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Migrants Prevented From Boarding Train in Budapest; Lebanese Protests Outside Environment Ministry; African Startup: Bio Mada; One Square Meter: Santiago. Aired 11:00a-12:00P ET
Aired September 01, 2015 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:40] BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Dismay and anger as hope lies just a train ride away in Hungary. Hundreds of stranded Syrians and Iraqis demand
to be allowed to travel on to Germany.
We're live at both ends of this journey for you this hour.
Also, on this story. As their divided leaders dither, ordinary Europeans must a grass roots, groundswell of support. We are live on that
in Germany on a growing pro-migrant movement.
Plus, pumping it up: Iran's oil production hits its highest level in years. CNN talks to the country's oil minister about high hopes and
ambitions. That exclusive interview is coming up.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.
ANDERSON: A very good evening at just after 7:00 here in the UAE. Just as they thought, their long wait to reach Germany was almost over.
Hungary stopped the trains. Hundreds of migrants protested the main rail station in Budapest earlier today after police prevented them from
boarding.
Well, some migrants held their paid train tickets in the air as they chanted their frustration.
The rallies continued after police moved the crowds outside.
The country abruptly reversed course today after allowing thousands of migrants onto earlier trains bound for Austria and Germany.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have been here five days. No food, no sleep, no place to sleep, no anything.
We have (inaudible) by government and (inaudible).
(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's (inaudible), it's not insulation, it's (inaudible). Why are you taking the (inaudible)? Why? Tell us. We go
walking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We're covering the story for you from all angles tonight.
Arwa Damon is at the train station in Budapest and Frederik Pleitgen is in Munich for you, the destination so many of these refugees hope to
reach.
I want to start with you, Arwa tonight. We do understand that the trains are running again, but migrants still aren't allowed on board. Is
that correct? And if so, why?
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, the trains are running for people who have visas or passports that would allow them to
be in the EU. And that does not apply to any of the migrants or refugees here.
Most of these are people who fled the wars in Iraq and Syria. And they have been demonstrating pretty much continuously throughout the day.
Why they're not being allowed to board the trains? We don't really know, since yesterday the rules were obviously bent for them and hundreds
of them did manage to make it through.
This morning, people were so excited. They were euphoric because they'd waited for hours in line to get tickets. They bought tickets. But
then all of a sudden they were no longer being permitted to board the trains. There are no viable explanation has been given to them. People
don't know what to do with themselves at this stage, Becky. I was just talking to a woman, a mother, who we've been seeing here over the course of
the last day.
She couldn't stop crying. And she was talking about how hard it was for her to even look at her daughter living, sleeping in the streets for
over a week right now.
Now there are people that are trying to put pressure on various governments. A woman named Annette Groth. She was here. She is a member
of Germany's Daleft Party (ph), also a member of parliament. Listen to how she described the situation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNETTE GROTH, GERMAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: The solution for me is really, as I said before, boarding on the train or sending buses whatever.
But if this is the solution at the diplomatic level, what somebody said -- Merkel or so -- that the people are not allowed now to further travel in
order to apply for asylum in Germany.
This is an inhumane solution. This is not a solution. This is just, you know, prolonging their suffering and really dangerous situations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:05:14] DAMON: Becky, when we talk about dangerous situations, this can potentially exist on a number of levels. People are getting sick.
They can't keep living out in the streets. Children are getting sick. There's concern about the potential spread of disease. There's also
concern about the fact that tempers amongst the refugee population are really flaring. They're still trying to keep a certain level of control
over especially some of the youth, but people don't know what to do to pressure the Hungarian authorities.
And you also have more and more people arriving every single day. And shutting off what was an access route onwards to western Europe, by
shutting that route off this morning, Hungarian officials potentially created an even bigger problem than what they were facing before, Becky.
ANDERSON: Arwa, what doesn't make sense is that if Hungary doesn't want these migrants, and Germany is willing to take them, why are
authorities refusing to let them travel? After all, so many of them have told you, as you've been on this story and traveling with some of these
migrants from Turkey on this incredibly long journey, that Germany is where they are headed.
It does seem ridiculous. And the fact that the authorities aren't commenting at this point as to what is going on seems crazy.
DAMON: You know, Becky, that doesn't make sense to anybody. It doesn't make sense to anybody here, it doesn't make sense to the German
member of parliament who we spoke to, it doesn't make sense when you call German or Hungarian authorities and try to find out who's actually in
control, who is making decision, who has the power to reopen this route.
