In hindsight, Rosa Jimenez Cano realizes that attending a protest against police brutality was risky — and not just for the usual reasons.”This can be kind of a tinderbox for COVID,” the 39-year-old venture capitalist said after attending a demonstration in Florida, one of many around the country sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after he was pinned at the neck by a white Minneapolis police officer. As more beaches, churches, mosques, schools and businesses reopened worldwide, the sudden and mass civil unrest in the United States is raising fears of new virus outbreaks in a country that has more confirmed infections and deaths than any other. And it’s not just in the U.S. — London hosted a large anti-racism protest Sunday where demonstrators violated social distancing rules.Rosa Jimenez Cano said she planned to self-quarantine for 14 days, worrying she was perhaps “irresponsible” when she attended Saturday night’s protest in Miami, where she exposed herself to crowds of people.Protests over Floyd’s death — the latest in a series of killings of black men and women at the hands of police in America — have shaken the country from Minneapolis to New York, from Atlanta to Los Angeles. Some turned into riots and clashes with police, leaving stores in flames and torched cars in the streets. Health experts fear that silent carriers of the virus could unwittingly infect others at protests where people are packed cheek to jowl, many without masks, many chanting, singing or shouting. The virus is dispersed by microscopic droplets in the air when people cough, sneeze, sing or talk.”There’s no question that, when you put hundreds or thousands of people together in close proximity, when we have got this virus all over the streets … it’s not healthy,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.””Two weeks from now across America, we’re going to find out whether or not this gives us a spike and drives the numbers back up again or not.”The U.S. has seen over 1.7 million infections and nearly 104,000 deaths in the pandemic, which has disproportionately affected racial minorities in a nation that does not have universal health care.Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said Sunday she was very concerned that the protests in the nation’s capital and elsewhere could provide fertile ground for a new series of outbreaks. Many of the protesters were wearing masks, but there were no attempts at social distancing.”We’ve been working very hard in these last eight to 10 weeks to not have any mass gatherings,” she said. “As a nation, we have to be concerned about a rebound.”Even the many protesters wearing masks are not guaranteed protection. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cloth masks keep infected people from spreading the virus but are not designed to protect wearers from getting it.Mass protests in connection with Floyd’s death were also being held in Europe.In London, thousands of people marched Sunday chanting “No justice! No peace!” while carrying signs reading “Justice for George Floyd” and “Racism is a global issue.” Many demonstrators were not wearing masks and most in the crowd at Trafalgar Square were packed closely together. Britain has seen nearly 38,500 virus deaths, the second-highest in the world after the United States.In Berlin, hundreds of protesters picketed outside the U.S. Embassy on Saturday night under the motto: “Justice for George Floyd.” Others marched near the U.S. embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark.Many Americans returned Sunday to in-person church services for the first time in weeks and tens of thousands of mosques reopened across the Middle East, but countries from India to Colombia still saw rising numbers of new infections.Nearly 6.1 million infections have been reported worldwide, with nearly 370,000 people dying, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The true death toll is believed to be significantly higher, since many victims died of the virus without ever being tested.The situation worsened Sunday in India, where new daily cases topped 8,000 for the first time and 193 more deaths were reported. Despite that, India still is easing restrictions on shops and public transport in more states beginning Monday, although subways and schools will remain closed.In Saudi Arabia, mosques reopened Sunday for the first time in more than two months, but Islam’s holiest site in Mecca remained closed. In Jerusalem, throngs of worshippers waited outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque before it reopened. Many wore surgical masks and waited for temperature checks as they entered.In Bogota, the capital of Colombia, authorities were locking down an area of nearly 1.5 million people as cases continued to rise. Mayor Claudia Lopez said no one in the working-class Kennedy area — inaugurated by the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1961 — will be allowed out, except to seek food or medical care or in case of an emergency. Factories must also close. In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Sunday that he would ask Parliament for a final two-week extension of the nation’s state of emergency that is set to expire on June 7. That allows the government to keep ordering lockdown measures to control its coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed at least 27,000 lives, many of them in overwhelmed nursing homes.”We have almost reached safe harbor,” Sánchez said.At the Vatican, Pope Francis cautioned people against being pessimistic as they emerge from coronavirus lockdowns.During Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica to mark Pentecost Sunday, Francis noted a tendency to say that “nothing will return as before.” That kind of thinking, Francis said, guarantees that “the one thing that certainly does not return is hope.”
…
Month: May 2020
Protests in US Continue Amid Curfews, States of Emergency
Angry demonstrators carried their protests over the death of George Floyd into a sixth evening in cities across the United States Sunday, raising the prospect of renewed confrontations with police seeking to enforce overnight curfews.
Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Detroit and Philadelphia are among the major cities that have imposed orders banning marchers from the streets after dark. The governors of Texas and Virginia have imposed states of emergency in their states.
Fires, vandalism, looting and violence – much of it aimed at police – have flared over the last five nights. The marchers, black and white, are showing their anger not just at what they say is harsh police treatment of black men and women, but at systemic racism in the United States.
Police cars and government buildings were set on fire. Store windows were smashed. Monuments in parks were spray painted and vandalized. National Guard soldiers and Minnesota state police form a barricade as protesters gather outside the Minnesota State Capitol, May 31, 2020, in St. Paul, Minnesota.Police and National Guard soldiers in riot gear often stood guard as boisterous but largely peaceful street demonstrations swelled in size throughout Saturday. But as night fell and curfews were ignored, some of the protests turned violent, prompting police to respond with pepper pellets, tear gas and rubber bullets.
The demonstrations began in Minneapolis, where George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died after being held handcuffed, face down, with a police officer’s knee on the back of his neck for more than eight minutes.
Widely circulated videos of the incident captured Floyd – who police say was suspected of trying to spend a counterfeit $20 bill in a food store — pleading that he could not breathe while bystanders called on the officer to let him up.
The officer involved was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter four days later. He and three other officers who were present and did not intervene were fired on Tuesday. A law enforcement officer stands guard as people take part in a rally against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, May 31, 2020.In all, about 5,000 National Guard members have been activated across the country, while another 2,000 are prepared to activate if called.
President Donald Trump has said he understands the rage over Floyd’s death, but said all protests must be peaceful. He has condemned the violence and threatened force if crowds do not heed the warnings of police.
Protests near the White House in Washington erupted into violence late Saturday. Some protesters set off fireworks and threw bottles at the Secret Service and the U.S. Park Police, who fired pepper spray in response.
Later, hundreds of protesters circled the White House and looted nearby stores as a fire erupted near the historic Hay Adams Hotel.
The president has blamed most of the violence on “Antifa and other radical left-wing groups,” and offered Minnesota federal military assistance.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File Embed” />Copy Download AudioProtest near White House (video by VOA’s Turkish Service)Attorney General William Barr said “the outrage of our national community about what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis is real and legitimate.
“Accountability for his death must be addressed,” he continued, “and is being addressed, through the regular process of our criminal justice system, both at the state and at the federal level. That system is working and moving at exceptional speed. Already initial charges have been filed. That process continues to move forward. Justice will be served.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said organized agitators from outside the state were responsible for some of the violence, including white supremacists, anarchists and people associated with drug cartels.
There were multiple shootings Saturday in downtown Indianapolis. One person was killed, and two were wounded. Police Chief Randal Taylor urged residents who did not live in the area to leave because, he said, “Downtown is not safe at this time.”Jessica Knutson, and her daughter Abigail, 3, place flowers at a memorial to George Floyd, May 31, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Nearly 1,400 people had been arrested across the country, according to an Associated Press tally Saturday. That total does not include arrests overnight Saturday and on Sunday.
Numerous Minneapolis businesses suffered extensive property damage as protesters randomly looted stores in a neighborhood near the site where Floyd died. Somali-American business owner Ahmed Siyad Shafi’i told VOA that vandals attacked all his of his stores overnight.
“They broke the glass, the doors, the windows,” he said, “and take whatever they can take.” Shafi’i, the owner of a restaurant and clothing store in South Minneapolis, called it “unacceptable” for anyone to destroy personal property and suggested peaceful protests. VOA’s Somali Service contributed to this story.
