Livestream: Obama on Ferguson: U.S. 'has more work to do' on race relations

========== Thousands rally across US after Ferguson decision By SADIE GURMAN Nov. 25, 2014 12:55 AM EST Protesters shut down I-44 at Grand Protesters shut down I-44 at Grand Avenue in both directions in St. Louis on Monday, Nov. 24,... Read more Thousands of people rallied late Monday in U.S. cities including Los Angeles and New York to passionately but peacefully protest a grand jury's decision not to indict a white police officer who killed a black 18-year-old in Ferguson, Missouri. They led marches, waved signs and shouted chants of "hands up, don't shoot," the refrain that has become a rallying cry in protests over police killings across the country. The most disruptive demonstrations were in St. Louis and Oakland, California, where protesters flooded the lanes of freeways, milling about stopped cars with their hands raised in the air. Activists had been planning to protest even before the nighttime announcement that Officer Darren Wilson will not be charged in the shooting death of Michael Brown. The racially charged case in Ferguson has inflamed tensions and reignited debates over police-community relations even in cities hundreds of miles from the predominantly black St. Louis suburb. For many staging protests Monday, the shooting was personal, calling to mind other galvanizing encounters with local law enforcement. Police departments in several major cities braced for large demonstrations with the potential for the kind of violence that marred nightly protests in Ferguson after Brown's killing. Demonstrators there vandalized police cars and buildings, hugged barricades and taunted officers with expletives Monday night while police fired smoke canisters and tear gas. Gunshots were heard on the streets and fires raged. But police elsewhere reported that gatherings were mostly peaceful following Monday's announcement. As the night wore on, dozens of protesters in Oakland got around police and blocked traffic on Interstate 580. Officers in cars and on motorcycles were able to corral the protesters and cleared the highway in one area, but another group soon entered the traffic lanes a short distance away. Police didn't immediately report any arrests. A diverse crowd of several hundred protesters marched and chanted in St. Louis not far from the site of another police shooting, shutting down Interstate 44 for a time. A few cars got stuck in the midst of the protesters, who appeared to be leaving the vehicles alone. They chanted "hands up, don't shoot" and "black lives matter." "There's clearly a license for violence against minorities, specifically blacks," said Mike Arnold, 38, a teacher. "It happens all the time. Something's got to be done about it. Hopefully this will be a turning point." In Seattle, marching demonstrators stopped periodically to sit or lie down in city intersections, blocking traffic before moving on, as dozens of police officers watched. Groups ranging from a few dozen to a few hundred people also gathered in Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Washington, D.C., where people held up signs and chanted "justice for Michael Brown" outside the White House. "Mike Brown is an emblem (of a movement). This country is at its boiling point," said Ethan Jury, a protester in Philadelphia, where hundreds marched downtown with a contingent of police nearby. "How many people need to die? How many black people need to die?" In New York, the family of Eric Garner, a Staten Island man killed by a police chokehold earlier this year, joined the Rev. Al Sharpton at a speech in Harlem lamenting the grand jury's decision. Later, several hundred people who had gathered in Manhattan's Union Square marched peacefully to Times Square. In Los Angeles, which was rocked by riots in 1992 after the acquittal of police officers in the videotaped beating of Rodney King, police officers were told to remain on duty until released by their supervisors. About 100 people gathered in Leimert Park and some held a small news conference demanding changes in police policies. A splinter group of about 30 people broke away and marched through surrounding streets, blocking intersections, but the demonstrations remained mostly small and peaceful. Chris Manor, with Utah Against Police Brutality, helped organize an event in Salt Lake City that attracted about 35 people. "There are things that have affected us locally, but at the same time, it's important to show solidarity with people in other cities who are facing the very same thing that we're facing," Manor said. At Cleveland's Public Square, at least a dozen protesters' signs referenced police shootings that have shaken the community there, including Saturday's fatal shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who had a fake gun at a Cleveland playground when officers confronted him. In Denver, where a civil jury last month found deputies used excessive force in the death of a homeless street preacher, clergy gathered at a church to discuss the decision, and dozens of people rallied in a downtown park with a moment of silence. ___ Associated Press writers Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco; Jim Salter and Alan Zagier in St. Louis; Tami Abdollah in Los Angeles; Kantele Franko in Columbus, Ohio; Sean Carlin in Philadelphia; Deepti Hajela in New York; Michelle L. Price in Salt Lake City; and Joshua Lederman in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. ======================= Obama on Ferguson: U.S. 