2020-05-29: News Headlines

Paul Buhle (2020-05-29). Why Does W.E.B. Du Bois Matter Today? counterpunch.org In their new book, W.E.B. Du Bois: A Life in American History,Charisse Burden-Stelly and Gerald Horne pose the question that every scholar of African American history, a central part of all US history, must sooner or later approach. W.E.B. Du Bois is without question one of the largest, perhaps the very largest, figure in African-American history.

United Steelworkers (2020-05-29). United Steelworkers on solidarity and justice for Black Lives. zcomm.org Many of us are saddened, but too many of our African-American members are worried that they can be stopped on the way home from work or a union meeting and suffer the same fate as George Floyd…

WSWS (2020-05-29). Cop who killed George Floyd in Minneapolis had record of brutality. wsws.org Local station KARE 11 reports 13 complaints since 2003 were closed without discipline. Chauvin was awarded a departmental medal of valor in 2009.

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-05-29). You Sided With The Abuser Like A Fucking Cliché. thealtworld.com You told your son he shouldn't displease his mother when he showed you the bite marks and bruises. | You chugged Nyquil while your husband raped your daughters and pretended to faint whenever they tried to tell you. | You invited the priest for dinner every Thursday and called your son an evil liar when he said what happens during prayer time. | You shrieked "rioting" and "looting" when people expressed their anger about cops murdering them with impunity. | You shrieked "terrorism" and "antisemitism" when Palestinians rose up against genocide and apartheid. | You called child rape in the Church a conspiracy theor…

Lewis Conway (2020-05-29). Recidivism Will Only Decrease if Successful Reentry is Embraced as an Antidote for Mass Incarceration. aclu.org While there are many policies drafted and bills legislated, really the only components that comprise successful reentry to the community are skills, support, and shelter. Thinking about what I needed when I came home from prison looks much different now than it did 20 odd years ago. Back then, I thought serving my time in prison was my punishment; I didn't know I was facing a life sentence after leaving prison. And for many people reentering society after leaving incarceration, that's what reentry is — a life sentence., , When the corrections officer stopped by my bunk to tell me I was being paroled, my…

Ed Sykes (2020-05-28). The police killing of George Floyd sparks widespread anger and protests throughout the US. thecanary.co A white police officer was caught on video kneeling on the neck of a handcuffed African-American man — George Floyd — for several minutes during an arrest, even after Floyd said he could not breathe and stopped moving. He

Fight Back (2020-05-28). Salt Lake to protest police killings on national day of action May 30. fightbacknews.org Salt Lake City, UT — The people of Salt Lake City plan to answer the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR) call for a national day of protest May 30, demanding justice for George Floyd, Bernardo Palacios and all the people murdered by cops in the U.S. | The country has been riven by the murder of Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer put his knee directly on Floyd's neck while he struggled for air and said repeatedly that he couldn't breathe. The murder was caught on film, and as a result, more than 20,000 people took to the streets of Minneapolis May 26 to demand…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-05-29). Dimming VP Hopes, Klobuchar's Failure to Prosecute Police Misconduct Highlighted as Outrage Over Killing of George Floyd Intensifies. commondreams.org "You can't refuse to prosecute killer cops and act like you don't have blood on your hands." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-05-29). After Days of Protest, Police Officer Derek Chauvin Charged With 3rd Degree Murder for Killing George Floyd. commondreams.org Following three days of intense demonstrations in Minneapolis over the killing of George Floyd by a police officer while three other officers stood by, Derek Chauvin was taken into custody by state authorities Friday afternoon. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Staff (2020-05-29). "It Was Murder": Minneapolis Demands Charges in Police Killing of George Floyd, Calls to Defund Cops. democracynow.org As thousands take to the streets of Minneapolis to protest against the police killing of George Floyd for the third night in a row, we go to Minneapolis to speak with City Councilmember Jeremiah Ellison. Police pointed an automatic rifle at his head in 2015 when he was peacefully protesting the police killing of another African American man, Jamar Clark. We also speak with Kandace Montgomery with the Black Visions Collective, which is calling for the abolition of police.

