Mamdani, New Mayor of New York City, is an anti-Semite! Really?
The Pentagon has directed the National Guard to establish "quick reaction" forces across all states and territories by January, trained and equipped to handle "riots and civil unrest" within the U.S., October 29, 2025.
‼️BREAKING: Rio de Janeiro enters a war-zone state as at least 64 people have been killed in the city’s deadliest police operation ever, October 29, 2025
ZetaTalk emphasizes that the most profound effects of the coming Earth changes will be sociological, not just physical. According to the Zetas, widespread unrest, rebellion, and shifts in human organization will dominate as food shortages, crop failures, and awareness of the Pole Shift ripple through society.
Riots and Rebellion: The Zetas predict that as food shortages worsen, riots and civil unrest will become increasingly common. People will realize the scale of disruption the Pole Shift will bring, leading to rebellion against authorities and institutions.
2002 as a Turning Point: In earlier communications, the Zetas noted that while crop shortages were already increasing, the most noticeable effect for humanity would be sociological changes — meaning shifts in behavior, organization, and collective psychology.
8 of 10 Scenarios: ZetaTalk describes the "8 of 10" stage (a precursor to the Final Weeks, the 9 of 10, and Pole Shift, the 10 pf 10) as being dominated by sociological upheaval. This includes breakdowns in governance, rising distrust of elites, and grassroots survival movements.
Transformation Context: In their broader framework of "Transformation," the Zetas link sociological changes to spiritual orientation. They argue that mixed groups (self-serving vs. service-to-others) will begin to separate, elites will lose control, and ordinary people will form new cooperative structures.
Collapse of Old Systems: Traditional power structures (governments, corporations, elites) will weaken as they fail to provide stability. This leads to what ZetaTalk calls an “elite bunker mentality” — where the powerful retreat rather than help.
Rise of Community Survival: Ordinary people, especially those oriented toward service-to-others, will band together in cooperative groups. These grassroots networks are seen as the seeds of a new social order after the Pole Shift.
Psychological Stress: Awareness of impending disaster will cause widespread anxiety, denial, and rebellion. ZetaTalk suggests that the sociological impact will be more visible than the physical changes themselves in the years leading up to the shift.
ZetaTalk frames sociological changes as the defining feature of humanity’s response to Earth’s upheavals. Rather than just focusing on earthquakes or floods, the Zetas highlight riots, rebellion, collapse of authority, and the rise of survival communities as the real markers of the transition. In their view, this is part of a larger Transformation where humanity reorganizes itself spiritually and socially in preparation for the Aftertime.
Sources: www.ZetaTalk.com and www.Poleshift.ning.com
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3057819/Baltimore-police-Fr...
Governor sends in National Guard as 15 officers are injured, shops are looted and police cars are set ablaze when gangs unite to take on Baltimore police after Freddie Gray open casket funeral
A state of emergency has been declared in Baltimore as the city transforms into 'an absolute war zone' following the funeral of Freddie Gray.
More than 1,000 police officers and the Maryland National Guard are arriving in the city and the president has been briefed on the situation as violence continues to escalate.
Fifteen police officers have been injured, many with broken bones, and at least one appeared ‘unresponsive’. Two of the 15 are in hospital in a serious condition.
Rioters are looting gun stores, ripping off the doors and passing weapons to people on the streets. Others have stormed check cashing stores and supermarkets. Buildings, including a CVS pharmacy, are on fire. Rioters have slashed fire fighters' hoses as they try to battle the flames.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake branded the rioters 'senseless thugs' in a press conference as she announced a week-long 10pm-5am curfew for all citizens starting tomorrow night.
As night falls, groups appear to be moving toward Camden Yards stadium, prompting tonight's White Sox v Orioles game to be suspended. College students have been told to stay in their doors and be alert to possible attacks.
Freddie Gray died of a severe spinal injury in police custody on April 12.
State of emergency: Baltimore is in flames and the Maryland National Guard is on standby as riots escalate after Freddie Gray's funeral
Fire fight: A Baltimore police cruiser burns after being set alight on Monday following the outbreak of riots in the troubled city
A man walks past a burning police vehicle as another one burns (right) during unrest in Baltimore on Monday. Helicopters circled overhead as groups of roving youths moved through the city. Television footage showed a group of demonstrators pile on top of a car
Apr 28, 2015
casey a
Police unleash smoke bombs as Baltimore protesters defy curfew
Rival Crips and Bloods gangs unite to enforce curfew in Baltimore
'Protests are broader social issue not just law and order issue' says Obama
Apr 29, 2015
casey a
Broader context of Baltimore protests & riots
Apr 30, 2015
casey a
Good infograph on "Corruption in America".
"As long as the general population is passive, apathetic, diverted to consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable, then the powerful can do as they please, and those who survive will be left to contemplate the outcome."
May 1, 2015
casey a
If what is happening in Baltimore happened in a foreign country, here is how Western media would cover it
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/baltimore-riots-ho...
May 1, 2015
casey a
The real looting of Baltimore by Wall Street. http://reverbpress.com/justice/wells-fargo-is-baltimores-real-looter/
“…in 2/3rd (66%) cases, people with high FICO scores, who would have qualified for conventional loans at market rates, were diverted towards subprime loans because of their profitability.”
And Wells Fargo was one of the worst predatory lendors in the Baltimore area.
“Wells Fargo, Ms. Jacobson said in an interview, saw the black community as fertile ground for subprime mortgages, as working-class blacks were hungry to be a part of the nation’s home-owning mania. Loan officers, she said, pushed customers who could have qualified for prime loans into subprime mortgages. Another loan officer stated in an affidavit filed last week that employees had referred to blacks as ‘mud people’ and to subprime lending as ‘ghetto loans.'”
So, who is Wells Fargo's largest shareholder? Warren Buffett.
May 3, 2015
casey a
France to Limit Cash Transactions starting September, 2015
http://www.leparisien.fr/economie/la-chasse-au-cash-est-lancee...
www.eleconomista.es%2Fempresas-finanzas%2Fnoticia...
(This is being done under the guise of limiting funding for terrorism.)
May 6, 2015
Corey Young
WOW, just WOW....After 44 years....(yes YEARS) of Conservative, Right Wing party governing in the province of Alberta (in Canada)....a MAJORITY NDP (Left Wing)Government was elected yesterday.
Just to put this into perspective for those who may not know the significance: This is akin to a leftist Democrat being elected with a Majority of votes in TEXAS (with only a MONTH of campaigning)....Alberta is the Texas of Canada....Talk about your Zeta's right again!!!
NDP's Alberta win a different kind of 'miracle on the Prairies'
From fourth to first in 28 days, it is how dynasties end, at least in Alberta
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/ndp-s-alberta-win-a-different...
Not that it happens often, but when it does, Albertans give governments the ol' heave-ho with vigour and brutality.
Virtually no one believed the polls leading up to yesterday's vote that suggested an NDP government; or at least would admit they believed them. Many here are still in a state of disbelief........
Remember, when you lose government in Alberta, you're done, finished, kaput. No defeated government party has ever been a political force again.
As an aside....I never thought that this province would see an NDP government in my time.....boy was I wrong....the people spoke with there right to vote.
I didn't know whether to place this in BOTH Zeta's right again or just here....but this represents a 'seismic shift' in the political landscape of the country of Canada. As the Zeta's have said many times before: while the war with the cover up crowd heats up, the 8 of 10 sociological changes pick up....this is a big one folks....especially when you consider the Canadian Federal election is drawing near!!!!
Here is hoping that the people take the opportunity to help the CoW by ousting PM Steven Harper....after last night in Alberta, ANYTHING is possible!
May 6, 2015
casey a
5 Great Things That Have Happened for Bernie Sanders Since He Announced
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/5-great-things-have-happened-...
http://www.alternet.org/dont-underestimate-me-after-shocking-fundra...
-He has 175,000 pledge volunteers already
-He raised $1.5 million dollars during the first day of his campaign
-People are speculating that his campaign could impact issues beyond the election:-
After Shocking Fundraising Totals, Bernie Sanders Defends European-Style Socialism http://www.alternet.org/dont-underestimate-me-after-shocking-fundra...
===========
I'm not trying to promote Sanders. He's a "politician" when it comes to foreign policy. But what's interesting to note is that after announcing his candidacy, he's already received 175,000 pledged volunteers & $1.5 million.
What this shows you is the discrepancy between how the American people view things to be & the Washington bubble that the mainstream media mechanism sprouts from. It reminds me of an interview of someone from Kentucky saying he DESPISED Obamacare & would repeal it the next day. But when the reporter went through the list of benefits from Obamacare, the guy was actually was in favor of it. (Nevermind that Obamacare didnt have the most popular option of government provided health insurance, which a majority of Americans wanted).
The point is that this Left vs Right argument is a false dichotomy, in many ways. And ppl are catching up to it, if not already caught upto it. The real division in society is the elite vs the average person. The differences between the "left" & "right" pale in comparison to the differences between the elite & the average person.
May 7, 2015
casey a
Protesters and police face off at Downing Street gates as hundreds rally against new Tory government
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/protesters-police-face-downing...
