Gates of Vienna News Feed 4/30/2021

Parties and other lockdown-violating gatherings were targeted for fines in Ontario, Quebec, Malta, the UK, and Jersey. Meanwhile, a man was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight for not putting his mask back on between bites of food.

In other news, according to the latest polls, a majority of French people agree with the open letter from retired generals warning President Macron that civil war is imminent.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to Dean, DV, László, Reader from Chicago, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

USA
» “I’m in Trouble!” Biden Panics at Not Being Able to Find His Mask
» “Let’s Kill Some Cops”: Antifa Infiltrated by Undercover Trump Supporter, Recorded Plotting Attacks
» An Update on the Project Veritas Lawsuit Against the New York Times
» Boone Standoff Suspect, Parents Identified as Community Mourns 2 Deputies Killed
» Chief Postal Inspector Tells Lawmakers That Social Media Monitoring Began After George Floyd Protests
» D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine Offers to Seal Arrest Records of Over 200 BLM Protestors
» ‘Don’t Get Mad, Get Even’, Says Farage as He Begins Conservative Grassroots Tour of U.S.
» Ex-NFL Player Was ‘Following a New Religion or Ideology’ Prior to SC Mass Shooting: Police
» Florida Passes New Elections Bill Adding Restrictions to Vote-by-Mail and Ballot Drop-Boxes
» Hysterical Imbeciles Cancel Jeopardy! Winner for “White Supremacist” Hand Sign That Had Nothing to Do With White Supremacy
» ‘I Cut the Wire’: Brooklyn Man Pleads Guilty to Sabotaging NYPD Car During George Floyd Protests
» Indiana Man Charged With Attempted Murder During Portland Protests Back in Oregon
» Instagram Censors Dr. Christiane Northrup After Complaint From Senators
» Joe Rogan Backpedals After Saying Young People Do Not Need Vaccinated
» Majority of US Companies Will Require Workers to Provide Proof of Vaccination
» Majority of Big Tech Employees Believe Trump Shouldn’t be Allowed Back on Facebook
» Man Kicked Off Plane for Not Wearing Mask in Between Bites of Food
» New Legal Fund Protects Professors Against Cancelation Threats by Their Universities
» Oklahoma House Votes to Ban Teaching of Critical Race Theory in Public Schools
» St. Louis Couple Who Confronted Protesters Back in Court
» Trump Says He Would “Certainly” Consider DeSantis as Running Mate for 2024 Campaign
 
Canada
» Northern Ontario Police Charge Three People at Kirkland Lake ‘Freedom Rally’
» Papers Please: Montreal Police Continue to Target Jewish Community to Show Who is Boss
» Rebel Challenge Against Publication Bans That Landed B.C. Father in Jail Gets Court Date
» Toronto Police Cracked Down Hard on Illegal Parties This Week & Laid Down Hundreds of Charges
 
Europe and the EU
» 18 French Active-Duty Servicemen to Face Military Court Over Open Letter Blasting ‘Islamist Hordes’ & Looming ‘Civil War’
» Benevolent Boris May Allow Britons to Hug Each Other From June: Report
» British Man Arrested in France on Suspicion of Terrorism Offences Related to Syria
» EU Passes Controversial Law Forcing 60-Minute Takedowns of “Terrorist” Content
» EU Vaccination Passport Project is “Authoritarianism, “ Says Do Rzeczy Weekly Editor in Chief
» European Parliament Approves Plan for “Digital Green Card”
» Facebook Bans Russia Today’s Berlin-Based News Outlet Redfish
» France: Judge Resigns After ‘Allah Akbar’ Man Not Prosecuted for Killing Jewish Woman Because He Was High
» Hungary: A Man Was Convicted for Spreading Rumours in Ózd
» Hungary: A Bank Gives an Extra Day Off to Employees Who Get Vaccinated
» Hungary Eases Lockdown Rules… If You Have Govt-Issued Immunity Papers
» In Sweden if You Refuse to Take the AstraZeneca Vaccine, You Could be Charged by the Government
» Investigation Launched After ‘Pakistani Flag’ Graffiti on 11th-Century French Chapel
» Jersey’s Royal Yacht Fined £350,000 for Breaking COVID Law
» Malta: Three to be Charged Over Illegal COVID-19 Villa Party
» Polish Treasure Hunters Hope to Dig Up 48 Chests of Nazi Gold Buried in Poland
» Poll: Majority of French Agree With Military Generals That the Country is Heading Towards “Civil War”
» Scotland: Extinction Rebellion Block Faslane Nuclear Base Entrance
» UK: ‘We Are Killing Our Own People’ Says BLM Supporter Accused of Murder
» UK: 13-Year-Old Stabbed in Chest on Way to School in London
» UK: Man Faces Substantial Fine Over Canal Boat Lockdown Party
» UK: New Figures Reveal More Than 18,500 People Have Been Fined by Police for Breaking Coronavirus Rules in the North West
» UK: Police Warn of May Day ‘Travel Disruption’ Amid Somerset Weekend Protests
 
Balkans
» Hungary, Serbia and Montenegro Conclude Free Travel Agreement
 
Israel and the Palestinians
» Stampede at Religious Festival Leads to Multiple Deaths and Injuries in Israel
 
