buzzfeed--2020-08-29--China Secretly Built A Vast New Infrastructure To Imprison Muslims

China rounded up so many Muslims in Xinjiang that there wasn ’ t enough space to hold them .
Then the government started building .
This is Part 1 of a BuzzFeed News investigation .
For Part 2 , click here .
This project was supported by the Open Technology Fund , the Pulitzer Center , and the Eyebeam Center for the Future of Journalism .
China has secretly built scores of massive new prison and internment camps in the past three years , dramatically escalating its campaign against Muslim minorities even as it publicly claimed the detainees had all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these purpose-built , high-security camps — some capable of housing tens of thousands of people — signals a radical shift away from the country ’ s previous makeshift use of public buildings , like schools and retirement homes , to a vast and permanent infrastructure for mass detention .
In the most extensive investigation of China ’ s internment camp system ever done using publicly available satellite images , coupled with dozens of interviews with former detainees , BuzzFeed News identified more than 260 structures built since 2017 and bearing the hallmarks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least one in nearly every county in the far-west region of Xinjiang .
During that time , the investigation shows , China has established a sprawling system to detain and incarcerate hundreds of thousands of Uighurs , Kazakhs , and other Muslim minorities , in what is already the largest-scale detention of ethnic and religious minorities since World War II .
These forbidding facilities — including several built or significantly expanded within the last year — are part of the government ’ s unprecedented campaign of mass detention of more than a million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That year Chen Quanguo , the region ’ s top official and Communist Party boss , whom the US recently sanctioned over human rights abuses , also put Muslim minorities — more than half the region ’ s population of about 25 million — under perpetual surveillance via facial recognition cameras , cellphone tracking , checkpoints , and heavy-handed human policing .
They are also subject to many other abuses , ranging from sterilization to forced labor .
To detain thousands of people in short order , the government repurposed old schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of detainees swelled , in 2018 the government began building new facilities with far greater security measures and more permanent architectural features , such as heavy concrete walls and guard towers , the BuzzFeed News analysis shows .
Prisons often take years to build , but some of these new compounds took less than six months , according to historical satellite data .
The government has also added more factories within camp and prison compounds during that time , suggesting the expansion of forced labor within the region .
Construction was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ People are living in horror in these places , ” said 49-year-old Zhenishan Berdibek , who was detained in a camp in the Tacheng region for much of 2018 .
“ Some of the younger people were not as tolerant as us — they cried and screamed and shouted.
” But Berdibek , a cancer survivor , couldn ’ t muster the energy .
As she watched the younger women get dragged away to solitary confinement , “ I lost my hope , ” she said .
“ I wanted to die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 268 newly built compounds by cross-referencing blanked-out areas on Baidu Maps — a Google Maps–like tool that ’ s widely used in China — with images from external satellite data providers .
These compounds often contained multiple detention facilities .
Ninety-two of these facilities have been identified or verified as detention centers by other sources , such as government procurement documents , academic research , or , in 19 cases , visits by journalists .
Another 176 facilities have been established by satellite imagery alone .
The images frequently show thick walls at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wire fencing that creates pens and corridors in the courtyards .
Many compounds in the region are walled , but the facilities identified by BuzzFeed News have much heavier fortifications .
At 121 of these compounds , they also show guard towers , often built into the perimeter wall .
In response to a detailed list of questions about this article as well as a list of GPS coordinates of facilities identified in this article , the Chinese Consulate in New York said “ the issue concerning Xinjiang is by no means about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but about combating violent terrorism and separatism , ” adding that it was a “ groundless lie ” that a million Uighurs have been detained in the region .
“ Xinjiang has set up vocational education and training centers in order to root out extreme thoughts , enhance the rule of law awareness through education , improve vocational skills and create employment opportunities for them , so that those affected by extreme and violent ideas can return to society as soon as possible , ” the consulate added , saying human rights are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trainees have freedom of movement.
” But it also compared its program to “ compulsory programs for terrorist criminals ” it said are taking place in other countries including the US and UK .
China 's Foreign Ministry and Baidu did not respond to repeated requests for comment .
The new facilities are scattered across every populated area of the region , and several are large enough to accommodate 10,000 prisoners at a minimum , based on their size and architectural features .
( One of the reporters on this story is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the new facilities appear more permanent and prisonlike , similar in construction to high-security prisons in other parts of China .
The most highly fortified compounds offer little space between buildings , tiny concrete-walled yards , heavy masonry construction , and long networks of corridors with cells down either side .
Their layouts are cavernous , allowing little natural light to the interior of the buildings .
BuzzFeed News could see how rooms were laid out at some high-security facilities by examining historical satellite photos taken as they were being constructed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With at least tens of thousands of detainees crowded into government buildings repurposed as camps by the end of 2017 , the government began building the largest new facilities in the spring of 2018 .
Several were complete by October 2018 , with further facilities built through 2019 and construction of a handful more continuing even now .
The government has said its camps are schools and vocational training centers where detainees are “ deradicalized.
” The government ’ s own internal documentation about its policies in Xinjiang has used the term “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describe “ educational schools.
” The government claims that its campaign combats extremism in the region .
But most who end up in these facilities are not extremists of any sort .
Downloading WhatsApp , which is banned in China , maintaining ties with family abroad , engaging in prayer , and visiting a foreign website are all offenses for which Muslims have been sent to camps , according to previously leaked documents and interviews with former detainees .
Because the government does not consider internment camps to be part of the criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are crimes under Chinese law , no detainees have been formally arrested or charged with a crime , let alone seen a day in court .
The compounds BuzzFeed News identified likely include extrajudicial internment camps — which hold people who are not suspected of any crime — as well as prisons .
Both types of facilities have security features that closely resemble each other .
Xinjiang ’ s prison population has grown massively during the government ’ s campaign : In 2017 , the region had 21 % of all arrests in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 % of the national population — an eightfold increase from the year before , according to a New York Times analysis of government data .
Because China ’ s Communist Party–controlled courts have a more than 99 % conviction rate , the overwhelming majority of those arrests likely resulted in convictions .
People detained in the camps told BuzzFeed News they were subjected to torture , hunger , overcrowding , solitary confinement , forced birth control , and a range of other abuses .
They said they were put through brainwashing programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to speak only in the Chinese language .
Some former detainees said they were forced to labor without pay in factories .
The government heavily restricts the movements of independent journalists and researchers in the region , and heavily censors the internet and its own domestic media .
Muslim minorities can be punished for posts on social media .
But satellite images that are collected from independent providers remain outside the scope of Chinese government censorship .
Other kinds of evidence have also occasionally leaked out .
In September , a drone video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their heads shaven and their arms tied behind their backs , wearing vests that say “ Kashgar Detention Center.
” Nathan Ruser , a researcher at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute who has done extensive satellite imagery analysis of the detention and prison systems in Xinjiang , said the video shows a prisoner transfer that took place in April 2019 — months after the government first said the system was for vocational training .
Previous analyses , including by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in November 2018 , identified several dozen early camps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Xinjiang has the overall logic of colonial genocides in North America , the formalized racism of apartheid , the industrial-scale internment of Germany 's concentration camps , and the police-state penetration into everyday life of North Korea , ” said Rian Thum , a scholar of the history of Islam in China at the University of Nottingham .
The campaign has done deep damage to many Muslim minority groups — but especially Uighurs , who are by far the most populous ethnic minority group in Xinjiang and do not have ties to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has heavily penalized expressions of Turkic minority culture , from Kazakh- and Uighur-language education to the practice of Islam outside of state-controlled mosques .
This , combined with forced sterilizations , has led some critics to say that the campaign qualifies as genocide under international law .
The Trump administration is reportedly discussing whether to formally call it a genocide , and a spokesperson for Joe Biden , the Democratic nominee for president , said on Tuesday that Biden supports the label .
“ These are peaceful people in concentration camps , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was jailed and later exiled from Xinjiang after opening kindergartens that taught Uighur children in their own language .
“ They are businessmen and scholars and engineers .
They are our musicians .
They are doctors .
They are shopkeepers , restaurant owners , teachers who used Uighur textbooks .
“ These are the pillars of our society .
Without them , we can not exist.
” Early on , the government remade schools , retirement homes , hospitals , and other public buildings into internment camps .
There were other , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News identified 47 built before 2017 that have been used to lock people up in the region .
Some detention facilities are geared toward releasing detainees after several months ; in others , detainees may be sentenced to prison terms , said Adrian Zenz , a leading researcher on the abuses in Xinjiang .
Three former detainees interviewed by BuzzFeed News said they were held for months in detention without any charges against them — far longer than is allowed by law — before they were transferred to internment camps .
The detentions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers in the camps quickly swelled until the inmates were living on top of each other .
