[Onthebarricades] Uprisings - November 2008

[global resistance roundup]

* EGYPT: Bedouin take police hostage, storm copshop in protest over killing
* EGYPT: Aswan - Uprising after police murder of trader
* COLOMBIA: Unrest after pyramid scheme collapse
* YEMEN: Police murder protesters during attack on vote protests
* PERU: Municipal building torched in protest over mining laws
* PERU: Police kill protester during clashes over waste plant
* GUINEA: Clashes with police in fuel price protests
* KYRGYZSTAN: Unrest in southern city over Eid
* NIGERIA - NIGER DELTA: Protests, militant attacks
* PARAGUAY: Clashes as protesters demand agrarian reform, prosecutor 
resignation
* KURDISTAN - TURKEY: Police tear-gas Kurds, battle protesters during 
PM's visit





http://www.arabianbusiness.com/537909-bedouin-kidnap-egypt-police-to-protest-smuggler-shooting

Bedouin kidnap Egypt police to protest shooting
by AFP on Tuesday, 11 November 2008

SINAI STRIFE: File photo of a Bedouin at the Al-Arish camel festival. 
(Getty Images)
Armed Bedouin tribesmen briefly kidnapped a truckload of 25 Egyptian 
policemen in northern Sinai on Tuesday in protest at the killing of one 
of their number, a security official said.

"The Bedouin freed them in a mountainous area near the Israeli border," 
the official said of the policemen, held for around two hours after 
being seized by three pick-ups of armed Bedouin as they were heading for 
the Israeli border.

Medics said another three Bedouin were killed in a wave of anti-police 
protests that swept the peninsula in response to the killing of an 
alleged Bedouin drug smuggler in a shoot-out with police on Monday.

Bedouin in the Sinai frequently complain of marginalisation and police 
abuse although some of the tribesmen are also involved in trafficking 
people, drugs and goods across the border into Israel or the Gaza Strip.

Monday's killing sparked protests around the northern Sinai desert, 
including the siege of a police station in the small town of Madfouna on 
the Israeli border.

At least 12 people were wounded in the protests.

Four policemen, including an officer, and four protesters were hurt in 
the Madfouna protest, the interior ministry said, with the situation 
reportedly calm on Tuesday evening.

The Bedouin have been protesting in Madfouna since police killed the 
suspected drug smuggler. Hundreds turned out to protest the shooting, 
firing guns into the air and burning tyres.

One policeman and three Bedouin were wounded in a shoot-out following 
another protest on Tuesday in Wadi al-Azareq, also in north Sinai, a 
security official said.

Medics and a Bedouin said three more tribesmen, including two brothers, 
were killed, although officials could not confirm the deaths.

Monday's shooting happened when a four-wheel-drive drove at high speed 
towards a police patrol and overturned, the official MENA news agency 
reported.

"The driver and another got out of the car and started firing at the 
patrol. A shoot-out ensued leaving one of the two attackers dead and the 
other wounded," MENA quoted an unnamed official as saying.

Bedouin say police routinely carry out arrests in north Sinai and that 
they feel under threat of having their car licences confiscated or homes 
searched at any time.

In July, the detention of one of their number in the Sinai without 
charge saw hundreds of Bedouin burn tyres and block roads in protest.

A spate of bombings that hit popular tourist destinations in Sinai 
between 2004 and 2006 led to massive sweeps of the peninsula with 
thousands of Bedouin arrested.

The Egyptian government has regularly promised to pump money into the 
impoverished north Sinai and there have been several attempts in recent 
months at a rapprochement between authorities and the Bedouin.

The 250-km Egyptian-Israeli frontier has become a major transit route 
for migrants, asylum-seekers and drug smugglers, with some Bedouin 
involved in the trafficking.

Dozens of migrants have been arrested in recent months as Egyptian 
police try to halt the constant stream into Israel. Several have been 
killed while trying to make the crossing.

Israel occasionally hands over to Egyptian authorities Bedouin they 
suspect of drug or people trafficking.





http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LB275359.htm

Egypt bedouin protest killing, besiege police post
11 Nov 2008 13:06:58 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Adds bedouin besiege police post near border)
ISMAILIA, Egypt, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Egyptian bedouin protesters besieged 
a police post in the Sinai peninsula near the Israeli border on Tuesday 
after police shot and killed a bedouin man a day earlier, security 
sources said.
The assault on the post followed overnight street protests by hundreds 
of bedouin in which some guns were fired into the air, tires burned and 
a road blocked off, bedouin sources said. They said police had briefly 
pulled back from the area.
"There are 700 bedouins at least taking part in the protest. Some opened 
fire heavily in the air," said Moussa Salem, who was taking part in the 
demonstration.
Bedouin sources said some members of their community entered and seized 
control of a police post near the border on Tuesday, prompting police to 
flee the station although one officer remained inside and was refusing 
to leave.
Security sources gave a conflicting version of events, saying bedouin 
had surrounded but not entered the post and that an officer and around 
20 police remained inside. Negotiations were ongoing to resolve the 
stand-off.
The protests erupted after police opened fire on a vehicle driven by 
"two bedouin suspects" on Monday when they ignored orders to stop and 
tried to flee, a security source said. One bedouin was killed and the 
other wounded.
State news agency MENA identified the dead man as a drug dealer, 
although bedouin sources denied that.
Relations between the police and bedouin have been tense for a long time 
and deteriorated further in 2004 when police detained thousands on 
suspicion of possible links to a group that had bombed Sinai tourist 
resorts.
Egypt has blamed a series of attacks on tourist targets in Sinai between 
2004 and 2006 on a group of bedouin with militant Islamist views. 
Bedouins resent the mistrust and complain of police harassment.
Northern Sinai is home to about 200,000 formerly nomadic bedouin. It is 
one of Egypt's poorest areas with high unemployment levels. (Reporting 
by Yusri Mohamed; Writing by Cynthia Johnston; Editing by Matthew Jones)






http://news.morningstar.com/newsnet/ViewNews.aspx?article=/DJ/200811110500DOWJONESDJONLINE000139_univ.xml

Sinai Bedouins Protest After Killing Of Tribesman - Official11-11-08 
5:00 AM EST | E-mail Article | Print Article
CAIRO (AFP)--Hundreds of Sinai Bedouins fired guns in the air and burnt 
tires Tuesday in protest at the killing of a tribesman in a shootout 
with Egyptian police, a security official said.
The Bedouin was killed and another injured Monday in an exchange of fire 
with police after their jeep obstructed a police car, the official said.
"The Bedouins have declared an open protest and are staging a sit-in 
near the Israeli border," the official said.
Bedouins say police routinely carry out arrests in north Sinai and that 
they feel under threat of having their car licenses confiscated or homes 
searched at any time.
A spate of bombings that hit popular tourist destinations in Sinai 
between 2004 and 2006 led to massive sweeps of the peninsula with 
thousands of Bedouins arrested.
The Egyptian government has regularly promised to pump money into the 
impoverished north Sinai and there have been several attempts in recent 
months at a rapprochement between authorities and the Bedouins.






http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081113/FOREIGN/512929327/1002/rss

Bedouin shoot policeman in protests
• Last Updated: November 13. 2008 6:42PM UAE / November 13. 2008 2:42PM GMT
Bedouin gunmen shot and wounded an Egyptian policeman in Sinai today, as 
it emerged the tribesmen had seized dozens of guns and thousands of 
bullets during two days of protests.

Bedouin angered by the death in a shoot-out of one of their number 
launched violent protests in the peninsula on Tuesday, including seizing 
a police station. Peaceful protests continued on Wednesday.

One protest saw Bedouin take 72 automatic rifles, 20,000 bullets as well 
as walkie-talkies and night-vision goggles, from another police station, 
in Wadi al Azareq, north-central Sinai, a security official told AFP.
Three Bedouin died and 30 policemen were wounded during Tuesday’s 
protest at Wadi al-Azareq, the official said.

“Security forces are looking for the missing equipment,” the official said.

In El Matala, close to the Israeli border, Bedouin gunmen wounded a 
policeman in a drive-by shooting today.

Mohammed Mustafa Bandari, 22, was hit in the leg by three bullets and 
taken to hospital in stable condition, the official said.
The Bedouin were protesting against the killing of a tribesman in a 
shoot-out with police on Monday.

In July, the detention of one of their number in the Sinai without 
charge saw hundreds of Bedouin burn tyres and block roads in protest.

A spate of bombings that hit popular tourist destinations in Sinai 
between 2004 and 2006 led to massive sweeps of the peninsula, with 
thousands of Bedouin being arrested.






http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_North%20Africa&set_id=1&click_id=85&art_id=nw20081111120533581C562630

Death prompts Bedouin protest in Egypt

November 11 2008 at 12:13PM

Ismailia, Egypt - Hundreds of Bedouin in an Egyptian village fired into 
the air and burnt tyres overnight in protest about police killing one 
Bedouin man and wounding another, security sources said on Tuesday.

"There are 700 Bedouins at least taking part in the protest. Some opened 
fire heavily in the air," said Moussa Salem, a Bedouin who was taking 
part in the demonstration.

He said the protesters in a village in the Sinai peninsula near the 
Egypt-Israel border had also burned tyres and barricaded a road with 
rocks, while police had pulled back from the area.

Two Bedouin sources who asked not to be named said the protesters had 
torched a police vehicle.

Security sources said the demonstration erupted after police opened fire 
on Tuesday on a vehicle driven by "two Bedouin suspects" when they 
ignored orders to stop and tried to flee. One was killed and the other 
wounded.

State news agency MENA identified the dead man as a drug dealer, 
although Bedouin sources denied that.

Relations between the police and Bedouin have been tense for a long time 
and deteriorated further in 2004, when police detained thousands on 
suspicion of possible links to a group that had bombed Sinai tourist 
resorts.

Egypt has blamed a series of attacks on tourist targets in Sinai between 
2004 and 2006 on a group of Bedouin with militant Islamist views.

Bedouins resent the mistrust and complain of police harassment.

Northern Sinai is home to about 200 000 formerly nomadic Bedouin. It is 
one of Egypt's poorest areas with high unemployment levels. - Reuters






http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Egypt/237721

Egypt sends troops to Israel border to face rioting Bedouins

Posted: 12-11-2008 , 11:42 GMT

An Egyptian security official said large numbers of security forces were 
heading to Egypt-Israel border area in a bid to stave off any further 
Bedouin strife. According to the AP, dozens of armored vehicles have 
already arrived at the border following violent clashes between angry 
Bedouins and police that led to killing of three Bedouins and injury of 
at least five policemen.

Bedouins also looted and burned several checkpoints along 15 kilometers 
of Egypt-Israel borders south of Rafah Tuesday and seized a total of 70 
members of the security forces in separate incidents. They later freed 
most of them.






http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/241023,egyptian-bedouins-protest-after-police-shootings.html

Egyptian Bedouins protest after police shootings
Posted : Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:24:14 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : Middle East (World)

News Alerts by Email click here )

Cairo - Groups of Bedouins protested Monday in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, 
blocking a main road, after Egyptian security forces opened fire, 
killing one man and wounding another, security sources said. Police shot 
the two men when they refused to stop their car at a security check 
point, sources told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, dpa. Bedouins often 
accuse Egyptian police of discriminating against them, including 
arresting Bedouins without charge.
Egypt has accused Sinai Bedouins of committing two terrorist attacks 
since 2004, using primitive explosive devices. The first bombing hit an 
upscale Taba resort, killing tourists and damaging the hotel building, 
and the second struck the Red Sea tourist resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The bombings damaged Egypt's tourism industry, a major source of income 
for the country.








http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gN6XhihMtaBTC538Q3Yj1PYe_owg

Riot in Egypt city after police kill man by mistake
(AFP) – Nov 23, 2008
CAIRO (AFP) — Police fired tear-gas at about 2,000 rioters in the 
southern Egyptian town of Aswan on Sunday as they protested the police 
shooting to death of a bird-seller, a security official said.
Police with the anti-drug squad had mistaken the man, Abdel Wahab Abdel 
Razeq, for a drug dealer.
"They were going to arrest a drug dealer. They went into the wrong 
apartment," the official said.
Egypt's official MENA news agency reported that the man had opened fire 
on police before being shot, although this was not possible to confirm.
On hearing of Abdel Razeq's death, the protesters surrounded the 
hospital where his body was taken and pelted it with stones, smashing 
windows.
Riot police clashed with the demonstrators, firing tear-gas to disperse 
them. Four protesters were injured in the clash.
MENA reported that an Aswan prosecutor has summoned the policemen for 
questioning.





http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_North%20Africa&set_id=1&click_id=85&art_id=nw20081124105511903C597591

Man dies after Egypt city riot

November 24 2008 at 12:25PM

Cairo - Rioting in Egypt's southern city of Aswan sparked after police 
killed a bird-seller on Sunday continued overnight, leaving one man 
dead, security officials and medical sources said on Monday.

Yayha el-Magribi, 59, died in hospital after inhaling tear gas that 
police fired at around 2 000 protesters after members of an anti-drugs 
unit shot dead Abdel Wahab Abdel Razeq in his apartment on Sunday.

The interior ministry said in a statement that Abdel Razeq was 
harbouring a drug dealer in the building, and had fired at police when 
they approached his apartment.

