{Below is the introduction and conclusions; open the link for the details]
The following article is based on Francesca Totolo’s research published on lucadonadel.it.
Open Borders, Media Censorship
Why is there a migrant crisis in the Mediterranean? Why are NGOs involved? Because there is an extensive network of open borders activists and organizations behind it; many of them are directly funded by or cooperated with George Soros’ Open Society. Is it illegal? Not really. Political activism is an essential part of democratic societies. However, sometimes it goes too far, or the promoted causes prove to be either unrealistic or unsustainable.
The network of the “immigration lobby’’ in Italy is made up of International NGOs financed by the Open Society Foundation (green), Italian NGOs financed by OSF (blue), and organizations with shared projects with OSF (purple).
The network, as exemplified by CILDI, is extensive and intricate. It ranges from former ministers, Kyenge (Immigration) and Bonino (foreign affairs), both directly responsible for the large influx of migrants being forcefully accepted into Italy, to support groups promoting press censorship, but also providing juridical support, advocacy and publications.
Only in few cases one can inspect their budgets, not exactly a trait suggesting transparency and openness.
The main theme of the Open Society network is to use anti-discrimination laws to promote unlimited migration via the abolition of borders. The idea is clearly stated in the manifesto of many organizations. Most organizations promote their extreme views as “fact based’’ or “common sense’’ to give themselves an aura of scientific approach, while providing subjective and ideological interpretation of data and omitting inconvenient information. That is also why they omit the nationality of the criminal. It’s equivalent to admitting there is a problem but it should not be talked about. This is typical of totalitarian regimes, not democratic and certainly not “open’’ societies. The stated goal of “correct information on the theme of immigration’’ is certainly not achieved this way.
Finally, the no-borders strategy is being implemented with the widespread action of the immigration lobby in favour of NGOs operating in the Mediterranean. Whether through its funding or publications covering the topic, conferences, research or information channels for migrants, the network effectively provides support for migrants, regardless of whether they are legal or illegal.
Waqf activists called on Muslim worshippers not to ascend the Mount, and there were reports of sporadic outburst of scuffles between Israeli security forces and Muslims protesting outside major entrances to the Temple Mount. The Al Aqsa Mosque, considered a holy in Islam, is located on the Mount.
The Waqf-led protesters seemed not to recognize that Israel’s new security measures, which include metal detectors and added screening, were put into place in direct response to the murderous Palestinian terrorist attack at the Mount last Friday.
Waqf activists also seemingly failed to note that three of their own officials were reportedly detained in Israeli police raids over the weekend under suspicion that they aided the terrorist attack. Israel is still investigating how weapons utilized by the terrorists were smuggled onto the Mount.
The Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday’s protests:
Shortly after Israeli authorities re-opened the Temple Mount for prayer services, members of the Jerusalem Islamic Wakf…protested the new security measures and called on Muslim worshipers to avoid entering the compound. The Muslim leaders added that the Waqf personnel would not return to the mosques for the time being.…Outside the Gate of the Tribes, some 200 people gathered in protest of the situation.Some protesters called on Jordan’s King Abdullah and the rest of the Muslim world to interfere and revert the security situation to its status before the attack. Others were heard shouting at police: “Disgrace, enough with that, you are suffocating us! Al-Aksa belongs to Muslims!”
The Times of Israel reported on the scuffles:
Dozens of Muslim men physically blocked worshipers at Lions’ Gate from approaching the newly installed security measures.Several small scuffles broke out. Footage screened on Channel 2 news showed police and soldiers forcibly detaining protesters, including some security personnel who appeared to throw protesters to the ground, and punching and kicking them as they were detaining them.Palestinians said 10 people were injured in the confrontations and a mosque preacher detained, Israel radio reported. Police said some of the protesters had begun throwing stones at the forces.
The Palestinians have a history of using the Temple Mount to fuel violence against Israel. Riots broke out on the Mount in October 1990, ushering in the First Intifada, and the Second Intifada kicked off in September 2000 after the Palestinians used a visit to the Temple Mount by Ariel Sharon as a pretense to launch an orchestrated terrorist campaign after bolting U.S.-brokered talks aimed at creating a Palestinian state.
