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Government Denies State Responsibility for Police Shooting; CNN Gauge Opinion on Putin in Central Moscow; Justices to still issue Opinion in Student Loans Case; CNN Follows Ukrainian Soldiers on the Front Lines; One Month Since Uganda Enacted Anti-LGBTQ Plus Legislation; Madonna is Home after "Serious" Health Scare. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired June 29, 2023 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR CONNECT THE WORLD: This hour protests across France in the wake of the killing of a 17 year old boy shot dead by police.
We're live in Paris for you. First up the two top Russian Generals have dropped out of views since the end of the aborted Wagner mutiny. There is a
report one of them had advanced knowledge of the uprising.
U.S. Supreme Court has just handed down its ruling on using affirmative action in university admissions that is deciding to overturn precedent.
We'll get you live to Washington. Benjamin Netanyahu is dropping a controversial clause as the Israeli Prime Minister revises his plan to
revamp the country's court system. More on that is coming up.
You back with us for our second hour of "Connect the World", if you're just joining us, you are more than welcome, right now in France running battles
between protesters and police breaking out at a protest march. It is the latest display of anger over a police shooting this weekend that killed a
17 year old boy.
The French government is deploying 40,000 paramilitary and police officers to patrol the country after a second night of violent protests. French
authorities insist the shooting was an isolated incident that many communities in France say they see a pattern of discrimination and
excessive use of force, especially when it comes to policing communities of color.
So tonight we ask is racial profiling a problem in France? Let's get you the very latest from CNN's, Melissa Bell, who is in Paris and Melissa,
let's just start with you walking us through what is happening on the ground right now, if you will.
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: Well, in that suburb of Nanterre, where that March had been called for by young Nahel's mother it was due to
start at 2 pm. Very quickly, Becky, while we saw it was meant to take place in front of the main police station of protests, not just what had happened
to Nahel on Tuesday morning.
But these long standing allegations not just of police brutality but systemic racism that was meant to be at the heart of the protests in front
of the police station there not they're very quickly, the March headed off into what the French called the city.
And what we're seeing now are clashes with police, tear gas being used, and what seems like already the night of violence that the authorities have
been prepared for with some 40,000 police men and women to be deployed tonight kicking off even now, Becky.
ANDERSON: I want to just read what the government had to say on this, a spokesman said and I quote here, "It's not the Republic that was in
custody. It is not the Republic that killed this young man. Nor is it the police of the Republic who is responsible for this the killing. It is one
man, who must be judged if the justice system deems it necessary". Our question tonight is simply this is racial profiling a problem and issue in
France, Melissa?
BELL: It is a huge issue, Becky, because if you speak to any young adolescent, young adult, of African-Arab descent, so third, fourth, fifth
generation French, but their parents were of African or Arab origin. You speak to almost any Frenchman of that generation and they will tell you
that they are regularly stopped for identity papers.
I have reached the grand old age without ever having my papers checked, Becky, the trouble is that this widespread feeling in France is very
difficult to prove or investigate, because it is impossible for public bodies to collect any data on things like race and ethnicity and religion.
[11:05:00]
For entirely laudable reasons but that in the end make any debate about a link between incidents of police brutality and the very systemic racism,
that so many of these young people in these communities feel that they're on the receiving end, day in day out, it is impossible to investigate, even
harder to prove, and therefore completely impossible to tackle.
This is what's at the heart of the anger here in France today, Becky, that you're likely to see spill out later on the streets, this widespread
feeling amongst vast proportions of France's population, that there is systemic discrimination and racism, that there is brutality, at pretty
stops not just in their quantity, but in their nature.
I would add the interactions with the police can be violent, verbally, the discrimination can be felt in a way that is even before there has been any
physical interaction deeply humiliating by those who have to live it. That when you take all of that into account, you take an incident like what
happened killing of young Nahel on Tuesday morning and there are so many examples over the years, -- the list goes on.
Over the years of young French men, often who have found themselves on the receiving end of police brutality, who have died at the hands of that
brutality, Becky, and it has been impossible to suggest that racism was a part of it. And I think that's one of the frustrations that you're seeing
on the streets today.