Staff (2020-05-29). Headlines for May 29, 2020. democracynow.org Protests Rage After Minneapolis Prosecutor Does Not Bring Charges Against Officers Who Killed George Floyd, Scores Tear-Gassed, Arrested as Protests Against George Floyd's Killing Spread to Other Cities, Twitter Flags Trump Tweet for Glorifying Violence After President Attacks Minnesota Protesters as "THUGS", Trump Executive Order Threatens to Punish Social Media Companies over Fact-Checking, U.S. Economy Sheds Another 2.1 Million Jobs, Leaving 40.7 Million Unemployed Since Start of Pandemic, Pennsylvania Democratic Lawmakers Accuse Republicans of Knowingly Exposing Them to Coronavirus, Protesters Demand ICE Empt…

Staff (2020-05-28). "No Justification": Minneapolis Demands Murder Charges for Police Officer Who Killed George Floyd. democracynow.org Parts of Minneapolis erupted into flames Wednesday night as residents again took to the streets to protest the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by white police officer Derek Chauvin on Monday. A viral video shows Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd's neck for a number of minutes as Floyd repeatedly says "I cannot breathe." Three other officers stood by as George Floyd suffocated. They have been identified as Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng. All four officers were fired on Tuesday. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has called on prosecutors to file criminal charges against Derek Chauvin. We speak wit…

People's Strike Bay Area (2020-05-29). Friday 5/29: Oakland From Covid-19 To Cops: We Can't Breath Caravan. indybay.org There will be a day of action focusing worker protection from Covid-19, the murder of Blacks repression and against gentrification and privatization by billionaires like A's owner John Fisher who also runs the KIPP and Rocketship charter school chains.

Read Black's Law Dictionary (2020-05-29). Manslaughter & 3rd degree murder charge for Kneeling Cop Chauvin. indybay.org After 48 hours of protest in Minnesota of the vicious murder by suffocation of a black man, George Floyd, on May 25, 2020, by 4 Minneapolis police, one of whom, Derek Chauvin, was caught on a video kneeling on the neck of handcuffed Floyd for 9 minutes, killing him, while his fellow thug cops allowed this murder to occur, only Chauvin was arrested on 5/29/30, and charged with 3rd degree murder and manslaughter! This low level of charge should have every attorney in this country screaming since it is a ringing indictment of the whole rotten legal system in this backward, racist, police state in which we live.

The Canary (2020-05-29). Minneapolis police station in flames during protests over George Floyd's death. thecanary.co Demonstrators have torched a Minneapolis police station as three days of protests spread over the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white police officer knelt on his neck.Protests first erupted on Tuesday, a day after Floyd's death in a confrontation with police which was captured on a widely seen video.On the footage, Floyd can be seen pleading as Officer Derek Chauvin presses his knee against him.As minutes pass, Floyd slowly stops talking and moving. The 3rd Precinct covers the portion of south Minneapolis where Mr Floyd was arrested.A city police spokesman confirmed that s…

RT (2020-05-29). Driver MOWS DOWN protesters in Denver (GRAPHIC VIDEO). rt.com A female motorist in Denver, Colorado plowed her SUV through a crowd of demonstrators protesting the police killing of an unarmed black man in Minnesota. Local activists have tried to identify the woman on social media. | As protesters blocked a street in downtown Denver on Thursday, one motorist lashed out at the activists, some of whom were holding 'Black Lives Matter' placards. | Video footage captured at the scene shows the woman accelerating through the crowd at an intersection, throwing one man onto the hood of her vehicle. When the man falls off the SUV, the driver turns her vehicle in his direction and…

_____ (2020-05-29). Denver driver RAMS road-blocking protesters angry at police killing of black man in Minnesota (GRAPHIC VIDEO). rt.com A female motorist in Denver, Colorado plowed her SUV through a crowd of demonstrators protesting the police killing of an unarmed black man in Minnesota. Local activists have tried to identify the woman on social media. | As protesters blocked a street in downtown Denver on Thursday, one motorist lashed out at the activists, some of whom were holding 'Black Lives Matter' placards. | Video footage captured at the scene shows the woman accelerating through the crowd at an intersection, throwing one man onto the hood of her vehicle. When the man falls off the SUV, the driver turns her vehicle in his direction and…

_____ (2020-05-29). Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin arrested over George Floyd's death. rt.com The former police officer filmed kneeling on the neck of an African-American man who later died has been arrested, Minnesota authorities said. The arrest comes after two days of riots and looting in the Twin Cities. | Derek Chauvin was taken into custody on Friday, local media reported citing John Harrington, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Chauvin and three other officers were fired after the video of their May 25 arrest of George Floyd became public. In the footage, Chauvin can be seen kneeling on Floyd's neck as the African-American man says he can't breathe. Floyd died in custody…

_____ (2020-05-29). 'White liberal Hillary supporters bigger threat than the KKK': CNN's Van Jones channels Malcolm X with warning. rt.com CNN commentator Van Jones has invoked the wrath of a thousand Karens, warning black people that they have more to fear from "white liberal Hillary Clinton supporters" who pretend to be allies than they do from the KKK. | Declaring that the black community is "fragile" and "tired" after years of lies about "progress" always being around the next corner even as innocent black men are killed in broad daylight, Jones took aim at who he believed was responsible. "It's not the racist white person who's in the Ku Klux Klan that we have to worry about," he said on CNN on Friday. "It's the white liberal Hillary Clinton…

RT (2020-05-29). Hero Moscow taxi driver saves woman from capture & torture after she orders a ride. rt.com A Russian taxi driver is being hailed as a hero for helping to save a woman from captivity. While en route to pick her up, the hostage relayed her story to the driver through a taxi app, he subsequently called the cops.

