Daily Archives: August 2, 2020

2020-08-02: News Headlines

RT (2020-08-02). 'Do as they say': Minneapolis police warn people to obey criminals for their own safety as violent crime surges amid BLM protests. rt.com Embattled Minneapolis police are advising residents on survival skills amid a wave of violent crime, offering such tips as "be prepared to give up your cell phone and purse/wallet" to robbers and "do not walk alone." | "Do not argue or fight with the criminal," police said in a July 28 The Third Precinct, southeast of downtown, was one of the areas hardest hit by the protests-tur…

Unicorn Riot (2020-08-02). Humanitarian Camp Raided by Border Patrol and BORTAC, 30+ People Arrested. unicornriot.ninja Arivaca, AZ — The government ramped up its efforts to stop humanitarian workers on the U.S.-Mexico border and raided the 'No More Deaths' aid station, Byrd Camp, arresting over 30 people. | The Friday, July 31 raid featured the U.S. Border Patrol, an armored vehicle, two…

Fight Back (2020-08-02). Thousands march and rally in Portland. fightbacknews.org Portland, OR – Large marches rocked downtown Portland, August 1, as thousands took to the streets in defense of Black lives. Trade unionists had a visible presence in the large protests. | Many rallied in front of the federal courthouse, which is surrounded by concrete and metal barriers. | The federal courthouse has been the scene of intense clashes between protesters and federal agents sent by the Trump administration. As of midnight, police had no visible presence. | According to reports, police declared an action in the Northeast Portland neighborhood to be an 'unlawful assembly' and arrested several people.

Fight Back (2020-08-02). Large protests continue in Portland. fightbacknews.org Portland, OR — The chant of "Black lives matter!" echoed off the Federal Courthouse Friday, July 31, as nearly 3000 demonstrators assembled in downtown Portland. Federal agents and local police were not visible, but a number of protesters stated that agents remain inside the courthouse. Many rally participants were well prepared for an attack, wearing head protection and gas masks to lessen the impact of teargas and police projectiles. No clashes occurred. | The courthouse is covered with slogans and surrounded by concrete barriers topped by metal fencing. African Americans and other oppressed nationalitie…

_____ (2020-08-02). Border Patrol Agents Raid No More Deaths Migrant Aid Camp. popularresistance.org The humanitarian group No More Deaths said an aid camp it operates for migrants crossing the desert was raided and then surrounded by Border Patrol agents. The group said the move as an escalation of tensions at a time when the aid they provide is vital. | Byrd Camp is located near Arivaca and serves as a medical aid site for people passing through one of the deadliest desert corridors of the borderland. | No More Deaths volunteer Emily Saunders said Border Patrol usually allows activities there to continue. But in late July, agents entered the property and arrested a migrant receiving care.

_____ (2020-08-02). 'We Are On The Cusp Of Something Great'. popularresistance.org Since the nation erupted after the May 25 police killing of George Floyd, Black organizers and community members have been working around the clock to channel mass protests into tangible victories. Nikita Mitchell, 26, is national coordinator of The Rising Majority, formed in 2017 by the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition that includes Black Lives Matter. Rising Majority is led by Black people and people of color, and brings social movements together in an anti-racist, anti-capitalist Left for radical democracy.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-02). VIDEO: Protests in Germany against COVID-19 restrictions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 02 (MNA) — 18 police officers were injured during protests in Germany against the COVID-19 curbs. Several of the protesters were also arrested.

The Canary (2020-08-02). Unnamed Conservative MP arrested after rape accusation from former parliamentary aide. thecanary.co A Conservative MP has been arrested after a former parliamentary aide accused him of rape, sexual assault and coercive control, according to reports. | The ex-minister, who's not been named, is alleged to have assaulted and raped a woman. The abuse allegedly took place during a relationship, the Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday reported. | The investigation comes days after former Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke was convicted at Southwark Crown Court in a separate case of sexually assaulting two women, one of them a parliamentary worker. | Released on bail: | The Metropolitan Police said it received alleg…

ANSWER Indiana (2020-08-01). Black Lives Matter Coalition calls for termination of 21 officers involved in 2019 drowning of Keshawn Stewart. liberationnews.org We demand an end to the war on Black America!

