[Onthebarricades] Miscellaneous protests

Fri Aug 29 23:40:45 PDT 2008

ON THE BARRICADES:  Global Resistance Roundup, April-August 2008
https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onthebarricades
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance/

*  NEPAL:  Riot police (!!) take hostages (!!) in pay protest
*  GUINEA:  Police take commander hostage (!!) in pay protest
[no, these aren't dated April 1st...]
*  HAITI:  Former soldiers stage protest
*  UK:  Anti-Scientology protests continue
*  IRELAND:  Anonymous takes off here too
*  PHILIPPINES:  Disaster relative climbs pole in protest over missing 
relative
*  UK:  Fathers' rights activists shut down Bristol court, occupy 
politician's roof, motorway
*  BULGARIA:  Unrest over CSKA Champions' League exclusion
*  US:  911 memorial protested - "they've put the victims in a garbage dump"
*  INDIA:  MPTC's protest denial of powers
*  NEPAL:  Locals protest against Maoists
*  INDIA:  Local politician's tour faces protests
*  VENEZUELA:  Rightists protest over banned TV station, opposition 
blacklist
*  SPAIN:  Cardinal's niece poses naked in protest against hypocrisy
*  US:  Fans of Field's store brand protest renaming after takeover
*  UK:  Anglers protest against local fishing ban
*  AUSTRALIA:  Protests at Chaldean church over abuse accusations
*  US, Indiana:  Protest against property taxes
*  NEPAL:  Protest by survivors of Maoist violence
*  US, Grimes:  Protest over standardisation of street names
*  INDIA, Tamil Nadu:  600 arrested in protest over temple
*  COLOMBIA:  Protests against FARC kidnappings
*  NIGERIA:  Women protest nude over death of local monarch
*  MANIPUR:  Shutdown, protests over Olympic exclusion - conspiracy alleged
*  RUSSIA:  Clashes at Nelly Furtado concert over rapper scheduled to appear

http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/world/MI91192/

Nepalese police release their hostages, end insurrection protesting working 
conditions

KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) -- About 500 Nepalese riot police who revolted and took 
their senior officers hostage to protest poor working conditions released 
their captives and surrendered after a two-day standoff, officials said 
Monday.
Seven senior police officers were released unharmed just after midnight 
Sunday, said Narendra Sharma, chief government administrator in the area.
The armed policemen took over a riot police camp Saturday at Nepalgunj, 
about 310 miles west of Katmandu. They were protesting the alleged ill 
treatment of lower-ranking officers by their supervisors, low-quality food 
and other issues.
Hundreds of police surrounded the camp Sunday after the government ordered 
an immediate end to the standoff, Sharma said.
"The revolting policemen allowed their hostages to leave after midnight, and 
they are all being held at the police training camp," Sharma said.
There had been reports of shots fired during the standoff, but no one was 
believed to have been hurt.
Home Secretary Umesh Mainali told The Associated Press that authorities were 
assessing how to improve the 68,000-member force after two revolts in a 
month.
In June, disgruntled policemen took 16 officers hostage at the same camp, 
which is the regional hub for security agencies in western Nepal.
Police official Akhtar Ali Ansari said those involved in the latest action 
would face a special court.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L16393846.htm

Guinea police take commander hostage in pay protest
16 Jun 2008 21:08:32 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Adds elite soldiers disarming protesting police)
By Saliou Samb
CONAKRY, June 16 (Reuters) - Police in Guinea demanding payment of salary 
arrears took the police chief hostage, fired into the air and blocked a road 
to the main port on Monday, just days after the authorities settled a pay 
mutiny in the army.
Elite soldiers disarmed groups of police late in the day, but the police 
chief was still being held prisoner by nightfall.
The West African country, the world's top exporter of the aluminium ore 
bauxite, agreed on Friday to promote all junior ranks of the army after 
soldiers last month looted shops and officers' homes in a mutiny that killed 
at least six people.
New Prime Minister Ahmed Tidiane Souare had already agreed to pay the 
military mutineers 5 million Guinean francs ($1,100) each in claimed salary 
arrears.
"Police officers are frustrated that soldiers get promoted every three 
years, whereas they don't move up. What's more, their salaries stay the same 
but the cost of living is going up," a senior police officer told Reuters.
A Reuters witness in the Tombo district of the coastal capital Conakry saw 
police officers shoot in the air on Monday as they drove at high speed on 
board three vehicles.
The police took hostage their national director, Sekou Mohamed Bangoura, 
another senior officer said.
There were no details of the precise circumstances in which he was being 
held. During their mutiny last month, soldiers took at least two senior 
officers hostage to press their demands.
Elite soldiers in red berets disarmed police protesters late on Monday and 
cleared tree trunks they had used to block traffic on a main highway leading 
to the city's port, witnesses said.
Negotiations were under way to try to settle the dispute.
"We are on strike because for the past year we have not been paid our 
monthly 50,000 francs ($11). For the moment they have only promised to pay 
us 300,000 francs, which is half the amount outstanding," said Municipal 
Police officer Ousmane Camara.
The Municipal Police, run by the city council, performs minor security tasks 
such as guarding parked cars.
Souare's appointment as prime minister last month threatened to destabilise 
a fragile political arrangement between President Lansana Conte and unions 
who protested against his rule in 2007.
Conte summarily sacked the previous prime minister, Lansana Kouyate, a 
former diplomat appointed with the unions' agreement to end weeks of 
protests during which more than 130 people were killed, mostly shot dead by 
Conte's loyal security services.
Unions were not consulted over Souare's appointment, and some senior union 
leaders threatened to call a general strike.
Guinea's armed forces, which suffer from generational and ethnic divisions, 
have long been a prop for the president, who is in his 70s, since he seized 
power in a 1984 coup.
But they have staged several protests over the last 12 years. Analysts say 
the latest government concessions to mutineers show the fragility of Conte's 
rule. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top 
issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com) (Writing by Alistair Thomson; 
Editing by Pascal Fletcher and Elizabeth Piper)

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/haitian-protest-by-former-soldiers-ends/n20080730184509990001?ecid=RSS0001

Haitian protest by former soldiers ends
By PIERRE-RICHARD LUXAMA,
AP
Posted: 2008-07-30 18:45:23
CAP-HAITIEN, Haiti (AP) - A protest by former soldiers demanding back pay 
and reinstatement of Haiti's armed forces ended Wednesday after the men 
peacefully left the government building that they had seized a day earlier.

Government negotiators and a former Haitian Army colonel who led the 
protests had been in talks to end the occupation of the former prison in the 
northern city of Cap-Haitien.

U.N. peacekeepers and Haitian police loaded the former soldiers onto two 
yellow school buses to take them away from the area. Dozens of U.N. 
peacekeepers with armored vehicles and Haitian police in riot gear had 
surrounded the building.

It was not known what prompted the soldiers to end their protest or whether 
they had been granted any concessions. They had occupied the building on 
Tuesday.

An adviser to President Rene Preval, Patrick Elie, said the protest was 
"political manipulation" ahead of a scheduled Senate confirmation vote 
Wednesday on the president's nominee for prime minister. Two previous 
nominees have been rejected.

"Some of the politicians have said this government should have in its 
program the re-creation of the" armed forces, Elie told The Associated 
Press. "I believe (the protest) is part of this campaign to put pressure on 
a government that it is at its weakest moment in some years."

