Free China - Free Tibet
View allAll Photos Tagged crackdown
My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
Western Green Lizard (Lacerta Bilineata) | Male In "Wedding Suit" During Mating Season In Spring | Monteggio (CH) | May 2021
More TICINO/TESSIN Wildlife Photos (all taken in my garden in Monteggio/Ti, Switzerland): it.lacerta-bilineata.com/ramarro-occidentale-lacerta-bili... (the website exists in ESPAÑOL, FRANÇAIS, ITALIANO, ENGLISH, DEUTSCH)
My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning, it's a bit shocking): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI
ABOUT THIS PHOTO:
When male western green lizards are in love, their face turns blue. This doesen't happen instantly (they can't change color at will like chameleons); the lizards need to shed their old, slightly less colorful (but also very pretty) skin first, and once that is accomplished, they appear in the beautiful "wedding suit" you can see in this photo.
With this look they try to impress the lady lizards during mating season, which lasts approximately from April to June, but the colors are the most striking in the immediate aftermath of the lizards losing their "old coat". I was very lucky to capture this gorgeous male at this very moment; in fact, you can still see parts of the old, dark skin covering the top of its head and other parts of the body where it hadn't quite come off yet.
But I was lucky in more than one sense with this photo. Let me explain (I have an idea some photographer or other here on Flickr will be able to sympathize with the anecdote that follows ;-). This year in May when I hoped to photograph the green lizards around my vacation home with my newly purchased camera, I soon realized something was different from the years before, because I couldn't find a single one of my green friends in their usual spots in my garden.
As I would learn over the next few days, the entire western green lizard population had relocated from my garden into a huge fly honeysuckle shrub just outside my garden next to an empty horse pasture where they were relatively safe from the growing number of cats in our village that had specialized in lizard hunting. Up in that shrub, not only was it hard for ground predators to get at them, but the lizards also had an excellent 360° view of their surroundings.
Western green lizards are naturally very shy, but this apparently traumatized group now had become hyper-alert to anything approaching them, and they immediately fled into the thickest of the leaves whenever I tried to get near enough for a usable photo. Now, I'm not one to give up easily (and I really, REALLY wanted to get those photos), so I tried every sneaky-stealth-approach technique I could think of (even crawling on all fours - which in hindsight was a terrible idea since all it did was making me look like the world's biggest and ugliest cat to the lizards) - but to no avail.
Completely exasperated, I came up with a new strategy. I would keep that fly honeysuckle shrub under constant observation; like an FBI agent preparing for a crackdown on a suspected Mafia hideout, I was there, watching and waiting, hour after hour, all day long. It took me another several days until I had finally figured out at what times of the day the males usually left the fly honeysuckle shrub; I wanted to know their "schedule" so I could be there before them and blend in with the environment, ready to photograph them as soon as they would show up on the ground.
And all my meticulous, hard work seemed to pay off: the first day I took this appraoch a gorgeous male showed up just where I expected it to (although Mr Lizard had me waiting for alomst two hours!). Alas, I hadn't considered where the sun would be and had installed myself in such a stupid angle that the lizard was backlit; in all the photos the little devil appeared only as a mostly black silhouette against the bright morning sun. I cursed my stupidity, tore out my hair and was close to throwing my expensive new camera against a wall in anger and frustration. Then I remembered the cold beer in the fridge and realized that life was still worth living, and I promised myself to do better next time.
The next day I was smart enough to make camp in a spot form where the object of my photographic desire would be perfectly lit (from the lizard's perspective, now I would be the black silhouette against the sun ;-). I waited. And I waited some more. And it was hot and getting hotter by the minute. After nearly 3 hours during which my neighbors started to give me very funny looks (in fact, they had already decided the day before that I must be crazy, what with standing motionless in front of a bush for several hours in the burning sun), around noon, I'd had enough. And that's when I heard something moving in the grass.
And there he was: barely visible through the thick green carpet, but definitely coming towards me. A few seconds later a virtual lizard king appeared, in all his gorgeous green and blue glory, and perfectly lit - and that's when I heard loud, happy voices approaching. Two young boys came running - and the lizard stopped dead in its tracks (unfortunately, it was still a bit too far away for a good photo). I'm not religious, but I started a quick prayer then and there (please God, please: let these kids not be running towards me - PLEASE!!!).
But nope, God apparently remembered that I usually refer to myself as agnostic, and surely enough the two boys ran right to where I was - and where Mr Lizard now wasn't. All that yelling and running was too much for my lizard king: goodbye and "auf Wiedersehen"; see ya next year - and off he went. And that was that. I couldn't believe it; I felt a frustration so intense wash over me I regretted ever having picked up a camera.
As for the kids, don't worry: both boys are alive and well ;-) It was the first day of their Pentecost holiday, and they had just arrived in the village. I was standing next to the empty horse pasture, and the two little boys now innocently asked me where the horsies went (they had obviously been looking forward to seeing them and now were very disappointed). I took a deep breath and muttered that I had no idea.
I don't know how other photographers would have felt in that situation, but I only wanted to be left alone (and possibly tear out what was left of my hair and reconsider that wall and what nice noise it would make upon collision with my camera ;-). Needless to say, the kids had other plans. Now that it was clear that there were no horsies, I had become the main attraction, and they weren't going anywhere. So I swallowed my anger, accepted that - obviously - the kids didn't do anything wrong (and also that I would probably never ever be able to get that desired shot with my new camera).
