Image of Gas Attack Against Lone Brazilian Woman Goes Viral

Shocking images of police violence draw much-needed attention to protests and larger issue of police brutality

A captured instance of brazen police brutality against a civilian has, once again, grabbed the attention of the global community. The shocking photograph of a lone woman being pepper sprayed at close range by Brazilian police has gone viral, drawing criticism and attention to the ongoing mass demonstrations in Brazil—at which the attack took place—and the chronic undercurrent of police violence that so often follows peaceful citizen uprisings.

New York Magazine's Daily Intelligencer spoke with the photographer behind the image, Victor Caivano, who said , long after "the protest was over, riots included."that the attack happened at around 11:20 Monday evening

The woman appeared to be a "normal, middle-class university student," he said, adding that she was standing alone on a "deserted corner" after the police had cleared the area.

He continued:

Three riot officers approached the woman and told her to leave. When she objected — the woman either questioned the order or insisted that she wasn't doing anything wrong, Caivano recalls — she was pepper-sprayed. "This policeman just didn't think twice," Caivano says.

The woman stumbled backward, "screaming and cursing." She was detained and taken to a police van. Caivano says local reporters are now trying to track her down.

The photograph has drawn obvious comparison to two similar images of the unbridled use of pepper spray, each encapsulating the fierce police brutality that too often goes hand-in-hand with such demonstrations.

One is of a woman named Ceyda Sungur—the 'woman in the red dress'—who, during arecent protest in Istanbul's Gezi Park, was bombarded by an officer who shot pepper spray directly into her face.

Ceyda Sungur is gassed in Gezi Park in Istanbul, Turkey on June 4, 2013. (Screenshot via Osman Orsal /YouTube)

"The jet sent her hair billowing upwards," wrote the Guardian at the time. "As she turned, the masked policeman leapt forward and hosed down her back. The unprovoked attack left her and other activists choking and gasping for breath; afterwards Sungur collapsed on a bench."

The second image is of the infamous incident at the University of California at Davis when a peaceful Occupy protest was met with an overly aggressive show of police force. This culminated in Officer John Pike directly and deliberately spraying burning yellow chemicals into the faces of the protesters.

"To see unarmed, unaggressive bystanders who, by virtue of their location at a time and place where trouble was brewing, were assaulted by authority figures spraying burning, toxic, chemicals, is an unforgettable visual," writes columnist Lorraine Devon Wilke. She continues:

Likely there are many more that occur every day; these particular ones exist as iconic moments that symbolize bigger movements, of countries, of people, even of students. These images are important historical documents of what happened, how, and to whom. Hopefully they will contribute, by sheer virtue of their shock value, to change, progress, and needed solutions; the agony of those attacked has to account for something of value. More

One has to question who our countries actually belong to, for if this is how citizens are treated it certainly does not belong to us. Editor

 

Al Gore's Climate Reality Workshop, Istanbul 2013

Having arrived in Istanbul on June 12 at midnight and checked into my hotel, the Sultan House in Sultan Ahmed I have not had a dull minute.

I spent Thursday exploring the Old City and revisiting places I had first visited in 1976. I had lunch at the Pudding Shop and then went the Blue Mosque, Aya Sophia and the Grand Bazaar. Since then I have had long days in Al Gore's Climate Reality Leadership Training course http://climaterealityproject.org/leadership-corps/

Tonight I am having a good meal of lamb chops. They were very good, served with bread and rice, chillies and tomatos. The tomatos were so good, sweet with great taste, not like you get in the west! If in Sultan Ahmad try the

This morning in trying to get to to the conference venue at Istambul Congress Centre http://www.iccistanbul.com/planing/location/ was some what difficult by taxi as many of the roads neat Taksim Square were closed by burning barricades. So my taxi driver said 'Get out and walk, only fifteen minutes. So I paid him off and started walking. My eyes soon started burning and not having any, what looked like swimmer's goggles, tears were running down my face. All is can say is that it clears the sinus's very well, that being said I don't recomment it. I got to the conference only five minutes late. The organizers closed the event early as attendees were unsure of the difficulties they may face going back to their hotels, many of which were in the Taksim area. Many of them had spent the night in hotel lobbies and friends apartments.