About 2 000 protesters then rioted in front of the hospital where his 
body was taken, pelting it with stones and burning tyres.

Riot police clashed with the demonstrators, firing tear-gas to disperse 
them.

The official MENA news agency reported that an Aswan prosecutor has 
summoned the policemen involved in the Abdel Razeq shooting for 
questioning.







http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2008/11/15/2003428728

Pyramid scheme collapse leads to riots in Colombia

AP, BOGOTA
Saturday, Nov 15, 2008, Page 7
At least one man was killed in rioting over the collapse of a pyramid 
scheme that offered 70 percent returns and fleeced its mostly poor 
investors out of millions of dollars, Colombian authorities said on 
Thursday.
The victim was shot dead on Wednesday evening in a southern region where 
angry investors were demanding their money back from a company called 
“Dinero Rapido Facil Efectivo,” or DRFE.

The name means “Fast Money, Easy Cash” in English.

Authorities seized 66 company offices and confiscated 14 billion pesos 
(US$6 million), according to national police director General Oscar 
Naranjo.

He said no arrests had been made but authorities were seeking DRFE’s owners.

On Tuesday, the Finance Ministry ordered DRFE to return deposits to 
investors.

It calculated the company took in 400 billion pesos from January through 
September.

Finance Minister Oscar Zuluaga told reporters that authorities were 
investigating whether DRFE was involved in laundering drug money.

Reporters could not confirm media reports that the company’s owner fled 
the country.

The man killed on Wednesday night, Byron Santander, was a public 
official who was trying to calm upset investors in Buesaco when he was 
shot by an unknown assailant, Mayor Jose Maria Moncayo said in a 
telephone interview.

“We don’t know who did this or why,” Moncayo said, adding that nearly 
every family in Buesaco, population 22,400, had money in DRFE.

Most of the rioting occurred in the southern province of Narino, a 
cocaine-producing region.

Authorities imposed curfews in Buesaco and at least two other towns.

According to the Finance Ministry, DRFE offered 70 percent returns on 
investments, charging a 1 percent handling fee and 16 percent tax.

Payment depended on the amount of cash deposited. Returns were promised 
within 23 days on investments of up to 5 million pesos.








http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-11-15-1279766940_x.htm

Yemeni teenager killed in clashes
Posted 11/15/2008 9:14 AM |

SAN'A, Yemen (AP) — A Yemeni lawmaker says police shot dead a teenager 
during clashes between police and protesters in the south of Yemen.
Nasser al-Khabagi, an opposition member of parliament, says the 
16-year-old boy died Saturday when police fired at locals demonstrating 
at a voter registration center. He says the crowds were protesting the 
government's rejection of opposition attempts to amend the country's 
electoral law.
Police declined to comment on the death and said they opened fire in 
self defense.
Yemen's political parties have been preparing the amendment to the 
electoral law for the past year in an effort to bring more women into 
parliament, curb vote-rigging and limit the influence of government 
officials.





http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2008-11/2008-11-27-voa68.cfm?CFID=261387166&CFTOKEN=81429865&jsessionid=88302b7e6acd891fe1dd4b7d3efe17656319

Yemeni Police Break Up Demonstration
By VOA News
27 November 2008

A group of young Yemenis take to the streets in the capital Sanaa, 27 
Nov 2008
Yemeni security forces fired warning shots to break up a rally by 
thousands of demonstrators Thursday calling for a boycott of 
parliamentary elections.

Demonstrators say at least 10 people were wounded and another 10 
arrested during Thursday's clashes in the capital Sanaa.

Thousands of protesters gathered in Sanaa to oppose the planned April 
vote. They say they will not take part unless the government reforms the 
nation's electoral laws to prevent vote-rigging and other fraud.

In southern Yemen Thursday, foreign media report that two people were 
killed in the explosion of a explosive-laden motorcycle. The Reuters 
news agency quotes a security official saying the dead were Islamist 
militants whose bombs went off accidentally.

Yemeni officials have arrested numerous suspected militants in recent 
months, including 25 said to be linked with the September attack near 
the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa.






http://story.australianherald.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/c08dd24cec417021/id/426394/cs/1/

City closed down in Peru after demonstrations
Australian Herald
Wednesday 5th November, 2008
Peru has declared a 30-day state of emergency in its south after violent 
protests in the city of Tacna that left 20 people hurt and 35 in police 
custody.

The measure was announced by Prime Minister Yehude Simon, who has sent 
soldiers and police to secure the city, which lies close to the border 
with Chile.

The state of emergency will be in force for 30 days in Tacna,

The decision came after a day of protests that degenerated into attacks 
on a municipal building in a suburb of the city.

A mob set fire to the building to protest against the death of a 
demonstrator last weekend.

A strike is underway in Tacna to protest a vote by congress to modify a 
law that would redistribute tax revenues from a giant mining company, 
Southern Peru, in favour of residents in the neighbouring region of 
Moquegua.







http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=93992&feedType=VideoRSS&feedName=TopNews&rpc=23&videoChannel=1&sp=true

Protesters, police clash in Peru
(00:38) Report
Nov 17 - Opposed to plans for a new waste treatment plant, thousands of 
demonstrators raided a government construction site in Peru.
One man died and at least 36 people were injured when police and 
protesters clashed.
Sarah Irwin reports.






http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gN6XhihMtaBTC538Q3Yj1PYe_owg

31 October, 2008 [ 17:51 ]
Peru riots continue as citizens protest distribution of mining royalties

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Affirming the fight is far from over, the governor of Tacna Hugo Ordoñez 
has stated his region will continue protesting a mining tax bill 
recently passed by congress.

With violent protests taking place in several regions across Peru, some 
of the worst have been in the southern part of the Andean nation, in the 
regions of Tacna and Moquegua.

Unable to agree on the distribution of millions of dollars in mining 
royalties, protestors have blocked roads, fought police and set 
government buildings on fire for the past four days.

Protests worsened on Thursday after congress passed a law which is to 
reorganize the way taxes paid by mines are distributed.

In an effort to push congress to reconsider, riots continue to break out 
in Tacna.

Only receiving 20 percent of royalties, citizens in Moquegua are 
demanding a change while protestors in Tacna have blocked access to 
Chile and cut water supply to Moquegua protesting this change.

It is expected that Alan Garcia will sign this bill into law. Once 
ratified, it would change the way royalties are distributed to all 
provinces in hundreds of mines.






http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL3620972

Guineans demanding cheaper fuel clash with police
Mon Nov 3, 2008 6:07am EST

By Saliou Samb

CONAKRY, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Several people were injured in Guinea's 
capital on Monday in clashes between police and youths demanding cheaper 
fuel.

