Thousands of protesters took to the streets in US cities on Friday after a black extremist shot dead five cops in Texas during an otherwise peaceful march against police brutality.&nbsp;Five officers were shot dead in the late Thursday shooting, with seven other officers and two civilians wounded. 
 
The shooting revives an emotional debate over lethal use of force by police, and problems of alleged police bias towards racial minorities, especially African-Americans. 
 
Leaders of the Black Lives Matter protest movement condemned the Dallas violence, but vowed to uphold planned weekend marches.&nbsp;Vast crowds marched Friday in US cities including Houston, New Orleans, Detroit, Baltimore, and San Francisco. One of the largest was in Atlanta, where protesters blocked a major road. 
 
In Phoenix, police in riot gear used pepper spray to disperse a large crowd blocking streets after rocks were hurled at them. At least one person was arrested.&nbsp;Addressing a prayer service honoring the fallen officers, Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings urged Americans to &quot;step up&quot; to heal the country&#39;s racial wounds. 
 
&quot;We will not shy away from the very real fact that we as a city, as a state, as a nation are struggling with racial issues,&quot; he told the crowd. 
 
Rawlings echoed Obama&#39;s message that black lives matter -- and so do &quot;blue&quot; lives, those of police officers.&nbsp;&quot;We must step up our game and approach complicated issues in a different way,&quot; Rawlings said. &quot;And race is complicated.&quot; 
 
&#39;This must stop&#39; 
&nbsp; 
Obama, who ordered flags on government buildings lowered to half-mast for five days, said that there was &quot;no possible justification&quot; for violence against police. 
 
The Dallas shootings sparked chaos as people ran for their lives during a march by several hundred demonstrators in the city of 1.2 million, near the site where president John F Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. 
 
The peaceful protest was one of several nationwide over the deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota that prompted Obama to make an emotional appeal for urgent police reform. 
 
The ambush marks the single biggest loss of life for law enforcement in the United States since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.&nbsp;&quot;This must stop -- this divisiveness between our police and our citizens,&quot; Dallas police chief David Brown said. 
 
&#39;Every rabbit trail&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Johnson was killed in a tense showdown with police in a parking garage, by a bomb robot sent in by officers after hours of negotiations and an exchange of fire. 
 
&quot;This was a well-planned, well-thought out, evil strategy,&quot; said Brown of the gunman.&nbsp;&quot;He said he was upset about the recent police shootings,&quot; Brown said. &quot;The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.&quot; 
 
Earlier, officials said three other people had been detained, but it was unclear if any remained in custody.&nbsp;US homeland security secretary Jeh Johnson said the gunman appeared to have acted alone. 
 
Texas governor Greg Abbott said police would &quot;continue down every rabbit trail... ensuring that we eliminate any other possible suspects or co-conspirators who may have aided this gunman in any way.&quot; 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

It has revived the debate over lethal use of force by cops and systemic bias towards racial minorities, especially African-Americans

Thousands of protesters took to the streets in US cities on Friday after a black extremist shot dead five cops in Texas during an otherwise peaceful march against police brutality. Five officers were shot dead in the late Thursday shooting, with seven other officers and two civilians wounded. The shooting revives an emotional debate over lethal use of force by police, and problems of alleged police bias towards racial minorities, especially African-Americans. Leaders of the Black Lives Matter protest movement condemned the Dallas violence, but vowed to uphold planned weekend marches. Vast crowds marched Friday in US cities including Houston, New Orleans, Detroit, Baltimore, and San Francisco. One of the largest was in Atlanta, where protesters blocked a major road. In Phoenix, police in riot gear used pepper spray to disperse a large crowd blocking streets after rocks were hurled at them. At least one person was arrested. Addressing a prayer service honoring the fallen officers, Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings urged Americans to "step up" to heal the country's racial wounds. "We will not shy away from the very real fact that we as a city, as a state, as a nation are struggling with racial issues," he told the crowd. Rawlings echoed Obama's message that black lives matter -- and so do "blue" lives, those of police officers. "We must step up our game and approach complicated issues in a different way," Rawlings said. "And race is complicated." 'This must stop' Obama, who ordered flags on government buildings lowered to half-mast for five days, said that there was "no possible justification" for violence against police. The Dallas shootings sparked chaos as people ran for their lives during a march by several hundred demonstrators in the city of 1.2 million, near the site where president John F Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. The peaceful protest was one of several nationwide over the deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota that prompted Obama to make an emotional appeal for urgent police reform. The ambush marks the single biggest loss of life for law enforcement in the United States since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. "This must stop -- this divisiveness between our police and our citizens," Dallas police chief David Brown said. 'Every rabbit trail' Johnson was killed in a tense showdown with police in a parking garage, by a bomb robot sent in by officers after hours of negotiations and an exchange of fire. "This was a well-planned, well-thought out, evil strategy," said Brown of the gunman. "He said he was upset about the recent police shootings," Brown said. "The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers." Earlier, officials said three other people had been detained, but it was unclear if any remained in custody. US homeland security secretary Jeh Johnson said the gunman appeared to have acted alone. Texas governor Greg Abbott said police would "continue down every rabbit trail... ensuring that we eliminate any other possible suspects or co-conspirators who may have aided this gunman in any way." (AFP)

Protests in US cities as Dallas shooting rocks race relations

Thousands of people took to the streets in US cities on Friday to denounce the fatal police shootings of two black men this week, marching the day after a gunman killed five police officers watching over a similar demonstration in Dallas. 
 
Protesters clogged roadways in New York City, Atlanta and Philadelphia on Friday evening, and events were also planned for San Francisco and Phoenix. Local media reports did not indicate any immediate instances of major clashes or injuries. 
 
Thousands marched in Atlanta in what appeared to be the largest demonstration, chanting and waving signs demanding justice, video posted on social media showed. Footage from local broadcasters showed the massive crowd facing off with dozens of police vehicles that were stopped on a local interstate highway.&nbsp; 
 
Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed tweeted that the rally was largely peaceful, though about 10 people had been arrested. 
 
Friday was the second day of widespread demonstrations against use of force by police in the wake of the fatal shootings of 32-year-old Philando Castile near St Paul, Minnesota and 37-year-old Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 
 
Castile was killed by the police during a traffic stop late on Wednesday, and his girlfriend posted live video on the internet of the bloody scene minutes afterward. 
 
Sterling was killed during an altercation outside a convenience store with two white police officers. Graphic video of that incident caused an outcry on social media. 
 
The two shootings stoked racial tensions that have flared repeatedly across the country following the 2014 killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen, by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. 
 
Thursday&#39;s demonstrations were largely peaceful until gunfire erupted at a Dallas rally that was winding down. 
 
Authorities said 25-year-old Micah Johnson, a black US military veteran of the Afghan war who said he wanted to &quot;kill white people&quot;, launched a sniper attack that killed five police officers and wounded nine other people. 
 
