mintpressnews--2020-09-25--$15,000 Bail for Breonna Taylor Killers. $1 Million Bail for People Protesting Police Violence

Brett Hankinson , the sole Louisville police officer indicted Wednesday over his role in the killing of African-American ER technician Breonna Taylor , posted his $ 15,000 bail within hours of being booked .
Hankinson is being indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment over the March 13 incident , where a squad of police conducted a no-knock raid on Taylor ’ s apartment , shooting the 26-year-old six times while she was barely awake .
Hankinson fired ten rounds into the crowded apartment , with many piercing the walls and endangering neighbors .
The other officers , who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thus , only one officer is being held accountable for any of his actions , and then only for the bullets that did not hit Taylor , only the ones that endangered others .
If convicted on all counts , he faces a maximum of 15 years in prison .
Last week , the city of Louisville agreed to pay Taylor ’ s family $ 12 million in compensation .
The decision not to charge anyone with her murder enraged many , sparking large protests in Louisville , where at least 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of unlawful assembly , failure to disperse , and rioting , according to local law enforcement .
In this racially charged era , spontaneous protests also broke out in many cities across the country .
In Los Angeles , one protester was seriously injured after a pickup truck sped into a large crowd of anti-racist protesters , an increasingly common tactic of violence and intimidation seen throughout the summer .
The driver sped off and was apprehended by police several blocks away , who quickly let the attacker go free .
The lenient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received is in direct contrast to those protesting police violence .
Earlier this month , police in Lancaster , Pennsylvania shot and killed 27-year-old Ricardo Muñoz , leading to protests in the city .
Lancaster police used pepper spray and chemical agents against those demonstrating , who they accuse of “ pil [ ing ] street signs , trash cans , a metal dumpster , a metal bike rack , pieces of plywood and a wooden pallet , ” then proceeding to , “ fill the dumpster with additional trash bags , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the contents on fire.
” For these actions , seven protesters are being held on $ 1 million bail each .
The punishment was so extreme that Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman decried the move as “ blatantly unconstitutional.
” Here , Fetterman is referring to the Eighth Amendment , which reads that “ Excessive bail shall not be required , nor excessive fines imposed , nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
” Earlier in the year , protesters in the state were charged with up to 80 years in prison for burning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from organizations like the ACLU did judges reduce the $ 1 million figure to between $ 25,000 and $ 100,000 depending on the individuals — still far more than Hankinson ’ s .
Taylor ’ s lawyers allege that she was killed as part of a wider gentrification plan to force poor African-American residents out of their homes in order for private developers to cash in .
Narcotics detectives had been deliberately misled by police intelligence to believe that some of the city ’ s largest and most violent criminal drug rings were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reason for the no-knock raid with guns drawn .
Taylor ’ s boyfriend Kenneth Walker , who was with her at the time of the incident , drew his handgun and fired back at the police , thinking the police were would-be home invaders .
Hankinson ’ s colleague Jonathan Mattingly was injured , although it is not certain if Walker was the one who hit him .
Police violence against people of color has been a front-and-center issue in the United States , particularly since the killing of George Floyd in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd ’ s neck for over eight minutes until he suffocated to death went viral , causing a storm of outrage across the world .
It is estimated between 15-26 million Americans joined a demonstration for black lives during the summer , with the movement enjoying strong public support .
A new Gallup poll found that a record low 35 percent of Americans are satisfied with how black people are treated in the United States .
The fact that Hankinson is being indicted only for the bullets that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property suggests that to the legal system , black lives do not matter , or at least no more than $ 15,000 .
Feature photo | People chant during a protest at the scene of a police shooting on Laurel Street and Union Street in Lancaster city on , Sept. 13 , 2020 .
Andy Blackburn | LNP via AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

Brett Hankinson, the sole Louisville police officer indicted Wednesday over his role in the killing of African-American ER technician Breonna Taylor, posted his $15,000 bail within hours of being booked. Hankinson is being indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment over the March 13 incident, where a squad of police conducted a no-knock raid on Taylor’s apartment, shooting the 26-year-old six times while she was barely awake. Hankinson fired ten rounds into the crowded apartment, with many piercing the walls and endangering neighbors. The other officers, who have not been charged, fired 22 rounds. Thus, only one officer is being held accountable for any of his actions, and then only for the bullets that did not hit Taylor, only the ones that endangered others. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. Last week, the city of Louisville agreed to pay Taylor’s family $12 million in compensation.
The decision not to charge anyone with her murder enraged many, sparking large protests in Louisville, where at least 24 people were arrested last evening on charges of unlawful assembly, failure to disperse, and rioting, according to local law enforcement. In this racially charged era, spontaneous protests also broke out in many cities across the country.
In Los Angeles, one protester was seriously injured after a pickup truck sped into a large crowd of anti-racist protesters, an increasingly common tactic of violence and intimidation seen throughout the summer. The driver sped off and was apprehended by police several blocks away, who quickly let the attacker go free.
“Blatantly Unconstitutional”
The lenient treatment Hankinson and other killer cops have received is in direct contrast to those protesting police violence. Earlier this month, police in Lancaster, Pennsylvania shot and killed 27-year-old Ricardo Muñoz, leading to protests in the city. Lancaster police used pepper spray and chemical agents against those demonstrating, who they accuse of “pil[ing] street signs, trash cans, a metal dumpster, a metal bike rack, pieces of plywood and a wooden pallet,” then proceeding to, “fill the dumpster with additional trash bags, as well as the wood, and set the contents on fire.” For these actions, seven protesters are being held on $1 million bail each.
The punishment was so extreme that Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman decried the move as “blatantly unconstitutional.” Here, Fetterman is referring to the Eighth Amendment, which reads that “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” Earlier in the year, protesters in the state were charged with up to 80 years in prison for burning police vehicles.
Only after committed resistance from organizations like the ACLU did judges reduce the $1 million figure to between $25,000 and $100,000 depending on the individuals — still far more than Hankinson’s.
This photo is of Taylor Enterline, staging a peaceful protest for racial justice in front of the Manheim Borough Police station this summer. A Lancaster judge just set her bail at one million dollars for participating as a medic in last night’s protests. pic.twitter.com/nR43TNJFDP — Lancaster Stands Up (@lancstandsup) September 15, 2020
Taylor’s lawyers allege that she was killed as part of a wider gentrification plan to force poor African-American residents out of their homes in order for private developers to cash in. Narcotics detectives had been deliberately misled by police intelligence to believe that some of the city’s largest and most violent criminal drug rings were operating out of the building, hence the reason for the no-knock raid with guns drawn. Taylor’s boyfriend Kenneth Walker, who was with her at the time of the incident, drew his handgun and fired back at the police, thinking the police were would-be home invaders. Hankinson’s colleague Jonathan Mattingly was injured, although it is not certain if Walker was the one who hit him.
Police violence against people of color has been a front-and-center issue in the United States, particularly since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. Images of Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over eight minutes until he suffocated to death went viral, causing a storm of outrage across the world. It is estimated between 15-26 million Americans joined a demonstration for black lives during the summer, with the movement enjoying strong public support. A new Gallup poll found that a record low 35 percent of Americans are satisfied with how black people are treated in the United States.
The fact that Hankinson is being indicted only for the bullets that did not hit Taylor and for damaging property suggests that to the legal system, black lives do not matter, or at least no more than $15,000.
Feature photo | People chant during a protest at the scene of a police shooting on Laurel Street and Union Street in Lancaster city on, Sept. 13, 2020. Andy Blackburn | LNP via AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-09-25--Lee Camp: Woodward Accidentally Reveals He’s No Different Than “Super Villain” Julian Assange

