(2020-07-05). Facebook Groups Pivot To Attacks On Black Lives Matter. popularresistance.org A loose network of Facebook groups that took root across the country in April to organize protests over coronavirus stay-at-home orders has become a hub of misinformation and conspiracy theories that have pivoted to a variety of new targets. Their latest: Black Lives Matter and the nationwide protests of racial injustice. | These groups, which now boast a collective audience of more than 1 million members, are still thriving after most states started lifting virus restrictions. | And many have expanded their focus. | One group transformed itself last month from "Reopen California" to "California Patriots Pro Law…
(2020-07-05). Your White Neighbor's 'Black Lives Matter' Yard Sign Is Not Enough. popularresistance.org Despite my having grown up in the South, Portland is the most racist place I have ever lived. This is because being anti-racist isn't about using politically correct buzzwords and giving lip service to sensitive conversation topics. Being anti-racist is about constructing a landscape that is safe for dark people to inhabit. It is not about white people trying to prove they are "woke" by putting up yard signs. That is not even what "woke" means. "Woke" is a territory of open-eyed, unsuperficial, cultural awareness white people are nowhere close to occupying; they are not even in the neighborhood. But being anti-ra…
(2020-07-05). 'F**k the American flag': WATCH BLM protesters stomp on & BURN US flag outside White House (VIDEO). rt.com 
A group of Black Lives Matter protesters in Washington DC marked July 4 by trampling on the American flag before setting it on fire, arguing that the US state symbol represents "slavery, genocide and war." | Footage showing protesters mocking the US flag began making the rounds online on Saturday evening. | | © REUTERS/Leah Millis | One of the videos, filmed at a square outside the White House that was officially named 'Black Lives Matter Plaza' in the wake of the protests, shows a young black woman dancing on the American flag, as another female protester with a megaphone in her hand can be heard shout…
(2020-07-05). 'F*ck the American flag': WATCH BLM protesters stomp on & BURN US flag outside White House (VIDEO). rt.com A group of Black Lives Matter protesters in Washington, DC, has marked July 4th by trampling the American flag before setting it on fire, while arguing that the US state symbol represents "slavery, genocide and war." | Footage that shows protesters mocking the US flag began making rounds online on Saturday evening. | | © REUTERS/Leah Millis | One of the videos, filmed at a square outside the White House, an area which was officially named 'Black Lives Matter Plaza' in wake of the protests, shows a young black woman dancing on the American flag sprawled on the ground, as another female protester with a m…
(2020-07-05). Christopher Columbus statue toppled in Baltimore amid Black Lives Matter protests. thecanary.co Protesters in Baltimore pulled down a statue of Christopher Columbus and threw it into the city's Inner Harbour. They used ropes to topple the statue on 4 July near the Little Italy neighbourhood, news outlets reported. | Protesters mobilised by the Black Lives Matter movement and the police killing of George Floyd have called for the removal of statues of Columbus, Confederate figures and others. They say the Italian explorer is responsible for the genocide and exploitation of Indigenous peoples in the Americas. | According to the Baltimore Sun, the city owned the statue. It was dedicated in 1984 by former mayor…
(2020-07-05). Woman struck by car during Seattle protest dies in hospital. thecanary.co 
A car drove onto a closed road and ploughed into people in a Black Lives Matter protest in Seattle on Saturday 4 July. The driver killed one protester and critically injured the other, authorities have said.Summer Taylor, 24, of Seattle died in the evening at Harborview Medical Centre, spokesperson Susan Gregg said.Officials said the car barrelled through a panicked crowd of protesters on Interstate 5 (I-5) in the early hours of 4 July, hitting Taylor along with Diaz Love, 32, of Portland.Video footage: Dawit Kelete of Seattle drove the car around vehicles that were blocking the I-5 and sped into the crowd…
(2020-07-05). San Quentin Inmates On Hunger Strike. popularresistance.org Several men incarcerated in California's San Quentin State Prison who have tested positive for COVID-19 have gone on a hunger strike to protest what they call "dismal" living conditions, KNTV in San Jose reported Wednesday. | More than 1,100 active coronavirus cases have been reported at San Quentin, California's oldest prison and home to the state's only death row. At least one person, a 71-year-old death row inmate, has died of complications from the coronavirus. | The hunger strike at San Quentin, north of San Francisco, began Monday, The Appeal reported. The strikers are protesting inhumane and cramped condit…
(2020-07-05). VIDEO: Protesters topple statue of Christopher Columbus in US. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 06 (MNA) — Protesters against racial discrimination in the US have torn down a statue of Christopher Columbus in a park in the city of Richmond, Virginia.
