UK to increase nuclear stockpile: reports

Issued on: 16/03/2021 - 01:22

The Guardian and The Sun said in their online editions that the country would look to raise the number of warheads from 180 to 260 by the middle of the decade Andy Buchanan AFP

London (AFP)

Britain is to announce an increase to its nuclear weapons stockpile as part of a wide-ranging review of security, defence and foreign policy, two newspapers said on Monday.

The Guardian and The Sun said in their online editions that the country would look to raise the number of warheads from 180 to 260 by the middle of the decade.

Both dailies said details were contained in a leak they had seen of the government's long-awaited Integrated Review, due to be published on Tuesday.


The review is also said to state clearly that Russia under President Vladimir Putin poses an "active threat" but describes China as providing a more "systemic challenge".

London has increasingly locked horns with both Moscow and Beijing in recent years, on issues ranging from espionage and cyber-attacks to human rights.

Britain's Trident nuclear programme is a thorny political issue domestically, with repeated calls for it to be scrapped, given global moves towards disarmament after the end of the Cold War.

Opponents for its abolition include the main opposition Labour party and the Scottish National Party (SNP). Britain's nuclear submarine fleet is based in the west of Scotland.

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) called the reports "shocking" given the pressures of the global coronavirus pandemic and climate change.

"We don't want any more nuclear weapons. In fact, we don't want any," it added.

The executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Beatrice Fihn, accused Britain of "pushing for a dangerous new nuclear arms race".

She said it was "irresponsible, dangerous and violates international law", adding: "This is toxic masculinity on display."

- Strategic 'tilt' -

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to set out the conclusions of the year-long review -- entitled "Global Britain in a Competitive Age -- to parliament on Tuesday.

His Downing Street office billed the 100-page report as the government's "most comprehensive articulation of a foreign policy and national security approach" in decades.

It comes as London looks to reposition itself post-Brexit, rebranding itself "Global Britain" and eyeing new opportunities beyond the European Union.

Johnson's office said the recommendations included a strategic "tilt" towards the Indo-Pacific region, given its increasing importance in global geopolitics.

Britain has already applied for partner status at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), while Johnson is due to make his first post-EU visit to India in April.

Other key areas the review will address include plans for the military to adopt cutting-edge technologies such as drones and artificial intelligence.

There will also be a new focus on space and cyber, as well as a revamp of Britain's ability to respond to security threats with the creation of a White House-style situation room.

A new Counter-Terrorism Operations Centre is also proposed.

The review is said to be a response to a changing world in which Britain "cannot rely solely on an increasingly outdated international system".

It will stress the continuing importance of alliances, including with NATO, but set out a new foreign policy of "increased international activism... to shape a more open international order in which democracies flourish".

© 2021 AFP

SHUTTING BARN DOOR AFTER THE FACT
Merkel's CDU pens new ethics rules after mask scandal

DW has obtained an internal CDU document issued in the wake of several corruption-related retirements. The paper urged parliamentarians to keep in mind that they are role models for society.

The paper calls on politicians found to have mixed business with politics unacceptably to immediately quit the party

Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister-party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), have been rocked by corruption scandals of late. The unwelcome news of CDU and CSU politicians profiting handsomely off of coronavirus masks and the party's disastrous performance in state elections in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate have set alarm bells ringing at the party's highest levels.

Now, the CDU has drafted a ethical rules for all members to follow. DW obtained a copy of the paper, "Strengthen Trust, Follow Rules, Sanction Infractions," before it was officially adapted by the party Monday afternoon.
Members should act as 'role models'

The code of conduct paper begins by reminding party members, especially elected officials, of their responsibilities as "role models in society."

The paper comes as three members of Merkel's political bloc were forced to step down after taking hundreds of thousands of euros in payments from mask-producing companies with business before the government. News of the scandal only worsened anger over the government's perceived poor performance in dealing with the coronavirus and vaccinating citizens.

Parliamentarians are reminded that they are representatives of the people and not in office for personal gain. The paper makes clear that anyone acting otherwise is breaking basic party rules and must immediately resign and leave the party if found guilty.

The paper bemoaned the fact that "not every elected official in the party views the ethics rules as self-evident." Any work beyond that exclusively tied to a person's political post must be declared, according to the paper, as well as any investments that may create conflicts of interest. Moreover, the CDU will now require all candidates to swear to uphold the ethics rules before running for office.

