Palestine: weekly resistance report

From Ilan Against the Wall (slightly edited in format only):

The struggle of the Bedouins within Israel against the mass transfer since the 1948 war expand to the whole of Israel and even to the areas conquered in the 1967. In addition to the regular locations of joint struggle in the 1967 areas: Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Ma'asarah, Nabi Saleh, Qaddum, Sheikh Jarah, and South of Hebron hills the Bedouins struggle drew more and more activists of the anarchists against the wall. The Arakib village struggle expand immensely with the Praver plan as the focus. Preparations for the August one actions are in vigor. Previous Saturday, a big joint demo in Rahat - the biggest town of the Bedouin region tens of thousands already transfered to: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=629028177115694
After the demo many activist traveled to the Al-Arakib village already demolished more than 50 times in the last three years.
The village of Al-Arakib was re-built

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KTxdd7IG_Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3crZgJ5U0AA

Demonstration against the demolition of the village Al-Araqib. for 3 years this village was demolished again and again and was rebuilt. On Saturday we stood in solidarity with the village people.
Following the first 'Day of Rage' against the planned uprooting of tens of thousands of Palestinian Bedouin in the Naqab (Negev) on July 15, Palestinian activists inside Israel have called a second 'Day of Rage' for August 1. On July 15, thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel along with Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and regional refugee camps, held numerous demonstrations against the so-called Prawer Plan being advanced by the Israeli government. Protesters marched, blocked roads, and were violently dispersed by security services (including several arrests). This second 'Day of Rage' promises to be even bigger, as Palestinians assert their opposition to a plan condemned just this week by UN human rights chief Navi Pillay.

Ma'asarah

Friday July 26. Tracking and detention of Palestinian activists // Call for access to water During the weekly protest, on the third Friday of the Holy month of Ramadan, Israeli Forces detained Mahmoud Aladeen (27), member of the Popular Struggle Committee and tracked Mahmoud Zwahre (42), coordinator of the PSC, after questioning him and holding his car for couple hours. As Zwahre was arriving in the village in his car, police border officer immediately recognized him and stopped him for questioning. Zwahre found a way to escape but he was then hunted down for an hour, soldiers entering and searching houses. Aladeen, who was with him in the car, could not get away and was detained for three hours.
The march started after the noon prayer, calling to end the Israeli occupation and its unequal exploitation of West Bank resources, focusing on access to water. For the past two month, there is not a single drop of water reaching Al Ma’asara and other villages of southern West Bank. Despite the high temperature and the particular circumstances of Ramadan, most of Palestinian villages and towns don’t have access to the necessary quantity of water and some are completely deprived.
The Local Council of South Bethlehem area requested Israeli authorities’ explanation about the restrictions on water; they were retorted that the PA is gathering all water resources toward the main cities of Bethlehem, Alhul and Hebron. But from the PA perspective the blame rests on the Israeli authorities who monopolize water for the welfare of illegal settlements.

Bil'in
Today Friday 26.07.2013 - In the demo participated an Italian Parliamentary delegation led by Luisa Morgantini (former vice president of the European parliament). Members of the PSC gave a comprehensive explanation about the Israeli violations in Bil’in for the past eight years; and they explain the strategy of the popular resistance in Palestine.
The march started after Friday prayers from the center of the village toward the Apartheid wall protecting Modiin settlement. The participants: dozen of the AATW initiative, two dozen internationals, and Palestinian villagers raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans calling to end the occupation, to demolish the Apartheid wall and to free Palestinian political prisoners. As soon as the march reached the area near the wall, Israeli soldiers, protected behind the wall, fired rubber bullets, tear gas and sound grenades at demonstrators.
Two were injured during Bil'in weekly protest. Journalist Haitham al-Khatib (37) was hit by a tear gas canister in his back clearly aimed at him by Israeli soldiers; "in the weekly demonstration against the wall, the Israeli army threw tear gas directly at protesters. I was hit by a tear gas canister while I was taking pictures. One other protester was shot at the leg with a rubber coated steel bullet and lots of people suffered from the inhalation of the gas" and Mahmoud Samara (18) was injured by a rubber bullet in his leg. Both are reported to be well now. In addition, it was few cases of suffocation after inhaling tear gas were reported.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBq0NbZoWTc

NABI SALEH
From early morning, Nabi Saleh was declared by the Israeli military as a “closed military zone“. The weekly protest of Nabi Saleh, headed mainly by women and children, calls to end Israeli occupation, and focused today on the prisoners’ issue. Activists chanted slogans in support for the Palestinians prisoners in Israeli prisons, for the hunger strikers among them Abadallah Barghouti and Muhamed Rimawi.

The group marched from the center of the village and attempted to reach the spring which was confiscated by the nearby settlement of Halamish. But as every Friday, the Israeli Forces attacked the non violent protest with a massive use of tear gas and rubber bullets. No injuries were reported.
Regardless, the Popular Struggle Committees will never stop their struggle against the Israeli occupation.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.597885930255891.1073741855.113817528662736

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.665712480124516.1073741827.218774474818321

David Reeb http://youtu.be/H-YYEAFFf9Y

Ni'lin
26 07 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBq0NbZoWTc

Qaddum
Friday, June 26, 2013, weekly demonstration in the West bank village Qaddum - located east of Qalqiliya, against the permanent road block preventing free access to the regional town Nablus, the occupation and the encroaching settlements. There have been regular demonstrations in Kfer Qaddum since July, 2011, protesting the blocking of the main road east of the village which used to link it to Nablus.
During the demonstration in the village Shabab throws stones at an army bulldozer invading village.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=204140209750238

Yotam Ronen https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=674705719210878

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_ePqLr-u6c

Chile: torturer physicians' list is made public

A list with the names of 36 physicians who tortured political prisoners under Pinochet's Fascist-Thatcherist regime has come to light. Many of them still exert their profession freely. 