(2020-07-05). Sunday 7/12: LaborFest 2020: Technology, Lawsuits & How to Fight Union Busting. indybay.org This is a free Zoom based event. You can be anywhere to view and participant. Please visit the LaborFest 2020 website URL to register and to receive a Zoom invitation to the event.
(2020-07-05). ICE Out Of Marin Action at Marin County Jail. indybay.org Activists demand County end cooperation with ICE and defunding of Sherriff's department.
(2020-07-05). The four walls are not what we think they are. indybay.org As Thomas Hobbes put it, we will always be prepared to sacrifice a large part of our freedom for our security. For Arendt, modernity in general is characterized by the loss of the world. The private home cannot compensate for all that is lost. The private home must be a part of the "world." By being imprisoned, we have lost our freedom and the world itself.
(2020-07-05). A Historical Reminder of What Defines the United States, As Told by a Former Slave. strategic-culture.org We live in tumultuous days… one could say "the end of an era". | It is clear that there is a storm coming, however, the question is will it be the sort of storm that provides sustenance and relief to drought-stricken and barren lands, or will it be the sort of storm that destroys indiscriminately and leaves nothing recognizable in its wake? | There is such a heavy tension in the air, the buildup we are told of centuries of injustice, oppression and murder. It feels like the entire world's burden has laid itself upon one culprit and that it is high time that that villain pay for past blood spilled. | That villai…
(2020-07-04). As Black Lives Matter protests continue on US Independence Day, Seattle police are accused of 'emboldening white supremacists'. thecanary.co 
Two women are in serious condition in a Seattle hospital after a man drove into them at high speed during a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest. The women were part of a crowd which had blocked and closed a Seattle freeway in the early hours of 4 July. The devastating #seattleprotest this morning. I'm surprised anyone lived. | Victims: | 32 yr woman in serious/stable condition | 24 yr woman in critical condition | Suspect: | 27 yr male from Seattle
(2020-07-04). Prisoners Mobilize For Black Lives And Against Brutality Behind Bars. popularresistance.org Prisoners say that abuse reminiscent of the "modern-day lynching" of George Floyd is common practice behind bars. Swift Justice, who is also incarcerated at Kilby Correctional Facility and prefers a pseudonym, tells Truthout: "What happens in here is just like the rhetoric police on the street used to justify killings." Outside of prison, the officers say, "'He had a gun or appeared to have a gun,'" Swift explains. In prison, they often say, "'he had a knife, or failed to comply with the direct order.' And in here it's hard to prove different and, we don't have cell phones to capture it. These guys in here know i…
(2020-07-04). Seattle Activists Share Their Vision For Black Trans Pride. popularresistance.org In recent years, trans issues have broken into the mainstream. It didn't happen overnight; it's been a long time coming. Trans activists have been at the center of the fight for LGBTQ rights since before Stonewall, decrying discrimination and violence against their peers for decades. | Now, between Pride Month and protests centering on Black lives, these issues are in the spotlight again. Black trans activists have taken to social media and the streets, bringing attention in particular to the growing number of murdered Black trans women within their community. | For many who've criticized the commodification of P…
(2020-07-04). Outcry after Virginia officials order US flag to be removed from capitol construction site due to it being 'target' for protesters. rt.com 
The Virginia state government has ordered a giant American banner to be pulled from the would-be seat of the local General Assembly amid fears that protesters could tear the flag down. The decision has prompted pushback online. | The huge banner, made of tarps, was ordered to be taken down from what is set to become the future seat of the state legislature just as the nation was gearing up to mark July 4. | State officials argued that the removal was a necessary precautionary measure, so that Black Lives Matter protesters don't see red over the US state symbol, which has been repeatedly burned as initially pea…
(2020-07-04). Bone-chilling video shows speeding car hit 2 BLM protesters on freeway in Seattle. rt.com 
A speeding car, which drove around vehicles blocking a road in Seattle in an area where a Black Lives Matter protest was taking place, has hit two women, killing one. The terrifying moment was caught on camera. | The two victims of the hit-and-run were taken to the Harborview Medical Center, but one later died from her injuries, a spokesperson for the hospital said. | The graphic video shows a white car maneuvering around a couple of vehicles blocking the road and hitting the protesters in the process. The collision sends the victims flying as the car struggles to get back to the middle of the road. | WARNING!
