2020-07-24: News Headlines

Georgina Ferry (2020-07-25). [Perspectives] Kesaveloo Goonaruthnum Naidoo: anti-apartheid campaigner. thelancet.com Few have done as much to forge an individual identity as "Dr Goonam", the name Kesaveloo Goonaruthnum Naidoo (1906—98) adopted as the first woman of colour to practise medicine in South Africa during the 1930s. She demanded women's inclusion in political organisations representing her Indian community, and joined others in passionate opposition to the apartheid policies that oppressed them.

Gene Glickman (2020-07-24). "There'll Be Some Changes Made": Current and Future American Policing. counterpunch.org Introduction Let's establish some First Principles. 1) The slogan "Black Lives Matter" arose after repeated, unpunished killings of unarmed Black people by police. If the standards are "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," life comes first. Without life, a person cannot achieve liberty or pursue happiness. As a pure expression, "Black Lives Matter" is

Workers World Party (2020-07-24). Portland's movement is fighting back! Defend Portland, Ore.! Defend People's Resistance! No Police State! workers.org Workers World Party Statement Despite the brutal attempt of the White House to crush the heroic Black Lives Matter movement by sending camouflaged federal agents — secret police — to Portland, Ore., Chicago and other U.S. cities, the movement and all who support it have been fighting back. The initial . . . |

Judy Greenspan (2020-07-24). Berkeley City Council refuses to counter cops. workers.org Berkeley, Calif. "Don't Believe the Hype," released in 1988 by Public Enemy, still rings true today in Berkeley. Local media call the July 14 City Council decision to study and curtail police actions a victory. Black students, led by Youth Protect the Bay and a community coalition to defund the . . . |

RT (2020-07-24). Appeasing the crowds? Chicago pulls down embattled Columbus statue days after mayor agrees to let feds in. rt.com Shortly after Mayor Lori Lightfoot conceded to allow the federal government to deploy their agents to Chicago, the city has removed the bronze Columbus statue which has been vandalized amid massive Black Lives Matter rallies. | The removal operation started at Chicago's Grant Park in the middle of the night on Friday. Workers used two heavy-duty cranes to attach metal ropes to the Christopher Columbus monument, which was wrapped tight in white tarpaulin. | The statue of the Italian explorer, erected in the 1930s with funding and blessing from Chicago's Italian-American community, was then brought down in front…

Sit. Walk. Listen organizing team (2020-07-24). Sunday 8/2: Sit. Walk. Listen. Because Black Lives Matter. indybay.org "The Pergola at Lake Merritt" (599 El Embarcadero) | Oakland, California…

Tim Whitehouse — Erik Molvar (2020-07-24). Unfit to Lead and Unqualified to Serve: Why William Perry Pendley Cannot be the Head of the Bureau of Land Management. counterpunch.org Amid the COVID-19 crisis and the uprisings against police brutality and systemic racism, it is understandable if many Americans overlooked the Trump administration's continued attacks on the management of public lands and the Constitution's mandates about how our leaders are appointed. The most recent attack of this type came with President Trump's June 30, 2020,

Eds. (2020-07-24). From Portland to the World. mronline.org Since the end of May, demonstrators opposing police violence and white supremacy have thronged the streets of Portland, Oregon, clashing with law enforcement officers. Last week, aspiring autocrat Donald Trump escalated the situation by announcing that he would be sending federal agents around the country to assert his authority through acts of violence against protesters.

RT (2020-07-24). Federal forces 'on standby' to enter Seattle, if protests turn violent & local cops need support. rt.com A tactical unit of federal agents has been placed on standby in Seattle to aid police should protests there spiral into unrest or rioting, the New York Times reported, a move that comes amid heated objections from local officials. | A Special Response Team operating under the authority of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was reportedly dispatched to Seattle on Thursday, as a 'precautionary' measure. | "The CBP team will be on standby in the area, should they be required," the Federal Protective Service said in a statement about the operation. An agency spokesman who declined to be named, told the NYT that t…

RT (2020-07-24). WATCH Portland protesters battling federal police to sound of Star Wars' Imperial March. rt.com Chaotic scenes outside Portland's federal courthouse were given a snarky soundtrack by a demonstrator who showed up to the fracas armed with a stereo. The city has seen nightly clashes between police and protesters. | Footage taken by New York Times correspondent Mike Baker shows activists and federal agents fighting over control of a fence guarding the building in downtown Portland, which has been under siege by demonstrators for nearly two months. | Protesters used projectiles and laser pointers against federal law enforcement tasked with protecting the courthouse, who in turn deployed tear gas to keep the m…

RT (2020-07-24). Oregon judge bans feds from arresting or using force against 'journalists & legal observers' at Portland protests. rt.com A judge has issued a temporary restraining order on federal agents deployed in Portland, ruling that they may not arrest, disperse or otherwise use force against reporters and legal observers covering ongoing protests there. | US District Court Judge Michael Simon

Kathleen Wallace (2020-07-24). 2020 Vision Will Show You What is True, if You Can Keep Your Sanity. counterpunch.org We've all been making jokes about how terrible 2020 has played out, but I think even those of us with a bit of an imagination for the absurd and ominous missed the mark as far as this ultimate level of governmental degeneracy we've been able to achieve. Dads backing up moms in Portland with leaf

WSWS (2020-07-24). Trump orders federal police to more cities. wsws.org The Trump administration is stepping up its unconstitutional moves toward dictatorial rule, tear gassing the mayor of Portland, Oregon and announcing the deployment of federal police to additional cities.

