "liberation", Baghdad still only has a few hours of intermittent power a day. Children are kidnapped from schools for ransom and families of patients undergoing surgery at hospitals are advised to buy and bring in blood from sellers who congregate outside. http://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/content/hackney/gazette/news/story.aspx?brand=HKYGOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newshkyg&itemid=WeED04%20Apr%202008%2010%3A18%3A52%3A127 RIOT COPS SWOOP ON BLACKSTOCK ROAD hg.editorial at archant.co.uk 04 April 2008 Hundreds of police officers descend on Blackstock Road Hundreds of riot cops swooped on a notorious Finsbury Park street where criminal gangs have been flourishing. More than 600 officers descended on Blackstock Road in a massive show of force at 2.15pm on Thursday. Cops showed they meant business as a huge surge of officers sealed off both ends of the road. They arrested 35 people on suspicion of handling stolen goods and other offences and raided 19 shops and cafes during Operation Mista. Detectives have long suspected the thriving black market in Blackstock Road is fuelling street crime across London. During a year-long surveillance operation, they found the busy shopping street to be at the centre of criminal networks. Gangs have been money laundering, selling fake documents, and drug dealing. One mobile phone company reported 40 per cent of all stolen handsets could be traced to the area. Chief Supt Bob Carr, in charge of the operation, said he hoped the raid would prevent criminals from gravitating towards the area. "We cannot allow people perceived to be successful through their criminality to have a negative impact on our communities." http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2008/032708/news032708_20.html Headteacher wins 'riot police' appeal AN appeal lodged by Hampstead School headteacher Jacques Szemalikowski has been upheld by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. Mr Szemalikowski's complaint alleged riot police, who attended an incident at the Westbere Road school in 2006, were heavy-handed and racially motivated in their treatment of students. Mr Szemalikowski said: "It means a piece of evidence will now be included - two testimonies. One from an assistant head and one from a deputy head. I'm pleased. Had I not thought there were grounds I wouldn't have resubmitted them." The complaint will now be reinvestigated by the Directorate of Professional Standards. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article3730133.ece April 12, 2008 Terrorist's brother kept quiet about e-mail that spoke of dying for Allah Adam Fresco, Crime Correspondent The brother of an Islamic terrorist who drove a flaming Jeep into Glasgow airport was convicted yesterday of failing to tell police about the mission. Sabeel Ahmed received an e-mail from his brother Kafeel telling him to look after their mother and father and saying: "It's about time that we give up our lives and our families for the sake of Islam to please Allah." Sabeel, an NHS doctor, did not read the e-mail until the evening after the attack but still did not tell police about it. Yesterday he admitted failing to disclose information to police and was sentenced to 18 months in jail. He will be released from custody and voluntarily deported to India almost immediately because of time in jail he has already served. At the end of June last year Kafeel had targeted London nightclubs with two car bombs that were designed to "maximise the loss of life" but they failed to detonate. Knowing that the police were closing in, he instead tried to drive a burning vehicle into the airport on June 30. But he could not get through the glass doors and suffered severe burns from which he later died. Kafeel's e-mail directed Sabeel to online documents containing his will and instructions on how to mislead investigators. Part of it read: "This is a project I was working on for some time now. Everything else was a lie and I hope you can forgive me for being such a good liar. It was necessary." The message added: "Inshallah by the time you get this message I should have achieved one of the two goals by the will of Allah." Jonathan Laidlaw, for the prosecution, told the Old Bailey how Kafeel aimed for the entrance doors of the airport but crashed into the pillars. He said: "Despite his efforts, the vehicle became trapped. Those who witnessed him described a set and determined face as he stared forward. "His passenger lowered his window and threw a petrol bomb across the bonnet in the direction of the taxi rank and then threw a second of these devices in the opposite direction. At the same time the driver, the defendant's brother, began to pour and splash fuel from a can on to the area outside the car window and appeared to throw a petrol bomb. "He got out of the vehicle and was engulfed in flames that swept around the Jeep and terminal building. He appeared to try and prevent others from getting to him or the vehicle. He kicked out but eventually, he being on fire, he was extinguished, subdued, handcuffed and arrested." Sentencing Sabeel, Mr Justice Calvert-Smith told him: "Just before he \ set off on the attack he sent you a text message telling you to access the site to which he had saved his document. It is clear that Kafeel Ahmed wrote it in anticipation of his own death in the hope that his body may be unrecognisable and unidentifiable, and asked you to keep up a pretence that he was in Iceland on some secret project connected with his work as a scientist. "It is clear you did not receive it until afterwards. Having opened the document on the website and realising your brother had been involved in a very serious offence, you kept that to yourself rather than going to the authorities. I accept there is no sign of you being an extremist or party to extremist views." Bilal Abdullah, 28, and Mohammed Asha, 27, will go on trial this year for conspiracy to cause explosions. I wouldn't grass in my brother, and it's plain wrong in my view that failing to do so is a crime. Blood is very much thicker than water, and that is a 'reasonable excuse' for keeping quiet in my book. Compulsion to do the immoral should have no place in law Jim, eXETER, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/7341179.stm Council admits spying on family Poole council admitted using RIPA powers on six occasions A council has admitted spying on a family using laws to track criminals and terrorists to find out if they were really living in a school catchment. A couple and their three children were put under surveillance without their knowledge by Poole Borough Council for more than two weeks. The council admitted using powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) on six occasions in total. Three of those were for suspected fraudulent school place applications. It said two offers of school places were withdrawn as a consequence. Human rights pressure group Liberty called the spying "ridiculously disproportionate" and "intrusive". James Welch, legal director for Liberty, said: "It's one thing to use covert surveillance in operations investigating terrorism and other serious crimes, but it has come to a pretty pass when this kind of intrusive activity is used to police school catchment areas. Mother on council's 'outrageous' spying on her family "This is a ridiculously disproportionate use of RIPA and will undermine public trust in necessary and lawful surveillance." RIPA legislation allows councils to carry out surveillance if it suspects criminal activity. On its website, the Home Office says: "The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) legislates for using methods of surveillance and information gathering to help the prevention of crime, including terrorism." It goes on to say the act allows the interception of communications, carrying out of surveillance and the use of covert human intelligence sources. Poole council said it used the legislation to watch a family at home and in their daily movements because it wanted to know if they lived in the catchment area for a school, which they wanted their three-year-old daughter to attend. It said directed surveillance was carried out by a council officer who was fully trained and authorised to exercise RIPA powers, once it had decided it may be a criminal matter. 'Potential criminal matter' The council is keen to ensure that the information given by parents who apply for school places is true Tim Martin, Poole Borough Council Tim Martin, head of legal and democratic services at Poole Borough Council, said: "The council is committed to investigating the small minority of people who attempt to break the law and affect the quality of life for the majority of law-abiding residents in Poole. "On a small number of occasions, RIPA procedures have been used to investigate potentially fraudulent applications for school places. "In such circumstances, we have considered it appropriate to treat the matter as a potential criminal matter. "The council is keen to ensure that the information given by parents who apply for school places is true. "This protects the majority of honest parents against the small number of questionable applications. "An investigation may actually satisfy the council that the application is valid, as happened in this case." http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news616.htm CAGE THE RAGE INTERNMENT IS NEW TACTIC TO DEAL WITH ANIMAL RIGHTS MOVEMENT "This is just the latest example of the state attempting to decapitate the animal rights movement - but we're not going away" - SPEAK campaigner. "What people outside the animal rights movement don't seem to appreciate is that once these moves have been practised on us, they are expanded to everyone expressing dissent - just look at how PHA injunctions attacked first us, then the peace movement, then the environmentalists and finally the climate camp" - an Animal Rights Legal Advisor The screws have been tightened on the animal rights (AR) movement yet again. In this country, and in the US, there has been a serious state attempt to deal with the strength of the animal rights movement by using an extra-legal form of internment. Currently the three most prominent activists from the Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) campaign - Greg Avery, Natasha Avery and Heather Nicholson - are all on remand, after high profile arrests back on May 1st (see SchNEWS 585). They are charged with 'conspiracy to blackmail'. Now the same applies to the main spokesman for the SPEAK campaign, Mel Broughton. Mel was arrested in his home at 5.30am on December 12th - and he's been held on remand ever since on charges of arson and 'conspiracy to blackmail'. Meanwhile campaigners against the Sequani animal labs in Ledbury are on trial for conspiracy to breach Sections 145 and 146 of the SOCPA - laws especially introduced to protect 'animal research' facilities. SPEAK (www.speakcampaigns.org) are fighting against the new Oxford University primate laboratory, referred to as being of 'national importance' by Lord Sainsbury, unelected science minister and aggressive lobbyist for GM crops amongst other profitable er, sorry, progressive issues. Back in June, SchNEWS reported how a senior Thames Valley police officer, Inspector Shead, was caught on tape promising to 'wage a dirty war' against the SPEAK campaign (see SchNEWS 590) and 'persecute' spokesman Mel Broughton - indeed 'to prosecute the sh*t out of him'. Now the meaning of that has become clear - the shattering of the AR movement by any means necessary. A SPEAK campaigner told us, "We know they've been gunning for Mel for a long time - but this isn't a one man campaign. It is basically internment - everything about this campaign is peaceful and legal. The big picture is that the police want to smash SPEAK and SHAC.'' Aspects of the raids, taken in context with other repression around the country, demonstrate that the police's main strategy is disruption. During Operation Achilles - the raids which netted the SHAC organisers - huge quantities of leaflets, cash etc was seized as 'evidence', obviously damaging the ability of the campaign to continue. One campaigner arrested during the initial sweep told SchNEWS how the police pressured them to try and secure their Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) key to their computers. In November, police wrote letters demanding that the passwords for encrypted files on seized computers be released under threat of legal action. Campaigners refused to back down and as yet no legal action has been taken. LOVE SHAC The reason the state is using conspiracy charges is they like their all encompassing vagueness. Rather than having to prove specific criminal activities, a huge quantity of evidence can be produced from which 'inferences' can be drawn. In the SHAC case over 15,000 pages of documents have been produced, including transcripts from bugs placed in hire cars and into the wall of, what the prosecution are referring to as, 'the SHAC house'. Also included are transcripts of conversations made by one of the accused from prison. However there is not one shred of evidence that points to direct engagement in criminal activities (beyond such trivia as trespass). According to one source, the evidence is bizarre - "it includes family photos - loads of stuff that hasn't got anything to do with animal rights or demos or anything..." The trial is expected to last six months - so even if the three are acquitted they will have spent the best part of two years unable to take part in any effective campaigning. If they are convicted it will pave the way to repeat the tactics with other campaign groups - except those couched in the vaguest non-threatening terms - and especially those that are actually effective. "The danger of this sort of accusation is that simply running a campaign could be described as blackmail. Obviously a blackmailer's threats do not have to be illegal, simply the suggestion that if you don't do X we will do Y could be construed as blackmail" (AR legal advisor) - i.e. the very act of organising demos could become a very serious criminal offence, punishable by years inside. So once more we see laws drafted to protect individuals being used (or twisted) to protect corporations. SHAC has to be the legally most watertight campaign in the UK. Everything they publish is checked by a barrister beforehand. As our source told us, " They've got masses of evidence of demos being organised of course but most of them are organised with the police! Every campaign has a target - even Greenpeace send out action e-mail alerts! How can what we do be described as blackmail?" The case of the Sequani Six is now entering its second week in Birmingham Crown Court. Sequani are a vivisection laboratory based in Ledbury, Herefordshire and are the latest beneficiaries of a law specifically targeted at those who campaign for animal rights. Six protesters, including one 80-year-old woman are charged with conspiracy to "interfere with contractual relationships so as to harm animal research organisation" under section 145 of SOCPA. To add insult to injury the judge in the trial has admitted that he regularly enjoys hunting - but we're sure he won't let that unduly prejudice him. It has been suggested by top cop Anton Setchell (ACPO National Coordinator for Domestic Extremism) that the SOCPA laws, which effectively prohibit demos outside establishments connected with animal research, were not drafted widely enough. He wants them expanded to cover any groups that engage in sustained campaigning. The National Extremism Tactical Co-ordinating Unit's website (www.netcu.org.uk) says, "The term 'domestic extremism' applies to unlawful action that is part of a protest or campaign. It is most often associated with 'single-issue' protests, such as animal rights, anti-war, anti-globalisation and anti-GM (genetically modified) crops.". Alarmingly section 149 of SOCPA allows the secretary of state to declare any business to be the equivalent of an animal research establishment without going back to Parliament. Despite the full agencies of the state being bent on the movement's destruction, with widespread abuse of public order law and the shutting down of animal rights info stalls - they're not going away! Demos continue despite police intimidation. Vivisectors and those who deal with them are still firmly in the movement's sights and a glance at the websites demonstrate the extent to which this struggle is still gaining in strength, and going global. As a SHAC activist told us "They think that by taking out a few key people they can stop our movement but for every two they take away there will be four to take their place. The public support has been amazing..." * SPEAK www.speakcampaigns.org * SHAC www.shac.net * STOPSequani www.stopsequani.co.uk http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news609.htm London Councils, which represents London's 33 local authorities, is preparing the tenth London Local Authorities Bill for wheeling out on November 27th. Amongst the knee-jerk reactions in the bill include cracking down on chewing gum dropping and litter, and there's also a section about 'distribution of free refreshments' - which would effectively ban soup kitchens. Giving out food to homeless people will be outlawed in Westminster - where 250-300 sleep rough every night - and possibly beyond. In the Evening Standard the Westminster Council have been saying that such hand-outs 'keep people on the street'. http://breakallchains.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html Spirit of Freedom (January 2007) Produced by EARTH LIBERATION PRISONERS SUPPORT NETWORK "I thank you all dearly for writing" (Jon Ablewhite, Animal Rights Prisoner) Welcome to the January 2007 edition of Spirit of Freedom. As some people will be aware, last month, British Animal Rights prisoner, Don Currie, was given a virtual life sentence called an "indefinite sentence" with a minimum tariff of six-years. Below ELP attempts to explain how the sentence works. We hope our report is accurate and it does represent ELP's understanding of how this new sentence works. But we would like to point out that this type of sentence is relatively new within the British legal system and therefore no one is quite sure of its full implications yet. If anyone has any questions or concerns about our report please contact ELP and we will try to assist you however we can. Don's sentence is a shock and we ask that everyone supports Don as best they can. Remember, no matter where you are in the world, support the eco-prisoners and no compromise in defence of Mother Earth! DON CURRIE SENTENCED On the 7th of December 2006 British Animal Rights prisoner, Donald Currie, was given an Indefinite Prison Sentence with a minimum tariff of six years. This is a new type of sentence, so here is ELP's explanation about how it works. Traditionally in Britain people are given either Fixed Term sentences or Life sentences. With a fixed term sentence anyone who is given a sentence of more than four years is given an automatic Parole Hearing date at the half way stage of their sentence. For example, a prisoner who is serving 12-years, will automatically be considered for parole after 6 years. At the parole hearing the Parole Board will decide whether to release the prisoner or say they must to serve more of their sentence before their release. The Parole Board can keep rejecting a prisoners parole application up until the point the prisoner has served two-thirds of their sentence; at this point the prisoner must be released "on license" under the supervision of a probation officer. So in the case of a prisoner sentenced to 12-years, it means they will serve between 6-8 years inside. With an Indefinite Prison Sentence the Judge decides what is an appropriate sentence for the crime and then gives the prisoner a minimum tariff to represent when they would receive their first parole hearing. At that first parole hearing the Parole Board can either choose to release the prisoner or return them to prison. So in Don Currie's case the Judge obviously felt he should receive a 12-year sentence and so gave Don a minimum tariff of six years. However, the crucial point is that because Don has NOT been given a Fixed Term sentence there is no two-thirds stage of his sentence. This means he has no automatic release date. If the Parole Board wishes to they can keep rejecting an Indefinite Sentence prisoners Parole Applications for the rest of the prisoners life. This means Don will serve a minimum 6 years inside, but if the Parole Board wishes, he could end up serving 8, 12, 16, 26, 36, 46, etc., years in prison. He may even die in prison without ever being released! The jailing of Don to an Indefinite Prison Sentence is an outrage. Don has not killed or physically injured anyone. He has destroyed the property of animal abusers and if you believe the British mainstream media he was a very dedicated ALF activist. The use of an Indefinite Prison Sentence against an animal rights activist is a highly political sentence and ELP hopes that Don's lawyers are appealing against this political sentence http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news625.htm SHOWSTOPPERS AS POLICE SEEK TO AXE ANTI-ARMS TRADE MOVIE Yet another below the belt blow to civil liberties was struck by the Sussex Plod this Monday. The long-awaited world premier of SchMOVIES 'On The Verge'- the cinematic debut of the Smash Edo campaign - was cancelled after police intervention. In the days that followed, across the country venues due to show the film on the forthcoming tour have received visits from the police and licensing authorities keen to stop screenings. Early on Monday evening, the SchNEWS crew were squeezing into our tuxedoes and ballgowns ready for the red carpet reception at local independent cinema the Duke of York's (DoY). But barely had the first champagne cork been popped when we received a call to tell us the show was cancelled. The cinema had been contacted at 4.15pm by environmental health officer, Martin New, claiming that as the film does not have an official BBFC classification, the DoY would be in breach of their licence if the screening went ahead. The timing left the cinema with no option but to cancel. According to one source, the police then phoned the cinema and warned them that they should "bolt the doors" as these protesters were "extremely violent" and likely to try and force entry! One manager said the decision to question the film's classification this way "was virtually unprecedented in my experience". Yer ever-good-in-a-crisis SchNEWS crew swiftly relocated the showing to a local pub, where around 140 people (over two screenings) were able to watch the 'illicit' film. THE PLOD THICKENS The next day, local rag the Argus ran the story as front page news: "Anti-war movie banned by council at the last minute". They quoted top cop Chief Inspector Lawrence Taylor denying any police involvement in the sting, saying, "We would never get involved with the certification of a film - it is not something we do. It was as much a surprise to us as anyone else". Well it must have then come as a real surprise when, the next day, B&H council's press office confirmed that the police had in fact called them up and prompted their action. Swiftly back-tracking, Sussex Police pinned the blame on a mysterious 'junior officer' (and inadvertently admitted they don't bother knowing the law regarding showing films!): "Brighton and Hove Police were aware that 'On The Verge' was being shown at the Duke of York cinema. However, we do not become involved in, nor do we have knowledge of, the law relating to film certification. That is a matter for Brighton & Hove City Council. However, a junior officer, who is not based in the city, alerted the city council to the showing and they advised the cinema of its responsibilities.". So either Lawrence Taylor was lying or his rank-and-file are showing a little more initiative than usual. Whoever the 'junior officer' is, it seems she/he's been pretty busy organising a coordinated clampdown on the film. By this afternoon venues due to show the film across the country were receiving visits from the police. Staff at the Arthouse Community Cafe in Bedford Place, Southampton were approached at 11am by police and licensing officers. Threats were made concerning their licensing if the film, due to be shown on Thursday night was screened. Jani Franck of the Community Cafe said, "I grew up in South Africa and this feels awfully familiar. This has nothing to do with protecting the public - this is nothing but censorship". As SchNEWS goes to press, the first tour venues in Bath, Southampton, Oxford and Chichester have all been visited and leaned on to pull the plug. Classifications for similar independent films are not normally an issue - especially for private showings where no money changes hands (and with official BBFC certifications costing up to a grand, it would kill any local independent no-budget film making). Given that there is no swearing or nudity in the film, and that the only violence in the film is at the hands of Sussex police, offences against public morals are unlikely. But in an unusual bout of sensitivity towards the public, police decided that although it's OK to violently attack protesters, it might disturb members of the public were they to see it on film. Steve Bishop of SchMovies told us exclusively "We're not exactly surprised by the police action. Yeah, the film doesn't have a certificate but since when has this applied to productions with a budget of under five hundred quid! What next, a PG certificate for yer wedding video? The only reason they want to ban this is 'cuz it shows 'em in a bad light." * Want to see the film they tried (are trying) to ban? People are re-arranging showings in many of the towns - for more info check out www.smashedo.org.uk or local Indymedia postings. * Interested in putting on a screening, e-mail: on-the-verge at hotmail.co.uk * View the trailer at www.schnews.org.uk/schmovies/index-on-the-verge http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news625.htm WATCHING YOU ...IN BIG BROTHER BRITAIN As they travelled through the City of London on private business on 31st July 2005, two peace campaigners - John Catt, an 80 year old pensioner at the time and his daughter Linda (with no criminal record between them) - were stopped and their vehicle searched under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 by City of London police. They were both threatened with arrest if they refused to answer police questions. Unbeknown to them the vehicle in which they were travelling had triggered an alert as it passed an automatic vehicle number plate recognition camera - part of the cops' 'Ring of steel' around the City of London. After they made a complaint about both the manner and the circumstances in which they were stopped, it was revealed that it had resulted from a police marker being placed against their vehicle on the Police National Computer (PNC) by Sussex Police. A follow-up formal complaint to Sussex Police discovered that the PNC marker had been placed against their vehicle as a result of being spotted near EDO MBM demonstrations in Brighton. The marker stated "OF INTEREST TO PUBLIC ORDER UNIT SUSSEX". Sussex Police justified the big brothering stance on the grounds that the vehicle had been seen at three demos outside the arms factory, which "were associated with a campaign which gives rise to crime, disorder and the deployment of significant resources. Sightings of the vehicle may give rise to crime, disorder and the investigation, prevention and detection of crime" . A damning verdict indeed. The complaint was rejected - guilt by association is all in a days work. Last week their appeal to the IPCC has also fallen on deaf ears with the independent body ruling that this type of harassment is just the ticket for Supreme Leader Gordon Brown's busy bobbies. You have been warned. NO FOREST FOR THE WICKED There was victory in court this month (3rd) for voluntary sector group the Celtic Heritage Trust (CHT) in their case against Gwent Police force, who had beaten the crap out of them for no reason at a Easter celebration at Wentwood Forest, Wales, last year. OK, so yer resource-strapped SchNEWS can't win 'em all and misses the odd story here and there -. so let us take you back to the golden days of early spring 2007... The all chat and smiles not-for-profit CHT, an educational group who peddle a mix of environmental and sustainability information - were invited to take their library and youth cinema to attend an Easter Gathering festival to be held at Wentwood Forest. They thought it would be a good place to follow their not extremely anti-state mission of encouraging young people to vote and to understand how important it is to become an active citizen. Upon their arrival they were shepherded in to the site by police usual florescent-jacketed staff and proceeded to set up and their pitch and began spreading the message - and were pleased to sign up thirty new volunteers keen to help with their subversive programmes of tree planting and working with a pensioners gardening initiative. But little did they know that the organisers of the festival had committed that most heinous of 21st century crimes and had not got prior permission for their do. This meant their day was about to take a frightening turn for the worse. Karen Sumser-Lupson told SchNEWS "In the late afternoon a police presence became evident and the young people began to clear up the picnic area and were filmed packing up audio equipment - they were without a doubt complying with the orders of the Gwent police force. Our organisationwas not at any time informed of what was happening even though we attempted to speak with officers. Some two hours later another police force dressed in black riot apparel appeared - and within five minutes of their arrival all hell broke loose." She reports how one cop came at her with baton raised, tucked his shield under her feet and sent her flying. All their equipment was seized - including suspiciously dangerous items like books and film equipment. She then tells how she witnessed (all it of it handily recorded on police video), "police officers striking and beating young individuals for truly no reason at all. I am still stunned by the events of that afternoon. Never have I seen such an awful bloodbath meted out on peaceful individuals some of which were barely 16 years of age." After the baton-twirling display, the cops finally said they were free to go - battered and shocked, they'd barely got a mile down the road before their vehicle was were pulled over and they were ordered out of it. Police seized it and drove off - leaving the CHT staff to walk nearly ten miles out of the forest. A few miles down the road, and some hours trudging later, they actually came across their truck - crashed with one of the tyres hanging off. It was later moved to a Police holding bay where it was impounded for two months as it was 'unfit for the road'! The Gwent Police investigation (unknown whether it was worked on by the 'Seaside Five' - see SchNEWS 623) eventually led to 23 defendants, including the two CHT staff present,. facing a court case under Section 63, of the CJA for failing to leave the land. The defendants were originally split into three groups. By November magistrates duly found all the accused guilty, handing out large fines and ASBO's all round. Karen's conviction was based on video evidence of her assault in which they decided she "did not look scared enough". Yes, in modern Britain your facial expression will he taken down, subjectively assessed and used against you in a court of law. Fair play to Karen though - they lodged an immediate crown court appeal which finally got to court at the start of March. They successful and swiftly managed to convince a jury of the real facts of the case and their convictions - and those of the other 21 people - were quashed. CHT have also submitted complaints to the 'Independent' Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) - but are yet to hear back how Gwent police will no doubt be blameless and face no further charges, but a double SchNEWS thumbs up for their dogged persistence... http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news623.htm Met Cops hit a new low this week - targeting a soup kitchen handing out food to the homeless. The 'Reclaim your food' collective were handing out free soup near The Oval, London (as they do every Sunday). Twenty cops in two vans - plus a CCTV crew - turned up to ensure that this act of flagrant charity did not go unpunished. Enraged by the free organic bread, skipped soup and insurrectionary rhubarb crumble on offer, the plod had no choice but to act. Two of the servers were arrested, while everyone else was held in a kettle and photographed. All this because they were causing alarm, harassment and distress to the local 'community' and apparently 'attracting crack dealers' (well we all know how much they love a good crumble with the cops!) SchNEWS's man on the scene has made a short film - see www.veoh.com/videos/v6333168tbH5b25n * Please support reclaim your food. Email: reclaim_your_food_brixton at riseup.net http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/392723.html Reclaim your Food stall finally criminalised endo | 02.03.2008 17:39 | Free Spaces | Repression | London Police has definitely intervened in the weekly Sunday free food action today 2nd March 2008 in the Brixton Oval. The collective has been setting up a free food stall on Sundays' afternoon in Brixton. Last Sunday, the metropolitan police already hassled the action without any sound argument and started asking for names and addresses. Check: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/southcoast/2008/02/391653.html for more details. Today they have gone further with already two arrests at 16h00. The first arrested person had given his name and address but then refused to "disperse"; a man game him advice and the phone number of a lawyer and a few minutes later he was then arrested too. Police has been asking for people's names and addresses indiscriminately and telling people to disperse under threat of arrest to re-enter the Dispersal Zone covering Brixton town centre. People are still in the zone refusing to disperse. A policeman argued that a free food stall would attract drug dealing back to the zone, but he insinuated that other activities would not. A bike workshop was set up at the very same place where Reclaim your Food set their stall. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/southcoast/2008/02/391653.html?c=on#comments South London's very own "Food not Bombs" project - the Brixton-based "Reclaim Your Food" collective - today (Sunday 17th Feb) faced their first intervention by the Metropolitan Police. The collective had their stall set up for roughly an hour when their allegedly criminal activities caught the eye of Lambeth's finest law enforcement officials. Two white male police officers approached the collective and began to browse the selection of free leaflets and pamphlets offered. Whilst one of them (LX 412) appeared to be relatively disinterested in the actions of the suspected offenders, Officer LX 582 was significantly more aggressive and confrontational in his approach. Whilst said officers originally appeared to be inspecting the proceedings out of a territorial sense of curiosity, 582 began demanding the names and addresses of people without any suggestion of what offence may have been committed or invoking any legislation confirming his right to do so. Once met with a variety of "no comment" responses, 582 asserted that their small stall in Brixton town square was, in fact, an obstruction of the highway. When the legitimiacy of this application of the Highways Act was challenged, his concerns became for the health and safety of those consuming the food. Were activists in posession of the correct certificates? Then, when activists appeared bemused at the notion of a police officer to attempting to enforce Health & Safety law, it was briefly mooted that a Public Order offence was being committed. This supposed Public Order offence rapidly transformed into an excuse to use Anti-Social Behaviour law, allowing them to place a Dispersion Order on the group of apparently delinquent youths. Names and addresses were taken under threat of arrest, and backup called for. The backup consisted of 2 Community Support Officers - LX 7268, 7133 and another 2 PC's - LX 284, 816 and (presumably) the Sargeant - **, topped off with Police Vans. Other officers arrived after the initial count, but did not have their numbers documented by those observing. The Collective were ordered to disperse and prohibited under threat of arrest to re-enter the Dispersal Zone covering Brixton town centre for the next 24 hours. PC LX 582 rather greedily helped himself to large volumes of the radical information available and, when questioned, claimed that he went "on more demos than you do". As he was not recognized as being part of the FIT Team, it could only be assumed that he was one of the dangerous hardcore revolutionaries on the Police Federation march. All this whilst members of the public, some homeless, clamoured to get what was left of the free vegan food fest before it had to be taken away. Other members of the public documented the Police behaviour on camera and challenged the Police in support of Reclaim Your Food, whilst many more looked on in a mixture of horror and disbelief. Another passer-by was threatened with arrest for cycling on the pavement, a concerned mother also threatened with arrest in expressing distaste at Police conduct. In the short time that Reclaim Your Food have been operating in Brixton (every sunday, from 2/3pm onwards), they have enjoyed growing support and participation, with people from many different walks of life expressing positive sentiments about the project, out on the streets, where it counts. It is hoped that this project will not only continue, but grow in the face of repression by the state. In a society where property is sacred and profit divine, the Police have once again demonstrated whose side they are on. Solidarity is the best weapon we have. Reclaim Everything! http://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/food-reclaimed/ Reclaim Your Food successfully distributed vegan food in Brixton Town square today despite two arrests the previous week for the same activity. A minimal police presence was maintained photographing everybody present but spirits were kept high and there are definitely worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon. Between 50 and 60 folk were present at it's busiest, many of them local and many shocked at the police surveillance some of us have come to expect. Immigrant Roundups to Gain Cheap Labor for US Corporate Giants http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/feb/16/gmcrops.greenpolitics GM crop trial locations may be hidden from public Government plans clampdown on vandalism after lobbying from biotech firms * Ian Sample, science correspondent * The Guardian, * Saturday February 16 2008 Genetically modified crops may be grown in hidden locations in Britain amid fears that anti-GM campaigners are winning the battle over the controversial technology, the Guardian has learned. Officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed they are looking at a range of options to clamp down on vandalism to GM crop trials, after intense lobbying by big crop biotech companies. The firms have warned that trials of GM crops are becoming too expensive to conduct in Britain because of the additional costs of protecting fields from activists. This week, a report from the GM industry claimed that worldwide agricultural use of genetically modified crops had increased 70-fold in the last 10 years to 114m hectares in 2007. But fears of vandalism have forced many companies to shift their crop trials abroad. Last year, only one trial went ahead in Britain, a blight-resistant GM potato developed by the German company BASF. Two activists were arrested for damage to the trial site, which was later almost completely destroyed in a night raid. BASF plans to repeat the trial this year, at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany in Cambridgeshire. Another trial is planned by scientists at Leeds University. A group representing the major biotech companies has asked the government to oversee specific changes to the GM trial process that would make fields of crops harder for activists to locate. Under existing laws, full details of every GM crop trial must be disclosed in advance on a government website, with a six-figure grid reference identifying the precise location of the field. The group has asked Defra to keep details of locations on a register, which would only be shared with people who apply and who can prove they have good reason to know. Another option is to release only a four-figure reference for the trial site. "These trials are legal, so why give carte blanche to anyone who wants to destroy them? In most countries, there is nothing like the sort of specific information that has to be given in Britain," said Julian Little of the industry group, the Agricultural Biotechnology Council. The need to give the location of a GM crop is contained in a European directive, but it is interpreted differently across member states. The GM companies are also keen to see stiffer penalties for activists caught damaging crop trials. "We have to sort out the framework under which we're allowed to do trials. If Britain is to benefit from GM technology, we have to have crop trials in Britain. There's no use second-guessing how a crop will fare here from what has been done elsewhere," Little said. "We have to start looking at how to produce a large amount of food on a small amount of land with a minimal environmental footprint and for that you need new technology." Some GM companies fear future crop trials are in greater danger because of what they claim is a "broadening out" of anti-GM activists to include anti-globalisation and possibly animal rights campaigners. British anti-GM activists have also developed links with European groups that hold training camps to share tactics, such as crossing police lines and gaining access to fields. In France and Germany, crop trashings have increased substantially as farmers have taken to growing GM crops. Defra officials said making it harder to identify trial sites was not a straightforward process. Only one GM crop is approved for cultivation in Europe, an insect-resistant maize, which is grown on about 110,000 hectares in member states. It is not grown in Britain because the corn pest it protects against is not found in this country. A second crop, a potato, is in the final stages of approval in Brussels, but it would only be used to produce starch for the paper industry and would probably be grown in Germany and the Czech Republic. --------------------------------------------------------- Fwd from ELP: If a sab had pleaded guilty to what this scum did then we'd of been looking at another prisoner. British 'justice' is a joke. Fox huntsman smashed saboteur's car windowPublished on 21/02/2008 Huntsman Michael Nicholson, of Coniston Foxhounds, pleaded guilty to criminal damage after attacking a saboteur's car A HUNTSMAN smashed the window of a hunt saboteur's car. Michael Gerald Nicholson, who works for Coniston Foxhounds, smashed the window of a Ford Escort with three saboteurs inside. Nicholson, 40, pleaded guilty to criminal damage when he appeared before South Lakeland Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. Prosecuting, Mr David Dunk told the court that a group of anti-hunt activists met in Grasmere on the morning of January 10 to monitor Coniston Foxhounds. They told police that they were aiming to film illegal activity if they saw it taking place and then call the police. The planned hunt meeting was cancelled due to bad weather and the saboteurs headed to Ambleside in an attempt to find Coniston Foxhounds' kennels. They were spotted on Nook Lane, near to the kennels, by Nicholson and he recognised them from Grasmere earlier in the morning. Mr Dunk said: "Mr Nicholson walked towards the car and according to the driver, Mr Cain, he was shouting. "He banged with the umbrella on the windscreen then turned his attention to the driver's side window. He hit it a number of times, causing it to smash." The driver, Dean Cain, suffered a minor cut to his face. After the incident was reported to the police, Nicholson was arrested and interviewed. He admitted to being the man involved in the incident. Defending, Mr Gareth James told the court that Nicholson is a man of good character with no previous convictions. He said: "Mr Nicholson is responsible for the well-being of the animals and he became suspicious of the men as Nook Lane is a dead end. Mr Cain said he was driving back down the lane but Mr Nicholson said the car was parked up and two people were looking over the wall. They told him they were lost. "He said: 'You aren't lost, I saw you at Grasmere earlier, I'm calling the police'. "They drove the car towards Mr Nicholson, it's a narrow lane, and he stood in front of the car. "He made contact with the umbrella on the car, the car drove towards him in an aggressive manner. "He was struck on the leg, his jeans where ripped open. He has since been to the doctor for medical treatment. "He swung the umbrella in one single blow in the centre of the driver's side window and that shattered it. He accepts that he acted recklessly. He realised that it is unacceptable but he was concerned for the safety of his animals and the hunt's premises." Nicholson, of Nook Lane, Ambleside, was given a 12-month conditional discharge, and ordered to pay ?150 in compensation to Mr Cain, plus costs of ?58. Presiding magistrate Mrs Margaret Stamper said: "We feel that because of your good character we can make a conditional discharge of 12 months for criminal damage." http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=795328 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/7336740.stm Police 'terror' swoop on BBC man A BBC radio reporter was held to the ground and searched by police under the Terrorism Act after his transmitter equipment was mistaken for a bomb. Five officers forced BBC Radio Stoke's Max Khan to his knees and held him face down in Stoke-on-Trent on Monday. He was wearing a backpack with protruding wires and aerials. Staffordshire Police have apologised. Earlier this year armed police tackled a man in the city after fearing his MP3 player was a gun. Mr Khan said he was targeted after police were told an "Arabic-looking man was acting suspiciously" outside the Potteries Shopping Centre in Hanley. He was on his way back from a story about the recently-moved Post Office and carrying a backpack containing equipment that is regularly used to allow reporters to broadcast from locations around the city centre. He said the officers came at him from several directions at about 1100 BST and shouted for him to "get down on the floor". He said his initial reaction was "embarrassment and the humiliation of being treated that way, when you've done nothing wrong". He added: "I think it then moved on to fear of what could have happened and a bit of anger as well. "You get the apologies at the scene from officers, but you still feel that maybe there could have been better intelligence or something. "It seems somewhat basic to be treated in that way just because of the colour of your skin." The officers handed him a stop-search notice. 