The worst clashes were in Bambeto, a poor neighbourhood of Conakry, 
where police fired tear gas at demonstrators. Residents said they heard 
shots that they thought came from locally made rifles.

Guinea is the world's top exporter of bauxite, the raw ore used to make 
aluminium.

Public protests frequently turn violent in the former French colony, 
where security forces regularly use tear gas and live ammunition to 
disperse crowds.

On Saturday the government reduced diesel, gasoline and paraffin prices 
by a little over 20 percent, but the protesters say that falls short of 
the drop in world crude prices.

"Demonstrators blocked roads with pieces of wood and rocks. They also 
burned tyres. They think the reduction in fuel prices is not enough," 
Souleymane Diallo, who lives in Bambeto, told Reuters by telephone.

"Some taxi drivers who wanted to force their way past got hit by rocks. 
The traffic is blocked now, and there are a lot of people here," Diallo 
said.

Police could not be reached on Monday for more details on the number of 
people injured.

Conakry Governor Soriba Sorel Camara, an ally of Guinea's ageing 
President Lansana Conte, had on Sunday banned public gatherings to 
prevent violent protests.

Early last year more than 130 people were killed during a general 
strike, mostly shot dead by police and soldiers.

Last week one person was killed during protests over electricity 
shortages, and a railway used to transport bauxite for export was 
blocked for a time. (Reporting by Saliou Samb; Writing by Alistair 
Thomson; Editing by Catherine Bosley)







http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/05/africa/guinea.php

Guinea, already shaken, rattled by protests

By Lydia Polgreen
Published: November 5, 2008

DAKAR, Senegal: Frustrated youths have taken to the crumbling streets of 
Guinea's capital, Conakry, throwing stones and setting tires on fire in 
escalating protests over high gas prices.
Three days of demonstrations - and the violent reaction they have 
provoked from the country's security forces - have heightened tensions 
in a country that has been teetering on the brink of mass unrest for two 
years.
Witnesses said that at least one person was killed Monday when 
government troops shot at demonstrators, according to Reuters. But 
movement has been severely restricted in Conakry, and human rights 
advocates and aid groups fear that the toll is considerably higher.
"What is clear is there is a tremendous amount of frustration and anger 
in Guinea," said Corinne Dufka, West Africa researcher for Human Rights 
Watch. "People protest to express that anger, and security forces 
respond with excessive force."
On the surface, the protests are about fuel prices, which have remained 
forbiddingly high despite slumping crude oil prices. The government 
announced Saturday that it would reduce gas prices by 20 percent, to the 
equivalent of about $4.15 a gallon from more than $5, to quell simmering 
anger over the high cost of living, but Guineans had been expecting a 
deeper cut because crude oil prices had fallen more than 50 percent.
But Guinea's problems go much deeper than expensive gas. The country, a 
former French colony, is one of West Africa's longest-festering sores, a 
holdover from a recent era when autocrats ruled the region and civil 
wars raged over the spoils of diamonds, gold and other riches. It is the 
world's top exporter of bauxite, the ore from which aluminum is made, 
but it is also one of the world's poorest nations.
Its president, Lansana Conté, has ruled Guinea since 1984. Now in his 
70s, he is in poor health and has made frequent trips abroad in recent 
years for medical treatment. As his health has declined, so have his 
country's fortunes.
The government brutally suppressed a general strike early last year led 
by the country's trade unions. As many as 200 people were killed, and 
human rights groups documented dozens of cases of beatings, torture and 
unlawful imprisonment in the crackdown. Conté agreed to some changes, 
bringing in a reform-minded prime minister with wider powers.
But the reforms did not take. Little more than a year later, Conté fired 
the prime minister and appointed a close ally in his place.
In May, frustrated soldiers mutinied over back pay and miserable living 
conditions, taking the army's second in command as a hostage until their 
demands were met. Frustrated police officers later stopped working as well.
The unrest within the security apparatus, which Conté had controlled 
firmly, raised fears of a possible coup. Legislative elections that were 
supposed to open up the country's political system have been postponed 
repeatedly.
"The mutiny by soldiers, unrest within the national police and strike 
action by customs officials are symptoms of the disintegration of the 
state and its incapacity to provide security," said an analysis by the 
International Crisis Group, published in June.





http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L3399176.htm

Guinea troops shoot fuel price protesters,man killed
03 Nov 2008 15:34:42 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Updates with man killed, details)
By Saliou Samb
CONAKRY, Nov 3 (Reuters) - One man was killed and several others were 
injured on Monday when Guinean security forces opened fire on youths 
demanding cheaper fuel, witnesses said.
The clashes were concentrated in poor, outlying neighbourhoods of 
Conakry, capital of the former French colony where public protests often 
turn violent and security forces frequently use live ammunition to 
disperse crowds.
Guinea is the world's top exporter of bauxite, the ore used to make 
aluminium. But most of its people remain desperately poor and anger has 
festered as prices for food and fuel have risen sharply in the past 
three years.
Soldiers began shooting in the district of Enco 5 when a crowd of young 
men taunted them.
One man, whom residents said was an off-duty trainee police officer who 
happened to be passing by, was killed and four other people including a 
woman were hit by bullets, witnesses said.
"The victims were taken by ambulance to two different clinics," Enco 5 
resident Sotigui Kaba told Reuters.
"The dead man was a trainee policeman in civilian clothes. He was doing 
his training," Kaba said.
Police spokesmen could not be reached on Monday for comment.
Riot police and army troops trying to restore order mounted checkpoints 
at intersections in the affected districts and occasional shots rang out 
in the early afternoon.
In Bambeto, another poor neighbourhood, police fired tear gas at 
demonstrators and residents said they heard shots that they thought came 
from locally made rifles.
Shops and banks in the centre of the Atlantic coast city remained open 
but some people headed home earlier than usual.
On Saturday the government reduced diesel, gasoline and paraffin prices 
by a little over 20 percent, but the protesters say that falls short of 
the drop in world crude prices.
"Demonstrators blocked roads with pieces of wood and rocks. They also 
burned tyres. They think the reduction in fuel prices is not enough," 
Souleymane Diallo, who lives in Bambeto, told Reuters by telephone.
"Some taxi drivers who wanted to force their way past got hit by rocks. 
The traffic is blocked now, and there are a lot of people here," Diallo 
said.
Conakry Governor Soriba Sorel Camara, an ally of Guinea's ageing 
President Lansana Conte, had on Sunday banned public gatherings to 
prevent violent protests.
Early last year more than 130 people were killed during a general 
strike, mostly shot dead by police and soldiers.
Last week one person was killed in the mining town of Boke during 
protests over electricity shortages, and a railway used to transport 
bauxite for export was blocked for a time. (Reporting by Saliou Samb; 
Writing by Alistair Thomson; Editing by Giles Elgood)






http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/03/africa/AF-Guinea-Protests.php