The Armed Forces of Haiti were disbanded in 1995 by Aristide, who had been 
ousted by a military coup four years earlier. Aristide was again toppled by 
a rebellion in 2004, which began in Cap-Haitien, and the 9,000-strong U.N. 
peacekeeping force has provided the country's only real security ever since.

Last year, Preval said in a visit to U.N. headquarters that he saw no reason 
to restore the army.

Associated Press writer Jonathan M. Katz contributed to this report from 
Port-au-Prince.

http://networks.org/?src=salon:2008:07:29:D927T6BO7_haiti_soldiers_protest

Report: Ex-soldiers take over old Haiti barracks
By JONATHAN M. KATZ Associated Press Writer
Jul 29th, 2008 | PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Hundreds of armed former soldiers 
from Haiti's disbanded army stormed an old barracks and civilian prison on 
Tuesday to demand the force be reinstated, local radio reported.
Radio Kiskeya said the former troops occupied the buildings in the northern 
city of Cap-Haitien armed with pistols and wearing camouflage. They 
reportedly demanded back pay and called for the government bring back the 
army to provide security against kidnappers.
There were no immediate reports of shots being fired during the takeover of 
the buildings, which are now used by Haitian government ministries.
The protesters raised a white flag to indicate they did not intend to fight 
against U.N. peacekeepers or Haitian police, a Radio Kiskeya journalist said 
from the scene.
Radio reports said hundreds of former soldiers took part in the takeover, 
but an exact number could not be independently confirmed.
U.N. peacekeepers are monitoring the situation, mission spokesman David 
Wimhurst said.
The Armed Forces of Haiti were disbanded in 1995 by then-President 
Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who had been ousted by a military coup four years 
earlier. Aristide was again toppled by a civilian rebellion in 2004, and a 
9,000-member U.N. peacekeeping force has provided the country's only real 
security ever since.
Last year, President Rene Preval appointed a commission of academics and 
ex-military officers to study whether a new security force is needed to one 
day replace the U.N. troops. But he also said in a visit to U.N. 
headquarters that he saw no reason to restore the army.
Commission head Patrick Elie, a former undersecretary of defense under 
Aristide, said Tuesday that the commission has not yet reached any 
conclusions.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2008/05/anonymous_to_sc.php

Anons Go Unmasked at Latest Scientology Protest
Posted by Candice M. Giove at 12:46 PM, May 12, 2008

At Saturday's "Operation: Fair Game: Stop," Anonymous' latest installment in 
a series of monthly global protests, one local member abandoned his 
ridiculous three-pronged disguise of glasses, a fake nose and a mustache. 
Instead Mike Vitale wore his name in white letters emblazoned across a black 
cotton T-shirt.
For Vitale, it's no longer necessary to obscure his face with the cheap gag 
getup. The Church of Scientology already knows who he is and where he lives. 
Days before the protest focusing on "fair game," the method L. Ron Hubbard 
concocted in 1967 to silence critics, Vitale received an ominous and vague 
letter from a Church of Scientology-connected law firm threatening legal 
action against him for his involvement with Anonymous. "People were 
definitely quite concerned," he said of his fellow Anons. "I got asked more 
than a few times if this means I'm going to cut out."

But he arrived, undeterred by the warning or the creepiness that the Church 
of Scientology learned of his once-guarded identity.
The move didn't rattle other Anons who assembled across from The Church of 
Scientology's New York headquarters on West 46th Street either. "From the 
start people were always afraid, but I what I'm seeing is that people are 
letting go of that fear more," said Desu, who wore a shirt with Anonymous' 
headless suited emblem and his Guy Fawkes mask relaxed around his neck. 
"Some of them are not even wearing a mask or sunglasses."
Many were even more defiant, saying hello to a conspicuous video camera 
parked in a window at the org. Annie, a member from Long Island, ferociously 
waved up at its lens. Though known online as Pentagram she applied for the 
group's protest permit last month, which requires disclosure of information 
members try so hard to conceal: name and address. She claimed that about two 
weeks ago she was photographed by a mysterious trench coat wearing woman 
near her home. "I live way out on Long Island, so if they want to waste 
their gas and drive two hours to snap pictures of me I'll give them a cup of 
coffee," she laughed.
DeMiNe0, the administrator of epicanon.com, the main community site for NYC 
Anons, also ditched his disguise. In the past month he has received two 
"cease and desist" letters from Church of Scientology lawyers. "They even 
put fake information in these cease and desist letters," DiMiNe0 said, 
talking of references to threats the Church of Scientology claims Anons have 
made. "Who are they trying to fool? I am one of the people who researches 
this type of thing every day."
Protestors stood on West 46th Street in front of the church and also 
positioned themselves on Broadway, where they were able to get a sound 
permit. They invoked Hubbard's words from a 1967 "fair game" policy letter. 
Critics, "May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any 
Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, 
sued or lied to or destroyed." Though the organization no longer refers to 
the policy as "fair game," because Hubbard said a year later it made for a 
bad public image, Anonymous members and other critics say it's clearly still 
in play.
In the past the Church of Scientology "fair-gamed" many detractors, most 
notably Paulette Cooper, a journalist who published a scathing book about 
the church in 1971 called The Scandal of Scientology. Church members later 
devised Operation Freakout to deal with the author. They flung 19 lawsuits 
her way and got her arrested on criminal charges. Through deception they 
managed to obtain her fingerprints on paper, type up a bomb threat, and mail 
it to a government official. She faced 15 years in prison, until the "fair 
game" policy and other documents came to light.
Anons tell her story to those willing to listen. Others shout slogans or 
hand out pamphlets about Scientology. At the Broadway protest site, LazyKid 
holds up a hand-written, abbreviated story of Xenu-the galactic ruler whose 
population control method has had lasting effects on man according to Church 
of Scientology belief. The story is also something that its members wait 
years to hear, only after paying thousands of dollars for courses and 
auditing.

"I thought that was just some weird version of Christianity," a man says 
when he stops to read the sign. He looks at it incredulously. "I could make 
up something better than that," he said as he walked off.
With Anonymous positioned on a crowded Times Square drag, several young, 
polished looking church members stood steps away from the signs and screams. 
They held stacks of Dianetics postcards, and tried to coax people to come to 
the center to watch a 15 minute film.
Tourists and New Yorkers walked down the corridor of proselytizers and 
protestors. But it seemed difficult for church staff to dispense their cards 
while Anons stood there, not to mention the many recent embarrassments 
suffered by Scientology after prominent defectors like church leader David 
Miscavige's niece Jenna Hill Miscavige and actor Jason Beghe spoke out.
A young Church staff member smiled and handed a woman a card as she walked 
through the spectacle. Anonymous members shrieked their slogans. The 
stranger lightly shoved the card back into his hand.
"Give it back! Give it back! Give it back!" A new chant was born.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/403501.html

London anti-scientology protest 12.07.08
Billy Macrae | 12.07.2008 21:03 | Analysis | Culture | Social Struggles | 
London | World
Images from the London anti-scientology protest, called 'Operation cult's 
closed' - apparently organised by the 'Anonymous' underground movement.
This protest took place at two locations across London on Sunday 12.07.08.
'Operation cult's closed' took place in two locations across London. First 
was the 'Church of Scientology' London,146 Queen Victoria Street, London 
EC4V 4BY.
The second was 'Scientology & Dianetics Centre': 68 Tottenham Court Road, 
London W1P 0BB.
Around 200-ish people attended, most wearing masks from the 'Anonymous' 
movement.

