Daily Archives: February 5, 2022

Hello,

Some Conservatives are breaking away from the federal caucus support for the Freedom Convoy that has led to chaos in Ottawa.

The dissension comes after parliamentary reporter Marieke Walsh reported here that the Conservative Partys new interim leader, Candice Bergen, advocated in internal discussions against asking the protesters to go home, according to an e-mail obtained by The Globe and Mail.

On Friday, Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson, a lifelong Conservative appointed to the senate in 2009 on the recommendation of former prime minister Stephen Harper, announced hes quitting the Conservative senate caucus over the issue though he will hold on to his party membership.

This is no longer a caucus I want to belong to, Mr. Patterson said in an interview. I do not support this approach, and I hope it will change.

He said he has been disappointed at the absence of a Conservative condemnation of the continued lawless occupation of the downtown core of Ottawa. Its uncharacteristic for a party I always considered stood for law and order.

I was absolutely appalled at members of our caucus and even our new leadership associating themselves in any way with the racist, hateful, misogynist, white-supremacist hooligans in the so-called Freedom Convoy. That was what motivated me to finally make the step of realizing that these caucuses no longer represent the party I know, he said, referring to the senate caucus and national caucus.

Meanwhile, Quebec MP Pierre Paul-Hus, the Conservative public-services critic, tweeted Friday that action against the protest is necessary after a week undergoing the Siege of Ottawa.

He suggested the motivation of truckers is unclear. I ask that we clear the streets and that we stop this occupation controlled by radicals and anarchist groups.

Ontario Conservative MP Dean Allison said he respects and values his colleague Mr. Paul-Hus, but on this issue, I would have to strongly disagree with him. He did not elaborate.

Amid the back and forth, Ms. Bergen called for a peaceful resolution to the impasse in a statement released by her office. She said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should provide a clear plan to end the situation in Ottawa. Lets work together to find solutions, said the statement To the truck drivers in Ottawa: please remain peaceful. Call out and denounce any acts of hate, racism, intolerance or violence.

Meanwhile, Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly said Friday that 150 additional police officers will be deployed throughout downtown Ottawa as part of a new strategy to manage the occupying demonstrators and restore a shaken trust with residents as thousands more are expected to arrive this weekend.

Parliamentary reporters Janice Dickson and Ms. Walsh report here on this development.

Elsewhere, more than 100 vehicles taking part in a protest convoy arrived in Quebec City Thursday ahead of a rally planned this weekend in front of the National Assembly. Story here from CBC.

And in Saskatchewan, the provincial legislature was closed Friday in advance of expected protest against COVID-19 restrictions while a protest against restrictions began in Winnipeg, outside the main entrance of the Manitoba legislature grounds.

This is the daily Politics Briefing newsletter, written by Ian Bailey. It is available exclusively to our digital subscribers. If youre reading this on the web, subscribers can sign up for the Politics newsletter and more than 20 others on our newsletter sign-up page. Have any feedback? Let us know what you think.

TODAYS HEADLINES

EMPLOYMENT PLUMMETS Canadian employment plummeted in January and work absences because of illness soared to record levels as the Omicron variant drove a steep uptick in COVID-19 infections. The country lost 200,000 jobs last month, the first decline in employment since May, Statistics Canada said Friday. Story here.

TRUDEAU AND FREELAND MAKE APPEALS TO UKRAINE GOVERNMENT Justin Trudeau and Chrystia Freeland made personal appeals to persuade the Ukrainian government to not arrest and imprison former president Petro Poroshenko when he returned home in mid-January, two sources in Ottawa and one in Kyiv say. Story here.

TORIES LOOKING TO QUICKLY REPLACE OTOOLE Federal Conservatives say they have to move quickly to find a permanent replacement for Erin OToole, because the minority government means Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could trigger an early election. Story here.

MPS SUMMON GOFUNDME REPS A committee of MPs has voted to summon representatives of GoFundMe to Parliament as soon as possible to answer questions about the California crowdfunding companys ability to screen out hate campaigns. Story here.

END COMING TO ALBERTA VACCINE PASSPORT: KENNEY Premier Jason Kenney says his government will announce next week a date to end Albertas COVID-19 vaccine passport, with the actual cancellation coming soon after that. Meanwhile, varied premiers are taking different approaches to loosening COVID-19 restrictions. Story here.