BuzzFeed News interviewed 28 former detainees from the region , many of whom described being blindfolded and handcuffed , much like the men shown in the video .
Many spoke through an interpreter .
They are among a tiny minority of former detainees who were released and left the country — but they described a brutal system that they saw growing and changing with their own eyes .
Most recalled being frequently moved from camp to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was meant to combat overcrowding in the first generation of makeshift facilities .
At the beginning of the campaign , hundreds of people were arriving on a daily basis .
New batches of detainees always seemed to be coming and going .
Some former detainees described sleeping two to a twin bed , or even sleeping in shifts when there was not enough room to house all the detainees .
Almost all said they received meager quantities of rice , steamed buns , and porridge , and little or no meat or other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethnic Kazakh , was first detained relatively early in the campaign , around the end of 2017 .
At first , he slept in a room with seven other men , and everyone had a bed to themselves .
But within a few months , he began to notice more and more people arriving .
“ One day I saw a pregnant woman in shackles , ” he said .
“ Another woman had a baby in her arms , she was breastfeeding.
” By February 2018 , there were 15 men in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some of us had to share blankets or sleep on the floor , ” he said .
“ They told us later that some of us would be given prison sentences or transferred to other camps.
” Camp officials regularly forced detainees to memorize Communist Party propaganda and Chinese characters in classrooms .
But some former detainees said their facilities were too crowded for even this — instead , they had to sit on plastic stools next to their beds and stare at textbooks , sitting with their backs perfectly straight while cameras @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were too many people to fit in classrooms .
For Koksebek , the claustrophobia was unbearable .
“ There was a window in our room , but it was so high I couldn ’ t see much other than a patch of sky , ” he said .
“ I used to wish I were a bird so I could have the freedom to fly.
” On a frigid , overcast morning last December , Shohrat Zakir , the region ’ s governor and second-most-powerful official , gave a rare press conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Office , located in a closed compound in central Beijing .
The office is one of only a handful of government bodies in China that regularly briefs both local and international journalists , and Zakir sat with four other officials at a long podium at the front of the small room .
The officials took the opportunity to tout the region ’ s economic growth and claim China ’ s campaign against terrorism in Xinjiang has been a success , calling the US government hypocritical for its criticism of China ’ s human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one who made international headlines .
Of those held in the camps as “ trainees , ” Zakir painted a rosy picture .
They “ have all graduated , and have realized stable employment with the government ’ s help , improved their quality of life , and are enjoying a happy life , ” he said .
Even as reporters were scribbling down his remarks , about 2,500 miles away in Xinjiang , construction was wrapping up on a massive high-security compound near the Uighur heartland county of Shufu , just south @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a countryside dotted by livestock farms .
Shufu is small by Chinese standards , with a population of about 300,000 people .
It has a main drag with a post office , a lottery ticket vendor , and eateries selling steamed buns and beef noodle soup .
The camp was built on farmland less than a 20-minute drive away .
Before workers started construction last March , the land beneath the Shufu site was farmland too , blanketed with green vegetation .
By August , workers had built a thick perimeter enclosure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in the center of walls that rise nearly 6 meters , or more than 19 feet , satellite images show .
Next came the buildings inside , organized in U-shaped groups , with two five-story structures alongside a two-story one forming the base of the U .
By October , two rows of barbed wire fencing appeared on either side of the main concrete-walled compound , its shadow visible in satellite images .
Just outside the walls , on the western side of the compound , two guard buildings were built — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from them up to the wall that would allow guards to access the guard towers and the tops of the walls for patrols .
In front of the entrance , a series of buildings provided space for prison offices and police buildings .
In total BuzzFeed News estimates that there is room for approximately 10,500 prisoners at this compound — which would help provide a long-term solution to overcrowding .
Ruser reviewed satellite images of the compound and said it was a newly built detention camp .
“ The vast majority of camps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a strong external wall entranceway or exit , ” he said .
Unlike the old , repurposed camps , new prisons and camps such as this one have higher security , with gates up to four stories tall and thicker walls along their borders , often with further layers of barbed wire on either side of the main walls .
These features suggest they are capable of holding much larger groups of people in long-term detention .
The camps can contain not only cells where detainees sleep , but also classrooms , clinics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solitary confinement rooms , police buildings , administrative offices , and small visitor centers , former detainees told BuzzFeed News .
Many of the compounds also contain factories , distinguished by their blue , powder-coated metal roofs and steel frames , which are visible in satellite photos taken while they were being constructed .
The police buildings , including for guards and administrative personnel , are usually located by the entrances of the compounds .
The locations of these camps and prisons in Xinjiang are not readily available .
However , blanked-out portions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it possible to use satellite imagery to find and analyze them .
Satellite maps , like Google Earth , are made up of a grid of rectangular tiles .
On Baidu , the Chinese search giant that has a map service much like Google ’ s , BuzzFeed News discovered that spaces containing camps , military bases , or other politically sensitive facilities were overlaid with plain light gray tiles .
These “ mask ” tiles appeared upon zooming in on the location .
These look different from the darker gray , watermarked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ load something .
The “ mask ” tiles were also present at other locations where camps had been visited and verified by journalists , though they have since been removed .
BuzzFeed News identified the compounds using other satellite maps — provided by Google Earth , Planet Labs , and the European Space Agency ’ s Sentinel Hub — which do not mask those images .
For some locations where high-resolution images were not publicly available , Planet Labs used its own satellite to take new pictures , then provided them to BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this investigation was conducted .
The images showed the facilities being built over a period of months .
Details from the images offer a sense of size and scale : Counting the number of windows in building facades , for example , shows how many stories they contain .
Often , these compounds were built next door to an older prison , sharing parking lots , administrative facilities , and police barracks with the older facility , satellite images show .
BuzzFeed News found an additional 50 more compounds that were likely used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost some security features , including barbed wire fencing within compounds used to create rectangular pens , closed passages between buildings , and guard towers , with a small number having been demolished .
Ruser and other experts said this does not suggest the Chinese government is pulling back from its campaign .
Many of those facilities likely still operate as low-security camps , he said .
The far more important trend in Xinjiang , he said , is the government ’ s increased use of higher-security prisons and detention facilities .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York echoed Zakir 's December statement .
`` All trainees who received courses in standard spoken and written Chinese , understanding of the law , vocational skills , and deradicalization have completed their training , secured stable employment in the society , and are living a normal life , '' it said .
Smile lines appear on Kokteubai ’ s deeply wrinkled face when he talks about his daughter , who was born in 1992 .
She later moved to Kazakhstan , where many ethnic Kazakhs from China emigrate because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for people of Kazakh descent .
There , she and her husband campaigned relentlessly for Kokteubai ’ s release in YouTube videos and long letters to human rights groups .
He believes his eventual release in March 2018 was due to her campaign .
Inside the camp , instead of classrooms where students like his daughter might have studied math or history , Kokteubai saw dorm rooms overcrowded with as many as 40 or 50 men each sleeping on too few bunk beds .
Though the compound itself wasn ’ t new , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as high walls and barbed wire around the compound .
And the camp was now dotted with CCTV cameras , which a guard told him could film objects as far as 200 meters away .
Another thing that was new : When you entered the gate , a huge red plaque greeted you .
“ Let ’ s learn the spirit of the 19th Communist Party Congress , ” it said .
Like Kokteubai , several former detainees interviewed by BuzzFeed News said after arriving , they recognized the facilities in which they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driven past them , or even visited them in their previous incarnations .
But these repurposed facilities were never meant to house prisoners and were not big enough to hold all the Muslim minorities the Chinese government intended to detain .
In early 2019 , workers started clearing land to expand a camp south of Ürümqi , in a town called Dabancheng , that had become infamous after reporters from BBC and Reuters visited the year before .
The camp at Dabancheng was already one of the largest internment facilities in the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 32,500 people , according to an architectural analysis by BuzzFeed News .
Since the expansion , it is now capable of housing some 10,000 more people .
By November of last year another , separate compound had been completed , this one capable of holding a further 10,000 people — for a total capacity of more than 40,000 , comparable to the size of the town of Niagara Falls .
`` These facilities display characteristics consistent with extrajudicial detention facilities in the Xinjiang region that CSIS has previously analyzed , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human rights program at Washington DC-based think tank CSIS after examining the three camps referenced in this article .
The camp at Dabancheng , Ruser said , “ is the main catchment camp for Ürümqi .
It ’ s 2 km ( 1.2 miles ) long and was expanded late last year an extra kilometer with a new facility across the road to the west.
” By comparison , the camp is about half the length of Central Park .
Kokteubai never found out precisely why he was detained .
Because he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to settle in Kazakhstan .
On the day he was released , he expected to feel joy , relief , something .
Instead he felt nothing at all .
“ I wasn ’ t happy or sad .
I couldn ’ t feel anything , ” he said .
“ Even when I was reunited with my relatives in Kazakhstan , they asked me why I didn ’ t seem happy to see them after so long.
” “ It ’ s something I can ’ t explain , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feelings died while I was in there.
” ●

