The Million Mask March - London

Last night several thousand protesters gathered in Central London in a march organised by the web-based group "Anonymous". 

Though seen as a "Hacktivist" and Anarchist movement, the main theme of the protest was anti-Austerity, and more generally, anti-Conservative governance. 

Below is a collection of footage that I shot last night, without commentary. I have written a short description of events that my film shows, below the clip.  

The night started calmly. At 6pm, there was a sizeable, though not extraordinary gathering at Trafalgar Square. The mood was calm, but ominous warnings from the Police hinted at what was to come. 

Across the walls of the National Gallery, a laser was repeating the warning that protesters must take off their masks if asked to by a police officer, and that do not do so was an arrestable offence.

The police themselves were clearly ready for trouble, as they were all wearing body armour, and carrying their riot helmets on their belts. 

As the march got under way, the police guarded some obvious spots. Most noticeably, 10 Downing Street, where a large barricade was in place, and supported by a number of officers. Though the voices in the crowd were louder and angrier at this point, it was still calm. 

However, as the group moved to Westminster Square, they turned away from the organised route, and Police had to run to cut them off to the north. 

As more officers moved in, transported in many speeding vans, a 'frontline' of sorts was again set up, this time supported by officer mounted on horseback. 

However, these horses was justifiably 'spooked' by fireworks and firecrackers set off and thrown by protesters, and they pulled back after several near-misses. 

They were replaced by yet more police, moving in formation reminiscent of Roman Legionnaires.

As would quickly become a theme of this protest, the crowd then moved again, this time towards Westminster Bridge, where more fireworks were set off, and joined by smoke-bombs and flares in front of the Houses of Parliament. 

The hydra-like protest continued to move, and although New Scotland Yard was seemingly unprotected, it was largely ignored. 

Instead, Buckingham Palace was soon surrounded by the masked masses, and again, hundreds of police. 

This time, the mounted police did not retreat so easily, though that decision was surely rued in de-briefings, as one mount threw off his rider (the officer reportedly broke his wrist in the incident), and ran around the Victoria Memorial alone in one of the night's more surreal moments. 

Cones and other missiles continued to be thrown, even as some of the crowd shouted to "Leave the horses alone". 

After several marches up and down the Mall, the protest made its way back to Trafalgar, where scuffles broke out as the police tried to contain the much diminished group. One woman was hurt, and treated at the scene by a police medic. 

The crowd then moved towards the National Gallery, but were contained as they tried to move to Leicester Square, and the police effectively kettled them on the steps of St Martin-in-the-Fields. 

More arrests were made on Charing Cross Road, and some agitators attempted to stop police vans driving away, but ultimately failed. 

By around 11:15pm, the police heavily outnumbered the 'Anonymous' crowds, and corralled those remaining off the steps of the church, and into the square again, where although some arrests continued, events died down. 

The Metropolitan Police arrested around 50 people, mainly for Public Order offences. 3 Police officers were hurt, and taken to hospital.   

British Egyptians Protest el-Sisi Visit at Downing St

 

Last night, Egyptian activists, alongside British anti-War demonstrators protested against Prime Minister Cameron's meeting with  Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

They argued that this meeting gave legitimacy to what they see as an illegal government.
el-Sisi came to power as part of a military coup d'etat which overthrew the first democratically elected President in Egypt's history, Mohammed Morsi.

Protestors listen to speaks outside 10 Downing St

Placards showing strongly worded anti-Sisi sentiments
  

The protest was peaceful, if not calm. Tempers were understandably high, as relatives of those arrested by Sisi's government spoke passionately. 

Protestors discuss Egypt's future

A relative of a an Irish-Egyptian student, Ibrahim Halawa, speaks of his treatment in prison

An Egyptian flag flies in front of the Women of WWII Memorial on Whitehall,
the week of Remembrance Sunday
 

Protestors from all walks of life listen to the testimony of others

Despite the protest, Cameron and Sisi met this morning. Topics discussed included the security of Britons in Sharm-el-Sheikh, after flights to and from the Red Sea resort were suspended for some time after the crash of a Russian Metrojet plane over the Sinai peninsular.   

