france24--2020-06-12--'#GoBaldforBLM': a failed attempt to discredit Black Lives Matter

`` Get # goBaldforBLM trending on Twitter and Instagram .
The idea is to get women , particularly white women , to shave their heads for BLM .
Guilt them into getting rid of their straight “ white ” hair to show “ solidarity ” with black women , ” reads this message posted on 4chan on June 4 by an anonymous user whose profile includes a Knights Templar flag , which is a symbol associated with the far right .
Photos gathered from all over the internet '' I did NOT shave my head for some fragile white performative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during chemotherapy ” The original caption on the photo reads : `` Look what my friend Mel was brave enough to do today .
Such an Amazing selfless act in support of Australians with blood cancer !
Raising $ 2,500… ” '' I haven ’ t seen any women fall for this movement ” A large group of conservative social media users have created a fake online challenge in a bid to discredit the protest movement against racism and police violence that has swept the United States since the death of George Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 25 by a white Minneapolis police officer .
These conservative agitators invented a fake movement calling for white women to shave their heads , shedding their “ privileged ” hair in solidarity with Black Americans .
But it turns out this fake campaign hasn ’ t duped anyone.The campaign seems to have started on the famous American forum 4chan , home to lots of social media users who are fans of trolling , creating divisive online controversies , often with no factual basis .
Most of the time , these trolls remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , # GoBaldForBLM has been used more than 25,000 times on Twitter.The post on 4chan features a photo of a young , tattooed woman who has an electric razor in her hand .
The same day , that photo was posted by a fake Twitter account.We ran a reverse image search ( click here to find out how ) and found this photo had been posted on blogs way back in 2017 – long before George Floyd was killed.In total , people shared this series of three photos showing a woman shaving off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times .
However , it turns out that this photo was posted online way before the protests began in May 2020.In the following tweet , entrepreneur Jeremy Gardner shows the same image posted on May 18 on the Pinterest platform , which proves that this photo had already been posted online before the protest movement began.Agitators also used other photos of women with shaved heads to make it look like they had fallen for the fake movement .
One example is the tweet below , which was shared more than 400 times.The image @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before and after she shaved her head .
Once again , this photo is old .
It was first posted on Tumblr back in 2017 The image on the bottom left shows two similar before and after pictures.The first image shows a woman with auburn hair wearing a black top .
Several Twitter users found the original photo , which was posted on Instagram on March 26.The second pair of photos are much more recent , but they don ’ t have anything to do with the Black Lives Matter movement .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sweeney , who has an illness that causes her hair to fall out .
Australian .
Media outlet ABC reported that she decided to shave her head completely during lockdown.The photo on the bottom right shows a tweet from a fake account attributed to someone named ' '' Ashley Watson '' .
“ Me before and after , Please show your support for # BLM and the African American community # GoBaldForBLM , ” reads the post .
However , the young woman in the photos has spoken out against the theft and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ y ’ all , those pictures are of me .
I did NOT shave my head for some fragile white performative bull sh** , I lost my hair during chemotherapy in 2018 and loved that bald look so much I kept it buzzed , ” wrote Lizzeth Lemon on Twitter.Websites affiliated with the French far right claimed that quite a few women had fallen for the fake movement.
“ White women being more desperate than ever for attention , some of them even did the # GoBaldForBLM challenge '' , reads a post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on social media , our team didn ’ t find any examples of women who had fallen for the trap set by 4chan trolls and actually tried to shave their heads in support of the Black Lives Matter movement .
Stéphanie Lamy is a feminist and a specialist in infowars .
She came to the same conclusion.Article by Liselotte Mas

DEBUNKED
A group of conservative, anti-feminist and racist social media users have carried out a strange campaign to get white women to shave their heads in an effort to discredit the Black Lives Matter movement.
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A large group of conservative social media users have created a fake online challenge in a bid to discredit the protest movement against racism and police violence that has swept the United States since the death of George Floyd, un unarmed black man killed on May 25 by a white Minneapolis police officer. These conservative agitators invented a fake movement calling for white women to shave their heads, shedding their “privileged” hair in solidarity with Black Americans. But it turns out this fake campaign hasn’t duped anyone.
The campaign seems to have started on the famous American forum 4chan, home to lots of social media users who are fans of trolling, creating divisive online controversies, often with no factual basis. Most of the time, these trolls remain anonymous and act extremely aggressively.
"Get #goBaldforBLM trending on Twitter and Instagram. The idea is to get women, particularly white women, to shave their heads for BLM. Guilt them into getting rid of their straight “white” hair to show “solidarity” with black women,” reads this message posted on 4chan on June 4 by an anonymous user whose profile includes a Knights Templar flag, which is a symbol associated with the far right.
Since that post, #GoBaldForBLM has been used more than 25,000 times on Twitter.
Photos gathered from all over the internet
The post on 4chan features a photo of a young, tattooed woman who has an electric razor in her hand. The same day, that photo was posted by a fake Twitter account.
"Your hair can grow back, show your support and solidarity by shaving your hair!” reads the caption on this photo posted by a fake Twitter account.
We ran a reverse image search (click here to find out how) and found this photo had been posted on blogs way back in 2017 – long before George Floyd was killed.
The tweet above was posted by a fake account that primarily follows well-known conservatives and conservative media outlets.
In total, people shared this series of three photos showing a woman shaving off her long brown hair more than 2,100 times. However, it turns out that this photo was posted online way before the protests began in May 2020.
"Sure enough, just did a reverse image search. This photo is from no earlier than 2019. This is the work of online agitators,” reads this response posted to the previous tweet by entrepreneur Jeremy Gardner.
In the following tweet, entrepreneur Jeremy Gardner shows the same image posted on May 18 on the Pinterest platform, which proves that this photo had already been posted online before the protest movement began.
"I did NOT shave my head for some fragile white performative bull sh*t, I lost my hair during chemotherapy”
Agitators also used other photos of women with shaved heads to make it look like they had fallen for the fake movement. One example is the tweet below, which was shared more than 400 times.
The image on the top right shows a girl before and after she shaved her head. Once again, this photo is old. It was first posted on Tumblr back in 2017.
The image on the bottom left shows two similar before and after pictures.
The first image shows a woman with auburn hair wearing a black top. Several Twitter users found the original photo, which was posted on Instagram on March 26.
The original caption on the photo reads: "Look what my friend Mel was brave enough to do today. Such an Amazing selfless act in support of Australians with blood cancer! Raising $2,500…”
The second pair of photos are much more recent, but they don’t have anything to do with the Black Lives Matter movement. The young woman in the photo is Lucy Sweeney, who has an illness that causes her hair to fall out. Australian. Media outlet ABC reported that she decided to shave her head completely during lockdown.
The photo on the bottom right shows a tweet from a fake account attributed to someone named '"Ashley Watson". “Me before and after, Please show your support for #BLM and the African American community #GoBaldForBLM,” reads the post. However, the young woman in the photos has spoken out against the theft and misappropriation of her photo.
"Hi y’all, those pictures are of me. I did NOT shave my head for some fragile white performative bull sh**, I lost my hair during chemotherapy in 2018 and loved that bald look so much I kept it buzzed,” wrote Lizzeth Lemon on Twitter.
"I haven’t seen any women fall for this movement”
Websites affiliated with the French far right claimed that quite a few women had fallen for the fake movement.
“White women being more desperate than ever for attention, some of them even did the #GoBaldForBLM challenge", reads a post on Nouvelordremondial.
However, after extensive research on social media, our team didn’t find any examples of women who had fallen for the trap set by 4chan trolls and actually tried to shave their heads in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Stéphanie Lamy is a feminist and a specialist in infowars. She came to the same conclusion.
I first saw #GoBaldForBLM emerging in online identity circles [Editor’s note: an extreme right political movement] in Austria. I quickly realised that the trend had circulated a lot from the moment it was created in the United States to its arrival in France. The message was shared on different platforms but always shared by the same type of person – white, anti-feminist men or men’s rights supporters with links to the extreme right who like to rant about “traitorous” white women who are with non-white men. In French, they call these women by the derogatory name “PAN”, an acronym that stands for the more vulgar version of “black man’s whore” ("p*te à n*gre"). I haven’t seen any women fall for this fake movement and I don’t think that the men’s rights supporters actually thought it would work. Their main aim was to revel in a sort of twisted “joke” together and show hate towards women and men of color. On a larger scale, they also see it as a counter-attack to the Black Lives Matter movement that has managed to cross borders and gathered thousands of supporters.
Article by Liselotte Mas.


france24--2020-06-11--Trump authorises sanctions on ICC staff investigating US war crimes in Afghanistan