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The British press has lost it: The UK elections may not be remembered as much for the outcome as the way the media covered it http://www.politico.eu/article/the-british-press-has-lost-it/
May 10, 2015
Gerard Zwaan
Source: https://youtu.be/4FuEHg8RBv8
May 10, 2015
casey a
Canadian government considering hate charges against those who boycott Israel http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ottawa-considering-hate-charges-aga...
May 11, 2015
casey a
Britain is too tolerant and should interfere more in people's lives, says David Cameron
“For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone',” he said. “It's often meant we have stood neutral between different values. And that's helped foster a narrative of extremism and grievance.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/britain-is-too-tolera...
New counter-extremism plans to allow police to ask to vet anyone's internet communications
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/new-c...
David Cameron has suggested that his party could introduce even more wide-ranging powers if he was re-elected to government.
The plans would allow the police to ask the higher court to order extremists to be banned from broadcasting and send every tweet, Facebook post or other web communication to the police for approval. That would include posts from users telling friends and followers that their communications were now being vetted, or ones denying the extremism claims that led to them being charged under such measures.
Huge Surveillance Powers to be introduced by Teresa May http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/snoop...
It is expected to force British internet service providers to keep huge amounts of data on their customers, and to make that information available to the government and security services.
May 13, 2015
casey a
We're ruled by a cosy elite who all go to the same dinner parties, says David Cameron;s former policy guru chief Steve Hilton. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3085342/Stop-listening-insu...
- Ex-Number 10 strategist warns of a crisis in Britain's political system
- Calls on Cameron to do more for the poor and listen less to the rich
- Says government is more likely to pay attention to concerns of wealthy
Steve Hilton said too many of those at the heart of government go to the same dinner parties and send their children to the same schools. He said the UK’s political system is now in ‘crisis’ because... ‘Regardless of who’s in office, the same people are in power. ‘It is a democracy in name only, operating on behalf of a tiny elite no matter the electoral outcome.’
Mr Hilton, 45, is one of the David Cameron’s closest friends, making his attacks all the more surprising. He was godfather to Mr Cameron’s son Ivan
May 18, 2015
casey a
Slavery around the world...
Qatar refuses to let Nepalese workers return to attend funerals after quake
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/24/qatar-denies-nepalese-...
Qatar Is Still Using Forced Labor To Build Stadiums
http://gizmodo.com/qatar-is-still-using-forced-labor-to-build-stadi...
Documentary on slave labor for FIFA worldcup, in Qatar
(Another one if interested: https://youtu.be/e5R9Ur44XV8)
Some satirical posters of the sponsors.
Activists Pressure FIFA Sponsors Over ‘Horrific’ Working Conditions in Qatar
http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/activists-pressure-...
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Back in America...
American prisons produce: 100% of all military helmets, ammunition belts, bullet proof vests, 93% of domestically used paints, 36% of home appliances, 21% of office furniture, which allows America to compete with factories in Mexico
https://youtu.be/yiaqgFDwOjs?t=1m21s
(lets not kid ourselves. This is slave labor in America through exploitation of the most powerless & fueled by the "drug wars".)
How for-profit prisons have become the biggest lobby no one is talking abouthttp://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/04/28/how-for-...
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Then there is the fact that everything we see around us--smartphones & every electronic product, clothing, shoes, etc etc are all made by slaves. But this is justified because these slaves are not part of "my" country.
"That's not my problem. Cambodia, Vietnam & others should be worrying about them. They're not part of my country"
Yet the clothes & smartphones we wear & use everyday were all touched by the hands of slaves. And they are very much a part of our society, even if we dont consider them to be citizenry. After all this was the same excuse that was given to justify slavery in America.. "They're not citizens, so they're not part of our country".
Slavery everywhere. When ppl talk about China, they talk about how China is taking jobs, but dont talk about how the entire system is built to exploit places with the least human rights, under the guise of "efficiency". We live & fight our entire lives finding a way to be of service to the elite through their corporations.
Everyone's mad about jobs going over to China, but no one is mad about the Chinese factory workers who jump out of windows to end their miserable lives... or Cambodian workers who get shot in the streets for demanding a decent rights.
May 24, 2015
casey a
May 24, 2015
casey a
(How American democracy is hijacked on an industrial scale)
ALEC - The Backroom Where Laws Are Born
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: State Legislatures and ALEC (HBO)
May 26, 2015
casey a
Unprecedented death toll in qatar:
May 31, 2015
Corey Young
Truth and Reconciliation report brings calls for action, not words
Commission releases 94 recommendations to confront 'cultural genocide' of schools
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/truth-and-reconciliation-report-bri...
Canadians must believe in the need for reconciliation with Aboriginal Peoples to repair the damage caused by residential schools, aboriginal leaders said Tuesday, as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its summary report and findings.
Justice Murray Sinclair, chair of the commission, called for changes in policies and programs, as well as commemoration through education and memorials, in introducing the commission's summary report and 94 recommendations.
"Words are not enough," Sinclair said, to address the "cultural genocide" of residential schools on aboriginal communities....................
..............."Our recommendations should not be seen as an itemization of a national penance but as an opportunity to embrace a second chance at establishing a relationship of equals, which was intended at the beginning and should have continued throughout," he told the crowd.....
.........
Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, delivered a joint statement with representatives from the Presbyterian, United and Catholic churches, acknowledging the "heartbreaking stories" of young students at schools that were administered by the churches.
"We know and declare that our apologies are not enough," he said. "Those harmed were children, vulnerable, far from their families and their communities. The sexual, physical and emotional abuse they suffered is well-documented, particularly in the work of the TRC."
The summary report released today called on the Pope to issue an official apology, to be delivered in Canada within a year. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI expressed "sorrow" for abuse aboriginal student... at residential schools run by the Roman Catholic Church.
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Pretty hard to fathom just how abused those young kids were, and the impacts are still being felt today. My hope is that people can reform and change how those who lived in Canada before anyone else are looked at, treated and brought into a society that doesn't try and institutionally put them down. The feelings many people in this country have towards Native Canadians is appalling, hopefully this can 'wake people up'!
Jun 3, 2015
casey a
Germany deploys 22,000 police officers at G7 summit
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/06/germany-deploys-22000-police-...
Jun 7, 2015
casey a
TTIP vote postponed as European Parliament descends into panic over trade deal http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/ttip-vote-postponed...
European Parliament TTIP vote cancelled ‘because of huge public pressure’ http://www.eureporter.co/frontpage/2015/06/10/european-parliament-t...
Jun 11, 2015
Moderating Staff
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/eu-preparing-for-state-of-emergency-...
EU preparing for 'state of emergency' after Greek talks collapse
Germany's EU commissioner said on Monday it was time to prepare for a "state of emergency" after talks collapsed at the weekend to rescue Greece from default and ejection from the euro.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras ignored a litany of pleas from European leaders to act fast and instead blamed creditors for the collapse in aid-for-austerity talks, the biggest setback yet in long-running talks to secure more aid for Greece.
Athens now has just two weeks to find a way out of the impasse before it faces a 1.6 billion euro bill due to the International Monetary Fund, potentially leaving it out of cash, unable to borrow and cast out of the single currency.
While there was little sign of open panic in Athens as Greeks held out hope for a last-minute solution - a familiar theme over the past six years as Athens lurched from one crisis to the next - the latest impasse triggered a selloff in European and Asian shares and weighed on the euro.
Jun 17, 2015
SongStar101
According to various articles, of the scarce number articles covering the nationwide protests, this one failed to mentioned that protests were apparently going on all over the country at the same time. This march being many more than 50k but likely 100k+.
Tens of thousands march in London against coalition's austerity measures, UK
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jun/21/protest-march-auste...
Tens of thousands of people marched through central London on Saturday afternoon in protest at austerity measures introduced by the coalition government. The demonstrators gathered before the Houses of Parliament, where they were addressed by speakers, including comedians Russell Brand and Mark Steel.
An estimated 50,000 people marched from the BBC's New Broadcasting House in central London to Westminster.
"The people of this building [the House of Commons] generally speaking do not represent us, they represent their friends in big business. It's time for us to take back our power," said Brand.
"This will be a peaceful, effortless, joyful revolution and I'm very grateful to be involved in the People's Assembly."
"Power isn't there, it is here, within us," he added. "The revolution that's required isn't a revolution of radical ideas, but the implementation of ideas we already have."
A spokesman for the People's Assembly, which organised the march, said the turnout was "testament to the level of anger there is at the moment".
He said that Saturday's action was "just the start", with a second march planned for October in conjunction with the Trades Union Congress, as well as strike action expected next month.
People's Assembly spokesman Clare Solomon said: "It is essential for the welfare of millions of people that we stop austerity and halt this coalition government dead in its tracks before it does lasting damage to people's lives and our public services."
Sam Fairburn, the group's national secretary, added: "Cuts are killing people and destroying cherished public services which have served generations."
Activists from the Stop The War Coalition and CND also joined the demonstration.
The crowds heard speeches at Parliament Square from People's Assembly supporters, including Caroline Lucas MP and journalist Owen Jones. Addressing the marchers, Jones said: "Who is really responsible for the mess this country is in? Is it the Polish fruit pickers or the Nigerian nurses? Or is it the bankers who plunged it into economic disaster – or the tax avoiders? It is selective anger."
