Harvard-Yale game delayed by student protest; 20-30 arrested

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Protesters wearing the colors of both Harvard and Yale staged a sit-in at midfield of Yale Bowl during halftime of the 136th edition of the annual football rivalry known as The Game. Most walked off after about an hour with a police escort; about 20-30 who remained were arrested.

A few dozen protesters initially trickled onto the field as the Yale band finished performing its halftime routine, some holding a banner asking the schools’ presidents to divest from the fossil fuel industry. Other signs referred to Puerto Rican debt and the treatment of the Uighurs.


Yale officials said in a statement handed to reporters in the press box during the fourth quarter that the school “stands firmly for the right to free expression.”

“It is regrettable,” a statement attributed to the Ivy League said, “that the orchestrated protest came during a time when fellow students were participating in a collegiate career-defining contest and an annual tradition when thousands gather from around the world to enjoy and celebrate the storied traditions of both football programs and universities.”

Between 20 and 30 people were arrested, released and given a court date, protest organizers said. Rachel Sadoff, a junior at Harvard, said about 150 students from the two universities planned to participate and about 100 more who had been sitting in the stands joined in.

“Our goal was to spread the word,” Sadoff said. “If more people speak up, our colleges will have to listen.”

Largely of college age but with a few older protesters mixed in, the group chanted: “Hey Hey! Ho Ho! Fossil fuels have got to go!” One banner read “This is an emergency.” Mostly they sat or milled around near midfield, with some taking selfies; a vape pen and a crushed can of beer were left behind.

Police in yellow vests lined up alongside the sit-in but did not intervene. When the 15-minute halftime expired and the protest continued, hundreds more fans streamed onto the field to join in. Fans remaining in the stands began to boo, but only briefly.

The public address announcer implored the group to leave, repeating, “As a courtesy to both teams, the game must resume.” Protesters responded by chanting, “OK, boomer.”

Players tried to remain warm on the sideline in mid-40 temperatures, but then returned to their locker rooms. Harvard coach Tim Murphy was given an update from the game officials and public safety officers as the protest continued.

Yale Police Chief Ronnell Higgins spoke to the protesters over a megaphone, trying to convince them that they had made their point, but it would be lost if the situation escalated.


After about an hour, police formed a line and moved forward, from the Yale sideline toward the Harvard sideline. A protest leader encouraged all “internationals” to leave. An agreement was reached to escort the remainders off, with one police officer to every two protesters.

Those who did not leave then were informed by Higgins that they would be arrested. Asked how many people were taken into custody, Higgins referred questions to the police public information officer. Messages left with Yale and New Haven police were not immediately returned.

Yale coach Tony Reno said the team reverted to its plans for when a game is interrupted by lightning. The Bulldogs rallied from a 17-point, fourth-quarter deficit, winning 50-43 in double overtime in darkness in the unlit, century-old Yale Bowl to clinch the Ivy League championship and conclude one of the strangest editions in the rivalry’s 144-year history.

“It’s what makes Yale Yale,” Reno said. “Our group, I’m sure if you asked them and the Harvard guys what makes it special, it’s not only the game of football. It’s the passions.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

#BoycottMulan trends after ‘Mulan’ actress Liu Yifei supports HK police

Calls to boycott the live-action adaptation of “Mulan” trended online after the film’s lead actress Liu Yifei allegedly expressed support for Hong Kong police. The movie is slated for release in 2020.

Hong Kong has been the site of pro-democracy protests for the past two months. Law enforcement has attempted to quell protests through tear gas and rubber bullets.

Based on a screenshot of the “Mulan” actress’ Weibo account, Liu backs the Hong Kong police despite allegations of police brutality.

The post shows an image from the Communist Party’s official newspaper People’s Daily with the caption, “I support Hong Kong’s police, you can beat me up now. What a shame for Hong Kong.” Liu typed the hashtag “I also support the Hong Kong police” with a heart emoji.