The boys were eager to know what I was photographing, and so I told them everything about western green lizards, about their amazing colors and how rare and shy they were, and that they were among the largest lizards in Europe and a protected species - and my two new friends became instantly fascinated. Now they wanted to wait and see this magical creature with their own eyes. I assured them there was no chance the lizard would come back after all the noise "we" had made, and just as I said this, one of the boys yelled "I see it!"
And sure enough, he was right. Apparently my lizard king had decided that a little yelling and running wasn't gonna get between him and his favorite sun-basking spot, a little heap of cut, dry grass underneath the fence of the horse pasture. I told the kids to be very still - which they were - and then we all got to see how this beautiful creature emerged from the grass, very, very slowly and carefully, and positioned itself on the heap of dry grass in such a way that it got the perfect amount of sunlight.
So in the end I got my portrait shot - and quite a few more in the weeks that followed (which you can find on my website www.lacerta-bilineata.com ). During the remainder of their holiday the two kids would run into me every now and then, and every time they excitedly talked about this fantastic, blue-headed reptile they had seen with me that day. I guess only time will tell, but I hope this encounter has sparked an interest in nature in them (I have a feeling the next time they spend their holiday in our little village, the horsies will have some reptilian competition ;-)
Une exposition à Paris met en lumière la répression de la junte au Myanmar
Des artistes birmans envoient un message à la communauté internationale et à la France pour briser l’indifférence face aux violations .
Exhibition in Paris highlights junta crackdown in Myanmar
Burmese artists send a message to the international community and to France to break the indifference to violations.
Painting inspired by bravery demonstrated of those who faced their deaths in recent protests in the south of Iran. The province of Khuzestan, once prosperous and progressive, suffers chronic neglect and mismanagement of resources, in particular water resources. The helpless unemployed, frustrated youth, angry and unarmed people have been on the streets for days facing bloody crackdown with many shot dead, wounded and incarcerated.
Une exposition à Paris met en lumière la répression de la junte au Myanmar
Des artistes birmans envoient un message à la communauté internationale et à la France pour briser l’indifférence face aux violations .
Exhibition in Paris highlights junta crackdown in Myanmar
Burmese artists send a message to the international community and to France to break the indifference to violations.
Shiten'nou Mon (四天王門) of Yakuou'in is a Buddhist style gate. It is combined with Tengu statues.
Buddhism and Shintou had enjoyed royal patronage until 19th century. After the Meiji restoration in late 19th century, the situation changed drastically.
The new government suppressed Buddhism saying it is a foreign religion. It is called Haibutsu Kishaku (排仏毀釈). The movement was led by ultra-nationalists who fanatically sought a genuine form of Shintou. Shugendou was also a target of crackdown due to its syncretism with Buddhism.
It may be compared with Wahhabism in the Arab world in that both are reactions against the increasing western influence.
Buddhism and Shintoism were observed as one single religion during the Edo period. They were forcefully separated into two. 80% of Japanese population observe Buddhism, while 80% observe Shintoism. This statistical contradiction clearly indicates that the two were one religion.
Shugendou has barely survived but does not have the influence as it had in the past. The same goes for Buddhism.
Once glorified Shintou was deprived of political influence by the General Headquarters of Allied Forces (GHQ), which governed Japan for seven years after WW II, which ordered the separation of religion from the government.
The above-mentioned history combined with the Christian prosecution in 17th century, Japan is now a very secular country.
Une exposition à Paris met en lumière la répression de la junte au Myanmar
Des artistes birmans envoient un message à la communauté internationale et à la France pour briser l’indifférence face aux violations .
Exhibition in Paris highlights junta crackdown in Myanmar
Burmese artists send a message to the international community and to France to break the indifference to violations.
Une exposition à Paris met en lumière la répression de la junte au Myanmar
Des artistes birmans envoient un message à la communauté internationale et à la France pour briser l’indifférence face aux violations .
Exhibition in Paris highlights junta crackdown in Myanmar
Burmese artists send a message to the international community and to France to break the indifference to violations.
スカートの中をのぞくのはいけません( ･᷄ὢ･᷅ )
サイバーパンクかっこいい✨
A.W.A. Prosthetic Hands
Bauhaus Movement - Amaya Dress@NEO-JAPAN
cinphul // diode [hair accessories]
{Livalle} Greeble -Cyber Platform Wedges- Noir
.:[OF]:. - Jetpack Cyan
[The Forge] Vyper Katana@NEO-JAPAN
Una&Mushilu. Moon CiberPunk Accesories@NEO-JAPAN
Location：Cocoon
A close up of part of the rather austere revolutionary monument is located in Tiananmen Square, in front of the the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. It commemorates the worker's revolution in China. Personally I found it to be rather surreal and creepy, especially given the infamous Tiananmen Square crackdown and massacre. The see more of the statue, see below.
Is an immigration detention facility erected at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport inside Big Cypress National Preserve in Ochopee, Florida, United States.
The facility, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" due to its location in the swamps of the Everglades in southern Florida, has come under fire by both environmentalists and critics of US President Donald Trump's crackdown on imigration, who consider the facility to be inhumane.
While a precise UK-wide figure isn't available, police seized over 120,000 vehicles for no insurance in 2023 according to the Motor Insurers' Bureau.
How it works:
ANPR cameras:
Police use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to scan vehicle licence plates.
MID check:
The system checks the scanned number plate against the Motor Insurance Database (MID) to see if the vehicle is insured.
Roadside action:
If a vehicle appears uninsured, officers can stop the driver and seize the vehicle at the roadside.
