Israeli official: prisons ready to detain 2,300 anti-pullout activists News
Israeli official: prisons ready to detain 2,300 anti-pullout activists

[JURIST] The commissioner of Israel's prison service Ya'akov Ganot [commissioner's message] told a Knesset committee on Wednesday that Israeli detention facilities were equipped to hold as many as 2,300 anti-pullout activists predicted to take part in illegal protests against the pullout from Gaza [JURIST report] now slated to begin in August. Ganot added that the prison service had set up temporary compounds to be used as makeshift courts, shortening judicial procedures and lessening the need to use standing courts. Israel plans to evacuate all the 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip as well as four West Bank settlements, though large scale opposition has prompted protests. Haarets has local coverage.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.