Ninety-two of these facilities have been identified or verified as detention centers by other sources, such as government procurement documents, academic research, or, in 19 cases, visits by journalists.
Another 176 facilities have been established by satellite imagery alone. The images frequently show thick walls at the perimeter, and often, barbed wire fencing that creates pens and corridors in the courtyards. Many compounds in the region are walled, but the facilities identified by BuzzFeed News have much heavier fortifications. At 121 of these compounds, they also show guard towers, often built into the perimeter wall.
In response to a detailed list of questions about this article as well as a list of GPS coordinates of facilities identified in this article, the Chinese Consulate in New York said “the issue concerning Xinjiang is by no means about human rights, religion or ethnicity, but about combating violent terrorism and separatism,” adding that it was a “groundless lie” that a million Uighurs have been detained in the region.
“Xinjiang has set up vocational education and training centers in order to root out extreme thoughts, enhance the rule of law awareness through education, improve vocational skills and create employment opportunities for them, so that those affected by extreme and violent ideas can return to society as soon as possible,” the consulate added, saying human rights are protected in the centers and that “trainees have freedom of movement.” But it also compared its program to “compulsory programs for terrorist criminals” it said are taking place in other countries including the US and UK.
China's Foreign Ministry and Baidu did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
The new facilities are scattered across every populated area of the region, and several are large enough to accommodate 10,000 prisoners at a minimum, based on their size and architectural features. (One of the reporters on this story is a licensed architect.)
Unlike early sites, the new facilities appear more permanent and prisonlike, similar in construction to high-security prisons in other parts of China. The most highly fortified compounds offer little space between buildings, tiny concrete-walled yards, heavy masonry construction, and long networks of corridors with cells down either side. Their layouts are cavernous, allowing little natural light to the interior of the buildings. BuzzFeed News could see how rooms were laid out at some high-security facilities by examining historical satellite photos taken as they were being constructed, including photos of buildings without roofs.
With at least tens of thousands of detainees crowded into government buildings repurposed as camps by the end of 2017, the government began building the largest new facilities in the spring of 2018. Several were complete by October 2018, with further facilities built through 2019 and construction of a handful more continuing even now.
The government has said its camps are schools and vocational training centers where detainees are “deradicalized.” The government’s own internal documentation about its policies in Xinjiang has used the term “concentration,” or 集中, to describe “educational schools.”
The government claims that its campaign combats extremism in the region. But most who end up in these facilities are not extremists of any sort.
Downloading WhatsApp, which is banned in China, maintaining ties with family abroad, engaging in prayer, and visiting a foreign website are all offenses for which Muslims have been sent to camps, according to previously leaked documents and interviews with former detainees. Because the government does not consider internment camps to be part of the criminal justice system and none of these behaviors are crimes under Chinese law, no detainees have been formally arrested or charged with a crime, let alone seen a day in court.
The compounds BuzzFeed News identified likely include extrajudicial internment camps — which hold people who are not suspected of any crime — as well as prisons. Both types of facilities have security features that closely resemble each other. Xinjiang’s prison population has grown massively during the government’s campaign: In 2017, the region had 21% of all arrests in China, despite making up less than 2% of the national population — an eightfold increase from the year before, according to a New York Times analysis of government data. Because China’s Communist Party–controlled courts have a more than 99% conviction rate, the overwhelming majority of those arrests likely resulted in convictions.


buzzfeed--2020-08-29--RNC Video Showing Rioters In “Biden’s America” Is Actually Spain

On the first night of the Republican National Convention , the party aired a segment featuring Catalina and Madeline Lauf warning of dire consequences if Democratic candidate Joe Biden is elected president .
“ This is a taste of Biden ’ s America , ” one sister says in a voiceover as images of protests play onscreen .
“ The rioting , the crime .
Freedom is at stake now and this is going to be the most important election of our lifetime.
” The problem is that one of the images in the segment doesn ’ t show the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As first reported by Catalonian public broadcaster CCMA and independently verified by BuzzFeed News , one of the four images of protests was filmed in October 2019 in Barcelona .
Protests broke out in the city after Spanish courts sentenced Catalan separatist activists to prison .
The image used during the RNC video showed fires burning in the streets .
One of those same streets can be seen as being in Barcelona by using Google Street View .
Other images of protests in the segment show footage of a march in Brooklyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and drone footage of a tree on fire in an intersection in New York .
The final , and most striking , shot is the one from Barcelona .

