theguardian--2020-07-30--John Lewis knew the march is not yet over, the race is not yet won | Barack Obama

Representative John Lewis , a legendary civil rights leader and member of Congress , died of cancer on 17 July .
In a eulogy at his memorial on Thursday , Barack Obama spoke about Lewis ’ s legacy , especially the importance of continuing his fight to protect voting rights .
This is an abridged version of his remarks .
James wrote to the believers : “ Consider it pure joy , my brothers and sisters , whenever you face trials of many kinds , because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance .
Let perseverance finish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mature and complete , lacking nothing.
” It is a great honor to be back in Ebenezer Baptist church , in the pulpit of its greatest pastor , Dr Martin Luther King Jr , to pay my respects to perhaps his finest disciple – an American whose faith was tested again and again to produce a man of pure joy and unbreakable perseverance – John Robert Lewis .
I ’ ve come here today because I , like so many Americans , owe a great debt to John Lewis and his forceful vision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a constant work in progress .
We were born with instructions : to form a more perfect union .
Explicit in those words is the idea that we are imperfect ; that what gives each new generation purpose is to take up the unfinished work of the last and carry it further than anyone might have thought possible .
John Lewis – the first of the Freedom Riders , head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee , youngest speaker at the March on Washington , leader of the march from Selma to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people of this state and this district for 33 years , mentor to young people , including me at the time , until his final day on this Earth – he not only embraced that responsibility , but he made it his life ’ s work .
Which isn ’ t bad for a boy from Troy .
John was born into modest means – that means he was poor – in the heart of the Jim Crow south to parents who picked somebody else ’ s cotton .
Apparently , he didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on days when he was supposed to help his brothers and sisters with their labor , he ’ d hide under the porch and make a break for the school bus when it showed up .
His mother , Willie Mae Lewis , nurtured that curiosity in this shy , serious child .
“ Once you learn something , ” she told her son , “ once you get something inside your head , no one can take it away from you.
” As a boy , John listened through the door after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complained about the Klan .
One Sunday as a teenager , he heard Dr King preach on the radio .
As a college student in Tennessee , he signed up for Jim Lawson ’ s workshops on the tactic of nonviolent civil disobedience .
John Lewis was getting something inside his head , an idea he couldn ’ t shake that took hold of him – that nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience were the means to change laws , but also change hearts , and change minds , and change nations , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organize the Nashville campaign in 1960 .
He and other young men and women sat at a segregated lunch counter , well-dressed , straight-backed , refusing to let a milkshake poured on their heads , or a cigarette extinguished on their backs , or a foot aimed at their ribs , refused to let that dent their dignity and their sense of purpose .
And after a few months , the Nashville campaign achieved the first successful desegregation of public facilities in any major city in the south .
John got a taste @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , third … well , several times .
But he also got a taste of victory .
And it consumed him with righteous purpose .
And he took the battle deeper into the south .
That same year , just weeks after the supreme court ruled that segregation of interstate bus facilities was unconstitutional , John and Bernard Lafayette bought two tickets , climbed aboard a Greyhound , sat up front , and refused to move .
This was months before the first official Freedom Rides .
He was doing a test .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they were up to .
And at every stop , through the night , apparently the angry driver stormed out of the bus and into the bus station .
And John and Bernard had no idea what he might come back with or who he might come back with .
Nobody was there to protect them .
There were no camera crews to record events .
You know , sometimes , we read about this and kind of take it for granted .
Or at least we act as if it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people Malia ’ s age , younger than my oldest daughter , on their own , to challenge an entire infrastructure of oppression .
John was only 20 years old .
But he pushed all 20 of those years to the center of the table , betting everything , all of it , that his example could challenge centuries of convention , and generations of brutal violence , and countless daily indignities suffered by African Americans .
Like John the Baptist preparing the way , like those Old Testament prophets speaking truth to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – he kept on getting onboard buses and sitting at lunch counters , got his mugshot taken again and again , marched again and again on a mission to change America .
Spoke to a quarter million people at the March on Washington when he was just 23 .
Helped organize the Freedom Summer in Mississippi when he was just 24 .
At the ripe old age of 25 , John was asked to lead the march from Selma to Montgomery .
He was warned that Governor Wallace had ordered troopers to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others led them across that bridge anyway .
And we ’ ve all seen the film and the footage and the photographs , and President Clinton mentioned the trench coat , the knapsack , the book to read , the apple to eat , the toothbrush – apparently jails weren ’ t big on such creature comforts .
And you look at those pictures and John looks so young and he ’ s small in stature .
Looking every bit that shy , serious child that his mother had raised and yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God ’ s put perseverance in him .
And we know what happened to the marchers that day .
Their bones were cracked by billy clubs , their eyes and lungs choked with teargas .
As they knelt to pray , which made their heads even easier targets , and John was struck in the skull .
And he thought he was going to die , surrounded by the sight of young Americans gagging , and bleeding , and trampled , victims in their own country of state-sponsored violence .
And the thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the troopers thought that they had won the battle .
You can imagine the conversations they had afterwards .
You can imagine them saying : “ Yeah , we showed them.
” They figured they ’ d turned the protesters back over the bridge ; that they ’ d kept , that they ’ d preserved a system that denied the basic humanity of their fellow citizens .
Except this time , there were some cameras there .
This time , the world saw what happened , bore witness to Black Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be treated like other Americans .
Who were not asking for special treatment , just the equal treatment promised to them a century before , and almost another century before that .
When John woke up , and checked himself out of the hospital , he would make sure the world saw a movement that was , in the words of Scripture , “ hard pressed on every side , but not crushed ; perplexed but not in despair ; persecuted , but not abandoned ; struck down , but not destroyed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a battered prophet , bandages around his head , and he said more marchers will come now .
And the people came .
And the troopers parted .
And the marchers reached Montgomery .
And their words reached the White House – and Lyndon Johnson , son of the south , said “ We shall overcome ” , and the Voting Rights Act was signed into law .
The life of John Lewis was , in so many ways , exceptional .
It vindicated the faith in our founding , redeemed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; that idea that any of us ordinary people without rank or wealth or title or fame can somehow point out the imperfections of this nation , and come together , and challenge the status quo , and decide that it is in our power to remake this country that we love until it more closely aligns with our highest ideals .
What a radical ideal .
What a revolutionary notion .
This idea that any of us , ordinary people , a young kid from Troy can stand up to the powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t right , this isn ’ t true , this isn ’ t just .
We can do better .
On the battlefield of justice , Americans like John , Americans like the Reverends Lowery and CT Vivian , two other patriots that we lost this year , liberated all of us that many Americans came to take for granted .
America was built by people like them .
America was built by John Lewises .
He as much as anyone in our history brought this country a little bit closer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when we do finish that long journey toward freedom ; when we do form a more perfect union – whether it ’ s years from now , or decades , or even if it takes another two centuries – John Lewis will be a founding father of that fuller , fairer , better America .
And yet , as exceptional as John was , here ’ s the thing : John never believed that what he did was more than any citizen of this country can do .
I mentioned in the statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about John was just how gentle and humble he was .
And despite this storied , remarkable career , he treated everyone with kindness and respect because it was innate to him – this idea that any of us can do what he did if we are willing to persevere .
He believed that in all of us , there exists the capacity for great courage , that in all of us there is a longing to do what ’ s right , that in all of us there is a willingness to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to them their God-given rights to dignity and respect .
So many of us lose that sense .
It ’ s taught out of us .
We start feeling as if , in fact , that we can ’ t afford to extend kindness or decency to other people .
That we ’ re better off if we are above other people and looking down on them , and so often that ’ s encouraged in our culture .
But John always saw the best in us .
And he never gave up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he saw the best in us .
He believed in us even when we didn ’ t believe in ourselves .
As a congressman , he didn ’ t rest ; he kept getting himself arrested .
As an old man , he didn ’ t sit out any fight ; he sat in , all night long , on the floor of the United States Capitol .
I know his staff was stressed .
But the testing of his faith produced perseverance .
He knew that the march is not yet over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won , that we have not yet reached that blessed destination where we are judged by the content of our character .
He knew from his own life that progress is fragile ; that we have to be vigilant against the darker currents of this country ’ s history , of our own history , with their whirlpools of violence and hatred and despair that can always rise again .
Bull Connor may be gone .
But today we witness with our own eyes police officers kneeling on the necks of Black Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But we can witness our federal government sending agents to use teargas and batons against peaceful demonstrators .
We may no longer have to guess the number of jellybeans in a jar in order to cast a ballot .
But even as we sit here , there are those in power are doing their darnedest to discourage people from voting – by closing polling locations , and targeting minorities and students with restrictive ID laws , and attacking our voting rights with surgical precision , even undermining the postal service in the run-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be dependent on mailed-in ballots so people don ’ t get sick .
Now , I know this is a celebration of John ’ s life .
There are some who might say we shouldn ’ t dwell on such things .
But that ’ s why I ’ m talking about it .
John Lewis devoted his time on this Earth fighting the very attacks on democracy and what ’ s best in America that we are seeing circulate right now .
He knew that every single one of us has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this democracy depends on how we use it ; that democracy isn ’ t automatic , it has to be nurtured , it has to be tended to , we have to work at it , it ’ s hard .
And so he knew it depends on whether we summon a measure , just a measure , of John ’ s moral courage to question what ’ s right and what ’ s wrong and call things as they are .
He said that as long as he had breath in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he could to preserve this democracy .
That as long as we have breath in our bodies , we have to continue his cause .
If we want our children to grow up in a democracy – not just with elections , but a true democracy , a representative democracy , a big-hearted , tolerant , vibrant , inclusive America of perpetual self-creation – then we are going to have to be more like John .
We don ’ t have to do all the things he had to do because he did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got to do something .
As the Lord instructed Paul : “ Do not be afraid , go on speaking ; do not be silent , for I am with you , and no one will attack you to harm you , for I have many in this city who are my people.
” Just everybody ’ s just got to come out and vote .
We ’ ve got all those people in the city but we can ’ t do nothing .
Like John , we have got to keep getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that nonviolent protest is patriotic : a way to raise public awareness , put a spotlight on injustice , and make the powers that be uncomfortable .
Like John , we don ’ t have to choose between protest and politics .
It is not an either-or situation , it is a both-and situation .
We have to engage in protests where that is effective but we also have to translate our passion and our causes into laws and institutional practices .
That ’ s why John ran for Congress thirty-four years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fight even harder for the most powerful tool we have , which is the right to vote .
The Voting Rights Act is one of the crowning achievements of our democracy .
It ’ s why John crossed that bridge .
It ’ s why he spilled his blood .
And by the way , it was the result of Democratic and Republican efforts .
President Bush , who spoke here earlier , and his father both signed its renewal when they were in office .
President Clinton didn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he arrived so instead he made a law that made it easier for people to register to vote .
But once the supreme court weakened the Voting Rights Act , some state legislatures unleashed a flood of laws designed specifically to make voting harder , especially , by the way , state legislatures where there is a lot of minority turnout and population growth .
That ’ s not necessarily a mystery or an accident .
It was an attack on what John fought for .
It was an attack on our democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as such .
If politicians want to honor John , and I ’ m so grateful for the legacy of work of all the congressional leaders who are here , but there ’ s a better way than a statement calling him a hero .
You want to honor John ?
Let ’ s honor him by revitalizing the law that he was willing to die for .
And by the way , naming it the John Lewis Voting Rights Act , that is a fine tribute .
But John wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get back to where we already were .
Once we pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act , we should keep marching to make it even better .
By making sure every American is automatically registered to vote , including former inmates who ’ ve earned their second chance .
By adding polling places , and expanding early voting , and making election day a national holiday , so if you are someone who is working in a factory , or you are a single mom who has got to go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time off , you can still cast your ballot .
By guaranteeing that every American citizen has equal representation in our government , including the American citizens who live in Washington DC and in Puerto Rico .
They are Americans .
By ending some of the partisan gerrymandering– so that all voters have the power to choose their politicians , not the other way around .
And if all this takes eliminating the filibuster – another Jim Crow relic – in order to secure the God-given rights of every American , then that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And yet , even if we do all this – even if every bogus voter suppression law was struck off the books today – we have got to be honest with ourselves that too many of us choose not to exercise the franchise ; that too many of our citizens believe their vote won ’ t make a difference , or they buy into the cynicism that , by the way , is the central strategy of voter suppression – to make you discouraged , to stop believing in your own power .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remember what John said : “ If you don ’ t do everything you can to change things , then they will remain the same .
You only pass this way once .
You have to give it all you have.
” As long as young people are protesting in the streets , hoping real change takes hold , I ’ m hopeful but we can not casually abandon them at the ballot box .
Not when few elections have been as urgent , on so many levels , as this one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an errand to run if we have some time .
We have to treat it as the most important action we can take on behalf of democracy .
Like John , we have to give it all we have .
I was proud that John Lewis was a friend of mine .
I met him when I was in law school .
He came to speak and I went up and I said : “ Mr Lewis , you are one of my heroes .
What inspired me more than anything as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Reverend Lawson and Bob Moses and Diane Nash and others did.
” And he got that kind of – “ aw shucks , thank you very much ” .
The next time I saw him , I had been elected to the United States Senate .
And I told him , “ John , I am here because of you.
” On inauguration day in 2009 , he was one of the first people that I greeted and hugged on that stand .
I told him , “ This is your day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind and gentle man .
And he believed in us – even when we don ’ t believe in ourselves .
It ’ s fitting that the last time John and I shared a public forum was on Zoom .
I am pretty sure that neither he nor I set up the Zoom call because we didn ’ t know how to work it .
It was a virtual town hall with a gathering of young activists who had been helping to lead this summer ’ s demonstrations in the wake of George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I spoke to John privately , and he could not have been prouder to see this new generation of activists standing up for freedom and equality ; a new generation that was intent on voting and protecting the right to vote ; in some cases , a new generation running for political office .
I told him , all those young people , John – of every race and every religion , from every background and gender and sexual orientation – John , those are your children .
They learned from your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t always know it .
They had understood , through him , what American citizenship requires , even if they had only heard about his courage through the history books .
“ By the thousands , faceless , anonymous , relentless young people , black and white…have taken our whole nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in the formulation of the constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
” Dr King said that in the 1960s .
And it came true again this summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in big cities and rural towns , in men and women , young and old , straight Americans and LGBTQ Americans , Blacks who long for equal treatment and whites who can no longer accept freedom for themselves while witnessing the subjugation of their fellow Americans .
We see it in everybody doing the hard work of overcoming complacency , of overcoming our own fears and our own prejudices , our own hatreds .
You see it in people trying to be better , truer versions of ourselves .
And that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s where real courage comes from .
Not from turning on each other , but by turning towards one another .
Not by sowing hatred and division , but by spreading love and truth .
Not by avoiding our responsibilities to create a better America and a better world , but by embracing those responsibilities with joy and perseverance and discovering that in our beloved community , we do not walk alone .
What a gift John Lewis was .
We are all so lucky to have had him walk with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us the way .
God bless you all .
God bless America .
God bless this gentle soul who pulled it closer to its promise .

