[Onthebarricades] Anti-racist protests, October 2008

[global resistance roundup]

* DENMARK: Protesters storm asylum detention centre
* SUDAN: Hausa clash with cops after racist comment by politician
* NEW ZEALAND: Antifa, Nazis clash in Wellington
* ITALY: Naples - anti-racist protest after murders
* FRANCE: Self-immolation over deportation
* UK: Man tries to jump during question time
* INDIA: Mass anti-racist protests in Bihar after anti-migrant protests 
in Maharashtra; trains burnt, 1000 arrests
* TANZANIA: Albinos stage protest against killings
* CANADA: Protest over racist murder by police
* INDIA: Bihar passenger hijacks bus over anti-migrant racism in Mumbai
* BANGLADESH: Migrants clash with police after repression of march
* US: Texas - protest plans over modern-day lynching
* PHILIPPINES - UK: Protests at comedy about abuse of maids
* US - Arizona - Arpaio protest at meeting
* US - Chicago - rally against anti-Muslim beating
* UK: Protest against racial profiling at airports
* INDIA: Dimapur rally protests anti-Christian attacks
* UK: Zimbabwean asylum-seekers demand right to work
* ISRAEL: Ethiopian immigrants protest conditions at centre, fast
* US: Colorado - event on Yom Kippur protested
* INDIA: UP - Protest against communalism
* US - INDIA: Chicago protest against India pogroms
* US - Florida: Protest against persecution of Sikhs in prison
* INDIA: Madurai - caste groups clash over apartheid wall






http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/2232067

Danish police arrest protestors
3:09PM Sunday October 26, 2008

Danish police arrested at least 43 people and used tear gas in clashes 
with hundreds of protesters outside a compound for asylum-seekers on 
Saturday.
Activists said the aim of Saturday's demonstration was to protest 
against a restrictive Danish asylum system and try to close the Sandholm 
refugee centre.
A spokesman for the North Zealand police said that at least 43 
protesters had been arrested during the clashes, but that several had 
been released by Saturday evening.
Organisers said about 1,500 people took part in the demonstration. It 
started peacefully but turned into a battle with police when some 
protesters tried to cut through the fence around the centre.
Sandholm is a former military barracks 20 km north of Copenhagen. Run by 
the Red Cross, it houses about 500 immigrants.
An asylum request in Denmark is usually processed in about six months, 
but rejected asylum-seekers who refuse to go home sometimes stay on in 
camps for years. About 2,000 immigrants live in centres like Sandholm in 
Denmark.

http://greatphotojournalism.com/brianberg_series627.html
PHOTOS






http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081025/danish-police-fire-teargas-at-asylum-camp-protest.htm

Danish police: 20 arrested at asylum camp protest

By AP
25 October 2008 @ 12:28 pm EST
Next Politics & Policy Article
COPENHAGEN, Denmark - Danish police fired tear gas and arrested at least 
20 activists Saturday during a large protest at the country's main camp 
for asylum-seekers.
Police spokesman Henrik Suhr said there were no reports of injuries.
A small group of protesters broke away and ran toward the camp fence. 
Police fired tear gas, and footage from Danish broadcaster TV2 showed 
clouds of smoke over the area.
Suhr said between 1,000 and 1,500 people took part in the protest at 
Sandholm, a former military barracks-turned-asylum center 15 miles (25 
kilometers) north of Copenhagen. He said most dispersed after the arrests.
The "Shut Down The Camp" action was staged to protest Denmark's 
treatment of refugees.
Organizers said camps such as the one in Sandholm demonstrated "brutal 
and concrete manifestations of racism" by isolating refugees from 
society. Protesters said it was unacceptable for asylum-seekers to wait 
for years for their cases to be processed.
Before the demonstration, organizers called for a nonviolent 
protest--but they still encouraged participants to cut down the camp 
fence, climb onto roofs and shut down control posts.
Demonstration spokesman Emil Nielsen said police dispatched a helicopter 
and 200-300 officers to keep activists from entering the camp. Police 
would not confirm that.





http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article28970

Sudan tribesmen in violent clashes over alleged Bashir statements
Sunday 19 October 2008 06:35. Printer-Friendly version Comments...

October 18, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – Members from a tribe in Eastern Sudan 
clashed with security forces following a news report which quoted 
Sudanese president as saying that they have no roots in the country.
According to the independent Al-Ayaam newspaper Al-Bashir described the 
Hausa tribe as non-Sudanese and that “there is no tribe in Sudan with 
that name”.
The pro-government Akhir-Lahza newspaper said that scores were killed in 
Kassala state and many injured during the clashes. There were also 
material damages to properties and installation, the newspaper said.
The official news agency (SUNA) published statements attributed to 
Al-Bashir denying that he made any such remarks. He also affirmed that 
“the Hausa were one of the most coexisting and integrated tribes in 
society”.
Al-Bashir accused some parties of attempting to deliberately “fan the 
fire of sedition” and push the Hausa tribe to retaliate against the 
central government.
Some officials have accused the opposition People Congress Party (PCP) 
led by Hassan Al-Turabi of standing behind the report.
The Sudanese head of state met with a delegation of the tribe after 
which their leaders issued a statement commending its outcome and called 
for self restraint.
They further said that will file a lawsuit against the newspaper for 
publishing the report.
The Hausa tribe exists in several other countries in West Africa.
(ST)





http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/690066

National Front, anti-fascist groups clash
Stuff.co.nz
Last updated 13:35 25/10/2008

Up to 120 people have been involved in a clash between National Front 
and anti-fascist demonstrators in Wellington today.
The face off occurred after the National Front members went to the 
Cenotaph to commemorate what they called ‘National Flag Day’ only to 
find anti-fascist protesters already there, Radio New Zealand reported.
The right-wing group then went on to the Seddon Memorial in Parliament 
grounds.
Police formed a barricade between the groups and then broke up a scuffle 
which occurred when the anti-fascist protesters pursued National Front 
members to the railway station.
While no-one was arrested during the scuffle, two anti-fascist 
protesters were arrested for disorderly behaviour for throwing items.





http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2008-10/2008-10-04-voa14.cfm?CFID=259000488&CFTOKEN=32366208&jsessionid=8430588b49c0356247de27241226c132e375

Demonstrations, Police Crackdown Against Organized Crime in Italy
By Sabina Castelfranco
Rome
04 October 2008
Castelfranco report - Download (MP3)
Castelfranco report - Listen (MP3)
Over 10,000 people, many immigrants, demonstrated against racism on 
Saturday in the southern town of Caserta, near Naples. Meanwhile, the 
Italian government deployed some 500 soldiers in the area in efforts to 
combat the Camorra organized crime syndicate. For VOA, Sabina 
Castelfranco reports from Rome.

Immigrants are in despair following the slain of six Africans, one of 
them lying on ground, in Castelvolturno, near Naples, Italy, 18 Sep 2008
The Camorra has shown it has no intention of giving up its control of 
the territory in the area of Caserta, near Naples. Just two weeks ago 
members of the organized crime syndicate opened fire and gunned down six 
immigrants. There have been more killings since then, although not of 
immigrants.

Italian police said the murders of the immigrants were connected to drug 
trafficking in the area, where it appears Africans have begun to deal 
independently and stopped paying kickbacks to the Camorra.

A massive demonstration was held in Caserta Saturday morning against 
racism and against the Camorra. More than 10,000 people turned out. In 
addition to immigrants, who sang songs from their countries of origin - 
Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria - there were also many students, members of 
local associations and institutional leaders.

