police brutality
"Police blunder" in Paris suburbs: an officer's perspective
On Tuesday we published video footage of police brutality against a youth in the northern Paris suburb of Montfermeil. A police unit chief, who worked in the suburbs for ten years, tells us how his colleagues were "scared to death", and considers the chief of police's proposition of being filmed on the job. Read his account...
Video footage of police brutality in the Paris suburbs
The Paris suburbs, branded a hotbed of violence since the 2005 riots, are again in the spotlight since footage of a young man being beaten by the police emerged on Monday. Read more and watch the video...
Six Indians killed defending a Maya site
For the past month, a group of Chiapas Indians had been occupying an archaeological site, demanding a better share of tourism profits. On Friday, state police arrived, killing six of them. Now a video showing the start of the police intervention is circulating on Indian blogs. Read more...
Amateur video of a beating
The harbour of Sidi Ifni, in southern Morocco, was once again blocked by citizens on strike last Monday. This video, sent by one of our Moroccan observers, seems to show that the strike was broken up in a particularly brutal way. Read more...
Olympics are no treat for Beijing’s illegal workers
For most inhabitants of Beijing, the long-awaited Olympics are a unique opportunity for rejoicing and pride. Yet for the city's numerous illegal workers, the Games are tantamount to a threat of expulsion. Read more...
"Paranoid of new media" authorities arrest Facebook users
Joining an online social network group is risky business in Egypt. Twenty-six people were rounded up and arrested at a gathering organised on Facebook on Wednesday. The internet activists were attending a peaceful meeting on a beach in Alexandria when they were detained unexpectantly. Read more...
The rapping policeman from the troubled Paris suburbs
"Le Brigadier" (the police sergeant) is a French rapper who keeps his identity well hidden. And with good reason - he claims to work as a policeman in the suburbs of Paris. Rapping about police blunders hasn't gone down well with the rest of the force though, leading to an internal enquiry into his identification. Read more...
Riots in Morocco: official sources vs. YouTube
The harbour town of Sidi Ifni, Morocco, became a battleground between groups of unemployed protestors and police forces last weekend. But while the authorities talk of a skirmish or two, web users say there was a full-blown riot followed by a brutal crackdown. Read more...
Update: pro-Palestinian march ends in violence
A pro-Palestinian demonstration by Arab Israelis in northern Israel yesterday was ruined by violent confrontations between rightwing nationalists, the participants and the police. Our Observers sent photos and video footage. Read more...
Publicly humiliated, like in the Mao days
When a local factory owner filed a case against a power station for stealing his sand and tampering with the land, he did not expect to be found guilty of blackmail. Paraded through the streets for eight hours, condemned in public and jailed for three months, Tang Xiaodong has now launched a campaign to seek justice. Read more...