'has more work to do' on race relations Mon, Nov 24 23:42 PM EST image By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama issued an appeal on Monday for restraint by protesters and police after a Missouri grand jury decided not to indict a white police officer in the shooting death of a black teen last August. In a late-night appearance in the White House briefing room, Obama also urged Americans to understand that much work remained to be done to improve relations between black Americans and law enforcement. "We need to accept that this decision was the grand jury's to make. There are Americans who agree with it and there are Americans who are deeply disappointed, even angry. It’s an understandable reaction," Obama said. Angry crowds in Ferguson, Missouri, took to the streets on Monday night and there were flashes of violence after the grand jury determined there was no probable cause to charge officer Darren Wilson in the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown. The shooting set off weeks of sometimes violent protests in the St. Louis suburb and highlighted racial tensions in the community. Obama said there were still many parts of the country where a deep distrust existed between law enforcement and communities of color, and that steps must be taken to improve the situation, such as increasing the number of minority people who enter the police ranks. "Some of this is the result of racial discrimination in this country and this is tragic because nobody needs good policing more than poor communities with higher crime rates. The good news is we know there are things we can do to help," he said. About 200 protesters demonstrated peacefully outside the White House on Monday night, holding signs and chanting: "We are Michael Brown." Obama has weighed in on questions of race previously. When black Florida teenager Trayvon Martin was killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer in 2012, Obama said: "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon." In 2009, he criticized the police handling of the arrest of Harvard University professor Henry Gates, saying police acted "stupidly." (Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Peter Cooney) ============= No charges for US policeman who shot black teen . AFP By Jennie Matthew 20 minutes ago Police take cover as demonstrators throw bottles at them after learning that the police officer who shot dead 18-year-old Michael Brown will not face charges, outside the police station in Ferguson, Missouri, on November 24, 2014 . Ferguson (United States) (AFP) - The policeman whose killing of an unarmed black teen sparked weeks of riots in the US town of Ferguson will not face charges, the county prosecutor said, amid mounting anger in the streets. Related Stories 1. Factbox: Composition and workings of grand jury in Ferguson shooting case Reuters 2. Q&A on flashpoint shooting case in US town of Ferguson AFP 3. St. Louis-area schools will get notice of grand jury decision: letter Reuters 4. Early Glance: Computer companies Associated Press 5. Grand jury reaches decision on Ferguson Officer Darren Wilson; will be announced at 8p.m. CT Yahoo News The tearful family of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was shot dead in August, expressed profound disappointment after St Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch relayed the grand jury's decision. A crowd of several hundred protesters gathered in front of the police station in Ferguson where Officer Darren Wilson was based chanting: "Hey, hey, ho, ho! These killer cops have got to go." But there were no initial reports of violence, amid tight security and lines of officers in riot gear awaiting the highly-anticipated verdict. Brown's devastated mother was hugged by supporters. President Barack Obama was due to make a statement at 10:00 pm (0300 GMT). McCulloch told reporters the evidence presented to the grand jury had suggested Wilson had shot as a legitimate act of self-defense during a tussle that broke out as he was responding to a robbery. .. View gallery Demonstrators react after learning that the police … Demonstrators react after learning that the police officer who shot dead 18-year-old Michael Brown w … He said "an altercation" had broken out as Wilson was sitting in his patrol car and Brown was standing at the window. "During the altercation, two shots were fired by Officer Wilson while still inside the vehicle," McCulloch said. "Mr Brown ran east... and Officer Wilson gave chase," he said. "Mr Brown stopped and turned back toward Officer Wilson. "Officer Wilson also stopped. Michael Brown moved toward Officer Wilson. Several more shots were fired by the officer and Michael Brown was fatally wounded." Having examined the physical evidence and listened to witness testimony behind closed doors, the grand jury deliberated for two days, concluding that Wilson had no case to answer. .. View gallery Demonstrators gather outside the Ferguson Police Department … Demonstrators gather outside the Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson Missouri, on November 24, 20 … "We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions," the Brown family said in a statement. "We respectfully ask that you please keep your protests peaceful," the family said, calling for legal reform. "Answering violence with violence is not the appropriate reaction." Brown, an 18-year-old high school graduate who had planned to go to technical college, was shot at least six times by Wilson in an incident on a Ferguson street. The shooting sparked weeks of sometimes violent protests and a nationwide debate about police tactics and race relations. .. View gallery Retired captain Ray Lewis of the Philadelphia Police … Retired captain Ray Lewis of the Philadelphia Police department holds a sign outside the Ferguson Po … Before the verdict, St Louis Mayor Francis Slay admitted that "what happened to Michael Brown has deeply divided us." - Plea for non-violence - Ferguson's mainly African American community of 21,000 has been on edge for days, braced for further protests should the officer not be indicted. The mostly black suburb has an overwhelmingly white police force and residents complain of years of racial prejudice and heavy handed police tactics. Missouri's governor declared a state of emergency and called up the National Guard last week in readiness. The FBI has also deployed extra personnel. "There's going to be a war. Starting from today. A war," shouted an angry neighbor wearing an "I am Michael Brown" T-shirt at the spot where Brown died. "By activating the National Guard, you've basically told black people that's a war on us," said the man, who identified himself only as "D," convinced the jury would exonerate Wilson. Shops were boarded up in Ferguson and schools in the Ferguson-Florissant District announced they would be closed Tuesday for the safety of staff and pupils.

