truthout--2020-09-30--Grand Jury Not Given the Option to Indict the Cops Who Shot Breonna Taylor

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said he would comply with a judge ’ s order to release the grand jury recording in the Breonna Taylor case after a grand juror alleged that Cameron had misrepresented the deliberations .
The juror filed a motion calling for the release of the transcripts on Monday so that “ the truth may prevail.
” “ The Grand Jury is meant to be a secretive body .
It ’ s apparent that the public interest in this case isn ’ t going to allow that to happen , ” a spokesperson for Cameron said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the release , the attorney general ’ s office said it would comply with the order to release the recording on Wednesday in response to the juror ’ s complaint .
An attorney for the juror told The New York Times that Cameron “ misrepresented ” the deliberations and “ failed to offer the panel the option of indicting the two officers who fatally shot the young woman.
” The attorney general ’ s office said it is “ confident ” in the case they presented but acknowledged that jurors were not given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mattingly and Det .
Myles Cosgrove in Taylor ’ s shooting .
“ The evidence supported that Sergeant Mattingly and Detective Cosgrove were justified in their use of force after having been fired upon by Kenneth Walker , ” Taylor ’ s boyfriend , the statement said .
“ For that reason , the only charge recommended was wanton endangerment.
” Former Det .
Brett Hankison , the lone officer fired after the shooting , was indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment after some of the bullets he “ blindly ” fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wall adjoining her neighbors ’ apartment .
None of the three officers who fired their weapons were charged in Taylor ’ s death , even though the city of Louisville agreed to pay Taylor ’ s family $ 12 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit .
Kevin Glogower , the juror ’ s lawyer , told the Times that the juror approached him after Cameron claimed during a news conference that state law prevented him from charging Mattingly and Cosgrove .
“ While there are six possible homicide charges under Kentucky law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the facts before us because our investigation showed — and the grand jury agreed — that Mattingly and Cosgrove were justified in the return of deadly fire after having been fired upon , ” Cameron said during the news conference last week .
Glogower told the outlet that the juror was “ unsettled ” by the fact that they were only presented with possible charges for Hankison .
He said in the petition that it was “ patently unjust ” that Cameron “ attempted to make it very clear that the grand jury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the grand jurors as a shield to deflect accountability and responsibility for these decisions only sows more seeds of doubt in the process while leaving a cold chill down the spines of future grand jurors , ” the petition said .
According to Walker , the lawsuit filed by Taylor ’ s family , and more than a dozen neighbors , the officers serving a “ no knock ” search warrant , part of a narcotics investigation targeting Taylor ’ s ex-boyfriend Jamarcus Glover , did not announce themselves .
Cameron claimed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corroborated the officers ’ statement that they made an announcement , arguing that it was not a “ no knock ” warrant .
Walker opened fire on the officers , claiming he believed someone was breaking in .
Mattingly and Cosgrove returned fire , hitting Taylor six times .
An FBI analysis determined that Cosgrove fired the fatal shot .
Hankison ran into a parking lot and shot into Taylor ’ s home through a sliding door and bedroom window , resulting in charges against him .
Unlike the other officers , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cameron claimed at the news conference that ballistics showed that the bullet that struck Mattingly during the gunfire was Walker ’ s .
But Vice News reported last week that the initial ballistics report did not prove the bullet was Walker ’ s and found that “ due to limited markings of comparative value , [ the bullet ] was neither identified nor eliminated as having been fired from ” Walker ’ s gun .
Vice News also published a video of body camera footage showing Hankison entering Taylor ’ s apartment as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparent violation of department protocol .
Ben Crump , an attorney for Taylor ’ s family , called the grand jury process a “ sham proceeding that did nothing to give Breonna Taylor a voice.
” “ I never had faith in Daniel Cameron to begin with , ” Taylor ’ s mother , Tamika Palmer , said after the decision .
“ I was reassured Wednesday of why I have no faith in the legal system , in the police , in the law .
They are not made to protect us @ @ @ @ @ @

A judge has ordered the release of the grand jury recordings in the Breonna Taylor case following the revelations.
UPDATE: According to CNN, a judge granted Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron an extension until noon on Friday to release the grand jury recordings in the Breonna Taylor case.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said he would comply with a judge’s order to release the grand jury recording in the Breonna Taylor case after a grand juror alleged that Cameron had misrepresented the deliberations.
The juror filed a motion calling for the release of the transcripts on Monday so that “the truth may prevail.”
“The Grand Jury is meant to be a secretive body. It’s apparent that the public interest in this case isn’t going to allow that to happen,” a spokesperson for Cameron said in a statement. Despite the concerns over the release, the attorney general’s office said it would comply with the order to release the recording on Wednesday in response to the juror’s complaint.
An attorney for the juror told The New York Times that Cameron “misrepresented” the deliberations and “failed to offer the panel the option of indicting the two officers who fatally shot the young woman.”
The attorney general’s office said it is “confident” in the case they presented but acknowledged that jurors were not given the option of indicting Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Det. Myles Cosgrove in Taylor’s shooting.
“The evidence supported that Sergeant Mattingly and Detective Cosgrove were justified in their use of force after having been fired upon by Kenneth Walker,” Taylor’s boyfriend, the statement said. “For that reason, the only charge recommended was wanton endangerment.”
Former Det. Brett Hankison, the lone officer fired after the shooting, was indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment after some of the bullets he “blindly” fired into Taylor’s home struck a wall adjoining her neighbors’ apartment. None of the three officers who fired their weapons were charged in Taylor’s death, even though the city of Louisville agreed to pay Taylor’s family $12 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit.
Hankison pleaded not guilty on Monday.
Kevin Glogower, the juror’s lawyer, told the Times that the juror approached him after Cameron claimed during a news conference that state law prevented him from charging Mattingly and Cosgrove.
“While there are six possible homicide charges under Kentucky law, these charges are not applicable to the facts before us because our investigation showed — and the grand jury agreed — that Mattingly and Cosgrove were justified in the return of deadly fire after having been fired upon,” Cameron said during the news conference last week.
Glogower told the outlet that the juror was “unsettled” by the fact that they were only presented with possible charges for Hankison. He said in the petition that it was “patently unjust” that Cameron “attempted to make it very clear that the grand jury alone made the decision.”
“Using the grand jurors as a shield to deflect accountability and responsibility for these decisions only sows more seeds of doubt in the process while leaving a cold chill down the spines of future grand jurors,” the petition said.
According to Walker, the lawsuit filed by Taylor’s family, and more than a dozen neighbors, the officers serving a “no knock” search warrant, part of a narcotics investigation targeting Taylor’s ex-boyfriend Jamarcus Glover, did not announce themselves. Cameron claimed at the news conference that a lone witness corroborated the officers’ statement that they made an announcement, arguing that it was not a “no knock” warrant.
Walker opened fire on the officers, claiming he believed someone was breaking in. Mattingly and Cosgrove returned fire, hitting Taylor six times. An FBI analysis determined that Cosgrove fired the fatal shot. Hankison ran into a parking lot and shot into Taylor’s home through a sliding door and bedroom window, resulting in charges against him. Unlike the other officers, he was not shot at by Walker.
Cameron claimed at the news conference that ballistics showed that the bullet that struck Mattingly during the gunfire was Walker’s. But Vice News reported last week that the initial ballistics report did not prove the bullet was Walker’s and found that “due to limited markings of comparative value, [the bullet] was neither identified nor eliminated as having been fired from” Walker’s gun.
Vice News also published a video of body camera footage showing Hankison entering Taylor’s apartment as investigators were working the scene in an apparent violation of department protocol.
Ben Crump, an attorney for Taylor’s family, called the grand jury process a “sham proceeding that did nothing to give Breonna Taylor a voice.”
“I never had faith in Daniel Cameron to begin with,” Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, said after the decision. “I was reassured Wednesday of why I have no faith in the legal system, in the police, in the law. They are not made to protect us Black and brown people.”
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truthout--2020-09-30--Trump’s “White Supremacist Project” Was on Full Display at First Debate

Donald Trump and Joe Biden were asked about how to address racism during the first presidential debate held in Cleveland .
While Biden expressed sympathy with victims of police brutality , President Trump insisted that most violence came from left-wing groups — a false claim ignoring that the vast majority of political violence in the U.S. comes from right-wing extremists , according to the FBI and others .
Trump ’ s refusal to reckon with the issue “ poses a real and grave threat to Black and Brown people in particular in our country who are often the victims of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , president and executive director of the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law .
We also speak with Marc Lamont Hill , author and professor of media studies and urban education at Temple University .
This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
During last night ’ s first presidential debate , Fox moderator Chris Wallace asked both candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the race issues facing this country over the next four years .
This is what they answered .