The full list is available in Spanish language at WPChile and Webguerrillero.

USA: fast food workers on strike

US fast food workers can barely bring food to their families because of the very low salaries ($7.5 per hour) they are paid. Therefore they have gone on strike demanding a 100% pay rise with important demonstrations taking place in all the major cities of the USA.

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

USA: Hanford leaks 150 Kg (330 lbs) of uranium to the Columbia River every year

The troubled Handford facility in NW USA is leaking 330 lbs (~150 Kg) of uranium to the Columbia river per year.

The specific source is the so-called "300 Area", where uranium was milled and plutonium processed in WWII and the Cold War.

→ EneNews.

Tunisia: popular uprising escalates, Army moves to isolate Islamist-controlled Parliament

The Tunisian Army has intervened to "protect" the Parliament, sealing Bardo Plaza with barbed wire. 

Protesters remain undeterred and have regrouped in nearby areas of the capital. They demand the resignation of the Islamist government, which they held responsible of the recent murders of Left-wing politicians. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].


Update: uh-oh, if you dig enough, Al-Jazeera has some information also... just that very much hidden from the first page (unlike the Islamist-biased info on Egypt, which is always lead story no matter what).

For example they admit that the demonstrators amount to tens of thousands, what, considering the strong Islamist bias of the Qatari site, probably means hundreds of thousands...  saying also that the government is about to fall, as a minor partner, Ettakatol, is threatening to withdraw from the coalition.

A video of some of the protests can be seen here.

North America: two killed by police

In Canada, the Toronto Police shot dead Sammy Yatim, 18, who was apparently holding a knife. He was shot nine times: first three shots and then six others. The video do not show Yatim, whose sight is hidden by a bus, but the sound of the shots can be heard perfectly.

The cowardly and murderous excessive use of force has been strongly criticized by a citizenry that feels defenseless against the police forces. A march of protest was held yesterday. 

In the USA, John Warna, 95, was killed by police, using a taser and rubber bullets, at the elderly residence where he lived. The old man apparently threatened nurses with his walking stick and may have got his hands on a knife later.

It is simply unbelievable that police could not imagine other means to deal with the rebellious 95 years-old man, who could hardly pose any threat, even if armed. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es] (link 1, link 2).

Fukushima nuclear catastrophe: nuclear fire (video)

What seems to be the remains of reactor 3 developed a fire yesterday or the day before (unsure), as it is very apparent in this security camera video:

Visually it would seem to be reactor number 3 but the automatic translation of a Japanese news site provided by Fukushima Emergency... reads:

According to the leak of TEPCO officials, current, Unit 4 and Unit 3 and Unit 2 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, further, is that the site and its surrounding facilities, nuclear fuel and are beginning to burn.

What seems to imply that all three southern units are burning, although I cannot confirm this yet. 

Source: Fukushima Emergency... (link 1, link 2).

India recognizes dolphins as non-human persons

I very much welcome this development. India has a long tradition of respect for all forms of life and particularly animals, which are in many cases integrated in the Hinduist religion and enjoying this or that kind of protection therefore. But unlike cows or monkeys, dolphins, belonging to the sea, never before were integrated in any meaningful way and yet they are (at least some dolphin species) some of the most intelligent beings on Earth, which may only lack a civilization for less important reasons such as the lack of hands or the impossibility to set up a fire in the water, not for lack of intelligence nor sensibility.

The main practical effect of this new legislation is a ban on dolphinariums, which are equivalent to human slavery. Dolphin slaves usually come from violent hunts in Japan, Russia or other Pacific Ocean countries.

"They drive groups of dolphins into shallow bay areas where young females whose bodies are unmarked and are thought to be suitable for display are removed. The rest are often slaughtered."

Dolphins know well that they are being held captive and the narrow confines of even the best aquarium can only drive them depressed and even mad, hurting themselves in desperate attempts to swim away from their prison. 

There have been large animal rights demonstration in India, especially in the city of Kochi, where a new dolphin circus was to be opened. The result is this legislation which follows the spirit of the Helsinki declaration of cetacean rights. 

An issue that remains open is the most delicate situation of the Ganges dolphin, one of the few freshwater species, which is seriously endangered.

Source: DW.

Tunisia: protests and riots after second murder of Left leader

Protests and riots took over Tunis and the mining towns of Sidi Bouzid and Meknassi after Mohamed Brahmi was murdered by Islamists. In February another communist, Chokri Belaid, was also murdered with the same weapon, it seems. 

These crimes aggravate the confrontation between the revolutionary opposition and the reactionary Islamists (Enhada) in power, which practice brutal neoliberalism. 

The protesters in Tunis demanded the resignation of the government and new elections but the Prime Minister Ali Larayedh rejected this possibility, although he announced presidential elections for the end of 2013.

The main labor union, the UGTT, called for a general strike and warned that these murders will lead the country to a bloodbath.

