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Category: Police

  • Waterlogged Kolkata street did turn red after Eid qurbani: Alt News ground report rebuts police cyber cell’s denial

    After Bakri Eid was celebrated in India on Saturday, June 7, a video went viral on Facebook claiming to show a blood-filled road in Kolkata following the Qurbani (sacrificial) ritual.

    Several users shared visuals of a blood-filled road and remarked sarcastically, “This isn’t Bangladesh or Pakistan…” Some stated that parts of Kolkata resembled “scenes from Bangladesh”. The posts also claimed that the visuals were from Ward 44 in Kolkata. (Examples: 1, 2, 3, 4)

    BJP leader Sajal Ghosh who represents Ward No. 50 in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), also shared the video on Facebook and claimed that it was from the Bhawani Dutta Lane and Neel Madhab Sen Lane areas of Bowbazar. In the post, He also urged ‘urban, smart, ultramodern seculars’ to wake up unless they wanted the same picture to emerge from their localities within four-five years.

    খুশির ঈদে খুশির বন্যা l

    না এটা বাংলাদেশ না পাকিস্তান, এ আমার সাধের মধ্য কলকাতার বউবাজার অঞ্চলের ভবানী দত্ত লেন ও নীল মধব সেন লেন অঞ্চলের ছবি l

    ঈদ কুরবানী একটি সম্প্রদায়ের নিজস্ব বিষয়, সে নিয়ে আমি কিছু বলবো না, কিন্তু যে প্রাণীকে আমরা পূজা করি, তার এই পরিণতি আমাদের ভাবাবেগকেও আঘাত দেয় l
    অদ্ভুতভাবে প্রশাসন এবং পুরসভা চোখে ঠুলি পড়ে আছেন‌ l
    তাই সমস্ত শহুরে স্মার্ট অত্যাধুনিক সেকুলার মানুষজনকে আমার অনুরোধ নিজে জাগুন অন্যকেও জাগান l

    নয়তো আর ৪-৫ বছর বাদেই ঈদের দিনের এটাই আপনার পাড়ার ছবি হবে।
    Sajal Ghosh BJP West Bengal Kolkata Municipal Corporation

    Posted by Sajal Ghosh on Sunday 8 June 2025

    On the same day, the X handle of the West Bengal Police Cyber Crime Wing shared a related fact check. It picked up a Facebook post from a user named Nepal Saha, which contained six photos of purported Eid celebrations in Kolkata, and labelled them as fake. One of these photos is a screenshot from the viral video. The fact check claimed that the photos originated in Bangladesh, with a 2016 post from Dhaka cited as the source. However, the viral video screengrab is not part of the 2016 post, and only two of the five others flagged as fake can actually be traced back to it. (Archive)

    We found a website (https://factcheck.wb.gov.in/) bearing the same logo which published the same fact check. The website describes itself as “the Fact Check Portal of the West Bengal Cyber Crime Wing (which) is ready to tackle the menace by presenting verified, accurate, reliable information…”. Note that it uses a gov.in domain.

    We tried reaching out to the cyber cell of Bengal Police. When we called on their number, they asked us to speak to the social media cell. The officer who spoke to us from the social media cell confirmed that the fact check had indeed been done by West Bengal Police’s cyber cell. However, he said the concerned person was on leave and only he could enlighten us about it. When we called up again the next day, we were met with the same response — that the person in the know of things was not available.

    Alt News Visited the Spot

    Taking a cue from Sajal Ghosh’s Facebook post, Alt News was able to precisely identify the spot featured in the viral clip. Bhawani Dutta Lane and Neel Madhab Sen Lane are two narrow streets near the College Street — Mahatma Gandhi Road crossing, stones throw from the Presidency University. We visited the site and shot a video that shows the same area that is seen in the  viral clip. 

    The business establishments visible toward the end of the footage all carry Kolkata addresses. (Outlined in red in the screengrabs below)

    Click to view slideshow.

    Key landmarks visible in the viral video — including a distinct red-coloured house, a grey coloured building with light blue stripes, and a black car — can be seen in the Alt News video as well. The grey building houses the historical and current sections of the West Bengal state archives and bears the address: 6, Bhawani Dutta Lane.  

    These elements have also been highlighted below:

    Click to view slideshow.

    Have Never Seen Streets Turn Red Like this Before: Locals

    To understand what transpired, we spoke to several locals. They recounted that on the intervening night of June 6 and June 7, the area experienced heavy rainfall resulting in severe waterlogging. On Saturday, June 7, morning, the ritual of qurbani (animal sacrifice) was carried out in keeping with religious tradition, local residents observed.

    With the lanes being already waterlogged from the overnight rain, blood from the animal sacrifices mixed with the stagnant rainwater. Locals themselves came forward to manually clear the drains before the intervention of the civic body.

    Alt News spoke to a local shop owner, Rajesh, who said he had lived and worked in the neighbourhood for over four decades. He told us that he had never witnessed anything like this before. 

    “I’ve been living and working in this neighbourhood for over 40 years, and I’ve never witnessed anything like this. The area indeed gets waterlogged whenever it rains, and the ritual of qurbani is performed here every year. But this is the first time I’ve seen such a scene — it was truly unprecedented.” Rajesh also confirmed that the video shows his locality and is from last Saturday.

    The same information was corroborated by another shop owner from the area who told  us that he had been in business there for around five to seven years and “had never seen anything like it.” “The water was red and there was a pungent smell”, he told us.

    To further corroborate the events, we spoke to another family that had been residing there for over 60 years. They told us that in all their time living there, they had never witnessed such a disturbing sight. According to them, waterlogging is a recurring issue whenever it rains — and Friday was no exception. That evening, the area experienced heavy rainfall, which led to water accumulation due to clogged drains. “I was born and brought up here. In my lifetime, this was the first time I had witnessed something like this. Yes, the streets get waterlogged after a heavy shower. And on Friday, we experienced a heavy rainfall, which led to the accumulation of water.”

    “Even at around 7 am, the water was clear, and likely after an hour, it turned red. Yes, it was accompanied by foul odour,” members of the household told Alt News. they did not want to be named. The time of the water turning red was corroborated by two other witnesses. 

    When asked whether the ritual of qurbani is practised every year on Eid al-adah, the family said, “Yes, but it has never affected the neighbours in any manner.” They also observed that a few local residents took the initiative to clear the clogged drains using sticks in an attempt to improve the situation. Shortly after these efforts, municipal workers arrived, cleaned the affected area, and restored normalcy. “We saw a few locals trying to unclog the drains with sticks. And later the municipality intervened and cleared it up.”

    Kamal Pandit, a priest at a nearby temple, repeated the same point — that this was unprecedented. “I have been working here for the past six years. In this span, I have never seen a filthy sight like this. Whenever it rains, the area gets waterlogged, but I have never seen it turn red. It was cleared up in the afternoon.”

    To sum up, Alt News’ on-ground investigation confirmed that the viral video was indeed authentic and were filmed in Kolkata. On the night of June 6 (Friday), the city witnessed heavy rain in certain areas, including Bhawani Dutta Lane in central Kolkata. As a result, following the Qurbani (sacrificial) ritual on Bakri Eid the next day, the already waterlogged lanes turned red, possibly due to contamination with animal blood. However, the X handle of Bengal police’s cyber crime wing issued an inaccurate fact-check of a Facebook post carrying a screenshot from the same video, incorrectly claiming that it was from Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2016.

    This story will be updated if we receive a response from the cyber cell of police.

    The post Waterlogged Kolkata street did turn red after Eid qurbani: Alt News ground report rebuts police cyber cell’s denial appeared first on Alt News.


    This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Ankita Mahalanobish.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Analyst dismisses ‘lie by rogue’ Netanyahu over Iran’s nuclear programme

    Asia Pacific Report

    A leading Middle East analyst has pushed back against US President Donald Trump’s dismissal of the conclusion of his own national intelligence chief, who said in April that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.

    Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst, said in an interview that Tulsi Gabbard, the US Director of National Intelligence, who issued the determination on Iran, “does not speak for herself” or her team alone.

    “She speaks for all the intelligence agencies combined,” Bishara said.

    “This intelligence is supposed to be sound. This is not just one person or one team saying something. It’s the entire intelligence community in the United States. He [Trump] would dismiss them? For what?

    “For a lie by a rogue element called Benjamin Netanyahu, who has lied all his life, a con artist who is indicted for his crimes in Gaza? It’s just astounding.”

