buzzfeed--2020-06-17--People In Brooklyn Were Setting Off Fireworks. Then Police Showed Up In Riot Gear.

Monday ’ s incident is a sign of the tension between police and the community after officers violently broke up peaceful protests around the city weeks before — and tension around gentrification in the community itself .
Just over two weeks after the NYPD violently suppressed peaceful protests around New York City , police early Monday morning responded to reports of illegal fireworks in a Brooklyn neighborhood with dozens of officers in riot gear — who blocked off a street , threatened anyone who was outside with arrest , and stormed inside an apartment building .
Fireworks aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though even lifelong residents say there have been a lot more this year .
What was alarming , those residents told BuzzFeed News , were the police helicopters circling overhead as officers — wearing helmets , shields , batons , body armor , and holding Tasers — pointed flashlights into apartment windows .
As residents watched nervously from their porches , some livestreamed the event from their phones .
Police took at least one person into custody , as captured by a cellphone video .
Monday ’ s response came as three dynamics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , seemed to converge : the genuine increase in the amount of fireworks , possibly out of solidarity with Black Lives Matter demonstrations ; police frequently rolling through the streets in riot gear after this month ’ s protests ; and people on Facebook , primarily white gentrifiers , complaining about the level of noise and demanding that the city responds .
“ The deployment of riot gear is a sign of a police department in total crisis that has no idea what they 're doing , and has completely lost any connection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a professor of sociology at Brooklyn College who wrote The End of Policing , told BuzzFeed News .
“ And this is going to just make tensions between the police and the public worse.
” The NYPD ’ s “ response , beyond just these fireworks is escalating so that someone 's gon na die over here this summer , ” Flatbush resident Brandice Taylor-Davis told BuzzFeed News .
There were 1,680 complaints about illegal fireworks in New York City between June 8 and June 15 , according to open data from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the equivalent period last year .
“ I 'm not denying that the fireworks are excessive and can be a nuisance , but they are nothing new , ” Melissa Duchan , a lifelong Flatbush resident , told BuzzFeed News .
“ I have lived in southern Brooklyn all my life , and it 's just a feature of summer from Memorial Day to Labor Day .
I would n't consider calling the cops , and I especially would n't given the current political climate.
” Some nights , fireworks are a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday , the day before the police response , people on Ocean Avenue sang “ Happy Birthday ” to their friend after a few hours of setting them off .
But other times , fireworks have accompanied larger attitudes of resistance .
Imani Henry , an organizer at the community aid and anti-gentrification activist group Equality for Flatbush , told BuzzFeed News that he sees the increased amount of fireworks as a show of solidarity with Black Lives Matter protests that have been sweeping the city and the nation .
“ I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knees , ” Henry said , referring to a protest on May 30 .
“ But then the fireworks went off right on Church and Bedford , and it really was this moment of power and resistance , because people have been beaten up and fighting the cops all day .
It lifted our spirits .
This was 10 or 11 at night , and it was beautiful.
” The fireworks on Ocean Avenue on Sunday evening started like most of the previous nights that weekend , soon after the sun went down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with their sirens blaring , started to close off the street between Church Avenue and Caton Avenue at around 11:40 p.m. An off-duty police officer had called the police , the NYPD said .
Neighbors stood on their porches and fire escapes and watched , until about 12:30 a.m. , as officers twirled their batons and shone their flashlights at people .
Police huddled around a van , discussing whether they should approach a group of Black men standing outside their apartment building .
They seemed to suspect that these men were the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer spoke out .
“ I ’ m not going in , ” he said .
“ One firework , and this whole thing is on fire .
[ We ’ d be ] sitting ducks.
” At 12:40 a.m. , about a dozen officers entered an apartment building .
As I captured it on video , one officer shone a flashlight at my camera , obscuring the footage .
Another officer walked up to me , holding a Taser , and said , “ You ’ re gon na end up getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jessica McRorie , a spokesperson for the NYPD , said the officer in the video told BuzzFeed News to stay back because people were throwing fireworks at police .
BuzzFeed News , which was on the scene the whole night , never saw anyone throw fireworks at police .
When asked if the NYPD had any evidence to support the claim that people were throwing fireworks at police — like body camera footage , social media posts — the spokesperson did not respond .
At about 1 a.m. , police drove a van @ @ @ @ @ @ @ megaphone : “ Everyone in the street has to disperse .
There have been illegal fireworks .
If you don ’ t disperse , you will be subject to arrest.
” McRorie told BuzzFeed News there were “ no arrests and the investigation is ongoing . ''
But in a video shared with Equality for Flatbush , which was taken at the corner of Church Avenue and Ocean Avenue that same night , one man in handcuffs can be seen entering a police car .
McRorie did not respond to BuzzFeed News ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City Mayor Bill de Blasio enacted a curfew on June 2 , police officers around the city used it to violently attack and arrest people who were peacefully demonstrating .
Protesters were struck and pushed with batons , shoved to the ground , and handcuffed with force .
Even essential workers delivering food , whom de Blasio promised would be exempt , were arrested .
After the curfew ended on June 7 , police have continued to roughly handle and sometimes arrest protesters .
And to some Flatbush residents , like Soraya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flatbush , the police ’ s response to the fireworks on June 15 was just the latest excuse to arrest Black and brown people .
She believes they are “ definitely retaliating the protests.
” “ I was at the protest the first Saturday where they had kettled people on Bedford and Tilden — they blocked off the protests and just started beating people with batons , pepper-spraying people , and terrorizing people who were peacefully protesting , ” she said .
“ I think that definitely , they are responding to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways , the jig is up .
There 's less people that are publicly supporting them and defending them .
And I think that there have been extra-violent responses.
” Vitale also argued that the police are retaliating against protesters .
“ I think this is partially driven by that fact that there have been so many protests in Flatbush in the past two and a half weeks , ” he said .
“ This show of force can be understood as a counterprotest by the police.
” For some Flatbush residents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night and Monday morning wasn ’ t a surprise and was emblematic of growing tension in the community .
For years , they say , white gentrifiers have discussed their issues in the community , like noise complaints , in private Facebook Groups .
Palmer said gentrifiers have gathered on social media instead of engaging with their new community .
Two years ago , she said , she and several other activists of color raised concerns about posts in a Prospect Lefferts Garden Facebook Group , where people were complaining about local residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' or smoking weed , ” adding they wanted to call the police .
After these concerns were raised , she said , they were kicked out of the group .
“ You 're framing your neighbors as a problem — that 's not peaceful , and I think that 's still what the folks who created the page are not understanding , ” Palmer said .
“ A lot of them will say you do n't want people to get beaten by the cops .
And you might not consciously want that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like the way you 're going about it , that is what likely could happen.
” During the weekend leading up to Monday night , these posts reached a fever pitch .
On Thursday , Flatbush resident Irina Manta — a white woman who described herself as “ a law professor that moved to the neighborhood due to a serious noise nuisance in Manhattan '' — posted in the Facebook Group “ Ditmas Park , Brooklyn.
” She announced her intention to create a new group on the platform called “ Peaceful Ditmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intended to be a `` working group '' to deal with the issue of fireworks in the area .
Dozens of people commented on the post , telling her that the neighborhood has `` always had fireworks.
” They said even so-called peaceful solutions like getting the city government involved would inevitably result in a police response that would put Black residents at risk .
`` YOU DO NOT OWN THE SIDEWALK .
YOU DO NOT OWN THE STREETS , '' one person commented .
`` People have a right to express themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of entrance to this group was based on agreeing both to follow the law and support others in that effort , '' Manta said in a comment posted to the new group .
`` The firework noise complaint is against the law and is an important reason this group was started . ''
In this new group , Manta posted a draft of a Change.org petition in which she encouraged de Blasio and several New York City council members to respond to the increase in fireworks in the area .
`` Essential workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and individuals sick with COVID-19 or cancer often can not sleep until 4am , '' Manta wrote .
`` Not only is there a serious noise problem , but the fireworks have already caused fires and other risks to life and limb , and this will continue if left unchecked .
That is unacceptable . ''
The draft says the cosigners are `` vocal opponents of police brutality '' and `` urge that no harm come to the firework launchers . ''
Manta declined an interview , but told BuzzFeed News in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call the police , the draft petition was never sent to any official , and any suggestion that I am responsible for the police coming is untrue.
” Brandice Taylor-Davis , who commented on Manta ’ s original post in the “ Ditmas Park , Brooklyn ” group , said she saw the petition and viewed it as gentrifiers rallying each other to call the police .
“ Calling 311 , writing letters , calling your assembly person — all of these things that you 're suggesting is just gon na get someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can feel like you did n't directly call the police , but they 're gon na actually call them anyway , ” she said .
Taylor-Davis said she urged Manta to consider other solutions before petitioning the city or calling the police — like doing vigorous exercise before bed , using earplugs , speaking to her neighbors , or putting up flyers .
“ When she did n't accept my first round , she was like , ‘ Do you have any other suggestions ?
’ ” Taylor-Davis said .
“ She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from people .
But it seemed to me like she was asking just to be asking and not because she was actually interested in taking any of the suggestions.
” One woman commented on Manta ’ s post with the draft of the petition , and said she ( the person commenting ) had been calling the police regularly , and that she had ridden her bike to her local police precinct and urged them to act .
Another woman in the “ Ditmas Park , Brooklyn ” Facebook Group called the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exceptionally dumb , '' alleging that they caused property damage to a concrete wall .
`` So no , I wo n't 'enjoy the show ' nor stop calling 911 , '' the woman wrote .
`` What 's next , something blasts through my nursery window and lands in my 1-year-old 's crib ?
My house catches fire ? ''
On Sunday night , Equality for Flatbush called out Manta on its Instagram page .
And after police swarmed on Flatbush on Sunday night , Manta deleted the new “ Peaceful Ditmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked Facebook whether , hypothetically , white gentrifiers rallying one another to call the police counts as inciting violence .
The company declined to comment on the record , but pointed BuzzFeed News to its Violence and Incitement policy , which says the platform will take down posts that represent `` genuine risk of physical harm or direct threats to public safety . ''
When BuzzFeed News showed extracts from “ Ditmas Park , Brooklyn ” Facebook Group , Facebook declined to comment on the record .

