(2020-08-17). Headlines for August 17, 2020. democracynow.org Pelosi Calls House Back from Recess as Outrage Mounts over Turmoil at USPS, AZ Teachers Halt School Reopening; COVID-19 Data Shows Devastating Effect on Latinx, Black People, New Zealand Postpones Election Amid COVID-19 Spike; Virus Compounds Disaster in Lebanon, Mass Protests Continue in Belarus Amid Reports of Torture in Jails, Student Protests in Thailand Swell, Demanding Democratic Reforms, 16 People Killed After Car Bomb Blast at Hotel in Somalia, At Least 6 People Killed as Protests Intensify in Ivory Coast, Trump Vows to Reinstate U.N. Sanctions Against Iran, Lawyers Say Guards at Immigration Jail "Systema…
(2020-08-17). Never Surrender in Portland, Oregon. counterpunch.org 
There is a whole new generation of Americans who have decided that non-stop resistance is the only way to confront the lethal power structure that is bound and determined to tattoo obedience on their very souls. That relentless longevity of energy is being acted out in Portland, Oregon like no other city across this nation. This has really become a profound awakening of historical precedence. The Black community only represents 6% of the population in Portland. Most of the demonstrators have been predominately young white people who are strong supporters of Black Lives Matter. There has been some very effective B…
(2020-08-17). Following protests across the globe, Israel releases BDS activist Mahmoud Nawajaa. peoplesdispatch.org Following his release after 17 days in prison, Mahmoud Nawajaa called for the intensification of BDS campaigns "to bring to an end this system of apartheid and oppression and free all 4,700 Palestinian prisoners"
(2020-08-17). El Salvador: Prosecutor's Office Arrests Ex Defense Ministers. telesurenglish.net In El Salvador, the Attorney General's Office confirmed that former Defense Ministers David Munguia and Jose Atilio were arrested on charges of illegal weaponry exchange. | RELATED: | Munguia and Atilio held office between 2009 and 2014 during President Mauricio Funes' administration. Three civilians, Hector Mejia, Manuel Romero, and Carlos Davidson were also captured. | Besides being a pharmaceutical…
(2020-08-17). This week in history: August 17-23. wsws.org 25 years ago: Mumia Abu-Jamal escapes death penalty Mumia Abu-Jamal, the former Black Panther and broadcast journalist who had been on Pennsylvania's death row for over 13 years, narrowly escaped an execution scheduled for August 17, 1995 when his trial judge granted a stay.
(2020-08-17). Cops Have Repeatedly Attacked and Obstructed Street Medics During BLM Rebellion. zcomm.org Dozens of reports of police arresting medics and destroying their property have arisen since the revolt began in late May. In Minneapolis, Minnesota, police assaulted medics at their tent in a Kmart parking lot on May 31.
(2020-08-17). Turkey arrests 26 suspects for FETàñ, PKK terror links. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces arrested 26 people for their suspected links to the PKK terror group and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETàñ) in southeastern Turkey, security sources said on Monday.Local counter-terrorism police in the Sirnak province nabbed suspects during anti-terror operations held on Aug. 10-16, said the sources who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.The suspects were sent to a local courthouse which released 13 of them. The legal procedures continue for the remaining suspects.FETàñ and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the July 15, 2…
(2020-08-17). What to Know When Someone Blames Black People for All the Riots. commondreams.org A protester wearing a mask holds a large black power raised fist in the middle of the crowd that gathered at Columbus Circle in New York City on June 14, 2020. (Photo: Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-17). Public Lands Are Key to Fighting Climate Change. commondreams.org Existing gas and oil development in the Plateau Creek Drainage, near where BLM leases were sold in December 2016 and December 2017, can be seen from an EcoFlight plane on June 25, 2018 near DeBeque, Colorado. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-16). Portland protesters hurl rocks at police on 80th night of BLM demonstrations, riot declared & 2 officers hospitalized (VIDEOS). rt.com 
