Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Luke Butterly

Corporate Watch @corporatewatch.bsky.social · 3h

Are you a campaigner based in Belfast? Interested in skilling up on how to investigate corporate power? There's a limited number of spaces left on our training this weekend, hosted by End Deportations Belfast. Get in touch with [email protected] if you're interested!

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Luke Butterly @lukejbutterly.bsky.social · 1d

"There are fears loyalist paramilitaries are planning a wave of attacks against migrant workers in Ballymena" -
An article from 8 June *2005* - almost 20 years to the day before the start of recent violence news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/norther...

BBC NEWS | UK | Northern Ireland | Police warning over race attacks

news.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by Luke Butterly

Saul Staniforth @saulstaniforth.bsky.social · 2d

"What do you mean by Palestinian hostages?"

Hadash Israeli MP Aida Touma-Suleiman "There are thousands of Palestinians who are kidnapped from their houses.. with no trial, no possibility to know what they are charged of & they are kept in prison. What can you call such a thing?"

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Joe Griffin @thejoegriffin.bsky.social · 1d

- You owe me 3 grand!
- Pfft, what are you gonna do about it? Become the deputy editor of a national newspaper and bring this to the country's attention shortly after I announce my candidacy for president of Ireland?

Daithi @daithig.bsky.social · 2d

From the Phoenix - x.com/ThePhoenixMa...

There was much detail in the Indo about the investigative efforts the paper made in uncovering Gavin’s behaviour. What the newspaper and its editorial staff did not say is that the scoop was handed on a plate to them by Gavin’s tenant who happens to be a fellow colleague in Mediahuis, owner of the Indo and various titles, including the Sunday World. That former tenant is the deputy editor of the World, Niall Donald.

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Luke Butterly @lukejbutterly.bsky.social · 16d

“We’re happy, of course. But our greatest joy will come when there are no [political] prisoners in Egypt”
-Laila Soueif, celebrating the release of her son Alaa Abd El-Fattah after 12 years.

The UK and the US are key backers of the Egyptian dictatorship www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/...

Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah freed after Sisi pardon

Alaa Abd El-Fattah is considered to be among the most high-profile political prisoners held in Egypt’s prisons.

www.aljazeera.com

Luke Butterly @lukejbutterly.bsky.social · 17d

The public housing register was taken offline for at least six weeks in this summer, in case they could be used to identify migrant households.

Last year, foreign health workers were offered personal safety alarms, security escorts, and police “reassurance patrols”.

thedetail.tv/articles/sto...

Stormont officials privately warn of 'permacrisis' of racist unrest

“These are not just operational challenges; they are indicators of a broader failure to protect the rights and safety of minority communities”

thedetail.tv

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Luke Butterly @lukejbutterly.bsky.social · 17d

In the two weeks alone the PSNI has admitted to:
- additional surveillance of a journalist, and which they withheld from Tribunal;
- keeping journalists data for 7 years after court ordered it destroyed;
- withholding two spying ops from oversight body www.irishnews.com/news/norther...

PSNI failed to disclose information about surveillance of journalist to spy tribunal

www.irishnews.com

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Reposted by Luke Butterly

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 19d

Northern Ireland at risk of race riot ‘permacrisis’, government files warn

Officials fear widespread unrest amid violence and intimidation of ethnic minorities Northern Ireland faces a “permacrisis” from recurring race riots and may need to use military bases to shelter people burnt out of their homes, government documents reveal. Officials fear the region faces prolonged instability and that a single incident, local or international, could spark widespread disorder. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Luke Butterly

thedetailtv.bsky.social @thedetailtv.bsky.social · 19d

Northern Ireland at risk of race riot ‘permacrisis’, government files warn
thedetail.tv/articles/sto...

Stormont officials privately warn of 'permacrisis' of racist unrest

“These are not just operational challenges; they are indicators of a broader failure to protect the rights and safety of minority communities”

thedetail.tv

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Luke Butterly @lukejbutterly.bsky.social · 19d

Geraldine Hanna, the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Victims of Crime, said the revelations were "deeply distressing and demand urgent, coordinated action."

thedetail.tv/articles/sto...

