Sunday, April 20, 2025

Graphic Truth: How much has Trump cut from the federal workforce?


Paige Fusco


Zac Weisz
Apr 20, 2025

Since returning to office in January, US President Donald Trump has brought sweeping reductions to the federal workforce, firing or otherwise facilitating the departures of more than 200,000 government employees. It’s a stark contrast from the start of his first administration, when firings were more limited to high-ranking officials.

This is all part of Trump’s attempt to improve government efficiency and slash costs, but there’s just one problem: Congress controls the purse, and only 4.3% of the government budget goes to federal employees anyway. What’s more, some of these workforce cuts have faced legal challenges. Just on Friday, a judge halted the removal of 1,500 jobs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

At other times, the president’s plans have won out in court. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court green-lighted the removal of 16,000 government workers who were on probation across a suite of federal agencies. Some staff have also been willing to go: Over 20,000 Internal Revenue Service officials — roughly one-fifth of the workforce — have accepted government buyouts.
UK MPs launch campaign to BAN Donald Trump from speaking in Parliament on state visit as they label him a 'serial liar' who disrespects Britain

By SOPHIA STANFORD

20 April 2025 |

MPs and peers have launched a campaign to block President Trump from addressing parliament, accusing him of being a 'liar' who has disrespected Britain.

The US president has suggested the King, who he called his 'friend' and will formally host the state visit, is looking at 'setting a date for September'.

In February, Sir Keir Starmer invited Trump to Britain as part of a charm offensive designed to strengthen relations and secure a trade deal with the US.

But some parliamentarians are working to stop him giving a speech in Westminster, as Barack Obama did in 2011.

Trump was also controversially blocked from speaking during his first state visit by former speaker John Bercow.

MPs now claim Trump was not acting in 'good faith' towards Britain due to tariffs levied by the US on all imports - particularly aluminium, steel and cars - with the threat of more to follow on pharmaceutical products.

A message sent to Lord McFall of Alcluith, the Lord Speaker, said it would be 'inappropriate' for Trump to speak in the Palace of Westminster.

Co-ordinated by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, a minister in Tony Blair's government who later served on parliament's intelligence and security committee, it responded to the suggestion the state visit would be in September.

MPs are trying to ban Trump from speaking to Parliament once again despite former President Obama giving a speech to Westminster Hall in 2011

The US president has suggested the King, who he called his 'friend' and will formally host the state visit, is looking at 'setting a date for September' (pictured in 2019)

Sir Keir Starmer invited Trump to Britain as part of a charm offensive designed to strengthen relations and secure a trade deal with the US in February

The message said: 'If it is suggested that he be invited to address both Houses of Parliament, I hope that you and Lindsay will suggest that would be inappropriate on this occasion because of his attitude towards and comments about the UK, parliamentary democracy, the Nato Alliance and Ukraine.'

MPs are also privately lobbying Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker. Kate Osborne, a Labour MP and former member of the women and equalities select committee, asked Hoyle to mirror John Bercow's previous decision to block Trump.

In a letter seen by The Times, she wrote: 'I am asking you as the Speaker to agree it would be inappropriate and mirror the previous Speaker's recommendation.

'It is up to our government to decide if they use the state visit to engage with Trump on a wide range of issues as above but that does not translate to giving him the honour of addressing parliament. The risk of low attendance could also have negative or unintended consequences.'

Another Labour MP said: 'Parliament has nothing to learn from a serial liar, cheat, womaniser and bankrupt. We don't need Trump to lecture and dictate his unilateral terms to our elected representatives.'

This campaign comes days after Trump told reporters in the Oval Office he 'was invited by the King and the great country' who are doing a 'second fest' which will be 'beautiful'.

He said: 'It is the second time is has happened to one person. The reason is we have two separate terms and it's an honour to be a friend of King Charles and the family, William.'

Mr Trump added: 'I think they are setting a date for September. I don't know how it can be bigger than the last one. The last one was incredible but they say the next one will be even more important.'


The Lord Speaker Lord McFall of Alcluith was sent a message that it would be 'inappropriate' for Trump to speak in the Palace of Westminster


Lord Foulkes of Cumnock co-ordinated the letter to Lord McFall while MPs are also privately lobbying Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker


During his first spell in the White House, Mr Trump visited both Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Elizabeth II

Labour MPs have sought to avoid criticising the US president openly to avoid making Starmer's job harder as he seeks to keep Trump on side in trade negotiations.

