Daily Archives: June 5, 2020

2020-06-05: News Headlines

A Guest Author (2020-06-06). Organizing against police brutality in Boston. workers.org By Queen-Cheyenne and Leighsandra Sheppard This talk was jointly read at the June 4 Workers World Party webinar on "It is right to rebel against police terror." Before we begin, we just want to inform everyone that we will be discussing police and military violence and our experiences on the . . . |

Jeff J. Brown (2020-06-05). Tiananmen's Tank Man: Setting the Record Straight. dissidentvoice.org Every 4 June, a famous photo from 1989 is splashed all over the world, as a symbol against Chinese "totalitarianism" and "bloodthirsty brutality". You know the one I'm talking about, Tank Man. It is flaunted like a Western talisman to celebrate "freedom" and "rebellion" in the face of "communist-socialist tyranny". Nonetheless, like all the disinformation …

Staff (2020-06-05). Cities Gain Momentum To Defund Police, Remove Them From Schools. therealnews.com The uprising sparked by George Floyd's death has prompted vows to defund police from officials in New York and Los Angeles, while Minneapolis and Portland's school systems are moving to end policing in schools.

Staff (2020-06-05). Police Brutality Protesters Met With More Brutality: Is Martial Law Next? therealnews.com Police across the US have met protesters with violence, tear gas, and rubber bullets. We speak with Otto the Watchdog, injured by police in Denver, and Tawanda Jones, who has led peaceful anti-brutality protests since her brother's death in custody.

Eds. (2020-06-05). What is the Bougaloo Movement? mronline.org There has been persistent speculation that peaceful protests against racism and police brutality may have been infiltrated by white provocateurs.

Alan Macleod (2020-06-05). Fake Taxis Among the Latest Tools in the NYPD's Rights-Busting Crackdown on Protesters. mintpressnews.com The NYPD is famous for violating civil rights so it comes as no surprise that protests over the police brutality in the city have elicited a violent crackdown from the city's finest.

Kim Petersen (2020-06-05). On Strawmen and Racism. dissidentvoice.org Paul Craig Roberts, a staunch opponent of police brutality in his writings, seeks to deny white racism or argue that we are all racist. In a recent article, he writes, "If white people are racist, how was Obama twice elected president of the United States?" With all due respect, the question is puerile. First, as …

Betsey Piette (2020-06-05). Racist Rizzo statue taken down. workers.org Philadelphia Philadelphia city officials removed the hated Frank Rizzo statue, long the target of demonstrations against police brutality and white supremacy, during the night of June 3. Rizzo was Philadelphia police commissioner from 1968 to 1971 and mayor from 1972 to 1980. In both roles, Rizzo targeted Black activists, including . . . |

Monica Moorehead (2020-06-05). In response to George Floyd lynching, sports figures in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. workers.org "When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction. The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance. We have the right to fight back! Rest in Power George Floyd." Colin Kaepernick on . . . |

Alan Macleod (2020-06-05). George Floyd Protests: US Arrests Now Higher Than Hong Kong Protest Total Figures. mintpressnews.com While the world condemns China for its response to the Hong Kong protests, the numbers and the images make clear that the US has responded to its popular uprising with more force and less tolerance than Beijing…

Candice Yanez (2020-06-05). #SayHerName: Breonna Taylor would have been 27 today. liberationnews.org Today Breonna Taylor would have been 27-years-old.

Alan MacLeod (2020-06-05). Agent provocateurs: Police at protests all over the country caught destroying property. mronline.org Police all over the world commonly use plants and undercover cops to undermine protests.

Staff (2020-06-05). "Get Your Knee Off Our Necks": At Memorial for George Floyd, Mourners Condemn 400 Years of Racism. democracynow.org In Minneapolis, members of George Floyd's family, loved ones and supporters gathered for a tribute to his life. During the memorial service, people stood in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds — the amount of time police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck as he pleaded for his life. We hear the voices of Floyd's brother Philonise and Reverend Al Sharpton, who urged those gathered "to stand up in George's name and say, 'Get your knee off our necks!'"

Staff (2020-06-05). Watch: Police Pepper-Spray Black Filmmaker in Face at Peaceful Protest & Medics Help Him Survive. democracynow.org As the nationwide uprising in defense of Black lives continues, demonstrators are recording videos of police brutality on the streets. We speak with Chris Frierson, an African American documentary filmmaker and cameraman who was filming a Black Lives Matter protest on Saturday in Brooklyn, New York, when police moved in on demonstrators. As Frierson filmed, police pepper-sprayed him directly in the face. Chris kept on filming as he struggled to the sidewalk crying in agony from the pain. Within seconds, someone took his arm and guided him to volunteer medics who came to his aid. We air his footage and speak about…

Staff (2020-06-05). Trump Threatens Protests with Troops, But Police Have Already Been Militarized — With Deadly Results. democracynow.org The American Civil Liberties Union and Black Lives Matter announced Thursday they are suing President Trump and Attorney General William Barr for authorizing an "unprovoked and frankly criminal attack" on protesters at Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C., where the National Guard and officers dressed in riot gear fired tear gas, rubber bullets and flashbangs to disperse peaceful protesters on Monday so Trump could have a photo op with a Bible in front of St. John's Episcopal Church. We look at the increasing militarization of the police with Stuart Schrader, author of "Badges Without Borders: How Global Counterins…

