2020-07-27: News Headlines

_____ (2020-07-27). The Militarized Assault On Our Right To Protest. popularresistance.org The Trump Administration sent federal law enforcement, including the paramilitary squad of Customs and Border Patrol, BORTAC, which has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, to the streets of Portland, OR to stop the ongoing demonstrations against racist police violence. Federal law enforcement, working with local police, is also being sent to other cities where anti-racist protests are going on. We speak with constitutional lawyer Mara Verheyden-Hilliard about the legality of this and how activists can fight back to protect the rights of everyone and end police violence and lawless impunity.

Staff (2020-07-27). Seattle & Portland Activists: Protest Federal and City Police Crackdowns & Keep Focus on BLM Agenda. democracynow.org As nationwide protests against systemic racism and police violence stretch into their second month, President Trump has sent a team of federal agents to Seattle, following a controversial deployment of federal forces in Portland, Oregon. "We don't know exactly what the federal officers are doing. What we do know is we are in a situation where local police are welcoming those federal agents into our cities," says Seattle community organizer Nikkita Oliver, co-executive director of Creative Justice. We also speak with Pastor E.D. Mondainé, president of the Portland, Oregon, branch of the NAACP.

Juan Lopez (2020-07-27). Trump threatens democracy with militarized police as polls suggest he's in trouble. peoplesworld.org By sending federal militarized units in fascist-like fashion into major cities to attack peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstrators, President Donald Trump is assaulting democracy and setting a dangerous precedent less than 100 days before the November elections. Clearly, it is a desperate move to shore up his far-right base and divert public attention away from …

Coco Das (2020-07-27). Three Questions for the "Resistance" counterpunch.org The Trump/Pence regime has sent a federal occupying army into Portland to "quell" ongoing protests. Overseen by the Department of Homeland Security and cobbled from a number of federal agencies, including Customs & Border Patrol and the Coast Guard, these anonymous thugs in camouflage, virtually indistinguishable from right-wing militias, have seized the authority to kidnap

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (2020-07-27). Popular Movements Can Overcome Authoritarian Policing. dissidentvoice.org Portland protests say Go Home Feds as protests grow (by Noah Berger, AP) 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 …

Mike Hastie (2020-07-27). The Heart of Darkness in Portland. counterpunch.org Soon it will be 60 straight nights of demonstrations and ear shattering protests in Portland, Oregon. There is a continuous drum corps that is beating hypnotic rhythms that gives thousands of Portlanders a reason to be alive. The energy is electrifying, as people take turns chanting their built up frustrations of what they see as utter

_____ (2020-07-27). More Federal Officers Deploying To Portland. popularresistance.org Several dozen additional out-of-town federal law enforcement officers are deploying to Portland as they look to make additional arrests in the coming days, while also shifting tactics from the use of tear gas, according to multiple federal law enforcement sources. | The federal response has so far sparked four civil rights lawsuits, a Department of Justice inspector general investigation, proposed legislation in Congress limiting the role of federal law enforcement in American cities, and has injured a number of protesters. Rather than quell the protests as was the intent, it's served to reenergize and strengthen…

sputniknews (2020-07-27). Meet Eddy, 'War Correspondent' for High School Newspaper in US City of Portland. sputniknews.com PORTLAND (Sputnik) – The youngest journalist covering the protests in Portland writes for a high school newspaper. Press badges, slight build, and being 17 years of age has proven insufficient to protect Eddy Binford-Ross from police brutality. Yet, almost every night she ventures back to report from the frontline.

RT (2020-07-27). Portland Police say Molotov cocktails & rifle magazines found in bag as city reels from violent protests. rt.com A bag discovered in a park frequented by demonstrators contained Molotov cocktails and several loaded magazines, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) has reported. Nightly protests in the city have become increasingly violent. | The PPB said they were tipped off about a suspicious bag in Lownsdale Square Park, which is located across the street from the federal courthouse that has been under siege by protesters for nearly two months. The pack reportedly contained loaded rifle magazines and Molotov cocktails. The police force shared a photo of the bag's contents on Twitter. | Tonight Portland Police were near Lowns…

RT (2020-07-27). Where are the fact checkers? Rep. Jerry Nadler claims Antifa violence in Portland is a MYTH (VIDEO). rt.com Congressman Jerry Nadler has been raked across the coals by social media after insisting that there is no protester-instigated violence in Portland. The lawmaker has spearheaded efforts to discredit federal police in the city. | The New York Democrat was approached by pundit and internet personality Austen Fletcher, who asked the House member if he "disavows the violence from Antifa happening in Portland right now." | "That's a myth that's being spread only in Washington, DC," Nadler responded. | Clearly amused by the lawmaker's answer, Fletched clarified: "About Antifa in Portland?" | "Yes," the NY representa…

Leon Kunstenaar (2020-07-27). 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 (2020-07-27). 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.

