Page 21 - Protest

Probe China's role in violence against protesters on US soil: Congress

A congressional commission is asking the Justice Department to investigate the role of Beijing after protesters claimed they were beaten and harassed by Chinese government agents in November in San Francisco during an official visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The protesters, who were defending the rights of Hong Kong, Tibet and ethnic Uyghurs, said their attackers' attire, coordination and strong reaction to anti-Communist Party rhetoric indicated official Chinese involvement. They provided no definitive evidence, but US officials have previously accused Chinese operatives of targeting people in the United States. Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican who chairs the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, said Tuesday it was demanding a thorough investigation to find out why all of these wonderful people who were peacefully protesting were hit with poles, have scars that now you know will not go away. The Chinese Embassy denied any involvement and instead accused the

Centre to buy unsold onions: Maha Dy CM amid protests against export ban

The Centre is ready to purchase onions from farmers which remain unsold or cannot be auctioned even as attempts are being made to find a way out in view of the export ban, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the legislative council on Monday. He was replying to a query raised by the Leader of the Opposition, Ambadas Danve, who sought to know the measures being taken by the state government in view of the ban on the export of onions. Fadnavis' statement comes in the backdrop of his meeting with Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal in Mumbai on Saturday night regarding the issues faced by cultivators in the state. "Farmers are badly affected by unseasonal rains. The ban on export of onions by the Central government is not in the interest of farmers, who are forced to resort to protests in Maharashtra," said Danve, who belongs to Shiv Sena (UBT). He questioned whether the state government would take up the onion export ban

BJP Prez Nadda leads protest against cash recovery at Cong MP's premises

Several MPs were chanting "Rahul Gandhi must answer, wherever there is Congress, there is corruption, from corruption to Congress."

Around 50,000 to stage protest in Delhi to demand hike in minimum pension

Employees' Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS-95), an association of pensioners, will organise a rally in the national capital to press the government to hike minimum pension under the scheme. Presently, the minimum pension under the EPS-95 is Rs 1,000 per month. The EPS-95 is run by retirement fund body Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). "The EPS-95 pensioners are steadfast in their resolve to secure a minimum pension of Rs 7,500, dearness allowance, and additional benefits outlined in the EPFO's letter dated 23.03.2017," Rashtriya Sangharsh Samiti said in a statement. The Rashtriya Sangharsh Samiti will organise a rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on December 7, and about 50,000 pensioners from across the nation will unite to demand an increase in minimum pension, the statement said. Following the mammoth rally, a fast unto death is scheduled at Jantar Mantar starting from December 8, the statement said. President of the samiti Commander Ashok Raut, General Secretary Virendra S

Police clash with anti-govt demonstrators in Kathmandu, 30 injured

Nearly 30 people, including five policemen, were injured on Thursday as Nepalese riot police used batons and tear gas to halt thousands of protesters from two political groups who clashed with each other while marching on the outskirts of Kathmandu. The two political groups, the Youth Organisation Nepal (YON) affiliated to the main Opposition Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) [CPN UML] and supporters of the pro-monarchy Durga Prasai Group clashed with each other while staging anti-government demonstrations. At least 24 protesters and five policemen were injured during the clashes. The YON and the pro-monarchist Durga Prasai Group announced separate demonstrations against the government in Kathmandu on Thursday. The Durga Prasai Group -- whose first target was the government and second the CPN-UML affiliated YON -- chanted slogans and called for the restoration of a Hindu state in Nepal. According to the YON, their main slogans were toppling the Prachanda-led pres

Mizoram: EC allows students' scholarship disbursal after hundreds protest

Mizoram's student body Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) called off its agitation late on Thursday after the state government assured disbursement of scholarships following approval by the Election Commission. Earlier in the day, officials said that the scholarship money was not disbursed due to the model code of conduct being in place for the state assembly polls held on November 7 and that they were waiting for the Election Commission's nod. The counting of votes will take place on December 3. MZP general secretary Chinkhanmanga Thomte said that the agitation was called off at 8:30 pm on Thursday as the Election Commission has approved the petition to disburse the scholarship money. Hundreds of students, under the aegis of MZP, were protesting from Tuesday over the alleged negligence of the state scholarship board to disburse money. They demanded that the second installment of scholarship money be immediately released to the beneficiaries. The protesters staged a sit-in outside the Mizoram