Representative John Lewis, a legendary civil rights leader and member of Congress, died of cancer on 17 July. In a eulogy at his memorial on Thursday, Barack Obama spoke about Lewis’s legacy, especially the importance of continuing his fight to protect voting rights. This is an abridged version of his remarks.
James wrote to the believers: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”
It is a great honor to be back in Ebenezer Baptist church, in the pulpit of its greatest pastor, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, to pay my respects to perhaps his finest disciple – an American whose faith was tested again and again to produce a man of pure joy and unbreakable perseverance – John Robert Lewis.
I’ve come here today because I, like so many Americans, owe a great debt to John Lewis and his forceful vision of freedom.
Now, this country is a constant work in progress. We were born with instructions: to form a more perfect union. Explicit in those words is the idea that we are imperfect; that what gives each new generation purpose is to take up the unfinished work of the last and carry it further than anyone might have thought possible.
John Lewis arrives to speak to the crowd at the Edmund Pettus Bridge crossing reenactment marking the 55th anniversary of Selma’s Bloody Sunday on 1 March 2020 in Selma, Alabama. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
John Lewis – the first of the Freedom Riders, head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, youngest speaker at the March on Washington, leader of the march from Selma to Montgomery, member of Congress representing the people of this state and this district for 33 years, mentor to young people, including me at the time, until his final day on this Earth – he not only embraced that responsibility, but he made it his life’s work.
Which isn’t bad for a boy from Troy. John was born into modest means – that means he was poor – in the heart of the Jim Crow south to parents who picked somebody else’s cotton. Apparently, he didn’t take to farm work – on days when he was supposed to help his brothers and sisters with their labor, he’d hide under the porch and make a break for the school bus when it showed up. His mother, Willie Mae Lewis, nurtured that curiosity in this shy, serious child. “Once you learn something,” she told her son, “once you get something inside your head, no one can take it away from you.”
As a boy, John listened through the door after bedtime as his father’s friends complained about the Klan. One Sunday as a teenager, he heard Dr King preach on the radio. As a college student in Tennessee, he signed up for Jim Lawson’s workshops on the tactic of nonviolent civil disobedience. John Lewis was getting something inside his head, an idea he couldn’t shake that took hold of him – that nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience were the means to change laws, but also change hearts, and change minds, and change nations, and change the world.
So he helped organize the Nashville campaign in 1960. He and other young men and women sat at a segregated lunch counter, well-dressed, straight-backed, refusing to let a milkshake poured on their heads, or a cigarette extinguished on their backs, or a foot aimed at their ribs, refused to let that dent their dignity and their sense of purpose. And after a few months, the Nashville campaign achieved the first successful desegregation of public facilities in any major city in the south.
John got a taste of jail for the first, second, third … well, several times. But he also got a taste of victory. And it consumed him with righteous purpose. And he took the battle deeper into the south.
John was only 20 years old. But he pushed all 20 of those years to the center of the table, betting everything that his example could challenge centuries of convention
That same year, just weeks after the supreme court ruled that segregation of interstate bus facilities was unconstitutional, John and Bernard Lafayette bought two tickets, climbed aboard a Greyhound, sat up front, and refused to move. This was months before the first official Freedom Rides. He was doing a test. The trip was unsanctioned. Few knew what they were up to. And at every stop, through the night, apparently the angry driver stormed out of the bus and into the bus station. And John and Bernard had no idea what he might come back with or who he might come back with. Nobody was there to protect them. There were no camera crews to record events. You know, sometimes, we read about this and kind of take it for granted. Or at least we act as if it was inevitable. Imagine the courage of two people Malia’s age, younger than my oldest daughter, on their own, to challenge an entire infrastructure of oppression.
John was only 20 years old. But he pushed all 20 of those years to the center of the table, betting everything, all of it, that his example could challenge centuries of convention, and generations of brutal violence, and countless daily indignities suffered by African Americans.
Like John the Baptist preparing the way, like those Old Testament prophets speaking truth to kings, John Lewis did not hesitate – he kept on getting onboard buses and sitting at lunch counters, got his mugshot taken again and again, marched again and again on a mission to change America.
A news conference in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1961. In the foreground is John Lewis. Others, left to right: James Farmer, the Rev Ralph Abernathy and the Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Photograph: RWT/AP
Spoke to a quarter million people at the March on Washington when he was just 23.
Helped organize the Freedom Summer in Mississippi when he was just 24.
At the ripe old age of 25, John was asked to lead the march from Selma to Montgomery. He was warned that Governor Wallace had ordered troopers to use violence. But he and Hosea Williams and others led them across that bridge anyway. And we’ve all seen the film and the footage and the photographs, and President Clinton mentioned the trench coat, the knapsack, the book to read, the apple to eat, the toothbrush – apparently jails weren’t big on such creature comforts. And you look at those pictures and John looks so young and he’s small in stature. Looking every bit that shy, serious child that his mother had raised and yet, he is full of purpose. God’s put perseverance in him.
And we know what happened to the marchers that day. Their bones were cracked by billy clubs, their eyes and lungs choked with teargas. As they knelt to pray, which made their heads even easier targets, and John was struck in the skull. And he thought he was going to die, surrounded by the sight of young Americans gagging, and bleeding, and trampled, victims in their own country of state-sponsored violence.
And the thing is, I imagine initially that day, the troopers thought that they had won the battle. You can imagine the conversations they had afterwards. You can imagine them saying: “Yeah, we showed them.” They figured they’d turned the protesters back over the bridge; that they’d kept, that they’d preserved a system that denied the basic humanity of their fellow citizens. Except this time, there were some cameras there. This time, the world saw what happened, bore witness to Black Americans who were asking for nothing more than to be treated like other Americans. Who were not asking for special treatment, just the equal treatment promised to them a century before, and almost another century before that.
When John woke up, and checked himself out of the hospital, he would make sure the world saw a movement that was, in the words of Scripture, “hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed”. They returned to Brown chapel, a battered prophet, bandages around his head, and he said more marchers will come now. And the people came. And the troopers parted. And the marchers reached Montgomery. And their words reached the White House – and Lyndon Johnson, son of the south, said “We shall overcome”, and the Voting Rights Act was signed into law.
The life of John Lewis was, in so many ways, exceptional. It vindicated the faith in our founding, redeemed that faith; that most American of ideas; that idea that any of us ordinary people without rank or wealth or title or fame can somehow point out the imperfections of this nation, and come together, and challenge the status quo, and decide that it is in our power to remake this country that we love until it more closely aligns with our highest ideals. What a radical ideal. What a revolutionary notion. This idea that any of us, ordinary people, a young kid from Troy can stand up to the powers and principalities and say no this isn’t right, this isn’t true, this isn’t just. We can do better. On the battlefield of justice, Americans like John, Americans like the Reverends Lowery and CT Vivian, two other patriots that we lost this year, liberated all of us that many Americans came to take for granted.
America was built by people like them. America was built by John Lewises. He as much as anyone in our history brought this country a little bit closer to our highest ideals. And someday, when we do finish that long journey toward freedom; when we do form a more perfect union – whether it’s years from now, or decades, or even if it takes another two centuries – John Lewis will be a founding father of that fuller, fairer, better America.
He believed that in all of us, there exists the capacity for great courage, that in all of us there is a longing to do what’s right
And yet, as exceptional as John was, here’s the thing: John never believed that what he did was more than any citizen of this country can do. I mentioned in the statement the day John passed, the thing about John was just how gentle and humble he was. And despite this storied, remarkable career, he treated everyone with kindness and respect because it was innate to him – this idea that any of us can do what he did if we are willing to persevere.
He believed that in all of us, there exists the capacity for great courage, that in all of us there is a longing to do what’s right, that in all of us there is a willingness to love all people, and to extend to them their God-given rights to dignity and respect. So many of us lose that sense. It’s taught out of us. We start feeling as if, in fact, that we can’t afford to extend kindness or decency to other people. That we’re better off if we are above other people and looking down on them, and so often that’s encouraged in our culture. But John always saw the best in us. And he never gave up, and never stopped speaking out because he saw the best in us. He believed in us even when we didn’t believe in ourselves. As a congressman, he didn’t rest; he kept getting himself arrested. As an old man, he didn’t sit out any fight; he sat in, all night long, on the floor of the United States Capitol. I know his staff was stressed.