JOE BIDEN : It is true , the reason I got in the race is when those people — close your eyes .
Remember what those people looked like coming out of the fields carrying torches , their veins bulging , spouting and just spewing anti-Semitic bile , and accompanied by the Ku Klux Klan .
A young woman got killed .
And they asked the president what he thought .
He said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both sides.
” No president has ever said anything like that .
CHRIS WALLACE : It is his two minutes , sir .
JOE BIDEN : Second point I ’ d make to you is that when Floyd was killed , when Mr. Floyd was killed , there was a peaceful protest in front of the White House .
What did he do ?
He came out of his bunker , had the military use tear gas on them , so he could walk across to a church and hold up a Bible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
The bishop of that very church said that it was a disgrace .
The general who was with him said all he ever wants to do is divide people , not unite people at all .
This is a president who has used everything as a dog whistle to try to generate racist hatred , racist division .
This is a man who , in fact — you talk about helping African Americans .
One in 1,000 African Americans has been killed because of the coronavirus .
And if he doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of the year , one in 500 will have been killed .
One in 500 African Americans .
This man ?
This man is a savior of African Americans ?
This man cares at all ?
This man ’ s done virtually nothing .
Look , the fact is that you have to look at what he talks about .
You have to look at what he did .
And what he did has been disastrous for the African American community .
CHRIS WALLACE : President Trump , you have two minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your opponent to deal with race issues ?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP : You did a crime bill , 1994 , where you called them “ superpredators.
” “ African Americans are superpredators.
” JOE BIDEN : Never said it .
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP : And they ’ ve never forgotten it .
They ’ ve never forgotten it , Joe .
JOE BIDEN : I never said it .
CHRIS WALLACE : No , no , sir .
It ’ s his two minutes .
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP : So you did that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” And I ’ m letting people out of jail now that — you have treated the African American population community — you have treated the Black community about as bad as anybody in this country .
AMY GOODMAN : That ’ s President Trump and Joe Biden sparring last night in Cleveland , perhaps the calmest moment of the evening , when President Trump wasn ’ t interrupting almost everything Joe Biden said .
Fact checkers have noted Trump lied when he accused Biden of calling Black Americans “ superpredators.
” It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who used that phrase in 1994 , not Joe Biden .
Still with us , Temple University professor Marc Lamont Hill , and Kristen Clarke is now joining us .
She ’ s the president and executive director of the national Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law .
Kristen , let ’ s begin with you .
Start off with your reaction to what they said here .
We just were discussing President Trump refusing to condemn white supremacists , when pushed on it several times — and on what he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was a deeply disturbing moment last night .
In many respects , you know , that question , “ Will you condemn white supremacy ?
” was a softball .
It would have been very easy for President Trump to disavow white supremacy in crystal-clear terms .
You think about the tragedies that the American nation has lived through in recent time — the murder of nine peaceful worshipers at the Baptist church in Charleston , South Carolina ; the murders of 11 worshipers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in El Paso , Texas ; the murder of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville , Virginia .
These horrendous incidents , all fueled by white supremacist violence , are easy for any reasonable-minded American to condemn , much less the leader of our country .
And we know that the FBI director has identified white supremacy as one of the greatest threats that we face in our nation today .
So I ’ m deeply disturbed .
And , you know , I think about how history will reflect on this moment , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
I think about 1915 , when Woodrow Wilson screened Birth of a Nation inside the White House .
And over a century later , that is a moment that stands out for any ordinary American as a White House that embraced , unnecessarily , white supremacist rhetoric .
And essentially , that ’ s what we saw yesterday .
We know that the Proud Boys are rejoicing today .
We know that they have taken this moment to breathe life into their movement .
They are boasting about how last night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped them to recruit new members .
And so this is a moment that poses a real and grave threat to Black and Brown people in particular in our country who are often the victims of racial violence .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Kristen Clarke , this repeated emphasis of the president throughout the debate last night , and obviously in statements previously , about the dangers of the left and antifa , and he kept referring to Portland , at one point claiming , completely erroneously — a complete lie — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that day endorsed him .
But then , Mike Reese , who is the sheriff of the county in which Portland is , immediately tweeted out , “ I have never supported Donald Trump and never will.
” And yet he brazenly claims that he had the support of the sheriff of Portland .
This total distance from the facts , that often happens with the president and yet goes almost unchallenged , I ’ m wondering your sense of some of those claims that he ’ s made .
KRISTEN CLARKE : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the misstatements , the lies .
The Americans deserve truth .
But I do want to talk a little bit about the situation that ’ s happening on the ground in many cities across our country as communities continue to engage in protests and demonstrations against racial violence , against white supremacy , against police violence .
And these are issues that we didn ’ t hear President Trump speak to last night , speak to a solution or a cure for issues that are really tearing apart the fabric of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and center for the Black Lives Matter movement and for many people , multiracial and multigenerational , who are calling for healing in our country right now .
You know , something else that this president has done has — he ’ s promoted militarization of the police and really emboldened federal law enforcement to be used as a weapon against peaceful demonstrators .
And it ’ s created this toxic situation that we ’ re seeing in many cities across the country right now .
I think about Lafayette Square , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where President Trump , alongside Attorney General Barr and other federal officials , ordered federal law enforcement to use violence at the hands of peaceful demonstrators who were assembled to make a statement about racial and police violence in our country .
The ensuing chaos and brutal attack that was perpetrated resulted in harm to many people , who we have brought a lawsuit on behalf of .
That case , Black Lives Matter D.C. v. Trump , is now pending in federal court .
But I fear that unless we see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are spiraling downward into a sea of further racialized violence in our country .
And for my organization , the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law , we work closely with the victims of racial hate crimes .
We work closely with the families of Emmett Till .
We work closely with the families of James Byrd and the mother of Heather Heyer .
They are reminders to us every day about the clear and present danger presented by ongoing white supremacy in our country right now .
And all that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flames of hatred , in ways that really present a risk to our lives .
AMY GOODMAN : There is so much to talk about in last night ’ s debate .

Donald Trump and Joe Biden were asked about how to address racism during the first presidential debate held in Cleveland. While Biden expressed sympathy with victims of police brutality, President Trump insisted that most violence came from left-wing groups — a false claim ignoring that the vast majority of political violence in the U.S. comes from right-wing extremists, according to the FBI and others. Trump’s refusal to reckon with the issue “poses a real and grave threat to Black and Brown people in particular in our country who are often the victims of racial violence,” says Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. We also speak with Marc Lamont Hill, author and professor of media studies and urban education at Temple University.
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.
During last night’s first presidential debate, Fox moderator Chris Wallace asked both candidates why voters should trust them to deal with the race issues facing this country over the next four years. This is what they answered.
JOE BIDEN: It is true, the reason I got in the race is when those people — close your eyes. Remember what those people looked like coming out of the fields carrying torches, their veins bulging, spouting and just spewing anti-Semitic bile, and accompanied by the Ku Klux Klan. A young woman got killed. And they asked the president what he thought. He said, “There were very fine people on both sides.” No president has ever said anything like that. Related Story News Analysis | Prisons & Policing US Cops Are Treating White Militias as “Heavily Armed Friendlies” The ongoing protests against police violence have made overt the long historical ties between cops and white militias. Truthout PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Finish the statement. Finish the statement. JOE BIDEN: Now, second — CHRIS WALLACE: It is his two minutes, sir. JOE BIDEN: Second point I’d make to you is that when Floyd was killed, when Mr. Floyd was killed, there was a peaceful protest in front of the White House. What did he do? He came out of his bunker, had the military use tear gas on them, so he could walk across to a church and hold up a Bible. And then what happened after that? The bishop of that very church said that it was a disgrace. The general who was with him said all he ever wants to do is divide people, not unite people at all. This is a president who has used everything as a dog whistle to try to generate racist hatred, racist division. This is a man who, in fact — you talk about helping African Americans. One in 1,000 African Americans has been killed because of the coronavirus. And if he doesn’t do something quickly, by the end of the year, one in 500 will have been killed. One in 500 African Americans. This man? This man is a savior of African Americans? This man cares at all? This man’s done virtually nothing. Look, the fact is that you have to look at what he talks about. You have to look at what he did. And what he did has been disastrous for the African American community. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: So — CHRIS WALLACE: President Trump, you have two minutes. Why should Americans trust you over your opponent to deal with race issues? PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You did a crime bill, 1994, where you called them “superpredators.” “African Americans are superpredators.” JOE BIDEN: Never said it. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And they’ve never forgotten it. They’ve never forgotten it, Joe. JOE BIDEN: I never said it. CHRIS WALLACE: No, no, sir. It’s his two minutes. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: So you did that, and they call you “superpredator.” And I’m letting people out of jail now that — you have treated the African American population community — you have treated the Black community about as bad as anybody in this country.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s President Trump and Joe Biden sparring last night in Cleveland, perhaps the calmest moment of the evening, when President Trump wasn’t interrupting almost everything Joe Biden said. Fact checkers have noted Trump lied when he accused Biden of calling Black Americans “superpredators.” It was actually former first lady Hillary Clinton who used that phrase in 1994, not Joe Biden.