This African immigrant, who took part in the demonstration, said the 
climate here after the killings has changed. It is no longer what it was 
like before. Now, he says, there is discrimination of immigrants and 
killings of immigrants.

An Italian Army 'Folgore' corps paratrooper patrols the streets at a 
checkpoint in Castelvolturno, near Caserta, southern Italy, 04 Oct 2008
The Italian authorities have stepped up their fight against the Camorra. 
On Saturday 500 soldiers began their deployment in the area to provide 
assistance to the other police forces in the area.

The troops are patrolling streets and manning checkpoints in Caserta. 
Italy's Interior Minister Roberto Maroni has said the aim is to preside 
and render visible the presence of the state.

Just this week sweeping arrests were made against the mob in the area 
and Maroni said the Italian state is waging a war against the Camorra. 
He added pressure like never before is being exerted now on organized 
crime and that this pressure will be kept up until the war is won.






http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=081004193733.uzon8d7l&show_article=1

Thousands protest against racism in Italy

Oct 4 03:37 PM US/Eastern Write a Comment

Protestors hold a banner reading "Stop racism" during a demo...

Thousands of people demonstrated against racism near Rome's coliseum on 
Saturday in the wake of a series of violent assaults on immigrants in 
Italy.
Hundreds of Chinese immigrants were among those who took part in the 
demonstration, two days after a 36-year-old man from China was beaten up 
by a group of teenagers in the Italian capital.
Demonstrators also held pictures of six African immigrants who were 
killed by mafia gunmen on September 18 in the southern town of Castel 
Volturno.
Meanwhile, another 5,000 people demonstrated against racism in Caserta, 
near Castel Volturno, ANSA news agency reported.
In Rome, placards were also held up in memory of Abdul Guievre, a 
19-year-old Italian of Burkina Faso origin, who was beaten to death with 
a metal bar by two bar managers on September 14 in Milan.
According to witnesses, the two men shouted racial epithets as they 
pummelled the victim.
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, during a meeting with Pope 
Benedict XVI on Saturday, expressed concern about "worrisome new 
manifestations of racism" in Italy and Europe.
Gianfranco Fini, the speaker of the lower house of parliament, proposed 
the creation of a parliamentary panel on racism.
The leader of the leftwing Democratic party, Walter Veltroni, said the 
fight against racism would be a theme of the opposition's October 25 
demonstration against the government of conservative Prime Minister 
Silvio Berlusconi.








http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7012709029

Sixty Year Old Woman Dies After Self-Immolation Protest In France
ShareThis
October 19, 2008 10:23 a.m. EST
AHN Staff
Paris, France (AHN) - Josiane Nardi, a 60-year-old French woman, died on 
Sunday morning at a hospital in Tours after being seriously burned from 
the self-immolation, the local officials said.
She set herself on fire on Saturday in front of the prison in the 
western city of Le Mans during a protest on a decision by the 
authorities to deport her companion back to Armenia.
Some of the witnesses of the incident were shocked to see her burning 
right in front of the detention center where the 31-year-old Henrik 
Orujyan was held to serve two years for different crimes.
Reports said he will be expelled from the country after he is released 
from the prison.
Nardi was immediately rushed to the hospital where doctors said that she 
suffered third degree burns to almost her entire body and her condition 
was declared to be "very serious."
Two journalists, who were among other witnesses at the site of incident, 
were in a state of shock and one of them was being treated for the burns 
on his hand as the tried to save Nardi.
Movement against racism and for friendship between peoples (MRAP), a 
French human rights group, said the action by Josiane Nardi was "an act 
of absolute despair."
Deportation of Orujyan is part of a measure taken by the French 
government to deport as many as 25,000 illegal immigrants living in the 
country by the end of this year.








http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/national/protester-threatens-to-jump-during-question-time/2008/10/22/1224351331470.html

Protester threatens to jump during question time
October 22, 2008 - 2:44PM
Parliament House security guards had to wrestle down a man who was 
threatening to jump from the public gallery to the floor of the House of 
Representatives.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard had just begun answering a question 
when the man started yelling, and leapt across public gallery seats to 
the ledge.
The man called out "20 years without a visa, 10 days without food" as he 
teetered on the edge.
"Shame on you, try some humanity and do something," three people with 
the man also yelled out.
Security guards raced to the spot and wrestled him off the ledge, 
sending others in the public gallery running to get out of the way.
Guards then carried the man out of the public gallery. His friends were 
also escorted out.
The incident caused only minor delay to proceedings, but stunned the 
house into silence.
After the man was bundled away, outspoken Liberal MP Wilson Tuckey 
called out to Speaker Harry Jenkins: "There you are, Harry, that's how 
you quieten things down."
AAP





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/23/stories/2008102354940500.htm

Other States - Bihar

Anti-MNS protesters go on the rampage in Bihar
Patna: In a backlash against attacks on North Indians by activists of 
Raj Thackeray’s MNS in Mumbai, angry students in Bihar torched a train, 
vandalised railway stations and disrupted road and train traffic, 
prompting police to fire in air.
Hundreds of protesters descended on the Barh railway station in rural 
Patna demanding that Thackeray be tried for sedition and set ablaze an 
AC coach of the Danapur-Durg South Bihar Express, Superintendent of 
Railway Police (Patna) D N Gupta told PTI. The fire soon spread to 
adjoining sleeper coaches, but no one was injured. “Five coaches of the 
train have been set on fire on the station. All passengers are safe,” 
Chief PRO of Eastern Railways A K Chandra said.
Government Railway Police, Railway Protection Force and armed police 
baton-charged the mob, which soon dispersed. Violence spread to other 
parts of the State including Sasaram, the headquarters of Rohtas 
district, where police fired three rounds in the air to quell a group of 
stone-pelting students, who blocked the tracks since 5 a.m., 
Superintendent of Police Vikas Vaibhav said.
The agitators detached the engine of the Gaya-Patna passenger train at 
Jehanabad and smashed the window panes of a ticket counter on the 
platform. They also obstructed train traffic and blocked the road in 
front of the railway station. District Magistrate Sanjay Agarwal and 
Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj failed to persuade the agitators 
to call off their stir and ordered a baton-charge to disperse them after 
trains were held up for more than three hours. The protesters ransacked 
the Nawada railway station and set a generator on fire. -- PTI





http://story.indiagazette.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/701ee96610c884a6/id/421545/cs/1/

Train bogeys burnt in anti-Thackeray protests in Bihar
India Gazette
Wednesday 22nd October, 2008
(IANS)
Angry mobs, comprising mostly students, Wednesday set ablaze some 
coaches of three trains, blocked railway traffic and damaged public 
property in various parts of Bihar in protest against assaults on 
Biharis by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists in Maharashtra.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Wednesday evening held a meeting with top 
officials to take stock of the situation.

He called an all-party meet Thursday evening to discuss the issue and 
appealed people, particularly students, to maintain peace.

The police said protesters targeted railway stations in Patna, 
Jehanabad, Barh, Khusrupur, Fatuha, Saharsa, Ara, Sitamarhi, Sasaram, 
Purnia and Bhagalpur.

At the Khusrupur railway station, an agitated mob delinked the engine of 
an express train blocking the traffic.

According to the railway police, at least 25 students were detained in 
the morning from various places and extra security was deployed to 
control the situation.

The rail traffic on the Delhi-Howrah link was the worst hit. The police 
opened fire and cane-charged a mob in Sasaram where a track was blocked 
disrupting railway traffic on the Delhi-Howrah route, according to police.

Some protesters tried to set ablaze a train in Sasaram and threw stones 
at security forces, railway sources said.

