[Onthebarricades] Ethnoreligious and miscellaneous protests, November 2008

[global resistance roundup]

Ethno-religious group protests and clashes, politically dubious protests 
and some that don't fit elsewhere

* US: "God Hates Signs" counterprotest
* EGYPT: Vicious attack on Copts over church extension
* INDIA: Kerala - Islamists protest against worker blockade
* UK: Congestion charge protest
* INDIA: Ghaziabad rich protest jeweller's murder
* CROATIA: Anti-violence youth concert
* ASSAM - INDIA: Blasts protested
* TRINIDAD: Protest over pupil safety
* BANGLADESH: Unrest after trader dies
* INDIA: Lucknow - Hindu communalists protest bomb "framing"
* INDIA: Patna - Protest over ransom kidnapping
* MEXICO: Tijuana - Protest against killings, kidnappings
* INDIA: Orissa - Hindy groups protest "inaction"
* INDIA: Orissa - Hare Krishnas protest car festival
* BRAZIL: Loggers protest, ransack offices over Amazon crackdown
* INDIA: Kerala - NGOs protest alcohol, drugs, terrorism
* US: Talladega - Stop the violence protest
* ARMENIA: Protest against Karabakh concessions
* AZERBAIJAN/SWEDEN: Armenian visit to Sweden protested
* ISRAEL: Ultra-Orthodox groups disrupt voting
* ISRAEL: Shalit protesters close Gaza border
* ISRAEL: Religious schools protest Sabbath march
* ISRAEL: Ashkelon residents protest Gaza rockets
* TURKEY: Stockbrokers protest new system, fear losing jobs
* EGYPT: Political office torched in factional clashes
* INDIA: Shopper camps in store over delivery delay
* INDIA - GORKHALAND: Protests over alleged secret meeting
* US: Tax protest
* EGYPT: Protest over Gaza smuggling, fuel shortages
* ROMANIA: Police demand pay rise
* ITALY: Alitalia creditors protest
* INDIA: Hindus target supermodel over Kali costume
* INDIA: Mumbai attacks spark wave of protests, some communalist, some 
anti-Pakistan
* TURKEY: Anti-Kurdish protests at election event
* NIGERIA: Hundreds dead in Christian-Muslim pogroms
* BANGLADESH: Student group clashes
* COTE D'IVOIRE: Youths attack convoy over refugee return
* BANGLADESH: Two injured in nominations clash
* NEPAL - TERAI: Locals, Madheshi activists clash
* BANGLADESH: Violent land clash kills 1
* YEMEN: Pro-, anti-regime "tribes" clash
* KENYA: Six feared dead in cattle raiding dispute
* BANGLADESH: One dead in fishing clash
* UGANDA: Traders clash at market
* INDIA: Puducherry - Protest demands capture of "real culprits" in blasts
* MOZAMBIQUE: Election prompts clashes between rival groups
* BANGLADESH: Councillor killed in land clash
* BANGLADESH: Injuries in university faction clash
* NIGERIA: Ilorin - 1 dead in land dispute
* BANGLADESH: More student group clashes
* PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Women kill male babies in protest over inter-group 
warfare
* LIBERIA: Screws protest for salaries
* SERBIA: Reservists protest for Kosova War salaries
* INDIA: Group clashes newsclippings






http://www.boingboing.net/2008/10/29/god-hates-signs-prot.html

God Hates Signs protest waged against Westboro Baptist Church
Posted by Mark Frauenfelder, October 29, 2008 5:27 PM | permalink
The ladies and gentleman at Westboro Baptist Church -- who enjoy 
disrupting memorial services for soldiers killed in battle with their 
hateful homophobic tantrums -- seem unhappy about this dada-style "God 
Hates Signs" counter protest campaign. (Photo by Burstein)







http://www.christianpersecution.info/news/-thousands-protest-vandalize-church-17223/

Egypt: Thousands Protest, Vandalize Church
Added: Nov 27th, 2008 5:30 AM
At least five hurt as rioters stone, burn structure after inauguration 
of extension.

ISTANBUL, November 26 (Compass Direct News) -- Thousands of Muslim 
protesters on Sunday (Nov. 23) attacked a Coptic church in a suburb of 
Cairo, Egypt, burning part of it, a nearby shop and two cars and leaving 
five people injured.

Objecting to a newly constructed extension to the Coptic church of St. 
Mary and Anba Abraam in Ain Shams, the huge crowd of angry protestors 
gathered outside the church at around 5 p.m. following a consecration 
service for the addition earlier that day.

Chanting, “We will demolish the church,” “Islam is the solution” and “No 
God but Allah,” according to Helmy Guirguis, president of the U.K. 
Coptic Association, rioters pelted the church with stones and burned 
part of the structure; priests and worshipers were trapped inside, and 
five people were injured.

“It was a terrifying moment,” said lawyer Nabil Gobrayel, who was inside 
the church at the time. “They were shouting ‘holy slogans’ like, ‘We 
will bring the church down,’, ‘The priest is dead’ and ‘The army of 
Muhammad is coming.’”

Police slow to arrive were not prepared for the scale of the protest. 
Angry Muslims swarmed to the area from a two-kilometer radius, and 
although estimates varied, some suggested as many as 8,000 people gathered.

Rioters’ stones broke the structure’s windows, and a nearby shop and two 
cars belonging to Christians were set on fire.

Reinforcements for the overwhelmed security forces did not arrive until 
two hours later and were then engaged in clashes with the mob until the 
early hours of Monday (Nov. 24) morning.

Armored vehicles brought in riot police, who used tear gas to disperse 
the crowd while fire services aided their efforts with water cannons.

A United Copts of Great Britain statement suggested that police were 
slow to arrest perpetrators in the early stages of the demonstration but 
did eventually detain 41 people around midnight.

Of the 38 Muslims arrested, 30 were quickly released “under the pretext 
of being minors,” according to the United Copts statement. Three 
arrested Christians, however, remained in prison without charges.

United Copts also reported that Wael Tahoon, a police officer, was said 
to be involved in instigating the attacks.

A source told Compass that Pope Shenouda, head of The Holy Synod of the 
Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, ordered that prayers at the 
church site be stopped.

According to Gobrayel, the church will be closed for two months while 
officials consider its future.

Opposition from Outset

The newly constructed extension stands on the site of an old factory 
that was demolished 18 months ago, when the land was purchased using 
funds raised by donations from the congregation.

When building began, church members were surprised to find that 
construction of a mosque also started just across the street.

During construction of the church addition, Muslim radicals insulted and 
harassed workers, issuing death threats and urinating on the structure’s 
walls.

At 10 a.m. on Sunday (Nov. 23), the morning of the consecration service, 
the adjacent mosque began broadcasting verses from the Quran at high volume.

According to witnesses, the imam of the mosque justified the unusual 
broadcasts by saying that they were in celebration of the Muslim 
festival of Eid. Christians said this would be highly irregular, 
however, with area parishioners maintaining it was done to provoke them.

Government Role

Church leaders had obtained the necessary permits for building the 
extension, Coptic leaders said, but protestors said the addition was not 
licensed for prayer and worship.

Christians have found obtaining church building permits from Egyptian 
authorities rife with obstacles, with many applications never granted.

“The National Assembly cannot make a decision for 15 years about 
building projects for churches,” said lawyer Naguib Gobrail. “Every time 
they say, ‘This session we can discuss this project,’ but the session 
ends and we see nothing. Everything is only a promise.”

In a recent editorial, Youssef Sidhom, editor-in-chief of Egyptian 
weekly Watani, addressed the inequality of regulations that govern the 
building of places of worship.

“It now appears obvious that the government has no intention whatsoever 
of placing the long-awaited bill for a unified law for building places 
of worship on its agenda,” he wrote. “For four consecutive rounds [of 
Parliament], the bill has remained shelved despite the need for it to 
ward off so called sectarian problems that erupt every so often.”

Wedding Violence

Advocacy group Voice of the Copts issued a report on Monday (Nov. 24) 
that, a day before the attack on St. Mary and Anba Abraam, Muslim 
radicals ambushed a wedding party at a church just 10 minutes away.

A man and woman interrupted the ceremony shouting obscene remarks, 
according to Voice of the Copts, and when angered wedding guests ushered 
them outside, the Copts were set upon by a gang of people waiting in a 
shop across the road. Two were severely injured.

While Christians account for varying estimates of 10 to 15 percent of 
Egypt’s population and date back to the first century of the faith, 
churches are still seen as foreign bodies and, in the words of the Ain 
Shams rioters, an “infidel’s worship house in an Islamic Land.”






http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1444588.php/Muslims_Christians_and_police_clash_in_Cairo_

Muslims, Christians and police clash in Cairo
Middle East News
Nov 23, 2008, 22:40 GMT
Cairo - A clash between Muslims, Christians and the police in the 
Egyptian capital of Cairo late Sunday resulted in injuries and multiple 
arrests of members of both groups, eyewitnesses and authorities said.
Hundreds of Muslims gathered after evening prayers in a Cairo 
neighbourhood to protest that Christians in the area had gathered to 
pray in a parish hall. Violence broke out between the group and police 
then intervened, eyewitnesses said.
Security sources said eight people were injured, while eyewitnesses 
spoke of dozens hurt.
Similar confrontations have occurred in the Egyptian provinces. 
Conflicts between the religions in Cairo have mostly involved instances 
in which Muslims have converted to Christianity.
In Egypt, difficulties receiving state authorization to build a new 
church have caused many Christians to instead meet in parish halls or 
other venues.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/02/stories/2008110251590300.htm

Sunday Nov 2nd 2008

Kerala - Pathanamthitta

Chengara: SYM protesters caned
Staff Reporter
Miscreants damage vehicles
________________________________________
10 SYM workers, 5 policemen sustained minor injuries
Protesters halted ahead of the
police picket
________________________________________
PATHANAMTHITTA: The Chengara-bound anti-road blockade march by workers 
of the Solidarity Youth Movement (SYM), youth wing of the 
Jamaat-e-Islami, ended in a minor lathicharge at Konnappara, near 
Chengara, on Saturday.
As many as 1,500 SYM workers from different parts of the State 
congregated at Payyanamon, near Konni, in the morning as part of 
Saturday’s march.
According to SYM leaders, the march was in protest against the 
three-month-old road blockade by plantation workers under the banner of 
the Joint Trade Union Action Council at Athumabamkulam, near Chengara, 
denying entry to all visitors, including medical teams, to the Kumbazha 
Estate.
The march was led by SYM State president P. Mujeeb Rahman, general 
secretary K.A. Shafeeque, Jamaat-e-Islami political cell secretary Abdul 
Hameed Vanimel and Students Islamic Organisation State secretary 
Muhammed Aslam.
Violent turn
The march took a violent turn when a group of protesters tried to sneak 
through the police cordon while making way for two vehicles carrying a 
marriage party.
The police party led by Dy.S.Ps Sabu P. Idiculla and M.S. Najeeb 
resorted to a minor lathicharge in an effort to check the protesters 
from proceeding to Chengara.
As many as 10 SYM workers and five policemen, including Mr. Idiculla, 
sustained minor injuries in the scuffle.
The police force was not sufficient to prevent the protesters from 
advancing a few metres on the Athumabamkulam Road.
Self-restraint
However, the protesters showed self-restraint and halted a few metres 
ahead of the police picket at Konnappara and staged a sit-in on the road 
for about an hour, raising slogans against the government, Harrisons 
Malayalam Limited and the trade unions.
Mr. Rahman inaugurated the sit-in. He warned the government of 
intensifying the agitation if it failed to resolve the Chengara issue 
without any further delay.
The SYM leader said that denial of food and medicine to hundreds of 
landless people who were on an agitation course for land was not 
befitting a democratically-elected government.
Vilayodi Venugopal of the Plachimada Action Council, SUCI district 
secretary S. Rajeevan and Francis Kulathumkal of the Moolampally 
Coordination Committee were among those who spoke at the time.
District Superintendent of Police K.K. Chellapan too reached the spot 
and as many as 80 protesters were arrested.
Meanwhile, windowpanes of the vehicles that had brought SYM workers from 
Kasaragod, Malappuram, Kozhikode and other parts of the State, which 
parked on the roadside, were smashed by unidentified miscreants.
Press conference
Addressing a press conference at the Pathanamthitta Press Club later, 
Mr. Rahman called for stern action against those who damaged the vehicles.
He said that ten buses, two cars and two jeeps were badly damaged in the 
attack by trade union activists and goonda elements attached to the 
estate owners.
‘Heathen attitude’
He alleged that both the police and trade unions had adopted a heathen 
attitude towards the landless people staging agitation for land at 
Chengara. Mr. Rahman said SYM would stage protest marches across the 
State against the attack.






http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1079741_onechicken_ccharge_protest?rss=yes

One-chicken C-charge protest
Dean Kirby
November 14, 2008
A CHICKEN plucked up the courage to cross the road to urge drivers to 
vote against Greater Manchester's transport referendum.
He cried 'fowl' at proposals for a congestion charge and strutted his 
stuff in Regent Road, Salford, wearing a sign that said Vote No to the 
Toll Tax.
Drivers looked baffled as the anti-charge protester, who gave his name 
as Colonel Kevin Peel Saunders, handed them leaflets dressed in a fancy 
dress chicken costume.
City centre insurance worker 'Kevin', 45, from Worsley, said: "I feel a 
bit cooped up in this outfit, but it's been worthwhile because the 
leaflets have just flown out of my hands.
"A lot of drivers have honked their horns. They know that, when the 
charge comes in, they'll be taxed for going to work. I'm just an average 
guy. It's one man against the system. But I do believe we can stop this."
He added: "I had the run of the road, but I wouldn't have to pay the 
charge anyway - because I'm a chicken. At least nobody told me to get 
stuffed."
The chicken stunt, daringly close to a fast-food chicken restaurant, was 
in support of protest group Manchester Against Road Tolls. Sean Corker, 
from the group, said: "We believe the Congestion Charge scheme is a 
turkey and nobody should support it in the run up to Christmas."
Protesters are campaigning for a 'no' vote in Greater Manchester's 
transport referendum. People will vote in a postal ballot in December on 
whether to accept the proposals. Voting papers are due to go out at the 
end of this month, with a voting deadline of December 11.
The bid would see more than £2.75bn ploughed into transport schemes, 
including £318m to set up a peak hour, weekday-only congestion charge. 
Some £1.2bn of the total would be in the form of a loan, paid back over 
30 years out of profits from the charge.






http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=428794

Well-heeled Ghaziabad residents protest jeweller's murder
________________________________________

IANS Tuesday 11th November, 2008
Residents of upscale housing societies here staged a demonstration 
outside a police station Tuesday to protest the lack of security 
following the murder of a jeweller, who was robbed of Rs.2 million.

Sanjiv Kumar Tiwari, who was part of the protest outside Indirapuram 
police station here, said in last 12 days, two major crime incidents 
have taken place in Richmond Park locality.

