(2021-03-31). Firefighter ready to help Floyd was blocked by police. peoplesworld.org 
MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis firefighter who wept as she recalled being prevented from using her EMT training to help George Floyd will be back on the stand today in the trial of the fired police officer charged in Floyd's death. Genevieve Hansen, one of several bystanders seen and heard shouting at Derek Chauvin as he …
(2021-03-31). Twisting the Law. counterpunch.org 
The trial of Derek Chauvin is getting started. The press writes articles searching for ways to say something unimportant about it. On Sunday, 3/28, an article in the SF Chronicle wonders if a "snap decision" defense would work, or would the defense be better off with a "trying to do his job well" approach. Six
(2021-03-31). Global solidarity with anti-imperialist struggle in Haiti and other stories. peoplesdispatch.org Today we look at the global actions in solidarity with Haiti, the beginning of the trial of former police officer accused of killing George Floyd, protests against UK policing bill, and mobilizations to commemorate Land Day in Palestine.
(2021-03-31). Former deputies arrested after man dies in police custody. nationofchange.org "While we can never take away the pain of the Ambler family, the grand jury has sent a clear message that no one is above the law."
(2021-03-31). Tampa rally demands justice for George Floyd, jail for killer cops. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – On Saturday, March 27, the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC) and others rallied at Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa to demand a guilty verdict for killer cop Derek Chauvin. Chauvin is charged with the murder of George Floyd, whose killing inspired an unprecedented uprising last summer. | "We need to come together to stand against any attempt to let this murderer off. We need to do it for the Floyd family, and the families of all others affected by police brutality," said Jhosn Pena of TBCAC. | Protesters called attention to local cases of police brutality such as the case of Josiah Pinne…
(2021-03-31). 9 minutes, 29 seconds: Derek Chauvin trial opens with full video of George Floyd's killing. nationofchange.org The death of Floyd, who was a 46-year-old Black man and father originally from Houston, Texas, sparked international protests calling for racial justice.
(2021-03-31). JBLM Soldiers Kidnapping Civilians in the Local Community. indybay.org Corruption and abuse at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), WA poses a growing threat to the surrounding civilian community. JBLM has a long history of criminal activity and misconduct targeting the civilian community… and now KIDNAPPING!
(2021-03-31). Headlines for March 31, 2021. democracynow.org Eyewitnesses Give Chilling Testimony of Police Killing of George Floyd, Brazil in Crisis as COVID Deaths Soar & Military Chiefs Quit in Protest, U.S. COVID Deaths Top 550,000; Florida Undercounted Thousands of Deaths, Bloomberg Employees Got Special Access to Vaccines at NYU Hospitals, China Delivers 100,000 COVID Vaccines to Palestine, White House Unveils $2 Trillion Jobs & Infrastructure Plan, Two Police Deputies Indicted in Texas for Killing Javier Ambler After Traffic Stop, Capitol Police Officers Sue Trump as GOP Welcomes Oath Keepers Founder in Texas, Man Arrested for Viciously Attacking Filipino Woman in N…
(2021-03-31). Aging Former Black Panthers Mumia Abu-Jamal & Sundiata Acoli Got COVID-19 & Could Die in Prison. democracynow.org 
We get an update on political prisoners Mumia Abu-Jamal and Sundiata Acoli, who contracted COVID-19 but have yet to be released. Acoli is a former member of the Black Panther Party who is now 84 years old and has been in prison in New Jersey for nearly half a century, even though he has been eligible for parole for almost three decades. He was denied parole again in February. His crime involved the killing of a state trooper. Last year, he contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalized, and he reportedly has early-stage dementia. We speak with his longtime advocate, Soffiyah Elijah with Alliance of Families for Justice…
(2021-03-30). The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly. popularresistance.org This month, the Bureau of Justice Statistics released two reports with updates on city and county jail populations nationwide: Jail Inmates in 2019 and Impact of COVID-19 on the Local Jail Population, January-June 2020. After a year of upheaval due to the pandemic, the first report is already out-of-date and mainly useful as a historical document. The second report, however, answers some important questions about the decisions local officials made when the high stakes of jail incarceration — for individual and public health — were put into stark relief by the pandemic. Their decisions, and the resulti…
(2021-03-30). 12 Arrested in Hebei for fabricating emission data. mronline.org 
Local companies were found to be collaborating with an emission monitoring company to skirt environmental standards. | March 30, 2021 | Newswire…
(2021-03-30). Chauvin trial prosecutor to jury: 'Believe your eyes…it's murder'. peoplesworld.org 
MINNEAPOLIS—At the opening of the Derek Chauvin murder trial here, state prosecutor Jerry Blackwell's statement to the jury began by contrasting the oath taken by Minneapolis Police Department officers and the behavior of Chauvin as he pinned George Floyd on the pavement beneath his knee last May. Blackwell showed a photo of new MPD recruits …
(2021-03-30). Murder trial begins for former officer charged in the death of George Floyd. wsws.org Derek Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter and third-degree murder. If convicted of the most serious charge, he could face 10.5 to 15 years in prison.
