Latest news with #racism
Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Bombshell as Cyril Rioli texts reveal secret footy comeback plan under Alastair Clarkson at Kangaroos - just WEEKS before the Hawthorn racism saga unfolded in 2022
In the latest bombshell to engulf the AFL, it can now be revealed Hawthorn legend Cyril Rioli considered a shock return to the sport under former coach Alastair Clarkson at North Melbourne - just weeks before Hawthorn's racism saga exploded. Rioli - who won four premiership at the Hawks - spoke to his one-time mentor in August and September of 2022 about turning out for the Kangaroos the following season, once Clarkson took over at Arden St. 'Interested and keen,' was Rioli's response when asked if he would dust off his playing boots after previously retiring in 2018. Ultimately, at 33, Rioli felt he may struggle with the fitness levels required and the move never eventuated - but 'Junior' was reportedly open to joining North Melbourne in an off-field role such as an Indigenous liaison officer. Incredibly, just a few weeks later, legal action in relation to historical racism allegations aimed at Hawthorn, Clarkson, current Brisbane Lions head coach Chris Fagan and former welfare manager Jason Burt was then launched after the 2022 Grand Final. The high-profile Hawks trio all strenuously denied any wrongdoing, with an subsequent investigation from the AFL finding no adverse findings. Rioli was the lead complainant in a statement of claim against his former club which accused Clarkson, Fagan and Burt of 'separating Indigenous players from their families.' The decorated half forward flank also accused Hawthorn of 'unlawful discrimination' causing 'psychological harm', 'distress' and 'personal harm' throughout his decorated career which started in 2008 and concluded a decade later. Additionally, Rioli and his partner Shannyn Ah Sam-Rioli, said they felt 'culturally unsafe' at Hawthorn. Clarkson and Rioli have not spoken since their text exchange in 2022. With the matter set to play out in the Federal Court involving Hawthorn, the club resolved the matter on AFL draft night in November last year. A statement formally apologised to Rioli and wife Shannyn, Jermaine Miller-Lewis, Montanah-Rae Lewis, Carl Peterson and former Hawthorn Indigenous officer Leon Egan for their 'distress' at the club. 'Hawthorn accepts that the allegations were made in good faith, and has heard, respects, and accepts that they represent their truths,' part of the statement said. 'Hawthorn is sorry and apologises that the former players, partners, and their families, in either pursuing a football career, or in supporting such a person, experienced ongoing hurt and distress in their time at the club.' Clarkson experienced a mental health breakdown in 2023 and took personal leave from the Kangaroos amid the devastating fallout.
The Herald
2 hours ago
- General
- The Herald
‘Justice not served': Family outraged as student who urinated on Babalo Ndwayana's belongings walks free
The family of Babalo Ndwayana has expressed deep disappointment after the acquittal of former Stellenbosch University student Theuns du Toit, who was caught on video urinating on Ndwayana's belongings in a university residence in 2022. Du Toit was cleared this week of charges of crimen injuria and malicious damage to property, bringing a three-year legal process to a controversial close. The Stellenbosch magistrate's court found there was insufficient grounds to convict him. The incident, which went viral on social media at the time, drew national outrage and sparked renewed debate on racism and privilege in South African institutions. Ndwayana's father Mkuseli Kaduka, told TimesLIVE the family was devastated by the Stellenbosch magistrate's court's decision. 'Babalo and myself are both disappointed and devastated by the outcome of the case. Justice was by no means served at all,' said Kaduka. Stellenbosch University said it considered the process fair and closed. Meanwhile the SU convocation lamented the damage caused by the case to the university's reputation and called for an apology to Du Toit.
CBS News
11 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
PR firm reveals plan to revamp city of Howell, Michigan's image
Months after being hired by the city of Howell to help improve its image, Michigan-based public relations firm Burch Partners says it is working to tell the city's story better. "My work is very much behind the scenes," said Brian Burch, the firm's managing partner. "The great people are the story here. The great business owners, the great families, the great history that have done to make our community a better place. That's the story." The city announced in December 2024 that it would hire a public relations firm to revamp the area's reputation after reported incidents of racism and homophobia. Past reporting shed light on a troubled history in Howell, including a period in the '70s when Ku Klux Klan gatherings were allegedly held on the farm of KKK Grand Dragon Robert E. Miles, who, according to reports, held white supremacist rallies and was also sentenced for a school bus bombing. In November, there were reports of a Neo-Nazi demonstration outside a performance of the play The Diary of Anne Frank. During the hunt for a PR firm to help, the city experienced another racist incident with another reported Nazi demonstration, this time outside of the Historic Howell Theater. The firm was hired in March 2025. "We're not rehabbing anything; what we're doing is we're telling Howell's story as it actually is," Burch said. When asked how the last couple of incidents fit into that story, Burch said, "It doesn't fit in. Things that fit in are kind of the great communities, the safe streets, the amazingly responsible police department. I don't believe that a few bad actors from out of town can change that." Burch said his work centers around highlighting events happening in the city, new projects like the Depot Lot Expansion, and the community's natural areas. "I think the story is showing people how great we live," he said. Meanwhile, some Howell residents say they were happy to hear the city is taking action, and some felt it wasn't necessary or a good use of money.
The Guardian
a day ago
- General
- The Guardian
NSW MP decries anti-Chinese violence in Sydney
Speaking in NSW parliament after a violent attack on a Chinese couple in Sydney, Chinese Australian MP Jason Yat-Sen Li says 'racism doesn't need to be proven in court to be real in people's lives'. Li argued for tackling the root causes of youth crime: 'poverty, disengagement and trauma to young people and their families'. Li said he and the member for Hefron, where the incident took place, had met with the attorney general, the minister for police, police command and as well as representatives from youth justice, housing, education and multicultural groups
Reuters
2 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Italy calls Council of Europe 'shameful' after warning on police racism
ROME, May 29 (Reuters) - Italy lashed out at the Council of Europe on Thursday and defended its police after the European human rights body named Italy among countries where racist conduct among law enforcers was a problem. In presenting its 2025 annual report on Wednesday, the head of the Council's Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) urged Italy to launch an independent enquiry into evidence that its police disproportionately targeted immigrants. Bertil Cottier said so-called "racial profiling", by which the police stop people on the basis of their skin colour or presumed nationality or religion, appeared to be an issue in Italy and called on the government to look into it. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her deputy Matteo Salvini, who both lead far-right parties that base their appeal on law-and-order and the fight against illegal immigration, bluntly dismissed the suggestion. "ECRI's words, accusing the Italian police of racism, are simply shameful," Brothers of Italy chief Meloni posted on social media platform X on Wednesday. League leader Salvini doubled down on Thursday, telling reporters in Rome that the anti-racism panel "should be ashamed," and calling it "another useless body paid for by Italian and European citizens, that produces rubbish in return." The head of state Sergio Mattarella summoned Italy's police chief for a meeting on Thursday, "to re-confirm the admiration and trust of the country in its law enforcers." The Council of Europe did not respond to a request for comment. The Strasbourg-based organisation, which has 46 member states, was founded in 1949 to promote democracy and human rights in the continent. The latest ECRI report was an overview of its activities in 2024 and did not specifically discuss the Italian situation. However, in ECRI's latest country-specific report in October, it flagged "numerous accounts of racial profiling by law enforcement officials, targeting especially Roma and people of African descent" in Italy.