Consequences for uninsured drivers:
Vehicle seizure: The vehicle can be impounded by police.
Fixed penalty notice: A £300 fine may be issued.
Points on license: Six points can be added to the driver's licence.
Court appearance: Drivers may face a court appearance.
Unlimited fine: A court can impose an unlimited fine.
Driving ban: A ban from driving can be imposed.
Wellington, Somerset, UK.
"Land of the free and home of the brave".
In 2025, under President Donald Trump's second presidency, federal government forces, primarily National Guard troops, were deployed to select US cities. Trump has given multiple explanations for the deployments, saying they are officially part of crackdowns on protests, crime, homelessness, and undocumented immigration.
Los Angeles, California.
Washington, DC.
Memphis, Tennessee.
Chicago, Illinois.
Portland, Oregon.
President Trump has mentioned expanding to other cities, including New York City; New Orleans, Louisiana; Baltimore, Maryland; and Oakland, California,
--------------------
The American National Guard, a reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces, had approximately 430,000 personnel (2023 fiscal year).
© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved
Candid street and social documentary photography from Glasgow, Scotland.
There has been a massive rise in begging on the streets of Glasgow over the past few years. While there are many genuinely homeless people there is also a gang culture at work too. You can see an organised gang of beggars arrive together, get organised by a 'leader' and they employ the same tactics together. For a while they were all badly strumming cheap guitars, more recently it involves a hat, or cap, and sitting with hands held together as if in prayer.
While I don't dispute the desperate need of these people as individuals, there really needs to be a crackdown on the ringleaders of this organised begging. These people are, most likely in my opinion, held to ransom over how much money they can collect. They get desperate and approach people pleading for cash. A similar face sat at almost every corner or waste bin, it is a sad situation that needs to be addressed.
Thank you all for your support and for sharing your thoughts on my images. Every comment and favourite is greatly appreciated.
Young men relax smoking a hookah or shisha (Arabic: شيشة) in a cafe(Arabic: مقهى) in Aswan, Nile.
Egypt attempts crackdown on shisha - Coke and smoke
my.nowpublic.com/culture/egypt-attempts-crackdown-shisha-...
all rights preserved!
BuNiKa participated in RED SUNDAY : LIVE ART at Democracy Monument
August 1st , 2010
This is part of Art for The Dead, remembering people who died during military crackdown in Bangkok on April 10 and May 19, 2010 in which more than 90 civilians dead (so far) and up to 2.000 wounded. This particular event took place at Democracy Monument on August 1st, 2010. It's also called Red Sunday. Viewers became participants and part of performance.
more photographs of Art at the Monument series
Art at the Monument (1) (March - April 2010)
and
Art at the Monument (2) (August 1st, 2010)
The rather austere revolutionary monument is located in Tiananmen Square, in front of the the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. It commemorates the worker's revolution in China. Personally I found it to be rather surreal and creepy, especially given the infamous Tiananmen Square crackdown and massacre.
“World Health Assembly adopts historic Pandemic Agreement to make the world more equitable and safer from future pandemics”
www.who.int/news/item/20-05-2025-world-health-assembly-ad...
“Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) today formally adopted by consensus the world’s first Pandemic Agreement.”
“The adoption followed yesterday’s approval of the Agreement by vote (124 in favour, 0 objections, 11 abstentions) in Committee by Member State delegations.”
“The WHO Pandemic Agreement is the second international legal agreement negotiated under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution, the first being the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which was adopted in 2003 and entered into force in 2005.”
I remember when they started pushing this anti-smoking stuff. They started telling people where they could and could not smoke. A smoker at work thought that I was happy about the smoking crackdown because I was a non-smoker. I told her that I was not happy about it. My reply: if they can attack the freedom of a large portion of the population now, then, in the future, they will attack more important freedoms. At the time, I didn’t know that the smoking regulations were due to a United Nations agreement. Moreover, the UN Paris Accord has been causing massive destruction to our economy in Canada!
The Book of Revelation: a world governmental system, an antichrist.
Psalm 31:20 “You hide them in the protection of Your presence; You conceal them in a shelter from the schemes of men, from quarrelsome tongues.”
A polar coordinates development of a dark grey morning shot. Sometimes, in the middle of winter, things feel that way. But the sun will rise and the colour will come back to the world. Surprisingly, reports are showing travel to the USA from Australia has increased from this time last year, in comparison to the rest of the world, especially Canada. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-27/australians-travel-to-amer.... The article makes some interesting points - "I don't like what Trump stands for, but it's not the American people's fault," she said." - To me that comment sounds rather naïve given the people voted for Trump so presumably many approve of the crackdown on freedoms and privacy under the current regime. However, many Australians have prebooked tours many months ago and deserve to enjoy their visit.
This is a Moor with a bit of history , that is because this is Culloden Moor .
Also in the shot by the trees is Leanach Cottage ( for more info please see this closer view of the Cottage ).-----
www.flickr.com/photos/149636765@N04/37162294396/in/dateta...
The Battle of Culloden took place on Culloden Moor, (a short drive outside Inverness), on 16 April 1746. It was the final battle of the 1745 Jacobite Rising and the last Battle to be held on British soil.
The Battle on Culloden Moor, was both quick and bloody, it started with an unsuccessful Jacobite Highland charge across flat boggy ground, totally unsuitable for this previously highly effective maneuver. The Jacobites troops were soon routed and driven from the field, the battle only lasting about an hour.