FILE PHOTO : U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. troops , with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani standing behind him , during an unannounced visit to Bagram Air Base , Afghanistan , November 28 , 2019 .
President Donald Trump authorized sanctions against International Criminal Court employees investigating the actions of US forces in Afghanistan on Thursday in a move ICC chief O-Gon Kwon said would `` undermine our common endeavor to fight impunity and to ensure accountability for mass atrocities '' .
President Donald Trump on Thursday authorized U.S. economic and travel sanctions against International Criminal Court employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan .
In announcing the president 's executive order , Trump administration officials said the Hague-based tribunal threatens to infringe on U.S. national sovereignty and accused Russia of manipulating it to serve Moscow 's ends .
`` We can not , we will not stand by as our people are threatened by a kangaroo court , '' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in announcing the move .
`` I have a message to many close allies in the world .
Your people could be next , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Afghanistan right alongside us , '' he said .
In a statement , the ICC said Washington 's move was the `` latest in a series of unprecedented attacks on the court . ''
`` These attacks constitute an escalation and an unacceptable attempt to interfere with the rule of law and the Court 's judicial proceedings , '' the ICC said .
Foreign Minister Stef Blok of the Netherlands , a member of the Western security alliance , wrote on Twitter he was `` very disturbed '' by the U.S. stance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which he described as `` crucial in the fight against impunity . ''
The sanctions that can be imposed under the order include freezing the U.S. assets of those who help the ICC investigate or prosecute American citizens without U.S. consent as well as barring them and their families from visiting the United States .
Neither Pompeo nor any of the top officials who were present at the announcement - Defense Secretary Mark Esper , national security adviser Robert O'Brien and Attorney General William Barr - took questions from reporters .
ICC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes committed between 2003 and 2014 , including alleged mass killings of civilians by the Taliban , as well as the alleged torture of prisoners by Afghan authorities and , to a lesser extent , by U.S. forces and the CIA .
The ICC investigation was given the go-ahead in March .
The ICC decided to investigate after a preliminary examination by prosecutors in 2017 found reasonable grounds to believe war crimes were committed in Afghanistan and that the court has jurisdiction .
Rights activists assailed Trump 's move .
Andrea Prasow , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said the action `` demonstrates contempt for the global rule of law '' and represents a `` blatant attempt at obstruction . ''
The ICC was established in 2002 by the international community to prosecute war crimes , genocide and crimes against humanity .
It has jurisdiction only if a member state is unable or unwilling to prosecute atrocities itself .
The United States has never been a member of the court .
The U.S. action is the latest under Trump taking aim at an international body .
Trump , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , late last month said he would end the U.S. relationship with the World Health Organization .
Afghanistan is a member of the ICC , though Kabul has argued that any war crimes should be prosecuted locally .
Speaking at the U.S. announcement , Barr , the chief U.S. law enforcement officer , said the Justice Department `` has received substantial credible information that raises serious concerns about a long history of financial corruption and malfeasance '' in the ICC prosecutor 's office .
He provided no details .
He also said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but did not elaborate on how .
John Bellinger , the State Department 's former top lawyer under Republican former President George W. Bush , said the two sides could have avoided the conflict but chose not to .
`` It 's unfortunate that the long-running U.S. dispute with the ICC has reached this new low point .
...
It 's not surprising that the Trump administration has reacted forcefully with threatened sanctions , especially in an election year , '' he said .
The Trump administration imposed travel restrictions and other sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @

President Donald Trump authorized sanctions against International Criminal Court employees investigating the actions of US forces in Afghanistan on Thursday in a move ICC chief O-Gon Kwon said would "undermine our common endeavor to fight impunity and to ensure accountability for mass atrocities".
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. troops, with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani standing behind him, during an unannounced visit to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, November 28, 2019.
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President Donald Trump on Thursday authorized U.S. economic and travel sanctions against International Criminal Court employees involved in an investigation into whether American forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan.
In announcing the president's executive order, Trump administration officials said the Hague-based tribunal threatens to infringe on U.S. national sovereignty and accused Russia of manipulating it to serve Moscow's ends.
"We cannot, we will not stand by as our people are threatened by a kangaroo court," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in announcing the move.
"I have a message to many close allies in the world. Your people could be next, especially those from NATO countries who fight terrorism in Afghanistan right alongside us," he said.
In a statement, the ICC said Washington's move was the "latest in a series of unprecedented attacks on the court."
"These attacks constitute an escalation and an unacceptable attempt to interfere with the rule of law and the Court's judicial proceedings," the ICC said.
Foreign Minister Stef Blok of the Netherlands, a member of the Western security alliance, wrote on Twitter he was "very disturbed" by the U.S. stance, saying his nation supported the ICC, which he described as "crucial in the fight against impunity."
Very disturbed by the United States’ measures against the @IntlCrimCourt. We call on the US not to sanction ICC staff. The Netherlands fully supports the ICC and will continue to do so. The ICC is crucial in the fight against impunity and in upholding international rule of law. — Stef Blok (@ministerBlok) June 11, 2020
The sanctions that can be imposed under the order include freezing the U.S. assets of those who help the ICC investigate or prosecute American citizens without U.S. consent as well as barring them and their families from visiting the United States.
Neither Pompeo nor any of the top officials who were present at the announcement - Defense Secretary Mark Esper, national security adviser Robert O'Brien and Attorney General William Barr - took questions from reporters.
ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda wants to investigate possible crimes committed between 2003 and 2014, including alleged mass killings of civilians by the Taliban, as well as the alleged torture of prisoners by Afghan authorities and, to a lesser extent, by U.S. forces and the CIA. The ICC investigation was given the go-ahead in March.
The ICC decided to investigate after a preliminary examination by prosecutors in 2017 found reasonable grounds to believe war crimes were committed in Afghanistan and that the court has jurisdiction.
Rights activists assailed Trump's move. Andrea Prasow, the Washington director for Human Rights Watch, said the action "demonstrates contempt for the global rule of law" and represents a "blatant attempt at obstruction."
01:12
'Low point'
The ICC was established in 2002 by the international community to prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. It has jurisdiction only if a member state is unable or unwilling to prosecute atrocities itself. The United States has never been a member of the court.
The U.S. action is the latest under Trump taking aim at an international body. Trump, who has promoted an "America First" policy, late last month said he would end the U.S. relationship with the World Health Organization.
Afghanistan is a member of the ICC, though Kabul has argued that any war crimes should be prosecuted locally.
Speaking at the U.S. announcement, Barr, the chief U.S. law enforcement officer, said the Justice Department "has received substantial credible information that raises serious concerns about a long history of financial corruption and malfeasance" in the ICC prosecutor's office. He provided no details.
He also said the court was being manipulated by Russia, but did not elaborate on how.
John Bellinger, the State Department's former top lawyer under Republican former President George W. Bush, said the two sides could have avoided the conflict but chose not to.
"It's unfortunate that the long-running U.S. dispute with the ICC has reached this new low point. ... It's not surprising that the Trump administration has reacted forcefully with threatened sanctions, especially in an election year," he said.
The Trump administration imposed travel restrictions and other sanctions against ICC employees a year ago.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-12--Hunt down sharks to protect surfers? The dilemma facing France's Reunion Island

It is a sobering statistic : eleven deaths at sea in ten years .
Along the coastline of France 's Reunion Island , surfers , but also swimmers , are regularly attacked and sometimes killed by sharks .
For the island paradise , it 's a problem that 's causing major concern for the surfing community and the tourism sector .
Our reporters Clovis Casali and Julien Sauvaget went to the French overseas department in the Indian Ocean to find out what 's being done to shake off its `` Shark Island '' image .
Over the past decade , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surfing paradise , has turned into a shark attack hotspot .
But what has caused this situation ?
Is it the intense industrialisation and development on the island 's west coast , or the effect of global warming ?
Or is it simply the geographical location of Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean that explains these shark attacks ?
The island is deeply divided over what to do about the predators .
Some call for leaving the species alone and preserving the ecosystem , while many surfers advocate an all-out war on sharks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schemes to prevent further attacks and has since closed all beaches .
Only lagoons and places with safety nets are open for swimming , meaning huge losses for the tourism sector .

