(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). 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…
(2020-08-13). Tennessee GOP Targets Racial Justice Movement by Turning Encampment Protests Into Felonies Punishable by Prison Term. commondreams.org "Bonus penalty for exercising your protest rights in an unapproved manner: you lose your voting rights." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/tennessee-felony-camp-out-protesters.jpg …
(2020-08-13). General Strike & Blockade in Bolivia Enter Day 11 as Protesters Condemn Delayed Vote by Coup Gov't. democracynow.org 
We go to Bolivia, where opponents of the coup government have entered day 11 of a general strike and nationwide highway blockade to protest the repeated postponement of Bolivia's first presidential election since last year's ouster of Evo Morales by the right-wing coup government of Jeanine àÅñez, which was followed by an economic collapse and oppression. "Almost all of the key highways have roadblocks … bringing the country to a standstill," says Ollie Vargas, Cochabamba-based reporter with Kawsachun News. "People feel impoverished. They feel persecuted. There's a climate of authoritarianism in the count…
(2020-08-13). Racism revoked: Georgia shop apologizes for saying it would charge only white customers $20 to book appointments. rt.com 
A vintage clothing store in Savannah, Georgia has backed down from a plan to charge only white customers a $20 fee to book appointments to shop, saying it had been slammed with both negative feedback and threats of lawsuits. | Civvies on Broughton announced the new fee on Monday, as it was reopening by appointment only, after being shut down because of Covid-19. The refundable whites-only $20 deposit was introduced because the shop's mostly white staff and owners didn't feel comfortable "upholding a digital financial barrier which could prohibit BIPOC [black, indigenous and other people of color] from shopping…
(2020-08-13). Our fight is with capitalists, not with higher-paid workers. peoplesworld.org 
This submission was received as a response to the article Is Black Lives Matter a tipping point on class inequality?, by Tim Libretti, which appeared in People's World on Aug. 4, 2020. It also engages with the long-running topic of meritocracy which has appeared in previous articles by Libretti. Author Tim Libretti once again, for …
(2020-08-13). Review: 'Crip Camp,' an inspiring flick on the struggles of the disabled. peoplesworld.org 
The landmark Americans with Disabilities Act is celebrating its 30th birthday. But the moment also calls for celebrating the movement that birthed it. Winning the ADA, legislation on par with the Civil Rights Act of 1965, was the culmination of years of struggle, extraordinary courage, and perseverance of the disability community and its allies. However, …
(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). Unconvinced by virtue signaling: Poll shows 8 in 10 Americans think corporate anti-racism statements in BLM era are disingenuous. rt.com 
Efforts by corporations to kowtow to the woke crowd may avail little because few Americans see sincerity in the anti-racism messages pouring out of PR departments amid Black Lives Matter protests, a poll has revealed. | Only 19 percent of Americans
(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). DOJ accuses Yale of racial discrimination against WHITE and ASIAN applicants after 2-year-long probe. rt.com 
A Department of Justice investigation has found that Yale University is discriminating against white and Asian applicants, in violation of federal civil rights law, but the school calls the accusation "meritless." | "Yale's race discrimination imposes undue and unlawful penalties on racially-disfavored applicants, including in particular Asian-American and white applicants," Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband
(2020-08-13). All protesters detained in Minsk amid Belarus post-election chaos to be released by Friday morning — police chief. rt.com 
Belarusian deputy police chief Alexander Barsukov has vowed that all of those who were taken into temporary custody amid unrest that has gripped Minsk since Sunday's presidential election will be released by 6am local time on Friday. | The official made the announcement as he was visiting a temporary detention facility in one of the capital's boroughs, amid allegations that officers were brutalizing detainees there. Barsukov has rejected the claim. | Cities across Belarus have been swept by a wave of protests, occasionally escalating into violence and scuffles between demonstrators and law enforcement, after e…
(2020-08-13). "The Very Prescription is to Stay Home": What it's Like to be Evicted During a Global Pandemic. aclu.org One of the first and most fundamental safety precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic is to shelter in place. But that may soon become impossible for millions of people as eviction moratoriums begin to lift across the country. Tens of millions have lost their jobs due to the pandemic itself, and many are still unemployed. , , Kansas City resident Tiana Caldwell is one of them. In March, she was laid off from her job teaching business skills at a local community college. Her husband, Derrick, lost his job around the same time. Both had dedicated years of hard work to their jobs, which they loved, but in the fa…
(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). 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). 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). 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). New York City's Newest Neighborhood: Abolition Park. popularresistance.org At the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, City Hall Park lies in a cold-stone land where law and order rule. The area is defined by French Renaissance-style courthouses and municipal buildings. The NYPD's headquarters is across the street and the Manhattan Detention Complex, colloquially referred to as "the Tombs" by many, is a short walk away. | While the park provides one of the only green spaces in the concrete-scape of Lower Manhattan, it does not have a laid-back, community ambiance the way that many smaller New York parks do.
