Tag: Protest

Republicans wince at Donald Trump’s call for protests ahead of potential indictment – Washington Times

Former President Donald J. Trump watches the NCAA Wrestling Championships, Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Tulsa, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Republicans are weary of Donald Trump’s calls for protests amid the belief by the former president that he’ll be arrested this week in connection with a years-old hush-money payment to a porn star.

Mr. Trump has called on his supporters to protest and “take our nation back!” prompting warnings of caution Sunday from prominent conservatives who say they do not want a repeat similar to the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Source: Republicans wince at Donald Trump’s call for protests ahead of potential indictment – Washington Times

NSW police drop claim that protest involving Deanna ‘Violet’ Coco blocked ambulance | New South Wales | The Guardian

NSW police drop claim that protest involving Deanna ‘Violet’ Coco blocked ambulance

The statement differs from a set of facts tendered by police during Coco’s case last year, which saw her sentenced to 15 months in prison with a non-parole period of eight months. She has launched an appeal against the sentence.

Source: NSW police drop claim that protest involving Deanna ‘Violet’ Coco blocked ambulance | New South Wales | The Guardian

Thousands in Israel March Against ‘Fascism and Apartheid’ at Anti-Netanyahu Protests

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes an impassioned address to the Knesset

Carrying signs reading, “Together against fascism and apartheid” and “Democracy in danger,” thousands of Israelis on Saturday marched in protest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition government, which less than a week after being sworn in has already threatened to strip the country’s judiciary of power and announced punitive measures against Palestinian people and leaders.

Source: Thousands in Israel March Against ‘Fascism and Apartheid’ at Anti-Netanyahu Protests

China and Iran protestors fighting for real democracy, not capitalist capture

Hartcher can’t see the difference between Democracies, Protest and what people want,

Just who this message is meant for is uncertain. The economic gains of democracy are probably not all that high on the priority list for Iranian demonstrators, or for the Chinese who are increasingly demanding change. Democracy for these courageous people is about freedom and for the chance to live without fear of arbitrary arrest. It’s certainly not about electing one group or party to organise a capitalist economy that will deliver better economic returns to a minority.

Source: China and Iran protestors fighting for real democracy, not capitalist capture

Iran on fire: Once again, women are on the vanguard of transformative change

With every wave of protest, the desire for freedom gets stronger, the voices get louder and success is within reach. Once again, Iranian women are at the forefront of demanding transformative change. With the strong support this time of men, political and ethnic minorities and other disenfranchised groups, they may be leading their country closer to a freer and more just society.The Conversation

Source: Iran on fire: Once again, women are on the vanguard of transformative change

and

Iranian Teachers’ Union charges Gov’t with Dishonoring Nation’s Girls, Recalling Theme of Constitutional Revolution of 1905-1911

Environmental Protests Work — That’s Why Australian Governments Are Banning Them

Across Australia, Labor and Liberal governments are cracking down on the right to protest. Their motivation is clear: both parties care more about the fossil-fuel industry than the environment.

Environmental Protests Work — That’s Why Australian Governments Are Banning Them

Democrats vow to fight back after anti-abortion protest arrests

Some of the participants invoked the words of the late John Lewis. The civil rights leader who became a Democratic congressman and represented Georgia for over three decades famously encouraged getting into ‘good trouble’ when fighting against injustices.

Source: Democrats vow to fight back after anti-abortion protest arrests

If you think traffic jams are inconvenient wait until you hear about the climate crisis | The Shot

Nothing normal.

Misinformation breeds the misconception that our climate isn’t up shit creek which in turn leads to governments not feeling much pressure to actually do something about it. And even ostensibly left-wing governments need to feel pressure on this issue.  

This is why activists of the sort that pissed off half of car-owning Sydney this week are so important. They serve as a counter-balance to the mainstream narrative that things are just fine and dandy the way they are. Yes, being late on the road sucks, but you should have seen the traffic in Lismore earlier this year. 

Source: If you think traffic jams are inconvenient wait until you hear about the climate crisis | The Shot

Marina Ovsyannikova, Russian TV protester, decries Putin propaganda | Ukraine | The Guardian

The Russian TV editor who interrupted a news broadcast to protest the Ukraine war said on Sunday she acted out of dissatisfaction at propaganda disseminated by Vladimir Putin’s government, and said she had turned down an offer of asylum in France despite fearing further retaliation. Republicans in Washington have expressed concern that Carlson has veered too close to defending Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Marina Ovsyannikova, who describes herself as “a patriot”, was fined 30,000 roubles ($280) by a court in Moscow last week for the “spontaneous” act of rebellion in which she appeared during the live newscast with a sign saying “No War”. On Sunday, she told ABC’s This Week she needed to speak out after watching her employer, Channel One, spread “lies” about the Ukraine war.