Russia
» Russian Court Ordered Google to Restore Access to YouTube Account of Russian TV Channel “Tsargrad”
 
Australia — Pacific
» Australia’s Iron Ore That Paid for a Spending-Spree That Avoided a COVID Recession Could Now be Under Threat by a New Chinese Policy — and it Was an Aussie Who Made it Happen
» Facebook Bans Page of New Zealand Political Party Advance NZ
» Facebook Bans Alternative Accounts of Australian Lawmaker Craig Kelly, Creating a Complete Ban
» New Zealand: Flasher Convicted for 35th Time
 
Immigration
» One in Four Female Refugees is Employed in Germany
» Romanian, 29, Caught Trying to Smuggle 17 Migrants OUT of the UK
 
Culture Wars
» Czech Chamber of Deputies Supports the Legalization of Same-Sex Marriages in the First Reading
 

“I’m in Trouble!” Biden Panics at Not Being Able to Find His Mask

Joe Biden was caught in yet another embarrassing public gaffe as he panicked about losing his face mask during a speech to supporters in Georgia.

Biden was seen wearing his mask before he delivered the remarks but maybe should have kept it on given that he coughed and spluttered at several moments throughout his 20 minute address.

When Biden invited Democrat Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to join him on stage, the first lady pointed at her own mask in an effort to remind Biden to put his back on.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

“Let’s Kill Some Cops”: Antifa Infiltrated by Undercover Trump Supporter, Recorded Plotting Attacks

A Bay Area, California Trump supporter infiltrated a group of far-left Antifa activists in Sonoma County, and documented the ‘anti-fascist’ group coordinating to target conservatives.

For example:

Group leader: “It’s May Day, baby, like come out and take, take somethin’ over with us, I don’t, I don’t (bleep)-ing know.”

Member: “Let’s kill people. (laughs)”

Group Leader: “Let’s kill some cops.”

Member: “Yeah.”

In an exclusive report by ABC7, the Republican infiltrator provided a “target list” and recordings of the group’s planning sessions, which may be connected to recent acts of vandalism — including an incident at the former home of a defense witness in the Derek Chauvin trial.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

An Update on the Project Veritas Lawsuit Against the New York Times

James O’Keefe, founder of investigative journalism group Project Veritas, provided an update on the ongoing defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, and severely criticized the paper for its responses in court.

“The New York Times just filed an answer to our defamation lawsuit and it is a doozy,” O’Keefe said. “And now, the New York Times has requested a jury trial as we barrel towards discovery.”

O’Keefe sued the NYT for defamation because of articles by two of its writers, Tiffany Hsu and Maggie Astor, that described Project Veritas reporting as “false,” “deceptive,” and “with no verifiable evidence.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Boone Standoff Suspect, Parents Identified as Community Mourns 2 Deputies Killed

NEW RIVER, N.C. — The Watauga County Sheriff’s Office released the identities of the suspect and his parents killed in a 13-hour standoff in a Boone neighborhood Wednesday where two deputies were also shot and killed.

Isaac Alton Barnes, 32, is suspected of killing his mother, Michelle Annette Ligon, 61, and his step-father, George Wyatt Ligon, 58, deputies said. The parents had lived at the residence where the standoff took place.

Both K-9 Deputy Logan Fox and Sgt. Chris Ward were killed in the ambush.

The Watauga County sheriff said responding deputies had the chance to get one of the fallen deputies out of the house, so “they did what they were trained to do.” Barnes was distracted to one part of the house while they got the fallen deputy out during the standoff. The Boone police officer who was assisting was shot in the head, but a helmet saved their life.

A K-9 responded with Deputy Fox and is OKAY, the sheriff’s office said.

Investigators said Ward and Fox were dispatched to a home located at 553 Hardaman Circle in Boone at 9:44 a.m. Wednesday after the homeowner and his family didn’t report to work or answer telephone calls, the sheriff’s office said. They were hit by gunfire after entering the home, and while Ward was “extracted from the scene,” Fox remained inside, the statement said.

Morganton Department of Public Safety Maj. Ryan Lander told The News Herald just before 11 p.m. that the suspect appeared to have killed himself, the newspaper reported.

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Chief Postal Inspector Tells Lawmakers That Social Media Monitoring Began After George Floyd Protests

The U.S. Postal Service’s law enforcement arm began monitoring social media posts following the Black Lives Matter protests that erupted in Minnesota and across the nation after George Floyd was killed in police custody in May 2020, according to congressional aides and lawmakers who attended a briefing this week on the program.

Last week, Yahoo News revealed that analysts with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service have been trawling Americans’ social media posts to track political protests as part of its Internet Covert Operations Program, known as iCOP. The news prompted more than two dozen Republican lawmakers to demand that the USPS provide information on the program.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine Offers to Seal Arrest Records of Over 200 BLM Protestors

District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine is offering to seal the arrest records of more than 200 protesters accused of violating curfew in D.C. during last summer’s protests over the murder of George Floyd.