The demonstrators see Scientology not as a religion, worthy of having a 
'church', but as a dangerous cult. The atmosphere was happy, loud and 
chaotic.

When I left around 4 it was all going off peacefully. Lots of flyers were 
being given out and people were honking their horns in support. People 
passing seemed keen to offer more support to the protesters than to the 
'Church' of Scientology - in fact, many people present spoke of having 
negative previous experiences with Scientology.
It seems the masks are necessary as there have been allegations of 
Scientologists harrassing demonstrators after previous events.

For more info on the 'Anonymous' movement, here is their London site:
 http://www.londonlulz.com

http://see.oneworldsee.org/article/view/148336/1/3184

Another Anti-Scientology Protest in Birmingham
Anonym | 12.05.2008 01:59 | Birmingham
Last Saturday (May 10th) tens of Anonymous activists gathered once again at 
the offices of the 'Church' of Scientology in Birmingham city centre to 
protest against the cult and its dangerous practices and policies. Wearing 
"V for Vendetta" masks and other costumes, they then spilled onto New Street 
to the bemusement of happy Saturday shoppers.

http://www.nowpublic.com/world/anonymous-protest-against-scientology-dublin

Anonymous Protest Against Scientology, Dublin
by Anonymousirealnd | February 7, 2008 at 01:21 pm | 2126 views | add 
comment
For immediate release
Source: Anonymous

Anonymous Protest Against Scientology

DUBLIN, Ireland - 10/02/2008 11:00:00 AM GMT - An enigmatic group of 
Internet activists, calling themselves 'Anonymous', has declared war on the 
Church of Scientology. The group's goals include bringing an end to both the 
Church's restrictions of free speech, and its violation of basic human 
rights, not only those of its members, but also of its detractors. As part 
of this global mobilisation, the Irish members of this group have pledged to 
take the campaign to the streets of Dublin, in the form of a non-violent 
protest outside Scientology's headquarters on Middle Abbey Street on Sunday, 
10th February 2008.

On January 16, 2008, a video clip of Tom Cruise extolling the virtues of 
Scientology was leaked to the Internet. The Church claimed that this 
violated copyright, and forced sites such as YouTube to remove the 
embarrassing footage under threat of litigation. In response, Anonymous has 
called on its members to rise up against the Church, in what has come to be 
known as 'Project Chanology' Up til now, the attacks have ranged from the 
leaking of important Scientology documents, to prank phone calls and the 
faxing of black pages to waste ink, to the use of a method called 'Google 
bombing', a manipulation of the search engine which has resulted in the 
website being the first result returned by Google when users type "dangerous 
cult". The Church has appeared to be powerless to stop the guerilla action. 
The next phase of the campaign will take it into the "real world" with a 
worldwide wave of protesting outside Church properties on the tenth of 
February.

The Church of Scientology is often accused of racketeering and fraud. A 
number of court cases have been filed against the Church of Scientology in 
its history, including USA vs. Mary Sue Hubbard, where the wife of 
Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard was convicted of conspiracy against the 
US government. The Church has also been implicated in several deaths due to 
neglect or malice, such as Lisa McPherson's reported death in the custody of 
the Church. Controversial policies it espouses include forced abortions and 
brainwashing. It has historically attempted to silence and harass its 
opponents, as in Operation Freakout, a church campaign targeting Paulette 
Cooper, author of The Scandal of Scientology. Here in Ireland controversial 
episodes have included psychological abuse and intimidation (Mary Johnson) 
and the disappearance of members (e.g. Odhran Fortune, Tony Phelan)

In a video posted on YouTube, which has now been watched more than 1.9 
million times, the group says: "With the leakage of your latest propaganda 
video into mainstream circulation, the extent of your malign influence over 
those who have come to trust you as leaders has been made clear to us."

"Anonymous has therefore decided that your organisation should be destroyed, 
for the good of your followers, for the good of mankind, and for our own 
enjoyment.

"We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. 
Expect us."

Anonymous has informed the Gardaí of its intention to protest peacefully 
under provision 40.6.2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ireland.

