Latest news with #Kuper
Courier-Mail
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Courier-Mail
‘Anarchy': Police drop charges against pro-Palestine group who clashed with Jews in shocking video
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News. Police in Victoria have quietly dropped assault charges against three prominent pro-Palestine activists filmed in a violent clash with a group of Jews in front of Melbourne's Town Hall last year, sparking outrage from the wife of one of the alleged victims who says the Victorian capital is descending into lawlessness. 'They're just not enforcing laws,' said Sharon Kuper, 57. 'So few charges are laid [against protesters]. It's anarchy.' Sydney barrister Peter Lavac, who has emerged as an outspoken legal advocate for the Jewish community, said 'the rule of law has been hijacked by rule of the mob' in Melbourne. 'A mob which has hijacked public places to spew hatred and vitriol not only against Jews but also Australians, and Victoria Police are not only supporting anti-Semitism and condoning it, they are complicit in anti-Semitism by their behaviour,' he said. 'It shouldn't really surprise anyone as Victoria Police are the most left-wing, woke police force in the country. This is the same police force that fired rubber bullets at its own citizens protesting draconian Covid lockdowns imposed by Chairman Dan Andrews.' Mrs Kuper, her husband Mark Kuper, 60, and Yaacov Travitz, 37, were attempting to enter the Melbourne City Council building on February 20, 2024, in front of hundreds of pro-Palestine supporters gathered outside as councillors voted on a motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The violent scuffle outside Melbourne's Town Hall last February. Picture: Box4/YouTube Viral videos of the incident showed a group of protesters block the trio's path. Tensions quickly escalated into a violent scuffle, with Mr Kuper pushed to the ground before being hauled away by police, who accused him of 'disturbing the peace'. 'Yakov was carrying a can of Coke, my husband was pointing, trying to get to the door,' Mrs Kuper said. 'They block his path and start pushing and shoving. My husband had his hands up in the air and then he hits the ground.' Late last year Victoria Police charged Abdel Qaisi, Ihab Mohammed Alazhari and Mohammed Sharab with assault over the incident. Mr Alazhari founded the 'Sit-Intifada' campaign in November 2023, aiming to sit on the steps of Victorian Parliament every day from 9am to 9pm. Mr Sharab had previously pleaded guilty to assaulting Rebel News journalist Avi Yemini and videographer Rukshan Fernando in separate incidents at the same February 20 rally. Mark Kuper was dragged away by police. Picture: Box4/YouTube The three men appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court for the first time in December in relation to the February 20 Town Hall incident. Mrs Kuper said her husband and Mr Travitz — an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) veteran and co-founder of The Lions of Zion (TLOZ), a controversial charity that organises counter-protests to 'reclaim' the streets from pro-Palestine rallies — were only informed by Victoria Police late last month that the charges had been dropped after the men indicated they would be arguing self-defence. A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed to that the charges were withdrawn as there was no 'reasonable prospect of conviction'. 'Three men were charged with unlawful assault following an investigation into an alleged incident outside Melbourne Town Hall on 20 February, 2024,' she said. 'All three men appeared before court where Victoria Police prosecutors ultimately decided to withdraw the charges. All Victoria Police prosecutions are assessed in accordance with the Director of Public Prosecution's Policy. For this matter, the charges were withdrawn as there was not a reasonable prospect of conviction.' Mark and Sharon Kuper say the Jewish community feels unsafe. Picture: Sky News Mrs Kuper expressed disbelief at the decision. 'How is that self defence?' she said. 'How can that possibly be considered such a strong case of self-defence that they drop the case?' She said many Jews in Melbourne now felt so unsafe that they were considering leaving. 'We're not a completely crazy, paranoid, unhinged community, but we're all having the discussions — where are we going to go?' she said. 'We're the most law-abiding, peaceful community, we make such a huge contribution. It's just staggering that we're all so insecure about our safety … that you can chase out the most peaceful community. They're completely emboldened to the point they scream 'I'll kill you'.' In a separate incident in March this year, Mr Alazhari was filmed screaming 'I'll kill you' at a group of counter-protesters on the other side of a police line outside the State Library of Victoria. 'You hear that?' protester An Nguyen, who took the video, asked the officer standing with his back to the group. 'Are you deaf? He just threatened to kill.' Ihab Alazhari was filmed in March yelling 'I'll kill you' through a loudspeaker. Picture: X After the clip was publicised by Rebel News, Victoria Police confirmed it was investigating the matter, adding that the protest was 'a highly dynamic event with tempers fuelled by opposing parties'. Mr Lavac said the apparent lack of police action shown in the video was an 'absolute f**king disgrace'. 