'Necessary action' Ch Supt Jane Sawyers said a report had been received of a "suspicious" man with "a large backpack" with "wires or aerials" protruding from it. She said: "Our first duty in cases like this is the safety of the public, the person and our officers, and presented with this limited information local officers immediately responded and positively acted to ensure everyone's safety. "I want to apologise to the man involved in the incident for any distress caused but the action taken was necessary. "I am pleased with the positive and professional way the officers dealt with the incident." A BBC spokesperson said: "Police have apologised for this incident and as far as the BBC is concerned the matter is now closed." In January mechanic Darren Nixon was on a bus when he was tailed by three police cars after a member of the public mistook his MP3 player for a gun. He was then confronted by armed officers in the street yards from his home in Stoke-on-Trent. He was arrested but no weapon was found. http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1311868,00.html UK To Challenge Snoop Dogg's Entrance Updated:13:12, Saturday April 05, 2008 The Government is challenging a decision to allow Californian rapper Snoop Dogg into the country. The star, 36, was banned from entering Britain in March last year following his involvement in a brawl with police at Heathrow Airport. More than 65,000 fans had expected to see him perform in the Heavyweights Of Hip-Hop tour, alongside hip-hop mogul P Diddy, but it had to be cancelled. In January the rapper - real name Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr - successfully appealed against the ruling and was given entry clearance by an asylum immigration tribunal. But the UK Border Agency is challenging the ruling on Monday. A spokesman said: "We were disappointed with the judge's decision in this case and have challenged his decision. "This hearing is due to take place on the 7th of April. It would not be appropriate to comment further while these proceedings are ongoing." A ruling on the case is not expected on Monday. In 2007, the US rapper was refused entry into Australia because of his extensive criminal record. Last year he was sentenced to five years' probation and 800 hours of community service in the US after he pleaded no contest to gun and drug charges. He was also convicted in 1990 of cocaine possession and charged with gun possession after a 1993 traffic stop http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/we-shall-not-overcome-nuclear-protest-survived-six-tory-governments-but-not-new-labour-793123.html We shall (not) overcome... Nuclear protest survived six Tory governments. But not New Labour Fifty years after historic march, protest camp at atomic weapons base is outlawed in a new blow to civil liberties By Kim Sengupta Saturday, 8 March 2008 It survived six Tory governments, the end of the Cold War and the rise and fall of mass marches against the British nuclear deterrent. But after 50 years in which the tradition of peaceful demonstration has been maintained outside the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston, the New Labour era has finally done for one of the most famous symbols of protest in British political history. Today would have seen the latest gathering of the band of women who have assembled on the second Saturday of each month since the 1980s to object to the continuing development of the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. Instead, following a High Court ruling this week, the protest tents are being removed, demonstrators are being threatened with arrest and "no camping" signs are being erected. >From being a symbol of the right to protest, Aldermaston has become the latest testament to the desire of successive New Labour governments to curtail the right to assemble, demonstrate and object to government policy. Evidence from the Ministry of Defence to the High Court cited "operational and security concerns". In their High Court appeal, legal representatives for the Aldermaston women argued that the by-law which ostensibly took effect last May banning "camping in tents, caravans, trees or otherwise" amounted to an unlawful interference with freedom of expression and the right of assembly guaranteed by articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights. David Plevsky, appearing for the Aldermaston Women's Peace Camp, said the new regulations were "criminalising the peaceful, traditional and regular activities of the AWPC". It cut no ice. Before the ruling, Sian Jones a member of the peace camp, said: "If we don't win this review our very existence will be under threat. But there are also wider implications for the long-held right to protest, which is such an important part of British society. Aldermaston has been known as a place of protest for the last 50 years, and this year is the 50th anniversary of the first CND march there." That battle has now been lost. As a result of the heavy-handed prohibition of a long-running series of protests which have never resulted in violence, a march this Easter to Aldermaston - intended to commemorate the pioneering protest of 1958 - has now taken on a wholly contemporary significance. After a series of assaults on the right to protest around Westminster and beyond, the 2008 trek through Berkshire is set to become the latest chapter in the fight to wrest back civil liberties that New Labour appears determined to take away. The CND is planning a 50th anniversary day of action on Easter Monday, when the atomic weapons establishment is to be surrounded by a "human chain" to highlight what it says is the stifling of legitimate protest. The police have warned that anyone causing an obstruction during that protest is likely to be arrested and prosecuted. Kate Hudson, the chairperson of CND said: "We feel this is an extremely serious matter where the long-established and hard-won right to protest is now under attack. People are extremely worried about the weapons of mass destruction being produced at Aldermaston and it is unrealistic of the Government to think that they will not take part in expressing their views. "We hope that on Easter Monday people will not only come because it is the 50th anniversary of the first march but also to show the need to defend their civil liberties." One campaigner planning to take part, 57-year-old Margaret Jefferson, from west London, said: "I think it is essential that people make a stand on this issue. I had stayed at that peace camp as have so many others without posing any threat to anyone. What is this Government afraid of, what do they think we will do? "We live in a very dangerous world as it is and with the end of the Cold War there is even less justification for nuclear weapons. As long as these weapons are here there is the risk that a version of them will come into the hands of terrorists." One of the most famous figures to participate in 1958 is too frail to be there on Easter Monday. But there is no questioning his ongoing commitment to the protest and outrage at the modern Labour Party's complicity in its suppression. Michael Foot, the former Labour leader, who marched with his late wife, the actress and author Jill Craigie, said last night that he was "deeply saddened" to hear of the camp being closed down, and especially dismayed that this should happen under a Labour government. "We thought the cause was right and just and we were glad to take part in these marches," Mr Foot said. "I think it is wretched that they are now thinking of shutting down the camp after it had been goingsuccessfully for more than 20 years and I am sure Jill would have felt the same way as well. "The governments at the time sometimes behaved very badly towards these protesters who were simply exercising their rights in a peaceful way. But these were Tory governments, the Labour Party supported them as I recall, I was the leader at the time. But times seem to have changed." http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/Eccentric-39Womble39-breaks-Asbo-.3890670.jp Eccentric 'Womble' breaks Asbo By Paul Fielding A PENSIONER known as a human Womble because of his love of collecting litter has found himself in trouble with the law again for interfering with rubbish. Dennis Bostock starred in television programmes such as Neighbours from Hell and A Life of Grime, after filling his previous home in Blackpool with rubbish. Yesterday, he pleaded guilty to breaching an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (Asbo) which bans him from touching waste. He was sentenced by Blackpool magistrates to remain in the court precincts until the end of the day's court hearings. The 71-year-old, previously of Pleasant Street, Blackpool, now of no fixed address, was appearing on his sixth breach of the Asbo. On December 12 last year Bostock was placed on a three-year Asbo which prohibited him from interfering with or removing any items from waste receptacles including bins, skips or sacks in Blackpool. Problem On Saturday he appeared at court and admitted his fifth breach of the Asbo. He was sentenced to remain in the court precincts until 11.15am. Fifteen minutes later he was seen by police tipping out items from a waste bin in Bank Hey Street. Peter Bardsley, prosecuting, said: "When arrested Bostock said, 'I have a reasonable excuse, they would not given me my glasses back'." Allan Cobain, defending, said: "He is a social problem, not a criminal one. "I don't think it is proportionate to send a 71-year-old pensioner to jail for tipping out some litter." Mr Cobain added that Bostock was eccentric and wilful at times. He tipped out the rubbish because he was annoyed and frustrated he had not got his spectacles back from the police. The defence said that after getting out of prison recently Bostock returned to his previous accommodation to find the locks had been changed. His suitcase containing his belongings and his bank book were still in the accommodation and he had no money. The full article contains 324 words and appears in Blackpool Gazette newspaper. Last Updated: 19 March 2008 8:03 AM http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.2132676.0.asbo_breach_teen_jailed.php Asbo breach teen jailed By Daniel Knowles Comment | Read Comments (2) An Epsom teen has been jailed for two months after breaching his antisocial behaviour order. Brett Carslake, of Wey Court, appeared at North Surrey Magistrates' Court on Friday after being spotted on March 4 talking to one of four men the order banned him from associating with in public. Carslake was seen with one of the men at the corner of Chessington and Longmead roads in Epsom about 1pm but escaped on his bicycle before police could arrest him. He was arrested nine days later. PCSO Jamie Clarke said: "Carslake has been sentenced to two months in prison for breaching his Asbo which demonstrates how seriously these orders are treated." Carslake's two-year Asbo expires on June 26 next year. The order bans him from causing alarm, harassment, abuse or distress in any form to any person in Surrey, being intoxicated or carrying open liquor in a public, entering Epsom town centre, Mounthill Gardens, Rosebery Park or being in public with four men named in the Asbo. http://www.burnleycitizen.co.uk/mostpopular.var.2114221.mostviewed.fiveyear_asbo_for_woman_in_tent.php Five-year ASBO for woman in tent By Kate Turner A "NEIGHBOUR from hell" who had lived in a tent outside her home after a blaze has been given a five-year anti social beh-aviour order. Marilyn Holt, 57, who also uses her maiden name Birchenough, was handed the order by Reedley magistrates after an application was made by Burnley Council's Anti Social Behaviour unit to try and protect her fed-up neighbours. The decision was made after Holt, of Partridge Hill Street, Padiham, failed to improve her behaviour, despite the council attempting to help her tackle her problem with alcohol. In January Holt, who has bi-polar disorder, was jailed for 60 days after she admitted breaching an interim ASBO. She was arrested after urinating in the street and stealing ice cream from Padiham Co-op. Holt also has a number of other convictions for being drunk and disorderly. The new order means that she must not drink or be under the influence of alcohol in public, behave in a manner that causes harassment, alarm or distress to others and urinate in public or expose herself. Holt and her husband Victor hit the headlines last year when living in a tent in their garden Posted by: Ruth, Burnley on 1:18pm Thu 13 Mar 08 You can't make a court order against mental illness. What exactly is this supposed to do to improve the situation? Ask anyone around Partridge Hill Street and they'll tell you Marilyn needs to be in hospital, not threatened with prison. You can't make a court order against mental illness. What exactly is this supposed to do to improve the situation? Ask anyone around Partridge Hill Street and they'll tell you Marilyn needs to be in hospital, not threatened with prison. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/mar/19/housing.communities Legal pursuit of homeless people beggars belief Adam Sampson The Guardian, Wednesday March 19 2008 this article Close This article appeared in the Guardian on Wednesday March 19 2008 on p6 of the Society news & features section. It was last updated at 00:07 on March 19 2008. A woman walks past a homeless man. Photograph: Peter Parks/AFP The case over which recorder Ian Lawrie was presiding at Oxford crown court last month was not, on the face of it, challenging. A homeless man, charged with a second breach of an asbo for begging, appeared to have little in the way of a defence: a police video showed him sitting with his dog in the doorway of WH Smith, receiving money and slices of pizza from passers-by. Lawrie does not look much like Judge John Deed, yet within 20 minutes he had dismissed the case and raised serious concerns about the use of the criminal courts to enforce such measures. He challenged Oxford city council's insistence on pursuing beggars through the courts as part of its "zero tolerance" policy. "The authorities have got their approach totally out of perspective," he told the court, adding that the decision to prosecute was "wholly disproportionate and a waste of taxpayers' money". Lawrie is not a lone voice. There is growing concern in judicial circles about the spread of asbos in such cases. Criminal judges worry that orders are usually imposed in civil courts, where the standard of proof is lower (just 3% of applications are refused), but breaches are dealt with in the criminal courts - and 44% of asbos are breached. It is the penalties that cause most concern. The maximum jail sentence for breaching an asbo is five years, and the guidelines encourage judges to consider custody, even where the original transgression would not be an imprisonable offence. At a recent training conference on sentencing, eight judges were invited to consider a case where a drunk man had repeatedly breached an asbo banning him from a hospital A&E department. None of them thought the case worthy of imprisonment. In fact, the court of appeal had upheld a four-year sentence. Lawrie clearly understood that there are serious doubts about whether begging is illegal in the way being suggested - breaching an order not to cause "harassment, alarm and distress". There was no evidence that the defendant was doing anything other than sitting in the doorway, accepting what was offered by passers-by - that he was, in Lawrie's words, a "passive recipient of alms". Criminalising passive begging, he suggested, was "utterly Victorian. We will be building poorhouses next." He was wrong only in one respect: the Vagrancy Act is pre-Victorian, passed in 1824 to deal with social problems caused by the influx of soldiers returning from the Napoleonic wars. But its use is not an accidental hangover from the past. When the majority of the act was repealed in 1989, the elements criminalising begging (and rough sleeping) were retained, and now form part of the Serious and Organised Crime Act 2005. Anti-begging measures are part of our fight against serious and organised crime, it appears. The acts of the early 19th century failed to spell out exactly what they were banning - which, as Lawrie identified, means that behaviour only over-officious council functionaries would find objectionable is confused with actions that genuinely require policing. If we cannot give food to the hungry or money to the needy without criminalising them, something is severely awry. In a country where the authorities are only too ready to use aged statutes to bar behaviour they disapprove of, the vagrancy act is a handy tool. Three years ago, a student in Lancaster handing out anti-vivisection leaflets had his stall confiscated because the act bars "the exposure of wounds and deformities to obtain or gather alms". Last year, the former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, said that he had attended a Stop the War rally in a deliberate attempt to get arrested under the act. Let us hope that if such prosecutions happen, Lawrie is on the bench. ? Adam Sampson is chief executive of Shelter. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7315415.stm Heathrow fingerprint plan on hold The Queen visited Heathrow's new Terminal 5 earlier this month Plans to fingerprint passengers travelling from Heathrow's new Terminal 5 have been suspended, less than 24 hours before it is due to open. Airport operator BAA claims the measure is needed to distinguish domestic passengers from international ones. But the data protection watchdog said the plan may breach British law. The BBC's Tom Symonds said talks were now under way between the Information Commissioner and BAA, which insists it wants to bring in checks in the future. Data encrypted Under the plans, prints would be checked at the gate to try to ensure the person who checked in was the same person who boarded the aircraft. The move would allow domestic and international passengers to mingle in the terminal's departure lounge. The idea behind the fingerprinting is to make it impossible for a terrorist to arrive at Heathrow on a transit flight, then exchange boarding passes with a colleague in the departure lounge and join a domestic flight to enter the UK without being checked by immigration authorities. But the Information Commissioner's Office has warned such checks may be in breach of the Data Protection Act and asked why photographs could not be taken instead, as is standard practice at other airports. BAA said the data was encrypted straight away and destroyed within 24 hours, in line with the act. The Queen officially opened Terminal 5, which was subject to the UK's longest planning inquiry lasting four years, earlier this month. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/12/388426.html Foie Gras Protest Silenced For Using Megaphone Notts Indymedia Features | 24.12.2007 00:43 | Animal Liberation | Repression | Nottinghamshire Animal rights activists in Nottingham campaigning against the sale of Foie Gras in the city have found themselves the targets of police repression. On the evening of Friday December 14, campaigners were told that they could not use a megaphone, with the police citing Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 as their basis for this prohibition. The heavy-handed police response is indicative of a national trend towards increasingly repressive policing of animal rights protests and a a more general limitation on the right to protest Once again on Friday (14/12/07), Nottingham Animal Rights were protesting against the cruelty of Foie Gras outside the last few restaurants in Nottingham that persist in serving it. The production of this unhealthy pate made of diseased goose or duck liver, is so barbaric (involving force feeding a factory farmed bird until their liver swells to ten times its natural size) that it has been banned in the UK and most of mainland Europe, however sale of imports is still legal. Once again the police having only consulted with the restaurant and not spoken to the activists to obtain a more balanced perspective, attempted to suppress the protest, this time by using section 14 of the public order act 1986. Various assembly conditions were imposed by several officers on the scene including a ban on the use of megaphones, and eventually the protesters were told they could only continue their protest from a distance (a little further down and on the opposite side of the road) where they could not talk to customers of the restaurant in question. The following day (15/12/07) saw further actions as part of a national day of action against Foie Gras. In Nottingham now only Merchants (part of the Lace Market hotel), French Living and Alea (a casino), have this unpopular item on the menu. Section 14 Explained Under Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, the police have powers to impose conditions as to the time, place and duration of a public assembly involving two persons or more. Until 2003, this power could only be used where the protest involved 20 persons or more but following intensive lobbying by the pharmaceutical industry and the police this figure was reduced to just two. In order to justify the imposition of conditions, the police need to have reasonable suspicion that the assembly is likely to cause serious disruption to the community, serious criminal damage, serious public disorder or that the purpose of the protest is intimidation with a view to the coercion of others. Before the Public Order Act 1986 came in to force the Home Office published a white paper entitled "Review of Public Order Law" which set out the rationale for the proposed changes to the law. In relation to the new powers governing assemblies it stated that the new powers to regulate assemblies would be unlikely to be exercised frequently (and this was then in relation to assemblies of 20 persons or more). Regarding the 'coercion' condition above, it stated that this could be used where pickets deliberately obstruct the passage of those going to work or where demonstrators used other means forcefully to obstruct the free movement of people or vehicles. The white paper also stated that conditions should not be imposed, which effectively amounted to a ban of the assembly. In practice the police nowadays are routinely abusing Section 14 on animal rights protests, even where the protest is entirely peaceful. Conditions are being imposed for example on protests consisting solely of a small number people displaying a banner, addressing the public by megaphone and handing out leaflets to passers by. Certain police forces, notably Hertfordshire and Cambridgshire police, are imposing conditions which do effectively amount to a ban. For example, on a recent SHAC demo Hertfordshire police stated that under Section 14 the assembly had to take place on a section of road which was obscured by a hedge, effectively preventing the protestors from communicating with the public. On the same day in Cambridgeshire, officers imposed conditions stating that the protests could only take place for 15 or 30 minutes, which again effectively amounted to a ban. Clearly in both situations the police were acting in a manner very different to that which the original legislators ostensibly intended. Firstly the officers could not reasonably have suspected that the purpose of the protest was to coerce others (ie forcefully to prevent people from going about their lawful business) or that the protest might result in serious disruption etc. Secondly, the conditions imposed prevented the protestors from expressing their views to the public, and thus effectively amounted to a ban on the protest. Similarly, the police have also used Section 14 to restrict the use of megaphones and displays of banners. In 2006 for instance, an animal rights activist was found guilty of breaching a Section 14 order for using a loudhailer during a protest outside a GlaxoSmithKline site in Ware. Although he argued that the Section 14 directions were invalid, the site's proximity to a gymnasium and two schools, including one holding exams at the time meant the direction imposed were lawful. https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/oxford/2008/01/389353.html Activist arrested while trying to give tree protester water Jon | 13.01.2008 16:51 | Climate Chaos | Ecology | Free Spaces | Oxford An activist is arrested for "on suspicion of littering" while trying to throw Gabriel, the Bonn Square tree protester, some water. At about 2 AM on Sunday morning two activists went to Bonn Square to try to give the fenced-off tree protester, Gabriel, some water. As one distracted the security, the other tried to throw a bottle to Gabriel, but unfortunately it wasn't a very good throw ;) Police sitting in a nearby car quickly noticed and the bottle-thrower was arrested "on suspicion of littering". Fortunately only about 3 hours was spent at the police station before the activist was released without charge - the police seemed to have changed their mind and decided it wasn't a prosecutable offence. The arrestee was advised by a solicitor that whilst the arrest was potentially unlawful, pursuing legal action would likely only result in a different charge such as "public disorder". An IPCC complaint may be made. videos show police arrest policy 21.01.2008 00:02 Police were caught on camera threatening to arrest anyone throwing food or water to Gabriel: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/oxford/2008/01/389831.html This was not a case of one or two cops being petty; it was part of a concious policy of depriving Gabriel of food and water as a way of cutting short the protest and avoiding the expense of a full-scale eviction. http://www.irr.org.uk/2008/april/ha000010.html Death in Pentonville prison By Harmit Athwal 3 April 2008, 4:00pm IRR News has learnt that, on 30 March 2008, a man detained under immigration powers was found hanged at Pentonville prison. Alfredo Castano-Fuentes, 24, was found hanged in his cell during a routine cell inspection. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead. Alfredo had served a one-year sentence for possessing a false passport and was being held under immigration powers at the overcrowded Pentonville prison. According to Ministry of Justice population in custody tables, in February 2008, Pentonville prison had certified normal accommodation (CNA) for 799 people but was actually holding 1,138 people.[1] A Prison Service spokesperson told IRR News: 'Alfredo Castano-Fuentes was found hanging in his cell at 5.15am on Sunday 30 March [and] was pronounced dead at 10.45am. Our sympathies are with Mr Castano-Fuentes's family. As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will conduct an investigation.' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/7323753.stm Police demand terror agent's book By Richard Watson BBC Newsnight Counter terrorism police have won the right to force the author of a new book about terrorism to hand over his research. The book is about Hassan Butt, a British citizen who admits that he acted as a recruiting agent for al-Qaeda and raised tens of thousands of pounds for terror networks. He says he left his network after the London bombings in 2005 and is now is turning extremists away from terrorism. Hassan Butt's co-author, an independent journalist, has been ordered to deliver draft manuscripts and notes for the book to the Greater Manchester Police. By his own admission, Hassan Butt has been a terrorist supporter. ------------------------------------------------------------------ ASYLUM SEEKERS SENT BACK TO IRAQ The British government is forcibly returning asylum seekers to Iraq, despite it being one of the most unsafe countries in the world. There are 1400 Iraqis in Britain, who have flown from a country devastated by US and British war policies. Now a leaked government report proposes starving the asylum seekers back to Iraq if they do not agree to go voluntarily, by making them homeless and refusing all state support. (See http://tinyurl.com/2s2syq) 55 Iraqis were forcibly deported in handcuffs last week against the advice of the United Nations, which says that Iraq cannot be considered a safe place. Human rights organisations are appalled that the British government refuses to monitor what happens to the returned asylum seekers, even though it knows that one a refugee it returned before Christmas was killed soon afterward by a car bomb. As well as capitulating to the hysterical campaign against asylum seekers in the tabloid press, the British government is sacrificing the lives of Iraqi refuges by forcibly returning them in an effort to create an illusion of progress and improved stability in Iraq, when in reality the opposite is true. For more information and details of the campaign to defend Iraqi and Kurdish asylum seekers, email Dashty Jamal, International Federation of Iraqi Refugees : d.jamal at ntlworld.com --------------------------------------------------------- UK Government proposes legislation to make BAE-Saudi corruption judicial review impossible in future The Corner House and Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) are still awaiting judgment on their landmark judicial review, held on 14-15 February this year in the High Court, of the decision by the Serious Fraud Office to halt its BAE-Saudi Arabia corruption investigation. But already the UK Government has introduced draft primary legislation to Parliament that would in effect prevent such a judicial review in future. The Government's draft Constitutional Renewal Bill, announced on 25 March 2008, would significantly increase and concentrate the powers that the Executive (the Government) can exercise over the Judiciary (the Courts) and Parliament. The draft Bill proposes to create a new power for the Attorney General -- the Government's chief legal adviser appointed by the Prime Minister and a member of the Government -- to stop a criminal investigation or prosecution on the grounds of 'national security' without any meaningful explanation or accountability to Parliament, the Courts or international bodies. Sensitive criminal prosecutions could therefore be halted -- or appear to be halted -- for political reasons. 'National security' could simply be invoked by a politician, the Attorney General, to stop any investigation or prosecution perceived as undesirable. The Corner House and CAAT have issued a joint press release: http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk/pdf/document/PRConsRenBill.pdf and circulated an analysis by our lawyers: http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk/pdf/document/ConstRenBillOECD.pdf. We are now calling upon the public and parliamentarians to voice their concerns about this draft Constitutional Renewal Bill. A Joint Committee comprising members of the House of Lords and the House of Commons will 'consider and report' on the draft Constitutional Renewal Bill by 17th July 2008. http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article3191517.ece January 16, 2008 Al-Qaeda's 007 The extraordinary story of the solitary computer geek in a Shepherds Bush bedsit who became the world's most wanted cyber-jihadist Gordon Corera About a dozen uniformed police in riot gear, and a handful of detectives, gathered outside the four-storey terraced house on a quiet street just off Shepherds Bush roundabout in West London. After a tip-off from overseas colleagues, they knew that inside was a man in contact with a group planning a bombing in Central Europe. His name was Younes Tsouli, but the detectives knew little more about him. As they tried to shove their way in, the young man in the top-floor flat forced his door shut. It didn't hold for long. Once the police flooded in, there was a struggle. A mirror smashed and one officer emerged bloodied from a shard of glass. Tsouli was overpowered. "He was thoroughly detained," one detective recalls. At first, officers were not sure that they had the right person: the long-haired young man in jogging shorts bore little resemblance to the short-haired man in the photo they had been given. But when he confirmed his name, they knew they had their man. Two detectives led him away. Amid the mess typical of any 22-year-old's room, detectives found a laptop on a desk, still switched on and with programmes running. When specialist forensic science officers arrived, they found that Tsouli had been creating a website called YOUBOMBIT. A banner with the title and flames was across the bottom of the screen. Also on his screen was a search box with the word "bomb" as the search term. Tsouli was logged in under the username IRH007. The detectives didn't know it - and wouldn't realise for some weeks - but they had caught one of the most notorious, most wanted cyber-jihadists in the world: a man whose case illustrated perfectly how terrorists are using the internet not just to spread propaganda, but to organise attacks. Younes Tsouli arrived in London in 2001 with his father, a diplomat from Morocco. He studied IT at a small college in Central London. With few friends, he soon immersed himself in the world of the internet. Online images of the war in Iraq radicalised him. In his mind it was evidence of a war against Muslims. Soon he was in the darker areas of the net, and graduated from viewing images to publishing them. He used variations of the username Irhabi 007 - irhabi meaning terrorist in Arabic, and 007 being a reference to Britain's most famous fictional spy. >From 2003 he joined web forums and built a reputation for publishing material such as manuals on hacking. By 2004 he was posting extremist videos and propaganda. That was when he came to the attention of al-Qaeda leaders in Iraq, who spotted his potential. They were making videos but struggling to get them to a wider audience because of the size of the files and the difficulty of finding websites that could host them. Tsouli solved this problem, making him invaluable. He was e-mailed links that allowed him to download videos from a server. He converted the material into various formats, including one that allowed the videos to be watched on mobile phones. The videos were then uploaded to web pages so that a wider audience could see them. This was often done by hacking into and "hijacking" websites, whose creators didn't realise that they were hosting terrorist propaganda. Tsouli even managed to post videos of Osama bin Laden on an official website of the state of Arkansas. The videos he uploaded included some showing the kidnapping and murder of hostages in Iraq, such as Nick Berg. Evan Kohlmann, an expert on cyber-terrorism who gave evidence at Tsouli's trial, explains: "007 came at this with a Western perspective. He had a flair for marketing, and he had the technical knowledge and skills to be able to place this stuff in areas on the net where it wouldn't be easily erased, where lots of people could download it, view it and save it." Tsouli's work was certainly appreciated. Representatives of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq until his death in 2006, issued messages of support for Irhabi 007. "May Allah protect you," one read. In August 2005 Tsouli became administrator of al-Ansar, a password-protected web forum where extremists communicated with each other. The forum's 4,500 users networked and shared practical information: some of the links were to instructions on making explosives. Among the discussions were details of how to get to Iraq to be a suicide bomber. Tsouli's message boards created contacts that would otherwise have been impossible. Kohlman says: "007 was working essentially as a matchmaker, setting up would-be suicide bombers with al-Qaeda in Iraq." One message read: "I'm ready to run off but I'm under 18. Am I too young?" The chilling reply was: "They have no objection to age." Tsouli's skills began to attract more than just al-Qaeda: a group of cyber-trackers - private individuals who monitor extremist websites - began to take notice of the new kid on the block. One of the trackers was Aaron Weisburd, who operates from a secret location in the US. He spotted Tsouli on a forum called Islamic Terrorists and, like others, he thought at first that anyone using the name Irhabi 007 had to be a joke. He says: "At first I started publishing bits and pieces of what he was doing online for comic relief, and really had no appreciation of where he was headed." Soon, however, Weisburd realised that whoever the mysterious cyber-jihadist was, he posed a real threat. Tsouli began carrying out intelligence work for al-Qaeda: for instance, looking for home movies from US soldiers serving in Iraq that would reveal what the inside of a base looked like, so future attacks could target weak spots. Weisburd began not just tracking Tsouli's work but communicating with him on the internet. "Because I knew he was monitoring me, I would post messages to him just to sort of tweak him," Weisburd explains. "I would give him a message like, 'Your days are numbered - you're going to get caught'. He, on the other hand, was participating in discussions about which part of my body they wanted when I was killed, and he said he wanted one of my fingers as a souvenir." Despite the threats, Weisburd kept going. And Tsouli began to get sloppy, failing to do enough to hide his IP address (the unique number that identifies a computer). This meant that Weisburd was able to triangulate Irhabi 007's rough position in 2004 - and, to his surprise, the nearest internet router to Tsouli was in Ealing in West London. Weisburd's information was passed to the authorities, but they still couldn't find the elusive cyber-jihadist, who was now being hunted by intelligence and law enforcement agencies from across the West. When London was bombed in July 2005, Tsouli wrote: "Brother, I am very happy. From the moment that the infidels cry, I laugh." He grew enamoured of his own reputation, and kept a cutting from the New York Post from September 2005 that read: "U.S. SHAKEN BY QAEDA 007". In a message dated June 5, 2005, he wrote: "I am still the terrorist 007, one of the most wanted terrorists on the internet. I have the Feds and the CIA, both would love to catch me, I have MI6 on my back." But as his ego and ambitions grew, so did his chances of getting caught. What makes Irhabi 007's case so chilling is the evolution from simply setting up websites to becoming involved in terrorism itself. Increasingly he pined to go to Iraq to fight, and increasingly he became involved with others who were planning attacks. Two men who chatted with Tsouli online travelled from Atlanta, Georgia, to Canada to meet a group of extremists whom they knew from Tsouli's forums, and then to Washington, where they took what are alleged to be reconnaissance videos of targets such as Capitol Hill. These videos were later found on Tsouli's computer. It was Tsouli's links to a planned attack that brought the police to his door in October 2005. In a deliberate echo of 9/11, a group calling itself al-Qaeda in Northern Europe posted a declaration on al-Ansar at 8.46am on September 11, 2005. One of the men behind the declaration was 18-year-old Mirsad Bektasevic, who called himself Maximus. After publishing the declaration he travelled from his home in Sweden to Bosnia. In a house in the suburbs of Sarajevo he and an accomplice filmed a chilling suicide video. Surrounded by weapons and explosives, including a suicide vest, they say that they are preparing for attacks against those who have troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. What they didn't realise was that they were under surveillance. On October 19 the Bosnian police arrested them. Bektasevic's phone records showed that one of his last calls was to West London. The Metropolitan Police were informed and moved on the address in Shepherds Bush. They had no idea when they arrested him that Younes Tsouli was also Irhabi 007: they simply believed that he was linked to the men in Bosnia, and therefore potentially dangerous. After Tsouli's arrest, police spent five days searching the flat, tearing up the carpets in a search for evidence. Items such as computer thumb drives could be hidden anywhere. But it was only when they started to pick apart the files on Tsouli's computer that they realised what they had. There were some obvious signs, such as the Powerpoint-style presentation on how to build a car bomb. But as the team dug deeper, scouring through two million files, they realised that there was much, much more. Some of the files were encrypted, others in Arabic. One clue was that there was no pornography, which they usually find in abundance - except on the computers of terrorist suspects. A professor of computing built virtual computers for each of the investigators, so that they could work on the files independently. As officers started looking at the archived information from chat forums and the edited video files, the penny began to drop: Tsouli was a major player. There could have been more, but Tsouli had just reformatted one of his other computers, erasing much of the information and leaving only fragments for detectives to work on. But crucially, in the flat they found a piece of paper with a list of websites that Tsouli had set up using credit cards and different identities. He had kept it as a reminder, but it was to prove damning. In the end, the evidence was enough to force Tsouli and his codefendants to change their pleas to guilty halfway through their trial last summer. In December, Tsouli's sentence was increased from 10 to 16 years. His conviction was the first for incitement to commit an act of terrorism through the internet, and a sign of what terrorists are capable of. "What it did show us was the extent to which they could conduct operational planning on the internet," Peter Clarke, the head of the Metropolitan Police Counter-Terrorism Command, told me. "It was the first virtual conspiracy to murder that we had seen." The power of the internet is its ability to put like-minded people in touch from every corner of the world. But the benefits for terrorists can also be an advantage for detectives when they catch a suspect, because they can quickly trace the people with whom the suspect was in contact. "Once you get on to one guy who's important in a network, because the structure of a network is flat . . . you get everyone he's connected to," Aaron Weisburd explains. "In the old days a terrorist organisation would have a much more hierarchical structure, you would have tight little cells and one guy would know maybe one person one step up and maybe one person one step down, but that's it. In a network structure, if you get the right guy the whole thing goes down." That's exactly what happened with Tsouli. His arrest has been linked to a series of others around the world, including the arrest of 17 men in Canada in June 2006 and the two Americans who travelled to Washington. There have also been arrests and convictions here in the UK of individuals who visited Tsouli's web forums. Others have tried to take Irhabi 007's place, even paying homage to him and using similar names. But no one has been able to fill his shoes and al-Qaeda has been forced to use teams of people to replicate what that one young man did from his bedroom in Shepherds Bush. No one has matched his influence on the web: they have learnt to keep a lower profile than the celebrity-conscious Tsouli. "Keep in mind, those were some pretty big shoes and his name is still being talked about on the internet now like he's a god," Evan Kohlmann says. The cat-and-mouse game continues: one in which the teenage and twentysomething supporters of al-Qaeda often have the upper hand over law enforcement and intelligence officers, who often come from a different, less computer-savvy generation. But for other wannabe internet terrorists, the cyber-trackers are still out there. As Aaron Weisburd puts it: "If you're a terrorist and you're dependent on the internet, I have bad news." http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article3333852.ece Hi-tech 'satellite' tagging planned in order to create more space in jails Civil rights groups and probation officers furious at 'degrading' scheme Ministers are planning to implant "machine-readable" microchips under the skin of thousands of offenders as part of an expansion of the electronic tagging scheme that would create more space in British jails. Amid concerns about the security of existing tagging systems and prison overcrowding, the Ministry of Justice is investigating the use of satellite and radio-wave technology to monitor criminals. But, instead of being contained in bracelets worn around the ankle, the tiny chips would be surgically inserted under the skin of offenders in the community, to help enforce home curfews. The radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, as long as two grains of rice, are able to carry scanable personal information about individuals, including their identities, address and offending record. The tags, labelled "spychips" by privacy campaigners, are already used around the world to keep track of dogs, cats, cattle and airport luggage, but there is no record of the technology being used to monitor offenders in the community. The chips are also being considered as a method of helping to keep order within prisons. A senior Ministry of Justice official last night confirmed that the department hoped to go even further, by extending the geographical range of the internal chips through a link-up with satellite-tracking similar to the system used to trace stolen vehicles. "All the options are on the table, and this is one we would like to pursue," the source added. The move is in line with a proposal from Ken Jones, the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), that electronic chips should be surgically implanted into convicted paedophiles and sex offenders in order to track them more easily. Global Positioning System (GPS) technology is seen as the favoured method of monitoring such offenders to prevent them going near "forbidden" zones such as primary schools. "We have wanted to take advantage of this technology for several years, because it seems a sensible solution to the problems we are facing in this area," a senior minister said last night. "We have looked at it and gone back to it and worried about the practicalities and the ethics, but when you look at the challenges facing the criminal justice system, it's time has come." The Government has been forced to review sentencing policy amid serious overcrowding in the nation's jails, after the prison population soared from 60,000 in 1997 to 80,000 today. The crisis meant the number of prisoners held in police cells rose 13-fold last year, with police stations housing offenders more than 60,000 times in 2007, up from 4,617 the previous year. The UK has the highest prison population per capita in western Europe, and the Government is planning for an extra 20,000 places at a cost of ?3.8bn - including three gigantic new "superjails" - in the next six years. More than 17,000 individuals, including criminals and suspects released on bail, are subject to electronic monitoring at any one time, under curfews requiring them to stay at home up to 12 hours a day. But official figures reveal that almost 2,000 offenders a year escape monitoring by tampering with ankle tags or tearing them off. Curfew breaches rose from 11,435 in 2005 to 43,843 in 2006 - up 283 per cent. The monitoring system, which relies on mobile-phone technology, can fail if the network crashes. A multimillion-pound pilot of satellite monitoring of offenders was shelved last year after a report revealed many criminals simply ditched the ankle tag and separate portable tracking unit issued to them. The "prison without bars" project also failed to track offenders when they were in the shadow of tall buildings. The Independent on Sunday has now established that ministers have been assessing the merits of cutting-edge technology that would make it virtually impossible for individuals to remove their electronic tags. The tags, injected into the back of the arm with a hypodermic needle, consist of a toughened glass capsule holding a computer chip, a copper antenna and a "capacitor" that transmits data stored on the chip when prompted by an electromagnetic reader. But details of the dramatic option for tightening controls over Britain's criminals provoked an angry response from probation officers and civil-rights groups. Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, said: "If the Home Office doesn't understand why implanting a chip in someone is worse than an ankle bracelet, they don't need a human-rights lawyer; they need a common-sense bypass. "Degrading offenders in this way will do nothing for their rehabilitation and nothing for our safety, as some will inevitably find a way round this new technology." Harry Fletcher, assistant general secretary of the National Association of Probation Officers, said the proposal would not make his members' lives easier and would degrade their clients. He added: "I have heard about this suggestion, but we feel the system works well enough as it is. Knowing where offenders like paedophiles are does not mean you know what they are doing. "This is the sort of daft idea that comes up from the department every now and then, but tagging people in the same way we tag our pets cannot be the way ahead. Treating people like pieces of meat does not seem to represent an improvement in the system to me." The US market leader VeriChip Corp, whose parent company has been selling radio tags for animals for more than a decade, has sold 7,000 RFID microchips worldwide, of which about 2,000 have been implanted in humans. The company claims its VeriChips are used in more than 5,000 installations, crossing healthcare, security, government and industrial markets, but they have also been used to verify VIP membership in nightclubs, automatically gaining the carrier entry - and deducting the price of their drinks from a pre-paid account. The possible value of the technology to the UK's justice system was first highlighted 18 months ago, when Acpo's Mr Jones suggested the chips could be implanted into sex offenders. The implants would be tracked by satellite, enabling authorities to set up "zones", including schools, playgrounds and former victims' homes, from which individuals would be barred. "If we are prepared to track cars, why don't we track people?" Mr Jones said. "You could put surgical chips into those of the most dangerous sex offenders who are willing to be controlled". The case for: 'We track cars, so why not people?' The Government is struggling to keep track of thousands of offenders in the community and is troubled by an overcrowded prison system close to bursting. Internal tagging offers a solution that could impose curfews more effectively than at present, and extend the system by keeping sex offenders out of "forbidden areas". "If we are prepared to track cars, why don't we track people?" said Ken Jones, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers. Officials argue that the internal tags enable the authorities to enforce thousands of court orders by ensuring offenders remain within their own walls during curfew hours - and allow the immediate verification of ID details when challenged. The internal tags also have a use in maintaining order within prisons. In the United States, they are used to track the movement of gang members within jails. Offenders themselves would prefer a tag they can forget about, instead of the bulky kit carried around on the ankle. The case against: 'The rest of us could be next' Professionals in the criminal justice system maintain that the present system is 95 per cent effective. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is unproven. The technology is actually more invasive, and carries more information about the host. The devices have been dubbed "spychips" by critics who warn that they would transmit data about the movements of other people without their knowledge. Consumer privacy expert Liz McIntyre said a colleague had already proved he could "clone" a chip. "He can bump into a chipped person and siphon the chip's unique signal in a matter of seconds," she said. One company plans deeper implants that could vibrate, electroshock the implantee, broadcast a message, or serve as a microphone to transmit conversations. "Some folks might foolishly discount all of these downsides and futuristic nightmares since the tagging is proposed for criminals like rapists and murderers," Ms McIntyre said. "The rest of us could be next." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 19:30:27 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:30:27 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Repression in Europe and the West Message-ID: <036601c89ea0$ac101430$0802a8c0@andy1> [Someone with a timer must be planning a violent act?! I hope this isn't just a regular egg timer. but kinda suspect it might be. this looks like another trawling operation. Notice the admission that most of those arrested in Spain are released after the end of the detention without charge period.] * SPAIN: "Terror arrests" in Spain - report reveals most previous arrestees freed without charge * Europe civil rights roundup * SWITZERLAND: Paranoia about antifa protests after cops routed * CANADA: Tent city bulldozed, residents evicted, possessions destroyed * HOLLAND: Policeman acquitted for murder; Dutch police seal area during unrest * ISRAEL: Cops get away with murder * AUSTRALIA: Closure of island's only pub in attack on rights * AUSTRALIA: G20 protesters go to trial * AUSTRALIA: Police abuse of firefighters in APEC protests condemned in court * AUSTRALIA: Court orders immigration goons to apologise to detainee over lies * AUSTRALIA: Terror case falls apart - ASIO condemned by judge * BELARUS: Repression against protesters * CANADA: Repression against indigenous activists * ROMANIA: State goons interfere with protesters' rights, try to stop summit protests Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/world/europe/21spain.html After Raids, 14 Held in Spain on Suspicion of a Terror Plot By VICTORIA BURNETT MADRID - Intelligence agents on Sunday were sifting through evidence collected during a weekend crackdown on a group of suspected Islamic militants who the police say were plotting an attack on Barcelona. The police arrested 14 men and raided several apartments, two mosques and a bakery in Barcelona, the capital of the northeastern region of Catalonia, a security official and local Muslim representatives said. The group included 12 Pakistanis, an Indian and a Bangladeshi, they said. Alfredo P?rez Rubalcaba, the Spanish interior minister, said Saturday that the detainees "belonged to a well-organized group that had gone a step beyond radicalization." They confiscated material for making bombs, including four timing devices, Mr. Rubalcaba said. Local news reports said the police had also taken phone records from the mosques and the bakery. Photographs of material found in the raids included the timing devices, a small bag of ball bearings, batteries and cables. "When someone has timers in their home, you have no option but to think violent acts are being planned," he said. Spanish intelligence acted with the help of information from foreign intelligence agencies, Mr. Rubalcaba said, though he did not say from which countries. Newspaper reports on Sunday said intelligence officials based in Pakistan had tipped off the Spanish authorities about a known Pakistani militant having left Pakistan for Barcelona to help put a terrorist plot in motion. Those reports could not be independently confirmed. With a general election scheduled for March 9, the Spanish authorities are on the alert for terrorist attacks by Islamist groups or the Basque militant group ETA. An Islamist terrorist attack on Madrid commuter trains on March 11, 2004 - three days before the last general election - killed 191 people. Since the Madrid bombings, the Spanish police have become very aggressive in their efforts to break up suspected Islamist plots. Groups of suspects are arrested fairly frequently, and often many are released within five days, which is the standard period that someone suspected of being a terrorist can be held without charge. Muslim representatives based in the Raval neighborhood of Barcelona said that around 3 a.m. the police raided the Torek Ben Ziad mosque, one of the city's most prominent mosques, as well as a nearby Muslim prayer house. They also raided apartments in different parts of the city and searched a bakery in Raval late on Saturday. One prominent Muslim representative in Barcelona, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the delicacy of the matter, said Sunday that several of those arrested belonged to Tabligh Jamaat, a group based in Pakistan. The group publicizes a benign type of revivalist Islam, but is suspected by Western intelligence agencies of being a recruiter for jihadists. Those arrested included one of the imams of the Torek Ben Ziad mosque and a 70-year-old man, he said. The Muslim representative said Tabligh was quite active in the Barcelona area of Raval. The group strongly proselytizes in the area and is secretive but not known among local Muslim organizations to be extremist, he said. ----------------------------------------------------------------- EU: Plans for a draconian travel surveillance regime are under discussion, with some member states calling for surveillance of entry, exit and movement within the EU, possibly including land and sea as well as air travel. Sinister proposals include EU-wide fingerprint and RFID passports which can be read by computers in sealed boxes a passenger enters, then has to be cleared to leave. Plans to extend laws against glorifying terrorism (by expressing controversial views) at the EU level have also been promoted but are opposed by some countries on human rights grounds. UK: The British government is planning to implant microchips in released prisoners, linked to long-range tracking via GPS. Evidence has emerged that thousands of young offenders suffer assault and violence, with physical "restraints" such as twisting thumbs backward and smashing children in the face widely used. Political prisoners Samar and Jawad had parole refused on bogus grounds after meeting all the criteria for early release. Another political prisoner, Farid Hilali, has been let down by the courts in a fight against extradition to Spain despite the allegations in the case against him having already been dismissed in another case there. GERMANY: The Federal High Court has ruled illegal the series of raids on activists prior to the G8 summit, and various other forms of police harassment. Meanwhile, 60% of G8-related cases have been dropped for lack of evidence FRANCE: Major moves are afoot to create state control of the internet by an unaccountable commission, supposedly to tackle piracy. If introduced, the system would allow the state to ban people from using the Internet and to suspend or cancel contracts with ISP's as punishments for downloading copyrighted materials. ITALY: A major blow has been struck against freedom of movement within the EU, with a new decree allowing deportation and debarring of EU citizens under broad "public safety" criteria. SWITZERLAND: Police have been adopting increasingly violent methods to suppress public events such as the protests against the WEF and a peaceful street party in Luzern. In particular, mass arrests are being made under "zero tolerance" policies, and preventive arrest abused to arrest protesters. http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/front/Protestors_are_no_danger_to_internal_security.html?siteSect=105&sid=8300839&cKey=1192086149000&ty=st October 10, 2007 - 12:25 PM Protestors are "no danger to internal security" Image caption: Stonethrowers at Zurich's May Day rally this year (Keystone) Related stories 06.10.2007 Pre-election rally marred by violence 06.06.2007 G8 summit makes Swiss hot under the collar The so-called Black Block has come under further police scrutiny after scenes of violence put a stop last weekend to a rightwing political rally held in the capital Bern. But specialists say the loose grouping of anarchists and extreme leftwing activists does not present a danger to Switzerland's internal security. Press coverage during the week gave prominence to the rioting against the Swiss People's Party rally and the forces behind it, speculating that demonstrators were shipped in from abroad. But J?rg B?hler of the federal police told swissinfo there was no credence to this theory. "We have no indication that the demonstration sparked any significant international mobilisation," he said. There was no organised movement of people from around Switzerland either, according to B?hler. An influx of outside demonstrators is more often seen in connection with international themes such as G8 summits or the WEF in Davos, he pointed out. B?hler also reckoned it was unlikely that provocateurs were involved. "As a rule it does not take much to stir up the Black Block," he added. Politicians across the board condemned the violence that disrupted the People's Party rally, held ahead of upcoming federal elections. However critics have pointed out that the party of the controversial justice minister, Christoph Blocher, had been stoking tensions with its hardline policies, and has been milking the incidents for further political gain. But despite the dramatic images and headlines generated by the Black Block, they do not constitute a danger to Switzerland's internal security, B?hler concluded. "This incident must be put into perspective. The groups are weak in numbers and too badly organised and positioned to achieve their goals," he said. Young and apolitical Political scientist and author Mark Balsiger was one observer of the events in Bern's old town of Bern last weekend. "I would guess that most of the violent protestors were aged between 16 and 20 and were apolitical," he told swissinfo. Balsiger assumed that most of the participants went along for kicks and he categorised them as followers. "Not all of them were semi-professional demonstrators kitted out with ski glasses, scarf, black hat and stones," he said. But Balsiger said he did not wish to completely depoliticise the demonstrators and thought there were also anarchists involved. Others were probably provoked by the "People's Party's very aggressive advertising style" in recent months. At least 20 people were injured and dozens detained for questioning after the event. The activists also destroyed the infrastructure set up in front of parliament for the People's Party rally. B?hler said this disruption and damage to property caused uncertainty amongst the population and incurred expenses for the authorities. But the city of Bern apparently knew what to expect beforehand and has been criticised for failing to act properly. The federal police apparently did warn the authorities of possible violence. "It is in our interest to pass on all useful information to safeguard internal security so that the police action can be as successful as possible," B?hler added. http://la.indymedia.org/news/2008/03/215739.php Tent City Residents Evicted, Dwellings Bulldozed by Rockero Tuesday, Mar. 25, 2008 at 10:29 AM rockero420 at yahoo.com (909) 996-1624 Residents of the Ontario encampment who couldn't prove any affiliation with the city were evicted; those allowed to stay were moved and the site was bulldozed ONTARIO - The residents of "Ontario Tent City," a Bushville formerly home to approximately 400 homeless people, were evicted today and their possessions bulldozed. "I have nowhere to go," and "I don't know what I'm gonna do," were the refrains heard over and over. The few residents who were allowed to stay were relocated to a lot across the street from the main settlement to allow for "improvements." The city government set aside the plot of land, about the size of two city blocks, in October of 2007 in order to provide an alternative to the people that were removed from smaller encampments near the Ontario Museum of History and Art and elsewhere. Since then, awareness of the camp spread through word of mouth and through the reports of print and electronic media. The city provided port-a-potties and trach removal, but the bulk of the resources were provided by volunteers, including church groups, charities, and local activists. On March 7 however, the city announced that the area would be limited to those who could prove affiliation to the city of Ontario through school records, bills, paystubs, or by having a resident relative vouch for them. Non-Ontarians, they said, would have to leave by March 24. One area church allowed some inhabitants of the encampment to use the church address so they could get identification with an Ontario address and therefore be eligible to remain, but for most, it was too late. During the past two weeks, residents have been intimidated into leaving of their own regard. First was the edict declaring the Bushville off-limits to minors. Then came the announcement that prompted a march to city hall: No pets allowed. For many camp-dwellers, their dogs were the only family they had. The city started segregating residents by assigning different-colored armbands. Many people preferred to leave rather than be so branded. Tensions ran high, with fights breaking out over the diminishing resources (the city also instituted a permit requirement for any organization wanting to provide food or other goods.) "I've been here since it began, and it's never been like this," one woman told me yesterday. By yesterday, about 200 people had left, and spirits were low. Those that remained were hopeful that an injunction being sought by the ACLU to stay the eviction would be granted. Others had lost hope entirely, with several people openly considering throwing themselves in front of passing trains. The residents of the encampment have survived a great deal: tough economic times, family problems, substance abuse and mental health issues, and attacks from right-wing radio hosts John and Ken. But for many people, the eviction represented a breaking point. "We're homeless, getting kicked out of a homeless camp. How would it make you feel?" a women, near tears, lamented. At six o'clock this morning, the only light came from a few small campfires and the headlights of the occasional passing car. All was tranquil, but the peace was an uneasy one. Newsvans from Telemundo, KNBC, and KABC were all present, setting up lights and cameras. Those who were already stirring rummaged through their possessions and those that had been abandoned. "It doesn't seem like we're going to have enough time to pack our shit up. Are they really gonna kick us out at eight?" At four after six, large trucks arrived, depositing trash receptacles on the east, north, and west sides of the camp. A man wearing a small sign around his neck that read "More Love" saw I had a camera and was jotting down notes. He approached me, identifying himself as David Bush, and asked if I was with the media. He shared with me his efforts to get the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors to delay the eviction for at least four hours. "We're asking people to call them, the city, and the police department." Later, volunteers told me that he had only been there the last two weeks, and that he was "stirring up trouble" by going from tent to tent to encourage the inhabitants to resist police efforts to evict them. At ten after six, a young woman asked me if I had a light. "Sorry," I said, "I don't. Are people starting to get worried?" "I'm not," she replied with confidence. "No. Wherever they take me, that'll be fine." At 6:20 trash trucks moved in to empty the contents of city dumpsters located on the perimeters of the camp. The channel seven news reporter began filming, and the reporter from KNX interviewed Mike Dunlap. I waited for the call from the KPFK newsroom, a representative of which assured me he would call at 6 and again at nine. They never called. By 6:30 it was already fairly bright out, although the moon was still providing most of the light. More people began to awake. "It's D-Day. It's fucking D-Day," I overheard. Then the first cop showed up. A motorcycle unit, he circled the block, just making his presence known. He was followed by two cruisers at quarter 'til, who split up and make rounds of their own. The cops began setting up their staging area on an empty lot across the street from the northwest corner. I saw tractors and bulldozers parked just up the street--just out of sight of the residents. Just after seven o'clock, the police invaded the camp, interrogating people. "What about you? What's your status today?" "Whose stuff is this?" "Are you staying? You need to move across the street." Residents offered little resistance. "We're leaving," one woman told them. "My friend just had a heart attack this week. We can't handle the stress." I spoke with a man who was packing up his tent. "My ID says Upland, so I guess I'm heading up to Upland. I'll park myself right in front of City Hall. They say I'm not their problem, so I'll go make myself Upland's problem." At 7:10, the first tractors moved in. They started with the northwest corner, plowing piles of peoples' possessions into the back of a city trash truck. News cameras huddled around, eager for a shot of the action. Eight AM came and went without much change. There was no sign of the ACLU, who had promised to show to protect peoples' human rights, and residents didn't seem surprised that the bulldozing began early. People wearing dark green vests reading "Counseling Team" began making patrols. "Everybody's sorry, but nobody wants to help," said a woman after an encounter with them. The city set up portable awnings just in front of the police staging area with representatives from Mercy House, the agency contracted by the city to "handle" the situation, code enforcement, and the county behavioral health office. I got in line to get my group's permit to provide food and other resources. Once I got it, I figured I had better get the "official" side of the story. I interviewed Jeff Higbee, a detective with the Ontario Police Department who was an "authorized public information officer." When I asked him to give a brief explanation of what was going on, he gave me the sugar-coated version, detailing all the wonderful things the city was planning on installing for the homeless. I asked if there were any plans to use force if people resisted or refused to leave. "We're not planning on using force, or even arresting anyone," he answered. When asked if officials from ICE or any other immigration agency were involved in removing people without documents, he denied it. When asked where the people were supposed to go, he replied that the city was encouraging people to go back to their home cities, and even offered them free rides. "In 1948, the UN issued the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 25 says that housing is one of those universal rights. What do you say to the people that say that this eviction is a violation of human rights?" He denied that anyone's rights were being violated, pointing out that people were being allowed to stay across the street. Judy, a representative from Mercy House, invited me to a meeting of charitable organizations and other caregivers to be held on Thursday, April 3rd, at seven PM at First Lutheran Church, located at 203 E G St in Ontario. She said that volunteers and other concerned individuals were encouraged to attend. http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2008/02/no_action_against_utrecht_riot_police_officer_.php No action against Utrecht riot police officer Tuesday 19 February 2008 The policeman who shot dead another man in the Utrecht neighbourhood of Ondiep in March 2007 acted in self-defence and will not face charges, the public prosecution department said on Tuesday. The incident triggered several days of rioting in the area. The man was threatening the officer with a knife and refused to drop the weapon, the public prosecution department said. http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2007/03/police_to_seal_utrecht_streets.php Police to seal Utrecht streets for second night (update) Wednesday 14 March 2007 The Utrecht neighbourhood of Ondiep is to be sealed off to outsiders for a second night on Wednesday, following two nights of clashes between youths and riot police, a city council spokesman confirmed. The area has been ringed with fences which will be pulled across all roads later today, closing the area to non-residents. At least 130 people were arrested on Tuesday following a number of incidents in both in the city centre and on the fringes of Ondiep. Police said the arrests included a number of football supporters from FC Utrecht, Rotterdam's Feyenoord and Amsterdam's Ajax who had come to the city looking for trouble. Some 60 people were arrested in Ondiep itself for breaking the ban on public gatherings. The trouble began on Monday following the arrest of two people when youths went on the rampage after a 54-year-old man was shot dead by police. The police officer said he had felt threatened by the man who had a knife. However, local residents told TV reporters that the man himself had called for police help after being harassed by a gang of youths. Ondiep is a largely white, working-class neighbourhood and is the focus of the city council's urban renewal efforts. Mayor Annie Brouwer is to meet local people again this afternoon. A police spokesman told ANP that the area will probably be kept under tight control until after Thursday's march (stille tocht) in memory of the dead man. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/959361.html Last update - 06:35 29/02/2008 J'lem court indicts policeman for grievous assault at Amona By Nadav Shragai, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: assault, policeman, Amona A riot police officer, Moti Mehager, was indicted Thursday at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court for allegedly causing grievous harm during the evacuation of the Amona outpost in the West Bank in January 2006. The charges, which include three counts of grievous assault, followed an internal-affairs investigation of police action against protesters during the Amona evacuation. The charges were brought against the officer in part because of a video provided by the demonstrators that allegedly shows Mehager beating the protesters as they sat on the floor of a house. Advertisement Six months ago, Ishai Greenbaum, one of the demonstrators allegedly injured by Mehager, filed a suit against the officer with the assistance of a human rights organization operating in the West Bank. The State Attorney's Office acknowledged the plaintiffs' claims and announced that it did not intend to offer immunity to the officer. Mehager, for his part, filed against his employer, the police force, arguing that "he was a victim of the prosecution and political interests on the one hand, and of the police on the other." Mehager is accusing the police of giving orders that resulted in police violence at Amona. He says this was driven by political motives. "The preparations for the evacuation lasted a week and briefings were bleak, but at the same time the instructions were clear that in any eventuality it would be necessary to use batons," he said. The officer maintains that the police ordered the use of batons and that "its political considerations overcame its obligations [to him] and the rest of the officers" for insufficiently preparing them. He also says the police command evaded responsibility after issuing orders. "If these were illegal orders, it seems that the one responsible for them is first and foremost those giving the orders," Mehager said. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23104697-3102,00.html Island pub closure sparks riot fear Article from: Font size: Decrease Increase Email article: Email Print article: Print Submit comment: Submit comment Tanya Chilcott and Steven Wardill January 24, 2008 11:00pm EXTRA police have been flown to Mornington Island over fears a pub closure could spark a riot. The Government has moved to cut off all alcohol supplies to the indigenous community, with the only other liquor retailer - 30km away from the community's closed-down hotel - under a temporary suspension to ensure alcohol-fuelled violence is kept to a minimum. The decision comes as Premier Anna Bligh dismissed calls from the federal Opposition for a Northern Territory-style intervention to rid the state's indigenous communities of child abuse. Ms Bligh said she had no doubt islanders would be "very angry" over the closure of the Lelka Murrin Hotel, which was run by the Gulf of Carpentaria's Mornington Shire Council. "But frankly, they have abused it far too long," she said. She said alcohol-fuelled violence, binge-drinking and poor management had led to the closure. "Every holder of a liquor licence, whether they are in Brisbane or an Aboriginal community, has to meet certain standards," Ms Bligh said. "Those standards are consistently not being met on Mornington Island." But Mornington Shire Council deputy chief executive Robert Cooper said the licence had been suspended primarily because the hotel's nominee had resigned due to sickness, not because of alcohol-fuelled violence or poor management. Mr Cooper was further shocked by suggestions the closure was indefinite. "This is temporary . . . we have been told a different story," Mr Cooper said. He said they expected to have a timetable for re-opening by next Tuesday and he was offended by the police increase in anticipation of violence. "Mornington Island is not that sort of community," he said. The Courier-Mail revealed this week that a woman was allegedly pack-raped by a group of armed males in the island's school grounds last year. It is understood six of the eight were children and the other two were still teenagers. In the past month, police were injured during an alleged attack by a mob outside the hotel, while a security guard required 14 stitches to his stomach after he was allegedly stabbed outside the hotel in a separate incident. Federal Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson yesterday called for a radical intervention while visiting indigenous communities on Cape York in Queensland's far north. He said he was appalled by reports that two young boys were raped by a group of older boys in the community of Kowanyama. "It is absolutely unacceptable, it's appalling, it's sickening, and it's all of those things which demand the kind of intervention and kind of policy approach in the Cape, in some parts of Western Australia, as we've also seen in the Northern Territory," Dr Nelson said. But Ms Bligh called Dr Nelson's comments "ignorant". "The Northern Territory-style intervention . . . was taking what is already happening in Queensland communities into the Northern Territory," Ms Bligh said. http://news.smh.com.au/three-g20-protesters-admit-riot-charges/20080407-24cd.html Three G20 protesters admit riot charges April 7, 2008 - 7:26PM Advertisement Lawyers defending three protesters involved in the violent G20 riots in Melbourne in 2006 have asked a magistrate not to convict them. The trio were among a group of demonstrators involved in confrontations with police outside the Group of 20 nations summit on November 17 and 18, 2006. Danya Bryx, 23, is accused of ramming an industrial bin into barricades behind which police stood, ramming a water-filled barrier into police lines and throwing it at police. Bryx pleaded guilty in Melbourne Magistrates Court Monday to two counts of riot and one each of intentionally destroying property and recklessly causing injury to a female police officer. Her lawyer Marita Altman said jailing the law student would be a "highly disproportionate" punishment and requested she be dealt with through a community-based order without conviction. In a letter read to the court, Bryx described being caught up in a situation that quickly got out of control and expressed remorse for causing fear and injury to police. Ms Altman said Bryx wanted to travel to the Middle East to work in human rights or environmental law, using her skills to do community work and make a difference. "Their lesson that comes from all of this is you don't make change in this way," she said. However, prosecutor Chris Beale said Bryx was involved in two riots where police were injured and her actions were serious. Beth Nathan, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of riot after being filmed tipping a water-filled barrier onto riot police. Ms Altman, also for Nathan, said her client was remorseful and should be given a community based order without conviction. David Nguyen, 23, of Coburg, pleaded guilty to one charge each of riot and criminal damage. His lawyer Rob O'Neill told the court he went along to photograph the event but got caught up in a "moment of stupidity" and hurled a glass bottle at police. He said a community based order without conviction was appropriate given his client's good character, youth and clean record. A further seven protesters are due to face Melbourne Magistrates Court this week. Another, Paul Hood, 38, of Queensland, was committed to stand trial and will face the County Court for a case conference on May 29. He has reserved his plea on charges including riot and affray. Magistrate Sarah Dawes will sentence Bryx, Nathan and Nguyen on Monday. http://www.smh.com.au/news/apec/firemen-read-riot-act-over-heavyhanded-police/2008/03/28/1206207408019.html Firemen read riot act over heavy-handed police Missing in action . the banner belonging to the Fire Brigade Employees Union at the demonstration in Hyde Park during the APEC summit last year. Advertisement Andrew West March 29, 2008 IT BEGAN with two firefighters demonstrating against George Bush's visit to Sydney during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit. Now a feud over the confiscation by riot police of a fire brigade union banner during the protest march has escalated, with a complaint to the Police Integrity Commission, a referral to the NSW Ombudsman and the last-minute intervention of the Police Minister, David Campbell, with a promise to return the missing article. On September 8 last year the two firefighters, Jeremy Fewtrell and Luke Unsworth, were taking part in the peaceful demonstration in Hyde Park, outside the officially declared APEC zone, carrying the banner while their colleagues carried five union flags. According to a statement prepared for the integrity commission by Mr Fewtrell, and obtained by the Herald, three riot squad officers snatched the banner and flags. "Luke Unsworth and I were walking quietly away from the area at the time of this encounter and were doing nothing to provoke this attack or draw attention to ourselves," he wrote. "As we were walking, three police officers set upon us from our rear and surrounded us. Without any introduction or explanation they aggressively demanded the [Fire Brigade Employees Union] banner and flags from me. "I asked them why this was necessary and the three of them then violently reefed [the banner and flags] from my hands. I was told that if I asked any further questions, they would arrest me. One of the police officers . then took the banners away from the immediate area." None of the officers was wearing name tags. The officers told Mr Fewtrell he could collect the banner and flags later that day from the Sydney Police Centre, but they were not available. The secretary of the NSW Fire Brigade Employees Union, Simon Flynn, speculated that police may have taken the banner as a souvenir. "This is exceptionally bad for the relationship between police and firefighters, who have historically worked well together in the interests of the public." Mr Flynn says the head of police internal affairs told him the police "had no case to answer" but had acknowledged the officers had taken the banner and recommended reimbursing the union. Mr Fewtrell, who was based in several inner-city fire stations at the time of the incident and is now based in Dubbo, said he and his colleagues had been wearing T-shirts that clearly identified them to police as fellow emergency service workers. "The police seemed pumped up on the day and were clearly spoiling for a fight," he said. "They were disappointed that it did not happen. This incident has made me more wary of dealing with the police." Mr Campbell, in a letter sent to Mr Fewtrell, praised police for their handling of the APEC demonstrations, but did not answer the question about the whereabouts of the missing banner and flags. But late yesterday, after inquiries from the Herald, Mr Campbell said the banner and flags had been found and would be returned next week. "It is unacceptable. There is no doubt the flag should have been located and returned earlier." http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/apology-ordered-for-former-detainee/2008/02/17/1203190653165.html Apology ordered for former detainee February 18, 2008 Advertisement THE Immigration Department has been told it should apologise to a former detainee over a four-year delay in providing video footage of his alleged assault. And the Ombudsman, John McMillan, recommended the department explain why it took so long to provide the footage requested under the Freedom of Information Act in early 2004. He also found the department erred in ruling the man an "offshore arrival" in 2001, denying him the right to apply for protection, before recognising its mistake a year later. In his report, the Ombudsman discussed 25 outstanding cases he examined of detainees and former detainees: 19 are suffering depressive illnesses, with some involving incidents of self-harm and attempted suicide, while one detainee suffers chronic delusional disorder. Twelve remain in detention and some have been released on "return pending" visas. The previous government gave the Ombudsman the task of monitoring the cases of all long-term detainees in 2005. The 45-year-old Sri Lankan man, now living in Australia on a business visa, needed the video footage to back up his complaint to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission over the alleged assault on December 4, 2003. In 2004, he lodged a claim against the department, saying guards employed by Australasian Correctional Centre Management punched him in the face, kicked him in the legs and pulled his legs up so that he experienced severe back pain and lost consciousness. The limitation period for a damages action expired in December 2006. The footage has still not been released. http://www.libertyforum.org/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=news_news&Number=295878551&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1&t=-1#Post295878551 Case dropped against 'terrorism trainee' ABC News, Australia A Sydney judge has described as "grossly improper and unlawful" the conduct of two ASIO officers who interviewed a former medical student accused of training with a terrorist organisation. The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions dropped all charges against Izhar ul-Haque today. Mr ul-Haque had pleaded not guilty to a charge of receiving combat and weapons training from Lashkar-e-Toiba in Pakistan four years ago. Earlier this month, New South Wales Supreme Court judge Michael Adams ruled that interviews with the 21-year-old were inadmissible because of the conduct of ASIO and Australian Federal Police officers involved. The court heard ASIO officers took Mr ul-Haque to a park in western Sydney and later questioned him in his bedroom. Justice Adams said Mr ul-Haque was told he had to cooperate when the officers knew they did not have the legal right to detain him. He accused one officer of false imprisonment and kidnapping and the other of detaining for advantage. A jury had not yet been empanelled in the trial. 'Political show trial' Outside the court, Mr ul-Haque's lawyer, Adam Houda, described the case as purely political. "This has been a moronic prosecution right from the start," he said. "The terror laws were introduced supposedly to capture terrorists, not brilliant young men like Izhar ul-Haque. "From the beginning this was no more than a political show trial designed to justify the billions of dollars spent on counter- terrorism." Mr Houda also likened his client's case to that of Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef. who had his terrorism-related charge dropped earlier in the year. "It's been one bungled prosecution after another. We've all seen the disgraceful conduct afforded against Doctor Haneef and today you've heard the disgraceful conduct against my client," he said. A spokesman for ASIO says the agency will leave it up to federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock to comment on the case being dropped. Review urged But the Australian Council for Civil Liberties says the dropping of charges indicates a problem with ASIO's administration. The council's president, Terry O'Gorman, says both major political parties need to immediately promise a review of the organisation because it is becoming increasingly unaccountable. "While clearly ASIO has to be given the power to conduct inquiries into terrorism activity, particularly within Australia, it should do so within the law," he said. "The fact that this criticism has been made is a worry. "This particular case problem has got to be confronted and it's got to be the subject of a serious review. " Mr O'Gorman says the next federal government must set up independent monitoring of the counter-terrorism activities of ASIO and the AFP. "There should be an independent terrorism reviewer," he said. "Terrorism laws are draconian. If judges are finding that ASIO operatives are breaking even these draconian laws, which favour ASIO as against the individual, then something serious needs to be done about it. " http://www.charter97.org/en/news/2008/1/25/3301/ 25.01.2008 Peaceful demonstration in Minsk was called "mass riot" (Photo, Video) 13 17:09, - Politics 22 people sentenced to 15 days of arrest for participation in the entrepreneurs' protest action on 10 January, have been released today. As Anatol Lyabedzka, head of the United Civil Party, said the prosecutor's office of Minsk initiated a case on "mass riot in Minsk" on 10 January and is carrying out investigation. "Mass riot" is a peaceful demonstration, dispersed brutally by the militia. According to the Administrative Code, political prisoners serving their terms in the special prison facility on Akrestin Street, were to be released after 4.00pm, because most of the people had been detained at that time on 10 January. But representatives of oppositional parties and movements, relatives of the arrested and interested people came to meet the democratic activists, and the authorities may have been scared by a mass demonstration with flowers and national symbols near the gates of the prison. All activists, arrested for 15 days, have been released in the morning. The people released are: 1. Raman Bahdanovich 2. Alyaksandr Barazenka 3. Paval Vinahradau 4. Arseny Pakhomau 5. Syarhei Klyueu 6. Palina Kuryanovich 7. Anatol Lyabedzka 8. Yan Mikhailau 9. Mikhail Pashkevich 10. Mikhail Kryvau 11. Alyaksandr Stsepanenka 12. Uladzimir Shyla 13. Anatol Shumchanka 14. Yury Barkun 15. Artsyom Dubsky 16. Andrei Radzivonau 17. Ihar Zhabarouski 18. Alyaksandr Vazhakou 19. Alyaksandra Lyndava 20. A.Y. Zorka 21. Yury Kuksyuk 22. Ales Charnyshou Participants of the entrepreneurs' rally stood trials in the courts of Tsentralny and Maskouski districts. The people were accused of violating two articles of the Administrative Code: "participation in unauthorised event" and "minor hooliganism." Six activists - Raman Bahdanovich, Paval Vinahradau, Hanna Barazenka, Alyaksandra Lyndava, Ihar Zhabarouski and Yan Mikhailau went on hunger strike in protest. The judgements were given by judges of Maskouski district Gusakova O.A., Rudnitskaya Y.B., Audzeyenka V.A., Kuznyatsova N.A., Shastakou Y.V., Kazak V.V., Fralova Y.G., Shylko Y.N., and judges of Tsentralny district Tatyana Paulyuchuk and Alyaksei Bychko. All in all 23 people were got arrests for the action on 10 January. Tatyana Tishkevich, sentenced to 20 days of arrest, is still in special prison facility on Akrestin Street. It is known, the girl had been beaten brutally when being detained, and an emergency ambulance was called for her to the court. The girl is seriously ill now. According to Vera Stramkouskaya, Tishkevich is most likely to have lung troubles. Leaders of entrepreneurs Alyaksandr Makayeu and Alyaksandr Taustyka as well as approximately 20 activists of entrepreneurs' and youth movements, detained after the actions on 10 and 21 January, remain in the special prison facility on Akrestin Street. By the way, detention conditions in the special prison facility on Akrestin Street can be compared only with tortures. According to Anatol Lyabedzka, the United Civil Party leader, they haven't improved, it is still cold there and meal is worse than pig food. "One can sleep only dressed in three pairs of trousers and sweaters. My friends and relatives tried to pass me a sleeping bag several times, but the administration didn't allow to pass it. Food parcels are also forbidden. What concerns prison food, my parents feed their pigs better," Lyabedzka said to "Nasha Niva." The politician confirmed that investigators from the Minsk persecutor's office visited political prisoners and interrogated them on the criminal case initiated upon mass riot in Minsk on 10 January. According to him, "A brigade of investigators headed by Mikhalchyk, head of the investigatory department at the city internal affairs department of the Minsk city executive committee, arrived at the special prison facility on 12 January." It should be reminded that Leu Margolin, one of the leaders of entrepreneurs' movement, and Leu Shynkaryk, deputy head of the United Civil Party, were interrogated upon that case on 21 January. Among other thing, the investigators tried to find out who had offered to go to Independence Square and block off traffic on the avenue, and whether these acts were planned beforehand or spontaneous. All people interrogated are regarded as witnesses on this criminal case. -------------------------------------------------------- OCAP Statement in Support of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) and Ardoch Algonquin First Nations: Stop the Criminalization of Indigenous Resistance: Free All Indigenous Political Prisoners: Stop the Theft and Plunder of Stolen Land The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty stands in full support of and in solidarity with the jailed indigenous leaders who have been imprisoned for fighting to protect their lands, and we call for the immediate reversal of the politically motivated sentences recently imposed on the six members of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation, as well as Bob Lovelace, co-chief of Ardoch Algonquin First Nation. OCAP decries the unacceptable fact that, over the past month, the colonial courts of this province have convicted and imprisoned seven First Nations people for trying to protect their lands. In mid-March, six members of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation were sentenced to six months in jail, for refusing to comply with an injunction allowing Platinex, an exploration company, to start drilling on traditional indigenous territory. In 1929, KI First Nation leaders signed Treaty 9, to protect their ability to hunt, fish and trap, and to prevent the encroachment of early miners and loggers. In the winter of 2005-06, Platinex, a mining-exploration company, tried to drill on land for which it had staked a claim pursuant to Ontario's mining laws but which is also subject to Treaty 9. KI First Nation members prevented the drilling from proceeding. The company sued for damages and sought an injunction to prevent further protests. The end result of KIFN asserting their treaty rights is that their leadership has been jailed and a $10 billion lawsuit has been laid against the community. Similarly, Ardoch Algonquin First Nation Co-Chief Robert Lovelace has now served over a month of his 6-month prison sentence for his role in AAFN's efforts to resist claims staked by Frontenac Ventures Corporation to mine uranium on unceded traditional territories of the Ardoch Algonquin and Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nations. Neither the company nor the governments consulted with the Algonquins, despite the fact that the staked land is part of a Comprehensive Land Claim that is under ongoing negotiation with Ontario and Canada. Bob Lovelace was also fined $25,000. In addition, the community was fined $10,000 and Chief Paula Sherman $15,000. Leaders of the neighbouring Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation and non-Aboriginal supporters of the AAFN have also been in court and a $77 million dollar lawsuit has been laid against their community. In January 2009, Shawn Brant, spokesperson from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, faces a lengthy jury trial for charges stemming from blockades which took place in 2007, actions taken up to reclaim a quarry operation and part of the struggle for the return of the Culbertson Tract, land which the federal government has acknowledged belongs to the Mohawks. He faces a potential 12 years in prison. These charges are also accompanied by a multi-million dollar lawsuit filed by the corporate interests of CN Rail. OCAP condemns the fact that politicians at both the provincial and federal level, as well as judges, prosecutors, and police, have been sending a vicious and clear message that criminalization of indigenous resistance is the order of the day. Even the basic 'duty to consult' imposed on government before they authorize actions that might infringe on indigenous constitutional rights, enshrined in Section 35 of the Canadian constitution and Supreme Court of Canada rulings since 1990, is being ignored. Given the poverty and lack of basic access to decent housing, clean water, education, and health care endemic to reserve communities in this province and country, we find the laying of massive financial punishment against indigenous