2020-07-07: News Headlines

Patrick Cockburn (2020-07-07). Trump's Racism May be Blatant, But the Culture He Defends Comes Out of the Civil War and Goes Well Beyond Racial Division. counterpunch.org President Trump is making plain the degree to which the country remains divided by the American Civil War. His threat to veto the $718bn Defence Bill if it renames military bases called after Confederate generals harks back to 1861. His stand highlights the bizarre way that the US military has named its biggest bases, like

Yves Engler (2020-07-07). White Supremacist Intelligence Alliance Pushes China Hostage Standoff. dissidentvoice.org In recent weeks movements in different countries have toppled statues and put the police and other institutions upholding systemic racism on the defensive. But, amidst unprecedented protests against racism, there has been remarkably little interest in the white supremacist foreign policy alliance currently driving conflict with China. The "Five Eyes" intelligence arrangement has faced almost …

George Monbiot (2020-07-07). Something Wicked This Way Comes. zcomm.org Are Trump and Johnson paving the way for fascism, or for something different, but just as bad?

Ramzy Baroud — Romana Rubeo (2020-07-07). Will the ICC Investigation Bring Justice for Palestine? counterpunch.org In the past, there have been many attempts at holding accused Israeli war criminals accountable. Particularly memorable is the case of the late Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, (known, among other nicknames, as the 'Butcher of Sabra and Shatila') whose victims attempted to try him in a Belgian Court in 2002. Like all other efforts,

WSWS Repost (2020-07-07). Trump rails against Marxism and "international socialism" indybay.org While the deadly COVID-19 pandemic raged, President Trump celebrated Independence Day by unabashedly promoting a fractured, fascist interpretation of American history.

Eds. (2020-07-07). How do you spell desecration of African burials?: "Ni**er!" mronline.org Much of the nation may be repudiating white supremacy, but not Montgomery County, Maryland, which is paving over sacred Black ground in an attempt to bury its own racist history.

Matthew Sakamoto (2020-07-07). Attempted car attacks fail to deter protesters in Tri-Cities, Wa. liberationnews.org Hundreds of protesters gathered at John Dam Plaza in Richland, Washington, on Saturday, July 4 to protest the national epidemic of racist police killings. People from all over the Tri-Cities attended the protest, which lasted from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The organizers, members of the local group Blackformation, spoke on the park stage about …

RT (2020-07-07). CNN's Don Lemon clashes with actor Terry Crews: Is BLM about police brutality, or problems in the black community? rt.com Actor Terry Crews faced an angry backlash after voicing concerns about the radicalization of the BLM movement. His clash with CNN's Don Lemon on why black-on-black crime is not part of the agenda split society even further. | Last Saturday, Crews, who is also a human rights activist, tweeted that he saw good people as allies regardless of the color of their skin, adding that he was "prepared to die on this hill." He previously expressed concern that the Black Lives Matter movement might slide into black supremacy. | July 4, 2020 | On Monday, Crews Richard Eskow (2020-07-07). The War on Logic: Contradictions and Absurdities in the House's Military Spending Bill. counterpunch.org The House Armed Services Committee just passed a defense appropriations bill filled with moral contradictions and illogical absurdities. Consider: It removes some racist symbols in the military, but preserves Trump's ability to use the military against anti-racist demonstrators. It abdicates Congress' responsibility to declare war, but prevents the executive branch from moving toward peace.

Walden Bello (2020-07-07). The Racist Underpinnings of the American Way of War. counterpunch.org The U.S. military command's pushback against President Donald Trump's attempt to use the military against people demanding racial justice has received a lot of good press. But let's not overdo the praise. For most of their existence, the U.S. Armed Forces were racially segregated. It was only in the 1950s that the slow process of

Fight Back (2020-07-07). Roll 4 Justice – Protest on wheels demands justice for all on July 4 in Minneapolis. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On July 4, more than 200 protesters took the streets on wheels for a new type of march calling for an end to a fundamentally racist criminal justice system and "#Justice4All." Protesters were on bikes, rollerblades, roller skates, skateboards, as well as in a car caravan as they rolled through various neighborhoods in Minneapolis. The protest was organized by Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) along with co-hosts Native Lives Matter, CAIR-Minnesota, LatinoAltRock, and Asamblea de Derechos Civiles. Messaging included slogans such as: "Abolish ICE," "Prosecute the police," and lin…

