Latest news with #protester
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
I told my mum I was unsure about having children. Her reply opened my eyes
To me, my mother is Mummy and Mum; the fount of all knowledge and the source of love; the keeper of the rulebook and the holder of the cheerleader's pompoms. She's all of those things, but she is also a madwoman, who on her first night out in England from Zimbabwe was shocked by how cold it was after leaving her flat in a short skirt and heels, no jacket. She was pushed into hockey, literally, by her friend, who shoved her out of the line when the coach asked for a volunteer. I am named after that friend. My mother is both a protester and a nurturer; she has been teargassed at least twice (that I know of) while protesting in the name of human rights. Her life is a series of near misses and question marks, which I enjoy learning about and am sometimes horrified by. Given the obvious richness of her experience, I have asked her many times why she decided to have children. I couldn't figure out why somebody who had such a full life would want to risk changing it for anything. When I was a teenager, she jokingly responded that she was bored. But as I get older, my curiosity has only grown. Because of her difficulties with endometriosis, the chances of her having children were slim. Becoming an older, black mother sounded even harder, with the risks associated with so-called geriatric pregnancies and systemic racism within maternal health settings. One day, we were having a conversation at home, laughing about one of those interior design shows in which the couple had a child on the way and another running around, when I asked her again why she decided to have children when everything about it sounds so stressful and tiring. 'I wanted to be a mother on my own terms. Not anyone else's,' she told me. And then she went on: 'Everyone has this magical idea of a baby. But those babies don't stay babies.' By this, I understood that she never felt any pressure to have children because she had always looked at children as separate beings – not as possessions or boxes to tick or part of a life plan. What it said about her her attitude to life – the determination to raise a person rather than be a mother for the sake of it – really floored me. 'What about getting married?' I asked her, and she answered with an indescribable look that I have yet to capture on camera. She told me she had never wanted to be a wife. Not that she thought marriage was a bad thing; in fact, her own parents had a long, happy marriage. But her father once told her that marriage and giving birth were not exactly achievements. Living a life worth talking about, where you made a difference, big or small, caring for other people – that is what mattered. That was the example she should give to children she might have. And that's what she tried to do. And so, in her mid-30s, she decided she was ready to pass on what she had experienced and learned to a new generation. I told her: 'I don't think I'll ever have children.' I had said so on many occasions, usually after babysitting a younger cousin or friend's child – the best form of birth control. However, I wondered, did my mother wish to be a grandmother? My early childhood is filled with fond memories and pictures of her mother, my Gogo. She was excited to be a grandmother, for her daughter to have daughters. But she shrugged and said: 'Good. You could change your mind, but someone who realises early on that they don't want children is someone who recognises the immense responsibility it is.' If children were meaningful to me, that was good. If not, still good. She had a life before, during and after me. She has her bookcases full of novels, a rack full of good wine and holidays planned for herself in business class. We were her joy – but not the only thing in life that brought her joy. Her approach has always been: live a good life, do something meaningful. Basically, just don't kill anyone. I do not have children. Maybe that will change; it is highly likely it will not. But I am always comforted to know that whether I raise dogs, alpacas, cats or even children, my mother will be fine with my choices. Michaela Makusha is a freelance journalist
Fox News
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Security guard's 'swift move' stops determined anti-Israel agitator at Tour de France finish
A protester opposing Israel's involvement in the Tour de France was swiftly apprehended after attempting to disrupt the prestigious cycling race. The man jumped a barricade near the finish line and ran toward the racers, reportedly shouting objections to Israel's participation and carrying unidentified items. Security personnel acted swiftly with one guard intercepting the protester just 25 meters from the finish line, tackling him and then forcefully throwing him back over the barrier into the crowd. The dramatic moment unfolded during Stage 11 of the three-week competition as leading cyclists neared the end of the 97.5-mile route around Toulouse in southern France. Video footage of the incident quickly spread online, showing the man wearing a shirt that said "Israel out of the Tour" and holding a keffiyeh, a scarf commonly associated with support for the Palestinian cause. "These pro-Palestinians really are the worst people. Imagine wasting your life doing this," one person commented on the video. "Tour de France security wasn't playing — an anti-Israel protester ran onto the track, but got tackled, ear-grabbed, and cleared in one swift move," another person commented. The protest occurred after the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement labeled the Israel Premier-Tech team "Team Genocide" and called for non-violent demonstrations at major cycling events where the team competes, including the Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España and Tour de France. The group called for more "peaceful protests" along the route. "Let's ensure the roads are closed to perpetrators of genocide," the group stated on its website. The Tour de France, made up of 21 stages, will conclude July 27 along the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Fox News Digital reached out to the Tour de France for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to
The National
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Best photos of July 17: Syrian Druze in the Golan Heights to an Israeli air strike on Damascus
A protester wearing a t-shirt that reads 'Israel out of the tour' runs onto the road near the finish line as Jonas Abrahamsen is seen on his way to winning stage 11 of the Tour de France. Reuters
Arab News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pro-Palestinian demonstrator arrested at Tour de France
TOULOUSE: A protester wearing a t-shirt reading 'Israel out of the Tour' was arrested on Wednesday after running onto the final straight of the Tour de France 11th stage. The protester, who was also holding a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf, got past security barriers and ran toward the finish line in Toulouse as Norway's Jonas Abrahamsen won a sprint finale. The man was intercepted by a race staff member and arrested, the local prefecture said. Several police officers have been assigned to protecting the Israel-Premier Tech team during the Tour. The team was set up by Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams, but there are no Israeli riders in this year's race. With the Gaza war causing international controversy, last year the team said it had asked its riders not to wear jerseys with any reference to Israel while out training as a precaution.
Washington Post
21-06-2025
- Washington Post
Man arrested after Utah 'No Kings' rally shooting is released as investigation continues
A man accused of brandishing a rifle at a 'No Kings' rally in Utah — prompting an armed safety volunteer to open fire and accidentally kill a protester — has been released from jail while the investigation continues . Salt Lake District Attorney Sim Gill's office said Friday that it was unable to make a decision on charges against Arturo Gamboa, who had been jailed on suspicion of murder following the June 14 shooting.
