:00:14. > :00:16.Mass protests hit the streets on two continents. Scuffles, tear gas
:00:16. > :00:21.and arrests, as thousands frustrated over the global economy
:00:21. > :00:25.voice their anger in America and Europe.
:00:25. > :00:35.Right move or wrong step: Burma gets the green light to chair the
:00:35. > :00:35.
:00:35. > :00:37.ASEAN summit in 2014. A special report from the West Bank
:00:37. > :00:40.is critical of increasing violence between Jewish settlers and
:00:40. > :00:43.Palestinians. Also coming up in the programme:
:00:43. > :00:47.The stage play that's meant to shock - a Spanish play about
:00:47. > :00:57.religion sparks controversy. Are there some topics which are too
:00:57. > :01:05.
:01:05. > :01:09.It's been called the age of protest - in New York's Wall Street,
:01:09. > :01:12.protesters are calling it their "Day of Action". Hundreds of people
:01:12. > :01:15.are demonstrating in Manhattan and across other major US cities to
:01:15. > :01:22.mark two months since the Occupy Wall Street movement began a
:01:22. > :01:24.campaign against economic inequality. In New York, riot
:01:24. > :01:29.police arrested people outside the New York Stock Exchange who were
:01:29. > :01:32.protesting about their eviction two days ago from a central city park.
:01:32. > :01:38.And the protests are being echoed across the Atlantic in Greece and
:01:38. > :01:42.Italy. Thousands of students have been protesting in Athens and Rome
:01:42. > :01:45.against austerity plans and rising unemployment.
:01:45. > :01:49.Well, in a moment, we'll be speaking to the BBC's
:01:49. > :01:59.correspondents in Athens and Rome, Mark Lowen and Alan Johnston. First,
:01:59. > :02:01.
:02:01. > :02:10.let's go to New York and Caroline Hepker. In Manhattan, about 60
:02:10. > :02:15.people have been arrested so far, where we saw hundreds of people
:02:15. > :02:21.gathering to protest about economic insecurity and the greed of Wall
:02:21. > :02:26.Street. There were small skirmishes. In the park, the protesters have
:02:26. > :02:33.talked about rallying on to Brooklyn Bridge. They have also
:02:33. > :02:40.talked about taking over the subways. New York's transport
:02:40. > :02:50.authority will say they will do their utmost to protect the subway.
:02:50. > :02:52.
:02:52. > :03:00.There has been sympathy for the protesters as well. Give us an idea
:03:00. > :03:06.of the profile of these Occupy Wall Street protesters. They are a very
:03:06. > :03:11.varied range of people. They are led by a small group of leaders,
:03:11. > :03:19.and they are being backed by a significant donations, but they are
:03:19. > :03:24.angry that the Mayor has managed to get rid of their tents and other
:03:25. > :03:30.things they have been using to stage this two months old protest.
:03:30. > :03:37.The protesters have also tried to prevent people from getting to the
:03:37. > :03:41.New York Stock Exchange. I spoke to a trader who works on the floor of
:03:41. > :03:45.that stock exchange. He said he had no trouble getting into work this
:03:45. > :03:49.morning. He even said he had empathy for the anger at the
:03:49. > :03:54.protesters have shown. He said they were simply directing their anger
:03:54. > :03:58.at the wrong people. He said the traders on the floor of the New
:03:58. > :04:08.York Stock Exchange, they are not the elite that the protesters angry
:04:08. > :04:18.
:04:18. > :04:28.at. Let us cross to Athens now. This is an annual parade to mark a
:04:28. > :04:30.
:04:30. > :04:36.student uprising in 1973. The protest began today in Athens
:04:36. > :04:45.Polytechnic. It snaked its way through the square, and up to their
:04:45. > :04:51.embassy. It ends there. As well as the commemoration aspect of the
:04:51. > :05:01.march, it is a huge demonstration against anti austerity measures.