ANDERSON: Melissa Bell is in Paris. Melissa, thank you. For the Kremlin today declining to answer questions about the status of eight top general
Sergey Surovikin on the right of your screen has not appeared in public since the end of the Wagner Chiefs brief rebellion. Another General Valery
Gerasimov also dropped out of view. Fred Pleitgen has more on sort of weaken and a report that he may have known about the uprising in advance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Russia's President trying to show he's in full control cheered on by crowds
in Dagestan.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT: I had no doubt about the reaction to Dagestan and throughout the country.
PLEITGEN (voice over): But the uprising led by Wagner Boss Yevgeny Prigozhin still reverberates. The New York Times reporting, one of Russia's
top Generals Sergey Surovikin may have had advanced knowledge of the insurrection the Kremlin trying to brush off the report.
There will now be a lot of speculation and rumors surrounding these events, the Kremlin spokesman says. I believe this is just another example of it.
Well Surovikin was quick to call on Prigozhin to stop the insurrection.
GENERAL SERGEY SUROVIKIN, RUSSIAN AIR FORCE: You must do this before it is too late. Obey the will and command of the elected President of the Russian
Federation.
PLEITGEN (voice over): There is no doubt Surovikin and Prigozhin are close. While Prigozhin continuously ripped into Russia's Defense Minister for
alleged ammo shortages during the battle for Bakhmut for Surovikin nothing but praise
YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN, WAGNER FOUNDER: This is the only man with the star of an army general knows how to fight.
PLEITGEN (voice over): Surovikin lead Russia's war in Ukraine for three months last year, just as Wagner's battle for Bakhmut was escalating. He
was also Putin's top general in Syria in 2017, leading a brutal campaign to crush the opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
And they are to working side by side with Prigozhin's Wagner mercenaries. So far, there's no indication that Russians implicated Surovikin in the
uprising. But Putin has made clear he views those who took part as traders.
PUTIN: The organizers of the rebellion betraying their country that people also portrayed those who were drawn into the crime.
PLEITGEN (voice over): A Russian general claiming Russian intelligence had advanced knowledge of Prigozhin's plans. And yet they couldn't stop them.
Another possible problem for Vladimir Putin as he tries to show things are back to normal and he remains firmly at the helm. Fred Pleitgen, CNN,
Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Let's get CNN's Nick Paton Walsh live in Kyiv. So let's start with what we know about sort of given and what you make of these reports,
Nick?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORESPONDENT: Yes, it is very hard to get read exactly what is happening. We know for a fact that
Sergey Surovikin has not been seen in public since he appeared in the strange video on Friday in which he asked the Wagner fighters to
essentially turn round to go back to their bases.
He looked uncomfortable. It's fair to say during that seemed in his right hand to be holding some kind of weapon but certainly not his usual, more
confident demeanor, since I say he's not been seen reports have suggested that he has been detained arrested.
[11:10:00]
Some reports have suggested he may then have been released after interrogation but some reputable newspaper reports have indeed suggested
that he's been arrested. So a lot swirling around here and then also a Former MP in Moscow suggesting indeed that he's back at work and nothing is
untoward here.
Put aside the actual fate of Surovikin, I should point out was one of the only Russian top brass that Yevgeny Prigozhin in the Wagner Rebellion
leader spoke kindly of, is this climate of suspicion that is going to do extraordinary damage to Russia's Military and Putin's inner circle.
They are obviously now given Western intelligence a European intelligence specialized spoke to saying there were hints of foreknowledge in the
Russian establishment of this rebellion. The Kremlin going to furiously be trying to work out exactly who knew what who did what, when, who didn't act
fast enough, who may have been stepping aside to see how successful Prigozhin's move indeed would have been.
Now, that is a dangerous thing to do, when you're an autocrat at any time at all. It's potentially lethal thing to do, frankly, if you're in the
middle of losing catastrophically an invasion of your neighboring country. And so while we may see Surovikin possibly emerge in the hours or days
ahead to remind everybody that he's still around.
We may never know what's happened to him over the past days, and indeed, if he is suspected of some sort of misconduct here or disloyalty. We've also I
should point out not seen Valery Gerasimov, the Current Head of the Ukraine war in Russia, and the Chief of Staff that doesn't necessarily mean that
Gerasimov of is under suspicion or being detained.
Sometimes these military figures don't appear in public that regularly but as I say, is this climate of suspicion that's going to do enormous damage,
not only to Russia's performance in the war, already pretty catastrophic, but also to Putin's grip on power. He cannot see success in Ukraine. If day
by day, he has to recalibrate who he can trust and who he potentially has to push aside, Becky.