Government sources said the UK was pressing to get a deal as soon as possible, and was 'desperate' to do so before May 19.

The date has been pencilled in as a big moment in Starmer's 'EU reset', when he will host Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.

A government insider said: 'Trump hates the EU, so we're desperate to get a deal with him locked in before what will inevitably be a love-in with Brussels.'

Some 75 Labour MPs backed a campaign to block the US president from addressing parliament during his first term.

An early day motion in 2019 was signed by several foreign office ministers, as well as those now in the cabinet.

They include Wes Streeting, the health secretary; Jo Stevens, the Welsh secretary; Lucy Powell, leader of the Commons; and Ellie Reeves, chairwoman of the Labour party.

In 2011, both houses of parliament invited Obama to address an audience of hundreds in Westminster Hall. Standing at a lectern in front of a red carpet, he was watched on by then prime minister David Cameron, and his predecessors Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Sir John Major.



Health Secretary Wes Streeting was one of 75 Labour MPs who backed a campaign to block the US president from addressing parliament during his first term


In 2023, President Zelensky of Ukraine gave a speech in Westminster Hall about the Russian invasion

The three 'keyholders' of Westminster Hall, where foreign leaders usually address Parliament, are the Commons Speaker, the Lord Speaker and the Lord Great Chamberlain, who is represented by Black Rod.

All three have to agree for a visit to take place, after a request is made by the Government.

Senior sources confirmed to The Mail on Sunday in February that this time both the Lord Speaker and Commons Speaker would welcome a visit.

In 2023, President Zelensky of Ukraine gave a speech in Westminster Hall about the Russian invasion.

There have been 80 addresses to members of both Houses of Parliament since 1935.

Eleven of these were from the monarch but most have been foreign leaders. These include Ronald Reagan in 1982 and Bill Clinton in 1995.

British companies warned amid growing concerns over North Korea's 'hoax IT workers'

The National Office of Investigation briefs the press on April 15 regarding a phishing email incident involving a forged North Korean document on ″counterintelligence martial law.″ [NEWS1]

The National Office of Investigation briefs the press on April 15 regarding a phishing email incident involving a forged North Korean document on ″counterintelligence martial law.″ [NEWS1]

 
The British government is urging companies to conduct in-person or video interviews when hiring, amid growing concerns that North Korean IT workers are disguising themselves as remote freelancers to infiltrate foreign firms, according to a report by The Guardian on Sunday.
 
The move follows intelligence warnings that North Korea’s “hoax IT workers” — people who pose as remote workers and generate foreign currency through cyberattacks — are expanding their reach from the United States to Europe.
 

Related Article

 
Google recently highlighted this trend in a new report, identifying the United Kingdom as a primary target for North Korean operatives seeking to secure disguised employment.
 
John Hultquist, chief analyst of Google’s Threat Intelligence group, told The Guardian that North Korea is shifting focus to Europe, particularly Britain, as it becomes more difficult for its operatives to succeed in the U.S. job market.
 
“North Korea is facing pressure in the U.S. and it is particularly focused on the U.K. for extending its IT worker tactic. It is in the U.K. where you can see the most extensive operations in Europe,” he said.
 
North Korean cyber operatives had previously targeted primarily U.S. companies, and the United States remains a key focus. But amid tightening sanctions and legal crackdowns from U.S. law enforcement, they are now broadening their activity to Europe and other regions.
 
According to Google’s report, one North Korean IT worker was caught last year using at least 12 different identities to apply for jobs at defense contractors and government agencies in the United States and Europe.
 
Hultquist noted that simple measures — such as requiring face-to-face or video interviews — can disrupt these schemes.
 
“Many of the remedies are in the hands of the HR department, which usually has very little experience dealing with a covert state adversary,” he said, adding that physical identity verification is key to proper vetting.
 
“This scheme usually breaks down when the actor is asked to go on camera or come into the office for an interview.”
 
 
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.




50,000 back MP’s petition for a wealth tax to raise cash instead of welfare cuts


Photo: House of Commons/Flickr

A petition by a left-wing Labour MP calling for the government to abandon its welfare reforms in favour of a wealth tax has been backed by more than 48,000 people in recent weeks.

Richard Burgon, MP for Leeds East who was only recently re-admitted to the party for rebelling, has hit out at the decision to “slash disability benefits instead of taxing extreme wealth” and claimed that a two percent wealth tax on assets over £10m would raise up to £24bn per year.

