thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-05--Federal Agents Release Coronavirus Masks Seized From Black Lives Matter Protesters

Win McNamee via Getty Images Students participate in a Black Lives Matter sit-in at the National Cathedral on June 5 in Washington , D.C. , during a peaceful protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd .
Four boxes of the masks were shipped to Washington , St. Louis , New York City and Minneapolis on Wednesday afternoon , and were supposed to arrive in each city by Thursday .
But until Friday morning , the boxes of 500 masks apiece that read “ stop killing Black people ” and “ defund police ” never left Oakland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government .
Federal agents with the U.S .
Postal Inspection Service were involved with the seizure .
“ These packages were originally set aside for further investigation because there were indications that they contained non-mailable matter , ” the U.S .
Postal Inspection Service said in a statement to HuffPost on Friday afternoon .
“ Once Postal Inspectors confirmed the contents of the packages were in fact mailable , they were immediately placed back in the mail stream to be delivered at their intended destinations without further delay.
” The USPIS , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of non-mailable material they suspected the packages contained , said that “ specific investigative methods used by Inspectors are sensitive and must remain confidential , but they are effective in helping to locate non-mailable matter of all kinds.
” Mark Jamison , a retired postmaster , told HuffPost that he suspects that an outside law enforcement organization was involved in the investigation , which the U.S .
Postal Service Inspection Service denied .
The U.S .
Postal Service logs mail for law enforcement , and Jamison believes at least one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ package of masks was of interest to law enforcement .
An organizer involved in producing the masks , speaking on the condition of anonymity , said they received a call from a USPIS employee on Friday morning , hours after HuffPost ’ s initial story on the seizure ran .
What was strange about the call , the person said , is that they weren ’ t the person who mailed the boxes or the point of contact .
The organizer who received the call said the USPIS official said there would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shipping since the boxes wouldn ’ t be arriving on time , which would have allowed them to be used by protesters on Thursday night and this evening .
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that mass protests against police brutality have the potential to turn into seeding events .
“ I feel very nervous for the recipients , ” the Black Lives Matter organizer said .
“ All of the recipients are committed activists that have been doing this work for long periods of time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nervous that their potential information might be compromised.
” Rene Quinonez of Movement Ink , who produced the masks , mailed the packages and is a regular at his local post office in Oakland , said he had the “ weirdest interaction ” with employees he knows when he returned to the post office on Friday .
“ I normally walk in and they immediately recognize me and say hi , ” Quinonez said .
This time was different .
“ The interaction was just really cold .
It was strange .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not the level of service that I ’ m used to getting .
Something happened.
” “ Taking life-saving masks out of the hands of people in the middle of a pandemic sinks to a new low and shows us that they will stop at nothing to put our lives in danger , ” she said .
The Justice Department has a recent history of treating masks as evidence of rioting .
Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for the District of Columbia , with the assistance of the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prosecute hundreds of demonstrators who were trapped in a police kettle and arrested during unrest surrounding President Donald Trump ’ s inauguration in January 2017 .
The Trump administration slapped the demonstrators ― many of whom the government admitted they didn ’ t allege were involved in any actual violence or property destruction ― with felony charges that had the potential to send them to prison for decades .
Prosecutors were ultimately unsuccessful at two trials , and dropped the charges against all the defendants after securing just a single guilty plea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first trial , Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff described a “ sea of black masks ” that caused chaos across the city , even as she admitted to jurors that the government did not allege that any of the six defendants on trial committed any violence or destruction .
“ You don ’ t personally have to be the one who breaks the window to be guilty of rioting , ” she said , after describing their facial coverings .
Kerkhoff later snapped on blue gloves as she dramatically pulled a mask out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 26-year-old who had been arrested when she was working as a medic .
The defendant , later acquitted , was carrying a first aid kit , and had red tape on her back in the shape of a cross .
Attorney General William Barr , under Trump ’ s direction , has overseen an aggressive response to protests and rioting in D.C. and across the country .
He ’ s placed 56 regional FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces across the county in charge of efforts to “ identify criminal organizers and instigators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elements ” and “ outside radicals and agitators ” were hijacking protests .
As of Thursday , the federal government had charged more than 50 individuals with federal crimes in connection with rioting .

Students participate in a Black Lives Matter sit-in at the National Cathedral on June 5 in Washington, D.C., during a peaceful protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd. Win McNamee via Getty Images
WASHINGTON ― Federal agents on Friday morning released boxes of cloth masks that Black Lives Matter organizers mailed to cities across the county to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 during nationwide demonstrations against police brutality.
Four boxes of the masks were shipped to Washington, St. Louis, New York City and Minneapolis on Wednesday afternoon, and were supposed to arrive in each city by Thursday. But until Friday morning, the boxes of 500 masks apiece that read “stop killing Black people” and “defund police” never left Oakland, California, because they were seized by the government. Federal agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service were involved with the seizure.
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“These packages were originally set aside for further investigation because there were indications that they contained non-mailable matter,” the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said in a statement to HuffPost on Friday afternoon. “Once Postal Inspectors confirmed the contents of the packages were in fact mailable, they were immediately placed back in the mail stream to be delivered at their intended destinations without further delay.”
The USPIS, responding to a follow-up question about what kind of non-mailable material they suspected the packages contained, said that “specific investigative methods used by Inspectors are sensitive and must remain confidential, but they are effective in helping to locate non-mailable matter of all kinds.”
Mark Jamison, a retired postmaster, told HuffPost that he suspects that an outside law enforcement organization was involved in the investigation, which the U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service denied. The U.S. Postal Service logs mail for law enforcement, and Jamison believes at least one of the organizers who was set to receive a package of masks was of interest to law enforcement.
A spokeswoman for the Movement for Black Lives, which paid for the masks, called the USPIS statement “insufficient and a cause for concern.”
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“Cloth masks are mailable items. And they admit clearly that they received faulty intelligence about what was in the packages,” said Chelsea Fuller. “So the question remains: which agency moved to use the Postal Service as a domestic surveillance tool?”
Cloth masks that read "Stop Killing Black People" and were intended to protect demonstrators from COVID-19 were seized by law enforcement. themovementink / Instagram
An organizer involved in producing the masks, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said they received a call from a USPIS employee on Friday morning, hours after HuffPost’s initial story on the seizure ran. What was strange about the call, the person said, is that they weren’t the person who mailed the boxes or the point of contact.
The organizer who received the call said the USPIS official said there would be a refund for the cost of express shipping since the boxes wouldn’t be arriving on time, which would have allowed them to be used by protesters on Thursday night and this evening. The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that mass protests against police brutality have the potential to turn into seeding events.
A pile of masks produced by the Movement for Black Lives, which were temporarily seized by the federal government. HuffPost source
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“I feel very nervous for the recipients,” the Black Lives Matter organizer said. “All of the recipients are committed activists that have been doing this work for long periods of time, and so I’m actually nervous that their potential information might be compromised.”
Rene Quinonez of Movement Ink, who produced the masks, mailed the packages and is a regular at his local post office in Oakland, said he had the “weirdest interaction” with employees he knows when he returned to the post office on Friday.
“I normally walk in and they immediately recognize me and say hi,” Quinonez said. This time was different. “The interaction was just really cold. It was strange. It’s not normal, it’s not the level of service that I’m used to getting. Something happened.”
Fuller said it was “frightening that the Postal Service was used in a manner to advance the surveillance and disruption of social movements that Trump wants to eliminate.”
“Taking life-saving masks out of the hands of people in the middle of a pandemic sinks to a new low and shows us that they will stop at nothing to put our lives in danger,” she said.
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“My guess is someone is surveilling these people from Black Lives Matter,” said Jamison, the former postmaster. “There’s nothing in this package which would set off any detectors or done anything ― there’s no contraband in them.”
“This isn’t by happenstance. That means that the Justice Department is probably surveilling some of these people under some program,” Jamison said. “I’m old enough to remember [Richard] Nixon doing this kind of stuff.”
The Justice Department has a recent history of treating masks as evidence of rioting. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with the assistance of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department, attempted to prosecute hundreds of demonstrators who were trapped in a police kettle and arrested during unrest surrounding President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2017. The Trump administration slapped the demonstrators ― many of whom the government admitted they didn’t allege were involved in any actual violence or property destruction ― with felony charges that had the potential to send them to prison for decades. Prosecutors were ultimately unsuccessful at two trials, and dropped the charges against all the defendants after securing just a single guilty plea.
In an opening statement at the first trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff described a “sea of black masks” that caused chaos across the city, even as she admitted to jurors that the government did not allege that any of the six defendants on trial committed any violence or destruction. “You don’t personally have to be the one who breaks the window to be guilty of rioting,” she said, after describing their facial coverings.
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Kerkhoff later snapped on blue gloves as she dramatically pulled a mask out of a bag that was seized from a 26-year-old who had been arrested when she was working as a medic. The defendant, later acquitted, was carrying a first aid kit, and had red tape on her back in the shape of a cross.
“Have you ever heard of the term ‘balaclava’?” Kerkhoff asked the D.C. officer on the witness stand. He hadn’t, referring to it as a ski mask.
Attorney General William Barr, under Trump’s direction, has overseen an aggressive response to protests and rioting in D.C. and across the country. He’s placed 56 regional FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces across the county in charge of efforts to “identify criminal organizers and instigators” and warned that “violent radical elements” and “outside radicals and agitators” were hijacking protests. As of Thursday, the federal government had charged more than 50 individuals with federal crimes in connection with rioting.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-05--The Cops Who Killed Breonna Taylor Are Still Free

