truthout--2020-06-05--Pandemic and Digital Divide Threaten Accurate Census Count of Native Populations

Every 10 years , the U.S. government undertakes the largest peace-time mobilization effort to count the nation : the U.S. census .
Census data is used in a variety of ways .
It determines everything from how many congressional representatives communities have , the apportioning of federal funds for community needs , the enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the health of the U.S. economy .
People from marginalized communities are often undercounted and face the worst repercussions of an undercount .
The Census Bureau considers American Indians and Alaska Natives ( AI and AN ) a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 12.2 percent of AI and AN people on reservations were undercounted , according to the Census Bureau ’ s findings .
A decade later , the census seemed to improve , with the Bureau not reporting a statistically significant undercount , but in 2010 , the undercount increased to 4.9 percent .
As is so often the case with AI and AN data collection , some tribal leaders believe these numbers are actually higher .
Moreover , AI and AN communities must put the name of a tribal member in the household @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order for the household to be counted as Native American .
If a non-Indian or non-tribal member is the first person listed , then the entire household gets counted as non-Indian , which also contributes to the undercount , according to Principal Chief Chuck Hoskins Jr. of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma .
An inaccurate census count wreaks havoc on tribal nations and people for generations to come .
For Native people , the census is crucial to state and federal recognition , the enforcement of treaties , and the economic health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their citizens and members .
Face-to-face enumeration is key to an accurate AI and AN count , but has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
As many AI and AN people lack reliable telecommunications and broadband access , self-response rates are significantly lower than the general population .
Inaccurate census data could even exacerbate funding for potential future pandemics .
Since the census began , AI and AN people haven ’ t been counted accurately and this has often been purposeful .
The U.S. government has used inaccurate census data to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land , distribution of goods and money , and treaties it has failed to honor .
The first census occurred in 1790 , but there wasn ’ t an inclusive count of AI and AN people in the census until 1900 .
Before the 1950 census , enumeration was conducted in person , and race was often classified based entirely upon the perception of the enumerator , leading to inaccurate counts of AI and AN people .
Other factors that create barriers to an accurate count include distrust of the U.S. government , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and houseless people , low telecommunications access , language and literacy barriers , and weather and road access issues on more rural lands .
For example , Alaska , Arizona and New Mexico have some of the highest percentages of hard-to-count populations partially due to the rural nature of the states , weather and road access conditions .
The Navajo Nation — which now has the highest per capita COVID-19 contractions rates , and death rates that are 10 times higher than that of Arizona — is the largest reservation in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Utah and New Mexico .
Face-to-face enumeration is essential to an accurate count throughout Indian Country and has included the use of horses , boats , bush planes and dog sleds .
In a tribal consultation report between the Census Bureau and the Navajo Nation , the Navajo responded that they prefer in-person enumeration as the primary means to count their population .
They cited the low access to internet and telephones as a significant barrier to an accurate count .
As of May 29 , the Navajo Nation had a self-response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that of 56.7 percent and 47.8 percent for Arizona and New Mexico , respectively .
AN people are no strangers to an undercount .
Some AN communities are only accessible via ice roads , and community members will often leave their homes for traditional hunting and fishing or warm-weather jobs .
As a result , the 2020 census enumeration began in Toksook Bay , Alaska , on January 21 .
April 1 was the beginning of the self-response enumeration for the rest of the U.S. As of May 29 , Alaska ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ranking it 51st for national rates .
However , Alaskan Native areas have a significantly lower self-response rate .
“ There is no way the Census Bureau can come close to an accurate count in tribal communities without boots on the ground , ” Gabe Layman , chief operating officer at the Cook Inlet Housing Authority and Chair of the Alaska Census Work Group , told Truthout .
He went on to say that if the Census Bureau couldn ’ t complete counts in tribal communities as they planned pre-pandemic , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Census Bureau has indicated it will begin enumerating in some remote communities again .
However , Layman said there ’ s “ confusion over what the resumption of the Remote Alaska Operation will look like and when that will occur.
” The Census Bureau is resuming some update leave enumeration in some areas of the U.S. , but not necessarily on tribal lands .
These operations update addresses and “ map feature data , ” and leave census questionnaires at every household .
Update leave measures occur where the majority of households don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or housing can ’ t be identified .
Update leave measures have resumed in Montana , but not on the many tribal lands .
“ We ’ re in consultation with the tribal leaders of these lands , so when they open , we can resume operations , ” said a Census Bureau spokesperson .
Layman said that the lack of trust in the U.S. government is an even larger barrier to an accurate AN count than the remoteness of the communities .
Even without the added pressures of a global pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting AN people to positively respond to them .
The 2020 census is the first to offer an online response form .
However , it appears to have little impact in increasing AI and AN participation because of existing telecommunications barriers .
According to the written testimony of Geoffrey Blackwell , chief strategy officer and general counsel for AMERIND Risk Management Corporation , the deployment of fixed terrestrial internet at benchmark speeds deemed the acceptable standard for online streaming measures are significantly lower on tribal lands .
This makes it difficult — if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ websites or use phone service .
In 2016 , only 63.9 percent of total tribal lands had these services , but the numbers vary based on location , with rural areas suffering the worst .
Only 36.2 percent of rural Alaskan Villages , 43.5 percent of Native Hawaiian homelands and 31.6 percent of rural tribal areas in the continental U.S. had telecommunication services at these speeds .
Even telephone access is low , at only 68 percent on rural reservations versus 95.5 percent for the U.S. High rates of poverty also create barriers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26.2 percent of Native people were living in poverty , so even if the internet is available nearby , they often can ’ t afford internet service or devices .
These numbers can often vary across tribal nations .
The Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota , which is currently embroiled with South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem over health checkpoints on tribal lands , has significantly higher poverty rates than the rest of the U.S. Ninety-seven percent of Pine Ridge residents live below the U.S. federal poverty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reservation ranges between $ 2,600 and $ 3,500 per year with a 90 percent unemployment rate .
As of May 29 , Pine Ridge only had a census self-response rate of 4.5 percent , versus that of South Dakota at 59.9 percent .
Even when surrounded by wealth , tribal nations are still suffering a digital divide .
Vice Chairman Lance Gumbs of the Shinnecock Indian Nation told Truthout that 60 percent of his tribal members live in poverty while surrounded by one of the wealthiest areas in the U.S. : the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There ’ s only one internet provider for Shinnecock lands .
“ The fact that we ’ re being serviced by only one entity — there ’ s a premium that they ’ re able to charge so it ’ s a cost consideration , ” said Gumbs .
Access to telecommunications infrastructure isn ’ t the only barrier to answering the census via the internet or phone .
Brian Howard , a research and policy analyst for the American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University , told Truthout that for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tribal lands , researchers had to include flip phones as an option for phone access , as one elder they spoke with still used this older model of phone .
Given that 71 percent of AI and AN people live in urban areas , enumeration of urban communities is key to an accurate census count .
Matthew Rantanen , director of technology for the Southern California Tribal Chairmen ’ s Association , told Truthout that there are no reliable numbers for broadband access for urban Natives .
Even if the telecommunications infrastructure is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poverty mean many have to use free resources at libraries and community centers — which are now closed for social distancing measures — or access the internet at a friend or family member ’ s home .
Andrea Delgado-Olson ( Ione Band of Miwok Indians ) , founder and chair of Native American Women in Computing and the program manager for Systers and GHC Communities at AnitaB.org , has a goal to “ connect tradition with technology.
” When speaking with Truthout , Delgado-Olson spoke of how the internet is allowing AI and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circles .
Delgado-Olson was “ longing for connection ” when she created the online talking circle for Native women .
It brought the women together to discuss their feelings and community issues .
It became so popular that Delgado-Olson said participants were meeting four times a week , sometimes up to two hours .
However , many in her tribal nation lack high-speed , reliable broadband and the devices to connect .
The Ione Band of Miwok Indians , located in northern California , is small , with only 750 people .
Delgado-Olson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would search for places with the internet and do their homework in parking lots .