One of the younger protestors waves his flag

Keele Student Death After Alleged Rape

Today the Stoke-on-Trent Sentinel broke the news that Keele University student Hannah Stubbs committed suicide, six months after surviving an alleged rape. Her family have said that she had been suffering from depression since the incident. Questions have already been raised over the fact that the alleged perpetrator was not suspended by the university when the report was made. They have not commented on this at the current time.

Initially, like the other Keele students and graduates that I have heard from this morning, I was shocked and angry that this could happen at a University that to me, has been a safe and friendly community. However, this is not an isolated incident. Awfully, the true number of sexual assaults on British university campuses is unknown, as The Guardian recently reported many fail to record reports of sexual violence.

There is no reason that this should be the case. In 2015, universities should be safe, and accountable, spaces for all students, but despite the recent publicity and pressure being applied to governments on both sides of the Atlantic, the devastating news of these incidents is broken time and time again. And yes, it's worth mentioning that sexual violence is not a crime solely committed against women.

There has to be a reason for this terrible situation at our universities, and it has be to stopped.

Speaking on the issue, KeeleSU Women's Officer for the academic year 2014/15, Esra Gurkan, told me that although "the counselling itself helped me immensely... there were just such long waiting lists. Fortunately I was not in desperate need of it...Somebody, in a worse position, should not have had to wait weeks or months to get help".

Hannah's grandfather reportedly felt Keele University had not offered her enough help after she made the complaint. Esra added that " It breaks my heart that she had inadequate support. Nobody should have had to get through the aftermath of an attack without adequate support."

Keele have confirmed in a statement that their "comprehensive support services...worked very closely with Hannah".

This, I think, is the crux of the issue. Yes, we need to continue the conversation about 'Lad Culture', as well as any and all other facets of university life that threaten and belittle women. But we also need to make sure that our universities are equipped to deal with the awful incidents, such as rape and sexual assault.

I will be the first to admit that, until my final year at Keele, the idea that rape and sexual assault could happen on my campus, did not enter my mind. The first time I was made aware of issues involving sexual violence and wide-spread misogyny was during my Study Abroad year at Willamette University, where the fraternity Sigma Chi Delta Zeta were suspended after a 'private' Facebook group was magnificently unveiled by Willamette Truth. The response from Willamette was highly critiqued by the student body, and I can only hope that Keele do a better job.

 As the new year is about to start, and thousands of Fresher's embark on their university adventure, this horrible, terrifying news, of the situation that befell Hannah Stubbs must be a wake-up call, not only for those of us with connections to Keele, but to universities everywhere.    

The University of Keele would like to stress that any student affected by this news can contact the university's welfare services, through the student advice centre or through KeeleSU. The Chapel is also open, and the chaplaincy team are available for support. Keele Nightline is currently only operating a reduced service over summer, but will respond to emails within at least three days

Gosh, Feminism in Comics!

 On Wednesday night, as shops surrounding Gosh! Comics on Soho's Berwick Street started to close, a queue was forming outside this unassuming, yet highly popular comic book store. Having gained an insight into the world of comics and graphic novels (though the debate to whether there is a difference between the two rages on) through a university module, I was invited here by a friend.

 The queue continued to grow, and as the online list of those showing interest in attending had exploded so greatly in number, this was not a surprise. In fact, the organisers had been forced to ticket the event to keep numbers safe, though it was still a free evening.

We filed in, and perused the shelves, Prosecco in hand, taken aback by the sheer amount of offerings, ranging from the old masters of the Marvel genre, such as Superman, Thor, Batman and the ilk, to the more modern superheroes of Ms Marvel (more of her later) and the almost unending diversity of this burgeoning literary format.

The event began officially with an introduction by Lisa Woynarski of "Let's Talk Intersectionality", a London-based feminist reading group centred around the idea of Intersectional Feminism. Those in attendance all seemed quite nonplussed by the explanations of feminist issues. However, if there were any worries about not understanding terms or ideas, this concise and pertinent introduction seemed to do a good job of creating a level playing field of understanding.

Lauren L Murphy then continued the introduction with a setting of the scene in comic book culture, and made clear the raison d'être for this evening through both the popular images of female characters in the genre, and popularised images of comic book readers in wider culture (Cue an image of the 'Big Bang Theory' cast, and raucous laughter from the heavily female and not often bespectacled  crowd). Why, for example, was Spider-Woman drawn in such ludicrous, and well, bulbous style until so recently? "This is why we need the conversations like we're having tonight", Murphy ended.