He added: "The Conservatives are using the crisis to push policies they have always supported. For example, the sell-off of the NHS. They have built a country in which most people who are in poverty are also in work."
The People's Assembly was set up with an open letter to the Guardian in February 2013. Signatories to letter included Tony Benn, who died in March this year, journalist John Pilger and filmmaker Ken Loach.
In the letter, they wrote: "This is a call to all those millions of people in Britain who face an impoverished and uncertain year as their wages, jobs, conditions and welfare provision come under renewed attack by the government.
"The assembly will provide a national forum for anti-austerity views which, while increasingly popular, are barely represented in parliament."
The Metropolitan police refused to provide an estimate. A police spokesman said the force had received no reports of arrests.
Jun 24, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3166048/Blood-spilt-governm...
'The message of the day for either side has been lost' Police condemn BOTH anti-racism activists and far right protesters after clashes force Melbourne CBD into lockdown
Extreme right-wing protesters and anti-racism activists clashed with each other and police in Melbourne's CBD, with dozens pepper sprayed and four people arrested during the ugly scenes.
The dramatic events were sparked by a rally held outside Parliament House by a pair of anti-Muslim groups, Reclaim Australia and United Patriots Front.
Groups opposing the 'racist' event, Rally Against Racism and United Against Islamophobia, flooded the area and attempted to confront people at the planned event.
Dramatic pictures taken during the violent clashes show a number of protesters with bloodshot eyes desperately having milk poured on their faces after being pepper sprayed by police officers trying to control the crowds.
Other photographs show a number of people with their faces covered by masks, scarves or jumpers carrying signs and flags, marching through the streets and confronting police.
Despite the response from officers appearing extreme, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said it was necessary to cope with the protests.
'[Police] were at significant threat of having their lines over run and it was a tool we had to use at the time,' he said, according to the ABC.
Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said that while the use of pepper spray may appear extreme, it was completely justified as violence continued to escalate
Jul 18, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3177135/Summer-trouble-Holi...
Still thinking of heading to France for your holiday? Horrendous traffic jams, run the gauntlet of migrants, road blockades, wildfires at campsites… and now farmers are spraying manure over cars
Thousands of British holidaymakers have been caught up in a summer of chaos in France, running the gauntlet of migrants, road blockades and wildfires at campsites.
And as if that wasn’t enough, farmers have now begun spraying manure over cars in protest at falling food prices.
More than 2,000 migrants tried to force their way into the Channel Tunnel overnight, according to operator Eurotunnel, as more than 5,000 people camp out around Calais waiting for an opportunity to enter the UK.
Chaos in France: Farmers have launched a protest in the east of France, spraying unsuspecting cars with waves of manure and forcing the closure of the A31 highway due to falling food prices
‘It was the biggest incursion effort in the past month and a half,’ said the spokesman for Eurotunnel, which is battling often deadly efforts to smuggle themselves into Britain.
‘All our security personnel, that is nearly 200 people as well as police were called in.’
The migrants tried to enter the site between midnight and 6am.
Tourists faced serious delays throughout much of today following the incursion attempt, with passengers held up for around an hour on the British side and 30 minutes on the French side.
Local authorities were unable to say whether any of the migrants were hurt in the attempt, although a French police source denied that there were as many as 2,000 involved.
Since the beginning of June, eight migrants have died trying to enter the tunnel.
Two migrants are in hospital this evening in Calais after being hit by high-speed trains as they tried to enter Britain through the Channel Tunnel today.
Seven others were saved from drowning at around the same time after falling into a concrete water collection basin near the Tunnel entrance.
Reports of their perilous attempts came as holidaymakers faced travel misery yet again today after the latest migrant chaos triggered huge delays on the Eurotunnel, with estimates putting waiting times at an hour in both directions.
Operation Stack – which saw the closure of Junctions 8 to 11 of the M20 motorway – ended on Sunday, but queues have been extremely slow to start moving again.
But when they finally enter France, things only seem to get worse for Britain’s holidaymakers.
Traffic jams: Holidaymakers have faced hours of motorway queues throughout the summer, before they even make it out of the country due to chaotic migrant activity at Calais
Jul 28, 2015
SongStar101
Understanding the Mega-Crisis in Malaysian Politics
The country’s politics is at an inflection point.
http://thediplomat.com/2015/07/understanding-the-mega-crisis-in-mal...
It is significant that both sides of the political divide are reeling from unprecedented pressure in disarray – simultaneously. What will come out of this? But it is the crisis in BN that is more critical, given the repercussions reverberating throughout the system due to UMNO’s defining role as the ruling coalition’s anchor party. The latest crisis in UMNO is equally without precedent.
Leadership Crisis in UMNO
Prime Minister Najib Razak is fighting for his political life in the face of severe criticisms arising from the scandal in the 1MDB investment fund which he advises. Never before has a sitting prime minister been openly pressured to step down amid a high-level probe. Never before has there been serious investigation into the dealings of a government-linked investment fund whose chief adviser is the finance minister, who is also prime minister.
While the sacking of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has not come as a surprise given his outspoken criticism of the Prime Minister’s handling of the 1MDB scandal, the premature replacement of Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail ‘on health grounds’ – three months before his retirement – has raised questions. As he was leading the legal team in the special taskforce probing the 1MDB scandal, speculation is rife that his exit is meant to delay the investigation. Gani’s replacement was announced by the government just before Najib’s own unveiling of the cabinet reshuffle that elevated his strongest ally, Home Affairs Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, as the new deputy prime minister.
Prior to the reshuffles, Najib’s political position had been in doubt. There had been rumours of actions about to be taken by the taskforce, even predictions of a new prime minister by next month. By removing his deputy and the attorney-general, Najib has clearly shown that he intends to stay on top of the crisis. Interestingly, the reshuffles led to the induction into cabinet of Nur Jazlan Mohamed, the equally outspoken chair of the bipartisan Public Accounts Committee, which is also involved in the probe, along with three other UMNO members of the committee. Will the PAC investigation now be muted?
While Najib appears to have strengthened his hand, which he claims is to preserve cabinet cohesion, it remains to be seen if this is enough to fundamentally resolve one of Malaysia’s most sensational political crises. Muhyiddin has strong support within UMNO where he is deputy president. There is talk of his further purge, which will deepen the split in UMNO. Equally important is the response of Najib’s chief critic, former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. Should there be a major counter-push by Mahathir, Muhyiddin and other forces, Malaysia’s political crisis will become more explosive.
Yet, the crisis in the ruling coalition has only just begun. More revelations may emerge and more heads are likely to roll. This latest episode in Malaysian politics is proving to be bruising. Even if Najib survives this, it is hard to imagine how he would emerge unscathed. More worrying for UMNO and BN is whether the ruling coalition will be able to retain power in the next general election, having lost the popular vote at the last polls in 2013 despite winning more than half the parliamentary seats. Muhyiddin made a telling blow when he warned at an UMNO meeting that BN would lose if elections were to be called tomorrow.
Crisis in the Opposition
It is fortuitous for UMNO and BN that their political crisis has come at a time when the opposition is in total disarray. The loose opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat (PR), long known to be fragile, has finally come unstuck. Its leader, Anwar Ibrahim, is in jail, while its three coalition partners are in a hyper-fluid state of mutual repositioning. And it’s all because of recrimination over hudud (Islamic criminal code) between PAS and DAP, two long-standing ideological foes who tried in vain to be friends, leaving the third – Anwar’s own party PKR – caught between a rock and a hard place.
The PR is now dead, a victim of the crisis that first began in the Islamist party PAS which led to the dominance of the conservative faction and ouster of its professionals wing. Two other partners – the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Anwar’s People’s Justice Party (PKR) – are trying to reinvent the alliance with a “PR 2.0”, linking up with the purged faction but minus the increasingly conservative PAS proper. The final shape of this reinvented opposition coalition is still unclear, but promises to be appealing to a multi-ethnic electorate – and is likely to be led once again by the unifying figure of Anwar, from behind bars.
What we are witnessing is a reconstruction of the opposition landscape. But no matter how it turns out, the opposition forces will be divided into two blocs – for as long as the original PAS remains outside PR 2.0. This leaves open the possibility of PAS linking up with Najib’s UMNO to create a Malay-Muslim political alliance in a so-called “unity government”.
At this point, an UMNO-PAS linkup is only a theoretical possibility; even the new PAS – the more conservative version – has rejected the notion of a unity government with UMNO. But this position may change depending on how the political equation evolves, both on the opposition front and on the UMNO/BN side. What this all means is that Malaysian politics is entering yet another phase of unpredictability.
What Next?
All this is happening at two crucial junctures: Firstly, the country is three years away from the next general election. While this may seem like a long time, it is actually very short given the depth of the crisis on both sides of the political divide. Will they be able to recover in time – if at all – to position themselves for GE14 to capture power? On the BN side, UMNO, as the pillar party, will have to shake off the severe damage from the political tremors surrounding Najib. It must be said, however, that should he survive the 1MDB crisis, Najib would be very hard to defeat politically.