Saed Bannoura (2020-07-07). Statement: "Death Of Palestinian Detainee Not Confirmed" imemc.org The Israeli Prison Service has not yet officially informed the Palestinians or the Red Cross of the death of a Palestinian detainee in prison, while the current information reveals that the detainee is likely clinically dead, but so far, there has been no official confirmation, despite various conflicting reports. Former …

yenisafak (2020-07-07). Demolition of Palestinian homes rises despite pandemic. yenisafak.com An Israeli human rights center reported a sharp increase in the number of Palestinian homes demolished by Israel in the occupied West Bank in June, despite the outbreak of coronavirus. | "During the past month, Israel escalated the pace of house demolitions in the West Bank," the Jerusalem-based B'Tselem NGO said in a Tuesday report. | The NGO said 63 Palestinian homes were demolished across the West Bank (not including occupied East Jerusalem) since the beginning of the year, 33 of which were destroyed in June only. | The report stated that a total of 151 Palestinians, including 84 minors, lost their homes and o…

en.mehrnews (2020-07-07). Indonesia denounces Israeli regime's annexation plan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 07 (MNA) — Indonesia's government and House of Representatives have denounced the Israeli regime's plan to annex Palestinian territories.

Leon Kunstenaar (2020-07-07). San Geronimo Valley Joins BLM. indybay.org Quiet valley wakes up to Black Lives Matter…

SMPTWS (2020-07-07). Thursday 7/9: How White Supremacy Built Wall Street (webinar). indybay.org Online…

Andrew Moss (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…

Dean A. Strang (2020-07-06). More than Policing Needs to Change. progressive.org Overall, courts give structure and durability to systemic racism and antipathy toward the impoverished.

Jill Richardson (2020-07-06). Learning Not to Look Away. counterpunch.org When those of us who are white are asked to engage with anti-racism, we are being asked to do something emotionally difficult: understand how we have benefited from a system that disadvantages and hurts others, so we can help dismantle it. If you oppose and abhor racism, as I hope most of us do, it

Nima Gerami (2020-07-06). To Defeat Systemic Racism, America Must End Endless War. commondreams.org The racism that permeates U.S. foreign policy today, writes Gerami, "is an extension of the belief in white supremacy that shaped the territorial and ideological boundaries of our nation from its inception." (Photo: U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mike Brady, Task Force Cyclone, 38th Infantry Division Public Affairs) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Marcey Lynn Jones (2020-07-06). Sewing for justice: Connecticut Communist makes and distributes over 4,000 masks. peoplesworld.org On June 30, Marcey Lynn Jones marked 4,000 masks she had sewn since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. A member of the Winchester-Newhallville Club of the Communist Party USA in New Haven, Conn,, she has sewn masks for seniors, youth, community members, and participants in protests against systemic racism and police killings of Black people. She …

en.mehrnews (2020-07-06). VIDEO: Huge protests against racism in New York. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 06 (MNA) — Despite widespread crackdown on protesters, a large crowd took to the streets in New York to protest against racism and inequality.

RT (2020-07-06). 'Central Park Karen' hit with criminal charges for calling 911 on black birdwatcher, but mob wants more. rt.com The white woman who became…

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (2020-07-06). Where are the protests? Firearms overtake fireworks as shootings over July 4th weekend leave scores dead in big US cities. rt.com The Independence Day weekend turned deadly across the US as 77 people were shot in Chicago alone, continuing a spate of violence that has plagued largely black neighborhoods amid anti-racism protests focused on police brutality. | Between July 3 and July 5, 13 people were fatally shot in Chicago. The latest violence wasn't out of character in a city that earned the nickname "Chiraq" — likening the bloodshed to that in war-torn Iraq — and where around 80 percent of homicide victims each year are black, according to police data. | Father's Day weekend last month saw 104 shootings and 14 dead. | Also on…