With social distancing measures , though , this has stopped .
Not too far from the Miwok , “ smartbuses ” are serving the Sacramento area with internet by serving as Wi-Fi hotspots .
With the threat of extinction under the COVID-19 pandemic , coupled with the Indigenous digital divide , AI and AN self-response rates for the 2020 census will likely remain low .
As we ’ re seeing now , the dire living conditions of many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources allocated and released to tribal nations , is creating a higher rate of COVID-19 contraction rates and deaths .
A lack of accurate census data could continue the cycle of poverty and genocide many Native people experience and even lead tribes to remain underprepared for future pandemics .

Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
Every 10 years, the U.S. government undertakes the largest peace-time mobilization effort to count the nation: the U.S. census. Census data is used in a variety of ways. It determines everything from how many congressional representatives communities have, the apportioning of federal funds for community needs, the enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the health of the U.S. economy.
People from marginalized communities are often undercounted and face the worst repercussions of an undercount. The Census Bureau considers American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI and AN) a hard-to-count population.
In the 1990 census, 12.2 percent of AI and AN people on reservations were undercounted, according to the Census Bureau’s findings. A decade later, the census seemed to improve, with the Bureau not reporting a statistically significant undercount, but in 2010, the undercount increased to 4.9 percent. As is so often the case with AI and AN data collection, some tribal leaders believe these numbers are actually higher.
Moreover, AI and AN communities must put the name of a tribal member in the household as the first name on the census in order for the household to be counted as Native American. If a non-Indian or non-tribal member is the first person listed, then the entire household gets counted as non-Indian, which also contributes to the undercount, according to Principal Chief Chuck Hoskins Jr. of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.
An inaccurate census count wreaks havoc on tribal nations and people for generations to come. For Native people, the census is crucial to state and federal recognition, the enforcement of treaties, and the economic health and overall well-being of tribal nations and their citizens and members. Face-to-face enumeration is key to an accurate AI and AN count, but has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As many AI and AN people lack reliable telecommunications and broadband access, self-response rates are significantly lower than the general population. Inaccurate census data could even exacerbate funding for potential future pandemics.
Enumeration Under Settler Colonialism
Since the census began, AI and AN people haven’t been counted accurately and this has often been purposeful. The U.S. government has used inaccurate census data to cheat Native peoples out of allotments of land, distribution of goods and money, and treaties it has failed to honor.
For Native people, the census is crucial to state and federal recognition, the enforcement of treaties, and the economic health and overall well-being of tribal nations.
The first census occurred in 1790, but there wasn’t an inclusive count of AI and AN people in the census until 1900. Before the 1950 census, enumeration was conducted in person, and race was often classified based entirely upon the perception of the enumerator, leading to inaccurate counts of AI and AN people. Other factors that create barriers to an accurate count include distrust of the U.S. government, nontraditional addresses, high rates of renters and houseless people, low telecommunications access, language and literacy barriers, and weather and road access issues on more rural lands.
For example, Alaska, Arizona and New Mexico have some of the highest percentages of hard-to-count populations partially due to the rural nature of the states, weather and road access conditions. The Navajo Nation — which now has the highest per capita COVID-19 contractions rates, and death rates that are 10 times higher than that of Arizona — is the largest reservation in the U.S. and covers three states, including Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. Face-to-face enumeration is essential to an accurate count throughout Indian Country and has included the use of horses, boats, bush planes and dog sleds.
In a tribal consultation report between the Census Bureau and the Navajo Nation, the Navajo responded that they prefer in-person enumeration as the primary means to count their population. They cited the low access to internet and telephones as a significant barrier to an accurate count. As of May 29, the Navajo Nation had a self-response rate of only 0.8 percent, versus that of 56.7 percent and 47.8 percent for Arizona and New Mexico, respectively.
The U.S. government has used inaccurate census data to cheat Native peoples out of allotments of land, distribution of goods and money, and treaties it has failed to honor.
AN people are no strangers to an undercount. Some AN communities are only accessible via ice roads, and community members will often leave their homes for traditional hunting and fishing or warm-weather jobs. As a result, the 2020 census enumeration began in Toksook Bay, Alaska, on January 21. April 1 was the beginning of the self-response enumeration for the rest of the U.S. As of May 29, Alaska’s state self-response rate was only 41 percent, ranking it 51st for national rates. However, Alaskan Native areas have a significantly lower self-response rate.
“There is no way the Census Bureau can come close to an accurate count in tribal communities without boots on the ground,” Gabe Layman, chief operating officer at the Cook Inlet Housing Authority and Chair of the Alaska Census Work Group, told Truthout. He went on to say that if the Census Bureau couldn’t complete counts in tribal communities as they planned pre-pandemic, then they should delay the census. The Census Bureau has indicated it will begin enumerating in some remote communities again. However, Layman said there’s “confusion over what the resumption of the Remote Alaska Operation will look like and when that will occur.”
The Census Bureau is resuming some update leave enumeration in some areas of the U.S., but not necessarily on tribal lands. These operations update addresses and “map feature data,” and leave census questionnaires at every household. Update leave measures occur where the majority of households don’t receive mail at their home or housing can’t be identified. Update leave measures have resumed in Montana, but not on the many tribal lands. “We’re in consultation with the tribal leaders of these lands, so when they open, we can resume operations,” said a Census Bureau spokesperson.
Layman said that the lack of trust in the U.S. government is an even larger barrier to an accurate AN count than the remoteness of the communities. Even without the added pressures of a global pandemic, census enumerators have experienced great challenges in getting AN people to positively respond to them.
Indigenous Digital Divide
The 2020 census is the first to offer an online response form. However, it appears to have little impact in increasing AI and AN participation because of existing telecommunications barriers.
According to the written testimony of Geoffrey Blackwell, chief strategy officer and general counsel for AMERIND Risk Management Corporation, the deployment of fixed terrestrial internet at benchmark speeds deemed the acceptable standard for online streaming measures are significantly lower on tribal lands. This makes it difficult — if not impossible — to connect to many websites or use phone service.
In 2016, only 63.9 percent of total tribal lands had these services, but the numbers vary based on location, with rural areas suffering the worst. Only 36.2 percent of rural Alaskan Villages, 43.5 percent of Native Hawaiian homelands and 31.6 percent of rural tribal areas in the continental U.S. had telecommunication services at these speeds. Even telephone access is low, at only 68 percent on rural reservations versus 95.5 percent for the U.S.
A lack of accurate census data could continue the cycle of poverty and genocide many Native people experience and even lead tribes to remain underprepared for future pandemics.
High rates of poverty also create barriers to census enumeration. In 2016, 26.2 percent of Native people were living in poverty, so even if the internet is available nearby, they often can’t afford internet service or devices. These numbers can often vary across tribal nations. The Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, which is currently embroiled with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem over health checkpoints on tribal lands, has significantly higher poverty rates than the rest of the U.S. Ninety-seven percent of Pine Ridge residents live below the U.S. federal poverty line. The median household income on the reservation ranges between $2,600 and $3,500 per year with a 90 percent unemployment rate. As of May 29, Pine Ridge only had a census self-response rate of 4.5 percent, versus that of South Dakota at 59.9 percent.
Even when surrounded by wealth, tribal nations are still suffering a digital divide. Vice Chairman Lance Gumbs of the Shinnecock Indian Nation told Truthout that 60 percent of his tribal members live in poverty while surrounded by one of the wealthiest areas in the U.S.: the Hamptons on Long Island, New York. There’s only one internet provider for Shinnecock lands. “The fact that we’re being serviced by only one entity — there’s a premium that they’re able to charge so it’s a cost consideration,” said Gumbs.
Access to telecommunications infrastructure isn’t the only barrier to answering the census via the internet or phone. Brian Howard, a research and policy analyst for the American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University, told Truthout that for a 2019 study on internet service on tribal lands, researchers had to include flip phones as an option for phone access, as one elder they spoke with still used this older model of phone.