In Sidi Bouzid the demonstrators set fire barricades and also burned down the see of the ruling party, something that also happened in the nearby town of Meknassi. Police attacked them with tear gas. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es] (link 1, link 2).

Wallmapu: Mapuche People take what is theirs

In several areas of Ngulu Mapu (Mapuche Country) the people are taking what is collectively theirs and was robbed by the imperialist Chilean state and their colonial private agents since 1880.

The recuperation includes private ranches, forest plantations and lands attributed to the state. The Chilean media has remained silent.

Source: Borroka Garaia Da![es] (incl. video).

Germany: yet another immigrant slave-labor scandal

Romanian and Bulgarian citizens have seen themselves forced as quasi-slave labor for years in the meat industry of Germany. 

The slave master is Wiesenhof, a major meat corporation based in Bremen, who established a de facto concentration camp in the most incredible Nazi style in a rural area near this city. This are the living quarters of the workers: barracks surrounded by barbed wire and tightly watched by security guards, who impede anyone from entering or leaving. 

We woke up at two in the morning and worked until five in the afternoon, says a Romanian worker. Maybe they needed us again at seven and woke us up...

They had us controlled every second, even entered the quarters to see if we were sleeping, explains another worker. She was one of the denouncers and was threatened: don't you fear to go to an attorney and explain what happens, warned her boss, I say because maybe you go out there and a car runs over you, or maybe someone beats you to death and buries your body in the middle of nowhere, several meters away from your head.

Salaries? 600-700 euros.

This is not the first such scandal: Spanish nurses were deceived[es] into a similar meat industry arrangement but they refused the job, a similar situation affecting this time to Polish workers was denounced[de] weeks ago, and yet another similar case affecting Spanish workers of Amazon Inc. was denounced months ago[es].

It seems a widespread and growing problem that makes me wonder if this is the European Union that Germany wants: a IV Reich?

Sources: Webguerrillero[es], Das Erste[de].

NSA police regime scandal: Greenwald confirms Snowden's reports

Glenn Greenwald

NSA analyst Glenn Greenwald admits that the powerful spy agency can do almost anything in your computer:

Greenwald said the existence of these analyst search programs are in line with the claims of Edward Snowden, who first leaked details of the NSA's surveillance programs last month.

 

"It's an incredibly powerful and invasive tool, exactly of the type that Mr. Snowden described," Greenwald said.

NSA Director Gen. Keith Alexander and House Intelligence leaders have previously downplayed Snowden's access to NSA data. Greenwald said the revelation of this search capability deserves a response from NSA officials.

"NSA officials are going to be testifying before the Senate on Wednesday, and I defy them to deny that these programs work exactly as I just said," Greenwald said.

Greenwald also called on lawmakers to push for more information about the NSA's surveillance programs.

"The real issue here is that what the NSA does is done in complete secrecy. Nobody really monitors who they are eavesdropping on," Greenwald said. "So the question of abuse is one that the Congress ought to be investigating much more aggressively."

Excerpted from a Yahoo! News article. 

Syria: more and more rebels accept amnesty, government clearly winning now - Kurdish viewpoint also

Hundreds of former rebels have already accepted the amnesty offered by the Damascus regime, disillusioned by the reality of Islamist-controlled areas, where the most brutal terror reigns. 

The Baath government seems to be winning the civil war and has offered amnesty and dialogue to those rebels who surrender. The process of negotiation in the front lines is however intrinsically difficult. 

Relatives of good-faith rebels are very concerned because they feel that, if they fail to surrender they will probably lose their lives in the last battles of a war that now seems clearly won by Damascus. 

What remains to be seen is if the Damascus government can also win peace in the new context of widespread demand for human rights and democracy. Something they already have: Syria has a much more advanced social state than any other neighbor. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es], citing the Daily Telegraph.


Kurds on Syrian war: a controlled chaos

In an interview published this weekend in Gara[es], Western Kurdish leaders Asia Abdullah and Salih Muslim (pictured), gave their opinion on the Syrian conflict from the Kurdish viewpoint.

They emphasize that the situation of the Kurdish people in the Syrian state is peculiar and that they have no friends in either side. Therefore they favored a peaceful revolution and took a self-defense stand, which is a de facto self-rule at the moment. However they argue that they have no declared nor plan to declare an autonomous region but just attend the daily needs of their people in the midst of this chaos and international blockade.

They confirm that Assad is winning the war because the opposition is dramatically fragmented and weak, being dependent in the military aspect on the Islamists, who have the weapons and manpower.

They believe that the Syrian conflict is a controlled chaos promoted by the West (France, USA) in order to weaken the region even further. Other actors like Turkey and Iran have their own interests (Islamists and Government respectively).

They feel very skeptic about the possibility of a peace agreement in North Kurdistan (under Turkish administration) because, much as happens in the Basque Country, the rebel side has taken all steps while the imperialist authorities remain anchored in immobility. They say: the ball is now in the Ankara's court and they must choose whether to belong to the Middle East or vanish.

More in general, they propose and promote Radical Democracy as actual solution for the ethnic and other conflicts in the whole region. This Radical Democracy would essentially decentralize power so each community can take their own decisions. It is, they say, a more developed version of the concept of Democracy in total harmony with the recen social movements of Europe.

NSA police regime: your user passwords are also being released to the cops

Internet corporations are releasing all kind of private information to the NSA or FBI cops including passwords and other secret elements such as encryption codes and encryption seeds (SALT), etc.

That way they can access your accounts and even supplant you. 