McRorie told BuzzFeed News there were “no arrests and the investigation is ongoing." But in a video shared with Equality for Flatbush, which was taken in the same location that same night, one man in handcuffs can be seen entering a police car. McRorie did not respond to BuzzFeed News’s request for clarification.
When New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio enacted a curfew on June 2, police officers around the city used it to violently attack and arrest people who were peacefully demonstrating. Protesters were struck and pushed with batons, shoved to the ground, and handcuffed with force. Even essential workers delivering food, whom de Blasio promised would be exempt, were arrested.
After the curfew ended on June 7, police have continued to roughly handle and sometimes arrest protesters. And to some Flatbush residents, like Soraya Palmer, an organizer with Equality for Flatbush, the police’s response to the fireworks on June 15 was just the latest excuse to arrest Black and brown people. She believes they are “definitely retaliating the protests.”
“I was at the protest the first Saturday where they had kettled people on Bedford and Tilden — they blocked off the protests and just started beating people with batons, pepper-spraying people, and terrorizing people who were peacefully protesting,” she said. “I think that definitely, they are responding to the fact that they know, in some ways, the jig is up. There's less people that are publicly supporting them and defending them. And I think that there have been extra-violent responses.”
Vitale also argued that the police are retaliating against protesters. “I think this is partially driven by that fact that there have been so many protests in Flatbush in the past two and a half weeks,” he said. “This show of force can be understood as a counterprotest by the police.”
For some Flatbush residents, the show of police force on Sunday night and Monday morning wasn’t a surprise and was emblematic of growing tension in the community. For years, they say, white gentrifiers have discussed their issues in the community, like noise complaints, in private Facebook Groups.
Palmer said gentrifiers have gathered on social media instead of engaging with their new community. Two years ago, she said, she and several other activists of color raised concerns about posts in a Prospect Lefferts Garden Facebook Group, where people were complaining about local residents "playing music, or people 'loitering' or smoking weed,” adding they wanted to call the police. After these concerns were raised, she said, they were kicked out of the group.
“You're framing your neighbors as a problem — that's not peaceful, and I think that's still what the folks who created the page are not understanding,” Palmer said. “A lot of them will say you don't want people to get beaten by the cops. And you might not consciously want that. But you're not understanding that like the way you're going about it, that is what likely could happen.”
During the weekend leading up to Monday night, these posts reached a fever pitch. On Thursday, Flatbush resident Irina Manta — a white woman who described herself as “a law professor that moved to the neighborhood due to a serious noise nuisance in Manhattan" — posted in the Facebook Group “Ditmas Park, Brooklyn.”
She announced her intention to create a new group on the platform called “Peaceful Ditmas Park,” which she said was intended to be a "working group" to deal with the issue of fireworks in the area.
Dozens of people commented on the post, telling her that the neighborhood has "always had fireworks.” They said even so-called peaceful solutions like getting the city government involved would inevitably result in a police response that would put Black residents at risk.
"YOU DO NOT OWN THE SIDEWALK. YOU DO NOT OWN THE STREETS," one person commented. "People have a right to express themselves in different ways."
"Part of entrance to this group was based on agreeing both to follow the law and support others in that effort," Manta said in a comment posted to the new group. "The firework noise complaint is against the law and is an important reason this group was started."
In this new group, Manta posted a draft of a Change.org petition in which she encouraged de Blasio and several New York City council members to respond to the increase in fireworks in the area.
"Essential workers, young children, the elderly, and individuals sick with COVID-19 or cancer often cannot sleep until 4am," Manta wrote. "Not only is there a serious noise problem, but the fireworks have already caused fires and other risks to life and limb, and this will continue if left unchecked. That is unacceptable."
The draft says the cosigners are "vocal opponents of police brutality" and "urge that no harm come to the firework launchers."
Manta declined an interview, but told BuzzFeed News in a Facebook message that “I did not call the police, the draft petition was never sent to any official, and any suggestion that I am responsible for the police coming is untrue.”
Brandice Taylor-Davis, who commented on Manta’s original post in the “Ditmas Park, Brooklyn” group, said she saw the petition and viewed it as gentrifiers rallying each other to call the police.
“Calling 311, writing letters, calling your assembly person — all of these things that you're suggesting is just gonna get someone else to call the police so that you can feel like you didn't directly call the police, but they're gonna actually call them anyway,” she said.
Taylor-Davis said she urged Manta to consider other solutions before petitioning the city or calling the police — like doing vigorous exercise before bed, using earplugs, speaking to her neighbors, or putting up flyers.
“When she didn't accept my first round, she was like, ‘Do you have any other suggestions?’” Taylor-Davis said. “She's asking for the suggestions and labor from people. But it seemed to me like she was asking just to be asking and not because she was actually interested in taking any of the suggestions.”
One woman commented on Manta’s post with the draft of the petition, and said she (the person commenting) had been calling the police regularly, and that she had ridden her bike to her local police precinct and urged them to act.
Another woman in the “Ditmas Park, Brooklyn” Facebook Group called the people using fireworks "assholes" and "exceptionally dumb," alleging that they caused property damage to a concrete wall.
"So no, I won't 'enjoy the show' nor stop calling 911," the woman wrote. "What's next, something blasts through my nursery window and lands in my 1-year-old's crib? My house catches fire?"


buzzfeed--2020-06-17--The UK May Ban Tear Gas Sales To The US

The UK May Ban Tear Gas Sales To The US

A letter signed by 166 members of Parliament calls for the UK to stop selling riot control weapons to US police departments .
British politicians and arms control advocates are calling for the United Kingdom to stop selling tear gas , rubber bullets , and other riot control equipment to law enforcement in the United States in response to police brutality during Black Lives Matter protests .
More than 160 members of Parliament from across the UK 's politics , including from Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s Conservative Party , signed a letter to British trade secretary Liz Truss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of policing and security equipment to the US .
“ The brutality now aimed towards protesters and reporters across the country is unacceptable , ” the letter read .
According to the Independent , the US is a major customer of UK-made weapons : `` Government export license records show that the US is one of the world ’ s largest buyers of UK arms , with almost £6 billion worth licensed for export since 2010 . ''
Activists said that although it ’ s unclear how likely it is the measure will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important step toward curbing human rights abuses .
“ I think condemning police violence is one thing , but if you are supporting that violence there is a real hypocrisy , ” Andrew Smith of the Campaign Against Arms Trade in London told BuzzFeed News .
Along with other campaigners , he began calling on the UK government to stop those weapons sales in early June .
“ The real value of this is a symbolic political value , ” Smith added .
“ It sends an important message and sets an important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet to debate the measure , the campaign has had victories .
Last week , the Scottish Parliament voted 52 to 0 , with 11 abstentions , to “ immediately suspend all export licenses for tear gas , rubber bullets and riot gear to the US.
” There ’ s precedent for the move — last June , the UK ’ s government suspended exports of tear gas and riot control equipment to Hong Kong until concerns over human rights abuses against protesters were addressed .
In 2013 , the UK halted export @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to reports that security forces had used excessive force against protesters there .
The movement in the UK , which since the 1980s has rarely used tear gas , coincides with a campaign from Democratic lawmakers in the US to ban the use of tear gas .
Although law enforcement in places including the US , Canada , Brazil , and Bahrain have used it during demonstrations , the 1993 International Chemical Weapons Convention bans its use in war .
The US has both signed and ratified that treaty , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The egregious mistreatment of peaceful protesters by law enforcement in our country has been reprehensible .
It ’ s a shame that other countries have taken notice of these anti-democratic activities and feel the need to take action , ” Rep. Mark Takano , who co-sponsored the anti-tear gas bill along with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Chuy Garcia , told BuzzFeed News .
“ I support any efforts to demilitarize our police forces.
” The US has faced increasing international censure over police brutality .
Last month , the UN High @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US to take “ serious action to stop such killings.
” Philip McHarris , a doctoral candidate at Yale whose work focuses on race and policing , told BuzzFeed News that since the early 1900s , police departments in the US have adopted not only military equipment , but also tactics and strategies .
“ There are pathways through countries like the UK that are facilitating the militarization of the police in the US , and we see what the outcomes are , ” McHarris said .
“ People are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their own homes because this equipment is fueling it .
”

Activists said that although it’s unclear how likely it is the measure will be adopted, the letter was an important step toward curbing human rights abuses.
“I think condemning police violence is one thing, but if you are supporting that violence there is a real hypocrisy,” Andrew Smith of the Campaign Against Arms Trade in London told BuzzFeed News. Along with other campaigners, he began calling on the UK government to stop those weapons sales in early June.
“The real value of this is a symbolic political value,” Smith added. “It sends an important message and sets an important precedent.”
Although the UK Parliament has yet to debate the measure, the campaign has had victories. Last week, the Scottish Parliament voted 52 to 0, with 11 abstentions, to “immediately suspend all export licenses for tear gas, rubber bullets and riot gear to the US.”
There’s precedent for the move — last June, the UK’s government suspended exports of tear gas and riot control equipment to Hong Kong until concerns over human rights abuses against protesters were addressed.
In 2013, the UK halted export licenses of some weapon parts to Egypt in response to reports that security forces had used excessive force against protesters there.
The movement in the UK, which since the 1980s has rarely used tear gas, coincides with a campaign from Democratic lawmakers in the US to ban the use of tear gas. Although law enforcement in places including the US, Canada, Brazil, and Bahrain have used it during demonstrations, the 1993 International Chemical Weapons Convention bans its use in war. The US has both signed and ratified that treaty, which does not apply to domestic uses.


buzzfeed--2020-06-17--Microsoft Says It Won't Sell Facial Recognition To The Police. These Documents Show How It Pitched T

Microsoft Says It Won't Sell Facial Recognition To The Police. These Documents Show How It Pitched That Technology To The Federal Government.