Racine has been sending letters to individuals who are eligible for relief, notifying them that his office won’t prosecute them and will request a judge seal their arrest record if they respond. Sealing the record would allow individuals who were arrested to keep the records from view by the general public.

[Comment: This is another example of anarcho-tyranny.]

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

‘Don’t Get Mad, Get Even’, Says Farage as He Begins Conservative Grassroots Tour of U.S.

Brexit leader Nigel Farage has told disheartened American conservatives, “don’t get mad, get even” as he prepares to hit the grassroots campaign trail to re-energise the right next week.

Mr Farage announced earlier this week his America’s Comeback Tour with the FreedomWorks conservative activist organisation, where the Brexit leader will tour around a dozen states to speak to and inspire activists.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Ex-NFL Player Was ‘Following a New Religion or Ideology’ Prior to SC Mass Shooting: Police

Former NFL player Phillip Adams had taken on “a new religion or ideology” that led to him start “acting differently” in the weeks before he killed six people and himself in South Carolina earlier this month, according to documents released Friday. Police said it was not yet clear if Adams’ newfound beliefs were part of the motive for the mass shooting, in which a local doctor, his wife, and their three grandkids were killed. Authorities also found “numerous notebooks… with cryptic writing with different designs and emblems,” in the room where Adams, who played for the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers during his career, was staying in his parents’ home. His family has said his brain will be tested for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

           — Hat tip: DV [Return to headlines]
 

Florida Passes New Elections Bill Adding Restrictions to Vote-by-Mail and Ballot Drop-Boxes

Authored by Katabella Roberts via The Epoch Times

Florida’s Republican-controlled Senate on April 29 passed a new bill that places several restrictions around vote-by-mail and ballot drop boxes.

The bill, SB 90 (pdf), was passed in the state House 77-40 and in the Senate 23-17. It now goes to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign it.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hysterical Imbeciles Cancel Jeopardy! Winner for “White Supremacist” Hand Sign That Had Nothing to Do With White Supremacy

In the latest hysterically contrived moral panic, a Jeopardy! winner is now facing cancellation by the mob for doing a “white supremacist” hand sign despite the fact that it was actually supposed to indicate the contestant had won three games.

“A group of 467 purported former participants on the show posted an open letter on Medium on Wednesday accusing the syndicated game show’s producers of failing to catch what they allege is a white power hand gesture,” reports Hollywood Reporter.

“On Tuesday, when winner Kelly Donohue was introduced as having won three games, he “held his thumb and forefinger together with his other three fingers extended and palm facing inward, and he tapped his chest,” the letter noted.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

‘I Cut the Wire’: Brooklyn Man Pleads Guilty to Sabotaging NYPD Car During George Floyd Protests

A Brooklyn man who tried to cut the brake lines on an NYPD vehicle during George Floyd protests last year pleaded guilty to the dangerous damage Friday.

Jeremy Trapp, 25, admitted guilt in Brooklyn Federal Court to a count of destroying a motor vehicle used by the NYPD.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Indiana Man Charged With Attempted Murder During Portland Protests Back in Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. — The man arrested in Indiana on charges related to “multiple firebomb attacks on police officers” during protests in Portland last fall, is now back in Oregon.

Police said 24-year-old Malik Muhammad was arrested on April 5 in Indianapolis on charges of attempted aggravated murder, attempted murder in the first degree, unlawful use of a weapon, and others.

According to Portland Police, Muhammed is accused of throwing a firebomb that scorched the uniform of a police officer back in September 2020, along with other criminal acts between September 5 and October 11, 2020.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Instagram Censors Dr. Christiane Northrup After Complaint From Senators

Retired gynecologist and author of bestselling health and wellness books Dr. Christiane Northrup has been censored from Instagram.

Dr. Northrup, from Yarmouth, Maine, was identified in a recent report by the Center for Confronting Digital Hate (CCDH) as one of the “disinformation dozen,” a group of 12 vaccine skeptics. Her removal from Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, came a few days after Democrat Senators. Amy Klobuchar and Ben Ray Lujan requested social media companies to take action against the “disinformation dozen.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Joe Rogan Backpedals After Saying Young People Do Not Need Vaccinated

Podcast host Joe Rogan is backpedaling after suggesting that young people who are healthy do not need to get the coronavirus vaccine.

Rogan’s comments, made on his podcast last week, have drawn swift backlash from critics, including multiple Biden officials.

“Did Joe Rogan become a medical doctor while we weren’t looking?” asked White House communications director Kate Bedingfield.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Majority of US Companies Will Require Workers to Provide Proof of Vaccination

It looks like American colleges won’t be alone in making vaccination mandatory for any students who want to return to campus next semester. Despite the White House’s determination that vaccination shouldn’t be mandatory by law, more than 60% of American companies are reportedly leaning toward requiring proof of vaccination from their employees.

According to a new survey from the Rockefeller Foundation, 65% of businesses will offer some kind of incentive for employees to get vaccinated, while 63% said they will require proof of vaccination before workers can return to the office.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Majority of Big Tech Employees Believe Trump Shouldn’t be Allowed Back on Facebook

With Facebook’s independent Oversight Board set to decide whether former President Donald Trump will be allowed to return to Facebook and Instagram after being banned from both platforms on January 7, anonymous professional networking app Blind ran a survey of 2,800 of its verified professional users to gauge their sentiment on Trump’s potential return.