The Canary (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…

Staff (2020-07-06). Antiracism Must Be a Priority in Every Newsroom. truthout.org As journalists in the United States reported on racial injustice and police brutality amid the murder of George Floyd, there was another story about racism brewing in the newsroom. In this case, journalists became the story. | After publishing a column originally titled "Buildings Matter, Too," The Philadelphia Inquirer received intense criticism not only from readers, but their employees, too. Journalists of color at the publication spoke out against the column and organized a "sick and tired day" to protest racial inju…

Staff (2020-07-06). Trump's Racist Mt. Rushmore Celebration Violated Indigenous Sovereignty. truthout.org Amid ongoing protests against systemic racism and state violence, Trump attacked protesters, vowed to defend statues of colonizers and white supremacists, and ignored Indigenous sovereignty over the area, when he held an Independence Day rally at Mount Rushmore, sparking even more protests that led to 15 arrests. "The Black Hills, or what we know as He Sápa, is the cultural center of our universe as Lakota people," says Indigenous scholar and activist Nick Estes, a citizen of the Lower Brule Sioux Trib…

Staff (2020-07-06). "He Wasn't Invited": How Trump's Racist Mt. Rushmore Celebration Violated Indigenous Sovereignty. democracynow.org Amid ongoing protests against systemic racism and state violence, Trump attacked protesters, vowed to defend statues of colonizers and white supremacists, and ignored Indigenous sovereignty over the area, when he held an Independence Day rally at Mount Rushmore, sparking even more protests that led to 15 arrests. "The Black Hills, or what we know as He Sápa, is the cultural center of our universe as Lakota people," says Indigenous scholar and activist Nick Estes, a citizen of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe and assistant professor of American studies at the University of New Mexico. "More than 50 different Indigenous…

commondreams (2020-07-06). States Can Require Presidential Electors to Follow Popular Vote, U.S. Supreme Court Rules. commondreams.org ______________________________…

RT (2020-07-06). Electoral College takes a hit: US Supreme Court rules states can PUNISH electors who ignore popular vote results. rt.com The Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that state governments have the right to penalize so-called 'faithless electors', members of the Electoral College who do not support the victor of their states' popular presidential vote. | Justice Elena Kagan wrote in the court's Monday ruling that states have the right to instruct their electors that they "have no ground for reversing the vote of millions of its citizens." That direction, she said, "accords with the Constitution — as well as with the trust of a Nation that here, We the People rule." | Over 30 states already require their Electoral College voters…

Fight Back (2020-07-06). St. Paul protests Israel's threat to annex West Bank. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – On July 3, 55 people participated in Women Against Military Madness' weekly vigil for Palestine. This week's action was a joint call by both Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) and the Anti-War Committee (AWC) against the Israeli government's decision to illegally annex more Palestinian land and was a part of the international call for a Day of Rage. | Wearing masks and being physically distant in the midst of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, protesters held signs reading, "No to Israeli theft of Palestinian lands," and "Annexation is theft! End U.S. aid to Israel!" People were standing on all c…

_____ (2020-07-06). Chicago Protest: No To The Continuation Of The Theft Of Palestinian Land. popularresistance.org Over 300 cars and 700 Palestinians, Arabs, and supporters gathered today in the heart of our community in the southwest suburbs of Chicago to say #NoToAnnexation, no to colonization, no to the occupation, and no to the continuation of the theft of Palestinian land at the hands of Israel. Organized by Coalition for Justice in Palestine. A rally was followed by a car caravan through our community neighborhoods. After about an hour of the two-mile-long caravan, USPCN members, SJP Chicago students, and other Arab youth shut down the busy intersection of 87th Street and Harlem Avenue in the middle of rush hour and man…

_____ (2020-07-06). Massive March Demands Justice And Liberation For Palestine. popularresistance.org Thousands of people joined a massive rally and march for Palestine in Brooklyn, New York, as part of the "Day of Rage" against Israeli annexation, colonization and Zionism in Palestine on Wednesday, 1 July. The rally was led by Within our Lifetime ‚Ä¢ United for Palestine and organized by the NY4Palestine coalition, of which Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network is a member alongside WOL, Al-Awda NY, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition; American Muslims for Palestine — NJ; and several Students for Justice for Palestine chapters throughout New York City. The rally lasted for ne…

