mintpressnews--2020-05-29--“Deadly Exchange”: America’s Racist Policing Has Roots in Israel

Racism and violence against people of color in the U.S. is nothing new .
In fact , the United States , with its claims to be “ the land of the free , ” has always been a racist , genocidal and violent state .
It was founded on genocide of the native people and on the backs African slaves .
The United States committed the most egregious war crimes in the history of mankind , including genocide , the use of nuclear weapons , destruction of democracies and support for murderous dictators around the world , and the list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days of the Union to this very day .
The state of Israel , which historically speaking is a new creation , was also founded on genocide and racism .
For close to one hundred years the Zionist movement which created Israel has been engaged in a brutal campaign to rid Palestine of its indegenous population and give the land to Jewish colonizers .
It should , therefore , come as no surprise that good relations exist between the United States and Israel .
There are countless areas of life in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence and interfere .
The Jewish Federation , the Anti-Defamation League , and AIPAC are the most commonly recognized but are only three out of countless organizations that operate throughout the fifty states and relentlessly pursue Israeli interests in all facets of American life .
These organizations interfere in U.S. elections by pouring money into the campaigns of pro-Israeli candidates ; they are engaged in heavily influencing the outcome of trials where the defendants are Arabs or Muslims , and they finance campaigns to edit and rewrite curricula in public schools so that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a way that supports the Zionist narrative .
As the video clip of a Minnesota police officer slowly and callously choking George Floyd to death went viral , many people , including myself , remembered Palestine .
Officer Derek Chauvin , who casually placed his knee on George Floyd ’ s neck , could have easily been an Israeli soldier or police officer holding down a Palestinian .
The way he just sat there , took a knee on Floyd ’ s neck , ignoring Floyd who repeatedly said he can not breathe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow him to breathe and ignoring the fact that the man under his knee was slowly suffocating to death made it clear that this cop was a predator and George Floyd was merely his prey .
This happens in America just as it happens in Palestine .
The similarities are no coincidence and they may well be the result of what has become known as the “ Deadly Exchange , ” a collaboration between the two racist states who see no problem in executing and watching the slow agonizing death of black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the name of a campaign to stop the collaboration between police departments across the United States and the state of Israel .
The campaign put out an extensive report that outlines the cooperation between law enforcement in the U.S. and Israel .
The report also lists the dangers and threats that this exchange poses to people of color in the United States .
Israel is wrongly heralded as a democracy facing perpetual threat .
In reality , it is an apartheid state and its security apparatus is dedicated neither to safety nor security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subjugation of Palestinians .
During training sessions in Israel , U.S. law enforcement delegations meet with Israeli military , police , and intelligence agencies .
They are given “ opportunities ” to learn about what Israel calls counterterrorism , but is in fact no more than “ refining methods of racial profiling.
” Cynically taking advantage of the 9/11 attacks , within months of the attacks , American law enforcement representatives set out to Israel for their first official training expeditions .
The purpose was to learn from Isreal ’ s so-called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as counter-terrorism .
Counter-Terrorism , it is worth noting here , is a euphemism for the violent means used to subjugate oppressed people .
The very first delegation to Israel , according to Deadly Exchange , included police chiefs and deputies from California , Texas , Maryland , Florida , and New York .
The delegation also included FBI and CIA agents , future ICE officers , and directors of New York City MTA security .
Among the sponsors of this exchange program are the Anti-Defamation League ( ADL ) , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , but in fact is dedicated to defamation of Arabs and Muslims , and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs ( JINSA ) .
JISNA claims it is dedicated to “ educating Congressional , military and civilian national security decision-makers on American defense and strategic interests , ” the cornerstone of which , according to JINSA , “ is a robust U.S.-Israeli security cooperation.
” Both groups are well funded Zionist organizations that are dedicated to promoting and defending Israeli violence and racism no matter what .
One of the many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is their propensity for systemic racism .
From the very beginning , Israel has imposed an apartheid regime in occupied Palestine and Palestinian citizens of Israel are subjected to systematic profiling .
