[Onthebarricades] Antiracist and antifascist protests, December 2008

[global resistance roundup]

* GERMANY: Antifa confront Nazi march, fight back against police
* SWEDEN: Antifascist potest in Lund
* SWEDEN: Uprising over police racism rocks Malmo
* INDIA: Thousands arrested as Muslims mark anniversary of Ayodhya atrocity
* SPAIN: Murder of immigrant sparks uprising
* CURACAO: Protests over ongoing Dutch colonialism
* INDIA: Goa - Protests against police repression of Muslims
* US: Georgia - Protests after woman jailed over hijab
* INDIA: Kerala - Attack on Christian churches sparks protests
* PAKISTAN: Protest at exclusion of minorities from conference
* US: Texas - Protester interferes with border fence
* US: Philadelphia - Protest alleges drugstore racism
* US: Georgia - Protest at use of police against immigrants
* INDIA: Dalits blockade rails, take direct action
* US: California - Farm workers protest visa rules
* NEW ZEALAND: Protests at bilingual class delay
* ISRAEL/ERITREA: Refugees protest lack of status
* INDIA: Andhra Pradesh - Desecration of Ambedkar statue sparks Dalit 
protests
* GREECE: Police violence against refugees sparks protests
* GREECE: Migrants fight back after police attack
* INDIA: Lingayat demand reservations
* AZERBAIJAN: Opposition party protest racism in Iran
* RUSSIA: Muslims protest exclusion from anthem contest
* US/PHILIPPINES: Filipino veterans continue protests over Christmas





http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/245002,police-make-70-arrests-in-berlin-left-right-clashes.html

Police make 70 arrests in Berlin left-right clashes
Posted : Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:21:38 GMT
Author : DPA

Berlin - Police used water cannon and made 70 arrests Saturday as they 
struggled to keep 700 neo-Nazis and even more leftists apart on the 
streets of Berlin. The rightists had earlier announced a march through 
the capital's Lichtenberg district.
Mainly leftist opponents, determined not to let them pass, sat down on 
the road. Volleys of stones were thrown towards the neo- Nazis, who 
replied by hurling beer bottles in the other direction, witnesses said.
After warnings, the water cannon, mounted on riot-police trucks were 
used to drive the blockers off the roadway. Police said several 
demonstrators on both sides and one police officer were slightly hurt.
Police had deployed 1,600 officers in a bid to cordon the two crowds, 
and keep them to different routes and times, so that there would be no 
clashes, but mobile groups from the left managed to approach the neo-Nazis.
Both groups were exercising a constitutional right of freedom to demo 
nstrate. The neo-Nazis were demanding the right to set up a 
"nationalist" youth centre.
A police spokeswoman said the 70 arrested came from both sides of the 
conflict.





http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244069,police-and-demonstrators-clash-in-southern-swedish-city.html

Police and demonstrators clash in southern Swedish city
Posted : Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:21:29 GMT
Author : DPA

Stockholm - Police arrested at least four people Sunday in the southern 
city of Lund after clashes between left-wing activists who opposed 
ultra-nationalists commemorating the 1718 death of Swedish King Karl 
XII. According to police and local news media, left-wing activists tried 
to prevent some 50 right-wing supporters from marching to a memorial on 
the outskirts of the university city of Lund.
Counter-demonstrators reportedly threw stones and other missiles at 
police deployed to protect the right-wing marchers, who had been granted 
permission to march. Scores of people were briefly apprehended.
The king, who reigned from 1697-1718, is regarded as a hero by 
ultra-nationalists and neo-Nazi groups, who mark the anniversary in Lund 
and the capital, Stockholm.
Several arrests were also made in Stockholm, where two right-wing groups 
marched in the afternoon and early evening through parts of the downtown 
area.
Sweden was at war with Russia, Denmark, Saxony and Poland during the 
king's reign. He was killed November 30, 1718, when he was hit in the 
head by a bullet during a siege in neighbouring Norway.






http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/415876.html

Malmo riots, Sweden: Some context and pics
@ | 21.12.2008 14:10 | Repression | Social Struggles | World
Here are some (badly translated) statements from Malmo AFA and others 
regarding the recent riots in the city. Following that is some 
background to the events.

AFA Julia (Malmo):

Riots in the Manor in Rosengard continues. Young people who occupied the 
basement of the mosque Ramel road is tired of police abuse and taken to 
more drastic methods to be seen and heard, when they had not heard in 
any other way. In this, they have helped and supported by activists from 
Malmö autonomous environment. We support the young people in the Manor 
just as we committed ourselves in squatter fights in Malmo and Lund and 
fight for the youth house. Fight for frirum is important, whether out of 
"young Muslims" or "Swedes." It is important that we ensure that we have 
common interests with other groups than other autonomous, and 
discrimination based on ethnicity and religion and abuse from 
authorities and the police is something we always have to fight. We 
therefore call on all Trade activists to get to the Manor this weekend 
and show their support for the young people there and their struggle.

Statement put out by AFA Malmo:

Protests in Rosengard is self-defense against the class

2008-12-20

Young people occupied the room for 23 days. During those days was almost 
no discussion in the newspapers. At the eviction on Wednesday December 
17, the police went in with a great strength. Dogs and pepper spray were 
used against young people gathered there to defend their local. After 
this incident the media has suddenly become very interested in what 
happens in Rosengard. But again, the issue ended up in the shadows. We 
know that you journalists like violence, you eat it for breakfast, 
breathe it during the day and dream about it at night. It is therefore 
not surprising that Rosengard again is focused on the front page.
Manor is an area of Rosengard, which has long been neglected. Preschools 
dare not let their children play on the part of the courtyard are among 
others due to open the drain and dangerous electricity which may hang 
freely. The people who live in the Manor may not pitch for his complaint 
about the standard of the apartments and the lack of utemiljön. The 
three landlords in the area Contentus, Newsec and EIA of Malmö has, 
together with the Municipal Ilmar Reepalu (s), Rosengard city 
politicians and Residents' Association formed a working group called the 
Estates Group. Malmo is composed of different districts, which look very 
different. In some areas of Rosengard, such as the Manor, living many 
people with foreign backgrounds. City sees it as a problem that the area 
is crowded lived and that people are segregated. Additional debt on the 
residents of the area by landlords are consistently blaming the wear on 
the tenants, rather than the total lack of maintenance that has 
characterized the town for a long time. What is the politicians' 
solution to the problems?

Within the framework of the Manor group's work, it does not seem 
possible to find a solution to people's overcrowding by, for example, 
build more rental flats or raise the standards of the apartments which 
already exist. Instead, they want to throw out a number of compounds 
from a local business they had in a long time, an activity that has been 
a gathering place for young people after school hours. Politicians claim 
that Rosengard is the city of Malmo who spends most of the activities 
for young people. And so be it, it is not so much emphasis necessary to 
outdo the other city, the youth activities.

Ilmar Reepalu and accomplices in the Tenants' Association believes that 
the activities of the locale does not fit the area's new profile. What 
is it for activities that fit in? Manor Group proposes instead that room 
now to contain an activity known as Boskolan, driven by the Tenants' 
Association. There will be immigrants learn to live on Swedish way. It 
has not come with any explanation of what to live on Swedish way means. 
It is cramped lived in the Manor probably depends unlikely that people 
want to live crowded, rather that the politicians in City Hall are not 
interested in building housing for ordinary people. The only option in 
today's class society is being forced to live in apartments managed by 
SHARK who just want shoes themselves. The Malmö is a segregated city we 
know already, the situation is hardly better of the municipality 
entirely let the free market rule over new construction.