It is a sobering statistic: eleven deaths at sea in ten years. Along the coastline of France's Reunion Island, surfers, but also swimmers, are regularly attacked and sometimes killed by sharks. For the island paradise, it's a problem that's causing major concern for the surfing community and the tourism sector. Our reporters Clovis Casali and Julien Sauvaget went to the French overseas department in the Indian Ocean to find out what's being done to shake off its "Shark Island" image.
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Over the past decade, France's Reunion Island, once a surfing paradise, has turned into a shark attack hotspot. But what has caused this situation? Is it the intense industrialisation and development on the island's west coast, or the effect of global warming? Or is it simply the geographical location of Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean that explains these shark attacks?
The island is deeply divided over what to do about the predators. Some call for leaving the species alone and preserving the ecosystem, while many surfers advocate an all-out war on sharks. The government has invested millions in schemes to prevent further attacks and has since closed all beaches. Only lagoons and places with safety nets are open for swimming, meaning huge losses for the tourism sector.
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france24--2020-06-13--Beijing district on lockdown after coronavirus spike shuts market

A district of Beijing was on a `` wartime '' footing and the capital banned tourism on Saturday after a cluster of novel coronavirus infections centred around a major wholesale market sparked fears of a new wave of Covid-19 .
Concern is growing of a second wave of the pandemic , which has infected more than 7.66 million people worldwide and killed more than 420,000 , even in many countries that seemed to have curbed its spread .
The virus was first reported at a seafood market in Wuhan , the capital of central China 's Hubei province , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Beijing 's southwestern Fengtai district , told a briefing on Saturday that the district was in `` wartime emergency mode '' .
Throat swabs from 45 people , out of 517 tested at the district 's Xinfadi wholesale market , had tested positive for the new coronavirus , though none of them showed symptoms of Covid-19 , Chu said .
A city spokesman told the briefing that all six Covid-19 patients confirmed in Beijing on Friday had visited the Xinfadi market .
The capital will suspend sports events and inter-provincial tourism effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at an agricultural market in the city 's northwestern Haidian district also tested positive for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 without showing symptoms , Chu said .
As part of measures to curb the spread of the virus , Fengtai district said it had locked down 11 neighbourhoods in the vicinity of the market .
Authorities closed the Xinfadi market at 3 am on Saturday ( 1900 GMT on Friday ) , after two men working at a meat research centre who had recently visited the market were reported on Friday to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear how the men had been infected .
`` Preliminary judgment suggests these cases may have come into contact with a contaminated environment in the market , or were infected after being in contact with infected people .
We can not rule out subsequent cases in the future , '' said Pang Xinghuo , an official at the Beijing Center for Disease Control .
Beijing authorities had earlier halted beef and mutton trading at the Xinfadi market , alongside closures at other wholesale markets around the city .
Reflecting concerns over the risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major supermarkets in Beijing removed salmon from their shelves overnight after the virus causing Covid-19 was discovered on chopping boards used for imported salmon at the market , the state-owned Beijing Youth Daily reported .
Beijing authorities said more than 10,000 people at the market will take nucleic acid tests to detect coronavirus infections .
The city government also said it had dropped plans to reopen schools on Monday for students in grades one through three because of the new cases .

A district of Beijing was on a "wartime" footing and the capital banned tourism on Saturday after a cluster of novel coronavirus infections centred around a major wholesale market sparked fears of a new wave of Covid-19.
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Concern is growing of a second wave of the pandemic, which has infected more than 7.66 million people worldwide and killed more than 420,000, even in many countries that seemed to have curbed its spread.
The virus was first reported at a seafood market in Wuhan, the capital of central China's Hubei province, in December.
Chu Junwei, an official of Beijing's southwestern Fengtai district, told a briefing on Saturday that the district was in "wartime emergency mode".
Throat swabs from 45 people, out of 517 tested at the district's Xinfadi wholesale market, had tested positive for the new coronavirus, though none of them showed symptoms of Covid-19, Chu said.
A city spokesman told the briefing that all six Covid-19 patients confirmed in Beijing on Friday had visited the Xinfadi market. The capital will suspend sports events and inter-provincial tourism effective immediately, he said.
One person at an agricultural market in the city's northwestern Haidian district also tested positive for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 without showing symptoms, Chu said.
As part of measures to curb the spread of the virus, Fengtai district said it had locked down 11 neighbourhoods in the vicinity of the market.
Authorities to test 10,000 people
Authorities closed the Xinfadi market at 3 am on Saturday (1900 GMT on Friday), after two men working at a meat research centre who had recently visited the market were reported on Friday to have been infected. It was not immediately clear how the men had been infected.
"Preliminary judgment suggests these cases may have come into contact with a contaminated environment in the market, or were infected after being in contact with infected people. We cannot rule out subsequent cases in the future," said Pang Xinghuo, an official at the Beijing Center for Disease Control.
Beijing authorities had earlier halted beef and mutton trading at the Xinfadi market, alongside closures at other wholesale markets around the city.
Reflecting concerns over the risk of further spread of the virus, major supermarkets in Beijing removed salmon from their shelves overnight after the virus causing Covid-19 was discovered on chopping boards used for imported salmon at the market, the state-owned Beijing Youth Daily reported.
Beijing authorities said more than 10,000 people at the market will take nucleic acid tests to detect coronavirus infections. The city government also said it had dropped plans to reopen schools on Monday for students in grades one through three because of the new cases.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-13--French minister slams decision to pull 'Gone With the Wind' from Paris cinema

The exterior of the iconic Grand Rex film theatre in Paris .
The Grand Rex cinema in Paris said on Friday it had been forced to cancel a scheduled screening of the 1939 classic amid a renewed controversy over the film ’ s racist content , a move France 's culture minister described as “ incomprehensible ” .
The iconic Paris cinema had programmed the Oscar-winning Civil War epic for June 23 as part of special screenings to mark French cinemas ’ reopening following a lengthy coronavirus lockdown .
However , it was forced to cancel the screening after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pull the movie amid an anti-racism backlash that has rocked the entertainment landscape in the wake of the May 25 killing of George Floyd .
Writing on Twitter , French Culture Minister Franck Riester slammed an “ incomprehensible and unacceptable ” decision , adding that France “ will always defend the freedom to create and distribute works of art ” .
The dispute comes days after HBO Max announced it was pulling `` Gone With the Wind '' because of its `` racist depictions '' that were `` wrong then and are wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it planned to make the movie available again in the future alongside a discussion putting it in its historical context .
The movie , set on a Georgia plantation , won eight Academy Awards including best picture and set a milestone in Hollywood when supporting actress Hattie McDaniel , who played a black maid , became the first African American actor to win an Oscar .

The Grand Rex cinema in Paris said on Friday it had been forced to cancel a scheduled screening of the 1939 classic amid a renewed controversy over the film’s racist content, a move France's culture minister described as “incomprehensible”.
The exterior of the iconic Grand Rex film theatre in Paris.
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The iconic Paris cinema had programmed the Oscar-winning Civil War epic for June 23 as part of special screenings to mark French cinemas’ reopening following a lengthy coronavirus lockdown.
However, it was forced to cancel the screening after the film's distributor Warner Bros decided to pull the movie amid an anti-racism backlash that has rocked the entertainment landscape in the wake of the May 25 killing of George Floyd.
Writing on Twitter, French Culture Minister Franck Riester slammed an “incomprehensible and unacceptable” decision, adding that France “will always defend the freedom to create and distribute works of art”.
La déprogrammation du film « Autant en emporte le vent » au Grand Rex est incompréhensible et inadmissible. La France défendra toujours la liberté de création et de diffusion des œuvres. Comme l’égalité, c’est le cœur de nos valeurs. https://t.co/CkWZWSnevP — Franck Riester (@franckriester) June 12, 2020
The dispute comes days after HBO Max announced it was pulling "Gone With the Wind" because of its "racist depictions" that were "wrong then and are wrong today".
HBO Max added that it planned to make the movie available again in the future alongside a discussion putting it in its historical context.
The movie, set on a Georgia plantation, won eight Academy Awards including best picture and set a milestone in Hollywood when supporting actress Hattie McDaniel, who played a black maid, became the first African American actor to win an Oscar.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-13--African countries seek UN racism debate in wake of global protests

Protesters kneel during a demonstration in solidarity with the global Black Lives Matter movement outside the US embassy in Nairobi , Kenya , on June 2 , 2020 .
African countries called Friday on the UN Human Rights Council to urgently debate racism and police brutality in the wake of the global protests that followed George Floyd 's killing by an officer in the US .
In a letter written on behalf of 54 African countries , Burkina Faso 's ambassador to the UN in Geneva asked the UN 's top rights body for an `` urgent debate '' on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police brutality against people of African descent and the violence against the peaceful protests that call for these injustices to stop . ''
The letter , addressed to rights council president Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger of Austria , requested that this debate be held next week , when the council 's 43rd session resumes , after it was interrupted in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
It pointed to the case of George Floyd , a 46-year-old black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25 after a white officer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pressed his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes .
The call came after Floyd 's family , along with the families of other victims of police violence and over 600 NGOs this week called on the council to urgently address systemic racism and police impunity in the US .
For the council to consider such a request , it needs to have the backing of at least one country .
With the request now coming from a large group of states , `` that increases the chances '' it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AFP .
Floyd 's death , which was caught on video and has sparked massive protests across the United States and around the world , `` is unfortunately not an isolated incident , with many previous cases of unarmed persons of African descent suffering the same fate due to unchecked police brutality , '' the letter said .
`` Sadly , the fates of many other victims attracted no attention , as they were not captured on social media for all to see , '' Ambassador Dieudonne Desire Sougouri wrote on behalf of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While the letter called for a debate on racism around the globe , it in particular highlighted the situation in the United States .
`` The protests the world is witnessing are a rejection of the fundamental racial inequality and discrimination that characterise life in the United States for black people , and other people of colour , '' it said .
> > ‘ Black and treated as such ’ : France ’ s anti-racism protests expose myth of colour-blind Republic A number of countries are expected to address Floyd 's killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States during the resumed 43rd council session even without a special debate .
But since the deadline for tabling fresh resolutions during this session expired back in March , they will only be able to call for concrete actions within the confines of this extraordinary debate .
John Fisher , head of the Human Rights Watch 's Geneva office , voiced hope earlier Friday , before the African Group letter went out , that the council would order some form of scrutiny of the US situation .
`` There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be addressed and addressed meaningfully , '' he told journalists .

