Thousands again take to the streets in Sudan to call for return to civilian rule

Issued on: 25/12/2021

Protesters march during a mass demonstration demanding civilian rule in the south of Sudan's capital Khartoum on December 25, 2021. © AFP

Text by: NEWS WIRES|
Video by: FRANCE 24

Thousands of Sudanese protesters rallied Saturday two months on since a military coup, demanding soldiers "go back to the barracks" and calling for a transition to civilian rule.

Waving flags, beating drums, dancing and chanting, crowds marched on the streets of Khartoum despite a heavy deployment of security forces -- who later fired tear gas canisters to break them up.

Officers had earlier blocked bridges connecting the capital to suburbs, cut phone lines and restricted the internet ahead of the planned protests.

At least 48 people have died in crackdowns during weeks of protests, according to the independent Doctors' Committee, and Khartoum's state governor has warned that security forces "will deal with those who break the law and create chaos".

Demonstrators converged on the presidential palace in Khartoum, the headquarters of the military government in control since General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan seized power on October 25.

Burhan held civilian leader Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok under effective house arrest for weeks, but reinstated him on November 21 under a deal promising elections for July 2023.

The move alienated many of Hamdok's pro-democracy supporters, who dismissed it as providing a cloak of legitimacy for Burhan's coup.

>> Despite deal, Sudanese rally to demand military rulers leave

Protesters online had encouraged supporters with slogans, including demanding "no negotiations" with the army.

As well as rallies in Khartoum and its suburbs, protesters also marched on the streets of Madani, a town around 150 kilometres (more than 90 miles) to the south, witnesses said.

Internet cut at dawn

Security forces with cranes used shipping containers to block the bridges across the Nile river connecting Khartoum to the cities of Omdurman and North Khartoum, and web monitoring group NetBlocks reported mobile internet was cut at sunrise on Saturday.

Activists reported the arrest of several colleagues beginning Friday night, and Volker Perthes, the UN special envoy to Sudan, urged the authorities to "protect" the protests not to stop them.

"Freedom of expression is a human right," Perthes said Saturday, adding that it includes "full access" to the internet. "No one should be arrested for his or her intention to protest peacefully."

"We draw the attention of the world and ask them to monitor what happens in Sudan on the issue of the revolutionary movement for freedom and democracy", said the Doctors' Committee, which is part of the pro-democracy movement.

Khartoum's governor warned that "approaching or attacking buildings of strategic sovereignty is punishable by law".
Rape used as a 'weapon'

At rallies last Sunday, held on the third anniversary of mass demonstrations that led to the ouster of veteran strongman Omar al-Bashir, crowds began a "sit-in" protest outside the presidential palace.

Within hours, security forces dispersed the thousands of protesters with truncheons and firing tear gas canisters.

Activists have condemned sexual attacks during those protests, in which the UN said at least 13 women and girls were raped.

The European Union and the United States issued a joint statement Thursday condemning the use of sexual violence "as a weapon to drive women away from demonstrations and silence their voices".

 Eye on Africa: Multiple allegations of rape during Sudan protests

Sudan, one of the world's poorest countries, has a long history of military coups, enjoying only rare interludes of democratic rule since independence in 1956.

Over 14 million people, a third of Sudan's population, will need humanitarian aid next year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the highest level for a decade.

Activists say more demonstrations are planned for December 30.

(AFP)

A New Chapter for Baghdad's Book Street
December 25, 2021 
Agence France-Presse

Iraqis shop for books and stationery along Al-Mutanabbi Street, home to the city's book market in central Baghdad, Feb. 1, 2019.

BAGHDAD, IRAQ —

The Iraqi capital Baghdad on Saturday celebrated the renovation of the historic heart of its book trade, in the latest sign of an artistic renaissance after decades of conflict and strife.

In a city where explosions once could mean only one thing—violence—colorful fireworks lit up the sky during festivities organized by Baghdad municipality to inaugurate the renovated Al-Mutanabbi Street.

Its new look comes alongside art exhibitions, gallery openings, book fairs and festivals reflecting a fledgling cultural renaissance, and recalling a golden age when Baghdad was considered one of the Arab world's cultural capitals.

Al-Mutanabbi Street was first inaugurated in 1932 by King Faisal I and named after the celebrated 10th century poet Abul Tayeb al-Mutanabbi, who was born under the Abbasid dynasty in what would become modern-day Iraq.

A narrow street in the heart of old Baghdad, Al-Mutanabbi has long drawn students and young people, usually on Fridays. But it is also frequented by intellectuals and older bibliophiles.

Normality still hangs by a thread in the Iraqi capital, where rocket and drone attacks sometimes target its highly fortified Green Zone, and where a July suicide attack on a market killed more than 30 people.

There was high security for the costumed performers and musicians who performed along the car-free road of new cobblestones.

The road is lined with shops, freshly-painted and sparkling, but most were closed. Fairy lights garlanded the ornate brick facades and wrought iron balconies.

Private-sector banks financed the work, which began in August.

'Islet of beauty'

"Since the 1960s, I would come here every week to look at the books on the stalls and to meet friends," veteran journalist and writer Zoheir al-Jazairi told AFP, delighting over the street's latest transformation.