Two AC and four general coaches of the Durg-Danapur Express were set 
ablaze at the Barh railway station. The protesting students also damaged 
ticket counters and vandalised platforms there.

Protesters also set ablaze an AC bogie of the Patna-Kosi Express at 
Athamal Gola in Patna district.

Mobs also broke glass panes of windows of government offices at 
different places.

The police baton-charged and opened fire to disperse the protesters, but 
the protests continued.

The students were protesting the attacks by MNS activists on north 
Indian candidates, particularly from Bihar, who were appearing at a 
railway recruitment examination in Mumbai Sunday.

Youths who returned to Bihar Tuesday after being assaulted in Mumbai 
alleged that a candidate was killed by Raj Thackeray-led MNS supporters 
in Mumbai.

Pawan Kumar, 25, a resident of Bara-Khurd village in Nalanda district, 
about 100 km from here, was one of the hundreds of students from Bihar 
appearing for the exam in Maharashtra.

Police at the Patna railway station have filed a first information 
report (FIR) against Thackeray and his supporters for the assault on the 
students from Bihar.

'A case was registered on the basis of the statement of the students who 
returned here Tuesday after being assaulted by MNS activists,' said D.N. 
Gupta, superintendent railway police (Patna).






http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Protest_against_MNS_continues_in_Bihar/rssarticleshow/3638657.cms

Protest against MNS continues in Bihar
25 Oct 2008, 0150 hrs IST, TNN

Angry Biharis continued to throw stones and damage shops owned by their 
own brethren for the fourth day running on Friday, in protest against the

attacks on job-seekers from the state in Maharashtra by MNS goons.

While the intensity of the protests waned substantially, the fact that 
the rage of Bihari students is still simmering, continues to spell bad 
news for people travelling through Bihar with trains hit by delays and 
disruption.

In Patna, anti-MNS protesters, armed with bricks and sticks, smashed 
glass panes of some shops and pulled down arches put up by shopkeepers 
for Diwali. Some of them also pelted stones on the police outpost. The 
agitating youths, however, dispersed as soon as the police reached the 
spot.






http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=081025150304.v58e4alx&show_article=1

India police arrest 1,000 student at Bihar protest

Oct 25 11:03 AM US/Eastern Write a Comment

Police arrested more than 1,000 students in India's eastern Bihar state 
on Saturday after their protests over the release on bail of a firebrand 
politician turned violent.
Raj Thackeray was arrested on Monday for allegedly inciting violence 
against migrant workers travelling from poor states like Bihar to the 
Indian financial capital Mumbai, but was freed two days later.
Students in Bihar enforced a strike on Saturday in protest against his 
release, attacking several railway stations, blocking national highways 
and clashing with police in some areas of the state.
"We are protesting against Raj Thackeray's hooliganism," said student 
leader Awadesh Lalu who was later arrested.
"We will protest until action is taken against him and he is jailed again."
At least 1,021 students arrested across the state, police officer Anil 
Kumar Sinha told AFP.
Some 20 cases have been filed against the 40-year-old politician in 
connection with the attacks last Sunday on north Indians who had come to 
Mumbai in search of jobs on the railways.
The attacks were allegedly carried out by activists from his Maharashtra 
Navnirman Sena (MNS) or New Maharashtra Army party incensed at what they 
saw as under-representation of local people in the recruitment process.
The MNS strongly supports jobs for people from western Maharashtra 
state, of which Mumbai is the capital, and promotes the use of the local 
Marathi language and culture.
Their stance frequently puts the MNS at odds with wider efforts to 
encourage a stronger national identity and a mobile workforce.
Thackeray's arrest sparked fierce clashes between police and supporters 
who demanded his release. Taxis, auto-rickshaws, buses and businesses 
were attacked while three people died in rioting in the town of Kalyan, 
northeast of Mumbai.







http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Patna/Students_ransack_Bihar_railway_station_to_protest_MNS_attacks/articleshow/3639823.cms

Over 50 arrested for violence in Bihar
25 Oct 2008, 1110 hrs IST, AGENCIES

PATNA: More than 50 people were arrested and about a dozen injured in 
clashes with police in Bihar on Saturday in protests against attacks on

non-Maharashtrians in Mumbai, police said.

Various student organisations have given a call for a Bihar shutdown to 
protest the attacks in Mumbai and elsewhere by Maharashtra Navnirnam 
Sena (MNS) activists on non-Maharashtrian candidates appearing for 
railway recruitment examinations.

Protesters vandalized railway stations, blocked rail and road traffic 
and caused shops to shut down in the eastern state of Bihar, as police 
struggled to control street violence for a sixth day in a row. ( Watch )

Migrant workers from Bihar said they were attacked and thrown out of 
Mumbai over the last week by supporters of the Maharashtra Navanirman 
Sena (MNS).

Protesters in one district of Bihar squatted on railways lines and 
unscrewed the engine of a passenger train, demanding the punishment of 
the MNS leader, who was arrested on Tuesday for rioting and provoking 
attacks on migrants but later released on bail.

The protesters were later dispersed by baton-wielding police. "The 
protesters tried to take possession of a train engine and blocked 
railway lines but we have driven them away", senior police official 
Rajesh Kumar said.

Police sources said that hundreds of students virtually laid siege to 
Shekhpura railway station, 100 km from here, and ransacked it. Police 
used batons to charge at the crowd after the students threw stones at 
them, district police officials said.

In Patna, things were normal since morning with heavy deployment of 
security forces. Traffic on the roads was normal, but most educational 
institutions remained closed. Anticipating trouble, the district 
administration had deployed extra police and security forces all around.

"We have deployed 5,000 police personnel and directed them to use force 
against trouble makers and not allow anyone to create violence," Patna 
Senior Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar said.

On Wednesday, students' organisations had demanded that ministers and 
parliamentarians from Bihar resign en masse over the issue.

On Friday, hundreds of slogan shouting students blocked roads and 
attempted to forcibly shut down shops in Patna. Protests by students 
were also reported from Motihari, Bettiah, Sheikhpura and Gaya districts.

After three days of widespread violent protests that saw railway 
stations being ransacked and the movement of at least 200 trains 
affected, a semblance of normalcy had returned on Friday.

Railways started operating most trains from Patna and Danapur railway 
stations. But they continued to run behind time.

In the last five days, over half a dozen complaints have been filed 
across Bihar against MNS chief Raj Thackeray. The father of Pawan Kumar, 
a youth who was allegedly killed by MNS activists in Mumbai, filed a 
murder case against Raj Thackeray Friday in the court of chief judicial 
magistrate in Biharsharif, the district headquarters of Nalanda, about 
100 km from here, court sources said.

