2019/12/31

4,000 rally in Majorca to claim for self-determination

Thousands ralled in Majorca on December 30th to remember that Catalan troops conquered the city in 1229. The crowd claimed for self-determination. The rally was convoked by tha 31st December Platform formed by the party Més per Mallorca, as well as labor unions STEI Intersindical i Unió Obrera Balear and grassroots movements as Assemblea Sobiranista de Mallorca, Grup Blanquerna, Fundacions Darder Mascaró and Mallorca Lliure. Another block was formed by far left groups united in the Bloc d'Unitat Popular formed by Arram, Endavant (OSAN), students union SEPC, Crida per Palma, and local groups as Xítxeros amb Empenta, Moviment Alcudienc, Assemblea de Joves de Felanitx, Valldemossa que Volem, Assemblea Antipatriarcal de Manacor.




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2019/12/30

Sicilian independentists comemorate the EVIS (Voluntary Army for the Independence of Sicily)





Fronte Nazionale Siciliano "SiciliaIndipendente" and Siciliani Liberi joined forces on December 29th to remember the battle of Monte San Mauro in Caltagirone, which gave a further push for the promulgation of the Sicilian Statute and Autonomy. This was the last battle of the EVIS (Voluntary Army for the Independence of Sicily), commanded by Concetto Gallo, in 1943.

"Autonomy, however, never implemented and therefore a pact violated by the state, with the consequences and disastrous conditions in which all Italian parties have reduced us.
Nice cold and joyful day with the presence of women, young and old, representatives of different Sicilian political realities, who came from all over Sicily, who wanted to honor our heroes at the commemorative stele."

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2019/12/29

Patriotti Press Conference announces the internationalization of French repression in Brussels

The Patriotti collective anounced in a press conference in Bastia yesterday morning a new step in its fight. It will travel to Brussels on January 2. After having met on December 10 representatives of the parliamentary group "Territories and freedom" in the National Assembly, the Patritotti collective intends today to internationalize its approach and will travel to Brussels on January 21 with the MEP François Alfonsi.

"Today we intend to go beyond the only French framework," said Félix Benedetti, member of the collective. "With a view to internationalization, we intend to involve all the training and people attentive to our demands at European level. We are also looking beyond the European framework ”.

"We found attentive ears like those of Madame Pinel, who was not so long ago in government, who were surprised by the conditions of the political prisoners and who decided to seize the Keeper of the Seals. Our main objective was to make them aware of the situation of former Corsican political prisoners, with specific files, such as fines, FIJAIT *, DNA and FINIADA **. On a more global aspect we seek to challenge all those who say they are attached to the principles of individual and collective freedoms, on the daily social, administrative, legal and professional conditions that we undergo. By stimulating these exchanges, by multiplying them, we intend, from specific files, to demonstrate the contradictions of the system and encourage the emergence of spaces for concertation. This concern for exchange and dialogue will only find a better climax with real political negotiations between the French State on the one hand, and all the parties concerned by this principle of political evolution on the other hand, in order to get out, definitely, antagonistic relationships between France and Corsica ”.

"There are several dozen people concerned," says Félix Benedetti, "what is dangerous is the disparity with FIJAIT. Some are registered even when the law had not been voted, others have not been since the adoption of this one. He has many different cases and we want to create a division within us. ”

On January 29, Stéphane Tomasini, Félix Benedetti and Jean-Marc Dominici will appear on appeal, demanding that they unsubscribe from the FIJAIT, obliging them to give their address, prevent any travel abroad and report regularly to the authorities. "It is a fair and noble fight. This registration which obliges us is for us an obstacle to individual and collective freedom ”adds Félix Benedetti.