The 80th night of Black Lives Matter protests in Portland turned violent, with police declaring yet another riot as demonstrators threw rocks and projectiles at officers and their vehicles. Police said two cops were hospitalized. | More than 200 people showed up to an anti-police brutality protest in East Portland on Saturday night. What began as peaceful demonstration later turned violent as protesters began moving into residential areas, throwing rocks and projectiles at police property and officers. | Portland Police eventually declared the demonstration a riot early on Sunday, arresting several people as t…
(2020-08-16). 3 cops shot at Cedar Park, Texas after gunman opens fire & barricades himself inside. rt.com 
Three police officers in Texas were shot in a hail of gunfire while responding to a call in Cedar Park, a suburb of Austin. The suspect barricaded himself into a house, taking hostages and refusing to leave for 18 hours. | The incident unfolded on Sunday afternoon, around 3: 00 pm local time after police were called to a home off Natalia Cove in Cedar Park, a major Austin suburb with a population of about 80,000 people. | Cedar Park Police Chief Mike Harmon said that the police received a tip from the suspect's mother, claiming that her son knocked down the door and was acting erratically. | Upon arriving at th…
(2020-08-16). At least 3 cops shot at Cedar Park, Texas after gunman opens fire & barricades himself inside. rt.com Three police officers in Texas have been shot after they were met with gunfire while responding to a call in Cedar Park, a suburb of Austin. There have been reports that the suspect, barricaded in a house, has taken hostages. | The incident unfolded on Sunday afternoon, after police were called to a home off Natalia Cove in Cedar Park, a major Austin suburb with a population of about 80,000 people. | In the ensuing standoff, three responding police officers were shot, Cedar Park Police have confirmed. All three officers were taken to hospital and are in stable condition, Chief Mike Harmon reported, while advis…
(2020-08-16). Friday 8/28: 2020 Black National Convention Livestream (M4BL). indybay.org Online via livestream…
(2020-08-16). Condemnations of Chicago "Looting" Prioritize Property Over Black Lives. truthout.org The city of Chicago, like many large urban centers that serve as home to significant numbers of Black people, is often misunderstood and pummeled with the markers of being "violent" and "dangerous." Despite the city's desire to publicize its tourism and other neoliberal amenities to attract global financial capital, people visiting the city are generally warned against going to its South or West sides, where the vast majority of Black people live. | These narratives about Chicago's "dangerousness" t…
(2020-08-15). Navalny's regional organizer arrested as Khabarovsk protests enter sixth week. rt.com 
The Khabarovsk regional coordinator for Moscow protest leader Alexey Navalny has been detained for participating in an unapproved demonstration, as crowds rallied for a sixth weekend in a row. | Alexey Vorsin, a regular fixture at Khabarovsk protests, was Khabarovsk residents have been protesting every day since July 11, after hugely popular regional governor Sergey Furgal was arrested on suspicion of ordering t…
(2020-08-15). The Same Racist Rhetoric Used To Oppose D.C. Statehood Keeps The Federal Government Dysfunctional. cepr.net Talking Points Memo See article on original site The House's passage of legislation approving D.C. statehood in late June marked a milestone in the political struggle for full enfranchisement of the district, which, until recently, was a majority African-American city, and would become America's most predominantly African-American state. The bill, passed largely along party lines, …
(2020-08-15). White Allies For Black Lives Matter. dissidentvoice.org We're now emerging from an intense period of racial justice protests that began after the killing of George Floyd. It was exhilarating and pride-inspiring to witness the multitudes in the Lehigh Valley (Pa) who "took it to the streets" on behalf of racial equality, especially the waves of Black and white young people. According to …
(2020-08-15). Infiltration of US protests against police brutality used to delegitimize demonstrations, undermine democratic rights. wsws.org Police infiltration of protests has a renewed significance at a time when democratic rights have been stretched to the point of breaking.