'Two major crime incidents of burglary and shooting have also taken 
place in the nearby India Today society,' said Tiwari, a senior lecturer 
at Maharaja Agrasen College at Delhi.

He alleged that Indirapuram station officer Ashutosh Gautam spoke rudely.

Tiwari said: 'In his address, he (Gautam) said it would take about a 
week to tackle the crime.'

Four unidentified armed men robbed jewellery worth Rs.2 million from a 
jewellery shop and shot dead the owner Amit Gupta when he resisted.

The incident occurred Monday at Shri Ram Jewellers, located at Reliable 
City Centre Market in sector-6 Vasundhara residential locality of Ghaziabad.

Family members said at about 11.00 a.m. four men armed with pistols, on 
two black Pulsar motorcycles, came to the shop.

Three robbers, posing as buyers, entered the showroom and asked to be 
shown jewellery which had to be given as gift to their sister on her 
marriage.

Meanwhile, one of their accomplices spoke to the jeweller's brother Anil 
Gupta at his mobile shop which is adjacent. He too said that he wanted 
to buy a mobile phone for his sister.

'When Amit displayed several jewellery sets, one of the robbers 
collected all the jewellery from the table and put it in his bag and 
started to flee. When Amit resisted, one of the robbers shot him in the 
abdomen,' said Anil.

'We are checking bikers and teams have been constituted to nab the 
robbers. Richmond Park is an elite society in Vasundhara where the two 
brothers lived with their families. We will strengthen the security 
measures here,' said Vijay Bhushan, superintendent of police city.






http://see.oneworldsee.org/article/view/151551/1/3194

Protest Concert against Youth Violence
Dejan Georgievski

11 November 2008
Last Friday, November 7, several thousands of young people gathered at 
the Ban Jelačić Square in Zagreb, at the protest concert against youth 
violence. The concert, Everybody Has the Right to Live, was dedicated to 
Luka Ritz, a teenager who was beaten to death by a group of other teens 
who tried to rob him of his mobile phone and couple of pennies.

After the medical intervention, he was released from the hospital and 
died of the consequences of the beating 12 days later. The police 
apprehended the five assailants after a huge investigation that covered 
over 1,500 people considered possible suspects.

Recently, a award was established, named after Luka Ritz, which will be 
given to high schools and students in recognition to their achievements 
in promotion of tolerance and non-violence.

Under the sponsorship of the City of Zagreb, all of Luka`s favourite 
bands played at the concert - Psihomodo Pop, Majke, Gatuzo, Adastra – 
including his own band Shangri La. The concert was initiated by Jeronim 
Marić, Adastra`s front-man, whose own song Surovi grade (Rude city) 
speaks of the problem of street violence.

Students from the Ritz`s highschool presented an exhibition of their 
works on the subject of youth violence on the square.

A great number of public personalities and political and social 
celebrities appeared at the concert.






http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-44130.html

Thousands protest Assam blasts on Guwahati streets
Guwahati, Nov 11 : Thousands of people, including students and youths, 
participated in a huge rally in capital Guwahati today to protest the 
30/10 serial blasts and express solidarity with the victims and their 
families.
The ‘Gana Samavesh’, organized by the All Assam Students Union (AASU), 
witnessed mass response from people from all walks of life.

Thousands of people participated in the rally spontaneously as the 
three-km long procession marched through the streets.

Traffic came to a standstill at the heart of the city during the 
afternoon hours, but people were hardly complaining as they rendered all 
support to this united display of anguish against the perpetrators of 
the blasts.

AASU leaders Dr Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharyya, Tapan Gogoi and Shanker 
Rai led the rally, with various clubs and women groups also 
participating under the AASU banner.

The state had not witnessed such massive participation in public rallies 
since the 'Assam Agitation' days when people used to come out in hordes 
spontaneously.

The entire state had been witnessing protests ever since the October 30 
bombings in Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Barpeta Road and Bongaigaon which left 
85 dead so far.
--- UNI






http://archive.gulfnews.com/world/India/10256633.html

Protests against deadly bombings bring India's Assam to a halt
Agencies
Published: November 03, 2008, 13:22
Guwahati: A strike to protest against bombings that killed 82 people in 
India's troubled Assam state last week shut down the region on Monday, 
police said, with angry Indians blaming illegal Bangladeshi migrants.

Protesters marched through the streets of Guwahati, where 43 people died 
on Thursday when three bombs went off within minutes.

A little-known Islamist group has claimed responsibility for Thursday's 
serial blasts in the tea- and oil-producing state, the worst strike in 
the troubled region that also wounded 300 people.

Police suspect that Islamist militants working with separatists in Assam 
were behind the bombings.

Several students' groups called the day-long strike across the state, 
demanding a crackdown on illegal settlers.

"We are going to intensify our campaign to drive out Bangladeshis from 
the region," said Samujjal Bhattacharjee of the Northeast Students 
Organisation.

"We also appeal to people to free our society from these elements who 
are the real cause of terror."

Police said they arrested 50 protesters.

The Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, India's main opposition, 
has also criticised the government for not doing enough to stop 
Bangladeshi nationals from crossing over to India.

India's home ministry says up to 20 million Bangladeshis live in India 
illegally.

At least 10 Muslims, mostly Bangladeshis, have been detained for 
suspected links with the Assam bombers, police said.





http://www.thetobagonews.com/index.pl/article?id=19798714

Parents, pupils protest for second time in three weeks
Friday, November 28th 2008

A handful of parents turned out to protest about the lack of security at 
the Signal Hill Secondary School.

A small number of parents of pupils attending the Signal Hill Secondary 
Comprehensive School staged a protest for the second time in three weeks 
citing a lack of concern by personnel at the Education Division to 
ensure the safety of their children.
While they admitted the Division of Education promised relief in terms 
of security measures being put in place, parents said promises were not 
enough. They said they wanted action.
Some parents said the authorities should not play political games, while 
the interest of their children was being swept by the way side.
"I am very upset. I have a child coming to this school, I was also a 
student at this school and activities, which are going on here are very 
upsetting. In terms of other children students are coming into the 
school compound with cutlasses and knives and so forth to attack other 
children," Ian Baynes said.
"I am totally fed up of the situation going on at the school it is not 
through the front gate that the person passes with the cutlass, but at 
the back and we need our fence now. We need security for our children, 
teachers and everyone who works on the compound. We are going to do this 
until we are satisfied with the Division of Education" Virginia Campbell 
said.
Teachers at the Signal Hill Secondary Comprehensive School boycotted 
classes at the on November 5 following which promises were made by 
Education Secretary Claudia Groome-Duke that security measures would be 
implemented, some of which included a security wall and surveillance 
cameras which were being installed.
Groome-Duke met with TTUTA and PTA representatives on Monday to inform 
stakeholders about a proposal for security measures in schools, as well 
as administrative and management matters that would impact on the 
situation to create a safe environment.
Groome-Duke said security measures at the Signal Hill school were part 
of talks with stakeholders and quotations from various security firms 
have been received.







http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=63025

Published On: 2008-11-12
Metropolitan
Injured Trader Dies
Violent protest at Kachukhet
Staff Correspondent

Local people put up a barricade on the road at Kachukhet in the city's 
Kafrul area and damaged several vehicles last night in protest against 
the killing of an oil trader.

Oil trader Nabiruddin, 38, owner of Nirala Tel Ghar at Rajanigandha 
Super Market at Kachukhet, who was shot on Sunday succumbed to his 
injuries at the City Hospital at Mohammadpur yesterday morning.

Local people went berserk after his body was brought to the area at 
about 7:15pm.

Witnesses said the traders of Rajanigandha Super Market as well as local 
people took to the street and started vandalising vehicles. They also 
put up a barricade on the road for over one hour.

Armed extortionists shot Nabiruddin as he refused to pay toll to the 
members of Shahin Shikder group. Anwar Hossain, deputy commissioner of 
Mirpur zone, told The Daily Star, "The police arrested a killer, Murgi 
Kawsar, who confessed to his involvement in the murder."






http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/hindu-group-holds-protests-in-lucknow_100120180.html

Hindu group holds protests in Lucknow
November 17th, 2008 - 6:47 pm ICT by IANS -
Lucknow, Nov 17 (IANS) A group of Hindu sadhus from Uttar Pradesh Monday 
staged a demonstration at the assembly complex here, accusing the 
Congress party of “framing” a number of them in a case of terrorist 
attack.The demonstration was held under the banner of the Akhil Bhratiya 
Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM), which also decided to present a memorandum to 
the prime minister against the the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the 
Maharashtra police.
“Besides Hindu sadhus, the congress-led UPA (United Progressive 
Alliance) government is also flasely framing Hindu army officials for 
political benefits. This is being done to divert the attention away from 
the Islamic militancy that the country is facing for the past two and a 
half decades,” state ABHM head Mahant Narayan Giri said.
Sadhvi Divya Giri of the Mankameshwar temple, Lucknow, accused the ATS 
of “mentally harrasing” Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, a prime accused in 
the Malegaon blast case.
“Not even a terrorist in the country has been subjected to repeated 
narco-analysis tests as the ATS has been doing with Pragya. This is a 
conspiracy of the government to woo the Muslim voters,” said Divya, who 
says she and Pragya are disciples of the same guru.
Mahant Giri added: “We also demand that the millions of Bangladeshis, 
who are living illegally in various parts of the country, should be 
driven out of here as they are one of the root causes of the increased 
terror activities in the country.”
Sadhvi Pragya and nine others have been in the ATS custody for their 
alleged role in the Sep 29 bomb blast in the Maharashtra town of 
Malegaon that claimed six lives.







http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Patna/Students_kidnap_triggers_protest/articleshow/3704594.cms

Student's kidnap triggers protest
12 Nov 2008, 1554 hrs IST, IANS

PATNA: Residents of Darbhanga district in Bihar took to the streets 
after a 14-year-old boy was kidnapped at gunpoint Wednesday morning, 
police said.

Rupam Kumar, a class 12 student, was kidnapped on his way to school in 
Darbhanga, about 200 km from here. He is a student of DAV Public School.

Kumar, the son of a businessman, is feared to have been kidnapped for 
ransom.

The residents protested after the news of the kidnap sent shock waves in 
Darbhanga. They demanded that the police recover Kumar safely.

Darbhanga Superintendent of Police Pankaj Darad said: "The police have 
swung into action. All roads that lead to the city's outskirts have been 
sealed and a search operation is on. We are hopeful that we will recover 
the child soon."






http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,452807,00.html

Demonstrators Protest Wave of Violence, Murders in Tijuana
Sunday, November 16, 2008 | FoxNews.com
AP
Nov. 15: Citizens march during a protest against the tide of killings, 
kidnappings and shootouts in Tijuana, Mexico.

TIJUANA, Mexico — More than 1,500 demonstrators marched through the 
violence-plagued border city of Tijuana on Saturday to protest the 
current of killings and kidnappings.
Among the protesters, doctors marched in white hospital garb to protest 
the general climate of violence and the kidnapping of a urologist in 
early November. The march was organized by the Civic Medical Committee.
Participants carried placards reading "God Save Us." Many dressed in 
white, in a gesture of peace, and delivered a petition at local 
government headquarters asking for greater anti-crime efforts.
But the killing continued in the Mexican border city across from San Diego.
Two people were shot to death Saturday at a Tijuana taco restaurant.
Prosecutors in Baja California state, where Tijuana is located, said two 
other people were wounded in the restaurant shooting, which apparently 
involved assault rifles.
Another man was shot to death at a pool hall, and two men were found 
shot to death on a street.
While prosecutors offered no immediate motive in the attacks, Tijuana 
has been hit by increasingly violent turf battles between rival drug 
cartels, in which heavily armed hitmen execute rivals on city streets 
and attack law enforcement officials.
The violence is affecting innocent bystanders, prompting the doctors to 
organize Saturday's march.
On Friday, gunmen attacked a state police convoy on a main boulevard in 
Tijuana, but prosecutors said no injuries were reported.
A man's decapitated head also was found Friday wrapped in duct tape 
beside a sign threatening members of a drug gang.





http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/hindu-group-alleges-orissa-government-inaction-to-hold-protest_100116333.html

Hindu group alleges Orissa government inaction, to hold protest
November 7th, 2008 - 9:37 pm ICT by IANS - Send to a friend:
Bhubaneswar, Nov 7 (IANS) A Hindu group Friday announced it would hold a 
massive rally in the state capital Nov 15 to protest the state 
government’s alleged inaction in nabbing the killers of Hindu leaders in 
the Kandhamal district.The district of Kandhamal, some 200 km from 
Bhubaneswar, witnessed communal violence after the murder of Hindu 
leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides Aug 23.
The rally to be organised by Swami Laxmananda Saraswati Sradhanjali 
Samiti is expected to be attended by over 500,000 people, Samiti 
coordinator Ratnakar Chaini said Friday.
“The rally would serve as an ultimatum to the state government to nab 
the culprits behind Swamiji’s killing,” Chaini said.
Sadhvi Ritambhara, Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram national president Jagdeo Ram 
Oram, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) central committee senior member 
Indresh Kumar Mahanta, Ramvilash Vedanti of Ram Janmabhoomi Movement, 
national president of Hindu Jagaran Samukhya Harihar Nanda and several 
other leaders would attend the rally, Chaini said.
The Samiti alleged that the state government is adopting double 
standards in dealing with the Kandhamal crisis and illegally arresting 
innocent Hindus.
“Acting on unconfirmed allegations of a 29-year-old Catholic nun, the 
Orissa government made all-out efforts to nab the culprits while the 
same crime branch, looking into the murder of Swamiji, is yet to submit 
its chargesheet,” Chaini said.
While the police blamed the Maoists for the murder of Saraswati and his 
aides, the Hindu groups blamed Christians for the murder, despite 
repeated denials by Christian organisations, and attacked them.
Over 23,000 Christians were forced to flee their homes. While some have 
returned, more than 10,000 are still living in government-run relief 
camps in the district.
The murder of 40-year-old Dhanu Pradhani, an activist of the RSS by 
suspected Maoists on Nov 5, has now renewed tension in the region.





