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Protests over immigration raids pop up across the US with more planned

Protests over immigration raids pop up across the US with more planned
People protest against federal immigration sweeps, near the US immigration court at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, in New York City, US, June 10, 2025. (Reuters)
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Updated 11 June 2025

Protests over immigration raids pop up across the US with more planned

Protests over immigration raids pop up across the US with more planned
  • The Trump administration said it would continue its program of raids and deportations despite the protests

AUSTIN, Texas: Protests that sprang up in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement raids and prompted President Donald Trump to mobilize National Guard troops and Marines have begun to spread across the country, with more planned into the weekend.
From Seattle and Austin to Chicago and Washington, D.C., marchers have chanted slogans, carried signs against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and snarled traffic through downtown avenues and outside federal offices. While many have been peaceful, some have resulted in clashes with law enforcement as officers made arrests and used chemical irritants to disperse crowds.
Activists are planning more and even larger demonstrations in the coming days, with “No Kings” events across the country on Saturday to coincide with Trump’s planned military parade through Washington.
The Trump administration said it would continue its program of raids and deportations despite the protests.
“ICE will continue to enforce the law,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted Tuesday on social media.
A look at some protests across the country:
San Francisco
About 200 protesters gathered outside the San Francisco Immigration Court on Tuesday after activists said several arrests were made there.
That gathering came after protests on Sunday and Monday swelled to several thousand demonstrators and saw more than 150 arrests with outbreaks of violence that included vandalized buildings, and damaged cars, police vehicles and buses. Police said two officers suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Most of the arrests were Sunday night.
“Individuals are always free to exercise their First Amendment rights in San Francisco, but violence, especially against SFPD officers, will never be tolerated,” San Francisco police posted on social media.
Police described Monday’s march as “overwhelmingly peaceful,” but said “two small groups broke off and committed vandalism and other criminal acts.” Several people were detained or arrested, police said.
Seattle
About 50 people gathered outside the immigration court in downtown Seattle on Tuesday, chanting with drums and holding up signs that said, “Free Them All; Abolish ICE” and “No to Deportations.” Protesters began putting scooters in front of building entryways before police arrived.
Mathieu Chabaud, with Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Washington, said they were there in solidarity with the Los Angeles protesters, “and to show that we’re opposed to ICE in our community.”
Legal advocates who normally attend the immigration court hearings as observers and to provide support to immigrants were not allowed inside the building. Security guards also turned away the media. The hearings are normally open to the public.
New York City
A mass of people rallied in lower Manhattan on Tuesday evening to protest deportations and federal immigration policy.
Demonstrators gathered outside two federal buildings that house immigration courts and began marching amid a heavy police presence.
Some protesters held signs reading “ICE out of New York” and others chanted, “Why are you in riot gear? I don’t see no riot here.”
New York City police said multiple people were taken into custody. There were no immediate charges.
Chicago
In Chicago, a small crowd gathered Tuesday outside immigration court in downtown and called for an end to Trump administration immigration sweeps and military presence in California.
“With the militarization of Los Angeles it’s time to get out and let Trump know this is unacceptable,” said retiree Gary Snyderman. “All of this is so unconstitutional.”
The group then marched through downtown streets drumming and chanting, “No more deportations!”
The demonstration had grown to at least a thousand protesters by late Tuesday, remaining relatively peaceful with limited engagement between the group and police officers.
Denver
A group of protesters gathered in front of the Colorado state capitol in Denver on Tuesday, creating a sea of cardboard signs, one exhorting: “Show your faces. ICE cowards.”
The group, inspired by the Los Angeles protests over the past several days, split in half, marching down two different thoroughfares and crowding out traffic.
A large police presence wasn’t seen initially, but a few officers began blocking a street behind the the marchers.
Santa Ana
In Santa Ana near Los Angeles, armored vehicles blocked the road Tuesday morning leading into the Civic Center, where federal immigration officers and numerous city and county agencies have their offices.
Workers swept up plastic bottles and broken glass from Monday’s protests. Tiny shards of red, black and purple glass littered the pavement. Nearby buildings and the sidewalk were tagged with profane graffiti slogans against ICE and had Trump’s name crossed out. A worker rolled paint over graffiti on a wall to block it out.
National Guard officers wearing fatigues and carrying rifles prevented people from entering the area unless they worked there.
While a small group kept up their demonstration Tuesday, several counter-protesters showed up. One man wore a red T-shirt and Make America Great Again cap as he exchanged words with the crowd opposing the raids.
Austin
Four Austin police officers were injured and authorities used chemical irritants to disperse a crowd of several hundred demonstrators Monday night that moved between the state Capitol and a federal building that houses an ICE office. State officials had closed the Capitol to the public an hour early in anticipation of the protest.
Austin police used pepper spray balls and state police used tear gas when demonstrators began trying to deface the federal building with spray paint. The demonstrators then started throwing rocks, bottles and other objects at a police barricade, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said. Three officers were injured by “very large” rocks and another was injured while making an arrest, she said.
Austin police arrested eight people, and state police arrested five more. Davis said her department is prepared for Saturday’s planned protest downtown.
“We support peaceful protest,” Davis said. “When that protest turns violent, when it turns to throwing rocks and bottles ... that will not be tolerated. Arrests will be made.”
Dallas
A protest that drew hundreds to a rally on a city bridge lasted for several hours Monday night before Dallas police declared it an “unlawful assembly” and warned people to leave or face possible arrest.
Dallas police initially posted on social media that officers would not interfere with a “lawful and peaceful assembly of individuals or groups expressing their First Amendment rights.” But officers later moved in and media reported seeing some in the crowd throw objects as officers used pepper spray and smoke to clear the area. At least one person was arrested.
“Peaceful protesting is legal,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, posted on X. “But once you cross the line, you will be arrested.”
Boston
Hundreds of people gathered in Boston’s City Hall Plaza on Monday to protest the detainment of union leader David Huerta Friday during immigration raids in Los Angeles.
Protesters held signs reading “Massachusetts stands with our neighbors in Los Angeles” and “Protect our immigrant neighbors,” and shouted, “Come for one, come for all” and “Free David, free them all.”
Huerta, president of Service Employees International Union California, was released from federal custody later Monday on $50,000 bond.
“An immigrant doesn’t stand between an American worker and a good job, a billionaire does,” said Chrissy Lynch, President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.
Washington, DC
Several unions gathered Monday in Washington to protest the raids and rally for Huerta’s release, and marched past the Department of Justice building.
Among the demonstrators was US Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state.
“Enough of these mass ICE raids that are sweeping up innocent people,” Jayapal said. “As we see people exercising the constitutional rights to peacefully use their voices to speak out against this injustice, they are being met with tear gas and rubber bullets.”