The emails obtained by the ACLU show that the company pitched facial recognition as a law enforcement tool to the DEA in late 2017 as the company pushed to expand its offerings on its government cloud platform , Microsoft Azure Government Cloud .
In September of that year , an individual whose name has been redacted , but listed their title as the DEA ’ s chief technology officer , stated that he was hosting the Microsoft Cognitive Services Group “ to discuss use-cases for their Media Services.
” But that pledge did not address any potential or ongoing relationships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BuzzFeed News , Microsoft did not immediately provide comment on whether it has provided or is currently providing its facial recognition technology to federal law enforcement agencies .
Those documents , obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union via a public records lawsuit , provide a rare look into how the Redmond , Washington–based company tried to sell artificial intelligence services to federal agencies six months before its July 2018 call for `` public regulation and corporate responsibility `` around facial recognition .
Last week , Microsoft said `` we do not sell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ departments today ” and committed not to do so “ until there is a strong national law grounded in human rights.
” Newly released emails show the company has tried to sell the controversial technology to the government for years , including to the Drug Enforcement Administration in late 2017 .
In early June , Microsoft joined a growing list of tech companies that pledged not to sell facial recognition technology to police departments until the controversial technology was federally regulated .
But that announcement left a loophole : selling facial recognition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email from the DEA 's chief technology officer shows Microsoft pitched facial recognition and other artificial intelligence services to the agency .
The document was obtained by the ACLU public records lawsuit against the DEA .
“ As you may be aware , Microsoft Azure has many of these services ( Translation , Transcription , Video Processing , Facial Recognition , etc . )
running in the Public Azure , ” the person wrote on Sept. 15 , 2017 .
“ Microsoft has only some of these services running in the Microsoft Azure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are looking at what else needs to be transitioned over to MAG.
” The person later noted that MAG was approved for “ Law Enforcement Sensitive things ” and that they wanted to create a pilot project to test a variety of video and audio recording technologies .
A DEA spokesperson declined to comment on its conversations with Microsoft or the agency ’ s tests or deployment of facial recognition .
Other emails show that DEA representatives visited Microsoft ’ s office in Reston , Virginia , in November 2017 to see a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ translation services , document transcription , “ optical character recognition in video , ” and Azure facial recognition .
In a follow-up message after the meeting , a Microsoft employee , whose name was redacted , gave a brief overview of all the demos his team showed the agency including “ Face API : Identify similar faces , develop a face database.
” “ Please let us know when and how we can take the next step on a prototype , ” they wrote .
Based on the emails , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eight months after those meetings , Microsoft President Brad Smith penned a blog post calling for “ thoughtful government regulation and for the development of norms around acceptable uses ” surrounding facial recognition .
“ If there are concerns about how a technology will be deployed more broadly across society , the only way to regulate this broad use is for the government to do so , ” he wrote , before acknowledging the possibility of racial profiling and misidentification .
Despite those concerns , Microsoft ’ s representatives continued to pitch facial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offering .
In November 2018 , a “ Sr .
Microsoft SME , ” whose name was redacted in the email , sent another note to a DEA representative requesting a meeting .
Azure has a number of relationships with federal agencies including the Department of Defense and Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) .
While it ’ s not clear if the DEA moved forward with Microsoft ’ s Azure AI offerings , the fact that Microsoft pitched such services in the first place “ is concerning , ” Kade Crockford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In October , the ACLU sued the Department of Justice , FBI , and DEA after those agencies failed to comply with a public records request regarding their use of facial recognition and other biometric tracking technology .
Microsoft 's recent decision not to provide facial recognition to police departments is “ a positive step , ” said Crockford , noting that it ’ s what civil rights organizations have demanded for years after studies showed the technology has high rates of misidentification among racial minorities .
“ The DEA has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practices and has been engaged in wildly inappropriate mass surveillance , ” they said .
BuzzFeed News previously reported that individuals associated with the DEA tested Clearview AI , a controversial facial recognition software that ’ s been built using billions of photos scraped from social media sites including Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter .
As of February , more than 20 users associated with the DEA have run about 2,000 searches according to data viewed by BuzzFeed News .
Following nationwide protests of racial injustices and police brutality faced by Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their facial recognition offerings .
Earlier this month , Amazon said it would place a one-year moratorium on selling its biometric face identification service , Rekognition , to police , while IBM said it would stop developing or researching facial recognition .
When asked by BuzzFeed News , however , Amazon , IBM , and Microsoft refused to disclose which police departments , if any , had previously used their facial recognition services .
Earlier this month , BuzzFeed News also reported that the Justice Department gave the DEA permission “ to enforce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the protests over the death of George Floyd .
”

“As you may be aware, Microsoft Azure has many of these services (Translation, Transcription, Video Processing, Facial Recognition, etc.) running in the Public Azure,” the person wrote on Sept. 15, 2017. “Microsoft has only some of these services running in the Microsoft Azure Government (MAG) Cloud and they are looking at what else needs to be transitioned over to MAG.”
The person later noted that MAG was approved for “Law Enforcement Sensitive things” and that they wanted to create a pilot project to test a variety of video and audio recording technologies.
A DEA spokesperson declined to comment on its conversations with Microsoft or the agency’s tests or deployment of facial recognition.
Other emails show that DEA representatives visited Microsoft’s office in Reston, Virginia, in November 2017 to see a demonstration of a suite of products including translation services, document transcription, “optical character recognition in video,” and Azure facial recognition. In a follow-up message after the meeting, a Microsoft employee, whose name was redacted, gave a brief overview of all the demos his team showed the agency including “Face API: Identify similar faces, develop a face database.”
“Please let us know when and how we can take the next step on a prototype,” they wrote. Based on the emails, it’s unclear if any prototype was built.
Eight months after those meetings, Microsoft President Brad Smith penned a blog post calling for “thoughtful government regulation and for the development of norms around acceptable uses” surrounding facial recognition.
“If there are concerns about how a technology will be deployed more broadly across society, the only way to regulate this broad use is for the government to do so,” he wrote, before acknowledging the possibility of racial profiling and misidentification.
Despite those concerns, Microsoft’s representatives continued to pitch facial recognition as part of its Azure Government offering. In November 2018, a “Sr. Microsoft SME,” whose name was redacted in the email, sent another note to a DEA representative requesting a meeting. Azure has a number of relationships with federal agencies including the Department of Defense and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
While it’s not clear if the DEA moved forward with Microsoft’s Azure AI offerings, the fact that Microsoft pitched such services in the first place “is concerning,” Kade Crockford of the ACLU Massachusetts told BuzzFeed News. In October, the ACLU sued the Department of Justice, FBI, and DEA after those agencies failed to comply with a public records request regarding their use of facial recognition and other biometric tracking technology.
Microsoft's recent decision not to provide facial recognition to police departments is “a positive step,” said Crockford, noting that it’s what civil rights organizations have demanded for years after studies showed the technology has high rates of misidentification among racial minorities.
“The DEA has a long history of racially disparate or racist practices and has been engaged in wildly inappropriate mass surveillance,” they said.
BuzzFeed News previously reported that individuals associated with the DEA tested Clearview AI, a controversial facial recognition software that’s been built using billions of photos scraped from social media sites including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. As of February, more than 20 users associated with the DEA have run about 2,000 searches according to data viewed by BuzzFeed News.
Following nationwide protests of racial injustices and police brutality faced by Black people, companies have pulled back on their facial recognition offerings. Earlier this month, Amazon said it would place a one-year moratorium on selling its biometric face identification service, Rekognition, to police, while IBM said it would stop developing or researching facial recognition.
When asked by BuzzFeed News, however, Amazon, IBM, and Microsoft refused to disclose which police departments, if any, had previously used their facial recognition services.
Earlier this month, BuzzFeed News also reported that the Justice Department gave the DEA permission “to enforce any federal crime committed as a result of the protests over the death of George Floyd.”