No political donations

The paper also notes that politicians are prohibited from accepting financial contributions and must openly declare any relations they may have with foreign governments or businesses.

Addressing conflict of interest at the local level, the party says municipal politicians must recuse themselves from votes for projects that they may have ties to. Lastly, the paper also makes clear that party members must make a stark delineation between their work as representatives of the people and their activity within the party.

In closing, the paper noted that the CDU supports the work of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag while also suggesting that state parliamentary groups adopt the ethics mea

More clarity before Germany's September parliamentary elections

In approving the new code of conduct, the CDU's federal board said it should not be considered the last word on the matter and that details would be coming soon, noting that binding rules would be distributed to CDU members at the local and state levels.

In Sunday's state elections, the CDU lost ground in Baden-Württemberg and then failed to usurp decades of SPD-led government in Rhineland-Palatinate. Just months prior, the party had been optimistic of a potential win there before the general mood soured on the party's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the corruption scandals involving CSU and CDU politicians began making headlines.

Armin Laschet, state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, CDU party leader since January and a possible chancellor candidate, called Sunday's results "disappointing." Laschet went on to say: "The coronavirus crisis is affecting everyone in our country, and that is why there have been debates about management. We must improve here."

Bavarian State Premier and CSU Chairman Markus Söder, also a possible chancellor candidate, called Sunday's results "a heavy blow to the heart of the union."

Further ethics measures will be drafted by the board before this September's federal elections. At that point, the party, with the help of outside legal counsel, promises to have a system for reporting and sanctioning infractions in place as well.

Yangon residents flee martial law area as Myanmar death toll grows

Issued on: 16/03/2021 -

Yangon (AFP)

Residents of a protest flashpoint district in Myanmar's biggest city fled on flatbed trucks and tuk-tuks Tuesday after security forces escalated the use of lethal force against anti-coup protesters, despite international appeals for restraint.

Much of the country has been in uproar since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi last month, with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets to demand a return to democracy.

Police and soldiers have used tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds to subdue crowds in near-daily crackdowns, along with blanket nightly internet shutdowns to stop protesters from mobilising.

Monday saw fresh violence by security forces in several cities, leaving at least 20 dead, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a local monitoring group that has been tracking arrests and fatalities.

It followed the deadliest day so far in the six weeks since the army deposed Suu Kyi's government, with the AAPP reporting 74 killed on Sunday after the violent suppression of anti-coup unrest across Myanmar.

Many of those deaths came from the impoverished Hlaing Tharyar township in Yangon, a garment-producing area in the commercial hub with mostly Chinese-owned factories -- several of which were razed on Sunday.

The junta reacted by imposing martial law over the area and five other townships that are home to around two million people -- more than a quarter of the sprawling city's population.

Anyone arrested there faces trial by military tribunal, with sentences ranging from three years' hard labour to execution.

Myanmar law expert Melissa Crouch said the martial law declaration effectively gave complete control to military commanders and sidelined civilian administrators and judges.

"The use of martial law is extremely troubling and... represents a significant decline in the situation in Myanmar," the University of New South Wales academic said.

By Tuesday morning, local media outlet The Irrawaddy published photos of residents fleeing the township, crowding onto flatbed trucks stuck in columns of snaking traffic.

Some carried their pets on the back of motorbikes, while others crammed their belongings in vinyl bags on tuk-tuks.

"Migrant workers from Hlaing Tharyar are fleeing back to their home states," reported local outlet Democratic Voice of Burma.

"We can see the people on the roads for as far as one's eye can see."

- 'Alive or dead, we have each other' -

More than 180 people have been killed since the coup, according to the AAPP.

"Casualties are drastically increasing," it said in a Tuesday statement, adding that even civilians who were not participating in anti-coup protests had died in crossfire.

State television meanwhile reported that a police officer had been shot dead Sunday in the city of Bago during a protest.

Candlelight vigils were held across the country on Monday night to mourn the dead, with protesters flashing the three-finger salute as a sign of solidarity with the anti-coup movement.

"Alive or dead, we have each other," tweeted prominent activist Thinzar Shunlei Yi, who is now in hiding.

- 'Not in the interests of Myanmar' -

The US once again condemned the violence Monday and called on all countries to "take concrete actions" to oppose the military regime.

