thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Fox News Legal Analyst Delivers Withering Critique Of Donald Trump’s Protests Rhetoric

Fox News senior judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano on Monday slammed President Donald Trump ’ s response to the nationwide protests @ @ @ @ @ death of George Floyd .
“ We are witnessing failure of leadership from the bottom @ @ @ @ @ Napolitano , a former New Jersey Superior Court judge , said on Fox News Radio @ @ @ @ @ America with Jimmy Failla.
” Napolitano criticized Trump , who he has repeatedly called out @ @ @ @ @ telling governors in a Monday call to “ dominate ” protesters .
He also slammed @ @ @ @ @ inflammatory language about the demonstrations .
“ These words make things worse .
They don @ @ @ @ @ .
They exacerbate it , ” Napolitano argued .
Elsewhere in the interview , Napolitano @ @ @ @ @ governors and questioned why Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and @ @ @ @ @ Floyd .
“ That is hardly this case , ” he said .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ to Napolitano ’ s comments from the 39:22 mark here :

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Fox News senior judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano on Monday slammed President Donald Trump’s response to the nationwide protests that have erupted following the death of George Floyd.
“We are witnessing failure of leadership from the bottom to the top,” Napolitano, a former New Jersey Superior Court judge, said on Fox News Radio’s “Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla.”
Advertisement
Napolitano criticized Trump, who he has repeatedly called out in recent years, for telling governors in a Monday call to “dominate” protesters. He also slammed Trump’s tweeting of inflammatory language about the demonstrations.
“These words make things worse. They don’t lighten the tension. They exacerbate it,” Napolitano argued.
Elsewhere in the interview, Napolitano criticized the leadership of some governors and questioned why Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Floyd.
“That is hardly this case,” he said. “This is first-degree murder.”
Listen to Napolitano’s comments from the 39:22 mark here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--SUV Barrels Into Police Officers During Floyd Protest In Buffalo, Injuring 2

BUFFALO , N.Y. ( AP ) — An SUV carrying two people who had been shot plowed through a group of law enforcement at a George Floyd demonstration Monday night in Buffalo , injuring at least two officers , authorities said .
Video posted by a bystander shows a line of police officers , backed up by an armored personnel carrier , rushing and tackling a man who was being interviewed by a man with a TV camera about 9:30 p.m. Other officers used batons to whack at protesters , who scattered .
Moments later , there was the sound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers ran as an SUV barreled through a cluster of officers .
At least one appeared to go under the vehicle ’ s wheels .
The SUV drove around an armored vehicle and sped off as more gunfire sounded .
The officers were taken to Erie County Medical Center and authorities said their condition was stable .
One is a New York State Police officer who suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries , the agency said .
The other is with the Buffalo Police Department .
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told WGRZ-TV that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot somewhere else before the vehicle ran through the line of officers , and were being treated for their own injuries .
A third person in the SUV was in custody .
We can confirm a member of the New York State Police was one of the members of law enforcement struck by a vehicle in Buffalo , NY tonight .
The member is hospitalized with serious but non-life threatening injuries .
— NewYorkStatePolice ( @ nyspolice ) June 2 , 2020 Buffalo Police spokesman Michael DeGeorge said two people were struck by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was not immediately known whether the shots came from police or others , he said .
As a police helicopter flew overhead , officers in armored vehicles asked the crowd to disperse and fired tear gas within a few blocks of where the police were struck .
Several stores in the area were broken into , and people were seen entering and leaving with goods .
The windows of a looted convenience store were smashed and protective metal bars had been pulled aside .
One woman on her front stoop said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a person over the phone .
As the night stretched on , the crowds thinned out and smoke swirled from trash that had been emptied out across several streets and set on fire .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — An SUV carrying two people who had been shot plowed through a group of law enforcement at a George Floyd demonstration Monday night in Buffalo, injuring at least two officers, authorities said.
Video posted by a bystander shows a line of police officers, backed up by an armored personnel carrier, rushing and tackling a man who was being interviewed by a man with a TV camera about 9:30 p.m. Other officers used batons to whack at protesters, who scattered.
Advertisement
Moments later, there was the sound of firearms discharging off camera, then officers ran as an SUV barreled through a cluster of officers. At least one appeared to go under the vehicle’s wheels.
The SUV drove around an armored vehicle and sped off as more gunfire sounded.
BREAKING: Car runs into police officers during protest in Buffalo, New York; at least 2 injured pic.twitter.com/HDXJeh8W85 — BNO News (@BNONews) June 2, 2020
The officers were taken to Erie County Medical Center and authorities said their condition was stable. One is a New York State Police officer who suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries, the agency said. The other is with the Buffalo Police Department.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told WGRZ-TV that two people in the SUV had been shot somewhere else before the vehicle ran through the line of officers, and were being treated for their own injuries. A third person in the SUV was in custody.
Advertisement
We can confirm a member of the New York State Police was one of the members of law enforcement struck by a vehicle in Buffalo, NY tonight. The member is hospitalized with serious but non-life threatening injuries. — NewYorkStatePolice (@nyspolice) June 2, 2020
Buffalo Police spokesman Michael DeGeorge said two people were struck by gunfire during Monday’s protest. It was not immediately known whether the shots came from police or others, he said.
As a police helicopter flew overhead, officers in armored vehicles asked the crowd to disperse and fired tear gas within a few blocks of where the police were struck. Several stores in the area were broken into, and people were seen entering and leaving with goods. The windows of a looted convenience store were smashed and protective metal bars had been pulled aside.
One woman on her front stoop said, “I’m scared,” to a person over the phone.
As the night stretched on, the crowds thinned out and smoke swirled from trash that had been emptied out across several streets and set on fire.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Judge Raises Suspicions With Appeals Court About DOJ Motives For Dropping Flynn Charges

Lawyers for a federal judge raised suspicions in a court filing Monday about the legitimacy of the motives behind the Justice Department ’ s move to drop perjury charges against former national security adviser Michael Flynn .
“ It is unusual for a criminal defendant to claim innocence and move to withdraw his guilty plea after repeatedly swearing under oath that he committed the crime , ” noted the brief filed with the Washington District appeals court on behalf of U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan , who presided in the Flynn case .
It is “ unprecedented ” for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case years after two different federal judges accepted the plea , the brief added .
Sullivan should not be required to act as a “ mere rubber stamp ” for Attorney General William Barr ’ s strategy , and should be allowed to rule in the case to protect the “ integrity of the judicial process , ” the brief warned .
After Sullivan signaled last month that he would not rubber-stamp the DOJ move to drop the charges , Flynn ’ s attorneys asked the appeals court to order the judge to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ bias.
” The Justice Department joined with Flynn in a separate filing later Monday asking the appeals court to immediately dismiss the case .
It argued that the executive branch , not the judiciary , has the “ power to decide when — and when not — to prosecute potential crimes ” — even though it was the DOJ that initially prosecuted the case against Flynn .
Judges don ’ t have the authority to “ stand in the way of a dismissal the defendant does not oppose , ” it argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Trump administration ’ s effort to sanitize Flynn ’ s actions before he was fired by Donald Trump three years ago after pleading guilty to lying to Vice President Mike Pence and the FBI concerning the nature of his secret phone calls with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak after Trump was elected .
In transcripts of some of the calls released publicly for the first time last week , Flynn tried to convince Kislyak to keep Russian President Vladimir Putin calm about sanctions imposed by then President Barack Obama for interfering in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and indicated that once Obama was gone , the Kremlin could forge a new relationship with the White House .
Flynn didn ’ t once complain in the calls of the Kremlin ’ s attempt to sabotage the American election .
Trump claims the transcripts reveal nothing concerning , and that surveillance of Flynn at the time was a subterfuge for the FBI to launch an illegitimate probe into his administration .
Democrats argue that the details of Flynn ’ s secret talks were a sign of possible collusion between the Kremlin and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It was signed by the Acting U.S. Attorney alone ... it featured no affidavits or declarations supporting its many new factual allegations ; it was not accompanied by a motion to vacate the government ’ s prior , contrary filings ... it cited minimal legal authority in support of its view , ” the filing noted .
In addition , it failed to mention Flynn ’ s undisclosed paid work at the time for the Turkish government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2017 , which was part of his plea agreement @ @ @ @ @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Lawyers for a federal judge raised suspicions in a court filing Monday about the motives behind the Department of Justice’s move to drop perjury charges against former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
“It is unusual for a criminal defendant to claim innocence and move to withdraw his guilty plea after repeatedly swearing under oath that he committed the crime,” noted the brief filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on behalf of U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, who presided in the Flynn case. It is “unprecedented” for the DOJ to take action to dismiss a case years after two different federal judges accepted the plea, the brief added.
Advertisement
The “unusual developments in this case provide at least a plausible ‘reason to question’ the ‘bona fides’ of the government’s motion,” lawyers argued.
Sullivan should not be required to act as a “mere rubber stamp” for Attorney General William Barr’s strategy, and should be allowed to rule in the case to protect the “integrity of the judicial process,” the brief warned.
After Sullivan signaled last month that he would not rubber-stamp the DOJ move to drop the charges, Flynn’s attorneys asked the appeals court to order the judge to do so, and accused Sullivan of “bias.”
The Justice Department joined with Flynn in a separate filing later Monday asking the appeals court to immediately dismiss the case. It argued that the executive branch, not the judiciary, has the “power to decide when — and when not — to prosecute potential crimes” — even though it was the DOJ that initially prosecuted the case against Flynn. Judges don’t have the authority to “stand in the way of a dismissal the defendant does not oppose,” it argued.
Advertisement
The back-and-forth was the latest chapter in the Trump administration’s effort to sanitize Flynn’s actions before he was fired by Donald Trump three years ago for lying to the FBI and Vice President Mike Pence about his secret phone calls with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak after Trump was elected.
Trump claims that the transcripts reveal nothing concerning and that surveillance of Flynn at the time was a subterfuge for the FBI to launch an illegitimate probe into his administration. Democrats argue that the details of Flynn’s secret talks were a sign of possible collusion between the Kremlin and the incoming administration that justified the investigation.
Sullivan’s attorneys listed a number of concerning omissions in the DOJ’s action demanding the Flynn charges be dropped.
“It was signed by the Acting U.S. Attorney alone. ... it featured no affidavits or declarations supporting its many new factual allegations; it was not accompanied by a motion to vacate the government’s prior, contrary filings ... it cited minimal legal authority in support of its view,” the filing noted.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Ex-RNC Chair: Donald Trump 'Does Not Believe In The Ideals Of This Country'