John Lewis and other members of Congress staging a sit-in on the floor of the House of Representatives in 2016, demanding that the Republican-led body vote on gun-control legislation following the Orlando nightclub massacre. Photograph: Handout/AFP/Getty Images
But the testing of his faith produced perseverance. He knew that the march is not yet over, that the race is not yet won, that we have not yet reached that blessed destination where we are judged by the content of our character. He knew from his own life that progress is fragile; that we have to be vigilant against the darker currents of this country’s history, of our own history, with their whirlpools of violence and hatred and despair that can always rise again.
Bull Connor may be gone. But today we witness with our own eyes police officers kneeling on the necks of Black Americans. George Wallace may be gone. But we can witness our federal government sending agents to use teargas and batons against peaceful demonstrators. We may no longer have to guess the number of jellybeans in a jar in order to cast a ballot. But even as we sit here, there are those in power are doing their darnedest to discourage people from voting – by closing polling locations, and targeting minorities and students with restrictive ID laws, and attacking our voting rights with surgical precision, even undermining the postal service in the run-up to an election that is going to be dependent on mailed-in ballots so people don’t get sick.
Now, I know this is a celebration of John’s life. There are some who might say we shouldn’t dwell on such things. But that’s why I’m talking about it. John Lewis devoted his time on this Earth fighting the very attacks on democracy and what’s best in America that we are seeing circulate right now.
He knew that every single one of us has a God-given power. And that the fate of this democracy depends on how we use it; that democracy isn’t automatic, it has to be nurtured, it has to be tended to, we have to work at it, it’s hard. And so he knew it depends on whether we summon a measure, just a measure, of John’s moral courage to question what’s right and what’s wrong and call things as they are. He said that as long as he had breath in his body, he would do everything he could to preserve this democracy. That as long as we have breath in our bodies, we have to continue his cause. If we want our children to grow up in a democracy – not just with elections, but a true democracy, a representative democracy, a big-hearted, tolerant, vibrant, inclusive America of perpetual self-creation – then we are going to have to be more like John. We don’t have to do all the things he had to do because he did them for us. But we have got to do something. As the Lord instructed Paul: “Do not be afraid, go on speaking; do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” Just everybody’s just got to come out and vote. We’ve got all those people in the city but we can’t do nothing.
Kelli McLester poses in front of a poster outside of the South View Cemetery where John Lewis is being buried in a private ceremony on Thursday in Atlanta, Georgia. Photograph: Jessica McGowan/Getty Images
Like John, we have got to keep getting into that good trouble. He knew that nonviolent protest is patriotic: a way to raise public awareness, put a spotlight on injustice, and make the powers that be uncomfortable.
Like John, we don’t have to choose between protest and politics. It is not an either-or situation, it is a both-and situation. We have to engage in protests where that is effective but we also have to translate our passion and our causes into laws and institutional practices. That’s why John ran for Congress thirty-four years ago.
Like John, we have got to fight even harder for the most powerful tool we have, which is the right to vote. The Voting Rights Act is one of the crowning achievements of our democracy. It’s why John crossed that bridge. It’s why he spilled his blood. And by the way, it was the result of Democratic and Republican efforts. President Bush, who spoke here earlier, and his father both signed its renewal when they were in office. President Clinton didn’t have to because it was the law when he arrived so instead he made a law that made it easier for people to register to vote.
But once the supreme court weakened the Voting Rights Act, some state legislatures unleashed a flood of laws designed specifically to make voting harder, especially, by the way, state legislatures where there is a lot of minority turnout and population growth. That’s not necessarily a mystery or an accident. It was an attack on what John fought for. It was an attack on our democratic freedoms. And we should treat it as such.
You want to honor John? Let’s honor him by revitalizing the law that he was willing to die for
If politicians want to honor John, and I’m so grateful for the legacy of work of all the congressional leaders who are here, but there’s a better way than a statement calling him a hero. You want to honor John? Let’s honor him by revitalizing the law that he was willing to die for. And by the way, naming it the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, that is a fine tribute. But John wouldn’t want us to stop there, trying to get back to where we already were. Once we pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, we should keep marching to make it even better.
By making sure every American is automatically registered to vote, including former inmates who’ve earned their second chance.
By adding polling places, and expanding early voting, and making election day a national holiday, so if you are someone who is working in a factory, or you are a single mom who has got to go to her job and doesn’t get time off, you can still cast your ballot.
By guaranteeing that every American citizen has equal representation in our government, including the American citizens who live in Washington DC and in Puerto Rico. They are Americans.
By ending some of the partisan gerrymandering– so that all voters have the power to choose their politicians, not the other way around.
And if all this takes eliminating the filibuster – another Jim Crow relic – in order to secure the God-given rights of every American, then that’s what we should do.
And yet, even if we do all this – even if every bogus voter suppression law was struck off the books today – we have got to be honest with ourselves that too many of us choose not to exercise the franchise; that too many of our citizens believe their vote won’t make a difference, or they buy into the cynicism that, by the way, is the central strategy of voter suppression – to make you discouraged, to stop believing in your own power.
So we are also going to have to remember what John said: “If you don’t do everything you can to change things, then they will remain the same. You only pass this way once. You have to give it all you have.” As long as young people are protesting in the streets, hoping real change takes hold, I’m hopeful but we cannot casually abandon them at the ballot box. Not when few elections have been as urgent, on so many levels, as this one. We cannot treat voting as an errand to run if we have some time. We have to treat it as the most important action we can take on behalf of democracy.
Like John, we have to give it all we have.
I was proud that John Lewis was a friend of mine. I met him when I was in law school. He came to speak and I went up and I said: “Mr Lewis, you are one of my heroes. What inspired me more than anything as a young man was to see what you and Reverend Lawson and Bob Moses and Diane Nash and others did.” And he got that kind of – “aw shucks, thank you very much”.
That’s where real courage comes from. Not from turning on each other, but by turning towards one another
The next time I saw him, I had been elected to the United States Senate. And I told him, “John, I am here because of you.” On inauguration day in 2009, he was one of the first people that I greeted and hugged on that stand. I told him, “This is your day too.”
He was a good and kind and gentle man. And he believed in us – even when we don’t believe in ourselves. It’s fitting that the last time John and I shared a public forum was on Zoom. I am pretty sure that neither he nor I set up the Zoom call because we didn’t know how to work it. It was a virtual town hall with a gathering of young activists who had been helping to lead this summer’s demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd’s death. And afterwards, I spoke to John privately, and he could not have been prouder to see this new generation of activists standing up for freedom and equality; a new generation that was intent on voting and protecting the right to vote; in some cases, a new generation running for political office.
Barack Obama, center, walks as he holds hands with Amelia Boynton Robinson and John Lewis as they walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, for the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, in 2015. Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin/AP
I told him, all those young people, John – of every race and every religion, from every background and gender and sexual orientation – John, those are your children. They learned from your example, even if they didn’t always know it. They had understood, through him, what American citizenship requires, even if they had only heard about his courage through the history books.
“By the thousands, faceless, anonymous, relentless young people, black and white…have taken our whole nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in the formulation of the constitution and the Declaration of Independence.”
Dr King said that in the 1960s. And it came true again this summer.
We see it outside our windows, in big cities and rural towns, in men and women, young and old, straight Americans and LGBTQ Americans, Blacks who long for equal treatment and whites who can no longer accept freedom for themselves while witnessing the subjugation of their fellow Americans. We see it in everybody doing the hard work of overcoming complacency, of overcoming our own fears and our own prejudices, our own hatreds. You see it in people trying to be better, truer versions of ourselves.
And that’s what John Lewis teaches us. That’s where real courage comes from. Not from turning on each other, but by turning towards one another. Not by sowing hatred and division, but by spreading love and truth. Not by avoiding our responsibilities to create a better America and a better world, but by embracing those responsibilities with joy and perseverance and discovering that in our beloved community, we do not walk alone.
What a gift John Lewis was. We are all so lucky to have had him walk with us for a while, and show us the way.
God bless you all. God bless America. God bless this gentle soul who pulled it closer to its promise.