(2020-08-13). Deaths In Immigration Detention Are At A Record High. popularresistance.org Two men died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on August 5. One of the men died in a hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, while the other died in his cell of a massive intercranial hemorrhage. These tragedies increased the total deaths in ICE custody this fiscal year to 17, the highest number since 2006. Many—if not all—of the deaths that occur in ICE custody are avoidable. | More than twice as many people have died in ICE custody this year than last year. Unfortunately, with 1,065 active COVID-19 cases in ICE detention, that number will likely increase before the fisc…
(2020-08-13). Youth Are Leading The Movement For Police-Free Schools. popularresistance.org In this moment of transformative possibility, amid activists' growing calls to defund and abolish the police, young people across the country are leading a movement to remove police officers from schools. They are demanding that city and school district leaders reallocate funding for police into services and resources for students, including counseling, social workers and restorative justice programming. | The movement for police-free schools has a long history of Black youth leading this fight as a key strategy to dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline, a process of funneling predominately Black and Latinx st…
(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). Yale University Illegally Discriminates Against Asian, White Applicants, US DoJ Says. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – A two year probe of Yale University's admissions practices concluded that the university violates the 1964 Civil Rights Act by discriminating against Asian-American and white applicants, the US Justice Department said in a press release.
(2020-08-13). Actress Rose McGowan Blasts Biden's VP Kamala Harris For Accepting Harvey Weinstein Cash. sputniknews.com Weinstein, a prominent movie producer who worked on over 300 films, was sentenced to 23 years in jail after he was convicted in March of sexual assault and rape. The disgraced Hollywood mogul donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Democratic Party, including to former US Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
(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…
(2020-08-12). A Message to the Left About Kamala Harris—And Us. commondreams.org Kamala Harris addresses the media about migrant children in front of a detention center in Homestead, Florida on June 28, 2019. (Photo: Rhona Wise / AFP / Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/kamala_harris_0.jpg …
(2020-08-12). Reformers Aim to End Prison Firefighters' 'Indentured Servitude' in California. therealnews.com 
California's incarcerated firefighters program plays a central role in fighting climate change-fueled wildfires. With exploitative pay and history rooted in colonialism, activists are pushing for a career path for those who serve.
(2020-08-12). 'What we're seeing now is Jim Crow 2.0'. mronline.org 
CounterSpin interview with Carol Anderson on voter suppression.
(2020-08-12). Federal Court orders Dutton to free man from detention. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-08-12). Growing Force Is Charging That Bolsonaro Has Committed Crimes Against Humanity. zcomm.org The lawsuit says that Bolsonaro's disregard for the danger of the pandemic has put "the Brazilian people at the edge of the abyss."
(2020-08-12). Black Lives Matter rally in Waupaca, WI takes the street. fightbacknews.org Waupaca, WI – Nearly 100 people turned out for a Black Lives Matter (BLM) rally in the rural Wisconsin town of Waupaca. This huge turnout for an action in such a small town came in the wake of two earlier events that faced a growing amount of harassment from police and white supremacists. | The violent arrest of activist Matt Banta at a march on August 2 and the subsequent rise in racist threats toward others contributed to the organizing of this larger event. Organizers of previous BLM actions in Waupaca have been targeted by white supremacists, with a mass armed counter-protest allegedly being planned. | Hosted…
(2020-08-12). The Nonviolent Activist Who Mentored John Lewis. progressive.org James Lawson, the ninety-one-year-old civil rights veteran, isn't well-known to the wider public, but his lifelong commitment to racial justice is a lesson for us all.
(2020-08-12). Lawsuit filed after police handcuff 8-year-old boy on video. nationofchange.org "My son has a disability and the authorities tried to make him a criminal."
(2020-08-12). Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni sentenced to three years in prison for Facebook posts. peoplesdispatch.org An Algiers court handed journalist Khaled Drareni a three-year prison sentence. The verdict has been widely condemned by human rights groups and Hirak movement protesters…
(2020-08-12). Protests, crackdown follow Belarus elections. wsws.org Western imperialism is seeking to exploit the Lukashenko government's violent suppression of protests to fuel its war drive against Russia.
(2020-08-12). How South Korea's past informs Moon Jae-In's civil rights policy. indybay.org President Moon Jae-In is the current president of South Korea. His presidency began without the typical two-month adjustment period, coming out of the previous scandal involving President Park Geun-hye. His justice minister pick became embroiled in a scandal, and the country's economy and unemployment rate have taken a turn for the worse. His approval rates have fallen to record lows, as protestors take to the streets. What actions is President Moon taking to bolster his candidacy? Let's examine how South Korea's political history has informed President Moon Jae In's public policy.
(2020-08-12). In SF, Low Riders Join Day to Demand "Shut Down CA Concentration Camps" indybay.org First there was a rally at Justin Herman Plaza, then a caravan led by Roberto Hernandez of the SF Low Rider Council in his classic white convertible. On August 8, during a statewide day of action to end ICE detention camps, over 1,000 marched behind the caravan of low riders in San Francisco. The culmination of the protest was at ICE headquarters on San Francisco's Sansome St. where demonstrators left red colored handprints to say, "ICE….you have blood on your hands."