buzzfeed--2020-06-17--Symbolic Gestures Are Not Enough

Symbolic Gestures Are Not Enough

On Tuesday night , hundreds of protesters swarmed Seattle City Hall to demand the resignation of Jenny Durkan , Seattle ’ s first woman mayor in nearly100 years and its second consecutive openly LGBTQ mayor , who recently instituted a 30-day ban on police using tear gas on protesters — only for cops to ignore it a day later .
The mayor of Washington , DC , Muriel Bowser — only the second woman to hold the position — recently proposed to increase the police department ’ s budget by $ 45 million , and was just sued by Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a citywide curfew .
The group wasn ’ t placated by her decision last Friday to paint its motto in huge bright yellow letters on a street just outside the White House , according to its statement : “ Mayor Muriel Bowser must be held accountable for the lip service she pays in making such a statement while she continues to intentionally underfund and cut services and programs that meet the basic survival needs of Black people in DC.
” The group called the gesture “ a performative distraction from real policy changes.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters added their own message , and their own demand , right next to Bowser ’ s mural : “ Defund the police.
” It ’ s heartening , though perhaps a bit premature , to watch a growing , collective unwillingness to accept lip service in lieu of action from authority figures .
Police officers can ’ t expect to be applauded for their performative gestures of hugging and kneeling with protesters when video evidence reveals they ’ re teargassing and arresting them minutes after the fact .
Neither can lawmakers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about why they ’ re protesting expect their presence alone to be enough , especially when they ’ re caught on hot mics admitting that “ if I didn ’ t have a primary , I wouldn ’ t care , ” as was the case recently with New York Rep. Eliot Engel .
De Blasio just announced that New York City will paint “ Black Lives Matter ” on streets in all five boroughs , inspired by DC — but this seems unlikely to resuscitate his increasingly poor reputation among his disillusioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our countries look like if we keep demanding more than this ?
Already , protesters who ’ ve demanded more than murals have seen significant wins , from the repeal of a New York law that ’ s long shielded police records from public view to Minneapolis lawmakers pledging to dismantle the city ’ s police department .
Identity representation politics and gestures of symbolic support for Black lives ( and queer lives , and poor lives ) aren ’ t going to cut it ; they never did to begin with .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their battle against Trump by playing his games .
The kente cloth debacle isn ’ t so different , after all , from the president ’ s Bible-wielding photo op in front of a DC church — though to their credit , Pelosi and co. didn ’ t teargas a bunch of peaceful protesters to make it happen .
“ We have a reliance in this country on asymmetrical displays that allow us to dwell in , and never penetrate beyond , the level of the cultural , ” St. Félix wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ white pantsuit , and of the hot-pink knitted pussyhat .
I am thinking of the canonization of certain moments of pacification : Obama singing ‘ Amazing Grace ’ at the funeral of Clementa Pinckney , who was murdered by Dylann Roof ; Bill Clinton , while leading an Administration that codified mass incarceration , being sanctified for knowing how to play the saxophone so well.
” For too long , so many of us have been soothed by the symbolic , the poignant , all these “ nice ” moments .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beginning of June , Hillary Clinton tweeted a couple of photos , side by side , to mark the beginning of Pride Month while simultaneously taking a swipe at Trump .
They were two images of the White House — one from 2015 , after the Supreme Court vote on marriage equality , when it was decked out in rainbow lights , and one from this year , when , amid the George Floyd protests , 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue went dark , as if to unconvincingly signal to disappointed trick-or-treaters that nobody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elections matter , ” with a Vote.org link .
The tweet is a perfect encapsulation of the neoliberal obsession with symbolism over substance — and of the political establishment ’ s delusions about its own influence .
Marriage for same-sex couples was legalized during Obama ’ s presidency ; that much is true .
But it was really decades ’ worth of organizing by activists — who have called for queer justice far beyond marriage equality and still haven ’ t seen crucial wins realized , like universal healthcare or prison abolition — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) victory .
The Democrats , including Obama , only got on board with marriage equality after it was politically palatable .
During the turmoil of the Trump presidency , Obama and other Democratic leaders have kept encouraging Americans to vote our problems away , saying that “ real change ” on racial inequity starts in the voting booth .
That sentiment is perhaps the biggest empty gesture of all : a promise that if people are able to overcome layers upon layers of voter suppression , and are able to actually cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , then they ’ ll finally see the changes they seek .
Wesley Lowery , the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who ’ s been documenting the Black Lives Matter movement for the past decade , notes in his latest story for the Atlantic that “ Obama did as much as , if not more than , any other American president to push for policing reform , ” but “ not even he can claim absolute moral credibility on these matters.
” Now , he writes , “ to suggest that Obama could silence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fundamentally misunderstand the origins of the protests of recent years : They were , in part , a direct response to the perception among young Black activists that his administration had failed to address persistent racial inequalities with adequate urgency.
” He quotes a Ferguson activist : “ I voted for Barack Obama twice and still got teargassed.
” In the months and years between opportunities to vote , activists and organizers are hard at work demanding more from our elected officials and other authority figures right here , right now .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ streets ; they are signing petitions and calling into local budget meetings ; they are distributing their wealth via mutual aid funds and directly supporting people in their communities .
They are refusing to accept performative allyship in lieu of solidarity , accountability , and — finally — justice .
●

Sometimes — a lot of the time, really — these performances work. For most (white) Americans, or at least those who aren’t activists or organizers or obsessive politicos, it’s often enough for leaders to at least look like they’re doing or saying the right things. Democrats and Republicans alike who find themselves longing for the guidance of presidents past — who still think there’s a world in which we could conceivably “go back to normal” — aren’t so much hungering for better policies, but for better optics. Trump, though he’s finally lost the support of some Republican leaders who say they won’t back his reelection, has nonetheless faithfully (if oafishly) executed much of the Republican agenda, from rollbacks of LGBTQ rights and environmental protections to flooding the courts with conservatives. Meanwhile, the liberals who wish Obama were still in power are banking on the symbolic promise of our first Black president, even though, as Cornel West put it to Anderson Cooper in a recent viral CNN clip, “the Black Lives Matter movement emerged under a Black president and a Black attorney general … and they still couldn’t deliver.”
So why all this nostalgia? Why are people like Katie Couric longing for Obama and George W. Bush to jointly address the nation as if the problems we’re facing today — born from systemic racism and unchecked corporate greed — didn’t flourish under both of their tenures? Why has Biden been able to run a successful campaign practically fueled by Obama-era reminiscence? It’s nostalgia not for policy so much as performance — for men who were more “presidential” and respectable than Trump, with his openly racist clownery, and for leaders who knew better than to say the quiet parts out loud.
But even though that nostalgia persists, it also seems as though more and more Americans, at least lately, are unwilling to be lulled into a sense of complacency by a strong, soothing leader. For many, it is no longer enough for those in power — from politicians and corporations to celebrities and influencers — to make mere gestures of solidarity with Black people without also doing the work. Now that evidence of police brutality and other racist evils is finally encouraging more white people to care, thanks in large part to the tireless work of activists and citizen journalists, performative allyship like the kente cloth disaster in Congress looks all the more absurd and all the more infuriatingly meager. As the protests keep unfolding, and as anti-racist activists continue making their voices heard — yielding extraordinary early results — it’s becoming much harder to ignore the gulf between a well-meaning but ultimately worthless tactical gesture and real, radical, substantive change.


buzzfeed--2020-06-18--Trump Is Proposing Stripping Social Media Sites Of The Discretion To Remove “Objectionable” Content

A Department of Justice proposal released Wednesday is the formal follow-through on the president 's threats to “ strongly regulate ” social media companies over his belief that they censor conservative voices .
But the proposed changes , if passed by Congress , could also make it harder for social media sites to crack down on hateful or offensive content .
The Trump administration is proposing to change liability law to make it harder for social media platforms to censor content that is hateful or objectionable but not specifically illegal .
... .happen again .
Just like we can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ root in our Country .
It would be a free for all on cheating , forgery and the theft of Ballots .
Whoever cheated the most would win .
Likewise , Social Media .
Clean up your act , NOW !
!
!
!
Currently , internet companies have broad protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act from being sued for content posted to their platforms as long as they act in good faith to restrict posts that are obscene , lewd , lascivious , filthy , excessively violent , harassing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s that last clause — “ otherwise objectionable ” — that the Trump administration argues is too broad and can be used to stifle free speech .
The DOJ would rewrite the good faith protections to remove broad discretion about objectionable content and replace it with the mandate to moderate content that is believed to be illegal or promotes violence or terrorism .
The Department of Justice released only a description rather than legislative text that spells out their plan precisely .
The outline says that without broad immunity , social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explicit in their terms of service as to what can and can not be posted .
This could make it more difficult for sites to remove content that they deem objectionable but is not clearly illegal .
Matthew Feeney , director of the Cato Institute ’ s Project on Emerging Technologies , warned there is a lot of content that is legal speech but that people don ’ t want to see on their social media .
“ There ’ s a reason why [ Facebook CEO Mark ] Zuckerberg doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Feeney .
“ And there ’ s a reason why the vast majority of people on social media want an environment where a lot of legal but awful content is prohibited , like pornography or images of people being murdered .
Those sorts of things.
” Increasing liability would likely make social media sites more cautious and willing to censor content , which seems to be the opposite of what the Trump administration wants , said Mark Lumley , director of the Stanford Program in Law , Science , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the classic problem of content moderation on the net — the government wants you to take down all the bad content and none of the good content , ” he said in an email .
“ But that 's impossible , not only because content moderation is hard and the scale is so immense , but because reasonable people ( to say nothing of the Trump administration ) can and do disagree on what is good and what is bad.
” The administration can not amend the Communications Decency Act by itself and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Congress , where there is growing momentum on the Republican right to regulate big tech immunity .
The unusual coalition ranges from otherwise staunch anti-regulation conservatives to Josh Hawley , the junior Republican senator from Missouri who has made regulating social media companies a key part of his populist pitch .
Hours before the Department of Justice proposal was released , Hawley released a bill to limit Section 230 immunity for tech companies .
A partisan bill is unlikely to pass a split Congress , but the desire to reform Section 230 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IT Act , which would condition tech company immunity on taking action against child sexual exploitation , is being pushed by both Democratic and Republican senators .
Critics have said the bill is a way to strong-arm tech companies out of providing their users — criminals and law-abiding citizens alike — the ability to send encrypted messages that would not be accessible to federal authorities .

