Students criticize Taliban policies on women, girls’ education

• By Amu TV
• APRIL 30, 2023

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A group of students from Kabul criticized the Taliban’s policies towards women and girls’ education and said Taliban authorities have banned women and girls from schooling and going to universities while their daughters are continuing their education abroad.

Under the Taliban rule, secondary schools have been closed for girls for nearly two years while universities were closed for women in December 2022. Meanwhile, women are not allowed to work in non-governmental organizations as well as the United Nations offices in the country.

“What is the difference between us and their daughters and wife? They study in the best universities in other countries but an Afghan girl or woman sits at home, facing an unclear future. Their only sin is education,” said Asma, a student.

“Education is obligatory for every man and woman Muslim. No one can take this right from us. Women and girls have raised their voices many times to end the ban on women and girls’ education, but the government is not paying attention,” said Husna, a student.

The female students said that they have the right to education and they have been tired of facing an unclear fate. They added that rights organizations should not turn their back on the issue of the ban on women’s education in Afghanistan.

“The restrictions that the Taliban has imposed on us are too much. We could roam freely and get an education freely under the republic government. We call on the Taliban to take a serious step in this regard as soon as possible,” said Shiba Mahtabi, a student.

This comes as a conference hosted by the United Nations in Doha where special envoys from many countries will also attend to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, but activists said no one from the country has been invited for the event.

New Zealand premier ‘favours country becoming a republic’

1 May 2023, 

Chris Hipkins made the comments to reporters hours before he was due to fly to London for the coronation of King Charles III.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said on Monday that he personally favours his country becoming a republic, but it is not a change he intends to push for as leader.

He made the comments to reporters hours before he was due to leave for this week’s coronation of King Charles III in London.

New Zealand, a former British colony, is self-governing but Charles retains a largely ceremonial role as head of state and king. He is represented in New Zealand by a governor-general.

Like many former British colonies, New Zealand continues to wrestle with what – if any – constitutional role the British monarchy should play in modern times.

Barbados chose to become a republic in 2021, Jamaica said last year that it plans to pursue independence, and in February Australia decided to remove the British monarch from the last of its banknotes, although an image of Charles is expected to feature on coins.

Ideally, in time, New Zealand will become a fully independent country, will stand on our own two feet in the world, as we by and large do now

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins

Mr Hipkins said: “Ideally, in time, New Zealand will become a fully independent country, will stand on our own two feet in the world, as we by and large do now.

“I don’t think that swapping out the governor-general for some other form of head of state is necessarily an urgent priority right now, though.”

Mr Hipkins faces an election later this year and has already ditched many of his government’s more contentious policies as he tries to refocus the political agenda on what he describes as bread-and-butter issues such as the cost of living.

He unexpectedly rose to power following the shock decision in January of Jacinda Ardern to step down.

Ms Ardern had previously said she believed New Zealand would eventually become a republic but it was not a legislative priority. Mr Hipkins, however, has stated his own support of republicanism more forcefully.

“I believe we should ultimately be an independent country,” he said.

But he said the current constitutional arrangements are working well and he is not interested in pushing the republic debate on to New Zealanders.

“Honestly, I think it is something for New Zealanders to instigate a discussion on, and there isn’t a groundswell of support for having this particular debate right at the moment,” he said.

Mr Hipkins inadvertently acknowledged that he has a meeting planned with Charles during his trip, but declined to say what they would discuss.

While in London, Mr Hipkins also plans to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to advance a free trade deal the two nations struck in 2021.

By Press Association

Hong Kong's Economy Is Recovering, But Its Freedoms Are Not
April 30, 2023
Associated Press

Mainland Chinese tourists look at sunset from a hill in Hong Kong, April 26, 2023.

Like most people in Hong Kong, taxi driver Leung Tat-chong says it feels like the city is recovering after years of protests, crackdowns and pandemic restrictions, while it also has changed forever.