theguardian--2020-07-30--Joe Biden's running mate - none will satisfy all sections of the party

It doesn ’ t matter who Joe Biden picks as his running mate – somebody will be disappointed .
The former vice-president and de facto Democratic presidential nominee on Tuesday said he would make a selection in the first week of August .
The selection process has largely been kept secret with as many as two dozen names floating around as potential running mates .
Vice-presidential nominees rarely decide elections and the common rule among political operatives is that a candidate should pick someone who does no harm .
But in the 2020 presidential cycle , Biden ’ s selection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 presidential election , Biden has indicated that he may not run for re-election , immediately putting his vice-president into contention for 2024 .
Biden ’ s public criteria for the role are that it be someone he feels “ simpatico ” with , and it be a woman .
He recently said there were “ four Black women ” he was considering picking .
Democrats close to Biden ’ s inner circle believe Biden has narrowed his pool down to about six names but he is still very much undecided .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden himself , or anonymous Democratic operatives in articles gaming out his choices , or pundits , there is no single person who would satisfy all the interest groups and sectors of the Democratic party , each of which has its favorites .
Democrats hoping to elevate someone with law enforcement credentials would like to see the Florida congresswoman Val Demings , a former chief of the Orlando police department .
But progressives and their affiliated groups have pushed for someone like the Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams or Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ across this country that he recognizes that the future of the party is with progressives and the only way to do that is by choosing a really strong progressive to be his vice-presidential candidate , ” said Charles Chamberlain , the executive director of the progressive Democracy for America outside group .
At one point centrists in the party were hoping for the Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar before Klobuchar took herself out of the running .
Meanwhile , mayors across the country would like to see one of their own get the nod @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lance Bottoms .
Democrats who think executive experience and a history of winning statewide elections want someone like the Michigan governor , Gretchen Whitmer , or the New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham .
Others who think a military background would help Biden oust Donald Trump have pushed for the Illinois senator Tammy Duckworth .
And in recent days the former Obama administration national security adviser Susan Rice has been a hot topic of political articles about Biden ’ s potential running mate .
But no single candidate fits the bill for everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the progressive organizing group Community Change , who wants Biden to pick Abrams and said she would be disappointed if she were overlooked .
“ But it depends on who the pick ultimately is .
But there would be disappointment , for sure .
I think , second , is what could the Biden team imagine the next best use of [ Stacey Abrams ] ?
” The Abrams team have been aggressive in putting forward her candidacy .
They eagerly set up interviews with reporters and Abrams surrogates like Warren .
Abrams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Biden .
Other groups have also been active in support of their choices .
The Democratic veterans group VoteVets have released ads pushing for Duckworth .
“ Tammy was kind of the only veteran out there that they were looking at , ” said Jon Soltz , the chairman of VoteVets .
“ The point of what we were trying to do was show what that would look like and that she should be considered.
” Mayors across the country enjoy a tight community .
One of the more prominent mayors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the committee charged with helping Biden make his pick .
His counterparts in other cities have expressed their support for Bottoms or Demings .
“ The Florida mayors particularly have been pushing for Demings , ” said the maor of Dayton , Ohio , Nan Whaley .
“ We have Keisha in the mix too which we ’ re excited about as a mayor.
” It ’ s possible Biden will infuriate varying sectors of the Democratic party depending on who he picks .
If he picks a Caucasian women , Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If Biden picks a centrist he could disappoint the progressive wing of the party and depress turnout among activists in that wing .
If Biden picks a progressive , he might turn off moderates and Republicans the campaign and its allies have been working to woo .
If he picks a member of Congress , that could give pause to voters eager to see an executive join the former vice-president .
A recent poll conducted for the liberal thinktank Data for Progress found that independent voters want Biden to put an emphasis on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running mate .
And if he picks someone like Rice or Abrams , that could worry Democrats who think Biden ’ s running mate needs a record of winning elections statewide .
Neither Abrams or Rice have ever won elections statewide .
And Rice has never run a federal campaign , although she took a serious look about challenging the Republican senator Susan Collins in Maine .
In recent days a set of donors have warned Biden against picking Harris , according to a CNBC report .
But Biden ’ s peril only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in past cycles , Democrats across the party say they just want to see Biden beat Trump .
“ I would say that if Biden picks someone besides Tammy Duckworth we ’ re still going to enthusiastically attack Donald Trump , ” Soltz said .

