… on a quiet day, I can hear her breathing

Tag: protest

  • Thousands of PTI supporters reach Islamabad demanding Imran Khan’s immediate release

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    Original article republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

    Thousands of supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan marched to Islamabad over the past few days facing heavy repression from security forces

    Thousands of members and supporters of Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) reached Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday, November 26, facing heavy repression by security forces including tear gas and live fire. Reportedly four people have been killed. Protesters are demanding the release of their leader, former Prime Minister Imran Khan and have also called for the restoration of the party’s allegedly stolen mandate in this year’s national elections.

    PTI and Khan supporters started marching to Islamabad from all corners of the country on Sunday, aiming to reach D-Chowk near the country’s Parliament. However, security forces have attempted to prevent the movement by erecting barricades, including shipping containers, on roads linking the capital with other regions, along with other coercive measures.

    Protesters traveling in trucks, buses, cars or on foot from various provinces, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), where the PTI is in power, were reportedly attacked by the security forces using batons and tear gas. Additionally, a large number of people have been arrested after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared the protest illegal last week.

    The actions of the security forces delayed the gathering in Islamabad on Sunday, forcing the PTI to announce that it might take a couple more days for all its supporters to assemble at the designated place in Islamabad. PTI announced that it will not abandon the protest until all objectives are achieved.

    The march is organized in response to Khan’s “final call” for protest issued earlier this month. Khan urged all his supporters and party leaders to mobilize and march in solidarity until they achieve the release of all political prisoners, the reversal of 26th constitutional amendment, the restoration of democracy and of the constitution, and the return of “the stolen mandate,” referring to allegedly rigged general elections held in February this year.

    The 26th amendment, passed in October, gave more power to the parliament over the judiciary, despite objections raised by PTI and several other parties. PTI claims that the amendment was introduced specifically to prevent Khan’s early release from jail.

    Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced that the government would prevent protesters from entering the capital at any cost. The government also accused PTI of working against the interest of the nation. Naqvi admitted that mobile internet services had been suspended in some parts of the country to manage the situation.

    The government also filed cases against Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, former president Arif Alvi, and several other PTI leaders under Pakistan’s anti-terrorism laws, the Express Tribune reported.

    The protests may further erode the legitimacy of the government 

    Ammar Ali Jan, head of the Haqooq-e-Khalq Party (HKP), told Peoples Dispatch that the coalition government of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Peoples Party of Pakistan (PPP), led by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, is already facing a serious crisis of legitimacy due to the questionable way in which it came to power during the general elections with the backing of the “establishment”, i.e. the military. The ruling coalition is now on the defensive as PTI’s frequent calls for popular protests further deepen the crisis of legitimacy.

    Khan, who has been held in Pakistan’s Adiala Jail since his arrest in August last year on various charges, remains very popular. Despite allegations of manipulation, attempts to disqualify the party, and Khan’s imprisonment, PTI won the largest number of seats in the parliament.

    While the former Prime Minister has been convicted on several charges, many of those convictions have been reversed by higher courts, and in some, he has been granted bail. Last week, the IHC granted him bail in one of the most high-profile cases, related to Toshakhana or the illegal sale of state gifts.

    However, the Pakistan’s government has refused to release him, claiming that several cases are still pending. Khan and his supporters assert that all cases filed against him since his ousting from power in July 2022 are politically motivated and stem from his criticism of the military’s role in politics.

    Ammar Ali Jaan warns that if the current siege of the capital is prolonged or if any bloodshed occurs, the regime’s “crisis of legitimacy” will intensify further, potentially numbering the days in power for the current government.

    Original article republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

  • Female student arrested in Iran after stripping off in public on university campus

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    https://www.euronews.com/2024/11/02/female-student-arrested-in-iran-after-stripping-off-in-public-on-university-campus

    Amnesty Iran called for the immediate and unconditional release of the student who reportedly stripped down in protest against the university’s strict dress code law.

    An Iranian woman has been arrested after she stripped partially naked on a university campus, reportedly in protest against the strict dress code after she was physically harassed by security officers for wearing her hijab incorrectly, according to Amnesty Iran.

    Video circulating on social media platform X, filmed by other university students in a classroom overlooking the Tehran Islamic Azad University campus, has attracted a lot of attention online, with many people applauding the woman for her “boldness” and “courage”.

