Tag: riot

China’s Influence in Solomon Islands Causes Riot

News Analysis Chinatown and a police station in the Solomon Islands’ capital city of Honiara were partially burned down during protests that started on Nov. 24. Many locals are unhappy with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s 2019 turn away from Taiwan and toward Beijing (known locally as “The Switch”), not to mention poverty, preferences given to…


Top Hong Kong Court Rules Against Government Bid to Expand Riot Prosecutions

HONG KONG—Hong Kong’s top court on Thursday quashed attempts by the city’s government to prosecute people for rioting or illegal assembly even without being present at the scene. A ruling lawyer described it as a landmark decision. The five-judge panel in Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal, headed by Chief Justice Andrew Cheung, unanimously rejected…


The Rule of Law Hostage to ‘Enemy Action’

Commentary I have always admired the admonitory wisdom that Auric Goldfinger imparted to James Bond early in Ian Fleming’s novel named for the gold-loving villain: “Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action.” I have thought often of that sage advisory in recent months as so many once-trustworthy institutions of American…


Fighting Among Prison Gangs in Ecuador Kills 22, Injures 80

QUITO, Ecuador—Rival gangs of inmates fought in two prisons in Ecuador, killing at least 22 people and injuring about 80, authorities said Thursday. Violence broke out on Wednesday in the main prison in the city of Guayaquil as well as the Latacunga prison in central Ecuador, according to prison authorities. Nine police officers and 70…


Portland Rioter Sentenced to Four Years in Jail for Arson

A Portland, Oregon man convicted of arson, riot, and other charges was sentenced this week to four years in jail. Cyan Waters Bass, in his early 20s, pleaded guilty in state court last week of five counts, including first-degree arson. Bass was involved in a riot in Portland on Sept. 23, 2020. A protest that…


Portland Rioter Sentenced to 4 Years in Jail for Arson

A Portland, Oregon man convicted of arson, riot, and other charges was sentenced this week to four years in jail. Cyan Waters Bass, in his early 20s, pleaded guilty in state court last week of five counts, including first-degree arson. Bass was involved in a riot in Portland on Sept. 23, 2020. A protest that…


Judge Denies DOJ Request for Private Firm to Create Database of Jan. 6 Evidence

A federal judge in Washington on Friday denied a Department of Justice request to hire a private contractor to create a database of the evidence of the Capitol breach on Jan. 6. Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied the DOJ request to provide grand jury material…


Red Star Belgrade Fans Riot During Serbian Title Celebration

BELGRADE, Serbia—Several people have been injured and more than 100 Red Star Belgrade fans were arrested after violent clashes during celebrations of the club’s Serbian national league soccer title. The fans first set off fireworks from the bridges and banks of the Sava River in downtown Belgrade on Saturday evening and then went on a…


Jury Convicts Alabama Woman on Federal Anti-Riot Charge

A jury in Alabama on Wednesday found a woman charged with obstructing authorities guilty. Tia Pugh, 22, faces five years in prison after a conviction for smashing the window of a police vehicle on May 31, 2020, during a riot in downtown Mobile following the death of George Floyd. Pugh and others had broken away…


North Carolina House Passes GOP-Backed Anti-Rioting Bill

The North Carolina state House approved a GOP-backed bill that enhances penalties for rioting and civil disorder—coming in the wake of nationwide Black Lives Matter-linked riots and demonstrations last year. The bill, House Bill 805, would allow property owners to sue for damages incurred during a riot, including court and attorney fees. It also seeks…