Freed Morocco journalists urge release of political prisoners

August 10, 2024 
By Agence France-Presse

Moroccan journalist Omar Radi speaks during a press conference at the Moroccan Association of Human Rights headquarters in Rabat, Morocco, on Aug. 10, 2024.

Three journalists released from jail, thanks to royal pardons, called Saturday for Morocco to free "all prisoners of conscience" and start "a new phase" for rights and liberties in the North African kingdom.

Omar Radi, Soulaimane Raissouni and Taoufik Bouachrine, historian and rights advocate Maati Monjib and hundreds more prisoners were pardoned in late July on the occasion of King Mohammed VI's 25th anniversary on the throne.

The three journalists had been held for four to six years on charges of sexual assault that they deny. Radi was also accused of espionage.

They say they were punished for their opinions.

"We have been arrested using dirty methods," Radi, 38, said Saturday at the headquarters of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH).

Raissouni, 52, called for the continuation of "our struggles, our writing and our actions" with the aim of "building a state that guarantees minimal rights, and where such cruel abuse and injustice are not repeated."

"Our joy remains incomplete without the liberation of all prisoners of conscience (linked to) social movements, and political detainees."

The trio mentioned the cases of activists from Morocco's northern Rif region who have been held since 2016, and of the lawyer and government critic Mohamed Ziane, 82, in jail since 2022.

Bouachrine, 55, thanked rights activists for their support, as well as the king for "having put an end to our nightmare" and "letting us see our children grow."

He said he hoped that the royal pardons — which did not overturn the convictions but allowed for early release — could mark "the start of a new phase and a true opening up in politics, journalism, human rights and social struggles."

 

Ferguson officer critically injured at protest on the 10th anniversary of Michael Brown's death

A Ferguson, Missouri, police officer was critically injured outside the city's police station during protests on the 10th anniversary of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, a pivotal moment in the national Black Lives Matter movement, police said Sa

Heather Hollingsworth, The Associated Press

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A memorial to Michael Brown is displayed on Canfield Drive in Ferguson, Mo., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jim Salter)

A Ferguson, Missouri, police officer was critically injured outside the city's police station during protests on the 10th anniversary of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, a pivotal moment in the national Black Lives Matter movement, police said Saturday.

Ferguson police chief Troy Doyle said Officer Travis Brown suffered a severe brain injury Friday after being knocked to the ground.

“He is in an area hospital right now fighting for his life,” Doyle said.

Two other officers also were hurt, one sustaining an ankle injury and another an abrasion. Both were treated at the scene.

The team of officers went out to make arrests Friday for destruction of property at the police station, where protesters gathered to remember Michael Brown, the unarmed Black 18-year-old who was killed by Darren Wilson, a white police officer in 2014.

One of the suspects was charged Saturday with assault of a special victim, resisting arrest and property damage. He was ordered held on $500,000 cash only bond. No information was immediately listed in online court records, so it wasn’t known if he had an attorney yet.

Doyle said that for the majority of the night, the protesters were peaceful. He said police allowed them to block the street outside the station, posting a squad car on each end, so they wouldn't be hit by vehicles.

Police also didn't intervene when the protesters began shaking the fence outside the station. But he said that when they broke a section of fencing, he sent out the arrest team. The suspect who charged at Travis Brown knocked him backward with his shoulder, and the officer hit his head as he tumbled to the ground, Doyle said.

Doyle said Travis Brown, who is Black, started with the department in January and previously worked for the St. Louis County Police Department.

He is part of a wave of Black officers hired into the department since 2014. Back then, there were just three Black officers in the department, but Black officers now make up more than half of the police force, Doyle said.

“He wanted to be part of the change,” Doyle said. “He wanted to make an impact in our community. He’s the type of officer that we want in our community. And what happens? He gets assaulted. I had to look his mother in the eye and tell her what happened to her son. I’m never going to do that again, I promise you that.”

St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell, who had stopped by the hospital beforehand to meet with the officer’s family, said others also would be charged.

“I always talk about you know the toughest part of this job is when we have a family that’s lost a loved one that we can’t bring justice to. And I’ve got to tweak that. The toughest thing I’ve had to do is talk and console with a mother who doesn’t know if her child is doing to make it. And for what?”

It wasn’t clear who organized Friday’s protests. One activist who attended an event earlier in the day at a memorial to Michael Brown, and another who organized previous protests, didn't immediately respond to calls and text messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.

The arrests came as the St. Louis Fire Department placed a member of the department on leave after he made a social media post that the department described as insensitive.

“We take this matter seriously and do not condone such behavior,” the department wrote.

The department didn’t disclose the contents of the post, but several news outlets in the area reported that it read: “Happy ALIVE day to Darren Wilson!”

Michael Brown’s death turned Ferguson into the focal point of the national reckoning with the historically tense relationship between U.S. law enforcement and Black people.

In 2015, an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice also found no grounds to prosecute Wilson. But the report gave a scathing indictment of the police department — raising significant concerns about how officers treated Black residents, and about a court system that created a cycle of debt for many residents.

Heather Hollingsworth, The Associated Press

Large geological feature known as the ‘Double Arch’ and the ‘Toilet Bowl’ collapses in southern Utah

The arch was formed from 190 million-year-old Navajo sandstone originating in the late Triassic to early Jurassic periods.

Double Arch before, left, and after the collapse.National Park Service via AP

Aug. 10, 2024,

Source: The Associated Press

PAGE, Ariz. — A large geological feature in southern Utah known as the “Double Arch,” the “Hole in the Roof” and sometimes the “Toilet Bowl” has collapsed, National Park Service officials said Friday. No injuries were reported.