Staff (2020-06-05). Our System Is Corroded: Carol Anderson on Rampant Police Violence and Assault on Voting Rights. democracynow.org On Thursday, disturbing new details were revealed in the case of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old Black man who was chased, ambushed and shot dead by a group of white men in Georgia in what many have called a modern-day lynching. In a nearly seven-hour hearing, a state judge concluded all three men — Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William "Roddie" Bryan — would stand trial for Arbery's murder, after special agent Richard Dial of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation testified Travis McMichael said "f—ing n—" after shooting and killing Arbery. We speak with professor Carol Anderson, au…

RT (2020-06-06). Ilhan Omar takes heat after backing call to disband Minneapolis police & replace with 'non-violent' alternative. rt.com Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar has joined a growing call to disband the Minneapolis police force, arguing it is "beyond reform" after the killing of George Floyd. Critics have pilloried the suggestion as dangerous and "asinine." | The congresswoman took to Twitter on Friday to endorse an The Minnea…

RT (2020-06-06). George Floyd protest is 'for the benefit' of 'democratic struggles' abroad, says US group known for promoting regime change. rt.com The National Endowment for Democracy, a soft-power group mostly known for splashing government dollars on pro-US influence campaigns overseas to enforce regime change, has endorsed protests against police brutality at home. | Also on rt.com | | In a statement on Friday, the NED came out in support of the protests against the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd, which, while originally peaceful, spiralled into violence, wreck…

RT (2020-06-06). 'GO HOME BLACKFACE': Trudeau's kneeling in solidarity with George Floyd movement backfires. rt.com Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a knee in support of the anti-racist protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd at an Ottawa rally, but was quickly reminded of little action on racial issues at home. | Trudeau joined dozens of demonstrators outside the Canadian parliament who rallied in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in the US and over the death of Floyd, an African-American during his arrest by a white police officer. He did not speak at the event, but clapped and nodded along with other speakers and chants. | His kneeling has been hailed by his supporters as he might be the first…

RT (2020-06-05). Minneapolis mayor mocked for crying stunt at George Floyd's casket during memorial service. rt.com Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was kneeling and sobbing for a full minute at the casket of George Floyd during a memorial service in the city, but few are buying into the tears. | In a video that has now been widely circulated on social media, Frey can be seen — while wearing a protective mask against Covid-19 — on his knee beside the casket sobbing during the Thursday ceremony that was attended by high-profile politicians and activists, along with people who actually knew Floyd. | pic.twitter.com/lAyXZjmibR— Neizan (@PMDawnStan) RT (2020-06-05). Minneapolis BANNING police from chokeholds as protests continue over George Floyd's death. rt.com Police in Minneapolis are being banned from using chokeholds when restraining suspects under new measures agreed between city officials and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in the wake of George Floyd's death. | The new Also…

RT (2020-06-05). Patrol officer SET ON FIRE during police brutality protests over 'Mexican George Floyd' (VIDEO). rt.com A police officer was set on fire while confronting a group of demonstrators in Mexico. Protests and rioting in the country were triggered by the death of a local man shortly after his detention. | The incident occurred in the city of Guadalajara, the capital of Mexico's western state of Jalisco. The video circulating on social media shows a group of police officers on motorcycles in a standoff with protesters. At one point, a man wearing a mask and dark sunglasses pours flammable liquid on the back of one of the officers and sets him on fire. | The policeman runs and falls to the pavement as fellow officers an…

RT (2020-06-05). Philadelphia man accused of assaulting police sees charges dropped after VIDEO shows officer smashing his head with BATON. rt.com A student accused of attacking a policeman during a protest in Philadelphia has been cleared of wrongdoing, with footage of the incident belying the assault allegations and showing officers unleashing batons on demonstrators. | All charges were dropped against the 21-year-old student, Evan Gorski, on Wednesday after prosecutors viewed online videos of the encounter, according to Gorski's attorney, R. Emmett Madden. | "The police were lying. We had a protest against police brutality, and then police brutalize my client and try to frame him for a crime he didn't commit," Madden said. | Philly police attempt to d…

RT (2020-06-05). Trump campaign blasts Twitter for CENSORSHIP as George Floyd clip taken down due to copyright claim. rt.com US President Donald Trump's campaign team slammed Twitter founder and CEO Jack Dorsey for "censoring" its video, made amid the police brutality protests and unrest across American cities. | The clip, titled 'Healing, Not Hatred', was posted on Twitter on Thursday, but has been taken down due to what appears to be an unspecified copyright claim. | Twitter and The…

RT (2020-06-05). George Floyd protests will be Covid-19 'seeding event,' CDC director warns while taking heat over pandemic response. rt.com CDC head Robert Redfield has faced wrath online after urging protesters to be tested for Covid-19 and lamenting that his agency's message is not getting through. He was reminded of the CDC's own clumsy response to the crisis. | During a congressional hearing on the government's handling of the pandemic on Thursday, Redfield told lawmakers he was "very concerned" that the CDC's message on the virus is not "resonating" with the public. He warned that crowded anti-police brutality demonstrations held in scores of cities over the last week could propel a spike in new cases. | "I do think there is a potential, unfo…

