Steve McGookin‘She Just Wanted To Go Home’
Britain’s highest-ranking female law enforcement officer, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Cressida Dick, is resisting calls for her resignation after widespread criticism of how Met officers broke up a vigil in South London on Saturday night in memory of Sarah Everard.
At the end of the week of International Women’s Day, the situation escalated as police made arrests at the vigil in Clapham Common, near where Sarah went missing on March 3. Her remains were discovered in Kent nine days later.
A serving police officer has been charged with her murder.
Later on Saturday night police said they had acted to enforce Covid restrictions, even though a number of other vigils across the country generally passed off peacefully.
In light of the impending policing bill aimed at restricting the right to public protest, the weekend’s incident highlights problems surrounding the policing of Coronavirus regulations, as well as, of course, the ongoing issue of violence against women.
See Also:
Women Aren’t Angry – They’re Afraid (2018)
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Vaccinations soar in US, other nations stumble
One year – and half a million deaths – after the World Health Organization officially declared the Coronavirus to be a pandemic, US President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid Relief Bill was signed into law. Biden has pegged the nation’s recovery to two dates: July 4, with the aim of celebrating independence from the virus, but initially May 1, by when he says the US should have enough vaccines for every adult in the country.
Up to Sunday, the US had three straight days of roughly 3 million vaccinations, bringing the national total over 100 million. About one-third of adults have now received at least one dose.
In the rest of the world, meanwhile, the news this week was less encouraging.
India reported its biggest daily spike of the year as its recent resurgence continued; Germany declared that a “third wave” of infections had begun, while Italy is shutting shops and schools again from Monday.
In the UK, the pace of vaccinations continues to increase, with all adults now possibly on track to have been offered both doses by August.
There was, however, outrage this week over the government’s Test and Trace scheme, as MPs were told there was “no clear evidence” that the £23 billion operation had actually worked.
In Northern Ireland, there was a particularly satisfying statistic on Sunday.
On Sunday, The Netherlands joined Ireland in temporarily suspending use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, following concerns at reports of blood clots among some recipients in Norway.
See Also:
Catching Your Breath: Lobbying For Lung Health In The Time Of Covid-19
Leaders Need To Lead: The Executive and Covid-19
Life Is Harder Right Now. We Should Be Kinder To Ourselves
The Covid-19 Vaccine Explained
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US clears its throat over Brexit Protocol
Ahead of St Patrick’s Day on Wednesday, the US Senate is preparing to bring forward a resolution expressing commitment to the Belfast Agreement and peace in Northern Ireland. According to The Irish Times, the resolution also says that “any new or amended trade agreements between the US and UK should take into account that the conditions of the Belfast Agreement are met.”
The resolution follows a virtual briefing this week of the congressional Friends of Ireland Caucus in Washington by Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney and EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, after the UK moved to unilaterally extend the “grace period” for checks on goods between the UK and Northern Ireland.
President Joe Biden and Taoiseach Micheal Martin are expected to discuss economic stability in the wake of Brexit during their virtual St Patrick’s Day call.
Meanwhile, with a senior official of the Northern Ireland office reportedly set to travel to Washington in a pro-union “counter-offensive” driven by Secretary of State Brandon Lewis, one local MP has already passed judgment on the new President.
The Prime Minister visited Northern Ireland this week, amid growing tensions over the Protocol.
While he was here, Johnson endorsed the newly-unveiled plans to mark Northern Ireland’s Centenary, including “a special post-mark, an international church service and a plan to plant a tree at every school.”
Along with a reported government suggestion that Parliament convene in regional capitals, including Stormont, there was also fresh talk this week of the “bridge to Scotland” concept as part of a report on UK connectivity.
Slightly more important, perhaps, the UK economy contracted by 2.9% in January, the first full month of Brexit.
See Also:
Is The UUP’s Response To The NI Protocol A Vote Winner?
The Long Way Home – Finding A Way Through The Brexit Debacle?
Northern Irish Parties And Europe
Reinforcing Northern Ireland’s In-Betweenness
‘Celtic’ Biden’s Call To Irish-America
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Death toll grows in Myanmar
As an image of a nun kneeling in front of soldiers in Myanmar went viral this week, the situation in the military-controlled nation worsened, with more than 120 people now reportedly killed since the Feb 1 coup which ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Some 30 people were understood to have been killed by security forces on Sunday alone in the main city of Yangon, making it the bloodiest day of the coup so far.
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This week, the world belonged to Beeple
The auction house Christie’s this week sold a piece of digital art – or rather a digital proof of ownership of a piece of art – for a record $69.3 million; sparking excitement and disbelief in the art market and sending thousands of people running to Google the words “Non-Fungible Token.”
The artist, Mike Winkelmann – who goes by the name Beeple – said the technology was “just scratching the surface.”
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‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go?’ – Join Northern Slant for a virtual discussion
Finally, as part of next month’s Imagine Festival, Northern Slant will be hosting an online discussion around the subject of what a post-pandemic Northern Ireland might look like in this, its centenary year, and whether we can build a society that isn’t just a “stepping stone” for our young people.
We’d love for you to join us. Full details are here.
See Also:
How The Imagine! Festival Was Re-Imagined
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See Also Last Week’s Five Points:
Also published on Medium.
