— WikiLeak’s founder, Julian Assange, who says WikiLeaks is preparing to release more documents. (via motherjones)
Alberta, Canada: “Every plant and tree died.”
Growing protests attract tens of thousands across Brazil
For the fifth straight day, pent-up frustration has boiled over into protests over the Brazilian government’s skyrocketing expenditures in preparation for the upcoming World Cup and Summer Olympics, declining economic growth and a harsh response from police that has left hundreds injured.
In the city of Sao Paulo alone, an estimated 65,000 people clogged the streets for the “Free Fare Movement,” which has fought against a recent 10-cent hike in bus fares.
For some perspective on the issue of transportation costs in the country:
Two weeks ago, the Sao Paulo bus fare for a standard one-way trip increased to about $1.50. Workers on minimum wage who take two buses a day can end up spending more than 25% of their monthly income on transportation.
See more from the protests over at Framework., and read more about the demonstrator’s grievances at World Now.
Photos: Marcelo Say’o / EPA, Victor R. Caivano / Associated Press, Christophe Simon / AFP/Getty Images
In Focus: Protests Spread Across Brazil
Starting late last week, with several small protests denouncing a hike in public transport fares, demonstrations flared up yesterday, encompassing larger public anger at poor public services, police violence and government corruption. More than 200,000 took to the streets of Brazil’s biggest cities yesterday, voicing frustration with the billions of dollars set aside for upcoming sports events like the World Cup and the 2014 Olympics, despite crushing levels of poverty in some places, and underfunded public education, health, security and transportation. Though the majority of the protests were peaceful, a few violent demonstrations were broken up by police in Rio de Janeiro.
See more. [Images: AP, Reuters, Getty]
(via utnereader)
Stop SWAT Raids
How many dead and injured cops and civilians will it take for police to reevaluate how SWAT raids are conducted? There are almost 150 such raids a day, mostly over drugs, and many take place in the wee hours and include potentially lethal flash-bang grenades, military-like tactics, and plenty of chances for violence to escalate. Unless it’s a true hostage situation, using SWAT teams, especially against people in their homes, means you’re either scaring the hell out of a nonviolent person or making a violent one believe he’s being attacked. Bloodshed can occur in either case.
When these raids go wrong, lives are destroyed. One example is Matthew David Stewart, who committed suicide in his jail cell last month, apparently to avoid potentially facing the death sentence over his killing one officer and injuring five more in a 2012 Utah marijuana raid (he said that he opened fire on police because he thought he was being robbed). In the last decade, other cops have died at the hands of other targets of similar operations like Cory Maye and Ryan Frederick, both of whom plausibly claimed that they didn’t know who was busting down their doors.
(via kenyatta)
LAST NIGHT: 100,000 Brazilians flood streets to protest World Cup spending and government corruption.
— Edward Snowden Q&A just wrapping up - thanks to those who took part (via brooklynmutt)
(Source: guardian, via brooklynmutt)
Not listening when people tell you that you can’t or shouldn’t do things is so fucking metal.
(via kenyatta)
By Keely [tumblr]
Guest cabin in the Catskills, New York.
Contributed by Bill & Barbara Walsh.