Earlier, the police at Patna railway station filed a first information 
report (FIR) against Raj Thackeray and his supporters for the assault on 
students from Bihar.







http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE49O0M220081025

Over 50 arrested in India migrant violence
Sat Oct 25, 2008 2:37am EDT

PATNA (Reuters) - More than 50 people were arrested and about a dozen 
injured in clashes with police in eastern India on Saturday in protests 
against attacks on migrants in the financial hub of Mumbai, police said.
Protesters vandalized railway stations, blocked rail and road traffic 
and caused shops to shut down in the eastern state of Bihar, as police 
struggled to control street violence for a sixth day in a row.
Migrant workers from Bihar said they were attacked and thrown out of 
Mumbai over the last week by supporters of the Maharashtra Navanirman 
Sena (MNS), a militant Hindu group.
Protesters in one district of Bihar squatted on railways lines and 
unscrewed the engine of a passenger train, demanding the punishment of 
the MNS leader, who was arrested on Tuesday for rioting and provoking 
attacks on migrants but later released on bail.
The protesters were later dispersed by baton-wielding police.
"The protesters tried to take possession of a train engine and blocked 
railway lines but we have driven them away," senior police official 
Rajesh Kumar told Reuters.
Many residents chose to stay indoors as the violence caused banks, 
businesses and schools to shut down.
The MNS is fuelling anti-immigrant rhetoric ahead of national and local 
elections due next year and trying to hold on to its Marathi support, 
some political commentators say.
That in turn has provoked tit-for-tat violence in northern and eastern 
India, a sign of the strains that inequality is placing on society as 
parts of the country's economy booms.
(Writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by David Fox)






http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/10/22/india.riots/index.html?eref=rss_latest

October 22, 2008 -- Updated 0856 GMT (1656 HKT)

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Mobs barged into a railway station in the 
eastern Indian state of Bihar Wednesday and set two passenger cars on 
fire to retaliate against alleged attacks on Biharis in another state, 
police said.
Police arrested a dozen people, said Amit Kumar, senior superintendent 
of police of in Bihar's capital, Patna.
The train was on its way to the capital from the neighboring state of 
Jharkhand when protesters, mostly students, set two of its cars on fire 
after the train stopped at a railway station, Kumar added.
The attackers were protesting alleged assaults on Bihar natives in the 
western state of Maharashtra, home to India's financial capital, Mumbai, 
he said
For months, a local politician in Maharashtra has railed against natives 
of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, saying they have been coming to his state 
and taking jobs that should rightfully go to Maharashtrians.
The politician, Raj Thackeray, heads the nationalist Maharashtra 
Navnirman Sena (MNS), which promotes the use of Marathi language and 
culture.
His firebrand speeches have sometimes incited followers to attack 
migrant workers, mostly cab drivers, in Mumbai.

Police arrested Thackeray on Tuesday for inciting riots. His arrest, in 
turn, spurred more riots as angry supporters clashed with police. Watch 
Thackeray in custody »
In retaliation, Biharis attacked the train Wednesday -- even though 
there is not a significant population of Maharashtrians in their state.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/22/stories/2008102261721200.htm

Bihar students protest MNS attack
Darbhanga: Students in Bihar on Tuesday blocked train and vehicular 
traffic to protest the attack on North Indians by Raj Thackeray’s 
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
Hundreds of students squatted on the Darbhanga-Samastipur railway line 
near Donar for more than 30 minutes after they received information that 
eight of the examinees from here were mercilessly assaulted by MNS 
activists in Maharashtra, police said. A train on the route was held up 
for about half-an-hour due to the agitation, sources said, adding police 
later used mild force to get the track cleared.
The agitators then headed for Donar Chowk where they brought vehicular 
traffic to a halt by burning tyres. A bus, which happened to pass by, 
was attacked by the students, who smashed the windscreen and window panes.
Teams from Sadar and Town Police Station rushed to the spot and 
persuaded the agitators to lift the blockade after about an hour of 
chaotic scenes.
In Patna, where hundreds of students arrived from Mumbai, lodged 
complaints with the government railway police accusing MNS activists of 
having beaten them up and looted valuables. They alleged that the Mumbai 
police refused to entertain their complaints. — PTI
We have called MNS bluff: Congress
New Delhi Special Correspondent writes:
The Congress on Tuesday claimed that the arrest of Raj Thackeray showed 
that the Congress and the United Progressive Alliance would not allow 
political fringes to hijack the country’s basic principles of 
federalism, secularism and fraternity.
“The Congress has unequivocally condemned such scurrilous behaviour not 
only by Raj Thackeray but also by those who share and practise the 
philosophy he represents. Such utterances, particularly divisive and 
inflammatory politics, has no place in a proud democracy like India,” 
party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.
By arresting the MNS leader, the UPA has called Mr. Thackeray’s bluff 
that dared the Maharashtra government to face the consequences.
Mr. Singhvi said the Congress-led government in Maharashtra accepted the 
challenge, arrested the MNS leader and produced him in a court of law. 
“The government intends to prosecute Mr. Thackeray and will oppose every 
step he takes to legitimise his stand.”






http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7678507.stm

Sunday, 19 October 2008 15:02 UK

Tanzanian albinos stage protest

Many albinos are living in fear of their lives
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete has met albinos protesting against 
the killing of members of their community.
Organisers of the demonstration in the commercial capital, Dar es 
Salaam, urged the government to do more to protect albinos.
About 30 - some of them babies - have been killed over the past year.
Witchdoctors want their body parts for potions which they say make 
people rich. Dozens of people have been held in connection with the deaths.
One of the organisers of Sunday's protest, Ernest Kimaya, said its aim 
was "to show our concerns regarding the brutal murder of our community".
He added: "We also feel that the government has not yet given the matter 
due attention."






http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081012/montreal_protest_081011/20081012?hub=Canada

Protesters demand inquiry into police shooting
Updated Sun. Oct. 12 2008 7:29 AM ET
The Canadian Press
MONTREAL -- Montreal police braced for trouble -- but it never came.
About 600 people marched through the city's north end yesterday 
demanding an inquiry into the police shooting death of 18-year old 
Freddy Villanueva.
The August 9th shooting sparked a night of rioting and violence in the 
neighbourhood.
One of the people who organized yesterday's protest was a member of an 
anti-police brutality group linked to the August riot.
Villanueva's family members also marched, along with the family of 
Quilem Registre, who died after being Tasered by Montreal police last fall.
Police were out in force to keep a lid on any possible trouble, but the 
protest ended peacefully.
The marchers also demanded an end to racial profiling and police 
brutality, and more help for Montreal's poor.






http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7694498.stm

Tuesday, 28 October 2008
India bus killing sparks protests

A passenger was injured in the firing
A number of senior Indian politicians have protested against the killing 
of a migrant job seeker by police in the city of Mumbai (Bombay).
Police said Rahul Raj, from Bihar, shot and injured a bus passenger as 
he tried to hijack the vehicle, demanding to meet local politician Raj 
Thackeray.
Mr Thackeray has been accused of inciting violence against migrants.
Some senior politicians have demanded an investigation, saying police 
could easily have disarmed him.
Rahul Raj, who was in his early 20s, had come to Mumbai recently to look 
for a job, according to his father, Kundan Pratap Singh.
Mr Singh denied that his son had hijacked the bus, and that there was 
"something more" to the incident.
PM's concern
News channels showed footage of the man brandishing a revolver and 
asking for a mobile phone from passengers in the half-empty bus.
At least 15 passengers were travelling in the bus at the time.

Mr Thackeray says jobs should be given to locals
The police said he fired inside the bus, injuring one passenger.
Senior politicians from Bihar state, including the federal railway 
minister, Laloo Prasad Yadav, expressed shock at the shooting and 
demanded a judicial probe into the incident.
"The boy did not look like a terrorist. So [the police] could have 
captured the boy. The police could have spoken to him on the phone and 
negotiated with him," Mr Yadav said.
Bihar's chief minister Nitish Kumar has said the boy could have been 
disarmed and arrested.
But Maharashtra's interior minister, RR Patil, defended the police 
action, saying that no "unstable person can hold hostages with the help 
of a revolver".
Some reports said that Indian PM Manmohan Singh had expressed concern 
over the incident and spoken to Maharashtra's chief minister "to ensure" 
the security of migrant workers in Mumbai.
Raj Thackeray is the leader of the right-wing Maharashtra Navnirman Sena 
(MNS) party and was granted bail last week after being accused of 
incitement.
His party has been accused of several attacks on migrant workers in 
recent months.
Students in Bihar paralysed rail services last week in protest at the 
ill-treatment they say Biharis have received from the MNS.
The unrest in Maharashtra has forced many migrants to leave their 
neighbourhoods, but Mr Thackeray has consistently denied inciting it.






http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=57279

Published On: 2008-10-05
National
13 hurt as Bangalees clash with law enforcers
Samo Odhikar blames PCJSS for Friday's alleged arson
Our Correspondent, Rangamati

At least 13 people including law enforcers were injured in a clash 
between police-BDR and Bengalee settlers at Mrishya Bazar in 
Baghaichhari upazila yesterday.