David Rosen (2020-07-24). Uprising: Mass Protests Rock the Nation. counterpunch.org In an act of political desperation, President Donald Trump ordered a contingent of federal law-enforcement officers to impose order in Portland, OR. Under the direction of Attorney General Bill Barr, agents from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bureau of Prisons were deployed to protect

Chris Walker (2020-07-24). Philadelphia DA Says Trump's Police Will Be Arrested If They Assault Protesters. zcomm.org "Anyone, including federal law enforcement, who unlawfully assaults and kidnaps people will face criminal charges from my office."

Editor (2020-07-23). Defend Portland! Defend People's Resistance! No Police State! workers.org Despite the brutal attempt of the White House to crush the heroic Black Lives Matter movement by sending camouflaged federal agents ‚àí secret police ‚àí to Portland, Chicago and other U.S. cities, the movement and all who support it have been fighting back. The initial response to the threat of . . . |

Paul Wilcox (2020-07-23). Labor coalition strikes for Black lives. liberationnews.org Protests in as many as 100 cities that day rang out with a strong message that Black Lives Matter is a labor issue, an issue that affects the entire labor movement, and affects every individual worker.

Karen Conner (2020-07-23). The Black-White Disability Gap Increases with Age. cepr.net With the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) happening this weekend as Black Lives Matter protests continue, it's a good time to look at the intersection between race and disability in the United States. The figure below compares disability rates by age, sex, and race for non-Latinx adults. The data in the …

Marlee Kokotovic (2020-07-23). U.S. Navy veteran speaks out about being attacked by Trump's secret police in Portland this past weekend. nationofchange.org It isn't about me getting beat up. It's about focusing back on the original intention of all of these protests, which is Black Lives Matter.

Black Alliance for Peace (2020-07-23). Trump Administration Deploys Federal Forces into Major U.S. Cities. globalresearch.ca The repressive U.S. state's chickens have come home to roost with President Donald Trump announcing federal troops will be deployed to several U.S. cities. This comes after federal agents reportedly disappeared protesters last week off the streets of Portland, Oregon….

RT (2020-07-23). Inoperable pistol seized from St. Louis couple was fixed to make sure it was 'ready for lethal use' to charge McCloskeys — report. rt.com The gun Patricia McCloskey aimed at BLM protesters on a private street was inoperable when seized by police, but a St. Louis prosecutor reportedly had it fixed, deeming it ready for "lethal use," before charging the couple. | Patricia McCloskey and her husband Mark were charged on felony firearms offenses earlier this week after appearing in a controversial video in June pointing weapons at Black Lives Matter protesters who stormed their gated community. After the couple's weapons arrived in police custody, however, it was determined one of the guns — the pistol held by Patricia in the video — was in…

RT (2020-07-23). Oakland mayor slams 'terror tactics' & votes down further police budget cuts after protesters vandalize her home with BLM graffiti. rt.com Protesters have vandalized the home of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, splattering it with red paint and graffiti while pelting the house with fireworks. The mayor's office said the attack was meant to "terrorize" and "intimidate." | Along with large splotches of paint thrown across Schaaf's garage door and a nearby retaining wall, the vandals left countless graffiti messages condemning the mayor and apparently voicing support for the Black Lives Matter movement. According to police, fireworks were also set off in the street during the incident — some fired at the mayor's house — which is believed to hav…

RT (2020-07-23). Rapper Ice Cube wants Hollywood studios to pay reparations for 'stealing our history and giving it to white people'. rt.com As reparations become a more and more popular topic while anti-police and anti-racism protests rage across the US, rapper Ice Cube wants to see Hollywood studios take part and give yearly payments to black-owned companies. | "I think these studios that we know and love should kick in to a studio that's ran by black people with no outside influences, and whose movies and projects are owned by those black people," the musician and actor told radio show 'The Breakfast Club'. | These studios, he claims, have "contributed in our narrative, in our pain, in our misrepresentation." | First making waves as a rapper as…

Staff (2020-07-23). Confronting White Supremacy Can't Come Through Top-Down "Justice" truthout.org We bear witness to an extraordinary historical moment, one convulsing with both immense pain and opportunity. We're finally looking in the mirror, facing the truth that we are a nation born not in liberty but in terror — of white supremacy, slavery, genocide, land theft and racial capitalism. At last we are disrupting centuries of denial. | We're seeing that, throughout U.S. history, police have served as frontline enforcers of white supremacy, brutally subjugating Black people. Slave patrollers tort…

Sit. Walk. Listen organizing team (2020-07-23). Sunday 8/2: Sunday August 2, Sit. Walk. Listen. Because Black Lives Matter. indybay.org "The Pergola at Lake Merritt" (599 El Embarcadero) | Oakland, California…

Robert C. Koehler (2020-07-23). Standing Up to the Armed and Inarticulate. commondreams.org Guns are the speech of the inarticulate. (Photo: Apu GOMES / AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Staff (2020-07-23). Federal Prisons Went on Lockdown and Deployed Staff to Quash BLM Protests. truthout.org On June 2, for the first time in 25 years, the Bureau of Prisons directed all federal jails and prisons to implement a full lockdown, confining nearly 160,000 people to their cells and severely limiting contact with the outside world. The following day, on the orders of Attorney General William Barr, the Bureau pulled some of its most militarized units out of BOP facilities and deployed them to confront protesters on the streets of Washington, D.C. | Typically, a lockdown occurs in a single faci…