 http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080626-144775/Despair-drives-man-to-climb-tower-in-protestDespair drives man to climb tower in protestBy Jerome AningPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 02:18:00 06/26/2008MANILA, Philippines-A relative of missing passengers of the MV Princess ofthe Stars on Wednesday climbed a tower at North Harbor's Pier 12, stayingthere for two hours to demand that Sulpicio Lines fulfill its promise to letthe kin of the victims personally identify the recovered bodies.Levi Padua, whose three relatives were on the ill-starred ship, waspersuaded by policemen to descend after representatives of Sulpicio Linesassured him that he would be given a free trip to Cebu City, where theretrieved corpses are to be brought.Padua carried a big placard written with a message to Sulpicio Lines and theauthorities, which partly read, "Give us a ride to Cebu so that we may see[the bodies of] our relatives. We know that they're gone already; it's beenalready five days."Nobody apparently saw Padua climb the tower, owned by the Philippine PortsAuthority (PPA) and surrounded by several offices, at around 9:30 a.m. ThePPA and Sulpicio guards were busy attending to the crowd that flocked to thepier demanding news about missing relatives.Raised fistHis head wrapped in a red scarf, the bespectacled Padua stood on theobservation area of the tower. He occasionally raised his fist.His message said that he would not go down unless he was given the assurancethat he and other relatives of the victims would get the ride to Cebu.He said there was no "clear action" from Sulpicio on the relatives' requestto go to the accident site and help identify the bodies.Padua's companion, Josephine, whose husband Rey, a cousin of Padua's, is oneof the missing passengers. Josephine used a megaphone from the police toappeal to him to come down.Rey's daughter Raquel and another cousin, Jacqueline, were also among themissing passengers."Please get down here. What are you doing?" a sobbing Josephine said.Two policemen later climbed the tower and spoke with Padua for about 10minutes, after which he came down at around 11:30 a.m.No charges"We won't charge him anymore and would just let him go. We told him thatthere was someone from Sulpicio who would be talking to him. We completelyunderstand his suffering," Supt. Rolando Miranda told reporters.Padua was later brought to the Sulpicio office. He said a lawyer of thecompany had offered to bring him and Josephine to Cebu but they demandedthat all relatives of the missing passengers go there, too."They keep promising us action but nothing has happened. That's why Idecided to climb the tower and I will not hesitate to climb it again if theycontinue their incompetence," Padua said.He said he had accepted that his relatives were already dead.The passenger lounge at Pier 12 remained somber, with one or a few relativesoccasionally bursting into tears or shouting angry words at passing Sulpicioemployees.Angry confrontationA billboard displaying the names of the survivors stood side by side withanother pasted with pictures of the missing.At around 10 a.m., the crowd flocked around a woman and cheered her as sheannounced that she received a call from a sibling whose missing brother JoelVallena had been found alive somewhere in Palawan province. She immediatelyleft.The Sulpicio lawyer, Dante Vargas, later tried to speak to the relatives butthe discussion degenerated into a shouting match as the angry relativescrowded around him and peppered him with questions and expletives. Thepolice had to be called in to extricate the lawyer from the throng.In a message posted at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday on its website(www.sulpiciolines.com), Sulpicio Lines said it would be sending anothervessel, MV Cagayan Princess, to Romblon to get the recovered bodies.Another vessel, which is currently in Romblon, is still waiting for morebodies to be loaded before proceeding to Cebu.All bodies to Cebu"It is confirmed that we will be bringing all the bodies of the casualtieshere in Cebu City. As we assured you, we are exerting our best efforts.Today forensic experts of the National Bureau of Investigation-Manila areset to arrive in Cebu to help our local NBI in identification and autopsy.With this we are positive that we will be able to speed up our actions," thecompany said.Sulpicio said that it had formed a team, led by lawyer Noli Espina, at theCebu City Hall and that the team was meeting with the local NBI, theNational Disaster Coordinating Council, the Department of Health and membersof the funeral homes to discuss the procedure of arrival of the casualties."As soon as the casualties are autopsied and identified by the NBI, we willimmediately send the photos to Manila for further identification by theirfamilies. Once they confirm the identification, we can send the body toManila or they can opt to send a family representative here in Cebu City toclaim the body," the company said.16 medical expertsJustice Secretary Raul Gonzalez has ordered the NBI to speed up theidentification of the victims."You are hereby directed to send NBI teams of sufficient number to Cebu toexpedite identification of said victims," Gonzalez said in a memorandum toNBI Director Nestor Mantaring.Responding to the order, the NBI Wednesday sent a 16-member group of medicalexperts to Cebu to assist in identifying corpses retrieved from the ferry.NBI spokesperson Allan Contado said the quick reaction team-four doctors,one dentist, two fingerprint technicians, two chemists, three photographersand four medical technologists-arrived in Cebu at around 2 p.m. Wednesday.With a report from Allison W. Lopezhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7452957.stmFriday, 13 June 2008 17:51 UKE-mail this to a friend Printable versionFathers protest at family courtStaff were evacuated from a Bristol Family CourtMore than 100 staff were evacuated from a family court in Bristol after afathers' campaign group protested outside the building.The employees were told to leave when a fire alarm was set off in the court.Fathers 4 Justice campaigners wearing superhero outfits were stopped at thecourts during a street demonstration.The 30-strong demonstration was joined by two men who scaled the roof ofdeputy Labour leader Harriet Harman's home in south London.Campaigner Jolly Stanesby said the group wanted parental equality.Mr Stanesby said: "We always have a little get-together before Father's Dayto put our message across."A Bristol County Court spokesperson said court proceedings were disruptedfor about 30 minutes."Court business has now resumed as normal. No-one was injured in theincident."Police and fire services were called to the scene after a fire alarm was setoff in a family court. Court staff could not confirm who was responsible forthe activated fire alarm.An Avon Fire and Rescue spokesman said the call was a false alarm.http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=144391Man nabbed after protest on roof of Labour's HarmanTwo Fathers 4 Justice campaigners, Mark Harris and Jolly Stanesby (no leftto right available), protest on the roof of the home of Harriet Harman.A protester was in police custody on Monday after he camped out all night onthe roof of Labour Party Deputy Leader Harriet Harman's south London home,forcing her to move out.The 49-year-old from the Fathers 4 Justice protest group scaled the buildingat the weekend to demand divorced fathers be given better access to theirchildren. The man, who has not been named by police, joined anotherprotester who was still on the roof early on Monday.A 49-year-old man who came down from the roof is in custody, a Scotland Yardspokeswoman said. A second man remains on the roof.The protest was the latest in a line of high profile stunts by the group,which has included heckling then-Prime Minister Tony Blair in the House ofCommons in 2006. On Sunday, police surrounded Harman's house in Herne Hilland waited for the two costumed men, who said they had enough food for aweek, to come down.Harman told reporters as she moved out: I don't think it is fair to thepolice resources to be tied up outside my house because of thisdemonstration when they could be doing other important policing work. "Ialso think it is unfair on the neighbors, so we are moving out," she said,adding that although the protesters said they wanted to meet her they hadmade no attempt to do so.10 June 2008, Tuesdayhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7562703.stmFriday, 15 August 2008 18:12 UKE-mail this to a friend Printable versionEnd to father's motorway protestGeoffrey Hibbert, dressed as Batman on the M25A Fathers 4 Justice campaigner dressed as Batman caused lengthy queues onthe M25 around London before being arrested just before the evening rush.Geoffrey Hibbert, 48, of Farnborough in Hampshire, spent seven hours on agantry near Heathrow Airport.He came down from his perch at Junction 14 on the road to Terminal 5 justafter 1600 BST.Police said despite the massive traffic disruption on the motorway, the manhad the right to protest peacefully.A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said that despite queues that stretchedfor 19km (12 miles) on the M25 and 32km (20 miles) on the M4, the decisionto allow the man to stay on the gantry all day was made by the seniorofficer at the scene."He has the right to protest peacefully. It is entirely a matter for thesenior officer," she said.Police had initially said the protest caused no tailbacks or lane closures.'Protest all day'A Highway Agency spokesman said: "We had delays at one point of 94 minutesand we did our utmost to get the message out to the public to get people totake alternate routes."The agency received permission from police to reopen two of four lanes onthe motorway a couple of hours after the protest began shortly after 0800BST.Speaking by mobile telephone, Mr Hibbert told the BBC: "I'm doing this formy daughter. I'll do my protest all day."Fathers 4 Justice protesters have staged a series of high-profile stuntsacross the UK, normally involving clambering on to a landmark dressed assuperheroes such as Batman, Spiderman or Superman.They are calling for more rights for fathers affected by issues involvingaccess to their children after divorce.http://uk.reuters.com/article/motorSportsNews/idUKDEL26008820080614?feedType=RSS&feedName=motorSportsNewsBriefs 2-Police detain 50 CSKA Sofia fans over protestSat Jun 14, 2008 10:03pm BSTJune 14 (Reuters) - Sport news in brief from around the world.Soccer - Police detained 50 CSKA Sofia fans for disorder on Saturday afterthey threw fireworks and assaulted people during a protest outsideBulgaria's Vasil Levski national stadium, police said.More than a thousand fans gathered to object against the Bulgarianchampions' loss of their place in next season's Champions League after theyfailed to meet Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) licensing criteria because ofdebts to the state and creditors.The BFU, who will decide at the end of June whether to expel CSKA fromtop-flight soccer, had their headquarters attacked by protestors after theybanned the club last week.http://www.projo.com/news/content/NINE_ONE_ONE_04-21-08_7L9OGPM_v27.27cb22b.htmlNorth Providence woman protests 911 memorial site01:00 AM EDT on Monday, April 21, 2008By Thomas J. MorganJournal Staff WriterMichele Murphy, Renee Newell's sister, holds a photo of Renee at the site ofthe 9/11 Memorial at Oakland Beach, in Warwick. Renee Newell died in theTrade Center attack.The Providence Journal / Bob ThayerNORTH PROVIDENCE - When American Airlines Flight 11 sliced into one of theWorld Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001, Lillian Tetreault's lifelurched and altered course.Aboard had been her daughter, Renee Newell, 37, a customer-service agent forthe airline, who perished at the hands of the terrorists.Tetreault has grown used to death, however. Her husband died seven monthsafter their daughter. Her mother died in 1944, one of 168 circus-goerskilled when the Ringling Brothers' big top exploded into flame in Hartford.Indeed, in the period around her daughter's death, "I had seven deaths," shesaid.It's the thought of what happened after her mother's death, however, thatmotivates her today. "It took 60 years for them to put up a memorial to thevictims," she said. Now she's worried about the memorial that New York Cityis planning for those who died at Ground Zero. But it's not a question oftiming, rather of place."They've put them in a garbage dump," Tetreault says bluntly.Workers spent months dismantling the debris at Ground Zero. They recoveredsome bodies, and many body parts. But many others had been all butpulverized by the tremendous collapse. The tangle of metal, concrete, officefurniture and vehicles was trucked to the Fresh Kills landfill, on StatenIsland, where it was examined bit by bit for further remains. Despite athorough search, no trace has been found of many victims.Tetreault said because of the violence of the aircraft strike she holds outno hope of ever finding any trace of her daughter's body.What upsets her is the city's plan to build a memorial at Fresh Kills. That's a huge landfill on Staten Island, now closed. The city plans to turn itinto a park and has published lavish artist's renderings showing a gracefulexpanse of green, which would house a memorial to the 9/11 victims."We are fighting to get them out of there," Tetreault said. "Just a coupledays ago they found body parts. They're still finding them there. They didn't do what they were supposed to do - they didn't sift the remains at thevery beginning. They allocated us 40 acres for Ground Zero remains, butevidently they have been throwing everything else in there - parts of firetrucks, tires, rugs. Everything is mixed in there. People don't really knowwhat's going on."In 2006, New York Magazine published an article about the proposed park inwhich the city's parks commissioner said the park would be the largest builtin the city in a century - 2,200 acres to be known as Fresh Kills Lifescape.The park would offer biking, kayaking, hiking, cross-country skiing, fishingand bird watching, the magazine reported.The park also would house "a stunning September 11 memorial . two WorldTrade Center-size mounds laid out on the ground."The Telegraph, a British newspaper, reported that visitors to the memorialwould be able to walk between the mounds and look across New York Harbor tothe now empty World Trade Center site.As impressive as that vision is, Lillian Tetreault isn't having any of it."We don't want a memorial at the dump," she said, dismissing the plan out ofhand. "Who wants to go to the dump?"She has turned instead to a group that is collecting signatures on apetition asking city and state officials to recover the "ashen remains" ofthe victims from the landfill and return them to the World Trade Center site"for their respectful, dignified and final resting place.""We are trying to get as many signatures as we can," she said. "We have over65,000. I got a couple hundred myself in the last couple of weeks and mailedthem off."The signature drive is also available online atwww.wtcfamiliesforproperburial.com/.In the meantime, her daughter's loss is a daily consideration."I still go to counseling," she said. "I just can't seem to accept it. I'mhaving a very difficult time, but that's life."http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/19/stories/2008051956940400.htmMPTCs to protest on May 21HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh MPTCs' Association has called for observanceof 'MPTCs protest day' on May 21 expressing their resentment against denialof powers, funds as stipulated in the 73rd constitutional amendment. Theoffice-bearers of the association said the protest was also against theState Government's 'step-motherly' treatment towards MPTCs. He said MPTCswould meet at 1,104 mandal offices on May 21 to observe the protestday. -Special Correspondenthttp://www.nepalnews.com/archive/videos/2008/may/may17/video02.phpKoteshwor locals protest against MaoistsLocal residents of Koteshwor blocked vehicular traffic along theKoteshwor-Naya Baneshwor stretch of road on Saturday, protesting against theMaoists for allegedly killing a local resident, Ram Hari Shrestha, in theircaptivity. They have also demanded strong punishment against those involvedin the murder.http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/16/stories/2008051658200300.htmProtests greet YSR tourStaff ReporterYELLAREDDY (NIZAMABAD Dt.): The Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy'sroad show in the Yellareddy Assembly constituency of the district continuedamid protests from TRS and TDP workers on Thursday evening.A group of TRS workers at Nagireddypet mandal headquarter expressed protest.Meanwhile, a small group of TDP activists including women protested againstthe price rise. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister addressing a public meeting atNagireddypet, said had the election code not been in force he would haveannounced a package to solve the long pending problems of the constituency."I have taken into note the requirements like a bridge across the Manjirariver and drinking water in the constituency. However, I am unable toannounce them now in view of the election code," he said while obliquelymaking promises.http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/28/america/LA-GEN-Venezuela-Protest.phpUniversity students march to demand return of Venezuelan TV stationThe Associated PressPublished: May 28, 2008CARACAS, Venezuela: Venezuelan university students are marching to protestlast year's removal of an opposition-sided television station from theairwaves.The students argue that President Hugo Chavez's decision not to renew thebroadcast license of Radio Caracas Television a year ago was aimed atstifling dissent.Chavez replaced the network with a state-run channel that regularlybroadcasts pro-government programming - a sharp contrast to theoften-critical RCTV.RCTV now only airs on cable.More than 2,000 students marched through Venezuela's capital on Wednesday,demanding the return of RCTV's broadcast license.Chavez repeatedly accused RCTV of violating broadcasting laws. RCTVexecutives deny any wrongdoinghttp://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/07/america/LA-GEN-Venezuela-Blacklist.phpVenezuela's opposition protests 'blacklist' barring Chavez foes from runningin electionsThe Associated PressPublished: June 8, 2008CARACAS, Venezuela: Thousands of opponents of President Hugo Chavez onSaturday protested a "blacklist" unveiled by Venezuela's top anti-corruptionofficial that bars key opposition candidates from running in upcomingelections.Comptroller General Clodosbaldo Russian has blocked more than 400 mostlyopposition politicians from running for office in state and municipalelections in November while he investigates corruption allegations.Opposition leaders say the list is illegal, saying that under Venezuela'sConstitution the basic rights of all citizens are guaranteed unless theyhave been charged with a crime