Lily Cooper (2020-08-01). Portland anti-racist protesters undeterred by repression. liberationnews.org For 63 days, every possible attempt to derail a people's movement in defense of Black lives has been made against protesters in Portland, Oregon. Every red-baiting, reactionary talking point has been deployed. On the ground, the Portland Police Bureau, the National Guard and three different types of federal paramilitary police have attempted to crush dissent. …

Tom Coburg (2020-08-01). A UK-funded contractor is providing intelligence support to Trump's protester-attacking paramilitaries. thecanary.co Paramilitary units deployed by Donald Trump to the US city of Portland, in response to Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, have been identified. Interestingly, intelligence for one of the units is handled by a multinational corporation that recently won a UK contract to manage NHS data. | Federal units identified: | Units engaging with protesters in Portland have been identified in a New York Times video. They

RT (2020-08-01). Iran says leader of US-based 'terror group' arrested in intelligence operation. rt.com Iran has nabbed the alleged ringleader of a group of Iranian exiles in California accused of carrying out terrorist attacks against the Islamic Republic, the country's ministry of intelligence announced. | The leader of Tondar (Persian for 'thunder'), identified as Jamshid Sharmahd, was captured in an intelligence operation, state media reported on Saturday. The US-based group seeks the overthrow of the Iranian government and the return of the country's monarchy that ruled the country prior to the Revolution and the fall of the Shah in 1979. | Sarmahd was apprehended while "leading armed and sabotage operation…

RT (2020-08-01). Wife arrested on suspicion of murder after Ukrainian rapper Cartwright's corpse found chopped into pieces in fridge. rt.com The wife of Ukrainian rapper Andy Cartwright, who dismembered her deceased husband and placed his body parts in their apartment fridge, has been detained on suspicion of murder. | She had Russia's Investigative Committee charged Marina Kokhal with murder and believes she killed her husband during a quarrel, although how is unknown. She then cut up the body "in order to hide the traces of the crime," investigators said. Kokhal maintains that she did not kill the artist, whose…

RT (2020-08-01). Portland man faces up to 20 years in prison after throwing explosive at federal courthouse, ID'd by vest his grandma bought him. rt.com A young man in Portland faces up to 20 years in prison on arson charges, accused of hurling a bomb at a courthouse amid ongoing police brutality protests. He was identified by a tactical vest gifted to him by his grandmother.

_____ (2020-08-01). Honestly, People In The US Couldn't Care Less About Hong Kong. popularresistance.org I just spent two weeks in the United States, investigating, analyzing the situation there. | I worked in Washington D.C., Minneapolis, where Mr. George Floyd was murdered by deranged cops, in New York City and Boston. COVID-19 was at my tail, as the states kept opening and closing, frantically. Demonstrations were shaking the country, protests against endemic racism and discrimination have been erupting in hundreds of cities and towns. | In several of my reports, I described confusion and deep contradictions, which have been devastating this, still the most powerful nation in the Western world.

yenisafak (2020-08-01). Iran arrests head of US-based anti-regime group. yenisafak.com "Jamshid Sharmahd, the ringleader of the Tondar terrorist organization, was arrested by Iranian security forces," the Iranian Intelligence Ministry said in a written statement that did not contain more details of the arrest.Tehran accuses the US-based pro-monarchy organization, known in English as Kingdom Assembly of Iran, of conducting attacks and sabotage acts in Iran, including an April 2018 terror attack in the city of Shiraz that killed 14 people and injured 215 others.Sharmahd, who was based in the US state of California, was also reportedly responsible for anti-Iran media coverage. | * Writing by Zehra Nur…

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-01). Iraqi army arrests ISIL membrs in Nineveh. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 01 (MNA) — Iraqi Army has arrested some ISIL terrorists forces in Nineveh Governorate.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-01). Enemies cannot believe Sharmahd arrested inside Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 02 (MNA) — Iran's Intelligence Minister said that some enemies do not believe that Jamshid Sharmahd, the ringleader of a terror group supported by the US, has been arrested inside Iran.