People are tired. They are tired of their voices are not heard and that 
once they noted, so the question is not on the merits of the case 
anymore. When society wants to make a contribution in the district will 
send the police. Police targeted weapons against children. Instead of 
investing resources in leisure activities for young people, jobs for 
those who want jobs and decent housing, and your government watchdogs in 
order to maintain the monopoly of violence.

In the media, police have in recent days made a big thing of it is 
traveling behind many of the violence. They called for traveling are 
other residents in Malmo, no traveling troublemakers who have nothing 
better to do than to create riots. We who have been there living in 
Malmo and Rosengard is a part of Malmo which people both live in and 
visit daily. By attempting to separate the Rosengard from other Malmo to 
assist the media to further exotifiera image of the district. Rosengard 
is not an isolated island living their own lives. The area affected, 
like the rest of Malmo of the policies of the current situation, whether 
it is socialist or bourgeois.

The district politicians and the police are terrified of the unrest that 
is currently underway at Rosengard will spread to other parts of Malmo. 
Events such as those on Rosengard will continue to flare up as long as 
there is an ongoing disarmament of leisure activities around Sweden. 
This is not a point of order that can be solved with batons and pepper 
spray, it is a social problem that politicians themselves have created. 
Now when they painted himself into a corner they desperately try to draw 
attention elsewhere. So grateful that once more put the blame on the 
many young people living in the district.

It is clear that politicians can not solve the problems they themselves 
created. The media is not interested in highlighting the real problems 
that create class society is not so surprising. It sells just no news. 
All fine talk of a democratic dialogue works as long as people are shut 
up and is satisfied with the little they get. The welfare policies that 
politicians say they will bring is an insult to the working class, the 
only possibility for change is självorganiserng. None of the rights 
enjoyed working today have been free, they have come about thanks to 
their own initiative from below by collective struggle. This is 
regardless of whether it is right to a decent working environment, 
meaningful leisure activities or homes free of cockroaches.

We are not surprised by the development of Rosengard and sees it as a 
logical result of the lack of societal resources to the residents there. 
That a Shell Mack fire is nothing to get worked up over, it happened 
throughout the 1990s by understandable reasons, and will happen again. 
To some trash cans into the fire is not in proportion to the violence 
that the police against Malmö's young people. The police have a 
proportionality principle, they will work after, a principle that they 
consistently seem to forget in some contexts. Criminal damage is not 
violent riots, to defend themselves against police attacks are no riots, 
there is self-defense. Direct action has always and will always, to be 
used by people to change and take power over their daily lives. To quote 
the IHT: Anger and despair are strong driving forces. At best, they can 
be turned into something constructive.

BACKGROUND from mainstream media:

Riot police from Stockholm and Gothenburg are being sent to provide 
back-up for their colleagues in Malmö as tensions in the southern city 
continue to flare.

After two nights of intensive rioting, police in the city requested 
assistance from units specially trained to deal with mass violent 
demonstrations.

"We don't think it's over yet. We think it's going to continue and we 
have to be prepared to work around the clock," said regional police 
spokesman Charley Nilsson.

Emotions have been running high in Malmö's predominantly immigrant 
Rosengård district since police forcibly removed three squatters from 
the basement offices of an Islamic cultural centre. The premises had 
been occupied since November 24th as part of a protest against the 
landlord’s decision not to renew the association’s lease for the space, 
which it had held for the past fifteen years.

Thursday night saw the most extreme rioting in Rosengård since the 
disturbances began. Police were pelted with Molotov cocktails and bomb 
threats were issued against a local petrol station.

Police spokeswoman Ewa-Gun Westford said she would not even hazard a 
guess as to how many police vehicles were damaged in the rioting, as 
locals were reportedly joined by left-wing extremists, or "autonomists", 
from outside the area.

The city's fire and rescue services have been refusing to enter the area 
until their safety can be guaranteed.

One person was arrested for rioting, while another was detained for 
disturbing the peace.

By 3am on Friday the situation had stabilized somewhat and police were 
able to move in and remove burning trailers and other objects from the 
streets with the aid of a bulldozer.
@
Homepage: http://www.motkraft.net/








http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2008/12/2008122017426130267.html

Sunday, December 21, 2008
04:57 Mecca time, 01:57 GMT

Anti-police riots ease in Sweden

The rioters assembled quietly in Rosengard on Friday after days of 
violent clashes with police [AFP]

An uneasy calm has settled over the southern Swedish city of Malmo after 
hundreds of Muslim youths rioted against police for two consecutive nights.
Gangs of youths gathered again late on Friday in the Rosengard district 
of Malmo, but no serious clashes have taken place.
Protests spilled over into violence on Wednesday after the owner of a 
building in Rosengard housing an Islamic cultural centre and a mosque 
chose to use the space for other purposes.
Centre workers moved out peacefully and handed over the keys, but a 
group of youths decided to camp in the basement.
Police officers were told to remove them, sparking protests and violent 
clashes.
Garbage bins burnt
While the city has been generally calm since Friday, some demonstrators 
set off firecrackers and five cars and several large garbage bins were 
set on fire, police said.
"They [the rioters] have to stop, they have to take it easy. We can't 
resolve the problems with violence"
Montaser Eneim, Rosengard City District Council
Five people were arrested.

A firebomb was also thrown at a school window in Rosengaard, starting a 
blaze that police rapidly brought under control.
Much of the rioting was concentrated in Rosengard district - which has a 
large immigrant population.
Community leaders have appealed for calm, with Montaser Eneim, from 
Rosengard City District Council telling Al Jazeera: "They [the rioters] 
have to stop, they have to take it easy. We can't resolve the problems 
with violence."
'Unpredictable anger'
Richard Bestic, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Malmo, reported that an 
"unpredictable anger" was still evident among youths who had gathered 
again, so far peacefully, over the weekend.
The police "think they can appease us by joking with us, but they hassle 
us all the time, they arrest us for nothing and then they're surprised 
that we fight back", said Ahmed Baccar, a 20-year-old unemployed 
Palestinian.