Secondly, this mega-crisis is five years away from 2020 – the epochal timeline which will mark Malaysia’s entry into developed economy status. Ironically it is a visionary deadline set by Dr Mahathir, the man who is now leading the charge to remove Najib. Mahathir would be writhing in ironic chagrin if Najib survives to be the one who delivers Vision 2020 – assuming the economy is unaffected by the political crisis. Mahathir would be happier if it is anyone but Najib as prime minister come 2020. Najib has just shown that he intends to deny his former boss that wish.
Whatever happens going forward, the larger event to watch is the outcome of the “collision of coalitions” in Malaysian politics. Will the system stay the same, or will a new political model emerge from the debris?
Aug 10, 2015
Tracie Crespo
www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33972632
Europe migrant crisis: Surge in numbers at EU border
The number of migrants at the EU's borders reached a record high of 107,500 in July, officials say, as a sharp surge in expected asylum requests was reported in Germany.
Germany has seen a wave of migration from Syria and the Balkans, and now says it could receive as many as 750,000 asylum seekers this year.
The EU has been struggling to cope with migrant arrivals in recent months.
France and the UK say they will sign a deal to tackle the crisis in Calais.
Over the summer, thousands of migrants have sought to get to the UK through the Channel Tunnel from makeshift camps around the northern French city.
France's Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve and his British counterpart, Theresa May, say they will sign a deal there on Thursday to strengthen their countries' co-operation on security, the fight against criminal smugglers, human traffickers, and clandestine immigration.
In early August, the UK pledged to add €10m (£7m) to a fund established in September 2014 to secure the port of Calais, and initially endowed with €15m over three years.
EU border agency Frontex said the number of migrants surpassed the 100,000 mark in a single month for the first time since it had begun keeping records in 2008.
The Warsaw-based agency said in a statement that the figure of 107,500 migrants for July was the "third consecutive monthly record, jumping well past the previous high of more than 70,000 reached in June".
The German government had earlier forecast that 450,000 asylum seekers could arrive in 2015, but is now set to increase that to 650,000 or higher.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said more countries in Europe should share the burden.
"It is unsustainable in the long run that only two EU countries, Germany and Sweden, take in the majority of refugees," he told German daily Die Welt.
Hungary's southern border marks the edge of the EU's Schengen zone of passport-free travel and is thus a target for migrants seeking to enter the EU.
Its government has said it will send thousands of police officers to its southern ... with Serbia in its latest step to stem the flow of migrants.
Helping the refugees - by Jenny Hill, BBC Berlin correspondent
Squatting on a kerb, Barakat smiles as a volunteer hands his young son and daughter some second-hand clothes.
The family are Yazidis and fled Iraq. "They were killing all the women - what were we supposed to do?"
Nearby, hundreds of people queue outside a grey concrete building. Every so often an official comes out and shouts instructions through a megaphone.
This is Berlin's reception centre, where refugees come to register for housing and benefits. But it is volunteers who provide food, water, clothing and medical help. A doctor holds a makeshift surgery in a tent.
"It shouldn't be volunteers doing this," he says. "But the authorities never expected this many people to arrive so suddenly."
As I leave, I pass an old lady slowly pushing a trolley towards the centre. "I've come to donate clothes," she tells me. "Why wouldn't you help these people?"
More than 240,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean already this year, arriving on the shores of Greece and Italy before travelling on to other destinations.
In the past week alone, 21,000 migrants have arrived in Greece, according to the UN.
Germany's latest projected figures were due to be confirmed by Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere on Wednesday and Handelsblatt reported that the number of refugees seeking accommodation around the country was surging.
Last month alone, 5,700 people applied for asylum in the northern city of Hamburg and 7,065 in the south-western state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
"I would have to build a block of flats every day to accommodate them", Stuttgart Integration Minister Bilkay Oeney told Handelsblatt.
The numbers are far higher than the record 438,000 asylum applications in 1992 during the Bosnian crisis.
German towns have been housing refugees in tent cities and converted gyms, but as tensions increase, there has been a rise in attacks on asylum seekers.
In the east, thousands of people have marched in towns and cities in protest at asylum seekers being housed in their areas and against what they call the "Islamisation of the West".
Last month, EU member states agreed to take in 32,000 asylum seekers arriving in Italy and Greece over the next two years - fewer than the 40,000 target.
The UK is exempt from the agreement.
Aug 20, 2015
Tracie Crespo
www.rt.com/news/313165-lebanon-clashes-beirut-teargas/
http://www.rt.com/news/313165-lebanon-clashes-beirut-teargas/
Tear gas, water cannon, ‘gunfire heard’ in Lebanese capital Beirut on day 2 of clashes
The clashes between police and protesters continued in Beirut on Sunday evening as 10,000 people gathered on Beirut's Riad al-Solh Square near the government’s Grand Serail palace.
The rally started peacefully, but then a group of aggressive youths attempted to remove the barbed wire which circled the square, TASS reported.
Police responded by using water cannon and tear gas, forcing the demonstrators to retreat from the area near the palace.
A witness told Reuters that gunfire was heard as security forces fired in the air in an effort to drive protesters away from government offices.
The protesters kept throwing stones and bottles at the police, who remained behind protective barriers and did not engage the crowd.
On Sunday, thousands of people gathered near the government headquarters in Beirut chanting anti-government slogans and calling for a larger protest later on the day.
The police again used teargas and water cannon against the crowd, with protesters responding by throwing rocks at the officers.
People in the town of Dahr el Baidar have blocked the main road leading from Beirut to Damascus, with cars only moving in the direction of the Lebanese capital, NNA agency reported.
Earlier, the Lebanese Prime Minister, Tammam Salam, described force used against protesters as “excessive” and promised that those responsible would be held to account.
“I warn that we are going towards collapse if matters continue. Frankly, I have not and will not be a partner in this collapse. Let all officials and political forces bear their responsibilities,” Salam said in a televised address Sunday.
People in Beirut took to the streets after piles of rubbish began to appear on the streets of the Lebanese capital.
Beirut's main landfill was closed about a month ago and the authorities have yet to decide how to replace it.
Amid the unrest, some were shouting slogans used during the Arab Spring protests like “The people want to topple the regime!”
“We were very peaceful protesters. We were just demanding the resignation of the minister of environment,” the activist, who opted not to disclose his name, said.
He described the response to the protest by the police as “brutal,” saying that the “the army beat us… brutally with tear gas and with bullets – with real bullets.”
“Now we’re demanding the resignation of the whole government, immediately,” the activist said, adding that the parliamentary election must be announced “as soon as possible” in the country.
READ MORE: Tear gas, water cannon: Dozens injured as police clash w...
The political balance in Lebanon is extremely fragile due to legislators having been unable to pick a new president for more than a year.
The principle of ‘confessional distribution’ of parliamentary seats leaves governing divided among 18 religious groups.
Regional threats, like the war in neighboring Syria and the growing influence of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), are adding fuel to the instability in Lebanon.
“There’s a political vacuum inside the country. The presidency has been vacant now for over a year. They had the same government since 2009. There was supposed to be an election in 2014, however, because of the political division inside the country the election has been postponed for another two years,” he said.
According to Azikiwe, the deadlock in the Lebanese power is caused by the ongoing civil war in Syria.
“You have political parties on Lebanon, who support the opposition in Syria, and the other political parties, who support the Syrian government in Damascus,” he explained.
“It may appear to be a domestic situation but it can easily deteriorate into a clash that may not necessarily be controllable by the existing government and security forces inside the country.”
Aug 23, 2015
Stanislav
More than 150 million workers’ in India strike over economic reforms
Indian police try to close the gate of a police van as arrested trade union activists try to force it open during a protest in Kolkata on September 2, 2015. Millions of workers across India held a 24-hour strike in protest at right-wing prime minister Narendra Modi's economic policies, which they say will put jobs at risk and hurt ordinary people. Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP Photo
Millions of workers across India went on strike on Wednesday in protest at Narendra Modi’s economic policies.
It was the biggest show of strength by trade unions since the right-wing prime minister took office.
They say labour law reforms planned by Mr Modi’s government will put jobs at risk, and are demanding it scrap changes that would make it easier to lay off workers and shut down unproductive factories.
The secretary of All India Trade Union Congress, Gurudas Dasgupta, said the response had been “magnificent” and estimated over 150 million workers participated in the strike.
The numbers could not be independently confirmed.
The strike – the biggest in India for more than two years – included staff at state-run banks and mines as well as factory, construction and transport workers.
“This strike is a reminder to the government that it must consult the millions of employee [affected] before changing the labour laws,” striking bank worker Amit Khanna said in New Delhi.
Most cities remained peaceful, but clashes between police and activists broke out in the eastern state of West Bengal, which has a long history of union activism.
Television footage showed police baton-charge protesters in state capital Kolkata and drag away women who had staged a sit-in, while protesters threw stones and smashed vehicles.
Banks, shops and other businesses remained closed in the city, stranding commuters and travellers at the main station, while dozens of flag-waving protesters halted suburban trains.
In New Delhi, long queues formed at bus stops on Wednesday, while passengers were stranded at airports as taxis and rickshaws stayed off the streets.
Some protesters forced autorickshaw and taxi drivers off the roads and vandalised their vehicles.
“I told them [protesters] that I am going to the hospital, but these people said ‘there’s a strike today’ and beat me up,” an autorickshaw driver in New Delhi told TV reporters as he stood in front of his damaged yellow and green vehicle.