_____ (2020-07-23). What Are Trump And His Goons Up To? popularresistance.org First and foremost, it is a political stunt to capture the law and order crowd and press on divides between the coastal cities and inland voters. But it's also more sinister than that. The use of federal forces is designed to weaken local accountability by freezing out local government that constituents can reach. Portland's mayor might not even have opposed some "help" from the feds, but he wasn't asked. In other words, this wasn't mutual aid. This was indeed an invasion. An alphabet soup of federal agencies have been employed to crack down on police brutality protests, including the National Guard, the US Marsh…

yenisafak (2020-07-23). In another night of unrest in Portland, tear gas hits mayor. yenisafak.com The mayor of the U.S. city of Portland, Ted Wheeler, was stung by tear gas early on Thursday morning after he joined demonstrators protesting against racial injustice and police brutality.Protests have rocked Portland every night for weeks, with security forces often tear-gassing and clubbing demonstrators.Visiting the protest site, Wheeler was jeered at by some demonstrators who called on him to resign and chanted "Shame on You". They said he should have done more to protect Portland's citizens.However, as he stood amongst the crowd outside Portland's Justice Center, Wheeler, who was wearing a face mask, was him…

Fight Back (2020-07-23). Stand with the resistance in Portland! fightbacknews.org Protesters grabbed off the streets by federal agents who refuse to identify themselves, placed unmarked vehicles, and taken to undisclosed locations. These same agents nearly killed a young man holding part of a sound system at a demonstration. This is the outrageous reality in Portland today, were Trump has deployed a paramilitary police force to carry out a wave of repression. The good news is that the resistance in Portland has been nothing short of heroic, as thousands have taken to the streets in a powerful display of opposition. | The Trump administration has repeatedly stated that it is deploying federal a…

Staff (2020-07-23). Paramilitary-Style Tactics in Portland Mirror Decades of U.S. Violence on the Border & Abroad. democracynow.org The harrowing scenes of paramilitary-style units in the streets of American cities like Portland has shocked mainstream America, but award-winning independent journalist Todd Miller, who has reported on border security and immigration for over a decade, says it's a reflection of how the U.S. has operated around the world. We also speak with Cecilia Menjívar, UCLA sociology professor, who says the image of unmarked vans snatching people from the streets "brings back memories to Latin Americans who lived through disappearances of families and friends and co-workers."

Marilyn Bechtel (2020-07-23). Cities challenge Trump's dispatch of federal law enforcement officers. peoplesworld.org OAKLAND, Calif. — Outrage is growing throughout the country over Donald Trump's use of federal law enforcement against protesters in Portland, Oregon, and his threats to dispatch federal officers to other U.S. cities. On July 20, Trump told reporters he might send federal "law enforcement" to cities he claimed were experiencing heightened violence, naming cities …

Eds. (2020-07-23). As Trump threatens secret police deployment nationwide, Democrats debate expanding surveillance powers and new money for DHS. mronline.org The rogue deployment of secret federal police forces in Portland, Oregon, has added a new complication to negotiations over reauthorizing the Trump administration's vast surveillance powers and appropriating new money for the Department of Homeland Security.

RT (2020-07-23). Chicago mayor urges citizens to call cops on feds, so she can sue Trump for 'abuses' in crackdown on gun crime. rt.com Mayor Lori Lightfoot has urged Chicagoans to literally call the police over any "unconstitutional" actions by federal agents sent by President Donald Trump to help with a crackdown on skyrocketing violent crime. | Residents should call the police or social services if they "see something that doesn't look right," Lightfoot said at a press conference on Wednesday. | "If we see any steps out of line," she said, "we are not going to hesitate to take the president to court and stop any unconstitutional actions." The Democrat mayor singled out the Border Patrol and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for scrutiny…

RT (2020-07-23). MSNBC's Joe Scarborough calls Portland protests 'peaceful'… despite footage of escalating violence. rt.com Joe Scarborough has called protests in Portland "peaceful for the most part," less than a day after the mayor was tear-gassed in the face amid escalating violence following more than two months of demonstrations. | On his Morning Joe show Thursday, Scarborough railed against the deployment of federal agents to the city of Portland, saying they have launched "deeply disturbing attacks" against "peaceful protests, for the most part." | The MSNBC host has no doubt seen footage of federal agents arresting protesters and proceeding to throw them into unmarked vans — but perhaps he missed the videos of demonstr…

RT (2020-07-23). Portland mayor cheers protesters & joins them to face tear gas, gets calls to resign anyway (VIDEOS). rt.com Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler failed to win over a crowd of angry anti-police protesters despite rooting for their cause. But rather than seeing him as an ally against federal agents, some said he's part of the problem and has to go.

Ken Klippenstein (2020-07-23). The Federal Response to Protests Extends Far Beyond Portland. thenation.com The Federal Response to Protests Extends Far Beyond Portland…

William Boardman (2020-07-23). Defund the Police State, Before It's Too Late. globalresearch.ca The American police state is currently making its boldest test run to date in Portland, Oregon, escalating violence and lawlessness against the peaceful population of an American city. The people of Portland have responded with increased resistance, but support from …

Max Elbaum (2020-07-23). Guns? Yes. Masks? No. And Gestapo in Portland. zcomm.org The toxic mix of valuing gun ownership over protecting public health, conspiracism, and reactionary movements glued together by white supremacy and national chauvinism are too deeply rooted to be ended any time soon…

Unicorn Riot (2020-07-23). Minneapolis Park Police Displace Sanctuary Encampment, Arrest 24. unicornriot.ninja Minneapolis, MN — On Monday, July 20, dozens of houseless people were displaced and 24 people were arrested as law enforcement executed an eviction of the eastern portion of a sanctuary tent encampment in Powderhorn Park. | After the raid, Unicorn Riot spoke to community members,…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-23). Israeli forces raid Palestinian cultural institutes, arrest directors. peoplesdispatch.org The directors of three prominent Palestinian cultural centers have been arrested by the Israeli forces for an indefinite period on charges of funding terrorism, fraud and tax evasion…

Unicorn Riot (2020-07-23). Minneapolis Park Police Displace Sanctuary Encampment. unicornriot.ninja Minneapolis, MN — On Monday, July 20, dozens of houseless people were displaced and 24 people were arrested as law enforcement executed an eviction of the eastern portion of a sanctuary tent encampment in Powderhorn Park. | After the raid, Unicorn Riot spoke to community members,…