His friend Rached El Ali, an 18-year-old Palestinian, said: "And they 
hit 11- and 12-year-old kids, set their dogs on us like they did 
yesterday, and then you want us to like them."
Police reinforcements had been called in from Stockholm, the capital, 
and Gothenburg to quell the unrest.
Immigrants make up around 14% of the Swedish population but, as 
suggested by a number of official studies, many face discrimination in 
housing and employment.





http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_2444343,00.html

Calm in Sweden after riots
2008-12-20 12:11
Malmoe - Hundreds of youths who have rioted against police in the 
southern Swedish town of Malmoe for two straight nights this week 
gathered again late on Friday but no serious clashes took place.
After cars and garbage bins were set ablaze and stones were thrown 
against police in violent clashes on Wednesday and Thursday in the 
heavily-immigrant populated neighbourhood of Rosengaard, youths 
assembled relatively quietly on Friday.
They were watched by a large police deployment that had switched to a 
new tactic of engaging them in dialogue in a bid to prevent a third 
night of riots.
The troubles began as a quiet protest linked to the recent closure of an 
Islamic cultural centre in Rosengaard that housed a mosque, but have 
spread to become a general expression of discontent among disadvantaged 
youths.
The police "think they can appease us by joking with us, but they hassle 
us all the time, they arrest us for nothing and then they're surprised 
that we fight back," Ahmed Baccar, a 20-year-old unemployed Palestinian 
with a shaved head, told AFP.
"And they hit 11- and 12-year-old kids, set their dogs on us like they 
did yesterday, and then you want us to like them," said his friend 
Rached El Ali, an 18-year-old Palestinian.
Police reinforcements had been called in from Stockholm and Gothenburg.
While the evening was primarily calm, demonstrators did set off 
firecrackers and five cars and several large garbage bins were set on 
fire, police said.
Five people were arrested.
- SAPA





http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/415787.html

Riot in Malmo, Sweden
@ | 19.12.2008 13:26
 From email:
"Conflict is centered around a ex-mosque in Rosengård, Malmø, in 
southern Sweden. But
it will be interesting to follow the developments. Note that the cops
also claim that several "extreme left wingers" from AFA has been
arrested in the area."






http://sydsvenskan.se/malmo/article399913/Valdsamt-upplopp-i-Rosengard.html

More details anyone?
@
http://www.thelocal.se/16458/20081219/

Rioting breaks out in Malmö suburb
Published: 19 Dec 08 07:15 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/16458/20081219/
Dictionary tool Double click on a word to get a translation
Scores of young people rioted on Thursday night in Rosengård, the Malmö 
suburb in which tensions have been running high since the recent closure 
of an Islamic cultural centre.

Some 100 youths ran amok for the second straight night, setting cars and 
garbage bins ablaze and throwing stones at police, police said.

"We've had a very difficult evening. There have been fires burning since 
this afternoon in garbage bins and cars, there's extensive damage to 
public property, and there's been stonethrowing and bomb threats against 
police," police spokeswoman Ewa-Gun Westford told AFP.

One person was arrested during the riots, she said.

Westford said the troubles were linked to the recent closure of an 
Islamic cultural centre in Malmö's heavily-immigrant populated 
neighbourhood Rosengård.

The owner of the building wanted to use the space for other purposes, 
and the Islamic centre, which housed a mosque among other things, moved 
out and handed over the keys.

But a group of young people squatted the office space on November 24th, 
and police intervened early this week to remove the occupants and empty 
the offices.

Police guarded the location until Wednesday, and once they left youths 
tried to occupy the building again.

Riots broke out on Wednesday night, when youths set fires in the area 
and threw stones and bottles at police. Seventeen youths were detained 
during those clashes.

"The origin of the riots is the occupation of the building. But that's 
not really the reason now, now other troublemakers have just joined in, 
taking advantage of the situation," Westford said.
AFP/The Local (news at thelocal.se)





http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7791553.stm

Friday, 19 December 2008
Swedish city hit by youth riots

Police said all sorts of "troublemakers" had got involved
Dozens of youths have rioted in the southern Swedish city of Malmo for a 
second consecutive night, setting cars on fire and clashing with police.
"We've had a very difficult evening," a police spokeswoman told the AFP 
news agency late on Thursday.
"There have been fires burning since this afternoon... extensive damage 
to public property, and... stone-throwing and bomb threats against police."
She said the trouble was linked to the closure of an Islamic centre.
The owner of the building, in an immigrant neighbourhood, had decided 
not to renew the centre's lease. The centre, which included a mosque, 
had to move out.
But some youths squatted in the premises, until they were evicted by 
police earlier this week.
Once police left the premises, the youths returned, setting fires in the 
area. They then clashed with police.
"The origin of the riots is the occupation of the building. But that's 
not really the reason now, now other troublemakers have just joined in, 
taking advantage of the situation," police spokeswoman Ewa-Gun Westford 
told AFP.





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/07/stories/2008120757920100.htm

Front Page

Thousands of protestors held
Special Correspondent
— Photo: M. Karunakaran

STRIDENT PROTEST: TMMK supporters courting arrest at the Central railway 
station in Chennai on Saturday.
CHENNAI: Thousands of protestors, including many women, were taken into 
custody on Saturday, the anniversary of the demolition of the Babri 
Masjid, when they attempted to block rail and road traffic in different 
parts of the State.
Amid tight security, members of the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam 
and the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath gathered in large numbers in front of 
railway stations, bus stands and government offices and raised slogans 
in support of their demands, including reconstruction of the masjid at 
the same site in Ayodhya.
The protestors entered the rail track at Tambaram and Tirupur, resulting 
in the detention of a couple of trains for a few minutes, a police 
officer said.
Director-General of Police K.P. Jain said 16,000 persons, including 
12,500 belonging to the TMMK, were arrested. They were released in the 
evening. Nearly 1,600 Hindu Munnani workers were also arrested for 
staging demonstrations and obstructing road traffic.
Armed police personnel were guarding vital installations, he said, and 
no untoward incident had been reported. Mr. Jain said a sweeper working 
as casual labour at the Coimbatore airport was arrested on Friday for 
scribbling a message in the customs clearance area, warning of a bomb 
explosion, in the name of the film artists’ association, Chennai. On the 
basis of video footage in a surveillance camera, M. Kalimuthu (20) was 
arrested.
Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) T. Rajendran said 
another person, who sent an intimidating email to the Madurai Collector 
with copies marked to the Chief Minister’s cell and the Madurai Police 
Commissioner, was arrested at Tirupur on Saturday.
Manimaran (30) claimed that explosions would be triggered in many 
places, including temples at Madurai, Srirangam and Rameswaram on 
December 6 and January 26.
A team of the Special Division Police took the help of the cyber crime 
cell and traced the IP address to a private firm.
Manimaran, who confessed to having sent the emails, had used the name 
and mobile phone number of a person, who was creating problems for his 
family. “It was an attempt to implicate him in the case,” a police 
officer said.
Later in the day, Mr. Jain reviewed the security at the airport, the 
central railway station and the U.S. Consulate. He was accompanied by 
Commissioner of Police K. Radhakrishnan and Suburban Commissioner S.R. 
Jangid. “The enhanced security measures will continue for some more 
time,” Mr. Radhakrishnan said.
As part of security arrangements officials at the Chennai Central 
railway station shifted the issuance of unreserved tickets to the Moore 
Market Complex.
Railway authorities said the arrangement would continue till Sunday noon.





