Daily Archives: August 23, 2019

2019-08-23: News Headlines

Fight Back (2019-08-23). Activists demand Minnesota divest from border militarization contractor. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – On August 22, immigrant rights and Palestine solidarity activists presented over 1000 signatures of Minnesota residents petitioning the State Board of Investments (SBI) to divest state pension funds from the Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems. Elbit sells cluster bombs and weaponized white phosphorus to the Israel Defense Forces, whose indiscriminate use on besieged Gaza has been widely condemned by international organizations. Elbit also manufactures surveillance equipment for the Israeli apartheid wall, and drones used in targeted assassinations of Palestinian political leaders. | Advertisi…

Gary Olson (2019-08-23). Whither the Resistance to our Capitalist Overlords? counterpunch.org All efforts to reform the American system is capitulation. — Chris Hedges Without massive resistance to white supremacy and war, the U.S. empire threatens to devour itself alive and will no doubt attempt to take us with it. — Danny Haiphong No serious change, remotely popular sovereignty, no protection and advance of the common good More

Steven Rosenfeld (2019-08-23). Is a Nationally Widespread New Voting System Ready for the 2020 Elections? commondreams.org Election integrity activists have criticized this approach for redefining what constitutes a paper ballot by replacing a hand-marked record with a computer-marked record. (Photo: CHUCK BURTON / ASSOCIATED PRESS) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

teleSUR (2019-08-23). 'Counter-G7 Summit' Rejects Cynicism of Developed Nations. telesurenglish.net Less than 24 hours before the Group of Seven (G7) Summit begins, over 15,000 police and military have been drafted into Biarritz to prevent environmental, gender and social activists from reaching this French elegant town. | RELATED: | 'G7 Summit Should Address Crisis at the Amazon', Germany Says | "I know there's 15,000 police and it doesn't scare me," activist Genevieve Legay said, adding that the "desperate" French government might use its security forces to hit "us who are aski…

Emergency Mass Mobilization To Respond (2019-08-23). Four Days After Protest at Palantir's HQ, Giant Data Company Renews Contract with ICE. indybay.org On August 16, demonstrators blocked the entrance to Palantir's cafeteria saying the data-mining company's technology enables unethical policies, including the separation of migrant families. They called on the Palo Alto headquartered company to drop all its contracts with ICE. Four days later Palantir announced that ICE contracts had been renewed for the next three years. Activists condemned the renewal of the contract and called on all those that denounce and rebuke Palantir's escalation to immediately mobilize at Palantir Headquarters in Palo Alto Friday August 23 at 4 PM for an emergency action. | Photos by Ja…

pip.hinman (2019-08-23). Climate rebellion continues. greenleft.org.au climate emergency Zebedee ParkesIssue 1234 Australia Extinction Rebellion Moreland City CouncilExtinction Rebellion activists continue to hold disruptive actions around Australia.

pip.hinman (2019-08-23). Statewide protest says 'Black Lives Matter'. greenleft.org.au Indigenous rights Zebedee ParkesIssue 1234 Australia #Black Lives Matter justice SydneyAboriginal rights activists and supporte…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2019-08-23). The Fight's Not Over, Say Activists, as Nebraska Supreme Court Approves Keystone XL Route. commondreams.org "If history recalls Nebraska at all, it may remember this as its most regrettable decision." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Dylan Citron and Sofia (2019-08-22). Interview with BDS activist Willie Burnley Jr.: "I can't be okay knowing that the people fighting racism are being labelled racist." liberationnews.org "…something I was not expecting was the kindness, the hospitality, the friendliness…"

teleSUR (2019-08-22). France: 'G7 and Its Summit are Illegitimate', Aurelie Trouve. telesurenglish.net Environmental activists, human rights defenders, gender activists and social leaders began on Wednesday a "counter-summit" to protest the Group of Seven (G7) meeting which will be held in Biarritz, in the Basque Country, in France, from August 24 to 26. | RELATED: | Over 13,200 Police to Be Deployed at G7 Meeting | Convened by G7Ez Platform and Alternatives G7, the counter-summit was inaugurated in Irun, a town near the border with France, where spokespersons from different soci…

Norman Stockwell (2019-08-22). 'Anti-alien Hysteria:' Journalist Elizabeth Glendower Evans and the Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti. progressive.org In a case perhaps more relevant now than ever, the trial of the two immigrants became a rallying point for 1920s progressives, labor activists, and human rights advocates around the globe.