Mr Modi has promised business-friendly reforms to attract foreign investment and revive Asia’s third-largest economy.
His government wants to simplify India’s myriad of sometimes archaic labour laws, which date back to the British Raj, and create a single code for industry.
Businesses argue that conforming to India’s 44 national and more than 150 state labour laws is not only costly and time-consuming, but has also deterred foreign investors.
The government’s proposals would make it easier for firms with 300 or more workers to fire employees and make it more difficult to create new unions.
Although trade unions agree reforms are overdue, they oppose the bills, saying saying they would leave workers with less job security while the level of legal protection on pay and other conditions would be reduced.
The bills have also come up against opposition in the upper house of parliament where the government does not have a majority.
The unions went ahead with the 24-hour strike after talks with finance minister Arun Jaitley broke down.
Last month they demanded the government improve social security measures and set a national minimum wage of 15,000 rupees (Dh830), up from current state set standards that range from 5,000 to 9,000 rupees.
Those demands are supported by hawkers, domestic workers and daily wage labourers who also joined Wednesday’s strike.
India’s economy grew by a slower than expected 7 per cent in the first quarter of the financial year and experts say reforms are needed to create jobs for millions of young people.
Previous strikes have shut down cities and cost the Indian economy millions of dollars in lost production.
Source: thenational.ae
Sep 2, 2015
Caryn D
Refugee relief effort needs funds, UN official says
Refugee relief effort needs funds, UN official says
Posted: Oct 05, 2015 8:11 PM EDTUpdated: Oct 05, 2015 8:23 PM EDTGENEVA (CNN) - While speaking to the executive committee for the United Nation's High Commission for Refugees on Monday, Commissioner António Guterres addressed the global refugee crisis that the UN and other agencies are struggling to handle.
Guterres said though the humanitarian system is not broken, it is financially broke.
He says the organization is no longer able to meet the minimum requirements to provide life-saving support.
"The humanitarian system is not broken, as some try to argue. It is even far more effective than many others from development to security area,” Guterres said. “But the humanitarian system is financially broke. We are no longer able to meet even the absolute minimum requirements of core protection and lifesaving assistance to preserve human dignity of the people we care for."
He said there are now 60 million refugees worldwide as opposed to 38 million a decade ago. The UN official cited conflicts and persecution as primary reasons for the uptick.
Copyright 2015 CNN. All rights reserved.
Oct 6, 2015
KM
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20151020/1028808248/saudi-arabia-re...
Rising Storm: Coup, War, Chaos Signal Risk of
Instability in Saudi Arabia
A black hole that has opened up in the region after the US fiasco in Iraq and overthrow of Saddam Hussain is apparently beginning to drag down Saudi Arabia.
In the last few months the debates about the future of the Saudi regime have been gaining momentum. Saudi Arabia is the world's largest oil exporter and one of the leading consumers of high-tech weapons of the US. If the Saudi regime falls, the oil markets will turn over upside down, and Saudi weapons will disperse throughout the world, Ergin Yıldızoğlu wrote.
The rise of the terrifying ISIL which is based on the Wahhabi school of thought and Salafi Islamist terrorism has resulted in the Saudi regime being firmly linked with international terrorism.
The falling popularity of the Saudi regime is also linked to the war in Yemen. It was started without any consideration of the consequences mainly due to Saudi Arabia’s 'Iran-phobia'. This war as experts have noted, has not given any results and continues to have a heavy impact on the Saudi treasury. It has also called into question the decision-making abilities of the regime, Yıldızoğlu wrote for Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet.
If that was not enough, the House of Saud is also facing a losing battle in its oil business. It is trying too hard to maintain a high price on the oil in order to sideline the American oil producers from the market. The price of a barrel of oil is $90 whereas; the actual price is almost two times lower than that. The treasury revenues, which are 80-90% dependent on oil exports, are gradually declining, Yıldızoğlu noted.
But the biggest threat of all may well be the instability within the royal family itself. According to the documents that were published a few weeks ago by The Guardian, a prince of the royal family (whose name was undisclosed), wrote a letter of appeal to the palace to conduct a coup against the king and his son Salman.
Allegedly, the letter received broad support among other members of the family and nation.
The rising tension with Iran and ISIL’s threats that have directly started to take aim at the Saudi regime all add up to the Saudis being in an extremely dangerous geopolitical situation.
Just until recently the House of Saud in the face of all these geopolitical risks relied on the protection of the US administration. However, today, the United States and Iran are improving their ties and that is yet another heavy blow to the shaken Saudi regime.
Oct 20, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3302211/Chaos-Cyprus-migran...
Chaos in Cyprus as migrants threaten suicide, burn tents and clash with police as they complain about their treatment after arriving at British military base
Police armed with Tasers had to quell disturbances involving migrants at a British military camp in Cyprus after tents were set on fire.
Some of the migrants – who are angry they are being forced to remain on the Mediterranean island and want permission to come directly to Britain – likened their detention to Guantanamo Bay.
'We are people, not animals,' one shouted.
A line of British police, some carrying Tasers and handcuffs, tried to block the path of one man who scaled a fence at RAF Dhekelia, which is the temporary home of 114 migrants who landed at another UK base on the island, RAF Akrotiri, in two boats a fortnight ago.
Up in flames: Migrants set fire to tents at the British Royal Air Force base in Dhekelia, Cyprus, in protest over their treatment after they landed at another RAF base on the island last month seeking asylum in Europe
The 67 men, 28 children and 19 women were bussed from RAF Akrotiri to the Dhekelia garrison near Larnaca last week.
Last night, it emerged 14 had been handed over to Cypriot authorities. However, the rest remain in limbo.
The disturbances happened on Monday night when tensions boiled over and two tents in the temporary facility on the base were set ablaze.
The migrants told the Mail that if the UK will not let them in, they should be permitted to go to Greece, their original destination, or another mainland European country.
The migrants, living in a fenced-off camp in Dhekelia, insist they do not want to remain in Cyprus and say they should be brought to the UK as they are on British soil.
Nov 4, 2015
SongStar101
Million Mask March London 2015 Live: Bonfire Night Chaos Ensues As Three Police Injured And Patrol Car Set Ablaze
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/11/05/million-mask-march-londo...
Three police officers were treated in hospital on Thursday after being injured during an anti-capitalist march which also resulted in a patrol car being torched.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators clad in Guy Fawkes masks descended on central London to protest capitalism and digital privacy incursions by state security services. Some 49 people were arrested and early in the evening police apprehended three men carrying knives, gas canisters and lock picks in Trafalgar Square.
One of the injured officers is believed to have been thrown from a police horse near Buckingham Palace. A police car at Green Park was set ablaze. Anarchists were later filmed jumping on and attacking the car.
Bonfire Night's 'Million Mask March' was organised by hacktivist collective 'Anonymous', and saw marches being held in 650 other cities across the globe.
Above, masked demonstrators pose with an 'A for anarchy' flag, blow thousands more gather outside National Gallery
Police ramped up numbers in a bid to curb violence and anti-social behaviour, but Scotland Yard told The Huffington Post UK that 49 people had been arrested, some three and a half hours after the demonstration was due to end.
27 of these were for public order offences, three for possession of an offensive weapon, two on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, while three others were arrested on separate counts of criminal damage, common assault and drug offences, respectively.
14 other attendees were also arrested, the Met confirmed.
November 5's annual festivities officially kicked off at 6pm on Thursday, with demonstrators carrying placards, including some saying: "One solution, revolution."
A curfew was issued for marchers, in anticipation that the event could turn violent, as had been the case in previous years.
Protester poses with police car set ablaze
Police-set protest confinements
Police only allowed static protest at three points - outside the National Gallery, opposite the Prime Minister's residence of 10 Downing Street and on the lawns outside the Houses of Parliament, which was the setting of Guy Fawkes' gun powder plot exactly 410 year ago today.
Chief Superintendent Pippa Mills spoke out about the event - also dubbed 'Operation November 5'.
She said: “This year we have strong reason to believe that peaceful protest is the last thing on the minds of many of the people who will come along.
Mills also claimed that in 2014 "hundreds of people on their way home from work, or out enjoying an evening in the capital, were surrounded by people causing them huge concern".
One protester dressed as Batman's 'The Joker'
But her comments were rebutted by the march's organisers in a statement on Facebook, who said the event was to call for a "positive change in the world".
"We have seen the abuses and malpractice of this government, and governments before it, we have seen the encroaching destruction of many civil liberties we hold dear," they wrote.
Demonstrators pose with a "we are not animals - don't cage us in" sign
"We have seen the pushes to make the internet yet another part of the surveillance state, we have seen the government's disregard for migrants, for the poor, the elderly and the handicapped.
"We have seen the capital, profit and greed of the few put before the well-being of the many and we say enough is enough."
A map of organised events taking place in conjunction across the globe
They invited fellow activists, workers, students, doctors and nurses - and "all those that want to see a positive change in the world", to join them on the November 5th march.
"The government and the 1% have played their hand," they concluded, adding: "Now it is time to play ours."
Nov 6, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3315796/Migration-crisis-tr...