The Battle of Culloden saw some 1,500 Jacobites killed or wounded, while government losses were lighter with 50 dead and 259 wounded.
Lord George Murray the brilliant Jacobite military commander, unfortunately for the Jacobites - was not in charge of the Battle of Culloden, as "Bonnie Prince Charlie" the Jacobite campaign commander had fallen out with him. The battle ground chosen by the Prince and his advisers was totally unsuitabe for the Highland Jacobite army, leading to the first and only defeat of the Jacobite forces.
The Annual Battle of Culloden Remberance Service. Each year the Gaelic Society of Inverness holds a service of remberance on the Saturday nearest the 16th April, the date of the Battle of Culloden.
Here are some You Tube Videos to allow you to sample the importance of the annual remberance service and why Culloden marked a massive change in Highland Culture.
The aftermath of the Battle of Culloden.
The Battle of Culloden is often portrayed as being decisive, it was only decisive as far as 'Bonnie Prince Charlie', their leader decided to give up and abandon his highlanders returning to France. Lord George Murray, the Jacobite military commander's view after the battle, was that the Jacobites would win the next battle as he would have the complete Jacobite army in the field, (only two thirds of the army was at Culloden, as the others had been given home leave to see their families) and he would be in charge. This never came about on account ofthe Bonnie Prince Charlie's decision to quit. (Lord George Murray was a brilliant military commander never losing any battle he was in charge of, here in Britain and later when he was employed by the Dutch army to command them.)
The destruction of the Highlands.
The aftermath of the Battle of Cullodon and subsequent crackdown on the Highlands and all things to do with the Clan system and the Highland way of life, was brutal in the extreme, with atrocity after atrocity being committed by the government forces. The Duke of Cumberland, the government commander earned the name "Butcher Cumberland" on account of the wanton destruction on the Highlands by his forces.
Efforts were subsequently taken by the British government in Westminister to further integrate Scotland into the Kingdom of Britain; civil penalties were introduced to weaken Gaelic culture and destroy the Highland clan system. culloden-battlefield3.jpgThe decades after Culloden, saw mass migration of Highlanders to the new world in the American colonies, hoping to find a better life.
The Jacobites.
The Jacobites were mainly Highlanders, led by Charles Edward Stuart, "Bonnie Prince Charlie", the grandson of the exiled King James VII of Scotland and II of England. The objective being to restore the King to the British throne. Prince Charles Edward Stuart never mounted any further attempts to challenge Hanoverian power in Britain after the Battle of Culloden.
The Jacobite army consisted largely of Highlanders, plus a number of Lowland Scots, a small detachment of Englishmen from the Manchester Regiment, French and Irish units loyal to France.
Government Forces.
The government army was commanded by Charles Edward Stuart's cousin, William Augustus Duke of Cumberland, a younger son of George II, loyal to the British throne and House of Hanover.
The government force was mostly English, plus a significant number of Scottish Lowlanders and Highlanders, a battalion of Ulster men from Ireland, and a small number of Hessians from Germany and Austrians.
The shot here was taken from the visitor centre looking over the site of the Battlefield , a row of red flags across the area denote the positions of various regiments and their commander . Further back and not to visible in the shot is a row of blue flags denoting the positions of the various clans all at the start of the battle . Many of those that fell are buried near the cairn just off centre right denoted by their clans . The cairn is a memorial erected in 1881 , this area I think is treated as a War Grave Site .
IAIS #153 doubles up its train for the CSX as they pull across Vermont Street for headroom. To the left of the train is the 1868 Rock Island depot and the 1953(?) interlocking tower.
毋忘六四
A sea of candles lit up HK Victoria Park as a record number of mourners gave public voice to their grief at China's only large-scale event commemorating those killed in the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
D700 + afs50mmf1.4G
Київ - столиця України - Майдан. За 6 годин до кривавого розгіну студентів о 4:00 ранку 30 Листопада 2013. Ця подія поклала початок військової інтервенції Росії в Україну
Eng:
Kyiv (Kiev) - capital of Ukraine - Central Square (Maidan). 6 hours before bloody crackdown of students at 4:00am Nov 30 2013. These event marked the beginning of the military intervention of Russia in Ukraine
Esp:
Kiev - capital de Ucrania - Plaza Central (Maidan). 6 horas antes de la sangrienta represión de los estudiantes a las 4:00am 30 de Noviembre de 2013. Estos acontecimiento marcó el comienzo de la intervención militar de Rusia en Ucrania
De:
Kiew - Hauptstadt der Ukraine - Central Square (Maidan). 6 Stunden vor der blutigen Niederschlagung der Studenten um 4:00 Uhr 30 November 2013. Diese Veranstaltung markiert den Beginn der militärischen Intervention Russlands in der Ukraine
Fr:
Kiev - capitale de l'Ukraine - Central Square (Maidan). 6 heures avant la répression sanglante des étudiants à 04:00 le 30 novembre 2013. Ces événement a marqué le début de l'intervention militaire de la Russie en Ukraine
Dutch:
Kyiv (Kiev) - hoofdstad van Oekraïne - Central Square (Maidan). 6 uur voor het bloedige neerslaan van studenten op 04:00 30 november 2013. Deze gebeurtenis markeerde het begin van de militaire interventie van Rusland in Oekraïne
This stylised portrait in fragments is the second of my little tributes today. One of the seminal books of the past 30 years was written by a Polish sociologist, exiled from his home country during the Communist crackdown in 1968. Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017) was a strong advocate for true people's democracy and he was never afraid to speak the truth to power. His subjects ranged on the changing nature of morality in a postmodern society, the brokenness of so many people and their cultures left in the wake of the so-called economic success of globalisation, the rise of anti-Semitism and violence, and how we should deal with strangers.
