Global Climate Protests Begin In Australia Before UN Summit

1. GLOBAL CLIMATE PROTESTS BEGIN IN AUSTRALIA BEFORE UN SUMMIT

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered Friday at rallies around Australia as a day of worldwide demonstrations calling for action to guard against climate change began ahead a U.N. summit in New York.

Some of the first rallies in what is being billed as a “global climate strike” kicked off in Australia’s largest city, Sydney, and the national capital, Canberra. Australian demonstrators called for their nation, which is the world’s largest exporter of coal and liquid natural gas, to take more drastic action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The organizers demanding government and business commit to a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Similar rallies were planned Friday in cities around the globe. In the United States more than 800 events were planned Friday, while in Germany more than 400 rallies were expected.

2. AMNESTY ACCUSES HONG KONG POLICE OF ABUSES, TORTURE OF PROTESTERS

Amnesty International accused Hong Kong police on Friday of torture and other abuses in their handling of more than three months of pro-democracy protests.

Anti-government protesters have thrown petrol bombs at police and central government offices, stormed the Legislative Council, blocked roads to the airport, trashed metro stations and lit fires on the streets.

Police have responded with tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, bean bag rounds and several live rounds fired in the air. The abuse footages has gone viral online, prompting widespread anger.

Responding to the Amnesty report, police said they have respected the “privacy, dignity and rights” of those in custody according to regulations, allowing detainees transport to hospitals and communication with lawyers and their families.

3. AREA 51 PREPARES FOR HUGE INVASION

A call for people to storm highly secretive government facility Area 51 generated huge interest. As for tonight, locals are preparing for an onslaught.

Crowds arriving in the towns are doing so because of a Facebook event, which is now shut down was one of most popular the social media platform had seen.

The page, which encouraged people to “see them aliens” and suggested that enough people raid the secretive military base that they couldn’t be stopped, is bringing an unknown number of people to Nevada to take part.

Area 51’s secrecy has long fuelled fascination about extraterrestrial life, UFOs and conspiracy theories, giving rise to the events this week and prompting military warnings not to approach the protected site.