The popular arch in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area fell Thursday, and park rangers suspect changing water levels and erosion from waves in Lake Powell contributed to its demise.

Michelle Kerns, superintendent of the recreation area that spans the border of Utah and Arizona, said the collapse serves as a reminder to protect the mineral resources that surround the lake.

“These features have a life span that can be influenced or damaged by manmade interventions,” she said in a statement.

The arch was formed from 190 million-year-old Navajo sandstone originating in the late Triassic to early Jurassic periods. The fine-grained sandstone has endured erosion from weather, wind and rain, the statement said.

The recreation area encompasses nearly 2,000 square miles and is popular among boaters and hikers.

Native sea snails bred for the first time by marine biologists in Singapore

A 7cm long one-year-old tiger cowrie adult. The adult tiger cowrie is one of the largest cowrie species. They are 8cm to 10cm long on average, and can grow up to 15cm. 

PHOTO: NUS TROPICAL MARINE SCIENCE INSTITUTE

Ariel Yu
Aug 11, 2024

SINGAPORE – A species of large sea snail native to Singapore waters has been successfully reared to adulthood for the first time by marine biologists from the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) at the National University of Singapore.

The research team’s rearing of eight tiger cowrie (Cypraea tigris) juveniles has been documented in a recently published study, and the scientists have since managed to rear those eight specimens into adulthood.

Ms Teresa Tay, lead author on this study, said that researchers in previous studies reared the larvae for several weeks but were unable to obtain juveniles.


The tiger cowrie species has been deemed endangered locally due to habitat loss and overharvesting of its shell.

Although it has healthy populations in the Indo-Pacific region, and the molluscs have been found on Singapore’s reefs in the past, it is “now exceedingly rare” to see the tiger cowrie.

A large specimen was seen on one reef off the southern islands in 1988, according to the National Parks Board’s website.

Tiger cowries typically reside in thriving coral reefs. Many of these vital ecosystems have been decimated by destructive practices such as dynamite fishing, which obliterates marine life and corals.

Moreover, rising sea temperatures contribute to coral bleaching, further endangering these fragile habitats and the creatures that depend on them, including the tiger cowrie.

Popular among shell collectors and aquarium hobbyists, the tiger cowrie has been overharvested for its attractive shell and sold in the marine curio market.

The sea snail’s shell is usually egg-shaped, smooth and polished. The shell colour is usually white, yellowish or light blue-greyish, and speckled with spots that can vary from dark brown to black.


Some tiger cowries have a golden yellow mantle, patterned with dark stripes and spots that resemble those of a tiger’s coat.

Its flat underside is white with a slit-like opening in the centre, where its “teeth” can be seen.

The life cycle of the tiger cowrie can be divided into three stages.

Prior to the larval stage, fertilised eggs develop in egg capsules. They then hatch as swimming larvae while their shell volume increases.

The female tiger cowrie can lay 200 to 300 capsules in one egg mass. Each capsule can contain up to 1000 larvae.

 PHOTO: NUS TROPICAL MARINE SCIENCE INSTITUTE


The larvae will eventually settle on the seabed as crawling juveniles. Their shell continues to thicken as they become adults and reach sexual maturity.

Ms Tay said the research team had 25 failed attempts over 10 months before successfully breeding the tiger cowrie.

“From the first batch of tiger cowrie larvae, it took a year to successfully obtain juveniles (from the 26th batch), and then another year for the juveniles to reach adulthood and become capable of reproduction,” she added.

Out of approximately 360 tiger cowrie larvae reared from the 26th batch, eight have survived to adulthood.

The study, which was published in the Molluscan Research journal in July, documented that the tiger cowrie larvae were reared to the juvenile stage, and the research team was able to continue rearing the same batch of larvae to adulthood.

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One of the main challenges the research team faced was the high mortality rate of tiger cowrie larvae due to algae growth on the shells.

Ms Tay, who joined TMSI in 2013, said: “Often, the algae would engulf the shell, leading to poor development and eventually mortality.”

To tackle this issue, the team attempted to reduce bacteria growth by using finer filtered seawater and adding antibiotics when culturing the tiger cowrie larvae to the juvenile stage, which “drastically reduced algae growth on shells and allowed the larvae to develop further”.

Suitable water quality and diet are key to the successful breeding of tiger cowries by marine biologists in Tropical Marine Science Institute. 

PHOTO: NUS TROPICAL MARINE SCIENCE INSTITUTE


Another challenge the team is working to overcome is the high mortality rate of newly settled juveniles during the first month.

“The metamorphosis process (from larvae to juvenile stage) is energy-consuming and we have yet to determine the most suitable diet for young juveniles to thrive in captivity,” said Ms Tay.

The young juveniles currently feed on biofilm – a thin layer of different micro-organisms – and turf algae, which are grown on tiles.

The adult tiger cowries are fed a variety of food, including prawns and cucumbers, which can enhance their growth and production of eggs and sperm.

 PHOTO: NUS TROPICAL MARINE SCIENCE INSTITUTE

In a previous study published in the Royal Society Open Science journal in April 2023, the researchers succeeded in rearing the larvae of only the Arabian cowrie to juveniles, even though they attempted to also rear the tiger cowries to the juvenile stage.

The adult tiger cowrie is one of the largest cowrie species, 8cm to 10cm long on average, and can grow up to 15cm.

The adult Arabian cowrie, also native to Singapore’s waters, is about 8cm long on average, and can grow to be up to 10cm.

Unlike the tiger cowrie, the Arabian cowrie typically has a bluish shell adorned with fine, dotted brown lines, but its patterns vary.

The study published in Royal Society Open Science documented how more than 80 per cent of the tiger cowrie larvae survived the first four days after hatching but kept dying from day five to day 14, due to severe algal growth on their shells, as well as parasite attacks.