UK PM Rishi Sunak condemns violent protesters on Remembrance weekend

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned violent clashes involving far-right and extremist groups as he and his wife Akshata Murty joined King Charles III for Remembrance Sunday events at the Cenotaph war memorial near Downing Street here. Members of the royal family and politicians laid wreaths as Big Ben chimed at 1100 GMT to signal the start of a two-minute national silence. The service in London, which honours the contribution of military and civilian servicemen and women in World Wars I and II and other conflicts, comes a day after the Metropolitan Police made 126 arrests as counter-protesters clashed with officers in central London on Saturday. Around 300,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through the streets during largely peaceful protests against the Israel-Gaza conflict, with police later issuing images of suspects wanted for extremist actions and displaying racially offensive banners. "I condemn the violent, wholly unacceptable scenes we have seen from the EDL

Cops book outsourced staff of UP helpline 112 after protests on salary hike

Police on Wednesday booked five named and 200 unidentified women outsourced employees of the emergency helpline UP 112, a day after they staged a protest outside its headquarters here demanding a salary hike and job security. The FIR was lodged on the complaint of Police Sub-Inspector Dhirendra Pratap Singh at the Sushant Golf City police station. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, (South Zone), Shashank Singh, said that the protestors have been booked under the IPC sections 147 (rioting), 149 (every member is of part of unlawful assembly) 188 ( assembly of more than five), 283 (obstruction to public passage) and 341 (wrongful restraint). Those named in the FIR include Harishta Srivastava, Pooja Singh, Reena Sharma, and Shashi while police are trying to identify the other unidentified mentioned in the FIR. The protesting employees continued their demonstration at Eco Garden in Lucknow on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the state government removed the Additional Director General (AD

Nitish apologises for comment on women amid Oppn, social media protest

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday apologised in both Houses of the legislature, as well as outside, for remarks made a day before on the importance of women's education to control population growth. The septuagenarian leader, upon his arrival on the Vidhan Sabha premises, was greeted by a posse of MLAs, all belonging to the opposition BJP, carrying placards denouncing his utterances and demanding his resignation. Kumar, the longest serving chief minister of the state, stood frozen at the entrance gate for a few minutes, before marching towards a make-shift podium erected nearby, where leaders address journalists while the House is in session. "I have come to know today that something I had said yesterday has not gone down well with many people. My intent was to highlight my government's thrust on women's empowerment and the role improved literacy among women plays in population control. Though if anybody's sentiments have been hurt, I seek an apology and take back my ..

Why solving 'Maratha quota' Rubik's cube needs more than 20 moves

Analogous to the diverse sides of a cube, the quota conundrum in Maharashtra presents a complex puzzle

Protest marches by thousands in Europe demand halt to bombing in Gaza

Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators demanding a halt to Israel's bombardment of Gaza marched in Paris, Berlin and other European cities on Saturday. The marches reflected growing disquiet in Europe about the mounting civilian casualty toll and suffering from the Israel-Hamas war, particularly in countries with large Muslim populations, including France. The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 9,448, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. In Israel, more than 1,400 people have been killed, most of them in the Oct 7 Hamas attack that started the war. At a Paris rally that drew several thousand protesters, demonstrators called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and some shouted Israel, assassin! In central London, streets were blocked by protesters chanting, Cease-fire now and I believe that we will win. Banners on a sound-system truck at the Paris march through rain-dampened streets read: Stop the massacre in Gaza. Demonstrators, many carry

Maratha quota stir: Curfew lifted in Beed; 99 held so far for violence

The Beed administration on Wednesday morning lifted curfew imposed in parts of the district after violence during the Maratha quota agitation on Monday, officials said. Prohibition orders will continue in the district, located in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, and Internet services are still shut to maintain law and order, they said. There is no relaxation in curfew in Dharashiv district as of now, the officials said. The Beed police have registered more than 30 offences and arrested 99 people so far in connection with the violence, they said. After violence in Beed on Monday, curfew was enforced in a periphery of 5 kilometres from the collector office, head offices of talukas along with all national highways passing through the district. "Curfew in Beed district has been revoked by the district administration at 6 am on Wednesday. Prohibitory orders still exist in the district," an official said. "Internet services are still shut in Beed," Collector Deepa Mudhol Munde tol