Blasts kill at least +10 people in Pakistan's Karachi

Shah Ghazi is to Karachi what Data Darbar is to Lahore

KARACHI: Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine is significant to Karachi as Hazrat Data Ganj Baksh’s shrine is to Lahore. And indeed, Thursday’s twin suicide attack in Clifton that bears similarities to the one in Lahore, further confirms this.

The presence of Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine in Karachi may have helped avert natural disasters in the past, but Thursday night’s blasts have proved that the threat from terrorists remains imminent. Despite being declared sensitive by the Sindh Auqaf Department last year with further security measures adopted following the attack on Data Darbar in Lahore, devotees throng Shah Ghazi’s shrine in huge numbers particularly on Thursday.

Others flock the shrine for langar (free food) or to drink from the miraculous holy waters from the shrine which, they believe, cures ailments

According to one legend, Abdullah Shah possessed the power to control sea waters. Caretakers at the mazaar cite a common story of fishermen requesting him to order the sea to remain calm. With his special prayers, the fishermen were back to earning their livelihood within a few hours.

Similarly, the presence of this mazaar, say devotees, has protected Karachi from a number of tropical disasters, including the recent Cyclone Phet and the 2006 sea-storm heading from Gujarat, India.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8th, 2010.







Blasts kill at least 5 people in Pakistan's Karachi
07 Oct 2010 14:48:17 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Adds details)

KARACHI, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers blew themselves up inside the crowded shrine compound in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi on Thursday, killing at least five people, police said.

Police and ambulance services rushed to the scene.

The U.S.-backed Pakistani government is battling Taliban insurgents who remain effective despite military crackdowns on their strongholds in the northwest near the Afghan border.

The Pakistani army has been stretched because of its relief efforts during and after summer floods. (Reporting by Faisal Aziz; Writing by Michael Georgy)

(For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: http://www.reuters.com/places/pakistan. ((E-mail: michael.georgy@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: michael.georgy@thomsonreuters.com; Islamabad newsroom: +92 51 281 0017))


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KARACHI: Two blasts occured at the Abdullah Shah Ghazi shrine in Karachi on Thursday.