Police killed the gunman with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking garage, ending an hours-long standoff. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Friday was the second day of protests against police brutality in the wake of fatal shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling

Thousands of people took to the streets in US cities on Friday to denounce the fatal police shootings of two black men this week, marching the day after a gunman killed five police officers watching over a similar demonstration in Dallas. Protesters clogged roadways in New York City, Atlanta and Philadelphia on Friday evening, and events were also planned for San Francisco and Phoenix. Local media reports did not indicate any immediate instances of major clashes or injuries. Thousands marched in Atlanta in what appeared to be the largest demonstration, chanting and waving signs demanding justice, video posted on social media showed. Footage from local broadcasters showed the massive crowd facing off with dozens of police vehicles that were stopped on a local interstate highway. Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed tweeted that the rally was largely peaceful, though about 10 people had been arrested. Friday was the second day of widespread demonstrations against use of force by police in the wake of the fatal shootings of 32-year-old Philando Castile near St Paul, Minnesota and 37-year-old Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Castile was killed by the police during a traffic stop late on Wednesday, and his girlfriend posted live video on the internet of the bloody scene minutes afterward. Sterling was killed during an altercation outside a convenience store with two white police officers. Graphic video of that incident caused an outcry on social media. The two shootings stoked racial tensions that have flared repeatedly across the country following the 2014 killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen, by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Thursday's demonstrations were largely peaceful until gunfire erupted at a Dallas rally that was winding down. Authorities said 25-year-old Micah Johnson, a black US military veteran of the Afghan war who said he wanted to "kill white people", launched a sniper attack that killed five police officers and wounded nine other people. Police killed the gunman with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking garage, ending an hours-long standoff. (Reuters)

Thousands take to streets across US to protest police violence

Ten police officers were shot in Texas on Thursday during a protest against police shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana, KDFW TV in Dallas reported.&nbsp;Three have died. 
 
Broadcaster KABC reported that shots were fired during demonstrations at Belo Garden Park in Dallas. Footage showed a heavy police presence with officers taking cover behind vehicles on the street. 
 
Photos posted on Twitter by the Dallas Police Department showed, what appeared to be, several hundred people assembled on the steps of a downtown museum with many holding signs as they listened to speakers address the crowd. 
 
In other photos and footage posted on Twitter, a crowd could be seen marching through downtown streets. Police said the crowd, at one point, chanted &#39;Black Lives Matter&#39;. 
 
The protests in Dallas came as demonstrations were being held in several US cities over the most recent fatal police shootings of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana. 
 
The police department did not respond to requests for comment and did not update their Twitter account since media reports of gunfire. 
 
(Reuters)

The Dallas demonstration started as a protest against the recent fatal police shootings of black men in Minnesota & Louisiana

Ten police officers were shot in Texas on Thursday during a protest against police shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana, KDFW TV in Dallas reported. Three have died. Broadcaster KABC reported that shots were fired during demonstrations at Belo Garden Park in Dallas. Footage showed a heavy police presence with officers taking cover behind vehicles on the street. Photos posted on Twitter by the Dallas Police Department showed, what appeared to be, several hundred people assembled on the steps of a downtown museum with many holding signs as they listened to speakers address the crowd. In other photos and footage posted on Twitter, a crowd could be seen marching through downtown streets. Police said the crowd, at one point, chanted 'Black Lives Matter'. The protests in Dallas came as demonstrations were being held in several US cities over the most recent fatal police shootings of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana. The police department did not respond to requests for comment and did not update their Twitter account since media reports of gunfire. (Reuters)

Texas protest: Eleven police officers shot, five dead

The second fatal police shooting of a black man in two days sparked outrage in the United States on Thursday, this one particularly chilling because the victim&#39;s girlfriend posted live video on the internet of the bloody scene minutes afterward.

The killing of Philando Castile, 32, who was shot by a police officer after a traffic stop on Wednesday evening, prompted Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton to order a state investigation.

&quot;Would this have happened if the driver and the passengers were white? I don&rsquo;t think it would have,&quot; Dayton told reporters on Thursday. &quot;So I&rsquo;m forced to confront that this kind of racism exists, and it&#39;s incumbent upon all of us to vow and ensure that it doesn&#39;t happen and doesn&#39;t continue to happen.&quot;

Castile&rsquo;s death occurred within a day of the shooting of 37-year-old Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterling was killed during an altercation with two white police officers. Graphic video of that incident triggered protests and an outcry on social media.

Dayton called for the US&nbsp;Department of Justice to open its own investigation, but the department said on Thursday it would assist the state investigation as necessary. The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the Baton Rouge shooting.

Castile&rsquo;s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, videotaped the minutes immediately following his shooting and posted it on Facebook Live. Castile, who was driving, was shot with Reynolds and her four-year-old daughter in the car. The graphic video showed blood oozing through Castile&#39;s shirt as he appeared to lose consciousness.

President Barack Obama said the killings were tragedies.

&quot;All of us as Americans should be troubled by these shootings, because these are not isolated incidents. They&#39;re symptomatic of a broader set of racial disparities that exist in our criminal justice system,&quot; he said in remarks after arriving in Poland.

 
PROTESTERS GATHER

The use of force by police against African-Americans in cities from Ferguson, Missouri, to Baltimore and New York has sparked periodic and sometimes violent protests in the past two years, and has spawned a movement called Black Lives Matter. Anger has intensified when the officers involved in such incidents have been acquitted or not charged at all.

Reynolds&#39; video showed a police officer outside the car pointing a gun. Reynolds described what was going on, sometimes speaking calmly to the police officer, sometimes with her voice rising as she feared Castile was dying.

Reynolds said Castile was shot after police pulled their car over, citing a broken tail light. &quot;Nothing within his body language said &#39;Kill me, I want to be dead,&#39;&quot; she said on Thursday.

Dozens of protesters gathered at the governor&#39;s mansion in St. Paul, about 10 miles Southeast of the scene of the incident, where the governor spoke at a news conference with Reynolds and civil rights activists.

When Reynolds spoke earlier in the day, people shouted &quot;murder&quot; and called for the arrest of the police officer involved.

&quot;All of these killings of young black men, I am ready to take my grandson somewhere else,&quot; said one protester, Chanell Peaches Wall, 59, who said she recently moved to the area from Tennessee.

She held a placard that said &quot;He was my son too&quot; on one side and &quot;No justice, no peace&quot; on the other.

Demonstrations over the deaths of Castile, Sterling and other black men killed by police were planned in St&nbsp;Paul, Chicago and several smaller cities on Thursday evening, according to organisers posting on social media.

In New York City, several hundred protesters blocked traffic in Times Square, chanting &quot;Hands up, don&#39;t shoot&quot; and other slogans.

Other rallies, including one in Atlanta, were planned for Friday. Weekend protests as far away as London were being discussed on Twitter. 
&nbsp;

OFFICER PUT ON LEAVE

A statement on the website of the City of Falcon Heights, where the shooting occurred, said a Saint Anthony Village police officer discharged his gun during a traffic stop on Wednesday evening, and the unidentified driver later died at Hennepin County Medical Center from resulting injuries.

It said the officer involved had been placed on paid administrative leave, as is standard procedure for Falcon Heights, which is about six&nbsp;miles Northeast of downtown Minneapolis. The ethnicity of the police officer was not clear. Attempts to reach the police department for further comment were unsuccessful.