Staff (2019-08-22). Headlines for August 22, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Administration Proposes Jailing Migrant Families Indefinitely, Federal Budget Deficit to Top $1 Trillion in 2020, Satellite Data Show Brazilian Amazon Burning at Record Pace, Brazilian President Bolsonaro Blames Environmentalists for Amazon Fires, Wildfires Rage in Alaska, Canary Islands, Siberia and Greenland, Gov. Jay Inslee, Champion of Climate Fight, Drops 2020 Presidential Bid, Activists Disrupt Event Honoring House Speaker Pelosi to Demand Trump's Impeachment, Abdalla Hamdok Sworn In as Sudan's Prime Minister, Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists Mark Anniversary of Subway Attack, Mexico's Zapatistas Exp…

RT (2019-08-21). MSM hurls FAKE 'anti-Semitism' charge against Trump, rather than question his REAL loyalty to Israel. rt.com The media has willfully misinterpreted Donald Trump's words to portray the most pro-Israel US president in history as an anti-Semite. It makes more sense to chide him for sacrificing US interests to please Benjamin Netanyahu. | Here is the full Trump quote from Tuesday, in which he rejected Democrat Bernie Sanders' idea that Israel should stop accepting American aid, after its reluctance to let in congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who have publicly endorsed the BDS campaign. | "The concept of even talking about this — even three years ago — of cutting off aid to Israel because of two people…

Eds. (2019-08-20). Political upheaval over Tlaib and Omar shows the power of BDS. mronline.org We are in the middle of a political upheaval on Israel/Palestine in the United States, and Americans who are concerned with Palestinian human rights live for these moments. They are the moments of potential change: When more tarnish is added to Israel's image, and Americans get a clearer picture of what the Jewish state actually […] | Source

Fight Back (2019-08-19). Anti-War Committee denounces Israel's ban of Omar and Tlaib. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following August 15 statement from the Twin Cities based Anti-War Committee. | The Minnesota Anti-War Committee condemns the Israeli government's August 15 decision not to allow US Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from entering occupied Palestine, to which the Israeli state controls all access. Reps. Omar and Tlaib join the thousands of peace activists, human rights officials and people of conscience around the world who are denied entry over their support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel and its Zionist policies of occu…

Staff (2019-08-19). Headlines for August 19, 2019. democracynow.org Bombs Go Off on Afghan Independence Day, Following Wedding Attack That Killed 63, Largest Hong Kong Protest in Weeks Defies Threats, Intimidation by China, Kashmiris Protest Lockdown 2 Weeks After India Scraps Special Status, Gibraltar Releases Iranian Oil Tanker After U.S. Fails to Keep It Under Seizure, Israeli Soldiers Kill 3 People in Gaza, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar to Address Israeli Travel Ban, Far-Right and Anti-Fascist Protesters Take to Portland Streets, Authorities Arrest Men in 3 States After They Threaten Mass Shootings, Prison Guard Who Drove Truck into Jewish Activists Has Resigned, NYPD Judge: P…

Karleigh Chardonnay Merlot (2019-08-18). Connecticut activists protest judicial cooperation with ICE. liberationnews.org "The bad behavior and hatred of these marshals and the misconduct of these marshals have caused hardship."

Staff (2019-08-18). The "Toxic 100" Worst Polluters. therealnews.com Michael Ash of PERI discusses the "Toxic 100" index, which ranks the top 100 corporations in the US, including the U.S. government, according to the degree to which they pollute the air, the water, and contribute to greenhouse gases. The index assists in divestment campaigns and in identifying opportunities for green growth…

Liliana Segura (2019-08-17). "One By One, They're Dying": Activists Protest Tennessee's Fifth Execution in a Year. theintercept.com Stephen West was killed in the electric chair on August 15, and abolitionists are vowing to step up the pressure to stop executions in Tennessee.

Fight Back (2019-08-16). Israel bans Representatives Omar and Tlaib from entering Palestine. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – U.S. Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) have joined the ranks of thousands of human rights activists and millions of diaspora Palestinians who have been denied entry to Palestine by the occupying Israeli regime. | Reps. Omar and Tlaib had planned a congressional trip to the West Bank for next week, initially agreed to by the Israeli regime "out of respect for the U.S. Congress and the great alliance between Israel and America." However, on August 15 Israel announced a reversal of its previous decision and banned the delegation's entrance. | The announcement came imm…