    US senators slam Netanyahu
    Two US senators have also condemned Netanyahu while Israel continues to bomb and starve Gaza

    Chris Van Hollen and Elizabeth Warren, two Democrats in the US Senate, have urged the world to pay attention to what Israel continues to do in Gaza amid its conflict with Iran.

    “Don’t look away,” Van Hollen wrote on X. “Since the start of the Israel-Iran war 7 days ago, over 400 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, many shot while seeking food.

    “It’s unconscionable that Netanyahu has not allowed international orgs to resume food delivery.”

    Warren said the Israeli prime minister “may think no one will notice what he’s doing in Gaza while he bombs Iran”.

    “People face starvation. 55,000 killed. Aid workers and doctors turned away at the border. Shooting at innocent people desperate for food. The world sees you, Benjamin Netanyahu,” she wrote.

    ‘A trust gap’
    The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, appealed for an end to the fighting between Israel and Iran, saying that Teheran had repeatedly stated that it was not seeking nuclear weapons.

    “Let’s recognise there is a trust gap,” he said.

    “The only way to bridge that gap is through diplomacy to establish a credible, comprehensive and verifiable solution — including full access to inspectors of the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency], as the United Nations technical agency in this field.

    “For all of that to be possible, I appeal for an end to the fighting and the return to serious negotiations.”

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres
    UN Secretary-General António Guterres . . . “I appeal for an end to the fighting and the return to serious negotiations.” Image: UNweb screenshot APR

    Meanwhile, in New Zealand hope for freedom for Palestinians remained high among a group of trauma-struck activists in Cairo.

    In spite of extensive planning, the Global March To Gaza (GMTG) delegation of about 4000 international aid volunteers was thwarted in its mission to walk from Cairo to Gaza to lend support.

    Asia Pacific Report special correspondents report on the saga.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Liberty just won back our right to protest in the UK

    The Labour government has dropped its second appeal of a High Court ruling. Human rights group Liberty challenged it in the High Court in May 2024, the law change gave the police ‘almost unlimited powers’ to restrict protest. It did so through lowering the bar for police action against a protest from a ‘serious disruption’ to ‘more than a minor disruption’.

    This latest ruling found that the previous Conservative government acted unlawfully in using executive powers to sharply tighten protesting restrictions in the UK.

    Under such an overreach, police have arrested hundreds of protestors including climate and pro-Palestine activist Greta Thunberg.

    ‘Henry VIII powers’

    In June 2023, the then-Conservative government used secondary legislation, known as Henry VIII powers, to unlawfully change the protest regulation. Secondary legislation shifts power to the executive because the law changes face less parliamentary scrutiny and cannot be amended.

    Indeed, the Home Office estimated that its lowering of the threshold would increase police intervention in protests by 50%.

    But a year later the High Court agreed with Liberty’s legal challenge that the government cannot make such a change under executive powers.

    The Labour government then sought to appeal the ruling on behalf of the Conservatives. After that troubling development, Liberty defeated the government first in the Court of Appeal in May 2025 and now again in June, with the Labour government dropping a second appeal, after continuing the Conservative agenda against protests.

    “Fundamental” to democracy

    Akiko Hart, Liberty’s director, said:

    Our ability to make ourselves heard is fundamental in a democracy and must be protected. This Government has finally seen sense and this backdown is a step forward for the right to protest after years of attacks by those in power.

    But while this case dragged on, the police used these regulations to funnel protesters into the criminal system. Justice now needs to be served for anybody wrongfully arrested or convicted under these laws that should never have existed in the first place, and the Government must urgently review every case.

    Whether it’s austerity, an aggressive foreign policy, privatisation, deregulation or the right to protest, Labour have continued the Tory programme almost line by line. The mantra of ‘change’ at the election was anything but.

    Featured image via Unsplash/Dylan4photography

    By James Wright

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Egyptian crackdown on Gaza blockade busters but Kiwi activists vow to ‘defeat genocide’

    SPECIAL REPORT: By Saige England in Ōtautahi and Ava Mulla in Cairo

    Hope for freedom for Palestinians remains high among a group of trauma-struck New Zealanders in Cairo.

    In spite of extensive planning, the Global March To Gaza (GMTG) delegation of about 4000 international aid volunteers was thwarted in its mission to walk from Cairo to Gaza to lend support.

    The land of oranges and pyramids became the land of autocracy last week as peace aid volunteers — young, middle-aged, and elderly — were herded like cattle and cordoned behind fences.

    Their passports were initially seized — and later returned. Several New Zealanders were among those dragged and beaten.

    While ordinary Egyptians showed “huge support” for the GMTG, the militant Egyptian regime showed its hand in supporting Israel rather than Palestine.

    A member of the delegation, Natasha*, said she and other members pursued every available diplomatic channel to ensure that the peaceful, humanitarian, march would reach Gaza.

    Moved by love, they were met with hate.

    Violently attacked
    “When I stepped toward the crowd’s edge and began instinctually with heart break to chant, ‘Free Palestine,’ I was violently attacked by five plainclothes men.

    “They screamed, grabbed, shoved, and even spat on me,” she said.

    Tackled, she was dragged to an unmarked van. She did not resist, posed no threat, yet the violence escalated instantly.

    “I saw hatred in their eyes.”

    Egyptian state security forces and embedded provocateurs were intent on dismantling and discrediting the Global March
    Egyptian state security forces and embedded provocateurs were intent on dismantling and discrediting the Global March activists. Image: GMTG screenshot APR

    Another GMTG member, a woman who tried to intervene was also “viciously assaulted”. She witnessed at least three other women and two men being attacked.

    The peacemakers escaped from the unmarked van the aggressors were distracted, seemingly confused about their destination, she said.

    It is now clear that from the beginning Egyptian State forces and embedded provocateurs were intent on dismantling and discrediting the GMTG.

    Authorities as provocateurs
    The peace participants witnessed plainclothed authorities act as provacateurs, “shoving people, stepping on them, throwing objects” to create a false image for media.

    New Zealand actor Will Alexander
    New Zealand actor Will Alexander . . . “This is only a fraction of what Palestinians experience every day.” GMTG

    New Zealand actor Will Alexander said the experience had inflated rather than deflated his passion for human rights, and compassion for Palestinians.

    “This is only a fraction of what Palestinians experience everyday. Palestinians pushed into smaller and smaller areas are murdered for wanting to stand on their own land,” he said.

    “The reason that ordinary New Zealanders like us need to put our bodies on the line is because our government has failed to uphold its obligations under the Genocide Convention.

    “Israel has blatantly breached international law for decades with total impunity.”

    While the New Zealanders are all safe, a small number of people in the wider movement had been forcibly ‘disappeared’,” said GMTG New Zealand member Sam Leason.

    Their whereabouts was still unknown, he said.

    Arab members targeted
    “It must be emphasised that it is primarily — and possibly strictly — Arab members of the March who are the targets of the most dramatic and violent excesses committed by the Egyptian authorities, including all forced disappearances.”

    The Global March to Gaza activists
    Global March to Gaza activists being attacked . . . the genocide cannot be sustained when people from around the world push against the Israeli regime and support the people on the ground with food and healthcare. Image: GMTG screenshot APR

    This did, however, continuously add to the mounting sense of stress, tension, anxiety and fear, felt by the contingent, he said.

    “Especially given the Egyptian authorities’ disregard to their own legal system, which leaves us blindsided and in a thick fog of uncertainty.”

    Moving swiftly through the streets of Cairo in the pitch of night, from hotel to hotel and safehouse to safehouse, was a “surreal and dystopian” experience for the New Zealanders and other GMTG members.

    The group says that the genocide cannot be sustained when people from around the world push against the Israeli regime and support the people on the ground with food and healthcare.

    “For 20 months our hearts have raced and our eyes have filled in unison with the elderly, men, women, and children, and the babies in Palestine,” said Billie*, a participant who preferred, for safety reasons, not to reveal their surname.

    “If we do not react to the carnage, suffering and complete injustice and recognise our shared need for sane governance and a liveable planet what is the point?”

    Experienced despair
    Aqua*, another New Zealand GMTG member, had experienced despair seeing the suffering of Palestinians, but she said it was important to nurture hope, as that was the only way to stop the genocide.

    “We cling to every glimmer of hope that presents itself. Like an oasis in a desert devoid of human emotion we chase any potential igniter of the flame of change.”

