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. 
   davidmacdougall Off to a false start. Police blocking demonstrators in the streets #g20 01 Apr 2009 from mobile web
2. 
   davidmacdougall Crowd chanting "let us pass" at police. Cheering now, march started! 01 Apr 2009 from mobile web
3. 
   davidmacdougall At front of scuffles. First smoke bomb let off (pink!) first objects thrown here: a police helmet 01 Apr 2009 from mobile web
4. 
   davidmacdougall [Expletive]!! Cops just moved in officers wearing RIOT gear!! It was all going so peacefully. Crowd reacts with jeers. 01 Apr 2009 from mobile web
5. 
   davidmacdougall Protesters now rocking police van. Classic protest tactic #g20 01 Apr 2009 from mobile web
6. 
   davidmacdougall Too close for comfort. Just got caught in another police charge. Getting a bit out of control now #g20 01 Apr 2009 from mobile web

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

On the ground: Live from London protests

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)

Featured TwitPic: Smashed windows at London protest

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. 
   Jayme1988 @nciholas (Undisclosed) massive protest in london for g20 sumit. It was like a riot 45 mins ago! destruction and injury. 01 Apr 2009 from web in reply to nciholas
2. 
   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!" 01 Apr 2009 from web
3. 
   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.. 01 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck
4. 
   LastGriffin (Undisclosed) watching protest on streets of london
   wondering if people in the usa are just as mad 01 Apr 2009 from web
5. 
   tinalouiseUK (England) Looking with others for ways to harness today's London protest into a mass that can work together - ideas? 01 Apr 2009 from web
6. 
   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 01 Apr 2009 from web
   
   

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

1. 
   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. 01 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck
2. 
   bolish (New York) Amazed if not outraged for the G20's protest in London 01 Apr 2009 from web
3. 
   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? 01 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck

G20 protesters in London lash out

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 @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. 01 Apr 2009 from web in reply to spygun
2. 
   bengani Madonna’’s second Malawian adoption bid ‘confirmed’: Madonna has reportedly been told that her appli.. http://tinyurl.com/demwtj 01 Apr 2009 from twitterfeed
3. 
   EnergyGossip http://tiny.cc/ken3 Marie Osmond Comments on Madonna's Adoption News 01 Apr 2009 from twitterfeed
4. 
   CameroonTV Malawi: Madonna's Adoption Plan Stirs Controversy http://ow.ly/1QQP 01 Apr 2009 from HootSuite
5. 
   CanDrugStore Apparently Madonna is 'following adoption rules' : http://adjix.com/7i9q 01 Apr 2009 from Adjix
6. 
   adoption_uor New Blog: Ethica Statement on Madonna's adoption of Mercy James. Politically Incorrect, Me... http://bit.ly/KTAs 01 Apr 2009 from web

Madonna battles Malawi adoption laws

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. 
   onetootwee Bay Area from above seems a lego-city microcosm of (sub-&) urban transportation: highways, bridges, trains, ships, planes, even a blimp 31 Mar 2009 from digsby
2. 
   scoutlabs About to head to the Web 2.0 conference opening reception...and then the early show tomorrow AM. 01 Apr 2009 from web
3. 
   nopayne Nothing scarier than getting pulled into your boss's boss's boss's office for an impromptu conference call. 01 Apr 2009 from web
4. 
   mvergel just saw someone i went to high school with in the video of hideo kojima at the San Fran (downtown) apple store. 01 Apr 2009 from twhirl
5. 
   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. 01 Apr 2009 from web
6. 
   caylorb Stuck in SF traffic. http://twitpic.com/2nz79 01 Apr 2009 from TwitterFon

A Day in San Francisco

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. 
   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 31 Mar 2009 from TwitterFon
2. 
   buzz7 (India) New blog post: Afghan women condemn Karzai's decision to sign law legalizing rape http://tinyurl.com/dfbrfd 31 Mar 2009 from Twitter Tools
3. 
   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? 31 Mar 2009 from web
4. 
   JanersM (Huntsville, Ala.) The new pro-rape law in Afghanistan is just absolutely appalling. http://tinyurl.com/cqcer3 01 Apr 2009 from web

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

1. 
   shadowfax_rulz (Undisclosed location) Another Bush accomplishment - legalizing rape in Afghanistan http://tinyurl.com/c9r9qb 01 Apr 2009 from web
2. 
   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 01 Apr 2009 from web

Afghan president legalizes marital rape