Michael Steele , the former chair of the Republican National Committee , on Monday hammered President Donald Trump ’ s lack of leadership during the national crises of the coronavirus pandemic and the protests that have erupted following the death of George Floyd .
Steele , appearing on MSNBC ’ s “ Deadline White House , ” suggested that “ for some reason , there ’ s still this expectation that Donald Trump in a moment like this is going to respond ” like his predecessors , such as Barack Obama .
Instead , Steele noted , “ you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bunker out of fear of what ?
I don ’ t know.
” ( Trump was reportedly rushed to an underground bunker on Friday as anti-racist protests took place in Washington . )
“ He doesn ’ t step into that leadership , he repels from it and yet we still expect him to behave differently , ” said Steele , who was chair of the RNC from 2009 to 2011 .
“ This president has shown us who he is , ” he added .
“ He has told us over and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not believe in the ideals of this country.
” '' What you have is a president who retreats to his bunker out of fear of what ?
I do n't know .
He does n't step into that leadership , he repels from it and yet we still expect him to behave differently .
This president has shown us who he is '' - @ MichaelSteele w/ @ NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/8WtfVr5IcJ — Deadline White House ( @ DeadlineWH ) June 1 , 2020

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Michael Steele, the former chair of the Republican National Committee, on Monday hammered President Donald Trump’s lack of leadership during the national crises of the coronavirus pandemic and the protests that have erupted following the death of George Floyd.
Steele, appearing on MSNBC’s “Deadline White House,” suggested that “for some reason, there’s still this expectation that Donald Trump in a moment like this is going to respond” like his predecessors, such as Barack Obama.
Advertisement
Instead, Steele noted, “you have is a president who retreats to his bunker out of fear of what? I don’t know.” (Trump was reportedly rushed to an underground bunker on Friday as anti-racist protests took place in Washington.)
“He doesn’t step into that leadership, he repels from it and yet we still expect him to behave differently,” said Steele, who was chair of the RNC from 2009 to 2011.
“This president has shown us who he is,” he added. “He has told us over and over again what he believes. He does not believe in the ideals of this country.”
Check out Steele’s comments below:
"What you have is a president who retreats to his bunker out of fear of what? I don't know. He doesn't step into that leadership, he repels from it and yet we still expect him to behave differently. This president has shown us who he is" - @MichaelSteele w/ @NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/8WtfVr5IcJ — Deadline White House (@DeadlineWH) June 1, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Washington Archbishop Condemns Trump's Visit To Catholic Shrine

One day after Trump used federal police to forcefully disperse a peaceful protest in front of a D.C. Episcopal church for a photo op with the Bible , Archbishop Wilton Gregory insisted that the former pope the shrine is named after would never have condoned the president ’ s tactics .
“ I find it baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a fashion that violates our religious principles , which call us to defend the rights of all people even those with whom we might disagree , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington , said in a statement .
“ He certainly would not condone the use of tear gas and other deterrents to silence , scatter or intimidate them for a photo opportunity in front of a place of worship and peace , ” Gregory added .
Trump briefly visited the Saint John Paul II National Shrine with first lady Melania Trump , who identifies as Roman Catholic .
The pair posed for media photos before turning to gaze at a statue of the former pope for a few minutes .
They also laid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump did not make any public comments at the shrine , The Washington Post reported .
“ The White House originally scheduled this as an event for the president to sign an executive order on international religious freedom .
This was fitting given St. John Paul II was a tireless advocate of religious liberty throughout his pontificate , ” the shrine ’ s statement read .
Susan Gunn , director of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns , a Catholic ministry , helped to organize a prayer vigil outside the shrine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at St. John ’ s Church the night before , Gunn said the vigil was planned to be “ far enough away that we felt safe from overly aggressive police tactics to move a crowd and yet close enough to see the presidential motorcade.
” Gunn said she felt “ outraged ” that Trump would use the Catholic faith for what she suspected would be another “ photo op to further his political agenda.
” “ We wanted to pray for healing for those who are grieving and for our fractured communities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of solidarity and love in a public way , ” Gunn said of the vigil .
Bob Cooke , a leader for Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore , local chapter of a left-leaning Catholic group , told HuffPost that he believes the Trump administration has long acted in ways that are antithetical to the gospel .
But violently dispersing peaceful protestors for a photo op while the nation grieves 400 years of racism was “ more than many Christians could take.
” “ He is trying to create a false dichotomy of peaceful protestors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be further from the truth , and any Christian who believes it does not understand Jesus ’ s message , ” Campbell said in a statement .
On Monday evening , law enforcement officials in riot gear fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators gathered at Lafayette Square to protest the death of George Floyd , a Black man who was killed in police custody last week in Minneapolis .
The square is located right in front of St. John ’ s Church .
Clergy who had gathered at the church to offer water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who reported being tear-gassed and driven off the church ’ s property .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Washington’s Roman Catholic archbishop has roundly criticized President Donald Trump’s visit to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine on Tuesday.
One day after Trump used federal police to forcefully disperse a peaceful protest in front of a D.C. Episcopal church for a photo op with the Bible, Archbishop Wilton Gregory insisted that the former pope the shrine is named after would never have condoned the president’s tactics.
Advertisement
“I find it baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a fashion that violates our religious principles, which call us to defend the rights of all people even those with whom we might disagree,” Gregory, the first Black archbishop of Washington, said in a statement.
Saint Pope John Paul II, known for opposing communism in his native Poland during his papacy, was an “ardent defender of the rights and dignity of human beings,” the archbishop said.
“He certainly would not condone the use of tear gas and other deterrents to silence, scatter or intimidate them for a photo opportunity in front of a place of worship and peace,” Gregory added.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump visit Saint John Paul II National Shrine, June 2, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Advertisement
Trump briefly visited the Saint John Paul II National Shrine with first lady Melania Trump, who identifies as Roman Catholic. The pair posed for media photos before turning to gaze at a statue of the former pope for a few minutes. They also laid a wreath of flowers at the shrine. Trump did not make any public comments at the shrine, The Washington Post reported.
The president then returned to the White House and signed an executive order intended to promote international religious freedom.
The Saint John Paul II National Shrine is managed by the conservative lay Catholic men’s organization, the Knights of Columbus.
In a statement, its leaders said that the shrine “welcomes all people to come and pray and learn about the legacy of St. John Paul II.”
“The White House originally scheduled this as an event for the president to sign an executive order on international religious freedom. This was fitting given St. John Paul II was a tireless advocate of religious liberty throughout his pontificate,” the shrine’s statement read.
Advertisement
Several hundred people gathered outside the shrine to protest Trump’s visit. Catholic activists prayed the rosary, listened to a reading of the Beatitudes, and held signs, including one that read, “Our church is not a photo op.”
We’re here to express our dismay at #45’s visit to the JPII center @jackmjenkins pic.twitter.com/nkyObB4GDV — Judy Coode (@Judy_Coode) June 2, 2020
Susan Gunn, director of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, a Catholic ministry, helped to organize a prayer vigil outside the shrine. After watching videos of what had happened at St. John’s Church the night before, Gunn said the vigil was planned to be “far enough away that we felt safe from overly aggressive police tactics to move a crowd and yet close enough to see the presidential motorcade.”
Gunn said she felt “outraged” that Trump would use the Catholic faith for what she suspected would be another “photo op to further his political agenda.”
“We wanted to pray for healing for those who are grieving and for our fractured communities, and we wanted to share our message of solidarity and love in a public way,” Gunn said of the vigil.
Advertisement
Bob Cooke, a leader for Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore, local chapter of a left-leaning Catholic group, told HuffPost that he believes the Trump administration has long acted in ways that are antithetical to the gospel. But violently dispersing peaceful protestors for a photo op while the nation grieves 400 years of racism was “more than many Christians could take.”
“So as a Catholic, I needed to be out there today to protest his misuse of Christianity and the Bible for his own temporal, evil plans,” Cooke said.
Prayerful protest outside the Basilica waiting for Trump pic.twitter.com/6ouEKpX9Zr — Ryan Koronowski (@koronet) June 2, 2020
Bishop John Stowe, from the Catholic diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, also criticized Trump’s visit.
As Trump visits the St John Paul II National Shrine today, I hope someone proclaims today's Gospel (Mark 12:13-17) where Herodians and Pharisees are called out for their hypocrisy. — Bishop John Stowe (@BpStowe) June 2, 2020
Sister Simone Campbell, who leads the Catholic social justice advocacy group Network, accused Trump of using the Catholic faith “in another photo op to defend his appalling refusal to address racism and police violence in the United States.”
Advertisement
“He is trying to create a false dichotomy of peaceful protestors versus the Church. That could not be further from the truth, and any Christian who believes it does not understand Jesus’s message,” Campbell said in a statement.
“Saint John Paul II himself spoke out against racism multiple times during his papacy, I hope President Trump learns that history during his visit,” she said.
Rev. James Martin, editor at large of the Jesuit Catholic magazine America, also said that Trump was visiting the shrine “for another photo op at a religious site.”
Demonstrators stage a protest near the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, which President Donald Trump visited on June 2 in Washington, D.C. Alex Wong via Getty Images
Gregory’s condemnation of Trump’s visit to the shrine comes just one day after Washington’s Episcopal bishop lashed out at the president for using one of the churches in her diocese for a photo op.
On Monday evening, law enforcement officials in riot gear fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators gathered at Lafayette Square to protest the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed in police custody last week in Minneapolis. The square is located right in front of St. John’s Church. Clergy who had gathered at the church to offer water and solidarity to protesters were among those who reported being tear-gassed and driven off the church’s property.
The president then walked from the White House to pose with a Bible outside of St. John’s Church, which had been set on fire during protests a day earlier.
Rev. Mariann Budde, leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, accused Trump of using the Bible and St. John’s Church as a backdrop for a message that is “antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our church stands for.”
Budde said that she was sad about the damage to the church, but that she and her diocese still stood in solidarity with protesters demanding an end to police brutality against Black Americans.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Religious Leaders Say They Were Tear-Gassed For Trump's Church Photo-Op