Staff (2020-08-01). Mass Arrests in 2020 Echo the Brutality Endured by RNC Protesters 20 Years Ago. truthout.org Police surrounded a West Philadelphia warehouse on the afternoon of August 1, where more than 70 protesters were making puppets. Multiple Pennsylvania state police officers

Jeffrey St. Clair (2020-07-31). Roaming Charges: Demon Seed. counterpunch.org They came for Portland and Portland didn't back down in the face of extreme state-sponsored violence. Instead, the resistance grew every night. The Feds got their asses kicked, here and in Seattle. Let's hope it provides a model for the people of Cleveland, Chicago, Kansas City, and ABQ.

Staff (2020-07-31). The Secretive Source Of Cash Police Unions Use To Block Reform. therealnews.com PAR investigates how police unions use taxpayer dollars to defend brutal police officers and block legislative change. We speak with a New York commuter who was arrested as a "violent" protester for stopping her bicycle to film the police.

W. T. Whitney (2020-07-31). "We Charge Genocide:" Forerunner at UN of Black Lives Matter. counterpunch.org The police killing of George Floyd on May 25 provoked demonstrations worldwide. The United Nations Human Rights Council on June 17 debated a draft resolution introduced by the "African Group" of nations that condemned "structural racism endemic to the criminal justice system in the United States." The African nations were responding to a letter from

Bette Lee (2020-07-31). Tear Gas and Thugs at the BLM Protests in Portland. counterpunch.org On the 59th night of BLM protests on July 25th at the federal courthouse, I was one of the thousands of protestors who went there. It took me a while to struggle through my fears of getting infected with the virus and the limits to my mobility due to old age and hip arthritis. But

RT (2020-07-31). Seattle City Council moving to defund 'racist' police department & replace it with 'community-led' public safety system. rt.com Seattle lawmakers are attempting to completely defund the city's police department and replace it with a new "civilian-led" public safety system in response to ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. | The Seattle City Council has already come under fire this week for proposing a 50 percent cut to the police department's budget — a proposal that prompted hundreds of citizens to express their concerns during a council meeting on Wednesday. | Yet, newly revealed legislation now shows that the council may be doing a lot more than simply stripping police of half their funding. Lawmakers are moving to completely…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-31). Activists worldwide demand immediate release of BDS coordinator Mahmoud Nawajaa. peoplesdispatch.org Mahmoud Nawajaa, general coordinator of the national committee of the BDS in Palestine, was arrested by the Israeli occupation forces early in the morning of July 30. His whereabouts remain unknown…

Emilio Leanza (2020-07-31). On the Line: This Is a Revolution. progressive.org For three nights in Madison, Wisconsin, hundreds of young Black Lives Matter activists were met with tear gas, pepper spray, and projectiles from police.

Bill Lueders (2020-07-31). Comment: The Case for Nonviolence. progressive.org Most protests against police brutality have been peaceful, but the few acts of violence that have occurred are worthy of our consideration.

_____ (2020-07-31). UK Students Fighting For Universities To Cut Ties With Israeli Apartheid. popularresistance.org Apartheid Off Campus is a newly-formed student network fighting to sever the ties between UK universities and the Israeli occupation. | "University students are in a powerful position to campaign in support of Palestinians and against the structures of racism by both challenging/exposing these links and forcing their universities to divest from complicit companies, as well as making their institutions commit to being APARTHEID FREE," reads the group's website. | Research recently released by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign shows that UK universities continue to invest over $580 million in companies complicit…