In his book "Life in Fragments" (1995) he wanted to explore ways individuals fragmented by the changing pace of life and the sheer "liquidity" of the postmodern situation could come together and form real social bonds beyond the traditional structures of the nation state or religious and racial identity. Bauman is the sort of writer you'll never sum up in neat quotes. Once you read him you have to engage in his whole argument. But I will leave you with one thought-provoking comment that is particularly apposite during this time of rolling lock downs:
"It is because of our loneliness that we open up to the Other and allow the Other to open up to us. It is because of our loneliness (which is only belied, not overcome, by the hubbub of the being-with) that we turn into moral selves. And it is only through allowing the togetherness its possibilities which only the future can disclose that we stand a chance of acting morally, and sometimes even of being good, in the present." (p. 71.
One of the final interviews with sociologist Zygmunt Bauman "Social Media are a Trap":
english.elpais.com/elpais/2016/01/19/inenglish/1453208692...
"Gone are the birds that were our summer guests." said Longfellow.
True here at Float Club, too--where the heat of the afternoon sun saw my neighbors consistently falling off the dock in their floaty toys, and drifting back westward, to that never-ending party down at the far end of the dock.
It was a daily occurance--though I'm not sure if they're actually neighbors, perhaps just perennial guests at that party-that-never-stops down at the Wild West End.
But September put me into some different places, and now the rains have begun, the temperatures have dropped, there are evening fires in the woodstove, and I'm wearing my longsleeve shirts. And the drifting neighbors no longer paddle past the houseboat. I haven't checked, but I expect the swallows will leave soon, too--if they haven't flown south already.
I did join them for a trip or two, in fact. My "floaty toy" is an old windsurf board (some promotional "Bic" vinyl piece of strangeness). I've never managed to actually go sailing on the thing, but it makes a good paddle board, and is a good workout for the arms and shoulders, particularly when trying to paddle upriver against the current.
But these neighborhood pards always went downhill--drinks in hand, happily bobbing with the flow, back to their home perch. There's a big crackdown on "drinking boaters", but I never did see the Sheriff intrude on their parade--I can't quite picture the River Patrol impounding an innertube anyway. September Song
This is my Fave( but not the truth behind it....)
....Subsequent waves of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled Burma and many refugees inundated neighbouring Bangladesh including 250,000 in 1978 as a result of the King Dragon operation in Arakan. In 1991, following a crackdown on Rohingyas, 250,000 refugees took shelter in the Cox's Bazar district of neighbouring Bangladesh. Some were later repatriated back to the nation that denied them citizenship. Some are still in exile, living in Bangladesh,Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. As of 2005, the UNHCR had been assisting with the repatriation of Rohingya from Bangladesh, but allegations of human rights abuses in the refugee camps have threatened this effort.
Despite earlier efforts by the UN, the vast majority of Rohingya refugees have remained in Bangladesh, unable to return because of the regime in Burma. Now they face problems in Bangladesh where they do not receive support from the government. In February 2009, many Rohingya refugees were helped by Acehnese sailors in the Strait of Malacca, after 21 days at sea.
Over the years thousands of Rohingya also have fled to Thailand and many of them live in Thai camps near the Myanmar border. There are roughly 111,000 refugees housed in 9 camps along the Thai-Myanmar border. There have been charges that groups of them have been shipped and towed out to open sea from Thailand, and left there. In February 2009 there was evidence of the Thai army towing a boatload of 190 Rohingya refugees out to sea. A group of refugees rescued by Indonesian authorities also in February 2009 told harrowing stories of being captured, beaten and abandoned at open sea by the Thai military. By the end of February there were reports that of a group of 5 boats towed out to open sea, 4 boats sank in a storm, 1 boat washed up on the Thai shore. February 12th 2009 Thailand's prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said there were "some instances" in which Rohingya people were pushed out to sea....
Atlanta, Georgia -8 March 2011
The United States Marshals Service in conjunction with the Atlanta Police Department other local law and federal enforcement, conducted a three day anti-gang crackdown called "Operation Zero Deep." Approximately 30 targeted arrested were made and the operation resulted several guns and significant amounts of drugs taken off the streets.
Atlanta, Georgia -8 March 2011
The United States Marshals Service in conjunction with the Atlanta Police Department other local law and federal enforcement, conducted a three day anti-gang crackdown called "Operation Zero Deep." Approximately 30 targeted arrested were made and the operation resulted several guns and significant amounts of drugs taken off the streets.
The Greek daily Nea newspaper reported that the government was in the process of setting up internment camps for illegal immigrants throughout the country. Eleven disused army bases have been chosen in order to house those found without legal residency documents.
Stung by their losses in the recent European elections the ruling conservative New Democracy party has taken a sharp turn to the right in order to win back dissatisfied voters who’s defected to the far right LAOS party in last week’s elections.
In addition the police have made hundreds of arrests of suspected illegal immigrants in the centre of Athens in an action which has been interpreted as a “get tough” message by the government of Kostas Karamanlis to the party’s base following months of falling opinion poll results brought on by a series of corruption scandals and unhappiness with Athens’s handling of Greece’s deepening recession.
However, many opposition groups are doubtful whether the proposed measures will be anything other than a publicity exercise. Despite recent crackdowns the government has failed to formulate a coherent policy concerning the integration of the country’s 1 million foreign born inhabitants.