HORGAN FEELS PRETTY GOOD AFTER CANCER TREATMENT B.C. Premier John Horgan says hes feeling pretty good after treatment for cancer diagnosed in November, and has lost 25 pounds in the process. I had a couple of jackets taken in, so Im ready to go, Mr. Horgan said outside the B.C. legislature this week. Story here from City News 1130. Meanwhile, voting to elect the next leader of British Columbias Liberals is under way. Story here.

THIS AND THAT

The projected order of business at the House of Commons, Feb. 4 is here.

PARLIAMENTARY BLACK CAUCUS SPEAKS OUT ON PROTESTS The Parliamentary Black Caucus, representing MPs and senators, is denouncing protests in Ottawa and Gatineau. We strongly support the right of Canadians to protest. Regrettably, we believe that this protest became a venue for extremist elements to intimidate Members of Parliament, Senators, and the residents of Ottawa and Gatineau, said a statement issued on Friday. The full text, including proposed actions, is here.

DEFENCE MINISTER TRIP TO EUROPE CONCLUDED Defence Minister Anita Anand has concluded a week-long trip to Europe that included stops in Ukraine, at NATO headquarters and in Latvia. In Ukraine, Ms. Anands meetings included talks with Ukraines Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, and Canadian Armed Forces personnel deployed on the Operation UNIFIER training mission. During the tour, she also met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

FEDERAL LIBERALS GATHER IN ONTARIO The Liberal Party of Canadas Ontario wing is holding a virtual convention on Friday and Saturday, with party leader Justin Trudeau expected to join 1,300 party members. Other speakers include Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Defence Minister Anita Anand and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.

COLLEGIALITY IS POSSIBLE Amidst turmoil across the aisle during the week, the federal Transport Minister here records a moment of collegiality with a member of the Official Opposition.

THE DECIBEL On Fridays edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Asia Correspondent James Griffiths is in Beijing as the 2022 Winter Olympics begin in Chinas capital. Mr. Griffiths talks about what its like to be inside the Olympic bubble and how politics are playing into these Games. The Decibel is here.

PRIME MINISTERS DAY

Private meetings. The Prime Minister was scheduled to speak with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store. The Prime Minister was also scheduled to virtually meet with students from Smallwood Academy in Gambo, Newfoundland and Labrador.

LEADERS

Bloc Qubcois Leader Yves-Franois Blanchet holds a media availability at Parliament Hill.

No schedules provided for other leaders.

OPINION

The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on how protest is a legal right, but a blockade isnt a legal protest: Canadians have the right to protest regardless of whether the cause is left, right, centre, trucker, whatever. But any time that interferes more than minimally and temporarily with the rights of others and particularly when it moves from persuasion by words to physical interference it ceases to enjoy the protection of the law. It becomes instead a threat to law and order. Police always have every reason to show patience, and to lean on negotiation rather than force. But at some point, one way or the other, the law and the rights of others must ultimately be upheld against illegal protests be they left, right, centre, trucker, whatever.

Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail) on why it already looks like no Conservative will be able to challenge Pierre Poilievre for the party leadership: He is a love-him-or-hate-him politician who garners tub-thumping applause from those who agree and revulsion from those who dont. He made his name as a partisan pitbull and placed his flag on the right wing of his party. He is probably the best communicator the federal Conservatives have, but will nonpartisans learn to like him? Thats a question that gnaws at some in his party, and at some in the caucus of MPs around him, who fear that he will shrink the blue tent to a hard core, and turn off broad swaths of moderate suburban Canada. But a lot of them think he will win the leadership.

Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail) on how Erin OToole pushed around the Conservative caucus, as leaders always have but didnt count on caucus pushing back: Mr. OTooles leadership was not the only problem facing the party its internal divisions, as I wrote recently, are the real issue, of which his uncertain leadership was more consequence than cause nor will it necessarily fare any better under a new leader. But the decision to remove him could have highly salutary effects in the long-term, and not only for the Conservative Party. After this, any future Conservative leader will be on notice: treat the caucus with respect, or face the same fate as Mr. OToole. The example having been set, it is not inconceivable that members of other party caucuses may one day demand a similar measure of respect. It was one thing when all caucuses were under the same yoke, seemingly in perpetuity. But now that the Conservatives have broken free, there is at last the potential for a backbench spring, a fundamental change in the balance of power between leader and caucus.