Stormont officials privately warn of 'permacrisis' of racist unrest

“These are not just operational challenges; they are indicators of a broader failure to protect the rights and safety of minority communities”

thedetail.tv

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Reposted by Luke Butterly

thedetailtv.bsky.social @thedetailtv.bsky.social · 21d

Andrew Comiskey (32), from Armagh and a member of campaign group Cairde Palestine, said public money should not be supporting companies contributing to the war.

thedetail.tv/articles/cam...

Campaigners urge Stormont action after UN genocide findings in Gaza

Amnesty International has accused the UK government of “genocide denial” and warned it could be complicit in war crimes if arms exports to Israel continue

thedetail.tv

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Reposted by Luke Butterly

thedetailtv.bsky.social @thedetailtv.bsky.social · 21d

Campaigners hold a monthly vigil to protest the use of Belfast International Airport by the US military.

Over 60 military flights landed at Belfast between October 2023 and December 2024, including to Israel.

WATCH: vimeo.com/1119366838?f...

Palestine

This is "Palestine" by Below the Radar on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

vimeo.com

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Reposted by Luke Butterly

CAJ @cajni.bsky.social · Sep 9

The oversight system for covert powers in NI has failed before - from Operation Ballast to Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey’s revelations. We need the Patten-recommended Commissioner for Covert Law Enforcement, still missing 25 years on.
@lukejbutterly.bsky.social

www.thedetail.tv/articles/wat...

Watchdog kept in dark as PSNI spied on journalists

Police were expected to flag any journalist surveillance during annual inspections

www.thedetail.tv

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Luke Butterly @lukejbutterly.bsky.social · Sep 8

The PSNI has repeatedly said that inspections by a UK watchdog provided security of their surveillance of journalists.

But the force withheld surveillance operations from inspectors for years, and only disclosed them after their existence had become public... thedetail.tv/articles/wat...

Watchdog kept in dark as PSNI spied on journalists

Police were expected to flag any journalist surveillance during annual inspections

thedetail.tv

Reposted by Luke Butterly

thedetailtv.bsky.social @thedetailtv.bsky.social · Sep 8

Watchdog kept in dark as PSNI spied on journalists thedetail.tv/articles/wat...

Watchdog kept in dark as PSNI spied on journalists

Police were expected to flag any journalist surveillance during annual inspections

thedetail.tv

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Reposted by Luke Butterly

thedetailtv.bsky.social @thedetailtv.bsky.social · Sep 3

Ballymena: More than a third of those arrested for race hate disorder had previously been reported to the PSNI for domestic abuse www.thedetail.tv/articles/one...

One in three arrested for Ballymena riots had been reported for domestic abuse

“They use the language of ‘violence against women and girls’ as a smokescreen to cover for the racism"

www.thedetail.tv

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Reposted by Luke Butterly

Her Loyal Voice @herloyalvoice.bsky.social · Sep 3

Thanks to Luke for featuring HLV in this article

We need to keep the focus on anti-racism + male violence against women & girls, and push for the cultural change that will achieve this such as comprehensive, age appropriate Relationship & Sex Education

Luke Butterly @lukejbutterly.bsky.social · Sep 3

Elaine Crory, from the Women’s Resource and Development Agency, said the disorder in Ballymena was “entirely motivated by the race of the perpetrator”

www.thedetail.tv/articles/one...

One in three arrested for Ballymena riots had been reported for domestic abuse

“They use the language of ‘violence against women and girls’ as a smokescreen to cover for the racism"

www.thedetail.tv

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Luke Butterly @lukejbutterly.bsky.social · Sep 3

Elaine Crory, from the Women’s Resource and Development Agency, said the disorder in Ballymena was “entirely motivated by the race of the perpetrator”

www.thedetail.tv/articles/one...

One in three arrested for Ballymena riots had been reported for domestic abuse

“They use the language of ‘violence against women and girls’ as a smokescreen to cover for the racism"

www.thedetail.tv

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Reposted by Luke Butterly

thedetailtv.bsky.social @thedetailtv.bsky.social · Aug 7

Almost half NI race rioters reported for domestic abuse
thedetail.tv/articles/alm...

