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Karadzic backers riot in Belgrade
Supporters of Radovan Karadzic clashed with police Tuesday after his arrest on war crimes charges. His lawyer plans to appeal against his extradition to The Hague. Meanwhile, a German politician said Serbia's EU accession is still a long way off.
Some 250 supporters of war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic attacked police in Belgrade on Tuesday evening in protest at his arrest, hurling bottles and chairs and chanting "Treason!"
Five demonstrators and a policeman were injured, doctors at a Belgrade hospital said, and several protesters were arrested. Most of the demonstrators were members of the extremist Obaz group.
Politicians across Europe hailed the arrest of the former Bosnian Serb leader accused of genocide during the Bosnian war and said the move had brought Serbia closer to joining the European Union. But the conservative governor of the German state of Bavaria, Günther Beckstein, warned the EU against taking "overhasty steps" regarding Serbia's accession.
More at the link. Supporters of Radovan Karadzic clashed with police Tuesday after his arrest on war crimes charges. His lawyer plans to appeal against ... more -
"Battle in Seattle" film about WTO riots to be released in September
"In 1999, five days rocked the world as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Seattle in protest of the World Trade Organization. Among them are Django (Andre Benjamin), Sam (Jennifer Carpenter), Lou (Michelle Rodriguez) and Jay (Martin Henderson). United in their desire to be heard and to make a difference, for these protesters, this is very personal and the stakes are higher than mere politics. A peaceful demonstration to stop the WTO talks quickly escalates into a full-scale riot and an eventual State of Emergency results. The streets are mayhem, the WTO is paralyzed. Caught in the crossfire are Seattle residents, including its beleaguered mayor (Ray Liotta), a riot cop on the streets (Woody Harrelson) and his pregnant wife (Charlize Theron). The choices they make will change their lives forever.
With his ensemble cast writer/director Stuart Townsend intertwines different points of view from a cross section of society - from protestors and police to delegates and doctors - who intentionally or accidentally find themselves on the streets of Seattle in those last days of the millennium. Townsend seamlessly merges footage of the real event with his fictional narrative and, ultimately, Battle in Seattle illustrates that, even against incredible odds, ordinary people can change the world."
(End of excerpt from BattleInSeattleMovie.com)
For more information please visit http://www.battleinseattlemovie.com/
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Excerpt from C. Robert Cargill's critique from Movie.com:
"[I]t very much was like Crash and Bobby, except much better than I found either of those films. Centered on the infamous 1999 Seattle WTO riots, it follows the point of view of protest ringleaders, the mayor, two police officers, a news crew, two WTO representatives and a pregnant housewife. We watch as these characters are forced into conflict in one way or another. From the rioters engagement with the police to the mayor trying to hold the city together to the WTO members undercut by a riot separating them from achieving their goals, this film shows the many facets of people all trying to save the world amid a very bad situation.
The result is an enthralling explosion of conflicting ideologies each executed by someone who believes they are doing their part to make the world a better place: from the officers trying to keep the peace to the mayor, who feels both parties should have a say, to the protesters trying to send a message while having to fight against the destructive anarchists in their midst. Battle In Seattle presents a series of very complicated issues that all point towards one conclusion –- that maybe having an unelected governing body control the commerce of all the most powerful nations in the world isn’t such a good idea..."
http://www.film.com/movies/story/review-battle-seattle-... "In 1999, five days rocked the world as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Seattle in protest of the World Trad... more -
Migrant workers riot in China
Hundreds of migrant workers angry over mistreatment of a fellow worker rioted for three days in eastern China, surrounding a police station and smashing cars and motorbikes, a Hong Kong-based human rights organization said Monday.
The riot began Thursday in Kanmen town in coastal Zhejiang province, said the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy. Three hundred military police arrived Sunday and 30 migrant workers have been detained, the group said. No injuries were reported.
A woman who answered the telephone at Kanmen's public security bureau denied that workers broke into the police station or burned vehicles, saying they only gathered in the streets and shouted in protest. The woman did not give her name as is common with officials in China.
The Hong Kong-based rights group said the unrest in Kanmen was centered around a migrant worker who was beaten by a security guard while trying to get a temporary residence permit.
The violence comes just weeks after a crowd of 30,000 people in southwest China set fire to a police station, angry over what many believed was a cover-up of the death of a teenage girl by local authorities.
Such incidents are an embarrassment to officials, especially in the run-up to the Aug. 8 Beijing Olympics.
According to the rights group, when the worker went to police with a group of other workers to complain about the man who beat him, he was detained, triggering the protest in which hundreds of workers converged outside the police station, burning police cars and motorcycles and later throwing stones.