Source: Marina Ovsyannikova, Russian TV protester, decries Putin propaganda | Ukraine | The Guardian

The Canada Truck Protest, Once Small, Now Has a Fascist Life of Its Own | The Smirking Chimp

Canada isn’t the target it’s the example to encourage a second coming in the USA

They are happily giving very official-looking press conferences designed to increase the hostility of the gathering and make a violent public crunch with law enforcement all but inevitable. “As the authorities threaten to arrest people blocking the streets of the capital,” reports The New York Times, “protest organizers on Wednesday appealed to supporters to pour into Ottawa and make their gatherings too large for the police to disperse.” Worst of all, I am mortally certain variations of this thing will be the Hot Item on right-wing calendars by March. I’m fairly shocked we’re not already seeing Trump trucks at intersections all across the country. In Canada, it was about vaccine mandates. Here, if it does come, similar actions would certainly seem to be another tactical maneuver toward a second insurrection; a practice run, if you will, under the cover of “We Hate Everything” protest cacophony. What better way to bog down a federal response to a second coup attempt than to clog the intersections of vital areas with Peterbilts and Macks? Park it, cut the engine, throw the keys in the river and walk away. It’s just that simple.

Source: The Canada Truck Protest, Once Small, Now Has a Fascist Life of Its Own | The Smirking Chimp

Over 70,000 March in Brussels to Demand Green New Deal, Urgent Climate Action

Brussels climate march saw at least 70,000 people take to the streets.

Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of Brussels on Sunday to demand Belgium’s elected leaders and others from around the world finally dispense with proclamations, broken promises, and half-measures and instead “act” on the climate emergency.

Source: Over 70,000 March in Brussels to Demand Green New Deal, Urgent Climate Action

Glad All Over – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Cue the sound of one invisible hand clapping – doing nothing undoes everything. The Covid Crusader’s government presides over the baffling mystery of who gave permission to the Ruby Princess to dock in Sydney 19 March 2020 and to let all 2650 passengers disembark. It’s an enigma. At least the ruling elite’s cult de jour, our Hillsong prosperity gospellers, are allowed to come ashore and bring their covid infections with them. No-one is brought to account. What we do is have an inquiry. Normalising corruption is something the Morrison government has turned into an art form, the embossed wallpaper of modern politics. Instead of penalties, Ministers get promotions. Witness sports rorts’ Bridget McKenzie. Back with not one but five portfolios. In the end, Gladys makes a bad exit. Whilst she may appear to enjoy a type of celebrity, this is not to be confused with legitimacy. Indeed, her authority is undermined by the corporate media’s wilful myth-making, in which she is taken captive, made into a type of mascot or trophy wife for appeasing business demands for as little regulation as possible.

Source: Glad All Over – » The Australian Independent Media Network

‘It’s almost like grooming’: how anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists, and the far-right came together over COVID

Email Twitter62 Facebook8.6k LinkedIn Print Scenes of protesters clad in hi-vis jackets and shouting anti-vaccination slogans have dominated the news this week.

As the ABC reported: Some of those gathered held a banner reading ‘freedom’, while others sang the national anthem and chanted ‘f*** the jab’. Some attacked union offices, drawing criticism from officials such as ACTU chief Sally McManus, who described the protests as being orchestrated “by violent right-wing extremists and anti-vaccination activists.” These images may shock some but for researchers like me — who research far-right nationalist and conspiracy movements, and explore the online spaces where these people organise — these scenes came as no real surprise.

Source: ‘It’s almost like grooming’: how anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists, and the far-right came together over COVID

Morrison slammed for ‘bullets’ comment as women storm the country

Image

“Not far from here, such marches, even now, are being met with bullets, but not here in this country.” That comment elicited a furious response from Greens leader Adam Bandt and Senator Larissa Waters, who blasted him for an “insulting” message. “The Prime Minister’s message for women who were demanding justice and change, was ‘be grateful we didn’t shoot you’. This is unbelievably appalling behaviour,” Mr Bandt railed.

Morrison slammed for ‘bullets’ comment as women storm the country

Protesters risk being killed in demonstrations against Myanmar’s military coup. But an entire generation is still showing up to fight – ABC News

A woman with black hair and wearing a mask and jumper holds her fist in the air surrounded by a crowd of protesters.

“We are not afraid to protest on the roads, we are not afraid to be shot, because our future has already been destroyed by this military coup,” he told the ABC. “We think this is really unfair to

disrespect our votes, and also our country was transforming into a democracy just a few years ago, but right now we are going back to the stone age.”

