Daily Archives: July 26, 2020

2020-07-26: News Headlines

Fight Back (2020-07-26). NYC rallies to defend Portland. fightbacknews.org New York, NY – Over 40 people gathered in Union Square in New York City, July 24, to stand in solidarity with Portland against the recent targeting of activists there. The action was called in response to viral videos of protesters in Portland being picked up by unmarked vans and brought to undisclosed locations, all just for speaking out against racist violence. | The action was called by the Workers World Party and included speakers from New York Community Action Project, Code Pink, Peoples Power Assemblies, Veterans for Peace, A Call to Action on Puerto Rico, and The Pakistan-USA Freedom Forum. | The speeches…

South Front (2020-07-26). Anti-Armenian Foreign Policy of Armenian Nationalists. globalresearch.ca On July 23, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan presented Yerevan's position on the tension on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the process of peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. | "The co-chairs countries of the OSCE Minsk group have made a great …

RT (2020-07-26). Police declare riot in Portland after protesters pull down courthouse fence (VIDEOS). rt.com Law enforcement officers have begun pushing protesters away from Portland's federal courthouse after demonstrators pulled down a fence surrounding the building. | Activists used wire cutters, power saws, and ropes to attack the fence on Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday morning. Videos show a group of demonstrators rocking the chainlink barrier back and forth, ultimately pulling it down. Projectiles and tear gas flew across the sky, in what one observer described as a scene resembling a battlefield. Several fires were then lit outside the courthouse before police declared a riot and emerged fro…

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-26). US federal agents fire tear gas on peaceful protesters. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 26 (MNA) — US federal troops have used tear gas and flash-bang grenades against Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, on the 59th consecutive day of unrest in the city.

Fight Back (2020-07-26). Minneapolis protests Trump's repression in Portland. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Over 600 people rallied and marched here, July 23, at the "Portland to Minneapolis: Protest Trump's Goons Attacking Our Movement," called by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J.) | On July 20, Trump announced plans to send the Department of Homeland Security to cities across the U.S. Agents in military fatigues were deployed in Portland, grabbing demonstrators off the street, detaining them in unmarked cars and attacking protesters. Homeland Security agents were also sent to Washington, DC and Seattle. 150 federal agents are headed to Chicago, and there are reports that 2000 mor…

_____ (2020-07-26). Wall Of Vets, Grandparents Support Black Lives Matter Movement. popularresistance.org Portland, Ore. — The protests have drawn people from all walks of life, and on Friday night, veterans from all over showed up downtown to create a "Wall of Vets" to protect protesters. | And they showed up in white shirts to support the Black Lives Matter movement. | "It's something I believe in. The other vets here — this is the first time they've come down; they don't like crowds either; we believe in something; it's time to stand," said Jonathan Fisher, a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard. | Veterans responded after the Navy veteran, Chris David, seen on video being beaten by federal officers, called for…

_____ (2020-07-26). Popular Movements Can Overcome Authoritarian Policing. popularresistance.org Today is the 60th day of protests since the murder of George Floyd. This weekend, people marched in cities across the country in solidarity with Portland and in opposition to the US becoming a police state. | President Trump sending troops to cities added fuel to the nationwide uprising against racist police violence. Protests have grown not only in Portland but in Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Omaha, Austin, Oakland, San Francisco, New York, and Washington, DC, among other cities. | Trump is not a 'law and order' president, he is a chaos and disorder president.

RT (2020-07-26). Riots are driving Portland's small businesses under, but mainstream media wants to sell you a different story. rt.com After nearly 60 straight nights of violence, business owners in Portland are sick and tired of riots. But as their stores go under, the coastal media treats the rioters to glowing coverage and city authorities do nothing. | Portland is a liberal stronghold, and as 'Black Lives Matter' protests fizzle out around the country, anger remains at boiling point in the Oregonian city. The protests there have not been all banner-waving and slogan-chanting affairs though. Instead, droves of 'Antifa' types have laid siege to the city's Justice Center for almost 2 months, tearing down barricades, lobbing fireworks, settin…

National Day of Action (2020-07-26). At Solidarity with Portland March, A "Wall of Moms" Ready. indybay.org On July 25, Oakland stood strong with Portland in opposition to Trump's invasion of cities. A recently formed Wall of Moms was ready to take up their place on short notice between police and protesters.