The petition reads: “We call on the government to abandon these cruel cuts and, instead of punishing the poorest, to implement a wealth tax on the very wealthiest.”

Burgon, who had the whip withdrawn for six months after backing an SNP amendment to scrap the two child benefit cap, has said he will vote against the government’s welfare reforms when they go before Parliament.

He told LabourList that there is “widespread opposition” to the reforms amongst Labour MPs, the wider party and the general public.

‘There are fairer, more Labour, ways forward’

Burgon said: “If the government doesn’t drop these plans, it will face a rebellion far larger than it could have ever imagined when it won its majority last year.

“Many MPs have told me they will vote against these cuts. But they haven’t spoken out publicly yet because they hope the government will see sense and reconsider.

“While some MPs are concerned that this issue will see them losing their seats, for many this goes beyond an electoral issue – it’s a moral one. Labour MPs didn’t enter politics to make life even harder for disabled people.

“My petition is part of a growing public campaign urging the government to rethink and abandon these plans. There are fairer, more Labour, ways forward. The government should be taxing the wealthiest through a wealth tax.

“Soaring inequality in our economy means it has been boom-time for those at the top while millions are struggling with soaring costs of living. It’s only right that the very wealthiest are made to pay their fair share, rather than attempting to balance the books on the backs of the poor and disabled.”

READ MORE: ‘British Steel can’t be a one-off. Labiur should nationalise more key services’

More than 20 Labour MPs have signalled they will not support the welfare reforms when Parliament votes on them in June, while a dozen Labour MPs, as well as union leaders, have called for a tax on extreme wealth.

But the government has previously defended reforms to welfare as taking “decisive action to fix the broken benefits system”.

MPs supportive of the government have also pointed out that, since taking office, Labour has hiked taxes on the wealthiest with the abolition of the non-dom regime, inheritance tax changes and scrapping the VAT exemption for private schools.

The Treasury was approached for comment.

‘Andrew Tate phenomena’ sweeping UK schools with boys ‘barking at female teachers’

Sam Corbishley
Published April 19, 2025
METRO UK
Many of the teachers polled named self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate as having a negative influence on male pupils (Picture: AP)

A rise in misogyny and sexism is sweeping schools as pupils mimic the behaviour and views espoused by figures like Andrew Tate and Donald Trump, teachers have warned.

Nearly three in five of the 5,800 polled by the NASUWT teaching union said they believe social media use has contributed to a deterioration in pupils’ behaviour in schools.

Many named self-proclaimed misogynist Tate as having a negative influence on male pupils.

One said: ‘I have had boys refuse to speak to me and speak to a male teaching assistant instead because I am a woman, and they follow Andrew Tate and think he is amazing with all his cars and women and how women should be treated. These were 10-year-olds.’

Another teacher said: ‘We had some incidents in school with derogatory language towards female staff (e.g. boys barking at female staff and blocking doorways so they couldn’t leave the classroom), as a direct result of Andrew Tate videos.’

A third said: ‘In an all-boys school, low socio-economic area, the “Andrew Tate” phenomena had a huge impact on how they interacted with females and males they did not see as “masculine”.’

Another replied: ‘A lot of the students are influenced by Tate and Trump, they spout racist, homophobic, transphobic and sexist comments in every conversation and don’t believe there will be consequences.’

Nearly three in five teachers said they believe social media use has contributed to a deterioration in pupils’ behaviour in schools (Picture: Getty Images)

Last month, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said there was no ‘simple solution’ to stop boys from being dragged into a ‘whirlpool’ of misogyny as he hosted creators of the Netflix drama Adolescence at Downing Street.

It also comes as Tory leader Kemi Badenoch revealed her young cousin ended their life after goiing down an ‘internet rabbit hole’.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, she said: ‘I worry a lot about social media.’

She added: ‘It’s heartbreaking. My views about the dangers of social media are not just about children. I know even as adults we can get dangerously addicted.’

Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: ‘Misogyny, racism and other forms of prejudice and hatred may have attracted greater media attention of late, but it is clear from our data that these behaviours are not a recent phenomenon.

‘There is an urgent need for concerted action involving schools, colleges and other agencies to safeguard all children and young people from the dangerous influence of far-right populists and extremists and to ensure that our schools and colleges are safe places for learners and for staff.