people who are fighting back to be abhorrent and completely outrageous. Finally, we denounce the trend of responding to blockades and actions taken up by indigenous communities who are protecting their traditional territories with criminalization and repression. In light of the ineffective land claim process, the lack of will on the part of provincial or federal governments to resolve claims issues, the ability of corporations to act under the auspices of Ontario's outdated Mining Act, provisions of which directly violate repeated findings of the Supreme Court of Canada with respect to First Nations treaty-rights and land-claims, and given the right of First Nations communities to sovereignty anD self-determination, the racist colonialist response of government is unacceptable and must not be allowed to continue. OCAP calls on the Ontario government to drop all charges and fines against Bob Lovelace and the AAFN, and to drop all charges against the KI Six. We demand that the Ontario government respond to the clearly stated demands of both communities. We demand that all corporate plunder, mining and exploration activities on the traditional territories of AAFN and KI cease immediately. - - The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty March 2008 http://tinyurl.com/2zt3z9 BUCHAREST Romania Turns Suspected Anti-NATO Protesters Away Police said they found compact discs, magazines, flyers, brochures and badges with an anti-NATO and anti-globalisation message. Romania has denied access to six German citizens they say could have staged violent protests at a NATO summit in Bucharest next month, border police said on Friday. Police and the country's main secret service said the six, aged 21 to 35, suspected of belonging to an anarchist group, tried to enter Romania on Thursday with a car and minivan through the Calafat customs point on the border with Bulgaria. Police said they found "compact discs, magazines, flyers, brochures and badges with an anti-NATO and anti-globalisation message, which were to be used to organise protests with potential for violence during the summit" during a routine search of their vehicles. "They were denied entry in Romania and they returned to Bulgaria," border police spokesman Fabian Badila said. Security has increased ahead of the summit in the capital of Romania, which joined the European Union last year and has been a NATO member since 2004. March 21, 2008 17:42h From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 19:40:47 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:40:47 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Repression in global South - 1 of 3 Message-ID: <036701c89ea2$1f879950$0802a8c0@andy1> * SINGAPORE: Protests may finally be legalised * UAE: Strikers jailed over unrest * BAHAMAS: Residents charged over local uprising * BRAZIL: Anti-GM protester murdered by paramilitaries * TONGA: Vicious sentences for "riot" accused * PAKISTAN: Police submit charges over Bhutto protests * WEST PAPUA: Indonesia tries to silence Papuan intellectuals * WEST PAPUA: Governor denounced over ban on Papuan flag * OAXACA: Protesters cleared * SOUTH AFRICA: University seeks to "discipline" protesters * PHILIPPINES: National ID planned * IRAQ: Who is killing the women of Basra? * IRAQ: Apartheid death squads active in Iraq? * IRAN: Crackdown on leftist dissidents * HOLLAND/PHILIPPINES: Sison persecution continues * MALAYSIA: Indigenous people dispossessed in Sarawak * INDIA: Curfew declared to aid Bhutan, Nepal in repression * BHUTAN: Vicious crackdown launched on Nepalese minority * TURKEY: Arrests show depth of "deep state" * KARACHAEVO-CHERKESSIA/RUSSIA: Repression against separatists escalates - surveillance, arrests * INDIA: Police stitch-up exposed in court * PHILIPPINES/HOLLAND: Sison makes the best of a bad situation * SUDAN/ETHIOPIA: Sudan deports refugees to face abuse, death * ISRAEL: Torture widely documented against Palestinians * INDIA: Fearing reprisals, leftist villagers flee homes Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1318360/1609566 Singapore protest rules may be relaxed Feb 29, 2008 4:32 PM Singapore may allow public protests at one of the city-state's parks, a government minister said, in a relaxation of its strict rules on demonstrations. Wong Kan Seng, the minister for home affairs, told members of parliament that he was looking to liberalise the use of Hong Lim Park - Singapore's version of speakers' corner. Currently those who want to speak at the park are required to register at a nearby police station. Singapore bans public speeches unless the speaker is licensed by a government official. "We are presently reviewing how we can further liberalise the use of Speakers' Corner as an outdoor venue for more political activities including demonstrations," Wong said, according to a transcript of his speech posted on a government website. Singapore defends its use of legislation to regulate protests and free speech as a necessity given the country's multiracial make up. http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=209781&Sn=WORL&IssueID=30342 Strikers jailed DUBAI: A Dubai court has sentenced 45 Indian construction workers to six months in jail followed by deportation for involvement in violent protests to demand pay increases. Late in 2007, labourers closed down roads, assaulted police and overturned vehicles in one of several protests calling for better pay and living conditions. The court found the labourers guilty of charges, including holding illegal gatherings, vandalism and violating public security. The sentences can be appealed within two weeks. Labour unions are banned in Dubai. The government had revised the labour law to include requirements that employers pay for migrant workers' travel, employment permits, medical tests and health care. http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c=45&a=16064 March 1st, 2008 More Charged with Milton Street Riot By Paige Ferguson Two more men were charged on Friday in connection with that Milton Street riot on February 23. The weekend attack occurred around 8pm last Saturday on Milton Street, off East Street, according to police. Officers responding to reports of gunshots being fired in the area reportedly observed a man with a weapon. However, as they approached the individual a group of persons in the vicinity surrounded the officers and assaulted them, according to police reports. Basil Clarke, 31, of Windsor Lane and Stafford Bethel, 19, of Milton Street, were charged with seven counts including disorderly behaviour, assaulting a police officer, obstruction, throwing missiles, resisting arrest, using obscene language and damage. It is alleged that the two behaved that way toward Chief Inspector Bonamy, Detective Corporal 2369 Bowe; and Detective Constables 519 Outten and 1059 Farrington. Court dockets state that the men allegedly threw missiles to the "danger and annoyance" of the four officers and caused damaged to Corporal Bowe?s Tommy Hilfiger shirt valued at $79.95. The two men entered not guilty pleas and were remanded to prison. They are set to return to court March 3rd for a bail hearing along with the four others arraigned for the same matter. On Tuesday Anastacia Thompson, Demaro Jamaal Cooper, Charles Arlington Rolle and a 15-year-old C.C. Sweeting female student were arraigned and also pleaded not guilty to the charges. http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news610.htm DIAL GM FOR MURDER A Brazilian anti-GM campaigner has been murdered at a Syngenta GM crop trial in Paran?, Brazil. Via Campesina (The International Peasants Movement)'s camp at the experimental farm was shot at by security, killing Valmir Mota de Oliveira, a Movimento Sem Terra (the Brazilian Landless Rural Workers Movement - see SchNEWS 505) activist. That morning 150 Via Campesina members had set up camp at Syngenta's site, and at 1pm a bus full of gunmen arrived and opened fire. Also killed was a security guard with two other protesters seriously injured. This is the second time Via Campesina occupied this site, after Syngenta had previously illegally trialled GM soybeans and corn last year. At the time this was a victory, with the state governor siging a decree proposing to turn the farm into a centre for agricultural research to help rural peasants. Since then, the decree was overturned due to the pressure of the Rural Society of the West - a reactionary group of pro-agribusiness large-scale landowners, and other agribusiness interests - and Syngenta is pressing ahead with another trial crop. When the MST organised a march to the farm last November, they were blockaded by the tractors of the Royal Society, who fired shots in the air and beat the marchers with sticks, injuring nine. Now Syngenta have brought in security firm NF Security (has a nice neo-Nazi ring to it!). The activist killed had been one of three MST members who'd received death threats from the president of the Rural Society - the other two managed to escape. The owner of NF Security has admitted that he gave the order to attack, and wasn't claiming the anti-GM protesters were armed. They have a Blackwater-style relationship as a private security firm to Syngenta and the local large-landowners. NF - which last month had illegal arms confiscated by federal police - is known to hire individuals with violent criminal records to form armed militias to carry out rural land evictions, for customers like the Royal Society. Syngenta are the world's largest agrochemical company, and third largest commercial seed producer. They caused the largest ever genetic contamination in the US in between 2001-2004 when its GM Bt-10 corn was mixed with grain meant for human consumption. They previously held GM crop trials in the UK - mostly herbicide tolerant or insect resistant crops - but, like Bayer and Monsanto, were forced to abandon plans for more crops in Britain in 2004. Since the mid nineties direct action campaigners trashing the trial crops and overwhelming negative publicity has kept them at bay (but the GM threat is back - see SchNEWS 583). See www.viacampesina.org http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=38088 Seven jailed over Tonga riot crimes Posted at 23:11 on 18 February, 2008 UTC Seven people involved in the deadly riots in Tonga?s capital, Nuku?alofa, have been sentenced to jail terms ranging from six months and 11-years. The Matangi Tonga website reports that in sentencing the six men and one woman, Chief Justice Anthony Ford said everyone in Tonga would remember November 16th in 2006 as a day of infamy and shame, where anarchy prevailed. Two men were sentenced to 11 years in jail for the destruction of businesses and other crimes. Those given lesser sentences had faced charges such as riotous assembly, housebreaking and the destruction of property. The Chief Justice said the destruction was an example of mob violence feeding upon itself. http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=93538 Police submit charge sheet in arson and riot cases By By our correspondent 1/29/2008 Police submitted charge sheets before the Administrative Judge (AJ) of the Anti-Terrorism Courts in arson and riot cases. Mohammad Shahid and Allah Bux were accused of ransacking public and private properties following the assassination of Pakistan People?s Party Chairperson Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi on December 27. Police alleged that the suspects, along with the absconding co-accused, set several vehicles on fire, damaged banks, police check posts, and shops in Lea Market within the limits of the Kharadar police station. The AJ, Justice Khawaja Naveed Ahmed, accepting the charge sheet against them, sent their case to ATC-III for trial. Police also submitted charge sheets against Mohammad Ramzan who is booked under riot and arson charges. Police alleged that the suspect along with other absconding co-accused was involved in ransacking a bank, KESC offices, and setting on fire several vehicles. Ramzan, however, denied police charges and said that he was a hairdresser and that the police had falsely implicated him in the cases. The cases against Ramzan were sent to ATC-V for trial. The arson case against Mohammad Bux was also sent to ATC-V for trial. The AJ also sent the arson and riot case against Ayub Khan and Deedar Ali to ATC-III for trial. They were booked by the Shah Lateef Town police for taking part in arson and rioting. http://kerrycollison.net/index.php?/archives/7070-Shackling-Papuan-intellectuals.html Shackling Papuan intellectuals Saturday, January 19. 2008 Since the fall of Soeharto's regime, Indonesia has apparently begun to move toward democracy. Indonesian citizens have found space to exercise their rights and duties without fear, pressure and intimidation from the state. Indigenous Papuans, for their part, have taken advantage of the democratic atmosphere to express their opinions by writing books on some aspects of Papua. Although there are only a few Papuan authors, it should be recognized that the publication of such books has encouraged more Papuans to exercise their freedom of opinion and expression through writing. However, the central government has not always regarded the new developments as good news. Instead of being proud to see Papuans, who were once illiterate and relied on oral tradition to tell their stories, expressing their ideas in written form, the government considers the exercise of Papuans' intellectual creativity something suspicious if not dangerous. Many books on Papua, particularly those authored by indigenous Papuans, are censored under certain criteria set by the government or are banned entirely. The latest book to be outlawed by the government is Tenggelamnya Rumpun Melanesia: Pertarungan Politik NKRI di Papua Barat (The Sinking of the Melanesian race: The Unitary State of Indonesia's Political Struggle in West Papua), written by young author Papuan Sendius Wonda, and published by Deiyai, a Jayapura-based publishing house. The introduction of the book is written by Rev. Socrates Sofyan Yoman, the chairperson of the Fellowship of the Baptist Churches in Papua. According to the chief of Jayapura prosecutor's office, Sri Agung Putra, Wonda's 247-page book contains some elements that "discredit the government", "disturb public order", and "endanger national unity". Police seized the book from shelves immediately after the ban was announced on Dec. 14, and ordered those in possession of the book to give it up to the prosecutors. Wonda's work is the second book on Papua on which the government has slapped a ban, after Peristiwa penculikan dan pembunuhan Theys H Eluay 10 November 2001 (The Abduction and Assassination of Theys H Eluay on November 10, 2001) by Benny Giay, a Papuan anthropologist, in 2002. Like Wonda's book, the book on Theys was considered dangerous to national unity. Theys was a Papuan pro-independence charismatic leader who chaired the Papuan Presidium Council, a body formed by the second Papuan congress in 2000 to lead the peaceful struggle for the creation of an independent state of West Papua. He was abducted and assassinated by the Army's Special force. It seems that the same criteria will be applied by the Attorney General's Office to screen and ban any books on Papua, more particularly those written by Papuans, in the future simply by saying the books contain elements categorized as dangerous to the Indonesian government and state. However, everyone knows the Attorney General's Office has never clearly explained how the books endanger national unity, discredit the government, or disrupt public order. By banning Papuan books based on unclear criteria, the central government shows its undemocratic face, despite its persistent self-promotion as a champion of democracy. The undemocratic aspect of the government has been and is being manifested through its inability to face Papuans' dissenting opinions. Instead of producing more books to encounter the content of the banned books, the government has abused its power to stifle Papuans' intellectual creativity and freedom of opinion and expression. After decades nothing has changed in the way the government ignores Papuans' freedom of expression and their intellectual freedom. It remains restrictive in determining which books are appropriate or not for Papuans to read. The presence of the Indonesian government in Papua, then, is very suspicious for it seems to exist not to protect the Papuans in exercising their intellectual creativity but to treat them cruelly. The banning of books does not apparently constitute an isolated action. Rather, it reflects the government's policy of threatening Papuans' intellectual freedom. Neles Tebay, Abepura, Papua The writer is a lecturer at the Fajar Timur School of Philosophy and Theology in Abepura, Papua. Jakarta Post http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=37536 Activist denounces Papua Governor over Morning Star ban Posted at 03:31 on 18 January, 2008 UTC A London-based Papuan activist has criticised the Governor of Indonesia?s Papua for upholding a ban on the Morning Star Flag. Governor Barnabas Suebu is demanding compliance with a new government regulation that bans the use of separatist attributes as regional symbols. He says the provincial legislature will discuss a more suitable regional symbol than the Morning Star, which is associated with Papuan separatists. In 2005 a man was jailed for 15 years for raising the flag. And this week, police in Jayapura arrested two women who were trading souvenirs carrying the Morning Star logo. Activist Benny Wenda says this makes a mockery of provisions under Papua?s Special Autonomy. ?Because Indonesia promised that the Morning Star is like a cultural symbol, and this is what the Autonomy package already promised. Then why now have they banned all people making handbags with the Morning Star and printing tee-shirts, and any sort of identity and now the ban. There is not any freedom in West Papua.? Benny Wenda http://www.ww4report.com/node/5017 Mexico: Atenco activists freed Submitted by Bill Weinberg on Sat, 02/02/2008 - 01:41. On Jan. 25, seven adherents of the People's Front in Defense of the Land (FPDT) from the central Mexican village of San Salvador Atenco were liberated from the Mexico State prison at Molino de Flores, after a federal judge cleared them of charges of kidnapping and attacking communications infrastructure. They had been in prison since their arrest in violent confrontations with the police in May 2006. (La Jornada, Jan. 26) Charges were also dropped against 53 other FPDT followers who had been freed on bail. (Uno Mas Uno, Jan. 25) A collective of "Zapatista lawyers" announced plans to bring criminal charges against Judge Jaime Maldonado, for having "arbitrarily" ordered the 164 FPDT followers imprisoned. (La Jornada, Jan. 27) Fifteen of the 21 police officers facing charges in the May 2006 violence were also exonerated. (La Jornada, Jan. 25) Spanish citizen Cristina Valls, who was injured by police in the confrontation, has announced that she will bring suit charging the Mexican authorities with "torture." (International Civil Human Rights Observation Commission-CCIODH, Jan. 26) http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=724205 Hearing for riot students 11 March 2008 Sne Masuku The Mangosuthu University of Technology has ordered members of its students representative council (SRC) to appear before a disciplinary hearing when the university reopens on Monday. The university was closed on Friday after a week of students? riots over the lack of resources and lecturers on campus. The university?s executive committee felt that not all students should be blamed for the violent protest, but that it should be attributed to a small group of perpetrators led by the South African Democratic Students Movement (Sadesmo). University spokesman Sandile Zondi said: ?Under the circumstances disciplinary proceedings will be instituted against those students who transgressed the rules of the university.? Zondi said the students did not follow the right procedures before embarking on their strike action. A memorandum outlining grievances was only received by vice-chancellor and principal, Aaron Ndlovu two days after the strike began, he said. ?Issues are first considered by the SRC, then tabled before the students? parliament for deliberation and eventually presented to a mass meeting of students to obtain a mandate, he said. ?None of these steps were complied with before the commencement of the protest.? ---------------------------------------------------------------- */PRESS RELEASE Information Bureau Communist Party of the Philippines/* *Proposed nat'l ID, part of Arroyo reign extension and heightened fascism scheme--CPP *January 8, 2008 The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today denounced Malaca?ang and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for reviving plans to establish a "national ID system" saying this is "part and parcel of the preparations for Gloria Arroyo to extend her rule and intensify her fascist policies." CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said "the establishment of a national ID system is a major ingredient in Arroyo's fascist plans to quell resistance and force through an extension of her grip on power beyond 2010. In the hands of Arroyo's fascist officials, it will be used to put the population under a police state-to control the people's movements, curtail th eir fundamental democratic and civil rights, and institute a reign of terror." "In conjunction with the Human Security Act (HSA), Arroyo's planned national ID system will be used to intensify state terrorism and suppress the people's resistance to Arroyo's recoronation as soon as her present illegitimate term ends in 2010," added Rosal. "Arroyo's security, military and police officials plan to use the national ID system in the same way that the cedula system was used by the Spanish colonizers to oppress the Filipino people." Rosal belittled the AFP's claims that the national ID system will be an effective instrument in stopping the growth of the revolutionary armed movement. "It will only be effective in harassing the people, making their living, livelihood and travel difficult, and angering them. Like the Filipino people's hatred of the Spanish-era cedula, the people's hatred of the national ID system, once implemented, will only result in their heightened support of the armed revolution and intensified resistance to the reactionary state's fascist rule." "With a rotten, puppet, increasingly fascist Arroyo regime continuing to force itself at the helm of the defunct reactionary state, more and more people are being convinced to join the New People's Army and help the revolutionary armed struggle as the most effective way of putting an end to the terrorist state and the whole of the rotten ruling system." Rosal urged the progressive and democratic forces, the broad anti-Arroyo opposition and the entire Filipino people to vigorously resist the plan to institute a national ID system. "The revolutionary armed forces and mass movement will carry out more and more blows against the fascist pillars of the Arroyo regime to help frustrate Arroyo's scheme to cling to power beyond 2010." Reference: Marco Valbuena Media Officer Cellphone Numbers: 09179776392 :: 09282242061 E-mail:cppmedia at gmail.com http://www.madre.org/articles/me/womenbasra010908.html Who is Killing the Women of Basra? In Basra, Iraq's second largest city, 2008 was ushered in with an announcement of the 2007 death toll of women targeted by Islamist militias. City officials reported on December 31 that 133 women were killed and mutilated last year, their bodies dumped in trash bins with notes warning others against "violating Islamic teachings..." But ambulance drivers who are hired to troll the city streets in the early mornings to collect the bodies confirm what most residents believe: the actual numbers are much higher. The killers' leaflets are not very original. They usually accuse the women of being prostitutes or adulterers. But those murdered are more likely to be doctors, professors, or journalists. We know this because activists from the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) have taken on the gruesome task of visiting city morgues to try and determine the scale and pattern of the killings. According to OWFI, most of the women who have been murdered "are PhD holders, professionals, activists, and office workers." Their crime is not "promiscuity," but rather opposition to the transformation of Iraq into an Islamist state. That bloody transition has been the main political trend under US occupation. It's no secret who is killing the women of Basra. Shiite political forces empowered by the US invasion have been terrorizing women there since 2003. Within weeks of the invasion, these groups established "Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" squads, which many Iraqis refer to simply as "misery gangs." They began by patrolling the streets, harassing and sometimes beating women who did not dress or behave to their liking. Coalition forces did nothing to stop them, and soon the militias escalated their violence to torturing and assassinating anyone who they saw as an obstacle to turning Iraq into an Islamist state. The Culture Card Despite the clearly political nature of these killings, US media generally portray violence against Iraqi women as an unfortunate part of Arab or Muslim "culture." For instance, journalist Kay S. Hymowitz has catalogued the "inventory of brutality" committed by men in the "Muslim world," railing against "the savage fundamentalist Muslim oppression of women." Hymowitz echoes a commonly held assumption, namely that gender-based violence, when committed in the Middle East, derives from Islam. Of course, pinning violence against women on Islam is politically useful: it helps to dehumanize Muslims and justify US intervention in their countries. It also deflects attention from the many ways that US policy has ignored and enabled violence against the women of Iraq (like championing political leaders with an openly-stated intent to unravel women's legal rights). But in fact, culture alone explains very little. All human behavior has cultural dimensions, but culture is merely a context, not a cause or a useful explanation for violence, whether in Iraq or anywhere else. It makes much more sense to examine gender???a system of power relations whose number one enforcement mechanism is recourse to violence against women. There is nothing "Muslim" about that system, except that its Muslim proponents, like their Jewish, Christian, and Hindu counterparts, use culture and religion to rationalize women's subjugation. In fact, shifting the focus from culture to gender reveals a system of power that is nearly universal. Yanar Mohammed, the founder of OWFI, describes this year's killings of women in Basra as a campaign "to restrain women into the domestic domain and end all female participation in the social and political scene." Compare her comment to Amnesty International's conclusion about the ongoing mass killings of women in Guatemala. According to Amnesty, that wave of violence, "carries with it a perverse message: women should abandon the public space they have won at much personal and social effort and shut themselves back up in the private world, abandoning their essential role in national development." This certainly captures the intent of Iraq's Islamists, who have little in common with the killers of women in Guatemala, other than a rigid adherence to a gendered system of power. Instead of lamenting the "brutality" of Islam, the US media should start connecting the dots between the US occupation and the empowerment of people who use violence against women as a strategy to pursue their political agenda. We can start with the fact that the Pentagon has trained, armed, and funded the very militias that are killing the women of Basra. http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12061 IRAQ: The South African Connection EXCERPT: Part of 'Project Barnacle,' he helped track down and assassinate top anti-apartheid leaders in Southern Africa - including Joe Gqabi, the ANC representative in Zimbabwe. Home ? Industries ? War & Disaster Profiteering ? IRAQ: The South African Connection E-Mail Page Printer Safe IRAQ: The South African Connection According to a recent United Nations report, South Africa is among the top three suppliers of personnel for private military companies operating in Iraq next to the US and the UK. At least 10 South African based companies have been sending people to Iraq. Most of those recruited operate as drivers and bodyguards, protecting supply routes and valuable resources. by Andy Clarno and Salim Vally, ZNET March 6th, 2005 A startling fact has emerged from the battlefields of Iraq, providing powerful evidence that the conduct of war has been radically transformed over the last 15 years. In the 1991 Gulf War, 1 in every 100 soldiers deployed by the US-led coalition were mercenaries hired by private military companies. Today in Iraq, more than 1 in 5 coalition soldiers are mercenaries. Since the mid-1990s, the private military sector has been the fastest growing industry in the world. With the US as its biggest client, the industry was worth $100-200 billion per year even before the invasion of Iraq. There are currently 130,000 US soldiers, 9000 British, and 15,000 other coalition soldiers operating in Iraq. With estimates of more than 30,000 private 'security experts,' mercenaries now compose the second largest military force in the country. The vast oil resources and uncontainable resistance have made the country a magnet for mercenaries. War profiteers such as Bechtel and Halliburton hire private armies to protect their assets, paying mercenaries up to $1000 a day for special assignments quelling uprisings in Iraqi cities. The number of South Africans in Iraq is estimated to range from 5000 to 10 000. According to a recent United Nations report, South Africa is among the top three suppliers of personnel for private military companies operating in Iraq next to the US and the UK. At least 10 South African based companies have been sending people to Iraq. Most of those recruited operate as drivers and bodyguards, protecting supply routes and valuable resources. Yet several hundred South Africans are alleged to have fought alongside the Americans and the British in Fallujah and other hotspots. Members of special police units, such as the South African Police Services' Elite Task Force, who protect senior state officials like President Mbeki, have sought early retirement to join private military companies in Iraq. The most heavily recruited South Africans are those with backgrounds in the elite apartheid-era special forces. Many members of Apartheid-era security groups such as the Civil Cooperation Bureau (CCB), the 32 Buffalo Battalion, the Parachute Brigade, Reaction Unit 9, the Reconnaissance Commandos, Koevoet, and Vlakplaas - many of whom received amnesty from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission - are now in Iraq. This fact emerged last January when a bomb in Baghdad killed Francois Strydom and maimed Deon Gouws. Strydom and Gouws were recruited by Erinys International to provide bodyguard services to a US general. In the 1980s, Strydom worked for Koevoet, a brutal wing of the South African military whose members were reportedly paid bounties for the bodies of SWAPO activists in Namibia. A former member of Vlakplaas, Gouws, admitted to the TRC that he petrol-bombed the homes of 40-60 anti-apartheid activists, assassinated KwaNdebele homeland Cabinet minister and ANC activist Piet Ntuli, firebombed the home of the late Fabian Ribiero, and murdered nine activists. Gouws has recently changed his mind about mercenary activity and is now discouraging South Africans from going to Iraq. In a recent interview he is quoted as saying, "To go to Iraq is to sign a death warrantit is hellpeople do not want us thereno amount of money is worth it". Thus far, 13 South Africans have been killed in Iraq. Last April, Gray Branfield, working for a contractor called the Hart Group was killed in the eastern Iraqi city of Kut. After spending the 1970s in an elite Rhodesian paramilitary unit, Branfield was recruited by the SA Defence Force in the 1980s. Part of 'Project Barnacle,' he helped track down and assassinate top anti-apartheid leaders in Southern Africa - including Joe Gqabi, the ANC representative in Zimbabwe. During one covert operation in Zimbabwe, Branfield kidnapped a police officer, strapped explosives to his body, and took his family hostage in order to secure the release of a captured South African commando. He also helped plan an attack on an ANC safe house in Botswana in which 14 people, including a child, were killed in their sleep. The brutal foot soldiers of the Apartheid era are much in demand. In fact, building on a long tradition of mercenary activity throughout Africa, South Africans pioneered the re-packaging of mercenary activity as 'legitimate' private business. In the late 1980s, Executive Outcomes (EO) was formed and drew heavily on members of the 32 Buffalo Battalion and operatives of the notorious Civil Co-operation Bureau (CCB). During the 1990s, EO conducted 'counter-insurgency' operations throughout Africa in exchange for mining and oil concessions. In the late 1990s, EO morphed into Sandline International, which later shut down and re-emerged as Aegis Defense Systems. Last June, Aegis was awarded a massive $300 million contract by the US authorities to protect the 'Green Zone' in downtown Baghdad and to coordinate the activities of all private security companies operating in Iraq. South African military companies play a prominent role in Iraq. Meteoric Tactical Solutions has about a R3.1 million contract with the British government to provide bodyguards and drivers for senior officials in Iraq. The latter company, together with Grand Lake Trading, has registered with South Africa's National Conventional Arms Control Committee to operate in Iraq. Erinys International, founded by apartheid-era military intelligence officer Sean Cleary, has a nearly $80 million contract to train Iraqi soldiers and protect oil installations. With the support of close business associates of the Iraqi politician Ahmed Chalabi, Erinys has employed South African military specialists to train hundreds of members of Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress. Speculation in Iraq suggests that Erinys is helping Chalabi build a personal army. Other South Africans with odious pasts involved in Iraq include Albertus van Schalkwyk also known as 'Sailor' who runs a company called Sailor Security Services. He was a Koevoet member, and was deported from New Zealand on drug smuggling charges. Brian Boucher, fingered as a police spy on the Wits and Natal university campuses in the eighties, and later in charge of the Point Road Police Station formed a company called Shelfco Investments. It is alleged that he has recruited many South Africans from the Durban area to go to Iraq. In addition to South Africans, the military companies operating in Iraq have recruited security personnel associated with the former Chilean dictator, Pinochet, Yugoslavian war criminal, Milosevic, as well as security personnel from Israel and Central America. The US and the UK have unapologetically promoted the privatisation of repression and the legitimization of mercenary activity. The intentions of the Equatorial Guinea coup plotters were well known to Jack Straw, Condoleeza Rice and Donald Rumsfeld. Yet the US and UK did nothing to stop them. In 1998, when the US based military firm, DynCorp, was found to be involved in the trafficking of sex-slaves in Bosnia, 13 employees were withdrawn but no one was charged. In Columbia, DynCorp is contracted by the US government to spray toxic herbicide over fields, without regard to the devastating consequences on the villagers and farmers below. DynCorp is also actively recruiting South Africans. In Iraq, private military firms such as CACI and Titan were supposed to be providing staff support and translation in Abu Ghraib prison. Instead, they've been implicated in the torture, rape, and execution of prisoners. But no one has been charged with a crime. Erinys's past activities are as unsavoury as DynCorp's. In August 2003, the Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining, a Ghanaian organization, released a report detailing human rights abuses perpetrated by Erinys personnel at an Ashanti gold mine. The report details eyewitness accounts of the torture and killings of local small-scale miners between 1994 and 2002. Unlike its British and American counterparts, the South African government insists on its opposition to foreign military activity for private monetary gain. The Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act is supposed to regulate the ability of South African companies and individuals to participate in armed conflicts abroad. However, the loopholes and insignificant penalties imposed by the Act make it extremely ineffective. In addition, for a long time there seemed to be no political will to properly enforce the law. Only two people have been convicted under the terms of the Act, both for mercenary activity in the Cote d'Ivoire. Carl Alberts was fined $3000 and Richard Rouget a mere $1500. These fines are trivial for mercenaries raking in huge amounts of money. South African citizens require much clearer information about these dogs of war instead of the bland and banal exchange between Taljaard from the Democratic Alliance and the Minister of Foreign Affairs: MS R TALJAARD (DA) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS:(1) Whether the Government has had any contact with either the Swiss or British governments in respect of South African private military companies, specifically two companies (names furnished - Meteoric Tactical Solutions and Erinys International), for protecting facilities and officials of the two governments concerned without having obtained approval for such contracts from the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC); if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) Whether the Government specifically communicated the lack of compliance with the provisions of the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act, 1998 (Act No 15 of 1998), by these firms in contracting with the two governments concerned; if not, why not; if so, when; (3) Whether she will make a statement on the matter? N780E REPLY:(1) Yes. The Swiss Ambassador in Pretoria approached the Department of Foreign Affairs on 2 June 2004 with regard to the South African company that provides, amongst others, security services to foreign personnel based in Iraq, including Swiss Embassy personnel in Baghdad. The British Government has not approached the Department of Foreign Affairs. (2) The Department of Foreign Affairs referred the matter of MTS to the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) for consideration in terms of the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act (RFMAA). (3) No. This might change, however, since President Thabo Mbeki declared in his recent State of the Nation address before Parliament, "In the coming year, we shallreview the Foreign Military Assistance Act in order to discourage, for their own good and the good of the country, those who seek to profit from conflict and human suffering such as in Iraq." A good place to begin tightening up the Act would be to return to the draft version of the Act, which stated that any person found guilty would be liable to "a fine not exceeding one million rand [roughly $150,000] or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years, or to both such fine or imprisonment." The final version, on the other hand, merely stated that those guilty would be liable to "a fine or to imprisonment or to both such fine and imprisonment." Our government also needs to tighten loopholes in the Act; refuse the sanctioning of the contracts of Private Military Forces and define clearly what military assistance means. Some companies, for instance, register as de-mining companies to bypass the Act. There is also the danger of subverting parliamentary oversight by allowing the Foreign Ministry to sanction contracts. Above all, our government must realize, in the words of Michael Schmidt, that what "the South African authorities are up against is not merely a few military adventurers, but the 21st-century equivalent of the troops employed by the Dutch East India Company: private armies of very wealthy companies with global reach". It is imperative that our government stems the tide of those seeking a quick fortune on other's misery. The prestigious Lancet magazine estimated that at least 100 000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since the invasion of Iraq. How many South Africans contributed to these deaths? As Gouws discovered, it is not the second Kimberly diamond rush many have been led to believe. Most flights from Johannesburg International to Dubai these days carry at least a few mercenaries en route to Baghdad. Some Iraqis confirm that Afrikaans is heard very frequently on the streets of Baghdad. Over the past ten years the mention of the name South Africa filled many with pride- a symbol of the ability of a people to overcome oppression through resistance and human solidarity across national boundaries. In the streets of Baghdad, this legacy is fast being squandered. -Andy Clarno and Salim Vally are members of the Anti-War Coalition (JHB). The 19th of March, the second anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, has been declared a day of action by global peace and social justice organizations. In Johannesburg, the focus of demonstrations will be on South African mercenaries in Iraq. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/20/world/middleeast/20iran.html?_r=1&oref=sloginRadical Left, Iran's Last Legal Dissidents, Until NowBy NAZILA FATHITEHRAN ? In early December, a surprising scene unfolded at TehranUniversity: 500 Marxist students held aloft portraits of Che Guevarato protest President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's policies. Smaller groupsof Marxist students held similar protests in several other cities.Political protest has been harshly suppressed under the currentIranian government, especially dissent linked to the West. But theradical left, despite its antireligious and antigovernment message,has been permitted relative freedom. This may be, analysts say,because, like the government, it rejects the liberal reform movementand attacks the West."The government practically permitted the left to operate startingfive years ago so that they would confront religious liberals," saidSaeed Leylaz, a political analyst in Tehran. "But that led to thespread of a new virus."In recent weeks, the leaders of the Marxist student movement havebeen arrested, suggesting that the government is worrying about thesize of the demonstrations and the growing attraction of an ideologythat is deeply antithetical to its own.Morad Saghafi, a political analyst and the editor in chief ofGoftegoo magazine, said that it was not so strange that there wereleftists but that it was significant that they were radicalleftists."They are showing a kind of radicalism to reform, religion and thecurrent situation," he said.Even some of those who object to President Ahmadinejad saypermitting the growth of Marxist student movements is dangerous.For example, former President Mohammad Khatami, a moderate byIranian standards, recently raised concern over the growth ofleftists at universities. He drew a comparison with the strugglesbefore the 1979 revolution and said after the shah's government hadbanned religious groups, leftist groups encouraged armed struggleagainst him, according to the news agency ISNA.Leftist students use an anti-imperialist discourse toward the UnitedStates and say they have no plans to overthrow the Iraniangovernment. But they refer to the government as a capitalist regimeand condemn pro-democracy politicians who support changeas "bourgeois."In a leftist publication called Khak, meaning earth, a member whowas jailed wrote in an editorial in May, "In this leftist movementwe need to move based on the ideas of Marx, Engels and Lenin."Marxists need "grass-roots and radical social movements," heemphasized.Another member, a woman who has an anonymous blog atfaaryaad.blogfa.com (faaryaad means shout), writes "Reform died,long live revolution."One leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear ofgovernment reprisal, said, "We think the regime is a capitalistregime and Mr. Ahmadinejad is a true fascist."Members are atheists and attack poverty in Iran as well as othercountries, including the West. They consider no socialist countrytheir role model, oppose pro-democracy students and accuse them oftrying to reform a system that cannot be reformed.Yet they have no specific agenda for change and seem almostnihilistic at times."We don't think we can change anything in the near future," said a22-year-old student at Tehran University and member of a groupcalled the Radical Marxists, who asked not to be identified. "But asstudents we think we can transfer our knowledge about class,capitalism and equality to society, especially the workers."Another member, Shahin, 21, who said his father was also a Marxistand was executed by the government in 1988, said the studentsultimately want "free education, free health care and highersalaries for workers."Analysts familiar with them said leftist student groups began toemerge in the early 2000s when the democracy movement was sufferingsetbacks and many of their supporters were becoming disillusioned.The government ignored the leftist students until December when thegovernment began cracking down on their leaders.As in many countries, a majority of intellectuals in Iran has beeninfluenced by Marxist ideas since the 19th century. Much of theliterature written since then is closely interwoven with leftistnotions. However, Marxists never gained power here. They played animportant role in the success of the 1979 revolution but they weresoon marginalized by the Islamists and their members were forcedinto exile. Many were executed in 1988.Authorities allowed all of Marx's books to be published after thefall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Leftist books sell very well thesedays, one bookstore said. The store said the most popular books werethose about the Confederation of Iranian Students, the most activeorganized opposition during the two decades before the 1979revolution. Many of its members were influenced by leftist ideas.Now, once again, it appears the government has decided to suppressthe left. The number of arrests has reached 40 and those detainedremain in the notorious Evin prison.At least three Marxist groups operate at the universities aroundIran. The Radical Marxists have the most supporters, according tostudents. The other two organizations are workers groups.The 22-year-old Radical Marxists member said that she had rejectedIran's laws against women when she was 7 and had to wear the Islamichood known as a maghnaeh to cover her hair for the first time. "Inreligion class, we always got angry as women when we read in thebooks that the head of the family is the man," she said.Reza Sharifi, 34, the leader of the youth branch of Mosharekat, aparty that seeks change, said it was hard for the government tosuppress Marxist students at the same time it was seeking betterrelations with leftist leaders worldwide."The government paved the way for leftist movements in the countrywhen its best friends became Castro and Ch?vez," he said, referringto Fidel Castro of Cuba and Hugo Ch?vez of Venezuela."The whole idea was that any country that was against America was onour side," he said. "As a result, all communist leaders became theIslamic Republic's best friends."