truthout--2020-06-08--Police Violence in Minneapolis Affirms Why Cops Have No Place in Labor Movement

The police have no place in the labor movement .
They are an anti-labor institution and share no interests with the working class .
For over 200 years , they have operated at the behest of white elites to ensure that workers remain divided by race .
The fact that police are unionized should not distract us from this fundamental fact .
Minneapolis police killed George Floyd , the most recent in a long line of casualties that together sparked mass protests across the country and the world .
In the aftermath of Floyd ’ s murder , some have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cultural competency and the use of force , but none of these solutions address the root problem , which is that the police — as an institution — is anti-Black and anti-labor .
Slave patrols were an early form of policing in the U.S. White slave owners deputized poor landless whites to hunt fugitive slaves and suppress slave revolts .
They policed plantations , towns and waterways , turned neighbors into snitches , and maintained a reign of terror that has haunted Black people ever since .
In 1828 , the Slave Patroller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very much like the oaths of office that police take today : But the police were not just meant to subordinate Black people .
Rich whites sought to sow division among the poor and dispossessed in general .
The slaveocracy ’ s ultimate nightmare was an interracial coalition of working people that could wrest control of their wealth and power .
Policing cultivated what W.E.B .
DuBois called the psychological “ wages of whiteness.
” Being on patrol placed poor whites above their Black counterparts .
This was a comfort , for landless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The work of policing preserved and made visible their elevated social status , and they jealously guarded it .
That dynamic continues to this day .
White elites continue to use the police and the rhetoric of “ law and order ” to divide working people , while white police officers continue to assert their prerogatives over communities of color .
Minneapolis Police Federation President Bob Kroll , for example , said to his members , “ Given the right numbers , the right equipment , and your ability to use them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday night.
” He later called Black Lives Matter a “ terrorist organization.
” Some may object that police officers are union members , too , and are part of the wider labor movement .
If they are just a pawn in the rich man ’ s game , then trade unionists should organize them to see reason .
To this , I must say that any organization that condones the exclusion , harassment and murder of workers of color ain ’ t a union — it ’ s a goddamn club .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ impatience with the police and their so-called unions .
As Truthout reported , “ the central body of labor groups which represents more than 150 unions and 100,000 workers in the Seattle , Washington , area approved a resolution Thursday giving an ultimatum to the Seattle Police Officers Guild : Address Seattle Police Department ’ s systemic racism or face potential expulsion.
” On June 2 , Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bill McCarthy wrote , Likewise , on June 4 , Stuart Appelbaum , president of the Retail , Wholesale , and Department Store @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The labor movement must stand with the Black Lives Matter movement in demanding an end to police violence with the same commitment that we fight to improve workers ’ rights for a just economy for all.
” These statements reflect the fact that organized labor and the Black Lives Matter movement have worked together since 2015 on a number of campaigns , including public school curriculum reform and the Fight for $ 15 .
Any public differences over Black Lives Matter have been primarily between police unions and the rest of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue of diversity , the progressive rank-and-file of many unions continue to press their leadership into action .
Organized labor has therefore built a nascent coalition with the new civil rights movement , but we have not yet taken a coherent position on the police as an institution .
In my view , local , state and national unions should call for the abolition of the police and propose an alternative community-led model designed to protect all people from injustice and harm .
Let us not forget that the police are no friend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The number of strikes they have broken is legion ; the number of workers they have killed is countless .
It is time , once and for all , for the labor movement to denounce this institution as an enemy of workers everywhere .
An injury to one is an injury to all , we say , and that must go for our brother George Floyd and our sister Breonna Taylor , too .
Their killers — Derek Chauvin , Myles Cosgrove , Brett Hankinson and Jon Mattingly — were on slave patrol @

The police have no place in the labor movement. They are an anti-labor institution and share no interests with the working class. For over 200 years, they have operated at the behest of white elites to ensure that workers remain divided by race. The fact that police are unionized should not distract us from this fundamental fact.
Minneapolis police killed George Floyd, the most recent in a long line of casualties that together sparked mass protests across the country and the world. In the aftermath of Floyd’s murder, some have called for reforms such as training in cultural competency and the use of force, but none of these solutions address the root problem, which is that the police — as an institution — is anti-Black and anti-labor.
Slave patrols were an early form of policing in the U.S. White slave owners deputized poor landless whites to hunt fugitive slaves and suppress slave revolts. They policed plantations, towns and waterways, turned neighbors into snitches, and maintained a reign of terror that has haunted Black people ever since. In 1828, the Slave Patroller’s Oath in North Carolina read very much like the oaths of office that police take today:
“I [patroller’s name], do swear, that I will as searcher for guns, swords, and other weapons among the slaves in my district, faithfully, and as privately as I can, discharge the trust reposed in me as the law directs, to the best of my power. So help me, God.”
But the police were not just meant to subordinate Black people. Rich whites sought to sow division among the poor and dispossessed in general. The slaveocracy’s ultimate nightmare was an interracial coalition of working people that could wrest control of their wealth and power.
Policing cultivated what W.E.B. DuBois called the psychological “wages of whiteness.” Being on patrol placed poor whites above their Black counterparts. This was a comfort, for landless whites feared equal status with the enslaved. The work of policing preserved and made visible their elevated social status, and they jealously guarded it.
That dynamic continues to this day. White elites continue to use the police and the rhetoric of “law and order” to divide working people, while white police officers continue to assert their prerogatives over communities of color. Minneapolis Police Federation President Bob Kroll, for example, said to his members, “Given the right numbers, the right equipment, and your ability to use them [we] would have ended this Tuesday night.” He later called Black Lives Matter a “terrorist organization.”
Some may object that police officers are union members, too, and are part of the wider labor movement. If they are just a pawn in the rich man’s game, then trade unionists should organize them to see reason. To this, I must say that any organization that condones the exclusion, harassment and murder of workers of color ain’t a union — it’s a goddamn club.
Already the labor movement has signaled growing impatience with the police and their so-called unions. As Truthout reported, “the central body of labor groups which represents more than 150 unions and 100,000 workers in the Seattle, Washington, area approved a resolution Thursday giving an ultimatum to the Seattle Police Officers Guild: Address Seattle Police Department’s systemic racism or face potential expulsion.” On June 2, Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bill McCarthy wrote,
There is no room for white supremacists in our movement. The Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis is not, nor has it ever been a member of the Minnesota AFL-CIO. Bob Kroll and those who have enabled violence and brutality to grow within police ranks do not speak for us.
Likewise, on June 4, Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union, released a statement saying, “The labor movement must stand with the Black Lives Matter movement in demanding an end to police violence with the same commitment that we fight to improve workers’ rights for a just economy for all.”
These statements reflect the fact that organized labor and the Black Lives Matter movement have worked together since 2015 on a number of campaigns, including public school curriculum reform and the Fight for $15. Any public differences over Black Lives Matter have been primarily between police unions and the rest of the labor movement, though on the broader issue of diversity, the progressive rank-and-file of many unions continue to press their leadership into action.
Organized labor has therefore built a nascent coalition with the new civil rights movement, but we have not yet taken a coherent position on the police as an institution. In my view, local, state and national unions should call for the abolition of the police and propose an alternative community-led model designed to protect all people from injustice and harm.
Let us not forget that the police are no friend of labor and never have been. The number of strikes they have broken is legion; the number of workers they have killed is countless. It is time, once and for all, for the labor movement to denounce this institution as an enemy of workers everywhere.
An injury to one is an injury to all, we say, and that must go for our brother George Floyd and our sister Breonna Taylor, too. Their killers — Derek Chauvin, Myles Cosgrove, Brett Hankinson and Jon Mattingly — were on slave patrol.
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.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-06-09--“Stick to Sports” Has Gone by the Wayside on Right-Leaning Sports Talk Radio

Donald Trump ’ s near-frantic desire to reopen the national economy in order to salvage his reelection hopes has been about as subtle as an earthquake in a nail gun factory .
He has found support for this push from within his voter base , from certain portions of the business community , and from conservative governors in less-populated states where COVID-19 has not ( yet ) done substantial damage .
It is a high-risk gamble fraught with lethal consequences that are already being felt .
