Tag: protect

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Colorado Groups Absorb Hate At LGBTQ+ Events To Protect Families

Colorado Groups Absorb Hate At LGBTQ+ Events To Protect Families

DENVER, (CBS4)- Usually at LGBTQ events like Denver’s Pride celebration Eli Bazan is working. Especially if it is a family friendly event like a Drag queen story hour. He’s one of the co-founders of the Parasol Patrol. They are a group of volunteers that tries to separate event attendees from protestors.

(credit: CBS)

“What we do is we use our rainbow umbrella as a shield to block the signs and the faces of protesters,” explained Eli. “We use our ear protection for our little ones.”

They absorb the heckling and name-calling so that kids don’t have to. He says he feels like they are protecting kids from bigotry and hate.

“Quite honestly, some of the stuff they yell at these kids is pretty dramatic,” said Eli.

Despite what they might hear from protestors, the Parasol Patrol doesn’t start trouble. No matter how tense the situation may get.

“We don’t engage with them at all. I’m not here to yell back,” said Eli.  “I’m not going to change their mind. They’re not going to change my mind.”

(credit: CBS)

Eli says taking the high road is getting tougher to do. He follows extremists online to see where they are planning to show up. Recently he has seen an increase in hate.

“The rhetoric in the last 2 months has been the highest I’ve seen in the last 3 years,” he said.

He says take for example the extremist group that was recently caught readying themselves to disrupt a Pride event in Idaho. He saw extremists planning their event online before they were caught.

(credit: CBS)

The Parasol Patrol says they have seen threats made toward Denver’s Pride weekend events as well which is why Eli says he stays ready.

“There will be protesters. Tomorrow at the parade, there will be protesters,” said Eli.

Eli says they report threats of violence to law enforcement because, while they are good at protecting people, there are some things out of their scope of expertise.

(credit: CBS)

“These aren’t ballistic shields. They don’t stop bullets. They’re just umbrellas,” Eli said.

While it can be dangerous to confront extremists, Eli says it’s worth it so that everyone can feel welcome at public events. Especially children and families.

“It helps them understand that they’re not alone. That there are people just like them that that they are loved because of who they are not in spite of who they are,” said Eli.

 

 

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Hong Kong restricts access to chief executive inauguration and handover anniversary events – Committee to Protect Journalists

Hong Kong restricts access to chief executive inauguration and handover anniversary events - Committee to Protect Journalists

Taipei, June 16, 2022 — Hong Kong authorities should allow media outlets to freely cover the inauguration of Chief Executive-elect John Lee and the 25th anniversary of the territory’s handover to China, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.

On the evening of Thursday, June 16, applications closed for media outlets to seek access to cover ceremonies marking both events, scheduled for July 1; the Hong Kong Journalists Association trade group and the Hong Kong Free Press news website both reported that at least 10 domestic and local outlets were not invited or allowed to apply to cover the events.

The HKFP reported that many of those outlets regularly receive invitations to other Hong Kong government events, but the Information Services Department, the government’s primary communication agency, said only select media outlets had been invited to cover the July 1 events due to considerations including the COVID-19 pandemic, security requirements, and space restraints.

Hong Kong news website InMedia reported that, when it applied to cover the events, an Information Services Department official said “those who need invitations have already received theirs.”

“Hong Kong’s claims to honor press freedom should compel it to offer open access for media coverage of important events, such as the inauguration of John Lee as chief executive and the 25th anniversary of the handover,” said Steven Butler, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator, in Washington, D.C. “Barring some media outlets from freely covering such events severely undercuts the credibility of incoming Chief Executive Lee, who has repeatedly said that Hong Kong enjoys press freedom.”

The Information Services Department failed to invite or approve access for the Japanese outlets Nikkei, Asahi Shimbun, and Kyodo News; Taiwan’s CTV; the U.S. photo wire Getty Images; the Europe Pressphoto Agency; and Hong Kong’s InMedia, the Photographic Society of Hong Kong, Truth Media Hong Kong, and the HKFP, according to the HKFP’s report.

According to InMedia, the department asked news outlets to include photos and the personal information of the journalists who planned to attend in their applications.

In its statement, the Hong Kong Journalists Association called for authorities to be more inclusive by accepting media organizations’ applications to attend the events.

CPJ emailed the Information Services Department for comment but did not immediately receive any reply.

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Al Rawi: Borough Day events cancelled to protect against covid – Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

Al Rawi: Borough Day events cancelled to protect against covid - Trinidad and Tobago Newsday


News


Yvonne Webb



Rural Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi. -
Rural Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi. –

RURAL Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi says TT must accept the fact that notwitstanding the lifting of most public health restrictions, it is very easy for the country to still be swamped by the covid19 virus, if people and communitities are not careful and vigilant.

He said that Government decided to cancel some of the major events associated with Pt Fortin Borough Day because there is still a risk that such events could be super-spreaders of the virus.

It was announced on the weekend that regular Borough Day activities including the popular J’ouvert celebrations will no longer be held.

Speaking with Newsday on Monday, Al-Rawi told Newsday, “this is a matter several members of Cabinet discussed. The Minister of Health, me as Local Government Minister and Ag Attorney General, together with ministers in the Office of the Prime Minister and even the Prime Minister himself.”

He said the flow of data from the Ministry of Health came with caution that with the celebration coinciding with the return of children to school, it would be better to have a readjustment.

“The last thing we want is to see TT plunge, as different parts of the world are finding themselves at present, into a restriction which are brought back because of surges of a different variant or otherwise.”

Asked why a decision was taken so late – two days after Borough Day celebrations were officially launched – and after significant preparations and investments would have been made.

“You know by now that every two weeks there is an epidemiological cycling of data. This is a constant dynamism all entities of government pay attention to, and therefore, it is not uncommon for us to have constant revision every two weeks.

“This is the fluidity of the pandemic to endemic shifting.”

While events such as J’ouvert, pan extravaganza, military parade, traditional mas and all community spotlights have been cancelled, Point Fortin Mayor Saleema Thomas did not speak about whether or not privately-managed Borough Day events will continue as planned.

Asked about this, Al-Rawi said Government is trying its best to phase out the virus where they have control.

“As you know, the regulations stand. What we the Government have control over, is what the Government has control over and nothing else.

“The issue of public and private (events) stands separate. In the mayor’s release you saw that the call was made for people to try to co-operate with the whole thing. We are urging people to remember we are still in a pandemic and to manage it.”

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Events helping Winnipeggers protect themselves from identity theft and fraud

Events helping Winnipeggers protect themselves from identity theft and fraud


March is Fraud Prevention Month, and the Winnipeg Police Service is taking steps to protect people from identity theft and other types of fraud.


This coming week, Winnipeg police officers are holding two ‘Shred-It Events’ where people can safely shred their personal paper documents.


A Shred-It truck will be outside the Garden City Shopping Centre on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and then outside CF Polo Park on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.


Members of the financial crimes unit will be at the events to answer any fraud-related questions.