Ten people have been killed and over 60 have been injured as a result of the blast. Police have cordoned off the area.

A strike was being observed in Karachi on the call of Sunni Wahdat Council in reaction to the killing of one of its leaders Maulvi Muhammad Ameen.

In a similar incident earlier in July, more than 35 people were killed in triple blasts at the Data Darbar in Lahore.

9:35pm

Express News reports the Taliban have claimed responsibility for the suicide attacks on the shrine.

9:20pm

Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh Sharmila Farooqui says that she visited the shrine a day earlier and the electronic gates and the metal detectors were working fine.

Farooqui says “suicide attack is a phenomenon that nobody in this world has been able to curtail.”

She says the security was on high alert and the arrangements were “next to perfect.”

The minister says that she herself is a follower of Abduallah Shah Ghazi and condemns the attack.

9:08pm

Several petrol pumps and markets have closed down around the city, after the blasts.

BeingSamee Family just reached home… Millennium Mall, and other shops in Gulastan e Johar (en route North Nazimabad) closed ! #Karachi

Farman21 @abidifactor no all private and government schools will closed a/c to samaa tv #Karachi #Pakistan

ProPTI #Pakistan why is it so that no special warnings were issued at #karachi shrine specially after yesterday murder of pro taliban scholar

9:02pm

According to Express 24/7 reporter Ahmed Jung the first bomber was being checked at the main gate when he blew himself up, while the second blast took place at the steps which lead up to the shrine.

Express 24/7 reporter Masroor Hausen says unconfirmed reports suggest 90 people have been injured and some of them are in critical states.

9:00pm

Police officials claim to have capture a number of suspects who are being interrogated.

rai_azlan Abdullah Shah Ghazi is a person who is thought to be the reason that the Sea Water do not reach the populated area of#Karachi

madeehai I am a devotee of Allah saieen.. Used to visit Abduallah gazi when I lived in #karachi it is such a peaceful place…why#pakistan

rizwanharun Zulfiqar mirza wants mazars closed for one year#karachi is he made.

quest4clarity And the RAW, Blackwater, Mosad conspiracy theories begin to fly. This is what prevents us from dealing with the REAL problem! #Karachi

8:50pm

MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar says that his party and party chief have strongly condemned this act of cowardice, and that there was a nexus of criminal mafia and extremist elements operating in Karachi.

MQM has also announced one day of mourning.

Rectified_Guy #MQM is the only party that highlighted the Presence of Talibans RT @ravezjunejo: #Karachi #Pakistan party#MQM

8:40pm

According to a report in this paper, closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras put up all over the city to monitor traffic violations and suspicious activity have been off for the past four days.

8:10pm

More than 60 injured have been brought to the emergency wards, say hospital sources.

Bibi Pak Daman shrine in Lahore has also been closed.

@thekarachikid: What kind of idiots bomb the shrine of a man who according to legends stopped storms and cyclones from hitting Karachi?

8:00pm

Secretary of Auqaf committee has informed IG Sindh that he has ordered all shrines across Karachi be closed.

Members of the forensics lab are gathering evidence to uncover what was used to make the bomb.

According to hospital staff ten injured are in critical condition.

Faria_Khan_ Does anyone really know what is going on in#Pakistan?….Wheels within wheels, especially in #Karachi.#Pakistan

7:45pm

President Asif Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif and Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain have condemned the attacks.

kashaziz Blasts at Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine, 10 killed 65 injured. #Karachi once again gone to dogs.

kashaziz Blast at shrine happened a day after media reports that CCTV cameras across #Karachi are defunct.

7:40pm

The Sunni Tehreek has announced a three day mourning.