That ’ s part of the audio from a frantic 911 call Kenneth Walker , the boyfriend of Breonna Taylor , made the night three Louisville Metro cops executed a “ no-knock ” warrant in relation to a narcotics investigation and entered the couple ’ s apartment using a battering ram .
Walker , having no idea it was police coming into the home , fired his gun in self-defense .
The cops fired back , shooting Taylor at least eight times .
Walker can be heard on the 911 call crying out Taylor ’ s name as he attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened .
As thousands of people around the world take to the streets and attend Black Lives Matter protests , it does feel like some small semblance of justice is being served : Four former Minnesota police officers have been charged in the killing of George Floyd , a 46-year-old Black man who died after a cop kneeled on his neck during an arrest ; two white men who chased down Ahmaud Arbery in a pickup truck and fatally shot the 25-year-old Black man while he was out for a jog have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assault .
The death of Taylor , an EMT who had dreams of being a nurse , has also sparked national outcry .
The cops were apparently trying to carry out a narcotics invsetigation , but the house where the main suspects allegedly sold drugs was more than 10 miles away from Taylor ’ s apartment .
The Louisville Police Department executed a search warrant at her home , looking for a man who did not live there , according to a lawsuit filed by Taylor ’ s family .
After the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was dead , police acknowledged that the man officers had been searching for was already in custody .
The suit , which accuses the Louisville police of wrongful death , excessive force and gross negligence , alleges that the cops fired more than 20 rounds of ammunition at Taylor and Walker .
And yet , the cops who killed her ― Sgt .
Jonathan Mattingly , plus officers Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove — have been placed on administrative leave but are still employed by the force .
Some organizers are calling for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguing that we ’ re past the point of simply arresting individual cops for bad behavior .
But serious consequences for police violence would be a first step .
“ Everything that happens to Black men happens to Black women happens to Black queer and trans people , ” Ritchie told HuffPost .
“ If we ’ re concerned about police violence against Black people then certainly we need to include police violence against all Black people.
” And while women and LGBTQ people of color do experience police brutality in the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ i.e.
, violent physical attacks ) , there are other ways in which they uniquely experience police violence — specifically , sexual harassment , assault and policing of one ’ s gender identity .
Police sometimes assume Black transgender women are sex workers because they ’ re trans , and cops have used stop-and-frisks to fondle private areas in order to confirm their own ideas about gender identity , Ritchie said .
In widely reported cases , women of color have been stopped and illegally strip-searched in public .
In 2016 , San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s tampon during an unconstitutional cavity search in public while allegedly looking for weapons or drugs .
In 2016 , former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw was convicted on 18 counts of rape , sexual battery and other charges for using his authority as a cop to sexually abuse at least 13 women , the majority of whom were Black .
“ It ’ s important not to leave Black women out of the fight for Black lives because they are instrumental to that fight , ” she added .
“ Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives are an important part of the Black experience .
When we lose them , we lose culture , so it is imperative that we bring the same energy for them as we do for Black men .
Otherwise , what are we fighting for ?
”

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“I don’t know what is happening. Somebody kicked in the door and shot my girlfriend.”
That’s part of the audio from a frantic 911 call Kenneth Walker, the boyfriend of Breonna Taylor, made the night three Louisville Metro cops executed a “no-knock” warrant in relation to a narcotics investigation and entered the couple’s apartment using a battering ram. Walker, having no idea it was police coming into the home, fired his gun in self-defense. The cops fired back, shooting Taylor at least eight times. Walker can be heard on the 911 call crying out Taylor’s name as he attempts to explain to the dispatcher what just happened.
Nearly three months later, none of the Louisville cops have been arrested or charged for gunning down the 26-year-old Black woman in her own home.
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As thousands of people around the world take to the streets and attend Black Lives Matter protests, it does feel like some small semblance of justice is being served: Four former Minnesota police officers have been charged in the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who died after a cop kneeled on his neck during an arrest; two white men who chased down Ahmaud Arbery in a pickup truck and fatally shot the 25-year-old Black man while he was out for a jog have been arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault.
The death of Taylor, an EMT who had dreams of being a nurse, has also sparked national outcry. The cops were apparently trying to carry out a narcotics invsetigation, but the house where the main suspects allegedly sold drugs was more than 10 miles away from Taylor’s apartment. The Louisville Police Department executed a search warrant at her home, looking for a man who did not live there, according to a lawsuit filed by Taylor’s family. After the “no-knock” warrant was completed and Taylor was dead, police acknowledged that the man officers had been searching for was already in custody. The suit, which accuses the Louisville police of wrongful death, excessive force and gross negligence, alleges that the cops fired more than 20 rounds of ammunition at Taylor and Walker.
Breonna Taylor at a graduation ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky. Family Handout/AFP/Getty Images
The FBI’s Louisville office has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Taylor’s death in mid-March, and the city’s mayor has temporarily suspended all “no-knock” warrants.
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And yet, the cops who killed her ― Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, plus officers Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove — have been placed on administrative leave but are still employed by the force. Some organizers are calling for an overhaul of the entire system, arguing that we’re past the point of simply arresting individual cops for bad behavior. But serious consequences for police violence would be a first step.
“I’m getting scared that we’re forgetting Breonna Taylor ― those cops haven’t even been arrested,” author Ayana Mathis tweeted. “Please remember Black women. Please let’s keep fighting for her.”
Others have echoed Mathis’ concern. Recognizing Black women and queer people of color as targets of police violence is imperative when discussing police brutality, said Andrea Ritchie, a police misconduct attorney and expert in police violence against women of color and LGBTQ people.
“Everything that happens to Black men happens to Black women happens to Black queer and trans people,” Ritchie told HuffPost. “If we’re concerned about police violence against Black people then certainly we need to include police violence against all Black people.”
Women and LGBTQ people of color face police violence at alarmingly high rates. Tony McDade’s death ― a 38-year-old Black transgender man who was shot and killed by Tallahassee police last week ― has also been highlighted in the protests around the country.
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“Everything that happens to Black men happens to Black women happens to Black queer and trans people.” - Andrea Ritchie, police violence expert
And while women and LGBTQ people of color do experience police brutality in the same way their Black male counterparts do (i.e., violent physical attacks), there are other ways in which they uniquely experience police violence — specifically, sexual harassment, assault and policing of one’s gender identity.
Police sometimes assume Black transgender women are sex workers because they’re trans, and cops have used stop-and-frisks to fondle private areas in order to confirm their own ideas about gender identity, Ritchie said. In widely reported cases, women of color have been stopped and illegally strip-searched in public. In 2016, San Antonio police pulled out a woman’s tampon during an unconstitutional cavity search in public while allegedly looking for weapons or drugs. In 2016, former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw was convicted on 18 counts of rape, sexual battery and other charges for using his authority as a cop to sexually abuse at least 13 women, the majority of whom were Black.
Cate Young, a Los Angeles-based film critic, organized a day of remembrance and action for Taylor on Friday ― what would’ve been Taylor’s 27th birthday. Young told HuffPost’s Taryn Finley that she’s tired of not seeing Black women’s stories prioritized in the conversations about police violence.
“It’s important we say her name because she’s Black, too,” Young said.
“It’s important not to leave Black women out of the fight for Black lives because they are instrumental to that fight,” she added. “Black women matter, too, and their lives are an important part of the Black experience. When we lose them, we lose culture, so it is imperative that we bring the same energy for them as we do for Black men. Otherwise, what are we fighting for?”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-05--Twitter Users Point Out Hypocrisy Of Trump’s ‘No Kneeling’ Tweets About Protesting

Many people criticized New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees this week for not appreciating why fellow NFL players like Colin Kaepernick have chosen to kneel during the national anthem .
Brees , who told Yahoo that he felt kneeling was “ disrespectful ” to the military , later apologized for his “ insensitivity ” after his Black teammates and other sports figures explained the kneeling was in protest of systemic racism .
He said he “ will work every day to put myself in those shoes and fight for what is right.
” Kaepernick only started kneeling after conferring with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most respectful way to protest .
President Donald Trump said Friday that Brees should not have apologized .
He also criticized kneeling during the national anthem , an act he misrepresented as being a protest of the American flag .
I am a big fan of Drew Brees .
I think he ’ s truly one of the greatest quarterbacks , but he should not have taken back his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag .
OLD GLORY is to be revered , cherished , and flown high ... — Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 , 2020 ... We should be standing up straight and tall , ideally with a salute , or a hand on heart .
There are other things you can protest , but not our Great American Flag - NO KNEELING !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) June 5 , 2020 As might be expected , many Twitter users had strong opinions about Trump ’ s comments .
*Kaep peacefully protests* : come on , RESPECT THE FLAG !
You hate America !
*rioting starts* : if only these rioters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ https : //t.co/L5fSIAvHLE — Secular Talk ( @ KyleKulinski ) June 5 , 2020 remember this when the line is that protesters MUST protest peacefully .
now it 's that they can only protest certain things .
https : //t.co/MvZvrFUmzq — Sam Stein ( @ samstein ) June 5 , 2020 Free speech is not just supporting free speech of your own values , it 's also the same right of those who disagree with you , and you are the President of the United States , you are supposed to be uniting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ base .
https : //t.co/ckzsR5jB4M — David Weissman ( @ davidmweissman ) June 5 , 2020 Do n't fall for the racial play-action here .
The conversation is n't about the flag and it was never about the flag .
https : //t.co/RUuRE5zsdR — Ben Axelrod ( @ BenAxelrod ) June 5 , 2020 Stuff like this is so unreal .
Brees is likely a shitty guy but among the range of shitty people his apology at least seemed like someone who would like to better himself .
And then the PRESIDENT comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tolerance https : //t.co/lsaU9g5Dht — Mike McDonald ( @ MikeMcDonald89 ) June 5 , 2020 Marcus Vanderberg of Yahoo Sports pointed out Friday afternoon that responding to Trump ’ s tweets would give Brees the chance to show he really meant what he said in his apology .

