therealnews--2020-02-06--ExxonMobil Got Congress to Trade Arms for Offshore Gas

In a bitterly divided Congress , lawmakers still managed to come together to help ExxonMobil pass major legislation that could remake the geopolitics of the Middle East and Europe .
During the holiday season legislative blitz in December , legislators tucked an obscure provision into the omnibus spending package that lifted arms restrictions and boosted a controversial pipeline deal in the eastern Mediterranean Sea .
The omnibus includes provisions from the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act , legislation introduced in the House and Senate last year .
It promises a range of U.S. assistance for the development of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel and Cyprus , including support for constructing pipelines and liquified natural gas terminals and the creation of a United States-Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center in the region run by the U.S. Department of Energy .
Cyprus , one of the smallest states in the European Union , has come under increasing pressure from Turkey , which opposes the development of new gas fields off the disputed coasts of the island state and has used its navy to threaten drilling vessels .
In response , the legislative text also repeals the prohibition of weapons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1987 , promotes greater U.S. military assistance to Greece and Cyprus , and instructs the U.S. to maintain its newly situated predator drone fleet in the region .
While the provision received scant coverage in American media , its passage prompted a flurry of activity .
On January 2 , leaders of Israel , Greece , and Cyprus appeared together to sign a trilateral deal to build a new $ 6.7 billion pipeline to bring gas from offshore fields in Israel and Cyprus to Greece , Italy , and Bulgaria .
The new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 billion cubic meters of gas to those countries annually , pitched as a way to lessen Russian and Turkish energy influence in the region .
Days later , Russia and Turkey announced plans for their own joint venture , the TurkStream Pipeline .
The authorization of the military assistance and pipeline support never received a single hearing , an up or down vote , or any open debate .
Its inclusion in the must-pass spending package reflects the powerful lobbying coalition that came together in support of the deal .
That coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Cyprus , the American Jewish Committee , and Christians United for Israel , an evangelical group with close ties to Israel .
Greek-American diaspora groups also mobilized to lobby for the legislation .
Hellenic American Leadership Council , one Greek American group , touted the passage of the text as the “ most pro-Hellenic bill in a generation.
” But disclosure documents reviewed by The Real News and The Intercept suggest that ExxonMobil was at the center of the lobbying effort .
The energy giant curried favor to win support for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as in Washington , D.C .
The rapid political moves on Capitol Hill came just months after ExxonMobil announced one of the largest gas field discoveries in recent years off the coast of Cyprus in February of 2019—the latest in a series of new discoveries in the region over the past decade .
In 2013 , the Hudson Institute was the first major Beltway institution to call for the U.S. to provide military assistance to Cyprus and to promote the development of the new gas discoveries in the region .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a follow-up long report on the issue , after which ExxonMobil disclosed a donation of $ 15,000 to the think tank .
Seth Cropsey , a senior Pentagon official for the Reagan and George H.W .
Bush administrations , served as the lead author of both reports .
The new gas discoveries prompted growing coordination between Israel , Greece , and Cyprus .
“ We decided to explore this in a very audacious way : to form a trilateral committee between Greece , Cyprus and Israel , to plan the possibility of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of gas and export them to Europe via Greece—a pipeline from Israel , Cyprus through Greece to Europe , ” Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a press conference in 2016 .
Also in 2016 , ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum formed a new venture and won a bid to explore offshore blocks near Cyprus .
The contract was later inked in a 2017 ceremony in Cyprus , with officials from both companies present , alongside both the U.S .
Ambassador and Qatari Ambassador to Cyprus .
“ ExxonMobil and our partner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successful history of developing gas resources , ” said Andrew Swiger , principal foreign officer for ExxonMobil , in a press release at the time of winning the bid .
Lobbying disclosures in the European Union show that ExxonMobil officials quickly went to work , scheduling meetings in March 2018 with an unnamed EU cabinet member on gas exploration near Cyprus .
Just three days later , the U.S. military brought the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit to Limassol , Cyprus on the USS Iwo Jima as ExxonMobil commenced exploratory drilling in the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the company boasted about the Cyprus gas fields as a key area of growth .
Asked by analysts about where ExxonMobil sees its greatest future prospects , Neil Chapman , ExxonMobil ’ s senior vice president , said he “ would highlight Cyprus.
” Last year , in another conference call with investors , Chapman emphasized that the Cyprus fields “ turned out to be a pretty nice discovery.
” The EUobserver , a watchdog media outlet , obtained an email showing that ExxonMobil hosted a lunch in April 2018 with Cypriot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomat , and EU commissioner Christos Stylianides , to discuss the company ’ s gas exploration of the Cyprus coast .
The lunch took place at a restaurant located close to the U.S. Embassy in Brussels , Belgium .
In October 2018 , the company also served as the lead sponsor of a gala held in Greece at the largest business convention in southeast Europe .
In a photo published by the U.S. Embassy in Cyprus , U.S .
Ambassador to Cyprus Kathleen Doherty is seen alongside ExxonMobil executives .
Exxon is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offshoot of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that receives financial backing from the U.S. Embassy in Cyprus .
The company ’ s office in Cyprus is located next door to the Embassy .
Varnavas Theodossiou , lead country manager for the company in Cyprus , sits on the board of directors for AmCham Cyprus .
Praising ExxonMobil by name for its efforts in the region , U.S .
Ambassador to Cyprus Judith Garber gave a speech to the AmCham Cyprus this past September .
“ We are proud that two American companies—ExxonMobil and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Garber , according to a transcript of her remarks .
As the corporation—dubbed a “ private empire ” by investigative journalist Steve Coll—moved to shore up EU support for the deal , the U.S. also brokered a political agreement .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , last March , convened a meeting in Jerusalem with officials from Israel , Greece , and Cyprus to “ affirm their shared commitment to promoting peace , stability , security , and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
” The State Department ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leaders at the meeting “ welcomed the recent natural gas finds in the Eastern Mediterranean and its potential to contribute to energy security and diversification.
” The month after the Jerusalem meeting , Sen. Bob Menendez , D-N.J. , and Sen. Marco Rubio , R-Fla. , introduced the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act .
Menendez , according to Senate expense filings , traveled to Athens shortly after introducing the legislation to discuss the idea with Greek and Cypriot officials .
The public disclosures only show part of the story .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christians United for Israel , the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association , and American Jewish Committee mounted a sustained lobbying campaign with officials over the bill ( which later became the provision included in the omnibus spending package ) .
The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association spent $ 15,000 during the second half of 2019 lobbying for the legislation , and for another bill which would prevent the U.S. Department of Defense from sending arms to Turkey .
The AJC spent $ 30,000 lobbying for it and two other issues during the third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for its part , spent $ 90,000 lobbying for the legislation and other bills during the second half of the year .
The group says in its fourth quarter filing that it pushed to get the legislation inserted into the budget bill .
The coalition ’ s lobbying campaign called for the United States to lift the arms embargo on exports to Cyprus , which began in 1987 after a sustained lobbying campaign by the Turkish foreign agents in the United States , known as one of the most robust foreign lobbying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following the Turkish occupation of the island in 1974 in response to a military coup engineered by the Greek government .
The Turkish government calls its occupied territory the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , which is not internationally recognized .
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus lobbied against the legislation , according to foreign agency lobbying documents , hiring the firm Prime Policy Group to act on its behalf .
Prime Policy Group is the successor to Black , Manafort , Stone and Kelly , a firm that was the namesake of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul Manafort and Roger Stone .
Despite that opposition , the mix of foreign , pro-Israel , and energy lobbying prevailed .
Without debate over either the wisdom of lifting the arms embargo or the exclusionary development of Cyprus gas fields in the hands of a few regional governments , Sen. Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y.—citing the bill ’ s bipartisan support—signaled approval for the vast majority of it to be included in the spending bill .
( The spending bill removed language denouncing Russia ’ s arming Turkey with an S-400 fighter missile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Concerns about the climate crisis and methane emissions associated with offshore gas drilling , too , went undiscussed .
Methane is a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide when emitted .
Pompeo was scheduled to appear in Cyprus to celebrate the signing of the omnibus bill , which boosted the new pipeline deal and the lifted of the arms embargo .
The trip , however , was canceled because of the assassination of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani .
Sen. Menendez then met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on January 8 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump , with Menendez presenting him with a copy of the legislation for a photo opportunity .
The senator received $ 36,500 in defense industry political action committee campaign contributions during his successful 2018 re-election bid cycle , garnering more than $ 10,000 in campaign contributions from General Atomics , producer of the MQ-9 drones that will continue to be stationed at the military base in Greece under the legislation ’ s dictates .
For his part , Sen. Rubio received $ 17,951 in campaign contributions from ExxonMobil during his 2016 re-election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atomics during that same cycle .
Neither Menendez nor Rubio responded to repeated requests for comment for this story .
Belén Balanyá , a researcher and campaigner for the group Corporate Europe Observatory , said the passage of this bill symbolizes the clout the ExxonMobil has within the European Union political process .
“ ExxonMobil ’ s lobbying , direct and in association with other dirty fossil fuel companies and their huge web of lobby groups , has helped lock the EU into fossil-fuel dependency for another 30 years , ” Balanyá said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why we have launched together with other groups the Fossil Free Politics campaign , where , similar to existing restrictions on tobacco industry lobbyists , we demand a firewall between decision makers and the fossil fuel lobby .
