Daily Archives: August 12, 2020

2020-08-12: News Headlines

Staff (2020-08-12). As Kamala Harris Makes History as VP Pick, Her "Top Cop" Record Faces New Scrutiny Amid BLM Protests. democracynow.org Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's selection of California Senator Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential running mate for the November election makes her the first Black woman and the first Indian American on a major party presidential ticket. "It's hard to overstate how historic, how monumental this is," says Aimee Allison, president of She the People, which works to elevate the political voice and leadership of women of color. But in the midst of the largest protest movement in American history against racist policing, Briahna Joy Gray, the former national press secretary for the Bernie Sanders pres…

Riva Enteen (2020-08-12). Kamala Harris? Really? Desperate Times, Desperate Measures. counterpunch.org Kamala Harris might be the perfect lens to reveal who the Democrats really are. A good run-down on her track record highlights her assertion that "It is not progressive to be soft on crime." As a San Francisco social worker, I sat on the school district committee that met with families of chronically truant students.

RT (2020-08-12). Cure worse than disease: We filmed REAL BLM protesters burning a Bible. NY Times tried to 'debunk' it with actual FAKE NEWS. rt.com Mainstream media have denounced Ruptly video of Portland protesters burning Bibles as 'Russian disinfo', countering the unaltered viral footage with fake news of their own in bad-faith 'shoot the messenger' gaslighting. | Protesters gather around a burning Bible, chanting "F*** Trump" as they neatly drape first an American flag over the flames, in the original video, which clocks in at under 90 seconds. A few of the demonstrators rub their hands over the tiny fire, aping warming themselves as the flames devour the book. | It's an incendiary image (no pun intended) — protesters already denounced from some…

RT (2020-08-12). Cure worse than disease: Ruptly filmed REAL BLM protesters burning a Bible. NY Times tried to 'debunk' it with actual FAKE NEWS. rt.com Mainstream media have denounced RT's Ruptly video agency for documenting Portland protesters burning Bibles, dismissing the unaltered footage as 'Russian disinfo' in an attempt at bad-faith 'shoot the messenger' gaslighting. | Protesters gather around a burning Bible, chanting "F*** Trump," as they neatly drape an American flag over the flames. A few of the demonstrators rub their hands over the tiny fire, aping warming themselves as the flames devour the book. The 90-second clip was part of a 4-hour livestream. | It's an incendiary image (no pun intended) — protesters already denounced from some corners…

Kamran Siddiqi (2020-08-12). Chicagoans rally in support of arrested after police shoot young Black man. liberationnews.org On August 9, Chicago police shot and wounded Allen in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood.

Fight Back (2020-08-12). Black Lives Matter rally in Waupaca, WI takes the street. fightbacknews.org Waupaca, WI – Nearly 100 people turned out for a Black Lives Matter (BLM) rally in the rural Wisconsin town of Waupaca. This huge turnout for an action in such a small town came in the wake of two earlier events that faced a growing amount of harassment from police and white supremacists. | The violent arrest of activist Matt Banta at a march on August 2 and the subsequent rise in racist threats toward others contributed to the organizing of this larger event. Organizers of previous BLM actions in Waupaca have been targeted by white supremacists, with a mass armed counter-protest allegedly being planned. | Hosted…

_____ (2020-08-12). Remembering Hiroshima And Nagasaki By Shutting Down A Nuclear Base. popularresistance.org At around 6: 45 AM on Monday, demonstrators arrived at the Main Gate and formed a vigil line along the roadway. At around 7: 05 AM, four "peacekeepers" entered the roadway and stopped traffic, while behind them, six demonstrators set themselves and their banners on the roadway. | Three of the demonstrators carried a banner stating, "Hiroshima Nagasaki Never Again!" Two demonstrators held a blue painted banner stating, "No More Genocide in My Name." One demonstrator carried a banner, "Peace Walk Nuclear-Free World, Black Lives Matter."

_____ (2020-08-12). Numerous Assaults Witnessed During Black Lives Matter Protests. popularresistance.org A group of about thirty Black Lives Matter protesters from Gardnerville, Carson City and Lake Tahoe took to the streets of Douglas County today, where they were met with hundreds of heavily armed counter-protesters, some of whom were physically and verbally assaulting the mostly-teenaged protesters. | After Douglas County Sheriff Dan Coverley issued a public open letter to the Douglas County Library Board stating his opposition to their proposed support of Black Lives Matter, joining numerous library associations across the country, and threatening to not respond to the library's call for assistance anymore, many…

_____ (2020-08-12). How Trump Can Steal The 2020 Election. popularresistance.org The election was stolen from Clinton four years ago and the even weaker 2020 candidate can expect the same fate. Republicans win the presidency when they steal votes. Democrats need a huge turnout to undo the impact of so-called "spoiled ballots," electronic vote machine theft and the removal of Democratic voters, i.e. Black people, from the rolls. These methods will of course be used in November and ought to be the basis for concerns regarding any electoral malfeasance. | It is important to remember the real electoral threats when Donald Trump decides to have fun with America's collective reptile brain. When he…