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/12/stories/2008111251940300.htm

Other States - Orissa

Protest against proposed car festival by ISKCON
Staff Reporter
Puri: A number of servitors of Jagannath Temple and cultural enthusiasts 
of Puri on Tuesday took to the street protesting the proposed car 
festival to be organised by International Society for Krishna 
Consciousness (ISKCON) in New Delhi on November 23.
They were enraged over untimely celebration of the festival. Servitors 
burnt effigy of Srila Prabhupad, the founder acharya of ISKCON. Shouting 
slogans against the organisers, these servitors threatened not to allow 
the ISKCON followers to Puri.
“Ratha Yatra is usually celebrated in the month of June and July. Since 
Puri is the real abode of Lord Jagannath, the festival timing should be 
followed by everyone in and outside the State. So celebrating Ratha 
Yatra on an unscheduled date is anti-Hindu,” said Priyadarshan Patnaik, 
national convenor of Jagannath Sena, a local outfit.
The State government and the Jagannath Temple Administration (JTA) 
should take action against ISKCON authorities and prevent organisers at 
New Delhi from celebrating the Rath Yatra. Reacting to the development 
JTA’s public relation officer Laxmidhar Pujapanda said Dibyasingh Dev, 
scion of Puri Royal family, had requested other State government not to 
allow celebration of Car Festival on any unscheduled date. Despite the 
protest last year, ISKCON had celebrated the car festival in New Delhi. 
It had evoked sharp reactions among servitors and other die-hard 
followers of Jagannath cult.
However, Bhubaneswar unit of ISKCON had disassociated from the whole 
controversy. Chief of ISKCON, Bhubaneswar Golak Mohapatra said, “we are 
not part of the decision taken at New Delhi. We will follow the rituals 
of Jagannath Temple at Puri. We have even passed a resolution to this 
effect.”





http://news.indiainfo.com/2008/11/23/0811231237_orissa_protests_rath_yatra_by_iskcon_in_delhi.html

Orissa protests 'Rath Yatra' by ISKCON in Delhi Sunday, November 23, 
2008 12:37 [IST]
Bhubaneswar: Orissa Sunday opposed the 'Rath Yatra' (car festival) 
organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness 
(ISKCON) in Delhi as it violates the Jagannath cult and hurts religious 
sentiments of the devotees.
The state law minister Biswabhusan Harichandan wrote a letter to Delhi 
chief minister Sheila Dixit Saturday opposing the Rath Yatra, an annual 
festival of Hindus celebrated at Puri housing the famous 12th century 
Jagannath temple.
Also, a letter has been sent by the temple administration of Puri to 
Delhi, Haryana and other states. "We have sent a letter to Delhi chief 
minister and requested her to stop the festival," public relations 
officer of Puri temple administration Laxmidhar Pujapanda told IANS.
Puri town is the real adobe of Lord Jagannath and the state government 
says that everyone in and outside Orissa should follow the festival timing.
The festival is held in the sea side town some 56 km from here on the 
second day of the waxing moon during the month of Ashadha (June-July) in 
the Indian calendar. The festival is now organised in many countries by 
the Jagannath devotees.
Hundreds of devotees in the Puri town Nov 11 burnt effigy of Srila 
Prabhupada, the founder acharya of ISKCON, for untimely holding the Rath 
Yatra of Lord Jagannath.
"We are not a part of the decision taken at New Delhi. Here we follow 
the rituals of Puri temple," said Golak Mohapatra, an office bearer of 
Bhubaneswar unit of the ISCKON.






http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/25/brazil-forests

Troops sent to Amazon after violent protests at Brazil logging crackdown
• Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 25 November 2008 13.10 GMT

A sawmill that processes logs from the Amazon in Tailandia, Brazil. 
Photograph: Paulo Santos/Reuters
Federal troops will be deployed in a remote Amazon town after hundreds 
of protesters, angry at the government's crackdown on deforestation, 
ransacked the local offices of Brazil's environmental protection agency.
The demonstrators invaded the headquarters of Ibama, the environmental 
agency, on Sunday night, setting fire to vehicles, smashing computers 
and destroying documents.
The action was triggered when government officials impounded 14 lorries 
carrying around 400 cubic metres of wood they claim was illegally 
removed from an indigenous reserve near the Amazon town of Paragominas.
After attacking the Ibama officers, the protestors made off with the 
lorries, while environmental agents took refuge in a local hotel. The 
riot was eventually broken up by military police using tear gas and 
pepper spray.
"We will hunt down the stolen lorries," one environmental agent, Marco 
Vidal, who is stationed in Paragominas, told the government news agency, 
Agencia Brasil.
The temperature has been rising in remote Amazon towns like Paragominas 
since the government launched an anti-deforestation drive, called "Arc 
of Fire", earlier this year. Many locals are angry at the impact the 
initiative is having on the local economy, with many saw mills being 
forced to close.
In February locals burned cars in the streets and attacked the town hall 
in Tailandia, another Amazon town, as a protest against the crackdown.
Located in the northeast of Para state, the region around Paragominas is 
a notorious hotspot for illegal deforestation and violence.
Members of the environmental group Greenpeace recently invested in a 
bulletproof pick-up truck to use while travelling in the region.
Brazil's environment minister, Carlos Minc, said the government would 
"intensify" its actions in the region. "We won't be intimidated," he said.
In an interview with the Guardian earlier this year, Brazil's minister for
strategic affairs, Roberto Mangabeira Unger, said the country needed to 
offer alternative employment to the Amazon's 25m inhabitants in order to 
protect the rainforest.
The proponent of controversial plans to industrialise parts of the 
Amazon, Unger said Brazil needed to adopt "a form of environmental 
protection which is less and less the result of a police operation and 
more and more the consequence of a working model of economic and social 
organisation."
He criticised environmentalists who demanded the protection of the 
rainforest without considering those living there.
"What has happened in some parts of the rich world is that concern about 
the tropical rainforest has become... a form of escapism," he said.







http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/americas/2008/11/29/185375/Crackdown-on.htm

Saturday, November 29, 2008 9:43 am TWN, By Raymond Colitt, Reuters
Crackdown on loggers after riots
BRASILIA -- Brazil’s environment minister led a crackdown on illegal 
timber businesses in the Amazon on Thursday, displaying force after 
loggers ransacked government offices and escaped with contraband wood.
Environment Minister Carlos Minc shut down two saw mills in the city of 
Paragominas in the northern state of Para and impounded 3,000 cubic 
meters (105,900 cu. ft.) of tropical wood, which would roughly fill up 
to 150 trucks. He was flanked by police officers and environmental 
protection agents.
The move is part of the government’s uphill battle to try to break the 
supply chain of illegal wood cut by tens of thousands of loggers, 
ranchers and farmers and consumed by millions of people in Brazil and 
abroad.
On Sunday a mob in Paragominas ransacked offices of the environment 
agency Ibama, torched its garage, stole trucks with confiscated logs, 
and used a tractor to break down the entrance of the hotel where the 
government agents stayed. The stolen wood has still not been found. 
“These acts (of vandalism) won’t remain unpunished. Everything is 
impounded and the environmental criminals will be punished,” Minc said 
after visiting saw mills, where illegal tree trunks logs were hidden in 
the thicket of the forest.
Minc ordered the owner of one of the saw mills to pay a fine of 1.3 
million reais for having bought tree trunks from a nearby native Indian 
reservation, where logging is prohibited.
“They pay off Indians to get the wood out,” Francisco Antonio da Silva, 
Paragominas town hall secretary, told Reuters.
“Unfortunately there are still loggers who don’t obey the law, but they 
are the minority,” he said.
Deforestation rates have slowed in recent years but huge swathes of the 
world’s largest rain forest are still chopped down each year.
Since taking office as minister in May, Minc has cracked down on illegal 
cattle ranchers and soy farmers advancing into the forest. He also 
signed agreements with meat packers and saw mills not to buy meat and 
timber from illegally logged areas.
But critics say Ibama still lacks proper financing and staffing and that 
that big government infrastructure projects such as hydroelectric dams 
actually promote deforestation.
The government will announce its annual Amazon deforestation rate on Friday.





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/19/stories/2008111954200300.htm

Nov 19 2008

Kerala

NGO Front’s ‘rolling’ protest
Staff Reporter

Novel move: Kerala NGO Front leaders protesting against liquor, drugs 
and terrorism by rolling along the road in Malappuram on Tuesday.
MALAPPURAM: The Kerala NGO Front staged a novel protest here on Tuesday 
against liquor, drugs and terrorism.
NGO Front State general secretary P.C. Joseph and district president 
P.T. Ouseph rolled along the road from the KSRTC bus stand to the 
District Collectorate gate along with a couple of other party workers.
The front claimed that it was the first service organisation to conduct 
a ‘rolling satyagraha’ for the cause of redemption from liquor, drugs 
and terrorism.
The front demanded that political parties should state in their election 
manifestoes their stand on liquor, drugs and terrorism. Kerala Congress 
(M) district president P.M. Johny inaugurated the satyagraha.






http://www.dailyhome.com/news/2008/dh-talladega-1123-cnorwood-8k22v5701.htm

Dozens march in protest of recent violence
By Chris Norwood
11-23-2008
A group of concerned citizens marched through all three of Talladega’s 
federally subsidized housing projects Saturday to demand an end to the 
violence that has left one young man dead and another injured so far 
this month alone.
The event was organized primarily by Talladega City Councilman Eddie 
Tucker and the Rev. William Baylor, with help from the Talladega 
Merchant’s Association and several Talladega College students. For most 
of the route, the column was headed up by Tucker, Baylor, Mayor Brian 
York, City Council president Horace Patterson and County Commissioner 
Kelvin Cunningham. The group that headed out of East Side Head Start 
into the Knoxville Homes community numbered 35 to 40 people (there may 
have been some confusion about what time the event started), but the 
march grew quickly as it headed through town, with marchers calling out 
to bystanders to “march to stop the violence” and “just get in where you 
fit in.”
Establishing an accurate head count was difficult, but by the time the 
marchers reached West Gate, they numbered at least 80 and possibly 
closer to 100.
The marchers went straight through Knoxville Homes and then into Curry 
Court, where there was a brief pause for logistics and a bathroom break, 
then on to West Gate.
There were several call-and-response chants along the route, most 
commonly “Stop The!” “Violence!” and “Pray for Peace.”
“What do we want?” One woman demanded during the trip toward West Gate.
“Peace!” The crowd replied.
“What do we need?”
“Peace!”
“What do we want to stop?”
”Violence.”
Tucker then led a chant of “Everywhere we go/ people want to know/ who 
we are/ so we tell them/we are the community/the mighty, mighty 
community,” and singing of “Lil’ Liza Jane.”
The group then began a call and response of “Tomorrow’s!” “Hope!” before 
actually entering West Gate — where 17-year-old Thomarcus Holt was 
murdered Nov. 2 — chanting “Our Big T.R.I.P.”
At this point, the majority of the marchers were children or young people.
The most emotional point in the morning came when the marchers paused in 
front of Number 26 West Gate, where Holt was shot.
“This is the site our latest murder,” Tucker said, his voice just about 
ruined from the march. “We are marching in the hope that we will never 
have to do anything like this ever again. You can think, oh well, 
somebody else got killed. But that was somebody’s boy, somebody’s 
grandchild, somebody’s brother, somebody’s friend. We have to make it 
not cool to perpetrate violent acts like this.
“You might say, I’m not a snitch, but we need your help…We need to 
strive for a better community, where there is more love, more peace. All 
this fighting and cutting up hurts us. We have to all work together.”
”A gun don’t make you a man,” one marcher said. “And once that bullet 
leaves it, you can’t call it back.”
Patterson then spoke, prefacing his remarks with some words to “the 
young man who did this. I don’t know where you are, and I don’t know 
your name. You’re not evil, but you have done an evil act, and there 
will be no peace in your soul and no prosperity in your life until you 
do the right thing, the manly thing, and take responsibility. And those 
of you who know things but won’t come forward, you’re not helping him, 
you’re not helping yourself and you’re not helping your community. I 
don’t care what the DJs say on the radio or what the rappers say in 
their music, but there is such a thing as right and there is such a 
thing as wrong. What was done here was wrong, and not coming forward is 
wrong.
“Let us hope,” Patterson continued, “that we have a new anointing of our 
hearts, so that this is the last time we have to do this. When you take 
a life, you don’t know what you’re taking. You could be killing a future 
president, a scientist who cures cancer, or a great father to his 
children. It’s a disaster, a horrible situation…It kills something in 
all of us.”
Patterson also urged patience with the ongoing police investigation into 
Holt’s slaying. He then urged all the crowd to join hands as he asked 
for a blessing on the marchers, their intent and the house in front of them.
After moving into the community center, several other leaders made brief 
remarks.
York said, “It’s important to stop the violence because it hurts us all 
and it hurts us as a town. It’s bad for bringing in business, among 
other things. But if we reached just one, if we keep just one child from 
committing an act of violence today, this event will be a success.”
Police Chief Alan Watson pointed out that more than 90 percent of gun 
violence in Talladega takes place between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m., and urged 
parents to be more mindful of where their children were, especially at 
night. He added that the investigation into Holt’s murder was still 
ongoing and making good progress.
“We won’t stop until the person or persons who did this are caught,” he 
said.
He also encouraged people to talk to him or their councilman about 
whatever problems might arise.
Cunningham also encouraged greater awareness.
“We’re here right now,” he said. “But you live here. It’s up to you.
“You know,” he continued, “On Nov. 4, people around my age saw a dream 
fulfilled sooner than we ever thought. You truly have the opportunity, 
the ability, to do whatever you want to do and to be whatever you want 
to be. Don’t throw it away. Don’t be influenced by some child who knows 
even less than you.”
Housing authority executive director Mack Heaton also emphasized 
diligence and cooperation with law enforcement as a pathway to a safer 
community.
Baylor said he was particularly encouraged by the presence of so many 
young people “who are tomorrow’s leaders. It is all in your power to 
stop the violence. And this is a wonderful first step, but it can’t stop 
here. Start a neighborhood watch, get involved.”
Keela Brown, who provided food for the event, said, “I’m a florist, so I 
see the aftermath of an event like this, the way it affects the family. 
Sure, I make money, but I’d rather go broke than make it that way.”
Pastor Annie Chapman and college student India Jorge also spoke, the 
latter outlining the recently launched Big Brothers-Big Sisters program 
that provides tutoring and mentoring services in public housing facilities.
Lastly, Jewel Holt, Thomarcus’s grandmother spoke.
“I’m not going to be saying very much; I don’t want to start crying 
again,” she said. “I got two things. Thank you for your support, and 
thank the police for their work. We got to stick together. And if you 
know anything, you’ve got to come forward or you could be next.”
Baylor said he received a great deal of help organizing the event from 
Jorge, Tiana Jones, Fontina Fuller and Jamal Dawson in putting out 
fliers and getting the word out.





http://www.panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=27764

Armenians protest any concessions in Karabakh process
21.11.2008 17:52 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Miatsum (reunification) civil initiative organized an 
action in front of the Armenian Foreign Ministry to protest against any 
concessions in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process.

The action participants handed a petition to Armenian Foreign Minister 
Edward Nalbandian to warn him that surrender of the liberated 
territories is inadmissible.