The White House declined to say if Trump believes the faith leaders ’ removal from church property infringes on their @ @ @ @ @ perimeter was expanded to help enforce the 7 p.m. curfew in the same area where @ @ @ @ @ one of our nation ’ s most historic churches the night before , ” White @ @ @ @ @ Deere said in a statement to HuffPost .
“ Protesters were given three warnings by @ @ @ @ @ Budde said she had no idea that Trump planned to stage a photo-op outside a @ @ @ @ @ “ I am going to do everything in my power to disassociate our church from @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
Rev .
Michael Curry , the presiding bishop of the @ @ @ @ @ Trump of using a church building and the Bible for “ partisan political purposes .
@

LOADING ERROR LOADING
President Donald Trump on Monday reportedly used federal police to tear-gas Christian faith leaders, along with hundreds of peaceful protesters gathered to demand an end to police brutality against Black Americans.
Clergy were passing out water and snacks to protesters in front of St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square, an Episcopal parish in Washington, D.C., throughout the afternoon ― before law enforcement officials in riot gear reportedly fired tear gas and flash-bangs to disperse the crowd so that Trump could walk to the church for a photo-op. Lafayette Square is a park that lies directly north of the White House.
Advertisement
Rev. Gini Gerbasi, rector of a different St. John’s Episcopal Church in the city, told HuffPost that she and seminarian Julia Joyce Domenick were tear-gassed and driven off of church property by police.
“The irony, the sickening, sacrilegious irony is that we were being driven off in order for a photo opportunity to show the president and his commitment to religion ideas,” Gerbasi said. “It’s grotesque and offensive and sacrilegious.”
She said she was acting out her religious beliefs by serving protesters at the church and that her religious freedom was violated when she was forced off church property by tear gas.
U.S. Secret Service agents, Park Police and National Guardsmen participated in the clearing of Lafayette Square, according to The Associated Press. For “operational security reasons,” the Secret Service declined to answer HuffPost’s questions about how and why the faith leaders were cleared from church property. A National Guard Bureau spokesman also declined to answer specifics about the dispersal.
Advertisement
The U.S. Park Police did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on whether clergy were tear-gassed and driven from church property.
President Donald Trump holds a Bible outside St. John's Church in Washington, D.C., on Monday night. Faith leaders say they were among those who were tear-gassed by federal police clearing the area for the photo-op. AP Photo/Patrick Semansk
Domenick also wrote a Facebook post Monday night, in which she described how she was feeling: “Angry. Disbelief. Sick. In Pain.” She said she was at St. John’s Church with several friends from seminary, responding to a call from the Episcopal Diocese of Washington for people of faith to gather “in prayerful solidarity” with protesters.
The protest was peaceful until law enforcement officials rushed the crowd, according to Domenick.
“No warning...Screaming, flash grenades, and tear gas came at us. People ran as fast as they could around the corner of the church. Within minutes all of the church volunteers were met with a crowd running from the police and the police swarming the church property,” she wrote on Facebook.
“We were gassed for a photo op,” Domenick added. “Is ANY life valuable to him? Is it all about ratings?”
Advertisement
Gas floats in the air as a line of police move protesters away from St. John's Church on Monday night. Law enforcement reportedly used tear gas to disperse protesters. AP Photo/Alex Brandon
St. John’s Church is over 200 years old and has been nicknamed the “church of the presidents.” Every president since James Madison has attended at least one service there, according to the church’s website. The parish is part of the Episcopal Church, a progressive denomination that has often stood at odds with the president’s policies.
The basement of St. John’s Church’s parish building was set on fire Sunday night during protests over the police killing of George Floyd, a Black man from Minneapolis who died last week after a white police officer knelt on his neck.
The parish and its diocese responded to the damage by pledging solidarity with the protesters. Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, told HuffPost on Monday that clergy from her diocese gathered by the church to offer water, snacks and prayer to protesters. Gerbasi told Religion News Service that at least 20 other clergy showed up at St. John’s Church on Monday to help with the diocese’s outreach efforts.
“There’s a huge difference between loss of life at the hands of a police officer as part of a systemic pattern of racism, and being concerned about the basement of a church,” Budde said. “We’re trying to keep our focus on the major issues.”
The Bible teaches us to love God and our neighbor; that all people are beloved children of God; that we are to do justice and love kindness. The President used our sacred text as a symbol of division. — Mariann Budde (@Mebudde) June 2, 2020
Law enforcement began expelling people from the park before the 7 p.m. curfew imposed by D.C.’s mayor. People started running toward the patio of St. John’s Church for medical supplies.
Gerbasi said she worked alongside the Black Lives Matter medical team to help people clear out their eyes from the tear gas. Then, she said, police started to physically force people off the church property.
“They were pushing us off of church property when we were literally wiping away people’s tears,” Gerbasi said. “That was a moment when I thought, ‘I cannot believe this is happening.’”
St. John's Episcopal Church covered in spray paint after protests. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Advertisement
The White House declined to say if Trump believes the faith leaders’ removal from church property infringes on their religious rights. “The perimeter was expanded to help enforce the 7 p.m. curfew in the same area where rioters attempted to burn down one of our nation’s most historic churches the night before,” White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement to HuffPost. “Protesters were given three warnings by the U.S. Park Police.” Budde said she had no idea that Trump planned to stage a photo-op outside a church in her diocese. “I am going to do everything in my power to disassociate our church from what the president did tonight,” she said. Rev. Michael Curry, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church nationwide, accused Trump of using a church building and the Bible for “partisan political purposes.”
Trump stands outside St. John's Church on Monday with Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Attorney General Bill Barr, national security adviser Robert O'Brien, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
Andrew Whitehead, a sociologist at Clemson University, told HuffPost that the president’s actions align perfectly with the goals of Christian nationalism, a phenomenon that he studies. Christian nationalism hinges on the narrative that the United States has a special covenant with the Christian God. This increasingly prominent ideology is most commonly found amongst Trump’s white evangelical supporters.
“Trump was signaling to Americans who embrace Christian nationalism that he will forcibly protect them and their vision for the United States,” Whitehead said. “Trump’s use of religious symbolism symbolically baptized his authoritarian speech.”
Advertisement
Those who embrace Christian nationalism won’t be concerned that the church Trump stood in front of doesn’t support his actions, Whitehead said. If anything, he said, they likely view the clergy and parishioners of that church as outside the faith because they don’t support Trump.
“In order to explain away that the clergy were tear-gassed, my guess is that they will appeal to how we are supposed to submit to authorities,” Whitehead said. “They will say that those clergy should have cleared out on their own accord.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Facebook Engineer Resigns Over Zuckerberg's Handling Of Trump Posts

