Anti Lock Down Protests and Bristol
In several European Cities there were anti lock down protests and police arrested those who wouldn’t obey orders to go home. In London large numbers of police deployed to move crowds past Hyde Park, to St. Pauls and onto Westminster.
Then overnight in Bristol it was a riot by about 5000 people who protested a new proposed law that will further restrict rights to protests in the UK. And that riot included burning police vehicles and violent confrontations with police. A number of police were injured in the ‘Kill The Bill Demo’.
There is growing debate in British Parliament about the criminalization of protesters by police in a country where being able to demonstrate is deemed a fundamental right, but in Covid the ability to congregate violates social distancing rules and police have aggressively enforced the law.
That included last weeks scandalous arrests of women who attended a vigil for a murdered woman, killed by a policeman. But these anti lockdown protesters have been physically aggressive and resulted in dozens of arrests after police were pelted with bottles. The anti lockdown demos also draw anti vaccine supporters and anti police movements. It seems to be a growing cocktail of violence.
Meantime, there were similar anti lockdown scenes in the German City of Kassel, Helsinki Finland, Bucharest Romania, Vienna Austria, and near Basel Switzerland. In most cases the demos numbered in the hundreds or several thousand at most and focused on messages opposing vaccines.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/03/21/anti-lockdown-protest-30-arrested-london-rally-turns-violent/
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20210321-anti-lockdown-protests-erupt-across-europe-as-tempers-fray-over-tightening-restrictions
Miami Violence
Several police were injured and dozens of protesters arrested at Spring party street party’s in Miami over the weekend. Police broke up crowds in the hundreds who had blocked streets and refused to obey orders to leave. The mayor declared an emergency and ordered Authorities to enforce an 8 p.m. curfew each night beginning Saturday, and major roads into the city will close from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tourists are not being asked to stay at their hotels after hours.
Did the Republican Governor Ron DeSantis not see this coming as he flouted sensible mask wearing guidelines and announced Florida was staying open despite surging Covid cases? Even attempts to keep businesses open, are lost on tourists who see the sunshine state as a party destination. And of course there is a difference between locals who may attend an outdoor seating area at a restaurant or use the beach, vs hundreds of party goers who come into the state and feel immune to Covid for the sake of a good time.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/miami-beach-freaks-out-over-massive-spring-break-crowds-declares-state-of-emergency/ar-BB1eNmHe?ocid=uxbndlbing
Vaccine War
The European Union and Britain appear to be heading for a vaccine war, after Astra Zeneca which largely manufactures in Europe, but was funded in part with British Government money from Oxford, failed to deliver on its contracts to Europe. And now the head of the EU, speaking to a group of German newspapers this weekend, warned exports of vaccines to Britain could be blocked and soon. Ursula Von der Leyen said: “We have the possibility to forbid planned exports” and that threat was also echoed and supported by the French.
British P.M. Johnson says he will phone European leaders today to avoid an export ban. So much for Britains Brexit, which while being touted for early vaccine contracts, will not play out well in a trade war with the EU. The dispute is EU contracts with Astra Zeneca vs. British contracts with Astra.
If Europe stops the exports of vaccines to Britain, that will force a 2 month vaccine delay in the UK. All this over a vaccine France and Germany didn’t want last week and suspended because of unfounded concerns of blood clots!
Only 12% of people in France, Germany and Italy have been vaccinated so far, and many European countries are in lockdown again. British newspapers are dubbing it ‘a vaccine war’ and ‘vaccine blockade’ which will unfold this week when the EU meets to discuss the vaccines rollout. Britain is bragging it has now vaccinated half of all adults in the UK, but in fact it has only given the first dose in most cases, so those vaccinated amount to about 3% and only 38% have the first dose.
Read this twitter threat by a UK epidemiologist and it will open your eyes to the fact vaccines are only part of the battle in defeating a virus that could be with us for years!
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/ursula-von-der-leyen-astrazeneca-vaccine-blockade-brussels-b925358.html
I spoke to a London ICU Doctor this weekend who spoke to me about her experience in the Covid surge during late December and early Jan. It’s important perspective considering the English variant is now spreading through Europe.
She said the moment was unlike earlier lockdowns in The UK. The ICU beds were simply overflowing and Doctors were having to make agonizing decisions about who would live and who would die based on long term prospects of health, not based on age but survivability. It was done by a committee of doctors and nurses and on some shifts she witnessed a dozen deaths. Chance of surviving even after being admitted to an ICU bed was at best 50% and her anger was hard to contain she said, after leaving the hospital and seeing people refusing to social distance or wear masks.
Wear your mask! This is not over because of a vaccine.
Canada and Global Warming
Is there still a debate? Really? In Canada which has witnessed melting northern ice sheets, displaced wildlife like polar bears, the increased threat of forest fires, dwindling migratory fish stocks off Nova Scotia, there is some kind of illusionary play in the ‘hope to come to power’ Conservative party which over the weekend voted not to recognize global warming at its party convention rejecting the resolution “We recognize that climate change is real. The Conservative Party is willing to act.”
The delegates voted it down by 54% likely, because it also contained the idea highly polluting businesses needed to lower emissions and that was rejected by Ontario and Western Provinces which support oil and gas extraction and those industries are traditionally the bastion of fighting green house gas emission efforts.
The Conservative Party must be living on another planet because their aging electorate won’t win elections for them, and young people won’t support a party that isn’t on the forefront of fighting for climate change. Young Canadians see environmental issues high on their list of concerns. The Canadian Tory Party is dinosaur with the recording of that vote against recognition of climate change with a dwindling electorate for good reason.
https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/otoole-declares-the-debate-is-over-on-climate-change-but-his-partys-grassroots-disagree
Australia
Meantime in Australia the worst severe weather in 100 years say authorities with the worst flooding in Sydney and many other areas facing wide spread damage. 18000 people evacuated so far and as many as 54000 may be displaced.
Sydney’s main water source, the Warragamba dam, started spilling over on Saturday afternoon, which has caused river levels to rise along the Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers, and the rain is expected to continue through Wednesday.
https://7news.com.au/weather/sydney-weather/another-4000-people-may-be-forced-to-evacuate-as-nsw-faces-a-one-in-50-year-event-c-2400158
https://news.sky.com/story/australia-flash-floods-18000-evacuated-and-hundreds-rescued-as-floodwaters-cut-off-communities-12253290
Afghanistan
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a surprise visit to Afghanistan Sunday, as the remaining 2700 American forces in that country are due to leave May 1. How can they? Levels of violence, as in attacks and assassinations by the Taliban and Al Qaeda and ISIS are at record levels. After hundreds of millions of dollars in trying to standup an independent Government in Afghanistan, and nearly 2 decades of war, should the U.S. just leave?
Before you say yes, imagine what can happen in Central Asia if the U.S. just pulls and runs like they did in Iraq. Afghanistan is a breeding ground for extremism, and in 2001 was the launch pad for 9/11 attacks. It’s not just U.S. forces on the ground, but also NATO Countries who came to America’s aid.
In October on Back Story with Dana Lewis podcast The Former Canadian Ambassador to Afghanistan Chris Alexander said there is no point in talking to The Taliban. The only way to peace are sanctions on Pakistan which directs the violence.
While Afghan Ambassador to The UK, Said Tayeb Jawad, says The Afghan Government has to talk to The Taliban, but the violence has to stop, and The Taliban has to cut ties with Al Qaeda. So far it has not. And in the meantime U.S. Forces should remain in Afghanistan so it doesn't return to what it was in 9-11, a launch pad for terrorism.
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So much more news I could write about today but I know you have busy Mondays!
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Thanks!
Dana