As the tiger cowrie is endangered in Singapore, this study seeks to develop farming methods so that the production of cowries can be scaled up for research, conservation and the aquarium trade.

Dr Jani Tanzil, senior research fellow at TMSI and facility director at St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, said: “Cowries sold in the aquarium trade can come from sustainable, cultured sources now.

“Of course, there might be cost implications – the cost for captive-bred cowries will most likely be higher than for wild-caught stocks.”

She added that this is similar to the cost for anemone fishes, which are now mostly captive-bred in the aquarium trade.

However, Dr Tanzil, who is also a co-principal investigator of the study, said that the cost gap may be reduced with further improvements of mariculture techniques.

In response to the results of the TMSI study, Sunbeam Aquarium – a local wholesale exporter of ornamental freshwater fish, crustaceans, molluscs, soft corals, marine fish and aquatic plants – said it had stopped selling tiger cowries about two years ago but can market the tiger cowrie as captive-bred at a higher price.

“Customers these days are more knowledgeable and environmentally aware.

“Thus, they are more willing to pay for products which reduce the environmental impact,” said a spokesperson for Sunbeam.

Hong Kong fencing gold medallist Vivian Kong retires after pro-China thesis uproar

Vivian Kong of Hong Kong during her bout against Auriane Mallo-Breton of France. PHOTO: REUTERS

Updated
Aug 05, 2024, 11:55 PM

PARIS – Hong Kong’s Olympic gold medallist Vivian Kong said she would quit her fencing career days after controversy erupted over her apparent support for Beijing’s crackdown on the city’s pro-democracy movement, underscoring political tensions in the Asian finance hub.

An academic paper purported to be her master’s thesis showed that Kong, one of two athletes from the Special Administrative Region to pick up a gold from the Paris Games, condemned the 2014 protests calling for freer elections.

The document began circulating last week and prompted some fans to turn their back on the athlete, after initially celebrating her victory in women’s epee in July.

Nathan Law, a self-exiled former lawmaker and a student leader of the demonstrations, said on Aug 2 he made a mistake in congratulating Kong on her triumph, describing her political stance as “extremely problematic”.

Many users on LIHKG, a forum popular with supporters of the 2014 movement, satirised Kong after embracing her as a pride of the former British colony.

Kong has not publicly commented on the episode and did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The 30-year-old Stanford graduate said in an Instagram post she would start a charity to promote sports to children.

“After competing in my third Olympics, I have decided to take a break from professional fencing,” she wrote in a message to her “fencing family” on social media.

“I look forward to starting a new career and work towards having my own charity to help kids find joy and playfulness back into sports.”

The paper, submitted to Renmin University in Beijing in 2021, argued that protesters’ “chaos and illegal acts” threatened national security.

It hailed a new national security law for eliminating “anti-China and anti-Hong Kong powers” linked to the 2014 movement, where demonstrators blocked key thoroughfares to wrest political concessions from the authorities.

The clampdown led to the jailing of dozens of democracy advocates, and a subsequent rewriting of election rules all but ensured only pro-Beijing candidates could run for office. Law left the city for London, where he was granted political asylum.

The debate over Kong has divided the city, with those lamenting a loss of political freedoms disavowing her and those supporting Beijing’s action backing the fencer.

“The rabid attacks on Vivian’s political beliefs are an ugly reflection of the perversity and deformity of these fawning puppets of external powers,” said Regina Ip, an official adviser.

Hong Kong has had its best Olympics in history, with two golds and two bronzes so far. Kong and fellow fencer Edgar Cheung Ka Long are each set to receive a HK$6 million (S$1 million) reward from the Hong Kong Jockey Club for winning a gold medal.

Ranked No. 1 in the world, Kong has been fencing for nearly two decades and triumphed in Paris after suffering two torn cruciate ligaments in recent years.

Patrick Yung, an orthopaedics and traumatology professor who treated Kong, told local broadcaster RTHK that he did not think her retirement was related to the old knee injuries.

“The Vivian I know, other than promoting fencing with her utmost effort, has also done a lot in promoting sports and positive thinking among the general public, particularly young people; I believe she will continue with that work,” Yung said. 

BLOOMBERG, AFP

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Singapore Public agencies to replenish stock of absorbent booms, dispersants after oil spill clean-up

Oil sheen on the surface of the water around Changi Point Ferry Terminal at 9.20am on July 8, 2024. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Esther Loi
Updated
Aug 11, 2024

SINGAPORE – Weeks after June 14, which saw the worst oil spill in Singapore’s waters in a decade, two public agencies are looking to replenish their stock of absorbent booms and oil spill dispersants.

The National Parks Board (NParks) called for a tender on July 25 for the supply and delivery of absorbent booms covering 1.65km, to replace what was used in cleaning up the recent oil spill.

Separately, a tender was called by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on July 24 for the supply and delivery of 24,000 litres of oil spill dispersants to its patrol boats.

MPA will award a three-year contract as part of a routine renewal of its oil spill dispersant stock.

Caused by a collision between Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima and stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal on June 14, the recent oil spill spread to coastlines at East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve, Keppel Bay, the Southern Islands and Sentosa.

Following joint oil spill clean-up operations involving several government agencies that spanned about two months, it was announced that all beaches in Sentosa and East Coast Park would complete their clean-ups by early September.

Sentosa’s Siloso Beach reopened ahead of schedule on Aug 3, while several parts of East Coast Park have also been reopened for land-based activities since July 29.

In tender documents published by NParks on government procurement portal GeBiz, the agency is seeking the supply and delivery of oil spill response kits – including absorbent booms, chemical-protective suits, and disposable bags for hazardous materials – for five locations: Labrador Nature Reserve, Coney Island, Pasir Ris Park, West Coast Park and Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve.

