Daily Archives: August 2, 2020

2020-08-02: News Headlines

Mike Whitney (2020-08-02). Seattle's "Bolshevik Revolution" globalresearch.ca "We are coming to dismantle this deeply oppressive, racist, sexist, utterly bankrupt system of capitalism. We cannot and will not stop until it is dismantled, and we replace it with a socialist world, based on solidarity, genuine democracy, and equality." …

RT (2020-08-02). Joe says no: Trader Joe's stands up to outrage mob, proving the impotence of online activism. rt.com Grocery chain Trader Joe's won't be changing its supposedly "racist" product labels. In an era where suspect tweets can ruin careers, the decision is a reminder that online activism doesn't always matter in real life. | According to more than 5,000 signatories of an online petition, some of the chain's branding — which sees its Italian range labeled 'Trader Giotto's', its Mexican range called 'Trader Jose's', and its Chinese food named 'Trader Ming's' — is racist. | The branding "exoticizes other cultures," the petition states. Furthermore, the petition alleges that the company's founder Joe Coulombe…

_____ (2020-08-02). U.S. Troop Removal From Germany: a NATO-Skeptic POTUS Always Wins. strategic-culture.org Is there any good reason why Germany is still occupied by the United States? After 75+ years one could make a strong argument that the Nazi threat is over. Donald Trump would seem to agree with this sentiment and directly stated that he wants to continue to reduce the number of American soldiers on the territory of today's friendlier tolerant and geopolitically submissive Deutschland. The logic by which U.S. forces are stationed across the globe has been called into question many times and very often has no sellable answer. Trump himself agrees with the dubious nature of the need to have an American army base in…

Fight Back (2020-08-02). Large protests continue in Portland. fightbacknews.org Portland, OR — The chant of "Black lives matter!" echoed off the Federal Courthouse Friday, July 31, as nearly 3000 demonstrators assembled in downtown Portland. Federal agents and local police were not visible, but a number of protesters stated that agents remain inside the courthouse. Many rally participants were well prepared for an attack, wearing head protection and gas masks to lessen the impact of teargas and police projectiles. No clashes occurred. | The courthouse is covered with slogans and surrounded by concrete barriers topped by metal fencing. African Americans and other oppressed nationalitie…

Fight Back (2020-08-02). Thousands march and rally in Portland. fightbacknews.org Portland, OR – Large marches rocked downtown Portland, August 1, as thousands took to the streets in defense of Black lives. Trade unionists had a visible presence in the large protests. | Many rallied in front of the federal courthouse, which is surrounded by concrete and metal barriers. | The federal courthouse has been the scene of intense clashes between protesters and federal agents sent by the Trump administration. As of midnight, police had no visible presence. | According to reports, police declared an action in the Northeast Portland neighborhood to be an 'unlawful assembly' and arrested several people.

news.un (2020-08-02). Leaving No Roma behind during a pandemic, and beyond: a UN Resident Coordinator's Blog. news.un.org Roma people in Europe face widespread discrimination in many areas of life, including housing and health. In this opinion piece, Francoise Jacob, the UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia, explains how the UN is helping Roma communities, many of which have no access to safe water or electricity, to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

IMEMC News (2020-08-02). Army Abducts A Mother, Her Son And Daughter, In Hebron, After Colonists Attempted to Kidnap A Child. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Saturday evening, a Palestinian mother along with her son and daughter after they helped free a child after she was assaulted by illegal colonialist settlers who tried to kidnap her. According to human rights activist and a volunteer with the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights …

_____ (2020-08-02). Law Enforcement Exposed: Massive Blue Leaks, Police Pentagon Papers. popularresistance.org In an email message, Betsy Reed, the editor-in-chief of the Intercept reports, "Hundreds of thousands of files from the FBI and local police departments have been leaked, exposing serious abuses of power by law enforcement." She writes, Blue Leaks "are like the Pentagon Papers for U.S. law enforcement." The leaks show how political activists are targeted and monitored on social media, that there is widespread racial bias by police and that police exaggerate threats by antifa to justify violence against protesters.