…
Protesters Worldwide Voice Support for US Demonstrators
The shocking on-camera death of African American George Floyd is drawing attention around the globe.Anti-U.S. protests deploring the man’s death erupted in Western capitals on Sunday and newspaper headlines heaped scorn on American police over the incident last week in Minneapolis.Floyd, a black man, died after white police officer Derek Chauvin pressed a knee on the back of his neck for more than eight minutes, even as Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe. The incident was captured on video.Thousands of protesters gathered in central London to voice support for American demonstrators who have marched in dozens of U.S. cities over the last five days to condemn the police conduct. Some of the worst U.S. violence in decades has erupted, with police cars and government buildings set afire, stores ransacked and looted, and public monuments defaced.The British protesters chanted, “No justice! No peace!” and waved placards with the words, “How many more?”People protest in Berlin, Germany, May 31, 2020 after the violent death of the African-American George Floyd by a white policeman in the USA against racism and police violence, among other things with a sign “Who do call when police murders”.Denmark, Germany
Protesters in Denmark marched to the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, carrying placards with such messages as “Stop Killing Black People.” In Germany, protesters carried signs saying, “Hold Cops Accountable,” and “Who Do You Call When Police Murder?”Germany’s top-selling Bild newspaper carried a provocative Sunday headline: “This killer-cop set America ablaze” with an arrow pointing to a photo of Chauvin, who has been fired and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death.In some newspapers, Floyd’s death and the ensuing American protests have pushed news of the ongoing worldwide fight against the coronavirus pandemic to second-tier status, at least for the moment. Authoritarian regime perspective
In countries with authoritarian governments, state-controlled media showcased the demonstrations in the context of U.S. government complaints about crackdowns on protesters in other countries, such as China’s treatment of pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong.Hu Xijin, the editor of the Chinese Communist Party-run Global Times newspaper, said U.S. officials can now see the protests out of their own windows: “I want to ask [House] Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi and Secretary [of State Mike] Pompeo: Should Beijing support protests in the U.S., like you glorified rioters in Hong Kong?”Iranian state television has shown frequent images of the U.S. unrest, with one unsubstantiated report accusing U.S. police agencies in Washington of “setting fire to cars and attacking protesters.”Russia said Floyd’s death was an example of U.S. police violence against African-Americans and accused the U.S. of “systemic problems in the human rights sphere.””This incident is far from the first in a series of lawless conduct and unjustified violence from U.S. law enforcement,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “American police commit such high-profile crimes all too often.” Lebanon
Lebanese anti-government protesters flooded social media with tweets supporting U.S. protesters, with the hashtag #Americanrevolts becoming the top trending tag in Lebanon.
…
‘No Justice, No Peace’ Protests Resume in NYC for 4th Day
New York City officials were looking for a peaceful way forward as the city entered a fourth day of protests against police brutality that have left police cars burned and led to the arrest of hundreds of people.Mayor Bill de Blasio said he had no plans to impose a curfew Sunday, unlike other major U.S. cities, and smaller cities throughout the state.De Blasio said city police showed “tremendous restraint overall” during the weekend’s protests, but promised an investigation of video showing two police cruisers lurching into a crowd of demonstrators on a Brooklyn street. He was appointing two city officials to conduct an independent review of how the protests unfolded and how they were handled by the police.”We all better get back to the humanity here,” de Blasio said at a Sunday morning briefing. “The protesters are human beings. They need to be treated with tremendous respect. The police officers are human beings. They need to be treated with tremendous respect.”Hours after he spoke, demonstrations resumed. Hundreds of people gathered on a plaza in downtown Brooklyn, chanting “No justice, no peace,” and “Black lives matter,” while making occasional insulting hand gestures at a line of police officers protecting the arena where the NBA’s Nets play. Marchers chanted “Hands up, don’t shoot” — a rallying cry that originated from the August 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri — during a separate rally in Queens. Police detain protesters as they march down the street during a solidarity rally for George Floyd, May 30, 2020, in New York.Largely peaceful protests around the city Saturday gave way to scattered clashes between police and protesters later in the evening. Demonstrators smashed shop windows, threw objects at officers, set police vehicles on fire and blocked roads. Graffiti was scrawled on Manhattan’s famed St. Patrick’s Cathedral.There were multiple complaints about police unnecessarily shoving or bludgeoning protesters and spraying crowds with chemicals.New York City police said 345 people were arrested, 33 officers were injured and 27 police vehicles were damaged or destroyed by fire. There were no major injuries reported. Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said some peaceful demonstrations were “hijacked” by people with violent intent.”We’re going to make sure that everyone has the right to peacefully protest and assemble,” Shea said said at a briefing with the mayor. “But we are not going to tolerate destruction of property, having our officers put into harm’s way or any civilians put into harm’s way.”Similar protests flared around the nation in response to the Minnesota death of George Floyd. Floyd, who was black, died Monday after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on his neck until he stopped breathing. Elsewhere in New York, shop windows were shattered in Rochester and demonstrators set fire to a tractor trailer in Albany. In Buffalo, a person threw a flaming object though a city hall window. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the National Guard is on standby and that hundreds of additional troopers are being made available in Buffalo and Rochester, where hundreds of people showed Sunday to help clean up the damage.”We expect additional protests tonight and we’re preparing for such,” Cuomo said at his daily briefing.The governor also said state Attorney General Letitia James’s investigation into actions by NYPD officers and protesters will include any protests held throughout the weekend.Protesters clash with New York police officers during a demonstration, May 30, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York.Cleanup was under way Sunday morning in New York City, which is still under a lockdown enacted two months ago when it became the U.S. epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic.At least five burned-out NYPD vehicles that remained near Manhattan’s Union Square were towed early Sunday afternoon. People walked around broken glass on the street to take pictures of the vehicles.A handful of protesters rallied peacefully in the square, holding Black Lives Matter signs and giving speeches denouncing police violence while families were picnicking nearby. Ken Kidd, who lives a few blocks south of the park, was among the people inspecting the damage to the vehicles and had witnessed Saturday’s demonstrations. He said protesters and police tried to remain peaceful at the start before the stress of a city heavily hit by the coronavirus came out.”I think a community can only say ‘Enough’ so many times and the words aren’t heard so then they got to take action and that’s what happened last night. That’s what I watched happen last night,” Kidd said.The independent review ordered by de Blasio will be conducted by New York City Corporation Counsel James Johnson, who is the city’s chief lawyer, and Margaret Garnett, commissioner of the Department of Investigation, which typically investigates suspected wrongdoing and fraud by city employees.