He's earning almost as much as he did before the pandemic. But, Leung said, the city has been divided since the 2019 protests, in which hundreds of thousands of people marched, and many battled police, in opposition to a government they saw as a proxy for Beijing.

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the city welcomed more than 2 million visitors in the month of March. Crowds of art collectors and dealers spilled across two floors of a convention center at the Art Basel Hong Kong fair in late March. Excited chatter returned to a dim sum shop at the high-speed rail terminus.

Yet Leung sometimes doesn't turn on the radio in his cab because the news or a public affairs program could get his customers cursing. A supporter of the government, he watches what he says in front of friends to avoid starting fights.

Living in Hong Kong today means juggling contradictory feelings. In 20 interviews, many said that when they focus on business indicators and everyday life, they see a recovery gathering pace after years of travel restrictions. But when it comes to anything political, the openness and freedoms that were once hallmarks of the Chinese-ruled former British colony seem permanently gone.

Following the 2019 protests, Beijing declared "patriots must run Hong Kong," increasing its loyalists' control over elections and imposing a National Security Law that criminalized many forms of dissent. The government of Hong Kong used that law to arrest former opposition lawmakers and activists who participated in an unofficial primary election.

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak, right, and Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung leave after a presser to launch the "Happy Hong Kong" campaign in Hong Kong, April 24, 2023.

Hong Kong's government says things are back to normal, a message delivered in a tourism-promotion campaign it calls "Hello Hong Kong."

Economic indicators seem to support that message: retails sales are up, the country's GDP is growing and unemployment is a low 3.1%. In the first quarter of the year, the city received 4.41 million visitors, about 12 times more than the previous quarter, and about 30% of pre-pandemic levels.

Mak Kwai-pui, co-founder of dim sum chain Tim Ho Wan, said his business is reaping some of the benefits. Foreign tourists are filling his restaurants, something he had not seen in three years, helping drive revenue to more than 80% of pre-pandemic levels.

"It's really coming back. It's true," he said.

Anne Kerr, the chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, said more U.K. firms are inquiring about setting up shop in Hong Kong.

A survey by The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong in the first two months of 2023 showed its members are "cautiously optimistic" about business. Among those with headquarters in Hong Kong, 61% planned to remain for the next three years, up from 48% last year. But 9% plan to move, compared to 5% last year.

Local artist Wong Ka-ying said cultural life is recovering, too. At Art Basel, she saw a rise in emerging artists, independent art spaces and cultural activities, offering her more exposure and opportunities.

But, she said, even at the glamorous art fair, she felt the chill of the National Security Law. The art felt tamer than in past years and overtly political art was rare. At the Chinese University of Hong Kong where she teaches, she advises her students to plan their work cautiously.

"Maybe it looks the same on the surface. But when you look with a magnifying glass, you'll see the essence isn't the same," the 32-year-old said.

When Cyrus Chan decided to organize a protest against a proposal on land reclamation and building waste-processing facilities in March, the changes were not subtle.

Hong Kong used to have a vibrant tradition of street politics, from massive marches to local issues. But Cyrus Chan, one of the march organizers, said police told organizers that they could have just 100 people. Participants were warned against wearing all black, as many protesters did during the 2019 protests. They also discussed their slogans with police in advance.

Even with official approval, it was a nerve-wracking experience, Chan said. For a week before the march, he checked news reports, online forums and social media hourly to see if anything had changed.

On the day, attendees were required to wear numbered badges around their necks and had to walk within a moving cordoned-off zone.

Protesters walk within a cordon line wearing number tags during a rally in Hong Kong, March 26, 2023.

After the protest, Chan said he still could not let his guard down. On April 2, security minister Chris Tang said "some people" who likened the numbered tags to dog leashes or the armbands Nazis forced upon Jews were stirring hatred against the government — a red flag to many activists under the sedition law. Chan had previously made the Nazi analogy on a radio show.

"Those who say the city will go back to the old days ... are lying. Everyone knows it's impossible," Chan said.