Guinea police fire at protesters; 1 killed

The Associated Press
Published: November 3, 2008

CONAKRY, Guinea: Police in Guinea's capital fired bullets and tear gas 
Monday to disperse rock-throwing mobs who blocked roads with burning 
tires to protest high fuel costs. The violence killed one man and 
wounded 20 others, police said.
The government reduced fuel prices by 21 percent over the weekend, but 
protesters say the cuts should have been at least 50 percent, in line 
with the global drop in fuel prices in recent months.
Record high world oil prices earlier this year pushed fuel prices in 
Guinea up from 4,300 Guinea francs ($0.83) per liter to 7,000 francs 
($1.40). The government lowered the price to 5,500 francs ($1.10) over 
the weekend.
Monday's violence was confined to neighborhoods outside the capital, but 
traffic in the city center was light and some businesses and banks were 
closed as some braced for the possibility that violence could spread.
Sporadic gunshots could be heard through the afternoon.

Police officer Ousmane Diaoune said one police trainee was killed by 
accident by a stray bullet believed to have been fired by soldiers. He 
said 20 civilians and police were injured in the skirmishes, many by 
rocks thrown at them.
Residents of two neighborhoods in Conakry say police fired tear gas to 
disperse hundreds of people who put large pieces of wood and burning 
tires into the streets.
Tensions have simmered in Guinea for years as a desperate population 
expresses discontent over the rule of the country's dictator president, 
Lansana Conte, who grabbed power in a 1984 coup and has refused to let 
go despite repeated demonstrations.
The majority of Guinea's 10 million people live in poverty, even though 
the country is the world's largest producer of bauxite, the raw material 
used to make aluminum.





http://www.afrol.com/articles/31551

A man shot dead in fuel cut protests
afrol News, 4 November - At least one man was killed and several others 
injured yesterday when police fired bullets and tear gas to disperse a 
mob of young protesters who took to the streets in Guinea's capital 
Conakry, police said.
Demonstrators were angry after government slashed only 20 percent on 
fuel prices despite global oil prices having fallen by 50 percent since 
July.

Police officer Ousmane Diaoune said one police trainee was killed by 
accident by a stray bullet believed to have been fired by soldiers. He 
said 20 civilians and police were injured in the skirmishes, many by 
rocks thrown at them.

"The police officer, a new recruit, was watching clashes between 
authorities and protesters when he was hit by a bullet in the chest 
fired by soldiers," said a police official.

Residents of two neighborhoods in Conakry said police fired tear gas to 
disperse hundreds of people who put large pieces of wood and burning 
tires on the streets.

Witnesses said victims were ferried by ambulance to two different clinics.

Tensions have simmered in Guinea for years as a desperate population 
expresses discontent over rule of country's dictator president Lansana 
Conte, who grabbed power in a 1984 coup.

The protests point to the general sense of resentment against a 
government that has for some time been ineffective, political obsevers 
have said.

Conakry Governor, Soriba Sorel Camara, an ally of Guinea's ageing 
president Lansana Conte, had on Sunday banned public gatherings to 
prevent violent protests.

The majority of Guinea's 10 million people live in poverty, even though 
the country is the world's largest producer of bauxite, raw material 
used to make aluminum.

Aware that global fuel prices have significantly dropped in recent 
months, Guineans had been wondering why they had not seen similar falls 
at petrol pumps and in price of fuel used for cooking.

Early last year more than 130 people were killed during a general 
strike, mostly shot dead by police and soldiers.





http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_2434539,00.html

32 jailed over Eid riots
2008-11-29 14:15
Bishkek - A court in Kyrgyzstan sentenced 32 Islamists to jail terms of 
between nine and 20 years for their role in riots in the southern region 
of Osh in October, state television reported on Saturday.
The riots took place in the town of Nookat on October 1, the day when 
Kyrgyzstan was marking the Muslim festival of Eid ul-Fitr at the end of 
the Ramadan holy fasting month.
The television said the verdicts were handed down by the provincial 
court of the Osh region and were greeted by shouts of "Allahu Akbar!" 
(God is Greatest) from the accused.
Officials have said that the unrest was sparked by the refusal of the 
local administration to hold a public celebration marking Eid ul-Fitr, 
which is known in Kyrgyzstan as Orozo Ait.
The demonstrators threw stones against the building of the local 
government and behaved violently towards the local police. The head of 
the regional administration was sacked as a result of the disturbances.
Officials have also said that the demonstrations were linked to the 
banned Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party of Islamic Liberation) movement, a Sunni 
Muslim group which advocates the establishment of Islamic states in 
Central Asia.
State television said the accused were found guilty on eight counts, 
including damaging public buildings, creating mass disturbances, 
behaving violently towards the police and membership of a banned party.
Muslims make up about 80% of the ex-Soviet state's population, with 
Orthodox Christians next with up to 17%.
The parliament earlier this month passed a new law limiting the 
registration of religious groups to those with 200 or more members and 
introducing state control over financing and religious education.
- AFP







http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/22287/43/

Militants kill 2 policemen, JTF shoot protesters

Written by Emma Amaize, Emma Arubi, Jimitota Onoyume & Emma Nnadozie
Friday, 21 November 2008

TWO policemen — a Sergeant and a Corporal — were shot dead by militants, 
Tuesday night, in Port Harcourt, while seven protesters were injured 
after men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) shot at them in Warri, yesterday.
In Port Harcourt, the policemen were killed on the Opobo Nkoro waterways 
in the state capital.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Rita Inoma Abbey, who 
confirmed the incident to Vanguard said the deceased cops were 
accompanying members of the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency 
(RSSDA) who were on tour of the state government project in Opobo/Nkoro 
Local Government.
They were on their way to the local government when the incident 
occurred close to the shore of the local government area.
She said the policemen were attached to the Police Marine Waterways 
Division in the state capital. Another source told Vanguard that some 
other persons sustained gun shot wounds from the incident.
The police men were said to have been recently posted to the state.
This development came on the heels of a similar incident where two 
policemen were reportedly gunned down around Kaduna Street area of the 
state capital.
They were said to be on routine police duty around the area when gunmen 
opened fire on them, killing the two on the spot. A civilian also 
reportedly lost his life that night in that same spot. It could not be 
confirmed if the civilian was gunned down by police bullet or that of 
the militants.
In Warri, a woman and a young boy were shot, yesterday, by men of the 
Joint Task Force on the Niger Delta at Escravos in Delta State following 
a peaceful protest by Ugborodo youths against the Chevron Nigeria 
Limited (CNL) over job slots and contracts.
The two injured villagers were conveyed yesterday evening to an 
undisclosed hospital in Warri by the CNL for medical attention after the 
dust on the incident settled. However, a community source said seven 
persons were shot and gave their names as Ms Toju Akitikori, Messrs. 
John Toghanrose, Tony Mene, Samuel Mejebi and one Arubi all of whom are 
currently receiving treatment in various private clinics in Warri.
But Commander of the JTF, Brigadier-General Nanven Rimtip, who visited 
Escravos, yesterday, to assess the situation told Vanguard that some 
armed youths invaded the Chevron facility in Escravos and opened fire, 
forcing his men to shoot to defend themselves and the location.
He said he was not aware of any casualty on the side of the “attackers” 
but none of his men was injured.
Vice chairman of the Delta Waterways Security Committee (DWSC), Mr. 
Ayiri Emami, who is also a youth leader in Ugborodo, however, told 
Vanguard that it was not true that the protesting villagers carried arms 
or fired at the JTF operatives.