Now, everyone keeps falling back to EU laws and the Dublin agreement and the fact that refugees need to technically apply for asylum at their
first point of entry.
But these are extenuating circumstances. The situation that Europe is facing today is unlike any that it has come across since World War II. And
those laws and regulations that are in place are really antiquated and can not necessarily be applied, nor are they viable for this situation and the
plight that these people are facing at this stage.
Those laws, even though governments say they are trying to abide by them, were clearly bent yesterday. And if they were bent yesterday to
allow people to go through, to finally receive that very positive welcome in Germany, there is no logical reason these people will tell you why it
can't be bent for them in the future.
ANDERSON: Pictures coming in to CNN. Arwa, as you are talking to that rally just going on just moments away from where you are. I guess the
question is where is the UN. Where is the EU? Where are those who should be in a position to actually help even on a short-term basis? When you see
the refugees streaming out of Syria into Jordan, into Lebanon, into Iraq. At least there is some refuge, some infrastructure even on a short-term
basis. Some food, some water, some tents. We're not seeing that, certainly not where you are at present.
Let's move on. Arwa, thank you.
Some refugees did not make it to Munich earlier on the trains. But the numbers have now dropped dramatically. some of the lucky ones who did
make it wept with relief as they stepped foot in western Europe, a makeshift welcome center did greet them with food, water, even toys for the
kids.
Let's get more from Frederik Pleiten, who is live at the Munich station.
And as I was suggesting, Fred, a very different reception in Munich. Do describe the scenes that you have witnessed there, if you will.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, it certainly is very different here. And we can just juxtapose some of the
stuff that Arwa was just saying with the scene that we're seeing here. What's happened here is that I'm standing on the parking lot of the main
railway station in Munich. And when the people here, and the authorities here, found out that there was going to be a major influx of people coming
in here.
They've turned this place into somewhat of a welcoming center.
And then if we pan around a little bit, we can see that the people here, they've brought a lot of food. They've brought a lot of medication,
they brought a lot to drink. And as we've been talking about toys as well, everything is available here.
But right now, people are only slowly trickling in.
Pan over that way, we can see that the people here in Munich have built a state of the art medical facility here throughout the day.
When we came here early this morning, none of those tents were there, none of those ambulances were there. There was one single ambulance
checking people. Now, whenever a train comes, with any sort of potential refugees on board, what happens is they get taken in by the police on the
platform. They then get walked out here and the first thing they receive is a medical check. And the next thing they receive is food, is water, and
something for the kids.
So, the facilities are here. And I was actually speaking to one of the officials here, and he told me we really don't understand why there's
not more people coming because certainly the scene is set, the stage is set, for more people to come here. But they simply aren't coming in
because they're not able to make their way out of Hungary. And it certainly is something.
And I mean, keep in mind, Becky, there are hundreds of volunteers who have been bringing food, who have been moving food around. They brought
warm catering in here. They've set up a children's play area. And now there simply isn't anybody coming, but they have prepared a lot. So it is
quite frustrating for them as well, because they are ready to help a lot. And they did in the early stages of this day, but right now there really
aren't that many people coming anymore, Becky.
[11:10:31] ANDERSON: Fred, this is very much the start of what will be a new journey for many of these men, women and kids. What happens to
them now that they have reached Germany, if indeed, that is the end of the journey?
PLEITGEN: Well, first of all, many of the ones that we have been talking to, most of them are from Syria. We've been speaking to a
considerable amount of people from Afghanistan as well. And the vast majority that we've been speaking to, they say they want to stay in
Germany.
So, as I've said, they come here. They get processed here. And then very, very quickly they get put on buses to be taken to temporary shelters
where they'll probably spend maybe one night, maybe even only a couple of hours. And in those temporary shelters, it is determined where they will
then be placed. Most of them here in the southeast of Germany, but they'll also in other places in Germany as well.
That whole system, that whole bureaucracy, of course, is one that is somewhat in difficulties as well as so many people are coming here. But it
is still one that's working. I mean, we've been seeing people come here and within an hour many of them were on buses to be able to go to those
temporary shelters. And then they will be maybe a day later where then they will be brought to somewhere else in Germany. And then they have to
register there. And then they have to wait for maybe a month or two, and then they get their temporary residence in Germany. And from then on they
can move to pretty much anywhere they want.
So, it is a process. It is working...
ANDERSON: Boy, unfortunately we've just, as is the way, as you are discovering such great stuff, the technology failed. Apologies for that.
But you really got the idea of what was going on there.
At what is, as I suggested, the end of one very long and tortuous journey for many of these people and just the beginning of the next.