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/07/stories/2008120753710400.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Protest against denial of permission for march
Special Correspondent
Thiruvananthapuram: A number of human rights and Muslim organisations 
have come out against the reported denial of permission by the State 
government for a march and dharna planned by the Kerala Imams Council to 
mark the 16th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
In a joint statement here on Saturday, they described it as denial of 
the fundamental rights and basic justice.
The police at the same time provided protection for the Hindutva 
organisations’ violent protests, the signatories alleged. They resolved 
to launch a campaign on the issue.





http://news.indiainfo.com/2008/12/05/0812051316_tn_on_high_alert_protests_banned.html

TN on high alert; Protests banned Friday, December 05, 2008 13:13 [IST]
Chennai: Rapid Action Force personnel and commandos of state police have 
been deployed at sensitive places as security across Tamil Nadu was 
beefed up in view of the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary tomorrow 
and terror threats following the Mumbai attacks.
"We have deployed state police battalions, Special Task Force (STF) 
personnel and commandos to beef up security across the state," Director 
General of Police K P Jain told PTI today. The Chennai airport and star 
hotels in the metro have also been brought under heightened security 
cover, following an alert sounded by Bureau of Civil Aviation based on 
intelligence inputs that these could be targeted by terrorists.
Meanwhile, protest and demonstrations have also been banned across the 
state tomorrow "keeping in mind the law and order situation, he said. 
Some Muslim organisations, including the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra 
Kazhagam, have called for demonstrations demanding to rebuild the Babri 
Masjid. The police was "fully aware of the vulnerable and sensitive 
areas," and three battalions of Rapid Action Force (RAF), one in the 
city, and two in Coimbatore, rocked by serial blasts in 1998, have been 
deployed, Singh added.
The police have also intensified patrolling and vehicle checks across 
the city, he added. Several security measures have been put in place at 
Chennai airport to prevent any untoward incident. Restrictions have been 
placed on movement of visitors in the area and passengers were being 
allowed after thorough frisking. The corridor in front of the airport 
terminal, used for parking of vehicles, has also been closed.

Source : PTI






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/07/stories/2008120752320300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Thanjavur

Protests mark masjid demolition anniversary day
Special Correspondent
— Photo: M. Srinath

In memory: Members of the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam staging a 
demonstration in Thanjavur on Saturday.
Thanjavur: A total of 1250 members of Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaath were 
arrested by the police here on Saturday when they tried to take out a 
procession and lay siege to the Collectorate demanding handing over of 
the Babri Masjid land to Muslims.
They also demanded ban on Sangh parivar organisations. A. Mujibur 
Rehman, district secretary led the agitation. Three hundred and fifty 
memebrs of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam were arrested by the 
police when they participated in a rail roko agitation at the Thanjavur 
railway station. They demanded construction of Babri Masjid again at the 
site where it was demolished as assured by the then prime minister 
Narasimha Rao. They also demanded expediting cases related to the 
demolition of Babri Masjid. The agitations were held in connection with 
the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition.
Tiruvarur
Nearly two hundred Muslims including about 50 women belonging to the 
Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam staged a demonstration in front of 
the head post office here on Saturday, condemning the demolition of 
Babri Masjid and urged the government to book the culprits. They also 
demanded renovation of the Babri Masjid. Police personnel were posted in 
Tiruvarur town and other parts of the district to avert any untoward 
incident as the Muslims observed Babri Masjid demolition day on Saturday.





http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Protesters_arrested_in_Tamil_Nadu/rssarticleshow/3802153.cms

Protesters arrested in Tamil Nadu
6 Dec 2008, 1819 hrs IST, PTI

COIMBATORE: Police on Saturday arrested activists
of various Hindu and Muslim groups, who defied ban order and staged 
demonstrations over varied

demands in communally-sensitive Coimbatore and Tirupur districts on the 
anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition.

Over 2,000 activists of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) and 
Tamil Nadu Towheed Jamaat (TNTJ) were held for attempting to stage rail 
roko and demonstration, demanding rebuilding of Babri Masjid, police said.

About 730 activists of various Hindu groups in the district were also 
taken into custody for trying to stage demonstrations in support of 
construction of Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.

The Tamil Nadu Government had banned any sort of protests on the 16th 
anniversary of the razing of the Masjid.

Police said over 500 TMMK activists were taken into custody when they 
were proceeding to stop trains at the city railway station, while 390 
workers were arrested in nearby Podanur for a similar reason, police said.

About 650 workers of TMMK and 450 activists of TNTJ were arrested for 
attempting to stage demonstrations in Tirupur and Pollachi, defying 
regulatory orders, they said.

Security was tight in the communally-sensitive district, with armed 
guards keeping vigil at city airport, places of worship, vital 
government installations, bus stand and other public places.

Blackflags were hoisted in some places by the Indian National League as 
part of the day being observed as 'Black Day.'

A Madurai report said 400 members of the TNTJ were arrested, when they 
staged a demonstration in front of the railway junction. A total of 34 
activists of Hindu Youth Federation were held for staging a 
demonstration for 'retrieval' of Mathura and Kasi temples.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/07/stories/2008120750230100.htm

Front Page

Thousands of protestors arrested across State
Special Correspondent
Babri Masjid demolition anniversary passes off peacefully
— Photo: M. Karunakaran

STRIDENT PROTEST: TMMK supporters courting arrest at the Central railway 
station in Chennai on Saturday.
CHENNAI: Thousands of protestors, including many women, were taken into 
custody on Saturday, the anniversary of the demolition of the Babri 
Masjid, when they attempted to block rail and road traffic in different 
parts of the State.
Amid tight security, members of the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam 
and the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath gathered in large numbers in front of 
railway stations, bus stands and government offices and raised slogans 
in support of demands, including reconstruction of the masjid on the 
same site at Ayodhya.
The protestors entered the rail track at Tambaram and Tirupur, resulting 
in the detention of a couple of trains for a few minutes, a police 
officer said.
Director-General of Police K.P. Jain said 16,000 persons, including 
12,500 belonging to the TMMK, were arrested. They were released in the 
evening. Nearly 1,600 Hindu Munnani workers were also arrested for 
staging demonstrations, obstructing road traffic.
Armed police personnel were guarding vital installations, he said, and 
no untoward incident had been reported.
Mr. Jain said a sweeper working as casual labour in the Coimbatore 
airport was arrested on Friday for scribbling a message in the customs 
clearance area, warning of a bomb explosion, in the name of the film 
artists’ association, Chennai. On the basis of video footage in a 
surveillance camera, M. Kalimuthu (20) was arrested.
Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) T. Rajendran said 
another person, who sent an intimidating email to the Madurai Collector 
with copies marked to the Chief Minister’s cell and the Madurai Police 
Commissioner, was arrested at Tirupur on Saturday.
Manimaran (30) claimed that explosions would be triggered in many 
places, including temples at Madurai, Srirangam and Rameswaram on 
December 6 and January 26. A team of the Special Division Police took 
the help of the cyber crime cell and traced the IP address to a private 
firm.
Manimaran, who confessed to having sent the emails, had used the name 
and mobile phone number of a person who was creating problems for his 
family. “It was an attempt to implicate him in the case,” a police 
officer said.
Later in the day, Mr. Jain reviewed the security at the airport, the 
central railway station and the U.S. Consulate. He was accompanied by 
Commissioner of Police K. Radhakrishnan and Suburban Commissioner S.R. 
Jangid.
“The enhanced security measures will continue for some more time,” Mr. 
Radhakrishnan said.
As part of security arrangements officials at the Chennai Central 
railway station shifted the issuance of unreserved tickets to the Moore 
Market Complex. Railway authorities said the arrangement would continue 
till Sunday noon.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/07/stories/2008120752250300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Erode

Activists held for trying to take out protest rallies in Erode
Staff Reporter
Members of Hindu Munnani and Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam removed 
by police
PHOTOS: M. GOVARTHAN

Protest: Activists of Hindu Munnani took out a rally in Erode on 
Saturday, demanding the return of the disputed land in Ayodhya to Hindus 
and (right) members of the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam took out 
another to press for action against demolition of the Babri Masjid. —