The collective also returned to the recent arrests of young activists. "Paradoxically, it is in a context marked by the seal of dialogue that a new police and military roundup in Corsica occurs, targeting particularly our youth" underline J.-M. Dominici, "This roundup de facto invalidates two conditions: the prospect of exchanges and evolution with a French government blind to democratic expression and deaf to the voice of global political appeasement, and a so-called peace process emptied of all content which leaves room for the reality of a normalization of our society in which the assassination still takes place ”.
An action that goes wrong therefore on the side of the collective. "It undermines the irresponsible choice of those who have confused speed and precipitation, the traditional political class" adds Olivier Sauli. "However, it must not call into question the offers and prospects of a negotiated political solution and real peace."

And Jean-Marc Dominici concludes: “We call on the National Movement to collective and strategic start. The democracy which must be exercised, which must be respected cannot be condemned, by the mere act of the French government, to languish, petrified, on the seats of a Community which must inevitably progress and transform itself ".

* Automated Judicial File of Terrorist Offenders
** National File of Prohibited Persons in the Acquisition and Possession of Arms

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2019/12/23

Caminera Noa Assembly held in Casteddu

The assembly (assemblea plenària) of Caminera Noa, Sardinian national movement was held in Casteddu on DEcember 21st. Under the slogan “Mègius paris or ognunu pro contu suo”. After a period dedicated to several bilateral meetings in Sardigna, dozens joined the assembly of the pro independence movement. The date of the event was also chosen to facilitate the participation of emigrants.

“Each of us has its own path, its experiences, the collection of its mistakes and good results to be hoarded - declares Caminera Noa. The assembly will not be signed by any organization and will be public to guarantee the maximum participation of all those who wish, individually or as organized groups, to contribute to the construction of a new political community in Sardinia ".

Healthcare was among the topics that will be addressed in the meeting, a hot topic that sees numerous and heterogeneous subjects constantly fighting. Two days before of the event CN masked members denounced the public financial support of 60 milion € to Mater Olbia, a private hospital.

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2019/12/22

1,100 rally in Iruñea for the Basque political prisoners

Some 1,100 people yesterday marched in Iruñea for the freedom of basque political prisoners. The crowd responded to Sare's call despite the heavy rain that plagued the Navarrese capital. Throughout the demonstration, there have been various acts in remembrance of family members, victims of accidents due to estrangement and sick prisoners. Sare (meaning literally “network” in Basque) is a citizen network struggling for the rights of Basque political prisoners. It was formed in 2014.


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2019/12/21

Six simultaneous rallies call to protect the Galician language

The movement Queremos Galego (We Want Galician) yesterday held simultaneous rallies in Santiago, A Coruña, Ferrol, Pontevedra, Vigo, Ourense and Lugo. Hundreds calles the Galician government to act in favour of the language of Galicia. The Council of Europe, in a recent report, recalled of the emergency as many laws impose the Spanish language over the Galicia's one. In 2010 the Spanish PP party apapproved a law to exclude the Galician language as a full tool in education.




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2019/12/20

Two holiday homes of a French PM close and Paris FC president arsoned in Corsica

Pierre Ferracci is a close aide of the French PM. He also is president of the Paris Football Club. His two holiday homes are in Rondinar. Severeal protests since 2017 have called to be destroyed as they are built in a protected area. A bomb exploded on Friday December 20th and another one could not explode. On December 22th the FLNC-22 October assumed the actions.

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2019/12/19

64 injured in a new raid of the Spanish police in Barcelona against Catalan minority

Spanish police once again brutally charged against Catalan peaceful protesters at the doors of the Barça`s stadium just as a game went to half time on December 18th. Spanish Officers also shoot to the peaceful demonstrators with foam bullets.In the stadium 93,000 people were protesting throwing inflatable balls onto the pitch and once again chanted for independence while holding up the Tsunami Democràtic banners reading 'Spain, sit and talk.' The incident caused a momentary pause in play. Two big banners were hung from the stands, reading 'freedom' and 'Spain, sit and talk'.

In total, 10 were arrested following the game, and 64 people were treated for medical injuries caused by a carnage of the brutal Spanish police. 






