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Hundreds Arrested in Paris May Day Protests

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  • May Day protests in France turned violent and have resulted in over 200 arrests.
  • In addition to Yellow Vests, Black Bloc marchers also were present, a group known for inciting more chaos.
  • Other protests also happened worldwide, with other locations also seeing violence.

Paris May Day Protests Lead to Violence

Over 200 people have been arrested during May Day demonstrations in Paris.

According to the French Interior Ministry, 28,000 people turned out to protests in France’s capital city. However, news outlets France 24, as well as several labor groups and unions say that number could be as high as 40,000. These protests, which included members of the Yellow Vest movement and Black Bloc group, turned violent.

Violence at May Day demonstrations is common in France. Also known as International Worker’s Day, May Day is a public holiday in the country. Every year there are worker’s defense marches on this day.

However this year there were warnings that the situation could escalate further than usual. Authorities received notice that about 2,000 Black Bloc protesters would attend. The group is often described as “far-left” and “anarchist.” They are known for radical actions and inciting chaos.

During Wednesday’s protests, there were reports of car windows being smashed, small fires starting, and protesters throwing rocks and other objects at police.

Over 7,400 officers were deployed throughout Paris. Police also allegedly used tear gas to control crowds.

Preventative measures were also taken to quell the violence. Officers searched over 15,000 bags and ordered 580 local businesses to close for the day.

Police are urging protesters to step away from the violence so they can access a clearer path to intervene.

What Are the Yellow Vests?

The Yellow Vest movement began in November, initially fighting against a proposed fuel tax hike. After three weeks of protesting, which turned violent and resulted in at least four deaths, French President Emmanuel Macron scrapped the tax hike.

Protesters still are fighting against Macron’s economic policies. They believe he is too easy on the wealthy and is detached from ordinary citizens in the lower and working classes.

Specifically, protesters want higher taxes on wealthy people, lower taxes for workers and pensioners, and more public spending to benefit the working class. Many also are calling for Macron to resign, and are pushing to hold early elections in the hopes of voting him out sooner.

Yellow Vests received a lot of support at the start of their movement, with two-thirds of French citizens saying they were in favor of it. However, support has since dwindled. By February, over half of the country believed the protests should end.

France’s problems with Macron have not gone away though. At his lowest, the president’s approval rating was 23 percent. It has since spiked up to under 30.

Macron is trying to appease those in the Yellow Vest movement. Last week, he proposed a 5 billion euro tax cut for lower and working classes. However, many protesters don’t see this as enough.

Macron has yet to respond to the violence that erupted during Wednesday’s protests. However, he did tweet about the values behind May Day.

May Day Rallies World Wide

Paris was not alone in holding a massive May Day demonstration. There were 230 all around France, but the demonstration in Paris was the only one in the country to incite any violence.

Around Europe and the globe, several other countries also used May Day as an opportunity to take to the streets. In various locations, violence also erupted.

According to the Associated Press, in Sweden, protesters allegedly threw cobblestones at police. The officers were blocking them from a neo-Nazi rally that received official approval to gather on May Day.

In Russia, over 100 people were detained in demonstrations all over the country. At least 68 of the detainees were in St. Petersburg, where people were calling for a fairer election process.

Three people were also injured in Italy. Officers were blocking a demonstration against a high-speed railway being built between Italy and France. Those injured included two protesters and one officer.

Several other countries, including Denmark, Greece, Spain, Germany, Turkey, South Africa, Sri Lanka, South Korea, and more also saw massive May Day rallies.

See what others are saying: (Associated Press) (France 24) (Reuters)

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95-Year-Old Woman Dies After Police Tases Her in Nursing Home

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The officer involved was suspended with pay and charged with assault.


A 95-year-old Australian woman whom police tasered in a nursing home last week has reportedly died from her injuries.

Clare Nowland, who had dementia and required a walking frame to stand up and move, was living at the Yallambee Lodge in Cooma in southeastern Australia.

At about 4:15 a.m. on May 17, police and paramedics responded to a report of a woman standing outside her room with a steak knife.

They encountered Nowland, then reportedly tried to negotiate with her for several minutes, but she didn’t drop the knife.