RT (2020-06-05). 'Racist & violent': LA Galaxy FIRE Aleksandar Katai over wife's social media posts about George Floyd protesters. rt.com LA Galaxy have released Serbia midfielder Aleksandar Katai after his wife, Tea, made incendiary outbursts on Instagram describing protesters over the death of George Floyd as "disgusting cattle" and calling for more killings. | The club agreed to mutually part ways with Katai, who had only made two appearances from the club since signing on December 31, during a meeting two days after being made aware of a now-deleted Instagram diatribe by his wife that they deemed "racist and violent". | Tea Katai posted a screenshot from a video showing two New York City police offers driving through a crowd of demonstrated,…

RT (2020-06-05). 'Basket of deplorables' 2.0? Biden claims up to 50 million Americans are 'not very good' people. rt.com Having called for Donald Trump to unify the country amidst George Floyd protests, Joe Biden referred to "10 to 15 percent" of Americans as "not very good people," a quote some have predicted will damage his campaign. | Biden made the comment during a virtual discussion that included 'Avengers' actor Don Cheadle. | "Do we want our kids — do we really think that this is as good as we can be as a nation? I don't think the vast majority of people think that. There are probably anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of the people out there that are just not very good people. But that's not who we are," the former vic…

RT (2020-06-05). US police union disregards attack on Australian TV crew, says reporters were 'INDISTINGUISHABLE' from George Floyd protesters. rt.com The US Park Police Union has refused to name an officer involved in an attack on two Aussie journalists covering a massive protest in Washington, DC. It also said the whole ordeal was just an unfortunate turn of events. | "All labor unions in the United States have a duty to defend their members," said Kenneth Spencer, the head of the Fraternal Order of the US Park Police Labor Committee. "Our union will be doing the same in this matter." | The union head further cited the US "Privacy Act" and the pending investigation as reasons not to disclose the officer's identity. Earlier, the Park Police said it launched…

RT (2020-06-05). Reddit co-founder RESIGNS in solidarity with George Floyd protesters, asks to be replaced by black person. rt.com Alexis Ohanian Sr, a co-founder of the social news website Reddit, has resigned amid massive protests over George Floyd's killing. He urged for his position to be filled by a black person, and for other white CEOs to follow suit. | Ohanian, Reddit's executive head also known by the username kn0thing, announced his decision in a statement on his website, as well as in a series of Twitter posts and a video he published on Instagram. "I co-founded Reddit 15 years ago to help people find community and a sense of belonging," he said, adding that his resignation was "the right thing" and has been "long overdue." | I…

Fight Back (2020-06-06). Italian communists to Freedom Road Socialist Organization: 'Fronte Popolare is at your side'. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Italian Marxist- Leninist organization Fronte Popolare. | Dear comrades of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, | In these days of pain, pride and struggle, Fronte Popolare is at your side. Our organization is supportive of those who are fighting for the dignity and rights of all women and men. The results of the mass uprising that exploded with the murder of George Floyd by a racist policeman are of decisive importance not only for American society and for the redemption of the nationalities and oppressed communities that make it up, but for…

RT (2020-06-05). Twitter blasts Trump for saying it's a 'great day for George Floyd' after good US jobs numbers, but his words taken out of context. rt.com Twitter erupted in a rage after reports that Donald Trump said the murdered George Floyd would be "happy" about good US jobs figures. It turned out the president wasn't talking about jobs figures when he made the comment at all. | During remarks at the White House on Friday, Trump took time to boast about figures showing unemployment had fallen to 13.3 percent with 2.5 million jobs added in May, as the economy begins to rebound following the Covid-19 lockdown. | Many reporters on Twitter were then quick to share shortened versions of a clip in which Trump said Floyd was hopefully "looking down right now and sa…

RT (2020-06-05). WATCH protesters hurl stones & projectiles at US embassy in Mexico over George Floyd death (VIDEOS). rt.com People protesting over the death of George Floyd descended on the walled-off compound housing the US embassy in Mexico and proceeded to tag the streets and throw projectiles at the building. | Dozens gathered on the street on Friday outside the diplomatic building, which is located in Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City. | Videos show the protesters throwing stones and other projectiles at the building, which was protected by metal walls, installed to shield it from unrest as demonstrations turned violent. | Anarquistas empiezan a concentrarse en la parte trasera de la Embajada de Estados Unidos, en la calle de R…

RT (2020-06-05). 'They don't do that': Governor Cuomo denies NYPD brutalized peaceful protesters despite video evidence. rt.com New York Governor Andrew Cuomo denied accusations that New York City police officers have used batons against people peacefully protesting against the death of George Floyd, even though multiple videos show them doing so. | During a press briefing on Thursday, Cuomo called the allegations "incendiary rhetoric," asking the reporter who brought them up: "Do you think there's any sensible police officer who believes their job is bludgeoning a peaceful person with a baton?" | "It's not a fact! It's not even an opinion! That is a hyper-partisan rhetorical attack!" he continued, adding that NYPD officers "don't do t…