"It's an islet of beauty in the heart of Baghdad. You notice the difference compared to the rest of the city," he said, lamenting the oft-neglected heritage of the capital.

Stretching for just under one kilometer (0.6 miles), the street begins with a statue of its namesake overlooking the Tigris River and ends with an arch adorned with the poet's quotes.

Visitors can find Arabic translations of American best-sellers side-by-side with textbooks.

There are titles in an array of languages, and every once in a while a hidden treasure can be found nestled between the selections.

Years of violence

Years of sectarian violence followed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Iraq's former dictator Saddam Hussein.

The rise of the Islamic State jihadist group in 2014 saw more brutality and bloodshed.

Iraq is trying to recover from its years of violence but remains hobbled by political divisions, corruption and poverty.

Even Al-Mutanabbi Street, a center of intellectual life with its cafes and books, could not escape past violence.

In March 2007, a suicide car bomb killed 30 people and wounded 60 others there.

Street transformed

Mohamed Adnan, 28, took over a bookshop from his father, who died in the blast.

"He was killed, our neighbors too and several others who are dear to us," said the history graduate, welcoming the renovation.

"I wish those who left were alive to see how the street has transformed," he said.

On the banks of the Tigris a singer hummed traditional ballads, beneath the fireworks.

How art restorers uncover hidden details in artworks

From Jan Vermeer to Renoir: Hidden paintings have been found concealed behind famous artworks in 2021. How do art restorers reveal these details?


Amorous intentions: Vermeer's 'Girl Reading a Letter an at Open Window'

Experts of the Dresden State Art Collections were astonished when they closely examined Vermeer's "Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window" using technical equipment: Under a layer of paint hid a youthful Cupid.

The artist had painted the figure on the wall behind the girl, who seems to be reading innocently. After two years of work to reveal the original, the painting was presented to a surprised audience.

Alongside Rembrandt and Rubens, Dutch painter Jan Vermeer (1632-1675) is considered one of the most famous artists of the Baroque period. His "Girl Reading a Letter" was and is considered one of the best works of the Dutch Golden Age between 1600 and 1700, during which the Netherlands prospered politically, commercially and culturally.

With only 37 paintings, Vermeer's oeuvre is rather small, contributing to the excitement that the finding in Dresden triggered in the world.

The museum is now celebrating the painter with the exhibition "Johannes Vermeer. On Reflection."


FROM REMBRANDT TO PICASSO: ARTWORKS THAT WERE PAINTED OVER
Rembrandt's legendary 'Night Watch'
Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum closely examined Rembrandt's most famous painting over the past two years, using state-of-the-art technology. It turned out that Rembrandt first made a sketch on the canvas, painted over it and made several changes as he was going along. "We have discovered the genesis of 'The Night Watch,'" director Taco Dibbits said, calling it a "breakthrough."
12345678910

"Uncovering parts of paintings that have been drawn over is not always as meaningful as in the case of Vermeer," says Maria Galen, expert for modern art and gallery owner in the western German city of Greven.

"Vermeer used the figure of cupid four times — as a 'picture-in-picture,'" according to Uta Neidhardt, senior art conservator at the Dresden Museum.

Research and state-of-the-art laboratory tests have unambiguously confirmed that the love god, painted in brown and ochre tones, was covered up by a different hand that also covered up the amorous statement Vermeer originally wanted to make. But the case is not always this clear.

Searching for the perfect picture

What complicates the matter is the fact that pictures can be painted over in the most varied of ways.

Cologne's Wallraf-Richartz Museum is currently holding an exhibition called "Revealed! Painting techniques from Martini to Monet." A section of the exhibition engages with such artistic interventions.

"Painters have always sought the perfect picture," says Iris Schaefer, chief art restorer at the museum. "There are only a few paintings, which are free of pentimenti," she adds.

"Pentimenti," the singular form of which is "pentimento," essentially means the presence of images that have been painted over. This includes corrections, changes in motif and color, and even artistic interventions to the point of complete destruction of artworks.

An X-ray of Renoir's 'A Couple' revealed a completely different picture

But what drives artists to change their work? "There were many reasons for that," Schaefer says. Sometimes artists had doubts regarding their self-worth, often actual life crises. Then again, criticism from observers, art dealers or buyers had consequences for the artwork.

But were "pentimenti," or later changes in a painting by someone else, also executed to adjust the artwork to new moral ideals? According to Schaefer, it is not always easy to differentiate between the two.

In order to reveal the secrets of old paintings, restorers today use a growing arsenal of investigative methods. Even observing with the naked eye can reveal brush strokes which point to possible overpainting. Stereo microscopes allow 3D-vision with up to 90 times magnification. X-rays, infrared and ultraviolet rays seep into different depths of the picture's surface and convey painting canvases or signature lines.

Art technologists at the Wallraf-Richartz Museum were astonished when they X-rayed "A Couple" by August Renoir (1841-1919).

Instead of the man and woman standing together at a park seen on the 1868 oil-on-canvas painting, the X-ray revealed a completely different image of two women sitting opposite to each other. "We thought we had pulled out the wrong painting from the developer fluid," Schaefer remembers.

