(2020-07-06). 'John Lewis: Good Trouble': A fine new documentary about a courageous life. peoplesworld.org 
When Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis was a kid, his parents brought him up to be religious and mindful of society's rules. But his grandfather also told him to engage in "good trouble, necessary trouble." Elder Lewis told his young grandson that sometimes good trouble would be needed to do what is right. …
(2020-07-06). Statue for black abolitionist Frederick Douglass in NY state beyond repair after it was ripped down by vandals (PHOTOS). rt.com 
A statue for Frederick Douglass, a former slave who became a prominent civil rights advocate, has been torn down from its pedestal in Rochester, New York. The damage to the monument is reportedly too significant to repair. | The statue was vandalized over the July 4th weekend, Rochester police told local media on Sunday. | Photos from the scene show an empty spot where the statue used to stand in Maplewood Park, as well as its debris scattered in the vicinity. The statue was lying 50 feet from its pedestal when officers found it. | The base of a Frederick Douglass statue torn down overnight here in Maplewood P…
(2020-07-06). Statue for black abolitionist Frederick Douglass in NY state beyond repair after ripped down by vandals (PHOTOS). rt.com 
A statue for Frederick Douglass, a former slave who became a prominent civil rights advocate, has been torn down from its pedestal in Rochester, New York state. The damage to the monument is reportedly too significant to fix it. | The statue was vandalized over the July 4th weekend, Rochester police told local media on Sunday. | Photos from the scene show an empty spot where the statue used to stand in Maplewood Park, as well as its debris scattered in the vicinity. The statue was lying some 50 feet from its pedestal, when officers found it. | The base of a Frederick Douglass statue torn down overnight here in…
(2020-07-06). 'You can't blame it on police', Atlanta mayor says after 8yo black girl shot dead during protest. rt.com 
The mayor of Atlanta, Georgia gave an impassioned plea to disclose any information on the gunmen who shot up a car, killing an eight-year-old black girl inside, during a BLM protest. | The shooters need to be brought to justice, because as long as they are roaming free, they pose a threat to everyone, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said during an emotional press conference on Sunday. Staying silent regarding people like them will not keep people safe, and violence undermines the cause that has gained momentum in the past weeks, she said. | "In the civil rights movement there was a defined common enemy. We are figh…
(2020-07-06). Oakland demonstrators say, 'Black Trans Lives Matter!'. peoplesworld.org 
OAKLAND—At the invitation of our godson, David Johnson, we headed to the "Black Trans Lives Matter" demonstration at Lake Merritt in Oakland June 12 with eager anticipation. It was another unique manifestation of the massive Black Lives Matter protests that have resulted from the police murders of Black people. In this case, it was members …
(2020-07-06). Are the Democrats a Political Party or a CIA-Backed Fifth Column? globalresearch.ca How do the Democrats benefit from the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests? | While the protests are being used to paint Trump as a race-bating white supremacist, that is not their primary objective. The main goal is to suppress and demonize …
(2020-07-06). David Harvey's New Thesis "Capitalism is too Big to Fail": Is it? zcomm.org It is surprising that at this moment, when dire circumstances have generated a degree of hope, with the Black Lives Matter protests and such widespread disillusionment with the system, that Harvey comes up with this line of thinking…
(2020-07-06). Seattle's CHOP Advanced The Movement For Black Lives. popularresistance.org What is unthinkable, or was at the beginning of the month, is the power of the Black Lives Matter movement in the streets. The emergence of the autonomous zone is a pinnacle of that power, a significant victory. It demonstrates the ability of popular power to win the impossible from structures of white supremacy — the state and the propertied interests they represent. That victory, and the subsequent diminution of state violence, is a major step forward for community self-control and autonomy. It shows that ending anti-Black violence is the first and most basic step to honoring Black life. | But it is just…
(2020-07-06). Raleigh Black Lives Matter Protest Reaches 35th Day. popularresistance.org For the 35th consecutive day, Black Lives Matter protesters chanted, made speeches, waved signs and marched across downtown Raleigh on Saturday. They are protesting SB 168 which lawmakers passed nearly unanimously with no discussion in the wee hours of the morning on June 27, would shield death investigation records from the public when they are shared with the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Those records are now considered public under state law. | "The fact that they're trying to … pass this over on us and act like it's no big deal like they're just gonna ignore us — that is why we're so mu…
(2020-07-06). White supremacy, or harmless gesture? Oregon police say cop accused of racist hand signal was simply checking protester was OK. rt.com 
An Oregon trooper was accused of dog whistling a counter-protester at a Black Lives Matter event in Salem, but state police said it was just an innocent OK gesture. 4Chan pranksters who started the hand sign confusion may rejoice. | The Oregon State Police (OSP) said their investigation into a viral video allegedly showing a white power gesture shown by an officer to an opponent of BLM demonstrators has revealed no wrongdoing. | Footage from the anti-racism protest in Salem on Saturday shows cops on the scene tasked with separating BLM demonstrators from groups of counter-protesters. The video shows one of the…
(2020-07-06). 'Keep this s**t in f**king New York': California woman faces vandalism charges after VIDEO shows her painting over BLM mural. rt.com 
Martinez, California police have asked the public to help them identify a woman filmed covering a Black Lives Matter mural (which was greenlit by the city) while her partner argued that the "narrative of racism" is a liberal lie. | The incident took place on July 4th in front of the local courthouse, where a giant yellow-lettered 'Black Lives Matter' mural popped up earlier that day. | The mural in support of the ongoing protests against police brutality was approved by the city. However, it was in urgent need of restoration only a couple of hours into its existence after a woman, armed with cans of paint and…