ANDERSON: So it is unclear at present whether there is actually a purge happening in the Kremlin. Meantime, I have to ask, what is Yevgeny
Prigozhin? I mean, the man who led this March, as it were on Moscow got 200 kilometers away before the President of Belarus who says he was able to
contact him by phone and sort of, you know, put him off.
He now as we understand it, is in Belarus. What do you make of what we've heard to date about his whereabouts and what happens next?
WALSH: Well, I mean, Lukashenko has said, he's in Belarus, and there have been some planes seen, which may suggest that aircraft affiliated with him
have gone to Belarus but Prigozhin, who's not a publicity shy man, he reaches to his telegram channel anytime he likes to make a message known.
He's not said where he is at all. Indeed, he's not spoken since the 11 minute audio message where he essentially clarified that he'd gone along
with a deal with Lukashenko. So he could be anywhere he could be in Minsk, in a hotel, taking a breather, we don't know.
But the fact that he's not, at this point, under some sort of detention or being interrogated by Russian security services just speaks again to how
weak Putin is that he had to let this man go. This man is not publicly seen to be in Belarusian making sure everyone knows that's the case and sort of
perhaps doing something else.
Is he saying, well, you promised me a deal in which I'd get immunity? Well, that hasn't happened. So maybe actually sorry, there have given him
immunity and drop the charges. But certainly there's not a sense that his organization is being left out of the grip of the Russian security
services.
So a lot still is swirling around all of this. Let's just say one thing to you, Becky too, we are sort of receiving suggestions, reports from both
sides here. There may be some kind of gains by Ukrainian forces around Bakhmut at the moment. And that's just another thing to bear in mind that
as we talk about intrigue around Putin in the Russian top brass.
There's a war happening and it's a war that Russia is even less capable of performing well, in given this intrigue, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, very good point. Let's we forget there is a war in Ukraine and people are dying. Thank you. Vladimir Putin standing may have taken a
major hit of the weekend revolt, but we wanted to know how ordinary Russians felt. So we sent our Senior International Correspondent, Matthew
Chance to Red Square to find out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Right well, I've come to the center of the Russian capital to try and get a sense of
how this city feels in the aftermath of that attempted military uprising of the week.
[11:15:00]
I can tell you, it feels pretty relaxed. As you can see there's a lot of Russians, a lot of tourists that have here taking photographs of these
iconic sites. I was trying to get into Red Square actually which is just here but you can see there are barricades up and in fact those barricades
have been up since the weekend when that military uprising took place you can just make out the domes of St. Basil's over there.
Anyway, back to the people, I thought it'd be a great opportunity to have a word with some Russians about how secure they feel. Right now, in the
aftermath of that uprising.
CHANCE (voice over): People like 86 year old Nikolai unfazed, he told me by events of recent days. Russia is its people, he says, not some individual
show offs, and regardless of what they do, Russia was is and will continue to be strong, he says. But will its leader Vladimir Putin sealed off behind
these Kremlin gates.
CHANCE (on camera): Still be done with it or Putin suggests? -- , you don't know it Mansa. But you know what -- I know many people want to speak to me
about Putin conditioning, -- .
CHANCE (voice over): -- those who would reject the suggestion recently made Vice President Biden that Putin has been weakened by the revolt in Russia.
I think you'll be around for a long time, Cecilia, all the country's resources are in his hands. And there's no real opposition. And there won't
be anytime soon, he says. But now he's in exile, the Wagner Leader who staged and aborted the rebellion appears to be fair game.
CHANCE (on camera): You speak English, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
CHANCE (on camera): Great, let me ask you. What do you think about Yevgeny Prigozhin?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No we don't like him.
CHANCE (on camera): Do you like or you don't?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, we don't like.
CHANCE (on camera): You don't like?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, we don't like.
CHANCE (on camera): Why -- ?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know. But he is not good.
CHANCE (on camera): Well, it's pretty understandable. I suppose that Yevgeny what's happened over the past few days. People don't really want to
talk to us that much on camera, because despite what most of them will say to us about everything being fine here.
I think that genuinely is a sense of apprehension about what the coming weeks and months in this country may hold. Matthew Chance, CNN in the
center of the Russian capital, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You're watching "Connect the World", ahead tonight. Fierce fighting reported around, Bakhmut CNN talks
to Ukrainian soldiers on the front line now facing another long battle to win back that city. Pass rulings and some blockbuster cases that the U.S.