_____ (2020-07-31). Korean Americans For Black Lives. popularresistance.org Liberty Park is one of the very few public green spaces left in Koreatown; the choice for 'Ktown for Black Lives' to meet here is intentional. | Organized by the neighborhood's activists and community members, the monthly gathering aims to mobilize residents against state-sanctioned violence that regularly takes the lives of Black and Brown people. Since its start in June, hundreds of 'Ktown for Black Lives' attendees have assembled on the 2.5 acres of land to participate in political education and mutual aid efforts such as the redistribution of meals and sanitary supplies. | 'Ktown for Black Lives' points to th…

Staff (2020-07-31). Bill Clinton Used John Lewis's Funeral to Disparage the Black Freedom Struggle. truthout.org Bill Clinton has a penchant for overstepping, for going too far and for being too cocky, especially when it comes to Black people. He assumes a kind of insider posture that is, quite frankly, offensive. | This posture was on full display yesterday when, while eulogizing the late civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis, Clinton took the liberty to render his opinion about who was a good Black leader vs. who was a not-so-good Black leader. In referring to the political differences betwe…

Staff (2020-07-31). To Reopen Schools Safely, We Need to Fund Teachers — Not Cops. truthout.org Ask Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.7 million-member American Federation of Teachers (AFT), what public schools need in order to safely reopen this fall and her answer is immediate: more money for the daily deep-cleaning of schools; personal protective equipment (PPE) for teachers, staff and students; the hiring of thousands of additional school nurses and counselors to help students navigate social and emotional roadblocks; reliable computers and internet access for every kid; and a 10 percent increase i…

Eliza Egret (2020-07-30). Israeli arms company in London is targeted as activists launch Palestine Action network. thecanary.co Activists targeted Israeli arms company Elbit Systems' UK headquarters early on 30 July. Elbit staff came to work to find the building covered in graffiti and splattered with paint. The action comes on the same day that a new network called Palestine Action has launched; join us; get mobilised; take action; end complicity in Israel's war crimes & apartheid regime —…

W. T. Whitney Jr. (2020-07-30). "We Charge Genocide"—Forerunner at UN of Black Lives Matter. peoplesworld.org The police killing of George Floyd on May 25 provoked demonstrations worldwide. The United Nations Human Rights Council on June 17 debated a draft resolution introduced by the "African Group" of nations that condemned "structural racism endemic to the criminal justice system in the United States." The African nations were responding to a letter from …

Staff (2020-07-30). Black Americans, Black Brazilians Suffer More From COVID-19. Structural Racism Is To Blame. therealnews.com "Genocides don't always have to be intentional. It's about impact. Whether or not they have been planning to kill people, we know people are dying and Black people are dying disproportionately."

RT (2020-07-30). Russian serviceman working in Crimea arrested for HIGH TREASON, accused of spying for Ukraine. rt.com A serviceman from Russia's Black Sea Fleet has been arrested by the country's Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of working for Ukrainian military intelligence. | If found guilty of high treason, the detained soldier could In a statement

RT (2020-07-30). Feds won't leave Portland 'until there is safety': Trump rejects Oregon governor's claim that 'occupying force' is leaving city. rt.com Less than a day after Oregon's governor claimed federal agents would leave Portland and let local officials handle Black Lives Matter protesters, President Donald Trump said they are going nowhere until things are under control. | In a Thursday morning tweet, Trump said Governor Kate Brown "isn't doing her job" and insisted that protesters must be cleared out and "in some cases" arrested. "If she can't do it, the Federal Government will do it for her. We will not be leaving until there is safety!" he wrote. | Kate Brown, Governor of Oregon, isn't doing her job. She must clear out, and in some cases arrest, the…