Weeks later, a former leader of a now-disbanded pro-democracy union withdrew his plan to hold a Labor Day march, his co-applicant said Wednesday. The National Security Law prevented disclosure of further details, he told the applicant.

Leung, the taxi driver, agreed that a part of Hong Kong will never come back. But life must go on.

"As an ordinary person, I can't do anything about politics," he said. "I will just keep living my simple and unadorned life."

As Israel turns 75, its embassy celebrates flourishing ties with China

By Liu Ning (People's Daily Online) April 30, 2023

As Israel marks its 75th anniversary, its embassy in China has hailed the continuously strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries. Trade and economic cooperation have consistently expanded over the past three years, despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We have marched a long way since the establishment of full diplomatic relations 31 years ago," said Israel's Ambassador to China Irit Ben-Abba, at a celebration event held at the Israel Embassy in Beijing on April 28. "During the past three years, when physical interactions were scarce, our leaders exchanged numerous warm verbal and written letters, which solidified our strong political bonds based on Israel's role in the Middle East and our common cultural heritage," she said.

Bilateral trade between China and Israel has grown exponentially, increasing from only $50 million 31 years ago to over $23 billion last year. China is now Israel's second-largest trading partner, according to the embassy.

                                                     IS THAT MOGEN DAVID

Israel's Ambassador to China Irit Ben-Abba is joined by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li at a reception to celebrate Israel's 75th anniversary. 

(Photo: People's Daily Online/Liu Ning)

In 2017, China and Israel announced the establishment of an innovative, comprehensive partnership, which opened a new chapter in their friendly relationship.

"We look forward to further expanding our trade and economic ties, as we view China as an important global economic player," she added.

In recent years, Israel has become one of the world's fastest-growing economies, concentrating on cutting-edge sectors such as technology, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and new energy. This emphasis contributes to the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by providing innovative solutions and expertise.

There remains enormous potential for future cooperation between the two countries.

Eying China's tremendous market, Israel is forming a long-term strategic relationship with the country. With the backing of both governments, a growing number of Israeli start-ups have secured investment from China and gained access to its lucrative market. Representatives from both countries are eagerly anticipating further cooperation across various sectors, fostering mutual benefits.

This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, a visionary plan that demonstrates the potential for global cooperation, fostering connections for all, and ultimately working toward a brighter future for everyone.

Between Israel and China, "cultural exchanges are vast, academic exchanges are plentiful, and student exchanges are numerous," said Ben-Abba.

"We need to work harder on people-to-people connectivity that was disrupted due to COVID-19, on the resumption of two-way tourism, and to reconnect with the young generation, the future generation of China."

As Israel celebrates its 75th birthday and looks ahead to the next 75 years, its representatives remain confident that by collaborating with nations worldwide, it can overcome common challenges and play a significant role in shaping a brighter future.
(Web editor: Liu Ning, Wu Chengliang)

 

Palestine Action Shuts Down Israeli Drone Factory in Leicester

M.Y | DOP - 30 April, 2023

Palestine Action launched a surprise ground camp to monitor UAV Tactical Systems, taking the Israeli arms manufacturer, its private security, and the police by surprise.

The activists erected a camp, with hammocks placed in the highest branches of the trees, in an act of direct resistance against the war machine.

Activists have stated that they will remain at the location until Elbit leaves their weapons manufacturing facility.

A representative from the camp said that they had gone undetected and seized the area behind Elbit’s cutting-edge security system for a period of 12 hours, much to their surprise.

Starting on May 1st, hundreds of people are planning to take part in the siege and demonstrate against Elbit’s activities that are responsible for bloodshed.

By symbolically reversing the decades-long siege of Gaza, Palestine Action‘s siege will break the connection between Leicester and the Israeli occupation forces’ supply chain.

This is the result of the past three years of opposition and activities against Elbit’s weapon production.

The joint venture between Elbit and Thales, UAV Tactical Systems, holds a range of export permits for the selling of weaponry to the Israeli occupation, including drones, military technology, imaging systems, and ground vehicles.