He said the community carried out a peaceful protest against the company 
for breaching the Memorandum of Understanding entered by both parties on 
the issues of job slots and contracts, adding that they came with boats.
He said when he got a call from a senior military officer that the 
youths were protesting with arms, he requested the officer to send his 
men to the scene and if anybody was found with arms, he (Ayiri) should 
be arrested.
Ayiri said the JTF operatives callously opened fire on the peaceful 
protesters, apparently with a mistaken notion that since armed youths 
hijacked a ship conveying goods for the Escravos –Gas-to-Liquid project, 
last weekend, they might have regrouped to attack the company.
But he said the protest should not have come as a surprise to the 
company because the community had made known its grievances before then, 
adding that it was because the company knew it was a peaceful protest 
that it offered to take the victims to the hospital for treatment.
Brigadier-General Rimtip who spoke to Vanguard from Escravos said: “If 
it was a peaceful protest as they claimed, then, why did they open fire 
on my men? They cannot fold their hands and watch while people are 
firing at them. Enough is enough.”
He said the situation was under control as at yesterday evening, a 
development which a furious Ayiri also confirmed, pointing out that he 
had contacted the governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan over the assault on 
his people by the JTF.
Vice-chairman of Ugborodo Community Trust, Mr. Isaac Botosan, who 
corroborated Ayiri’s claim told Vanguard that the soldiers shot into the 
community on sighting the peaceful crowd of protesting natives, saying 
many of the natives were now hiding inside the bush with varying degrees 
of gun shot injuries.
Mr. Botosan said the community could no longer guarantee a safe working 
environment for the continuation of the EGTL project following the 
unprovoked attack on their people.








http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hCsE6iNZWXb02P6yTeDiDB4bxqkg

Child dies in Guinea after hit by stray bullet during protest
Nov 4, 2008
CONAKRY (AFP) — A child of nine, hit by a stray bullet during a violent 
protest in the Guinean capital Conakry against the cost of fuel, died 
Tuesday, his family and the hospital where he was taken said.
The boy, the son of a local imam, was at home Monday when he was hit by 
a bullet when groups of youths were confronting security forces in the 
neighbourhood.
Clashes continued Tuesday in several parts of Conakry. Mobile and 
well-organised gangs of youths built barricades and threw stones at 
police who riposted with tear gas.
There were dozens of arrests but no injuries, according to reports.
Soldiers shot dead a police officer and wounded several people in 
Monday's clashes.
The police officer, a new recruit, was watching the skirmishes between 
authorities and protesters when he was hit by a bullet in the chest 
fired by soldiers, according to the police.
Security and Civil Protection Minister Madifim Diane toured the most 
restive suburbs, police said, and asked senior figures in mosques to 
keep their children at home.
Military chiefs met President Lansana Conte but no details of the 
discussions were given.
Police took up positions at major crossroads and others patrolled in 
pick-up trucks to clear barricades. Warning shots could be heard and 
taxis stuck to a limited number of streets.
While Guinea has a vast mineral wealth with bauxite, iron, gold and 
uranium deposits, most of its nine million inhabitants live on less than 
a dollar a day.
Reeling from the twin effects of the financial crisis and the global 
rise in food prices, the lot of the poor has been exacerbated by 
spiralling inflation, estimated at 21.4 percent in August -- the latest 
month for which figures are available.






http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90852/6528645.html

Clash in Paraguay injures at least 14 policemen, 50 protestors

+
-
13:31, November 06, 2008


Related News

At least 14 policemen and 50 protesters were injured Wednesday during a 
clash in the capital of Paraguay, according to reports.

According to information received from Asuncion, capital of Paraguay, 
hundreds of people, mainly peasants and activists, gathered in front of 
the Prosecutor Office building, asking Ruben Candia Amarilla, the 
general prosecutor, to resign. Clashes erupted when police officers 
tried to prevent protesters from entering the building.

Demonstrations began Tuesday in seven parts of the country as protesters 
demanded reforms in judicial power and agrarian structure. The organizer 
of Wednesday's protest, the Social and People's Front, said police 
intervention was "excessive."

Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo in a short communique called the 
protest "a right of citizens and associations" that is protected by his 
government, but he also stressed that the constitutional and 
institutional order of the country could not be broken.

Lugo said his government "guarantees and reaffirms that agrarian reform, 
a electoral campaign promise, will be done" when conditions are ready.

Source:Xinhua







http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/11/02/turkey.protests/index.html?eref=rss_world

November 2, 2008

Police tear gas Kurds amid Turkey PM's tour

 From Journalist Andrew Finkel

ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN) -- Turkish police used tear gas and water cannon 
on Sunday to disperse thousands of Kurdish protesters demonstrating 
against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to Turkish media 
reports.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's tour has generated protests.

Erdogan is visiting Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast, hoping to drum 
up support for his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) ahead of 
upcoming nationwide local elections.
Turkey's southwest is largely controlled by the Kurdish nationalist 
Democratic Society Party (DTP) but Erdogan's AKP performed strongly in 
the region during the July 2007 general election.
It is unclear whether DTP will be able to participate in the upcoming 
local elections in March, which will decide local councils and 
mayorships across Turkey.
The country's public prosecutor is asking the constitutional court to 
shut down the Kurdish party on charges of fomenting separatism -- which 
could lead to the expulsion of eight DTP ministers.
DTP has ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) -- a 
separatist faction with rebels based in northern Iraq that has been 
fighting for self-rule in southeastern Turkey.
Erdogan's own party narrowly avoided being shut down by the 
constitutional court, earlier this year, although the AKP was convicted 
of violating Turkey's secular constitution.
Sunday's demonstration happened in the remote town of Yuksekova -- in 
Hakkari province along Turkey's border with Iran and Iraq -- in front of 
the DTP's headquarters, Turkish media reported.
It is the second day of sporadic protests against Erdogan in the Kurdish 
dominated region.
Don't Miss
• Turkish warplanes bomb Kurd rebel bases
An explosion struck AKP's provincial headquarters in the town of Hakkari 
on Saturday, injuring two people, according to Zaman Newspaper. Also, 
police on Saturday clashed with stone-throwing demonstrators in Van, two 
blocks away from where Erdogan addressed a crowd of supporters, 
according to Turkey's Anatolian news agency.
Demonstrations also continue throughout the region in praise of the 
outlawed PKK and its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan.
Ocalan was tried and convicted on charges of treason in 1999. The 
Turkish government has staunchly denied recent claims that Ocalan has 
been physically abused while he is in solitary confinement on the prison 
island of Imrali.
There have been sit down protests in the center of Diyarbakir -- the 
main city in Turkey's Kurdish region. Police in Istanbul are on high 
alert on Sunday amid possible protest plans in the main Taksim Square, 
according to Turkish media.
Some commentators see the renewed protests as an attempt -- possibly by 
the PKK -- to polarize opinion ahead of the local elections.