Robyn Urback (The Globe and Mail) on why the Conservatives need an affable, relatable new leader more than a right-wing one: In theory, it was probably the right approach tactically speaking for Mr. OToole to campaign for the Conservative leadership as a true blue, then pivot to the centre for the general election in order to be as palatable as possible to the widest swath of Canadians. But his change was so stark that it left the membership feeling duped and betrayed, and he never quite found a way to relay to Canadians what his centre-right vision would look like. Constantly changing your mind will do that. The Conservatives need a normal, affable, relatable new leader far more than they need one who will bring the party back over to the right. But they might be too busy laughing at Mr. Poilievres jokes to come to that realization.

Kelly Egan (The Ottawa Citizen) on how its time for Ottawa police to stop saying all options are on the table to deal with protest, and instead pick one and try it: Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly seems like a nice guy. Heres the problem. We dont need a nice guy right now. We need a strong leader, someone not afraid to pick the right fight. At the end of his initial presentation to the police services board Wednesday, Sloly dramatically took off his glasses, stared into the camera and said one of the most dispiriting things weve heard all week: There may not be a policing solution to this demonstration. You know, the truckers must be laughing at us. Weve basically admitted we think its too risky to attempt to forcibly remove them, one by one, because someone might get hurt or even killed.

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Politics Briefing: Several Conservatives break from the federal caucus' support for 'Freedom Convoy' - The Globe and Mail

Well, I was seconds from going to bed, and said out loud Oh no, Freedom Kicks! so here we are. D.C. United, after the news onslaught, has slowed down, though the team resumes training out in Leesburg this morning after getting back from Florida, and before they head off to California. However, most of our news today is about the Washington Spirit, so lets get to it:

Six Washington Spirit players on USWNT 2022 SheBelieves Cup roster | Black and Red UnitedSix Spirit players are on the USWNT roster for SheBelieves Cup, and a seventh (Trinity Rodman) will be training with the team. Thats over 25% of the roster, which is wild. Its good to be the champs! That camp runs starting next Thursday, and if my understanding of the Spirits camp schedule is correct, the players will meet back up with Washington down in Florida.

Speaking of Spirit preseason, well have more on that very soon, because training is open to media today, so Ill be braving the Beltway to find out how things are going.

Black History Month: Call her Trinity | Stars and Stripes FCAnd speaking of Rodman, our own Donald Wine II has his annual Black History Month series going at Stars and Stripes, and shes the topic today.

Speaking of speaking of preseason (I promise Im not gonna say speaking of any more in this post), the Spirit are at The St. James because its inside and the weather outside is straight trash:

Charlotte FC Signs Expansion Draft Picks Anton Walkes and Joseph Mora to New Contracts | CharlotteFootballClub.comIn ex-DCU news, Joseph Mora has signed a contract with Charlotte FC. The expansion side selected him in the expansion draft, gifting United $50,000 in GAM, but still had to reach contract terms, which they did. Look for him in their starting 11 in...wow its only 22 days away.

Report: Jozy Altidore poised to join New England Revolution | Waking the RedThis one makes some kind of sense, as Bruce Arena loves a proven MLS winner almost as much as he loves getting the best out of his most expensive 2-3 players. Toronto has said they want to not carry Altidore as a DP this year, so them shipping him out also makes sense.

But still, think about this: Altidore, with his injury history, playing half of his games this year on possibly the worst surface in MLS. It could work, especially since the Revs appear to need an Adam Buksa insurance plan due to interest from Europe in the Polish striker, but its also a situation where if you told me Altidore finished 2022 with 700 minutes played, I wouldnt be surprised.

Last thing, and we stay in MLS for this one:

Emmanuel Reynoso must be a Wayne Rooney fan, because thats a Rooney vs. Orlando kind of goal to score on the Lions.

Thats my entire set of links and tweets. Enjoy the very early part of the morning, when its not cold, before we go right back into winter again.

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Friday Freedom Kicks: USWNT roster full of Washington Spirit players, Jozy Altidore to New England Revolution - Black And Red United

On February 2, news reports said Germanys media regulator rejected the Russian state-owned media outlet RT (formerly Russia Today) because it did not have an appropriate broadcast license.

The move upheld a decision in December, when RT DE began broadcasting in German on satellite and online based on the channel's Serbian license. German authorities said RT never attempted to get a German license.