"The junta has responded to call for the restoration of democracy in Burma with bullets," State Department spokesperson Jalina Porter said, using another name for Myanmar.

China on Monday said it was "very concerned" for the safety of its citizens in Myanmar after Sunday's violence -- which state media said saw more than 30 factories attacked and caused $37 million in damage.

Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian urged Myanmar to take actions to "resolutely avoid a recurrence of such incidents".

"The actions of these outlaws are not in the interests of Myanmar and its people," he told reporters in Beijing.

"China will continue to urge Myanmar to take concrete steps to stop all acts of violence and bring the perpetrators to justice," he told reporters in Beijing.

© 2021 AFP

Boris Johnson facing backlash over bill to clamp down on protests

Both Labour and Conservative backbenchers are concerned about the bill to increase police powers in the wake of the Sarah Everard vigil

By Alistair MacQueen
 March 15, 2021 

Senior Conservatives have warned Boris Johnson to proceed carefully or face a backbench backlash against plans to clamp down further on protests.

MPs will debate the second reading of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill today, which will beef up police powers to break up demonstrations that are deemed too “disruptive”.

Labour yesterday announced it would be voting against the bill, branding it a “mess” which could lead to harsher penalties for damaging a statue than attacking a woman.

Amanda Milling, co-chairwoman of the Conservative Party, said it was “shocking” that Labour is “trying to block tough new laws to keep people safe, including many vital measures to protect women from violent criminals”.

But several Tories have raised doubts over the current state of the Bill, despite backing the principle of the legislation, and warned it was likely to be hit with amendments as it passes through Parliament.

Steve Baker, deputy chair of the Covid Recovery Group, said many of the new powers contained in the Bill were needed because “we face a new generation of protester, who are using new tactics”.

But he insisted it was crucial that the detail of the Bill was precise, to prevent a similar situation to that witnessed in Clapham on Saturday.

“Monday is about supporting the principle of the Bill, but when it gets to committee and report stage all bets are off when it comes to amendments. Many of us will want to ensure the law supports people’s rights to protest, while standing against the disruptive tactics increasingly used by protesters that affect normal people’s lives,” he said.

UK Police Slammed For Response To Football Win Crowd Versus Silent Vigil For Sarah Everard

Stewart Perrie
Published 20:32, 14 March 2021

 
UK police have been accused of having a double standard when dealing with massive crowds.

Many gathered in London's Clapham Common over the weekend to protest the kidnapping and murder of Sarah Everard.

The 33-year-old was on her way home from seeing a friend in Clapham when she was abducted and eventually killed.

Her death has sparked a wave of fury across the UK, with many women saying they are sick of feeling unsafe. They're also sick of being told how to avoid being a target and insist the blame rests on the perpetrators of these crimes.

Protest group Reclaim These Streets had initially planned for a vigil to take place on Clapham Common, but were told by police the event would be unsafe in light of current coronavirus restrictions.

Nevertheless, a large number of people gathered anyway to mourn Everard's passing.

Credit: PA

Credit: PA
In footage from the gathering, the crowd could be heard chanting 'shame on you' as police tried to disperse attendees.

Officers were seen pushing and shoving some of the people and an image of a woman being placed on her stomach and arrested has gone viral on social media.

Home Secretary Priti Patel wrote: "Some of the footage circulating online from the vigil in Clapham is upsetting. I have asked the Metropolitan Police for a full report on what happened."

London's Mayor Saqid Khan added: "The scenes from Clapham Common are unacceptable. The police have a responsibility to enforce Covid laws but from images I've seen it's clear the response was at times neither appropriate nor proportionate. I'm contact with the Commissioner & urgently seeking an explanation.

The head of Scotland Yard, Cressida Dick, says she will not resign as a result of the police handling of the vigil.

Commissioner Dick was under pressure to make a statement about her future, however she has chosen to remain in the top job.

"What has happened makes me more determined, not less, to lead my organisation," she said. "I'm entirely focused on growing the Met to be even stronger."

The event is in stark contrast to the way police in addressed football fans descending on Ibrox Stadium and George Square in Glasgow city centre a week before to celebrate the Rangers' Scottish title win.

Fans were seen lighting flares, marching through the streets and leaving rubbish in several areas

.