(2020-08-12). Numerous Assaults Witnessed During Black Lives Matter Protests. popularresistance.org A group of about thirty Black Lives Matter protesters from Gardnerville, Carson City and Lake Tahoe took to the streets of Douglas County today, where they were met with hundreds of heavily armed counter-protesters, some of whom were physically and verbally assaulting the mostly-teenaged protesters. | After Douglas County Sheriff Dan Coverley issued a public open letter to the Douglas County Library Board stating his opposition to their proposed support of Black Lives Matter, joining numerous library associations across the country, and threatening to not respond to the library's call for assistance anymore, many…
(2020-08-12). Remembering Hiroshima And Nagasaki By Shutting Down A Nuclear Base. popularresistance.org At around 6: 45 AM on Monday, demonstrators arrived at the Main Gate and formed a vigil line along the roadway. At around 7: 05 AM, four "peacekeepers" entered the roadway and stopped traffic, while behind them, six demonstrators set themselves and their banners on the roadway. | Three of the demonstrators carried a banner stating, "Hiroshima Nagasaki Never Again!" Two demonstrators held a blue painted banner stating, "No More Genocide in My Name." One demonstrator carried a banner, "Peace Walk Nuclear-Free World, Black Lives Matter."
(2020-08-12). Activist's arrest in Portland galvanises Black Lives Matter movement. thecanary.co The arrest during a protest in Portland, Oregon, of a Black woman who became a leading activist in the racial justice movement, has galvanised Black Lives Matter groups. The activist, Demetria Hester, was assaulted by a white supremacist three years ago. | Portland has endured more than two months of often violent, nightly protests since George Floyd's police killing in Minneapolis, including weeks of clashes between protesters and federal agents. The agents were dispatched to the city by US president Donald Trump. | Authorities said they won't be charging Hester, a prominent activist, following her arrest after…
(2020-08-12). Ending Mass Incarceration Is Only the Beginning. thenation.com Ending Mass Incarceration Is Only the Beginning…
(2020-08-11). "Prisons Are Not Fit for Human Occupation": San Quentin Prisoners Speak Out as Virus Deaths Reach 25. democracynow.org 
California's notorious San Quentin State Prison is experiencing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the United States. At least 2,200 prisoners have been infected, and 25 have died. More than 260 staff members have also been infected. We hear from two people incarcerated at San Quentin about conditions inside and the punitive measures authorities have taken against prisoners campaigning for better safety measures, and speak with James King, a member of the Stop San Quentin Outbreak Coalition. "The conditions at San Quentin are horrific," says King, who was incarcerated at San Quentin from 2013 until December 2019.
(2020-08-11). Ilhan Omar speaks at Minneapolis celebration of NO BAN Act passage In House. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – A small crowd gathered in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood on August 10 for a press conference celebrating the passage of the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. | The bill would repeal President Trump's racist travel ban that has prevented immigration from a list of Muslim-majority and African countries. It would also strengthen prohibitions against discrimination on visa applications, permanently barring the executive branch from banning people from entering the United States on the basis of religious affiliation. Approv…
(2020-08-11). Dismantle the Department of Homeland Security. Its Tactics are Fearsome. aclu.org This piece originally appeared in
(2020-08-11). Student-athletes organize for health, Black Lives Matter, labor rights. workers.org 
Since March 12, the coronavirus has impacted every sector of U.S. society, not only health but also social life. With all the suffering going on and with no national public health care system in the U.S., different sectors of society are seeking to protect themselves by preventing the spread of . . . |
(2020-08-11). Stephen Lawrence's parents will never give up hope of getting justice. thecanary.co 
The parents of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence have said they will never give up hope of getting justice for their son as the investigation into his death was shelved by police.Doreen and Neville Lawrence have campaigned tirelessly since the 18-year-old was murdered by racists in Eltham, south east London in April 1993. | Two of the 18-year-old's killers, Gary Dobson and David Norris, were jailed for murder in 2012, but three remain at large.Two of the three remaining suspects, brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt, have since served jail time for drug dealing, while Luke Knight has remained free.Gary Dobson and Davi…
(2020-08-11). Tracking Apps Are Unlikely to Help Stop COVID-19. globalresearch.ca Proposals to use the tracking capabilities of our cell phones to help fight COVID-19 have probably received more attention than any other technology issue during the pandemic. Here at the ACLU, we
(2020-08-11). US Attorney General Barr gives fascistic tirade against Antifa, Black Lives Matter. wsws.org Barr made a political amalgam connecting the Democratic Party, Black Lives Matter, Antifa and terrorism.
(2020-08-11). The Backstory to Portland? Two Decades of 'Homeland Security'. zcomm.org The calls for oversight and demands that federal agents be withdrawn from our cities are urgent. The move to deploy these forces in brazen contempt for civil rights is escalating repression to a frightening new level…
(2020-08-11). Saturday 8/15: Demand Justice for Brutalized Black Prisoners! indybay.org In front of Soledad State Prison CTF, off Highway 101 in Soledad, CA…
(2020-08-11). Sunday 8/16: Anarchist Black Cross – Virtual Political Prisoner Support. indybay.org Online…