_____ (2020-08-02). 'We Are On The Cusp Of Something Great'. popularresistance.org Since the nation erupted after the May 25 police killing of George Floyd, Black organizers and community members have been working around the clock to channel mass protests into tangible victories. Nikita Mitchell, 26, is national coordinator of The Rising Majority, formed in 2017 by the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition that includes Black Lives Matter. Rising Majority is led by Black people and people of color, and brings social movements together in an anti-racist, anti-capitalist Left for radical democracy.

yenisafak (2020-08-02). Eid al-Adha: Turkey donates meat to needy Gazans. yenisafak.com Palestinian authorities on Sunday began distributing meat from livestock sacrificed with donations from Turkey on the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival to hundreds of families in need in the Gaza Strip.During the four-day holiday, the Ministry of Foundations and Religious Affairs aims to provide as many as 4,500 families with meat, Eshref Ismail, the director of the projects department at the ministry, told Anadolu Agency.The Turkiye Diyanet Foundation is financing the initiative.Most of the Muslim-majority countries around the world, including Turkey, are observing the four-day holiday that started on Friday.On Eid al…

yenisafak (2020-08-02). Top Iranian aide praises Turkey's Hagia Sophia move. yenisafak.com A senior advisor to Iran's supreme leader on Sunday congratulated Turkey for reopening the Hagia Sophia Mosque after 86 years as a museum."We congratulate the Turkish people for this important Islamic success," Ali Akbar Velayati, an aide to Ali Khamenei told Iranian state television.Velayati also criticized US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for recent comments urging Ankara to reconvert the Hagia Sophia into a museum."His ancestors converted all museums of the world into churches. The Hagia Sophia, which has been a mosque for 500 years, will remain as a mosque until the apocalypse," Velayati stressed.Ankara has…

Tom Coburg (2020-08-01). A UK-funded contractor is providing intelligence support to Trump's protester-attacking paramilitaries. thecanary.co Paramilitary units deployed by Donald Trump to the US city of Portland, in response to Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, have been identified. Interestingly, intelligence for one of the units is handled by a multinational corporation that recently won a UK contract to manage NHS data. | Federal units identified: | Units engaging with protesters in Portland have been identified in a New York Times video. They

ANSWER Indiana (2020-08-01). Black Lives Matter Coalition calls for termination of 21 officers involved in 2019 drowning of Keshawn Stewart. liberationnews.org We demand an end to the war on Black America!

Lily Cooper (2020-08-01). Portland anti-racist protesters undeterred by repression. liberationnews.org For 63 days, every possible attempt to derail a people's movement in defense of Black lives has been made against protesters in Portland, Oregon. Every red-baiting, reactionary talking point has been deployed. On the ground, the Portland Police Bureau, the National Guard and three different types of federal paramilitary police have attempted to crush dissent. …

Terry Everton (2020-08-01). An Ignorant, Racist US Senator. dissidentvoice.org Another head scratcher. Arkansas Republican senator, Tom Cotton defended the institution of slavery by quoting the slave-owning so-called founding fathers who opined that slavery "was the necessary evil upon which the union was built…"

RT (2020-08-01). USSR's unique Cold War-era flying ship 'Caspian Sea Monster' to become main star of military theme park in Russia (VIDEO). rt.com A one-of-a-kind and bizarre-looking ekranoplan vehicle, which looks like a plane but is actually a military super ship, has arrived in the city of Derbent on the Caspian Sea where it will be the highlight of Patriot Park. | Built in the Soviet Union in 1986, 903 Lun became the first and only missile-carrying ekranoplan in the world. It joined the Caspian Flotilla in the early 1990s and remained in service for a decade. | The 74-meter vehicle used the lift generated by the ground effect of its huge wings to fly several meters above the water surface. Despite closely resembling a plane, Lun was classified as a s…

RT (2020-08-01). 'Caspian Sea Monster': Unique Soviet Cold War-era flying ship to become main attraction at military theme park in Russia (VIDEO). rt.com A one-of-a-kind bizarre ekranoplan vehicle, which looks like a plane but is actually a military super ship, has arrived in the city of Derbent on the Caspian Sea. It will eventually be the highlight of its 'Patriot Park.' | Built in the Soviet Union in 1986, 903 Lun became the first and only missile-carrying ekranoplan in the world. It joined the Caspian Flotilla in the early 1990s and remained in service for a decade. | The 74-meter vehicle used the lift generated by the ground effect of its huge wings to fly several meters above the water surface. Despite closely resembling a plane, Lun was classified as a s…

