In Latakia, warships and tanks open fire killing at least 21 civilians and injuring many others in two residential districts of its city. Article describing carnage
Activists and the Local Co-ordination Committee (LCC) have reported this assault continuing into Sunday, with a curfew ordered on the residents. Information is sketchy and at times hard to verify because Syrian authorities have expelled most independent journalists since the five-month-old uprising against Assad began.
A local resident reported to Reuters news service, "I can see the silhouettes of two grey vessels. They are firing their guns and the impact is landing on al-Ramel al-Filistini and al-Shaab neighbourhoods."
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets this weekend across the country in fresh protests against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. This video shows some of the protests.
Israel
The effects of Israel's recent economic "Boom" for some, seems not to be benefiting the middle and lower clases, so say the protestors that have held demonstrations all over the country in recent months.
Newspapers said these are some of the largest nationwide protests ever seen in Israel over social issues.
Over 20 thousand protestors turned up at Be’er Sheva, but so wide spread is the discontent, that many more were expected to show. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday pledged to establish a task force to examine economic reforms and hear the demands of the protesters.
25,000 demonstrators arrived for a downtown protest in Haifa, that historically already had a strong workers movement.
China
12,000 residents took part in a protest against possible local pollution from recent storm damage to a local factory in the north-eastern Chinese city of Dalian. Some of the protesters marched across the city chanting slogans and waving banners in what is called a "group stroll." Chinese protesters use the tactic of "Group strolls" to circumvent rules against demontrating discontent with the government.
The protesters successfully got their demands met when Officials ordered the plant's closure "immediately" and pledged to relocate it, state news agency Xinhua said.
Egypt
Egypt deploys thousands of troops and tanks in Sinai, in coordination with Israel on Friday.
Prosecutors briefly detained 26-year-old activist and blogger Asmaa Mahfouz on Sunday for writing "If the judiciary doesn't give us our rights, nobody should be surprised if militant groups appear and conduct a series of assassinations because there is no law and there is no judiciary," on Facebook.
Yemen
Reports of 20 people killed in Yemen fighting today in and around Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province.
United States
San Francisco's BART transist system is bracing for a pre-planned rush hour protest on Monday August 15, by the activist group Anonymous. Numerous posts have been circulated about a general law against demonstrating or provaction verbally of protesting by BART that is sure to stage a rather difficult conflict of interest.
King Abdullah II has responded to protester's demands by supporting proposals for constitutional reforms. Plans to enhance civil liberties and share powers by decentralizing some to parliament was announced Sunday August 14th.
Activists have rejected the proposals and protests continue outside of the Jordanian capital in Karak, where 4 were injured while meeting up with government loyalists.
Iran
Around 200 Iranian students held a demonstration outside the British embassy in Tehran on Sunday to protest the “savage” police treatment of people involved in street unrest in London last week.
Tunisia
Around 1,000 women’s rights supporters rallied in Tunis on Saturday on the anniversary of a key equal rights bill amid fears gender equality may suffer if political Islam rises in post-revolution Tunisia."
Submitted by Paul Repstock on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 16:42.
>"It is very difficult for me not to feel empathy towards the protesters, since also I am a protester against the same illegitimate entity. Yet, I also know the people on the street too well to let them escape this article with a good word. I have a few questions for them.
Fellow Tel Aviv denizens (I used to live on HaTkuma Street in Jaffa), you claim your houses are too expensive. You are right. But, you are well aware that the vast majority of these houses were built by underpaid Palestinians. Why didn’t you protest for the inhuman way your neighbors were treated by the construction companies? Your humanity is measured by the treatment you give to others; being kind just to your family is a form of racism.
Fellow Tel Aviv denizens, you claim your food is too expensive. Where were you when the IDF confiscated countless houses and fields from Palestinians, who were left with no means for generating food? I’ll tell you where you were: blockading the entrance of international humanitarian help to your victims. Do you understand what does this turn you into? “Miflatzot” is Hebrew for “monsters.”
Justice for only some is no justice at all.
>"It is very difficult for me not to feel empathy towards the protesters, since also I am a protester against the same illegitimate entity. Yet, I also know the people on the street too well to let them escape this article with a good word. I have a few questions for them.
Fellow Tel Aviv denizens (I used to live on HaTkuma Street in Jaffa), you claim your houses are too expensive. You are right. But, you are well aware that the vast majority of these houses were built by underpaid Palestinians. Why didn’t you protest for the inhuman way your neighbors were treated by the construction companies? Your humanity is measured by the treatment you give to others; being kind just to your family is a form of racism.
Fellow Tel Aviv denizens, you claim your food is too expensive. Where were you when the IDF confiscated countless houses and fields from Palestinians, who were left with no means for generating food? I’ll tell you where you were: blockading the entrance of international humanitarian help to your victims. Do you understand what does this turn you into? “Miflatzot” is Hebrew for “monsters.”
http://www.roytov.com/articles/telavivprotestsaugust2011.htm