Given that 71 percent of AI and AN people live in urban areas, enumeration of urban communities is key to an accurate census count. Matthew Rantanen, director of technology for the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association, told Truthout that there are no reliable numbers for broadband access for urban Natives. Even if the telecommunications infrastructure is in place, the high rates of poverty mean many have to use free resources at libraries and community centers — which are now closed for social distancing measures — or access the internet at a friend or family member’s home.
Andrea Delgado-Olson (Ione Band of Miwok Indians), founder and chair of Native American Women in Computing and the program manager for Systers and GHC Communities at AnitaB.org, has a goal to “connect tradition with technology.” When speaking with Truthout, Delgado-Olson spoke of how the internet is allowing AI and AN people to practice traditions like talking circles. Delgado-Olson was “longing for connection” when she created the online talking circle for Native women. It brought the women together to discuss their feelings and community issues. It became so popular that Delgado-Olson said participants were meeting four times a week, sometimes up to two hours. However, many in her tribal nation lack high-speed, reliable broadband and the devices to connect.
The Ione Band of Miwok Indians, located in northern California, is small, with only 750 people. Delgado-Olson said that before the pandemic, students would search for places with the internet and do their homework in parking lots. With social distancing measures, though, this has stopped. Not too far from the Miwok, “smartbuses” are serving the Sacramento area with internet by serving as Wi-Fi hotspots.
With the threat of extinction under the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the Indigenous digital divide, AI and AN self-response rates for the 2020 census will likely remain low. As we’re seeing now, the dire living conditions of many Native people, and the lack of resources allocated and released to tribal nations, is creating a higher rate of COVID-19 contraction rates and deaths. A lack of accurate census data could continue the cycle of poverty and genocide many Native people experience and even lead tribes to remain underprepared for future pandemics.
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truthout--2020-06-06--Police Use of Tear Gas Could Make the Coronavirus Pandemic Worse

When Amira Chowdhury joined a protest in Philadelphia against police violence on Monday , she wore a mask to protect herself and others against the coronavirus .
But when officers launched tear gas into the crowd , Chowdhury pulled off her mask as she gasped for air .
“ I couldn ’ t breathe , ” she said .
“ I felt like I was choking to death.
” Chowdhury was on a part of the Vine Street Expressway that ran underground .
Everyone panicked as gas drifted into the dark , semi-enclosed space , she said .
People stomped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bruised , she scaled a fence to escape .
But the tear gas found her later that evening , inside her own house ; as police unleashed it on protesters in her predominantly black neighborhood in West Philadelphia , it seeped in .
“ I can ’ t even be in my own house without escaping the violence of the state , ” said Chowdhury , a rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania .
On Wednesday , she said her throat still felt dry , like it was clogged with ash .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ instances in recent days in which police launched tear gas — a toxic substance that can cause lung damage — into crowds .
In a statement , Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said that officers had no choice but to release it after protesters threw rocks at them and refused to disperse , and that officers also used nonchemical white smoke to minimize the amount of the irritant “ while maintaining a deterrent visual effect.
” She called it “ a means to safely [ defuse ] a volatile and dangerous situation.
” But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a number of experts interviewed by ProPublica .
It has been found to cause long-term health consequences and can hurt those who aren ’ t the intended targets , including people inside their homes .
This would be enough of a problem in normal times , but now , experts say , the widespread , sometimes indiscriminate use of tear gas on American civilians in the midst of a respiratory pandemic threatens to worsen the coronavirus , along with racial disparities in its spread and who dies from it .
“ As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Dr. Purvi Parikh , an allergy and immunology doctor at NYU Langone Health .
“ We just got through a brutal two months , and I ’ m really scared this will bring a second wave [ of COVID-19 ] sooner.
” It puts black communities in an impossible situation , said Dr. Joseph Nwadiuko , an internist and researcher at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine .
Thirteen of the 15 coronavirus patients in the intensive care unit where he works are black , he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effects of structural racism is you ’ ll see a second wave of black patients , including those who were out there defending their lives.
” On Tuesday , an open letter signed by nearly 1,300 medical and public health professionals urged the police to stop using “ tear gas , smoke , or other respiratory irritants , which could increase risk for COVID-19 by making the respiratory tract more susceptible to infection , exacerbating existing inflammation , and inducing coughing.
” Here ’ s what you need to know about tear gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by law enforcement in recent days .
Tear gas can cause long-term harm , by making people more susceptible to contracting influenza , pneumonia and other illnesses .
Tear gas is the generic term for a class of compounds that cause a burning sensation .
Most law enforcement agencies in the U.S. , including the Philadelphia Police Department this week , use a chemical called CS , short for 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile .
CS activates a specific pain receptor , one that ’ s also triggered by eating wasabi , said Sven-Eric Jordt , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But CS is much more powerful , up to 100,000 times stronger than the sting from wasabi , he said .
“ They are really pain nerve gases .
They are designed to induce pain.
” CS is particularly painful when it gets on your skin or in your eyes .
( Doctors have advised protesters not to wear contact lenses . )
When inhaled , the pain induces people to cough .
The compound degrades the mucus membranes in your eyes , nose , mouth and lungs — the layers of cells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bacteria .
Scientists know little about how CS affects the general public .
The most comprehensive studies were conducted by the U.S. military on thousands of recruits who were exposed to tear gas during training exercises .
Afterward , it left them at higher risk for contracting influenza , pneumonia , bronchitis and other respiratory illnesses .
The soldiers were generally healthier than the average person , with fewer underlying conditions like asthma or heart disease .
Studies of civilians in Turkey found that people who are repeatedly exposed to tear gas are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chest pains and coughing that can last for weeks .
It may also be linked to miscarriages .
The effects worsen as people are repeatedly exposed to higher doses , Jordt said , but it ’ s hard to measure the concentrations of tear gas during chaotic protests , and many who are affected will be reluctant or afraid to seek medical help .
Parikh , the Langone Health doctor , is particularly worried about children at the protests .
Their lungs and immune system are still developing , and tear gas could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or eye damage if it ’ s not washed off quickly .
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , severe tear gas poisoning , particularly if the gas was released in an enclosed space — can blind or kill people through chemical burns and respiratory failure .
Prisoners with respiratory conditions have died after inhaling tear gas in poorly ventilated areas .
On Wednesday , an inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn died after guards sprayed him with pepper spray , another kind of tear gas that causes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement , the U.S. Department of Justice ’ s Bureau of Prisons said the inmate , Jamel Floyd , was caught “ breaking the cell door window with a metal object ” and “ became increasingly disruptive and potentially harmful to himself and others.
” Medical staff “ immediately responded to assess the inmate , found Mr. Floyd to be unresponsive , and instantly initiated life-saving measures.
” An investigation is underway .
Tear gas can increase the spread of the coronavirus and might make some people more vulnerable to catching it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know exactly how tear gas affects coronavirus patients .
But Parikh said they both cause lung inflammation .
“ Anything that ’ s an irritant can cause that same inflammatory response , ” she said .
“ Your lungs can fill with mucus and it can be very difficult to breathe .
The muscles narrow ; it ’ s almost like breathing through a straw.
” People with asthma and other respiratory illnesses already have higher baseline inflammation that makes them more susceptible to catching infections like the flu or the common cold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could trigger an asthma attack or weaken the body ’ s ability to stave off COVID-19 .
“ If your lungs are already wheezing and coughing , working hard to expel this tear gas or this irritant , it ’ s unable to have that reserve to fight off any infection , whether a virus or bacteria , ” she said .
Talia Smith , a graduate student at the University of Nebraska , said it only took a whiff of tear gas to trigger an asthma attack when she was protesting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel it in her eyes , but her throat “ just immediately started closing , ” she said .
Smith had brought her inhaler , but the medication inside was running low .
She ’ d only had one asthma attack in her life before this .
Smith had a burning feeling in her chest for days afterward , and she went to get tested for the coronavirus ; the results are pending .
She worries that if she catches the virus while still feeling the effects of the gas , she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her lungs aren ’ t at full capacity .