Leon Kunstenaar (2020-07-26). Oakland March In Solidarity With Portland. indybay.org Close to a thousand in Oakland protest for BLM and against hostile Federal occupation of cities.

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-07-26). Federal Crackdown in Portland Provokes Solidarity Protests Across the Country. commondreams.org "This is my first protest," said a 45-year-old woman who joined the "Wall of Moms" at a Saturday demonstration in Seattle. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12586851111.jpg

Josue De Luna Navarro (2020-07-26). Need Money for a Green New Deal? Get It From ICE. commondreams.org An ICE agent in Salem, Ohio on June 19, 2018. Image courtesy U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/ice_legal_scholars.jpg

Arun Gupta (2020-07-26). Questions Swirl Around Portland Police's Coordination With Federal Officers. zcomm.org The Portland police have been cagey about how they work with the feds. Deputy Chief Chris Davis has said Portland police offered "suggestions" to the federal forces and coordinated efforts with them.

yenisafak (2020-07-26). Civilian killed in Syria's Idlib by regime forces. yenisafak.com At least one civilian was killed in a mortar attack by Assad regime forces in the de-escalation zone in Idlib, northwestern Syria, a civil defense group said Sunday.Two others were also injured in the attacks targeting Ein Laruz village, the White Helmets said.Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia.The area, lying along Turkey's southern border, has been the subject of multiple cease-fire understandings, which have frequently been violated by the Assad regime and its allies.The influx of displaced civilians has increased its population to about four million in…

sputniknews (2020-07-26). Netanyahu Says Won't Allow Iran's Military to Establish Itself Along Israeli Border. sputniknews.com Earlier this week, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement that the country's armed forces were stepping up security measures on the northern border on the heels of an escalation unfolding on the frontier with Lebanon and Syria.

Rise Up Now (2020-07-26). J25 Stand with Portland March, Call and Response. indybay.org One min 15 second video by Micky Souza, Pro Bono Photo. | Please give credit.

Commonwealth Club (2020-07-26). Friday 8/7: The Battle for Portland & the Implications Nationwide. indybay.org Online via livestream…

Rise Up Now (2020-07-26). J25 Stand with Portland March, Quanah Parker Brightman Address. indybay.org video by Micky Souza, Pro Bono Photo. Please give credit. | 2 min 23 second video…

RT (2020-07-25). Black Trump supporter allegedly STABBED by 'Antifa dude' during Portland protest (VIDEO). rt.com A black Trump supporter was reportedly attacked and stabbed by a protester amid increasingly violent demonstrations in Portland that have rocked the Oregon city for weeks. Police have made an arrest in connection to the incident. | Drew Duncomb, a Trump supporter and anti-Antifa activist, said that he had been stabbed while walking around downtown Portland in the early hours of Saturday. In a brief video message that he made while being transported to the hospital in an ambulance, Duncomb claimed that he had been attacked by an "Antifa dude" who had been "following me around for a while." | I got stabbed in P…

_____ (2020-07-25). Homeland Security Claims Shields And Gas Masks Are Weapons. popularresistance.org Far from restoring order, the arrival of federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Border Patrol in Portland, Oregon has only heightened tensions, with agents attacking and arresting protesters nightly. DHS' Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli took to social media yesterday to share images of items confiscated from demonstrators. | "Here is a shield and a couple of gas masks from a rioter arrested in Portland. Not a sign with a slogan that someone expressing their first amendment rights might carry, but preparations for violence. Peaceful protester? I don't think so," he wrote.