The Watchkeeper drone, the factory’s main product, has been designed based on Elbit’s Hermes 450, after it had been put to the test in conflict zones involving Palestinians.

The Hermes drone has been adapted by Elbit to create the Watchkeeper, which has been used by Britain in imperialist missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, in addition to border operations.

This same drone is employed by the state to both surveil and bombard Palestinians in Gaza.

Elbit Systems, the main arms dealer for the Israeli occupation, holds a majority stake in UAV Tactical Systems. Elbit Systems is responsible for providing the majority of weapons for the Israeli military, including 85% of their military drone force.

Elbit has collaborated closely with the Israeli occupation forces in using their AI technology to carry out air strikes on Palestinians.

ZIONIST MURDER

Palestinian prisoner dies in Israel after long hunger strike

JERUSALEM (AP) — A high-profile Palestinian prisoner died in Israeli custody on Tuesday after a nearly three-month hunger strike, Israel’s prison service announced, at a time of already soaring tensions between Israel and the Palestinians.

Khader Adnan, a leader in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group, is the first Palestinian prisoner to die since Palestinian inmates began staging protracted hunger strikes about a decade ago. His death raises the potential for renewed violence between Israel and Palestinian militant groups as violence surges in the West Bank.

Shortly after his death was announced, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a volley of rockets into southern Israel. Palestinians called for a general strike in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and protests were expected later in the day.

Palestinian prisoners have for years gone on lengthy hunger strikes to protest their detentions and to seek concessions from Israel. The tactic has become a last recourse for resistance against what Palestinians see as unjust incarcerations. The prisoners often become dangerously ill by refusing food but deaths are rare.

Dawood Shahab, an Islamic Jihad spokesman, called Adnan's death “a full-fledged crime, for which the Israeli occupation bears full and direct responsibility.”

Palestinian prisoners are seen as national heroes and any perceived threat to them while in Israeli detention can touch off tensions or violence. Israel has often conceded to demands to release prisoners or shorten their sentences after they staged life-threatening hunger strikes. Israel sees Adnan and other Palestinian prisoners as security threats accused of involvement in deadly attacks or plots.

Adnan, 45, began his strike shortly after being arrested on Feb. 5.

Over the years, he has been repeatedly arrested by Israel and became a symbol for steadfastness in the face of Israel's occupation when he began staging lengthy hunger strikes just over a decade ago.

Among his six hunger strikes was a 66-day protest in 2012, and two other strikes in 2015 and 2018 that lasted 56 and 58 days respectively. Israel released Adnan after the 2015 strike.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, which represents former and current prisoners, Adnan was arrested 12 times and spent about eight years in Israeli prisons, most of that time under so-called administrative detention, in which suspects are held indefinitely without charge or trial.

Related video: Hopes for a Palestinian state further recede under Israel's new government (cbc.ca) View on Watch

His death comes as Israel is led by its most right-wing government ever, and as prisons and Palestinian prisoners are overseen by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist who has tightened restrictions on Palestinian prisoners, including shortening their shower time and closing prison bakeries.

Israel is currently holding over 1,000 Palestinian detainees without charge or trial, the highest number since 2003, according to the Israeli human rights group HaMoked.

That figure has grown in the past year as Israel has carried out almost nightly arrest raids in the occupied West Bank in the wake of a string of deadly Palestinian attacks in Israel in early 2022.

Israel says the controversial tactic helps authorities thwart attacks and hold dangerous militants without divulging incriminating material for security reasons. Palestinians and rights groups say the system is widely abused and denies due process, with the secret nature of the evidence making it impossible for administrative detainees or their lawyers to mount a defense.

Several Palestinians have gone on prolonged hunger strike in recent years to protest being held in administrative detention. In most cases, Israel has eventually released them after their health significantly deteriorated. Many have suffered irreparable neurological damage. Four prisoners on hunger strike died in the 1970s and 1980s as they were being force fed by Israeli authorities. Force-feeding was outlawed until 2015 when an Israeli law allowed a judge to sanction the practice in some circumstances. It’s unclear if the law has ever been invoked.