After splitting to smaller groups, the discussion of feminism in the genre took several different directions. One of the most pertinent of these was the access to and availability, not only of the comics themselves, but to knowledge surrounding the genre. Indeed, the fact that a night like this could be possible in London is due to the resources this city has. Without a space like Gosh!, or a dedicated (though struggling) resource in The Feminist Library, last night could not have happened. 

However, these resources are limited. Many attendees talked about their disappointment when they had asked for help in finding female authors, or feminist comics, even in well known comic bookshops. Indeed, it seems that outside of the framework of the specifically feminist, knowledge of this area is often lacking. The search therefore spreads to the online arena.

After half an hour or so of fruitful conversation, and sharing of titles (a list of which can be found below) the groups returned to a large discussion. Again, the sub-genre of Superheroes became the focus. And rightly so. Not only is it the largest, and definitely the most well known form of comics, but it is where arguably the largest problems of female representation and sexism occur. However, it is also where the bright lights of feminism in the comic culture are shining. 'Ms Marvel', the female head of the Marvel Universe has been recently reinvented, and not only is she fully clothed and set in Jersey City, she is Kamala Khan. A Muslim, Pakistani-American 16yr old. Oh, also she can shapeshift.

It's the Economy, Stupid

Importantly, this character has also been fantastically well received. The first volume won a Hugo Award, but more importantly than the critical view... She sells. Volume 1 was the best selling graphic novel of October 2014, and all the first three volumes have been featured on the New York Times Best Seller list.

This, then, is the crux of the issue. Sales are what drives the comic industry, from paperback volumes from the shelves we searched in Gosh!, to the big screen and even bigger money Hollywood creations. The view, at least at Gosh!, was that these sales of Ms Marvel and her contemporaries can only lead to one thing: even more success for female and therefore feminist comics.

The conversation was not driven wholly by hope, though. The lack of a 'Black Widow' movie, despite the popularity of 'The Avengers' franchise is worrying, and still suggests that the problems of sexism in the industry is not a fight easily won. In addition to this, the lack of people of colour in the genre is a problem that nearly all of the small group discussions identified. Yes, Kamala Khan is one, but the mainstream is hugely lacking otherwise.

Indeed, when Michael B. Jordan was cast as of the four leads in the latest 'Fantastic Four' iteration, there was a huge uproar almost solely from within the comic community. Why was the actor who had given such a brilliant performance in 'Fruitvale Station' as protagonist Oscar Grant, so disliked for this role? Well, Johnny Storm, the "Human Torch", has never been portrayed as anything but a European American before Jordan took up the role (Chris Evans, now the franchise's Captain America, played the "Torch" in the 2005 version). The explanation? One woman in attendance pointed out, "comic book fans don't like change".

               

But perhaps that is not the whole story. Yes, there is a history of sexism, racism and homophobia in comic book culture, just as there is in many cultures with deep roots in the mid-Twentieth century. However, there are signs that this is changing. For one, the evening hosted by Gosh!, another in the acceptance of Ms Marvel's new alter ego. Perhaps we are moving away from the idea that "sex sells" and towards the idea that "she sells". Watch this space.

A selection of the comics/graphic novels mentioned on the night, and links to find them at online book sellers: 

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Bitch Planet by Taki Soma et al

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 

Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton

Sally Heathcote: Suffragette by Mary Talbot et al 

Blue Shark Trapped in Wellington Harbour

A 2-metre long Blue Shark has become trapped today in a popular diving spot in Wellington Harbour.

The shark, which Conservation Department officials estimate to be a young adult, a female and importantly, healthy, is thought to have become trapped after finding it's way under the tarpaulin which surrounds the 100sq metre diving spot.

The tarp is designed to keep pollution and debris from the wider harbour and port away from swimmer and divers. There is a 5-metre gap at between the bottom of the tarp, and the harbour floor, which is thought to be the entry route for the shark. It is also hoped that this will be the exit.

Conservation Department Partnership Ranger, Amy Brasch, says that the plan is to wait for the tide to fall, and hope that the shark finds her own way out. If this fails, their Plan B is to lower bait to the bottom of the water, to show the shark that an exit is available.