A Facebook engineer who works to combat the spread of misinformation on the platform is resigning from the social media giant as a result of how CEO Mark Zuckerberg has handled President Trump ’ s “ increasingly dangerous rhetoric.
” Timothy Aveni announced his decision on Facebook on Monday afternoon , using the opportunity to call out the company for its unequal application of its own community standards .
“ For years , President Trump has enjoyed an exception to Facebook ’ s Community Standards ; over and over he posts abhorrent , targeted messages that would get any other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he wrote .
“ He ’ s permitted to break the rules , since his political speech is ‘ newsworthy.
’ ” “ Mark always told us that he would draw the line at speech that calls for violence , ” Aveni continued .
“ He showed us on Friday that this was a lie .
Facebook will keep moving the goalposts every time Trump escalates , finding excuse after excuse not to act on increasingly dangerous rhetoric.
” Last week , Trump published Facebook posts as protests flared around the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Black man , who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck .
In one message , Trump called protesters “ THUGS ” and said “ when the looting starts , the shooting starts , ” parroting a racist Miami police chief talking about civil rights protests in the 1960s .
Twitter put the messages behind a warning label that said they violated rules against “ glorifying violence.
” The company didn ’ t take the tweets down , however , saying it was “ in the public ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s posts to remain accessible .
Facebook did nothing .
Zuckerberg met with several civil rights leaders on Monday to explain his decision , which they later jointly called “ incomprehensible.
” “ Since Friday , I ’ ve spent a lot of time trying to understand and process the decision not to remove the racist , violent post Trump made Thursday night , but Facebook , complicit in the propagation of weaponized hatred , is on the wrong side of history , ” Aveni wrote .
“ I can not keep excusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued .
“ Facebook is providing a platform that enables politicians to radicalize individuals and glorify violence , and we are watching the United States succumb to the same kind of social media-fueled division that has gotten people killed in the Philippines , Myanmar , and Sri Lanka .
” Politicians in those countries have used Facebook — and Facebook-owned WhatsApp — to spread disinformation that can result in remarkable violence .
In Myanmar , for example , U.N. human rights experts strongly implicated Facebook in acts of genocide against Rohingya Muslims .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ country and I ’ m done trying to justify this , ” Aveni closed , noting his last day will be June 12 .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A Facebook engineer who works to combat the spread of misinformation on the platform is resigning from the social media giant as a result of how CEO Mark Zuckerberg has handled President Trump’s “increasingly dangerous rhetoric.”
Timothy Aveni announced his decision on Facebook on Monday afternoon, using the opportunity to call out the company for its unequal application of its own community standards.
Advertisement
“For years, President Trump has enjoyed an exception to Facebook’s Community Standards; over and over he posts abhorrent, targeted messages that would get any other Facebook user suspended from the platform,” he wrote. “He’s permitted to break the rules, since his political speech is ‘newsworthy.’”
“Mark always told us that he would draw the line at speech that calls for violence,” Aveni continued. “He showed us on Friday that this was a lie. Facebook will keep moving the goalposts every time Trump escalates, finding excuse after excuse not to act on increasingly dangerous rhetoric.”
Last week, Trump published Facebook posts as protests flared around the country following the death of George Floyd, a Black man, who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck. In one message, Trump called protesters “THUGS” and said “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” parroting a racist Miami police chief talking about civil rights protests in the 1960s.
Twitter put the messages behind a warning label that said they violated rules against “glorifying violence.” The company didn’t take the tweets down, however, saying it was “in the public’s interest” for the president’s posts to remain accessible.
Advertisement
Facebook did nothing. Zuckerberg met with several civil rights leaders on Monday to explain his decision, which they later jointly called “incomprehensible.”
“Since Friday, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand and process the decision not to remove the racist, violent post Trump made Thursday night, but Facebook, complicit in the propagation of weaponized hatred, is on the wrong side of history,” Aveni wrote.
“I cannot keep excusing Facebook’s behavior,” he continued. “Facebook is providing a platform that enables politicians to radicalize individuals and glorify violence, and we are watching the United States succumb to the same kind of social media-fueled division that has gotten people killed in the Philippines, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. ”
Politicians in those countries have used Facebook — and Facebook-owned WhatsApp — to spread disinformation that can result in remarkable violence. In Myanmar, for example, U.N. human rights experts strongly implicated Facebook in acts of genocide against Rohingya Muslims.
“I’m scared for my country and I’m done trying to justify this,” Aveni closed, noting his last day will be June 12.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Senate Republicans Brush Aside Trump Gassing Protesters At White House