Mike Whitney (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 …

Philip Giraldi (2020-07-06). Reparations and Other Scams: Israeli Survivors Live in Poverty and Are Starving? globalresearch.ca The issue of reparations and other compensation has been much in the news of late, most particularly in relationship to possible payments to descendants of slaves in the United States to compensate them for their disadvantages brought about by what …

Staff (2020-07-06). Headlines for July 6, 2020. democracynow.org As Coronavirus Surges, States Blame Hasty Reopenings, and Trump Falsely Claims 99% of Cases "Harmless", COVID-19 Spikes Around the World Force Countries to Reimpose Lockdowns, Indigenous Land Defenders Arrested as They Blocked Highway to Mt. Rushmore Ahead of Trump Speech, Antiracist Activist Summer Taylor Killed by Driver Who Targeted Crowd of Protesters, Protesters Topple Columbus Statue in Baltimore, BLM Uprising Continues Over July 4 Weekend, 3 Colorado Officers Fired for Photo Reenacting Killing of Elijah McClain, Pressure Mounting to Change Racist Names of Washington and Cleveland Sports Teams, 160+ People…

Cassandra Lopez, Juan Lopez (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 …

FIRE (2020-07-06). U.S. imperialism means we can't breathe! workers.org Fight for Im/migrants and Refugees Everywhere released this statement on July 5. Fight for Im/migrants and Refugees Everywhere (FIRE) is in solidarity with the global rebellion for Black lives. It is right to rebel against police terror. The same racist, sexist, police violence used to terrorize people at home is . . . |

Editor (2020-07-06). Mount Rushmore defense of genocide. workers.org Just when we thought things couldn't get worse. The July Fourth speech, delivered at the foot of Mount Rushmore by the bigot-in-chief, reminds us that under the capitalist system, things can always get worse. Especially when the occupant of the White House seems to have zero boundaries when it comes . . . |

Nino Brown (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…

Stephanie Tromblay (2020-07-06). Lakota treaty defenders block highway to Mount Rushmore Trump traffic. workers.org On the heels of a campaign rally at the site of the 1921 Tulsa, Okla., white-mob massacre of Black Wall Street, President Trump continued a tour of white supremacy symbols with a July 3 rally and fireworks at Mount Rushmore. This monument to settler colonialism is in the Black Hills, . . . |

RT (2020-07-06). Georgia governor declares emergency & deploys National Guard as Atlanta violence skyrockets amid Black Lives Matter protests. rt.com Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has ordered National Guard troops to deploy in Atlanta, after rioters sacked the state police headquarters. Shootings in the city have doubled in the wake of protests against police brutality. | Some 1,000 soldiers will be deployed to protect the state Capitol, the governor's mansion, and the Department of Public Safety building that was vandalized over the weekend, Kemp announced Monday. | "Peaceful protests were hijacked by criminals with a dangerous, destructive agenda. Now, innocent Georgians are being targeted, shot, and left for dead," Kemp said. "This lawlessness must be stop…

Steve Ellner (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…

IMEMC Staff (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 …

Ali Salam (2020-07-06). Israeli Forces Shoot, Injure Palestinians in Hebron. imemc.org During confrontations in Hebron, one Palestinian civilian, on Sunday, was shot and injured by Israeli forces, according to WAFA correspondent. In the southern occupied West Bank city of Hebron, the Israeli military, stationed at flashpoint Shuhada Street, fired rubber-coated steel rounds and concussion grenades at Palestinian protesters, hitting one of …

Ali Salam (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 …

IMEMC Staff (2020-07-06). Israeli Troops Abduct Five Palestinians from the West Bank. imemc.org Israeli Troops abducted early on Monday and late on Sunday night four Palestinian residents from different West Bank areas. Palestinian media sources reported that Israeli troop invaded the Bet Rema village, west of the central West Bank city of Ramallah and that Israeli soldiers broke into the home of Saher …

Ali Salam (2020-07-06). Israeli Settlers Shoot, Injure Two Palestinian Youths near Salfit. imemc.org Illegal Israeli settlers shot and injured two Palestinian youths, on Sunday, in Bidya village, west of Salfit, in the northern West Bank, the Palestinian Information Center reported. Local sources said that a group of Israeli colonists attacked Palestinian families in Khillat Hassan area, opening fire at them, resulting in the …