Almost half NI race rioters reported for domestic abuse

The figures for Northern Ireland – 48% - were higher than the UK average (41%).

thedetail.tv

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Sam Tranum @samtranum.bsky.social · Aug 5

A cautionary tale for Ireland maybe. But I would also add, that another contributor is that fewer people believe what the political class and media say these days, even when it is completely factual (rather than opinion/prediction/analysis).

Alan White @aljwhite.bsky.social · Aug 5

New YouGov polling. A monumental failure of our political class to educate, a monumental failure of our media to report fairly, for a generation

47% of people think immigration is primarily illegal. There were 4% irregular arrivals in March

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Reposted by Luke Butterly

Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · Aug 5

From yesterday: Simplified registration process for Irish citizens comes into force | Cathryn Davies

Simplified registration process for Irish citizens comes into force - Free Movement

On 01 July 2025, the British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024 (Commencement) Regulations 2025 made provisions for the British Nationality (Irish

freemovement.org.uk

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Reposted by Luke Butterly

Josiah Mortimer @josiah.writes.news · Jun 27

Surprise surprise. Private Eye reveals that much of the lobbying for Palestine Action to be banned is coming from the arms industry - and arms lobbyist Lord Walney

:TARGET NEUTRALISED THE arms industry can be pleased its work preparing the ground for defining Palestine Action, the direct-action group smashing up weapons factories allegedly linked to Israel's war on Gaza, as "terrorists" is paying off.The Sunday Times kept up pressure to outlaw the group with a story last weekend reporting that an "influential group of peers wants the law toughened" to suppress Palestine Action, claiming its activism cost arms firms "as much as £55m".These "influential peers" are led by John Woodcock, the former Labour MP turned Boris Johnson supporter also known as Lord Walney. The Sunday Times failed to mention that Woodcock works for arms industry lobbyist Crowne Associates running its "purpose coalition", which represents companies including arms firm Leonardo, a target of Palestine Action.Another target is Israel's leading arms firm, Elbit, which has been lobbying the government directly to squash the group for some time (see Eye 1643).Policy Exchange, a think-tank which receives arms industry funding, also hosted a speech by Jonathan Hall KC, "independent reviewer of terrorism legislation", in which he said we need to "save democracy from itself" with Cold War-style "counter-subversion" laws to deal with protests about contentious foreign issues. As Eye 1650 noted, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation is normally a civil liberties-minded watchdog, so Hall could have been a block to this unusual extension of powers. But his speech signalled that he would raise no objections.Despite the arms industry's delight, some will argue that proscribing Palestine Action and extending the definition of terrorism to direct action groups that destroy property but don't aim attacks at the public – rather than using the current criminal law – is a high price for society to pay.

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Netpol @netpol.org · Jun 30

"We’ve had authorities in Bangladesh telling us we shouldn’t even be editing footage of garment workers and activists advocating for their rights, and we’ve been followed by the police in Cambodia, but we have never encountered anything like this" www.theguardian.com/film/2025/ju...

Palestine Action documentary makers fear being criminalised under anti-terror laws

Exclusive: Directors of To Kill a War Machine take legal advice as Home Office plans to proscribe protest group

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Luke Butterly

Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · Jun 30

BREAKING: Israeli attacks across Gaza have killed at least 16 Palestinians since dawn, medical sources tell Al Jazeera.

🔴 LIVE updates: aje.io/9xj4tp

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Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · Jun 26

New from 404 Media: ICE is using a new facial recognition app to identify people, leaked emails show. Point camera at person, reveal their identity. It uses the CBP system that records peoples' faces as they enter or exit the U.S. Now, turned inwards to be used by ICE www.404media.co/ice-is-using...

ICE Is Using a New Facial Recognition App to Identify People, Leaked Emails Show

The new tool, called Mobile Fortify, uses the CBP system which ordinarily takes photos of people when they enter or exit the U.S., according to internal ICE emails viewed by 404 Media. Now ICE is usin...

www.404media.co

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