Staff (2019-08-16). Headlines for August 16, 2019. democracynow.org Israel Bars Reps. Omar & Tlaib from Official Trip to West Bank Due to Their Support for BDS, 11 Die in Kashmir as Pakistani & Indian Troops Exchange Fire, U.S. Puts Pressure on Crew of Iranian Oil Tanker Seized in July, North Korea Test-Fires Two Missiles as It Rejects New Talks with S. Korea, NOAA: July Was Officially the Hottest Month on Record, Australia Accused of Watering Down Pacific Island Climate Agreement, Study: Surge in Methane Gas Emissions Is Linked to Fracking Boom, 270 Die, 1 Million Displaced in India from Heavy Monsoon Rains, Federal Court: Trump Admin Can't Deny Soap & Toothpaste to Migrant Chil…

SAMIR (2019-08-15). The BDS movement calls to boycott three anti-Palestinian German clubs. bdsmovement.net The BDS movement calls to boycott three anti-Palestinian German clubs: PACBI StatementConne Island, Golden Pudel and : //about blank are complicit in Israel's oppression of Palestinians | Cultural Boycott Right To BoycottAugust 15, 2019…

patrick (2019-08-14). BDS condemns antisemitic, fascist forces in Germany and worldwide. bdsmovement.net BDS condemns antisemitic, fascist forces in Germany and worldwide: BNC StatementOur nonviolent movement opposes all forms of racism and racial discrimination. | Right To BoycottAugust 14, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC)

patrick (2019-08-13). BDS movement condemns U.S. Congress' anti-BDS resolution. bdsmovement.net BDS movement condemns U.S. Congress' anti-BDS resolution: UpdateThe resolution is based on lies and aims to to demonize peaceful resistance to Israel's military occupation and apartheid. | Right To BoycottJuly 23, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC)

Ryan Driskell Tate (2019-08-12). How Climate Activists Can Benefit from Solidarity with Kentucky Coal Miners. progressive.org As fossil-fuel workers lose their jobs today, the urgency of what climate activists call the "just transition" becomes all the more apparent.

Jamier Sale (2019-08-06). Sacramento activists demand recognition of Black August. liberationnews.org On Aug. 1, the Black August Organizing Committee led a coalition of community groups to Sacramento City Hall to deliver a resolution recognizing the month as Black August.

SAMIR (2019-07-30). Boycott Pop-Kultur Berlin Festival 2019. bdsmovement.net Boycott Pop-Kultur Berlin Festival 2019: PACBI StatementPalestinians call for the boycott of Pop-Kultur Berlin festival, until it ends its partnership with Israel | Cultural BoycottJuly 30, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI)

Paul Dobson (2019-07-29). Sao Paulo Forum Voices Solidarity with Venezuela, Rejects US Warmongering. venezuelanalysis.com The host of delegates from around the world likewise expressed support for leftist movements in Latin America.

2019-08-23: Social Media Postees

Activists demand Minnesota divest from border militarization contractor
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-08-23
St. Paul, MN – On August 22, immigrant rights and Palestine solidarity activists presented over 1000 signatures of Minnesota residents petitioning the State Board of Investments (SBI) to divest state pension funds from the Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems. Elbit sells cluster bombs and weaponized white phosphorus to the Israel Defense Forces, whose indiscriminate use on besieged Gaza has been widely condemned by international organizations. Elbit also manufactures surveillance equipment for the Israeli apartheid wall, and drones used in targeted assassinations of Palestinian political leaders. | Advertisi…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/8/23/activist…

Whither the Resistance to our Capitalist Overlords?
Gary Olson | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-23
All efforts to reform the American system is capitulation. — Chris Hedges Without massive resistance to white supremacy and war, the U.S. empire threatens to devour itself alive and will no doubt attempt to take us with it. — Danny Haiphong No serious change, remotely popular sovereignty, no protection and advance of the common good…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/23/whither-the-…

Is a Nationally Widespread New Voting System Ready for the 2020 Elections?
Steven Rosenfeld | commondreams.org | 2019-08-23
Election integrity activists have criticized this approach for redefining what constitutes a paper ballot by replacing a hand-marked record with a computer-marked record. (Photo: CHUCK BURTON / ASSOCIATED PRESS) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/views/2019/08/23/nation…

'Counter-G7 Summit' Rejects Cynicism of Developed Nations
telesurenglish.net | 2019-08-23
Less than 24 hours before the Group of Seven (G7) Summit begins, over 15,000 police and military have been drafted into Biarritz to prevent environmental, gender and social activists from reaching this French elegant town. | RELATED: | 'G7 Summit Should Address Crisis at the Amazon', Germany Says | "I know there's 15,000 police and it doesn't scare me," activist Genevieve Legay said, adding that the "desperate" French government might use its security forces to hit "us who are aski…
telesurenglish.net/news/Counter-G7-Summi…