The completely fair super awesome trial of Julian Assange continues in the U.K. as I write this .
It ’ s a beautiful blend of the works of Kafka , Stalin and Joseph Heller .
Seeing as Julian is kept in a glass container in the courtroom , like a captured cockroach , maybe Kafka wins the day .
The court clearly must keep Julian in that giant Tic-Tac container because he ’ s undoubtedly as dangerous as Hannibal Lecter .
If he weren ’ t in there , no one would know when he might lurch forward and PUBLISH @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What they ’ re deciding in this trial is whether Assange should be extradited to the United States , or “ kidnapped ” as the kids call it these days .
If he is lovingly black-bagged by our government , they have promised he will face 175 years in prison if convicted by another super rad show trial presided over by an American government puppet judge .
( A puppet judge is just like a real judge but they ’ ve got the government so far up their backside they can taste the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there say this persecution of Julian Assange is unheard of .
They ’ re acting like no journalist has ever been prosecuted under the Espionage Act .
They ’ re acting like it ’ s unprecedented for the U.S. to go after a journalist who ’ s not even a U.S. citizen and has never operated his organization from the U.S.
They ’ re acting like it ’ s ridiculous to add on new superseding indictments days before the trial begins .
But all the people saying that are… um… correct .
Yeah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the buildup – I thought that paragraph would come out differently . )
Right now , one journalist , Julian Assange , is on trial while being held in a maximum-security prison in London .
Another journalist , Bob Woodward , is in a very different situation .
The liberal Establishment is preparing to chisel his likeness out of a small boulder and display it next to the Lincoln Memorial .
They love him because he got President Donald Trump to do interviews wherein Trump , as always , sounds like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president admits he knew Covid-19 was “ deadly stuff ” back in at least February , but played it down anyway .
But this is nothing new .
Every time Bob Woodward puts out a book , the mainstream media fan-girls all over him .
Myriad kings and queens of televised logorrhea describe him as a “ veteran reporter , ” a “ famed reporter , ” or “ synonymous with investigative journalism !
” So what ’ s the difference between liberal-hero journalist Bob Woodward and dastardly evil villain cannibal-pedophile Julian Assange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should drone bomb ) ?
Well , Julian is on trial for obtaining and disclosing classified information from the U.S. government .
Liberal superhero Bob Woodward would never do such a thing like that !
…Oh , that ’ s right .
He actually said in his own online journalism class — “ I have rarely found a significant story where there isn ’ t a document .
…Often you can ’ t get it because it ’ s classified but… it ’ s there , and if you can get somebody to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you with your story .
…The hardest documents [ to get ] are intelligence documents .
…And I ’ ve had them and printed them.
” Hmm , so the icon of investigative journalism actually brags about printing classified information .
Well , maybe the difference between Assange ( currently being fed to the lions ) and Woodward ( currently being lionized ) is that Assange supposedly pressured people into giving him classified information whereas Woodward would never do that .
For Bob the information just arrives at his door unsolicited .
…Oh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Woodward recently said , “ Documents rarely just arrive in the mail out of the blue .
…You have to go to human beings and say , ‘ Will you give it to me ?
’ You say , ‘ Come on , let ’ s talk .
Let ’ s , uh , not be chickenshit about this.
’ ” Soooo , the guy that has the entire mainstream media licking his shoes has been involved in obtaining and publishing classified information , and in fact pressuring sources into supplying him those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Julian Assange are exactly the same except Assange has actually not been proven to have pressured sources into giving him documents .
And there ’ s one other difference between the Almighty Bob Woodward and the so-called servant of Lucifer , Julian Assange .
Nothing WikiLeaks has ever published has been proven false .
Not one sentence .
Whereas , the outlets Woodward works with like The Washington Post and The New York Times publish false information all the time .
They said there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq ; they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was still alive ; they published 16 anti-Bernie Sanders stories in the span of 16 hours while trying to sink his candidacy .
They said China imprisoned millions of Uighurs based on extrapolating from the accounts of EIGHT PEOPLE !
They are utter garbage when compared to the unassailable record of WikiLeaks .
But when needed , legacy media like The Washington Post and The New York Times bend over for the national security state .
That ’ s the real difference .
Julian Assange actually stood up to the U.S. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Woodward hasn ’ t really done that since President Richard Nixon was in office .
Most big-time American journalists back down to the State Department when push comes to shove .
Those who don ’ t — like Seymour Hersh , Robert Scheer , Chris Hedges , and a few others — are never allowed in the pages of the mainstream media again .
The next time you see a mainstream media talking-head fawn over Bob Woodward , just remember that if they had any backbone , any moral core , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The jaw-dropping video clips of Bob Woodward were discovered and put together by Matt Orfalea .
You can watch his work here : Feature photo | Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward arrives at Trump Tower in New York .
Andrew Harnik | AP Lee Camp is the host of the hit comedy news show Redacted Tonight .
His new book “ Bullet Points and Punch Lines ” is available at LeeCampBook.com and his stand-up comedy special can be streamed for free at LeeCampAmerican.com .
This article was published with special permission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Consortium News .

The completely fair super awesome trial of Julian Assange continues in the U.K. as I write this. It’s a beautiful blend of the works of Kafka, Stalin and Joseph Heller.
Seeing as Julian is kept in a glass container in the courtroom, like a captured cockroach, maybe Kafka wins the day.
The court clearly must keep Julian in that giant Tic-Tac container because he’s undoubtedly as dangerous as Hannibal Lecter. If he weren’t in there, no one would know when he might lurch forward and PUBLISH SOMETHING THAT’S TOTALLY TRUE!
What they’re deciding in this trial is whether Assange should be extradited to the United States, or “kidnapped” as the kids call it these days.
If he is lovingly black-bagged by our government, they have promised he will face 175 years in prison if convicted by another super rad show trial presided over by an American government puppet judge. (A puppet judge is just like a real judge but they’ve got the government so far up their backside they can taste the Cheetos.)
Countless excitable activists out there say this persecution of Julian Assange is unheard of. They’re acting like no journalist has ever been prosecuted under the Espionage Act. They’re acting like it’s unprecedented for the U.S. to go after a journalist who’s not even a U.S. citizen and has never operated his organization from the U.S. They’re acting like it’s ridiculous to add on new superseding indictments days before the trial begins.
But all the people saying that are… um… correct. Yeah, they nailed it. (Sorry for the buildup – I thought that paragraph would come out differently.)
Two journalists
Right now, one journalist, Julian Assange, is on trial while being held in a maximum-security prison in London. Another journalist, Bob Woodward, is in a very different situation. The liberal Establishment is preparing to chisel his likeness out of a small boulder and display it next to the Lincoln Memorial. They love him because he got President Donald Trump to do interviews wherein Trump, as always, sounds like a lying buffoon. Among other things the president admits he knew Covid-19 was “deadly stuff” back in at least February, but played it down anyway.
But this is nothing new. Every time Bob Woodward puts out a book, the mainstream media fan-girls all over him. Myriad kings and queens of televised logorrhea describe him as a “veteran reporter,” a “famed reporter,” or “synonymous with investigative journalism!”
So what’s the difference between liberal-hero journalist Bob Woodward and dastardly evil villain cannibal-pedophile Julian Assange (who Hillary Clinton famously said we should drone bomb)?
Well, Julian is on trial for obtaining and disclosing classified information from the U.S. government. Liberal superhero Bob Woodward would never do such a thing like that! …Oh, that’s right. He actually said in his own online journalism class — “I have rarely found a significant story where there isn’t a document. …Often you can’t get it because it’s classified but… it’s there, and if you can get somebody to assist you, it will indeed help you with your story. …The hardest documents [to get] are intelligence documents. …And I’ve had them and printed them.”
Hmm, so the icon of investigative journalism actually brags about printing classified information. Well, maybe the difference between Assange (currently being fed to the lions) and Woodward (currently being lionized) is that Assange supposedly pressured people into giving him classified information whereas Woodward would never do that. For Bob the information just arrives at his door unsolicited.
…Oh, wait a second. On video Woodward recently said, “Documents rarely just arrive in the mail out of the blue. …You have to go to human beings and say, ‘Will you give it to me?’ You say, ‘Come on, let’s talk. Let’s, uh, not be chickenshit about this.’”
Soooo, the guy that has the entire mainstream media licking his shoes has been involved in obtaining and publishing classified information, and in fact pressuring sources into supplying him those documents? Wow. Bob Woodward and Julian Assange are exactly the same except Assange has actually not been proven to have pressured sources into giving him documents.
And there’s one other difference between the Almighty Bob Woodward and the so-called servant of Lucifer, Julian Assange.
Nothing WikiLeaks has ever published has been proven false. Not one sentence. Whereas, the outlets Woodward works with like The Washington Post and The New York Times publish false information all the time.
They said there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; they said Kim Jung-Un killed his girlfriend while she was still alive; they published 16 anti-Bernie Sanders stories in the span of 16 hours while trying to sink his candidacy. They said China imprisoned millions of Uighurs based on extrapolating from the accounts of EIGHT PEOPLE! They are utter garbage when compared to the unassailable record of WikiLeaks. But when needed, legacy media like The Washington Post and The New York Times bend over for the national security state. That’s the real difference.
Julian Assange actually stood up to the U.S. and U.K. empires by publishing their war crimes. Woodward hasn’t really done that since President Richard Nixon was in office. Most big-time American journalists back down to the State Department when push comes to shove. Those who don’t — like Seymour Hersh, Robert Scheer, Chris Hedges, and a few others — are never allowed in the pages of the mainstream media again.
The next time you see a mainstream media talking-head fawn over Bob Woodward, just remember that if they had any backbone, any moral core, they would be fawning over Julian Assange instead.
The jaw-dropping video clips of Bob Woodward were discovered and put together by Matt Orfalea. You can watch his work here:
Feature photo | Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward arrives at Trump Tower in New York. Andrew Harnik | AP
Lee Camp is the host of the hit comedy news show Redacted Tonight. His new book “Bullet Points and Punch Lines” is available at LeeCampBook.com and his stand-up comedy special can be streamed for free at LeeCampAmerican.com.
This article was published with special permission from the author. It originally appeared at Consortium News.