…
Trump Praises National Guard Response to Unrest, Declares Antifa a Terrorist Group
U.S. President Donald Trump is praising the National Guard for doing a “great job” in responding to protests that turned violent overnight in Minnesota following the death there of an African American man in police custody.In tweets on Sunday, after a night of violence in dozens of U.S. cities, Trump blamed “ANTIFA-led anarchists” for instigating the chaos.The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) President Donald Trump gestures as he walks across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, May 30, 2020.Trump said the United States will be designating Antifa as a terrorist organization.”As this tweet demonstrates, terrorism is an inherently political label, easily abused and misused,” according to Hina Shamsi, the national security project director of the American Civil Liberties Union. “There is no legal authority for designating a domestic group. Any such designation would raise significant due process and First Amendment concerns.”The Anti-Defamation League describes Antifa as “a loose collection of groups, networks and individuals who believe in active, aggressive opposition to far right-wing movements.”Mostly peaceful protests
Unrest across America has followed what had been generally peaceful protests in the days after the death in Minneapolis of 46-year-old George Floyd, an African American man, who died after a white officer held Floyd down, pressing a knee into his neck for more than eight minutes.A police officer sprays protesters in the Brooklyn borough of New York City during a march against the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, May 30, 2020.States impose curfews
Curfews have been imposed in at least 25 cities in 16 U.S. states.The violence came close to home for Trump again Saturday night, occurring within blocks of the White House while U.S. Park Police, the Secret Service and the National Guard defended a perimeter around nearby Lafayette Square.As pepper spray pushed back hundreds of protesters, vandals smashed windows of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in the 1400 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, two banks and dozens of other businesses were damaged and looted within blocks of the White House, as well as in the upscale Georgetown neighborhood.Protesters set small fires inside two restaurants across the street from the White House Historical Association, just off Lafayette Square, and multistory scaffolding was also set on fire in a portion of the nearby U.S. Chamber of Commerce building under construction, adjacent to the Hay-Adams Hotel.The White House and surrounding areasVandalism on National Mall
There were also numerous instances of vandalism to sites around the National Mall.“For generations the Mall has been our nation’s premier civic gathering space for non-violent demonstrations, and we ask individuals to carry on that tradition,” pleaded the National Park Service in a tweet Sunday afternoon.The Washington fire department responded to the larger fires, but witnesses said local police were conspicuously absent as the vandalism occurred, some of it playing out live on local and national television.The violence was conducted by an “organized group more bent on destruction than on protest,” Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters, explaining that she walked around the area at 3 a.m. to see the many businesses that had been attacked, but also observed a “beautiful downtown D.C. still standing.”The mayor added “it was maddening to think that anybody would destroy property, put our officers in danger and put themselves in danger.”Demonstrators clash as people gather to protest the death of George Floyd, May 30, 2020, near the White House in Washington.DC police officers injured
Eleven D.C. Metro Police officers were injured during Saturday night’s protests, according to the department’s chief, Peter Newsham. He said one officer sustained a compound leg fracture and was to undergo surgery Sunday.A total of 29 of the department’s vehicles were damaged or spray painted, according to Newsham.The Secret Service, in a statement, said more than 60 of its uniformed officers and special agents had been injured since Friday night, with 11 taken to hospital after being hit by projectiles, “kicked, punched and exposed to bodily fluids.”People have a right to protest but “not to destroy the city,” Bowser said.A reporter asked the mayor about her earlier criticism of the president’s tweeted comments that were interpreted by many as adding fuel to the fire.“The president has a role to play nationally in calming the unrest that we see in cities across America,” she said. “At the least, he has to not incite violence and that is what we expect.”If Trump addresses the nation, “I hope that it’s presidential” and calms the nation.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File Embed” />Copy Download AudioVideo of protests near White House recorded by VOA’s Turkish ServiceBracing for Sunday evening events
Newsham told reporters “we are hoping that cooler heads will prevail” at planned events Sunday evening. “We will have sufficient department resources to manage this.”President Trump, who was in the White House both Friday and Saturday night, praised the Secret Service response and tweeted on Saturday that if demonstrators had come any closer the authorities would have responded with “vicious dogs” and “ominous weapons.”Trump claimed Secret Service agents told him they were clamoring for engagement with the demonstrators.“We put the young ones on the front line, sir, they love it, and good practice,” he quoted them as saying.Anti-police violence protesters gather near White House, Sunday, May 31, 2020. (Photo: Ralph Robinson / VOA)Trump appeared to invite his supporters to amass on Saturday to counter the protesters.“Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE???” he tweeted, using the acronym for his campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”The professionally managed so-called “protesters” at the White House had little to do with the memory of George Floyd. They were just there to cause trouble. The @SecretService handled them easily. Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE???— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020No such crowd of the president’s supporters appeared.
…
Botswana to Allow Farmers Keep Wildlife to Boost Agro-Tourism
Botswana’s president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, says his government will allow farmers to keep small game as a way to encourage locals’ participation in agro-tourism. He added that it is paramount for them to have a stake in the industry.
Speaking in a televised address Saturday, Masisi said Botswana’s tourism sector needs a boost after the severe impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
“In order to revive Botswana’s tourism sector, government shall accelerate initiatives aimed at stimulating local and international tourism by creating an enabling environment for increased investment in the tourism sector, in particular citizen participation,” he said.
Masisi said, as one of the measures to boost tourism, his government will allow local farmers keep wildlife within their properties.
“The agro-tourism guidelines are also being reviewed to facilitate citizens to make a decent living out of their fields (masimo) to complement agro-tourism and diversify its products. Game farming guidelines shall soon be issued to enable those Batswana who are interested to keep small game or wildlife in their fields if they meet set criteria,” Masisi said. Botswana farmers will soon be able to diversify their activities to include keeping small game. (Mqondisi Dube/VOA)Local farmer Banks Ndebele has previously sought permission to keep small game in his property outside the capital Gaborone.
He said while it is a welcome initiative, the government must remove bottlenecks, which might impede the initiative’s implementation.
“I think it’s a welcome development. It has always been our belief that agriculture needs to be diversified. One only hopes that the government will remove bottlenecks and impediments that end up discouraging people from taking up the initiative,” Ndebele said.
Tourism is a significant contributor to the southern African nation’s economy, employing nearly 100,000 people.
But the impact of COVID-19 has been devastating, with all bookings cancelled for the rest of the year, leaving many people jobless.
…
Cameroon Military Acknowledges Soldiers Arrested in Togo
Cameroon’s military says three of five men recently arrested by Togolese police and portrayed by Togolese media as notorious criminals who committed serious offenses against Togolese citizens are Cameroonian soldiers, while the other two are former convicts. The three military men stole weapons from the military headquarters in Yaoundé and went to Togo’s capital, Lomé, where they used the weapons to harass Togolese, according to Togolese police. Cameroonian military spokesperson Atonfack Guemo says investigations by the military indicate that Ntanga Clement Didier Mogo, Oumarou Abdou Fadil and Ewoundjo Elle Serge Hubert, who were arrested in Lomé for robbery and harassment of civilians, are notorious, dangerous and dishonest members of the Cameroon military. He says Cameroon has started disciplinary and administrative proceedings against the men as provided for by military regulations and that Togo should punish them as its law provides. He says Cameroon’s Defense Ministry denies responsibility for their crimes and atrocities because the men in question have broken off links with Cameroon’s military. Guemo said the other two men arrested in Lomé are civilians with criminal records and were wanted. He said the five arrested in Togo were helped by another military officer, Essimbi Francis, who has been arrested for his role in other crimes and is being held in Yaoundé. Togo media reported May 20 that the five Cameroonians had been arrested in Lomé after using weapons to rob a Togolese businessman of his car and money. Cameroonian media reported that Yendoube Douti, head of the Lomé research and criminal investigation unit of the Togolese police, said the five men confessed they were using weapons they obtained from the Cameroon defense headquarters in Yaoundé. He says investigations carried out by Togolese police indicate that the brain behind the group of robbers is Ntanga Clement Didier Mogo, known as Tony, a member of the Cameroon military. He says Tony convinced his colleague, Oumarou Abo Fadil, who was in charge of weapons at Cameroon’s defense headquarters in Yaoundé, to steal automatic pistols and go with him to Togo, where they could make a better living stealing and selling vehicles. Mogo, speaking on the state broadcaster Television Togolese said he and his group traveled to Lomé to buy cars for a senior military official he refused to name, but that they were tempted to steal when their stay was extended by COVID-19 travel restrictions. He says that he did not plan to steal when he left Yaoundé for Lomé but that he asked his colleagues who control weapons at the defense headquarters to accompany him with pistols for security against possible attacks by highway robbers. He says after they got to Lomé, both Cameroon and Togo sealed their borders and they could not return. Mogo acknowledged that Togolese police arrested them after they stole money and a car from a rich Togolese businessman and were trying to escape. He said it was the only act of robbery they committed. Cameroon’s military says whenever they return after facing justice in Togo, they will answer charges for the crimes committed in Cameroon and for damaging Cameroon’s image in a foreign country and that for now, they are no longer members of the Cameroonian military.
…
Roadside Bomb Blast Kills 9 Near Somali Capital
Somali officials say nine civilians were killed and 10 others were wounded in a roadside bomb explosion outside Mogadishu on Sunday. The blast from an improvised explosive device hit a bus transporting civilians from Mogadishu to the town of Wanlaweyn, 90 kilometers west of the capital. The Somali government says al-Shabab is responsible for the attack. “The federal government of Somalia condemns the barbaric act of terrorism committed against the Somali civilians,” read a statement issued by the Ministry of Information. Governor of Lower Shabelle region Ibrahim Aden Najah told VOA Somali that seven victims died on the spot while two others died in hospitals. He said there were a total of 22 people in the bus and only 3 people escaped unharmed. Al-Shabab has been known to plant IEDs in the area of the explosion known as Hawa Abdi, about 18 kilometers west of Mogadishu, to target the Somali military and African Union peacekeepers. These IEDs often miss their targets and kill civilians. Al-Shabab has been using IEDs increasingly in its attacks in Somalia. Last week, 14 government soldiers were killed in two separate IED attacks in Middle Shabelle and Lower Shabelle regions. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for both attacks. The Director of the U.N. Mine Action Service Agnès Marcaillou told the U.N. Security Council earlier this month that there more than 160 IED attacks through the end of April in 2020. The U.N. has reported a drop in civilian casualties in Mogadishu this year, which was attributed to the current security plan and military operations in the neighboring Lower Shabelle region.
