Police fire tear gas at crowd in south China

Occupy Auckland clampdown stalls

Efforts to evict Occupy Auckland protesters have come to a halt after some of the occupiers stood in the way of security guards trying to take their tents down.

Security guards acting on Auckland Council instructions began taking down tents from 8am on Monday at Aotea Square.

They showed little resistance at first but after three people were arrested by watching police for breaching the peace, protesters began standing their ground as the guards tried to dismantle more tents.

The security guards stopped their actions about 10.45am and limited their action to stopping the protesters putting new tents back up, attempts which at times became heated.

Three protesters sat undisturbed atop a three-metre high wooden tower erected in the square.

Attempts were also made to evict protesters at Occupy sites in Albert Park and Victoria Park.

Protester Joe Carolan of Unite Union said he was proud of the protesters after the security actions were halted.

He said they were ashamed Auckland Mayor Len Brown was not acting in their interests and said attempts would be made to occupy his office.

A posting on the Occupy group's Facebook page called for supporters to head to Aotea Square.

It promised the council it would not be the end of the protest.

"First they ignored us - then they ridiculed us - now they will try to fight us - then we will win," they posted.

The council, in a statement, said the protesters' gear was removed because it was interfering with plans for next month's Auckland Lantern Festival and the people of Auckland wanted their public spaces returned to them.

"People have a right to freedom of speech and protest, but not the right to camp indefinitely," the statement said.

Before Christmas, a judge ruled that the occupation breached a council bylaw banning camping and building structures in a public space without a permit.

Protests erupt after Poland approves its SOPA
After the signing, protesters rallied in the Polish cities of Poznan and Lublin to express their anger over the treaty. Lawmakers for the left-wing Palikot's Movement wore masks in parliament to show their dissatisfaction, while the largest opposition ...

Flash-grenades & tear-gas: 300 arrested at Occupy Oakland (PHOT...

Belgium shuts down to protest austerity measures (VIDEO)

Bahrainis slam deadly police crackdown

Reposted from mainpage blogs:

Posted by MANI

The new immigration policy announced by Britain shows that only wealthy immigrants are welcome and also puts in a cap on non EU immigrants. 

CNN-IBN live news said as follows.

Only "quality" migrants welcome, says UK

PTI | 07:02 PM,Feb 02,2012

From Prasun Sonwalkar London, Feb 2 (PTI) In a move bound to create ripples, Britain today announced a shift of focus in its immigration policy which now seeks to welcome only those Indian and other non-EU immigrants "who add to the quality of life" barring others with a low income potential. Two proposals outlined in a major speech by Immigration Minister Damian Green are likely to affect Indian professionals and migrants. The government has already announced its intention to scrap the Post-Study Work visa for non-EU students, which has been popular among Indians. Non-EU professionals whose annual income at the end of mandatory five years work and stay in the UK is less than 31,000 pounds will need to return to their countries of origin. Only those with an income higher than this will be allowed to stay here permanently. Secondly, British citizens and residents who seek to marry foreign spouses need to show an annual income of around 25,000 pounds before they can bring their spouses here. The objective is to stop such foreign spouses seeking financial support from the state. The speech has already come under fire for allegedly focussing on "wealthy immigrants", and preventing young Britons with origins in the Indian sub-continent with limited income from marrying spouses from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries. In the speech at Police Exchange think-tank, Green said he wanted to build a "national consensus" around immigration, adding: "Importing economic dependency on the state is unacceptable. "Bringing people to this country who can play no role in the life of this country is equally unacceptable". 

Tags: ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/only-quality-migrants-welcome-s...

Syrian activists report an evening assault by government forces using tanks and heavy machine-guns in the central city of Homs has killed 200 people and wounded hundreds.  Source

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html

Tens of thousands of protesters flood Moscow despite -20C temperatu...

Crowds across Russia braved the bitter cold to protest against the prime minister a month before a presidential election that Vladimir Putin is still expected to win. The march - which drew 120,000 people, according to organisers - was the third mass demonstration since Mr Putin's party won a parliamentary election on December 4 with the help of what appeared to be widespread fraud.

Thank you, Co S!  Startling evidence of the widespread Riots Engulfing Greece.

"At least 45 buildings were burned, including one of the capital's oldest cinemas, while dozens of stores and cafes were smashed and looted.

"More than 170 people were hurt in the rioting which also broke out in other Greek cities. Authorities said 106 police needed medical care after being injured by gasoline bombs, rocks and other objects hurled at them, while at least 70 protesters were also hospitalized."

SINGAPORE — Indonesia on Wednesday signed a $325.0 million contract with Airbus Military for nine C-295 transport planes to be used for defence, logistical and humanitarian purposes.

