Daily Archives: September 20, 2020

2020-09-20: News Headlines

The Canary (2020-09-20). Police in Belarus arrest 200 women at opposition protest. thecanary.co Among those detained was Nina Bahinskaya, a 73-year-old former geologist whose defiance has made her a popular figure in the protests. | By | poliPolice in the capital of Belarus have cracked down sharply on a women's protest march demanding the authoritarian president's resignation.Officers arrested more than 200 demonstrators, including an elderly woman. The woman has become a symbol of the six weeks of protest that have rocked the country. More than 2,000 women took part in the march in Minsk.Such anti-government marches have become a regula…

Simon Davis-Cohen (2020-09-20). Mutual Aid Response During Fires Shows Black Lives Matter Is Building Community. zcomm.org "We have come together efficiently and quickly because we know each other."

Brenda Norrell (2020-09-20). Lakotas arrested at KXL pipeline protest, police use excessive force on Cheyenne River. indybay.org Lakotas were arrested at a KXL pipeline protest on the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation on Friday by the local police and county sheriff's deputies using excessive force at the prayerful and peaceful gathering. The Zeibach County Sheriff intruded on the sovereign land of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation.

Stop the Frame-Up (2020-09-20). Frame-up in Aurora, Colorado of Black Lives Matter Protesters. indybay.org Once again, as done in labor history and in the black liberation struggle, the State of Colorado is framing at least 4 organizers of protests on behalf of Elijah McClain, a black violinist, murdered by the police in Aurora, Colorado. See www.pscp.tv/w/1PlJQNLoPYXxE

_____ (2020-09-20). Labor Must Make Defense Of Black Lives Its Own Imperative. popularresistance.org Black trade unionists across the U.S. are calling on the labor movement to defend Black Lives Matter protesters and to fight racism in their own ranks. The attacks by police and increasingly violent armed racist militias evoke the memory of many such violent incidents against Black people in earlier periods, from slavery to segregation to the civil rights era. | For Labor Day 2020, Truthout reached out to Christopher Silvera, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 808 in Long Island City, NY; Elise Bryant, executive director of Labor Heritage Foundation and president of the Communication Workers of America's Coal…

Editor (2020-09-19). Stop repression of anti-racist organizers! Drop the charges! Justice for Elijah McClain! workers.org Workers World Party urgently endorses the call for solidarity with six anti-racist activists in Colorado who were arrested after leading mass mobilizations against the racist police murder of Elijah McClain. Four of those arrested are members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation in the Denver area. We want to . . . |

Arielle Robinson (2020-09-19). Campus workers in Georgia defend Black and Brown lives. workers.org Atlanta This is a slightly edited version of a talk given at the Workers World Party Sept. 10 webinar, "Workers Defend Black Lives." View webinar at tinyurl.com/y6m9z593. In and around Atlanta, labor unions have been connecting the issues of labor to racial justice. Unions are recognizing that issues of labor . . . |

A Guest Author (2020-09-19). Talib Williams/ 'Imagine a world without prisons'. workers.org By Talib Williams Talib Williams spoke from Soledad prison Aug. 29 via a recording, introduced by his spouse Tasha Williams, at the webinar "Black Lives Matter: Justice for Peaceful Black Soledad Prisoners." Williams blows the whistle on injustice inside Soledad and reaches beyond the walls to report the truth, suffering . . . |

A Guest Author (2020-09-19). A Kenosha activist demands justice. workers.org By Katrina Miller This slightly edited talk was given at the Workers World Party Sept. 10 webinar, "Workers Defend Black Lives." View webinar at tinyurl.com/y6m9z593. Hello, everyone! I'm an activist in Kenosha, Wisconsin — a town that wouldn't be where it is without United Auto Workers Local 72. I'm a . . . |