While cities like New York and Boston are only now allowing a measure of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brutal months , other more rural locations threw caution to the wind at Trump ’ s behest weeks ago , and the butcher ’ s bill for their rash impatience is coming due .
“ The increase of coronavirus cases in counties with fewer than 60,000 people is part of the trend of new infections surging across the rural United States , ” reports The Washington Post .
“ Health experts worry those areas , already short of resources before the pandemic , will struggle to track new cases with the infrastructure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health-care support , residents in states such as Mississippi , Florida and South Carolina are living under only minor-to-moderate restrictions — even as their average daily infection rate is rising.
” The “ Reopen ” advocates — from Trump to his pet governors to the heavily-armed blivets harassing officials in Michigan — have been vividly and publicly noisy with their demands .
Yet , another hard “ Reopen ” push has been taking place since March in a sector of the media that has been entirely overlooked during this crisis , despite its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk radio .
At first blush , it makes little sense : Who listens to sports talk radio when there are no sports to talk about ?
Answer : People like me , and there are a hell of a lot of us .
Listening to radio discussions on sports nowadays is a light whiff of normal in a world gone sideways , and because of that , there remains an audience for the product even as the bats fall silent and the cheers have disappeared .
This has created an under-the-radar opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bastion of unvarnished right-wing opinions — to push the “ Reopen ” argument with gusto by way of a daily drumbeat of rhetoric straight out of the Donald Trump playbook .
Without question , the professional sports industry — most especially on the men ’ s side of things — is in too many respects a toxic stew of violent hypermasculinity wrapped in government-funded militaristic nationalism .
The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) is as corrupt as Tammany Hall and as racist as the Minneapolis Police Department , and the women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ literally conquered the world not long ago — has been forced to sue the league in order to be paid the same as the men .
The NFL , which has long been a frothing cauldron of these grim social phenomena , was caught flat-footed amid the eruption of public outrage after George Floyd was murdered on camera by a Minneapolis police officer .
The league ’ s tepid statement on the subject was still too radical for the Fraternal Order of Police , which slapped the league for daring to even suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be better at their jobs .
All that being rightly said , the realm of professional sports is not utterly bereft of important progressive voices .
Muhammad Ali has been my personal hero ever since I met him in the lobby of the Parker House Hotel in Boston 41 years ago .
His refusal to fight in a war that so thoroughly damaged my father has been a guiding light in my activism for as long as I can remember .
Celtics great Bill Russell has been an avatar for social justice for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump with both feet .
Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar penned a moving editorial about the murder of George Floyd .
Bruins player Patrice Bergeron and tennis star Venus Williams have taken equally strong stands on the issue .
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sounds a whole hell of a lot like Bernie Sanders whenever he opines on the politics of the day .
And , of course , there is NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick , whose kneeling protest against police violence four years ago ended his playing career .
Role models like Kaepernick have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ athletes to speak out against the systemic racism that pollutes the body politic right along with their sport .
A top-tier cohort of Black NFL players released a profoundly moving video demanding the league allow players to publicly protest in the manner of Kaepernick , and the league — amazingly — bent to their will , even as that decision inspired yet another eruption of Trumpian wrath .
When the sports talk radio hosts are not talking about the games , the conversation tends to veer into the murky swamps of blunt right-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and large , has been home to conservative opinion for many years , with egregious examples found in men like Gerry Callahan , who spent 20 years spewing racist , sexist and homophobic rants into the Boston airwaves until his act finally got stale enough to bounce him in 2019 .
Which brings us back to sports talk radio in the immediacy of this moment .
When sports figures like Kaepernick and Popovich dare to cross the “ stick to sports ” line espoused by conservative sports radio personalities , even as those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves , those sports figures become chew toys for the day ’ s broadcast .
This was certainly the case before COVID arrived .
After COVID , however , and in the complete absence of any games to talk about , sports talk radio has been filling the airwaves with ham-fisted , right-leaning Trump talk about the pandemic .
I have given close ear to the evolution of this broadcasted conversation in my corner of New England since the pandemic began , and in doing so , I found a significant vector for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has gone largely unnoticed .
Around these parts , the three main venues for sports talk radio are WEEI and the Sports Hub , which compete with the national Fox Sports broadcast .
All of these stations , in their own fashion , began in March by downplaying the severity of COVID to one degree or another .
When that proved to be an embarrassingly incorrect stance , they spent several weeks lamenting the lack of games , before pivoting more recently to a hard push toward getting the leagues going again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ these radio personalities , are worth the risk .
Of course , these sports talk radio people are carrying water for the billionaire owners who want the games to begin again so they can resume raking in massive profits from ticket sales , concessions and advertising revenues .
They are also carrying water for themselves , so they can get back to the sports-oriented broadcasting that brings in ad revenues for their stations .
The owners aren ’ t saying much in public on the subject , because they don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it for them , and they have a substantial audience listening in when they do .
As with Trump and the “ Reopen ” governors , the push to begin playing games as if the COVID pandemic is over has come with consequences .
Per CNN : Several universities this week joined a growing list of schools reporting coronavirus cases within their athletic programs .
Arkansas State reported that seven athletes from three sports programs tested positive last Wednesday .
They were all asymptomatic and will remain in quarantine for 14 days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Auburn University in Alabama tested positive , an Auburn athletics spokesperson confirmed to CNN .
The three athletes are asymptomatic and have been placed in self-isolation in a dorm away from the rest of the team .
The Texas Tech athletic department on Monday confirmed recent positive tests for Covid-19 within the men ’ s basketball program .
It did not provide a number of affected athletes .
The University of Iowa athletics department said out of the 237 Covid-19 tests administered to staff and athletes since May 29 , one person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oklahoma State University announced they ’ ve each had several athletes test positive .
And Iowa State University reported one new case .
The new cases come after multiple reports surfaced last week that at least five players on the University of Alabama football team tested positive for the virus .
The murder of George Floyd has inspired an explosion of athlete activism , the likes of which I have not seen in my lifetime .
COVID has given that activism an even keener edge , and progressive voices that have long been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard .
Even so , the NFL is hungrily eyeing September as a target for restarting league play .
Hockey is cobbling together a plan to salvage the season , and the NBA could be playing games by the end of July .
Only Major League Baseball appears poised to lose the season , but only because the owners and players are squabbling over money .
Meanwhile , the massively lucrative college sports industry appears all too willing to feed its student-athletes into the maw of the virus even as experts like Anthony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and as the pandemic spreads its wings over the wider world .
Is the dangerous “ Reopen ” push in the realm of pro sports entirely due to the not-so-whispered campaign that has been waged by conservative sports talk radio hosts since March ?
Not entirely , to be sure , but their impact remains unmistakably evident , and their rhetoric has certainly fortified “ Reopen ” opinions regarding the vagaries of daily life .
They ’ re not hiding it .
You just have to find the right station .

Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
Donald Trump’s near-frantic desire to reopen the national economy in order to salvage his reelection hopes has been about as subtle as an earthquake in a nail gun factory. He has found support for this push from within his voter base, from certain portions of the business community, and from conservative governors in less-populated states where COVID-19 has not (yet) done substantial damage.
It is a high-risk gamble fraught with lethal consequences that are already being felt. While cities like New York and Boston are only now allowing a measure of normalcy to return after several long, brutal months, other more rural locations threw caution to the wind at Trump’s behest weeks ago, and the butcher’s bill for their rash impatience is coming due.
“The increase of coronavirus cases in counties with fewer than 60,000 people is part of the trend of new infections surging across the rural United States,” reports The Washington Post. “Health experts worry those areas, already short of resources before the pandemic, will struggle to track new cases with the infrastructure that remains. Adding to the disparity in health-care support, residents in states such as Mississippi, Florida and South Carolina are living under only minor-to-moderate restrictions — even as their average daily infection rate is rising.”
The “Reopen” advocates — from Trump to his pet governors to the heavily-armed blivets harassing officials in Michigan — have been vividly and publicly noisy with their demands. Yet, another hard “Reopen” push has been taking place since March in a sector of the media that has been entirely overlooked during this crisis, despite its long reach and significant impact: sports talk radio.