‘Teachers cannot be left alone to deal with these problems.

‘We need a multi-agency response to improve social media literacy, critical thinking skills, and to expose disinformation and false narratives.

‘We are urging the Government to lead a national effort to tackle the root causes of poverty and deprivation and keep children safe online.’

Last month, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said there was no ‘simple solution’ to stop boys from being dragged into a ‘whirlpool’ of misogyny (Picture: Getty Images)

A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said: ‘We know the rise of dangerous influencers is having a damaging impact on our children, which is why are supporting the sector in their crucial role building young people’s resilience to extremism as part of our Plan for Change.

‘Education can be the antidote to hate, and the classroom should be a safe environment for sensitive topics to be discussed and where critical thinking is encouraged.

‘That’s why we provide a range of resources to support teachers to navigate these challenging issues, and why our curriculum review will look at the skills children need to thrive in a fast-changing online world.

‘This is on top of wider protections being brought in for children with the Online Safety Act, to ensure children have an age-appropriate experience online.’
Disruption warning as Scottish Water staff begin 48-hour walkout


Essential services, including emergency repairs and water quality checks, will be suspended during the two-day strike

Craig Meighan
Monday 21 April 2025


open image in galleryScottish Water staff are set to stage a two-day strike from midnight (PA)

Scottish Water staff are set to stage a two-day strike from midnight on Tuesday, escalating a continued dispute over pay.

Workers will walk out on Tuesday and Wednesday after Unison, which represents more than 1,000 staff, rejected a 2.6 per cent pay offer, amounting to at least £1,050, saying it “fails to compensate staff for a decade of real-term pay cuts”.

The action follows a one-day strike on March 28.

The union warned that essential services, including emergency repairs and water quality checks, will be suspended during the 48-hour walkout.

Customers should be aware that issues with water supply, sewage, or drainage will not be addressed until the strike concludes.

But Scottish Water has said, “contingency plans are in place to enable us to maintain normal service”.


Workers will walk out on Tuesday and Wednesday (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Unison Scotland regional organiser Emma Phillips said: “Strike action is always a last resort.

“Staff have suffered a decade of pay deals that haven’t kept up with inflation. They are not willing to be underpaid any longer.


“The union has done everything it can to try and get Scottish Water’s senior managers to put a fair offer on the table, but they are refusing to be reasonable.”

Unison Scottish Water branch secretary Tricia McArthur added: “Scottish Water workers are simply asking to be paid fairly for the essential services upon which everyone in Scotland relies.


“Things are meant to be different in a publicly owned service like this.

“But senior managers are behaving no differently to those running private water companies south of the border.”

A strike ballot took place in February with 65 per cent of votes in favour of walkouts.


Scottish Water workers walked out on March 28 (Craig Meighan/PA)

Peter Farrer, Scottish Water’s chief operating officer, said: “No one benefits from industrial action, and our focus is on continuing to deliver for our millions of customers across Scotland.


“Our above-inflation pay proposal is fair and progressive, prioritising the highest percentage increases in the business for those on the lowest salary grades – money that should be in employees’ pockets now.

“We met with Acas and the trade unions on April 15 to explore options to resolve the current dispute. Following that, we made a different, further improved proposal in an effort to reach an agreement.

“This is a good proposal, and we are disappointed that union officials have not shared it with their members and given them the opportunity to vote on the offer in a ballot.

“We urge the unions to get back round the negotiating table as soon as possible.”

 

British civil servants warned of listening devices in pubs near government buildings

Parliament StreetBRITAIN’S SECURITY AGENCIES HAVE reportedly warned civil servants and parliamentarians that public places located near government buildings may be bugged by foreign intelligence agencies. The warning covers the SW1 postcode district of southwest London, which encompasses the City of Westminster and includes the Houses of Parliament, the Office of the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Steet, and Whitehall. The latter is home to several ministries and departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Cabinet office, and the Ministry of Defense.

The historic London borough is littered with historic public houses (commonly referred to as ‘pubs’) and restaurants, where thousands of parliamentarians and civil servants, as well as their aides, gather for lunch or drinks on weekdays. The area is also home to numerous parks, where many government workers eat their lunch during breaks—weather permitting. Among them is St. James’ Park, which is adjacent to Downing Street and within a short walking distance from the Treasury and the Foreign Office.