RT (2020-08-01). Anti-Semitism payouts are an 'abuse of members money,' trade union warns Labour Party. rt.com Britain's Labour party is dishing out "substantial damages" to staffers who accused the party of anti-Semitism. However, new Labour leader Keir Starmer is facing backlash for this tactic of handling the issue. | Labour's opponents have long accused the party of anti-Semitism, and a BBC documentary last year promised to shed light on these accusations. In it, seven former party members and a host of Israel advocates claimed that the party had stymied investigations into anti-Jewish sentiment within its ranks. The party condemned the documentary as "biased," and accused the former members of having "personal and…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-08-01). Human Rights Defenders: Palestinian Eyewitness Testimony of the Execution of Abdul Fattah al-Sharif by Israeli Soldier, Elor Azaria. dissidentvoice.org As illegal Jewish settlers increase their attacks on Palestinian civilians in the occupied city of Al Khalil (Hebron), the people of the Palestinian city continue to mount a campaign of popular resistance. One of the channels of resistance is Human Rights Defenders, "a grass-roots, non-partisan Palestinian organization, working to support nonviolent popular resistance through popular …

IMEMC News (2020-08-01). Israeli Soldiers Abduct Three Teenage Boys Near Jenin. imemc.org Israeli soldiers invaded, on Saturday evening, Ya'bad town, west of the northern West Bank city of Jenin, searched homes, and abducted three teenage boys. The soldiers also invaded Zabbouba nearby village. Media sources in Jenin said several army vehicles invaded Ya'bad, especially the al-Ba'ajwa neighborhood, before abducting three teenage boys …

IMEMC News (2020-08-01). Soldiers Abduct A Palestinian In Nablus, Injure Many In Jenin. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Saturday at dawn, one Palestinian in Nablus, and injured several others in Jenin, in northern West Bank. Media sources said the soldiers invaded Nablus city, stormed and searched homes, before abducting one Palestinian, identified as Islam al-Qadah. The soldiers also invaded Zabbouba village, west of Jenin, …

Ali Salam (2020-08-01). Israeli Forces Shoot, Injure 7 Palestinians at Weekly Kufur Qaddoum March. imemc.org Seven Palestinian young men were shot and injured by Israeli forces, on Friday, while dozens more suffocated on tear-gas at the weekly march in Kufur Qaddoum village, east of Qalqilia, in the northern occupied West Bank, the Palestinian WAFA News Agency reported. The coordinator of the Popular Resistance in the …

_____ (2020-08-01). Honestly, People In The US Couldn't Care Less About Hong Kong. popularresistance.org I just spent two weeks in the United States, investigating, analyzing the situation there. | I worked in Washington D.C., Minneapolis, where Mr. George Floyd was murdered by deranged cops, in New York City and Boston. COVID-19 was at my tail, as the states kept opening and closing, frantically. Demonstrations were shaking the country, protests against endemic racism and discrimination have been erupting in hundreds of cities and towns. | In several of my reports, I described confusion and deep contradictions, which have been devastating this, still the most powerful nation in the Western world.

yenisafak (2020-08-01). Israel's attacks violate UNSC resolution: Lebanon. yenisafak.com Lebanon is prepared to defend itself against Israel's attacks, which are in violation of the 2006 UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Saturday.In a televised address, the president said Israel's attacks in southern Lebanon had once again flouted UNSC Resolution 1701, which calls for full cessation of hostilities and Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon.Aoun asserted that Lebanon remains willing to abide by the resolution and resolving all disputes under UN supervision."We are committed to defend ourselves, our land, our water, and our authority. We will not compromis…

Staff (2020-07-31). Barack Obama: Honor John Lewis by Renewing Voting Rights Act & Ballot Access in the U.S. democracynow.org In his stirring eulogy at the funeral service for Congressmember John Lewis, President Barack Obama said expanded voting rights would be the greatest way to honor the civil rights icon's legacy. In a speech that condemned the status of American democracy without ever naming the sitting president, Obama called for election day to be declared a national holiday, full Congressional representation for Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and the end of the filibuster, which he called a "Jim Crow relic." "You want to honor John? Let's honor him by revitalizing the law he was willing to die for," Obama said in reference…

Staff (2020-07-31). Civil Rights Hero John Lewis Remembered at Funeral as "Patriot Who Risked His Life" for Democracy. democracynow.org As family, friends and dignitaries paid their final respects at the Atlanta funeral of John Lewis, the civil rights leader and 17-term Georgia Congressmember was remembered as a singular force for equality and justice. The funeral took place at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, once led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., where senior pastor Rev. Raphael Warnock contrasted Lewis' legacy with "some in high office who are much better at division than vision," and described the late politician as "a true American patriot who risked his life and bled for the hope and promise of democracy."

