Worldwide Hippies News Briefs Friday
Physically disabled protesters clash with riot police in Bolivia Dozens of disabled people have clashed with police in Bolivia during a protest calling for higher state subsidies.
Several protesters were hurt as they tried to break through a police cordon in the country’s main city of La Paz.
Riot police used pepper spray to prevent the demonstrators from entering the presidential square.
The protesters – who had made a 100-day trek to La Paz – wanted an annual state subsidy of about $400 (£254). They currently receive about 30% of that.
The caravan of about 50 disabled protesters – many in wheelchairs or on crutches – covered more than 1,500km (932 miles), living off the charity of people they met on the way.
In La Paz, the demonstrators were met by the riot police, who blocked off a street towards the presidential square.
The protesters then tried to break through, hitting officers with sticks and crutches. More…
Winter storm slams Midwest; upstate NY, New England up next
A winter storm was expected to leave a “stripe of snow” across the Midwest before moving into upstate New York and northern New England on Friday morning, weather.com reported.
Meteorologist Tim Ballisty predicted that Chicago could receive “a half foot or more” of snow as well as “a few lightning strikes and a rumble of thunder.”
“On Thursday into Friday, look for a stripe of snow to lay down from the Dakotas into Iowa, northern Illinois, far northern Indiana and lower Michigan,” he added. “The bulk of the heaviest snow will fall south of Milwaukee — closer to the Wisconsin/Illinois border.” More…
Syria rebels will get arms ‘somehow,’ Hillary Clinton says
LONDON — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested that Syria’s opposition will ultimately arm itself and said she would bet against President Bashar Assad staying in power.
Her comments came as Western and Arab nations meeting on Friday prepared to demand that Syria implement an immediate cease-fire to allow aid in for desperate civilians in bombarded cities such as Homs amid an 11-month-old revolt.
Speaking directly to Russia and China, which have blocked U.N. Security Council resolutions designed to end the violence in Syria, Clinton said Thursday that the government’s “brutality” against its own people was unsustainable in the Internet age. More…