RT (2020-07-30). Wife of Ukrainian rapper arrested after dismembered body parts found in apartment fridge. rt.com The wife of rapper Andy Cartwright has been arrested after his body parts were found in their St Petersburg apartment. She reportedly cut him into pieces, washed his organs, treated his limbs with salt and then refrigerated them. | Marina Kokhal claims the 30-year-old rapper died of a drug overdose. Saying she wanted to make him disappear so he wouldn't be remembered for dying an inglorious death, she has admitted to chopping up his body. | According to Saint Petersburg-based website 'Fontanka', the police were informed after 36-year-old Kokhal contacted a lawyer for advice, explaining that Cartwright had died…

Steve Beck (2020-07-30). 'Strike for Black Lives' Action Wins Victory for Seattle Transit Workers. zcomm.org County Council votes to fund promised transit raises one day after rally called by Organized Workers for Labor Solidarity (OWLS) to coincide with Seattle Strike for Black Lives.

Mark Friedman (2020-07-30). Wilmington Protest Meeting Demands Federal Troops Out of Portland, US Troops Out of Cuba. counterpunch.org A successful meeting and street protest in Wilmington, California, a neighborhood near the LA Harbor, highlighted harbor area efforts for Black Lives Matter and efforts to end the US blockade of Cuba. The meeting held at the Wilmington Machinists Union hall was opened by International Association of Machinists Local 1484 President Kevin Kucera saying "It gives

Jeff Abbott (2020-07-30). The Other Americans: Salvadoran Military Official on Trial for 1989 Killing of Jesuit Priests. progressive.org The brutality was known by the Reagan and Bush administrations, but they lied to cover up the massacres for their own political gain.

Brandon Soderberg (2020-07-30). Think federal cops in Portland are scary? Cops use 'jump-out boys' all the time. zcomm.org Plainclothes police 'jump-out boys' terrorize American cities. Sometimes they become all-out criminal gangs…

_____ (2020-07-30). Portland: Getting Out of Jail Requires Relinquishing Constitutional Rights. popularresistance.org Federal authorities are using a new tactic in their battle against protesters in Portland, Oregon: arrest them on offenses as minor as "failing to obey" an order to get off a sidewalk on federal property — and then tell them they can't protest anymore as a condition for release from jail. | Legal experts describe the move as a blatant violation of the constitutional right to free assembly, but at least 12 protesters arrested in recent weeks have been specifically barred from attending protests or demonstrations as they await trials on federal misdemeanor charges. | "Defendant may not attend any other protes…

Staff (2020-07-30). In Wake of Recent Victories, Standing Rock Activists Carry On With Renewed Hope. truthout.org "The hardest part about locking down, is deciding to do it," Mark K. Tilsen told Truthout. | It's been almost four years since Tilsen (Oglala Lakota) and Daniel T'seleie (K'asho Got'ine Dene) attached themselves to excavators with handcuffs inside PVC piping in a device called a "Sleeping Dragon" to stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) at Standing Rock. When cut loose and arrested, Tilsen was cuffed behind his back with zip ties and then lifted up by the cuffs by five cops…

Robert Norse (2020-07-30). Protests Continue Opposing SCPD Harassment of Vehicles. indybay.org Marty Mirabel, aka "Pirate", showed up with a dozen protesters at the County Building Monday (7-27) for a cancelled pre-trial court date. Marty was defending the vehicular home of a friend from 10+ cops two weeks before and charged with multiple felonies for "obstructing", "battery" and such.

Staff (2020-07-29). AG Bill Barr Grilled by House Lawmakers on Protest Crackdown, Voter Suppression & Pandemic Failures. democracynow.org We play highlights from Attorney General William Barr's grilling by the House Judiciary Committee over how he sent militarized federal forces to confront Black Lives Matter protesters, and his opposition to voting by mail, and get response from a close friend of Congressmember John Lewis who is now running for Senate. "In spite of the machinations of Donald Trump and those who do his bidding, including the attorney general, the good news is that we're seeing a multiracial coalition of people pouring out into American streets," responds Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, "saying that we're concerned about the soul of our d…