Brady, a 20-year old Auckland native often dives in this spot during the summer. He saw a local news TV report, and decided to come and see if he could spot a shark. Though he has seen sharks before, the opportunity that this accident has created to see a shark at such close proximity is one he says he could not miss. However, he also added that he might think twice about swimming here again, in case the incident repeats itself.

Ms. Brasch agrees that this unfortunate incidents creates a great opportunity for the public to see their local wildlife, and hopefully understand the sealife that lives in their harbour a little better.

Blue Sharks are common in the waters around New Zealand, though this is the first time one has become trapped in a situation such as this.

Unfortunately it is not the first time that wildlife has become stuck in this spot. Manta Rays are a common sight here, and even local Penguins have been known to find their way past the blue tarpaulin.

Kitzhaber Resignation Days After Denial

The Guardian and the Oregonian have both described the events of the past week "surreal". I have to say that I agree, though for more personal reasons. I used to often eat lunch alongside Kitzhaber and his team of officials, whilst I studied as an exchange Undergraduate at Willamette University. Our dinning hall was quite literally across the street from the State Capitol, and as a result of the high quality lunch on offer, many State officials including the Governor himself would often join staff and students for a bite.

I have therefore associated Kitzhaber, not only with his reforms of Oregon Medicaid, but as the silver haired, moustachioed man in front of me in the sandwich line. I would not have imagined the man I saw to have been embroiled in such political upset. I was clearly naïve.

However, he is, and John Kitzhaber will cease to be Governor of the State of Oregon on Wednesday. His resignation comes after months of pressure, pertaining to allegations of corruption involving his fiancé.

The 67-year old had recently been sworn in for a historic 4th term under Salem's Golden Pioneer, but controversy over both unpaid and paid roles given to Cylvia Hayes, including as Clean Energy and Economic advisor to Kitzhaber's office has led to this sudden resignation.

Hayes has previously been criticised for taking payment to marry an Ethiopian man in 1997, in order for him to attain US citizenship. In the same year, she had also been involved in a plan to buy property in Okanogan, WA, for the purpose of growing Cannabis. Importantly, these events took place years before Hayes met the long-standing Oregon politician, and though they may be adjudged to be indicative of her character, they are not directly relevant to the current case.

Ellen Rosenblum, Oregon's Attorney General has launched a criminal investigation into the possibility of a conflict of interest due to Hayes' roles within government. She has also demanded the realise of emails between Kitzhaber and Hayes. This move prompted Kitzhaber to attempt to delete many thousands of emails, according to The Willamette Week. Though the request was described as "routine" by an aide, this is obviously put into question due to the ongoing allegations of improper behaviour between the two.

Most interestingly, it seems as if Gov. Kitzhaber's exit was significantly more pushed than he would have liked. Although he was seen to be making moves towards this decision last week, by calling Secretary of State, Kate Brown, back from Washington, it then transpired that he had told Brown that he would not resign. However, as even Democratic Speaker of the House, Tina Kotek publicly announced that she thought resignation was called for, and the pressure on Kitzhaber rose, he fell.

But the stern looking man I knew from my days in Oregon, did not fall without dispatching a parting blow to the media, and his colleagues in Salem. Though he did not release this statement in person, it was his message was clear and unabashed.

He remarked that "it is deeply troubling to me to realize that we have come to a place in the history of this great state of ours where a person can be charged, tried, convicted and sentenced by the media with no due process and no independent verification of the allegations involved. But even more troubling -- and on a very personal level as someone who has given 35 years of public service to Oregon -- is that so many of my former allies in common cause have been willing to simply accept this judgment at its face value."

This nod to the ongoing investigation by Attorney General Rosenblum perhaps indicates that he believe he may be found innocent. Whatever the verdict may be, it is notable that is ire lies with his Democrat co-workers, who perhaps too quickly sided with the allegations of wrongdoing, rather than back their leader. Such a confident and long serving politician such as Kitzhaber might have been expected to put up more of a fight in the face of these allegations. However, it is clear that with little support in the House, even from his own side, this stand would have been short lived.

Unfortunate though it is that the longest serving Oregon Governor has left in a potential maelstrom of his own making, investigations like this do not often allow for continued and focused governance, and therefore his move to resign is seen by most as a correct decision.