At first blush, it makes little sense: Who listens to sports talk radio when there are no sports to talk about? Answer: People like me, and there are a hell of a lot of us. Listening to radio discussions on sports nowadays is a light whiff of normal in a world gone sideways, and because of that, there remains an audience for the product even as the bats fall silent and the cheers have disappeared.
This has created an under-the-radar opening for sports talk radio — long a bastion of unvarnished right-wing opinions — to push the “Reopen” argument with gusto by way of a daily drumbeat of rhetoric straight out of the Donald Trump playbook.
Without question, the professional sports industry — most especially on the men’s side of things — is in too many respects a toxic stew of violent hypermasculinity wrapped in government-funded militaristic nationalism. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is as corrupt as Tammany Hall and as racist as the Minneapolis Police Department, and the women’s national soccer team — which literally conquered the world not long ago — has been forced to sue the league in order to be paid the same as the men.
After COVID, and in the complete absence of any games to talk about, sports talk radio has been filling the airwaves with ham-fisted, right-leaning Trump talk about the pandemic.
The NFL, which has long been a frothing cauldron of these grim social phenomena, was caught flat-footed amid the eruption of public outrage after George Floyd was murdered on camera by a Minneapolis police officer. The league’s tepid statement on the subject was still too radical for the Fraternal Order of Police, which slapped the league for daring to even suggest that police in the U.S. could possibly be better at their jobs.
All that being rightly said, the realm of professional sports is not utterly bereft of important progressive voices. Muhammad Ali has been my personal hero ever since I met him in the lobby of the Parker House Hotel in Boston 41 years ago. His refusal to fight in a war that so thoroughly damaged my father has been a guiding light in my activism for as long as I can remember.
Celtics great Bill Russell has been an avatar for social justice for many decades, and recently landed on Trump with both feet. Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar penned a moving editorial about the murder of George Floyd. Bruins player Patrice Bergeron and tennis star Venus Williams have taken equally strong stands on the issue. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sounds a whole hell of a lot like Bernie Sanders whenever he opines on the politics of the day.
And, of course, there is NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whose kneeling protest against police violence four years ago ended his playing career. Role models like Kaepernick have inspired a new, younger generation of athletes to speak out against the systemic racism that pollutes the body politic right along with their sport. A top-tier cohort of Black NFL players released a profoundly moving video demanding the league allow players to publicly protest in the manner of Kaepernick, and the league — amazingly — bent to their will, even as that decision inspired yet another eruption of Trumpian wrath.
When the sports talk radio hosts are not talking about the games, the conversation tends to veer into the murky swamps of blunt right-wing blather. Sports talk radio, by and large, has been home to conservative opinion for many years, with egregious examples found in men like Gerry Callahan, who spent 20 years spewing racist, sexist and homophobic rants into the Boston airwaves until his act finally got stale enough to bounce him in 2019.
Which brings us back to sports talk radio in the immediacy of this moment. When sports figures like Kaepernick and Popovich dare to cross the “stick to sports” line espoused by conservative sports radio personalities, even as those personalities fail to follow this hypocritical creed themselves, those sports figures become chew toys for the day’s broadcast.
Of course, these sports talk radio people are carrying water for the billionaire owners who want the games to begin again so they can resume raking in massive profits from ticket sales, concessions and advertising revenues.
This was certainly the case before COVID arrived. After COVID, however, and in the complete absence of any games to talk about, sports talk radio has been filling the airwaves with ham-fisted, right-leaning Trump talk about the pandemic. I have given close ear to the evolution of this broadcasted conversation in my corner of New England since the pandemic began, and in doing so, I found a significant vector for the reckless “Reopen” push that has gone largely unnoticed.
Around these parts, the three main venues for sports talk radio are WEEI and the Sports Hub, which compete with the national Fox Sports broadcast. All of these stations, in their own fashion, began in March by downplaying the severity of COVID to one degree or another. When that proved to be an embarrassingly incorrect stance, they spent several weeks lamenting the lack of games, before pivoting more recently to a hard push toward getting the leagues going again. The games, according to many of these radio personalities, are worth the risk.
Of course, these sports talk radio people are carrying water for the billionaire owners who want the games to begin again so they can resume raking in massive profits from ticket sales, concessions and advertising revenues. They are also carrying water for themselves, so they can get back to the sports-oriented broadcasting that brings in ad revenues for their stations. The owners aren’t saying much in public on the subject, because they don’t have to; the radio guys are saying it for them, and they have a substantial audience listening in when they do.
As with Trump and the “Reopen” governors, the push to begin playing games as if the COVID pandemic is over has come with consequences. Per CNN:
Several universities this week joined a growing list of schools reporting coronavirus cases within their athletic programs. Arkansas State reported that seven athletes from three sports programs tested positive last Wednesday. They were all asymptomatic and will remain in quarantine for 14 days, the university said. Three football players from Auburn University in Alabama tested positive, an Auburn athletics spokesperson confirmed to CNN. The three athletes are asymptomatic and have been placed in self-isolation in a dorm away from the rest of the team. The Texas Tech athletic department on Monday confirmed recent positive tests for Covid-19 within the men’s basketball program. It did not provide a number of affected athletes. The University of Iowa athletics department said out of the 237 Covid-19 tests administered to staff and athletes since May 29, one person has tested positive. Marshall University and Oklahoma State University announced they’ve each had several athletes test positive. And Iowa State University reported one new case. The new cases come after multiple reports surfaced last week that at least five players on the University of Alabama football team tested positive for the virus.
The murder of George Floyd has inspired an explosion of athlete activism, the likes of which I have not seen in my lifetime. COVID has given that activism an even keener edge, and progressive voices that have long been relegated to the background are finally being heard.
Even so, the NFL is hungrily eyeing September as a target for restarting league play. Hockey is cobbling together a plan to salvage the season, and the NBA could be playing games by the end of July. Only Major League Baseball appears poised to lose the season, but only because the owners and players are squabbling over money. Meanwhile, the massively lucrative college sports industry appears all too willing to feed its student-athletes into the maw of the virus even as experts like Anthony Fauci warn against such a precipitous decision, and as the pandemic spreads its wings over the wider world.
Is the dangerous “Reopen” push in the realm of pro sports entirely due to the not-so-whispered campaign that has been waged by conservative sports talk radio hosts since March? Not entirely, to be sure, but their impact remains unmistakably evident, and their rhetoric has certainly fortified “Reopen” opinions regarding the vagaries of daily life. They’re not hiding it. You just have to find the right station.
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.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-06-09--Over 200 Unhoused People Sheltering in Minneapolis Hotel Now Face Eviction

We go to Minneapolis , where the community has taken over a Sheraton hotel to provide shelter to more than 200 unhoused people amid protests and the pandemic .
Now they face eviction .
“ Using hotels for emergency housing is an obvious answer , ” says Rosemary Fister , community organizer .
“ They are largely vacant as we enter an economic depression in the midst of a global pandemic.
” This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
I ’ m Amy Goodman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Quarantine Report , as we go to Minneapolis , where more than 200 unhoused people are facing imminent eviction from a former Sheraton hotel that community organizers turned into a sanctuary for homeless people amidst citywide protests against the police killing of George Floyd .
As parts of the city erupted in flames , thousands took to the streets in protest , unhoused people seeking refuge first moved off the streets and into the largely vacant hotel on May 29th .
The hotel ’ s occupancy quickly grew to more than 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizers working around the clock to keep the operation running .
The Sheraton is just one mile from where George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police more than two weeks ago .
The hotel has provided shelter for a homeless population hit not just by citywide unrest , but also the coronavirus , which particularly threatens the unhoused .
But now the former Sheraton ’ s owner is threatening to evict all 200 people from the hotel today .
As the situation unfolds , we go to that Sheraton in Minneapolis , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a public health nurse , outreach worker , community organizer , who ’ s been one of the volunteers on the ground keeping the hotel for the unhoused running .
Welcome to Democracy Now !
Can you talk about — in fact , when we booked this segment , we were just going to talk about this amazing place that is being run by the unhoused and the organizers , like you , Rosemary .
But now , as we go to air , we hear you ’ re being evicted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ ve created over these last 10 days .