Well, as Europe is divided on how to respond to the crisis, the reception awaiting migrants, as you've seen, differs country by country.
We are now seeing a groundswell of support for refugees in some places. We'll have details on that encouraging trend ahead on the program.
Also, hopes of ever returning home are dimming for some Syrians. We're going to talk to a global migration expert about the long-term
affects of what is a seemingly endless war.
Well, markets in the United States have opened with a plunge as fears grow over China's economic slowdown. I want you to see how the Dow is
doing late in morning trade. And down nearly 2 percent.
I mean, it's not a massive fall, but it's a fall. And it's over 300 points.
We've been looking at this really significant volatility now for some time. There's been a similar drop in the price of oil today after what was
a recent rally taking prices up almost 30 percent in three days. They've dropped once again adding to fears of what is this global oil price war.
And one of the countries affected is Iran. With the new nuclear deal comes new hope, of course. If sanctions are eased, Iran wants to add
another million barrels a day by 2016. Some say that is ambitious, others worry it may drag crude prices down even further. That's if you worry
about a drop in price, of course, some people don't. Some people like the idea of a drop in the price of oil.
Well, all this week, CNN is taking a special look at that global oil price war. And our emerging markets editor John Defterios joining me live
tonight from Tehran.
John, you interviewed exclusively Iran's oil minister earlier on. Would you say the tone from the oil minister has changed since the signing
of the July 14 agreement?
JOHN DEFTERIOS, EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: I would, Becky. In fact, I saw the minister in Vienna at the OPEC meeting when he addressed some 2,000
delegates from the industry talking about perhaps the sanctions being lifted.
But after the July 14 signing of that agreement, they have a six month window here to try to line up supporters, new oil companies coming in to
the market. If they can get that vote on September 17.
And the plans, as you suggested, are ambitious: a half a million barrels a day in January 2016, if that agreement is signed in congress.
That's six months after the initial agreement, another half million by the Iranian new year, which is March 21. And this is going to hit a market,
Becky, that's oversupplied by some 3 million barrels a day, according to the International Energy Agency.
But listen to the tone of Minister Zanganeh as I asked him isn't it Iran that is going to be flooding the market after all the turbulence we've
seen over the last year. Here's our exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:15:23] DEFTERIOS: You're planning to come by the end of March with another million barrels a day. That would take the oversupply to a
17-year high. And they're pointing the finger at a Iran as flooding the market even worse than we've seen over the last 12 months.
BIJAN NAMDAR ZANGANEH, IRANIAN PETROLEUM MINISTER: Can we wait enough to produce after lifting the sanctions? Who can accept it in Iran? Do you
believe that the nation of our country will accept it not to produce for secure the market for others?
The first oil producer in the Middle East can we lose our share in the market? It's not fair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEFTERIOS: It's not fair to not allow Iran back into the market.
And Becky, here is an interesting target, by the end of 2016, who is the news from the interview, he's suggesting they could add another 1.4
million or 1.5 million barrels a day from the level of 2.8 now. That would take it up to its pre-sanctions level and number two within OPEC. And if
you combine Iran and Iraq, by 2020 they'd almost be level peg with Saudi Arabia and that's when it gets more challenging for the 12 member
organization.
ANDERSON: Right. And Briefly, as Iran goes for marketshare, John, what does this mean for the Saudi position about not cutting production?
Any signs of a reversal in policy by Riyadh?
DEFTERIOS: Well, Becky, there's a geopolitical answer to that and basic economic answer as well.
Let's cover the geopolitics. With Saudi Arabia level peg with Iran and Iraq by 2020, it reemerges this Sunni-Shia divide within OPEC. And
that's where the tension comes in. They disagree on strategy right now. The Saudian strategy to flood the market to try to push the shale producers
out of the market. Zageneh told me today that is not the case. We've let it ride for a year and it's not working.
The basic economics right now, he would like to target to $70 to $80 a barrel over the next two years. In which to do that he said you need to
start managing the market, something Saudi Arabia refuses to do. He's suggesting they should. At the next meeting in December, start thinking
about cutting production. They need a consensus to happen -- Algeria, Nigeria, Venezuela, Libya, that we've talked about it before. They're
under a great deal of pressure. And so far, Saudi Arabia is resisting the calls by Iran, Iraq and the others to cut production.
ANDERSON: John Defterios is in Tehran in Iran for you this evening.
John, always a pleasure. Thank you.
Still to come, the pope is changing course of on what is highly controversial issue. And that is not all that he is speaking up about.
