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Bryan Announces Schedule of Events for Governor Turnbull’s Funeral

casket, coffin, funeral,
casket, coffin, funeral,
Coffin (Shutterstock image)

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. has announced the schedule of events in honor of Gov. Charles W. Turnbull, whose body will lie in state at Government House on St. Croix and St. Thomas and The Battery on St. John.

Additionally, there is a candlelight service planned that will take place at Emancipation Garden on St. Thomas, as well as a funeral service at Christchurch Methodist and interment at Eastern Cemetery, followed by a repast at Fort Christian on St. Thomas.

The schedule is as follows:

  • August 10: Governor Turnbull will lie in state at Government House in Christiansted, St. Croix, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • August 11: Governor Turnbull will lie in state at The Battery in Cruz Bay, St. John, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • August 12: Governor Turnbull will lie in state at Government House on St. Thomas from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A candlelight vigil will take place in Emancipation Garden on St. Thomas from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

  • August 13: A viewing will take place at Christchurch Methodist Church at 9 a.m.

The funeral service will take place at Christchurch Methodist Church at 10 a.m.

Interment at Eastern Cemetery on St. Thomas immediately after the funeral service.

Repast will take place at Fort Christian on St. Thomas following interment.

Members of the public are invited to attend all events.

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Israeli police will investigate ‘events’ surrounding funeral of Palestinian journalist: Minister – ABC17NEWS

Israeli police will investigate 'events' surrounding funeral of Palestinian journalist: Minister - ABC17NEWS

By Abeer Salman, Celine Alkhaldi and Colin McCullough, CNN

Israeli police say they will hold an investigation “into the events that ensued during the funeral” procession of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on Friday.

“Unfortunately, during the course of the funeral, severe violent events unfolded on the part of those participating that worsened the situation on the ground,” Israeli Minister of Public Security Omer Bar-Lev said in a statement to CNN.

“The investigative team appointed by Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai and headed by Brigadier General Anna Ben Mordechai — a seasoned commander who is familiar with the area in which the funeral took place — will hold a comprehensive investigation into what happened during the funeral over the next day, in order to produce lessons from the incident. These lessons will be presented to the police commissioner and then to me,” he added.

Israeli police came under criticism following Friday’s procession, in which television footage showed officers striking mourners with batons, forcibly taking down Palestinian flags, and arresting individuals carrying the flag. One video released by the Israeli police shows officers ripping Palestinian flags off the hearse carrying Abu Akleh’s coffin.

The Jerusalem Magistrate Court ruled in September 2021 that flying the Palestinian flag is not a criminal offense in Israel. Nevertheless, CNN witnessed the arrest of at least two individuals carrying a flag during Abu Akleh’s procession.

“Flying the Palestinian flag does not constitute an offense under Israeli law,” Israeli Knesset member Ahmad Tibi told CNN on Friday.

“When Omer Bar-Lev was appointed as Israel’s Public Security Minister, he issued a directive limiting confiscation of Palestinian flags from demonstrators to cases where there is an immediate risk of disturbance of the peace. But what the police are doing directly opposes the minister’s orders…What we see is flag-phobia of the Palestinian flag,” he added.

When asked by CNN to clarify the reason for the taking down of Palestinian flags and the arrest of individuals carrying the flag, Israel’s police force responded with a statement, which was also shared publicly on its Twitter account.

“Israel Police prepared yesterday to facilitate a calm and dignified funeral for journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and had coordinated the funeral arrangements with her family. Unfortunately, hundreds of rioters tried to sabotage the ceremony and harm the police,” read the statement.

“Israel Police supports its police officers, but as a professional organization that seeks to learn and improve, it will also draw lessons from the incident,” it added.

On Friday, mourners carried Abu Akleh’s coffin out of the St. Joseph hospital in East Jerusalem, where her body remained until the burial, but were met with strong resistance from Israeli police who compelled them to transport the body by car. A flash bomb and tear gas were fired, according to CNN reporters.

The 51-year-old Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist was a prominent voice across the Arab world, delivering what many said was “the voice of Palestinian suffering” and their “aspirations of freedom.”

“She made a huge impact on Palestine and all the people. She left her fingerprint on everyone’s heart,” Lareen Abu Akleh, Shireen’s niece told CNN.

Nafisa Khwais, a Palestinian woman who considered herself a mother figure to Shireen, told CNN that she had spent all night at the funeral home where people came to mourn the veteran journalist.

“Shireen is my daughter. Her parents died, but we are all her parents. We are all her family,” Khwais said.

“Two weeks ago, she hid me behind her back when clashes erupted by Damascus Gate, and said to me: ‘Mother, come here. I’m so worried about you’ and handed me a bottle of water. I loved Shireen. She was the voice of all Palestinians,” she said.

Friday’s events prompted global reactions by various officials who said they were “shocked” by what they had seen.

“We were deeply troubled by the images of Israeli police intruding into the funeral procession of Palestinian American Shireen Abu Akleh. Every family deserves to lay their loved ones to rest in a dignified and unimpeded manner,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a post on Twitter on Friday.

A senior State Department official said later that Blinken had spoken to the journalist’s family and expressed his condolences while en route to an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Berlin, Germany.

Blinken offered “his deep condolences for their loss,” the official said. Blinken also offered the continued support of the State Department team in Jerusalem to their family and noted the importance of a free and independent press, the official said.

Norway’s Ambassador to Israel, Kåre R. Aas, said in a tweet that he was “shocked by the violent conduct of Israeli police forces during the funeral procession” adding that “such disproportionate force is inappropriate and unacceptable.”

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Partygate: Fines issued by Metropolitan Police for events on eve of Prince Philip’s funeral

Partygate: Fines issued by Metropolitan Police for events on eve of Prince Philip's funeral

The Metropolitan Police have issued fines relating to Downing Street events that took place on the night before the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral last year, it has emerged.

Last week the force issued 20 fixed penalty notices to people who attended lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street and Whitehall.

Some of these were for two separate events on 16 April 2021, when advisers and civil servants are said to have gathered after work.

Prince Philip died on 9 April 2021 and his funeral was on 17 April in Windsor.

Pall Bearers carrying the coffin of the Duke of Edinburgh, followed by the Prince of Wales and Princess Anne. Pic: AP
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Only 30 people were able to attend Prince Philip’s funeral. Pic: AP

One of the events was for James Slack, the former Downing Street director of communications, and the other was for a photographer.

Number 10 staff were said to have partied until the early hours of the morning in a seven-hour drinking session with takeaway pizzas.

Some attendees are said to have used a slide belonging to Wilfred, the one-year-old son of Boris and Carrie Johnson.

More on Downing Street Parties

The Queen was pictured alone at St George’s Chapel the next day, sitting socially distanced from her family as she said goodbye to her husband.

Number 10 previously said an apology had been extended to Buckingham Palace.

The Met Police are investigating 12 events that allegedly broke lockdown rules in Westminster, including as many as six that Mr Johnson is said to have attended, and has sent out more than 100 questionnaires and so far issued 20 fines.

The prime minister has not been fined in the first tranche of fixed penalty notices, which are worth £50.

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Partygate ‘an issue of integrity’

The prime minister received his questionnaire in February but he will not be interviewed by the force, according to ITV News.

The force is not interviewing those who have been sent questionnaires and could potentially be fined, it said.

Only “witnesses”, whose role is to help officers interpret questionnaires will be questioned.

Number 10 has said it will confirm if Mr Johnson or Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, are given a fixed penalty notice.

Mr Johnson is not said to have attended the events on 16 April.

The Met Police declined to comment. The Cabinet Office also said it had nothing to add.