RT (2020-06-05). ENTIRE emergency response team of Buffalo Police Department resigns over suspension of cops who pushed elderly protester. rt.com All 57 members of the Buffalo Police Department's Emergency Response Team have quit their unit in protest after two officers were suspended without pay over their unprovoked attack on an elderly peaceful protester. | The officers resigned from their positions en masse on Friday after their colleagues were suspended without pay the previous night as a "show of support and disgust," local media The Erie County District Attorney is investigati…

Norman Solomon (2020-06-05). Solidarity Includes Wearing a Mask at Protests. counterpunch.org The nationwide outpouring of protests during the last 10 days has provided a historic moral response to the murder of George Floyd. In one city after another, people braved tear gas, pepper spray, clubs and other weaponry — as well as mass arrests — to nonviolently challenge racist police violence. Those same people were also risking infection

Rania Khalek (2020-06-05). Shahid Buttar vs. Pelosi + Leslie Lee + Rania Khalek + Eugene Puryear. thealtworld.com Chat about protests and presidents and everything in between with Shahid Buttar: immigrant, constitutional lawyer, DJ, MC & poet running to replace Nancy Pelosi in CA-12; journalist, activist, author, former D.C. Statehood Green Party candidate, and former PSL candidate Eugene Puryear, fresh from reporting in Minneapolis; journalist, video producer, writer and host Rania Khalek; and writer, broadcast journalist and Struggle Session co-host Leslie Lee.

Mark Fiore (2020-06-05). Screen Shot 2020-06-04 at 4.17.44 PM.png. progressive.org The George Floyd protests have laid bare the underlying horriffic racism that has marred the United States throughout our history.

Noam Chomsky (2020-06-05). Trump Has Adopted a "Viva Death!" Approach to the Presidency. zcomm.org The protests are not just calling for an end to police brutality in Black communities, but for much more fundamental restructuring of social and economic institutions…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-06-05). Dems Introduce Bill to Curb President's Insurrection Act Powers After Trump Threatens to Send Troops to Cities Across US. commondreams.org After President Donald Trump threatened to deploy the U.S. military in response to ongoing protests against police brutality and systemic racism in cities across the country, a group of Democratic senators on Thursday introduced legislation to curb the president's power to do so under the Insurrection Act of 1807. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Staff (2020-06-05). Headlines for June 5, 2020. democracynow.org George Floyd Honored at Memorial with Rallying Cry: "Get Your Knee Off Our Necks", Bail Set at $750,000 for Three Officers Charged with Aiding & Abetting George Floyd's Murder , Killer Used Racist Slur as Ahmaud Arbery Lay Dying, Investigator Testifies, New York Judge Will Allow Protesters to Be Jailed for Over 24 Hours, NYC Mayor Booed as 10,000 Honor George Floyd at Brooklyn Memorial Service , Witnesses Say Vallejo, CA Man Killed by Police Was on His Knees with Hands Up, Buffalo Police Assault Leaves 75-Year-Old Protester Hospitalized with Head Trauma, Trump Builds a Wall Around the White House Amid Mass Protes…

Jack Rasmus (2020-06-05). Confronting Institutional Racism. counterpunch.org A week ago in Minneapolis, for all the world to see, a black man, George Floyd, was murdered by a policeman, Derek Chauvin. Protests broke out in nearly 100 American cities, and even worldwide, and have continued now for more than a week. Murders of black men by police in America are not new. They

Fight Back (2020-06-05). After police crackdown, activists rally Jacksonville community to bond out protesters. fightbacknews.org Jacksonville, FL – Community activists who led a historic 3500-person protest for police accountability in Jacksonville are meeting brutality with solidarity. | Members of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC), one of the main groups that organized the May 30 demonstration, say they have raised about $80,000 from hundreds of small donors for their Community Support Fund. That fund, formed this past weekend, has helped the JCAC post bond for over 30 people arrested during a sweeping police crackdown on protests. | JCAC members sprang into action not long after their event ended in the early evening of…

Joel Wendland-Liu (2020-06-05). Some Lessons of the American Uprising 2020. commondreams.org As the protests spread to every state and were met with violent police aggression, mass arrests, beatings, attacks with rubber bullets and truncheons, the sympathy for protest also spread. (Photo: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Bonnie Kristian (2020-06-05). How Endless War Contributes to Police Brutality. globalresearch.ca The indefensible death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers and the indiscriminate police violence in subsequent protests have returned police misconduct to the center of our national conversation. | It is not a conversation we may quickly …

Wail Qasim (2020-06-05). From US to UK: shared legacies of black struggle. zcomm.org Far too often, we think of police brutality in the US as exceptional. Families on both sides of the Atlantic tell stories that prove otherwise. Black Britain must be heard…

NR (2020-06-05). Nearly 2,000 rally for black lives in Seaside, 100s take Highway 1 in Monterey. indybay.org Nearly 2,000 people met at a Seaside City Hall on Tuesday demanding an end to police brutality and justice for George Floyd in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. 20 second video of march.