Gareth Porter (2020-07-27). How a police spy's stunning testimony threatens the official US-Israeli AMIA bombing narrative. thegrayzone.com Revelations by a former police spy upend the official story blaming Iran for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community…

Kaleem Hawa (2020-07-27). A Century of Struggle in Palestine. thenation.com Rashid Khalidi's new history offers a political and personal portrait of more than a hundred years of colonization and resistance in Palestine.

RT (2020-07-27). Antifa rioters call themselves journalists to avoid federal crackdown. rt.com Federal officers in Portland are forbidden by court order from targeting journalists filming the riots. For 'Antifa' rioters, the order opened up an opportunity: anyone with a camera can call themselves a "journalist." | Riots have raged in downtown Portland for 60 straight nights, and the threat of arrest by federal agents hasn't stopped crowds of rioters from laying siege to the city's Justice Center night after night. With Mayor Ted Wheeler reluctant to order a police crackdown on the violence, federal officers have filled the gap. Unlike their local counterparts, these officers have had no qualms about mak…

RT (2020-07-27). US police are wearing imaginary CGI armor to appease Putin, suggests acclaimed Russiagate huckster. rt.com Commentary on Donald Trump's decision to send federal police to riot-stricken cities has taken a creative turn: according to a celebrated Russiagate disciple, Putin has "ordered" US cops to wear cyberpunk armor that doesn't exist. | Cheri Jacobus, a popular #NeverTrump Twitter pundit and Russian collusion peddler, has joined the growing chorus of outrage over the use of federal law enforcement to help maintain order in Portland, Oregon, which has seen two months of increasingly violent demonstrations. | While most critics have focused on allegations that federal officers are too militarized and use excessive f…

RT (2020-07-27). Portland sex worker who stripped in front of cops as 'Naked Athena' says her nakedness was 'POLITICAL'. rt.com The woman dubbed 'Naked Athena' is a sex worker, and her famous confrontation with Portland police, in nothing but a cap and a face mask, happened because she felt offended by the way they stood, she has revealed in an interview.

IMEMC News (2020-07-27). Report: "Israeli Soldiers Killed 27 Palestinians, Injured 1070, in First Half Of 2020" imemc.org The Abdullah al-Hourani Center for Studies and Documentation" which is run by Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), has reported, Sunday, that Israeli soldiers killed 27 Palestinians, including seven children and two women, in addition to wounding 1070 other, and abducted around 2330 Palestinians in the first half of this year, 2020. …

Ramzy Baroud (2020-07-27). 'Let's Feed a Bedouin': Roy Oz and Israel's Outrageous Racism. commondreams.org Palestinian bedouins collect their belongings after Israeli forces demolish Palestinian's structures including buildings and tents in Ayn al-Hijle village of Jericho, West Bank on June 3, 2020. (Photo by Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/palestine_6.jpg

Ramzy Baroud (2020-07-27). 'Let's Feed a Bedouin': Roy Oz and Israel's Outrageous Racism. zcomm.org On July 11, a video footage, which showed a popular Israeli TV celebrity demeaning Palestinian children from the Bedouin community in the Naqab area, went viral on social media.

IMEMC News (2020-07-27). Two Female Detainees Remain In Solitary Confinement, Face Harsh Conditions. imemc.org The Palestinian Commission for Detainees' Affairs has reported, Sunday, that the Israeli authorities are still forcing two female detainees in solidarity confinement under inhumane and harsh conditions. In a press statement, the Committee said that the two detainees, Fadwa Hamada and Jihan Hasheema, are in solitary confinement in the al-Jalama …

Ali Salam (2020-07-27). Palestinian Fishing Boats Attacked by Israeli Navy Ships off Coast of Gaza. imemc.org Israeli navy ships, on Sunday morning, opened fire towards Palestinian fishing boats sailing off the northern coast of the Gaza Strip, Alray Agency reported. Several Israeli naval gunships, off the coast of al-Sudania and al-Waha districts, opened gunfire towards Palestinian fishermen's boats. The fishermen were sailing within the Israeli dictated …