The first plane will be sent to the Southeast Asian nation this year, with the remainder scheduled for delivery by 2014.

"This is a proud moment for our country as well as for the Indonesian aerospace industry," said Indonesian Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, at the signing of the deal at the Singapore Airshow.

"The C-295 provides the ideal capacity to respond to Indonesia's current and future military and humanitarian transport needs," he added.

The model is a medium-sized transport plane which can be configured for different operational purposes such as ground surveillance, anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue operations.

The planes will be used for "a variety of roles including military, logistical, humanitarian and medical evacuation missions," according to a statement.

Yusgiantoro did not rule out future purchases of the C-295, saying other branches of the armed forces were interested in the plane.

"The police for instance... are also interested in this. And you know that (the) 295 version that we ordered now is for the Air Force, and probably the army is also interested," he said.

The deal includes a collaboration between state-owned aviation firm PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) and Airbus Military, with Indonesia manufacturing parts for the C-295.

The partnership will allow the Indonesian firm to "grow its aerospace business as a tier-one supplier," said PTDI Chief Executive Budi Santoso.

"This will position PTDI on the global aerospace scene and allow us to enhance our skills and workforce," he added.

Indonesia's defence budget totalled $6.39 billion in 2011, ranking second in Southeast Asia behind Singapore

Source: http://youtu.be/UmdHA_P7D_A

Seems Greece is not the only ones with money worries...

Britain has run out of money, chancellor warns

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/business/britain-has-run-out-of-money-chance...

Enough is enough: EU austerity rage in PHOTOS

Anne -

"Obama was also Lincoln, as is obvious to many, including Gordon Michael-Scallion (GMS). Most Star Children recognize early that they are different, and sense the reason why. In Obama's case, he was a walk-in during his teens, so was able to choose the body and life circumstances for his mission. In such cases, where a walk-in occurs, the human body and mind sense a change, and seek an answer for this, arriving at the conclusion that they have a new soul within."  ZetaTalk

German police attack anti-capitalism protesters

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2123573/We-bring-government...

We can bring the government down': Truckers vow to halt Britain's traffic in support of striking tanker drivers by blockading refineries and motorways

• Thousands of truckers to stop soldiers moving fuel around the UK in the event of a strike
• They are led by haulier Andrew Spence who warns 'this time we will bring the Government down'
• William Hague says Britain is better prepared to withstand a strike by tanker drivers because of the Government actions over past week
• Diane Hill remains in a critical condition in hospital as council promises social workers will be sent to neighbours who witnessed her burning
• AA spokesman says panic buying has 'dramatically dropped'

Source: http://youtu.be/aW03T8stldY

80,000 - 90,000 Rally Against Czech Government

http://news.yahoo.com/tens-thousands-rally-against-czech-government...

"Tens of thousands of protesters gathered for an anti-government rally in Prague's central Wenceslas Square on Saturday as the centre-right ruling coalition was teetering on the verge of collapse..."

http://rt.com/news/europe-schengen-border-control-025/

‘19th-century’ border control plans signal storm in EU

French gendarmes stand at their posts as they check identity papers and cars in La Turbie, near the Franco-Italian border (Reuters/Eric Gaillard)

TAGS: Conflict, Election, Politics, Human rights, Law, Immigration

A bill proposed by Germany and France may impose border security checks in EU countries in an attempt to tackle rising levels of illegal immigration. Many worry the new measures could be another nail in the eurozone’s coffin.

The draft legislation says that the 25 countries party to the European Schengen agreement may reintroduce border controls for a period of ten days if they feel there is a threat to public order.

European interior ministers meet in Luxembourg on Thursday to discuss the Franco-German proposal; French Minister Claude Guéant is expected to defend the controversial bill.

“The Council is due to approve a roadmap to ensure a coherent EU response to continued migratory pressures,” said an EU press release.
Members of the European parliament also carried out a separate vote on Wednesday backing the reintroduction of visa travel for third-country nationals crossing the EU's external frontiers.

The bill has received a mixed reaction among EU leaders, head of the European council Herman Van Rompuy condemning it as a “populist threat” sweeping through Europe.

"Nationalist and extremist movements are on the rise; many of them blame 'Brussels' for bad news,” he tweeted on a visit to Romania on Wednesday.

The comments come after the first round of French presidential elections on Sunday where immigration issues took center stage.
Hardline anti-eurozone candidate Marine Le Pen achieved an unexpected 18 per cent in polls.

Current President Nicolas Sarkozy also deplored EU immigration laws, describing the continent as “leaking like a sieve.”