“Surrender of the territories is a grave crime that will undermine the 
Armenian statehood. Any attempt to cede the liberated territories will 
be a historical and moral burden and will be equaled to treason,” the 
petition says.






http://www.anspress.com/nid94875.html

Politic / 07.11.2008 22:25
Azerbaijanis held protest action in Sweden (Photosession)
The picket before the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of this country has 
been spent in protest at an aggressive policy of Armenia occupying 20 
percent of territory of Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijanis living in Sweden have spent protest action in 
connection with arrival of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia 
Edward Nalbandian to the country. The picket before the Ministry for 
Foreign Affairs of this country has been spent in protest at an 
aggressive policy of Armenia occupying 20 percent of territory of 
Azerbaijan. The Chairman of Sweden-Azerbaijan Society Nasir Mahammadali 
informed ANS PRESS that there were several diplomats of various 
countries in the building of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden 
during the protest action was held. The picket proceeded over an hour. 
Our compatriots made speeches in the Azerbaijani and Swedish languages 
and sounded various slogans. A delegation of five persons handed over 
the resolution of the picketers to the employee the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs of Sweden. The latter promised to transfer the document to the 
management. N.Mahammadali also told that representatives of the Armenian 
delegation observed of the action as well.





http://www.panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=27618

Sweden’s Azeri diaspora protest action didn’t frustrate Bildt-Nalbandian 
meeting
08.11.2008 12:19 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt held talks Friday 
with visiting Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. Bildt said he 
welcomed the joint declaration this week by the presidents of Russia, 
Armenia and Azerbaijan to seek a peaceful solution to the Nagorno 
Karabakh conflict, referring to the breakaway region claimed by both 
Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Bildt said the recent war between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway 
regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia showed the danger that so-called 
"frozen conflicts never stay frozen."

The Swedish Foreign Minister said he hoped to visit Yerevan before 
Sweden takes over the six-month rotating presidency of the European 
Union in July 2009.

In a speech organized by the Institute for Security and Development 
Policy, Nalbandian said that the conflict in Georgia was a "matter of 
grave concern" for Armenia.

As a neighboring state, 70 per cent of Armenia’s transits go through 
Georgia so "any major event in Georgia, echoes in Armenia," he said.

The meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow was "a 
step forward," Nalbandian said.

He also noted that while the ramifications of conflict in Georgia were 
yet to be assessed, it had sent a signal that "war is never an answer," 
The Earthtimes reports.

On the eve of the meeting, the Azeri diaspora gathered to protest the 
visit of Edward Nalbandian. After the action, the demonstrators handed a 
statement “on Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan” to the Swedish MFA.





http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/11/11/Protests_erupt_at_Jerusalem_polling_spots/UPI-11501226462808/

Protests erupt at Jerusalem polling spots
Published: Nov. 11, 2008 at 11:06 PM
JERUSALEM, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews tried to 
prevent voting at the Beit Israel neighborhood polling place in 
Jerusalem, officials said.
The ruckus follows similar disputes between different ultra-Orthodox 
groups, YnetNews.com reported Tuesday.
The news site reported police were sent to the scene when clashes broke 
out and the ultra-Orthodox protesters threw stones.
Later in the day, a group of ultra-Orthodox residents, who object to 
Haredi voters, clashed.
Most of the ballots in Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods were 
labeled "sensitive." Authorities were dispatched to prevent voter fraud.
Ultra-Orthodox candidate Knesset Member Meir Porush was projected to be 
losing to businessman Nir Barkat. Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, Mayor Ron 
Huldai was being challenged by Knesset Member Dov Khenin.





http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/19/2395273.htm

Israeli protesters force Gaza crossing to close
Posted Sun Oct 19, 2008 10:00pm AEDT
Israel has been forced to shut down one of the main goods crossings into 
the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip when Israeli demonstrators gathered there to 
call for the release of a captured soldier.
"The crossing was supposed to be open today and approximately 80 trucks 
were supposed to pass, carrying food and medical supplies," a military 
spokesman said.
"Because of the demonstration, it is closed right now."
He added that police had arrived on the scene and the army hoped to 
reopen the Kerem Shalom crossing later in the day.
Local media reported that dozens of protesters had gathered in the early 
hours to protest the stalling of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas 
over the release of Israeli reservist Corporal Gilad Shalit.
Defence Minister Ehud Barak told army radio every effort was being made 
to bring Corporal Shalit home but warned that such demonstrations could 
"raise the price of his release" by encouraging Hamas to increase its 
demands.
Hamas has demanded the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in 
exchange for Corporal Shalit, who was seized by Gaza militants in a 
deadly cross-border raid in June 2006.
Israel has sealed Gaza off to all but limited humanitarian aid since 
June 2007 when Hamas - which is sworn to the destruction of the Jewish 
state - seized power in the impoverished territory.
The blockade has remained in place despite a four-month truce that has 
virtually halted the near-daily rocket attacks Palestinian militants 
used to launch on Israeli communities near the Gaza border.
- AFP






http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/128546

Religious Schools Protest Ben-Gurion Memorial Sabbath March

by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz

(IsraelNN.com) A national union of religious girls' schools filed a 
petition with the High Court of Justice on Monday seeking a
Holding the march on the Sabbath is contrary to the sensitivity to 
Jewish culture and unity displayed by Ben-Gurion.
temporary injunction against a march in memory of Israel's first prime 
minister, David Ben-Gurion, on the Sabbath. The petitioners say that the 
march, to be held this Saturday, is contrary to Ben-Gurion's approach of 
respecting the holy day in his public roles. They also argue that it is 
discriminatory because, by necessity, it excludes religious participants.
The annual march is traditionally organized by the Ramat HaNegev 
Regional Council around the date of Ben-Gurion Memorial Day, the 
anniversary of the Prime Minister's death on the 6th of Kislev in the 
Jewish calendar. This year is the 16th time that the Council is holding 
the Ben-Gurion event, which includes a march that ends with a fair at 
Sde Boker, Ben-Gurion's Negev home.
According to the David Ben-Gurion Law, 5737-1976, passed "in memory of 
David Ben-Gurion and his work, and to transmit his heritage to future 
generations," when Kislev 6 "falls on the eve of Sabbath or on a 
Sabbath, the memorial day shall be observed on the following Sunday." 
This year Ben-Gurion Memorial Day falls on Wednesday, December 3.
Ramat HaNegev spokesmen say that the march and fair are not official 
state-sponsored events and, as such, are not subject to legislated 
Sabbath restrictions. If the event were held on a weekday, the Council 
argued, many participants would not be able to come. Saying it was "open 
and sensitive" to the religious public, the Council noted that two years 
ago it began holding a parallel Ben-Gurion memorial march on Friday for 
the religious public.
The petitioner, the Federation of Girls' Schools for Judaism and Land of 
Israel Studies, said that the Regional Council is obligated to allow 
Sabbath-observant residents to take part in the Ben-Gurion memorial 
events. Holding the march on the Sabbath is contrary to the sensitivity 
to Jewish culture and unity displayed by Ben-Gurion himself, the 
petitioner noted, as the late Prime Minister carefully avoided public 
Sabbath desecration in his role as a leader of the Jewish State.

The Federation says that it turned to the High Court only as a last 
resort, after efforts at dialogue with the Ramat HaNegev Regional 
Council proved fruitless.






http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1039260.html

Last update - 19:18 20/11/2008

Qassam hits Negev as Ashkelon residents protest Gaza rockets By Haaretz 
Service, Reuters and the Associated Press Tags: israel news, gaza, hamas
Palestinian militants fired a Qassam rocket into the western Negev on 
Thursday as Ashkelon residents protested against an upsurge in 
cross-border attacks from Gaza.

The Qassam attack was the latest violation of a five-month Israel-Hamas 
truce in the Gaza Strip.

The rocket, which struck an open area in the Sha'ar Hanegev regional 
council, caused neither casualties nor property damage.

Dozens of Ashkelon residents held the protest at the entrance to the 
southern city.

"I call on every parent in the state, on every mother and every father, 
to cooperate with us, to join our protest, and to demand that the 
government promise [us] quiet and security," said one of the 
demonstrators, speaking to Israel Radio.

Gunmen from Gaza have fired dozens of rockets at Israel in the past two 
weeks after Israel launched a raid it said was aimed at thwarting the 
planned kidnapping of a soldier by Gaza militants.

Since then, Israel Defense Forces have killed about a dozen gunmen, and 
closed crossing points with Gaza, choking off some food supplies to the 
coastal territory.

UN chief to Israel: Ease Gaza blockade

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni rebuffed a new attempt by United Nations 
chief Ban Ki-moon on Thursday to ease a bruising blockade of the Gaza 
Strip, pledging retaliation and calling on the world to condemn 
Palestinian rocket attacks instead, an aide to the minister said.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has grown worse since a 5-month truce 
began coming apart two weeks ago. Responding to near-daily rocket 
attacks, Israel shut its cargo crossings with the territory. Ban - who 
called Prime Minister Ehud Olmert earlier this week to lobby for more 
aid shipments - turned up the heat on Thursday with a similar call to 
Livni.

In a tense conversation with Ban, Livni declared that the blockade would 
not end until Palestinian militants stop firing rockets at Israel, an 
aide to Livni reported.

"There is no way that Palestinian terrorists will shoot at us and we 
will not respond," Livni told Ban, the aide said. The international 
community must speak up and use its influence against the Palestinian 
rocket attacks.

The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the telephone call was 
private. There was no immediate word from the UN on Ban's appeal. Israel 
hopes by closing cargo crossings it can force Gaza's Islamic Hamas 
rulers to halt militant rocket and mortar fire at Israeli border towns. 
But the closures have drastically reduced the flow of goods into Gaza, 
home to 1.4 million people.

Although some food is smuggled in through tunnels from Egypt, many basic 
goods are in short supply. The top UN aid official in Gaza told The 
Associated Press on Thursday that Israel had reversed a decision to let 
in 70 trucks of humanitarian aid, bringing UN aid stocks perilously 
close to depletion.

Israel denied it had agreed to let the aid through. "We have pinpoint 
intelligence warnings that they are planning a terror attack on the 
crossings," said Defense Ministry spokesman Shlomo Dror. "The
trucks were never supposed to go through because of the rocket attacks 
and because of the planned attack on the crossings."

Without more supplies, the UN will be forced to suspend food 
distribution to 750,000 Gazans at the end of the week, said John Ging, 
head of Gaza operations for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

"We have a situation where 80 percent of the population live in abject 
poverty and the results of that are the daily needs are not being met by 
any family," Ging said.

Earlier Thursday, an explosion in the Gaza Strip killed a member of the 
Hamas Islamist group, hospital staff and witnesses said.

It was not immediately clear whether the man was killed by an Israel 
Defense Forces strike or an accidental explosion. The IDF
had no immediate comment.

Also on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces arrested 31 suspected 
militants south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem.






http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=158137

Brokers protest new system in fear of losing jobs

İMKB President Hüseyin Erkan speaks with a group of brokers 
demonstrating on the stock market floor in protest against a new system 
implemented by the Capital Markets Board.
Brokers working at the İstanbul Stock Exchange (İMKB) protested 
yesterday against a decision to close the main hall, with some brokers 
waiting outside, refusing to work.
İMKB management recently decided to close the main session hall starting 
from Jan. 1, 2009, in order to change to an electronic system. Once the 
switch is complete, hundreds of brokers stand to lose their jobs. Share 
operations will be handled by the ExAPI, an electronic system used by 
intermediary firms, rather than the main stock exchange terminal. With 
the new system, customers will be able to complete their transactions 
without resorting to a broker.
İMKB President Hüseyin Erkan said he cares for brokers' rights. "We do 
not wish to lose any brokers. I personally want the [main] session hall 
to continue operating with the brokers working there," he noted. Erkan 
said he gave importance to the function of brokers, underlining that it 
is not possible for a capital market to develop without the 
contributions of knowledgeable brokers.
Erkan stressed that there is a well-established infrastructure in place 
for the operation of a remote access system.
"Before the remote access system was instituted, there were 1,200 
brokers actively working. This number has now decreased to 400. We do 
not want more brokers to lose their jobs; we respect the services of our 
experienced brokers," he noted, underlining that they had no problems 
with the brokers.
Approximately 95 percent of the orders on the İMKB are made through the 
remote access system. The remaining 5 percent are handled by brokers. 
Buying and selling shares through brokers accounts for 15 percent of 
total volume.
Some of the brokers said it will be very difficult for them to find jobs 
if they lose their current ones. "We are shocked this switchover is 
being implemented at a time like this," they said, referring to the 
decision of the İMKB management.
Erkan noted that he expected the brokers to return to work soon, saying 
the brokers only wanted to show their discontent. Furthermore, he noted 
that they planned to make some new arrangements to keep up with 
technological developments.
08 November 2008, Saturday





http://www.afrol.com/articles/31598

Protestors torch opposition headquarters
afrol News, 6 November - Egyptian protestors have torched headquarters 
of most prominent opposition politician in clashes between rival 
factions, eyewitnesses and police said.
Police official said seven people sustained minor injuries as rival 
groups threw stones and bottles at each other at downtown Cairo 
headquarters of al-Ghad party.

The clashes involved supporters of the party's chief Ayman Nour and his 
deputy Moussa Moustafa Moussa, in their ongoing dispute over who should 
lead the party. The dispute has been going on since September 2005.

Mr Moussa's supporters are said to have raided office when Mr Nour's 
supporters refused to leave the building. "We had a court ruling that 
gives us the right to take over the office," one Mr Moussa supporter 
claimed.

Police said eight supporters of Mr Nour including his wife Jameela 
Ismail, who is also a prominent member of the party were arrested.

A witness said protestors first attacked al-Ghad headquarters in 
downtown Cairo with stones and bottles. "Then some used aerosol cans to 
spray flames at offices, located in an old building that also houses two 
19th century restaurants and shops," he said.

A prominent former lawmaker, Mr Nour who founded al-Ghad party in 2004, 
a year later, was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison after 
allegedly forging signatures on petitions to register party.

However, opposition contends he was imprisoned for running against 
Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in 2005 elections. At the time, 
president Mubarak had ruled the country unchallenged for two and a half 
decades.

Deputy leader Moussa Moustafa Moussa, a pro-government figure, claimed 
the right to succeed Mr Nour at the party helm, and right to take over 
party headquarters and newspaper. He recently won a court order to take 
over al-Ghad headquarters.