African countries called Friday on the UN Human Rights Council to urgently debate racism and police brutality in the wake of the global protests that followed George Floyd's killing by an officer in the US.
Protesters kneel during a demonstration in solidarity with the global Black Lives Matter movement outside the US embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 2, 2020.
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In a letter written on behalf of 54 African countries, Burkina Faso's ambassador to the UN in Geneva asked the UN's top rights body for an "urgent debate" on "racially inspired human rights violations, police brutality against people of African descent and the violence against the peaceful protests that call for these injustices to stop."
The letter, addressed to rights council president Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger of Austria, requested that this debate be held next week, when the council's 43rd session resumes, after it was interrupted in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It pointed to the case of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25 after a white officer, who has since been charged with murder, pressed his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
The call came after Floyd's family, along with the families of other victims of police violence and over 600 NGOs this week called on the council to urgently address systemic racism and police impunity in the US.
For the council to consider such a request, it needs to have the backing of at least one country.
With the request now coming from a large group of states, "that increases the chances" it will take place, a council spokesman told AFP.
'Unchecked police brutality'
Floyd's death, which was caught on video and has sparked massive protests across the United States and around the world, "is unfortunately not an isolated incident, with many previous cases of unarmed persons of African descent suffering the same fate due to unchecked police brutality," the letter said.
"Sadly, the fates of many other victims attracted no attention, as they were not captured on social media for all to see," Ambassador Dieudonne Desire Sougouri wrote on behalf of the African Group at the council.
While the letter called for a debate on racism around the globe, it in particular highlighted the situation in the United States.
"The protests the world is witnessing are a rejection of the fundamental racial inequality and discrimination that characterise life in the United States for black people, and other people of colour," it said.
>> ‘Black and treated as such’: France’s anti-racism protests expose myth of colour-blind Republic
A number of countries are expected to address Floyd's killing and concerns about police violence and racism in the United States during the resumed 43rd council session even without a special debate.
But since the deadline for tabling fresh resolutions during this session expired back in March, they will only be able to call for concrete actions within the confines of this extraordinary debate.
John Fisher, head of the Human Rights Watch's Geneva office, voiced hope earlier Friday, before the African Group letter went out, that the council would order some form of scrutiny of the US situation.
"There are underlying issues of systemic racism that need to be addressed and addressed meaningfully," he told journalists.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-06-13--New Zealand rugby fans lead world in returning to stadiums after lockdown

The Otago Highlanders ' Shannon Frizell jumps for the ball during the Super Rugby match against the Waikato Chiefs at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on June 13 , 2020 .
A capacity crowd packed the Forsyth Barr stadium on Saturday to welcome the return of professional rugby , three months after the sport ’ s professional tournaments were shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic .
At 22,000 it was a small crowd but momentous for New Zealand and for rugby as fans returned to stadiums without limitation for the first time since the Covid-19 outbreak sent countries around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tickets had been sold before the opening match in Super Rugby Aotearoa between the local Highlanders and the Hamilton-based Chiefs , and walk-ups filled the stadium to its capacity of 22,800 before the kick off .
University students in the South Island college town were pressed shoulder to shoulder in the enclosure reserved for them and locally known as The Zoo .
There were no restrictions on physical contact .
Fans could hug , high-five , congregate in groups before and after the match and fill public transport without wearing masks or social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 after shutting its borders and imposing an early and thorough lockdown .
There are no active cases and New Zealand has recorded no new infections in 22 days .
That made it possible for crowds to return to professional sport and they have done so with relish .
The match between the Blues and Hurricanes in Auckland on Sunday is expected to have a crowd of almost 40,000 , the largest for almost 15 years for a Super Rugby match in New Zealand ’ s largest city .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again before people , our people , a crowd , ” Highlanders and All Blacks scrumhalf Aaron Smith said .
The five-nation Super Rugby tournament , involving teams from Australia , Argentina , Japan , New Zealand and South Africa , was abandoned in March when restrictions on international travel and quarantine requirements made it untenable .
Super Rugby Aotearoa involves New Zealand ’ s five teams , playing each other home and away over five weeks .
Australia will kick off its Super Rugby AU on July 3 and both countries are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September .

A capacity crowd packed the Forsyth Barr stadium on Saturday to welcome the return of professional rugby, three months after the sport’s professional tournaments were shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Fans attend the Super Rugby match between the Otago Highlanders and Waikato Chiefs at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on June 13, 2020.
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At 22,000 it was a small crowd but momentous for New Zealand and for rugby as fans returned to stadiums without limitation for the first time since the Covid-19 outbreak sent countries around the world into lockdown in March.
Almost 20,000 tickets had been sold before the opening match in Super Rugby Aotearoa between the local Highlanders and the Hamilton-based Chiefs, and walk-ups filled the stadium to its capacity of 22,800 before the kick off.
University students in the South Island college town were pressed shoulder to shoulder in the enclosure reserved for them and locally known as The Zoo. There were no restrictions on physical contact. Fans could hug, high-five, congregate in groups before and after the match and fill public transport without wearing masks or social distancing.
🙌🏽 Fans are in the house! 30 minutes to go until Investec #SuperRugbyAotearoa kicks off in Dunedin.
For those at home, don't miss a minute of the action live & exclusive on @skysportnz. #HIGvCHI pic.twitter.com/jYQHwFbMf2 — Super Rugby (@SuperRugbyNZ) June 13, 2020
New Zealand has almost eradicated Covid-19 after shutting its borders and imposing an early and thorough lockdown. There are no active cases and New Zealand has recorded no new infections in 22 days.
That made it possible for crowds to return to professional sport and they have done so with relish. The match between the Blues and Hurricanes in Auckland on Sunday is expected to have a crowd of almost 40,000, the largest for almost 15 years for a Super Rugby match in New Zealand’s largest city.
“It’s amazing to be able to play rugby again before people, our people, a crowd,” Highlanders and All Blacks scrumhalf Aaron Smith said.
NZ makes history in Dunedin tonight with the first professional rugby game with spectators since Covid-19 shut down world sports. My cartoon from the ODT ... Go the Highlanders.#WorldFirstDunedin #SuperRugby #SuperRugbyAotearoa pic.twitter.com/tskDjsDW8X — Yeo Cartoons (@YeoCartoons) June 13, 2020
The five-nation Super Rugby tournament, involving teams from Australia, Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa, was abandoned in March when restrictions on international travel and quarantine requirements made it untenable.
Super Rugby Aotearoa involves New Zealand’s five teams, playing each other home and away over five weeks. Australia will kick off its Super Rugby AU on July 3 and both countries are hoping to have international rugby back in September.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-13--France to start reopening non-Schengen borders from July 1

Paris Charles de Gaulle airport , France 's largest international hub , has been largely empty since the start of the coronavirus pandemic .
France will gradually reopen its borders to countries outside the Schengen zone from July 1 , the interior and foreign ministers said in a joint statement on Friday .
The borders were shut in mid-March to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic , but the European Union recommended on Thursday that the bloc reopen to some countries in the Balkans from July 1 .
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be in harmony with the rest of the EU .
`` This opening will be gradual and will vary according to the health situation in each of the third countries , and in accordance with the arrangements that will have been agreed at European level by then , '' the ministers said .
Europe has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic , accounting for almost half of the world 's deaths .
But the spread has slowed in many of the hardest-hit countries , including Spain , Italy and France , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifted .
Castaner and Le Drian confirmed that France would also lift all border restrictions with other Schengen countries from June 15 .
Spain remains under restrictions as Madrid enforces a quarantine on all overseas travellers and France has promised reciprocal measures .
The Schengen borderless area covers most of the European Union as well as Switzerland , Norway , Iceland and Lichtenstein .