…
Greece Blocks British, American, Italian Travelers from Vacationing in June
Greece may be a top vacation destination, but for the British, Americans and Italians dreaming of getting away, the country will be off limits for some time. The government in Athens has left them off a list of 29 countries from which Greece will start accepting visitors, as it scrambles to mitigate the damage that the COVID-19 pandemic has spelled for its biggest money-making industry: tourism.
Greek tourism officials say travelers from the permitted countries will be able to enter Greece beginning June 15… allowed to touch down only at the capital’s main international airport… and the northern metropolis of Thessaloniki… not other sun-kissed destinations.
The list of 29 countries was drafted following a strict review of global airport regulations and COVID-19 infection rates.
Tourism minister Harris Tehoharis explains why.
He says the so-called safe list is part of a plan stitched together to best secure both foreign travelers and the country after the government in Athens managed to successfully handle the pandemic by taking draconian lockdown measures early on … keeping registered infection rates under 3,000 and the death toll at 175. All 29 countries, including several Balkan nations, Israel and even China and Japan, boast low infection rates. Travelers coming in from them will be screened for COVID-19 but allowed to vacation freely without the need of lockdown requirements or quarantines.
Depending on changes in infection rates, the list of countries could change before all travelers will be allowed to the country on July 1.
But with the US, Britain and Italy hit hardest by the pandemic, health experts like Gikas Magiorkas warn it may be months, even beyond the July date, before travelers from those countries will be able to visit.
“I don’t see them visiting any time soon, he says. Depending on how the first wave of entries goes, authorities may increase the number of screening tests for those coming in from high-risk countries, to boost security and tracking levels,” said Magiorkas.
British and American travelers normally make up the biggest and most affluent pool of visitors to Greece… bringing in billions each year in hard currency.
Italy, meantime has snapped back at Greece’s designs, saying blacklisting countries and travelers isn’t fair, and that Italy would not allow itself to be viewed and treated as what one leading official called “a leper colony.”
Despite Greece’s scramble to open for tourism, many industry officials remain reluctant.
Grigoris Tassis, president of the Greek hotel owners association, explains
He says hotel owners have not received fundamental directives from the state, including information on how to deal with COVID-19 cases that may emerge while travelers are on holiday here.
On the island of Crete, a favorite holiday destination, many large hotel chains are choosing to open just a fraction of their facilities… adjusting as the summer and the spread of the pandemic proceeds.
Surveys indicate that some 65% of Greek hotels could go bankrupt if they fail to break even this summer.
…
US Protests, Clashes with Police, Erupt in Dozens of Cities
Fires, looting and chaos erupted in dozens of American cities Saturday night as demonstrators clashed with police in protests sparked by the death last week of an African American man while in police custody in the midwestern city of Minneapolis.Police cars and government buildings were set afire. Windows of stores were smashed, while looters escaped with high-priced consumer goods. Monuments in parks were spray painted and vandalized.Police and authorities in riot gear often stood guard with restraint as boisterous but largely peaceful street demonstrations swelled in size throughout Saturday. But as some of the protests turned violent as night fell, the authorities fired pepper pellets, tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators.Many of the protesters ignored early evening curfews imposed by mayors in dozens of cities to march in the streets and clash with police. But protesters in some cities were peacefully hemmed in by police who arrested them one by one for the curfew violations.Authorities in recent days, including President Donald Trump, said they understood the rage over the death of George Floyd, but called for peaceful protests and condemned violence, vowing that it would be met with force. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was held handcuffed while face down on a Minneapolis street, repeatedly saying he could not breathe as a white police officer pressed a knee on his neck. Floyd died, and the police officer was charged with third degree murder several days later. The cellphone images of Floyd’s death have sparked global outrage, with protests spreading across the country.The growing protests have now extended for five days, possibly the biggest coast to coast demonstrations in the U.S. since the extended anti-Vietnam war protests of the 1960s.Members of the National Guard secure the area during a protest against the death in police custody of African-American man George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 29, 2020.The governors of Minnesota, where Minneapolis is the capital, and 11 other states called up National Guard troops to face another night of violent protests. For the past five nights, initially peaceful protesting has degenerated into looting, arson and other violence in Minneapolis and neighboring St. Paul, as well as other cities across the U.S.“We are under assault,” first-term Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said as he promised “full strength” would be used to restore order.Governors in at least 11 other states — Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Wisconsin, Colorado, Utah, Washington, California, Tennessee, Missouri and Texas — also activated National Guard troops to help quell protests that in many areas have turned violent.California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Los Angeles, where protesters were in the street late Saturday as fires burned.In downtown Indianapolis, there were multiple shootings Saturday during a second night of protests. One person was killed and two people were wounded. Police Chief Randal Taylor urged residents who did not live in the area to leave because, he said, “Downtown is not safe at this time.” Nearly 1,400 people have been arrested across the country, according to an Associated Press tally Saturday. The actual total is probably higher as the protests continued through the night.Mayors across the U.S. have instituted nighttime curfews after violence occurred in their cities, including Los Angeles; Seattle; Atlanta; Denver; Philadelphia; Portland, Oregon; and Columbia, South Carolina.While some protests have led to violence — including arson and looting in Minneapolis and Portland — others have remained peaceful, as in Wilmington, Delaware, and Greenville, South Carolina.In New York, protesters took to the streets for a third consecutive night and shortly before midnight, Mayor Bill de Blasio held a news conference in Brooklyn, not far from the sports arena where demonstrators have gathered. He said the number of protesters still on the city’s streets at that hour numbered only in the “hundreds” and he appealed to them to go home.A police officer sprays protesters in the Brooklyn borough of New York City during a march against the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, May 30, 2020.New York has not deployed the National Guard, and the mayor said the city’s police department is “the right organization” to address the situation because they understand New York.Protests near the White House in Washington erupted into violence late Saturday. Some protesters set off fireworks and threw bottles at the Secret Service and the U.S. Park Police, who used pepper spray. Later, hundreds of protesters circled the White House and looted nearby stores as a fire erupted near the historic Hay Adams Hotel.A firework explodes by a police line as demonstrators gather to protest the death of George Floyd, May 30, 2020, near the White House in Washington, D.C.President Trump spoke about the unrest Saturday afternoon at the Kennedy Space Center, where he watched the SpaceX launch.“The death of George Floyd on the streets of Minneapolis, was a grave tragedy. It should never have happened. It has filled Americans all over the country with horror, anger and grief,” he said.“I stand before you as a friend and ally to every American seeking justice and peace. And I stand before you in firm opposition to anyone exploiting this tragedy to loot, rob, attack, and menace. Healing not hatred, justice not chaos, are the mission at hand,” he said.But he added that Minneapolis cannot let chaos rule as it did early Friday when officers abandoned a police station and ignored protesters for several hours. Police eventually used tear gas to disperse the crowds.Tear gas canisters detonate beside a protester as authorities clear an intersection near the Minneapolis 5th Police Precinct, May 30, 2020, in Minneapolis.The president has blamed most of the violence on “Antifa and other radical left-wing groups,” and offered Minnesota federal military assistance. Attorney General William Barr said in a statement, “The outrage of our national community about what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis is real and legitimate.”“Accountability for his death must be addressed,” he continued, “and is being addressed, through the regular process of our criminal justice system, both at the state and at the federal level. That system is working and moving at exceptional speed. Already initial charges have been filed. That process continues to move forward. Justice will be served.”Minnesota Governor Walz said organized agitators from outside the state were responsible for some of the violence, including white supremacists, anarchists and people associated with drug cartels.Numerous Minneapolis businesses suffered extensive property damage as protesters randomly looted stores in a Minneapolis neighborhood near the site where Floyd died. Somali-American business owner Ahmed Siyad Shafi’i told VOA that vandals attacked all his of his stores overnight.“They broke the glass, the doors, the windows,” he said via Skype, “and take whatever they can take.” Shafi’i, the owner of a restaurant and clothing store in South Minneapolis, called it “unacceptable” for anyone to destroy personal property and suggested peaceful protests.A man breaks a window at a tire store, May 28, 2020, in St. Paul, Minnesota.The full mobilization of the Minnesota National Guard increases its presence beyond the 700 soldiers previously deployed. Major General Jon Jensen said there would be more than 1,700 National Guard in the area by Sunday.The National Guard is a reserve military force with units in each of the 50 states, most of whose members serve part-time. The units can be activated in emergencies by the state governors to help deal with natural disasters or civil unrest.Derek Chauvin, the officer seen restraining Floyd in the video, was fired on Tuesday from the Minneapolis Police Department. He was charged Friday with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Bail was set at $500,000.Floyd’s family responded to the charges, demanding a tougher approach. Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the civil rights group NAACP, told VOA that Floyd’s killing shows that “we have in this country not dealt with the issues of race and the value of African American lives in Minneapolis.”He said peaceful protests are “a way for the citizens of this country to bring forth grievances of injustice,” and said the NAACP “absolutely oppose rioting; that never solves anything.”VOA’s correspondent Margaret Besheer and VOA Somali Service contributed to this report.
