2020-07-30: News Headlines

Staff (2020-07-30). Chomsky on Israel's Hindering of Palestinian Pandemic Response & Threat to Annex Occupied West Bank. democracynow.org Noam Chomsky says Israel's planned annexation of the occupied West Bank "basically formalizes" what has already been official policy over the last half-century, from both left-wing and right-wing parties in Israel. He compares Israel's treatment of Palestinians to anti-immigrant policies in the United States, and says the main goal of annexation is to take over as much territory while excluding its Palestinian inhabitants. "Israel does not want to bring Palestinian populations into the greater Israel they're constructing."

RT (2020-07-30). The Nuremburg defense? Twitterati bust out Nazi comparisons over new docuseries showing troubled ICE agents 'just enforcing laws'. rt.com An upcoming documentary shows how US immigration agents deal with being viewed as the 'bad guys' for enforcing policies they don't necessarily endorse. Twitter's collective reaction to a preview of the show? "They're like Nazis!" | The docuseries 'Immigration Nation', by filmmakers Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau, is the result of three years spent with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which gave them "unprecedented" access to its daily operations. Set to premiere on Netflix next month, the show follows individual agents and shows how they get "chewed up" in a "broken system," according t…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-07-30). List of Israeli Targets Leaked: Tel Aviv Fears the Worst in ICC Investigation of War Crimes. dissidentvoice.org When International Court of Justice (ICC) Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, confirmed last December that the Court has ample evidence to pursue a war crimes investigation in occupied Palestine, the Israeli government responded with the usual rhetoric, accusing the international community of bias and insisting on Israel's 'right to defend itself.' Beneath the platitudes and typical Israeli …

Ryan Devereaux (2020-07-30). Before Portland, Trump's Shock Troops Went After Border Activists. zcomm.org The purported threat of antifa was long used to justify militarized targeting of immigration activists. Now it's being used against protesters in Portland…

Mark Friedman (2020-07-30). Wilmington Protest Meeting Demands Federal Troops Out of Portland, US Troops Out of Cuba. counterpunch.org A successful meeting and street protest in Wilmington, California, a neighborhood near the LA Harbor, highlighted harbor area efforts for Black Lives Matter and efforts to end the US blockade of Cuba. The meeting held at the Wilmington Machinists Union hall was opened by International Association of Machinists Local 1484 President Kevin Kucera saying "It gives

Steve Beck (2020-07-30). 'Strike for Black Lives' Action Wins Victory for Seattle Transit Workers. zcomm.org County Council votes to fund promised transit raises one day after rally called by Organized Workers for Labor Solidarity (OWLS) to coincide with Seattle Strike for Black Lives.

Lawrence Davidson (2020-07-30). An Attack on Edward Said's Legacy. counterpunch.org I traveled to Israel and the Occupied Territories in the early 2000s with the progressive group Faculty for Israeli-Palestinian Peace. We made an effort to gain insight into most of the players in the conflict, and so a series of interviews was arranged with members of the Israeli right wing. I remember that one of

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-07-29). Landmark Measure to Repeal 'Racist,' Anti-Choice Helms Amendment Hailed as Step to a 'More Equitable World'. commondreams.org "Abortion care is healthcare and healthcare is a fundamental human right." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Staff (2020-07-29). AG Bill Barr Grilled by House Lawmakers on Protest Crackdown, Voter Suppression & Pandemic Failures. democracynow.org We play highlights from Attorney General William Barr's grilling by the House Judiciary Committee over how he sent militarized federal forces to confront Black Lives Matter protesters, and his opposition to voting by mail, and get response from a close friend of Congressmember John Lewis who is now running for Senate. "In spite of the machinations of Donald Trump and those who do his bidding, including the attorney general, the good news is that we're seeing a multiracial coalition of people pouring out into American streets," responds Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, "saying that we're concerned about the soul of our d…

Staff (2020-07-29). Rev. Warnock of Ebenezer Baptist Church on Legacy of John Lewis & Ongoing Fight for Voting Rights. democracynow.org We look at the life and legacy of late civil rights icon and Georgia Congressmember John Lewis, who is being mourned across the U.S. and who became the first Black politician to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. "The irony of this moment is that even as we celebrate and honor John Lewis, the patron saint of voting rights, he hailed from the state which in many instances is ground zero for voter suppression," says Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, who serves as senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, was with Lewis in the final days of his life and will preside over his memorial service. "In recen…