(2020-07-04). LA mayor warns citizens to cancel Fourth of July plans to 'save lives,' but supports Black Lives Matter protests. rt.com 
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is warning citizens to avoid Fourth of July celebrations during the Covid-19 pandemic, yet is fully in support of Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests and was even pictured at one not wearing a mask. | "We're going to have to celebrate differently this year. Everyone should cancel plans with others for the 4th of July. You shouldn't gather with anyone who doesn't live in your household," Garcetti He followed up on the actual holiday with multiple tweets doubling dow…
(2020-07-04). Friday 7/3: "BLACK LIVES MATTER" / Anti-War Light Brigade. indybay.org I-80 Pedestrian pedestrian bridge, south of University Ave. | Gather at 8: 50 pm in open parking area, southwest corner of University Ave. Short walk to get up to the bridge. | Accessed by west side frontage road.
(2020-07-04). Release The Prisoners: Ohio Jail 100 Percent Positive For Covid. popularresistance.org In a recent report, the Ohio Immigrant Alliance stated that the Morrow County Correctional Facility in Mt. Gilead is the first county jail in the state to be 100 percent COVID-positive. The jail, holding local prisoners as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees, is also the first 100 percent COVID-positive ICE detention center in the U.S. | The Alliance accuses jail authorities of failing to follow their own protocols as well as ICE standards. | According to the Alliance report, "None of the inmates and detainees at Morrow County have been seen by a doctor in the facility, despite their COVID diagn…
(2020-07-04). No One Should Have to Die in Prison. truthout.org Every year people die in the custody of Illinois Department of Corrections, the vast majority due in part to overincarceration. COVID-19 is highlighting this fact because it is attacking the elderly and infirm, many of whom have spent decades enduring harsh prison conditions. They die lonely deaths for no other reason than incarceration politics, and in a vain attempt to satiate the insatiable appetite some people have for revenge. | Gov. J.B. Pritzker and others have recently voiced support for early releases of "non-violent offend…
(2020-07-04). Despite speculation, Russia and US are NOT negotiating spy swap for Paul Whelan — senior Russian diplomat. rt.com 
Moscow and Washington are not discussing a potential prisoner swap involving Paul Whelan – a former US marine, with multiple citizenships – convicted of espionage, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. | Immediately after Whelan's guilty verdict on June 15, attention turned to the possibility of a prisoner exchange. | "People have mentioned some form of secret consultation, negotiations on this issue. I declare, with all responsibility, that this kind of discussion is not being held with the US," Ryabkov said. | Last month, a Moscow court convicted Whelan of spying against Russia and sen…
(2020-07-04). George Washington and genocide. mronline.org 
'The immediate objects are the total destruction and devastation of [Iroquois Confederacy] settlements and the capture of as many prisoners of every age and sex as possible…. the country may not be merely overrun but destroyed.' —Commands from George Washington to General Sullivan on May 31, 1779…
(2020-07-04). Iran Files Lawsuit Against US Over Sanctions With ICJ – State Media. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Tehran has filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over effect of US sanctions during the coronavirus pandemic, as announced by Iranian Vice-President for Legal Affairs Laya Joneydi on Saturday, the Mehr news agency reported.