Ten days ago , this space opened up to provide housing to people who are displaced and unsheltered .
Using hotels for emergency housing is an obvious answer .
They are largely vacant as we enter an economic depression in the midst of a global pandemic .
There have been emergencies facing this community for years .
The uprising in Minneapolis was an acutely dangerous situation for people who are unsheltered .
And we were able to provide housing for people to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve seen in this city .
People came in from the street having been shot at .
People came in from the street being chased .
People came in from the streets talking about the KKK visiting their campsites .
And today , it ’ s clear that our time at this hotel is over .
We were able to open the door to a space .
We were able to house people through a crisis .
We opened a door and demonstrated some possibilities .
This is the time for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the county , for the nonprofits , for the philanthropists to step in .
We demonstrated the clear need .
We housed well over 200 people .
As of this morning , we had 427 people on the wait list .
Not only was the owner threatening us with eviction yesterday , but there is also an emergency this morning that ’ s still unfolding and I can ’ t really speak to right now .
We ’ re still trying to find out what is happening .
But it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we ’ ve created for the last 10 days is no longer an option .
And there is nowhere for people to go .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Rosemary , many of the homeless who are in the hotel were in an encampment near the Minneapolis police precinct that ended up being burned down as a result during the protests .
Could you talk about this — what did the hotel owner do initially ?
Did he just walk away from the hotel ?
What happened ?
And talk about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are there now .
ROSEMARY FISTER : Yeah , that ’ s been an interesting and ever-changing relationship .
Just for context , we ’ ve had a massive increase in homelessness driven by unsheltered homelessness in the Twin Cities .
There is no room in the shelters .
We call every night to see if there are shelter beds , and the shelter beds are generally full by 9:00 in the morning .
This has been a crisis .
This has been a failed system .
And we had no other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of space while the curfew was descending and the National Guard was invading our city .
There was nowhere for people to go .
We had no choice .
We turned to a space that we identified as a space that was in the neighborhood that we could use .
We informed the owner that we were going to be staying there .
We negotiated and persuaded him with a crowd in the lobby , and let him know what we were going to be doing .
He initially was very gracious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 40 rooms to 90 rooms to having master keys to all 136 rooms in the hotel .
It was a very interesting kind of dynamic .
We later learned that he had been operating without a license , working with the hotel workers ’ union , UNITE HERE , and understanding more of the dynamics behind the issues behind that situation .
And he has got some significant other history that we ’ re still trying to find out how to address .
He started threatening us with eviction , calling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hotel keys being deactivated , people getting locked out of their rooms , really just creating kind of a sense of uncertainty , precarity and chaos , that we were trying so hard to provide sanctuary to .
So , at the prompt of the owner — JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Rosemary , I wanted to ask you , because we only have about a minute left , but if you could talk about the connection to George Floyd to many of the residents in the hotel ?
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the city ’ s major homeless shelters , and many of the residents there knew him .
Could you talk about that , as well ?
ROSEMARY FISTER : Yeah .
George Floyd was a shelter worker .
He worked at the largest shelter in town for about three years .
A number of the people that were staying in the Sheraton , or the former Sheraton , knew him .
There is a resident here that was present when he was murdered by the police .
And George Floyd is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make these opportunities happen .
We have to — we have an obligation to create the world that we want to live in .
We ’ ve been seeing that it ’ s a possibility .
It took burning down a police station to convince the county that we needed to open up some more options , and it still wasn ’ t enough .
It ’ s clear that people still have nowhere to go .
It is clear that the crisis is much larger than anything that ’ s been measured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a crisis point .
We are calling upon the state , the county , the city , the nonprofits , the entire system to step in .
These people have nowhere to go now .
This is a dangerous situation .
It ’ s been a dangerous situation .
People are dying much younger than they should be .
They were already facing epidemic infectious disease prior to the COVID-19 pandemic .
They were already facing epidemic overdose deaths , with massive racial disparities , Native people being 20 times more likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are indigenous to this land should have a place to live .
AMY GOODMAN : Rosemary , we have to go , but if people want to find out more about what ’ s happening there , is there a website you can send people to ?
ROSEMARY FISTER : Yeah , the website is the SanctuaryHotel.org .
ROSEMARY FISTER : And we ’ ll be posting some updates there later today .
AMY GOODMAN : Thank you so much , Rosemary Fister , public health nurse , outreach worker , community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiencing homelessness .
We ’ ll keep people updated .
Will they be evicted from this former Sheraton Hotel , or will there be some kind of compromise reached ?
I want to thank the whole team that ’ s making Democracy Now !
happen today , so many working from home to protect against community spread .
Democracy Now !
produced with Renée Feltz , Mike Burke , Deena Guzder , Libby Rainey , Nermeen Shaikh , Carla Wills .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
Stay safe @

We go to Minneapolis, where the community has taken over a Sheraton hotel to provide shelter to more than 200 unhoused people amid protests and the pandemic. Now they face eviction. “Using hotels for emergency housing is an obvious answer,” says Rosemary Fister, community organizer. “They are largely vacant as we enter an economic depression in the midst of a global pandemic.”
TRANSCRIPT
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González. This is The Quarantine Report, as we go to Minneapolis, where more than 200 unhoused people are facing imminent eviction from a former Sheraton hotel that community organizers turned into a sanctuary for homeless people amidst citywide protests against the police killing of George Floyd. As parts of the city erupted in flames, thousands took to the streets in protest, unhoused people seeking refuge first moved off the streets and into the largely vacant hotel on May 29th. The hotel’s occupancy quickly grew to more than 200, with a group of volunteers and organizers working around the clock to keep the operation running. The Sheraton is just one mile from where George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police more than two weeks ago. The hotel has provided shelter for a homeless population hit not just by citywide unrest, but also the coronavirus, which particularly threatens the unhoused. But now the former Sheraton’s owner is threatening to evict all 200 people from the hotel today.
As the situation unfolds, we go to that Sheraton in Minneapolis, where we’re joined by Rosemary Fister, a public health nurse, outreach worker, community organizer, who’s been one of the volunteers on the ground keeping the hotel for the unhoused running.
Welcome to Democracy Now! Can you talk about — in fact, when we booked this segment, we were just going to talk about this amazing place that is being run by the unhoused and the organizers, like you, Rosemary. But now, as we go to air, we hear you’re being evicted. Is this true? Talk about what you’ve created over these last 10 days.
ROSEMARY FISTER: Thank you, Amy.
Ten days ago, this space opened up to provide housing to people who are displaced and unsheltered. Using hotels for emergency housing is an obvious answer. They are largely vacant as we enter an economic depression in the midst of a global pandemic. There have been emergencies facing this community for years. The uprising in Minneapolis was an acutely dangerous situation for people who are unsheltered. And we were able to provide housing for people to get through some of the scariest days that we’ve seen in this city. People came in from the street having been shot at. People came in from the street being chased. People came in from the streets talking about the KKK visiting their campsites.
And today, it’s clear that our time at this hotel is over. We were able to open the door to a space. We were able to house people through a crisis. We opened a door and demonstrated some possibilities. This is the time for the city, for the state, for the county, for the nonprofits, for the philanthropists to step in. We demonstrated the clear need. We housed well over 200 people. As of this morning, we had 427 people on the wait list. Not only was the owner threatening us with eviction yesterday, but there is also an emergency this morning that’s still unfolding and I can’t really speak to right now. We’re still trying to find out what is happening. But it’s very clear right now that the space that we’ve created for the last 10 days is no longer an option. And there is nowhere for people to go.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Rosemary, many of the homeless who are in the hotel were in an encampment near the Minneapolis police precinct that ended up being burned down as a result during the protests. Could you talk about this — what did the hotel owner do initially? Did he just walk away from the hotel? What happened? And talk about the interaction between the owner and the people who are there now.
ROSEMARY FISTER: Yeah, that’s been an interesting and ever-changing relationship. Just for context, we’ve had a massive increase in homelessness driven by unsheltered homelessness in the Twin Cities. There is no room in the shelters. We call every night to see if there are shelter beds, and the shelter beds are generally full by 9:00 in the morning. This has been a crisis. This has been a failed system. And we had no other choice than to try to find some kind of space while the curfew was descending and the National Guard was invading our city. There was nowhere for people to go. We had no choice.