Terrea Mitchell (2020-07-29). Sixth annual Sandra Bland #Say Her Name protest in New York City. workers.org A spirited group of about 100 protesters gathered July 13 in Union Square in New York City to demand justice for Black Lives Matter activist Sandra Bland and all Black womxn, girls and femmes. The People's Power Assemblies NYC were the main organizers of the 6th annual Sandra Bland #SayHerName . . . |

Nick Pemberton (2020-07-29). Black Lives Matter and the Nuclear Family. counterpunch.org "We make our spaces family-friendly and enable parents to fully participate with their children. We dismantle the patriarchal practice that requires mothers to work "double shifts" so that they can mother in private even as they participate in public justice work. We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended

Jim McMahan (2020-07-29). Seattle protest in solidarity with Portland. workers.org On July 25, 2,000 youthful anti-racists marched here in solidarity with Portland resistance. As in Portland, Ore., federal repressive forces have been sent to Seattle. The march was called by the Youth Liberation Front. Chanting "Black Lives Matter," the demonstrators headed to the site of a new youth jail. Located . . . |

Joshua Hanks (2020-07-29). Resistance broadens in Portland. workers.org Thousands of anti-racist, anti-fascist protesters continue to come out night after night into the streets of Portland, Ore., to protest against police brutality, racism and the iron-fisted federal occupation of the city. After two months of continuous protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, the protests swelled . . . |

Teresa Gutierrez (2020-07-29). Does 'Operation Legend' signal growing fascistic threat? workers.org The top attorney in the country, the person who is supposed to uphold the law the most, is also the most crooked and dangerous. Not to mention that he is an utter white supremacist who wouldn't mind at all if the country went fascist. Even his own colleagues, other lawyers . . . |

Judy Greenspan (2020-07-29). Racist guards attack Soledad prisoners. workers.org In a 3 a.m. raid July 20, approximately 200 Black prisoners at California's Soledad state prison were violently taken from their cells with nothing on but their boxer shorts. The men were herded into the chow hall, handcuffed with zip ties and forced to sit shoulder-to-shoulder without masks for hours, . . . |

C.J. Atkins (2020-07-29). Is Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton the next Trump? peoplesworld.org Amidst a public health catastrophe that's already taken 150,000 lives in this country and a national anti-racist uprising which has mobilized millions, the extreme right is methodically planning its next steps, ensuring its political survival no matter the outcome of the November 3rd elections. Whether or not Trump prevails and wins a second term, the …

Morgan Artyukhina (2020-07-29). Washington, D.C. march in solidarity with Portlanders fighting against racist police terror. liberationnews.org Everywhere the march went, it received cries, whistles and honks of support from sidewalks, apartment building windows, and drivers passing by.

Betsey Piette (2020-07-29). Unions call for 'Strike for Black Lives'. workers.org On July 20, unions led protests under the general banner "Strike for Black Lives" in over 160 U.S. cities, with tens of thousands participating. The call, initiated by Service Employees (SEIU), was endorsed by over 60 unions and social justice groups. Many of those participating in the protests were essential . . . |

RT (2020-07-29). White BLM activist tells black doctor at center of Covid-19 controversy: 'I'm more black than you on the inside'. rt.com Dr Stella Immanuel has enough skepticism to deal with regarding her controversial medical theories, but in the eyes of at least one Black Lives Matter activist, even her blackness is something to be challenged. | "You're not black on the inside, I'm more black than you on the inside," a masked white man yelled at Immanuel yesterday on the steps the Supreme Court in Washington, where she was part of a group of doctors staging a press conference to promote the use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a coronavirus cure. The man added that Immanuel was "betraying Black Lives Matter" and that "there were people during t…

RT (2020-07-29). 3D George Floyd hologram to 'replace' confederate monuments in southern US tour (VIDEOS). rt.com A 3D hologram of George Floyd has begun its tour of southern US states, debuting Tuesday night in Richmond, Virginia. It is due to be displayed at several confederate monument sites across the US in the coming days. | Floyd was the black man who died at the hands of the Minneapolis police in an incident which would spark months-long, increasingly Now his family, in conjunction with a visual artist and the Change.org nonprofit, will temporarily replace former Con…