(2020-08-15). Confederate Monument Protests Gain Momentum in Small Alabama Town. truthout.org This year cities across the nation erupted in outrage as the stories of police brutality garnered national attention. News coverage of nationwide demonstrations forms a grim mosaic, documenting the trials and tribulations of protesting oppressive institutions: streets flooded with protesters, seas of signs with harrowing messages, street brawls among opposing protesters, and police retaliation, complete with tear gas and rubber bullets. The national conversation surrounding the U.S.'s roots in systemic…
(2020-08-15). 'Go Home, Racists!': BLM Counterprotesters Shout Down White Nationalists in Stone Mountain, Georgia. commondreams.org "Hundreds of workers from across Georgia took a stand against racism and won." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-14). Jail Took My Mom: Filmmaker on How His Mother Broke the Cycle of Incarceration & Shaping DNC Policy. democracynow.org 
The coronavirus crisis and the movement for racial justice have magnified the challenges faced by people released from prison, whose criminal record makes it hard to find a job and even housing, especially women. We feature a new AJ+ series by Messiah Rhodes, whose mother was in and out of jail throughout his childhood and was able to break the cycle of incarceration. Rhodes says his work serves as a response to calls to defund police. "Instead of giving law enforcement agencies tanks and sci-fi-level weaponry, we should be funding … housing, education, family reunification, mental health support," he says. We…
(2020-08-14). CNN finally 'pressured' into covering story of Cannon Hinnant, five-year-old 'executed' by black neighbor. rt.com 
The death of Cannon Hinnant, a white 5-year-old allegedly killed by a black man, was finally given brief coverage by CNN — after nearly a week of accusations that mainstream media was burying the story to fit a narrative. | Hinnant's death has been a hot topic on Twitter for almost a week, with thousands drawing attention to his story, but attracting little to no mainstream media coverage. | Darius Sessoms, 25, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after allegedly killing the five-year old who was playing in the front yard of his North Carolina home on Sunday. The incident was witnessed by Hi…
(2020-08-14). Infowars reporter Millie Weaver 'arrested' mid-premiere of her whistleblowing investigation into 'shadow government'. rt.com 
Investigative reporter Millie Weaver and her husband have reportedly been arrested at the same time her documentary on the US "shadow government" was being screened on YouTube, sending Conservative Twitter into theory overdrive. | Weaver's "arrest" at the couple's home — which has yet to be confirmed by authorities — was initially reported by Infowars on Friday, shortly after the YouTube premiere of her documentary film "ShadowGate." The film purports to expose the secrets of the massive 'Deep State' intelligence apparatus manipulating politics within the US and beyond its borders, based on the repor…
(2020-08-14). Oregon State Police withdraw from Portland as DA declines to prosecute rioters & looters arrested during protests. rt.com 
Oregon state troopers have pulled out of Portland, leaving local police to handle ongoing protests in the city soon after the county district attorney said he would not prosecute most of those apprehended amid the unrest. | The move was confirmed late on Thursday by Oregon State Police (OSP) spokesman Tim Fox, who said the department had left Portland after its two-week commitment to defend a federal courthouse in the city ended on Wednesday night. | "At this time we are inclined to move… resources back to counties where prosecution of criminal conduct is still a priority. [Wednesday] night was our last nigh…
(2020-08-14). Megachurch sues California, challenging state over ban on large religious services while allowing massive protests. rt.com 
A California church has sued the state, arguing it was hypocritical to restrict religious services because of the Covid-19 pandemic while allowing political gatherings, such as Black Lives Matters protests, to rumble on. | Grace Community Church in suburban Los Angeles filed the suit on Thursday, saying Governor Gavin Newsom and other state and city officials have violated California's constitution by applying pandemic regulations unequally. | "It is time for California to explain how it can justify banning worship to prevent the spread of a disease (with an overall mortality rate of 0.02 percent) while it is…
(2020-08-14). Russia unveils new firearm 'Poloz', designed specifically for the police. rt.com 