France will gradually reopen its borders to countries outside the Schengen zone from July 1, the interior and foreign ministers said in a joint statement on Friday.
Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, France's largest international hub, has been largely empty since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The borders were shut in mid-March to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, but the European Union recommended on Thursday that the bloc reopen to some countries in the Balkans from July 1.
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said in their statement that France's reopening would be in harmony with the rest of the EU.
"This opening will be gradual and will vary according to the health situation in each of the third countries, and in accordance with the arrangements that will have been agreed at European level by then," the ministers said.
Europe has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic, accounting for almost half of the world's deaths.
But the spread has slowed in many of the hardest-hit countries, including Spain, Italy and France, allowing the most restrictive measures to be lifted.
Castaner and Le Drian confirmed that France would also lift all border restrictions with other Schengen countries from June 15.
Spain remains under restrictions as Madrid enforces a quarantine on all overseas travellers and France has promised reciprocal measures.
The Schengen borderless area covers most of the European Union as well as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-13--Lebanon rocked by second night of unrest amid currency plunge

Demonstrators rallied against mounting economic hardship in the capital city of Beirut on June 12 , 2020 .
Lebanese protesters set fire to roadways and clashed with security forces in a second night of unrest on Friday , despite a government pledge to inject dollars into the market to bolster the sagging currency .
Protests erupted on Thursday in several Lebanese cities after a crash in the pound currency , which has lost about 70 % of its value since October , when Lebanon was plunged into a financial crisis that has brought mounting hardship .
The pound appeared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government announcement that the central bank would inject dollars into the market on Monday .
Protesters , however , returned later on Friday for a second night , throwing fireworks and stones at security forces in central Beirut and the northern city of Tripoli , prompting them to spray tear gas and rubber bullets to push them back .
The unrest comes as Beirut holds talks with the International Monetary Fund for a reform programme it hopes will secure billions of dollars in financing and put its economy back on track .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and waste , has brought soaring food prices , unemployment and capital controls that have severed Lebanese from their hard currency savings .
The country enforced a lockdown in mid-March to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus , limiting the country 's Covid-19 death toll to just 31 but dealing a further blow to businesses .

Lebanese protesters set fire to roadways and clashed with security forces in a second night of unrest on Friday, despite a government pledge to inject dollars into the market to bolster the sagging currency.
Demonstrators rallied against mounting economic hardship in the capital city of Beirut on June 12, 2020.
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Protests erupted on Thursday in several Lebanese cities after a crash in the pound currency, which has lost about 70% of its value since October, when Lebanon was plunged into a financial crisis that has brought mounting hardship.
The pound appeared to halt its slide on Friday after a government announcement that the central bank would inject dollars into the market on Monday.
Protesters, however, returned later on Friday for a second night, throwing fireworks and stones at security forces in central Beirut and the northern city of Tripoli, prompting them to spray tear gas and rubber bullets to push them back.
The unrest comes as Beirut holds talks with the International Monetary Fund for a reform programme it hopes will secure billions of dollars in financing and put its economy back on track.
The crisis, rooted in decades of corruption and waste, has brought soaring food prices, unemployment and capital controls that have severed Lebanese from their hard currency savings.
The country enforced a lockdown in mid-March to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, limiting the country's Covid-19 death toll to just 31 but dealing a further blow to businesses.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-13--Goalless draw sees Juventus through to final as Italian football resumes

Cristiano Ronaldo misses from the penalty spot as play resumes behind closed doors at the Allianz Stadium in Turin .
Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty as Juventus were held to a 0-0 draw by 10-man AC Milan on Friday but the Turin side still squeezed into the Coppa Italia final as the season restarted following a three-month stoppage for the novel coronavirus .
Juve qualified for Wednesday 's final on away goals following their 1-1 draw in the first leg of the semi-final , played on Feb. 13 , and face Napoli or Inter Milan who meet on Saturday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seconds of each other early in the match played behind closed doors at the Allianz Stadium .
Juventus were awarded a penalty in the 16th minute after the VAR officials spotted the ball hitting Andrea Conti 's elbow but Ronaldo , whose late penalty in the first leg turned out to be decisive , slammed his effort against the foot of the post .
It was the second penalty missed by the 35-year-old in two seasons at the club .
Milan cleared the ball upfield but , as they did so , forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Danilo and was sent off , forcing the visitors to play for more than 70 minutes with 10 men .
Milan , missing veteran forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a calf injury , held out well but rarely threatened to snatch the goal that would have taken them into the final .
They caused Juve only one real fright when Hakan Calhanoglu was close with a diving header early in the second half .
`` The emotions are strange , '' said Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci .
`` After 90 days , we were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was strange at the start . ''
Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri did not give a post-match interview while his counterpart Stefano Poli was left to reflect on the goal they conceded at home and Rebic 's red card .
`` We committed the naive act of ending up with a man less .
Then afterwards we had a great game and then we had chances to go ahead , '' he said .
`` The results are clear , two draws .
The difference was subtle .
I do n't think we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two games . ''

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty as Juventus were held to a 0-0 draw by 10-man AC Milan on Friday but the Turin side still squeezed into the Coppa Italia final as the season restarted following a three-month stoppage for the novel coronavirus.
Cristiano Ronaldo misses from the penalty spot as play resumes behind closed doors at the Allianz Stadium in Turin.
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Juve qualified for Wednesday's final on away goals following their 1-1 draw in the first leg of the semi-final, played on Feb. 13, and face Napoli or Inter Milan who meet on Saturday.
The two key moments happened within six seconds of each other early in the match played behind closed doors at the Allianz Stadium.
Juventus were awarded a penalty in the 16th minute after the VAR officials spotted the ball hitting Andrea Conti's elbow but Ronaldo, whose late penalty in the first leg turned out to be decisive, slammed his effort against the foot of the post.
It was the second penalty missed by the 35-year-old in two seasons at the club.
Milan cleared the ball upfield but, as they did so, forward Ante Rebic aimed a wild kick at Danilo and was sent off, forcing the visitors to play for more than 70 minutes with 10 men.
Milan, missing veteran forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a calf injury, held out well but rarely threatened to snatch the goal that would have taken them into the final.
They caused Juve only one real fright when Hakan Calhanoglu was close with a diving header early in the second half.
"The emotions are strange," said Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci. "After 90 days, we were playing again in an empty stadium and it was strange at the start."
Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri did not give a post-match interview while his counterpart Stefano Poli was left to reflect on the goal they conceded at home and Rebic's red card.
"We committed the naive act of ending up with a man less. Then afterwards we had a great game and then we had chances to go ahead," he said.
"The results are clear, two draws. The difference was subtle. I don't think we played worse than our opponents in the two games."
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-12--Did an American TV series from 2003 really predict the Covid-19 pandemic?

Since mid-May , people online have been sharing an excerpt from a 2003 TV series that eerily seems to predict the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic .
In the scene , the actors talk about a virus that originated in China , which can be treated with chloroquine .
Some people interpreted this scene as proving conspiracy theories that Covid-19 was orchestrated .
The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke to the person who wrote this episode of the series `` Dead Zone ” to find out the real story .
In the excerpt that has been circulating online – which is about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about a `` virus from China '' that causes a high fever and respiratory complications .
To avoid contaminating others , people exposed to the virus were put in quarantine for long periods .
The next sequence shows one of the characters having a dream where his unconscious reveals to him that chloroquine can be used as a cure .
The excerpt ends with the main character realising that his vision was right and that chloroquine really does cure people with the virus .
People have been sharing this excerpt from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as proof that the Covid-19 pandemic was preordained .
The posts all mention the strange parallels between the clip and the Covid-19 pandemic , including the mention of the controversial treatment chloroquine .
One social media user claimed ( in French ) that the CIA had been using the movies to announce their upcoming projects to people in the know .
The excerpt comes from episode 14 in season 2 of the American series `` Dead Zone '' .
The main actor , Anthony Michael Hall , plays a man who went into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car accident .
When he wakes up six months later , he can see the future through strange visions .
However , if you watch the episode , which is called `` Plague '' , then it is easy to spot the differences between the situation in the film and reality .
The main character has a vision that shows children in a school all becoming ill with the virus .
He tells the town sheriff to quarantine the school until he finds a way to treat the children .
On the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children , with only a very small percentage affected ( about 2 % of the cases ) .
However , in the video that is currently circulating online , the scenes showing the children and the school being quarantined have been edited to make it look more like the current situation .
Below , you ’ ll see an excerpt from the episode that includes the part about the sick children .
`` This fictional story was based on an isolated case that I came across 17 years ago '' The FRANCE 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote this episode of `` Dead Zone '' .
Her name is Jill Ellen Blotevogel and she said she did a lot of research before writing the episode : The plotline that Blotevogel wrote isn ’ t too surprising , given the context at the time .
Between 2002 and 2004 , a coronavirus known as Sars-Cov-1 ( which is often called SARS ) appeared in the province of Guangdong , China .
SARS killed at least 774 people , most of them in China , Hong Kong or Taiwan .
In total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were reported .
Online , you can find several examples of medical literature referencing the fact that some patients seemed to respond positively to chloroquine .
Blotevogel wrote that episode 17 years ago and she says she no longer has notes from her research .
She also doesn ’ t remember much about the isolated case that she based the episode on .
She ’ s not sure what country it was in .
However , she did say : The excerpt in the video comes from episode 14 of season 2 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it was edited to remove the fact that the fictional illness affected children , unlike Covid-19 .
This scenario was based on an isolated case that the author discovered in her research .