Of all companies questioned by CNET, only Google declared to have never given away such data, adding that they have an attorney team to deal with such issues. 

Microsoft neither confirmed nor denied but said that, would they do it they would not reveal passwords, SALT codes nor encryption algorithms.

All the rest (Apple, Facebook, AOL, Verizon, AT&T, Time Warner Cable y Comcast) declined to comment, what amounts to a "yes". The FBI also declined to comment. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es], citing Russia Today.

Brazil: protests against public waste for Pope's visit

There have been a number of large protests in Brazil against the propaganda visit by that king of nowhere they call Pope, some Bergoglio posh jesuit who collaborated with the fascist terror in Argentina and now pretends to be a saint with the help of media lies. 

The focus in Brazil is anyhow public resource waste, with millions being spent in this visit that serves nobody but the sectarian vultures. 

It is the same as with football or the Olympic Games: instead of using public money for what is needed: public services, agrarian reform, housing, jobs... it is wasted in ridiculous populist activities with no purpose. 

Police employed themselves violently against the masses, as in this image where they use a taser gun against a citizen.

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Greece: immigrant dies after being neglected in concentration camp

The unbearable shame of concentration camps for immigrants in Europe has become even worse with a death caused by criminal neglect. 

From From the Greek Streets:

Migrant from Afghanistan dies in Athens hospital after long-term neglect in the hands of the police

Mohammad Hassan, a migrant from Afghanistan, had been detained in the concentration camp of Corinth since September 2012. Despite the fact that he repeatedly complained about the pain he was suffering, his pleas were completely ignored and he received no medical help. Only on July 2, Mohammad was finally transferred to the Sismanogleio hospital in Athens. He died at the hospital on July 27. 

The doctors had diagnosed him with a respiratory infection, which would point at pneumonia or another similar infection.

Latest from Fukushima radioactive 'black hole'

Just a few of the many reports I read in the last days:

→ 6/10 evacuees died of leukemia (FEWCWD).

→ Fukushima radiation levels as high as in 2011 (FEWCWD).

→ 2.35 trillion Bq/m³ (cesium only) in seaside trench of reactor #2 (Fukushima Diary).

→ Extremely radioactive water leaking directly to the Ocean (Energy News).

The nightmare continues.

Bilbao: empty building occupied for homes

The number 13th of Ribera Street (pictured), abandoned for years, was occupied yesterday by people in need of a home.

The building is located in the Old Quarter (Alde Zarra) of Bilbao, Basque Country. 

In their communication, the squatters denounced the city model, oriented to tourism and big companies, what pushes most people to precariousness (temporary jobs, no collective agreements, low salaries) and the near-impossibility to have a decent home (or a living in general). 

They denounce the speculators and the corrupt politicians, who push the people to joblessness, homelessness and even lack of a decent education.

We are tired of getting just the crumbs, they say. And, after recalling the long European squatter tradition, they declare:

We cannot waste any more time, we have to take the future in our hands. We have occupied this building with a clear intention: to create a space for all the people and with open doors to learn how to take the reins of our own lives. 

Sources[es/eu]: Borroka Garaia Da!, Elkartzen.

Italy: racist attacks against Congo-born minister

Some days ago in Cervia, a small group of Nazis threw bananas to the Italian minister of Integration, Cécile Kyenge (pictured), born in Congo.

However much worse was that in the previous days, notorious politicians of the North League (secessionist and racist even towards Southern Italians), threw outrageously racist attacks against Kyenge. 

First a former councilor, Dolores Valandro, using Facebook, asked for someone to rape Kyenge, after she defended the immigrant community from generalized attacks upon an isolated rape crime. Valandro was expelled from the party and sentenced to 13 months of prison and three years of political disqualification for inciting to commit sex crimes on racist grounds. 

Then, on July 13th, the vice-president of the Senate and former minister under Berlusconi, Roberto Calderoli, compared Kyenge with an orangutan, raising demand of resignation by the majority of the chamber (to no avail).

Source: Público[es].

Basque Country: Nazi alert in Bilbao

This armed (and truly dangerous) man who looks so much like Sylvester Stallone is a well known Nazi from Valladolid (Castile), plays the guitar in the Nazi music band "Más que palabras" ("More than just words") and is suspect of several violent aggressions in his hometown and in Santander. He's known as "Albertito" and I could not find his full name online (although it's probably known).

On May 23, he attacked a Cantabrian independentist in the city of Santander, to whom they followed from Bilbao in the bus. When the victim reported to police, these sarcastically asked him: "why do you think he attacked you and not me?"

Stupid question proper of a stupid man who should (but will not) be suspended on his functions as police agent. 

It is believed that the Nazi cell that Albertito is organizing in Bilbao already attacked an immigrant worker in the subway in 2010 (Bilbao subway has extreme security measures, yet they got away).

The Nazi thug and potential assassin has apparently organized a small cell of Nazis in Bilbao who organized a "protest" in "solidarity" with the murderer of Clément Méric in Paris two months ago. These are their faces:

Albertito leading his horde (click to expand)

What can be said and what can be done?

Zero tolerance against Fascism and get that scum out of our streets quickly. Cancers are much easier to deal with when they are small, else we may well end up with a serious problem.

Sources[es]: Sare Antifaxista, La Haine.

Haiti: Christian Fundamentalists lead homophobic terror campaign

Two homosexual persons were murdered in Haiti in the context of the Christian Fundamentalist campaign against gay marriage. 

