Latest news with #Protest
ABC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Teachers are marching across parts of Brisbane
Teachers in Brisbane will march from the Convention Centre to Parliament House, where state budget estimates are underway.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trans rights protesters daub graffiti including 'child killer' on Wes Streeting's constituency office
Trans rights protesters have claimed responsibility for vandalising Wes Streeting 's constituency office. Police have launched an investigation after the Health Secretary's HQ in Ilford North had its windows smashed and the words 'child killer' daubed on the front in graffiti. Trans Bash Back, a 'trans-led direct action project', claimed responsibility for the stunt in a post on the BlueSky social media platform on Friday. Sharing a photo of the front of Mr Streeting's office shortly after it had been damaged, they wrote: 'Don't want action? Don't kill kids.' The MP for Ilford North has addressed the vandalism but did not reference the accusations made by the activists. 'From day one as Ilford North's MP I've had an accessible and visible constituency office to serve my local community,' he wrote on X. 'Repeated criminal damage is unfair to my staff and an attack on democracy. I will not be commenting further while there is a live police investigation.' Trans Bash Back describes itself as a 'non-violent direct action group' which takes 'risky, and rarely legal' action. On social media, the group has said it 'to sit and watch as trans young people have their healthcare stripped from them. 'We refuse to allow Streeting to cover up their suicides. We refuse to endure the violence and humiliation. They will have to go through us'. One local business owner told The Telegraph that 'glass was broken and there's paint everywhere'. 'It's happened a few times – he's only just had the window replaced,' they added. Mr Streeting has previously been clear about his stance on the gender debate. In an interview with Talk Radio last year, he said: 'Men have penises, women have vaginas; here ends my biology lesson.' A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'Police were called at 10.16 on Friday, Aug 1 to reports of criminal damage at an office in Woodford Avenue, IG4. 'Officers attended the scene, where they discovered that the address had been attacked with paint and the windows had been damaged. 'No one was injured.
Arab News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Palestinians across West Bank protest Gaza war
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Thousands of Palestinians protested in the occupied West Bank's major cities Sunday against the war in Gaza and in support of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. One of the largest marches took place in Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority located just north of Jerusalem, with hundreds gathering at the main square, waving Palestinian flags. Many protesters carried photos of Palestinians killed or imprisoned by Israel, as well as photos depicting the hunger crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip, where UN-backed experts have warned that a 'famine is unfolding.' 'My son is in (Israel's) Megido prison and he suffers from many things, such as the lack of medicine the lack of food,' Rula Ghanem, a Palestinian academic and writer who took part in the march, said. She said that her son had lost 10 kilograms and suffered from scabies in jail. The number of Palestinians jailed by Israel skyrocketed after the start of the war in Gaza, some for violent acts, but some also for posting political statements on social media, the Palestinian Commission of Detainees' and Ex-Detainees' Affairs says. The commission's spokesman Thaer Shriteh said: 'The international community is a partner in all this suffering, as long as it does not intervene quickly to save the Palestinian people and save the prisoners inside the prisons and detention center.' A group of protesters dressed as skeletons and carried dolls around to symbolize the Gaza war's dire effect on children, who are most at risk of malnutrition. Israel has heavily restricted the entry of aid into Gaza, which was already under blockade for 15 years before the war began. UN agencies, humanitarian groups and analysts say that much of the trickle of food aid that Israel allows in is looted or diverted in chaotic circumstances. 'We hope that our stand today will have an impact in supporting our people in Gaza and the hungry children in Gaza,' said 39-year-old Tagreed Ziada, one of the protesters at the Ramallah march. Protests were held Sunday in other major Palestinian cities such as Nablus in the north and Hebron in the south, with many government employees receiving a day off to attend the demonstrations. While there have been somewhat regular demonstrations against the war in Gaza, they are rarely coordinated across various cities in the West Bank.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Left-wing 'anti-racism' activists clash with police and anti-migrant activists as migrant hotel protests rock London's rich postcodes - as 'asylum seekers' laugh, film and wave
