All posts tagged: threats

These Venezuelan Election Observers Got Death Threats. Now They’re in Hiding.

These Venezuelan Election Observers Got Death Threats. Now They’re in Hiding.

Published by Sam

new video loaded: These Venezuelan Election Observers Got Death Threats. Now They’re in Hiding. transcript Back transcript These Venezuelan Election Observers Got Death Threats. Now They’re in Hiding. The New York Times spoke to several election volunteers for Venezuela’s opposition party who found that Edmundo Gonzáles defeated Nicolás Maduro in July. They fled the country after facing death threats from Maduro’s supporters. Anthony is in hiding in this Colombian city on the border with Venezuela. He says he was targeted by paramilitary groups called “colectivos,” key enforcers for Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, after volunteering as an election observer for the opposition party. He fled here to Cúcuta, along with these other election workers, who all describe receiving similar threats. We agreed not to show their faces or use their full names for their safety and that of their families they left behind. All of their stories offer firsthand evidence of a post-election crackdown that has largely happened out of the public eye. These vote tallies that they and other observers collected were made public, showing …

Nearly half of journalists covering climate crisis globally received threats for their work | Climate crisis

Nearly half of journalists covering climate crisis globally received threats for their work | Climate crisis

Published by skeptic

Almost four out of every 10 journalists covering the climate crisis and environment issues have been threatened as a result of their work, with 11% subjected to physical violence, according to groundbreaking new research. A global survey of more than 740 reporters and editors from 102 countries found that 39% of those threatened “sometimes” or “frequently” were targeted by people engaged in illegal activities such as logging and mining. Some 30%, meanwhile, were threatened with legal action – reflecting a growing trend towards corporations and governments deploying the judicial system to muzzle free speech. The global survey by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN) and Deakin University is the first-of-its-kind scrutiny of the challenges faced by journalists covering arguably the most pressing – if not existential – issues of our time. The Covering the Planet report includes in-depth interviews with 74 journalists from 31 countries about what help they need to do a better job reporting extreme weather, plastics pollution, water scarcity, and mining as global heating and unchecked corporate greed pushes the planet to its …

Schumer announces more security funding for houses of worship after synagogue threats

Schumer announces more security funding for houses of worship after synagogue threats

Published by Sam

(RNS) — On Saturday (May 4), some 40 New York City rabbis and synagogue staff received the same chilling email in their inboxes: “I have set a bomb in your building. You have a few hours to disarm, or else blood will shatter everywhere.” “I have talked about this for a long time with my community,” said Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, one of the synagogues addressed in the email. “We plan for all this. We have protocols in place and we have increased security. We always need to be well prepared.” An LGBTQ+-affirming synagogue, Beit Simchat Torah has faced similar bomb scares before, but since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, many Jewish congregations, no matter their views on the war, have dealt with the threat of antisemitic attacks.“I think there’s tremendous anxiety and fear and concern about the world in which we live,” said Kleinbaum. “As the LGBT synagogue, we experience the world from a place of knowing there’s a lot of hate. But we always have a choice. Do …

Republican group in Colorado cancels Kristi Noem fundraiser due to ‘death threats’ amid backlash over her memoir

Republican group in Colorado cancels Kristi Noem fundraiser due to ‘death threats’ amid backlash over her memoir

Published by skeptic

A county Republican group in Colorado said that it was cancelling a fundraiser featuring South Dakota governor and potential Republican vice presidential contender Kristi Noem after she reportedly described killing her young dog in her forthcoming book. Jefferson County Republican Party Chair Nancy Pallozzi said in a statement Friday that the group’s fundraising dinner, which was set to take place Saturday, was being cancelled “due to safety concerns” after the group, the governor and her staff, and the hotel hosting the event received “numerous threats and/or death threats.” “After a conversation with the Governor’s office late Wednesday, we mutually decided that safety was the most important concern for everyone involved,” Pallozzi said. “The Denver West Marriott also received alarming comments and shared with us their deep concern over the safety and security for those attending our event, other guests, and their staff.” Noem was confirmed to be a keynote speaker at the Jefferson County Republicans’ annual fundraiser in early April after the group sent her an invitation in January, Pallozzi said. That was before The Guardian released an article …