Supreme Court this week, including the court's opinion on race based school admissions that happened in the last hour, and we will get you live to
Washington on that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
ANDERSON: In Washington all eyes are on the U.S. Supreme Court at a landmark decision with broad impact on American life. The Supreme Court has
ended the use of affirmative action in college admissions ruling that colleges and universities can no longer take race into consideration as a
specific factor in admissions.
Now, this landmark decision up ends a long standing precedent that has benefited black and Latino students in higher education. Conservative
justices formed the majority in the opinion ruling against admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. They still
suggested that race has affected applicants life can be part of how an application is considered.
Well, liberal justices issued a fiery dissent, arguing the decision rolls back decades of progress and further entrenches racial inequality in the
country. I want to bring in Legal Affairs Commentator, Areva Martin. Just explain to us what more we know about this decision? And ultimately, you
know just how significant it is?
AREVA MARTIN, ATTORNEY & LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Yes, Becky, what we know is that this ruling is the culmination of decade's long efforts to end
the consideration of race in admissions and in striking down affirmative action programs that the University of North Carolina and Harvard
conservative activists have won.
They have won this decade's long battle around, including and making sure that diversity is front and center at major universities. Many
universities, not just colleges, but also law schools, medical schools and other graduate programs have already indicated that without being able to
use race as a factor, not a single factor, but as a factor in the admissions process will result in a significant drop in the number of
minority students entering their programs.
So this is a huge blow to those in the U.S. that believe in education equality, it's a huge blow to activists that have been fighting to ensure
that race could be considered as a single factor in admissions to level the playing field, because so many of these colleges and universities
disproportionately accept students who are from non-minority populations.
ANDERSON: In a dissenting opinion, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor and let's be quite clear, again, the dissent was fiery from those who didn't
buy into this. She says this goes against the 14th amendment.
MARTIN: Absolutely 14th amendment, which guarantees, you know, equality in our institutions in the U.S., should be the bedrock from which this
decision was decided. But in the majority opinion, Justice Roberts says that somehow using race as a factor in admissions is racial stereotyping.
And somehow uses race in a negative way, that those are very odd statements to say that using race to allow students to be admitted into college and to
diversify college campuses is somehow racial stereotyping. It's a very distorted I think, view of race and the use of race by college admissions
programs.
ANDERSON: I just want to bring up part of the part of the opinion for our viewers here so they can actually see what it actually says. It says the
devastating impact of this decision cannot be overstated. The indefensible reading of the constitution is not grounded in law. This is Sotomayor's
scathing dissent. What are the implications? What are the consequences here? Is it clear at this point?
MARTIN: Well, it's interesting because many students and many progressive organizations say that this will result in a significant drop in the number
of minority students that are admitted to college campuses. And essentially, we're going to have predominantly white students who are
admitted and who make up the classes at institutions of higher learning like Harvard, like the University of North Carolina, and it will
disadvantage minority students.
I think it's also interesting to note that in a 2003 decision called Grutter V. Bollinger, the court upheld the use of race as a factor in
college admissions saying that universities had a compelling interest in maintaining diverse campuses.
[11:25:00]
The majority doesn't explicitly overrule the Grutter decision. But in the dissent by Clarence Thomas, or in the opinion that he issued, he says, for
all practical purposes, the 2003 decision has been overturned. And when you look at abortion rights, and you look at now, affirmative action, again,
this is a decade's long plan by conservatives to roll back the rights of women and to roll back the rights of minorities.
ANDERSON: Areva, Donald Trump has just called this a great day for America. The Biden Administration says that they're going to look at this, what can
they do if anything?
MARTIN: Well, we see that the Biden Administration has used executive orders as a way to address some of the inequalities in our systems like
with the college student debt relief, not clear, though, that even an executive order could withstand a constitutional review by this Supreme
Court.
The reality is this 6-3 Supreme Court, 6-3 Conservative Supreme Court is on a mission. And that mission appears to be to enact laws consistent with
conservative activists. And many of these orders and rulings issued by the court are not consistent with where the American people are on abortion
rights, for example, the American people, right, a majority support women's access to abortion care.
So Donald Trump's statement is not a surprise. We know where Donald Trump stands on issues as it relates to race and equality for minoritized
property, so not at all surprised by his comment.