    No further information has been released about the identity of the individual.

    In a post on X, Amnestry Iran pressed for her immediate and unconditional release.

    The organisation called for the protection of the woman from “torture and other ill-treatment” pending her release and demanded that she must be granted access to family and a lawyer.

    …

    https://www.euronews.com/2024/11/02/female-student-arrested-in-iran-after-stripping-off-in-public-on-university-campus

  • Voices Against ‘Extermination Campaign’ in Gaza Call Out to the World: ‘This Has to Stop!’

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    Original article by Jon Queally republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

    Jewish Voice for Peace activists and allies protest at NBC headquarters in New York City on February 26, 2024. (Photo: Jewish Voice for Peace New York)

    “The president needs to start answering to the American people—not the far-right Israeli government indiscriminately bombing the people of Gaza,” said Jewish Voice for Peace.

    The historic wave of Jewish-led protests against U.S. complicity in Isreal’s genocidal war on Gaza continued Monday as members of the group Jewish Voice for Peace were arrested for occupying NBC headquarters in New York City in a bid to disrupt the taping of President Joe Biden’s appearance on a popular late-night TV show.

    JVP activists wearing shirts reading “Not In Our Name” unfurled banners and chanted slogans inside 30 Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan, where Biden was taping an interview with the eponymous host of the “Late Night Show With Seth Meyers.”

    “Biden, Biden, you can’t hide, you are funding genocide,” the protesters chanted. Banners implored the president to “Stop Arming Genocide” and push for a “Lasting Cease-Fire” in Gaza, where more than 100,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded and around 90% of the population has been forcibly displaced since the October 7 attacks on Israel.

    “President Biden’s deadly foreign policy has expedited weapons sales to Israel,” said Jewish Voice for Peace New York, which also criticized the administration for ignoring the International Court of Justice’s provisional ruling last month that Israel is “plausibly” perpetrating genocide, suspending funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and vetoing three U.N. cease-fire resolutions.

    “The president needs to start answering to the American people—not the far-right Israeli government indiscriminately bombing the people of Gaza, destroying 70% of infrastructure, including hospitals, universities, and the electricity and water grids,” the group added.

    Jay Saper of JVP said Monday that “our Jewish tradition teaches us that life is precious.”

    “As Jewish New Yorkers, we are absolutely outraged that President Biden is actively supporting a genocide against the Palestinians of Gaza,” he added.

    In addition to taping Tuesday’s “Late Night” episode, Biden and Meyers visited the on-site Van Leeuwen ice cream parlor, where the president ordered mint chip in a sugar cone. While there, a reporter asked when there would be a cease-fire in Gaza.

    “My national security adviser tells me that we’re close, we’re close; it’s not done yet,” Biden replied. “My hope is by next Monday we’ll have a cease-fire.”

    Early in the war, Biden proclaimed his “rock-solid and unwavering” commitment to Israel while refusing to call for a cease-fire. As Israeli bombs and bullets killed and maimed tens of thousands of Palestinians—mostly women and children—the president asked for over $14 billion in additional U.S. military aid to Israel, which already receives nearly $4 billion from Washington annually. Biden also repeatedly circumvented Congress to expedite emergency military assistance to the key Middle East ally.

    Original article by Jon Queally republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

  • Naples protests G7 “lords of war”healthcare

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    Original article by Ana Vračar republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

    Source: Ex OPG occupato – Je so’ pazzo/Facebook

    Over 2,000 people took to the streets of Naples against soaring military spending in Europe and increased repression of dissent as G7 defense ministers convened for high-level talks

    Thousands of people took to the streets of Naples on October 19, demonstrating against the G7 military agenda and Italy’s proposed reforms that would limit the freedom to dissent. Protesters, representing a host of organizations including student associations, trade unions, and community centers, rallied against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government’s policies, demanding a shift in priorities toward social needs instead of military spending. Side by side with the protest in Naples, demonstrations were held in dozens of cities across Italy, as reported by the left political party, Power to the People (Potere al Popolo).

    Protesters carrying a banner reading “Cut the weapons, raise the wages!”. Source: Ex OPG occupato – Je so’ pazzo/Facebook

    The protest was organized to counter a G7 defense ministers’ meeting that took place in Naples from October 18 to 20, with a focus on global military goals. The meeting was seen by protesters as yet another example of Western countries deepening their involvement in wars, including the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the war in Ukraine, instead of pursuing agendas of social justice and peace. In the lead-up to the meeting, local activists voiced their opposition, stating that “lords of war” were not welcome in their city.