_____ (2020-07-23). After Cutting Ties With Police, Minneapolis Schools Quietly Hire Private Police. popularresistance.org On Sunday, more than 100 Minneapolis teachers and families rallied in the parking lot outside the Davis Center, the district headquarters, to protest the hiring — without prior warning — of what they suspect will be "rent-a-cops" with even less accountability than licensed police officers. | "When we said we didn't want any more SROs, any more police officers in our buildings, we did not mean, 'hire a bunch of private security officers and put them in our buildings,'" said MFT president Greta Callahan, a teacher at Bethune Community School in Near North. "Let me ask you a question. If I order a sandwi…

_____ (2020-07-23). New Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Against Federal Law Enforcement. popularresistance.org The Western States Center, the First Unitarian Church of Portland, two state representatives and an ACLU legal observer are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which alleges the federal government has violated protesters' 10th Amendment rights. It was filed Tuesday in federal court. | The 10th Amendment delineates the separation of powers between federal and state governments. | "The power to engage in ordinary law enforcement is one of the long-recognized powers that belong to the states and to their municipalities," said Cliff Davidson, an attorney with Snell & Wilmer, the firm filing the lawsuit. | The W…

_____ (2020-07-23). Portland's Mayor Tear-Gassed By Militarized US Police. popularresistance.org The mayor of Portland, Oregon was tear-gassed by U.S. government agents as he stood outside a federal courthouse during another night of protests against the presence of federal police sent by President Donald Trump to quell the city's ongoing unrest. | Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, appeared slightly dazed and coughed and said Wednesday night it was the first time he'd been tear-gassed. | He put on a pair of goggles someone handed him and drank water but did not leave his spot at the front of the protest and continued to take tear gas as the demonstration raged — with protesters lighting a large fire betwe…

_____ (2020-07-23). Federal Agents Retreat To Portland Base As Protesters Control Streets. popularresistance.org The DHS officers dispatched by the president to put down the demonstrations have instead become prisoners of the building they are ostensibly there to defend. | "The feds don't have control of the streets," said a woman holding a sign "100% not a terrorist", who gave her name only as Shannon. "I think they're more scared than us. They're hiding in there. They don't know what they're doing." If the intent was to intimidate the protesters into abandoning the few square blocks of downtown Portland under their control, it backfired spectacularly. | Residents of a city with a long history of radical street protest wer…

sputniknews (2020-07-23). Trump Sends Border Patrol Tactical Units to Seattle 'On Standby' to Help Federal Police. sputniknews.com Agents from the Special Response Team of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have been deployed to Seattle, Washington, under orders from US President Donald Trump's administration.

Staff (2020-07-23). Paramilitary-Style Tactics in Portland Mirror Decades of Global US Violence. truthout.org The harrowing scenes of paramilitary-style units in the streets of American cities like Portland has shocked mainstream America, but award-winning independent journalist Todd Miller, who has reported on border security and immigration for over a decade, says it's a reflection of how the U.S. has operated around the world. We also speak with Cecilia Menjívar, UCLA sociology professor, who says the image of unmarked vans snatching people from the streets "brings back memories to Latin Americans wh…

DLI (2020-07-23). Secret police in Portland violated human rights of peaceful protesters. indybay.org Videos showing U.S. Federal secret police(with no badges and riding in unmarked vehicles)inflicting massive violence on mostly peaceful protesters are running viral across the Globe. Yet the Federal governing regime brazenly avows that this will be the "new normal" in major cities from now on…

Kent Wong and Rev. James Lawson, Jr (2020-07-22). Strike for Black Lives Aligns Worker Justice and Racial Justice. zcomm.org The strike for Black Lives highlights the fundamental link between worker rights and racial justice. This growing alliance also addresses the dual role of police in repressing both worker organizing and black and other communities of color…

WSWS (2020-07-22). The "Strike for Black Lives" protest stunt. wsws.org The "strike" was a union-organized stunt endorsed by business, the corporate media and the Democratic Party to divert anger over police violence and unsafe working conditions along racial lines.

WWNYCDB (2020-07-22). ADA not enough: Disabled people need socialism. workers.org The pandemic is teaching able-bodied people what it's like to be disabled. Not being able to get around like you used to, facing endless unemployment, being stuck in the house, finding ways to get food delivered, and speaking to family and friends only on the phone — not in person. . . . |

Jane Cutter (2020-07-22). Shoreline, WA: 13-yr old Black organizer threatened with lynching, community to march in support. liberationnews.org Liberation News speaks with Shoreline BLM organizers Darnesha and Mikayla Weary.

Fight Back (2020-07-22). The Wisconsin District of FRSO condemns the deployment of federal agents to Milwaukee. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – Last week, unmarked federal agents in military uniforms grabbed protesters off the streets of Portland, Oregon, and threw them into unmarked black vans. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed responsibility for the shadowy operation, citing "graffiti" as their justification for snatching activists off the street and interrogating them. | Now, Milwaukee has been named by the Trump administration as one of the cities that would likely be targeted for deployment of Homeland Security Investigation agents. Some Milwaukee activists have reported spotting unidentified agents in military gear n…

_____ (2020-07-22). SEIU Should Actually Strike For Black Lives. popularresistance.org We want to fight. Workers throughout the country have been involved in the movements on the streets for weeks. In our unions, we have marched as contingents from coast to coast and in pretty much every city. There's been heroism with transit workers refusing to transport political prisoners and even some strikes. And now, there's a growing movement to drop the cops from our unions, from whole labor federations like in the King County Labor Council, to the Writers Guild, to even the efforts in the SEIU. | We rank and filers have not been sitting on the sidelines. But, for the most part, our union leaderships have.