Adnan's lawyer and an Israeli rights group said Adnan's condition had been deteriorating and they had asked Israeli authorities to hospitalize him, where his medical condition could best be monitored. Physicians for Human Rights Israel, the rights group said that a doctor who had visited him several days ago had written a medical opinion outlining the immediate risk to his life, but that those entreaties were ignored.

“Khader Adnan chose a hunger strike as a last resort, a non-violent means of protest against the oppression of himself and his people,” the group said in a statement.

Israel’s prison service said Adnan had been charged this time with “involvement in terrorist activities." It said that Adnan was in a prison medical facility, but had refused medical treatment “until the last moment” while legal proceedings moved forward. It said he was found unconscious in his cell early Tuesday and transferred to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Palestinian groups called for a general strike in the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem and in cities across the West Bank on Tuesday, with schools and business closing for what organizers called a day of “general mourning."

The Israeli military said the missiles fired from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip fell in open territory, causing no damage. The Islamic Jihad militant group said in a statement that “our fight continues and will not stop.”

Israel fought an 11-day war with Palestinian militants in Gaza, including Islamic Jihad, in May 2021.

Meanwhile in the West Bank, where Israeli-Palestinian violence has surged over the past year, Israeli officials said a suspected Palestinian shooting attack lightly wounded an Israeli man.

Israel and Palestinians in the West Bank have been locked in a bout of fighting for the past year. About 250 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire and 49 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks on Israelis.

Ilan Ben Zion, The Associated Press

Palestinian Detainee Khader Adnan Remains on Hunger Strike For 84th Day

Af.M | DOP - 30 April, 2023

The Palestinian detainee Khader Adnan entered Sunday, 30 April 2023, his 84th day of open hunger strike in Israeli jails in protest against his illegal administrative detention.

The health of Palestinian hunger striker Adnan, 44, deteriorated seriously as he continues his protest for the 84th day in a row against his administrative detention in an Israeli prison, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club stated.

Adnan hailed from the Palestinian village of Arraba near Jenin. He launched his hunger strike immediately after he was arrested by the Israeli occupation forces on 5 February.

The father of nine — his youngest is just 18 months old — has been detained by the Israeli occupation authorities twelve times and has spent eight years in Israeli jails, mostly in administrative detention.

The Israeli occupation has escalated its administrative detention policy against Palestinians as the number of administrative detainees currently exceeded 760, including minors, women, and the elderly, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Commission. 

The Commission added that 80 percent of the administrative detainees are former prisoners who spent years in the prisons most were administrative detentions.

Israel’s illegal policy of administrative detention is a pre-emptive measure that allows the detention of Palestinians without charge or trial for lengthy periods of time based on disclosed allegations that even a detainee’s lawyer is barred from viewing.

Palestinian detainees have constantly resorted to hunger strikes as a method to oppose their administrative detention, demanding an end to this illegal policy that violates international law and Human rights accords. 

Palestinian Detainees Commission Holds Israeli Occupation Responsible for Detainee’s Life

M.S | DOP - 1 May, 2023

The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees held Monday, May 1, 2023, the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the life of the Palestinian detainee Qasim Musallam who suffers from Israeli policy of medical negligence as other sick prisoners.

The commission said, “The detainee Musallam, who is in the Israeli Gilboa prison, suffers from nervous spasms in his feet, and the prison administration still refuses to provide him medical treatment.”

“He suffers from high blood pressure, high diabetes, and permanent pains in the spine. He got all these diseases while he was in – Israeli – prison cells,” It added.

It called for the international community to act and end the Israeli occupation and its escalating crimes against the Palestinian detainees and the Palestinian people which are against all international norms and agreements.

It’s reported that the detainee Qasim Musallam, from Nablus, has been detained by Israeli troops on November 15, 2023, and he is sentenced to 30 years in prison.