The report did not give any other details about the incident, including why the worker was beaten.
A notice posted on the Web site of Yuhuan County, which oversees Kanmen, said the July 10 "incident" was being investigated but did not describe what the incident was.
It "has caused a strong backlash by society, and the public is very concerned about the truth, and about how it was dealt with, and how the local offices have recovered," the notice said.
Thousands of migrant workers have flocked to the area and the situation has put pressure on the government, it said.
Also Monday, the official Xinhua News Agency said police in Guizhou province detained 100 people, including 39 members of local gangs, for involvement in last month's protest over the death of the student.
It quoted Peng Dequan, vice director of provincial public security, as saying they were still looking for other "gangsters" who were in hiding.
Authorities accused local gangs of fomenting the unrest and have urged offenders to surrender, Xinhua said. Hundreds of migrant workers angry over mistreatment of a fellow worker rioted for three days in eastern China, surrounding a police st... more -
China Jails 12 more Tibetans; March Riots
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese courts jailed 12 more rioters for their roles in unrest in Tibet, state media said, weeks before the Beijing Olympics and after Beijing deported a Tibetan British woman it accused of anti-government activism.
China's official Xinhua news agency said late on Thursday that to date China has convicted 42 people for their role in the riots while another 116 await trial. Some 953 people were detained by the police, Xinhua said, quoting Palma Trily, the No. 1 vice-chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region government.
He did not give details on the length of the latest 12 sentences handed down on June 19 and 20 but said neither these rioters nor 30 people convicted earlier had received death sentences. BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese courts jailed 12 more rioters for their roles in unrest in Tibet, state media said, weeks before the Beiji... more -
Calm returns to Mongolia, still no election result
Calm has returned to the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator after rioting in the wake of election fraud allegations left five dead, but there is still no official result from the weekend's parliamentary polls.
The violence has dampened hopes for a period of stable government to develop the mining sector and tackle inflation in the vast but thinly populated country, strategically sandwiched between China and Russia.
A curfew has been imposed in Ulan Bator, though the situation on the streets appeared to have returned to normal following the violence, in which protesters clashed with police and set fire to the ruling Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) headquarters.
The General Election Committee announced preliminary results on national television late on Wednesday, though did not say specifically to which parties the winners belonged.
According to Reuters calculations, the ruling MPRP has won 45 seats while the opposition Democratic Party has won 27, which would give the MPRP a clear majority in the 76-seat parliament.
Two of the seats are still undecided, and a few others have gone to small parties or independents.
International observers say overall the election was free and fair. But new election rules have led to procedural problems and some confusion over counting.
President Nambariin Enkhbayar declared a four-day state of emergency late on Tuesday after the protests.
The emergency rule -- the first in Mongolia's history -- means protests are banned and security forces can use tear gas and rubber bullets to break up demonstrations.
The uncertainty threatens to further delay deals that could unlock vast reserves of copper, coal, uranium and other resources beneath the country's vast steppes and deserts, seen as key to lifting the landlocked Central Asian state out of poverty.
The biggest project at stake is at Oyu Tolgoi, also known as Turquoise Hill, backed by Ivanhoe Mines of Canada and Rio Tinto.
The two companies propose to spend up to $3 billion developing the field. Rio paid $303 million for a 10 percent stake in Ivanhoe in 2006. It has said it could invest up to $1.5 billion, under defined conditions, when the deal is approved.
Calm has returned to the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator after rioting in the wake of election fraud allegations left five dead, but ther... more -
India's moderate Muslims see peril in growth of stricter form of Islam
Excerpt 1
Two years ago, a violent clash broke out at a Barelvi mosque in the town of Chimur, also located in Maharashtra, over ideological differences among the worshipers. Those with more conservative views took over the mosque, and the others are now building a new one, replete with a signboard warning that not all are welcome.
The group now in charge of the mosque does not advocate violence of the sort that has inspired fears among moderate Muslims. Rather, the head cleric said in an interview that his group simply did not approve of Muslims who visited Sufi shrines and wanted to enlighten them.
Excerpt 2
"We do not belong to any group. We are just good Muslims," said Abid Husain. "But our doors are open. We do not put up signs." ......
Terrorism is born out of the womb of injustice," said Akhtarul Wasey, the head of Islamic studies at Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi. "In spite of all this, Indian Muslims still have faith in the secular and democratic Indian state."
"It is our religious duty to tell people that terrorism cannot be jihad. It is not a holy war," said Mahmood Madani, a member of the Indian Parliament and a prominent leader of the school. "There are so many bomb blasts in India today. Innocent people are dying. We are doubly concerned because Islam is being used to carry them out."
