Daily Archives: August 20, 2019

2019-08-20: News Headlines

Pierre Tristam (2019-08-20). Stop Criminalizing Children in the Name of School Security. commondreams.org Before the manic response to school shootings and the madness of zero-tolerance, those students would have been counseled and redirected, but not expelled. (Photo: via Time.com) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

N. Calif Hong Kong Club, ÂåóÂä Â∑ûȶôÊ∏ØÊúÉ (2019-08-20). Protest against police brutality to support the people of Hong Kong. indybay.org Embarcadero Plaza, Market St &, Steuart St, San Francisco…

Staff (2019-08-20). Emerald Garner Responds to the Firing of Officer That Killed Her Father. truthout.org | | Daniel Pantaleo, the police officer who killed Eric Garner in 2014 by using an illegal chokehold, was fired Monday and stripped of his pension benefits. The decision came more than five years after Pantaleo held Garner, an unarmed African-American man, in a chokehold until he dropped to the ground. Before dying, he gasped "I can't breathe" 11 times. Despite outcry from the family and community members, Pantaleo had remained on the police force on desk duty since the killing. Last month, on the…

Staff (2019-08-20). Portland Rejects Proud Boys & Other Ultra-Right Groups as Trump Tries to Criminalize Antifa. democracynow.org A crowd of white nationalists took to the streets of Portland, Oregon, over the weekend for what they dubbed the "End Domestic Terrorism" rally. But they were outnumbered by a massive response from counterprotesters, who gathered across the city as police escorted members of the Proud Boys, Patriot Prayer and other right-wing groups across one of the city's main bridges. Police arrested 13 people throughout the day and seized weapons but largely avoided "the worst-case scenario" Portland's Mayor Ted Wheeler said the city was prepared for. Portland Police put more than 700 officers on patrol, with more than one co…

Staff (2019-08-20). Emerald Garner, Eric Garner's Daughter, Says Firing Pantaleo "Should Have Happened a Long Time Ago" democracynow.org Daniel Pantaleo, the police officer who killed Eric Garner in 2014 by using an illegal chokehold, was fired Monday and stripped of his pension benefits. The decision came more than five years after Pantaleo held Garner, an unarmed African-American man, in a chokehold until he dropped to the ground. Before dying, he gasped "I can't breathe" 11 times. Despite outcry from the family and community members, Pantaleo had remained on the police force on desk duty since the killing. Last month, on the fifth anniversary of Garner's death, the Justice Department declined to charge Pantaleo with a crime despite calls by the…

Nancy Fresco (2019-08-20). Huge wildfires in the Arctic and far North send a planetary warning. nationofchange.org The planet's far North is burning. This summer, over 600 wildfires have consumed more than 2.4 million acres of forest across Alaska. Fires are also raging in northern Canada. In Siberia, choking smoke from 13 million acres — an area nearly the size of West Virginia — is blanketing t…

Staff (2019-08-19). Huge Wildfires in the Arctic and Far North Send a Planetary Warning. truthout.org | | The planet's far North is burning. This summer, over 600 wildfires have consumed more than 2.4 million acres of forest across Alaska. Fires are also raging in northern Canada. In Siberia, choking smoke from 13 million acres — an area nearly the size…

Jake Johnson (2019-08-19). Sanders unveils plan to end cash bail, ban private prisons, and 'fundamentally transform' US criminal justice system. nationofchange.org Decrying America's status as the "world's leading jailer," Sen. Bernie Sanders on Sunday released a comprehensive plan to confront the crisis of mass incarceration, end the criminalization of poverty, and dramatically overhaul the U.S. criminal justice system. | "We have a criminal justice system that is racist and broken, and working together we're going to fundamentally transform it," said Sanders, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. | The platform, which Sander…

Staff (2019-08-19). Activist on the Front Lines Discusses the Historic Protests in Hong Kong. therealnews.com We had to blur her image but she talks about police brutality, the struggle for a transparent democracy, the Chinese army at the border, and hope for the future…

Susie Day (2019-08-19). Dear Guys Who Got Arrested for Throwing Water on NYPD Cops. counterpunch.org You hosed Harlem. You bedewed Brownsville. You wetted Woodhaven. News media report that you've sprayed or doused water — yes,vile, menacingly wet water — on police officers in incidents all over New York City. No one knows where you will strike next. You: young, smirking, and — need we add — black. Shown on social media brazenly enjoying yourselves More

WSWS (2019-08-19). India, Pakistan exchange artillery-fire, threats over Kashmir. wsws.org At least 4,000 people have been arrested in Jammu and Kashmir in the two weeks since New Delhi placed the disputed region under a state of siege.

