FSTDT

Jair Bolsonaro, Silvinei Vasques, pro-Bolsonaro truckers and rioters and Federal Highway Police (PRF) units #wingnut #conspiracy irishtimes.com

Brazil’s far-right president Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday that he would respect the country’s constitution ending 45 hours of silence following his defeat in Sunday’s presidential election

But Mr Bolsonaro did not explicitly recognise the victory of former left-wing president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva[…]
It fell to his cabinet chief Ciro Nogueira to confirm Bolsonaro had authorised him to start talks with Lula’s team over the transition process[…]
In it Mr Bolsonaro said the protests were “the fruit of indignation and a sentiment of injustice at the electoral process unfolded” but said his supporters should not adopt the methods of the left and “close off the right to come and go”[…]
Mr Bolsonaro’s statement came shortly after 186 federal prosecutors demanded that the country’s chief federal prosecutor and close Bolsonaro ally Augusto Aras open an investigation into the president over the roadblocks and his failure to take action[…]
In ordering the lifting of the blockades supreme court justice Alexandre de Moraes criticised the “omission and inertia” of the federal highway police and threatened to fine its director-general Silvinei Vasques 100,000 reais (€20,000) an hour if the force failed to comply

The highway police were widely criticised after videos circulated of its officers fraternising with protesters. The force was central to a voter suppression effort on Sunday in regions that traditionally lean heavily towards Lula

It is the federal security unit most closely identified with Mr Bolsonaro. On Saturday Mr Vasques called on voters to support the president in a post on social media which he quickly deleted

Emma Knyckare #sexist irishtimes.com

Women-only music festival found guilty of discrimination

The Statement festival in Sweden found in breach of gender discrimination law

A Swedish event billed as “the world’s first major music festival for women, non-binary and transgender only” has been found in breach by Sweden’s discrimination ombudsman.

The inaugural Statement festival was held in Gothenburg in August following a successful crowdfunding campaign that raised 533,120SEK (51,520). The ombudsman opened an investigation into the festival in July.

A new ruling said that although festival organisers did not enforce the “man-free” rule, since “no differentiation based on sex was made between visitors at entry”, the statements the company issued prior to the event “discouraged a certain group from attending the event”, breaching a law banning gender discrimination.

The ombudsman found that nobody suffered damage from the festival’s restrictions and no penalties will be imposed.

The organisers of Statement responded on Facebook: “It’s sad that what 5,000 women, non-binaries and transgender experienced as a life-changing festival made a few cis men lose it completely. The success of the Statement festival shows that is exactly what we need and the DO’s verdict doesn’t change this fact. Otherwise, we have no comments. We are busy changing the world.”

The ombusdman’s press officer, Class Lundstedt said: “It is important to point out what an infringement is. These [infringements relate to] statements made before the festival, that they wrote on their website. Still, we haven’t been able to prove that someone would have been discriminated against in connection with the implementation or that someone would have been rejected.”

“Clearly, we believe that sexual abuse, especially at festivals, is a serious problem. So we are looking forward to trying to correct this,” said Lundstedt. “However, it shouldn’t happen in a way that violates the law, which their statements in the media and their website [did].”

Statement festival was founded by comedian Emma Knyckare after a series of sexual assaults at Swedish music festivals, including four rapes and 23 sexual assaults at the 2017 edition of the country’s biggest music festival, Bråvalla, which led to the event’s cancellation in 2018.

Organisers described Statement as “a safe space for the people who want to attend a festival without feeling scared for their personal safety”, and said it would remain a protected space “until ALL men learn how to behave themselves”. – Guardian

Angus Buchan, Rosemary Parle & Julie Power #fundie #homophobia #forced-birth irishtimes.com

It’s Wednesday evening, and Mulhall has come to the Hub in Kilkenny to hear controversial South African pastor, Angus Buchan. Prior to the event, some 40 people marched to the gates of the venue to protest the fact that Buchan has preached in the past that homosexuality can be cured through prayer.

Rosemary Parle from Kildare and her friend Hilary Anderson from Lisburn describe themselves as Disciples of Christ. They have arranged their holiday together especially to coincide with Buchan’s appearance in Kilkenny. Why?

“It shows how much God loves Ireland. That’s why Angus is here, because God wants us to hear good news, among all the bad news,” Parle explains.

“Unfortunately, Ireland has become so liberal in its thinking that we have strayed from the teachings of the Lord and taken on a humanistic view instead. A homosexual lifestyle goes against the covenant of marriage.”

Even though marriage between same-sex couples in Ireland is now legal?

“That’s not marriage,” Parle says. “Marriage is one man and one woman. Their bodies fit together. I’m sorry to sound crude, but it’s true.”

A group of friends have come from Carlow. Before Buchan ever takes the stage, Maria Doyle says she has already got everything she came for.

“We’re meeting our family,” is how she puts it. “Say someone went away to Australia, and then they came home. The whole family would come together to celebrate. That’s what it’s like here.”

What do they think of Buchan’s views on homosexuality? “Homosexuality is a sin in God’s eyes,” her friend Julie Power explains. “Not the fact that two men love each other. The act. Sex together.”

By the time the event begins, the Hub, which has seating for 1,400 is full, including several children. Buchan jumps on stage and bellows, “I love the Irish, I really do! You are the most passionate people I have ever met.”

The crowd go mad. Camera phones flash.

“The Bible tells me to love my wife,” Buchan says. “I love my wife. If I love my wife, she will gladly submit to me.” He says this twice. The crowd roar.

These are some of the other things Buchan says:

“Abortion is legalised murder.” (This gets the loudest cheer of the evening.)

“You must discipline your children, and children, you must respect your parents.”

“Believers go to Heaven, not good people.”

“I will pray tonight that God will give a baby to all those people who can’t have babies, I have done this all over the world.”

Every sentence ends in a shout. In between cheering, the audience are totally silent.

Unnamed pilot #fundie irishtimes.com

A Tunisian pilot who paused to pray instead of taking emergency measures before crash-landing his plane, killing 16 people, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail by an Italian court along with his co-pilot.

The 2005 crash at sea off Sicily left survivors swimming for their lives, some clinging to a piece of the fuselage that remained floating after the ATR turbo-prop aircraft splintered upon impact.

A fuel-gauge malfunction was partly to blame but prosecutors also said the pilot succumbed to panic, praying out loud instead of following emergency procedures and then opting to crash-land the plane instead trying to reach a nearby airport.

Séamas de Barra #fundie irishtimes.com

From a letter to the editor of The Irish Times, Monday 5 January 2009. The subject was 'The Catholic Church and Celibacy' (!!!!)

Until original sin, mankind enjoyed a pre-pubertal secual innocence. To judge by the one human being we know of who is free from original sin, the Blessed Virgin Mary, human procreation before original sin seems to have been virginal, that is, not involving an active role on the part of either then male or the female.