Credit: PA

Credit: PA

Credit: PA

There were 28 arrests during those celebrations, with some people being detained for assaulting police.

Police Scotland's deputy chief constable, Malcolm Graham, said the behaviour after the win was 'disgraceful' and he 'utterly condemn[ed] the individuals who chose to completely disregard the coronavirus regulations'.

Another rally was held in London yesterday (March 14) to honour the death of Sarah Everard as well as criticise the police handling of her vigil the night before.

Clips shared on social media showed protestors chanting, 'shame on you' others held placards with phrases such as 'We will not be silenced' and 'End sexist, racist state violence'.

Former Metropolitan Police Officer Wayne Couzens has been charged with Everard's kidnap and murder.

Judge Refuses To Intervene After Met Police Ban Sarah Everard Vigil

Claire Reid
Published  12 March 2021 

A judge has refused to intervene over a dispute over police allowing a vigil for Sarah Everard on Saturday.

Reclaim the Streets launched a legal challenge after the Metropolitan Police banned the event, due to be held at Clapham Common on Saturday.

Met Police say the vigil can't go ahead because of coronavirus restrictions, but Reclaim the Streets argue that there is 'right to protest'.

Mr Justice Holgate has refused the application, ruling that 'the requirements of the law have been clearly stated' in previous court rulings.

According to Sky News, Met Police at first gave a 'positive response' to the plans, but then later changed their mind and said it couldn't go ahead due to current lockdown restrictions.

Organisers of the vigil asked the High Court to make an 'interim declaration' that any ban on outdoor gatherings under covid regulations is 'subject to the right to protest'.

But today, the judge refused to make the declaration that the alleged policy by the Met Police of 'prohibiting all protests, irrespective of the specific circumstances' is unlawful.

Speaking ahead of the ruling, Justice Holgate said: "All of us appreciate the tragic circumstances in which this case has had to be brought and I am sure we all respect the particular sensitivities involved.

Thousands March On Parliament Square In Protest Over Police Handling Of Sarah Everard Vigil

Claire Reid
Published 14 March 2021 

Thousands of demonstrators have gathered in London to protest the police's handling of the Sarah Everard vigil.

Protesters flocked to Scotland Yard before moving to Parliament Square, as London mayor Sadiq Khan called for a 'full, independent' investigation into last night's events.

Activist group Sisters Uncut posted on social media to say they would be protesting in the capital, writing on Twitter: "We will not be intimidated. Do not dare lay your hands on us tonight."

Clips shared on social media show protestors chanting, 'shame on you' others held placards with phrases such as: "We will not be silenced" and "End sexist, racist state violence."

Met Police said on Twitter that officers had urged 'hundreds' of protesters to go home.

Met Police commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, who has faced calls to step down, said: "We're still in a pandemic, unlawful gatherings are unlawful gatherings, officers have to take action if people are putting themselves massively at risk."

Credit: PA

Footage caught at last night's vigil in Clapham Common showed police clashing with mourners.

Protest group Reclaim These Streets had initially planned for a vigil to take place on Clapham Common, but were told by police the event would be unsafe in light of current coronavirus restrictions.

Nevertheless, a large number of people gathered on Clapham Common to mourn Everard's passing.

In footage from the gathering, the crowd could be heard chanting 'shame on you' as police tried to disperse attendees.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Labour MP for Streatham, tweeted footage of the vigil with the caption: "This could have been the socially distanced vigil the community needed to remember Sarah and all the women who have lost their lives to violence.

Credit: PA

"We knew what was going to happen if the event was shut down.

"Very disappointing from Scotland Yard."

Mayor Khan said earlier today he was 'not satisfied' with Dame Dick's explanation into police action during the vigil.

In a statement on Twitter, he said: "I asked the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner to come into City Hall today to give me an explanation of yesterday's events and the days leading up to them. I am not satisfied with the explanation they have provided.

"I will now be asking Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary [HMIC] to conduct a full independent investigation of events yesterday evening and in previous days. I am also asking the Independent Office for Police Conduct [IOPC] to investigate the actions of police officers yesterday evening.

Credit: PA

"It is vital that these events are not allowed to undermine the powerful calls since Sarah's murder for meaningful action to finally stop men inflicting violence on women.