Bali declares state of emergency after deadly flash floods

Bali declares state of emergency after deadly flash floods
Updated 12 sec ago

Bali declares state of emergency after deadly flash floods

Bali declares state of emergency after deadly flash floods
  • Rescuers are still searching for three people who are missing in Bali 
  • More than 500 residents remain in temporary shelters as of Thursday

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s famed tourist island, Bali, was in a state of emergency on Thursday after it was inundated by severe flash flooding that left at least 14 people dead.

A torrential downpour this week triggered flooding across seven regions in Bali, including its provincial capital Denpasar, as multiple rivers burst their banks and tore through parts of the island. 

Although the rain has stopped and water levels receded in most areas, the Bali provincial government has declared a week-long state of emergency, as hundreds of rescuers continue draining affected areas and searching for survivors. 

“A joint response team is still conducting emergency operations, including searching for survivors and flood and landslide control,” Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said in a statement. 

The Bali Search and Rescue Agency said at least three people were still missing on Thursday, while more than 500 people in Denpasar and Jembrana regency remained in temporary shelters.

The severe flooding in Bali had blocked major roads a day earlier, including access to the island’s international airport. Most of the deluge was reported in Denpasar, with the heavy rain also triggering landslides in 27 areas. 

Suharyanto, who heads the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said that the floods damaged at least 474 kiosks and small shophouses in art and public markets, while submerging hundreds of other houses and buildings. 

“The floods were caused by high rainfall intensity resulting from a natural phenomenon known as the Rossby-Kelvin waves. For the next few days, rainfall caused by these waves will no longer affect Bali because it’s moving to the west,” he said in a press conference. 

Suharyanto said that authorities are planning to move quickly into the reconstruction phase, adding that the state of emergency will allow the central government to provide assistance to the regional government as part of a collaborative post-disaster response. 

As Indonesia’s top tourist destination, Bali welcomed more than 6.3 million international travelers and 10.1 million domestic tourists last year.

Heavy rain also caused flooding this week in East Nusa Tenggara province, where at least five people were killed and three others were missing. 