Nothing more reflects Greece’s sometimes schizophrenic attitude to immigration than the plight of those in the port city of Patra, one of the country’s gateway’s to Europe. Everyday hundreds of refugees from Afghanistan and other east Asian countries attempt to smuggle themselves aboard trucks headed for Italy. Most have no legal documents and given the fact that less than 1% who apply for asylum are granted it very little chance of ever obtaining legal travel documents.
Desperate to leave Greece, the state has made it virtually impossible for them to travel, resulting in hundreds of thousands stuck in a bureaucratic limbo in which they are constantly at risk of arrest and deportation by the police. Even those who do escape face the risk of being sent back to Greece under the terms of the EU’s Dublin II regulations which states that immigrants have to apply for asylum in the first European Union country they reach. However, countries such as Holland, Finland and Norway have suspended such agreements citing lapses and abuses of the asylum laws in Greece, especially concerning minors.
Growing concerns over immigration have been exploited by Greece’s far right parties and organisations in order to raise their public profile and gain political leverage in parliament. Giorgos Karatzaferis, leader of the nationalist LAOS party used the recent elections to promote his party’s anti - immigration policies. In addition ultra - nationalists groups such as the neo - Nazi Chrysi Aygi (New Dawn) have stepped up attacks on immigrants in Athens.
The recent clamp downs by the police have also worried Greece’s human rights groups who have often accused the police of illegal treatment of non - ethnic Greek groups. Also organisations such as Amnesty International and Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) have repeatedly condemned the country’s police and prison system of human rights abuses. In addition United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) criticised the country over its treatment of asylum seekers.
Case in point is the capital’s Petrou Ralli police station which has been repeatedly been connected with the suspicious deaths of Asian immigrants in the area. Three have been found dead, dumped in a river bed 500 metres away from the station in the area in the last eight months alone.
This is not the first time that internment camps have been used in the history of modern Greece. During the military junta which ruled from 1967 to 1974 the state set up camps on the Greek islands to imprison and torture political dissidents.
A hundred years from now, historians - assuming that by then there are any still free to express their real opinion - will record the 6th of May 2023 as a day of shameful significance in British history. Not because of the costly coronation extravaganza for a flawed unelected king, but for the most sweeping and seemingly indiscriminate crackdown on the freedom to protest and report in almost a hundred years, all cheered on by a queue of historians and political commentators ever eager to heap eulogies on the British monarchy.
As dictators from the Middle East, including the bloodstained tyrant of Bahrain - King Khalifa - arrived in their private jumbo jets, the British military, which also backs these regimes to the hilt, put on an impressive display, to mark the joyous occasion.
King Charles should be fully aware of their crimes as he has met Middle Eastern autocrats over 95 times since the Arab spring in 2011, and is doubtless well briefed, as are obviously the editors of Britain's main newspapers but they preferred not to draw their readers' attention to the murderous record of the monarch's VIP guests.
www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-02-24-charles-of-ara...
Instead they reminded us that there was "a time and place for everything" as hundreds, including many families with their children, wishing to protest were turned away from Trafalgar Square. With an equally self assured righteousness, media commentators dismissed sentimental and quaint concerns raised over freedom of speech, as the lead organiser and supporters of Republic UK as well as activists from Just Stop Oil and Animal Rising were arrested before they had even arrived at the coronation route.
Also caught up in the net was Rich Felgate, an award winning documentary film director, who was able to dramatically document his own arrest while he was filming a Just Stop Oil protester standing on the pavement in Whitehall. A police officer hesitated momentarily as Felgate told him that he was a journalist, but only seconds after a quick enquiry, the order for the man's detention seemed to have been confirmed (see short clip on the attached Twitter link and a separate link to a review of Felgate's film.)
twitter.com/richfelgate/status/1655199737471959041
www.theguardian.com/film/2023/feb/15/finite-the-climate-o...
Fortunately, a few hundred anti-monarch protesters managed to arrive at Trafalgar Square, some of them presumably because they weren't visibly carrying "Down with the Crown" placards or t-shirts. However, many were not certain where to meet when they saw that the area around the statue of Charles 1 on the south side, which had been designated for the Republican activists, was taken up by a giant wooden citadel-like structure with police officers on the top with video cameras (see my photo www.flickr.com/photos/alisdare/52880437864/in/dateposted-...).
Other protesters had been deterred from attending after it was revealed that the police would be using face-recognition software with at least some of their surveillance cameras. However, those that did turn up were not easily discouraged and soon after the demo started, chants of "Not My King" could be heard from the far side of the square.
Soon afterwards, loud speakers which had been positioned near to the anticipated location that the demonstrators would gather, began to blast out loud martial music to drown out the seditious slogans, while the wooden citadel-like structure erected on the south side of the square seemed to have been designed precisely so as to block all sight of them from both the royal gaze and television screens around the world.
Please let me know what photographs and coverage you have seen of the coronation protests in the mainstream media?