Currently, internet companies have broad protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act from being sued for content posted to their platforms as long as they act in good faith to restrict posts that are obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or “otherwise objectionable.”
It’s that last clause — “otherwise objectionable” — that the Trump administration argues is too broad and can be used to stifle free speech. The DOJ would rewrite the good faith protections to remove broad discretion about objectionable content and replace it with the mandate to moderate content that is believed to be illegal or promotes violence or terrorism.
The Department of Justice released only a description rather than legislative text that spells out their plan precisely. The outline says that without broad immunity, social media sites would need to be clear and explicit in their terms of service as to what can and cannot be posted. This could make it more difficult for sites to remove content that they deem objectionable but is not clearly illegal.
Matthew Feeney, director of the Cato Institute’s Project on Emerging Technologies, warned there is a lot of content that is legal speech but that people don’t want to see on their social media.
“There’s a reason why [Facebook CEO Mark] Zuckerberg doesn’t want videos of beheadings on his site,” said Feeney. “And there’s a reason why the vast majority of people on social media want an environment where a lot of legal but awful content is prohibited, like pornography or images of people being murdered. Those sorts of things.”
Increasing liability would likely make social media sites more cautious and willing to censor content, which seems to be the opposite of what the Trump administration wants, said Mark Lumley, director of the Stanford Program in Law, Science, and Technology.
“I think this has the classic problem of content moderation on the net — the government wants you to take down all the bad content and none of the good content,” he said in an email.
“But that's impossible, not only because content moderation is hard and the scale is so immense, but because reasonable people (to say nothing of the Trump administration) can and do disagree on what is good and what is bad.”
The administration cannot amend the Communications Decency Act by itself and its proposals would need to be adopted by Congress, where there is growing momentum on the Republican right to regulate big tech immunity. The unusual coalition ranges from otherwise staunch anti-regulation conservatives to Josh Hawley, the junior Republican senator from Missouri who has made regulating social media companies a key part of his populist pitch.
Hours before the Department of Justice proposal was released, Hawley released a bill to limit Section 230 immunity for tech companies.
A partisan bill is unlikely to pass a split Congress, but the desire to reform Section 230 immunity crosses both parties. The EARN IT Act, which would condition tech company immunity on taking action against child sexual exploitation, is being pushed by both Democratic and Republican senators.
Critics have said the bill is a way to strong-arm tech companies out of providing their users — criminals and law-abiding citizens alike — the ability to send encrypted messages that would not be accessible to federal authorities.


buzzfeed--2020-06-18--Police Pulled Over Two Black Men For Having An Air Freshener In Their Car. A Court Ruled The Stop Wa

Police Pulled Over Two Black Men For Having An Air Freshener In Their Car. A Court Ruled The Stop Was Legitimate.

Still image from police body camera footage after Napoleon Jackson and Kittrell Freeman were pulled over in Chicago in September 2018 because of a hanging air freshener .
WASHINGTON — In September 2018 , Napoleon Jackson was driving a car in the South Side of Chicago .
Kittrell Freeman sat in the front passenger seat .
A police officer pulled Jackson over , and a later search of the car revealed a loaded rifle and two handguns .
But the officer didn ’ t know there were guns in the car when she stopped Jackson .
She did know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ d run a license plate check after Jackson first passed her on the street .
Why did she pull him over ?
She ’ d seen a tree-shaped air freshener dangling from the rearview mirror .
Jackson and Freeman faced federal gun charges — they each had previous felony convictions that made it illegal for them to possess guns .
They argued their cases should be tossed out because the air freshener–based stop was unlawful .
Jackson was sentenced to nine months in prison .
Freeman is serving five years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruled the presence of the air freshener alone was enough to justify the stop .
Chicago ’ s municipal code prohibits objects that obstruct the windshield , and the officer had “ reasonable suspicion ” to think Jackson ’ s air freshener violated that law , the court found .
Laws that allow police to stop people for relatively minor infractions — especially when the people disproportionately affected are Black — are under scrutiny again after George Floyd was killed in police custody in Minneapolis last month .
Police officers had arrested Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was accused of trying to use a counterfeit $ 20 bill at a store .
When Floyd resisted , an officer used a knee chokehold to hold him on the ground for nearly nine minutes and Floyd died .
The 7th Circuit ’ s decision was the latest in a long line of cases involving police stops and air fresheners .
Laws that prohibit anything that obstructs the view of a driver , similar to the one in Chicago , are common across the United States .
Defendants like Jackson and Freeman who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges after being stopped because of an air freshener have raised challenges to these police encounters in state and federal courts , with mixed success .
Research by the Stanford Open Policing Project found that Black and Latino drivers nationwide are stopped by police and have their cars searched at higher rates than white drivers .
A study released by the ACLU of Illinois in 2019 found that Black and Latino drivers who were stopped were asked to consent to searches at higher rates than white drivers , even though data showed they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have contraband in their cars .
Other studies have found racial disparities specifically in traffic stops for minor , “ non-moving ” violations , a category that would likely include windshield obstructions .
Courts previously have accepted arguments that police used the presence of air fresheners as a pretext to stop Black and Latino drivers — in 2010 , a federal judge in Arkansas ruled that a police officer had engaged in a pattern of racially profiling Latino drivers , and noted instances when the officer cited dangling air fresheners as a reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeals court in 1994 upheld a judge ’ s order dismissing a case where a police officer said he ’ d stopped a Black man driving a car at 3 a.m. because of a hanging air freshener .
There was no evidence the air freshener was blocking the man ’ s view , the appeals court found .
“ The trial court could legitimately find that in the absence of an objective legal reason , the officer used the mere presence of the air freshener as a pretext to stop Hardy because he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the middle of the night , ” a Minnesota appeals judge wrote at the time .

WASHINGTON — In September 2018, Napoleon Jackson was driving a car in the South Side of Chicago. Kittrell Freeman sat in the front passenger seat. A police officer pulled Jackson over, and a later search of the car revealed a loaded rifle and two handguns.
But the officer didn’t know there were guns in the car when she stopped Jackson. She did know that the car wasn’t stolen; she’d run a license plate check after Jackson first passed her on the street. Why did she pull him over? She’d seen a tree-shaped air freshener dangling from the rearview mirror.
Jackson and Freeman faced federal gun charges — they each had previous felony convictions that made it illegal for them to possess guns. They argued their cases should be tossed out because the air freshener–based stop was unlawful. Jackson was sentenced to nine months in prison. Freeman is serving five years. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court ruled the presence of the air freshener alone was enough to justify the stop. Chicago’s municipal code prohibits objects that obstruct the windshield, and the officer had “reasonable suspicion” to think Jackson’s air freshener violated that law, the court found.
Laws that allow police to stop people for relatively minor infractions — especially when the people disproportionately affected are Black — are under scrutiny again after George Floyd was killed in police custody in Minneapolis last month. Police officers had arrested Floyd, a Black man, after he was accused of trying to use a counterfeit $20 bill at a store. Floyd was initially compliant, resisted being handcuffed, and then was compliant again, according to the criminal complaint filed against the police officer who used a knee chokehold to hold Floyd on the ground for nearly nine minutes.
The 7th Circuit’s decision was the latest in a long line of cases involving police stops and air fresheners. Laws that prohibit anything that obstructs the view of a driver, similar to the one in Chicago, are common across the United States. Defendants like Jackson and Freeman who ended up facing far more serious criminal charges after being stopped because of an air freshener have raised challenges to these police encounters in state and federal courts, with mixed success.
Research by the Stanford Open Policing Project found that Black and Latino drivers nationwide are stopped by police and have their cars searched at higher rates than white drivers. A study released by the ACLU of Illinois in 2019 found that Black and Latino drivers who were stopped were asked to consent to searches at higher rates than white drivers, even though data showed they weren’t any more likely to have contraband in their cars. Other studies have found racial disparities specifically in traffic stops for minor, “non-moving” violations, a category that would likely include windshield obstructions.
Courts previously have accepted arguments that police used the presence of air fresheners as a pretext to stop Black and Latino drivers — in 2010, a federal judge in Arkansas ruled that a police officer had engaged in a pattern of racially profiling Latino drivers, and noted instances when the officer cited dangling air fresheners as a reason for making traffic stops.
A Minnesota appeals court in 1994 upheld a judge’s order dismissing a case where a police officer said he’d stopped a Black man driving a car at 3 a.m. because of a hanging air freshener. There was no evidence the air freshener was blocking the man’s view, the appeals court found.
“The trial court could legitimately find that in the absence of an objective legal reason, the officer used the mere presence of the air freshener as a pretext to stop Hardy because he was an African-American driving around shopping centers in the middle of the night,” a Minnesota appeals judge wrote at the time.