http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7705293.stm

Sunday, 2 November 2008
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Kurdish protests at Erdogan visit
Turkish police have clashed with demonstrators protesting against a 
visit by PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the country's restive south-east 
region.
About 3,000 people took to the streets in the town of Yuksekova in 
Hakkari province, close to the Iraqi border.
Teargas was used to disperse another protest in Istanbul, where about 27 
people were arrested, say reports.
Mr Erdogan has called for unity and pledged funding to develop the 
impoverished region.
"Let us protect our peace and stand united," he said, during a ceremony 
to open a new hospital in Yuksekova.
"If we increase our solidarity, we will also increase our development."
Recent weeks have seen a series of protests in the mainly Kurdish 
south-east of Turkey.
Unrest broke out amid rumours that a leader of the rebel group PKK, 
Abdullah Ocalan, had been mistreated in prison - claims strongly denied 
by the government.
The PKK has been fighting for autonomy in the south-east for over two 
decades and has stepped up its attacks in Turkey.
The Turkish government has also intensified its campaign against the PKK 
in recent weeks.







http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=157680

Violence discredits DTP’s attempts at peaceful protest

The Democratic Society Party (DTP) is trying to show that it is ready to 
hold peaceful demonstrations, but it's not giving up vandalism -- a 
dichotomy represented Saturday by the party's simultaneous sit-in 
protest in Diyarbakır and supporters' attacks in Van.

Protestors attacked police and stores with stones and Molotov cocktails 
and set five vehicles on fire on Saturday in the eastern province of 
Van, where Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid a visit.
The DTP, while holding a sit-in protest in Diyarbakır, urged its 
supporters to protest Erdoğan's visit to Van. At the Diyarbakır protest, 
DTP deputy Emine Ayna claimed that they were not the ones implementing 
violence; instead, she said, their legitimate demands were terrorized. 
In the same speech, she claimed that the ruling Justice and Development 
Party (AK Party) presented the DTP as violent.
The DTP is facing a closure case before the Constitutional Court on 
charges of being the focus of separatist activities. DTP officials are 
defending their party by saying that the EU's Venice criteria should be 
taken into consideration. The Venice criteria suggest that in order to 
close a political party, there should be an imminent danger of violence.
DTP leader Ahmet Türk, who was unable to attend the sit-in protest in 
Diyarbakır on Sunday because he missed the plane, told Today's Zaman 
that the sit-in protest should be seen as evidence that the Kurdish 
problem cannot be settled without "dialogue, consensus and common sense."
Türk said he was disturbed about the recent incidents, which broke out 
in the Southeast, as he added: "We keep saying that using weapons as a 
means to obtain rights is not right." The DTP leader urged the 
government to develop a democratic project in order to prevent such 
incidents from happening.
Emphasizing that he disapproved of violent protests held by DTP 
supporters in the Southeast, Türk said: "Democratic reactions should be 
given through democratic messages. But indifference sometimes leads to 
anger. The prime minister talks about abandoning weapons in Van and says 
consensus and dialogue are the solutions to the problem. For years, we 
have been saying the same thing."
The former chairman of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, Sezgin Tanrıkulu, 
said that it is difficult to understand what the DTP is trying to do.
"The DTP encouraged the protest demonstration, and then the participants 
burned cars and got violent. If it wants, the prosecution can link the 
incidents in Van to the closure case for its indictment," Tanrıkulu 
said. He said the violence, especially in the cities, is not helping to 
find a solution to Kurdish problems.
"It is very unfortunate to react in this way," he said.
At the sit-in protest, DTP Diyarbakır deputy Akın Birdal suggested that 
Erdoğan is responsible for the incidents in Van.
"Without taking a step toward a solution in Ankara, to come to this 
region is not politically correct. If he were taking steps toward a 
pluralistic constitution, he would have the security for free 
circulation," said Birdal, who is the former chairman of the Human 
Rights Association.
He said that during the Nevruz events this year in Van and Hakkari, 
police and demonstrators clashed, four were killed and several were 
wounded.
"The government, instead of punishing the ones who used excessive force 
against the people, were not punished and promoted," Birdal said. "In 
people's memories, the scenes from those days are very fresh, while the 
security forces were attacking people, children and women. The real 
reason for people's reaction should be understood."
Türk said that settling the Kurdish problem requires the Kurds' winning 
their cultural, identity and education rights.
"We know how everyone expresses their identity and culture in today's 
world and what kind of rights they have. The esteemed prime minister 
also knows about this," Türk said. "We do not want a different thing; we 
ask them to find formulas that will solve the problem within the unity 
of the state and grant cultural, identity and education rights of our 
citizens. We believe in the brotherhood of people. We are making efforts 
to live together."