It is for these reasons, according to Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper, that foreign intelligence agencies consider these gathering hotspots as targets. The paper reports that “Chinese and other spies, including the Russians and Iranians” consider these prime SW1 locations as “the soft underbelly of Whitehall”. Accordingly, government officials holding sensitive positions, as well as junior staff working for them, have been warned to refrain from work-related discussions when frequenting these locations for lunch of drinks after work.

One source reportedly told the paper that St. James’ Park is “full of Chinese agents”, and went on to say: “we have been told the Chinese literally have the park bugged, with devices in the bushes and under park benches”.

► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 21 April 2025 | Permalink

 

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth shares war plans in second Signal chat


 message group that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer

By Idrees Ali and Phil StewartReuters

(FILES) US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth looks on before a luncheon with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Cabinet Room of the White House, in Washington, DC, on April 17, 2025. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared information on forthcoming US air strikes on Yemen in a private Signal chat group that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer, the New York Times reported on April 20.
AFP was not able to independently verify the Times' report, which detailed what would be the second time Hegseth has been accused of sharing sensitive military information on the commercial messaging app with unauthorized personnel. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is under fire. Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth shared details of a March attack on Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis in a message group that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday.

The revelations of a second Signal chat raise more questions about Hegseth's use of an unclassified messaging system to share highly sensitive security details and come at a particularly delicate moment for him, with senior officials ousted from the Pentagon last week as part of an internal leak investigation.

In the second chat, Hegseth shared details of the attack similar to those revealed last month by The Atlantic magazine after its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was included in a separate chat on the Signal app by mistake, in an embarrassing incident involving all of President Donald Trump's most senior national security officials.

The person familiar with the matter, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, said the second chat included about a dozen people and was created during his confirmation process to discuss administrative issues rather than detailed military planning.

The chat included details of the schedule of the air strikes, the person said.

Hegseth's wife, Jennifer, a former Fox News producer, has attended sensitive meetings with foreign military counterparts, according to images the Pentagon has publicly posted.

During a meeting Hegseth had with his British counterpart at the Pentagon in March, his wife could be seen sitting behind him.

Hegseth's brother is a Department of Homeland Security liaison to the Pentagon.

The Trump administration has aggressively pursued leaks, an effort that has been enthusiastically embraced by Hegseth at the Pentagon.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, without evidence, said that the media was "enthusiastically taking the grievances of disgruntled former employees as the sole sources for their article."

"The Trump-hating media continues to be obsessed with destroying anyone committed to President Trump's agenda. ... We've already achieved so much for the American warfighter, and will never back down," Parnell said in a statement on X.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said that "recently fired leakers are continuing to misrepresent the truth to soothe their shattered egos and undermine the President's agenda."

Tumultous moment for Hegseth

Democratic lawmakers said Hegseth could no longer stay in his job.

"We keep learning how Pete Hegseth put lives at risk," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a post to X. "But Trump is still too weak to fire him. Pete Hegseth must be fired."

Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who suffered grave injuries in combat in 2004, said that Hegseth "must resign in disgrace."

A US official at the Pentagon questioned how Hegseth could keep his job after the latest news.

The latest revelation comes days after Dan Caldwell, one of Hegseth's leading advisers, was escorted from the Pentagon after being identified during an investigation into leaks at the Department of Defence.

Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Defense, applauds during Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President of the United States in the rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. Trump takes office for his second non-consecutive term as the 47th president of the United States. (Photo by SHAWN THEW / POOL / AFP)

Photo: SHAWN THEW / AFP

Although Caldwell is not as well known as other senior Pentagon officials, he has played a critical role for Hegseth and was named as the Pentagon's point person by the Secretary in the first Signal chat.

"We are incredibly disappointed by the manner in which our service at the Department of Defence ended," Caldwell posted on X on Saturday. "Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door."

Following Caldwell's departure, less-senior officials Darin Selnick, who recently became Hegseth's deputy chief of staff, and Colin Carroll, who was chief of staff to Deputy Defence Secretary Steve Feinberg, were put on administrative leave and fired on Friday.

Reuters


UK Home secretary calls Trans activist damage to statues disgraceful

Tony Grew
BBC News
APRIL 20, 2025

PA Media
A statue of former South African prime minister Jan Smuts was targeted by vandals
SMITS WAS AN AFRIKANER APARTHEIDIST

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has called the vandalism of several statues in Parliament Square, including one of women's votes campaigner Dame Millicent Fawcett, "disgraceful".