The Canary (2020-08-12). Activist's arrest in Portland galvanises Black Lives Matter movement. thecanary.co The arrest during a protest in Portland, Oregon, of a Black woman who became a leading activist in the racial justice movement, has galvanised Black Lives Matter groups. The activist, Demetria Hester, was assaulted by a white supremacist three years ago. | Portland has endured more than two months of often violent, nightly protests since George Floyd's police killing in Minneapolis, including weeks of clashes between protesters and federal agents. The agents were dispatched to the city by US president Donald Trump. | Authorities said they won't be charging Hester, a prominent activist, following her arrest after…

Daniel Fernandez (2020-08-12). Ending Mass Incarceration Is Only the Beginning. thenation.com Ending Mass Incarceration Is Only the Beginning…

Staff (2020-08-11). Headlines for August 11, 2020. democracynow.org Lebanese Gov't Steps Down in Wake of Catastrophic Beirut Explosion and Mounting Protests, Trump Mulls Barring Americans from Reentry into U.S.; Coronavirus Cases Rise in Kids, Russia Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine; New Zealand Goes Back into Lockdown, Unrest in Chicago Sparked by Police Shooting Leads to 100+ Arrests, 16 People Arrested in Portland, OR Protests, Including Hate Crime Survivor Demetria Hester, Belarus in Turmoil as Lukashenko Cracks Down on Protests, Opposition Candidate Flees to Lithuania, Bolivia Protests Against Interim Right-Wing Gov't Intensify; Union Calls for General Strike, Fires in Brazil…

Monica Moorehead (2020-08-11). Student-athletes organize for health, Black Lives Matter, labor rights. workers.org Since March 12, the coronavirus has impacted every sector of U.S. society, not only health but also social life. With all the suffering going on and with no national public health care system in the U.S., different sectors of society are seeking to protect themselves by preventing the spread of . . . |

A Guest Author (2020-08-11). Cops out of unions! Solidarity with the righteous rebellion! workers.org On July 7 the Boston School Bus Drivers Union, United Steelworkers Local 8751, passed "Resolution in solidarity with the righteous rebellion against racism, police brutality and white supremacy." Included was a demand to "Expel all so-called 'police unions' from the AFL-CIO!" USW Local 8751 Trustee Fred Floreal speaking at Mass . . . |

Unicorn Riot (2020-08-11). Authorities Visit Loring Park Tent Encampment, Bring Eviction Scare. unicornriot.ninja Minneapolis, MN — On Monday afternoon, authorities visited the Loring Park Sanctuary to speak with residents of the outdoor tent community, stoking fears of another clearing of the park. | Three weeks ago, law enforcement bulldozed dozens of tents in Powderhorn Park, arrested about 20 people,…

WSWS (2020-08-11). US Attorney General Barr gives fascistic tirade against Antifa, Black Lives Matter. wsws.org Barr made a political amalgam connecting the Democratic Party, Black Lives Matter, Antifa and terrorism.

Fight Back (2020-08-11). Rebellion reignites in Chicago. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – Chicago police shot a 20-year-old Black man, Latrell Allen, in the Englewood neighborhood on Sunday afternoon, August 9. His mother told the media that he was shot five times, and she and an eyewitness both said he didn't have a gun at the time. | Community members angrily challenged the police. In response, the cops became brutal. One eyewitness, Joseph Williams, described on social media, "When I came out, the police were literally whupping a young man. One of them even kicked him in the face, which led to the blood on the ground," as he pointed to a stain on the pavement. | The police escalated.

Fight Back (2020-08-11). Minneapolis: Proposed charter amendment on police won't be on November ballot. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – The Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J) was joined by community supporters and Jamar Clark's family for a press conference demanding community control of the police and a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC). After working on CPAC for years, organizing has been kicked into high gear by the uprising for George Floyd and empty responses from local politicians. Two months after nine Minneapolis City Council members declared a "commitment to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department," even their empty promises have stalled out. | One such response was a city charter amendme…

_____ (2020-08-11). Disabled Iraq Veteran Faces Prison In Alabama For Legal Medical Marijuana. popularresistance.org Worsley's ordeal began in 2016 when he and his wife, Eboni, were arrested late one night after stopping for gas. They were traveling through the state on their way to North Carolina, where they were planning on helping Sean's grandmother repair extensive damage to her home after Hurricane Matthew flooded her community. | "We [were] not being competitive, we were being completely compliant," Eboni Worsley told Fox News. "We're being very cooperative, so not thinking that there's going to be a major issue. … I show him I don't want trouble, don't mean any harm."

sputniknews (2020-08-11). Fury at Police Violence Reaches Boiling Point in Chicago. sputniknews.com On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement.