Former Saint Anthony Chief of Police John Ohl, who retired in June, said in an interview with a freelance journalist in May that was published on Thursday that the media were biased against police on the issue of police killings.&nbsp;

&quot;Nothing&rsquo;s significantly broken in law enforcement now,&quot; he said.

Minnesota officials declined in a Thursday afternoon news conference to identify the officer who shot Castile, saying they were still interviewing him. His identity would be released after the interview was completed, they said.

The city&#39;s website said the Saint Anthony Village police department was working with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and other law enforcement agencies on an investigation.

The labour union that represents the officer who shot Castile urged people to reserve judgment.

&quot;We know that people are angry, discouraged and heartbroken,&quot; said Sean Gormley, executive director of Law Enforcement Labor Services Inc, in a statement. &quot;We support an open, thorough and objective investigation that we believe, in time, will provide the answers to the questions we all have.&quot;

&#39;SHAKEN&#39; BY VIDEO

&quot;Many of us watched the video, and we are shaken to capacity at the thought of this,&quot; said Nekima Levy-Pounds, president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP rights group.

&ldquo;What this signifies to us is that black lives don&rsquo;t really matter in the state of Minnesota.&rdquo;

Castile&#39;s mother, Valerie Castile, described her son as a &quot;laid back&quot; but industrious man who worked as a school cafeteria supervisor and enjoyed playing video games. He had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, she told CNN.

Reynolds said police had not even tried to check if her boyfriend was alive after they shot him, and it had taken at least 15 minutes for paramedics to arrive.

&quot;Not one shot, not two shots, not three shots, but five shots,&quot; she said at the news conference. &quot;They did not check for a pulse at the scene of the crime.&quot;

St&nbsp;Paul Public Schools said in a statement Castile had worked for the district since 2002, and colleagues were mourning a cheerful &quot;team player who maintained great relationships with staff and students&quot;. 
&nbsp;

VIDEO OF AFTERMATH

In the video Reynolds posted to Facebook after the shooting, she said her boyfriend had just been pulled over and explained he had a gun he was licensed to carry.

&quot;He was trying to get out his ID and his wallet out of his pocket,&quot; Reynolds said. &quot;He let the officer know that he had a firearm and that he was reaching for his wallet, and the officer just shot him in his arm.&quot;

Police said a handgun was recovered at the scene.&nbsp;&quot;Fuck,&quot; a distraught man is heard screaming in the video. &quot;I told him not to reach for it.&quot;

The shooting was the second high-profile killing of a black man by police in Minnesota in seven months. Two Minneapolis police officers in November shot and killed 24-year-old Jamar Clark in a struggle that broke out when they were called to assist an ambulance crew that was helping Clark&#39;s girlfriend.

The Washington Post said Castile was at least the 506th person and 123rd black American shot and killed by police so far in 2016, according to a database it has set up to track such deaths. About 10 per cent of those black Americans were unarmed, while about 61 per cent had guns, the paper said.

(Reuters)

While protests spread across America, the officer who shot Castile five times in front of his girlfriend and daughter is on paid leave

The second fatal police shooting of a black man in two days sparked outrage in the United States on Thursday, this one particularly chilling because the victim's girlfriend posted live video on the internet of the bloody scene minutes afterward. The killing of Philando Castile, 32, who was shot by a police officer after a traffic stop on Wednesday evening, prompted Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton to order a state investigation. "Would this have happened if the driver and the passengers were white? I don’t think it would have," Dayton told reporters on Thursday. "So I’m forced to confront that this kind of racism exists, and it's incumbent upon all of us to vow and ensure that it doesn't happen and doesn't continue to happen." Castile’s death occurred within a day of the shooting of 37-year-old Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterling was killed during an altercation with two white police officers. Graphic video of that incident triggered protests and an outcry on social media. Dayton called for the US Department of Justice to open its own investigation, but the department said on Thursday it would assist the state investigation as necessary. The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the Baton Rouge shooting. Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, videotaped the minutes immediately following his shooting and posted it on Facebook Live. Castile, who was driving, was shot with Reynolds and her four-year-old daughter in the car. The graphic video showed blood oozing through Castile's shirt as he appeared to lose consciousness. President Barack Obama said the killings were tragedies. "All of us as Americans should be troubled by these shootings, because these are not isolated incidents. They're symptomatic of a broader set of racial disparities that exist in our criminal justice system," he said in remarks after arriving in Poland. PROTESTERS GATHER The use of force by police against African-Americans in cities from Ferguson, Missouri, to Baltimore and New York has sparked periodic and sometimes violent protests in the past two years, and has spawned a movement called Black Lives Matter. Anger has intensified when the officers involved in such incidents have been acquitted or not charged at all. Reynolds' video showed a police officer outside the car pointing a gun. Reynolds described what was going on, sometimes speaking calmly to the police officer, sometimes with her voice rising as she feared Castile was dying. Reynolds said Castile was shot after police pulled their car over, citing a broken tail light. "Nothing within his body language said 'Kill me, I want to be dead,'" she said on Thursday. Dozens of protesters gathered at the governor's mansion in St. Paul, about 10 miles Southeast of the scene of the incident, where the governor spoke at a news conference with Reynolds and civil rights activists. When Reynolds spoke earlier in the day, people shouted "murder" and called for the arrest of the police officer involved. "All of these killings of young black men, I am ready to take my grandson somewhere else," said one protester, Chanell Peaches Wall, 59, who said she recently moved to the area from Tennessee. She held a placard that said "He was my son too" on one side and "No justice, no peace" on the other. Demonstrations over the deaths of Castile, Sterling and other black men killed by police were planned in St Paul, Chicago and several smaller cities on Thursday evening, according to organisers posting on social media. In New York City, several hundred protesters blocked traffic in Times Square, chanting "Hands up, don't shoot" and other slogans. Other rallies, including one in Atlanta, were planned for Friday. Weekend protests as far away as London were being discussed on Twitter. OFFICER PUT ON LEAVE A statement on the website of the City of Falcon Heights, where the shooting occurred, said a Saint Anthony Village police officer discharged his gun during a traffic stop on Wednesday evening, and the unidentified driver later died at Hennepin County Medical Center from resulting injuries. It said the officer involved had been placed on paid administrative leave, as is standard procedure for Falcon Heights, which is about six miles Northeast of downtown Minneapolis. The ethnicity of the police officer was not clear. Attempts to reach the police department for further comment were unsuccessful. Former Saint Anthony Chief of Police John Ohl, who retired in June, said in an interview with a freelance journalist in May that was published on Thursday that the media were biased against police on the issue of police killings. "Nothing’s significantly broken in law enforcement now," he said. Minnesota officials declined in a Thursday afternoon news conference to identify the officer who shot Castile, saying they were still interviewing him. His identity would be released after the interview was completed, they said. The city's website said the Saint Anthony Village police department was working with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and other law enforcement agencies on an investigation. The labour union that represents the officer who shot Castile urged people to reserve judgment. "We know that people are angry, discouraged and heartbroken," said Sean Gormley, executive director of Law Enforcement Labor Services Inc, in a statement. "We support an open, thorough and objective investigation that we believe, in time, will provide the answers to the questions we all have." 'SHAKEN' BY VIDEO "Many of us watched the video, and we are shaken to capacity at the thought of this," said Nekima Levy-Pounds, president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP rights group. “What this signifies to us is that black lives don’t really matter in the state of Minnesota.” Castile's mother, Valerie Castile, described her son as a "laid back" but industrious man who worked as a school cafeteria supervisor and enjoyed playing video games. He had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, she told CNN. Reynolds said police had not even tried to check if her boyfriend was alive after they shot him, and it had taken at least 15 minutes for paramedics to arrive. "Not one shot, not two shots, not three shots, but five shots," she said at the news conference. "They did not check for a pulse at the scene of the crime." St Paul Public Schools said in a statement Castile had worked for the district since 2002, and colleagues were mourning a cheerful "team player who maintained great relationships with staff and students". VIDEO OF AFTERMATH In the video Reynolds posted to Facebook after the shooting, she said her boyfriend had just been pulled over and explained he had a gun he was licensed to carry. "He was trying to get out his ID and his wallet out of his pocket," Reynolds said. "He let the officer know that he had a firearm and that he was reaching for his wallet, and the officer just shot him in his arm." Police said a handgun was recovered at the scene. "Fuck," a distraught man is heard screaming in the video. "I told him not to reach for it." The shooting was the second high-profile killing of a black man by police in Minnesota in seven months. Two Minneapolis police officers in November shot and killed 24-year-old Jamar Clark in a struggle that broke out when they were called to assist an ambulance crew that was helping Clark's girlfriend. The Washington Post said Castile was at least the 506th person and 123rd black American shot and killed by police so far in 2016, according to a database it has set up to track such deaths. About 10 per cent of those black Americans were unarmed, while about 61 per cent had guns, the paper said. (Reuters)