Only then can we take the real action we need to leave fossil fuels in the ground .
”

In a bitterly divided Congress, lawmakers still managed to come together to help ExxonMobil pass major legislation that could remake the geopolitics of the Middle East and Europe.
During the holiday season legislative blitz in December, legislators tucked an obscure provision into the omnibus spending package that lifted arms restrictions and boosted a controversial pipeline deal in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
The omnibus includes provisions from the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act, legislation introduced in the House and Senate last year. It promises a range of U.S. assistance for the development of natural gas resources off the coasts of Israel and Cyprus, including support for constructing pipelines and liquified natural gas terminals and the creation of a United States-Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center in the region run by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Cyprus, one of the smallest states in the European Union, has come under increasing pressure from Turkey, which opposes the development of new gas fields off the disputed coasts of the island state and has used its navy to threaten drilling vessels.
In response, the legislative text also repeals the prohibition of weapons transfers to Cyprus put in place in 1987, promotes greater U.S. military assistance to Greece and Cyprus, and instructs the U.S. to maintain its newly situated predator drone fleet in the region.
While the provision received scant coverage in American media, its passage prompted a flurry of activity.
On January 2, leaders of Israel, Greece, and Cyprus appeared together to sign a trilateral deal to build a new $6.7 billion pipeline to bring gas from offshore fields in Israel and Cyprus to Greece, Italy, and Bulgaria. The new EastMed pipeline could transport as much as 20 billion cubic meters of gas to those countries annually, pitched as a way to lessen Russian and Turkish energy influence in the region. Days later, Russia and Turkey announced plans for their own joint venture, the TurkStream Pipeline.
The authorization of the military assistance and pipeline support never received a single hearing, an up or down vote, or any open debate. Its inclusion in the must-pass spending package reflects the powerful lobbying coalition that came together in support of the deal.
That coalition included foreign agents tied to both Greece and Cyprus, the American Jewish Committee, and Christians United for Israel, an evangelical group with close ties to Israel. Greek-American diaspora groups also mobilized to lobby for the legislation. Hellenic American Leadership Council, one Greek American group, touted the passage of the text as the “most pro-Hellenic bill in a generation.”
But disclosure documents reviewed by The Real News and The Intercept suggest that ExxonMobil was at the center of the lobbying effort. The energy giant curried favor to win support for the gas project within the European Union, as well as in Washington, D.C.
The rapid political moves on Capitol Hill came just months after ExxonMobil announced one of the largest gas field discoveries in recent years off the coast of Cyprus in February of 2019—the latest in a series of new discoveries in the region over the past decade.
In 2013, the Hudson Institute was the first major Beltway institution to call for the U.S. to provide military assistance to Cyprus and to promote the development of the new gas discoveries in the region. The following year, the Hudson Institute published a follow-up long report on the issue, after which ExxonMobil disclosed a donation of $15,000 to the think tank. Seth Cropsey, a senior Pentagon official for the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, served as the lead author of both reports.
The new gas discoveries prompted growing coordination between Israel, Greece, and Cyprus.
“We decided to explore this in a very audacious way: to form a trilateral committee between Greece, Cyprus and Israel, to plan the possibility of a pipeline that would take our common resources of gas and export them to Europe via Greece—a pipeline from Israel, Cyprus through Greece to Europe,” Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a press conference in 2016.
Also in 2016, ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum formed a new venture and won a bid to explore offshore blocks near Cyprus. The contract was later inked in a 2017 ceremony in Cyprus, with officials from both companies present, alongside both the U.S. Ambassador and Qatari Ambassador to Cyprus.
“ExxonMobil and our partner, Qatar Petroleum, have a long and successful history of developing gas resources,” said Andrew Swiger, principal foreign officer for ExxonMobil, in a press release at the time of winning the bid.
Lobbying disclosures in the European Union show that ExxonMobil officials quickly went to work, scheduling meetings in March 2018 with an unnamed EU cabinet member on gas exploration near Cyprus. Just three days later, the U.S. military brought the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit to Limassol, Cyprus on the USS Iwo Jima as ExxonMobil commenced exploratory drilling in the region.
Speaking with investors later that year, the company boasted about the Cyprus gas fields as a key area of growth. Asked by analysts about where ExxonMobil sees its greatest future prospects, Neil Chapman, ExxonMobil’s senior vice president, said he “would highlight Cyprus.” Last year, in another conference call with investors, Chapman emphasized that the Cyprus fields “turned out to be a pretty nice discovery.”
The EUobserver, a watchdog media outlet, obtained an email showing that ExxonMobil hosted a lunch in April 2018 with Cypriot MEPs, Cyprus’s highest EU diplomat, and EU commissioner Christos Stylianides, to discuss the company’s gas exploration of the Cyprus coast. The lunch took place at a restaurant located close to the U.S. Embassy in Brussels, Belgium.
In October 2018, the company also served as the lead sponsor of a gala held in Greece at the largest business convention in southeast Europe. In a photo published by the U.S. Embassy in Cyprus, U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus Kathleen Doherty is seen alongside ExxonMobil executives.
Ambassador Doherty with ExxonMobil Officials and Cyprus delegation members at the Gala Reception for USA Honored Nation… Posted by U.S. Embassy Cyprus on Friday, 14 September 2018
Exxon is also active within AmCham Cyprus, a global offshoot of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that receives financial backing from the U.S. Embassy in Cyprus. The company’s office in Cyprus is located next door to the Embassy.
Varnavas Theodossiou, lead country manager for the company in Cyprus, sits on the board of directors for AmCham Cyprus. Praising ExxonMobil by name for its efforts in the region, U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus Judith Garber gave a speech to the AmCham Cyprus this past September.
“We are proud that two American companies—ExxonMobil and Noble Energy—are participating in this game-changing development,” said Garber, according to a transcript of her remarks.
As the corporation—dubbed a “private empire” by investigative journalist Steve Coll—moved to shore up EU support for the deal, the U.S. also brokered a political agreement.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, last March, convened a meeting in Jerusalem with officials from Israel, Greece, and Cyprus to “affirm their shared commitment to promoting peace, stability, security, and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean region.” The State Department’s press release from the event noted that the leaders at the meeting “welcomed the recent natural gas finds in the Eastern Mediterranean and its potential to contribute to energy security and diversification.”
The month after the Jerusalem meeting, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act. Menendez, according to Senate expense filings, traveled to Athens shortly after introducing the legislation to discuss the idea with Greek and Cypriot officials.
The public disclosures only show part of the story. Over the following months, ExxonMobil, Christians United for Israel, the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, and American Jewish Committee mounted a sustained lobbying campaign with officials over the bill (which later became the provision included in the omnibus spending package).
The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association spent $15,000 during the second half of 2019 lobbying for the legislation, and for another bill which would prevent the U.S. Department of Defense from sending arms to Turkey. The AJC spent $30,000 lobbying for it and two other issues during the third quarter of 2019 alone. And CUFI, for its part, spent $90,000 lobbying for the legislation and other bills during the second half of the year. The group says in its fourth quarter filing that it pushed to get the legislation inserted into the budget bill.
The coalition’s lobbying campaign called for the United States to lift the arms embargo on exports to Cyprus, which began in 1987 after a sustained lobbying campaign by the Turkish foreign agents in the United States, known as one of the most robust foreign lobbying presences in Washington. Cyprus was divided following the Turkish occupation of the island in 1974 in response to a military coup engineered by the Greek government. The Turkish government calls its occupied territory the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is not internationally recognized.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus lobbied against the legislation, according to foreign agency lobbying documents, hiring the firm Prime Policy Group to act on its behalf. Prime Policy Group is the successor to Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly, a firm that was the namesake of two allies of President Donald Trump, Paul Manafort and Roger Stone.
Despite that opposition, the mix of foreign, pro-Israel, and energy lobbying prevailed. Without debate over either the wisdom of lifting the arms embargo or the exclusionary development of Cyprus gas fields in the hands of a few regional governments, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.—citing the bill’s bipartisan support—signaled approval for the vast majority of it to be included in the spending bill. (The spending bill removed language denouncing Russia’s arming Turkey with an S-400 fighter missile defense system in July 2019.)
Concerns about the climate crisis and methane emissions associated with offshore gas drilling, too, went undiscussed. Methane is a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide when emitted.
Pompeo was scheduled to appear in Cyprus to celebrate the signing of the omnibus bill, which boosted the new pipeline deal and the lifted of the arms embargo. The trip, however, was canceled because of the assassination of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani.
Sen. Menendez then met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on January 8, the day after Mitsotakis met with President Donald Trump, with Menendez presenting him with a copy of the legislation for a photo opportunity. The senator received $36,500 in defense industry political action committee campaign contributions during his successful 2018 re-election bid cycle, garnering more than $10,000 in campaign contributions from General Atomics, producer of the MQ-9 drones that will continue to be stationed at the military base in Greece under the legislation’s dictates.
For his part, Sen. Rubio received $17,951 in campaign contributions from ExxonMobil during his 2016 re-election bid and another $27,900 from General Atomics during that same cycle. Neither Menendez nor Rubio responded to repeated requests for comment for this story.