John O'Kane (2020-07-31). Systemic Racism And Progressive Reconstruction. counterpunch.org President Trump christened the activist authority behind the recent protests in his 4th of July Mount Rushmore speech: "We are now in the process of defeating the radical left, the Marxists, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters, and people who in many instances have absolutely no clue what they are doing" (Annie Karni and Maggie

W. T. Whitney (2020-07-31). "We Charge Genocide:" Forerunner at UN of Black Lives Matter. counterpunch.org The police killing of George Floyd on May 25 provoked demonstrations worldwide. The United Nations Human Rights Council on June 17 debated a draft resolution introduced by the "African Group" of nations that condemned "structural racism endemic to the criminal justice system in the United States." The African nations were responding to a letter from

Rob Urie (2020-07-31). Russiagate, Nazis, and the CIA. counterpunch.org The political success of Russiagate lies in the vanishing of American history in favor of a faàßade of liberal virtue. Posed as a response to the election of Donald Trump, a straight line can be drawn from efforts to undermine the decommissioning of the American war economy in 1946 to the CIA's alliance with Ukrainian fascists in 2014. In 1945 the NSC (National Security Council) issued a series of directives that gave logic and direction to the CIA's actions during the Cold War. That these persist despite the 'fall of communism' suggests that it was always just a placeholder in the pursuit of other objectiv…

Brett Wilkins (2020-07-31). The Bologna Massacre, the 'Strategy of Tension' and Operation Gladio. counterpunch.org On the sweltering morning of August 2, 1980, a powerful explosion blew apart the central train station in Bologna, Italy, killing 85 people and wounding 200 more. To this day, it is uncertain exactly who is behind the deadliest terrorist attack in modern Italian history. It is clear that right-wing extremists including neo-fascists, Italian secret

Paul Street (2020-07-31). "Time to Say the F-Word": Why Now? counterpunch.org Better late than never, I suppose. I am referring to the flood of recent references in liberal mainstream media to Donald Trump as a fascist. It is remarkable. In the last two months, I've read essays and seen television segments and online posts by numerous liberal luminaries describing Trump as an agent and example of

RT (2020-07-31). Seattle City Council moving to defund 'racist' police department & replace it with 'community-led' public safety system. rt.com Seattle lawmakers are attempting to completely defund the city's police department and replace it with a new "civilian-led" public safety system in response to ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. | The Seattle City Council has already come under fire this week for proposing a 50 percent cut to the police department's budget — a proposal that prompted hundreds of citizens to express their concerns during a council meeting on Wednesday. | Yet, newly revealed legislation now shows that the council may be doing a lot more than simply stripping police of half their funding. Lawmakers are moving to completely…

The Canary (2020-07-31). Police investigating racially-aggravated hit-and-run as 'matter of urgency'. thecanary.co A racially-aggravated hit-and-run attack on an NHS worker is being investigated by officers "as a matter of urgency", a police and crime commissioner has said. | The 21-year-old, who wishes only to be referred to as K or his stage name Kdogg, was walking to a bus stop after finishing work at Southmead Hospital in Bristol on 22 July when a dark blue Honda Accord was deliberately driven at him, with two men then shouting racist language before running off. | K sustained serious injuries including a broken leg, nose and cheekbone, and has been left with permanent scarring — including pieces of grit and glass i…

Days of Palestine (2020-07-31). Malaysian Parliament Calls for the Expulsion of Israel from the United Nations. globalresearch.ca The Parliament of Malaysia unanimously agreed today on submitting a notice for emergency motion to urge the government to work with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in demanding the expulsion of Israel from the United Nations. | Syed Ibrahim Syed …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-31). Activists worldwide demand immediate release of BDS coordinator Mahmoud Nawajaa. peoplesdispatch.org Mahmoud Nawajaa, general coordinator of the national committee of the BDS in Palestine, was arrested by the Israeli occupation forces early in the morning of July 30. His whereabouts remain unknown…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-07-31). List of Israeli Targets Leaked: Tel Aviv Fears the Worst in ICC Investigation of War Crimes. counterpunch.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

teleSUR (2020-07-31). Palestine Celebrates the 'Festival of Sacrifice' Amid Pandemic. telesurenglish.net Amid the COVID-19 rebound in the West Bank, Palestine's people Friday commemorated the Eid al-Adha which is the most important holiday in the Muslim world. | RELATED: | During Eid al-Adha, families gather to slaughter a lamb. This animal is divided into three pieces: one is for self-consumption, a second part is given to family members, and the last one is for the people in need. | This Festival is celebrated with joy as thousan…