 

Amnesty International Accuses Israeli Occupation of Entrenching Apartheid Through Facial Recognition Technology

M.Y | DOP - 2 May, 2023

On Tuesday, Amnesty International released a report demonstrating the Israeli attempts to set up state-of-the-art facial recognition technology at checkpoints in Hebron, a West Bank city, to acquire biometric info from Palestinians.

The report on the Israeli surveillance in the West Bank reveals that a system referred to as Red Wolf is surreptitiously scanning the faces of Palestinians and compiling their biometric information to construct a database for the whole population.

Amnesty International, in their report named Automated Apartheid, has urged the international community to set up laws that would forbid companies from providing the Israeli occupation with surveillance technology.

Their report affirms that “Israeli authorities are using facial recognition technology to maintain apartheid”. The organization also demands a universal embargo on the sale of weaponry and military provisions to the Israeli occupation.

It has been previously reported by the media that the Israeli occupation has employed facial recognition technologies in the West Bank and Hebron; however, the current report offers fresh details about the sophisticated system set up at checkpoints within the city.

The report says that when Palestinians pass through a checkpoint with Red Wolf in place, their faces are scanned and checked against biometric records in databases that only store information about Palestinians, without their knowledge or permission. If there is no existing record for someone, their face is scanned and stored in the system automatically.

The report indicates that a Palestinian may be denied passage through a checkpoint if there is no record of them being allowed entry. Additionally, the system could refuse entry based on other data linked to Palestinian profiles, such as if an individual is wanted for questioning or arrest.

A former Israel Defense Forces soldier, who was testified by the Breaking the Silence organization about the Red Wolf system, was quoted in the report. Apparently, at each checkpoint, there are approximately 10 to 15 cameras. As soon as the Palestinians get there and go through the checkpoint, their picture is taken and they are identified.

The report states that there is considerable proof suggesting a connection between Red Wolf, Wolf Pack, and Blue Wolf. Wolf Pack is a database that aggregates data on Palestinians living in the West Bank, while Blue Wolf is an app usable on smartphones that has access to the Wolf Pack database, and can recognize Palestinians by facial recognition or using their ID number.

This report also reveals the extensive security system of thousands of CCTV cameras in East Jerusalem that the Israeli occupation maintains. It is said that the amount of cameras placed in the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan areas rose markedly after the launch of the aggression on Gaza in May 2021.

Agnès Callamard, the Secretary General of Amnesty International, commented on the report, saying that the Israeli authorities are leveraging advanced surveillance technology to deepen segregation and intensify the apartheid imposed on Palestinians. Particularly in the H2 region of Hebron, the organization found evidence of the Red Wolf facial recognition system being employed to limit Palestinians’ freedom of movement by monitoring their movements in the city using unlawfully obtained biometric data.

In response to Amnesty’s report, Breaking the Silence commented that the occupation extends beyond roadblocks, arrests, and home invasions, but has evolved into a more sophisticated and discreet form of control and repression as it has gone on.

 

IOF Kidnap Several Palestinians in West Bank

B.M | DOP - 30 April, 2023

Israeli occupation forces IOF kidnapped several Palestinians during military raids in the occupied West Bank on Sunday morning, April 30, 2023.

Palestinian local sources reported that IOF invaded Bethlehem, south of the occupied West Bank, and kidnapped three Palestinians, including an ex-detainee.

The sources pointed out that Israeli forces abducted the Palestinians Khader Ajajia, 22, Mohammed Shusha, 17, and the ex-detainee Azzam Hamamra.

In addition, the sources explained that IOF searched and wreaked havoc on the detainees’ homes in the early hours of Sunday.

On a daily basis, Israeli occupation forces carry out morning raids on Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank, terrorizing Palestinian families.

During the Israeli military raids, Palestinian families in the occupied West Bank are subjected to either terror, arrest, or even murder.

Dauntless developer Phoenix Labs lays off 9% of studio

Story by Nicole Carpenter • Yesterday 

Image: Phoenix Labs

Dauntless developer Phoenix Labs has laid off 9% of the studio, the company confirmed to Polygon Monday. The layoffs were announced internally last week; several employees tweeted about the layoffs. It comes months after the company was spun out of Singapore-based Garena, which acquired the studio in January 2020.