    “Never has so much been spent on war, and as a result, war is rampant everywhere,” the associations organizing the march asserted during the preparations. “We refuse to host a meeting in our city that supports the war economy our government has chosen to follow.”

    Two central issues dominated the protest in Naples: the West’s support for Israel as it continues to exterminate the people of Gaza and the increasing repression of dissent at home, embodied in Meloni’s proposed security bill. Many protesters pointed out the link between military aggression abroad and domestic policies that seek to criminalize dissent. European countries continue to actively repress solidarity with Palestine and others, like Italy, are doing so while attempting to silence voices against their policies.

    Read more: Pro-Palestine activists are under attack in Europe

    The new security bill seeks to impose severe restrictions on protests, including strikes and environmental activism. Progressive associations argue that this is a blatant attempt to stifle opposition and consolidate power, and some of them saw Saturday’s protest as a test run for the government’s strategy of suppressing future mobilizations. Days before the protest, authorities tried to restrict the march route, forcing organizers to end the demonstration a kilometer away from the G7 meeting site.

    Despite these attempts, protesters refused to be stopped. They briefly broke through the set course of the rally, marching in areas originally declared off-limits by the authorities. In response, police deployed tear gas and used other forms of violence against them. Naples’ historic center has systematically been blocked off to popular protests, and things are set to get worse if the new bill is passed, protesters said. Because of that, community groups including Ex OPG – Je so’ pazzo called upon people to continue resisting.

    “We believe this repressive project must be stopped, and more importantly, we see it as a reflection of the Meloni government’s fear of what might still be burning beneath the surface of the seeming calm in the country,” they said.

    Read more: Meloni government targets dissent with a new security bill

    Saturday’s protest marked an important moment of resistance against the shrinking of democratic space in Italy, as well as to the strengthening of the armament agenda in Europe. Demonstrators announced they were ready to continue fighting against the security bill and expressed determination to challenge Meloni’s government over announced cuts to social support.

    “Today, this square is sending a loud message: if the government thinks it can ignore social needs, public healthcare, workers’ rights, and housing in favor of pouring billions into military spending, it’s headed in the wrong direction,” said Chiara Capretti from Power to the People.

    Original article by Ana Vračar republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

  • Protesters disrupt red carpet to demand arms embargo on Israel

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    https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/protesters-disrupt-red-carpet-demand-arms-embargo-israel

    Photo: Youth Demand

    PROTESTERS disrupted the red carpet premiere of movie We Live in Time at London’s Southbank Theatre on Thursday evening to demand an arms embargo on Israel.

    Two activists from Youth Demand stood on the red carpet holding a Palestine flag with the words “Stop arming Israel” written on it.

    Other protesters were detained by security before they could gain access. No arrests were made.

    Protester Starr Thomas, a student from south London, said: “Our political system is rotten.

    “The only way to achieve justice is through direct action, so I will continue putting my body on the line and using my voice.

    “We cannot have business as usual during a genocide.

    …

    https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/protesters-disrupt-red-carpet-demand-arms-embargo-israel

    UK Labour Party Shadow Foreign Secretary repeatedly heckled at a speech to the Fabian Society over his and the Labour Party's support for and complicity in Israel's genocide of Gaza.
    UK Labour Party Shadow Foreign Secretary repeatedly heckled at a speech to the Fabian Society over his and the Labour Party’s support for and complicity in Israel’s genocide of Gaza.
    Vote For Genocide Vote Labour.
    Vote For Genocide Vote Labour.
    Zionist Keir Starmer is quoted "I support Zionism without qualification." He's asked whether that means that he supports Zionism under all circumstances, whatever Zionists do.
    Zionist Keir Starmer is quoted “I support Zionism without qualification.” He’s asked whether that means that he supports Zionism under all circumstances, whatever Zionists do.
    UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says that UK is suspeding 30 of 350 arms licences to Israel. He also confirms the UK government's support for Israel's Gaza genocide.
    UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says that UK is suspeding 30 of 350 arms licences to Israel. He also confirms the UK government’s support for Israel’s Gaza genocide.