:05:01. > :05:11.Fast crowds came out onto the streets today. -- fast. That said,
:05:11. > :05:15.
:05:15. > :05:25.it was fairly peaceful. We were looking at pictures of those riot
:05:25. > :05:30.
:05:30. > :05:37.police who were out in force clearly. Now to Rome. There is no
:05:37. > :05:45.more marching here in Rome. These were young people who are
:05:45. > :05:49.suspicious of Mario Monti's new administration. They are suspicious,
:05:49. > :05:54.as well, of the austerity programme to come. The young people are
:05:54. > :06:00.saying, why didn't you go after the people who caused the crisis in
:06:00. > :06:04.Italy? I think are, generally, you get the feeling that it Italy is
:06:04. > :06:14.ready to give Mario Monti a chance. Polls are suggesting that most
:06:14. > :06:36.
:06:36. > :06:46.people have faith in him. William has written about this and joins us
:06:46. > :06:53.from Durham, North Carolina. Is this anger going anywhere? You have
:06:53. > :07:03.to take it country-by-country. If you look at Italy and Greece, they
:07:03. > :07:12.
:07:12. > :07:17.are very specific demands there. In the United States, protesters are
:07:18. > :07:22.being somewhat more generic. They are protesting against social
:07:22. > :07:28.conditions. That is one of the inadequacies of the American people.
:07:28. > :07:33.They have focused attention on the growing inequality of income of
:07:33. > :07:43.wealth, which has become a problem that our economy, society and
:07:43. > :07:50.politics. Do you think these protests will have a lasting impact
:07:50. > :07:58.on the way that politicians do their business, or will it just be
:07:58. > :08:05.situation as normal? In Italy and Greece, and other European
:08:05. > :08:12.countries as well, as the crisis spreads, you will have an extended
:08:12. > :08:18.process of trying to come to grips with the imperatives of austerity
:08:18. > :08:24.verses genuine show socked -- genuine social hardships people are
:08:24. > :08:34.experiencing. In the United States, even if the movement fades, it will
:08:34. > :08:42.
:08:42. > :08:47.leave a residue. America it did have the effect of crystallising
:08:47. > :08:53.sentiments that were shared about the growth of inequality of wealth
:08:53. > :08:58.bus stop Americans can stand for much greater inequality than would
:08:58. > :09:08.be acceptable in most European countries, but even here, enough is
:09:08. > :09:12.
:09:12. > :09:16.enough. We let lead to new political methods? -- will it.
:09:17. > :09:20.sceptical. There is a danger in the United States that protesters's
:09:20. > :09:26.tactics will get in the way of their message, and politicians who
:09:26. > :09:32.might be inclined to react to the message may be forced to distance
:09:32. > :09:42.themselves from the tactics of the movement, if the movement starts to
:09:42. > :09:46.
:09:46. > :09:49.shut down transit systems and bridges and things like that.
:09:49. > :09:56.Now a look at some of the day's other news: Fears continue to grow
:09:56. > :09:59.over Iran's nuclear programme. Six leading world powers have agreed a
:09:59. > :10:01.draft resolution on Iran at a meeting of the United Nations
:10:01. > :10:03.nuclear agency, the IAEA. The resolution expresses "deep and
:10:03. > :10:06.increasing concern" about Iran's nuclear programme.
:10:06. > :10:08.The emir of Kuwait has ordered the security forces to take all
:10:08. > :10:11.necessary measures to maintain order. Several thousand protesters
:10:11. > :10:19.briefly occupied Parliament on Wednesday. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad
:10:19. > :10:22.Al-Sabah said no violation of state institutions would be tolerated.
:10:22. > :10:25.Japan has banned shipments of rice from an area near the crippled
:10:25. > :10:28.Fukushima nuclear plant, after it was found to have radiation levels
:10:28. > :10:30.above safety limits. The sample came from a farm in Fukushima City,
:10:30. > :10:35.around sixty kilometres from the nuclear plant. The Japanese
:10:35. > :10:41.government says none of the rice had yet been sold.