Outrage, protests after US police fatally shoot second black man in two days

Mexico&#39;s air force flew tonnes of grain to the southern state of Oaxaca on Friday as protests by teachers opposed to education reform spread across the country and road blocks led to dwindling food supplies in some remote regions. 
 
Tension in the state intensified after eight people died last month in clashes between police and the protesting teachers, and unrest has flared throughout Mexico. 
 
Local media reported protests by factions of Mexico&#39;s the Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educaci?n (CNTE) teachers union on Friday in the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Michoacan, Chiapas, Nuevo Leon and in Mexico City. 
 
The union has blockaded 11 highways in Oaxaca, a hotbed of dissent for protesters opposing President Enrique Pena Nieto&#39;s education reform that allows the federal government to remove teachers who fail evaluation exams. 
 
The protests have prevented food trucks from reaching remote coastal villages in Oaxaca, where some of Mexico&#39;s poorest people live, the country&#39;s federal food distribution chief Juan Manuel Valle said. 
 
Valle said 108 tonnes of corn would be flown in on a Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft by the end of the weekend, with additional provisions on standby in case the situation deteriorated. 
 
Araceli Hern?ndez Ramirez, manager of a grocery store in Puente de Coyula, a small town of some 500 inhabitants close to the beach resort of Huatulco, and located about 146 miles (235 kilometres) from the state capital, said she had no rice, corn or flour. 
 
&quot;There are no products,&quot; said Hernandez, waiting for a shipment from Diconsa to supply customers. &quot;They go home empty-handed.&quot; 
 
Fifty tonnes of corn were also sent from the neighbouring state of Guerrero by truck, in addition to regular shipments of beans, and rice. 
 
On Friday, Mexico&#39;s secretary of the interior promised action against the blockades in Oaxaca, saying dialogue with teachers&#39; unions could not continue without respect for citizens&#39; rights. 
 
&quot;Blockades and public damage must end,&quot; Miguel Osorio Chong said. &quot;Therefore, soon, we will be taking necessary decisions to allow traffic on strategic routes and supplies for communities.&quot; 
 
He did not specify what action the government would take. 
 
Osorio said the protests affected thousands of families, forcing businesses in Oaxaca and neighbouring Chiapas to close and impeding shipments of medicine. 
 
A spokesperson for the CNTE union could not be immediately reached for comment. 
 
The protests have affected fuel distribution in parts of Oaxaca, but a Pemex official said operations at Salina Cruz, the company&#39;s largest refinery, had not been affected. 
 
(Reuters)

Eight died last month in clashes between police and the protesters. The growing unrest has prevented poor, remote villages from getting food

Mexico's air force flew tonnes of grain to the southern state of Oaxaca on Friday as protests by teachers opposed to education reform spread across the country and road blocks led to dwindling food supplies in some remote regions. Tension in the state intensified after eight people died last month in clashes between police and the protesting teachers, and unrest has flared throughout Mexico. Local media reported protests by factions of Mexico's the Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educaci?n (CNTE) teachers union on Friday in the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Michoacan, Chiapas, Nuevo Leon and in Mexico City. The union has blockaded 11 highways in Oaxaca, a hotbed of dissent for protesters opposing President Enrique Pena Nieto's education reform that allows the federal government to remove teachers who fail evaluation exams. The protests have prevented food trucks from reaching remote coastal villages in Oaxaca, where some of Mexico's poorest people live, the country's federal food distribution chief Juan Manuel Valle said. Valle said 108 tonnes of corn would be flown in on a Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft by the end of the weekend, with additional provisions on standby in case the situation deteriorated. Araceli Hern?ndez Ramirez, manager of a grocery store in Puente de Coyula, a small town of some 500 inhabitants close to the beach resort of Huatulco, and located about 146 miles (235 kilometres) from the state capital, said she had no rice, corn or flour. "There are no products," said Hernandez, waiting for a shipment from Diconsa to supply customers. "They go home empty-handed." Fifty tonnes of corn were also sent from the neighbouring state of Guerrero by truck, in addition to regular shipments of beans, and rice. On Friday, Mexico's secretary of the interior promised action against the blockades in Oaxaca, saying dialogue with teachers' unions could not continue without respect for citizens' rights. "Blockades and public damage must end," Miguel Osorio Chong said. "Therefore, soon, we will be taking necessary decisions to allow traffic on strategic routes and supplies for communities." He did not specify what action the government would take. Osorio said the protests affected thousands of families, forcing businesses in Oaxaca and neighbouring Chiapas to close and impeding shipments of medicine. A spokesperson for the CNTE union could not be immediately reached for comment. The protests have affected fuel distribution in parts of Oaxaca, but a Pemex official said operations at Salina Cruz, the company's largest refinery, had not been affected. (Reuters)

Mexico air lifts food into villages as teacher blockades spread

Louisiana police have shot and killed a black man selling CDs outside a convenience store, triggering protests over the latest in a string of cases of alleged police brutality against black suspects. 
 
A video shot by a witness and circulated online showed two officers ordering a tall black man to the ground early Tuesday. 
 
As he remained standing, the officers wrestled him onto the roof of a car and then to the ground. While he was pinned down by the officers, one pulled a gun and shot him four times at close range. 
 
&quot;They shot him? Oh my fucking goodness!&quot; a witness can be heard as exclaiming in the background of the video. 
 
At least one woman can be heard wailing and repeating &quot;Oh my God!&quot; 
 
Police in the state&#39;s capital Baton Rouge identified the man as Alton Sterling, 37, saying two officers &quot;made contact&quot; with him in the parking lot of the convenience store. 
 
