(2020-08-15). U.S. mercenaries sentenced to 20 years for invasion attempt in Venezuela. workers.org 
Telesur published the following report Aug. 8. Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab reported Friday [Aug. 7] that the two former U.S. military officers, Luke Denmnan and Airan Berry, who participated in the failed invasion attempt in Venezuela [May 4], were sentenced to 20 years in prison. Former members of . . . |
(2020-08-15). Palestinian Liberation Movement marks global day of action. workers.org 
The Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network called for global Days of Resistance from Aug. 7 through 9 to protest the ongoing conquest of Palestinian land by Israeli occupation forces. In a statement announcing the action, the organization said, "Today, the program of Israeli annexation continues to threaten Palestinians in the . . . |
(2020-08-15). White Allies For Black Lives Matter. dissidentvoice.org We're now emerging from an intense period of racial justice protests that began after the killing of George Floyd. It was exhilarating and pride-inspiring to witness the multitudes in the Lehigh Valley (Pa) who "took it to the streets" on behalf of racial equality, especially the waves of Black and white young people. According to …
(2020-08-15). Turkey, Syria, and the Kurds. zcomm.org For over two decades, Kurdish leader Abdullah àñcalan has been held in the Turkish prison on ƒ∞mralƒ± Island. In this op-ed for Jacobin, he calls for a "democratic nation project" able to unite citizens of different ethnic backgrounds and cultural traditions.
(2020-08-14). Headlines for August 14, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Records 1,000+ Daily Coronavirus Deaths Again as 2,000+ Quarantined at Schools, Georgia Governor Drops Lawsuit over Atlanta Mask Mandate, CDC Director Warns U.S. Risks Worst Fall in Public Health History, Senate Adjourns Without Deal on New Coronavirus Aid as Millions Face Hunger and Eviction, Coronavirus Cases Surge in India, Peru, Spain, France and Elsewhere, Israel to Normalize Relations with United Arab Emirates Despite Palestinian Protest, Unexploded Missile Found at U.N.-Run School as Israel Attacks Gaza Strip, Trump Admits He's Undermining the U.S. Postal Service to Thwart Mail-in Voting, USPS Confirm…
(2020-08-14). Don't Ban TikTok and WeChat. aclu.org 
President Trump's executive orders threatening to ban TikTok and WeChat, two of the most popular messaging and social media apps in the world, are an unprecedented abuse of emergency powers. No president has ever taken actions like these against platforms that tens of millions of people in the United States use. , , Selectively banning platforms does little to protect our personal data from abuse — comprehensive surveillance reform and consumer privacy legislation would actually help accomplish that goal. Instead, the bans could cut off the flow of information, art, and communication that social media pr…
(2020-08-14). Silencing marginalized voices is not 'good trouble'. therealnews.com 
In a time when it feels like many of the civil rights gains that activists fought for with their blood and bones and spirits have been lost, where do we go from here?
(2020-08-14). Private prison companies shower campaign cash on Trump and Republicans. peoplesworld.org 
HOUSTON (AP)—Executives at the nation's two largest private prison companies have been donating large sums to President Donald Trump and Republican candidates with an eye toward the November elections that one of the corporations believes will lead to a rebound in its stock price. The fortunes of private prison companies have become increasingly intertwined with …
(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). Belarus authorities free hundreds detained after election protests. thecanary.co 
Belarusian authorities have released hundreds of people who were detained amid demonstrations contesting the results of the presidential election, in an attempt to assuage public anger over a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests.Scores of detainees were seen walking out of a jail in the capital, Minsk, at around midnight on 13 August. Early on 14 August, volunteers also saw at least 119 detainees being released in the nearby сity of Zhodino.Ambulances arrived to carry those who were apparently unable to walk on their own.Relatives and friends greet people released from a detention centre where protesters w…
(2020-08-14). The Black Women Behind the Ongoing Fight for Suffrage. aclu.org The 19th Amendment inked women's suffrage into American history, a culminating moment in an effort to win political power. But as the 100th anniversary of its ratification fast approaches, it's essential to reflect on who the 19th Amendment excluded in practice if not on paper, and what the popular historical record of this movement leaves out. , , "Black women know as 1920 unfolds that many of them are still going to be disenfranchised," professor and author Martha S. Jones tells At Liberty. "That's not a secret. That's an open premise of the 19th Amendment., , Jones joined…
(2020-08-14). New Orleans trans community wins $256 name change fee decrease. fightbacknews.org New Orleans, LA – On August 13, the Real Name Campaign NOLA celebrated a $256 filing fee reduction for name changes. The Orleans Parish Civil District Court dropped the fee from an outrageous $506 to $250 after a year of community pressure. | This marks an important victory for trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people in New Orleans. Incorrect names on IDs out TGNC people, exposing them to discrimination in employment, healthcare, housing and many other aspects of life. | Naming yourself is a fundamental right, so the courts deny our humanity by denying our names. | But trans communities are beautiful, resi…
(2020-08-14). Two Utah protesters face life in prison. wsws.org Madalena McNeil and Marvin Oliveros are charged with daubing the Salt Lake City district attorney's office with red paint.
(2020-08-14). Minneapolis Reneging On George Floyd Promises. popularresistance.org At the height of the Minneapolis rebellion, a majority of the city council announced they would move towards "disbanding" their police force, in response to Black Lives Matter "abolition" demands. It turned out that what the councilpersons were actually proposing was a name change, retaining a force of armed cops in a new "Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention" with a "holistic, public health-oriented" mission. But even this palliative was too much for the Minneapolis Charter Commission, which voted to delay putting the police reorganization question on the November ballot, effectively killing th…
(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…
(2020-08-14). Forget Your Feelings About Trump, Say Allies of NSA Whistleblower, 'Snowden Pardon Would Be a Major Win'. commondreams.org "Edward Snowden is a patriot. Our democracy is better off because of him," tweeted the ACLU. "As we said four years ago, the president should pardon him."
(2020-08-14). Denounced as Going 'Too Far' When Sanders Said It—American Bar Association Backs Full Voting Rights for Incarcerated People. commondreams.org Bolstering a proposal which was denounced by centrists and conservatives as going "too far" in the fight for voting rights when Sen. Bernie Sanders backed it, the American Bar Association announced its support for full enfranchisement for current and former prison inmates. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/voting_rights_0.jpg …
(2020-08-14). The November Election Is About Race. thealtworld.com Everyone knows it, but few will admit it, that the election is about race. The Democrat Party and the presstitutes have set it up that way. White Americans are the target. | Years of propaganda against "white racism" have succeeded in teaching black Americans that they are victims of "white privilege." The same propaganda has instilled in white liberals and the young a strong sense of race guilt. The sense of guilt is so strong that the majority of the violent protests and threatening marches through white neighborhoods are carried out by white people under Antifa and Black Lives Matter banners. | The Democrat ma…
(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). Was Kamala Harris a Progressive Prosecutor? A Look at Her Time as a DA & California Attorney General. democracynow.org 
As Senator Kamala Harris makes history as the first woman of color on a major party ticket, we host a debate on her record as California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney, when she proudly billed herself as "top cop" and called for more cops on the street. San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Niki Solis says Harris was the state's most progressive DA and advocated for "so many policies and so many alternatives to incarceration." Law professor Lara Bazelon says Harris was on the wrong side of history for often opposing criminal justice reform, though her record did change as a senator. "Her o…
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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…