It doesn’t matter who Joe Biden picks as his running mate – somebody will be disappointed.
The former vice-president and de facto Democratic presidential nominee on Tuesday said he would make a selection in the first week of August.
The selection process has largely been kept secret with as many as two dozen names floating around as potential running mates.
Vice-presidential nominees rarely decide elections and the common rule among political operatives is that a candidate should pick someone who does no harm. But in the 2020 presidential cycle, Biden’s selection has added importance. If he wins the 2020 presidential election, Biden has indicated that he may not run for re-election, immediately putting his vice-president into contention for 2024.
Biden’s public criteria for the role are that it be someone he feels “simpatico” with, and it be a woman. He recently said there were “four Black women” he was considering picking. Democrats close to Biden’s inner circle believe Biden has narrowed his pool down to about six names but he is still very much undecided.
But among the many candidates mentioned by Biden himself, or anonymous Democratic operatives in articles gaming out his choices, or pundits, there is no single person who would satisfy all the interest groups and sectors of the Democratic party, each of which has its favorites.
Democrats hoping to elevate someone with law enforcement credentials would like to see the Florida congresswoman Val Demings, a former chief of the Orlando police department.
Democrats hoping to elevate someone with law enforcement credentials would like to see Florida congresswoman Val Demings. Photograph: Reuters
But progressives and their affiliated groups have pushed for someone like the Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams or Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren.
“The campaign needs to show progressives across this country that he recognizes that the future of the party is with progressives and the only way to do that is by choosing a really strong progressive to be his vice-presidential candidate,” said Charles Chamberlain, the executive director of the progressive Democracy for America outside group.
At one point centrists in the party were hoping for the Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar before Klobuchar took herself out of the running. Meanwhile, mayors across the country would like to see one of their own get the nod – someone like Atlanta’s Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Democrats who think executive experience and a history of winning statewide elections want someone like the Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer, or the New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Others who think a military background would help Biden oust Donald Trump have pushed for the Illinois senator Tammy Duckworth.
Democrats who think executive experience and a history of winning statewide elections want someone like the Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer. Photograph: AP
And in recent days the former Obama administration national security adviser Susan Rice has been a hot topic of political articles about Biden’s potential running mate.
But no single candidate fits the bill for everyone.
Dorian Warren, the president of the progressive organizing group Community Change, who wants Biden to pick Abrams and said she would be disappointed if she were overlooked. “But it depends on who the pick ultimately is. But there would be disappointment, for sure. I think, second, is what could the Biden team imagine the next best use of [Stacey Abrams]?”
The Abrams team have been aggressive in putting forward her candidacy. They eagerly set up interviews with reporters and Abrams surrogates like Warren. Abrams has also appeared at multiple fundraising events for Biden.
Other groups have also been active in support of their choices. The Democratic veterans group VoteVets have released ads pushing for Duckworth.
“Tammy was kind of the only veteran out there that they were looking at,” said Jon Soltz, the chairman of VoteVets. “The point of what we were trying to do was show what that would look like and that she should be considered.”
Mayors across the country enjoy a tight community. One of the more prominent mayors, Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, is on the committee charged with helping Biden make his pick. His counterparts in other cities have expressed their support for Bottoms or Demings.
“The Florida mayors particularly have been pushing for Demings,” said the mayor of Dayton, Ohio, Nan Whaley. “We have Keisha in the mix too which we’re excited about as a mayor.”
Mayors across the country would like to see one of their own get the nod – someone like the Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms. Photograph: Rebecca F Miller/AP
It’s possible Biden will infuriate varying sectors of the Democratic party depending on who he picks. If he picks a Caucasian woman, Biden risks disappointing the African American community. If Biden picks a centrist he could disappoint the progressive wing of the party and depress turnout among activists in that wing. If Biden picks a progressive, he might turn off moderates and Republicans the campaign and its allies have been working to woo.
If he picks a member of Congress, that could give pause to voters eager to see an executive join the former vice-president. A recent poll conducted for the liberal thinktank Data for Progress found that independent voters want Biden to put an emphasis on “governing effectiveness” in picking a running mate.
And if he picks someone like Rice or Abrams, that could worry Democrats who think Biden’s running mate needs a record of winning elections statewide. Neither Abrams or Rice have ever won elections statewide. And Rice has never run a federal campaign, although she took a serious look about challenging the Republican senator Susan Collins in Maine.
In recent days a set of donors have warned Biden against picking Harris, according to a CNBC report.
But Biden’s peril only extends so far. More so than in past cycles, Democrats across the party say they just want to see Biden beat Trump.
“I would say that if Biden picks someone besides Tammy Duckworth we’re still going to enthusiastically attack Donald Trump,” Soltz said.


theguardian--2020-07-31--Trump: 'I don’t want to delay, I want an election' – video

Donald Trump has denied he is pushing to delay the US election in November , repeating his claim voting by @ @ @ @ @ extensive problems determining the result .
'Do I want to see a date change ?
@ @ @ @ @ ’ t want to see a crooked election .
This election will be the most @ @ @ @ @ if that happens , ' he said

Donald Trump has denied he is pushing to delay the US election in November, repeating his claim voting by mail from home would cause extensive problems determining the result. 'Do I want to see a date change? No. But I don’t want to see a crooked election. This election will be the most rigged election in history, if that happens,' he said


theguardian--2020-07-31--'John Lewis was exceptional': Obama, Clinton and Bush pay tribute at funeral in Atlanta – video

Former US presidents Barack Obama , George W Bush , Bill Clinton and House speaker Nancy Pelosi have delivered eulogies @ @ @ @ @ leader John Lewis .
Hailing him as founding father for ' a fuller , fairer @ @ @ @ @ Obama praised Lewis 's influence on his own path to the presidency .
Clinton said @ @ @ @ @ will be free until all of us are equal ' , while Bush said he @ @ @ @ @ nobler country because of the congressman • Obama hails John Lewis as founding father of @ @ @ @ @ US in eulogy

Former US presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush, Bill Clinton and House speaker Nancy Pelosi have delivered eulogies for congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis. Hailing him as founding father for 'a fuller, fairer, better' America, Obama praised Lewis's influence on his own path to the presidency. Clinton said Lewis believed 'none of us will be free until all of us are equal', while Bush said he lived in a better and nobler country because of the congressman


theguardian--2020-07-30--Barack Obama's powerfully political eulogy for John Lewis – video

During the funeral of congressman John Lewis , former US president Barack Obama delivered a powerful eulogy in which he @ @ @ @ @ icon , saying Lewis 'will be a founding father of a fuller , fairer , @ @ @ @ @ his speech , Obama also received standing ovations for his indirect criticism of the Trump @ @ @ @ @ federal agents to peaceful demonstrations in Portland , and his condemnation of voter suppression tactics @ @ @ @ @ hails John Lewis as founding father of ‘ fuller , better ’ US in eulogy

During the funeral of congressman John Lewis, former US president Barack Obama delivered a powerful eulogy in which he praised the late civil rights icon, saying Lewis 'will be a founding father of a fuller, fairer, better America'.
In his speech, Obama also received standing ovations for his indirect criticism of the Trump administration's decision to send federal agents to peaceful demonstrations in Portland, and his condemnation of voter suppression tactics in the US


theguardian--2020-08-01--House hearing finds US no closer to plan as coronavirus is 'raging out of control' – live

Three individuals have been charged today for their alleged roles in the Twitter hack that occurred on July 15 , 2020 , the US Department of Justice has announced .
Nima Fazeli , aka “ Rolex , ” 22 , of Orlando , Florida , was charged in a criminal complaint in the Northern District of California with aiding and abetting the intentional access of a protected computer , federal prosecutors said .
One defendant is a juvenile .
With exceptions that do not apply to this case , juvenile proceedings in federal court are sealed to protect the identity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act , the Justice Department has referred the individual to the State Attorney for the 13th Judicial District in Tampa , Florida , the DoJ statement said .
Also , Mason Sheppard , aka “ Chaewon , ” 19 , of Bognor Regis , in the United Kingdom , was charged in a criminal complaint in the Northern District of California with conspiracy to commit wire fraud , conspiracy to commit money laundering , and the intentional access of a protected computer , the DoJ reports .
“ There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community that attacks like the Twitter hack can be perpetrated anonymously and without consequence , ” said US Attorney David L. Anderson for the Northern District of California .
“ Today ’ s charging announcement demonstrates that the elation of nefarious hacking into a secure environment for fun or profit will be short-lived .
Criminal conduct over the Internet may feel stealthy to the people who perpetrate it , but there is nothing stealthy about it .
In particular , I want to say to would-be offenders , break the law , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hackers allegedly compromised over 100 social media accounts and scammed both the account users and others who sent money based on their fraudulent solicitations , ” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department ’ s Criminal Division .
“ Weeks ago , one of the world ’ s most prolific social media platforms came under attack .
Various political leaders , celebrities , and influencers were virtually held hostage as their accounts were hacked , ” said Kelly R. Jackson , IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The public was confused , and everyone wanted answers .
We can now start answering those questions.
” The cyber crimes unit “ analyzed the blockchain and de-anonymized bitcoin transactions allowing for the identification of two different hackers .
This case serves as a great example of how following the money , international collaboration , and public-private partnerships can work to successfully take down a perceived anonymous criminal enterprise , ” agent Jackson said .
The Guardian ’ s coverage of the hacking news .