    Activist Eva Mulla
    Activist Eva Mulla . . . inspired by the courage of the Palestinians. Image: GMTG screenshot APR

    Ava Mulla, said from Cairo, that the group was inspired by the courage of the Palestinians.

    “They’ve been fighting for freedom and justice for decades against the world’s strongest powers. They are courageous and steadfast.”

    Mulla referred to the “We Were Seeds” saying inspired by Greek poet Dinos Christianopoulos.

    “We are millions of seeds. Every act of injustice fuels our growth,” she said.

    Helplessness an illusion
    The GMTG members agreed that “impotence and helplessness was an illusion” that led to inaction but such inaction allowed “unspeakable atrocities” to take place.

    “This is the holocaust of our age,” said Sam Leason.

    “We need the world to leave the rhetorical and symbolic field of discourse and move promptly towards the camp of concrete action to protect the people of Palestine from a clear campaign of extermination.”

    Saige England is an Aotearoa New Zealand journalist, author, and poet, member of the Palestinian Solidarity Network of Aotearoa (PSNA), and a contributor to Asia Pacific Report.

    *Several protesters quoted in this article requested that their family names not be reported for security reasons. Ava Mulla was born in Germany and lives in Aotearoa with her partner, actor Will Alexander. She studied industrial engineering and is passionate about innovative housing solutions for developing countries. She is a member of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA).

    New Zealand and other activists taking part in the Global March to Gaza
    New Zealand and other activists with Tino Rangatiratanga and Palestine flags taking part in the Global March To Gaza. Will Alexander (far left) is in the back row and Ava Mulla (pink tee shirt) is in the front row. Image: GMTG screenshot APR

  • Is the LAPD Lying? How Local Police & ICE Work Together | Interview with Hamid Khan


    This content originally appeared on Laura Flanders & Friends and was authored by Laura Flanders & Friends.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Local Police Departments Are Enabling ICE’s Deportation Machine

    In the last week, local police have played a central role in enabling the arrests and detention of immigrants, suppressing protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and defending federal detention facilities at the front lines in several major cities, including Omaha, Nebraska; Los Angeles, California; and New York City. While many mayors of major U.S. cities claim to oppose…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Party chief To Lam’s son promoted to top ranks within Vietnam’s police force

    To Long, believed to be the only son of Vietnam’s top leader To Lam, has been promoted to a senior position at the Ministry of Public Security, online posts showed, in a move that may be intended to cement support for Lam from police.

    Information and images circulated on social media platform TikTok showed Col. To Long had been appointed as director of the ministry’s Department of External Security at a June 4 ceremony.

    Experts said Long’s promotion is the latest in a series of appointments by Lam to consolidate power.

    Lam’s own rise was “built on the strength of the police force,” making their support crucial as he seeks another term as general secretary of the Communist Party, Nguyen Van Dai, an experienced observer of Vietnamese politics, told Radio Free Asia.

    State media has not announced Long’s appointment.

    The Ministry of Public Security often eschews public announcements about promotions and appointments. Previously, Maj. Gen. Mai Hoang was appointed as director of the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department without any coverage in state media.

    It’s also unusual for top figures in the Communist Party to disclose information about their family members. According to BBC Vietnamese, local news outlets have been instructed not to report on the developments in order to avoid drawing public attention.

    Long, 43, maintains a low public profile. After several years of overseas study, he joined the ministry and in February was seen attending a Ministry of Public Security meeting on peacekeeping operations.

    In June 2024, state media identified him as deputy chief of the Ministry’s Permanent Office for United Nations Peacekeeping.

    A Hanoi-based analyst said authorities are wary of public discussion of the appointment as many members of the leadership come from the northern province of Hung Yen, the birthplace of To Lam. The analyst requested anonymity to comment on the sensitive topic.

    To Lam, who became party chief in August 2024, began his career in public security in 1979 and rose to become the country’s top security official in 2016. Since assuming power, he has stacked the police apparatus with allies and people from Hung Yen.

    Lam has elevated allies to key security positions, appointing Luong Tam Quang as minister of public security and Pham The Tung as head of the Investigative Security Agency. He has also installed new police chiefs in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s two largest cities. Several police generals from Hung Yen province have similarly been promoted to senior Communist Party roles.

    These appointments come ahead of the ruling party’s National Congress in January 2026, where delegates will elect a new leadership team for the next five-year term.

    Edited by Tenzin Pema.

    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Truong Son for RFA Vietnamese.

  • Seattle Protesters Enforce Blockade Against ICE, Clash With Cops

    Seattle, WA – In the early morning hours of June 10, activists and community members gathered at the courtyard of the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building in downtown Seattle in solidarity with the rebellion in LA and against deportations.

    The federal building is the site of the area’s immigration court where ICE has been detaining and disappearing people before they can seek legal counsel or contact their loved ones.

    The rally was organized by the Pierce County Immigration Alliance, Students for a Democratic Society, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and 50501 Washington.

    The post Seattle Protesters Enforce Blockade Against ICE, Clash With Cops appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • For Media, Unruly Protesters Are Bigger Problem Than Police State

    In the early morning of Friday, June 6, several federal agencies carried out militarized immigration raids across Los Angeles (Al Jazeera, 6/7/25). Armed and masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, along with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), FBI and DEA, tore through these neighborhoods in unmarked vehicles, carrying out a new method of targeted raids in workplaces like Home Depot, Ambiance Apparel and car washes (Washington Post, 6/8/25, 6/12/25, LA Times, 6/10/25).

    Later that morning, demonstrations formed in front of the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and Metropolitan Detention Center, where detainees were believed to be held (Al Jazeera, 6/11/25).

    The post For Media, Unruly Protesters Are Bigger Problem Than Police State appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • LAPD Attacks “No Kings” Protesters in Los Angeles

    On Saturday morning tens of thousands of protesters gathered in downtown Los Angeles as part of the nationwide “No Kings” demonstrations. Organizers estimated there were over 40,000 people in the crowd. Protesters carrying signs denouncing Trump as well as Mexican, Palestinian, and U.S. flags (sometimes upside down) marched through the streets. They demanded “ICE Out of LA” and denounced Trump’s…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Gunman Dressed as Cop Assassinates Democratic State Rep. and Spouse in Minnesota

    A gunman pretending to be a police officer assassinated a Democratic state legislator in Minnesota and killed the lawmaker’s husband in “an act of targeted political violence,” Gov. Tim Walz said Saturday. The assailant also shot and injured another Democratic lawmaker and his wife, officials said. Current State Representative and former Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman and her husband…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • LAPD Running Amok, Dishing out Numerous Injuries to Protesters and Journalists in LA

    Protesters confront police on the 101 Freeway near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

    On 11 June, the Substack, Closer to the Edge, penned a letter to the Los Angeles Police Department, and the opening graph says it all:

    You shot a journalist on live television. You struck another in the forehead while he was standing alone under a freeway. You sent one man into emergency surgery after punching a hole in his leg with a “less-lethal” round. You bruised a New York Times reporter’s ribcage. You gassed a foreign correspondent while she was wearing a press badge. You shot a 74-year-old woman in the back. You nailed a man in the chest with a 40mm grenade while he was holding a phone. And you left a woman bleeding from the skull in the middle of the street while people begged your officers to call an ambulance—and they didn’t.

    And now you’re “investigating.”

    Closer to the Edge maintains it has “completed a full, verified investigation of eight people injured by law enforcement during the protests in Los Angeles. Seven were journalists. One was a protester. All of them were harmed under your watch.”

    The Substack notes that it is “publishing” the stories of the victims of police violence “[w]ith verified quotes. With real names. With witness footage, medical updates, and your own damn statements when available. You told the public you’re investigating? Then we’ll do it faster, better, and with the one thing your officers seem allergic to: accountability.”

    Reuters is reporting that there has been over 30 incidents of police violence against journalists as tracked by the LA Press Club. According Reuters Helen Coster, “Journalists have been among those injured during protests” in recent days.

    Among the injured were Lauren Tomasi (Nine News Australia) who was struck by a rubber-bullet projectile; Toby Canham, freelance photojournalist for the New York Post, was hit in the forehead by a “hard rubbery” projectile; Nick Stern, a British photojournalist, was shot in the thigh with a projectile and required emergence surgery.

    The post LAPD Running Amok, Dishing out Numerous Injuries to Protesters and Journalists in LA first appeared on Dissident Voice.

    This post was originally published on Dissident Voice.