Belén Balanyá, a researcher and campaigner for the group Corporate Europe Observatory, said the passage of this bill symbolizes the clout the ExxonMobil has within the European Union political process.
“ExxonMobil’s lobbying, direct and in association with other dirty fossil fuel companies and their huge web of lobby groups, has helped lock the EU into fossil-fuel dependency for another 30 years,” Balanyá said via email. “That’s why we have launched together with other groups the Fossil Free Politics campaign, where, similar to existing restrictions on tobacco industry lobbyists, we demand a firewall between decision makers and the fossil fuel lobby. Only then can we take the real action we need to leave fossil fuels in the ground.”
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therealnews--2020-02-06--Baltimore Explores Safe Consumption Sites

JAISAL NOOR : Baltimore has one of the highest overdose death rates in the country .
Twice as many lives are lost in Baltimore to overdose and to homicide .
Emboldened by a recent federal court ruling , officials in parts of the United States are proposing sanctioning safe consumption sites to help save lives .
KELLY : Well , I think the overdose prevention sites are very good because they keep you from being alone when you ’ re using .
JAISAL NOOR : the effort in Baltimore has been spearheaded by council president Brandon Scott .
BRANDON SCOTT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been 3,500 fatal overdoses in Baltimore .
That outweighs the number of people that we lost to even gun violence in Baltimore city .
This is about us re-humanizing people and understanding that our brothers and sisters , our mothers and sons who are struggling with addiction are human , and that they deserve to be treated fairly and they deserve to get the help that they need .
JAISAL NOOR : This effort builds on the work that activists in the field of harm reduction had been doing for years .
RAJANI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people safe and healthy , and even deeper than that , it ’ s around ending the racist war on drugs .
It ’ s around ending criminalization .
JAISAL NOOR : Rajani Gudlavalleti is the Community Organizing Manager at Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition .
She says , “ Informal safe consumption sites have existed in Baltimore for years .
Despite the heavy handed tactics employed in the war on drugs.
” RAJANI GUDVALLETI : Baltimoreans have figured out ways around it to keep each other safe and alive .
We have buildings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
People call it squatting , people call it whatever .
People use them to keep each other safe .
JAISAL NOOR : Europe and Canada have used legal safe consumption sites for years with dramatic results , and studies have shown they ’ ve helped reduce overdose deaths , promote cessation , and help get users into treatment .
Baltimore was one of the first cities to adopt needle exchange services , and harm reduction advocates say the potential to save lives by giving people a safe place to go is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the opioid epidemic or overdose crisis .
Journalist Brandon Soderberg has detailed the potential as well as the challenges put forth by Council President Brandon Scott to establish safe consumption sites , or as Baltimore officials have been calling them , overdose prevention sites , for Filter Magazine , a harm reduction nonprofit .
BRANDON SODERBERG : In the States , a Philadelphia nonprofit called Safe House has been pushing to introduce one of these in Philadelphia .
They took their fight to the federal court because opposition by the federal court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crack house statute , which goes back to Joe Biden and there ’ s a war on drugs , classic war on drugs stuff .
Basically the argument was that this falls under the same concerns as a crack house or a rave , because it ’ s the place we ’ re facilitating and enabling people to do drugs , therefore it ’ s illegal , and it ’ s particularly illegal under the statute .
What a federal judge decided was that this was not the same as those places because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and its express intent is to help people do drugs safely , or to get off of drugs .
JAISAL NOOR : Safe injection sites have existed for years around the world .
What ’ s the track record been and how does that fit with this narrative about , you have to be tough on crime , treat this as a moral issue and the idea that you ’ re putting people in danger by having safe consumption ?
BRANDON SODERBERG : Yeah .
So safe consumption sites , again , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least the ’ 80 ’ s in Europe and other places .
They ’ re this classic idea where most of the world ’ s way ahead of us on this and the drug war , the United States hasn ’ t had one .
The first one in North America was Insight in Vancouver that opened in 2003 , and the track record with these places is incredibly good on terms of not having people die , not having any fatal overdoses .
So when people overdose at these sites , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there that can help them not die from that overdose through Naloxone , and even just plain old CPR .
A metaphor that Russell Maynard , who ’ s a person who works through Insight in Vancouver , provided to me was , that they ’ re extensively lifeguards , and he says that in a really modest way , you want to think this is really super complicated .
Yeah , but it ’ s just having people there to watch and observe and help people if they ’ re overdosing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from drowning , you stop them from dying .
You can ’ t stop someone from drowning if you ’ re not there to help them .
JAISAL NOOR : You talked about the stigma about drugs and it permeates in our society , and with anything else that permeates in our society , it ’ s also reflected in journalism as well and the words that ’ s used to describe , and how we treat the subjects of these stories .
BRANDON SODERBERG : The local paper here , The Baltimore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue that I did for Filter .
Filter is partially a nonprofit harm reduction publication that part of their job is to provide strong and informed coverage about drugs and the drug war , and also counter these narratives .
It ’ s bigger than the Baltimore Sun , but that article that the Sun did about the same issue fell into a lot of the problems you see .
We ’ ve really been moving away from calling people who use drugs , addicts .
You shouldn ’ t assume someone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain drug users have specific definitions of what addiction is .
There ’ s that concern .
Even for me , I don ’ t like the word addict , but I ’ ve always thought that calling someone or calling myself as a former drug user or user was okay .
Why it might be okay for me , it ’ s not the publicly understood stigmatizing language .
If you hang out with people who use drugs , the word junkie is used sometimes proudly .
But the word junkie has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re not in that community , or if you ’ re some crappy politician talking about how we need to close these places down .
So that stigmatizing language .
And then you have just a lot of assumptions about drugs that go back to that same drug war propaganda .
I think reporters , and community members too , get caught up in just associating the presence of drugs and the presence of people that use drugs with crime , as if those things can ’ t be extracted .

Safe consumption sites have been used around the world for decades, and advocates hope they could help Baltimore decrease its overdose death rate–one of the highest in the nation.
Story Transcript
JAISAL NOOR: Baltimore has one of the highest overdose death rates in the country. Twice as many lives are lost in Baltimore to overdose and to homicide. Emboldened by a recent federal court ruling, officials in parts of the United States are proposing sanctioning safe consumption sites to help save lives.
KELLY: Well, I think the overdose prevention sites are very good because they keep you from being alone when you’re using.
JAISAL NOOR: the effort in Baltimore has been spearheaded by council president Brandon Scott.
BRANDON SCOTT: Since 2015, there’s been 3,500 fatal overdoses in Baltimore. That outweighs the number of people that we lost to even gun violence in Baltimore city. This is about us re-humanizing people and understanding that our brothers and sisters, our mothers and sons who are struggling with addiction are human, and that they deserve to be treated fairly and they deserve to get the help that they need.
JAISAL NOOR: This effort builds on the work that activists in the field of harm reduction had been doing for years.
RAJANI GUDVALLETI: Keeping people alive, keeping people safe and healthy, and even deeper than that, it’s around ending the racist war on drugs. It’s around ending criminalization.
JAISAL NOOR: Rajani Gudlavalleti is the Community Organizing Manager at Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition. She says, “Informal safe consumption sites have existed in Baltimore for years. Despite the heavy handed tactics employed in the war on drugs.”
RAJANI GUDVALLETI: Baltimoreans have figured out ways around it to keep each other safe and alive. We have buildings that are vacant, we use them. People call it squatting, people call it whatever. People use them to keep each other safe.
JAISAL NOOR: Europe and Canada have used legal safe consumption sites for years with dramatic results, and studies have shown they’ve helped reduce overdose deaths, promote cessation, and help get users into treatment. Baltimore was one of the first cities to adopt needle exchange services, and harm reduction advocates say the potential to save lives by giving people a safe place to go is the next step in battling what has been called the opioid epidemic or overdose crisis.
Journalist Brandon Soderberg has detailed the potential as well as the challenges put forth by Council President Brandon Scott to establish safe consumption sites, or as Baltimore officials have been calling them, overdose prevention sites, for Filter Magazine, a harm reduction nonprofit.
BRANDON SODERBERG: In the States, a Philadelphia nonprofit called Safe House has been pushing to introduce one of these in Philadelphia. They took their fight to the federal court because opposition by the federal court was based on this thing called the crack house statute, which goes back to Joe Biden and there’s a war on drugs, classic war on drugs stuff.
Basically the argument was that this falls under the same concerns as a crack house or a rave, because it’s the place we’re facilitating and enabling people to do drugs, therefore it’s illegal, and it’s particularly illegal under the statute. What a federal judge decided was that this was not the same as those places because it is facilitating people doing drugs safely, and its express intent is to help people do drugs safely, or to get off of drugs.
JAISAL NOOR: Safe injection sites have existed for years around the world. What’s the track record been and how does that fit with this narrative about, you have to be tough on crime, treat this as a moral issue and the idea that you’re putting people in danger by having safe consumption?
BRANDON SODERBERG: Yeah. So safe consumption sites, again, they’ve existed since I believe at least the ’80’s in Europe and other places. They’re this classic idea where most of the world’s way ahead of us on this and the drug war, the United States hasn’t had one. The first one in North America was Insight in Vancouver that opened in 2003, and the track record with these places is incredibly good on terms of not having people die, not having any fatal overdoses. So when people overdose at these sites, there are medical professionals or other people there that can help them not die from that overdose through Naloxone, and even just plain old CPR.