:10:41. > :10:51.Scientists may have established how a mountain range came to exist
:10:51. > :10:54.
:10:54. > :10:57.under the Antarctic. The mountain's are thought to be 1 billion years
:10:57. > :11:02.old. There have been further signs that
:11:02. > :11:11.Burnett is gradually being welcomed back into the international fault.
:11:11. > :11:20.Leaders gathered for the summit on the Indonesian island of Bali. They
:11:20. > :11:24.have agreed that Burma cannot chair the group in 2014. Meanwhile, one
:11:24. > :11:26.year Ron from third release of the pro-democracy leader, our
:11:26. > :11:33.international development correspondent has been to Burma to
:11:33. > :11:39.meet her. Burmese people support this man
:11:39. > :11:45.with something close to reverence - - this woman. Conditions that
:11:45. > :11:51.prevented her party from a standing in elections were lifted. It is
:11:51. > :11:59.expected that people will decide to register again as a party. There is
:11:59. > :12:04.no doubt which way the leader will vote. I am not entirely sure of the
:12:04. > :12:10.reasons why people think it is not the right time to register. On the
:12:10. > :12:16.whole, I think the majority of allow people going for re
:12:16. > :12:26.registration is fine. What reforms are we going -- what reforms are
:12:26. > :12:27.
:12:27. > :12:37.going on here? How do you see Burma changing? There you while! -- duo
:12:37. > :12:37.
:12:37. > :12:41.are! -- you are. This is the first of Burmese generation that may not
:12:42. > :12:48.have to grow up under a dictatorship. There is no doubt in
:12:48. > :12:52.deep affection and that she is held here. She is on the eve of making
:12:52. > :12:56.the most important political decision of her life. The issue is
:12:56. > :13:02.the speed of which these reforms are being implemented, and it is
:13:02. > :13:07.part of that that she will stand in these by-elections and wins. Issue
:13:07. > :13:17.goes to parliament with the strength of that mandate, that will
:13:17. > :13:22.
:13:22. > :13:30.help to transform politics and Burma. -- if she goes. It is not
:13:30. > :13:35.about the past. It is about the future. What the leaders are doing
:13:36. > :13:42.now, by confirming the resignation, we are trying to ensure that the
:13:42. > :13:48.process of change continues. The momentum is maintained. The leader
:13:48. > :13:55.they call here the lady looks like she is running for office already.
:13:55. > :14:01.The cost has been great. The young -- the long years of seclusion has
:14:01. > :14:06.been great, but she has not suffered. I have never seen it as
:14:06. > :14:12.suffering. I find it embarrassing when people talk about my suffering.
:14:13. > :14:22.People have died, and it seems to be that no one still alive has a
:14:23. > :14:31.
:14:31. > :14:38.lot to complain. She told me the new President is a good listener.
:14:38. > :14:44.What do you think of this move to let Burma chaired the 2014 summit?
:14:44. > :14:53.You can't be stuck in the past, can you? It is important to look into
:14:53. > :15:03.the future. But you also need to live with the past. This is an
:15:03. > :15:11.
:15:11. > :15:21.important message. There is a necessity to see consistent human
:15:21. > :15:25.
:15:25. > :15:31.rights. This is very important. They need to remember what happened
:15:31. > :15:35.in the past. But surely you also have to look at progress, and not
:15:35. > :15:39.just what has happened in the past? There have been a recent overtures
:15:39. > :15:49.by the government in Burma to try and reach out to their former
:15:49. > :15:56.
:15:56. > :16:02.Yes, I witnessed a lot of progress in Myanmar. This is important. We
:16:02. > :16:09.need to encourage the current President. I think the President
:16:09. > :16:18.has been consistent in the resurrection. Progress has to be
:16:18. > :16:23.welcomed, recognised, but also continue reminding... Can you state
:16:23. > :16:31.quite clearly, do you think the fact that Burma has been invited to
:16:31. > :16:37.chair ASEAN 2014, is it the right step or the wrong move?