Anti-racism activists clashed with police and anti-migrant protesters on Saturday outside a London hotel where asylum seekers are being housed. Both protesting groups gathered near the Thistle City Barbican hotel in wealthy Islington, north London. Anti-immigration protesters chanted under the banner 'Thistle Barbican needs to go - locals say no', against the use of the hotel accommodating asylum seekers. A counter-protest, organised by Stand Up To Racism and supported by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, as well as other groups including Finsbury Park Mosque and Islington Labour Party, also took to the streets. Clashes transpired between the two groups of demonstrators, before police separated the opposing sides, with the Metropolitan Police imposing conditions on both the protest and counter demonstration. A group of anti-fascist protesters blocked a junction outside the hotel in breach of conditions, with officers being forced to push their way into the crowd to detain several demonstrators, dragging them out by their arms and legs. Then, the group was moved from the road where officers informed them they were in breach of conditions put in place, before forming a circle around the protesters. According to Metropolitan Police, nine people have been arrested. Metropolitan Police said on X this morning: 'There is an increased police presence in the Clerkenwell area today where a protest against the use of a hotel to accommodate asylum seekers and a related counter protest are due to take place later'. But by the afternoon, the police force said: 'Officers have cleared the junction where counter protesters had assembled in breach of the conditions in place. 'There have been nine arrests so far, with seven for breaching Public Order Act conditions.' Of those arrested, one was detained for their support for Palestine Action and another for a public order offence. Seven others were detained for breaching Public Order conditions. Meanwhile, people believed to be migrants were seen filming and laughing as protesters and counter-demonstrators clashed in the streets of Islington today. It comes after a coach of suspected migrants was seen arriving at the four-star Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf at around 1.40am this morning. 'Patriots of Britain' and 'Together for the Children' have also voiced their support for the protests. A student counter-protester outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel said he wants migrants to 'feel safe' in Britain. Anti-fascist protesters take part in a counter demonstration as anti-refugee protesters hold a demonstration outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in London, United Kingdom on August 02, 2025 Pat Prendergast, 21, said: 'I want people to feel safe. I think the (rival protesters) over there are making people feel unsafe. 'I want to stand up in solidarity and say that, you know, we want people here. We want migrants. We want asylum seekers.' A noticeably smaller group of protesters waved union flags and held banners outside the hotel, with one man chanting in the direction of the hotel: ''Get these scum off our streets'. The Metropolitan Police previously said plans were in place to 'respond to any protest activity' in the vicinity of other London hotels being used to accommodate asylum seekers. Anyone participating in the anti-asylum hotel protest must remain within King Charles Square and that the assembly must not begin before 1pm and must conclude by 4pm, in line with conditions imposed by the Met. Counter protesters also must remain in Lever Street, near the junction with Central Street, and that the assembly must not begin before 12pm and must conclude by 4pm. Chief Superintendent Clair Haynes, in charge of the policing operation, said: 'We have been in discussions with the organisers of both protests in recent days, building on the ongoing engagement between local officers, community groups and partners. 'We understand that there are strongly held views on all sides. People believed to be migrants were seen filming and laughing as protesters and counter-demonstrators clashed in the streets of Islington today One man could be seen giving a thumbs up to those below, while others attempted to cover their faces as they peered out of the window Nine people have been arrested so far, with seven detained for breaching Public Order conditions 'Our officers will police without fear or favour, ensuring those exercising their right to protest can do so safely, but intervening at the first sign of actions that cross the line into criminality. 'We have used our powers under the Public Order Act to put conditions in place to prevent serious disorder and to minimise serious disruption to the lives of people and businesses in the local community. 'Those conditions identify two distinct protest areas where the protests must take place, meaning the groups will be separated but still within sight and sound of each other.' Elsewhere, at The New Bridge Hotel in Newcastle there are set to be protests with online posts advertising them as 'for our children, for our future'. A person can be seen peering behind a curtain inside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel A 'stop the far right and fascists in Newcastle' counter-protest has also been organised by Stand Up To Racism at the nearby Laing Art Gallery. In a statement, they said: 'Yet again far-right and fascist thugs are intent on bringing their message of hate to Newcastle. They aim to build on years of Islamophobia, anti-migrant sentiment and scapegoating. 'In Epping and elsewhere recently we have already seen intimidation and violence aimed at refugees, migrants and asylum seekers. 