The Canary (2020-09-19). 'You will see another angle of life here' — stories from refugees in Calais. thecanary.co Video project 'People of Calais' tells stories of refugees in northern France waiting to come to the UK | By | Mohamed is talented a writer, poet and rapper. He lives in desperate conditions in Calais, waiting to cross to the UK. He is one of thousands of refugees who have travelled from war-torn countries and settled in northern France."You will see another angle of life here," the 34-year-old says in a new video.Mohamed fled Sudan after being arrested for political writings. He travelled to Slovenia, where he was imprisoned, stripped and beat…

_____ (2020-09-19). Venezuela Foils CIA Terror Plot; Pompeo On Regime Change Tour. popularresistance.org Venezuela's government has announced it has foiled a potential terror attack, arresting a former CIA operative while he was on a stakeout near the country's largest oil refining facility. | Matthew John Heath was arrested with three other Venezuelans outside the Amuay and Cardon refineries in Falcon state in the west of the country, reportedly carrying a submachine gun, a grenade launcher, four blocks of C4 explosives, a satellite phone, and stacks of U.S. dollars. He has been charged with terrorism and weapons trafficking.

Rachael Rifkin (2020-09-19). Why We Need an Antiracist Education System. progressive.org In the wake of Black Lives Matter protests this summer, there's a growing movement for antiracist education across all subjects—especially history.

Jeremy Brecher (2020-09-19). Workers vs. the Coronavirus Depression. zcomm.org This summer has seen two significant national strike actions—for Black Lives and for safe reopening of schools. These are hardly conventional strikes—indeed, they represent historically unprecedented forms of protest…

Revolutionary United Front (2020-09-19). Tuesday 9/29: Bi-Weekly Community Meeting On Police Brutality and the George Floyd Protests. indybay.org Willow Park | Oakland, CA 94607…

Fight Back (2020-09-19). Anti-police crimes group demands Green Bay Packers honor memory of Jonathon Tubby. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement issued by the Wisconsin Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression (WAARPR) in conjunction with the Tubby family. | Green Bay, WI – The resurgent movement for Black lives and against police crimes, sparked by the public execution of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police Department on May 25, is maintaining momentum as summer draws to a close. This is because the police continue to kill Black men and other people. 288 people have been killed by police since Floyd's murder. | Like many other aspects of life in the U.S., sports have been impacted by…

Editor (2020-09-18). WWP statement: Stop repression of anti-racist organizers! Drop the charges! Justice for Elijah McClain! workers.org Workers World Party urgently endorses the call for solidarity with six anti-racist activists in Colorado who were arrested after leading mass mobilizations against the racist police murder of Elijah McClain. Four of those arrested are members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation in the Denver area. We want to . . . |

MEE staff (2020-09-18). Islamic State's 'canary caliph' gave intelligence to US in 2008, documents claim. middleeasteye.net Islamic State's 'canary caliph' gave intelligence to US in 2008, documents claim | Muhammad Sa'id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla identified dozens of fellow militants as well as the structure of al-Qaeda, US government documents allege | Fri, 09/18/2020 – 19: 26 | Mawla was arrested in 2008 by US forces and interrogated in Umm Qasr, southern Iraq, at Camp Bucca (AFP/File photo) | The current leader of the Islamic State…

A. Majumdar (2020-09-18). PDF of September 17 issue. workers.org Download the 12-page PDF. Philly encampment: 'Housing now!' ALSO: COVID: Is it genocide yet? 'Disability Visibility'; TPS workers' Journey for Justice; New poll tax on voting; Climate crisis fires; Editorial 9/11—pretext for war. Labor Defends Black Lives Work stoppage call; Athlete strikes inspire; 'Workers move the world'; Kenosha activist for . . . |

Joel Wendland-Liu (2020-09-18). Barr echoes Trump's white supremacy by comparing mask-wearing to slavery. peoplesworld.org An elderly white man at a Trump campaign rally is asked in a recent news report why he doesn't wear a mask. The question comes out of the controversy over Trump's politicization of mask-wearing and other public health measures. Despite telling a reporter in February that he understood COVID-19 was a deadly, contagious disease, Trump …