:16:37. > :16:42.understand but let the not respond to that question because it is a
:16:42. > :16:48.political question. I think that the new authorities are in the
:16:48. > :16:53.right direction. But more time is needed. There is still a lot of
:16:53. > :17:00.political prisoners in Myanmar prisons. I visited myself.
:17:00. > :17:04.Prisoners who have suffered torture and mistreatment. There are many
:17:04. > :17:08.human rights situations that you cannot at this moment forget. I
:17:08. > :17:14.think that the government is going in the right direction, I recognise
:17:14. > :17:20.that. This is my message to the United Nations, a report to the new
:17:20. > :17:28.United Nations on that. But also to remind of the importance that a
:17:28. > :17:36.transition to democracy, to have success they need to sort out human
:17:36. > :17:40.There's been a big rise in Jewish settler violence against
:17:40. > :17:43.Palestinians living in the West Bank. The United Nations says the
:17:43. > :17:48.number of attacks by settlers against Palestinians resulting in
:17:48. > :17:58.injury or property damage has gone up roughly threefold in the last
:17:58. > :17:59.
:17:59. > :18:03.These are olive farmers from the Palestinian village, clashing with
:18:03. > :18:07.Jewish settlers last month. The Israeli army intervened. The
:18:07. > :18:17.Palestinians say they were forced to leave their trees. They say
:18:17. > :18:24.settlors then set their fields on A few days later, Nidam Qaraweq
:18:24. > :18:29.shows me the damage. He tells me these settlers attacked him with
:18:29. > :18:36.sticks. As to his trees, he says they are wholly to him, sold you
:18:36. > :18:38.can't put a value on them. The situation around the villages
:18:39. > :18:42.especially tense, after two Palestinians there were convicted
:18:42. > :18:47.of murdering a family of five settlers, including three children,
:18:47. > :18:51.in March. But settler related violence is on the increase across
:18:51. > :18:58.the West Bank. The UN that says the number of Palestinians being
:18:58. > :19:01.injured in settler attacks has roughly tripled since 2009. Some
:19:01. > :19:11.settlers have guns, which the Israeli government allows them to
:19:11. > :19:12.
:19:12. > :19:18.legally own. But it is the Israeli army that often has to intervene.
:19:18. > :19:26.We go to the Palestinian village which sits right next to a Jewish
:19:26. > :19:30.settlement. It is a regular point of friction. These clashes between
:19:30. > :19:34.Palestinians and Jewish settlers are happening on a weekly, if not
:19:34. > :19:38.daily basis at the moment. The Israeli army had intervened,
:19:38. > :19:41.they've been firing tear gas towards the Palestinians. They are
:19:41. > :19:47.on the side of the Jewish settlement. But the officer in
:19:47. > :19:51.charge here has tow the boat sides are as stupid as the other. And
:19:51. > :19:54.Nitzan Alon, a man who has just left his post as Israeli army
:19:54. > :19:58.commander in the West Bank, says he's worried about a rise in Jewish
:19:58. > :20:05.extremism, even calling it terrorism. But settler leaders say
:20:05. > :20:10.he's wrong. I think that Commander Alon is exaggerating and making
:20:10. > :20:13.mistake, not being careful with his words. Or Palestinians, continued
:20:13. > :20:18.settlement expansion, illegal under international law, is an obstacle
:20:18. > :20:28.to peace. Is a viable Palestinian state requires tens of thousands of
:20:28. > :20:29.