ANDERSON: Well, student debts. And you've just brought that up and gay rights also set for rulings by this Supreme Court before the end of its
term. We're on it. We'll have you back. Thank you very much indeed, for your analysis and in on this latest ruling, waiting on those two very
important rulings that will be delivered very soon. Thank you.
Well just ahead protesters in Iraq have a message for Sweden. Fury after the Quran was burned in Stockholm; more on those developments are coming
up. Plus, as Uganda passes one of the world's harshest anti- LGBTQ laws, we'll hear from those who are bravely speaking out against it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
ANDERSON: Welcome back, you're watching "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson from our hub in the Middle East here in Abu Dhabi, where the time
is half past seven in the evening. Clashes are broken out during a protest march near Paris. Video shows police using tear gas and rubber bullets
against crowds who turned out to protest the fatal shooting of a teenager during a traffic stop.
French officials are bracing for even more violence after nightfall they are deploying 40,000 security forces nationwide. Well, an official says the
Biden Administration is now reviewing the so-called affirmative action decision delivered by the Supreme Court in the last hour.
It said colleges and universities can no longer take race into consideration as a factor in admissions overturning long standing precedent
that has benefited black and Latino students. There is speculation about a possible purge in Russia's military after two top generals dropped out of
sight.
They have not been seen in public since the abrupt end that the Wagner group's uprising last weekend. And their absence comes after the New York
Times reported that Sergei through a weekend seen on the right had advanced knowledge of the mutiny. The Kremlin isn't commenting.
We are getting some images just into CNN. But former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence who met with President Zelenskyy earlier today in Kyiv on an
unannounced trip Zelenskyy thank the American people for their support and remarked that he was grateful to Pence, he got a chance to see the sights
of Russian atrocities.
Pence in return express his unwavering support for Ukraine. He's running for the Republican nomination for president and some of his rival
candidates have questioned U.S. support for Ukraine. Well, slow gains and fierce fighting that is how Ukraine's military describes conditions around
Bakhmut.
Official say their forces are slowly advancing around the flanks of the city, which was of course captured by Russia in May, after a grueling
month's long battle, where death toll is now 12 from a Russian missile that slammed into a crowded pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk. In the east of
Ukraine search and rescue operations were completed this morning.
Several children are among the dead and injured. Ben Wedeman back with us this hour from eastern Ukraine. And Ben, you've been on the front lines
with Ukrainian troops. What are they telling you?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what they're saying is that at the moment, they're holding their ground and there are
reports that they are advancing in other areas. In fact, the spokesman for Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine indicated that the goal of the current
counter offensive around Bakhmut is to encircle that city which once had a population of about 70,000 people, but the soldiers told us that the going
is slow and the going is hard.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WEDEMAN (voice over): In the woods outside the Russian occupied town of Bakhmut, the Ukrainian crew of a Soviet era self-propelled gun prepares to
open fire, cleaning the barrel, getting the grounds ready. And then the order to fire comes over the radio.
WEDEMAN (on camera): This counter offensive is just over. So far, the Ukrainians are only inching forward taking a small village here in a slice of territory there.
WEDEMAN (voice over): Here it's still a grinding war of attrition for the troops of 57 motorized infantry brigade. Small advances followed by
crushing counter attacks. But most of the time, they hunker down undercover, and wait.
When we have targets we fire fast and precise, says the gun commander whose call sign is diesel. We hit infantry tanks, vehicles, but most of all
infantry. Their targeting is helped by the brigades drone operators. This drone video shows a successful strike on Russian troops on the edge of
Bakhmut.
But these eyes in the sky can fall victim to friendly fire. That gunfire from nervous troops is trying to shoot down their own drone. Here they
heard about the brief mutiny led by Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and shrugged it off. I said from the start, it's a lie says drone operator --
it was theater. Their more immediate concern is getting enough ammunition.
[11:35:00]
Crates and freshly manufactured 152 millimeter rounds from Pakistan are strewn about near the gun. Battery commander call sign Shaytaan (ph) or
Satan says he'll believe there's a counter offensive when he sees it. Until we take a major town or get a tactical advantage he tells me, there is no
counter offensive. Here believing is seen, the only certainty the war goes on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WEDEMAN: And it was the Wagner mercenaries, who actually were able to take Bakhmut from the Ukrainians after a 10 month battle back in May, but they
were pulled out and they've been replaced by ordinary Russian troops. And according to the Ukrainian spokesman for the Army here, they have been
replaced now by thousands. More have been moved from other areas of the 1000 kilometer front to reinforce Russian forces in Bakhmut, Becky.
ANDERSON: Ben Wedeman is on the ground for you in Ukraine, Ben, thanks. We are watching Baghdad, where protesters are now withdrawing from the Swedish
Embassy in the Iraqi capital. That is certainly what Iraqi security forces or sources telling CNN.
Earlier anger erupted over Sweden's decision to allow a Quran-burning protest outside a mosque in Stockholm, a chorus of condemnation from Muslim
majority countries. Wednesday's Quran-burning by single demonstrator also coincided with a major Muslim holiday. Let's get you to CNN's Jomana
Karadsheh. And as we understand it, then things calming down, at least for now in Baghdad, what are we being told?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, for now, Becky, tomorrow is Friday, a traditional day of protests in the Muslim and Arab world. We
could potentially be seeing more protests in Baghdad, in Iraq and elsewhere. What we know to happen today is the influential Shia cleric
Muqtada al-Sadr, called on his supporters to head to the Swedish Embassy and to protest there.
And this is a man who can draw millions of crowd, millions out on the streets if he calls on his protester on his supporters to come out. And we
saw scores today who showed up outside the Swedish Embassy in central Baghdad. You see video of them on social media that has been circulating
with protesters scaling the walls of the compound.
We don't know how far they got, how close they got to the embassy itself. But we do understand from the Swedish Foreign Ministry that their staff is
safe and that they are in contact with them. I mean, for the large part, when you look at these pictures, it didn't seem really violent. But you can
see the anger there.
And we understand from a security source that they have since withdrawn, and we'll have to wait and see if there's going to be another protest
tomorrow following Friday prayers. I mean, you can imagine the outrage and anger in the Arab and Muslim world Becky, after the burning of the Islam's
holy book on one of the holiest days.
The Islamic calendar, the first day of Eid al-Adha taking place yesterday, as you mentioned outside that mosque in Stockholm. And we are seeing the
condemnations coming from different Arab and Muslim countries. You also have Jordan and the UAE summoning the Swedish ambassadors in their
countries, you also have Morocco that has recalled its ambassador to Sweden.
What you're hearing from these governments is they're saying enough is enough, that Sweden cannot continue to justify these acts by calling this
freedom of expression. They say that this is incitement. This is hate speech. This is Islamophobia and it must stop. The Swedish government must
do something about this.
We have heard from Swedish officials throughout saying they don't condone this. They don't support this. They find this offensive. But they still say
that this is what Sweden is about, freedom of expression that is at the heart of Swedish democracy that is protected by the country's constitution.
But as you can see, Becky, with this protest today, these statements and these actions by the various Muslim and Arab governments, people who've
really had enough of this, what they describe as this sacrilegious act happening, especially at this time on a very holy day for Muslims.
ANDERSON: And some news just from here, the United Arab Emirates summoned Sweden's Ambassador earlier to Abu Dhabi to protest the Quran-burning
incidents according to the state news agency here, thank you.
[11:40:00]
Well, as out with those words, I'm sorry, I'm going to start that again. It's out and with those words Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
says, he is getting rid of a bitterly contested part of his plan to revamp the country's court system.
Mr. Netanyahu telling the Wall Street Journal that he is looking for the middle ground. His original plan, remember, which included granting
parliament the authority to overturn Supreme Court rulings send Israel the country into complete convulsions with mass protests paralyzing the country
earlier this year.
CNN's Hadas Gold is tracking developments. And she joins us now from Jerusalem. And Hadas, the Prime Minister is quoted as saying, I'm attentive
to the public pulse. Is this Netanyahu giving in to public pressure?
HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: While there's been a massive amount of public pressure, there have been regular weekly protests with hundreds of
thousands of Israelis taking to the streets. Protesters outside of the homes of ministers, international pressure from the United States from
President Joe Biden and his own defense minister are speaking out against the reform.
So obviously, that's had some sort of effect. Now, what the specific provision would have allowed, would have allowed a simple majority in
Israel's Parliament 61 votes to overturn Supreme Court decisions. And he did, Mr. Netanyahu actually did indicate in an interview with CNN, CNN's
Fareed Zakaria, back in April that that was probably too far to go and that he was going to be walking away from that.