Online forum LIHKG, known as the Hong Kong version of Reddit, sparked the calls to boycott “Mulan,” as per The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday, Aug. 15. LIHKG has served as a platform for protestors to organize and raise funds.

Though Liu’s post received support on Weibo, on Twitter and Instagram the actress faced backlash as #BoycottMulan trended.

One Sean Norton (@sdnorton) tweeted on Thursday: “Disney’s ‘Mulan actress, Liu Yifei, supports police brutality and oppression in Hong Kong. Liu is a naturalized American citizen. it must be nice. meanwhile she pisses on people fighting for democracy. retweet please. HK doesn’t get enough support. #BoycottMulan @Disney.”

Similar messages have been posted on Twitter, along with pictures and videos of police attacks against protestors. Some have highlighted how law enforcers have treated women. This week a woman became a symbol of protests after she was hit in the eye by a beanbag round from police on Aug. 11, as per The Straits Times on Tuesday, Aug. 13.

Liu moved to the United States when she was 10 and became a citizen after five years. She returned to China where she pursued an acting career. The actress has been supportive of the Chinese government, having posted on Weibo in the past about China’s claims in the South China Sea. She also promoted the “One-China policy,” which states that Taiwan is part of the sovereign state of China.

Other actors who have opposed the protests include Jackie Chan and Tony Leung Ka-fai.  Niña V. Guno /ra

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Hong Kong airport cancels outbound flights

TAIPEI – Hong Kong International Airport canceled all flights out of Hong Kong for the rest of the day, after thousands of anti-government protesters descended on the airport.

Demonstrators donned eye patches at Lantau Island hub, one of the world’s busiest international airports, in anger after a girl was allegedly hit with a police beanbag.

Airport chiefs said inbound flights already in the air would be allowed to land, but any flights which had not departed would be delayed.

This is the fourth straight day of protests as anti-government demonstrations have continued to escalate.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press (AP) reported that in Beijing, the Cabinet’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office issued a statement saying the situation in Hong Kong was “beginning to show the sprouts of terrorism” and constituted an “existential threat” to the population of Hong Kong.


“One must take resolute action toward this violent criminality, showing no leniency or mercy,” said the statement, attributed to spokesman Yang Guang. “Hong Kong has reached an inflection point where all those who are concerned about Hong Kong’s future must say ‘no,’ to law breakers and ‘no’ to those engaged in violence.”

Only flights that had already begun boarding or those cleared for landing were allowed to use runways at the airport.

“All other flights have been canceled for the rest of today,” the airport statement said.

A massive traffic jam soon formed on the highway leading back to Hong Kong’s city center. Some protesters were seen walking toward the airport amid the stifling heat.

Earlier Monday, Hong Kong police showed off water cannons that could be deployed in the case of future demonstrations, a development which Amnesty International has warned could lead to serious injuries if misused within the densely-populated city’s confined spaces.


Legislators and journalists were invited to witness the display of extreme crowd control tactics, which came after a weekend of protests at the airport and on the streets of one of the city’s main shopping districts.

During the weekend protests, website Hong Kong Free Press showed footage of one arrest that appeared to include officers in plain clothes pinning a demonstrator pressed to the ground. The young man, who said his name was Chow Ka-lok and asked for a lawyer, was shown with a bleeding head wound and said he had a broken tooth.

Police have also reported injuries among their ranks, including eye irritation from laser pointers, burns from petrol bombs and bruises and cuts from flying.

Protesters hurled bricks at officers and ignored warnings to leave before tear gas was deployed in the Sham Shui Po area, police said, calling a march there an “unauthorized assembly.”

Tear gas was also deployed in central Hong Kong on both sides of Victoria Harbour, in the Tsim Sha Tsui area on the Kowloon side and in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island. At one point, protesters blocked the entrance to a plaza to prevent police from entering.

A train station in Kwai Fong filled with smoke after about a dozen police officers fired tear gas inside. It was not clear how many protesters were inside the station at the time, but it has been rare for officers to fire tear gas indoors.