This was actually a good move as the security forces were already moving in. I high-tailed it back to Sultan Ahmad where everything was calm.

The BBC is saying Fresh unrest has erupted in Ankara and Istanbul, with police firing tear gas and water cannon amid continuing anti-government protests. The unrest flared as PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's supporters gathered for a huge show of strength in Istanbul. Some local reports are stating that security forces are mixing pepper spray into the water cannon reservoir.

Tomorrow will be a relaxing day. I need to go to the Grand Bazaar to look for Evil Eye pendants.The Turkish Evil Eye Pendant or the Nazar Boncugu, which literally means the "evil eye bead", is actually a stone bead, which is worn to protect oneself from evil looks. The stone is an amalgamation of molten glass, iron, copper, water and salt. This particular combination of minerals and metals is believed to provide a shield from the forces of evil.

 

Istanbul: Here I come

I am off to Istanbul tomorrow to join the Climate Reality Leadership Corps with former Vice-President Al Gore. I want to help change the world and raise awareness of climate change. After four years of trying I have finally been invited to undertake the training.

All around the world, members of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps trained by Chairman and former Vice President Al Gore are standing up and making a difference on the climate crisis. They’re leading by example, speaking to their communities about how climate change affects their daily lives—and what we can do to solve it. They’re appearing in the media, activating social networks, and—most of all—inspiring people everywhere to join us in confronting the defining issue of our time.

I have not been in Istanbul since 1976 so it will be good to be back and revisit some of the wonderful places to see. I am staying in the old city close to the Blue Mosque. One of the other places I want to see is the Basilica Cistern given my interest in water harvesting and storage.

This cathedral-size cistern is an underground chamber approximately 138 metres (453 ft) by 64.6 metres (212 ft)^[5] - about 9,800 square metres (105,000 sq ft) in area - capable of holding 80,000 cubic metres (2,800,000 cu ft) of water. The ceiling is supported by a forest of 336 marble columns, each 9 metres (30 ft) high, arranged in 12 rows of 28 columns each spaced 4.9 metres (16 ft) apart. The capitals of the columns are mainly Ionic and Corinthianstyles, with the exception of a few Doric style with no engravings. One of the columns is engraved with raised pictures of a Hen's Eye, slanted braches, and tears. This column resembles the columns of the Triumphal Arch of Theodosius I from the 4th century (AD 379-395), erected in the 'Forum Tauri' Square. Ancient texts suggest that the tears on the column pay tribute to the hundreds of slaves who died during the construction of the Basilica Cistern. The majority of the columns in the cistern appear to have been recycled from the ruins of older buildings (a process called 'spoliation'), likely brought to Constantinople from various parts of the empire, together with those that were used in the construction of Hagia Sophia. They are carved and engraved out of various types of marble and granite.^[6]

Fifty-two stone steps descend into the entrance of the cistern. The cistern is surrounded by afirebrick wall with a thickness of 4 metres (13 ft) and coated with a waterproofing mortar. The Basilica Cistern's water came from the Eğrikapı Water Distribution Center in the Belgrade Forest, which lie 19 kilometres (12 mi) north of the city. It traveled through the 971 metres (3,186 ft)-long Valens (Bozdoğan) Aqueduct, and the 115.45 metres (378.8 ft)-long Mağlova Aqueduct, which was built by the Emperor Justinian.^[7]

The cistern has the capacity to store 100,000 tons of water, despite being virtually empty today with only a few feet of water lining the bottom.

The weight of the cistern lies on the columns by means of the cross-shaped vaults and round arches of its roof.

The Basilica Cistern has undergone several restorations since its foundation. The first of the repairs were carried out twice during the Ottoman State in the 18th century during the reign of Ahmed III in 1723 by the architect Muhammad Agha of Kayseri. The second major repair was completed during the 19th century during the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid II (1876–1909). Cracks to masonry and damaged columns were repaired in 1968, with additional restoration in 1985 by the Istanbul Metropolitan Museum. During the 1985 restoration, 50,000 tons of mud were removed from the cisterns, and a platforms built throughout to replace the boats once used to tour the cistern. The cistern was opened to the public in its current condition on 9 September 1987. In May 1994, the cistern underwent additional cleaning.