buzzfeed--2020-06-19--Facebook Removed Trump Campaign Ads That Invoked Nazi Symbols

But one lawmaker had more tough questions for the company .
In a House Intelligence hearing Thursday , Nathaniel Gleicher , Facebook 's head of cybersecurity , addressed President Donald Trump 's campaign ads that used an upside-down red triangle reminiscent of a Nazi symbol alongside fearful messaging about anti-fascism activists .
“ What sanctions will you take against the Trump campaign ?
” Rep. Eric Swalwell asked .
“ Because this is not the first time an ad has been taken down .
I believe it ’ s the third time.
” On Thursday , Facebook removed the ad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Nazis used a red triangle to mark prisoners in concentration camps .
Kandy Zabka , a Texas-based cyber strategist and owner of Komfort Linux , said that she reported the Trump campaign page on Wednesday after seeing the same red triangle ad that Facebook eventually took down .
Zabka ’ s report was reviewed and Facebook initially determined that it doesn ’ t go against community standards , according to screenshots provided to BuzzFeed News .
The report was updated Thursday afternoon to say that the offending piece of content was removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
As it came under fire , the Trump campaign defended its use of the image , saying on Twitter that the triangle was both an emoji and a “ symbol widely used by Antifa.
” The campaign posted an image of an upside-down red triangle with the words “ antifa ” scrawled across it as proof .
But when NBC reporter Brandy Zadrozny , unable to find it through both regular and reverse-image searches , asked for the source of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obscure T-shirt store purportedly run by a man in Spain .
As the removal was unfolding , representatives from Facebook , Google , and Twitter were testifying before the House Committee on Intelligence , which was holding a hearing on election security .
Toward the end of the hearing , Rep. Swalwell , a Democrat from California , asked Gleicher about Facebook ’ s removal of the ads .
Gleicher repeated Facebook ’ s statement on hate symbols not being allowed on the platform , saying the company made an exception for discussion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow someone to put up a symbol to condemn it or to discuss it , but in a situation where we do n't see either of those we don ’ t allow it on the platform and we will remove it , ” Gleicher said .
“ That ’ s what we saw in this case in this ad , and anywhere this symbol is used we will take the same action .
So we ’ ll be consistent in enforcing wherever either our systems identify those symbols and as you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this we get it within our system so we can look for other instances where it might appear .
So we can find and remove it automatically.
” Swalwell also asked how many symbols a campaign would have to use before its page and account are removed from the platform .
Gleicher was unable to respond , saying his focus is not on ad policies , but pledged to follow up .
Facebook has previously removed an ad from the Trump campaign asking “ Should we deport illegals ?
” because it used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ads in March for violating policies around misleading content about the US census after initially allowing them to run .

In a House Intelligence hearing Thursday, Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity, addressed President Donald Trump's campaign ads that used an upside-down red triangle reminiscent of a Nazi symbol alongside fearful messaging about anti-fascism activists.
“What sanctions will you take against the Trump campaign?” Rep. Eric Swalwell asked. “Because this is not the first time an ad has been taken down. I believe it’s the third time.”
On Thursday, Facebook removed the ad after the Washington Post pointed out that the Nazis used a red triangle to mark prisoners in concentration camps.
Kandy Zabka, a Texas-based cyber strategist and owner of Komfort Linux, said that she reported the Trump campaign page on Wednesday after seeing the same red triangle ad that Facebook eventually took down.
Zabka’s report was reviewed and Facebook initially determined that it doesn’t go against community standards, according to screenshots provided to BuzzFeed News. The report was updated Thursday afternoon to say that the offending piece of content was removed, but the page remained intact. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


buzzfeed--2020-06-18--Trump's Rally Brought A Crisis To Tulsa. Now The City Is Expecting Its Biggest Juneteenth Celebratio

Trump's Rally Brought A Crisis To Tulsa. Now The City Is Expecting Its Biggest Juneteenth Celebration Ever.

Thousands of people protest the police killings of George Floyd and other unarmed black people , in Tulsa , Oklahoma , on May 31 .
WASHINGTON — Members of a black nonprofit in Tulsa , Oklahoma , who had canceled its Juneteenth festival because of the coronavirus , are doubling down with a larger event after President Donald Trump announced he ’ d hold a MAGA rally there on the same day .
After Trump announced plans to hold a rally in Tulsa , the site of the 1921 Black Wall Street massacre , on Juneteenth , which commemorates the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US , organizers are now expecting a crowd of 30,000 at the city ’ s Juneteenth festival , which will again be held outdoors .
Sherry Gamble Smith and Vanessa Hall Harper of Tulsa Juneteenth Inc. expanded the outdoor event in 2015 after a lull in the 2010s .
Each year more and more people have flooded the event to celebrate .
This year , the coronavirus upended plans for large gatherings , and the unpredictable global pandemic left Lindsey Corbitt , an event coordinator for Tulsa Juneteenth Inc. , doubtful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So the Tulsa Juneteenth Board of Directors postponed the festival until 2021 , breaking a tradition they had started four years earlier .
A month later , the president announced his rally for the same day and asked attendees to sign a waiver agreeing not to sue if they contract the coronavirus .
“ We felt very disrespected and a little hurt in that moment , ” Corbitt , 28 , told BuzzFeed News during a phone interview .
“ We thought so heavily about the process and knowing what circumstances COVID brings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump tweeted he would change the date to the 20th “ out of respect of this Holiday.
” ( “ I did something good : I made Juneteenth very famous , ” Trump told the Wall Street Journal Wednesday . )
“ For someone who does not respect our ideas , our concepts , our history , our culture — to bring other individuals that support him in not respecting us to our city was 100 % a slap in the face , ” Corbitt said .
“ So in order to combat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can , we decided that it 's a good idea to go ahead and celebrate who we are and what we do and rally for justice.
” More than a dozen Black Tulsa organizations collaborated to peacefully celebrate Juneteenth in the Greenwood District — the site of the 1921 massacre where white residents killed as many as 300 Black people and burned a thriving commercial Black-owned district .
As usual , Cajun and soul food vendors will share space with artists and entertainers outdoors on Greenwood Avenue for the Juneteenth celebration .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious tone ; this year ’ s theme is “ I , Too , Am America ” and Rev .
Al Sharpton will be a keynote speaker .
Tiffany Crutcher , the twin sister of Terence Crutcher , who was fatally shot by Tulsa police in 2016 , will also speak at the event .
A day later , just over a mile away , Trump will host a MAGA rally at the 19,100-seat BOK Center .
A spokesperson for the president tweeted that there ’ ve been 1 million tickets requests and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arena have started lining up as early as Wednesday for the Saturday event .
In Tulsa , where only 10 % of the population is Black , Trump continues to draw criticism for holding a rally in the city .
During a moment when protesters are rallying nationwide against police brutality and systemic racism , some residents of Oklahoma think it ’ s just not the best time .
“ We ’ re no strangers to that kind of stuff , ” Democratic State Rep. Monroe Nichols told BuzzFeed News .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and energy around the issue of law enforcement in Tulsa .
Not just because of what happened in Minneapolis , but because of what ’ s happening in our own community .
We ’ ve dealt with that in my community for a very , very long time , not to mention the race massacre 99 years ago.
” Republican Gov .
Kevin Stitt told reporters on Wednesday that he has advised the president not to visit the Greenwood area during his trip to Tulsa because the needed security would disrupt Juneteenth events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state legislature , the warning to stay away was more of a rebuke of Trump ’ s presidency .
“ We ’ ve pushed back a lot on Trump visiting the Greenwood District because of his rhetoric and those types of things , ” Nichols said .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s appropriate for him to be there .
… I did have some concern about security .
Because Donald Trump brings with him , you know , some folks who are kind of looking to mix it up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials advised against Trump ’ s indoor rally .
“ I ’ m concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large , indoor event , and I ’ m also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well , ” said Bruce Dart , Tulsa ’ s health department director , adding , “ I wish we could postpone this to a time when the virus isn ’ t as large a concern as it is today.
” The warning came amid Oklahoma ’ s recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine states that has seen an uptick of 75 % or more COVID-19 cases in the past 14 days .
Whirlpool temporarily closed its Tulsa plant because of confirmed coronavirus cases among its employees a week ahead of the president ’ s visit .
Both the Trump campaign and Black event organizers say they ’ ll be distributing masks and hand sanitizer .
The Trump campaign said they ’ ll be taking attendees ’ temperatures and have added an outdoor stage to the event and Trump will speak at both the indoor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Anthony Fauci , a member of the White House coronavirus task force , told the Daily Beast Tuesday “ outside is better than inside , no crowd is better than crowd , ” and “ crowd is better than big crowd ” when asked about Trump ’ s Tulsa rally and other large events and social distancing .
( Fauci said he personally would not attend . )