A metaphor that Russell Maynard, who’s a person who works through Insight in Vancouver, provided to me was, that they’re extensively lifeguards, and he says that in a really modest way, you want to think this is really super complicated. Yeah, but it’s just having people there to watch and observe and help people if they’re overdosing, drowning in this metaphor and help them from drowning, you stop them from dying. You can’t stop someone from drowning if you’re not there to help them.
JAISAL NOOR: You talked about the stigma about drugs and it permeates in our society, and with anything else that permeates in our society, it’s also reflected in journalism as well and the words that’s used to describe, and how we treat the subjects of these stories.
BRANDON SODERBERG: The local paper here, The Baltimore Sun, generally wrote about the same issue that I did for Filter. Filter is partially a nonprofit harm reduction publication that part of their job is to provide strong and informed coverage about drugs and the drug war, and also counter these narratives. It’s bigger than the Baltimore Sun, but that article that the Sun did about the same issue fell into a lot of the problems you see. We’ve really been moving away from calling people who use drugs, addicts. You shouldn’t assume someone who uses drugs is an addict.
Also certain drug users have specific definitions of what addiction is. There’s that concern. Even for me, I don’t like the word addict, but I’ve always thought that calling someone or calling myself as a former drug user or user was okay. Why it might be okay for me, it’s not the publicly understood stigmatizing language. If you hang out with people who use drugs, the word junkie is used sometimes proudly. But the word junkie has a very different meaning if you’re not in that community, or if you’re some crappy politician talking about how we need to close these places down. So that stigmatizing language.
And then you have just a lot of assumptions about drugs that go back to that same drug war propaganda. I think reporters, and community members too, get caught up in just associating the presence of drugs and the presence of people that use drugs with crime, as if those things can’t be extracted.
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Kevin Zeese is co-director of It's Our Economy, an organization that advocates for democratizing the economy. He's also an attorney who is one of the original organizers of the National Occupation of Washington, DC. He has been active in independent and third party political campaigns including for state legislative offices in Maryland, governor of California and U.S. president, where he served as press secretary and spokesperson for Ralph Nader in 2004. He ran for the U.S. Senate in 2006 and was the only person ever nominated by the Green Party, Libertarian Party and Populist Party.


therealnews--2020-02-07--Body Cam Shows Brutal Arrest of Man for Exercising 1st Amendment Rights

This is a rush transcript and may contain errors .
It will be updated .
Taya Graham : Hello , my name is Taya Graham and welcome to the Police Accountability Report .
As I ’ ve said before , this show has a single purpose , to hold police accountable .
To do so , we take deep dives , examining stories of encounters with police that affect people across the country .
Today , we have a story that illustrates exactly what the show is about , but before we get started , I want you watching to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police misconduct or brutality , please share it with us and we might be able to investigate .
Please reach out to us .
You can email us tips privately at [ email protected ] and share your evidence of police misconduct .
You can also message us at Police Accountability Report on Facebook or Instagram or at Eyes on Police on Twitter .
And of course , you can message me directly at [ @ tayasbaltimore 00:00:50 ] on Twitter or Facebook and please like and comment .
You know I read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , one thing that [ Stephen 00:00:55 ] and I have learned reporting on policing across the country is this .
There is an often in explicable psychology that defines American law enforcement which fuels many of the problems that makes it so fraught with danger for the individual and for our democracy .
Occasionally , we call this contempt-of-cop arrests , police encounters over space and constitutionally protected behavior that inexplicably escalates into arrest , conflicts that seem on the surface easily dismissed that sometimes descend into violence .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do they mean and what do they tell us about America ’ s brand of law enforcement in general ?
Well there are two ways to look at this , through the prism of history and cultural theory .
Both offer insights that are often overlooked .
First of all , we have to remember that in some ways police were created to enforce economic inequality .
Let ’ s remember , the man who created the modern police force , Sir Robert Peel , was the son of a wealthy capitalist and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruthless business practices , workers would occasionally revolt .
So his son who was prime minister of England came up with the idea of policing .
And if you really look hard , that initial push to create a force to protect the property of wealth lies at the root of what drives policing today and it ’ s much of what makes it so dysfunctional .
But like many things in this country , we added our own perverse twist to the European formula for disaster .
That ’ s because , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of color , the idea of police primarily protecting property for the rich evolved into the practice of law enforcement hurting and controlling bodies .
We ’ ve all heard about , and I ’ m sure understand , America ’ s ugly and shameful past history of chasing runaway slaves across the country .
It was a business so brisk that recently the New York Times recounted how a pair of slave-catching partners turn the trade of black bodies into the equivalent of a billion-dollar industry in today ’ s dollars , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part the type of policing we have today .
Then add in the war on drugs which allowed nearly limitless arrest powers due to spatial association with objects as absurd as a single marijuana plant and you can see why American cops inspires so much derision , but there is another aspect to this police origin story , something that we talk about on the show quite a bit but often gets overlooked by the mainstream media .
I ’ m talking about the rhetoric , a combination of deliberate rhetoric which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhetoric which is used to justify actions and decisions .
Then combine that with our social conditioning to respect authority , add to that the symbolism of policing , and you see how that process only builds upon the roots we ’ ve already discussed and hints at another socially regressive imperative for American cops .
Stephen , you have studied this quite a bit .
How do police actually alter our perception ?
Stephen Janis : [ inaudible 00:03:42 ] .
All the history you talked about requires constant evolution because it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society evolves , police have to come up with new ways to justify that injustice because it becomes more difficult over time .
So you see with the [ copaganda 00:03:58 ] shows , anyone who watches popular culture knows there ’ s tons of shows- Taya Graham : I think there ’ s seven different like NCIS shows in Florida , all over the country .
These cop shows are so popular .
Stephen Janis : And because unlike other countries the US has a high rate of police killings , somehow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhetorical or narratological tool to make this justified for people so people don ’ t even understand what is happening to them .
Taya Graham : You ’ re right .
And that us-against-them mentality effectively stifles any sort of dissent or critique- Stephen Janis : You have to respect law enforcement in all aspects , and that ’ s what translates into the contempt-of-cop arrests , right ?
Because the police officer is infused with this rhetoric that any sort of saying , “ Police officer , I ’ m not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you told me to , ” becomes part of that narrative and then must be placed in the context .
“ Well I ’ ll arrest him.
” Taya Graham : And of course as always on PAR , we like to show , not tell , and nothing could be more indicative of the problems with American policing than the experience of our next guest .
His encounter with police started innocently enough on the sidewalk where he was holding a guitar .
He encounters a cop who begins giving him odd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out here playing the guitar , this is all private property owned .
So you either need permission or you just need to move on .
Joe Workman : It looks like a public sidewalk .
Joe Workman : Oh , really ?
I ’ ll take a picture of that then .
Joe Workman : All right .
What ’ s your name and your badge number ?
Joe Workman : All right .
I invoke my Fifth Amendment right to remain silent .
Speaker 3 : You ’ re not on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get moving .
Speaker 3 : That is the sidewalk .
This is not .
And however- Joe Workman : Oh , you mean this ?
You mean that ’ s- Speaker 3 : However , you can not solicit in Woodmere .
Joe Workman : I ’ m not soliciting .
So what ’ s your name and badge number ?
Joe Workman : All right .
Get a supervisor out here then .
Taya Graham : Soon , because he refuses to follow them because they are unlawful , tensions escalated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Workman : You said I ’ m going to go to jail ?
Speaker 5 : For failing to comply with a lawful order .
I ’ m telling you that we have an ordinance .
Joe Workman : Yeah , but your ordinance says nothing about noise .
Joe Workman : No , it ’ s not .
I ’ ve read your ordinances .
Speaker 5 : If you ’ re playing , I ’ m going to take you to jail .
Okay .
Speaker 5 : If you play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take you to jail .
Okay ?
Joe Workman : All right .
Well I have a lawyer for that .
Speaker 5 : I don ’ t care what you got .
Speaker 5 : I ’ m going to take you to jail .
Matter of fact , matter of fact- Joe Workman : Matter of fact , I ’ m putting the guitar away .
I ’ m going to see your ass in court , you fucking piece of shit .
Joe Workman : Yeah .
Why ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Speaker 5 : You keep cussing , I ’ m going to arrest you for disorderly conduct .
Joe Workman : No , because you can ’ t .
Yeah , because you can ’ t because the First Amendment protects me , you fucking- Joe Workman : First Amendment .
The First Amendment , dude .
You ever hear that one ?
Speaker 5 : Yeah .
All right .
Put that down .
Put that down .
Put it down ?
Speaker 5 : Put this down .
Put the guitar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s right .
The guitar ’ s down .
Dude , get down on the ground .
Joe Workman : All right .
All right .
Speaker 5 : I promise you ’ re going to jail now .
Taya Graham : Now before we get too deep into what happened , we are joined by the man himself .
Our guest today is Joe Workman , a guitarist and street performer who ’ s been fighting for his First Amendment rights .
Joe , thank you so much for joining us .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ me .
How did this incident start ?