It added that the booms it is sourcing need to be able to absorb at least 200 litres of oil and repel water, and that the kits have to be delivered within four weeks of the agency’s confirmation of the purchase.

Absorbent booms laid out below Bukit Chermin Boardwalk and the mangroves at Berlayer Creek at 5.02pm on June 18, 2024. 

ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI


Absorbent booms are made from materials that can contain and absorb oil, and were previously used as precautionary measures in biodiversity-sensitive areas including West Coast Park, Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin, Pasir Ris Park and Coney Island Park.


NParks said that it had deployed booms measuring more than 1.5km in length to protect biodiversity-rich coastal and marine habitats, including Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore along Labrador Nature Reserve, in the aftermath of the oil spill.

It told The Straits Times in early August that this is part of the agency’s “routine replenishment” of the kits on an ad-hoc basis when needed, since booms had been deployed for oil spill incidents such as the recent one in June.

NParks said: “This is to ensure that key coastal and marine habitats managed by NParks can be protected when the need arises.”

NParks’ tender closed on July 31.

For MPA’s tender involving the supply and delivery of oil spill dispersants, the authority told ST on Aug 8 that this is a “routine renewal” as the current contract for dispersants is expiring, adding that the quantity requested is the same as in previous contracts, and is based on “operational considerations”.

Dispersants are chemicals that break oil up into smaller droplets that can be mixed with water, and are sprayed directly on a spill.

In the June incident, MPA had sprayed these dispersants in the first instance to break down the oil in the immediate vicinity of the affected vessels.

The vessel-mounted oil dispersant spray system applies oil dispersants swiftly to minimise the environmental impact of oil spills. Pictured here is the system in action from the joint oil spill exercise in 2020. 

PHOTO: CHEE HONG TAT/FACEBOOK

The GeBiz tender documents published by MPA show that the appointed contractor must be on standby every day to supply these dispersants within six hours of notification, as long as it is alerted any time between 7am and 7pm.

MPA noted that these dispersants have to comply with industry standards developed by government agencies, academics and industry specialists.

These standards follow guidelines by the International Maritime Organisation – such as recommendations for dispersants not to be used near ecologically sensitive areas, and the need for a test spray run before dispersants are applied entirely to an area – as well as international publications, and took Singapore’s environmental conditions into consideration, it added.

The authority added in the documents that the contract could start tentatively from September. The tender will close on Aug 19.

In response to whether MPA will replenish its booms, MPA said that heavy-duty oil containment booms will be deployed by MPA’s contracted oil spill response vendor Singapore Salvage Engineers, when needed.

Other government agencies involved in the recent oil spill clean-up efforts include the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC).

On whether NEA has plans to procure more booms, its spokesperson said that it has an existing contract for the provision of equipment and supplies for landward oil spill clean-ups. Its service provider will replace their stock, including absorbent booms, when required.

SDC said it is “reviewing its existing plans and optimal approaches to safeguard Sentosa against future oil spills”.

Banksy reveals his latest artwork on a London billboard: a black cat stretching

Associated Press

 Aug 10, 2024 #banksy #art #newsThe elusive street artist Banksy has revealed his latest artwork - the silhouette of a black cat stretching on a billboard in London. This is the sixth of his new series of animal-inspired pieces.

UK: Thousands join anti-racism rallies, far right stays away

Rallies were held in several UK cities, including outside the London office of Nigel Farage's Reform UK party. Britain has been rocked by several days of anti-immigration riots, fueled by misinformation.

Several hundred people rallied outside the London office of the populist Reform UK party

Tayfun Salci/ZUMA Press Wire/IMAGO

Anti-racism protests held across the United Kingdom on Saturday drew thousands of people, aimed at countering a wave of riots in several cities blamed on the far-right.

Several nights of violent disorder erupted nearly two weeks ago due to misinformation online that the suspect in a knife attack that killed three young girls in northwest England was a Muslim asylum seeker.
What happened on Saturday?

Large crowds of anti-racism protesters gathered in London, Glasgow, Belfast, Manchester and numerous other UK towns and cities for the second time in a week. By the late afternoon, however, feared violent confrontations with anti-immigration agitators had failed to materialize.

In London, hundreds massed outside the office of Brexit architect Nigel Farage's Reform UK party before marching to parliament. Farage and other far-right figures have been blamed for helping to fuel the riots through anti-immigrant rhetoric.

In the northeastern English city of Newcastle, shop owners boarded up their stores ahead of a possible far-right protest on Saturday afternoon.

A small group of anti-immigration protests gathered in the city's famed Bigg Market. Police said social media posts boasting of a large crowd were false.

A much larger anti-racism demonstration was held nearby, but both rallies were cleared by police following the granting of a dispersal order. Fourteen arrests were made.

The far-right riots have been met with scores of anti-racism protests in several UK cities

Alberto Pezzali/AP/dpa/picture alliance

Antiracism rallies held in Scotland, Northern Ireland

Hundreds of anti-racism protesters gathered at rallies outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh and in Glasgow's George Square.

In Belfast, Northern Ireland, as many as 15,000 people took part in the United Against Racism rally, with many people holding placards with pro-migrant messages.

A petrol bomb was thrown at a mosque in a town east of Belfast in the early hours of Saturday, but it failed to ignite. Police said they were treating the incident as racially motivated.

No spillover to football matches

The new season of the English Football League — below the high-profile Premier League — kicked off on Saturday, including in cities that have seen disorder.

UK authorities are concerned that some far-right groups have links to England's decades-old football hooligan scene. Police said forces nationwide were collaborating to ensure that "all relevant intelligence" was shared ahead of the matches.