Art restorers are now analyzing Rembrandt's 'The Blinding of Samson'

The chemistry of color

Even more astonishing is the macro X-ray fluorescence analysis, or MA-XRF, which is a sophisticated method that allows the observer to look under the surface of an object without causing any damage.

The process helps recognize the composition of colors and comprehend the painting process. As part of a big research project, the Frankfurt Städel Museum has already exposed unknown parts of the Altenberger altarpiece using a process called "Element mapping."


FRIENDS AND FAMILY: REMBRANDT'S SOCIAL NETWORK
Portrait of Rembrandt by Jan Lievens (1629)
An old friend of Rembrandt's, Lievens captured the painter known for his impressive self-portraiture. The two artists, friends since childhood, shared a studio in Amsterdam until 1631, when Lievens began to travel for his career. Rembrandt, in contrast, never went abroad, although he is said to have been inspired by the Italian masters
12345

Since spring 2021, one of the main paintings in the museum, Rembrandt's "The Blinding of Samson" is under the scanner.

The master's works are being researched not only from the point of view of art history, but also using the latest technology, as was the case during the huge research and restoration project called "Operation Night Watch" that was carried out by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

During Rembrandt's time, the owners of his famous painting "The Night Watch" had cut it with scissors so it could pass between doors. The restoration process allowed experts to reconstruct the missing pieces of the work.

Cologne art restorer Iris Schaefer admires the global museums in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London and Washington, which have financial resources for devices that cost millions. "Incredible to see all that's possible," she says, although artists were not always happy with everything that resulted from technology and the art of restoration.
A change in attitudes

In the past centuries, artists restored their own works and thanks to their skills, they were also hired to maintain and improve other artworks. Even in the 19th century, it was common to overpaint and regild damaged artworks. "I cannot believe that artists were happy with this," Schaefer says.

An MA-XRF image of 'The Blinding of Samson'

Only around 1900 did painters begin specializing as restorers and the profession was born.

To become a restorer in Germany today requires a university degree. Art history is mandatory as is an understanding of technology. "Our profession is linked to a code of conduct," Schaefer says. "There are strict rules regarding intervention in art and cultural objects." The integrity of the artwork has the highest priority. "There has been a change of attitude here," she adds.

A change that has also proven beneficial for Vermeer's "Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window." For a long time, the painting stood for the meager interior of a chaste soul. The empty wall with the girl's dainty silhouette emphasized the contemplative stillness of the work.

After 200 years, the painting now tells a completely different story: behind the girl is a naked youth. The window is open, the curtain in front of Cupid is drawn to a side, a bowl of fruit spills over with shiny apples and delicate, fuzzy peaches, possibly displaying the tension between external calm and inner tumult, or even longing for love. Vermeer's original secret seems to have been revealed.

This article was translated from German.

German arms exports hit new record during Merkel's last days

The former government approved almost €5 billion in warships and missile defense deals as it prepared to leave office. New Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was then finance minister, has also received criticism.

 

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems was given approval to deliver three warships to Egypt and a submarine to Singapore

Germany's weapons exports reached a record level this year, thanks to the last-minute approval of deals worth nearly €5 billion ($5.6 billion) by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel's administration.

The data, from the Economy Ministry, was requested by a lawmaker with the socialist Left party, and published by DPA news agency on Saturday.

The figures reveal that the agreements were signed off during Merkel's last nine days in power.

Arms exports hit new record

The last-minute deals brought Germany's total weapons exports to a record €9.04 billion for the whole of 2021, according to the ministry.

The previous record high for German arms exports was €8.015 billion in 2019.

Egypt is the main recipient of German arms, despite criticism over its human rights violations and involvement in conflicts in Yemen and Libya. 

Under the last-minute agreements, Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems will deliver three warships to Egypt and a submarine to Singapore, while Diehl Defence will deliver 16 air defense systems to Egypt.  

Details of the deals were released just a day before Olaf Scholz was elected chancellor earlier this month, although the exports' value was not known at the time. 

The last-minute deals were approved despite the fact that the government was only acting in an executive capacity, when major decisions are usually avoided.

Scholz was Vice-Chancellor and Finance Minister in Merkel's grand coalition between the conservative bloc and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and would have been privy to the deals.

Scholz acted like a 'crook'

Sevim Dagdelen, the socialist Left party's foreign policy expert, hit out at Scholz on Twitter, accusing him of acting like "a real crook."

She called for the export of "murder tools" to be halted.

In a separate interview with DPA news agency, Dagdelen slammed his party's criticism of arms sales to authoritarian regimes as inconsequential.

Germany's new coalition of the SPD, climate-friendly Greens and neoliberal FDP has spoken out in favor of a restrictive arms export policy. 

The coalition agreement stipulates that they plan to curb exports to countries outside of the EU and NATO.

With material from DPA news agency

SEE LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for PERMANENT ARMS ECONOMY 

 Opinion: Visibility for queer people is more important than ever

2021 was a good year for shining a spotlight on queer people in Germany. However, it needs to go beyond displaying social media profile pictures in rainbow colors, says Kristina Reymann-Schneider.