The clash ensued as both police and BDR obstructed a procession brought 
out by Bengalee settlers under banner of Samo Odhikar Andolan (SOA). 
They brought out the procession protesting arson and attack on Bengalee 
settlers at Charmile, about five kilometre off Marishya Bazar Friday 
night, police said.

Processionists and law enforcers chased and counter chased each others 
injuring five BDR members, four policemen, Samo Odhikar Baghaichhari 
unit president Selim Bahari and three of its members. All of them were 
admitted to Baghaichhari Upazila Health Complex, police said.

Earlier, 14 houses were burnt to ashes by a gang of unidentified 
criminals at Charmile. Bengalee settlers blamed Parbatya Chattagram Jana 
Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) for the incident. But PCJSS denied the allegations.

Two SOA activists were arrested.





http://a.abcnews.com/US/wireStory?id=6109563

At Service, Activists Decry Texas Dragging Death
Nation of Islam, New Black Panthers promise protests over prosecution of 
Texas dragging death
By JEFF CARLTON Associated Press Writer
PARIS, Texas October 25, 2008 (AP)
The Associated Press
Jacquline McClelland poses with a photo of her son Brandon McClelland, 
Friday, Oct. 24, 2008, in...
(AP)
Members of the Nation of Islam, the New Black Panthers and the NAACP on 
Saturday promised protests to bring more attention to the killing of an 
east Texas man whose death recalls, for some, a notorious decade-old 
hate crime.
Speaker after speaker at a memorial service said they disagreed with the 
district attorney's stance that Brandon McClelland's death was not 
racially motivated.
"If this is not a hate crime, then there is no such thing as a hate 
crime," said Krystal Muhammad of the New Black Panthers. "Even though 
our brother was viciously slain, we will not let him die in vain."
Two white men, accused of running McClelland down and dragging his body 
about 70 feet beneath their pickup, remain jailed on murder charges. 
They face up to life in prison if convicted.
Authorities have cast doubt on theories that the attack was a hate crime 
but said they will take another look when autopsy results become 
available this week. A determination of racial bias in a crime can 
increase penalties, but not for the murder charges these defendants face.
Still, a finding of racial bias in McClelland's killing could make a 
powerful statement. And Deric Muhammad of the Nation of Islam called 
McClelland's death an "exact copycat" of the 1998 James Byrd case.

Byrd, a black man in Jasper, about 200 miles south of Paris, was chained 
by the ankles to the back of a pickup by three white supremacists and 
dragged for three miles. Two of the killers are on death row; the third 
is serving a life sentence.
McClelland died after going with two white friends on a late-night beer 
run across the state line to Oklahoma. On the way back, authorities 
said, McClelland argued with the two suspects — Shannon Keith Finley and 
Charles Ryan Crostley, both 27. He left the pickup to walk home.
Authorities said that the men then ran him over and that his body was 
dragged beneath the truck. His body was discovered Sept. 16. 
McClelland's mother said fragments of her son's skull could still be 
found three days later.
Crostley and Finley are jailed on charges of murder and 
evidence-tampering. Finley's attorney did not immediately respond to a 
voice mail message Saturday, and a call to a listing for Crostley's 
attorney was not answered.

A truck down Farm Road 2648 past a wreath that sits near where Brandon 
McClelland died, Friday, Oct....
(AP)
Unlike the Byrd case, there is no evidence that McClelland was tied or 
chained to the truck. Officials also point out that McClelland was 
friends with the two murder suspects.
In an odd twist, McClelland served jail time after pleading guilty to 
perjury for providing a false alibi for Finley in the latter's murder 
trial in 2004. Finley eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
"What this case shows is that if a white person wants to lynch a black 
man, all they have to do is befriend him first," Deric Muhammad said.
Officials said they have uncovered no evidence that Finley, who served 
time for manslaughter, had joined a white supremacist gang while in prison.
"There is nothing about that in his prison records, and there are no 
tattoos on his body" that would indicate Finley had joined such a gang, 
said Allan Hubbard, a spokesman for the Lamar County and District 
Attorney's office.
Finley does have a tattoo of a Paris-area gang that includes blacks and 
whites, Hubbard said.
"There is nothing racially motivated in the state's eyes about this 
murder," Hubbard said.


The differences between the Byrd and McClelland cases were dismissed at 
the memorial service, which also served as a meeting to organize future 
protests. Speakers chanted "No justice, no peace," "Power to the people" 
and "Never again," and condemned Paris as a racist town.
"The time has come for a black man's life to be equal to a white man's 
life," said Anthony Bond, founder of the Irving chapter of the NAACP. 
"Whatever happens in Paris affects every other person in America."
The service later moved to a two-lane road lined by farms, where 
McClelland's torn body was found. Family members and activists from 
across the state placed flowers and wreaths at a spot alongside the road 
where white spray paint indicated where authorities had located body parts.
Bobby McCleary spoke movingly of his dead son, who called him "Pops."

Jacquline McClelland wipes her face while talking about her son, Brandon 
McClelland, Friday, Oct....
(AP)
"A couple of times, I've found myself calling him just to see what he is 
doing," he said. "I just want to hear 'Pops' one more time from my son."







http://english.sina.com/world/2008/1007/190389.html

Philippines protests at BBC's comedy show involving Filipino maid
2008-10-07 14:33:53 GMT2008-10-07 22:33:53 (Beijing Time) xinhuanet
MANILA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government protested a popular 
comedy program aired by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for 
allegedly humiliating a Filipino maid, reports said on Tuesday.
Officials from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said that 
the Philippine embassy in London has sent letters to different British 
government offices, including the Mayor of London, and the BBC itself to 
protest the "slur" on Filipino domestic workers in Britain.
Besides, British Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Beckingham was 
summoned to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs by Secretary 
Alberto Romulo to discuss the matter, the Philippine News Agency reported.
The protest came after BBC aired an episode of the TV show "Harry and 
Paul" on Sept. 26, in which a woman playing the character of a Filipino 
housemaid was ordered by her employer "Harry" to dancing lasciviously in 
front of his friend "Paul."
"It was revolting. It was disgusting and an insensitive and racist 
attempt to satirize a scene of exploitation," said Risa Hontiveros, a 
Philippine lawmaker, demanding an apology from the BBC.
She said that "by making a horrible scene of exploitation an object of 
ridicule, the show trivializes an act of abuse commonly experienced by 
Filipina workers abroad."
The BBC did not comment immediately but the British Embassy in Manila 
issued a statement saying the BBC has editorial independence and the 
views expressed and portrayed by the network "are completely 
independent" from the government.
It said Filipinos in Britain "are an important part of British society, 
making invaluable contributions to our scientific and service sectors, 
and enriching UK culture."
There are some 200,000 Filipinos working and living the United Kingdom.
"If this particular item has upset people in the Filipino community and 
seen them as offensive, it's something that we regret," Ambassador 
Beckingham told reporters after meeting with Secretary Romulo on Tuesday 
afternoon.
Beckingham said that programs of the BBC are independently-produced and 
are outside of government interference, a suggestion that government is 
not in the position to apologize for the company.
"But obviously as a government, we hope the media always respects the 
human rights and dignity of ethnic groups, minority groups, particularly 
religious groups," he said.
It was the second time in recent months that Filipinos reacted 
vehemently against their negative portrayal on major foreign television. 
Last year, Filipinos were offended by the American Broadcasting Co. and 
made the U.S. television giant apologize and deleted the controversial 
segment from its TV show "Desperate Housewives."