We turned to a space that we identified as a space that was in the neighborhood that we could use. We informed the owner that we were going to be staying there. We negotiated and persuaded him with a crowd in the lobby, and let him know what we were going to be doing. He initially was very gracious. And we went from 20 rooms to 40 rooms to 90 rooms to having master keys to all 136 rooms in the hotel.
It was a very interesting kind of dynamic. We later learned that he had been operating without a license, working with the hotel workers’ union, UNITE HERE, and understanding more of the dynamics behind the issues behind that situation. And he has got some significant other history that we’re still trying to find out how to address.
He started threatening us with eviction, calling the police yesterday. And issues with the hotel keys being deactivated, people getting locked out of their rooms, really just creating kind of a sense of uncertainty, precarity and chaos, that we were trying so hard to provide sanctuary to. So, at the prompt of the owner —
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Rosemary, I wanted to ask you, because we only have about a minute left, but if you could talk about the connection to George Floyd to many of the residents in the hotel?
ROSEMARY FISTER: Yeah.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: He actually worked for a time in one of the city’s major homeless shelters, and many of the residents there knew him. Could you talk about that, as well?
ROSEMARY FISTER: Yeah. George Floyd was a shelter worker. He worked at the largest shelter in town for about three years. A number of the people that were staying in the Sheraton, or the former Sheraton, knew him. There is a resident here that was present when he was murdered by the police.
And George Floyd is the person that gave us the power to make these opportunities happen. We have to — we have an obligation to create the world that we want to live in. We’ve been seeing that it’s a possibility. It took burning down a police station to convince the county that we needed to open up some more options, and it still wasn’t enough. It’s clear that people still have nowhere to go. It is clear that the crisis is much larger than anything that’s been measured.
And right now we are at a crisis point. We are calling upon the state, the county, the city, the nonprofits, the entire system to step in. These people have nowhere to go now. This is a dangerous situation. It’s been a dangerous situation. People are dying much younger than they should be. They were already facing epidemic infectious disease prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were already facing epidemic overdose deaths, with massive racial disparities, Native people being 20 times more likely to be homeless than white Minnesotans. People who are indigenous to this land should have a place to live.
AMY GOODMAN: Rosemary, we have to go, but if people want to find out more about what’s happening there, is there a website you can send people to?
ROSEMARY FISTER: Yeah, the website is the SanctuaryHotel.org.
AMY GOODMAN: SanctuaryHotel.org.
ROSEMARY FISTER: And we’ll be posting some updates there later today.
AMY GOODMAN: Thank you so much, Rosemary Fister, public health nurse, outreach worker, community organizer, working in Minneapolis with people experiencing homelessness. We’ll keep people updated. Will they be evicted from this former Sheraton Hotel, or will there be some kind of compromise reached?
I want to thank the whole team that’s making Democracy Now! happen today, so many working from home to protect against community spread. Democracy Now! produced with Renée Feltz, Mike Burke, Deena Guzder, Libby Rainey, Nermeen Shaikh, Carla Wills. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González. Stay safe.
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--2020-06-09--Support for Uprisings Against Police Brutality Jumped 20 Points in One Week

New polling data released on Tuesday demonstrates widespread support in favor of uprisings happening in cities across the United States in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd two weeks ago .
Floyd , a Black man , was killed when a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes on May 25 as Floyd pleaded repeatedly that he could not breathe and other officers refused to intervene .
An autopsy later revealed that Floyd was killed due to asphyxiation .
Following Floyd ’ s death , cities across the nation saw uprisings from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Results from a Washington Post/Schar School poll , conducted between June 2 and 7 , finds an overwhelming number of Americans support those demonstrations .
Regarding Floyd ’ s death itself , only 29 percent of those polled said it was an isolated incident .
Meanwhile , 69 percent said his killing was indicative of broader problems in policing when it comes to the treatment of Black Americans in the U.S. Those views reveal a striking change from how Americans felt just a few years ago .
In 2016 , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ deaths at the hands of police were signs of bigger problems , according to a Pew Research survey .
And in 2014 , only 43 percent held that view , with a majority ( 53 percent ) saying such deaths were isolated incidents , according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll .
The poll released on Tuesday found that support for the uprisings currently taking place across the country was strong , with 74 percent of Americans backing them , and just 25 percent saying they opposed the demonstrations .
Interestingly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d describe these events as “ mostly peaceful ” or “ mostly violent , ” with both views receiving 43 percent in the poll .
But most did not view the incidents that they characterized as violent as being caused by the protesters themselves .
Only 10 percent of respondents said as much , while a greater number , 14 percent , blamed police for violence seen at demonstrations .
By a wide margin ( 66 percent ) , Americans viewed the violence that has occurred at these events as happening due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll found .
Overall , the poll noted that respondents feel changes to policing practices are sorely needed , with 81 percent of those surveyed saying more reforms need to come about .
The poll did not ask specifically what kinds of reforms were needed , or for people ’ s views on defunding police .
Support for the recent uprisings seen in cities across the nation seems to be expanding .
Earlier in June , a Morning Consult poll demonstrated that 54 percent of Americans either strongly supported or somewhat supported the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to them .

A new poll shows more than 8 in 10 Americans say changes are needed in how policing is conducted in the U.S.
New polling data released on Tuesday demonstrates widespread support in favor of uprisings happening in cities across the United States in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd two weeks ago.
Floyd, a Black man, was killed when a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes on May 25 as Floyd pleaded repeatedly that he could not breathe and other officers refused to intervene. An autopsy later revealed that Floyd was killed due to asphyxiation.
Following Floyd’s death, cities across the nation saw uprisings from protesters fed up with racist police violence. Results from a Washington Post/Schar School poll, conducted between June 2 and 7, finds an overwhelming number of Americans support those demonstrations.
Regarding Floyd’s death itself, only 29 percent of those polled said it was an isolated incident. Meanwhile, 69 percent said his killing was indicative of broader problems in policing when it comes to the treatment of Black Americans in the U.S.
Those views reveal a striking change from how Americans felt just a few years ago. In 2016, for example, only 60 percent said Black Americans’ deaths at the hands of police were signs of bigger problems, according to a Pew Research survey. And in 2014, only 43 percent held that view, with a majority (53 percent) saying such deaths were isolated incidents, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll.
The poll released on Tuesday found that support for the uprisings currently taking place across the country was strong, with 74 percent of Americans backing them, and just 25 percent saying they opposed the demonstrations.
Interestingly, respondents were split on whether they’d describe these events as “mostly peaceful” or “mostly violent,” with both views receiving 43 percent in the poll. But most did not view the incidents that they characterized as violent as being caused by the protesters themselves.
Only 10 percent of respondents said as much, while a greater number, 14 percent, blamed police for violence seen at demonstrations. By a wide margin (66 percent), Americans viewed the violence that has occurred at these events as happening due to others acting irresponsibly during them, the poll found.
Overall, the poll noted that respondents feel changes to policing practices are sorely needed, with 81 percent of those surveyed saying more reforms need to come about. The poll did not ask specifically what kinds of reforms were needed, or for people’s views on defunding police.
Support for the recent uprisings seen in cities across the nation seems to be expanding. Earlier in June, a Morning Consult poll demonstrated that 54 percent of Americans either strongly supported or somewhat supported the protests, with just 22 percent opposed to them.
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.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-06-09--Police Departments Are Using Social Media to Remake Their Image

Social media has been intrinsic to building awareness of police brutality — spreading horrific images of targeted misconduct to millions and making the Black Lives Matter movement mainstream .
Yet since the emergence of nationwide anti-police protests prompted by George Floyd ’ s murder at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department , police departments and associations have begun wielding social media platforms to their own ends , attempting to co-opt the conversation and spread positive propaganda about police .
In many cases , police forces have paid for promoted campaigns on sites like Twitter and Instagram , in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about policing .
In San Francisco , Salon observed a sponsored Instagram ad by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriff ’ s Association ; the post featured a deputy kneeling with Jamie Foxx , who attended protests last week .