The queer community needs continuous support from mainstream society

In February, 185 actors and actresses came out in the magazine of daily Süddeutsche Zeitung. They wanted to draw attention to the fact that many lesbian, gay, queer, nonbinary, bi-, trans- and intersex people work in the film industry.

But instead of dealing with this openly, some of them had hidden their sexual identity because they feared professional repercussions. Under the hashtag #actout, they encouraged a debate about the visibility of queer lifestyles and diversity in film and TV.

Over the summer, the first season of the reality show "Princess Charming" aired, in which lesbian women vied to be "Princess." It was the first TV show of its kind in the world and, notwithstanding prejudices commonly linked to such reality formats, it was far from trashy. On the contrary, the show dispelled stereotypes; the contestants saw themselves as educators and wanted to encourage others to stand up for themselves, their sexuality and their bodies.

EU and corporations get behind LGBT community

In July, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen raised eyebrows when she said: "Europe will never allow parts of its society to be stigmatized: because of who they love, because of their age, because of their political opinions, or because of their religious beliefs."

DW editor Kristina Reymann-Schneider

Her remarks were aimed primarily at the policies of Hungary and Poland, where education about sexual diversity is severely restricted, not least due to the introduction of so-called LGBT-free zones.

A few months later, the EU froze coronavirus-linked aid to Poland after the country failed to back down from its anti-LGBT policies. In November, the new German government announced in its coalition agreement that it would strengthen the rights of queer people by abolishing the Transsexual Act, which bars people from choosing their first name and gender registration without prior evaluation.

But the absurd debate about German football captain Manuel Neuer's armband and the illumination of Munich's Allianz Arena in rainbow colors during the Euro 2020 championship showed the limits of the commitment against discrimination.

While companies such as BMW and even FIFA used Pride Month in June to show their openness and tolerance by displaying company logos on their social media channels in rainbow colors, it failed to take off elsewhere. The logos in the Arab world and the Middle East remained unchanged. Given that homosexuality is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia that is understandable. Still, it weakens the credibility of the corporations about how open and tolerant they really are.

A strong message, but it musn't stop there

Discrimination and hate crime

These days, there is broad social acceptance for queer people in Germany, but terms like "gay" or "faggot" are still frequently bandied about. According to a study by the German Institute for Economic Research, one third of non-heterosexual people keep their sexual identity a secret at work for fear of discrimination and reprisals.

This fear is not entirely unfounded. Indeed, 30% of respondents said they experienced discrimination at work. Social workers, educators, doctors or geriatric nurses whose institutions belong to the Protestant or Catholic church are subject to church labor law. This allows employers to dismiss employees on the basis of their sexual identity. The General Equal Treatment Act does not apply here.

Right-wing as well as religiously motivated groups continue to publicly agitate against homosexuals. Hate crime against people from the community has been on the rise for years, according to figures provided by Germany's Interior Ministry.

In 2020, authorities registered 782 hate crime offenses against lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and intersex people — and those are only the incidents that were reported to police.

Education and role models remain important

That is why education in schools is so crucial. There needs to be more awareness about children's and adolescents' books, series and movies that relate different life realities; that there are people in all walks of life who are open about their sexual identity and can become role models; that governments can ensure equality and abolish discriminatory laws; that CSD events are important and that there are shelters for homosexual people; and that people show civil courage when transsexuals are discriminated against, ridiculed or beaten up.

Only then can we call ourselves a society that truly stands up for diversity. And anyone who dips their social media profile picture in rainbow colors in June is of course welcome to do so.

Just remember that queer people are still there after Pride Month and need the continuous support of mainstream society.

This article was originally written in German.

DW

Save the Children workers missing after 30 villagers massacred by Myanmar troops

Two members of international humanitarian group missing after killings in Kayah state

Burned-out vehicles near Hpruso township on Christmas Eve. Photograph: AP

The Associated Press
Sun 26 Dec 2021 03.29 GMT

Two members of the international humanitarian group Save the Children are missing after Myanmar government troops rounded up villagers, some believed to be women and children, fatally shot more than 30 and burned the bodies, according to a witness and other reports.

Purported photos of the aftermath of the Christmas Eve massacre in Moso, a village in the country’s east, just outside Hpruso township in Kayah state where refugees were sheltering from an army offensive, have spread on social media in the country, fuelling outrage against the military that took power in February.

The accounts could not be independently verified. The photos showed the charred bodies of more than 30 people in three burned-out vehicles.

Myanmar’s top general Min Aung Hlaing is strangling a democracy. What will the west do about it?

A villager who said he went to the scene told the Associated Press that the victims had fled the fighting between armed resistance groups and Myanmar’s army near Koi Ngan village, which is just beside Moso, on Friday. He said they were killed after they were arrested by troops while heading to refugee camps in the western part of the township.

Save the Children said that two of its staff who were traveling home for the holidays after conducting humanitarian response work in a nearby community were “caught up in the incident and remain missing”.

“We have confirmation that their private vehicle was attacked and burned out,” the group added in a statement. “The military reportedly forced people from their cars, arrested some, killed others and burned their bodies.”