RT (2020-07-29). 'They never tell you there WERE people there': Seth Rogen stirs hornet's nest after saying Israel 'makes no sense'. rt.com Jewish actor Seth Rogen has courted controversy after saying that Israel's existence "doesn't make sense," and that young Jews are misled to believe the state was created peacefully, without displacing thousands of Palestinians. | "If it is truly for the preservation of Jewish people, it makes no sense, because again, you don't keep something you're trying to preserve all in one place especially when that place has proven to be… pretty volatile," Rogen told comedian Mark Maron on his 'WTF' podcast on Monday. | Rogen — who has been promoting his upcoming movie, 'An American Pickle,' a comedy-drama which…

RT (2020-07-29). Michigan inn owners remove Norwegian flag after taking flak from folk mistaking it for Confederacy banner. rt.com What is red, has a white and blue cross and may make people call you a racist? A Norwegian flag… which owners of a Michigan inn decided to pull down after too many people got angry, thinking it represented the Confederacy.

Editor (2020-07-29). Solidarity, the best antitoxin. workers.org Sign in the window of a Manchester, CT hair salon. As the coronavirus spreads around the globe, the United States continues to report by far the largest number of cases and deaths. As of July 27, the figures show nearly 4.5 million cases in this country and over 150,000 deaths. . . . |

yenisafak (2020-07-29). Group of European MPs say 'no' to W.Bank annexation by Israel. yenisafak.com A group of European MPs from the UK, France, Ireland, and Belgium have released a statement on Wednesday to reject the "illegal plan" of Israel's annexation of part of the occupied West Bank.Convened by Stephen Kinnock, a British MP and the co-chair of the Britain-Palestine All-Party Parliamentary Group, the lawmakers agreed to challenge and seek to deter Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's controversial plan.Prompting parliamentary colleagues from Europe and the US to sign their statement to oppose the proposed annexation, the group also appealed the public members to forward it to their local MPs.- 'No…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-07-29). 'Feeding a Bedouin': Roy Oz and Israel's Outrageous Racism. counterpunch.org On July 11, a video footage which showed a popular Israeli TV celebrity demeaning Palestinian children from the Bedouin community in the Naqab area went viral on social media. "Let's feed a Bedouin. Don't you want to feed a Bedouin?" Israeli Children TV host, Roy Oz, repeatedly asks his children, who were seated in the

Ramzy Baroud (2020-07-29). List of Targets Leaked: Israel Fears Worst in ICC War Crimes Investigation. mintpressnews.com The fact that a "secret list" exists is an indication that Tel Aviv understands that this era is different and that international law, which has failed Palestinians for over 70 years, may, for once, deliver a small measure of justice.

South Front (2020-07-29). Video: Hezbollah-Israeli Escalation on Lebanese Border. Rocket Strikes against US Bases in Iraq. globalresearch.ca On July 27, fighting broke out between Israeli forces and Hezbollah along the Israeli-Lebanese contact line. This became the heaviest open confrontation between the sides in about a year. The incident occurred in an area known as Chebaa Farms, which …

WSWS (2020-07-29). What led Argentina's Left Workers Front (FIT) to vote for banning criticism of Israel under the guise of combatting anti-Semitism? wsws.org The FIT legislators voted for a bill introduced by the right-wing Macristas to adopt a definition of anti-Semitism aimed at criminalizing opposition to Israel.

WSWS (2020-07-29). McCarthyite witch-hunt over alleged anti-Semitism explodes in British Labour Party. wsws.org Political opposition to the criminal suppression of the Palestinians by Israel is being officially recast as a form of anti-Semitism, slandering and virtually outlawing a vast swathe of left-wing opinion.

Raul Diego (2020-07-29). New Reports Suggest Libyan Warlord Khalifa Haftar is Working with Mossad. mintpressnews.com Reports of Israeli support for the Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar are nothing new, but as the apartheid state gains ground among Arab nations, the need to hide Mossad's role in the destabilizing of oil-rich Libya may be disappearing.