Maratha quota stir: Sr cop visits violence-hit Beed; 99 people held so far

Maharashtra's Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Sanjay Saxena has visited Beed district to take stock of the situation after large scale violence there during the Maratha quota agitation, an official said on Wednesday. So far, 99 people have been arrested in connection with the violence in Beed and the situation is currently under control, he said. Senior IPS officer Saxena went to Beed on Tuesday and has been reviewing the situation. He will also submit a report about the situation to the government, the official said. The Beed police have registered more than 30 offences and arrested 99 people so far in connection with the violence, he said. Curfew was imposed and Internet services were suspended in central Maharashtra's Beed district after the violence on Monday. The residence of Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar group) MLA Prakash Solanke at Majalgaon town in Beed was set on fire and stones were hurled at it by a group of quota agitators on Monday ...

Protests by BJP leaders continue over party ticket allotment in Rajasthan

Dissident leaders and supporters protested in Rajsamand, Sriganganagar, Udaipur, and Bikaner ahead of the state Assembly elections

US President Joe Biden seeks $100 billion to arm Israel and Ukraine

More than 1 million Palestinians, roughly half of Gaza's population, have fled homes in the north and Gaza City after Israel told them to evacuate

Protesters in Lebanon decry Gaza blast with security forces near US Embassy

Hundreds of protesters clashed Wednesday with Lebanese security forces in a Beirut suburb near the US Embassy during demonstrations in support of both Gaza's civilian residents and the militant group Hamas in its war with Israel. The protest in the Aukar neighbourhood came as US President Joe Biden made a show of solidarity with Israel during his visit there Wednesday, a day after an explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital killed hundreds of people and prompted mass protests. Biden offered his assessment that the explosion was not the result of a strike by the Israeli military. The Palestinian group Hamas, which rules Gaza, and many Arab countries accuse Israel of striking the hospital, while the Israeli military claims it was a misfired rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group in Gaza. Demonstrators holding Palestinian flags and the flags of various Palestinian factions took down a security wall and cut a barbed wire barrier on a winding road that leads to the U.S. Embassy outsid

People stage protests in Jordan after Gaza Hospital explosion kills 500

In videos, the protesters in Ramallah were seen chanting "The people want the fall of the President."

AAP protests against Sanjay Singh's arrest, asks govt to provide evidence

Terming the allegations against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh as a political conspiracy, the party's Himachal Pradesh unit on Monday staged a protest in Shimla against the Centre. The party workers, under the leadership of state president Surjeet Thakur, gathered outside the deputy commissioner's (DC) office and raised slogans against the BJP-led central government. Sanjay Singh was arrested on Wednesday (October 4) by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case linked with the Delhi liquor policy. Opposing the arrest, Thakur said these allegations and arrests are nothing but political conspiracies against AAP and opposition leaders. Talking to the media persons, Thakur said it is very unfortunate that the central government is arresting AAP leaders without any solid reason and asked the government to provide strong evidence against the leaders. "Even I can say that I have paid Rs 15 lakh to Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Cauvery row: Pro-Kannada organisation to block highway in B'luru on Oct 10

The govts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been locked in a protracted tussle over the sharing of Cauvery waters. The river is seen as a major source of sustenance for the people in the two states

TMC announces indefinite sit-in outside Raj Bhavan, criticises governor

Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee announced an indefinite sit-in on Thursday in front of the Raj Bhavan, the official residence of Bengal's governor CV Ananada Bose hours after he flew off to visit flood affected areas of North Bengal and then to Delhi. Banerjee announced the sit-in after thousands of party functionaries and its top leadership marched up to the British-era edifice to protest the alleged withholding of West Bengal's MGNREGA dues by the Centre. The huge show of strength brought traffic to a standstill in the heart of the busy metropolis. The march comes days after the party held a two-day protest programme in New Delhi to draw attention to the alleged delayed payment of dues towards the MGNREGA programme which guarantees 100 days of work to the poor and for a scheme which helps build houses for poor families. "We had sought a meeting with the Governor, but he did not grant us an audience. He has gone to North Bengal. It seems as if he regards us as bonded .