We're live in Rome for you in just a moment. Hang on for that.
And with Syria's war now in its fifth year, millions have been displaced. As you have witnessed through Europe just in the past 15
minutes. Will they ever get to go home? We'll take a special look at that up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:40] ANDERSON: Very distressing scenes, but for many Syrians, this is daily life.
You are looking at what is said to be the aftermath of a recent government airstrike. As you can see, kids among those caught in the daily
crossfire with the war now in its fifth year. The death toll is well into the hundreds of thousands.
You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson at just after 20 past 7:00 in the UAE.
That sort of devastation and war in Syria has, as you've seen, driven millions from their homes. And it is no surprise Syrians make up the bulk
of those who are trying to get into Europe at present. The total number who have applied for asylum in Europe the past four years, almost 350,000.
Now I want to bring in a migration expert at this point, Elizabeth Ferris, who has followed the Syrian refugees crisis closely, joining me
from Washington.
You recently spent time in Lebanon and in Turkey I know meeting refugees and those working on their behalf: UN officials, NGO
representatives, refugees themselves. What did they tell you about what happens next?
ELIZABETHER FERRIS, MIGRATION EXPET: They don't know. Nobody knows what's going to happen. Many of them say they want to go home. But
they're giving up hope.
You know, I travel to the region about once a year. And every year it seems that fewer Syrians can still be able to go home soon in the next five
or 10 years.
ANDERSON: Well, much attention has been given to the tens of thousands of Syrians fleeing to Europe, who is making the headlines all
over the world. But the fact of the matter is, million more have sought refuge in neighboring countries. We're mainly talking about Turkey and
about Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq.
If you look at the numbers, more than 4 million Syrians are now in those four countries alone with almost twice as many displaced inside Syria
itself.
What are the long-term effects of such movement of people, not just for those fleeing, but also for these host countries?
FERRIS: I think the impact on the host countries is tremendous. Their political security, economic, social concerns with having that many
people living in your country uninvited and for the most part unwanted.
They have a big impact on those countries. And they also have a big impact on the people themselves. You know, be living away from your homes,
your routines. Your kids aren't in school. Indeed, most of the Syrian refugee children are not in school.
And the long-term consequences of that for Syria's development and hopefully eventually rebuilding are serious indeed.
ANDERSON: We know that those host countries are suffering themselves economically even before these refugees have arrived. We know many of
these refugees are able to assimilate very efficiently and build their own businesses and lives again.
Why is it that, for example, the Gulf states aren't getting more involved. Why is it that they don't accept refugees, those certainly who
are suffering the most. We know that for example here in the UAE if you're a businessman, if you've got a visa, you can come in, you can set your
business up again, but I'm talking about those refugees in most need?
FERRIS: Sure. The record of the Gulf countries in terms of receiving the refugees is abysmal.
I think there have been less than five Syrians who have settled in the countries in the region.
Now they've given considerable amounts of money and humanitarian aid, but you know there's a balance between assisting, giving money and allowing
people to come and stay in your country. This is what Europe is grappling with. This is what I think the U.S. should also be considering is how to
balance not only supporting people in the region, but also enabling them to live lives with futures in other countries.
ANDERSON: Yeah, and you're actually to point out that there is an awful lot of aid that comes from this region, but that wasn't the question.
We know the Middle East is already home to millions of Palestinian refugees. And other countries have also faced similar crises such as
Afghanistan or Somalia. Even today, millions of Afghans call places like Iran or Pakistan home and many have been there for decades like why
Somalians live in the world's largest refugee camp across the border in Kenya.
So, we're talking long-term here with kids born and raised as refugees.
Is there a fear the same will happen with Syrians in the Middle East?
[11:25:06] FERRIS: Yeah, actually I think it's the Palestinian refugee experience that's shaping a lot of host governments' response to
the Syrians. You know, they've seen what happened when they thought they were welcoming Palestinians back in 1948 for a few months that turned into
almost 70 years. And the fear is if they make it too easy for Syrians to work, to integrate, to go to school, to feel comfortable, that perhaps
they'll never go home as well. So, you know, that is definitely influencing the policies, particularly of Jordan and Lebanon and vis-a-vis
the Syrian refugees.
Less so in Turkey, which has a different experience, of course.
ANDERSON: With that, we're going to leave it there. We thank you very much indeed for joining us. Elizabeth Ferris.
We'll have more, much more on this story later this hour including some Europeans who are welcoming the refugees with open arms. So stay with
us for that.