Still with us, Temple University professor Marc Lamont Hill, and Kristen Clarke is now joining us. She’s the president and executive director of the national Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Kristen, let’s begin with you. Start off with your reaction to what they said here. We just were discussing President Trump refusing to condemn white supremacists, when pushed on it several times — and on what he is saying here.
KRISTEN CLARKE: It was a deeply disturbing moment last night. In many respects, you know, that question, “Will you condemn white supremacy?” was a softball. It would have been very easy for President Trump to disavow white supremacy in crystal-clear terms. You think about the tragedies that the American nation has lived through in recent time — the murder of nine peaceful worshipers at the Baptist church in Charleston, South Carolina; the murders of 11 worshipers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh; the murders of over 20 people in El Paso, Texas; the murder of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Virginia. These horrendous incidents, all fueled by white supremacist violence, are easy for any reasonable-minded American to condemn, much less the leader of our country. And we know that the FBI director has identified white supremacy as one of the greatest threats that we face in our nation today. So I’m deeply disturbed.
And, you know, I think about how history will reflect on this moment, and yesterday was a dark day for our country. I think about 1915, when Woodrow Wilson screened Birth of a Nation inside the White House. And over a century later, that is a moment that stands out for any ordinary American as a White House that embraced, unnecessarily, white supremacist rhetoric. And essentially, that’s what we saw yesterday.
We know that the Proud Boys are rejoicing today. We know that they have taken this moment to breathe life into their movement. They are boasting about how last night has helped to energize their base and helped them to recruit new members. And so this is a moment that poses a real and grave threat to Black and Brown people in particular in our country who are often the victims of racial violence.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Kristen Clarke, this repeated emphasis of the president throughout the debate last night, and obviously in statements previously, about the dangers of the left and antifa, and he kept referring to Portland, at one point claiming, completely erroneously — a complete lie — that the sheriff of Portland had just that day endorsed him. But then, Mike Reese, who is the sheriff of the county in which Portland is, immediately tweeted out, “I have never supported Donald Trump and never will.” And yet he brazenly claims that he had the support of the sheriff of Portland. This total distance from the facts, that often happens with the president and yet goes almost unchallenged, I’m wondering your sense of some of those claims that he’s made.
KRISTEN CLARKE: Well, it’s incredibly problematic, the misstatements, the lies. The Americans deserve truth.
But I do want to talk a little bit about the situation that’s happening on the ground in many cities across our country as communities continue to engage in protests and demonstrations against racial violence, against white supremacy, against police violence. And these are issues that we didn’t hear President Trump speak to last night, speak to a solution or a cure for issues that are really tearing apart the fabric of our nation, and issues that are front and center for the Black Lives Matter movement and for many people, multiracial and multigenerational, who are calling for healing in our country right now.
You know, something else that this president has done has — he’s promoted militarization of the police and really emboldened federal law enforcement to be used as a weapon against peaceful demonstrators. And it’s created this toxic situation that we’re seeing in many cities across the country right now. I think about Lafayette Square, just outside the shadow of the White House, where President Trump, alongside Attorney General Barr and other federal officials, ordered federal law enforcement to use violence at the hands of peaceful demonstrators who were assembled to make a statement about racial and police violence in our country. The ensuing chaos and brutal attack that was perpetrated resulted in harm to many people, who we have brought a lawsuit on behalf of. That case, Black Lives Matter D.C. v. Trump, is now pending in federal court.
But I fear that unless we see change or intervention soon, that we are spiraling downward into a sea of further racialized violence in our country. And for my organization, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, we work closely with the victims of racial hate crimes. We work closely with the families of Emmett Till. We work closely with the families of James Byrd and the mother of Heather Heyer. They are reminders to us every day about the clear and present danger presented by ongoing white supremacy in our country right now. And all that President Trump did yesterday was fanned the flames of hatred, in ways that really present a risk to our lives.
AMY GOODMAN: There is so much to talk about in last night’s debate.


truthout--2020-09-30--Trump Denounced for Calling on Supporters to Engage in Voter Intimidation

Among the stream of authoritarian remarks President Donald Trump let loose during his disastrous performance at Tuesday night ’ s presidential debate , one of the most alarming to voting rights advocates came at the tail-end of the 90-minute event , when the incumbent openly encouraged his supporters to “ go into the polls and watch very carefully.
” Though poll watching is authorized in states across the U.S. , the activity is restricted by specific rules and guidelines aimed at preventing a candidate ’ s backers from showing up at polling places and intimidating voters attempting to cast their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday night , observers warned , went well beyond a call for legally sanctioned and qualified election observers .
“ He wasn ’ t talking about poll watching .
He was talking about voter intimidation , ” tweeted Nevada ’ s Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford .
“ FYI — voter intimidation is illegal in Nevada .
Believe me when I say it : You do it , and you will be prosecuted.
” Asked by debate moderator Chris Wallace whether he would pledge to “ not declare victory until the election has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the question and repeated a lie he first spread on social media ahead of Tuesday night ’ s event .
“ As you know , today there was a big problem , ” the president said .
“ In Philadelphia , they went in to watch .
They ’ re called poll watchers , a very safe , very nice thing .
They were thrown out .
They weren ’ t allowed to watch .
You know why ?
Because bad things happen in Philadelphia .
Bad things .
And I am urging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s going to be a fair election.
” But as the Philadelphia Inquirer pointed out , “ there were several reasons why elections staff did not allow members of the public to arbitrarily enter their offices.
” “ The Trump campaign has no poll watchers approved to work in Philadelphia at the moment , ” the Inquirer noted .
“ There are no actual polling places open in the city right now .
And elections officials are following coronavirus safety regulations , such as those limiting the number of people indoors.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his supporters , ” tweeted Sean Eldridge , founder and president of advocacy group Stand Up America .
In a joint statement following the debate , during which the president also repeated a number of falsehoods about mail-in voting , Eldridge and Indivisible co-executive director Leah Greenberg said that “ the confusion and doubt that Donald Trump tried to sow about the election tonight is the behavior of a desperate man and a losing candidate.
” “ We are building a broad network of people who are working to make sure every vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump attempts to undermine the valid results .
The voters will have the last word , ” said Eldridge and Greenberg .
“ While we work to resoundingly defeat Donald Trump in this election , preparing to also protect the results of this election isn ’ t just reasonable , it ’ s necessary.
” The Inquirer reported that on Tuesday afternoon , as early voting began in Pennsylvania , “ a woman approached the supervisor at the entrance of the satellite office at Overbrook Elementary School ” claiming that “ she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election ' ” and asking to be allowed inside the building .
“ The woman did not present any sort of certificate of being an official poll watcher , but calmly stated that she had a right to be inside , ” according to the outlet .
“ The woman told the Inquirer she was ‘ hired by the Trump campaign to oversee the integrity of the election.
’ She said she was paid to monitor the West Philadelphia site .
She would not provide her name or any further information , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In a video posted online last week , Donald Trump Jr. , the president ’ s eldest son , called on Trump supporters to “ enlist ” in the campaign ’ s “ election security operation ” and falsely claimed that the president ’ s opponents “ plan to add millions of fraudulent ballots that can cancel your vote and overturn the election.
” On the second day of early voting in Virginia on September 19 , Trump supporters heeded the campaign ’ s repeated calls to show up at polling places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the chaos the president is attempting to provoke across the country .
As the New York Times reported , a crowd of Trump supporters gathered near a polling location in Fairfax and formed “ a line that voters had to walk around outside the site.
” “ County election officials eventually were forced to open up a larger portion of the Fairfax County Government Center to allow voters to wait inside away from the Trump enthusiasts , ” the Times noted .
Bryan Graham , the chairman of the Fairfax County Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans are straight-up attempting to intimidate voters at the Government Center .
Circling the parking lots with their Trump flags and horns blaring .
”

At the first presidential debate, Trump encouraged his supporters to “go into the polls and watch very carefully.”
Among the stream of authoritarian remarks President Donald Trump let loose during his disastrous performance at Tuesday night’s presidential debate, one of the most alarming to voting rights advocates came at the tail-end of the 90-minute event, when the incumbent openly encouraged his supporters to “go into the polls and watch very carefully.”