Earlier, a large group of mostly young protesters marched down the middle of Hennessey Road, a main shopping drag in the Causeway Bay area, as a rally was held in nearby Victoria Park. Many wore face masks to shield their identities, and a few had helmets. Others just carried backpacks over the black T-shirts that have become their uniform.

The protest movement’s demands include the resignation of the Chinese territory’s leader, Carrie Lam, democratic elections for her successor, the release of those arrested in earlier protests and an investigation into police use of force.

A former British colony, Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 under the principle of “one country, two systems,” which promises the city certain democratic rights not afforded to people on the mainland. But in recent years, some have accused the Communist Party-ruled central government of steadily chipping away at their freedoms.

Banners at the rally in Victoria Park read “Give Hong Kong back to us” and “Withdraw the evil law,” the latter a reference to an extradition bill that was the original spark for the protests. A large crowd sat under umbrellas, which are both a protest symbol in Hong Kong and protection from the summer heat. 


At the airport, a flight attendant protesting on his day off, who gave only his surname, Lau, to avoid repercussions from his employer, said heavy-handed police tactics had alienated some people.

“The police have told a lot of lies to Hong Kong people. We cannot believe them anymore. We have to come here to protest,” Lau said. China has reportedly threatened to bar aircrew who take part in protests from its air space.

Another protester, who identified herself only as Bea, said she took the day off from work to express her outrage.

“I feel that I have to do something. … It’s just too sad to see what has happened. The police action has gone totally nonsensical,” she said. With a report from AP/ac

source: globalnation.inquirer.net

Demonstrators mock Donald Trump; protest his visit to the UK

LONDON — Thousands crammed the streets of central London on Friday to vent their anger over Donald Trump’s first official visit to Britain, blowing horns, waving banners and hoisting a bright orange effigy of the U.S. president on their shoulders

Filing past palaces of high-end commerce — Apple, Burberry, Brooks Brothers — marchers criticized Trump’s policies on immigration, climate change and torture, as well as his treatment of women. Some carried more than one sign, unable to choose which policy they hated the most.

The Rev. Nigel Sinclair, a 53-year-old Church of England preacher, came in what he called his Sunday vicar’s outfit, carrying a sign that showed how Trump’s ideas differ from those of Jesus Christ. Susie Mazur, 29, from Salisbury in southwestern England, crocheted a Donald Trump pin-cushion and wore it on her head, winning praise from fellow protesters.


“People coming here nowadays feel very hopeless about what is happening. They don’t like what is happening in the U.K., in America, across the world — there are so many problems,” Mazur said. “Everyone has the same goal. What they want is to stop hate, basically.”

As Trump met with Prime Minister Theresa May at her country retreat outside the city, the protesters gathered outside embassies, offices and homes carrying signs that read, “Human rights have no border,” and “Mother Earth unites us,” before marching past the shops of Regent’s Street on their way to Piccadilly Circus and finally Trafalgar Square, which the city calls a “center of national democracy and protest.”

Not everyone was protesting against Trump, however.

Augustine Chukwuma Obodo, who wore a “Make America Great Again!” hat and a “Trump for President in 2020” shirt, said he wanted to make clear that not everyone found the protests amusing. Obodo, a Nigerian living in London, said he wanted to add his voice to those who are quieter, but believe Trump is doing a good job on issues such as pushing NATO members to increase their defense spending.

“America is not a cash point,” he said.

The day began with a giant balloon that caricatured Trump as a screaming orange baby flying outside the Houses of Parliament. The diaper-clad infant, with a quiff of hair and a mobile phone for tweeting, was the centerpiece of demonstrations.

“Depicting Trump as a baby is a great way of targeting his fragile ego, and mocking him is our main motivation,” said Matthew Bonner, one of the organizers of the balloon flight. “He doesn’t seem to be affected by the moral outrage that comes from his behavior and his policies. You can’t reason with him, but you can ridicule him.”

