Latest news with #NationalDayofProtest
IOL News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Artists march to union buildings over collapse of arts funding
Scores of artists, cultural workers, creative entrepreneurs, and citizens marched to Sechaba House, the Department of Arts and Culture on Wednesday to hand over a memorandum of demands. Image: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers President Cyril Ramaphosa, through his office, has confirmed having received a memorandum of demands made by a group of artists, who, on Wednesday marched to Union Buildings and the offices of the Department of Sports Arts and Culture, in Tshwane seeking the President's intervention over the collapse of institutions that fund the arts. On Wednesday, scores of South African artists, musicians, and representatives of arts organisations took their complaints against the country's department of sports, arts and culture to the union buildings, accusing the ministry of systematically failing them. At the centre of the cries by these practitioners is the alleged collapse of various funding institutions meant to benefit the country's arts, crafts, music and film industries. On Wednesday, these artists marched under the banner of the Cultural and Creative Industries Campaign, where they also accused the state and particularly Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie and officials of corruption and the total destruction of the art sector's funding institutions. Scores of artists, cultural workers, creative entrepreneurs, and citizens march to the Department of Arts and Culture to hand over a memorandum of demands. Image: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers "The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture is no longer fit for purpose. Programmes are stalled. Funding pipelines have collapsed. Institutions are being run by individuals with no demonstratable knowledge, credibility, or commitment to the creative industries and are compromised. The Ministerial conduct has prioritised political optics over public service," reads part of the group's memorandum. Speaking on behalf of the artists, African Transformation Movement spokesperson, Zama Ntshona indicated that the march to the union building has been weeks in the making. The protest forms part of a National Day of Protest and performance, reflecting months of dissatisfaction in the sector. 'As the cultural and creative practitioners, we have taken our grievances to the office of the president and met with Vincent Magwenya, " said Ntshona. Music industry activist, Tebogo Sithathu accused the minister of prioritising Formula One at the expense of local artists, among other things. Attempts to get comment from the department were unsuccessful at the time of going to print. Meanwhile, presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya confirmed receipt of the memorandum and indicated that the office of the president will process these demands and refer the matter to the department for implementation of the necessary intervention. "Yes, the office of the President has received the memorandum which will be processed and referred to the department of Arts and Culture for consideration," said Magwenya. [email protected]
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Roanoke residents speak out at public hearings about budget, meals tax, and more
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Roanoke residents were in droves for public hearings Monday night. The crowd spilled into an overflow room as the council heard comments on the proposed city budget, a possible meals tax hike, and a potential raise in real estate tax. The City Manager has said this is a particularly hard budget year, referencing 'challenges and choices' that have to be made. Nearly an hour of public comment was devoted to the city budget and plans to give the city schools 'level funding.' That means the same funding they received last year. Former Council Member Trish White-Boyd stepped up to vouch for the budget plan, saying the city has already shown dedication to education. 'A goal that has required sacrifices such as adjustments in employee compensation, deferred maintenance and postponement of capital improvement projects,' she said. School Board Chair Dr. Eli Jamison made an appearance, noting that she rarely speaks at council meetings. She claimed she'd heard that the city is considering cutting a rainy day fund but argued instead that fund should be used to support schools now. 'We know the challenges are real, but if you sweep the funding balance, Roanoke Schools will have layoffs,' she said. 'We will have larger class sizes. We will not have the funds to finish Preston Park Elementary School.' Former school board member Mark Cathey said, with unpredictable changes at the federal level, this year is not the time to push the district into further cuts. The next largest group of speakers showed up to address a proposed meals tax increase. The city is considering raising it from 5.5% to as high as 7%. Roanoke residents demonstrate downtown during National Day of Protest Keith Liles, owner of Deb's Frozen Lemonade, said the cost of everything has risen for restaurants, from minimum wage to the cost of goods. 'With the current tariffs who knows what lemons will be tomorrow or in the future,' said Liles. He says raising the meals tax means he can't raise prices when his own cost of goods increase. 'The consumer, when they see a hot dog, a lemonade, and a bag of chips cost $6.85 on the menu board, and it comes to $7.75 when I ask for the money, it looks bad on me,' he said. Matt Bullington, who owns Texas Tavern, says the meals tax has been raised several times throughout the restaurant's history. For instance, it was hiked during the financial crisis. 'Every time the city gets in a financial burden or has a financial burden it comes to our industry to help bail them out,' he said. 'Many people are aware the past five years have been the hardest five years in the history of the modern restaurant industry,' he continued. 'I'm not exaggerating that. We've had COVID restrictions, rampant inflation, supply line problems, dislocation of everything.' City Council didn't make any decisions Monday. They're set to adopt a budget May 12. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hundreds gather outside Arkansas State Capitol for ‘Die-in' protest