http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/10/16/20081016supervisorprotest1016.html

Arpaio protest at meeting ends peacefully
143 comments by Yvonne Wingett - Oct. 16, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
Wednesday's protest of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio at a county 
meeting was muted, compared with past protests and demonstrations by 
members of the Maricopa Citizens for Safety and Accountability.
Wearing duct tape over their months and T-shirts saying "He's finished," 
several dozen people turned out for a news conference to criticize the 
sheriff.
The group issued a report card on him, giving him passing grades on 
"showmanship and self-promotion, and arresting citizens for speaking 
out," and failing grades for "effective law enforcement" and 
"responsible use of taxpayer dollars."
The group peacefully gathered outside of a meeting by the county's Board 
of Supervisors as protective service officials and sheriff's deputies 
watched on.
"This is politics," Arpaio said.
"They just don't want me to be sheriff, and they don't want me to 
enforce the illegal immigration laws. When I get re-elected, I will 
change nothing. I'm happy to see everything went along OK, so we didn't 
have to make any arrests."
Last month, a leader of the citizen's group was arrested after refusing 
to leave public property when ordered by a sheriff's deputy.
Over the summer, the group has drawn several hundred protesters to 
county meetings to speak out against Arpaio's policies.






http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/10/09/20081009arpaioprotest1009-ON.html

'Joe Arizona' is back to mock Joe Arpaio
588 comments by JJ Hensley - Oct. 9, 2008 04:07 PM
The Arizona Republic
Joe Arizona has returned to engage his old foe Joe Arpaio just in time 
for election season.
Nick Tarr, an actor who plays a character named "Joe Arizona" that mocks 
Arpaio, stepped up to a podium on the steps of the Old County Courthouse 
just after noon Thursday, and joined the chorus of Arpaio critics who 
set up shop each day on the corner of First Avenue and Washington Street.
For Tarr, it's personal.

Arpaio's deputies detained Tarr, dressed as Joe Arizona, in 2002 for 
impersonating a police officer when Tarr donned a partial sheriff's 
uniform and some pink boxers to hand out leaflets supporting a 
proposition that would allow slot machines at dog-and-horse tracks in 
the Valley.
Arpaio opposed the measure and sheriff's deputies arrested Tarr on a 
street corner in downtown Phoenix.
"I was just doing my job," Tarr said. "I was a good example of 
(Arpaio's) ridiculous abuse of power."
On Thursday afternoon Tarr was back at it on the steps of the 
courthouse, wearing his familiar garb and promising to be a menace for 
the next four weeks to his nemesis, Arpaio.
The protest masquerading as a press conference was over in less than 10 
minutes, with Tarr espousing platitudes that are now familiar to critics 
of the Sheriff's Office: excessive spending on lawsuits, extravagant 
spending on office space in the Wells Fargo Building and the number of 
open felony warrants in the county.
Arpaio easily dismissed his foil.
“Joe Arizona is an actor comedian and in these ads is acting like a 
clown. Nothing he says in these ads has an impact on me or my office in 
any way,” Arpaio stated in a written release.
An independent expenditure group called Arizonans for Professional Law 
Enforcement asked Tarr to reprise the role that ultimately earned him a 
$125,000 settlement from the county for the actions of sheriff's 
deputies who detained him in 2002.
The group is also planning to run nearly 175 TV advertisements through 
the weekend, all starring Tarr and raising questions about Arpaio's record.






http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/oct/11/local/chi-elmhurst-folo-both-11oct11

Archive for Saturday, October 11, 2008
Elmhurst College rallies in support of Muslim student attacked by masked man
Sophomore was hit at Elmhurst College
By Gerry Smith and Russell Working
October 11, 2008
Tensions that had been boiling at Elmhurst College spilled over this 
week amid reports that a Muslim student had been physically assaulted by 
a masked gunman.

The 19-year-old sophomore said she was hit with a gun in a bathroom in 
the college’s science center Thursday night, authorities said. 
Anti-Muslim graffiti was written on the wall, authorities said, similar 
to a threat written on the same student’s locker the week before that 
said: “Die Muslims, Rid us of your filth.”

As officials at the private college affiliated with the United Church of 
Christ on Friday called the incident a hate crime, hundreds of students 
rallied to show solidarity with their Muslim peers, who constitute about 
25 of the school’s 3,300 students.

Elmhurst police are investigating, but declined to comment. Friends said 
the student had hired a lawyer, who did not return calls for comment.

A college spokesman said authorities have not found any witnesses of the 
attacker, who was described by the woman as a 5-foot-8 male wearing a 
mask and gloves.

The woman’s father said Friday that she said the gunman asked her: ” 
‘Now who is going to protect you?’ ” He said his daughter replied: ” 
‘God will protect me… . You can kill me, but you cannot take my soul.’ ”

Students have reported tensions on campus since students held a Sept. 18 
rally to protest the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, and several witnesses 
reported that three female Muslim students, including the woman who 
reported the attack, were harassed and verbally threatened.

Since then, “it’s all kind of spiraled out of control,” said Soofia 
Ahmed, president of the Muslim Students Association.

After students were outraged by the graffiti on the woman’s locker, they 
staged a second rally Thursday, and the woman read a poem she had 
written about the events. Afterward, she said she was attacked.

“This is a blow against our entire community,” Elmhurst College 
President Alan Ray told students at Friday’s rally.

Carly Notorangelo, a friend of the woman, said she received a text 
message from her at 8:47 p.m. that said: “Emergency,” and referenced the 
Schaible Science Center.

Notorangelo said she found her friend lying face down, unconscious with 
her glasses knocked off. There was no blood, she said. She called campus 
security and 911.

Another friend of the woman said she sought treatment at an area hospital.

Ray said the college is beefing up security, including foot and car 
patrols by Elmhurst police and campus security offering to escort Muslim 
students around the campus.

Tribune reporters Steve Schmadeke and Jeremy Gorner also contributed to 
this report.






http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7669187.stm

Tuesday, 14 October 2008 13:51 UK
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version


Protest over Muslim 'harassment'

Protesters accuse the authorities of "psychological torture".
A protest has been staged outside Strathclyde Police headquarters over 
alleged "harassment" of Muslim travellers at Glasgow Airport.
About 60 demonstrators claimed that Pakistani and Afghan passengers had 
been "interrogated" for up to three hours by officers from Special Branch.
They accused police of operating "discriminatory policies".
Strathclyde Police said it welcomed dialogue over the implementation of 
terrorism legislation.
President of the Scottish Afghan Society, Mohammad Asif, said 
Strathclyde Police had a duty to treat Muslim passengers like "human 
beings".
"Muslim community members have been singled out for questioning for no 
apparent reason other than being Afghan or Pakistani," he said.

