#and directly attacking journalists who are reporting on the situation

[frozenemus]

Polite reminder that rendering the land completely desolate isn't something one does when they're simply engaging in retaliation against a group of individuals. In fact Israel's so-called "retaliation" against Hamas checks off every single section of The United Nation's Genocide Risk Analysis Framework. Quite ironic considering that many of the UN's leaders are denying or funding this tragedy. But if Israel's actions aren't enough to convince you that this entire thing is genocide, how about we let Israel say it themselves: "You must remember what Amalek has done to you, says our Holy Bible. And we do remember." - Benjamin Netanyahu (source)

Not only does this compare Palestinians to Amalek — an ancient enemy of the Israelites in the Hebrew Bible — later verses (1 Samuel 15:1-9) state that exacting punishment against Amalek means the complete annihilation of its people.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Erase Gaza from the face of the earth. Let the Gazan monsters rush to the southern border and flee into Egypt, or die. And let them die badly. Gaza should be wiped off the map." - Galit Distel-Atbaryan, member of Knesset/Parliament (source) ~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Total erasure of Gaza, total and not a human life spared." - Eyan Golan, popular Israeli singer (source)

~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Erase the memory of them. Erase them, their families, mothers and children. These animals can no longer live. Every Jew with a weapon should go out and kill them. If you have an Arab neighbor don’t wait. Go to his home and shoot him." - Ezra Yachin, Israeli Army reservist (source) ~~~~~~~~~~~~

So yeah, this isn't retaliation. This is genocide that's using retaliation as a poorly-veiled excuse.

[northgazaupdates]

Journalist Hossam Shabat responds to a problematic article about journalists in the west being unable to reach Gaza. Hossam writes,

The biggest problem is not Western journalists being unable to enter, but the fact that Western media doesn't respect and value Palestinian journalists. My colleagues and I risk our lives every day to report on this genocide. No one knows Gaza like we do, and no one understands the complexity of the situation like we do. If you care about what's happening in Gaza, you should amplify Palestinian voices. We don't need Western journalists to tell our stories; we are capable of telling and reporting on our own stories.

Context under the cut:

From the very beginning, Western journalists have neglected the people of Gaza. They focused on how resistance actions have impacted settlers, and mentioned Gaza in only the most reductive of terms. But now, as the scale of atrocities by the IOF finally becomes too great for them to ignore, these same journalists are crafting a new narrative: ‘We didn’t ignore Gaza because we don’t care, or because it was politically convenient to do so. We just couldn’t get there to report on it.’

This is a lie concocted under the weight of ever-fickle Western guilt. They deflect their accountability for creating IOF propaganda by claiming they were kept from reaching the area. However, even more than a lie, it is an insult to Gazan journalists—those still living and those murdered by the occupation.

Gazan journalists often have contacts outside of Gaza who could help them evacuate, but they chose to stay. They chose to stay and document the genocide against their people, and did so at immense personal cost. Montaser Al-Sawaf was injured and lost 50+ family members in a bombing attack, before he was bombed again by the occupation and left to slowly die in the street. Mahmoud Ziad Aliwa and Mohammed Saber Arab are still missing after being kidnapped by the IOF while reporting from Al-Shifa Hospital during the latest siege. Eshak Daour lost his brother just a few days ago.

But as they tried to share their footage and words with the world, they were ignored, in north Gaza especially. The world had no interest in the words of Gazans, but especially if they were Arabic-speaking. Rather than undertake the relatively simple task of finding a translation for Gazan sources, or contacting Gazan journalists directly in English (of which many of them speak at least a little), they were flat-out ignored. Only English-speaking journalists with massive social media followings received any acknowledgment, and even then it was extremely minimal.

The journalists of Gaza have always been there, they have always been speaking out and asking others to simply share their words. The implication that only western journalism counts as “real” journalism is insulting, degrading, imperialistic, unprofessional, dishonest, and cruel.

This blog was created due to uplift the words of north Gazans, which were not and often still are not reaching the rest of the world. We will continue sharing from people in north Gaza, but we ask that you, reader, do so as well. Do what western journalists have refused, and uplift the voices of people fighting for their survival in all of the Gaza Strip.

Many journalists post partly in English, but for those that don’t, Arabic speakers will often leave English translations in comment sections. You can also ask for someone to do a translation in the comment section, and often someone will reply. If they don’t, you can copy and paste Arabic text, or take screenshots and upload them into Google Translate. These are not perfect tools, but they give you some idea of what is being said. It’s better than simply not listening.

[workersolidarity]

[ 📹 Palestinian residents and journalists run, bike and drive away as fast as they can as the Israeli occupation forces fire directly at the civilian population in the city of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, June 29th. 📈 The current death toll figures: 37'834 Palestinians killed, while another 86'858 others have been wounded since October 7th, 2023. ]

🇮🇱⚔️🇵🇸 🚀🏘️💥🚑 🚨

ISRAELI OCCUPATION CONTINUES GENOCIDAL WAR ON DAY 267: 66% OF ISRAELIS WANT NETANYAHU OUT OF POLITICS, MAJORITY OF ISRAELIS WANT ULTRA-ORTHODOX TO BE CONSCRIPTED, UN HEALTH REPPORTEUR CALLS ISRAELI WAR "GENOCIDE" AS SLAUGHTER CONTINUES UNABATED

On 267th day of the Israeli occupation's ongoing special genocide operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) committed a total of 3 new massacres of Palestinian families, resulting in the deaths of no less than 40 Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, while another 224 others were wounded over the previous 24-hours.

It should be noted that as a result of the constant Israeli bombardment of Gaza's healthcare system, infrastructure, residential and commercial buildings, local paramedic and civil defense crews are unable to recover countless hundreds, even thousands, of victims who remain trapped under the rubble, or who's bodies remain strewn across the streets of Gaza.

This leaves the official death toll vastly undercounted as Gaza's healthcare officials are unable to accurately tally those killed and maimed in this genocide, which must be kept in mind when considering the scale of the mass murder.

A new television poll conducted inside the occupied Palestinian territories and published on Friday has found that 66% of Israelis believe occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should leave politics and should not seek re-election, while just 27% said he should stay in office, and 7% answered they weren't sure.

Among right-wing Israelis, a different picture emerges, 37% of right wing Israelis opposed Netanyahu seeking re-election, while 53% said Netanyahu should stay in office.

At the same time, a full 85% of Israelis overall support a probe to look into the October 7th Palestinian resistance attacks on Israeli settlements.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation's leadership continues pushing for a war in Lebanon, worrying the Zionist entity's US ally who has maneuvered warships closer to the border between "Israel" and Lebanon, supposedly with the purpose of preparing to evacuate American citizens and soldiers as fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli occupation army continues to escalate.

According to reporting on the moves by the United States, the American amphibious assault ship, the USS Wasp, which carries a force of US Marines, moved last Wednesday to the Mediterranean Sea in the vicinity of the region, joining the USS Oak Hill and another ship and forming a readiness group in the case of escalation.

The US warship group is trained in evacuating civilians from dangerous war situations, but also has offensive capabilities, as well as espionage and surveillance capabilities, and can also be paired with the F-35 attack aircraft.

According to one source, the warship group is also intended to project American military power in the region, in the hope that this will act as a deterrent against the axis of resistance led by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Sources speaking with US news outlet NBC have said the United States is increasingly concerned with possible Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon in the coming weeks, this despite pressure exerted by the Biden administration for both sides to show restraint.

The Israeli occupation, however, is sticking with its position to keep Hezbollah away from its northern border, while the Zionist security establishment demands the creation of a buffer zone 10 miles deep along the border with Lebanon.

American officials are intent on settling the nerves of the two sides, publicly playing down the chances of war between the two sides, and claiming they see no evidence that a major escalation on the border is imminent, but then warned that a single miscalculation could spark a major regional war.

However, public pressure continues on the Israeli leadership to act against Hezbollah, and to ensure Israeli citizens can return to their homes in the north. US officials said this pressure is "very real", adding that the Israeli leadership feel the need to "do something" about the threat in the north.

Since the beginning of the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip, the Hezbollah Lebanese resistance movement has launched daily waves of rocket, drone and mortar strikes against Zionist military targets, and colonial settlements, in the occupation's northern territories, threatening to escalate the situation if the Zionist entity does not end its slaughter of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

In other news, it is being reported that since the start of the Zionist entity's ongoing genocidal war in the Gaza Strip, the United States Biden administration has sent the Israeli occupation thousands of highly destructive bombs and enormous amounts of ammunition.

It was explained the Americans have sent the Israeli occupation "at least 14,000 MK-84 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 precision-guided Hellfire (surface-to-air) missiles, 1,000 bunker-buster bombs, and 2,600 small-diameter air-dropped bombs were transported," along with other ammunition.

Additionally, the Biden administration intends on sending further shipments of US bombs and ammunition, including the shipment that was previously suspended out of concern that the Israeli occupation forces would continue to use the giant bombs to target civilians.

According to American officials, the US intends on sending the Israeli occupation army another 1'700 bombs weighing 220kg, which are expected to arrive shortly.

Reporting in the United States is also stating that the Biden administration has come under enormous pressure from some members of Congress following their decision to suspend the single shipment of bombs, including a bizarre series of comments and videos published by Netanyahu, leading the administration to reverse its decision.

In more news, on Friday, the United Nations Repporteur on the right to Health, Tlaleng Mofokeng, has made public comments stating that groups of people were being literally exterminated in the Gaza Strip, and that no other word but "genocide" can be used to describe what it happening.

Speaking with Turkish news outlet, Anadolu News Agency, Mofokeng pointed to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the Gaza Strip, noting that residents of Gaza were being deprived of essential services and basic needs.

"We know that people are trying to survive, but that’s really all they can do," she said, adding there is no food, safe drinking water, or safe housing in Gaza.

Pointing to the increasing death toll in the Israeli occupation's ongoing war, and the horrific conditions for those trapped under rubble or living with disabilities due to the war, the special repporteur said that "When you look literally how small Gaza strip is and the kind of destruction that’s happening, it’s really impossible to understand how this is still going on."