'Police stood around like stuffed dummies while an anti-Semitic thug screamed death threats to a male person draped in an Aussie flag,' he said. 'That person begged the police to act and the police ignored him. The refusal of police to arrest this anti-Semitic thug must be extremely concerning and disturbing not only to the Jewish community but to the entire Australian community.' Mr Lavac said letters had been written to Premier Jacinta Allan 'detailing reports of verbal and physical attacks on Jews by pro-Palestine supporters, resulting in zero action by police'. 'The complaints then get shuffled around from person to person, with zero action taken,' he said. Sydney barrister Peter Lavac slammed Victoria Police. Picture: Instagram Last May, a lawyer for the Never Again is Now (NAIN) protest group sent a letter to Ms Allan highlighting 72 such alleged incidents at its May 19 rally in the CBD. A response from Police Minister Anthony Carbines' office in September stressed that 'in Victoria, people have the right to engage in peaceful protests and demonstrations if they do so lawfully and do not engage in illegal behaviours such as trespassing, obstructing roads and footpaths, endangering the safety of persons, causing injury to persons or damage to property, causing a breach of the peace or posing a risk to public safety'. 'The role of police at community protests is to maintain public order, enforce the law and ensure safety of the parties to the dispute and the broader community,' the letter said. 'Police will only intervene when there is a real risk to public order or community safety … It is important to mention that Victoria Police has been engaging closely with protest organisers to set clear expectations of behaviour.' Mr and Mrs Kuper have unsuccessfully sought documents from Victoria Police under freedom-of-information laws including 'any directions, instructions, protocols, or advice provided to Victoria Police officers … regarding the handling of protests or protests in public places, specifically concerning' the Israel-Gaza war. Victoria Police denied the request as being overly broad, as there had been 'hundreds of rallies and protests concerning this matter over the time frame you stipulate'. Mr Kuper also lodged a complaint about his arrest with Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) last April, but IBAC declined to pursue the matter after concluding that it 'did not reasonably demonstrate that Victoria Police members engaged in police personnel misconduct'. Originally published as 'Anarchy': Police drop charges against pro-Palestine group who clashed with Jews in shocking video
Russia Today
08-03-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Eastern European politicians discussing preemptive attack on Russia
Several countries in Eastern Europe are considering a pre-emptive strike against Russia, according to Financial Times columnist Simon Kuper. The reported development comes despite the Ukraine peace negotiations launched by Moscow and Washington. According to Kuper, the perceived pivot toward Moscow by US President Donald Trump has brought back the geographical distinctions of the Cold War, namely the idea of 'Eastern Europe', and 'Western Europe,' where one sees Russia as an existential threat and the other 'isn't that bothered.' 'We know. That's why some of our countries are asking, 'Why don't we attack Russia now, instead of sitting waiting for it to attack us?'' an unnamed 'prominent Eastern European politician' said, without elaborating. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Poland and the Baltic States have claimed that if allowed to win, Russia might attack them next. Moscow has consistently denied the claims, with President Vladimir Putin even describing them as 'nonsense.' Countries in Eastern Europe were historically often part of larger empires – Russian, German, or Austro-Hungarian – and frequently lost their sovereignty. Czech writer Milan Kundera described this vulnerability as 'a small nation can disappear, and it knows it.' These nations have recently displayed the strongest anti-Russian sentiment and are among the most vocal in calling for bolstered defenses. EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas, a former prime minister of Estonia, is known for her hawkish views on Russia. The report comes as Russia and the US reestablished contacts last month and held high-level talks in Saudi Arabia. Brussels, however, is insisting on continued military support of Kiev. In response to Trump's reported halt of American military aid to Ukraine, aimed at forcing Kiev to negotiate, EU leaders, led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, agreed on a €800 billion plan to 'rearm Europe' and maintain support for Kiev. Moscow has pledged to take measures to safeguard its security amid the 'militarization' and 'confrontational rhetoric' coming out of the EU. It has also long warned against Western arms shipments to Ukraine, arguing that they only prolong the conflict without altering the outcome, while increasing the risk of a direct clash with NATO.