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2019/12/17

Spanish prosecutor to seek the ban of 2 Galician national movements

Causa Galiza (galician Cause) and Ceivar (To Free) are persecuted by their ideas in Spain. The Spanish Attorney seeks to ban both of them. In the same writing the colonial prosectors wants to jail a dozen of Galician people between 4 and 12 years. All in all 102 years of jail for pro independence activists. Causa Galiza considers that the only aim of the Spanish state is to criminalize the Galician national movements with disproportionate punishments. 





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The oldest Corsican political prisoner has been freed


Charles Santoni, sentenced in 1999 to 28 years in prison for the murder of a Raid police officer in 1996 in Aiacciu, has been free on Tuesday. The man served his sentence "without a day's permission, (..) bracelet, semi, or conditional. Without political concession from the state, without amnesty, "said the French state.

Charles Santoni should be released in July 2019, after having served his sentence for murder, but his detention was lengthened by a new sentence to six months in prison, in October 2017, by the Bastia Court of Appeal for death threats on a counselor from the penitentiary service of integration and probation of the penitentiary center of Borgo (Haute-Corse).


Charles Santoni had been sentenced on November 25, 1999 by the Paris Special Assize Court to 28 years' imprisonment for the murder of a Raid police officer and two attempted murders of Raid police officers, on April 16, 1996 in Aiacciu. He had opened fire with his friend Jean-Luc Orsoni, who died in the shooting, on an unmarked police car whose occupants they allegedly took as killers, in the midst of conflict between the movements of the ex-FLNC (Corsican National Liberation Front).

He had been, on March 17, 2011, the first Corsican detainee incarcerated on the continent to be transferred to Borgo prison, following the commitments of the Minister of Justice, Michel Mercier, in favor of bringing together island prisoners and their relatives. .

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2019/12/15

Femu a Corsica 1st General Assembly






The party held its first General Assembly or cunsulta generale in Corti on December 15th. It began with a tribute to Edmond Simeoni who died on December 14th a year ago. This first year of the party was that of structuring, legal and financial procedures, the creation of a website ... The "project" commission built a social project which will have to be mature in 2021. The period 2015-2021 was a obstacle course: a heavy legacy, a major election a year, the merger of communities and a defiant state on almost all issues. 2020-2021 must be a period of liberation of energies and municipal elections are an essential issue.", said Jean-Félix Acquaviva.

Gilles Simeoni, Corsica's President, son of Edmond and Femu a Corsica leader, closed the meeting where the centrist party did a compromise to fight for the next local and regional elections.

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2019/12/14

Scottish National Party sees huge gains after UK election

The pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) took 48 seats out of 59 Scottish constituencies, emboldening the party's demands for a second independence referendum next year, and putting Scotland on a constitutional collision course with Johnson's Conservative administration.
Nicola Sturgeon, SNP leader and Scotland's first minister, who has now led her party to three consecutive UK general election victories in Scotland, as well as victory in the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, stood on a platform of opposing Britain's forthcoming withdrawal from the European Union - otherwise known as Brexit- and advocating a poll on Scotland's right to choose its own constitutional future by 2020.
Sturgeon's party gained 13 seats from the 2017 UK general election but was eight seats shy of the 56 it took in 2015. She said the result represented a "renewed, refreshed and strengthened" mandate for a second vote on Scottish statehood.
"It's the second-best performance they've ever had at a Westminster election - and second-biggest mandate," Gerry Hassan, a senior research fellow in contemporary Scottish history at Dundee University, told Al Jazeera. "It provides an opportunity for the SNP and a window to progress and advance towards an independence referendum."

The SNP had 1,242,372 votes and a 45 %. In 2017 it took 977,569 and 36,9 %. In the UK the turnout was 68,8 % in 2017 and 67,3 % in 2019.  In Scotland the turnout was 68,1 %. growing from 66,5 two years ago.