"If Europe can't control its borders then France will do so. A Europe that doesn't control its migration flows is finished," stressed the French president.

France restored border security checks with neighboring Italy in April of last year after Rome granted thousands of immigrants from North Africa temporary visas. Denmark then followed suit creating checkpoints on borders with Germany and Sweden.

Illegal immigration from third-party countries into the EU became increasingly problematic during the economic downturn. Over 90 percent of immigrants heading into the eurozone arrive over the Greek border with Turkey. Michalis Chrisochoidis, the Greek Minister for Civil Protection appealed to the EU on Wednesday to tackle the escalating crisis in the country.

''We want obligations from Europe for deals with third-party countries from where migration flows arrive… countries will therefore be forced to reabsorb their citizens, which at the moment they do not do at all,” said Chrisochoidis.

­

France and Germany will ‘shoot themselves in the foot’

Concerns have been voiced that a restriction of EU borders would be detrimental to European economies, drastically affecting the tourist industry.

Taleb Rifai, secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization said on the sidelines of an EU conference on Tuesday that the proposed bill would be “very damaging” for tourism.

“The Schengen zone is depriving itself of tremendous potential of more tourists [and] more benefits by actually insisting on procedures and formalities that belong to the 19th century,” Rifai said.

He then cited the example of Turkey where Russian tourist numbers have doubled since the government agreed on a visa-on-arrival regime in 2009.

Saudis slam Riyadh crackdown on protests

The struggles of capitalism are clearly intensifying, with shareholders taking assertive action.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/may/06/executive-pay-anger-...

‘Europe on the brink of revolution'

Source: http://youtu.be/k0OO0ZPifcI

10,000 march at local Occupy movement in Frankfurt

Angry protesters balk at Quebec emergency law

Demonstrations in Quebec's long-running tuition protest again turned violent Friday, as marchers hurled Molotov cocktails during a show of defiance against controversial new legislation designed to end the standoff.

Police said that an incendiary device was hurled in Montreal at a busy downtown intersection, and The Canadian Press reported that at least two Molotov cocktails were thrown.

"Angry protesters balk at Quebec emergency law" has mostly been covered up in the U.S. mainstream media.  Lots of righteous anger and action, understandably so.

Intense fear for some these days:  Visiting ETs, Planet X, and the pending pole shift have been massively covered up since at least 1947.  But even more Council of World allowed Punches await (or loom).

here is an update on the Quebec situation:

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/22/bill-78-quebec-protests-stu...

MONTREAL - A river of red-clad protesters rippled through downtown Montreal to mark the 100th day of Quebec's student strikes, while smaller events were held in other cities Tuesday.

Tens of thousands of people clogged Montreal's city core in a festive, multi-headed march designed to make a mockery of a new provincial law that demands protest routes be approved in advance.

Even a famous provincial politician, Independent MNA Pierre Curzi, joined the crowds that strayed off the announced path in a mass demonstration of defiance against the law. A prominent student organizer wandering in the throng went further, practically daring authorities to punish him.

Millions in the streets: Spain protests cuts to education

http://www.rt.com/news/spain-protest-austerity-education-895/

The majority of Spain's educational institutions have closed as teachers and students take to the streets to defend their rights. The government has cut billions of euros from educational sector expenses.

­The strike is taking place on all levels, from elementary schools to universities in all but three of Spain's 17 regions. As many as a million teachers and seven million students are expected to take part in Tuesday's demonstrations.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/06/13/246095/greeks-withdraw-mone...

Ahmadinejad calls for a new world order based on compassion, justice

Heated discontent 2012: Man sets himself on fire as thousands prote...

Spanish rallies turn violent as million people protest in 80 cities...

Outrage over ‘anti-immigrant patrols’ in southern Russia

The governor of one of Russia’s southern regions has been accused of discrimination and nationalism for a proposal to deploy patrols to tackle immigration issues in the Caucasus region. Human rights activists blasted the governor for his statements.

­Governor Aleksandr Tkachev of the Krasnodar region came under fire after a meeting with regional police chiefs on Thursday, where he announced the establishment of a 1,000-member Cossack-staffed volunteer security force. With an annual budget of more than $20 million, the organization would assist police in upholding public order, beginning in September.

The force would consist of Kuban Cossacks, a multi-ethnic group descended from farmers, who historically acted as border guards for the Russian Empire. They enjoyed a great degree of political autonomy, both as gratitude for their service and in acknowledgement of their self-sufficiency and militant ethos.

http://rt.com/politics/cossack-anti-immigrant-patrol-857/

''Democracy kidnapped!' Madrid police fire rubber bullets as thousa...