The association — who represents members of the San Francisco Sheriff ’ s Department , handles contract negotiations and legal services — posted the same image on Facebook with the caption : “ ‘ Peace and Love is the answer !
’ SFDSA Member Senior Deputy Mercado and Jamie Fox ” [ sic ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have posted videos suggesting that they are either the victims , or trying to depict themselves as peacefully supporting protesters ’ right to assembly .
New York Police Department ( NYPD ) Chief Terence Monahan addressed protesters in an Instagram video calling for an end to the protests .
“ The only path forward is together , ” the caption read .
In Chicago , where the president of the city ’ s police review board , Ghian Foreman , was hit with a baton by a police officer at a protest , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CPD ) Instagram and Twitter tell a different story , in which followers are to believe that the police walk peacefully side-by-side with protesters .
One typical CPD Instagram post features a caption reading “ our officers remain professional on the forefront of protest , ” contradicting reports of police violence in Chicago .
In Nashville , Tennessee , police officers posed on Instagram with a child holding a Black Lives Matter sign .
Austin , Texas ’ police department posted , on Instagram and Twitter , photos of “ a large batch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” that they purported to have received .
Twitter commentators were quick to point out that the handwriting on all the envelopes was the same ; a Gizmodo reporter reached out to Austin police about this curiosity , who explained that “ the cards were from several community members to include kindergartners and Austin families , who wanted to show support for APD officers .
Two people , who organized delivering the cards in person , addressed the envelopes with a ‘ Thank You . '
” The reporter followed up by asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed .
“ We don ’ t know what school or what kindergarteners , ” the police officer spokesperson said .
The emergent social media PR campaign on behalf of the nation ’ s police appears to be a concerted effort to reclaim and redirect the digital narrative about policing , and the character of police officers .
As my colleague Sophia Tesfaye wrote , these feel-good images — particularly the pictures of police officers taking a knee with protesters — are a type of “ performative solidarity ” that is often too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , thus allowing the police to control the media narrative without context or critical thinking .
Certainly many media outlets have advanced this propaganda narrative , but it starts with social media platforms — which are now comparable to the major broadcast TV networks of the mid-twentieth century in terms of their consolidated power to shape public opinion .
Hence , as brands have turned to social media to manage their public image , so have police departments .
According to a 2013 social media survey by the International Association of Chiefs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use social media .
Specifically , 73 percent of agencies surveyed said using it helped improve police-community relationships .
An article in trade publication Police Chief Magazine also suggests that social media can be “ a tool to have more positive interactions with the press.
” Regionally , previous instances of police misconduct have been followed by social media propaganda by said agencies .
As reported by The Nation , the Baltimore Police Department used social media to reshape public opinion during the 2015 Baltimore uprising after Freddie Gray , an unarmed 25-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brutality .
The same year , videos of police officers lip syncing to Taylor Swift went viral .
Individual police officers have taken to TikTok , a nascent social media video platforms similar to now-defunct Vine , to showcase a fuzzier , friendlier image .
( This YouTube video features a compilation of “ Cop TikTok ” videos ) .
Both anti–police racism activists and police or pro-police folks have an outsize presence on the platform .
According to Digiday , 60 percent of Tiktok ’ s U.S. users are between the ages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is “ notably less trusting ” of the police .
This brand of so-called copaganda is dangerous not merely because it ignores and dismisses a very important part of the story of policing in the country , but because it echoes uncritical narratives about what policing is and what police do .
The institution of the police has its roots in slave patrols ; modern policing was molded by the labor movement , for which cops served as uncritical foot-soldiers for rich factory owners seeking to strikebreak and destroy unions .
The White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most noxious brand of copaganda , often spouted via Twitter or Facebook .
Today , White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany listed off the “ great things ” police have done in the last year , which she suggested outweigh the “ injustices ” — like George Floyd ’ s death .
Many of those “ great things ” included everyday acts of kindness and friendliness , like “ in Virginia , officers could be seen playing with little girls.
” “ This is who our great law enforcement officers are , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McEnany said .
It goes to show the two sides of social media : as much as it has been crucial to building public outrage over police racism , so , too , has it been co-opted by taxpayer-funded police departments seeking to rebuild their image .

Social media has been intrinsic to building awareness of police brutality — spreading horrific images of targeted misconduct to millions and making the Black Lives Matter movement mainstream.
Yet since the emergence of nationwide anti-police protests prompted by George Floyd’s murder at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department, police departments and associations have begun wielding social media platforms to their own ends, attempting to co-opt the conversation and spread positive propaganda about police. In many cases, police forces have paid for promoted campaigns on sites like Twitter and Instagram, in a vain attempt to counteract the newly-dominant narrative about policing.
In San Francisco, Salon observed a sponsored Instagram ad by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriff’s Association; the post featured a deputy kneeling with Jamie Foxx, who attended protests last week. The association — who represents members of the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department, handles contract negotiations and legal services — posted the same image on Facebook with the caption: “‘Peace and Love is the answer!’ SFDSA Member Senior Deputy Mercado and Jamie Fox” [sic].
On Instagram, multiple police forces have posted videos suggesting that they are either the victims, or trying to depict themselves as peacefully supporting protesters’ right to assembly. New York Police Department (NYPD) Chief Terence Monahan addressed protesters in an Instagram video calling for an end to the protests. “The only path forward is together,” the caption read.
In Chicago, where the president of the city’s police review board, Ghian Foreman, was hit with a baton by a police officer at a protest, the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD) Instagram and Twitter tell a different story, in which followers are to believe that the police walk peacefully side-by-side with protesters. One typical CPD Instagram post features a caption reading “our officers remain professional on the forefront of protest,” contradicting reports of police violence in Chicago.
In Nashville, Tennessee, police officers posed on Instagram with a child holding a Black Lives Matter sign. Austin, Texas’ police department posted, on Instagram and Twitter, photos of “a large batch of letters and cards with kind words” that they purported to have received. Twitter commentators were quick to point out that the handwriting on all the envelopes was the same; a Gizmodo reporter reached out to Austin police about this curiosity, who explained that “the cards were from several community members to include kindergartners and Austin families, who wanted to show support for APD officers. Two people, who organized delivering the cards in person, addressed the envelopes with a ‘Thank You.'”
The reporter followed up by asking how that was possible if schools were closed. “We don’t know what school or what kindergarteners,” the police officer spokesperson said.
The emergent social media PR campaign on behalf of the nation’s police appears to be a concerted effort to reclaim and redirect the digital narrative about policing, and the character of police officers. As my colleague Sophia Tesfaye wrote, these feel-good images — particularly the pictures of police officers taking a knee with protesters — are a type of “performative solidarity” that is often too quickly highlighted by the corporate media outlets, thus allowing the police to control the media narrative without context or critical thinking. Certainly many media outlets have advanced this propaganda narrative, but it starts with social media platforms — which are now comparable to the major broadcast TV networks of the mid-twentieth century in terms of their consolidated power to shape public opinion.
Hence, as brands have turned to social media to manage their public image, so have police departments. According to a 2013 social media survey by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, 96 percent of police departments use social media. Specifically, 73 percent of agencies surveyed said using it helped improve police-community relationships. An article in trade publication Police Chief Magazine also suggests that social media can be “a tool to have more positive interactions with the press.”
Regionally, previous instances of police misconduct have been followed by social media propaganda by said agencies. As reported by The Nation, the Baltimore Police Department used social media to reshape public opinion during the 2015 Baltimore uprising after Freddie Gray, an unarmed 25-year-old black man, died due to police brutality. The same year, videos of police officers lip syncing to Taylor Swift went viral.
Individual police officers have taken to TikTok, a nascent social media video platforms similar to now-defunct Vine, to showcase a fuzzier, friendlier image. (This YouTube video features a compilation of “Cop TikTok” videos). Both anti–police racism activists and police or pro-police folks have an outsize presence on the platform. According to Digiday, 60 percent of Tiktok’s U.S. users are between the ages of 16 and 24; Gen Z is “notably less trusting” of the police.
This brand of so-called copaganda is dangerous not merely because it ignores and dismisses a very important part of the story of policing in the country, but because it echoes uncritical narratives about what policing is and what police do. The institution of the police has its roots in slave patrols; modern policing was molded by the labor movement, for which cops served as uncritical foot-soldiers for rich factory owners seeking to strikebreak and destroy unions.
