Oakland Protesters Seek Control of Law Enforcement Surveillance

According to Oakland protesters, they are close to victory in their fight to take control of law enforcement surveillance. Police spying in the California port city have been heavily criticised by residents. Now, they are campaigning to regulate the purchase and use of surveillance equipment by law enforcement agencies.

The approval of the legislation they push could make Oakland the first country to be alarmed and protest against the rising number of cameras and other surveillance technologies used by law enforcement agencies. The activists are also hopeful that the privacy advisory committee members would draft their city ordinance on surveillance.

According to Oakland residents, the move was much awaited.

The Occupy Oakland protests have begun from 2012 to 2013. The California Government had planned to link an estimated 700 cameras throughout the city with license plate readers, shot spotters and other surveillance equipment. The link will allow law enforcement to have real time access to data.

While law enforcement agencies contest that Oakland has 8,000 violent crimes for a population close to 404,000, protesters said the surveillance will not lower the crime rate. They believe it to be the excuse of law enforcement to increase surveillance programs in the city. 

UK Airlines Face Legal Action Over The Quality Of Cabin Air

The European Aviation Safety Agency had tasked German researchers to perform a thorough investigation of the quality of air in 60 commercial flights during the 17 months to uncover answers to the questions whether passengers and crew are duly exposed to toxic fumes in-flight.

The investigation comes after Unite, which represents 20,000 air cabin crew members in the United Kingdom, had called for air quality to be monitored on all flights.

Unite also backs 14 individual legal cases against British Airways and other companies for potentially shortening their lives due to toxic fumes.

Meanwhile, Boeing research had confirmed that cabin air is safe to breathe.

“Cabin air is safe to breathe,” Boeing said. “Research [has] consistently shown that cabin air meets health and safety standards and that contaminant levels are generally low.”

It was in the 1950s when contaminated bleed air became a large issue, according to the Global Cabin Air Quality executive lobby group. The group said that such events are under-reported.

Studies in the past have shown little progress in confirming contaminated air bleed. Duke University in the United States found genetic variation affects the probability a person could have adverse effects inhaling organophosphate toxins in the cabin.

Tories Plan New Law To Target Radicalisation

As the Conservative Party once again reigns in the UK parliament, Prime Minister David Cameron made it clear that he and his cabinet will create new powers to tackle radicalisation.

According to Cameron, the country has been a “passively tolerant society” for far too long.

The new bill will include new immigration rules targeting terrorist activities and suspects, powers to close extremist infrastructure and “extremist disruption orders.”

The later may be the authority to use communications disruption and misinformation into terrorist networks for monitoring.

Home Secretary Theresa May had set out the proposals before the election. 

However, the Conservatives still face opposition from Liberal Democrat coalition partners for the new powers.

The UK Supreme Court will review the measures’ provisions, which include banning orders for hate speech by extremist organisations.

Meanwhile, analysts say that the new measures can silence any group or individual they want, political or not. The new measures may undermine democracy or British values of tolerance and mutual respect.

Home Secretary May is also looking to tighten Asylum laws for any person with extremist views.

The funding or membership of any person in a group suspected of extremist activity would be considered committing their own criminal offence.

Revenge Porn Gets Implemented. Find Out Why The Criminal Justice Act Is So Important.

According to nine police stations in England and Wales, the UK has 146 cases of revenge porn mostly involving women and children as young as 14-years-old. Perpetrators of these crimes often walk away unscathed from their charges due to a lack of law.

Plenty praised the revenge porn law. To understand the law further and why the UK needs it, this infographic will help you get started!

Spain Deals New Law Limiting Freedom of Expression

As of today, the Spanish Senate has proposed a new law that would limit the number of protests in the country. A fine from €600 to €600,000 can be imposed on officials who organise illegal protests throughout the country. A global outcry demanded the law be trashed.

Today, Spanish protesters could only hold protests against the government if they fulfill certain stricter requirements. Officials must obtain licenses from regional governments before they could schedule their protests. Meanwhile, disruptive protests could receive higher fines.

A fine of €600 goes to protest officials whose protests are illegal in undisclosed areas. A fine of €30,000 is given if the protests create disruption or infrastructure and property damages against parliament and regional government offices. Disrupting operations in Spanish refineries, nuclear plants and other industrial sites with or without a license could cost about €600,000 in total fines.

The ‘gag law’, which is to be ratified by the next month came under fire from different activist groups.

Greenpeace said that it is the citizens’ right to express their opinion and march against parliament.

Meanwhile, the Platform in Defence of Freedom of Information said that it is one of the gravest attacks against liberty since “the time of Franco.”

England Now Bans Smoking in Cars With Children.

Any vehicle or parent who is driving with children and consumes tobacco will be fined £50 per offense. The new law will be implemented on October 1 in England and Wales. Meanwhile, Scotland is also considering introducing a similar ban.

The British Lung Foundation considers the new law a victory, however opposition deems that it is an “unenforceable” law.

Anybody who is driving alone or driving a convertible with the top down will not be fined for smoking.

Around 342 MPs had voted in favour of the new bill while 74 had been in opposition.

The BLF said that 430,000 children are exposed to second-hand smoke in vehicles every week. This increases the risk of asthma, meningitis and even death among young children.

Public Health Minister Jane Ellison said that three million children are inhaling second-hand smoke in cars, which puts their health at risk.

"We know that many of them feel embarrassed or frightened to ask adults to stop smoking which is why the regulations are an important step in protecting children from the harms of secondhand smoke."

Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: "This is a tremendous victory.

"We urge the Government to show the same commitment to introduce standardised packaging for all tobacco products, in order to protect the 200,000 children taking up smoking every year in this country.

"We are certain that these measures together will prove to be two of the most significant milestones for public health since the smoke-free legislation of 2007."

Northern Ireland’s Ban on Gay Marriage Now Faces Legal Challenge

A Belfast court would be hearing the case of the Rainbow Project, a gay rights organisation in Northern Ireland, against the ban on gay marriage in the region.

The Rainbow Project pushed the litigation after a gay couple married in England now living in Northern Ireland, did not have their marriage lawfully constituted in Northern Ireland. They have taken legal action to have it recognised as such.

The couple remains anonymous and is represented by the Rainbow Project.

John O’Doherty, Rainbow Project’s Director, said “We are very happy to support this important legal challenge. While same-sex marriage legislation in Westminster had many positive aspects, we believe that its provision forbidding the recognition of lawful same-sex marriages in Northern Ireland is irrational, contrary to principles of British constitutional law and incompatible with the European convention on human rights.

“We are resolute in our assertion that no one can be married in one part of the United Kingdom and then not married in another. Once a couple is lawfully married in the UK, we contend that their relationship cannot be reclassified as a civil partnership without their consent, which is exactly what the law currently does. The legislation says to lawfully married people that they are no longer married. This is unconscionable and cannot be permitted to continue.

“Marriage is a fundamental human right, which is now recognised in the UK as including same-sex couples. We will work to ensure that this right is realised for everyone in the United Kingdom and we are confident that marriage equality will be achieved in Northern Ireland.”

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