and sentenced by a court. They also contendthe investigation targets Chavez opponents.Chanting "Freedom! Freedom!" and dancing to salsa music roughly 5,000opposition sympathizers marched through Caracas demanding that thecomptroller general lift the election ban. Some protesters waved postersthat read: "Respect the constitution!""Our political rights are being violated," said Leopoldo Lopez, a popularChavez opponent who has been prohibited from running for the Caracas Mayor'sOffice.Russian denied this week that the list unfairly targets key oppositionleaders, saying "the law does not distinguish" between opposition andpro-government official.Chavez allies currently control all but four of Venezuela's 23 stategovernorships and most of its municipal posts. But most of the politicianson Russian's the list are sided with the opposition.In an editorial published this week, newspaper editor Teodoro Petkoffcompared Russian's actions to the political witch hunt that U.S. Sen. JosephMcCarthy led against suspected American communists in the 1950s."Is it pure coincidence that more than 80 percent of the more than 400excluded ones are anti-government?" Petkoff wrote in the Tal Cual dailynewspaper. "Russian's list joins the group headed by the McCarthy List withhigh honors."The politicians on Russian's list have appealed to the Supreme Court tostrike down the ban, arguing that that their civil liberties are beingviolated.But few government adversaries have much faith in the Supreme Court, whosejustices were appointed by the Chavista-dominated National Assembly and arewidely perceived to be government-friendly.http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2845148.html?menu=news.quirkiesCardinal's niece in topless protestThe niece of the head of Spain's Catholic Church has stripped off in a softporn magazine in protest at her uncle.Magdalena Rouco Hernández, a 27-year-old mother of two, appears topless onthe cover of the May edition of interviú.Wearing red suspenders and stockings and with her breasts bared, the imagewill embarrass her uncle, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, 72.Cardinal Rouco, a close friend of Pope Benedict XVI, leads an ultraconservative wing of the church and has clashed with Spain's socialistgovernment over issues such as gay marriage and relaxing divorce laws.But his niece, who told the magazine that she was brought up believing heruncle was "some kind of saint", accused him of double standards."My uncle never tires of repeating that the family is sacred and that youhave to respect it. But then he does not respect it and abandons his own,"she said."When my father died, [Rouco] did not come to the funeral, didn't sendflowers or tell my mother of his sorrow. He told us he had a meeting withPope John Paul II, but it was not true."Ms Hernández also claimed Cardinal Rouco did not call her family after hermother's death and failed to help her when her husband lost his job."I wanted to lay bare the hypocrisy of my uncle," she said.http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2008/05/24/Group_protests_removal_of_Fields_name/UPI-32781211632648/Group protests removal of Field's namePublished: May 24, 2008 at 8:37 AMMacy's to close Ohio storeFAO Schwarz to open Macy's outletsMacy's Frango mints go organicMacy's may consolidate office staffCHICAGO, May 24 (UPI) -- A group of die-hard fans of the Marshall Field'sdepartment store brand in Chicago are protesting its replacement by theMacy's name, a report said Saturday.A "handful" of the protesters attended this week's Macy Inc.'s shareholdersmeeting in Cincinnati to bring their message directly to Macy CEO TerryLundgren, the Chicago Tribune reported. Group members picketed the meetinghall and passed out literature criticizing Lundgren's move several years agoto rebrand the former Fields stores with Macy's nameplates.Daniel Harcourt of Schaumberg, Ill., told the newspaper he bought one shareof Macy Inc. stock for $28 to gain admittance to the meeting."I was tired of being ignored as a customer," he said. "For the cost of apizza I was able to look (Lundren) in the eye and tell him I want myMarshall Field's. By ignoring the power of the Field's brand, he's reallyshortchanged the shareholders."Harcourt, writing on his blog, described his meeting with Lundgren as a"sometimes heated" 10-minute session in which is group pressed him for salesfigures for Macy's former Field's and Dayton's department stores inIllinois, Michigan and Minnesota. Harcourt quoted Lundgren as saying theywere "among the most unprofitable" in the company.http://www.expressandstar.com/2008/06/23/anglers-reeled-in-for-protest-on-ban/Anglers reeled in for protest on banAnglers from across the country descended on a Midlands town to protestagainst plans for a fishing ban.Nearly 200 fishermen flocked to Bewdley, dubbed the 'capital of angling'because of it's historical link to the sport. They came from Liverpool,Manchester, Devon, Norwich and Croydon after an article in the Angling Timesadvertised the protest yesterday. The publication's deputy editor GregWhitehead was there.He travelled all the way from Peterborough to join the protesters.A campaign to ban fishing along Severn Side South could be introduced if aswan sanctuary is created there.Owner Jan Harrigan has been holding talks with the Environment Agency andWyre Forest District Council about creating the sanctuary for swans. But themove would mean banning fishing along the river.She says that more swans die in Bewdley than in neighbouring towns andblames lead poisoning caused by anglers.However, protest organiser Tom Rigby, of Bewdley, said that fishermen weretreated as second class citizens and there was a lot of lies spread aboutthe sport.He added: "We haven't used lead shot for 15 years."Anglers are always blamed unfairly. This could have come from gunshot orbeen washed downstream. Tests have not found anything," he went on to say.Greg Whitehead said: "The district council is saying that they will not banfishing in the short term. But discussions are still going on and we willhave to keep an eye on this. It's important to protect the sport and I'mpleased to see the level of support."Angler Steve Williams, aged 46 from Bridgnorth, said: "I am here today as Ithink if this ban happens in Bewdley they could start bringing it in toother towns along the river. Angling is an important sport."Peter Trueman, aged 38, from Birkenhead, said: "I took extra holiday to comehere today as I wanted to make sure I supported the cause. I am a member ofKidderminster Angling Club and I fish here regularly."Bewdley Mayor, Barbara Stallwood, who is supporting the protest, said to theanglers: "You are our lifeblood. Without you this town will crumble."http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=592712&rss=yesAbuse victims protests outside cathedral14:00 AEST Sun Jul 6 200841 days 6 hours 59 minutes agoBy Katie BradfordProtest groups disrupted mass at St Patrick's Cathedral on Sunday morning,calling for a meeting with the Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart.About 15 victims and representatives of victims of clergy sexual abuseprotested outside the cathedral as well as around 100 members of aCampbellfield church demanding the reinstatement of their former priest.The rallies come as Pope Benedict XVI prepares to visit Sydney duringcelebrations to mark World Youth Day.In Good Faith and Associates (IGFA) spokeswoman Helen Last said victims wantrestorative meetings."The Pope has promised there will be a big pastoral engagement and we're notseeing any of it and haven't seen any of it for 10 years," Ms Last said.Members of the group will head to Sydney during the Pope's visit, but areconcerned about "draconian" laws introduced by the NSW government which havebeen criticised for impinging on free speech.Ms Last met with NSW police to discuss the laws last week and was informedany clothing or banners needed to be approved.The group has produced t-shirts saying "bloody angry Aussies against clergysexual abuse"."These are the most draconian laws that have ever been brought in and Ithink they say something about the unsavoury and unhappy relationshipbetween the church and the state and that needs to be sorted out," Ms Lastsaid.A spokesman for Archbishop Hart said he had no plans to meet victims ofclergy sexual abuse.Members the Our Lady Guardian of Plants church in Campbellfield inMelbourne's north east demanded their former priest Father Khalid Marogi bereinstated at the parish.About 50 protesters stormed St Patrick's for about 15 minutes, disruptingmass with loud chanting, until police asked them to leave.Spokesman Robert Yacoub said Fr Marogi was removed from the church withoutany warning.The church is of the Chaldean arm of the faith with 10,000 Iraqiparishoners.http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23978948-2862,00.htmlMass protest anger at cathedralAnne WrightJuly 07, 2008 12:00amARCHBISHOP of Melbourne Denis Hart yesterday stopped saying mass and calledpolice to deal with about 200 noisy protesters.They joined about 20 who regularly protest outside the archbishop's massescalling for him to discuss clergy sexual abuse with them.The groups chanted so loudly the archbishop stopped his sermon and policewere called.In Good Faith and Associates spokeswoman Helen Last said victims of sexualassault and their representatives had been protesting every Sunday for threeweeks because the archbishop refused to deal with clergy sexual assaultproperly.The rally was timely, Ms Last said, as the Pope prepares to visit Sydney