Though poll watching is authorized in states across the U.S., the activity is restricted by specific rules and guidelines aimed at preventing a candidate’s backers from showing up at polling places and intimidating voters attempting to cast their ballots. The president’s comments Tuesday night, observers warned, went well beyond a call for legally sanctioned and qualified election observers.
“He wasn’t talking about poll watching. He was talking about voter intimidation,” tweeted Nevada’s Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford. “FYI — voter intimidation is illegal in Nevada. Believe me when I say it: You do it, and you will be prosecuted.”
Asked by debate moderator Chris Wallace whether he would pledge to “not declare victory until the election has been independently certified,” Trump ignored the question and repeated a lie he first spread on social media ahead of Tuesday night’s event.
“As you know, today there was a big problem,” the president said. “In Philadelphia, they went in to watch. They’re called poll watchers, a very safe, very nice thing. They were thrown out. They weren’t allowed to watch. You know why? Because bad things happen in Philadelphia. Bad things. And I am urging my people — I hope it’s going to be a fair election.”
But as the Philadelphia Inquirer pointed out, “there were several reasons why elections staff did not allow members of the public to arbitrarily enter their offices.”
“The Trump campaign has no poll watchers approved to work in Philadelphia at the moment,” the Inquirer noted. “There are no actual polling places open in the city right now. And elections officials are following coronavirus safety regulations, such as those limiting the number of people indoors.”
Trump says “I’m urging my supporters to go into the polls & watch very carefully because that’s what has to happen.” Says “bad things happen in Philadelphia.” This is a clear #VoterSuppression tactic aimed at Black and brown voters in Philly. #Debate2020 pic.twitter.com/42BNgdR7OZ — Kristen Clarke 866-OUR-VOTE (@KristenClarkeJD) September 30, 2020
“Trump is brazenly demanding voter intimidation from his supporters,” tweeted Sean Eldridge, founder and president of advocacy group Stand Up America.
In a joint statement following the debate, during which the president also repeated a number of falsehoods about mail-in voting, Eldridge and Indivisible co-executive director Leah Greenberg said that “the confusion and doubt that Donald Trump tried to sow about the election tonight is the behavior of a desperate man and a losing candidate.”
“We are building a broad network of people who are working to make sure every vote is counted and preparing to mobilize if Trump attempts to undermine the valid results. The voters will have the last word,” said Eldridge and Greenberg. “While we work to resoundingly defeat Donald Trump in this election, preparing to also protect the results of this election isn’t just reasonable, it’s necessary.”
The Inquirer reported that on Tuesday afternoon, as early voting began in Pennsylvania, “a woman approached the supervisor at the entrance of the satellite office at Overbrook Elementary School” claiming that “she was there to monitor ‘the integrity of the election'” and asking to be allowed inside the building.
“The woman did not present any sort of certificate of being an official poll watcher, but calmly stated that she had a right to be inside,” according to the outlet. “The woman told the Inquirer she was ‘hired by the Trump campaign to oversee the integrity of the election.’ She said she was paid to monitor the West Philadelphia site. She would not provide her name or any further information, and she left the area shortly afterward.”
"I'm urging my supporters to go into the polls and watch very carefully," complaining that poll workers in Pennsylvania were kicked out. That's because they were not legally registered poll watchers. They were breaking the law. — Jessica Huseman (@JessicaHuseman) September 30, 2020
In a video posted online last week, Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, called on Trump supporters to “enlist” in the campaign’s “election security operation” and falsely claimed that the president’s opponents “plan to add millions of fraudulent ballots that can cancel your vote and overturn the election.”
On the second day of early voting in Virginia on September 19, Trump supporters heeded the campaign’s repeated calls to show up at polling places en masse, offering a potential preview of the chaos the president is attempting to provoke across the country. As the New York Times reported, a crowd of Trump supporters gathered near a polling location in Fairfax and formed “a line that voters had to walk around outside the site.”
“County election officials eventually were forced to open up a larger portion of the Fairfax County Government Center to allow voters to wait inside away from the Trump enthusiasts,” the Times noted.
Bryan Graham, the chairman of the Fairfax County Democrats, tweeted at the time that “Republicans are straight-up attempting to intimidate voters at the Government Center. Circling the parking lots with their Trump flags and horns blaring.”
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--2020-09-30--Trump and Allies Are Already Sabotaging the Election, Experts Say

President Trump and his allies are already working to cast doubt on the fairness and integrity of the election as early voting begins in some states and the president trails Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the polls .
Across the country and especially in battleground states , the Republican Party has worked to restrict access to the ballot as political operatives seize on irregularities arising from a hasty pandemic-era transition toward mail-in voting in order to bolster Trump ’ s false claims about widespread voter fraud .
Trump has consistently refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president said over the weekend that the election is “ obviously ” rigged against him , a strategy of preemptively casting doubt on unfavorable election results that experts argue amounts to electoral sabotage .
During the first presidential debate on Tuesday — and after Biden said he would accept the results of the election , regardless of who wins — Trump said , without any evidence , that mail-in ballots are a “ fraud ” and a “ shame.
” Biden noted that Trump votes by mail himself .
“ We are observing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , ” said Susan Stokes , a political scientist at the University of Chicago , during a recent webinar on election manipulation .
Legal battles between the GOP and voting rights advocates over voting rules and mail-in ballots have erupted in courtrooms nationwide , delaying efforts to expand access to the ballot during the pandemic .
At least 262 lawsuits over voting during a pandemic have been filed across the country , according to the Election Law Blog edited by Richard L. Hasen , a law professor at University of California , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Dirty Tricks , Distrust , and the Threat to American Democracy .
Trump and some Republicans have indicated they believe that high turnout hurts their electoral chances .
A review of 90 federal voting cases by The Washington Post found that judges have broadly rejected Republican claims that voter fraud poses a significant risk to the election , siding instead with voting rights groups and experts who say fraud is rare and the electoral system remains resilient with some room for improvement .
Federal judges have ruled in favor of voting rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and early voting in a number of cases and issued split decisions in others .
Dozens of cases have yet to be decided .
There is mounting evidence that Trump and his allies are eager to suppress turnout as part of a broader anti-democratic electoral strategy .
On Tuesday , an investigation by the British television network Channel 4 revealed that the Trump campaign in 2016 used a massive trove of personal data gleaned online to identify millions of Black voters as individuals who could be actively discouraged from voting with targeted ads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the campaign in a number of states , the Channel 4 investigation takes a close look at Black voters targeted in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , where voter turnout in majority-Black neighborhoods dropped in 2016 .
After the election , pollsters said low turnout in traditionally Democratic strongholds of key swing states was one reason that Hillary Clinton lost to Trump , although Clinton ’ s campaign also failed to inspire voters to go to the polls .
Hasen and other experts say some problems and irregularities will likely arise during the current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by mail in unprecedented numbers , and election officials are closing polling places due to shortages of poll workers and COVID-19 concerns .
Republicans in Congress have refused to provide extra pandemic funding for elections as lawmakers bicker over COVID-19 relief , and local election administrators are struggling to meet the cost of holding an election during an unprecedented pandemic .
Right-wing political operatives and the Trump administration itself are already seizing on isolated irregularities in early voting and blowing them out of proportion in an effort to bolster Trump ’ s claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , the more opportunities to try to manufacture claims of election fraud from bureaucratic incompetence and election snafus , ” Hasen said in an email to Truthout .
In a recent op-ed in the Los Angeles Times , Hasen pointed to a recent incident in Luzerne County , Pennsylvania , where a poll worker was fired after mishandling nine ballots .
In an unusual news release that raised serious ethics concerns and was later rescinded , the Justice Department announced it would investigate the incident , noting that ballots that were discarded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot across the right-wing media sphere , and Trump suggested publicly that the incident was evidence of a conspiracy against his reelection .
However , local election officials later clarified that the ballots were mishandled in error , and there was no evidence of criminal or fraudulent activity .
“ There is also no question that some election administrators , like those in Luzerne County , will make errors in handling ballots , ” Hasen writes .
“ There are weak links in our election process .
And things are bound to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress did not provide adequate funding for the increased costs of running in-person and mail-in balloting during a pandemic.
” Hasen writes that election administrators must remain transparent about what are expected to be inevitable but isolated mistakes , and the media must report on election malfeasance with caution .
Rules for mail-in voting vary from state to state , and the media must make it clear that mistakes and irregularities are not the same as fraud , which is rare and involves a deliberate effort to sway election results .
Across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocates worry that the unfounded anxiety over fraud generated by Trump and his allies will result in voter intimidation at the polls .
Last week , election officials in Fairfax , Virginia , confirmed that Trump supporters intimidated voters when their rally blocked access to a polling place open for early voting .
Trump has made it clear that he won ’ t go quietly if he loses , and advocates across the political spectrum are preparing for the worst .
