International Women's Day: Thousands protest Trump administration outside Montreal's U.S. Consulate
There were several events in Quebec Saturday to mark International Women's Day. At one in rally in Montréal, participants drew special attention to what they see as a global erosion of women's rights. They denounced certain policies of the current U.S. government, calling them regressive. Phil Carpenter reports
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Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Istanbul lockdown aims to prevent May Day marches
Istanbul authorities on Wednesday closed metro trains, buses and Bosphorous ferries, paralysing Turkey's biggest city in a bid to prevent May Day demonstrations. Ahead of the holiday, police arrested 100 people allegedly planning to protest on Istanbul's central Taksim Square, where demonstrations have been banned since 2013. The government is also embroiled in a showdown with the main opposition Republican People's Party (CPH) since the detention of its presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and the biggest political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Since protests in 2013 which spread across Turkey and were suppressed by police, claiming eight lives, the government has banned gatherings in Taksim, even for the May 1 Labour Day, International Women's Day or Pride marches. From Wednesday evening, seven metro stations and some of Istanbul's busiest bus and streetcar stops were closed off, according to city authorities. The crackdown includes restrictions on access to the Kadikoy neighbourhood, where several trade unions had called for a rally on Thursday's May Day. Other emblematic locations such as the Palace of Justice and the municipal government headquarters have also been cordoned off. Since Monday, police have staged raids to round up people who called for May Day rallies at Taksim Square, media reports said. Istanbul's chief prosecutor issued arrest warrants for 108 people. - End 'spurious' ban - Rights group Amnesty International urged Turkey to lift the ban on demonstrations. "The restrictions on May Day celebrations in Taksim Square are based on entirely spurious security and public order grounds and ... must be urgently lifted," said Dinushika Dissanayake, an Amnesty's specialist on Europe. As happens every year, the square has been sealed off with metal barriers and many thousands of police likely to be deployed to prevent any violations. Police rounded up 20 people on Wednesday as part of the clampdown, Turgut Delioglu, head of the DISK union's media section, told AFP. He said the union would gather on Thursday in the Kadikoy sector. Taksim Square was fenced off last month following the arrest and jailing of Imamoglu. The move sparked the biggest anti-government protests in Turkey since 2013. Istanbul governor Davut Gul has said anyone defying the ban on demonstrations at Taksim would be prosecuted. Amnesty said the ban defied a 2023 ruling by Turkey's Constitutional Court which found the restriction on May Day rallies in the square violated unions' rights to freedom of assembly. bur-ach/sbk/tw
CBS News
17-04-2025
- CBS News
When refugee resettlement programs were cut, Philadelphia area neighbors stepped up to help Afghan refugee
Newly arrived Afghan families are feeling the impact of federal refugee cuts. With those resources gone, many are turning to the kindness of neighbors. Reza Hasani and his family arrived in the United States four months ago. Getting a driver's license was a big win. "As soon as I arrived in the United States, I passed my driving course," Hasani said. In 2023, Hasani left behind his career empowering women in Afghanistan. A year and a half earlier, the U.S. had completed its withdrawal from the country and the Taliban took over. The last time he saw his colleagues was on March 8, 2023 — International Women's Day . Across the world, activists and organizations, including the United Nations, were speaking out about the increasingly hardline positions the Taliban leaders were taking on women's rights since coming to power. "We went to the airport and we were in a military evacuation. We went to Poland, Germany, France," Hasani said. What should've taken six months turned into a three-year journey. "I was entitled to apply for immigration in the United States with a USAID-funded project in Afghanistan," Hasani said. Those federal programs once offered vetted legal paths and resettlement support , until they were cut during the Trump administration . "The person who was in charge of our resettlement, she told me she's not working anymore," Hasani said. Without that help, Hasani turned to friends for a place to stay, found work, and eventually got a car, thanks to support from Willow Grove Baptist Church . Pantry Director Rick Beyerle said he read Hasani's story in a local newspaper and wanted to help. "He shared his plight to get out of the country. Just everything that he went through to get here, and that just really hit my heart," Beyerle said. Hasani said many others like his colleagues and families, are stuck overseas, unable to go back, but still waiting for a chance to start over. For his family, their future is in Delaware County. Hasani and families like his still need help with housing, childcare, and someone willing to listen and guide them through this new chapter. "For us, we've closed the past chapters and we've started a new life here. Our kids, they are happy, and I'm sure that they will have a bright future here," Hasani said.
