[Onthebarricades] Miscellaneous protests

[Andy]

*  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."