I believe you were busking or playing guitar for money outside of a Starbucks .
How did this all begin ?
Joe Workman : Yeah , I ’ d like to note that I play in the area .
It ’ s called Chagrin Falls out there .
I play there a lot and it ’ s a well respected activity out there .
It ’ s commonplace .
Woodmere is very close to Chagrin Falls .
I figured I ’ d just branch out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there .
Yeah , I did not expect to come in contact with any law enforcement or security or anything like that .
I was just basically enjoying my day playing my instrument .
Taya Graham : So you ’ re out there playing the guitar .
I think you even mentioned in the video that there were people who were enjoying your music , and then an officer threatens you .
How did the officers start to threaten you ?
I think it initially started with him saying you were trespassing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foot onto the sidewalk .
How did this incident really begin and when did it start to really escalate ?
Joe Workman : Right .
They told me I had to leave and that I could not play guitar and that if I played my guitar once again , that I ’ d be arrested .
Taya Graham : So you ’ re playing your guitar and he threatens to arrest you for playing your guitar .
And then you use a little bit of profanity and he threatens to arrest you for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Wait a second .
I have freedom of speech.
” Were you shocked when this officer didn ’ t understand your constitutional rights ?
Joe Workman : Oh , yeah .
I mean he swore an oath .
He ’ s a Sergeant .
He swore an oath to protect all the amendments and clearly contradicted that .
Taya Graham : Joe , why do you think the officer assaulted you ?
Because eventually it seems like he takes you to the ground really hard and starts to put you in cuffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ?
Joe Workman : I think it might have to do with the ego that so many officials in the policing industry have .
It seems like they need to control somebody else .
Yeah , there ’ s a lot possibly that could have been going through his head , but I think he was just pissed off that I insulted him and took it into his own hands .
Taya Graham : Now , just something that stood out to me is that even when he had you on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge you again with a resisting arrest .
Do you know why he did that ?
Joe Workman : I imagine it ’ s because I told them that I was planning on suing them .
Stephen Janis : Joe , how did you get ahold of the body camera footage ?
Is that something you got ?
Is that something they gave to you or did they release that ?
How were you able to obtain that ?
Joe Workman : Actually , it took a little bit of prying for me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police department a couple of times before they really gave me like the procedure on how to get it .
They made it seem like I wasn ’ t going to be able to get it at first and then it ended up being $ 15 dollars for a CD .
Taya Graham : So I wanted to know .
Does this officer have any history of violating people ’ s civil rights ?
I mean this officer could have easily deescalated the situation .
So does he have any sort of history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found out about this officer ?
Joe Workman : There was something about a DUI .
I know that ’ s why he … He ’ s an award-winning officer .
Taya Graham : Are you facing any charges right now for what happened with you and this officer that night ?
Joe Workman : Yeah , there ’ s a whole list of them he kind of generated .
Taya Graham : So I think one of the charges would probably be resisting arrest .
Another charge I think he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was disorderly conduct .
I mean I imagine this is going to be somewhat of a hardship on you having to get a lawyer , having to go back and forth with court .
I ’ m sure this is very stressful .
How are you feeling right now knowing that you have to face criminal charges because of what this officer did ?
Joe Workman : It is scary .
It ’ s frustrating , scary , disheartening .
I mean I know I ’ m not the only one going through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s overwhelming .
Taya Graham : What would you want to happen as a result ?
Do you want an apology from this officer ?
What do you hope will be the result of coming forward and sharing your story with us today ?
Joe Workman : I ’ m not against … I think there ’ s uses for laws in society and I think actually the stricter laws is the answer because these officers need to be subject to higher standards and possibly better training .
Taya Graham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fair to say that officers should adhere to a higher standard simply because they ’ re being given the power of life and death over us when they put on that badge .
So in theory , they should be held to a higher standard .
It ’ s clear just from watching this one video American police have a problem .
They have been given almost unlimited power without the requisite responsibility of how to use it properly .
They can take a life based upon any perception that their own is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not .
They can arrest and imprison anyone without due cause just like with what we saw today over a minor conflict over space .
They can become , in essence , a destroyer of lives and often nonproductive views of the social power invested in them that rarely gets questioned .
Instead , as Stephen discussed , the police translate any dissent or discussion of what they should be doing into the rhetoric of us against them .
You ’ re either with us or against us .
Do what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Does that sound familiar ?
I think we all know where the stifling of free speech and free press and descent leads .
It leads us into a police state where we run home before nightfall to lock our doors and pray we won ’ t be the next ones dragged away in the middle of the night .
I ’ d like to thank my guest , Joe , for coming to talk with us today and sharing his story for his fight for freedom of speech .
Thank you so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pleasure .
Good to be here .
Taya Graham : And of course I want to thank my colleague investigative reporter , Stephen Janis , for his invaluable writing and reporting .
And I ’ d like to thank one of our viewers , [ Nollie 00:13:25 ] D. for her research for this Police Accountability Report .
Thank you , Nollie D. And before we go , I want you watching to know that if you have evidence of police misconduct or brutality , please share it with us and we might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to us .
You can email us tips privately [ email protected ] and share your evidence of police misconduct .
Of course , you can message me directly at @ tayasbaltimore on Twitter or Facebook , and please like and comment .
I do read your comments and appreciate them .
Please share our videos to help us get the word out .
I ’ m your host , Taya Graham , and I want to thank you for joining me for this Police Accountability Report .
Be safe out there .

A recent arrest of a man playing guitar on a public sidewalk raises deeper questions about the power of American policing and how cops have nearly lawless discretion to arrest and harm.
Story Transcript
This is a rush transcript and may contain errors. It will be updated.
Taya Graham: Hello, my name is Taya Graham and welcome to the Police Accountability Report. As I’ve said before, this show has a single purpose, to hold police accountable. To do so, we take deep dives, examining stories of encounters with police that affect people across the country. Today, we have a story that illustrates exactly what the show is about, but before we get started, I want you watching to know that if you have evidence of police misconduct or brutality, please share it with us and we might be able to investigate. Please reach out to us. You can email us tips privately at par@therealnews.com and share your evidence of police misconduct. You can also message us at Police Accountability Report on Facebook or Instagram or at Eyes on Police on Twitter. And of course, you can message me directly at [@tayasbaltimore 00:00:50] on Twitter or Facebook and please like and comment. You know I read your comments and that I appreciate them.
Now, one thing that [Stephen 00:00:55] and I have learned reporting on policing across the country is this. There is an often in explicable psychology that defines American law enforcement which fuels many of the problems that makes it so fraught with danger for the individual and for our democracy. Occasionally, we call this contempt-of-cop arrests, police encounters over space and constitutionally protected behavior that inexplicably escalates into arrest, conflicts that seem on the surface easily dismissed that sometimes descend into violence. But why do they keep happening and what do they mean and what do they tell us about America’s brand of law enforcement in general? Well there are two ways to look at this, through the prism of history and cultural theory. Both offer insights that are often overlooked.
First of all, we have to remember that in some ways police were created to enforce economic inequality. Let’s remember, the man who created the modern police force, Sir Robert Peel, was the son of a wealthy capitalist and mill owner. Due to his often ruthless business practices, workers would occasionally revolt. So his son who was prime minister of England came up with the idea of policing. And if you really look hard, that initial push to create a force to protect the property of wealth lies at the root of what drives policing today and it’s much of what makes it so dysfunctional. But like many things in this country, we added our own perverse twist to the European formula for disaster. That’s because, thanks to our pension for enslaving people of color, the idea of police primarily protecting property for the rich evolved into the practice of law enforcement hurting and controlling bodies. We’ve all heard about, and I’m sure understand, America’s ugly and shameful past history of chasing runaway slaves across the country. It was a business so brisk that recently the New York Times recounted how a pair of slave-catching partners turn the trade of black bodies into the equivalent of a billion-dollar industry in today’s dollars, and these dual historical roots explain in part the type of policing we have today.
Then add in the war on drugs which allowed nearly limitless arrest powers due to spatial association with objects as absurd as a single marijuana plant and you can see why American cops inspires so much derision, but there is another aspect to this police origin story, something that we talk about on the show quite a bit but often gets overlooked by the mainstream media. I’m talking about the rhetoric, a combination of deliberate rhetoric which is used to sway your opinion and judicial rhetoric which is used to justify actions and decisions. Then combine that with our social conditioning to respect authority, add to that the symbolism of policing, and you see how that process only builds upon the roots we’ve already discussed and hints at another socially regressive imperative for American cops. Stephen, you have studied this quite a bit. How do police actually alter our perception?
Stephen Janis: [inaudible 00:03:42]. All the history you talked about requires constant evolution because it’s rooted in injustice. As society evolves, police have to come up with new ways to justify that injustice because it becomes more difficult over time. So you see with the [copaganda 00:03:58] shows, anyone who watches popular culture knows there’s tons of shows-
Taya Graham: I think there’s seven different like NCIS shows in Florida, all over the country. These cop shows are so popular.
Stephen Janis: And because unlike other countries the US has a high rate of police killings, somehow you have to come up with a rhetorical or narratological tool to make this justified for people so people don’t even understand what is happening to them.
Taya Graham: You’re right. And that us-against-them mentality effectively stifles any sort of dissent or critique-
Stephen Janis: Right. Yeah.