Hundreds crammed Parliament Square to take in the spectacle. Deborah Burns, 43, of Newcastle in northern England, brought along her 10-year old daughter, Monica Siddique.

“I think it’s a good way to stop Trump from being mean to the rest of the world,” Monica said of the balloon. “He says, ‘Oh, this is a free world.’ But then he goes and builds walls. … He acts like a baby.”

Some Americans living in London came to see the balloon, wearing the Stars and Stripes draped over their shoulders. Other spectators just came to take pictures as the balloon floated overhead for two hours.

“It’s a very British way of protesting — we don’t like to throw stones,” said Phil Chapman, 59, of Hayfield, a village in Derbyshire. “It’s far easier to protest in a pleasant way. If you can do that with humor, you will get more attention.”

Trump criticized London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who refused to prevent the balloon from flying, in an interview published Friday.

“I think he has not been hospitable to a government that is very important,” Trump told Britain’s Sun newspaper. “Now, he might not like the current president, but I represent the United States. I also represent a lot of people in Europe, because a lot of people from Europe are in the United States.”

Khan, who has been a target of Trump’s ire before, said his job was to make sure the protests were peaceful, not to be a censor or the “arbiter of good taste.”

“The idea that I would stop a blimp or a balloon flying over London because it may cause offense, and thereby curtail the rights people have to protest when it’s not unsafe, it’s not un-peaceful, I think people would find a bit astonishing,” Khan told the BBC.

Anger over Trump’s visit has been simmering ever since May invited the president for a state visit just a week after his inauguration last year. The event, which would normally include glittering horse-drawn carriages and a state dinner hosted by the monarch, morphed into a two-day “working visit” with much less pomp and circumstance amid concern about security and crowds in central London.


Trump avoided the protests by largely staying away from the capital. After a black-tie dinner 60 miles (100 kilometers) outside London, he spent Thursday night at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Regents Park, then flew by helicopter to May’s country retreat, Chequers, for his meeting with the prime minister, followed by another flight to Windsor Palace for tea with Queen Elizabeth II.

He then headed for Scotland, where he was to spend the weekend at one of his private golf clubs.

Ahead of Trump’s arrival, hundreds of people gathered in Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, to protest the U.S. president’s U.K. visit.

Among them was Emily Bryce, who proudly carried a homemade banner written in Gaelic, in recognition of Trump’s Highland roots. “Donald Trump, son of the devil,” it read.

“It’s a disgrace that Theresa May has allowed Trump to visit the U.K. and to meet the queen,” the 67-year-old Bryce said.

A march in support of Trump was planned for Saturday in London, starting at the U.S. Embassy on the south bank of the River Thames and ending near the prime minister’s residence at Downing Street. But on Friday, the crowds belonged to those who oppose his policies.

Placards reading “Dump Trump,” and “Can’t comb over sexism,” were raised high by the boisterous crowds in the capital.

Phil Bond, 65, a musician, said he knew it was unlikely that the demonstrations will make any difference to Trump, but he believes people in the United States will notice.

“If enough people come out, it might make a difference,” he said.  /muf

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

200 NFL players protest in defiance of Trump

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump’s criticism of players who kneel during the national anthem sparked angry protests around the National Football League (NFL) on Sunday, as about 200 players sat, knelt or raised their fists in defiance. A week ago, just six players protested.

Most NFL players on Sunday locked arms with their teammates — some standing, others kneeling — in a show of solidarity. A handful of teams stayed off the field until after “The Star-Spangled Banner” to avoid the issue altogether.

As he prepared to board Air Force One to return to Washington from New Jersey, Trump said the players protesting the anthem were “very disrespectful to our country” and called again on NFL owners to stop what he considered unpatriotic displays in America’s most popular sport.

“This has nothing to do with race,” Trump said. “This has to do with respect for our country.”

The president’s attack on athletes turned the anthems—usually sung during commercials—into must-watch television shown live by the networks and Yahoo!, which streamed the game in London.

In NFL stadiums, spectators either applauded or booed at the protesting players.