Kari Paul (now), Joanna Walters and Martin Belam (earlier)

1 Aug 2020 01.29 BST That’s all from me for the day. Here are the top news stories to be aware of from today: The supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was discharged from the hospital and is “doing well”.
Media executive James Murdoch announced he has resigned from the board of News Corp over editorial disagreements.
Adult film star Stormy Daniels still cannot sue Donald Trump for defamation over a tweet he published about her in 2018, a court has ruled.
The Trump administration has proposed a change to the Endangered Species Act that would reduce habitat protections for imperiled animals.
Donald Trump is in Florida, where he suggested in a press conference that recent reports Russia paid bounties to the Taliban to kill American soldiers was a “hoax”.
The Department of Homeland Security surveilled protesters’ messages in Portland, a new document obtained by the Washington Post revealed. That’s all. Have a good weekend!
Updated at 01.38 BST
1 Aug 2020 01.22 BST An internal Department of Homeland Security document shows the department surveilled electronic messages between protestors in Portland, Oregon during Black Lives Matters protests this year. The leaked document reported on by the Washington Post shows conversations were written up in an “intelligence report” disseminated to federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, as well as state and local governments. This runs counter to claims a Senior Department of Homeland Security official made to a Senate committee earlier this month that the department had not collected, exploited or analyzed information from the electronic devices or accounts of the protesters. The report obtained by the Post analyzed messages protesters exchanged on the Telegram messaging app in which they discussed which routes to take during marches and how to avoid the police. It was published six days before the official claimed these interactions were not tracked.
1 Aug 2020 01.10 BST Speaking upon his arrival in Florida, Donald Trump suggested that the recent reports that Russia paid bounties to the Taliban to kill American soldiers were a “hoax”. Trump on the intelligence assessment that Russians placed bounties on Americans soldiers' heads:
"It was never brought to my attention. I think it's another Russia hoax. They've been giving me the Russia hoax, Shifty-Schiff and all these characters from the day I got here." — Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) July 31, 2020 Trump claimed to have not been told about it, though the New York Times reported Trump was briefed and the White House’s National Security Council discussed the problem at an interagency meeting in late March and that the administration discussed several potential responses.
Updated at 01.35 BST
31 Jul 2020 00.56 BST Many have noted that many among the small group of supporters greeting Donald Trump when he touched down in Florida were not wearing masks or adhering to social distancing guidelines. Florida welcome for President; he worked a small rope line without a mask pic.twitter.com/lyeYE3zsb4 — West Wing Reports (@WestWingReport) July 31, 2020 The president reportedly greeted dozens of supporters after his plane landed, working his way down a small rope line with no mask himself. Trump is there to meet with the governor regarding the explosion of Covid-19 infections in recent days.
31 Jul 2020 00.17 BST A Michigan teen who was detained for not doing online coursework has been ordered to be released “immediately” through an emergency motion filed by the Michigan court of appeals. The plight of the Black teenager, whose story was reported under the pseudonym “Grace”, drew public outcry over racism in school systems after ProPublica first reported on it earlier this month. Reporter Jodi Cohen of ProPublica said the teen’s mother was able to pick her up from detention within two hours of the ruling.
Updated at 01.36 BST
31 Jul 2020 00.08 BST The Joe Biden campaign team may soon be finalizing its decision on a running mate, the Associated Press reported Friday. The campaign hasn’t announced a date for naming a running mate, but three people who spoke on condition of anonymity with the Associated Press said a public announcement likely wouldn’t happen before the week of Aug. 10. That’s one week before Democrats will hold their convention to officially nominate Biden as their presidential nominee. The leading contenders include California Sen. Kamala Harris, California Rep. Karen Bass and Obama national security adviser Susan Rice. The deliberations remain fluid, however, and the campaign has reviewed nearly a dozen possible running mates.
31 Jul 2020 00.04 BST The Trump administration has proposed a change to the Endangered Species Act that would reduce protections for imperiled animals, potentially putting more at risk as climate change upends ecosystems. The proposal, obtained in advance by the Associated Press, will restrict what land and water areas can be declared as “habitat” under the Endangered Species Act for the first time. The proposed definition says habitat includes “places that a species depend upon to carry out one or more life processes,” such as breeding or eating. It comes in response to a 2018 US supreme court ruling involving a highly endangered southern frog - the dusky gopher frog – in which a dispute arose after the Fish and Wildlife Service designated 1,500 acres (607 hectares) of land and ponds in neighboring Louisiana as critical habitat for the frog even though none lived there. In the gopher frog case, a unanimous court said the government had to decide what constitutes suitable habitat for the frogs before it could designate some of those areas as “critical habitat” for the species, which survives in just a few ponds in Mississippi. Trump administration officials said the proposal would apply to relatively few cases and provide “more consistency” and “more transparency” for private landowners, companies and states. But environmentalists say areas where a species does not yet live should be protected for future habitats as climate change pushes endangered species to new spaces. The recent proposal comes after Trump changed the Endangered Species Act in August 2019 to reduce protections for animals in danger of extinction. The rules, lauded by industry, would draw more attention to the economic impact of protecting a species. A final decision on the proposal to define “habitat” is expected by year’s end.
Updated at 00.17 BST
31 Jul 2020 23.39 BST A court on Friday upheld a decision ruling adult film star Stormy Daniels cannot sue Donald Trump for defamation over a tweet he published about her in 2018. Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, accused Trump of defaming her after he publicly cast doubt on her claims she was threatened by a man in a Las Vegas parking lot for attempting to go public with her affair with Trump. Trump later retweeted a photo of a sketch she produced of the alleged strongman, saying he is “nonexistent” and that Daniels’ story was “a total con job, playing the Fake News Media for fools.” The court on Friday accepted arguments from Trump’s lawyers that “he was merely offering his opinion and not leveling any factual claims of his own”. Guess who just scored an appellate victory for use of SLAPP laws in federal court to combat frivolous libel claims. That would be Donald Trump (represented by Charles Harder). I’m serious... pic.twitter.com/27tqEekP0k — Eriq Gardner (@eriqgardner) July 31, 2020 “Viewed through the eyes of an objectively reasonable reader, the tweet here reflects Mr. Trump’s opinion about the implications of the allegedly similar appearances of Ms. Clifford’s ex-husband and the man in the sketch,” the court said in its nine-page ruling. In the ruling the judges also rejected Daniels’ claim Trump’s tweet was a denial of her underlying claim of the sexual encounter.
31 Jul 2020 23.22 BST The Supreme Court on Friday declined to halt the Trump administration’s construction of portions of the border wall with Mexico as proceedings over its legality continue. The vote means the wall will continue to be built until the judgement is heard, which could be until after the November election, and follows a recent lower court ruling that the administration improperly diverted money to the project. The vote was split 5-4, with all four liberal justices dissenting, saying they would have prohibited construction while a court challenge continues, after a federal appeals court ruled in June that the administration had illegally sidestepped Congress in transferring the Defense Department funds. “The Court’s decision to let construction continue nevertheless I fear, may operate, in effect, as a final judgment,” Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in a brief dissent for the four liberals. The case has its origins in the 35-day partial government shutdown that started in December of 2018. Trump ended the shutdown after Congress gave him approximately $1.4 billion in border wall funding, but that was far less than the $5.7 billion he was seeking. Trump then declared a national emergency to take cash from other government accounts to use to construct sections of wall. The Supreme Court is on break for the summer but does act on certain pressing items. It will begin hearing cases again in October.
31 Jul 2020 22.36 BST James Murdoch, British-American businessman and son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, announced Friday he has resigned from the board of News Corp. Murdoch was previously CEO of 21st Century Fox from 2015 until 2019. He cited “disagreements over certain editorial content published by the Company’s news outlets and certain other strategic decisions” as reasons for his resignation.
Updated at 22.41 BST
31 Jul 2020 22.26 BST US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was discharged from the hospital on Friday after her latest medical procedure, the court announced. Ginsburg was hospitalized earlier in the week for a “minimally invasive non-surgical procedure” at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer City in New York City to revise a bile duct stent originally installed in August 2019. Stent revisions are routine, doctors said, and the procedure was low-risk. “She is home and doing well,” the court said, according to CNN.
31 Jul 2020 22.20 BST Hello, lovely readers. Kari Paul here in San Francisco to blog you through the news this afternoon. Stay tuned for updates.
31 Jul 2020 22.13 BST Late afternoon summary It’s been a very lively day in US political news so far, dominated by the coronavirus crisis, where the US now has 4.5 million confirmed cases and a death toll of almost 153,000, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. Congress has failed to reach a deal on continued federal unemployment supplements as economic aid amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and the nation heads into a tense weekend in terms of public health and financial news. My west coast colleague Kari Paul will take readers through the next few hours of events. Here are the main events so far today: Not only is there a lack of a comprehensive national plan for getting the coronavirus pandemic under control in the US, there appears also to be no clear plan for how any successful vaccine will be distributed to Americans.
for getting the coronavirus pandemic under control in the US, there appears also to be no clear plan for how any successful will be distributed to Americans. There have been three arrests in the case of the giant Twitter hack earlier this month affected the accounts of prominent figures including Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Kanye West, Elon Musk , others. The DoJ made an announcement.
earlier this month affected the accounts of prominent figures including , others. The DoJ made an announcement. A federal appeals court overturned the death sentence of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev . He will be sentenced anew for helping carry out the 2013 attack, which killed three people and wounded more than 260.
. He will be sentenced anew for helping carry out the 2013 attack, which killed three people and wounded more than 260. Donald Trump is visiting Tampa, Florida, where governor Ron DeSantis plans to meet him to discuss next steps in tackling a surge in coronavirus that has seen four consecutive days of record deaths from the virus in the state.
Updated at 22.29 BST
31 Jul 2020 21.56 BST As scientists and pharmaceutical companies work at breakneck speed to develop a vaccine for coronavirus, public health officials and senior US lawmakers are sounding alarms about the Trump administration’s lack of planning for its nationwide distribution. Donald Trump wears a face mask to help limit the risks of spreading Covid-19. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images
The federal government traditionally plays a principal role in funding and overseeing manufacturing and distribution of new vaccines during pandemics, which often draw on scarce ingredients and need to be made, stored and transported carefully, Reuters reports. At a congressional hearing this morning, top public health expert Anthony Fauci said the government was coordinating research and testing with the private sector players in the US. There won’t be enough vaccine for all 330 million Americans right away, so the government also has a role in deciding who gets it first, and in educating a vaccine-wary public about its potential life saving merits. Right now, it is unclear who in Washington is in charge of oversight, much less any critical details, some state health officials and members of Congress told Reuters. Last week, a senior Trump administration official told Reuters that Operation Warp Speed, the White House vaccine task force was “committed to implementing the (vaccine) plan and distributing medical countermeasures as fast as possible.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes it will spearhead distribution of the new vaccine when (hopefully rather than if) a safe and effective one is approved. Health officials and lawmakers say they worry that without thorough planning and coordination with states, the vaccine distribution could be saddled with the same sort of disruptions that led to chronic shortages of coronavirus diagnostic tests and other medical supplies. Senator Patty Murray, the senior Democrat on the health program funding committee, said a poorly-executed rollout would mean “we will be sitting here two years from now, three years from now, in the same economic and health position we are today,” she said. Donald Trump insists everything is in place.
“We’re all set to march when it comes to the vaccine,” Trump said at a White House briefing on Thursday. The details of that plan, if there is one, are opaque. In this file photo Dr. Nita Patel, Director of Antibody discovery and Vaccine development, lifts a vial with a potential coronavirus, Covid-19, vaccine at Novavax labs in Gaithersburg, Maryland on March 20, 2020, one of several labs developing a vaccine for the coronavirus. Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images