Taya Graham: … completely.
Stephen Janis: You have to respect law enforcement in all aspects, and that’s what translates into the contempt-of-cop arrests, right? Because the police officer is infused with this rhetoric that any sort of saying, “Police officer, I’m not going to walk over to the corner because you told me to,” becomes part of that narrative and then must be placed in the context. “Well I’ll arrest him.”
Taya Graham: And of course as always on PAR, we like to show, not tell, and nothing could be more indicative of the problems with American policing than the experience of our next guest. His encounter with police started innocently enough on the sidewalk where he was holding a guitar. He encounters a cop who begins giving him odd orders.
Speaker 3: For someone out here playing the guitar, this is all private property owned. So you either need permission or you just need to move on.
Joe Workman: It looks like a public sidewalk.
Speaker 3: This isn’t a public sidewalk.
Joe Workman: This is.
Speaker 3: This isn’t a public sidewalk.
Joe Workman: Oh, really? I’ll take a picture of that then.
Speaker 3: Go ahead.
Joe Workman: All right. What’s your name and your badge number?
Speaker 3: It’s Patrolmen [inaudible 00:05:20] 7918.
Joe Workman: Yeah?
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Joe Workman: All right. I invoke my Fifth Amendment right to remain silent.
Speaker 3: All right.
Joe Workman: I’m on a public sidewalk.
Speaker 3: You’re not on a public sidewalk and you need to get moving.
Joe Workman: This is a fucking sidewalk.
Speaker 3: That is the sidewalk. This is not. And however-
Joe Workman: Oh, you mean this? You mean that’s-
Speaker 3: However, you cannot solicit in Woodmere.
Joe Workman: I’m not soliciting. So what’s your name and badge number?
Speaker 3: I already told you.
Joe Workman: All right. Get a supervisor out here then.
Speaker 3: He’s right here.
Taya Graham: Soon, because he refuses to follow them because they are unlawful, tensions escalated. Let’s watch.
Joe Workman: You said I’m going to go to jail?
Speaker 5: Yes.
Joe Workman: Why?
Speaker 5: For failing to comply with a lawful order. I’m telling you that we have an ordinance.
Joe Workman: Yeah, but your ordinance says nothing about noise.
Speaker 5: We have a noise ordinance.
Joe Workman: No, it’s not. I’ve read your ordinances.
Speaker 5: If you’re playing, I’m going to take you to jail. Okay.
Joe Workman: For playing guitar?
Speaker 5: If you play it again, I’m going to take you to jail. Okay?
Joe Workman: Oh, yeah?
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Joe Workman: All right. Well I have a lawyer for that.
Speaker 5: I don’t care what you got.
Joe Workman: All right.
Speaker 5: I’m going to take you to jail. Matter of fact, matter of fact-
Joe Workman: Matter of fact, I’m putting the guitar away. I’m going to see your ass in court, you fucking piece of shit.
Speaker 5: Excuse me?
Joe Workman: Dude, you’re fucking being an asshole.
Speaker 5: I’m being an asshole?
Joe Workman: Yeah. Why? I was playing the goddamn guitar.
Speaker 5: You keep cussing, I’m going to arrest you for disorderly conduct.
Joe Workman: No, because you can’t. Yeah, because you can’t because the First Amendment protects me, you fucking-
Speaker 5: Fucking what?
Joe Workman: First Amendment. The First Amendment, dude. You ever hear that one?
Speaker 5: Yeah. All right. Put that down. Put that down. Put it down?
Joe Workman: Why?
Speaker 5: You’re going to jail.
Joe Workman: For what?
Speaker 5: Put this down. Put the guitar down.
Speaker 3: Put it down.
Speaker 5: That’s right. The guitar’s down. Dude, get down on the ground.
Joe Workman: All right. All right.
Speaker 5: Put your hand back there. Don’t fucking move.
Joe Workman: I’m not moving. I promise.
Speaker 5: I promise you’re going to jail now.
Joe Workman: For what?
Taya Graham: Now before we get too deep into what happened, we are joined by the man himself. Our guest today is Joe Workman, a guitarist and street performer who’s been fighting for his First Amendment rights. Joe, thank you so much for joining us.
Joe Workman: My pleasure.
Taya Graham: So Joe, tell me. How did this incident start? I believe you were busking or playing guitar for money outside of a Starbucks. How did this all begin?
Joe Workman: Yeah, I’d like to note that I play in the area. It’s called Chagrin Falls out there. I play there a lot and it’s a well respected activity out there. It’s commonplace. Woodmere is very close to Chagrin Falls. I figured I’d just branch out a little bit and try playing over there. Yeah, I did not expect to come in contact with any law enforcement or security or anything like that. I was just basically enjoying my day playing my instrument.
Taya Graham: So you’re out there playing the guitar. I think you even mentioned in the video that there were people who were enjoying your music, and then an officer threatens you. How did the officers start to threaten you? I think it initially started with him saying you were trespassing, and then you had to step one foot onto the sidewalk. How did this incident really begin and when did it start to really escalate?
Joe Workman: Right. They told me I had to leave and that I could not play guitar and that if I played my guitar once again, that I’d be arrested.
Taya Graham: So you’re playing your guitar and he threatens to arrest you for playing your guitar. And then you use a little bit of profanity and he threatens to arrest you for using profanity. And you say, “Wait a second. I have freedom of speech.” Were you shocked when this officer didn’t understand your constitutional rights?
Joe Workman: Oh, yeah. I mean he swore an oath. He’s a Sergeant. He swore an oath to protect all the amendments and clearly contradicted that.
Taya Graham: Joe, why do you think the officer assaulted you? Because eventually it seems like he takes you to the ground really hard and starts to put you in cuffs. Why do you think he assaulted you?
Joe Workman: I think it might have to do with the ego that so many officials in the policing industry have. It seems like they need to control somebody else. Yeah, there’s a lot possibly that could have been going through his head, but I think he was just pissed off that I insulted him and took it into his own hands.
Taya Graham: Now, just something that stood out to me is that even when he had you on the ground in handcuffs, he threatened to charge you again with a resisting arrest. Do you know why he did that?
Joe Workman: I imagine it’s because I told them that I was planning on suing them.
Stephen Janis: Joe, how did you get ahold of the body camera footage? Is that something you got? Is that something they gave to you or did they release that? How were you able to obtain that?
Joe Workman: Actually, it took a little bit of prying for me because I had to go to the police department a couple of times before they really gave me like the procedure on how to get it. They made it seem like I wasn’t going to be able to get it at first and then it ended up being $15 dollars for a CD.
Taya Graham: So I wanted to know. Does this officer have any history of violating people’s civil rights? I mean this officer could have easily deescalated the situation. So does he have any sort of history of doing this? What have you found out about this officer?
Joe Workman: There was something about a DUI. I know that’s why he … He’s an award-winning officer.
Taya Graham: Are you facing any charges right now for what happened with you and this officer that night?
Joe Workman: Yeah, there’s a whole list of them he kind of generated.
Taya Graham: So I think one of the charges would probably be resisting arrest. Another charge I think he said, now this was during the video, was disorderly conduct. I mean I imagine this is going to be somewhat of a hardship on you having to get a lawyer, having to go back and forth with court. I’m sure this is very stressful. How are you feeling right now knowing that you have to face criminal charges because of what this officer did?
Joe Workman: It is scary. It’s frustrating, scary, disheartening. I mean I know I’m not the only one going through something like this right now and yeah, it’s overwhelming.
Taya Graham: What would you want to happen as a result? Do you want an apology from this officer? What do you hope will be the result of coming forward and sharing your story with us today?
Joe Workman: I’m not against … I think there’s uses for laws in society and I think actually the stricter laws is the answer because these officers need to be subject to higher standards and possibly better training.
Taya Graham: I think that’s very fair to say that officers should adhere to a higher standard simply because they’re being given the power of life and death over us when they put on that badge. So in theory, they should be held to a higher standard. It’s clear just from watching this one video American police have a problem. They have been given almost unlimited power without the requisite responsibility of how to use it properly. They can take a life based upon any perception that their own is in danger whether that’s true or not. They can arrest and imprison anyone without due cause just like with what we saw today over a minor conflict over space. They can become, in essence, a destroyer of lives and often nonproductive views of the social power invested in them that rarely gets questioned.
Instead, as Stephen discussed, the police translate any dissent or discussion of what they should be doing into the rhetoric of us against them. You’re either with us or against us. Do what we say, not what we do. Does that sound familiar? I think we all know where the stifling of free speech and free press and descent leads. It leads us into a police state where we run home before nightfall to lock our doors and pray we won’t be the next ones dragged away in the middle of the night. I’d like to thank my guest, Joe, for coming to talk with us today and sharing his story for his fight for freedom of speech. Thank you so much, Joe.
Joe Workman: My pleasure. Good to be here.
Taya Graham: And of course I want to thank my colleague investigative reporter, Stephen Janis, for his invaluable writing and reporting. And I’d like to thank one of our viewers, [Nollie 00:13:25] D. for her research for this Police Accountability Report. Thank you, Nollie D. And before we go, I want you watching to know that if you have evidence of police misconduct or brutality, please share it with us and we might be able to investigate. Reach out to us. You can email us tips privately par@therealnews.com and share your evidence of police misconduct. Of course, you can message me directly at @tayasbaltimore on Twitter or Facebook, and please like and comment. I do read your comments and appreciate them. Please share our videos to help us get the word out. I’m your host, Taya Graham, and I want to thank you for joining me for this Police Accountability Report. Be safe out there.