  • DHS Chief Calls For Military Arrests In Los Angeles Protests

    U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appeared to take a step toward circumventing federal laws that bar the military from taking part in domestic law enforcement in a letter she sent to the Department of Defense Sunday as the National Guard was deployed to Los Angeles amid mass protests over immigration raids.

    In a letter obtained by The San Francisco Chronicle, Noem wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the Pentagon should direct military forces

    “to either detain, just as they would at any federal facility guarded by military, lawbreakers under Title 18 until they can be arrested and processed by federal law enforcement, or arrest them.”

    The Posse Comitatus Act prohibits the military from taking part in domestic law enforcement without the authorization of Congress.

    The post DHS Chief Calls For Military Arrests In Los Angeles Protests appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Hong Kong bans gaming app that police say incites ‘armed revolution’ against China

    The app makers call it a “war saga” where gamers can choose a rebel faction from Hong Kong, Taiwan and even Tibet and then play at fighting Chinese communist forces – or if they choose, fight for the communist side instead.

    But it seems like whichever side you choose, it could get you into trouble in Hong Kong.

    This week, the city’s police issued a stark warning against downloading the mobile app “Reversed Front: Bonfire” on the grounds that the game is “advocating armed revolution and the overthrow of the fundamental system of the People’s Republic of China.”

    The police force’s National Security Department, or NSD, said in a statement Tuesday that any person who shares or recommends the app, or makes in-app purchases, may be violating articles of the city’s draconian national security law that punish incitement to secession and subversion. A person who downloads the app would be in possession of a publication with a “seditious intention.”

    The statement concluded that such acts are “extremely serious offences” and that police would strictly enforce the law.

    “Members of the public should not download the application or provide funding by any means to the relevant developer. Those who have downloaded the application should uninstall it immediately and must not attempt to defy the law,” it said.

    Welcome to Hong Kong in 2025, where even gaming apps are in the cross-hairs of authorities.

    Until a few years ago, the city was famed for its vibrant civic society and freedoms which had persisted since the territory came under Chinese control in 1997.

    “It’s absurd that the government fears this game, especially when players are free to choose any faction—including the Red Army,” one gamer who goes by the alias Fu Tong told Radio Free Asia. “Their reaction just reflects an authoritarian regime’s deep fear of freedom and how brittle the system really is.”

    Widening crackdown

    The warning, apparently the first issued in Hong Kong against a gaming app, was the latest sign of a widening crackdown on basic freedoms that has ensued since massive anti-government protests that broke out six years ago. That movement was followed by the passage of the 2020 national security law imposed by Beijing and a law enacted by the Hong Kong legislature 2024.

    The app’s developer, ESC Taiwan, did not immediately respond to an RFA request for comment on Tuesday’s police statement.

    ESC has described itself as a civilian volunteer group that was set up in 2017 to “coordinate with overseas anti-Communist organizations and assist foreign allies with outreach and organizing efforts.” It doesn’t disclose who its members are but says they are mostly Taiwanese, with a few Hongkongers and Mongolians.

    The game’s first online version was released in 2020, and a board game version launched in the same year. At the time, China’s state-run Global Times published a critical editorial accusing the game of promoting “Taiwanese independence” and “Hong Kong separatism.”

    According to a person familiar with the operations of ESC, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, the developers had raised over HK$6 million (US$760,000) via crowdfunding in Taiwan and Hong Kong in 2019 to develop the game, and a portion of the game’s revenue is donated to anti-China Communist Party organizations abroad.

    Players of “Reversed Front: Bonfire” can assume the role of rebels from places such as Hong Kong, Tibet, Mongolia, Manchuria, Taiwan and the Uyghur region trying to overthrow the communist regime.

    “Or you can choose to lead the Communists to defeat all enemies and resume the century-long march of the Communist revolution to the other side of the land and sea!” ESC says in its promo for the app.

    For the Hong Kong option, numerous game characters are inspired by the city’s past protest culture. For example, one character, “Ka Yan,” hails from Yuen Long – a town in Hong Kong’s western territories – and wears blue-and-white striped tape often used by Hong Kong police. Another, “Sylvia,” wears a gas mask and a uniform printed with the slogan, “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times.”

    The game’s dialogue is also steeped in Hong Kong culture and includes an instrumental version of “Glory to Hong Kong,” a banned anthem that was popular during 2019 pro-democracy protests.

    While the police statement on Tuesday appeared to boost interest in the game, The Associated Press in Hong Kong reported that the app was not available in Apple app story by Wednesday morning. It remains available in the United States.

    One gamer, Andy, said that after the statement was issued Hong Kong-themed player groups within the game quickly cleared their chat logs fearing they could be trawled by authorities.

    He praised the game as reflecting current geopolitical realities, including China’s approach to Taiwan – the self-ruling island that Beijing claims as part of China.

    Supporting this game, Andy added, also allows players to symbolically “defend Hong Kong territory.”

    Edited by Mat Pennington.

    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Cantonese.

  • Free Speech Ends Here: What I Saw During The LAPD Crackdown

    On the morning of June 10, 2025, I made the decision to travel to Los Angeles to cover the underreported protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). By night, I was already en route to the airport.

    For days, the world watched as California burned. Cars set ablaze, crowds being flash-banged, rubber bullets flying, smoke in the air as protesters and reporters run for cover, gasping for air and hurrying to put their masks on. The scenes on the ground gripped us all. Just as striking were the headlines: “RIOTERS BURN LA,” “VIOLENT PROTESTERS IN LA,” and it made me wonder, when did free speech become synonymous with violence?

    The post Free Speech Ends Here: What I Saw During The LAPD Crackdown appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • The Los Angeles Protests Are An Act Of Self-Defense

    Early Sunday evening in Los Angeles, as the city was under siege by federal anti-immigration forces, aided by local law enforcement, Mayor Karen Bass was holding a press conference. Out in the streets, a reporter noted, it appeared that the Los Angeles Police Department was “cooperating” with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, “using flashbangs and less-lethal munitions” to push people engaged in “peaceful protest” away from a federal building being used as an ICE detention center. The reporter asked if Mayor Bass would comment on this cooperation, which is against city policy.

    The post The Los Angeles Protests Are An Act Of Self-Defense appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • More deaths reported out of Sugapa in West Papua clashes with military

    By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist

    Further reports of civilian casualties are coming out of West Papua, while clashes between Indonesia’s military and the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement continue.

    One of the most recent military operations took place in the early morning of May 14 in Sugapa District, Intan Jaya in Central Papua.

    Military spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Iwan Dwi Prihartono said in a video statement translated into English that 18 members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) had been killed.

    He claimed the military wanted to provide health services and education to residents in villages in Intan Jaya but they were confronted by the TPNPB.

    Colonel Prihartono said the military confiscated an AK47, homemade weapons, ammunition, bows and arrows and the Morning Star flag — used as a symbol for West Papuan independence.

    But, according to the TPNPB, only three of the group’s soldiers were killed with the rest being civilians.

    The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) said civilians killed included a 75-year-old, two women and a child.

    Both women in shallow graves
    Both the women were allegedly found on May 23 in shallow graves.

    A spokesperson from the Indonesian Embassy in Wellington said all 18 people killed were part of the TPNPB, as declared by the military.

    “The local regent of Intan Jaya has checked for the victims at their home and hospitals; therefore, he can confirm that the 18 victims were in fact all members of the armed criminal group,” they said.

    “The difference in numbers of victim sometimes happens because the armed criminal group tried to downplay their casualties or to try to create confusion.”

    The spokesperson said the military operation was carried out because local authorities “followed up upon complaints and reports from local communities that were terrified and terrorised by the armed criminal group”.

    Jakarta-based Human Rights Watch researcher Andreas Harsono said it was part of the wider Operation Habema which started last year.

    “It is a military operation to ‘eliminate’ the Free Papua guerilla fighters, not only in Intan Jaya, but in several agencies along the central highlands,” Harsono said.

    ‘Military informers’
    He said it had been intensifying since the TPNPB killed 17 miners in April, which the armed group accused of being “military informers”.

    RNZ Pacific has been sent photos of people who have been allegedly killed or injured in the May 14 assault, while others have been shared by ULMWP.

    Harsono said despite the photos and videos it was hard to verify if civilians had been killed.

    He said Indonesia claimed civilian casualties — including of the women who were allegedly buried in shallow graves — were a result of the TPNPB.