A coalition of 50 in the fields of election law , voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health have formed the cross-partisan National Task Force on Election Crises to recommend policy responses to potential electoral debacles .
Protect the Results , a network of voters and activists committed to mobilizing street protests if Trump refuses to accept the results of the election , is now supported by 100 advocacy organizations on both the left and the right .
“ Donald Trump is telegraphing that he won ’ t accept the results of the election if he loses and casting doubt on the election process in order to suppress the vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of Protect the Vote coalition partner Stand Up America , in a recent statement .
“ This sentiment represents an existential threat to our democracy .
”

President Trump and his allies are already working to cast doubt on the fairness and integrity of the election as early voting begins in some states and the president trails Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the polls. Across the country and especially in battleground states, the Republican Party has worked to restrict access to the ballot as political operatives seize on irregularities arising from a hasty pandemic-era transition toward mail-in voting in order to bolster Trump’s false claims about widespread voter fraud.
Trump has consistently refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses to Biden, and the president said over the weekend that the election is “obviously” rigged against him, a strategy of preemptively casting doubt on unfavorable election results that experts argue amounts to electoral sabotage. During the first presidential debate on Tuesday — and after Biden said he would accept the results of the election, regardless of who wins — Trump said, without any evidence, that mail-in ballots are a “fraud” and a “shame.” Biden noted that Trump votes by mail himself.
“We are observing a president sabotaging an election in real time,” said Susan Stokes, a political scientist at the University of Chicago, during a recent webinar on election manipulation.
Legal battles between the GOP and voting rights advocates over voting rules and mail-in ballots have erupted in courtrooms nationwide, delaying efforts to expand access to the ballot during the pandemic.
At least 262 lawsuits over voting during a pandemic have been filed across the country, according to the Election Law Blog edited by Richard L. Hasen, a law professor at University of California, Irvine, and author of Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy. Trump and some Republicans have indicated they believe that high turnout hurts their electoral chances.
A review of 90 federal voting cases by The Washington Post found that judges have broadly rejected Republican claims that voter fraud poses a significant risk to the election, siding instead with voting rights groups and experts who say fraud is rare and the electoral system remains resilient with some room for improvement. Federal judges have ruled in favor of voting rights advocates seeking to expand access to mail-in and early voting in a number of cases and issued split decisions in others. Dozens of cases have yet to be decided.
“We are observing a president sabotaging an election in real time.”
There is mounting evidence that Trump and his allies are eager to suppress turnout as part of a broader anti-democratic electoral strategy. On Tuesday, an investigation by the British television network Channel 4 revealed that the Trump campaign in 2016 used a massive trove of personal data gleaned online to identify millions of Black voters as individuals who could be actively discouraged from voting with targeted ads. While Black voters were targeted disproportionately by the campaign in a number of states, the Channel 4 investigation takes a close look at Black voters targeted in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where voter turnout in majority-Black neighborhoods dropped in 2016. After the election, pollsters said low turnout in traditionally Democratic strongholds of key swing states was one reason that Hillary Clinton lost to Trump, although Clinton’s campaign also failed to inspire voters to go to the polls.
Hasen and other experts say some problems and irregularities will likely arise during the current election. Voters will submit absentee ballots by mail in unprecedented numbers, and election officials are closing polling places due to shortages of poll workers and COVID-19 concerns.
Republicans in Congress have refused to provide extra pandemic funding for elections as lawmakers bicker over COVID-19 relief, and local election administrators are struggling to meet the cost of holding an election during an unprecedented pandemic.
Republicans in Congress have refused to provide extra pandemic funding for elections and local election administrators are struggling to meet the cost of holding an election during an unprecedented pandemic.
Right-wing political operatives and the Trump administration itself are already seizing on isolated irregularities in early voting and blowing them out of proportion in an effort to bolster Trump’s claims about fraud.
“The sloppier the election, the more opportunities to try to manufacture claims of election fraud from bureaucratic incompetence and election snafus,” Hasen said in an email to Truthout.
In a recent op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, Hasen pointed to a recent incident in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, where a poll worker was fired after mishandling nine ballots. In an unusual news release that raised serious ethics concerns and was later rescinded, the Justice Department announced it would investigate the incident, noting that ballots that were discarded contained votes for Trump. Misinformation quickly shot across the right-wing media sphere, and Trump suggested publicly that the incident was evidence of a conspiracy against his reelection. However, local election officials later clarified that the ballots were mishandled in error, and there was no evidence of criminal or fraudulent activity.
“There is also no question that some election administrators, like those in Luzerne County, will make errors in handling ballots,” Hasen writes. “There are weak links in our election process. And things are bound to be weaker in 2020 compared with 2016 because Congress did not provide adequate funding for the increased costs of running in-person and mail-in balloting during a pandemic.”
Voting rights advocates worry that the unfounded anxiety over fraud generated by Trump and his allies will result in voter intimidation at the polls.
Hasen writes that election administrators must remain transparent about what are expected to be inevitable but isolated mistakes, and the media must report on election malfeasance with caution. Rules for mail-in voting vary from state to state, and the media must make it clear that mistakes and irregularities are not the same as fraud, which is rare and involves a deliberate effort to sway election results. Across the country, election officials and voting rights advocates worry that the unfounded anxiety over fraud generated by Trump and his allies will result in voter intimidation at the polls. Last week, election officials in Fairfax, Virginia, confirmed that Trump supporters intimidated voters when their rally blocked access to a polling place open for early voting.
Trump has made it clear that he won’t go quietly if he loses, and advocates across the political spectrum are preparing for the worst. A coalition of 50 in the fields of election law, voting rights, cybersecurity, media and public health have formed the cross-partisan National Task Force on Election Crises to recommend policy responses to potential electoral debacles. Protect the Results, a network of voters and activists committed to mobilizing street protests if Trump refuses to accept the results of the election, is now supported by 100 advocacy organizations on both the left and the right.
“Donald Trump is telegraphing that he won’t accept the results of the election if he loses and casting doubt on the election process in order to suppress the vote,” said Christina Harvey, managing director of Protect the Vote coalition partner Stand Up America, in a recent statement. “This sentiment represents an existential threat to our democracy.”
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--2020-09-30--Reclaiming Life and Housing in an Era of Collapse

Under fascism , mass displacement often means mass death .
With a catastrophic eviction crisis looming , Kelly Hayes talks with longtime activist Cheri Honkala about housing reclamation and the solidarity we will need to navigate an era of collapse .
Note : This a rush transcript and has been lightly edited for clarity .
Copy may not be in its final form .
Kelly Hayes : Welcome to Movement Memos , a Truthout podcast about things you should know if you want to change the world .
Today ’ s guest is my friend Cheri Honkala .
Cheri ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing reclamation , is nothing short of historic .
She is the National Coordinator of the Poor People ’ s Economic Human Rights Campaign , and she ’ s also one of the fiercest people I know .
Cheri Honkala , welcome to the show .
Cheri Honkala : Thank you , Kelly .
It ’ s always great to be here , especially on your show , cause you talk about real issues .
KH : Well , you are someone I don ’ t get to catch up with nearly enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be in conversation with you today .
I just want to mention to our listeners that when I hit you up about this interview , you replied , “ We are taking over the Saint Edwards Church right now.
” So we had to plan to chat the next day , depending on whether or not you got arrested — which you did , when the police showed up hours later , looking to arrest you specifically .
Can you tell our listeners what that action was all about ?
CH : 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , empty , abandoned Catholic church and we housed a bunch of homeless families .
And 25 years later , the situation is worse , so we decided we needed to take it over again .
KH : And when they came for you that night , that was a targeted arrest , where they came for you personally .
For those of us who are familiar with your work , that actually makes perfect sense — from the unjust perspective of the police .
But for folks who are less familiar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that played out and why you think they came for you specifically .
CH : Yeah , I think that especially now , while we ’ re doing housing takeovers , you know , they do things like what happened to me the other day , which is , you know , they just came from me in the middle of the night at 12:30 at night , didn ’ t arrest anybody else , and locked me up and charged me with burglary .
And now that we ’ re literally having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into take over houses not just to house them , but to keep them from dying from COVID , because you know , the men ’ s shelter here , you know 50 % of the people tested positive for COVID .
So we don ’ t want , you know , women and children to be cramming into a shelter and getting sick and potentially dying .
So you know , we ’ ve just been super , super busy with anybody that comes and asks .
And it ’ s also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to sleep because I know at any given moment they can , you know , roll up on one of those houses .
And we had taken over the St. Edward ’ s Church in hopes that we could move all the homeless families into that abandoned church if they decided to move on , you know , several of our takeover houses right now .
And , you know , that ’ s not an option right now , so we ’ re working on plan B , on what to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you know , 30 properties at one time .