Are Europe's open borders on the brink of collapse? EU leaders warn of 'race against time' to save passport free travel zone as migration crisis spirals out of control
The European Union is in a ‘race against time’ to stop the impending collapse of its border-free travel zone as its leaders admitted they had lost control.
Countries across Europe are poised to bring back checkpoints as one of the most senior EU officials admitted the ‘clock was ticking’ on the end of the Schengen Agreement.
Sweden slammed shut its borders warning it could no longer continue its tradition of welcoming migrants as it cannot cope with the vast numbers coming in.
European Council president Donald Tusk said it is a 'race against time' to save the EU's Schengen travel zone
A major migration summit this evening descended into an acrimonious farce as African leaders angrily rejected a deal to take back tens of thousands of failed asylum seekers and accused Europe of causing their problems. It came on a day of chaos as:
Sweden's prime minister Stefan Lofven today defended his decision to reintroduce passport checks, saying it was no longer possible to properly control the country's borders.
The Swedish move was seen as particularly significant as the Scandinavian country has been one of the most hospitable to migrants with the highest number per capita in any of Europe, but its officials said it is now over-stretched.
‘When our authorities tell us we cannot guarantee the security and control of our borders, we need to listen,’ Mr Lofven said.
‘We need to make sure that we have control... We have to make sure we know who is coming to Sweden.’
He called for an overhaul of the Schengen Agreement, saying the EU needed ‘to discuss what the rules should look like. We need another system. That is obvious.’
Leaders from a number of African nations were present at the conference to discuss migration with their European counterparts. Pictured left to right are Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande
Mr Tusk said the travel zone was destined to fail without radical action to secure Europe’s external border as he became the most senior EU leader to give such a pessimistic diagnosis.
‘Let there be no doubt, the future of Schengen is at stake and time is running out,’ the former Polish prime minister said.
‘The clock is ticking, we are under pressure, we need to act fast.
‘Saving Schengen is a race against time, and we are determined to win that race.’
Mr Tusk, who chairs the meetings of all 28 EU leaders, said urgent measures needed to be implemented. ‘This includes, first and foremost, restoring external border control,’ he said.
‘Without effective border control, the Schengen rules will not survive. We must hurry, but without panic.’
Danish prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said he had put in contingency plans so they could bring in border controls at a moment’s notice.
Nov 12, 2015
Tracie Crespo
www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/police-at-least-11-dead-in-violence-ar...
Police: At least 35 dead in Paris attacks; hostages taken
PARIS (AP) — At least 35 people were killed Friday in shootings and explosions around Paris, many of them in a popular concert hall where patrons were taken hostage, police and medical officials said.
A police official said 11 people were killed in a Paris restaurant in the 10th arrondissement, and others said at least twice that number died elsewhere, primarily in the Bataclan concert hall, where the hostages were taken. It was unclear how many people were in the hall; one official said there were around 100 while another said there were far fewer.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be publicly named in the quickly moving investigation.
Also late Friday, two explosions were heard outside the Stade de France stadium north of Paris during a France-Germany friendly football match.
A police official confirmed one explosion in a bar near the stadium. It was not known if there were casualties.
An Associated Press reporter in the stadium Friday night heard two explosions loud enough to penetrate the sounds of cheering fans. Sirens were immediately heard, and a helicopter was circling overhead.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be publicly named.
The attack comes as France has heightened security measures ahead of a major global climate conference that starts in two weeks, out of fear of violent protests and potential terrorist attacks.
Emilioi Macchio, from Ravenna, Italy, was at the Carillon bar near the restaurant that was targeted, having a beer on the sidewalk, when the shooting started. He said he didn't see any gunmen or victims, but hid behind a corner, then ran away.
"It sounded like fireworks," he said.
France has been on edge since deadly attacks by Islamic extremists in January on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a kosher grocery that left 20 dead, including the three attackers.
The restaurant targeted Friday, Le Carillon, is in the same general neighborhood as the Charlie Hebdo offices, as is the Bataclan, among the best-known venues in eastern Paris, near the trendy Oberkampf area known for a vibrant nightlife.
The country remains on edge after January attacks on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, which had caricatured the Prophet Muhammad, and a kosher grocery. The Charlie Hebdo attackers claimed links to extremists in Yemen, while the kosher market attacker claimed ties to the Islamic State group.
The country has seen several smaller-scale attacks or attempts since, including an incident on a high-speed train in August in which American travelers thwarted an attempted attack by a heavily armed man.
France's military is bombing Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq and fighting extremists in Africa, and extremist groups have frequently threatened France in the past.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Friday's attacks.
French authorities are particularly concerned about the threat from hundreds of French Islamic radicals who have travelled to Syria and returned home with skills to stage violence.
___
AP writers Greg Keller and Jerome Pugmire contributed to this story.
Nov 14, 2015
Tracie Crespo
www.rt.com/news/322488-nigeria-market-blast-yola/
32 dead, 80 injured in Nigeria market blast
“Thirty-two people were killed and 80 have been injured,” Reuters quoted a Red Cross official as saying., Another official from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Sa'ad Bello, later confirmed the same numbers of casualties.
It is still unclear who is responsible for the blast, but the armed group Boko Haram has carried out attacks on Yola in the past, including suicide bomber attacks and other bombings.
The blast was reported at around 8 pm local time.
“The explosion happened in the midst of a large crowd because the area houses a livestock market, an open-air eatery and a mosque,” AFP quoted Red Cross official Aliyu Maikano as saying. “Our main preoccupation now is to save the injured.”
One witness described the horrific aftermath of the scene: “The ground near my shop was covered with dead bodies. I helped to load 32 dead bodies into five vehicles,” witness Alhaji Ahmed told Reuters.
The suspected perpetrators, Boko Haram, have pledged allegiance to Islamic State and killed thousands of people in the northeastern part of the country during the last six years. The militant group is fighting for a state that would strictly adhere to Sharia law.
DETAILS TO FOLLOW
Nov 18, 2015
casey a
Protesters clashed with police over the weekend in the largest protests South Korea has seen in years
http://fusion.net/story/233357/south-korea-protests-president-park-...
PICTURES -- http://imgur.com/gallery/zVlXJ
Nov 18, 2015
Tracie Crespo
www.rt.com/usa/323728-colorado-springs-gunman-parenthood/
Gunman continues firing as active shooter situation near Colo. Springs PP nears 3rd hour
At least five victims have been brought to Penrose-St. Francis Hospital, while at least three patients have arrived at Memorial Hospital, KRDO reported. The conditions of the transportees have not been announced.
Three hostages have been rescued from a bathroom, police said on the scanner. Live feed from the site shows several people being taken into ambulances.
Nov 27, 2015
Tracie Crespo
https://www.rt.com/usa/324372-san-bernardino-active-shooter/
San Berbardino shooting: Search for suspects underway, 14 killed, 17 injured
Police aren't treating the incident as a terrorist attack so far.
“We are here to essentially assure that all the injured are extracted. Safety is the number one goal at this point,” David Bowdich, the assistant director of the FBI’s LA Field Office, said. “We do not know if this is a terrorist incident. So we start from the beginning… it may be, it may not be.”
Burguan later contradicted Bowdich’s assessment, however: “At the minimum, we have a domestic terrorist-type situation here,” the police chief said, noting that the three suspects “came in with a purpose, they came in to do something.”
One suspect is down, according to police spokesperson SGT Vicky Cervantes, but officers are still unsure if this person was related.
It is unclear if the suspects were still in the building by the time San Bernardino police arrived at the scene, followed shortly by “a massive mutual aid response from nearly every jurisdiction in the region,” the chief said.
“Our police officers have not engaged or exchanged gunfire with anyone,” Burguan added.
They may also be wearing body armor, Sergeant Vicki Cervantes, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino Police Department, told reporters.
The attackers also had long guns.
“It’s a very active scene,” Cervantes said. “It’s very fluid.”
Live feed from the location showed many injured people being helped by emergency services.
At least 14 people were wounded and are being treated in hospitals. Their conditions vary.
Witnesses told police that the shooters were wearing ski masks, KABC reported.
Police have found multiple “devices” in the building, according to scanner traffic.
Injured victims are being brought to Loma Linda University Medical Center. The emergency room there is in disaster mode and expecting an influx of patients, the hospital told KABC.
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center is also expecting to receive patients, KCBS reported.
There are 12 fatalities so far, sources told KABC.
Relatives of the people who are in the area have been arriving to the scene.
“She said, ‘shooting at my work, people shot, in the office waiting for cops. Pray for us. I am locked in an office.’”
Injured victims are being brought to Loma Linda University Medical Center. The emergency room there is in disaster mode and expecting an influx of patients, the hospital told KABC.
Loma Linda has received four adult patients and is expecting three more, the hospital confirmed to KNBC.
“Alarms went off in the building and they were told to shelter in place. Eventually they came over the PA system and told them that they were supposed to evacuate and go to a different area, and come out with nothing in their hands, with their hands up. Now they’re being loaded up into buses to be taken somewhere else, it appears to be interviews,” the father of a worker who was in the building told KABC.
Inland Regional Center is a nonprofit organization that works with individuals with developmental disabilities. It has nearly 670 staff members who provide services to more than 30,200 people with disabilities and their families in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, its Facebook page said.