RT (2019-08-19). Texas cops who led black man by rope from horseback won't face criminal charges. rt.com The two police officers who led a handcuffed black man by a rope from horseback will not face criminal charges over the incident, it has emerged. | Images of the August 3 arrest in Galveston, Texas of Donald Neely, a 43-year-old black man who relatives say is mentally ill, triggered widespread outrage after they were published. Many of the online commentariat said it evoked images of slavery and racism in the US. | Neely, who reportedly had been sleeping on the streets, was arrested for alleged criminal trespass. When a police vehicle was not immediately available, the arresting officers led him from horseb…

RT (2019-08-18). 13 arrested, 6 injured after Portland protests descend into violence. rt.com Police have arrested 13 people on a range of charges, including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and unlawful use of a weapon, after right-wing demonstrators squared off with Antifa counter-protesters in Portland, Oregon. | Speaking at a press conference in the wake of the protests in Portland, which were marred by sporadic incidents of violence, city mayor Ted Wheeler hailed police for doing "an exemplary job of de-escalating the situation." He described the demonstration as a "largely peaceful event" despite the emergence of multiple videos documenting attacks mostly by Antifa on right-wing demonstrators…

United Nations (2019-08-16). Displaced by DR Congo violence, survivors' testimonies highlight brutality of armed militia. un.org Two months since hundreds of thousands of people fled violence in north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UN humanitarians warned on Friday that armed militia continue to make their safe return impossible.

United Nations (2019-08-16). Friday's Daily Brief: Education key for Rohingya, DR Congo violence continues, Zimbabwe protest latest, women's rights in Iran, environmental protection. un.org Our main stories today: Two years in, Myanmar's Rohingya youth need more education; DR Congo testimonies highlight armed brutality; appeals for Zimbabwe to 'stop cracking down' on protesters; Iran urged to release women jailed for protesting veiling laws; and new human rights agreement on environmental protection.

Staff (2019-08-16). The Great Land Robbery: How Federal Policies Dispossessed Black Americans of Millions of Acres. democracynow.org Over the 20th century, black people in the U.S. were dispossessed of 12 million acres of land. Half of that loss — 6 million acres — occurred over just two decades, from 1950 to 1969, a period largely associated with the civil rights struggle. This mass land dispossession, which affected 98% of black agricultural land owners, is part of the pattern of institutional racism and discrimination that has contributed to the racial wealth gap in the United States. Many of the driving forces behind this land theft were legal and originated in federal policies, as documented by Vann Newkirk, staff writer at Th…

Staff (2019-08-15). Jeffrey Epstein Is Dead. Civil Rights Lawyer Says Civil Charges Against His Estate Will Continue. democracynow.org Charges and civil suits against Jeffrey Epstein are continuing following the death of the serial sex abuser, who was found dead in his jail cell on Saturday. Epstein had been arrested in July for allegedly running a sex trafficking operation by luring underage girls as young as 14 years old to his mansion in Manhattan. While the federal criminal charges against Epstein will likely end, prosecutors can still pursue suits against any of his accomplices, including his friend Ghislaine Maxwell. On Wednesday, one of Epstein's alleged victims, Jennifer Araoz, sued Epstein's estate, Maxwell and three other unnamed women…

unitedEditor (2019-08-13). Safe Zone in Syria, Elections in Argentina and Guatemala, Ex-president of Kyrgyzstan arrested. uwidata.com Safe zone in Syria Turkish-American talks on creating a safe zone in northern Syria took place in Ankara this week. According to the Turkish Ministry of Defense, Turkey and the United States have agreed to establish a coordination center for joint operations in establishing the peace corridor. uwidata.com/4836-turkey-and-us-come-to-a… Argentine elections On Sunday, primary elections took …

patrick (2019-08-13). BDS movement condemns U.S. Congress' anti-BDS resolution. bdsmovement.net BDS movement condemns U.S. Congress' anti-BDS resolution: UpdateThe resolution is based on lies and aims to to demonize peaceful resistance to Israel's military occupation and apartheid. | Right To BoycottJuly 23, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC)

Connie Thompson and Riley Bove (2019-08-12). Indianapolis police murder yet again. liberationnews.org The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department claimed yet another life on Aug. 2.