First, though, a rundown neighborhood becomes a trendy hotspot in Santiago. We'll look at the area's evolution as One Square Meter takes us
to Chile. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEFTERIOS: Surrounded by the Andes Mountains, Chile's capital Santiago cuts an imposing figure. Energetic and cosmopolitan, its home to
almost a third of Chile's population. Every square meter of the city counts with that kind of concentration of people, including this area known
as the Italia district. Once a derelict neighborhood full of car repair shops and closed down factories, the Italia district has become a vibrant
hotspot in Santiago.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): In the last five years, there has been a lot of intense changes and developments due to younger
generations seeking better districts to develop their creative endeavors.
DEFTERIOS: From trendy stores to hip cafes, the changes in Italia caught the eye of developers Daniel Shapira and Jack Irama (ph) who
launched a contest in 2011 to completely redevelop the former Girardi hat factory.
UNIDENTFIED MALE (through translator): It will be renovated and transformed from an industrial factory to an idea factory where content
will be created. It is where innovation will be generated.
GABRIEL CACENES, DEVELOPER (through translator): The Girardi factory will be the gate for the trendy Santiago district, the design district.
DEFTERIOS: The evolution is generating jobs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I got here five years ago, and what I liked about it is that it's a good area for designers to
flourish.
DEFTERIOS: And boosting the area's property values. Developers say in the last five years prices went up a whopping 300 percent from 444
dollars per square meter, to at least 1,390 dollars a square meter. Once completed, the former hat factory will have six floors, a hotel, a market,
restaurants and office spaces.
The project has an estimated investment of $70 million, which includes 35,000 square meters of new mixed use spaces plus a 9,500 square meter park
and a greened area.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This is the anti-mall. Chile, and Santiago specifically, are getting crowded with malls. People
no longer spend time outdoors, and that's what we intend to do with the creation of these projects.
DEFTERIOS: A different perspective on redevelopment that's putting culture at its core and increasing value.
John Defterios, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:32:46] ANDERSON: Welcome back.
Just after half past 7:00 in the UAE. This is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson, as you would imagine. The top stories for you this hour
at this point.
Frustration in Budapest after Hungary stopped allowing migrants to board trains for western Europe. Some had been waiting for hours at the
station, tickets in hand. These are live pictures. Hungary abruptly reversed course after allowing thousands of migrants to travel to Austria
and Germany yesterday.
Police in Thailand have arrested a second suspect in connection with last month's bombing at a Bangkok shrine. Police say the man was detained
while trying to illegally cross the border into Cambodia. Authorities say he is a foreigner and they are working to verify his identity.
We're watching another big selloff on Wall Street. Right now, the Dow doing this, near 2 percent off, some over 300 points lower. European
markets closing out their trading day right now. You can see that they are also in the red.
The major indexes in the Asia-Pacific region were down sharply, hence the follow on both in Europe and in the U.S.
Protesters in Beirut and Lebanon are staging a sit-in. Now the environment ministry they occupied part of the building, demanding the head
of the department resign. Thousands of protesters have been rallying in Beirut against government corruption and mounting a garbage -- and a
mounting garbage collection crisis.
Our senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh joins me now from Beirut.
The garbage crisis really tipping these protesters over the edge as it were. What's going on now?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, at this stage, Becky, we are a half hour past the deadline set for the resignation
of the environment minister, one of the demands from the (inaudible) movement. They hold him accountable for the disaster and the trash crisis
here.
Now, you can see down below me the crowd outside the front door of the environment ministry. Frankly when the scuffles break out, they are often
the protagonists (ph), they're outnumbered by the media around them. But there is a sense of tension here, because the police have pretty much
sealed off this square here. And the protest movement has called all its supporters here for about half an hour ago.
Now if you look up to about two floors down from this building, you think -- we think that is where the environment minister is and has been
holed up for about five or six hours now. One of the protesters I spoke to clear that their aim is to keep him in his office until basically he
resigns.
Now we've seen the Lebanese Red Cross go in early. You can see one of them on the stairwell, in fact, and there are police in that building. And
I have to say despite how noisy it is, it is relatively good natured. In fact, one moment we saw tension rise between the police and protesters and
then some of the police simply step in and smile and try to calm things down here.
In fact, my cameraman Ryan Sheridan (ph) you can pause over here to the parking garage where a little bit earlier on, too, it appeared that a
couple of cars tried to make a move out of here were then blocked by the crowd.
Where does this go now? Well, as I said, the resignation of the environment minister is one of the four demands that the protest movement
has. They seemed to have lacked a bit of steam after last Saturday's protests ended in a small pocket of violence, but none of their demands
actually being met.
