Tag Archives: protest

U.S.

Operation BART: U.S. Media says no transit shutdown, U.K. Media says 4 BART stations shut down, who’s right?

August 16, protestors shut down four of San Fransisco’s BART stations, according to media in the United Kingdom.  Yet the San Fransisco Chronicle says no such shutdown took place!

August 17, the San Fransisco Chronicle published an article titled “No BART protests”.  The article claims that BART service was not interrupted by any protestors: “Tuesday’s commutes were hassle free, despite rumors that more protests were planned.”

Yet, at the beginning of the article it clearly states: “…protesters disrupted yet another commute…” Which is it San Fransisco Chronicle, commutes were hassle free or not?

August 16, the British Daily Mail published an article which states: “Four San Francisco subway stations had to be shut down temporarily last night as the hacker group Anonymous continued its protest over free speech and police brutality.”

The U.K. Daily Mail even has pics.  Clearly, and as usual, the U.S. media can not be trusted.

 

 

Business/Economics, International

Thousands of peaceful protestors hit the streets of North London, right wing media ignores it

“We shouldn’t be cutting services. We should be investing in young people, we should be investing in our society.”-protestor

August 13, thousands took to the streets in North London’s Hackney.  They were protesting all the cuts to social programs for the lower classes.  The main stream right wing media in the U.S. and U.K. ignored the protest.

The people were also protesting the police shooting of an unarmed man, and the beating of a 16 year old girl, which led to the violent rioting this past week.  However they said they didn’t support violence, even by the police: “We don’t condone damage, fires, threat to life and violence like that.  At the same time we understand why young people are angry.”-protestor

Most protestors agree that what’s needed is more jobs: “They should spend the money in this country, we need more jobs for our youngsters!”-retired man

 

 

U.S.

United Police States of America: San Fransisco cuts off cell phone service to stop protesters, proof U.S. authorities are no better than Mubarak or Cameron

“BART officials are showing themselves to be of a mind with the former president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak.”-Electronic Frontier Foundation

August 11, the city of San Fransisco, California, shut off cell phone service to prevent people from protesting a police crime.

Residents had planned to protest the killing of a man by BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) police.  The man was shot back in July.  Police claim he was attacking them with a knife.  It’s not the first time BART police have shot and killed someone in a questionable incident.

BART officials admitted, on their web site, they shut off several cell towers, to prevent demonstrators from using their cell phones to launch another protest.  On July 11, people disrupted transit service by protesting the killing of the homeless man.

“Shutting down access to mobile phones is the wrong response to political protests.”-Rebecca Farmer, ACLU

BART police say they’re within the law by cutting off cell phone service, however FCC (Federal Communication Commission) regulations say cell customers must be notified “in writing” when their cell service is about to be cut off “for any reason”.

If you’ve lost cell phone service without being notified visit www.fcc.gov/complaints or call 1-888-CALL-FCC.

 

 

U.S.

U.S. media totally ignoring Protesters in the United States, arrest numbers prove it

Notice that there is no mention of any protesters on the U.S. main stream media?  At least nothing that involves protesting President Obama, or the Federal Government, or the War on Terror, etc.

The lack of coverage even had several foreign media sites doing round table discussions as to why it seems no one in the United States is protesting (Russia Today for one).

The reality is that U.S. citizens are protesting, and in greater numbers year after year.  The proof: Arrest numbers.  So far for 2011 at least 670 people have been arrested.  Since Barack Obama became president at least 2,600 people have been arrested. The arrest numbers have gone up year after year: 665 in 2009.  1,290 in 2010.

According to Jack Cohen-Joppa, who’s been tracking the arrests, more people are in prison now, for protesting nuclear weapons, than in the past ten plus years.

He also admits that many activists backed off their protests when Obama became president.  But now that it’s become clear that Obama is a liar, the activists are coming out swinging.

Read more here (including list of those arrested and why).

International, U.S.

‘Christians’ say they will protest largest Mosque in United States

Terry Jones now has a $1 million bounty for his arrest.  He’s one of the ‘christians’ that burned the Quran in March.  He, and his followers (doesn’t that make it a cult?) are in Dearborn, Michigan, to launch a Good Friday protest in front of the largest mosque in the U.S.

The problem is that Terry Jones has stated, recently, that he and his followers will use guns at the protest.  In a morning interview (April 22) with a Michigan TV station, Jones said they will protest, even though a judge denied their permit to do so.  The judge did suggest other sites for holding the protest, but Jones refused.

International, U.S.

Bahraini Shia claim government, and Saudis, have destroyed 28 Mosques

“We will not keep silent on destruction of mosques.”-joint statement by clerics

Bahrain Center for Human Rights said that 28 Mosques, and 50 mourning halls, have been destroyed by government forces, and Saudi forces.  Muslim clerics have accused Bahraini and Saudi forces of sacrilege.

The Shia majority have been protesting since February 14, they want an end to the royal family rule.  Some of the destroyed mosques were located in Karzakan, Salmabad, Bu Quwah, and A’ali.

Protesters plan a big rally for Friday.  Husain Abdulla, human rights activist, says the United States does not want democracy in Bahrain, because the U.S. fears the people will vote the U.S. Navy out.  Bahrain is the head quarters of the USN Fifth Fleet.

U.S.

Washington D.C. mayor & City Council arrested after protesting the Federal Government

The mayor of Washington DC, and six city council members were arrested today, while protesting the Federal Government’s budget plans.  They sat in front of a big sign that read “No Taxation Without Representation”, which was one of the rallying cries of the American Revolution against the British.

Mayor Vincent Gray said the Federal budget infringes on the District of Columbia’s sovereignty.  “Folks in congress will do things to the District of Columbia that they wouldn’t do in their own districts … It’s an outrageous position. We raise our tax dollars just like other states do, just like other cities do.”

41 other protesters were arrested as well.

International

Yemen declares State of Emergency snipes protesters

The government of Yemen has declared a State of Emergency.  This after weeks of protests against the government, and recently, the sniping and killing of at least 31 protesters by Yemeni government forces.

Protesters say hundreds were also wounded by the snipers.

Saudi Arabia has already invaded neighboring Bahrain to help that government against protesters there.  Will Saudi Arabia do the same with its neighbor to the south?

Business/Economics, International

Britain Enacts Huge Budget Cuts, Will the British People Rise Up Like the French?

I was watching a debate on the French strikes, and a British commentator said that what was going on in France would never happen in Britain, because there are laws against such demonstrations.  I wounder, after the British government will start the deepest cuts in 60 years?

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 22: Protestors dressed as Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg demonstrate against the budget in Parliament Square on June 22, 2010 in London, England. The Chancellor has announced a raft of tax increases and spending cuts to deal with the United Kingdom's growing debt. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

By 2015, the cuts would amount to about 130 billion U.S. dollars.  490,000 government jobs would be cut over 4 years.  The retirement age would be raised to 66, four years sooner than first planned.  Even the rents on subsidized housing will be increased.  Also, the Value Added Tax (a type of sales tax) will increase to 20% (don’t go shopping there).  However, the British government plans to increase spending on things like cracking down on tax fraud, and anti-terror security.  Officials also claim that Health Care Services will not be cut, and that school funding will kept in “…real terms” every year.

A boy holds a poster at a public services protest during the second day of the Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool, northern England,September 19, 2010.REUTERS/Nigel Roddis (BRITAIN)

But what will the People think?  There has already been past protests about the cuts,  as far back as June, so i don’t think that British commentator knows what he’s talking about.  According to al Jazeera, small protests have already started.