Michael Winship (2020-07-29). "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Picks on Portland to Pick Up Votes. commondreams.org A crowd of about 1,500 protesters gather at the Multnomah County Justice center for a Black Lives Matter march on July 20, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Monday night marked 54 days of protests in the city. (Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

C.J. Hopkins (2020-07-29). The White Black Nationalist Color Revolution. dissidentvoice.org So, the White Black Nationalist Color Revolution ("made possible in part by GloboCap") appears to be going extremely well. According to Foreign Policy magazine, the Trump regime is clinging to power, but it's only a matter of time until the identitarian moderate rebels drive the Putin-backed fascists out of office and restore democracy to the …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-29). Genocide of Colombia's social leaders continues unabated. peoplesdispatch.org On July 27, Colombian organizations including the Institute of Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz), the Marcha Patriótica (the Patriotic March) platform of social movements and the Agrarian, Peasant, Ethnic and Popular Summit, a platform of Indigenous, peasant and Afro-descendant organizations, held a press conference to denounce the growing violence against Colombian movements. They denounced that almost 1,000 social leaders have been killed since the signing of peace agreements in 2016 between the former government of President Juan Manuel Santos and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerril…

Karin Brothers (2020-07-29). It Is Now the "Israel-led" Coalition that Is Destroying Yemen. globalresearch.ca It wasn't supposed to take this long to eliminate the independence movement of the backward land of the living Bible. A coalition of the world's major military powers, led by the US, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and …

Jonathan Cook (2020-07-29). UK Labour Party teeters on Brink of Civil War Over Antisemitism. dissidentvoice.org Jeremy Corbyn, the former left-wing leader of Britain's Labour party, is once again making headlines over an "antisemitism problem" he supposedly oversaw during his five years at the head of the party. This time, however, the assault on his reputation is being led not by the usual suspects — pro-Israel lobbyists and a billionaire-owned media …

Yves Engler (2020-07-29). Neo-Nazi Bad, Left-wing Israel-Critic Store Owner much Worse? dissidentvoice.org Contrasting the Jewish establishment's reaction to alleged bigotry from a left-wing Toronto restaurant and unambiguous hatred from a far-right politician is a sad comment on their political priorities. As I detailed here and here, the anti-Palestinian lobby went into overdrive after Foodbendors owner Kimberly Hawkins posted to Instagram at the start of the month: "Open …

WSWS (2020-07-29). French state sues mayor for linking police repression to pro-Nazi Vichy regime. wsws.org The lawsuit against Colombes Mayor Patrick Chaimovitch tramples on historical truth and basic democratic rights.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-29). US protesters rally in solidarity with Portland's defiance of Trump. peoplesdispatch.org As the Trump administration is increasing its repression of anti-racism mobilizations, the protests are only intensifying. On July 25, two months after the killing of George Floyd, protests took place across US. Everywhere, the protestors have expressed solidarity with the people on the streets in Portland who have been facing a violent crackdown from federal law enforcement agencies.

Rann Miller (2020-07-29). Trump's Plan to Reopen Schools Puts Black Students at Risk. progressive.org With Black people hit hardest by the pandemic, sending students back to school would be especially dangerous for Black children and their families.

_____ (2020-07-29). Calls For Video Related To John Neville's Death Persist. popularresistance.org Protesters made new demands of Forsyth County elected officials Tuesday, calling for a general increase in transparency from county leaders, and specifically, the release of video pertaining to the death of an inmate at the Forsyth County Detention Center. | "We're fighting for truth, justice, dignity, humanity, economic justice, social justice," said Tony Ndege, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Winston-Salem. "We stand against state violence, but we also stand for social and economic justice." | Demonstrations began in Winston-Salem weeks ago and groups like Black Lives Matter Winston-Salem say they plan to cont…

_____ (2020-07-29). Preparing For A November Surprise. popularresistance.org Nationwide protests against police brutality following George Floyd's murder are the broadest and most persistent in US history. They have laid bare the racism that pervades American society—and demonstrated the willingness of Americans to take to the streets and resist oppression, even in the midst of a pandemic. Americans must continue demanding an end to white supremacy and follow the lead of Black organizers to galvanize a similar flexing of civic muscle to help ensure democratic continuity come November. With elections four months away and the rule of law under steady attack, people power could prove d…