    “The TPNPB says, ‘of course, it is a lie why should we kill an indigenous woman?’ Well, you know, it is difficult to verify which one is correct, because they’re fighting the battle [in a very remote area],” Harsono said.

    “It’s difficult to cross-check whatever information coming from there, including the fact that it is difficult to get big videos or big photos from the area with the metadata.”

    Harsono said Indonesia was now using drones to fight the TPNPB.

    “This is something new; I think it will change the security situation, the battle situation in West Papua.

    “So far the TPNPB has not used drones; they are still struggling. In fact, most of them are still using bows and arrows in the conflict with the Indonesian military.”

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • ICE Now Expanding Into Local Law Enforcement

    Trump’s violent ICE agency is about to escalate its war against any or all “illegals” in a dramatic fashion while engaging local law enforcement in its repression. And this should come as no surprise to us.

    Every authoritarian regime in recent history has formed its own elite corps of feared special police and/or military units to suppress dissent and act as the spearhead of state repression.

    The Revolutionary Guard and the Morality Police in Iran. The GRU and the Spetsnaz in Russia. Saddam Hussein’s Republican Guard. The GOPE in Mexico. DINA in Chile. The AAA and the Federal Police during the Argentine dictatorship were inseparable from the horrific death squads. And, of course, the SS in Nazi Germany.

    The post ICE Now Expanding Into Local Law Enforcement appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Old video of police brutality from UP viral again. Action was taken against cops in 2017

    A video depicting police brutality has surfaced on social media. In the video, two cops are seen torturing a man by placing a stick on his legs and standing on it, even as he screams in pain. The video is being shared as scenes from Uttar Pradesh and it is claimed that police under chief minister Yogi Adityanath are committing such atrocities on the public. X handle ‘Samajwadi Prahari’ posted this video with the same claim. (Archived link)

    X user ‘@parmanandyadavv’, who claims to be the national secretary of the student Council of the Samajwadi Party, posted this video as footage of ‘atrocities carried out by the Uttar Pradesh Police.’ (Archived link to the post)

    Another X user posted this video with the claim that atrocities on the public had gone up under the BJP’s leadership.

    This video has also been shared on YouTube with the same claim. (Link)

    Several users recently amplified the video on X as well. 

    Fact Check

    Alt News had previously fact-checked this video back in August 2019. At the time, this footage was viral with the false claim that the ‘Gahmar Police beat up a boy for not serving them tea’.

    According to a report by NDTV India dated November 19, 2017, the police had brutally beaten up the young man on charges of theft based on a woman’s complaint. After a video of the incident surfaced, the station in-charge of Paniyara police station was suspended.

    Refuting the information in the viral post on June 5, 2025, the fact-checking wing of the Uttar Pradesh Police clarified that the video was actually of an incident that occurred in Maharajganj in 2017, in which appropriate action had been taken. According to a rebuttal letter by Maharajganj Police, in 2017, a woman had accused the alleged person of theft in the Paniyara district, after which he was called for questioning at the Paniyara station, with the video emerging later on. Action was taken against the sub-inspector and constable seen in the video. The police also urged people not to circulate the video of this old incident as recent.

    To sum up, a video of police personnel beating up a boy on charges of theft in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj is viral again with different claims. However, the incident is from 2017. The readers should note that in 2017 too, Yogi Adityanath was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. 

    The post Old video of police brutality from UP viral again. Action was taken against cops in 2017 appeared first on Alt News.

    This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Kinjal.

  • Chinese police crackdown on writers of online erotic fiction

    Police in northwestern China are cracking down on writers of online erotic fiction across the country, including many college students, according to RFA sources and media reports, amid concern that officers are punishing people outside their jurisdiction.

    Police in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, have been summoning writers who don’t even live there. A report from Caixin media group said some have been referred to police for prosecution, and anecdotal evidence indicates writers are facing substantial fines.

    A source who spoke to Radio Free Asia on condition of anonymity for safety reasons said the crackdown could involve 200-300 writers.

    Their cases have also sparked a legal debate over the definition of “obscene materials” and renewed public discussion on the boundaries of creative freedom. Known as “Danmei,” the genre features romantic relationships between male characters. It originated in Japan and has become popular in China.

    Amid tightened restrictions in China, many writers have turned to Haitang Culture, a Taiwanese-based adult fiction website established in 2015 to publish their work. The website on the democratic island doesn’t force censorship and allows explicit written content. Most readers are females.

    Authorities in China have reacted. Last year, two China-based distributors affiliated with Haitang Culture were arrested for “assisting in information network criminal activities,” according to Shuiping Jiyuan, a news portal on the WeChat social media platform.

    The recent police crackdown in Lanzhou followed similar moves in the eastern province of Anhui in June 2024, where authorities began arresting writers of online erotic fiction under the charge of “producing and distributing obscene materials for profit,” resulting in heavy fines and even prison sentences.

    Police are seeking out writers even when they leave outside their jurisdiction – a practice that critics call “offshore fishing,” implying the motive of police is financial or political, rather than strictly legal.

    “I don’t understand what they’re trying to do—are they pushing political correctness, or are they just desperate for money?” said Liu Yang, a veteran media professional in Lanzhou, told Radio Free Asia. “The police are short on funds, and now even arrests have become a way to make money.”

    Two coins in tips

    Cases in Anhui appeared focused on how much profit writers made. But according to multiple Chinese media reports, police in Lanzhou pursued suspects on the basis of what sort of traffic they were generating.

    Many of those summoned are young women, including college students. A well-known Chinese online cultural critic Li Yuchen wrote on WeChat that one writer who received only “two Haitang coins” in tips was also placed under investigation and then moved to prosecutors.

    Haitang refers to the Taiwan-based fiction website. RFA has sought comment from Haitang Culture but has yet to receive a response.

    Song Tao, a Chinese university law lecturer, told RFA that Lanzhou police crackdown is one of the most expansive and controversial uses of the law on “producing, reproducing, publishing, or distributing obscene materials for profit” in recent years.

    Tsinghua University legal scholar Lao Dongyan expressed concern on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, writing that the use of inconsistent legal standards risks undermining law enforcement and the justice system.

    The case has triggered intense debate in Chinese legal circles. Several attorneys have posted on Weibo and WeChat offering free legal assistance to the families of those who have been detained.

    The Emperor’s Scandalous History

    Yunjian, one of the top writers on Haitang Culture, was arrested last year by Anhui police and later sentenced to four years and six months in prison, according to the news portal Shuiping Jiyuan. One of Yujian’s top works of fiction, The Emperor’s Scandalous History, is about a non-binary emperor who has relationships with male characters, including generals and chancellors.

    Several fiction writers have posted online about their brush with Lanzhou police, although most online references to the crackdown have been removed from Chinese social media platforms, meaning only screenshots made by other users are still viewable.

    “Probably in the past 20 years of my life, I never imagined that my first time flying would be to visit a police station in Lanzhou,” said one writer named Sijindesijin who claimed in a post on Weibo that she’d been contacted by Lanzhou police over stories she earned 4,000 yuan ($670) for. Her post, since deleted, implied that she’d had to fly to Lanzhou to deal with the matter. It wasn’t clear where she lived.

    Some netizens posted on Weibo in support of Sijindesijin, whose handle translates as “silky silky.” RFA couldn’t reach Sijindesijin for comment or confirm the details of what allegedly happened and if the writer was detained.

    Another writer named Jidepihuangmajia, who described herself as an undergraduate student, wrote in a post on Weibo that she flew to Lanzhou from Chongqing, a municipality which is administratively separate from Lanzhou, to meet with the local police and was asking for help from other users in borrowing money to pay the fine. The writer said that police claimed she had earned 21,313 yuan ($3,044) from writing the stories in question, and she was advised to return the money for a reduced punishment. This writer owed between 50,000 and 60,000 yuan ($7,100 to $8,500), including the fine.

    Another writer from a top-tier university named Shijieshiyigejudadejingshenbingyuanha, whose handle translates as “The world is like a giant mental hospital,” claimed in the post that she was taken in for questioning by police and that her university had subsequently canceled her admission to graduate school.

    Lawyers question police overreach

    Chinese lawyer Ma Guoguang told RFA that under China’s Criminal Procedure Law, criminal cases should be investigated by police in the suspect’s place of residence or where the alleged crime occurred.

    “The legality of Lanzhou police pursuing writers across the country—thousands of kilometers away—under the so-called ‘offshore fishing’ model is highly questionable,” he said.