mintpressnews--2020-09-28--The Court of God: How a Catholic Secret Society Took Over SCOTUS

The Trump White House wasted no time in nominating Amy Coney Barrett , a devout Catholic , to the Supreme Court after RBG ’ s passing gave this administration an unprecedented third bite at the SCOTUS apple .
Barring an improbable successful challenge by Democrats , Barrett is on her way to becoming a Supreme Court justice and tipping the scales of the highest court in the land in favor of Conservatives by a margin of seven to two .
As the American media lurches forward onto the predictable spectacle that such a lopsided court will , no doubt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is worth shining a spotlight on the links Barrett has to an organization described by a defector as a “ totalitarian ” group “ imbued with fascist ideas turned to religious purposes ” with direct involvement in the darkest activities of what some call the permanent or “ deep ” state .
The man who is said to vet the president ’ s list of SCOTUS candidates , Leonard Leo , is the executive vice president of the arch-conservative Federalist Society , which has figured in the appointment of all but one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Supreme Court , including Trump ’ s two now-installed nominees , Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh .
While the Federalist Society itself has plenty of dubious relationships with individuals like Charles Koch and his network of billionaire oligarchs hell-bent on reshaping American politics to serve their ends , it is Leo ’ s association to another organization that reveals links to far older and more powerful networks that harken back to the most recondite history of Cold War politics and the CIA in their ostensible fight against communism through an “ unholy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Vatican and the Mob .
Leonard Leo is a board member of the Opus Dei ’ s Catholic Information Center ( CIC ) , where sitting U.S. Attorney General , Bill Barr , and White House Counsel Pat Cipollone , also once served .
The Catholic lay group has been described as one of the world ’ s “ most powerful and politically committed ” secret societies , with direct ties to the Vatican as a “ personal prelature , ” an official status awarded by John Paul II that made sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself .
Founded in 1928 by a Spanish priest and lawyer , Opus Dei , wouldn ’ t become the agent of global fascism until later in the twentieth century when the CIA began funneling money to an Opus Dei think tank in Chile called the Chilean Institute for General Studies ( IGS ) after it drew support for the overthrow of democratically elected president Salvador Allende from Chilean bishops , and was a pivotal cog in the implementation of Operation Condor – a transnational intelligence operation running through Southcom to aid South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many of the members of IGS went on to become cabinet officials in Pinochet ’ s military junta .
The Pope ’ s special designation was the result of Opus Dei ’ s covert role , assisted through William Colby ’ s CIA , to effectuate damage control after the collapse of an Italian bank in the late ‘ 70s led to multiple investigations by Italian authorities that uncovered a concerted effort to disrupt and dismantle left-leaning groups or political parties in Europe by financing so-called “ stay-behind units ” of former Nazi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a global money-laundering , drug-running and assassination network involving the highest echelons of the U.S. government , the Holy See and the Sicilian Mafia .
Known as Operation Gladio , it was only as the scheme was unraveling in the late 70s that Opus Dei began to play its vital role in covering up the movement of billions of dollars worldwide to prop up dictatorships in Latin America , as well as acts of subversion and sabotage throughout the old continent .
In 1984 , the organization was recruited to reorganize the Vatican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under heavy scrutiny from Italian investigators .
The five-member supervisory board that was formed to carry out this mission included one of the most important figures in the establishment of Gladio : Deutsche Bank CEO Hermann Abs had been in charge of allocating Marshall Plan funds to German industry after World War II and was set to oversee the reorganization of the “ most secret bank in the world , ” the Istituto per le Opere di Religione—Institute for the Works of Religion , more commonly referred to as the Vatican ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Opus Dei advisory board was rescinded as a result of the Simon Wiesenthal Center ’ s protest over his role as banker for the Third Reich and a director of the IG Farben chemical cartel , which ran a concentration camp in Auschwitz .
Abs was replaced by Thomas Pietzcker , a Deutsche Bank director who worked under Abs .
The recent FinCEN leaks reveal that the German bank ’ s money laundering days continue as strong as ever .
Opus Dei or “ Work of God ” was already a $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took over the reorganization of the Vatican ’ s IOR and controlled six hundred newspapers , fifty-two radio and television stations , twelve film companies , and thirty-eight news agencies , according to a Mother Jones investigation .
It ’ s links to American intelligence through CIA director William Colby and the banking establishment through members Francis X. Stankard of Chase Manhattan and William E. Simon , Nixon ’ s Secretary of the Treasury , are well established and remain strong to this day through individuals like Bill Barr , who was just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prize that recognizes “ Christlike behavior ” – from the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast ( NCPB ) , founded by Pat Cipollone and whose president is none other than Leonard Leo .
The rise of extreme right-wing conservatism in America is all but guaranteed by the new composition of the Supreme Court , which now looks forward to a generation , if not more , of foundational jurisprudence shaped by a cohort of judges selected by the most reactionary clique in Washington , whose views were neatly encapsulated by Barr , himself , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Notre Dame in the fall of 2019 .
“ Secularism , ” Barr proclaimed in the Indiana school , was to blame for “ the wreckage of the family ” and “ soaring suicide rates , ” among other social ills .
Opus Dei , however , did not figure in Barr ’ s speech .
The CIA , too , prefers not to discuss its relationship with the ultra-orthodox , secret group deeming it a matter of national security .
Feature photo | In an image taken through a window , President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amy Coney Barrett , walk through the Palm Room after announcing Barrett as his nominee to the Supreme Court , in the Rose Garden at the White House , Saturday , Sept. 26 , 2020 , in Washington .
Alex Brandon | AP