Staff (2019-08-12). Headlines for August 12, 2019. democracynow.org Investigations to Continue as Questions Mount Over Apparent Suicide of Jeffrey Epstein, Hong Kong Airport Shuts Down as Protests Rage for 10th Straight Week, Dozens Arrested as Pro-Democracy Protests Ramp Up in Russia, Questions Remain Over Deadly Russian Explosion as Threat of Nuclear Arms Race Looms, Norway Mosque Shooter Has Online History of Praising White Supremacists, Yemeni Foreign Minister Concedes Defeat to UAE After Southern Separatists Take Aden, Israeli Forces Storm Holy Site of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Eid, Right-Wing Candidate Alejandro Giammattei Wins Guatemala Presidency, Biden Under Fire After Saying "P…

Staff (2019-08-12). Jeffrey Epstein Is Dead, But Victims Call for Probes of His Sex Trafficking Ring to Continue. democracynow.org Jeffrey Epstein is dead. The accused serial sex trafficker who once counted President Trump and former President Bill Clinton among his high-profile friends was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell Saturday morning. Authorities say he hanged himself. Epstein had been put on suicide watch after he was found unconscious with marks on his neck in July, but authorities had removed him from suicide watch 11 days before his death. Epstein had been in jail since July, when he was arrested for allegedly running a sex trafficking operation by luring underage girls as young as 14 years old to his mansion in Manhattan. His…

Staff (2019-08-12). "The Next Step Is the Kremlin": Why Moscow Protests Have Putin's Government Worried. democracynow.org Up to 60,000 protesters gathered Saturday in Moscow in the largest demonstration Russia has witnessed in years. Although the protest was officially authorized, dozens of protesters were arrested in the capital, and dozens more were also arrested in demonstrations across the country. Saturday's protest was organized to denounce the recent barring of opposition candidates from running in an upcoming election for Moscow City Council. We speak with Nina Khrushcheva, professor of international affairs at The New School. She is the co-author of "In Putin's Footsteps: Searching for the Soul of an Empire Across Russia's…

Staff (2019-08-12). Hong Kong Grounds Flights as Mass Sit-in Shuts Down Airport After Weekend of Protests. democracynow.org All departing flights were grounded as chaos engulfed the Hong Kong International Airport Monday, after thousands of pro-democracy protesters filled the travel hub to protest police brutality. Many eventually left the airport, fearing threats of more police action, but hundreds of activists remain. The latest escalation follows a weekend of bloody clashes between the police and protesters. Confrontations turned especially violent on Sunday night as riot police fired tear gas inside a subway station and were filmed beating protesters with batons. Meanwhile, Beijing has escalated its rhetoric against the protesters…

Kameron Hurt (2019-07-31). Los Angeles demands justice for Anthony Vargas — #JailKillerCops! liberationnews.org On July 27, over 60 members of the Los Angeles community gathered outside the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Department to celebrate the life of Anthony Daniel Vargas, who would have been celebrating his 22nd birthday that day.

Paul Dobson (2019-07-15). UPDATED: Venezuela: Guaido Bodyguards Arrested as Barbados Talks Resume. venezuelanalysis.com The self-declared "Interim President" claimed his men were victims of a "set up."

2019-08-20: Social Media Postees

Protest against police brutality to support the people of Hong Kong
N. Calif Hong Kong Club, ÂåóÂä Â∑ûȶôÊ∏ØÊúÉ | indybay.org | 2019-08-20
Embarcadero Plaza, Market St &, Steuart St, San Francisco…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/16/1882551…

Stop Criminalizing Children in the Name of School Security
Pierre Tristam | commondreams.org | 2019-08-20
Before the manic response to school shootings and the madness of zero-tolerance, those students would have been counseled and redirected, but not expelled. (Photo: via Time.com) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/views/2019/08/20/stop-c…

Emerald Garner Responds to the Firing of Officer That Killed Her Father
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-08-20
| Daniel Pantaleo, the police officer who killed Eric Garner in 2014 by using an illegal chokehold, was fired Monday and stripped of his pension benefits. The decision came more than five years after Pantaleo held Garner, an unarmed African-American man, in a chokehold until he dropped to the ground. Before dying, he gasped "I can't breathe" 11 times. Despite outcry from the family and community members, Pantaleo had remained on the police force on desk duty since the killing. Last month, on the…
truthout.org/video/emerald-garner-respon…