I believe that water security is going to be a large issue in the future and have been unfertaking a sturdy of of traditional methods of harvesting and storing water, methods with do not require huge amounts of energy.

 

Quail Springs Permaculture Design Course

I will be doing a second Permaculture Design Course (PDC) which is designed for people who work with non-government organizations (NGOs) or government agencies, community organizers working in international development and/or social entrepreneurship, as well as volunteers and students with dedicated interest in the subject matter.

This will be my second of three training sessions this year, the third hopefully will be Integrated Water Resources Management in relation to Climate Change

Permaculture, for those who are not familiar with the term is an integrated design system that provides a framework for consciously designed landscapes that provide diversity, stability, and resilience for individuals and communities. Permaculture is in 160 countries with many thousands of grassroots projects on-the-ground.

This course will assist me and my organizations' with integrating the following into our projects:

Increased Food Security

• Community-Based Development
• Waste Cycling
• Sustainability Education
• Clean Water and Drought Proofing / water security
• Health and Nutrition
• Sustainable Vocations & Enterprise

Rocket Stove

Topics include: Integrated Design, Composting, Water Harvesting, Compost Toilets, Waste Cycling, Earthworks, Rocket Stoves, Design Priorities, Ecological Building, Aquaculture, Bio-Sand Filtration, Broad Acre Applications, Food Forestry, Bio-Engineering, Resilient Food Production, Greywater Systems, Livestock Integration, Soil building, Watershed Restoration, Integrated Pest Mgmt, Biomimicry, Appropriate Technology, Peacemaking, Conflict Resolution, Community Organizing, Drought Proofing Landscapes, Rebuilding Springs, Refugee Camp Strategies

During this specialized course we will be offering the participants direct hands-on learning experiences that include:

Swale

• Making a simple and effective solar cooker
• Creating a thermophyllic compost system
• Building a BioSand water filter
• Building a water harvesting bio swale
• Constructing an earthen rocket stove

• I will be doing this workshop immediately after Al Gore's Climate Reality workshop. which means flying IST/LHR/GCM/MIA/LAX over the course of three days!

View of Download COURSE CURRICULUM OVERVIEW here

View or Download COURSE BROCHURE here

 

D-G Invited to Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training

Nick Robson Director-General of the Cayman Institute has been invited to Istanbul to take part in former Vice-President Al Gore's Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training.

The Climate Reality Project, founded and chaired by former Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore, is dedicated to unleashing a global cultural movement demanding action on the climate crisis. Despite overwhelming international scientific consensus on climate change, the global community still lacks the resolve to implement meaningful solutions. The Climate Reality Project exists to forge an unwavering bedrock of impassioned support necessary for urgent action. With that foundation, together we will ignite the moral courage in our leaders to solve the climate crisis.

The Climate Reality Project employs cutting-edge communications and grassroots engagement tools to break the dam of inaction and raise the profile of the climate crisis to its proper state of urgency. With a global movement more than 2 million strong and a grassroots network of Climate Leaders trained by Chairman Al Gore, we stand up to denial, press for solutions, and spread the truth about climate change to empower our leaders to solve the climate crisis.

I want to change the world and stop climate change.

All around the world, members of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps trained by our Chairman and former Vice President Al Gore are standing up and making a difference on the climate crisis. They’re leading by example, speaking to their communities about how climate change affects their daily lives—and what we can do to solve it. They’re appearing in the media, activating social networks, and—most of all—inspiring people everywhere to join us in confronting the defining issue of our time. More

 

 

 

Exxon Hates Your Children

 

 

End of the road for a few weeks.

Tomorrow I leave Wein for London. This will be the end of my rambling for a few weeks. The conference here is finished and my PowerPoint skills will no longer be needed. I must admit I was not up to my usual standards as I had the flu, thankfully today I feel I am on my way to recovery.

The map above shown the extent and route of my travels, the first half by train and the latter half by air unfortunately.

I have already decided that the next one will be London to Konya, Turkey by train.