Parikh said there ’ s not enough data on asthma and the coronavirus in general .
While asthmatics are at higher risk for all respiratory infections , asthma isn ’ t among the top chronic conditions for the most severe coronavirus patients .
“ We are still seeing many asthmatics get it , ” so it ’ s too soon to say there ’ s no risk at all , she said .
Tear gas weakens the demonstrators ’ protections against the coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Harvard Medical School who ’ s working on the coronavirus response .
Infections increase when people cough or talk loudly , he said , and even if someone is wearing a mask , when they ’ re hit with tear gas , they ’ ll take off the mask as they ’ re coughing .
“ Not only are you vigorously coughing , you ’ re vigorously inhaling to try and get more air in.
” Panic can cause a stampede , forcing people into close proximity as they ’ re expelling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , perfectly describing the situation that Chowdhury experienced on Monday .
Karan said he ’ s worried that protests could turn into superspreading events , yet he also understands why people feel they must be there .
“ At the same time , I ’ m worried about my patients who ’ ve been destroyed by systemic racism .
So racism is killing them as much as a pandemic is.
” It will take at least another week before researchers can study whether the protests led to outbreaks .
Even then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the infections were caused solely by the large gatherings or whether tear gas contributed to the increase .
Protesters aren ’ t the only people at risk .
Tear gas is entering homes and businesses .
Jordt said he was surprised by the sheer quantity of tear gas used by police in recent days , based on what he ’ s seen in online videos and news clips .
Instead of reserving it for the most extreme situations , “ it ’ s more like fumigating and flushing people out , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 1st line response , not a last resort , ” he added in an email .
Because many protests are occurring in residential neighborhoods , tear gas is now seeping into homes .
Parikh compared it to secondhand smoke .
“ It ’ s a terrible situation , ” she said .
“ To be honest there ’ s not much you can do.
” Chowdhury , the UPenn student who participated in the Philadelphia protest , said she couldn ’ t keep out the gas , even when she stuffed T-shirts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She could still smell it the next morning .
If the gas gets indoors , people should wipe down their countertops and other surfaces with large amounts of water and soap , Jordt said .
Any food that wasn ’ t in a closed container could be contaminated and should be thrown out , and in extreme cases with large amounts of tear gas , residents and business owners may need to contact fire departments for recommendations of professional cleaning services , he added .
Companies like Aftermath offer services for biohazard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s section on “ tear gas removal ” says the chemical “ leaves behind residue that can present serious health hazards if not properly treated .
… Tear gas residue can seep into porous materials like furniture , mattresses , clothing , carpet and even hardwood floors , and continue to irritate the mucous membranes of anyone residing in or visiting the property long after the incident.
” There are many different forms of tear gas and many ways to use it , said Anna Feigenbaum , the author of a recent book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an associate professor of communication and digital media at Bournemouth University in England .
Police can spray it from cans , shoot canisters or throw grenades .
Manufacturers sell grenades that produce light and noise as they expel tear gas and “ triple-chaser ” canisters that break into multiple pieces when they land so the gas can cover a larger area .
The technology for deploying tear gas is advancing far more quickly than scientists ’ understanding of the impacts , Jordt said .
“ While use of these [ compounds ] is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research to back up the safety of high-level use.
” Feigenbaum said the current situation is dangerous because law enforcement has used tear gas “ at close range , in enclosed spaces , in large quantities , fired directly at people , used [ it ] offensively as a weapon and in conjunction with rubber-coated bullets as a force multiplier.
” Last weekend , a college student in Indiana lost his eye when a tear gas canister hit his face .
Tear gas is banned in international warfare , but it is classified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that law enforcement can use for crowd control .
Yet instead of calming the situation , tear gas can sometimes “ cause counter aggression , ” Jordt said .
“ It just doesn ’ t work well , and it hits the weakest people the most , and causes the most complications in them.
” One of the most controversial events occurred on Monday , when law enforcement in Washington , D.C. , used tear gas on peaceful demonstrators to clear the way so President Donald Trump could walk to a nearby church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the U.S. Park Police said they used “ pepper balls ” with an unspecified irritant powder and “ smoke canisters.
” ( A reporter with WUSA9 tweeted photos on Thursday of CS containers that he and his team said they found at the site . )
The CDC uses “ tear gas ” as the catch-all term for many “ riot control ” compounds with similar effects .
Monica Sanders , who lives across the river in Alexandria , Virginia , said she could see the smoke from her house , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A University of Delaware professor who specializes in disaster management , Sanders said she ’ d thought about attending that protest but decided against it because her lungs were still weak from an earlier infection that might have been the coronavirus .
Although she never got tested , Sanders said she came down with a respiratory illness in mid-February that almost sent her to the emergency room .
She is a triathlete with no history of asthma .
Last October , she swam a 5K race .
Today , she can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ There are other ways to do crowd control that don ’ t involve creating respiratory ailments during a pandemic , in a city that doesn ’ t have enough [ medical ] supplies .
”

In the middle of a respiratory pandemic, law enforcement agencies have used tear gas in especially dangerous ways.
When Amira Chowdhury joined a protest in Philadelphia against police violence on Monday, she wore a mask to protect herself and others against the coronavirus. But when officers launched tear gas into the crowd, Chowdhury pulled off her mask as she gasped for air. “I couldn’t breathe,” she said. “I felt like I was choking to death.”
Chowdhury was on a part of the Vine Street Expressway that ran underground. Everyone panicked as gas drifted into the dark, semi-enclosed space, she said. People stomped over her as they scrambled away. Bruised, she scaled a fence to escape. But the tear gas found her later that evening, inside her own house; as police unleashed it on protesters in her predominantly black neighborhood in West Philadelphia, it seeped in.
“I can’t even be in my own house without escaping the violence of the state,” said Chowdhury, a rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania. On Wednesday, she said her throat still felt dry, like it was clogged with ash.
The Philadelphia protest was one of many instances in recent days in which police launched tear gas — a toxic substance that can cause lung damage — into crowds. In a statement, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said that officers had no choice but to release it after protesters threw rocks at them and refused to disperse, and that officers also used nonchemical white smoke to minimize the amount of the irritant “while maintaining a deterrent visual effect.” She called it “a means to safely [defuse] a volatile and dangerous situation.”
But tear gas is not safe, according to a number of experts interviewed by ProPublica. It has been found to cause long-term health consequences and can hurt those who aren’t the intended targets, including people inside their homes.
This would be enough of a problem in normal times, but now, experts say, the widespread, sometimes indiscriminate use of tear gas on American civilians in the midst of a respiratory pandemic threatens to worsen the coronavirus, along with racial disparities in its spread and who dies from it.
“As an immunologist, it scares me,” said Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergy and immunology doctor at NYU Langone Health. “We just got through a brutal two months, and I’m really scared this will bring a second wave [of COVID-19] sooner.”
It puts black communities in an impossible situation, said Dr. Joseph Nwadiuko, an internist and researcher at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Thirteen of the 15 coronavirus patients in the intensive care unit where he works are black, he said. “I worry that one of the compounding effects of structural racism is you’ll see a second wave of black patients, including those who were out there defending their lives.”
On Tuesday, an open letter signed by nearly 1,300 medical and public health professionals urged the police to stop using “tear gas, smoke, or other respiratory irritants, which could increase risk for COVID-19 by making the respiratory tract more susceptible to infection, exacerbating existing inflammation, and inducing coughing.”
Here’s what you need to know about tear gas and how it’s being used by law enforcement in recent days.
Tear gas can cause long-term harm, by making people more susceptible to contracting influenza, pneumonia and other illnesses.
Tear gas is the generic term for a class of compounds that cause a burning sensation. Most law enforcement agencies in the U.S., including the Philadelphia Police Department this week, use a chemical called CS, short for 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile.
CS activates a specific pain receptor, one that’s also triggered by eating wasabi, said Sven-Eric Jordt, a professor of anesthesiology at Duke University. But CS is much more powerful, up to 100,000 times stronger than the sting from wasabi, he said.