Transgender campaigners gathered on Saturday in front of Parliament to protest against the Supreme Court ruling that biological sex defines a woman for the purposes of the Equality Act.

Cooper said she welcomed the Metropolitan Police's investigation and that the government will strengthen the law "to better respect and protect important memorials".

The force said seven statues were damaged and they are investigating the incidents as criminal damage. No arrests have been made.
Advertisement

PA Media
Graffiti on the statue of Dame Millicent Fawcett in Parliament Square

A statue of former South African prime minister Jan Smuts was graffitied with the words "trans rights are human rights".

"Criminal damage like this, including to statues of men and women who fought for freedom and justice like Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Millicent Fawcett, is disgraceful - it is right the police are investigating," Cooper said.

"We are strengthening the law to better respect and protect important memorials. Freedom of speech and protest are important in our democracy, but this kind of criminal damage is completely unacceptable."

The Met said its officers were in the area policing Parliament Square "but did not witness the criminal damage take place as the area was densely populated with thousands of protestors and it was not reported at the time".

It confirmed it is investigating the graffiti as criminal damage and has asked anyone with information, footage or pictures to come forward.

The Greater London Authority plans to remove the graffiti but this requires specialist equipment and "we are confident this will be done shortly," the Met added.

On Wednesday the Supreme Court ruled that transgender women with a gender recognition certificate can be excluded from single-sex spaces "if it is proportionate to do so".

The judges unanimously ruled that the terms woman and sex in the 2010 Equality Act "refer to a biological woman and biological sex" rather than "certificated sex".

Protests against the ruling also took place on Saturday in Reading, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Reuters
The statue of the women's votes campaigner was unveiled in 2018

Ch Supt Stuart Bell, who was leading the policing operation for the protest, said: "It is very disappointing to see damage to seven statues and property in the vicinity of the protest today.

"We support the public's right to protest but criminality like this is completely unacceptable."

A spokesperson for Women and Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson, speaking on the damage to Dame Millicent's statue, said she "utterly condemns the appalling defacement of such an important national monument to the fight for women's rights".

"There is no excuse for this disgraceful criminal damage."

The Met confirmed it is also dealing with a number of complaints from the public about signs and images shared on social media that were reportedly displayed at the protest yesterday and "action will be taken if there are signs displayed that breach of the law".

The statue of Dame Millicent by artist Gillian Wearing is the only statue of a woman in Parliament Square, where others honoured include international statesmen like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, and former prime ministers Sir Winston Churchill and David Lloyd-George.

Unveiled in 2018, it is also the only statue by a female artist in the square, and was erected following a campaign and petition by the feminist activist Caroline Criado Perez.

 

Animated film explores the strength found in the shadow of demons

Image

Image Caption

“Qaq Wah Hell Cliff,” a still from Qaqsoss Naka Wahantuhsis by Tara Audibert.
By Odette Auger
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Windspeaker.com

Video






Qaqsoss Naka Wahantuhsis (Fox & the Tiny Demon) is a new animated film directed by award winning animator, director and artist Tara Audibert, who has ties to Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation) through her mother. 

The film addresses issues of mental health while preserving Indigenous culture and language. It is the first animated feature film in Wolastoqey, an Algonquian language spoken by the Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet/Malecite) people.

The film is narrated by Audibert's great aunt Carole Polchies of Woodstock First Nation, who is one of the few remaining fluent Wolastoquey speakers. Audibert has used her aunt’s voice in other films to tell “Indigenous stories that I've heard all my life, and then I animated them.” Audibert has “grown up to appreciate the stories even more. You hear them over and over and over again, but these stories change every time you hear them, and depending on who’s listening, as well.”

Audibert takes the task of creating from Wolastoqey stories seriously.

“I question a lot, because I am taking these stories that are supposed to be passed down verbally, but I want to preserve them, and I want to share them,” she said.

“That's a part of how I can be a part of reconciliation. My family is willing to share, and I  have the ability to share these a little bit wider.”

For this project, Audibert wrote the story and Polchies translated it and narrated as the storyteller of the film.

“Some of the words were too modern. She had to think of how to combine existing words to capture the meaning,” said Audibert. That’s when the work of her great-grandfather, Dr. Peter Lewis Paul, comes in. He was awarded the Order of Canada a few months before he passed in 1987 for his work to preserve the language, including writing a Wolastoquey dictionary.