On the first night of the Republican National Convention, the party aired a segment featuring Catalina and Madeline Lauf warning of dire consequences if Democratic candidate Joe Biden is elected president.
“This is a taste of Biden’s America,” one sister says in a voiceover as images of protests play onscreen. “The rioting, the crime. Freedom is at stake now and this is going to be the most important election of our lifetime.”
The problem is that one of the images in the segment doesn’t show the US at all — it shows Spain.
As first reported by Catalonian public broadcaster CCMA and independently verified by BuzzFeed News, one of the four images of protests was filmed in October 2019 in Barcelona. Protests broke out in the city after Spanish courts sentenced Catalan separatist activists to prison. The image used during the RNC video showed fires burning in the streets. One of those same streets can be seen as being in Barcelona by using Google Street View.
Other images of protests in the segment show footage of a march in Brooklyn, a car on fire in Chicago, and drone footage of a tree on fire in an intersection in New York. The final, and most striking, shot is the one from Barcelona.


buzzfeed--2020-08-28--I Was Abducted By Federal Agents In Portland

My name is Mark Pettibone , and I was abducted by unmarked federal officers in Portland , Oregon .
Now , together with the American Civil Liberties Union , I ’ m suing the Trump administration to hold it accountable for its authoritarian and unconstitutional tactics .
Early one morning in July , I was walking back to my car in downtown Portland after a night demanding justice and accountability for George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , and the many other Black lives taken violently by police .
Suddenly , an unmarked , dark-colored minivan pulled up in front of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clad in military fatigues jumped out .
I had no idea who they were , but I ’ d been warned earlier that unmarked vans had been snatching protesters who strayed from the larger group near the Hatfield Courthouse .
So I did what most people would do .
I ran .
One of them pursued me on foot , and two blocks up the street the van swooped around and cut me off again .
Knowing well that there was no escape , I dropped to my knees and asked , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they threw me into the van without telling me who they were or where they were taking me .
I feared for my life .
Inside the minivan , the same four or five men were seated all around me .
Someone pulled my beanie over my eyes so I couldn ’ t see anything .
They grabbed my hands and held them over the top of my head while keeping pressure on my head and neck to keep my head down .
My mind was racing .
Black Lives Matter demonstrations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremist groups in the past .
Was I being abducted by them or police officers ?
We drove for what felt like an eternity .
Eventually the minivan stopped and the men pulled me out .
I pushed my hat above my eyes and saw a large garage , filled with militarized vehicles and more people wearing similar camouflage uniforms .
As strange as it sounds , I felt a sense of relief — I had been abducted by law enforcement , not one of Oregon ’ s right-wing militias .
The officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took pictures of me on a cellphone from various angles .
Then they confiscated my belongings , cuffed and shackled my wrists and ankles , and put me in a cell .
Two people arrived later to read me my Miranda rights , asking me if I ’ d waive those rights to answer some questions .
I declined their request and asked for a lawyer .
After that they left me alone .
Sitting on the metal bench in my cell for hours on end , I occupied my mind by reading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d never been arrested before , and I couldn ’ t stop thinking of the worst-case scenarios .
Will I be here for hours ?
Days ?
Longer ?
Would they accuse me of something I didn ’ t do ?
Did I do something wrong ?
Why am I even in this cell ?
I ’ d read about activists disappearing into vans in authoritarian countries abroad — was this what that felt like ?
But as scared and angry as I was , at least I was still alive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and immigrants who have experienced this kind of treatment by law enforcement officers and didn ’ t live to tell their story .
How many ICE raids happened just like this , with someone being thrown into an unmarked van and separated from their families for months , years , or forever ?
Eventually I was released without charges and with no record or documentation of my arrest .
I had no way to know who had arrested me , how I had gotten on their radar , or what they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I learn they were federal agents working with the Department of Homeland Security .
Since being abducted , I ’ ve only attended two protests .
A lingering paranoia and fear have made me hesitant to exercise my rights to the fullest .
I think that was part of the point of “ the arrest.
” I ’ m not going to let this kind of unlawful intimidation chill me from participating in democracy and standing up for what I believe in .
We shouldn ’ t have to live in fear of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streets for exercising our constitutional rights .
That ’ s why I ’ ve joined forces with the ACLU and fellow protesters , including military veterans , Black activists , and parents .
The Trump administration thought it could silence us with its chemical weapons , rubber bullets , and police state tactics .
But the spirit of liberty and racial justice here in Portland remains resilient and strong .
We won ’ t be scared into silence .
Nor will we rest until the Trump administration is held accountable for its lawless @ @ @ @

My name is Mark Pettibone, and I was abducted by unmarked federal officers in Portland, Oregon. Now, together with the American Civil Liberties Union, I’m suing the Trump administration to hold it accountable for its authoritarian and unconstitutional tactics.
Early one morning in July, I was walking back to my car in downtown Portland after a night demanding justice and accountability for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and the many other Black lives taken violently by police. Suddenly, an unmarked, dark-colored minivan pulled up in front of me, and four or five people clad in military fatigues jumped out. I had no idea who they were, but I’d been warned earlier that unmarked vans had been snatching protesters who strayed from the larger group near the Hatfield Courthouse. So I did what most people would do. I ran.
One of them pursued me on foot, and two blocks up the street the van swooped around and cut me off again. Knowing well that there was no escape, I dropped to my knees and asked, “Why?” Nobody answered. Instead, they threw me into the van without telling me who they were or where they were taking me. I feared for my life.
Inside the minivan, the same four or five men were seated all around me. Someone pulled my beanie over my eyes so I couldn’t see anything. They grabbed my hands and held them over the top of my head while keeping pressure on my head and neck to keep my head down.
My mind was racing. Black Lives Matter demonstrations have been met with counteractions by far-right extremist groups in the past. Was I being abducted by them or police officers?
We drove for what felt like an eternity. Eventually the minivan stopped and the men pulled me out. I pushed my hat above my eyes and saw a large garage, filled with militarized vehicles and more people wearing similar camouflage uniforms. As strange as it sounds, I felt a sense of relief — I had been abducted by law enforcement, not one of Oregon’s right-wing militias.
The officers led me to an area where they took pictures of me on a cellphone from various angles. Then they confiscated my belongings, cuffed and shackled my wrists and ankles, and put me in a cell. Two people arrived later to read me my Miranda rights, asking me if I’d waive those rights to answer some questions. I declined their request and asked for a lawyer. After that they left me alone.
Sitting on the metal bench in my cell for hours on end, I occupied my mind by reading the etchings from previous detainees. I’d never been arrested before, and I couldn’t stop thinking of the worst-case scenarios. Will I be here for hours? Days? Longer? Would they accuse me of something I didn’t do? Did I do something wrong? Why am I even in this cell? I’d read about activists disappearing into vans in authoritarian countries abroad — was this what that felt like?
But as scared and angry as I was, at least I was still alive. I kept thinking of the many BIPOC people and immigrants who have experienced this kind of treatment by law enforcement officers and didn’t live to tell their story. How many ICE raids happened just like this, with someone being thrown into an unmarked van and separated from their families for months, years, or forever?
Eventually I was released without charges and with no record or documentation of my arrest. I had no way to know who had arrested me, how I had gotten on their radar, or what they had hoped to accomplish. Only later did I learn they were federal agents working with the Department of Homeland Security.
Since being abducted, I’ve only attended two protests. A lingering paranoia and fear have made me hesitant to exercise my rights to the fullest. I think that was part of the point of “the arrest.”
I’m not going to let this kind of unlawful intimidation chill me from participating in democracy and standing up for what I believe in. We shouldn’t have to live in fear of our own government abducting us off the streets for exercising our constitutional rights.
That’s why I’ve joined forces with the ACLU and fellow protesters, including military veterans, Black activists, and parents. The Trump administration thought it could silence us with its chemical weapons, rubber bullets, and police state tactics. But the spirit of liberty and racial justice here in Portland remains resilient and strong. We won’t be scared into silence. Nor will we rest until the Trump administration is held accountable for its lawless actions in Portland.


buzzfeed--2020-08-29--"Black Panther" Star Chadwick Boseman Has Died Of Colon Cancer

`` It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman , ” the official statement read @ @ @ @ @ with stage III colon cancer in 2016 , and battled with it these last 4 @ @ @ @ @ stage IV . ''

"It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman,” the official statement read. "Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV."


buzzfeed--2020-08-29--I Caught My Husband Using My Photos To Catfish Another Woman — WTF Should I Do?