The violence was latest infighting in the opposition al-Ghad party, 
bitterly divided between supporters of jailed dissident Ayman Nour and 
those who back a pro-government leader.







http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/240388,headquarters-of-egyptian-opposition-party-set-afire-in-clashes.html

Headquarters of Egyptian opposition party set afire in clashes
Posted : Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:42:18 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : Middle East (World)

Cairo - The headquarters of Egypt's opposition al-Ghad party were set on 
fire on Thursday amid clashes between rival factions in the party, 
security sources told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, dpa. Twelve fire 
trucks were called in to extinguish the flames in the party's offices in 
downtown Cairo.
The clashes involved supporters of the party's chief Ayman Nour and his 
deputy Moussa Moustafa Moussa, in their ongoing dispute over who should 
lead the party. The dispute has been going on since September 2005.
Nour was sent to prison in late 2005 on forgery charges after coming 
second to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the last presidential 
elections. Many people believe that Nour was sent to prison merely for 
trying to challenge Mubarak in the elections.
Moussa's backers said that they raided the office when Nour's supporters 
refused to leave the building.
"We had a court ruling that gives us the right to take over the office," 
one Moussa supporter claimed.
Nour's backers threw Molotov cocktails to stop the raid.
Police arrested eight of Nour's supporters, including his wife Jameela 
Ismail, who is also a prominent member of the party. The group chanted 
anti-Mubarak slogans during their arrest, the sources told dpa.






http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_North%20Africa&set_id=1&click_id=85&art_id=nw20081106131825124C418023

Clashes erupt at Egypt dissident party HQ

November 06 2008 at 07:06PM

Cairo - Several people were injured on Thursday in clashes between rival 
factions of Egypt's opposition Ghad party, including one headed by 
renowned political dissident Ayman Nur, after a leadership dispute.

A security official said several people were lightly hurt as the rival 
groups threw stones and bottles at each other at the downtown Cairo 
headquarters of the party, whose name means Tomorrow in English.

Factions loyal to Nur, who was ejected from the party in 2007 following 
a government ruling, and the party's leader designate Mussa Mustapha, 
"clashed violently...using inflammable bottles and stones," the official 
told AFP.

Firemen were trying to extinguish a fire which subsequently broke out in 
the office's entrance, the official said.

"They've set fire to the headquarters, they attacked us with tear gas," 
Nur's wife Gamila Ismail told AFP by telephone. "We're trapped on the 
upper floor."

Nur mounted an unprecedented challenge against veteran President Hosni 
Mubarak during the 2005 presidential election before being jailed on 
forgery charges many see as trumped up.

Nur, a 44-year-old lawyer who led his Ghad party during Egypt's first 
ever presidential elections in September 2005, was put behind bars three 
months later for fraud, a charge widely seen as politically motivated.





http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/general/water_cooler_moments/shopper+stages+store+protest/2703677

Shopper stages store protest
Print this page
Last Modified: 01 Nov 2008
Source: PA News
A disgruntled shopper set up home in a store showroom to protest about 
delays in the delivery of her bedroom furniture.
Shahana Ahmad, who is in her 30s, took her three-year-old daughter, 
Diya, to MFI in Newmarket Road, Cambridge.
The research scientist, of Teversham, Cambs, hung her daughter's clothes 
in the wardrobe then cuddled up with her on the bed before staff 
intervened. She told the Cambridge News she took the action to highlight 
the fact that she had been waiting for her order, worth nearly £800, 
since July.





http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-42749.html

Vidyarthi Morcha protests against Madan Tamang
Darjeeling, Nov 08 : Activists of the Gorkha Janmukti Vidyarthi Morcha, 
the student wing of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha(GJM), today protested near 
the house of Akhil Bhartiya Gorkha League(ABGL) president Madan Tamang.
Police said they were protesting against Mr Tamang's allegation of a 
"secret meeting" between GJM president Bimal Gurung and State Home 
Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty last month.

Tamang had accused Mr Gurung of suspending the name-change agitation 
after the "secret meeting".

The GJM chief had issued an ultimatum to Tamang to prove the charge by 
November 7 or "face the consequences".

Raising slogans against Mr Tamang the Vidyarthi Morcha cadres also 
warned him to prove the allegation or be prepared to leave the hills.

Policemen were deployed near Mr Tamang's house to avoid any untoward 
incident.

Incidentally, the GJM yesterday announced a complete shut down of the 
hills from today.

However, no untoward incident was reported so far in the area, police 
added.
--- UNI






http://www.kget.com/news/local/story/Group-Protests-Proposals-to-Raise-Taxes/1VnMOZcU5kWS9Ege4qFPfQ.cspx

Group Protests Proposals to Raise Taxes

Last Update: 11/24/2008 10:41 pm

A taxpayer watchdog group staged a demonstration Monday in Bakersfield, 
as part of a statewide campaign against proposals to raise taxes to 
balance the budget.

Both houses of the Legislature will convene Tuesday in Sacramento in a 
last-ditch effort to get a budget deal done before the session is over.

There's only one day left in the emergency budget session.

And so far there's no deal on the table.

Meantime, a taxpayer watchdog group staged a demonstration Monday in 
Bakersfield, as part of a statewide campaign against proposals to raise 
taxes to balance the budget.

They stood in front of the soon-to-be-closed Mervyn's store on 
California Avenue with a giant ATM machine.

In this case, they said, ATM stands for "Already Taxed to the Max."

"We're asking the governor and Legislature to come together. Do not 
burden the citizens of California with additional taxes," said Americans 
for Prosperity Chairman Peter Foy.

"Just because there's not enough revenue to balance the budget does not 
mean you should go back to people and businesses and further tax," said 
Debbie Moreno with the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce.

Americans for Prosperity say it's time for the governor and legislature 
to stop treating California taxpayers as their own personal A-T-M machine.






http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i08hNE5cNOBLn42mRHHs35FhprRw

Egyptians protest fuel shortages caused by Gaza smuggling
Nov 24, 2008
EL-ARISH, Egypt (AFP) — About 150 people demonstrated in the Egyptian 
coastal city of El-Arish on Monday to protest a fuel shortage because of 
smuggling to the Gaza Strip, a security official said.
"About 150 drivers, farmers and construction workers protested the lack 
of diesel and petrol due to smuggling to Gaza," the official said.
The demonstrators called on police to crack down on the smuggling, he 
said, adding that police seized 70,000 litres (18,200 gallons) of fuel 
in El-Arish which traffickers were intending to smuggle.
Sinai officials told AFP on Saturday that the smuggling to the 
Israeli-blockaded Palestinian territory has affected fuel supplies in 
the region.
"Smuggling to Gaza through tunnels has led to a drastic reduction in 
fuel supplies at petrol stations" in the northern Sinai, said Mohammed 
Hussein, a senior official of the Sinai regime.
Other local officials said work with agricultural equipment was slowing 
down because of the shortage of fuel.
The authorities in northern Sinai have over the past month imposed a ban 
on the sale of fuel in jerry cans except for agricultural purposes, and 
ordered all petrol stations to close overnight.
Almost 170,000 litres of fuel being readied for shipment to Gaza on the 
black market was seized last week, officials said.
Israel on Monday allowed some supplies into Gaza amid mounting 
international concern over the worsening humanitarian situation for the 
territory's 1.5 million inhabitants, virtually sealed off from the 
outside world.
Israel's blockade of the territory has led to severe fuel shortages, 
power cuts and an ever worsening humanitarian situation.






http://newshopper.sulekha.com/topic/slideshow/bucharest-romania/535240.htm

Romanian police officer joins a protest about their pay, during a heavy 
rain storm in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008. Some hundreds 
of police officers gathered in the capital to express their demands for 
a 30 percent pay rise, better working conditions and compensation for 
their families in cases of injuries or death while on duty. Romania will 
hold parliamentary elections on Nov. 30, 2008.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)








http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/21112008/323/alitalia-creditor-s-staff-protest-rome.html

Friday November 21, 07:47 PM
Alitalia creditor's staff protest in Rome

ROME (AFP) - Around 100 employees of Alitalia (Milan: AZA.MI - news) 's 
creditors protested Friday at Fiumicino airport in Rome over the Italian 
flag carrier's unpaid debts, Telenews agency reported.
Calling themselves the "silent victims" of the failing airline, they 
hoisted banners saying: "We get no redundancy benefits, we are only 
suppliers" and "We worked for Alitalia. Now we want to be paid."
On Thursday, Augusto Fantozzi, Alitalia's bankruptcy commissioner, said 
the airline currently owes 3.2 billion euros (four billion dollars).
The Italian government on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for Alitalia, 
which was on the verge of bankruptcy, to be sold to a group of investors 
for 1.052 billion euros.
The assets will be sold to the Italian Air Company (CAI), an investor 
group set up in an emergency move in August to relaunch the national 
airline.
While outstanding debts will be paid off once unwanted assets are sold 
off, Fantozzi has stated that the amount raised will not be enough to 
pay all creditors.






http://newsblaze.com/story/20081120084355zzzz.nb/topstory.html

Published: November 20,2008
Send to a friend
Upset Hindus Broadening Protest Against Supermodel Heidi Klum
Hindus perturbed by supermodel Heidi Klum's Goddess Kali Halloween 
costume and then her evading the public apology call are planning to 
appeal the corporations like McDonald's, Volkswagen, Liz Claiborne, 
etc., to take her off from being their spokesmodel.
Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protests, in a 
statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that when online entertainment 
magazine Hollyscoop reportedly caught up with Heidi Klum recently in 
Miami (USA) and asked her thoughts on the controversial costume, instead 
of apologizing to the hurt Hindu community, she said, "I loved my 
costume..."
Zed, who is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, says that 
they expected a better answer from a responsible person like Heidi Klum 
who authored "Rules of Model Behavior"; supports various charities; was 
nominated for five Primetime Emmys; appeared on postage stamps in 
Austria and Grenada;is an actress, model, producer, fashion designer, 
singer, television personality, painter, columnist, and successful 
businesswoman. Klum is thoughtful enough to have the feel for the pain 
of the one billion strong Hindu populace who revere and worship Goddess 
Kali.
Rajan Zed stressed that ksama (forgiveness) was one of the main virtues 
of Hindu ethics. If Klum offered a sincere public apology, Hindus would 
not only absolve her but might also pray for her success in future 
ventures, if asked.
Besides Zed, various other leaders have asked Klum to offer an apology 
for posing as Goddess Kali, including Reverend Larry Edward Schneider, 
Minister of Unity Church of Today; Nevada Clergy Association president 
Right Reverend Gene Savoy Jr.; Lonnie L. Feemster of National 
Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Somnath Paramshetti 
of Forum for Hindu Awakening USA. Those who issued critical statements 
against her on this issue included Swami Pooja Saraswati, a well 
respected spiritual leader; Annabelle Younger of International Society 
for Krishna Consciousness; Jawahar L. Khurana, Chairperson of Hindu 
Alliance of India; and Bhavna Shinde, a spirituality guide.
Goddess Kali, who personifies Sakti or divine energy, is widely 
worshipped in Hinduism. She is considered the goddess of time and 
change. Some Bengali poets described her as supreme deity. Moksha 
(liberation) is the ultimate goal of Hinduism, which is the oldest and 
third largest religion of the world.





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/30/stories/2008113052430300.htm

Karnataka - Gulbarga

Protests against Mumbai attacks
Staff Correspondent

agitated: Members of the district unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party 
staging a protest in Gulbarga on Saturday.
GULBARGA: Members of the district unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party 
(BJP) on Saturday staged a protest here condemning the terrorist attacks 
in Mumbai.
The members burnt the national flag of Pakistan and blocked the road 
close to the Police Chowk near the Super Market area.
In a memorandum, the members alleged that terrorist activities in the 
country were not carried out by members of Lakshar-e-Taiba alone as was 
projected but were “indirectly led by Pakistan’s military forces”.
The members felt that a BJP government at the Centre could tackle the 
terrorist activities in the country.
The protest was led by BJP leader Naresh Ukade.





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/30/stories/2008113052390300.htm

Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad

Protests against terror attacks
Staff Correspondent

Vocal: Students of the Government Primary School at Nekar Colony in 
Hubli staging a demonstration on Saturday.
HUBLI: Protests against terror attacks in Mumbai continued in Hubli on 
Saturday with schoolchildren and advocates taking part in them.
Students of the Government Primary School at Nekar Colony in Hubli 
staged a demonstration in front of their school on Saturday condemning 
the attacks. They held placards with messages condemning attacks on 
innocent civilians and urged the authorities to take stringent action 
against those behind the attacks.
Members of the Kannada Para Mahamandala, led by D. Govind Rao, took out 
a protest march and burnt a portrait of Osama bin Laden. The protesters 
urged the Union Government not to spare anyone who was involved in acts 
of terrorism and promulgate stringent laws to check terrorist activities.
Members of the Hubli Bar Association convened a special meeting in Hubli 
on Saturday to condemn the terror attacks in Mumbai. In the meeting, 
chaired by president of the association C.R. Patil, advocates condemned 
the attacks and said that successive governments had failed to ensure 
safety of citizens and had indulged in vote-bank politicsThe advocates 
condemned the terror attacks by abstaining from court proceedings for 
the day. The meeting mourned the Army and police officers who died 
fighting against terrorists in Mumbai, by observing silence for two minutes.
In Belgaum
Belgaum Staff Correspondent writes:
Bharatiya Janata Party workers and vegetable merchants staged separate 
protests in Belgaum on Saturday against the terror attacks in Mumbai.
The BJP workers from Belgaum North Assembly constituency took out a 
procession and burnt an effigy of “terrorism” at Rani Chennamma Circle. 
The BJP workers, led by constituency president L.V. Patil, submitted a 
memorandum, addressed to the President, through the Deputy Commissioner 
urging dismissal of UPA Government for its “failure” to check the 
growing incidents of terror attacks.
Vegetable merchants under the banner of Belgaum Cantonment Wholesale 
Vegetable Merchants’ Association took out a procession to register their 
protest and express solidarity with the security personnel who were part 
of the operation in Mumbai.
Members of the association also submitted a memorandum to the Market 
police station and demanded adequate security measures to ensure peace 
and maintenance of law and order in the light of terror attacks in Mumbai.





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/29/stories/2008112950540300.htm

Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad

Protests
HUBLI: Several members of Stree Shakti self-help groups took out a 
protest march and burnt an effigy in Dharwad on Friday to condemn terror 
attacks in Mumbai.The members, led by BJP leader Gururaj Hunasimarad, 
marched to the Jubilee Circle and raised slogans condemning the terror 
attacks. — Staff Correspondent





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/29/stories/2008112950510300.htm

Karnataka - Gulbarga

Protests in Gulbarga
Staff Correspondent
GULBARGA: Members of the district unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi 
Parishad (ABVP) on Friday staged a protest here condemning the terrorist 
attacks in Mumbai. The members blocked Sharanabasaveshwara Temple Road 
in Sangameswara Colony as part of their protest. The situation became 
tense after the ABVP members and a youth exchanged blows.
It is said that a youth on a two-wheeler penetrated the road blockade 
leading to an argument and exchange of blows between him and the 
protesters.
The ABVP protesters are said to have set the two-wheeler on fire. 
Policemen present on the spot immediately doused the fire, and the youth 
left the spot.
Superintendent of Police Devjyothi Ray, Additional Superintendent of 
Police Mahantesh, and other senior police officials visited the spot.
In another protest, members of the district unit of the All India Youth 
Federation burnt an effigy of terrorism to condemn the attacks in 
Mumbai. The protest was staged at Jewargi Cross here.