The Trump White House wasted no time in nominating Amy Coney Barrett, a devout Catholic, to the Supreme Court after RBG’s passing gave this administration an unprecedented third bite at the SCOTUS apple. Barring an improbable successful challenge by Democrats, Barrett is on her way to becoming a Supreme Court justice and tipping the scales of the highest court in the land in favor of Conservatives by a margin of seven to two.
As the American media lurches forward onto the predictable spectacle that such a lopsided court will, no doubt, elicit from the irredeemably partisan media, it is worth shining a spotlight on the links Barrett has to an organization described by a defector as a “totalitarian” group “imbued with fascist ideas turned to religious purposes” with direct involvement in the darkest activities of what some call the permanent or “deep” state.
The man who is said to vet the president’s list of SCOTUS candidates, Leonard Leo, is the executive vice president of the arch-conservative Federalist Society, which has figured in the appointment of all but one of the conservative justices currently sitting on the Supreme Court, including Trump’s two now-installed nominees, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
While the Federalist Society itself has plenty of dubious relationships with individuals like Charles Koch and his network of billionaire oligarchs hell-bent on reshaping American politics to serve their ends, it is Leo’s association to another organization that reveals links to far older and more powerful networks that harken back to the most recondite history of Cold War politics and the CIA in their ostensible fight against communism through an “unholy alliance” between the intelligence agency, the Vatican and the Mob.
Sordid connections
Leonard Leo is a board member of the Opus Dei’s Catholic Information Center (CIC), where sitting U.S. Attorney General, Bill Barr, and White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, also once served. The Catholic lay group has been described as one of the world’s “most powerful and politically committed” secret societies, with direct ties to the Vatican as a “personal prelature,” an official status awarded by John Paul II that made sure the group only answers to the Pope himself.
Founded in 1928 by a Spanish priest and lawyer, Opus Dei, wouldn’t become the agent of global fascism until later in the twentieth century when the CIA began funneling money to an Opus Dei think tank in Chile called the Chilean Institute for General Studies (IGS) after it drew support for the overthrow of democratically elected president Salvador Allende from Chilean bishops, and was a pivotal cog in the implementation of Operation Condor – a transnational intelligence operation running through Southcom to aid South American right-wing dictatorships in the 1970s. Many of the members of IGS went on to become cabinet officials in Pinochet’s military junta.
The Pope’s special designation was the result of Opus Dei’s covert role, assisted through William Colby’s CIA, to effectuate damage control after the collapse of an Italian bank in the late ‘70s led to multiple investigations by Italian authorities that uncovered a concerted effort to disrupt and dismantle left-leaning groups or political parties in Europe by financing so-called “stay-behind units” of former Nazi soldiers and other extreme right-wing elements through a global money-laundering, drug-running and assassination network involving the highest echelons of the U.S. government, the Holy See and the Sicilian Mafia.
Known as Operation Gladio, it was only as the scheme was unraveling in the late 70s that Opus Dei began to play its vital role in covering up the movement of billions of dollars worldwide to prop up dictatorships in Latin America, as well as acts of subversion and sabotage throughout the old continent. In 1984, the organization was recruited to reorganize the Vatican’s finances, which were then under heavy scrutiny from Italian investigators.
The five-member supervisory board that was formed to carry out this mission included one of the most important figures in the establishment of Gladio: Deutsche Bank CEO Hermann Abs had been in charge of allocating Marshall Plan funds to German industry after World War II and was set to oversee the reorganization of the “most secret bank in the world,” the Istituto per le Opere di Religione—Institute for the Works of Religion, more commonly referred to as the Vatican’s bank.
Abs’ initial appointment to the Opus Dei advisory board was rescinded as a result of the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s protest over his role as banker for the Third Reich and a director of the IG Farben chemical cartel, which ran a concentration camp in Auschwitz. Abs was replaced by Thomas Pietzcker, a Deutsche Bank director who worked under Abs. The recent FinCEN leaks reveal that the German bank’s money laundering days continue as strong as ever.
The religion of national security
Opus Dei or “Work of God” was already a $3 billion enterprise by the time it took over the reorganization of the Vatican’s IOR and controlled six hundred newspapers, fifty-two radio and television stations, twelve film companies, and thirty-eight news agencies, according to a Mother Jones investigation.
It’s links to American intelligence through CIA director William Colby and the banking establishment through members Francis X. Stankard of Chase Manhattan and William E. Simon, Nixon’s Secretary of the Treasury, are well established and remain strong to this day through individuals like Bill Barr, who was just awarded the Christifideles Laici Award – a prize that recognizes “Christlike behavior” – from the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast (NCPB), founded by Pat Cipollone and whose president is none other than Leonard Leo.
The rise of extreme right-wing conservatism in America is all but guaranteed by the new composition of the Supreme Court, which now looks forward to a generation, if not more, of foundational jurisprudence shaped by a cohort of judges selected by the most reactionary clique in Washington, whose views were neatly encapsulated by Barr, himself, in a speech at the University of Notre Dame in the fall of 2019.
“Secularism,” Barr proclaimed in the Indiana school, was to blame for “the wreckage of the family” and “soaring suicide rates,” among other social ills. Opus Dei, however, did not figure in Barr’s speech. The CIA, too, prefers not to discuss its relationship with the ultra-orthodox, secret group deeming it a matter of national security.
Feature photo | In an image taken through a window, President Donald Trump, left, and Judge Amy Coney Barrett, walk through the Palm Room after announcing Barrett as his nominee to the Supreme Court, in the Rose Garden at the White House, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, in Washington. Alex Brandon | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-09-28--Trump Admin Poised To Gift Israel $11 Billion In Bid to Secure Another Arab-Israeli “Peace” Treaty

The United States continues to use the American taxpayers ’ expense account to prioritize Israel ’ s aspirations .
Close on the heels of the so-called Abraham Accords earlier this month , which normalized relations between Israel and the Arab states of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) , the Trump administration is formulating plans to essentially purchase another Arab-Israeli “ peace ” treaty .
In addition , the U.S. is likely to hand Israel billions of dollars in free military equipment .
Trump ’ s post-Abraham Accords arrangement to sell F-35 warplanes to the United Arab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to issue a list of demands – must-have advanced aircraft and other accouterments that would enable Israel to maintain its Qualitative Military Edge ( QME ) in the region .
Israel ’ s QME , the commitment by the U.S. to assure Israel ’ s ability to overcome any and all military threats with minimal casualties , has been enshrined in U.S. law since 2008 and is expressed today as $ 3.8 billion in military aid , about a quarter of the $ 15 billion distributed worldwide .
Israel ’ s wish list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a squadron of F-35s , reportedly worth some $ 850 million apiece , and other cutting-edge products .
These “ gifts ” would be in addition to the $ 3.8 billion a year Israel already receives in military aid from the U.S. – money that ought to be withheld according to the Leahy Laws , legislation that seeks to put a paywall between American aid and military groups that perpetrate gross human rights violations .
Trump ’ s plan to sell warplanes , and Israel ’ s demands , reportedly came up just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the UAE were to sign the Abraham Accords , although some sources report that Israel ’ s Netanyahu knew about the U.S. plan to sell to the UAE much earlier .
The Trump administration is also scurrying to assemble a treaty between Israel and Sudan ahead of U.S. elections , again at great benefit to Israel and expense to the American taxpayer .
According to Sudanese political analyst Khalil Abdul Jabbar , the Sudanese people typically would stand with the Palestinians rather than accepting normalization with Israel – but they need the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their economic situation .
Abdul Jabbar indicated that Trump hoped to capitalize on Sudan ’ s dire economic situation ahead of the 2020 election .
Sudan is struggling under $ 62 billion in foreign debt , brought about in large part because of its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism ( SST ) – a label that goes back to 1993 and has resulted in punishing global sanctions .
Sudan hopes to receive an initial infusion of $ 3 billion in U.S. aid , plus removal from the SST list , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Additional aid would likely follow .
There is concern that Capitol Hill would block the removal of Sudan from the SST list : some members of Congress want first to see the country pay more than $ 300 million to American victims of terror attacks in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 , as well as the attack on the USS Cole in 2000 .
The now-ousted Omar al-Bashir allowed al-Qaeda terrorists to reside in Sudan and carry out attacks in the region .
It is noteworthy that Israel is also responsible for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USS Liberty , aggression that killed thirty-four Americans and has been systematically covered up ever since .
What about the Palestinians ?
UAE leaders were apparently under the impression that their treaty with Israel would benefit the Palestinians : its foreign minister , Abdullah bin Zayed declared at the September 15th signing ceremony : Your Excellency Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , Prime Minister of the State of Israel , thank you for choosing peace and for halting the annexation of Palestinian territories , a decision that reinforces our shared will to achieve a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as for us in the United Arab Emirates , this accord will enable us to continue to stand by the Palestinian people and realize their hopes for an independent state within a stable and prosperous region.
” But Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had already made clear a month or earlier that “ There is no change in my plan to apply sovereignty , our sovereignty , in Judea and Samaria [ the Palestinian West Bank ] , in full coordination with the US .
I ’ m committed to it , this hasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ table.
” Some analysts conclude that the Palestinians ’ aspiration for freedom from occupation and oppression has been out of the picture all along because their interests are irrelevant – that the Arab world has begun to exchange solidarity with Palestine for economic advantage .
One commentator opined , “ The UAE-Israel accord said nothing about the Palestinians because the issue was never the Palestinians .
Indeed , they are the down payment.
” Rumors abound and have been confirmed by American Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft , that another Arab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing crowd of states exchanging Palestine for economic advantage .
Feature photo | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks as President Donald Trump looks on , during the Abraham Accords signing ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House , Sept. 15 , 2020 , in Washington .
Alex Brandon | AP Kathryn Shihadah writes for MintPress News and If Americans Knew .
She speaks regularly about the injustice and demonization Palestinians face at the hands of Israel with complicity from the United States , especially to Christian audiences .
Kathryn has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years and has traveled extensively .
She blogs at PalestineHome.org .