At some grounds, crowds of supporters chanted the name of anti-Muslim agitator Tommy Robinson, who has been accused of helping to fuel the unrest through constant social media posts.

More than 80,000 fans watched Manchester City beat Manchester United on penalties in the FA Community Shield at Wembley Stadium, which passed off without disorder.

Also Saturday, several more people were arrested over their roles in earlier riots. Many others appeared in court, facing possible jail time.

A hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham, northern England, was set alight during the riots

Image: Hollie Adams/REUTERS

How the UK riots unfolded

The violence erupted after the murder of three young girls and the wounding of several others in a mass stabbing in the northwestern city of Southport on July 29.

Far-right commentators spread false information that the 17-year-old male suspect held over the knife attack was a Muslim asylum seeker. He was born in Wales.

More than a dozen places across England as well as Belfast were hit by riots over several days. Groups of thugs targeted mosques and hotels linked to immigration, as well as police, vehicles and other sites.

More than 700 people have been arrested and numerous people have been quickly jailed — some for several years — to deter further violence.

mm/rmt (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

Thousands of anti-racism protesters demonstrate outside Reform UK headquarters

Organisers said the turnout of about 5,000 people showed the depth of support for refugees and other minority groups targeted in recent disorder

A Stand up to Racism protest in central London (Jacob Freedland/PA)

Sat, 10 Aug, 2024 - 19:04

Jacob Freedland, PA

Thousands of anti-racism protesters have gathered outside Reform UK’s headquarters with some accusing party leader Nigel Farage of spreading “dangerous rhetoric”.

Demonstrators joined Stand up to Racism’s gathering which met outside the party’s headquarters in Victoria, central London, chanting in support of refugees before marching through Whitehall and towards Trafalgar Square to listen to speeches from activists.

Organisers said the turnout of about 5,000 people showed the depth of support for refugees and other minority groups targeted in recent disorder, amid fears of further violence this weekend.

Samira Ali, who made the closing speech, told the PA news agency: “We feel like we have turned the tide. It’s a testament to our mobilisation that they failed to come out.

“They would not have been stopped if it was not for our mobilisation.”

Another speaker, Gary McFarlan, 63, told the crowd: “A few days ago, the atmosphere was very different. Lots of people were very scared, worried about coming out on to the streets, thinking, ‘Will I get a half-brick in my head? Will I get kicked in the face by a Nazi?’. We turned it around this week.”

Mr McFarlan, a journalist from Haringey, north London, made historical comparisons to emphasise the significance of Saturday’s march.

Referring to the Battle of Cable Street, he said: “We smashed them in 1936. We gave our strength in the East End of London. We smashed them in the 1970s with anti-Nazi leagues.

“We’ve had our battles since then, against the British National Party, the English Defence League – the back of which was broken 12 years ago.”

That’s why we brought the protest to his doorstep today, because we believe he has questions to answer for

Ms Ali said organisers had chosen Reform UK’s headquarters as the starting point for the demonstration because of Mr Farage’s stance on immigration.

She said: “We were protesting outside of Reform UK, against the likes of Nigel Farage and his dangerous rhetoric.Learn 

“The constant rhetoric about ‘stop the boats’, about immigration being a problem, about refugees and Muslims being to blame in society. This is all rhetoric that’s been replicated on the far-right riots. That’s created the toxic atmosphere in which the far right have been able to build.

“That’s why we brought the protest to his doorstep today, because we believe he has questions to answer for.”

Ms Ali dismissed the suggestion that Saturday’s demonstration would mark the end of the counter-protest movement after rioting.

She said: “We want this movement to reach into every area, every workplace, every community. The far right is on the back foot now, but we’re going to keep pushing.”

Nigel Farage (Zac Goodwin/PA)

As protesters marched down Whitehall, a GB News reporter said his broadcast had been interrupted after a demonstrator “attacked” one of the crew.

Charlie Peters, who said he had been reporting on the “mostly peaceful” protest since it started, told PA: “As we approached Downing Street one of the protesters recognised us as GB News and people started chanting ‘GB News off our streets’.

“One man got close and started gesticulating towards the camera while we were filming and tried to stop us broadcasting. In doing so, he then attacked one of my colleagues.

“It’s a shame that journalists have to have security arrangements while broadcasting in central London.”

10 Aug: anti-racist organisation from below has turned the tide

Now let's keep up the pressure and confront all forms of racism

3,000 in Glasgow, the biggest of today’s anti-racist demonstrations

SOCIALIST WORKER
Saturday 10 August 2024

Issue

This is a developing story and will be updated

The tide has now turned sharply and unmistakably against the recent far right surge of murderous attacks.

It’s mobilisation by massive numbers of people on the streets that achieved this, not the cops and the courts.

Wednesday was the key day when tens of thousands came out even thought there was a real possibility they might be met by baying mobs of fascists determined to torch migrant centres and welfare organisations.

But Saturday’s day of unity, organised by Stand Up To Racism (SUTR), was bigger in many places. It was a sea of anti-racist unity across Britain and saw powerful turnouts in some places where before the response had been small.

There was also a very important demonstration of around 2,000 outside the headquarters of Reform UK in London, underlining Nigel Farage’s role in enabling and encouraging far right violence.

SUTR co-convenor Weyman Bennett told the crowd, “We have to build a movement of millions to throw back the fascists and the far right.”

After the rally, the crowd marched off to parliament. By the time it reached Trafalgar Square, other anti-racist demos in the capital had joined and the anti-racist crowd had swelled to 5,000.

In Hull, some 400 anti-racists defied the racist violence of the previous week and rallied in the town centre.

“It was fantastic, I can’t believe it” reports Eleanor.