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/28/stories/2008112855960300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Candlelight protests
ADILABAD: Citizens of Adilabad on Thursday lighted candles to express 
solidarity in the fight against terrorism. They condemned the killing of 
innocents by terrorists in Mumbai. Speakers at a gathering at the 
Shaheed park here showered praises on the policemen including officers 
who were killed while facing terrorists. -Staff Reporter





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/28/stories/2008112856610400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Silent protest by Congress
HYDERABAD: Congress party workers on Thursday held a silent protest at 
Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Gandhi Bhavan premises to protest against 
the terror attack on Mumbai that left over 100 dead.
Gagging their mouth with black ribbons, Andhra Pradesh Youth Congress 
cadres paid floral tributes to the slain police officers in Wednesday 
night’s attack. They were later joined by former PCC chief K. Keshava 
Rao, APCC general secretaries and official spokesperson B. Kamalakar Rao.
Dr. Keshava Rao termed the incident as international conspiracy to 
derail the peace in the country.
He said the time has come for all the political parties to arrive at a 
consensus to tackle terrorism that threatened to disturb the secular 
fabric of the country.









http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=160157

Protests in Ardahan target visiting DTP

Members of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) were met with 
protests yesterday in the eastern city of Ardahan, where they had 
traveled to campaign for the upcoming local elections.

Residents gathered on Kongre Street, where the DTP had scheduled a 
rally, to protest the DTP members' entry to the city by blowing whistles.
"I thank you for the respect you have shown me. What a nice scene this 
is," DTP co-leader Emine Ayna said, further provoking the angry crowd.
Taking the podium at the rally amidst protests, Ayna said seeds of peace 
could not be sown in Turkey without the DTP and the country's Kurds.
Following Ayna's speech, residents clashed with DTP members and the two 
groups threw stones at each other. Police intervened in the clashes and 
used clubs to disperse the crowd. The DTP's election bus left the area 
following the protests. Vehicles nearby had their windows broken during 
the fighting.
Locals left the scene chanting, "We do not want the PKK [outlawed 
Kurdistan Workers' Party] in Ardahan. We are all Turks. We are all 
Muslims."







http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081130/FOREIGN/376466633/1002/rss

Death toll Nigerian clashes rises
• Last Updated: November 30. 2008 7:35PM UAE / November 30. 2008 3:35PM GMT
JOS, NIGERIA // Military units on foot and in armored cars have quelled 
two days of violence that left hundreds dead in a central Nigerian city.

Police said they had arrested hundreds of people since the clashes 
flared early Friday following a disputed local election. Fearful 
residents who had been trapped in their homes ventured out in search of 
water as many of the dead were buried. Streets were mostly empty.
By yesterday afternoon, at least 300 bodies had been brought to the 
city’s main mosque for prayers before burial, its imam said. The final 
death toll could be much higher, since many Christians are also presumed 
to have died when the political violence quickly took a sectarian turn. 
The city morgue was not accessible.

At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI included Nigerian victims in his 
prayers and denounced the violence in Jos, calling on the world to 
express “horror and disapproval” at the senseless violence.
The clashes are the worst in the West African nation since 2004, when as 
many as 700 people died in Plateau State during Christian-Muslim clashes.

Hundreds of women and children carrying plastic jerrycans searched the 
streets for functioning water taps. Thousands of people could be seen 
cowering in schools and police and army barracks.

A mass burial of 238 bodies took place in the early morning, witnesses said.

Jos, the capital of Plateau State, has a history of community violence 
that has made elections difficult to organise. Rioting in September 2001 
killed more than 1,000 people. The city is situated in Nigeria’s “middle 
belt,” where dozens of ethnic groups mingle in a band of fertile and 
hotly contested land separating the Muslim north from the predominantly 
Christian south.

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa; it straddles a fault 
line between Islam and Christianity that crosses the continent from the 
Indian Ocean to the Atlantic.
Authorities imposed an round-the-clock curfew in the hardest-hit areas 
of Jos, where traditionally pastoralist Hausa Muslims live in close 
quarters with Christians from other ethnic groups.

The fighting began as clashes between supporters of the region’s two 
main political parties following the first local election in Jos in more 
than a decade. The violence expanded along ethnic and religious lines. 
Angry mobs gathered on Thursday in Jos after electoral workers failed to 
post results in ballot collation centres, prompting onlookers to assume 
the vote was the latest in a series of fraudulent Nigerian elections.
Riots flared Friday morning. Local ethnic and religious leaders made 
radio appeals for calm yesterday, and streets were mostly empty by early 
afternoon. Troops were ordered to shoot rioters on sight. The violence 
has handed one of the greatest-yet challenges to the administration of 
President Umaru Yar’Adua, who came to power in a 2007 vote that 
international observers dismissed as not credible.

Few Nigerian elections have been deemed fair since independence from 
Britain in 1960, and military takeovers have periodically interrupted 
civilian rule. More than 10,000 Nigerians have died in sectarian 
violence since civilian leaders took over from a military junta in 1999.
Political strife over local issues is common in Nigeria, where 
government offices control massive budgets stemming from the country’s 
oil industry.







http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=65561

Print Friendly Version
Published On: 2008-11-30
Metropolitan
JCD, BCL clash at JNU
Staff Correspondent

At least 15 were injured in a string of clashes between the activists of 
Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on 
the campus of Jagannath University in the old part of the city yesterday.

Police and campus sources said the clash occurred over the watching of a 
theatre in front of the Shaheed Minar at around 11:00am.

As the news of the clash spread over the campus, supporters of both the 
groups organised themselves separately and were engaged in an hour-long 
clash.

BCL activists took position behind the Shaheed Minar while JCD men in 
front of the administrative building.

Both the groups of BCL and JCD, student wings of Awami League and 
Bangladesh Nationalist Party, used bricks, wood sticks and iron rods 
during the clash.

As the situation deteriorated, police resorted to baton charge and 
brought the situation under control.

But later at around 2:00pm, the leaders and activists of both the groups 
were engaged in a fresh clash at Bahadur Shah Park (Victoria Perk).

They also staged demonstrations on the campus separately protesting the 
incident.

Officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station told The Daily Star that a 
police personnel was also injured in the clash.







http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=81728

COTE D'IVOIRE: Farmers return to land in west after deadly clashes

Photo: OCHA

People displaced by clashes in the locality of Zeaglo in western Côte 
d'Ivoire
DAKAR, 28 November 2008 (IRIN) - Some 70 long-displaced farmers returned 
this week to a cocoa plantation in western Côte d’Ivoire, despite deadly 
clashes triggered when armed youths tried to block their return.

UN and local officials say the clashes - in the sub-prefecture of 
Zeaglo, some 450km northwest of the commercial capital Abidjan - 
underscore the importance of reconciliation efforts in the volatile 
west, a zone long wracked by land disputes and hit by some of the worst 
violence during the country's six-year conflict.

“This is an isolated case but it is clear that social cohesion efforts 
are extremely important," the UN humanitarian coordinator and deputy 
special representative for the Secretary-General, Georg Charpentier, 
told IRIN. “In most places returns have worked very well. But there are 
some pockets of resistance and this will need some more intensive 
[reconciliation] efforts.”

On 20 November rifle-wielding youths attacked a convoy - organised by 
local authorities and escorted by security forces - bringing 81 
returnees to farms near Zeaglo, according to the UN Office for the 
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Côte d’Ivoire. Hundreds 
of farmers have already resettled in the region but the plantation to 
which farmers were to have returned on 20 November is being claimed by a 
local cooperative.

The ambush and ensuing unrest, in which at least two people died, forced 
hundreds of people to flee their homes and take refuge in a local 
government building for several days. UN aid agencies provided food and 
other assistance to the displaced.

Photo: OCHA

Local youths set fire to homes and other property, including this mill
Despite the clash, some 70 farmers reached the plantation in question, 
while others, along with extended families, stayed behind in Zeaglo to 
wait for calm to return.

Manipulation

UN and local officials said it appears some unemployed local youths were 
manipulated by people with economic interests in the plantation. They 
said most residents were on board for the return of farmers - immigrants 
or descendants of immigrants from neighbouring countries as well as 
Ivorians, all displaced by conflict.

“Youths in Zeaglo are caught between local authorities advocating 
reconciliation and cooperation among communities, and a group of 
individuals who are trying to sow division for their own interests,” 
said Gnonsékan Martin, prefect of Blolequin, the prefecture in which 
Zeaglo is located.

He said since conflict drove farmers off the land, locals have been 
cultivating much of it, but the situation has now changed. “The war is 
over, the situation is normalised. It is time for the illegal occupants 
of this land to [adjust accordingly].”

Gnonsékan spoke with IRIN on 27 November having just led a delegation of 
returnees and local youths to the plantation to assess and discuss the 
situation.

The cooperative claims rights to the disputed plot of land - about 1,000 
hectares, according to a report by UN aid workers monitoring the 
situation. But UN officials say all parties concerned had agreed months 
ago on the farmers’ return.

Land rights

As Côte d’Ivoire struggles to restore stability, one major challenge is 
the return of the thousands of farmers who fled cocoa plantations in the 
west. In the past few years families have been gradually returning to 
the land they farmed before the 2002 rebellion. Even before the 
conflict, land tenure issues were a source of tension in Côte d’Ivoire, 
which West African migrant workers helped make the world’s top cocoa 
producer.

Recognising local tensions surrounding the return of farmers to Zeaglo, 
the authorities and the UN have held numerous meetings to stave off 
problems. In July 2008 local residents and returnees agreed on a formula 
for sharing the land, said the UN’s Charpentier, who attended the meeting.
...We must push an agenda of reconciliation...

“Both sides had agreed at the time,” Charpentier told IRIN. “Now, 
despite that, there has been this resistance.”

In the Zeaglo incident at least one local resident died in an exchange 
of gunfire when armed youths blocked the convoy, and a Burkinabé 
resident was later killed in an apparent reprisal, according to a UN 
official. Local youths burnt down several homes of farmers who had 
earlier settled back in the area.

The sub-prefect of Zeaglo, Okou Paulin, said: “We were surprised, given 
how much we had worked on preparing for these returns.”

UN and local officials said despite the setback they were confident that 
all the families would soon be able to return to the plantation. Prefect 
Gnonsékan said an investigation was under way into the Zeaglo incidents.

“Things are still quite fluid”

Most of the 300 or so people who had sought refuge at the Zeaglo 
sub-prefecture building had returned to their homes as of 27 November, 
according to Alphonse Munyaneza, head of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) 
office in the nearby city of Guiglo.

Talking to IRIN from Zeaglo, he said the 80 or so people remaining were 
those whose homes had been burnt down.

“The situation in Zeaglo is something of a test case, because there are 
those who want to throw the [July] agreement into question,” Munyaneza 
said. “Their efforts are not working, but they are creating turmoil and 
a sense of instability. Things are still quite fluid. We must push an 
agenda of reconciliation.”

UN agencies and local authorities are working to convince people that it 
is in everyone’s socio-economic interest to cooperate, he said, pointing 
out other areas in which communities have been able to deal with 
population returns and move forward. “We tell them that they have an 
incentive to work together because aid groups and the government will be 
behind them on that. It is the socio-economic reality of this region... 
These communities need each other.”

np/cb







http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=64729

Published On: 2008-11-24
Metropolitan
Two injured in clash over AL nominations
Staff Correspondent

At least two people were injured as supporters of two Awami League 
leaders, who were rejected party tickets, clashed outside the party 
chief's Sudha Sadan residence at Dhanmondi in the city yesterday.

The clash ensued at around 12:45pm as the adherents of Maj Gen (retd) KM 
Shafiullah of Narayanganj and Dr Hannan Firoz of Jhalakathi tried to 
take their position before a TV screen on an information that Sheikh 
Hasina would address the leaders and activists through a video conference.

During the 15-minute clash, both the groups first scuffled and then used 
sticks and brickbats that left two supporters of Shafiullah -- Iqbal and 
Kiron -- injured. Police charged baton on the angry supporters to 
disperse them.

Earlier, supporters of Shafiullah, who sought the AL ticket for 
Narayanganj-1 but failed to get it, assaulted the followers of another 
nominee Gazi Golam Dastgir.

Since AL started giving nominations last week, supporters of several 
deprived leaders have been staging demonstrations outside Sudha Sadan in 
frantic efforts to get the party tickets for their expected candidates.

Similar demonstrations have also been going on at different parts in the 
country.

Meanwhile, the AL president yesterday met delegations of the deprived 
candidates separately for the second day.

The delegations of Mohammad Ali who sought nomination from Narsingdhi-1, 
barrister Amirul Islam from Kushtia-3, Shamsul Alam Dudu from 
Joypurhat-1, Dr Hannan Firoz from Jhalkathi-1 and barrister Zakir Ahmed 
from Brahmanbaria-5 met Hasina and requested her to reconsider the 
nominations in those constituencies.

The party chief assured them of considering their demands after holding 
inquiries into those constituencies.







http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/nov/nov17/news03.php

Four injured in Bhairahawa clash
A police officer was among the four injured in a clash between Madhesi 
Commando, a youth wing of Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi), and local 
youths in Bhairahawa on Sunday evening.
Police had to fire three rounds of tear gas and resort to baton charge 
to take control of the situation.
The situation remained tense even hours after the clash.
The report didn’t mention what incited the clash. nepalnews.com Nov 17 08






http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=64412

Published On: 2008-11-22
Metropolitan
One killed in clash over land dispute in Natore
Unb, Natore

A man was killed and seven others were injured in a clash between two 
groups of villagers over land dispute at Boria village in Singra upazila 
yesterday.

The dead was identified as Mozammel Haque.

The police said Abul Hossain and Ashraf Hossain of the village had 
longstanding enmity over the ownership of a piece of land.

The clash between the two rival groups erupted after Mozammel went to 
the disputed land to sow seeds in the morning. Mozammel died on the spot.

Three of the injured were rushed to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital in 
critical condition.







http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1200&p=front&a=1

Issue: (1200), Volume 16 , From 20 October 2008 to 22 October 2008

Pro-government tribesmen trigger clashes with Houthi followers
________________________________________
By: Mohammed Bin Sallam

SA’ADA, Oct. 19 — The situation in Sa’ada has been calm with the 
exception of some localized disputes triggered by pro-government 
tribesmen against Houthi supporters in more than one district, tribal 
sources from the governorate said on Sunday.

Speaking on behalf of Houthi field leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, Sheikh 
Saleh Habra told the Yemen Times by phone that a group of armed men 
belonging to the pro-government Al-Bushr tribe had intercepted some 
Houthi supporters while they were on their way to a popular market in 
the area of Saqain.

The interceptors did not allow the Houthis to enter the market t shop 
and quarreled with them, Habra said, adding that three Houthis were 
injured in the incident while one of the attackers from the Al-Bushr 
tribe was killed and another two tribe members wounded.