They also want elections. They want to see those behind the violence accountable. And they want a resolution to the garbage crisis, foremost of
all.
But Becky, again, there is this sense of volatility and tension here. And the biggest problem that both sides face in this, so this is uncharted
territory, this is a pretty secular, pretty grass roots movement, demanding a change in the political elite. They don't have a figurehead, and they're
not really facing off against a figurehead for the government. The government, in some sense, in disarray, too.
That's the fear is quite how you get a negotiation going that can calm this down, Becky.
[11:36:44] ANDERSON: So what happens next?
WALSH: Well, that is the massive question. Tonight, at about 7:00 was when they said they need to have their demands met or they will, quote,
escalate. That's the You Stink protest movement. Now they've fractured to some degree. They're not uniform. They don't, say, have a leadership.
What happens next? Well, tomorrow we could hear the results of the interior ministry's investigation into who is behind the violence of the
weekends of protest that fomented much of the activity on the streets.
Behind me, there appears to be some movement just now as well. We're not quite clear who is moving where.
But there is a demand, too, or a suggestion from the political elite that they'll meet in the days ahead to try and resolve the political
deadlock here. Remember, parliament has to elect a president. It hasn't done so for well over 15 months. And that's, of course, because the
different interest groups vying here simply refuse to find a compromise. That's why so many here are so angry. They see the elite doing nothing to
assist their daily life. They see trash piling up on the streets, rolling blackouts, problems with water, a country that's reeling, as you were
mentioning earlier.
You know, they've got 1.4 million Syrian refugees here, at least one in four people you see in this country is a Syrian refugee. And that's put
a lot of strain on resources of a country, too, which has already also being substantially being impacted by that.
You can see up behind me at the top of the stairs there does appear to be more police moving up the stairwell. We're not clear if that's because
anything is about to happen. And we do hear local media report suggesting that some of the Lebanese media inside the environment ministry have in
fact been told to vacate by the Beirut police chief.
But that sort of problem I think this protest movement faces is the absence of clear leadership and the feeling that while everyone tries to
keep a lid on the tensions, there are at times infiltrators who seek to clash with the police and also the potential, frankly, for tempers simply
to get frayed.
But there is something happening around the corner from where I am here, which seems to have attracted a lot of attention right now.
And I just go show, really, I think how hard it's going to be to stop these rolling protests in Lebanon, Becky.
ANDERSON: Nick Paton Walsh there on a story developing in Beirut.
Well, from Beirut back to our top story this hour, the influx of people into Europe fleeing war and poverty in their home countries, many of
them Syrians.
This was the scene last night in Vienna where about 20,000 people took to the streets of Austria's capital to show their support for the migrants
who are arriving in their country with hopes of either staying there or traveling on to Germany. It was like a party atmosphere.
And the people there were demonstrating what is a very serious issue, calling for the fair and respectful treatment of refugees.
And in Germany there were also public displays of support for the new arrivals. In Dresden over the weekend, protesters demonstrated with
banners declaring refugees welcome.
Now that is in contrast to a recent demonstration by far right protesters who attacked a refugee shelter near the East German city.
Well, for more on Europe's response, or lack of it, to this refugee crisis and the road ahead of the EU's emergency meeting on September 14.
I'm joined now by Atika Shubert in Berlin.
And Atika, I just want to get our viewers a sense of what Angela Merkel said yesterday speaking at a news conference. She said, and I
quote, if Europe fails on the question of refugees, if this close link with universal civil rights is broken, then it won't be the Europe that we
wished for.
We are watching the core European value of open borders, Atika, being tested. Fences being built, walls erected. Is this the end of the whole
project as we've known it?
[11:40:42] ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't think it's the end of the project at all, but it is a very serious test.
And what Angela Merkel is doing is trying to lead by example. And she effectively did this by saying the Dublin protocol, in which refugees must
apply for asylum in the first country they set foot in is simply not working.
So, she's called upon better facilities for refugees in those entry states like Greece, Italy, and she's asked countries, richer countries, to
help fund those efforts and then finding ways to legally bring them across to other countries like Germany.
And Germany has decided to take in 800,000 refugees, that's four times the number, and it is by far the largest number of refugees taken in in any
EU country.
ANDERSON: In Iceland, I just want our viewers to know this, and we've got to be brief on this, but the public is calling for the government to
take in more Syrian refugees, for example, after it capped the number that it will accept at 50.