----------------------------------------------------------------------Press Statement21 January 2008PROLONGED INVESTIGATION OF SISON CASEIS AN ATTACK ON NDFP AND PEACE PROCESSBy Luis JalandoniChairperson, Negotiating PanelNational Democratic Front of the PhilippinesThe Dutch prosecutor Ms. J. S. de Vries claims that the examining judgeMs. C. M. Derijks has done something grievously wrong by declaring the?untimely closure of the preliminary investigation? of the false andpolitically motivated charge of inciting the murder of the militaryagents Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara against Prof. Jose Maria Sison,NDFP Chief Political Consultant.The claim of the prosecutor cannot be farther from the truth. Theexamining judge based her 21 November 2007 decision to close thepreliminary investigation on the13 September decision of the District Court of The Hague pointing to theinsufficiency of evidence against Prof. Sison and the 3 October 2007decision of the Court of Appeals upholding the decision of the districtcourt on the lack of prima facie evidence and ruling further that thecharge has a political context casting doubt on the reliability of thewitnesses and the ability of Prof. Sison and his lawyers tocross-examine the witnesses under current circumstances of gross humanrights violations in the Philippines.The examining judge gave ample and repeated opportunity to prosecutor DeVries to give substantive reasons to counter the two aforementionedcourt decisions. But the prosecutor failed to do so. The two courtdecisions and the failure of the prosecutor to provide substantivereasons constituted the valid ground for the examining judge to closethe preliminary investigation. It is a big lie for the prosecutor topremise the continuance of the preliminary investigation with the claimof wrongdoing by the examining judge. It is also anomalous that theprosecutor stands publicly in judgment over the examining judge.The prosecutor is hell-bent on using the prosecution process to oppressand run down Prof. Jose Maria Sison. She threatens to make the life ofProf. Sison miserable not only with the patently false charge ofinciting the murder of Kintanar and Tabara but also with the possibleexpansion of criminal charges under various laws against him and others.But the prosecutor is apparently playing a role or doing a dirtypolitical job assigned by powerful forces, like the Dutch and othergovernments, to persecute and destroy Prof. Sison as well as therepresentation of the NDFP abroad, particularly the NDFP NegotiatingPanel of which I am the chairperson. Moral and material damages continueto be inflicted directly on Prof. Sison and many other persons andentities whose papers, digital files, bank accounts and other materialsand equipment were seized by the police upon the arrest of Prof. Sisonon 28 August 2007.The NDFP and the Filipino people are grievously offended by theinjustices done directly to Prof. Sison and other Filipinos in TheNetherlands. They are outraged that something never done before to anational liberation movement like the African National Congress (ANC)and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is being done to theNDFP. The Dutch government is either wittingly or unwittingly being usedby Washington and the Manila government to conjure and hype the illusionthat Filipino communists are killing each other, a line of deceptionused by the Arroyo regime to justify the extrajudicialkillings,disappearances and other human rights violations. Thisdeceptive line has been exposed by the reports of UN Special RapporteurProf. Philip Alston, Amnesty International, the World Council ofChurches, Human Rights Watch and other respected institutions.The false and politically motivated charge of inciting the murder ofKintanar and Tabara may just be a stepping stone to the charge of warcrimes or crimes against humanity or crimes of terrorism. The maliciouspolitical intent of the US, Dutch and Manila governments may be tostigmatize and destroy Prof. Sison and the NDFP Negotiating Panel andpressure the NDFP to capitulate to the Manila government. But the schemeof these powerful forces may only lead to the complete destruction ofthe peace negotiations between the NDFP and the Manila government andthe intensification of the civil war in the Philippines.There are indications that the Dutch prosecutor intends to expand thecharge of inciting murder to a charge of war crimes in order to get awayfrom the rigorous rule of evidence of direct and personal responsibilityin a case of murder to the rule of command responsibility. If this shiftwere to be done, the Dutch prosecutor will be practically recognizingthe existence of a civil war in the Philippines and accusing Prof. Sisonof being a leader of a belligerent force under international law.But it is utterly ridiculous for the Dutch prosecution to be accusingProf. Sison of command responsibility for war crimes under internationallaw. He came straight from nearly a decade of fascist imprisonment in1986, freed from the charge of rebellion and subversion Since then, hehas been abroad for more than 20 years, always hounded byfalse charges invented by the Manila government but never convicted inany court. It would be a stark case of paradox if Gloria M. Arroyoremains scot-free, despite the gross and systematic violations of humanrights in the Philippines, and Prof. Sison is imprisoned in TheNetherlands.Under the auspices of the US-directed policies of neoliberalglobalization and war of terror, the US and pro-US governments arecapable of doing anything to slander, harm or destroy any individual,organization or movement that fights for national liberation anddemocracy. The Filipino people and the people of the world must bevigilant, resolute and militant against the cumulative attacks beingunleashed by the imperialists and their puppets against Prof. Jose MariaSison, the NDFP Negotiating Panel and the NDFP. ###http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/16254Indigenous Dispossession and Price of Resistance in Sarawak,Malaysian Borneo.January 21, 2008 By Alex HelanAlex Helan's ZSpace PageOn December 17th, the worst fears of the community of Long Kerongwere realised. The shattered skeleton of their headman wasdiscovered in the forest a few hours walk from their longhouse. Thelate Kelesau Naan disappeared after departing for a routine check onhis animal trap that lay in surrounding virgin forests, some of thelast left in Sarawak. Two months later, his wife, Uding Lidemidentified her husband from his watch, still attached to his wrist-bone, which lay alongside his thigh, skull and ribs on the junglefloor. He is another indigenous leader who may well have paid theultimate price for the ongoing saga of indigenous resistance inSarawak.Kelesau Naan was more than a community leader, at 79 he hadunbounded experience of the forest, he commanded respect from allover his tribe ? the Penan -and indeed across the proportion ofSarawak's indigenous community who continue to resist (collectivelycalled the Dayak). He was an integral part of the fragile backboneof indigenous resistance, leading his community through the years ofdirect confrontation with the logging company Samling, whoseresources included the state security services and their politicalpatrons in Sarawak's state government. When, in 1997, Samling'sbulldozers encroached on their ancestral land, the villagers'petitions to Samling and their government were met with customarydisregard while their road blockades were met with tear gas andrifles of Malaysia's military. However, their unrelenting resistancepaid off and, following a court injunction, the community of LongKerong temporarily regained some immediate security over theirnative customary land. The villages' land is communal, consisting ofplanted hill rice, fruit trees and large tracts of primaryrainforest. And in no romantic sense, this land is their livelihoodand the villagers' lives are intimately intertwined with the naturalcycles seasonal produce and raw materials that their forest andfarms provide them with; a seemingly weird and wonderful array ofgame, fish, starchy sago palm, fruiting trees, medicinal herbs,timber for housing, weaving rattan, latex, dyes, soaps and poisons.Aside from the aesthetics that deluded tourists find so gratifying,it is essentially a lifestyle principle that modernity (for now)believes to have rendered obsolete: resourcefulness.Since the 1960s, industrial logging arose as a potent force inSarawak (alongside oil), propelled by Malaysia's compulsive and everelusive drive for `development'. Timber seemed an accessible andseemingly abundant source of quick revenue. However, there was oneseemingly major impediment between the elite's grandiose dreams ofmonetary flow and their realisation: the majority of this timbergrew on the autonomous and communal native customary land ofSarawak's indigenous communities. The undermining of indigenous landrights has been slowly gathering pace since the era of the WhiteRajahs, a British family dynasty of romantic adventures whom (inrelatively) sought the protection of indigenous rights from emergingglobalising commercial pressures. However, following World War II,Sarawak joined the Malaysian Federation under the high browedtutelage of British imperialism and the indigenous people foundthemselves, by default, governed by a state they had little of noconception of. Yet there began their subordination to the `greatereconomic good' of the Malaysian developmental state!It is at this point that the major dismantling of indigenousautonomy and land rights began and nearly forty years later,Sarawak's primary forest cover has been depleted by over 90% andnearly every community has been subject to government `development'programs to utilise `unproductive' and `idle' rural land; `idle'land such as that described above of Long Kerong. Underpinning theexpansion of these operations was an emerging `rhizome' structure ofcorruption, cronyism and opportunism with concessions being awardedby political patronage and without competitive tender. In somecases, local political representatives saw opportunities inpredating on the land of their indigenous constituencies.Throughout the 1980s and 90s, there was wide-scale indigenousresistance that resulted in deaths, beatings, house demolitions andarrests of indigenous activists, while the government continued topass legislation that undermined their legal rights and expeditethese autocratic `development' policies. Headmen were now onlylegitimate if appointed by the state and many were bribed or coercedto consent to commercial operations on their land, betraying theirvillage and demoralizing the communal customs on which indigenouslife traditionally depended upon. Ironically, for all the anti-colonial rhetoric of Malaysia's political elite, such tactics werealso employed by British colonialists to sustain a systemof `decentralised despotism' and ensure expedient production forexports.Hope came with international attention and the beginning of courtinjunctions on behalf of the indigenous communities with the help ofNGOs, organic indigenous activists, opposition politicians and agroup of dissident barristers. In 2001, the first indigenouscommunity of Rumah Nor won its court case and since then hundreds ofcases have been filed and the word is spreading; unfortunately manyonly able to appeal for retrospective compensation.For the Long Kerong, Kelesau Naan was one of the chief witnesses andmain plaintiffs in the court case, which, alongside the fact that hehad lived in the jungle for nearly eighty years, makes hisdisappearance so suspicious. For Samling, the capitulation of LongKerong is a vital strategic asset, with the village leading to theone of the last tracks of un-logged forest in Sarawak; the Sela'anSuling Permanent Forest Estate (PFE) concession.Yet, international pressure can have profound effects. The Swissactivist Bruno Manser (whom also disappeared in dubiouscircumstances) made the plight of the Penan a relative vogue for ashort time, with Al Gore and Prince Charles speaking on the subjectand in 2006, Britain's largest building supplier Jewson Ltd ceasedits imports of Sarawak timber after an expos? in `The Times'newspaper. Unfortunately, the tragic dispossession and conversion ofindigenous land has its purveyors in the international bankingelite. In barefaced contradiction to their claims of SocialCorporative Responsibility, HSBC (the world's green bank), CreditSuisse and Macquarie Bank appear to be unable to turn their back onopportunistic profiteering and last year floated Samling Global onthe Hong Kong stock exchange, earning themselves a handsome HK$142million and allowing Samling to continue their aborrant practices inSarawak and expand them to other congenial territories (withoperations in Malaysia, New Zealand and Guyana).Paradoxically, while HSBC is `proving it's green credentials' byoffering paper banking to `save' the Amazonian rainforest, ittacitly undermines indigenous solidarity and endorses the expansionof a company that has recently been implicated in extensive illegallogging of the Guyanian Amazon. In Sarawak, the struggle to maintainsome remnants of control over their land, culture and futurecontinues, minus Mr Kelesau Naan.http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=135371On Bhutan's sovereigntyBY KAZI GAUTAMIndia's reluctance to help repatriate Bhutanese refugees has furthercomplicated the refugee issue. Of late, Indian authorities in WestBengal prevented Indian parliamentarians from entering Nepal throughthe border at Panitanki. They were planning to visit the refugeecamps to explore ways to address the refugee crisis.The District Magistrate of Darjeeling, Rajesh Pandey, imposed acurfew along the border according to section 144 of the Penal Codewith the sole purpose of stopping the parliamentarians from enteringNepal.However, this was not the first attempt of the Indian government tothwart repatriation of the refugees. The BJP-led government toowasn't interested in resolving the refugee problem, and it did notallow them to return to their homeland. It sided with Bhutan whichhad evicted one-fifth of its population. India, the so-calledlargest democracy in the world, backed the Druk regime in its ethniccleansing drive.Perhaps one-fifth of Bhutan's population would not have beenlanguishing in the UNHCR-administered refugee camps for 17 years hadIndia ever realized that they were ejected by the Druk dictator andthat they should return to Bhutan.India did not see it as an incident of ethnic cleansing. Itsupported Bhutan by not letting the refugees to return home.However, India must realize that the fight for the fundamentalrights of the refugees will continue as long as Bhutan remains anindependent country.In the third week of December 2004, a good few refugees crossed theMechi bridge and made their way towards Bhutan. Unfortunately,Indian police in West Bengal stopped them from proceeding further.Some of the refugees were detained, tortured and later sent back toNepal.Similarly, in January 2005, some 500 refugees marched throughKakkarbhitta and reached the Mechi bridge only to be stopped byIndian security personnel. Another batch of more than 350 refugeeswere halted at the Indo-Bhutan border on July 3. On January 10,Bhutanese security forces arrested 12 refugees crossing into Bhutanat Phuntsholing and handed them over to the Indian authorities. Theywere later dumped at the Mechi bridge.Eventually, the refugee leaders launched what they called the "LongMarch" on May 28, 2007. This time too the refugees couldn't get pastthe Indian security forces. In 1994, India banned a cycle rally thatplanned to highlight the refugee question and interceptedparliamentarians citing poor security. India's indifference hasreached a point where it can be called anti-Nepal. In the 1980's,India's state paramilitary forces threw out thousands of Nepalisfrom the northeast.The relationship between Bhutan and India is not a recent one. In1958, India's first prime minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru,addressed the people of Bhutan in Paro. Subsequently in 1961,Bhutan's Indian-designed Five Year Plan was launched. Since then,India has been guiding Bhutan in every aspect of its socio-economicdevelopment, including getting it admitted into the Colombo Plan in1962 and the Universal Postal Union in 1969. India also helpedBhutan in removing one-fifth of its people.Furthermore, Bhutan's first census (1964-71) was completed withIndian assistance. From 1961 until 1980, India's National PlanningCommission handled Bhutan's development projects. The IndianMilitary Training Team provides training to the Bhutanese armedforces at Haa. Also, skilled Indians are working in the fields ofhealth, education, public works and communication, among manyothers. It was with Indian help that the National Assembly wasestablished in 1953, and the Nepali-speaking community was acceptedinto the mainstream only in 1958. Two visionary Indian leaders,Pandit Nehru and Indira Gandhi, had always envisioned a peaceful,inclusive and independent Bhutan.However, Mrs Gandhi's son and successor, Rajiv Gandhi, conspiredwith King Jigme Singye Wangchuk who reversed the 1958 CitizenshipAct to set in motion the process of ejecting Lhotsampas from Bhutan.Nehru had guaranteed Bhutan's status as a sovereign state during hisParo public address, while Mrs Gandhi had said that Bhutan shouldnot compare its political status with Sikkim's.The Bhutanese king, after consulting with his personal aide KalyonJaphag Dorjee, had even directed his foreign minister Lyonpo DawaTshering to seek Mrs Gandhi's view. Her positive response clarifiedeverything.India has, no doubt, been Bhutan's greatest benefactor. It financedin full Bhutan's first, second and third Five Year Plans, besideshelping it qualify for membership in the United Nations in 1971. TheTreaty of Peace and Friendship signed between Bhutan and India in1949 underlines that Bhutan shall be guided by India in matters offoreign affairs. Not to forget, India has adroitly avoided gettinginvolved in any of the refugee talks between Nepal and Bhutan.It is true that Bhutan's politically conscious citizens are livingin exile. Given India's indifference, repatriation of the refugeesseems impossible. Interestingly, King Jigme and his son have becomeIndians. Apart from Nehru and Mrs Gandhi, none of the Indianministers seems to consider Bhutan an independent kingdom.India's motive behind its intervention in Bhutan's daily affairsmust be read between the lines. In fact, India is a greater schemer,and its behavior smacks of hypocrisy. The realization may comebelatedly after Bhutan has been turned into an Indian state.Posted on: 2008-01-25 20:15:03 (Server Time)http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/feb/feb26/news06.phpA rights groups criticises Bhutan govt for action against minoritiesA report by a rights group has criticised the Druk regime in Bhutan for aspate of crackdown and arrest of minorities.Issuing a statement on Monday, Human Rights Organisation of Bhutan (HUROB)has said that "if the crackdown by the Bhutanese government against its owncitizens continues then it will cause another exodus of the people from thecountry for safety and security of their life and of their families.""Therefore, we request all to raise the issue with the Royal Government ofBhutan without delay to stop arresting people on doubts of being affiliatedto a political party and belief in particular ideology. So that people liveand enjoy peace without fear and trepidation and another phase of humanmisery is not created," HUROB said in the statement signed by its chairmanS.B Subba.It also said the Royal Bhutan Police is arresting mainly Nepali speakinglocals in the district of Samchi by charging them of being activists of theCommunist Party of Bhutan-Marxist, Leninist and Maoist (CPB-MLM) and makingthem disappear.According to HUROB, the condition and whereabouts of one Lal Bahadur Chettriof Katarey village in Samchi district is still not known even after a yearof his arrest by the Royal Bhutan Police on allegation of being CPB-MLMmember. Soon after that his son Devi Bahadur Chettri was also arrestedwithout any reason and is being kept in Samchi jail.HUROB said it is very concerned of the safety and security of the twoprisoners."As in the past, the prisoners might be facing inhuman tortures and crueltreatments," the human rights organisation said adding that prisoners arealways kept incommunicado till they are convicted in Bhutan, barring them ofa fair trial. nepalnews.com ag Feb 26 08........................................................Help stop arrests in Bhutan : HUROBPOST REPORThttp://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=138874KAKADBHITTA, Feb 25 - Human Rights Organization Bhutan (HUROB) onMonday drew the attention of the international community and urgedthe latter to take initiative to immediately stop the indiscriminatecrackdown and arrest of citizens by the Bhutanese government.Issuing a statement, HUROB said the latest atrocities against localsby the Druk government were aimed at chasing them away from thecountry.It also said security forces were arresting locals in the northerndistrict of Samchi and also making others disappear by charging themof being activists of the Communist Party of Bhutan- Marxist,Leninist and Maoist (CPB-MLM).According to the human rights organization, one Lal Bahadur Chhetriof Katahare village of the district was made to disappear bysecurity forces after his arrest in May last year on the charge ofbeing an activist of BCP-MLM.Similarly, the statement also said his son Devi Bahadur was held 10days ago without any reason.http://rastibini.blogspot.com/2008/01/appearances.htmlSunday, January 27, 2008APPEARANCES"In Spain, the 28 murders committed by the GAL have become a matterof concern at the highest government level, whereas in Turkey, whichlikes to present itself as a law-abiding state and which is seekingadmission to the European Union, not one single perpetrator of morethan 4,500 unsolved murders carried out since 1991 - the so-called 'faili mesul cinayetleri'- has thus far been arrested. In mycountry, the murderers are on the streets and the intellectuals arebehind bars."~ Ak?n Birdal.http://mondediplo.com/1998/07/05turkeyWith the recent Ergenekon arrests, one should bear in mind thatthings are not always what they appear to be in Turkey. As oneanonymous commenter remarked [emphasis Mizg?n's]:https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19312979&postID=3286460529957423297&isPopup=trueErgenekon was a part of the Turkish deep state. The Turkish statedidn?t make a move against the deep state, there motive was againstthis fraction that operate independent. This was a clear messagefrom the Turkish deep state. This was only matter of time. Ourfreedom movement PKK told the media many times in the past of thefractions inside the Turkish deep state. This is evidence!As I mentioned, "we should not expect too much from this so-called 'operation'". It's very likely that Veli K???k's Ergenekongang will take the fall for purposes unclear at this moment.Remember, nature abhors a vacuum even in connection with the DeepState and their Islamist brothers. Let no one mistake the Ergenekonarrests for an exercise in the practice of democracy on the part ofthe AKP government, a government that is carefully controlled by thereal rulers of the Ankara regime--the Pa?as.Reality is explained well by a heval at Kleine Kurdistan-Kolumne:http://kurdistan-kolumne.blogspot.com/2008/01/ergenekon-welcher-staat-funktioniert.htmlBut appearances can be vastly misleading. Members of paramilitaryterror gangs are arrested and released often. Most of those nowarrested already appeared in the 1996 Susurluk scandal, and remainedunmolested. Especially Veli K???k, the imagined mighty founder ofJITEM, the worst state-terrorism group of the'90s, enjoyed ahitherto unprecedented immunity. It remains to be seen whether thatimmunity for the obvious sponsors of the "Ergenekon" and likelyperpetrators of the murder of Hrant Dink, now gets more than just afew scratches himself.The "deep state" is unfortunately more than just a gang of 30 ultra-nationalists. It is based on a broad ideological consensus againstKurds, Christians and Left, and its ramifications extend far intobureaucracy, security apparatus and politics. To render the deepstate unworkable requires a little more than a few media arrests. Aslong as Erdogan rides on the wave of nationalism, the shock of hispolice against a few excesses, especially anti-government, remainsimplausible.Vahe Balabanian at Hyeloghttp://hyelog.blogspot.com/2008/01/kk-gives-orders-to-kill.htmlcarries a portion of an article from Sabahhttp://english.sabah.com.tr/42DD1E1F19E54BEAA97AC7228DDB3D8C.htmlwhich mentions some of the assassinations ordered by K???k. Inanother article from Sabah, Abdullah G?l is quoted as saying "Therewill be no unresolved murders," except in The Southeast, naturally.Meanwhile, Zaman outlines some of the charges against the Ergenekongang:http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=132507Evidence so far also suggests that 700 kilograms of explosives foundloaded on a van in ?stanbul belonged to this gang. An attack againstthe Association for the Union of Patriotic Forces (VKGB), also amurky group with shadowy affiliations, in Diyarbak?r was actuallystaged by the VKGB itself, according the investigation. The attackhad then been blamed on the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)organization.Ah, yes, false flag operations . . . the hallmark of Gladio.http://mediafilter.org/CAQ/caq61/CAQ61turkey.htmlIt's odd, isn't it, that with all the talk of the alleged "War onTerror," that guys like those in the Ergenekon gang are neverreferred to as terrorists?Now why is that?Posted by Mizg?n at 8:12 PM------------------------------------------------------------------------------[From: Chechnya Weekly (The Jamestown Foundation, USA)January 31, 2008?Volume IX, Issue 4]http://www.jamestown.orgKarachaevo-Cherkessia: A Small War with Big RepercussionsBy Fatima TlisovaDuring the past few months, the Karachaevo-Cherkessia Republic (KCR)has remained below the mass media's radar. In the meantime, theevents unfolding in the republic illustrate a growing confrontationbetween the Russian authorities and the separatists. Despite theofficial announcements that the Karachaevo Jamaat has beeneradicated (Vremya Novostei, January 24), a number of developmentsdemonstrate that the underground is alive and well. In fact, thearea of influence of the so-called jamaat has spread beyond themountainous part of Karachaevo.On January 26, KCR Interior Minister Nikolai Osiak said that a videosurveillance system code-named "Safe City" will be installed in theKCR capital Cherkessk in 2008 (RIA Novosti, January 16).According to the minister's statement, the installation of thisexpensive system is vital to ensuring an adequate level of securityin the capital. Video surveillance is an extraordinary acquisitionfor a republic in which federal subsidies account for 97 percent ofthe local budget and all economic indices rank near the bottom ofthe list of the Russian Federation's federal subjects.The leaders of the KCR's law enforcement and military agencies dohave reasons to be concerned.On January 23, one of the members of the Karachaevo-Cherkessiajamaat, a 32-year old Stavropol Krai resident Pavel Novikov(Abdullah), was detained in Moscow. Russia's mass media refer toNovikov as a leader of the Karachaevo Jamaat (RIA Novosti, January23), but in truth Novikov was a member of the group headed by RustamIonov, an ethnic Abazin. Importantly, the arrest was a jointoperation of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the federalInterior Ministry's Anti-Terrorism Center, not the local specialservices.Rustam Ionov (Abu Bakr), the group leader, was assassinated alongwith his wife in the fall of 2007 during an attempt to cross theRussia-Georgia border (Regnum, September 5, 2007). Ionov was bornand lived in the Abazin village of Psyzh, which is just across theKuban River from Cherkessk. He was able to establish one of the mosteffective and largest jamaats in the KCR?around 35 members,according to official data. Ionov's group included mostly Abazin andCherkess members with a handful of Russians and Karachays. The groupconsidered itself a part of the Caucasus Front and actedindependently to plan and carry out assassinations of RussianFederation law enforcement personnel across the entire territory ofthe KCR.Rustam Ionov was also involved with Camagat.org, a websitecontaining information on the activities of the Karachaevo-Cherkessia jamaat as well as an extensive photo and documentcollection related to the Kabardino-Balkaria jamaat. The site hasbeen hacked numerous times and was taken offline in the summer of2007.Ionov's assassination exposed his group and 27 members werearrested. Four more members known to the special services escapedand are currently wanted by the authorities.The Karachaevo Jamaat, whose zone of influence and active operationswere confined to the mountainous part of Karachaevo and thesouthwestern part of the republic, had to go deep underground evenprior to these events. In the spring of 2007, a number of specialoperations conducted by the FSB and Interior Ministry in villagesformally known as Cossack settlements resulted in the killing of 12jamaat members.In December 2006, one of the jamaat leaders, Tokov, was surroundedin a residential building and killed after the building was stormed;another Karachaevo native, Salpagarov, was arrested during the sameoperation. At the same time, the KCR's FSB branch helped disseminateinformation on the ties between the Karachaevo Jamaat and KCRPresident Mustafa Batdyev (Kommersant, December 26, 2006). Despitethat, Batdyev managed to stay in office while his son-in-lawreceived a lengthy prison term.After a number of actions in the southwestern part of the KCR andthe elimination of Ionov's group, the director of Russia's FSB,Nikolai Patrushev, announced that the Karachaevo Jamaat had beeneradicated.However, on December 26, 2006, shortly after Patrushev made hisstatement, a young man opened fire and killed a police sergeantduring a document check in Cherkessk. Afterwards, he detonated thebomb hidden in his gym bag and received lethal wounds. Theinteresting thing about this incident is that the fighter hailedfrom the Khabez district, an ethnically homogeneous area in which 90percent of the residents are Cherkess or Abazin who had neverpreviously been associated with jamaats.In May 2007, the first "clean-up" operation in the Cherkessia partof the KCR took place in the Khabez district's central mosque.Notably, the operation was conducted by an OMON division speciallysent from Cherkessk, not by the local police. Approximately 160young men were forcibly detained as they were leaving the mosque andtaken to the police precinct, where they were kept for a long time,fingerprinted and photographed.The Cherkess and Abazin roots of Tishkov and Ionov's group, as wellas the massive clean-up action in Khabez, suggest that the Cherkesspopulation of the KCR has joined the resistance movement. Thereasons that the FSB prefers not to announce that fact publicly arealso quite clear.The spread of resistance ideas among the Cherkess youth has mostcertainly been triggered by the developments in Kabardino-Balkaria.The young people were obviously very much influenced by the factthat the underground leader in the neighboring republic is ofKabardinian nobility (Kabardins, Cherkess and Adygs are the samepeople, who were artificially split into three groups by Russia),while an overwhelming number of those who took part in the Nalchikoperation in October 2005 were Cherkess (Kabardins).Another reason Russia's special services are keeping quiet is therisk posed by the growing authority of the resistance movement inAdygeya, another Cherkess republic. Looking into the future, theMoscow camp will certainly be concerned if the young Cherkess fromthe 6-million strong Circassian diaspora become involved in thestruggle for freedom in the Caucasus.Along with an increasing numbers of troops and personnel of theDefense Ministry, Interior Ministry, FSB and GRU in the republic,the Kremlin is trying to reactivate another time-proven weaponagainst the Caucasus resistance by providing financial and emotionalsupport to the Cossacks.In January 2008, the Russian government adopted a special program tosupport Cossacks in the KCR and Adygeya. Five million rubles (morethan $200,000) were earmarked for Cossacks in the KCR alone in 2008.Since 2000, Cossacks have been permitted to carry knives andfirearms, something that remains a criminal offense for members ofother social and ethnic groups in the Caucasus. In addition tospecial funding incentives, the government is also providing theCossacks with ideological support. On January 25, the KCR's massmedia reported that churches in the KCR and Adygeya held services tocommemorate Cossack casualties of Communist political repressionduring the Soviet period.The measures pursued by Kremlin are clear proof that the threat ofCherkess retaliation remains real. It seems that Russia failed toresolve the problem in Cherkessia even after the eradication of theentire country and forcible deportation of its population. Russia isnow facing the threat of Cherkessian consolidation within andoutside the Caucasus, and it is perhaps ready to make someconcessions.One of the signs of Russia's wavering is its policy toward thegenocide issue. Earlier, any demands to acknowledge Russia'sgenocide against the Circassians in the 19th century were stronglyrebuffed, but in January 2008, Zvezda, a St. Petersburg-basedacademic journal, published an article entitled "A CherkessiaAtlantis," which hints that it would be possible and even desirablefor Moscow to admit its wrongs against the Circassians.However, the article's author, Yakov Gordin, made it clear that thegenocide may be acknowledged to provide validation of a strictlyemotional character, with no financial, territorial or status-related obligations assumed toward the Cherkess; an emotional boneto throw, of sorts. What is important about this article is theauthor's connection to Vladimir Putin: Yakov Gordin stands close tothe Russian president as his advisor on national policy.Fatima Tlisova is a Fellow at the Carr Center for Human RightsPolicy at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.---------------------------------------------------------------HOW TO 'CARVE OUT A TERRORIST' FROM AN INNOCENT PERSONAND SAY IT WORKSby Subhash Gatade(Judge: The papers on my table show he isnot Mukhtar. So what is his real name?Officer: He is actually Aftab Alam Ansari.Judge: That means you have arrested awrong person. How can this horrible blunder takeplace?The officer stayed silent.Judge: If he is neither Mukhtar nor Raju,why did not you write that in the petitionclearly? Have you written that? Please underlinethat and show it to me.As the officer began scanning the petition,he looked puzzled.Judge: I'm not going to accept thispetition. Please go and make a fresh one.)Aftab Alam Ansari, an electrician with a powercompany in Kolkatta, is finally free. And theordeal through which he had to go through as a'terrorist' is finally over.Recently he met withthe Chief Minister of Bengal to apprise him ofthe whole situation and seek help for hismother's failing health.It is now history how he was arrested fromBaranagar in Kolkatta on 27th November withBengal police's help supposedly for 'ferrying theentire cache of explosives for the Novemberblasts in UP'.It is now revealed that the Special Task Force ofthe UP Police had been set on Aftab's trail by aclaim by two arrested militants - Mohamad Khalidand Tariq Quazmi - that the mastermind of thecourt blasts in the state called himself Aftab aswell as Mukhtar, Raju and Bangladeshi. The duohowever, had mentioned no middle name or surname.Though Aftab is now free, Ayesha Begum - Aftab'smother has other worries staring in her eyes.Whether they would be able to live a normal lifeand would ever be able to get out of the 'stigma'attached to the whole operation and Aftab's briefsojourn in Jail.It is now clear that Aftab's arrest by theover enthusiastic UP STF was a case of mistakenidentity as he also hailed from Gorakhpur likethe ringleader of the November blast and alsoshared his nickname 'Mukhtar'.But now that Aftab, a innocent citizen of thiscountry is free at last, will it be OK to saythat the tragedy which befell Aftab would be thelast one of its kind. And henceforth no Aftabliving on this part of the earth would ever betraumatised in a similar manner. Looking at thetrack record of the Indian police and the bigotryand sectarianism of the powers that be it wouldbe dishonesty to make any such grand claim.In fact the day the news of Aftab's freedom injail appeared, one came across the stricturespassed by the Maharashtra high court against theMaharashtra police's arbitrariness in handlingthe Khwaja Yunus case. It is now history howKhwaja Yunus, a Gulf returned software engineer,was arrested by the police on December 27, 2002and booked under the Prevention of Terrorism Act,in connection with the Ghatkopar blast. OnJanuary 7, 2003 Yunus was found dead amidstpolice claims that he had escaped after thevehicle in which he was being escorted toAurangabad had met with an accident. Later it wasrevealed that Yunus was tortured to death by somepolice officers. After persistent protests byhuman rights activists about this custodial deathand struggle for justice launched by Yunus'smother Aasiya Begum, FIR was lodged against theguilty policemen. Of course the dillydallying onpart of the Maharashtra government continuedunabated.The highcourt 's query was simple 'Whywere ten top police officers initially named byCID for their alleged involvment in the custodialdeath of Yunus let off ?'While Aftab is finally a free man, MohammadMoarif Qamar and Irshad Ali, two residents ofDelhi seem to be not so lucky even afterlanguishing in jail for more than two years. Bothof them were victims of well-planned conspiracyhatched by the Special Cell of the Delhi Policein collaboration with the intelligence bureauoperatives. CBI found to its dismay that IBofficials colluded with Delhi police personnel to'plant' RDX on these youths who were arrested as'Al Badr' terrorists. While Qamar was abductedfrom his Bhajanpura residence on Dec 22, 2005itself ; Irshad Ali had gone missing from hisSultanpuri home 10 days earlier. Their relativeshad informed the police about their suddendisappearance. On February 9, 2006 the familymembers were told that both had been arrestedwith 2 Kg RDX and pistols. It was clear that theywere kept in illegal detention by the specialcell all this while. One can just imagine if thehigh courts had not intervened in the case anddirected the CBI to look into the matter, the'terrorist' label on both these youths would havestuck to them all their lives.May it be the case of Aftab or for that matterKhwaja Yunus, or Mohammad Qamar, Irshad Ali - itis becoming increasingly clear that framing ofinnocents and branding them as terrorist is thelatest norm among lawkeepers of the country.Ofcourse anyone familiar with the Indian situationmay easily notice the continuity in the rampantmisuse of various laws of detention andconfinement. Post 9/11 a significant change hasoccured in the whole process. It is for everyoneto see that Muslims as a community areincreasingly becoming the target ofcriminalisation and terrorisation.To be very frank, in all such cases it isdifficult to differentiate whether the people areruled by forces of the 'programmatic communalistvariety ( like the BJP or Shiv Sena) or the'pragmatic communalists' like Congress.It then becomes impossible to forget MohammadAfroz , who was arrested after 9/11by the Mumbaipolice and was charged for planning a terroristattack . It was told to the pliant media thenthat this 'dreaded terrorist' wanted to crash aplane piloted by him on the British house ofCommons and Australia. A special team from Mumbaipolice especially went to these countries butcould not bring back any evidence. Ultimately ittook the whole charge as a grand fabrication. Itwas a time when Maharashtra was ruled by aSecular front which comprised of parties likeCongress and NCP.The 'dreaded terrorists' arrested in connectionwith the five year old attack on the Raghunathtemple in Jammu also faced similar ordeal.Thecourts finally absolved all the accused of anycharges and advised the police to properly useits minds in handling sensitive cases of suchnature.These innocent people had to languish injail for such a long period for no fault oftheirs.It is worth noting that despite many such fiascosthe powers that be never attempt to draw anyimportant lesson to avoid recurrence of suchincidents. On the contrary, the whole attempt isto 'individualise' all such cases and proceedwith the established practice of stigmatisationand brutalisation of the social and religiousminorities.It is high time that they are told about the waythe Canadian government handled similar case.Canadian-Syrian Mahel Arar - a young softwareengineer - was seized by CIA operatives during astopover at New York in 2002 and was secretlysent to Syria.Lodged in a grave like cell inSyria, Arar was repeatedly tortured to extractinformation which he did not know. Ultimately histormentors released him within a span of year andhalf without ever being charged with a crime.Looking back it is clear that Mahel Arar became avictim of the Islamophobia manufactured by thelikes of Bush-Blair in the immediate aftermath of9/11.Last year Stephen Harper, Prime Minister ofCanada sought public apology for the ordeal whichMaher went through and for the role played byCanadian officials in the whole affair . TheCanadian government also gave him nine milliondollars as compensation. Mr Harper said in fullpublic view of the media "On behalf of thegovernment of Canada, I wish to apologize to you,Monia Mazigh (Arar's wife) and your family forany role Canadian officials may have played inthe terrible ordeal that all of you experiencedin 2002 and 2003."Is anyone listening ?- subhash gatade, h 4 pusa apts, rohini sector15, delhi 110085 Ph: 011-27872835Sukhia Sab Sansar Khaye Aur SoyeDukhia Das Kabir Jagey Aur Roye-------------------------------------------------------I Turn a Bad Thing into a Good Thing' ? SisonNDFP chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison's listing asa "foreign terrorist" in 2002 brought about the suspension of hisbenefits and pension, and restrictions on his right to travel. "ButI turn a bad thing into a good thing," he said.BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINOBulatlatVol. VII, No. 50, January 27-February 2, 2008http://www.bulatlat.com/2008/01/i-turn-bad-thing-good-thing-sisonFor Jose Maria Sison, chief political consultant of the NationalDemocratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), coping with the day-to-day-demands of life and work has in the last five years remainedpossible largely by getting personal loans from friends."My living conditions are extremely difficult," Sison shared in an e-mail interview with Bulatlat.The e-mail interview between Sison and Bulatlat was conductedfollowing a Jan. 21 global press conference held by the NDFPInternational Office. Philippine media were able to attend the pressconference through Internet audio-video patch facilitated by theNDFP-nominated section of the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC).As an asylum seeker, Sison is entitled to social benefits and old-age pension in the Netherlands but is not allowed to seek employmentthere. But even these ? his only source of "livelihood" ? have beenwithheld since 2002, when he was listed by the U.S. Department ofState and the Council of the European Union as a "foreign terrorist."Aside from these, his listing as a "foreign terrorist" also broughtabout restrictions on his right to travel."But I turn a bad thing into a good thing," Sison said. "Because Ihave no money to go places and to go on holidays and because I amalso explicitly restricted from traveling, I have more time to readand write and I have ample opportunity to think and exercise myfreedom of thought and expression in the interest of the Filipinopeople and other peoples."A poet and revolutionarySison ? a poet, essayist, and political analyst ? taught English andSocial Science courses at his alma mater, the University of thePhilippines (UP), and the Lyceum of the Philippines in the 1960s,after graduating with honors in 1959.He founded the progressive organizations Student CulturalAssociation of the University of the Philippines (SCAUP) andKabataang Makabayan (KM). He was later also involved in the workers'and peasant movements through the Lapiang Manggagawa (Workers Party)and the Malayang Samahan ng Magsasaka (MASAKA or Free Association ofPeasants). He became secretary-general of the Socialist Party of thePhilippines (SPP) and, later, the Movement for the Advancement ofNationalism (MAN).But he is best known as the founding chairman of the Communist Partyof the Philippines (CPP).In 1968 he led a group that broke away from the leadership of theLava brothers in the old Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP) due toideological differences, and re-established the party as the CPP.Under Sison's leadership, the CPP rapidly gained strength andtogether with the NPA, its armed component, which was founded in1969, it developed into one of the strongest organized forcesopposed to the U.S.