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For the first time, Northern Ireland has more Irish nationalist than British nationalist MPs

Irish Republican and national parties in Northern Ireland announced an electoral pact of sorts in  November  to win the DUP seats. The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) said it it won't run in Northern Belfast, East Belfast, or North Down; while Sinn Féin will stand aside in South Belfast, East Belfast, and North Down.

The result on December 12th was clear: For the first time, Northern Ireland has more Irish nationalist than British nationalist MPs. The DUP has emerged as the biggest casualty of the election. 
The DUP now has 8 MPs, down from 10 MPs in the last election. Sinn Féin stay the same on 7, a result they’ll be happy with. The SDLP now has two MPs, and the Alliance Party has one in Lady Sylvia Hermon’s former constituency.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, whose party enjoyed a major coup in North Belfast against Nigel Dodds as well as a crushing defeat in Foyle, put it best at around 4am on Friday morning.
“As it turns out, nobody is going to stop Boris. As we had said, unfortunately no Irish MPs can stop Brexit,” Mary Lou McDonald said.


Finucane

                                                                    McCallion


Sinn Féin's jubilation over John Finucane successfully unseating DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds in North Belfast was tempered by the loss of Elisha McCallion in Foyle, the party said. The republican party managed to maintain the same number of seats (seven) as it managed to secure in the 2017 election. However, its vote share across Northern Ireland dropped from 29,5 to 22,8 % while SDLP grow from 11,8 to 14,9 %. Aontú won a 1,2 %. All together is a 38,9 %. In 2017 it was a 41,3 %.


Sinn Féin obtained 181,853 votes, SDLP 118,737 and Aontú 9,814. In 2017 SF won 238.915 and SDLP 95,419 losing all tits 3 MPs while SF just won 3 (from 4 to 7).

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Mebyon Kernow wins a 3 %

In 2017 Mebyon Kernow did not contest the General Election. This time Mebyon Kernow decided to target its resources into a single constituency: St Austell and Newquay seat. Dick Cole obtained 1.660 votes in a single constituency meaning a 3 %. The seat was won by the Conservatives by a clear majority of 56 %.

Mebyon Kernow is described as a left-of-centre political party in Cornwall. It's main policy focuses on creating a National Assembly for Cornwall, and argues for the same rights to devolution as England, Scotland and Wales. The party also wants to maintain the county's own distinct identity, language and heritage.

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Plaid Cymru retains 4 seats

Wales elected its first three female Conservative MPs on December 12th, as Plaid Cymru maintained its four MPs, but Labour lost ground. Of the 40 Welsh seats, the Tories now hold 14, a new high for them since 1983, with a matching new low for Labour, although they remained the biggest party in the country on 14. This year, turnout was down to 66.6 per cent. The new Plaid MPs are from the next constituencies:

  • Ceredigion: Ben Lake - Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales
  • Arfon: Hywel Williams - Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales
  • Carmarthen East and Dinefwr: Jonathan Edwards - Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales
  • Dwyfor Meirionnydd: Liz Saville Roberts - Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales
Plaid won a 9,9 % meaning 153,265  while in 2017 it was a 10,4 % meaning 164,466.

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2019/12/12

EHE stage a protest against the fine to a man for speaking Basque

Euskal Herrian Euskaraz (EHE) today held a protest in Bilbo in solidarity of Arkaitz Zarraga. He is a Basque man who in December 2018 spoke in Basque with a policeman. He has been fined with 900 € for defending his language rights. Today the Spanish autonomus police threatened the demonstrators with a show of force.

EHE, Euskal Herrian Euskaraz (Basque in the Basque Country, EHE) association was launched in Durango, Bizkaia under the slogan “Euskararik gabe, Euskal Herririk ez” (Without Basque there is no Basque Country) on November 4, 1979. It is an association that defends the right to live in Basque in the Basque Country. Today, its principal goal is to achieve a Basque-speaking Basque Country made up of polyglot or multilingual people.

