Protest

A Russian court on Thursday placed former state TV journalist Marina Ovsyannikova —who garnered global attention when she denounced President Vladimir Putin 's war on Ukraine during an on-air broadcast—under house arrest for two months pending a trial. In March, Ovsyannikova protested the invasion of Ukraine by storming the set of a live news program on Channel One, a Russian state-owned station where she was working as an editor. Along with yelling over the anchor attempting to read the news, Ovsyannikova held up a sign that contained written messages such as "Stop the war" and "They are lying to you here." Ovsyannikova has continued her denunciations of the war since the incident, including during a mid-July demonstration she put on near the Kremlin. During that protest, she held an anti-Putin poster and placed dolls on the ground that were meant to symbolize dead children. Her house arrest, first reported by Interfax, is punishment for the July protest and followed her … [Read more...] about Journalist who protested Putin’s war on live TV placed under house arrest

A Russian state TV journalist who denounced Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine live on air has been placed under house arrest by a Russian court. On Wednesday, investigators detained Marina Ovsyannikova , 44, and charged her with spreading information about the Russian armed forces deemed false by the government. The mother-of-two faces up to 10 years in prison, if convicted. In March, Ms Ovsyannikova, then an editor at Channel One television, made global headlines when she barged onto the set of its flagship Vremya (Time) evening news, holding a poster reading "No War" . The house arrest is not connected to that particular protest, however. It is linked to a one-woman protest in mid-July near the Kremlin, when Ms Ovsyannikova held a poster that read "Putin is a murderer, his soldiers are fascists". 'Even most brutal Soviet killer not guarded so closely' Three "blood-soaked" toy dolls were laid on the ground in front of her. At Moscow's Basmanny district court on … [Read more...] about Russian journalist who protested Putin’s war live on TV placed under house arrest

A determined pensioner who staged a sit-in protest over plans to put a 30ft broadband pole outside her home has been handed a police caution. Dot Bolton, 75, blocked contractors from installing the pole on the pavement in front of her bungalow in Ramsgate Close, Sutton on Hull. She placed a deckchair over the position intended for the mast and stood firm, using an umbrella to seek shade in the extreme heat while defying warnings from police that her actions were illegal. Dot, a grandmother, told how she ‘just had enough’ when the contractors arrived. ‘If you asked me last week if I’d be doing a sit-in protest, I would’ve said no way! ‘I have never protested before in my life, I’m usually the one that stands back.’ But she won her three-hour battle after the contractors, SCD, agreed to move the position of the pole to a grass verge closer to the road. Dot says she has ‘no regrets’ after accepting the caution for obstructing a public highway to prevent the … [Read more...] about Pensioner stages sit-in protest over ‘ugly’ 30ft broadband pole outside her home

Published 1 April 2019 Share close Share page Copy link About sharing In our series of letters from African journalists, Zeinab Mohammed Salih considers why female protesters are angry with their male counterparts. The anti-government protests in Sudan are unwavering despite a state of emergency imposed in February. This is largely thanks to the efforts of the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), which has been organising the demonstrations against President Omar al-Bashir's nearly 30-year rule. The body represents health workers, lawyers and teachers, amongst others - though some would argue, not women - even though it is estimated that more than 70% of the protesters who have been out on the streets since December are female. The SPA got itself into hot water when it suggested that instead of a day of scheduled protests on Saturday 9 March, people come out instead to clean the … [Read more...] about Letter from Africa: ‘We’re not cleaners’ – sexism amid Sudan protests

A Russian journalist who made world headlines when she protested against the war in Ukraine on live television has been placed under house arrest for two months. Marina Ovsyannikova interrupted a bulletin telling viewers not to believe state propaganda and shouted ‘stop the war’ on a station watched by millions in March. She has continued to speak out against the invasion despite the threat of draconian prison sentences and fines. After a raid on her home, she was hauled in front of a judge this morning who warned her she faces up to 10 years in prison and must stay at home under police guard pending an investigation. The new charge relates to a street protest during which she held up a sign near the Kremlin to protest over the deaths of children in Ukraine. Ms Ovsyannikova was pictured with bloodied toy dolls at her feet and holding a placard reading ‘Putin is a killer, his soldiers are fascists’. Undeterred, she continued to rage against the onslaught in … [Read more...] about Russian protester who stormed live TV broadcast arrested by Putin’s goons again