Speaking about the reports coming from international aid organizations that depict a dire healthcare situation in the enclave, Mofokeng went on to say that "when they (hospitals) cannot get supplies and essential medicines, and when healthcare workers themselves are being killed and harassed, it makes the attacks on the right to health even more prominent."

Mofokeng went on to condemn the support the Israeli occupation receives from the United States and Europe, which she says supports a "genocide."

"How many more children must die?" she asked, adding that people in Gaza are living a "daily nightmare."

The special repporteur asserted that the situation in the Gaza Strip reflects an "apartheid regime", and that the Israeli entity's attacks on civilians meets the definition of "genocide".

She went on call for a global conversation to recognize the events in Gaza as a genocide, and to hold the perpetrators accountable in International courts.

"I’m not in charge of prosecuting anybody," she said. “But when you have a group of people who have literally been exterminated, what else is there to declare it a genocide?"

She ended the interview by declaring that Israeli violence against healthcare personnel in Gaza, along with its denial of human rights for Palestinians are entirely unacceptable, and further urged the international community to take action to address the crises.

Meanwhile, the genocide continued in Gaza over Friday night, and renewed again on Saturday morning, with several deadly airstrikes responsible for killing a number of Palestinians and wounding even more.

North of Gaza, Israeli occupation warplanes bombed a residential house in the Yarmouk area, adjacent to the Al-Jazeera Club Stadium in Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of two children and wounding at least 5 others.

Several citizens were also wounded after an Israeli airstrike targeted the Al-Maghazi Refugee Camp, in the central Gaza Strip, while Zionist soldiers opened fire on the tents of displaced Palestinian families near the Al-Shakoush area and the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, west of the city of Rafah, in the south of Gaza.

At the same time, Zionist warplanes bombed a residential home belonging to the Abu Khadra family on Al-Wahda Street, in central Gaza City, killing four Palestinians, including two children, and wounding 10 others who were taken to the Baptist Hospital in the city.

Meanwhile, at dawn on Saturday, Israeli artillery detatchments renewed its shelling of civilian homes in the Al-Shujaiya neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

Similarly, occupation artillery forces shelled more tents of displaced families, along with agricultural greenhouses in the Al-Mawasi area, northwest of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Local civil defense crews reported recovering the decomposing bodies of 5 Palestinians after the Israeli occupation forces withdrew from the Shakoush neighborhood, west of Rafah City, while Zionist forces continued firing on civilian homes east of Khan Yunis.

Israeli fighter jets also bombarded a house in the Al-Maghazi Camp, in the central Gaza Strip, killing at least one civilian and injuring dozens of others, which coincided with the bombing and shelling of the Nuseirat Camp.

At the same time, the Israeli occupation's warplanes launched two raids on the Tal al-Hawa and Sheikh Ajlin neighborhoods, southwest of Gaza City, while occupation drones and armored vehicles targeted residential homes near the Candle Mosque in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, along with the Al-Shujaiya neighborhood, resulting in a number of casualties.

The slaughter continued when Zionist warplanes bombed two homes belonging to the Abu Kamil family in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, along with the Qwaider family in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, in the south and center of Gaza City.

Also in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a civilian vehicle, killing several Palestinians and wounding others, while occupation fighter jets bombed the Municipal Park in central Gaza City, killing and wounding a number of others.

The Israeli occupation army also launched a bombardment of the Al-Saada Towers area in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, southwest of Gaza City.

In yet another atrocity, the Israeli occupation forces bombed a residential house in the Bureij Camp, in the central Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of at least four civilians, and wounding a number of others who were transported to Al-Aqsa and Al-Awda Hospitals.

As a result of the Israeli occupation's ongoing war of extermination against the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip, the endlessly rising death toll now exceeds 37'834 Palestinians killed, including over 15'000 children and in excess of 10'000 women, while another 86'858 others have been wounded since the start of the current round of Zionist aggression, beginning with the events of October 7th, 2023.

June 29th, 2024.

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@WorkerSolidarityNews

[palms-upturned]

Al Jazeera correspondent receives threat telling her to leave her home

Oct 30th, 11:50 GMT

Youmna ElSayed, reporting from Gaza City

Our reporter in Gaza City has been told to leave her home. She made this live broadcast from inside her building as explosions from Israeli air attacks were going off all around her.

The phone call that we received was from a private number. The caller addressed my husband with his full name and told him that “This is the Israeli army, we are telling you to evacuate south because in the coming hours it is going to be very dangerous in the area where you are at.”

My husband told him that we know there were tanks is Salah al-Din Street, that’s the main street linking northern Gaza to the south, and he said, “I can’t answer you on which route you would take but the main street could be relatively safer, you should find out yourself but you need to move now”.

In the midst of all this bombardment, I don’t know how safe it would be to actually take our car and leave and drive under this heavy bombardment. It’s very risky, it doesn’t seem safe at all; in the past days, we’ve been seeing videos of cars that were directly targeted while they were on the street going to the south.

So it’s really a very tense situation, I don’t think that if I risk my life and the life of my kids to take this journey that this could be a right decision. And at the same time, they called us directly and warned us telling us to leave now but the bombardment is relentless, how are people like me and others are going to be able to leave? I don’t know what options we have right now.

There are seven families overall in this building. Some of them have their relatives living with them as well, so there are about 100 people in this building. None of the other six families got a warning call from the Israeli military, like we did, so this was a direct threat just to us, to our family.

Listen to Youmna ElSayed report on this live on air while bombardments can be heard nearby

Oct 30th, 12:00 GMT

Al Jazeera’s Wael Dahdouh, who is in Gaza City right now, says heavy smoke can be seen in the area and Israel is carrying out air strikes using white phosphorous on civilian houses.

(emphasis mine)

Evacuation warning to AJ correspondent ‘very worrying’: Media watchdog

Oct 30th, 12:30 GMT

We reported earlier that the husband of Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Gaza City, Youmna ElSayed, received a threatening phone call from the Israeli army telling the family to leave their home immediately, as explosions were going off all around their neighbourhood.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Khadija Patel, chairperson of the International Press Institute, described the call as a “very worrying” development.

“This is an indication of deliberate targeting of journalists, something that we are concerned about as part of a trend that we are seeing within this conflict,” she added.

“We want to … urge the Israeli forces to protect the lives and work of journalists in this war.”

[probablyasocialecologist]

War reporting always carries risk. The Committee to Protect Journalists has documented the deaths of media workers in the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria. Middle East conflicts have always been dangerous places for journalists; it’s hard to ignore high-profile deaths of journalists like Marie Colvin of London’s Sunday Times in Syria, or freelance photographers Chris Hondros and Tim Hetherington in Libya. In that sense, the war in Gaza and a possible war in southern Lebanon are no exceptions. But as FAIR documented during the previous Israeli military operation against Gaza, Israel has a long history of targeting Palestinian journalists, as well as harassing foreign journalists and human rights activists entering the country. Over the summer, the International Federation of Journalists reported that “several journalists have been directly targeted by Israeli snipers as they were reporting on Israel’s large-scale military operation in Jenin.” Inside Israel, the situation for journalists is relatively safer, but the far-right government has—like authoritarian governments in Poland and Hungary—attacked journalists and the ability to critically cover institutions in power. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2019 accused the owners of Israel’s Channel 12 of committing a “terror attack against democracy” for reporting on the corruption charges against him. In 2020, Netanyahu indicated that “Channel 13 journalist Raviv Drucker should be arrested and jailed” for airing “recordings of Netanyahu crony Shaul Elovich and his wife, which demonstrated how they sought to tilt news coverage in the prime minister’s favor.” Galit Distel-Atbaryan, who recently resigned from her role as public diplomacy minister, reportedly said this summer that she wanted the “authority to deny press credentials to foreign journalists critical of Israel”.

[astraystayyh]

I am unsure how to speak about Palestine. People keep telling me they fired first and my google searches are very bad

Hey, glad you sent in this ask! People who claim that Palestine initiated the firing view October 7th as an isolated event, when we cannot treat it as such. Oct 7 comes as a response to a 75 year colonization. Just like Hamas was founded in 1987 during the First Intifada- a series of civilian protests, where Palestinians threw stones at soldiers, and were met by a disproportionate and liberal use of force as described by a Humans Rights Watch report.

How could Palestine fire first when Hamas was created in direct response to the displacement and colonization that Palestinians faced? Hamas wouldn't have existed if Israel didn't murder, unlawfully imprison, torture and displace Palestinians. Oct 7 wasn't an isolate incident, every action implicates a reaction and every occupation leads to a resistance.

The west claims that Israel has a right to defend itself, leading in two months alone to the mass and brutal murder of 16.000+ civilians. But Palestine cannot defend itself against its colonizers (Just like Ukraine has done for example against Russia, a resistance backed by the American and European powers alike?)

I urge you to read about all the massacres Israel committed against Palestinians prior to Oct 7, so you'd understand better that Palestine did not fire first. Israel did not even exist prior to 1948 for Palestine to attack it.

And, let's be honest for a second. If someone comes into your home, forces you out of it, destroys it, murders everyone you know, denies you of your most basic rights, unlawfully imprisons you, tortures you physically and psychologically, destroys your land and hinders your agriculture and destroys your libraries and erases your culture, would you not resist? Would you stay silent? Of course not, and Palestinians shouldn't be dehumanized and killed for it.

Now for your second point, I'm glad you brought that up because western media is very very biased. To give you some examples, here is a Washington Post headline about four premature babies that died, decomposing on their hospital beds in Al-Nasr Hospital, in northern Gaza. They were left in the prenatal care after Israel threatened doctors to bomb the hospital if they didn't evacuate it.

"Four fragiles lives found ended"

Who ended them? Why were they in that situation to begin with? Who was behind their tragic murder? The journalist behind this post deliberately chose this title to avoid pointing the blame to Israel. In fact, the entire article doesn't directly nor clearly state the reason behind this slow and torturous death. When those four babies would not have died IF Israel didn't threaten to bomb their hospital, forcing everyone to evacuate.

We as journalists learn that the 5Ws are the essential key elements that form the basis of any article : who? where? when? what? how/why? Israel should be clearly denounced as the one responsible of those deaths, especially considering that it's a war crime underneath the Geneva convention.