So my first question is whether you have anyone else in your life , be it a family member or @ @ @ @ @ provide a little support right now — whether it 's helping out with childcare , @ @ @ @ @ , or offering a safe place for you and your son to stay while you @ @ @ @ @ I do n't know whether you 've told any loved ones about what 's going @ @ @ @ @ but I think you should , because they might be able to give you a @ @ @ @ @ .
Please do n't feel like you have to navigate this by yourself .

So my first question is whether you have anyone else in your life, be it a family member or a friend, who can provide a little support right now — whether it's helping out with childcare, giving you a small loan, or offering a safe place for you and your son to stay while you get on your feet. I don't know whether you've told any loved ones about what's going on in your marriage, but I think you should, because they might be able to give you a vital safety net right now. Please don't feel like you have to navigate this by yourself.


buzzfeed--2020-08-29--Activists At The March On Washington Say Jacob Blake’s Shooting Has Reenergized Black Lives Matter P

Activists At The March On Washington Say Jacob Blake’s Shooting Has Reenergized Black Lives Matter Protests. They Wish It Didn’t Have To.

“ I was just kind of saddened that it took someone , a Black man , getting hurt that badly for us to come together like that.
” WASHINGTON — Thousands of marchers gathered on the National Mall Friday to demand racial justice and mourn George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , and other Black Americans killed by law enforcement .
The march was held on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. ’ s “ I Have a Dream ” speech , and took place at the Lincoln Memorial , the same spot where King spoke 57 years ago .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the murder of Emmett Till , and comes just four days after Jacob Blake was shot by Kenosha , Wisconsin , police seven times as he walked to his car , leaving him paralyzed , according to his family .
Blake ’ s sister , Letetra Widman , along with many other family members of Black people hurt or killed by police , as well as civil rights leaders , addressed the crowd before the group marched to the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial .
“ We will not be a footstool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she addressed the massive crowd that assembled Friday .
“ Black America , I hold you accountable .
You must stand .
You must fight , but not with violence and chaos.
” Many attendees at the march , organized by civil rights leader Rev .
Al Sharpton , said Blake ’ s shooting has added new energy to Black Lives Matter protests that have been happening across the country since early this summer , something they said they found saddening and frustrating .
As Sharpton spoke , one young boy , 12-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pool that stretches toward the Washington Monument from the Lincoln Memorial and raised a fist in the air .
He told BuzzFeed News he had come to the march because “ it ’ s not fair that because of the color of our skin we have to get treated differently.
” Peter Van Der Mey flew from Los Angeles to attend the event with his 20-year-old son .
He expressed amazement at the size and energy of the gathering .
`` It 's sad that it takes people getting shot for this to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and happy that it happened , ” he said .
`` I was just saying to my son this feels completely different .
There 's something about the energy today and the focus . ''
Bahlya Yansane , who said he has been protesting almost every day in New York City , said the energy at a rally he attended in Times Square earlier this week was different than others in recent weeks .
“ I was saying to a lot of people how I noticed that you felt that anger come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said in an interview with BuzzFeed News .
“ It had that same energy , the anger , the unity , everyone being together .
I was just kind of saddened that it took someone , a Black man , getting hurt that badly for us to come together like that.
” Instead , Yansane asked , he wants people to unite against injustice just for the sake of it , not only after shootings like Blake ’ s .
Another attendee , Jaron Nash , who traveled from California to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been protesting throughout the summer and has seen “ increased frustration.
” “ Every death is another one , ” he said .
“ This is another one to … reenergize people .
[ People ] are really at the forefront , keeping it at the forefront.
” Mike Supplice , who traveled from Florida for the event and attended with Nash , said Friday that he has been protesting as often as he ’ s able this summer .
He had seen the protests in the past start to have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but he ’ s seen consistent action this year — even in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Everyone saw George Floyd ’ s murder , and everyone is more proactive , ” he said .
“ The thing I appreciate is it ’ s more diverse compared than previous times .
[ In the past ] , it ’ s like Black people marching , but now you see everybody from every demographic , age range standing up for a good cause.
” Liz Casey , a white high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philadelphia early Friday morning for the march , and brought along her two daughters , Maddie and Tori Casey , and one of her daughter ’ s roommates , Ashley Feliz .
The group said they had been consistently protesting in California , where Liz and Maddie live , and in Philadelphia , where Tori and Feliz go to school .
“ I feel like it died down , ” Tori said of the protests they ’ ve attended , before adding , “ I don ’ t want to say ‘ died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a bad word .
It ’ s been a constant thing , and we ’ ve been planning to come down here for a month or so [ to be ] part of the movement.
” Sharpton announced Friday ’ s march , called the “ Get Your Knees Off Our Necks ” march , in June , and it attracted attendees from across the country .
The group , with most people wearing masks , took to the Mall to hear speeches from the family members of Floyd , Taylor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Eric Garner , as well as Sharpton , members of Congress , and Martin Luther King III , the oldest son of Martin Luther King Jr. , among others .
“ In so many ways we stand together day in the symbolic shadow of history , but we are making history together right now , ” King said .
“ We are marching with the largest and most active multigenerational , multiracial movement for civil rights since the 1960s .
From high school students to senior citizens , Black as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Native American , Pacific Islanders .
Americans are marching together , many for the first time , and we 're demanding real , lasting , structural change.
” King ’ s 12-year-old daughter , Yolanda Renee King , also spoke at the event , telling the crowd , “ We are going to be the generation that dismantles systemic racism once and for all , now and forever.
” Other speakers called for continued protests in the streets to raise awareness about the deaths of Black Americans by police and pushed for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ My brother can not be a voice today , ” Bridget Floyd , George Floyd ’ s sister , said .
“ We have to be the voice .
We have to be the change.
” The attendees overwhelmingly wore masks during the event .
Jonathan Paul said he was touched that so many people showed up despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic .
“ These people didn ’ t have to come in the middle of a pandemic , people ’ s lives are still in danger , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ planes from across the country to come here .
That ’ s pretty profound , you know ?
”

WASHINGTON — Thousands of marchers gathered on the National Mall Friday to demand racial justice and mourn George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black Americans killed by law enforcement. The march was held on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and took place at the Lincoln Memorial, the same spot where King spoke 57 years ago.
The event also marked the 65th anniversary of the murder of Emmett Till, and comes just four days after Jacob Blake was shot by Kenosha, Wisconsin, police seven times as he walked to his car, leaving him paralyzed, according to his family.
Blake’s sister, Letetra Widman, along with many other family members of Black people hurt or killed by police, as well as civil rights leaders, addressed the crowd before the group marched to the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial.
“We will not be a footstool to oppression,” Widman said as she addressed the massive crowd that assembled Friday. “Black America, I hold you accountable. You must stand. You must fight, but not with violence and chaos.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-29--Facebook Employees Are Outraged At Mark Zuckerberg's Explanations Of How It Handled The Kenosha Viol

Facebook Employees Are Outraged At Mark Zuckerberg's Explanations Of How It Handled The Kenosha Violence