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Many people criticized New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees this week for not appreciating why fellow NFL players like Colin Kaepernick have chosen to kneel during the national anthem.
Brees, who told Yahoo that he felt kneeling was “disrespectful” to the military, later apologized for his “insensitivity” after his Black teammates and other sports figures explained the kneeling was in protest of systemic racism. He said he “will work every day to put myself in those shoes and fight for what is right.”
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Kaepernick only started kneeling after conferring with former Green Beret Nate Boyer on the most respectful way to protest.
President Donald Trump said Friday that Brees should not have apologized. He also criticized kneeling during the national anthem, an act he misrepresented as being a protest of the American flag.
I am a big fan of Drew Brees. I think he’s truly one of the greatest quarterbacks, but he should not have taken back his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag. OLD GLORY is to be revered, cherished, and flown high... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2020
...We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart. There are other things you can protest, but not our Great American Flag - NO KNEELING! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2020
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As might be expected, many Twitter users had strong opinions about Trump’s comments.
the racism will continue until morale improves https://t.co/Lls6608PX3 — Mark Gongloff, Antifa Fight Instructor (@markgongloff) June 5, 2020
*Kaep peacefully protests*: come on, RESPECT THE FLAG! You hate America!
*rioting starts*: if only these rioters peacefully protested we'd support them! https://t.co/L5fSIAvHLE — Secular Talk (@KyleKulinski) June 5, 2020
remember this when the line is that protesters MUST protest peacefully. now it's that they can only protest certain things. https://t.co/MvZvrFUmzq — Sam Stein (@samstein) June 5, 2020
You’re the greatest embarrassment to our flag! pic.twitter.com/EUvcDageIy — Republicans for Joe Biden (@RepsForBiden) June 5, 2020
Free speech is not just supporting free speech of your own values, it's also the same right of those who disagree with you, and you are the President of the United States, you are supposed to be uniting all Americans, not just defend your base. https://t.co/ckzsR5jB4M — David Weissman (@davidmweissman) June 5, 2020
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You didn't say the whole thing, it's:
NO KNEELING ON NECKS! https://t.co/svtQUsh998 — Gregg Housh (@GreggHoush) June 5, 2020
Don't fall for the racial play-action here. The conversation isn't about the flag and it was never about the flag. https://t.co/RUuRE5zsdR — Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) June 5, 2020
Stuff like this is so unreal. Brees is likely a shitty guy but among the range of shitty people his apology at least seemed like someone who would like to better himself. And then the PRESIDENT comes and criticizes him for his attempt at tolerance https://t.co/lsaU9g5Dht — Mike McDonald (@MikeMcDonald89) June 5, 2020
Pick a side, NFL....your players or this dipshit. Please get it right this time. https://t.co/Kz8SAODJjd — Melissa Jacobs (@thefootballgirl) June 5, 2020
Marcus Vanderberg of Yahoo Sports pointed out Friday afternoon that responding to Trump’s tweets would give Brees the chance to show he really meant what he said in his apology.
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If you want to back up your words from yesterday @drewbrees, here’s your chance. https://t.co/RaKor5Sl0m — Marcus Vanderberg (@marcowill) June 5, 2020
On Friday night, Brees did address Trump via Instagram and pointedly told the president that “this is not an issue about the American flag. It has never been.
He continued: “We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities.”
Brees added:
“We did this back in 2017, and regretfully I brought it back with my comments this week. We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform.
“We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history! If not now, then when?
“We as a white community need to listen and learn from the pain and suffering of our black communities. We must acknowledge the problems, identify the solutions, and then put this into action. The black community cannot do it alone. This will require all of us.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-05--GOP Senate Candidate Warns America Is 'Up Against Multiculturalism'

CORKY MESSNER U.S. SENATE SITE Bryant “ Corky ” Messner , a Republican Senate candidate in New Hampshire , told his supporters this week that `` multiculturalism and political correctness ” create a “ tribalism.
” In the midst of nationwide anti-racism protests , Bryant “ Corky ” Messner , a Republican Senate candidate in New Hampshire , warned his supporters this week about the amount of “ multiculturalism ” being taught in public schools .
“ We are essentially up against multiculturalism and the values that we know that are being taught in our public schools and universities that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beliefs that made this country great , ” Messner said Wednesday during a virtual town hall , in comments first flagged by the Democratic super PAC American Bridge 21st Century .
“ So we have a battle on our hands.
” “ We won ’ t be able to hold this country together if we don ’ t have a common culture , ” he said .
“ And that common culture is what made America great.
” Messner expanded on what he saw as the problems with multiculturalism in a follow-up interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want to allow different groups ― “ any kind of group , whether it ’ s a group of whites or anything ” — to “ have a mindset that creates animosity with other groups , that creates anger with other groups , that encourages divisiveness.
” “ People will group together , and a lot of times because of common culture , and that ’ s a good thing to share common culture , but it can ’ t be a way to create discrimination against other groups , animosity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Messner said his grandparents immigrated from Lebanon , and that he grew up exposed to the culture and still cooks Lebanese food for his children .
“ The diversity is the strength of this country , ” he said .
“ And at the same time , we can have the common values that are set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
” “ Conservatives and conservative young people … are afraid to say they are conservative , ” Messner said .
“ In my view of political correctness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing .
If young people are afraid to express their opinions because they are perceived to be conservative and therefore not politically correct , that ’ s a problem.
” The candidate previously said he wants to crack down on China for its role in spreading the coronavirus by banning Chinese students from American universities .
Messner , an attorney and former Army ranger who is largely self-funding his campaign , is running against retired U.S. Army brigadier general Don Bolduc for the GOP nomination for Senate .
The winner of the Sept. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Jeanne Shaheen .
Kentucky ’ s Rand Paul said this week that he endorsed Messner , becoming the first sitting senator to do so .

Bryant “Corky” Messner, a Republican Senate candidate in New Hampshire, told his supporters this week that "multiculturalism and political correctness” create a “tribalism.” CORKY MESSNER U.S. SENATE SITE
In the midst of nationwide anti-racism protests, Bryant “Corky” Messner, a Republican Senate candidate in New Hampshire, warned his supporters this week about the amount of “multiculturalism” being taught in public schools.
“We are essentially up against multiculturalism and the values that we know that are being taught in our public schools and universities that are not part of the values and beliefs that made this country great,” Messner said Wednesday during a virtual town hall, in comments first flagged by the Democratic super PAC American Bridge 21st Century. “So we have a battle on our hands.”
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“Multiculturalism and political correctness” create a “tribalism,” he argued.
“We won’t be able to hold this country together if we don’t have a common culture,” he said. “And that common culture is what made America great.”
Messner made these comments while advocating for school choice, including home-schooling and vouchers for charter schools.
Messner expanded on what he saw as the problems with multiculturalism in a follow-up interview with HuffPost, saying he didn’t want to allow different groups ― “any kind of group, whether it’s a group of whites or anything” — to “have a mindset that creates animosity with other groups, that creates anger with other groups, that encourages divisiveness.”
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“People will group together, and a lot of times because of common culture, and that’s a good thing to share common culture, but it can’t be a way to create discrimination against other groups, animosity to other groups,” he added.
Messner said his grandparents immigrated from Lebanon, and that he grew up exposed to the culture and still cooks Lebanese food for his children.
“The diversity is the strength of this country,” he said. “And at the same time, we can have the common values that are set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.”
Messner also said conservatives now live with a culture of fear due to political correctness.
“Conservatives and conservative young people … are afraid to say they are conservative,” Messner said. “In my view of political correctness, I think that is not a good thing. If young people are afraid to express their opinions because they are perceived to be conservative and therefore not politically correct, that’s a problem.”
The candidate previously said he wants to crack down on China for its role in spreading the coronavirus by banning Chinese students from American universities.
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Messner, an attorney and former Army ranger who is largely self-funding his campaign, is running against retired U.S. Army brigadier general Don Bolduc for the GOP nomination for Senate. The winner of the Sept. 8 primary will take on Democratic incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-05--The Police Are Targeting Protest Medics

The Police Are Targeting Protest Medics

Protests can be dangerous places , especially demonstrations about police violence where officers use batons , shields , tear gas , rubber bullets and their fists on the participants .
That ’ s why people with medical training ― emergency medical technicians , nurses , doctors and others ― usually come to provide aid , just like they do at other large gatherings .
In addition to assaults by police officers , protesters have to worry about violence from counterprotesters , not to mention injuries from simply being in a large crowd and other health care emergencies , like heatstroke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is real .
Whether these volunteer medics support the aims of Black Lives Matter protesters or not , their purpose is to help anyone who becomes sick or injured .
But as police across the United States have made plain ― particularly now , as people take to the streets to protest racism and police violence against Black Americans after a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd last week ― it doesn ’ t matter who you are or why you ’ re there : The cops will take you out .
Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the instances of medical personnel being assaulted or harassed are deeply troubling .
Police used shotguns to fire bean bags filled with lead pellets at an injured protester and the medics trying to assist him during an Austin , Texas , demonstration .
Police arrested a physician and journalist who attended a protest in New York City to offer his services as a medical doctor .
Mike Pappas , a doctor , was arrested by NYPD earlier in the Bronx while working as a medic during the # FTP # BlackLivesMatter protest.Frontline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' by Cuomo and DeBlasio a little over a week ago.
# FTP # BlackLivesMatter # FreeHealthcareHeroes pic.twitter.com/9tDrt3ouTb — Left Voice ( @ left_voice ) June 5 , 2020 During times of war , soldiers aren ’ t allowed to attack military medics .
It ’ s in the Geneva Convention , which states : Medical personnel exclusively engaged in the search for , or the collection , transport or treatment of the wounded or sick , or in the prevention of disease , staff exclusively engaged in the administration of medical units @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attached to the armed forces , shall be respected and protected in all circumstances .
Even in their combat-ready armor , with their combat-style rifles and combat-looking vehicles , police officers aren ’ t soldiers and aren ’ t trained like soldiers .
But if they want to dress up like soldiers , they should be expected , at a minimum , to follow the same rules soldiers do .