-Marcos regime during the martial law years.He was the CPP's highest-ranking leader from its reestablishmentuntil he was arrested by the Marcos dictatorship in 1977.Released in 1986 by virtue of then President Corazon Aquino'sgeneral amnesty proclamation for political prisoners, Sison gotinvolved in a number of legal political activities and evendelivered a series of lectures at his alma mater, the University ofthe Philippines (UP).In 1988, he found himself having to apply for political asylum afterthe Aquino government cancelled his passport while he was in Europeon a speaking tour. He has since lived in the Netherlands as anasylum seeker."Terror" listingIn 2002, the CPP-NPA was included by the U.S. Department of State inits list of "foreign terrorist organizations." Sison was also listedas a "foreign terrorist." The Dutch government listed the CPP-NPAand Sison in its own terror list a day after the U.S. listing.According to Jan Fermon, one of Sison's lawyers, the Dutch ForeignMinistry admitted in its website that the inclusion of the CPP-NPAand Sison in its list of terrorists was done to comply with therequest of the U.S. government. It likewise stated that 150 Dutchcompanies have investments in the Philippines and that Holland isone of the major investors now in the country. It added that theonly burden in the relationship between Holland and the Philippinesis the presence of what they called the communist leadership inUtrecht.The Netherlands is at present one of the leading U.S. allies inEurope ? next only to the United Kingdom.The Council of the European Union followed suit in listing Sison asa "terrorist" later that year.On May 29, 2007 the Council of the European Union decided to retainSison in its "terrorist" list. This decision was annulled by theJuly 11 verdict of the European Court of First Instance (ECFI).On Aug. 28 that same year, Sison was arrested by Dutch police inUtrecht for allegedly ordering the murders of former CPP-NPA leadersKintanar and Tabara in 2003 and 2004, respectively ? an accusationhe has denied. His apartment, the homes of a few other NDFPnegotiators, and the NDFP International Office were raided andseveral important items like computers, hard disks, and filesrelated to the NDFP's peace negotiations with the Government of theRepublic of the Philippines (GRP) were taken.The CPP-NPA leadership in the Philippines has owned up to thekillings of both Kintanar and Tabara, citing them for "crimesagainst the Revolution."On Sept. 13, the District Court of The Hague ordered Sison's releasedue to lack of direct and sufficient evidence against him. Part ofthe decision reads thus:"The police files submitted to the court include many indicationsfor the point of view that the accused has been involved in the CC(Central Committee) of the CPP and her military branch, the (NPA).There are also indications that the accused is still playing aleading role in the (underground) activities of the CC, the CPP andthe NPA."Without prejudice to the justified suspicion that the accusedduring the period described in the charges played a leading role inthe aforementioned organizations, the files nevertheless do notprovide a sufficient basis for the suspicion that the accused, whilestaying in the Netherlands, committed the offenses he is chargedwith in deliberate and close cooperation with the perpetrators inthe Philippines."Last Jan. 18, however, the Dutch Public Prosecution Serviceannounced that it would continue its investigation of Sison'salleged involvement in the killings of Kintanar and Tabara up to themiddle of this year. This development was the subject of the Jan. 21global press conference.ConfidentDespite all these, Sison remains in a fighting stance and throwingin the towel is the farthest thing from his mind."After consultations with my lawyer, I let him do the work in mylegal defense," he said."I am not at all mentally and physically weighed down by the furtherinvestigation announced by the prosecutor. I am confident aboutwinning my case completely because the charge is patently false andpolitically motivated and because so far I have won several courtdecisions pertaining to it."He admits, however, that the "ceaseless persecution" and prolongedsuspension of his benefits and pension "adversely affect" his livingconditions."They expose the brutal character of imperialist states like theU.S. and the Netherlands," he said. Bulatlathttp://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article25852Ethiopia's Meles and Sudan's Beshir: Unholy AllianceWednesday 6 February 2008 03:30By Adane AtanawFebruary 5, 2008 ? On the basis of tangible evidence, Meles'sgovernment wants more than mere victories over his opponents. Hewants blood. Your blood, if you are opposing his ethnic segregationmisrule. Every last drop of it. Let him get an opposingparty/individuals down and he exercise his blood lust, even goingafar for more victims beyond internationally recognized territories,as he did to the Ethiopian refugees in Sudan and Kenya recently.Sadly, a neighboring country of Sudan solidly conspires with Meles'sheinous criminal act for untold suffering of Ethiopians.On July 7 2007, the Sudanese security agents at the request of theTPLF government rounded-up and arrested over 20 Ethiopian politicalrefugees from Khartoum and Gedaref area. The refugees were legallyregistered by UNHCR and Sudanese office of the refugee and neverbeen a security threat to the Sudanese government. They wereunarmed, law-abiding individuals who were under the protection ofthe Sudanese people and government from political persecution ofTPLF in Ethiopia.Seven weeks after the arrest, eyewitness, international humanitarianorganizations, privately Sudanese officials and other sourcesconformed that the Sudanese government had answered favorably to therequest of the TPLF regime and turned them over forcibly againsttheir will to the Meles regime on September 27 2007, at the borderEthiopian town of Metema. Since then no one knows exactly what hashappened to their wellness at the hand of Meles's TPLF regime inEthiopia.Regrettably, among those political refugees forcibly handed over tothe TPLF regime against their will has lived in the Sudan as arefugee since the takeover of Ethiopia by the TPLF in 1991: AtoAtanaw Wasie, founder and member of the leadership of the EthiopianDemocratic Union (EDU) - one of Ethiopian strong political partiesthat fought against the military junta "Dergue" in the 80's, is oneof the forcibly returned victims of Meles. He is languishing inTPLF's prison in complete isolation and harsh condition. What washis crime? Hasn't he suffered enough under the Dergue? No doubt theTPLF has turned itself excelling the Dergue in all category evenworse with divisive ethnic politics.The Beshir government decision forcibly to handover the defenselessrefugees to the TPLF regime they opposed, however, not only violatedhuman right, but also his own declared constitution andinternational law. The action of the Sudanese government defiescommon sense and shattered long held mutual trust between the peopleof Ethiopia and the Sudan. The naked inhuman treatment of theSudanese government against defenseless refugees is troubling, bad-precedence, shortsighted, and insensitive to human suffering anddisgusting at best. At least, the government of Sudan could haveoffered an opportunity to the refugees to seek third country forasylum instead of endangering their lives by turning them-over tothe vindictive TPLF sharks. Alas, what prompted the Sudanesegovernment to take such drastic action against defenseless refugeesunder his custody is hard to rationalize and remained a puzzle formany who followed the politics of the Sudan.http://palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article10Palestine Monitor factsheetTorture ?Israel is the sole country in the world to have legalized the useof torture?B?Tselem, The Israeli Information Center for Human RightsTorture: The Facts Since the beginning of the Occupation in 1967, over650,000 Palestinians have been arrested by Israel. Almost 95% of them havebeen subjected to some form of torture or cruel, inhuman and degradingtreatment.Since 1967, over 105 documented torture techniques have been used by Israel.At least 66 Palestinians have been tortured to death.To date, no Israeli official has ever been charged and sentenced fortorture-related crimes.Israel justifies torture by designating the Palestinian Territories as beingunder ?exceptional circumstances?. But this is a direct violation ofthe 1984 Convention Against Torture, ratified by Israel in 1991. Article2(2) states that ?no exceptional circumstances whatsoever... may be invokedas a justification of torture?.The right of every person not to be subjected to torture or cruel, inhumanor degrading treatment is one of the few human rights that are consideredabsolute. It is forbidden to balance this right against other rights andvalues, or suspend or restrict this right, under any circumstances.Methods of Torture Detainees are frequently ?softened up? before theirinterrogation starts. Any examination of torture therefore has to considerthe cumulative impact of the conditions imposed on a detainee.The methods of unlawful treatment include:? Isolation, including prohibiting meetings with attorneys and relatives toexacerbate the sense of powerlessness;? Confinement in cells lacking daylight without any items to pass the time,to induce sensory deprivation;? Weakening of the body by preventing physical activity, sleep disturbance,and inadequate food supply;? Cuffing in the ?shabah? position, i.e. painful binding of the prisoner?shands and feet to a chair;? Intimidation, cursing and humiliation by threats, strip searches, shoutingand spitting.Detainees are also subjected to direct physical violence, such as:? Dry beatings;? Tightening of handcuffs;? Violent shaking;? Sharp twisting of the head;? The ?frog? crouch (forcing the detainee to crouch on tiptoes for extendedperiods);? The ?banana? position (bending the back of the detainee in an arch whilstthey are seated on a backless chair with their hands and feet bound).In the ?banana position? a detainee?s back is bent into an arch for extendedperiods of time. Torture and Israeli Law In 1987, the Israeli governmentestablished a commission headed by former Supreme Court President MosheLandau, to investigate methods of interrogation used by the General SecurityServices.The Landau Commission concluded that in cases in which obtaining informationis necessary in order to save lives, the investigator is entitled to apply?a moderate degree of physical pressure?. However, the guidelines of thisaccepted form of physical pressure - which per se contradicts article 2(2)of the Convention Against Torture - still remain undisclosed.In 1996, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRC) submitted itsconcluding observations to Israel?s first report regarding the InternationalCovenant on Civil and Political Rights. The UN HRC stated that ?... themethods of interrogation, which were described by non-governmentalorganizations... were neither confirmed nor denied by Israel. The committeemust therefore assume them to be accurate?.Under international law, statements resulting from torture cannot be invokedas evidence in any judicial proceedings. However, under Israeli law,information extracted from detainees by any means can be used freely intrials, except for confessions. In 1999, the Israeli Supreme Court statedthat ?if it emerges that the means of pressure, whatever they were, did notactually influence the interrogee... it should not be said that theconfession was the result of the use of improper means?.The Pretext of ?Ticking Bombs? In 1999 the Israeli Supreme Court held thatsecurity officials do not have legal authority to use physical means ofinterrogation that are not ?reasonable and fair?. However, the Court statedthat interrogators who used prohibited ?physical pressure? may avoidcriminal responsibility if it is subsequently found that they acted ?in theproper circumstances?.By stating that the necessity defence ?likely arises? in the case of?ticking bombs? even when the danger is not immediate, the Supreme Courtfailed to clearly identify these ?proper circumstances?.In this way, every Palestinian can be viewed as the ?clue? that leads tovital information that can prevent an attack in the near future.Torture During the Two Intifadas During the First Intifada (1987-1993)Israeli security forces interrogated approximately 23,000 Palestinians. ThePublic Committee Against Torture in Israel estimates that almost all of themendured some form of torture.Methods frequently used against detainees included:? Tying up detainees in painful positions for hours or days;? Solitary confinement and confinement in tiny, cramped cubicles;? Beatings;? Covering the detainee?s head with a sack;? Violent shaking;? Deprivation of sleep and food;? Exposure to extreme cold or heat;? Verbal and psychological abuse;? Sexual abuse;? Threats against the detainee?s life or family members? lives;? Lack of adequate clothing or hygiene.Since the outbreak of the Second Intifada in September 2000, violations haveincreased and become more systematic.Responsibility for investigating suspected offences committed by securityforces rests with the Israeli State Attorney. Since 2000, the State Attorney?s Office has received over 500 complaints. To date it has not ordered asingle investigation related to torture.The Use of Human Shields is Torture During the 2002 massacre in Jeninrefugee camp, residents were used as ?human shields? by Israeli soldiers.They were forced at gunpoint to lead the way into homes, opening doors whichthe soldiers thought might be booby-trapped.The use of human shields is a breach of article 16 of the Convention AgainstTorture.The Israeli Supreme Court forbade this practice on 6 October 2005.Israeli soldiers have continued to use human shields. Palestinain childrenas young as 11 were used as human shields during an Israeli militaryinvasion of Nablus in March 2007.13 year-old Mohammad Badwan was tied by the arm to an Israeli military jeepin Biddo in April 2004. Torture and International Law The 1984 ConventionAgainst Torture defines torture as ?any act by which severe pain orsuffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on aperson for such purposes as obtaining information or a confession, punishingor intimidating or coercing him... when such pain or suffering is inflictedby a public official?.Israel is the only state party to the Convention that prevents the CommitteeAgainst Torture from freely entering its prisons.Under international law Israel is obliged to launch investigations andprosecutions for all allegations of torture.If it fails to do so, all other states are authorized, and indeed obligedunder the principle of universal jurisdiction, to arrest the suspectedoffenders when they are in their territory, and prosecute or extradite them.International law does not acknowledge any exceptions to the prohibition ontorture.http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080219/jsp/jharkhand/story_8920445.jspJHARKHANDRed-friendly villagers flee homesKUMUD JENAMANIJamshedpur, Feb. 18: With the police having come up trumps againstNaxalites in Dumaria, villagers known to be sympathetic to theNaxalites, often providing them with food and logistical support,are now feeling the heat.Fearing a backlash from fellow villagers, several families of BhitarAmda and Fuldungri villages situated on the foothills of Ranijharnahave fled their homes ever since last week's encounter that leftseven Naxalites, including a self-styled commander, dead.Apparently, as many as 75 people belonging to 15 families have lefttheir village homes and are among those who would not only providefood and shelter to the armed guerrillas, but also facilitate theiroperations in the strategic Ranijharna hills.They have now taken shelter in far-flung areas, either within theGhatshila sub-division or in the Seraikela-Kharsawan district.But their move, no doubt undertaken in sheer desperation, leavesthem exposed and vulnerable to attacks from both villagers as wellas the security forces.By deserting their homes in post-Ranijharna operation, thesevillagers have emerged more distinctly as Maoist sympathisers.But superintendent of police Naveen Kumar Singh pleaded ignoranceabout the exodus."We are going to set up a permanent police picket at Bhitar Amda toensure the safety of all villagers," he said."No one need panic."The Bhitar Amda village is broadly divided into two camps ? onesection supports the All Jharkhand Stu- dents' Union (Ajsu), but themajority are supporters of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).After the assassination of Jamshedpur MP Sunil Mahto, the bondbetween Ajsu supporters and Maoist rebels had strengthened."It's not that villagers owing allegiance to Ajsu are fleeing. Thosewho do not support any political outfit are also leaving theirvillages," said one Ludhia Soren.Soren has taken refuge with a relative at Ghatshila, about 35km fromhis house at Balidi Tola in Bhitar Amda."The main reason for the exodus is that our lives are not safeanymore," Soren told The Telegraph.Shanker Hembram, the president of the anti-Naxalite Nagrik SurakshaSamiti (NSS), said Ajsu supporters' fears were misplaced."I have personally tried to convince some of the families. But itdid not help," Shanker added.Meanwhile, a team of human rights body, People's Union for CivilLiberty, which had been to Bhitar Amda village for an on-the-spot-visit on Sunday was harassed by a section of villagers.The frenzied villagers, who considered the People's Union for CivilLiberty as sympathisers of Maoist outfits had snatched the camera ofone of the team members.They had also roughed him up.The police rescued Subrato Bhattarcharjee, the state unit presidentof People's Union for Civil Liberty, who was leading the team.An FIR has also been lodged with the Dumaria police station by thePeople's Union for Civil Liberty in connection with the violentincident. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Apr 14 20:09:29 2008 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:09:29 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Guantanamo Bay, the US global gulag, and attacks around the world Message-ID: <036d01c89ea6$210bf290$0802a8c0@andy1> * US air strikes hit civilians in Sadr City * Judges deny medical care to detainee * Waterboarding and other torture more widespread than admitted * Psychological damage to Guantanamo inmate is extensive * Inside "extraordinary rendition": Egyptian speaks out * Further Abu Ghraib abuse revealed - prisoners put in ice-filled cans * Guantanamo detainee traumatised, unfit for trial * Reports reveal religious abuse - detainees "baptised", wrapped in Israeli flag * Not the "worst of the worst" - fates of original Guantanamo inmates revealed * Family members of suspects detained, abused * Egyptian killed by American ship in Suez * Detainee held for two years at "black site", disappeared * US censors inmate's sketch of force-feeding * Bush attempts to limit detainee appeals * Immigration goons carry out home and work invasions, mass detentions, abuse human rights * Spain drops charges against Guantanamo detainees Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance http://arablinks.blogspot.com/2008/04/media-silent-on-us-air-strikes-in.html Thursday, April 03, 2008 Media silent on US air strikes in sealed-off Sadr City Xinhuanet filed this on its Arabic-language website Wednesday evening (April 2), along with reports of other Baghdad violence: Sources said a fire broke out in a residential apartment building in Sadr City, eastern Baghdad, the result of an American bombing. The extent of damage is unknown, given the fact that Iraqi police barred entry to the aforementioned region, which has been under curfew for a number of days. The Xinhua person apparently tried to get to the site, and reports that everyone was barred by Iraqi police. Compare McClatchy's one sentence (in its dispatch to its Washington office): "At dawn, the American planes bombed some targets in Sadr City, police said." And the "Multinational Force Iraq" website: Zero Other corporate media: Zero Putting the reports and non-reports together: Sadr City targets, in the plural, were bombed by the Americans; Xinhua heard about one of these because of the fire; tried to get to the site and reports that everyone was barred. Naturally, US bombings of a residential area that is in effect quarantined are a major story, right? Not at all, not a word, not a whisper, in the US media. It has been widely reported that the US authorities think at least some of the rocket/mortar attacks on the Green Zone have been coming from the vicinity of the Green Zone. Could yesterday's bombings in Sadr City have anything to do with that other big story about increasing accuracy in rocket and mortar attacks on the Green Zone, thought to be coming from Sadr City? (People unavoidably think in terms of images and already-experienced patters. Would it not be a good idea for those thinking of the Green Zone attacks as leading to a helicopters-on-the-roof experience, to think instead about the Israel-Fatah-Hamas pattern in this GreenZone-Maliki-Sadr situation, resistance leading to quarantines, media blackouts, and the other accoutrements of collective punishment?) posted by badger at 7:01 AM http://freedetainees.org/366 NO MEDICAL CARE FOR AL-GHIZZAWI By Dazeylin Share This! Categories: Detainee, Guantanamo, Lies of the U.S. Administration, Pakistan, Politics of Fear, Sold for Bounty, USA, Withholding Medical Treatment and war crimes Tags: No Tags. From H. Candace Gorman (Click Judge Bates Decision to read the judge's order. Many thanks to Charles Gittings and the Project to enforce the geneva conventions (www. pegc. us / )for posting this so I could link to it. btw one of the many arguments the judge ignored was my geneva convention argument. the judge even gave the government a chance to address the issue which I raised in my reply brief. coincidently giving the government the last word in my motion.. the government threw in one sentence on the subject and spent the other 14 and 2/3rds pages presenting new facts that I was not allowed to rebut and the judge himself ignored the whole question of the geneva conventions issue in his Order.) Judge Bates entered the order yesterday. I know I shouldn't be surprised that the judge continues to believe everything the government says and refuses to allow us to even see the medical records. but I am. In fact one would think that even if the judge was not going to allow Al-GHizzawi or his counsel to see his records. that he would ask to see the records himself just to be sure (in the off chance that Al-GHizzawi and I are not lying). sigh. The judge actually goes so far as to blame Al-Ghizzawi for his health problems and trivializes his condition. I thank everyone who submitted letters and signed petitions.. Judge Bates does not. In a footnote he stated that he found it "inappropriate" but hey, I say if a letter writing campaign was good enough for Scooter Libby in trying to stay out of jail it is certainly good enough for Mr. Al-Ghizzawi in trying to stay alive. >From the editor: Let's all send a huge "thanks a lot!" to the good judge. Fax, or mail. Even though according to him it's inappropriate! The Honourable John D. Bates United States District Court Judge U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia E. Barrett Prettyman U. S. Courthouse 333 Constitution Avenue, Northwest Washington, DC 20001 Fax: (202) 354-3433 Muslim prisoners held in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison were submerged in water-filled garbage cans with ice or put naked under cold showers in near-freezing rooms until they went into shock, Sgt. Javal Davis, who served with the 372nd Military Police Company there, has told a national magazine. http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/?p=218 Waterboarding: two questions for Michael Hayden about three "high-value" detainees now in Guant?namo As published on the Huffington Post, AlterNet, Anti-war.com and CounterPunch. The media is buzzing with the news that Michael Hayden, the director of the CIA, admitted in an open session of Congress yesterday that waterboarding - a long-reviled torture technique, which produces the perception of drowning - was used on three "high-value" al-Qaeda suspects in CIA custody in 2002 and 2003. The three men - Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah and Abdul Rahim al-Nashiri - are discussed in my book The Guant?namo Files: The Stories of the 774 Detainees in America's Illegal Prison. The three "high-value" detainees whom Michael Hayden admitted were waterboarded by the CIA. From L to R: Abu Zubaydah, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Abdul Rahim al-Nashiri. My questions for Mr. Hayden are simple. Firstly, if it's true that only three detainees were subjected to waterboarding, then why did a number of "former and current intelligence officers and supervisors" tell ABC News in November 2005 that "a dozen top al-Qaeda targets incarcerated in isolation at secret locations on military bases in regions from Asia to Eastern Europe" were subjected to six "Enhanced Interrogation Techniques," instituted in mid-March 2002? According to the ABC News account, the six techniques used by the CIA on the "dozen top al-Qaeda targets" were "The Attention Grab," "Attention Slap," "The Belly Slap" and three other techniques that are particularly worrying: "Long Time Standing," "The Cold Cell," and, of course, "Waterboarding." "Long Time Standing" was described as "among the most effective [techniques]," in which prisoners "are forced to stand, handcuffed and with their feet shackled to an eye bolt in the floor for more than 40 hours." The ABC News report added, "Exhaustion and sleep deprivation are effective in yielding confessions." In "The Cold Cell," the prisoner "is left to stand naked in a cell kept near 50 degrees. Throughout the time in the cell the prisoner is doused with cold water." The description of "Waterboarding" was as follows: "The prisoner is bound to an inclined board, feet raised and head slightly below the feet. Cellophane is wrapped over the prisoner's face and water is poured over him. Unavoidably, the gag reflex kicks in and a terrifying fear of drowning leads to almost instant pleas to bring the treatment to a halt." The article proceeded with recollections of the waterboarding of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who apparently "won the admiration of interrogators when he was able to last between two and two-and-a-half minutes before begging to confess" (the interrogators tried it on themselves, but "only lasted an average of 14 seconds before caving in"). According to the ABC News report, one other detainee who was waterboarded was Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi, the director of the Khaldan training camp in Afghanistan, who was captured in November 2001. His current whereabouts are unknown, although there are suspicions that he was finally delivered to the Libyan government. Having slipped off the radar, the government clearly does not want his case revived, not only because it may have to explain what has happened to him, but also because, as a result of the application of "Enhanced Interrogation Techniques," al-Libi claimed that Saddam Hussein had offered to train two al-Qaeda operatives in the use of chemical and biological weapons. Al-Libi's "confession" led to President Bush declaring, in October 2002, "Iraq has trained al-Qaeda members in bomb making and poisons and gases," and his claims were, notoriously, included in Colin Powell's speech to the UN Security Council on February 5, 2003. The claims were of course, groundless, and were recanted by al-Libi in January 2004, but it took Dan Cloonan, a veteran FBI interrogator, who was resolutely opposed to the use of torture, to explain why they should never have been believed in the first place. Cloonan told Jane Mayer, "It was ridiculous for interrogators to think Libi would have known anything about Iraq . The reason they got bad information is that they beat it out of him. You never get good information from someone that way." My second question for Mr. Hayden concerns an allegation made by Murat Kurnaz, the German detainee who was released from Guant?namo in August 2006. In an article in the Washington Spectator last July, focusing on Kurnaz's story, as described in his book F?nf Jahre Meines Lebens: Ein Bericht Aus Guant?namo (Five Years Of My Life: A Report From Guant?namo), the following passage came after Kurnaz's recollections of being hung by his wrists for "hours and days," interrupted only by a doctor who came to "check his vital signs to determine if he could withstand more enhanced interrogation," and his recollections of seeing, in the neighboring cell, another detainee who had died as a result of this ordeal: "Kurnaz said he was also subjected to waterboarding and electric shock. And that beatings were routine and constant. He theorizes that much of the torture was a result of the failure of the American soldiers and agents to capture any real terrorists in the initial sweeps. (He was told that he was sold to the Americans for $3,000 by Pakistani police, who identified him as a terrorist). 'They didn't have any big fish. And they thought that by torture they could get one of us to say something. "I know Osama" or something like that. Then they could say they had a big fish.'" In light of the comments made by CIA sources in November 2005, and by Murat Kurnaz in his book, I can only wonder how it's feasible for Mr. Hayden to assert that the use of waterboarding was restricted to three of the 14 "high-value" detainees who were transferred to Guant?namo in September 2006, and, by extension, to claim that waterboarding was not used elsewhere in the "War on Terror" prisons; specifically, as Murat Kurnaz alleged, in one of the US prisons in Afghanistan, which, with Guant?namo, provided the template for the well-chronicled riot of torture and abuse that later migrated to Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/22/AR2008022201124.html?hpid=opinionsbox1 Inside the Mind of a Gitmo Detainee By Joseph Margulies and George Brent Mickum Saturday, February 23, 2008; 12:00 AM As you read this, we expect to be in Guantanamo, meeting with the man President Bush mentions when he talks about the intelligence gained and the lives saved because of "enhanced" interrogation techniques. We represent Saudi-born Abu Zubaydah in a legal effort to force the administration to show why he is being detained. And this week, with our first meeting, we begin the laborious task of sifting fact from fantasy. Yet we worry it may already be too late. The administration declares with certainty that Zubaydah is a "senior terrorist leader and a trusted associate of Osama bin Laden" who "helped smuggle al-Qaeda leaders out of Afghanistan." Dan Coleman, a former FBI analyst who was on the team that reviewed Zubaydah's background file, disagrees, describing him as "insane, certifiable" and saying he "knew very little about real operations, or strategy." We do not presume to know the truth. So far, we know only what has been publicly reported. But we hope to uncover the facts and present them to those with the power to act upon them. Yet Zubaydah's mind may be beyond our reach. Regardless of whether he was "insane" to begin with, he has gone through quite an ordeal since his arrest in Pakistan in March 2002. Shuttled through CIA "black sites" around the world, he was subjected to a sustained course of interrogation designed to instill what a CIA training manual euphemistically calls "debility, dependence and dread." Zubaydah's world became freezing rooms alternating with sweltering cells. Screaming noise replaced by endless silence. Blinding light followed by dark, underground chambers. Hours confined in contorted positions. And, as we recently learned, Zubaydah was subjected to waterboarding. We do not know what remains of his mind, and we will probably never know what he experienced. Of course, the challenge of reconstructing what took place was made infinitely more difficult when the CIA destroyed the recordings of Zubaydah's interrogation. But we already know something about what these techniques produce. It was the Cold War communists who perfected the dark art of touchless torture. And with it, they brought U.S. soldiers to the tipping point, where the adult psyche shatters, leaving behind a quavering child. At the end of their ordeal, these soldiers made fantastic admissions of American perfidity and spoke unreservedly about their supposed misdeeds. The Bush administration says Zubaydah and other products of the CIA "black site" program repeated their confessions to FBI agents -- a "clean team" that used authorized interrogation techniques to scrub away the fetid stain of torture. But the communists didn't need to hold our soldiers at gunpoint as they recited their confessions. Continued cruelty becomes unnecessary when a prisoner has lost the will to resist. What will we be able to learn, at this point, from Zubaydah? Will we be able to recreate the interrogations without the tapes? Will we get access to the material that led Coleman to a conclusion so different from the administration's? Because we represent Zubaydah, some people will likely discount whatever we say. But do not misunderstand; this is not a plea for pity. Whether people approve or disapprove of what has happened to Zubaydah, that's a separate question. The American system of justice is founded on the idea that truth emerges from vigorous and informed debate. And if that debate cannot take place, if we cannot learn the facts and share them with others, the truth is only what the administration reports it to be. We hope it has not come to that. Joseph Margulies is assistant director of the MacArthur Justice Center at Northwestern University Law School. George Brent Mickum is an attorney in Washington, D.C. http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2008/03/exclusive-i-was-kidnapped-by-the-cia.html Exclusive: I Was Kidnapped by the CIA NEWS: Inside the CIA's extraordinary rendition program ?and the bungled abduction of would-be terrorists By Peter Bergen For hours, the words come pouring out of Abu Omar as he describes his years of torture at the hands of Egypt's security services. Spreading his arms in a crucifixion position, he demonstrates how he was tied to a metal door as shocks were administered to his nipples and genitals. His legs tremble as he describes how he was twice raped. He mentions, almost casually, the hearing loss in his left ear from the beatings, and how he still wakes up at night screaming, takes tranquilizers, finds it hard to concentrate, and has unspecified "problems with my wife at home." He is, in short, a broken man. There is nothing particularly unusual about Abu Omar's story. Torture is a standard investigative technique of Egypt's intelligence services and police, as the State Department and human rights organizations have documented myriad times over the years. What is somewhat unusual is that Abu Omar ended up inside Egypt's torture chambers courtesy of the United States, via an "extraordinary rendition"-in this case, a spectacular daylight kidnapping by the Central Intelligence Agency on the streets of Milan, Italy. First introduced during the Clinton administration, extraordinary renditions-in which suspected terrorists are turned over to countries known to use torture, usually for the purpose of extracting information from them-have been one of the cia's most controversial tools in the war on terror. According to legal experts, the practice has no justification in United States law and flagrantly violates the Convention Against Torture, an international treaty that Congress ratified in 1994. Nonetheless, Congress and the American courts have essentially ignored the practice, and the Bush administration has insisted that it has never knowingly sent anyone to a place where he will be tortured. But Abu Omar's case is unique: Unlike any other rendition case, it has prompted a massive criminal investigation-though not in the United States. An Italian prosecutor has launched a probe of the kidnapping, resulting in the indictment of 26 American officials, almost all of them suspected cia agents. It has also generated a treasure trove of documents on the secretive rendition program, including thousands of pages of court filings that detail how it actually works. Late last year, I traveled to Milan to review those documents and to Egypt, where Abu Omar now lives. What I found was a remarkable tale of cia overreach and its consequences-a tale that could represent the beginning of a global legal backlash against the war on terror. An avuncular, portly man in his mid-40s clad in a turban and a floor- length blue robe, Abu Omar met me at a corner store near his home, the first time he had agreed to talk to an American magazine reporter. He took me to his tidy, cramped apartment near Alexandria's run-down Victorian rail station. The walls were bare other than some religious calligraphy. The screen saver on his computer was a picture of Mecca. Abu Omar, whose full name is Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, served me pungent coffee and sugary biscuits prepared by his unseen wife. Then, leaning forward in a massive gilded chair, he told me how in the weeks before the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, he'd felt he was being watched and followed as he walked the streets of Milan, where he'd been granted political asylum in 2001 following an earlier spell of imprisonment and torture in Egypt. A member of Egypt's militant Islamic Group and a part-time cleric, he had been waging a public campaign against the impending war; Italian authorities had been investigating his circle of acquaintances since mid-2002 and believed he might have been recruiting fighters to go to Iraq, a charge he denies. A little before noon on February 17, 2003, Abu Omar was headed to his mosque, incongruously located inside a garage. He strolled down Via Guerzoni, a quiet street mostly empty of businesses and lined with high, view-blocking walls. A red Fiat pulled up beside him and a man jumped out, shouting "Polizia! Polizia!" Abu Omar produced his ID. "Suddenly I was lifted in the air," he recalled. He was dragged into a white van and beaten, he said, by wordless men wearing balaclavas. After trussing him with restraints and blindfolding him, they sped away. Hours later, when the van stopped, Abu Omar heard airplane noise. His clothes were cut off and something was stuffed in his anus, likely a tranquilizing suppository. His head was entirely covered in tape with only small holes for his mouth and nose, and he was placed on a plane. Hours later he was hustled off the jet. He heard someone speaking Arabic in a familiar cadence; in the distance, a muezzin was calling the dawn prayer. After more than a decade in exile, he was back in Egypt. Abu Omar was taken into a building, put in a blue prison suit, freshly blindfolded, and presented to someone described as an important pasha, or government official. The pasha said he'd be released if he'd go back to Italy to spy on the militants at his mosque. He said no. And so began Abu Omar's descent into one of the 21st century's nastier circles of hell. His cell had no lights or windows, and the temperature alternated between freezing and baking. He was kept blindfolded and handcuffed for seven months. Interrogations could come at any time of the day or night. He was beaten with fists, electric cables, and chairs, stripped naked, and given electric shocks. His tormentors' questions largely revolved around his circle of Islamists in Italy, though every now and again they'd indicate that they knew he wasn't a big-time terrorist. They were detaining him only because "the Americans imposed you on us." When he asked, "Why, then, do you abuse me so much?" they replied, "This is our family tradition." In the fall of 2003, Abu Omar was taken to another prison; it was here that he was crucified and raped by the guards. After seven more months of torture, a Cairo court found there was no evidence that Abu Omar was involved in terrorism and ordered him freed. He was told not to contact anyone in Italy-including his wife-and not to speak to the press or human rights groups. Above all, he was not to tell anyone what had happened. After agreeing to the conditions, he was deposited at his mother's home in Alexandria. He promptly called his wife in Italy. It was the first time she'd heard from him in 14 months. Italian investigators, who'd been monitoring Abu Omar's phone in Milan for years, recorded the call. His wife asked him how he had been treated. He told her sarcastically, "They brought me food from the fanciest restaurant," though nearly three weeks later, he admitted to her, "I was very close to dying." He also spoke with a friend in Milan, Mohamed Reda El Badry, whose phone was also being tapped by Italian investigators. "I was freed on health grounds," he told El Badry in one of the recorded calls. "I was almost paralyzed; still today I cannot walk more than 200 yards.... I was incontinent, suffered from kidney trouble." And then, just as suddenly as Abu Omar had reappeared, he vanished again. Egyptian authorities had gotten wind of his calls to Italy. This time he was imprisoned for three years. He smuggled out a letter describing his ordeal, which found its way to the Arab and Italian press and international human rights organizations. Inevitably, that led to more torture. Was it illegal for American officials to send Abu Omar to Egypt? Yes, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, which prohibits delivering someone to a country where there are "substantial grounds" to assume that he might be tortured. Were there substantial grounds to believe that transferring Abu Omar to Egypt would result in his being tortured? Plenty, according to a State Department report that detailed the methods used by Egypt's security services during the year that Abu Omar was abducted and confined, including stripping and blindfolding prisoners; dousing them with cold water; beatings with fists, whips, metal rods, and other objects; administering electric shocks; suspending prisoners by their arms; and sexual assault and threats of rape. The White House has routinely claimed that when the United States renders individuals to other countries it receives assurances that, as President Bush stated at a press conference in March 2005, "they won't be tortured...This country does not believe in torture." Several months later, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated, "The United States has not transported anyone, and will not transport anyone, to a country when we believe he will be tortured." But in the case of Abu Omar, Rice's assertions are demonstrably false. According to a previously unpublished study conducted by Katherine Tiedemann of The New America Foundation and myself, the same is true of many of the extraordinary renditions going back to the program's beginnings in 1995. (See "Rendition by the Numbers," above.) Fourteen documented extraordinary renditions took place under the Clinton administration. Almost all of those prisoners were rendered to Egypt, where at least three were executed. After 9/11 the pace of renditions sped up and the program expanded dramatically. Prisoners were now also transferred to Jordan, Yemen, Morocco, Algeria, and even Libya, Sudan, and Syria. In all, we found 53 documented cases of extraordinary rendition since September 2001; only one prisoner specifically said he had not been tortured. Of the sixteen men who have been released, eight claimed they were tortured and/or mistreated while in foreign custody; one died within weeks of being released. Nineteen of the rendered men have not been heard from since they disappeared. Brad Garrett is a former fbi special agent who obtained uncoerced confessions from two of the most high-profile terrorists in recent American history: Ramzi Yousef, who bombed the World Trade Center in 1993, and Mir Aimal Kasi, who shot and killed two cia employees outside the Agency's headquarters the same year. "The whole idea that you would send anyone to some other country to obtain the intel you want is ludicrous," he told me in an email. "If we want the intel, there are approaches that will render the information without torture. The problem is that someone in the U.S. government is convinced that torture is the way to go, and so if we are not allowed to do it, then send them to someplace where torture is sanctioned." The extraordinary rendition program was not primarily intended to yield information, according to Michael Scheuer, the cia official whom the Clinton White House tasked with implementing it. "It came from an improvisation to dismantle these terrorist cells overseas. We wanted to get suspects off the streets and grab their papers," Scheuer explains. "The interrogation part wasn't important." He also claims that the program was overseen by congressional committees and "was lawyered to death." After 9/11, "The White House was desperate," Scheuer says. The rendition program quickly expanded because holding any but the most important Al Qaeda prisoners was a "burdensome proposition" for the Agency. "Before 9/11 we never asked for some guarantee that prisoners would not be tortured or coerced," says Scheuer. The Bush administration says it has since sought such assurances, but Garrett, the interrogator, thinks those promises are worthless in any case. "In my view it is a shell game and a legal cya to say that the other country (Egypt-give me a break) will not use torture," he wrote. "We are unfortunately promoting terrorism by using these abhorrent approaches. Shame on us." Milan's slate-grey skies glower over the city in both summer and winter, and charmless skyscrapers dominate the skyline of the financial, media, and fashion capital of Italy. It's an unlikely setting for the operatic tale of Abu Omar's cia kidnappers and their nemesis, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Armando Spataro. Spataro may have launched the first-ever criminal case against American officials over an extraordinary rendition, but he's hardly a bleeding-heart Euro-liberal. A prosecutor for more than three decades, the affable 59-year-old has put droves of drug traffickers, mafia dons, and terrorists behind bars. When I asked him if he was anti-American, he laughed and asked, "What do you think?" gesturing around his massive office inside the gloomy, Mussolini-era Palace of Justice. The walls were festooned with photographs of marathons he has run in the United States, certificates of appreciation from the Drug Enforcement Administration, and reproductions of paintings by Warhol, Rockwell, and Hopper. Spataro had been building a potential terrorism case against Abu Omar for months before his kidnapping; as a result of his investigation, a number of Abu Omar's acquaintances were convicted of terrorism offenses and in 2005 Abu Omar himself was indicted in absentia on charges that he had been recruiting fighters to go to Iraq. But his sudden disappearance into the bowels of Egypt's prisons had set back Spataro's probe dramatically. I asked Spataro why he'd pushed so hard to investigate the snatching of a militant he himself was about to indict. In measured tones, he explained, "Kidnapping is a serious crime. It is important for European democracy that all people are submitted to the law. It is possible to combat terrorism without extraordinary means." The prosecutor also didn't appreciate being lied to-American officials had let it be known around Milan that Abu Omar had likely fled to the Balkans. It didn't take Spataro long to get past the smoke screen and even track down an eyewitness to the abduction. But the bulk of his case would revolve around a rookie mistake made by the kidnappers: using cell phones, and unencrypted ones at that. Spataro's investigators reviewed the records from three Italian cell phone companies with relay towers in the vicinity of where the Egyptian militant disappeared and ran them through a commercial data- crunching program. Of the more than 10,000 cell phones in use during a three-hour window around the kidnapping, 17 were in constant communication with each other. The investigators also determined that soon after the abduction, some of the cell phones' users traveled to Aviano Air Base, a major American installation several hours east of Milan. And virtually all of the phone numbers stopped working two or three days after the abduction. The suspicious cell phones had made calls to the American consulate in Milan and to numbers in Virginia (where the cia is headquartered). The phones, most registered under bogus names, also made many calls to prominent hotels in Milan-hotels where, the Italian investigators found, a dozen Americans had stayed in the weeks before the kidnapping. They registered under addresses in the Washington, D.C., area, and Spataro believes they used their real passports. Their movements matched those of the suspicious cell phones. Over the course of several weeks the Americans had blown more than $100,000 on easily traceable credit cards at hotels such as the Principe di Savoia, where rates start at $345 a night and which offers a special room-service menu for dogs. Others took side trips to Venice, where they stayed at the five-star Danieli and Sofitel hotels. If the Americans had only used encrypted satellite phones and paid in cash-standard tradecraft, according to cia veteran Robert Baer, the former operative who was the model for George Clooney's character in Syriana-Spataro would have had fewer leads to follow. Why the sloppiness? Very probably, say law enforcement sources in Milan, because the Americans had clued in senior Italian intelligence officials about their plans and thus felt safe. Next, Spataro's investigators began reviewing records from Italian air-traffic control, nato, and the main European air-traffic facility in Brussels. They discovered that a 10-seat jet departed from Aviano a few hours after Abu Omar was abducted and flew to Ramstein Air Base in Germany. An hour after it landed, an Executive Gulfstream with the tail number N85VM departed Ramstein for Cairo. In March 2005, the Chicago Tribune reported that this jet was owned by Phillip Morse, a partner in the Boston Red Sox and one of a number of individuals whose planes are occasionally rented by the cia. One of the suspicious cell phones had made hundreds of calls in the vicinity of both the Milan residence and the country house of the cia's station chief in Milan, Robert Lady. Armed with a warrant, Spataro's investigators searched Lady's country house in June 2005 and found that he'd gone on a 10-day trip to Cairo a week after Abu Omar's abduction. The investigators also found surveillance photos of Abu Omar taken on the street where he was picked up, as well as printed directions to Aviano Air Base. And they discovered a telling email sent to Lady from a former colleague in the Milan consulate: On Christmas Eve, 2004, as Spataro's inquiry was gathering momentum, she told Lady she'd received an email "through work" titled "Italy, don't go there"-an apparent reference to the investigation. She'd also heard that Lady, who has since retired, had relocated to Geneva "until this all blew over." Even Arianna Barbazza, the court-appointed public defender for 13 of the 26 American officials indicted in the Abu Omar case, conceded that the case against Lady and his colleagues is substantial. Lady could receive a sentence of up to 15 years. (The trial is scheduled to start in March, although none of the indicted Americans is expected to show up. The cia has refused to comment on the case or its rendition program.) Another important break came when Luciano Pironi, the mysterious Italian police officer who had first "arrested" Abu Omar on the street, began to cooperate with Spataro. Prior to Abu Omar's arrest, Pironi was found to have been "frequently and intensely" in contact with Lady. Pironi said that Lady had told him that the operation was approved by the Italian military-intelligence agency, sismi, and that Lady had received a tip that Abu Omar was planning to hijack a school bus operated by the American school in Milan-a claim Italian law enforcement officials say is false. Lady, who speaks fluent Italian and had good relations with his local counterparts, emerges from this tale as something of a tragic