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2019/12/11

Plaid Cymru: Back a second referendum then campaign for Remain


The Leader of Plaid Cymru Adam Price has confirmed his party will stand on policy of stopping Brexit by supporting a second referendum with ‘Remain’ on the ballot.
Adam Price said that Plaid Cymru, as Wales’ leading party of Remain, is “united” in its aim to ensure Wales remains a member of the European Union and that the best way to do that is to campaign to give the decision back to the people in a referendum.
The Plaid Cymru Leader said he did not believe any form of Brexit would be good for Wales as it would ‘devastate’ the livelihoods of ‘thousands of people’ in Wales and see a dramatic 5.5% fall in Wales’ economic growth as a consequence of being taken out of the Single Market and Customs Union.
He added that the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal, which would create a hard border in the Irish Sea, would be a ‘disaster’ for Welsh port towns such as Holyhead and Fishguard.

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Eleven Corsican activists detained by the French police and transferred to Paris

The arrests took place yesterday and Aiutu Paisanu held a rally in front of the the police station of Bastia where they were arrested. Today they have been transferred to Paris. Femu in Corsica has  strongly denounced "the arrest of 11 young Corsican people on the part of hooded anti-terrorist policies, strongly armed and using deliberately violent and traumatic methods." These behaviors continue the nationalist party in the government, "refer Corsica to the most painful hours of its contemporary history."

"The state has a heavy responsibility in the current situation, refusing to take into account the majority aspiration expressed by universal suffrage, closing the door to any political solution, reactive the logic of the conflict while Corsica had created the conditions for appearing and dialogue" .


On March 10 this year, residential and real estate homes were attacked in Piana, Taglio-Isolaccio, Patrimoni i Ville Di Pietrabugno. The procedure was with gas bottles and shots.
There were also two explosive charges on April 1 in front of the public finance centers of Toga and the center of Bastia.
No organization took the actions.
On the other hand, last October, a group of five hooded men announced the reactivation of the FLNC (Front of National Liberation of Corsica).
Since then there has been no attack.

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2019/12/08

Scottish indy activists display banners around iconic landmarks in London



Scottish activists today displayed banners around iconic landmarks in London today. The banner tour ended at the Tower Bridge. Aye Aberdeen explains the action this way:

After the success of an epic 500 mile tour of every Tory held constituency in Scotland, Aye Aberdeen is once again assisting Jack Elphinstone and friends to “go the extra 500 miles” and take our message direct to the heart of UK Government in London.
We bring you the #NC500, a tour of London landmarks with two giant banners on the final Sunday prior to #GE2019.
We hope to capture the attention of London and broadcast our message back to Scotland and across the UK.
Our aim is to stop people voting Conservative and motivate them to vote for other parties. We will only be content if no Conservatives are elected in Scotland next Thursday. The SNP are close to replacing them in every Tory held seat in Scotland although we will need the help of England and Wales to prevent a Conservative majority.
Aye Aberdeen along with Jack Elphinstone, a concerned Aberdeen South resident have the following key messages which should resonate with voters in Scotland and across the UK:
a) Boris Johnson is a proven liar, he should not be trusted to govern the UK for 5 more years.
b) The Scottish Tories have sold Scotland out by backing Brexit against the wishes of the majority of their constituents. If re-elected they will hand Boris a blank cheque for hard Brexit and a mandate to continue to implement cruel and damaging policies over the next 5 years.
c) We need to protect our health services by stopping the Tories leaving the world's largest trading block therefore handing the future of our healthcare to Donald Trump. The Scottish Health Service will be sacrificed as Boris begs for a trade deal to sustain exports. Westminster has already revoked procurement powers from the Scottish Parliament for 7 years.
d) Scotland hasn't voted Conservative in over 60 years, yet we have been subjected to 36 years of Tory government in that time. The Conservative government has no mandate to remove Scotland from the EU against our will.
e) Keep Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands by making sure you vote SNP in the general election on December the 12th. Scotland already has a mandate for a second independence referendum, let's reinforce it with a resounding majority.
We call on like-minded people in England and Wales not to vote Conservative, please don’t hand the Tories control of all our futures for the next 5 years.