‘Deep disappointment’

The NFL owners and its players, often at odds, used Sunday’s anthems to show unity. One of Trump’s biggest supporters in the NFL, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, joined the chorus when he expressed “deep disappointment” with Trump.

The dissent started more than a year ago when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand during the anthem to denounce police violence against minorities. This season, no team has signed Kaepernick, and some believe NFL owners are avoiding him because of the controversy.

A handful of white players joined the vast majority of black players who actively protested on Sunday.

Defensive star Von Miller was among the large group of Denver Broncos who took a knee in Buffalo, where Bills running back LeSean McCoy stretched during the anthem.

“We felt like President Trump’s speech was an assault on our most cherished right, freedom of speech,” said Miller, who normally steers clear of politics and social issues.

Dozens of more players protested before the Raiders-Redskins game in Landover, Maryland. All but a handful of Raiders sat on their bench, and seven Redskins took a knee while their teammates stood arm-in-arm along with the owner.

In Chicago, the Pittsburgh Steelers stayed in the tunnel except for one player, Army veteran Alejandro Villanueva, who stood outside with a hand over his heart.

In Nashville, both the Seahawks and Titans stayed inside until after the national anthem was over.

Protests surge

A handful of NFL players had been continuing Kaepernick’s protest this season, but that ballooned on Sunday following Trump’s two-day weekend rant.

It began on Friday when he called for NFL protesters to be fired and continued on Saturday when he rescinded a White House invitation for the NBA champion Golden State Warriors over criticism from two-time MVP Stephen Curry.

The president’s delving into the NFL protests further angered many players who took one insult as a personal attack on their mothers.

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you’d say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired,’” Trump said to loud applause on Friday night at a rally in Huntsville, Alabama.

Locked arms in solidarity

“I’m a son of a queen,” retorted Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett.

Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady was among the New England Patriots who locked arms in solidarity in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Aaron Rodgers did the same with his teammates in Green Bay.

“Standing with locked arms is good, kneeling is not acceptable. Bad ratings!” Trump tweeted on Sunday.

In Detroit, anthem singer Rico Lavelle took a knee at the word “brave,” lowering his head and raising his right fist. In Nashville, anthem singer Meghan Linsey took a knee as she finished singing.

Jets chair/CEO Christopher Johnson, one of Trump’s most ardent supporters, called it “an honor and a privilege to stand arm-in-arm unified with our players during today’s national anthem” in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Johnson’s brother, Woody, is the ambassador to England.

The mass action reverberated across the Atlantic, where about two dozen players took a knee during the playing of the US anthem at Wembley Stadium.

“We stand with our brothers,” Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “They have the right and we knelt with them today. To protest, nonviolent protest, is as American as it gets, so we knelt with them today to let them know that we’re a unified front.”

Jaguars owner Shad Khan and players on both teams who were not kneeling remained locked arm-in-arm throughout the playing of the anthem and “God Save The Queen.” No player knelt during the British anthem.

“Me taking a knee doesn’t change the fact that I support our military, I’m a patriot and I love my country,” Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said.

“But I also recognize there are some social injustices in this country and today I wanted to take a knee in support of my brothers who have been doing it,” he added.

Alexander said he would go back to standing for the anthem next week.

“I just wanted to show them that I was with them today, especially in the backdrop of our president making the comments about our players, about their mothers,” he said. “And then you put that in conjunction with how he tried to gray-area Nazism and KKK members as being fine people, I had to take a knee.”

Invitation accepted

The National Hockey League’s reigning champion Pittsburgh Penguins announced on Sunday that they had accepted a White House invitation from Trump.

The Penguins said they respected the Office of the President and “the long tradition of championship team visiting the White House.”

Before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals in Minneapolis on Sunday, the Los Angeles Sparks left the floor while the Minnesota Lynx stood arm-in-arm. The Sparks returned to a chorus of boos when the song was finished.