 

Why Societies Collapse - Jared Diamond

This morning I visited Casa Rocca Piccola of which I will write more about later, but what was interesting was what they describe as their 'bomb shelter'. And during World War ll it was used as such. Prior to its being converted to a bomb shelter in the aftermath of the 1936 Olympics, after the Baron, on attending the olympics detected an aura of hostility in Germany, it had been a cistern or tank. A large water storage chamber or well as they are called locally. Apparently at one point in time gardens were not allowed in Valletta. By law all water had to be harvested and stored. This may well be something that the island should start doing again.

 

Malta in World War Two

Today I visited the Lascaris War Rooms which provided a interesting lesson in history. The war rooms were excavated by the British starting in 1940 and were strategically located and excavated off an old communications tunneo built by the Knights of St. John.


The Siege of Malta was a military campaign in the Mediterranean Theatre of the Second World War. From 1940-1942, the fight for the control of the strategically important island of Malta pitted the air forces and navies of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany against the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy.

The opening of a new front in North Africa in mid-1940 increased Malta's already considerable value. British air and sea forces based on the island could attack Axis ships transporting vital supplies and reinforcements from Europe. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, in command of Axis forces in North Africa, recognised its importance quickly. In May 1941, he warned that "Without Malta the Axis will end by losing control of North Africa".^[1]

The Axis resolved to bomb, or starve Malta into submission by attacking its ports, towns, cities and Allied shipping supplying the island. Malta was one of the most intensively bombed areas during the war. The Luftwaffe (German Air Force) and the Italian Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) flew a total of 3,000 bombing raids over a period of two years in an effort to destroy RAF defences and the ports.^[10] Success would have made possible a combined German—Italian amphibious landing (Operation Herkules) supported by German airborne forces (Fallschirmjäger). It was never carried out. In the end,Allied convoys were able to supply and reinforce Malta, while the RAF defended its airspace, though at great cost in material and lives.

By November 1942, the Axis had lost the Second Battle of El Alamein and the Allies landed forces in Vichy French Morocco and Algeria under Operation Torch. The Axis diverted their forces to the Battle of Tunisia, and attacks on Malta were rapidly reduced. The siege effectively ended in November 1942.^[11]

In December 1942, air and sea forces operating from Malta went over to the offensive. By May 1943, they had sunk 230 Axis ships in 164 days, the highest Allied sinking rate of the war.^[12] The Allied victory played a major role in the eventual Allied success in North Africa.

Malta was a significant military and naval fortress, being the only Allied base between Gibraltar and Alexandria, Egypt. It became a linchpin in the British Empire overseas—a vital way station along Britain's lifeline, through Egypt and the Suez Canal to India and the Far East. It offered a haven for British shipping to and from those places, but also it gave the British an excellent staging platform of offensive thrusts against naval, land, air and shipping targets in the central Mediterranean. Owing to its exposed position, close to a potentially hostile Italy, the British had moved the headquarters of the Royal Navy Mediterranean Fleet from Valletta, Malta in the mid-1930s to Alexandria in October 1939.^[13]

The island itself has an area of just under 100 square miles (260 km²) and had a population of around 250,000, all but three or four per cent native Maltese. According to the 1937 census, most of the inhabitants lived within 4 miles (6.4 km) of the Grand Harbour, where the population density was more than six times that of the island as a whole. Amongst the most congested spots was Valletta, the capital and political, military and commercial centre. In this city, 23,000 people lived in an area of around 0.25 square miles (0.65 km²). Across the Grand Harbour, in the so-called Three Cities, where the dockyards were located and the Admiralty had its headquarters, 28,000 more were packed into 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²). It was these small areas that absorbed the heaviest, most sustained and concentrated of aerial bombing in history.^{[14] More}

It is amazing what they did manually to track all incoming aircraft. Today we could use computers and have all our data coming in to huge flat screens which would be simualtaneously up linked to fighter aircraft and missile batteries. Back then it was all manual. However, the same level of technology was is use by all parties which levelled the playing field.

 

Knights of St. John or Knights Hospitaller

Knights Hospitaller

For the next 275 years, these famous "Knights of Malta" made the island their domain and made the Italian language official. They built towns, palaces, churches, gardens, and fortifications and embellished the island with numerous works of art and enhanced cultural heritage.In the early 16th century, the Ottoman Empire started spreading over the region, reaching South-East Europe. The Spanish king Charles V feared that if Rome fell to the Turks, it would be the end of Christian Europe. In 1522, Suleiman II drove the Knight Hospitaller of St. John out of Rhodes. They dispersed to their commanderies in Europe. Wanting to protect Rome from invasion from the South, in 1530, Charles V handed over the island to these Knights.

The order of the Knights of St. John was originally established to set up outposts along the route to the Holy Land, to assist pilgrims going in either direction. Owing to the many confrontations that took place, one of their main tasks was to provide medical assistance, and even today the eight-pointed cross is still in wide use in ambulances and first aid organisations. In return for the many lives they saved, the Order received many newly conquered territories that had to be defended. Together with the need to defend the pilgrims in their care, this gave rise to the strong military wing of the Knights. Over time, the Order became strong and rich. From hospitallers first and military second, these priorities reversed. Since much of the territory they covered was around the Mediterranean region, they became notable seamen.

From Malta the knights resumed their seaborne attacks of Ottoman shipping, and before long the Sultan Suleyman the Magnificentordered a final attack on the Order. By this time the Knights had occupied the city of Birgu, which had excellent harbours to house their fleet. Also Birgu was one of the two major urban places at that time, the other most urban place being Mdina the old capital city of Malta. The defences around Birgu were enhanced and new fortifications built on the other point where now there is Senglea. Also a small fort was built at the tip of the peninsula where the city of Valletta now stands and was named Fort St. Elmo.

On 18 May 1565, Suleiman the Magnificent laid siege to Malta. By the time the Ottoman fleet arrived the Knights were as ready as they could be. First the Ottomans attacked the newly built fort of St. Elmo and after a whole month of fighting the fort was in rubble and the soldiers kept fighting until the Turks ended their lives. After this they started attacking Birgu and the fortifications at Senglea but to no gain.

After a protracted siege ended on 8 September of the same year, which became known in history as the Great Siege, the Ottoman Empire conceded defeat as the approaching winter storms threatened to prevent them from leaving. The Ottoman empire had expected an easy victory within weeks. They had 40,000 men arrayed against the Knights' nine thousand, most of them Maltese soldiers and simple citizens bearing arms. Their loss of thousands of men was very demoralising. The Ottomans made no further significant military advances in Europe and the Sultan died a few years later.

[edit]After the War

The year after, the Order started work on a new city with fortifications like no other, on a peninsula called Gholja Sciberras which the Ottomans had used as a base during the siege. It was named Valletta after Jean Parisot de la Valette, the Grand Master who had seen the Order through its victory. Since the Ottoman Empire never attacked again, the fortifications were never put to the test, and today remain one of the best-preserved fortifications of this period.

Unlike other rulers of the island, the Order of St. John did not have a "home country" outside the island. The island became their home, so they invested in it more heavily than any other power. Besides, its members came from noble families, and had amassed considerable fortune due to their services in the route to the Holy Land. The architectural and artistic remains of this period remain among the greatest of Malta's history, especially in their "prize jewel" — the city of Valletta.

However, as their main raison d'être had ceased to exist, the Order's glory days were over.

The order was weakened by Napoleon's capture of Malta in 1798 and became dispersed throughout Europe. It regained strength during the early 19th century as it repurposed itself toward humanitarian and religious causes. In 1834 the order, by this time known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), acquired new headquarters in Rome where it has remained since. Five contemporary, state-recognised chivalric orders which claim modern inheritance of the Hospitaller tradition all assert that the Roman Catholic SMOM is the original order, and that four non-Catholic orders stem from the same root:^[2]Protestant orders exist in Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, and a non-denominational British revival is headquartered in the United Kingdom. More



 

Valletta - New Year

Yesterday I went for a long walk around a part of Valletta.

Again it was wonderful weather, cold and wonderful sunshine. I had started out with my North Face parka on but before long that had to go, with the walking it was just too warm. When I got down to the waterfront the water was so clear, which is good to see in a busy harbour.

The road was ten meters above the water and looking over there were many very old looking derelict buildings and small docking areas and landings, many of which were by the looks of them very old. There were also ruined buildings, many with beautiful old stone walls, but no roofs and no floors between the different levels. Some of them would make wonderful homes.

Seeing the horse and carriages taking the visitors for rides, both in Valletta and over in M'Dina is so reminiscent of Bermuda, what was so incongruous however was the the drivers all chatting on their cell phones as they trotted along.

I went to the cathedral, which shocked me for all the incredibly rich decoration in it. I must admit when I see this in any religious building I am alway asking myself why, if the organization was so rich, why was more not spent on the people?

Everything closed early yesterday as it was New Years Eve, an arbitary day in a relativistic universe, but we have to celebrate it!

I came across this image on Facebook and had a good chuckle. And to on New Years Day the majority of stores and cafes were closed but I found a rather nice restaurant just up the road from my hotel named Rampila restaurant. It is situated in what was a gun emplacement in the ramparts. Rampila's Terrace is the the bastion emplacements overlooking the protective ditch and the entrance to the City in the very same vital strategic position planned by Liparelli. The tunnels and terrace were constructed under the Cavalier of St John and were designed to be the pivotal part of the defence of the city against attack from land. Together with the Cavalier of St. James, facing from the opposite of the bridge, these fortifications commanded the approaches to the city. Unfortunately, with the preservation work that is taking place their view is mainly of scaffolding. However the food was great, I had rabbit which 'tastes like chicken'.

As is was leaving I noticed a pulley with a rope running through it hanging over a hole leading downwards. On enquiring I was told this is a very old well (or more likely a cistern). It appeared to be the traditional bottle shape that goes back over two thousand years. And believe it or not it is still in use, they use if for watering the plants around the terrace. I have to imagine it was part of the Crusaders water security efforts.

Here is another Crusader water initiative, a tunnel that fed the fountains. Also known as the Knights Hospitaller and the Order of St. John, the Knights of Malta, established in 1099, gained a formidable military reputation as enemies of Muslims during the Crusades, a series of Christian military campaigns that originally had the goal of capturing Jerusalem. The Christian order, though vastly outnumbered by Ottoman Turks, triumphed in the Great Siege of Malta in 1565.

The experience, though, inspired them to found the fortress city of Valletta on a high peninsula that was secure but lacking in natural water sources. Water security was a major priority during the city's construction, the goal being to maintain the supply even during future sieges, according to Said. "They soon realized that the rainwater and the wells they had were just not enough," he said.

Water was therefore transported to the city from valleys to the west via an aqueduct, the remains of which still stand. The Palace Square location of the newfound tunnels supports the idea that the network was intended for water, the team said. The tunnel apparently fed a grand fountain in Palace Square via the underground reservoir. The fountain was later moved when the British ruled the island, from 1814 to 1964. We always seem to come to a place in our development of modernization where we forget the importance of water security.

"This fountain marked the very important achievement of getting water to the city," survey leader Borg said. Centuries-old lead pipes and metal valves for operating the fountain have been found, according to Said. The tunnel's connecting branches may have included service passages used by the Knights' chief hydraulic engineer, or fontaniere.

"Together with his team, [the fontaniere] was in charge of monitoring and maintaining the fountains and conduits," Said added. "They were also responsible for switching off the fountains at night."

Knights of Sanitation

Other rumors of underground Valletta include a secret carriageway from the city to the palace of the Roman Catholic inquisitor—charged with rooting out heretics—under Valletta's harbor. Such tales of secret military passages have more solid foundations, according to Said, since underground passages do run beneath the battlements protecting Valletta's landfront. But Said suspects many of the subterranean legends spring from water-supply and drainage tunnels.

Valletta was hit by plague in the 17th century, when the 1340s Black Death epidemic still loomed in people's minds, he said. "They wanted to make sure this problem never happened again," Said added. In fact, the city's plumbing system was highly advanced for the 16th and 17th centuries, he noted.

By comparison, major cities like London and Vienna "were still wallowing in their own muck."