“We’re not allowing anyone on the golf course. We got a big helicopter sitting in the middle of the Number 1 fairway,” golf club employee Tom Brown told the Los Angeles Times. “We’re several hundred yards away from the area. We can see fire and SWAT from here, but we’re not allowed to go any farther.”
The Los Angeles Emergency Operations Center has been activated to Level 1 and is monitoring the situation in San Bernardino, the city of LA’s Emergency Management Department.
DETAILS TO FOLLOW
Dec 3, 2015
casey a
I'm putting this here to put a light on the winds of change that is supporting Bernie Sanders. Note the average contribution to his campaign & how 99% of those contributed would contribute to his campaign again.
Jan 7, 2016
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3395246/Hundreds-far-right-...
Hundreds of far-right protesters rampage through German town, destroying ethnic restaurants and takeaways - hours after Merkel admits European migrant crisis is 'out of control'
Hundreds of anti-refugee rioters have gone on the rampage in the German city of Leipzig after a demonstration where they called for asylum seekers to be deported and their nation's borders closed.
The attacks come just hours after Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted that Europe had lost control of the crisis. The right-wingers broke away from a largely peaceful march in the eastern city to trash the suburb of Connewitz.
Doner kebab fast food stalls were destroyed, cars set ablaze and shop windows smashed by around 250 hooligans of LEGIDA - the local branch of PEGIDA, the anti-migrant, anti-EU organization which marched against the refugees earlier in the evening.
Doner kebab fast food stalls were destroyed, cars set ablaze and shop windows smashed by around 250 hooligans of Legida
Inside one of the doner kebab grills where some 250 masked hooligans attacked takeaway restaurants in Leipzig
At one point the demonstrators, who threw fireworks at police, attempted to build a barricade in a main street with signs and torn up paving stones before they were dispersed.
Firemen had to tackle a blaze in the attic of one building set alight by a wayward rocket fired by the rioters. A bus carrying leftist pro-asylum demonstrators was also attacked and seriously damaged.
Police said they have identified and arrested 211 of the crowd of right-wing hooligans, many of them with criminal records for violence.
'This was a serious breach of the peace,' said a police spokesman, confirming that several police officers were injured in the clashes triggered by simmering anger over the New Year's Eve mass sex attacks against women in Cologne and several other German cities.
'Rape Refugees stay away' was one of the banners carried during the march, the wording above a silhouette of women running from knife-wielding attackers, one of whom resembled a caricature from Aladdin.
Earlier in the day Mrs. Merkel said; 'Now all of a sudden we are facing the challenge that refugees are coming to Europe and we are vulnerable, as we see, because we do not yet have the order, the control, that we would like to have.'
She also said the euro was 'directly linked' to freedom of movement in Europe, adding: 'Nobody should act as though you can have a common currency without being able to cross borders reasonably easily.'
Merkel said that if countries did not allow their borders to be crossed without much difficulty, the European single market would 'suffer acutely' - meaning that Germany, at the centre of the European Union and its largest economy, should fight to defend freedom of movement.
Jan 12, 2016
casey a
Thousands march for Bernie, blame media for 'nearly nonexistent' coverage
https://www.rt.com/usa/329996-march-bernie-sanders-media/
Several cities had marches..
Jan 25, 2016
SongStar101
Tear gas, clashes, broken windows: Anti-labor reform protesters rally across France
https://www.rt.com/news/337851-france-protest-labour-reform/
Police have used tear gas to disperse activists in Paris who are protesting new labor reforms. In the city of Nantes demonstrators tried to storm the town hall and smash windows.
Scores of people have taken to the streets across France to once again voice their anger against recently proposed labor reforms. The demonstrators have reportedly clashed with police officers.
Students are rallying against labor law reforms recently proposed by Labor Minister Myriam El Khomri. The French authorities are desperately trying to battle high unemployment in the country, and have suggested cutting overtime pay for work beyond 35 hours.
Employers would pay only 10 percent of overtime bonus, instead of the current 25 percent, according to proposed reforms.
The protests were partially organized by a Facebook community called ‘Loi travail: non, merci’ (Labor reform: No, thanks). Arguing that the reforms concern all French citizens, the group has started a petition, which has so far been signed by over one million people.
Earlier, French President Francois Hollande said the reforms would help employees “have more job stability.”
“We must also give companies the opportunity to recruit more, to give job security to young people throughout their lives, and to provide flexibility for companies,” he said.
In the city of Nantes protesters have smashed the windows of local shops and the city hall, photos on social media show.
In Paris the protest started in Place de la Nation, the same place where previous anti-labor rallies took place. The demonstrators threw bottles with flammable liquid and stones at police officers.
“Everyone hates the police,” the protesters were shouting.
At least two protesters have been beaten by police officers in the city of Lille, according to photo reporter Julien Pitinome, who tweeted a picture of the incident.
The protesters in Lille also started a fire during the rally, local media said.
The head of the General Confederation of Labor, Philippe Martinez, promised "an enormous number of people" would take to the streets on Thursday.
"All workers are directly affected by the labor reform bill," he said.
Several arrests have been made during the protests, BFMTV reported, citing police sources.
----------------------------
Thousands take to streets in France to protest labor reform
http://www.theolympian.com/news/business/article69158187.html
PARIS
Tens of thousands of workers and youths took to the streets of France to protest, sometimes violently, a government reform meant to make it easier to hire and fire employees and to relax the country's strict 35-hour workweek.
As train drivers, teachers and others went on strike, student organizations and seven employee unions combined to condemn the Socialist government's bill, which they argue will badly erode hard-won worker protections.
"It's shocking that a Socialist government introduced this law," said Zoe Farre, 23, during a peaceful gathering in the driving rain in central Paris. About 28,000 people marched in Paris' streets, according to the police.
The government and businesses claim the reforms would help the economy and reduce unemployment, which is at a high 10 percent, by making it easier for companies to take on — and lay off — workers.
Farre, who is unemployed, said she understood the argument that more flexibility means more jobs, but she had doubts about the kinds of jobs officials were talking about. "It's going to be like the U.K. where you're on a zero-hour contract or like the U.S. where they make you hold a sign in the street and call it a job", she said.
Eric Beynel, spokesman for the Solidaires union, said "the reality is that it's already easy for companies to lay off their workers," referring to an administrative process that allows companies to pay off an employee.
Deborah Boke, a 26-year-old school worker, said she was "totally against this law."
Boke, who said she was going into teaching after struggling to find work after her master's degree, accused the government of "doing the opposite of what it was elected for. The exact opposite."
Earlier in the day, a few dozen protesters that were mostly hooded or wearing masks broke off a peaceful student demonstration in eastern Paris to hurl paint bombs at banks and stores. Some smashed cash machines with bats or set of off smoke canisters while confronting the police.
Clashes also broke out between a small group of young protesters and the police in the cities of Nantes, Rennes and Toulouse.
The strike affects public transports, schools, public hospitals and state-owned broadcasters. It is not affecting Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport, though 20 percent of flights at Paris' Orly airport have been canceled.
State railway company SNCF has warned of disruptions to national and regional train traffic. International lines to London and Brussels are not affected.
Paris' Eiffel tower is closed all day. The company operating the monument said in a statement there are not enough staff to open the tower with "sufficient security and reception conditions".
"We are quite disappointed because we are here only for three days," said Zsolt Bencze, a tourist from Hungary who had already booked tickets to visit the tower. "So now we are planning to visit the Louvre. I hope it's open and not closed due to some strikes or something."
The government proposal technically maintains the 35-hour workweek but allows companies to organize alternative working times. Those include a workweek of up to 48 hours and 12-hour days. In "exceptional circumstances," employees could work up to 60 hours a week.
The bill is to be debated in parliament in April.
Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/news/business/article69158187.html#story...
Mar 31, 2016
Howard
Mass Fish Deaths Breath Life into Vietnam Protest Movement (May 22)
A massive fish kill along a 208-kilometer stretch of north-central Vietnamese coast in April has awakened a new emerging middle class of citizens who are willing to take a stand about environmental issues.
In a rare display of disobedience in this closely policed communist state, thousands of protesters have crowded the tree-lined boulevards of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in recent weeks to demand better environmental protections, bearing signs that read “Justice 4 Fish” and “Save Our Seas.”
Police, who warned the protesters to stay home, have arrested dozens of them, as a state-run broadcaster reported that “reactionary forces” were attempting to overthrow the government. Social-media platforms including Facebook and Instagram were interrupted during the protests, which activists attributed to the authorities.
The tension comes ahead of a landmark visit by U.S. President Barack Obama to Vietnam that is aimed in part at drumming up support here for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, which includes stronger environmental safeguards among its provisions. Over 140,000 people have signed a petition created on a White House website urging Mr. Obama to raise the dead-fish issue with Vietnam’s leaders next week.
Sources
http://www.wsj.com/articles/vietnams-dead-fish-breathe-life-into-pr...
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/president-obama-leaves-wee...
http://atimes.com/2016/05/vietnams-mass-fish-kill-isnt-simply-an-en...
May 23, 2016
SongStar101
Riot police crack down on Paris protests against labour reforms
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/26/riot-police-crack-down...