Ali Salam (2020-07-27). Soldiers Order Halt On Construction Of Three Homes In Bethlehem. imemc.org Israeli soldiers delivered, Sunday, stop-construction orders of three Palestinian homes, houses in Beit Sakariya village, south Bethlehem, south of occupied Jerusalem in the West Bank. Hasan Breijiyya, the head of the Bethlehem office of the Wall and Colonization Resistance Commission, stated that the soldiers and officers of the so-called Israeli …

Ali Salam (2020-07-27). Settlers Burn Palestinian-owned Olive, Almond Trees near Nablus. imemc.org Illegal Israeli settlers, on Saturday, set fire to Palestinian-owned farm lands in the village of Huwara, south of the northern occupied West Bank city of Nablus, Alray Agency reported. Ghassan Doughlas, local official monitoring Israeli settlement activities, told Palestinian WAFA News Agency that dozens of illegal Israeli settlers entered agricultural …

IMEMC News (2020-07-27). Soldiers Abduct A Palestinian At Erez Terminal. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, Sunday, the executive director of Mirsal Post Company in the Gaza Strip, as he was crossing the Erez (Beit Hanoun) Crossing, in the northern part of the coastal region. The Palestinian has been identified as Sa'id Shorafa, and was taken by the soldiers to an unknown destination, …

IMEMC News (2020-07-27). Israeli Soldiers Abduct A Palestinian Near Bethlehem. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Sunday evening, a young Palestinian young man near Bethlehem for allegedly attempting to smatch an Israeli soldier's weapon. According to Israel's TV, Channel 12, the young Palestinian man attempted to snatch the soldier's gun near the Gush Etzion colony, south of Bethlehem. The soldiers assaulted the …

Raul Diego (2020-07-27). Israel Rolls Out Dystopian Cyber Espionage Award for US-Backed Digital Saboteurs. mintpressnews.com The myriad cybersecurity, AI, and IoT startups emerging out of Israel's state-funded organizations have extensive ties to American Fortune 100 companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and many others.

Timothy Alexander Guzman (2020-07-27). Military Escalation in the Middle East: Is Israel Planning a Multi-Front War against Its Arab Neighbors? globalresearch.ca If you watch the US mainstream media's 24 hour news coverage on recent events around the world no matter what time of the day it is, Covid-19 and China dominate the headlines while ignoring recent escalations in the Middle East …

WSWS (2020-07-27). What is BORTAC and why is it patrolling the streets of Portland? wsws.org The special paramilitary arm of Customs and Border Protection has been deployed to intimidate and terrorize young people and workers amid the greatest health, economic and political crisis in modern American history.

George Lakey (2020-07-27). Understanding Trump's game plan in Portland. zcomm.org Because the overwhelming majority of Portlanders have been demonstrating for Black Lives Matter in nonviolent ways, elected officials are mobilizing against Trump's intervention. If the majority had been violent, Trump's intervention would be welcomed by the center…

_____ (2020-07-27). The Forgotten History Of The Jewish, Anti-Zionist Left. popularresistance.org Anti-Zionists argue that this brutal reality is not just the product of a right-wing government or failure to effectively procure a two-state solution. Rather, it stems from the modern Zionist project itself, one established in a colonial context, and fundamentally reliant on ethnic cleansing and violent domination of Palestinian people. Jews around the world are among those who call themselves anti-Zionists, and who vociferously object to the claim that the state of Israel represents the will—or interests—of Jewish people. | In These Times spoke with Benjamin Balthaser, an associate professor of mult…

Rise Up Now (2020-07-27). 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…

Commonwealth Club (2020-07-27). Friday 8/7: The Battle for Portland & the Implications Nationwide. indybay.org Online via livestream…

Rise Up Now (2020-07-27). J25 Stand with Portland March, Call and Response. indybay.org One min 15 second video by Micky Souza, Pro Bono Photo. | Please give credit.

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…

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…

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 two months, tearing down barricades, lobbing fireworks, sett…

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

IMEMC News (2020-07-26). Updated: Soldiers Abduct Ten Palestinians, Including Two Legislators, In West Bank. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Sunday at dawn and morning hours, ten Palestinians, including two legislators, mainly from their homes in several parts of the occupied West Bank, after the army stormed and violently searched many homes. The soldiers invaded several homes in Hebron, in southern West Bank, interrogated many residents …

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.

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.

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…

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…

_____ (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). 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…

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