Let's take another example. Pay attention to elusive langage and the way media skirts around words, using euphemisms to redirect the blame. Palestinians "die"- as if passing away due to natural causes, as if there wasn't a clear intent to murder them. Whereas Israelis are "killed"- deliberately targeted. This double standard already shows you that the media you're reading from is heavily biased.

We journalists also learn that headlines are very very important, especially on social media where most people get their information strictly by reading the headlines and sharing it, without bothering to check the entirety of the article. Now, here's an example of a misleading headline by BBC.

At first read this looks like confirmed accounts of rape. Anyone who reads it would think that it has been proven irrevocably, but let's look more into the article :

None of the rape accusations were verified, neither by the police or the journalists of BBC. All of these are alleged claims that have no tangible backing, and yet they were presented as factual in the headline, the most important part of any article that catches the attention of readers. By formulating the headline as such, BBC pre-establishes the premise that Hamas did rape women and that it has been proven. This is the information that most people would retain as they wouldn't bother reading the article. This is how propaganda starts and how false news are shared widely (remember the story of the 40 beheaded babies debunked by the IDF itself?)

Always look out for the langage and terminology the media uses. It is not coincidental, it is deliberate and it serves the interests/editorial line of the media. And you can speak up about Palestine by denouncing the genocide they're facing. If you can read about 16.000+ deaths, most of which are children, if you can see images of hospitals, refugee camps, schools, ambulances, houses, "safe routes" bombed by Israel and still be unsure of your stance, then i don't know what to tell you.

[what-if-queen-camilla]

Chapter 19

20th January 1993

Two days had passed and Camilla slowly but surely started to realise that it was not just a nightmare, that she did not have an accident and had fallen into some sort of a coma that kept her trapped in this absolute horror scenario. After she hadn't been able to eat one bite for the first two-and-a-half days following that… unpleasant incident, her basic human needs had finally taken over again and after the first few hours of sleep in days, she had even felt hungry again this morning and managed to eat a bit of porridge. She hadn't left the house and unplugged the telephone on Sunday after it hadn't stopped ringing for a second, even during night time, with all different sorts of horrible people calling, from journalists, who had seriously had the guts to ask her directly for an interview (which she had of course declined), to terrifyingly aggressive "fans" of Charles' wife, screaming the worst of names at her, some even threatening to kill her, to creepy perverts who only made disgusting noises. But the situation had reached another highpoint of cruelty when Monday morning several reporters and photographers had lined up along the driveway and between the trees and bushes in the garden - with obviously no intention to leave again so soon. In complete panic, Camilla had immediately pulled down all the shutters in the entire house and locked all doors twice. They had taken Thea out of school for the week and Andrew had promised to talk to her teacher to make sure they'd be sensitive and look after her when she returned but right now she didn't even know how she'd ever be able to step outside again. She was a prisoner in her own house. At least she had been able to keep it away from Thea as best as possible and her little angel was happy playing with her barbies and horses all day, but she'd surely start to ask further questions soon and she had no idea what she was supposed to tell her. On Monday, she had just told her that Sir and Mummy - of whom she knew that they were best friends - had been sharing a secret which unfortunately had been uncovered by some evil people and that many of them were now very angry with Mummy and they'd better stay at home for a little while until they'd have calmed down again. When Thea had asked what secret Sir and Mummy had been sharing, Camilla had lovingly reminded her that the point of a secret is not to tell anyone and that she therefore couldn't reveal it, but it had broken her heart because both she and Andrew had always been telling the children how important it was to be honest within their family, that they could always trust them and should never be afraid to tell anything because they'd always be behind them and now she was contradicting herself, acting like the complete opposite.

"Mummy, I'm hungry!", Thea said at around lunchtime and Camilla promised to go and make something for her, but opening the fridge she had a hard time finding anything she could offer her daughter. Of course, she hadn't been able to do the shopping in days and there wasn't much left apart from some rice and fish fingers. She had to try and call somebody tonight… Andrew had promised to come over on Saturday but she couldn't wait that long. Nevermind herself, she wasn't very hungry at the moment anyway, but she had a child in the house who needed food. God, what an impossible situation had she managed to get herself into. What had she done to her children, particularly to her youngest daughter who was still too little to grasp the whole thing? What an awful, horrible, terrible mother was she? This realisation hit her like a slap in the face and she felt tears filling her eyes again, but a heavy knocking on the backdoor distracted her from that and almost caused her heart attack. Fuck, who could that be? The press? Some angry supporters of Diana? The knocking became faster and louder and she really felt paralysed with fear. What if someone was going to go after her, or even worse, her poor little daughter who was playing next door? Instinctively, she grabbed a huge pan, hid next to the back door, and finally opened it…

"Milla?!" Fiona looked at her in a mixture of disbelief, shock and worry. Camilla was still paralysed, unable to speak or move or even breath, when suddenly all of her precious, remaining strength faded away, the pan falling out of her hands and onto the floor with an enormous slam, which she ignored, before powerlessly falling into her best friend's arms, desperately sobbing like a wounded animal. "Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry.", Fiona whispered as she assisted Camilla to sit down on the sofa in the living room. The atmosphere in the house was spooky, there was no daylight with all of the shutters being closed. "Where's Thea, darling?", Fiona asked, knowing that her best friend's greatest concern was always her children. Camilla was still unable to give a proper answer but pointed to the dining room, where her little darling had been playing so well all morning. "Okay, I will just quickly say hello to her and tell her that everything's fine and will be back in a minute.", she promised and was gone. Fiona, Countess of Shelburne, was the second wife of the Earl of Shelburne, known as Charlie to his friends, to whom both Charles and Camilla belonged as well. They had only got married in 1987 but Camilla had known Fiona much longer, she even was Laura's godmother and they saw each other frequently. Their family seat, Bowood House, was just about a 25 minutes drive away from her and Andrew's and, just like the Devonshires, the Shelburnes, too, had always been extremely supportive of them and had hosted them at their home over several weekends... Which had now been exposed to the whole world, as they had actually discussed the possibility of meeting at Bowood in that goddamn phone call from 1989. She didn't even dare ask Fiona whether she and Charlie were facing harassment, too, they most certainly were. "It doesn't matter, sweetie.", Fiona assured her once she had returned. "That's what friends are for. And now… you'll better get some things packed for the two of you. I'm not gonna leave you here, you can't stay. It's not safe. You'll come with me and stay with us for as long as needed." Though she was a few years younger than herself, Fiona had sounded so determined that Camilla didn't dare argue with her. She knew it was pointless. And she knew that her best friend was right. They couldn't stay here. It wasn't safe and safety was and had always been her first priority when it came to her children.

*Side note:

Bowood, family home to the Marquess and Marchioness of Lansdowne, what Charlie and Fiona are known as today, was indeed mentioned in the tapes, however it's not publicly known whether the former Earl and Countess of Shelburne did face harassment for their "involvement" with/support for Charles and Camilla's relationship. I think it's not unlikely though. Fiona has been one of Camilla’s best friends for decades: it's true that she's Laura's godmother and you might remember seeing her as one of two Ladies-in-attendance at Charles and Camilla's coronation in May (pictured below):

[birdzflycom]

Roger Waters Defends Against Allegations of Antisemitism: Berlin Police Open Investigation