…
World Uneasily Watches US Protests But US Racism Seen Before
Nations around the world have watched in horror at the five days of civil unrest in the United States following the death of a black man being detained by police. But they have not been surprised.Racism-tinged events no longer startle even America’s closest allies, though many have watched coverage of the often-violent protests with growing unease. Burning cars and American riot police featured on newspaper front pages around the globe Sunday — bumping news of the COVID-19 pandemic to second-tier status in some places.George Floyd died on May 25 in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed a knee into his neck. It was the latest in a series of deaths of black men and women at the hands of police in America.In the German capital of Berlin, hundreds of protesters picketed outside the U.S. Embassy on Saturday evening under the motto: “Justice for George Floyd.”Thousands gathered in central London on Sunday to offer support for American demonstrators. Chanting “No justice! No peace!” and waving placards at Trafalgar Square, the protesters ignored U.K. government rules banning crowds because of the pandemic.In Italy, the Corriere della Sera newspaper’s senior U.S. correspondent Massimo Gaggi wrote that the reaction to Floyd’s killing was “different” than previous cases of black Americans killed by police and the ensuring violence.“There are exasperated black movements that no longer preach nonviolent resistance,’’ Gaggi wrote, noting the Minnesota governor’s warning that “anarchist and white supremacy groups are trying to fuel the chaos.”In countries with authoritarian governments, state-controlled media have been highlighting the chaos and violence of the U.S. demonstrations, in part to undermine American officials’ criticism of their own nations.In China, the protests are being viewed through the prism of U.S. government criticism of China’s crackdown on anti-government protests in Hong Kong.Hu Xijin, the editor of the state-owned Global Times newspaper, tweeted that U.S. officials can now see protests out their own windows: “I want to ask Speaker Pelosi and Secretary Pompeo: Should Beijing support protests in the U.S., like you glorified rioters in Hong Kong?”Hua Chunying, a Chinese Foreign ministry spokesperson, pointed out America’s racial unrest by tweeting “I can’t breathe,” which Floyd said before his death.In Iran, which has violently put down nationwide demonstrations by killing hundreds, arresting thousands and disrupting internet access to the outside world, state television has repeatedly aired images of the U.S. unrest. One TV anchor discussed “a horrible scene from New York, where police attacked protesters.” Another state TV message accused U.S. police agencies in Washington of “setting fire to cars and attacking protesters,” without offering any evidence.Russia also expressed a lack of shock.“This incident is far from the first in a series of lawless conduct and unjustified violence from U.S. law enforcement,’’ the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “American police commit such high-profile crimes all too often.’’There also have been expressions of solidarity with the demonstrators.Over the weekend, Lebanese anti-government protesters flooded social media with tweets sympathetic to U.S. protesters, using the hashtag #Americarevolts. That’s a play on the slogan for Lebanon’s protest movement — Lebanon revolts — which erupted on Oct. 17 last year. Within 24 hours, the hashtag #Americanrevolts became the No. 1 trending tag in Lebanon.In another expression of solidarity with American protesters, about 150 people marched through central Jerusalem on Saturday to protest the shooting death by Israeli police of an unarmed, autistic Palestinian man earlier in the day. Israeli police mistakenly suspected that the man, Iyad Halak, was carrying a weapon. When he failed to obey orders to stop, officers opened fire.
…
Pope: Pull Together, Avoid Pessimism in This Coronavirus Era
Pope Francis is cautioning against pessimism as many people emerge from coronavirus lockdowns to lament that nothing will ever be the same. During Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica to mark Pentecost Sunday, Francis noted a tendency to say “nothing will return as before.” That kind of thinking, Francis said, guarantees that “the one thing that certainly does not return is hope.” He took to task his own church for its fragmentation, saying it must pull together. “The world sees conservatives and progressives” but instead all are “children of God,” he said, telling the faithful to focus on what unites them. “In this pandemic, how wrong narcissism is,” Francis said, lamenting “the tendency to think only of our needs, to be indifferent to those of others, and to not admit our own frailties and mistakes.” “At this moment, in the great effort of beginning anew, how damaging is pessimism, the tendency to see everything in the worst light and to keep saying that nothing will return as before!” the pope said. “When someone thinks this way, the one thing that certainly does not return is hope.” A few dozen faithful, wearing masks and sitting one to a pew, attended the ceremony as part of safety measures to avoid spreading COVID-19. While the Vatican has re-opened the basilica to tourists, the rank-and-file faithful still aren’t allowed yet to attend Masses celebrated by the pope for fear of crowding. In a videotaped message for the Pentecost service led by the Anglican church leader, Justin Welby, archbishop of Canterbury, Francis spoke of how during the pandemic people are required to keep a safe distance from each other. “Yet we have also come to understand, perhaps better, what others are experiencing. We have been brought together by fear and uncertainty.” Francis encouraged prayers for those who must make “complex and pressing decisions,” which he said should be focused on investing in “health, employment and the elimination of inequalities and poverty.” “Now as never before, we need a vision rich in humanity. We cannot start up again by going back to our selfish pursuit of success without caring about those who are left behind,” the pope said.