The government has not commented on the allegations, but a report in the state-run Myanma Alinn daily newspaper on Saturday said that the fighting near Moso broke out on Friday when members of ethnic guerrilla forces, known as the Karenni National Progressive Party, and those opposed to the military drove in “suspicious” vehicles and attacked security forces after refusing to stop.

The newspaper report said that the seven vehicles they were traveling in were destroyed in a fire. It gave no further details about the killings.

The witness who spoke to the AP said the remains were burned beyond recognition, and children’s and women’s clothes were found together with medical supplies and food.

“The bodies were tied with ropes before being set on fire,” said the witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared for his safety.

He did not see the moment they were killed, but said he believed some of them were Moso villagers who were reportedly arrested by troops on Friday. He denied that those captured were members of locally organised militia groups.

Myanmar’s independent media reported on Friday that 10 Moso villagers, including children, were arrested by the army. Four members of a local paramilitary group who went to negotiate for their release were reportedly tied up and shot in the head by the military.

The witness said the villagers and anti-government militia groups left as military troops arrived near Moso while the bodies were being prepared for cremation. The fighting was still intense near the village.

“It’s a heinous crime and the worst incident during Christmas. We strongly condemn that massacre as a crime against humanity,” said Banyar Khun Aung, director of the Karen Human Rights Group.

Earlier this month, government troops were also accused of rounding up villagers, some believed to be children, tying them up and slaughtering them. An opposition leader, Dr Sasa, who uses only one name, said the civilians were burned alive.

A video of the aftermath of the 7 December assault – apparently retaliation for an attack on a military convoy – showed the charred bodies of 11 people lying in a circle amid what appeared to be the remains of a hut.


Eleven villagers shot and burned alive by Myanmar soldiers, reports say

Fighting resumed on Saturday in a neighbouring state that borders Thailand, where thousands of people have fled to seek shelter. Local officials said Myanmar’s military had unleashed airstrikes and heavy artillery on Lay Kay Kaw, a small town controlled by ethnic Karen guerrillas, since Friday.

The military’s action prompted multiple western governments, including the US embassy, to issue a joint statement condemning “serious human rights violations committed by the military regime across the country”.

“We call on the regime to immediately cease its indiscriminate attacks in Karen state and throughout the country, and to ensure the safety of all civilians in line with international law,” the joint statement said.

Vale Weighs Bid for a Stake in Anglo’s Brazil Iron Mine



Mariana Durao, Cristiane Lucchesi and Mark Burton
Thu, December 23, 2021

(Bloomberg) -- Vale SA, the world’s second-largest iron ore producer, is considering acquiring a stake in Anglo American Plc’s huge Minas-Rio project in Brazil, according to people familiar to the matter.

Preliminary talks that started last year so far haven’t advanced enough to be presented to the companies’ boards and may not result in a deal, the people said, asking not to be named because the talks are private. Vale is considering buying a 30% to 40% stake in the project, or even a controlling interest, one of the people said.

Anglo American and Vale declined to comment.

A deal would help Vale fulfill its goal of increasing annual production capacity to 400 million tons, enabling it to dilute costs and recover the title of world’s No. 1 iron-ore producer that it lost to Rio Tinto Group in the wake of the Brumadinho dam disaster in 2019.

The Rio de Janeiro-based company also wants to position itself as a top supplier of premium iron ore, a key ingredient for steelmakers to reduce their carbon footprint. Anglo’s Minas-Rio has a high-grade ore of about 67% iron content, higher than Vale’s average.

Minas-Rio is a fully integrated iron ore operation, with a mine in Minas Gerais State, a processing plant, a slurry pipeline, and a port in Rio de Janeiro. The project is expected to produce 26.5 million tons a year. Acquired from MMX Mineracao e Metalicos SA in 2008, Minas-Rio cost Anglo American about $14 billion to buy and build.

Thanks to a surge in metals prices in recent years, Minas-Rio has gone from a liability to a cash cow for Anglo American, leading the company to scrap plans to sell the mine.

Even with prices of its core product down from record highs in recent months, Vale continues to generate plenty of cash. Focused on capital discipline and returning value to shareholders, the miner has been divesting non-core assets to sharpen its efforts on iron ore and base metal deposits.

EDMONTON

Local Indigenous artist lights up Churchill Square for winter solstice

"Winter Solstice" sculptures in Churchill Square (Ryan Parker Photography)

Kerry McAthey
CTV News Edmonton
Follow | Contact
Updated Dec. 20, 2021 4:34 p.m. MST

Three 16-foot fall figures lit up in Churchill Square form “Winter Solstice,” a celebration of the longest, darkest night of the year by local Indigenous artist Jason Carter.

“It’s really this moment to kind of sit and reflect about where you are, and what you’ve accomplished, and where you’re heading,” Carter said. “Kind of that moment where Mother Earth and Grandfather Sun and Grandmother Moon come together at this perfect zenith.”

Carter worked with the Downtown Business Association to develop the installation. He’s lived in Edmonton since early childhood, and is excited to be able to light up Churchill Square this solstice.

“For me to be able to have the work displayed and represented there for all Edmontonians to see, it’s humbling,” he said. “And what an honour to be able to share with my fellow Edmontonians in such a storied place – the centre of downtown.”