(2021-03-30). DSA Q&A feat. the PRO Act. dsausa.org RSVP Here Interested in DSA but haven't joined yet? Looking to get involved in the fights to stop evictions, win the PRO Act, or defund the police, but unsure how to get started? Frustrated with the limited possibilities of national, top-down politics and looking for an alternative? Join DSA leaders from across the country…
(2021-03-30). Derek Chauvin's Lawyers Are Falsely Implying That Drugs Killed George Floyd. truthout.org 
Drugs have long been used to justify racist police-perpetrated violence, and the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin for the alleged murder of George Floyd on a Minneapolis street corner last May is, thus far, no different. | In his opening statement in a Minneapolis courtroom on Monday, Chauvin's defense attorney Eric J. Nelson spoke at length about Floyd's health problems and drug use in a clear attempt to cast doubt on the prosecution's central argument: Floyd was killed because Cha…
(2021-03-30). Russian man suspected of arms trafficking traps family inside house & opens fire on cops after police come to search property. rt.com 
A man living in a luxury village near Moscow has barricaded himself inside his house and opened fire on members of Russia's National Guard. Officers had come to search the property, suspecting his involvement in arms trafficking. | According to Russian media sources, the 61-year-old Vladimir Bardanov trapped himself inside the building alongside his daughter, son-in-law, and their child. | As of 7pm Moscow time, the standoff is still ongoing. | "Police officers presented the suspect's wife with a court order to conduct a home inspection and entered the property," said Tatiana Petrova, head of the press service…
(2021-03-30). 'Scarface'-style standoff in Russia ends as man who fired shots & tossed grenades at cops likely killed in fire at luxury home. rt.com 
A ten-hour-long standoff between special forces and an armed resident of an affluent village near Moscow likely ended up with the suspect being killed in a fire that he himself started, a security source said. | Early on Tuesday, officers arrived at Novye Veshki village to search the opulent cottage of 61-year-old businessman, Vladimir Bardanov, who was suspected of being involved in arms trafficking. | But the owner apparently had no desire to go to jail and much like Tony Montana — Al Pacino's iconic character from 'Scarface' — opted to go down with a bang. | When the police presented Bardanov's wi…
(2021-03-30). Land Day anniversary: Thousands demonstrate across Israel, Gaza, West Bank. middleeasteye.net 
Land Day anniversary: Thousands demonstrate across Israel, Gaza, West Bank | Thousands laid wreaths on the graves of those killed in 1976, as Israeli forces arrest dozens across the West Bank | Tue, 03/30/2021 – 13: 07 | A Palestinian demonstrator stands in front of an Israeli policeman during a protest marking Land Day in the northern occupied West Bank village of Sebastia on 30 March 2021 (Reuter…
(2021-03-30). Will we stand up for Black trans lives, too? therealnews.com 
Last summer, during what some have called the largest social justice uprising in United States history, the lives of Black trans people were ignored. While many rightly raged against the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, few know the names of Black trans people like Kim Wirtz, who have also been murdered by a racist policing and prison system. In Baltimore, trans activists from the LGBTQ organization Baltimore Safe Haven protested, demanding an end to police violence and an end to the erasure of the Black trans community. The Real News' Eddie Conway talks to activists on the ground in Baltimore ab…
(2021-03-30). 9 Minutes, 29 Seconds: Derek Chauvin Trial Opens with Full Video of George Floyd's Killing. democracynow.org 
The trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin has begun in Minneapolis, where Chauvin is charged with second- and third-degree murder, as well as manslaughter, for killing George Floyd in May 2020 by kneeling on his neck for over nine minutes. The death of Floyd, who was a 46-year-old Black man and father originally from Houston, Texas, sparked international protests calling for racial justice. We air excerpts from the first day of the trial, including opening statements from special prosecutor Jerry Blackwell and Chauvin's attorney, Eric Nelson, and dramatic witness testimony from the Minneapolis 911 dispatch…
(2021-03-30). Headlines for March 30, 2021. democracynow.org First Witnesses Testify in Murder Trial of Ex-Cop Derek Chauvin, Who Killed George Floyd, Civil Rights Groups File Second Legal Challenge to Georgia Voter Suppression Bill, WHO Says COVID-19 Pandemic Likely Began in Animal Hosts, Rather Than Laboratory Escape, CDC Director Warns of "Impending Doom" as Coronavirus Cases Rise Across U.S., CDC Extends Federal Eviction Moratorium to June 30, Wealthiest 1% of Americans Account for One-Third of Unpaid Taxes to IRS, Protests Erupt in Mexico Demanding Justice for Salvadoran Refugee Killed by Police, Suez Canal Reopens After Salvage Teams Clear Stuck Container Ship, 60 Ch…
(2021-03-30). Derek Chauvin Defense Blames "George Floyd Himself for His Own Death," Not the Police "Blood Choke" democracynow.org 
As the murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin continues, we speak with Minneapolis civil rights lawyer Nekima Levy Armstrong, who says prosecutors in the case clearly established that "the actions of Derek Chauvin played the most critical role in cutting off the air supply of George Floyd," leading to his death, while the defense appears to be resorting to a strategy of victim-blaming. "I was really dismayed to see them try to deflect blame to bystanders and to blame George Floyd himself for his own death," says Armstrong, a former president of the Minneapolis NAACP.