_____ (2020-07-22). Portland's Wall Of Moms Joined By Dads With Leaf Blowers. popularresistance.org In response to the use of tear gas being utilized by federal officers against demonstrators, including a group of moms, in an uprising in Portland, Oregon, this week, a like-minded dads' group encouraged others to show up to the event with leaf blowers in order to dissipate the chemical agents. | Uprisings in Portland have happened nightly since the end of May, in response to police violence against Black Americans, including renewed attention to Jason Washington, a Black resident of the city who was shot and killed by police in 2018. | Tensions have escalated in recent weeks as federal officers began appearing a…

Fight Back (2020-07-22). Trump deploying 150 federal agents in Chicago to repress our movement. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. | What we have watched in Portland is the dress rehearsal for what Trump is preparing for Chicago: an effort to squash the Black Lives Matter protests flowing from this uprising by violent military means. He claims he is targeting the cities controlled by Democrats because of the chaos caused by the largest rebellion in U.S. history. | In truth, broad democratic forces have come together to exercise their right to protest against police murder and violence. We've had signals this was…

Leon Kunstenaar (2020-07-22). Strike for Black Lives and Working People at McDonald's. indybay.org Oakland demonstration part of National Day of Reckoning…

Renee Parsons (2020-07-22). There Is No Science to Support Mandatory Face Masks. A Symbol of Social Submission? globalresearch.ca As the distraction of BLM/Antifa riots and the coronavirus have consumed much attention and energy, the social engineering agenda of the World Economic Forum's

RT (2020-07-22). 'Example of white supremacy': Activists blame 'MAGA 2020' mural request for destruction of BLM mural in California. rt.com An online petition states that the removal of a BLM mural in a California city is "white supremacy" in action. They say officials destroyed it after a local woman applied for a permit to paint a pro-Trump message. | The 17-foot (5m) mural in downtown Redwood City was scrubbed in order to avoid "driver confusion and traffic accidents," city spokesperson Jennifer Yamaguma told local media, adding that the authorities will no longer permit "art" installations to appear on the streets. | The mural was painted earlier this month by a local resident named Dan Pease. Local media reported that the city had not only au…

RT (2020-07-22). Police investigate photo of CHILD crying under man's knee in copy of George Floyd arrest after online outrage — reports. rt.com A disturbing photo showing a supposed BLM supporter putting his knee on the neck of a small child, mimicking the arrest of George Floyd, has triggered outrage online and apparently prompted a police investigation in Ohio. | The Clark County Sheriff's Office reportedly launched an investigation into the alarming image, which was captioned "Blm now mf." According to local news channel WHO TV7, law enforcement and medics visited two addresses connected with the case on Tuesday, but no arrests were made. | In the photo, a tattooed man wearing only shorts is shown putting his right knee on top of the neck of a todd…

Jason M. Thornberry (2020-07-22). Junior Murvin's Vision of Police Brutality. dissidentvoice.org Despite the sustained protests and pleas for justice and peace, demonstrations, and riots, George Floyd's murder continues to resonate because it accompanies an interminable chronicle of shame connecting it to other recent events. It becomes another tragic entry in the Book of Disgrace. In this sense, Floyd becomes other victims of the police. He becomes …

Fight Back (2020-07-22). Federal officers seen dragging protesters into unmarked vans in Portland. fightbacknews.org Portland, OR – For weeks now, officers under the oversight of the Department of Homeland Security have been terrorizing the residents of Portland Oregon in new attempts to stamp out the protest movement that has been ongoing since the killing of George Floyd. These officers can be seen in various videos wearing nondescript camo fatigues with no markings indicating who they are or, or what agency they are working for. These same federal officers nearly killed a protester in Portland last week after shooting him in the head with a 'less-lethal' impact device. | In an intensification of an already overzeal…

Alan MacLeod (2020-07-22). Portland: "Wall of Moms" mobilizes to protect protests from police violence. mronline.org Chanting, "Feds stay clear! Moms are here!," groups of women congregated at the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse and other locations in Central Portland. They were met with tear gas, flashbangs, and pepper round bullets, injuring many.

Staff (2020-07-22). COVID-19 Lays Bare South Africa's Rampant Inequality & Fault Lines of Post-Apartheid Society. democracynow.org COVID-19 infections are skyrocketing in South Africa, now fifth in the world for coronavirus cases, with an already fragile hospital system. "I really think it's our inequality reckoning moment," says Fatima Hassan, a human rights lawyer with the Health Justice Initiative. "All of the fault lines of South Africa's post-apartheid democracy, and its inequality and its violence, is actually coming to the fore."

Mike Hastie (2020-07-22). Tear Gas, Beatings and Projectiles in Portland. counterpunch.org The last couple of nights I have been heavily involved in demonstrations in Portland, Oregon. ( July 18-19, 2020.) As most of you probably know these demonstrations have been going on in front of the Federal Justice Center for over 50 straight nights. Since Trump called in the Feds, the turmoil and violence has escalated. We

Joan Walsh (2020-07-22). Another Long Day of GOP Disrespect for Women. thenation.com Attacks on AOC, Liz Cheney, and Portland's "Wall of Moms" make it seem like Republicans don't care about women. Except Ghislaine Maxwell.

Ron Jacobs (2020-07-22). Trumpfen Sturmabteilung (Trump's Stormtroopers). counterpunch.org It is not hard to see the forces kidnapping individuals and teargassing Portland's streets as the Trump administration's private stormtroopers. Although they are operating under the aegis of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the truth is it is the Executive Branch that issued their orders.