The shooting took place at 12:35 am (0435 GMT) Tuesday after police received a tip from an anonymous caller saying they had been threatened by a man with a gun, according to a police statement. 
 
&quot;An altercation between Sterling and the officers ensued. Sterling was shot during the altercation and died at the scene,&quot; police said on Facebook. 
 
They said that in accordance with &quot;standard procedure,&quot; the two officers involved in the shooting had been placed on administrative leave during the ongoing investigation. 
 
The East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner&#39;s Office said Sterling was killed by multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and back, WAFB television reported. 
 
News reports said the officers were wearing body cameras, which police said fell off during the confrontation. 
 
However, in addition to the witness video, the shooting was captured by the store&#39;s surveillance camera and at least one patrol car dashboard camera, state representative C. Denise Marcelle told news media after being briefed by the police chief. 
 
About 100 people, including friends and relatives of Sterling, protested outside the convenience store after shooting, some blocking roads, The Advocate newspaper reported. 
 
Holding up handmade signs, they chanted: &quot;Black lives matter&quot; and &quot;Hands up, don&#39;t shoot.&quot; 
 
&quot;Justice for Alton&quot; and &quot;Justice 4 CD Man&quot; read some of the signs. 
 
&quot;What I said to the (police) chief is he has to have transparency in this matter because as you can see, this is getting out of hand. People are clearly upset and they want transparency,&quot; Marcelle said. 
 
&#39;Legal lynching&#39; 
 
Edmond Jordan, an attorney representing Sterling&#39;s family, said the shooting was completely unjustified. 
 
&quot;That police officer fired two shots and he seemed to pause for a while and shot him two more times. I don&#39;t think any of those shots were justified, but I&#39;m curious as to why he paused for such a long time and then fired two more times,&quot; he told CNN. 
 
Jordan, who is also a state legislator, added that Sterling was selling CDs with the permission of the convenience store owner. 
 
Triple S store owner Abdullah Muflahi told The Advocate that he witnessed police retrieving a gun from Sterling&#39;s pocket after the shooting, although Sterling did not hold a weapon during the altercation. 
 
&quot;They were really aggressive with him from the start,&quot; Muflahi said about the police officers, adding that they were &quot;freaking out&quot; after the incident. 
 
Muflahi said he heard one of the officers say: &quot;Just leave him.&quot; 
 
Civil rights group Black Lives Matter, which was referenced by many protesters in Louisiana, tweeted: &quot;Enough is enough. #AltonSterling.&quot; 
 
African American civil rights leader Jesse Jackson also expressed outrage over the shooting today. 
 
&quot;The shooting of #AltonSterling in #BatonRouge is a legal lynching. Justice must prevail. #Outraged,&quot; Jackson wrote on Twitter. 
 
(AFP)

The shooting took place after police were tipped off by an anonymous caller saying they had been threatened by a man with a gun

Louisiana police have shot and killed a black man selling CDs outside a convenience store, triggering protests over the latest in a string of cases of alleged police brutality against black suspects. A video shot by a witness and circulated online showed two officers ordering a tall black man to the ground early Tuesday. As he remained standing, the officers wrestled him onto the roof of a car and then to the ground. While he was pinned down by the officers, one pulled a gun and shot him four times at close range. "They shot him? Oh my fucking goodness!" a witness can be heard as exclaiming in the background of the video. At least one woman can be heard wailing and repeating "Oh my God!" Police in the state's capital Baton Rouge identified the man as Alton Sterling, 37, saying two officers "made contact" with him in the parking lot of the convenience store. The shooting took place at 12:35 am (0435 GMT) Tuesday after police received a tip from an anonymous caller saying they had been threatened by a man with a gun, according to a police statement. "An altercation between Sterling and the officers ensued. Sterling was shot during the altercation and died at the scene," police said on Facebook. They said that in accordance with "standard procedure," the two officers involved in the shooting had been placed on administrative leave during the ongoing investigation. The East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner's Office said Sterling was killed by multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and back, WAFB television reported. News reports said the officers were wearing body cameras, which police said fell off during the confrontation. However, in addition to the witness video, the shooting was captured by the store's surveillance camera and at least one patrol car dashboard camera, state representative C. Denise Marcelle told news media after being briefed by the police chief. About 100 people, including friends and relatives of Sterling, protested outside the convenience store after shooting, some blocking roads, The Advocate newspaper reported. Holding up handmade signs, they chanted: "Black lives matter" and "Hands up, don't shoot." "Justice for Alton" and "Justice 4 CD Man" read some of the signs. "What I said to the (police) chief is he has to have transparency in this matter because as you can see, this is getting out of hand. People are clearly upset and they want transparency," Marcelle said. 'Legal lynching' Edmond Jordan, an attorney representing Sterling's family, said the shooting was completely unjustified. "That police officer fired two shots and he seemed to pause for a while and shot him two more times. I don't think any of those shots were justified, but I'm curious as to why he paused for such a long time and then fired two more times," he told CNN. Jordan, who is also a state legislator, added that Sterling was selling CDs with the permission of the convenience store owner. Triple S store owner Abdullah Muflahi told The Advocate that he witnessed police retrieving a gun from Sterling's pocket after the shooting, although Sterling did not hold a weapon during the altercation. "They were really aggressive with him from the start," Muflahi said about the police officers, adding that they were "freaking out" after the incident. Muflahi said he heard one of the officers say: "Just leave him." Civil rights group Black Lives Matter, which was referenced by many protesters in Louisiana, tweeted: "Enough is enough. #AltonSterling." African American civil rights leader Jesse Jackson also expressed outrage over the shooting today. "The shooting of #AltonSterling in #BatonRouge is a legal lynching. Justice must prevail. #Outraged," Jackson wrote on Twitter. (AFP)

Video shows Louisiana cops holding black man down, shooting him point-blank 4 times

Hundreds of people marched through Kenya&#39;s capital on Monday condemning &quot;extrajudicial executions&quot; following the murder of three men, including a lawyer who criticised police abuse. 
 
Dressed in T-shirts smeared in red paint to symbolise blood, the demonstration organised by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights called for investigations into the killings. Three police officers are in custody. 
 
The bodies of lawyer, Willie Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda and driver Joseph Muiruri, who disappeared on June 23, were found on Friday by a riverbank outside Nairobi. 
 
When the authorities found his body, Kimani&#39;s wrists were bound with rope, three of his fingers had been chopped off and his eyes appeared to have been gouged out. 
 
A joint statement by 34 Kenyan and international human rights organisations condemned the killings. 
 
&quot;These extrajudicial killings are a chilling reminder that the hard-won right to seek justice for human rights violations is under renewed attack,&quot; said Muthoni Wanyeki from Amnesty International. 
 
Law Society of Kenya chairman Isaac Okero rejected police claims of an &quot;isolated case involving a few rogue officers&quot; and demanded the government take action. 
 
&quot;Many, many Kenyans have gone missing, and this is a situation that is completely intolerable,&quot; Okero said. 
 
Kenya&#39;s police force has been accused in the past of running hit squads targetting those, including human rights activists and lawyers, investigating allegations of police rights abuses. 
 