Forbes
23-03-2025
- Forbes
Trump Administration's Attack On DEI Threatens Health For Everyone
A woman holds a cardboard sign reading 'Tubal ligation of Trump'. Thousands of women and men take to ... More the streets of Toulouse, France, on March 8, 2025, for International Women's Day. This year, the motto focuses on sexism, the far-right, Trump, and sexual violence. One theme of the protest addresses US President D. Trump, who bars words like 'woman, women, gender, transgender, sexism, machism, etc.' from governmental websites. Trump also terminates the D.E.I. (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs and demands that corporations cut all DEI initiatives. Protesters aim to raise awareness about sexism, machism, and the disparity of rights between men and women in society. Protesters also denounce rape, sexual violence, and violence towards women. Trade unions such as CGT, FSU, and Unsa are also present at the march. (Photo by Alain Pitton/NurPhoto via Getty Images) The Trump administration's attack on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has many public health experts concerned about the future of healthcare in America. Since assuming the presidency in January, Trump has terminated key health advisory committees, including the Health Equity Advisory Committee for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In addition, words like 'health disparity', 'inclusion', 'health equity' and 'inclusion' are being removed from federal databases, research and websites. In fact, research projects that use such words are at risk of getting terminated altogether. The undermining of DEI initiatives is not solely an attack on racial or minority groups, it actually threatens healthcare for all Americans. Here is why. It is absolutely true that certain groups have more adverse outcomes for health when compared to White Americans. Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer when compared to White women. Nearly 17% of Hispanics have no health insurance coverage, compared to 5.3% of non-Hispanic White Americans. DEI programs do not exclusively promote racial and ethnic groups. As an example, consider White Americans living in predominantly rural areas. DEI initiatives offer funding, research and care to underserved rural areas, often in areas where White Americans make up the majority of the population. It is well known that those that live in rural areas have a 20% higher death rate than Americans that live in urban areas, often from chronic diseases like heart failure and cancer. In addition, many White Americans are less likely to get screening tests for important cancers, which can lead to delayed diagnosis, early disability and even death. Lack of funding and support for DEI programs will not just affect minorities in America, it will have profound and devastating effects even for White Americans living in rural areas. Nearly 35 million White Americans live in rural areas, according to the University of New Hampshire Carsey School of Public Policy. Cuts for DEI initiatives will also affect nearly all Americans, including White Americans that live in urban areas. Consider infectious diseases that do not have borders and can spread very easily through travel and close contact. When NIH funding for research or services gets cut for projects specifically examining health disparities for diseases like HIV or TB, it is not simply the health of racial minorities or underserved populations that is at stake. Less funding means less resources and preventive measures to help control and combat these infectious diseases. This ultimately translates into more people that will get infected with these diseases, with the potential of spreading it to all Americans, including White Americans in urban neighborhoods. Healthcare and particularly infectious diseases do not operate in a vacuum. As a final example, consider the effect of DEI on medical education and the medical workforce. By eliminating funding for medical schools and programs that foster DEI, not only will there be less people of color graduating from medical schools, there will also be less funding for medical schools, hospitals and clinics in rural areas and low-income neighborhoods. This means all Americans that live in low-income neighborhoods and rural areas will continue to face barriers in accessing high quality healthcare. This includes White Americans of low-income and those that live in rural areas who will face challenges in filling prescriptions, getting screening studies as well as visiting their primary care doctor. The attacks on DEI are much more than meets the eye. By dismantling these programs, health disparities will continue to soar, not just for racial minorities but for essentially all Americans. Healthcare should seek to improve health outcomes for all people, and should never be driven by political agendas that ignore the reality of systemic inequities that have been pervasive in America.