The White House has become a reliable chamber for the most noxious brand of copaganda, often spouted via Twitter or Facebook. Today, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany listed off the “great things” police have done in the last year, which she suggested outweigh the “injustices” — like George Floyd’s death. Many of those “great things” included everyday acts of kindness and friendliness, like “in Virginia, officers could be seen playing with little girls.” “This is who our great law enforcement officers are, and we should remember that,” McEnany said.
It goes to show the two sides of social media: as much as it has been crucial to building public outrage over police racism, so, too, has it been co-opted by taxpayer-funded police departments seeking to rebuild their image.
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--2020-06-09--Joe Biden and Top Democrats Won’t Defund Police — But Our Cities Can

Facing attacks from President Trump , Joe Biden ’ s campaign said on Monday that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee would not answer the call from hundreds of thousands of people who have taken to the streets to defund local police departments .
However , most local police departments are run by city governments , and momentum toward abolishing policing as we know it today is building at the local level .
Instead of slashing federal funding for local cops , Biden and Democrats in Congress have proposed a slate of federal policing reforms that activists and civil rights groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , although certain measures could potentially provide cops with more federal funding , not less .
Democratic leadership appears wary of a Trump-fueled culture war over policing erupting ahead of the 2020 elections , leaving the job of reimaging public safety up to activists and city governments that have grappled with the issue of racist and violent policing for years .
Calls to abolish and defund the police departments so resources can be redirected toward public services aimed at addressing the underlying causes of violence and harm in society are central to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis .
In the two weeks since Floyd ’ s death , uprisings and mass demonstrations erupted across the United States and beyond , lifting long-standing calls to abolish the police into the mainstream political conversation .
Backed by the Trump administration , police in several cities responded to protesters with anger and attempted to squash a popular rebellion by sowing chaos and violence .
Demonstrations are expected to continue nationwide .
On Sunday , a veto-proof majority of Minneapolis City Council pledged to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the center of a brutal , military-style crackdown on the youth-driven uprising that shook the city after Floyd ’ s brutal killing .
Incremental reforms have failed , the council members said , and police funding should be funneled into nonviolent public safety programs .
Other cities are also currently considering cuts to police budgets .
While it will likely require a city-wide vote to abolish the police in Minneapolis , proposals for the public safety programs that would replace them will likely take shape in the coming months with input from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken the lead in the wake of the uprising .
The shift in tone from “ reform ” to “ dismantle ” among city leaders in Minneapolis is a reminder that the movement to defund and abolish the police can make significant gains at the local level , where policymakers are closest to their constituents and the political debate can be shaped by the actual needs of individual communities .
“ It shouldn ’ t have taken so much death to get us here , ” said Kandace Montgomery , director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in a statement on Sunday .
“ George Floyd should not have been murdered for so many people to wake up .
It shouldn ’ t have taken young Black folks risking their lives in these streets , over and over.
” Meanwhile , Trump and the right have gone on the attack , attempting to tie the movement to abolish police to Biden and the Democratic Party , and stoking fears that defunding cops would put public safety at risk .
Meanwhile , abolitionists argue the cops are a threat to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities of color and killings of unarmed Black people so clearly illustrate .
Our current systems of policing and mass incarceration make society more violent , not less .
As Trump attempts to turn the slogan “ defund the police ” into an election-year wedge issue , Biden ’ s campaign said on Monday that the former vice president does not support defunding the police but does support certain criminal legal reforms and funding for “ community policing , ” the idea the police should build relationships with the people who live in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also unveiled the Justice in Policing Act , legislation that would ban chokeholds and other violent police tactics at the federal level , and implement data collection and legal reforms aimed at making it easier to prosecute or otherwise hold police accountable for discrimination and violence .
While the legislation would limit transfers of military-grade equipment to local police , it would also provide new funding for “ law enforcement development and training programs ” that could allow local departments access to additional federal funds .
National civil rights groups provided insights behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for improvements as it moves forward “ to ensure that real and meaningful change is achieved , ” according to a statement from civil rights leaders .
In recent years , some progressive Democrats have embraced additional criminal legal reforms such as abolishing cash bail and decriminalizing drugs in order to reduce police violence and incarceration .
Christy E. Lopez , the co-director of Georgetown Law School ’ s Innovative Policing Program , wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that there is an immediate need for some of the reforms offered by Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ training police to respond to mental health crises .
However , Lopez said activists should work on “ parallel tracks ” and push for such reforms while working to defund and ultimately replace police departments with programs that promote public safety and restore communities that police have harmed .
People are being harmed right now , and immediate reforms are needed to end the violence .
“ More fundamentally , we must continue with reforms because abolition doesn ’ t go far enough , ” Lopez writes .
“ Policing didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social inequity or stereotyped masculinity : Policing harms are a product of these broader pathologies .
If we were to get rid of policing tomorrow , those pathologies would remain.
” As we are seeing in Minneapolis and cities across the country , this work must be done at the local and movement level , particularly now that leading Democrats are clearly avoiding the abolitionist path .
Abolitionists argue that attempts at reforming the police have already failed and create new opporuntities to surveil , police and incarcerate people living on the margins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say , we must pull their funding , repeal laws that criminalize people and give communities the resources they need to thrive .
“ We believe in a world where there are zero police murders because there are zero police , not because police are better trained or better regulated — indeed , history has shown that ending police violence through more training or regulations is impossible , ” the abolitionist group 8 To Abolition said in a statement this week .
Under pressure from activists , cities from New Orleans to San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aimed at reducing jail populations and improving relationships between residents and police .
Under the Obama administration , federal consent decrees attempted to hold local cops accountable for civil rights violations and change their ways .
Unfortunately , these efforts have not put an end to racist policing and violence , and now the anger and frustration is becoming sustained energy for transformation .
“ Minneapolis , we are here to make history , ” said Miski Noor of Black Visions Collective in a statement .
“ We are here to rebuild our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foundation of real safety , protection for Black people , for Native people , for immigrants , for queer and trans people , for poor people , for disabled people.
” This story has been updated with a statement from 8 To Abolition .

Part of the Series The Road to Abolition
Facing attacks from President Trump, Joe Biden’s campaign said on Monday that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee would not answer the call from hundreds of thousands of people who have taken to the streets to defund local police departments. However, most local police departments are run by city governments, and momentum toward abolishing policing as we know it today is building at the local level.
Instead of slashing federal funding for local cops, Biden and Democrats in Congress have proposed a slate of federal policing reforms that activists and civil rights groups say are modest but necessary in some cases, although certain measures could potentially provide cops with more federal funding, not less. Democratic leadership appears wary of a Trump-fueled culture war over policing erupting ahead of the 2020 elections, leaving the job of reimaging public safety up to activists and city governments that have grappled with the issue of racist and violent policing for years.
Calls to abolish and defund the police departments so resources can be redirected toward public services aimed at addressing the underlying causes of violence and harm in society are central to the protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis. In the two weeks since Floyd’s death, uprisings and mass demonstrations erupted across the United States and beyond, lifting long-standing calls to abolish the police into the mainstream political conversation.
Backed by the Trump administration, police in several cities responded to protesters with anger and attempted to squash a popular rebellion by sowing chaos and violence. Demonstrations are expected to continue nationwide.
On Sunday, a veto-proof majority of Minneapolis City Council pledged to “dismantle” the local police department at the center of a brutal, military-style crackdown on the youth-driven uprising that shook the city after Floyd’s brutal killing. Incremental reforms have failed, the council members said, and police funding should be funneled into nonviolent public safety programs. Other cities are also currently considering cuts to police budgets.
While it will likely require a city-wide vote to abolish the police in Minneapolis, proposals for the public safety programs that would replace them will likely take shape in the coming months with input from the abolitionist activists and community groups that have taken the lead in the wake of the uprising. The shift in tone from “reform” to “dismantle” among city leaders in Minneapolis is a reminder that the movement to defund and abolish the police can make significant gains at the local level, where policymakers are closest to their constituents and the political debate can be shaped by the actual needs of individual communities.