But there was still the question about whether a new proposal that would allow a super majority in parliament to overturn Supreme Court decisions
would still be pushed forward. And in this interview with the Wall Street Journal, he said, that's not going to happen. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I already changed a few things right after the original proposal was put forward. I said that the idea of
an override clause where the parliament, the Knesset can override the decisions of the Supreme Court with a simple majority, I said, I threw that
out there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLD: Now there is the question, of course, if he from early on knew this was a bad idea, why did he allow his justice minister to push forward with
that? But we don't have an answer to that question. And of course, this doesn't mean that the rest of the reform, the rest of the overhaul is dead.
They still plan to push forward with especially which is really their number one priority.
And this is how the judges are selected. So they still plan to push forward with changing the judicial selection committee, as well as a few other
elements to this massive judicial reform. So this fight is far from over. But it's going to be done in likely a slower and potentially more piecemeal
process, Becky.
ANDERSON: Will this be enough to avoid a repeat of mass protests? And will it silence the critics who are very firmly in Israel's ally, ally's camp at
this point, including the United States?
GOLD: I'm sure that the United States administration, the White House was watching this interview carefully and potentially taking note of this
decision to walk away from the overhaul. But one of the main elements that they've been pushing and as well as others have been pushing is to bring
the opposition to the table and come forward with a consensus reform that everybody can agree with.
So far, it seems as though those talks that were taking place at the Israeli president's residence have essentially broken down or not
continuing. So it's not clear whether this will satisfy the allies, as far as the protesters definitely won't satisfy them.
There will be a big question whether this Saturday night's protests which has become the sort of weekly ritual protesters, but may see a bigger
outcome. And actually on Monday afternoon, Becky, protesters are planning to once again swarm Israel's main airport that Ben Gurion airport just
outside of Tel Aviv, their goal is to essentially shut down the airport as a form of protest, Becky.
ANDERSON: Hadas Gold on the story for you. Hadas, thank you. You're watching "Connect the World" live from Abu Dhabi. Time here, 43 minutes
past seven. I'm Becky Anderson. Coming up, Uganda's anti-LGBTQ law is terrorizing members of the country's queer community but some are refusing
to be silenced. And you will hear their voices just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
ANDERSON: It's been exactly a month since Uganda's president signed into law some of the harshest anti-LGBTQ laws in the world. Now this law
criminalizes many aspects of LGBTQ life, including sex education for the gay community, and sexual relationships between consenting adults the same
gender.
Human rights groups in and outside of Uganda have protests and many Western nations have condemned the legalization. Well, in the week since many gay,
lesbian, Trans and queer Ugandans are suffering physical and psychological harm from a law that codifies hatred.
Some people refuse to stay silent, they are boldly speaking out for their right to exist and live freely in their country. Larry Madowo shows us how.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Nash Raphael says he was assaulted. On the night the Anti-Homosexuality Act became law in Uganda,
after months of publicity, -- hostility towards people like him.
MADOWO (on camera): How do you feel about the fact that you keep getting attacks?
NASH WASH RAPHAEL, TRANS UGANDAN MAN: It's bad, it's bad. I wouldn't wish for someone's daughter or son to go through what I'm going through because
I know how worse it is.
MADOWO (voice over): It was the second time this year, but he suffered such a violent attack and the ninth since he transitioned. He says his family
disowned him and he got fired from his job for not wearing women's clothes. He's now homeless, jobless and penniless.
RAPHAEL: I've tried to take my own life, it hasn't worked.
MADOWO (on camera): How would you describe your life right now?
RAPHAEL: It's hell.
MADOWO (voice over): The act outlawed gay marriage in Uganda, punishes same sex acts with life imprisonment, and death for what it calls aggravated
homosexuality, which includes sex with a minor or otherwise vulnerable person having sex while HIV positive and incest. It was widely condemned
internationally before even passed.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This bill is one of the most extreme anti-LGBTQ plus laws in the world. No one should be attacked,
imprisoned or killed simply because of whom they are or whom they love.
MADOWO (voice over): The U.S. State Department advised Americans to reconsider travel to Uganda due to anti-LGBTQI plus legislation, warning
that offenders could be prosecuted and jailed for life or even sentenced to death. Opposition MP Asuman Basalirwa introduced the bill that includes a
20 year jail term for what is called promoting homosexuality.
ASUMAN BASALIRWA, UGANDAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: I want to disagree with the people who will say homosexuality is a western concept. No, it is not.
We've lived with homosexuality here in this country in Africa. What is -- recruitment and promotion? That was an African.