Russia Today
07-03-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Eastern European politicians discussing preemptive attack on Moscow
Several countries in Eastern Europe are considering a pre-emptive strike against Russia, according to Financial Times columnist Simon Kuper. The reported development comes despite the Ukraine peace negotiations launched by Moscow and Washington. According to Kuper, the perceived pivot toward Moscow by US President Donald Trump has brought back the geographical distinctions of the Cold War, namely the idea of 'Eastern Europe', and 'Western Europe,' where one sees Russia as an existential threat and the other 'isn't that bothered.' 'We know. That's why some of our countries are asking, 'Why don't we attack Russia now, instead of sitting waiting for it to attack us?'' an unnamed 'prominent Eastern European politician' said, without elaborating. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Poland and the Baltic States have claimed that if allowed to win, Russia might attack them next. Moscow has consistently denied the claims, with President Vladimir Putin even describing them as 'nonsense.' Countries in Eastern Europe were historically often part of larger empires – Russian, German, or Austro-Hungarian – and frequently lost their sovereignty. Czech writer Milan Kundera described this vulnerability as 'a small nation can disappear, and it knows it.' These nations have recently displayed the strongest anti-Russian sentiment and are among the most vocal in calling for bolstered defenses. EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas, a former prime minister of Estonia, is known for her hawkish views on Russia. The report comes as Russia and the US reestablished contacts last month and held high-level talks in Saudi Arabia. Brussels, however, is insisting on continued military support of Kiev. In response to Trump's reported halt of American military aid to Ukraine, aimed at forcing Kiev to negotiate, EU leaders, led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, agreed on a €800 billion plan to 'rearm Europe' and maintain support for Kiev. Moscow has pledged to take measures to safeguard its security amid the 'militarization' and 'confrontational rhetoric' coming out of the EU. It has also long warned against Western arms shipments to Ukraine, arguing that they only prolong the conflict without altering the outcome, while increasing the risk of a direct clash with NATO.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Yahoo
Tacoma man sentenced for using social media to sexually coerce a minor
A Tacoma man has been sentenced to just under 14 years in federal prison for using social media to coerce a minor into sending him sexually explicit materials, including 'sadistic and masochistic' conduct. According to court documents, 22-year-old Brandon Kuper used Discord and Snapchat to attempt to develop a relationship with the minor. Kuper coerced the victim into producing and sending him sexually explicit photos and videos, including 'sadistic and masochistic conduct.' In several instances, Kuper asked victims to cut his social media username 'Mergzs' into their skin, and to photograph it and send it to him. When the victim denied some of Kuper's requests, he threatened to harm the victim and victim's family if his demands were not met, according to court documents. Investigators also found revenge porn that Kuper created when at least one other victim did not comply with his demands. He posted the 'revenge porn' that he created, prosecutors said. He was arrested in November of 2022 and plead guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor two years later. When he is released from his 13-year sentence, he will be on parole for 10 years.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Yahoo
Tacoma man used Snapchat, Discord to coerce minor for explicit photos. He's been sentenced
Editor's note: This story contains descriptions of self harm. A Tacoma man has been sentenced in Eugene, Oregon, for pressuring a minor to send him sexually explicit materials and threatening them if they did not comply. Brandon Kuper, 22, was sentenced Tuesday to 13 years and nine months in federal prison, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Oregon. He was suspected in November 2022 of messaging a minor through Discord and Snapchat in an attempt to form a relationship with them, the release said. 'Kuper coerced the victim into producing and sending him sexually explicit photos and videos, including sadistic and masochistic conduct. When the victim denied some of Kuper's requests, he threatened to harm the victim and victim's family if his demands were not met,' the release said. The victim reported Kuper to their parents and then law enforcement after receiving continued threats and demands, the release said. The release said that Kuper used social media to convince other minors to send him sexually explicit material. He would ask them to 'cut' his username, 'Merqzs' into their skin and send him photos of it. Kuper also made and posted revenge pornography of at least one victim who refused his demands, according to the release. Kuper was arrested in Tacoma on Nov. 10, 2022, the release said. Seven days later, Kuper received a federal two-count indictment where he was charged with production of child pornography and enticing a minor. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 20, 2024 to coercion and enticement of a minor.