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Ralliers at the state capitol took part in a National Day of Protest against the Trump administration by turning out for a 'Die-in' Saturday morning. Many people in the group made mock tombstones referencing multiple policies of the administration and several were critical of cuts coming from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Arkansas protestors speak out Saturday against Trump administration Some participants said they are anxiously watching the legal showdown over deportations between the administration and some members of the judicial branch of the federal government. 'Thank the ones that are helping us along with calling and letting the ones that are not representing us know that they need to honor their oath and that we the people are here and will remember,' protester Peri Doubleday said. Hundreds of rallies were planned across the country Saturday by dozens of groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LGBTQ+ advocates and more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Anti-Trump '50501' Protesters Warn They're Fighting ‘Fascism'
Thousands of demonstrators surged through Manhattan on Saturday in a coordinated National Day of Protest that was organized by the grassroots 50501 Movement, carrying placards, chanting slogans, and calling for due process for deported Venezuelan migrants as they marched from the New York Public Library to Central Park. A coordinated wave of protests organized by "50501" is taking place across all 50 states on Saturday in opposition to President Donald Trump's policies since his return to office in January. The nationwide demonstrations, named for "50 protests, 50 states, one day," represent the latest in a series of actions by the rapidly growing movement that previously organized "Not My Presidents Day" in February and the global "Hands Off" protests earlier this month. U.S. authorities are carrying out an ongoing immigration crackdown under Trump, who has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in the country's history. Thousands of people have been detained and deported since he took office, and the administration faces several lawsuits over the matter. The president has said most detentions and deportations would target individuals with criminal records. However, in recent weeks, there have been multiple reports of people without criminal convictions, and some with valid documentation, being detained for deportation. Fifth Avenue was once again the epicenter of political unrest on Saturday as thousands of demonstrators filled Midtown Manhattan, demanding justice for deported migrants and warning of what they called creeping authoritarianism in the United States. Two weeks after a major anti-Trump rally shook the city, protesters returned to the streets—marching from the New York Public Library, up Madison Avenue, and into Central Park. Many held signs reading "Hands Off Democracy" and "Bring Kilmar Home," referencing Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Abrego Garcia, who came to the U.S. illegally, was arrested in 2019 and accused of being a member of the MS-13 gang, which the Trump administration has designated a foreign terrorist organization. Abrego Garcia denied being a member of the gang, but two judges, in separate rulings, concluded that he was, based on confidential information provided to the court. He was shielded from deportation to El Salvador because he said he would be targeted by MS-13's gangland rivals. Abrego Garcia, who lived in Maryland with his wife and children, was deported to El Salvador after being arrested last month in what the Trump administration lawyers said was an "administrative error." His family denies any ties to gangs and Abrego Garcia has no criminal record in the U.S., although his wife accused him of domestic violence and obtained a restraining order against him. They have since been reconciled. He has been ordered to return to the U.S. by District Judge Paula Xinis, but the White House and El Salvador have pushed back. Tony, one of the marchers, held a placard showing the face of Andry, a Venezuelan hairdresser who he says disappeared after an encounter with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). "I saw they all came from videos of their mothers crying," he told Newsweek. "That's what impacts me most—that there are mothers who don't know where their sons are." Meanwhile, Joe, a protester from New Jersey, who asked to use only his first name, told Newsweek: "This—right here. Deporting people without due process. It could happen to you or me tomorrow. Just by being here at this protest, just by you filming this, someone could see my face—and I could disappear." Carrying a banner that read "Free Abrego Garcia Now," Joe said he was inspired by his father and uncles who fought in World War II. "They fought to defeat fascism, and I'm here today as their son and nephew to fight fascism." Abrego Garcia was deported under the Trump administration's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked additional deportations under the Alien Enemies Act in a pre-dawn ruling on Saturday, responding to emergency filings from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The decision paused the removal of over 50 Venezuelan migrants from a Texas detention center after reports that some had already been loaded onto buses. "These men were close to spending their lives in a horrific foreign