(2020-07-04). We Must Understand the Sordid History of Voter Suppression to End Its Use. truthout.org Below is an exclusive excerpt of the upcoming graphic novel
(2020-07-04). Without Radical Community Education, We Won't Move Beyond "Comfortable" Reforms. truthout.org Many of us are reflecting on what it means to engage critically within our own communities as a way of supporting and being accountable to broader movements for justice. In this moment, prioritizing community education — a process of learning and teaching together toward meaningful social change — is one of the many ways that those of us not directly targeted by anti-Black racism can collectively support and participate in movements to abolish policing, prisons, and all systems tha…
(2020-07-03). Civil Rights Groups Take on City of Graham's Protest Limitations. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-07-03). Lawyers Get No Bail In Property Damage Case, Face 45 Years In Prison. popularresistance.org The Center for Constitutional Rights and a coalition of other civil rights organizations are calling on federal prosecutors to release on bail two New York attorneys who are accused of throwing Molotov cocktails into an empty New York police car during protests in Brooklyn on May 30. The lawyers — Colinford Mattis and Urooj Rahman — are facing a minimum of 45 years in prison if convicted on the federal charges. The two were initially released on bail, but then the federal government challenged the bail conditions, sending them back to pretrial detention — a move that shocked many in the legal co…
(2020-07-03). Civil rights groups sue N.Carolina town over protest ban — but where were they when 3 other states banned pipeline protests? rt.com 
The ACLU and other groups have sued Graham, North Carolina, calling the city's ban on "demonstrations of two or more people" while under a declared emergency unconstitutional. They've remained silent on similar laws, though. | Graham violated protesters' First Amendment rights to freedom of assembly and speech with the law, which bars two or more people (or even a single person carrying a sign) from assembling without a protest permit during a declared state of emergency, according to the suit, which was filed on Thursday. The Alamance County Sheriff's Office announced last Friday that no further protest permi…
(2020-07-03). Civil rights groups sue N.Carolina town over protest ban – but where were they when 3 other states banned pipeline protests? rt.com The ACLU and other groups have sued Graham, North Carolina, calling the city's ban on "demonstrations of two or more people" while under a declared emergency unconstitutional. They've remained silent on similar laws, though. | Graham violated protesters' First Amendment rights to freedom of assembly and speech with the law, which bars two or more people (or even a single person carrying a sign) from assembling without a protest permit during a declared state of emergency, the suit, filed on Thursday, states. The Alamance County Sheriff's Office announced last Friday that no further protest permits would be iss…
(2020-07-03). Civil Rights Groups Sue NC City Over Law That 'Effectively Bans Any Protest'. commondreams.org Civil rights groups on Friday filed a lawsuit against Alamance County and the city of Graham, North Carolina, after officials issued a new ordinance last week announcing the police department would not be issuing protest permits during the city's current state of emergency. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-837598644_1.jpg …
(2020-07-03). It's Time To Tell the Truth About the Confederacy and its Symbols. aclu.org , As people across the country ready themselves to celebrate America's "independence," there are few symbols more strongly associated with the holiday than flags. Flags have great meaning — particularly on July 4. This week, after decades of dispute and dialogue, Mississippi legislators finally
(2020-07-03). Citing 'Unconscionable and Irresponsible Omission,' ACLU Demands Equal Covid-19 Protections for Immigrants. commondreams.org The ACLU on Thursday launched a new digital ad campaign calling on the U.S. Senate to correct the "unconscionable" omission in the nation's coronavirus testing strategy, demanding that all immigrants be made eligible for Covid-19 testing and treatment in any upcoming legislation. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1222924566_1.jpg …
(2020-07-03). Smearing Black Lives Matter…From the Left. counterpunch.org Over the past fifty-three years as a socialist, I have seen repeated calls for purifying the left of capitalist influences, both governmental and corporate. The latest flare-up was a Jacobin article titled "Don't Let Blackwashing Save the Investor Class" by Cedric Johnson, a black African American studies professor. Just as Deep Throat advised Bob Woodward
(2020-07-03). Black Lives and the Fourth of July. thenation.com Black Lives and the Fourth of July…
(2020-07-03). A Requiem for George Floyd. counterpunch.org 
However complicit we may be in sustaining the historical-racial schema in this country, we can all now agree that, 'Black Lives Matter', but the tag's emblazonment across the country, and internationally, remains a hollow gesture unless there is meaningful collective action to create a social environment in which all black lives can indeed flourish – and matter.