In response to the rulings, Russia appealed to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE):

We are seriously concerned about the decision of the German broadcasting regulator to ban transmission of RT DE, the Russian Mission to OSCEs Twitter account tweeted.

We call on the @OSCE_RfoM to assess the situation around RT DE and to remind Berlin of necessity to fulfill its obligations on freedom of the media and access to information.

That is misleading.

It is standard practice for governments to require media outlets to have a broadcast license. Serbia is not a member of the European Union. Germany, an EU member, said Serbia's license has no legal standing in the EU.

It's Orwellian to say the least for Moscow to complain about press freedom.

Russia is well-known for draconian media restrictions, threats to independent journalists and impunity when they are harmed. In the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders' global rankings of press freedom, Russia posts near the bottom: 150th out of 180 countries rated in 2021.

Russian authorities routinely censor foreign and domestic independent media, either forcing them to close by declaring them undesirable organizations, or saddling them with heavy restrictions and fines as foreign agents.

(Disclosure: The Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty were both designated foreign agents in 2017. A dispute over the designation is ongoing.)

Almost immediately after German authorities reaffirmed RTs lack of broadcasting rights, Russias Foreign Ministry announced it would retaliate by banning the German state news agency Deutsche Welle in Russia and stripping DW reporters of their accreditation to work there.

The latter step is more severe than Germanys withdrawal of RTs broadcasting rights.

RT chief editor Margarita Simonyan nonetheless vowed that her channel would continue broadcasting to Germany. Simonyan has previously described her network as akin to the Russian Defense Ministry, bragging that it was capable of conducting information war against the whole Western world.

The German license actions in December followed a decision by the U.S. video platform YouTube to suspend RTs German channel for violating rules on publishing COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.

The United States also requires RT's parent nonprofit organization, TV-Novosti, to register as a foreign agent with the U.S. Justice Department, including amounts spent on programming.

Read this article:

Russia Concerned About 'Freedom of Media' But Only Its Own - Polygraph.info

Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg, at the underground station Dimitroffstrasse. Joachim F. Thurn, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany.

These thirteen stories about covert journeys in service to world socialism reveal the risks and rewards of underground work, a branch of Party activity that, as the author reminds us, was fundamental to the 20th-century liberation struggle. Appearing for the first time in English, the stories represent the latest stage of Eric Gordons ongoing and valuable translation project, which will eventually make Manuel Tiagos full oeuvrenine volumes of fiction (compressed to eight in translation) accessible to the English-speaking world.

Manual Tiago was the pen name of lvaro Cunhal, a Portuguese anti-fascist revolutionary, born in 1913, who joined the Communist Party as an eighteen-year-old in 1931, traveled to Moscow for the Sixth International Youth Congress in 1935, and never looked back. Cunhal spent most of the 1940s living warily on the margins as the Portuguese CPs de facto undercover leader. Arrested in 1949, he endured eleven years in prison before escaping to the Soviet Union in 1960.

Elected to the position of Secretary General of the Partido Comunista Portugus in 1961, Cunhal served in exile for thirteen years because the Party was outlawed at home. Not until the Carnation Revolution of 1974 was he able to return permanently to the country of his birth, where he held the Secretary General post for another eighteen years.

Not surprisingly, some of the stories in Border Crossings are autobiographical, covering a timespan that coincides with the authors own clandestine journeys. As the translators introduction informs us, The Hold, a tale of stifling confinement and sensory deprivation in the dark recesses of a Yugoslavian ocean liner, is likely based on a trip Cunhal took in 1947.

The practical purpose of that trip had been to reestablish relations between Portuguese Communists and the international movement. What the story reveals and adds to the record is a realistic sense of how the political is also the personal. Hungry, cold and alone in the ships deep recesses, awaiting the end of his torture of darkness and silence, comrade Carlos is totally dependent on others. He has no choice but to keep faith.

Another claustral narrative, The Whaleboat and the Cuddy, confirms a pattern of situations that call to mind Edgar Allan Poes tales of confinement and terror. It was as though he had been shut up in a coffin for hour after interminable hour, Comrade Saul reflects in Tiagos story. The mans suffering is painful to read, and thats the point. But even in his most intense and despairing moments Saul is only half-dead, awaiting spiritual resurrection and recommitment. As in Richard Wrights The Man Who Lived Underground, the fugitive journey offers insights into the aboveground world.

