Cardinal skips Boston College commencement in abortion protest

Irish prime minister Enda Kenny speaks to graduates at Boston College after receiving an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Photograph: Elise Amendola/AP

Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the leader of the Boston archdiocese, skipped Boston College's commencement on Monday because of the involvement of the Irish prime minister, Enda Kenny, who supports a bill in his country that would allow abortion.

A few dozen protesters, some playing bagpipes, demonstrated at the college during the morning graduation ceremony. They held signs with messages that included "Boston College Keep Your Pro Life Values".

Kenny was addressing undergraduates and accepting an honorary degree from the Jesuit-run college. He has said that the proposed legislation simply clarifies when a doctor can perform an abortion to save a woman's life. But Catholic bishops have said it would greatly expand abortion, particularly by permitting it in certain cases when a woman threatens suicide.

The leader of the Boston archdiocese traditionally gives the benediction at the college's ceremony. O'Malley called abortion a "crime against humanity" and said he had decided not to attend the ceremony because Boston College didn't withdraw its invitation and Kenny didn't decline it. A Boston College spokesman, Jack Dunn, said that the school respected O'Malley and regretted that he had not attended graduation. Dunn said school officials had extended the invitation to Kenny before the bill's introduction and that the college "fully supports the church's commitment to the unborn".

CJ Doyle, executive director of the Catholic Action League and one of the protesters, said that too many Catholic institutions have compromised their identity. "What rational person can reasonably be expected to take seriously Catholic opposition to abortion when our own Catholic institutions honor someone who's trying to legalize abortion in his country?" he said.

Also at Monday's ceremony, two graduate business students who were injured in the Boston Marathon bombings were to receive their diplomas. Brittany Loring and Liza Cherney are graduating from the Carroll School of Management. Loring needed three operations after her left leg was struck by shrapnel from the first of the two blasts at the marathon finishing line on 15 April. Cherney was standing next to her close friend and classmate and was also badly hurt.

View the original article here

Riot police arrest eleven at Sydney University protest

Protest at the gates of Sydney University. Police have arrested at least six people. Photograph: Helen Davidson

The fifth day of strike action at Sydney University took a dramatic turn on Wednesday morning, with eleven people arrested by police in two incidents.

Senior lecturer and picket line leader Nick Riemer told Guardian Australia the riot police had “behaved like violent animals” during the first incident.

“We had a picket line of staff and students who were observing the NTEU [National Tertiary Education Union] protocol which says that we are allowed - and it’s what we are here to do - to have conversations with people about why we are here,” said Riemer.

He alleged the police gave no verbal warning before “swooping” on protesters after they sat down on the driveway of the Carillon Avenue entrance to the university in front of a truck attempting to enter the grounds.

Riemer claimed protesters were “violently manhandled, they yanked them out of the way, they pushed them - I got pushed, I got asphyxiated for a small number of seconds. I got violently manhandled.”

A NSW police spokesman told Guardian Australia Newtown police were aware of the action and the incident began when it was alleged protesters were blocking Carillon and Western avenues.

“This was seen as a safety risk to people accessing an adjacent primary school and pedestrian crossing. Police attempted to move the group and it appears some resisted, leading to arrests,” she said.

The people arrested have been taken to Newtown police station and are expected to be charged with resisting arrest, according to ABC News.

The strike action began in March after negotiations between staff and the university broke down, senior lecturer and chair of the department of political economy and vice president of the NTU, Damien Cahill said.

“We’re striking in pursuit of a new enterprise agreement which strengthens our conditions, gives us a fair pay rise. Unfortunately the management saw fit to put a proposal on the table which would have stripped back most of our protections,” Cahill said.

“We’re hoping this will be the last strike and they’ll agree to a fair pay rise. If not we’re going to be back here in second semester.”

Cahill did not witness Wednesday morning’s incident, but said police had taken a “very heavy-handed view to the strikes from the second strike onwards, and they’ve increased their militancy.”

View the original article here