India warns nationals against Russian army recruitment

India warns nationals against Russian army recruitment
Updated 26 min 5 sec ago

India warns nationals against Russian army recruitment

India warns nationals against Russian army recruitment
  • In August 2024, Russia said it no longer admitted Indians into its army
  • Indian men who spoke to the media say they arrived in Russia this year

NEW DELHI: India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday warned Indian nationals against offers to join the Russian army amid new media reports that recruitment was continuing despite Moscow’s assurances that it had stopped enlisting Indian citizens.

Testimonies of Indian men hired as “army security helpers” for Russian troops and their families made the rounds in the media last year, when reports emerged that they had been sent to the frontlines of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The issue was raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Moscow in July 2024 and a month later Russia’s embassy issued a statement saying it no longer admitted Indians into its army.

But this week, Indian media reported that a number of Indian nationals were again caught on the battlefield in Ukraine. The Hindu daily spoke to two of them, who claimed with another 13 Indians that they had been “forced to serve on the Russian side,” and that all of them had gone to Moscow this year, arriving on student or visitor visas.

“We have seen reports about Indian nationals having been recruited recently into the Russian army,” ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.

“We once again strongly urge all Indian nationals to stay away from any offers to join the Russian army as this is a course fraught with danger.”

The ministry said it was “in touch with the families of the affected Indian citizens” and had “taken up the matter with Russian authorities, both in Delhi and Moscow, asking that this practice be ended and that our nationals be released.”

The sources cited in The Hindu report claimed they had been duped into serving in the army after being hired by an agent to work as construction workers.

Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, president of the Congress party in Punjab, on Thursday shared on social media a recording showing three Indian men in fatigues, who say in Punjabi that they were deceived into being sent to the Russian frontline.

“Received their SOS messages on social media,” Warring wrote on X. “Will escalate to Foreign Ministry to ensure their safe return.”

 


US envoy says Washington has lifted sanctions on Belarus national air carrier, Belavia

US envoy says Washington has lifted sanctions on Belarus national air carrier, Belavia
Updated 34 min 55 sec ago

US envoy says Washington has lifted sanctions on Belarus national air carrier, Belavia

US envoy says Washington has lifted sanctions on Belarus national air carrier, Belavia
  • John Coale, Trump’s deputy Ukraine envoy, made the announcement at a meeting with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk
  • Video of the announcement was posted by Belarusian state media

VILNIUS: An envoy of US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Washington has lifted sanctions on Belarus national air carrier, Belavia.
John Coale, Trump’s deputy Ukraine envoy, made the announcement at a meeting with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk, the Belarusian capital.
Video of the announcement was posted by Belarusian state media as it became public that the country had freed dozens of prisoners.
The meeting took place almost a month after Trump spoke to Lukashenko about releasing imprisoned dissidents.
Earlier on Thursday, Belarus freed 52 prisoners who crossed into Lithuania, the Lithuanian president said.
Among those released were 14 foreigners — six Lithuanians, two Latvians, two Poles, two Germans, one French national and one UK national — according to the Belarusian presidency’s press service.
In June, Belarus freed Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a key dissident figure and the husband of exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and 13 others following a rare visit by a senior envoy from the Trump administration.
Last month, US President Donald Trump spoke to Belarus’ authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, about the release of more prisoners.
“I am deeply grateful to the United States and personally to President @realDonaldTrump for their continued efforts to free political prisoners. 52 is a lot. A great many. Yet more than 1,000 political prisoners still remain in Belarusian prisons and we cannot stop until they see freedom!” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda wrote on X.
Nauseda said the prisoners left “behind barbed wire, barred windows and constant fear.”
Lukashenko has ruled the nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist for more than three decades, relentlessly cracking down on the opposition and independent media.
But his rule was challenged in the aftermath of Belarus’ presidential election in August 2020. Tens of thousands of people poured into the streets to protest Lukashenko’s reelection in a vote widely seen as rigged, triggering the largest protests in the country’s history. In the ensuing crackdown, tens of thousands were detained, with many beaten by police. Prominent opposition figures either fled the country or were imprisoned.
Almost 1,200 political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus, according to human rights group Viasna.
Lukashenko has since extended his rule for a seventh term following a January 2025 election that the opposition called a farce. Since July 2024, he has pardoned nearly 300 people, including imprisoned US citizens, seeking to mend ties with the West.