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Production: Adam Coley, Stephen Janis, Taya Graham
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therealnews--2020-02-07--Irish Left Set to Win General Election, But Still Shut Out of Governing?

This is a rush transcript and may contain errors .
It will be updated .
Greg Wolpert : It ’ s the Real News Network and I ’ m Greg Wolpert in Baltimore .
Ireland is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections this coming Saturday and it does not look good for the two parties that have dominated Irish politics for the past 100 years .
The two parties which have alternated in government since Irish independence in 1921 are Fine Gael , the party currently in control under the leadership of Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fail .
Both are generally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have dominated Irish politics more for historical and not illogical reasons .
The main insurgent in this election is Sinn Fein under the leadership of Mary MacDonald .
Originally , this party was the political wing of the provisional Irish Republican army , which led the fight for Northern Ireland ’ s independence from Britain in the 1970s to the 1990s .
Ever since the conflict ended in 1998 Sinn Fein has become more of a traditional left party .
Recent polls suggest that Sinn Fein could win 25 % of the vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fine Gael and Fianna Fail .
If so , this would represent a major shift in Irish politics .
Joining me to analyze the upcoming election is Michael Taft .
He ’ s a researcher for the Irish Trade Union , SIPTU and blogs at Notes on the Front .
Also , he recently wrote an article for Jacobin titled , This Month ’ s Elections in Ireland are a Historic Opportunity .
Thanks for joining us today , Michael .
Greg Wolpert : What are the main issues in this election and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Fine Gael not been doing so well in this campaign ?
Michael Taft : Well , the main issues would be similar to issues across Europe .
Housing is a particular issue .
We have a crisis in homelessness and especially children ’ s homelessness .
We have rising rents , which are more and more beyond the reach of young working people .
And we have a boom in house prices , which makes it more unaffordable for people to buy a house .
So that ’ s one issue , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
We have hundreds of thousands on the waiting list and that might not seem too big when compared for an American audience , but when you consider the population of Ireland is about 4.8 million , hundreds of thousands represents a significant proportion of people who are in queues waiting to be seen by consultants or doctors or enter into hospital .
So these are parts of the legacy of austerity that the country went through between 2008 and 2014 and okay , we exited the Troika bailout program .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order but what really happened was all the problems that were stored up during austerity were actually just kind of shoved out to the period now .
So we ’ re living with all those mistakes Now the reason why Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are doing so poorly is because one , they don ’ t seem to be in touch with people ’ s , they don ’ t seem to be empathetic , don ’ t seem to understand the conditions that working men and women are in .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Irish politics , that type of empathy .
Secondly , people are now starting to realize , although the realization been a long time coming , but it ’ s now being crystallized and actually ideologically there ’ s not a whole lot of difference between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael .
They were the two parties that opposed each other and they were the main alternatives to each other for a hundred years , but that arose out of divisions in the civil war .
Those divisions are no longer relevant .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest non-conservative or progressive party has been the beneficiary of that and that is coupled with the fact that they have some of the best , what we call parliamentary back-benchers , spokespersons for housing , spokespersons for health , spokespersons for finance .
So they are young , intelligent , and to many people , they represent a break with the two traditional parties .
So that on Saturday we could see is Sinn Fein getting more votes but not necessarily more seats .
Greg Wolpert : From what you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic issues are dominating .
How is it though that this is such a major issue when according to most analysts , Ireland has been doing quite well economically speaking .
That is , they ’ ve been considering it an economic success story since 2013 with a steady economic growth and declining unemployment .
Michael Taft : During the austerity period , unemployment rose to extremely high levels .
Immigration , which has constantly plagued the Irish economy and Irish society , began to rise to very high levels .
But also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the economy has recovered , there ’ s been an attempt to restore those cuts .
But the problem is we had seven , eight years of those cuts and we ’ re a long ways away for restoring it .
Secondly , while there has been an increase in employment , which is welcome , there ’ s also been an increase in precarious employment .
People who have irregular contracts , they are temporary workers , under employed .
So there is an issue in many sections of the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And as I said , all those problems just were stored it up during the austerity period .
And then of course , once we got out of the program , once we could start back into normal budgetary functioning , they blew up .
You can ’ t keep cutting back house building for years and years and expect it to return it overnight .
The same thing with health care , so as I say , we ’ re living through this legacy of austerity .
There are people who feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that the quality of the employment or their quality of living standards is certainly not what it was before the crash and certainly wasn ’ t [ inaudible 00:06:29 ] have expectation .
Just to give you one small little stat , I don ’ t want to get too much in statistics , but 40 % of Irish people are unable to afford an unexpected expense .
That would be like your dishwasher breaks down , there ’ s a hole in your roof , your car needs a repair .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ expense .
That ’ s the very definition of precarious living .
Greg Wolpert : Now these numbers that you ’ re mentioning , it sounds kind of typical for across Europe and even the world I would say , but so how is it that Sinn Fein , which has long been considered politically taboo because of its connections to the IRA during the conflict in Northern Ireland has been able to benefit from this ?
That is , in the past also was the labor party that led the Irish left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So how is it that Sinn Fein has become mainstream now and what does that mean for the Irish left more generally ?
Michael Taft : Well , you ’ re right , labor was the left alternative , if you will , to the two major parties .
And that was traditionally the case up to 2011 .
Unfortunately , labor , like so many other social democratic parties throughout Europe , labor went into a coalition as a minority partner with Fine Gael and of the two traditional parties , Fine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and in that coalition government between 2011 and 2015 , labor stood over some horrendous spending cuts , tax increases on low and average income earners , cutbacks in investment .
And quite simply , they were nearly wiped out in the 2016 election .
They lost 30 out of 38 seats in Parliament .
They suffered the same experience as [ inaudible 00:08:18 ] did in Greece .
So they have not recovered , people have not forgiven them , people don ’ t trust them .
So it through that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grew , that gained support for people .
And one sense Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have stated over and over , they will not negotiate with Sinn Fein after the next election .
And people believe that ’ s hypocritical .
Okay .
Yes , there was the past with the IRA .
There are people who still ask legitimate questions about the organization , Sinn Fein and the role of former IRA people in that .
However , all parties here in the Republic insist that Sinn Fein go into coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Northern Ireland in Stormont .
And yet you have the two traditional parties saying , well we expect you to go into coalition in the North or we ’ re going to have nothing to do with you down south .
People perceive that as hypocritical .
People perceive that as unfair .
And as a lot of people said , they are just tired of this continuous Fianna Fail or Fine Gael rule .
So in many instances you hear the expression , well let ’ s give them a try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be worse than the others .
And you know , people have had experience , good experience , a particular TD , that ’ s TDs are members of parliament here in Ireland or a , you know , particular Sinn Fein politicians .
So they ’ re willing to kind of overlook those problems and see what Sinn Fein has to offer .
Greg Wolpert : The rise of Sinn Fein and of the left parties in Ireland , generally actually fits with the fragmentation of politics around the world at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been a reaction to some of the economic issues that you were talking about earlier .
Now , however , it does seem to be a little bit different in Ireland in the sense that the left under Sinn Fein ’ s potential leadership could come out ahead on Saturday .
Whereas in the rest of Europe it has generally been the far right that has gained more momentum under these conditions .
Now , why is there are no far right so to speak , gaining in Ireland or is there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Taft : We do have a kind of micro far right parties and so you can ’ t say that we ’ re free of the far right influence , but it plays a very minimal role here .
I think that can be explained by a couple of things .
One attempts to generate anti-immigrant feeling and is usually quite unsuccessful in Irish culture because don ’ t forget Ireland , we ’ re Irish have sent the immigrants throughout the world .
So there ’ s an empathy with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a sense that the far right represents anti-democratic tendencies , whereas the political culture of Ireland ever since it won its independence has been one of building democracy .
Don ’ t forget in the 1930s when so many European countries were falling , falling under authoritarian or fascist rule , the Irish were actually busy building democratic institutions .
So I guess you ’ re pretty reluctant to let go of democracy when you spent a hundred years trying to get it in the first place .
So we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far right .
Obviously you always have to keep a watch for them .
So in that sense we don ’ t have an extreme right wing in Ireland .
Even in the past there was a kind of a small neo-liberal party , progressive Democrats , but they never got more than three or 4 % .
So when they were in coalition with Fianna Fail they had undue influence .
That doesn ’ t mean to say that neo-liberalism hasn ’ t held sway in Ireland , it has .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state enterprises .
We ’ ve seen tax cuts to corporations and a clutch to higher income earners .
So in that type of kind of fiscal conservative sense , the right has its play .
But in terms of a far right or an out now neo-liberal right party , we haven ’ t had that much experience .
Greg Wolpert : Okay .
Very interesting .
But we ’ re going to leave it there for now .
I was speaking to Michael Taft , researcher for Irish Trade Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Front .
Thanks again , Michael for having joined us today .
Greg Wolpert : And thank you for joining the real news network .