A Russian journalist who protested Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine during a prime-time news show has been detained, social media posts show. Ukrainian-born Marina Ovsyannikova became the face of dissidence in Russia when she hijacked a live TV broadcast, shouting anti-war slogans. Her banner read: ‘No war. Stop the war. Don’t believe propaganda. They are lying to you here.’ The mum-of-two also filmed herself blasting the invasion as ‘a crime’ and was arrested and interrogated for 14 hours . Russian police detained Ms Ovsyannikova for a second time on Sunday after she demonstrated alone near the Kremlin. ‘Marina has been detained,’ a post on her Telegram channel said, beneath images of two police officers leading her towards a white van. ‘Went for a walk with the dogs, just stepped outside the gate, people in uniform approached me,’ the 44-year-old wrote. ‘Now I’m sitting in Krasnoselsky ministry of internal affairs,’ she added, referring to a police … [Read more...] about Russian journalist who protested Ukraine war on TV arrested again

A defiant Russian journalist held up a hand-written sign in court on Thursday to continue her protests about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Marina Ovsyannikova, who was fired from her job at Russian state television earlier this year for protesting against the war, was placed under house arrest in the Moscow court pending an investigation and potential trial on charges of spreading false information about Russia's armed forces. She was charged over a street protest last month, when she held up a banner that said, “Putin is a killer, his soldiers are fascists. 352 children have been killed (in Ukraine). How many more children should die for you to stop?” If convicted, Ovsyannikova faces up to 10 years in prison under a new law that penalizes statements against the military. The law was enacted shortly after Russian troops moved into Ukraine. In the courtroom on Thursday, Ovsyannikova held up a poster saying “Let the dead children haunt you in your dreams." … [Read more...] about ‘May the dead children haunt you’: Defiant Russian journalist in court

This legislation was approved with little scrutiny, all to boost the ego of one of Britain’s worst prime ministers Never let it be said that Parliament cannot get things done when it wants to. In the three years since the referendum, MPs have not only rejected Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement but have failed to produce a majority for every other conceivable plan to exit the European Union. Those who never wanted Brexit in the first place say that it will cost the country billions. Britain is too small and insignificant to stand alone, they say. Nobody voted to be poorer, they say. Contrast this parliamentary rigor mortis with the passage of the Climate Change Act 2008 (2050 Target Amendment) Order which was nodded through on Monday evening, just twelve days after being first laid before the House of Commons. Unanimously approved after a self-congratulatory, back-slapping debate that lasted 90 minutes, it is now on its way to the House of Lords for a second round of … [Read more...] about These green targets waved through by MPs will make the cost of no deal look like small change

Tommy Lee has inadvertently started a debate about Instagram 's censorship rules after he posted a picture of his penis on his account—which remained on the site for more than four hours. In the early hours of Thursday morning, Mötley Crüe drummer Lee posted a full body shot of himself which included his genitals, and the rocker quickly became a trending topic across social media. While many expressed shock at the picture, others were quick to point out that female bodies are often removed by Instagram, with many sharing their own experiences of censorship. At the time of writing, Lee's Instagram post was still live, alongside the caption "Ooooopppsss." Lee also posted two other pictures around the same time that alluded to phallic themes. Thousands of people, including Lee's wife Brittany Furlan, commented on the image. "OH MY GOD," Lee's wife wrote, while internet celebrity Daniel Mac joked: "How long will this stay up." While the image itself became a talking point, Lee's … [Read more...] about Users claim Instagram is fine with nude Tommy Lee pic, but censors female bodies

A Chinese court rejected an appeal Wednesday from a woman seeking an apology and damages in a landmark case from the country's short-lived #MeToo movement. The court in Beijing ruled after a closed-door hearing that evidence submitted by Zhou Xiaoxuan was insufficient to prove sexual harassment, upholding the initial judgment last September. Zhou, a former intern at state broadcaster China Central Television, had accused CCTV host Zhu Jun of groping and forcibly kissing her in 2014. She reported the case to police in 2014 and went public about it in 2018, when other women began speaking out. After flourishing briefly, the #MeToo movement was largely shut down. Activists found their online posts censored and faced pressure from authorities when trying to hold protests. Police cordoned off the sidewalk outside the court building on Wednesday, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. Reporters from foreign media outlets including AFP were dragged away by police while filming the scene. … [Read more...] about Woman’s appeal rejected in landmark #MeToo case in China: “I worry that other victims fear standing up for their rights”