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Basically the Moderate Muslims are clashing against the some of the Violence promoting Conservative Muslims...
deals with the terrorism and the need to declare that the so-called "jihad" that most terrorists claim to be following when commiting terrorism is nothing but b.s and that Allah nor Islam condones terrorism Excerpt 1 ... more -
Argentina farm strike turns violent
A three-month standoff between the Argentine government and farmers over export taxes turned violent Saturday.
Agentine military police clash with farmers who staged a road blockade to protest a controversial export tax.
Local reports said there were several injuries and 18 arrests, including Alfredo De Angeli, a farm union leader who has been one of the most outspoken critics of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's export tax.
Military police scuffled with farmers as they tried to remove them from a road that protesters had blocked with their trucks.
Protesters responded by throwing rocks at police and burning large truck tires in the road. Thick clouds of black smoke could be seen for miles.
Scenes of baton-wielding police in riot gear carrying struggling protesters away in trucks were broadcast live around the country.
The clashes took place in the farming community of Gualeguaychu, a stronghold for the protesters, about 124 miles (200 kilometers) north of Buenos Aires.
A three-month standoff between the Argentine government and farmers over export taxes turned violent Saturday. ... more -
S. Korea girds for protests; cabinet offers to quit
South Korea's entire cabinet offered to resign on Tuesday in the face of massive street protests, as its increasingly unpopular president warned that Asia's fourth-largest economy could be heading into crisis.
The protests against the government, in office barely three months, were sparked by public outcry over a deal to widen its market to U.S. beef imports and have cast a darkening cloud over President Lee Myung-bak's plans for sweeping reform.
"The prime minister offered the cabinet's resignation at the regular meeting this morning (with Lee)," a spokeswoman at the prime minister's office said, in what local media said was in response to the mounting anti-government protests.
(End excerpt)
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FULL STORY AT LINK
By Jon Herskovitz and Yoo Choonsik// Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSSEO2920...
Photo by Jo Yong-Hak// Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures/articleslideshow?a...
South Korea's entire cabinet offered to resign on Tuesday in the face of massive street protests, as its increasingly unpopular presid... more -
British policing at its best?
Is this a series of photos taken out of context? Or is it a good example of how policing situations such as the riots in Manchester inevitably lead to police violence?
Is this a series of photos taken out of context? Or is it a good example of how policing situations such as the riots in Manchester i... more -
100,000 Scottish fans 2008
Wow. Imagine that, imagine never drinking again. Ah, the venue needed the money. Meanwhile major arguments abound in this area of the world. New generation on the way, widening roads too. If it were not for the internet, we'd be broke no? Wow. Imagine that, imagine never drinking again. Ah, the venue needed the money. Meanwhile major arguments abound in this area of the ... more
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Chaos in Tibet // Comment Picked for TV
Thanks to nwillens for her comments on "Chaos in Tibet." Check out what she had to say then watch the pod: http://current.com/items/88878416_chaos_in_tibet Thanks to nwillens for her comments on "Chaos in Tibet." Check out what she had to say then watch the pod: http://current.com/items/... more
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Somalis riot over food prices
Thousands of people rioted in the streets of the Somali capital on Monday to protest rising food prices and shops' refusal to accept Somali currency.
Witnesses said two protesters were shot dead by Somali soldiers who were guarding buildings that were attacked by demonstrators.
Abdi Ud, a journalist with Somalia's Shabelle Media Network, said the protesters were angry because Mogadishu shopkeepers refused to accept Somali shillings and instead demanded payment in U.S. dollars.
Shops throughout the city closed down in fear of the demonstrations, he said.
The United Nations recently warned of "a deteriorating humanitarian situation" in Somalia as a result of soaring food prices and a worsening drought.
"About 2.6 million Somalis now need assistance -- more than a third of the country's population, representing a rise of 40 percent since January," according to a May 2 U.N. news release.
The problem in Mogadishu has been compounded by heavy fighting between Somali government forces, backed by Ethiopian troops, and Islamist fighters.
Parts of the Somali capital have been described as ghost towns because of the exodus of thousands of residents due to the fighting, which has surged in recent weeks.
The U.N. says 7,000 people fled the capital after bloody battles last month, joining a population of displaced Somalis that aid groups estimate tops 1 million.
Thousands of people rioted in the streets of the Somali capital on Monday to protest rising food prices and shops' refusal to accept S... more -
9 killed in Honduras prison riot
Nine prisoners were killed with machetes and knives yesterday (Saturday) during a riot in an overcrowded prison in northern Honduras (Central America). "Nine prisoners, eight from gangs, died after a fight... in the San Pedro Sula penitentiary," said Security Ministry spokesman Hector Mejia. TV images showed blood-stained corridors in the jail in Honduras' second city following the riot, which was believed to have been provoked by a prisoner who shot a fellow inmate.