Portland Rejects Proud Boys & Other Ultra-Right Groups as Trump Tries to Criminalize Antifa
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-20
A crowd of white nationalists took to the streets of Portland, Oregon, over the weekend for what they dubbed the "End Domestic Terrorism" rally. But they were outnumbered by a massive response from counterprotesters, who gathered across the city as police escorted members of the Proud Boys, Patriot Prayer and other right-wing groups across one of the city's main bridges. Police arrested 13 people throughout the day and seized weapons but largely avoided "the worst-case scenario" Portland's Mayor Ted Wheeler said the city was prepared for. Portland Police put more than 700 officers on patrol, with more than one co…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/20/portland_…

Emerald Garner, Eric Garner's Daughter, Says Firing Pantaleo "Should Have Happened a Long Time Ago"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-20
Daniel Pantaleo, the police officer who killed Eric Garner in 2014 by using an illegal chokehold, was fired Monday and stripped of his pension benefits. The decision came more than five years after Pantaleo held Garner, an unarmed African-American man, in a chokehold until he dropped to the ground. Before dying, he gasped "I can't breathe" 11 times. Despite outcry from the family and community members, Pantaleo had remained on the police force on desk duty since the killing. Last month, on the fifth anniversary of Garner's death, the Justice Department declined to charge Pantaleo with a crime despite calls by the…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/20/emerald_g…

Sanders unveils plan to end cash bail, ban private prisons, and 'fundamentally transform' US criminal justice system
Jake Johnson | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-19
Decrying America's status as the "world's leading jailer," Sen. Bernie Sanders on Sunday released a comprehensive plan to confront the crisis of mass incarceration, end the criminalization of poverty, and dramatically overhaul the U.S. criminal justice system. | "We have a criminal justice system that is racist and broken, and working together we're going to fundamentally transform it," said Sanders, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. | The platform, which Sander…
nationofchange.org/2019/08/19/sanders-un…

Activist on the Front Lines Discusses the Historic Protests in Hong Kong
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-19
We had to blur her image but she talks about police brutality, the struggle for a transparent democracy, the Chinese army at the border, and hope for the future…
therealnews.com/stories/activist-on-the-…

Texas cops who led black man by rope from horseback won't face criminal charges
rt.com | 2019-08-19
The two police officers who led a handcuffed black man by a rope from horseback will not face criminal charges over the incident, it has emerged. | Images of the August 3 arrest in Galveston, Texas of Donald Neely, a 43-year-old black man who relatives say is mentally ill, triggered widespread outrage after they were published. Many of the online commentariat said it evoked images of slavery and racism in the US. | Neely, who reportedly had been sleeping on the streets, was arrested for alleged criminal trespass. When a police vehicle was not immediately available, the arresting officers led him from horseb…
rt.com/usa/466825-white-officers-rope-bl…

Dear Guys Who Got Arrested for Throwing Water on NYPD Cops
Susie Day | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-19
You hosed Harlem. You bedewed Brownsville. You wetted Woodhaven. News media report that you've sprayed or doused water — yes,vile, menacingly wet water — on police officers in incidents all over New York City. No one knows where you will strike next. You: young, smirking, and — need we add — black. Shown on social media brazenly enjoying yourselves…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/19/dear-guys-wh…

India, Pakistan exchange artillery-fire, threats over Kashmir
wsws.org | 2019-08-19
At least 4,000 people have been arrested in Jammu and Kashmir in the two weeks since New Delhi placed the disputed region under a state of siege.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/19/kash…

13 arrested, 6 injured after Portland protests descend into violence
rt.com | 2019-08-18
Police have arrested 13 people on a range of charges, including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and unlawful use of a weapon, after right-wing demonstrators squared off with Antifa counter-protesters in Portland, Oregon. | Speaking at a press conference in the wake of the protests in Portland, which were marred by sporadic incidents of violence, city mayor Ted Wheeler hailed police for doing "an exemplary job of de-escalating the situation." He described the demonstration as a "largely peaceful event" despite the emergence of multiple videos documenting attacks mostly by Antifa on right-wing demonstrators…
rt.com/usa/466740-portland-arrests-viole…

Displaced by DR Congo violence, survivors' testimonies highlight brutality of armed militia
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-16
Two months since hundreds of thousands of people fled violence in north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UN humanitarians warned on Friday that armed militia continue to make their safe return impossible.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1…

Friday's Daily Brief: Education key for Rohingya, DR Congo violence continues, Zimbabwe protest latest, women's rights in Iran, environmental protection
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-16
Our main stories today: Two years in, Myanmar's Rohingya youth need more education; DR Congo testimonies highlight armed brutality; appeals for Zimbabwe to 'stop cracking down' on protesters; Iran urged to release women jailed for protesting veiling laws; and new human rights agreement on environmental protection.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1…