ERODE: Members of the Hindu Munnani and Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra 
Kazhagam tried to take out separate rallies in different parts of Erode 
on Saturday to mark the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary, which fell 
on Saturday.
Nearly 100 members of the Hindu Munnani assembled near the Telephone 
Bhavan on Brough Road and took out a rally.
Prevented
As they tried to march towards the P.S. Park junction, the police 
prevented them from doing so and took them into custody.
The police said that they had arrested 91 persons, including the 
Munnani’s State vice president Poosappan and Saravanan of BJP.
Demand
The Munnani members who took part in the agitation wanted to press their 
demand upon the Union Government to take steps to hand over the disputed 
land in Ayodhya to the Hindus for the purpose of building a Ram temple 
there.
At Kalaimattu Silai, around 300 members of the Tamil Nadu Muslim 
Munnetra Kazhagam attempted to take out to a rally from the Silai 
junction to the railway station in order to press their demand on the 
occasion.
As the group marched towards the station, the police intervened, stopped 
them from proceeding further and arrested the members.
The police said that they had arrested a total of 290 persons who had 
taken part in the agitation.
The TMMK members wanted the Union Government to keep the promises that 
the then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao had made to Muslims and also 
to pursue legal action against those who had been responsible for 
bringing down the structure in Ayodhya.
In Dharapuram, the police arrested 54 members of the Tamil Nadu Towheed 
Jamat for staging a protest near Anna Statue. The arrested include two 
women.






http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1211170

Babri anniversary, police warns protesters
PTI
Wednesday, December 3, 2008 18:48 IST

CHENNAI: As some Muslim outfits in the state called for demonstrations 
on the anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition on December 6, police 
Wednesday said permission had not been given for any form of protest and 
warned that those staging agitations would be arrested.
"We have not given permission to any sort of protest. If they try to 
picket, we will arrest them," Police Commissioner K Radhakrishnan told 
reporters here.
His warning came following the announcement of some organisations, 
including Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK), that they would 
stage demonstrations in various parts of the city to mark the demolition 
of Babri Masjid.
The Commissioner said the police would make routine arrangements for 
security.






http://www.twocircles.net/2008dec06/muslim_body_decide_not_hold_protest_against_babri_mosque_demolition.html

Muslim body decide not to hold protest against Babri Mosque demolition
Submitted by admin4 on 6 December 2008 - 4:10pm.
• Indian Muslim
By IRNA,
New Delhi : A Muslim body, All India Babri Masjid Re-building Committee 
(AIBMRC) fighting for rebuilding Babri Mosque in Ayodhya will not 
organize any protests on Saturday on the anniversary of demolition of 
the mosque to express solidarity with the victims of terrorist attacks 
in Mumbai.
The AIBMRC said it will, instead, send a memorandum to President 
Pratibha Patil urging her to order the rebuilding of Babri Mosque at its 
original site in Ayodhya or refer all disputes related to the issue to a 
Supreme Court for final order.
"We will not be holding any demonstration or dharna on the 16th 
anniversary of the demolition of Babri Mosque due to the recent 
terrorist attacks in Mumbai and to extend solidarity with the families 
of the hundreds of innocents who lost their lives or injured in the 
attacks," AIBMRC president Mohd Younus Siddique said in a statement today.
Stating that President Pratibha Patil would be moved to transfer the 
Ayodha disputes to the apex court, Siddique said, "Whatever the decision 
(the Supreme Court takes, it) will be acceptable to the community as the 
community has full faith in Constitution, Judiciary and law and order."
The Babri Mosque or Mosque of Babur was constructed by order of the 
first Mughal emperor of India, Babur, in Ayodhya, a city of Uttar 
Pradesh in the 16th century.
It was demolished by 150,000 fanatic Hindus during a planned ceremony on 
December 6, 1992 despite a commitment to the Indian Supreme Court that 
the mosque would not be harmed.
Since then Muslims are observing "Black Day" on 6th of December every year.
More than 2000 people, were killed in the ensuing riots following the 
demolition.
Riots broke out in many major Indian cities including Mumbai, Delhi and 
Hyderabad.






http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL891061

Immigrant stabbing prompts S.Spain riot, 6 arrests
Mon Dec 8, 2008 10:40am EST

MADRID, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Rioting immigrants set fire to cars, shops and 
rubbish containers in a town in southern Spain overnight after a Malian 
was stabbed to death while being mugged, police said on Monday.

A Civil Guard statement said Sega S., 24, was stabbed on Sunday night 
and died from his injuries early on Monday. Police arrested three 
Moroccans, one of them the suspected killer.

After the stabbing, a score of angry sub-Saharan immigrants gathered in 
La Mojonera, in southern Almeria province, and started fires in shops 
and rubbish bins.

Police in riot gear were deployed to quell the riot and arrested two men 
from Ivory Coast and one from Guinea Bissau.

There were similar riots in September in nearby Roquetas de Mar after a 
Senegalese man was stabbed to death when he tried to intervene in a dispute.

Many emigrants from sub-Saharan Africa drown or die of exposure trying 
to cross the Straits of Gibraltar to Spain aboard small vessels and 
flimsy rafts in the hope of finding a better life in Europe.

Some five million of Spain's 45 million population are immigrants, many 
of whom found work in a 12-year construction boom that has collapsed in 
the last year.

Spain's unemployment rate is now the highest in the European Union, and 
the government has said it will pay unemployed foreigners to go home, an 
offer few seem to have taken up. (Reporting by Emma Pinedo; writing by 
Martin Roberts, editing by Tim Pearce)







http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/netherlands/081215-antilles-protest

Stars of David in 'Dutch colonialism' protest
RNW News
15-12-2008
Negotiations between the Netherlands and its former colonies in the 
Caribbean have been marred by protests and complaints of colonialism. 
Reacting to a demonstration on Sunday in the Curaçao capital, 
Willemstad, Dutch Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Ank Bijleveld, 
said protesters had gone too far when they wore Stars of David to 
express their feeling of being discriminated against.
During World War II, Jews in countries occupied by the Nazis were forced 
to wear a Star of David. The use of the symbol in the Curaçao protest 
was "totally inappropriate", Ms Bijleveld told NOS television.

Anti-colonialist protesters in Willemstad wearing Stars of David. (NOS 
tv screenshot)

The protesters were accusing the Netherlands of neo-colonialism, because 
changes in the kingdom's make-up will give the Dutch government a 
greater say in the finances of Curaçao and St Maarten. Both of these 
islands will get an autonomous status, as Aruba did earlier.
Restructuring
Deputy Minister Bijleveld and Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende are in 
Willemstad for a Round Table Conference with political leaders of the 
Netherlands Antilles to discuss a restructuring of the Kingdom of the 
Netherlands.
The Kingdom consists of the Netherlands in Western Europe and the 
Netherlands Antilles and Aruba in the Caribbean. Currently five of the 
six Antilles islands form one country with a single government, while 
Aruba gained semi-autonomy in 1986. Their status will change.
National debt
There is agreement in principle that the islands of Sint Maarten and 
Curaçao will follow Aruba's earlier example and be granted autonomy 
within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The smaller islands of Bonaire, 
Saba and Sint Eustatius will become special Dutch municipalities, 
resorting immediately under the Dutch Interior Ministry. The Dutch 
government has agreed to clear the Antilles' national debt of 1.7 
billion euros, in exchange for a greater say in the finances of the 
islands.
Precisely when the changes will go into effect is not yet clear. 
However, 1 January is now expected to be the new target date.