_____ (2020-07-25). Protesters Use 'Midnight Yoga' To Cope With Police Violence. popularresistance.org Saturday night marked another session of "Midnight Yoga" on Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington D.C. | The protesters, who have been out in the streets over 50 days after being initially sparked by the failure to arrest the officers who had murdered George Floyd and Breonna Taylor (still), have turned to the peace that yoga provides to manage their pain, both physical and emotional. | Around the same time federal police were turning Portland into a war zone while violently beating and pepper-spraying citizens, D.C. protesters were stretching out their limbs after giving a touching 100 candle-light tribute to l…

RT (2020-07-25). Strobe lights, electric saws & glass bottles: Portland protesters expand weapons arsenal in ongoing clashes with police (VIDEOS). rt.com Demonstrators in downtown Portland are using a range of weapons in their nightly skirmishes with law enforcement officers, and their growing arsenal now includes everything from leaf blowers to lasers. | Ropes and electric saws: | Protesters tried out some new tactics during the latest fracas. Footage shows a group of helmeted, masked activists using an electric saw to break apart the fence used to protect the city's besieged federal courthouse. The operation appeared to be well-coordinated, with several demonstrators using shields to protect the individual using the saw. | Portland rioters are using e…

RT (2020-07-25). UN human rights office condemns 'arbitrary arrests & unnecessary use of force' amid US police brutality protests. rt.com The United Nations has denounced heavy-handed police tactics used against demonstrators in Portland and other US cities during ongoing protests, taking aim at what it called baseless arrests and unnecessary violence by officers. | "Peaceful demonstrations that have been taking place in cities in the US, such as Portland, really must be able to continue without those participating in them… risking arbitrary arrest or detention, being subject to unnecessary, disproportionate or discriminatory use of force, or suffering other violations of their rights," Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the UN's Office of the Hi…

Staff (2020-07-25). The Ugly Terror of a Fascist Abyss Lurks in the Background of This Pandemic. truthout.org There are lessons to be learned regarding how history is reproduced in the present. First, there is the Trump administration's caging of children on the southern border. Second, there is Trump's threat to use "dominating force" and unleash the National Guard and police upon demonstrators peacefully resisting police violence against people of color. Third,

ACLU (2020-07-25). The Portland Police Attack: ACLU Files Lawsuit. Sues Trump and City of Portland. globalresearch.ca PORTLAND, Ore. — Multiple volunteer street medics are suing the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals Service, and the City of Portland for targeting and attacking them at Portland protests against police brutality. The lawsuit was filed in federal court …

WSWS (2020-07-25). Illinois Democrats embrace Trump's law enforcement "surge" wsws.org Illinois Democratic lawmakers have made public statements aimed at assuaging public fears that the federal forces will crack down on anti-police violence protesters in Chicago, just as they have in Portland.

Unicorn Riot (2020-07-25). Massive Crowd Outside Aurora PD in Solidarity with Elijah McClain & Portland. unicornriot.ninja Aurora, CO — This evening over a thousand protesters demonstrated outside the Aurora Police Department (APD) to continue calling for justice for Elijah McClain, as well as, to show solidarity with Portland. | Unicorn Riot is covering the event, which you can check out below. | Aurora…

Joyce Chediac (2020-07-25). Trump's federal repression election ploy spurs greater resistance. liberationnews.org Far from being intimidated, Portland residents were outraged when unannounced paramilitary units started grabbing protesters off the street.

Amy Goodman & Denis Moynihan (2020-07-25). US Cities Need Masks and Tests, Mr. President, Not Shock Troops. commondreams.org Federal officers prepare to disperse the crowd of protestors outside the Multnomah County Justice Center on July 17, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo: Mason Trinca/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/portland_protest_0.jpg

Juan Cole (2020-07-25). First the National Security State Surged Baghdad, Now It Is Surging Portland and Seattle. commondreams.org Federal officers walk through tear gas while dispersing a crowd of about a thousand people during a protest on July 21, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/dhs_agents.jpg

John Feffer (2020-07-25). Trump's Use of Federal Paramilitaries Is a Classic Tactic of Autocrats to Test How Far They Can Push Their Authority. commondreams.org A federal officer tells the crowd to move while dispersing a protest in front of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on July 21, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/feds.jpg

Eds. (2020-07-25). Trump orders federal police to more cities. mronline.org The Trump administration is stepping up its unconstitutional moves toward dictatorial rule, tear gassing antipolice violence protesters in Portland, Oregon and announcing the deployment of federal police to three more cities—Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee—in addition to Chicago and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