The United States continues to use the American taxpayers’ expense account to prioritize Israel’s aspirations. Close on the heels of the so-called Abraham Accords earlier this month, which normalized relations between Israel and the Arab states of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Trump administration is formulating plans to essentially purchase another Arab-Israeli “peace” treaty.
In addition, the U.S. is likely to hand Israel billions of dollars in free military equipment.
Regional domination
Trump’s post-Abraham Accords arrangement to sell F-35 warplanes to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has prompted Israel to issue a list of demands – must-have advanced aircraft and other accouterments that would enable Israel to maintain its Qualitative Military Edge (QME) in the region.
Israel’s QME, the commitment by the U.S. to assure Israel’s ability to overcome any and all military threats with minimal casualties, has been enshrined in U.S. law since 2008 and is expressed today as $3.8 billion in military aid, about a quarter of the $15 billion distributed worldwide.
Israel’s wish list, as reported by AntiWar, includes a squadron of F-35s, reportedly worth some $850 million apiece, and other cutting-edge products.
These “gifts” would be in addition to the $3.8 billion a year Israel already receives in military aid from the U.S. – money that ought to be withheld according to the Leahy Laws, legislation that seeks to put a paywall between American aid and military groups that perpetrate gross human rights violations.
Trump’s plan to sell warplanes, and Israel’s demands, reportedly came up just hours before the Foreign Ministers of Bahrain and the UAE were to sign the Abraham Accords, although some sources report that Israel’s Netanyahu knew about the U.S. plan to sell to the UAE much earlier.
Treaty in the works
The Trump administration is also scurrying to assemble a treaty between Israel and Sudan ahead of U.S. elections, again at great benefit to Israel and expense to the American taxpayer.
According to Sudanese political analyst Khalil Abdul Jabbar, the Sudanese people typically would stand with the Palestinians rather than accepting normalization with Israel – but they need the help that Washington could offer to improve their economic situation.
Abdul Jabbar indicated that Trump hoped to capitalize on Sudan’s dire economic situation ahead of the 2020 election.
Sudan is struggling under $62 billion in foreign debt, brought about in large part because of its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism (SST) – a label that goes back to 1993 and has resulted in punishing global sanctions.
Sudan hopes to receive an initial infusion of $3 billion in U.S. aid, plus removal from the SST list, in exchange for normalized relations with Israel. Additional aid would likely follow.
Terror attack compensation
There is concern that Capitol Hill would block the removal of Sudan from the SST list: some members of Congress want first to see the country pay more than $300 million to American victims of terror attacks in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, as well as the attack on the USS Cole in 2000. The now-ousted Omar al-Bashir allowed al-Qaeda terrorists to reside in Sudan and carry out attacks in the region.
It is noteworthy that Israel is also responsible for an attack on a Navy ship, the USS Liberty, aggression that killed thirty-four Americans and has been systematically covered up ever since.
What about the Palestinians?
UAE leaders were apparently under the impression that their treaty with Israel would benefit the Palestinians: its foreign minister, Abdullah bin Zayed declared at the September 15th signing ceremony:
Your Excellency Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel, thank you for choosing peace and for halting the annexation of Palestinian territories, a decision that reinforces our shared will to achieve a better future for generations to come…
And as for us in the United Arab Emirates, this accord will enable us to continue to stand by the Palestinian people and realize their hopes for an independent state within a stable and prosperous region.”
But Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had already made clear a month or earlier that “There is no change in my plan to apply sovereignty, our sovereignty, in Judea and Samaria [the Palestinian West Bank], in full coordination with the US. I’m committed to it, this hasn’t changed…This issue remains on the table.”
Some analysts conclude that the Palestinians’ aspiration for freedom from occupation and oppression has been out of the picture all along because their interests are irrelevant – that the Arab world has begun to exchange solidarity with Palestine for economic advantage. One commentator opined, “The UAE-Israel accord said nothing about the Palestinians because the issue was never the Palestinians. Indeed, they are the down payment.”
Rumors abound and have been confirmed by American Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft, that another Arab country – Oman – may follow the growing crowd of states exchanging Palestine for economic advantage.
Feature photo | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks as President Donald Trump looks on, during the Abraham Accords signing ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Sept. 15, 2020, in Washington. Alex Brandon | AP
Kathryn Shihadah writes for MintPress News and If Americans Knew. She speaks regularly about the injustice and demonization Palestinians face at the hands of Israel with complicity from the United States, especially to Christian audiences. Kathryn has lived in the Middle East for ten years and has traveled extensively. She blogs at PalestineHome.org.


mintpressnews--2020-09-28--Report: 56 Million Americans Depended on Food Banks During the Pandemic

Amid a pandemic that has claimed the lives of over 209,000 Americans and caused widespread economic dislocation , tens of millions have been forced to rely on food banks to survive .
A new report from the Pew Research Center found that 17 percent of the 13,200 people they surveyed said they had received food from a food bank or similar organization during the pandemic .
Nationwide , that figure would amount to 56 million Americans .
Unsurprisingly , those who identified themselves as “ lower income ” ( 35 percent ) were far more likely to turn to food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ upper income ” bracket ( 1 percent ) .
However , even 12 percent of “ middle income ” Americans admitted they needed outside help to put food on the table .
Black and Hispanic Americans were around three times more likely to need these services than white Americans .
Pew ’ s research also sheds light on a number of other ways in which COVID-19 has harmed American society .
15 percent of respondents said that they had been made unemployed as a result of the fallout , with 25 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job .
One third of Americans have been forced to take a pay cut , 16 percent said they had had problems paying rent or mortgages , while a quarter could not pay other bills .
As with food bank usage , these other problems were far more common among poorer households and people of color .
Although they die at a far lower rate , younger people have felt the brunt of the pandemic ’ s economic consequences , with Millennials and Generation Z less likely to have the resources to weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be employed in sectors that were vulnerable to closure .
Once only associated with enemy nations or with the Great Depression , bread lines have returned to the United States , although they often do not resemble classic images of lines of disheveled people .
Today ’ s bread lines are as likely to be miles-long traffic jams or car parks filled with hungry drivers , sometimes waiting overnight for their turn at the drive through distribution centers .
Overwhelmed charities work day and night , but have had to ration out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cleaned out , fresh produce rotted on America ’ s farms .
Many American farmers do not sell to a mass market .
Instead , their produce is bought up by networks supplying universities , stadiums , or restaurants .
But with many of those businesses shuttered , supply distribution networks broke down , leading to feast and famine .
Small businesses have been decimated .
Business review site Yelp recently announced that 60 percent of businesses forced to shut their doors during the pandemic are now permanently closed .
At the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surged , leaving them in an even stronger position than before the pandemic .
Its owner , Jeff Bezos , already the world ’ s richest individual , has nearly doubled his wealth since the lockdown began in March .
Bezos is representative of virtually the entire class of highly wealthy Americans , for whom the pandemic has often had a positive impact .
Figures from the Institute for Policy Studies ( IPS ) show that the country ’ s billionaires have grown their wealth by 29 percent since March .
Much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stewardship of the Trump administration , who refused to act in February or earlier in March , and whose Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economic Security ( CARES ) Act proved a massive boon to the country ’ s wealthy elite .
A non-partisan congressional study of the tax cuts forced into the CARES Act showed that 82 percent of the benefits would go to those making over $ 1 million per year .
Meanwhile , many have received only one $ 1,200 check to tide them over for months .
The IPS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a far lower death rate per capita than those like the U.S. where inequality was high .
A great deal of research has shown that people in more equal societies feel more loyalty and responsibility towards others , perhaps contributing to higher mask usage or more strict adherence to lockdown procedures .
With a seven-day moving average of over 41,000 new infections and nearly 800 daily deaths , it appears that the United States is a long way from returning to normality , suggesting that the economic pain will continue indefinitely .
Winter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for more inundation come Christmas .
Tens of millions will need them .
Feature photo | Americans collect produce and pantry items outside Barclays Center which has been turned into a temporary food bank amid COVID-19 , Sept. 10 , 2020 , in New York .
John Minchillo | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

