04/20/09 | Breaking Tweets

April 20, 2009

Featured TwitPic: Fog sets on Mount Batur in Bali, Indonesia

"Dramatic scenery @ Mt. Batur & Lake Batur, Bali, Indonesia" (Posted by @JorisKok, of Amsterdam, Netherlands, currently in Bali, Indonesia)

Twitterverse split on Ahmadinejad speech at racism conference

Per Reuters, dozens of diplomats walked out of a speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a United Nations conference on racism today in Geneva, Switzerland, after he called Israel a racist nation.

Many Twitterers, particularly in Israel and the United States, criticized Ahmadinejad's speech.

newrulesinvest (Jerusalem, Israel) RT @pkedrosky: in light of walkouts, why was iran's Ahmadinejad invited to a UN racism summit in first place? domain expertise? 20 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck

Eliyahu_Na_Nach (Jerusalem, Israel) Now we have a Jewish State and a Jewish Army. NEVER AGAIN!!! Ahmadinejad (may your name be erased)..... your days are numbered!! 20 Apr 2009 from Power Twitter

HilzFuld (Jerusalem, Israel) Nice! RT @miriamschwab: Watch this video to see the many diplomats walk out of Ahmadinejad's talk at the UN! http://bit.ly/bCPUj 20 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck

gilgul (Boston, Mass.) @jilliancyork did you listen to Ahmadinejad's speech? I applaud the diplomats for leaving. That man should not be given the stage #durbanII 20 Apr 2009 from web in reply to jilliancyork

But not all on Twitter had the same viewpoint.

1mojtaba (Tehran, Iran) VIva Ahmadinejad, Viva Mahmud, Viva Iran 20 Apr 2009 from web

proussakis (Australia) And what if @Ahmadinejad is totally right? 20 Apr 2009 from web

thetiniest (Canada) Didn't think Ahmadinejad was racist. His words were a matter of opinion over an existing conflict, and did not deny the Holocaust. 20 Apr 2009 from web

shahidkamal (London, U.K.) God bless Ahmadinejad who tells it like it is. Shame on the nations that bow to their racist Zionist masters. http://tr.im/jh8J 20 Apr 2009 from DestroyTwitter

America remembers Columbine 10 years later

Per Denver Post, people from Denver gathered on Sunday to remember those that were killed 10 years ago in an attack that resulted in the death of 13 high schoolers at Columbine High School. The gathering was held at Clement Park and is the location of the Columbine Memorial. Family members, friends, survivors and current students gathered in a candlelight vigil to remember those lost.

Twitterers from across the country are reflecting on the anniversary:

pollypreggers (Alabama) Remembering Columbine today -10 yrs later. Remember my high school for the same reason-14 years later. When that happens-u r never the same. 20 Apr 2009 from web

sarahlouise03 (Auburn, New York) i can't believe the columbine massacre happened ten years ago...still feels so recent. 20 Apr 2009 from web

LLAmos (Indianapolis, Indiana) Some of the students who survived the Columbine shooting are now there as teachers! Talking about triumphing over the past. I'm humbled! 20 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck

linadarkly (Location not listed) Today is the 10 year anniversary of the shooting at Columbine. I lived in Denver at the time and had friends who knew students there. 20 Apr 2009 from txt

laurencook (Denver, Colorado) I remember exactly where I was when I heard about Columbine (only a few miles away from the school). It will never be forgotten. 20 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck

ruthsworld (Louisville, Kentucky) Sad/upsetting hearing about Columbine shootings on news again. My cousin was there when it happened 20 Apr 2009 from twhirl

@aarondelay from Denver, Colorado tweeted this picture from the Clement Park Memorial:

Hostage situation develops at Jamaican airport

Per CNN, "An armed man released all passengers but continued to hold five crew members hostage early Monday inside a charter plane at a Jamaican airport, officials said."

Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding flew to the scene at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay to assist in the negotiations, according to CNN. The plane was from a Canadian airline, CanJet.

Jamaican journalists tweeted additional context about the developing story.

JaGirl2dworl (Kingston, Jamaica) @donlemoncnn NO..this cannot be happening here in JA. I hope its resolved quickly because plane hijacking is EXTREMELY rare here. Shocked ! 20 Apr 2009 from web in reply to donlemoncnn

JaGirl2dworl (Kingston, Jamaica) @donlemoncnn The Canadian PM is supposed to be visiting the island. Not sure if there is any relation to this incident. 20 Apr 2009 from web in reply to donlemoncnn

JaGirl2dworl (Kingston, Jamaica) Speculation on radio about whether the hijacker is Jamaican or a foreigner, but we all can't figure out how he got past security with a gun. 20 Apr 2009 from web

Sarahjah (Jamaica) an eye witness who is on the tarmac right now just told me it is a deportee who had many ids. says he wanted to go back to canada 20 Apr 2009 from web

MykalCushnie (Kingston, Jamaica) @oblessa nite im capturing footage so no bed fo me 20 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck in reply to oblessa

Others in Jamaica used Twitter to relay information on the incident.

DatMad (Kingston, Jamaica) Terrorist inna jamaica to bludclaaat!!!!! Read di news pon http://datmad.com 20 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck

thatcoolkidsean (Kingston, Jamaica) UPDATE: Hijacker identified http://tinyurl.com/dnlenv 20 Apr 2009 from web

RachieBabieja (Kingston, Jamaica) http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/04/20/jamaica.security/index.html DI PM Negotiating Now!! 20 Apr 2009 from web

hallsoflearning (Kingston, Jamaica) cnn video here...large up NikkiZ RT @DivaNikkiZ: here is the report... Watch it! http://tinyurl.com/cz2xn6 20 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck