theguardian--2020-06-02--Trump has reached the 'mad emperor' stage, and it's terrifying to behold | Richard Wolffe

Writing from a Birmingham jail , Martin Luther King Jr famously told his anxious fellow clergymen that his non-violent protests would force those in power to negotiate for racial justice .
“ The time is always ripe to do right , ” he wrote .
On an early summer evening , two generations later , Donald Trump walked out of the White House , where he ’ d been hiding in a bunker .
Military police had just fired teargas and flash grenades at peaceful protesters to clear his path , so that he could wave a bible in front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the time is always ripe to throw kerosene on his own dumpster fire .
In the week since George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officers , Trump has watched and tweeted helplessly as the nation he pretends to lead has reached its breaking point .
After decades of supposedly legal police beatings and murders , the protests have swept America ’ s cities more quickly than even coronavirus .
This is no coincidence of timing .
In other crises , in other eras , there have been presidents who understood their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence and protect the people .
In this crisis , however , we have a president who built his entire political career as a gold-painted tower to incite violence .
We were told , by Trump ’ s supporters four years ago , that we should have taken him seriously but not literally .
As it happened , it was entirely appropriate to take him literally , as a serious threat to the rule of law .
During his 2016 campaign , he encouraged his supporters to assault protesters .
“ Knock the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Seriously , OK , ” he said on the day of the Iowa caucuses .
“ I promise you I will pay for the legal fees.
” Later in Las Vegas , he said the security guards were too gentle with another protester .
“ I ’ d like to punch him in the face , ” he said .
Sure enough , a protester was sucker-punched on his way out of a rally the following month .
No wonder Trump was sued for incitement to riot by three protesters who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallies in Kentucky .
The case ultimately failed , but only after a judge ruled that Trump recklessly incited violence against an African-American woman by a crowd that included known members of hate groups .
So when he stood , as president , and told a crowd of police officers to be violent with arrested citizens , it wasn ’ t some weird joke or misstatement , no matter what his aides claimed afterwards .
“ When you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon , you just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I said , ‘ Please don ’ t be too nice.
’ “ I have to tell you , you know , the laws are so horrendously stacked against us , because for years and years , they ’ ve been made to protect the criminal , ” he added .
“ Totally made to protect the criminal .
Not the officers .
You do something wrong , you ’ re in more jeopardy than they are.
” Trump was happily inciting police violence a year after charges were dropped against several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to die of severe neck injuries in the back of their paddy wagon .
Then again , Trump took out a full-page ad calling for the death penalty for the five boys and young men wrongfully arrested as the Central Park Five in 1989 .
Just last year he refused to apologise for his racist incitement in that case .
Trump can no more end today ’ s violence than he can manage a pandemic that has killed more than 100,000 Americans , or create the jobs that will rescue more than 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis of racial , health and economic disasters , we have a three-year-old in the Oval Office .
Our get-tough president started his day by telling the nation ’ s governors that the world was laughing at them – a recurring nightmare that he loves to project onto everyone else .
“ You have to dominate or you ’ ll look like a bunch of jerks , ” he declared , speaking as something of a world-class jerk .
“ You have to arrest and try people , ” he said of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One of the Democratic governor-jerks decided to draw the line at Trump ’ s rhetoric .
“ I need to say that people are feeling real pain out there and we ’ ve got to have national leadership in calling for calm and making sure that we ’ re addressing the concerns of the legitimate peaceful protesters , ” said JB Pritzker of Illinois , during a conference call between the president and state governors .
“ That will help us to bring order.
” “ OK well thank you very much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded .
“ I don ’ t like your rhetoric much either because I watched it with respect to the coronavirus , and I don ’ t like your rhetoric much either .
I think you could ’ ve done a much better job , frankly.
” Yeah .
And he probably smells too .
Later in the day , Trump demonstrated to the world that he had learned precisely nothing in his three and a half years in charge of the world ’ s most diverse nation .
“ I am your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said in the Rose Garden , as thousands of Americans protested against the nation ’ s agents of law and order .
Trump said he would mobilise “ all available federal resources , civilian and military , to stop the rioting and looting ” to protect “ your Second Amendment rights ” .
If you ’ ve missed all the protesters seizing weapons from NRA members , you ’ re not alone .
That last bit was a call to arms for every vigilante to escalate the violence .
We have somehow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There is no end of Republican arsonists who have happily torched their lifelong support for states ’ rights and their diehard opposition to an all-powerful central government .
Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas tweeted that the protesters – he prefers to call them terrorists – should face combat troops on American streets .
“ Let ’ s see how tough these Antifa terrorists are when they ’ re facing off with the 101st Airborne Division , ” he wrote of the Screaming Eagles , who actually killed real fascists in the D-Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the land that expressly prohibits the US military from domestic law enforcement , unless a state governor requests it .
This is a president that can not decide if he ’ s serious about shooting looters and protesters or just warning that they might get accidentally shot .
“ It was spoken as a fact , not as a statement , ” Trump helpfully explained on Friday , before spending the weekend threatening them with “ vicious dogs ” and “ ominous weapons ” .
That was a day before he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence , mayhem and disorder ” .
Confused ?
That ’ s the point of this endlessly corrupted story where the aggressor is a peace-loving victim , and the victim is a hateful aggressor .
When he wrote his legendary letter , King was sitting in jail after marching in defiance of a ban against anti-segregation protests .
The man who is now a national icon was jailed just one month before the city ’ s police chief set fire hoses and dogs on children who were also defying the ban .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will , ” King wrote .
“ We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.
” Trump has used his time in the White House far more effectively than anyone could have imagined .
He ignored the dead and dying in Puerto Rico and brutalised the children at the border .
He ignored the dead and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brutalise the protesters in our cities .
In five months , the good people can end both his hateful words and their own appalling silence .
• Comments on this piece are premoderated to ensure discussion remains on topics raised by the writer .
Please be aware there may be a short delay in comments appearing on the site .

Writing from a Birmingham jail, Martin Luther King Jr famously told his anxious fellow clergymen that his non-violent protests would force those in power to negotiate for racial justice. “The time is always ripe to do right,” he wrote.
On an early summer evening, two generations later, Donald Trump walked out of the White House, where he’d been hiding in a bunker. Military police had just fired teargas and flash grenades at peaceful protesters to clear his path, so that he could wave a Bible in front of a boarded church.
For Trump, the time is always ripe to throw kerosene on his own dumpster fire.
In the week since George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officers, Trump has watched and tweeted helplessly as the nation he pretends to lead has reached its breaking point. After decades of supposedly legal police beatings and murders, the protests have swept America’s cities more quickly than even coronavirus.
This is no coincidence of timing. In other crises, in other eras, there have been presidents who understood their most basic duty: to calm the violence and protect the people. In this crisis, however, we have a president who built his entire political career as a gold-painted tower to incite violence.
We were told, by Trump’s supporters four years ago, that we should have taken him seriously but not literally. As it happened, it was entirely appropriate to take him literally, as a serious threat to the rule of law.
During his 2016 campaign, he encouraged his supporters to assault protesters. “Knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously, OK,” he said on the day of the Iowa caucuses. “I promise you I will pay for the legal fees.” Later in Las Vegas, he said the security guards were too gentle with another protester. “I’d like to punch him in the face,” he said.
Sure enough, a protester was sucker-punched on his way out of a rally the following month.
No wonder Trump was sued for incitement to riot by three protesters who were assaulted as they left one of his rallies in Kentucky. The case ultimately failed, but only after a judge ruled that Trump recklessly incited violence against an African American woman by a crowd that included known members of hate groups.
So when he stood, as president, and told a crowd of police officers to be violent with arrested citizens, it wasn’t some weird joke or misstatement, no matter what his aides claimed afterwards. “When you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon, you just see ’em thrown in, rough, I said, ‘Please don’t be too nice.’
“I have to tell you, you know, the laws are so horrendously stacked against us, because for years and years, they’ve been made to protect the criminal,” he added. “Totally made to protect the criminal. Not the officers. You do something wrong, you’re in more jeopardy than they are.”
01:03 Protesters brutally dispersed ahead of Trump's photo opportunity with a Bible – video
Trump was happily inciting police violence a year after charges were dropped against several Baltimore officers who somehow allowed Freddie Gray to die of severe neck injuries in the back of their paddy wagon.
Then again, Trump took out a full-page ad calling for the death penalty for the five boys and young men wrongfully arrested as the Central Park Five in 1989. Just last year he refused to apologise for his racist incitement in that case.
Trump can no more end today’s violence than he can manage a pandemic that has killed more than 100,000 Americans, or create the jobs that will rescue more than 40 million unemployed.
Faced with a threefold crisis of racial, health and economic disasters, we have a three-year-old in the Oval Office.
Our get-tough president started his day by telling the nation’s governors that the world was laughing at them – a recurring nightmare that he loves to project on to everyone else.
“You have to dominate or you’ll look like a bunch of jerks,” he declared, speaking as something of a world-class jerk. “You have to arrest and try people,” he said of the protesters that he called “terrorists”.
One of the Democratic governor-jerks decided to draw the line at Trump’s rhetoric. “I need to say that people are feeling real pain out there and we’ve got to have national leadership in calling for calm and making sure that we’re addressing the concerns of the legitimate peaceful protesters,” said JB Pritzker of Illinois, during a conference call between the president and state governors. “That will help us to bring order.”
“OK well thank you very much, JB,” our infant-in-chief reportedly responded. “I don’t like your rhetoric much either because I watched it with respect to the coronavirus, and I don’t like your rhetoric much either. I think you could’ve done a much better job, frankly.”
Yeah. And he probably smells too.
Later in the day, Trump demonstrated to the world that he had learned precisely nothing in his three and a half years in charge of the world’s most diverse nation.
“I am your president of law and order,” he said in the Rose Garden, as thousands of Americans protested against the nation’s agents of law and order. Trump said he would mobilise “all available federal resources, civilian and military, to stop the rioting and looting” to protect “your second amendment rights”.
If you’ve missed all the protesters seizing weapons from NRA members, you’re not alone. That last bit was a call to arms for every vigilante to escalate the violence. We have somehow devolved from dog whistle to foghorn politics.
There is no end of Republican arsonists who have happily torched their lifelong support for states’ rights and their diehard opposition to an all-powerful central government.
Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas tweeted that the protesters – he prefers to call them terrorists – should face combat troops on American streets. “Let’s see how tough these Antifa terrorists are when they’re facing off with the 101st Airborne Division,” he wrote of the Screaming Eagles, who actually killed real fascists in the D-Day landings.
Never mind the actual law of the land that expressly prohibits the US military from domestic law enforcement, unless a state governor requests it.
02:13 'It's about time we stand up': the voices of the George Floyd protests – video
This is a president that cannot decide if he’s serious about shooting looters and protesters or just warning that they might get accidentally shot. “It was spoken as a fact, not as a statement,” Trump helpfully explained on Friday, before spending the weekend threatening them with “vicious dogs” and “ominous weapons”.
That was a day before he said his administration “will always stand against violence, mayhem and disorder”.
Confused? That’s the point of this endlessly corrupted story where the aggressor is a peace-loving victim, and the victim is a hateful aggressor.
When he wrote his legendary letter, King was sitting in jail after marching in defiance of a ban against anti-segregation protests. The man who is now a national icon was jailed just one month before the city’s police chief set fire hoses and dogs on children who were also defying the ban.
“More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will,” King wrote. “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”
Trump has used his time in the White House far more effectively than anyone could have imagined. He ignored the dead and dying in Puerto Rico and brutalised the children at the border. He ignored the dead and dying in the pandemic and wants to brutalise the protesters in our cities.
In five months, the good people can end both his hateful words and their own appalling silence.


theguardian--2020-06-02--Hong Kong's own leaders have sacrificed its autonomy | Antony Dapiran

Last week , President Donald Trump announced measures that could rewrite Hong Kong ’ s relationship with the US .
The territory now appears to be on the cusp of having its status in the world change more fundamentally than it did with the handover from Britain in 1997 .
Two weeks ago , Beijing announced it would legislate a new national security law and impose it on Hong Kong by decree , bypassing the city ’ s duly elected legislature in flagrant disregard of the “ one country , two systems ” arrangement under which Hong Kong has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary of state , Mike Pompeo , reported to Congress under the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act that Hong Kong no longer warranted treatment different from the rest of China , stating : “ No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China.
” Finally , last Friday , as a consequence of Pompeo ’ s certification , Trump announced that he would be directing his administration “ to begin the process of eliminating policy exemptions that give Hong Kong different and special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcement was , Trump did not set out any specific measures : nothing has yet changed in the US-Hong Kong relationship .
As such , there is still room for compromise , from both Beijing and Washington .
However , the current environment does not suggest that compromise is in the air , and Trump ’ s statement laid the groundwork and foreshadowed the White House ’ s probable next steps .
Many observers have wondered if the US might not end up hurting the very people they were supposedly trying to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some of the potential US measures will not affect ordinary Hong Kong people or businesses .
Certain bilateral agreements – such as those on extradition and mutual legal assistance – between Hong Kong and the US are likely to be the first casualties .
This would end formal cooperation between Hong Kong and US authorities in criminal investigation and law enforcement , as well as remove the mechanism enabling the extradition of fugitives between the US and Hong Kong .
Bringing Hong Kong within the scope of existing restrictions on exports of dual-use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given Hong Kong ’ s proximity , geographically and politically , to China .
Hong Kong has allegedly been used to evade US sanctions in the past .
Sanctions are also on the cards for those Hong Kong and Beijing officials “ directly or indirectly involved in eroding Hong Kong ’ s autonomy ” .
This may include travel bans , or even extend to Treasury department sanctions over financial transactions and assets , and would cause pain for chief executive Carrie Lam and her ministers , but this would not affect ordinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge comes with Trump ’ s threat to revoke Hong Kong ’ s status as a separate customs and travel territory .
This would mean the same tariffs , customs controls , quarantine and inspection standards , and visa rules would apply to Hong Kong as the rest of China , and would have serious adverse consequences for Hong Kong people and businesses .
Many in Hong Kong are hoping that the US does not go that far .
Pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai argued in the New York Times that “ removing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more dependent on China ” .
Perhaps the most profound impact of the US action may be that Hong Kong , in the very near term , would become globally regarded to be part-and-parcel of China , and to carry with it China ’ s reputation , for better or worse .
In the past , Hong Kong has enjoyed its own , separate , global reputation .
Hong Kong government leaders and trade delegations travelled the world meeting with foreign governments and advocating for Hong Kong in international business circles under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side of “ one country , two systems ” .
No matter what was happening in the rest of China , Hong Kong stood apart .
Well , Hong Kong will stand apart no longer .
It may be natural to blame the US for this , and some have already argued that the US measures are pushing Hong Kong closer to Beijing .
Indeed , the changes in US policy towards Hong Kong are being driven by the bigger issue of a hardening US approach towards China , one of the few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In this sense , Hong Kong finds itself in the unfortunate position of being a pawn in an emerging cold war between the two superpowers .
However , the sad reality is that Hong Kong government leaders have already been doing this themselves , all too willingly stepping into their role as proxies for Beijing , rather than standing up for the people of the city they are supposed to represent .
This could not have been more evident than in the last week as Lam and many of her principal officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security law , reciting from near-identical scripts that could have been drafted by the party central propaganda department .
This is only the most recent example in a long-developing trend in which Hong Kong ’ s leaders have gradually ceded its autonomy to Beijing .
So , should there be any surprise when the Hong Kong they lead is finally treated accordingly ?
The reality is that Hong Kong ’ s leaders have sacrificed the city ’ s political neutrality : that special place Hong Kong held as a part of , yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of China .
The US measures are just the first international recognition of this process , and although they will also hasten its completion , it is hard not to conclude the process would have occurred in any event .
The only hope for Hong Kong is that , with the advent of more enlightened leadership in Hong Kong or Beijing in the future , it might at some point be undone .
• Antony Dapiran is the author of City on Fire : The Fight for Hong Kong

Last week, President Donald Trump announced measures that could rewrite Hong Kong’s relationship with the US. The territory now appears to be on the cusp of having its status in the world change more fundamentally than it did with the handover from Britain in 1997.
Two weeks ago, Beijing announced it would legislate a new national security law and impose it on Hong Kong by decree, bypassing the city’s duly elected legislature in flagrant disregard of the “one country, two systems” arrangement under which Hong Kong has been governed.
In response, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, reported to Congress under the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act that Hong Kong no longer warranted treatment different from the rest of China, stating: “No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China.”
Finally, last Friday, as a consequence of Pompeo’s certification, Trump announced that he would be directing his administration “to begin the process of eliminating policy exemptions that give Hong Kong different and special treatment”.
As dramatic as the announcement was, Trump did not set out any specific measures: nothing has yet changed in the US-Hong Kong relationship. As such, there is still room for compromise, from both Beijing and Washington. However, the current environment does not suggest that compromise is in the air, and Trump’s statement laid the groundwork and foreshadowed the White House’s probable next steps.
Many observers have wondered if the US might not end up hurting the very people they were supposedly trying to help: the people of Hong Kong.
Some of the potential US measures will not affect ordinary Hong Kong people or businesses. Certain bilateral agreements – such as those on extradition and mutual legal assistance – between Hong Kong and the US are likely to be the first casualties. This would end formal cooperation between Hong Kong and US authorities in criminal investigation and law enforcement, as well as remove the mechanism enabling the extradition of fugitives between the US and Hong Kong. Bringing Hong Kong within the scope of existing restrictions on exports of dual-use technologies is also a logical step, given Hong Kong’s proximity, geographically and politically, to China. Hong Kong has allegedly been used to evade US sanctions in the past.
Sanctions are also on the cards for those Hong Kong and Beijing officials “directly or indirectly involved in eroding Hong Kong’s autonomy”. This may include travel bans, or even extend to Treasury department sanctions over financial transactions and assets, and would cause pain for chief executive Carrie Lam and her ministers, but this would not affect ordinary Hong Kongers.
However, the real challenge comes with Trump’s threat to revoke Hong Kong’s status as a separate customs and travel territory. This would mean the same tariffs, customs controls, quarantine and inspection standards, and visa rules would apply to Hong Kong as the rest of China, and would have serious adverse consequences for Hong Kong people and businesses. Many in Hong Kong are hoping that the US does not go that far. Pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai argued in the New York Times that “removing those privileges would only make Hong Kong more dependent on China”.
Perhaps the most profound impact of the US action may be that Hong Kong, in the very near term, would become globally regarded to be part-and-parcel of China, and to carry with it China’s reputation, for better or worse. In the past, Hong Kong has enjoyed its own, separate, global reputation. Hong Kong government leaders and trade delegations travelled the world meeting with foreign governments and advocating for Hong Kong in international business circles under the aegis of the “two systems” side of “one country, two systems”. No matter what was happening in the rest of China, Hong Kong stood apart.
Well, Hong Kong will stand apart no longer.
It may be natural to blame the US for this, and some have already argued that the US measures are pushing Hong Kong closer to Beijing. Indeed, the changes in US policy towards Hong Kong are being driven by the bigger issue of a hardening US approach towards China, one of the few truly bipartisan issues remaining in US politics. In this sense, Hong Kong finds itself in the unfortunate position of being a pawn in an emerging cold war between the two superpowers.
However, the sad reality is that Hong Kong government leaders have already been doing this themselves, all too willingly stepping into their role as proxies for Beijing, rather than standing up for the people of the city they are supposed to represent. This could not have been more evident than in the last week as Lam and many of her principal officials lined up to praise the new national security law, reciting from near-identical scripts that could have been drafted by the party central propaganda department.
This is only the most recent example in a long-developing trend in which Hong Kong’s leaders have gradually ceded its autonomy to Beijing. So, should there be any surprise when the Hong Kong they lead is finally treated accordingly?
The reality is that Hong Kong’s leaders have sacrificed the city’s political neutrality: that special place Hong Kong held as a part of, yet at the same time apart from, the rest of China. The US measures are just the first international recognition of this process, and although they will also hasten its completion, it is hard not to conclude the process would have occurred in any event.
The only hope for Hong Kong is that, with the advent of more enlightened leadership in Hong Kong or Beijing in the future, it might at some point be undone.
Antony Dapiran is the author of City on Fire: The Fight for Hong Kong


theguardian--2020-06-02--Protesters brutally dispersed ahead of Trump's photo opportunity with a Bible – video

US president Donald Trump has visited the 200-year-old church near the White House that was set on fire as demonstrators @ @ @ @ @ weekend .
Beginning with James Madison , every person who has held the office of @ @ @ @ @ at St John 's Church .
Law enforcement cleared protesters out of the area with @ @ @ @ @ visit .
Tear gas canisters could be heard exploding as Trump spoke in the Rose @ @ @ @ @ over to the church .
The protesters appeared to be acting peacefully before they were @ @ @ @ @ ' : bishop of Washington DC rejects Trump use of church as prop during George @ @ @ @ @ to deploy military as teargas fired on nearby protesters • George Floyd killing : police @ @ @ @ @ as curfews hit – live

US president Donald Trump has visited the 200-year-old church near the White House that was set on fire as demonstrators clashed with police over the weekend. Beginning with James Madison, every person who has held the office of president has attended a service at St John's Church. Law enforcement cleared protesters out of the area with tear gas before Trump's visit. Tear gas canisters could be heard exploding as Trump spoke in the Rose Garden. He then walked over to the church. The protesters appeared to be acting peacefully before they were dispersed by force


theguardian--2020-06-03--George Floyd killing: curfews set in as protesters rally at Trump hotel – live

Opinion : In 1919 , the state failed to protect black Americans .
A century later , it ’ s still failing Carol Anderson , the Charles Howard Candler professor of African American Studies at Emory University and the author of White Rage : The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide , writes for The Guardian : In 1919 , as soldiers returned from the first world war , many white Americans saw African American men in military uniforms for the first time .
That sight , and the challenge it posed to the political , social and economic order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Groups of armed white men hunted down and slaughtered hundreds of black Americans across the country .
The wave of lynchings and race riots came to be known as the Red Summer .
The black community did its best to fight back , without protection from the state .
In some cases , police actively participated in the lynchings .
The US attorney general , A Mitchell Palmer , claimed that leftwing radicals were behind the uprisings – a false charge and one that further endangered African American lives .
Palmer worked for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who screened Birth of a Nation in the White House and praised the Ku Klux Klan even as it deployed terrorism to keep blacks away from the voting booth .
Wilson had been silent while whites slaughtered African Americans in East St Louis in 1917 , and he did little to nothing in 1919 when they again attacked and killed black people , this time on an even more horrific and grisly scale .
When African Americans fought back , when they protested , when they made clear they would not quietly accept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mobilized the power of the federal government to brand black unrest as the work of the enemy of the state – communists .
It was his version of peace without justice .
To do this he ignored the destructive and violent white supremacy that his president had helped unleash .
He remained unconcerned about the bold , brazen killing of black people .
And he had no qualms about a criminal justice system in which being black meant the presumption of guilt .
More than 100 years later , in the wake of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd , Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor – not to mention an incident in which a white woman attempted to put a black birdwatcher in the crosshairs of the NYPD – our current attorney general , Bill Barr , does not appear to see injustice .
Instead , he sounds much like his ancient predecessor , A Mitchell Palmer .

Maanvi Singh (now) and Lauren Aratani, Joan E Greve, Martin Pengelly and Oliver Holmes (earlier)

3 Jun 2020 10.20 BST The US Park Police (USPP) has defended its forceful clearing of protesters for a controversial Trump photo-op on Monday. In a statement, the agency accused “violent protestors” of “throwing projectiles including bricks, frozen water bottles and caustic liquids”. It denied that tear gas was used and said officers instead “employed the use of smoke canisters and pepper balls”. The statement does not tally with multiple reports on the ground that day. This nearly-two hour video from Reuters shows a peaceful protest pushed back. An investigative reporter in DC, Nathan Baca, also picked up a canister at the scene that does appear to cause irritation. When @usparkpolicepio says they didn’t use “CS or CN” tear gas, technically that’s correct. “OC” gas cannisters used instead. Causes same tears, tight breath and comes out green. This is not a smoke canister. I picked this off the street after it was launched at us Monday. pic.twitter.com/UuGJy0A6cr — Nathan Baca (@NathanBacaTV) June 3, 2020
3 Jun 2020 10.07 BST German foreign minister says Trump "pouring oil on fire" Philip Oltermann Germany’s foreign minister has criticised Donald Trump’s threat to use the US military against protesters in his own country, saying “democrats must never escalate – even with their words”. “Instead of pouring oil into the fire, we should seek reconciliation”, Heiko Maas told Der Spiegel news website. “Instead of allowing ourselves to be divided, we should stand shoulder to shoulder against radical extremists.” Earlier in the week, the Social Democrat politician had described the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police as “cruel and shocking”.
3 Jun 2020 09.53 BST One remarkable aspect of these protests has been images of both police and officials “taking the knee” at demonstrations. The latest high-profile person to do so was Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who knelt with a crowd outside a police headquarters. As demonstrators yelled that the city’s law enforcement budget should be cut, the mayor told demonstrators: “I hear you. I hear what you are saying about the police.” No doubt these actions are hugely symbolic – they stem from athletes, notably NFL star Colin Kaepernick, kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police brutality. Trump and his supporters have painted those taking the knee as unpatriotic. In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was moved by seeing NYPD Chief of Department Terry Monahan take the knee (video below): Blasio tweeted about it, saying: “Moments like that are how I know we will find a way through.” They asked Chief Monahan if he would take a knee to show he understood and respected their message. And he did. Moments like that are how I know we will find a way through. — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) June 2, 2020 However, it is unclear what effect these actions of some police and public figures will have on protesters, who want to end systemic and institutionalised racism – rather than simply convince individuals. For example, in Los Angeles, after Garcetti’s knelt, hundreds still gathered outside his house and protested.
3 Jun 2020 09.32 BST For those of you just joining us after a news break, it’s worth taking a look this photo of camouflaged and masked US troops at the Lincoln Memorial in the capital. No doubt this picture, taken on Tuesday evening, will become one of the many defining images of the protest movement. Members of the DC National Guard stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial as demonstrators participate in a peaceful protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd. Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images
3 Jun 2020 08.08 BST Good day/night, Oliver Holmes here again, blogging deep into the night across the US. I’m logging on as police in Seattle have begun dispersing protests there, which had apparently been peaceful all day. Casey Martin, an NPR reporter, is tweeting from the city, where he says protests dwindled in size over the evening before police started using pepper spray and flashbacks. The crowds threw water bottles. And flash bangs. Police are pepper spraying and chasing people down on bikes. People were throwing water bottles. pic.twitter.com/dFaIgi5zwB — Casey Martin (@caseyworks) June 3, 2020 Earlier, Martin had filmed a large group of marchers: This march has reached Cal Anderson Park where a huge group is waiting. Organizers are telling people not to join this group saying "protest is that way, peace and order is this way." Others argue there shouldn't be division. Many are saying they're worried about gas. pic.twitter.com/XEbWAG1qnZ — Casey Martin (@caseyworks) June 3, 2020 We will keep following. As always, please do get in contact with me if you think something is worth sharing, and also for any questions or feedback. You can reach me via Twitter or on email: oliver.holmes [at] theguardian.com
3 Jun 2020 07.51 BST That’s it from me, Helen Sullivan for today. Thank you for following along and, as always for the tips and feedback on Twitter and via email. My colleague Oliver Holmes is picking up the live coverage – as we’re hearing more reports of police dispersing protestors in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington.
3 Jun 2020 07.29 BST The District of Colombia National Guard is investigating the use of helicopters that flew over protesters in Washington, DC yesterday in what appeared to be an attempt to disperse the crowds. The DCNG announced in a statement on its website: DCNG is conducting an investigation into the June 1 low-flying maneuvers by its helicopters to ensure all involved complied with applicable procedures and safety regulations. ... As part of the investigation, the DCNG is looking into the use of the medical evacuation helicopter as part of the Joint Task Force DC operation. In the announcement, DCNG commanding general William J Walker is quoted as saying, “I hold all members of the District of Columbia National Guard to the highest of standards. We live and work in the District, and we are dedicated to the service of our nation,” “I have directed an immediate investigation into the June 1 incident.”
Updated at 07.38 BST
3 Jun 2020 07.15 BST New York City police officers surrounded, shoved and yelled expletives at two Associated Press journalists covering protests Tuesday in the latest aggression against members of the media during a week of unrest around the country, AP reports. Portions of the incident were captured on video by videojournalist Robert Bumsted, who was working with photographer Maye-E Wong to document the protests in lower Manhattan over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The video shows more than a half-dozen officers confronting the journalists as they filmed and took photographs of police ordering protesters to leave the area near Fulton and Broadway shortly after an 8pm curfew took effect. Both journalists were wearing AP identification and identified themselves as media.
NYPD officials said they would review the incident as soon as possible.
Journalists have faced aggressive police and protesters during demonstrations across the US over the killing of Floyd, a handcuffed black man who died after a white officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck.
Updated at 07.54 BST
3 Jun 2020 07.10 BST Here is the full story on the Paris protests inspired by demonstrations in the US: Clashes broke out between police and protesters in Paris on Tuesday after around 20,000 people defied a ban to rally over the 2016 death of a black man in police custody, galvanised by US demonstrations against racism and deadly police violence, AP reports. Protesters jump over the gates of the Martin Luther King park, northwest of Paris, to escape tear gas as they demonstrate near Paris courthouse against police violence on June 2, 2020. Photograph: Michel Rubinel/AFP/Getty Images The protesters used slogans from the American protest movement to call for justice for Adama Traore, whose death four years ago has been a rallying cause against police brutality in France. The demonstration, which came after the release of two differing medical reports into the cause of Traore’s death, had been prohibited by police citing a coronavirus ban on gatherings of more than 10 people. Clashes at Paris protest against racism and police violence Read more


theguardian--2020-06-02--'How did we get here?': Trump has normalised mayhem and the US is paying the price

The sheer tumult of the Trump era , the unceasing torrent of events that were unthinkable even hours before , has left a nation constantly off balance , unable to find its bearing and grasp how far it has traveled .
The developments of the past 24 hours were a reminder of how slippery the downward slope has been .
More than a hundred thousand Americans are dead from a pandemic after the government ’ s botched response ; there are armoured cars and troops outside Washington metro stations ; men in combat gear carrying sniper rifles were seen perched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flying low over the commercial district .
A military chopper buzzed a crowd of demonstrators so close to the ground they were buffeted around by the wind from the rotor , a dispersal technique learned in counter-insurgencies abroad .
On Monday , an entirely peaceful protest was driven out of a city square in front of the White House with teargas , baton charges and mounted police , so Trump could pose in front of a church with a Bible .
A priest and a seminarian , who had been distributing water and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of St John ’ s Episcopal , were driven away by police with helmets and riot shields to create an uncluttered tableau .
A Bible was procured for Trump from inside the church for him to hold aloft .
Journalists asked if it was his Bible .
“ It ’ s a Bible , ” he replied .
The rate of fresh affronts has often outpaced the capacity to digest – or even describe – them .
Peaceful protesters , journalists , a young African American man pleading for mutual understanding , shop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arbitrary arrest or police beatings or both – especially if they are black .
Overnight the very language of governance has changed .
The defence secretary has described US cities as the “ battlespace ” and the president has rejoiced in his administration ’ s “ overwhelming force ” and “ domination ” over the citizenry .
As each extraordinary moment slides by it poses its own question – “ How did we get here ?
” – but then is swept away by the relentless flow of the Twitter feed .
Simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One reason it is so hard to keep track of the descent is the near instant normalisation of every bizarre new turn , administered like a fast-acting anaesthetic .
Trump is surrounded by more coherent people insisting nothing out of the ordinary is happening .
Anyone unable to restrain themselves from yelling “ this is crazy ” left the administration some time ago .
In William Barr , Trump has an attorney general ready to draft executive orders at will , together with legal-sounding justifications .
Among the gang of officials walking behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the defence secretary , Mark Esper , and the country ’ s top general , the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , Mark Milley , wearing combat fatigues .
Their presence on Lafayette Square , walking amid the detritus left by fleeing protesters , stepped over the line that is supposed to separate the US military from domestic politics and added ballast to Trump ’ s imagery of a righteous war against a pernicious enemy within .
The Pentagon later said the two men had no idea where they were being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president in the grounds of the White House , and had no clue about the means used to clear Lafayette Square before their arrival .
But the washing of hands was performed by an unnamed defence official .
Neither Esper nor Milley renounced their actions on camera .
It is not just the public officials .
The constitutional constraints have also shown themselves more elastic than previously thought .
Congress can demand to see officials and documents it needs to perform its duty of oversight but the administration now feels empowered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffer no consequences .
The 1807 Insurrection Act , which Trump is dangling over the nation , seems amorphous enough to allow the president to deploy the armed forces against the wishes of the states , if he deems circumstances to have made it “ impracticable to enforce ” the law .
Fear is easing the way for each new step towards militarisation .
The looting and destruction on the fringes of the protests are terrifying , but partly a consequence of law enforcement tactics .
The police have focused on dispersing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And it is the violence that plays on a loop on the news .
The other reason it is so hard to keep track of the downward slide is the daily farce of the Donald Trump show .
On Tuesday , at a Catholic shrine ( day two of a brief detour into Christianity ) , it was the president telling his wife out of the side of his mouth to smile and her half-hearted attempt to obey .
The day before , it was the long amble from the White House to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president walking 20 yards in front of his cabinet and relatives – with his odd straight-armed , chest-out gait and his trousers , a couple of inches short , flapping around his ankles – past the “ Fuck Trump ” graffiti on the public toilets .
And then , on reaching the church , holding the Bible at various angles , including upside down , like an unfamiliar device pulled at random from a toolbox , which it was .
He had once claimed it was his favourite book but when asked which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flustered and dodged , insisting “ the whole Bible is incredible ” .
One of the lessons of history is beware the buffoon , but when every day is so bizarre and distracting those lessons are hard to remember .
We are constantly negotiating the rapids .
And each day brings us closer to forgetting what normal used to look like .

The sheer tumult of the Trump era, the unceasing torrent of events that were unthinkable even hours before, has left a nation constantly off balance, unable to find its bearing and grasp how far it has traveled.
The developments of the past 24 hours were a reminder of how slippery the downward slope has been.
More than a hundred thousand Americans are dead from a pandemic after the government’s botched response; there are armoured cars and troops outside Washington metro stations; men in combat gear carrying sniper rifles were seen perched in the open door of a helicopter flying low over the commercial district. A military chopper buzzed a crowd of demonstrators so close to the ground they were buffeted around by the wind from the rotor, a dispersal technique learned in counter-insurgencies abroad.
On Monday, an entirely peaceful protest was driven out of a city square in front of the White House with teargas, baton charges and mounted police, so Trump could pose in front of a church with a Bible.
A priest and a seminarian, who had been distributing water and hand sanitizer to protesters from the steps of St John’s Episcopal, were driven away by police with helmets and riot shields to create an uncluttered tableau. A Bible was procured for Trump from inside the church for him to hold aloft. Journalists asked if it was his Bible. “It’s a Bible,” he replied.
The rate of fresh affronts has often outpaced the capacity to digest – or even describe – them. Peaceful protesters, journalists, a young African American man pleading for mutual understanding, shop owners, residents are being targeted for arbitrary arrest or police beatings or both – especially if they are black.
Overnight the very language of governance has changed. The defence secretary has described US cities as the “battlespace” and the president has rejoiced in his administration’s “overwhelming force” and “domination” over the citizenry.
As each extraordinary moment slides by it poses its own question – “How did we get here?” – but then is swept away by the relentless flow of the Twitter feed. Simply trying to take stock is exhausting.
One reason it is so hard to keep track of the descent is the near instant normalisation of every bizarre new turn, administered like a fast-acting anaesthetic. Trump is surrounded by more coherent people insisting nothing out of the ordinary is happening. Anyone unable to restrain themselves from yelling “this is crazy” left the administration some time ago. In William Barr, Trump has an attorney general ready to draft executive orders at will, together with legal-sounding justifications.
Donald Trump holds up a Bible during a photo opportunity in front of St John’s Episcopal church on Monday. Photograph: Tom Brenner/Reuters
Among the gang of officials walking behind Trump for his Bible photo op was the defence secretary, Mark Esper, and the country’s top general, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Mark Milley, wearing combat fatigues. Their presence on Lafayette Square, walking amid the detritus left by fleeing protesters, stepped over the line that is supposed to separate the US military from domestic politics and added ballast to Trump’s imagery of a righteous war against a pernicious enemy within.
The Pentagon later said the two men had no idea where they were being led when they fell in line behind the president in the grounds of the White House, and had no clue about the means used to clear Lafayette Square before their arrival. But the washing of hands was performed by an unnamed defence official. Neither Esper nor Milley renounced their actions on camera.
It is not just the public officials. The constitutional constraints have also shown themselves more elastic than previously thought. Congress can demand to see officials and documents it needs to perform its duty of oversight but the administration now feels empowered to ignore such calls whenever it wants and suffer no consequences.
The 1807 Insurrection Act, which Trump is dangling over the nation, seems amorphous enough to allow the president to deploy the armed forces against the wishes of the states, if he deems circumstances to have made it “impracticable to enforce” the law.
Fear is easing the way for each new step towards militarisation. The looting and destruction on the fringes of the protests are terrifying, but partly a consequence of law enforcement tactics. The police have focused on dispersing the protests rather on arresting the looters. And it is the violence that plays on a loop on the news.
The other reason it is so hard to keep track of the downward slide is the daily farce of the Donald Trump show. On Tuesday, at a Catholic shrine (day two of a brief detour into Christianity), it was the president telling his wife out of the side of his mouth to smile and her half-hearted attempt to obey.
The day before, it was the long amble from the White House to St John’s, with the president walking 20 yards in front of his cabinet and relatives – with his odd straight-armed, chest-out gait and his trousers, a couple of inches short, flapping around his ankles – past the “Fuck Trump” graffiti on the public toilets.
And then, on reaching the church, holding the Bible at various angles, including upside down, like an unfamiliar device pulled at random from a toolbox, which it was. He had once claimed it was his favourite book but when asked which was his favourite verse, he became flustered and dodged, insisting “the whole Bible is incredible”.
One of the lessons of history is beware the buffoon, but when every day is so bizarre and distracting those lessons are hard to remember. We are constantly negotiating the rapids. And each day brings us closer to forgetting what normal used to look like.


theguardian--2020-06-02--US senator: Huawei 5G is like Soviets building west's submarines

A Republican senator told MPs that using Huawei kit in 5G phone networks would be akin to allowing Russia to build submarines for western nations during the cold war , in a tense hearing that saw him clash with opposition MPs .
Tom Cotton , who represents Arkansas , said he had geopolitical and technical objections to Huawei and claimed that , if hacked , its equipment could track the movements of key parts for F35 fighter jets .
Deploying Huawei , the politician continued , “ would be as if we had relied on adversarial nations in the cold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to build our tanks .
It ’ s just not something that we would have ever considered.
” The senator was speaking before a defence subcommittee inquiring into UK proposals to allow Huawei to deploy up to 35 % of 5G equipment , which has come under heavy criticism from the White House and the Conservative right .
Ten days ago , an increasingly nervous Downing Street said it was reviewing a plan put forward by Boris Johnson as recently as January and indicated that it could be prepared to eliminate Huawei involvement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would welcome the UK removing Huawei “ even earlier ” and argued that the Chinese company ’ s kit could be targeted by People ’ s Liberation Army hackers to track the movement of key parts of US F35 fighter aircraft if it were compromised .
The senator has recently submitted an amendment to the US 2021 National Defense Authorization Act that would block the deployment of US air force F35s in countries where Huawei equipment is used , and told the committee “ we believe our airmen could be at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kevan Jones , a Labour MP who has sat on the intelligence and security committee .
The backbencher said GCHQ had concluded there was no security risk to Anglo-American operations .
“ There is no way , there ’ s no evidence at all , that anything , that cooperation between our two nations is going to be compromised in terms of what has been proposed , ” Jones said , and accused Cotton of making “ threats to try and change policy in UK ” .
The senator disagreed , saying that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence sharing with the UK in the light of the initial Huawei decision , prompting Jones to interrupt .
“ There ’ s no way that Huawei equipment will come anywhere near anything in terms of our signals intelligence , ” the Labour MP added .
Using the cover of parliamentary privilege , Cotton asked Jones “ why are you so eager to put a criminal organisation ’ s technology into your networks ” and accused Huawei of supplying technology used by Beijing to suppress China ’ s Uighur Muslim minority .
Huawei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company , controlled by an employee trust , which is independent of the state .
Its leaders say it has not cooperated with any attempt to orchestrate surveillance by the communist regime and its technology has been audited as compliant by Britain ’ s spy agencies .
Stewart McDonald , an SNP MP , also challenged Cotton , arguing that the behaviour of Donald Trump , particularly during the George Floyd crisis , adversely affected the United States ’ s ability to lead on the issue .
“ The current presidential leadership and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership is grossly undermining , ” McDonald said .
Speaking after the hearing , Victor Zhang , the vice-president of Huawei , said the hearing demonstrated that the senator ’ s principal concern was that the company had become too successful in an industry where the US has traditionally dominated .
“ It ’ s clear its market position , rather than security concerns , underpins America ’ s attack on Huawei as the committee was given no evidence to substantiate security allegations , ” he added .

A Republican senator told MPs that using Huawei kit in 5G phone networks would be akin to allowing Russia to build submarines for western nations during the cold war, in a tense hearing that saw him clash with opposition MPs.
Tom Cotton, who represents Arkansas, said he had geopolitical and technical objections to Huawei and claimed that, if hacked, its equipment could track the movements of key parts for F-35 fighter jets.
Deploying Huawei, the politician continued, “would be as if we had relied on adversarial nations in the cold war to build our submarines, or to build our tanks. It’s just not something that we would have ever considered.”
The senator was speaking before a defence subcommittee inquiring into UK proposals to allow Huawei to deploy up to 35% of 5G equipment, which has come under heavy criticism from the White House and the Conservative right.
Ten days ago, an increasingly nervous Downing Street said it was reviewing a plan put forward by Boris Johnson as recently as January and indicated that it could be prepared to eliminate Huawei involvement entirely by 2023.
Cotton said that he would welcome the UK removing Huawei “even earlier” and argued that the Chinese company’s kit could be targeted by People’s Liberation Army hackers to track the movement of key parts of US F-35 fighter aircraft if it were compromised.
The senator has recently submitted an amendment to the US 2021 National Defense Authorization Act that would block the deployment of US air force F-35s in countries where Huawei equipment is used, and told the committee “we believe our airmen could be at risk”.
But he was challenged by Kevan Jones, a Labour MP who has sat on the intelligence and security committee. The backbencher said GCHQ had concluded there was no security risk to Anglo-American operations.
“There is no way, there’s no evidence at all, that anything, that cooperation between our two nations is going to be compromised in terms of what has been proposed,” Jones said, and accused Cotton of making “threats to try and change policy in UK”.
The senator disagreed, saying that the US National Security Council was reviewing intelligence sharing with the UK in the light of the initial Huawei decision, prompting Jones to interrupt. “There’s no way that Huawei equipment will come anywhere near anything in terms of our signals intelligence,” the Labour MP added.
Using the cover of parliamentary privilege, Cotton asked Jones “why are you so eager to put a criminal organisation’s technology into your networks” and accused Huawei of supplying technology used by Beijing to suppress China’s Uighur Muslim minority.
Huawei says that it is a privately owned company, controlled by an employee trust, which is independent of the state. Its leaders say it has not cooperated with any attempt to orchestrate surveillance by the communist regime and its technology has been audited as compliant by Britain’s spy agencies.
Stewart McDonald, an SNP MP, also challenged Cotton, arguing that the behaviour of Donald Trump, particularly during the George Floyd crisis, adversely affected the United States’s ability to lead on the issue. “The current presidential leadership and, in particular, his style of leadership is grossly undermining,” McDonald said.
Speaking after the hearing, Victor Zhang, the vice-president of Huawei, said the hearing demonstrated that the senator’s principal concern was that the company had become too successful in an industry where the US has traditionally dominated.
“It’s clear its market position, rather than security concerns, underpins America’s attack on Huawei as the committee was given no evidence to substantiate security allegations,” he added.


theguardian--2020-06-02--Americans vote in primaries amid Covid-19 and mass protests

Eight states and Washington DC are holding primaries on Tuesday in the most widespread trial yet over whether America can safely hold an election amid the pandemic and unrest as days of protest over the police killings of African Americans continues .
Election officials , who have been encouraging people to vote by mail , already faced an enormous challenge in providing access to voting while protecting public health against Covid-19 .
Now , they face an additional challenge of conducting an election that guarantees people can vote without risking their physical safety and without police intimidation as curfews clash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most closely watched states on Tuesday is Pennsylvania , a battleground state , where lawmakers are already seeing an unprecedented flood of requests for mail-in ballots .
More than 1.8 million people have requested an absentee ballot so far ; during the 2016 primary , just 84,000 people voted by mail .
But some voters are still expected to cast a ballot in person , as well .
Pennsylvania law requires voters to return their mail-in ballots to the polls by 8pm on election day .
But on Monday evening Pennsylvania ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , extended the deadline for voters in six counties in the state to return their ballots , saying they could be counted if they were received in the next week and postmarked by Tuesday .
That came after concern that some voters in the state might be disenfranchised because officials could not get them ballots in time .
In Delaware county , just outside Philadelphia , elections officials said Monday they were mailing 6,000 ballots , the day before the election .
The county conceded there were 400 ballots that won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staffing constraints ” .
In Philadelphia and Pittsburgh , election officials have severely limited in-person voting locations because of the coronavirus pandemic .
In Philadelphia , officials are monitoring whether they will have to change any of those few locations because of the recent protests , according to the Philadelphia Inquirer .
At at least one voting location in Philadelphia , there were long lines on Tuesday morning as poll workers set up voting machines .
Voting rights groups monitoring the elections throughout the country said they were fielding calls from voters reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported not receiving mail-in ballot requests in time to vote .
By Tuesday afternoon , about 500 people in Pennsylvania had called in to an election protection hotline run by the groups , about half of the voters were seeking information about their polling location , Suzanne Almeida , the interim executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania , a watchdog group , told reporters .
In Baltimore , which is holding a Democratic mayoral primary , some voters reported never receiving the ballots they requested , forcing them to go to the polls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the increased police presence from the protests will mesh with established polling place hours .
In Washington DC , Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a 7pm curfew for Tuesday , but polls will be open until 8pm .
As the curfew approached , there were still people in line who expected to wait for more than an hour .
Some voters in Washington DC said they never received their ballots and there were still long lines across the city on Tuesday .
One voter told the Washington Post he had been told he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address , even though he sent it to the one he was instructed to .
Another woman said she couldn ’ t get help requesting a ballot online so she wouldn ’ t vote .
In Philadelphia , there will be an 8.30pm curfew and polls will be open until 8pm .
Larry Krasner , the Philadelphia district attorney , said on Monday no one will be arrested for going to vote in violation of the curfew .
But Almeida said there hasn ’ t been clear guidance on protections for people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers who remained at voting sites beyond the curfew time .
She also noted Center City in Philadelphia had been shut down to traffic and was being heavily patrolled , which was “ obviously a detriment to voters ” trying to cast a ballot there .
The Pennsylvania Convention Center , located in the area , is hosting voting for 18 districts on Tuesday .
“ Imposing a 6pm curfew on election day threatens to disenfranchise the very people marching to be heard , along with all Philadelphians , ” said Quentin Palfrey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a voting advocacy group .
“ We applaud district attorney Krasner ’ s clear statement that no voter will be arrested or prosecuted for going to vote , but no such assurances can overcome the suppressive impact of the curfew.
” She also noted that one of the voting sites in Wilkinsburg , a borough that is majority African American just outside of Pittsburgh , was in a government building that shared space with the police .
It meant that voters would have to wait in line with law enforcement nearby , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington DC and Pennsylvania , Tuesday is primary day in Indiana , Iowa , Maryland , Montana , New Mexico , Rhode Island and South Dakota .

Eight states and Washington DC are holding primaries on Tuesday in the most widespread trial yet over whether America can safely hold an election amid the pandemic and unrest as days of protest over the police killings of African Americans continues.
Election officials, who have been encouraging people to vote by mail, already faced an enormous challenge in providing access to voting while protecting public health against Covid-19. Now, they face an additional challenge of conducting an election that guarantees people can vote without risking their physical safety and without police intimidation as curfews clash with voting hours.
One of the most closely watched states on Tuesday is Pennsylvania, a battleground state, where lawmakers are already seeing an unprecedented flood of requests for mail-in ballots. More than 1.8 million people have requested an absentee ballot so far; during the 2016 primary, just 84,000 people voted by mail. But some voters are still expected to cast a ballot in person, as well.
Pennsylvania law requires voters to return their mail-in ballots to the polls by 8pm on election day. But on Monday evening Pennsylvania’s governor, Tom Wolf, a Democrat, extended the deadline for voters in six counties in the state to return their ballots, saying they could be counted if they were received in the next week and postmarked by Tuesday.
That came after concern that some voters in the state might be disenfranchised because officials could not get them ballots in time. In Delaware county, just outside Philadelphia, elections officials said Monday they were mailing 6,000 ballots, the day before the election. The county conceded there were 400 ballots that won’t be mailed “due to timing and staffing constraints”.
In Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, election officials have severely limited in-person voting locations because of the coronavirus pandemic. In Philadelphia, officials are monitoring whether they will have to change any of those few locations because of the recent protests, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. At at least one voting location in Philadelphia, there were long lines on Tuesday morning as poll workers set up voting machines.
Voting rights groups monitoring the elections throughout the country said they were fielding calls from voters reporting problems. In many states, voters reported not receiving mail-in ballot requests in time to vote.
By Tuesday afternoon, about 500 people in Pennsylvania had called in to an election protection hotline run by the groups, about half of the voters were seeking information about their polling location, Suzanne Almeida, the interim executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, a watchdog group, told reporters.
Lee Griffith, 35, is furious. He was second in line and waited for 45 minutes to vote. Inside, he said, the poll workers didn’t know what they were doing. He described confusion over poll books, voting machines. pic.twitter.com/PFjDzMVoWp — Jonathan Lai 🙊 賴柏羽 (@Elaijuh) June 2, 2020
In Baltimore, which is holding a Democratic mayoral primary, some voters reported never receiving the ballots they requested, forcing them to go to the polls on election day.
It is unclear how the increased police presence from the protests will mesh with established polling place hours. In Washington DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a 7pm curfew for Tuesday, but polls will be open until 8pm. As the curfew approached, there were still people in line who expected to wait for more than an hour. Bowser said Tuesday no one who was voting would be subject to the curfew.
But there was confusion in the city as the day went on.
Sherene Joseph was in line to vote at Hardy Middle School in the Georgetown neighborhood of DC just before curfew when a police car drove by twice used a loudspeaker to tell everyone they needed to go home. The announcement set off confusion, she said, and elections staff came out to talk to police and encouraged everyone to stay in line and a volunteer gave out “I voted” stickers for voters to show police.
“It didn’t happen again and the folks working there made it clear everyone in line that they would be able to vote,” she wrote in an email.
Here’s the middle third of the line to vote in Columbia Heights. pic.twitter.com/H1MSdWGvcW — Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) June 2, 2020
So thousands of people are waiting in line to vote across DC, curfew starts in less than an hour, and poll workers are telling people they won’t get arrested if they wear an “I voted” sticker.
That’s cold comfort for many of these voters. — Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) June 2, 2020
Some voters in DC said they never received their ballots and there were still long lines across the city on Tuesday. Only 10 people at a time were allowed into voting locations to allow for social distancing, according to The Washington Post. One voter told the Washington Post he had been told he sent his application to the wrong email address, even though he sent it to the one he was instructed to. Another woman said she couldn’t get help requesting a ballot online so she wouldn’t vote.
5 hours. That’s how long a woman at the front of the line at the Turkey Thicket vote center had been waiting to cast a ballot when I just chatted with her as she was about to go in. 5 hours. The @Vote4DC line tracker never had wait times over 90 minutes. 5 hours. — Martin Austermuhle (@maustermuhle) June 3, 2020
In Philadelphia, there will be an 8.30pm curfew and polls will be open until 8pm. Larry Krasner, the Philadelphia district attorney, said on Monday no one will be arrested for going to vote in violation of the curfew.
But Almeida said there hasn’t been clear guidance on protections for people who were still waiting to vote and poll workers who remained at voting sites beyond the curfew time.
She also noted Center City in Philadelphia had been shut down to traffic and was being heavily patrolled, which was “obviously a detriment to voters” trying to cast a ballot there. The Pennsylvania Convention Center, located in the area, is hosting voting for 18 districts on Tuesday.
“Imposing a 6pm curfew on election day threatens to disenfranchise the very people marching to be heard, along with all Philadelphians,” said Quentin Palfrey, chair of Voter Protection Corps, a voting advocacy group. “We applaud district attorney Krasner’s clear statement that no voter will be arrested or prosecuted for going to vote, but no such assurances can overcome the suppressive impact of the curfew.”
She also noted that one of the voting sites in Wilkinsburg, a borough that is majority African American just outside of Pittsburgh, was in a government building that shared space with the police. It meant that voters would have to wait in line with law enforcement nearby, which could be intimidating.
In addition to Washington DC and Pennsylvania, Tuesday is primary day in Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island and South Dakota.


theguardian--2020-06-02--A photo op as protests swirled: how Trump came to walk to the church

Early one Saturday morning in May 1970 , Richard Nixon , under enormous pressure , left the White House , seeking to talk to people protesting against the Vietnam war around the Lincoln Memorial .
It was a strange moment in American history but a hugely symbolic one , foreshadowing a president ’ s fall .
Fifty years later , on a Monday afternoon in early June , Donald Trump also walked out of the White House .
But his route was very different and went through Lafayette Square .
Moments before , peaceful protesters , priests and families among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guardsmen and federal officers : gassed , shot with rubber bullets , forcefully cleared from the president ’ s path .
With a small group of aides , his daughter Ivanka among them , the president walked to St John ’ s , the so-called Church of the Presidents , to be photographed by the press , holding aloft a Bible .
The president had ordered an assault on his own citizens , in order to stage a PR stunt .
Like many momentous decisions in an extraordinary presidency , it was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd , a 46-year-old African American man , was killed by police in Minneapolis on Memorial Day , 25 May , just a week before .
Peaceful protests against police brutality and racism followed , and spread .
Over the weekend , in the face of violently aggressive policing , many protests were marred by chaos and looting .
Trump did express sympathy with protesters , including in public remarks in Florida .
But by Sunday he had disappeared from view .
On Friday night , as protesters clashed with police and Secret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump hid in an underground bunker .
It was reported that he did not speak on Sunday because he had nothing constructive to say .
Floyd ’ s brother said a call from the president went badly , Trump seemingly unwilling to let him speak .
The White House lights went off .
All this landed on top of the president ’ s long-brewing frustration with coverage of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic , in which more than 105,000 Americans have died and 40 million have filed for unemployment in a stricken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Post reported , on Monday morning Trump began to consider a visit to St John ’ s .
Every president since James Madison has worshipped there .
It is a national treasure .
On Sunday , as protest churned , it was briefly threatened by fire .
The president wanted to show Washington was under his control .
He also wanted to reassure a key bloc of support .
Polls have shown that among white evangelical Christians , as the campaign against Joe Biden heats up , backing for Trump is slipping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be conducted : a conference call with governors .
Trump used it to taunt political opponents , rant about the need to dominate protesters , call for mass arrests and threaten to call in the army .
Tellingly , he said : “ Washington was under good control , but we ’ re gon na have it under much more control … we ’ re gon na clamp down very , very strong.
” The call promptly leaked to media outlets , the Guardian among them .
As controversy spread , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debated ” whether Trump should finally address the nation .
Some argued not , saying he could change nothing .
Some insisted he had to be seen .
Finally , Trump tweeted that he would speak in the White House Rose Garden .
“ I am your president of law and order , ” he said at the podium , striking a firmly Nixonian note , as he has on the campaign trail .
“ We are ending the riots and lawlessness that has spread throughout our country .
We will end it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ an ally of all peaceful protesters ” his audience could hear the sound of battle in Lafayette Square , flash-bangs detonating , teargas hissing .
TV viewers could see both images in split screen .
As Trump left the White House grounds , social media began to spew a fog of anger and division as thick as the clouds which enveloped protesters .
Fox News approved .
But one unnamed Trump aide doubted the long-term impact of the president ’ s move .
“ It was just to win the news cycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ m not sure that things are any better for us tomorrow.
” Speaking anonymously , another senior White House official told Axios they had “ never been more ashamed ” .
“ I ’ m really honestly disgusted , ” the official said .
“ I ’ m sick to my stomach.
” The bishop of Washington was outraged .
Pundits were swift to agree .
Joe Lockhart , a press secretary for Bill Clinton now an analyst for CNN , tweeted : “ I lived through Martin Luther @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , our cities burning , Watergate , 9/11 and other national tragedies .
I ’ ve never been so frightened for our country as I am tonight .
Trump has to go now.
” As Monday night bled into Tuesday morning , Washington was largely peaceful , under curfew , helicopters buzzing overhead .
But across the US , other protests continued .
In some cities , New York and Philadelphia prominent among them , violence and looting continued .
On Tuesday morning , as after many an unprecedented moment since 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horror or support , then went back to watching for Trump ’ s next move .
The president ’ s inner circle , said another senior official who spoke to Axios , were “ all celebrating ” the events of Monday .
“ They ’ re very , very proud of themselves , ” they said .
Another top aide was reported to be boasting of a political coup , an “ iconic ” moment in America under Trump .

Early one Saturday morning in May 1970, Richard Nixon, under enormous pressure, left the White House, seeking to talk to people protesting against the Vietnam war around the Lincoln Memorial. It was a strange moment in American history but a hugely symbolic one, foreshadowing a president’s fall.
Fifty years later, on a Monday afternoon in early June, Donald Trump also walked out of the White House. But his route was very different and went through Lafayette Square. Moments before, peaceful protesters, priests and families among them, had been assaulted by national guardsmen and federal officers: gassed, shot with rubber bullets, forcefully cleared from the president’s path.
With a small group of aides, his daughter Ivanka among them, the president walked to St John’s, the so-called Church of the Presidents, to be photographed by the press, holding aloft a Bible.
The president had ordered an assault on his own citizens, in order to stage a PR stunt. Like many momentous decisions in an extraordinary presidency, it was a call made on the hoof.
George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, was killed by police in Minneapolis on Memorial Day, 25 May, just a week before. Peaceful protests against police brutality and racism followed, and spread. Over the weekend, in the face of violently aggressive policing, many protests were marred by chaos and looting.
01:03 Protesters brutally dispersed ahead of Trump's photo opportunity with a Bible – video
Trump did express sympathy with protesters, including in public remarks in Florida. But by Sunday he had disappeared from view.
On Friday night, as protesters clashed with police and Secret Service agents outside the White House, Trump hid in an underground bunker. It was reported that he did not speak on Sunday because he had nothing constructive to say. Floyd’s brother said a call from the president went badly, Trump seemingly unwilling to let him speak. The White House lights went off.
All this landed on top of the president’s long-brewing frustration with coverage of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, in which more than 105,000 Americans have died and 40 million have filed for unemployment in a stricken US economy.
And so, the Washington Post reported, on Monday morning Trump began to consider a visit to St John’s. Every president since James Madison has worshipped there. It is a national treasure. On Sunday, as protest churned, it was briefly threatened by fire.
The president wanted to show Washington was under his control. He also wanted to reassure a key bloc of support. Polls have shown that among white evangelical Christians, as the campaign against Joe Biden heats up, backing for Trump is slipping.
There was also other business to be conducted: a conference call with governors. Trump used it to taunt political opponents, rant about the need to dominate protesters, call for mass arrests and threaten to call in the army. Tellingly, he said: “Washington was under good control, but we’re gonna have it under much more control … we’re gonna clamp down very, very strong.”
The call promptly leaked to media outlets, the Guardian among them.
As controversy spread, according to the Axios website, advisers “hotly debated” whether Trump should finally address the nation. Some argued not, saying he could change nothing. Some insisted he had to be seen. Finally, Trump tweeted that he would speak in the White House Rose Garden.
“I am your president of law and order,” he said at the podium, striking a firmly Nixonian note, as he has on the campaign trail.
“We are ending the riots and lawlessness that has spread throughout our country. We will end it now.”
As the president declared himself “an ally of all peaceful protesters” his audience could hear the sound of battle in Lafayette Square, flash-bangs detonating, teargas hissing. TV viewers could see both images in split screen. As Trump left the White House grounds, social media began to spew a fog of anger and division as thick as the clouds which enveloped protesters.
Fox News approved. But one unnamed Trump aide doubted the long-term impact of the president’s move.
“It was just to win the news cycle,” the aide told the Post. “I’m not sure that things are any better for us tomorrow.”
Speaking anonymously, another senior White House official told Axios they had “never been more ashamed”.
“I’m really honestly disgusted,” the official said. “I’m sick to my stomach.”
The bishop of Washington was outraged. Pundits were swift to agree.
Joe Lockhart, a press secretary for Bill Clinton now an analyst for CNN, tweeted: “I lived through Martin Luther King Jr and Bobby Kennedy being assassinated, our cities burning, Watergate, 9/11 and other national tragedies. I’ve never been so frightened for our country as I am tonight. Trump has to go now.”
As Monday night bled into Tuesday morning, Washington was largely peaceful, under curfew, helicopters buzzing overhead. But across the US, other protests continued. In some cities, New York and Philadelphia prominent among them, violence and looting continued.
On Tuesday morning, as after many an unprecedented moment since 2016, Americans read the news, tweeted their horror or support, then went back to watching for Trump’s next move.
The president’s inner circle, said another senior official who spoke to Axios, were “all celebrating” the events of Monday.
“They’re very, very proud of themselves,” they said.
Another top aide was reported to be boasting of a political coup, an “iconic” moment in America under Trump.


theguardian--2020-06-02--What do we know about Trump's love for the Bible?

On Tuesday evening , Donald Trump ordered the area outside the White House cleared of protesters by law enforcement who used teargas and flash-bang grenades to dispel the crowd .
The impetus was a staged photo opportunity in front of the historic St John ’ s Episcopal church , which has already been condemned by religious leaders .
“ Let me be clear , the president just used a Bible , the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition , and one of the churches of my diocese , without permission , as a backdrop for a message antithetical to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Right Rev Mariann Budde , the Episcopal bishop of Washington , told the Washington Post .
Asked by a reporter if the prop was his Bible , Trump responded : “ It ’ s a Bible.
” As many other critics of the stunt have pointed out , aside from the disgraceful use of force against citizens to ensure a photo could be taken , the president appeared in images holding the Bible backwards and seemingly upside down , as if he ’ d never held one before .
“ I just wish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a while , ” Joe Biden said in a speech this morning .
That wasn ’ t the first such indication that the president is unfamiliar with the contents of the holy book .
Back in 2015 , in the lead-up to his election , Trump frequently named the Bible as his favorite book .
At a rally in Michigan Trump asked a crowd how many had read his own book The Art of the Deal .
“ It ’ s my second favorite book of all time , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is ?
The Bible !
Nothing beats the Bible !
” It became a recurring theme for him on the campaign trail .
“ As much as I love The Art of the Deal , it ’ s not even close , ” he said .
“ We take the Bible all the way.
” Not long after , the then candidate was asked during an interview with Bloomberg to expound on one of his favorite chapters from his favorite book and he demurred .
“ I wouldn ’ t want to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s very personal , ” he said .
“ The Bible means a lot to me , but I don ’ t want to get into specifics.
” Asked if he could at least choose between the New and Old Testaments , he again passed .
A few months earlier he managed to remember at least one favorite line from the Bible that did stick out to him in a radio interview .
“ Well , I think many .
I mean , when we get into the Bible , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some people , look , an eye for an eye , you can almost say that .
That ’ s not a particularly nice thing .
But you know , if you look at what ’ s happening to our country , I mean , when you see what ’ s going on with our country , how people are taking advantage of us , and how they scoff at us and laugh at us.
” ” The next year , at a service in Iowa , Trump attempted to put money in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it was a process he was familiar with , saying he would often “ drink his little wine and “ take his little cracker ” .
In March , a pastor who leads a Bible study group for members of the Trump cabinet , and is reported to be a loose adviser to the president , wrote a piece that blamed the Covid-19 pandemic on gay people and environmentalists .
Last year , Trump shared a quote from a non-Jewish radio host who likened him to the “ King of Israel ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is the second coming of God ” .
The president , who has said he does not frequently ask for forgiveness , is not a regular churchgoer .
During the impeachment vote he said of Mitt Romney , “ I don ’ t like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong.
” In 2016 , he won 81 % of the white evangelical vote .

On Tuesday evening, Donald Trump ordered the area outside the White House cleared of protesters by law enforcement who used teargas and flash-bang grenades to dispel the crowd. The impetus was a staged photo opportunity in front of the historic St John’s Episcopal church, which has already been condemned by religious leaders.
“Let me be clear, the president just used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and one of the churches of my diocese, without permission, as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus,” The Right Rev Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, told the Washington Post.
Asked by a reporter if the prop was his Bible, Trump responded: “It’s a Bible.”
.@WashArchbishop Gregory has released a statement on the president's visit to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine.https://t.co/46g9Ac8Wy5 pic.twitter.com/d1wERIoLVp — DC Archdiocese (@WashArchdiocese) June 2, 2020
As many other critics of the stunt have pointed out, aside from the disgraceful use of force against citizens to ensure a photo could be taken, the president appeared in images holding the Bible backwards and seemingly upside down, as if he’d never held one before.
“I just wish he’d open it once in a while,” Joe Biden said in a speech this morning.
That wasn’t the first such indication that the president is unfamiliar with the contents of the holy book.
Back in 2015, in the lead-up to his election, Trump frequently named the Bible as his favorite book. At a rally in Michigan Trump asked a crowd how many had read his own book The Art of the Deal.
“It’s my second favorite book of all time,” he said. “Do you know what my first is? The Bible! Nothing beats the Bible!”
It became a recurring theme for him on the campaign trail.
“As much as I love The Art of the Deal, it’s not even close,” he said. “We take the Bible all the way.”
Every time Trump does his usual bullshit religious pandering, I think it's very important we all watch this. pic.twitter.com/r8t6cMdrxD — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) June 2, 2020
Not long after, the then candidate was asked during an interview with Bloomberg to expound on one of his favorite chapters from his favorite book and he demurred.
“I wouldn’t want to get into it. Because to me, that’s very personal,” he said. “The Bible means a lot to me, but I don’t want to get into specifics.”
Asked if he could at least choose between the New and Old Testaments, he again passed.
“Probably equal. I think it’s just incredible.”
A few months earlier he managed to remember at least one favorite line from the Bible that did stick out to him in a radio interview.
“Well, I think many. I mean, when we get into the Bible, I think many, so many. And some people, look, an eye for an eye, you can almost say that. That’s not a particularly nice thing. But you know, if you look at what’s happening to our country, I mean, when you see what’s going on with our country, how people are taking advantage of us, and how they scoff at us and laugh at us.””
The next year, at a service in Iowa, Trump attempted to put money in the communion plate. Previously he had said it was a process he was familiar with, saying he would often “drink his little wine and “take his little cracker”.
In March, a pastor who leads a Bible study group for members of the Trump cabinet, and is reported to be a loose adviser to the president, wrote a piece that blamed the Covid-19 pandemic on gay people and environmentalists.
Last year, Trump shared a quote from a non-Jewish radio host who likened him to the “King of Israel” and said Israelis “love him like he is the second coming of God”.
“Thank you,” the president responded.
“Thank you to Wayne Allyn Root for the very nice words. “President Trump is the greatest President for Jews and for Israel in the history of the world, not just America, he is the best President for Israel in the history of the world...and the Jewish people in Israel love him.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 21, 2019
....like he’s the King of Israel. They love him like he is the second coming of God...But American Jews don’t know him or like him. They don’t even know what they’re doing or saying anymore. It makes no sense! But that’s OK, if he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s good for..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 21, 2019
The president, who has said he does not frequently ask for forgiveness, is not a regular churchgoer. During the impeachment vote he said of Mitt Romney, “I don’t like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong.”
In 2016, he won 81% of the white evangelical vote.