forWorld Youth Day."We're very concerned about World Youth Day . . . there will be a largenumber of children gathered there with clergy and no proper procedures inplace," she said."The problem has not been dealt with properly . . . It is happening now andwe are very concerned with the lack of safety."But she said Archbishop Hart had refused any form of meeting."He came out last week and turned his back on us. He said he would pray forus but it's too late for prayers, it's time for proper protective action forchildren," she said."He's not willing to face the human side of this problem and really listento these people."The protesters plan to return to the cathedral every Sunday and go to Sydneyto protest when the Pope arrives, she said."We are prepared to do a very long protest, as long as it takes. We will notgo away until we get a meeting."A police spokesman said the protesters had been very noisy but there were noarrests or injuries.A spokesman for Archbishop Hart said he had no plans to meet victims ofclergy sexual abuse.http://networks.org/?src=abcau:2008:07:18:2307874Police 'preventing' WYD abuse protestPosted Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:44pm AESTMap: Sydney 2000Related Story: Qld man seeks abuse compo from PopeA group of victims of church sexual abuse say they are being prevented fromholding a peaceful protest in a park opposite today's World Youth Dayactivities at Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral.Six protesters have travelled from Melbourne to Hyde Park and say police aretelling them they can not hold up signs calling for the Pope to apologisefor sexual abuse by the Catholic clergy.Chris McIsaac, from the Broken Rites support group, says the demonstratorsare waiting for a final decision from police, but she hopes they will not bedeprived of their right to protest."Everybody in this park is holding a flag or a message of some kind," shesaid."It's heavily organised, this World Youth Day, by the church and so hencethe signs that suit them are fine."The ones they don't want to acknowledge, and that goes for sexual abuse byclergy, they're not allowed to have their say."http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080705/NEWS02/807050485/-1/rssProperty tax protesters pressure governorBy Vic Ryckaert . The Indianapolis Star . July 5, 2008About 50 people marched in the rain and waved signs calling for an end toproperty taxes during a protest at Gov. Mitch Daniels' residence onIndianapolis' north side yesterday morning."The politicians need to be put on a leash to mind the Constitution," saidLisa Kelly, the Libertarian candidate for lieutenant governor.Organizers blamed a steady rain for the modest turnout. Last year's rallydrew about 400 protesters to the 4700 block of Meridian Street.Protesters, including Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Andy Horning,called for replacing property and income taxes with a statewide sales tax."Our politicians have become a cancer," Horning said. "It's time to starttrimming that cancer back."http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/videos/2008/jul/jul03/video03.phpProtest by Maoist victimsVictims who suffered in the hands of the Maoists during and after theinsurgency held a protest rally in Putalisadak with various demands like thedisplaced people be taken care of, family members of the missing be providedcompensation and others.http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080711/NEWS10/807110381Crowd protests Grimes' address planBy LISA LAVIA RYAN . communities at dmreg.com . July 11, 2008One thing was clear to Grimes Mayor Tom Armstrong and the City Council afterThursday night's meeting: Many of the 200 residents and business owners whoattended don't want Grimes to adopt a new address system unless it mirrorsthose in Johnston, Urbandale, and other communities in northwest PolkCounty.The homeowners and business proprietors attended the meeting atDallas-Center Grimes High School to learn more about a proposal city leadersare considering to streamline Grimes addresses.Officials have said that because Grimes has annexed land in Polk and Dallascounties in recent years, addresses throughout the city now follow threesystems that don't work in unison.Officials are suggesting the city's address system be redesigned along aquadrant grid to help ensure that fire departments, rescue squads andutility crews can easily locate Grimes homes and businesses.Armstrong has said he and the City Council would like to make a decision byOct. 1.Several in attendance Thursday said while they agree the current addresssystem is confusing, they think the city is proposing the wrong solution.City officials have said they had considered basing a new address system onone used throughout other northwest suburbs in Polk County, but theyultimately decided that solution would affect too many residents.George Frampton of Clive, who owns Longview Golf Centre in Grimes, said hedoesn't understand how a county-based address system could require morechanges than the quadrant system, which officials said Thursday would affect84 percent of Grimes residents.Many street names would change, as would house numbers. Locations south ofSouth 19th Street would see the most changes, officials have said."This is a step backward," Frampton told the mayor and council after cityofficials presented the specifics of the proposal."No other city in the northwest quadrant uses an insular address system. Whynot follow the example set by our neighbors in Johnston and Urbandale anduse a metropolitan naming system?"Under such a naming system, roadways such as Meredith Drive - which extendsfrom Urbandale into Johnston - would keep their names as they continue intoGrimes, as would such major Johnston thoroughfares as Northwest 54th, 62ndand 70th avenues. Some change names when they hit Grimes city limits.Business owner Cory Orr agreed that the county address structure should befollowed."It's not about getting your Better Homes & Gardens magazine a week late -it's about losing customers who don't know how to find us," Orr said.More than two dozen others approached the podium Thursday night to expresstheir opinions about the proposed changes. Some exchanges between residentsand Armstrong became heated, with Armstrong at one point telling residentKevin Dirks to stop speaking or be escorted from the auditorium.Dirks had questioned Armstrong repeatedly during a presentation of theproposal and had become angry when Armstrong refused to answer all hisquestions."I'm a taxpayer; you can tell me you want me to leave, but I'm not goinganywhere," Dirks said, as some in the audience applauded and others shoutedat Armstrong, "Can you be impeached?"Some said that it seemed as if the new system already had been decided, asthe city sent letters last week telling residents what their new addresseswould be.Others, while commending the city on its efforts to rectify the addressissue, complained about potential costs involved with an address change,including masonry costs for residences where house numbers are carved intothe homes' stone or brick façades.Others, like Jaime Wolfe of Grimes, said it would be a hardship for herfamily to spend money to change the address on legal and financialdocuments, such as property abstracts."My husband and I each work two jobs, and we don't have the time and moneyto spend all day taking care of all the things we'd have to change," Wolfetold the mayor and council.Residents who spoke near the end of the three-hour meeting suggested cityofficials revise their October deadline and take more time to determine whatsort of address system is right for the city."Just slow it down," resident Jason Brown told the mayor and council. "Maybewait till next spring and give people a chance to prepare for the financialburden they'll have to bear."Resident Don Gomez advocated waiting as well."Look around this room and listen to what you're hearing," Gomez said. "Thismight be good to do in the future, but not at this time. If you people haveany political savvy, you might want to keep the status quo."Armstrong said nothing has been decided, saying the city will host moremeetings and workshops to gain community input."People made some good points tonight and we'll use them as we work throughthe process," Armstrong said after the meeting."None of this is written in stone. The council could go back and decide theywant to try the county address system. We'll have to wait and see, but onething is certain - for the safety of the community, we need a solution thatmakes sense to rescue personnel and law enforcement."http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/29/stories/2008072953280200.htmTamil NaduProtest demonstration: 600 persons arrestedStaff ReporterKARUR: A total of 600 members of the Tamil Nadu Kurumba Makkal MunnetraSangam were arrested when they tried to stage a protest demonstration tohighlight their charter of demands, pertaining to the affairs of the SriMahalakshmi Amman Temple at Mettu Mahadanapuram in Karur district. Thosearrested included 105 women. Police led by the Karur Town DeputySuperintendent of Police A. Aravindh and Pasupathypalayam Inspector A.Sivaraman took them away to a marriage hall.http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/nationworld/story/418485.htmlBOGOTA, COLOMBIA: Colombia, major cities protest kidnappings by leftistrebelsTHE NEWS TRIBUNEPublished: July 21st, 2008 01:00 AMWell over a million Colombians, shouting "No more kidnapping," marked theirindependence day on Sunday with marches and concerts demanding freedom forhostages