WASHINGTON — Members of a black nonprofit in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who had canceled its Juneteenth festival because of the coronavirus, are doubling down with a larger event after President Donald Trump announced he’d hold a MAGA rally there on the same day.
After Trump announced plans to hold a rally in Tulsa, the site of the 1921 Black Wall Street massacre, on Juneteenth, which commemorates the day the last enslaved person was freed in the US, organizers are now expecting a crowd of 30,000 at the city’s Juneteenth festival, which will again be held outdoors.
Sherry Gamble Smith and Vanessa Hall Harper of Tulsa Juneteenth Inc. expanded the outdoor event in 2015 after a lull in the 2010s. Each year more and more people have flooded the event to celebrate.
This year, the coronavirus upended plans for large gatherings, and the unpredictable global pandemic left Lindsey Corbitt, an event coordinator for Tulsa Juneteenth Inc., doubtful the state would reopen in time. So the Tulsa Juneteenth Board of Directors postponed the festival until 2021, breaking a tradition they had started four years earlier.
A month later, the president announced his rally for the same day and asked attendees to sign a waiver agreeing not to sue if they contract the coronavirus.
“We felt very disrespected and a little hurt in that moment,” Corbitt, 28, told BuzzFeed News during a phone interview. “We thought so heavily about the process and knowing what circumstances COVID brings to our citizens.”
Following backlash, Trump tweeted he would change the date to the 20th “out of respect of this Holiday.” (“I did something good: I made Juneteenth very famous,” Trump told the Wall Street Journal Wednesday.)
“For someone who does not respect our ideas, our concepts, our history, our culture — to bring other individuals that support him in not respecting us to our city was 100% a slap in the face,” Corbitt said. “So in order to combat that in the most positive way that we can, we decided that it's a good idea to go ahead and celebrate who we are and what we do and rally for justice.”
More than a dozen Black Tulsa organizations collaborated to peacefully celebrate Juneteenth in the Greenwood District — the site of the 1921 massacre where white residents killed as many as 300 Black people and burned a thriving commercial Black-owned district. As usual, Cajun and soul food vendors will share space with artists and entertainers outdoors on Greenwood Avenue for the Juneteenth celebration. But the current environment commands a more serious tone; this year’s theme is “I, Too, Am America” and Rev. Al Sharpton will be a keynote speaker. Tiffany Crutcher, the twin sister of Terence Crutcher, who was fatally shot by Tulsa police in 2016, will also speak at the event.
A day later, just over a mile away, Trump will host a MAGA rally at the 19,100-seat BOK Center. A spokesperson for the president tweeted that there’ve been 1 million tickets requests and attendees looking to get a seat inside the arena have started lining up as early as Wednesday for the Saturday event.
In Tulsa, where only 10% of the population is Black, Trump continues to draw criticism for holding a rally in the city. During a moment when protesters are rallying nationwide against police brutality and systemic racism, some residents of Oklahoma think it’s just not the best time.
“We’re no strangers to that kind of stuff,” Democratic State Rep. Monroe Nichols told BuzzFeed News. “There’s a lot of activism and energy around the issue of law enforcement in Tulsa. Not just because of what happened in Minneapolis, but because of what’s happening in our own community. We’ve dealt with that in my community for a very, very long time, not to mention the race massacre 99 years ago.”
Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt told reporters on Wednesday that he has advised the president not to visit the Greenwood area during his trip to Tulsa because the needed security would disrupt Juneteenth events. But for Democrats in the Oklahoma state legislature, the warning to stay away was more of a rebuke of Trump’s presidency.
“We’ve pushed back a lot on Trump visiting the Greenwood District because of his rhetoric and those types of things,” Nichols said. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for him to be there. … I did have some concern about security. Because Donald Trump brings with him, you know, some folks who are kind of looking to mix it up a bit.”
Last week local health officials advised against Trump’s indoor rally. “I’m concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large, indoor event, and I’m also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well,” said Bruce Dart, Tulsa’s health department director, adding, “I wish we could postpone this to a time when the virus isn’t as large a concern as it is today.”
The warning came amid Oklahoma’s recent spike in coronavirus cases — one of nine states that has seen an uptick of 75% or more COVID-19 cases in the past 14 days. Whirlpool temporarily closed its Tulsa plant because of confirmed coronavirus cases among its employees a week ahead of the president’s visit.
Both the Trump campaign and Black event organizers say they’ll be distributing masks and hand sanitizer. The Trump campaign said they’ll be taking attendees’ temperatures and have added an outdoor stage to the event and Trump will speak at both the indoor and outdoor events, according to Axios. Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, told the Daily Beast Tuesday “outside is better than inside, no crowd is better than crowd,” and “crowd is better than big crowd” when asked about Trump’s Tulsa rally and other large events and social distancing. (Fauci said he personally would not attend.)


buzzfeed--2020-06-18--Top Democrats Are Refusing To “Defund The Police.” Activists Fear The Police Killings Won’t Stop.

