(2020-08-18). Condemnations of Chicago "Looting" Prioritize Property Over Black Lives. zcomm.org Anti-Blackness alerts us that the state will always value property over Black life.
(2020-08-18). Saturday 8/22: Nationwide Protest: Save the Post Office from Trump, Save Our Votes Now! indybay.org Nationwide protests at local post offices across the country in support of USPS…
(2020-08-18). Merkel, Putin discuss Belarus over phone. yenisafak.com German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the recent political crisis in Belarus over the phone, her spokesman said on Tuesday.Steffen Seibert said in a press release that the two leaders discussed the latest situation in Belarus after the presidential elections held in Aug. 9."The chancellor has emphasized that the Belarusian government must refrain from using violence against peaceful demonstrators, release political prisoners immediately and initiate a national dialogue with the opposition and society in order to overcome the crisis," he said.In a separate statement, the Kr…
(2020-08-17). The Show Trial of Julian Assange: A Cruel and Pseudolegal Farce. globalresearch.ca Yesterday's hearing in London made clear, if any further proof was needed, that the prosecution of Julian Assange is a shameful and degrading show trial, intended to railroad an innocent man to prison or death for revealing the crimes of …
(2020-08-17). Prominent lawyers and legal associations demand Assange's freedom. wsws.org The 152 legal experts are unambiguous: the campaign against Assange has been based on gross violations of law and he must be immediately released from prison.
(2020-08-17). International Lawyers Make Urgent Appeal To British Government. popularresistance.org We write to you as legal practitioners and legal academics to express our collective concerns about the violations of Mr. Julian Assange's fundamental human, civil and political rights and the precedent his persecution is setting. We call on you to act in accordance with national and international law, human rights and the rule of law by bringing an end to the ongoing extradition proceedings and granting Mr. Assange his long overdue freedom — freedom from torture, arbitrary detention and deprivation of liberty, and political persecution. We remind the UK government that the right to a fair trial is a corner…
(2020-08-17). Headlines for August 17, 2020. democracynow.org Pelosi Calls House Back from Recess as Outrage Mounts over Turmoil at USPS, AZ Teachers Halt School Reopening; COVID-19 Data Shows Devastating Effect on Latinx, Black People, New Zealand Postpones Election Amid COVID-19 Spike; Virus Compounds Disaster in Lebanon, Mass Protests Continue in Belarus Amid Reports of Torture in Jails, Student Protests in Thailand Swell, Demanding Democratic Reforms, 16 People Killed After Car Bomb Blast at Hotel in Somalia, At Least 6 People Killed as Protests Intensify in Ivory Coast, Trump Vows to Reinstate U.N. Sanctions Against Iran, Lawyers Say Guards at Immigration Jail "Systema…
(2020-08-17). Chile: Mapuche People Call for Actions Against Capitalism. telesurenglish.net Mapuche people Sunday condemned Chile's capitalist regime, which is the main responsible for the domination and oppression of this Indigenous people. | RELATED: | "We are calling on the people to carry out sabotage against capital, forestry industry, and other capitalist investments that threaten Mapuche People's lives," the Arauco-Malleco Coordination (CAM) stated. | This call was made amid the Mapuche people's…
(2020-08-17). Ainu People Sues Japan to Confirm Salmon Fishing Rights. telesurenglish.net A cultural organization of the Ainu People Monday sued the Japanese State and the Hokkaido Island government so that the authorities recognize their indigenous rights and lift the ban on commercial salmon fishing in rivers. | RELATED: | The lawsuit is the first of its kind filed by members of this Indigenous people, who were subjected to forced assimilation more than a century ago. | Although Japanese law recognize…
(2020-08-17). Never Surrender in Portland, Oregon. counterpunch.org 
There is a whole new generation of Americans who have decided that non-stop resistance is the only way to confront the lethal power structure that is bound and determined to tattoo obedience on their very souls. That relentless longevity of energy is being acted out in Portland, Oregon like no other city across this nation. This has really become a profound awakening of historical precedence. The Black community only represents 6% of the population in Portland. Most of the demonstrators have been predominately young white people who are strong supporters of Black Lives Matter. There has been some very effective B…
(2020-08-17). Racist Soledad prison guards intentionally infect Black prisoners. liberationnews.org 
Racist prison guards brutalized more than 200 Black prisoners at Soledad in a violent 3 a.m. raid, forcing prisoners to sit shoulder-to-shoulder, with no masks. Guards in riot gear hurled racial slurs at the Black men who were targeted.