Amid a pandemic that has claimed the lives of over 209,000 Americans and caused widespread economic dislocation, tens of millions have been forced to rely on food banks to survive. A new report from the Pew Research Center found that 17 percent of the 13,200 people they surveyed said they had received food from a food bank or similar organization during the pandemic. Nationwide, that figure would amount to 56 million Americans.
Unsurprisingly, those who identified themselves as “lower income” (35 percent) were far more likely to turn to food banks for help than those in the “upper income” bracket (1 percent). However, even 12 percent of “middle income” Americans admitted they needed outside help to put food on the table. Black and Hispanic Americans were around three times more likely to need these services than white Americans.
Pew’s research also sheds light on a number of other ways in which COVID-19 has harmed American society. 15 percent of respondents said that they had been made unemployed as a result of the fallout, with 25 percent of households having a member lose their job. One third of Americans have been forced to take a pay cut, 16 percent said they had had problems paying rent or mortgages, while a quarter could not pay other bills. As with food bank usage, these other problems were far more common among poorer households and people of color.
Although they die at a far lower rate, younger people have felt the brunt of the pandemic’s economic consequences, with Millennials and Generation Z less likely to have the resources to weather the coronavirus storm, and more likely to be employed in sectors that were vulnerable to closure.
Once only associated with enemy nations or with the Great Depression, bread lines have returned to the United States, although they often do not resemble classic images of lines of disheveled people. Today’s bread lines are as likely to be miles-long traffic jams or car parks filled with hungry drivers, sometimes waiting overnight for their turn at the drive through distribution centers. Overwhelmed charities work day and night, but have had to ration out deliveries.
Even as food banks were cleaned out, fresh produce rotted on America’s farms. Many American farmers do not sell to a mass market. Instead, their produce is bought up by networks supplying universities, stadiums, or restaurants. But with many of those businesses shuttered, supply distribution networks broke down, leading to feast and famine.
Small businesses have been decimated. Business review site Yelp recently announced that 60 percent of businesses forced to shut their doors during the pandemic are now permanently closed. At the same time, retail giants like Amazon have surged, leaving them in an even stronger position than before the pandemic. Its owner, Jeff Bezos, already the world’s richest individual, has nearly doubled his wealth since the lockdown began in March.
Bezos is representative of virtually the entire class of highly wealthy Americans, for whom the pandemic has often had a positive impact. Figures from the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) show that the country’s billionaires have grown their wealth by 29 percent since March.
Much of this has been made possible by the stewardship of the Trump administration, who refused to act in February or earlier in March, and whose Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act proved a massive boon to the country’s wealthy elite. A non-partisan congressional study of the tax cuts forced into the CARES Act showed that 82 percent of the benefits would go to those making over $1 million per year. Meanwhile, many have received only one $1,200 check to tide them over for months. The IPS also found that more equal countries had a far lower death rate per capita than those like the U.S. where inequality was high. A great deal of research has shown that people in more equal societies feel more loyalty and responsibility towards others, perhaps contributing to higher mask usage or more strict adherence to lockdown procedures.
With a seven-day moving average of over 41,000 new infections and nearly 800 daily deaths, it appears that the United States is a long way from returning to normality, suggesting that the economic pain will continue indefinitely. Winter is coming. Food banks should prepare for more inundation come Christmas. Tens of millions will need them.
Feature photo | Americans collect produce and pantry items outside Barclays Center which has been turned into a temporary food bank amid COVID-19, Sept. 10, 2020, in New York. John Minchillo | AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-09-28--Hundreds of Vehicle Ramming Attacks Mark New Norm in America’s Civil Unrest

Last week a black pickup truck plowed into a large crowd of anti-racist demonstrators protesting the police killing of Breonna Taylor in Hollywood .
Video of the incident shows the driver hit a young man , subsequently accelerating over his body to escape a crowd converging on him .
In Seattle , a man in a black sedan car barreled into a large demonstration protesting the killing of George Floyd .
After he stopped , he got out and shot a protestor at point blank range .
The crowd scattered in terror .
The man calmly left the area .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a woman screaming racial slurs slammed her truck into an anti-racist demonstration .
Incidents like these have become commonplace all over America .
Wherever there are protests over racial injustice , there often are acts of violence against them .
Indeed , according to Ari Weil , a terrorism researcher at the University of Chicago ’ s Project on Security and Threats , there were 104 separate incidents of drivers crashing into protests between May 27 ( the date of the George Floyd killing ) and September 5 , including 96 civilians and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the incidents are unknown or contested .
Vehicular based terror attacks have been common for many decades in some parts of the world , but are only recently gaining a grizzly popularity in the United States .
Perhaps the most infamous incident was the 2017 Charlottesville attack , where James Alex Fields Jr. plowed through a crowd of anti-racist demonstrators , protesting the far-right gathering happening in the Virginia town .
Fields killed activist Heather Heyer and injured 28 more .
He was sentenced to two life sentences plus an additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these incidents have spread like wildfire among alt-right and neo-Nazi circles , with many users on far-right forums encouraging others to do the same .
The hashtag “ All Lives Splatter ” continues to be a popular one on social media like Instagram or Twitter .
Many of the actions against Black Lives Matter protesters seem to have the tacit approval of local law enforcement .
The driver of the Hollywood truck was immediately detained but quickly released by the police , a remarkable decision , given she was a suspect in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terror attack .
And after shooting protesters at point blank range in front of them , the Seattle attacker calmly walked towards police lines , where officers protected him , turning their backs on the armed killer , to shield him from unarmed demonstrators .
After the incident , Seattle Detective Mike Brown was suspended from the department after sharing an “ All Lives Splatter ” meme on his Facebook profile .
The post features a truck driving over a line fleeing protesters , with the text “ get your ass off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraternized with Kenosha killer Kyle Rittenhouse , telling the armed 17-year-old “ we appreciate you guys , we really do , ” before he went on his spree last month .
Police have also directly encouraged terror attacks on black protesters .
In 2016 , St. Paul cop Sgt .
Jeffrey Rothecker urged residents to run over anyone demonstrating on Martin Luther King Day .
“ Keep traffic flowing and don ’ t slow down for any of these idiots who try and block the street…run them over , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ harassing social justice communities on Facebook .
“ F BLM ” and “ any others that support what they are doing , ” he wrote .
A study of police officers ’ public Facebook accounts by Injustice Watch found that 20 percent of officers had shared hate speech or content glorifying extreme violence or murdering of protesters , such as “ All Lives Splatter.
” This figure rose to 40 percent for recently retired officers .
Police have also rammed protesters themselves .
In the immediate wake of the George Floyd killings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plowing into protestors .
Demonstrators in Brooklyn had placed a yellow road barrier between themselves and a stationary police car .
A second police cruiser accelerates into the crowd , knocking multiple people to the ground before fleeing .
The first car follows suit , driving into yet more people .
Other videos show that this was not an isolated incident .
While police appear unwilling or unable to prevent , and , in some cases , even arrest perpetrators of crime against protestors , they often overreact hysterically in the opposite direction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deployed SWAT forces , bomb robots , and a cavalcade of police to arrest a woman and her dog .
She had committed no crime , nor was firmly suspected of any .
However , decals on her vehicle read “ Black Lives Matter ” and “ fuck these racist police.
” State troopers decided this “ anti-law enforcement rhetoric ” necessitated such a response .
Meanwhile , when right-wing demonstrators are attacked , the justice system responds quickly .
Last week , a person of color drove through a pro-Trump counter-protest , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unlike with other cases , she was immediately apprehended and charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon .
Attacks like these against conservative movements are less common , however .
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies , the far-right has been responsible for over 90 percent of the terror attacks of 2020 , with religious extremists accountable for the bulk of the rest .
With a resurgent far-right and a police force that has shown worrying signs of alignment with them , we are unlikely to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Feature photo | A compilation image shows news footage and images of protesters being run over .
Image | MintPress News Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald @ @ @ @ @

Last week a black pickup truck plowed into a large crowd of anti-racist demonstrators protesting the police killing of Breonna Taylor in Hollywood. Video of the incident shows the driver hit a young man, subsequently accelerating over his body to escape a crowd converging on him. In Seattle, a man in a black sedan car barreled into a large demonstration protesting the killing of George Floyd. After he stopped, he got out and shot a protestor at point blank range. The crowd scattered in terror. The man calmly left the area. Meanwhile, in Buffalo on Wednesday, a woman screaming racial slurs slammed her truck into an anti-racist demonstration.
Incidents like these have become commonplace all over America. Wherever there are protests over racial injustice, there often are acts of violence against them. Indeed, according to Ari Weil, a terrorism researcher at the University of Chicago’s Project on Security and Threats, there were 104 separate incidents of drivers crashing into protests between May 27 (the date of the George Floyd killing) and September 5, including 96 civilians and 8 police vehicles. The motivations behind some of the incidents are unknown or contested.
https://twitter.com/jessicarayerog1/status/1309347382308401153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1309347382308401153%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mintpressnews.com%2F15000-bail-for-breonna-taylor-killer-1-million-bail-anti-police-protesters%2F271532%2F
Vehicular based terror attacks have been common for many decades in some parts of the world, but are only recently gaining a grizzly popularity in the United States. Perhaps the most infamous incident was the 2017 Charlottesville attack, where James Alex Fields Jr. plowed through a crowd of anti-racist demonstrators, protesting the far-right gathering happening in the Virginia town. Fields killed activist Heather Heyer and injured 28 more. He was sentenced to two life sentences plus an additional 419 years for his crimes.
Videos of these incidents have spread like wildfire among alt-right and neo-Nazi circles, with many users on far-right forums encouraging others to do the same. The hashtag “All Lives Splatter” continues to be a popular one on social media like Instagram or Twitter.
To date, I've tracked motorists driving into protests from 5/27 to 9/5. There have been 104 incidents of drivers going into protests, with 96 by civilians and 8 by police. 39 drivers have been charged. In 43 cases, I have coded the driver as having malicious intent. pic.twitter.com/6uhZ3O0mSg — Ari Weil (@AriWeil) September 24, 2020
And where they've been occurring: pic.twitter.com/nTrtNaQts3 — Ari Weil (@AriWeil) September 24, 2020
Many of the actions against Black Lives Matter protesters seem to have the tacit approval of local law enforcement. The driver of the Hollywood truck was immediately detained but quickly released by the police, a remarkable decision, given she was a suspect in what could have been considered a major terror attack. And after shooting protesters at point blank range in front of them, the Seattle attacker calmly walked towards police lines, where officers protected him, turning their backs on the armed killer, to shield him from unarmed demonstrators. After the incident, Seattle Detective Mike Brown was suspended from the department after sharing an “All Lives Splatter” meme on his Facebook profile. The post features a truck driving over a line fleeing protesters, with the text “get your ass off the road.” Meanwhile, Wisconsin police openly fraternized with Kenosha killer Kyle Rittenhouse, telling the armed 17-year-old “we appreciate you guys, we really do,” before he went on his spree last month.
Police have also directly encouraged terror attacks on black protesters. In 2016, St. Paul cop Sgt. Jeffrey Rothecker urged residents to run over anyone demonstrating on Martin Luther King Day. “Keep traffic flowing and don’t slow down for any of these idiots who try and block the street…run them over,” he said. Rothecker was also a serial troll, harassing social justice communities on Facebook. “F BLM” and “any others that support what they are doing,” he wrote.
A study of police officers’ public Facebook accounts by Injustice Watch found that 20 percent of officers had shared hate speech or content glorifying extreme violence or murdering of protesters, such as “All Lives Splatter.” This figure rose to 40 percent for recently retired officers.
Police have also rammed protesters themselves. In the immediate wake of the George Floyd killings, there were multiple incidents of NYPD cars plowing into protestors. Demonstrators in Brooklyn had placed a yellow road barrier between themselves and a stationary police car. A second police cruiser accelerates into the crowd, knocking multiple people to the ground before fleeing. The first car follows suit, driving into yet more people. Other videos show that this was not an isolated incident.
While police appear unwilling or unable to prevent, and, in some cases, even arrest perpetrators of crime against protestors, they often overreact hysterically in the opposite direction. Earlier this month, Texas police deployed SWAT forces, bomb robots, and a cavalcade of police to arrest a woman and her dog. She had committed no crime, nor was firmly suspected of any. However, decals on her vehicle read “Black Lives Matter” and “fuck these racist police.” State troopers decided this “anti-law enforcement rhetoric” necessitated such a response.
Meanwhile, when right-wing demonstrators are attacked, the justice system responds quickly. Last week, a person of color drove through a pro-Trump counter-protest, breaking the legs of one man. Unlike with other cases, she was immediately apprehended and charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
Someone ran their car through a crowd of Trump supporters. OC Sheriffs took the person into custody. Ambulances were dispatched, but I don't have information on injuries pic.twitter.com/EAWBSXS8R1 — Border Photog #blm (@desertborder) September 26, 2020
Attacks like these against conservative movements are less common, however. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the far-right has been responsible for over 90 percent of the terror attacks of 2020, with religious extremists accountable for the bulk of the rest. With a resurgent far-right and a police force that has shown worrying signs of alignment with them, we are unlikely to have seen the last vehicle attack this year.
Feature photo | A compilation image shows news footage and images of protesters being run over. Image | MintPress News
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-09-28--How AOC Challenged the Myth of Yitzhak Rabin the Peacemaker