They are not the only victims, many other activists have received serious threats.

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Greece: police raid in Patras in support of the Nazis - trotures reported while under arrest

From From the Greek Streets:

Patras: anti-fascists clash with the fascists of Golden Dawn; police detain 25 anti-fascists in retaliation

On the evening of July 24, local Golden Dawn members had called for and attempted to hold a gathering at the square outside stadium of Panahaiki (a local football team). Just prior to the gathering, approximately 50 anti-fascists were pushed back by the riot police guarding the square on behalf of the Golden Dawn nazis.

Later on, at approximately 11pm, car with GD members drove past Olgas square, a popular anarchist/anti-fascist hang-out. It was swiftly attacked by the anti-fascists and members of the police’s DELTA squad attacked them in retaliation. 

Approximately 25 anti-fascists were detained by the police and some were subsequently tortured at the police HQ. At least two anti-fascists who had been seriously injured had request to see a doctor rejected for hours.

At approximately 02:40, all 25 anti-fascists were finally released.

Political repression of Basque youths continues unabated

Two more young Basques have seen confirmed their ideological punishment of six years in prison for the "crime" of illegal association, i.e. for being members of a political organization arbitrarily banned by the Spanish imperialist authorities.

This very same Spanish Supreme Court just the day before dramatically reduced a sentence against Spanish corrupt ringleader Jaume Matas (ex-President of Balears, PP) from six years to a mere nine months (so he won't go to prison).

The sentence reduction, by means of declaring the politician innocent of most charges, was issued by a tribunal which is controlled by the ultra-catholic greedy power-mongering cult Opus Dei and on whose likely deep corruption as institution there are already appearing detailed articles and even a Facebook group. 

Back to incorruptible Basque revolutionaries, it is expected that, in the next weeks, other trials for political activity will be reactivated in the Spanish Supreme Court. 

A campaign of civil disobedience, the popular wall already organized in similar cases in order to highlight the dramatic ideological repression that Spain continues exerting against the youth of this oppressed country, is being readied for these cases. 

However what is desirable and democratic is that repression ends at once and that Castile-Spain pulls back its occupation forces behind the 1199 international border.

Note: all links direct to Spanish language articles.

Apartheid and genocide against Naqab Bedouins

That Israel is nothing but an Apartheid and Genocidal colonial regime in Palestine is well known, at least to me. But the Zionist hasbara (propaganda) machinery is powerful and well organized and they work hard to hide the facts and spread lies and convenient half-truths. For all these reasons it is important to now and then relearn the hard truths of the Zionist regime. 

In this case it is the so-called Prawler Plan, which intends to remove Bedouins (with status of Israeli citizens, for the record) from their lands and install them in urban slums in order to expand the Jewish control of the Naqab (Negev), which is about 1/3 of Palestine by extension (and therefore more than half what they usually call Israel: the Southern District of this entity has 14,000 km² while the internationally recognized Israel has just 20,000 km²). 

The spearhead of this and other genocidal racist colonization projects is the Jewish National Fund, a Zio-Nazi pseudo-charity dedicated to eradicate Palestinian Natives and plant trees or install Jewish settlements. For a time the JNF was part of the State of Israel, what handicapped its racist genocidal intent, not allowing in theory for racist discrimination. However the JNF is since 2007 again a private entity and therefore allowed under the Apartheid Israeli legislation, which clearly privileges Jews over Natives, to discriminate on grounds of ethnicity or faith. 

The following report by The Real News is a must-watch in order to understand what is going on:

Source: The Real News (via EI).

USA: protests against racist impunity continue

Protests took the streets again in more than a hundred US cities demanding "Justice for Trayvon", in reference to Trayvon Martin, the Floridan teen-ager who was murdered by gun-toting self-appointed vigilante George Zimmermann in a clear case of racist murder that was left unpunished.

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Fascist USA: journalists not allowed to keep their sources secret

In yet another example showing that the United States is not a democracy but an authoritarian state, a court has ruled (against many precedents and a long-established tradition) that journalists can't keep their sources secret. They applied a century-old emergency law (WWI) which was before only used in three cases.

From Russia Today:

A federal appeals court ruled Friday that New York Times journalist James Risen must testify in the trial of a former Central Intelligence Agency officer accused of leaking classified national defense information to the media.

A lower court ruled previously that Risen could protect the source responsible for sharing intelligence about a CIA operation discussed in his writing, but the US Court of Appeals from the Fourth Circuit reversed that decision Friday morning with a 2-1 vote. 

“The reporter must appear and give testimony just as every other citizen must. We are not at liberty to conclude otherwise,” Chief Judge William Traxler Jr. wrote for the majority opinion.

The trial is about Jeffrey Sterling, a former CIA agent accused of leaking a Clinton-era plan to deceive Iran into using faulty nuclear weapon blueprints. There are other six people accused.

.

Quebec: video highlights police brutality against Natives

Amateur footage of police agents beating a young man on the ground has brought to the forefront what seems to be a systematic policy of terror against the Native American Innu People, which inhabit the Eastern Labrador Peninsula, a land they call Nitassinan (our land).

While the authorities of the French-speaking province are treating it as an isolate incident subject to investigation, the opinion among the Innu is very different, feeling that it is just the tip of the iceberg of systematic racist colonial violence. Raymond Bellefleur, chief of the council of Unamen Shipu, declared:

Our elder have fear, our young and the women are terrified by police brutality. This has to stop now.