_____ (2020-07-25). Judge Rejects Oregon's Motion For A Restraining Order Against Federal Police. popularresistance.org A federal judge on Friday afternoon denied a request by Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to issue a temporary restraining order against federal officers making arrests of Portland protesters without probable cause. | In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman said Rosenblum had failed to provide sufficient evidence that such arrests were occurring widely in the streets of Portland or were part of a federal policy. (Disclosure: Rosenblum is married to the co-owner of WW's parent company.) | He ruled that because the state of Oregon couldn't establish a pattern or policy, it lacked the legal standi…

_____ (2020-07-25). Federal Agents Use Tear Gas To Clear Portland Protest. popularresistance.org Thousands of protesters gathered outside the federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon, into the early hours of Saturday shooting fireworks at the building as plumes of tear gas, dispensed by U.S. agents, lingered above. | The demonstration went on for hours until federal agents entered the crowd around 2: 30 a.m. and marched in a line down the street, clearing remaining protesters with tear gas at close range. They also extinguished a large fire in the street outside the courthouse. | The Federal Protective Service had declared the gathering as "an unlawful assembly" and cited that officers had been injured.

RT (2020-07-25). Human 'Wall of Vets' joins 'moms' & 'dads' to shield Portland protesters from police (VIDEO). rt.com A group of former US service members has deployed to Portland to support demonstrators laying siege to the city's federal courthouse. The new 'wall' has emerged after self-described moms and dads formed their own human shields. | The cadre of military veterans assembled in front of the courthouse on Friday night, creating a line between protesters and a protective fence wrapped around the building. Some of the vets stood with their hands placed behind their backs, while others held signs that read "Disabled veterans 4 BLM" and "Federal troops defend property but this does not give them the right to take away m…

The Canary (2020-07-25). Portland protests continue after judge rejects bid to restrict federal agents. thecanary.co Thousands of people joined another night of Black Lives Matter protests on the streets of Portland, hours after a US judge denied the state of Oregon's request to restrict federal police in the city.Demonstrators, most wearing masks and many donning helmets, stood near the fountain on Salmon Street Springs. They then marched to the Hatfield Federal Courthouse and the federal agents there.They chanted and clapped along to the sound of thunderous drums, pausing to listen to speakers. Various organised groups took part, including Healthcare Workers Protest, Teachers against Tyrants, Lawyers for Black Lives and the '

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-07-25). Massive Protests in Portland Continue After Judge Denies State Request for Restraining Order Against Federal Agencies. commondreams.org "If the state of Oregon does not have standing to prevent this unconstitutional conduct by unidentified federal agents running roughshod over her citizens, who does?" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12277751121.jpg

RT (2020-07-25). Kim Jong-un declares emergency & puts Kaesong city on total lockdown after 1st suspected Covid-19 case in North Korea. rt.com The city of Kaesong has been placed on lockdown after a person with symptoms of coronavirus "illegally" crossed the border, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced at an emergency anti-epidemic meeting. | The suspected patient zero reportedly entered the country on July 19, after defecting to South Korea some three years ago. He has since been quarantined, but "several medical check-ups of the secretion of that person's upper respiratory organ and blood" returned "uncertain results," according to state news agency KCNA. If confirmed, it would be the first Covid-19 case officially acknowledged by North Korea.

WSWS (2020-07-25). Trump signs executive order on 2020 Census declaring undocumented immigrants are not persons. wsws.org The order would affect the distribution of federal funding as well as the apportionment of congressional seats.

news.un (2020-07-25). COVID-19 means development setbacks for Mongolia: a UN Resident Coordinator's blog. news.un.org Mongolia has recorded very few cases of COVID-19, less than 300 as on date, despite its more than 4,000 kilometre porous border with China. However, the country faces a major economic impact from the pandemic, says Tapan Mishra, the UN Resident Coordinator in Mongolia.

