Protesters at London’s Democracy Village have lost their appeal against eviction from Parliament Square. Index witnessed their response to their last eviction deadline and watched events unfold
Parliament Square came to a standstill on 2 July, after the citizens of Democracy Village stopped traffic for over an hour in protest against the eviction notice served upon them. The motley crew of demonstrators, ranging from an eccentric retired university professor, someone resembling a Disney princess from your worst nightmares and a bit of everything in between, have been camped outside Parliament since May but now face eviction following an unsuccessful court appeal. What started as a rather subdued gathering on Parliament Square, progressed to an impromptu street sit in, attempts to climb Parliament’s gates and finally a march up to Downing Street…
The Scottish local authority, Dumfries and Galloway Council, has blocked access to the Scottish News of the World website. The council has setup a filter which prevents employees accessing the website. Elaine Murray, a member of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, claims that council chiefs are attempting to stop employees using the website as a source to substantiate smear campaigns against political opponents. Critics claim that the decision to block the website was due to the newspaper’s investigation into the council scandal. A spokesman for the council involved stated that access to the website is restricted due to bandwith issues.
A court in Kuwait City has acquitted a journalist prosecuted for insulting Kuwait’s Prime Minister. Journalist Mohammed Abdel Qader Al-Jassem and activist Khaled Al-Fadala, had their charges dropped on 12 July . Al-Jassem was accused of libelling the prime minister on a talk show entitled “Who is to blame, the government or the parliament?”. Al-Fadala’s case was initiated following an official complaint from the prime minister following the activist’s claim that the prime minister was an “enemy of freedom of expression” in Kuwait. Al-Jassem was jailed after he was convicted of slander in April 2010 in a separate case.
The Sun Behind the Clouds
Ritu Sarin/Tenzing Sonam I UK/India 2009 79 mins
Tue 20 July @ 7pm, Free Word Centre, London EC1R 3GA
After an amazing international film festival run, including Palm Springs International Film Festival in January 2010 where the film was the centre of a controversy instigated by the Chinese Government, The Sun Behind the Clouds presents a timely account of the reality of the Tibet struggle today.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Sun Shuyun Senior Adviser on China for the Institute of Strategic Dialogue, and Tsering Topgyal, Tibetan academic working in the field of international relations.
Official selections – DMZ Korean International Documentary Film
Festival 2009, Human Rights Watch International Film Festival 2010
Winner – Václav Havel Award, One World International Human Rights
Documentary Film Festival 2010
Venue: Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Rd, London EC1R 3GA
tel: 020 7324 2570 / [email protected]
tickets on door: £5 full / £4 conc