Kahn, who was among the NFL owners who chipped in $1 million to the Trump inauguration committee, said he met with his team captains before kickoff in London “to express my support for them, all NFL players and the league following the divisive and contentious remarks made by President Trump.”

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Trump says protesting players in NFL should be fired

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — President Donald Trump has a suggestion for National Football League owners whose players decide to take a knee during the national anthem: fire them.

And the president has a similar suggestion for fans of the sport: walk out of the stadium in protest.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick started the trend last year when he played for the San Francisco 49ers. He hasn’t been signed by an NFL team this season.

Trump’s hard-nosed reaction to protests by several athletes over treatment of blacks by police came Friday night during a freewheeling rally in Alabama. He says such players are disrespecting the flag and deserve to lose their jobs.

Trump also bemoaned that football has become less violent. That view comes amid growing concerns over repeated head blows and a brain disease.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Yankees top Red Sox 4-1 in 16th; Boston plays under protest

BOSTON — Didi Gregorius lined a go-ahead single in the 16th inning and the New York Yankees outlasted the Boston Red Sox 4-1 Saturday in the longest game between the bitter rivals at Fenway Park since 1966.


Matt Holliday hit a tying home run off Boston closer Craig Kimbrel in the ninth that cleared the Green Monster, and it took 5 hours, 50 minutes and 512 pitches to finish. That is, if it’s really over — the Red Sox put the game under protest after a bizarre play on the bases involving Holliday in the 11th.

Both teams burned through their bullpens, and the relievers won’t get much rest. The Yankees and the AL East-leading Red Sox are set for a day-night doubleheader Sunday.

Boston starter Chris Sale struck out 13 in 7 2/3 scoreless innings of three-hit ball. He leads the majors with 191 strikeouts.

Yankees starter Luis Severino allowed one run and four hits in seven innings. He gave up Mitch Moreland’s sacrifice fly in the third.

Ben Heller (1-0) went two innings. Seven Yankees relievers combined to blank Boston on four hits for nine innings.

Doug Fister (0-3) gave up three runs in the 16th. Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a double, Gregorius and Austin Romine hit RBI singles and Gary Sanchez added a sacrifice fly.

A day after Yankees blew a ninth-inning lead and lost, they rallied to win for just the eighth time in 28 games. New York closed within 3 1/2 games of Boston.

The Red Sox had been 43-0 when leading after eight. Kimbrel, the winning pitcher in the All-Star Game on Tuesday night, had his first career blown save at Fenway following 30 successful ones.

Red Sox manager John Farrell put the game under protest after an odd sequence in the 11th.

Holliday led off with a walk and Ellsbury followed with a grounder to Moreland at first base. Moreland threw to second for a forceout but Holliday retreated toward first and slid into the bag as shortstop Xander Bogaerts’ throw arrived.

Moreland wasn’t able to reach the ball, which hit Ellsbury and bounced into foul territory. Farrell argued in favor of an interference call and after a lengthy review, the umpires allowed Ellsbury to stay on first.

The clubs last played 16 at Fenway on June 4, 1966, when Jim Gosger’s three-run homer gave Boston a 6-3 victory.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: Manager Joe Girardi said the club was “hopeful” that OF Aaron Hicks, on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right oblique, would “start doing some light baseball activity” when the club returns from its season-long, 11-game trip.

Red Sox: Placed RHP Joe Kelly on the 10-day DL before the game with a strained left hamstring and recalled RHP Brandon Workman from Triple-A. . RHP Blaine Boyer left with right elbow tightness. . Bogaerts put on a soft brace to support his left ring and pinkie finger under his batting glove halfway through batting practice.

HONORED

The Red Sox welcomed about 1,300 Vietnam veterans and their families onto the field during a pregame ceremony.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Bryan Mitchell (1-1, 5.06 ERA) is set for the opener and RHP Masahiro Tanaka (7-8, 5.47) in the nightcap Sunday.

Red Sox: RHP Rick Porcello (4-11, 4.75) and LHP David Price (4-2, 3.91) are slated to start.

source: sports.inquirer.net