KH : Well , I am grateful that you all are out there throwing down , and I ’ m glad you ’ re safe , for now , because , while I know you can take care of yourself , I have been extra worried about my friends who are risking arrest during the pandemic .
The police were already dangerous enough , but of course now , we know that people are being caged in the path of COVID-19 .
Which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are risking their lives on a whole new level .
But I know you have never been dissuaded by risk , and I remember in the early days of the pandemic , when a lot of us were scrambling to figure out how to adapt our work , you were just out there , delivering food and doing whatever had to be done .
And when I would see pictures of you , out in the world , getting those things done , I was heartened , because I knew people were being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and also afraid , because I didn ’ t want anything to happen to you .
And when you got COVID , and you were hospitalized , it shook me , because I didn ’ t want to imagine the world without you .
But I also know that you are a part of the Poor People ’ s Army , and a soldier for the people , and that you take risks .
And I really respect and appreciate that , and I hope everyone listening does as well .
CH @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , getting COVID is very real and many of us have lost many people that we love dearly and care about and probably will continue to .
I ’ m definitely no Mother Teresa .
I think my life has placed different things before me and doesn ’ t make me braver than anybody else .
Like you said , I ’ m a soldier .
And when I see , you know , kids laying on a railroad track , I do what anyone else would do , which is move them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has definitely been difficult and I ’ m glad that we ’ re talking about that because it ’ s very real .
Because , you know , I have a family and they have a lot of opinions , you know , and we have different people that are out there in the world that won ’ t step forward and give solutions , and yet are very judgmental about , you know , if you ’ re out there trying to feed people or house people .
So I appreciate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and how people are , you know , essential soldiers and workers right now , for this period in history .
KH : You all are absolutely essential and we desperately need this work to be happening now more than ever .
Could you tell our listeners a bit about how you got into this work ?
CH : I am a formerly homeless mother , actually I have been homeless on a couple occasions throughout the years .
But the one that had the most profound impact on me was when my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years old and we were homeless in Minneapolis and could have frozen to death .
And so I started taking over abandoned houses and I ’ ve been doing it , you know , for well over 30 some years .
So it ’ s been a very difficult process because , you know , back in the early days , we used to get a lot of media attention and now we ’ re taking over , you know , 10 times more properties than we ever had in our life and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to do it all over the entire country , and it ’ s even more dangerous right now .
And so , both with COVID and with , you know , the fascism that all of us are living under , and the media blackout that we ’ re experiencing .
So we appreciate programs like this .
KH : So given how severe our situation is , with a catastrophic housing crisis and mass displacement looming for so many people , why do you think these struggles aren ’ t getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be one of the great struggles of our time , and we really don ’ t have much time to plan for that fight , so why do you think this subject isn ’ t getting the traction that it obviously should right now ?
CH : I just think housing in many of our urban cities across the country are very , housing itself and land , are very tied into the patronage system .
And there ’ s so much , you know , dirty business going on with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoarded wealth , that it ’ s very — they want to stay away from anybody having to make a line in the sand and decide which side they ’ re on .
And especially in most of our major cities where we ’ re seeing speculators and developers and all of that , you know , just put an end to any , you know , decent , accessible , affordable housing across the country .
I think that they don ’ t want to lift up this idea that there aren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
People can ’ t afford to rent .
We ’ re on the verge of this huge flood of evictions and foreclosures .
And so , you know , they don ’ t want people to be discussing it .
They don ’ t want people to be thinking about it , so it ’ s best to keep it out of the press .
Also really interesting because , you know , they recently did this article , a front page article of me in the Philadelphia Inquirer , where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the middle of the pandemic , and there was like no references to the fact that I ’ m currently and have been engaged in housing takeovers , like right now .
They referred to it like a past thing .
KH : Wow , that ’ s incredible to me .
Just astounding .
The level of erasure is mind blowing given the scale of what you all have been doing , and in terms of what ’ s ahead .
I think you are absolutely right that the powerful do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , they don ’ t really care how unprepared we are , they just want us docile and cooperative right now , in the service of their own objectives .
We have seen unrest already this year and people are afraid of that and how it will be perceived , and in many cases , more worried about that than they are about people who simply can not withstand the conditions they are living in any longer , and they shouldn ’ t be expected to keep calm and carry on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figured out how to make their well being a priority , or cared enough to do so .
They simply accept , narratively , that everyone just needs to keep their heads down and play by the rules , like that has ever delivered anyone from anything .
And right now , with full blown fascism tightening its grip , I mean we have people arguing , with straight faces , that respectability will save us , and cherry-picking various historical examples , and telling people to just shut up until failed institutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this , and it ’ s just such a scam .
And it ’ s a scam that has led a lot of otherwise moral people to shut their mouths about injustice and turn away from struggle , and that ’ s not just morally wrong , it ’ s also strategically disastrous .
Like , if the establishment knew how to stop Donald Trump , they would have stopped Donald Trump .
And what we are looking at right now is fascism , and I am glad the mainstream is catching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know , I have been begging people to understand that for years , but now that they are naming it , people are being told to stay within the lines , like the lines are our friends .
And people need to understand , mass displacement under fascism is part of a path toward mass disposal , and containment , which is another form of disposal .
We are living in a time of collapse and holding our ground , which includes holding onto homes and land , is going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But that takes organization .
So the denial is thick and people aren ’ t ready , so how do we prepare ?
CH : You know , how do you deal with , you know , feeding and clothing and housing people and providing political education , simultaneously while you ’ re erased from the press , and while we might be moving into a situation where we have a coup in our country ?
So we ’ re doing a lot of planning and , you know , really fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , you know , little stuff that mattered to us before doesn ’ t matter anymore , because this thing is really a numbers game and we have to figure out , how do we begin to really work together in very large numbers ?
And , you know , it ’ s not enough for us to just talk about these issues , but how do we , you know , sustain the movement , keep our soldiers alive , not take the dirty money , and you know , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many different levels that is happening right now , whether it ’ s , you know , the violence of hunger or having to live in fear if they ’ re gon na roll up on you at any given moment , or , you know , just the increase in , I know in Chicago but also here in Philadelphia , you know , just the amount of young people that are being shot on a daily basis because they don ’ t have any other kind of options but to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug war here .
KH : I also saw recently that you were organizing a rapid response hotline for evictions .
Can you tell us a bit about that ?
CH : So we ’ re having people sign up so that they can be alerted if the city or the feds decide to move on any of our houses at any given point , so that they can , you know , lift it up through their social media .
People that are here locally can immediately go to the address that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their cameras and stand there and be a witness , or they can also sign up to participate in mass nonviolent civil disobedience to try and hold the properties .
Because these properties are owned by the federal government and we are our government and our government doesn ’ t have a plan on how to keep people from dying from COVID .
And so , you know , warehousing them in shelters and having them die is not an option for us .
And so they can build luxury housing overnight , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ utilize abandoned churches or do whatever they want to do , but they ’ re not doing any of those things .
So , you know , we have a moral responsibility to make sure these people don ’ t die .
And so that ’ s why we ’ re having to , you know , break the law and move them into abandoned HUD properties in order to keep people alive .
KH : You know , hearing you say those words just now , about breaking the law , made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re seeing a lot of valorization of law and order right now because the president who ’ s a fascist who happens to be quite lawless .
So we ’ re seeing a lot of people sort of fetishizing law and order , and order in general .
And I just want to emphasize to people that when you ’ re saying that we have to follow the letter of the law , and there have to be consequences for breaking the law , you are also saying that work like Cheri ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and giving cover to the police who snatched her out of St. Edward ’ s Church in the middle of the night .
I know things are scary and people want stability , but the law is not a moral instrument .
And it is often in direct opposition to the survival and wellbeing of people , and to the survival and wellbeing of people who are trying to help other human beings .
If we want to hold onto our humanity , we can not allow law and order to be our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get that out there and say that piece because I have a lot of feelings about it .
CH : I very much appreciate that .
I mean , that ’ s a very difficult thing .
It ’ s amazing how people ’ s morals and values change based on the circumstances that they ’ re confronted with .
And something that I ’ m also very worried about right now is , we used to just be able to go online and look up the names of various different speculators and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and then go demonstrate at their houses because they ’ re , you know , stealing the land and stealing the future and the opportunity for people .
And you know , there ’ s no — even if we raise the money for some of the families , we only have one landlord right now that has been trying to help us figure out places for people to live , to rent .
So it ’ s not even a question of raising money anymore .
You know , all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a direction of San Francisco , where there ’ s going to be , like , nowhere at all to rent because people can ’ t afford the , like , the luxury units that are being built here in Kensington .
Some of them are asking for a quarter of a million dollars .
And so there ’ s no , you know , people can ’ t go into the shelters .
They can ’ t move into a luxury unit .
So , like , literally there ’ s no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this whole , you know , just arbitrary changing of policies , laws , regulations , something ’ s really wrong with that as well .
And the city Philadelphia did that because they said it was a security matter , that they needed to protect people like our mayor and other folks , where there ’ s been recent demonstrations in front of their houses .
And my question is , when are low income people and homeless people going to be protected ?
You know , never even had a right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a public park , let alone be any place else .
So I think it ’ s really a time right now in history where we have to decide whose side we ’ re on and , you know , getting involved in the game because this one can ’ t be sat out .
And if people want to play more of an active role , they can go to economichumanrights.org .
They can join the Poor People ’ s Army .
They can set up a bootcamp in their part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ socially distancing camp that ’ s going to be happening on October 17th and 18th in Philadelphia .
And the month of October , that entire month , is going to be dedicated towards lifting up things that we normally wouldn ’ t lift up in the public , because we desperately need people to be talking about the conditions that poor people are having to endure and deal with during this pandemic .
So we ’ re designating the month of October , which is also International Poverty Day on the 17th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dedicating and calling it Takeover Month .
So , you know , we need to try not to be demoralized , not to give up .
Our morale , even right now , is incredibly political and important .
And that ’ s one thing that I love that you do , Kelly , is that , you know , that isn ’ t a secondary thing .
It ’ s a primary thing .
And if we don ’ t figure out , like , how to lift each other up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people heal , help people grieve , then we ’ re going to continue to lose , you know , large numbers of soldiers in this fight , and that ’ s not what we need .
What we need is generals that are going to make this fight for humanity .
KH : Absolutely , and just to circle back to what you were saying about that city property search database for a second , because I don ’ t think most of our listeners probably understand the severity of that move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from tracking what developers and speculators own particular properties is a huge hindrance to organizing around this issue , and to me , it really brings to mind that Utah Phillips quote , “ ” The Earth isn ’ t dying , it ’ s being killed , and those who are killing it have names and addresses.
” Well , in this case , we are not dying , we are being killed , and the people killing us are hiding their addresses for a reason .
CH : That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more and more of our federal and city public offices are being placed in private buildings , so that we don ’ t really have a right to protest and demonstrate because they ’ ve hidden themselves in some private commercial owner ’ s building .
And , you know I ’ ve said it forever , that one of the worst things that can happen right now is for us to be silent and to be told that we can ’ t say anything about what ’ s happening to us .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to not be silent and to lift up our voice right now .
KH : Well , Cheri I am just so grateful for you , and grateful that you made the time to have this conversation .
I got a lot out of it and I ’ m sure our listeners did too .
CH : Thank you , Kelly , I really appreciate being on your show .
KH : I also want to thank our listeners for joining us today , and remember , our best defense against cynicism is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the good we do matters .
Until next time , I ’ ll see you in the streets .
The Basics of “ How to Organize !
” with Cheri Honkala

Nicole watches the traffic on Freeway 110 from inside her tent on an overpass during the novel coronavirus pandemic in Los Angeles, California, on May 25, 2020. APU GOMES / AFP via Getty Images
Part of the Series Movement Memos
Under fascism, mass displacement often means mass death. With a catastrophic eviction crisis looming, Kelly Hayes talks with longtime activist Cheri Honkala about housing reclamation and the solidarity we will need to navigate an era of collapse.
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This a rush transcript and has been lightly edited for clarity. Copy may not be in its final form.
Kelly Hayes: Welcome to Movement Memos, a Truthout podcast about things you should know if you want to change the world. Today’s guest is my friend Cheri Honkala. Cheri’s work around housing issues, including housing reclamation, is nothing short of historic. She is the National Coordinator of the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, and she’s also one of the fiercest people I know. Cheri Honkala, welcome to the show.
Cheri Honkala: Thank you, Kelly. It’s always great to be here, especially on your show, cause you talk about real issues.
KH: Well, you are someone I don’t get to catch up with nearly enough, so I am really glad to be in conversation with you today. I just want to mention to our listeners that when I hit you up about this interview, you replied, “We are taking over the Saint Edwards Church right now.” So we had to plan to chat the next day, depending on whether or not you got arrested — which you did, when the police showed up hours later, looking to arrest you specifically. Can you tell our listeners what that action was all about?
CH: 25 years ago we took over a big, empty, abandoned Catholic church and we housed a bunch of homeless families. And 25 years later, the situation is worse, so we decided we needed to take it over again.
KH: And when they came for you that night, that was a targeted arrest, where they came for you personally. For those of us who are familiar with your work, that actually makes perfect sense — from the unjust perspective of the police. But for folks who are less familiar, can you say a bit about how that played out and why you think they came for you specifically.
CH: Yeah, I think that especially now, while we’re doing housing takeovers, you know, they do things like what happened to me the other day, which is, you know, they just came from me in the middle of the night at 12:30 at night, didn’t arrest anybody else, and locked me up and charged me with burglary. And now that we’re literally having to move people [and] families into take over houses not just to house them, but to keep them from dying from COVID, because you know, the men’s shelter here, you know 50% of the people tested positive for COVID. So we don’t want, you know, women and children to be cramming into a shelter and getting sick and potentially dying.
So you know, we’ve just been super, super busy with anybody that comes and asks. And it’s also been very difficult because it’s hard to sleep because I know at any given moment they can, you know, roll up on one of those houses. And we had taken over the St. Edward’s Church in hopes that we could move all the homeless families into that abandoned church if they decided to move on, you know, several of our takeover houses right now. And, you know, that’s not an option right now, so we’re working on plan B, on what to do if they were to move on, you know, 30 properties at one time.
KH: Well, I am grateful that you all are out there throwing down, and I’m glad you’re safe, for now, because, while I know you can take care of yourself, I have been extra worried about my friends who are risking arrest during the pandemic. The police were already dangerous enough, but of course now, we know that people are being caged in the path of COVID-19. Which means that people who are risking arrest are risking their lives on a whole new level. But I know you have never been dissuaded by risk, and I remember in the early days of the pandemic, when a lot of us were scrambling to figure out how to adapt our work, you were just out there, delivering food and doing whatever had to be done. And when I would see pictures of you, out in the world, getting those things done, I was heartened, because I knew people were being helped who would not otherwise be helped, and also afraid, because I didn’t want anything to happen to you. And when you got COVID, and you were hospitalized, it shook me, because I didn’t want to imagine the world without you. But I also know that you are a part of the Poor People’s Army, and a soldier for the people, and that you take risks. And I really respect and appreciate that, and I hope everyone listening does as well.
CH: Thank you, Kelly. Yeah, getting COVID is very real and many of us have lost many people that we love dearly and care about and probably will continue to. I’m definitely no Mother Teresa. I think my life has placed different things before me and doesn’t make me braver than anybody else. Like you said, I’m a soldier. And when I see, you know, kids laying on a railroad track, I do what anyone else would do, which is move them off the railroad track. So, it has definitely been difficult and I’m glad that we’re talking about that because it’s very real. Because, you know, I have a family and they have a lot of opinions, you know, and we have different people that are out there in the world that won’t step forward and give solutions, and yet are very judgmental about, you know, if you’re out there trying to feed people or house people. So I appreciate you acknowledging the fact that feeding people and how people are, you know, essential soldiers and workers right now, for this period in history.
KH: You all are absolutely essential and we desperately need this work to be happening now more than ever. Could you tell our listeners a bit about how you got into this work?
CH: I am a formerly homeless mother, actually I have been homeless on a couple occasions throughout the years. But the one that had the most profound impact on me was when my older son, Mark, was nine years old and we were homeless in Minneapolis and could have frozen to death. And so I started taking over abandoned houses and I’ve been doing it, you know, for well over 30 some years.
So it’s been a very difficult process because, you know, back in the early days, we used to get a lot of media attention and now we’re taking over, you know, 10 times more properties than we ever had in our life and giving trainings to people and teaching people how to do it all over the entire country, and it’s even more dangerous right now. And so, both with COVID and with, you know, the fascism that all of us are living under, and the media blackout that we’re experiencing. So we appreciate programs like this.
KH: So given how severe our situation is, with a catastrophic housing crisis and mass displacement looming for so many people, why do you think these struggles aren’t getting more attention? Because it is clearly going to be one of the great struggles of our time, and we really don’t have much time to plan for that fight, so why do you think this subject isn’t getting the traction that it obviously should right now?