Four major threats to press freedom in the UK

Four major threats to press freedom in the UK

Published by skeptic

Just five years ago, the UK took the bold step of setting up a Media Freedom Coalition of 50 countries committed to protecting press freedom against its enemies in authoritarian states around the world. But at home, journalists have been squeezed between new waves of restrictive legislation and a general decline in public trust in institutions, including traditional media. Barrister Geoffrey Robertson KC has written scathingly that UK law is “antipathetic to serious journalism” and must be reformed if the fourth estate is to effectively scrutinise the rich and powerful. UK press freedom may soon face a crucial test over the possible extradition of Julian Assange. The WikiLeaks founder could face espionage charges in the US, dependent on ongoing legal battles and President Joe Biden’s recent suggestion that he may yet decide to drop the case. All of this has been made worse by open hostility towards journalists on social media, and the financial difficulties facing the industry as a whole. On World Press Freedom Day, here are four key threats to press freedom in …

Yellen Says Threats to Democracy Risk US Economic Growth, an Indirect Jab at Trump

Yellen Says Threats to Democracy Risk US Economic Growth, an Indirect Jab at Trump

Published by skeptic

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is arguing that a fractured democracy can have destructive effects on the economy — an indirect jab at Donald Trump. Yellen, taking a rare step toward to the political arena, never mentions Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, by name in her speech for the McCain Institute’s Sedona Forum, but she hints at the former president’s potential impact if he regains the White House. Her remarks serve as a sort of warning for business leaders who may overlook Trump’s disregard for modern democratic norms because they prefer the former president’s vision of achieving growth by slashing taxes and stripping away regulations. Yellen acknowledges that democracy “doesn’t seem like typical terrain for a treasury secretary,” but she adds that “democracy is critical to building and sustaining a strong economy.” A copy of her speech was released in advance by her office. “The argument made by authoritarians and their defenders that chipping away at democracy is a fair or even necessary trade for economic gains is deeply flawed,” she says. …

Almost 40% of local election officials surveyed report threats or abuse, says a new report

Almost 40% of local election officials surveyed report threats or abuse, says a new report

Published by skeptic

A survey of local election officials across the U.S. found that 38% report experiencing “threats, harassment or abuse” and 54% are concerned about the safety of their colleagues, according to a report released Wednesday by the Brennan Center for Justice. The survey of more than 925 local election officials in February and March also found 62% are concerned about political leaders’ attempting to interfere with how election officials do their jobs. Thirteen percent of the local officials who responded said they are “concerned about facing pressure to certify results in favor of a specific candidate or party.” “Election officials are adjusting to ensure workers and voters are safe. The numbers around threats, harassment and interference remain unacceptably high, but election officials aren’t being passive in the face of this hostile environment. They are investing in security trainings, increasing physical and cybersecurity measures, and building stronger networks with emergency management services,” said Lawrence Norden, senior director of elections and government at the Brennan Center, part of the New York University School of Law.  NBC News has reported …

Threats, accusations and assault: the dangers of running an LGBTQ+ health clinic in Uganda | Global development

Threats, accusations and assault: the dangers of running an LGBTQ+ health clinic in Uganda | Global development

Published by skeptic

Driving to work one morning last summer, Brian Aliganyira was forced off the road and into a ditch by motorcycle riders surrounding his car on both sides. He was left bruised, and still suffers from shoulder pain. He later received a text message saying he had been targeted because of his work, running a health clinic for the LGBTQ+ community in Kampala, Uganda. The message said his assailants wanted to “protect children”. “The narrative has been created in Uganda that once you operate as an organisation [like ours], or an activist, you’re recruiting children into homosexuality,” Aliganyira says. It’s like you’re being judged in front of everyone for something you can’t even defend yourself against Brian Aliganyira Ark Wellness Hub, founded by Aliganyira, 36, in 2019, is operating in an increasingly hostile environment. A Ugandan law, passed last year and only partially amended after a court challenge, imposes penalties of up to life in prison for consensual same-sex relations. “Aggravated homosexuality” is punishable by death and the “promotion of homosexuality” can lead to up to …

Pro-Palestinian student protesters face arrest threats, encampment deadlines

Pro-Palestinian student protesters face arrest threats, encampment deadlines

Published by skeptic

Activists and students participate in an encampment protest at the University Yard at George Washington University on Thursday. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Activists and students participate in an encampment protest at the University Yard at George Washington University on Thursday. Alex Wong/Getty Images Pro-Palestinian encampments and demonstrations have cropped up at dozens of college campuses across the U.S., many turning chaotic as police arrived to disperse crowds and take protesters into custody. Still, student activists nationwide appear determined to show their support for people in Gaza and push their universities to divest from companies with ties to Israel or who otherwise profit from its war with Hamas. Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack killed 1,200 Israelis and resulted in another roughly 240 being taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities, while Gaza’s health ministry says Israel’s military response has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, a majority of them women and children. This latest wave of campus protests was sparked last week at Columbia University, where over 100 people were arrested after the …