…
Asia Today: India Reports over 8,000 New Virus Cases
India reported more than 8,000 new cases of the coronavirus in a single day, another record high that topped the deadliest week in the country.Confirmed infections have risen to 182,143, with 5,164 fatalities, including 193 in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said Sunday.Overall, more than 60% of the virus fatalities have been reported from only two states — Maharashtra, the financial hub, and Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The new cases are largely concentrated in six Indian states, including the capital New Delhi.Public health experts have criticized the Modi government’s handling of the outbreak. A joint statement by the Indian Public Health Association, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine and Indian Association of Epidemiologists, which was sent to Modi’s office on May 25, said it was “unrealistic” to eliminate the virus at a time when “community transmission is already well-established.”India has denied of any community transmission even though new cases have continued to mount significantly.The health experts said that the infections were rising exponentially despite the “draconian lockdown,” which began March 25.The restrictions have slowly been relaxed, with the government announcing Saturday a phased “Unlock 1” plan from June onwards that allows more economic activities. The restrictions in so-called containment zones — areas that have been isolated due to the outbreaks — will remain through June 30.Modi, who addressed the nation through his monthly radio program on Sunday, said India was faring better than other countries.India has a fatality rate of 2.8%.There are concerns that the virus may be spreading through India’s villages as millions of jobless migrant workers return home from cities during the lockdown. Experts warn that the pandemic is yet to peak in India.In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region: German engineer tests positive in China: A German engineer who flew to China on a special charter flight Saturday has tested positive for the coronavirus. The Tianjin city government said in a social media post that the 34-year-old man from Blaustein, Germany, had a body temperature of 36.3 Celsius (97.3 Fahrenheit) and no COVID-19 symptoms. It did not give his name. He has been transferred to a hospital where he will be kept for medical observation. About 200 people arrived on the chartered Lufthansa A340 from Frankfurt. A second flight is scheduled to depart on Wednesday for Shanghai. China has banned most foreigners from entering the country to try to prevent the introduction of new infections, but agreed to allow the two German flights to bring back business people as it tries to revive economic growth after the coronavirus shutdowns.27 new cases in South Korea: South Korea on Sunday reported 27 new cases of the coronavirus, including 21 from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, where officials are scrambling to stem transmissions linked to clubgoers and warehouse workers. The figures announced by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on brought national totals to 11,468 cases and 270 deaths. Twelve of the new cases were international arrivals. South Korea was reporting about 500 new cases each day in early March but seemed to stabilize the outbreak with aggressive tracking and tracing, which allowed authorities to ease social distancing guidelines. A rise in infections in the greater capital area has caused alarm as millions of children have begun returning to school. KCDC said more than 100 infections were linked to workers or visitors at a warehouse of local e-commerce giant Coupang, which has seen orders spike during the epidemic.China reports two new cases: China reported two new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total to 83,001. Both cases were imported ones in Shandong province south of Beijing, bringing the number of cases from abroad to 1,740. China has cut international flights drastically to try to keep new cases out, though it allowed a chartered Lufthansa A340 with employees of Volkswagen and other German companies operating in China to arrive Saturday from Frankfurt. It was the first of two such flights from Germany aimed at restarting the economy. No new domestic cases have been reported for a week, since an outbreak that infected 42 people was tamped down in Jilin province in the northeast. The country’s official death toll stands at 4,634.Restrictions easing in Australia: COVID-19 restrictions are easing in most of Australia, but authorities say they’ll be watching carefully to ensure the country’s success in containing the pandemic remains on track. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth said the lifting of restrictions is a balancing act between socioeconomic benefits and the public health risk. “We’re taking a deliberately safe and cautious approach,” Coatsworth said. “Most importantly we’re taking the time to gather the data over the coming weeks to determine whether it’s safe to move to the next round of lifting restrictions.” Coronavirus cases remain low in Australia by international standards, with 7,180 infections and 103 deaths. The more flexible restrictions, which differ across the states, will mean more movement in public places, including pubs, cafes, and restaurants. But authorities have renewed their call for safe hygiene and social distancing measures to remain.
…
Violence Erupts Near White House
Midnight violence erupted within two blocks of the White House on Saturday night while U.S. Park Police, the Secret Service and the National Guard defended a perimeter around nearby Lafayette Square.As pepper spray pushed back hundreds of protesters, vandals smashed windows of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in the 1400 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, and a PNC bank was vandalized.Small fires were set inside two restaurants by looters across the street from the White House Historical Association, off Lafayette Square, and multistory scaffolding was also set on fire in a portion of the nearby U.S. Chamber of Commerce building under construction.Several vehicles parked on streets in the neighborhood were also vandalized and set alight.The Washington fire department responded to the larger fires, but witnesses said local police were conspicuously absent as the vandalism occurred, some of it playing out on live local and national television.VOA’s Turkish service shot this video of protesters near the White House:Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
A firework explodes by a police line as demonstrators gather to protest the death of George Floyd, May 30, 2020, near the White House in Washington.Curfews have been imposed in at least 25 cities in 16 U.S. states.In Washington late Friday and early Saturday, protesters between Lafayette Square and the White House threw bricks and rocks at uniformed Secret Service officers while demonstrators repeatedly knocked over security barriers on Pennsylvania Avenue.Numerous officers and agents were injured, according to the Secret Service.“No individual crossed the White House Fence and no Secret Service protectees were ever in danger,” according to a Secret Service statement.The protective perimeter around the White House was enlarged on Saturday to a roughly six-block area.President Donald Trump, who was in the White House both Friday and Saturday night, praised the initial Secret Service response and tweeted that if demonstrators had come any closer on Friday night the authorities would have responded with “vicious dogs” and “ominous weapons.”Trump said Secret Service agents told him they were clamoring for engagement with the demonstrators.“We put the young ones on the front line, sir, they love it, and good practice,” he quoted them as saying.Trump appeared to invite his supporters to amass on Saturday to counter the protesters.“Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE???” he tweeted, using the acronym for his campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”No such crowd of the president’s supporters appeared.“I call upon on our city and our nation to exercise great restraint even while the president tries to divide us,” Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said Saturday.Trump, on Saturday, blamed the mayor for withholding Washington police assistance in Lafayette Park. The Secret Service, however, said the local police had been on the scene.“The memory of George Floyd is being dishonored by rioters, looters, and anarchists,” said Trump in a speech at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday. “The violence and vandalism is being led by Antifa and other radical left-wing groups who are terrorizing the innocent, destroying jobs, hurting businesses, and burning down buildings.”The president, who went to Florida to witnesses the first launch into space of NASA astronauts aboard a commercial craft, said the government will not “give into anarchy, abandon police precincts, or allow communities to be burned to the ground. It won’t happen.”
…
CPJ Condemns Attacks and Arrests of Journalists Covering Protests Across US
The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists Saturday condemned reported attacks by police and protesters against journalists covering the demonstrations across the country that erupted after the Monday death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, an African American, in police custody.“Targeted attacks on journalists, media crews, and news organizations covering the demonstrations show a complete disregard for their critical role in documenting issues of public interest and are an unacceptable attempt to intimidate them,” CPJ program director Carlos Martínez de la Serna said in the statement.The journalist rights group called on city authorities across the nation “to instruct police not to target journalists and ensure they can report safely on the protests without fear of injury or retaliation.”Meanwhile, the CPJ is investigating reports of attacks on and arrests of journalists in Atlanta; Las Vegas; Louisville, Kentucky; and Washington covering the unrest.Also Saturday, the Society of Professional Journalists tweeted an open letter asking protesters and police not to attack or harass journalists.”Before taking any aggressive action toward us, take a moment, take a breath, and decide to do the right thing and let us do our jobs,” the letter read in part.Protesters: Please don’t attack or harass journalists covering #protests. They want to hear and tell YOUR stories. Please read this open letter. #StPaulProtest#PhoenixProtest#ColumbusProtest#SanJoseProtest#BrooklynProtest#GeorgeFloyd#Protesthttps://t.co/cGscEtiyi9pic.twitter.com/Ozl74PqMsM— Society of Professional Journalists (@spj_tweets) May 31, 2020
…
As Summer Camps Debate Opening, Parents Look For Solutions
With the school year coming to an end, parents in America are facing a new challenge – how to entertain their children during their break. Usually, there would be hundreds of camps open, but as the coronavirus continues to affect daily life in the US, most facilities can’t guarantee they will open. Lesia Bakalets has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.
Camera: Aleksandr Bergan
…
Turkey Opens Mosques for Friday Prayers with Strict Social Distancing Measures
Turkey joins other countries in relaxing its strict lockdown measure because of the coronavirus pandemic by letting people go to mosques across the country to perform Friday prayers. Although this lifting of restrictions did not allow people older than 65 to participate in the Friday prayers, many of them nonetheless were seen at mosques. VOA’s Turkish Service’s reporters from Ankara, Istanbul and Diyarbakir visited mosques and filed this report narrated by Bezhan Hamdard.