http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=157660

A sit-in protest while dancing


The DTP's sit-in protest, which started on Saturday and is expected to 
last until today, involved more dancing and performing the halay around 
a fire than sitting.
"Please be seated. Please be patient, we will be here for two days, we 
will be here until Monday morning," Nejdet Atalay, the chairman of the 
Diyarbakır branch of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) said while 
addressing the crowd who gathered in Diyarbakır's Batıkent Park on 
Saturday morning for a two-day sit-in protest, demanding a peaceful 
solution to the Kurdish question.
DTP deputy Emine Ayna, in her speech to demonstrators at the beginning 
of the protest, claimed that the DTP is the party of peace, and said 
that the DTP had been the victim of a smear campaign and presented as a 
party of violence by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
The pro-Kurdish political platform has been under constant criticism for 
being unable to put space between itself and violence. The DTP's refusal 
to denounce the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is one of the 
most important reasons behind the closure case it faces in the 
Constitutional Court. The indictment the DTP is fighting claims that the 
party has become the focus of separatist actions.
Criticism against pro-Kurdish politics has recently been stepped up as a 
result of the appearance of children at the frontlines of clashes with 
state security forces during violent demonstrations during the last two 
weeks. Tension in predominantly Kurdish areas erupted after abuse was 
rumored of Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the PKK, who is serving a life 
sentence on maximum-security prison on İmralı Island in the Marmara Sea. 
During these demonstrations, one protestor was killed, more than 200 
children were detained and several of them were arrested.
"We condemn the distortions of politicians who are encouraging harsh 
reactions from the security forces towards us while we are searching for 
democracy," Ayna said in her speech. She is known as a radical in the 
DTP, and she is resolute in her refusal to use the term of "terrorist" 
for the PKK. "Our legitimate struggle and humanitarian demands are 
terrorized by distortion," she said and protested the alleged abuse of 
Öcalan.
While Ayna was giving this speech in Diyarbakır, violent demonstrations 
were erupting in Van to protesting a visit by the prime minister to the 
predominantly Kurdish city.
Hasip Kaplan, DTP deputy for Şırnak, who has frequently suggested 
holding peaceful demonstrations, including a sit-in protest in 
Parliament, is among the protesters in Diyarbakır and changes his 
sitting position every few seconds. He turns to a protestor sitting next 
to him, Osman Baydemir, the mayor of Diyarbakır, and says: "This is the 
most difficult method of demonstration for us. We used to protest things 
with shouting and "halay" (a folk dance)."
Baydemir smiles and says, "For a long time, I have not had the 
opportunity to rest like I did today," but before he has a chance to 
finish his sentence, someone approaches him and asks him about the 
library which has not yet been opened. Kaplan turns to Baydemir and 
again and asks: "Do you know of any sit-in protest of politicians which 
has been as long as ours? Maybe be can enter the Guinness Book of World 
Records."
The answer comes from not Baydemir, but another protestor, "Gandhi." 
Then a moment of silence covers the huge tent where the demonstrators 
are sitting on tiny carpets.
"These types of demonstrations are very important since they are 
non-violent. This is the first sit-in protest arranged by pro-Kurdish 
politicians," says Kaplan.
Kaplan underlines the fact that the positioning of children was taken 
into consideration when they took the decision to hold a protest. Almost 
40 percent of the population in predominantly Kurdish areas are 
children, and in the children are not only there taking part in the 
demonstration itself; they are also shouting political slogans or 
selling water and sandwiches to the protestors.
The most frequent slogan one can hear is "The youth are the fedayeen 
[those who are ready to sacrifice themselves] of Apo [the nickname of 
Öcalan]."
The youngsters have some difficulty keeping still, often breaking into 
the halay dances, or covering their faces with scarves, or unfurling PKK 
flags and walking with them towards the sitting crowd. The adults, 
chatting with each other, using the protest as an opportunity to 
socialize, move just slightly to make room for the children waving the 
PKK flags.
One of them who looks no older than 14 but says he is 16, carefully 
watches me and approaches me, while I am writing down the slogans of the 
banners in my notebook: "We've had enough. We want a democratic solution 
to the Kurdish question." A banner has a sentence in Turkish and another 
sentence in Kurdish. The boy asks me why I am only scribbling down the 
Turkish one in my notebook. I tell him it's because I don't understand 
Kurdish. He stares at me for short moment and tells me, "But I know your 
language."
The demonstrators are wearing white shirts which carry the same slogan 
in Turkish on one side and Kurdish on the other. A printing shop 
opposite the park where the demonstration is taking place is hanging the 
fresh shirts outside to dry the ink on them. When the shirts are ready, 
they are carried to the demonstration area to be distributed by youngsters.
The demonstration looks like a social event in a sunny day than a 
political demonstration because many participants are not sitting, but 
dancing, chatting or shouting slogans from time to time. The 
demonstration is definitely a peaceful one, but Atalay complains that 
state security forces frequently call him and warn him about the slogans 
in the demonstration.
Ayla Akat Ata, DTP deputy for Batman, has another complaint, she 
believes that the sit-in protest in Diyarbakır does not have news value 
to the media, who are, in her opinion, very harsh when it comes to being 
critical of other pro-Kurdish demonstrations. "They will not use this 
sit-in protest to inform the public about what the Kurds want," she argues.
For the deputies of the DTP and for other elected party officials, the 
sit in protest is a good opportunity to meet with their electorate. DTP 
deputies Sırrı Sakık, Osman Özçelik and Emine Ayna, if they are not 
joining in the halay dances, are listening to the problems of the 
people. The small groups of protesters talk about many issues if there 
is no politician beside them, such as football, recipes and the economy. 
The DTP's sit-in protest planned to finish Monday morning with a 
declaration of ideas towards a peaceful solution. But when Ata is 
questioned if these kinds of peaceful protests from now on will be the 
main demonstration form, she is hesitant to answer:
"The executive board and the leadership of our party will decide on 
that," she says, but her words are mixed with sounds of guns which 
accompany the chorus of the most frequently played song in the 
demonstration. The "guerilla" song of the sit-in protest invites the 
youngsters to the mountains.
03 November 2008, Monday

AYŞE KARABAT DİYARBAKIR








http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7705293.stm

Sunday, 2 November 2008
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Kurdish protests at Erdogan visit
PKK and police clash in Istanbul and Yuksekova
Turkish police have clashed with demonstrators protesting against a 
visit by PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the country's restive south-east 
region.
About 3,000 people took to the streets in the town of Yuksekova in 
Hakkari province, close to the Iraqi border.
Teargas was used to disperse another protest in Istanbul, where about 27 
people were arrested, say reports.
Mr Erdogan has called for unity and pledged funding to develop the 
impoverished region.
"Let us protect our peace and stand united," he said, during a ceremony 
to open a new hospital in Yuksekova.
"If we increase our solidarity, we will also increase our development."
Recent weeks have seen a series of protests in the mainly Kurdish 
south-east of Turkey.
Unrest broke out amid rumours that a leader of the rebel group PKK, 
Abdullah Ocalan, had been mistreated in prison - claims strongly denied 
by the government.
The PKK has been fighting for autonomy in the south-east for over two 
decades and has stepped up its attacks in Turkey.
The Turkish government has also intensified its campaign against the PKK 
in recent weeks.







http://www.breitbart.com/image.php?id=iafp081101210749.ogatbwfhp1&show_article=1

Turkish riot police clash with a demonstrator in the eastern Turkish 
city of Van

Turkish riot police clash with a demonstrator in the eastern Turkish 
city of Van. Hundreds of Kurds rioted Saturday in eastern Turkey and a 
suspected bomb blast rocked the offices of the ruling party as Prime 
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the conflict-torn region.