RT (2020-09-18). Pair of Russian military servicemen arrested after viral video shows them washing their shoes with holy water. rt.com A criminal case has been opened in the western Russian city of Kaliningrad after two servicemen from the Baltic fleet were filmed washing their shoes with holy water, after a clip of them caught in the act went viral. | According to the Kaliningrad garrison's military investigation department, both suspects are natives of Dagestan, a Caucasian republic on the southern border of Russia. One of the accused is a conscript soldier, and the other is a contract employee, Interfax reported. | They were arrested on charges of insulting the feelings of religious believers, at the city's Christ the Savior Cathedral.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-18). "In US, those demanding justice are more criminalized than killer cops" peoplesdispatch.org Eugene Puryear looks at the arrests of Party of Socialism and Liberation activists in the context of the assault by the US establishment on protesters across the country, and calls it an attack on ideologies that resist the right-wing.

Daniel Warner (2020-09-18). Watching Sports While the World Spins Out of Control. counterpunch.org Confined and anxious because of the pandemic? Fearful for your home and having trouble breathing because of smoke from raging wildfires? Overwhelmed by high winds and floods because of Hurricane Sally? Afraid to go out because of violent altercations between police and Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrators? Worried that your partial employment checks will run

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-18). Party for Socialism and Liberation denounces arrests of anti-racist organizers in Denver. peoplesdispatch.org The party which has been at the forefront of the anti-racist protests since May denounced that the arrests are part of efforts to crack down on the Black Lives Matter movement…

yenisafak (2020-09-18). Almost 25,000 drug pills seized in Turkey. yenisafak.com Turkish police seized almost 25,000 drug pills and nearly 80 kilograms (176 pounds) of marijuana in anti-narcotics operations, security sources said on Friday.In the central Aksaray province, police confiscated 23,000 drug pills and 79.7 kg of marijuana when they stopped a car as part of anti-narcotics effort, said the sources who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.Two suspects in the car were arrested and referred to a local court.The court later remanded the suspects over charges of using and trafficking drugs.Separately in the southern Hatay province, police stopped a suspected…

_____ (2020-09-18). TUC Calls For Israel Sanctions To "End Apartheid" popularresistance.org The British Trades Union Congress has condemned Israel's annexation plan, calling it "another significant step in the creation of a system of apartheid" in the West Bank. | Passed on Tuesday, the motion is thought to be the first time the British trade union umbrella body has described Israeli policies as apartheid. | The TUC motion calls for the UK to "take firm and decisive measures, including sanctions" against Israel to stop annexation, end the occupation and respect the right of Palestinian refugees to return. | It also called for unions around the world to join the campaign "to stop annexation and end apart…

Paul Craig Roberts (2020-09-18). What Was Trump Thinking When He Appointed an Enemy To Head The FBI? thealtworld.com As I wrote in 2016, Trump had no idea who to appoint to his government. According to FBI Director Christopher Wray, it is Russia, not the Democrats, Antifa, and Black Lives Matter, who "sows divisiveness and discord" among Americans. | Wray says that it is the Russians who "trash Democratic nominee Joe Biden." | How can Trump hope to survive when he appoints to the FBI, CIA, and Pentagon his enemies? He appoints enemies to the Department of Justice who somehow just…

RT (2020-09-17). Suspect arrested in murder of 17-year-old staffer of GOP challenger to Ilhan Omar. rt.com A suspect was arrested on Thursday morning in connection with the murder of a teenage staffer for Lacy Johnson, the Republican challenger to Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota). The shooting is not believed to be politically motivated. | The suspect was taken into custody after a high speed pursuit, according to the Minneapolis Police Department. Officers attempted to pull them over, but they fled, leading to the car chase which ended with the suspect crashing their vehicle. | The shooting occurred on Monday at a service station where the assailant approached two Johnson staffers, who were among a group of people. B…

Liberation Staff (2020-09-17). Police operation arrests anti-racist organizers in Denver area. liberationnews.org Police agencies in the Denver area arrested anti-racist organizers in a coordinated assault today. Those arrested were the leaders to demand justice for Elijah McClain, who was brutally murdered by the Aurora Police Department. They are facing multiple felony charges and years in prison in an obvious frame-up aimed at stopping the movement for justice for Elijah McClain.