The Winter Solstice sculpture isn’t the only big project Carter has in the works. He has also designed and hand-painted 150 hockey sticks for the World Junior Hockey Championship.

At the end of each game, one player will be named “Player of the Game” and gifted a stick. Carter used the image of the grizzly bear to invoke the strength, power, fortitude and protectiveness he says is inherent in the hockey players.

“It means a lot because it’s these elite athletes that have pursued excellence for their entire lives,” Carter said. “And they’ve reached this…height of their sport, this point of their passion. To be able to have one of my sticks represent that pinnacle for them is truly humbling.”

The Winter Solstice art installation will be up at Churchill Square for a week after Dec. 21, the day of the winter solstice.



"Winter Solstice" sculptures in Churchill Square (Ryan Parker Photography)


"Winter Solstice" sculptures in Churchill Square (Ryan Parker Photography)


"Winter Solstice" sculptures in Churchill Square (Ryan Parker Photography)


"Winter Solstice" sculptures in Churchill Square (Ryan Parker Photography)


"Winter Solstice" sculptures in Churchill Square (Ryan Parker Photography)

What's inside time capsule under statue of Robert E. Lee? Artifacts, and a mystery

Steve McMillan
Thu, December 23, 2021

A rust-colored 1875 almanac, a cloth envelope and a silver coin were found Wednesday in a time capsule that lay hidden beneath a towering statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Virginia for more than 130 years.

As intriguing as the water-damaged items were, they're not what many were expecting to see after state conservators spent five hours gingerly prying the time capsule open. Even the mortar-encrusted lead box was a bit of a surprise.

Historical records led many to believe the capsule held dozens of objects related to the Confederacy as well as a picture of deceased President Abraham Lincoln. But in just a few minutes, its contents were revealed and the items were few.


There were three books total. Besides the almanac, there was a tattered book with a pink cover that appeared to be an edition of “The Huguenot Lovers: A Tale of the Old Dominion” by Collinson Pierrepont Edwards Burgwyn. He was a city of Richmond civil engineer who worked on the plans for Monument Avenue, where the Lee statue had stood.

A book that was removed from a time capsule that was removed from the pedestal that once held the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Ave. on Wednesday Dec. 22, 2021, in Richmond, Va. Three books and an envelope with a photo and a coin were inside the box.

There also appeared to be a pamphlet of some kind that made reference to water power facilities for the city of Manchester, a community south of Richmond.

Devon Henry, the contractor who took down the Lee statue and is continuing to work on the removal of the pedestal in Richmond, said there could be a second time capsule that's yet to be found.

“I’m as intrigued as everyone,” he said, as conservators worked to open the capsule. “It was a huge relief to find it. Secondly, we need to see if it’s what we are looking for.”
Is there a second capsule?

The day after the Lee statue was removed in September, work crews spent more than 12 hours searching for the time capsule in the base of the 40-foot-tall (12-meter-tall) pedestal but were unable to locate it.

More: Virginia begins opening time capsule from beneath Robert E. Lee statue

A time capsule was eventually found on Friday, embedded 20 feet high in the pedestal.

Henry said his work crew is still being extra careful given that the container opened Wednesday doesn’t match the description of the time capsule they were expecting.

A newspaper article from 1887 — the year a time capsule was embedded in the pedestal — suggested that the capsule contains Civil War memorabilia and a “picture of Lincoln lying in his coffin.” Records from the Library of Virginia also suggested that 37 Richmond residents, organizations and businesses contributed about 60 objects to the capsule, many of which are believed to be related to the Confederacy.

That time capsule was believed to be a copper box measuring 14-by-14-by-8 inches, larger than the lead box pulled from the pedestal last week. Besides there being far fewer objects, the capsule removed Friday measured 4-by-8-by-11.5 inches and was made of lead.

Conservator for Special Collections from the University of Virginia Sue Donovan removes paper from a photograph that was removed from a time capsule that was removed from the pedestal that once held the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Ave. on Wednesday Dec. 22, 2021, in Richmond, Va.

“We were really surprised to find something lead,” said Julie Langan, the director of the state’s Department of Historic Resources.

The team at the state Department of Historical Resources will catalog the artifacts and expects to have more details on their makeup and their possible origins in a few days. The books will be put in a freezer to avoid mold and the silver coin, which started to tarnish when the box was open, will be kept in a dry place to limit deterioration.

Before the work began to open the capsule on Wednesday, Gov. Northam said Virginia doesn’t need monuments that glorify the Confederacy.

“We are a Commonwealth that embraces diversity,” he said. “We are inclusive.”

The Lee statue was erected in 1890 and was long seen as a symbol of racial injustice in the former capital of the Confederacy. Its removal in September came more than a year after Northam ordered it in the wake of protests that erupted after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The Lee statue was one of five Confederate tributes along Richmond’s Monument Avenue and the only one that belonged to the state. The four city-owned statues were taken down in 2020, but the Lee statue removal was blocked by two lawsuits until a ruling from the Supreme Court of Virginia in September cleared the way for it to be dismantled.

Three books and a coin and envelope were removed from a time capsule that was removed from the pedestal that once held the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Ave.on Wednesday Dec. 22, 2021, in Richmond, Va.