Venezuela's opposition, encouraged by a massive turnout in a symbolic vote against President Nicolas Maduro, weighed a new strategy Monday to intensify protests and stop his plan to rewrite the constitution.
The opposition coalition Democratic Unity Table (MUD) now wants to outline its final offensive in its goal to oust Maduro, after nearly four months of protests that left 96 dead.
Nearly 7.2 million Venezuelans -- out of 19 million possible voters -- cast ballots in the symbolic poll against Maduro, university guarantors said with 95 percent of votes counted.
The result may not have been binding, but Venezuela "sent a clear message to the national executive and the world," announced Central University of Venezuela president Cecilia Garcia Arocha, noting that 6,492,381 voted in the country and 693,789 abroad.
Garcia said final results would be released Monday.
"We do not want to be Cuba, we do not want to be a country without freedom," said Julio Borges, leader of the opposition-controlled parliament.
"Today, Venezuela said yes to a dignified country, a democratic country, a country where people do not have to go because they have no future. The mandate the people have given us is clear."
Political scientist John Magdaleno said the referendum was a success because it was organized largely by ordinary citizens in a short period of time, and with just 2,000 polling stations, compared to 14,000 during the last elections, in 2015, that saw the opposition sweep parliament.
According to Borges, once all ballots are counted, there will be some 7.5 million votes in the latest poll, which he said would be sufficient to overturn Maduro's mandate if there was a referendum.
The central question before voters concerned Maduro's intention to hold an election on July 30 to choose 545 members of a citizens' body called the "Constituent Assembly" that would redo the constitution.
A dry run of that election was also held Sunday, to detract from the opposition vote which the government branded "illegal."
The ruling party questioned the results in advance, noting that the process is not binding and is "illegal" because it lacks the endorsement of the National Electoral Council (CNE) -- which the opposition accuses of supporting the government.
- Government 'is falling' -
Civil groups, the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the United States and several governments in Latin America and Europe backed the anti-Maduro vote.
The electoral process was attended by a group of former Latin American presidents, including Mexico's Vicente Fox, who was declared "persona non grata" by the government.
The Mexican government, critical of Maduro, called for the results of the opposition consultation to lead to a "negotiated solution" to help "restore" democracy.
Ordinary Venezuelans blaming food and medicine shortages on Maduro's policies seized on the vote as a way of telling the president to leave office.
People took to Caracas' streets after the vote shouting "this government is falling" as motorists honked their horns in celebration.
During balloting, 49-year-old voter Tibisay Mendez told AFP that Maduro and his officials "only want to hold on to power. We are voting to get them out."
Many wore white and the colors of the national flag as they cast their votes.
Government supporters -- and public workers worried about keeping their jobs -- stayed away.
Several Latin American countries and the Catholic Church have criticized Maduro's move to redraft the constitution.
A damaging wildfire burning on California's scenic central coast was expected to expand on Sunday afternoon, with higher temperatures, lower humidity and high winds working against efforts to contain it, officials said.
By Sunday morning the so-called Whittier Fire burning near Santa Barbara was 36-percent contained, a reversal since Friday, when the blaze was 50-percent contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said.
Cal Fire bumped up the number of dwellings to 17 damaged by the fire after getting a closer look at the affected area. Most of them were burned in the early hours of the fire, which started on July 8.
The fire grew on Friday evening when so-called "sundowner" offshore winds picked up, pushing it into dry brush that has not burned since 1955, Cal Fire said.
By Sunday morning, the conflagration had burned 18,015 acres (7,290 hectares) along California's scenic central coast, up from 17,364 acres (7,027 hectares) on Saturday afternoon.
An evacuation shelter is open at a high school in Goleta, which is near Santa Barbara.
In the area of the fire, temperatures on Sunday were expected to reach as high as 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) and humidity low, in the range of 10 to 15 percent.
The Whittier Fire is among more than 50 large, active wildfires burning across the U.S. West as forecasters warned that hot, dry conditions could persist, creating tinderbox conditions.
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