2020-09-24: News Headlines

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2020-09-24). Will Michele Flournoy Be the Angel of Death for the American Empire? counterpunch.org If the Democrats manage to push Joe Biden over the finish line in November's election, he will find himself presiding over a decadent, declining empire. He will either continue the policies that have led the American empire to decadence and decline, or seize the moment to move our nation into a new phase: a transition

Fight Back (2020-09-24). Minneapolis calls for an end to aid to Israel, remembers Sabra and Shatila. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On September 17, over 30 activists in Minneapolis bannered across Interstate 94 during rush hour to remember the Sabra and Shatila massacre and highlight the destructive role the U.S. plays in Lebanon. They waved Palestinian flags and dropped banners across eight lanes of traffic demanding an end to aid in Israel, demanding an end to apartheid, and expressing solidarity against state violence. The response from people passing by was overwhelmingly positive with a constant stream of honks from cars. | From September 16 to 18, 1982, pro-Israel militiamen murdered more than 1000 Palestinian and Leb…

Fight Back (2020-09-24). Tallahassee rallies for community control of the police – CPAC now! fightbacknews.org Tallahassee, FL – Community activists gathered in front of city hall September 19 for a protest calling for the formation of an elected Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC), and demanding that State Attorney Jack Campbell drop the charges against the #Tally19 – arrested for participating in a protest on September 5 to condemn a grand jury decision that condoned three recent police murders of civilians. | Saturday's action was organized locally by the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) with the support of Tallahassee Dream Defenders, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, More Than A Name, and Fl…

Fight Back (2020-09-24). Minnesotans demand climate justice now! fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – On September 22, activists from the newly formed Climate Justice Committee (CJC) hung banners over the side of the Snelling Avenue bridge and the pedestrian bridge that spans Interstate-94 connecting downtown Minneapolis with downtown Saint Paul. The banners read, "Capitalism kills the planet," "The U.S. military: The #1 polluter," "Push Biden left on climate change" and "2050 is too late, climate justice now." The last slogan references Democratic nominee Joe Biden's climate plan, which positions its goal as 100% clean energy by 2050. | Alongside Biden's climate plan, in August, a section of the D…

55 Progressive Activists and Writers (2020-09-24). Open Letter: Dump Trump, Then Battle Biden. indybay.org Priority is dumping Trump…

Staff (2020-09-23). 50+ Progressive Writers and Activists Pen Open Letter Urging Vote for Biden. truthout.org More than 50 progressive writers and activists — including prominent left-wing voices such as Noam Chomsky, Barbara Ehrenreich, and Cornel West — unveiled an Citing…

MEE staff (2020-09-23). Saudi dissidents launch new party calling for democracy in kingdom. middleeasteye.net Saudi dissidents launch new party calling for democracy in kingdom | New group calls for independent judiciary, elected parliament and equality under law | Wed, 09/23/2020 – 23: 01 | NAAS aims to 'establish a path to democracy as a governing system' in Saudi Arabia (Twitter) | Exiled Saudi activists have formed a political party calling for democracy and respect for human rights in the kingdom, a move that bri…

Madi B (2020-09-23). Activists in Idaho say: Defund the Police. liberationnews.org Boise City Council voted to increase police spending by $1.1 million. Local organizers, activist groups, and community members have been demonstrating with a variety of tactics to oppose Boise's new budget ever since it was first proposed.

Fight Back (2020-09-23). Car caravan rally held in Arlington to protest UAE-Israel relations. fightbacknews.org Arlington, Texas – On September 20, over 50 people gathered at Masjid Dar El Eman, an Islamic center, for a car protest against the United Arab Emirates' and Bahrain's normalization of relations with Israel. The car caravan was organized by the Dallas Palestine Coalition; Palestinian Youth Movement-Dallas, Muslim Democratic Caucus-Texas; American Muslims for Palestine-Texas; Code Pink-Greater Dallas, and Veterans for Peace-Dallas. | After a short prayer, a car caravan drove around South Arlington. Many of the protesters attached Palestinian and American flags to their cars to call for an end to U.S. support…

sputniknews (2020-09-23). 'A War Machine With a Country Attached': US Pandemic Relief Revealed as Diverted to Defense Firms. sputniknews.com A Tuesday Washington Post article revealed the US Congress gave the Pentagon $1 billion in March to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, that money has mostly been paid to defense contractors, further growing the US war machine, according to medical doctor Dr. Yolandra Hancock and investigative journalist Daniel Lazare.

Genevieve Lechat (2020-09-22). Permanent residency for TPS holders won't come from the courts. workers.org Lechat is active with Boston FIRE, Harvard TPS Coalition and AFSCME Local 3650. Coordinated, coast-to-coast press conferences were staged by Temporary Protected Status activists on Sept. 15 after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Trump's 2018 termination of TPS. In several cities, im/migrant families with decades of legal residency . . . |

Fight Back (2020-09-22). Tampa Bay activists rally for NAARPR national day of protest. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – On September 19, the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee participated in the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression's (NAARPR) national day of protest with a rally of about 40 members of the community in downtown Tampa. NAARPR's call to action demanded an end to racist police terror, the withdrawal of federal troops in cities across the country and for community control of the police. | The rally also demanded justice for Jonas Joseph, a Black man shot and killed by Tampa police in April. After being pulled over by undercover police cars, Joseph was shot over 120 times by Tampa Pol…

Fight Back (2020-09-22). Chicago: Hundreds protest police crimes, arrests of activists. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – Over 100 people on foot, and an 80-car caravan with about 200 riders, gathered in downtown Chicago, September 19, to protest police crimes, state repression of activists, demand that federal troops and agents be sent home, and to call for community control of the police. The demonstration was part of a national day of action called by the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and was organized by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. | "Our people are being arrested and charged for protesting all across the country. Some are being charged with felonies,"

San Jose Peace & Justice Center (2020-09-22). Monday 9/21: International Peace Day: "We Are Many" Virtual Film Premiere & Q&A w/ Director & Activists. indybay.org Online via streaming anytime for 24 hours…

Staff (2020-09-22). Activists Fight Florida Proposal to Impose Harsh Penalties on Protesters. truthout.org The American Civil Liberties Union joined Florida Democrats on Monday in condemning a Flanked by Republican lawmakers and law enforcement officials at an afternoon press conference in Winter Haven, DeSantis referred to Black Lives Matter protests in Portland, Oregon as…

commondreams (2020-09-22). May Boeve Joins Mayors of 12 Major Cities Committed to Divest From Fossil Fuel Companies and Invest in a Green and Just Recovery from COVID-19 Crisis. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-09-22). Mayors of 12 Major Global Cities Home to 36 Million People Make Unified Fossil Fuel Divestment Pledge. commondreams.org "We're in a make-or-break decade for the preservation of our planet and our livelihoods," said C40 chair and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…