_____ (2020-07-29). Land-Based Ethics And Settler Solidarity In A Time Of Corona And Revolution. popularresistance.org Settler colonialism has been defined as a structure, not an event, meaning that settler societies like the U.S., Canada, and Australia endure over time through racist laws and ideologies that naturalize the dispossession of Indigenous populations.1 One of the most effective strategies that settler states rely on to eliminate Indigenous peoples and their power is the idea that their knowledge is primitive and superstitious, examples of failed epistemology.2 This view is rooted in an Enlightenment-born materialism that asserts that legitimate knowledge can only be produced through narrow empirical methods, relegati…

yenisafak (2020-07-29). Quo Vadis, Aida? by Bosnian director to vie in Venice. yenisafak.com With Turkey's state broadcaster TRT among co-producers, Bosnian director's film Quo Vadis, Aida? will compete for the grand prize at the Venice Film Festival this year.Set in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995 during the Serbian occupation of Srebrenica, where one of the world's most horrific genocides took place in the heart of Europe, the drama will be among 18 films in the main competition of the festival which will be held between Sept. 2-12.A film by Bosnian director Jasmila Zbanic, Quo Vadis, Aida? tells the story of Aida, a translator for the UN peacekeeping task force in Bosnia. It is co-produced by Bosnia, T…

yenisafak (2020-07-29). Turkey to display seized historical artifacts in museum. yenisafak.com Some 155 historical artifacts seized during a police raid in the Aegean province of Aydin will be displayed in a museum, said an official on Wednesday.The historical artifacts including statues, oil lamps and rings plus 2,300 ancient coins were seized in the Nazilli district on July 24 and handed over to Aphrodisias Museum in Aydin.Umut Tuncer, the provincial director of culture and tourism, told Anadolu Agency that most of the delivered artifacts were genuine and that the analysis process continues for others.Noting that the police operation was one of the biggest operations in Aydin in terms of quality, Tuncer…

Staff (2020-07-29). Bill Barr Grilled by House Lawmakers on Protest Crackdown and Voter Suppression. truthout.org We play highlights from Attorney General William Barr's grilling by the House Judiciary Committee over how he sent militarized federal forces to confront Black Lives Matter protesters, and his opposition to voting by mail, and get response from a close friend of Congressmember John Lewis who is now running for Senate. "In spite of the machinations of Donald Trump and those who do his bidding, including the attorney general, the good news is that we're seeing a multiracial coalition of people…

Staff (2020-07-29). Anti-Government Propaganda Is a Republican Ploy Meant to Disarm Progressives. truthout.org Social justice activists win myriad campaigns on specific issues each year, but when we step back, it still looks like we're losing the broader struggle for a livable future. | Despite our best efforts, we still face unprecedented concentrations of wealth and power, expanding economic insecurity (the "gig" economy), environmental catastrophe and systemic racism. | Why have progressives failed to mobilize a force capable of governing the U.S.? | Recently, I found a compelling explanation [mdas…

Lee Siu Hin, Immigrant Solidarity Network (2020-07-29). Thursday 8/6: 8/6 5-7PM PST Please Join Our D2K LA 2000 – 20th Anniversary Zoom Webinar. indybay.org 8/6 5-7PM PST Please Join Our D2K LA 2000 – 20th Anniversary Zoom Webinar | Time: August 6th Thursday at 5-7 PM PST. | Zoom Webinar Registration: us04web.zoom.us/meeting/register/upwrcOm… | August 2000 will be the 20th anniversary of the D2K LA 2000, a week-long moralization that shocked the country: DNC LA, march to Staples Center, The Rage concert, the convergent center at the MacAuthor Park, the LA Independent Media Center at the Patriotic Hall, Mumia march, direct action at the Rampart Police Station, midnight special law collective, jail solidarity action in front of the T…

Black Abolitionist Network and others (2020-07-29). Wednesday 7/29: Racism is a Public Health Crisis: Intersection of COVID19, Racism & Health Care in America. indybay.org Online…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-07-28). Majority of Americans Back Black Lives Matter Protests and Think Demonstrations Will Help Racial Justice: Poll. commondreams.org A new Gallup survey shows that 65% of U.S. adults support the protests. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…