The Great Land Robbery: How Federal Policies Dispossessed Black Americans of Millions of Acres
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-16
Over the 20th century, black people in the U.S. were dispossessed of 12 million acres of land. Half of that loss — 6 million acres — occurred over just two decades, from 1950 to 1969, a period largely associated with the civil rights struggle. This mass land dispossession, which affected 98% of black agricultural land owners, is part of the pattern of institutional racism and discrimination that has contributed to the racial wealth gap in the United States. Many of the driving forces behind this land theft were legal and originated in federal policies, as documented by Vann Newkirk, staff writer at Th…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/16/vann_newk…

Jeffrey Epstein Is Dead. Civil Rights Lawyer Says Civil Charges Against His Estate Will Continue
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-15
Charges and civil suits against Jeffrey Epstein are continuing following the death of the serial sex abuser, who was found dead in his jail cell on Saturday. Epstein had been arrested in July for allegedly running a sex trafficking operation by luring underage girls as young as 14 years old to his mansion in Manhattan. While the federal criminal charges against Epstein will likely end, prosecutors can still pursue suits against any of his accomplices, including his friend Ghislaine Maxwell. On Wednesday, one of Epstein's alleged victims, Jennifer Araoz, sued Epstein's estate, Maxwell and three other unnamed women…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/15/lisa_bloo…

BDS movement condemns U.S. Congress' anti-BDS resolution
patrick | bdsmovement.net | 2019-08-13
BDS movement condemns U.S. Congress' anti-BDS resolution: UpdateThe resolution is based on lies and aims to to demonize peaceful resistance to Israel's military occupation and apartheid. | Right To BoycottJuly 23, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) …
bdsmovement.net/news/bds-movement-condem…

Safe Zone in Syria, Elections in Argentina and Guatemala, Ex-president of Kyrgyzstan arrested
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-08-13
Safe zone in Syria Turkish-American talks on creating a safe zone in northern Syria took place in Ankara this week. According to the Turkish Ministry of Defense, Turkey and the United States have agreed to establish a coordination center for joint operations in establishing the peace corridor. uwidata.com/4836-turkey-and-us-come-to-a… Argentine elections On Sunday, primary elections took …
uwidata.com/4914-safe-zone-in-syria-elec…

Jeffrey Epstein Is Dead, But Victims Call for Probes of His Sex Trafficking Ring to Continue
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-12
Jeffrey Epstein is dead. The accused serial sex trafficker who once counted President Trump and former President Bill Clinton among his high-profile friends was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell Saturday morning. Authorities say he hanged himself. Epstein had been put on suicide watch after he was found unconscious with marks on his neck in July, but authorities had removed him from suicide watch 11 days before his death. Epstein had been in jail since July, when he was arrested for allegedly running a sex trafficking operation by luring underage girls as young as 14 years old to his mansion in Manhattan. His…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/12/jeffrey_e…

"The Next Step Is the Kremlin": Why Moscow Protests Have Putin's Government Worried
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-12
Up to 60,000 protesters gathered Saturday in Moscow in the largest demonstration Russia has witnessed in years. Although the protest was officially authorized, dozens of protesters were arrested in the capital, and dozens more were also arrested in demonstrations across the country. Saturday's protest was organized to denounce the recent barring of opposition candidates from running in an upcoming election for Moscow City Council. We speak with Nina Khrushcheva, professor of international affairs at The New School. She is the co-author of "In Putin's Footsteps: Searching for the Soul of an Empire Across Russia's…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/12/the_next_…

Hong Kong Grounds Flights as Mass Sit-in Shuts Down Airport After Weekend of Protests
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-12
All departing flights were grounded as chaos engulfed the Hong Kong International Airport Monday, after thousands of pro-democracy protesters filled the travel hub to protest police brutality. Many eventually left the airport, fearing threats of more police action, but hundreds of activists remain. The latest escalation follows a weekend of bloody clashes between the police and protesters. Confrontations turned especially violent on Sunday night as riot police fired tear gas inside a subway station and were filmed beating protesters with batons. Meanwhile, Beijing has escalated its rhetoric against the protesters…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/12/hong_kong…

Los Angeles demands justice for Anthony Vargas — #JailKillerCops!
Kameron Hurt | liberationnews.org | 2019-07-31
On July 27, over 60 members of the Los Angeles community gathered outside the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Department to celebrate the life of Anthony Daniel Vargas, who would have been celebrating his 22nd birthday that day.
liberationnews.org/los-angeles-demands-j…