Tara Audibert, MoxyFox Studio.
Tara Audibert, MoxyFox Studio.

Finding ways to talk about mental health

Audibert was inspired by classic animated films such as Watership Down, which dealt with deeper subject matter.

“It's all about these animals and we're telling this story. There is the reality of the human world that's in there, but we're looking at it through the eyes of the animals,” she said of that film.

Audibert seeks to create a similarly impactful and meaningful experience for young audiences. The story of Fox & the Tiny Demon explores themes of mental health, depression, and the intergenerational trauma of residential schools. Audibert approaches these heavy topics through an animated, child-friendly lens that allows for open-ended discussion.

“Those are very heavy things. How do you talk to children about those things?” So Audibert created a story and a space where viewers can be curious about a character’s actions.

“Then you can have a conversation that's not based around my mental health or your mental health or a specific person's mental health. It's about the health of these characters. And it doesn't even have to be about mental health. ‘Why do you think they did that? Why do you think they did it’? There can be a conversation that doesn’t have to be so heavy.”

Audibert’s mom was a day school survivor, and the filmmaker reflects on the ongoing impacts. “It's so much to piece together, and I think that a lot of times it's hard to talk about these things. And how can we frame them?”

Finding a way to talk about the impacts was part of her idea behind the film, Audibert said.

“That it's continuing to persist because of the third, second, third generations that are still suffering, not knowing why your parents were unable to do things that are on the TV of a “normal family. I wanted to talk about what happens when you have mental illness. and you have to live with someone that has mental illness? And you don't have a choice when you're a kid. You just have to live with them until you don't. But can we talk about that in some way?”

Audibert sees artists as “the counterculture, the rebels. We're the ones that are supposed to stand up to everything that is questionable.”

By lifting up a mirror to society, people can see things from different perspectives, she said.

“I think that's what most artists are hoping to do, is just to impart a little bit and share, because I think many artists are on the outside looking in, or we're on whatever that outer edge is. And I think that's an important place to be, because that's where we're going. She said that once others reach the edge where artists are, artists expand beyond.

“And then once people get there and that's the norm, then artists have to move out further and see what's out there again and then show that back. There's no way to get to a better place without that extreme,” said Audibert.

“I think to be able to change people's minds is a large thing. And then the artist keeps going, keeps forward with the mirror reflecting back, and that's our job constantly.”

“Qaqsoss’ path,” still from Qaqsoss Naka Wahantuhsis, Tara Audibert
“Qaqsoss’ path,” a still from Qaqsoss Naka Wahantuhsis by Tara Audibert.

Storyteller first

Audibert knew she was an artist since she was two years old, and she chuckles about the early manifestations of that creative impulse.

“I got into trouble a lot,” from drawing on her wallpaper to figuring out how to draw characters from cartoons.

She paused the VCR and wrapped Saran Wrap over the TV.

“I got this brilliant idea. I'm going to put Saran Wrap over and I trace it, and then I can put it on paper and trace it off there, and I'll have a copy of what it looks like,” she said. “Little did I know that permanent marker goes through. There's a reason not to do that,” she laughed. “It went right on the actual TV. I got in a lot of trouble for trying to trace stuff from the Flintstones.”

Audibert keeps adults in mind as much as children when making her films.

“Why wouldn’t I want to make something that’s good for everyone?”

She recalls watching cartoons with her younger sister. She knows parents are watching alongside their young ones.

“I hope people will want to watch (Fox & the Tiny Demon) more than once because there's so many little things included in the backgrounds and in the meaning of it,” Audibert said. Similar to listening to the variations of her great aunt’s traditional stories, “Maybe each time they can find something new or different.”

The film was produced on a small indie budget with a minimal crew of 40, which is “unheard of in animation,” she said. Audibert is grateful for the dedicated team that connected deeply with the project's themes and went above and beyond.

“They gave far more than they were paid for. And everyone in the crew told me they found this story very meaningful to them personally.”

“And I was just kind of amazed because there it is, right there. That’s part of reconciliation,” said Audibert. She’s still looking for a distributor for Qaqsoss Naka Wahantuhsis, and the team is preparing to submit to film festivals in addition to having local screenings and the upcoming premiere in Miramichi, New Brunswick on April 19 at 2 p.m. at the Cineplex Miramichi.

Local Journalism Initiative Reporters are supported by a financial contribution made by the Government of Canada.