DEBUNKED
A video that has been circulating online shows a scene from a 2003 TV series featuring a remarkably similar situation to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. (Screengrab from season 2, episode 14 of the show Dead Zone, entitled"Plague".)
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Since mid-May, people online have been sharing an excerpt from a 2003 TV series that eerily seems to predict the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. In the scene, the actors talk about a virus that originated in China, which can be treated with chloroquine. Some people interpreted this scene as proving conspiracy theories that Covid-19 was orchestrated. The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke to the person who wrote this episode of the series "Dead Zone” to find out the real story.
In the excerpt that has been circulating online – which is about 2’30” – the actors talk about a "virus from China" that causes a high fever and respiratory complications. To avoid contaminating others, people exposed to the virus were put in quarantine for long periods. The next sequence shows one of the characters having a dream where his unconscious reveals to him that chloroquine can be used as a cure. The excerpt ends with the main character realising that his vision was right and that chloroquine really does cure people with the virus.
People have been sharing this excerpt from the 2003 TV series “Dead Zone” as proof that the Covid-19 pandemic was preordained.
The posts all mention the strange parallels between the clip and the Covid-19 pandemic, including the mention of the controversial treatment chloroquine. One social media user claimed (in French) that the CIA had been using the movies to announce their upcoming projects to people in the know.
The excerpt comes from episode 14 in season 2 of the American series "Dead Zone". The main actor, Anthony Michael Hall, plays a man who went into a coma after being injured in a car accident. When he wakes up six months later, he can see the future through strange visions.
However, if you watch the episode, which is called "Plague", then it is easy to spot the differences between the situation in the film and reality. The main character has a vision that shows children in a school all becoming ill with the virus. He tells the town sheriff to quarantine the school until he finds a way to treat the children. On the other hand, Covid-19 seems to mostly spare children, with only a very small percentage affected (about 2% of the cases).
However, in the video that is currently circulating online, the scenes showing the children and the school being quarantined have been edited to make it look more like the current situation. Below, you’ll see an excerpt from the episode that includes the part about the sick children.
"This fictional story was based on an isolated case that I came across 17 years ago"
The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke to the person who wrote this episode of "Dead Zone". Her name is Jill Ellen Blotevogel and she said she did a lot of research before writing the episode:
My goal for the [Dead Zone] plotline was to come up with a cure that would have taken weeks or months or years to find through normal medical research – an outlier/rare possibility. In my research, I found an actual case where someone who was suffering from malaria as well as a coronavirus was treated with an anti-malarial drug that happened to kill his virus as well. It was one very isolated case that gave me an interesting solution for my FICTIONAL plotline.
The plotline that Blotevogel wrote isn’t too surprising, given the context at the time. Between 2002 and 2004, a coronavirus known as Sars-Cov-1 (which is often called SARS) appeared in the province of Guangdong, China. SARS killed at least 774 people, most of them in China, Hong Kong or Taiwan. In total, about 8,000 cases of the virus were reported. Online, you can find several examples of medical literature referencing the fact that some patients seemed to respond positively to chloroquine.
Blotevogel wrote that episode 17 years ago and she says she no longer has notes from her research. She also doesn’t remember much about the isolated case that she based the episode on. She’s not sure what country it was in. However, she did say:
But, it was a total longshot cure. I was in no way suggesting that chloroquine is a cure for a coronavirus. Simply that the particular fictional one that I came up with had this bizarre out-of-left-field cure.
In summation
The excerpt in the video comes from episode 14 of season 2 of the American series "Dead Zone" but it was edited to remove the fact that the fictional illness affected children, unlike Covid-19.
This scenario was based on an isolated case that the author discovered in her research.
Article by Alexandre Capron (@alexcapron)


france24--2020-06-13--After the death of George Floyd, Africa mobilises against police violence

Family members of people killed by Kenyan Police protest in front of the Kenyan Parliament against police brutality in Nairobi on June 9 , 2020 .
If the death of George Floyd has sparked a worldwide protest movement , Africa is not to be outdone .
In Kenya , Ghana and South Africa , demonstrators are taking to the streets .
Others would like to see their leaders tackle the issue more firmly , in solidarity with their `` African-American brothers '' .
The death of George Floyd , an African-American man who was killed by a police officer on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a global symbol .
That case of police violence sparked a worldwide wave of anti-racist protests , with marchers chanting the slogan `` I ca n't breathe '' - the last words spoken by the 46-year-old .
Demonstrations have also erupted in Africa , calling on African leaders to address their own problems of police violence , which often go unpunished .
In South Africa , the movement 's other major slogan , `` Black Lives Matter '' , has a special resonance in a country scarred by apartheid and still torn apart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8 , at the call of the radical-left party , the Economic Freedom Fighters ( EFF ) , more than 100 people gathered outside the US Embassy in Pretoria to protest racism , police violence and the US President Donald Trump .
EFF supporters paid tribute to Floyd by taking a knee and observing 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence , the time it took for him to die under the knee of a police officer .
`` Enough with police brutality on our black bodies , '' EFF leader Julius Malema @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wife of a man recently killed by the South African Army enforcing the Covid-19 lockdown .
In Kenya , portraits of George Floyd plaster the walls of Nairobi .
And on the same day as in South Africa , about 200 people demonstrated against police violence in the Mathare slum in the capital .
Police violence has claimed at least 15 lives in Kenya since a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 .
The crowd consisted mainly of young people and mothers carrying placards with the names of friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years in police operations .
`` Stop Killer Cops , '' or `` Save Our Future , '' were their slogans .
The Kenyan police are regularly accused by human rights groups of excessive use of force and extrajudicial executions , particularly in poor neighbourhoods .
In April , Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) accused the police of imposing curfews `` in a chaotic and violent manner , from the beginning '' , sometimes by whipping , beating or using tear gas to force people off the streets .
The organisation cited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yassin Hussein Moyo , who died in Nairobi on March 31 after he was shot while standing on his balcony by police enforcing curfew in the street below his house .
A new scandal erupted on June 10 with the viral release of a video in which a woman suspected of stealing was tied up and dragged behind a motorcycle .
Three policemen were arrested .
`` Three officers were yesterday arrested ... following circulation of a video depicting a woman being whipped & dragged on a motorbike in Kuresoi South Sub-County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
`` The suspects are in lawful custody helping with further investigations into the matter , '' it added .
On the Corniche des Almadies in Dakar , facing the ocean that separates Africa from the United States , 50 people - the maximum allowed because of Covid-19 - representing various associations of Senegalese civil society , gathered to pay tribute to George Floyd in this highly symbolic place : the Corniche is soon to house the Slavery Memorial .
The President of Ghana , Nana Akufo-Addo , was one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to the murder of George Floyd .
`` Black people , the world over , are shocked and distraught by the killing of an unarmed black man , George Floyd , by a white police officer in the United States of America ... .
It can not be right that , in the 21st century , the United States , this great bastion of democracy , continues to grapple with the problem of systemic racism , '' he wrote in a statement posted on Twitter on June 1 with Floyd ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We hope that the unfortunate , tragic death of George Floyd will inspire a lasting change in how America confronts head on the problems of hate and racism . ''
Niger 's President Mahamadou Issoufou said Thursday that the death of George Floyd was `` the symbol of the old world that must be changed '' , during a video conference with his peers in the African Union .
“ Our conference must condemn this heinous act without reservation.
” The Chadian Chairperson of the African Union Commission , Moussa Faki Mahamat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd 's death , calling it a `` murder '' as early as May 29 .
In a statement , he said he `` strongly condemns the murder of George Floyd that occurred in the United States at the hands of law enforcement officers '' .
“ Recalling the historic Organisation of Africa Unity ( OAU ) Resolution on Racial Discrimination in the United States of America made by African Heads of State and Government , at the OAU ’ s First Assembly Meeting held in Cairo , Egypt from 17 to 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African Union Commission firmly reaffirms and reiterates the African Union ’ s rejection of the continuing discriminatory practices against Black citizens of the United States of America , ” the statement continued .
The Chadian diplomat was referring to the very first OAU conference of July 1964 in Cairo , in which the iconic leader of the Nation of Islam , Malcolm X , participated as an observer .
He delivered a pan-African speech to `` his African brothers and sisters '' on the discrimination suffered by African-Americans on the other side of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intellectuals , however , see it as opportunistic for the continent 's leaders to take up the problem in this way .
Among them is the Cameroonian economist Célestin Monga , who called on African politicians to put their own houses in order first .
While he commended the `` ( anger and indignation ) of African political leaders over the assassination of George Floyd and police brutality in [ the United States ] '' in a tweet , he said he wished `` they would be just as quick to issue condemnations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our citizens on a daily basis '' .
A hundred African writers hope that the repercussions of George Floyd 's murder will lead to the revival of the pan-African dream .
In an open letter , they call for Africa to be a `` refuge '' for its diaspora .
`` We ask that African governments recognize our alliance and ties with our brothers and sisters across borders , from America to Brazil and throughout the rest of the diaspora .
Let them offer those who choose it a refuge , a home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the African authors urged .
`` We note with dismay that what Malcolm X said in Ghana in 1964 , namely that 'for the 20 million of us in America who are of African descent , this is not the American dream , this is the American nightmare ' , remains true for 37 million ( African-Americans ) in 2020 . ''
This article has been translated from the original in French .