_____ (2020-05-29). FBI seeks more proof of 'criminal excessive force' in George Floyd killing as outraged public demands immediate arrests. rt.com The FBI and local prosecutors say they need more evidence before they can file charges against officers involved in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Angry residents claim investigators are dragging their feet. | While Minnesota officials said a "robust and meticulous" probe into Floyd's death is underway at a press conference on Thursday, they noted the investigation still needed to show that the officers broke any laws, with Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman warning against any hasty indictments. | "I will not rush to justice, I'm going to do this right," Freeman said, adding that the footage of…

_____ (2020-05-29). WATCH CNN crew ARRESTED during LIVE BROADCAST covering unrest in Minneapolis. rt.com Minnesota State Patrol officers have arrested CNN journalist Omar Jimenez and two crew members during a live broadcast from protests in Minneapolis, which were sparked by George Floyd's death. The three men were later released. | Footage posted to social media on Friday morning shows Jimenez identifying himself as a journalist and telling officers: "We can move back to where you'd like. We are live on the air at the moment." | Jimenez repeatedly signals that he and his crew will move away from the area and go "wherever you want us." He then continues his report while two officers hold him by the arms and tell…

RT (2020-05-28). Dozens arrested in NEW YORK as protests over George Floyd's death spread nationwide (VIDEOS). rt.com At least 30 protesters in New York City were arrested after clashing with police over the death of an African-American man in Minneapolis earlier this week, as NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio blamed the killing on racism. | Dozens of people were taken into custody at Union Square in Manhattan on Thursday evening, local media reported. After breaking up that demonstration, the NYPD moved to check reports of other protests near the police headquarters and City Hall. | Protesters reportedly threw bottles and trash cans at police, and one officer was injured. | Union Square, NY right now. I'm relieved to see some white f…

RT (2020-05-28). Woman in wheelchair 'with knife' sprayed with fire extinguisher after confronting looters in Minneapolis Target (VIDEOS). rt.com A white woman in a wheelchair was involved a violent altercation with a group of mostly black people looting a Target shop in Minneapolis. It was one episode in a wider spree of riots amid outrage over police brutality. | One of the videos of the incident apparently shows the backdoor of the shop and looters attempting to carry out stolen goods past the woman, who tries to stop them. A person shouts: "She's stabbing people, she's got a knife!" after which the woman is sprayed with a fire extinguisher. It is difficult to tell from the video whether she was actually armed. | At the Target in Minneapolis that was…

RT (2020-05-28). Minneapolis police investigate 'homicide' amid reports of 'looter shot dead by pawn shop owner'. rt.com A suspected looter has reportedly been shot and killed in Minneapolis after a protest over police brutality escalated into a full-blown riot, with a law enforcement spokesman confirming one homicide amid the unrest. | Though few details have yet emerged about the murder — the first casualty linked to the riots — a number of unconfirmed reports, including from bystanders on the scene, suggest the man was shot while attempting to loot a pawn shop in the city on Wednesday night. | A video clip surfaced on social media purporting to show the man as emergency response workers attempted to revive him. | <...

yenisafak (2020-05-29). Police free CNN reporter arrested live on TV covering Minneapolis protests. yenisafak.com Police in Minneapolis released a CNN reporter who was led off in handcuffs along with his film crew while reporting live on television early Friday morning during violent protests in the city.Officers gave no explanation as they escorted reporter Omar Jimenez away. He had just shown a protester being arrested when about half a dozen police officers in gas masks surrounded him. More than an hour later, the crew was released."What gave me one bit of comfort was that it happened on live TV," Jimenez told viewers after he was released. "You don't have to doubt my story it's not filtered in any way; you saw it with yo…

_____ (2020-05-29). Minnesota National Guard: Stand Down For Black Lives. popularresistance.org We write you as fellow veterans and service members with full knowledge of what's at stake as many of you are being asked to mobilize against civilians in your own country. As your neighbors fill the streets demanding the justice this country promised them, your command is undoubtedly telling you that you're being activated in service to your community. And yet, it is your community members who fill the streets, while your Commander in Chief tweets about using you to murder people over something as insignificant as property damage. A moral choice lies before you. As veterans who have faced similar tests of consci…

_____ (2020-05-29). Minneapolis Natives Condemn Man's Death In Custody, 'Racist Ideologies'. popularresistance.org The death of a handcuffed black man in police custody in Minneapolis has stoked anger and frustration among many Native people in the city. | Leaders say relations with law enforcement have remained strained in more than 50 years since the American Indian Movement was founded here in response to alleged police brutality. | The Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors Group, a collaborative of 30 Native organizations operating in the Twin Cities, released a scathing public letter Wednesday condemning George Floyd's death, along with the "ongoing and systemic racist ideologies that continue to run strongly" through the…