http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/19/stories/2008121954760300.htm

Karnataka

Protest in Goa against ‘police high-handedness’
Special Correspondent
________________________________________
88 madrassa students, five teachers taken to police station
________________________________________
PANAJI: Muslims organisations led by the Association of All Goa Muslim 
Jamaats on Wednesday protested against what they described as police 
high-handedness against students and teachers of a Darul 
Uloom-cum-madrassa in Vasco on Tuesday.
According to the management of the institution, the police took 88 
schoolgirls and five teachers to the Vasco police station saying that 
the institution had failed to submit identity verification forms of 
staff and students despite being served sufficient notice.
According to the verification details, which were submitted at the 
police station, the students mainly hail from Maharashtra, Karnataka and 
Goa, and a few are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. There are 94 girls and 
37 boys studying in the madrassa.
Outrage
Addressing presspersons, leaders of the association and those of other 
organisations such as the All India Mili Council (Goa) expressed outrage 
and said the action of the police was uncalled for..
Darul Uloom in-charge Shaik Abdul Munaf and president of the madrassa 
Tahir Dawood said the police could have taken the management to task but 
had no business taking the children, most of whom were teenage girls, to 
the police station.
They demanded suspension of Deputy Superintendent of Police Deu 
Banaulikar and Inspector Harish Madkaikar. They also announced that they 
would approach various human rights authorities to seek justice.
The Vasco police tried to justify their action stating that a notice was 
sent to the madrassa asking it to send its students to Vasco police 
station to complete the identity verification process.
The intervention of Chief Minister Digambar Kamat saved the situation 
from deteriorating further, the association members said.
Mr. Munaf said that the institution had been running for 10 years. 
“Every month, we have been submitting our report to the police,” he said.
A police official said, “We had been requesting the in-charge of the 
madrasa to submit the verification forms for the past 21 days, but they 
failed to do so. Their lethargic attitude forced us to go to the 
madrassa and round up the students, who are all outsiders.”
‘Shock’
The Citizens’ Initiatives for Communal Harmony , a socio-activist 
organisation, on Wednesday expressed shock at the alleged police 
excesses and condemned the same, according to a press release.







http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/18317828/detail.html?rss=lnta&psp=news

Activists Protest Treatment Of Muslim Woman
Lisa Valentine Refused To Remove Hajib In Courthouse
POSTED: 12:21 pm EST December 19, 2008

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. -- Civil rights activists gathered in Douglasville 
Friday to protest the treatment of a black Muslim woman who was briefly 
jailed Tuesday for refusing to remove her head scarf at a courthouse 
security checkpoint.
Representatives of the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic 
Relations joined local members of the National Association for the 
Advancement of Colored People to rally outside the Douglasville 
Municipal Court where police arrested Lisa Valentine, 40.

A judge ordered Valentine to serve 10 days in jail for contempt of court 
after she refused to remove her traditional Muslim scarf, then uttered 
an expletive. Officials freed her hours later, after a national group 
urged a federal investigation.







http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/29/stories/2008122955180700.htm

Kerala

Vandalisation sparks protests among Christians
Staff Reporter
ALAPPUZHA: Three places of worship attached to different churches in 
Alappuzha were found vandalised on Sunday morning.
The incident came to light when people came for the regular service.
The St. Sebastian’s shrine of St. Mary’s Chapel at Vadasseri was the 
first to be found damaged. The same saint’s statue and shrine were found 
vandalised near the Mount Carmel Cathedral while a statue of St. Antony 
at St. Michael’s Church, Thathampally, was found damaged later. The 
incidents have sparked protests among the Christian community who took 
out a protest march.







http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=150667

Protest against non-inclusion of Julius Salik Friday, December 05, 2008
by Our correspondent

Islamabad

By putting dust all over himself, World Minorities Alliance President 
Julius Salik and other Christians held a protest here on Thursday 
against the government for not inviting even a single minority leader to 
the two-day National Security Conference convened by the Prime Minister 
recently.

Around 200 members of the Christian community, including women and 
children, gathered in front of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club camp 
office under the leadership of Julius Salik raised slogans against the 
government and delivered short speeches with intervals. Julius Salik 
said that minorities constitute a substantial proportion of Pakistan’s 
population. He said that they had shed their blood in building Pakistan 
and defending it in the 1965 and 1971 wars. He regretted that now they 
are being neglected by the government.

He also criticised the Capital Development Authority for not 
regularising services of contractual employees in its Directorate of 
Municipal Administration. He said almost half of sanitary workers have 
again been subjected to the cruel ‘thekedari’ system under which 
labourers get extremely minimal salaries. He said if the services of 
sanitary workers were not regularised by December 25, they would come on 
roads to protest against the CDA.






http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/121808dntexborderfence.1d6d615.html

Protester interrupts work on Texas-Mexico border fence
02:48 PM CST on Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Associated Press
EL PASO, Texas – A 55-year-old Army veteran hunkered down in front of 
construction crews who were building the fence along the U.S.-Mexico 
border Wednesday, halting work for several hours as authorities figured 
out who was responsible for removing her.
Judy Ackerman was one of about a dozen people at a peaceful protest east 
of El Paso on Wednesday, and the white-haired woman sported a reflective 
vest and hard had while cheerfully chatting with authorities. About 20 
workers milled around the site, leaning against heavy equipment and dump 
trucks and taking pictures of her with their cell phones.
"They have a job to do, but today their job is to take a break," said 
Ackerman, a retired sergeant major who spent 26 years in the Army.
Ackerman crossed a canal before workers arrived and took up a position 
on a levee where large steel poles were being erected.
Border Patrol spokesman Ramiro Cordero said federal, state and local 
officials have spent several hours trying to determine who had the 
authority to remove her so work could resume.
Work had been stopped for several hours in the desolate area several 
miles east of downtown El Paso, near the 370-acre Rio Bosque Wetlands Park.
"They have this wonderful park here, and the wall is messing it up," 
said Ackerman, who said she's never been arrested before but said she 
wasn't worried about it. "This is life. The river is life. But not the 
wall; the wall is death."
Ackerman was on land maintained by the International Boundary and Water 
Commission land, the binational agency that maintains the boundary 
between Mexico and the U.S.
Al Riera, the principal engineer for the IBWC, said officials there were 
notified about her presence early Wednesday and told to contact 
authorities to have her removed. Officials were still trying to figure 
out the proper authority. Riera said this is the first such protest on 
IBWC land.
Government officials said Tuesday 500 miles of fence has been built 
along the Southwest border.
Congress authorized the fence in 2005. The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks 
revived the immigration debate and advanced the idea of a border fence. 
Intelligence officials have said gaps along the Southwestern border 
could provide opportunities for terrorists to enter the country.






http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=227230

Protester stops work on border fence
12/17/2008 1:28 PM
By: Associated Press

EL PASO, Texas — A protester has stopped construction of a small section 
of the U.S.-Mexico border fence by standing in the path of workers and 
heavy equipment in El Paso.
Judy Ackerman was one of about a dozen people at a peaceful protest 
Wednesday. Wearing a reflective vest and hard hat over her white hair, 
Ackerman stood on a levee where large steel poles were being erected in 
the middle of a canal.
Border Patrol spokesman Ramiro Cordero said federal, state and local 
officials were conferring to determine who had the authority to remove 
her so work could resume.
Work on the barrier had been stopped for several hours in the desolate 
area several miles east of downtown El Paso. Ackerman went to the levee 
early Wednesday, before workers arrived.






http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/from_the_source/Local_NAACP_protests_CVS.html

Thursday, December 4, 2008
Local NAACP protests CVS

J. Whyatt Mondesire, president Philadelphia NAACP, holds a news 
conference to react to the results of an investigation into CVS. The 
report claims that the drug store chain fails to provide equal and fair 
access to minorities. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer Philadelphia 
Daily News Philadelphia Inquirer

The Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP and other community groups 
yesterday assailed CVS Pharmacies, alleging that a study reveals that 
the drugstore chain fails to provide equal and fair access to its stores 
and services in urban communities, overcharges customers and offers 
products of questionable quality.