The victim, Norbert Mestenapeo, 24, ended with 12 suture points after being hospitalized. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

USA: protesters occupy Florida Governor's office in demand of justice for Trayvon Martin

Protests continue in the USA against the blatant KKK-like racism implicit in the absolution of George Zimmerman, who murdered teen-ager Trayvon Martin and could never provide any evidence of self-defense. 

Some activists occupied the office of the Governor of Florida Rick Scott. 

The focus of the protest is to derogate the law that makes that possible, the so-called "stand your ground" law that essentially allows murder unless there are witnesses who can prove otherwise.

Stevie Wonder has announced that he won't play in Florida unless the KKK law is abolished. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Colombia: two miners killed by police during strike

Police attacked miners in the district of Irra, epicenter of the indefinite mining strike in Colombia, murdering two with gases. At least 40 children are hospitalized for the same reason. 

Miners in all Colombia are blocking railroad routes as part of the sectoral strike in demand of legal protection for small-scale mining. 

The farmer uprising in Cataumbo continues as well, with some 16,000 people taking part in road blockades and demonstrations. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Spain: thousands demand government resignation

Thousands protested in Madrid and other cities of the State of Spain before the offices of the ruling conservative party (PP) in denounce of the widespread corruption and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Rajoy, who seems guilty of embezzling and being part of a B account within his party, along with many ministers, former ministers, the party's Secretary General María Dolores de Cospedal and a long etcetera. 

In Madrid they chanted: "government resignation for theft and corruption", "theft and corruption is the Brand Spain", "Rajoy and Cospedal to the prison of Soto del Real" or simply "No!"

Other protests took place in Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga, Seville, Albacete, Granada, Palma de Majorca, A Coruña and Badajoz.

In Madrid and Valencia there were many police charges. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Bulgaria: protest at the gates of Parliament

Some 2000 people protested before the Bulgarian Parliament. There were attempts to impede that the MPs entered the building, tomatoes were thrown against the windows of the cars of some of them. 14 people were arrested and apparently police impeded that one man set himself on fire. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Greece: farcical minister visit to hospital results in riot

From From the Greek Streets:

Riot Police storm Attiko Hospital to protect the minister of health from angry doctors and patients

On 19 July 2013 the new minister of health Adonios Georgiades (an extreme-Rigth MP) went to the Attiko hospital for an inspection accompanied by TV cameras. However, ministry officials passed by earlier to make sure that no patients are not to be seen in camp beds in the hospital corridors. Patients had to squeeze into rooms (8 patients in 4 bed rooms) temporarily until the minister and the TV cameras leave, so everything would look good ιν the TV. When the minister arrived doctors and patients proteσted for the ridiculous scenario and the budget cuts in health care, so riot police stormed the hospital faciltiies to protect the minister and keep the protesters away from the cameras.

Basque Country: fascist aggression in Pamplona

A man who wishes to remain anonymous was victim of a well organized violent fascist attack by three men, apparently young, completely dressed in black and wearing masks. 

The attack happened in the San Fermin fiestas of the historical Basque capital. The victim fell a hit on the back of his head and when he turned around was hit again on the face with an extensible baton. The third strike broke his finger, as he tried to protect his head. He then fell down and made himself a ball, "like when the bulls get you" remaining that way the rest of the aggression, in his own words: pretending to be dead. 

Eventually the attackers stopped the aggression and left. Even if the attackers were three, the beatings were produced by one of them, the other two acting as escorts only. 

It seems apparent that some fascist organization is trying to gain some ground in Iruñea-Pamplona, because in recent weeks there has been graffiti, a homophobic attempted attack and also another attempted attack against the see of Basque labor union ELA. 

The fascist nature of the attack seems clear in this context and also because who else would make such an organized beating. The victim wore a t-shirt with an unspecified popular demand printed on it.

However the exact nature of the fascist group remains a mystery so far. 

Source: Ateak Ireki[es] (incl. video of the victim narrating the aggression in first person).

Cameroon: LGTB activist tortured and murdered

Eric Ohena Lembembe (pictured), journalist and LGTB activist, was murdered this weekend in Yaounde. His bloodied body was found in his home, apparently tortured to death: he showed signs of broken legs and neck, as well as burnings in face, hands and feet.

Eric was currently most active as director of the AIDS Foundation Cameroun (CAMFAIDS).

Neela Ghoshal (HRW) considered the government responsible for its inability to fight homophobia and hate crimes. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Colombia: repression against farmers and miners

I guess that writing "fascist Colombia" is oxymoron, so I skipped it. 

Miner protests in the district of Irra, which included a railroad blockade, were brutally repressed with tear gas and other violent means. The main effect of police violence has been to affect civilians in their homes, notably a baby which had to be hospitalized and many other children. The railroad blockade continues in spite of all. 

Colombian miners are striking in 18 of the 34 departments of the country. The strike has an indefinite schedule. Their demands include granting rights to small scale mining, which is the main resource of many peasants, including the derogation of decree 2235, which enables police to destroy machinery of unauthorized miners. 

In the district of Catatumbo, farmer protests, including road blockades, continue in spite of the four murders already perpetrated by the military.

Source: Webguerrillero[es] (link 1, link 2 - includes video).

Fascist Greece: demonstrations forbidden during Schauble's visit

The authoritarian Greek government has banned all demonstrations in Athens while the German Finances Minister, Wolfang Schauble, is visiting (today between 9 am and 8 pm). 