_____ (2020-05-29). Bus Drivers Refuse To Help Police, Prison Labor Replaces Meatpackers And More. popularresistance.org With protests erupting all over Minneapolis over the death of George Floyd, cops are attempting to arrest protesters in mass. | However, some bus drivers in Minneapolis are refusing to use their buses to transport protestors to jail. | "As a transit worker and union member, I refuse to transport my class and radical youth," Minneapolis bus driver Adam Burch told Payday. "An injury to one is an injury to all. The police murdered George Floyd and the protest against is completely justified and should continue until their demands are met." | While it would be illegal for Burch's union to call for a wildcat strike, h…

Maicol David Lynch (2020-05-28). New York Communist Party and community activists rally for 'Graffiti Grandma'. peoplesworld.org NEW YORK—On Memorial Day this past Monday, members of the New York District Communist Party USA, along with activists from the Black Radical Congress and the Riverside-Edgecomb Neighborhood Association, rallied in support of Washington Heights' "Graffiti Grandma." Jill Nelson, an activist, author, and journalist, was arrested on April 16 for chalking "Trump = Plague" on …

Fight Back (2020-05-28). Statement on the lynching of George Floyd. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Frank Chapman, Executive Director National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. | Yet another murder of an unarmed Black person in the month of May. Finan Berhe, in Springfield, MD, Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, GA, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, KY and now George Floyd in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN and all this in the worst pandemic in a century. What an outrage, what an American made tragedy that the lynching of Black people continues unabated, that racist terror continues to stalk the land like a beast of prey. With the brutal, callous…

Chauncey K. Robinson (2020-05-27). 'I can't breathe!': Minneapolis erupts in protest after George Floyd murder. peoplesworld.org Civil unrest and outrage have overtaken the city of Minneapolis as a community seeks retribution for the death of yet another Black person at the hands of police. Video footage went viral earlier this week showing four white officers using excessive force and an unauthorized restraint maneuver to arrest 46-year-old George Floyd. George lost his …

Staff (2020-05-27). From George Floyd to Chris Cooper: Ibram X. Kendi on "Racist Terror" Facing Black People in America. democracynow.org "I can't breathe" — that's what George Floyd, an unarmed African American man, repeatedly told a white Minneapolis police officer who pinned him to the ground Monday with a knee to his neck. Video of the police attack went viral. Now four officers have been fired. This comes as another video went viral of a white woman calling the cops on a Black man in New York City's Central Park and falsely accusing him of "threatening her life" after he asked her to leash her dog. We discuss these developments and more with Ibram X. Kendi, founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American Univer…

Monica Moorehead (2020-05-27). Want justice for George Floyd? Jail & convict killer cops! — a WW commentary. workers.org Protesters at the Minneapolis police department before being assaulted by cops, May 26. May 27 — It was déjà vu, all over again. Another Black man captured on videotape, first, being tortured and, then, being choked to death by a white police officer. It was almost six years ago when, . . . |

Staff (2020-05-27). Headlines for May 27, 2020. democracynow.org Four Minneapolis Cops Fired After Shocking Video Shows Killing of George Floyd, Federal Food Program Fails to Reach Millions Even as Child Hunger Surges in U.S., NY Governor Cuomo Shielded Nursing Homes from Liability After Big Campaign Donation, GOP Governors Vie for Republican National Convention as NC Won't Commit to Packed Arena, Yemen's Health System Has "Collapsed" Amid Explosion of Coronavirus Cases, India Resumes Domestic Air Travel Even as COVID-19 Cases Surge, China Completing Plans to Test 11 Million Wuhan Residents for Coronavirus, South Korea Reports 40 New Coronavirus Infections, Highest Level in 7…

teleSUR (2020-05-27). Trump Silent on George Floyd's Killing, Biden Demands a Probe. telesurenglish.net U.S. President Donald Trump has not said a single word about the killing on Monday of Black citizen George Floyd, who died after pleading that he couldn't breathe while a white police officer held him down with a knee on his neck. | RELATED: | Though almost two days have passed since video footage emerged Tuesday showing Floyd imploring for his life as a policeman knelt on his neck, Trump has yet to make any comment. | Yet, whil…

Sarah Lahm (2020-05-27). Thousands Protest George Floyd's Murder in Minneapolis. progressive.org Ending in clashes between armed cops and angry community members, the protest showed the immensity of residents' distrust of police.

Elie Mystal (2020-05-27). There's Only One Possible Conclusion: White America Likes Its Killer Cops. thenation.com There's Only One Possible Conclusion: White America Likes Its Killer Cops…