prison without ever having had any due process," Lee Gelernt, the lead ACLU attorney on the case, said. The Trump administration had been seeking to deport the Venezuelan men it accused of being members of Tren de Aragua, a criminal group it has designated as a terrorist organization, using powers contained in the Alien Enemies Act. Meanwhile, along the protest route in Manhattan, signs took aim not only at Trump but also at tech mogul Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The agency has overseen sweeping federal job cuts since January, prompting additional anger at what demonstrators describe as corporate control over democratic institutions. "We want to drive down the stock price of Tesla so that Elon Musk leaves X and comes back to Tesla," Katy, another protester, said. "They're ruining our democracy." Some marchers came with a different sense of urgency. "I'm here because these people were abducted illegally," Tony said before comparing the current political landscape to that of Chile during its dictatorship. "The Trump administration is behaving in the same terroristic way as Augusto Pinochet and others have in the hemisphere." The protest included a broad coalition of causes—immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ protections, veterans' benefits, Social Security, and the cost of living were all cited by demonstrators. A giant banner over 47th Street read "50501 = Democracy in Action," while Venezuelan and U.S. flags waved next to signs calling for due process and an end to "ICE terror." Hunter Dunn, national press coordinator for 50501, previously told Newsweek: "The 50501 movement has called for a National Day of Action, also known as a National Day of Community Action, not a National Day of Protest. There are plenty of demonstrations happening around the country as part of the day of action, but the primary focus of the day of action is speaking to the needs of your community." 50501 Movement recently wrote on social media platform BlueSky: "We have reason to believe that events on 4/19 and/or the 50501 Movement may be misrepresented by the Trump admin in an attempt to justify the use of military force." Rallies stretched from Miami to Seattle. In Washington, D.C., thousands chanted "Shame!" near the White House. In Fort Worth, Texas, traffic was shut down for blocks. And in Concord, Massachusetts, a man held a sign that read "Stop Fascism Now" at the site of the American Revolution's first battle. Update 4/19/25, 6:35 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information. Related Articles Photos Show Massive '50501' Anti-Trump Protests Across the CountryDemocratic Leaders Get Worst Polling Result in Over Two DecadesDem Strategist Warns Party Not to Turn Kilmar Abrego Garcia Into 'a Martyr'What Is Schedule F? Trump's Move to Fire 50k Federal Workers More Easily 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More than 400 Day of Action demonstrations set Saturday against Trump, policies
April 18 (UPI) -- More than 400 demonstrations are planned nationwide on Saturday against President Donald Trump and his policies. The same grass-roots group 505051 that organized "Hands Off" demonstration that drew millions of people on April 5 is planning another one event called "A Day of Action." The website lists demonstrations' locations, including some outside the United States. "Coming off a historic day where an estimated 5.2 million of you all showed up to join us to declare that We the People reject the Trump/Musk administration's war on our freedoms and future the 50501 movement has declared Saturday, April 19th a nationwide day of action!" the group posted on Instagram. The group's name stands for 50 States, 50 Protests, 1 movement, which is a "decentralized, people-powered network of resistance and resilience." "The 50501 movement has called for a National Day of Action, also known as a National Day of Community Action, not a National Day of Protest," Hunter Dunn, national press coordinator for the organization, told Newsweek. "There are plenty of demonstrations happening around the country as part of the day of action, but the primary focus of the day of action is speaking to the needs of your community." The 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in 1775 is Saturday. The protests are a response "to authoritarian threats, political overreach, and the erosion of democracy," according to organizers. The movement is against a "billionaire takeover," including by Trump and Elon Musk who are "consolidating power, buying politicians, rigging the system, and silencing the people to serve their own interests," according to its website. Also, they are fighting "an economy rigged against the People." They say "while billionaires amass historic wealth, working Americans are crushed by skyrocketing costs, union-busting, and poverty wages." The group is responding to "Trump's Defiance of the Law" that includes ignoring court rulings against purged federal agencies and targeted political foes by declaring he is above the law. And they are upset about "the Erosion of freedom." They include "state-sanctioned kidnappings of students and immigrants deported without due process to attacks on voting rights, reproductive healthcare, workers' rights, and free elections, oligarchs are dismantling the foundations of our country." The group said it represents a cross-section of people racially, ethnically, generationally, economically and political parties. They say they are led by people who believe in nonviolence, mutual care, and democratic values." Demonstrations include marches and rallies. There will be diaper drives, skill sharing, free community meals and teach-ins. "April 19 is just one day of action," according to the website. "The 50501 Movement will continue to organize, resist, and build together as long as it takes." We the People Dissent, a 50501 affiliate, lists more than 525 broader events Saturday.