_____ (2020-08-10). The 'Wall of Vets' Continues Long Legacy Of Veteran Activism. popularresistance.org Military veterans have long been resisting war, promoting positive peace, and defending human and civil rights against state violence and other forms of oppression. They have made significant contributions to the antiwar and peace and justice movements over many decades. | Their participation in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is no different. Veterans have been highly visible in supporting the racial justice demands of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. The disturbing truth, which a great number of veterans recognize, is that white supremacy, systemic racism and police brutality at…

Mike Hastie (2020-08-10). The Police Force Stampede in Portland on August 8, 2020. counterpunch.org I was in attendance of another BLM demonstration in Portland, Oregon this weekend. I say attendance, because eventually if there is going to be any real changes in this country, we need more attendance. If there is going to be real Police Reform in the U.S. then the resistance calling for that reform has to be constant, or shall we say relentless. That is why the demonstrations have been going on every night in Portland for the past 70 + days. There are certainly a lot of different opinions as to how that should be played out. It is hard to tell where this is all going in Portland, or any other major city across…

Ed Rampell (2020-08-10). The Killing that Awakened the City that Never Sleeps. progressive.org A new documentary reflects on the killing of a Black teenager in 1989, drawing parallels to today's Black Lives Matter protests.

Unicorn Riot (2020-08-10). The Caldwells: Father-Son Duo Team Up on a Portion of Historic Minneapolis Mural. unicornriot.ninja Minneapolis, MN — When Kenneth Caldwell got tagged on a Facebook post about participating in making a Black Lives Matter mural in North Minneapolis, he jumped at the opportunity. | The well-known local artist teamed up with his father, Charles Caldwell, another prolific artist, to create…

Victor Noir (2020-08-10). BLM Oakland Solidarity March Part 3. indybay.org Because of social distancing I was grateful for the photos I took. It makes me cringe sometimes when I cannot photograph fresh ink. I ventured out on 7 26 20 and retraced for archival purposes.

Revolutionary United Front (2020-08-10). Tuesday 8/18: Bi-Weekly Community On Police Brutality and the George Floyd Protests. indybay.org Willow Park | Oakland, CA 94607…

sputniknews (2020-08-10). Chicago Mayor Declares Lockdown for 'Foreseen Days' Until US City Becomes 'Safe' in Wake of Looting. sputniknews.com Earlier on Monday, Chicago police arrested at least 100 people in the wake of widespread overnight looting and rioting in the central US city, where over a dozen police officers were injured during clashes. Riots erupted in the early hours of Monday following a police shooting a day earlier that wounded a young man.

Lisa Newcomb, staff writer (2020-08-10). Citing 'Years of Chaos and Impunity,' ACLU Calls for Breakup of Department of Homeland Security. commondreams.org "We have to remove the loaded weapon that sits on the proverbial coffee table in the Oval Office." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Pan Africanism Today Secretariat (2020-08-09). The lessons of South Africa's 1956 Women's March resonate to this day. peoplesdispatch.org On August 9, 1956, nearly 20,000 women marched in South Africa against apartheid-era Pass Laws. The struggles they waged and the demands they raised are especially relevant today…

_____ (2020-08-09). National Uprising Exposes Divisions In The Ruling Class… popularresistance.org For weeks on end, the George Floyd protests against racism and police violence shook America. Support for the movement overflowed all demographic boundaries as an estimated 10% of all American adults—some 25 million people—participated in at least one protest. However, although mass gatherings have continued unabated in some cities, in most of the country the torrential river has inevitably receded into its banks as it was deprived of a revolutionary outlet—for now. | The revived BLM movement has been a treasure trove of practical experience for the millions who drove it forward.

_____ (2020-08-09). Occupy The Block For The Neville Family On Third Week. popularresistance.org On day 22 of Occupy the Block #OccupyWSNC, demonstrators gathered at Bailey Park at 10 am. | At 3 pm, approximately 300 occupiers, supporters, and the Neville Family gathered on the sidewalk outside the Forsyth County Courthouse for the Rally of Support for the Neville Family. Activists spoke of love for the Neville family and called for transparency and accountability from our officials. Sean Neville offered words of thanks for the movement. | Meanwhile, officers lined the windows at the entrance of the courthouse. Bike cops stalked the gathering, following the group even as they marched and threatened participa…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-08-09). Foiled at Toronto: The Tiger Squad's Canadian Outing. dissidentvoice.org Silencing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul was a feat of primeval brutality that sent a shudder through even the most hardened officials. The House of Saud, and in particular certain members of it, had gotten a taste for blood. Soon after Khashoggi's slicing and dicing in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul at the hands …

The Canary (2020-08-08). Rapper Wretch 32 slams police for 'over-policing and under-protecting' Black communities. thecanary.co Rapper Wretch 32, whose father was Tasered by police officers, has said that Black people are "over-policed and under-protected".The musician was speaking as he stood next to his father Millard Scott, at a demonstration outside Tottenham Police Station, north London. The protest was

_____ (2020-08-08). Utah Protesters Face Charges With Potential Life Sentence. popularresistance.org Salt Lake City, UT – Some Black Lives Matter protesters in Salt Lake City could face up to life in prison if they're convicted of splashing red paint and smashing windows during a protest, a potential punishment that stands out among demonstrators arrested around the country and one that critics say doesn't fit the alleged crime. | The felony criminal mischief charges are more serious because they carry a gang enhancement. Prosecutors said Wednesday that's justified because the protesters worked together to cause thousands of dollars in damage, but watchdogs called the use of the 1990s-era law troubling, especial…