Russian cops will soon have a brand new sidearm. The Central Scientific Research Institute for Precision Machine Engineering has developed a new pistol, designed specifically for Russia's Police and National Guard. | Based on the Army's semi-automatic pistol 'Udav', the new handgun dubbed 'Poloz' is accurate at a range of up to 50 meters, and can operate in temperatures ranging from -50 to +50 degrees celsius. | "This compact model is smaller and lighter than the standard army handgun and can be used as a concealed carry weapon," said Albert Bakov, CEO of the Research Institute. " It is convenient, reliable an…
(2020-08-14). Bolivia: Workers Union Headquarters Gets Hit by Molotov Bombs. telesurenglish.net The Bolivian Workers' Center (COB) headquarters in La Paz was hit by two Molotov bombs launched by far-right groups that tried to break into the building on Thursday. | RELATED: | Due to the explosion, the building's entrance was filled with broken glass from the vehicles parked at Pisagua Street. The headquarters' facade was also stained with red paint. So far, there are no casualties reported. | Police arrested six sus…
(2020-08-14). Minneapolis Reneging On George Floyd Promises. popularresistance.org At the height of the Minneapolis rebellion, a majority of the city council announced they would move towards "disbanding" their police force, in response to Black Lives Matter "abolition" demands. It turned out that what the councilpersons were actually proposing was a name change, retaining a force of armed cops in a new "Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention" with a "holistic, public health-oriented" mission. But even this palliative was too much for the Minneapolis Charter Commission, which voted to delay putting the police reorganization question on the November ballot, effectively killing th…
(2020-08-14). BLM Activists Hospitalized After Police Kneel On Her Neck. popularresistance.org Protesters said Jae Passmore had been leaving a demonstration in downtown Tampa on Wednesday night when she was detained by police, The Tampa Bay Times reported. | In on video shared on Instagram, Passmore is seen being pinned to the ground by several officers as protesters shout at them to free her. | "Stop! Get your knee off her neck!" A protester can be heard repeatedly yelling. Another is heard screaming: "Get off of her like that!"
(2020-08-14). Tennessee Lawmakers Pass Bill Making Some Acts Of Protest Felonies. popularresistance.org The Tennessee legislature passed a sweeping proposal on Wednesday that would increase penalties against some protesters who have camped outside the statehouse in Nashville for months demanding racial justice and an end to police brutality. | State lawmakers in the majority-white Tennessee General Assembly passed the measure in a nearly party-line vote in both chambers. The bill, which is now headed to Republican Gov. Bill Lee's desk, would punish those who illegally camp on state property — as protesters have outside the state Capitol for months — with a Class E felony rather than a misdemeanor. | Cla…
(2020-08-14). Trump's New Racist Campaign Strategy Is Tweeting Mugshots of Black People. truthout.org Donald Trump's campaign has been tweeting mugshots of Black people out on bail in an effort to instill fear in voters about a future Joe Biden presidency. | The "Donovan Boone is a vi…
(2020-08-14). Centro CSO Condemns LAPD S.W.AT. Swarming BLM Leader's Home. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Centro Community Service Organization (Centro CSO). | The morning of August 12, 2020 the private residence of Black Lives Matter – Los Angeles co-founder Dr. Melina Abdullah was swarmed by an LAPD SWAT team. With their semi-automatic rifles pointed at her home, the team stood surrounding her home in tactical gear. | "We looked out the front window, and two officers stood and put their assault rifles and pointed them directly at us," Abdullah said at a Cal State L.A. press conference. "And I realized they came for me. And they called out my addre…
(2020-08-14). The November Election Is About Race. thealtworld.com Everyone knows it, but few will admit it, that the election is about race. The Democrat Party and the presstitutes have set it up that way. White Americans are the target. | Years of propaganda against "white racism" have succeeded in teaching black Americans that they are victims of "white privilege." The same propaganda has instilled in white liberals and the young a strong sense of race guilt. The sense of guilt is so strong that the majority of the violent protests and threatening marches through white neighborhoods are carried out by white people under Antifa and Black Lives Matter banners. | The Democrat ma…
(2020-08-13). 'Get the f**k out!': WATCH Chicago residents confront BLM protesters in tense standoff. rt.com 