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2019/12/07

Euskal Herria Bai General Assembly

The political movement EH Bai held its Biltzar Nagusia (General Assembly) on December 7th in Ustaritz.  The Northern Basque organization defends the rights of the national minority under French rule in the so called Iparralde (Northern Basque Country). On the eve of local elections to be held on 15 and 22 March 2020 and  in full weekend of mobilizations for the climate and in a context of social struggles.


Euskal Herria Bai (Basque Country Yes, EH Bai) was founded in 2007 by Abertzaleen Batasuna, Eusko Alkartasuna and Batasuna (being replaced by Sortu in 2013). On 2014.12.20 the coalition transformed itself to a single movement where the parties could not control more than a third of the direction. It now has half a thousand members, 150 local councillors as well as 34 councillors of the Communauté d'agglomération Pays Basque (CAPB).


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2019/12/06

Rally in Bilbo for a Basque Republic




The coalition-federation Euskal Herria Bildu* attracted 3,700 people in Bilbo to rally against the Spanish constitution in its 41st birthday. Under the slogan ‘Euskal Errepublika!’ a banner with the same sentend being carried only by woman the demonstration ended with some MPs, all of them women, speaking to the crowd as Mertxe Aizpurua who said:
«We are more and we go hand in hand to defend the right of self-determination, to defend economic and social policies that care for and protect people and to achieve the freedom of all political prisoners and refugees».

* Formed by Eusko Alkastasuna, Alternativba, Sortu and independents.

In the afternoon the new political organization Jarki held its first public initiative with a  demonstration in Durango (Bizkaia), under the slogan Euskal Herri langileak apurketa!. It denounced the "denial and imposition" of the Spanish Constitution. For the independence and socialism of the Basque Country.

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Galician National Block Human Chain against the "exhausted" Spanish constitution



A human chain in front of the Galician People Museum in Santiago de Compostela has been held by the Galician National Block today to protest the 41st birthday of the Spanish constituition. The BNG claims the "right" of the people to change the Constitution and calls Fascist Vox party "abortion of the PP". Vox is reallu formed by former PP members. The PP was founded by Franco's ministers and is the second biggest party in Spain and the one ruling Galicia.


BNG's leader Ana Pontón has criticized the Constitution for considering it an "exhausted" framework that has not served to solve the problems of Galicia. He added that it is a text "of the privileges of a few", among which he has included the Bourbon dynasty, a "undemocratic and male chauvinist" institution.



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British police attacked with suspected grenade in west Belfast

Police in west Belfast are at the scene of an overnight attack on officers. The incident happened in the Milltown Row area shortly after 2 o'clock on Wednesday December 4th morning. Officers were in the Falls Road area on a routine patrol when their land rover was struck with a suspected grenade.
Chief Superintendent Jonathan Roberts said: "A loud bang was then heard and the police car made its way to a place of safety.
"Thankfully none of the officers inside the vehicle were injured and no damage was noted to the car."
A police operation was immediately put into place to ensure the safety of residents in the area.
The remnants of the suspected grenade have been taken away for forensic testing.

The Continuity IRA has claimed responsibility for the grenade attack on police in west Belfast.

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2019/12/05

First official step in Sámi reconciliation commission

After years of negotiations and planning in the Sámi Parliament, the Finnish government has agreed to the formation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) for Sámi peoples in Finland.

When formed, the independent five-member commission will closely investigate the historical background of what the indigenous inhabitants of Lapland consider the decades-long oppression of the Sámi peoples at the hands of the Finnish government.

On Wednesday the government held an evening meeting to discuss the mandate prepared for the coming commission. The government concluded that the designation process for the commission could now begin.

The Finnish government has prepared the commission's mandate throughout 2019 together with the Sámi Parliament and the Skolt Sámi village meetings. The TRC designation and strategy process will begin once the mandate has been reviewed by both Sámi assemblies in December, the government announced.