Now thousand of Icelanders actually offered to welcome Syrians into their own homes.
This was on Facebook. A prominent author started this page to show the government that there is a will in the country to receive refugees. So far
I think 12,000, Atika, people, have joined in. How significant do you think in 2015 this people's movement is? And what might the consequences
be?
SHUBERT: I think it's very significant. And there -- Merkel's critics would say that she's simply responding to overwhelming public
opinion that supports taking in more refugees. In fact, a recent (inaudible) poll just last week said about 60 percent of the public was
supportive of taking more in.
And we've certainly seen that with the sort of football clubs holding up banners that say refugees welcome. But also welcome refugee parties and
villages that are expecting new arrivals.
And the outpouring of private organizations bringing in more help. A lot of this by individual citizens, even some really innovative things like
a website that matches incoming refugees with homes for rent or people who have flats to share.
So, a lot of this is actually driven from a grass roots level. And what we're seeing is the politicians responding to it. But they're not
able to respond fast enough.
I mean, Merkel has called an emergency summit of the EU in two weeks. But two weeks is an incredibly long time for a family that's desperate to
get to Germany.
ANDERSON: Atika Shubert is in Berlin for you this evening.
Live from Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson -- thank you, Atika.
Coming up, as we've been hearing some in Europe are welcoming the migrants. We have some of the strongest scenes for you ahead in what are
your Parting Shots this evening.
And we're going to take a look at how one African businesswoman is using the natural world around her to solve an age old problem. That's
next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[11:45:57] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you think of Madagascar, you think of a tropical paradise. It's one of the world's most diverse
ecosystems. But what you might not think about is the large population of mosquitoes the island is home to.
It's a problem, Hana Tatiana Hannah Rajavasu (ph) wanted to tackle when she started her natural essential oils business in 2011.
HANTA TIANA RANAIVO RAJAONARISOA, FOUNDER BIO MADA: This is the mosquito repellent. So we can apply it on the skin evaporate it into the
atmosphere too. And this is the antiperspirant.
We made a lot of tests to have our (inaudible) composition in the products. The mosquito repellent, it's 100 percent natural and essential
oil of lemongrass and thyme. Wherever there is the smell of lemongrass, the mosquitoes don't like it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For her, Bio Mada is more than a business.
RAJAONARISOA: Bio Mada is a social enterprise because we provide local employment to very poor rural area of Madagascar, or so with the
anti-mosquito we hope that we can help fighting malaria.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She says she got the idea to create natural oils while in school. She launched using money she saved as a student.
Her first batch was 100 bottles of mosquito repellent and antiperspirant, which she sold at a trade fair.
RAJAONARISOA: In the second fair, I took 1,000. We sold them all in five days.
UNIDENTIFID FEMALE: She's since expanded her business.
RAJAONARISOA: There is a pharmacy wholesaler who started buying the products and took them around Madagascar.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She says she also supplies to 40 retail pharmacies across the island and sells 2,000 bottles a month of Bio Mada
products. The most popular is the mosquito repellent.
RAJAONARISOA: So, the business is nonprofitable so I can hire more people and now I can develop the other products that we first experimented
at the beginning. That (inaudible) hair spray and fly repellent that are still 100 percent natural and we made (inaudible).
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Two degrees is part of our initiative -- two degrees. We are reporting on the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change.
And if you've been watching CNN recently you'll be well aware of that in various different guises and the possible solutions to it in the runup to
what is this crucial COP21 conference in Paris this December.
And you'll hear more about that as the weeks go on.
A short while ago, the pope said a mass on what he's calling a day for prayer to consider the, quote, care of creation. He wants people to think
of the religious obligation to avert global warming
Plus, in a letter published before the mass, the pope said he's going to temporarily ease some of the harsh restrictions around women being
automatically excommunicated after getting an abortion.
Well, CNN's Vatican correspondent Delia Gallagher has been following all of these developments for us. She's joining us now from Rome with
more.
Let's start with what many will see is extremely controversial comments on abortion, coming as they do from the head of the Catholic
Church. In what context were these comments made? And just how significant are they, Delia?
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: It is a significant step for Pope Francis, Becky, what happened is he wrote a letter in the context
of this new year of mercy, which he has instituted for upcoming -- starting on December 8 through November 20 of next year. And he says as a special
concession he would like to grant all priests the faculty of absolving women from the sin of abortion.
This is significant because previously a woman who had had an abortion was automatically excommunicated. And in order to be reinstated into the
Catholic Church, she had to have special permission from the Bishop.