Border Crossings is frank about the pressures and risks of revolutionary activity, but its also a book of lively quirks and unexpected twists. In one story, Abel and Francisco are lost and nearly starving on an arduous trek through the Pyrenees. Suddenly and inexplicably, they come across cows in a pasture and, more surprising, buckets full of milk, brimming with foamy white bubbles. With no one around, they fall to their knees before the buckets and drink their fill. How wonderful! Abel says, forgetting that since he was a boy, he never liked the taste of milk.

That evening, after making it to the next stage of their crossing and a safe house, the men undress to take baths. They feel tiny bites and notice healthy colonies of ticksround like little white berries on their backs and abdomens. They remember that on the previous night theyd slept on the ground, keeping themselves warm under mounds of dry leaves. Its incredible we didnt notice anything, says Abel. Francisco replies, I did feel something, but I thought it was the leaves. Humorous subtleties can be difficult to translate across culture and language, but Gordon gets it right.

There are also stylistic gems, passages that intrigue and resonate. Not every translator will deftly handle the nuances and rhythms of inspired landscape description. This one is seen through the eyes of Abel and Francisco in The Pass Through the Pyrenees:

Far below, extending to the north as far as one could see, lay a patchwork of light and colors, fields, groves of trees and farmhouses attesting to the intensity of human life. To the west, also as far as the eye could take you, out to the long horizon line with the sky, sat the immense, shimmering stripe of the ocean.

In Spain Lies to the East, Alfredo volunteers to accompany Barra, a fugitive from the Portuguese fascist regime, on a hazardous passage toward safe harbor within Republican Spain. Alfredo is an ardent but inexperienced comrade, and Barra must instruct him even in the essential skill of finding the North Star. Only upon his return to Portugal does Alfredo realize how close he had been to apprehension or worse. Deep in thought, he weighs his risk-taking and questions his wisdom, yet remains undeterred:

Ruminating along those lines as he walked home, letting his imagination run on, he pictured himself at night in the fields looking at the starry sky and orienting himself as Barra had taught him.

In this volume we learn not only about celestial navigation but about the methods by which comrades recognize each other in public places, and how some of them escape from fascist prisons. Always, we are warned, memorize every detail of the information on your fake passport, including the real geographic location of ones false hometown.

This is, after all the lesson learned by young Vito in By Train Through Nazi Germany. Vito is a keen observer of detail who has a knack for wriggling out of any situation. But crossing Nazi Germany with the Gestapo surveilling and primed to intervene is serious business. Vito makes several mistakesincluding the potentially dooming one of stating that his alleged birthplace of Nantes is on the Mediterranean coastbefore he comprehends how real the dangers of his trip were and recognizes it as a near-death experience.

Gordons translation of Women Over the Soajo has been broadcast on Pacifica radio and made available for listening. The plot involves Berta and Manuela, two Portuguese Communists stuck at a fine hotel while they await instructions for their return home. Outwardly they exhibit bourgeois behavior, browsing the stores and enjoying meals and amenities as if they were two single ladies living off their rental income. When they encounter a male comrade in a dour mood, they invite him out and share their contagious exuberance, receiving the mans compliments and a gift in return.

Seemingly strangers to misery, the women are unprepared for the arduous next leg of the journey, an ascent of the rocky and steep Soajo mountain. But despite the sexist insults of their male guide, they show their mettle. Even limping to their destination on bleeding feet, they retain as well their high-spirited revolutionary lan.

Tiagos decision to structure a story collection around the perils, vicissitudes, wonders and gratifications of boundary transgression is original and ingenious, a credit to the authors individual artistic vision. But as translator Eric Gordon points out in his introduction to Border Crossings, One theme that pops up in story after story here is that of communication, cooperation and collaboration. No one makes these journeys alone. Clearly both Tiago and Gordon his collaborator are stirred by the culture of border-crossing, the simple solidarity of the movements brothers and sisters, underground and therefore largely unsung.

As rendered in Gordons translation, Tiagos prose at times recalls Hemingways minimalist, modernist prose style. Its therefore fitting that in the books final story, less is more. It Was NothingA Vacation is an ultrashort, flash-fiction piece with a clipped and ironic outcome. The magnitude of its irony is a cumulative product of the preceding twelve stories.