Produced by: Alparslan Esmer
…
Why Some Americans Resist Wearing Face Masks
At a grocery store in Alexandria, Virginia, customer Laura Schafor was dismayed about a couple who weren’t wearing masks and were about to enter the store.“They put the rest of us in danger of getting the coronavirus,” she said.Another customer, Joshua Wright, wasn’t concerned, saying, “I don’t know anybody who has gotten sick with the virus. If I get it, I get it.”Wright, 28, said he only started wearing a face covering after the state of Virginia on Friday began mandating that people must wear masks inside public buildings and businesses.The problem with “’I’m young, I’m healthy, I don’t care if I get infected,’ is that even with mild or no symptoms, young, healthy people can be a very important part of the chain of transmission to other people” of all different ages,” Dr. David Aronoff, director of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, said.Aronoff said some people still haven’t gotten the message that “my breath can be lethal to another person” and that wearing a mask makes a difference in helping to stop the transmission of the disease.With more than 100,000 people who have died from COVID-19, the United States has the highest death toll of any country in the world.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File Embed” />Copy Download AudioBesides Virginia, many other places in the U.S. have mandated or strongly recommended that masks be worn in public places.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone wear a mask or cloth face covering in public areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain.Other reasons people do not wear a face covering are as varied as the individuals themselves, said David Abrams, a clinical psychologist and professor in the Global Public Health Department at New York University.He said, it could be “I’m not going to get ill from the coronavirus, so why wear a mask, or even if I do, it won’t be that severe.” There are also superficial reasons, like it’s embarrassing to wear one or “people can’t see me when I smile,” he added.But for some, including Latinos, Asians and African Americans, there is concern that masks may draw unwanted attention.Videos of black men who say they were racially profiled for wearing face masks have appeared on the internet. This includes two black men who recorded themselves being followed by a police officer at a Walmart store.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File Embed” />Copy Download Audio“I think the issue is that black men are stereotyped as criminals and treated disproportionately violently by police,” Michael Jeffries, an American studies professor who focuses on race and politics at Wellesley College, said. “So there is a fear among some African American men that wearing a mask might appear threatening to someone, and that might lead to increased interactions with police and suspicion from shop owners and pedestrians.”However, Jeffries said he didn’t think “a majority of black folks are hesitant to wear masks.”Mark Anthony Neal, a professor of African and African American studies at Duke University, added, “Two months ago, I could be criminalized because of wearing a mask.”Now, “I could be even more criminalized because I’m not wearing one,” he said.Some people rebel against the idea of wearing a face covering because they don’t like being told what to do, said Jonas Kaplan, a University of California neuroscientist who studies how the brain works. For them, “wearing a mask is a violation of individual freedom, and so not wearing a mask becomes a symbol of individualism.”Kaplan said masks are becoming “very politicized,” especially by conservatives who think that wearing them is “a sign of liberalism.”President Donald Trump and some other Republican officials have indicated they don’t want to wear a mask.Professor Abrams thinks if the president doesn’t want to wear one, then it gives the perception that other Americans also don’t have to either.“We know from psychology that role models are very powerful influences on individual behavior,” Abrams said.Neal, of Duke University, said Trump is “trying to parlay this idea that he’s showing strength by not wearing a mask.”Aronoff, of Vanderbilt Medical Center, said he believes the idea of wearing a mask needs to be destigmatized, perhaps through public service announcements. He also said if masks became fashionable, with personalized designs such as a favorite sports team, people may become more used to wearing them.
…
World Reacts with Anger, Dismay to US Man’s Death
Protests were held in several cities around the world Saturday, in seeming solidarity with demonstrators in the U.S. over the death of an African American man while in police custody earlier this week.The U.S. embassies in several countries drew protesters, angered by the death of George Floyd on May 25. Floyd died after a white police office kneeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes. The incident was videotaped, and Floyd could be heard pleading several times, “I can’t breathe.”In Berlin Saturday, thousands of Germans gathered outside the U.S. Embassy, chanting “Black Lives Matter,” according to Forbes.A protest about racism in general drew thousands Saturday in Toronto, Forbes reported.On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, referring to Floyd’s death, said in an article in The Washington Post, “Racism is real. It’s in the United States, but it’s also in Canada. … We know people are facing systemic discrimination, unconscious bias and anti-black racism every day.”In Mexico City on Saturday, drawings and flowers in support of Floyd were attached to a fence near the U.S. Embassy, according to social media posts.Justice for George Floyd. US Embassy, Mexico City. pic.twitter.com/SLraGkNYO9— Madeleine Wattenbarger (@madeleinewhat) May 30, 2020On Friday, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet also condemned the circumstances surrounding Floyd’s death, which she said was the latest “in a long line of killings of unarmed African Americans by U.S. police officers and members of the public.”“I am dismayed to have to add George Floyd’s name to that of Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Michael Brown and many other unarmed African Americans who have died over the years at the hands of the police — as well as people such as Ahmaud Arbery and Trayvon Martin who were killed by armed members of the public,” she said.Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, said he had seen the video of Floyd lying on the ground with a policeman’s knee on his neck.”Because of this discrimination, racism on the basis of race, such things are done,” he said during a webcast on compassion Friday. “We see in the news channels, the media, about discrimination on the basis of color or religion these days, and then there is killing due to that, and then there are some who even take it as a pride to be able to kill somebody.”The African Union Commission on Friday issued a strongly worded rare public statement on the domestic events in the United States.In the statement, the chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, “strongly condemns” police conduct in the Floyd case and extended his “deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.”VOA’s Cindy Saine contributed to this report.
…
What Do Murder, Manslaughter Charges in Floyd Case Mean?
Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was charged in the death of George Floyd, four days after the May 25 incident occurred and after several nights of violent protests in the Midwestern city.FILE -This photo provided by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office shows former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who was arrested May 29, 2020, in the Memorial Day death of George Floyd.On Friday, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman charged Chauvin, 44, with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin is accused of kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.Here is a definition of those charges:Third-degree murder: According to the Minnesota statute, whoever causes the death of a person “by perpetrating an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, without regard for human life, is guilty of murder in the third degree.”Someone found guilty faces a prison sentence of no more than 25 years or a fine of no more than $40,000, or both.Second-degree manslaughter: According to the Minnesota statute, someone who “creates an unreasonable risk, and consciously takes chances of causing death or great bodily harm to another,” is guilty of manslaughter in the second degree.Someone found guilty may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 10 years or required to pay a fine of not more than $20,000, or both.Hennepin prosecutor Freeman said Friday that it was likely that charges would be filed against three other officers accused of involvement in Floyd’s death, but he declined to discuss what those charges might be.The three other officers, who were present at the scene of Floyd’s death, are: Tou Thao, 34, J. Alexander Kueng, 26, and Thomas K. Lane, 37. All three were fired along with Chauvin from the Minneapolis Police Department on Tuesday.
…
Atlanta Mayor Praised for Response to Floyd Unrest
When the United States erupted in unrest following Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968, his hometown of Atlanta was one of the few major cities to maintain relative peace. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms invoked that history in a passionate plea for those protesting the death of George Floyd to go home.”When Dr. King was assassinated, we didn’t do this to our city,” Bottoms said Friday night. “If you care about this city, then go home.”Protests in Atlanta over the death of Floyd, a black man who died after a white officer in Minneapolis pressed a knee into his neck, had turned violent before Bottoms spoke. Police cars were smashed and CNN’s headquarters was vandalized as protests shook a city that prides itself as the birthplace of the civil rights movement.Bottoms addressed the crowds both as a mayor and a mother.”I am a mother to four black children in America, one of whom is 18 years old,” Bottoms said, adding that when she saw the Floyd incident, “I hurt like a mother.”When she heard of the potential of protests, Bottoms said, she called her son to find out where he was.”I said, ‘I cannot protect you and black boys shouldn’t be out today,’ ” she said.Her message to protesters: “You’re not going to out-concern me … about where we are in America. I wear this each and every day.”Leadership ‘shining through’Bottoms’ remarks were widely praised. TJ Ducklo, the Joe Biden campaign’s national press secretary, said the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee “has been grateful for Mayor Bottoms’ support and counsel since the earliest days of our campaign.””Her passion, her empathy and her strong and steady leadership are shining through during this difficult moment, and the city of Atlanta is lucky to have her leading the way,” Ducklo said.Georgia Representative Doug Collins, a conservative Republican ally of President Donald Trump, tweeted that the mayor had issued a “strong” statement.Bottoms, 50, was elected mayor in 2017 and had previously served on the City Council. During a recent interview with The Associated Press before the protest, she spoke of Atlanta as a “special place where people of color are able to break traditional molds and change the landscape of who we are as a country.” Until now, her national profile among Democrats has been eclipsed by fellow Georgian Stacey Abrams, the voting-rights activist who narrowly lost her bid in 2018 to become America’s first black female governor.But Bottoms has engaged in national issues during her time in City Hall. She was among the big-city mayors to blast President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, and she ended the city jail’s contract with federal immigration enforcement.She’s leading the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ efforts on the census and housing policy.