"It was clear before yesterday that there isn't adequate trust and confidence from women and girls in the police and criminal justice system more widely. Further steps must now be taken to address this."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Met Police Chief Cressida Dick Urged To Resign Over Handling Of Sarah Everard Vigil

Amelia Ward

Published  14 March 2021 

Metropolitan Police chief Dame Cressida Dick is being urged to resign over the force's handling of the Clapham Common vigil for Sarah Everard.

Videos circulating on social media show male police officers grabbing and restraining some of the women attending the scene.

Scotland Yard confirmed in a statement at around 4am that four attendees had been arrested for breaching Covid-19 restrictions and public order offences.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said that he is 'urgently seeking an explanation' for the events that took place, while Labour leader Keir Starmer branded the police's handling of the vigil as 'deeply disturbing'.

He added: "This was not the way to police this protest."

Credit: PA

Campaign group Reclaim These Streets had initially been in talks with the Met Police regarding a planned vigil, suggesting alternatives for it to go ahead, including staggered times for mourners to attend Clapham Common.

But it was eventually cancelled, with the group instead asking supporters to participate in a doorstep vigil.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey said that the handling of the case by Dame Cressida was a 'complete abject tactical and moral failure on the part of the police'.

Metropolitan Police chief Dame Cressida Dick. Credit: PA

He continued: "We therefore call on you to consider your leadership of the service and whether you can continue to have the confidence of the millions of women in London that you have a duty to safeguard and protect."

Reclaim These Streets said in a statement: "This week of all weeks, the police should have understood that women would need a place to mourn reflect and show solidarity. Now is the time for the police and the government to recognise that the criminal justice system is failing women.

"Tonight, it has failed women again, in the most destructive way."

The vigil was peaceful until officers attempted to disperse the crowds. Credit: PA

Part of the police statement from Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball read: "Police must act for people's safety, this is the only responsible thing to do. The pandemic is not over and gatherings of people from right across London and beyond, are still not safe.

"Those who gathered were spoken to by officers on a number of occasions and over an extended period of time. We repeatedly encouraged those who were there to comply with the law and leave. Regrettably, a small minority of people began chanting at officers, pushing and throwing items.

"After speaking with officers, the vast majority of people quickly left. Four arrests have been made for public order offences and for breaches of the Health Protection Regulations.


Credit: PA

"Part of the reason I am speaking to you tonight is because we accept that the actions of our officers have been questioned.

"We absolutely did not want to be in a position where enforcement action was necessary. But we were placed in this position because of the overriding need to protect people's safety.

"Let me end by saying that across the Met, we review every single event that we police to see if there are lessons that can be learnt. This one will be no different."

Featured Image Credit: James Veysey/Shutterstock


Households Across UK 'Shine A Light' With Doorstep Vigil For Sarah Everard

Amelia Ward
Published 13 March 2021 

Households across the UK have taken part in the 'Shine A Light' doorstep vigil in remembrance of Sarah Everard.

Campaign group Reclaim These Streets had initially planned a socially-distanced vigil on Clapham Common, close to where Ms Everard was last seen. But the event was cancelled due to coronavirus regulations, with the public invited to shine a light or hold a candle on their doorstep instead

The group has also raised more than £460,000 for women's charities

A statement was shared on the campaign's official Twitter account, which read: "This evening at 9.30pm we will be joining people around the country in a doorstep vigil, standing on our doorsteps and shining a light - a candle, a torch, a phone - to remember Sarah Everard and all the women affected by and lost to violence. We invite all those who planned on attending to #ReclaimTheseStreets even to join us.

"We continue to strongly encourage people not to attend any gatherings on Clapham Common this evening. Safety, both from Covid-19 and legal consequences, has always been our top priority for the women of South London.

"We aren't just lighting a candle for the women we've lost: we have been inspired by the women who have reached out and hope this is just the start of a movement that will light a fire for change."

A candle was lit outside 10 Downing Street in memory of Sarah Everard. Credit: PA

Ms Everard went missing while making her way home from a friend's flat in Clapham, London, at about 9.30pm on 3 March.

Sarah, 33, who is originally from York and attended Durham University, was walking home when she was last seen - a journey that should have taken her just 50 minutes.

Her family had said it was 'totally out of character' for her to go missing.

However, police confirmed on Friday (13 March) the tragic news that the human remains that had been found in a woodland area in Kent belonged to Ms Everard.

Serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens has been arrested and charged with the kidnapping and murder of Sarah Everard.

He appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court this morning (13 March). The case will be heard at the Old Bailey on Tuesday 16 March.


Featured Image Credit: PA

Journalist blames Colombia for her rape and torture

Issued on: 15/03/2021



Colombian journalist Jineth Bedoya (left), pictured in 2014, claims she was raped and tortured with state complicity Adalberto ROQUE AFP/File

Bogota (AFP)

World Fress Freedom winning journalist Jineth Bedoya on Monday accused the Colombian state of torture, rape and kidnapping during a virtual hearing at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

"My life was destroyed, they killed me the morning of May 25" 2000, said Bedoya.

She testified that she was seized by a group of right-wing paramilitaries from outside a prison in the capital Bogota and then tortured and raped for 16 hours before being abandoned on the side of a road.


At the time, Bedoya was investigating an arms trafficking network operating out of the La Modelo prison and claimed the state, including an "influential" police chief, was complicit in her abduction.

The paramilitaries, some of whom have already been convicted for the crimes committed against Bedoya, were right-wing militias that fought left-wing guerrillas during Colombia's bloody 60-year conflict. They were dissolved in 2006.

Bedoya says she has since suffered two decades of "persecution, intimidation and constant threats."

She asked for protection for herself and her mother, as well as for the La Modelo prison to be closed down.

The prison was "the office that connected all the crime in the country at that time," she said, adding that it was a "symbol of impunity."

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights referred the case to the court in 2019, considering that the Colombian state had failed to implement recommendations to investigate Bedoya's case, pay damages and adopt measures to prevent a repeat of such incidents.




The commission said the state knew the risks Bedoya was taking but failed to protect her.

Colombia's representative at the hearing, Camilo Gomez, accused the court's judges of "lacking objectivity" and called for them to be recused.

Both the court and commission are autonomous organs of the Organization of American States.

The court's decisions are definitive and unappealable.

 

Young activist fights to criminalize catcalling in Germany

The murder of Sarah Everard in London has sparked fresh debate about harassment and assaults against women. In Germany, one young woman is campaigning for the introduction of a "catcall law."

\\\    

Public harassment is a fact of life for women everywhere

"Hey, blondie!" "Babe, come over here!" — many men still think this sort of lewd comment, along with wolfwhistles and obscene gestures, is a compliment. For women it's outright harassment.

Catcalling — sexually suggestive and inappropriate remarks directed at women by strangers — occurs both in public and on the Internet. All the time.

Antonia Quell wants Germany to introduce a law against catcalling

But in Germany, it goes unpunished. Antonia Quell, a 20-year-old student and activist from Fulda, in Hessen, is campaigning to get a law introduced that will help put a stop to it. In August, she launched an online petition addressed to the Justice Ministry and the federal government. Nearly 70,000 people have signed it.

Not a criminal offense in its own right

"Not every man does it, but every woman has experienced it. Catcalling, as verbal sexual harassment is called. Catcalls should not be confused with compliments. Catcalling is an abuse of dominance and power," the petition says.

In Germany, verbal sexual harassment is not categorized as a criminal offense in its own right, a point the petition seeks to address. According to the legal definition, physical contact is a prerequisite for sexual harassment. 

The German Criminal Code specifies penalties for public insults in the form of a fine or, in special cases, imprisonment for up to two years. In some cases, this article of the law also applies to public verbal sexual harassment.

"That is the case when the language used is clearly degrading," says Anja Schmidt of the University of Halle-Wittenberg — for instance when sexually debasing remarks are directed at women or transgender persons.

Saying things like "nice figure" do not fall under this article. They are not classified as sexual harassment because, according to the current definition, only physical contact constitutes a criminal offense. The situation would be clearer if catcalling were considered a separate criminal offense, says Schmidt, whose field of research includes sex crimes legislation.

Quell proposes that Germany follow in the footsteps of France, where this type of verbal harassment was made a criminal offense in 2018 and is now punishable by up to €750 ($910). Catcalling is also outlawed in Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Volume 100%

 

Watch video01:49

London police chief defends police tactics at Everard vigil

Harassment and flirting are not the same

According to a survey by the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), two out of three women in Germany have been targeted by catcalls on the street at least once over the past two years. More than 40% have faced slurs, jokes, sexist insults or sexual gestures. One out of three are younger than 25.