&quot;Cases of police killings are emerging from many parts of the country each year,&quot; said Otsieno Namwaya, from Human Rights Watch. 
 
&quot;The government should urgently conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable and that these killings stop.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Human rights investigations are called for after lawyer who criticized police abuse was found dead, fingers chopped off and eyes gouged out

Hundreds of people marched through Kenya's capital on Monday condemning "extrajudicial executions" following the murder of three men, including a lawyer who criticised police abuse. Dressed in T-shirts smeared in red paint to symbolise blood, the demonstration organised by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights called for investigations into the killings. Three police officers are in custody. The bodies of lawyer, Willie Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda and driver Joseph Muiruri, who disappeared on June 23, were found on Friday by a riverbank outside Nairobi. When the authorities found his body, Kimani's wrists were bound with rope, three of his fingers had been chopped off and his eyes appeared to have been gouged out. A joint statement by 34 Kenyan and international human rights organisations condemned the killings. "These extrajudicial killings are a chilling reminder that the hard-won right to seek justice for human rights violations is under renewed attack," said Muthoni Wanyeki from Amnesty International. Law Society of Kenya chairman Isaac Okero rejected police claims of an "isolated case involving a few rogue officers" and demanded the government take action. "Many, many Kenyans have gone missing, and this is a situation that is completely intolerable," Okero said. Kenya's police force has been accused in the past of running hit squads targetting those, including human rights activists and lawyers, investigating allegations of police rights abuses. "Cases of police killings are emerging from many parts of the country each year," said Otsieno Namwaya, from Human Rights Watch. "The government should urgently conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable and that these killings stop." (AFP)

Hundreds protest over lawyer's gruesome murder in Kenya

A protest by Zimbabwean taxi drivers against a police crackdown turned violent on Monday when residents joined in and hurled rocks at police, who fired teargas to disperse the rioters. 
 
In the last month, Zimbabwe has witnessed spontaneous protests against government corruption, shortages of money and government plans to circulate local bank notes as the southern African nation struggles with a drought and a slowing economy. 
 
Zimbabwean taxi drivers, along with owners of taxi firms, accuse police of seeking to raise money for their operations by imposing hefty fines on their vehicles, which they say impacts on their business. 
 
Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba told reporters that anti-riot police had deployed in two townships outside Harare and arrested 30 people in connection with the violence. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Police brutality in Harare. Door to door tactic has been adopted now <a href="https://t.co/oX2ho8st8a">pic.twitter.com/oX2ho8st8a</a>
&mdash; Itai Pfungwadzapera (@itaipfungwa1987) <a href="https://twitter.com/itaipfungwa1987/status/749952447444025344">July 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> 
 
Charamba said &quot;all those who are inciting and engaging in violence that such misconduct will be severely dealt with&quot;. 
 
A Reuters witness said taxi operators teamed up with residents in Epworth township, south of central Harare, to attack police with stones. Police fired teargas, beat up protesters and broke down doors at some houses, saying they were looking for organisers of the protest. 
 
In Mabvuku township, to the east of the capital, police fired teargas as taxi operators blocked roads with stones and burning tyres, taxi driver Aaron Mapani said. 
 
Monday&#39;s clashes come days after residents protested in the border town of Beitbridge, 600 kilometres south of the capital Harare, last Friday against restrictions on imports of basic goods from South Africa. 
 
(Reuters)

Police fired teargas, beat up protesters and broke down doors at some houses, saying they were looking for organisers of the protest

A protest by Zimbabwean taxi drivers against a police crackdown turned violent on Monday when residents joined in and hurled rocks at police, who fired teargas to disperse the rioters. In the last month, Zimbabwe has witnessed spontaneous protests against government corruption, shortages of money and government plans to circulate local bank notes as the southern African nation struggles with a drought and a slowing economy. Zimbabwean taxi drivers, along with owners of taxi firms, accuse police of seeking to raise money for their operations by imposing hefty fines on their vehicles, which they say impacts on their business. Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba told reporters that anti-riot police had deployed in two townships outside Harare and arrested 30 people in connection with the violence. Police brutality in Harare. Door to door tactic has been adopted now pic.twitter.com/oX2ho8st8a — Itai Pfungwadzapera (@itaipfungwa1987) July 4, 2016 Charamba said "all those who are inciting and engaging in violence that such misconduct will be severely dealt with". A Reuters witness said taxi operators teamed up with residents in Epworth township, south of central Harare, to attack police with stones. Police fired teargas, beat up protesters and broke down doors at some houses, saying they were looking for organisers of the protest. In Mabvuku township, to the east of the capital, police fired teargas as taxi operators blocked roads with stones and burning tyres, taxi driver Aaron Mapani said. Monday's clashes come days after residents protested in the border town of Beitbridge, 600 kilometres south of the capital Harare, last Friday against restrictions on imports of basic goods from South Africa. (Reuters)

Zimbabwe protests turn violent as taxi drivers and citizens face off against cops

Yang&nbsp;Jianli&nbsp;is a Harvard fellow and president of the Washington-based&nbsp;Initiatives for China.&nbsp;Yang, who is a Chinese citizen with permanent resident status in the United States, was part of the 1989 pro-democracy Tiananmen Square protests. The protests were student-led, but had massive support from citizens. The protesters occupied Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing for seven weeks until the government ordered a military crackdown on June 4.&nbsp;Martial law had been imposed earlier. Tanks and soldiers armed with assault rifles marched on the protesters. When the protesters tried to stop their advance, the soldiers opened fire. Estimates vary, but between hundreds and thousands of people were killed in what came to be known as the Tiananmen Square massacre.&nbsp;Yang tells&nbsp;Ramesh Ramachandran&nbsp;that a repeat of 1989&nbsp;is probable should public disenchantment with the Chinese government&#39;s policies grow.&nbsp;Edited excerpts from an interview:&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
((use photo of Tiananmen Square massacre victims here; Getty has good photos))&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

What is your take on contemporary India&ndash;China relations? Does India&#39;s China policy satisfy you?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

I can&#39;t say I am very happy with it, but I understand the concerns of the Indian government about its territorial dispute with China&nbsp;and the threat of terrorism from Pakistan, which has a good relationship with China. India is a large democracy and a&nbsp;neighbour&nbsp;of China. I wish and hope that India will take a more proactive role in propagating the ideas of universal values such as democracy to China and also be more forthcoming in supporting us when it comes to visas.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

What is your position on Tibet?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Historically and contemporarily the situation in Tibet is very complex. Three principles guide us to work with Tibet:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* First, respect for the Tibetans&#39; right to self-determination and that the future of Tibet should be decided by the Tibetans themselves.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* Second, we should be united to change China.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* Third, we should achieve our goal with non-violence.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Arab Spring happened in 2011. Similarly, we have seen people&#39;s movements in Hong Kong (the Umbrella Movement) and Taiwan (the Sunflower Student Movement) in 2014. You&nbsp;participated in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Do you think a Chinese Spring is probable?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