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Protests can be dangerous places, especially demonstrations about police violence where officers use batons, shields, tear gas, rubber bullets and their fists on the participants.
That’s why people with medical training ― emergency medical technicians, nurses, doctors and others ― usually come to provide aid, just like they do at other large gatherings. In addition to assaults by police officers, protesters have to worry about violence from counterprotesters, not to mention injuries from simply being in a large crowd and other health care emergencies, like heatstroke. The need for rapid medical assistance is real.
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Whether these volunteer medics support the aims of Black Lives Matter protesters or not, their purpose is to help anyone who becomes sick or injured.
But as police across the United States have made plain ― particularly now, as people take to the streets to protest racism and police violence against Black Americans after a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd last week ― it doesn’t matter who you are or why you’re there: The cops will take you out.
Police brutality is wrong under any circumstances, but the instances of medical personnel being assaulted or harassed are deeply troubling.
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Police used shotguns to fire bean bags filled with lead pellets at an injured protester and the medics trying to assist him during an Austin, Texas, demonstration.
#HisnameisJustinHowell anybody needs extended video to help in anyway, HMU in DM. #NoJusticeNoPeace pic.twitter.com/gAI6TjlTqW — David Frost (@DavidFr31601156) June 4, 2020
Police arrested a physician and journalist who attended a protest in New York City to offer his services as a medical doctor.
Mike Pappas, a doctor, was arrested by NYPD earlier in the Bronx while working as a medic during the #FTP #BlackLivesMatter protest.Frontline workers like Mike were called "heroes" by Cuomo and DeBlasio a little over a week ago.#FTP #BlackLivesMatter #FreeHealthcareHeroes pic.twitter.com/9tDrt3ouTb — Left Voice (@left_voice) June 5, 2020
In Asheville, North Carolina, police officers destroyed a medical assistance tent and the water supplies volunteers brought.
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During times of war, soldiers aren’t allowed to attack military medics. It’s in the Geneva Convention, which states:
Medical personnel exclusively engaged in the search for, or the collection, transport or treatment of the wounded or sick, or in the prevention of disease, staff exclusively engaged in the administration of medical units and establishments, as well as chaplains attached to the armed forces, shall be respected and protected in all circumstances.
Even in their combat-ready armor, with their combat-style rifles and combat-looking vehicles, police officers aren’t soldiers and aren’t trained like soldiers. But if they want to dress up like soldiers, they should be expected, at a minimum, to follow the same rules soldiers do.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-04--Law Enforcement Seized Masks Meant To Protect Anti-Racist Protesters From COVID-19

WASHINGTON ― Law enforcement agents have seized hundreds of cloth masks that read “ Stop killing Black people ” and “ Defund police ” that a Black Lives Matter-affiliated organization sent to cities around the country to protect demonstrators against the spread of COVID-19 , a disease that has had a disparate impact on Black communities .
The Movement for Black Lives ( M4BL ) spent tens of thousands of dollars on the masks they had planned to send all over the country .
The first four boxes , each containing 500 masks , were mailed from Oakland , California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ St. Louis , New York City and Minneapolis , where on May 25 a white police officer killed George Floyd , a 46-year-old handcuffed Black man , setting off a wave of protests across the country .
But the items never left the state .
The U.S .
Postal Service tracking numbers for the packages indicate they were “ Seized by Law Enforcement ” and urge the mailer to “ contact the U.S .
Postal Inspection Service for further information.
” Rene Quinonez of Movement Ink in Oakland , who stayed up with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past few days and took them to the post office , told HuffPost that the employees at the location from which he shipped the boxes know him well .
“ I have shipped a lot of stuff before , ” he said .
“ It ’ s an inside joke that I ’ m always shipping a ton of stuff , usually next-day or two-day and paying some ridiculous fees.
” Now he ’ s wondering if the government is watching him or watching the Black Lives Matter movement .
“ I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s just really blowing my mind , ” he said .
“ We ’ re tired , but we ’ re going to try to rally some support and figure out how to replace these masks and how to support the movement , ” he said .
“ This isn ’ t a weapon .
It ’ s more about safety .
We ’ re trying to figure out how to keep our community safe.
” It ’ s not entirely clear what law enforcement entity seized the masks or why .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorney General William Barr , has taken an aggressive posture against demonstrations and on Thursday expressed concern about “ extremist agitators ” who are “ hijacking the protests to pursue their own separate and violent agenda.
” The Movement for Black Lives is a group of more than 150 leaders and organizations that are “ unified in a radical vision for Black liberation and working for equity , justice and healing.
” It was started in December 2014 , a few months after the unrest in Ferguson , Missouri , following the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have rioted coast to coast , beating and gassing protesters who have called for an end to police violence , with the explicit approval of President Trump , ” Chelsea Fuller , a spokesperson for the Movement for Black Lives , said in a statement to HuffPost .
“ Now , it appears they want to ensure that people who protest are susceptible to the same deadly pandemic that they have failed miserably at stopping , ” Fuller added .
“ The continued surveillance and disruption of social movements under this administration is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It should be roundly condemned.
” The head of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that protesters should “ highly consider ” getting tested for the coronavirus and worried that protests could “ unfortunately ” turn into “ a seeding event .
”

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UPDATE: 3:45 p.m. June 5 ― Federal authorities released the seized masks on Friday morning, hours after this HuffPost article was published.
Previously:
WASHINGTON ― Law enforcement agents have seized hundreds of cloth masks that read “Stop killing Black people” and “Defund police” that a Black Lives Matter-affiliated organization sent to cities around the country to protect demonstrators against the spread of COVID-19, a disease that has had a disparate impact on Black communities.
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The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) spent tens of thousands of dollars on the masks they had planned to send all over the country. The first four boxes, each containing 500 masks, were mailed from Oakland, California, and were destined for Washington, St. Louis, New York City and Minneapolis, where on May 25 a white police officer killed George Floyd, a 46-year-old handcuffed Black man, setting off a wave of protests across the country.
But the items never left the state. The U.S. Postal Service tracking numbers for the packages indicate they were “Seized by Law Enforcement” and urge the mailer to “contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for further information.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Rene Quinonez of Movement Ink in Oakland, who stayed up with his family producing the masks over the past few days and took them to the post office, told HuffPost that the employees at the location from which he shipped the boxes know him well.
“I have shipped a lot of stuff before,” he said. “It’s an inside joke that I’m always shipping a ton of stuff, usually next-day or two-day and paying some ridiculous fees.”
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“These guys know that I ship apparel,” Quinonez said. “There was nothing out of the ordinary.”
Now he’s wondering if the government is watching him or watching the Black Lives Matter movement. “I just don’t understand it. It’s just really blowing my mind,” he said.
“We’re tired, but we’re going to try to rally some support and figure out how to replace these masks and how to support the movement,” he said. “This isn’t a weapon. It’s more about safety. We’re trying to figure out how to keep our community safe.”
It’s not entirely clear what law enforcement entity seized the masks or why. But the Justice Department, led by Attorney General William Barr, has taken an aggressive posture against demonstrations and on Thursday expressed concern about “extremist agitators” who are “hijacking the protests to pursue their own separate and violent agenda.”
The Movement for Black Lives is a group of more than 150 leaders and organizations that are “unified in a radical vision for Black liberation and working for equity, justice and healing.” It was started in December 2014, a few months after the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, following the police killing of Michael Brown.
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“Police have rioted coast to coast, beating and gassing protesters who have called for an end to police violence, with the explicit approval of President Trump,” Chelsea Fuller, a spokesperson for the Movement for Black Lives, said in a statement to HuffPost.
“Now, it appears they want to ensure that people who protest are susceptible to the same deadly pandemic that they have failed miserably at stopping,” Fuller added. “The continued surveillance and disruption of social movements under this administration is as chilling as it is dangerous. It should be roundly condemned.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-05--For Black Women, There's Nothing To Celebrate In The Unemployment Numbers