On Monday evening , ahead of a citywide curfew , law enforcement officials in riot gear and on horseback fired tear gas and flash-bang grenades to disperse a largely peaceful crowd gathered to protest the death of George Floyd in Lafayette Park near the White House .
Police also hit an Australian journalist and punched his camera , prompting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to call for an investigation .
Shortly after protesters were forced from the area , President Donald Trump walked from the White House through the park to a historic church that was set on fire during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he posed for photos with other members of his administration and held up a Bible .
Religious leaders at the church , an Episcopal parish in Washington , D.C. , were aghast at the events , which were reportedly personally ordered by U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr .
The nation ’ s top law enforcement officer was present on the ground and accompanied Trump to the church .
“ I was coughing ... we were trying to help people as the police — in full riot gear — drove people toward us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passing out snacks and water to protesters at the church said afterward .
The extraordinary scene followed intense clashes between police and the public in Washington , D.C. , and other states , some of which turned violent overnight amid widespread curfews and National Guard deployments .
Trump in recent days has been urging a tougher response to the protests , urging governors to “ dominate ” demonstrations and threatening to send military troops to states that do not comply .
The display of force against a peaceful gathering at a public space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t vex most Senate Republicans , who pointed to other demonstrations that had turned violent in the nation ’ s capital and across the country .
“ I guess I was mostly horrified by the violence I ’ ve seen in our cities .
I mean , did you see the woman hit by the two-by-four ?
” Sen. Rand Paul ( R-Ky. ) , a vocal advocate of civil liberties , said when asked about the gassing of protesters at the White House on Monday .
Sen. Ted Cruz ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was important for the president to hold a photo-op on Monday evening to send a message to Americans that “ we will not be cowed by terrorists.
” “ There is no right to riot , no right to destroy others ’ property , and no right to throw rocks at police , ” Sen. Ben Sasse ( R-Neb . )
said in a statement .
“ But there is a fundamental — a Constitutional — right to protest , and I ’ m against clearing out a peaceful protest for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a political prop.
” Sen. James Lankford ( R-Okla. ) said that Trump ’ s decision to hold a photo-op minutes after Lafayette Park had been forcibly cleared by police had distracted from his speech he gave moments before in the Rose Garden about restoring “ law and order .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Top Senate Republicans on Tuesday brushed aside the use of force against hundreds of peaceful protesters gathered to demand an end to police brutality against Black Americans near the White House.
Some questioned whether it was a real protest in the first place.
“That wasn’t even a protest ― that was a provocation that was created deliberately for national television,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the acting chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters on Capitol Hill.
Advertisement
“Show me the pictures of that crowd and tell me those are real protesters and not professional agitators,” Rubio added.
Protestors take a knee and raise their hands as they face riot police near the White House on June 1 as demonstrations against George Floyd's death continue. ROBERTO SCHMIDT via Getty Images
On Monday evening, ahead of a citywide curfew, law enforcement officials in riot gear and on horseback fired tear gas and flash-bang grenades to disperse a largely peaceful crowd gathered to protest the death of George Floyd in Lafayette Park near the White House. Police also hit an Australian journalist and punched his camera, prompting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to call for an investigation.
Shortly after protesters were forced from the area, President Donald Trump walked from the White House through the park to a historic church that was set on fire during earlier demonstrations over the weekend. Outside, he posed for photos with other members of his administration and held up a Bible.
Advertisement
Religious leaders at the church, an Episcopal parish in Washington, D.C., were aghast at the events, which were reportedly personally ordered by U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr. The nation’s top law enforcement officer was present on the ground and accompanied Trump to the church.
“I was coughing ... we were trying to help people as the police — in full riot gear — drove people toward us,” one rector who had been passing out snacks and water to protesters at the church said afterward.
Democrats, meanwhile, condemned the move and called it dictatorial.
The extraordinary scene followed intense clashes between police and the public in Washington, D.C., and other states, some of which turned violent overnight amid widespread curfews and National Guard deployments. Trump in recent days has been urging a tougher response to the protests, urging governors to “dominate” demonstrations and threatening to send military troops to states that do not comply.
The display of force against a peaceful gathering at a public space near the White House, however, didn’t vex most Senate Republicans, who pointed to other demonstrations that had turned violent in the nation’s capital and across the country.
“I guess I was mostly horrified by the violence I’ve seen in our cities. I mean, did you see the woman hit by the two-by-four?” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a vocal advocate of civil liberties, said when asked about the gassing of protesters at the White House on Monday.
Advertisement
“The problem is it’s very difficult to distinguish because you’ve had so many riots, so many violent outbursts, at what started out being peaceful demonstrations,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) added.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) denounced violent protesters and said it was important for the president to hold a photo-op on Monday evening to send a message to Americans that “we will not be cowed by terrorists.”
Other Senate Republicans simply declined to comment.
“Didn’t really see it,” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said when asked about the protest on Tuesday.
After Democrats tried to pass a resolution condemning violence at protests as well as the gassing of protesters near the White House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) objected, blaming their “myopic” obsession with Trump.
Asked earlier in the day about Trump’s leadership in response to the nationwide protests, the Kentucky Republican said he was not “going to critique other people’s performances.”
Advertisement
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who offered the resolution on Tuesday, said McConnell’s objection showed how Republicans “did not want to condemn what the president did” in Lafayette Park on Monday.
But other Senate Republicans did speak out against the use of force against White House protesters, including Trump’s decision to hold a photo-op outside a church on Monday.
“There is no right to riot, no right to destroy others’ property, and no right to throw rocks at police,” Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said in a statement. “But there is a fundamental — a Constitutional — right to protest, and I’m against clearing out a peaceful protest for a photo-op that treats the Word of God as a political prop.”
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said that Trump’s decision to hold a photo-op minutes after Lafayette Park had been forcibly cleared by police had distracted from his speech he gave moments before in the Rose Garden about restoring “law and order.”
“The whole appearance at that time, right before curfew, I thought that was wrong timing,” Lankford said of Trump’s church visit.
Advertisement
But Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) had a more blunt response.
“I did not think that what we saw last night was the America I know,” she said when asked about the White House protest.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--West Point Cadets Ordered Back For Trump's Speech Test Positive For Coronavirus

More than a dozen cadets who were ordered to return to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for their upcoming graduation ceremony ― after President Donald Trump announced he would deliver the commencement speech ― have tested positive for the coronavirus .
At least 15 of the 1,106 cadets who returned to the academy ’ s campus north of New York City ahead of their graduation on June 13 have been diagnosed with COVID-19 , Mother Jones reported Monday .
“ This was anticipated .
None were symptomatic , and no cadet has contracted through person-to-person contact while under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a spokesperson for the U.S. Army told CNN .
“ Those who test positive are isolated and receive appropriate care and attention while we continue an orderly reintegration of our cadets.
” All cadets were ordered back to their homes across the country in March , however , as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus , which has killed more than 106,000 people nationwide .
The graduating cadets began returning at staggered intervals after Trump announced his plan to speak at the upcoming ceremony .
Critics questioned whether the graduation should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ academy ’ s proximity to New York , which has been hit hard by the pandemic .
Sen. Tammy Duckworth ( D-Ill. ) , a veteran of the Iraq War , said in a statement that “ Trump ’ s reckless decision ” put “ our future military leaders at increased risk — all to stroke his own ego.
” Academy officials have indicated that this year ’ s ceremony “ will look different from recent graduation ceremonies because of current social health force protection measures.
” Trump , who infamously used his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evangelical Liberty University to brag about the size of the crowd at his inauguration , has already suggested he won ’ t be a fan of “ the look.
” “ Do I like the look ?
No , I don ’ t , ” the president said in April .
“ Eventually , next year , they ’ ll have a commencement which will be like it ’ s been , nice and tight .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
More than a dozen cadets who were ordered to return to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for their upcoming graduation ceremony ― after President Donald Trump announced he would deliver the commencement speech ― have contracted the coronavirus.
Fifteen or 16 of the 1,106 cadets who returned to the academy’s campus north of New York City ahead of their graduation on June 13 have tested positive for the virus, Army spokespeople told multiple news outlets, including Mother Jones and The New York Times, this week.
Advertisement
“This was anticipated. None were symptomatic, and no cadet has contracted through person-to-person contact while under the Army’s care,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Army told CNN. “Those who test positive are isolated and receive appropriate care and attention while we continue an orderly reintegration of our cadets.”
However, anonymous Capitol Hill sources told USA Today that 14 of those cadets tested positive for coronavirus antibodies, suggesting they were infected and have likely recovered.
The academy’s class of 2020 had initially been due to graduate May 23.
All cadets were ordered back to their homes across the country in March, however, as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 106,000 people nationwide.
The graduating cadets began returning at staggered intervals after Trump announced his plan to speak at the upcoming ceremony.
Advertisement
Critics questioned whether the graduation should be held at all, given the academy’s proximity to New York, which has been hit hard by the pandemic.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), a veteran of the Iraq War, said in a statement that “Trump’s reckless decision” put “our future military leaders at increased risk — all to stroke his own ego.”
Academy officials have indicated that this year’s ceremony “will look different from recent graduation ceremonies because of current social health force protection measures.”
Trump, who infamously used his first commencement speech as president at the evangelical Liberty University to brag about the size of the crowd at his inauguration, has already suggested he won’t be a fan of “the look.”
“Do I like the look? No, I don’t,” the president said in April. “Eventually, next year, they’ll have a commencement which will be like it’s been, nice and tight.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Confederate Statue Taken Down In Virginia