Police later took control of the jail in San Pedro Sula, Honduras' manufacturing centre and its most violent city. The jail holds some 3,000 inmates but was built to hold far fewer. Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are overrun with violent youth street gangs, known as "maras" that trace their origins back to Salvadoran immigrants on the streets of Los Angeles in the 1980s and 1990s. Nine prisoners were killed with machetes and knives yesterday (Saturday) during a riot in an overcrowded prison in northern Honduras (... more -
Food price rises threaten global security - UN
Rising food prices could spark worldwide unrest and threaten political stability, the UN's top humanitarian official warned yesterday after two days of rioting in Egypt over the doubling of prices of basic foods in a year and protests in other parts of the world.
Sir John Holmes, undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs and the UN's emergency relief coordinator, told a conference in Dubai that escalating prices would trigger protests and riots in vulnerable nations. He said food scarcity and soaring fuel prices would compound the damaging effects of global warming. Prices have risen 40% on average globally since last summer.
"The security implications [of the food crisis] should also not be underestimated as food riots are already being reported across the globe," Holmes said. "Current food price trends are likely to increase sharply both the incidence and depth of food insecurity."
He added that the biggest challenge to humanitarian work is climate change, which has doubled the number of disasters from an average of 200 a year to 400 a year in the past two decades.
As well as this week's violence in Egypt, the rising cost and scarcity of food has been blamed for:
· Riots in Haiti last week that killed four people
· Violent protests in Ivory Coast
· Price riots in Cameroon in February that left 40 people dead
· Heated demonstrations in Mauritania, Mozambique and Senegal
· Protests in Uzbekistan, Yemen, Bolivia and Indonesia
Rising food prices could spark worldwide unrest and threaten political stability, the UN's top humanitarian official warned yesterday ... more -
Hungry mob attacks Haiti palace
Another case of violence due to the rising food prices. I feel like if someone doesn't intervene soon, we could be facing a world-wide riot. Another case of violence due to the rising food prices. I feel like if someone doesn't intervene soon, we could be facing a world-wide... more
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Egyptians riot over poverty and rising prices
Thousands of poverty stricken Egyptian workers rioted this week at Egypt's largest textile factory over rising prices and stagnant salaries.
The demonstrators torched buildings, looted shops and hurled bricks at police who retaliated with tear gas the rest of the country staged a nationwide strike. Around 150 people were arrested and 80 wounded.
Across the country thousands skipped work and school in protest over the rising cost of food and poor working conditions.
The prices of basics such as cooking oil and rice have nearly doubled in recent months, amid widespread shortages of government-subsidized bread. Nearly 40 percent of Egypt's 76 million people live below or near the poverty line of $2 a day.
The U.S. backed government in Egypt strongly warned citizens against participating in the strikes and demonstrations. Strikes and protests are illegal in Egypt, and protesters are often detained by Egyptian security forces. Thousands of poverty stricken Egyptian workers rioted this week at Egypt's largest textile factory over rising prices and stagnant sal... more -
Foreign diplomats enter Tibet
Foreign diplomats are in Tibet on a fact-finding visit approved by China, following criticism of Beijing's crackdown on Tibetan protests.
The US welcomed the move, but said diplomats and observers should be allowed to see areas surrounding Lhasa.
The visit follows a short trip to the city by a group of foreign journalists. Foreign diplomats are in Tibet on a fact-finding visit approved by China, following criticism of Beijing's crackdown on Tibetan protes... more -
Chaos in Tibet
After weeks of unrest, the Chinese government has handpicked a select group of journalists to enter Tibets capital Lhasa. Meanwhile, protests continue throughout the region. After weeks of unrest, the Chinese government has handpicked a select group of journalists to enter Tibets capital Lhasa. Meanwhile, ... more
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Why They Hate China
Well, you have to hate someone… http://antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=12585
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Tibet protests spreading
China is sending more troops in to try and "calm" the situation in Tibet, while the government has acknowledged for the first time publicly that the violence and demonstrations have spread beyond the capital of Lhasa to other regions in Tibet. Chinese officials are reporting the death toll in the riots so far at 16, Tibetan groups are claiming the number is closer to 80.
Speaking from exile in India, the Dalai Lama has offered to participate in face to face negotiations with China's president and other Chinese leaders. There does not appear to have been a response to his offer. China is sending more troops in to try and "calm" the situation in Tibet, while the government has acknowledged for the first time pub... more
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Riots