Indonesia had always been a nuisance for Eurasia, a communist ally since the 50s Indonesia was constantly in a state of political unrest and rebellion within the provinces. Because of this, the Eurasian military presence was constant, with the recently annexed Singapore being the base of operations. In the year 2030 Indonesia’s civilian government collapsed with a military coup leading to the flamboyant General Andika Perkasa taking control. Perkasa oversaw a significant crackdown on human rights but also an economic boom and the construction of the new capital at Nusantara, a stunning coastal city with a significant Eurasian military garrison within it. Perkasa’s autocratic rule, despite the economic boom, exacerbated tensions in the nation so much that in the 2040s Indonesian republican forces combined with anti-coup resistance and led to the country falling into civil war. Nusantara continued to be a shining city, Perkasa had made it his fortress, running all operations from his strategic headquarters, while bolstering the Eurasian military presence. Yet Perkasa proved to be incompetent and delusional, in the field his armies could barely hold against the well-supplied rebels and he fired everyone who wasn’t his yes men. Even as the rebels closed in on the capital as all of Borneo fell, he refused to move. By 2041 the city was surrounded and put to siege. Perkasa was convinced the city would hold, he had designed it and it was the symbol of his regime. By the time the suburbs were taken the Eurasians got nervous. They flew in the head of the MSS to convince him to move and sailed a carrier group off the coast to evacuate him and their garrison. But Perkasa refused to move, his council continued to assure him that the city was eternal and could never fall to the rebels. Soon the NATO expeditionary force had grouped with the rebels holding the siege and began entering the city with the help of UFA tanks and EU-supplied vehicles. What Perkasa expected to be a bloodbath for the rebels turned into a full route for his forces, the Regime’s army was starved and was surrendering en-mass, meanwhile, the city’s police forces and the Eurasian garrison were doing most of the fighting. Within days the NATO army had reached Perkasa’s compound on the beach, as desperate civilians rushed into the ocean to try and swim to the Eurasian ships in sight. Any Eurasian officials still left were evacuated by Ansui and SF forces by helicopter, while Perkasa was found dead in the compound, his body split into numerous pieces like he was cut down by a sword. <.i>
Here’s the project I’ve been working so hard on these past few months, sorry it took so long. You’ll be able to catch part of it at BFVA this summer.
This post is dedicated to 20 year olds, Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing and Nyi Nyi Aung Htet Naing, and all those who have recently fallen at the hands of the military, as well as to the Burmese people who are bravely fighting each and every day for decades in order to achieve democracy. Mya was one of a number of people who died whilst protesting. She was shot in the head by the Burmese military coup during a protest. With the video of the shooting circulating online, it is truly bittersweet. Although it is horrifying and tragic, it is a good thing it was caught on camera and spread worldwide to showcase how appalling the military are with their attempt at fear tactics. Nyi Nyi was an internet network engineer who posted on Facebook about the increasingly violent military crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Myanmar, the day before he was shot and killed by soldiers.
When I was 20, I can definitely tell you that I never realized at full capacity how fortunate my life was. To live in a first-world democratic society, where I am free to be who I am, free to vote and have access to certain things that others cannot - It is clear that I lived a privileged life in comparison to others.
It is a hard pill to swallow watching from afar and knowing that there is yet, another nation filled with millions of people whose basic fundamental human rights are being absolutely violated and taken away. With the unknown ahead - not to mention, already filled with many deaths and injuries of civilians, this protest must be shared and made known. I am not one to debate, let alone talk about politics but this is far too difficult for me to ignore even if I wanted to. As I am writing this, it means this is a testament that I truly I believe in it. And by that - I stand by Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy (NLD) party of Burma, as well as the entire Burmese community in the fight against the military coup. How many more lives do we need to lose in order for there to have any impact? Basic fundamental human rights should be entitled to everybody.
Join me along with others in helping the Burmese people achieve their much deserved freedom. Slavery should not exist anymore. Please support the CDM so that we can help to emancipate an entire nation from modern day slavery.
_________________________
Donate to the cause here:
www.facebook.com/donate/918617698911509/922479788525300/
For the movie fanatics, here are some movies you may enjoy and can learn a thing or two about Burma from:
“Please use your liberty to promote ours” - Aung San Sun Kyi
The Old Bailey, London.
Sadly I won't be able to make Open House again this year. Good luck to all those attending, I look forward to seeing your photos. Maybe next year....
They can't take away what is ours forever.
They can't tell the lies forever.
The darkness will pass, because light is on our side.
They will pay for the debt someday, because justice is on our side.
And then, we shall overcome.
Rest In Peace, my brothers and sisters.
2009.06.03
THAILAND: Media Deaths, Threats Part of the Crisis Story
BANGKOK, May 20, 2010 (IPS/Asia Media Forum) - As big a story as this week’s crackdown on anti-government protests in Thailand is the significant number of journalists killed or hurt, and media professionals and organisations threatened during the country’s most serious political conflict in years.
More than 20,000 people gathered in capital Male on May 1 for a mass rally against tyranny and injustice, particularly calling for the release of jailed ex-president Mohamed Nasheed and other political prisoners. Clashes erupted between protesters and riot police resulting in a crackdown using tear gas and pepper spray. Close to 200 were arrested including leaders of the opposition.
Photo page facebook.com/thinvanaloa
Mobile photos on instagram.com/shaari_
Bacolod City, Philippines, has a major crackdown on jaywalking right now with on the spot fines for offenders.
//:filename retrieved; ‘Operation Sundown’
//:filedby retrieved; ‘CT-6125/Judge’
//:logretrieved;
‘By the time we put together the pieces of a Mandalorian-shaped puzzle that led to downtown Corellia, it looked as though we were too late. A group of rogue Mandalorians had slowly slipped through the planetary blockade with smuggled shipments of weapons - all part of a plan to sabotage Republic shipyards supplying the Open Circle fleet. As I had stood next to the data officers at the local command post it was obvious that the Separatists were planning a full-on coup, led by fanatical gangs and nationalist groups.