“There was no sign of the far right—we filled the square with music and chanting. We chanted, ‘When immigrant rights are under attack, what do we do, unite, push back’.”

SUTR activists organised today’s protest despite being forced to run away from fascists just seven days previously.

Then hundreds of racists and fascists targeted a hotel used to house asylum seekers, throwing concrete blocks and smashing windows.

“We were overwhelmed last week and had to run. They had broken through police lines, and one police officer said to me, ‘You better go or they’ll kill you’,” said Eleanor.

But today was a different story—and was a result of dedicated organising in the face of the far right threat.

“Ahead of today, we had a planning meeting with a few other groups. So everybody was there and united. There was a rep from Hull Trades Council, who spoke about the importance of the trade unions in fighting racism.”

Hull shows it is possible to transform the scenes of racist thuggery into ones of united resistance.

Around 3,000 people joined an anti-racist rally in Glasgow, reports Raymie. It was the first mobilisation in the city since the start of the far right’s offensive in Glasgow.

Two fascists turned up but were chased away by a huge crowd and the police had to rescue them.

Refugee organisations were among the speakers, and there were banners from the Unison, PCS, EIS, Unite and other unions.

The next major event is on 7 September when the far right, backed by Tommy Robinson, have stated they will march.

Over 2,000 anti-racists turned out at the Edinburgh Parliament to show the far right they are not welcome here, reports Alan. “Speeches from, SUTR and EIS, PCS unions, Green Party, Scottish National Party and Labour among other campaigns.

“Speakers talked about defending our community if there are any threats from the far right. They spoke of how racism from the top of society is used to divide the working class.

“It was a jubilant atmosphere with chants of ‘Nazi-scum off our streets’ and ‘Refugees welcome here’.”

There were also 450 in Dundee where a few known Nazis scuttled off.

In Norwich, 500 anti-racists totally outnumbered 15 fascists. Around 300 anti-racists came out in Cambridge and 100 in Southend.

Fascists were planning to turn up to the Cedar Court Hotel in Wakefield near Leeds to attack refugees and migrants living there.

Around 400 anti-racists came out in Hull where the week before fascists had driven off anti-racists

Instead, some 300 anti-racists rallied outside the hotel, and not a single member of the far right was to be seen.

“There were brilliant speakers including Sarah Woolley, bakers’ union general secretary, local NEU reps, local churches and lots of people from Love Music Hate Racism,” Andy reports.

He said it was an “amazing” atmosphere outside the hotel—and a stark contrast to last weekend when a racist mob of 300 gathered.

“We managed to get a big turnout because of the level of anger this time. People were fearful—that’s turned into anger and it motivated them.”

In the town, the Labour Party had visited mosques hoping to convince Muslim activists not to go on the streets. But despite the heavy-handed techniques by the council, the crowd outside Cedar Court was “very diverse,” said Andy.

“We haven’t had this kind of moment in West Yorkshire. It wasn’t really until Wednesday that the mood changed—but there wasn’t a fascist presence planned then. Today we got to test it out.”

Dave reports that in Shrewsbury, Saturday’s result was “SUTR 500, fascists 20. They left after about an hour and a half.”

Leicester saw 350 anti-fascists take on three Nazis, who spent most of their time talking to police. Shockat Adam MP was among the speakers at the anti-racist rally. There were more than 300 anti-racists in Oxford.

Aroundd 500 joined a SUTR unity demo in Portsmouth. Jon reports, “It took over the Guildhall Square. Last Saturday there had been over 200 far right thugs in the square and only 50 on the counter-protest.

“This week the racists managed two people.

“There was a real determination to make sure we have a good turnout for next Saturday when the far right has said it will return. Today was a big step forward for the anti-racist movement in the city.”

Over 400 anti-racists flooded the centre of Hastings to say, “Refugees are welcome here.”

It follows the 600-strong protest against the far right threat on Wednesday and a mobilisation to defend a mosque four days previously.

5,000 anti-racists in Trafalgar Square after the march from the Reform UK headquarters

“This rally bounced off the fantastic success of Wednesday night,” Simon said.

“We had speakers talking about the importance of opposing Islamophobia and defending refugees. They attacked the politicians at the top—the likes of Nigel Farage and Suella Braverman.”

Anti-racists are right to keep arguing for the biggest possible numbers on the streets to combat the far right threat.

Julia Hilton, the Green Party leader of the council, spoke at Saturday’s rally, despite arguing publicly that Wednesday’s protest shouldn’t go ahead.

SUTR activists are busy preparing for an organising meeting on Monday—and have already had to change to a bigger venue.

Over 200 people joined a rally at Chesterfield town hall jointly called by Chesterfield TUC , SUTR and Derbyshire County Unison branch.

James reports, “Powerful speeches came from a range of people including the chair of Chesterfield Muslim Association, the Chesterfield African Caribbean Community Association, Derbyshire Green Party, local Labour councillors and Derbyshire NEU union.

“Barbara from the local refugee support group spoke about how on Wednesday when rumours were circulating of a potential threat, volunteers put together a programme of practical support for people who felt unable to return to the hotel, including overnight accommodation and a meal donated by the local Asian Association.

The crisis of far right violence and fascism in Britain
Read More

“The rally brought together experienced campaigners amd lots of new people enthusiastic to get involved in building SUTR.”

There were huge turnouts in Manchester—up to 3,000—and 1,000 at a solidarity gathering at Finsbury Park mosque in north London. Over 350 gathered in Coventry and around 1,000 in Liverpool.

Over 2,000 anti-racists were on the streets in Newcastle. Rob reports, “The far right managed to turn out around 40-50 miserable-looking bigots. There was a large contingent of Newcastle United football fans, trade unionists and campaigning activists.”