CH: I just think housing in many of our urban cities across the country are very, housing itself and land, are very tied into the patronage system. And there’s so much, you know, dirty business going on with stolen property and, you know, hoarded wealth, that it’s very — they want to stay away from anybody having to make a line in the sand and decide which side they’re on. And especially in most of our major cities where we’re seeing speculators and developers and all of that, you know, just put an end to any, you know, decent, accessible, affordable housing across the country. I think that they don’t want to lift up this idea that there aren’t places for people to live. People can’t afford to rent. We’re on the verge of this huge flood of evictions and foreclosures. And so, you know, they don’t want people to be discussing it. They don’t want people to be thinking about it, so it’s best to keep it out of the press. Also really interesting because, you know, they recently did this article, a front page article of me in the Philadelphia Inquirer, where they talked about me recently buying a home in the middle of the pandemic, and there was like no references to the fact that I’m currently and have been engaged in housing takeovers, like right now. They referred to it like a past thing.
KH: Wow, that’s incredible to me. Just astounding. The level of erasure is mind blowing given the scale of what you all have been doing, and in terms of what’s ahead. I think you are absolutely right that the powerful do not want people talking or thinking about this, they don’t really care how unprepared we are, they just want us docile and cooperative right now, in the service of their own objectives. We have seen unrest already this year and people are afraid of that and how it will be perceived, and in many cases, more worried about that than they are about people who simply cannot withstand the conditions they are living in any longer, and they shouldn’t be expected to keep calm and carry on, just because the powerful haven’t figured out how to make their well being a priority, or cared enough to do so. They simply accept, narratively, that everyone just needs to keep their heads down and play by the rules, like that has ever delivered anyone from anything. And right now, with full blown fascism tightening its grip, I mean we have people arguing, with straight faces, that respectability will save us, and cherry-picking various historical examples, and telling people to just shut up until failed institutions and failed leadership deliver us from all of this, and it’s just such a scam. And it’s a scam that has led a lot of otherwise moral people to shut their mouths about injustice and turn away from struggle, and that’s not just morally wrong, it’s also strategically disastrous. Like, if the establishment knew how to stop Donald Trump, they would have stopped Donald Trump. And what we are looking at right now is fascism, and I am glad the mainstream is catching up with that, because, as you know, I have been begging people to understand that for years, but now that they are naming it, people are being told to stay within the lines, like the lines are our friends. And people need to understand, mass displacement under fascism is part of a path toward mass disposal, and containment, which is another form of disposal. We are living in a time of collapse and holding our ground, which includes holding onto homes and land, is going to be so important, even if Biden wins. But that takes organization. So the denial is thick and people aren’t ready, so how do we prepare?
CH: You know, how do you deal with, you know, feeding and clothing and housing people and providing political education, simultaneously while you’re erased from the press, and while we might be moving into a situation where we have a coup in our country? So we’re doing a lot of planning and, you know, really fighting for unity on all levels and realizing that, you know, little stuff that mattered to us before doesn’t matter anymore, because this thing is really a numbers game and we have to figure out, how do we begin to really work together in very large numbers? And, you know, it’s not enough for us to just talk about these issues, but how do we, you know, sustain the movement, keep our soldiers alive, not take the dirty money, and you know, just deal with the horrible violence on so many different levels that is happening right now, whether it’s, you know, the violence of hunger or having to live in fear if they’re gonna roll up on you at any given moment, or, you know, just the increase in, I know in Chicago but also here in Philadelphia, you know, just the amount of young people that are being shot on a daily basis because they don’t have any other kind of options but to be, you know, engaged in the drug war here.
KH: I also saw recently that you were organizing a rapid response hotline for evictions. Can you tell us a bit about that?
CH: So we’re having people sign up so that they can be alerted if the city or the feds decide to move on any of our houses at any given point, so that they can, you know, lift it up through their social media. People that are here locally can immediately go to the address that’s in danger and pull out their cameras and stand there and be a witness, or they can also sign up to participate in mass nonviolent civil disobedience to try and hold the properties. Because these properties are owned by the federal government and we are our government and our government doesn’t have a plan on how to keep people from dying from COVID. And so, you know, warehousing them in shelters and having them die is not an option for us. And so they can build luxury housing overnight, or they have the social capital to utilize abandoned churches or do whatever they want to do, but they’re not doing any of those things. So, you know, we have a moral responsibility to make sure these people don’t die. And so that’s why we’re having to, you know, break the law and move them into abandoned HUD properties in order to keep people alive.
KH: You know, hearing you say those words just now, about breaking the law, made me feel something, because we’re seeing a lot of valorization of law and order right now because the president who’s a fascist who happens to be quite lawless. So we’re seeing a lot of people sort of fetishizing law and order, and order in general. And I just want to emphasize to people that when you’re saying that we have to follow the letter of the law, and there have to be consequences for breaking the law, you are also saying that work like Cheri’s shouldn’t be happening, and giving cover to the police who snatched her out of St. Edward’s Church in the middle of the night. I know things are scary and people want stability, but the law is not a moral instrument. And it is often in direct opposition to the survival and wellbeing of people, and to the survival and wellbeing of people who are trying to help other human beings. If we want to hold onto our humanity, we cannot allow law and order to be our compass. So I just had to get that out there and say that piece because I have a lot of feelings about it.
CH: I very much appreciate that. I mean, that’s a very difficult thing. It’s amazing how people’s morals and values change based on the circumstances that they’re confronted with. And something that I’m also very worried about right now is, we used to just be able to go online and look up the names of various different speculators and developers and, you know, politicians, and then go demonstrate at their houses because they’re, you know, stealing the land and stealing the future and the opportunity for people. And you know, there’s no — even if we raise the money for some of the families, we only have one landlord right now that has been trying to help us figure out places for people to live, to rent. So it’s not even a question of raising money anymore.
You know, all of the various different cities are going in a direction of San Francisco, where there’s going to be, like, nowhere at all to rent because people can’t afford the, like, the luxury units that are being built here in Kensington. Some of them are asking for a quarter of a million dollars. And so there’s no, you know, people can’t go into the shelters. They can’t move into a luxury unit. So, like, literally there’s no place for them to be. So this whole, you know, just arbitrary changing of policies, laws, regulations, something’s really wrong with that as well. And the city Philadelphia did that because they said it was a security matter, that they needed to protect people like our mayor and other folks, where there’s been recent demonstrations in front of their houses. And my question is, when are low income people and homeless people going to be protected? You know, never even had a right to be in a park, be in a public park, let alone be any place else.
So I think it’s really a time right now in history where we have to decide whose side we’re on and, you know, getting involved in the game because this one can’t be sat out. And if people want to play more of an active role, they can go to economichumanrights.org. They can join the Poor People’s Army. They can set up a bootcamp in their part of the country. We have a socially distancing camp that’s going to be happening on October 17th and 18th in Philadelphia. And the month of October, that entire month, is going to be dedicated towards lifting up things that we normally wouldn’t lift up in the public, because we desperately need people to be talking about the conditions that poor people are having to endure and deal with during this pandemic. So we’re designating the month of October, which is also International Poverty Day on the 17th, the entire month we’re dedicating and calling it Takeover Month.
So, you know, we need to try not to be demoralized, not to give up. Our morale, even right now, is incredibly political and important. And that’s one thing that I love that you do, Kelly, is that, you know, that isn’t a secondary thing. It’s a primary thing. And if we don’t figure out, like, how to lift each other up, take care of each other, help people heal, help people grieve, then we’re going to continue to lose, you know, large numbers of soldiers in this fight, and that’s not what we need. What we need is generals that are going to make this fight for humanity.
KH: Absolutely, and just to circle back to what you were saying about that city property search database for a second, because I don’t think most of our listeners probably understand the severity of that move. Reprogramming the database to prevent organizers from tracking what developers and speculators own particular properties is a huge hindrance to organizing around this issue, and to me, it really brings to mind that Utah Phillips quote, “”The Earth isn’t dying, it’s being killed, and those who are killing it have names and addresses.” Well, in this case, we are not dying, we are being killed, and the people killing us are hiding their addresses for a reason.
CH: That’s right. And not to mention that more and more of our federal and city public offices are being placed in private buildings, so that we don’t really have a right to protest and demonstrate because they’ve hidden themselves in some private commercial owner’s building. And, you know I’ve said it forever, that one of the worst things that can happen right now is for us to be silent and to be told that we can’t say anything about what’s happening to us. The most important thing is for us to not be silent and to lift up our voice right now.
KH: Well, Cheri I am just so grateful for you, and grateful that you made the time to have this conversation. I got a lot out of it and I’m sure our listeners did too.
CH: Thank you, Kelly, I really appreciate being on your show.
KH: I also want to thank our listeners for joining us today, and remember, our best defense against cynicism is to do good, and to remember that the good we do matters. Until next time, I’ll see you in the streets.
Show Notes:
Poor People’s Army Mutual Aid Sign-Up
To Support Housing Actions in Philadelphia
The Basics of “How to Organize!” with Cheri Honkala
Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign
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