Protesters risk being killed in demonstrations against Myanmar’s military coup. But an entire generation is still showing up to fight – ABC News

‘This is the Opposite of What Americans Fought a Revolution For’: Tennessee to Strip Right to Vote from Protesters | Common Dreams News

Black Lives Matter protesters are seen marching upon the Tennessee State Capitol building on June 04, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee

Tennessee protesters will face harsh penalties, including losing the right to vote, as punishment for participating in protests under a law enacted by the Tennessee GOP-dominant General Assembly. Right-wing Governor Bill Lee quietly signed off on the bill Thursday, AP reports.

‘This is the Opposite of What Americans Fought a Revolution For’: Tennessee to Strip Right to Vote from Protesters | Common Dreams News

Old Dog Thoughts-Rio Tinto is happy to be the butt of jokes as long as it doesn’t lose it’s mining licence

Fighting Fake News with REAL; 10/6/20; Humour and Shovel; Policing is a service; Racism by design; The burn and the truth;

Rallies for #BlackLivesMatter ‘selfish’ — violent anti-lock-down ‘understandable’

For everyone so worried about the Protest causing a spike in COVID infections this photo was taken at the same time as the protest was on, it shows people at a market in North Sydney, no masks, no physical distancing, no health precautions, all of which were happening at the protest. Direct your anger equally or stfu

Image may contain: 1 person, outdoor

When white politicians and media judge peaceful #BlackLivesMatter protests as “selfish” while turning a blind eye to violent outbursts by anti-lock-down conspiracists, we are a long way from equality, writes Dr Jennifer Wilson.

via Rallies for #BlackLivesMatter ‘selfish’ — violent anti-lock-down ‘understandable’

George Floyd protesters face a mountain of public opinion

Demonstrators protest after the death of George Floyd in Washington.

Consider this — 58 per cent of American registered voters support “calling in the US military to supplement city police forces” in addressing the George Floyd protests across America. Only 30 per cent oppose.

That’s according to independent polling this week by Morning Consult.

Probably the most chilling thing about watching that video of George Floyd die — or for that matter, the video of that Indigenous Sydney teen — is the supreme confidence and surety with which the police acted. There’s not a moment’s hesitation or restraint.

In the Floyd case, even the passage of eight minutes, with time to realise the gravity of the situation, with bystanders pleading for the officer to stop, makes no difference. Nor does the fact of being filmed. There’s no sense of shame, contrition or even uncontrolled excess. It’s all done with a kind of moral lightness. There is only power, violence and a sense of entitlement to both. It is the conduct of the secure, the unquestioned. That only underscores the monumental task of these protests: to mount a blasphemous argument and win.

George Floyd protesters face a mountain of public opinion

George Floyd’s death in US police custody sparks outpouring of solidarity from protesters around the globe – ABC News

On a clear day, you view a group of people of African ancestry marching down a London street holding a sign that reads "BLM".

 

  • Many of the protesters overseas are speaking about institutional racism at the hands of police
  • US embassies in Europe have been the site of solidarity protests
  • Russia, China and Iran have taken the opportunity to criticise Washington over the unrest

 

via George Floyd’s death in US police custody sparks outpouring of solidarity from protesters around the globe – ABC News

Neo-Nazi “Reopeners” would Kill nearly as many Americans as died in All US Wars

That is the outcome being demanded by the “reopen” protesters who menaced Michigan’s state capitol with confederate flags, Nazi paraphernalia, and assault weapons. They are a tiny group and should not be given too much attention, especially since some of the protests are astroturfed by the super wealthy, such as the DeVos’s in Michigan. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer denounced the racism and Nazism.

via Neo-Nazi “Reopeners” would Kill nearly as many Americans as died in All US Wars

Wollongong Doctors Are Protesting Refugee Policy With An Indefinite Sleepout Against Indefinite Detention

When Javed Badyari was 19 years old, the prime minister at the time, Kevin Rudd, announced that no asylum-seeker who tried to reach Australia by boat would ever be allowed to settle in the country.

In the years since then, Badyari, now 26, has studied medicine, moved from Sydney down to the seaside city of Wollongong, started work as a doctor, and become engaged to medical student Hannah Clements.

While Badyari was finding his feet as a young adult, hundreds of people spent the same six years in a state of permanent uncertainty, held in detention camps on small Pacific islands.

The conservative government that unseated Rudd in 2013 built on his hardline policy, leaving hundreds of asylum-seekers in indefinite detention on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island and the tiny nation of Nauru. Hundreds remain there today, unsure what their future holds and increasingly suffering ill health.

via Wollongong Doctors Are Protesting Refugee Policy With An Indefinite Sleepout Against Indefinite Detention

“How Good Is Putting Everyone On The Indue Card To Stop Secondary Boycotts?” – » The Australian Independent Media Network

As altruistic miners try to enter a building they’re stopped from their humanitarian aims by these incredibly selfish protestors who are just there for the fun of harassing the saints who, out of the goodness of their hearts, give up their spare time to find ways of giving people jobs. These saints of industry have worked tirelessly to eliminate all canaries from their coal mines and are moving towards a world where mining is fully automated and no humans will be forced to undertake such dangerous work. At such a time, they’ll then share the wealth they’ve created by donating their stuff to the people who can’t afford it at current prices because they’re such great human beings, unlike the bullies who are blocking their way just for the fun of it.