A Confederate statue in Virginia has been removed by officials , as protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd and demanding an end to systemic racism continued in the state and across the nation .
“ Alexandria , like all great cities , is constantly changing and evolving , ” Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson said on Twitter Tuesday morning .
The city , known for its Old Town community with architecture that harkens back to Colonial days , is a Washington suburb .
The statue of a Confederate soldier was placed prominently at the intersection of Old Town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The Caspar Buberl statue , called Appomattox , has stood at the intersection of South Washington and Prince Streets since 1889 , a location chosen because it was where many Confederate soldiers gathered to leave for war .
The city , which stopped flying Confederate flags five years ago , has since hoped to get rid of the monument to its Confederate past , a task complicated by a Virginia law that protected it .
Governor Ralph Northam signed a law this April that allows cities to remove Confederate monuments .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alexandria renamed its portion of Route 1 , formerly called Jefferson Davis Highway , last year .
Wilson told the publication the city had been in talks with the United Daughters of the Confederacy about the statue ’ s removal .
The UDC pushed for the placement throughout Southern states of hundreds of statues honoring the Confederacy and its leading figures , starting in the 1890s .
The group was a leader in efforts to rewrite history , romanticizing the treatment of slaves prior to the Civil War and promoting the false narratives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause of the conflict , even framing the Confederacy as a non-racist institution .
That simply isn ’ t true .
As the nationwide protest erupted last week following the death of Floyd in Minneapolis as an officer pressed his knee for several minutes against his neck , the UDC headquarters in Richmond , Virginia ― the capital of the Confederacy ― was set on fire .
Firefighters successfully extinguished the blaze .
In Alabama , protestors converged on a 115-year-old Confederate monument from a public park in Birmingham on Sunday to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed up and urged protestors to leave it alone , saying he would have the city tear it down instead .
“ I understand the frustration and the anger that you have , ” Woodfin said .
“ Allow me to finish the job for you .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A Confederate statue in Virginia has been removed by officials, as protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd and demanding an end to systemic racism continued in the state and across the nation.
“Alexandria, like all great cities, is constantly changing and evolving,” Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson said on Twitter Tuesday morning. The city, known for its Old Town community with architecture that harkens back to Colonial days, is a Washington suburb.
Advertisement
Alexandria, like all great cities, is constantly changing and evolving. pic.twitter.com/CZTjlOkpfT — Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) June 2, 2020
The statue of a Confederate soldier was placed prominently at the intersection of Old Town in 1889. More from The Washingtonian: The Caspar Buberl statue, called Appomattox, has stood at the intersection of South Washington and Prince Streets since 1889, a location chosen because it was where many Confederate soldiers gathered to leave for war. The city, which stopped flying Confederate flags five years ago, has since hoped to get rid of the monument to its Confederate past, a task complicated by a Virginia law that protected it. Governor Ralph Northam signed a law this April that allows cities to remove Confederate monuments. It will go into effect July 1. Alexandria renamed its portion of Route 1, formerly called Jefferson Davis Highway, last year.
Wilson told the publication the city had been in talks with the United Daughters of the Confederacy about the statue’s removal. The UDC pushed for the placement throughout Southern states of hundreds of statues honoring the Confederacy and its leading figures, starting in the 1890s. The group was a leader in efforts to rewrite history, romanticizing the treatment of slaves prior to the Civil War and promoting the false narratives that slavery wasn’t the prime cause of the conflict, even framing the Confederacy as a non-racist institution. That simply isn’t true.
As the nationwide protest erupted last week following the death of Floyd in Minneapolis as an officer pressed his knee for several minutes against his neck, the UDC headquarters in Richmond, Virginia ― the capital of the Confederacy ― was set on fire. Firefighters successfully extinguished the blaze.
Advertisement
In Alabama, protestors converged on a 115-year-old Confederate monument from a public park in Birmingham on Sunday to take it down. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin showed up and urged protestors to leave it alone, saying he would have the city tear it down instead.
“I understand the frustration and the anger that you have,” Woodfin said. “Allow me to finish the job for you.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Amid Uprisings, Schools Consider Terminating Their Contracts With Police

Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images Hundreds of protesters flooded the streets of Crown Heights in Brooklyn to demand the defunding of the police force and to demonstrate against police brutality in the wake of George Floyd 's death .
In Minneapolis , where protests exploded after a police officer killed local resident George Floyd , the school board voted Tuesday evening in favor of a resolution to cut ties with the police department .
Before the vote , board member Josh Pauly told HuffPost that he has already heard from representatives in school districts in “ Arizona , North Carolina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oregon , New York , and Illinois ” asking for support in crafting a similar resolution .
In Denver , a school board member told HuffPost that he has plans to introduce a comparable resolution as well .
The Minneapolis Police Department currently partners with the school district to place 11 officers in schools , costing the district over $ 1 million , according to Minnesota Public Radio .
That contract was up for renewal when Floyd was killed .
School board members who already planned to vote no on renewal decided to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a resolution that will remove officers from city schools .
The local teachers union endorsed the move .
“ MPS can not align itself with MPD and claim to fight institutional racism .
We can not partner with organizations that do not see the humanity in our students .
We can not be neutral in situations of injustice , ” Pauly told HuffPost in an email .
“ Hopefully this can be a small step towards the dramatic changes that are needed in our city and beyond.
” Anderson graduated from the district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the school board on a promise to eliminate the district ’ s contract with the police department .
But he found it was a touchy issue for some community members , who supported movements like Black Lives Matter but felt it was necessary to keep police patrolling school hallways .
He ’ s hoping that mentality could soon change .
In Chicago , the local teachers union ― one of the largest in the nation ― recently called for the board of education to cancel its $ 30 million per year contract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to emergency counseling and support for students in crisis .
In 2019 , school resource officers , another name for school cops , were caught on video punching , Tasing and dragging a 16-year-old Chicago student down stairs .
The numbers of police officers in schools have spiked in response to devastating school shootings , starting with Columbine in 1999 and most recently in Parkland , Florida , in 2018 .
Both Democratic and Republican presidential administrations have contributed to that increase .
After the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012 , President Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ districts to use for hiring cops .
After Parkland , President Donald Trump did the same .
Data shows that Black and brown students often bear the brunt of this increased policing .
When cops are in schools , students ― especially Black students ― are more likely to get arrested or referred to local law enforcement , even for low-level offenses like vandalism and fights without a weapon .
Black students also more likely than other students to attend schools with more school security officers than mental health workers .
The National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) is the main organization helping to train cops to work in schools ― but not all districts require officers to attend such training and some offer their own .
In 2016 , HuffPost attended a weekend of NASRO training and found that most classes focused on preparing officers for rare occurrences , like school shootings or terror attacks .
In a statement before Tuesday ’ s vote , Deputy Chief Erick Fors of the Minneapolis Police Department said that the relationships the department has built in schools “ were impactful not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the officers who had a calling to work with our youth through mentorship and engagement.
” The Denver Police Department did not respond to a request for comment .
Ahmed grew up just blocks away from where 24-year-old Jamar Clark was shot and killed by police officers after a dispute at a party in 2015 .
Seeing cops in the cafeteria , with a gun and Taser on their belts , can feel menacing , she said , making a normal day at school feel militarized .
She said students at her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ― they were too afraid .