'Newcastle, like the rest of the North East, has a well-earned reputation for unity in the face of those who seek to divide us. Whatever problems we face, racism and division are not the answer.' Northumbria Police have been approached for comment. On Friday, around 100 people attended a protest outside the Stanwell Hotel in Spelthorne in Surrey, during which a packet of lit firelighters was thrown at police. A man was arrested on suspicion of attempted arson and inquiries are ongoing to trace another suspect, the police force said. Officers also arrested a man on suspicion of conspiracy to commit violent disorder and aggravated trespass following a protest at the same location on Thursday evening. A man waves a St George flag as protests surrounding a hotel believed to be housing migrants continues in north London today It comes after people to be asylum seekers appear moved into a glitzy four-star hotel in London under the cover of darkness. A coach full of suspected migrants was seen arriving at the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf at around 1.40am on Saturday morning. Tower Hamlets Council confirmed the Government intends to use the hotel - which has around 500 rooms - for asylum seekers in a move that has angered anti-migrant protesters and guests whose bookings have been cancelled Footage of the passengers getting off the coach showed they were all men, with the vast majority dressed in matching grey tracksuit tops and bottoms. They were helped by masked security guards, some of whom appeared to be wearing body cameras. Last week, workers were seen hauling beds and mattresses into the hotel in preparation for the arrival of 'hundreds' of asylum seekers. A barricade of metal fencing was placed around the hotel by the Metropolitan Police after anti-migrant demonstrators protested the plan for immigrants to be housed there. Met Police officers were called to the Britannia International Hotel last week amid warnings the 'discontent is real' in Britain. Footage on social media shows eggs were thrown, while a police helicopter was circling above as officers on the ground blocked the entrance to the hotel which has more than 500 rooms and is located on the waterfront of the South Dock. The Canary Wharf protest did not reach the violence seen in Epping, with YouTuber-types making up a large proportion of the crowd in preparation for any tension. However, there were still dozens of protesters - some wearing masks and others draped in St George's flags. One placard said: 'This is a peaceful protest to protect our own.' Counter-protesters also gathered outside the scene - and in one clip appeared to be escorted away from the hotel by police as protesters followed behind. Furious hotel guests have left damning reviews online, claiming they were told their stays were 'cancelled'. One wrote: 'My confirmed reservation was cancelled less than 24 hours before my stay via a brief phone call, citing a 'private hire' event.' Another said: 'Completely unprofessional company. Hotel cancelled my booking at last minute because they had a bulk booking.' Dozens of police officers were deployed to the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf Protesters gathered outside the hotel, some wearing masks and others draped in St George's flags Police officers blocked access to the hotel which the Government intends to use to house migrants It comes as footage of Essex Police helping counter-demonstrators from a nearby station to the Bell Hotel in Epping on July 17 emerged after the force initially denied offering help Be the first to comment What's your take on this matter? Comment now And a third fumed: 'Booked in for three nights on 18th July. Told we couldn't stay on Sunday night no explanation but waiter said they were closing. Left to go to other hotel 1 hr away on Sunday. Waste of a day.' While guests claimed they were not given a reason for the cancellations, a spokesman for Tower Hamlets Council confirmed: 'We are aware of the Government's decision to use the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf to provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. 'It is important that the Government ensures that there is a full package of support for those staying at the hotel. 'We are working with the Home Office and partners to make sure that all necessary safety and safeguarding arrangements are in place.' Local residents group chief Maxi Gorynski is an IT worker renting a high-rise flat in Canary Wharf. He made clear he wanted to distinguish himself and fellow residents from far-right demonstrators, saying they were 'notably distinct'. However, he told the Financial Times he was concerned the suspected asylum seekers could bring 'bag theft and gig economy fraud, all the way up to robbery, arson, sexual assault, rape, even murder' to their area. Felicity J Lord estate agent John Costea also told the FT that clients from the UK and abroad had asked 'many questions' about what is going on, such as 'how is it going to reflect their property value'. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'Since this Government took office, we have taken immediate action to fix the asylum system, removing more than 35,000 people with no right to be here in our first year. 'From over 400 asylum hotels open in summer 2023, costing almost £9 million a day, there are now less than 210, and we want them all closed by the end of this Parliament. 'We will continue to work closely with community partners across the country, and discuss any concerns they have, as we look to fix this broken system together. 