Management, backed by investors, bought Phoenix Labs from Garena in February 2023 to take the company private, according to Venture Beat. Phoenix Labs said at that time it had 30 titles in different stages of development, and announced that Dauntless reached 30 million players. Phoenix Labs declined to share exactly how many people are impacted by the layoff, nor would it confirm how many people it employs. LinkedIn lists Phoenix Labs’ employee base at 308 people, suggesting roughly 30 people were impacted by the layoff.

Phoenix Labs has employees in both the United States and Canada.

“As part of the reorganization, we worked diligently to find new assignments for as many employees as possible,” a Phoenix Labs representative said. “While we succeeded in reassigning many people, there were cases where we had to part ways with some talented folks. In total, 9% of our total employees have been affected, including some out of Montreal and some working remotely in the United States. In addition to severance and benefits coverage extensions, we’ve offered assistance for job placement in an effort to ease transition for all affected employees.”

Phoenix Labs has not announced its new projects, but noted they have a “wide range” in style and genre. Fae Farm, a co-op farming game, is expected out in 2023. The company is also still supporting free-to-play role-playing game Dauntless, which was originally released in 2019.

The Supreme Court's Citizens United decision was a pain in the neck for Democrats. Now, it could be used to their advantage in the Disney v. DeSantis feud.

Story by ktangalakislippert@insider.com (Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert) • Yesterday 

Left: Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to Iowa voters on March 10. 

Right: Mickey Mouse in a parade at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. 

Disney lawyers argue Gov. Ron DeSantis is retaliating against the company for protected speech.
A legal expert told Insider precedent was set in the Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court case.
Democrats have criticized the ruling since 2010 but may now benefit from its power against the GOP governor.

When the Supreme Court in 2010 handed down its ruling on Citizens United v. FEC, Democrats were scandalized. Then-President Barack Obama warned it would "open the floodgates" to corporations influencing politics by diminishing restrictions on corporate speech.

But now, as Disney v. DeSantis has become an actual legal battle — with the Walt Disney Corporation suing the Florida governor for retaliating against it after CEO Bob Iger criticized DeSantis' policies — the political roles have reversed. Liberals remain scandalized (albeit for different reasons) but now seek the protections the Citizens United ruling offers.

Citizens United explained

The 2010 ruling held, in a 5-4 decision, that corporations can spend as much as they like to convince people to vote for or against political candidates as long as the spending is independent of the candidates themselves, siding with the conservative nonprofit group that argued the FEC should not have been able to restrict it from airing a film critical of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton close to the 2008 election.

The court had previously upheld certain corporate restrictions, such as a time limit before elections after which companies could not fund political advertisements, arguing that the limits played a role in preventing corruption. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion that the expenditures had a small chance to influence political outcomes and limiting "independent political spending" from businesses and other groups, such as unions, violates their free speech rights.

"The First Amendment does not allow political speech restrictions based on a speaker's corporate identity," Justice Kennedy wrote.

"Imagine the power this will give special interests over politicians," Obama argued at the time, speaking in the Rose Garden after scolding the Supreme Court justices during his 2010 State of the Union address for the decision.

Democrats quickly made repealing the ruling a rallying cry. At the same time, during the lead-up to the 2012 election, pro-business Republicans like presidential candidate Mitt Romney argued "corporations are people," and corporate spending is their speech, drawing further ire from liberal voters.

Despite Democratic protests and attempts to overturn it, the ruling has remained in place for over a decade — but now, with Disney execs objecting to DeSantis' controversial "Don't Say Gay" bill and other policies, liberals are suddenly keen to protect at least one company's speech.