theguardian--2020-07-31--TikTok: Trump reportedly to order parent company to sell Chinese-owned app

Donald Trump will reportedly order the parent company of TikTok to sell the popular video sharing platform because of national-security concerns .
Trump on Friday again suggested the US may take action against the Chinese-owned social media platform .
“ We ’ re looking at TikTok .
We may be banning TikTok .
We may be doing some other things , ” Trump told reporters as he left the White House on a trip to Florida .
“ There are a couple of options .
But a lot of things are happening .
So , we ’ ll see what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that the Trump administration is looking at a number of changes regarding the app , including ordering TikTok parent company ByteDance to “ divest its ownership ” in the US operations of the app .
Several news outlets reported that Microsoft is reportedly looking into buying TikTok ’ s US operations .
A spokeswoman for TikTok said the company does not comment on unconfirmed “ rumors ” but said the company is “ confident in the long-term success of TikTok ” .
Microsoft did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports come as TikTok ’ s data privacy practices have come under increased scrutiny .
Some US companies have ordered employees to delete the app from company phones and the US military has banned the app internally as well .
Security experts say TikTok collects a large amount of user data .
Because its parent company is based in China , some fear the platform could be compelled to share its data with the Chinese government or censor certain videos .
TikTok has vehemently denied it shares information with the Chinese government and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the California-based former Disney executive Kevin Mayer as chief executive officer in May .
It is unclear what power Trump has personally to order a foreign company to sell off part of its business , but there is some precedent .
In 2019 , the US government forced the Chinese owners of the gay dating app Grindr to cede ownership of the app over similar concerns .
But Grindr , at around 4 million active users , was much smaller and perhaps less complicated to legislate .
TikTok was the most-downloaded app in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has overall been downloaded roughly 2bn times .

Donald Trump will reportedly order the parent company of TikTok to sell the popular video sharing platform because of national-security concerns.
Trump on Friday again suggested the US may take action against the Chinese-owned social media platform.
“We’re looking at TikTok. We may be banning TikTok. We may be doing some other things,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House on a trip to Florida.
“There are a couple of options. But a lot of things are happening. So, we’ll see what happens,” he said.
Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that the Trump administration is looking at a number of changes regarding the app, including ordering TikTok parent company ByteDance to “divest its ownership” in the US operations of the app. Several news outlets reported that Microsoft is reportedly looking into buying TikTok’s US operations.
A spokeswoman for TikTok said the company does not comment on unconfirmed “rumors” but said the company is “confident in the long-term success of TikTok”.
Microsoft did not respond to request for comment.
The reports come as TikTok’s data privacy practices have come under increased scrutiny. Some US companies have ordered employees to delete the app from company phones and the US military has banned the app internally as well.
Security experts say TikTok collects a large amount of user data. Because its parent company is based in China, some fear the platform could be compelled to share its data with the Chinese government or censor certain videos.
TikTok has vehemently denied it shares information with the Chinese government and has distanced itself from ByteDance, hiring the California-based former Disney executive Kevin Mayer as chief executive officer in May.
It is unclear what power Trump has personally to order a foreign company to sell off part of its business, but there is some precedent. In 2019, the US government forced the Chinese owners of the gay dating app Grindr to cede ownership of the app over similar concerns. But Grindr, at around 4 million active users, was much smaller and perhaps less complicated to legislate.
TikTok was the most-downloaded app in the world as of early 2020 and has overall been downloaded roughly 2bn times.


theguardian--2020-07-31--Fauci 'cautiously optimistic' US could have vaccine by end of the year

Dr Anthony Fauci , America ’ s top infectious disease expert , has told the US Congress he is “ cautiously optimistic ” that a “ safe and effective ” coronavirus vaccine will be available to the public by the end of 2020 during a hearing in Washington marked by testy exchanges between Fauci and senior Republicans loyal to Donald Trump .
Fauci told US lawmakers on a House of Representatives subcommittee examining the Trump administration ’ s response to the pandemic that he was skeptical of fast-track vaccine efforts in Russia and China , suggesting the US would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its own vaccine .
“ We hope that by the time we get into late fall and early winter , we will have in fact a vaccine that we can say that would be safe and effective .
One can never guarantee the safety or effectiveness unless you do the trial , but we are cautiously optimistic this will be successful , ” Fauci said in prepared remarks .
He later added : “ I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they ’ re administering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not believe that there will be vaccines so far ahead of us that we will have to depend on other countries to get us vaccines.
” Fauci ’ s appearance came at the end of a month when coronavirus deaths in America rose by close to 25,000 and new cases doubled in at least 18 states .
The US recorded close to 1.8m new Covid-19 cases in July , and this week the total number of deaths rose over 152,000 .
The Trump administration has invested in several vaccine candidates through an initiative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was announced that one potential vaccine , developed by the biotechnology company Moderna and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , would enter phase three of testing in trials conducted at almost 100 research centers in the US and involving about 30,000 volunteers .
After updating the committee on the status of a potential vaccine , Fauci was aggressively questioned by the Ohio Republican Jim Jordan , a close ally of Trump , who sought to tie the hearing to the recent wave of Black Lives Matter protests around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US government should seek to limit protests in order to curb the spread of the virus .
“ You make all kinds of recommendations , you ’ ve made comments on dating and baseball and everything you can imagine … I ’ m just asking should we limit the protests , ” Jordan said .
“ I think I would leave that to people who have more of a position to do that , ” Fauci replied .
He later added : “ I ’ m not going to opine on limiting anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the danger .
And you can make your own conclusion about that .
You should stay away from crowds , no matter where the crowds are.
” From the outset , Democrats also sought to frame the hearing as an indictment of the Trump administration ’ s response to the pandemic .
The subcommittee chair , Jim Clyburn , a close confidant of the Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , argued : “ The federal government has still not yet developed and implemented a national strategy to protect the American people.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a board in the committee room showing the US rate of infection recently soaring in comparison with rates in Europe .
Fauci responded directly : “ If you look at what happened in Europe , when they shut down , they really did it , to the tune of about 95-plus per cent .
“ We really functionally shut down only about 50 % in the sense of the totality of the country.
” Responding to that exchange on Twitter , Trump posted a factually inaccurate diatribe .
“ Somebody please tell Congressman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clue , that the chart he put up indicating more CASES for the U.S. than Europe , is because we do MUCH MORE testing than any other country in the World .
If we had no testing , or bad testing , we would show very few CASES.
” he wrote .