Fernando and Regina, two militants who are also the parents of a four-year-old, accept an assignment of several years in a distant country. Getting there will be an ordeal, so they ask another couplecomradesto separately drive their daughter to Paris by car, pretending that the girl is their own. The parents endure quite a bit of trouble in their crossing but say nothing about it to the child and are joyously relieved at their reunion. Someone asks the little girl, whose trip had been a happy and carefree time, what a clandestine border crossing is like. Her response, Its nothinga vacation, is overheard, believed, and repeated by many.

Border Crossings is a work of unique concept and clever prose, richly translated. Its both engaging and eye-opening for its depiction of an important but little-known field of political activity.

Manuel TiagoBorder CrossingsTranslated by Eric A. GordonNew York: International Publishers, 2021.130 pages, $19.99 (paperback)ISBN: 9780717808731Order from International Publishers.

Photo: Friedrichstrasse Station, Berlin, 1932 (FOTO: Fortepan ID 28605, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0)

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'Border Crossings': Thirteen stories about covert journeys in service to Portuguese freedom - People's World

Los Angeles, California Against a backdrop of increasing violence, human rights violations and impunity in Mexico, attacks against journalists are spiking, with four killed last month alone.

On January 31, three armed menreportedlyshot Robert Toledo, a videographer for Monitor Michoacan, as he prepared to film an interview west of Mexico City.

Days earlier, reporter Lourdes Maldonado Lopez was shot dead in Tijuana the same city where freelance photographer Margarito Martinez, who documented crime scenes, was fatally shot on January 17.

And earlier last month, Jose Luis Gamboa Arenas, director of the news site Inforegio in Veracruz, a notoriously violent and corrupt region, died from stab wounds.

Two more journalists in Mexico had close calls in January: One reporter was shot at and escaped, and another was wounded in a knife attack, according to Jan-Albert Hootsen, the Mexico representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Weve seen whats very likely the most violent month in terms of violence against journalists in a decade, Hootsen told Al Jazeera.

And media freedom groups warn the violence shows no sign of abating: Every year, its getting worse and worse, Paula Maria Saucedo Ruiz of Article 19, a group that defends freedom of expression, told Al Jazeera.

While there is little data on the history of violence against journalists before the 1980s, Hootsen said, the current trend can be traced back to 2006, when the Mexican government declared war on organised crime and deployed the military. This led to an explosion in violence across the country, including against journalists who dared to report on the conflict.

With organised criminal groups fighting each other and the Mexican state, the countrys justice system has eroded, while corruption has proliferated at the local and state levels, resulting in near-total impunity.

About 99 percent of crimes against journalists are not prosecuted, Ruiz said, Anyone can decide, Im just going to silence this journalist, because there are not going to be consequences.

Hootsen visited Tijuana last week after Martinez and Lopez were killed. He called the city the murder capital of Mexico, as it now averages about five homicides a day.

According to aGoFundMeset up by Martinezs colleagues on behalf of his wife and teenage daughter, he knew the risks, but still continued to cover the rising violence in the border city.

Criminal groups are at war across Tijuana, willing to go to extreme lengths to defend their interests, while the local government is unwilling or unable to act, Hootsen said: It creates an extremely dangerous, toxic environment for journalists to work.

Manuel Ayala, a freelance journalist who covers missing persons, human trafficking, migration and organised crime in Tijuana, says he is careful who he talks to, as sources can also be informants for criminal organisations. After publishing, he keeps a low profile.

While no one has directly threatened him on the job, Ayala has heard warnings. In one case, a local police patrol recorded his personal information and told him to stay away from a certain area, he said; another time, a source suggested he stop investigating a trafficking story.

Our bosses do not protect us. We protect ourselves, Ayala told Al Jazeera in Spanish over WhatsApp, noting that Tijuana journalists are in constant communication about where they are going and whether theres a risk.

In this tight-knit community, Ayala and Martinez were friends: Since I arrived in Tijuana, he always welcomed me. I saw him as an older brother, because he used to guide me on the dynamics of the city, on how to make things easier for me when doing my job. Margarito used to do that a lot with everyone.

About 500 journalists are enrolled in a federal mechanism to protect journalists, with protections ranging from home surveillance systems to bodyguards. Similar programmes exist in some states, but members of the media are highly sceptical of their efficacy.

Of the four journalists killed in January, only Lopez was enrolled for protection, Hootsen said.

The security she received from the Baja California authorities was woefully insufficient, he said.