…
Retreat or Deploy? Police Try to Balance Protest Response
On two straight nights of unruly protests against police brutality, officers retreated from their posts in some American cities, while in others, they deployed batons, flash-bang grenades and tear gas to quell the unrest.The wide range of responses exacerbated tensions with the protesters in several locations and brought global attention to the tactics that American police use during riots as they try to find a balance between keeping the peace and protecting the safety of officers and the public.The protests came in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed a knee into the 46-year-old black man’s neck for more than eight minutes on Memorial Day. Floyd was handcuffed as Officer Derek Chauvin pushed his face into the pavement amid his pleas for help. Tensions rose throughout the week and reached a crescendo Friday night as protests erupted in cities across America. On their smart phones, social media feeds and TVs, viewers saw the extremes in tactics play out all through the night Thursday and Friday, even as the majority of cops nationwide tried to keep the peace without retreating or shoving people to the ground.In Minneapolis, leaders decided to evacuate a police precinct Thursday and surrender it to protesters who set it on fire. Protesters also broke into the police headquarters Friday in Portland, Oregon, and ignited a fire. In New York, officers used batons and shoved protesters down as they took people into custody and cleared the streets. One video showed on officer slam a woman to the ground as he walked past her in the street. In Louisville, a police officer fired what appeared to be pepper balls at a news crew, and a clip of the video amassed more than 8 million views on Twitter in less than six hours. Los Angeles police arrested more than 500 protesters on Friday night.Minneapolis police and Mayor Jacob Frey have been sharply criticized for the noticeably non-confrontational strategy Thursday in handling the protests after Floyd’s death. Chauvin was arrested Friday and charged with murder.As Minneapolis Burns, Mayor Takes Heat for Response Jacob Frey’s leadership is being questioned after police failed to quell three nights of looting, rioting and fires that followed Floyd’s deathTo some, the act of protesters taking over the evacuated Minneapolis precinct amid fires could stoke further flames.”You’ve got to defend that,” said former Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Michael Downing. “That’s your command operation. Symbolically, it looks very bad if you have to give that up.”Downing would know: He witnessed the Los Angeles riots firsthand in 1992 following the acquittal of four officers accused of beating black motorist Rodney King. In Los Angeles, the center of the uprising was an intersection, Florence and Normandie avenues, and the violence spiraled into five days of riots and fires. More than 60 people died, including 10 who were fatally shot by law enforcement.In 1992, then-Lt. Downing would typically oversee that intersection, but he was on vacation studying for a promotional exam. A different lieutenant was in charge instead.The lieutenant made a decision: He ordered his officers to abandon the intersection. An hour later, a truck driver would be pulled from his vehicle and be brutally beaten by rioters.”I think that sent a signal to the rest of the city,” said Downing, who immediately rushed to work. “When you have that coupled with political leadership saying ‘show your anger, go to the streets’ it was kind of like permission to go out and misbehave and be violent.”Nearly 30 years later, police officers around the country are confronted with an eerily similar dilemma, with cities aflame, violent protests erupting and another challenging night ahead Saturday as National Guard troops start arriving in some cities.Alex Vitale, a sociology professor at Brooklyn College, said that when deciding how to manage large protests, police and political leaders look for ways to facilitate “legitimate outpourings of anger” while trying to limit the likelihood of injury and property destruction. But he said the difficulty is trying to strike that balance.”The crisis of police legitimacy has become so great that then to use the police to manage the situation just enflames the problem,” said Vitale, who has studied the policing of protests for two decades.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File Embed” />Copy Download AudioSectionUSAThumbnailFri, 05/29/2020 – 15:50Sandra D. LemaireMedia Duration00:03:23SummaryA viral video of a white police officer in the U.S. pressing his knee on the neck of a black man who died shortly after has again raised the issue of excessive force against black Americans. It’s unlikely that it would have drawn such attention without graphic video. And it’s not the only case stirring interest. VOA’s Jesusemen Oni reports.Rights RestrictedOffAmateur Videos Are Increasingly Forcing US Police AccountabilityUbiquitous cameras document abuse of minorities by police and private citizens In Minneapolis and other cities around the nation where high-profile police killings of black people have prompted protests, the rage felt by protesters is understandable, said Ed Gonzalez, sheriff of Harris County, Texas.”We keep promising real change but not delivering it on a consistent basis,” he said. “We see the resulting emotions and anger and calls for change that occur, only for it to happen again.”Edward Maguire, a criminology and criminal justice professor at Arizona State University whose research focuses primarily on policing and violence, said mass arrests are almost always a bad idea during protests. But so is not making arrests in the face of violence and property damage.He said police departments should be continuously engaged in building connections with minority communities, faith representatives and social justices leaders so that they have a degree of social capital and open communications when protests break out.In other recent protests, police found themselves in a similar situation as those on the front lines this week. Police were criticized in Baltimore and Charlottesville, Virginia, for taking too much of a hands-off approach during protests in 2015 and 2017.In Minneapolis, Frey said he made the decision to evacuate the third precinct that was later torched because of “imminent threats” to both officers and the public.”Brick and mortar is not as important as life,” Frey said.Even as law enforcement nationwide harshly condemned Chauvin’s actions in unprecedented language earlier in the week, they denounced the violence of the fiery protests and pleaded for calm. “You can’t allow anarchy just because this horrible injustice has occurred,” said Stephen Downing, Michael Downing’s father and also a retired LAPD deputy chief. “You can’t let your city burn. You just can’t.”
…
Protesters March Through Iowa Capital After Melee
Demonstrators marched through downtown Des Moines on Saturday to protest George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis the afternoon after a peaceful rally turned into a melee in which participants threw bricks at police cars.Live video from WHO-TV showed dozens of people marching in Iowa’s capital chanting slogans such as, “I Can’t Breathe” and “No Justice, No Peace.” The crowd then knelt on a bridge, briefly blocking traffic. Floyd’s death in Minneapolis sparked looting there and protests across the United States. Floyd, who’d been handcuffed, died after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air. Chauvin now faces murder and manslaughter charges.The Des Moines protesters called for the arrests of three other officers involved in detaining Floyd. Organizers of the rally Friday said its participants dispersed in the evening after an hour, but “a small group” remained and began damaging property, The Des Moines Register reported. When protesters threw bricks, police officers in riot gear pushed against them, and at least one officer sprayed chemical irritants into the crowd.Community activists and religious leaders were planning a Sunday candlelight vigil and a Monday evening rally at the Iowa Capitol.
…
Agencies Step Up Aid to Camp Fire Victims in Eastern Nigeria’s Borno State
U.N. and private aid agencies are scaling up assistance to thousands of people who have lost everything in a fire that engulfed their camp in Maiduguri, the capital of eastern Nigeria’s Borno state a week ago.What was meant to be a festive occasion celebrating the end of Ramadan turned into a nightmare. On the eve of the Muslim festival of Eid-al-Fitr, sparks from a cooking fireplace started a fire that spread throughout a camp housing 40,000 people who had fled Boko Haram violence. Two people died in the blaze.The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees reports nearly 4,000 people, most of them women, lost all their goods. UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo says the fire in this makeshift settlement has destroyed their shelters, razed houses to the ground and damaged other facilities.“UNHCR is working with authorities, aid agencies and local partners to make sure that those affected receive shelter and other relief items as people once again are being displaced outside and also inside the camp now,” said Mantoo. “Many, including young children, are living under the open, basically living out in into the open and without protection and also needing immediate help — shelter, food and clothing.” Nearly 300,000 people displaced by Boko Haram violence are living in organized and makeshift sites in and around Maiduguri. Mantoo says the current tragedy is only the latest in a spate of fires that have broken out throughout the region in recent months.She says camps across northeast Nigeria are congested and shelters are too close together for safety.“With violence on the rise, the threat of COVID-19 also brings in new threats for internally displaced people living in overcrowded camps and settlements where physical distancing is impossible,” said Mantoo. “In response, UNHCR is working with U.N. Development Program to expand several camps and build additional shelters.” Since the Boko Haram insurgency started in 2009, tens of thousands of people have been killed and 2.5 million have been displaced across the Lake Chad region. This number includes 1.8 million inside Nigeria and the rest in Cameroon and Chad.Despite numerous setbacks, Boko Haram remains a potent and dangerous force. The militant group has spawned other armed groups in the region, increasing violence. Aid agencies report thousands are fleeing for their lives every day. Those bearing the brunt of this ongoing conflict, they say, are young girls, old women and aid workers.
…