The 2,800 respondents (which included employees at Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Visa) were asked whether they believe Trump should be allowed back on Facebook and whether the removal of Trump had affected how they view Big Tech.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Man Kicked Off Plane for Not Wearing Mask in Between Bites of Food

A man was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight because he didn’t wear his mask in between eating bites of food, which according to the TSA is now a federal mandate.

Yes, really.

“I, Avi Mandel, just got kicked off a plane because I wasn’t wearing my mask in between bites while I was eating,” said Mandel in a video shot immediately after the incident, which occurred while the plane was waiting to take off from Thurgood Marshall Baltimore Washington International Airport.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

New Legal Fund Protects Professors Against Cancelation Threats by Their Universities

Professors who are threatened for their speech or research may avoid seeking legal help against their universities, fearing the expense or the escalation of tensions.

A civil liberties group aims to overcome those fears with a new legal defense fund that gives faculty a free lawyer at the earliest stages of conflict with administrators — and potentially all the way through trial.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education explained the fund in a webinar Tuesday, encouraging professors to call the project’s 24-hour hotline to be quickly paired with “early responders” who are paid for their time.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Oklahoma House Votes to Ban Teaching of Critical Race Theory in Public Schools

Authored by Isabel van Brugen via The Epoch Times

The Oklahoma House on Thursday voted to ban public schools and universities from teaching critical race theory in civics and history classes. After hours of discussion and debate, the GOP-controlled House voted 70-19 in favor of the bill, HB1775, which now heads to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk to be signed into law.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

St. Louis Couple Who Confronted Protesters Back in Court

A St. Louis couple accused of waving guns at racial injustice protesters last summer are due back in court Friday, when a judge will consider whether to send the case back to a grand jury to decide if they should have been indicted in the first place.

A St. Louis grand jury indicted Mark and Patricia McCloskey in October on felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with evidence.Their attorney, Joel Schwartz, filed a motion this month seeking to remand the case to the grand jury, citing “bias” in St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s office that he said tainted the grand jury process.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Trump Says He Would “Certainly” Consider DeSantis as Running Mate for 2024 Campaign

Former President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he is “100 percent” considering running for president once again in 2024, and would “certainly” consider Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his running mate.

Trump made the comment during an exclusive interview with Fox News on the Mornings with Maria show on Thursday, the morning after President Joe Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress on the eve of his 100th day in office.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Northern Ontario Police Charge Three People at Kirkland Lake ‘Freedom Rally’

SUDBURY — Three people from around northern Ontario have been charged for breaking gathering rules under Ontario’s stay-at-home order following a protest in Kirkland Lake.

Ontario Provincial Police said in a news release Friday morning that three people in their 30s have been charged for hosting or organizing a gathering not authorized under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

The charges stem from a “freedom rally” that was held on April 24 at Kinross Pond in Kirkland Lake to protest the current COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the provincial government, Const. Adam Gauthier told CTV News.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Papers Please: Montreal Police Continue to Target Jewish Community to Show Who is Boss

Night after night, I am out on the streets of Montreal, reporting on the curfew imposed by Quebec Premier Francois Legault, which he says is to stop the spread of COVID-19.

On Sunday night, much like the night before, police targeted the Hasidic Jewish neighbourhood of Outremont to enforce the curfew with $1,550 fines for adults and $500 fines for minors.

The police even ticketed a Jewish man with a dog with the excuse that he was making noise, and ticketed me for “having made noise by operating the motor of a road vehicle at high revolutions.”

I have seen young teenagers put in the back of police cars for the “crime” of playing on the streets past 8:00 p.m., taken home to their houses for ID and ticketed. I have been stopped around 50 times and ticketed at least 12 times for covering police enforcement of the curfew.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Rebel Challenge Against Publication Bans That Landed B.C. Father in Jail Gets Court Date

Our challenge against some of the publication bans and orders that a B.C. father was sentenced to six months in jail and fined $30,000 for breaching has finally been given its day in court!

In today’s report, I interview Kyle Bienvenu, the prestigious lawyer we’ve hired with the help of your donations at LetUsReport.com, to challenge these bans. These restrictions not only limit how much the father, who we must refer to as C.D., can inform the public about the medical transitioning of his child without his consent, but also limit how much I, as a journalist, can inform the public about the case that sparked outrage across the globe for those concerned about parental rights.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Toronto Police Cracked Down Hard on Illegal Parties This Week & Laid Down Hundreds of Charges

Toronto police now have special enforcement teams cracking down on illegal indoor gatherings, and within the first week, they have already laid 230 charges.

A release by police issued on Friday states that the crackdown has focused on “large indoor events being held at short-term rentals, and in closed bars and restaurants.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

18 French Active-Duty Servicemen to Face Military Court Over Open Letter Blasting ‘Islamist Hordes’ & Looming ‘Civil War’

Eighteen French servicemen, who have been identified as signatories of a letter warning President Emmanuel Macron about a looming “civil war,” will come before a military court, the Armed Forces Chief of Staff said.