Dr Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease expert, has told the US Congress he is “cautiously optimistic” that a “safe and effective” coronavirus vaccine will be available to the public by the end of 2020 during a hearing in Washington marked by testy exchanges between Fauci and senior Republicans loyal to Donald Trump.
Fauci told US lawmakers on a House of Representatives subcommittee examining the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic that he was skeptical of fast-track vaccine efforts in Russia and China, suggesting the US would not need to depend on other countries for its own vaccine.
“We hope that by the time we get into late fall and early winter, we will have in fact a vaccine that we can say that would be safe and effective. One can never guarantee the safety or effectiveness unless you do the trial, but we are cautiously optimistic this will be successful,” Fauci said in prepared remarks.
He later added: “I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they’re administering the vaccine to anyone. I do not believe that there will be vaccines so far ahead of us that we will have to depend on other countries to get us vaccines.”
Fauci’s appearance came at the end of a month when coronavirus deaths in America rose by close to 25,000 and new cases doubled in at least 18 states. The US recorded close to 1.8m new Covid-19 cases in July, and this week the total number of deaths rose over 152,000.
The Trump administration has invested in several vaccine candidates through an initiative named Operation Warp Speed. On Monday it was announced that one potential vaccine, developed by the biotechnology company Moderna and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, would enter phase three of testing in trials conducted at almost 100 research centers in the US and involving about 30,000 volunteers.
After updating the committee on the status of a potential vaccine, Fauci was aggressively questioned by the Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, a close ally of Trump, who sought to tie the hearing to the recent wave of Black Lives Matter protests around the country.
Jordan asked Fauci whether the US government should seek to limit protests in order to curb the spread of the virus.
“You make all kinds of recommendations, you’ve made comments on dating and baseball and everything you can imagine … I’m just asking should we limit the protests,” Jordan said.
“I think I would leave that to people who have more of a position to do that,” Fauci replied. He later added: “I’m not going to opine on limiting anything. I’m telling what it is the danger. And you can make your own conclusion about that. You should stay away from crowds, no matter where the crowds are.”
From the outset, Democrats also sought to frame the hearing as an indictment of the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic. The subcommittee chair, Jim Clyburn, a close confidant of the Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, argued: “The federal government has still not yet developed and implemented a national strategy to protect the American people.”
Clyburn then quizzed Fauci, pointing to a board in the committee room showing the US rate of infection recently soaring in comparison with rates in Europe.
Fauci responded directly: “If you look at what happened in Europe, when they shut down, they really did it, to the tune of about 95-plus per cent.
“We really functionally shut down only about 50% in the sense of the totality of the country.”
Responding to that exchange on Twitter, Trump posted a factually inaccurate diatribe. “Somebody please tell Congressman Clyburn, who doesn’t have a clue, that the chart he put up indicating more CASES for the U.S. than Europe, is because we do MUCH MORE testing than any other country in the World. If we had no testing, or bad testing, we would show very few CASES.” he wrote.


theguardian--2020-07-31--Portland sees peaceful night of protests following withdrawal of federal agents

The withdrawal of federal agents from frontline policing of demonstrations in downtown Portland significantly reduced tensions in the city overnight .
Protesters in support of Black Lives Matter once again rallied near the federal courthouse that became a flashpoint , and the scene of nightly battles amid the swirl of teargas , after Donald Trump dispatched agents to end what he called anarchy in the city after weeks of demonstrations .
But in the absence of the federal officers , Thursday night ’ s protest passed off without major incident or intervention by the police .
On Wednesday , Oregon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed with the White House that the state police would take over responsibility for guarding the courthouse after weeks of escalating protests .
She said that “ Trump ’ s troops ” were behaving like an occupying army in Portland and provoking unrest with heavy-handed tactics .
In contrast , the state troopers did not intervene even when the scale of the protest on Thursday night passed the point , as demonstrators shook the fence around the courthouse , at which in early demonstrations the federal agents generally fired teargas , stun grenades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of confrontation , and with the state police remaining largely unseen inside the courthouse , tensions quickly eased .
Without the federal forces to draw attention , protest organisers kept the focus on Black Lives Matters and reform of the Portland police .
Some in the crowd worked to avoid trouble by stopping demonstrators from lighting fires and shooting fireworks at the courthouse as they had done on previous nights .
Dan Thomas , an African American man , stood in the street shouting at people not to cause a confrontation with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building is not Black Lives Matter .
Leave it alone .
You ’ re playing into Trump ’ s hands , ” he said .
One woman shouted : “ Stupid ass white people only here for their own reasons.
” Despite the concerns of many in the crowd that the Trump administration would not fulfil the agreement to pull back the federal officers , none were seen on the streets .
Trump tweeted that the agents would remain in Portland until Brown brings the protests led by “ anarchists and agitators ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t do it , the Federal Government will do it for her .
We will not be leaving until there is safety !
” Trump wrote .
Brown and Portland ’ s mayor , Ted Wheeler , said the state and city police forces would seek to de-escalate protests rather than confront demonstrators .
Wheeler , said that the city ’ s police , state troopers and county sheriff ’ s office had agreed not to use teargas except where there was a threat to life or of serious injury .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadly , indiscriminately and nightly , ” he said .
“ That is why it is escalating the behaviour we ’ re seeing on the streets rather than de-escalating it , and that ’ s why this must come to an end.
” Wheeler apologised for the Portland police using teargas in late May and June to break up Black Lives Matter protests .
“ It should never have happened , ” he said .
Earlier in the day , Portland police cleared the two parks in front of the courthouse and county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the protests .
Officers then sealed the parks off and marked them as closed .
But that appeared strangely provocative and difficult to enforce .
When a few protesters tore down the yellow police tape , and began chanting : “ Whose park ?
Our park ?
” , the Portland city officers quietly left the park and were not seen again for the rest of the evening .

The withdrawal of federal agents from frontline policing of demonstrations in downtown Portland significantly reduced tensions in the city overnight.
Protesters in support of Black Lives Matter once again rallied near the federal courthouse that became a flashpoint, and the scene of nightly battles amid the swirl of teargas, after Donald Trump dispatched agents to end what he called anarchy in the city after weeks of demonstrations.
But in the absence of the federal officers, Thursday night’s protest passed off without major incident or intervention by the police.
On Wednesday, Oregon’s governor, Kate Brown, agreed with the White House that the state police would take over responsibility for guarding the courthouse after weeks of escalating protests. She said that “Trump’s troops” were behaving like an occupying army in Portland and provoking unrest with heavy-handed tactics.
In contrast, the state troopers did not intervene even when the scale of the protest on Thursday night passed the point, as demonstrators shook the fence around the courthouse, at which in early demonstrations the federal agents generally fired teargas, stun grenades and baton rounds.
People attend a protest against racial inequality and police violence in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday. Photograph: Caitlin Ochs/Reuters
In the absence of confrontation, and with the state police remaining largely unseen inside the courthouse, tensions quickly eased. Without the federal forces to draw attention, protest organisers kept the focus on Black Lives Matters and reform of the Portland police.
Some in the crowd worked to avoid trouble by stopping demonstrators from lighting fires and shooting fireworks at the courthouse as they had done on previous nights.
Dan Thomas, an African American man, stood in the street shouting at people not to cause a confrontation with the state police.
“Attacking the federal building is not Black Lives Matter. Leave it alone. You’re playing into Trump’s hands,” he said.
One woman shouted: “Stupid ass white people only here for their own reasons.”
Despite the concerns of many in the crowd that the Trump administration would not fulfil the agreement to pull back the federal officers, none were seen on the streets.
Trump tweeted that the agents would remain in Portland until Brown brings the protests led by “anarchists and agitators” under control.
“If she can’t do it, the Federal Government will do it for her. We will not be leaving until there is safety!” Trump wrote.
02:21 'A beehive of terrorists': Donald Trump threatens to deploy national guard in Portland – video
Brown and Portland’s mayor, Ted Wheeler, said the state and city police forces would seek to de-escalate protests rather than confront demonstrators.
Wheeler, said that the city’s police, state troopers and county sheriff’s office had agreed not to use teargas except where there was a threat to life or of serious injury.
“The federal officers are using CS gas broadly, indiscriminately and nightly,” he said. “That is why it is escalating the behaviour we’re seeing on the streets rather than de-escalating it, and that’s why this must come to an end.”
Wheeler apologised for the Portland police using teargas in late May and June to break up Black Lives Matter protests.
“It should never have happened,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Portland police cleared the two parks in front of the courthouse and county jail that served as a staging ground for the protests. Officers then sealed the parks off and marked them as closed. But that appeared strangely provocative and difficult to enforce.
When a few protesters tore down the yellow police tape, and began chanting: “Whose park? Our park?”, the Portland city officers quietly left the park and were not seen again for the rest of the evening.