There was a crowd of between 100 and 150 anti-racists at the Harlow, Essex, SUTR Rally—and one fascist.

In Nottingham, reports Martin, “At least 300 attended with speakers from various organisations including the refugee forum, trades council, Muslim action group, PCS union and others.

“There were no fascists in sight except a couple who were trying to get a video.

“Today we came together and showed the power of unity against fascism and racism.”

About 400 joined a rally in Birmingham, where anti-racists are preparing for next Saturday when the far right says it is coming.

There were 150 anti-racists out in Abergavenny in South Wales and 100 in Tenby, West Wales.

Around 300 anti-racists rallied in Hackney, east London. One speaker was from Hackney Migrant Centre, where anti-racists gathered on Wednesday in solidarity.

She said, “Migrants don’t feel safe. But that’s not just because of fascists—that’s because of the policies of the state.”

At least 300 people gathered in York. The open mic rally included a speech from Labour MP Rachael Maskell.

Over 600 rallied in Windrush Square in Brixton, south London, before marching on to the protest outside Reform UK.

The successes this week need to be driven home. The fascists will lick their wounds and hope to come out snarling again. Only the utmost anti-racist vigilance will keep them caged.

That’s because the bitterness in society, the squeeze on ordinary people and the racism of mainstream politics constantly give opportunities for the far right to exploit

This week must be the basis for a mass attack on state racism and Islamophobia, as well as fascist Tommy Robinson and his admirers.

Let’s use the momentum from this week to crush Nigel Farage and Reform UK.

Let’s now unite against the anti-migrant laws that mean refugees drown in the Channel, and campaign to force the Labour government to stop deportations.

Never again should a Labour MP be allowed to condemn the asylum seekers who try to come to Britain, or to demand they are driven out of the hotels where they are housed.

We need to confront the police who harass and sometimes kill black and Asian people.

And crucially, there has to be a wider class approach. The racists feed off the crisis and decomposition of politics and the anger at the rotten system that wrecks so many lives.

The anger against that system can go to the left or the right. We have to direct it leftwards.

The puny methods of the trade union leaders and Labour MPs won’t cut it in the face of a society of mass hardship and poverty, the sense of no future, war, environmental collapse and oppression.A huge anti-racist demonstration swept through Belfast on Saturday. People Before Profit assembly member Gerry Carroll said, “15,000 people flooding the streets of Belfast for the United Against Racism demo today. Belfast overwhelmingly shows we are anti-racist and anti-fascist. Solidarity to our migrant, refugee, asylum seeker, and minority communities.”

Keep up the activityTrade unionists’, MPs’ and campaigners’ unity statement against the far right. Use the statement in your workplace and your local area. Add names and see the full list of supporters here

Campaign launch on Saturday 17 August with Jeremy Corbyn, Daniel Kebede, Bimini and many others. For details go here

Thousands demand halt to Rio Tinto's lithium project in Serbia


Aug 11, 2024

BELGRADE - Tens of thousands of people gathered in central Belgrade on Saturday demanding a halt to Rio Tinto's lithium project in Western Serbia over fears it could pollute nearby land and water.

Protesters packed the streets leading to Terazije square, waving Serbian flags and chanting "You will not dig," and "Rio Tinto leave Serbia!"

Government officials said the protests were politically motivated and designed to bring down President Aleksandar Vucic and his government.


Zlatko Kokanovic, a protest leader and farmer from the Jadar region where the mine is planned, urged protesters to block two major train stations in Belgrade.

Last month, Serbia reinstated Rio's licence to develop what would be Europe's biggest lithium mine, two years after the previous government halted the process due to concerns by environmental groups.

The decision triggered nationwide protests in towns across Serbia. Protesters gave the government a deadline to ban the exploration and exploitation of lithium which expired on Saturday.

"We are not going to give up. The mine cannot be built on agricultural land," said Mica Miliovanovic, a 63-year old worker. "This does not have anything to do with politics."

On Friday, Vucic said authorities had received information from Russia that a coup was being planned in Serbia.

"We have reason to be cautious," vice premier Aleksandar Vulin told Tanjug news agency on Saturday.

If implemented, the $2.4 billion Jadar lithium project could cover 90% of Europe's current lithium needs and make Rio Tinto one of the world's leading lithium producers.

Lithium is a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and mobile devices.

Government officials say the lithium mine would boost Serbia's economy, but environmentalists say the price for it would be too high.

On July 19, Vucic, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and EU energy commissioner Maros Sefcovic signed a deal that would grant producers from EU member states access to raw materials mined in Serbia, which would include lithium.

The deal is meant to reduce the EU's dependency on imports from America and Asia.

 REUTERS

 

Thousands protest in Serbia’s Belgrade against lithium mining project

Protesters say they fear project by mining giant Rio Tinto would pollute water sources and endanger public health.

People attend a protest in Belgrade, Serbia, against a lithium mining project in the Balkan country [Zorana Jevtic/Reuters]

Published On 10 Aug 2024

Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the Serbian capital to protest against the rebooting of a controversial lithium mine set to serve as a vital power source in Europe’s green energy transition.

In advance of Saturday’s rally in Belgrade, two leading protest figures said they were briefly detained by security officials who warned that any moves to block roads during the demonstration would be seen as illegal.

“We came here today to raise our voice against something that is beyond politics,” popular actor Svetlana Bojkovic said from the rally, where a large crowd chanted “There will be no mining”, among other slogans.

Serbia has vast lithium deposits near the western city of Loznica, where a mining project being developed by the Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto has been a perennial political fault line in the Balkan country over its potential environmental impacts.

The deposits were discovered in 2004, but weeks of mass protests forced the government to halt the project in 2022.

But the government recently made a U-turn on the issue following a court decision last month that said the order to revoke the permits awarded to Rio Tinto was “not in line with the constitution and the law”.

People attend the protest in Belgrade against the lithium mine [Darko Vojinovic/AP Photo]

Days later, the Serbian government greenlit the project’s restart and signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Union that is seen as the first step in developing Serbia’s lithium resources.

Lithium is a strategically valuable metal needed for electric vehicle batteries, making it key for helping the car industry shift to greener production.

The project, however, has continued to be unpopular with many in Serbia due to concerns the mine would pollute water sources and endanger public health.

“I am in Belgrade because the survival of life in Serbia is being defended here,” said Slobodan Stanimirovic, a 58-year-old from western Serbia’s Radjevina, near the site of the future mine.

The protest in Belgrade was the latest in a series of demonstrations held across Serbia after the mine’s licences were reinstated.

Activists and demonstrators have called on legislators to pass a law permanently banning the mining of lithium and boron in the country.

Reporting from Belgrade on Saturday, Al Jazeera’s Jelena Glusac said more people joined the protest against the mining project than recent rallies on other issues, including demonstrations last year following two mass shootings.

“It seems like the lithium [mine proposal] managed to gather more people than any other subject,” Glusac said.

Environmental groups said they were prepared to block major traffic arteries across Serbia and engage in civil disobedience if the government refused to act before an August 10 deadline set by activists.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has repeatedly pledged that no mining operations will begin until guarantees about environmental safety protocols are established.

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies


Thousands protest lithium mining in Serbia

August 10, 2024 
By Associated Press

People hold banners reading, "We Won't Give up Jadar!" and march during a protest against pollution and the exploitation of a lithium mine in the country in Belgrade, Serbia, Aug. 10, 2024.

Tens of thousands gathered Saturday for a rally against lithium mining in Serbia despite officials' warnings of their alleged plot to topple populist President Aleksandar Vucic and his government.

Vucic said earlier he had been tipped by the Russian intelligence services that a "mass unrest and a coup" were being prepared Saturday in Serbia by unspecified Western powers that wish to oust him from power.

The big crowd chanted "There Will Be No Mining" and "Treason, Treason."

Government officials and the state-controlled media have launched a major campaign against the rally, comparing it to the Maidan uprising in Ukraine's capital Kyiv that led to the toppling of the country's then pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2013. Organizers of the Belgrade protest have said the protest would be peaceful.

"Our rally today is ecological and has no political ambitions, but the government has accused us of seeking to stage a coup," said popular actor Svetlana Bojkovic.

"We came here today to raise our voice against something that is beyond politics."

The rally in the downtown of the capital comes after weeks of protests in dozens of cities throughout Serbia against a government plan to allow lithium mining in a lush farming valley in the west of the country.

This plan had been scrapped in 2022 after large demonstrations were held that included blocking of the key bridges and roads. But it was revived last month and received a boost in a tentative deal on "critical raw materials" signed by Vucic's government with the European Union.

The Balkan nation is formally seeking EU membership while maintaining very close ties with both Russia and China. The EU memorandum on the mining of lithium and other key materials needed for green transition would bring Serbia closer to the bloc and would reduce Europe's lithium battery and electric car imports from China.

While the government insists the mine is an opportunity for economic development, critics say it would inflict irreparable pollution on the Jadar valley, along with its crucial underground water reserves and farming land.

Locals in the valley are strongly opposed to the mine that would be operated by multinational Rio Tinto mining company. Both the government and the company have pledged to have the highest environmental standards in the mining process, but opponents haven't been convinced.

Tens of thousands have turned out for environment protection rallies held throughout Serbia in the past weeks posing a major challenge to Vucic and his increasingly autocratic rule. Opponents want the government to formally outlaw any lithium and boron mining in the entire country.

The government has set up a medical team to monitor any potential health hazards and a call center that citizens can contact to voice their concerns, an apparent bid to sway some of the opposition.

Serbian Mining and Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic told The Associated Press earlier this week in an interview that Serbia would not only export raw materials but would develop a "value chain" in the country linked to producing batteries and electric vehicles to help develop new technologies.

Residents of the Jadar valley, however, said nothing could persuade them to agree to the mine. They said they were ready to do everything to prevent the mine from opening.

Jordan will not be a battlefield for Iran or Israel, foreign minister warns

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi looks on as he meets with Iran's acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani in Tehran, Iran, August 4, 2024. 

Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo

Aug 11, 2024,

CAIRO - Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Saturday that the kingdom would not be a battlefield for Iran or Israel, as the region braces for a possible new wave of attacks by Tehran and its allies following last week's killing of senior members of militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

"We will not be a battlefield for Iran or Israel. We informed the Iranians and the Israelis that we will not allow anyone to violate our airspace and risk the safety of our citizens," the Jordanian foreign minister said in an interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV.

"We will intercept anything that passes through our airspace or think that it constitutes a threat to us or our citizens."

In April, Jordan, which lies between Iran and Israel, said it intercepted flying objects that entered its airspace as Tehran launched explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel in the first direct retaliatory attack of its kind.

After that attack, which was launched in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on Iran's embassy compound in Syria, Jordanian, Iraqi and Turkish officials each said Iran had provided them with some early warning of its action.

Iran has repeatedly vowed to "punish" Israel since the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Iran-backed Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Tehran on July 31. Iran and Hamas blamed Israel for the killing.

Israel has not claimed or denied responsibility for the killing, which has fuelled concerns that the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip could spill into a wider Middle East conflict.

Those concerns have also been stoked by the killing of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah's top military commander, Fuad Shukr, in an Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburbs hours before the assassination of Haniyeh.

 REUTERS