Northam, a Democrat, announced earlier this month that the enormous pedestal would be removed, a reversal from September, when the governor said the pedestal would stay in place so its future could be determined by a community-driven effort to reimagine Monument Avenue.

After Floyd’s killing in 2020, the Lee statue became a focal point of the racial justice movement in Richmond. Since then, the pedestal has been covered in graffiti, some of it profane and much of it denouncing the police. Some activists wanted to see it remain in place as a work of protest art.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Robert E. Lee statue time capsule: What's inside?

Search to resume for 1887 time capsule under Lee monument





Lee Statue-Time Capsule

Virignia Gov. Ralph Northam, center, watches as lead conservator for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Kate Ridgway, left, and Sue Donovon, conservator for Special Collections for the University of Virginia, right, remove the contents of a time capsule that was removed from the pedestal that once held the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Ave. Wednesday Dec. 22, 2021, in Richmond, Va. Three books and an envelope with a photo were inside the box.

 (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

BEN FINLEY and STEVE HELBER
Thu, December 23, 2021

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The spot in Virginia where a towering statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee once stood over Richmond's tree-lined Monument Avenue is now just a pile of boulders, rubble and sand.

But for the next few weeks, workers will continue their search for a famed 1887 time capsule that was said to be buried under the massive monument, long viewed as a symbol of racial injustice.

“We know what to be on the lookout for,” said Devon Henry, the contractor who took down the statue and its pedestal. “It will be a very decorative piece of granite that will look nothing like what’s already there.”

Henry spoke the day after one of the more anti-climactic moments in historic preservation: State conservators spent five hours gingerly prying open a corroded lead box that some believed — or at least hoped — was the 1887 time capsule.

But they didn't find the expected trove of objects related to the Confederacy, including a picture of a deceased President Abraham Lincoln. Instead, conservators pulled out a few waterlogged books, a silver coin and an envelope with some papers.

The prevailing theory among some Thursday was that the lead box was left by a person — or persons — who oversaw the monument's construction.

“They decided to have a little vanity project,” said Dale Brumfield, a local historian who focuses on the Richmond area. “It was not so much a time capsule as it was a self-commemoration capsule. And who was going to stop them?”

The box contained a novel written by Collinson Pierrepont Edwards Burgwyn, a city of Richmond civil engineer who worked on the plans for Monument Avenue.

The envelope contained an image of a man, with the words “James Netherwood master stone mason” written on the back. Netherwood supervised construction of the pedestal on which the large equestrian statue of Lee had stood.

“While Netherwood was still alive, he had a sculptor create a granite, life-size statue of himself,” Brumfield said. “Burgwyn probably had an ego about the same size.”

Julie Langan, the director of the state’s Department of Historic Resources, agreed that the box could be the work of people involved in the monument's construction, although she stressed that was still yet to be proven.

“If you go into historic buildings, you’ll sometimes find places where craftsmen have carved their initials to sort of leave a lasting imprint of their involvement,” she said. “And I see this as a similar sort of gesture.”

Langan said the box that was opened Wednesday was “more interesting than exciting.”

“What I found exciting is how excited the public has gotten around this story,” she said. “It shows me that the public can really get excited about history.”

The Lee statue was erected in 1890 in the former capital of the Confederacy. Its removal in September came more than a year after Gov. Ralph Northam ordered it in the wake of protests that erupted after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The statue was one of five Confederate tributes along Monument Avenue, and the only one that belonged to the state. The four city-owned statues were taken down in 2020, but the Lee statue's removal was blocked by two lawsuits until a ruling from the Supreme Court of Virginia in September cleared the way for it to be dismantled.

Henry, the contractor who took down the statue, said all of the decorative granite has been removed from the site. The work on the pile of rubble that's left — and the search for the 1887 time capsule — will resume Monday.

If all goes well, they'll find a much bigger box. It will be made of copper instead of lead. And there will be some 60 items, including a picture of President Lincoln lying in his coffin.

“We'll continue to do what we're doing in a very meticulous and professional and safe way,” Henry said. “And we’ll see what happens in a few weeks.”

Manchin takes aim at Build Back Better, but his real focus is on West Virginia

Samuel Workman, Professor of Political Science, West Virginia University
Thu, December 23, 2021

Putting his sights on Build Back Better?

  Manchin for West Virginia/YouTube

Joe Manchin isn’t averse to taking a shotgun to policy he dislikes.

In 2018, the senator starred in a political ad in which he explains how a lawsuit to repeal the Affordable Care Act – something his opponent, state attorney general Patrick Morrisey, was at the time trying to do – would strip health care from numerous West Virginians. Manchin then takes out a shotgun and unloads on the Morrissey lawsuit.

The ad, titled “Dead Wrong,” simultaneously displays Manchin’s support for a popular program while signaling a pro-gun stance.

It is also instructive for understanding the political challenge that Manchin faces over the Biden administration’s Build Back Better bill – legislation that Manchin has seemingly torpedoed.