“They are really pain nerve gases. They are designed to induce pain.”
CS is particularly painful when it gets on your skin or in your eyes. (Doctors have advised protesters not to wear contact lenses.) When inhaled, the pain induces people to cough. The compound degrades the mucus membranes in your eyes, nose, mouth and lungs — the layers of cells that help protect people from viruses and bacteria.
Scientists know little about how CS affects the general public. The most comprehensive studies were conducted by the U.S. military on thousands of recruits who were exposed to tear gas during training exercises. Afterward, it left them at higher risk for contracting influenza, pneumonia, bronchitis and other respiratory illnesses.
The soldiers were generally healthier than the average person, with fewer underlying conditions like asthma or heart disease. Studies of civilians in Turkey found that people who are repeatedly exposed to tear gas are more likely to have chronic bronchitis or chest pains and coughing that can last for weeks. It may also be linked to miscarriages.
The effects worsen as people are repeatedly exposed to higher doses, Jordt said, but it’s hard to measure the concentrations of tear gas during chaotic protests, and many who are affected will be reluctant or afraid to seek medical help.
Parikh, the Langone Health doctor, is particularly worried about children at the protests. Their lungs and immune system are still developing, and tear gas could lead to neurological problems or permanent skin or eye damage if it’s not washed off quickly.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, severe tear gas poisoning, particularly if the gas was released in an enclosed space — can blind or kill people through chemical burns and respiratory failure. Prisoners with respiratory conditions have died after inhaling tear gas in poorly ventilated areas. On Wednesday, an inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn died after guards sprayed him with pepper spray, another kind of tear gas that causes similar health effects as CS.
In a statement, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Prisons said the inmate, Jamel Floyd, was caught “breaking the cell door window with a metal object” and “became increasingly disruptive and potentially harmful to himself and others.” Medical staff “immediately responded to assess the inmate, found Mr. Floyd to be unresponsive, and instantly initiated life-saving measures.” An investigation is underway.
Tear gas can increase the spread of the coronavirus and might make some people more vulnerable to catching it.
It’s too early to know exactly how tear gas affects coronavirus patients. But Parikh said they both cause lung inflammation. “Anything that’s an irritant can cause that same inflammatory response,” she said. “Your lungs can fill with mucus and it can be very difficult to breathe. The muscles narrow; it’s almost like breathing through a straw.”
People with asthma and other respiratory illnesses already have higher baseline inflammation that makes them more susceptible to catching infections like the flu or the common cold, Parikh said, so tear gas could trigger an asthma attack or weaken the body’s ability to stave off COVID-19.
“If your lungs are already wheezing and coughing, working hard to expel this tear gas or this irritant, it’s unable to have that reserve to fight off any infection, whether a virus or bacteria,” she said.
Talia Smith, a graduate student at the University of Nebraska, said it only took a whiff of tear gas to trigger an asthma attack when she was protesting in Omaha last Friday. She could barely feel it in her eyes, but her throat “just immediately started closing,” she said. Smith had brought her inhaler, but the medication inside was running low. She’d only had one asthma attack in her life before this. Smith had a burning feeling in her chest for days afterward, and she went to get tested for the coronavirus; the results are pending. She worries that if she catches the virus while still feeling the effects of the gas, she’d be fighting off the disease while her lungs aren’t at full capacity.
Parikh said there’s not enough data on asthma and the coronavirus in general. While asthmatics are at higher risk for all respiratory infections, asthma isn’t among the top chronic conditions for the most severe coronavirus patients. “We are still seeing many asthmatics get it,” so it’s too soon to say there’s no risk at all, she said.
Tear gas weakens the demonstrators’ protections against the coronavirus, said Dr. Abraar Karan, a physician at Harvard Medical School who’s working on the coronavirus response. Infections increase when people cough or talk loudly, he said, and even if someone is wearing a mask, when they’re hit with tear gas, they’ll take off the mask as they’re coughing. “Not only are you vigorously coughing, you’re vigorously inhaling to try and get more air in.” Panic can cause a stampede, forcing people into close proximity as they’re expelling large droplets from their mouths, he said, perfectly describing the situation that Chowdhury experienced on Monday.
Karan said he’s worried that protests could turn into superspreading events, yet he also understands why people feel they must be there. “At the same time, I’m worried about my patients who’ve been destroyed by systemic racism. So racism is killing them as much as a pandemic is.”
It will take at least another week before researchers can study whether the protests led to outbreaks. Even then, it will be hard to tell whether the infections were caused solely by the large gatherings or whether tear gas contributed to the increase.
Protesters aren’t the only people at risk. Tear gas is entering homes and businesses.
Jordt said he was surprised by the sheer quantity of tear gas used by police in recent days, based on what he’s seen in online videos and news clips. Instead of reserving it for the most extreme situations, “it’s more like fumigating and flushing people out,” he said. “Tear gas has become a 1st line response, not a last resort,” he added in an email.
Because many protests are occurring in residential neighborhoods, tear gas is now seeping into homes. Parikh compared it to secondhand smoke. “It’s a terrible situation,” she said. “To be honest there’s not much you can do.”
Chowdhury, the UPenn student who participated in the Philadelphia protest, said she couldn’t keep out the gas, even when she stuffed T-shirts and towels under the doors and windows. She could still smell it the next morning.
If the gas gets indoors, people should wipe down their countertops and other surfaces with large amounts of water and soap, Jordt said. Any food that wasn’t in a closed container could be contaminated and should be thrown out, and in extreme cases with large amounts of tear gas, residents and business owners may need to contact fire departments for recommendations of professional cleaning services, he added.
Companies like Aftermath offer services for biohazard and infection control. Its website’s section on “tear gas removal” says the chemical “leaves behind residue that can present serious health hazards if not properly treated. … Tear gas residue can seep into porous materials like furniture, mattresses, clothing, carpet and even hardwood floors, and continue to irritate the mucous membranes of anyone residing in or visiting the property long after the incident.”
Police tactics and tools can make matters worse.
There are many different forms of tear gas and many ways to use it, said Anna Feigenbaum, the author of a recent book on the history of tear gas and an associate professor of communication and digital media at Bournemouth University in England.
Police can spray it from cans, shoot canisters or throw grenades. Manufacturers sell grenades that produce light and noise as they expel tear gas and “triple-chaser” canisters that break into multiple pieces when they land so the gas can cover a larger area.
The technology for deploying tear gas is advancing far more quickly than scientists’ understanding of the impacts, Jordt said. “While use of these [compounds] is escalating, there is a vacuum of research to back up the safety of high-level use.”
Feigenbaum said the current situation is dangerous because law enforcement has used tear gas “at close range, in enclosed spaces, in large quantities, fired directly at people, used [it] offensively as a weapon and in conjunction with rubber-coated bullets as a force multiplier.”
Last weekend, a college student in Indiana lost his eye when a tear gas canister hit his face.
Tear gas is banned in international warfare, but it is classified as a “riot control agent” that law enforcement can use for crowd control. Yet instead of calming the situation, tear gas can sometimes “cause counter aggression,” Jordt said. “It just doesn’t work well, and it hits the weakest people the most, and causes the most complications in them.”
One of the most controversial events occurred on Monday, when law enforcement in Washington, D.C., used tear gas on peaceful demonstrators to clear the way so President Donald Trump could walk to a nearby church for a photo op. A statement from the U.S. Park Police said they used “pepper balls” with an unspecified irritant powder and “smoke canisters.” (A reporter with WUSA9 tweeted photos on Thursday of CS containers that he and his team said they found at the site.) The CDC uses “tear gas” as the catch-all term for many “riot control” compounds with similar effects.
Monica Sanders, who lives across the river in Alexandria, Virginia, said she could see the smoke from her house, like something from a “dystopian reality.”
A University of Delaware professor who specializes in disaster management, Sanders said she’d thought about attending that protest but decided against it because her lungs were still weak from an earlier infection that might have been the coronavirus. Although she never got tested, Sanders said she came down with a respiratory illness in mid-February that almost sent her to the emergency room. She is a triathlete with no history of asthma. Last October, she swam a 5K race. Today, she can’t even swim a mile.