The main opposition party, the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA), denounced the measure as "fascist". 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Fascist USA: Washington denies visa to Maradona

The most famous and skilled football player in many decades, Diego Armando Maradona, has been denied tourist visa by the USA, which, in their fascist mad spiral, consider his sympathies for Hugo Chávez or Fidel Castro enough reason to act that way. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Argentina, Brazil: controversy on Bergoglio's visit

The fascist criminal Pope Bergoglio is visiting his native Argentina this week, as well as nearby Brazil. Believe it or not the Argentine state is wasting USD 82 million in this private religious activity. 

Even more controversial is the the felling of some 300 trees in Niteroi (Brazil) to make room for Christian fanatics to perpetrate virtual human sacrifice (mass), an act denounced as "criminal" by the vice-mayor of this city.

There are already anti-Pope demonstrations called, although it is unclear how many people will attend. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Turkey: clashes in Adana tonight

From Occupied Taksim (reversed order to fit chronological sequence):

Clashes broke out in Adana between the protestors who are determined to commemorate the martyrs of the resistance and the police.

Police attacked the crowd with water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets. The protestors do not knuckle under the vulgar and brutal police attacks.

23.25 Protestors re-build the broken barricades after police attacked and failed to disperse the crowd.

23.30 The police water cannons the houses in Adana. People of Adana out on the streets on the 7th day of Ali Ismail's murder.

00.10 The police is forced out of the Akkapi Quarter, Adana by the people.

Turkey: new police crackdown

From Contra Info:

Turkey: Police crackdown and mass detentions in İstanbul

In the early hours of July 16th, 2013 police raided 100 different places in İstanbul.

At around 5.30am, police stormed many houses simultaneously. According to initial reports, 12 members of Öğrenci Kolektifleri (Students’ Collective) and Liseli Genç Umut (Highschool Young Hope) were detained. 26 persons in the district of Sancaktepe were detained, including readers of magazines such as Özgür Gelecek (Free Future) and Devrimci Demokrasi (Revolutionary Democracy), and members of AKA-DER (Anatolian Cultural and Research Foundation) and HKP (People’s Liberation Party). It’s being reported that managers’ and members’ houses of the TGB (Turkey Youth Union) were also searched. Lawyers informed that the State took the decision of house searches and arrest of 60 people for a 72-hour period (including members of Halkevleri, Öğrenci Kolektifleri, Özgür Gelecek, Devrimci Demokrasi, Aka-Der, HKP and TGB). 56 people are accused for encouraging people to revolt and damaging public property. The case file was classified as confidential, so people still in custody (30 so far) are not allowed to speak with their lawyers for 24 hours. Cops also decided to take saliva samples of detainees.

sources: a, b

Honduras: Native Lenca murdered by the army

Tomás García, member of COPINH (Native American association) was murdered by live fire from soldiers yesterday at Río Blanco. His son, Alan García Domínguez was injured also with bullets and has been hospitalized in critical state.

The state crimes were perpetrated while the Lenca community protested against hydroelectric projects.

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Basque Country: political arrests in Navarre

Three Five arrested, see updates below.

Artzai Santesteban has been arrested tonight in Antsoain by Spanish police forces under unclear accusations of taking part in "an incident" during these San Fermin fiestas. It is speculated that it may be the placing of the gigantic Basque flag but no details have surfaced yet. 

He seems to be a scapegoat because he has been previously persecuted once and again: he was arrested in Italy under the political accusation of being member of Segi (Basque Left-Nationalist youth movement) and then deported to Spain, where he was in prison for more than a year. 

He was also accused of burning several cash machines, without evidence, the case being archived.

Last year he also became scapegoat of an inconsequential fight which took place within the riau-riau between Basque and Spanish nationalist individuals. Only Basque Nationalists were arrested. 

Just months ago he was declared not guilty for an attack against a police van. As in the other occasions, there was absolutely no evidence, excepted declarations obtained under torture. 

He still awaits trial for being member of Segi.

Source: Ateak Ireki[es].


Update: not one but three people have been arrested, according to Naiz Info[es].

Besides the already mentioned Artzai Santesteban, Endika Garai and Jon Karmelo Lizarazu are the other two victims of this instance of political repression.

It seems that the accusations are not related to the hanging of a Basque flag before the City Hall but to the clashes that, triggered by police violence, took place in Txapitela St. when a march attempted to access the City Hall Square with another large ikurriña:

Video by Ateak Ireki

In those incidents Navarrese MP Txelui Moreno was injured by police batons on the head. Allegedly a municipal policeman was also injured by a bottle, although this is not apparent in the video. 


Update: two more have been arrested so far: Ekaitz Esteban Baruke and Eneko Pérez → Ateak Ireki[es].


Update (Jul 18): the five have been released but another person, Monika Mendiberri was arrested tonight in the Old Quarter of Iruñea-Pamplona accused of "destruction" (arson?, vandalism?) → Ateak Ireki[es].

The victims of political persecution denounced the ruling party UPN to have done that in order to hide their own misery. One denounced beatings while under arrest. → Ateak Ireki[es] (incl. press conference video).

Cuts? Not for police! Spain's riot police equipment budget grows 1900% in just one year

Cuts in basic social services, cuts in salaries, increment in direct taxes, all to pay tribute to the mafioso banksters... well not all, their dogs also get some and what "some"!