If it wasn ’ t for Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez ( AOC ) , not many people would have heard about the memorial event being held to commemorate 25 years since the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin .
AOC was invited by Americans for Peace Now , or APN , to participate in this event .
Although she initially accepted the invitation , she later announced that she would not be attending after learning who Rabin really was .
Peace Now is an organization that perpetuates the lie of a liberal , peace-loving Israel more than any other , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lie , is the legacy of Yitzhak Rabin .
This lie is propagated so effectively , and with such conviction , one can hardly blame AOC for being misled and initially accepting the invitation .
Needless to say , it is a good thing then that she listened to those voices that demanded she decline the invitation .
My father was an Israeli military officer that served alongside Rabin for three decades .
Together , they were in the pre-State Zionist militia that terrorized Palestinians and executed the ethnic cleansing campaign of 1948 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the newly formed Israeli Defense Forces , building the military that then maintained and strengthened the settler-colonial apartheid regime in Palestine .
Those around him admired Rabin , and his ascension in the military was meteoric , reaching the rank of General at the young age of 32 .
He was Israel ’ s army Chief during the 1967 Israeli assault on Egypt , Syria , and Jordan .
My father served as a general alongside Rabin during this assault , heralded as heroic and even miraculous .
However , the 1967 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was a well planned , well-executed assault .
Israel had used its military force against countries whose armies were weak and unprepared to conquer the Syrian Golan Heights , the Egyptian Sinai peninsula , and complete its conquest of Palestine .
As a result of that assault , the West Bank , East Jerusalem , and the Gaza Strip , as well as the Golan Heights , are now part of the state of Israel .
An estimated 18,000 Arab soldiers and 700 Israeli soldiers were killed in battle during that war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Israeli soldiers returning from the war admitted that between 2,000 to 3,000 Egyptian prisoners of war were executed by Israel and buried under the dunes of the Sinai desert .
Hundreds of thousands of civilians were made refugees as a result of the Israeli assault .
We will not cover Rabin ’ s entire career , but suffice it to say that he was a Zionist through and through , and a war criminal .
However , in the eyes of the Israeli Ashkenazi elite , he was an icon .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the State of Israel , and even though he did everything in his considerable power to kill , dispossess and deny Palestinians their most basic rights , he became a symbol of the so-called peace-loving Israel , also known as the Zionist left .
His image as a man of peace was formed by the Oslo Accords , a brilliant public relations stunt that presented Israel as pursuing peace through an agreement that served to tighten its control over Palestine , its resources , and its people .
The myth of Rabin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea that he was assassinated for peace .
Rabin was assassinated by a man who represented the two groups within Israeli society whom he despised , and who felt slighted and disenfranchised by the Ashkenazi elite : The West Bank settlers and non-Ashkenazi Israelis who came from Arab countries .
Rabin was not killed because he attempted to bring peace ; he was killed because he was an icon of the privileged , liberal Zionist elite .
He made it absolutely clear that achieving a just peace and allowing the Palestinian people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing from his mind .
Although he was not the first or last unworthy recipient of the Nobel Prize for peace , awarding it to him made a mockery of the prize .
When it was publicized that Representative Ocasio-Cortez was pulling out of the Rabin memorial , Peace Now ’ s Israel public relations man Brian Reeves tweeted that Rabin was “ a warrior with skeletons turned peacemaker who paid with his life.
” The term warrior denotes courage and acts of heroism , like someone fighting for freedom and justice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a war criminal who made a career of killing , dispossessing , and brutalizing a nation that never had so much as a tank , let alone a military force of any kind .
In a rare interview given in Beurit in 1970 , the great Palestinian writer and resistance leader Ghassan Kanafani said , “ We are a small brave nation.
” He went on to say , “ for us , to liberate our country , to have dignity , to have respect , to have our own mere human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself.
” Tragically , in 1972 , in an act of cowardice typical of Israeli forces , Kanfani was brutally murdered along with his 16-year old-niece Lamees .
Kanafani was a warrior , slain for his dedication to the cause of freedom without which there can never be peace .
For over seven decades , Palestinians have been warriors in their fight for liberty .
Palestinians fight for justice and liberation using whatever meager means at their disposal .
The refusal of Representative Ocasio-Cortez to commemorate the Zionist war criminal Yitzhak Rabin is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Feature photo | Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin is surrounded by armed soldiers as he tours empty streets of Nablus , Israel-occupied West bank , Feb. 3 , 1988 , in Nablus .
Ari Saris | AP

If it wasn’t for Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), not many people would have heard about the memorial event being held to commemorate 25 years since the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. AOC was invited by Americans for Peace Now, or APN, to participate in this event. Although she initially accepted the invitation, she later announced that she would not be attending after learning who Rabin really was.
Peace Now is an organization that perpetuates the lie of a liberal, peace-loving Israel more than any other, and, at the center of that lie, is the legacy of Yitzhak Rabin. This lie is propagated so effectively, and with such conviction, one can hardly blame AOC for being misled and initially accepting the invitation. Needless to say, it is a good thing then that she listened to those voices that demanded she decline the invitation.
A history of violence
My father was an Israeli military officer that served alongside Rabin for three decades. Together, they were in the pre-State Zionist militia that terrorized Palestinians and executed the ethnic cleansing campaign of 1948. Together, they remained as officers in the newly formed Israeli Defense Forces, building the military that then maintained and strengthened the settler-colonial apartheid regime in Palestine. Those around him admired Rabin, and his ascension in the military was meteoric, reaching the rank of General at the young age of 32.
He was Israel’s army Chief during the 1967 Israeli assault on Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. My father served as a general alongside Rabin during this assault, heralded as heroic and even miraculous. However, the 1967 war was neither heroic nor miraculous. It was a well planned, well-executed assault. Israel had used its military force against countries whose armies were weak and unprepared to conquer the Syrian Golan Heights, the Egyptian Sinai peninsula, and complete its conquest of Palestine. As a result of that assault, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, as well as the Golan Heights, are now part of the state of Israel.
An estimated 18,000 Arab soldiers and 700 Israeli soldiers were killed in battle during that war. Although there are no exact numbers, Israeli soldiers returning from the war admitted that between 2,000 to 3,000 Egyptian prisoners of war were executed by Israel and buried under the dunes of the Sinai desert. Hundreds of thousands of civilians were made refugees as a result of the Israeli assault.
We will not cover Rabin’s entire career, but suffice it to say that he was a Zionist through and through, and a war criminal. However, in the eyes of the Israeli Ashkenazi elite, he was an icon. He was a symbol of the military might of the State of Israel, and even though he did everything in his considerable power to kill, dispossess and deny Palestinians their most basic rights, he became a symbol of the so-called peace-loving Israel, also known as the Zionist left.
His image as a man of peace was formed by the Oslo Accords, a brilliant public relations stunt that presented Israel as pursuing peace through an agreement that served to tighten its control over Palestine, its resources, and its people.
Rabin’s assassin
The myth of Rabin as a peacemaker is bolstered by the idea that he was assassinated for peace. Rabin was assassinated by a man who represented the two groups within Israeli society whom he despised, and who felt slighted and disenfranchised by the Ashkenazi elite: The West Bank settlers and non-Ashkenazi Israelis who came from Arab countries.
Rabin was not killed because he attempted to bring peace; he was killed because he was an icon of the privileged, liberal Zionist elite.
He made it absolutely clear that achieving a just peace and allowing the Palestinian people to establish an independent state was the farthest thing from his mind. Although he was not the first or last unworthy recipient of the Nobel Prize for peace, awarding it to him made a mockery of the prize.
A comparison
When it was publicized that Representative Ocasio-Cortez was pulling out of the Rabin memorial, Peace Now’s Israel public relations man Brian Reeves tweeted that Rabin was “a warrior with skeletons turned peacemaker who paid with his life.” The term warrior denotes courage and acts of heroism, like someone fighting for freedom and justice. Rabin was far from that. He was a war criminal who made a career of killing, dispossessing, and brutalizing a nation that never had so much as a tank, let alone a military force of any kind.
In a rare interview given in Beurit in 1970, the great Palestinian writer and resistance leader Ghassan Kanafani said, “We are a small brave nation.” He went on to say, “for us, to liberate our country, to have dignity, to have respect, to have our own mere human rights, is as essential as life itself.” Tragically, in 1972, in an act of cowardice typical of Israeli forces, Kanfani was brutally murdered along with his 16-year old-niece Lamees. Kanafani was a warrior, slain for his dedication to the cause of freedom without which there can never be peace.
For over seven decades, Palestinians have been warriors in their fight for liberty. Palestinians fight for justice and liberation using whatever meager means at their disposal. The refusal of Representative Ocasio-Cortez to commemorate the Zionist war criminal Yitzhak Rabin is one more victory in this heroic fight.
Feature photo | Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin is surrounded by armed soldiers as he tours empty streets of Nablus, Israel-occupied West bank, Feb. 3, 1988, in Nablus. Ari Saris | AP