RT (2020-07-22). WATCH: NYPD clears out 'Occupy City Hall' camp after weeks-long standoff. rt.com NYPD officers in riot gear, armed with shields and helmets, cleared out the weeks-long 'Occupy City Hall' encampment in Manhattan's City Hall Park overnight. According to the police, it was a planned operation. | Footage from the scene shows the moment officers descended on the camp and warned protesters to leave or be arrested. | NYPD is now attacking the City Hall occupancy protest. Tearing down the community service tents.

The Canary (2020-07-22). Israelis block entrance to parliament amid intense protests. thecanary.co A night of intense protests against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government has seen dozens of Israeli demonstrators chain themselves together and briefly block the entrance to parliament.Police arrested four and broke up the gathering, which was called to protest against an upcoming vote to grant the government sweeping authority to bypass parliament in enacting measures to combat coronavirus.It came against the backdrop of a fresh outpouring of discontent with Netanyahu. Protests outside his residence have become a weekly occurrence, with police increasingly taking harsher measures against…

RT (2020-07-22). 'Pure evil': Trio arrested over murder of fishing group in Florida. rt.com Three people have been arrested in connection with the brutal murder of three friends who were attacked while fishing on a Florida lake. One of the victims managed to call his father in his final moments, raising the alarm. | The victims — Kevin Springfield, Brandon Rollins, and Damion Tillman — had met up for some night fishing in Frostproof, Florida on Friday when they were apparently set upon. The trio were severely beaten and shot, but Rollins managed to call his father and tell him of the attack before he too succumbed to his injuries. | On Wednesday, suspects Tony Wiggins, his girlfriend Mary W…

RT (2020-07-22). 'Nothing lawful in those barracks': 7 Italian police officers arrested over drug trafficking & torture. rt.com Italy has been shocked by a massive scandal in the wake of the arrest of seven Carabinieri officers suspected of being involved in a series of crimes ranging from drug trafficking to unlawful arrests and torture. | In an unprecedented move, prosecutors in the northern Italian city of Piacenza closed down and sequestered the local Carabinieri barracks as part of an investigation against officers operating from it. Six local officers were taken into custody and one put under house arrest. | "Nothing that was going on in those barracks was legal," Piacenza Chief Prosecutor Grazia Pradella told journalists. Only o…

RT (2020-07-22). Ohio House Speaker arrested after FBI raid in $60mn 'racketeering conspiracy' probe. rt.com The speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, Larry Householder (R), was arrested in an FBI raid on his farm, part of a bribery and racketeering probe into an alleged $60 million in illicit transactions with energy lobbyists. | Householder and four associates were taken into custody on Tuesday following FBI raids, the Department of Justice

Joshua Hanks (2020-07-22). Outrage over Trump attack: Portland movement fights back. workers.org Federal officers were deployed to "quell" Portland's protests beginning the weekend of July 10 and continuing the following week. Camouflaged unidentified agents arrested and detained demonstrators without even a pretext. The Trump administration has escalated the confrontation between the people and the state apparatus, bringing a whiff of fascism to . . . |

RT (2020-07-22). 'We won't retreat': DHS chief defends 'proactive arrests' amid Portland riots, stokes Minority Report dystopia outcry (VIDEOS). rt.com The head of the Department of Homeland Security set off alarms after saying that federal agents were making 'proactive' arrests in Portland amid heated protests, drawing comparisons to the dystopian "pre-crime" of Minority Report. | Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf appeared on a Fox News segment on Tuesday night, discussing the ongoing protests and rioting across Portland, which he says have continued for "52 nights in a row" as federal officers there are stretched to the limit. | "Because we don't have that local law enforcement support, we are having to go out and proactively arrest individuals, and we need…

teleSUR (2020-07-22). South Africa: Andrew Mlangeni, Last Anti-Apartheid Icon Dies. telesurenglish.net The icon of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa Andrew Mlangeni died at 95 in the capital Pretoria, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Wednesday. | RELATED: | Andrew Mlangeni fought alongside Nelson Mandela in the liberation struggle against the white minority government that, from 1948, legalized racism unleashing the South African racial segregation system known as apartheid. | "The passing of Andrew Mekete Mlangeni signifies the end of gener…

Zoà´ Carpenter (2020-07-22). Why Portland Became the Test Case for Trump's Secret Police. thenation.com Why Portland Became the Test Case for Trump's Secret Police…

yenisafak (2020-07-22). Zimbabwe: Capital's mayor arrested in corruption probe. yenisafak.com The mayor of Zimbabwe's capital Harare has been arrested over corruption charges, local media reported on Wednesday.Herbert Gomba was taken into custody by the Anti-Corruption Commission on Tuesday night and will be presented in court on Wednesday, according to news website Zim Morning Post.The mayor is facing charges of criminal abuse of office in connection with a massive land scam that has led to the arrest of several public officials over recent weeks, including city council officials, police officers, and a prosecutor.Gomba is accused of facilitating the illegal sale of land by approving fraudulent layout pl…

yenisafak (2020-07-22). Indian journalist shot at in front of daughters dies. yenisafak.com A journalist in India, who was shot at in front of his two daughters late on Monday night, succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday, police said.The local police confirmed suspending an officer and arresting nine suspects related to the incident that occurred in Ghaziabad, on the outskirts of Delhi."Action by SSP [Senior Superintendent of Police] Ghaziabad – 9 accused arrested […] for the murderous attack on Vikram Joshi, and outpost in-charge Sub-Inspector Raghavendra has been suspended immediately," the police said on Twitter.A footage from the crime scene showed Joshi lying on the road with bullet injuries, wh…

sputniknews (2020-07-22). Over 100 US Lawmakers Ask Barr to Explain Unidentified Federal Officers in Portland. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US law enforcement chiefs need to explain the activities of unidentified federal personnel in Portland, Oregon, during the protests there, 114 members of the House of Representatives wrote in a letter to Attorney General William Barr and Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Wednesday.