She said, “There are other ways to do crowd control that don’t involve creating respiratory ailments during a pandemic, in a city that doesn’t have enough [medical] supplies.”
Maya Eliahou and Caroline Chen contributed reporting.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
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truthout--2020-06-06--Outside of the US, the World Sees Uprisings, Not Riots

One of Germany ’ s largest dailies ran the headline “ This killer cop set America ablaze , ” with a photo of the Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd .
Protests in the United States , the article reported , looked like “ scenes out of a civil war.
” Bettina Gaus , political correspondent for the Berlin daily Die Tagezeitung , tells me that everybody in Germany , “ regardless of political affiliations , is appalled by the murder of George Floyd and sees it as just another example for racism in the U.S. And nobody thinks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the world , Palestinians and some Israelis recognize that both U.S. and Israeli security forces regularly shoot unarmed civilians .
On May 30 , Iyad Halak , a Palestinian student with autism , was murdered by Israeli soldiers claiming he had a gun .
No weapons were found , and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz later apologized .
As victims of America ’ s long history of supporting violence , Palestinians have expressed solidarity with U.S. demonstrators .
“ The growing protests .
.
.
against police brutality in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system of racist exploitation and oppression , ” read a statement issued by the BDS ( Boycott , Divestment , and Sanctions ) movement in Palestine .
While President Donald Trump ’ s White House , many U.S. politicians , and the corporate media condemn the protests as riots , much of the rest of the world sees them as uprisings .
Ajamu Baraka , founder of the Black Alliance for Peace and 2016 Green Party vice presidential candidate , says U.S. officials are hypocrites when it comes to criticizing violence .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on demonstrators in Hong Kong , regardless of the level of violence and property damage , ” Baraka tells me .
He adds that the worst looting took place when the U.S. government “ transferred billions of public resources into banks and corporations under guise of helping the economy during the COVID-19 crisis.
” Bill Fletcher , executive editor of GlobalAfricanWorker.com and former president of TransAfrica Forum , notes that the vast majority of protests against police killings have not engaged in violence or looting .
“ I ’ m sure there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provoke , ” he says .
“ But there are also very frustrated people.
” Spontaneous demonstrations have broken out in more than 140 American cities in the largest U.S. uprising since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 .
But this time African Americans have been joined by white , Asian , and Latinx protesters .
The black liberation movement has a long history of solidarity with the Third World .
Some of today ’ s protesters , particularly whites , may not be familiar with that history and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and political activist W.E.B .
Du Bois travelled to the Versailles peace talks after World War I in order to express solidarity with colonized Africans .
Britain , France , and the United States had promised democracy and self determination following the war .
Instead , the victorious imperialist powers carved up Africa , Asia , and the Middle East into colonies under their control .
“ Self determination didn ’ t apply in the colonial world , ” says Fletcher .
During the 1920s and 1930s , leftist and nationalist movements developed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led a massive Back to Africa movement .
The Communist Party and other leftists gathered considerable support by organizing non-segregated trade unions and defending African Americans against police brutality .
African Americans strongly opposed Italy ’ s 1935 invasion and occupation of Ethiopia , and joined the fight against fascism .
Activists from that era came to understand that African Americans are “ not only exploited as workers but are a colonized people , ” Baraka says .
“ The source of their oppression was the colonialist , capitalist system .
So they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggles.
” By the 1950s , African Americans and liberal whites had joined together in the civil rights movement demanding an end to segregation in education , housing , and employment .
But leaders such as Malcolm X , particularly in the last year of his life , said demanding civil rights was not enough .
“ We believe that our problem is not one of civil rights but a violation of human rights , ” he said in 1965 .
“ Not only are we denied the right to be a citizen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied the right to be a human being.
” By calling for human rights , says Fletcher , Malcolm X “ meant that our struggle was not simply a struggle for constitutional rights but for political power and self-determination .
It was a struggle for other people in the Global South .
U.S. blacks are fighting the same system.
” Malcolm X questioned the way U.S. society was organized , according to Baraka , “ not just what ’ s in the heads of individual white people , but the structure and logic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an analysis that would prove prescient .
U.S. officials , whether Democrat or Republican , pretend that only other countries violate human rights .
Every year , the State Department issues a report on worldwide human rights with the heaviest criticism aimed at enemies du jour such as China , Russia , and Iran .
Human rights , as defined by U.S. officials , include freedom of the press , maintaining an independent judiciary , and civil rights .
But most of the world , the United Nations included , goes further , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a job , health care , and housing , among other things .
Not surprisingly , U.S. leaders never mention authoritative international reports detailing U.S. human rights abuses .
In 2017 , the U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights issued a report sharply criticizing U.S. human rights abuses .
It noted that the United States has the highest rate of income inequality among Western countries .
“ The persistence of extreme poverty is a political choice made by those in power , ” the report stated .
“ With political will , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Administration finds itself increasingly isolated at home and abroad .
The United States has the world ’ s highest death count from COVID-19 and faces a massive recession .
But Trump is not deterred .
He uses the issue of “ violent demonstrators ” to proclaim himself “ the President of law and order.
” Progressives see large demonstrations in front of the White House as a call for freedom and democracy .
Trump supporters see radicals and anarchists attacking the U.S. government .
I worry that Trump could mobilize his supporters to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple crises could lead to Trump ’ s removal from power .
Baraka , for his part , does not foresee a return to normal in the months ahead .
“ There ’ s never been a period like this , ” he says .
“ This is one of the most serious and dangerous moments in the history of this country .
”

The United States is paying the price for denying people what Malcolm X called “the right to be a human being.”
One of Germany’s largest dailies ran the headline “This killer cop set America ablaze,” with a photo of the Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd. Protests in the United States, the article reported, looked like “scenes out of a civil war.”
Bettina Gaus, political correspondent for the Berlin daily Die Tagezeitung, tells me that everybody in Germany, “regardless of political affiliations, is appalled by the murder of George Floyd and sees it as just another example for racism in the U.S. And nobody thinks Donald Trump is helpful.”
In another part of the world, Palestinians and some Israelis recognize that both U.S. and Israeli security forces regularly shoot unarmed civilians. On May 30, Iyad Halak, a Palestinian student with autism, was murdered by Israeli soldiers claiming he had a gun. No weapons were found, and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz later apologized.
As victims of America’s long history of supporting violence, Palestinians have expressed solidarity with U.S. demonstrators. “The growing protests . . . against police brutality in the U.S. are fundamentally an uprising against an entire system of racist exploitation and oppression,” read a statement issued by the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement in Palestine.
While President Donald Trump’s White House, many U.S. politicians, and the corporate media condemn the protests as riots, much of the rest of the world sees them as uprisings. Ajamu Baraka, founder of the Black Alliance for Peace and 2016 Green Party vice presidential candidate, says U.S. officials are hypocrites when it comes to criticizing violence.
The U.S. government and corporate media “cheer on demonstrators in Hong Kong, regardless of the level of violence and property damage,” Baraka tells me. He adds that the worst looting took place when the U.S. government “transferred billions of public resources into banks and corporations under guise of helping the economy during the COVID-19 crisis.”
Bill Fletcher, executive editor of GlobalAfricanWorker.com and former president of TransAfrica Forum, notes that the vast majority of protests against police killings have not engaged in violence or looting.
“I’m sure there are opportunists out there who just loot and provoke,” he says. “But there are also very frustrated people.”
Spontaneous demonstrations have broken out in more than 140 American cities in the largest U.S. uprising since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. But this time African Americans have been joined by white, Asian, and Latinx protesters.
The black liberation movement has a long history of solidarity with the Third World. Some of today’s protesters, particularly whites, may not be familiar with that history and its lessons for today.
African American historian and political activist W.E.B. Du Bois travelled to the Versailles peace talks after World War I in order to express solidarity with colonized Africans. Britain, France, and the United States had promised democracy and self determination following the war. Instead, the victorious imperialist powers carved up Africa, Asia, and the Middle East into colonies under their control.