Lawrence Tribe (2020-07-25). Why Trump's Paramilitary Force Is Unconstitutional. 'A Profoundly Un-American Attack On Civil Society'. globalresearch.ca We are being confronted in city after city with a nationwide paramilitary force, its troops unidentifiable and its vehicles unmarked, directed in deliberately vague terms to protect property and preserve domestic order. | It began in Portland, Oregon where

William rivers Pitt (2020-07-25). Trump's Reelection Strategy Involves Terrorizing Us With Secret Stormtroopers. zcomm.org Trump's actions in Portland are terrifying by any standard.

Brenda Norrell (2020-07-25). As the pandemic surges, Native Americans are resilient. indybay.org As the coronavirus pandemic continues to surge, Native Americans manifest resilience, from the San Carlos Apache running for their sacred land to the Kumeyaay standing to protect their sacred land from the border wall construction. Lakota are cooking hot meals for relatives who are in quarantine in Rapid City, South Dakota, while Dine' and Hopi raise their own funds and deliver food, water and supplies to those most in need.

yenisafak (2020-07-25). Press NGO calls for probe into Saudi journalist's death. yenisafak.com International press freedom NGO Reporters Without Borders has called for launching an independent international investigation into the circumstances of the death of Saudi journalist Saleh al-Shehi due to health problems, two months after his release."Al-Shehi was released on 19 May to general surprise. At the time, RSF was unable to establish the reasons for his release or whether it was conditional. His health deteriorated quickly thereafter," the Paris-based watchdog said in a statement.It said that "illness has not been formally named but some media outlets such as the Saudi daily Al-Riyadh spoke of three week…

yenisafak (2020-07-25). Turkey seizes terrorist PKK ammunition in northern Iraq. yenisafak.com "Our heroic commandos captured numerous arms and ammunition in a depot belonging to the PKK terrorist organization," said a ministry statement on Operation Claw-Tiger, one of its anti-terror operations in the region.The PKK often uses northern Iraq to plan attacks in Turkey and across the border.Among seized items were 63 AK-47 rifles, a sniper rifle, two shut guns, 50 rocker launcher ammunition, 1,000 anti-aircraft gun ammunition, 300 chargers of AK-47 rifles, 50 grenades and 25 kilograms (55 pounds) of dynamite.The operation is continuing, it added.Turkey's operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle were launched in…

yenisafak (2020-07-25). 103-year-old Pakistani man survives COVID-19. yenisafak.com A 103-year-old man has recovered from COVID-19 at a makeshift medical center in Pakistan.Aziz Abdul Alim, a resident of a village in the mountainous northern district of Chitral, was released last week from an emergency response centre after testing positive in early July."We were worried for him given his age, but he wasn't worried at all," Alim's son Sohail Ahmed told Reuters on the phone from his village, close to Pakistan's border with China and Afghanistan.Ahmed quoted his father as saying that he had been through a lot in life and the coronavirus did not scare him. He did however, not like being in isolatio…

sputniknews (2020-07-25). US ICE Threatens Filmmakers, Producers in Bid to Block Approved Footage From Netflix – Report. sputniknews.com According to a report by the New York Times, two Netflix filmmakers who filmed approved, behind-the-scenes footage with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for two and a half years are now being threatened by the same government authorities.

sputniknews (2020-07-25). North Korea Reports First Suspected Coronavirus Case. sputniknews.com MOSCOW(Sputnik) – North Korea has announced that the first, suspected, coronavirus case has been registered in the country, the individual illegally crossed the border with South Korea earlier this month, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reports.

Staff (2020-07-25). Trump Admin Faces Lawsuit Opposing Exclusion of Undocumented People From Census. truthout.org "The constitutional mandate is clear—every person counts in the census. Undocumented immigrants are people—and nothing President Trump does or says changes that fact." | So said Dale Ho, director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, in a statement Friday

Labor Video Project (2020-07-25). Stop SF Privatization Of Balboa Reservoir & Defend SF Community College. indybay.org The land grab of SF PUC owned Balboa reservoir by the developer Avalon was opposed by speakers at the Ocean campus of San Francisco Community College on July 23, 2020. They also discussed the destruction of ESL classes and the closure of Fort Mason and other campuses. The CCSF administration and Board of Trustees speakers charged are dismembering the community college and destroying the futures of immigrants, Blacks, Latinos, working class youth and the faculty and staff of the college…