(2021-03-29). Amazon Hires Off-Duty Cops To Harass Workers, The Press, And Supporters. popularresistance.org We came down from New York City to cover the historic struggle of Amazon workers to form a union and to amplify the stories of the nearly 6,000 workers who are putting their livelihoods on the line to fight for their right to collectively organize. If this union vote is successful, it will be the first union of Amazon workers in the United States. There is great potential in this union drive — an effort that is being waged by a primarily Black workforce in a virulently racist and anti-union state against one of the largest companies in the world. | We arrived at the Bessemer facility to stand in solidarity…
(2021-03-29). Racist policing back in spotlight as Derek Chauvin trial opens. peoplesworld.org 
MINNEAPOLIS—The whole world is watching as the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin gets underway here today. At stake is the question of whether the State of Minnesota can convict Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. The killing of Floyd helped spark a national uprising last summer that put police violence and …
(2021-03-29). Faced with ICC Investigation, Apartheid Israel Asserts Moral Superiority Over The Victims of Its Terror. mintpressnews.com Having created enemies by its own criminal behavior, Israel then claims the right to protect itself from the very people it alienated through these criminal acts.
(2021-03-29). Minneapolis: Major protest to coincide with opening arguments at trial for cop who killed George Floyd. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – A coalition of 20-plus Twin Cities organizations are set to protest on Monday, March 29 at 5 p.m. outside the Hennepin County Government Center, with a call for justice for George Floyd and conviction of Derek Chauvin, after the first day of opening statements. | Organizers note, "We expect the lawyers for the killer-cop Chauvin to spit out lies. They will try to paper over the fact that Chauvin had his knee on the neck of George Floyd for eight minutes and 46 seconds, while in league with his fellow officers to aid and abet the murder." | The evening protest and march will be combined with the…
(2021-03-29). Body cam video shows officers threatening and handcuffing 5-year-old. nationofchange.org The child's mother subsequently filed a civil lawsuit accusing the officers of assault, false arrest, and emotional distress.
(2021-03-29). The Chauvin Trial Matters, But Real Victory Would Mean Divestment From Policing. truthout.org 
As opening statements begin in Minneapolis for the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, we speak with UCLA historian and author Robin D.G. Kelley, who says a guilty verdict alone would not represent justice for George Floyd. "The real victory would be to end policing as we know it, to end qualified immunity, to end the conditions that enabled Derek Chauvin to take George Floyd's life and his colleagues to kind of stand there and watch," says Kelley. | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a r…
(2021-03-29). Color of Change: Minneapolis Jurors, Spectators Must Remember That Derek Chauvin Is on Trial—Not George Floyd. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-03-29). Drug Policy Alliance Statement on Derek Chauvin's Defense Attempting to Use Drugs as Justification for George Floyd's Death. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-03-29). 'Just Look at the Torture Video,' Says George Floyd's Family Lawyer as Chauvin Trial Begins. commondreams.org "America, the whole world is watching. Do we really have equality and justice for all?" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-03-29). Headlines for March 29, 2021. democracynow.org Opening Statements Begin in Trial of Ex-Cop Derek Chauvin for Killing George Floyd, Burmese Forces Kill Over 100 People in Deadliest Day of Post-Coup Crackdown, More States Open Up Vaccine Eligibility as Cases Rise in More Than Half of U.S. States, Mexico Revises COVID Death Toll by 60%, Chile and Brazil Confront Massive Surges, WHO Warns Coronavirus on the Rise in African Countries as Vaccinations Remain Lowest in World, Suicide Bombing Attacks Catholic Church Mass in Indonesia, Dozens Killed in Attacks in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado Province, Iran and China Sign 25-Year, $400 Billion Strategic Deal, 9-Year-Old Gi…
(2021-03-29). Amazon Hired Off-Duty Cops to Harass Workers, the Press, and Supporters. zcomm.org Bessemer, Alabama's police chief has confirmed that off-duty officers have been hired by Amazon to act as "security" for the BHM1 facility in the middle of a historic and intense union drive…
(2021-03-29). Robin D.G. Kelley on Derek Chauvin Murder Trial, Reparations in Evanston & Cornel West Tenure Fight. democracynow.org 
As opening statements begin in Minneapolis for the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, we speak with UCLA historian and author Robin D.G. Kelley, who says a guilty verdict alone would not represent justice for George Floyd. "The real victory would be to end policing as we know it, to end qualified immunity, to end the conditions that enabled Derek Chauvin to take George Floyd's life and his colleagues to kind of stand there and watch," says Kelley.
(2021-03-28). Bay Area Asians Rise Up to Repudiate Hate. indybay.org In solidarity with Blacks, Latinos and others they marched down SF's Market Street…