The five-foot-two, 95-pound woman walked toward the two officers “at a slow pace,” police said at a news conference, so one of them tasered her.

She fell to the floor and reportedly suffered a fractured skull and a severe brain bleed, causing her to be hospitalized in critical condition.

Nowland passed away in a hospital surrounded by her family, the New South Wales police confirmed in a statement today.

After a week-long investigation, the police force also said that the senior constable involved would appear in court next week to face charges of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault.

NSW police procedure states that tasers should not be used against elderly or disabled people absent exceptional circumstances.

Following the incident, community members, activists, and disability rights advocates expressed bewilderment and anger at what they called an unnecessary use of force, and some are now questioning why law enforcement took so long to prosecute the officer involved.

See what others are saying: (Reuters) (The New York Times) (CNN)

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U.K. Police Face Backlash After Arresting Anti-Monarchy Protesters

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London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that some of the arrests “raise questions” and “investigations are ongoing.”


The Public Order Act

A controversial protest crackdown law in the U.K. is facing criticism after dozens of anti-monarchy protesters were arrested during the coronation ceremony in London over the weekend.

The law, dubbed the “Public Order Act” was passed roughly a week ahead of the coronation for King Charles III. It gives police more power to restrict protesters and limits the tactics protesters can use in public spaces. It was condemned by human rights groups upon its passing, and is facing a new round of heat after 52 people were arrested over coronation protests on Saturday.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said protesters were arrested for public order offenses, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. The group said it gave advance warning that its “tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low and that we would deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining the celebration.”

It is currently unclear how many of those arrested were detained specifically for violating the Public Order Act, however, some of those arrested believe the new law was used against them.

“Make no mistake. There is no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK,” Graham Smith, the CEO of anti-monarchy group Republic tweeted after getting arrested. “I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name.”

An Attempt to “Diminish” Protests

During a BBC Radio interview, Smith also said he believes the dozens of arrests were premeditated. 

“There was nothing that we did do that could possibly justify even being detained and arrested and held,” Smith claimed. 

“The whole thing was a deliberate attempt to disrupt and diminish our protest.”

Yasmine Ahmed, the U.K. Director of Human Rights Watch, also tweeted that the arrests were “disgraceful.”

“These are scenes you’d expect to see in Russia not the UK,” she wrote. 

When asked about the controversy, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters officers should  do “what they think is best” in an apparent show of support for the Metropolitan Police. 

For his part, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he is looking into the matter.

“Some of the arrests made by police as part of the Coronation event raise questions and whilst investigations are ongoing, I’ve sought urgent clarity from Met leaders on the action taken,” Khan tweeted.

See what others are saying: (The Guardian) (CNN) (The Washington Post)

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Foreign Nationals Make Mad Dash out of Sudan as Conflict Rages

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The conflict’s death toll has surpassed 420, with nearly 4,000 people wounded.


As the 10-day-long power struggle between rival generals tore Sudan apart, foreign governments with citizens in the country scrambled to evacuate them over the weekend.

On Sunday, U.S. special forces landed in the capital Khartoum and carried out nearly 100 American diplomats along with their families and some foreign nationals on helicopters.

An estimated 16,000 Americans, however, remain in the country and U.S. officials said in a statement that a broader evacuation mission would be too dangerous.

Christopher Maier, the assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity warfare, said in a statement that the Pentagon may assist U.S. citizens find safe routes out of Sudan.

“[The Defense Department] is at present considering actions that may include use of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to be able to observe routes and detect threats,” he said.

Germany and France also reportedly pulled around 700 people out of the country.

More countries followed with similar efforts, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Canada, China, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Indonesia.

Yesterday, a convoy carrying some 700 United Nations, NGO, and embassy staff drove to Port Sudan, a popular extraction point now that the airport in Khartoum has closed due to fighting.

Reports of gunmen prowling the capital streets and robbing people trying to escape, as well as looters breaking into abandoned homes and shops, have persuaded most residents to stay indoors.

Heavy gunfire, airstrikes, and artillery shelling have terrorized the city despite several proposed ceasefires.

Over the weekend, the reported death toll topped 420, with nearly 4,000 people injured, though both numbers are likely to be undercounted.

See what others are saying: (The Guardian) (The New York Times) (The Washington Post)

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