:20:29. > :20:33.settlers to leave. That would not happen easily. A spokesman for the
:20:34. > :20:38.Israeli government joins us now from Jerusalem. Does the Israeli
:20:38. > :20:43.government categorically condemn any kind of violence by Jewish
:20:43. > :20:47.settlers against innocent and unarmed Palestinians? Most
:20:47. > :20:52.definitely yes. We've been doing so for quite some time. President
:20:52. > :20:55.Perez, Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Speaker of our Parliament - all
:20:55. > :20:59.across the board the police leaders and military leaders, this
:20:59. > :21:03.vigilante violence is unacceptable and we condemn it and act against
:21:03. > :21:07.it. The United Nations says the level of inaction by the Israeli
:21:07. > :21:11.police is shameful for a country that says it uphold the rule of law.
:21:11. > :21:18.It says 90 % of complaints by Palestinians result in nothing
:21:18. > :21:22.being done, nobody is indicted. shared that report with the Israeli
:21:22. > :21:25.police a short time ago. They said it's not true, that every complaint
:21:25. > :21:29.made his thoroughly investigated, but that a tactical and
:21:29. > :21:34.intelligence level. I would remind you that some two months ago we
:21:34. > :21:36.established a special police task force of some 60 officers who are
:21:36. > :21:41.permanently bared, designed to stamp out this sort of vigilante
:21:41. > :21:45.violence. It is unacceptable. We as a society and country do not want
:21:45. > :21:48.to see this vigilante violence. Anything done outside the rule of
:21:48. > :21:52.law will not be tolerated. You said you talked to the Israeli police,
:21:52. > :21:57.then give us the correct figure because the UN says 90 % of
:21:57. > :22:01.complaints result in nobody being indicted. What is the number of
:22:01. > :22:05.people being indicted? I don't have that figure. I can tell you that
:22:05. > :22:09.every complaint made his thoroughly investigated. But nobody is ever
:22:09. > :22:13.indicted, that's the point. That is not correct. People have been
:22:13. > :22:18.arrested, put in jail, people have been put in front of legal
:22:18. > :22:21.proceedings. We have no tolerance policy. My Prime Minister, there
:22:21. > :22:24.was a terrible incident in northern Israel where a mosque was attacked.
:22:24. > :22:34.My Prime Minister stood up and said it was unacceptable. This is not
:22:34. > :22:40.
:22:40. > :22:44.Jewish, this is not Israeli, we A satirical play about the life of
:22:44. > :22:48.Jesus Christ is causing controversy following its premiere in France.
:22:48. > :22:51.The play, called Golgota Picnic, has been denounced by Catholic
:22:51. > :22:55.groups who staged street protests, while others have demonstrated in
:22:55. > :23:05.favour of freedom of speech. The play's director welcomes the debate
:23:05. > :23:06.
:23:06. > :23:09.between culture and blasphemy. We will be discussing this. This play
:23:09. > :23:17.intends to shock. A modern depiction of Jesus Christ - the
:23:17. > :23:20.stage littered with Big Macs and a very present day falling angel. The
:23:20. > :23:24.French opening follows a run for six months in Madrid with no
:23:24. > :23:28.trouble. But now Catholic groups in Toulouse petitioned to censor the
:23:28. > :23:32.play but were denied. Shock tactics didn't always have a place on the
:23:33. > :23:36.stage. The UK passed the Theatres Act in 1968 abolishing censorship.
:23:36. > :23:40.A change brought on by the prominence of the Angry Young Men
:23:40. > :23:50.playwrights. John Osborne was one of the early writers who fought for
:23:50. > :23:53.
:23:53. > :23:58.a theatre that reflects society. But with the freedom have come the
:23:58. > :24:05.protests. In 2006 Jerry Spinger: The Opera could hide behind the law,
:24:05. > :24:08.in the face of protests who called the play blasphemous. The career of
:24:08. > :24:17.director Peter Brook has spanned the changes and for him freedom on
:24:17. > :24:20.stage is necessary. Look at every television programme, look at every
:24:20. > :24:30.newspaper and you can't get away from the themes of clashing
:24:30. > :24:35.
:24:35. > :24:37.interests, clash of civilizations, With religion at centre stage,
:24:37. > :24:47.Golgota Picnic will continue to gain supporters and protesters,
:24:47. > :24:53.