“Self determination didn’t apply in the colonial world,” says Fletcher.
During the 1920s and 1930s, leftist and nationalist movements developed in the black community. Marcus Garvey led a massive Back to Africa movement. The Communist Party and other leftists gathered considerable support by organizing non-segregated trade unions and defending African Americans against police brutality.
African Americans strongly opposed Italy’s 1935 invasion and occupation of Ethiopia, and joined the fight against fascism.
Activists from that era came to understand that African Americans are “not only exploited as workers but are a colonized people,” Baraka says. “The source of their oppression was the colonialist, capitalist system. So they had a common interest with other anti-colonial struggles.”
By the 1950s, African Americans and liberal whites had joined together in the civil rights movement demanding an end to segregation in education, housing, and employment. But leaders such as Malcolm X, particularly in the last year of his life, said demanding civil rights was not enough.
“We believe that our problem is not one of civil rights but a violation of human rights,” he said in 1965. “Not only are we denied the right to be a citizen in the United States, we are denied the right to be a human being.”
By calling for human rights, says Fletcher, Malcolm X “meant that our struggle was not simply a struggle for constitutional rights but for political power and self-determination. It was a struggle for other people in the Global South. U.S. blacks are fighting the same system.”
Malcolm X questioned the way U.S. society was organized, according to Baraka, “not just what’s in the heads of individual white people, but the structure and logic of white supremacist domination.”
It was an analysis that would prove prescient.
U.S. officials, whether Democrat or Republican, pretend that only other countries violate human rights. Every year, the State Department issues a report on worldwide human rights with the heaviest criticism aimed at enemies du jour such as China, Russia, and Iran.
Human rights, as defined by U.S. officials, include freedom of the press, maintaining an independent judiciary, and civil rights. But most of the world, the United Nations included, goes further, saying human rights include the right to a job, health care, and housing, among other things.
Not surprisingly, U.S. leaders never mention authoritative international reports detailing U.S. human rights abuses. In 2017, the U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights issued a report sharply criticizing U.S. human rights abuses. It noted that the United States has the highest rate of income inequality among Western countries.
“The persistence of extreme poverty is a political choice made by those in power,” the report stated. “With political will, it could readily be eliminated.”
The Trump Administration finds itself increasingly isolated at home and abroad. The United States has the world’s highest death count from COVID-19 and faces a massive recession.
But Trump is not deterred. He uses the issue of “violent demonstrators” to proclaim himself “the President of law and order.”
Progressives see large demonstrations in front of the White House as a call for freedom and democracy. Trump supporters see radicals and anarchists attacking the U.S. government.
I worry that Trump could mobilize his supporters to provoke a race war. Or these multiple crises could lead to Trump’s removal from power.
Baraka, for his part, does not foresee a return to normal in the months ahead.
“There’s never been a period like this,” he says. “This is one of the most serious and dangerous moments in the history of this country.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-06-06--Judges Strike Down “Ag-Gag” Laws for Violating the First Amendment

On January 22 , 2020 , a federal judge struck down the nation ’ s oldest “ ag-gag ” law , the latest in a series of victories against these laws and in favor of the First Amendment right to seek the truth about how animal agribusinesses treat the animals in their care .
Kansas ’ s Farm Animal and Field Crop and Research Facilities Protection Act , passed in 1990 , criminalized a wide range of conduct related to animal facilities , most importantly , entering an animal facility not open to the public with the intent to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many states seeking to conceal the inherent cruelty of animal agriculture from the general public have passed laws like the Kansas statute targeting whistleblowers and undercover investigators .
These laws , commonly known as “ ag-gag ” laws , prevent us from gaining access to and exposing the widespread cruel ( yet standard ) treatment of farm animals .
Without these critical undercover investigations , the public would effectively be kept from learning about the cruelty involved in daily factory farming practices .
For example , the last investigation at an Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 2011 ( where I served as a litigation extern ) — before that state passed an “ ag-gag ” law in early March 2012 — revealed that the facility routinely castrated and mutilated piglets by cutting off their tails and genitals without painkillers , resulting in many cases of herniated intestines .
The investigation additionally exposed the facility for letting countless piglets suffer from injuries and illness .
Moreover , when piglets died , the facility pulled out their intestines and fed them back to other piglets .
These are not isolated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice throughout the animal agriculture industry .
Similar instances of cruelty were uncovered by Animal Outlook at a North Carolina chicken slaughterhouse in March and April 2015 , where our investigator recorded workers violently throwing , punching and tearing feathers out of birds , often for their own amusement .
Our investigator even saw birds being buried alive as a method of “ disposal.
” In 2016 , North Carolina passed an “ ag-gag ” law in an effort to prevent further investigations .
Without investigators exercising their constitutional right to record these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would never have come to light and consumers would have no way to know the truth of what occurs in industrial factory farms .
In January ’ s ruling , the United States District Court for the District of Kansas struck down most provisions of Kansas ’ s “ ag-gag ” law based on First Amendment grounds .
Judge Kathryn Vratil declared that the statute violated the First Amendment by suppressing speech based on the speaker ’ s ideology or viewpoint ; in this case , the view that animals should be free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision comes on the heels of similar laws being struck down on First Amendment grounds in other states , including Idaho , Utah and Iowa .
Additional constitutional challenges to “ ag-gag ” laws are still pending in courts in Arkansas and North Carolina .
In Arkansas , plaintiffs including the Animal Legal Defense Fund , Animal Equality and the Center for Biological Diversity are asking the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the lower court ’ s dismissal of the lawsuit .
In North Carolina , a separate lawsuit is making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleging that the state ’ s “ ag-gag ” law violates the Constitution .
Across the country , courts have consistently recognized that such blatant attempts to conceal the horrors of industrial factory farming from the American consumer constitute impermissible and unconstitutional constraints on protected First Amendment speech .
The decision in Kansas marks another important victory for those of us concerned with the animal agriculture industry ’ s treatment of animals .
Protecting the right of investigators to record and photograph egregious acts of cruelty behind the closed doors of factory farms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be seen by both law enforcement and the general public .
Such recordings are critical to shining a light on the industrial food system and encouraging consumers to foster a kinder world through their daily choices .
This article was produced by Earth | Food | Life , a project of the Independent Media Institute .

States using laws to conceal the cruelty in animal agriculture from the public are losing in courts across the U.S.
On January 22, 2020, a federal judge struck down the nation’s oldest “ag-gag” law, the latest in a series of victories against these laws and in favor of the First Amendment right to seek the truth about how animal agribusinesses treat the animals in their care. Kansas’s Farm Animal and Field Crop and Research Facilities Protection Act, passed in 1990, criminalized a wide range of conduct related to animal facilities, most importantly, entering an animal facility not open to the public with the intent to take photographs or recordings.
Across the U.S., many states seeking to conceal the inherent cruelty of animal agriculture from the general public have passed laws like the Kansas statute targeting whistleblowers and undercover investigators. These laws, commonly known as “ag-gag” laws, prevent us from gaining access to and exposing the widespread cruel (yet standard) treatment of farm animals. Without these critical undercover investigations, the public would effectively be kept from learning about the cruelty involved in daily factory farming practices.
For example, the last investigation at an Iowa pig farm conducted by Animal Outlook in December 2011 (where I served as a litigation extern) — before that state passed an “ag-gag” law in early March 2012 — revealed that the facility routinely castrated and mutilated piglets by cutting off their tails and genitals without painkillers, resulting in many cases of herniated intestines. The investigation additionally exposed the facility for letting countless piglets suffer from injuries and illness. Moreover, when piglets died, the facility pulled out their intestines and fed them back to other piglets. These are not isolated incidents; cruelty like this is standard practice throughout the animal agriculture industry.