Amirazher easy solutions all shrines in #Karachi are ordered to close down citing security issues http://t.co/UJhLo6w Na hoga bans na bajeygee bansuri

Farman21 @YusraSAskari yes, there are people protesting in Nazimabad and Lines Area #karachi

7:35pm

According to an eyewitness, the first blast occurred when a guard tried to stop a suicide bomber and he blew himself up.

7:30pm

Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza has said that two heads have been found at the site. He maintained that the security at the site was not lax. He indicated that the blasts might be ‘suicidal’ in nature.

faisaljamkhan Karachi blasts work of none other then #RAW#Blackwaters #Mosad

DrAwab Raises a grave Question – with Zardari in town security was diverted to protect the unworthy VViP’s and NOT the people#karachi #fb

7:25pm

According Seemi Jamali, head of emergency, over 50 injured have been brought to Jinnah Hospital.

According to Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza the blasts occurred at the gate of the shrine.

7:20pm

According to police reports the blasts occurred within the span of a few minutes.

7:15pm

A bomb disposal squad has been dispatched to the site.

The lights have been shut off at the shrine and law enforcement agencies are asking the public not to come near the shrine.

7:10pm

Initial reports suggest that the blasts were caused by a suicide bomber.

7:05pm

The injured are being shifted to Jinnah Hospital. Emergency has been declared at all hospitals in Karachi.

A large number of people were gathered at the shrine.


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Another shrine attacked

Security officials cordon off the blast site. PHOTO: AFP

KARACHI: At least eight people were killed, including two children, and more than 65 people were injured after two bombs exploded at the Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mazaar in Clifton on Thursday night when devotees had thronged the area.

According to witnesses, a suicide bomber approached the main gate at around 7 pm. He was carrying a bomb, which he set off as he approached the walkthrough security gate. The explosions were heard at least three kilometres away.

According to Jinnah hospital accident and emergency chief Dr Seemin Jamali, more than 60 injured people were brought to them. Others were taken to Civil hospital and nearby hospitals as well.

Shortly after the attack, the police cordoned off the area and people were forced to evacuate for fear of a third explosion. The Rangers arrived along with the Bomb Disposal Squad.

Two severed heads were taken into police custody, said home minister Zulfiqar Mirza, who confirmed the suicide bombings.

Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for this attack.

Auqaf or religious affairs department officials also arrived at the shrine. The walls are protected with barbed wires. “We provided all the security we can,” said Mirza. “We are doing our best to take the injured people to the hospitals … and are investigating the matter. Pakistan has been under threat for a while. We also have this fear [of attacks] at the back of our minds… We received warnings of threats to shrines earlier … We keep warning the public to avoid public places.”

“It is really regrettable that terrorists are attacking places of worship. Those who attacked the shrine are enemies of Pakistan and Islam.”

Mirza claimed that the CCTV cameras that were recently set up near the crime scene “have nothing to do with this” incident.

“They are still under trial and are with the [government’s] IT department. We have given orders to seal the shrines in Karachi. Now the people have to realise how important life is. These people [attackers] are trying to destabalise the government you elected,” he said.

“Physical security has to be increased … but we have good coordination among the police,” said CCPO Karachi Fayyaz Leghari, adding that the CID and the SIU are focused on terrorism and crime. The police have both heads of the suicide bombers.

He said that the CCTV cameras are currently on trial, for which briefings are underway. “We will have a good system in place,” he said.

“Everyone wants to place 20 cameras everywhere. They [intelligence agencies] work behind the scenes. When there’s bad direction from the top, then you find [mismanagement] at the bottom,” said former IB DG Masood Sharif Khattak, who added while security is provided by the police, the officials need to be more responsible.

Federal interior minister Rehman Malik condemned the incident and demanded reports from the IG Sindh and DG Rangers while the Sunni Tehreek announced a three-day-mourning period. The MQM has announced one day of mourning. The president, prime minister and heads of political parties condemned the incident. The All Karachi Trade Union announced a strike on Friday. All educational institutes will remain open on Friday, said the secretary of education, however.

Explosions were meant to derail peace in Karachi, said the MQM. There was unrest in Nazimabad, New Karachi, Lines Area after the attack.