Four Days After Protest at Palantir's HQ, Giant Data Company Renews Contract with ICE
Emergency Mass Mobilization To Respond | indybay.org | 2019-08-23
On August 16, demonstrators blocked the entrance to Palantir's cafeteria saying the data-mining company's technology enables unethical policies, including the separation of migrant families. They called on the Palo Alto headquartered company to drop all its contracts with ICE. Four days later Palantir announced that ICE contracts had been renewed for the next three years. Activists condemned the renewal of the contract and called on all those that denounce and rebuke Palantir's escalation to immediately mobilize at Palantir Headquarters in Palo Alto Friday August 23 at 4 PM for an emergency action. | Photos by Ja…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/21/1882556…

Statewide protest says 'Black Lives Matter'
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-23
Indigenous rights Zebedee ParkesIssue 1234 Australia #Black Lives Matter justice SydneyAboriginal rights activists and supporte…
greenleft.org.au/content/state-wide-protest-says-black-lives-matter

Climate rebellion continues
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-23
climate emergency Zebedee ParkesIssue 1234 Australia Extinction Rebellion Moreland City CouncilExtinction Rebellion activists continue to hold disruptive actions around Australia.
greenleft.org.au/content/climate-rebellion-continues

The Fight's Not Over, Say Activists, as Nebraska Supreme Court Approves Keystone XL Route
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-08-23
"If history recalls Nebraska at all, it may remember this as its most regrettable decision." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/news/2019/08/23/fights-…

Interview with BDS activist Willie Burnley Jr.: "I can't be okay knowing that the people fighting racism are being labelled racist."
Dylan Citron and Sofia | liberationnews.org | 2019-08-22
"…something I was not expecting was the kindness, the hospitality, the friendliness…"
liberationnews.org/interview-with-bds-ac…

'Anti-alien Hysteria:' Journalist Elizabeth Glendower Evans and the Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti
Norman Stockwell | progressive.org | 2019-08-22
In a case perhaps more relevant now than ever, the trial of the two immigrants became a rallying point for 1920s progressives, labor activists, and human rights advocates around the globe.
progressive.org/dispatches/anti-alien-hy…

France: 'G7 and Its Summit are Illegitimate', Aurelie Trouve
telesurenglish.net | 2019-08-22
Environmental activists, human rights defenders, gender activists and social leaders began on Wednesday a "counter-summit" to protest the Group of Seven (G7) meeting which will be held in Biarritz, in the Basque Country, in France, from August 24 to 26. | RELATED: | Over 13,200 Police to Be Deployed at G7 Meeting | Convened by G7Ez Platform and Alternatives G7, the counter-summit was inaugurated in Irun, a town near the border with France, where spokespersons from different soci…
telesurenglish.net/news/France-G7-and-It…

Canadian author Stephen Gowans's fresh view of Korea's struggle for freedom
Tim Pelzer | peoplesworld.org | 2019-08-22
For those wanting to learn about modern Korean history, Stephen Gowans's Patriots, Traitors and Empires: The Story of Korea's Struggle for Freedom is highly recommended. This Canadian author has written a penetrating work about the country's tumultuous history from the perspective of those who fought to liberate the country from foreign occupation. In 1904, Japan …
peoplesworld.org/article/canadian-author…

MSM hurls FAKE 'anti-Semitism' charge against Trump, rather than question his REAL loyalty to Israel
rt.com | 2019-08-21
The media has willfully misinterpreted Donald Trump's words to portray the most pro-Israel US president in history as an anti-Semite. It makes more sense to chide him for sacrificing US interests to please Benjamin Netanyahu. | Here is the full Trump quote from Tuesday, in which he rejected Democrat Bernie Sanders' idea that Israel should stop accepting American aid, after its reluctance to let in congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who have publicly endorsed the BDS campaign. | "The concept of even talking about this — even three years ago — of cutting off aid to Israel because of two people…
rt.com/usa/466980-trump-antisemitism-jew…

Political upheaval over Tlaib and Omar shows the power of BDS
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-08-20
We are in the middle of a political upheaval on Israel/Palestine in the United States, and Americans who are concerned with Palestinian human rights live for these moments. They are the moments of potential change: When more tarnish is added to Israel's image, and Americans get a clearer picture of what the Jewish state actually […] | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/20/political-upheav…