The authorities treat us like terrorists, as well as putting pressure on 
Afghans to become informers and spies

Mohammad Asif
Scottish Afghan Society
"This treatment is unacceptable in a democracy and we are fed up with 
the discriminatory policies of Strathclyde Police Special Branch.
"We cannot bear the psychological torture anymore. The authorities treat 
us like terrorists, as well as putting pressure on Afghans to become 
informers and spies, but we are not going to be intimidated and 
pressurised."
Strathclyde Police issued a statement saying that a study was under way 
into the application of terrorism legislation at ports in Scotland.
The statement said: "This is to ensure that these powers are used 
effectively and are enforced with due regard to community impact and, at 
the same time, promote understanding and support.
"This study is being carried out under the direction of the Association 
of Chief Police Officers in Scotland.
"In that regard we would welcome dialogue from anyone in the community 
who may have concerns regarding how the legislation is implemented."





http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-32712.html

Dimapur rally protests anti-Christian attacks
Kohima, Oct 14 : A peaceful rally, organised by the Christian Forum of 
Dimapur, protested the atrocities committed on minorities across the 
country.
The rally was carried out yesterday in collaboration with the Naga 
Council, Dimapur Naga Students' Union (DNSU), Naga Women Hoho, Nagaland 
Theological College Association and All Nagaland Private School 
Association and addressed by the leaders of the organisations.

The speakers condemned the injustice meted out to the minorities in many 
parts of the country.

They also voiced their resentment against the majority fundamentalist 
groups.

Rev Daniel Shayan chaired the rally and said the minorities could take 
up arms to defend themselves, but they do not want to ascribe to violence.
--- UNI






http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKTRE50C68120090113

Zimbabwe asylum-seekers demand right to work in UK
Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:42pm GMT

By Martina Fuchs
LONDON (Reuters) - Zimbabweans seeking asylum in Britain handed in their 
resumes at Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office on Tuesday in a protest 
against a ban on them working.
Hundreds of Zimbabweans took part in a demonstration to demand the right 
to work in Britain and to acquire the skills needed to rebuild their 
devastated country. A six-strong delegation went to Brown's Downing St 
office with the resumes.
Supporters say around 11,000 Zimbabweans, many of them opponents of 
President Robert Mugabe, have sought asylum in Britain. Thousands of 
them have had their applications for asylum refused and fear reprisals 
if they go home.
The government says people with pending asylum applications may not work 
as it would encourage others to lodge bogus claims.
"Zimbabweans in this country are in a state of limbo. They should be 
allowed to work ... so that they can go back with skills in their bags 
once Mugabe has gone," Kate Hoey, a ruling Labour Party lawmaker, told 
demonstrators.
Protesters, some wrapped in Zimbabwean flags, waved banners saying "No 
work, no life" and played the drums. Some wore t-shirts backing 
Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change or the slogan 
"Mugabe Go!."
Millions of Zimbabweans have fled, mostly to neighbouring countries, as 
the economy has collapsed under Mugabe's 29-year rule. While Mugabe and 
the opposition are deadlocked over a power-sharing deal, cholera has 
killed 2,000 people.
Lorna Chivandire, who worked as a lab scientist in Harare before leaving 
for Britain in 2002, said: "I would like so much to work in my 
profession again, or at least contribute to the community where I could 
do wonders and help people. I just want to work and have a decent life."
The protest was organised by pressure group Citizens for Sanctuary which 
is calling for Zimbabweans to be allowed to work in Britain until it is 
safe for them to return home.
A spokeswoman for the UK Border Agency, which oversees immigration, said 
the government considered each asylum application on its merits. "Those 
who are not at risk will not be granted asylum and we expect to return 
home," she said.
(Editing by Louise Ireland)






http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1222017499186

Oct 10, 2008 0:30 | Updated Oct 10, 2008 1:34
Ethiopians insist on Kippur protest
By RUTH EGLASH

Despite reassurances that things at the Jewish Agency-run absorption 
center on Kibbutz Beit Alfa, near Beit She'an, would change starting as 
soon as next week, 33 Ethiopian immigrants spent the Yom Kippur fast 
outside the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem protesting what they 
see as unacceptable conditions at the center.
Just hours before the fast began, the agency, in coordination with the 
Immigrant Absorption Ministry and the National Insurance Institute, 
issued a statement pledging to provide the more than 500 Ethiopian 
immigrants with emergency aid starting Sunday.
Jewish Agency chairman Ze'ev Bielski called on the people, including 
more than 100 young children, who had already spent two cold nights 
sleeping in the capital's streets, to return to the absorption center in 
time for the holiday.
The agency provided several buses to take them home, as well as food 
packages to last them through next week.
The immigrants claim that they have not received government benefits for 
the last few months and that because the absorption center is fairly 
isolated, there is no chance for them to find work or an additional income.
Some of the people claim they have absolutely no resources with which to 
feed their children. Following the first year as new immigrants, funding 
from the Immigrant Absorption Ministry ends and benefits are supposed to 
come from the NII. Most of the Ethiopian immigrants have been in Israel 
for more than a year.
A spokesman for the Immigrant Absorption Ministry admitted there had 
been a delay in the NII payments but said that a small advance had 
already been handed out to the immigrants.
A spokesman for the Jewish Agency told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday 
that some of the immigrants' claims were unfounded, but he added that 
the agency would do all it could to make their lives more comfortable 
and attempt to solve their problems.
Avi Masfin, spokesman of the Israel Association of Ethiopian Jews, a 
nonprofit organization that has been helping the immigrants since they 
arrived in Jerusalem on Monday, said that the 33 people who had remained 
in Jerusalem over Yom Kippur were dubious that the authorities would 
really follow through on their promises to change the situation at the 
absorption center.





http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1222017492953

Oct 7, 2008 22:25 | Updated Oct 7, 2008 22:48
Ethiopian olim protest conditions at Beit Alfa absorption center
By RUTH EGLASH

Some 300 Ethiopian Israelis, including more than 100 young children, 
spent Monday night outside the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem 
protesting poor conditions at the Jewish Agency-run Beit Alfa Absorption 
Center where they live and to highlight a breakdown in financial aid 
that has left them without food for their youngsters.

Ethiopian olim protest outside the Prime Minister's Office.
Photo: Avi Masfin/Israel Assocaition for Ethiopian Jews
Slideshow: Pictures of the week
"We are literally dying of thirst and hunger," said Zavak Kasa Avka, a 
37-year-old father of five who has been living at the center for exactly 
a year. "The absorption center is isolated and there is no place for us 
to find work. It's been more than five months since we received any of 
our benefits from the National Insurance Institute and I don't have any 
food for my children."
According to a spokesman for the Immigrant Absorption Ministry, the 
residents of Beit Alfa, which is housed on the kibbutz near Beit She'an, 
stopped receiving their immigration benefits after their first year in 
Israel and the National Insurance Institute only picked up the 
responsibility at the end of the 13th month.
He said the NII had taken into consideration the two month gap by 
handing out part of the benefit payment earlier this month. "It was 
obviously not enough for them to live off," the spokesman said.
RELATED
• Confusion remains as officials discuss issue of Falash Mura
The Immigrant Absorption Ministry and the Jewish Agency issued a joint 
statement calling on those involved in the demonstration to return to 
the absorption center before the Yom Kippur fast and seek an alternative 
solution to the problems there.
The demonstrators also say that living at Kibbutz Beit Alfa, a secular 
community, may cause problems for the Ethiopian immigrants, who are 
undergoing an Orthodox conversion process and must live in a religious 
community and require that their children be bused long distances to 
state religious schools.
"Some of the protesters claim that their children must travel at least 
four hours by bus to reach their schools and they are just too exhausted 
to participate in lessons," said Avi Masfin, spokesman of the Israel 
Association for Ethiopian Jews, which provided the demonstrators with 
aid during their night in Jerusalem. "They claim they have not received 
their National Insurance benefits and that there is no work in the area 
of the kibbutz so they have no income."
"It is not important why this has happened, only to point out that the 
conditions these people are living under are disgraceful," he said.
A Jewish Agency spokesman denied that the children traveled more than an 
hour to school and said the secularism of the kibbutz would not affect 
the conversion process of the immigrants.
A solution to the hunger problem was currently being sought by the 
agency, he said.






