Law enforcement in Los Angeles used tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash-bang grenades against protesters, journalists, and medics during demonstrations against immigration raids between June 6–14, 2025, in a manner that violates international human rights law, as well as US and California laws. The protests were triggered by a dramatic escalation of immigration raids ordered by the Trump administration. Human Rights Watch documented numerous cases of excessive force, noting injuries that included broken bones, concussions, severe eye damage, and at least one amputation. Their findings highlight the humanitarian toll of the raids and the risks faced by those attempting to protest or report on them. No democracy can claim legitimacy when peaceful dissent is met with violence. The use of excessive force against protesters and journalists in Los Angeles must be condemned in the strongest terms. Trump’s escalation of raids and his embrace of anti–free speech, anti-activism tactics reveal a dangerous attempt to normalize repression and silence those who dare to resist. Peaceful protests should double and quadruple to send a clear message that violence against peaceful protesters is not and will not be acceptable.
For decades, Shell and other oil companies have been destroying Nigeria’s Niger Delta with repeated oil spills that poisoned water, soil, and livelihoods. A new letter from seven UN Special Rapporteurs confirms what local communities, Amnesty International, and other organizations have long argued: these spills amount to grave human rights violations, affecting the right to health, safe drinking water, and more. Communities deserve justice, not abandonment. The UN has made it clear that companies cannot profit from destruction and then walk away. Selling assets is not enough; the harm remains, and so does the duty to fix it.
The United Nations verified 41,370 grave violations against children in 2024, the highest in over 20 years. The UN Secretary-General’s latest annual report reveals widespread abuse in conflict zones, including killing, abduction, sexual violence, and the use of child soldiers. UN member states must act by stopping arms sales, supporting investigations, and protecting children from war’s front lines. Protecting children in conflict is a legal and moral obligation.
#ChildrensRights #ChildSoldiers #HumanRights #ChildProtection
Israel’s brazen attack on Hamas’ negotiating team in Qatar while they were deliberating a new ceasefire with Israel raises serious questions not only about the legality of the attack, which violated international laws and norms, and concerns over Qatar’s sovereignty, but also the potential regional and international fallout. The fact that Israel notified the Trump administration of its impending attack and was given the green light to proceed adds another troubling dimension for all those who will be affected, especially the Gulf states. Israel’s attack was calculated to achieve several objectives.
Read more in my latest article; link in bio.
#Israel #Qatar #IsraelHamasWar #MiddleEast
The United States has become the first country ever to refuse participation in the UN’s Universal Periodic Review, the very process designed to hold nations accountable for their human rights records. Announced quietly over Labor Day weekend, this refusal represents a striking attempt to evade scrutiny. For 17 years, even though the U.S. labels “egregious violators” China, North Korea, Iran, Russia, and others, have subjected themselves to review. Now the U.S. stands apart, weakening the system it once championed. If Washington rejects accountability, it signals to the world’s worst offenders that human rights are optional. Silence here means silence for victims everywhere.
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At least 3,384 civilians were killed in Sudan between January and June, nearly 80% of all civilian casualties documented in 2023. The UN says the surge is fueled by ethnic violence in Darfur, as the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) rages on. Civilians have been shelled, bombed by drones, and even executed in summary killings, including children as young as 14. Nearly 1,000 were executed in just six months, with numbers tripling during SAF offensives. Ethnicity is a driving factor, deepening divisions rooted in decades of discrimination. With mass displacement, famine, and cholera spreading, Sudan is facing not only its deadliest conflict but the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
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There would be world outrage and protests in the streets of Australia if only there were Jews to blame. As there isn't.. too bad for Sudan
One in five children in Gaza City is now acutely malnourished. In August alone, 12,800 children were diagnosed with acute malnutrition, a staggering rise as famine tightens its grip. The percentage of children suffering grew to 13.5% across Gaza, and in Gaza City, where famine was confirmed last month, nearly 19% of children are now malnourished. Even worse, the deadliest form, severe acute malnutrition, has doubled since early this year, now afflicting nearly one in four children admitted for treatment. With nutrition centers forced to close amid bombardments and evacuations, lifelines for survival are collapsing. These are not just numbers. They are children’s lives, and every closure, every delay, pushes them closer to death.
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Hundreds of thousands of Americans are on the brink of poverty. A new analysis from Yale University’s Budget Lab warns that Trump’s tariffs could push between 650,000 and 875,000 people below the poverty line next year. The tariffs have already brought in $163 billion for the federal government, but at what cost? Price shocks are eroding families’ purchasing power, driving up consumer costs, and forcing businesses to cut jobs. The hardest hit will be grocery, retail, and blue-collar workers. Combined with looming SNAP and Medicaid cuts, the impact could be devastating, from shuttered stores to closed rural hospitals. This isn’t just trade policy. It’s a recipe for mass poverty and the collapse of America’s safety net.
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Yale…..losing left.