Asked about conditions in the refugee camps, Habra replied, “The 
refugees’ situation is tragic and their living conditions are expected 
to worsen with the advent of winter. What we hear via the official media 
on relief efforts are merely speeches with no real actions on the ground.”

Habra urged humanitarian relief organizations to provide urgent aid to 
refugees including blankets, medicine and other medical equipment, and 
to restore water and sanitation systems.

Regarding local schools’ preparation to receive students, Habra noted, 
“The authority said it would provide tents for students to attend 
classes in as an alternative to damaged schools in cooperation with 
international organizations. But until now, none of these promises has 
been fulfilled.”

Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Ahmad and Northern Military Flank 
Commander Ali Mohsen Saleh are attempting to control the situation in 
the Harf Sifyan district of Amran governorate after five soldiers were 
killed and many others injured in clashes between local tribesmen and 
republican guard members two weeks ago.

According to a well-informed source from Harf Sifyan, the clashes first 
broke out when members of the Bin Aziz tribe went to Al-Ammar market 
where they met Brig. Hamid Muqbil Chairman of Harf Sifyan Local Council, 
who was accompanied by a dozen policemen aboard a police vehicle.

The policemen attacked the tribesmen, killing citizen Mohsen Haqula and 
disfiguring him in the market for being allegedly a Houthi loyalist, 
although he has no relation with Abdulmalik Al-Houthi.

“Black shame”

As a result, many members of the victim’s tribe gathered in Harf Sifyan 
district, denouncing the way Haqula was killed and labeled it, according 
to the tribal tradition, as “black shame”.

In an incident which was the first of its kind since the Sa’ada fighting 
ceased on July 17, members of the Bin Aziz tribe intercepted a military 
caravan and opened fire on it, thereby setting fire to two troop 
carriers and two military vehicles and killing five members of the 
republican guard including a senior officer, media sources reported.

Some media outlets labeled the incident as clashes between Houthi 
followers and the army in the Al Ammar area, saying it is the beginning 
of a sixth war in Sa’ada, however, Abdulmalik Al-Houthi immediately 
denied that his followers have relations with the two incidents in Al 
Ammar and Harf Sifyan districts.

According to witnesses, the Sana’a-Sa’ada highway was blocked by members 
of the Usaimat tribe who thereby halted the movement of passengers to 
Sa’ada, Haradh and nearby districts and caused traffic jams along the road.

Usaimat tribesmen claim compensations from government

Local sources said that the tribesmen deliberately had blocked the 
highway in order to show their rage and press the government to 
compensate them for losing their sons in the Sa’ada fighting. According 
to the sources, more than three thousand solders from the Usaimat tribe 
were killed or injured during the four-year fighting between the army 
and Houthis in Sa’ada and other areas.

The same sources declared that security authorities in the Amran 
governorate had not reacted to the blocking of the Sana’a-Sa’ada Highway.






http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/491770/-/tm297h/-/index.html

Six feared dead in clash over stolen cattle

By NATION TeamPosted Sunday, November 16 2008 at 21:35
In Summary
• Group attacked by villagers as it went in search of missing animals

It is feared that at least six people were on Sunday killed as they 
pursued stolen animals in a village on the border of Molo and Narok 
districts.
Residents said about 30 men armed with bows and arrows stormed Nkokonani 
Village in Olpusimoru location saying they were pursuing their stolen 
cattle.
However, the villagers raised the alarm, and a bloody confrontation 
ensued, resulting in deaths and injuries.
Four people were last night nursing injuries at Olokurto health centre.
Screaming villagers
Local councillor Wilson Masikonde said villagers started screaming when 
the armed strangers arrived, in the evening, prompting locals to arm 
themselves quickly and confront them.
He said that the locals killed three people at Nkokonani and injured 
four others seriously. Three other people were killed at Kamurar, said 
Mr Masikonde.
There were fears of further fighting as heavily armed residents pursued 
the remaining group into a nearby forest last evening.
Those who had gone in search of the cattle are said to have travelled 
from Keringet in Molo Division.
The Narok police chief, Mr Patrick Wambani could not give the exact 
number of those killed, saying he was yet to receive official reports 
from his officers in the field.
Police had accompanied some 100 people who had gone to look for their 
stolen animals, he said.
Mr Wambani said it is suspected that some of the people killed were 
cornered after they remained behind.
He said that police had recovered five animals.
Elsewhere, two gangsters were killed in a shootout with police.
A third man escaped with gunshot wounds during the 6pm battle at Kimicha 
market near Kerugoya Town in Kirinyaga District on Saturday evening.
Witnesses said the robbers, on a motorcycle, had raided the market and 
started robbing traders.
Police rushed to the scene and on meeting with the gunmen, ordered them 
to surrender.
They, however, shot at the four police officers, starting the gunbattle.
Police found an AK-47 rifle and 16 rounds of ammunition on the gangsters.
Stories by George Sayagie, Kennedy Masibo and George Munene






http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=63515

Published On: 2008-11-16
Metropolitan
One killed in clash over fishing at Bakshiganj
A Correspondent, Jamalpur

At least one person was killed and several others injured in a clash 
between two groups of people over fishing in Singedoba beel at Bagarchar 
union under Bakshiganj upazila.

The deceased was identified as Ismail Hossain, 25.

Witnesses said there was a long-lasting conflict between Ali Rana and 
Ashraf Ali over the control of the water body. The clash ensued when 
both the groups went there for fishing.

Ismail, younger brother of Ali, died on the spot when he was stabbed 
with a sharp weapon by the rival group.

A murder case was filed accusing Ashraf, Aminul Islam and Sirajul Islam.







http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/659043

Traders clash in city Tuesday, 11th November, 2008

A mother is shielded by anti-riot Police who were called in to control 
the market traders clash yesterday
By Eddie Ssejjoba

HARDLY two weeks after chaos broke out in St. Balikuddembe Market 
(Owino), unrest yesterday returned to the market where rival traders’ 
groups clashed.

Several armed traders from the market confronted a rival group operating 
on Nakivubo Road in the afternoon brawl.

Traders operating within the market said those working outside the 
market snatch their clients, which they said had thrown them out of 
business.

Members of the two groups hurled metals and sticks at each other, while 
others exchanged blows.

Angry traders within the market uprooted and smashed kiosks and 
telephone booths, which they said were collection points for stones used 
by their rivals outside the market to hit them.

As the scuffle intensified, traffic and business at the often busy spot 
downtown Kampala came to a halt.

Two unidentified people were injured in the clash. The New Vision, 
however, could not establish their names.

Yesterday’s incident, like the previous one, attracted several 
policemen, among them anti-riot Police, who fired tear gas and bullets 
to repulse the rowdy traders.

A Police officer, only identified as Mugabi, appealed to the traders to 
stay calm as authorities find a solution to the problem.

But the traders accused the Police of shielding the traders operating 
outside the market.

Traders within the market also said the vendors, who were recently 
evicted from the market, were backed by the Kampala Central Division 
chairman, Godfrey Nyakaana.

Nyakaana’s efforts to mediate in the traders’ grievances reportedly hit 
a dead-end when the traders chased him away.

Iddi Kasozi, the chairman of the Park Yard youth group, said the traders 
based outside the market often assault those within the market due to a 
long-standing rivalry.

“The vendors terrorise our people , snatching merchandise and 
pick-pocketing them,” he said.

Some traders said politicians were backing the rivalling groups.









http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/05/stories/2008110553820300.htm

Other States - Puducherry

Demonstration
PUDUCHERRY: Members of the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaath, Puduvai, staged 
a demonstration on Tuesday seeking action against the “real culprits” 
involved in the Malegaon blasts.
They also demanded CBI enquiry into all bomb blast cases in the country, 
a release said.





http://allafrica.com/stories/200811100870.html

Mozambique: Election Clashes in Beira
7 November 2008

Maputo — Minor clashes broke out on Thursday, the third day of the 
municipal election campaign, in the central Mozambican city of Beira 
between supporters of the incumbent mayor, Daviz Simango, and of Manuel 
Pereira, the official candidate of the main opposition party, Renamo.
Simango was thrown out of Renamo in September, and is now running as an 
independent candidate. As a result Renamo in Beira has split - though 
film of the campaign so far indicates that Simango is attracting many 
more supporters than Pereira.
On Thursday, Simango and Pereira motorcades crossed paths. Pereira told 
reporters from the Maputo daily "Noticias" that a Simango supporter on a 
motorbike had deliberately run over two Renamo members. The motorcyclist 
was then beaten up by Pereira supporters, whereupon other Simango 
supporters joined the fray.
Pereira's group eventually dragged the motorcyclist, named as Samuel 
Claudio, to a nearby police station, but he was then sent to Beira 
Central Hospital for treatment for his injuries.
Claudio claimed the violence was started by Pereira's supporters. He 
told the independent daily "O Pais" that he had slowed down to avoid 
hitting anybody, but when he did so Pereira supporters ripped off the 
photograph of Simango that was dangling from his bike.
He tried to retrieve the photo "but instead of giving me what was mine, 
they attacked me", said Claudio. "The Renamo Beira city delegate, Faque 
Ferreira, and Manuel Pereira himself know perfectly well what happened. 
They tried to stop the assault, but nobody paid any attention to them".
In the town of Mocuba, in the central province of Zambezia, the ruling 
Frelimo Party accused Renamo of beating up seven of its supporters. One 
of the victims received a blow to his head with a machete, and 
"Noticias" claims that a second suffered a broken back. The Mocuba 
police commandeer. Almeida Candrinho, said that criminal proceedings 
would be initiated against those responsible for the attack.
Friday's issue of the "Mozambique Political Process Bulletin", published 
by AWEPA (Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa), reports 
that both Frelimo and Renamo have violated the legal ban on using state 
and municipal vehicles for election campaigns. The Bulletin's 
correspondents report that Frelimo has abused state vehicles in Nampula, 
Renamo in Marromeu, and both parties in Inhambane.
Frelimo supporters are also accused of putting up posters in places 
where election propaganda is banned, such as municipal and government 
buildings, schools and hospitals. The posters were reported from 
buildings in Inhambane, Lichinga, Chokwe and Nampula.
AWEPA and the anti-corruption NGO, the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP) 
have established a network of "people's correspondents", who are sending 
n reports from all over the country, which are appearing in the 
bulletin, currently published on a daily basis, and in an AWEPA/CIP 
Internet blog.
(AIM)







http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=62358

Published On: 2008-11-08
Metropolitan
UP member killed in clash in Khulna
Staff Correspondent, Khulna

A union parishad (UP) member was killed and six others were injured in a 
fierce clash over a land dispute yesterday at Fultala village under 
Batiaghata upazila in the district.

Identified as Manoj Mandol, 50, the victim was also the president of 
Batiaghata Sadar union unit of BNP.

The four injured -- Shib Mandol, 52, Sumon Mandol, 29, Chitrali Mandol, 
22, Chaitali, 20, -- were undergoing treatment at Batiaghata Upazila 
Hospital, while two others were released after first aid.

Officer-in-Charge of local police station Kazi Abdus Salek said the 
rival group attacked the Manoj at one stage of the quarrel during a 
conciliation meeting at Batiaghata union parishad office.

The BNP leader was beaten to death there, he added.

Police arrested four people -- Naren Sarder, his wife Rani Sarder, Mihir 
Sarder and Samir Sarder.

A case was filed with Batiaghata Police Station in this connection.






http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=62267

Published On: 2008-11-07
Metropolitan
40 BCL activists injured in clash at Kushtia University
Our Correspondent, Kushtia

At least 40 activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) were injured 
when its two factions were locked into a clash on the Kushtia Islamic 
University campus yesterday.

Sources said the clash was a sequel to Wednesday's incident when BCL 
President Sahanur Alam Keramat was assaulted by the rival faction.

Sources said dogged by two factions, the university BCL unit was facing 
troubles after expiring the date of its present committee two years ago.

The factions -- one led by its present President Keramat and General 
Secretary Sazzad Hossain, who is now central joint secretary, while the 
other by Saiful, Idrish and Khasru, who are influential activists of the 
unit.

When Keramat was holding a rally on Wednesday to celebrate the return of 
Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, the other faction attacked the 
programme. They also assaulted him and chased his group out of the campus.

Keramat entered the campus with a showdown yesterday and brought out a 
procession welcoming Hasina's return home at around 11:00am.

The rival faction further attacked the rally at the main gate that 
ensued a clash between the groups, leaving 40 activists of both the 
groups injured.

They used iron rods, bamboo sticks and lethal weapons during the clash. 
Three of the injured -- Jahidul Islam, Uzzal and Sahinoor Rahman -- 
received stab injuries.

Local police brought the situation under control. Additional police 
forces were deployed on the campus as a tense situation was prevailing here.

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) units 
brought out separate processions on the campus and protested the incident.







http://allafrica.com/stories/200811040669.html

Nigeria: Communal Clash Claims One
Hammed Shittu
4 November 2008
Ilorin — At least one person was reportedly killed at Share, 
headquarters of Ifelodun Local Government Council in Kwara State 
yesterday, when residents allegedly engaged their neighbours at Tsaragi, 
in Edu Local Government Council area over land dispute.
Already, the state police command has deployed about 200 anti-riot 
policemen to the area.
Special Assistant on Media Affairs to Governor Bukola Saraki, Alhaji 
Buliamin Adedamola, told THISDAY in Ilorin , that Secretary to the State 
Government (SSG), Alhaji Saka Onimago, led government delegation to the 
disputed area.
THISDAY checks revealed yesterday that, the on-going onslaught was 
ignited when people from one of the sides to the crisis allegedly tried 
to stop construction of a new school at a location described as "far 
from disputed area.
During the crisis, one person was confirmed dead, while three others 
were on admission over injuries sustained during a gun duel between the 
two communities.
Eye-witness accounts indicate that fighting began on Sunday evening and 
persisted despite spirited efforts by leaders of the two communities to 
douse the tension, which led to burning of several houses.
Chairman of Ifelodun Council Area, Alhaja Nimota Amuda, who confirmed 
the incident, said everything was being done to bring the situation 
under control. She was at the Police Command headquarters with her 
counterpart from Edu, Alhaji Idris Liman.
Also speaking yesterday, the state police Image Maker, DSP Tunde 
Muhammed, who confirmed the incident said the Command has deployed 
anti-riot policemen numbering over 200 to maintain peace and order.
(ThisDay)






http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=61786

Published On: 2008-11-04
Metropolitan
20 students injured as BCL, Shibir clash at Sirajganj varsity College
Our Correspondent, Sirajganj

At least 20 students were injured, two of them seriously, in a clash 
between the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Islami 
Chhatra Shibir (ICS) on Sirajganj University College campus yesterday.

Police said the clash erupted at around 10:00am over establishing 
supremacy on the campus.