Each of the identified soldiers and officers would appear before a higher military council, the Armed Forces Chief of Staff, General Francois Lecointre, told Le Parisien. All of them would be subjected to “disciplinary sanctions,” with the harsher ones reserved for the most senior ranks, he added.

“I believe that the higher the responsibilities, the stronger the obligation of neutrality… is,” the general said. The chief of staff also said that those among the semi-retired generals who signed the controversial letter could potentially be forced to leave military service and go into full retirement.

“These generals will each appear before a higher military tribunal. Following this procedure, it will be the President of the Republic who will sign a decree on [their] retirement,” Lecointre said.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Benevolent Boris May Allow Britons to Hug Each Other From June: Report

Sources have told the Telegraph newspaper that the Boris Johnson administration expects to give people the green light to hug each other from June 21st.

“From May 17 people will be able to meet indoors, and by June 21, we would expect that the vast majority — and hopefully all — those in priority groups one to nine [all over-50s] will have had both doses,” the notionally conservative newspaper was told.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

British Man Arrested in France on Suspicion of Terrorism Offences Related to Syria

British authorities in France have detained a 37-year-old British national on suspicion of preparing for acts of terrorism, with the arrest relating to activities in Syria.

London’s Metropolitan Police, which is also the lead force for counterterrorism, revealed on Friday that the British man had been arrested on Wednesday in the British control zone in Coquelles, in the Pas-de-Calais department of northwest France, where UK authorities have a presence.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

EU Passes Controversial Law Forcing 60-Minute Takedowns of “Terrorist” Content

The European Union has officially passed a law that will require online platforms to remove content it defines as terroristic within one hour after being notified by authorities in member states.

Some fear that the law will have a chilling effect on free speech as there is little oversight and it’s left to interpretation what authorities define as “terroristic.”

Platforms that fail to comply with the law will be fined. The law, which will come into effect a year after it is published in the EU’s official journal, will be adopted by all member states.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

EU Vaccination Passport Project is “Authoritarianism, “ Says Do Rzeczy Weekly Editor in Chief

On Thursday, the European Parliament supported issuing vaccination certificates within the EU. MEPs want the certificates, which will confirm the right to freedom of movement within Europe during the pandemic, to last no longer than 12 months.

During his interview on Radio Wnet, Pawel Lisicki editor in chief of the conservative weekly Do Rzeczy, pointed out that many elements of combatting the pandemic seem to be part of a project that — to a large extent — entails far-reaching restrictions on personal freedoms.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

European Parliament Approves Plan for “Digital Green Card”

The European Parliament has adopted a draft law on the so-called digital green card, i.e., the European vaccine passport. The card would certify that its holder has been vaccinated against the coronavirus, has a recent negative test result, or has already been infected with the coronavirus.

However, the majority voted against the amendments that would have called on member states to accept vaccine certificates automatically and reciprocally, even in the case of vaccines not yet authorized by the European Union.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Facebook Bans Russia Today’s Berlin-Based News Outlet Redfish

The editor-in-chief of RT, a Russian state-controlled English language media house, Margarita Simonyan, has threatened to have Facebook banned if it does not restore RT’s Redfish page, which was removed after sharing anti-fascist content. Russia has long complained that US-based online platforms unfairly censor Russian media.

Redfish is a Berlin-based digital content producer owned by RT. It has produced content on contemporary issues such as what it says is police brutality, social injustice, and the oppression in third-world countries.

Redfish’s Facebook page, which had more than 830,000 followers, was suspended on Friday after it shared a post about the death of Benito Mussolini, the former Italian dictator. The post was flagged for violating the social media platform’s community standards.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

France: Judge Resigns After ‘Allah Akbar’ Man Not Prosecuted for Killing Jewish Woman Because He Was High

A judge has turned in his judicial robes in protest at the decision not to try a Malian migrant alleged to have beaten an elderly Jewish woman and thrown her to her death from a balcony while shouting “Allah Akbar!” on grounds that he was suffering from a delirious episode induced by heavy cannabis abuse.

France’s Court of Cassation ruled that Kobili Traoré, previously reported to be a convicted drug dealer, could not be held criminally responsible for Sarah Halimi’s killing due to his mental condition at the time.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hungary: A Man Was Convicted for Spreading Rumours in Ózd

[Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)]

The Ózd District Court imposed a suspended prison sentence without trial in the case of a man accused of spreading rumours that there was no coronavirus epidemic. This was announced by the Miskolc Court of Justice on Tuesday after the verdict.

According to the information, the accused was caught on video in April last year in the yard of his home near Ózd

HE CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS A CORONAVIRUS.

Despite the epidemiological rules in force, he urged everyone to come out into the streets, not to be afraid of the coronavirus, because there is no such disease, it does not exist.

The footage was uploaded to one of the largest social video sharing sites on 4 April 2020 and has been viewed by around 1500 people.

THE VIDEO WAS LATER DELETED.

The court ruled that the defendant’s actions were likely to obstruct or thwart the fight against the spread of the human pandemic and sentenced him to one year and ten months imprisonment, suspended for two years, for the crime of spreading rumours. The decision was accepted by the prosecution and the accused, and the order is now final.