Jim McMahan (2020-07-29). Seattle protest in solidarity with Portland. workers.org On July 25, 2,000 youthful anti-racists marched here in solidarity with Portland resistance. As in Portland, Ore., federal repressive forces have been sent to Seattle. The march was called by the Youth Liberation Front. Chanting "Black Lives Matter," the demonstrators headed to the site of a new youth jail. Located . . . |

Terrea Mitchell (2020-07-29). Sixth annual Sandra Bland #Say Her Name protest in New York City. workers.org A spirited group of about 100 protesters gathered July 13 in Union Square in New York City to demand justice for Black Lives Matter activist Sandra Bland and all Black womxn, girls and femmes. The People's Power Assemblies NYC were the main organizers of the 6th annual Sandra Bland #SayHerName . . . |

Betsey Piette (2020-07-29). Unions call for 'Strike for Black Lives'. workers.org On July 20, unions led protests under the general banner "Strike for Black Lives" in over 160 U.S. cities, with tens of thousands participating. The call, initiated by Service Employees (SEIU), was endorsed by over 60 unions and social justice groups. Many of those participating in the protests were essential . . . |

RT (2020-07-29). WATCH: Protesters lay siege to NYPD police commissioner's home after viral van 'kidnapping' incident. rt.com Angry protesters have swarmed the NYPD commissioner's home on West 73rd street in Manhattan, in response to the arrest of a protester who was bundled into an unmarked van on Tuesday. | Furious that one of their own had been arrested in such a way, the protest march, which the 'kidnapped' woman was part of, made its way to NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea's home in the early hours of Wednesday morning, as eyewitness video from the scene purports to show. | "This is a raid, Commissioner Shea"

Michael Winship (2020-07-29). "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Picks on Portland to Pick Up Votes. commondreams.org A crowd of about 1,500 protesters gather at the Multnomah County Justice center for a Black Lives Matter march on July 20, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Monday night marked 54 days of protests in the city. (Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Rann Miller (2020-07-29). Trump's Plan to Reopen Schools Puts Black Students at Risk. progressive.org With Black people hit hardest by the pandemic, sending students back to school would be especially dangerous for Black children and their families.

_____ (2020-07-29). Preparing For A November Surprise. popularresistance.org Nationwide protests against police brutality following George Floyd's murder are the broadest and most persistent in US history. They have laid bare the racism that pervades American society—and demonstrated the willingness of Americans to take to the streets and resist oppression, even in the midst of a pandemic. Americans must continue demanding an end to white supremacy and follow the lead of Black organizers to galvanize a similar flexing of civic muscle to help ensure democratic continuity come November. With elections four months away and the rule of law under steady attack, people power could prove d…

yenisafak (2020-07-29). Thirty-three Russians arrested in Belarus. yenisafak.com Thirty-three Russian nationals allegedly linked to the private military company Wagner were arrested in Belarus last night, the country's state news agency Belta said on Wednesday.According to Belta, the law enforcement bodies followed the suspects from the moment of their arrival in Belarus.It said a total of 200 Wagner mercenaries came to the country "to destabilize the situation during the presidential election campaign". The Investigative Committee is probing the detained individuals.Belarus will hold its presidential election on Aug. 9, and earlier, acting President Alexander Lukashenko voiced concern over p…

Staff (2020-07-29). Bill Barr Grilled by House Lawmakers on Protest Crackdown and Voter Suppression. truthout.org We play highlights from Attorney General William Barr's grilling by the House Judiciary Committee over how he sent militarized federal forces to confront Black Lives Matter protesters, and his opposition to voting by mail, and get response from a close friend of Congressmember John Lewis who is now running for Senate. "In spite of the machinations of Donald Trump and those who do his bidding, including the attorney general, the good news is that we're seeing a multiracial coalition of people…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-07-29). 'The Withdraw Is Conditional': After Oregon Governor Says Federal Agents Are Leaving Portland on Thursday, DHS, White House Say Not Yet. commondreams.org "The federal occupation of our community has brought a new kind of fear to our streets." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…