_____ (2020-06-05). Push Back: US Police State Faces Revolt. popularresistance.org Dr. Gerald Horne on the George Floyd protests, the black freedom struggle, and Trump's expansion of the US police state at home and around the world. | Historian and author Gerald Horne discusses the US uprisings against police brutality and systemic racism sparked by George Floyd's killing; the devastating impact of the US government's decades-old war on the black freedom struggle; the ongoing "Russia-baiting" of the protests; and how, amidst the suffering and repression at home, the U.S. government, in bipartisan fashion, continues to attempt to impose its will on countries abroad, from China to Venezuela. | Gu…

Workers World staff (2020-06-05). WW statement in solidarity with rebellion. workers.org The following Workers World Party public statement was issued on June 4. In SOLIDARITY we demand: Withdraw the Police & National Guard! End Mass Arrests & Curfews! Drop All Charges! Hands Off Antifa! Stop Attacks on Anti-Racist Protesters! Smash White Supremacy! No Justice! No Peace! Black Lives Matter! Minneapolis protest . . . |

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-05). Black Lives Matter, rights groups sue US president for violence against protesters. peoplesdispatch.org Civil rights groups in the US have filed a lawsuit against the US president and others in his administration over violence perpetrated against protesters in Washington D.C. when federal troops cleared the way for a photo-op for Trump on June 1…

Hayley Brown, Shawn Fremstad (2020-06-05). Racial Inequality Among Workers in Frontline Industries: Black Workers Are Overrepresented and Undercompensated. commondreams.org To increase the power, economic security, and well-being of today's working-class, we must increase the power, economic security, and well-being of Black people. (Photo Gilles Mingasson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

2020-06-05: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

Organizing against police brutality in Boston
| workers.org | 2020-06-06
By Queen-Cheyenne and Leighsandra Sheppard This talk was jointly read at the June 4 Workers World Party webinar on "It is right to rebel against police terror." Before we begin, we just want to inform everyone that we will be discussing police and military violence and our experiences on the . . . | Continue reading Organizing against police brutality in Boston at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/06/49138/?utm_source=rs…

Trump Has Adopted a "Viva Death!" Approach to the Presidency
Noam Chomsky | zcomm.org | 2020-06-05
The protests are not just calling for an end to police brutality in Black communities, but for much more fundamental restructuring of social and economic institutions…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/trump-has-adopted-…

Tiananmen's Tank Man: Setting the Record Straight
Jeff J. Brown | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-06-05
Every 4 June, a famous photo from 1989 is splashed all over the world, as a symbol against Chinese "totalitarianism" and "bloodthirsty brutality". You know the one I'm talking about, Tank Man. It is flaunted like a Western talisman to celebrate "freedom" and "rebellion" in the face of "communist-socialist tyranny". Nonetheless, like all the disinformation …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/06/tiananmens-ta…

Confronting Institutional Racism
Jack Rasmus | counterpunch.org | 2020-06-05
A week ago in Minneapolis, for all the world to see, a black man, George Floyd, was murdered by a policeman, Derek Chauvin. Protests broke out in nearly 100 American cities, and even worldwide, and have continued now for more than a week. Murders of black men by police in America are not new. They…
counterpunch.org/2020/06/05/confronting-…

Solidarity Includes Wearing a Mask at Protests
Norman Solomon | counterpunch.org | 2020-06-05
The nationwide outpouring of protests during the last 10 days has provided a historic moral response to the murder of George Floyd. In one city after another, people braved tear gas, pepper spray, clubs and other weaponry

Solidarity Includes Wearing a Mask at Protests
Norman Solomon | counterpunch.org | 2020-06-05
The nationwide outpouring of protests during the last 10 days has provided a historic moral response to the murder of George Floyd. In one city after another, people braved tear gas, pepper spray, clubs and other weaponry

Fake Taxis Among the Latest Tools in the NYPD's Rights-Busting Crackdown on Protesters
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-06-05
The NYPD is famous for violating civil rights so it comes as no surprise that protests over the police brutality in the city have elicited a violent crackdown from the city's finest.
mintpressnews.com/fake-taxis-among-lates…

George Floyd Protests: US Arrests Now Higher Than Hong Kong Protest Total Figures
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-06-05
While the world condemns China for its response to the Hong Kong protests, the numbers and the images make clear that the US has responded to its popular uprising with more force and less tolerance than Beijing…
mintpressnews.com/george-floyd-protests-…

Agent provocateurs: Police at protests all over the country caught destroying property
Alan MacLeod | mronline.org | 2020-06-05
Police all over the world commonly use plants and undercover cops to undermine protests.
mronline.org/2020/06/05/agent-provocateu…

Screen Shot 2020-06-04 at 4.17.44 PM.png
Mark Fiore | progressive.org | 2020-06-05
The George Floyd protests have laid bare the underlying horriffic racism that has marred the United States throughout our history.
progressive.org/dispatches/operation-pho…

WW statement in solidarity with rebellion
Workers World staff | workers.org | 2020-06-05
The following Workers World Party public statement was issued on June 4. In SOLIDARITY we demand: Withdraw the Police & National Guard! End Mass Arrests & Curfews! Drop All Charges! Hands Off Antifa! Stop Attacks on Anti-Racist Protesters! Smash White Supremacy! No Justice! No Peace! Black Lives Matter! Minneapolis protest . . . | Continue reading WW statement in solidarity with rebellion at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/06/49129/?utm_source=rs…