Anti-War Committee denounces Israel's ban of Omar and Tlaib
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-08-19
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following August 15 statement from the Twin Cities based Anti-War Committee. | The Minnesota Anti-War Committee condemns the Israeli government's August 15 decision not to allow US Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from entering occupied Palestine, to which the Israeli state controls all access. Reps. Omar and Tlaib join the thousands of peace activists, human rights officials and people of conscience around the world who are denied entry over their support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel and its Zionist policies of occu…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/8/18/anti-war…

Connecticut activists protest judicial cooperation with ICE
Karleigh Chardonnay Merlot | liberationnews.org | 2019-08-18
"The bad behavior and hatred of these marshals and the misconduct of these marshals have caused hardship."
liberationnews.org/connecticut-activists…

The "Toxic 100" Worst Polluters
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-18
Michael Ash of PERI discusses the "Toxic 100" index, which ranks the top 100 corporations in the US, including the U.S. government, according to the degree to which they pollute the air, the water, and contribute to greenhouse gases. The index assists in divestment campaigns and in identifying opportunities for green growth…
therealnews.com/stories/the-toxic-100-wo…

"One By One, They're Dying": Activists Protest Tennessee's Fifth Execution in a Year
Liliana Segura | theintercept.com | 2019-08-17
Stephen West was killed in the electric chair on August 15, and abolitionists are vowing to step up the pressure to stop executions in Tennessee.
theintercept.com/2019/08/17/tennessee-de…

Israel bans Representatives Omar and Tlaib from entering Palestine
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-08-16
Minneapolis, MN – U.S. Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) have joined the ranks of thousands of human rights activists and millions of diaspora Palestinians who have been denied entry to Palestine by the occupying Israeli regime. | Reps. Omar and Tlaib had planned a congressional trip to the West Bank for next week, initially agreed to by the Israeli regime "out of respect for the U.S. Congress and the great alliance between Israel and America." However, on August 15 Israel announced a reversal of its previous decision and banned the delegation's entrance. | The announcement came imm…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/8/15/israel-b…

The BDS movement calls to boycott three anti-Palestinian German clubs
SAMIR | bdsmovement.net | 2019-08-15
The BDS movement calls to boycott three anti-Palestinian German clubs: PACBI StatementConne Island, Golden Pudel and : //about blank are complicit in Israel's oppression of Palestinians | Cultural Boycott Right To BoycottAugust 15, 2019…
bdsmovement.net/news/bds-calls-to-boycot…

BDS condemns antisemitic, fascist forces in Germany and worldwide
patrick | bdsmovement.net | 2019-08-14
BDS condemns antisemitic, fascist forces in Germany and worldwide: BNC StatementOur nonviolent movement opposes all forms of racism and racial discrimination. | Right To BoycottAugust 14, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) …
bdsmovement.net/news/bds-condemns-antise…

BDS movement condemns U.S. Congress' anti-BDS resolution
patrick | bdsmovement.net | 2019-08-13
BDS movement condemns U.S. Congress' anti-BDS resolution: UpdateThe resolution is based on lies and aims to to demonize peaceful resistance to Israel's military occupation and apartheid. | Right To BoycottJuly 23, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) …
bdsmovement.net/news/bds-movement-condem…

How Climate Activists Can Benefit from Solidarity with Kentucky Coal Miners
Ryan Driskell Tate | progressive.org | 2019-08-12
As fossil-fuel workers lose their jobs today, the urgency of what climate activists call the "just transition" becomes all the more apparent.
progressive.org/dispatches/climate-activ…

Sacramento activists demand recognition of Black August
Jamier Sale | liberationnews.org | 2019-08-06
On Aug. 1, the Black August Organizing Committee led a coalition of community groups to Sacramento City Hall to deliver a resolution recognizing the month as Black August.
liberationnews.org/sacramento-activists-…

Boycott Pop-Kultur Berlin Festival 2019
SAMIR | bdsmovement.net | 2019-07-30
Boycott Pop-Kultur Berlin Festival 2019: PACBI StatementPalestinians call for the boycott of Pop-Kultur Berlin festival, until it ends its partnership with Israel | Cultural BoycottJuly 30, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) …
bdsmovement.net/news/boycott-pop-kultur-…

Sao Paulo Forum Voices Solidarity with Venezuela, Rejects US Warmongering
Paul Dobson | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-07-29
The host of delegates from around the world likewise expressed support for leftist movements in Latin America.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14606