Staff (2020-07-22). We Must Not Exchange One Cage for Another — Let's Abolish All Forms of Prisons. truthout.org As millions of people ponder a future without police and prisons, and as authorities try to dream up ways of derailing the momentum of popular insurrection, Maya Schenwar and Victoria Law's new book,

Robert Norse (2020-07-22). Direct Action to Defund the Out-of-Control Cops Tonight 9 PM Town Clock. indybay.org Marty M, also known as Pirate, brutally seized by police, jailed, and charged with felonies for defending a friend's vehiclehome, has reportedly been released after friends paid the ransom ($2500 for a $25,000 bail). To discourage future such anti-homeless abuses and restore real security in our community, come to the Direct Action protest tonight 7-20 Monday at 9 PM at the Town Clock.

Coalition for Police Accountabiity (2020-07-22). Reject the "Exigency Clause" Measure — No Martial Law in Oakland. indybay.org This letter was written by Cathy Leonard on behalf of CPA in response to the Police Union's addition to a Measure LL [Police Commission] clean-up measure which would allow the city administrator to declare a version of martial law. If Mayor Schaaf really opposes the Portlandization of Oakland, she needs to demand this addition be removed from any police accountability measure now.

ACLU Foundation of Oregon (2020-07-22). ACLU Sues Federal Agents Over "Unconstitutional Nightmare" in Portland. indybay.org Organization Seeks to Block Federal Law Enforcement Attacks on Journalists, Legal Observers in Portland…

Art Hazelwood (2020-07-21). Black Lives Mattered, and Matter. thenation.com Black Lives Mattered, and Matter…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-07-21). 'Strike for Black Lives' targets racism, demands HEROES Act passage. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Even with a recent raise, thanks to her union contract, Alberta Tapia doesn't make enough from her janitorial job to keep herself and three other adults well fed and with a roof over their heads. She winds up falling behind on house payments. And that's what brought her, along with dozens of other people of …

Al Neal (2020-07-21). 'Black Lives Matter' and 'Show Me $15' ring out at St. Louis strike. peoplesworld.org ST. LOUIS— The rally cries of "Black Lives Matter" and "Show me $15" rang out through the afternoon air in downtown St. Louis Monday. Over 75 fast-food workers, members of the local Fight for $15 campaign, union members representing various area unions, clergy, and community members flooded a local McDonald's restaurant as part of the …

Service Employees International Union (2020-07-21). Monday 7/20: Strike for Black Lives SEIU Livestream (online). indybay.org

The Canary (2020-07-21). Gun-toting St Louis couple charged. thecanary.co A St Louis couple who brandished guns outside their home as non-violent protesters marched against racial injustice nearby have been charged by prosecutors.Mark and Patricia McCloskey were charged on Monday with unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns during a protest outside their mansion last month.Footage of the white couple, who are both personal injury lawyers in their 60s, went viral amid worldwide Black Lives Matter protests.St Louis's top prosecutor, Kim Gardner, told the Associated Press the McCloskeys' actions risked creating a violent situation during an otherwise peaceful protest."It is illegal t…

Jonathan Nack (2020-07-21). Strike for Black Lives targets McDonald's. indybay.org Video of marchers going up Telegraph Avenue in Oakland, CA to the McDonald's restaurant at Telegraph and 45th Street. | July 20, 2020 | Video by Jonathan Nack | Oakland, CA…

Amreeta Mathai (2020-07-21). The Looming Unspoken Crisis: How a Pandemic Exacerbates the Unjust Exclusions Wrought by the Criminal System. aclu.org For Black and Brown people, individuals with disabilities, and the LGBTQ community, any contact with the criminal legal system can be a life sentence of punishment. It is not just the precious time taken away from families and communities and turned over to a maze of arrests, convictions, or incarceration. That lifetime of punishment also includes the

RT (2020-07-21). Missouri AG moves to dismiss 'political' charges against St. Louis couple who pointed guns at BLM protesters in 'self-defense'. rt.com Missouri's attorney general is seeking to dismiss felony gun charges brought against a husband and wife who aimed firearms at protesters outside their St. Louis mansion, insisting the couple had a right to defend their home. | State AG Eric Schmitt took to Twitter on Monday night with a video statement and a lengthy series of posts, arguing the case against Mark and Patricia McCloskey — which included a felony firearms charge as well as misdemeanor assault — "threatens to intimidate and deter law-abiding citizens from exercising their constitutional right of self-defense." | "The right to defend one'

_____ (2020-07-21). Protesters Attacked By Police Are Suing To Vindicate Their Constitutional Rights. popularresistance.org Protesters demonstrating against white supremacy and police brutality in the wake of George Floyd's public lynching have been met with illegal repression by law enforcement. Police have utilized toxic chemical and sonic weapons, dangerous projectiles, intrusive surveillance, physical violence and "kettling" to trap demonstrators after dispersal orders are given. People are suing to protect their constitutional rights.Plaintiffs allege that police misconduct resulted in the violation of their First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. They charge that the LAPD used "indiscriminate and unreasonable force agains…

Staff (2020-07-21). Portland Protests Grow Despite Violent Crackdown from Militarized Federal Agents & Local Police. democracynow.org Heavily armed federal officers without name tags have carried out nightly attacks on antiracist demonstrations in Portland, Oregon, and snatched people off the streets into unmarked vans, sparking widespread outrage. "What we've seen is a continuous escalation in violence against our protesters," says Lilith Sinclair, an Afro-Indigenous local organizer in Portland. They note the federal violence follows many years of "severe police brutality" from local police. "It's left the people of Portland not only worried about their safety, but, even more so, justified in the fight that we're engaged in."