           — Hat tip: László [Return to headlines]
 

Hungary: A Bank Gives an Extra Day Off to Employees Who Get Vaccinated

[Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)]

Erste Bank rewards those who get vaccinated with an extra day off. All employees of the bank who have had the Covid-19 vaccination will get an extra day off, the bank said.

For colleagues who are able to work from home, this means an extra day off, while employees for whom a home office is not feasible (for example, branch workers) will be credited with an extra two days.

“The last year has been difficult for all of us, we have been tired of the stress and information overload of the pandemic situation, while the work has not been any less. We believe that in these circumstances, a rest, an extra day off, could be what everyone needs most. That is why we decided to give an extra day of rest to all our colleagues who take responsibility for the community and do their part to help us recover from the epidemic as soon as possible,” said Jelasity Radovan, CEO of Erste Bank.

           — Hat tip: László [Return to headlines]
 

Hungary Eases Lockdown Rules… If You Have Govt-Issued Immunity Papers

BUDAPEST— Hungary will loosen several COVID-19 pandemic restrictions for holders of a government-issued immunity card in the latest round of reopenings that the government has tied to the number of administered vaccines.

Beginning Saturday morning, card holders may access indoor dining rooms, hotels, theaters, cinemas, spas, gyms, libraries, museums and other recreational venues. Opening hours for businesses will also be extended to 11 p.m., and the start of an overnight curfew in place since November will be extended until midnight.

[Comment: No great leader, such as Viktor Orban, is perfect.]

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

In Sweden if You Refuse to Take the AstraZeneca Vaccine, You Could be Charged by the Government

The Swedish country of Kalmar has started charging lost costs to those who refuse to take the AstraZeneca vaccine when they turn up to their appointments.

Residents who refused the vaccine in the southern Swedish country out of concern about potential side-effects — widely discussed in the European mainstream media and by European governments in recent weeks — say they were charged 200 Swedish kronor (£17/$24) each when they refused to accept the AstraZeneca shot at the time of their scheduled vaccination appointment.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Investigation Launched After ‘Pakistani Flag’ Graffiti on 11th-Century French Chapel

Police have launched an investigation after an 11th-century chapel in the French commune of Fabrègues was found with graffiti resembling the Pakistani flag.

The act of vandalism is believed to have taken place on Monday, according to the commune’s mayor Jacques Martinier who stated that he was informed about the desecration on Tuesday and immediately filed a complaint and alerted the local gendarmerie.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Jersey’s Royal Yacht Fined £350,000 for Breaking COVID Law

The Royal Yacht Hotel in Jersey has been fined £350,000 for “flagrantly” breaching Covid-19 restrictions by opening its spa during the summer.

The hotel pleaded guilty to breaking the rules in February.

Hotel director, James Taylor, then appeared at the Royal Court for sentencing this morning.

Between 22 June and 8 September last year, the hotel fully opened the Spa Serene including Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna facilities when it was prohibited to do so under the law.

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Malta: Three to be Charged Over Illegal COVID-19 Villa Party

Three people will be charged in court over the organisation of an illegal party held during the COVID-19 lockdown earlier in April.

News of the event made headlines after footage of the party, showing dozens of teenagers gathering in breach of coronavirus lockdown rules in an undisclosed villa was shared online.

At the time, the police said they were investigating the case together with the Malta Tourism Authority and the health department.

A police spokesperson has now confirmed the investigations by the three entities have been concluded and three people will be “charged accordingly”. Details on what the charges will involve and when the trio will be taken to court were not disclosed.

Under the current COVID-19 laws, all mass gatherings are banned, and anyone caught organising such events is liable to a €3,000 fine.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Polish Treasure Hunters Hope to Dig Up 48 Chests of Nazi Gold Buried in Poland

Treasure hunters from the Silesian Bridge Foundation have already established the supposed location of the German Nazi treasure. UK daily The Sun reported that the team is to begin excavating next week at an 18th century palace in the town of Minkowskie in southern Poland.

There may be up to 10 tons of gold and other riches to be found in 48 chests, worth more than EUR 547 million.

The valuables were supposedly stolen at the end of the Second World War on the orders of the leader of the SS, Heinrich Himmler himself. Among the treasure, there is said to be jewelry belonging to German elites, who wanted to hide their valuables from the approaching Red Army, and the legendary “Gold of Wroclaw,” which had disappeared from the Wroclaw bank at the end of the war.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Poll: Majority of French Agree With Military Generals That the Country is Heading Towards “Civil War”

A new poll has found that a majority of French people support the sentiments expressed in a letter signed by active duty and retired members of the military warning that the country is heading towards a “civil war” caused by failed multiculturalism and attacks on French identity.

Around 1,000 servicemembers signed the letter, including 20 retired generals, warning President Emmanuel Macron of “several deadly dangers” threatening France, including “Islamism and the hordes of the banlieue,” a reference to the fractured suburbs around major cities with high crime and immigrant populations.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Scotland: Extinction Rebellion Block Faslane Nuclear Base Entrance

Climate activists set up a blockade at the Faslane nuclear base by attaching themselves to plant pots.

Members of Extinction Rebellion Scotland staged the protest at the north gate of the base on the Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute.