For the first time in 100 years neither of Ireland’s two historically dominant parties will win a plurality of the vote, providing an opening to Sinn Fein and other left parties. What made this possible?
Story Transcript
This is a rush transcript and may contain errors. It will be updated.
Greg Wolpert: It’s the Real News Network and I’m Greg Wolpert in Baltimore. Ireland is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections this coming Saturday and it does not look good for the two parties that have dominated Irish politics for the past 100 years. The two parties which have alternated in government since Irish independence in 1921 are Fine Gael, the party currently in control under the leadership of Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fail. Both are generally considered to be center right parties that have dominated Irish politics more for historical and not illogical reasons. The main insurgent in this election is Sinn Fein under the leadership of Mary MacDonald. Originally, this party was the political wing of the provisional Irish Republican army, which led the fight for Northern Ireland’s independence from Britain in the 1970s to the 1990s. Ever since the conflict ended in 1998 Sinn Fein has become more of a traditional left party.
Recent polls suggest that Sinn Fein could win 25% of the vote on Sunday overtaking the traditional parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. If so, this would represent a major shift in Irish politics. Joining me to analyze the upcoming election is Michael Taft. He’s a researcher for the Irish Trade Union, SIPTU and blogs at Notes on the Front. Also, he recently wrote an article for Jacobin titled, This Month’s Elections in Ireland are a Historic Opportunity. Thanks for joining us today, Michael.
Michael Taft: Thank you.
Greg Wolpert: What are the main issues in this election and why have the parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael not been doing so well in this campaign?
Michael Taft: Well, the main issues would be similar to issues across Europe. Housing is a particular issue. We have a crisis in homelessness and especially children’s homelessness. We have rising rents, which are more and more beyond the reach of young working people. And we have a boom in house prices, which makes it more unaffordable for people to buy a house. So that’s one issue, housing. Another issue is a health crisis. We have hundreds of thousands on the waiting list and that might not seem too big when compared for an American audience, but when you consider the population of Ireland is about 4.8 million, hundreds of thousands represents a significant proportion of people who are in queues waiting to be seen by consultants or doctors or enter into hospital. So these are parts of the legacy of austerity that the country went through between 2008 and 2014 and okay, we exited the Troika bailout program.
We seem to have gotten our public finances in order but what really happened was all the problems that were stored up during austerity were actually just kind of shoved out to the period now. So we’re living with all those mistakes Now the reason why Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are doing so poorly is because one, they don’t seem to be in touch with people’s, they don’t seem to be empathetic, don’t seem to understand the conditions that working men and women are in. And that’s extremely important in Irish politics, that type of empathy. Secondly, people are now starting to realize, although the realization been a long time coming, but it’s now being crystallized and actually ideologically there’s not a whole lot of difference between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
They were the two parties that opposed each other and they were the main alternatives to each other for a hundred years, but that arose out of divisions in the civil war. Those divisions are no longer relevant. Sinn Fein is the largest party, the largest non-conservative or progressive party has been the beneficiary of that and that is coupled with the fact that they have some of the best, what we call parliamentary back-benchers, spokespersons for housing, spokespersons for health, spokespersons for finance. So they are young, intelligent, and to many people, they represent a break with the two traditional parties. So that on Saturday we could see is Sinn Fein getting more votes but not necessarily more seats.
Greg Wolpert: From what you’re saying, it seems that the economic issues are dominating. How is it though that this is such a major issue when according to most analysts, Ireland has been doing quite well economically speaking. That is, they’ve been considering it an economic success story since 2013 with a steady economic growth and declining unemployment.
Michael Taft: During the austerity period, unemployment rose to extremely high levels. Immigration, which has constantly plagued the Irish economy and Irish society, began to rise to very high levels. But also there was huge spending cutbacks. So as the economy has recovered, there’s been an attempt to restore those cuts. But the problem is we had seven, eight years of those cuts and we’re a long ways away for restoring it. Secondly, while there has been an increase in employment, which is welcome, there’s also been an increase in precarious employment. People who have irregular contracts, they are temporary workers, under employed. So there is an issue in many sections of the economy about the quality of that employment. And as I said, all those problems just were stored it up during the austerity period. And then of course, once we got out of the program, once we could start back into normal budgetary functioning, they blew up.
You can’t keep cutting back house building for years and years and expect it to return it overnight. The same thing with health care, so as I say, we’re living through this legacy of austerity. There are people who feel that the recovery is passed them by, that the quality of the employment or their quality of living standards is certainly not what it was before the crash and certainly wasn’t [inaudible 00:06:29] have expectation. Just to give you one small little stat, I don’t want to get too much in statistics, but 40% of Irish people are unable to afford an unexpected expense. That would be like your dishwasher breaks down, there’s a hole in your roof, your car needs a repair. 40% cannot afford an unexpected expense. That’s the very definition of precarious living.
Greg Wolpert: Now these numbers that you’re mentioning, it sounds kind of typical for across Europe and even the world I would say, but so how is it that Sinn Fein, which has long been considered politically taboo because of its connections to the IRA during the conflict in Northern Ireland has been able to benefit from this? That is, in the past also was the labor party that led the Irish left or the Irish Progressive’s. So how is it that Sinn Fein has become mainstream now and what does that mean for the Irish left more generally?
Michael Taft: Well, you’re right, labor was the left alternative, if you will, to the two major parties. And that was traditionally the case up to 2011. Unfortunately, labor, like so many other social democratic parties throughout Europe, labor went into a coalition as a minority partner with Fine Gael and of the two traditional parties, Fine Gael would be considered more right wing, and in that coalition government between 2011 and 2015, labor stood over some horrendous spending cuts, tax increases on low and average income earners, cutbacks in investment. And quite simply, they were nearly wiped out in the 2016 election. They lost 30 out of 38 seats in Parliament. They suffered the same experience as [inaudible 00:08:18] did in Greece. So they have not recovered, people have not forgiven them, people don’t trust them. So it through that Sinn Fein was the party that that grew, that gained support for people. And one sense Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have stated over and over, they will not negotiate with Sinn Fein after the next election.
And people believe that’s hypocritical. Okay. Yes, there was the past with the IRA. There are people who still ask legitimate questions about the organization, Sinn Fein and the role of former IRA people in that. However, all parties here in the Republic insist that Sinn Fein go into coalition with parties up in the North, in Northern Ireland in Stormont. And yet you have the two traditional parties saying, well we expect you to go into coalition in the North or we’re going to have nothing to do with you down south. People perceive that as hypocritical. People perceive that as unfair. And as a lot of people said, they are just tired of this continuous Fianna Fail or Fine Gael rule. So in many instances you hear the expression, well let’s give them a try. You know, they can’t be worse than the others. And you know, people have had experience, good experience, a particular TD, that’s TDs are members of parliament here in Ireland or a, you know, particular Sinn Fein politicians. So they’re willing to kind of overlook those problems and see what Sinn Fein has to offer.
Greg Wolpert: The rise of Sinn Fein and of the left parties in Ireland, generally actually fits with the fragmentation of politics around the world at the time and also, which is has been a reaction to some of the economic issues that you were talking about earlier. Now, however, it does seem to be a little bit different in Ireland in the sense that the left under Sinn Fein’s potential leadership could come out ahead on Saturday. Whereas in the rest of Europe it has generally been the far right that has gained more momentum under these conditions. Now, why is there are no far right so to speak, gaining in Ireland or is there as in the rest of Europe?
Michael Taft: We do have a kind of micro far right parties and so you can’t say that we’re free of the far right influence, but it plays a very minimal role here. I think that can be explained by a couple of things. One attempts to generate anti-immigrant feeling and is usually quite unsuccessful in Irish culture because don’t forget Ireland, we’re Irish have sent the immigrants throughout the world. So there’s an empathy with the issue of immigration. Secondly, there’s a sense that the far right represents anti-democratic tendencies, whereas the political culture of Ireland ever since it won its independence has been one of building democracy.
Don’t forget in the 1930s when so many European countries were falling, falling under authoritarian or fascist rule, the Irish were actually busy building democratic institutions. So I guess you’re pretty reluctant to let go of democracy when you spent a hundred years trying to get it in the first place. So we are, thankfully, not plagued by the far right. Obviously you always have to keep a watch for them. So in that sense we don’t have an extreme right wing in Ireland. Even in the past there was a kind of a small neo-liberal party, progressive Democrats, but they never got more than three or 4%. So when they were in coalition with Fianna Fail they had undue influence. That doesn’t mean to say that neo-liberalism hasn’t held sway in Ireland, it has. We’ve seen privatization of a number of state enterprises. We’ve seen tax cuts to corporations and a clutch to higher income earners. So in that type of kind of fiscal conservative sense, the right has its play. But in terms of a far right or an out now neo-liberal right party, we haven’t had that much experience.
Greg Wolpert: Okay. Very interesting. But we’re going to leave it there for now. I was speaking to Michael Taft, researcher for Irish Trade Union, SIPTU and blogger at Notes on the Front. Thanks again, Michael for having joined us today.
Michael Taft: Thank you.
Greg Wolpert: And thank you for joining the real news network.
Studio: Adam Coley, Will Arenas
Production: Genevieve Montinar, Will Arenas, Andrew Corkery
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