Following days of violence and civil unrest , Facebook employees wonder if their company is doing enough to stifle militia and QAnon groups stoking violence on the social network .
Frustrated Facebook employees slammed CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday during a companywide meeting , questioning his leadership and decision-making , following a week in which the platform promoted violent conspiracy theories and gave safe harbor to militia groups .
The billionaire chief executive was speaking via webcast at the company ’ s weekly all-hands meeting , attempting to address questions about violence in Kenosha , Wisconsin , and the QAnon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The meeting came one day after the Verge reported that a self-proclaimed militia group calling itself “ Kenosha Guard ” had used its Facebook page to issue a “ call to arms ” — violating Facebook 's own policies — and remained online even though at least two people reported it before the shooting .
It also followed weeks of employee unrest , in which the company ’ s rank and file have urged the CEO to combat the spread of QAnon-related content on its platform .
All of Facebook ’ s more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the stream during the meeting , or view a recording after its conclusion — and as Zuckerberg spoke , angry comments poured in .
“ At what point do we take responsibility for enabling hate filled bile to spread across our services ?
” wrote one employee .
“ [ A ] nti semitism , conspiracy , and white supremacy reeks across our services.
” After this story was published , Facebook made video of the meeting public .
There has been increasing internal strife at the social network that came to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take action on a May post from President Donald Trump that suggested state violence would be used against people protesting the police killing of George Floyd .
As internal morale has plummeted , some employees have openly challenged Zuckerberg , who maintains majority shareholder voting control and complete decision-making power at Facebook .
The level of employee pushback , which included a virtual walkout in June , is unprecedented in the company ’ s 16-year history .
Zuckerberg opened his Thursday address by discussing the police shooting of Jacob Blake and subsequent violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Wisconsin were “ painful and really discouraging , ” employees jumped in the comments section to ask why Facebook had been slow to react , particularly after at least one Kenosha militia page had remained on the platform after a 17-year-old shot and killed two protesters on Tuesday night .
While Zuckerberg said the shooter ’ s Facebook and Instagram accounts , which showed no clear connection to the Kenosha Guard page , were taken down , he admitted Facebook had made “ an operational mistake.
” The page had violated Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that labeled militia and QAnon conspiracy theory groups as “ Dangerous Individuals and Organizations ” for their celebrations of violence .
The company did not catch the page despite user reports , Zuckerberg said , because the complaints had been sent to content moderation contractors who were not versed in “ how certain militias ” operate .
“ On second review , doing it more sensitively , the team that was responsible for dangerous organizations recognized that this violated the policies and we took it down.
” “ We need to get better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” one wrote .
” Feels like we ’ re caught in a cycle of responding to damage after it ’ s already been done rather than constructing mechanisms to nip these issues before they result in real harm.
” Do you work at Facebook or another technology company ?
We 'd love to hear from you .
Reach out at ryan.mac @ buzzfeed.com or via one of our tip line channels .
Facebook spokesperson Liz Bourgeois called the shooting in Kenosha “ painful for everyone , especially our Black community.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook suggesting the shooter followed the Kenosha Guard Page or that he was invited on the Event Page they organized , ” she said in a statement .
“ However , the Kenosha Guard Event and Page violated our new policy on militia organizations and have been removed on that basis .
We launched this policy last week and we ’ re still scaling up our enforcement of it by a team of specialists on our Dangerous Organizations team.
” In discussion groups on Workplace , Facebook ’ s employee discussion board , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the all-hands meeting .
“ Feeling especially sad to be a FB employee today , ” one person wrote on a post featuring the Verge article in an internal group for community standards feedback .
“ When will we finally start to take hate on our platform seriously ?
” Not all employees took issue with the police shooting of Blake and subsequent militia violence .
Some expressed sympathy for the police or posted slogans meant to denigrate Black Lives Matter , illustrating the culture war playing out within the social network ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thoughts about our employees posting all lives matter or blues lives matter after shooting to [ sic ] Jacob Blake ?
” asked one employee during the all-hands .
Zuckerberg did not respond to the question .
In a Workplace post that was seen by thousands on Wednesday — hours after two people were killed in Kenosha during protests against police violence — one employee asked his colleagues to show their “ Support for Law Enforcement.
” The employee , who posted the pro-police image of the American flag with a thin blue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those who serve our communities does not mean supporting injustice by anyone in society.
” Some responses argued that the post was “ deliberate trolling ” and a “ symbol of racial injustice.
” “ I ’ m extremely appalled of the use of our internal tools to spread such a divisive message that lacks any ounce of unity , ” one person wrote in the comments of the post , which was eventually removed .
Ifeoma Ozoma , a former associate manager on Facebook ’ s global policy team , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stop the perpetuation of hate on its site was evidence of “ the values of those in leadership.
” “ Violent white supremacists thrive on the platforms run by people who are bought into the perpetuation of a system of white supremacy , or at a minimum , refuse to reckon with it , ” she said .
At Thursday ’ s meeting , Zuckerberg said the company was “ proactively ” searching for and removing content that praised the Kenosha shooting , though the Guardian showed that fundraisers for and memes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook .
Facebook ’ s inability to enforce its own policies also came into sharp focus as its CEO discussed its changed approach and crackdown on QAnon , a pro-Trump conspiracy theory that holds that a secret cabal of pedophiles and cannibals control the government and other aspects of society .
Zuckerberg pointed to an enforcement action taken last week in which the company removed over 790 groups , 100 pages , and 1,500 ads tied to QAnon , noting that the reason why the company was acting now was because “ we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misinformation to the promotion of violence .
“ As people start discussing violence or something that has the potential to lead to violence , especially as we enter a very fraught and charged period and the likelihood of potential civil unrest leading up to the election and after , I think that that warrants having a somewhat different balance of free expression and safety , ” he said .
( There have been multiple incidents of QAnon followers inciting violence over the last year , and the FBI labeled it a domestic terrorism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some employees wondered why it had taken the company so long to act .
“ Our fact-checking and takedowns have only ramped up in the past few months , but QAnon has festered for 3 years , ” one person wrote .
“ I think the critique is our reactive vs. proactive approach.
” Other workers reported they still saw dozens of active QAnon groups , with one noting that they had reported a related page but were told it did not go against Facebook ’ s community standards .
“ Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
A BuzzFeed News search using Facebook-owned tool CrowdTangle on Thursday showed dozens of new posts associated with popular QAnon hashtags and slogans , while one reporter ’ s Facebook account received a notification for a new photo that had been added to a group called “ QAnon Movement.
” As Zuckerberg spoke on Thursday , he did little to assuage the flood of complaints that streamed in over the live feed .
He called the company ’ s approach to tackling QAnon “ a more sophisticated program on this than any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with BuzzFeed News after the event was not comforted by their CEO ’ s words .
“ He seems truly incapable of taking personal responsibility for decisions and actions at Facebook , ” they said .
With reporting from Jane Lytvynenko and Pranav Dixit .

There has been increasing internal strife at the social network that came to a head when the company failed to take action on a May post from President Donald Trump that suggested state violence would be used against people protesting the police killing of George Floyd. As internal morale has plummeted, some employees have openly challenged Zuckerberg, who maintains majority shareholder voting control and complete decision-making power at Facebook. The level of employee pushback, which included a virtual walkout in June, is unprecedented in the company’s 16-year history.
Zuckerberg opened his Thursday address by discussing the police shooting of Jacob Blake and subsequent violence in Kenosha. When he said images from Wisconsin were “painful and really discouraging,” employees jumped in the comments section to ask why Facebook had been slow to react, particularly after at least one Kenosha militia page had remained on the platform after a 17-year-old shot and killed two protesters on Tuesday night.
While Zuckerberg said the shooter’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, which showed no clear connection to the Kenosha Guard page, were taken down, he admitted Facebook had made “an operational mistake.” The page had violated Facebook’s new rules introduced last week that labeled militia and QAnon conspiracy theory groups as “Dangerous Individuals and Organizations” for their celebrations of violence.
The company did not catch the page despite user reports, Zuckerberg said, because the complaints had been sent to content moderation contractors who were not versed in “how certain militias” operate. “On second review, doing it more sensitively, the team that was responsible for dangerous organizations recognized that this violated the policies and we took it down.”
That answer didn’t satisfy some employees.
“We need to get better at avoiding mistakes and being more proactive,” one wrote. ”Feels like we’re caught in a cycle of responding to damage after it’s already been done rather than constructing mechanisms to nip these issues before they result in real harm.”
Do you work at Facebook or another technology company? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out at ryan.mac@buzzfeed.com or via one of our tip line channels.
Facebook spokesperson Liz Bourgeois called the shooting in Kenosha “painful for everyone, especially our Black community.”
“We have not found evidence on Facebook suggesting the shooter followed the Kenosha Guard Page or that he was invited on the Event Page they organized,” she said in a statement. “However, the Kenosha Guard Event and Page violated our new policy on militia organizations and have been removed on that basis. We launched this policy last week and we’re still scaling up our enforcement of it by a team of specialists on our Dangerous Organizations team.”
In discussion groups on Workplace, Facebook’s employee discussion board, workers had expressed their frustration prior to the all-hands meeting. “Feeling especially sad to be a FB employee today,” one person wrote on a post featuring the Verge article in an internal group for community standards feedback. “When will we finally start to take hate on our platform seriously?”