    But Chinese lawyer Tang Hongyang, who defended for several writers arrested by Anhui police last year, explained to Sanlian Lifeweek, an in-depth reporting magazine in China, “for crimes committed via the internet, there is a special legal provision: any location where the content can be accessed online is considered a place where the consequences of the crime occur.”

    According to Sanlian Lifeweek, Lanzhou police summoned local readers of Haitang in Lanzhou to serve as witnesses while also summoning writers from other provinces.

    Ma pointed out that China currently lacks clear judicial interpretations on fictional literary works containing explicit content. According to him, the line between online erotic fiction or adult fiction and actual obscene materials remains undefined, as does the legal threshold for what constitutes “public harm.”

    The main guidelines of definition of obscene materials date back more than 20 years and were established when the internet was far less developed. Tsinghua University’s Lao argued that the definition should evolve with shifting social attitudes.

    “They set relatively low thresholds for what constitutes ‘serious circumstances’,” Lao wrote in her post. “But in today’s more open environment, the bar for what qualifies as obscenity should clearly be raised.”

    Ma warned that aggressive criminal enforcement under such vague standards could have a chilling effect on creative writing in China.

    RFA contacted Lanzhou police but calls went unanswered.

    Edited by Mat Pennington.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Qian Lang for RFA Mandarin.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Internal tensions throw PNG anti-corruption body into crisis

    By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent

    Three staffers from Papua New Guinea’s peak anti-corruption body are embroiled in a standoff that has brought into question the integrity of the organisation.

    Police Commissioner David Manning has confirmed that he received a formal complaint.

    Commissioner Manning said that initial inquiries were underway to inform the “sensitive investigation board’s” consideration of the referral.

    That board itself is controversial, having been set up as a halfway point to decide if an investigation into a subject should proceed through the usual justice process.

    Manning indicated if the board determined a criminal offence had occurred, the matter would be assigned to the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate for independent investigation.

    Local news media reported PNG Prime Minister James Marape was being kept informed of the developments.

    Marape has issued a statement acknowledging the internal tensions within ICAC and reaffirming his government’s commitment to the institution.

    Long-standing goal
    The establishment of ICAC in Papua New Guinea has been a long-standing national aspiration, dating back to 1984. The enabling legislation for ICAC was passed on 20 November 2020, bringing the body into legal existence.

    Marape said it was a proud moment of his leadership having achieved this in just 18 months after he took office in May 2019.

    The appointments process for ICAC officials was described as rigorous and internationally supervised, making the current internal disputes disheartening for many.

    Marape has reacted strongly to the crisis, expressing disappointment over the allegations and differences between the three ICAC leaders. He affirmed his government’s “unwavering commitment” to ICAC.

    These developments have significant implications for Papua New Guinea, particularly concerning its international commitments related to combating financial crime.

    PNG has been working to address deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) framework, with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) closely monitoring its progress.

    Crucial for fighting corruption
    An effective and credible ICAC is crucial for demonstrating the country’s commitment to fighting corruption, a key component of a robust AML/CTF regime.

    Furthermore, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) often includes governance and anti-corruption measures as part of its conditionalities for financial assistance and programme support.

    Any perception of instability or compromised integrity within ICAC could hinder Papua New Guinea’s efforts to meet these international requirements, potentially affecting its financial standing and access to crucial development funds.

    The current situation lays bare the urgent need for swift and decisive action to restore confidence in ICAC and ensure it can effectively fulfill its mandate.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Deliveristas Protest Police Harassment In New York City

    Forty members and supporters of Los Deliveristas, an organization of app-based delivery workers in New York City, gathered in front of City Hall on May 28 to protest what they claim is police harassment of their members. They came bearing banners in Spanish and English that read “We are Workers not Criminals.” Several New York City Council members came out of City Hall to join their protest and expressed their support.

    At this press conference a spokesperson for Los Deliveristas said that their members had received over 1,000 criminal citations from the police in the last two weeks, following the NYPD’s decision on April 28 to crackdown on e-bikes that go through red lights.

    The post Deliveristas Protest Police Harassment In New York City appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Assam Police beating up ‘pro-Pakistan Bangladeshis’? Old video from Bengal shared with misleading communal claims

    On May 12, 2025, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted that three more people had been arrested in his state on charges of sedition, bringing the tally to a total of 56 arrests in Assam since the Pahalgam attack on April 22.

    Against this backdrop, a video went viral on social media in which policemen could be seen lathi-charging some people even as they tried to flee. Users shared this video and claimed that Assam Police was teaching a lesson to Bangladeshis who supported Pakistan.

    BJP supporter and X user Dilip Dhanraj Gupta shared the video and called it a big breaking news story, writing sarcastically, “The Assam Police is serving Bangladeshis who support Pakistan.” (Archived link)

    The handle @VoiceOfAxom, followed by PM Narendra Modi, and X user @SaffronSunanda, both of which have been found sharing communal propaganda and misinformation on several occasions, made similar claims while sharing the video. (Archived link 1, link 2)

    Click to view slideshow.

    Many X users, including KV Iyyer and Chandan Singh, made the same claim. (Archived link 1, link 2)


    Fact Check

    Alt News took a closer look at the viral video. We found that both the motorcycles seen in the video had license plates that began with the letters ‘WB’, i.e. ‘West Bengal’.

    Further on in the video, we also noticed a green house which had ‘Gopalpur Satsang Club’ written on it in Bangla. Gopalpur is a town in Nadia district of the Indian state of West Bengal. This incident is likely to have taken place in Gopalpur, Nadia, West Bengal.

    We performed a reverse image search using some frames taken from the video. We found the same video uploaded on a Facebook page called Kokborok Memes on September 7, 2020. However, there is no specific information attached to the video, as to what the matter was.

     

    Wansa rok bujakmani…
    Miya 🤣
    Swi kobor parawo…

    Posted by Kokborok memes on Monday 7 September 2020

    The same video was shared in 2021 on the YouTube channel Sayem Nabatati as footage of a “police chase during lockdown”. It is worth noting that the policemen seen in the video are seen wearing masks.

    Alt News cannot confirm the incident the video relates to, however it has been circulating on social media since at least September 2020. Furthermore, our investigation revealed that this could be an incident from Gopalpur in West Bengal’s Nadia district.

    To sum it up, social media users made misleading claims about the Assam Police beating Pakistan supporters by sharing a five-year-old video and falsely stating it was from Assam.

    The post Assam Police beating up ‘pro-Pakistan Bangladeshis’? Old video from Bengal shared with misleading communal claims appeared first on Alt News.

    This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Pawan Kumar.

  • PNG faces deadline for fixing issues with money laundering and terrorist financing

    ANALYSIS: By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent

    Papua New Guinea has five months remaining to fix its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) systems or face the severe repercussions of being placed on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) “grey list”.

    The FATF has imposed an October 2025 deadline, and the government is scrambling to prove its commitment to global partners.

    Speaking in Parliament, Prime Minister James Marape said Treasury Minister, Ian Ling-Stuckey had been given the responsibility to lead a taskforce to fix PNG’s issues associated with money laundering and terrorist financing.

    “I summoned all agency heads to a critical meeting last week giving them clear direction, in no uncertain terms, that they work day and night to avert the possibility of us getting grey listed,” Marape said.

    “This review comes around every five years.

    “We have only three or four areas that are outstanding that we must dispatch forthwith.”

    PNG is no stranger to the FATF grey list, having been placed under increased monitoring in 2014 before successfully being removed in 2016.

    Deficiencies highlighted
    However, a recent assessment by the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) highlighted ongoing deficiencies, particularly in the effectiveness of PNG’s AML/CTF regime.

    While the country has made strides in establishing the necessary laws and regulations (technical compliance), the real challenge lies in PNG’s implementation and enforcement.

    The core of the problem, according to analysts, is a lack of effective prosecution and punishment for money laundering and terrorism financing.

    High-risk sectors such as corruption, fraud against government programmes, illegal logging, illicit fishing, and tax evasion, remain largely unchecked by successful legal actions.

    Capacity gaps within key agencies like the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary and the Office of the Public Prosecutor have been cited as significant hurdles.

    Recent drug hauls have also highlighted existing flaws in detection in the country’s financial systems.

    The implications of greylisting are far-reaching and potentially devastating for a developing nation like PNG, which is heavily reliant on foreign investment and international financial flows.