"After a year-long study, CVS, the largest retail drugstore chain in 
America today, is lousy corporate citizen." said Philadelphia NAACP 
president J. Whyatt Mondesire said at a press conference today. "We have 
found that the services and the stores provide evidence of questionable 
product quality, overcharging, lax privacy protection, consumer safety 
issues at CVS stores. ….CVS is failing our community."







http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/18335409/detail.html?rss=lnta&psp=news

Protest Held Against Immigration Training
POSTED: 12:21 pm EST December 22, 2008
UPDATED: 12:30 pm EST December 22, 2008

ATLANTA -- Concerned Black Clergy protested an application by the 
Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department to deputize members of the 
department to implement portions of a federal immigration law.
The group of primarily black ministers from predominantly black 
congregations in metro Atlanta held a news conference at 11:30 a.m. 
Monday at Vicars Community Center.
Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway has applied for his department to 
receive training from the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement 
Agency. Once trained, deputies would have access to federal immigration 
databases and would be able to begin deportation proceedings for illegal 
immigrants.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/20/stories/2008122057600300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

MRPS protesters arrested in Adilabad, Sangareddy
Staff Reporter
ADILABAD: Police on Friday arrested agitating activists of Madiga 
Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS) in Adilabad town as one of them climbed 
a cell phone tower.
Earlier in the day, a few activists were arrested before they could 
block the passage of the Patna Purna Express at the local railway 
station. The MRPS activists were agitating for introducing of SC 
categorisation Bill in the current session of Parliament.
Sangareddy Staff Reporter adds: MRPS activists staged a ‘rail-roko’ at 
Ramayampet and Zaheerabad. Scores of them squatted on the tracks for 
some time and were later arrested by the police.





http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=21553df6ea2bfd6f775c75b9e4a53126&from=rss

Farm Workers Protest New Visa Rules
Vida En El Valle, Posted: Dec 18, 2008
FRESNO, Calif. -- Activists denounced changes to the H-2A visa program, 
which they say reduce labor protections for farm workers who come to the 
United States from other countries, reports Vida En El Valle. The rule 
changes were proposed by the departments of Homeland Security and Labor 
and published on the DOL Web site Nov. 8, but they have not been 
formally adopted.

Page 1 of 1






http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2008/12/17/124385d0cfda

Parents protest at bilingual decision delay
Updated at 9:04am on 18 December 2008
The parents of five Christchurch primary school children say they have 
nowhere to go next year after plans for an intermediate-level bilingual 
class were put on hold.
The children have been studying te reo and tikanga Maori at Aorangi 
Primary School's bilingual unit.
Principal Stephanie Thompson says she has been waiting for the Ministry 
of Education to decide whether the unit can expand to include Year 7 and 
8 students.
Ms Thompson says she was told on Tuesday that the decision has been put 
off for a year.
The parents held a protest outside the ministry's Christchurch office on 
Wednesday morning, saying they will keep sending their children to 
Aorangi until a decision is made.
In a statement, the Ministry of Education said it needed more time to 
ensure a solution is found that meets the needs of students in the wider 
area.
It said it is exploring ways to help the small group of students 
affected by the decision.
The principal of Finlayson Park School in Manurewa, Shirley Maihi, who 
is an advocate of bilingual education, said the ministry does nothing to 
promote it.






http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1047273.html

Last update - 13:25 17/12/2008

Eritrean asylum seekers protest over lack of refugee status in Israel By 
Nurit Wurgaft Tags: Eritrea, asylum seekers
Some 200 Eritrean nationals held a quiet demonstration outside the 
Defense Ministry offices in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, protesting limitations 
on their movement imposed by the state.

The protesters, some of the estimated 4,000 Eritreans who have entered 
Israel illegally, thanked the Israeli authorities and people for their 
treatment, yet asked that limitations be dropped and that they be 
recognized as refugees.

One of the protesters said he fled his country after being jailed and 
tortured for his political opinions. He said he managed to escape prison 
and arrived in Israel by land via Sudan and Egypt.

Eritrea's ambassador to Israel, Tesfa Mariam, accused the protesters of 
lying in their claims of political persecution, and claimed Eritrea was 
a place where "harmonious ties exist between Muslims and Christians."

The Interior Ministry has issued the Eritreans work permits and has not 
tried to repatriate any of them. However, it refuses to recognize them 
as refugees.

"The protesters' complaints are unclear," a ministry spokesman said 
yesterday. "They have been issued work permits, even though they are not 
recognized as refugees, as a humanitarian gesture."






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/17/stories/2008121757880300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Desecration of Ambedkar statue sparks protest
Staff Reporter

A Praja Rajyam activist cleansing an Ambedkar statue in Anantapur on 
Tuesday.
ANANTAPUR: Activists of all political parties and Dalit organisatons 
staged a roadblock on Kadiri-Hindupur road in Obuladevara Cheruvu in the 
district on Tuesday protesting desecration of an Ambedkar statue. 
Miscreants allegedly garlanded the statue with footwear and liquor 
bottle with a notice against categorisation of SCs tagged to it.
The protest disrupted the vehicular traffic on the road for about five 
hours. The statue beside the PR office there was found desecrated in the 
morning and activists of all parties gathered at the point within no 
time. Dharmavaram DSP Subramanyam, Nallamada Circle Inspector D.V. 
Kishore and Obuladevara Cheruvu SI Rami Reddy went to the protesters and 
assured them of action against the culprits.
The protesters called off the agitation after the assurance was .
In Anantapur, Praja Rajyam activists cleansed an Ambedkar statue with 
milk and submitted a memorandum to the SP demanding action against the 
culprits.





http://www.daily.pk/local/other-local/8588-greek-rights-activists-protest-over-pakistanis-injury.html?tmpl=component&print=1&page=

Greek rights activists protest over Pakistani’s injury

Written by www.daily.pk
Tuesday, 16 December 2008 04:01
Activists in Greece demanded the interior minister’s resignation on 
Monday over the severe injury of a Pakistani man in an alleged police 
attack on asylum-seekers.
The 24-year-old Pakistani man has been in a coma since December 6.

Petros Constantinou, an organiser with the Socialist Workers Party, said 
the migrant suffered head injuries when he fell into a dry riverbed 
trying to avoid a police charge.

The allegations came as Greece faced its worst riots in decades, sparked 
by the fatal police shooting of a 15-year-old boy in Athens – also on 
Dec 6. Activists called for concerted protests over the two incidents.