‘Double standards’ over Israel sports participation: Spanish minister

‘Double standards’ over Israel sports participation: Spanish minister
Updated 58 min 59 sec ago

‘Double standards’ over Israel sports participation: Spanish minister

‘Double standards’ over Israel sports participation: Spanish minister
  • Spanish sports minister Pilar Alegria said late on Wednesday night that Israeli teams should be banned from sports in the same way that Russian sides broadly were in 2022

BARCELONA: Spanish sports minister Pilar Alegria said late on Wednesday night that Israeli teams should be banned from sports in the same way that Russian sides broadly were in 2022 after the country’s invasion of Ukraine, highlighting a “double standard.”
The presence of a team named Israel-Premier Tech at the Vuelta a Espana cycling grand tour has led to huge protests in Spain, whose government has described Israel’s offensive in Gaza as “a genocide.”
Israel-Premier Tech is a private outfit owned by billionaire Israeli-Canadian property developer Sylvan Adams, not a state team, but has been hailed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for refusing to quit the Vuelta despite vehement protests.
“It is difficult to explain and understand that there is a double standard,” Alegria told Spanish radio station Cadena SER.
“Given that there has been such a massacre, a genocide, such an absolutely terrible situation we are living through day-by-day, I would agree that the international federations and committees should take the same decision as in 2022,” she added.
“No team, no club from Russia participated in an international competition, and when the individuals participated they did it under a neutral flag and without a national anthem.”
Alegria said she would like Vuelta organizers to block Israel-Premier Tech from competing but accepted that such a decision could only be taken by cycling world governing body UCI.
Logical Protests
Various stages of the Vuelta have been affected by protests, with stages 11 and 16 shortened during racing, while Thursday’s stage 18 time trial has also been cut short in advance for security reasons.
Alegria said she hopes the race can be completed, with Sunday’s final stage heading into Madrid expected to be targeted by various protests.
“It would not be good news if the race cannot finish,” said Alegria.
“However what we’re seeing these days with the protests is in my opinion logical,” she added.
“(The protests) are a clear representation of what the people feel, sport cannot be distanced from the world that surrounds it.”
Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s leftist coalition government has taken one of Europe’s strongest pro-Palestinian stances, straining ties with Israel.
“(Israel) have killed more than 60,000 people, children, babies starving to death, hospitals destroyed,” added Alegria.
“So it is important that sport, given this situation, takes a position at least similar to what it did against Russia.”


Freedom of the press at its lowest in 50 years – study

Freedom of the press at its lowest in 50 years – study
Updated 11 September 2025

Freedom of the press at its lowest in 50 years – study

Freedom of the press at its lowest in 50 years – study
  • IDEA report says Afghanistan, Burkina Faso and Myanmar saw steepest press-freedom declines worldwide
  • Defamation cases against journalists surge in South Korea, highlighting risks to media freedom in democracies

STOCKHOLM: Press freedoms worldwide have declined significantly over the past five years to hit their lowest level in 50 years, a report by a democracy think tank showed Thursday.

Afghanistan, Burkina Faso and Myanmar — already among the poorest performers in press freedoms — posted the biggest falls, the report by the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) said.

The fourth-biggest drop was in South Korea, it added, citing “a spike in defamation cases initiated by the government and its political allies against journalists, and raids on journalists’ residences.”

“The current state of democracy in the world is concerning,” IDEA secretary general Kevin Casas-Zamora, secretary general told AFP.

More than half of countries in the world (54 percent), registered a drop in one of the five key democracy indicators between 2019 and 2024, the report said.

“The most important finding in our report is the very acute deterioration in press freedom around the world,” Casas-Zamora said.

Between 2019 and 2024, it saw “the biggest drop over the past 50 years.”

“We’ve never seen such an acute deterioration in a key indicator of democratic health,” he said.

Press freedoms declined in 43 countries across all continents, including 15 in Africa and 15 in Europe.

“There’s a toxic brew that is coming together, which involves, on the one hand, heavy-handed interventions on the part of governments,” some of them “legacies of what happened during the pandemic.”

On the other hand, “you have the very negative impact of disinformation, some of which is real disinformation and some of which is used as a pretext by governments to clamp down on press freedoms.”

The think tank is concerned about the consolidation of traditional media worldwide, as well as the “disappearance in many countries of local media which plays a very important role in supporting a democratic debate,” Casas-Zamora said.

The report only covers the period 2019 to 2024 and does not include the first effects of US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January.

But “some of the things that we saw during the election at the end of last year and in the first few months of 2025 are fairly disturbing,” Casas-Zamora said.

“Since what happens in the US has this ability to go global, this does not bode well for democracy globally,” he added.