Cases differ, of course, and some women don't always mind the attention, Quell said. "If a woman likes it, that's her right," she says, adding that one should still be heedful of those who are uncomfortable and distressed by catcalling.

"Over the years, the various incidents you and your friends experience add up," Quell says. "I believe most women who live in cities are well aware of the phenomenon."

Quell recalls riding her bike home one evening when two men in a car next to her handed her a bottle out of the window, offering her a drink. When she told them to get lost, they flung insults at her. Women know that this sort of harassment, she says, often goes hand in hand with aggression.

Antonia Quell is keen to see Germany reappraise its stance on catcalling. Above all, she wants to see this behavior redefined as unlawful.

But critics of the plan doubt that German society is ready for a catcall law, while others think the problem is too vague. They argue that what constitutes harassment is a subjective opinion and that it's impossible to define verbal sexual harassment. Others question whether it can be proven and perpetrators identified. Making it a criminal offense would create an atmosphere of mistrust, opening the door to threats and reprisals, they say, and men might end up falsely accused.

Documenting the evidence is an issue with almost every crime, Quell argues, and especially in cases of insults and sexual harassment. "But it's not my job to figure out how to prosecute it," she says. "That's up to the government and the legislators."

Schmidt said evidence must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. In instances of verbal sexual harassment, witnesses or recordings can be helpful. In instances of online harassment, it's easier to amass evidence. But Schmidt stresses that first of all, attitudes need to change.

"The authorities and courts need to become more aware of these forms of gender-based nonphysical violence," she says.

Tragically, it took the recent murder in London of Sarah Everard to bring the issue center stage.

Petition as cleared first hurdle

Women in New York campaigned against catcalling by writing remarks directed at them in chalk

 on the sidewalk

Schmidt strongly believes that society in general needs to play a part in raising awareness, and welcomes Quell's petition against catcalling.

Now that it's been signed by a sufficient number of people, it's set to be assessed by a special committee in the German Bundestag. If it comes to the conclusion that the current laws regarding catcalling should be reappraised, it can initiate a debate in parliament.A similar campaign was successful in the case of upskirting, which the German parliament categorized as a criminal offense in July 2020, punishable by a fine or up to two years in prison. That, too, started with an online petition launched by two young women.

HASHIMITE JORDAN IS PALESTINE TOO

Protests in Jordan after Covid-19 patients die due to hospital oxygen shortages

Issued on: 15/03/2021 

People gather outside the new Salt government hospital in the city of Salt, Jordan March 13, 2021. © REUTERS/Muath Freij

Text by: NEWS WIRES

Protests erupted across many of Jordan's cities and provincial towns against the government's coronavirus restrictions, a day after oxygen ran out at a state hospital leading to the deaths of at least six COVID-19 patients, witnesses said on Sunday.

Hundreds of people spilled into the streets in defiance of a night curfew in the northern city of Irbid and several other provincial cities including a neighbourhood in the capital and the city of Salt. Protesters also gathered further south in Karak city and the port city of Aqaba.

"Down with the government. We don't fear coronavirus," hundreds of youths chanted in Irbid where outrage at the hospital scandal combined with anger over tighter restrictions that include extending a night curfew to stem a major surge of infections driven by a more contagious variant of the virus.

Jordan's economy has been particularly hard hit by the shutdowns aimed at containing the virus with unemployment surging to a record 24 % and poverty deepening. It witnessed its worst contraction in decades last year.

Demonstrators who blamed the government for worsening economic conditions also called for an end to draconian emergency laws enacted at the start of the pandemic last year used to limit civil and political rights.

Prime Minister Bisher al Khasawneh fired the health minister and said he bore full responsibility for the initial deaths of six coronavirus patients that exposed gross negligence in the state health system when medical staff failed to act after oxygen ran out for two hours.

King Abdullah visited the hospital in Salt, a city west of the Jordanian capital of Amman, in a move officials said was intended to defuse tensions. Anger with the authorities over worsening living standards, corruption has in the past triggered civil unrest in Jordan.

The authorities detained the hospital head and their aides Saturday evening with officials saying another three deaths could be linked to the rupture in oxygen supplies.

"I am here because of the catastrophe. We want to put on trial those responsible for this and then bring down the government," said Ahmad Hiyari, a demonstrator near Salt hospital among hundreds of angry residents.