'In the interim, the security of the local communities within which hotels are located will always be our first priority.' Protests have broken out across the country this summer, with more than 150 gathering outside The Park Hotel, in Diss, Norfolk last week after the Home Office announced plans to change it from housing asylum-seeker families to single men. Trouble first broke out in Epping two weeks ago after Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in the town by attempting to kiss her. He denies the charges. The protest started peacefully, but descended into frenzied violence when anti-migrant demonstrators clashed with counter protesters and police. A police officer sits in a car outside the entrance of the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf A police cordon and fencing is placed outside the Britannia International Hotel this morning A person waves an English flag from a car as it passes the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf One placard brought by a group of protesters said: 'This is a peaceful protest to protect our own.' Amid warnings 'discontent is real' in Britain, Met Police officers were called to the Britannia International Hotel, on Marsh Wall, Canary Wharf Furious hotel guests have left damning reviews online, claiming they were told their stays were 'cancelled' Police officers gather in front of counter-protesters outside the Canary Wharf hotel Essex Police has faced major questions after footage emerged of officers escorting pro-migrant activists to the hotel - despite the force initially denying this has happened. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage posted footage allegedly showing pro-migrant protesters being 'bussed' to the demonstration in police vans but Essex Police said this was 'categorically' untrue. However, after footage emerged of cops leading pro-migrant activists to the hotel by foot, Essex police admitted its officers had escorted the protesters. Farage had called for Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington to quit, saying it was 'absolutely disgraceful' and 'heads must roll'. But Chief Constable Harrington rejected claims his officers had given a higher level of protection to pro-migrant protesters. He said: 'The only protection that officers are doing is to those lawful and law-abiding people, whether they are in that accommodation, whether they are the people of Epping or whether they are people who are standing there with placards and banners wishing to make a very important and legitimate view, whichever your views about it. 'Where officers have intervened that is because there has been are not being partial in any way, shape or form.' When asked if he would resign, he said: 'No, I am not going to do that. This is not about me, this is about the communities of Essex... the issue is not about my resignation.' He said Essex Police made 10 arrests, adding: 'What has been unacceptable has been the people who have come to Epping and committed violence, who have attacked people who work at the hotel, who have attacked officers, who have damaged property and who have caused fear and disruption to the people of Epping. 'That is not tolerable, it will not be tolerated, and to that end, we have made 10 arrests.' In a warning to Farage and other politicians about their online posts, he added: 'It is not the police's job to clamp down on elected politicians... All I am asking is that people are responsible about what they say and they consider the real world consequences.' MPs and council leaders have raised fears that Britain could be heading for another 'summer of riots' - in a repeat of the street violence that followed the Southport murders last year. Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner warned that anger at high levels of illegal immigration is risking social cohesion in Britain's poorest communities and must be addressed. Her comments came after Sir Keir Starmer was warned by Epping Forest Council Leader Christ Whitbread that the UK is a 'powder keg' that could explode. Newly appointed shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly criticised the Prime Minister for a 'disconnect from reality' when it comes to housing asylum seekers.
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
‘She should answer for what she did': Trial begins of ex-Bangladeshi leader for crimes against humanity
Rakib Hossain was just 11 years old when, standing innocently on the streets of Dhaka in July last year, he was killed by a bullet to the head – fired allegedly by the police Hossain was one of more than 1,400 men, women and children killed in Bangladesh 's so-called July revolution, when hundreds of thousands across the country rose up in protest against the country's leader, Sheikh Hasina. Her attempts to crush the mass movement included deploying heavily armed police, who – with shoot-to-kill orders – fired live ammunition at civilians on the streets. Ultimately, the crackdown was unsuccessful and Ms Hasina was forced to flee Bangladesh in a helicopter on August 5th last year, as angry protesters marched towards her residence and the military refused to forcefully stop them. Now, just over a year since Rakib was killed, the trial of Ms Hasina will begin on August 3rd, as she stands accused of being responsible for the death of the 11-year-old and many others over those weeks. After months of evidence gathering, Bangladeshi prosecutors have charged her with crimes against humanity, including charges of order, incitement, complicity, conspiracy, and abetment of murder, torture and other inhuman acts. Her trial will be held before three judges of Bangladesh's international crimes tribunal (ICT); a court that Ms Hasina set up herself while in power. Ms Hasina will not be there. Since last August, she has been in India despite protests by the interim government leading Bangladesh. Multiple extradition requests for Ms Hasina have been ignored. With the possibility she would be given the death penalty if found guilty, few believe Ms Hasina will come back voluntarily. She has refused to be part of the proceedings except to plead not guilty, and has been given a state-appointed defence lawyer as she is being tried in absentia. In the days leading up to the trial, efforts have been made by Ms Hasina and her Awami League party to discredit it and the tribunal, denying the charges and claiming they had received no formal legal notices of them. In an open letter published on Friday, Ms Hasina described the protests that toppled her as a 'violent interruption of our hard-fought democracy' and promised to 'reclaim the institutions that were unlawfully seized'. Sheikh Hasina during her time as Bangladeshi prime minister in 2023. Photograph: Atul Loke/The New York Times Rakib's father, Abul Khayer, spoke of his anger that Ms Hasina would not be present in court. 