The feuding groups used bamboo sticks and hurled brickbats at each other 
and ransacked classrooms of the college during the clash that continued 
for one and a half hours.

On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation 
under control. Additional police have been deployed on the campus to 
avert further untoward incident.

Of the injured, 18 were admitted to Sirajganj Sadar Hospital and 
different clinics in the town while the rest given first aid.

Seriously injured Chhatra Shibir activists--Mamun and Shahadat--were 
later shifted to Dhaka as their condition deteriorated.







http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24732391-663,00.html

Papua New Guinea women kill males babies to end tribal war
By Ilya Gridneff in Port Moresby
December 01, 2008 11:04am
• Male children mean more war
• Women sick of the conflict
• Drastic action "will end tribal war"
WOMEN in Papua New Guinea's Highland region are killing their male 
babies to end a tribal war that has gone on for more than 20 years.
Two women from the Eastern Highlands spoke of the slaughter to PNG's 
National newspaper during a three-day peace and reconciliation course in 
the region's capital of Goroka.
Rona Luke and Kipiyona Belas, from two warring tribes, said male 
infanticide reduced the cyclical payback violence infamous in Highlands 
tribal fights.
If women stopped producing males, their tribe's stock would go down and 
this would force the men to end their fight, the women said.
"All the womenfolk agreed to have all babies born killed because they 
have had enough of men engaging in tribal conflicts and bringing misery 
to them," Ms Luke said.
The women could not give a figure on how many male babies had been killed.
Ms Belas said getting food was hard as husbands kept fighting and 
mothers and children were left to fend for themselves.
The Salvation Army is working with various tribes to bring peace to the 
warring groups, one particular fight continues after starting in 1986 
over sorcery claims.
The Salvation Army told the Australian Associated Press that women were 
so fed up with the ongoing violence that they were taking drastic steps.
"This situation shows the extreme frustration the women have with the 
men in these areas," a spokesman said.








http://allafrica.com/stories/200811201009.html

The Inquirer (Monrovia)
Liberia: Prison Center Officers Protest
Morrison O.G. Sayon
20 November 2008
A group of Correction Officers at the Monrovia Central Prison yesterday 
staged what many consider as a major protest in demand of their salary 
and other benefits.
The officers began their strike action early yesterday morning by 
preventing the admission and release of prisoners at the Monrovia 
Central Prison.
In their action, the Correction Officers further prevented those who 
went to visit their relatives and love ones from entering the prison 
compound.
The aggrieved Correction Officers insisted that they will not allow any 
prisoner to enter or leave the compound until their demands were met by 
the Liberian government through the Ministry of Justice.
In an interview, the spokesman of the group, Amos T. Pital, narrated 
that they were among some 209 Correction Officers who were trained by 
UNMIL to serve at various prison compounds around the country.
Pital added that since their deployment at the various prison compounds, 
66 out of the number, are yet to receive salaries and benefits while 143 
of them are receiving salaries but no allowances and benefits as is 
being done with the old officers.
According to Mr. Pital, the old officers who have not acquired any 
training are receiving their allowances, benefits and salaries but they 
who have been trained by UNMIL are excluded by the Ministry of Justice 
without any tangible reason.
The group of officers who converged at the front of the prison compound 
to apparently draw the attention of the public said they have written 
several communications to the Ministry of Justice highlighting their 
plights but to no avail.
"We recently contacted the Minister of Information, Dr. Laurence K. 
Bropleh to intervene in this situation but it appears like our 
persistent pleas have fallen on dead ears," David Walker, one of the 
aggrieved officers told this paper.
The group has vowed to continue their strike action by preventing the 
release and admission of prisoners at the Monrovia Central Prison if 
nothing is done to address their concern.
At the same time, the Correction Officers are calling on President Ellen 
Johnson-Sirleaf to intervene in the situation that is obtaining between 
them and the Ministry of Justice as they have threatened to intensify 
their protest if government fails to pay them their just salaries and 
benefits.
Observers are of the opinion that if nothing is done to put an immediate 
end to the strike action and allow it to continue perpetually, many 
prisoners might capitalize on the situation and escape from the Monrovia 
Central Prison and other prison compounds around the country where the 
strike action is said to be ongoing simultaneously.
Our reporter who visited the Ministry of Justice on several occasions 
yesterday to authenticate the complaint of the officers was told that 
the Assistant Minister for Corrections and rehabilitation at the 
Ministry of Justice, Fatoumata Sheriff was out of her office and all 
efforts to see the Director of Prison also proved futile.








http://www.b92.net//eng/news/society-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=11&dd=28&nav_id=55373

Reservists protesting in Leskovac 28 November 2008 | 15:57 | Source: B92 
LESKOVAC -- Some 1,000 Kosovo war veterans have protested today in front 
of the Leskovac municipal assembly, demanding reimbursement of their wages.

The reservists rejected the proposal of the government working group 
that the money should be paid only to socially at-risk people, and want 
the wages to be paid to all those who participated in the Kosovo war.

The reservists intend to file a lawsuit against the state for failure to 
pay money owned to them dating back to conflict in 1999, and have 
scheduled a big protest in front of government HQ in Belgrade for 
December 23.

Strike leader Rodoljub Vuković said that they had been double-crossed by 
the governments of Vojislav Koštunica and Mirko Cvetković, which was why 
they had been forced to organize new protests in central Belgrade.

The reservists from Leskovac have been protesting for 11 months, asking 
to receive the same compensation of approximately EUR 2,500 as their 
colleagues from the Toplička district received.

Around 10,000 reservists participated in the Kosovo war.






http://www.zeenews.com/news480559.html

Mamata's return to Singur marred by clashes; 12 injured
Singur, Nov 02: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's return to 
Singur on Sunday, nearly a month after the Tatas pulling out of the Nano 
project, was marked by sporadic clashes and police using batons and 
teargas shells to restore order, leaving 12 people injured.

Trinamool leader Partho Chattophadhyay first faced the fury of 
protestors belonging to Nano Bachao Committee (NBC), a group of former 
contractors for the small car project, when brickbats were thrown at his 
car at Ghanashyampur, a few kilometres from Singur where he was headed to.

The Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Chandernagore, Amitabha Maiti, said 
Chattopadhyayay's car was halted as supporters of the NBC, which enjoyed 
tacit support of the CPI-M, and Trinamool Congress clashed in the area. 
Police lobbed teargas shells to bring the situation under control.

Chattopadhyay had to "beat a retreat" after the clash which left four 
persons, two each from the rival groups, injured, Inspector General (Law 
and Order) Raj Kanojia said.

The Trinamool leader, meanwhile, alleged that he had been manhandled by 
CPM supporters in the presence of 200 senior police officers.

A clash took place at Dankuni More on the Durgapur expressway, a few kms 
from Singur, between the rival organisations and police resorted to 
lathicharge to separate the fighting groups, eyewitnesses said. CPM 
supporters were picketing in the area.

Bureau Report







http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/after-campus-clashes-three-students-in-police-custody_100116307.html

After campus clashes, three students in police custody
November 7th, 2008 - 8:41 pm ICT by IANS -
Kolkata, Nov 7 (IANS) A district court in West Bengal Friday remanded 
three engineering students in 10 days of police custody, a day after 
they were arrested along with four others for violent clashes over 
elections to the students union.The seven students of Bengal Engineering 
and Science University (BESU) at Shibpur in Howrah district adjoining 
Kolkata were arrested after a clash between two student groups over 
upcoming elections.
“Three students who beat up fellow students at BESU Thursday have been 
remanded in 10 days’ police custody. The remaining four students, who 
destroyed college property and engaged in a minor scuffle, have been 
released on bail Friday,” according to the court verdict.
Members of the Students Federation Of India (SFI), which is affiliated 
to the state’s ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), and the 
Independent Consolidation (IC) had fought a pitched battle Thursday.
Police used batons to disperse the students and the Rapid Action Force 
(RAF) was called in to control the situation, said district 
Superintendent of Police N.K. Singh.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/12/stories/2008111251580300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Two injured in clash
TIRUVARUR: Two persons sustained injuries in a clash between CPI and 
DMDK workers near Tiruthuraipoondi in Tiruvarur district on Tuesday 
following the damage caused to the DMDK flag mast on Monday night. DMDK 
cadres picked up a quarrel with the CPI partymen, police said.





http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/another-clash-in-chennai-college-leaves-three-students-injured_100119221.html

Another clash in Chennai college leaves three students injured
November 14th, 2008 - 10:58 pm ICT by IANS -
Chennai, Nov 14 (IANS) Tamil and non-Tamil students here clashed over 
food served in a college hostel Friday that left three students injured, 
police said. This was the second violent clash between students in the 
city within three days. The institution, Hindustan Institute of 
Engineering Technology, was closed by the authorities following the 
violence.
According to police, the Tamil and non-Tamil students of the institute, 
located in the southern part of the city, disagreed over the quality of 
food served in the hostel mess. The argument soon turned violent with 
some students assaulting members of the other group with iron pipes.
Eighteen students were arrested. A local court released them in the 
evening. A local hospital discharged the injured students later, 
officials said.
The hostel was closed till further notice, a college spokesman told 
reporters.
Meanwhile, a division bench of the Madras High Court heard petitions on 
the fracas that took place in the campus of the Dr. Ambedkar Law College 
on Wednesday that left three students seriously injured. The court heard 
writ petitions from six advocates, including senior lawyer Sriram 
Panchu, who argued that the suspended law college principal K.K. Sridev 
had ignored a committee’s recommendations in 2001 to prevent lawlessness 
in the campus.
The court adjourned the matter to Tuesday bunching it with another writ 
petition that had been filed Thursday.
Newly-appointed city police commissioner K. Radhakrishnan told reporters 
earlier in the day that several teams had been despatched to different 
parts of the state to apprehend over 20 students of the law college who 
had beaten their colleagues on Wednesday following disagreement over an 
invitation for a political event.






http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/national-conference-congress-supporters-clash-in-kashmir_100118597.html

National Conference, Congress supporters clash in Kashmir
November 13th, 2008 - 5:03 pm ICT by IANS -
Srinagar, Nov 13 (IANS) Supporters of the National Conference and 
Congress clashed Thursday in north Kashmir Ganderbal during Omar 
Abdullah’s road show there.“National Conference president Omar Abdullah 
was on way to Wakura village in Ganderbal when a group of Congress 
supporters tried to interrupt his road show at Barsoo,” a police officer 
told IANS.
Barsoo village is nearly 30 km from here.
“Security men deployed to protect the National Conference road show 
fired tear smoke shells to disperse the clashing supporters of the two 
parties,” the police officer said.
Abdullah was also to address a party meeting at Wakura.
The road show and the public meeting were National Conference’s first 
shows of strength in the Ganderbal constituency from where Abdullah is 
contesting elections against Qazi Muhammad Afzal of the Peoples 
Democratic Party and Sheikh Muhammad Ashfaq of the Congress.
There are nine more candidates in the fray from the north Kashmir 
prestigious constituency - once considered to be the Abdullah family’s 
bastion.
Abdullah lost the 2002 election from the constituency from where his 
father Farooq and grand-father Sheikh Abdullah had won previously - many 
times unopposed.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/22/stories/2008112253820300.htm

Kerala - Kozhikode

Four persons injured in IUML-CPI(M) clashes
Staff Reporter
Clash over tearing up of posters
KOZHIKODE: Four persons, including a woman, were injured in clashes 
between activists of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the 
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) at Murad in the Payyoli grama 
panchayat here on Friday morning.
Hameed, an IUML worker, was admitted to a private hospital in the city. 
Another worker, Majeed, was admitted to the Meladi Health Centre. CPI 
(M) workers Narayanan and Leela were admitted to the Vadakara Government 
Hospital.
The clashes occurred over a dispute between the workers of the two 
parties over the tearing up of posters at Murad. The United Democratic 
Front (UDF) observed a hartal from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the area in 
protest against the incident.
A posse of policemen has been posted to avert escalation in violence. 
The Payyoli police have registered a case in connection with the incident.
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/violent-clashes-between-cpi-m-and-tmc-in-west-bengal_100122056.html

Violent clashes between CPI-M and TMC in West Bengal
November 21st, 2008 - 9:43 pm ICT by ANI -
Bheramari (West Bengal), Nov 21 (ANI): A Communist Party of 
India-Marxists (CPI-M) supporter was killed at Bheramari village in 
Birbhum district of West Bengal on Friday in a feud over a plot of a 
cultivable land.
The plot is said to be belonging to a Trinamool Congress (TMC) 
supporter, who was originally a CPI (M) supporter and has recently 
joined the TMC.
Around 300 CPI (M) supporters armed with sticks, guns and country bombs 
allegedly attacked the TMC supporters to capture the plot of land.
This led to a confrontation between the CPI (M) and TMC supporters. 
Later, around 500-armed TMC supporters chased the CPI (M) activists, 
which triggered a violent clash between the two groups in which one 
Mukhter Seikh (38), a CPI (M) supporter was killed and several others 
from both the groups were injured.
The clash took place this morning between the CPI (M) and TMC over a 
plot of land. Both the parties have been trying to capture the land. One 
person has been killed in the clash, said Sadhan Murmu, resident, 
Bheramari village.
A large contingent of police force rushed to the spot to control the 
situation. But the tension is simmering in the village and local people 
are apprehending violent political backlash. (ANI)






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/01/stories/2008120159000300.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Six held after clash
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Six persons were arrested in connection with clashes 
in Neyyattinkara on Sunday as a United Democratic Front procession 
following an election at the Mariaymuttom Service Cooperative Bank 
turned violent. The police said the UDF activists clashed with Left 
Democratic Front members. P. Anilkumar, Circle Inspector, Neyyattinkara, 
and R. Prathapan Nair, Circle Inspector, Vellarada, have been admitted 
to hospital with injuries.






http://news.oneindia.mobi/2008/11/29/761029.html

22 injured in two clashes during Delhi polls
Saturday, November 29 2008

New Delhi, Nov 29 (UNI) At least 22 persons were injured in two clashes 
in different areas of the capital as workers of different political 
parties confronted each other.

While 12 persons were injured in an altercation between Congress and NCP 
workers in Khayala area of the Rajouri Garden constituency, another ten 
persons were injured in Tughlakabad where BJP and BSP supporters 
clashed. DCP South-East Ajay Chaudhury has rushed to Tughlakabad 
following the incident.

BJP's sitting MLA Ramesh Viduri and BSP's Shahi Ram are in the fray for 
the Tughlakabad seat.

Earlier in the morning, a fight erupted between the Congress and the NCP 
workers while they were doing their rounds to urge voters to cast their 
votes, source said.

Rajouri Garden this time is witnessing a dramatic change in political 
equations. While sitting BJP legislator Dayanand Chandela is contesting 
on a Congress ticket, after the BJP alloted this seat to its ally Akali 
Dal, Congress rebel Duli Chand is in the fray as a NCP candidate.