Stuart McDonald
Similar instances of cruelty were uncovered by Animal Outlook at a North Carolina chicken slaughterhouse in March and April 2015, where our investigator recorded workers violently throwing, punching and tearing feathers out of birds, often for their own amusement. Our investigator even saw birds being buried alive as a method of “disposal.” In 2016, North Carolina passed an “ag-gag” law in an effort to prevent further investigations. Without investigators exercising their constitutional right to record these practices, these acts of egregious cruelty would never have come to light and consumers would have no way to know the truth of what occurs in industrial factory farms.
In January’s ruling, the United States District Court for the District of Kansas struck down most provisions of Kansas’s “ag-gag” law based on First Amendment grounds. Judge Kathryn Vratil declared that the statute violated the First Amendment by suppressing speech based on the speaker’s ideology or viewpoint; in this case, the view that animals should be free from cruelty and suffering.
This important decision comes on the heels of similar laws being struck down on First Amendment grounds in other states, including Idaho, Utah and Iowa. Additional constitutional challenges to “ag-gag” laws are still pending in courts in Arkansas and North Carolina. In Arkansas, plaintiffs including the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Animal Equality and the Center for Biological Diversity are asking the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the lower court’s dismissal of the lawsuit. In North Carolina, a separate lawsuit is making its way through the courts, also alleging that the state’s “ag-gag” law violates the Constitution. Across the country, courts have consistently recognized that such blatant attempts to conceal the horrors of industrial factory farming from the American consumer constitute impermissible and unconstitutional constraints on protected First Amendment speech.
The decision in Kansas marks another important victory for those of us concerned with the animal agriculture industry’s treatment of animals. Protecting the right of investigators to record and photograph egregious acts of cruelty behind the closed doors of factory farms ensures that the truth about factory farming can be seen by both law enforcement and the general public. Such recordings are critical to shining a light on the industrial food system and encouraging consumers to foster a kinder world through their daily choices.
This article was produced by Earth | Food | Life, a project of the Independent Media Institute.
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truthout--2020-06-06--As CO2 Levels Hit New High, Earth Experiences Its Hottest May on Record

The Earth just experienced its hottest May on record , scientists said Friday — just a day after it was announced that atmospheric CO2 levels hit a new high .
Scientists at Europe ’ s Copernicus Climate Change Service ( C3S ) announced the temperature record Friday .
The agency said that globally , last month 0.63°C warmer than the 1981-2020 average for May .
That tops the previous warmest May , which occurred in 2016 , by 0.05°C .
The last 12-month period , C3S added , was nearly 0.7°C warmer than average .
“ The last month has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and this is unquestionably an alarming sign , ” Freja Vamborg , a scientist at C3S , told CNBC .
The agency added in its new findings : Outside Europe , temperatures were most above average over parts of Siberia , where they were up to 10°C above average .
They were also much above average over western Alaska , along the Andes bordering Chile and Argentina , and over regions in West and East Antarctica .
It was also much warmer than average over western North America , the far north and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ central and south-western Africa , and south-eastern Asia .
The “ highly anomalous ” temperatures in parts of Siberia follow a warmer than ever April for the Arctic and evidence of the emergence of so-called “ zombie fires ” — reignited fires from last year ’ s Arctic wildfires that continued to survive by smoldering underground .
The new data from European scientists follows NOAA ’ s Thursday announcement that atmospheric CO2 levels also hit new highs last month .
The levels recorded at the Mauna Loa Observatory show a seasonal peak of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the highest monthly reading ever recorded .
Record high daily averages hit last month had already sparked urgent calls for bold climate action .
The trend of the planet-heating gas in the atmosphere is unmistakable .
“ Progress in emissions reductions is not visible in the CO2 record , ” Pieter Tans , senior scientist with NOAA ’ s Global Monitoring Laboratory , said in a statement .
“ We continue to commit our planet — for centuries or longer — to more global heating , sea level rise , and extreme weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CO2 levels come as the global coronavirus pandemic has triggered global economic shutdowns , but the resulting emissions drops and pollution declines were not enough to budge CO2 levels .
Geochemist Ralph Keeling , who runs the Scripps Oceanography program at Mauna Loa , explained why , likening global emissions to “ trash in a landfill.
” “ People may be surprised to hear that the response to the coronavirus outbreak hasn ’ t done more to influence CO2 levels , ” he said .
“ But the buildup of CO2 is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As we keep emitting , it keeps piling up.
” “ The crisis has slowed emissions , but not enough to show up perceptibly at Mauna Loa , ” Keeling continued .
“ What will matter much more is the trajectory we take coming out of this situation.
” The new data comes as global policy makers mark World Environment Day , a moment United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres took to say , “ To care for humanity , we MUST care for nature.
” “ Climate disruption is getting worse , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all parties to “ commit to a green and resilient future .
”

The Earth just experienced its hottest May on record, scientists said Friday — just a day after it was announced that atmospheric CO2 levels hit a new high.
Scientists at Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) announced the temperature record Friday. The agency said that globally, last month 0.63°C warmer than the 1981-2020 average for May. That tops the previous warmest May, which occurred in 2016, by 0.05°C.
The last 12-month period, C3S added, was nearly 0.7°C warmer than average.
📢May #temperature highlights from #Copernicus #C3S: 🌡Globally, it was the warmest May in our record, at 0.63°C above average
🌡Although May was colder than average in Europe, spring 2020 was overall 0.7°C warmer than the norm More detail➡https://t.co/2gh0WRIv7A pic.twitter.com/tqCOKiceI2 — Copernicus ECMWF (@CopernicusECMWF) June 5, 2020
“The last month has been the warmest May on record globally and this is unquestionably an alarming sign,” Freja Vamborg, a scientist at C3S, told CNBC.
The agency added in its new findings:
Outside Europe, temperatures were most above average over parts of Siberia, where they were up to 10°C above average. They were also much above average over western Alaska, along the Andes bordering Chile and Argentina, and over regions in West and East Antarctica. It was also much warmer than average over western North America, the far north and south of South America, north-western, central and south-western Africa, and south-eastern Asia.
The “highly anomalous” temperatures in parts of Siberia follow a warmer than ever April for the Arctic and evidence of the emergence of so-called “zombie fires” — reignited fires from last year’s Arctic wildfires that continued to survive by smoldering underground.
The new data from European scientists follows NOAA’s Thursday announcement that atmospheric CO2 levels also hit new highs last month.
The levels recorded at the Mauna Loa Observatory show a seasonal peak of 417.1 parts per million in May, the highest monthly reading ever recorded.
Record high daily averages hit last month had already sparked urgent calls for bold climate action.
The trend of the planet-heating gas in the atmosphere is unmistakable.
The annual rate of increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide over the past 60 years is about 100 times faster than previous natural increases, such as those that occurred at the end of the last ice age 11,000-17,000 years ago. https://t.co/N2OgzMqiOU pic.twitter.com/jXQEvILzXG — NOAA Climate.gov (@NOAAClimate) June 4, 2020
“Progress in emissions reductions is not visible in the CO2 record,” Pieter Tans, senior scientist with NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory, said in a statement. “We continue to commit our planet — for centuries or longer — to more global heating, sea level rise, and extreme weather events every year.”
The record atmospheric CO2 levels come as the global coronavirus pandemic has triggered global economic shutdowns, but the resulting emissions drops and pollution declines were not enough to budge CO2 levels.
Geochemist Ralph Keeling, who runs the Scripps Oceanography program at Mauna Loa, explained why, likening global emissions to “trash in a landfill.”
“People may be surprised to hear that the response to the coronavirus outbreak hasn’t done more to influence CO2 levels,” he said. “But the buildup of CO2 is a bit like trash in a landfill. As we keep emitting, it keeps piling up.”
“The crisis has slowed emissions, but not enough to show up perceptibly at Mauna Loa,” Keeling continued. “What will matter much more is the trajectory we take coming out of this situation.”
The new data comes as global policy makers mark World Environment Day, a moment United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres took to say, “To care for humanity, we MUST care for nature.”
“Climate disruption is getting worse,” Guterres said in his message, urging all parties to “commit to a green and resilient future.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.