Racist Rizzo statue taken down
Betsey Piette | workers.org | 2020-06-05
Philadelphia Philadelphia city officials removed the hated Frank Rizzo statue, long the target of demonstrations against police brutality and white supremacy, during the night of June 3. Rizzo was Philadelphia police commissioner from 1968 to 1971 and mayor from 1972 to 1980. In both roles, Rizzo targeted Black activists, including . . . | Continue reading Racist Rizzo statue taken down at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/06/49132/?utm_source=rs…

From US to UK: shared legacies of black struggle
Wail Qasim | zcomm.org | 2020-06-05
Far too often, we think of police brutality in the US as exceptional. Families on both sides of the Atlantic tell stories that prove otherwise. Black Britain must be heard…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/from-us-to-uk-shar…

Black Lives Matter, rights groups sue US president for violence against protesters
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-06-05
Civil rights groups in the US have filed a lawsuit against the US president and others in his administration over violence perpetrated against protesters in Washington D.C. when federal troops cleared the way for a photo-op for Trump on June 1…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/06/05/black-liv…

In response to George Floyd lynching, sports figures in solidarity with Black Lives Matter
Monica Moorehead | workers.org | 2020-06-05
"When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction. The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance. We have the right to fight back! Rest in Power George Floyd." Colin Kaepernick on . . . | Continue reading In response to George Floyd lynching, sports figures in solidarity with Black Lives Matter at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/06/49123/?utm_source=rs…

A Tale of Two Americas
Tracey L. Rogers | counterpunch.org | 2020-06-05
As protests and riots spread like wildfire across the nation in response to the death of George Floyd and other black people at the hands of white police officers, I cannot help but recall an old African Proverb: "The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth."
counterpunch.org/2020/06/05/a-tale-of-tw…

Racial Inequality Among Workers in Frontline Industries: Black Workers Are Overrepresented and Undercompensated
Hayley Brown, Shawn Fremstad | commondreams.org | 2020-06-05
To increase the power, economic security, and well-being of today's working-class, we must increase the power, economic security, and well-being of Black people. (Photo Gilles Mingasson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/views/2020/06/05/racial…

The Murder of George Floyd: Racism and the Dark History of Slavery Colonialism. How it Relates to France
Sianny Rooney | globalresearch.ca | 2020-06-05
Riots have sparked all over US' cities for more than a week now for the extrajudicial killing of a black man named George Floyd on May 25 in Minnesota, USA. Similar protests on police's violence after the death of George …
globalresearch.ca/murder-george-floyd-re…

Dems Introduce Bill to Curb President's Insurrection Act Powers After Trump Threatens to Send Troops to Cities Across US
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-06-05
After President Donald Trump threatened to deploy the U.S. military in response to ongoing protests against police brutality and systemic racism in cities across the country, a group of Democratic senators on Thursday introduced legislation to curb the president's power to do so under the Insurrection Act of 1807. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/news/2020/06/05/dems-in…

"Get Your Knee Off Our Necks": At Memorial for George Floyd, Mourners Condemn 400 Years of Racism
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-06-05
In Minneapolis, members of George Floyd's family, loved ones and supporters gathered for a tribute to his life. During the memorial service, people stood in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds

Watch: Police Pepper-Spray Black Filmmaker in Face at Peaceful Protest & Medics Help Him Survive
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-06-05
As the nationwide uprising in defense of Black lives continues, demonstrators are recording videos of police brutality on the streets. We speak with Chris Frierson, an African American documentary filmmaker and cameraman who was filming a Black Lives Matter protest on Saturday in Brooklyn, New York, when police moved in on demonstrators. As Frierson filmed, police pepper-sprayed him directly in the face. Chris kept on filming as he struggled to the sidewalk crying in agony from the pain. Within seconds, someone took his arm and guided him to volunteer medics who came to his aid. We air his footage and speak about…
www.democracynow.org/2020/6/5/chris_frie…

Watch: Police Pepper-Spray Black Filmmaker in Face at Peaceful Protest & Medics Help Him Survive
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-06-05
As the nationwide uprising in defense of Black lives continues, demonstrators are recording videos of police brutality on the streets. We speak with Chris Frierson, an African American documentary filmmaker and cameraman who was filming a Black Lives Matter protest on Saturday in Brooklyn, New York, when police moved in on demonstrators. As Frierson filmed, police pepper-sprayed him directly in the face. Chris kept on filming as he struggled to the sidewalk crying in agony from the pain. Within seconds, someone took his arm and guided him to volunteer medics who came to his aid. We air his footage and speak about…
www.democracynow.org/2020/6/5/chris_frie…

Our System Is Corroded: Carol Anderson on Rampant Police Violence and Assault on Voting Rights
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-06-05
On Thursday, disturbing new details were revealed in the case of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old Black man who was chased, ambushed and shot dead by a group of white men in Georgia in what many have called a modern-day lynching. In a nearly seven-hour hearing, a state judge concluded all three men

Our System Is Corroded: Carol Anderson on Rampant Police Violence and Assault on Voting Rights
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-06-05
On Thursday, disturbing new details were revealed in the case of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old Black man who was chased, ambushed and shot dead by a group of white men in Georgia in what many have called a modern-day lynching. In a nearly seven-hour hearing, a state judge concluded all three men