Constantinou said the Pakistani was injured when police attacked 5,000 
immigrants lining up overnight to submit asylum applications at a 
western Athens police office.

Police say they are investigating the incident. They say riot police 
repulsed asylum-seekers who tried to jump the line.

“It was a brutal and obscene attack,” Constantinou said. “We want 
(Interior Minister Procopis) Pavlopoulos to resign.”

In October, another Pakistani asylum-seeker died after falling into the 
same riverbed while allegedly trying to avoid police.






http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/world/10521329.asp

Asylum-seekers riot in Athens after a man falls into a canal

Hundreds of migrants waiting to submit asylum applications rioted in 
downtown Athens on Saturday, setting fire to garbage bins and attacking 
passing cars.

Protesters said the riot began when one man fell into a nearby canal 
after authorities told the crowd that no more applications could be 
submitted Saturday. Only a small number of applications can be submitted 
each week.
It was not immediately clear how the man fell into the canal. Police 
said he was injured and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. They said 
they were investigating the incident.
Outraged asylum-seekers began setting fire to garbage cans and throwing 
them into the street, and ripped branches off trees to set them alight. 
A smaller group threw rocks at passing cars, stopping some vehicles and 
banging on them with their hands. There were no reports of any 
passers-by being injured.
The riot lasted for about an hour, and riot police who were on standby 
nearby did not intervene. A fire truck extinguished the blazes.
In October, a human rights group said a Pakistani man was fatally 
injured when he fell into the same canal. The group, Stop the War 
Coalition, said that the man had been trying to escape police after 
immigrants queuing to submit applications clashed with authorities. 
Police rejected claims they had any involvement in the mans death and 
said they had tried to repulse an attempt by a large group of migrants 
to jump the queue.
Rights groups have often criticized Greeces treatment of illegal 
immigrants and the living conditions in detention centers.
Greece approved only 140 of the 20,692 asylum applications made in 2007, 
according to the U.N. refugee agency. Tens of thousands of illegal 
migrants enter Greece each year. Many attempt dangerous sea crossings 
from nearby Turkey or brave minefields to make their way in.
Greece has frequently asked for more help from the European Union to 
deal with the problem.







http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1214193

Workers protest demanding reservation for Lingayat community
PTI
Monday, December 15, 2008 20:39 IST

Aurangabad: AURANGABAD: Shiva Akhil Bhartiya Veershaw Sanghatna 
demonstrated in Aurangabad and Nanded demanding reservation for the 
Lingayat wani and Lingayat communities, on Monday.
Hundreds of workers of the association were arrested in both the cities 
and later released.
In Aurangabad, the activists of the association staged a rasta roko in 
the Kranti Chowk area under the leadership of Manohar Dhonde. Dhonde, 
Ashok Phulsahar, Santosh Samberao and other activists were arrested and 
later released.
Dhonde said that Lingayat community should be included in the Other 
Backward Class. The OBC reservation should be extended to 24 per cent 
from the present 19 per cent and five per cent should be given to the 
Lingayat community.






http://www.anspress.com/nid98630.html

Politic / 29.12.2008 16:04
Azerbaijani opposition party to hold protest action before Iranian Embassy
Protest action is aimed at calling Iranian authorities to stop their 
pressure against Azerbaijanis living in the country.
An Azerbaijani opposition party, Classic People`s Front Party will hold 
a protest action before Iranian Embassy in Azerbaijan on December 31. 
The member of the party`s Supreme Council Shirin Jafari informed ANS 
PRESS that the aim of holding the protect action was due to increasing 
pressure exercised by Iranian authorities upon ethnic Azerbaijanis 
living in the country. According to him, although the party requested 
the Baku City Executive Power, their request was turned down. Therefore, 
the party decided to hold unsanctioned action.
Anar Mammadov /ANS PRESS/





http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=249353

Russian Muslims Protest Anthem Contest Over Church Bells Requirement

"There should be no political or religious themes in the anthem. It 
should be something that uplifts people and brings them together."






http://philippinenews.com/article.php?id=3768

Activists continue protests throughout Christmas

Published: December 27, 2008 | Author: Pasckie Pascua
Total Views: 825 | Rating:
LOS ANGELES— Activists here continue their unrelenting advocacy in 
support of various causes and in protest of other issues even as the 
community savors Christmas and the advent of a new year.
The Filipino Veterans Support Bill, or SB 3689, remains as the foremost 
concern of the Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV). Despite 
failing energy, living FilVets stay active on the road, making their 
presence felt in mass actions and community gatherings, and taking the 
opportunity to speak their minds.
On December 8, JFAV announced the formation of a partner organization, 
the Association of Widows, Advocates and Relatives for Equality (Aware) 
at a meeting held at the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center (HPMC) here.
In San Francisco, FilVets Gomer Bondad and Reggie Nacua, with activists 
Ago Pedalizo and Violy Reyes, discussed the seemingly unresolved impasse 
on the lump sum clause of SB 36879, now pending in the US Congress, at a 
community meeting held at the ABS-CBN studio in Redwood City last 
December 10.
“The JFAV does not endorse SB 3689. We criticize the fact that it has no 
recognition for Filvets, it comes with a quit claim clause, and there’s 
no provision for widows of the veterans. We will pursue a different 
strategy and tactics on the veterans’ equity struggle,” says a JFAV 
statement furnished Philippine News.
On December 11, JFAV veteran leaders Faustino Baclig and Jack Vergara 
were present at a rally staged by the United Healthcare Workers-West 
(UHW) union local at the Radisson Hotel here against the Service 
Employees International Union (SEIU).
Trouble has been dogging SEIU’s California locals. Last summer, some 
6,000 UHW union members staged a rally in Manhattan Beach to oppose a 
plan by SEIU for “centralize bargaining” and other issues. Local leaders 
charged that Andrew Stern, SEIU president, wants to divide and weaken 
their local union—by pressuring 65,000 of their members to transfer to 
“his favored local”—and punish them for demanding their own voice. 
Filipinos comprise more than 30 percent of the total healthcare 
workforce in California.
Meanwhile, a group of “First Quarter Stormers” here, collectively known 
as Kilusang Dekada 70, issued a statement to local media calling for the 
release by the Philippine government of peasant rights advocate Randall 
Echanis, a known First Quarter Storm activist.
The First Quarter Storm was a period of unrest in the Philippines, 
composed of a series of heavy demonstrations, protests and marches 
against the government from January to March 1970, two years before the 
country was placed under Martial Law.
Kilusang Dekada 70 questions the administration of president Gloria 
Macapagal-Arroyo why Jocelyn Bolante, a former Cabinet person who was 
accused of diverting the 780 million pesos of fertilizer fund for his 
ex-boss’s 2004 presidential campaign, should be freed and not Echanis.
“What is the difference between Bolante and Echanis? Is it because 
Bolante served Arroyo, that is why he is treated royally, and Echanis 
isn’t—and should rot like a common criminal?” queries KD70 spokesperson 
Bonifacio Inkana.
Echanis, deputy secretary general of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng 
Pilipinas (KMP, Farmers Movement of the Philippines), was arrested in 
January this year by police agents as he prepared to attend a conference 
of agricultural workers in Bago City, Negros Occidental. Located in the 
western Visayas region of the Philippines, south of Manila, Negros 
Occidental is the second largest province in the country. Most of its 
people are sugarcane workers and farmers.