Staff (2020-07-21). "Camouflaged Goon Squads": Outrage, Legal Challenges in Portland as Federal Agents Snatch Protesters. democracynow.org The U.S. attorney for the District of Oregon has called for an investigation into the conduct of federal officers deployed to protests in Portland, calling their behavior "unlawful." Local officials are also mounting legal challenges to remove the agents from city streets. Juan Chavez, project director and attorney at the Oregon Justice Resource Center, says it's a terrifying situation for Portland residents who face "these camouflaged goon squads" who often refuse to identify themselves or their agencies. "They just appear in the middle of the night next to people who are in and around downtown who then get corr…

Staff (2020-07-21). Instead Of Battling COVID-19, Trump Launches A War On Protesters. therealnews.com The Nation's Ken Klippenstein discusses the leaked documents that reveal CBP as the federal agency detaining protesters in Portland.

Eds. (2020-07-21). 'No tactics… just seemed like a gang': Navy Veteran speaks out after attack by secret police in viral video viewed nearly 10 million times. mronline.org They just started whaling on me with batons, and I let them," said Christopher David.

Kenn Orphan (2020-07-21). The Tactics of Terror in Portland. counterpunch.org "There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen." — Vladimir Lenin Between 1973 and 1990 scores of people were disappeared by the US supported fascist regime of Augusto Pinochet in Chile. They were incarcerated, tortured and thousands were murdered. In fact, the official total of those killed by the regime

RT (2020-07-21). WATCH: Antifa and parents set up 'shield walls' as protesters lay siege to Portland federal courthouse. rt.com Antifa members and their new reinforcements from parent groups faced off against federal agents in Portland, Oregon, once again, employing shield walls and flanks in tactics reminiscent of the ancient Greeks or Romans. | As midnight approached on Monday, more than 1,000 protesters had gathered outside the federal courthouse. Some among the crowd attempted to tear down barricades outside the courthouse and gain entry, taunting the police inside. Others in the group formed a shield wall to fend off any non-lethal munitions which might be fired at them. | A man climbs up the protective barricade at the Portland f…

Yanis Iqbal (2020-07-21). Financialization of Copper Mining in Chile. zcomm.org As Chile gets convulsed by the aggravating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the structural brutality of copper mining is being starkly outlined…

Sarah Lahm (2020-07-21). No More Cops in Minneapolis Schools? Not Quite. progressive.org The Twin Cities didn't get cops out of schools. It just gave them a new name.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-21). Thousands march in France demanding Justice for Adama Traoré. peoplesdispatch.org Adama Traoré was killed on his 24th birthday on July 19, 2016, by three police officers from the French National Gendarmerie who used excessive force when arresting him…

Julia Conley (2020-07-21). 'Feds Stay Clear, Moms Are Here'. zcomm.org Portland Mothers Form Human Shield to Protect Protesters from Federal Agents…

Democracy Now! (2020-07-21). Portland Protests Grow Despite Violent Crackdown from Militarized Federal Agents & Local Police. dissidentvoice.org Heavily armed federal officers without name tags have carried out nightly attacks on antiracist demonstrations in Portland, Oregon, and snatched people off the streets into unmarked vans, sparking widespread outrage. "What we've seen is a continuous escalation in violence against our protesters," says Lilith Sinclair, an Afro-Indigenous local organizer in Portland. They note the federal …

Sasha Abramsky (2020-07-21). When 'Law and Order' Means Maximum Chaos. thenation.com When 'Law and Order' Means Maximum Chaos…

yenisafak (2020-07-21). Turkey arrests two Daesh terrorists in N. Syria. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces arrested two terrorists linked to Daesh terror group in northern Syria, just south of the Turkish border, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Tuesday."2 DAESH terrorists, who were found to be carrying out terrorist activities in order to disturb the environment of peace and security in the Euphrates Shield region, were detained in an operation," the ministry said on Twitter.Separately, Turkish security forces arrested two people allegedly linked to terrorist organizations along the Turkish-Syrian border in Hatay province, the ministry said in a statement.Since 2016, Turkey has la…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-21). Moroccan journalist Hamid el-Mahdaoui released from prison. peoplesdispatch.org Moroccan journalist Hamid El-Mahdaoui was released on July 20, Monday, after spending four years in a prison in Rabat. He was sentenced to a three years prison term in 2018 for "failing to report an attempt to undermine state security." He was welcomed by his family outside the prison. | Mahdaoui was the editor-in-chief of Badil.info news outlet which has been critical to the state's policies. He was arrested in July 2017 for his alleged participation in the Hirak-Rif movement in Morocco's northern al-Hoceima province. He was kept in prison pending his trial and conviction in June 2018. | He was finally sentenced…

_____ (2020-07-21). Portland: A Harbinger Of Things To Come? popularresistance.org Militarized federal agents deployed by the president to Portland, fired tear gas against protesters again overnight as the city's mayor demanded that the agents be removed and as the state's attorney general vowed to seek a restraining order against them. (Dave Killen/The Oregonian via AP) | Masked men in unrecognizable police uniforms jump out of unmarked vans and grab an activist who has been involved in demonstrations against a repressive state. That person is disappeared. Is this Pinochet's Chile, apartheid South Africa or a scene from a John Clancy novel? | No, this is happening in Portland, Oregon, a major…

West Coast United Against Authoritarians (2020-07-21). Saturday 7/25: Solidarity with Portland! Bay Area March Against Fed Occupation of Portland and Repression. indybay.org Oscar Grant Plaza…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-07-21). New Local Lawsuit Challenges 'Violent and Unlawful' Attacks on Portland Protesters by Trump's Secret Police Force. commondreams.org "There is no positive delegation of authority in any law that makes the federal government's recent forays into general policing in Portland either legal or constitutional." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…