“It shouldn’t have taken so much death to get us here,” said Kandace Montgomery, director of the Minneapolis police abolition group Black Visions Collective, in a statement on Sunday. “George Floyd should not have been murdered for so many people to wake up. It shouldn’t have taken young Black folks risking their lives in these streets, over and over.”
Meanwhile, Trump and the right have gone on the attack, attempting to tie the movement to abolish police to Biden and the Democratic Party, and stoking fears that defunding cops would put public safety at risk. Meanwhile, abolitionists argue the cops are a threat to public safety, as police harassment in communities of color and killings of unarmed Black people so clearly illustrate. Our current systems of policing and mass incarceration make society more violent, not less.
As Trump attempts to turn the slogan “defund the police” into an election-year wedge issue, Biden’s campaign said on Monday that the former vice president does not support defunding the police but does support certain criminal legal reforms and funding for “community policing,” the idea the police should build relationships with the people who live in areas they patrol.
Biden and Democrats in Congress have proposed a slate of federal policing reforms that could potentially provide cops with more federal funding, not less.
Democrats in Congress also unveiled the Justice in Policing Act, legislation that would ban chokeholds and other violent police tactics at the federal level, and implement data collection and legal reforms aimed at making it easier to prosecute or otherwise hold police accountable for discrimination and violence. While the legislation would limit transfers of military-grade equipment to local police, it would also provide new funding for “law enforcement development and training programs” that could allow local departments access to additional federal funds.
National civil rights groups provided insights behind the Democratic bill and pledged to push for improvements as it moves forward “to ensure that real and meaningful change is achieved,” according to a statement from civil rights leaders. In recent years, some progressive Democrats have embraced additional criminal legal reforms such as abolishing cash bail and decriminalizing drugs in order to reduce police violence and incarceration.
Christy E. Lopez, the co-director of Georgetown Law School’s Innovative Policing Program, wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that there is an immediate need for some of the reforms offered by Democrats, such as outlawing no-knock warrants and training police to respond to mental health crises. However, Lopez said activists should work on “parallel tracks” and push for such reforms while working to defund and ultimately replace police departments with programs that promote public safety and restore communities that police have harmed. People are being harmed right now, and immediate reforms are needed to end the violence.
“More fundamentally, we must continue with reforms because abolition doesn’t go far enough,” Lopez writes. “Policing didn’t invent America’s institutionalized racism, social inequity or stereotyped masculinity: Policing harms are a product of these broader pathologies. If we were to get rid of policing tomorrow, those pathologies would remain.”
As we are seeing in Minneapolis and cities across the country, this work must be done at the local and movement level, particularly now that leading Democrats are clearly avoiding the abolitionist path. Abolitionists argue that attempts at reforming the police have already failed and create new opporuntities to surveil, police and incarcerate people living on the margins. Instead of reforming police, abolitionists say, we must pull their funding, repeal laws that criminalize people and give communities the resources they need to thrive.
“We believe in a world where there are zero police murders because there are zero police, not because police are better trained or better regulated — indeed, history has shown that ending police violence through more training or regulations is impossible,” the abolitionist group 8 To Abolition said in a statement this week.
Under pressure from activists, cities from New Orleans to San Francisco have adopted or considered some reforms aimed at reducing jail populations and improving relationships between residents and police. Under the Obama administration, federal consent decrees attempted to hold local cops accountable for civil rights violations and change their ways. Unfortunately, these efforts have not put an end to racist policing and violence, and now the anger and frustration is becoming sustained energy for transformation.
“Minneapolis, we are here to make history,” said Miski Noor of Black Visions Collective in a statement. “We are here to rebuild our city on a different foundation — a foundation of real safety, protection for Black people, for Native people, for immigrants, for queer and trans people, for poor people, for disabled people.”
This story has been updated with a statement from 8 To Abolition.
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truthout--2020-06-09--Activists Catalog Nearly 600 Videos of Officer Violence Against Protesters

President Donald Trump on Monday applauded U.S. police officers as “ great , great people ” who “ have been letting us live in peace , ” praise that is starkly odds with the direct experience of protesters and journalists on the ground who in recent days have witnessed — and , in many cases , captured on video — cops beating and tear-gassing peaceful demonstrators in the streets demanding justice for the killing of George Floyd .
“ They ’ ve done a fantastic job , ” Trump , who has repeatedly encouraged police to use excessive force , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials at the White House .
“ There won ’ t be defunding .
There won ’ t be dismantling of our police .
And there ’ s not going to be any disbanding of our police .
Our police have been letting us live in peace.
” Trump ’ s description of police officers as peacekeepers comes as activists are in the process of compiling an online spreadsheet of videos and images documenting law enforcement brutality against demonstrators across the nation , violence that has galvanized efforts to fundamentally change policing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police departments .
Attorney T. Greg Doucette and mathematician Jason Miller teamed up to create the Google spreadsheet — which , as of this writing , has nearly 600 entries — after efforts to compile the footage of police violence on Twitter proved difficult , given the sheer volume of videos that have circulated across social media during the nationwide uprising over Floyd ’ s killing .
The Freedom of the Press Foundation has also documented nearly 300 incidents of police violence against members of the press covering the demonstrations .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to repeated denials of responsibility from the police , who are routinely claiming protesters were the ones to grow violent first , or that a man who they pushed to the ground , cracking his head open , simply tripped , ” wrote VICE ’ s Katie Way .
“ It also combats media coverage that downplays police violence or even goes to the lengths of using passive voice to obfuscate what the police have done.
” Another video supercut of some of the lawlessness from the last few days : On Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timeline of the violent police crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in Lafayette Square on June 1 , an assault that cleared the way for Trump ’ s photo-op at St. John ’ s Episcopal Church .
Asked about police conduct during a briefing on Monday , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the administration has “ no regrets ” and is “ not sorry ” for the attack on demonstrators .

The documentation serves as a counter-narrative to repeated denials of responsibility from the police.
President Donald Trump on Monday applauded U.S. police officers as “great, great people” who “have been letting us live in peace,” praise that is starkly odds with the direct experience of protesters and journalists on the ground who in recent days have witnessed — and, in many cases, captured on video — cops beating and tear-gassing peaceful demonstrators in the streets demanding justice for the killing of George Floyd.
“They’ve done a fantastic job,” Trump, who has repeatedly encouraged police to use excessive force, said during a roundtable with law enforcement officials at the White House. “There won’t be defunding. There won’t be dismantling of our police. And there’s not going to be any disbanding of our police. Our police have been letting us live in peace.”
Trump’s description of police officers as peacekeepers comes as activists are in the process of compiling an online spreadsheet of videos and images documenting law enforcement brutality against demonstrators across the nation, violence that has galvanized efforts to fundamentally change policing in the U.S. — including by disbanding entire police departments.
Attorney T. Greg Doucette and mathematician Jason Miller teamed up to create the Google spreadsheet — which, as of this writing, has nearly 600 entries — after efforts to compile the footage of police violence on Twitter proved difficult, given the sheer volume of videos that have circulated across social media during the nationwide uprising over Floyd’s killing.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation has also documented nearly 300 incidents of police violence against members of the press covering the demonstrations.
“This kind of documentation serves as a counter-narrative to repeated denials of responsibility from the police, who are routinely claiming protesters were the ones to grow violent first, or that a man who they pushed to the ground, cracking his head open, simply tripped,” wrote VICE’s Katie Way. “It also combats media coverage that downplays police violence or even goes to the lengths of using passive voice to obfuscate what the police have done.”
Another video supercut of some of the lawlessness from the last few days:
4⃣3⃣0⃣ Seattle, WA + Portland, OR: another mashup of multiple videos showing the chaos and violence by police [@Bionic_Sloth] pic.twitter.com/3otLrfvnph — T. Greg Doucette (@greg_doucette) June 9, 2020
On Monday, the Washington Post published a video timeline of the violent police crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in Lafayette Square on June 1, an assault that cleared the way for Trump’s photo-op at St. John’s Episcopal Church.
Asked about police conduct during a briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the administration has “no regrets” and is “not sorry” for the attack on demonstrators.
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.