The all-female group placed three planters painted with the words “Safe”, “Green”, and “Future” on the road.

Police Scotland said they were made aware of the incident at 06:20 and officers were at the scene.

HMNB Clyde — known as Faslane — is the Royal Navy’s main presence in Scotland.

It is home to the core of the submarine service, including the UK’s nuclear weapons, and the new generation of hunter-killer submarines.

The protest group said they were demanding a future “safe from the threat of nuclear weapons and environmental destruction”.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: ‘We Are Killing Our Own People’ Says BLM Supporter Accused of Murder

A self-confessed Black Lives Matter supporter accused of a “ferocious and frenzied” knife murder has told a court that “we are killing our own people as well, so it’s sad.”

33-year-old Zimele ‘Prince’ Dube, 40-year-old Simon Emmons, and a 19-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons are accused of murdering 35-year-old Ebrima ‘Brim’ Cham by stabbing him 11 times in his own home in Hounslow, West London, according to a Court News report.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: 13-Year-Old Stabbed in Chest on Way to School in London

A young boy was left “fighting for his life” after being stabbed in the chest on his way to school in East London on Thursday morning, according to reports.

The 13-year-old victim was walking along a street in the Isle of Dogs neighborhood of the U.K.’s capital city just before 9 a.m. when the attack unfolded, the Evening Standard reports.

He was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition.

Police reportedly arrested a 15-year-old suspect under suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Man Faces Substantial Fine Over Canal Boat Lockdown Party

A man has been warned he faces “substantial” fines for breaching Covid-19 regulations after police broke up illegal parties on his canal boat.

Jordy Nicholas Van Duijvenbode, 31, admitted holding a gathering of more than 30 people and a second charge of participating in a gathering of two or more people in an indoor space.

Police were alerted to parties on two occasions in February during lockdown.

He appeared at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

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UK: New Figures Reveal More Than 18,500 People Have Been Fined by Police for Breaking Coronavirus Rules in the North West

More than 18,500 fines have been handed out to people for breaking coronavirus rules across the North West.

The latest provisional figures from the National Police Chiefs’ Council shows three of our police forces are in the top five areas in England for issuing fixed penalty notices between 27 March 2020 and 18 April 2021.

Merseyside Police handed out more fines (7,281) than any other force apart from London’s Metropolitan Police.

Greater Manchester Police (5,121) is fourth on the list after Northumbria, while Lancashire (4.539) is fifth.

Comparatively, officers in Cheshire Constabulary handed out 1,649 fixed penalty notices, just 11 less than the number of those handed out in Cumbria (1,660).

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Police Warn of May Day ‘Travel Disruption’ Amid Somerset Weekend Protests

Police are warning of potential travel disruption this weekend as a result of planned protests in Taunton and Bath.

Avon and Somerset Police have issued a warning to people “living, working and planning to visit” Taunton and Bath of disruption due to protest activity on Saturday, May 1.

The Taunton chapter of Black Lives Matter is staging a protest in support of Kill the Bill in the Great Western Hotel car park at 12pm.

They are opposed to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, claiming it will limit the right to hold demonstrations.

A spokesperson for the force said: “We’re aware that various groups are intending to march and/or demonstrate in the town from 11am on May Day.”

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Hungary, Serbia and Montenegro Conclude Free Travel Agreement

Hungary, Serbia and Montenegro concluded a free travel agreement for people in possession of vaccine certificates, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjartó announced on his Facebook page on Thursday. The agreement was made possible by the fast pace at which Hungarian vaccination is proceeding, he said.

“If all goes well, we will soon be able to say that we have already been able to vaccinate 4 million compatriots and thus protect them from the epidemic. So, we can take another step toward normalcy, which will allow us to agree with some countries on quarantine-free and test-free travel for our citizens,” Szijjartó wrote.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Stampede at Religious Festival Leads to Multiple Deaths and Injuries in Israel

At least 28 people have died and more than 100 people were injured in a stampede at a Lag Ba’omer bonfire festival in northern Israel.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Russian Court Ordered Google to Restore Access to YouTube Account of Russian TV Channel “Tsargrad”

A Moscow court satisfied Tsargrad’s claim against Google to restore access to the YouTube account. The founder of “the first Russian conservative information and analytical TV channel”, Konstantin Malofeev, told RIA News that this decision is an important precedent. It shows other media and companies that lawsuits against Internet giants can be satisfied.

On Tuesday, the Moscow Arbitration Court fully satisfied the claim of the founder of the TV channel “Tsargrad” against the Irish Google Ireland Limited, the American Google LLC and the Russian LLC “Google” with a demand to restore access to the YouTube account.

The managing partner explained that if “Google fails to comply with the court’s decision after it enters legal force, the American company will be charged a penalty of 100 thousand rubles a day”.

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Australia’s Iron Ore That Paid for a Spending-Spree That Avoided a COVID Recession Could Now be Under Threat by a New Chinese Policy — and it Was an Aussie Who Made it Happen

Iron ore makes up 39 per cent of Australia’s exports but China is introducing new rules so it is less reliant on the commodity used to make steel. Record prices and volumes may not last.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Facebook Bans Page of New Zealand Political Party Advance NZ

Facebook removed the page of Advance NZ, a New Zealand political party, for violating the policy that prohibits rule breakers from creating new pages.