Whichever way you look at it, the protestors believe that they’re trying to save the planet. Even if you think that the planet doesn’t need saving, it’s really hard to argue that they’re the selfish ones. “You bastards, you’re only trying to save the Earth because you live on it! Have some consideration for people like Alan Jones who haven’t been on the planet for years!”

via “How Good Is Putting Everyone On The Indue Card To Stop Secondary Boycotts?” – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Old Dog Thoughts- 94 Malaysian PM says Australia will change. Conservative media have said it won’t since the 50s. It has and it will.

Fighting Fake News with REAL, 4/11/19; Morrison promises to shut Democracy down; Mahathir see Australia becoming more Asian LNP doesn’t; Nothing has Changed;

What is Behind Iran’s Anti-Corruption Protest Drive?

Taking a quick look at all the uprisings in last few decades, not only in Iran but also across the Middle East, we can observe that the new wave of civil resistance in Iran has been more successful than prior efforts. The Green Revolution in Iran was driven by political demands, with the motto, “Where is my vote?” That movement took place only in some of Iran’s megacities, where most of the participants were from the middle class and higher. Same with the Arab Spring, which was a series of pro-democracy movements that took place in some Arab countries such as Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, Libya, Egypt, and Bahrain.

This new wave of protest in Iran is based on tangible demands, and as such, it may well bring more success for the movement and more changes to the country more broadly. So far, unable to dent the increase in prices and other economic troubles, the president of Iran has legitimized protesters’ complaints. As more diverse populations, in terms of age, social class, and geographic location are joining the movement, it will be difficult for the government to curb mobilizations. This new wave may not bring sudden and great change, but it is certainly undermining the government’s legitimacy in the eyes of many Iranian people.

via What is Behind Iran’s Anti-Corruption Protest Drive?

Tony Abbott Warringah preselection result released by NSW Liberal Party

Former prime minister Tony Abbott will recontest Warringah for the 10th time.

Michael Regan, the popular Northern Beaches Council mayor who was elected in 2012 with 56.33 per cent of the vote, played down the idea that he would contest Mr Abbott’s blue ribbon Sydney seat of Warringah as an independent but he stopped short of ruling it out.

In pointed criticism of both sides of politics, he said the community was “fed up with the power plays and ego-driven games taking place in Canberra”.

“Our Parliament’s become a laughing stock and all of us deserve better,” he told Fairfax Media.

Friday’s vote has again exposed the deep rift between moderates and conservatives inside the Liberal Party.

via Tony Abbott Warringah preselection result released by NSW Liberal Party

Across All Seven Continents, #RiseForClimate Actions Demand Elected Leaders Commit to Fossil-Free Future

Building on actions that kicked off earlier this week, activists on Saturday hosted hundreds of #RiseForClimate demonstrations across all seven continents, drawing massive crowds “to demand our local leaders commit to building a fossil-free world that puts people and justice before profits.”

As of this writing there were more than 900 actions in 95 countries, according to the searchable database that enables those interested to locate protests in their area.

The main event was the Rise for Climate, Jobs, and Justice march in San Francisco, California, which is brought together some 30,000 people and is being hailed as the West Coast’s largest climate march ever.

via Across All Seven Continents, #RiseForClimate Actions Demand Elected Leaders Commit to Fossil-Free Future

How Black Lives Matter is inspiring Aboriginal activists – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The founders of the global civil rights movement, and young black Australians talk about what Black Lives Matter means to them.

Source: How Black Lives Matter is inspiring Aboriginal activists – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

So Trump’s too scared to come to the UK. Who says protest doesn’t work? | Hugh Muir | Opinion | The Guardian

If he can’t bomb it or tweet against it, the US president’s cupboard of responses seems bare. We may be denied a spectacle, then, but saved a distraction

Source: So Trump’s too scared to come to the UK. Who says protest doesn’t work? | Hugh Muir | Opinion | The Guardian

Michael Moore Leads Protesters DEMANDING Trump Give Back The White House (VIDEO) – US Uncut

In the streets and sidewalks in front of Trump Tower in New York City since Tuesday night’s presidential election, filmmaker and outspoken liberal activist Michael Moore has participated in a…

Source: Michael Moore Leads Protesters DEMANDING Trump Give Back The White House (VIDEO) – US Uncut