If the death of George Floyd has sparked a worldwide protest movement, Africa is not to be outdone. In Kenya, Ghana and South Africa, demonstrators are taking to the streets. Others would like to see their leaders tackle the issue more firmly, in solidarity with their "African-American brothers".
Family members of people killed by Kenyan Police protest in front of the Kenyan Parliament against police brutality in Nairobi on June 9, 2020.
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The death of George Floyd, an African-American man who was killed by a police officer on May 25 in Minneapolis, has become a global symbol. That case of police violence sparked a worldwide wave of anti-racist protests, with marchers chanting the slogan "I can't breathe" - the last words spoken by the 46-year-old. Demonstrations have also erupted in Africa, calling on African leaders to address their own problems of police violence, which often go unpunished.
A particular resonance in South Africa
In South Africa, the movement's other major slogan, "Black Lives Matter", has a special resonance in a country scarred by apartheid and still torn apart by sharp racial inequalities.
On June 8, at the call of the radical-left party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), more than 100 people gathered outside the US Embassy in Pretoria to protest racism, police violence and the US President Donald Trump.
The EFF now kneeling outside the USA Embassy in Pretoria for 8 minutes and 40 seconds against the death #GeorgeFloyd in America at the hands of White Police officers. The #CollinsKhosa family is also here. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/MetKNxrgc9 — #TheLordOfTheMedia (@samkelemaseko) June 8, 2020
EFF supporters paid tribute to Floyd by taking a knee and observing 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence, the time it took for him to die under the knee of a police officer. "Enough with police brutality on our black bodies," EFF leader Julius Malema told the crowd, standing next to the wife of a man recently killed by the South African Army enforcing the Covid-19 lockdown.
Kenya against police violence
In Kenya, portraits of George Floyd plaster the walls of Nairobi. And on the same day as in South Africa, about 200 people demonstrated against police violence in the Mathare slum in the capital. Police violence has claimed at least 15 lives in Kenya since a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The crowd consisted mainly of young people and mothers carrying placards with the names of friends, neighbours or sons killed in recent years in police operations. "Stop Killer Cops," or "Save Our Future," were their slogans.
The Kenyan police are regularly accused by human rights groups of excessive use of force and extrajudicial executions, particularly in poor neighbourhoods. In April, Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the police of imposing curfews "in a chaotic and violent manner, from the beginning", sometimes by whipping, beating or using tear gas to force people off the streets.
The organisation cited the case of a 13-year-old boy, Yassin Hussein Moyo, who died in Nairobi on March 31 after he was shot while standing on his balcony by police enforcing curfew in the street below his house.
A new scandal erupted on June 10 with the viral release of a video in which a woman suspected of stealing was tied up and dragged behind a motorcycle. Three policemen were arrested.
Another rogue officer:
IPOA launches probe into assault of a suspect in Olenguruone. Video shows woman being dragged, tied on a motorcycle.
Police claim Mercy Cherono was assaulted by a mob.
Mercy said to be a member of a gang that stole from officer’s house #JKLive pic.twitter.com/wsZMjXI0Qk — Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) June 10, 2020
"Three officers were yesterday arrested ... following circulation of a video depicting a woman being whipped & dragged on a motorbike in Kuresoi South Sub-County," the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said in a statement.
"The suspects are in lawful custody helping with further investigations into the matter," it added.
Ghana and Senegal pay tribute to George Floyd
On the Corniche des Almadies in Dakar, facing the ocean that separates Africa from the United States, 50 people - the maximum allowed because of Covid-19 - representing various associations of Senegalese civil society, gathered to pay tribute to George Floyd in this highly symbolic place: the Corniche is soon to house the Slavery Memorial.
Senegalese kneel during a Black Lives Matter gathering following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, in Dakar, Senegal June 9. REUTERS/ Zohra Bensemr#GeorgeFloyd#blacklifematters pic.twitter.com/BK9l3eApdz — Abdulsatar Bochnak (@AbdulsatarBoch1) June 10, 2020
The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, was one of the first heads of state to respond to the murder of George Floyd.
"Black people, the world over, are shocked and distraught by the killing of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer in the United States of America.... It cannot be right that, in the 21st century, the United States, this great bastion of democracy, continues to grapple with the problem of systemic racism," he wrote in a statement posted on Twitter on June 1 with Floyd’s face on a black background. "We hope that the unfortunate, tragic death of George Floyd will inspire a lasting change in how America confronts head on the problems of hate and racism."
Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou said Thursday that the death of George Floyd was "the symbol of the old world that must be changed", during a video conference with his peers in the African Union. “Our conference must condemn this heinous act without reservation.”
The African Union addresses the problem
The Chadian Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, was very quick to react to George Floyd's death, calling it a "murder" as early as May 29. In a statement, he said he "strongly condemns the murder of George Floyd that occurred in the United States at the hands of law enforcement officers".
“Recalling the historic Organisation of Africa Unity (OAU) Resolution on Racial Discrimination in the United States of America made by African Heads of State and Government, at the OAU’s First Assembly Meeting held in Cairo, Egypt from 17 to 24 July 1964, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission firmly reaffirms and reiterates the African Union’s rejection of the continuing discriminatory practices against Black citizens of the United States of America,” the statement continued.
On behalf of the entire @_AfricanUnion family, I condemn in the strongest terms the murder of #GeorgeFloyd at the hands of law enforcement officers in the United States of America. See my full statement here: https://t.co/LslbVFrWHN — Moussa Faki Mahamat (@AUC_MoussaFaki) May 29, 2020
The Chadian diplomat was referring to the very first OAU conference of July 1964 in Cairo, in which the iconic leader of the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X, participated as an observer. He delivered a pan-African speech to "his African brothers and sisters" on the discrimination suffered by African-Americans on the other side of the Atlantic at that time.
Some intellectuals, however, see it as opportunistic for the continent's leaders to take up the problem in this way. Among them is the Cameroonian economist Célestin Monga, who called on African politicians to put their own houses in order first.
While he commended the "(anger and indignation) of African political leaders over the assassination of George Floyd and police brutality in [the United States]" in a tweet, he said he wished "they would be just as quick to issue condemnations when our police and soldiers are martyring our citizens on a daily basis".
Reviving the pan-African dream
A hundred African writers hope that the repercussions of George Floyd's murder will lead to the revival of the pan-African dream. In an open letter, they call for Africa to be a "refuge" for its diaspora.
"We ask that African governments recognize our alliance and ties with our brothers and sisters across borders, from America to Brazil and throughout the rest of the diaspora. Let them offer those who choose it a refuge, a home and citizenship in the name of pan-Africanism," the African authors urged.
"We note with dismay that what Malcolm X said in Ghana in 1964, namely that 'for the 20 million of us in America who are of African descent, this is not the American dream, this is the American nightmare', remains true for 37 million (African-Americans) in 2020."
This article has been translated from the original in French.
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france24--2020-06-13--Covid-19: France, Italy, Germany and Netherlands sign vaccine deal for Europe

Pharma giant AstraZeneca had already signed agreements to deliver 1.7 billion doses of the coronavirus vaccine , which is currently being tested by researchers at the University of Oxford .
Pharma giant AstraZeneca struck a deal Saturday with Europe ’ s Inclusive Vaccines Alliance to supply up to 400 million doses of an experimental Covid-19 vaccine , as efforts to boost manufacturing capacity continue at pace .
The alliance , which was forged by Germany , France , Italy and the Netherlands to speed up production of a vaccine , is set to take delivery of the vaccine being tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of 2020 .
The agreement with AstraZeneca also aims to make the vaccine available to other European countries that wish to take part .
The cost is expected to be offset by funding from the governments .
“ This agreement will ensure that hundreds of millions of Europeans have access to Oxford University ’ s vaccine following approval , ’ ’ AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said .
“ With our European supply chain due to begin production soon , we hope to make the vaccine available widely and rapidly.
” The agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make the vaccine — even though it is not certain it will work .
But so desperate is the need that scaling up of manufacturing continues despite the risk .
The Anglo-Swedish company recently completed similar agreements with Britain , the United States the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations , and Gavi , the Vaccine Alliance for 700 million doses .
A license also has been agreed with the Serum Institute of India for another 1 billion doses .
China , Brazil , Japan and Russia have also expressed interest , Soriot said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Healthcare products Regulatory Agency ( MHRA ) has approved the start of Phase III trials of the vaccine after studies showed sufficient efficacy and safety , Soriot said on a call with reporters .
The vaccine was developed by Oxford University ’ s Jenner Institute , working with the Oxford Vaccine Group .
Testing of the experimental Covid-19 vaccine began in healthy volunteers in Britain in April with over 1,000 people aged 18 to 55 .
Another round with 10,000 volunteers began last month .
Other companies , including Moderna and Sanofi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine against the new coronavirus , a step experts say will be crucial to allowing countries to ease their lockdowns and restrictions on public life .