Img Source: https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/GettyImages-179489260.jpg Former frontman of Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, took to social media on Friday evening to defend himself against allegations of antisemitism, a situation he has frequently faced in recent years. Waters asserted that the criticism he received following his performance in Berlin was driven by individuals who sought to tarnish his reputation and stifle his voice due to disagreements with his political and moral beliefs. The Berlin police confirmed that they had initiated an investigation into Waters' conduct and the imagery presented during his arena concerts in the city. However, Waters did not directly address the news of the police investigation in his post. In a Facebook statement, Waters clarified, "The elements of my performance that have been called into question unequivocally express opposition to fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its manifestations. Any attempt to portray these elements differently is dishonest and politically motivated. The portrayal of an unhinged fascist demagogue has been a consistent theme in my shows since Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' in 1980." A spokesperson for the Berlin police mentioned that Waters is being investigated on the grounds of "incitement to public hatred" due to concerns that his onstage attire could be perceived as glorifying or justifying Nazi rule. Displaying Nazi symbolism, endorsing the Holocaust, or engaging in antisemitic acts are illegal in Germany. It should be noted that reports claiming Waters wears a replica SS uniform as part of his performance are inaccurate. While the costumes may bear resemblance, they are intended to be satirical, regardless of the controversial and inappropriate act of mimicking firing a machine gun towards the audience. According to Berlin police, the findings of the investigation will be presented to the state's attorney within the next three months, who will then determine whether Waters will be indicted. Regardless of the outcome, the controversy surrounding Waters' tour is likely to persist, as several local government officials in England have already called for the cancellation of his upcoming appearances in the United Kingdom in response to the German controversy. The police intervention was prompted by complaints regarding the use of pseudo-Nazi costumes and imagery during a segment of Waters' concerts, dedicated to "The Wall." Additionally, the renowned rock star has faced criticism for projecting the names of Holocaust victim Anne Frank and Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, described as having been killed for "being Palestinian." Some Jewish organizations and others argue that this juxtaposition equates Israel's actions with the death camps of Nazi Germany, which claimed the lives of millions. Waters also projected the names of other individuals he believes were murdered by the state, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. In his Facebook post, Waters further emphasized, "Throughout my life, I have consistently spoken out against authoritarianism and oppression wherever I have witnessed them. As a child, the name Anne Frank was frequently mentioned in my household, serving as a perpetual reminder of the consequences of unchecked fascism. My parents fought against the Nazis in World War II, with my father making the ultimate sacrifice. Regardless of the consequences I face due to these attacks, I will continue to denounce injustice and all those who perpetrate it." Before the concerts in Germany, Waters had stated on Facebook that although he would not directly address his pro-BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) and anti-Israel views during the performances, he firmly maintained that Israel is a "tyrannical racist regime." Waters is scheduled to perform in Frankfurt on Sunday night, following a successful appeal against a court order seeking to ban the concert. Frankfurt was not the only city attempting to cancel Waters' appearance, as the mayor of Munich led an unsuccessful effort to halt his show there. In response to persistent accusations of antisemitism, Waters has consistently emphasized that his criticism is directed specifically towards Israel and not Jews in general. He has been a staunch supporter of the pro-Palestinian BDS movement, whose advocates distributed materials at his German concerts, even as Jewish protesters were kept away. A notable aspect of Waters' Berlin shows was a staging element during the song "In the Flesh," where he wore a black coat and armband reminiscent of those associated with Nazis, although the symbol of two hammers was a parody of the swastika. He was also handed a prop machine gun, which he theatrically "fired" at the audience, accompanied by sound effects. This sequence follows a spoken-word segment where individuals identifying as "queer," "looking Jewish," Black (referred to by a racial slur), and someone smoking a joint are singled out as potential targets for the fictional shooting. Since 1979, Pink Floyd fans have understood the song and its staging, as well as its adaptation in the film version of "The Wall," as a form of satire within the context of a story about a rock star descending into fascism due to his delusional state. However, some critics acknowledge the levels of irony inherent in the performance while expressing concern over Waters mimicking shooting the audience while dressed in an attire reminiscent of the SS, especially considering the Holocaust's significance. The interpretation of the imagery is further complicated by Waters' vehement statements against Israel in subsequent years, which have ignited controversy among Jewish organizations and their supporters. The accusations of antisemitism have been persistent enough for Waters to address them at the beginning of his Berlin concerts. Text displayed on-screen, accompanied by a voiceover, sought to refute the charges: "Regarding matters of public interest: A court in Frankfurt has ruled that I am not an anti-Semite." The following screen read, "Excellent. Just to be clear. I condemn anti-Semitism unconditionally." However, writer Nicholas Potter, who attended one of the Berlin concerts and wrote about it for Belltower News, contradicted Waters' claim of legal vindication. Potter clarified, "Waters' assertion that a court ruled he is not an antisemite is false. The Administrative Court in Frankfurt am Main merely granted an emergency request by the singer to proceed with the concert at Festhalle Frankfurt. The city had attempted to prevent the concert based on the Jewish community's request. This action was justified due to the venue's historical significance, as it was used for the deportation of Jews during the Nazi era. A similar attempt was made in Munich to ban the concert at the Olympiahalle, but it was not possible for legal reasons, according to a city council resolution." The controversy surrounding Waters is likely to shift to England or may have already done so. Christian Wakeford, a Member of Parliament in Manchester, expressed his stance on social media, stating, "Roger Waters has a long history of despicable attacks against Jewish people. His recent shows in Berlin demonstrate why he should not be welcomed in Manchester. I have written a letter to the AO Arena outlining why his concert next month should be canceled... I hope reason prevails and this individual and his abhorrent views are not welcomed anywhere near Manchester." Supporters of the Palestinian cause regard Waters as a courageous celebrity who dares to support their movement, despite facing criticism from the Jewish community. On the other hand, Waters' former Pink Floyd bandmate, David Gilmour, endorsed a statement labeling him as "antisemitic to the core" and penned by his wife, Polly Samson. Samson further criticized Waters as a Putin apologist and described him as deceitful, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, and consumed by envy. Gilmour quote-tweeted his wife's message, affirming that he believed every word to be "demonstrably true." Although Waters has remained defiant in the face of criticism and even faced boycotts and canceled concerts, he has made adjustments to his show in response to the accusations of antisemitism. Initially defending the use of the Star of David on a menacing pig that floated above the audience ("Like it or not, the Star of David represents Israel"), he has since replaced it with the logo of the Israeli arms company Elbit Systems. Known for his willingness to engage in political discourse where few other stars venture, Waters has also expressed his opinions on geopolitical conflicts unrelated to Israel or the Palestinians. He regularly criticizes American foreign policy, regardless of whether it is under Republican or Democratic administrations. Recently, despite his anti-authoritarian stance, he perplexed many fans by suggesting that Russia had valid historical reasons for its aggression against Ukraine and that the invasion was provoked. Later, during a streamed statement at the United Nations council, where he appeared at Russia's behest, he expressed a desire for both sides to work towards peace. While most Pink Floyd fans may overlook Waters' statements or disagree with them, in order to enjoy live performances of some of the most popular rock songs in history, his proclivity for unpopular positions may have caused some damage to his brand within the music industry. As a result, a proposed sale of the Pink Floyd catalog, potentially worth half a billion dollars, reportedly remains uncertain, with Waters' controversial views cited as one possible reason potential buyers might hesitate to enter into such a deal. Read the full article

[lilworms]

I admit I don’t know anything about the Palestine Israel situation. Can you explain it to me and what your stance is and why? Thank you.

i appreciate you taking the opportunity to educate yourself, truly. however, i will not pretend that i’m some beacon of information. i can, and i will, provide links and resources. i began learning about this in high school, i follow reporters who are present, i find news sources that are NOT western, and i stand for Palestine wholeheartedly. i read a lot on AlJazeera, and i read a lot coming from the Palestinian people directly (mostly on twitter). this is an inhumane attack on Palestinian people - an Israeli occupation that has been happening since 1967 - and has turned to active genocide. keep in mind that Palestine was NOT free before Israeli occupation, and they were under attack prior. they have never known freedom. Palestinian people are trapped and have nowhere to go for safety.

i have compiled a list of some sources i frequent, but if anyone has others - PLEASE share them.

- DecolonizePalestine is a great resource for the history of palestine

- Gaza is under white phosphorus attacks. (x) (x)

- Sulaiman Ahmed is an investigative journalist reporting live coverage

- Let’s Talk Palestine is an informative instagram

- Motaz Azaiza is a Palestinian photographer

- Wael Al Dahdouh is a reporter for Al Jazeera news

- Hamdan Dahdouh is a cameraman for Al Jazeera news

- Plestia Alaqad is a journalist currently in Gaza

- Muhammad Smiry speaks about his life under occupation

- Times of Gaza is providing updates on twitter

- Palestine Online is amplifying Palestinian voices

- Salma Shawa provides updates on Palestine

- Yara is a Palestinian war journalist

- Jewish Voices for Peace

- Matt Bernstein is a queer Jewish man who advocates for Palestine

From the river to the sea. PALESTINE WILL BE FREE. 🇵🇸 🖤

[darkmaga-returns]

A group of UN experts on Monday said that Israel “must face the consequences” of its campaign to undermine the legal framework for the protection of civilians in armed conflicts as the military aggression continues unabated, Anadolu Agency reports.

“As we have repeatedly reminded Israel, international humanitarian law comprises a set of universal and binding rules to protect civilian objects and persons who are not, or are no longer, directly participating in hostilities and limits permissible means and methods of warfare,” the experts said in a statement.

“Rather than abide by these rules, Israel has openly defied international law time and again, inflicting maximum suffering on civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory and beyond,” they added.

Citing Israel’s international law violations, the experts said Tel Aviv committed “crimes against humanity including murder, torture, sexual violence, and repeated forced displacement amounting to forcible transfer, war crimes encompassing indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects, including objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population and educational institutions and cultural heritage, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, the targeting of healthcare workers and health facilities, attacks on humanitarian workers, arbitrary restrictions on access to humanitarian aid, and attacks on journalists, collective punishment and perfidy.”

“Political and judicial actors must consider the totality of such acts against the entire civilian population under Israeli occupation, who are protected persons and do not constitute military objectives under international law,” they said. “Acts aimed at their destruction in whole or in part are genocidal.”

Israel “grievously” violated its obligations as an occupying power, the experts said, regarding the situation in northern Gaza.

“Indiscriminate attacks, including on shelters for displaced persons and the Kamal Adwan Hospital and its vicinity, and the intensification of siege conditions on northern Gaza for the last three months run contrary to Israel’s legal duty to ensure the protection of the civilian population,” they said.

“We are disturbed that this siege, coupled with expanding evacuation orders, appears intended to permanently displace the local population as a precursor to Gaza’s annexation in further violation of international law.”

[agentcable]

Taxi Driver 2 Ep. 12

After being kicked out of Black Sun and beaten up, Do-Ki is arrested by the police instead of them intervening. Despite Young-Min's help in bailing him out, Do-Ki now realizes that the police are working with Black Sun. Rainbow Transport infiltrates the club to bring them to justice for the crimes they are committing.

Season 2 Episode 12 "I Need To Get Back Inside"

The series is based on real-life heinous crimes committed in Korea and has received praise from viewers for its performances and storylines.

If you want to watch the series for yourself, stop reading! This post contains spoilers to the storyline.

Episode 12 "I Need To Get Back Inside"

In Episode 12 of Taxi Driver Season 2, Do-Ki is taken into police custody on Guard Jang's orders. Go-Eun, Kyung-Koo, and Jin-Eon witness Do-Ki being taken away, while the mother of the minor arrives in an ambulance to take her son and his friend away. The woman berates Guard Jang for allowing her son in, and Jang blames his subordinate for letting something like this happen. Jang discovers that the children gained entry to the club through Windy. Jang requests that Windy's schedule be erased, which prompts the escort. She locates Jang in the VIP room and slaps him for causing her financial harm. Jang informs Windy that the club can handle situations such as rape or assault, but allowing minors inside is unacceptable. Windy attacked the chief guard by hitting im with her heel and breaking a glass bottle over his head as revenge. Yoo Moon-Hyun, the chief in charge of Black Sun, walked in and separated the two.

Meanwhile, Detective Jang Jin-Ho called Guard Jang to inform him about Do-Ki's arrest. During Do-Ki's interrogation by Senior Officer Jo Min-Geon, Detective Jang claimed that Do-Ki was being arrested on charges of molestation. Do-Ki was locked up and left in shock. Meanwhile, Go-Eun attempted to gather information to assist Do-Ki. She spotted the journalist from earlier that night entering the police station. Kim Young-Min, the journalist, managed to help release Do-Ki from lockup. During a meal and drinks, Young-Min and Do-Ki bonded, and the journalist shared how he saved Do-Ki using CCTV footage. Do-Ki praised Young-Min for his bravery in being beaten up by the guards at Black Sun to expose them. Young-Min advises Do-Ki to steer clear of Black Sun and requests that he refrain from interfering. At Rainbow Taxi headquarters, the sun group speculates about the events at Black Sun. Go-Eun discloses that the club had six owners, none of whom were the true owners, but rather individuals posing as such. To investigate the club, Do-Ki decides to use a method other than attending as a guest.