(2020-07-06). Harry and Meghan say past wrongs of Commonwealth need to be acknowledged. thecanary.co 
The duke and duchess of Sussex warned that the Commonwealth's past wrongs need to be acknowledged in order to move forward, as they joined a discussion on justice and equal rights.Harry and Meghan both took part in the video call with young leaders in one of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust's (QCT) weekly sessions set up in response to the growing Black Lives Matter movement.The Commonwealth's past mistakes: The duke, whose grandmother the Queen is head of the Commonwealth, last week outlined his personal commitment to tackling institutional racism. Harry said: When you look across the Commonwealth, there is…
(2020-07-06). San Geronimo Valley Joins BLM. indybay.org Quiet valley wakes up to Black Lives Matter…
(2020-07-06). Mexican labor lawyer Susana Prieto Terrazas arrested, raising USMCA enforcement doubts. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—The arrest and detention in Mexico of prominent and outspoken pro-worker labor lawyer Susana Prieto Terrazas is raising questions about whether Mexico can implement its commitments under the new "free trade" pact with the U.S. and Canada, which took effect July 1. Susana Prieto Terrazas was arrested in May on charges of inciting a riot …
(2020-07-06). Fire-Engulfed California Short on Firefighters as Prison "Slaves" Under COVID-19 Lockdown. mintpressnews.com 
It is the height of California's dangerous forest fire season. But despite blazes currently raging, the state's fire department is dangerously understaffed. That is because many firefighters today are not the burly full time professionals of another era, but underpaid convict laborers risking their lives for pennies.
(2020-07-06). Vigils in New Zealand demand freedom for Julian Assange. wsws.org The Socialist Equality Group's Tom Peters spoke at one of the Wellington vigils, which was part of global protests held to mark the jailed WikiLeaks founder's birthday.
(2020-07-06). 'Gains can be won if we stay united and in the street'. liberationnews.org 
What we are seeing today are the compounded contradictions of hundreds of years of racist and capitalist oppression…
(2020-07-06). Majority Black Prison Populations In Maryland See Disproportionate COVID-19 Spikes. therealnews.com 
Racial disparities in Maryland prisons are affecting COVID-19's spread, with majority white populations receiving protective equipment even as Jessup institutions with majority Black populations struggle to get supplies.
(2020-07-06). Egyptian Activist Laila Soueif on the Jailing of Her Children & the Fight Against Authoritarianism. democracynow.org 
Egyptian authorities have arrested scores of people, including doctors, medical workers, journalists, lawyers and activists, as the country grapples with the coronavirus outbreak. "Unlike nearly every other country in the Middle East, Egypt has not released thousands of prisoners as a precaution against the coronavirus. Instead, it's arrested more people and cut off communication," says Democracy Now! correspondent Sharif Abdel Kouddous. One of the most high-profile arrests is that of Sanaa Seif, a film editor and the youngest member of one of Egypt's most prominent activist families. Sanaa's brother, Alaa Abd El…
(2020-07-06). The Language of Vote Suppression. zcomm.org The injustices in our electoral system present an enormous, continuing task: to challenge the lies, the racism, and the specific practices of vote suppression — while still motivating voters, particularly young voters, to cast their ballots and secure full representation as citizens of their communities and of the nation…
(2020-07-06). Israeli Authorities to Demolish Home of a Palestinian Prisoner in West of Jenin City. imemc.org On Monday, Israeli authorities were reportedly endorsed a demolition order for the home of Palestinian prisoner, Nathmi Abubaker, 48, from the Y'abad village, south-west of Jenin City, in the West Bank. The official Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported that Israeli occupation authorities jailed Abubaker after they had accused him of …
(2020-07-06). Israeli Soldiers Abduct Six Palestinians from West Bank. imemc.org The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) reported that the Israeli forces abducted several Palestinian civilians from across the occupied West Bank, overnight Saturday. Israeli forces assaulted Abdul Karim Khaled Abu Sal, before abducting him from Al-Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, in the southern West Bank. The PPS added that Israeli …
(2020-07-06). Palestinian detainee dies in Israeli prison. yenisafak.com A Palestinian detainee held in Israel has died in custody, a local NGO said on Monday. | Sa'di al-Gharabli, 75, died at Assaf Harofeh medical center after his health deteriorated, the Handala Center for Detainees and Ex-detainees said in a statement. | Al-Gharabli, from the Gaza strip, was arrested by Israeli forces in 1994 and sentenced to a lifetime in prison. | According to the NGO, the Palestinian detainee had suffered prostate cancer, diabetes and blood pressure, accusing Israeli prison authorities of refusing to provide medical attention to him. | There was no comment from Israeli prison authorities on the…
(2020-07-06). PM wants driverless trains to be condition of future TfL bailout. thecanary.co Boris Johnson has said driverless trains should be a condition of a future bailout of Transport for London (TfL). | The government has given TfL a £1.6bn package to continue running services after a collapse in revenue in May 2020 due to the coronavirus lockdown. But that funding will run out in September 2020. | "Let's not be the prisoners of the unions": | On a visit to a site in Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, where tech giant Siemens will open a rail manufacturing facility in 2022, Boris Johnson told reporters: You can run these trains without the need for somebody to be sitting in the driver's…
(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). 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). '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). '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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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…