Source: http://youtu.be/vZ8yNywAOEk

Southern storm hails the start of the European Fall

Gerard, thank you for that video.  This was very powerful and shows what can be done when everyone works together.  Somewhere inside of me I miss that.  This helps that wonderful feeling to swell again. 

I would also like to thank you for your fantastic and tireless work.  I knew back at GLP that we were on the same page.  And this ning is the best thing since Zeta Talk.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/09/28/trade-school-toronto-barter...

Trade School Toronto Aims To Spur Barter Economy As Youth Seek Alternatives In Post-Recession World

Toronto student Marina Wilson, 13, will trade the secret behind her business of making fashion accessories out of duct tape for craft supplies. In exchange for baked goods, a 29-year-old economist at Deloitte will teach a lesson on basic economic issues.

Those are just some of the barter-for-knowledge exchanges set to take place during the inaugural session of Trade School Toronto, which kicks off on Saturday.

The first of its kind in Canada, the five-day program is an indication of the growing popularity of a post-recession “alternative economy,” particularly among Millennials, according to organizer Michelle van Looy.

“In this generation, there’s that shift, where capitalism has to look different for us,” said van Looy, director of That’s Women’s Work Arts Network, a Toronto-based non-profit that aims to provide local artists with affordable exhibition opportunities.

Millennials or ‘Gen Y’ — the generation loosely defined as those aged 18 to 30 — are grappling with high student loan debt and the residual effects of an economic downturn that left them with poor job prospects.

“People are relying more and more on each other. It’s like, ‘OK, I can’t afford to go out and buy a brand new coat. But I can teach a class and the coat comes.’ So your capitalistic needs are being met by the community,” van Looy said.

Billed as a way to break down financial barriers and celebrate “the social nature of exchange,” Trade School Toronto was inspired by a barter-for-knowledge group in New York City. Similar organizations have since sprouted in 20 countries around the world.

About 160 people have registered for Trade School Toronto sessions, which range from self-hypnosis and bike maintenance to personal finance and beginner needle felting, where participants will create a brooch or ornament using a felting needle and unspun wool.

Scheduled to run through October 3, Trade School Toronto will be held in a variety of spaces around the city. Van Looy said that she and fellow organizers Judy Verseghy, Cassandra Witteman, Nico Koenig, Elizabeth Fraser and Eric Rosenberg, all of whom work in the non-profit sector, secured event space through a combination of “begging, borrowing and offering to barter.”

“It’s such an opportunity for people who can’t afford to go to classes,” said Marina’s mother Monica Kelly, who found out about the event through Facebook.

Kelly, 40, who homeschools her daughter, has signed up to teach lessons in vegan cooking and crocheting. (She has also asked to be compensated in craft supplies.)

Marina said she hopes the Trade School will allow her to grow the business she recently founded, Marina Rocks, where she has been selling wallets and other duct tape accessories in her spare time for the past six months.

“It will be fun and get my name out there. I like to be out with other people, teaching,” said Marina, whose class is dubbed “Make Something Cool out of Duct Tape.”

According to van Looy, Trade School Toronto students and teachers range in age from teenagers to seniors.

But the interest in knowledge-exchanges reflects a resurgence in bartering in recent years, particularly among young adults, who face a labour market that remains as grim as it did in the depths o....

As Bloomberg News recently observed, clothing swap parties and online apparel swaps have become more com... who prefer to trade clothes rather than buy them full-price. Meanwhile, in Halifax, Maclean’s reports that a growing number of out-of-work university grads make ends meet by ... in an underground economy that includes basement speakeasies and neighbourhood farm stands.

As Shannon Simmons, 27, puts it: “Our baby boomer parents set us up for wanting things we can’t afford. We grew up in these lavish houses. We went to nice schools, and now we hit the real world and we’re like, ‘Crap.’”

Simmons became a minor media celebrity when she quit her job with a top wealth management firm in 2010 to launch The Barter Babes project. Over the course of a year, hundreds of women traded goods and services for financial advice from the Toronto resident, who has since incorporated bartering into her monthly budget — and includes it in the advice she gives to clients.

“Barter has grown in popularity by the demand of this demographic who wants to get what they want,” said Simmons, who is leading Toronto Trade School’s personal finance class in exchange for bike repair, knit hats and scarves and some outdoor patio furniture.

For a generation that thrives on validation and a sense of purposefulness, Trade School Toronto also holds another appeal, especially in the wake of the recession, when “work and money can be … really isolating,” said van Looy.

“You take whatever job you can get and you’re happy for it even if it’s not a good job. So this is the idea because you get to come teach what you know, teach what you love,” she said.