'I want to see Hasina tried in person,' he said. 'She should face the families and answer for what she did. But India won't give her back. Everyone knows that.' A year since his son was killed, Mr Khayer said his grief had hardened into disillusionment and he expressed doubts that the tribunal would deliver true justice or accountability. After the toppling of Ms Hasina , a wave of optimism gripped Bangladesh, as an interim government led by Nobel prize-winner Muhammad Yunus was brought in with sweeping promises of democratic reform and accountability. But faith in the interim government has faded over the past year as many of the promised reforms have failed to materialise and Mr Yunus has struggled to bring the deteriorating law and order situation and attacks against minorities under control. With the country's first elections since the fall of Hasina due in February, Mr Khayer feared the trial would become politicised. 'Everyone has seen in the past how most often these kinds of cases have been used to gain political scores,' he said. 'The trials are dragged for years to serve people's political ambition.' Still, he insisted the trial should still go forward, if only to document the truth. 'I don't need her to sit in a dock to know what she did. She gave the orders. Everyone knows that. Let the world hear it.' For the many who saw their relatives and friends killed last July, the trial is a vital first step towards justice. While some senior government ministers and police officials were arrested, many in Hasina's regime fled the country and remain abroad. In an effort to make the trial as transparent as possible, much of it will be live streamed on television, except for moments where sensitive witnesses are testifying. Protesters call for prime minister Sheikh Hasina to resign during a demonstration in Dhaka, Bangladesh in August, 2024. Photograph: Munir Uz Zaman/AFP via Getty Images It is also just the beginning. Investigators are still working on bringing Ms Hasina to trial for other atrocities allegedly committed during her 15 years in power, including enforced disappearances and the killing, torture and mass incarceration of opponents and critics. Mohammad Tajul Islam, the chief prosecutor of the ICT, said the prosecution and investigation agency of the court had been 'working relentlessly' since September to find witnesses and gather evidence to bring Hasina to trial. He described it as a 'very challenging task, particularly because destruction of evidence and the involvement of a huge number of perpetrators'. Islam noted that some allegedly involved remained in positions of power, often making victims and witnesses reluctant to come forward. He said he was confident that the prosecution had a strong case to prove crimes against humanity were committed by Ms Hasina. Among the key witnesses will be her former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah al-Mamun, who has already pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the former prime minister. While some have questioned whether Bangladesh's judicial system – which was systematically eroded under Ms Hasina – was capable of conducting a free and fair trial for Ms Hasina, Mr Islam said reforms had brought the ICT in line with international best practices. 'It is critical for accountability and the rule of law, and also for the victims who seek justice,' he said. 'Her intended absence from the trial should not shield her from justice.' Mohammad Arafat, who served as a senior minister in Ms Hasina's government and is also facing charges, called the tribunal a 'political show trial'. 'The Awami League categorically rejects the politically motivated charges brought against its leadership,' he said. 'I urge the international community to recognise this tribunal for what it is: a tool to criminalise political opposition and rewrite lawful governance as criminality.' Mubashar Hasan, a political scientist who was forced into exile after he was abducted and tortured and is now a researcher at Western Sydney University, was among those who said that in an 'ideal scenario' Ms Hasina would instead be put on trial at the international criminal court in The Hague. The Yunus-led interim government has already banned the Awami League party from taking part in the elections expected early next year, but critics have said this undermines the democratic nature of the polls, given that Awami League is still one of the country's largest parties. The election is expected to be swept by the Bangladesh Nationalist party, whose leadership suffered years of persecution under Ms Hasina. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, the Islamist party which was banned under Ms Hasina, is also expected to do well, which has raised concerns about the rise of Islamic hardliners undermining the country's secular foundations. — The Guardian