President Donald Trump was quick to celebrate a surprise fall in the unemployment rate on Friday morning , practically exploding with excitement at the news that in May the jobless rate fell to 13.3 % from 14.7 % in April .
There ’ s just one crucial thing Trump didn ’ t mention : Black unemployment .
The percentage of Black people without jobs hardly budged in May .
For African American workers over age 20 , the unemployment rate was 16 % in May , down from 16.3 % the previous month , according to an analysis of Labor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Women ’ s Law Center .
( For Black workers age 16 and up , the unemployment number rose to 16.8 % . )
It ’ s just the latest sign that Black Americans are disproportionately struggling right now while dealing with the triple storm of COVID-19 ’ s health effects , an economy in free-fall , and protests against police brutality sweeping the country .
While Black men age 20 and up saw a slight increase in jobs last month , things got worse for Black women , with their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 16.4 % , according to a separate analysis from the National Women ’ s Law Center released Friday .
“ Everyone else saw slight improvement in May , but Black women just stagnated , ” said Tucker .
“ It comes back to the racism and sexism they ’ re going to face in reentering the workforce.
” The issue for Black women is , first , they were disproportionately overrepresented in many of the industries hit hardest by coronavirus-related job losses ― including retail and hospitality jobs in the restaurant and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that companies are starting to bring back workers , a double hit of sexism and racism makes it harder for these women to go back to work .
“ I think the pandemic has really laid bare a lot of the problems that women and women of color face in the workforce , ” said Tucker .
“ They ’ re paid less .
They ’ re less likely to have worker protections like paid leave and other benefits.
” The jobs crisis has been terrible for women overall .
The unemployment rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even higher than it is for Black women ― though it declined more in May to 19 % from 20.2 % the previous month .
In the past , Trump has been happy to tout the Black unemployment rate as a sign of how his administration has been good to African Americans .
The White House even put out a press release about it late last year and of course he ’ s tweeted about it .
The pandemic has devastated the Black community .
The mortality rate from COVID-19 among African Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whites .
And in some regions of the country it ’ s as much as four times as bad .
The job loss has been horrific , too .
And it ’ s compounded by the fact that for Black Americans there ’ s very little social safety net to fall back on : African Americans are less likely to have savings or wealth to cushion their fall , and have lower incomes than white Americans , as well .
The numbers released Friday are a startling demonstration of what ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black workers : In any economic downturn it has historically been African Americans who are last to recover .
“ When the jobs come back it ’ s important to look at who is getting those jobs , ” Elise Gould , a senior economist at the progressive-leaning Economic Policy Institute , told HuffPost on Thursday before the jobs report came out .
“ I fear they will again mimic the discrimination of the past .
And we won ’ t see Black workers able to bounce back the way that white workers @ @ @ @ @

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President Donald Trump was quick to celebrate a surprise fall in the unemployment rate on Friday morning, practically exploding with excitement at the news that in May the jobless rate fell to 13.3% from 14.7% in April.
“These numbers are joyous,” he tweeted, before holding a press conference congratulating himself for what are still historically terrible unemployment numbers ― worse than anything seen during the Great Recession.
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There’s just one crucial thing Trump didn’t mention: Black unemployment. The percentage of Black people without jobs hardly budged in May. For African American workers over age 20, the unemployment rate was 16% in May, down from 16.3% the previous month, according to an analysis of Labor Department data from researcher Jasmine Tucker at the National Women’s Law Center. (For Black workers age 16 and up, the unemployment number rose to 16.8%.)
It’s just the latest sign that Black Americans are disproportionately struggling right now while dealing with the triple storm of COVID-19’s health effects, an economy in free-fall, and protests against police brutality sweeping the country.
Drill down into the numbers released Friday, you find that it is Black women in particular who are hurting.
While Black men age 20 and up saw a slight increase in jobs last month, things got worse for Black women, with their jobless rate ticking up to 16.5% from 16.4%, according to a separate analysis from the National Women’s Law Center released Friday.
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“Everyone else saw slight improvement in May, but Black women just stagnated,” said Tucker. “It comes back to the racism and sexism they’re going to face in reentering the workforce.”
The issue for Black women is, first, they were disproportionately overrepresented in many of the industries hit hardest by coronavirus-related job losses ― including retail and hospitality jobs in the restaurant and leisure sectors.
And second, now that companies are starting to bring back workers, a double hit of sexism and racism makes it harder for these women to go back to work.
Exacerbating matters, Black women are more likely to be single parents with young kids ― that means they can’t necessarily go back to work yet, with schools and child-care centers closed.
“I think the pandemic has really laid bare a lot of the problems that women and women of color face in the workforce,” said Tucker. “They’re paid less. They’re less likely to have worker protections like paid leave and other benefits.”
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The jobs crisis has been terrible for women overall. The unemployment rate for Latinas age 20 and over is even higher than it is for Black women ― though it declined more in May to 19% from 20.2% the previous month.
About 1 in 7 women in the U.S. are unemployed right now, compared to 1 in 9 men, according to the Law Center’s analysis.
In the past, Trump has been happy to tout the Black unemployment rate as a sign of how his administration has been good to African Americans. The White House even put out a press release about it late last year and of course he’s tweeted about it.
Before the pandemic, the Black unemployment rate was a relatively low 5.8%. For white workers it was 3.1%. (Typically Black unemployment is double the rate for white people.)
But the events of the past 12 weeks reveal the emptiness of Trump’s rhetoric around African Americans and the economy.
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The pandemic has devastated the Black community. The mortality rate from COVID-19 among African Americans is nearly twice what it is for whites. And in some regions of the country it’s as much as four times as bad.
The job loss has been horrific, too. And it’s compounded by the fact that for Black Americans there’s very little social safety net to fall back on: African Americans are less likely to have savings or wealth to cushion their fall, and have lower incomes than white Americans, as well.
The numbers released Friday are a startling demonstration of what’s been a long-standing truth when it comes to Black workers: In any economic downturn it has historically been African Americans who are last to recover.
That’s partly because discrimination intensifies in a slack job market ― in other words, employers can be “choosier,” i.e., discriminatory, about whom they decide to hire. And Black workers face extraordinary levels of discrimination in hiring.
“When the jobs come back it’s important to look at who is getting those jobs,” Elise Gould, a senior economist at the progressive-leaning Economic Policy Institute, told HuffPost on Thursday before the jobs report came out. “I fear they will again mimic the discrimination of the past. And we won’t see Black workers able to bounce back the way that white workers [do].”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-05--A New York Democrat Who Aligned With Republicans Could Be Headed To Congress

David Carlucci for Congress/Facebook New York state Sen. David Carlucci ( center ) is a Democrat , but until 2018 he was part of a group that helped keep Republicans in power .
The survey , conducted by the progressive think tank Data for Progress from May 28 to June 3 , found that state Sen. David Carlucci has 15 % support among likely voters in the June 23 Democratic primary for New York ’ s 17th Congressional District .
Former Obama Pentagon official Evelyn Farkas and former federal prosecutor Adam Schleifer each have 13 % , and attorney Mondaire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 % .
Data for Progress nonetheless found that the race is fluid .
Carlucci ’ s lead is within the margin of error of 5.7 percentage points .
And 38 % of the 302 respondents said they were “ unsure ” for whom they would vote .
Still , Carlucci ’ s high standing is enough to spook Democrats troubled by his political history .
From 2011 to 2018 , Carlucci was a member of the New York state Senate ’ s Independent Democratic Conference ( IDC ) , a faction of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party leadership and had a power-sharing arrangement with the chamber ’ s Republicans .
For a time after the 2016 election of President Donald Trump , the votes of the eight-member IDC and another renegade Democrat unaffiliated with the bloc kept the state Senate in Republican control , despite Democrats ’ numerical majority .
Locking Democrats out of power prevented bills to enshrine women ’ s reproductive rights in state law , expand voting rights , increase protections for renters and tackle climate change from coming up for a vote .
In exchange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave the IDC members leadership positions that provided them with higher salaries .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) brokered a deal that dissolved the IDC in April 2018 .
But progressive activists and a significant number of mainstream Democrats , who had mobilized to unseat the renegade Democrats , stuck with their efforts and managed to oust six of the ex-IDC members in the September 2018 primaries .
Carlucci was one of two ex-IDC members who survived the insurgent wave .
McElwee supports Jones and called on 17th District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best alternative to Carlucci ― although he emphasized that his think tank does not have financial ties to Jones ’ campaign and conducted its poll independently .
The poll also found that 55 % of those surveyed hadn ’ t heard of the IDC .
When informed by the pollster that the IDC is a group of Democrats who caucused with Republicans , 21 % said they had a “ very unfavorable ” opinion of the group and 17 % said they had a “ somewhat unfavorable ” opinion of it .
Ivanya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ad hoc anti-Carlucci group No IDC in DC , said she and others are working to educate people with a direct mail and robocall campaign informing voters about Carlucci ’ s record .
The effort began this week after the poll was conducted , she said .
“ We need Democrats in office who have a record of being held accountable to their constituents and thinking about their constituents ’ best interests , ” Kang said .
“ David Carlucci thought about his career when he was in the state Senate .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more transactional.
” The support for Carlucci likely reflects his name recognition in the district from his years representing Rockland and Westchester counties in the state legislature .
Of the six candidates tested in the Data for Progress poll , Carlucci got the smallest percentage of respondents saying they “ hadn ’ t heard enough to say ” whether they ’ d vote for him .
Vanessa Pahucki , a domestic violence survivor and advocate from Nyack who is supporting Carlucci , credited him with championing the cause of domestic abuse survivors in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the introduction of a bill that would require family court judges to forbid parents accused of domestic abuse from visiting their children without supervision until their case is complete .
Jones , who was raised by an impoverished single mother and would be the first openly gay Black man in Congress , began his run as a challenger against Lowey .
Other candidates jumped in after her announcement , enticed by the prospect of occupying a safe Democratic seat in the affluent New York City suburbs .
Jones ’ bid is one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activist left to make its mark on the next Congress ― and progressive lawmakers are starting to take notice .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) endorsed him on Friday , citing the way that Jones ’ humble roots inform his views .