figure. He had opposed the snatch of Abu Omar on the grounds that it was counterproductive; he knew that Italy's counterterrorism police had been trying to build a case against the Egyptian militant and had even warned a top Italian counterterrorism official, Stefano D'Ambrosio, that the cia was planning the Abu Omar operation. D'Ambrosio told Italian investigators that Lady considered the whole scheme "stupid." But Lady was forced to lead the operation by his bosses in Rome and Langley, who were under intense pressure from the White House to produce results in the war on terrorism. Lady told Pironi that he'd never have spent all his savings to buy a retirement house in the Italian countryside "unless he had been sure that no inquiry against him was under way." Today, that house has been seized by Italian authorities and Lady, who fled to the States, is the subject of a Europe-wide arrest warrant. In a final twist of irony, Lady told a friend in the Italian police that in his retirement he'd hoped to work for a firm made up of former cia officers who specialize in negotiating releases for people abducted in South America. In february 2007, Abu Omar was finally released-this time, it seems, for good. "Without the human rights and media campaign, I would still be in prison," he told me. The conditions of his release were that he stay in Egypt and keep quiet about his treatment. But realizing that notoriety might be his best protection, Abu Omar attended the trial of a 22-year-old blogger whom the Egyptian government accused of insulting President Hosni Mubarak. (He was sentenced to four years.) In the Alexandria courtroom, he paraded his scars before the cameras and talked about his years of torture. "Now I am a public figure," he told me. "It protects me." Jobless and still monitored by Egypt's security services, Abu Omar now spends most of his time cruising the Internet and posting occasional comments on Arabic-language newspaper sites. Toward the end of our interview he pulled out a plastic bag stuffed full of Christmas cards with pictures of windmills and little red robins sent by people in the United Kingdom who'd learned about his case through a letter-writing campaign organized by Amnesty International. He told me he is happy that these kind people write, sending the message that someone out there knows he hasn't disappeared. New Report: Abu Ghraib Prisoners Packed In Ice Water- Filled Garbage Cans By Sherwood Ross Mon, 2008-03-17 http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/31874 Muslim prisoners held in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison were submerged in water-filled garbage cans with ice or put naked under cold showers in near-freezing rooms until they went into shock, Sgt. Javal Davis, who served with the 372nd Military Police Company there, has told a national magazine. Davis, from the Roselle, N.J., area, said while stationed at the prison he also saw an incinerator with "bones in it" that he believed to be a crematorium and said some prisoners were starved prior to their interrogation. Another soldier that had been stationed at Abu Ghraib, M.P. Sabrina Harman---who gained dubious fame for making a thumbs-up sign posing over the body of a prisoner she believed tortured to death---said the U.S. had imprisoned "women and children" on Tier 1B, including one child was as young as ten. "Like a number of the other kids and of the women there, he was being held as a pawn in the military's effort to capture or break his father," write co-authors Philip Gourevitch and Errol Morris in the March 24th issue of The New Yorker magazine, which describes Abu Ghraib in a 14-page article titled "Exposure." They assert "the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib was de facto United States policy. The authorization of torture and the decriminalization of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of captives in wartime have been among the defining legacies of the current Administration." They add that the rules of interrogation that produced the abuses documented in the prison "were the direct expression of the hostility toward international law and military doctrine that was found in the White House, the Vice-President's office, and at the highest levels of the Justice and Defense Departments." (President Bush has insisted "We do not torture," The Associated Press reported on November 7, 2005.) Imprisoning suspects in a war zone, torturing and/or murdering them, and holding their wives and children as hostages, are all banned practices under international law. Some prisoners died from rocket attacks on the compound. Harman said she didn't like taking away naked prisoners' blankets when it was really cold. "Because if I'm freezing and I'm wearing a jacket and a hat and gloves, and these people don't have anything on and no blanket, no mattress, that's kind of hard to see and do to somebody---even if they are a terrorist." (Note: the prisoners were suspects, not terrorists, being held without due process on charges of which they were often ignorant and without legal representation.) Harman said the corpse she posed with likely was murdered during interrogation although a platoon commander said he had died of a heart attack. Harman and another soldier, Corporal Charles Graner unzipped his body bag and took photos of him and "kind of realized right away that there was no way he died of a heart attack because of all the cuts and blood coming out of his nose." Harman added, "His knees were bruised, his thighs were bruised by his genitals. He had restraint marks on his wrists. " Asked why she posed making a "thumbs up" gesture over the corpse, Harman said she thought, "Hey, it's a dead guy, it'd be cool to get a photo next to a dead person. I know it looks bad. I mean, even when I look at them (the photos) I go, `Oh Jesus, that does look pretty bad.'" The corpse, said to have died under interrogation by a CIA agent, was identified as that of Manadel al-Jamadi. An autopsy found he had succumbed to "blunt force injuries" and "compromised respiration" and his death was classified as a homicide, The New Yorker article said. The dead man was removed from the tier disguised as a sick prisoner, his arm taped to an IV, and rolled away on a gurney, apparently as authorities "didn't want any of the prisoners thinking we were in there killing folks," Sergeant Hydrue Joyner, Harman's team leader, told the magazine. Harman said she saw one naked prisoner with his hands bound behind his back raised higher than his shoulders. This forced him to bend forward with his head bowed and his weight suspended from his wrists and is known as a "Palestinian hanging" as it is said to be used in Israeli prisons, Gourevitch and Morris write. In a letter to a friend Harman described "sleep deprivation" used on the prisoners: "They sleep one hour then we yell and wake them---make them stay up for one hour, then sleep one hour---then up etc. This goes on for 72 hours while we fuck with them. Most have been so scared they piss on themselves. Its sad." On one occasion, she wrote, sandbags soaked in hot sauce were put over the prisoners' heads. The CIA agent that interrogated al-Jamadi at the time of his "heart attack" was never charged with a crime but Harman was convicted by court-martial in May, 2005, of conspiracy to maltreat prisoners, dereliction of duty and sentenced to six months in prison, reduced in rank, and given a bad-conduct discharge. Five other soldiers involved in taking pictures were sentenced to terms of up to ten years in prison. Gourevitch and Morris write, "The only person ranked above staff sergeant to face a court-martial was cleared of criminal wrongdoing." Sergeant Javal Davis, describing Abu Ghraib generally, said the prison reminded him of something out of a "Mad Max" movie, explaining, "The encampment they were in when we saw it at first looked like one of those Hitler things, like a concentration camp, almost." The inside, he said, is "nothing but rubble, blown-up buildings, dogs running all over the place, rabid dogs, burnt remains. The stench was unbearable: urine, feces, body rot. Their (prisoners') rest rooms was running over. It was just disgusting. You didn't want to touch anything. Whatever the worst thing that comes to your mind, that was it --- the place you would never ever, ever, ever send your worst enemy." When a delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross visited the prison in October, 2003, they were denied full access (contrary to international law) and, The New Yorker said, "what they were permitted to see and hear did not please them: men held naked in bare, lightless cells, paraded naked down the hallways, verbally and physically threatened, and so forth." The ICRC reported the prison was plagued by gross and systematic violations of the Geneva Conventions, including physical abuses that left prisoners suffering from "incoherent speech, acute anxiety reactions.suicidal ideas." (Sherwood Ross is a Miami, Florida-based journalist and veteran public relations consultant who suspects the Bush regime may be bad for the image of the United States. He is founder of the Anti-War News Service. Reach him at sherwoodr1 @ yahoo.com) http://anonym.to/?http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/story/404334.html Brief: Guant?namo detainee `traumatized' The jailed driver for Osama bin Laden is suffering from post- traumatic stress disorder, a psychiatrist says. Detainee Salim Ahmed Hamdan, who worked in Afghanistan as a driver for Osama bin Laden, is seen in this undated file photo. GUANTANAMO BAY NAVY BASE, Cuba -- Osama bin Laden's driver is so traumatized from long-standing solitary confinement that he may be unable to assist in his war court defense, his lawyers argued in a brief obtained by The Miami Herald on Saturday. The brief described Salim Hamdan, 36, of Yemen, as held in ''a regime of isolation with no access to natural light or air, for 22-23 hours a day.'' For a month after Christmas, it said, he was only permitted outdoor exercise only twice. The brief, written Friday, also included an affidavit from a California psychiatrist who works with U.S. war veterans at the Veterans Administration and describes Hamdan as suffering post- traumatic stress disorder. U.S.-allied Afghan troops captured him not in battle but after he drove up to a checkpoint in Afghanistan in 2001. He has been at Guant?namo for more than five years, long periods in segregation. At issue is whether he is mentally sound enough to participate in his own defense at his trial by military commission in April. A Navy judge is holding pre-trial hearings on defense challenges to his war crimes charges alleging he was an al Qaeda co-conspirator. Hamdan, a wiry father of two with a fourth-grade education, has consistently argued that he never joined al Qaeda, never fought anyone and was working as a $200-a-month driver for an income, not ideology. Prosecutors say he was an insider, a bin Laden bodyguard who was aware of ongoing operations and repeatedly helped the arch-terrorist elude capture. Now, Hamdan suffers nightmares, amnesia, anxiety, irritability, insomnia and a sense of ''hopelessness and helplessness,'' wrote Dr. Emily Keram, a psychiatrist chosen to evaluate the enemy combatant by his lawyers. Continued isolation puts him at risk of ''suicidal thoughts and behavior,'' she said in an affidavit based on 70 hours of meetings with him. Prison camp spokesmen had no immediate comment. They have long maintained that there is no such thing as solitary confinement at this remote U.S. Navy base, which today holds 277 men on suspicion of ties to al Qaeda and the Taliban. Most detainees are kept in single-occupancy cells, but commanders say the captives are able to shout through the walls to communicate and can see their guards through their steel door's peep hole when meals are delivered. But Pentagon defense lawyer Andrea Prasow, a civilian, wrote in an accompanying affidavit that Hamdan's mental health is ''precarious.'' So desperate is he, she said, that he sought meetings with military interrogators ``in the hopes that they might improve his conditions of confinement.'' The Hamdan motion also provides a window into the different conditions across the various prison camps. Also due at a commission hearing this week is Canadian captive Omar Khadr, 22, facing a charge of murder as a war crime in the July 2002 grenade killing of a 28-year-old U.S. Army medic in a firefight in Afghanistan. Prasow wrote that Hamdan's misery is compounded by the fact that he has learned that both Khadr and a Sudanese captive who allegedly managed the al Qaeda payroll live with other detainees in POW-style collective bunkhouses called Camp 4. Captives there play soccer, eat and pray together and watch special video screenings. ---------------------------------------------------- Guantanamo Detainee "Baptized" IslamOnline.net & Newspapers The documents also showed that US jailers wrapped a Muslim prisoner in an Israeli flag during interrogation sessions to "incense" him. CAIRO - In a new embarrassment to the Bush administration, an FBI probe indicated that detainees at the notorious Guantanamo detention camp were "baptized" and wrapped in Israeli flags, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, January 3. A US interrogator bragged to an FBI agent that he forced a Muslim detainee to listen to "Satanic black metal music" for hours, according to documents turned over as part of an ongoing lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union. Then, the US interrogator dressed as a Catholic priest before "baptizing" the detainee, it added. The FBI internal probe into abuse accusations at Guantanamo revealed 26 cases of mistreatments of the Muslim detainees. The documents also showed that US jailers wrapped a Muslim prisoner in an Israeli flag during interrogation sessions to "incense" him. Other aggressive questioning techniques used included subjecting detainees to extreme heat and cold and using strobe lights. The tactics were allowed under aggressive Pentagon detention policy place at the time, according to the probe. The US has been holding hundreds of detainees at the notorious detention facility, mostly arrested in Afghanistan after the toppling of Taliban following the 9/11 attacks. Guantanamo buildings hide behind multiple rows of 12-foot chain-link fences covered in green tarpaulins and topped with tight spirals of barbed wire. Old wooden and newer steel watchtowers dot the perimeter. Religiously-oriented FBI agents also reported mistreatment of the Noble Qur'an by Guantanamo jailers. An agent said that a Marine captain squatted over a copy of the Muslim holy book in October 2002, while questioning a detainee who was enraged by the abuse. A second FBI agent described similar events, but it was unclear from the documents whether it was a separate case. The desecration of the Qur'an was first reported in 2005, prompting deadly protests in the Muslim world. At the time, the US military conducted an investigation that confirmed five cases of "mishandling" the Muslim holy book. It acknowledged that soldiers and interrogators had kicked the Qur'an, had stood on it and, in one case, had sprayed urine on it. The new documents also unveiled repeated desecration of the Noble Qur'an, in a "religiously oriented tactic" against the Muslim detainees. An FBI agent said he was asked female interrogators to wet their hands and touch detainees' faces, prompting them to consider themselves unclean and unable to continue praying. US interrogators also wrapped a bearded inmate's head in duct tape "because he would not stop quoting the Qur'an," according to an FBI agent. The agent, whose account was corroborated by a colleague, said that a civilian contractor laughed about the treatment and was eager to show it off. Root Causes "More comprehensive investigation is needed. into the root causes and policies that led to those incidents," said Jaffer The new abuse revelation sparked calls for comprehensive investigations into the practices used at Guantanamo. "More comprehensive investigation is needed, not only into the scope of abuses but into the root causes and policies that led to those incidents," said Jameel Jaffer, deputy director of the ACLU's National Security Program. Jaffer questioned how aggressively the FBI pursued accusations by its agents, because authorities conducted follow-up interviews in only nine of the 26 cases. An FBI memorandum that accompanied the new documents said that none of the incidents involved FBI or Justice Department employees. The memo said that the reports concerned personnel from other government agencies or outside contractors. The Pentagon said the issues and facts raised in the documents "are not new". Amnesty International has called Guantanamo the "gulag of our time" and said it has become a "symbol of abuse and represents a system of detention that is betraying the best US values and undermines international standards." A growing chorus of world dignitaries and politicians, including former US presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, and incumbent British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett have pressed for the closure of Guantanamo. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Newly released documents reveal fate of original Guantanamo detainees By: Carol Rosenberg - McClatchy Newspapers Posted: 1/17/08 One former Guantanamo captive is studying liberal arts in England. Another is famously free, released from an Australian jail after a U.S. military mandated nine-month prison sentence. A third is in Kuwait, with his wife and five children, still traumatized, his lawyers says, by his U.S. captivity. On Jan. 11, 2002, the Pentagon transferred its first 20 men from Afghanistan to its detention center in southeast Cuba, calling them "the worst of the worst" of U.S.-held prisoners in the war-on-terror. Now, a Miami Herald study has found that seven of those men have since gone home, some with little fanfare, others after well-publicized campaigns for their freedom. Meantime, a dozen of those first detainees remain there _ none currently charged with crimes _ six years after Pentagon photographs stirred international outrage by showing the men shackled on their knees at Camp X-Ray. The names came from Defense Department documents, notably prison camps weight charts, detainee accounts and contacts with lawyers and home nations. The name of the 20th captive that day remains a mystery. The documents show that, with the exception of Australian David Hicks, there would be little to distinguish the men on their knees from those who would come in the months and years later. "There was a sort of randomness to it," said Marine Maj. Dan Mori, whose client David Hicks, now free, is kneeling somewhere in that first worst-of-the-worst photo. "It was probably far too early for them to know what anybody had really done." Hicks is today the only man ever convicted at President Bush's Military Commissions set up at Guantanamo. Amid electioneering protests in his native Australia, the self-confessed al-Qaida foot soldier settled with the U.S. government for a nine-month sentence, most in his homeland. He was set free last month and has a midnight-to-6 a.m. curfew under a court order that requires he check in with Adelaide police three times weekly. What can he say about that flight, that first day, whether he can even spot himself in the photos? Nothing. As part of his March guilty plea, which netted him nine months in prison on a terror crime that could carry a maximum life in prison, he agreed to a one-year ban on talking to the media and pledged never to accuse the United States of mistreating him. In fact, none of the men the Herald tracked down in the photo agreed to an interview. Feroz Abassi, 28, is now living back in England working toward a liberal arts degree at an undisclosed university, said several attorneys who declined on his behalf to specify the location. "Feroz is studying and doing remarkably well adjusting to his life now after years of abuse and uncertainty about his fate while imprisoned at Guantanamo," said Gitanjali Gutierrez, attorney for the New York Center for Constitutional Rights. She was the first attorney ever allowed to meet Guantanamo captives, in August 2004, and Abassi was among two men she met there her first day _ after 2 ? years of confinement. The Bush administration at one point designated him for trial by military commission. Instead, he was freed in early January after intervention by the Tony Blair government. Gutierrez, staff attorney at the New York Center for Constitutional Rights, said Abassi's case illustrates just how wrong the U.S. military was in characterizing that first airlift of prisoners _ ferried 8,000 miles from Afghanistan _ as "the worst of the worst." "At one point, they described him as an al-Qaida leader!" she said. "He gets out and what's the first thing he does? He goes off to school. He's gotten on with his life and has gone on to mentor younger students." Omar Amin, 40, home in Kuwait since September 2006, likewise declined through his attorney and a family friend to speak with The Herald. "Omar Amin was deeply traumatized by the ordeal. He's back home with his wife and five children, trying to put his life back together and move on," said lawyer David Cynamon. Less is known about the fate of a Pakistani man, Shabidzada Usman, who was the first on that first flight set free, 15 months after he got there _ or two Saudi men who were sent to their homeland in 2006 and 2007. A Taliban member from the first flight, Ghulam Ruhani, has just gone home _ to a U.S-sponsored lockup near Kabul. In the earliest days of the American-led coalition assault on Afghanistan, he was held on a U.S. Navy ship at sea, along with Hicks and American captive John Walker now serving in a federal penitentiary in California for being a Taliban foot soldier. Earlier this month, The Miami Herald inquired about the men on that first flight since freed and got this reply from a spokesman, Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon: The Pentagon had no "information to share" on those men. Since the camps opened, the Pentagon says about 500 men have been released. It says it has a list of "more than 30" who have returned to the battlefield, but it refuses to identify most of them. The U.S. military has also steadfastly cited privacy reasons in declining to identify the first 20 men to be held captive at Camp X-Ray in Cuba. The Herald investigation turned up one striking finding: Six years after their arrival, four of the original detainees have never seen lawyers. Bush administration policy prohibited civilian attorneys from the prison in the first 30 months. But slowly advocates for the captives succeeded in providing civilian legal counsel. War court defendants automatically get military lawyers. Few people would have imagined the Pentagon paying to defend the men when they landed at the camp in January 2002. "These represent the worst elements of al-Qaida and the Taliban. We asked for the bad guys first," Marine Brig. Gen. Michael Lehnert told reporters hours before their arrival on an 8,000-mile air-bridge from Bagram, Afghanistan. It was early in the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan to topple the Taliban and hunt down Osama bin Laden, and the Pentagon opened Camp X-Ray at the U.S. Navy base in the Caribbean as an interrogation and detention center far from then freezing cold Afghanistan. Guantanamo was chosen for both its isolation and to argue that it was beyond the reach of U.S. courts. None of the original detainees are currently charged at military commissions, but two from the first flight may face the war court _ Ali Hamza Bahlul, 39, and Abdl Malak al-Rahabi, 29, both Yemenis, Bahlul and al-Rahabi have never been invited to argue for their freedom before the annual U.S. military parole boards, a key indicator that they are war court candidates. The first 20 men were a mixed group of alleged al-Qaida foot soldiers and Taliban functionaries, all Muslim and about half of them Arabs. The Miami Herald has discovered the identities of 19 of the first prisoners. Who is the 20th man? No clear answer emerges from the thousands of pages of detainee documents the Defense Department has released, much of it under Freedom of Information lawsuits by the Associated Press and the American Civil Liberties Union. But a 2006 affidavit from a two-star general who supervised interrogations provides a possible explanation: In the earliest days of the prison project, when detainees were kept at Camp X-Ray, military intelligence planted informants among them. Southcom in Miami would not confirm whether such a program existed; nor would it provide its own list of the first 20 captives in a rolling detainee population that would number nearly 800. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Detention of family members of detainees, including children In some cases family members-including children-of detainees who have been held in the U.S. Secret Detention Program, have been apprehended, detained and/or subjected to coercive treatment. Family members may be apprehended separately or at the same time as the individual sought. One apparent object of such treatment has been to obtain information about the detainee. Some of these family members have been subsequently released, but in other cases their fate and whereabouts remain unknown. In September 2002, Yusuf al-Khalid (then nine years old) and Abed al-Khalid (then seven years old) were reportedly apprehended by Pakistani security forces during an attempted capture of their father, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was successfully apprehended several months later, and the U.S. government has acknowledged that he was in the U.S. Secret Detention Program. He is presently held at Guant?namo Bay. In an April 16, 2007 statement, Ali Khan (father of Majid Khan, a detainee who the U.S. government has acknowledged was in the U.S. Secret Detention Program and is presently held at Guant?namo Bay) indicated that Yusef and Abed al-Khalid had been held in the same location in which Majid Khan and Majid's brother Mohammed were detained in March/April 2003. Mohammed was detained by Pakistani officials for approximately one month after his apprehension on March 5, 2003 (see below). Ali Khan's statement indicates that: Also according to Mohammed, he and Majid were detained in the same place where two of Khalid Sheik Mohammed's young children, ages about 6 and 8, were held. The Pakistani guards told my son that the boys were kept in a separate area upstairs, and were denied food and water by other guards. They were also mentally tortured by having ants or other creatures put on their legs to scare them and get them to say where their father was hiding.11 After Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's arrest in March 2003, Yusuf and Abed Al Khalid were reportedly transferred out of Pakistan in U.S. custody. The children were allegedly being sent for questioning about their father's activities and to be used by the United States as leverage to force their father to co-operate with the United States. A press report on March 10, 2003 confirmed that CIA interrogators had detained the children and that one official explained that: "We are handling them with kid gloves. After all, they are only little children...but we need to know as much about their father's recent activities as possible. We have child psychologists on hand at all times and they are given the best of care."12 11 See Statement of Ali Khan, Apr. 16, 2007, available at www.ccr-ny.org/v2/legal/september_11th/docs/Ali_Khan_statement.pdf 12 See Olga Craig, CIA Holds Young Sons of Captured al-Qaeda Chief, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH (U.K.), Mar. 9, 2003, available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2003%2F03%2F09%2Fwalqa09.xml. In the transcript of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's Combatant Status Review Tribunal, he indicates knowledge that his children were apprehended and abused: "They arrested my kids intentionally. They are kids. They been arrested for four months they had been abused."13 On March 5, 2003, Majid Khan, was apprehended in Karachi, Pakistan, along with his brother Mohammed, his brother's wife and their one month-old daughter. They were all taken to an unknown location. Majid Khan's sister-in-law and her daughter were detained for one week, and as mentioned above, Mohammed Khan was detained by Pakistani officials for approximately one month. On March 28, 2003, Aafia Siddiqui (see page 16) was reportedly apprehended in Karachi, Pakistan along with her three children (then aged seven years, five years and six months). On August 11, 2003, Hambali, a detainee who the U.S. government has acknowledged was in the U.S. Secret Detention Program and is presently held at Guant?namo Bay, was reportedly apprehended in Thailand along with his wife Noralwizah Lee Abdullah, a national of Malaysia, in a joint operation of which the U.S. was a part. On July 24, 2004, Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a detainee who the U.S. government has acknowledged was in the U.S. Secret Detention Program and is presently held at Guant?namo Bay, was reportedly apprehended in Gujarat, Pakistan, along with two women (his wife, an Uzbek national and the Pakistani wife of South African national Zubair Ismail) and five children. His apprehension was reportedly a joint Pakistani-U.S. operation, coordinated with CIA and FBI officials. 13 U.S. Department of Defense, Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, Transcript of CSRT (KSM) Hearing, available at, http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Combatant_Tribunals.html. http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=222060 Egyptian killed by US military ship: security source 03-24-2008, 22h44 ISMAILIYA, Egypt (AFP) An airial view taken in 2007 shows the southern entrance of Egypt's Suez Canal. One Egyptian was killed and two wounded when a US military ship about to cross the Suez Canal opened fire on barges of hawkers that approached their boat on Monday, a security source told AFP. (AFP/File) A US military ship about to cross the Suez Canal opened fire Monday on barges of hawkers that approached their boat, killing one Egyptian and wounding two others, a security source said. The ship, Global Patriot, had arrived from the Red Sea and was waiting in the Gulf of Suez to sail to the Mediterranean when a group of Egyptians seeking to sell merchandise approached the boat on small barges, the source said. Americans on board told the barges to stop and opened fire when they continued to approach. Several of the small barges that usually ply their trade in small goods on the canal gathered in protest immediately after the shooting but then dispersed, leaving the Suez waterway clear for traffic. According to the website of the US Navy's Military Sealift Command, the MV Global Patriot is a roll-on roll-off transport ship chartered from Global Container Lines. The security source said that the ship was expected to cross the Suez Canal as planned at 6:00 am (0300 GMT) on Tuesday. Amnesty International Reveals New CIA 'Disappearance' Case That Began in Abu Ghraib < http://www.breitbart.com/partner.php?source=prnw > Mar 13 04:01 PM US/Eastern Former Detainee Was Held More Than 2 Years in "Black Site," Human Rights Organization Reports WASHINGTON, March 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Amnesty International today exposed in a new report, "From Abu Ghraib to secret CIA custody: The case of Khaled al-Maqtari," further details of the cruelty and illegality of the CIA program of secret detentions and enforced disappearances -- a program re-authorized by President Bush in June 2007. In an exclusive to Amnesty International, 31-year-old Yemeni national Khaled Abdu Ahmed Saleh al-Maqtari recounted his ordeal as one of the men most recently released from secret detention in May 2007. Initially a "ghost detainee" at Abu Ghraib, he was transferred to CIA custody in Afghanistan, then held in unknown locations and in complete isolation for more than two and a half years, without charge or trial or access to any form of due process. His statements include numerous allegations of torture and other ill-treatment. "Khaled al-Maqtari's account is one more shameful chapter in the Bush administration's war on terror playbook," said Larry Cox, Amnesty International USA executive director. "Mr. al-Maqtari's descriptions of being subjected to international crimes including enforced disappearance and torture are terrible and disgraceful for the United States government. Equally reprehensible is that none of these allegations are known to have ever been investigated, nor has anyone been held accountable." Khaled al-Maqtari was detained when U.S. army soldiers raided a suspected arms market in Fallujah, Iraq, in January 2004, arresting at least 60 people. He was transferred to the infamous Abu Ghraib prison as an unregistered "ghost detainee." He has recounted a regime of beatings, sleep deprivation, suspension upside-down in painful positions, intimidation by dogs, induced hypothermia and other forms of torture. He said that on one occasion, after being beaten by three men in a small room, he was forced to stand naked on a chair in front of a powerful air conditioner, holding up a full case of bottled water. He was periodically drenched in cold water, which made him shiver so hard he could barely remain standing. Khaled al-Maqtari said he was also suspended by his feet, with his arms still cuffed behind his back, while a pulley was used to lower him up and down over a water crate. After nine days of interrogation in Abu Ghraib, Khaled al-Maqtari was taken by plane to a secret CIA detention facility in Afghanistan, were he was held for an additional three months. Flight records obtained by Amnesty International corroborated that a jet operated by a CIA front company left Baghdad International Airport nine days after al-Maqtari's arrest, heading for Khwaja Rawash airport in Kabul. While in Afghanistan, Khaled al-Maqtari said, he was subjected to further torture and ill-treatment, including prolonged solitary confinement, the use of stress positions, sleep deprivation, exposure to extremes of hot and cold, prolonged shackling, sensory deprivation and disruption with bright lighting and loud music or sound effects constantly channeled into his cell. As he told Amnesty International: "It was not really music but noise to scare you, like from one of those scary movies...I was scared, there were no dogs but there was noise there. Whenever you try to sleep, they bang on the door loudly and violently." Khaled al-Maqtari also told Amnesty International that during the lapses in the music or sound effects he began to speak to other detainees, and he figured out there were about 20 others being held in the cells around him, including Majid Khan, one of the "high value" detainees transferred from secret CIA custody to military detention in Guantanamo Bay in September 2006. In late April 2004, Khaled al-Maqtari and a number of his fellow detainees were transferred to another CIA "black site," possibly in Eastern Europe. He was held there for 28 more months, before being sent to Yemen where he was detained by Yemeni officials until May 2007. "At no point during his 32-month confinement was Khaled al-Maqtari told where he was or why," said Anne FitzGerald, senior advisor at Amnesty International, who interviewed Khaled al-Maqtari. "According to Mr. al-Maqtari, he did not have access to lawyers, relatives, the International Committee of the Red Cross or any person other than his interrogators and the personnel involved in his detention and transfer. This clearly violates the United States' international obligations. The U.S. government has a case to answer." Khaled al-Maqtari is in his native Yemen, living with the effects of prolonged psychological and physical torture. He has not received any reparation from U.S. authorities, who have yet to acknowledge his detention. The abuses that have affected him most, he said, were the years of endless isolation, his total uncertainty about his future, the constant monitoring by cameras, and his segregation from the outside world, particularly the lack of contact with his family. Amnesty International urges the U.S. authorities to end the use of secret detention; hold accountable those responsible for abuses carried out under the program; make known the names, fate and whereabouts of all individuals held in the context of the so-called "war on terror;" and charge any detainees who are still held with recognizable criminal offenses and bring them to trial in independent courts or release them immediately. The report will also be available online starting March 14 at http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/013/2008/en SOURCE Amnesty International http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jVwGqYWMiTBxH46PsF9gQVEg-JzQ United States censors Guantanamo prisoner's sketch of force-feeding 1 day ago GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - The United States has censored a gruesome drawing by a Guantanamo Bay detainee depicting him as a skeleton being force-fed at the military prison, the man's lawyers said Monday as they released a recreation of the sketch. The detainee, Sami al-Haj, a Sudanese cameramen for the Al-Jazeera TV network, marked his 431st day on hunger strike Monday at Guantanamo, the U.S. base in Cuba where some 275 men suspected of terrorism or links with al-Qaida or the Taliban are being held. "My picture reflects my nightmares of what I must look like, with my head double-strapped down, a tube in my nose, a black mask over my mouth, with no eyes and only giant cheekbones," al-Haj said in a statement released by the British legal rights group Reprieve. The lawyers said they commissioned a political cartoonist, Lewis Peake, to recreate four of al-Haj's drawings, based on descriptions of the censored originals, to reveal "aspects of the prisoners' suffering in U.S. custody." U.S. navy Cmdr. Rick Haupt, a spokesman for the prison camp, denied detainees are mistreated and said al-Qaida trains its operatives to allege inhumane treatment. "We continue to treat all detainees safely and humanely," Haupt said. Seven detainees remained on hunger strike Monday to protest against conditions and their indefinite confinement at Guantanamo. All were being fed liquid nutrients through a tube inserted into their nostril. Clive Stafford Smith, one of al Haj's lawyers, said the censorship of the drawings was motivated by public-relations concerns. "The motivation is not national security but trying to avoid embarrassment for the illegal acts of the military," Stafford Smith said. Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon, a Pentagon spokesman, said the drawings were censored because they were beyond the scope of material, such as legal documents or discussion of evidence, that is allowed. "The documents in question did not meet those parameters," Gordon said. Titled "Scream for Freedom," the drawing released Monday depicts a skeleton strapped into a "restraint chair," which the military uses when force-feeding detainees. A second detainee is strapped into another chair. Between them, the insignia of the Joint Task Force-Guantanamo has been altered to show a skull and crossbones in lieu of a star and outline of Cuba. Al-Haj said detainees call the chairs "torture chairs." Lawyer Cori Crider said al-Haj showed her the four sketches Feb. 1. She said she suspected the military might prevent their release, so she also submitted for review al-Haj's detailed descriptions of the drawings, which the military did not censor, allowing the images to be recreated. Recreations of three other sketches will be released in coming days. Al-Haj was captured by Pakistani authorities on the Afghan border and turned over to the United States. He is believed to be the only journalist from a major international news organization held at Guantanamo. Authorities accused him of transporting money in the 1990s for a charity that allegedly funded military groups. Bush Administration Asks Supreme Court to Limit Judges' Access to Detainee Evidence AP News Feb 14, 2008 http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Bush_wants_limits_on_access_to_evid_02142008.html The Bush administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to limit judges' authority to scrutinize evidence against detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The administration said the court could still add the issue to its calendar this year and hear arguments in a rare May session, then render a decision by late June. The case is linked to another dispute already at the high court in which detainees are asking the justices to rule that they can use the U.S. civilian courts to challenge their indefinite imprisonment. Another option for the court is to take no action on the new case until it decides on the extent of the detainees' legal rights. In the new case, the administration is asking the court to undo a federal appeals court ruling that broadens its authority to look at evidence about whether detainees have been properly characterized as enemy combatants. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit initially ruled on the case in July. The full court refused in early February, in a 5-5 split, to reconsider that ruling. It takes a majority of the court to reconsider a panel decision. The ruling held that, when Guantanamo Bay detainees challenge their status as "enemy combatants," judges must review all the evidence, not just the evidence the military chooses. The administration said the decision jeopardizes national security. At the Guantanamo hearings, detainees are not allowed to have lawyers present and the Pentagon decides what evidence to present. And unlike in criminal trials, the government is not obligated to turn over evidence that the defendant might be innocent. If the military reviewers designate a prisoner as an enemy combatant, the prisoner can challenge that decision before the appeals court in Washington. The administration wants the appeals court to look at only the evidence considered by the Pentagon panel that decided the detainee is an enemy combatant. A decision to hear the new case could come as early as Tuesday. The case is Gates v. Bismullah, 07-1054. Foreign Policy in Focus, February 26, 2007 Title: "Migrants: Globalization's Junk Mail?" Author: Laura Carlsen http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/4022 Student Researcher: Fernanda Borras Faculty Evaluator: Diana Grant, Ph.D. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) flooded Mexico with cheap subsidized US agricultural products that displaced millions of Mexican farmers. Between 2000 and 2005, Mexico lost 900,000 rural jobs and 700,000 industrial jobs, resulting in deep unemployment throughout the country. Desperate poverty has forced millions of Mexican workers north in order to feed their families. The National Campesino Front estimates that two million farmers have been displaced by NAFTA, in many cases related to the increase in US imports. In 1994, the first year of the agreement, the United States exported $4.59 billion of agricultural products to Mexico, according to the Department of Agriculture. By 2006 the figure had risen to $9.85 billion-an increase of 114 percent. US exports of corn, Mexico's staple crop and largest source of rural employment, alone doubled to over $2.5 billion in 2006. This combination of unemployment in Mexico, the huge gap between salaries in the United States and Mexico, and US demand for cheap labor to compete on global markets has created the current situation. The demand for undocumented labor in the US economy is structural. It is not just a few companies seeking to cut corners. These are not just jobs that "US workers won't take." Migrants work in nearly all low-paying occupations and have become essential to the US economy in the age of global competition. The meatpacking industry provides a good example. The US meat industry as it went global shows a fast slide in working conditions over the past decades as a result of de-unionization, erosion of wages and benefits, and increasing safety and health hazards. Part and parcel of that slide has been the replacement of unionized US workers with migrants. Aside from traditional employment in agriculture, another major use of migrant labor has been through the advent of subcontracting. This practice, well in place since the early 1980s, has contributed to the de-unionization of the workforce. It conveniently releases employees from direct responsibility for the legal status and treatment of workers in their employment. In the wake of 9/11, Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) has conducted workplace and home invasions across the country in an attempt to round up "illegal" immigrants. ICE justifies these raids under the rubric of keeping our homeland safe and preventing terrorism. However the real goal of these actions is to disrupt the immigrant work force in the US and replace it with a tightly regulated non-union guest-worker program. This policy is endorsed by companies seeking permanent low-wage workers through a lobby group called Essential Worker Immigrations Coalition (EWIC). EWIC's fifty-two members include the US Chamber of Commerce, Wal-Mart, Marriott, Tyson Foods, American Meat Institute, California Landscape Contractors Association, and the Association of Builders and Contractors. ICE now has Operation Return to Sender, a program, supposedly designed to target fugitive aliens. The program has resulted in the indiscriminate roundup of over 13,000 undocumented immigrants in cities throughout the United States. Immigrant rights organizations have noted that the crackdown has led to serious human rights violations. Families are separated. Hearings are slow, and often families do not know for long periods of time where their loved ones are being held. A January 16 report from the Homeland Security Department's Inspector General of conditions at five detention centers identified frequent violation of federal standards, overcrowding, and health and safety violations. The firings and raids highlight the vulnerability of immigrant workers under current US law. In 1986 Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act, making it a federal crime for an employer to hire a worker without valid immigration documents. While few employers have ever faced penalties, in reality the law made it a crime for undocumented workers to hold a job. No current law requires employers to fire workers whose Social Security numbers don't jibe. But President Bush proposed a new administrative rule, which would tell employers to fire anyone with a no-match. The regulation has never been officially issued, but many companies claim they're already complying with it. Both the enforcement and the agenda behind this crackdown are alarming many unions. In 1999 the AFL-CIO called for the repeal of employer sanctions, as well as for a generous legalization program, greater chances for family reunification, and enforcement of workplace rights. The federation was already on record opposing new guest worker programs. The Service Employees, and the two garment unions were among the first to push for this position. "We still call for the repeal of employer sanctions, as we have from the time it was passed," says Bruce Raynor, UNITE HERE president. "There are 12 million undocumented people living here, who are important to the economy," he fumes. "They have a right to seek employment, and employers have a right to hire them. The only way to deal with this is to give workers rights and a path to citizenship." UPDATE BY DAVID BACON "Which Side are you On?" and "Workers, not Guests" expose the way US immigration law is being transformed into a mechanism for supplying labor to some of the country's largest corporations. Immigration law is creating a two-tier society, in which millions of people are denied fundamental rights and social benefits, because they are recruited to come to the US by those corporations on visas that condemn them to a second-class status. Those guest workers face increased poverty and exploitation, and their status is being used to put pressure on wages, benefits and workplace rights for all workers. "Workers, not Guests" describes the way that the Bush administration uses immigration raids to attack union organizing campaigns and efforts by immigrant workers to enforce basic workplace rights and protections. Further, the administration uses the raids to pressure Congress into adopting new, vastly expanded guest worker programs. Both articles describe the way some groups have abandoned their historic opposition to contract labor programs. Instead, the National Council of La Raza, the National Immigration Forum, and other labor and religious organizations have developed a political alliance with some of the country's largest corporations, with the objective of passing new guest worker legislation. This legislation also includes provisions that will make future immigration raids much harsher and more widespread. Since publication, the Bush administration and both Democratic and Republican senators have announced new proposals that go even further. They would end the ability of immigrant families to reunite in the US, and instead institute a corporate-driven point system intended to supply skilled labor to big companies. Raids and enforcement would become even harsher, with huge detention centers built on the border. The proposals would allow corporations to recruit as many as 600,000 contract guest workers a year. The use of immigration policy to funnel labor to corporate employers is growing at the same time that Congress is debating new corporate trade legislation, including the renewal of fast track negotiating authority for the administration, and four new trade agreements-with South Korea, Peru, Panama, and Colombia. These bills would all increase the displacement of workers and farmers in other countries, sending many of them into the migrant stream to the US. This displacement is being coordinated with Congress's immigration proposals, which would then channel displaced workers into industries where their labor can be used profitably, and ensure that they can only remain in the US in a status vulnerable to exploitation. The mainstream press has carried many articles about the proposals and raids. There has been very little coverage of the corporate backing for the immigration bills in Congress, however. Many reporters refer to the guest worker bills as "pro-immigrant" and "left." This has not only been inaccurate reporting, but has actually covered up the corporate domination of the immigration agenda in Congress. There has been virtually no coverage of the connection between US trade policy and immigration policy. For more accurate information, readers can contact the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, www.nnirr.org. Global Exchange organized a national speaking tour on trade and immigration policy by David Bacon and Juan Manuel Sandoval, a leading Mexican critic of NAFTA and US immigration policy. The presentations made during that tour are available on the Global Exchange website, www.globalexchange.org. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- TO everyone who took the actions - THANK YOU! It WORKS! Next: Shaker Aamer (see below, go to the link and take action for him, too!) Spain drops charges against Omar Deghayes and Jamil el-Banna Campaigners for British Guantanamo Bay detainees Omar Deghayes and Jamil el-Banna were celebrating today at the news that authorities have dropped attempts to extradite the two men to Spain. Omar and Jamil were released from Guantanamo Bay back to Britain in December last year - but were immediately placed back in legal limbo with the extradition requests against them. Now Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon has ruled that the two men are not fit to stand trial in Spain because of mental and physical problems arising from their time in Guantanamo-and has consequently dropped proceedings against them. Omar was blinded in one eye by his US captors. Both men were subject to torture and ill-treatment during their five year detention in the prison camp. Jackie Chase from the Save Omar campaign told Socialist Worker, "We're delighted to hear that the Spanish authorities have seen sense and decided not to pursue this extradition request any further. "Everybody should now be satisfied these men pose no threat whatsoever. Omar and Jamil should be left in peace to get on with their lives-although they will always bear the scars of the crimes committed against them. "This whole case has highlighted how wrong it is to depart from a system of law by allowing people to be detained without charge and subjected to torture and other appalling practices." Jackie added that the Save Omar campaigners would be coming to the Stop the War march in London on 15 March to demand the release of the two remaining British residents in Guantanamo, Shaker Abdur-Raheem Aamer and Binyam Mohammed al-Habashi. "We need to stand up and demand they shut down Guantanamo Bay, Belmarsh and the whole network of secret CIA torture camps around the world," she said. From burnitdown2012 at yahoo.com Mon Apr 14 19:38:59 2008 From: burnitdown2012 at yahoo.com (Steve Harris) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:38:59 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Onthebarricades] Re: [The Eco Anarchist club] Conservation protests - whaling; Woodlark Island; Papuan wood In-Reply-To: <030801c89e85$bdb20a60$0802a8c0@andy1> Message-ID: <242573.33488.qm@web90404.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Posted: http://www.corrupt.org/transcendence/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1208227093 It's awesome how this has forced capitalist dogmatics to back down from their destructive, socialized cost inducing behaviors. --- Andy wrote: > * JAPAN: Sea Shepherd keep whalers on the hop > * UK/JAPAN: Protest at embassy > * AUSTRALIA/HOLLAND/JAPAN: Japanese upset by > embassy protests > * JAPAN: Activists injured by whalers' gunshots > * JAPAN: Activists kidnapped by whalers, handed > over to customs after long > delay > * PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Activists, scientists stop > biofuels project on remote > island > * AUSTRALIA: Activists target retail giant over > import of West Papuan wood > > Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance > > http://news.smh.com.au/protest-ship-keeps-whalers-on-the-hop/20080223-1u82.html > > > Protest ship keeps whalers on the hop > February 23, 2008 - 9:35PM > Anti-whaling protest ship the Steve Irwin has the > Japanese whaling fleet on > the run again in the Southern Ocean. > The Sea Shepherd's ship located the Japanese fleet > about 6am (AEDT) on > Saturday after returning to the Southern Ocean from > Melbourne, where it made > repairs and stocked up on fuel and supplies. > The Steve Irwin's presence in the icy southern > waters has effectively > stopped whaling for the day, its captain Paul Watson > said > "The great Southern Ocean whaling ship chase is on > again," he said. > "I don't think any whales are going to be dying > today. Our goal is to keep > the harpoons quiet for the next three weeks." > The Steve Irwin found the Fukuyoshi Maru No. 68 at > 6am (AEDT), which tried > to lead it away from the whaling fleet. > Capt Watson said they continued on course finding > other fleet vessels > including the Nisshin Maru. > The first Japanese vessel, which Capt Watson > believes carries armed Japanese > coast guard officers, then turned and began chasing > the Steven Irwin. > "It is believed that the Fukuyoshi Maru No 68 > carries armed Japanese coast > guard officers," a Sea Shepherd spokesman said. > "The Steve Irwin is now pursuing the Nisshin Maru > and two harpoon vessels > with the Fukuyoshi Maru No. 68 in pursuit of the > Steve Irwin." > Australian Protester Jeff Hansen, from Fremantle, > said: "Seeing the Japanese > whalers running like cowards from the Steve Irwin is > a very satisfying > experience." > "I can't think of a place I would rather be right > now," Mr Hansen said. > Before the Steve Irwin had found the Japanese > whalers, the protest ship > chased another ship, a Namibian Toothfish vessel, > the Antalles Reefer. > "The vessel refused to give a fishing permit number > and threatened the Steve > Irwin by reporting that it was armed," a Sea > Shepherd spokesman said. > The spokesman said the Antalles Reefer captain > claimed to only speak > Russian. > "The Steve Irwin has a Russian speaking crew member > and during the > conversation the captain said he would resist with > force if there was any > interference with his operations," the spokesman > said. > "Captain Paul Watson relayed the information to the > Australian Customs > vessel Oceanic Viking and reported that a suspicious > toothfish fishing > vessel was operating inside the Australian Economic > Exclusion Zone." > The 32 crew members on board the Steve Irwin include > 15 Australians and > volunteers from New Zealand, Canada, the United > States, Sweden, South > Africa, the Netherlands, Britain and Spain. > The great Japanese whaling chase is happening about > 80 miles north of the > Shackleton Glacier, well inside Australian Antarctic > Territorial waters. > An Australian Federal Court ordered in January that > Japanese whaling be > restrained in Australian territorial waters. > > http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23335670-663,00.html > > Japan fumes over London embassy protest > Article from: Agence France-Presse > Font size: Decrease Increase > Email article: Email > Print article: Print > From correspondents in Tokyo > March 07, 2008 03:25pm > Anti-whaling protester storms Japanese embassy > Japan's foreign minister says situation is > intolerable > Embassy security dramatically boosted > JAPAN today voiced outrage and said it was boosting > security around its > embassy in London after an anti-whaling protester > trespassed and chained > himself to the balcony. > The activist climbed to the third floor and strapped > himself to the balcony > where he lowered the Japanese flag to half-mast and > unfurled a banner > saying, "Stop Your Illegal Whaling,'' before being > arrested. > "This is intolerable. And if this was an organised > crime then it is all the > more intolerable,'' Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura > told reporters in > Tokyo. > The protester was a Briton who is part of US-based > environmentalist group > Sea Shepherd. > The foreign ministry said it was unclear how he was > able to climb onto the > embassy building, which is in an open area > overlooking Green Park. > "Upon hearing about the incident, the Japanese > embassy in Britain has > requested that local police bolster security and is > increasing the number of > security guards,'' a foreign ministry statement > said. > It said that another activist, who also identified > herself as a Sea Shepherd > member, entered the embassy grounds and shouted > against whaling before > leaving voluntarily after 15 minutes. > Japan says that whaling is part of its culture and > accuses Western nations > of insensitivity. > It kills up to 1,000 whales a year using a loophole > in a 1986 global > moratorium that allows "lethal research'' on the > giant mammals, with the > meat ending up in supermarkets. > Only Norway and Iceland defy the moratorium > outright. > Sea Shepherd, which considers whaling barbaric, has > constantly harassed the > Japanese ships on their annual hunt in Antarctica. > The group Monday hurled > stink bombs at the mother ship, slightly injuring > three, according to Japan. > Japan also voiced anger about that incident and said > it would raise it at > the London meeting. > > > > http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23106412-5005961,00.html > > Girl, 14, arrested in whaling protest > Article from: > Font size: Decrease Increase > Email article: Email > Print article: Print > By staff writers > January 25, 2008 09:55am > A 14-YEAR-old British girl has been arrested after > protesting against > whaling outside the Japanese embassy in London, > inspired by the work of > Greenpeace in the Southern Ocean. > Sophie Wyness and her father Martin were removed by > police after tying > themselves to a railing inside the embassy. > The pair was charged with criminal trespass and will > appear in court on > February 6. > "I honestly think that me having a criminal record > is not a big price to pay > when what the whales are going through is so much > worse," Sophie said, > according to the British Press Association. > The teenager took action after watching a film about > the Greenpeace vessel > Esperanza - which is disrupting the activities of > the Japanese whaling fleet > in the Southern Ocean. > One video clip which showed a whale being blown up, > had "hit me hard", she > said. > The video pushed her to stage the hour-long protest > because she felt it was > wrong to wrong to "brutally murder" whales. > > "It's a very important subject at the moment. > They're such amazing creatures > and they deserve rights and love and a bit of > respect," she said. > "I have total respect for the Japanese people but > not what they're doing out > there with the whales." > Direct action was the only way to focus attention on > whaling, she said. > It is not the first time the 14-year-old has been > removed from a protest but > it is the first time she has been arrested. > She has previously campaigned against Australia's > nuclear policy. > Mr Wyness has previously been arrested for > environmental actions. He was > removed by security guards from the British Museum > in October for a climate > change protest in which he put face masks on two > figures from the Terracotta > Army. > Japan has faced international condemnation over its > plans to kill endangered > whales in the Antarctic as part of its annual > "scientific program". > Earlier this month, the Japanese announced they were > dropping plans to kill > 50 humpback whales but were pressing ahead with the > hunting of 935 minke and > 50 endangered fin whales. > > http://news.smh.com.au/diplomats-summoned-after-whaling-protest/20080304-1wpl.html > > Diplomats summoned after whaling protest > March 4, 2008 - 1:13PM > Advertisement > Japan has called in the Australian and Dutch > ambassadors in Tokyo to urge > them to rein in anti-whaling protesters. > The diplomatic move by Japan comes after protesters > on Monday pelted a > Japanese whaling ship in Antarctic waters with > foul-smelling acid and > "slippery" powder. > The Australian government condemned the actions of > protest group Sea > Shepherd, which says it threw beer bottles > containing butyric acid, found in > rotten butter, at the whaling ship Nisshin Maru. > Japan described the US-based Sea Shepherd as > "terrorists" and has lodged > protests with Australia, where the Sea Shepherd's > Steve Irwin vessel last > called into port, and The Netherlands, where the > boat is registered. > Japan summoned Australian Ambassador Murray McLean > and Dutch Ambassador > Alphons Hamer, urging them to prevent more clashes, > the Japanese foreign > ministry said. > Japan complained that several crew members were hurt > in Monday's clash, but > Sea Shepherd denied anyone had been injured. > "That was an inexcusable act to inflict > unjustifiable damage to Japan's ship > and to harm the safety of the crew who are operating > legally in the public > sea," said Japan's top government spokesman Nobutaka > Machimura. > Japanese authorities said they were still > investigating a substance in > envelopes thrown by Sea Shepherd protesters, said to > make the Japanese > ship's deck so slippery that the crew could not > work. > Sea Shepherd head Paul Watson said he was > disappointed Australian Foreign > Minister Stephen Smith had condemned the > anti-whaling group's actions on > Monday, and again disputed Japanese claims four > crewmen were injured. > "If you hold up a picket line and say `stop killing > whales' they (Japanese > whalers) will claim injuries. They didn't show any > evidence," Mr Watson said > via satellite phone from aboard his ship. > "I have been disappointed with everything the > Australian government has been > doing since the election. Every single promise was > just posing and posturing > and making sure they don't upset the Japanese. > "Instead of condemning us he should condemn the > Japanese for what they are > doing." > Mr Watson said Sea Shepherd had no plans for further > confrontations soon. > Instead Sea Shepherd would follow the Nisshin Maru > and was confident it > could stop Japan killing another whale this season. > Sea Shepherd head Paul Watson said his ship, the > Steve Irwin, had enough > fuel to stay with the Nisshin Maru for about two > more weeks. > "We have enough fuel on here to be about here for > another ten to fourteen > days at this speed because we're burning a lot > chasing them but I think that > we can effectively make sure they're not going to > kill any (more) whales," > Mr Watson told ABC Radio. > The hunting season ends around the middle of this > month as the winter > weather sets in across the treacherous Southern > Ocean. > "They're going to have to get out of here because > the weather's changing and > becoming nastier," Mr Watson said. > "I think we can shut them down for the rest of the > season. > "There'll be at least five hundred or possibly six > hundred whales that will > have been spared this season because of our > interventions." > Western nations, led by Australia, strongly oppose > Japan's whaling. > Japan, which kills up to 1,000 whales a year, says > whaling is part of its > culture, and accuses anti-whaling countries of > insensitivity. > It harpoons whales using a loophole in a 1986 global > moratorium on whaling > that allows "lethal research" on the giant mammals, > although the meat often > ends up on Japanese dinner plates. > The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) > said Mr McLean held > discussions with the Japanese government on Monday > but had not been formally > summoned over the whaling incident. > "The Australian Ambassador was not formally summoned > over the incident," a > DFAT spokeswoman said. > "He did have discussions ... with the Japanese > government in Tokyo over the > incident as part of his normal liaison with relevant > Japanese officials." > > http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/393165.html > > Sea Shepherd activists injured as Japanese military > open fire > UK Indymedia Features | 07.03.2008 12:37 | Animal > Liberation | Ecology | > World > A clash between the crew of the Sea Shepherd vessel > Steve Irwin, who is in > the Southern Ocean to fight the ongoing Japanese > whaling slaughter near the > Antarctic, turned violent when the Japanese Coast > Guard began to throw flash > grenades at its crew. Captain Paul Watson of the Sea > Shepherd ship was > struck by a bullet in the chest. Fortunately, the > bullet was stopped by his > Kevlar vest. > Other injuries were sustained by crewmembers > Australian Ashley Dunn and > Ralph Lowe. Dunn suffered a hip injury as he tried > to get out of the way of > the exploding grenades. Lowe received bruises to his > back when one of the > flash grenades exploded behind him. Japan is denying > that any bullets have > been fired, saying "warning devices" were thrown > after their ship was > attacked. According to the Japanese foreign ministry > their coastguard on > board on of the whaling ships had thrown a > "baseball-sized device, which > exploded near the activists' ship emitting a loud > noise". However, the Sea > Shepherd Conservation Society has posted a video on > their website, clearly > showing devices being thrown from the whaling ship > exploding and a bullet > being recovered from Paul Watson's jacket. One UK > activist (from Nottingham) > is also onboard the ship, but it has not been > reported he suffered any > injuries. > > http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23064648-601,00.html > > Oceanic Viking to end high-seas drama > Font Size: Decrease Increase > Print Page: Print > January 17, 2008 > AN Australian customs ship is preparing to transfer > two men held on a > Japanese whaling vessel in the Southern Ocean as > soon as possible. > The Australian government has agreed to let the > Oceanic Viking customs > vessel assist in the transfer of Benjamin Potts, 28, > of Sydney and Giles > Lane, 35 from Britain from the Yushin Maru No. 2. > Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told reporters in > Perth the government would > use the Oceanic Viking to transfer the pair back to > the Sea Shepherd > Conservation Society vessel the Steve Irwin. > "We would like the transfer to be expedited as soon > as possible but people > should understand it is a difficult operation," Mr > Smith said. > He said the risky high seas operation required the > cooperation of the two > vessels, the two captains and the two men. > The foreign minister said the Oceanic Viking was > currently trying to contact > the two vessels to enable a transfer as soon as > possible. > Mr Smith said the two men were reportedly safe and > well. "The formal advice > from the Japanese authorities is the two men are > safe and well." > Mr Smith would not comment on possible motivation of > the parties involved in > the stand-off, but he said having called for > assistance he now expected full > cooperation from the Sea Shepherd crew. > Mr Smith refused to discuss the legalities of the > two men's actions but said > he did believe "restraint has been lacking". He said > he would not condone > any unlawful activity. > "I not only don't condone it I absolutely condemn > it." > This afternooon Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called on > the Japanese government > and environmental activists to exercise restraint to > allow the safe return > of the men. > Speaking in Brisbane, Mr Rudd said Mr Smith was in > constant talks with > Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to procure > their immediate safe return. > Mr Smith said the Oceanic Viking, a customs vessel > steaming south from > Fremantle, was already within sight of the Japanese > whaling ship Yushin Maru > 2 and he was considering what action to take. > Greenpeace meanwhile has spotted Japan's floating > whale processing factory > Nisshin Maru also on its way to the scene of the > drama. > Mr Rudd called on activists and those on board > Yushin Maru No. 2, to > exercise calm. > > "I have concerns about the safety of all people > involved with the operation > ... therefore I would again urge restraint on the > parties, full cooperation > on the part of those involved to ensure the safe > return of these two > individuals," he told reporters. > > Mr Rudd said the Australian government still > remained committed to ending > commercial whaling. > Mr Smith said the Oceanic Viking could be used to > pick up two detained > anti-whaling activists. > "Obviously one option in rendering assistance is the > use of the Oceanic > Viking and that is one of the options we are > currently considering," Mr > Smith told reporters in Perth. > The government dispatched the Oceanic Viking to > Antarctic waters last week > to monitor Japanese whaling and gather evidence for > a possible international > legal challenge to end the annual hunt. > "I can advise the Oceanic Viking is currently within > sighting distance of > the Japanese whaling vessel," he said. > Australia's role as an intermediary in the return of > Australian Benjamin > Potts, 28, and Briton Giles Lane, 35, has been > accepted by both Japan and > Sea Shepherd. > The Japanese whalers have been adamant that the Sea > Shepherd Conservation > Society agree not to interfere with Japan's whaling > operation as a condition > for their crew members' return. > But they have left open the option for the Oceanic > Viking to act as an > intermediary and pick up the two protesters if the > conditions were not met. > "If Sea Shepherd don't comply (with Japan's > conditions) it would be > acceptable if the Australian government used the > Oceanic Viking to act an as > intermediary," a spokesman for the Japanese whalers > said. > "It would be quite acceptable for the Australian > government to come up > alongside and collect the two men if they really > want them and give them > back to the Sea Shepherd. > "You must understand the reluctance of the Japanese > to lash their vessel up > to the Steve Irwin -- it's just not going to happen > like that," said Glenn > Inwood, spokesman for the whalers. > The skipper of the protesters' vessel Steve Irwin > told The Australian that > there was no way the conservation society would give > into the demands of > "terrorists". > In an online audio interview today, Captain Paul > Watson ruled out protesters > using arms and boarding the Yushin Maru No 2 to free > his two crew members. > But he was considering manoevering his vessel in > front of the Yushin Maru No > 2 to block it from moving as a means to force it to > return the captive crew > members. > He said the whalers had demanded that the Steve > Irwin remain at least 10 > nautical miles away from the Japanese vessel, and > send a small boat to pick > the men up -- something Watson rejects as too > dangerous. > "Apparently the Japanese government has told the > Yushin Maru No 2 to give > our crew members back and yet we still don't have > them on board. So we want > to know why they haven't been released. > "They (the Yushin Maru No 2) are making demands of > us and holding two of our > crew members hostage. > "That's extortion and we have no interest in > negotiating with criminals. > They are out there breaking the law." > Greenpeace meanwhile says the Japanese whaling > factory - Nisshin Maru - was > on its way back to the hunting zone in the Southern > Ocean, the scene of a > tense standoff between whalers and environmental > activists. > Expedition director Karli Thomas, on board > Greenpeace ship Esperanza, said > the Nisshin Maru turned back towards the rest of the > fleet in the whaling > waters on Tuesday. > The Esperanza has been following the Japanese ship > since it located the > whaling fleet on Saturday. > With AFP and AAP > > http://de.indymedia.org/2008/01/205247.shtml > > Protests stop PNG island oil palm project > Diet Simon, sourced on Rettet den Regenwald > 17.01.2008 08:38 Themen: > Weltweit ?kologie > Massive local and international protest has stopped > a Malaysian company's > plan to grow oil palms on nearly all of a pristine > Papua-New Guinean island. > The PNG agriculture minister, John Hickey, who first > approved the plan has > now confirmed that it's been dropped. The palm oil > was to be exported for > agrofuel production. > > The Malaysian Vitroplant Ltd. had intended to clear > away 60,000 hectares of > rain forest on the island of Woodlark, which lies > about 280 kilometres from > Papua New Guinea and has a total area of about > 85,000 hectares. > > The 6,000 islanders would have lost their culture, > their hunting grounds and > their lands for growing food. The palm plantation > would have destroyed > almost all the still intact flatland rain forest of > the island and with it a > breathtaking biodiversity. Marine life along the > island's coasts would also > have been destroyed by wastes produced by the palm > oil project. > > Almost without exception the islanders resisted the > plan, backed by pressure > from environmental activists around the globe. > Almost 8,500 people sent > protest letters just through the Germany-based > "Rettet den Regenwald" (Save > the Rain Forest) website ( > http://www.regenwald.org). > > Rettet den Regenwald has started another protest > campaign asking for letters > to demand that the European Union give up its plan > to mandate 10% agrofuels > in transportation by 2020. > > Even the EU's Environment Commissioner, Stavros > Dimas, conceded in an > interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation > on 14 January 2008: "We > have seen that the environmental problems caused by > biofuels and also the > social problems are bigger than we thought they > were. So we have to move > very carefully." > > A draft internal report gives the EU Commission a > scathing assessment of the > European agrofuel plans and warns of devastating > ecological and social > problems resulting from them. > > On 23 January 2008 the Commission intends to present > a climate and energy > package of which the agrofuel quota is a core > element. > > For more on the devastation caused by palm oil see > http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/protest-against-palmoil-german-candle-production. > > http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0212-hance_woodlark.html > > How activists and scientists saved a rainforest > island from destruction for > palm oil > By Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com > February 12, 2008 > Saving an island: analysis of Woodlark Island's > victory over palm-oil > development > > How Woodlark Island's plight went from local to > global > > In mid-January, Mongabay learned that the government > of Papua New Guinea had > changed its mind: it would no longer allow > Vitroplant Ltd. to deforest 70% > of Woodlark Island for palm oil plantations. This > change came about after > one hundred Woodlark Islanders (out of a population > of 6,000) traveled to > Alotau, the capital of Milne Bay Province, to > deliver a protest letter to > the local government; after several articles in > Mongabay and Pacific > Magazine highlighted the plight of the island; after > Eco-Internet held a > campaign in which approximately three thousand > individuals worldwide sent > nearly 50,000 letters to local officials; and after > an article appeared in > the London Telegraph stating that due to > deforestation on New Britain Island > and planned deforestation on Woodlark Island, Papua > New Guinea had gone from > being an eco-hero to an 'eco-zero'. > > The endemic Woodlark Cuscus is safe for now. Photo > by Tim Flannery > Except for the article in the London Telegraph, the > issue of Woodlark Island > was largely ignored by mainstream western media. For > many involved this was > disappointing, since the plight of Woodlark Island > so perfectly presented > the wholesale destruction palm oil plantations have > been causing in Asian > and Pacific forests for years. Dr. Glen Barry, > founder and director of > Ecological Internet, referred to the situation as > the "epitome of ecological > evil" since this "incredibly diverse island would be > turned over to a > monoculture crop". Although the issue barely touched > mainstream media, it > still found its way from local protestors to > scientists to global > organizations, eventually putting international > pressure on the > decision-makers. > > Mongabay first learned of the plight of Woodlark > Island from a blog entry by > the conservation organization EDGE (Evolutionary > Distinct and Globally > Endangered). The organization had been contacted by > researchers on the > ground. After receiving help and information from > Alexander Rheeney, an > environmental journalist who covered the issue > locally, Mongabay sent word > to various campaign organizations. Dr. Barry's > Ecological Internet took it > on, setting up the campaign to flood Papua New > Guinea's government with > e-mails from around. In the meantime, island natives > continued to pressure > the government and the London Telegraph picked up > the story. It appears that > the combined protests and negative attention were > enough to sway the > government to drop the project. > > Opposition in many forms > > There can be no doubt that the most important part > of the opposition to the > deforestation of Woodlark Island was the courageous > citizens of Woodlark > themselves, who decided not to allow the government > and Vitroplant Ltd. to > devastate the island's ecology, resources, and way > of life for short-term > monetary gain. Mongabay had been in contact with one > of the leaders of the > local opposition, Dr. Simon Piwuyes, from early on. > He had this to say when > the government pulled the project: "This is > fantastic. It is important that > the livelihood of the Woodlark Islanders and the > eco-system that surrounds > them is maintained. Woodlark Islanders live > care-free lives in the midst of > the ocean and their rich forest land. The forest and > the animals play an > irreplaceable importance in the lives of the > islanders. It is a great relief > to learn that the government has spared rare species > that our earth > desperately loves to keep. I, on behalf of the > Woodlark Islanders, salute > the government for the decision." When asked why he > thought the government > changed its position, Dr. Piyuwes stated: "Number > one: pressure from the > landowners, number two: pressure from the NGOs, and > number three: pressure > from international organizations and individuals". > He added, "On this note I > salute all organizations and individuals for signing > up for this great > issue. Our earth needs such cooperation." > > The cooperative efforts also included scientists and > researchers. Dr. > Kristofer Helgen, a mammalogist who focuses on > species in the Papua New > Guinea and its neighboring islands, stated, "I think > that this is very good > news. Woodlark Islanders loudly objected to major > oil palm development on > Woodlark. Their campaign to prevent this action > involved contacting > international researchers to attract attention to > their cause, which is how > I came to be aware of the situation." Researchers > and scientists proved > instrumental in spreading the word and providing > continual context and > information. Without them the issue would never have > made it to a variety of > media sources. > > Forests.org, part of Ecological Internet, was the > largest organization to > take on the issue. Ecological Internet asks online > members to send out > protest letters regarding various environmental > issues. When asked why he > decided to set-up a campaign for Woodlark Island, > Dr. Barry expressed a > personal link to the region: "[Ecological > Internet's] efforts began with > Papua New Guinea. The country is near and dear to my > heart. I married a > woman from Papua New Guinea, and my wife and > daughter are there visiting > now." Dr. Barry also felt positive about his > organization's ability to make > a difference in this situation. "I was quite > confident," he says, "given the > secrecy of this project with the shady Malaysian > company that once we > exposed it we could either halt the project or delay > it long enough for > further scrutiny and oversight". Dr. Barry describes > the power of his > organization as 'the boomerang effect': the issue > goes out to his over > 100,000 members worldwide-living in almost every > nation-and then boomerangs > back to the local nation involved. Carly Waterman, > project coordinator for > EDGE, believes that the victory for Woodlark Island > "really highlights the > power of the Internet, where one person's voice can > turn into millions > overnight" > > Map modified from Google Earth > At the time of the protest by Ecological Internet > there was an opportunity > to remind Papua New Guinea of its previous > pro-environmental statements, > namely its desire to receive funds for preserving > its forests to mitigate > climate change. Papua New Guinea even made headlines > during the Bali > conference on climate change when one of its > members, Kevin Conrad, had the > courage to stand-up to the world's super-power. "I > would ask the United > States, we ask for your leadership," Mr. Conrad > said, "but if for some > reason you're not willing to lead, leave it to the > rest of us. Please get > out of the way." His comments were met with applause > from leaders worldwide > and shortly thereafter the U.S. caved to > international pressure. The article > on Woodlark Island in the London Telegraph alluded > to this very moment in > its observation that Papua New Guinea was not truly > an 'eco-hero' but an > 'eco-zero' due to its willingness t engage in > deforestation. Dr. Barry also > grasped the opportunity: "You were leaders of > rainforest conservation, now > you are going to allow an island with endemic > species and people living in > harmony with their rainforest to be essentially > mowed down." There is no > question that the comments made during the Bali > conference, and in previous > arenas, came back to haunt the government of Papua > New Guinea. > > What the decision protects: the singularity of > Woodlark Island > > Papua New Guinea and its surrounding islands is a > region of ecological > wonders. Woodlark Island alone possesses at least > twenty-four endemic animal > species; the island has been only partially surveyed > by biologists; each new > expedition usually turns up a species unknown to > science. Most famous of the > endemic species is the Woodlark Cuscus, an arboreal > marsupial. Islanders > occasionally hunt and eat the Cuscus, but this has > not affected its healthy > population. If Vitroplant Ltd. had been allowed to > go ahead it is quite > conceivable that many of Woodlark Island's species > would have become > endangered. Dr. Helgen noted that "for animal > species unique to Woodlark > Island, including the beautiful Woodlark Cuscus, the > island's forests are > their only home. The decision not to destroy those > forests is a clear > victory for everyone interested in the long-term > survival of all of Papua > New Guinea's unique wildlife species, which have > fundamental cultural and > ecological importance in this island nation of > ancient and beautiful > forests." The very ecological systems of the island > would have been affected > as well. Dr. Dan Polhemus stated in a previous > article that supplanting > forest with palm oil greatly degrades local water > systems. As well, it was > believed that chemicals and fertilizers used on the > island would end up > contaminating the surrounding coast, eliminating the > fish supply that > islanders depend upon. > > It is not only the ecology of the island that has > been preserved by the > government's decision, but the islander's unique > culture as well. > Deforestation of 70% of the island would have > drastically changed a culture > whose subsistence relies on the island's ecology, an > ecology that has been > shaped by the islanders as much as the islanders > have shaped it. Dr. F.H. > Damon, an anthropologist who has been studying the > Woodlark Island for over > thirty years, says that "there remains on the island > something of a unique > example of a regional social and ecological system > that supported human and > other life for 2000 and more years." Employing > gardening, small-scale > hunting, and pig-herding the islanders have built a > sustainable way of life > for themselves and the island's other species within > a mere 80,000 hectares > (the size of New York City). > > It is easy to list off what is being preserved by > not developing Woodlark > Island, but it's more difficult to fully comprehend > the agglomerate richness > of a place like Woodlark Island in its global > context. Dr. Barry describes > Papua New Guinea as "one of four remaining areas of > rainforest wilderness-in > terms of size and contiguous intactness." He says > that "as well as Papua New > Guinea, the other three areas are the Amazon, the > Congo, and the Guyana > Shield. Unlike Europe, China, or the United States, > where all habitats are > small and fragmented, it is very important not to > let these last four > remaining areas become fragmented." > > Still not safe: the future of palm-oil > > Unfortunately such fragmentation may still occur in > Papua New Guinea. Most > people involved with Woodlark Island believe that > the island is still not > safe from palm oil plantations or other forms of > destructive development. > "It is very likely this issue will appear again in > the near future," Dr. > Barry said, "any rainforest is never truly > protected." Dr. Damon agrees, "In > the scheme of things this is a small decision amidst > massive movements which > may yet overwhelm the island's ecology and culture, > a culture that has been > being eroded for 150 years. Yet the people of the > island said no to one > possible direction for their future. That is a > courageous act." Dr. Simon > Piyuwes is aware of the danger. He said that while > the islanders welcomed > the government's rejection of the project they > stilled demanded the > company's official withdrawal. "This is because the > land lease has been > granted to the company," Dr. Piyuwes explained, "we > would like the lease to > be nullified." It seems the future of palm oil > remains strong, even though > this 'green' biofuel is no greener than gasoline. > > A recent study of biofuels and carbon sequestering > has proven that virtually > all agricultural biofuels actually increase > emissions that drive climate > change. This report has received worldwide > attention. In a comparison with > various biofuel crops, palm oil proves to be the > most environmentally > damaging, especially as it is usually produced on > cleared rainforest and > peatlands. According to the study, it would have > taken Woodlark Island > eighty-six years for the palm oil plantations to > make-up for the amount of > carbon their development released in the atmosphere, > and yet the lifecycle > of a palm oil plantation is around thirty years, > meaning that it could never > overcome its carbon debt and would be a net source > of CO2. > > Despite these reports, scientists believe that > biofuels, and in particular > palm oil, will continue to threaten Papua New > Guinea's forests. Both > Malaysia and Indonesia, the kings of palm oil, have > felled so many forests > and peatlands for the crop that few places remain > for expansion, which is > one reason why Papua New Guinea is suddenly under > great pressure to cave > into the palm oil industry. "I am sure that palm oil > plantations will > continue to expand in Southeast Asia and Papua New > Guinea, at least as long > as global demand for palm oil remains high," says > Dr. Helgen. "This demand > is linked to strong interest in... 'biofuels' as > alternative and inexpensive > sources of energy, and especially by demand for > biofuels in the rapidly > growing economies of China and India." In addition, > Dr. Barry points out > that the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Michael > Somare, never commented > on the government's decision to pull Vitroplant out > of Woodlark Island. > Barry says that Prime Minister Sumari's "interest in > logging and bad > environmental record has shown him to be a > hypocrite. I have seen this > happen in Uganda, a minister cancels a project while > the Prime Minister does > not comment on it. It means that it will be likely > that palm oil production > and logging will be seen again in Papua New Guinea." > Dr. Damon adds a > further warning for the future: "until we devise new > energy sources and > models of the human good, [palm oil production] is a > track to destruction. > Monocrop agriculture is not a viable future but so > many things have to > change before we have a realistic alternative that > it is almost hopeless to > think about a different future." > > Some scientists believe there are ways to counter > the current biofuel rush. > "I think that part of the solution to countering the > 'blitzkrieg' expansion > of palm oil plantations into former rainforested > lands across Asia and > Melanesia is getting the word out globally that the > global biofuel > industry," says Dr. Helgen, "especially those parts > of the industry that > involve massive tropical deforestation, involve > catastrophic losses of > biodiversity... and may have a huge negative impact > in worldwide efforts to > counteract the acceleration of global climate > change." With more attention > placed on biofuels by researchers and > governments-the EU has already taken > notice-it is possible the palm oil industry will > begin to wan in South East > Asia. Dr. Barry sees hope in current trends, "I > think the kind of unfettered > growth that we have seen in the last few years as > biofuels and oil palm were > heralded as climate savior is being legitimately > questioned." He adds that > "as we approach 7 billion people, countries will > have to choose between > adequately feeding and adequately transporting > themselves." Such choices > will hopefully lead to further research studies and > a greater focus on more > effective ways to fight climate change. > > The necessity of celebrating victories > > > Beginnings of an oil palm plantation. Courtesy of > UNEP > While Woodlark Island is still threatened, while so > much of South East > Asia's forests have succumbed to palm oil, and while > every year more and > more effects from climate change are seen, some > might believe that claiming > any victory is premature. However, Dr. Barry who has > seen both victories and > disappointments in his organization, says, "I don't > know how else to sustain > a movement and grow a movement than celebrating > positive developments." Such > celebrations, whether of preserving Woodlark Island > or ending the use of > rainforest wood to make New York City's benches, are > important "to sustain > ourselves, and give ourselves hope... We live to > fight another day." Dr. > Barry concluded that for environmentalists, "A lot > of this is fighting a > defensive action. When the moment comes where the > world finally begins to > focus on the necessity of large-scale ecological > renewal the seeds of > habitat will remain to make this restoration > possible." > > For Dr. Piyuwes, and the inhabitants of Woodlark > Island, there is no > question that this is a victory. When asked what > advice he would give to > those participating in future struggles for > conservation, he had this to > say: "We need to preserve our forest from > deforestation. There are other > alternatives to development. There are many > organizations and individuals > nationally and internationally who are willing to > support you on the issue > of deforestation. My advice is to engage the > international organization and > media to battle the issue." Dr. Piyuwes is now able > to imagine a much more > celebratory future for his native island than anyone > could have a month ago. > "Number one," he says, "we will demand the > Government to give back the land > to the islanders (woodlark is state land). Number > two, declare woodlark as > protected land. Number three, encourage > eco-tourism." Only the victory over > Vitroplant allows such happy plans to be realistic. > > http://www.times.co.nz/cms/news/2008/04/art100019881.php > > Protestors picket retail giant over kwila wood > products > Wednesday, 09 April 2008 > > By CAMERON BROADHURST > > . Howick and Botany Times > COLOURFUL street theatre protests took place > outside Manukau's Harvey > Norman store recently to highlight illegally logged > kwila wood products on > sale. > > KWILA CONTROVERSY: A chainsaw attempts to cut down a > kwila tree while > watched by a bird of paradise at a protest outside > Manukau's Harvey Norman > store. Photo supplied. > The small protest at Ronwood Avenue was held by the > Indonesian Human Rights > Committee. > Spokeswoman Maire Leadbeater says: "Virtually all > kwila is coming from West > Papua and virtually all of it is illegally logged." > The wood is popular in outdoor furniture in New > Zealand, but many retailers > have stopped selling it. > Concerns about the wood include that it's becoming > extinct, as forests in > West Papua and Papua New Guinea are denuded by > illegal logging and that > indigenous Papuans are being adversely affected by > the tree removal. > The committee worked together with Greenpeace to > produce a report rating > outdoor furniture retailers, some of which have > already changed policy since > it was issued a month ago. > Ms Leadbeater says the protesters, a few dressed as > birds of paradise, were > able to get their point across and even march > through the store to talk to > the manager. > A manager for Harvey Norman says the company uses > suppliers and does not > import anything directly. He refuses to comment > further. > Ms Leadbeater says the committee is considering > protesting at the Four > Seasons store in Botany, which is selling kwila and > has an E rating on the > chart. > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theecoanarchistclub/ > > <*> Your email settings: > Individual Email | Traditional > > <*> To change settings online go to: > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theecoanarchistclub/join > (Yahoo! ID required) > > <*> To change settings via email: > > mailto:theecoanarchistclub-digest at yahoogroups.com > > mailto:theecoanarchistclub-fullfeatured at yahoogroups.com > > <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email > to: > theecoanarchistclub-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com > > <*> Your use of Yahoo! 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