Zuckerberg says Facebook erred in not removing militia post
Washington: Facebook made a mistake in not removing a militia group's page earlier this week that called for armed civilians to enter Kenosha, Wisconsin, amid violent protests after police shot Jacob Blake, CEO Mark Zuckerberg says.
The page for the Kenosha Guard violated Facebook's policies and had been flagged by a bunch of people, Zuckerberg said in a video posted Friday on Facebook.
The social media giant has in recent weeks adopted new guidelines removing or restricting posts from groups that pose a threat to public safety.
Facebook took down the page Wednesday after an armed civilian allegedly killed two people and wounded a third Tuesday night amid protests in Kenosha that followed the shooting of Blake, who is Black.
It was largely an operational mistake, Zuckerberg said. The contractors, the reviewers, who the initial complaints were funneled to, didn't, basically didn't pick this up.
Zuckerberg did not apologize for the error and said that so far, Facebook hasn't found any evidence that Rittenhouse was aware of the Kenosha Guard page or the invitation it posted for armed militia members to go to Kenosha.
Facebook is now taking down posts that praise the shooting or shooter, Zuckerberg said. Yet a report Thursday by The Guardian newspaper found examples of support and even fundraising messages still being shared on Facebook and its photo-sharing service, Instagram.
Zuckerberg also contrasted the treatment of Blake, who was shot in the back by Kenosha police, and the white 17-year-old now charged in Tuesday's slayings, Kyle Rittenhouse, who carried an AR-15-style rifle near police without being challenged.
Zuckerberg also acknowledged the civil rights demonstration Friday in Washington, D.C.
There's just a sense that things really aren't improving at the pace that they should be, and I think that's really painful, really discouraging," Zuckerberg said.
Zuckerberg also said the company is working on improving its execution, though he did not provide details. He acknowledged that the approaching presidential election would present greater challenges around polarising content.
There is a real risk and a continued increased risk through the election during this very sensitive and polarized and highly charged time," he said.
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New Year stabbings rock Delhi, leave 3 dead
New Delhi (PTI): The New Year evening was streaked with blood with three almost back-to-back stabbings leaving an equal number of people dead in Delhi.
Bihari Lal, 50, was allegedly stabbed in an attack by a group of juveniles when he asked them to stop shouting and playing loud music in northwest Delhi's Lal Bagh area.
A tailor by profession, Bihari Lal had just returned home Thursday evening from his job in Shastri Nagar, when he was faced with a raucous mob of revellers, whom he chastised for making noise.
"This led to a heated exchange, during which one of the juveniles stabbed Lal," a police officer said, adding that one of the boys kicked the victim several times during the fight.
Bihari Lal was rushed to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Police apprehended a juvenile in connection with the killing and seized the weapon of the crime. A hunt for the rest involved in the fight is on.
An FIR was registered at the Adarsh Nagar Police Station, and investigators are examining eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage from the area.
Bihari Lal's family and neighbours alleged that the group was notorious for creating disturbance in the area.
"He had just returned from duty and was parking his cycle when they came and started abusing everyone, throwing buckets, boxes and people's belongings. Bihari Lal only told them not to use abusive language and shout, as there were women and children around. That was all he said," Dimple, a neighbour, recounted.
Pushpa, a relative, alleged that the group had been terrorising residents for some time. "They keep throwing bottles, stones and sticks, and nobody does anything. We complained earlier, but no action was taken. The police never did anything," she said.
Pushpa said four boys were involved in the attack and "they stabbed him three times."
Hours later, in outer Delhi's Mangolpuri, an e-rickshaw driver, Vikas, was stabbed in a fight.
According to police, Vikas and his friend Sandeep, a daily-wage labourer, both aged 20, were sitting together when a group of youths started a fight with them.
"During the altercation, one of the accused stabbed Vikas, causing fatal injuries. Sandeep also suffered a minor lacerated wound," an officer said.
Both were taken to a nearby hospital, where Vikas was declared dead.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the victims and the attackers had bad blood, police said.
All six accused, four of them underage, involved in the stabbing were apprehended, police said.
The same evening, a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death in nearby Sultanpuri.
Around 11.30 pm, police were informed that a group of men had attacked a minor with a knife.
"A police team rushed to the spot and found the injured boy lying on the road with multiple stab wounds," an officer said.
The victim, whose identity was not revealed by the police, was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead.
Vikram, a man aged about 30 with a history of crime, was arrested for allegedly killing the boy.
During interrogation, Vikram, who police said has six criminal convictions, revealed that two more men were with him at the time of the stabbing. A search for them has been launched.
The boy's mother said her son had been threatened several times before by the attackers, but police took no action.
"My son had gone out only to get some juice when a few people started abusing him, and a fight broke out. I ran downstairs from my sister's house and begged them not to harm my son. Instead, they took out a knife and attacked me. I somehow ran into a shop, where I saw my son being stabbed in front of my eyes," the boy's mother, Bali, said.
She said that the accused had earlier also entered her house armed with weapons. "I informed the police, but no action was taken."
The boy was her only son.
The motive of the killing is yet to be ascertained by the police.
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