New York state Sen. David Carlucci (center) is a Democrat, but until 2018 he was part of a group that helped keep Republicans in power. David Carlucci for Congress/Facebook
A New York Democrat whose alliance with Republicans helped block progressive measures in the state legislature is in a strong position to win the primary for a solidly Democratic district in Congress, according to a new poll.
The survey, conducted by the progressive think tank Data for Progress from May 28 to June 3, found that state Sen. David Carlucci has 15% support among likely voters in the June 23 Democratic primary for New York’s 17th Congressional District. Former Obama Pentagon official Evelyn Farkas and former federal prosecutor Adam Schleifer each have 13%, and attorney Mondaire Jones, the progressive favorite, has 12%.
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Data for Progress nonetheless found that the race is fluid. Carlucci’s lead is within the margin of error of 5.7 percentage points. And 38% of the 302 respondents said they were “unsure” for whom they would vote.
Still, Carlucci’s high standing is enough to spook Democrats troubled by his political history. From 2011 to 2018, Carlucci was a member of the New York state Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), a faction of Democrats who refused to back the mainstream party leadership and had a power-sharing arrangement with the chamber’s Republicans.
For a time after the 2016 election of President Donald Trump, the votes of the eight-member IDC and another renegade Democrat unaffiliated with the bloc kept the state Senate in Republican control, despite Democrats’ numerical majority. Locking Democrats out of power prevented bills to enshrine women’s reproductive rights in state law, expand voting rights, increase protections for renters and tackle climate change from coming up for a vote. In exchange for keeping them in power, Republicans gave the IDC members leadership positions that provided them with higher salaries.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) brokered a deal that dissolved the IDC in April 2018. But progressive activists and a significant number of mainstream Democrats, who had mobilized to unseat the renegade Democrats, stuck with their efforts and managed to oust six of the ex-IDC members in the September 2018 primaries. Carlucci was one of two ex-IDC members who survived the insurgent wave.
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“Two years after defeating the IDC in the state Senate, we are dangerously at risk of sending a member of the IDC to Congress,” said Sean McElwee, a co-founder of Data for Progress.
In a statement, Carlucci argued that voters consistently elected him “because I deliver results for our community.”
“My record shows that I have, and will continue to deliver for Rockland and Westchester,” he added.
“We need Democrats in office who have a record of being held accountable to their constituents and thinking about their constituents’ best interests.” - Susan Kang, a co-founder of No IDC NY
McElwee supports Jones and called on 17th District residents to rally behind him as the best alternative to Carlucci ― although he emphasized that his think tank does not have financial ties to Jones’ campaign and conducted its poll independently.
The poll also found that 55% of those surveyed hadn’t heard of the IDC. When informed by the pollster that the IDC is a group of Democrats who caucused with Republicans, 21% said they had a “very unfavorable” opinion of the group and 17% said they had a “somewhat unfavorable” opinion of it.
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Ivanya Alpert, a pediatrician active in the ad hoc anti-Carlucci group No IDC in DC, said she and others are working to educate people with a direct mail and robocall campaign informing voters about Carlucci’s record. The effort began this week after the poll was conducted, she said.
Susan Kang, a co-founder of No IDC NY, a grassroots group that helped oust those six ex-IDC members, said that the compounding crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and racist policing practices made stopping Carlucci that much more essential.
“We need Democrats in office who have a record of being held accountable to their constituents and thinking about their constituents’ best interests,” Kang said. “David Carlucci thought about his career when he was in the state Senate. And rather than be transformative, he was more transactional.”
In exchange for higher pay and other perks, she added, “he made vulnerable New Yorkers suffer.”
As of the end of March, Carlucci trailed Schleifer, Farkas and Jones in fundraising by a wide margin. (Schleifer, the son of a pharmaceutical company founder, is self-funding his bid.)
Attorney Mondaire Jones, the progressive favorite in the Democratic primary for New York's 17th District, would be the first openly gay Black man in Congress. Mondaire Jones for Congress
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The support for Carlucci likely reflects his name recognition in the district from his years representing Rockland and Westchester counties in the state legislature. Of the six candidates tested in the Data for Progress poll, Carlucci got the smallest percentage of respondents saying they “hadn’t heard enough to say” whether they’d vote for him.
Vanessa Pahucki, a domestic violence survivor and advocate from Nyack who is supporting Carlucci, credited him with championing the cause of domestic abuse survivors in the legislature. She worked with him on the introduction of a bill that would require family court judges to forbid parents accused of domestic abuse from visiting their children without supervision until their case is complete.
“David and his staff have been the consummate example of how I believe legislators should work with the people,” Pahucki said.
The 17th District, which encompasses all of Rockland County and parts of Westchester County just north of New York City, became a hotly contested primary battleground when Rep. Nita Lowey (D) announced her plans to retire after 16 terms in Congress.
Jones, who was raised by an impoverished single mother and would be the first openly gay Black man in Congress, began his run as a challenger against Lowey. Other candidates jumped in after her announcement, enticed by the prospect of occupying a safe Democratic seat in the affluent New York City suburbs.
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Jones’ bid is one of the few remaining opportunities for the activist left to make its mark on the next Congress ― and progressive lawmakers are starting to take notice. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) endorsed him on Friday, citing the way that Jones’ humble roots inform his views.
“Mondaire had spoken up for racial justice long before the present national outcry and personally understands this country’s existential problems,” she said.
Alpert, who is also a leader of the grassroots progressive group Rockland United, made a more pragmatic pitch for Jones. She argued that his connection to Rockland County ― where he lives and grew up ― means he has a better chance of defeating the Rockland-based Carlucci. The other major candidates hail from Westchester, across the Hudson River.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-05--California Vows To Take Steps To Protect Protesters From Police Abuse

In an address disavowing law enforcement ’ s use of tear gas and other forceful techniques on protesters , California Gov .
Gavin Newsom pledged Friday that the state will standardize how local police handle crowds .
His emotional speech about the violence and racism facing the Black community , especially at the hands of law enforcement , comes amid nationwide protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Police have repeatedly used violent force against peaceful demonstrators and that kind of response should have no place in California , the Democratic governor said .
“ Protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , protesters have the right to protest peacefully , protesters have the right to do so without being arrested , gassed , shot up by projectiles , ” Newsom said .
“ That ’ s a simple value statement .
I want to make that crystal clear .
They have the right not to be harassed , not to be denied , not to be arrested for peaceful protesting ― period , full stop.
” Newsom has tapped two people to co-chair a commission on police reform , which will advise the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are Lateefah Simon , a civil rights activist and Bay Area Rapid Transit director , and Ron Davis , a former Oakland Police Department captain who chaired President Barack Obama ’ s Task Force on 21st Century Policing .
“ This call that the governor is asking us all now to accept is to rapidly bend the arc towards justice , ” she said .
“ It is our duty .
And we must move forward expeditiously.
” Newsom vowed that the new standards on crowd control would go into effect in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He noted the case of Leslie Furcron , a Black 59-year-old grandmother protesting in San Diego County last weekend , who had to be put into a medically induced coma after police shot her with a rubber bullet .
“ This has been an extraordinary week in our nation ’ s history , in the history of the state of California , and we have a unique and special responsibility here in California to meet it and to meet it head-on , ” Newsom said , promising that the state can and will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The governor also announced that he will sign legislation banning law enforcement use of the carotid chokehold , which can block the flow of blood to the brain , and that he is immediately directing California ’ s Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission to stop training officers on its use .
“ No one wants to go back to normalcy , ” Newsom said of making changes in police practices .
“ If you want to go back to normalcy , I ’ m not going there with you.
” Newsom ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vows to do the opposite .
On Monday , the president said he would crack down on anti-racism protests with “ thousands of heavily armed soldiers , military personnel and law enforcement officers to stop the rioting , looting , vandalism , assaults and the wanton destruction of property ” unless state and local leaders did so first .

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In an address disavowing law enforcement’s use of tear gas and other forceful techniques on protesters, California Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged Friday that the state will standardize how local police handle crowds.
His emotional speech about the violence and racism facing the Black community, especially at the hands of law enforcement, comes amid nationwide protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Police have repeatedly used violent force against peaceful demonstrators and that kind of response should have no place in California, the Democratic governor said.
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“Protesters have the right not to be harassed, protesters have the right to protest peacefully, protesters have the right to do so without being arrested, gassed, shot up by projectiles,” Newsom said. “That’s a simple value statement. I want to make that crystal clear. They have the right not to be harassed, not to be denied, not to be arrested for peaceful protesting ― period, full stop.”
Newsom has tapped two people to co-chair a commission on police reform, which will advise the state on developing crowd control standards. They are Lateefah Simon, a civil rights activist and Bay Area Rapid Transit director, and Ron Davis, a former Oakland Police Department captain who chaired President Barack Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.
Simon said she’s doing this work in the name of George Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter, Gianna.
“This call that the governor is asking us all now to accept is to rapidly bend the arc towards justice,” she said. “It is our duty. And we must move forward expeditiously.”
Newsom vowed that the new standards on crowd control would go into effect in the “very, very near term.” He noted the case of Leslie Furcron, a Black 59-year-old grandmother protesting in San Diego County last weekend, who had to be put into a medically induced coma after police shot her with a rubber bullet.
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“This has been an extraordinary week in our nation’s history, in the history of the state of California, and we have a unique and special responsibility here in California to meet it and to meet it head-on,” Newsom said, promising that the state can and will address problems in its police forces.
The governor also announced that he will sign legislation banning law enforcement use of the carotid chokehold, which can block the flow of blood to the brain, and that he is immediately directing California’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission to stop training officers on its use.
“No one wants to go back to normalcy,” Newsom said of making changes in police practices. “If you want to go back to normalcy, I’m not going there with you.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-05--Ithaca Could Be The First U.S. City To Move Forward On Canceling Rent