Representatives for the Walt Disney Corporation and the offices of Senator Romney, President Biden, and former President Obama did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Related video: Florida Democrat: DeSantis becoming known for attacking Disney and democracy (MSNBC   Duration 2:18   View on Watch

Reuters Experts say Disney has strong case against Desantis

1:24

News18 Why Is Disney Suing Ron DeSantis, The Governor Of The US State Of Florida? | English News | News18

3:16

MSNBC Republicans voice concern over DeSantis' ongoing fight with Disney

5:47

A political reversal

As recently as 2020, a decade after the Citizens United decision, President Joe Biden lambasted the ruling: "It's not enough to just end Citizens United — we have to eliminate all private dollars from our federal elections."

Though he didn't mention the decision by name, Biden struck a different tone on Saturday, joking during the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner while discussing the Disney feud, saying: "I believe in the First Amendment, and not just because my good friend Jimmy Madison wrote it," before adding: "I had a lot of Ron DeSantis jokes ready, but Mickey Mouse beat the hell out of me and got there first."

"I think all politicians are opportunistic to some extent. All humans are," Michael C. Dorf, a constitutional law professor at Cornell University, told Insider.

Dorf suggested, for example, that anybody could support liberal tax reform while still maximizing the deductions they are eligible for or support minimal federal intervention nationwide, except on issues they're passionate about, which they think should be subject to federal law: "I think there's a lot of that opportunism, you could call it hypocrisy, in politics — it just seems sort of especially blatant in this case, but I think it's a difference of degree rather than kind."

He added: "The people who, for the most part, don't like Citizens United are liberal-leaning, but, in this case, they're sort of on the side of the big corporation and against the government, so in that sense, there's a bit of a reversal. But there's also a bit of a reversal from the other direction."

Dorf highlighted that DeSantis' platform had taken the traditionally pro-business Republican ideology and turned it on its head, with the GOP Governor aiming at one of the largest employers in the state by trying to strip the theme park of its self-governing district status and drawing condemnation from his own party for the anti-corporate tactics.

In response to a request for comment by Insider, Governor DeSantis' office did not respond to questions about retaliation or the right to political speech, but referenced comments made during an event in Jerusalem last week, where DeSantis said: "the idea that somehow being pro-business means giving companies their own governments, that is not what a free market is all about, last I checked. In fact, they've been treated much different than Universal, SeaWorld, and all these other places, and so they're upset because they're actually having to live by the same rules as everybody else. "

The Reedy Creek Improvement District was created by the Florida state legislature in 1967, giving the district its own taxing and governance structure, similar to a county government. Landowners — primarily Walt Disney World — pay for municipal services like water, infrastructure development, and security.

"It's very odd that DeSantis is sort of trying to build a national political brand on being anti-woke and what he seems to mean by being woke is that people who are woke are censorious, right? They're telling you what words to use, and they're trying to control it," Dorf told Insider. "And yet here he is, using the power of government to retaliate against the company for exercising its right to political speech."

Disney's likelihood of success

Dorf said he expects that Disney will prevail against DeSantis on the grounds of the precedent set in Citizens United — as well as other cases, as he outlined in a blog post — though Disney's success in court is not dependent on the Supreme Court's rulings being ideologically agreeable, just legally sound.

"The complaint draws some of its most powerful evidence from DeSantis' own unintentionally ironically titled and blandly platitudinous memoir 'The Courage to be Free.' Technically, allegations in a complaint aren't 'evidence,' but if the case goes to trial, there would be little difficulty getting the underlying statements into evidence," Dorf wrote in his analysis of the case.

He added: "Lawyers for the defendants (DeSantis plus seven other Florida officials) will likely argue that the legislature had mixed or unknowable motives, but no fair-minded person can read the recent events as anything other than retaliation."

However, because Disney is not seeking damages — only a reversal of the revocation of its district status — it's unclear what a settlement between the state and the company might look like.

"Nor do I think, if DeSantis is about to launch a presidential campaign, will he likely want to settle," Dorf told Insider.

"He might be content to let this drag out in the courts. And even if he loses, he can then have it as a badge of honor like: 'I went to bat against this woke corporation' — or whatever he wants to call it."