Residents of Chicago's Englewood community angrily accosted a group of Black Lives Matter protesters who showed up to demonstrate at a police station, where hostilities between locals and activists nearly boiled over into a brawl. | A BLM protest march from Englewood to Chicago's 7th District police station on Tuesday ended in a showdown with community members, at times devolving into shouting matches as locals insisted the demonstrators were giving their neighborhood a bad name. | "If you ain't from Englewood, get the f**k out of here!" longtime south side resident Darryl Smith was heard shouting at the prote…
(2020-08-13). Black protector of Confederate statues dubbed a Dave Chappelle 'skit come to life' by Twitter users. rt.com 
A black Alabama man vowing to defend symbols of the pro-slavery Confederate States of America went viral as his atypical persona reminded Internet community of a character from a sketch on comedian Dave Chappelle's show. | "Regardless of how the next person feels, I'm not going to take my flag down," Daniel Sims said on Wednesday to the local WHNT news in Alabama's Marshal county. He aims to protect the monuments to the US Civil War Confederacy from being taken down by vandals or any local authorities that may be pressured by the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. "If I've got anything to do with it, ain't n…
(2020-08-13). 'We don't need war' says Belarus parliament speaker, as police minister apologizes to people 'accidentally' caught up in crackdown. rt.com 
After police in Belarus violently dispersed protests against election results, arresting thousands, the country's police minister apologized to 'random' people caught up in the violence, but not those he called rioters. | Opposition supporters have taken to the streets since Sunday, accusing the incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko of election fraud after Minsk officials announced he had been reelected with 80 percent of the vote. Belarusian police responded with sweeping arrests, marred by scenes of apparent brutality. | "I offer apologies for the injuries of random people who got caught up in the dispers…
(2020-08-13). Repaying the debt owed to Black people requires a democratic and reparative economy. zcomm.org The entire racial capitalist system that extracts labor and blood from Black lives must go…
(2020-08-13). Watch: "Woke" Corporations Supporting Black Lives Matter Quietly Funding Police. mintpressnews.com A report from the Public Accountability Initiative exposes how corporate America is bankrolling police departments across the country, including many of the same ones facing scrutiny over racist practices.
(2020-08-13). From Juneteenth in Minneapolis to Jawnteenth in Philadelphia. unicornriot.ninja Minneapolis, MN — The historic movement for Black lives that has recently permeated the globe reinvigorated 2020's Juneteenth celebrations. On June 19, 2020, Unicorn Riot reporters documented from two of these celebrations; 'Jawnteenth' in West Philadelphia and a celebration in North Minneapolis at a Cub…
(2020-08-13). Black People Confront Racist Violence. globalresearch.ca Since the May 25 police execution of George Floyd in Minneapolis, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest racist violence. | Cities across the United States were impacted by the blocking of streets and highways along …
(2020-08-13). Street Artists Rise To The Occasion. popularresistance.org The massive protests in Los Angeles in response to the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and so many others organized through the Black Lives Matter movement generated an outpouring of engaging and provocative visual artworks. Open-air installations, murals, posters, "street art" works, and similar efforts abound, many in my Venice/Mar Vista neighborhood where I regularly jog. | I participated in many of those protests and saw some of these efforts personally. Cumulatively, these, and similar works throughout the United States and the world, have added to the burgeoning tradition of politica…
(2020-08-13). Cops & Politicians Demand Long Prison Sentences for Protesters. sputniknews.com On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Aislinn Pulley, an organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement.
(2020-08-13). "Kinship" Isn't Enough — Harris Must Be Accountable to Black People. truthout.org The writer and folklorist Zora Neal Hurston is credited with once saying "
(2020-08-13). Top Muslim Brotherhood figure dies in government custody in Egpyt. yenisafak.com Abdel-Mon'em Abdel-Maqsoud, a lawyer for Muslim Brotherhood leaders, told Anadolu Agency: "Security officials informed me of the death of Essam Al-Aryan without giving any reasons for his death." | "I don't know whether he died in prison or in hospital… I informed his family of his death and started procedures after his death," Abdel-Maqsoud added. | Egyptian pro-government media sources, including Al-Masri Al-Youm, said Al-Aryan's death was from natural causes or a sudden heart attack. | Egypt's Interior Ministry has yet to comment on Al-Aryan's death. | Al-Aryan, 66, was arrested following the ouster of Egyp…