“It’s an opportunity for people to really use their skills in a way they wouldn’t be able to in the mainstream workforce.”

It’s an idea that also appears to be gaining traction elsewhere in Canada.

When this program of Trade School Toronto is over, van Looy said that she and her fellow organizers plan to lend their expertise to a group in Vancouver, who have expressed interest in starting a similar organization there.

As for Toronto, she said, “We hope to have regular classes in regular spaces. It would be awesome if it could be something that goes on for years.”

Germans stage nationwide protests against social inequality

High school bullied: Police clash with students in Italy (VIDEO, PH...

Police crack down as thousands protest Merkel’s Athens visit

Global Noise takes on austerity: 'We are not going to be silent'

Petrol bombs vs teargas: Thousands across Greece protest austerity ...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2224002/Entire-villages-bur...

he community that was razed to the ground: Satellite images show the district in Burma which has been wiped off the map after weeks of ethnic violence

• Satellite images released by Human Rights Watch appear to show the coastal district of Kyaukpyu razed to the ground
• The watchdog claims non-Muslims targeted Muslim Rohingyas
• Officials say 64 people have died in recent ethnic unrest in Burma, but Human Rights Watch fears the death toll could be far higher
  

By Anna Edwards

PUBLISHED: 17:31 GMT, 27 October 2012 | UPDATED: 17:50 GMT, 27 October 2012

A human rights group has released satellite images which appear to show a Burmese district, known for its ethnic unrest, razed to the ground.

Human Rights Watch says more than 800 buildings and houseboats were torched in coastal Kyaukpyu, in western Rakhine state.

It claims non-Muslims targeted Muslim Rohingyas, in the first serious attack since June, when the rape and murder of a young Buddhist woman in Rakhine in May triggered a string of bloody religious clashes.

Ethnic unrest: A satellite image of Kyaukpyu, Burma, as seen on October 25, where Human Rights Watch says hundreds of homes have been destroyed

Greek police, firefighters, coast guards, medics protest against cuts

62 people arrested in Spain as mass protests sweep across Europe

'We have no future!' EU anger unites millions in protest (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Massive anti-austerity strikes and protests swept across Europe as millions took to the streets to express their frustration over rising unemployment and dire economic prospects. Many rallies ended with violent clashes with police.

Workers marched in 23 countries across Europe to mark the European Day of Action and Solidarity.

General strikes had been called in Spain and Portugal, paralyzing public services and international flights, in Belgium and France transport links were partially disrupted by strikes and demonstrations, in Italy and Greece thousands of workers and students marched through the streets.

Other EU countries, such as Germany, Austria and Poland, saw well attended union-led rallies.

Source

Mega strike hits Europe: LIVE UPDATES

Source

http://rt.com/news/bangladesh-clashes-protest-violent-289/

One dead, scores injured as Bangladeshi police use live ammunition on protesters (PHOTOS)

Activists of Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami party set fire to tyres as they block a street in Narayanganj December 4, 2012. (Reuters)

At least one person has been killed and scores injured and detained by police as a protest organized by Bangladesh’s largest Islamic party turned violent, with police reportedly using live ammunition against the rioters.

­The strike was organized by Jamaat e Islami in protest against the trials of the organization's leaders, who are charged with war crimes allegedly committed during the country’s 1971 liberation war. During the nationwide protests, rioters have set some 20 cars on fire, including one at the US Embassy in Dhaka.

Police used live ammunition, tear gas and rubber bullets to quell the angry crowd across the nation, as violence was also reported in the cities of Sylhet, Rajshahi and Narayanganj.

Sixty-nine people have been arrested, according to police, while an 18-year-old was shot dead in clashes in the town of Chirirbandar, 300 kilometers from the capital.

Hospital officials confirmed that the death was caused by live ammunition used by the law enforcement. 

The government of Bangladesh holds Jamaat responsible for much of the bloodshed caused during a nine-month war against Pakistan, in which an estimated three million people were killed.

Police load injured activists of Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami party onto a police van as they detain them after a clash with police and pro-government activists in Dhaka December 4, 2012. (Reuters / Andrew Biraj)

An injured activist of Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami party is led to a police van as he is detained after a clash with police and pro-government activists in Dhaka December 4, 2012. (Reuters / Andrew Biraj)

Members of Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion stand alert during a nationwide strike in Dhaka on December 4, 2012. (AFP Photo / Munir Uz Zaman)

Bangladeshi activists from Jamaat-e-Islami shout slogans as they march behind a banner during a nationwide strike in Dhaka on December 4, 2012. (AFP Photo / Munir Uz Zaman)