This year Pride celebrations, held on the last weekend in June in much of the world, coincided with a debate in Argentina over proposed legislation that would make the country the first in Latin America to authorize same-sex marriages. On June 28, hundreds of supporters of the legislation marched in front of the Congress building in Buenos Aires in a demonstration organized by the Argentine LGBT Federation and supported by about a dozen social groups and cultural figures, including singers Fito Páez and Vicentico, who were to hold a recital at the end of the march.

From the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), July 1:

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed eight Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests regarding the United States government's knowledge of, and actions in relation to, the May 31, 2010 attack by Israel on a flotilla of six vessels in international waters seeking to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, and US policy towards the blockade of Gaza, which has entered its fourth year. The FOIA requests were made to a number of US departments and agencies, including the Coast Guard, the Department of State, the Navy and the US European Command.

From Amnesty International, July 2:

Amnesty International has urged the Chinese government to launch an independent investigation into last year's riots in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, after new testimony obtained by the organization has cast further doubt on the official version of events.

Twin suicide attacks on the shrine of a Sufi saint in the Pakistani city of Lahore July 1 left 44 dead and 175 injured. The first blast went off at 11:20 PM in the basement of the tomb, an area reserved for ablutions; the second bomb exploded minutes later in the main prayer area which was crowded with worshipers who gather every Thursday for special rituals.

From the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), June 30:

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit on behalf of 10 US citizens and lawful residents who are prohibited from flying to or from the United States or over US airspace because they are on the government's "No Fly List." None of the individuals in the lawsuit, including a disabled US Marine Corps veteran stranded in Egypt and a US Army veteran stuck in Colombia, have been told why they are on the list or given a chance to clear their names.

From Amnesty International, June 28:

Timor-Leste law allows amnesties for war criminals
Amnesty International is urging Timor-Leste to close a legal loophole that is allowing war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the 1975-1999 Indonesian occupation to go unpunished.

More than 560 were arrested in Toronto over the weekend as the G20 meeting was held behind the tightest security cordon in the summit's history. Violence began after a small group of "black bloc" anarchists broke away from the main march to smash the windows of banks and chain stores and torch two police cars. But hundreds of peaceful protesters were swept up by police who used batons, tear gas, pepper spray and plastic bullets. It is said to be the first time Toronto police have used tear gas.

Two lawsuits have been filed against BP alleging violations of the Rackteer Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute in connection with the recent Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The first lawsuit, a class action filed on behalf of US residents affected by the oil spill, was filed last week and alleges that BP engaged in a scheme to secure profits by deceiving the public.