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…

_____ (2020-07-26). Transparency International Silent On Jailed Transparency Journalist Assange. popularresistance.org Berlin, Germany – On a cool July day, the Berlin neighborhood where Transparency International's global headquarters is situated feels a thousand miles away from London's Belmarsh Prison. But it is not just the pleasant setting a few blocks from the Spree River that makes the influential NGO seem so detached from the maximum security penitentiary's most famous inmate, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. | Transparency International has been vocal in defending jailed opposition activists in states like Zimbabwe, Russia, and Venezuela.

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…

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.

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.

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

Marjorie Cohn (2020-07-26). Black Lives Matter Chicago Sues to Prevent Occupation by Trump's Paramilitaries. zcomm.org Taking a page from Hitler's Brownshirts, Donald Trump is sending his secret paramilitary forces into U.S. cities to terrorize the population…

Granma (2020-07-26). Haydée y Melba: Las mujeres del Moncada. peoplesworld.org ´Con un ojo humano ensangrentado en las manos se presentaron un sargento y varios hombres en el calabozo donde se encontraban Melba Hernández y Haydée Santamaría. Dirigiéndose a la última, y mostrándole el ojo, le dijeron: "Este es de tu hermano, si tú no dices lo que él no quiso decir, le arrancaremos el otro". …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-26). How Vietnam's socialist approach is winning the battle against COVID-19. peoplesdispatch.org Vietnam, with a population of 100 million people, has not recorded a single death from COVID-19. There has not been a single local case of the virus in the last three months.

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…

yenisafak (2020-07-26). News of Kuwait emir's health 'very reassuring', parliament speaker says. yenisafak.com News about the health of the Emir of Kuwait, who is in the United States for medical treatment, is "very reassuring", parliament speaker Marzouq al-Ghanim said on Sunday in a statement carried on the parliamentary Twitter account.Kuwait's 91-year-old ruler, Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah arrived in the United States on Thursday to complete medical treatment following surgery for an unspecified condition in Kuwait.

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…

_____ (2020-07-26). Tech Giants Eye Lucrative Rent Market as End to Eviction Moratorium Could Leave Millions Homeless. strategic-culture.org A "tsunami" of evictions is about to sweep across the United States when the 120-day moratorium ends today, threatening millions of Americans with homelessness or worse — a new set of landlords called Facebook, Google and Apple. | Raul DIEGO | In a 'normal', pre-pandemic economy, a number roughly equal to the population of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania — or about

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.

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…

_____ (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). 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…

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.

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…

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

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.

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

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 …

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.

_____ (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.

_____ (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…

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

Hans M L Spiegel (2020-07-25). [Comment] DISCOVER: much accomplished, but not yet for all. thelancet.com Since the initial studies of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) a decade ago, multiple clinical trials in all key populations worldwide have confirmed the efficacy and safety of emtricitabine combined with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (F/TDF) for HIV prevention.1,2…

RT (2020-07-25). Sinclair pulls interview with 'Plandemic' conspiracy theorist after CNN-backed outrage campaign. rt.com Sinclair Broadcast Group, the US' largest local news conglomerate, has canceled an interview with a coronavirus conspiracy theorist, after CNN whipped up an online outrage campaign against the conservative broadcaster. | In a segment due to air this weekend, 'America This Week' host Eric Bolling sat down with Dr Judy Mikovits, a disgraced scientist who believes that the coronavirus pandemic was orchestrated by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases head Dr Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates to push vaccines on the population — a theory she set out in the documentary film 'Plandemic,' which has be…

RT (2020-07-25). Democrats have gone 'stone cold left,' want to turn America into 'Venezuela on steroids' — Trump. rt.com President Donald Trump has called on the Republican-held Senate to kill a bill that would overturn his controversial travel ban. The Democrats, he said, want to turn the US into "Venezuela on steroids." | Comparing one's opponents to communists or Stalinists is a tired trope in American politics, but President Donald Trump added another anti-socialist slur to the phrasebook on Saturday. | "The Democrats in the House are trying to undo my big win Travel Ban Bill, which successfully keeps very bad and dangerous people out of our great Country," he tweeted. "Passed along party lines. Hopefully, will be DEAD in th…

Clodovaldo Hernández (2020-07-25). After 23 Years of Media Warfare Against Venezuela, the US Says it Will Start a Media War. globalresearch.ca After 23 years of unremitting media warfare against Venezuela, the United States announces that it will start a media war against Venezuela. It's cynical, it's tragic, it's even comical. Since 1997, when Commander Hugo Chávez Frías began to emerge in …

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.

The Canary (2020-07-25). UN weather agency warns of 'global repercussions' amid Arctic heatwave. thecanary.co The UN weather agency warned that average temperatures in Siberia were 10C (18F) above average last month. It's a spate of exceptional heat that has fanned devastating fires in the Arctic Circle and contributed to a rapid depletion in ice sea off Russia's Arctic coast. | World Meteorological Organisation secretary-general Petteri Taalas said in a statement: The Arctic is heating more than twice as fast as the global average, impacting local populations and ecosystems and with global repercussions | He noted that Earth's poles influence weather conditions far away, where hundreds of millions of people live. | We've…

Eugene E Ruyle (2020-07-25). Sunday 8/2: Cuba: This is what medical internationalism looks like. indybay.org Online…

RT (2020-07-24). WATCH Portland protesters battling federal police to sound of Star Wars' Imperial March. rt.com Chaotic scenes outside Portland's federal courthouse were given a snarky soundtrack by a demonstrator who showed up to the fracas armed with a stereo. The city has seen nightly clashes between police and protesters. | Footage taken by New York Times correspondent Mike Baker shows activists and federal agents fighting over control of a fence guarding the building in downtown Portland, which has been under siege by demonstrators for nearly two months. | Protesters used projectiles and laser pointers against federal law enforcement tasked with protecting the courthouse, who in turn deployed tear gas to keep the m…

Alan Macleod (2020-07-24). Homeland Security Justifies Invasion of Portland by Claiming Shields and Gas Masks are Weapons. mintpressnews.com DHS' Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli claimed that defensive tools like Shields and Gas Masks were evidence that protesters were making "preparations for violence."

James Goodman (2020-07-24). Trump Uses Border Patrol to Implement Police State. progressive.org The same agents arresting protesters in Portland routinely terrorize immigrant communities.