http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/17667581/detail.html

Mother Protests Gymnastics Meet On Jewish Holiday
Disctrict Moves Event An Hour Earlier
Jaclyn Allen, 7NEWS Reporter
POSTED: 9:22 pm MDT October 8, 2008
UPDATED: 11:24 pm MDT October 8, 2008

AURORA, Colo -- An Aurora mother asked Cherry Creek Schools to 
reschedule a gymnastics meet scheduled on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in 
the Jewish calendar.
She said it is not fair for a child to have to chose between their faith 
and taking part in high school athletics.
“Every year, it seems like something falls on Yom Kippur or Rosh 
Hashanah,” said Lisa Buechler. “It’s been really difficult as a parent 
because the child wants tot go to the event, the band competition, the 
gymnastics meet.”

So when she saw another meet scheduled on Yom Kippur this year, she 
spoke out.
“We are a minority, we know. But in our society, we should respect other 
religions,” she said.
A district spokeswoman said the information was passed on to them too 
late to reschedule the event, but they moved it forward an hour so that 
the student could compete before sundown, when the holiday begins.
Bruce DeBoskey with the Anti-Defamation League said the Colorado High 
School Activities Association already prohibits athletic events on Sundays.
“So if they can have that rule and enforce it throughout the state, why 
can’t nthey say no meets, no practices on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah?” 
said DeBoskey.
CHSAA does prohibit playoff events during Jewish Holidays, but 
Commissioner Bill Reader says it is up to member school to decide if 
they want to hold regular season events.
“To tell all those kids from a variety of other religions they can’t 
play today would be inconsistent with what the state government does, 
the federal government does, school districts do in terms of operation 
of their offices,” he said.
A spokeswoman for Cherry Creek School said scheduling the meet on Yom 
Kippur was a mistake.
She said the athletic director didn’t realize the holiday started at 
sundown the night before when he scheduled it.
She said they will make a special note of it in the future and work hard 
to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
She said they did move the meet forward an hour so that the student 
could compete before sundown, when the holiday begins.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/20/stories/2008102054180500.htm

Other States - Uttar Pradesh

Dharna to protest terrorism, attack on minorities
Special Correspondent
LUCKNOW: Representatives of political parties, academicians and 
intellectuals have decided to take up cudgels against communalism and 
terrorism and protest the move of the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu 
Parishad to target the Christian community in Orissa and Karnataka.
Participants at the daylong dharna staged by ‘Jan Abhiyan’ here on 
Saturday, decided to stage a similar in Gorakhpur on November 15 to draw 
attention towards the activities of BJP MP Yogi Aditya Nath.
The members of the ‘Jan Abhiyan’ said terror activities in the State had 
increased. He assailed the attempts to target a particular community for 
the terror acts and said the police action in this regard should be 
transparent.
Speakers at the dharna supported the demand for a judicial inquiry in 
the Batla House encounter in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar locality. They said the 
police role in the encounter has come under scrutiny. They also blamed 
the fundamentalist elements of a particular community for misleading 
some members of the community for their vested interests.
They criticised Mr. Nath for allegedly trying to vitiate the communal 
atmosphere in Eastern Uttar Pradesh.
The dharna was attended by Subhashini Ali of Communist Party of India 
(Marxist); State unit president of Nationalist Congress Party Ramesh 
Dixit; Ashok Mishra of CP; Manzoor Ahmed and Satyadeo Tripathi 
(Congress), retired police officer S.M. Naseem; S.P. Kashyap (State 
Secretary of CPM); academician Sabiha Anwar; Naresh Saksena and others.







http://www.nowpublic.com/world/orissa-karnataka-violence-protest-chicago-0

Orissa Karnataka violence protest in chicago

uploaded by pankaj kumar October 5, 2008 at 02:14 am







http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=120441&provider=rss

Religious Group Protests Jail Policy on Hair
Posted By: Jennifer Lindgren Created: 10/6/2008 11:27:34 AM Updated: 
10/6/2008 8:54:29 PM

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- A Duval County Jail policy that requires inmates' 
hair to be cut has sparked outrage among Sikhs, who say the policy 
violates their freedom to practice religion.
Protesting outside the Duval County Jail Sunday, men and women carried 
signs alleging discrimination and violations of religious freedom.
The group protests on behalf of Jagmohan Ahuja, an inmate in the jail 
who is a practicing Sikh.
Prosecutors say Ahuja is behind bars for a reason.
Convicted of domestic violence against two women in his family, Ahuja is 
three months into serving a three year jail sentence.
But Ahuja's supporters say it's his rights as an inmate that have been 
violated.
Jaspreet Singh, a lawyer for United Sikhs, says it is against Sikh 
religious practice to cut one's hair. Hair covered by a turban is one of 
the five articles of faith which a Sikh must keep at all times.
Singh spoke on behalf of protestors, along with a local representative 
of the ACLU.
"We would like the jail to change the policy on the issue. We would like 
the jail to stop shaving prisoners where it violates their 
constitutionally guaranteed religious rights," Singh said.
Ahuja, 36, was arrested in April on misdemeanor charges of violating 
probation and violating an injuction for protection against domestic 
violence.
Ahuja is appealing his conviction.
His supporters in the community say Ahuja has been forced to have his 
haircut twice since his incarceration, and that the policy violates the 
religious rights of other religious peoples as well, including Orthodox 
Jews, Rastafarians, Muslims and Native Americans.
"We're Americans, we love this country, and we want our religious rights 
to be protested," Singh said.
Howard Maltz, Deputy General Council for the City of Jacksonville, has 
this statement in response to the accusations:
"The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is committed to respecting and 
accommodating the religious beliefs and practices of all our inmate 
population. However, when an inmate's religious practices compromise the 
safety and security of our corrections facilities, safety and security 
must take precedence.
"The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has a long-standing policy that 
mandates sentenced male inmates have short hair and wear no coverings. 
This policy is consistent with that of many other correctional 
facilities throughout Florida and the United States.
"This policy has been determined by courts to be lawful.
"While we fully respect the involved inmate's religious beliefs, the 
safety and security of our correctional facility must prevail."






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/02/stories/2008100250620100.htm

Groups clash in Uthapuram
Staff Reporter
________________________________________
Trouble erupts over painting of wall adjacent to temple
________________________________________
MADURAI: Two groups belonging to different castes clashed at Uthapuram 
village in Madurai district, hurling stones and country bombs at each 
other. Trouble erupted when the members of one group painted the wall 
adjacent to the Muthalamman Temple despite objections from the other 
group. Police resorted to a mild lathi charge and opened three rounds of 
teargas shells to disperse the mob.
The situation is now under control, said Inspector-General of Police 
(South Zone) Sanjeev Kumar. Adequate police strength, led by the 
Deputy-Inspector General of Police S.S. Krishnamoorthy, had been 
deployed at the village, he told The Hindu.
Superintendent of Police M. Manohar said that they were on the lookout 
for some suspects behind the incident. Security had been strengthened 
and combing operation was on, he added. The village had been witness to 
animosity between these two groups over the construction of a wall 
preventing the entry of Dalits. A portion of the wall was later 
demolished on the initiative of the State government.