Republic intelligence was terrified, to put it lightly. Without the new air reinforcements that Corellia’s ship-building industry was preparing, the Outer Rim Sieges could be slowed significantly - if not brought to a halt.
Along with several other units across the planet, a plan was developed to make a coordinated strike at the Separatist cells, and hit ‘em hard. Along with a small squad, my task was to move into the nasty end of town and capture a warehouse containing what reconnaissance identified as rocket launchers, artillery and other munitions. Rounding a corner, we closed in on the target. A Mandalorian stood guard besides a blaster cannon, and I waited for the signal.
BEEP. Two shots from my pistols took the target in the shoulder and then the helmet, leaving him sprawled on the ground. The time to strike was now - or never.’
//:END OF FILE
————————————————
SigFig
Name: CT-6125 ‘Judge’
Home World: Kamino
Age: 14
Species: Human
Class: Trooper
Faction: Galactic Empire
Brutal when compared to the other clones that emerged from the training programs, Judge is a Clone Trooper raised on Kamino like all others. He excelled at strategy tests but sparked concern for his use of unconventional - and often merciless - tactics. Initially given his nickname as an insult, ‘Judge’ came from CT-6125’s quickness to make serious decisions - often leading to casualties, which he never considered a concern. A supporter of the Empire’s relentless crackdown on resistance, Judge is willing to see through an assignment no matter the human costs.
A year ago, Sergey Gavrilov, a member of the Russian state Duma and a member of the Communist party, came to Tbilisi to participate in the 26th General session of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy (IAP). He opened the session of the map in the Parliament of Georgia, sitting in the speaker's chair. Outraged by this, opposition deputies disrupted the Assembly, and also accused the authorities of collaboration.
An evening protest outside the Parliament building turned into clashes with police. Tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons were used against demonstrators on Rustaveli Avenue. 240 people were injured during the crackdown, including 38 journalists. The protests that followed the events of "Gavrilov night" continued in Tbilisi for about three months.
Soo Line SD60 6052 was parked outside of Bensenville's iconic engine facility when open access was possible as long as you didn't shuffle around the power into a better photo angle by yourself.
That happened on many occasions which led to a crackdown on railfan infiltration for photos.
Felt like doing an Andreas style scene and this is what came out of it.
Not a fan of that statue so I may change it, leave a suggestion for it if you have one.
Added old RTP bros because nostalgia.
- Henry Ward Beecher.
| facebook | 500px | ferpectshotz |
One of the best sunset shots I took last year was at a location that is not known for sunsets and sunrises. If you are visiting Big Sur, seeing Mcway falls is an easy task. Julia Pfieffer Burns state park that’s home to this unique waterfall is easily accessible from the Pacific coast highway and the hike to the viewpoint is just a few hundred feet away from your parked car. If any the only struggle usually is to find a legal parking spot, especially after the park authorities started the crackdown on illegally parked vehicles.
While visiting this spot for the first time, I could imagine how spectacular it would look with some great sunset colors in the sky. Unfortunately for me, I had hard luck with sunsets at this location because it's mostly a hit or miss with the fog. So I was super excited when all the conditions lined up during our last trip. I had a decent spot where I could position myself and the fog was completely absent with some great clouds by the horizon. I took this shot when the sun broke through the clouds and gave me a chance to shoot a Sunstar. I had the 24-70 lens on and used a smaller aperture but due to the rounded aperture blade design on modern lenses, all I managed was a weak Sunstar.
This is one of my complaints about modern lens design, while rounded aperture blades coupled with a higher number of blades give you smooth bokeh pretty much the opposite gives a great rendering of bright light sources in the frame. I am not sure if providing smooth bokeh on a wide lens should be a priority. Anyway, enough ranting I used a 2 stop ND grad for this shot and waited for the perfect wave before pressing the shutter button and taking this shot. I hope you all like it.
Before the Americans began retaking land the city was as close to heaven as it got. However a notable confederate veteran in the city, whose face was being deformed by the use of essence(essentially Bioshock's plasmids), founded a "club" for those who still believed in America. This "club" grew a bit out of hand and following a crackdown it became what is now known as the Hodds.
Tried out some new things here with the building.
Before boarding the first morning ferry to Tierra del Fuego, we had time for a quick check of the shoreline around Punta Arenas. Dolphin Gull and Southern Giant Petrel were the highlights on the water. As we drove back to town we saw this beautiful fox trotting along in a field by the main highway. Pulling over carefully in the heavy traffic, I hopped out the vehicle, squeaked to attract the attention of the animal, and fired off several hand held shots. The light was bad, but the new "de-hazing" slider in LightRoom allowed me to salvage a pretty picture from the situation.
We did well with this fox on the trip, seven sightings in total, from Puerto Varas in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south. In contrast, we had one sighting (thanks Jodie) of the bigger cousin - the Culpeo or Andean Fox. That was a bit unexpected, as judging from flickr and elsewhere, the Culpeo was rather camera-friendly, mooching handouts at several locations. Maybe a crackdown on feeding wildlife in Torres del Paine National Park has cut down on the photo ops. Probably all for the best.
Amsterdam News is black-oriented newspaper in Harlem NYC. It is one of the oldest African-American newspapers in the United States and was the first to recognize and publish Malcolm X. The Amsterdam News is credited with inspiring a crackdown on crime and other ills in the Harlem. In 1936, it became the first—and, to this day, the only—black newspaper that was unionized in all departments by the Newspaper Guild of New York.