It is, of course, probable. Ever since the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and the collapse of the erstwhile USSR, it has never been far from the Chinese leaders&#39; minds. They have learnt from the experiences of dictators, be they Right wing or Left wing, to prevent people from coming together, to control society. With such high degree of control in China, people may not be able to do much, but I don&#39;t think they will continue this way for very long. Social unrest, people&#39;s resentment against the government, sickening pollution, glaring corruption, public disgust with information control, blatantly unjust detentions... all these things I think will get people to try to do something, to demand change. Eventually I don&#39;t think the Chinese government will be able to control such a society forever.&nbsp;So&nbsp;(a repeat of)&nbsp;1989 is very possible.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Did the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 add to your disillusionment with the government of the day?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

I was already disenchanted with the regime and the Communist party before the students&#39; movement broke out in the spring of 1989.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/0lGyZpbA_tY&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;

How do you view the intersection of the foreign policies of India and the US vis-a-vis China?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Indian government is leaning towards the US more than before. It is a good sign. The US is reflecting on its decades-old China policy. China might be the second largest economy in the world, but in terms of democracy it remains at the bottom. The US thought trade with China will bring about prosperity and democracy, but it did not happen. What went wrong? Decades of economic prosperity saw the Chinese middle class join the ruling elite class, but the economic and political elites are beginning to turn their back on President Xi Jinping. I think in five or 10 years China must have some big opportunity to change and I really hope that India, the US, and other democracies will not lose the opportunity to help the Chinese people to change China. When China becomes democratic, its government will become more responsible, more predictable. Therefore in terms of security a lot of countries such as India, the US, Japan, and the Philippines will become better off for sure.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<div class="row">
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<h5>?Social unrest, people&#39;s resentment against the government, sickening pollution, glaring corruption, public disgust with information control, blatantly unjust detentions... all these things I think will get people to try to do something, to demand change. Eventually I don&#39;t think the Chinese Government will be able to control such a society for ever, not for a long time. So 1989 is very possible.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a against="" class="twitter popup" government="" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=?Social unrest, people" resentment="" s="" the="">&nbsp;</a></div>
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</div>

How are contemporary domestic politics affecting the power dynamic in China?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

A personality cult around President Xi has met with strong resistance within the party. His days will not be so easy. Four factors need to be present at the same time for real change in China:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* A&nbsp;general dissatisfaction with the government&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* A&nbsp;viable democratic opposition&nbsp;which is not yet there&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* A&nbsp;power struggle or cracks within the leadership (cracks will not be meaningful until some factions have different political views from others),&nbsp;and&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* International recognition and support for the movement for change when it happens&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

We had almost achieved a revolution in 1989,&nbsp;but the international community did not&nbsp;recognise&nbsp;or intervene or give support to it.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

How do you see the US-China relationship evolving under the next US President?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Republican or Democrat, the US can be expected to have a different foreign policy towards China. Whoever wins, the US will take a stronger position on security, trade and human rights.&nbsp;Compartmentalisation&nbsp;of policies did not work in the interest of the US. There is a need for an integrated approach.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

In April&nbsp;you&nbsp;organised&nbsp;the&nbsp;InterEthnic&nbsp;InterFaith&nbsp;Leadership Conference at&nbsp;McLeodganj,&nbsp;India &ndash; the home of the Dalai Lama&nbsp;--&nbsp;to which members of China&#39;s ethnic and religious minorities were invited. A few days before the conference, the visas of a few participants&nbsp;whom China sees as separatists&nbsp;were revoked. It is thought India cancelled the visas under Chinese pressure.&nbsp;How do you view India&#39;s refusal or cancellation of visas to people like&nbsp;Dolkun&nbsp;Isa, chairman of the executive committee of the World Uyghur Congress?&nbsp;

I am disappointed, but I understand that India is trying to find a balance between Chinese pressure and hosting the conference. One can&#39;t overlook the fact that India allowed the conference to be held without any incident. The criticism that the Modi government is weak is not fair. Policy-makers and the Modi government understand that advancing human rights and democracy in China is in the national interest of India.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

China calls&nbsp;Dolkun&nbsp;Isa a terrorist.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dolkun&nbsp;Isa is a peaceful person. He is not a terrorist. He is a citizen of Germany, which is a strong democracy. He travels freely to many countries, including the US. Any country can send a list (of persons it designates as terrorists) to Interpol but it does not mean that every country should accept it. India reacted to pressure from China which is understandable,&nbsp;but perhaps it overreacted. However, in the end, India allowed us to hold the conference which is very positive. We don&#39;t accept violence in any form. Some Uyghurs may have engaged in some kind of violent attacks, but those Uyghurs we work with are peaceful. We try to engage with some young people who have not abandoned violence. For example, some student leaders from Hong Kong were invited to the conference and spoken to about the principles of non-violence.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

1989 may repeat if disenchantment with government policies grows in China, feels?Yang Jianli, president of Initiatives for China. Yang was a part of the pro-democracy protests and now lives in the US. He spoke to Ramesh Ramachandran.