(2020-08-17). Twitter 'accidentally' suspends satirical site Babylon Bee after it mocked Kamala Harris and USPS conspiracies. rt.com 
Twitter suspended the account of parody news site The Babylon Bee after it mocked Democrat VP candidate Kamala Harris and 'mail vote suppression' conspiracies. It was shortly restored amid protests about censorship. | The Bee went dark around 6 pm on Monday. Archives showed that their last BREAKING: It appears the Babylon Bee's Twitter account has been suspe…
(2020-08-17). We've Filed 400 Legal Actions Against Trump. aclu.org Immediately after Trump's election, we put the president and his administration on notice: If they enacted unconstitutional and illegal policies,
(2020-08-17). An Abortion Advocacy Movement for Everybody. aclu.org Abortion is legal in Texas and across the United States, but that doesn't stop anti-abortion politicians from doing whatever they can to interfere with access to reproductive healthcare. Local governments have added fuel to the fire by passing anti-abortion ordinances that confuse residents about their rights and increase the ever-present stigma around seeking abortion care., , That's why, for the first time, reproductive rights, health, and justice groups in our state are joining forces to expand essential health care access for all Texans by creating the Texas Abortion Access Network. Join us for TAAN'
(2020-08-17). Following protests across the globe, Israel releases BDS activist Mahmoud Nawajaa. peoplesdispatch.org Following his release after 17 days in prison, Mahmoud Nawajaa called for the intensification of BDS campaigns "to bring to an end this system of apartheid and oppression and free all 4,700 Palestinian prisoners"
(2020-08-17). Belarus: Opposition leader says 'ready to lead country'. yenisafak.com The leader of the Belarusian opposition said Monday she is "ready to lead the nation" through a transitional period in order to end the unrest and organize "in the shortest terms" a new "fair and open presidential election".In a video message, published on her YouTube channel, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya promised to release all "political prisoners" and relax the election legislation so that the results of the new election are recognized by the international community.Tikhanovskaya, who is currently in Lithuania, also expressed solidarity with the people rallying against the results of the presidential election in Bel…
(2020-08-17). Why The Fight for Paid Sick Leave is a Civil Rights Issue. commondreams.org McDonald's workers and their supporters hold signs at a rally to protest what they allege is McDonald's attempts to silence a worker who spoke out about unsafe conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, August 7, 2020 outside a McDonald's in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/mcdonaldsprotest.jpg …
(2020-08-16). Portland protesters hurl rocks at police on 80th night of BLM demonstrations, riot declared & 2 officers hospitalized (VIDEOS). rt.com 
The 80th night of Black Lives Matter protests in Portland turned violent, with police declaring yet another riot as demonstrators threw rocks and projectiles at officers and their vehicles. Police said two cops were hospitalized. | More than 200 people showed up to an anti-police brutality protest in East Portland on Saturday night. What began as peaceful demonstration later turned violent as protesters began moving into residential areas, throwing rocks and projectiles at police property and officers. | Portland Police eventually declared the demonstration a riot early on Sunday, arresting several people as t…
(2020-08-16). Friday 8/28: 2020 Black National Convention Livestream (M4BL). indybay.org Online via livestream…
(2020-08-15). Sanders Warns of Trump Effort to 'Destroy the Post Office to Sabotage This Election'. commondreams.org The warning from the Vermont senator follows a USPS announcement that it's halting its collection of mailboxes in multiple states—which voting rights advocates rebuked as evidence of "massive voter suppression." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/election-sabotage-mailboxes.jpg …
(2020-08-15). Popular Viral Video Firm Sues Facebook over Russian Propaganda Label. thealtworld.com 
The company behind In The Now, Soapbox and Waste-Ed is taking on media giant Facebook, who it claims is falsely labeling it as Russian state-controlled propaganda. | MPN— On online media company is suing social media giant Facebook for falsely smearing it as a Russian state-controlled propaganda outlet. Maffick, the owner of In The Now, Soapbox and Waste-Ed, has filed a lawsuit against Facebook in a Northern California district court for defamation, intentional interference and violating section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, unjustly causing them economic and reputational harm, claiming that Facebook's actions re…
(2020-08-15). ICE Guards 'Systematically' Sexually Assault Detainees. popularresistance.org Guards in an immigrant detention center in El Paso sexually assaulted and harassed inmates in a "pattern and practice" of abuse, according to a complaint filed by a Texas advocacy group urging the local district attorney and federal prosecutors to conduct a criminal investigation. | The allegations, detailed in a filing first obtained by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, maintain that guards systematically assaulted at least three people in a facility overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement — often in areas of the detention center not visible to security cameras.
(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). 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). Protesters gather at site of activist's death amid calls for Belarus leader to quit. thecanary.co 
Thousands of demonstrators in Belarus gathered at the spot in the capital where a protester died in clashes with police, calling for authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko to resign after 26 years in power.It was the seventh consecutive day of large protests against the results of the 9 August presidential election, in which election officials say Lukashenko won a sixth term in office. Opposition supporters believe the figures have been manipulated.Despite harsh police action against the protesters, including the detention of some 7,000 people, the demonstrations have swelled into the largest and most susta…
(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). Prisoners' Justice Day in Canada, The Rights of Prison Inmates. The Prison Reform Movement. globalresearch.ca "Solitary is used against prisoners who continue to resist against the oppressive environment within the system, and it is used to extremes that are hard for anyone to believe possible in a modern-day society. It is used to wear us …
(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.
(2020-08-15). Prisoners' Justice Day in Canada. globalresearch.ca "Solitary is used against prisoners who continue to resist against the oppressive environment within the system, and it is used to extremes that are hard for anyone to believe possible in a modern-day society. It is used to wear us …
(2020-08-15). US elections could call into question fundamentals of democracy. peoplesdispatch.org Eugene Puryear of BreakThrough News talks about the nomination of Kamala Harris as the vice-presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, as well as issues around voter suppression and fraud…
(2020-08-14). Jail Took My Mom: Filmmaker on How His Mother Broke the Cycle of Incarceration & Shaping DNC Policy. democracynow.org 
The coronavirus crisis and the movement for racial justice have magnified the challenges faced by people released from prison, whose criminal record makes it hard to find a job and even housing, especially women. We feature a new AJ+ series by Messiah Rhodes, whose mother was in and out of jail throughout his childhood and was able to break the cycle of incarceration. Rhodes says his work serves as a response to calls to defund police. "Instead of giving law enforcement agencies tanks and sci-fi-level weaponry, we should be funding … housing, education, family reunification, mental health support," he says. We…
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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…