The number of police officers stationed in schools has increased in recent decades in response to a devastating wave of school shootings like those at Columbine High and Sandy Hook Elementary. But when police walk the halls, Black children are disproportionately arrested, often for low-level offenses, contributing to a cycle called the school-to-prison pipeline.
Now, some activists are hoping that the protests against police brutality and racism roiling the country could be a turning point in efforts to dial back this kind of school security.
Advertisement
In Minneapolis, where protests exploded after a police officer killed local resident George Floyd, the school board voted Tuesday evening in favor of a resolution to cut ties with the police department. Before the vote, board member Josh Pauly told HuffPost that he has already heard from representatives in school districts in “Arizona, North Carolina, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington, Oregon, New York, and Illinois” asking for support in crafting a similar resolution. In Denver, a school board member told HuffPost that he has plans to introduce a comparable resolution as well.
After years of non-stop growth in the number of police in schools, even amid high-profile incidents of police brutality against students, “this conversation feels unprecedented,” said Jonathan Stith, national director of the nonprofit Alliance for Educational Justice, which advocates against the presence of police in schools.
Overall crime in schools has decreased over the last two decades, mirroring larger societal trends, but the amount of security has skyrocketed. In 1997, only 10% of schools employed police officers. By 2017, that number had increased to 58%.
Members of the Minneapolis Public Schools board announced the proposed resolution last Friday, four days after a white police officer pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, killing the 46-year-old Black man and sparking a firestorm across the nation.
Advertisement
The Minneapolis Police Department currently partners with the school district to place 11 officers in schools, costing the district over $1 million, according to Minnesota Public Radio. That contract was up for renewal when Floyd was killed. School board members who already planned to vote no on renewal decided to take it a step further, crafting a resolution that will remove officers from city schools. The local teachers union endorsed the move.
“MPS cannot align itself with MPD and claim to fight institutional racism. We cannot partner with organizations that do not see the humanity in our students. We cannot be neutral in situations of injustice,” Pauly told HuffPost in an email. “Hopefully this can be a small step towards the dramatic changes that are needed in our city and beyond.”
HuffPost
In the past few years, serious conversations surrounding the impact of police in schools have occurred after high-profile incidents of officers assaulting children, like when a police officer was recorded knocking down a student and dragging her at Spring Valley High School in South Carolina.
But this particular moment feels different, said Stith, whose organization has been organizing around this issue since that 2015 incident.
Advertisement
“We’re excited and nervous at the same time,” said Stith, who said he has heard from a number of districts looking to take action. “So much research basically says every time a police officer steps into a school, it becomes a prison.”
In Denver, the power of school police officers is already regulated by the district: These cops are not allowed to handcuff students in elementary school. But in the wake of recent events, the school board there may go a step further.
Board member Tay Anderson told HuffPost that he believes he has the support of the majority of the board to reconsider the district’s contract with Denver police. He wants to see the money the district would typically allocate to the contract go to mental health resources instead.
Anderson graduated from the district’s schools in 2017 and ran for the school board on a promise to eliminate the district’s contract with the police department. But he found it was a touchy issue for some community members, who supported movements like Black Lives Matter but felt it was necessary to keep police patrolling school hallways. He’s hoping that mentality could soon change.
“We can call cops to our buildings as needed,” Anderson said. “There’s no need to have them for a specific presence in our schools.”
Advertisement
In Chicago, the local teachers union ― one of the largest in the nation ― recently called for the board of education to cancel its $30 million per year contract with Chicago police and direct the money to emergency counseling and support for students in crisis. In 2019, school resource officers, another name for school cops, were caught on video punching, Tasing and dragging a 16-year-old Chicago student down stairs.
Union leaders are pessimistic that their calls will make a difference. The board of education isn’t elected. Members are appointed by the mayor, who union leaders see as in bed with police forces.
“In a district that is 90% students of color, over 80% free/reduced-price lunch, in a city that is violent, we would prefer trauma supports, social workers, school psychologists,” said Stacy Davis Gates, vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union.
Protesters hold placards in New York's Washington Square Park during a demonstration in response to the killing of George Floyd. John Lamparski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The numbers of police officers in schools have spiked in response to devastating school shootings, starting with Columbine in 1999 and most recently in Parkland, Florida, in 2018. Both Democratic and Republican presidential administrations have contributed to that increase. After the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, President Barack Obama helped funnel federal money to school districts to use for hiring cops. After Parkland, President Donald Trump did the same.
Advertisement
Data shows that Black and brown students often bear the brunt of this increased policing. When cops are in schools, students ― especially Black students ― are more likely to get arrested or referred to local law enforcement, even for low-level offenses like vandalism and fights without a weapon. Black students also more likely than other students to attend schools with more school security officers than mental health workers.
According to Alliance for Educational Justice data, dozens of students have been assaulted by cops in schools over the years. A previous HuffPost investigation found that since September 2011, children have been Tasered by school cops in at least 143 incidents. Last September, a 6-year-old child in Florida was arrested by a school police officer during a temper tantrum.
Research on whether cops make schools tangibly safer remains mixed. Schools with police officers are more likely to go through regular safety checks and have emergency plans in place. While a 2013 report from the Congressional Research Service noted it makes logical sense that a school cop could deter school shootings, research hasn’t addressed that issue.
The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) is the main organization helping to train cops to work in schools ― but not all districts require officers to attend such training and some offer their own. In 2016, HuffPost attended a weekend of NASRO training and found that most classes focused on preparing officers for rare occurrences, like school shootings or terror attacks.
The group’s executive director, Mo Canady, maintains that with the proper training, school resource officers can enhance a school community, ideally building positive relationships between students and law enforcement while protecting the school from threats.
Advertisement
“Generalization is unfair to any segment of our population, including members of individual organizations or professions. In other words, we do not believe in forming opinions about any large group based on the behavior of a few members,” said a statement from Canady.
He said that NASRO “abhors racism” and works to tackle racism by providing implicit bias training for officers.
Canady also noted that the Denver and Minneapolis school districts “choose not to send all SROs to NASRO courses but instead provide education from other sources. ... It is possible, therefore, that significant policing issues exist in such communities.”
In a statement before Tuesday’s vote, Deputy Chief Erick Fors of the Minneapolis Police Department said that the relationships the department has built in schools “were impactful not only for the students and staff, but for the officers who had a calling to work with our youth through mentorship and engagement.” The Denver Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Janaan Ahmed, a 17-year-old recent graduate of Minneapolis Public Schools, said that student activists have made clear their disdain for constant policing at school and that they have been questioning why it took another police killing for the issue of school cops to gain momentum in the district.
Advertisement
Ahmed grew up just blocks away from where 24-year-old Jamar Clark was shot and killed by police officers after a dispute at a party in 2015. Seeing cops in the cafeteria, with a gun and Taser on their belts, can feel menacing, she said, making a normal day at school feel militarized. She said students at her school rarely had relationships with the SROs ― they were too afraid.
“Police are systematically lynching Black and brown people in our neighborhoods and our schools have the audacity to bring police officers in our schools?” Ahmed said.
According to Canady of NASRO, the goal of school policing programs is to “bridge the gap between law enforcement and youth, building positive relationships that can last lifetimes, while helping to protect schools from a wide variety of threats.”
Indeed, Ahmed said she had seen instances of school cops building positive relationships with students in her district. She pointed to a high school where an SRO doubles as the high school coach, often showing up to community events and mentoring students. He’s someone students look up to.
But she said that individual could still play a positive role in the school, without a badge.
“He can still be a community member without representing an institutionally racist system,” said Ahmed. “We are not talking about individual cops, we are talking about an institution.”
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Company Denied Woman Coronavirus Sick Leave, Then Fired Her: Lawsuit

