Newscast for Monday, January 30, 2012

Occupy protesters at Washington DC park challenge eviction by officials

Occupy protesters in US and European cities are facing police action in an effort to remain at sites. In London, protesters are criticizing the force used by security officers to evict protesters from an abandoned building owned by UBS BANK. According to the Guardian, 50 protesters were removed during a confrontation at which witnesses said an officer punched a photographer and then drove his car toward another. Protesters said the original encampment by St Paul’s Cathedral could be next.

In Washington DC, one of the largest and longest running Occupy encampments in the U.S. is in jeopardy today, as the National Parks Service promised to start enforcing a ban on camping in McPhearson Square. The move comes after a congressional committee criticized the director of the National Park Service for allowing the Occupy encampment to continue for nearly four months, citing concerns of health, safety and the rule of law. But those living in the park say the First Amendment protects them, and they’re not going anywhere. FSRN’s Alice Ollstein reports.

Police crackdown in Oakland leads to hundreds of arrests

In Oakland, California, thousands of people took part in an attempt to occupy an empty building to serve as a new home for the Occupy movement in the city. Organizers had hoped that the new building could be used to house homeless people and provide a space to distribute food. But the demonstration was met with a heavy police response, which left several people injured, and hundreds more arrested. FSRN's George Lavender reports.

UN team visits Iran to monitor nuclear program as sanctions, military build-up continue

A team of UN nuclear experts is currently in Iran to monitor the country’s nuclear program. The visit comes at a sensitive time. Earlier this month, US and European countries agreed to sanctions on Iran and Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage for the world’s oil supply. But the current events could hint at a deeper shift taking place: a realignment of power in the region.

For more, we’re joined by Kaveh Ehsani assistant professor of international studies at DePaul University in Chicago. He’s also a contributor editor of Middle East Report.

Oil disaster still a concern for Florida voters as GOP candidates push for more drilling

Republican voters in Florida decide tomorrow which of the GOP candidates they prefer as their presidential nominee. As front-runners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich trade political attacks, there seems to be at least one subject that most of the candidates agree on: promoting oil drilling in the Gulf. But the effects of one of the worst environmental disasters in US history are still fresh on the minds of many voters. FSRN’s Kelly Benjamin reports.