So, what the pope has done is removed that special permission requirement from the bishop and say that all priests are now able to
forgive the woman of the sin of abortion.
It is a significant outreach to a group that may have previously felt alienated by church teaching. And we know that that is what the pope's
overall theme is since the beginning of his pontificate. But he's really ramping it up, as it were, for this upcoming year of mercy in which he
wants to remind everybody that there is forgiveness, no matter what the rules say, no matter what you've done, the most important thing for the
pope is the message that you can be forgiven.
He has also used, Becky, in this letter, some very compassionate and understanding words with regards to women who have had abortions. I'd like
to read you just a couple of lines.
He says I'm well aware of the pressure that has led them to this decision. I have met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of
this agonizing and painful decision. So, compassionate and understanding words coming from Pope Francis, not a change in church teaching, but we
have seen so often in the past that he's using this pastoral approach, trying to bring people back into the fold who feel alienated because of
some rules that have broken in the past and reminding them that there is always forgiveness.
That's always been the church teaching. The pope is just reminding them that it's there and making it a little bit easier for women who have
had abortions.
[11:51:50] ANDERSON: And in highlighting the plight of the climate -- and very briefly in what seems to be this new phase of his papacy, what
actions is he asking for when he asked people to think of the religious obligation to avert global warming?
GALLAGHER: Well, he's taking it from a biblical standpoint that, you know, God created man, God created the Earth, we have been put here to help
the Earth, to be co-caretakers of the Earth.
So, that's his religious point of view. But of course what he's also trying to do is influence some of the international discussions, as you
mentioned, that will be going on in Paris in December at the COP21, also in New York. The pope will be addressing the UN in September for their
climate week.
He's issued his encyclical on the climate. So this is a big issue for him, the question of the environment. And that is why he has instituted
this day, September 1, as the world day of prayer for the care of creation -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Thank you.
All right, live from Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World. Coming up, we're taking a short break, but after that migrant protests, but it's not
what you might think. That is your Parting Shots up next. Stay with us.;
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Let me get you back to a developing story this hour. CNN senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh joining me now from
Beirut. We were talking just a moment ago, and we were explaining that anti-government protesters are staging a sit-in at a government building.
I know there's a little bit more going on, Nick, can you just describe what you're seeing an hearing?
[11:55:00] WALSH: Well, Becky, since we last spoke things have taken a significant turn to the ugly.
Now we're going to move the camera on to a man obviously who is not in a bad condition at this stage. And these are pictures I'm sure Lebanese
authorities are very keen for the world not to see. He was inside the building, we are told, the environment ministry, and then as they began to
clear people out he appears to have been injured enough that he requires the treatment of a number of Red Cross professionals here.
Now he's Lucian Borgelli (ph), a known figure in the You Stink movement, one of its founders. And actually we saw him on the stairs over
there shortly after he'd emerged from the ministry and has now been lying here for about 20 minutes or so not moving a lot, frankly.
And the reaction to the crowd was extraordinary anger to see him brought out. I've seen on his back, I've seen like welts from the beating
that people say occurred to him. I wasn't in the ministry. I didn't see what happened. But one man who said he was said that the police had asked
the media to leave.
Now we know from local media reports that that appears to have been the case. They've been citing the Beirut city chief that they should get
out of the building.
They say once the media had departed, the police then moved in. In fact, one of the men who said he was inside the ministry said to me that in
fact it was as they were leaving that some of these men were in fact beaten.
Now, as I say we don't know the other side of the story from the police yet. and they're bringing these images to you as they happen here,
but what is pretty much not in dispute is that Lucien Borgelli (ph), one of the key leaders of this You Stink movement is now on a stretcher and has
been lying there -- he's clearly breathing. He's clearly alive and conscious, it seems. I've seen his eyes move. But very dark movements
here in central Beirut -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Nick on the story for you. Stick with CNN. And as we get more of course we will bring it to you. But as Nick suggests things
turning pretty ugly in Beirut, I'm afraid.
I want to get you some Parting Shots tonight. Many Europeans sharing support for the desperate refugees who are hoping to make a new home on the
continent. This video posted on social media was apparently recorded by a Syrian refugee traveling with others into a small German village.
You can see people turning out with signs, banners and smiles to greet them elsewhere in Germany during a football match.
Fans stretched out these banners welcoming refugees.
And in the country's east local residents held a welcoming party to greet new arrivals. You can see the refugees and the locals dancing and
celebrating together in a street party, leaving you with slightly happier parting shots this evening.
I'm Becky Anderson, that was Connect the World.
END