Reform leaders are frustrated with Democrats who have pushed aside the “ defund the police ” call that ’ s central to protests against police brutality after George Floyd ’ s killing .
In President Donald Trump 's presentation , all Democrats `` have gone Crazy '' and can not wait to `` DEFUND AND ABOLISH '' police departments across the country .
In reality , Democratic leaders from Joe Biden down have virtually no interest in the call to “ defund the police ” that ’ s become a central demand of weeks of nationwide protests against police brutality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Breonna Taylor .
Police reform leaders are as frustrated with Democrats as the president is outraged .
They want party leaders to reconsider and worry that if they don ’ t , the country will be trapped in another cycle of ineffectual reforms leading to no real changes and more police killings of Black people .
“ The Democratic Party and all of its institutions are experiencing a ‘ What side are you on ?
’ moment , ” Maurice Mitchell , the national director of the Working Families Party , told BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very binary moment .
It ’ s rare where a society is experiencing a moment that ’ s so ethically clear .
We ’ re in one now , where you ’ re either on the side of human rights and Black lives or you ’ re committed to business as usual , which is preserving a status quo that ’ s indifferent to Black lives.
” Grassroots activists and younger Democrats who have spoken with BuzzFeed News this week say they ’ ve been disappointed in party leaders — including Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders including Rep. Jim Clyburn and CBC Chair Karen Bass — as they ’ ve watched them swiftly turn away from those conversations , emphatically rejecting the idea of defunding police as they face immediate attacks from Republicans .
“ When I think about the bread and butter of the Democratic Party , I think of Black women who show up election after election , ” said Charlene Carruthers , a Chicago-based author and organizer with the Movement for Black Lives .
Many Black women , Carruthers said , “ are calling for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ones who show up , and we ’ re calling for investment in our communities .
That is a core demand for us .
So If they want to remain in these positions of power , it would behoove them to tune into and follow the leadership of the people who show up election after election.
” `` To me it represents a vast disconnect between what people are seeing in communities across the country and people who have been elected to represent us , '' Carruthers added .
Adding to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defunding the police is the confusion about what exactly it means to “ defund ” departments — whether that means making federal funding conditional on reforms ; taking some amount of funding away and redirecting it to community programs ; or entirely defunding police departments as they stand today , redirecting those funds , and starting from scratch with a different conception of law enforcement , as Minneapolis now plans to do .
Biden , following goading from the Trump campaign , told CBS in an interview last week that he doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead backs “ conditioning federal aid to police based on whether or not they meet certain basic standards of decency and honorableness.
” He has pointed to the criminal justice plan he released last summer , which includes adding $ 300 million in funding to community policing programs , in addition to services like summer programs and mental health and substance abuse treatment .
Last week , he added four specific policies he ’ s now backing : a national use of force standard , greater accountability for police officers accused of misconduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police forces , and a national ban on police use of chokeholds .
“ Joe Biden understands that African Americans are in pain , and are tired of the systemic racism experienced in nearly every facet of society , ” said Jamal Brown , Biden campaign national press secretary , in a statement to BuzzFeed News .
“ He believes we need to reform , train , and invest in the policing programs we know work to help protect and serve all communities .
At the same time , he knows we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer programs , homelessness services , and mental health and substance abuse treatment . ''
Biden has said he supports a police reform package put forward by House Democrats , which does not defund police but bans chokeholds and creates a national police misconduct registry .
Sanders , in a recent letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , backed some of those same policies , and also said he ’ s against defunding police departments .
He has said he instead supports more stringent oversight , raising police salaries to “ pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and providing additional federal funding for training a “ civilian corps of unarmed first responders to supplement law enforcement.
” Clyburn , a close Biden ally and one of the most powerful Black Democrats in Congress , reportedly instructed colleagues not to be “ drawn into the debate about defunding police forces ” and said in a TV interview that the focus should be on “ reforming ” policing .
Bakari Sellers , a former South Carolina state representative and author , thinks Clyburn , his member of Congress , is missing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — I ’ m clear about that , ” Sellers told BuzzFeed News of “ defund the police.
” “ However , the intellectual dishonesty that ’ s going on around young activists is eerily reminiscent of the ‘ 60s .
People are changing places — those who fought and marched in ‘ 60 are now the ones chastising the movement today .
Instead of engaging and bringing in activists , they ’ re pushing them away.
” “ I know what they ’ re talking about when they say ‘ defund the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I wouldn ’ t have chosen ‘ defund , ’ but I ’ m not going to sit here and say I don ’ t agree with it because I do.
” Sellers said that the party leaders need to start embracing the young activists on the ground who are calling for changes into how city budgets are structured .
He urged politicians not to dismiss what they had to say because of the semantics of their slogan .
Part of what advocates want national leaders to understand is that there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reform should look like .
But many of the people working on criminal justice reform on the left agree that a central tenet of the work should be taking at least some funds and power away from police departments and redistributing those funds to community programs and emergency services like social workers and mental health professionals .
Some activists are full police abolitionists , and believe police should not exist in any form .
Others say they want national and local leaders to drastically defund police departments , in some cases disbanding them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some version of smaller and heavily regulated armed police divisions to respond to violent crimes .
Campaign Zero , a police reform group , released a platform in early June called # 8CantWait , which it says would reduce police use of force by 72 % through a list of policy changes that would ban chokeholds , require officers to use de-escalation techniques , use all other options before shooting , warn suspects before shooting , and commit officers to a “ duty to intervene ” when they witness another officer using excessive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country have embraced aspects of the program , like banning or restricting chokeholds and requiring warning before shooting , but many of those policies are already in place and failing in cities where police have continued to kill unarmed Black people .
“ Every officer on the Minneapolis police force has received training , ” Minneapolis city council member Phillipe Cunningham said on a call with reporters last Friday .
“ Those [ measures ] are not working.
” Nationally , recent polling shows that the idea of “ defunding the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans .
Polling from ABC News and Ipsos last week , in the wake of the protests , asked people , ” Do you support or oppose the movement to defund the police ?
” Some 34 % said they supported “ defunding the police , ” with that number increasing to 55 % among Democrats and to 57 % among Black people .
The polling question doesn ’ t involve an explanation of whether defunding the police means taking some resources away or entirely disbanding police departments .
In another question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support or oppose reducing the budget of the police department in your community , even if that means fewer police officers , if the money is shifted to programs related to mental health , housing , and education ?
” That elicited a marginally more enthusiastic response , with 39 % of people saying they would support such a move , increasing to 59 % among Democrats and 64 % among Black people polled .
To many activists and party insiders , even those who agree that the messaging of “ defunding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats in swing districts , disavowing the idea is not the answer .
They say that ’ s missing the point of their years of work tracking police violence and developing alternatives , which require at the very least shifting some resources away from police to distribute to community programs .
“ I get that in order to govern you ’ ve got to win .
I don ’ t want to paint people with this sort of brush of righteousness , ” said Stacey Walker , an Iowa Democrat and member of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal justice reform composed of Biden and Sanders allies with the goal of devising policy for the Democratic Party ’ s platform .
“ I just want us to work a little harder as a party to figure out ways that we can talk about things we can actually believe in , ” Walker said , speaking for himself and not the task force .
Watching national Democrats rush to distance themselves from arguments to defund police has been especially frustrating for advocates in the wake of the Minneapolis city council ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after protests against the police killing of George Floyd placed a national spotlight on the city and the yearslong problems with its police department .
“ It 's unfortunate that we have a presidential candidate who is still raising up reforms that are not working , ” Cunningham said on last Friday ’ s call .
He added that he ’ s glad to hear Biden talk about investing more in community programs .
The plan in Minneapolis isn ’ t to immediately gut the police force without having a plan in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters on the call .
“ We ’ re going to make sure there are systems in place to address an active shooter situation , for example , “ he said .
“ We are not going to hit the eject button so to speak without a fully realized plan.
” While many of the decisions on how to allocate police funding ultimately fall to local authorities , advocates say where top Democrats place themselves in the debate has undeniable influence , and that some federal moves like incentivizing cities and states to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mental health outreach could make a big difference .
” It would be helpful if federally elected officials were encouraging this kind of work to happen at the local level , ” Walker said .
From what they ’ ve heard so far , they ’ re wary of Democrats proposing watered-down policies that don ’ t really get at the root of systemic police violence against Black communities .
The majority of proposals Democrats are backing right now , like demilitarizing police forces and funding community programs “ fall completely short of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also fall completely short of addressing the systemic racist and racist violence of law enforcement , ” said Carruthers .
Youth-led activist groups wrote to Biden recently asking him to adopt former presidential candidate Julián Castro ’ s police reform plan , because while it doesn ’ t defund police , it includes several more progressive reforms like banning stop and frisk and racial profiling .
Some criminal justice reform advocates said they see parallels with the movement to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement , which Democrats raced to show support for last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll after poll showed the move to be unpopular .
“ I think Democrats know in their heart of hearts that what ICE is doing is wrong and has no place in America , but the politics of it are tricky for some Democrats , ” Walker said .
“ How they gain traction is through political pressure and that ’ s been the most successful tool for the left to date .
And you find a number of ways of applying political pressure , and that also seems to be the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For some , it doesn ’ t add up for Democrats to have at least initially supported defunding one arm of law enforcement — ICE — but to not be able to commit to defunding police departments .
“ The calls to abolish ICE and call out their abuses that were supported — EVERY politician and organization that supported those calls should be just as committed to defunding the police , ” said Mitchell .
Mitchell said it ’ s on elected officials to come to the table and acknowledge the problems with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and how policing works in America , and that limiting the scope to “ reform ” isn ’ t enough .
“ Democrats will turn around and they give you something lukewarm , you know , we ’ re talking about body cameras yet again or training yet again , ” Mitchell said .
“ The story of Minneapolis is that they are one of the most reformed police departments and we still have this heinous crime because the fundamental problem is the police itself.
” “ All of these things paper over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Advocates have urged Democrats like Biden to sit down and listen to the range of ideas from activists who have been organizing in those spaces for years , rather than leaning on ideas like the # 8CantWait program .
“ Any set of policies for a broader political vision that are advanced in this moment that do not substantially take away resources , scope , scale , and power of law enforcement agencies , they are actually false solutions , ” said Carruthers .
“ The issue is not simply with 8Can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , actually , a liberal trend to form Band-Aid solutions and false solutions to address a systemic problem.
” In a letter to Biden published on Monday , 50 progressives organizations including the Working Families Party , Black Voters Matter , and the Center for Popular Democracy Action urged Biden to listen to the policy proposals laid out by the Movement for Black Lives and reconsider his plan .
“ We ask that you revise your platform to ensure that the federal government permanently ends and ceases any further appropriation of funding to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” they wrote .
Activists pointed to a bill Rep. Ayanna Pressley introduced in Congress this week as an example of legislation that they say actually works toward structural change by taking police officers out of schools and reallocating those funds to school mental health and restorative programs .
“ That particular bill shows that someone is listening to what we have to say , ” Carruthers said .
“ I think that it ’ s aligned with our broader visions for Black lives.
” ●

Campaign Zero, a police reform group, released a platform in early June called #8CantWait, which it says would reduce police use of force by 72% through a list of policy changes that would ban chokeholds, require officers to use de-escalation techniques, use all other options before shooting, warn suspects before shooting, and commit officers to a “duty to intervene” when they witness another officer using excessive force.
Cities and local leaders across the country have embraced aspects of the program, like banning or restricting chokeholds and requiring warning before shooting, but many of those policies are already in place and failing in cities where police have continued to kill unarmed Black people.
“Every officer on the Minneapolis police force has received training,” Minneapolis city council member Phillipe Cunningham said on a call with reporters last Friday. “Those [measures] are not working.”
Nationally, recent polling shows that the idea of “defunding the police” is still unpopular with a majority of Americans. Polling from ABC News and Ipsos last week, in the wake of the protests, asked people, ”Do you support or oppose the movement to defund the police?”
Some 34% said they supported “defunding the police,” with that number increasing to 55% among Democrats and to 57% among Black people. The polling question doesn’t involve an explanation of whether defunding the police means taking some resources away or entirely disbanding police departments.
In another question, people were asked “Do you support or oppose reducing the budget of the police department in your community, even if that means fewer police officers, if the money is shifted to programs related to mental health, housing, and education?” That elicited a marginally more enthusiastic response, with 39% of people saying they would support such a move, increasing to 59% among Democrats and 64% among Black people polled.
To many activists and party insiders, even those who agree that the messaging of “defunding the police” will be politically difficult for Democrats in swing districts, disavowing the idea is not the answer. They say that’s missing the point of their years of work tracking police violence and developing alternatives, which require at the very least shifting some resources away from police to distribute to community programs.
“I get that in order to govern you’ve got to win. I don’t want to paint people with this sort of brush of righteousness,” said Stacey Walker, an Iowa Democrat and member of a “unity task force” on criminal justice reform composed of Biden and Sanders allies with the goal of devising policy for the Democratic Party’s platform.
“I just want us to work a little harder as a party to figure out ways that we can talk about things we can actually believe in,” Walker said, speaking for himself and not the task force.
Watching national Democrats rush to distance themselves from arguments to defund police has been especially frustrating for advocates in the wake of the Minneapolis city council’s move to disband its police force, after protests against the police killing of George Floyd placed a national spotlight on the city and the yearslong problems with its police department.
“It's unfortunate that we have a presidential candidate who is still raising up reforms that are not working,” Cunningham said on last Friday’s call. He added that he’s glad to hear Biden talk about investing more in community programs.
The plan in Minneapolis isn’t to immediately gut the police force without having a plan in place, city council member Jeremiah Ellison told reporters on the call.
“We’re going to make sure there are systems in place to address an active shooter situation, for example,“ he said. “We are not going to hit the eject button so to speak without a fully realized plan.”
While many of the decisions on how to allocate police funding ultimately fall to local authorities, advocates say where top Democrats place themselves in the debate has undeniable influence, and that some federal moves like incentivizing cities and states to direct federal funds toward community services like mental health outreach could make a big difference. ”It would be helpful if federally elected officials were encouraging this kind of work to happen at the local level,” Walker said.