    Impact on economy
    Deputy Opposition leader James Nomane warned in Parliament that greylisting “will severely affect the economy, investor confidence, and make things worse for Papua New Guinea with respect to inflationary pressures, the cost of imports, and a whole host of issues”.

    If PNG is greylisted, the immediate economic fallout could be substantial. It would signal to global financial institutions that PNG carries a heightened risk for financial crimes, potentially leading to a sharp decline in foreign direct investment.

    Critical resource projects, including Papua LNG, P’nyang LNG, Wafi-Golpu, and Frieda River Mines, could face delays or even be halted as investors become wary of the increased financial and reputational risks.

    Beyond investment, the cost of doing business in PNG could also rise. International correspondent banks, vital conduits for cross-border transactions, may de-risk by cutting ties or scaling back operations with PNG financial institutions.

    This “de-risking” could make it more expensive and complex for businesses and individuals alike to conduct international transactions, leading to higher fees and increased scrutiny.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • PNG faces deadline for fixing issues with money laundering and terrorist financing

    ANALYSIS: By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent

    Papua New Guinea has five months remaining to fix its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) systems or face the severe repercussions of being placed on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) “grey list”.

    The FATF has imposed an October 2025 deadline, and the government is scrambling to prove its commitment to global partners.

    Speaking in Parliament, Prime Minister James Marape said Treasury Minister, Ian Ling-Stuckey had been given the responsibility to lead a taskforce to fix PNG’s issues associated with money laundering and terrorist financing.

    “I summoned all agency heads to a critical meeting last week giving them clear direction, in no uncertain terms, that they work day and night to avert the possibility of us getting grey listed,” Marape said.

    “This review comes around every five years.

    “We have only three or four areas that are outstanding that we must dispatch forthwith.”

    PNG is no stranger to the FATF grey list, having been placed under increased monitoring in 2014 before successfully being removed in 2016.

    Deficiencies highlighted
    However, a recent assessment by the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) highlighted ongoing deficiencies, particularly in the effectiveness of PNG’s AML/CTF regime.

    While the country has made strides in establishing the necessary laws and regulations (technical compliance), the real challenge lies in PNG’s implementation and enforcement.

    The core of the problem, according to analysts, is a lack of effective prosecution and punishment for money laundering and terrorism financing.

    High-risk sectors such as corruption, fraud against government programmes, illegal logging, illicit fishing, and tax evasion, remain largely unchecked by successful legal actions.

    Capacity gaps within key agencies like the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary and the Office of the Public Prosecutor have been cited as significant hurdles.

    Recent drug hauls have also highlighted existing flaws in detection in the country’s financial systems.

    The implications of greylisting are far-reaching and potentially devastating for a developing nation like PNG, which is heavily reliant on foreign investment and international financial flows.

    Impact on economy
    Deputy Opposition leader James Nomane warned in Parliament that greylisting “will severely affect the economy, investor confidence, and make things worse for Papua New Guinea with respect to inflationary pressures, the cost of imports, and a whole host of issues”.

    If PNG is greylisted, the immediate economic fallout could be substantial. It would signal to global financial institutions that PNG carries a heightened risk for financial crimes, potentially leading to a sharp decline in foreign direct investment.

    Critical resource projects, including Papua LNG, P’nyang LNG, Wafi-Golpu, and Frieda River Mines, could face delays or even be halted as investors become wary of the increased financial and reputational risks.

    Beyond investment, the cost of doing business in PNG could also rise. International correspondent banks, vital conduits for cross-border transactions, may de-risk by cutting ties or scaling back operations with PNG financial institutions.

    This “de-risking” could make it more expensive and complex for businesses and individuals alike to conduct international transactions, leading to higher fees and increased scrutiny.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • 40 years on, an astonishing new archive documents the Battle of the Beanfield

    1 June 2025 sees the 40th anniversary of the ‘Battle of the Beanfield’ – one of the darkest days in contemporary British history, when a convoy of 150 vehicles heading to the people’s free festival at Stonehenge was ambushed in a quiet corner of Wiltshire, contained in a field for several hours, and then brutally attacked by over 1,000 riot police.

    Remembering the Battle of the Beanfield 40 years on

    Traveller homes were systematically wrecked, and most of the over 500 people present were assaulted, many with blows to the head, and arrested. It was the largest mass arrest in British legal history. One young mother carrying her baby, was dragged out of her home by her hair. Some of the police, clearly intent on causing serious damage to both people and homes, were masked up to protect their anonymity. Many didn’t wear numbers. Traumatised children were taken into care, and in some cases held for a few days. Seven dogs were put down.

    ITN were on the field and filmed what its journalist, Kim Sabido, would later describe in a piece to camera as:

    the worst police treatment of people that I’ve witnessed in my entire career as journalist.

    Additionally, Observer journalist Nick Davies described an attack on one particular bus:

    They just crawled all over that vehicle truncheons flailing, hitting anyone they could reach. It was very violent and very sickening. And it was at that point that my photographer, who was trying to take pictures of it, got arrested, and I myself got threatened and told to leave.

    Battle of the Beanfield
    Copyright Ben Gibson
    Copyright Ben Gibson

    The event became known as the ‘Battle of the Beanfield’, although it was more like a massacre: the Thatcher government’s final solution to the traveller ‘issue’. Like the miners, the travellers were portrayed as an ‘enemy within’, anathema to everything Thatcherism stood for. It was estimated that at the time of the Beanfield there were some 12,000 travellers living on the road throughout the UK. And the numbers were steadily growing, taking advantage of the thriving free festival circuit throughout the UK at the time.

    The Peace Convoy at Nostell Priory: a taste of the violent repression to come

    Moreover, also like the miners, Thatcher used an increasingly para-militarised police force to smash the Peace Convoy. Travellers in Yorkshire reported seeing a coach load of riot police heading to the picket line, holding up a sign saying, “YOU’RE NEXT”. In August 1984, police at the Nostell Priory festival in Wakefield, Yorkshire, just a few miles down the road from Orgreave, gave people a taste of things to come. Police assaulted them, held them in custody, and systematically wrecked their homes.

    Thatcher herself eventually said that she was:

    only too delighted to do anything we can to make life difficult for such things as hippy convoys.

    As traveller Mo Lodge told us:

    Stonehenge was just an excuse. The real reason was the threat to the State. The numbers of people at Stonehenge was doubling every year for four years. Well, that was a huge number of people that were suddenly flocking into buses or whatever and living on the road. It was anarchy in action and it was working, and it was seen to be working by so many people that they wanted to be a part of it.

    Five years later, 26 people sued the Wiltshire Police for damages at Winchester Crown Court, in what became known as the ‘Beanfield Trial’. It was the closest anyone came to a public inquiry. As film students, we went down to cover it.

    Everyone we hoped to interview appeared at that trial, such as the Earl of Cardigan, who witnessed a heavily pregnant woman with “a silhouette like a zeppelin” being “clubbed with a truncheon”. ITN journalist Kim Sabido was also there, and told the court that, ‘the nastier more controversial shots that were taken’ disappeared from the ITN library.

    So, the Battle of the Beanfield trial revealed every piece of video and photographic evidence we might need, the official police report, and their radio log. It would all go into the final documentary ‘Operation Solstice’, broadcast by Channel 4 in November 1991, despite the police’s best efforts to get it pulled. We had had to condense 20 plus hours of rushes down to a meagre 26-minute slot.

    So, we ended up with this sizeable archive, mostly unseen, on an array of now defunct video formats, each potentially threatened by dust, heat, and moisture. And it had lain for 33 summers and winters in a mum’s loft. Until now.

    Dale Vince at the Beanfield

    We had learnt that Dale Vince, the CEO of Ecotricity, social commentator, and one-time backer of Just Stop Oil, was on the Beanfield.

    He had been a motorcycle outrider on the trip down to Stonehenge, passing messages up and down the line, discovering the police’s sneaky roadblock trap up ahead, for which he got a mention in the police radio log:

    we have a motorcycle outrider now approaching, if he gets anywhere near our ground unit they suggest they may attempt to take him out.

    We asked him to help fund the saving of this archive, which he did, and he also agreed to do an interview.

    So, I have spent the past four months going through and editing the interviews, conducted just five or six years after the Beanfield. These were therefore some very fresh recollections. I have brought out the best of each story, really getting under the skin of what happened and why, and placing it all on a website in time for the 40th anniversary. Alongside this, with access to all the rushes again, I reedited ‘Operation Solstice’, so that it explains and contains a lot more.