“They were suicide attacks and the heads of those who carried out attacks have been sent for DNA tests,” IG Sindh declared.

TPO Clifton Tariq Darejo quoted witnesses as saying that the first attacker blew himself up at the first check point just a few yards inside the main gate. “The seond one then ran towards the main shrine and tried to enter the tomb but due to stringent security measures had to blow himself up at the second check point,” Dharejo said. “Many lives have been saved because of the stringent security measures. The guards sacrificed their lives.”

Ministry of auqaf version

Auqaf Secretary Iqbal Ahsan Zaidi said that security were on high alert at the time of the explosion. “It was due to the sacrifices of the security guards that many lives have been saved,” he said.

However, no CCTV camera was installed in the shrine at the time of the blast. “We install cameras in the shrines, including at the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi at the time of Urs,” he said. According to him, the ministry has to look after 84 shrines in Sindh and around one million people visit them.

“We have meagre resources and we could not install CCTV cameras at shrines on a permanent basis,” he said. “However, recently we had approval from the department to install cameras at the shrine and the job will soon be done.”

He said 35 security personnel and staff members of the department were performing on duty at the time of the blast. “The security guards sacrificed their lives and our assistant manager is critically injured.”

All shrines in Karachi have been sealed due to security concerns, said the DIG (East)

“There have been no proceedings against madrassas. We should unite against extremists. Until we don’t act against these elements, we will have to continue to pick up bodies,” said Babar Ghauri, reported ARY.

Meanwhile, incidents of violence were reported from across the city following the blasts.

Three buses were set ablaze – one in Dalmia, one in Garden and the third in Jamshed Quarters.

Three people were reported to have been injured in incidents of aerial firing in SITE and Jamshed Quarters, but police were not confirmed these injuries.

Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah announced Rs500,000 compensation for the families of the dead and Rs100,000 for the injured.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8th, 2010.


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Pakpattan toll rises to six
Updated at: 1220 PST, Monday, October 25, 2010
PAKPATTAN: The death toll in a powerful explosion at Dargah Hazrat Baba Farid Ganjshakar here today, mounted to six, Geo News reported Monday.

According to the Rescue sources, the blast occurred after Fajr prayer at the eastern gate of the shrine that killed at least five people on the spot and injured several others including women, who were shifted to DGQ Hospital.

However, a woman succumbed to injuries at the hospital raising the death toll to six.

Heavy contingent of police arrived on the scene and cordoned off the area.

According to the RPO, the explosives were placed in a milk container, which went off with a loud bang.

The entire area is shrouded in air of mourning.

The Shrine has been closed.

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Blast at Baba Farid shrine, 7 dead

At least seven people have been killed while twenty others injured in a blast after dawn (Fajr) prayers at the Shrine of Baba Farid in Pakpattan. PHOTO: AFP

LAHORE: At least seven people have been killed while twenty others injured in a blast after dawn (Fajr) prayers at the Shrine of Baba Farid in Pakpattan, on Monday.

A Rescue 1122 official Asim Bhatti said nine of the injured are in a critical condition.

Two men riding a motorbike left a milk container near the gate of the shrine in Pakpattan, 190 kilomtres (120 miles) from the Punjab provincial capital Lahore, which then exploded in a huge fireball, a witness said.

“We have four killed and about 12 wounded,” regional police chief Mohammad Kashif told reporters.

“The rescue work is over. We’re now investigating.”

The blast blew up a boundary wall and damaged several shops and stalls outside the shrine, witnesses said.

Police said the mausoleum was undamaged, adding that the blast took place near the eastern gate which was already closed for security reasons.

Sufi worshippers have frequently been the target of bloody attacks by militants in Pakistan.

Earlier this month, at least eight people were killed, and more than 65 people were injured after two bombs exploded at the Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mazaar in Clifton when devotees had thronged the area.

In July this year,thirty five people were killed and 175 injured as three blasts hit Data Darbar in Lahore.