In one of the VIP rooms, Park Hyun-Jo, the chief of police and one of the club's owners, is with Victor. The idol thanks the cop for saving him from a DUI. Hyun-Jo signs the revenue chart for the month, which shows that Black Sun's monthly business is 5.64 million dollars. Hyun-Jo is invited by the idol to his comeback party, which will be held at a private resort with women that Hyun-Jo likes. Hyun-Jo informs Victor that the club is making a profit every month. Kyung-Koo and Jin-Eon successfully take down one drunk guard outside the club while Do-Ki abducts two others in his taxi. Moon-Hyun is frustrated that Guard Jang is unable to handle the other guards and contacts someone to get replacements from the gym.

Do-Ki is a gym-goer who was selected to work at Moon-Hyun's club due to his aggression, which he demonstrated by beating two other gym-goers. Guard Jang is surprised to see Do-Ki as one of the new guards, but Do-Ki lies and says he acted on instinct that day to avoid an argument. Moon-Hyun appreciates Do-Ki's attitude and asks him to report any minors seen in the club directly to him. Guard Jang has narrated a set of rules for the bouncers. The rules state that only men and women who meet certain appearance standards are allowed inside the club. The club only allows VIP males during peak hours at 12am. VIP women who meet certain appearances standards are also granted access after 12am. Windy and Jang bicker in front of the junior guards. Do-Ki is assigned as Guard #9 on the main dance floor and instructed not to intervene in any fights.

CEO Yang recognizes Do-Ki as the guard and appears pleased to see him. During his break, Do-Ki chats with the other members of the revenge crew. However, Guard Jang spots him there. To face Jang, Do-Ki puts on a scene and kicks Jin-Eon and Kyung-Koo out of the club's premises. Jang is shocked to learn that CEO Kang wants to meet Do-Ki and invites him inside. Jang informs Do-Ki that he will now be working with the VIPs. Like the other guards, Do-Ki must protect the alcohol bottle with his employee number (#9). If the bottle shatters, breaks or is stolen, Do-Ki will be responsible for it. He follows the VIP who was holding the bottle #9 and enters the VIP room. Do-Ki observes that the VIP clients are middle-aged women who are being entertained by male escorts. Fortunately, CEO Kang is also present in the same room and is conversing with Ha-Joon who is on his way inside the club.

A superior guard coincidentally calls Do-Ki out and swaps his employee ID with him. As a result, Do-Ki becomes guard #2 and is instructed to wait outside. Ha-Joon notices Do-Ki leaving the VIP area, but doesn't think much of it. Do-Ki witnesses two guards dragging a drunk VIP client into a car and is then asked to drive the woman home. In her VIP room, CEO Kang becomes suspicious when she finds someone else wearing the #9 badge. She ends up breaking a bottle, which frightens the guards and other guests even more. During a discussion about the bishop's arrival, Ha-Joon intervenes and puts on a show to entertain the guards. He fights three of them alone and manages to beat them all. The VIPs are entertained by the guards being beaten up. CEO Kang agrees to fulfil Ha-Joon's wish as per their deal.

Meanwhile, Do-Ki is concerened about the client who is passed out in his car but notices that another car is following him. he whispers to Go-Eun, asking her to run a check on the number plates. She discovers that the car belongs to journalist Kim Young-Min. Do-Ki attempts to escape from Young-Min, but the journalist crashes into his vehicle. Young-Min is recognized by the other guards in the car. The journalist rams into Do-Ki's vehicle in an attempt to stop him. Young-Min loses his balance and is about to be hit by a truck. However, Do-Ki uses his vehicle to save the journalist. He beats up the guards who come to check on him after using pepper spray. Do-Ki tells the journalist that they need to take the girl to the hospital as soon as possible. Young-Min informs Do-Ki at the hospital that the girl was drugged and at risk of sexual assault. The doctor confirms that the girl had drugs in her system and had reported it to the police. The woman is arrested by female officers while Detective Jang Jin-Ho reads her rights while she is still sedated.

Do-Ki and Young-Min observe as the girl is taken away, and the journalist appears angry. He returns to the car where the guards have just regained consciousness. Do-Ki pretends to be unconscious too, as the guards are concerned about losing the drugged girl. Later, after finishing his shift, Do-Ki meets with Young-Min at his house to discuss the case he was working on. Do-Ki discovers that Young-Min had been working to expose the Black Sun for a while. After Do-Ki insists, Young-Min admits that he was seeking revenge for the death of his friend, Choi Seung-Eun. Seung-Eun was killed after attempting to expose the Black Sun. The incident was reported as a suicide, but Young-Nim knows it was staged.

Young-Min holds himself responsible for the incident because he drove Seung-Eun to the Black Sun nichtglub where drugs worth millions were being sold. Seung-Eun had called Young-Nim for help, but reportedly killed himself before they could meet. The police showed Young-Min footage of Seung-Eun, who allegedly died by suicide due to loans and debt. Young-Min believes Seung-Eun saw something he shouldn't have at the nightclub and vowed to uncover the truth about his death. Young-Min inspected the tapes and noticed that Seung-Eun did not have the spy cam pen he was given. Additionally, Young-Min observed that Seung-Eun's demeanor had changed after leaving Black Sun. Furthermore, Black Sun framed Young-Min, resulting in his termination from his job. The journalist filmed himself on the rooftop hoping that Black Sun guards would kill him. This would draw public attention to the nightclub's wrongdoings. Do-Ki left Rainbow Taxi's contact information for Young-Nim before returning to headquarters.

Go-Eun and the others believe that fighting Black Sun is beyond their capabilities. However, Do-Ki is certain that Young-Min was also after the same target they were. Sung-Chul remains neutral on the situation and suggests that the nightclub, Black Sun, may have the answers to their questions. He recommends taking the case on. Meanwhile, Do-Ki reassures Go-Eun that everything will be okay. Later that night, Do-Ki drops off Young-Min after taking on his case. The group resumes using the taxi M5283, and the episode concludes.

[hardynwa]

Guinea-Bissau: Soldier detained after gunfire in capital

A man described as the leader of a group of soldiers who tried to free a detained minister and a senior state official in Guinea-Bissau has been caught, the military says. Heavy gunfire was reported in the capital on Friday morning. Members of the National Guard had taken the officials before seeking refuge in barracks south of the city. Special forces then intervened after attempts to negotiate failed, resulting in an exchange of gunfire. Calm is said to have been restored later. The "situation is completely under control", the AFP news agency quotes an army spokesman as saying. Finance Minister Souleiman Seidi and António Monteiro, the secretary of state for the treasury, had been detained amid investigations into the alleged irregular withdrawal of $10m (£8m) of state funds. They were questioned on Thursday afternoon by an anti-corruption inquiry to clarify the payments to 11 companies. In a parliamentary session on Monday, the leader of the country's main opposition party alleged that the owners of the companies were close to leaders of the country's governing coalition. Mr Seidi defended the payments as legal. On Thursday after the questioning, Mr Seidi and Mr Monteiro were arrested and detained so as not to jeopardise the investigations, local media said. National Guard soldiers later in the evening invaded the police cells, located near Bandim market, "with AK-47 weapons and bazookas" and extricated the detained officials, the privately owned O Democrata news outlet reported. It said the National Guard took them to an unknown location. President Umaro Sissoco Embalo is currently out of the country, attending the UN's COP28 climate conference in Dubai. On Friday morning, regional stabilisation forces deployed by the regional West African bloc Ecowas were seen patrolling the streets, the AFP news agency reported. Guinea-Bissau has suffered a series of coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. In February last year, the president said he survived a coup attempt after being under heavy gunfire for five hours - in an incident in which 11 people died. Without providing details, he said the attack was linked to drug trafficking in the country. Some however doubted the official version of the events, amid questions including who was really behind the attempt, how many people were involved and who was in command. Talking to the BBC's Newshour programme, Alberto Dabo, a journalist in Bissau, directly linked the recent events to what happened last year. "After the coup attempt, many high-ranking officials of the army who were held responsible for that are in jail without any judgement. And some high-ranking members of the army are demanding their liberation," he said. Read the full article

[nourelle-tracy]

Ok so here we are! This is for fabfivefeb prompt by @gumnut-logic. I chose tge prompt "a memory" and the amaaaazing iris chose to help me and write a fic for my drawings ::squeals and hugs her::

Art is by me, but full credit of this fantastic fic goes to @bonsaiiiiiii 🤗🤗💛✨

Spoiler: Sequel to SOS 2

Warning: panic attacks!

"Welcome back with the 7 o'clock news! Here’s one last hour: at this moment the International Rescue has just heroically rescued a family from a dangerous situation. The disastrous incident, which occurred in a solitary lost house in the mountains of Wuhan, China, involved the rescue of 5 children and a mother, and the heroic intervention of our rescuers, as depicted in this video." The presenter departed to the side to allow all the families present behind the big camera to be able to see the long-awaited video, which represented the pilot of the green Thunderbird along with his co-pilot, recently returned. Both were pulling out the mother and children, fortunately all alive, from the rubble of the house collapsed on itself. You could see the pilot with the yellow sash looking around seriously, before his face turned into a smile, greeting the few journalists gathered, while the pilot with the green sash hid his face from the cameras walking quickly, neither of them giving a word to the press.

"Wow, what a nice comeback after so much..." Gordon grunted, settling better on the back of his seat.

"They practically hit us. Are you okay puffer?" Virgil answered, watching him out of the corner of his eye while he kept his 'girl' in the air.

"Yes. Not as bad as for the...first day." Gordon replied, sighing.

"After the accident it was fair for you to feel that way. You’re just a little out of shape after so much time with those casts."

Gordon subconsciously touched his arm, although it wasn't hurting, remembering how he had gotten that cast on his arm for a few months. He owed Penny a big favor. Then he stretched. "Let’s get this family to the hospital and then we’ll go home."

"How do you measure this day from 1 to 10?" Virgil asked, looking at him directly this time.

The blond considered it for a moment. "Meh, a valid 7. I’m a little rusty. I just want to go home and eat all the celery bars in the pantry." Virgil chuckled. "You?"

"Even if the day is not yet over I'll give it a 9. No tragedies today." Virgil replied.

They had arrived home, and the dinner had been delicious as always. Not really. After trying not to throw up at the table with the other brothers so that Grandma wouldn’t tie them all to some palm trees on the island, Gordon apologized to then go up to his room under the guise of resting for a moment before going for a bath, with immense relief from Virgil who, to be honest, could not see the moment, while all the other brothers disappeared in a heartbeat in various parts of the island not to be found by Grandma when she mentioned a possible dessert. Unfortunately, Scott did not escape in time, repeatedly making praying gestures while sitting at the table, while Grandma put some strange sugary concoction in front of him.

Gordon hurried up to his room, the place where he was most of the time during his convalescence. And in fact, he now wanted to be in the pool for a night swim, and here he is, sitting at the foot of the bed. But after that he would have gladly gone to the pool, maybe soaking all night, even naked if he wanted it. He didn’t care much about sleeping, despite what Virgil kept babbling about, even threatening to keep him nailed to the bed if it was necessary; after all, he had been living the good life between bed and sofa for a long time.

In his hand he had a stone with a paper attached on it, maybe nothing important, but his instinct strongly suggested to him to take it from the rubble. And there it was, in his hands.

During the rescue he had the bad feeling of being observed, and shortly after that rock had made his appearance. He cut off the card, laying the stone on the ground, and opened it with trembling hands. What he saw was enough to make him suddenly nervous.

There, in a wrinkled sheet and probably reused many times, there was a threatening message, consisting of many newspaper clippings glued together. Nothing unusual, you will think, the message will be addressed to the family and should be taken to the police for a good report. But no.

I just wanted to send you to your mom. I thought u missed her...I doubt she is proud of such a reckless child! Do you even remember her? Did she even love you? I doubt!

The message was exactly for him, and unfortunately it wasn't the only one. He did not have time to think further because suddenly a panic attack, also this familiar, began to cloud his sight. He lost no more time, making sure the door was locked properly and moving towards the stereo. His brothers would have tied him up somewhere, but he didn’t care. He put on a song, the first that came to his mind, cranking up the volume and starting to cry desperately at the melody of Caramelldansen, something a little ironic given the situation.

Once his breath was more or less regular, he stood up again, destroying everything that happened to him within range. It didn’t matter if it was the wall, the shelves, the bedside tables...he threw it all away in panic and rage.

He then began to look for something else, opening his closet door and throwing away clothes, shoes, hangers, everything within his sight, until he could see a box still piled between the clothes. He took it gently, his hands shaking violently and his face drenched with tears. He picked up with his nose, sitting at the foot of the bed, the one thing he had not destroyed, or at least not yet. He watched without any force left in his body the feathers fly in the air from the torn pillow, and then he returned to look at the box that he had just pulled out, labeled 'Mom’s memories'. Although, there was nothing belonging to his mom in that box.

In an almost feverish impulse he began to reread the other cards, compiled with the same technique, sent by the one who had helped to make his life a hell and to keep him relegated to this damn island. He felt the rage take hold of him again, so he crumpled all the cards again, throwing them against the wall with all the force in his body. When the second panic attack also calmed down, Gordon rose slowly, collecting all the wrinkled paper balls and placing them in the box, a new ball to add to the collection. He then collapsed on the floor tired, completely forgetting the idea of a swim in the pool.

John appeared to verify Gordon’s condition, and was greeted by the remix of What Are You Doing In My Swamp blasted at full volume, not that it surprised him.

Since the accident, Virgil had sensors applied to Gordon’s clothes to keep him under control and to note any changes in temperature or mood in the squid boy; and here, at this moment, all the values, from the heartbeat to blood pressure, From body temperature to constant mood swings, everything was through the roof. Too much.

Once he had taken control of his stereo and turned off the music, massaging his throbbing temples, John was greeted by a view that made him widen his eyes from the shock. What the...?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Again all credit for this fic goes to @bonsaiiiiiii

[comrade-meow]

"Now Duffield’s death has not only become the subject of menacing taunts sandwiched within more death threats by trans activists on Twitter since last year, but her comments on her own possible death at the hand of trans activists render visible that the space between the linguistic calls for death and the "witch-burning" of Bordeaux are merely nanoseconds apart."

On 12 September in Bordeaux, a man took a flare and attempted to burn women marching with Résistance Lesbienne, a French radical feminist lesbian collective. The video posted by Résistance Lesbienne briefly describes what transpired, “Trans-identified male ‘[A]antifa’ tries to burn lesbians at Bordeaux Pride (France).”

There is a second video by a female who witnessed the incident. It shows a man in black holding the left side of a banner with his right hand as he and the others move up with their sign perpendicular to the procession. He screams repeatedly, “Get lost!” as he rushes towards the procession of women directly in front of him. The women he approaches are holding signs as he aims specifically at those who hold a banner that reads “Lesbians don't have penises” as he unpacks a flare, lights it and then holds it out with his left hand aiming it at the women. This video shows how close this man came to burning the lesbian activists.

Résistance Lesbienne attended Bordeaux Pride this year to oppose the demands made of lesbians to negate their sexual preferences by obliging them to include males who identify as “transgender” or even those men who have one of myriad identities. Joan, a member of Résistance Lesbienne, tells me that this is not the first incident of violence as she relates how women from Résistance Lesbienne were attacked during the Pride in Paris. This too was captured by video.

Joan was at last week’s Pride March in Bordeaux with Résistance Lesbienne which was composed of nine other women who had travelled from around the country. She recounts what happened at the march: “We got there and there was someone from Pride who came to talk with us to ask if we were staying for the march. When we said that we were marching his answer was to say “OK” adding that he would later give us information about our participation in the Pride march.” He didn’t come back to give any details of the march to women, as Joan tells me, “We think that he let the other groups know in order for them to expel us from the march, letting us know that we were not welcome.”

Joan tells me that Résistance Lesbienne in Bordeaux involved seven women marching in the procession while three other women acted as security. They handed out fliers and peacefully marched. While walking, Joan noticed a man coming at her and the other women: “He held a flare that he lit and then approached us from the rear of the procession of women.” Joan and other women were blocked from the rear and the left by the man holding the flare and they were also blocked from in front by three or four women who blocked their exit. “I had the flame several centimetres from my leg,” Joan relates adding, “When we understood that we were blocked we exited from the right and that was the moment that we escaped. Even then, one of the women from the Antifa group followed us and told us to ‘get lost.’ Later, the organisers told us to leave and said it was for our security.”

Joan tells me that the Bordeaux police witnessed the incident and did nothing. Résistance Lesbienne released a statement about the incident on 14 September and one person (@erinyah_) within the transgender community confirmed the attack tweeting: “[A] group of anti-fascist comrades intimidated the TERF[s] by lighting a flare and approaching them. I thank them because the TERF became frightened after that.”

Aside from the fact that the police allowed this incident to occur, the attacker has been liberally publicising his attempt on Twitter (@oviked) to burn “TERFs” (trans-exclusionary radical feminists). One tweet presents a diptych wherein he has juxtaposed a photo of a wall graffitied with “TERFs at the stake” on the left, and on the right, a photo of him attempting to burn the women of Résistance Lesbienne. He is in good company with a tweet by @trannilusion that reads, “too bad those t*rfs didn’t really b*rn” among many others who support @oviked’s “witch” burning. Collages Féministes Bordeaux and Du Pain Et Des Roses have been identified as the two groups involved in the attacks from last Sunday as the former tweeted that they would “never be sorry for not standing up for hateful women” and the latter admitted to having torn off the women’s “transphobic banner.”

Where the attempt to burn “witches” took place in central Bordeaux in full visibility of the town’s citizens and the police while nobody blinked an eye, it is clear that we are seeing women being sorted into two groups: hateful and not worth defending and those who are worth burning, hence unworthy of defence. On the other side of the channel, a similar situation brews as we learned Sunday of Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield’s decision that she would not be attending this week’s Labour Party.

The Sunday Times reported that Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield pulled out of the party’s annual conference in Brighton this week due, in part, to threats of violence from transgender activists. The Times story covers how Duffield, Chair of the Women’s Parliamentary Labour Party, made the decision not to attend this year’s Labour Party conference after she was advised that attending it was “not a good idea” citing that she “did not want to be the centre of attention.” In the article, Duffield describes her exhaustion and feeling “frightened” after last year’s Twitter attacks when she was called a “transphobe” for liking a tweet by Piers Morgan who mocked a CNN calling women “individuals with a cervix” in their tweet ostensibly set out to underscore the importance of screening tests for cervical cancer. Morgan replied: “Do you mean women?” She also liked a tweet by Maya Forstater which referenced “cross-dressers,” a term some trans activists claim is offensive. However, similar to punk pioneer trans-identified Jayne County who was banned from Facebook for using the word “tranny” in 2014, “cross-dresser” is a term that not only cross-dressers use, but so too does Stonewall. After receiving online threats from militant transgender activists, Duffield made the choice to step away from this year’s Labour Party event.

But even a full feature article replete with direct quotes from Duffield has been glossed over by other media outlets skimming the bottom of the media fish tank for a story that hardly approximated the facts of the SundayTimes coverage. The Independent’s Alastair Jamieson writes that Duffield will be missing the party’s annual conference this week because of “a dispute with LGBT+ members over her stance on transgender rights.” The Guardian’s political correspondent writes that Duffield “felt unable” to attend Labour gathering in Brighton this week because “she was made to feel unwelcome because of her views on trans women.” The threats are barely covered in either newspaper as if Duffield’s absence is a minor disagreement or her discomfort for absolutely no reason whatsoever. When you airbrush death threats from an article, the reader is left with the archetypical “difficult woman” paradigm which highlights the misogyny within left-leaning journalism today.

I mention the media coverage here because it is crucial that we understand how media has played into the partisanship of gender ideology that has attempted to undo women’s rights in recent years. Where journalists are given editorial high-fives to recast threats against a female politician as something other, women of far lower social and economic prominence understand in a split second what this means for their safety and their livelihoods. These women know that if nobody will protect Duffield, what chances have they of surviving the onslaught of identitarianism that has permeated almost every inch of our collective political atmosphere both in the public and private sectors.

Where a man in broad daylight went unobstructed in his attempt to burn women on the streets of Bordeaux last Sunday, this week’s revelation by a Member of Parliament that she must sit out a conference that is part of her profession due to concerns for her safety, women and men everywhere need to sit up and take note. When an MP is hounded out of the Labour Party conference because of her ability to recognise what a woman is, it’s not just women’s rights on the line—common sense and the freedom of expression have also been taken hostage.

Simply wearing a t-shirt with “Woman=Adult, Human, Female” is enough to get women barred from standing for public office and banned from the party office for ten years. Just ask Natalie Bird, a forty-year-old mother of two who was blocked from standing in Wakefield, Yorkshire, and banned from the party office for ten years after a complaint about her wearing a T-shirt reading, “Woman: Adult, Human, Female.”

Bird was the Radical Association Chair, North West Executive and, she tells me that she had been shortlisted for a number of target seats within the party including Southport and Wells. In 2018, a complaint was made against Bird for raising concerns about the rights of vulnerable women and that men who identify as “transgender” were “allowed access to women's refuges.” In short, she was accused of “dangerous transphobia.” Bird tells me, that she received numerous complaints “for tweets, speaking, and for generally having a view on this topic” in addition to her having worn a “Woman=Adult, Human, Female” t-shirt at a party meeting. “I was selected as PPC (prospective parliamentary candidate) but unfortunately I couldn't run in the election due to wearing this t-shirt at a party meeting. The t-shirt incident led to a disciplinary hearing and sanctions as she relates, "I was not able to run in the election that Jo Swinson lost her seat in.” Bird then asked to appeal the sanctions the day after the panel's decision since it hadn’t considered all the evidence set before them. Bird continues, “The appeal then disappeared completely along with my complaints against the party—it completely disappeared into a black hole. They haven't acknowledged it or taken it forward at all.” Bird is now crowdfunding to “instruct lawyers to explore whether there have been breaches of the internal procedures of the Liberal Democrats and whether there have been breaches of the Equality Act 2010 against her (and potentially other women in the party).”

Duffield and Bird have been targeted for stating that sex is biological and that men are not women resulting in both women having been forced to abstain from their political professions—one temporarily until the end of the Labour Party conference this week and the other one for a decade. Where men’s rights to have their identity du jour enshrined into public and private life, into public policy and law, and into educational, legal, policing and medical institutions, women as far-flung as the British Parliament are vulnerable to a lobby that has held us all hostage by sheer illogic and the power to bully the subject from her profession.

Let’s be clear here: The gender lobby has not won the argument—it has merely tossed its toys from the pram while getting everyone involved in cleaning up its mess as members of this self-appointed politburo spout off fake suicide stats and anti-science nonsense that do not resonate with reality. Fictional capture has so far won the day and it is no surprise that in an era of economic descent by the middle class that words have come to be the stand-in for the material comforts that fleeting wealth offers.

There are many questions that we must ask as to how the divorce from material reality was ushered forth at breakneck speed from the left while it has so miserably failed to address issues of poverty, wealth inequality and myriad other aftereffects of late-stage capitalism. We must also query if our inability to address historical materialism within our current political structures might have led the middle class to harness power—albeit symbolically—within a domain almost entirely constructed of incoherent garble that makes Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs look positively Nobel Prize-worthy: the language of identity.

It’s not merely that a man wanted to publicly burn “witches” in France nine days ago, it’s that nobody in the crowd—not even the police—blinked an eye or attempted to intervene. There is a severe imbalance between those bodies who are allowed to throw a strop and those bodies who are expected to clean up the mess and indulge those having serial temper tantrums. Rarely, if ever, do we ask why we place the responsibility upon the majority of society to tolerate, coddle and accommodate the emotional volatility of a tiny fraction of the population who wishes that mermaids and unicorns were real.

How did we arrive at this moment in time where we have perfectly divorced physical and social realities of import from the wanton desires of the individual to be “seen as”? This is just one of many questions that we must consider to include those women in Bordeaux who attempted to block the “fire exit” of the lesbian collective at risk of being “femmes brûlées” to the many female defenders of Owen Jones’ serialised misogyny.

Duffield asks other significant questions about the role women have played in destroying the rights of women and girls:

Why are women so desperate to divorce themselves from everything they associate with being female? Why are they so uncomfortable? Why is it such a terrible place to be? These are questions that need answering and need to be discussed sensibly. It certainly rings massive alarm bells for people like me, of my generation, who have been feminists their entire lives.

While there is no shortage of implicit and explicit threats directed at Duffield, she has come out of last autumn’s Twitter pile-on with even more clarity about what is happening to women in the UK. She told The Times last year, “I’ll probably be killed at some point.” Now Duffield’s death has not only become the subject of menacing taunts sandwiched within more death threats by trans activists on Twitter since last year, but her comments on her own possible death at the hand of trans activists render visible that the space between the linguistic calls for death and the "witch-burning" of Bordeaux are merely nanoseconds apart.

[hummussexual]

After 10 days of perilous violence that resulted in over 200 lives lost, a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas went into effect on Friday.The putative break from hostilities follows waves of Israeli airstrikes on the Palestinian city of Gaza that began on May 10 amid a broader conflict over the eviction of four Palestinian families in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. As those attacks continued, the rising Palestinian death toll and the destruction of vital infrastructure in Gaza sparked mounting global outrage as well as calls to end the violence. But despite the possibility of a respite from the more overt attacks of the last two weeks, Palestinians — who bore the brunt of the casualties and the destruction — are still in need of financial aid, basic resources, and increased international support. The struggle is far from over for the residents of Gaza, especially for the LGBTQ+ Palestinians who are used as a rhetorical cudgel to “pinkwash” the conflict while dealing with their own unique struggles at home. Here are 5 crucial ways you can help support the lives of Palestinians as they look to recover and rebuild.

1. Donate and Boycott There are a number of reputable grassroots organizations you can support that are aimed at ending the Israeli occupation of Gaza and improving the day-to-day lives of Palestinians living in peril. Standouts include The Palestine Child Relief Fund; IF Charity, which distributes funds to families impacted by violence in Gaza; and Doctors Without Borders, an international organization that provides medical treatment to victims. Another notable movement is Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, also known as BDS. It’s an economic protest, similar to the Montgomery bus boycotts of the civil rights era, that calls for consumers across the world to stop purchasing products from influential companies that have business ties to Israel. You can find the full list of companies BDS is boycotting here.

2. Amplify Palestinian Voices During this time, it is crucial that we make space for Palestinian communities to be heard, felt, and understood. We should be especially mindful of the fact that America, a global superpower, has historically played its own insidious role in the decades-long struggle between Israel and Palestine.On social media, make a concerted effort to follow and share Palestinian voices and their experiences. If you’re not sure where to start, some progressive voices include Mohammed El-Kurd, a writer and poet, who has been vocal about his own struggles in Palestine, and Yara Hawari, a feminist advocate who holds a PhD in Middle East Studies and frequently provides vital contextualization on the conflict in Gaza for various media outlets.For a more streamlined perspective, you can also follow the “Silenced Voices of Gaza” Twitter list for a collection of tweets from journalists, activists, and humanitarians who are based in Gaza.

3. Shop Palestine There are a number of brands and products made by Palestine-based companies and creators that you can buy from directly, helping to support the local Gaza economy. The online marketplace Shop Palestine sells an assortment of products from Palestinian merchants, including hand-woven rugs, ceramics, jewelry, and ships internationally. (Note: They’re currently experiencing a delay in shipments, due to a sudden influx in orders.)You can also support the wider diaspora. Check in your area to see if there are shops and restaurants owned by Palestinian immigrants or individuals with ties to the West Bank.

4. Read Widely One major way to help support Palestinians is to get a more accurate, nuanced view of the current situation and the history behind it. A number of academic studies have exposed the media-biases Western outlets often display when reporting on the Israel-Palestine conflict, whether consciously or unconsciously. As readers become more aware of those biases, they have begun questioning who is best served by traditional “objectivity” best serves. On Thursday, for example, after the Associated Press fired news associate Emily Wilder for publicly sharing her criticisms of Israel’s actions against Palestine, an uproar followed that may not have been quite so loud even a few years ago. So how can you ensure you are getting an accurate view of the conflict? Read across multiple outlets. Also, do not rely solely on the day-to-day news cycle to understand the Middle East conflict. Books often offer deeper and more nuanced views on issues. This Penguin Random House reading list is a standout starting point.

5. Talk with Friends and Family Educate others. Conversations with friends and family members can have a powerful effect on personal views and beliefs. Speak with the people close to you about your concern for the people of Palestine and share what you have learned. (Pose star Indya Moore recently modeled what these conversations can look like by hosting an Instagram Live about violence against Palestine.) The more you talk to people, the more you’ll probably hear a common refrain: “The situation is just so complicated.” Just because something is complicated doesn’t mean we shouldn’t seek to understand it, though. The web resource Decolonize Palestine notes that “an appeal to complexity is also a way to silence your own conscience.” Saying that the situation is complex, in other words, is a way to avoid reckoning with the violence that Palestinians face.To change the conversation, all of us must challenge and interrogate our biases while holding each other accountable.

[spartanxhunterx]

Miraculous comeuppance

A short story based on @isitsusi 's miraculous idea. Honestly couldn't get this out my head and had to write it. But two things first, I haven't watched a lot of MLB and I've changed the prompt a little. (I added Chloe, cause that girl needs redemption)

--

In the three years, four months and two weeks of being the - somewhat proud - owner of a miraculous, Marinette had never expected it to come to this. She had never anticipated that she would be able to see the end of her journey, the end of the fight.

The defeat of hawkmoth.