:24:53. > :24:59.waiting for its next resurrection I have been joined in the studio by
:24:59. > :25:03.the playwright and former theatre critic. It is very difficult to
:25:03. > :25:08.strike a balance between freedom of speech but also blasphemy. I don't
:25:08. > :25:14.think it is. Isn't it? It's the age-old battle of fundamentalists
:25:14. > :25:22.who feel that religion, or religious belief and doctrine, is
:25:22. > :25:29.this very fragile thing which is subject to terrible, inexplicable
:25:29. > :25:33.ABTA. And that it must be stopped, that religion must be revealed.
:25:33. > :25:38.Christianity is a very strong plant. If there are some people who for
:25:38. > :25:43.whatever reason want to smear or mark it, religion will survive.
:25:43. > :25:51.Surely you shouldn't mock people's beliefs, you should respect them.
:25:51. > :25:56.Not necessarily. I do think from what I've read of the play that it
:25:56. > :26:01.sounds very infantile, silly. set out to shock. Exactly. It seems
:26:01. > :26:07.to set out to shock in the crudest, most juvenile fashion. I haven't
:26:07. > :26:14.seen it so I don't know. Nor have I, I may be quite wrong. But I think
:26:14. > :26:18.the freedom to criticise religion and perhaps from the viewpoint of
:26:18. > :26:23.fundamentalists, that is to market in an unacceptable way. I think
:26:23. > :26:28.that is quite wrong. How typical of the general public do you think
:26:28. > :26:31.theatregoers are and playwrights such as yourself are? I don't think
:26:31. > :26:38.there is such a thing as a typical theatre-goer or a typical play
:26:38. > :26:43.right. I completely understand the attitude of the fundamentalist.
:26:43. > :26:48.Jerry Springer rehearsed the same arguments. They've been going on
:26:48. > :26:52.for many years here and I'm sure abroad. I think probably they are a
:26:53. > :26:58.little more fragile in their attitudes in Paris and France.
:26:58. > :27:04.few seconds things have become more relaxed for your protests over the
:27:04. > :27:11.years? A little. Which pleases you, no doubt. I'm so glad to hear that.
:27:11. > :27:21.Thank you very much indeed. That is all from the programme. Next is the
:27:21. > :27:28.
:27:28. > :27:32.weather. From the team here on It's been a mild day today,
:27:32. > :27:35.especially if you had some sunshine. But rain returns to Northern
:27:35. > :27:38.Ireland and western Scotland and other parts of the West overnight,
:27:38. > :27:42.with still some outbreaks of rain tomorrow and still a brisk wind.
:27:42. > :27:46.Low pressure from the Atlantic reading the weather fronts in our
:27:46. > :27:49.direction, high to the east has now pulled away somewhat. It is
:27:49. > :27:53.allowing the wetter weather to come in. There will be heavier bursts in
:27:53. > :27:57.the rain to western Scotland during Friday, but central and eastern
:27:57. > :28:02.areas are looking dry with further sunny spells. A fine afternoon
:28:02. > :28:06.across much of northern England. It is mild again, 13 or 14 degrees.
:28:06. > :28:10.Sunny spells across East Anglia and the south-east, the temperature a
:28:10. > :28:13.degree or two higher than we've had today, but it will be on the breezy
:28:13. > :28:18.side. We look to the south-west, and yet there is a chance,
:28:18. > :28:22.especially during the first part of the day, for a bit of patchy, light
:28:22. > :28:26.rain or drizzle. There is a brisk towards the south and west of Wales
:28:26. > :28:29.as well. North-west England brightening up, Northern Ireland
:28:29. > :28:33.blustery again but not quite as windy as today. The rain tomorrow
:28:33. > :28:38.isn't going to be as heavy as it was today, just like and patchy.
:28:38. > :28:43.Outbreaks of rain for Western and Central Scotland. Across the North-