An embroiderer in Florida is suing her former employer , alleging it did not provide her with paid sick days while she quarantined at home with COVID-19 symptoms and then fired her via text message the day before she was to return to work .
That should have applied to Barrier Technologies , a small manufacturer in Davies , Florida , with around 26 employees .
The company makes gear like vests , gloves and aprons that protect medical workers from radiation from X-rays and other machines .
Graham was paid $ 14 an hour to embroider company logos and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its website , Barrier says it is COVID-19 “ compliant ” because the material it uses to make gear is made of an antibacterial fabric that is easy to disinfect .
After Graham left work sick , she consulted a doctor via telemedicine , according to the suit .
She doesn ’ t have a car , so she wasn ’ t able to physically be tested for the disease .
But the doctor told her to stay home for at least seven days , according to the suit .
Graham forwarded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s general email address and received an acknowledgment from Barrier ’ s vice president of sales , the lawsuit alleges .
But the company did not offer to pay sick leave and did not want to bring her back to work , she says .
In the suit , filed in U.S. District Court in southern Florida , Graham says that the company owes her sick pay for the time she was at home and that her firing was unlawful .
“ They recruit her and the minute she happens to fall victim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the door .
That just seems horrible , ” said Parisis G. Filippatos , a partner at the law firm Wigdor who is representing Graham along with Bryan Arbeit , a senior associate at Wigdor .
“ We don ’ t feel we did anything wrong , ” the company ’ s owner and managing director , Marc Glickman , told HuffPost .
He said that Graham never told the company she had COVID symptoms , and that she was fired because business is down considerably at his company right now .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It had nothing to do with her ailment , ” he said .
“ Our business was down significantly .
We were going to have to let her go .
We weren ’ t happy about it.
” The case may be the first of many disputes between companies and workers as businesses start to reopen in an ailing economy .
It also demonstrates how tricky it will be for workers to actually access the sick leave benefits ― already weakened by the White House ― in the coronavirus legislation .
Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House and Senate Republicans at the behest of big business and ended up covering only a small fraction of Americans .
If every company took the available exemptions , 83 % of the workforce would be left out , according to an estimate from the Center for American Progress , a liberal think tank .
Graham told HuffPost she was “ flabbergasted ” by the text .
In shock , the only reply she could think of was a message about the pineapple-shaped clock she kept at her workstation .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
Glick said that after Graham went home sick , she never updated her employer on her condition .
They tried reaching her once , he said .
“ We tried calling her and never heard back and we had no choice but to contact her via text message , ” he said .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
An embroiderer in Florida is suing her former employer, alleging it did not provide her with paid sick days while she quarantined at home with COVID-19 symptoms and then fired her via text message the day before she was to return to work.
The suit, filed Tuesday by Tracey Graham against Barrier Technologies, appears to be the first over the sick leave provisions in the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act, one of the stimulus bills passed in March to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
Advertisement
Under the new law, employers with fewer than 500 workers are required to provide up to 80 hours of paid sick time to anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 or under doctor’s orders to quarantine or isolate because of the disease.
That should have applied to Barrier Technologies, a small manufacturer in Davie, Florida, with around 26 employees. The company makes gear like vests, gloves and aprons that protect medical workers from radiation from X-rays and other machines. Graham was paid $14 an hour to embroider company logos and other things onto the gear. On its website, Barrier says it is COVID-19 “compliant” because the material it uses to make gear is made of an antibacterial fabric that is easy to disinfect.
After Graham left work sick, she consulted a doctor via telemedicine, according to the suit. She doesn’t have a car, so she wasn’t able to physically be tested for the disease. But the doctor told her to stay home for at least seven days, according to the suit.
Graham forwarded the doctor’s letter to Barrier’s general email address and received an acknowledgment from Barrier’s vice president of sales, the lawsuit alleges. But the company did not offer to pay sick leave and did not want to bring her back to work, she says. In the suit, filed in U.S. District Court in southern Florida, Graham says that the company owes her sick pay for the time she was at home and that her firing was unlawful.
Advertisement
“They recruit her and the minute she happens to fall victim to the pandemic they kick her out the door. That just seems horrible,” said Parisis G. Filippatos, a partner at the law firm Wigdor who is representing Graham along with Bryan Arbeit, a senior associate at Wigdor.
Barrier Technologies fired Tracey Graham via text. Courtesy of Tracy Graham
The company said Graham’s firing was due to a loss of business during the pandemic and economic downturn, not her illness.
“We don’t feel we did anything wrong,” the company’s owner and managing director, Marc Glickman, told HuffPost. He said that Graham never told the company she had COVID symptoms, and that she was fired because business is down considerably at his company right now.
Hospitals have canceled elective surgery and aren’t amenable to sales calls right now, Glickman said. The company has taken out a small business loan through the new Paycheck Protection Program, also part of the federal response to the pandemic.
Advertisement
“We didn’t have a choice. It had nothing to do with her ailment,” he said. “Our business was down significantly. We were going to have to let her go. We weren’t happy about it.”
The case may be the first of many disputes between companies and workers as businesses start to reopen in an ailing economy. It also demonstrates how tricky it will be for workers to actually access the sick leave benefits ― already weakened by the White House ― in the coronavirus legislation.
Limited Protections
The sick leave provisions in the coronavirus relief law were originally intended to cover the entire workforce and enable people to stay home and avoid infecting others with the virus. Such a provision was deemed critical. Unlike other developed countries, the U.S. has no paid sick leave policy ― a big vulnerability during a pandemic.
Yet the provisions were whittled down by the White House and Senate Republicans at the behest of big business and ended up covering only a small fraction of Americans. If every company took the available exemptions, 83% of the workforce would be left out, according to an estimate from the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.
The Department of Labor further weakened the law by making it easier for companies ― particularly health care providers ― to exempt themselves from providing leave. (The bill also includes provisions for a longer-term leave to care for children at home because of school closures.)
Advertisement
Considering all this, it’s fairly remarkable that a case has popped up already.
In fact, Graham did not know at first she was entitled to paid sick leave. She just believed she’d been mistreated by her employer.
“I knew it was wrong. It was something I’d never do to someone else,” Graham told HuffPost.
The company fired her via text message on April 16, the day before she was to return to work. Thankfully her COVID-19 symptoms had been mild ― a sore throat, nausea, fever ― and she was OK to go back.
“They recruit her and the minute she happens to fall victim to the pandemic they kick her out the door. That just seems horrible.” - Parisis G. Filippatos, a partner at the law firm representing Tracey Graham
“Tracy [sic]... due to the current economic conditions related to the COVID-19 crisis we have made the difficult decision to eliminate your position effective immediately,” reads the text sent to Graham.
Graham told HuffPost she was “flabbergasted” by the text. In shock, the only reply she could think of was a message about the pineapple-shaped clock she kept at her workstation. “I do need my clock,” she wrote.
Advertisement
Glick said that after Graham went home sick, she never updated her employer on her condition. They tried reaching her once, he said. “We tried calling her and never heard back and we had no choice but to contact her via text message,” he said.
Graham does not believe that the company was hurting financially. She started looking for a lawyer soon after she got the text.
Graham loved her work as an embroiderer, she said. She learned the skill from her grandmother when she was growing up, splitting her time between Washington state and Alaska, where they stayed in a remote area without running water or electricity.
She was recruited to her job by Glickman and started in February, with $14-per-hour pay and medical benefits after 60 days. She was only there for 34 days, Glickman pointed out.
Some of the masks Tracey Graham has made recently, now that she's been fired from her job. Tracey Graham
Advertisement
Graham’s attorneys said the firm expects to see more cases like this as more companies open back up and employees start going back to work.
Employers are going to want to cut staff, and it’s inevitable that discrimination allegations will crop up.
In her lawsuit, Graham claims that under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the company should have worked with her on a reasonable accommodation so that she could keep her job.
Right now Graham is managing to get by with some help from her grown sons ― something she can barely talk about without crying.
“That one really does hurt,” she said.
And she also got her stimulus check recently, part of another relief measure enacted to mitigate the losses from COVID-19 shutdowns. She filed for unemployment but, like so many other Florida workers, hasn’t been able to get through to file a claim.
Advertisement
She’s spending her time now making masks and watching Disney movies.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Civil Rights Leaders Slam Zuckerberg After Meeting On Trump Posts

A group of civil rights leaders who spoke with Mark Zuckerberg Monday night blasted the Facebook CEO afterward for his refusal to take action on posts by President Donald Trump they say incite violence .
In a joint statement , Vanita Gupta of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights , Sherrilyn Ifill of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund , and Rashad Robinson of Color of Change said they were “ disappointed and stunned by Mark ’ s incomprehensible explanations for allowing the Trump posts to remain up.
” “ He did not demonstrate understanding of historic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to acknowledge how Facebook is facilitating Trump ’ s call for violence against protesters , ” the statement continued .
“ Mark is setting a very dangerous precedent for other voices who would say similar harmful things on Facebook.
” Trump ’ s posts came as protests flared around the country following the death of George Floyd , a Black man , after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck .
In one message , Trump called protesters “ THUGS ” and said “ when the looting starts , the shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police chief ’ s quote against 1960s civil rights protests .
Twitter placed Trump ’ s posts on that platform behind a warning label that said they violated rules against “ glorifying violence.
” The company didn ’ t take the tweets down , however , saying it was “ in the public ’ s interest ” for the president ’ s posts to remain accessible .
“ We ’ re grateful that leaders in the civil rights community took the time to share candid , honest feedback with Mark and Sheryl , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
“ It is an important moment to listen , and we look forward to continuing these conversations.
” Facebook employees on Monday began to speak out publicly against the company and staged a “ virtual walkout ” to protest Zuckerberg ’ s inaction .
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg , policy executives Nick Clegg and Joel Kaplan , and external affairs director Lindsay Elin were also on the call with the civil rights leaders .
Kaplan ’ s inclusion is notable ― he ’ s a close friend of Supreme Court Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controversial nomination at the expense of Facebook ’ s reputation .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A group of civil rights leaders who spoke with Mark Zuckerberg Monday night blasted the Facebook CEO afterward for his refusal to take action on posts by President Donald Trump they say incite violence.
In a joint statement, Vanita Gupta of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Sherrilyn Ifill of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and Rashad Robinson of Color of Change said they were “disappointed and stunned by Mark’s incomprehensible explanations for allowing the Trump posts to remain up.”
Advertisement
“He did not demonstrate understanding of historic or modern-day voter suppression and he refuses to acknowledge how Facebook is facilitating Trump’s call for violence against protesters,” the statement continued. “Mark is setting a very dangerous precedent for other voices who would say similar harmful things on Facebook.”
Trump’s posts came as protests flared around the country following the death of George Floyd, a Black man, after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck. In one message, Trump called protesters “THUGS” and said “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” parroting a racist Miami police chief’s quote against 1960s civil rights protests.
Twitter placed Trump’s posts on that platform behind a warning label that said they violated rules against “glorifying violence.” The company didn’t take the tweets down, however, saying it was “in the public’s interest” for the president’s posts to remain accessible.
Facebook did nothing.
Facebook told HuffPost the company appreciated the “candid” dialogue.
“We’re grateful that leaders in the civil rights community took the time to share candid, honest feedback with Mark and Sheryl,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “It is an important moment to listen, and we look forward to continuing these conversations.”
Advertisement
Facebook employees on Monday began to speak out publicly against the company and staged a “virtual walkout” to protest Zuckerberg’s inaction.