(2020-07-03). Leeds, England: Black Lives Matter. workers.org 
By Kadesh Anderson Kadesh Anderson is a Black Lives Matter activist and journalist in Leeds, England. Leeds, England — On June 21 in Hyde Park, over 5,000 people came out in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protest. With social distancing measures in place, people came together with their banners . . . |
(2020-07-03). Piers Morgan slammed for hypocrisy after blasting pubs opening but supporting son's BLM protest. rt.com 
Broadcaster Piers Morgan is being branded a hypocrite for blasting the reopening of pubs as "insane," after praising his own son for attending a Black Lives Matter protest, where many flouted social distancing guidelines. | Morgan has won a lot of grudging admirers for repeatedly highlighting the failures of the UK government during the coronavirus pandemic. But the Good Morning Britain host has now found himself at the receiving end of criticism for his, seemingly contradictory, positions on people gathering in public. | "WHAT? This is insane," the outspoken commentator wrote on Twitter in response to news of…
(2020-07-03). Vandals spray-paint and BURN Portland's 'Promised Land' statue (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Rioters in Oregon used fireworks to torch the 'Promised Land' statue depicting a pioneer family at the end of the Oregon Trail. The vandals also laid siege to the city's Justice Center in what police deemed a "riot." | The city of Portland is known nationwide as a hotbed of left-wing activism, and protesters there have embraced the 'Black Lives Matter' cause with gusto. After
(2020-07-03). Saturday 7/11: San Lorenzo Valley: Black Lives Matter Protest. indybay.org Meet at San Lorenzo Valley High School, 7105 Hwy 9, Felton…
(2020-07-03). Saturday 7/4: 4th of July: "Defund Police, Defund Pentagon, Fund Community & Life!" indybay.org 1: 00 – SF City Hall | 1: 30 – 762 Fulton, Black Lives Matter street mural | 2: 00 – Divisadero & Broadway, Nancy Pelosi's House | 3: 00 – Bayview Hunters Point, 11 Innes Court, Lennar office…
(2020-07-03). Another reason to tear down the walls: Ohio jail 100% COVID-positive. workers.org 
Cleveland, Ohio In a recent report, the Ohio Immigrant Alliance stated that the Morrow County Correctional Facility in Mt. Gilead is the first county jail in the state to be 100 percent COVID-positive. The jail, holding local prisoners as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees, is also the first . . . |
(2020-07-03). Podcast Panel: Israeli Annexation Could Turn the West Bank Into a Gaza-Style Open Air Prison. mintpressnews.com Palestinian academic Ramzy Baroud, Israeli activist Miko Peled and documentary filmmaker Robert Inkalesh join MintPress to discuss the implication of Israel's coming annexation of the Palestinian West Bank.
(2020-07-03). Behind the walls: a summary. workers.org 
Case numbers in the thousands At least 48,764 cases of COVID-19 have been reported among prisoners. The data suggest that even these numbers may be underreported. Texas leads in the number of cases with 7,757, followed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons with 6,621 cases. Ohio, Michigan, California and Tennessee . . . |
(2020-07-03). Germany joins tiny host of European nations by making 'upskirting' punishable crime. rt.com 
German MPs have followed their UK and French colleagues, backing legislation that carries a fine or even a prison term for taking unsolicited photos under somebody's clothing. | The Bundestag voted in favor of a law on "improving privacy protection" this Friday, thus outlawing the practice. | From now on, anyone trying to film under somebody's clothing in order to see their underwear or private parts will face a fine or a maximum prison term of up to two years. Under existing laws, upskirting was deemed a minor offence punishable only by a small fine. | Minister Christine Lambrecht, who championed the legislat…
(2020-07-03). #DefundThePolice the Real Strategy Behind the Hashtag. strategic-culture.org 
The demands of revolutionaries are purposely vague. They always have to do with some feelings-based desire like "freedom" or ending "oppression". The government can create a law, remove a tax, or do all sorts of specific things, but there is nothing that they can do to make you feel freedom or non oppressed. In today's America regardless of any factual evidence there are some who feel like they live in a freedom packed utopia while others claim that they are living under the heel of Hitler 2.0. Both of these positions are based on intuition and feelings not a universal rational freedom scale, which simply could n…
(2020-07-02). Oakland Police Banned from Using Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets, Grenades at Protests. indybay.org Interview with Walter Riley, civil rights attorney with the National Lawyers Guild, on the June 18, 2020 temporary restraining order banning Oakland police from using tear gas, rubber bullets, flash bang grenades and other "battlefield weapons" during current Black Lives Matter protests.
(2020-07-02). Activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham on Building a Lasting Movement. aclu.org 
In the last month, protests have erupted across the country calling for justice for Black lives, a wholesale restructuring of policing, and a greater racial reckoning across all facets of American society. , , "All of these things are interconnected," Brittany Packnett Cunningham told At Liberty this week. "If we're gonna talk about police violence, we're gonna talk about health care … we're coming for the whole thing.", , Packnett Cunningham is an activist, educator, and writer who has been on the front lines of many of these conversations, most prominently since the 2014 protests in Ferguson, Missouri. Cha…
(2020-07-02). ACLU Sues Federal Government for Risking Lives to Resume Executions During Pandemic. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-07-02). The Federal Government's Decision to Proceed with Executions During the Pandemic Puts Me in an Impossible Position. aclu.org As a Buddhist priest to a man on death row, I have prepared myself for the difficult, yet necessary role of attending