April 1, 2009

On the ground: Live from London protests

Breaking Tweets Contributing Editor David Mac Dougall (@davidmacdougall) was on the ground at today's #g20 protests in London's financial district and covered them exclusively for this Web site.


Photo by @davidmacdougall

Here's some of his observations. Additional coverage to come tomorrow, including video.

  1. David Mac Dougall
    davidmacdougall Off to a false start. Police blocking demonstrators in the streets #g20
  2. David Mac Dougall
    davidmacdougall Crowd chanting "let us pass" at police. Cheering now, march started!
  3. David Mac Dougall
    davidmacdougall At front of scuffles. First smoke bomb let off (pink!) first objects thrown here: a police helmet
  4. David Mac Dougall
    davidmacdougall [Expletive]!! Cops just moved in officers wearing RIOT gear!! It was all going so peacefully. Crowd reacts with jeers.
  5. David Mac Dougall
    davidmacdougall Protesters now rocking police van. Classic protest tactic #g20
  6. David Mac Dougall
    davidmacdougall Too close for comfort. Just got caught in another police charge. Getting a bit out of control now #g20


Mac Dougall posted a series of photos from today's events to his Flickr account.

Related Breaking Tweets stories:
Featured TwitPic: Smashed windows at London protest
G20 protesters in London lash out

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Featured TwitPic: Smashed windows at London protest


"to prove I was there... RBS branch windows being smashed" (Posted by @tim, G-20 Summit Protests in London, April 1, 2009)

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G20 protesters in London lash out

Per BBC News, protesters in London's financial district attacked the Royal Bank of Scotland as demonstrations rage amidst the G20 summit of world leaders.

Nineteen people have been arrested (at the time of this post) with some police and protesters sustaining injuries as thousands descended on the City, reported by BBC.

Police estimate there are currently 4,000 demonstrators in the City of London and have blocked off a number of streets.


"Just dropped in to the crowd at Bank. Seems rowdy and a little tense but no violence" TwitPic by @tombot18

Twitter users in London and other parts of the world speak about the current protest activities:

  1. Jamie Lloyd
    Jayme1988 @nciholas (Undisclosed) massive protest in london for g20 sumit. It was like a riot 45 mins ago! destruction and injury.
  2. InternationalLoveGod
    The_ILG (Undisclosed) I am at the protest march in the City of London, against the bankers. Look out for my placard on TV "Make love, not leverage!"
  3. stevedc
    stevedc (Cape Town, South Africa) My sister in London says that the G20 protest is getting out of hand. Guy smashed the windows for the Royal Bank of Scotland. Crazy stuff..
  4. Keith Griffin
    LastGriffin (Undisclosed) watching protest on streets of london
    wondering if people in the usa are just as mad
  5. Tina Louise
    tinalouiseUK (England) Looking with others for ways to harness today's London protest into a mass that can work together - ideas?
  6. Stephen
    Robit11 (Undisclosed) Im In London Bad fights going on windows getting smashed protest i think find out live updates about london protest at www.skynews.com



Some UK and US citizens are opposed to the riotous behavior:

  1. Katharine Robinson
    TheSourceress (Newbury, UK) Definitely not going into london for #RTU - sorry folks. Don't want to get stuck trying to get home amidst all the crazy protest carnage.
  2. Rolando Vasquez
    bolish (New York) Amazed if not outraged for the G20's protest in London
  3. warrenfree
    warrenfree (Tamworth, England) Don't understand why the great unwashed think trashing London is a good idea? Is there such a thing as a quiet protest?


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Madonna battles Malawi adoption laws

Per AfricaNews, human rights organizations in Malawi argue that U.S. pop star Madonna cannot adopt a second child because that is against local laws.

The organizations said the southern African laws clearly state that a single parent in the case of Madonna cannot adopt a child hence it would be wrong for her to go ahead with her adoption of Mercy James.

Twitter users all over the world are adding their voices to Madonna's plan:

  1. tama_ann
    tama_ann @spygun At least Madonna is not in our faces all the time (in the U.S.) as Angelina is. I am so tired of her. Adoption is not a sport.
  2. prakash bengani
    bengani Madonna’’s second Malawian adoption bid ‘confirmed’: Madonna has reportedly been told that her appli.. http://tinyurl.com/demwtj
  3. Gossip Diva
    EnergyGossip http://tiny.cc/ken3 Marie Osmond Comments on Madonna's Adoption News
  4. CameroonTV
    CameroonTV Malawi: Madonna's Adoption Plan Stirs Controversy http://ow.ly/1QQP
  5. CanDrugstore
    CanDrugStore Apparently Madonna is 'following adoption rules' : http://adjix.com/7i9q
  6. adoption_uor
    adoption_uor New Blog: Ethica Statement on Madonna's adoption of Mercy James. Politically Incorrect, Me... http://bit.ly/KTAs


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A Day in San Francisco

Whether it be hiking, working, shopping, or attending conferences, tweets from San Francisco yesterday painted a vivid picture of a day in the American city.

  1. Jerry G
    onetootwee Bay Area from above seems a lego-city microcosm of (sub-&) urban transportation: highways, bridges, trains, ships, planes, even a blimp
  2. Scout Labs
    scoutlabs About to head to the Web 2.0 conference opening reception...and then the early show tomorrow AM.
  3. Walter
    nopayne Nothing scarier than getting pulled into your boss's boss's boss's office for an impromptu conference call.
  4. Mike VdD
    mvergel just saw someone i went to high school with in the video of hideo kojima at the San Fran (downtown) apple store.
  5. James W. Alvies
    Alvies I think the warm weather has finally arrived in San Francisco. It's 7PM, sunny and warm. The neighborhood kids are out running around.
  6. Brian Caylor


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Afghan president legalizes marital rape

Per the Times of India, President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai signed a law legalizing the lack of need for sexual consent between married couples.

The law also restricts married women from leaving their house without permission of the husband. Infuriating women's groups all over the world, the Shia Family Law was put into action in efforts to win over conservative Shia muslims before the upcoming election in August.

Much of the Twitterverse voiced opposition to the passed law.

  1. Louis Klarevas
    NYUProf (New York, N.Y.) RT @arenda UNCONSCIONABLE! (via @goldlis @susanneure) Karzai backs law to legalize rape of Afghan women w/in marriage http://twurl.nl/3kiieg
  2. buzz7
    buzz7 (India) New blog post: Afghan women condemn Karzai's decision to sign law legalizing rape http://tinyurl.com/dfbrfd
  3. Dylan Lamb
    dylanlamb (Dublin, Ireland) Afghanistan's President just passed a bill to 'legalize rape', which a MP has dubbed 'one of the worst bills passed this century'. Ya sure?
  4. Janet
    JanersM (Huntsville, Ala.) The new pro-rape law in Afghanistan is just absolutely appalling. http://tinyurl.com/cqcer3


Some twitterers linked the law back to the U.S. and its responsibilities in Afghanistan.

  1. shadowfax_rulz
    shadowfax_rulz (Undisclosed location) Another Bush accomplishment - legalizing rape in Afghanistan http://tinyurl.com/c9r9qb
  2. Mario G
    mrmmosh (Los Angeles, Calif.) Hamid Karzai signs a pro-rape bill into law. This is the Afghanistan we're supporting? Please. We need the troops in Iraq. http://tr.im/i4f9


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