Nearly 2,000 rally for black lives in Seaside, 100s take Highway 1 in Monterey
NR | indybay.org | 2020-06-05
Nearly 2,000 people met at a Seaside City Hall on Tuesday demanding an end to police brutality and justice for George Floyd in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. 20 second video of march.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/06/02/1883368…

Ilhan Omar takes heat after backing call to disband Minneapolis police & replace with 'non-violent' alternative
rt.com | 2020-06-06
Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar has joined a growing call to disband the Minneapolis police force, arguing it is "beyond reform" after the killing of George Floyd. Critics have pilloried the suggestion as dangerous and "asinine." | The congresswoman took to Twitter on Friday to endorse an op-ed penned by a Minneapolis councilman, which urged the dissolution of the city's police department and "start fresh" after years of failed efforts at reform. Such improvements are impossible under a "system that is rotten," Omar said. | The Minnea…
rt.com/usa/491007-omar-disband-police-cr…

George Floyd protest is 'for the benefit' of 'democratic struggles' abroad, says US group known for promoting regime change
rt.com | 2020-06-06
The National Endowment for Democracy, a soft-power group mostly known for splashing government dollars on pro-US influence campaigns overseas to enforce regime change, has endorsed protests against police brutality at home. | Also on rt.com | | America masterminded 'color revolutions' around the world. Now the very same techniques are being used at home | In a statement on Friday, the NED came out in support of the protests against the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd, which, while originally peaceful, spiralled into violence, wreck…
rt.com/usa/491008-ned-endorses-protests-…

'GO HOME BLACKFACE': Trudeau's kneeling in solidarity with George Floyd movement backfires
rt.com | 2020-06-06
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a knee in support of the anti-racist protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd at an Ottawa rally, but was quickly reminded of little action on racial issues at home. | Trudeau joined dozens of demonstrators outside the Canadian parliament who rallied in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in the US and over the death of Floyd, an African-American during his arrest by a white police officer. He did not speak at the event, but clapped and nodded along with other speakers and chants. | His kneeling has been hailed by his supporters as he might be the first…
rt.com/news/491006-go-home-blackface-tru…

Italian communists to Freedom Road Socialist Organization: 'Fronte Popolare is at your side'
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-06-06
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Italian Marxist- Leninist organization Fronte Popolare. | Dear comrades of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, | In these days of pain, pride and struggle, Fronte Popolare is at your side. Our organization is supportive of those who are fighting for the dignity and rights of all women and men. The results of the mass uprising that exploded with the murder of George Floyd by a racist policeman are of decisive importance not only for American society and for the redemption of the nationalities and oppressed communities that make it up, but for…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/6/5/italian-c…

Shahid Buttar vs. Pelosi + Leslie Lee + Rania Khalek + Eugene Puryear
Rania Khalek | thealtworld.com | 2020-06-05
Chat about protests and presidents and everything in between with Shahid Buttar: immigrant, constitutional lawyer, DJ, MC & poet running to replace Nancy Pelosi in CA-12; journalist, activist, author, former D.C. Statehood Green Party candidate, and former PSL candidate Eugene Puryear, fresh from reporting in Minneapolis; journalist, video producer, writer and host Rania Khalek; and writer, broadcast journalist and Struggle Session co-host Leslie Lee.
thealtworld.com/rania_khalek/shahid-butt…

Thursday 6/4: Black Lives Matter, Night March in Santa Cruz
crowd of lastnights protest | indybay.org | 2020-06-05
Meeting at Town Clock, N. Pacific Avenue…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/06/04/1883372…

Thousands March by the Coast in Santa Cruz for George Floyd and Black Lives Matter
Alex Darocy | indybay.org | 2020-06-05
On June 3, thousands in Santa Cruz again took to the streets in support of Black Lives Matter and justice for George Floyd.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/06/04/1883376…

Friday 6/5: Black Lives Matter Die In at San José City Hall
El Pueblo | indybay.org | 2020-06-05
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/06/05/1883382…

Massive Student Protest and March for Black Lives Matter
Leon Kunstenaar | indybay.org | 2020-06-05
Over 30,000 young people hold huge rally and march for George Floyd and Black Lives Matter…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/06/04/1883373…

Saturday 6/6: M4BL: Making Meaning Of This Moment In Defense of Black Lives (livestream)
M4BL & Rising Majority | indybay.org | 2020-06-05
Online via livestream & Zoom | RSVP: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_650W…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/06/05/1883383…

Lakota and Navajo respond as police blind and beat reporters and peaceful protesters
Brenda Norrell | indybay.org | 2020-06-05
Lakota and Navajo respond, as news reporters and peaceful protesters are shot, blinded and beaten during Black Lives Matter protests. In Albuquerque, The Red Nation group was stalked and confronted by white vigilantes working with Albuquerque Police officers.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/06/04/1883370…

Friday 6/5: Lifting Up Black lives
BMBAI | indybay.org | 2020-06-05
Oakland City Hall | 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza | Oakland, CA…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/06/04/1883380…

Friday 6/5: Movement for Black Lives Virtual Rally (Video)
M4BL | indybay.org | 2020-06-05
Online video of livestream (earlier today)…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/06/05/1883382…

Massive Mission High Student Protest and March for Black Lives Matter
Leon Kunstenaar | indybay.org | 2020-06-05
Over 30,000 young people hold huge rally and march for George Floyd and Black Lives Matter…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/06/04/1883373…