Bruce Yuanyue Bi via Getty Images The Ithaca Common Council approved a resolution that would give the mayor the authority to forgive all outstanding rental debt accrued over the last three months .
On Wednesday , the Ithaca Common Council , the city ’ s governing body , approved a resolution that would give the mayor the authority to forgive all outstanding rental debt accrued by tenants and small businesses over the last three months .
The resolution would not affect tenants who have already paid their rent and it would not apply to future rental payments .
But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start over from scratch .
“ This is a statement to the state that if they ’ re not going to do something to address this problem , give us the power , ” said Stephen Smith , an alderperson on the Ithaca Common Council who voted for the resolution .
The proposal , which Smith described as a “ last resort , ” must still be approved by the New York State Department of Health .
The measure would also ban evictions in the city , freeze rents at their current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extensions to tenants .
The resolution , which appears to be the first of its kind in the United States , comes amid a nationwide debate about how to address the impacts of the pandemic .
With unemployment hitting nearly unprecedented levels , housing experts and political officials fear a wave of evictions once states begin to lift their temporary eviction bans .
For months , activists have called for cities to cancel rental and mortgage payments and forgive outstanding debts .
“ We ’ re already seeing tenants in Ithaca getting threatened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Cornell student and co-founder of the Ithaca Tenants Union , the organization leading the effort to pass the local resolution .
“ We know that mass evictions lead to mass homelessness .
The state has showed time and time again that they ’ re willing to go to bat for landlords and homeowners .
This is a way of saying that we need to protect the most vulnerable people first.
” The Democratic mayor of Ithaca , Svante Myrick , said that if New York state grants him the authority to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forgive all outstanding payments immediately .
Debt forgiveness would likely be means-tested for renters .
City officials have also called on the state to allocate funds to keep landlords whole .
The resolution , Myrick said , is a tool to force a conversation between landlords , tenants , and state and local officials about how best to distribute the impacts of the coming coronavirus-caused recession .
“ It ’ s become clear that Congress is going to bail out the people at the top and let the people at the bottom drown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea [ of canceling rent ] still has problems but it ’ s better than the reality that we ’ re living in.
” The urgency in passing the resolution came from the looming expiration of New York State ’ s blanket eviction ban on June 20 .
While the current state moratorium prevents all evictions , the next phase of the ban requires tenants to prove that their failure to pay rent was due to the COVID-19 fallout .
Genevieve Rand , an organizer for the Ithaca Tenants Union , said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disadvantage renters who don ’ t speak English .
The Ithaca Tenants Union , which was founded late last year , has been advocating for a rental debt cancellation since March .
The organization set up online petitions and organized phone banks for renters to call city officials every 15 minutes .
In late May , it held a protest of more than 100 cars parading through downtown Ithaca .
Even before the pandemic , the issue of affordable housing in the city was becoming more acute .
Average home prices have more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Ithacans are renters , nearly 60 % of whom are rent-burdened ( meaning they spend more than 30 % of their income on housing ) .
Ithaca ’ s economy is heavily dependent on college students and tourists and the related service sectors .
All these factors make the city especially vulnerable to the economic impacts of the coronavirus .
“ If you accept that we ’ re experiencing a financial collapse , then the conversation should be about who should experience the effects , ” Rand said .
“ We think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it should be in the higher socioeconomic strata .
They have power to lobby for themselves .
Renters don ’ t. ” “ If other cities are located in states that are failing to act , they should be looking at every tool they can get their hands on to bring people together and avoid mass homelessness , ” he said .
“ We could give money to banks and hope that they ’ re giving loans to small businesses , or we could give money directly to people .
Renters are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the things they need to get by .
They ’ re going to pay it forward , ” said Smith .

The Ithaca Common Council approved a resolution that would give the mayor the authority to forgive all outstanding rental debt accrued over the last three months. Bruce Yuanyue Bi via Getty Images
Ithaca, New York, might become the first U.S. city to cancel rental debt for tenants caught in the coronavirus pandemic’s economic destruction.
On Wednesday, the Ithaca Common Council, the city’s governing body, approved a resolution that would give the mayor the authority to forgive all outstanding rental debt accrued by tenants and small businesses over the last three months. The resolution would not affect tenants who have already paid their rent and it would not apply to future rental payments. But it would allow tenants who have fallen behind to start over from scratch.
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“This is a statement to the state that if they’re not going to do something to address this problem, give us the power,” said Stephen Smith, an alderperson on the Ithaca Common Council who voted for the resolution. The proposal, which Smith described as a “last resort,” must still be approved by the New York State Department of Health. The measure would also ban evictions in the city, freeze rents at their current levels and oblige landlords to offer lease extensions to tenants.
The resolution, which appears to be the first of its kind in the United States, comes amid a nationwide debate about how to address the impacts of the pandemic. With unemployment hitting nearly unprecedented levels, housing experts and political officials fear a wave of evictions once states begin to lift their temporary eviction bans. For months, activists have called for cities to cancel rental and mortgage payments and forgive outstanding debts.
“We’re already seeing tenants in Ithaca getting threatened by landlords,” said Liel Sterling, a Cornell student and co-founder of the Ithaca Tenants Union, the organization leading the effort to pass the local resolution. “We know that mass evictions lead to mass homelessness. The state has showed time and time again that they’re willing to go to bat for landlords and homeowners. This is a way of saying that we need to protect the most vulnerable people first.”
“It’s become clear that Congress is going to bail out the people at the top and let the people at the bottom drown.” - Svante Myrick, mayor of Ithaca
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The Democratic mayor of Ithaca, Svante Myrick, said that if New York state grants him the authority to cancel rental debts, he would not forgive all outstanding payments immediately. Debt forgiveness would likely be means-tested for renters. City officials have also called on the state to allocate funds to keep landlords whole. The resolution, Myrick said, is a tool to force a conversation between landlords, tenants, and state and local officials about how best to distribute the impacts of the coming coronavirus-caused recession.
“It’s become clear that Congress is going to bail out the people at the top and let the people at the bottom drown,” Myrick said. “The idea [of canceling rent] still has problems but it’s better than the reality that we’re living in.”
Organizing During A Pandemic
The urgency in passing the resolution came from the looming expiration of New York State’s blanket eviction ban on June 20. While the current state moratorium prevents all evictions, the next phase of the ban requires tenants to prove that their failure to pay rent was due to the COVID-19 fallout. Genevieve Rand, an organizer for the Ithaca Tenants Union, said the narrower moratorium will burden poor tenants and disadvantage renters who don’t speak English.
“If you don’t show up to court, you get evicted,” Rand said. “If you’re an undocumented worker, you get no protection at all. The new eviction moratorium leaves our most vulnerable people even more vulnerable.”
The Ithaca Tenants Union, which was founded late last year, has been advocating for a rental debt cancellation since March. The organization set up online petitions and organized phone banks for renters to call city officials every 15 minutes. In late May, it held a protest of more than 100 cars parading through downtown Ithaca.
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Experts fear that a wave of evictions driven by the coronavirus pandemic could cause a significant increase in homelessness. David Livingston via Getty Images
Even before the pandemic, the issue of affordable housing in the city was becoming more acute. Average home prices have more than doubled since 1999. Nearly three-quarters of Ithacans are renters, nearly 60% of whom are rent-burdened (meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing). Ithaca’s economy is heavily dependent on college students and tourists and the related service sectors. All these factors make the city especially vulnerable to the economic impacts of the coronavirus.
“If you accept that we’re experiencing a financial collapse, then the conversation should be about who should experience the effects,” Rand said. “We think that if anyone should be impacted, it should be in the higher socioeconomic strata. They have power to lobby for themselves. Renters don’t.”
Rand herself is a barista who was laid off early in the pandemic. Her lease is up next month and she expects the state’s narrower moratorium will give her no protection against eviction.
“I still haven’t been able to get an unemployment or stimulus check,” she said. “It’s the worst possible time to figure out how to make a deposit and pay first month’s rent on a new apartment.”
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If the city’s resolution is approved by the state, Smith, the Common Council member, said he hopes that it can become a nationwide model.
“If other cities are located in states that are failing to act, they should be looking at every tool they can get their hands on to bring people together and avoid mass homelessness,” he said.
“We could give money to banks and hope that they’re giving loans to small businesses, or we could give money directly to people. Renters are going to spend that money on food and the things they need to get by. They’re going to pay it forward,” said Smith.
As for the future of the resolution, it is likely to be an uphill battle. One local landlord has already denounced the initiative as socialism. Another Ithaca alderperson, Ducson Nguyen, told The Ithaca Times that approval at the state level is a “longshot.”
Myrick, for his part, remains optimistic.
“I’m not confident,” he said, “but I’m hopeful.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-05--Public Opinion Is On The Side Of The Protests. That's New.