Amanda Yee (2020-09-17). Brooklyn supply drive honors legacy of community activists Donna & Nicholas Heyward, Sr. liberationnews.org Nicholas Heyward, Sr. became a vocal advocate against police brutality after NYPD officer Brian George shot and killed his 13-year old son, Nicholas Heyward, Jr. in 1994.

M Adams (2020-09-17). On Community Control of Police. zcomm.org What we have been naming as community control has to do with Black people in particular being able to determine policies, practice, procedures, as well as hiring and firing of police…

Build Back Better (2020-09-17). Build Back Better with Reform, Justice, Equality, Democracy, Rights… indybay.org Want reform, equality, justice, liberty? Want Black Lives to Matter? Learn about how you can help Biden and Harris Build Back Better.

Build Back Better (2020-09-17). Build Back Better with Reform, Justice, Equality, Democracy, Truth… indybay.org Want reform, equality, justice, liberty? Want Black Lives to Matter?Learn about how you can help Biden and Harris Build Back Better.

sputniknews (2020-09-17). Israeli Security Forces Accuse Palestinian Woman of Spying, Recruiting for Hezbollah. sputniknews.com Israeli authorities have arrested a Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem, accusing her of spying for Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Staff (2020-09-17). US Cops Are Treating White Militias as "Heavily Armed Friendlies" truthout.org A video from the uprising in Kenosha, Wisconsin, shows police giving water to a group of armed white men. One officer uses his vehicle's loudspeaker to tell them, " Among the many effects of the ongoing wave of protests against police violence and racial inequality,…

Staff (2020-09-16). Continue to Say Her Name: Breonna Taylor's Family Wants Cops Arrested After Historic $12M Settlement. democracynow.org The city of Louisville, Kentucky, will pay a historic $12 million settlement to the family of Breonna Taylor, more than six months after police shot and killed the 26-year-old Black emergency room technician in her own apartment and Taylor became a household name as part of the nationwide uprising in defense of Black lives. It is one of the largest payouts ever for a police killing of a Black person in the U.S. The city will also institute major reforms to the police department responsible for Taylor's death. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced the settlement at a press conference, where he was joined by memb…

Walter Smolarek (2020-09-16). Police murder of Daniel Prude: Document release causes new scandal. liberationnews.org A new wave of outrage is sweeping Rochester, N.Y. following the release of internal government documents related to the police murder of Daniel Prude, a 41 year-old Black man who had traveled to the city to visit his brother. The documents detail how city authorities conspired to cover up the facts surrounding his death. Prude …

Fight Back (2020-09-16). Pretrial hearing for cops that killed George Floyd, large protest demands justice. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Nearly 500 gathered outside the barricaded Family Justice Center on Friday, September 11, where the four former cops who murdered George Floyd had a pretrial hearing. Each of them has filed motions for dismissal of their charges and for a change of venue to move the trial out of the metro area. TCC4J organized what became a six-hour presence outside the courthouse, with speakers, chanting and music. | In addition to the concrete barricades blocking the street and a ten-foot high fence around the building, organizers had to deal with a handful of disruptors, one of whom was inexplicably riding a…

Fight Back (2020-09-16). South Los Angeles continues to seek justice for Dijon Kizzee. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – Thousands of supporters from South LA, along with multiple political forces, continued to denounce the killing of 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (LASD) at a protest on September 12. Kizzee was shot 20 times by deputies from LASD's South LA station for an alleged vehicle code violation that ended in a fatal altercation on August 31. Kizzee's family called for murder charges against the sheriff deputies responsible for his death. | Organized by Coalition for Community Control of Police, Black Lives Matter-LA and several other organizations, the action started…