Reddit co-founder RESIGNS in solidarity with George Floyd protesters, asks to be replaced by black person
rt.com | 2020-06-05
Alexis Ohanian Sr, a co-founder of the social news website Reddit, has resigned amid massive protests over George Floyd's killing. He urged for his position to be filled by a black person, and for other white CEOs to follow suit. | Ohanian, Reddit's executive head also known by the username kn0thing, announced his decision in a statement on his website, as well as in a series of Twitter posts and a video he published on Instagram. "I co-founded Reddit 15 years ago to help people find community and a sense of belonging," he said, adding that his resignation was "the right thing" and has been "long overdue." | I…
rt.com/usa/490986-reddit-founder-resign-…

The Agenda is to Bring Down Trump
sputniknews.com | 2020-06-05
"I believe that Black Lives Matter and Antifa are the modern-day KU Klux Klan." So says ex-MEP, Steven Woolfe at the opening of this explosive interview with Jon Gaunt.
sputniknews.com/radio-shooting-from-the-…

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now
yenisafak.com | 2020-06-05
Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: When coronavirus and protests collideAustralian authorities are taking legal action to try to stop a Black Lives Matter protest scheduled for Saturday in Sydney, citing the risk of an outbreak of COVID-19 given the thousands expected to attend.French police have also banned a demonstration planned for Saturday in front of the U.S. Embassy in Paris because of what they said were risks of social disorder and health dangers from large gatherings.New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Robert Redfiel…
yenisafak.com/en/life/what-you-need-to-k…

Black Misleaders Seek To End Protest
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-06-05
The aftermath of George Floyd's murder at the hands of Minneapolis, Minnesota police has created a national political crisis. The revulsion caused by this latest killing caught on camera spawned protests in Minneapolis and all over the country. Black people are the angriest, knowing they are at risk of the same treatment and because most police killings rarely result in convictions. | But the mass actions present a problem for the rulers. Anger boiled beneath the surface after years of the race to the bottom austerity regime, the worsening economic collapse in the wake of the COVID-19 quarantine, and another Demo…
popularresistance.org/black-misleaders-s…

FBI 'Has No Intelligence' Indicating Antifa Was Linked To Violence In Protests
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-06-05
The FBI has collected no intelligence indicating that "antifa" was involved in violence over the weekend related to protests over the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died on May 25 after a white police officer in Minneapolis knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, The Nation reported. Trump announced on Twitter that day that "the United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization." But an internal FBI situation report, the bureau's Washington, DC, field office "has no intelligence indicating Antifa involvement/presence" in the violence that took place on Sunday.
popularresistance.org/fbi-has-no-intelli…

Push Back: US Police State Faces Revolt
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-06-05
Dr. Gerald Horne on the George Floyd protests, the black freedom struggle, and Trump's expansion of the US police state at home and around the world. | Historian and author Gerald Horne discusses the US uprisings against police brutality and systemic racism sparked by George Floyd's killing; the devastating impact of the US government's decades-old war on the black freedom struggle; the ongoing "Russia-baiting" of the protests; and how, amidst the suffering and repression at home, the U.S. government, in bipartisan fashion, continues to attempt to impose its will on countries abroad, from China to Venezuela. | Gu…
popularresistance.org/push-back-us-polic…

Black Power Through Participatory Budgeting
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-06-05
I've spent the last two and half years learning and implementing participatory budgeting in New York City, first from within the New York City Council and now as a staff member of Participatory Budgeting Project. | As members of Black Youth Project 100, I and my colleague Maria Hadden have presented on participatory budgeting as a policy for Black self-determination and liberation on various occasions and to varying audiences. | Can you imagine my excitement when, on August 1st, The Movement for Black Lives released a robust policy agenda titled A Vision for Black Lives: Policy Demands for Black Power, Freedom an…
popularresistance.org/black-power-throug…

Israel Is, Like the US, Prime Target for New Mass Uprising
Michael Jansen | globalresearch.ca | 2020-06-05
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must be very worried over the US-wide protests by African-Americans and their supporters against the murder by smothering of a black man by a white police officer on May 25. | Having announced he would begin …
globalresearch.ca/israel-prime-target-ne…

How Endless War Contributes to Police Brutality
Bonnie Kristian | globalresearch.ca | 2020-06-05
The indefensible death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers and the indiscriminate police violence in subsequent protests have returned police misconduct to the center of our national conversation. | It is not a conversation we may quickly …
globalresearch.ca/how-endless-war-contri…

On Strawmen and Racism
Kim Petersen | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-06-05
Paul Craig Roberts, a staunch opponent of police brutality in his writings, seeks to deny white racism or argue that we are all racist. In a recent article, he writes, "If white people are racist, how was Obama twice elected president of the United States?" With all due respect, the question is puerile. First, as …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/06/on-strawmen-a…

On Strawmen and Racism
Kim Petersen | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-06-05
Paul Craig Roberts, a staunch opponent of police brutality in his writings, seeks to deny white racism or argue that we are all racist. In a recent article, he writes, "If white people are racist, how was Obama twice elected president of the United States?" With all due respect, the question is puerile. First, as …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/06/on-strawmen-a…