Thousands of protesters turn out on streets of French capital as refineries and nuclear power stations across the country come to a halt
Riot police arrested 16 people and fired teargas in violent clashes with protesters marching in Paris as striking workers continued to blockade refineries and nuclear power stations in an escalating stand-off over labour reforms.
Tens of thousands of people marched across France in protest against François Hollande’s planned labour bill, which aims to make it easier for companies to hire and fire workers and was forced through parliament without a vote this month following more than ten weeks of protests.
Police fired teargas at about 100 people on the edge of a protest march through Paris. Several masked people charged shop windows, smashing them, and cars were damaged near the route of the march. There were skirmishes at Place de la Nation as riot officers cordoned off protesters, some of whom complained of heavy-handed policing.
May 27, 2016
SongStar101
Civil Unrest Explodes In Berlin - Over 3500 People Riot Against Police
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-11/civil-unrest-explodes-berl...
The biggest and most violent protest in Germany erupted in Berlin over the weekend exactly with our models calling for an explosion in civil unrest.
Some 1800 police were called in and at least 120 policemen were injured in what is becoming a street battle. This has been the most aggressive and violent protest in Germany for the past five years.
Protesters were throwing bottles, cobblestones and fireworks, as well as they destroyed cars in addition to attacking police officers. It appears at least 3,500 rioters took part in the uprising and possibly more than 4,000.
The protest is against police operations and involved mostly young people who have risen up against the police operations in the Riga street area. Protesters wore black hoods carrying banners with slogans like “Riga defend 94” and “Housing solidarity against state terror.”
The demonstration went on with the crowd chanting repeatedly: “Bullenschweine get out of Riga!” Demonstrators were throwing firecrackers and police fired back with tear gas. The police also called in air support using helicopters and they had to call in for reinforcements from Bavaria, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and the Federal Police.
Interior Senator Frank Henkel (CDU) announced that the police will also be present at night after the demonstration, so riots and arson attacks should be stopped...calling the riot a "leftist orgy of violence."
With September's elections looming we suspect the tensions will only get worse.
Jul 13, 2016
Starr DiGiacomo
Hundreds Arrested as St. Paul, Baton Rouge Protesters Turn Violent
SUN, JUL 10 · CLIP 7 of 8
Protesters hurled Molotov cocktails, fireworks and glass bottles at police during demonstrations Saturday in response to recent officer-involved shootings of black men.
http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/hundreds-arrested-as-st-p...
Jul 14, 2016
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3692693/Turkish-military-la...
'We have taken control': Turkish military open fire on civilians as they launch coup to depose Islamist government – while President Erdogan 'hides in a hotel room' and Facetimes a TV station to urge his supporters to fight for him
President Erdogan has flown into Istanbul amid government claims that the Turkish military coup has failed.
The president is believed to have flown from Dalaman on board the government Gulfstream IV jet to Ataturk airport, which had earlier been seized by members of the military.
However, reinforcements in tanks were blocked from the area by unarmed civilians who lay down in front of the heavy armour.
Despite claims the civilian government had regained control, reports from near the parliament said tanks had opened fired and blasted the building.
There are also reports of explosions at the airport.
Police and soldiers have exchanged fire in Taksim square in Istanbul.
A number of soldiers have been taken into custody.
Earlier, the Turkish military killed 17 police officers in the first reported fatalities in the army's bid to overthrow the Islamic government of Recep Erdogan.
The state-run Anadolu agency said the victims died at the special forces headquarters in Ankara.
Earlier there were reports that he building had been attacked by helicopters.
Elsewhere troops have opened fire on civilians attempting to cross the river Bosporus in Istanbul in protest to the military coup.
Soldiers seized strategic locations across Istanbul and Ankara in an effort to overthrow the Islamic president Recep Erdogan.
Also, a bomb has hit the parliament building according to the state's press agency as the security situation in the country becomes more perilous.
Several police officers and parliament workers were wounded as an explosion ripped though the building.
An eyewitness claimed the blast was 'massive' and shook nearby buildings.
Intelligence sources close to Erdogan claim the situation is back under control while factions in the military insist they are now in charge of the county.
Amid the continuing chaotic scenes, soldiers have taken control of the headquarters of the Dogan Media Group. A journalist broadcasting live on the station said she did not know how much longer she will be able to continue on the air.
17 police are believed to have died after military helicopters attacked their headquarters building in central Ankara, pictured
A man lay down in front of a tank on the approach to Ataturk airport in Istanbul as citizens took to the streets to oppose the military coup
The man then stood up and took off his shirt in an effort the present the tank from taking position in the airport
Jul 16, 2016
KM
http://www.neonnettle.com/news/1574-germany-joins-france-as-citizen...
Germany is now joining France in the enormous build up to civil War as right-wing radicalization takes hold as a result of the migrant crisis and the recent Terrorist attacks. Street fighting has now erupted in Germany with citizens clashing with police across several german cities.
Speisa.com reports: In a build-up to what might end in a regular civil war, Germany now warns of a massive right-wing radicalization due to the migrant crisis - as street fighting and clashes erupt between left-wing and right-wing demonstrators in several German cities.
The migrant and refugee crisis has led to that right-wing extremists are mobilizing in Germany, warns the German security services BfV.
- What we see in connection with the refugee crisis is that right-wing extremists are mobilizing in the streets, but also that the radical left mobilize against them, says Hans-Georg Maassen, chief of Bundesamts für Verfassungsschutz (BfV), to German radio on Sunday.
The extreme groups show a greater willingness to use violence, he informs. This applies to both right-wing radicals, anti-racists (fascists) on the left, and Islamists.
On Saturday night, police and soldiers had to protect two buses with 100 immigrants and refugees who were taken to a reception center in the town of Niederau in the east German state of Saxony. Protesters gathered at the reception center, a former supermarket.
Demonstrations against refugees and immigrants gathered over 1,000 people in several towns in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on Friday.
In the coastal town of Stralsund, three people were wounded in clashes with counter-demonstrators. Also in Leipzig, regular street fights between demonstrators from left and right erupted.
So far this year there have been 22 attempts to set fire to reception centers, including reception centers which had not yet been taken into use, according to Maassen.
But not only the extreme groups protest the out-of-control migrant situation.
In Dresden, tens of thousands of ordinary Germans, men, women and children, gathered in the city center to peacefully protest this week.
Jul 23, 2016
Tracie Crespo
www.abcnews.go.com/US/charlotte-protest-turns-violent-riot-gear-wea...
Charlotte Protest Turns Violent, Governor Declares State of Emergency and Deploys National Guard
By DAVID CAPLAN
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Sep 22, 2016, 3:02 AM ETWATCH Charlotte Rocked by Second Night of Violence, 1 Protester Shot as State of Emergency Declared
A prayer vigil in honor of Keith Lamont Scott turned violent Wednesday night in Charlotte, North Carolina, prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency, as riot gear-wearing police fired tear gas at demonstrators who threw bottles at police, blocked an interstate, threw objects at passing cars, jumped on vehicles, looted businesses, vandalized a Hyatt hotel and attacked its employees.
And one of the protesters was in critical condition and on life support after being shot by another civilian.
Four police officers sustained non-life threatening injuries, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department tweeted early Thursday morning.
"Governor Pat McCrory has declared a State of Emergency upon the request Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney," read a statement from the governor's office. "The governor has also initiated efforts to deploy the North Carolina National Guard and the State Highway Patrol to assist local law enforcement."
Earlier in the evening, Gov. McCrory said, "Upon a very recent request of Chief Putney, the State Highway Patrol is sending in troopers to further help the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department."
Also on their way to Charlotte are officials from the White House and the Department of Justice, according to ABC affiliate WSOC, citing mayor Jennifer Roberts.
And the North Carolina NAACP State Conference said in a statement that it "will be in Charlotte to talk with the family, key members of the community and City leaders" on Thursday, followed by a press conference in the afternoon.
Roy Cooper, North Carolina's attorney general said in statement, "Violence will not bring justice ... We must come together as a community to get answers and find a better path forward."
WSOC reported that looters hit a Charlotte Hornets team store, which the NBA team confirmed. The Hyatt House hotel in the city's downtown also said protesters broke the property's windows and attacked two employees.
The protesters' wrath extended into cyberspace, as well: WSOC reported that the city of Charlotte's website had been hacked Wednesday evening.
Before midnight, protesters descended upon Interstate 277, which they blocked. According to WSOC, protesters also threw objects at passing vehicles.
Keith Lamont Scott is the armed man who was fatally shot by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police at an apartment complex Tuesday. His wife issued a statement Wednesday afternoon addressing the protesters, and urging them to exercise restraint against law enforcement officers.
"As a family, we respect the rights of those who wish to protest, but we ask that people protest peacefully," the statement read. "Please do not hurt people or members of law enforcement, damage property or take things that do not belong to you in the name of protesting.”
And governor Pat McCrory said in a statement Wednesday night, "Any violence directed toward our citizens or police officers or destruction of property should not be tolerated."
Hundreds of protesters Wednesday night shouted slogans, including "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" and "Black Lives Matter" while filling the streets of downtown Charlotte.
At least one person was injured in the confrontation, though it wasn't immediately clear how, according to The Associated Press. Firefighters rushed in to pull the man to a waiting ambulance, the AP reported.
Sep 22, 2016