still held by leftist rebels.Demonstrators rallied across the Andean nation and in some 40 cities abroad,including Paris, London, Miami, Beijing, Sydney and New York.It was the second nationwide movement this year against the RevolutionaryArmed Forces of Colombia and its abhorred policy of kidnapping for ransom orpolitical leverage.http://allafrica.com/stories/200808110794.htmlNigeria: Women Go Nude in Kwara Community - to Protest Monarch's MysteriousDeathVanguard (Lagos)INTERVIEW10 August 2008Posted to the web 11 August 2008Demola AkinyemiTHE sleepy Ayedun town in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State hasbeen thrown into confusion since penultimate Saturday night when theirmonarch, Michael Sunday Ajiboye, Alokelehin the second (Ilufemiloye) died inmysterious circumstances.The way the monarch died threw up possibilities of poison and spiritualattack which no one could instantly unravel. Ajiboye, who was installed asthe community's paramount ruler on December 12 1999, was 47 when he passedon. Aged parents, one wife and four children survived him. He was said to bereluctant to be a monarch even when it was the turn of his ruling housebecause he was said to believe strongly that he had a promising careerworking with INEC in the state.When Sunday Vanguard visited the ancient town which is about two hoursjourney from Ilorin, last Wednesday, one could feel the pall of sadness onthe town, as almost everybody seen, whether in the shops or walking by, worea grim look, mourning the departed monarch.A prominent member of Ayedun Development Association described the lateAjiboye as someone loved by all and sundry. "He was humble to a fault andmixed freely with everybody, he said."Another source, citing examples, told Sunday Vanguard that the eight yearsreign of the late monarch brought visible development to the ancient town ashe encouraged the sons and daughters of the town both at home and abroad notonly to come and have their own buildings at home but also establishbusinesses for the youths so that they would stay and work at home and notbe tempted to seek employment opportunities in Ilorin or Lagos.The state government was indeed constructing an ultra modern palace for him,a development that forced him to relocate to his father's house temporarilybefore death came. The angry sons and daughters of the community who refusedto be consoled by the dictum, "it is not how long but how well, cursed theperceived killer(s) of their monarch.The following day, shortly before he was buried, emotionally charged agedwomen, half naked, and youths went round the shrines in the town as was thetradition, cursing whoever might have killed the monarch. The essence of theaction according to a palace source was to ensure that the culprits do notsurvive the next seven days. His only wife, Alhaja Maryam Iyabo Ajiboye, whowas with the monarch when he died, spoke in an interview with SundayVanguard. Excerpts:What can you say about your late husband?He was a loving husband, very caring, he pampered me in everyway, he was socaring. I don't know what to say about him. But I want people to pray forhim so that God will grant him eternal rest. I don't know what I can sayabout him, he was different, you cannot compare him with anybody. Incharacter, you cannot say he was from his father or his mother.He was simply God sent. Life for him was short, but I thank God that hespent it well. It is not how long but how well, I thank God for his life. Ihave no regret whatsoever marrying him, for having him as my husband. Evenif I come again and if he comes again, I will love to marry him, to have himagain as my husband. I thank God for his life.Can you tell us his last moments?Last moment? We went together to Omu Aran last (penultimate) Saturday, hewas hale and hearty, to go and collect his newspapers. In the evening, hesaid I should follow him, we were doing this yam festival. He dressed sogorgeously that I was admiring him. I told him, ' look at you, you arelooking younger all the time,' he said, 'yes' because of you.' I said,'because of me? You are so lovely, I admire you,' we were joking, we werelaughing.In Omu-Aran, we went to see his friends, that same Saturday. We went roundOmu-Aran, we played together. Later we dropped Olu Owode, his friend, andcame back through Odo-Owa to see one of my friends but found that she hadgone to Ilorin; so we decided to come home straight. When we came home, Icooked, he ate very well, nothing happened to him. He was joking with hisjunior brother's wife like a baby, putting torchlight on her face, that onewill run right, left, he pursued him about with the torch light, that wasaround 7.30 p.m.Charging of handsetSo, later, we went inside. He had some friends with him, and rain wasthreatening, so those people went away and he was still playing with hisjunior brother's wife. I didn't know when he went inside to rest. When Ientered, I met him, and he said I should go and lock the door. I said heshould allow me to put on my towel to have shower. He stood up, put off hisclothes, charged his handset and my own. He put on his radio, he usuallylistened to Osun Radio in the evening time. So I went to lock the door.Coming back inside, he told me that his chest was doing somehow. I saidcould I bring water? He said no. Just like that everything started. I didn'tknow what to do, I ran outside to call people to help me. I went insideagain, I picked him up, that was how he died, just like that.How do you cope now?It is only God that can help me cope; without him, only God .How did you meet him?I am from this town, my mother and my father are from this town. I am aMuslim but he was a Christian. We met and decided to marry. We successfullylived together with our different religions, he didn't disturb me and Ididn't disturb him. My parents prayed for me, they did Muslim marriage forus, both families were happy. God gave us lovely children. My children lovedhim more than me because I am a disciplinarian, I am tough, very harsh andprincipled. I am the only female in my family; so I was trained the way theytrained all the males.http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/20/stories/2008082053840100.htmProtest over Monika issue in ManipurImphal: Normal life was hit in Manipur on Tuesday following a 24-hour bandhto protest the exclusion of Monika Devi from the Olympic team.http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-8756.htmlProtests in Manipur over dropping of Monika from Olympic squadImphal, Aug 8 : Hundreds of agitators today protested against the exclusionof weightlifter Laishram Monika Devi from the Olympic squad by burning tyresand wooden planks even as Manipur remained paralysed following bandh callsgiven by different organisations.The United Committee Manipur (UCM) called a 22-hour general strike from 2200hrs yesterday while the ACOAM-Lup called a 24-hour general strike frommidnight last night.The Khwairamband Keithel, the main market of the state, was deserted andlarge number of security personnel were stationed in the area to prevent anyuntoward incident.All shops, business establishments and educational institutions remainedclosed following the bandh. All the inter-state and intra-state bus serviceswere also cancelled.Presently, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister N Biren and officials of theManipur Weight Lifting Association were in New Delhi to discuss the matter.''Nothing can be done if the result is positive. However, if foul play issuspected, then a test should be conducted again,'' Chief Minister O IbobiSingh said.MP from Manipur Dr Thokchom Meinya had also written to Union Minister ofState for Sports and Youth Affairs (Independent Charge) Dr M S Gill,demanding a thorough probe and transparency in the matter.UCM vice-president Yumnam Chitaranjan alleged that Ms Monika was informedabout the result of her failure in the doping test when she was about toboard the plane and said the entire process was ''pre-determined''.The UCM alleged that some officials of the Indian Weight Lifting Associationwere indulging in dirty politics and General Secretary B Y Gulati was tryingto send Sailaja Pujari, who had tested positive earlier, to the Olympics.Several political parties, social organisations, student bodies and NGOs ofthe state denounced the alleged conspiracy to prevent Ms Monika fromparticipating in the Olympics.Ms Monika claimed that over 30 dope tests had been done earlier and all hadturned out to be negative.--- UNIhttp://www.theage.com.au/news/music/nelly-gig-ends-in-riot/2008/07/17/1216163030995.htmlNelly Furtado gig ends in riotWhat a riot... Nelly Furtado peformming in Munich on July 8.Photo: AFPAdvertisementJuly 17, 2008 - 11:19AMNelly Furtado's latest concert ended in a riot.The Maneater singer was playing in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday when Russianrapper Timati tried to get on stage to perform a planned set with her.However, venue officials refused to let Timati near the singer, leading toNelly's security team becoming involved in an altercation.The incident quickly descended into a brawl reportedly involving up to 20people.Nelly carried on singing to try to divert attention from the fight, whicheventually ended with some of the crowd getting covered in blood and Timatilosing a tooth.The rapper said: I know who was behind it. They will be punished.Timati is a huge celebrity in Russia and owns a club and a record label.An official at the venue said: We learned at the last moment he was going toperform with Furtado. I gave the order not to let him get on stage.