Pharma giant AstraZeneca struck a deal Saturday with Europe’s Inclusive Vaccines Alliance to supply up to 400 million doses of an experimental Covid-19 vaccine, as efforts to boost manufacturing capacity continue at pace.
Pharma giant AstraZeneca had already signed agreements to deliver 1.7 billion doses of the coronavirus vaccine, which is currently being tested by researchers at the University of Oxford.
Advertising Read more
The alliance, which was forged by Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands to speed up production of a vaccine, is set to take delivery of the vaccine being tested by the University of Oxford by the end of 2020. The agreement with AstraZeneca also aims to make the vaccine available to other European countries that wish to take part.
The cost is expected to be offset by funding from the governments.
“This agreement will ensure that hundreds of millions of Europeans have access to Oxford University’s vaccine following approval,’’ AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said. “With our European supply chain due to begin production soon, we hope to make the vaccine available widely and rapidly.”
The agreement is the latest in a series to make the vaccine — even though it is not certain it will work. But so desperate is the need that scaling up of manufacturing continues despite the risk.
The Anglo-Swedish company recently completed similar agreements with Britain, the United States the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance for 700 million doses. A license also has been agreed with the Serum Institute of India for another 1 billion doses.
China, Brazil, Japan and Russia have also expressed interest, Soriot said.
The British regulator the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the start of Phase III trials of the vaccine after studies showed sufficient efficacy and safety, Soriot said on a call with reporters.
The vaccine was developed by Oxford University’s Jenner Institute, working with the Oxford Vaccine Group.
Testing of the experimental Covid-19 vaccine began in healthy volunteers in Britain in April with over 1,000 people aged 18 to 55. Another round with 10,000 volunteers began last month.
Other companies, including Moderna and Sanofi, are racing to develop and produce a vaccine against the new coronavirus, a step experts say will be crucial to allowing countries to ease their lockdowns and restrictions on public life.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-13--Thousands rally in fresh Paris protest against racism and police brutality

Assa Traore ( C ) , the sister of Adama Traore , who died in police custody in 2016 speaks at rally in Paris ’ s Place de la Republique as part of the worldwide Black Lives Matter movement against racism and police brutality , June 13 , 2020 .
Paris riot police fired tear gas Saturday to disperse a largely peaceful but unauthorized protest of police brutality and entrenched racism , as a wave of anger continued to sweep the world following the death of African American George Floyd .
The protesters gathered in Place de la République , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , no peace ” and some climbed the statue of Marianne , who personifies the French Republic .
Police refused organisers permission to proceed to the Opera House in central Paris .
The protest was generally peaceful but after three hours skirmishes broke out .
Organisers urged protesters with children to leave as riot police charged pockets of protesters and projectiles were thrown at police lines .
The outrage generated by Floyd s death in Minneapolis last month has resonated in France , in particular in deprived city suburbs where rights groups say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police of residents of often immigrant background remain largely unaddressed .
Assa Traore , sister of 24-year-old Adama Traore , who died near Paris in 2016 after police detained him , addressed Saturday ’ s protest .
“ The death of George Floyd has a strong echo in the death in France of my little brother , ” she said .
“ What ’ s happening in the United States is happening in France .
Our brothers are dying.
” Traore ’ s family say he was asphyxiated when three officers held him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Authorities say the cause of his death is unclear .
One banner carried by the crowd in the Place de la République read : “ I hope I don ’ t get killed for being black today ” .
Another carried a message for the government : “ If you sow injustice , you reap a revolt.
” Early in the afternoon , angry shouts rose from the racially diverse crowd as a small group of white extreme-right activists climbed a building overlooking the protest and unfurled a huge banner denouncing “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of their windows and tore part of the banner down , one raising his fist in victory .
Officers prevented people attending the main rally from approaching the counter-demonstrators , but didn ’ t detain the far-right activists until two hours later , further angering the crowd below .
Riot police then fired tear gas and charged unruly members of the main protest , urging them to disperse .
The crowd initially planned to march through the city , but police decided to block them from moving , citing coronavirus concerns .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities around France , from Rouen in Normandy in the northwest to Marseille on the Mediterranean .
In the wake of Floyd ’ s death and the global protests it unleashed , the French government is under growing pressure to address long-running accusations of excessive violence by police , particularly against minorities .
> > As George Floyd outrage spreads , France confronts its own demons Researchers have documented racial profiling by French police , and investigations were opened recently into racist comments in private Facebook and WhatsApp groups for police officers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stamp out racism and announced a ban on police chokeholds during arrests .
But French police unions held their own demonstrations Friday , saying they ’ re being unfairly labeled as racist because of a few extremist officers , and that they don ’ t have enough tools to deal with violent suspects .
After meeting with union representatives , the interior minister said Friday night that police will start experimenting with expanded use of stun-guns in the future , despite concerns about their safety .
Assa Traore said that when she saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wasn ’ t even angry .
I was ashamed of the French police .
In the whole world , the only country where police officers demonstrate to keep their permission to kill is France .
”

Paris riot police fired tear gas Saturday to disperse a largely peaceful but unauthorised protest of police brutality and entrenched racism, as a wave of anger continued to sweep the world following the death of African American George Floyd.
Assa Traore (C), the sister of Adama Traore, who died in police custody in 2016 speaks at rally in Paris’s Place de la Republique as part of the worldwide Black Lives Matter movement against racism and police brutality, June 13, 2020.
Advertising Read more
The protesters gathered in Place de la République, where the crowd chanted “No justice, no peace” and some climbed the statue of Marianne, who personifies the French Republic. Police refused organisers permission to proceed to the Opera House in central Paris.
The protest was generally peaceful but after three hours skirmishes broke out. Organisers urged protesters with children to leave as riot police charged pockets of protesters and projectiles were thrown at police lines.
The outrage generated by Floyd ’ s death in Minneapolis last month has resonated in France, in particular in deprived city suburbs where rights groups say that accusations of brutal treatment by French police of residents of often immigrant background remain largely unaddressed.
Assa Traoré, sister of 24-year-old Adama Traoré, who died near Paris in 2016 after police detained him, addressed Saturday’s protest.
“The death of George Floyd has a strong echo in the death in France of my little brother,” she said. “What’s happening in the United States is happening in France. Our brothers are dying.”
Traoré’s family say he was asphyxiated when three officers held him down with the weight of their bodies. Authorities say the cause of his death is unclear.
One banner carried by the crowd in the Place de la République read: “I hope I don’t get killed for being black today”. Another carried a message for the government: “If you sow injustice, you reap a revolt.”
Early in the afternoon, angry shouts rose from the racially diverse crowd as a small group of white extreme-right activists climbed a building overlooking the protest and unfurled a huge banner denouncing “anti-white racism.”
Building residents then reached out of their windows and tore part of the banner down, one raising his fist in victory. Officers prevented people attending the main rally from approaching the counter-demonstrators, but didn’t detain the far-right activists until two hours later, further angering the crowd below.
Riot police then fired tear gas and charged unruly members of the main protest, urging them to disperse. The crowd initially planned to march through the city, but police decided to block them from moving, citing coronavirus concerns.
Similar protests were also held Saturday in cities around France, from Rouen in Normandy in the northwest to Marseille on the Mediterranean.
In the wake of Floyd’s death and the global protests it unleashed, the French government is under growing pressure to address long-running accusations of excessive violence by police, particularly against minorities.
>> As George Floyd outrage spreads, France confronts its own demons
Researchers have documented racial profiling by French police, and investigations were opened recently into racist comments in private Facebook and WhatsApp groups for police officers.
The interior minister promised this week to stamp out racism and announced a ban on police chokeholds during arrests. But French police unions held their own demonstrations Friday, saying they’re being unfairly labeled as racist because of a few extremist officers, and that they don’t have enough tools to deal with violent suspects.
01:37
After meeting with union representatives, the interior minister said Friday night that police will start experimenting with expanded use of stun-guns in the future, despite concerns about their safety.
Assa Traoré said that when she saw images of the police protesting, “I wasn’t even angry. I was ashamed of the French police. In the whole world, the only country where police officers demonstrate to keep their permission to kill is France.”
(FRANCE 24 with AP, REUTERS)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe