Happy Thursday, dear friends. I am resisting the urge, as I always do, to jump into the pre-holiday buying frenzy that so many of my friends and family partake in.
Being from the US, I have been able to select Thanksgiving as my favorite holiday, because it centers around family and food instead of presents.
The truth is, as I have gotten older and wiser, the things I wish to receive could not be put into a box. They are all gifts for the world, like peace, contentment, health, support and joy. While material presents can be nice, they simply remind me to continue to set intentions for the bigger gifts awaiting our world.
Today I am like a busy rabbit, jumping from one thing to another, so let’s hop right into the news and get the day on its way.We focus on a number of international protests, where citizens are raising their voices to be heard by restrictive governments. We then move on from there.
Egyptian activist is detained after protest commemorating 2011 clashes.
Mahienour el-Masry, a prominent civil rights activist in Egypt, was arrested after a protest on Wednesday in Alexandria’s Tahir Square. The protest was held to honor the anniversary of the Mohammed Mahmoud Battle, which left 50 demonstrators dead, during the country’s 2011 uprising. Police eventually used teargas in this week’s demonstration to disperse the crowd. At least 43 protestors were arrested.
El-Masry was detained well after the protests, by mostly non-Islamic demonstrators, had ended. She was asked about who planned the protests and then she was released. She was recently convicted of violating a law which prohibits protests without police approval.
She staged a hunger strike while in jail and was released pending appeal of her conviction. A number of activist prisoners remain on hunger strikes to protest the extreme regime in power, and many are sentenced to long prison terms for violating the protest laws.
Prominent Egyptian Human Rights Activist Arrested by Merrit Kennedy for AP the Big Story
UK students demonstrate against tuition and fees.
Over 10,000 students marched in London to demonstrate for free higher education in the UK. This is the largest student demonstration since 2010, when fees up to £9,000 for university education were introduced.
The demonstration was relatively peaceful, as students listened to speeches from Green Party candidates and waved banners asking the government to make education free and tax the rich instead. Four people were arrested in minor clashes.
Protestors in Thailand present ‘Hunger Games’ salute in defiance of leader.
Prayuth Chan-Ocha is an army leader who took forced control of the government in Thailand in May, after months of protests against elected officials. The country is currently under marshal law, and protests of over 5 people are banned.
When Chan-Ocha was preparing to give a speech in the northeast region of Thailand, which is a former stronghold of the ousted government, a number of students protested by flashing the three fingered salute of solidarity used in the Hunger Games movies. The demonstrators were promptly arrested and Chan-Ocha told the crowd that anyone else who wished to speak out against the government in this fashion would be arrested too.
The Hunger Games movies have become a talisman for Thailand citizens who oppose military rule. Protestors have been quietly showing dissent in other ways, like reading George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 in public groups smaller than five people.
The connection to the Hunger Games and Thailand was even represented at the London premiere of the latest installment in the movie saga. Protestors held up a sign that said “District Thai”, in reference to the revolution against tyranny portrayed in the series.
Hunger Games Salute From Thai Protesters Greets Coup Leader by Chris Blake for Bloomberg News
Moving on…
CERN researchers discover two new subatomic particles.
Physicists working at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, Switzerland, recently discovered some new “heavy weights” in the sub-atomic particle world.
The new particles, named Xi-b’ and Xi-b* are in the baryon class. They are similar to protons, in that they have 3 quarks, but they are six times more massive.
The new discovery fits into the current jigsaw puzzle of particle law, but gives researchers hope that more precise observation will reveal particles that reside outside the standard model.
CERN Physicists Discover Two New Subatomic Particles by David Freeman for the Huffington Post
And finally…
Indianapolis recycles old parking meters to help the homeless.
The Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention and Downtown Indianapolis, Inc. have partnered in a unique recycling plan to help area homeless. They have repainted and installed old parking meters and renamed them Know Outlets.
The parking meters accept donations that will be used to support area services for approximately 8,000 citizens who need assistance. CHIP is hoping the project will raise $100,000 to supplement their programs, but would be happy with $40,000 in the first year. Other municipalities are also looking to implement similar programs.
Old parking meters to help Indy’s homeless by David Barras for WISH TV
That’s the news for today. Have a joyful day. I hope to see you back here tomorrow for more news.
Be Well. Be Joy. Be Love!
Alex