Or at least she had that planned for later. She was at the park currently, under the shade of a tree, a notebook and many, many pictures before her. All of them the same, yet not, each a different angle taken of the agrest mansion. To her left sat her friend, boyfriend and superhero partner Chat Noir, untransformed as his civilian self Adrien.

Some few weeks ago he had come to her - as ladybug - with vital information, the identity of Hawkmoth. Gabriel Agrest.

When asked, he said he had seen him transform, not directly, he had been peeking into his father's office to see him and had just... Seen it.

The reveal that immediately followed was messy, sputtering, blushing and a whole week of avoiding each other until they got their act together. Then they were unstoppable, both in and out the mask.

They defeated akumas faster, more effectively. Out of the mask the two were a power duo, who's unwavering loyalty was known by many of their ex-friends.

Now, the two of were planning just how to take him down and reclaim both the stolen miraculous. Well, they were just making complete sure that they understood everything before making a move really, the planning was done.

 "Ugh, could you two stop being cute for like five minutes." The superhero duo looked up to the third member of their team, Chloe borgulous. "The last thing I need is getting a cavity cause of you two."

 Yes, Chloe borgulous was the one the two of them trusted the most, enough to earn back her miraculous. Even after the events of Miracle Queen, it was quite easy to hide her identity again, change the comb into a bracelet, change the hero's costume and give her a new name. Now no-one knew that she was the new bee flying around. She even got to keep the miraculous on her person permanently.

Pollen was good for her anyway.

 Chloe placed down a familiar box, filled with baked goods from the dupan-cheng bakery.

 "I should warn you though, we've got a..." She jabbed her thumb behind her towards a large and recognisable group. "Possible situation."

 " Ignore them chloe, they're not important. " Marinette partially turned her nose up when she saw their classmates across the way, having what looked to be a picnic. She could already make out Lila, no doubt in the middle of weaving another tall tail of how she had saved an animal, knew a celebrity or had just done something impossible.

"This is important," she tapped the notebook with one hand as she reached for the box with the other before it was slapped away. She couldn't help but give a glare at the blonde girl. Both knew it wasn't real anyway.

" They're not just for you Mari, the cheese bread is for Plagg, The honey glazed donut is for Pollen and the cookies are for Tikki. " Oh, yeah. She was even in on their identities. "The rest is for us."

Before either of the three could blink the three aforementioned Kwamis had zipped out of their chosens clothes pockets, grabbed their snacks and had snuck back into a little nook in their clothes that hid them from view of the public eye. They were none the wiser.

"Alright, so you two understand the plan right? Cause I don't want to leave anything to chance."

 Chloe hummed as she bit into her croissant, savoring the flavour before swallowing it down. "Wait for an Akuma, kick its ass without using our powers, go to Hawkdouch's house, kick his Ass, save the day."

 Plagg and Pollen both giggled while Adrien gave a quiet chuckle while Marinette groaned but had an amused smile on her face.

"Ok, so you remember the back up plan should we fail and our identities be revealed?"

" if we fail then Hawkmoth will have our miraculous, there is no back up plan for that. " Adrien slumped his arm around Mari's shoulder, giving her a tentative squeeze. "We do have a plan for after outing my... My father's identity."

" We also have a plan should we win and reveal our identities, so we're covered on all fronts. " Chloe moved one hand down to pet pollen on the head, reassuring herself that she still wasn't dreaming.

"Yeah well I jus- Chloe on your six." Quicker then anything the kwami's flew back into their Chosen's pockets , abandoning their food. Mari had packed up the pictures and notebook, not wanting to leave anything out in the open.

Chloe turned to see several of their classmates quickly heading their way, Alya up front with a crocodile tear crying Lila at the back of the group. Yes group, most of the class was also coming along with the two of them.

What lie had she said now?

The trio quickly stood, not wanting to be left sat on the floor while everyone would stand above them. They couldn't get a word out before Alya had rounded on to them.

"What is wrong with you!?"

She sighed, Adrien wrapped and arm around her waist as he leaned his chin on her shoulder and Chloe simple rolled her eyes at the tabloid writer.

"I think that question is best when directed at you, don't you think?" Marinette couldn't stop the snort that erupted from her mouth at Chloe's words and it only brought on a glare from her ex-friend.

"You think this is funny!? Is this some kind of joke to you!? Not only have you three been the worst people I could ever have the displeasure of knowing but I can't believe you three out attack Lila... Again!"

This time Chloe snorted before dragging her hand up to look at her nails lazily. "Please, as if I'd dare risk the chance of breaking my nails, even if it meant putting a scratch on her. She's simply not worth it." 

"Then explain the many bruises she has on her. " The 'Bruises' she had was nothing but a small smudge on the lower bottom of her right cheek. Honestly how stupid could they be?

Best not to get an answer.

If they were to attack Lila? There be a lot more then one mark smaller then that of a baby's fist.

"Alya, it's probably best you leave, the rest of you too. We were having a... Nice day before you bothered us." Mari rolled her eyes at her boyfriends passive behaviour but understood that it stemmed from not wanting to draw his father's gaze, especially now.

"No, I don't think we will. At least not until I put you three menaces straight. " The trio turned towards the new voice. 

a girl that they hadn't seen before or noticed among the group. A first glance they could tell she was slightly taller then Marinette, her hair a dark shade of blue that made Marinette's hair seem brighter in comparison, clearly it was dyed. Her facial features conformed similarly to her as well, slightly. As small glance while in a darker environment might have you mistake the two of them but only an idiot would do so outside of those conditions. Her hair was even tied up just like Marinette's too, although it looked really sloppy.

"And you are?" Chloe had already puffed out, an air of superiority emanating from her.

"I am Brigitte, a friend of Lila." Oh, great just what they needed, another sheep to follow the wolf. "I am also Ladybug."

Wait. What?

it took a moment before it registered but when it did the three of them just put laughing, Chloe had to hold her stomach while Marinette and Adrien had to hold each other up and stop themselves from falling over.

"Of course you are, and I'm still queen bee and adrien's father is actually competent." She sneered at the false bluentte before turning her nose up at her. She couldn't believe this girl, to claim to be someone she wasn't.

"Well I am, the only reason I am gracing you with that information is because I can't approach you three in my uniform, not unless I wanted to attract unnecessary attention." Brigitte turned her nose up at Chloe trying, and failing, to put the blonde girl in line.

"Alright then, why are you going around telling everyone your identity then? Surely it's not safe to share that information with a tabloid journalist."

Alya sputtered slightly. " I am a reporter, not some low grade tabloid writer. "

"Keep telling yourself that. You might just believe it."

The only thing that stopped Alya from lunging for Chloe was Ivan , who had grabbed her to hold her back. At the back Of the group Lila out on a who new set of false tears and began to shake her shoulders, as if she was truly heartbroken.

"All I've ever tried to do was be your friend, to all of you, and this is how you treat me? It's all I've ever wanted really and you three keep pushing me away." Of course the immediate action taken up by everyone else was to glare at the trio while rose and Sabrina comforted the sausage haired girl.

Adrien sometimes questions why he wanted them to be his friends, what has he seen in them before?

"Right," and now false-bug was talking again. "As my authority as ladybug I hereby ban the three of you from ever being near my friends again."

" Works for us. "

"I will also have to send you three down to the station, I do believe the three of you are working for Hawkmoth, given the number of Akuma that the three of you have caused."

That caused the three of them to straighten up, not because of the threat but because of the clear misuse of a non-existent power.

"Hey, Chloe has changed a lot in the past few months and me and Adrien have cause two maybe three Akumas over the past three years, if we're going on who had caused the most Akumas then you should arrest Lila. " Mari removed herself from her boyfriend before walking up to her not quite accurate doppelganger.

"Besides I'm not convinced you are ladybug, where's your Miraculous, I don't see them. "

"Like I'd actually wear them out in public, putting them at risk like that. besides why would I reveal them When I suspect that you work for Hawkmoth, would be pretty stupid on my part wouldn't it? "

"Sorry dudes, " Nino spoke, doing his best to help Ivan calm down Alya. "But she makes a point, it would be pretty dumb and reckless."

 " Just like plastering her face and confession onto a well known website in case Hawkmoth ever saw it... But I suppose I shouldn't have to worry right? " Alya blanched slightly before she sunk back at adriens words.

before anyone else could say anything a loud shout echoed across the yard, sending everyone's fight or flight instincts into overdrive.

"I AM MOTHER NATURE! AN I WILL COVER THIS CITY WITH THE SEEDS OF THE EARTH!"

Each member of the class had shrunk in on themselves , trying to look as small as possible, even their 'ladybug '. The real superhero trio stood up tall, shoulders squaring out as they looked for the akuma, many plants were growing rapidly on the other side of the park but everyone has already ran away.

"Go on ladybug, save us. "

"Come on, go kick their ass LB."

" Show Hawkmoth that he's nothing. "

Brigitte, for her part, actually began to back off from the group, clearly neither she nor Lila had expected a real akuma to show up, how would it look if the real ladybug showed up while she was stood there?

Fortunately for them the class was in for one big show.

While that was happening the trio was staring at each other, having a mental conversation that transcended anything anyone else could have understood, after a moment the tree of them nodded.

"Full theatrics?"

Marinette hummed at adriens question before nodding. "Fuck It, why not? "

"Tikki."

"Plagg."

"Pollen."

The class had turned to them quickly , those that had used miraculous before dropping their jaws.

"Spots on." "Claws Out. " "Buzz On."

Just for the sake of running it in their classmates faces each of them went through their old routine , showing off what they posed as they transformed before their very eyes.

Before anyone could say anything, the three were gone, already fighting the akuma as a well oiled machine.

They watched, stunned, as they managed to do it without the use of any of their powers. They watched as they left the scene all three bounding off in the same direction.

later that day the trio would drop a beaten and bloody Gabriel and his assistant, they have a short speech on that they had won, Hawkmoth was defeated, the threat was no more, Paris was safe. Th he people were safe to weap once more.

The next day Alya had tried to go to the bakery to speak to Marinette but she had been quickly chased out by her large father, later that day the bakery put out a sign stating they were closing down.

A week passed and they were gone, without a trace, no-one has seen them since the incident at the park. They were gone without a trace.