Yang Jianli is a Harvard fellow and president of the Washington-based Initiatives for China. Yang, who is a Chinese citizen with permanent resident status in the United States, was part of the 1989 pro-democracy Tiananmen Square protests. The protests were student-led, but had massive support from citizens. The protesters occupied Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing for seven weeks until the government ordered a military crackdown on June 4. Martial law had been imposed earlier. Tanks and soldiers armed with assault rifles marched on the protesters. When the protesters tried to stop their advance, the soldiers opened fire. Estimates vary, but between hundreds and thousands of people were killed in what came to be known as the Tiananmen Square massacre. Yang tells Ramesh Ramachandran that a repeat of 1989 is probable should public disenchantment with the Chinese government's policies grow. Edited excerpts from an interview: ((use photo of Tiananmen Square massacre victims here; Getty has good photos)) What is your take on contemporary India–China relations? Does India's China policy satisfy you? I can't say I am very happy with it, but I understand the concerns of the Indian government about its territorial dispute with China and the threat of terrorism from Pakistan, which has a good relationship with China. India is a large democracy and a neighbour of China. I wish and hope that India will take a more proactive role in propagating the ideas of universal values such as democracy to China and also be more forthcoming in supporting us when it comes to visas. What is your position on Tibet? Historically and contemporarily the situation in Tibet is very complex. Three principles guide us to work with Tibet: * First, respect for the Tibetans' right to self-determination and that the future of Tibet should be decided by the Tibetans themselves. * Second, we should be united to change China. * Third, we should achieve our goal with non-violence. The Arab Spring happened in 2011. Similarly, we have seen people's movements in Hong Kong (the Umbrella Movement) and Taiwan (the Sunflower Student Movement) in 2014. You participated in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Do you think a Chinese Spring is probable? It is, of course, probable. Ever since the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and the collapse of the erstwhile USSR, it has never been far from the Chinese leaders' minds. They have learnt from the experiences of dictators, be they Right wing or Left wing, to prevent people from coming together, to control society. With such high degree of control in China, people may not be able to do much, but I don't think they will continue this way for very long. Social unrest, people's resentment against the government, sickening pollution, glaring corruption, public disgust with information control, blatantly unjust detentions... all these things I think will get people to try to do something, to demand change. Eventually I don't think the Chinese government will be able to control such a society forever. So (a repeat of) 1989 is very possible. Did the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 add to your disillusionment with the government of the day? I was already disenchanted with the regime and the Communist party before the students' movement broke out in the spring of 1989. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0lGyZpbA_tY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> How do you view the intersection of the foreign policies of India and the US vis-a-vis China? The Indian government is leaning towards the US more than before. It is a good sign. The US is reflecting on its decades-old China policy. China might be the second largest economy in the world, but in terms of democracy it remains at the bottom. The US thought trade with China will bring about prosperity and democracy, but it did not happen. What went wrong? Decades of economic prosperity saw the Chinese middle class join the ruling elite class, but the economic and political elites are beginning to turn their back on President Xi Jinping. I think in five or 10 years China must have some big opportunity to change and I really hope that India, the US, and other democracies will not lose the opportunity to help the Chinese people to change China. When China becomes democratic, its government will become more responsible, more predictable. Therefore in terms of security a lot of countries such as India, the US, Japan, and the Philippines will become better off for sure. ?Social unrest, people's resentment against the government, sickening pollution, glaring corruption, public disgust with information control, blatantly unjust detentions... all these things I think will get people to try to do something, to demand change. Eventually I don't think the Chinese Government will be able to control such a society for ever, not for a long time. So 1989 is very possible. How are contemporary domestic politics affecting the power dynamic in China? A personality cult around President Xi has met with strong resistance within the party. His days will not be so easy. Four factors need to be present at the same time for real change in China: * A general dissatisfaction with the government * A viable democratic opposition which is not yet there * A power struggle or cracks within the leadership (cracks will not be meaningful until some factions have different political views from others), and * International recognition and support for the movement for change when it happens We had almost achieved a revolution in 1989, but the international community did not recognise or intervene or give support to it. How do you see the US-China relationship evolving under the next US President? Republican or Democrat, the US can be expected to have a different foreign policy towards China. Whoever wins, the US will take a stronger position on security, trade and human rights. Compartmentalisation of policies did not work in the interest of the US. There is a need for an integrated approach. In April you organised the InterEthnic InterFaith Leadership Conference at McLeodganj, India – the home of the Dalai Lama -- to which members of China's ethnic and religious minorities were invited. A few days before the conference, the visas of a few participants whom China sees as separatists were revoked. It is thought India cancelled the visas under Chinese pressure. How do you view India's refusal or cancellation of visas to people like Dolkun Isa, chairman of the executive committee of the World Uyghur Congress? I am disappointed, but I understand that India is trying to find a balance between Chinese pressure and hosting the conference. One can't overlook the fact that India allowed the conference to be held without any incident. The criticism that the Modi government is weak is not fair. Policy-makers and the Modi government understand that advancing human rights and democracy in China is in the national interest of India. China calls Dolkun Isa a terrorist. Dolkun Isa is a peaceful person. He is not a terrorist. He is a citizen of Germany, which is a strong democracy. He travels freely to many countries, including the US. Any country can send a list (of persons it designates as terrorists) to Interpol but it does not mean that every country should accept it. India reacted to pressure from China which is understandable, but perhaps it overreacted. However, in the end, India allowed us to hold the conference which is very positive. We don't accept violence in any form. Some Uyghurs may have engaged in some kind of violent attacks, but those Uyghurs we work with are peaceful. We try to engage with some young people who have not abandoned violence. For example, some student leaders from Hong Kong were invited to the conference and spoken to about the principles of non-violence.

Tiananmen Square-like protests may repeat if things don?t change, says Chinese dissident Yang Jianli

Indonesia today briefly detained more than 1,000 pro-independence demonstrators in its eastern province of Papua, ahead of a visit by chief security minister to look into claims of human rights violations. 
 
Papua has been gripped by a long-running and often violent separatist conflict since it was incorporated into Indonesia after a widely-criticised UN-backed referendum in 1969. Dutch colonial rule ended in 1963. 
 
Security forces still maintain a strong presence and are often seen as taking a heavy-handed approach to peaceful demonstrations, activists say. 
 
The protesters took to the streets in Sentani, near Papua&#39;s provincial capital, to demand that an independent body conduct human rights investigations rather than the Indonesian government. They were detained for protesting without a permit. 
 
&quot;We localised them so their movements were limited,&quot; said Papua police spokesman Patridge Renwarin. &quot;We did not arrest anyone.&quot; 
 
The police action was backed by Atmadji Sumarkdijo, an aide of chief security minister Luhut Pandjaitan, who is set to visit the province on Thursday. 
 
Asked about the police response at a time when President Joko Widodo wants to reduce tension in the region, Sumarkdijo said, &quot;It doesn&#39;t mean you can do anything you want. Rallies need police permits.&quot; 
 
The protesters also called for an internationally monitored referendum for independence. 
 
Widodo faces an uphill battle in attaining his key goal of easing the tension in Papua, aimed at through measures such as stepping up investment, freeing political prisoners, and resolving cases of human rights violations. 
 
Although there were no reports of violence, activists fear growing numbers of detentions over the last six weeks could change the picture. 
 
&quot;Tensions are getting high now,&quot; said Veronic Koman, a lawyer for the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, which focuses on Papuan issues. &quot;More police are arresting them and more of them are fighting back.&quot; 
 
Last month, more than 2,000 Papuan activists were detained on the anniversary of Dutch New Guinea&#39;s 1963 integration into Indonesia. 
 
Papua province and West Papua make up the western half of an island north of Australia, with independent Papua New Guinea to the east. 
(Reuters)

Protests need permits, says aide of chief security minister, who backed the police action

Indonesia today briefly detained more than 1,000 pro-independence demonstrators in its eastern province of Papua, ahead of a visit by chief security minister to look into claims of human rights violations. Papua has been gripped by a long-running and often violent separatist conflict since it was incorporated into Indonesia after a widely-criticised UN-backed referendum in 1969. Dutch colonial rule ended in 1963. Security forces still maintain a strong presence and are often seen as taking a heavy-handed approach to peaceful demonstrations, activists say. The protesters took to the streets in Sentani, near Papua's provincial capital, to demand that an independent body conduct human rights investigations rather than the Indonesian government. They were detained for protesting without a permit. "We localised them so their movements were limited," said Papua police spokesman Patridge Renwarin. "We did not arrest anyone." The police action was backed by Atmadji Sumarkdijo, an aide of chief security minister Luhut Pandjaitan, who is set to visit the province on Thursday. Asked about the police response at a time when President Joko Widodo wants to reduce tension in the region, Sumarkdijo said, "It doesn't mean you can do anything you want. Rallies need police permits." The protesters also called for an internationally monitored referendum for independence. Widodo faces an uphill battle in attaining his key goal of easing the tension in Papua, aimed at through measures such as stepping up investment, freeing political prisoners, and resolving cases of human rights violations. Although there were no reports of violence, activists fear growing numbers of detentions over the last six weeks could change the picture. "Tensions are getting high now," said Veronic Koman, a lawyer for the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, which focuses on Papuan issues. "More police are arresting them and more of them are fighting back." Last month, more than 2,000 Papuan activists were detained on the anniversary of Dutch New Guinea's 1963 integration into Indonesia. Papua province and West Papua make up the western half of an island north of Australia, with independent Papua New Guinea to the east. (Reuters)

Indonesia detains 1,000 pro-independence protesters before visit by minister looking into human rights violations

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