Advance NZ contested multiple seats in New Zealand’s 2020 general election, under the leadership of Billy Te Kahika Jr and Jami-Lee Ross. However, the party did not manage to clinch any seat in the election. Following the loss, Te Kahika Jr quit the party.

Before joining Advance NZ, Te Kahika Jr had his own party, the New Zealand Public Party (NZPP), which had a huge following on social media.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Facebook Bans Alternative Accounts of Australian Lawmaker Craig Kelly, Creating a Complete Ban

Facebook has permanently banned the back-up account of Australian MP Craig Kelly. His main account was permanently suspended earlier in the week for repeatedly violating the platform’s policy on COVID-19 “misinformation” by contradicting the WHO.

“When we remove people for violating our policies, we don’t allow them to circumvent this with additional accounts,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement, when asked about the censorship. “We have removed Craig Kelly’s second Facebook page and Instagram account for violating policies on this.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

New Zealand: Flasher Convicted for 35th Time

A recidivist flasher has added yet another conviction for a similar offence.

Barry Allan New has 34 convictions for obscene behaviour or indecencies since 1984, the Dunedin District Court heard yesterday.

The 54-year-old had pleaded guilty to yet another charge of obscene exposure, and the incident that gave rise to it had an air of the perfunctory about it.

After consuming alcohol, the defendant was in the Octagon at 4am on February 28.

He pulled his pants “to about mid-thigh”, exposing himself and shuffled across the road to where a woman was standing.

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One in Four Female Refugees is Employed in Germany

Six years after the height of the migration crisis, 27 percent of the female refugees who came to Germany have a job, and a similar number of them have a basic command of the German language.

The integration of refugees into German society and the economy was a key task six years ago when Chancellor Angela Merkel delivered the legendary remark of “Wir schaffen das,” meaning “We can do it.”

In 2015 and 2016, 1.2 million immigrants came to the country, mainly from the Middle East but also from Africa. A total of over 2 million people have arrived in the EU’s largest country since the middle of the last decade, 120,000 last year alone.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Romanian, 29, Caught Trying to Smuggle 17 Migrants OUT of the UK

A Romanian man who was caught trying to smuggle 17 migrants out of the UK in the back of a lorry has been jailed for three years.

Alexandru-Dorinel Fuiorea, 29, was stopped by police and the National Crime Agency at the Medway Services in Gillingham, Kent, as he travelled on the M20 last October.

Inside his trailer — which could only be opened from the inside — authorities found 16 men and one woman of Indian, Pakistani, Tunisian, Moroccan, Bangladeshi and Afghani nationalities.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Czech Chamber of Deputies Supports the Legalization of Same-Sex Marriages in the First Reading

In the first reading, the proposal on legalizing same-sex marriages passed through the Czech Chamber of Deputies. At the same time, MPs supported the proposed increase in the protection of marriage — through constitutional enshrinement — exclusively as a union between a man and a woman. Attempts to reject both drafts in the first reading were dismissed by the Lower House after Thursday’s four-hour discussion. They will now be reviewed by the relevant committees.

The committees will have 80 days to discuss the amendments instead of the standard 60 days; thus, it is uncertain if the legislators will decide on the proposals before the October elections.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

5 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 4/30/2021

  1. The founder of the largest Muslim publishing house in Russia “Umma” Aslambek Ezhaev was arrested in Moscow on charges of financing the terrorist organization “Islamic State” * in the amount of 34 million rubles, according to the Investigative Committee and the FSB.

    https://ria.ru/20210430/zaderzhanie-1730624978.html

  2. Bearing in mind the vast collection of fines being levied for breaches of Covid regulations, has anyone considered that it might be a ruse for the raising of revenue? I wonder what the authorities are doing with all this money they are taking from people.

  3. Are there any French here? This is what a Chechen woman living in France writes. You can write a statement to the police on her.

    After the incident with the beheaded Samuel Pati, the French authorities imposed collective responsibility on the Chechens and turned the life of the Chechens into a struggle for survival in the difficult conditions they created for us! In this regard, I reserve the right to consider the current government of France guilty of all anti-human actions committed by the rulers of France at all times of its existence, up to the crusades.

    https://www.facebook.com/mariam.urartu/posts/882610449262988

    Very funny discussion. Iodine-deficient Chechens are trying to understand why they were disliked in France and consider this to be Putin’s intrigues.
    They do not take into account the severed head of the teacher and their other antics.

  4. Hmmmm …. how could they guy get kicked off a plane for not putting his mask on between bites of food? Did they serve the meal while still on the ground? Otherwise I assume they’d have to wait for landing ??? The alternative is a bit gruesome 🙂

  5. Mass migration of refugees/morons is a scheme whereby business can access welfare $ legally. Billions of dollars are given to these morons which they spend with businesses. Also all the services govt pays for like health care and disability, housing are provided by businesses. It is a legal way for greedy businesses to put their hand into the poor tax payers pocket until he dies from overwork and poverty.

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