MADOWO (on camera): You don't see any instances where this law will bring harm to the LGBTQ community in Uganda.
BASALIRWA: But how, but how? It is not there. This is like another law. It has no problem.
MADOWO (voice over): Uganda's LGBTQI plus community is worried that the law accuses all of them, of pedophilia, grooming or recruiting young people.
JOAN AMEK, COFOUNDER, RELLA WOMEN'S FOUNDATION: There is no -- that is there for any queer person living in Uganda. This is LGBTQ.
MADOWO (voice over): Joan Amek's Foundation considers this a safe space for queer women, but she has to find somewhere new to live.
AMEK: They have had me being just away from where I'm staying.
MADOWO (on camera): You've been evicted from your house.
AMEK: Yes, I've been evicted from my house.
MADOWO (on camera): For being a lesbian woman in Uganda.
AMEK: I have been evicted for being a queer person living in Uganda.
[11:50:00]
MADOWO (voice over): More than 80 percent of Ugandans identify as Christian and almost everyone else is Muslim. The Anti-Homosexuality Act is popular
across the religious and political divide. The Church of Uganda even defied the Archbishop of Canterbury to support the law. Ugandan Anglicans are now
separating from the Church of England because of differing positions on homosexuality.
REV. CANON JOHN AWODI, ALL SAINT'S CATHEDRAL: This is a social problem. People learn it. So that is the stand of the church here. It is unbiblical,
it is unnatural. It is against the order of God.
MADOWO (on camera): How come the church of Uganda and the Church of England are reading the same Bibles differently on the matter of homosexuality?
REV. AWODI: Well, people interpret the Bible differently.
MADOWO (on camera): Everyone we spoke to in the Ugandan LGBTQ community understood the risks they were taking. On putting their faces out there,
they could get evicted from their homes fired from their jobs, even attacked by the community. But they didn't want to go further underground,
go in the shadows. They wanted to make sure that they made a statement that they're here and they will not be silenced.
AMEK: Silence is equals to death. And regardless of whether I stay silent or not, they'll still kill us. They'll still, they'll still criminalize us.
MADOWO (voice over): Larry Madowo, CNN, Kampala.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And if you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, there is help out there and there is hope. Here are some of the places that you can
turn to befrienders worldwide connects users to the nearest emotional support center wherever they live.
And The International Association for Suicide Prevention also provides a global directory of resources and hotlines. We'll be back after this quick
break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: CNN has been told that Madonna is now backing from the hospital after a serious health scan. Source is telling CNN that she isn't the
clear. While earlier the pop-star postponed her upcoming tour because of her health.
Well earlier, Madonna's longtime manager confirmed the pop singer is recovering from a serious bacterial infection which had landed her in the
intensive care unit for several days. Here's CNN's Medical Analyst, Dr. Leana Wen.
DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: So if somebody is coming into the emergency department, and they are unresponsive as it sounds like Madonna
was when she showed up, and they're suspected to have a bacterial infection, you first want to stabilize the individual. You would first want
to make sure that they are breathing and supported, if they have low blood pressure from sepsis and overwhelming infection, you want to support their
blood pressure.
And you'll also want to start broad spectrum antibiotics that would cover a whole range of organisms in case they are what are causing the infection.
And then you start looking for the source. The source could be a skin infection, soft tissue infection that then spread to the rest of the body.
It could originate from the kidneys; it could originate from the lungs by way of pneumonia. It could be appendicitis or gallbladder infection or
something in the belly. So there are all kinds of infections that could then spread to the bloodstream and unfortunately lead to this level of
illness.
ANDERSON: The 64-year-old Grammy winner was due to launch her 43 cities celebration tour next month. Well singer Lewis Capaldi is taking a break
from touring as well.
[11:55:00]
26-year-old singer has been struggling with Tourette syndrome; the neurological disorder causes involuntary movements and sounds. The
announcement follows a difficult performance at the Glastonbury Festival in England over the weekend. A documentary about his diagnosis and living with
the syndrome was released by Netflix in the spring.
Well, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited nearly 400 new artists and executives to become members which makes them eligible
to vote for the Annual Academy Awards of course, and among the new class is a surprising name.
Singer Taylor Swift scored an invite though she has never been nominated for an Oscar, but it's not a requirement for membership. Have fun,
everybody. Thanks for joining us. "One World" with Christina McFarland tonight is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
