Daily Archives: September 25, 2020

2020-09-25: News Headlines

A Guest Author (2020-09-25). Surviving a pandemic under siege. workers.org During a Sept. 18 "Free Palestine" webinar, Palestinian writers and activists Susan Abulhawa and Khaled Barakat were asked to comment on the spread of COVID-19 in occupied Palestine, and what it means to have access to healthcare under foreign occupation. The following is an edited version of their replies. Susan . . . |

Eliza Egret (2020-09-25). Protesters dump horse sh*t on Serco's doorstep. thecanary.co Protesters have dumped horse manure on the doorstep of Serco's headquarters in Hampshire. The action has sent a clear message to the company, which is responsible for the UK's test and trace system. | The activists are part of the campaign group Protect Our NHS. They also unfurled a banner saying: "Serco Test & Trace Stinks! — Corrupt & Deadly Incompetent — Give LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH TEAMS the Cash". The action was timed to coincide with other protests against Serco in the UK, including in London. | 'Deadly incompetence': | Mike Campbell of Protect Our NHS Bristol said in a press release: We're tak…

commondreams (2020-09-24). CODEPINK Commends Mayor de Blasio's Decision to Skip the G20 Summit Hosted by Saudi Arabia. commondreams.org ______________________________…

teleSUR (2020-09-24). El Salvador: Activists Decry Bukele's Silence Over El Mozote. telesurenglish.net Human rights advocates, judges, and attorneys of El Mozote victims have condemned President Nayib Bukele's silence after the army prevented a judge from accessing "El Mozote massacre" documents. | RELATED: | On September 21, law enforcement prevented Judge Jorge Guzman from examining documents filed in the records of the General State of the Armed Forces regarding the massacre of about 1000 farmers from El Mozote i…

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 (2020-09-24). Trump's Vaccine Czar Refuses to Divest From Company Developing COVID Vaccine. truthout.org The former pharmaceutical executive tapped by President Donald Trump to lead the administration's race to a COVID-19 vaccine is refusing to give up investments that stand to benefit from his work — at least during his lifetime. | The executive, Moncef Slaoui, is the top scientist on Operation Warp Speed, the administration's effort to develop a coronavirus vaccine in record time. Federal law requires government officials to disclose their personal finances and divest any holdings relat…

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…

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.

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…

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 . . . |

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…

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 ______________________________…