Tag: Protest

PHL protests swarming anew of over 100 Chinese fishing vessels around Julian Felipe Reef

  (Eagle News) – The Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, again filed a protest over Chinese incursion around Julian Felipe Reef after it noted “the return of over 100 Chinese vessels illegally operating in the waters in and around” the reef recently. The DFA observed the incident which happened on April 4, 2022, “barely a year after the same swarming incident was protested by the Philippine Government.” “The lingering unauthorized presence of […]

Armenia police detain 300 at anti-government protests

  Yerevan, ARMENIA (AFP) — Police in Armenia on Tuesday detained nearly 300 opposition supporters who tried to block streets in the capital Yerevan, which has been gripped for a month by anti-government protests. Since mid-April, opposition parties have been staging rallies demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation over his handling of a territorial dispute with Azerbaijan. On Tuesday morning, hundreds of opposition supporters attempted to block streets across central Yerevan, an AFP journalist witnessed. […]

Sri Lanka parliament reconvenes after state of emergency

  COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lanka’s parliament will convene Tuesday in its first session since a state of emergency was imposed as the country grapples with protests and mounting demands for the president’s resignation over a worsening economic crisis. Severe shortages of food, fuel and other essentials — along with record inflation and crippling power cuts — have inflicted widespread misery across the island nation, which is enduring its most painful downturn since […]

Protests in Jamaica as William and Kate visit

KINGSTON, Jamacia (AFP) – Demonstrators gathered Tuesday in Kingston, Jamaica to protest the official visit of Prince William and Kate to the former British colony and demand the monarchy apologise for its role in the slave trade. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in the capital for a three-day stop on the island, part of a larger trip by the royals to the Caribbean in recognition of the 70th anniversary of the coronation of […]

128 Cuban protesters given sentences of 6 to 30 years

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) – A group of 128 Cubans who took part in unprecedented anti-government protests last July were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six to 30 years, the Supreme Court said Wednesday. In trials held in mid-December, 129 Cubans were “accused of committing and provoking serious disturbances and acts of vandalism” while participating in the protests, the court said in a statement. Of the defendants, 128 were found guilty of sedition and theft, […]

Brazil stars protest Bolsonaro environmental policy

by Marcelo SILVA Agence France-Presse Brasília, Brazil (AFP) – Iconic Brazilian singer Caetano Veloso led a star-studded protest Wednesday against President Jair Bolsonaro’s environmental policy, seeking to block a series of bills that activists say would be devastating for the Amazon rainforest and beyond. Thousands of protesters flooded the square at the seat of power in Brasilia, brandishing a giant inflatable turtle, bird and other animals and urging Congress to vote down what they call […]

Riot police clash with New Zealand anti-vax protesters

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) – New Zealand anti-vaccine protesters pelted police with a “stinging substance” sending three to hospital with injuries Tuesday, as tensions spilled over in an angry weeks-long protest. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern decried “absolutely disgraceful” scenes after the suspected acid attack, and a startling incident that saw one protester speed a car toward police lines before coming to a quick halt just centimetres away. The brief but intense confrontations erupted near New […]

New Zealand police reject calls to clear anti-vax camp

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) – New Zealand police ruled out forcibly clearing anti-vaccination protesters camped around parliament in Wellington on Friday, saying they did not want to provoke violence on the streets of the capital. Police have taken a hands-off approach after an attempt to take control of the lawns late last week resulted in violent clashes and 120 arrests. Commissioner Andrew Coster acknowledged growing frustration among Wellington residents and business owners as protest vehicles […]

New Zealand virus cases spike as anti-vaccine protesters claim win

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) – New Zealand Covid-19 infections reached a record high Wednesday as anti-vaccine protesters claimed victory after police failed to clear vehicles blocking the streets around parliament. Health authorities reported 1,160 new coronavirus cases, the most since the pandemic began, as the Omicron variant continues to spread in a country that was largely virus-free until August. While there have only been 53 virus deaths in the nation of five million, some protesters […]

New Zealand Covid protest grows after police draw back

WELLINGTON, United States (AFP) — Protester numbers outside New Zealand’s parliament swelled Friday as police scaled back efforts to clear anti-vaccine demonstrators involved in violent clashes a day earlier. A festive mood prevailed at a makeshift tent settlement inhabitants have dubbed “Camp Freedom”, with music and dancing as police looked on from behind barricades. It was a stark contrast to the fiery scenes Thursday, when a phalanx of officers attempted to evict the protesters, arresting […]

Ottawa protesters against Covid restrictions dig in for long haul

by Geneviève NORMAND OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Seated around a campfire flanked by big rigs, with a view of parliament, bleary-eyed protesters on their 12th day of occupying Canada’s capital say they are more determined than ever to stay put — and defend their “freedom.” “I am here to get my life back and so everyone else can too,” said protester Sebastien Beaudoin. Warming himself by the fire, the 39-year-old carpenter with a long beard […]

Ottawa mayor declares state of emergency over ‘out of control’ Truckers’ protest

MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — The ongoing truckers’ protest in the Canadian capital is “out of control,” the Ottawa mayor said Sunday, announcing a state of emergency as the city center remained blocked by opponents of anti-Covid measures. The protesters, who first reached the capital on January 29, have parked their big rigs on city streets and put up tents and temporary shacks — paralyzing the capital to the consternation of officials and the mounting frustration […]