While Martinez was in the process of being enrolled in the federal scheme, at the time of his death he had no protection, Hootsen added.

Days before she was killed, Lopez called out state corruption, dedicated her broadcast to Martinez, and said she was under state protection.

They take good care of you, but no one can avoid not even under police supervision getting killed outside your house in a cowardly manner, she said,according to a reportfrom the AP news agency.

Ayala, who is not enrolled in a protection mechanism, said journalists do not trust the state apparatus, There are many flaws and it needs to be improved.

Such systems are reactive instead of preventive, Ruiz said, noting that in order to get protection, a journalist must have experienced a direct threat or attack.

The mechanisms are also under-resourced, she added.

While Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador regularly berates journalists, he told a news conference after Lopezs killing, We are obliged to investigate this crime and prevent the murders of journalists and citizens from continuing.

Yet, despite coming to power on promises of peace, Obrador has shown no inclination towards solving the problem, Hootsen said, while Mexican states have an almost unreal indifference to the plight of their own citizens.

While it is hard to find hope, Ruiz and Hootsen say they are encouraged by the solidarity among Mexican journalists, who held demonstrations across 65 cities in response to the deaths of their colleagues.

Ruiz also pointed to groups of reporters collaborating across borders to reveal corruption in Mexico. By co-publishing, local journalists face less risk of being singled out.

Every significant change in human rights in Mexico is a direct result of activists, academics and journalists speaking out and placing pressure on authorities, Hootsen said, Thats where I get my optimism from.

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Whats behind the spike in journalist murders in Mexico? - Al Jazeera English

A report released Monday by the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) indicates that during last year, freedom of the press and freedom of expression in Pakistan remained under severe pressure.

Report on media freedom paints a bleak picture of the reality of being a journalist in the country. It highlights that in the last year five journalists were killed in the line of duty and that attempts to stifle the media and block access to information have grown in intensity.

Also read |Over possible terror ties, US delays approval of Pakistan's ambassador designate Masood Khan

According to Dawn, the "Pakistan Media Freedom Report - 2021" was compiled under the supervision of CPNE's press freedom and monitoring committee and included firsthand information and material obtained from media outlets and websites.

"Freedom of the press and freedom of expression remained under severe pressure and faced a myriad of challenges during the previous year," the report said.

Shehbaz Sharif, the president of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), described the media report as another charge sheet against the Imran Khan government.

Sharif said, "The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE)'s report is yet another charge sheet against the PTI government. Such reports may affect Pakistan's GSP Plus status and prospects for foreign investment."

Also read |Pakistan PM says inflation keeps him 'awake at night', slams opposition for trying to destabilise his govt

He added that the report is a testimony to the 'fascism of this government'.

According to the report, the state of the media in Pakistan for 2020 is characterized by increasing attempts to censor the media and to negate the right to access information.

In addition, the paper recalled incidents that took place in Pakistan in 2021 that indicated that the year had been a particularly challenging one for journalists, media workers, and media organizations in different ways.

Watch |Pakistan PM Imran Khan to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping

"A number of journalists faced attempts on their lives, lawsuits and telephone calls from unknown numbers," the report said.

It noted five journalists were killed in the line of duty, including Nazim Jokhio, a Karachi-based social media activist who was murdered mercilessly. The report also reported 9 journalists died from the covid pandemic, and many media persons committed suicide due to unemployment.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Report: Media freedom in Pakistan deteriorated in 2021, oppn calls it testimony to `fascism` of the government - WION

On January 30, the Gujarat Vidyapith, founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920, in Ahmedabad, launched a heritage walk across its 21 acre campus that has been witness to events from the pre and post Independence era. To be conducted every Saturday, the walk begins from the Pranjivan Vidyarthi Bhawan, where the existing residential university first ran out of.

Not many know that at the time Gujarat Vidyapith was founded, it did not have its own building. It was started from Dahyabhai Ijatram Mehtas (Vakil) bungalow near Kochrab Ashram on November 15, 1920 from where Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated the Gujarat Mahavidyalaya.

With space constraints in the bungalow along with looming threat of plague, Vidyapith was shifted to Aga Khan Estate near Nehru bridge, where a building stands now. It ran from there briefly till the foundation stone of Pranjivan Vidyarthi Bhawan was laid by eminent scientist Prafulla Chandra Ray on March 9, 1923 which after completion was inaugurated by Gandhi in 1925.