buzzfeed--2020-08-29--The H1N1 Vaccine Is A Cautionary Tale For The Coronavirus

The first lesson of any vaccination program ?
“ You have to get people on board with getting the vaccine.
” First reports of the outbreak were dire , spreading from a foreign country with a 41 % mortality rate and triggering a crash race for a vaccine .
The year was 2009 , and the illness was the H1N1 flu , the last time the US rolled out a new nationwide vaccine in response to a pandemic .
That 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine , produced in a $ 2 billion sprint from April to November of 2009 , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 presidential election .
Last week , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted that the Obama and Biden team ’ s response to the emergence of the pandemic flu strain — which ultimately killed more than 12,000 Americans — was “ FAILED.
” Scientists stress that the comparison is not entirely valid , in large part because of the vast differences between the flu strain and the novel coronavirus .
But as the US prepares an unprecedented national rollout of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines , with millions of doses already being manufactured in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine — with its low coverage rates , up-and-down demand , and initial shortages followed by oversupply — serves as a cautionary tale for both Joe Biden and President Donald Trump .
“ Nothing went flawless or perfect , and the deaths were tragic and disappointing , ” said Howard Koh , a former Obama administration Department of Health and Human Services official .
“ There were a lot of challenges , but everyone pulled together , which I worry about now.
” On Wednesday , the CDC ’ s Advisory Committee on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warp Speed coronavirus vaccines and outline strategies for inoculating the first wave of people — most likely healthcare workers — with their first doses , if they prove safe and effective .
“ The H1N1 vaccine experience is only partly applicable to COVID-19 , but it does offer the lesson that a strong communication plan needs to be in place ahead of time , starting , well , now , ” said health communications expert K. Viswanath of Harvard ’ s T. H. Chan School of Public Health .
Biden has pledged to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and distribution , if elected .
( His campaign did not provide a response when asked about the 2009 vaccine , which was largely managed by federal science officials . )
The Trump administration ’ s Operation Warp Speed has invested around $ 8 billion in developing vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 so far and promised to deliver 300 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine to the US by January .
( Operation Warp Speed ’ s federal leaders backtracked on this pledge in a New England Journal of Medicine report on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doses , where many of its candidates are two-shot inoculations , by July . )
“ A huge lesson from H1N1 is that it takes just a tremendous amount of work and preparation that all has to be done ahead of time to roll out a new vaccine , ” former HHS official Nicole Lurie of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations told BuzzFeed News .
( Lurie is a medical adviser to Biden but emphasized she was not speaking on behalf of the campaign . )
“ You really have to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for shipment.
” In reality , the Obama administration response to H1N1 was well run , University of Michigan medical historian Howard Markel told BuzzFeed News , featuring regular updates from medical officials to the public and producing a vaccine in record time .
“ There really was terrific communication and coordination between state , local , and federal health officials , ” said Markel , who sat on an outside expert panel monitoring the response as it happened .
Markel added that the Trump criticism of Biden for the Obama administration ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misplaced , since the Trump administration has overseen a pandemic response that has led to more than 177,000 Americans dying .
Despite those deaths , public confidence in a coronavirus vaccine ’ s safety is in poor shape , with 35 % of Americans saying they wouldn ’ t take a free vaccine from the FDA , according to a recent Gallup poll .
Similar safety concerns led to a disappointing rollout of the H1N1 vaccine , amid dissipating alarm about an influenza strain that turned out less deadly than was initially feared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but a lot less people ended up getting the vaccine than they should have , ” Markel said .
“ That ’ s the first lesson of any vaccination program : You have to get people on board with getting the vaccine.
” In some ways , the 2009 H1N1 outbreak was a reverse image of the novel coronavirus pandemic : While it wasn ’ t even clear to the world that SARS-CoV-2 spread from person to person until weeks into the outbreak , the earliest cases of H1N1 emerged in a report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with news of a disease that struck 6.5 % of patients with critical cases and killed 41 % of those .
The H1N1 outbreak spread to the US , Canada , and Europe by April of 2009 , with the CDC releasing a successful test for the virus globally on the first day of May .
( In the case of SARS-CoV-2 , the CDC ’ s first batch of tests turned out to be botched . )
By June , the flu virus had reached 75 countries , leading the World Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The demand for a vaccine was borne from those first few months — April , May , June , everyone wanted a vaccine , ” said Markel .
In another difference from COVID-19 , the 2009 flu targeted the young rather than the old , with 85 % of deaths occurring to people younger than age 60 .
The elderly turned out to have greater immunity due to childhood infections with a distantly related H1N1 influenza strain .
Clinical trials of H1N1 vaccines began in July of 2009 , with federal officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rollout .
But since the flu virus is heavily seasonal , cases faded in the northern hemisphere with summer , and with it , public concern over the virus faded as well .
By August , a poll found that only 40 % of parents planned to get the H1N1 shot for their children .
Meanwhile , right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh and comedian Bill Maher were among those bad-mouthing the risks of the rapidly developed vaccine , raising popular fears .
The US H1N1 vaccine was just as safe as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shown .
In early October , the Obama administration first began distributing the vaccine with only 2.4 million doses available and , facing an early fall flu season , recommended children and pregnant women be prioritized for the two-shot vaccine .
The result was a surge in demand in some places with not enough supply .
Former HHS official Lurie said the agency ended up placing observers in manufacturing facilities to oversee production .
`` There are going to be delays no matter whatever happens , '' Lurie said .
By the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only 23 million doses .
When hundreds of millions of doses later became available , demand for the vaccine died down , leaving a patchwork of coverage around the country .
In Rhode Island , about 85 % of children were vaccinated while in Georgia , home to the CDC , only 21 % were .
`` One lesson of H1N1 is that when supply is more plentiful , people are less likely to want it , '' said Lurie .
`` It 's just human nature to really want something more when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have to keep working to get people vaccinated even after you have ironed out supply problems . ''
In the end , while 40 % of adults got the single shot for the seasonal flu in the 2009 flu season , only 23 % were vaccinated against H1N1 , according to the CDC .
“ That was a failure , and a main driver was a perception of safety , ” said Rally Health behavioral scientist Ezequiel Galarce , who led a 2011 study finding low vaccination rates among Black and Latino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a risk-to-benefit calculation that people make about vaccinations , with a huge emotional aspect , ” he added .
“ I think we will see that now , just like then.
” “ What keeps me up at night is that the first vaccines are going to roll off the assembly line , or gon na roll off first , because they were the easiest to construct and the fastest to mass-produce , ” not the most effective or best ones , Children 's Hospital of Philadelphia vaccine expert Paul Offit said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The FDA has set the bar for approval of a COVID-19 vaccine at 50 % effectiveness in blocking transmission of the virus .
But to halt an epidemic , a coronavirus vaccine should prevent at least 70 % of infections as long as at least three-quarters of the population is inoculated , according to an American Journal of Preventive Medicine analysis released on Tuesday .
“ We are facing mountains of misinformation we didn ’ t have then , ” said Viswanath .
Like any vaccine , coronavirus inoculations will doubtless have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fevers .
That ’ s normal .