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-07-31). Will Hezbollah Seek Revenge Against Israel? globalresearch.ca Tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border flared up in recent days due to a confusing July 27 incident near the Sheba'a Farms, a Syrian area occupied by Israel since the 1967 war but is also claimed by Lebanon. Tensions erupted when …

Ramzy Baroud (2020-07-31). 'Feeding a Bedouin': Roy Oz and Israel's outrageous racism. peoplesworld.org asks his children, who were seated in the back seat of his car. Outside the vehicle, two Palestinian children were filmed as they stood waiting eagerly for the cookies promised to them by the Israeli driver. | Palestinian Bedouins are treated like "monkeys," Arab Member of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset), Ahmad Tibi,

teleSUR (2020-07-31). Venezuela Requests Italy To Extradite Former PDVSA President. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) declared admissible the extradition request submitted to Italy against PDVSA former president Rafael Ramirez. | RELATED: | Ramirez must return to Venezuela to be subjected to criminal proceedings, for the alleged commission of fraudulent embezzlement and evasion of the bidding procedure. | In the request, Venezuelan authorities committed to judging Ramírez only for…

_____ (2020-07-31). Supreme Court Just Made The Case For Medicare For All. popularresistance.org This July, the Supreme Court of the United States decided that President Trump, who does not have a uterus, was quite right to object to Obama-era rules under the Affordable Care Act that allowed Americans who do have uteri access to free birth control through their employer-provided health insurance plans. | Specifically, NPR reports, the Supreme Court upheld a Trump administration rule that "would give broad exemptions from the birth control mandate to nonprofits and some for-profit companies that object to birth control on religious or moral grounds."

Lisa Newcomb, staff writer (2020-07-31). In 'Disheartening' Ruling, US Supreme Court Halts Citizen Initiative to Fund Education in Idaho. commondreams.org The order is the latest in a string of opinions overruling lower court orders to relax state election procedures due to Covid-19 | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Emilio Leanza (2020-07-31). On the Line: This Is a Revolution. progressive.org For three nights in Madison, Wisconsin, hundreds of young Black Lives Matter activists were met with tear gas, pepper spray, and projectiles from police.

Tiffany Cabán (2020-07-31). The NYPD Took a Step Toward Fascism When It Kidnapped Nikki Stone. thenation.com The NYPD Took a Step Toward Fascism When It Kidnapped Nikki Stone…

Bob Fitrakis, Harvey Wasserman (2020-07-31). Fascist Ohio's Bribed $60 Million Nuke Reactor Meltdown. counterpunch.org While Trump pumps his private gestapo into cities like Portland and Seattle, Ohio's homegrown fascist legions launched a blitzkrieg of their own. On Saturday, July 18, about a thousand heavily armed militia members, white nationalists and Trump supporters showed their lack of color at a statehouse rally in downtown Columbus. The "Stand for America 2020"

Kelly Hayes (2020-07-31). "Unrest" Is Not the Enemy. Fascism Is. zcomm.org Let's dream new worlds into being with the protests we stage, and let's survive together, so that we might live to see those dreams realized in a freer, more beautiful world…

OCHA (2020-07-31). OCHA: Protection of Civilians Report | 14 — 27 July 2020. imemc.org United Nations Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Twenty Palestinians were injured by Israeli forces in various clashes across the West Bank. This is around 80 per cent below the average of such injuries since the beginning of 2020. Fourteen of the injuries were sustained during clashes that erupted …

Staff (2020-07-31). #FreeMahmoud: Israeli occupation forces arrest BDS coordinator Mahmoud Nawajaa during night raid. imemc.org July 30, 2020: Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC): Tens of Israeli occupation soldiers stormed the home of Mahmoud Nawajaa, the General Coordinator of the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC), near Ramallah, handcuffing, blindfolding and taking him away from his wife and three young children.

Ali Salam (2020-07-31). Israeli Forces Demolish Palestinian-owned Home, Confiscate Farm Equipment. imemc.org Israeli forces, on Wednesday morning, demolished the foundation of a Palestinian-owned house in Beit Awwa town, south of Hebron city in the southern occupied West Bank, Palestinian WAFA News Agency correspondent reported. He confirmed that Israeli soldiers invaded the town, and demolished the foundation of the 150 square meter house …

PCHR (2020-07-31). PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (23— 28 July 2020). imemc.org Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) Summary Israeli forces continued to commit crimes and multi-faceted violations against Palestinian civilians and their properties, including raids into Palestinian cities that are characterized by the excessive use of force, assault, abuse and attacks on civilians. This week, the Israeli's excessive use of force …