On Sardar Vallabhbhais appeals to the public, a fund of Rs 10 lakh was collected for the land and building construction. Out of this Rs 2.5 lakh was donated by Pranjivandas Jagjivandas Mehta, on whose name the building is named. He was a close friend of Mahatma Gandhi and had helped him when he went to England and also helped him return from South Africa to India, Binduvasini Joshi, who recently retired from Vidyapiths department of History and culture told The Indian Express.

It was constructed at a cost of Rs 1.75 lakh at that time. Sardar Vallabhbhai had dedicated his time and efforts to the building construction. Every brick used in the building was made on the site with each carrying a charkha engraving, said Joshi, who was associated with the development of Vidyapith museum and in planning the heritage walk.

Walking down the corridors of Pranjivan Vidyarthi Bhawan, one can pictures of Mahatma Gandhi. The uniquely built building that resembles a fort has been the venue for the Vidyapiths convocation ceremony since the time of Gandhi.

The walk traverses through Gandhijis Maun Khand, Morarjibhai Desai museum, Gujarat Vidyapith museum, rural science extension centre, Bible Khand and Umashankar Joshi Khand.

Gujarat Vidyapith which is considered as an important chapter of the freedom struggle and a unique heritage of not only Gandhi but also Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani, popularly known as Acharya Kripalani, and many others, witnessed an enthusiastic group of more than 200 visitors on its launch day.

The walk that is aimed at helping to understand not only Gandhian thoughts and lifestyle but also become a bridge between Gujarat Vidyapith and other colleges, universities, institutions and the society, said Dr Rajendra Khimani, Vice Chancellor Gujarat Vidyapith.

The route covers 25 main spots also covers the oldest building of the campus which is a gaushala, Udhyog Bhawan, Mayur Garden, Acharya Kripalani Smarak Bhawan, Khadi Bhandar, the library, archival cell, earth cooling auditorium, tribal museum, sports complex and terrace garden.

Honorary Director Oriental Studies and Heritage Management Resource Centre, Gujarat Vidyapith Debashish Nayak , who launched the heritage walk in Ahmedabad city, says , The route was planned in such a manner to give a glimpse of Gandhian thoughts, ideology, lifestyle, rich heritage and culture to not only people outside the campus but also students of Vidyapith too.

The Pranjivan Vidyarthi Bhawan with its unique plan of huge doors in all four directions and a terrace boundary resembling a fort makes it secure from all sides just like a fort, an open ground the centre like the Nalukettu house style of Kerala, was used as a hostel for students.

Popular poet and scholar Uma Shankar Joshi too used to stay at this building for nearly three to four months and was regularly visiting campus and was associated with teachers. The Uma Shankar Joshi Khand is being planned to be developed as a memorial within the walk.

It is on the terrace of this building that Joshi has penned a part of his popular Vishwa Shanti kavya. Also, his diary has a detailed note on his experiences of Vidyapith that also gives a glimpse of Vidyapiths history, says Joshi.

Sharing the history of Gandhis Maun Khand on the first floor of Bhawan, she adds, This is the room where Gandhi stayed when he was advised not to meet anyone. Sardar Patel and his daughter Maniben would take care of Gandhi. He would sleep on the terrace, stroll in the corridors.

The building that symbolises multi religion harmony also has a Bible Khand. The history of the Bible Khand which is in one of the corners of the building goes back to 1926 when Gandhi called off the non co-oepration movement.

The entire country was angry with Gandhi and there was no political event for him so he was free for sometime. That time students asked him to teach them. Gandhi asked what they would like to learn from him as he can teach something on Gita or Ramayan. But students asked him to teach them Bible. So, every Saturday, he took lectures for three months on Bible from this place where he would come from Gandhi Ashram. However, when he started these lectures he had to face resentment from many people in Ahmedabads, Joshi reveals.

The Bible Khand has large plaques mounted on the wall with teaching and symbols of all religions.

The heritage walk that also covers places like swimming pool is shown not as a facility but the ideology of Gandhi who would believe in physical exercise, or the tribal museum reflecting tribal culture sending a message of rich tribal culture of Gujarat are included not as buildings but ideology of Gandhi and his thoughts.

At present, there is no fee charged for the heritage walk that takes around 3 hours. However, registration fee could be charged in the future.

Read more:

A walk through Gandhis thoughts, memories of freedom struggle - The Indian Express