But how will reports of those totally foreseeable side effects play out in today ’ s social media–amplified world of viral conspiracy theories and organized anti-vaccine campaigns ?
“ I worry all of these things will come together to undermine a coronavirus vaccine , ” said Viswanath .
What ’ s more , the politicization of the pandemic , with masks , hydroxychloroquine , and death rates from COVID-19 all becoming matters of partisan disagreement , points to a likely politicization of vaccines as well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flipping with ownership of the White House .
Others fear Trump pressuring the FDA to release a shoddy vaccine in a desperate bid for reelection .
The chaos of FDA scientists likely resigning over the decision , vaccine trial scientists protesting , and loud blowback from outside vaccine experts , all of them facing off with a Trump campaign now down by more than 7 % in an average of national polls , would be awful , said Koh , wrecking the trust in vaccines that is the first condition needed for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of America warned FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn against taking such a step in a letter released on Wednesday .
“ Making a vaccine available before sufficient safety and efficacy data are available could significantly undermine COVID-19 vaccination efforts and seriously erode confidence in all vaccines , ” it read .
Hahn ’ s credibility has come under fire in his handling of an emergency authorization for use of blood plasma as a treatment for COVID-19 , where he bungled the statistics about its effectiveness amid political pressure from Trump .
He apologized for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eyebrows on Wednesday by promoting a vaccine advisory committee meeting on Oct. 22 , in a Twitter thread touting enrollment in the vaccine candidate trials .
“ We really will need national unity of some kind , to have high vaccination rates , ” said Galarce .
“ Sometimes the messenger matters more than the message , ” he added .
Short of the “ October surprise , ” there are plenty of pitfalls pointed out by the 2009 experience .
Both the CDC and the National Academies of Science , Engineering , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccines more easily available to Black and Latino people , trying to avoid disparities seen in the 2009 vaccine rollout .
The key to that effort will be reaching out to community leaders and finding out how to make the vaccines more accessible , so that people don ’ t have to take three buses and stand in line for hours to get a shot .
“ It ’ s a lot easier to remove barriers than to increase people ’ s motivation , ” said Galarce .
At Wednesday ’ s CDC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refrigeration raised concerns about the shelf life of the first two vaccines in the Operation Warp Speed pipeline , one made by Pfizer and one made by Moderna , which could lead to the kinds of shortages that plagued the H1N1 vaccine rollout .
Advisory committee members were asked to consider scenarios for the rollout of the two vaccines as soon as October .
If both vaccines were successful , that would provide 35 to 45 million doses — enough to inoculate half that many people because the vaccines require two shots — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local COVID-19 outbreaks and varied capabilities to store vaccines , the CDC ’ s Nancy Messonnier said federal officials will need to “ leave state local health departments some flexibility to deal with their own local situations ” during the coronavirus vaccine rollout .
She recalled the H1N1 experience to make this point , calling it “ very different but with certain similarities.
” The individual calculus that people did in 2009 drove older folks away from getting a shot , because H1N1 was widely seen as dangerous only to the young .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that calculation for a coronavirus vaccine , with young people deciding to skip a shot because of their lowered risk , potentially undermining herd immunity .
The rise of anti-vaccination attitudes among parents , as well as the drastically lower chances of serious illness in children , could also reduce inoculations among kids .
Such decisions undermine herd immunity to the virus , because infected kids can pass along the coronavirus .
One important step is letting people know right now that the FDA and CDC are planning an intense vaccine safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Kathryn Edwards , scientific director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program .
Her program will be headquarters for a consortium with six other schools running a 24-hour hotline for doctors with any safety questions once a coronavirus vaccine is available .
At the CDC ’ s vaccine meeting , officials described a number of FDA , CDC , and Defense Department programs to watch for any signs of adverse events in vaccines , ranging from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System ( VAERS ) , created in 1986 , which tallies reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , stood up by Lurie and other officials in the H1N1 crisis , which collects rapid reports of adverse vaccine events from Medicare and insurers , feeding them directly to federal overseers .
On top of building the vaccine safety hotline system , Edwards also participates in the safety monitoring of one Operation Warp Speed vaccine that is currently in clinical trials and planned for testing in 30,000 patients .
“ We are really seriously looking for any concerns .
I work from Sunday to Saturday , and so do a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ People should know this .
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Scientists stress that the comparison is not entirely valid, in large part because of the vast differences between the flu strain and the novel coronavirus. But as the US prepares an unprecedented national rollout of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, with millions of doses already being manufactured in preparation, the story of the 2009 vaccine — with its low coverage rates, up-and-down demand, and initial shortages followed by oversupply — serves as a cautionary tale for both Joe Biden and President Donald Trump.
“Nothing went flawless or perfect, and the deaths were tragic and disappointing,” said Howard Koh, a former Obama administration Department of Health and Human Services official. “There were a lot of challenges, but everyone pulled together, which I worry about now.”
On Wednesday, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met to discuss two Operation Warp Speed coronavirus vaccines and outline strategies for inoculating the first wave of people — most likely healthcare workers — with their first doses, if they prove safe and effective.
“The H1N1 vaccine experience is only partly applicable to COVID-19, but it does offer the lesson that a strong communication plan needs to be in place ahead of time, starting, well, now,” said health communications expert K. Viswanath of Harvard’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health.
Biden has pledged to add $25 billion toward vaccine development and distribution, if elected. (His campaign did not provide a response when asked about the 2009 vaccine, which was largely managed by federal science officials.) The Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed has invested around $8 billion in developing vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 so far and promised to deliver 300 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine to the US by January. (Operation Warp Speed’s federal leaders backtracked on this pledge in a New England Journal of Medicine report on Wednesday, setting the goal as 300 million doses, where many of its candidates are two-shot inoculations, by July.)
“A huge lesson from H1N1 is that it takes just a tremendous amount of work and preparation that all has to be done ahead of time to roll out a new vaccine,” former HHS official Nicole Lurie of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations told BuzzFeed News. (Lurie is a medical adviser to Biden but emphasized she was not speaking on behalf of the campaign.) “You really have to be ready months before the vaccine is ready for shipment.”
In reality, the Obama administration response to H1N1 was well run, University of Michigan medical historian Howard Markel told BuzzFeed News, featuring regular updates from medical officials to the public and producing a vaccine in record time. “There really was terrific communication and coordination between state, local, and federal health officials,” said Markel, who sat on an outside expert panel monitoring the response as it happened.
Markel added that the Trump criticism of Biden for the Obama administration’s handling of the 2009 pandemic seemed misplaced, since the Trump administration has overseen a pandemic response that has led to more than 177,000 Americans dying.
Despite those deaths, public confidence in a coronavirus vaccine’s safety is in poor shape, with 35% of Americans saying they wouldn’t take a free vaccine from the FDA, according to a recent Gallup poll. Similar safety concerns led to a disappointing rollout of the H1N1 vaccine, amid dissipating alarm about an influenza strain that turned out less deadly than was initially feared.
“It was a success, but a lot less people ended up getting the vaccine than they should have, ” Markel said. “That’s the first lesson of any vaccination program: You have to get people on board with getting the vaccine.”