As a scholar and native of the state who has long followed West Virginian politics, I know that Manchin is typically deft in balancing support for government programs that will benefit people in the state with the social conservatism that many adhere to. It is what he did in the “Dead Wrong” ad, and it is what he is trying to do now by delivering tangible benefits on some dimensions, while “standing up” to the president and Democratic leadership on others.

What say the lodestar?

There are reasons to suppose that West Virginians would be in favor of many elements contained in Build Back Better, Biden’s package of legislation that aims to fix problems ranging from child care costs to climate change.

The legislation contains not only the child tax credit, which would send monthly payments of up to $300 per child to families across the U.S., but also improvements to the Affordable Care Act, upgraded infrastructure for health care, and better access to housing. Its largest portion is $555 billion dedicated to climate change – representing the first major legislative action on climate in the U.S.

In a state where poverty is high, rural health care is sparse and climate change threatens to bring frequent, intense flooding, it seems unimaginable that the senator would fail to support the legislation.

Yet on Dec. 19, 2021, Manchin announced on Fox News that he would not. That Manchin did this on Fox News speaks to the general public sentiment in West Virginia.

It sparked a very public “battle of the Joes” in which Biden maintained that Manchin dealt in bad faith after months of personal cajoling and negotiations by the president. Manchin, for his part, reportedly offered Biden everything in Build Back Better except for the Child Tax Credit.

The fight threatens consequences for man and party. The viability of the razor-thin Democratic majority’s ability to govern headed into the 2022 midterms is at stake. But the conflict also poses a major problem for Manchin himself, with Biden using Manchin’s opposition to the child tax credit as a political pressure point – publicly shaming the West Virginian for failing to support a measure that would deliver support to many families in his own state.
Reconciliation masks broad agreement

To understand what Manchin opposes, it’s useful to understand what reconciliation does to a multidimensional bill.

Normally, major legislative initiatives would each have their own bill. But each would need to pass the Senate with 60 votes in order to avoid a filibuster that could end up killing the bill. To get past that hurdle, Democrats have piled all of Biden’s initiatives into what’s called a budget reconciliation bill, which only requires a majority of votes to pass – a much lower threshold and one that a united Democratic Party could meet in the Senate.

Yet because legislators must cast a single vote for what is a diverse package, disagreement on one dimension can sink the whole reconciliation bill – even if there is broad agreement on the other proposals. In this case, Manchin wants to jettison the child tax credit, but made an offer that reportedly includes the improvements to the ACA, health care infrastructure, as well as the climate change provisions – remarkable for a senator from a state so dependent on fossil fuels for economic growth and stability.

It is likely Manchin will return to the bargaining table over the next few weeks, absent, or in spite of, the public shaming over the child tax credit from the president.
The typical Manchin pivot

West Virginians tend toward conservative views on typical culture war issues like guns, abortions and race.

The purported support for Build Back Better in West Virginia is likely overstated among the electorate – polling is sparse and generally done by supportive organizations – though West Virginians typically are in favor of government programs that benefit them. Winning elections in West Virginia historically entails candidates pledging to bring home benefits to the state. And this is exactly the approach Manchin typically adopts, delivering policy that has majority support, while signaling his fidelity to culture war issues.

Manchin has continually referred to his constituents as his lodestar – “If I can’t go back home and explain it, I can’t vote for it.”

Normally, Manchin gets pressure on social issues from the more liberal wing of the Democratic Party. This criticism from the wider party is fuel for his positioning and policy goals within the state. On such issues, the more criticism he receives from the Left, the better. He is deft at pivoting on this pressure to make policy that has general support in the state, such as displayed in the “Dead Wrong” ad.

The public pressure on child tax credits is not the norm and does not offer the same pivot for Manchin. West Virginians value programs like the child tax credit.

Furthermore, support in the state for child tax credits means Manchin is left exposed politically in a way that damages his ability to maintain the fragile coalition that he normally relies on. And, despite progressive outcry for a primary challenger, make no mistake about it, no other Democrat could hold that West Virginian seat.

[Understand key political developments, each week. Subscribe to The Conversation’s politics newsletter.]

Manchin’s seeming obstinance can be understood in two ways. He’s either a conservative Democrat failing to get behind the president’s legislative agenda, or he simply wants to prioritize programs within that agenda that keeps to a general spending target.

Manchin’s opposition to the child tax credit reflects his concern about how the monthly benefit will affect the budget. Simultaneously, colleagues say he is concerned over how lower-income citizens will spend the money, reportedly worrying about it being spent on drugs.

This second concern echoes a common conservative trope. But if a comment like that might hurt a politician in a liberal state, it is understandable in the context of the West Virginia electorate’s social conservatism.

Despite Manchin’s comments sparking predictions that his position doomed Build Back Better, it may not be as clear cut as that.

The senator’s willingness to accept all the other major provisions in the bill leaves plenty of room for bargaining. If Manchin can find a way to do his customary pivot – supporting the Democratic proposals while satisfying his constituents that he’s being socially conservative and standing up to the Left – he may well get on board and put away the shotgun.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Samuel Workman, West Virginia University.

Read more:

Don’t care about the Build Back Better Act? Hearing people’s personal stories might change that

Manchin killed Build Back Better over inflation concerns – an economist explains why the $2 trillion bill would be unlikely to drive up prices