From €173,000 spent in anti-riot equipment in 2012, the assignment has become in 2013 €3.26 million and is planned to become more than €10 million by 2016. 

What kind of "toys" will the mercenaries of Capital get? Bulletproof vests, tear gas, batons, shields and rubber bullets (decreed by EU to be phased out already... to no avail). But that's not all: laser guns (which cause temporary or permanent blindness), sound cannons (already used in the USA against protests and in the waters of Somalia against piracy, which cause vertigo and nausea), microwave cannons (which cause serious burns), electromagnetic weapons (various effects) and cannons that throw a glue-like foam that stick the victim to the ground.

The use of these weapons is in many cases surely illegal. Also, after the initial shock, the effect will be surely only to increase the anger and dimension of the popular reaction. 

Source Webguerrillero[es], citing Russia Today[es].

This is a clear signal that Rajoy and his rotten reactionary camarilla do not plan to call elections before 2015 in spite of their obvious lack of popular support, and it is very possible that somehow the do not plan to release the government at all, be it in coalition with the pathetic "opposition" (PSOE and UPD especially) or by whatever other means (coup?)

Beware! We live in a very dark era.

Occitania: Greenpeace breaches security at Tricastin nuclear facility

Tricastin, near Avignon, is one of the most important nuclear facilities on Earth: it is not just a huge nuclear power plant of four reactors, producing some 6% of France's electricity, but also holds one of the main uranium enrichment plant of Europe. It's shadow is so ominous that nearby wine producers recently changed their official denomination from Coteaux du Tricastin to Grignan les Adhemar.

Today activists of Greenpeace breached the security perimeter and deployed a banner at a stairway just besides one of the reactors. Meanwhile from the opposite side of the canal their comrades projected on the reactor images of a luminous crack and the words "Tricastin nuclear accident", later replaced by an image of President Hollande and the legend "President of the catastrophe?"

Tricastin had a very serious accident in July 2008, when 18,000 liters of uranium solution (containing some 75 kg of enriched uranium) were released to the nearby rivers Gaffière and Lauzon, which have been since then restricted for all normal activities. Also that same month a hundred workers were exposed to radioactive particles and another spill was detected lagging from 2005.

According to Fukushima Emergency...:

The 33-year-old plant is the third-oldest in France’s nuclear park. Multiple cracks on the reactor vessel no. 1 and its location in an area at risk of flooding and tremors make it a safety hazard, according to Greenpeace.

Police only appeared more than an hour after the break-in had been executed. All in all the activists were only arrested six hours later, with full deployment of helicopters and a mountain police special team.


Main source: Greenpeace[fr].

USA: outrage and protests against Zimmerman's acquittal, many arrested arbirtrarily

As you probably know, a Cuban-American self-appointed vigilante, George Zimmerman, shot and killed an African-American teenager, Trayvon Martin, in Florida with everything pointing to racist murder, as the boy was unarmed, had not done anything at all and Zimmerman was almost twice his age. The "fault" of Martin was to be black, young and proud, not feeling intimidated by the self-appointed racist paranoid and criminal arrogance of Zimmerman. 

As Trayvon is dead, we only have Zimmerman's account but who can believe a paranoid racist self-appointed street vigilante who had been advised by police to mind his business and go home? Apparently a Florida popular court. 

This evidences that Zimmerman's madness is not only his own but is a social pandemic: Florida and probably much of US society seems to believe that Black people can be murdered "preventively" or just because. More or less what Nazis felt about Jews. 

It is in many aspects a Klu Klux Klan society, where the privileged segments of society: WASPs and assimilated (including fascist-mafioso Cuban-Americans but surely not most other Hispanics) can go on murderous rampage against the marginated ethnicities, such as African-Americans or Mexican immigrants. 

But society is reacting. Thousands have demonstrated in many North American cities against the deeply rooted racist criminal impunity that this sentence consecrates.

While protests were initially peaceful, police has been aggressive and arrested at least 19 people in Los Angeles and New York for "failure to disperse" or "disorderly conduct", in other words: for exerting their right to protest.

A result is that some protests are going slightly violent. In Oakland protesters burned US flags, broke windows, painted graffiti and thrashed a police car.

A 200-strong protest in Miami carried a banner reading: "Don't worry about more riots, worry about more Zimmermans". 

Protests have been reported across the whole federation, although the numbers are still relatively low (hundreds, a few thousands at best). 

Sources: Reuters, USA Today, CBC.

Switzerland: radioactive substance found in Lake Biel (water source)

The source is a water discharge by Muehleberg nuclear plant, which is located some 20 km upstream the Aar river, some 13 years ago.

Geologists working in a unrelated project found cesium-137 at levels claimed to be not harmful but still well above what the power plant is allowed to release, especially considering that Lake Biel water is used for human consumption. 

Greenpeace demanded that the Bern Canton prosecutor acts against the culprits. They also raised the matter on how the Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate missed the fault or, very possibly, decided to hide the incident.

The Muehleberg plant is located not far from the Swiss capital Bern. Switzerland has already voted to gradually close all nuclear power plants in the next two decades.

Source: Fox News (via EneNews).


Update: EXSKF has more details: the radioactive releases were not just one but three: mid-1970s, early 1980s and around the year 2000. However even more important were the the atmospheric fallout from Chernobyl (1986) and widespread nuclear testing around 1963:

The full study (open access) is available at Springer Link.