    The Battle of the Beanfield to today: an increasingly authoritarian police state

    One of the lasting legacies of the Battle of the Beanfield, and subsequent police operations surrounding travellers and the summer solstice, would be to tighten an increasingly authoritarian police state belt. In 1986, ushered in on a wave of news-managed moral panic, it was the Public Order Act. Supposedly the government aimed it at a minority, but, as with every legal knee jerk since, it bound everyone. In one section, it limits the number of vehicles that could park up together to twelve – because they really didn’t like people meeting up.

    This would soon become six thanks to the Criminal Justice Act 1994, another tightened notch, only this time with two new convenient groups – ravers and road protestors – in the crosshairs. More recently, we’ve seen anti-protest laws, controlling everybody, not just Just Stop Oil. None of these increasingly draconian police powers get repealed, you notice. They just get built upon.

    In the coming weeks there will be a screening and exhibition at Glastonbury, and highly likely a gathering at the site itself on 1 June, as there is pretty much every year. This will be hosted at Parkhouse Roundabout, Wiltshire, where someone has placed on one of the fence posts a commemorative plaque. It says:

    This marks the spot of THE BATTLE OF THE BEANFIELD June 1st 1985.

    An inscription adds:

    You can’t kill the spirit.

    And despite their best efforts, after nearly 40 years of the Public Order Act 1986, with hundreds of people now taking up van life in laybys, carparks, and in fields all over the country, they still clearly haven’t. Because no matter how hard they push down with that thumb, the spirit, like water, will always find a way:

    Battle of the Bean field
    Copyright Alan Lodge

    Featured image via Ben Gibson and additional images via Ben Gibson and Alan Lodge

    By Neil Goodwin

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • UK Court Orders Police Return Devices To Journalist Asa Winstanley

    A British court has ruled that UK police must hand back electronic devices seized from The Electronic Intifada’s Asa Winstanley in October 2024, in what lawyers have described as a “resounding victory for press freedom.”

    All seven seized items were handed back on Tuesday, Winstanley confirmed in a statement.

    The recorder of London, Mark Lucraft, London’s highest circuit judge, on 13 May ruled that a search warrant used by London’s Metropolitan Police to seize seven items from Winstanley’s home was unlawfully issued.

    “I am very troubled by the way in which the search warrant was drafted, approved and granted where items were to be seized from a journalist,” Judge Lucraft wrote in his ruling.

    The post UK Court Orders Police Return Devices To Journalist Asa Winstanley appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Cops ejected Peter Tatchell from a Pride parade for protesting their homophobia

    On Saturday 24 May, police forcibly ejected human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell from the Birmingham Pride parade. Cops threatened him with arrest for carrying a placard and using a loudhailer to criticise past police homophobia and call for a police apology.

    West Midlands Police: a hotbed of homophobia, says Peter Tatchell

    Peter Tatchell was at Birmingham Pride to call out the past homophobia of the West Midlands Police. The force arrested thousands of LGBTQ+ people in anti-gay witch-hunts between the 1950s and 2003.

    As he explained:

    The Chief Constable of West Midlands, Craig Guildford, has repeatedly refused to say sorry for his force’s past ill-treatment of the LGBT+ community.

    Guildford chickened out of marching in Birmingham Pride when he heard there were going to be protests. For years, he has declined all offers of dialogue and has failed to discuss our concerns.

    In the 1970s and 80s, West Midlands officers arrested thousands of gay and bisexual men for consenting, victimless behaviour. They were one of the most viciously homophobic police forces in the country, with arrest figures way above the national average.

    West Midlands police arrested same-sex couples for kissing, raided gay bars and private birthday parties, abused LGBTs as queers, poofs and benders and assaulted people who questioned their illegality and homophobia. They outed LGBTs to the press, who then published their names and addresses. This resulted in some of these men being beaten up in the street and having their homes and cars smashed up. At least two men attempted suicide as a result.

    Tatchell continued:

    West Midlands police apologised in 2020 to the black community for its history of racism. Why are they refusing to say sorry to the LGBT+ community for similar abuses? This smacks of homophobic double standards.

    Upon conviction, gay men were often jailed and beaten up in prison. Others were hit with huge fines. Many lost their jobs, homes and marriages. Some were bashed by homophobic mobs, driven to mental breakdowns and even attempted suicide. With the stigma of a criminal conviction for a homosexual offence, a lot of the victims of police homophobia had great difficulty in getting jobs and housing. Their lives were ruined by the police.

    Pride is a protest: not with repressive police presence

    Peter Tatchell carried a placard placard reading:

    West Midlands police refuse to apologise for anti-LGBT+ witch-hunts. SHAME! #ApologiseNow

    Police at the Pride parade responded to Tatchell’s demand for an apology by trying to silence him. They forcefully removed him from the parade:

    Police officer talking to Peter Tatchell who is holding a placard and megaphone.

    Three police officers removing Tatchell from the Pride parade.

    Speaking on West Midland Police’s repressive retaliation to his acts of protest during Birmingham Pride, Tatchell said:

    When I challenged them, the police said the Pride organisers told them I was not authorised to march in the Pride and had ordered the police to remove me. That is a shocking false claim. The Pride CEO, Lawrence Barton, authorised me to march in the parade and never gave the police any instructions to remove me. Mr Barton later told me he was appalled by the police behaviour.

    The police clearly removed me because they objected to my criticism of their past homophobia.

    This is another example of police abusing their powers to crack down on peaceful protest. Once again freedom of speech and the right to protest has been unlawfully eroded.

    The officers involved must face disciplinary action. I want a public apology from the Chief Constable for the police fabricating reasons and forcibly removing me from the parade.

    He helped organise the UK’s first Pride March in 1972 – in London. He has been campaigning for human rights for over 58 years.

    Featured image and additional images supplied

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Park Revitalization Teaches About Balancing Safety And Community

    One afternoon in the late 1980s, longtime Southwest Detroit resident Deb Sumner and her neighbors in Hubbard Farms gathered at Clark Park to discuss community improvements. Their meeting was interrupted by a gunshot overhead, forcing them to crawl through the park and take cover in the YMCA building. For Sumner, it was a pivotal moment.

    “I said, ‘This is not going to happen again,’” Sumner recalls. “We’ll take it into our own hands.”

    For decades, the park on Vernor Highway has reflected both the challenges and triumphs of the surrounding neighborhood. Once plagued by drug activity, violence, and neglect, the park is now a thriving community hub thanks to grassroots efforts.

    The post Park Revitalization Teaches About Balancing Safety And Community appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Honduran journalist Frank Mejía files complaint alleging police abuse during in-home detention

    Mexico City, May 27, 2025—Honduran authorities should conduct a prompt, thorough, and transparent investigation into the arbitrary detention, accounts of physical abuse and threats against journalist Frank Mejía, and ensure those responsible are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.

    In the early hours of Sunday, May 18, police officers raided Mejía’s home in the Peña por Bajo neighborhood of Tegucigalpa, beat him, stole personal belongings, and subjected him to “cruel and inhuman treatment,” according to multiple news reports and local press group C-Libre.

    Mejía told the Facebook news page Perspectiva Informativa that he was held for about three hours and threatened with death. Mejía said officers also seized his phone and stole $80 in cash.

    “Authorities must treat these serious allegations with the urgency and transparency they demand, and hold the officers responsible to account,” said CPJ Latin America Program Coordinator Cristina Zahar, in São Paulo. “There can be no tolerance for abuses committed under the guise of security operations, especially when they target members of the press.”

    Mejía, who self-publishes Comando Maya newspaper, filed a formal complaint on May 20, with the Honduran Public Prosecutor’s Office in Tegucigalpa. He was accompanied by his legal representative and son, Stuart Mejía. 

    According to Perspectiva Informativa, Stuart said his father, who has no criminal record, was tortured and humiliated in a “gross violation of human rights,” and their family fears for their safety. The journalist underwent a forensic medical examination, and its findings were submitted to prosecutors along with the formal complaint.

    Honduran Security Minister Gustavo Sánchez said on X that he directed the Inspector General’s Office to begin inquiries.

    The national police director, Juan Manuel Aguilar, told the newspaper El Heraldo that the police denied any misconduct. The agency said the operation was based on a 911 emergency alert reporting a possible kidnapping at Mejía’s residence.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.