AP Photo/Jeff Roberson The current wave of protests , like this gathering outside St. Louis ' City Justice Center on June 1 , is generally supported by Americans .
Americans support the protests sparked by the death of George Floyd by a nearly 2-to-1 margin , a new HuffPost/YouGov poll finds , with most viewing Floyd ’ s death as part of a pattern in police treatment of Black men ― a finding that reflects a shift in public opinion about the pervasiveness of racial discrimination in policing .
Half of Americans say they support the protests , while 27 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neutral and the remainder are unsure .
Roughly three-quarters say they are angry about Floyd ’ s death .
By a 27-percentage-point margin , Americans agree that Blacks and other minorities are not treated equally with whites by the criminal justice system .
By a 17-point margin , they don ’ t agree that police in most cities treat Black residents as fairly as whites .
The poll was taken as protests mounted nationwide after a white police officer in Minneapolis killed Floyd , a Black man .
( Questions about views of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , May 27 , while additional questions about the protests were asked beginning on Sunday , May 31 . )
More than that , they suggest opinions may have changed within the last decade ― since 2014 , when many Americans expressed disapproval of protests in Ferguson , Missouri , and 2017 , when just 36 % of Americans said it was appropriate for NFL players to kneel in protest during the national anthem .
The share of Americans who believe that police in most cities treat Black residents as fairly as white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2015 , and the share who believe Black Americans and other minorities receive equal treatment in the criminal justice system is down by 13 points .
In February 2015 , just 35 % of Americans said that the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by police in Ferguson the year prior was part of a broader pattern in the way the police treat Black men , rather than merely an isolated incident .
In May of that year , 44 % of Americans said that the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore was part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most recent poll , 56 % of Americans say that Floyd ’ s death was part of a pattern of behavior by the police .
Black opinion has consistently been that the deaths were systemic ; the shift is due largely to a change among the views of white Americans .
Trump Gets Negative Ratings .
Views Of Police Are Generally Positive But Marked Buy Sharp Racial Divides .
The response to the protests by former Vice President Joe Biden , Trump ’ s presumptive rival for the presidency this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of Americans approve of his response , another 32 % disapprove , and the remaining 36 % aren ’ t sure .
Views of the police , meanwhile , remain broadly positive .
A 61 % majority of Americans have favorable opinions of police officers nationally , and about two-thirds view their local police favorably .
Although most see police brutality as at least a somewhat serious problem nationally , just 30 % believe there is police brutality in their area , with 34 % saying there ’ s not and 36 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % , say their personal experience with the police has been mostly good , 27 % that it ’ s been mixed , and just 8 % that it ’ s been mostly bad , with the rest unsure or having no experience with the police .
Only a quarter say they are personally at all afraid of the police .
Those numbers are often underlaid by significant racial divides .
Roughly three-quarters of Black Americans , for instance , call police brutality a very serious problem nationally , compared to 37 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A 52 % majority of Black Americans , versus 31 % of white Americans , say their personal experience with the police has been mixed or mostly bad .
An 83 % majority of Black parents say they ’ ve warned their children to be careful when dealing with police , compared to about one-third of white parents who say the same .
Views are also strongly divided along partisan lines .
Although both Democrats and Republicans pronounce themselves angry about Floyd ’ s death , Republicans also say that his death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans are in general treated fairly by police .
Black and white supporters of the Democratic Party are about equally likely to back the protests .
But racial divides remain on some questions .
Black Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are 18 points likelier than their white counterparts to say they ’ ve had mixed or mostly bad experiences with the police , and are also 42 points likelier to say they ’ ve warned their kids to be careful when dealing with police .
The number of Black Republicans was too small for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Showing

The current wave of protests, like this gathering outside St. Louis' City Justice Center on June 1, is generally supported by Americans. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
Americans support the protests sparked by the death of George Floyd by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, a new HuffPost/YouGov poll finds, with most viewing Floyd’s death as part of a pattern in police treatment of Black men ― a finding that reflects a shift in public opinion about the pervasiveness of racial discrimination in policing.
The public’s view of the police, however, remains broadly positive, though marked by sharp racial and political divides.
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Half of Americans say they support the protests, while 27% are opposed, 17% are neutral and the remainder are unsure. Roughly three-quarters say they are angry about Floyd’s death. By a 27-percentage-point margin, Americans agree that Blacks and other minorities are not treated equally with whites by the criminal justice system. By a 17-point margin, they don’t agree that police in most cities treat Black residents as fairly as whites.
The poll was taken as protests mounted nationwide after a white police officer in Minneapolis killed Floyd, a Black man. (Questions about views of the police were asked beginning on Wednesday, May 27, while additional questions about the protests were asked beginning on Sunday, May 31.)
The results, which align with those of other recent surveys, are a sharp contrast to views expressed in the 1960s, when civil rights protests generally faced widespread disapprobation in the polls.
More than that, they suggest opinions may have changed within the last decade ― since 2014, when many Americans expressed disapproval of protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and 2017, when just 36% of Americans said it was appropriate for NFL players to kneel in protest during the national anthem.
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The share of Americans who believe that police in most cities treat Black residents as fairly as white residents has dropped 10 points since February 2015, and the share who believe Black Americans and other minorities receive equal treatment in the criminal justice system is down by 13 points.
In February 2015, just 35% of Americans said that the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by police in Ferguson the year prior was part of a broader pattern in the way the police treat Black men, rather than merely an isolated incident. In May of that year, 44% of Americans said that the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore was part of such a pattern. But in the most recent poll, 56% of Americans say that Floyd’s death was part of a pattern of behavior by the police. Black opinion has consistently been that the deaths were systemic; the shift is due largely to a change among the views of white Americans.
Trump Gets Negative Ratings. Views Of Police Are Generally Positive But Marked By Sharp Racial Divides.
About half of Americans, 49%, disapprove of President Donald Trump’s response to the protests, with 36% approving. Just 8% of Black Americans approve.
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The response to the protests by former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump’s presumptive rival for the presidency this year, has gone comparatively unnoticed. Just 32% of Americans approve of his response, another 32% disapprove, and the remaining 36% aren’t sure.
Views of the police, meanwhile, remain broadly positive. A 61% majority of Americans have favorable opinions of police officers nationally, and about two-thirds view their local police favorably. Although most see police brutality as at least a somewhat serious problem nationally, just 30% believe there is police brutality in their area, with 34% saying there’s not and 36% unsure.
About half, 48%, say their personal experience with the police has been mostly good, 27% that it’s been mixed, and just 8% that it’s been mostly bad, with the rest unsure or having no experience with the police. Only a quarter say they are personally at all afraid of the police.
Those numbers are often underlaid by significant racial divides. Roughly three-quarters of Black Americans, for instance, call police brutality a very serious problem nationally, compared to 37% of white Americans who say the same. A 52% majority of Black Americans, versus 31% of white Americans, say their personal experience with the police has been mixed or mostly bad. An 83% majority of Black parents say they’ve warned their children to be careful when dealing with police, compared to about one-third of white parents who say the same.
A 45% plurality of Black Americans under age 45 say they’re afraid of the police, compared to 28% of older Black Americans who feel the same. The older group also holds more favorable opinions of their local police.
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Views are also strongly divided along partisan lines. Although both Democrats and Republicans pronounce themselves angry about Floyd’s death, Republicans also say that his death is an isolated incident and that Black Americans are in general treated fairly by police.
Black and white supporters of the Democratic Party are about equally likely to back the protests. But racial divides remain on some questions. Black Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are 18 points likelier than their white counterparts to say they’ve had mixed or mostly bad experiences with the police, and are also 42 points likelier to say they’ve warned their kids to be careful when dealing with police. The number of Black Republicans was too small for similar analysis.
Results of a HuffPost/YouGov poll on policing and the racial injustice protests. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
What Other Polls Are Showing
Monmouth University : “Most Americans say the anger about black deaths at the hands of police officers that led to recent protests is fully justified, even if they do not feel the same about the actual actions. A majority of the public now agrees that the police are more likely to use excessive force with a black person than a white person in similar situations. Only one-third of the country held this opinion four years ago.”
: CBS News : “As thousands protest, their message is getting across. Comparing views at this moment to decades of CBS News polling, today we see more people — both white and black — saying racial discrimination affects both treatment by police and chances of getting ahead. And a declining number see progress in getting rid of it. Where Americans had once shown increasing optimism about ending discrimination against blacks, those sentiments have turned downward lately, back toward levels we saw in the 1990s.”
Reuters/Ipsos : “A majority of Americans sympathize with nationwide protests over the death of an unarmed black man in police custody and disapprove of President Donald Trump’s response to the unrest...Americans are divided over the police response. According to the poll, 43% believed the police were doing a good job and 47% disagreed, with a majority of Democrats disagreeing and a majority of Republicans agreeing.”
: Yahoo/YouGov : ”[A] a clear majority of U.S. adults (61 percent) believe race was a ‘major factor’ in the May 25 death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in the custody of Minneapolis police who lost his life after officer Derek Chauvin held his knee on the back of Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes while Floyd complained that he could not breathe. Only 9 percent said race was ‘not a factor.’”
Democratic pollster Civiqs, via Daily Kos: “Through June 2, 2020, 49% of Americans support the Black Lives Matter movement, with only 24% opposed. Support jumped by five percentage points in the last week alone, following George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police and the subsequent protests. This is the highest level of support for Black Lives Matter in over three years of daily tracking, and the most significant shift in racial attitudes since Civiqs began tracking the issue in April of 2017.”
The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 2,829 completed interviews conducted May 27-June 3 among U.S. adults, using a sample selected from YouGov’s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population. Questions 8-15 in the survey were asked between May 31 and June 3 and have a sample size of 1,829.
HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov’s nationally representative opinion polling. More details on the polls’ methodology are available here.