Sámi Parliament chair Tiina Sanila-Aikio said she considers the government's decision to be a significant step in the formation of the commission, after waiting a long time for a concrete response.

Skolt Sámi representative Veikko Feodoroff echoed the sentiment.

"This is an important issue. We've worked very hard to get the commission off the ground in Finland."

After government adjourned on Wednesday Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo went on social media to say she was pleased that the TRC process has taken a step forward. The Finnish government held a total of 29 TRC hearings across the Sámi region and in various Finnish cities in 2018. A total of 300 Sámi people took part in these talks in person or via email, representing some 2.5 percent of Finland's Sámi minority.


"Sámi people have had a weak status in Finland in many ways. The government has not respected Sámi land rights, and Sámi people were forced to integrate into Finnish culture all the way up to the 1970s. Finland has been scorned by international groups concerning its treatment of the Sámi, even in recent years," Ohisalo said.

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2019/12/03

Aontú: " it is wrong to stop developments or progress on those issues because of the Irish language act.”

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has challenged the wisdom of a Sinn Féin demand that an Irish language act must first be conceded by the DUP before the party would agree to reinstatement of the Northern Executive and Assembly.
Mr Tóibín was speaking in Belfast on Tuesday when he launched the Aontú Westminster general election manifesto.
Aontú which campaigns centrally on being anti-abortion, and seeking Irish unity and economic justice, is standing seven candidates in Foyle, East Derry, West Tyrone, South Down, West Belfast, South Belfast and Newry and Armagh.
The election is being held against the backdrop of a crisis in the Northern Ireland health service. At present there are 300,000 people on waiting lists and 10,000 outpatient appointments and surgeries cancelled in Belfast due to industrial action by nurses and other hospital workers.
Asked was Sinn Féin right to stay out of Stormont until it had a guaranteed Irish language act – one of its key demands – Mr Tóibín replied that such an act must be legislated for. But he then added there was shock “in many ways that the Irish language is being used to hold so many other really important issues hostage”.
Mr Tóibín said “there are bread and butter, life and death concerns that are consuming the people of the North of Ireland . . . it is wrong to stop developments or progress on those issues because of the Irish language act.”

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2019/12/01

Tsunami Veneto joined by 2,000 people






Success of the Venetian Party (Partito dei Veneti) with the so called "Tsunami Veneto" bringing together over 2,000 participants on November 30th. Bustling rooms for the launch of the Veneto Party which took place simultaneously in the seven Veneto provinces. Hundreds of people including administrators, entrepreneurs but also many ordinary people curious to understand the sense of the birth of the Party of the Venetians found themselves in the various locations scattered throughout the Veneto. More than 50 speakers denounced the failure of national parties in terms of autonomy and decentralization and launched their only credible alternative: a uniquely Venetian Party to defend only the interests of the Venetians.

The Regional Coordinator Giacomo Mirto commented enthusiastically: "We have achieved the goal. Thanks to the extraordinary work of our provincial coordinators we were able to fill the auditoriums in less than three weeks, moving hundreds of people in each province. The road is marked, and it is the successful one carried out by the SVP in Sud-Tirol or by the SNP in Scotland or that of regionalist parties that have succeeded concretely in retaining their economic resources in their territories. The PdV will therefore be the reference party for all those Venetians who want self-government and who in 2017 voted massly for fiscal autonomy, never arrived because of the failed national parties. From today it will no longer be possible to pretend that a Venetian alternative does not exist, the only alternative: the Party of Venetians ".

Speakers included Riccardo Szumsky, a former League and mayor of Santa Lucia di Piave, who has harsh and firm words: "It is enough to celebrate oneself in the Region, things do not change from Rome". And again, Simonetta Rubinato, former PD senator: "The Italian Constitution will be our weapon. Italian uniformity kills territorial singularities ".

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