It also opens the door for Oregon to maintain its mantel as one of the country's most progressive States. Kitzhaber's replacement under Oregon law will be the current Secretary of State, Kate Brown. She is already one of the most high profile LGBT women elected to a US government position, and with her ascension to Governorship, she will become the first self-identifying Bisexual leader of any State of the Union. She will join Tammy Baldwin, Senator for Wisconsin, as one of the highest positioned elected officials, self-identified as LGBT.

This may be a difficult time for Oregon, and it will certainly be a painful time for Mr Kitzhaber and Ms. Hayes. However, it is also an exciting time for Oregon, for Secretary Brown, and for the LGBT community in Oregon, and the Pacific-Northwest more generally.

 I hope she succeeds, and I hope to see her continuing Kitzhaber's tradition of dining at Willamette. Maybe I'll even get the chance to follow her in the sandwich line, one day.

New Zealand Post Cuts Delivery to 3 Days

In an announcement today, the Chief Operating Officer of NZ Post's Mail and Communications, Ashley Smout revealed that from as early as July, residents of urban centres should expect mail deliveries on only three days of the week.

This move was described as a "priority" for NZ Post, and is expected to have very little noticeable effect on residents. With a delivery target of three days for mail remaining, it is clear that the national postal organisation are confident that this move will not impact customers.

Mr Smout added that their priority services and courier parcel delivery will continue on a daily basis, so residents should continue to check mail boxes regularly. It is also notable that this change will only affect urban communities, so rural New Zealanders will not be affected at this point.

It is unclear whether these changes will ever extend to more rural communities, but with mail rates dropping, and as Mr Smout argues that most residencies only receive mail every three days (hence the current changes), it is not impossible that such changes will occur.

In a statement from the Postal Worker's Union of Aotearoa, spokesperson Graeme Clarke highlighted the issue of privatisation and profit. This cut is seen by Mr Clarke in the context of wider restructuring by NZ Post in order to "maximise profits", and furthermore, the Union sees the move as a "money grab".

The restructuring Clarke refers to led to the down-scaling of dozens of NZ Post offices and KiwiBank stores in 2011, (http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/4999517/NZ-Post-confirms-shop-closures) and the closure of Dunedin Mail Processing Centre in 2013 (http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/262599/nz-post-cuts-new-blow-city-economy).

These cuts may be seen as necessary by NZ Post, but are clearly seen by local activists, and national Unions as an attack on jobs in the name of profit.

Mr Clarke even went as far to say that this latest move was "encouraging privatisation". It is clear that the livelihood of postal workers is the concern for Clarke and his Union, and the cut to delivery days, whether for all mail or just some, is clearly a threat to workers.

Clarke is not alone in his protestations. Victor Billot, writing after the closures in Dunedin, declared that "The closing of the retail outlets around the country was a trial run for the wholesale dismantling of the postal service". (http://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/opinion/263171/opinion-nz-post-ours-you-wouldnt-know-it)
Surely today's announcement only adds fuel to this claim.

In the Internet age, Postal services are perhaps seen as redundant. In the UK, many local Post Offices have been closed in recent years, due to a "drop in income" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22494919). This may seem like a logical move, in terms of modern business. But the question that must be asked, both in the UK and NZ, is whether our postal services should be run as money spinners, or as a public service.

As Mr Billot put it in his Otago Daily Times article, "This is about jobs, services and the responsibility of a public enterprise to the public." It is about public mail delivery, that does not charge extra for a fast delivery, but runs a competent service to all residents, no matter where they may live.
In the UK, the closures of rural post offices began protests all over the country, and despite the promise to keep 99% of the population within a 3 mile radius of such a service, Parliament figures show that there are nearly 3,000 less branches in 2014, than at the turn of the century. This is part of a decrease of nearly 7,000 branches nationally. (http://www.parliament.uk/Templates/BriefingPapers/Pages/BPPdfDownload.aspx?bp-id=sn02585)

Whilst the scale of the change is smaller, at least currently, in New Zealand, the Postal Worker's Union of Aotearoa is right to speak up about today's change. It signals the next step in a wider shrinking of the postal service, which can be seen as a cut in public services, along the lines of austerity worldwide.

N.B. I'm having some issues with hyperlinking to sources for some reason, so I have just left the links in the text. Apologies for this, I will work on it!