This means that interactions with the Israeli police regularly lead to “ excessive and often lethal use of force deployed with impunity.
” Not unlike the United States where black and brown Americans make up the majority of the prison population , in Israeli prisons , Palestinian citizens of Israel represent a disproportionate number of those incarcerated .
A report in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens of Israel , who make up about 20 percent of the overall population , comprise over 40 percent of the prison population , in fact , according to Mekomit , only about a quarter of prisoners held in Israeli prisons are Jewish , and amongst minors being held in Israeli prisons , only about 13 percent are Jews .
If we include “ security prisoners , ” who come from the occupied Palestinian West Bank , Jerusalem , and Gaza Strip , the numbers are even more grotesque , raising the percentage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a staggering 73 percent .
Israeli policing utilizes an official policy where an entire population is guilty until proven innocent and naturally , this is part of the so-called counterterrorism training offered by Israel .
It reinforces institutionalized racial profiling and even the targeting of social movements that demand racial justice .
The Israeli government uses false claims of “ terrorism ” to treat all Palestinians as potential enemy combatants .
The excuse of terrorism is also used in order to subjugate Palestinians to a different system of laws , which inevitably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of incarceration .
The training Israel offers also includes methods to control the media .
Members of law enforcement who have received the training reported that they “ learned about how to intervene and shape media access and coverage of violence committed by the military and police.
” The Israeli methods taught include how to use the media as an arm of the government and “ reframe coverage of state violence.
” The Israeli government utilizes the office of the military censor to control all reporting on Israel ’ s use of force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other material before it can be made available to the public .
The IDF Spokesperson ’ s office which also yields power over Israeli journalists , acts as Israel ’ s de facto public relations office , restricting and shaping local coverage of what it considers to be “ security affairs.
” It should be noted that in Israel there is very little criticism when it comes to the work of the army and other security agencies and reporters work very closely with the military to present its violence against Palestinians as justified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is expressed in the most peaceful methods , is regularly reported as violence and borderline terrorism .
Israel has “ normalized ” the use of military force to stamp out popular protests , thus contributing to the undermining of basic civil rights of Palestinians .
These violent , forceful methods of controlling dissent are shown to the American police delegations through briefings and even live demonstrations .
The violent encounters black communities in the U.S. experience with the police have led many people to draw parallels between Palestinians and people of color in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real sense of solidarity between U.S. social movements and the Palestinian struggle for liberation , a solidarity that is increasingly becoming stronger and can potentially turn the tide of public opinion on this issue in the U.S .
In its report , the Deadly Exchange Campaign demands that “ the American government end its violence in the name of security.
” The report also states that “ We hope that local governments nationwide heed the calls from communities across Palestine and the United States to help build a world with real safety that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem .
He is the author of “ The General ’ s Son .
Journey of an Israeli in Palestine , ” and “ Injustice , the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five .
”

Racism and violence against people of color in the U.S. is nothing new. In fact, the United States, with its claims to be “the land of the free,” has always been a racist, genocidal and violent state. It was founded on genocide of the native people and on the backs African slaves. The United States committed the most egregious war crimes in the history of mankind, including genocide, the use of nuclear weapons, destruction of democracies and support for murderous dictators around the world, and the list goes on and on from the earliest days of the Union to this very day.
The state of Israel, which historically speaking is a new creation, was also founded on genocide and racism. For close to one hundred years the Zionist movement which created Israel has been engaged in a brutal campaign to rid Palestine of its indegenous population and give the land to Jewish colonizers. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that good relations exist between the United States and Israel.
There are countless areas of life in the U.S. in which Israel and various Zionist organizations influence and interfere. The Jewish Federation, the Anti-Defamation League, and AIPAC are the most commonly recognized but are only three out of countless organizations that operate throughout the fifty states and relentlessly pursue Israeli interests in all facets of American life.
These organizations interfere in U.S. elections by pouring money into the campaigns of pro-Israeli candidates; they are engaged in heavily influencing the outcome of trials where the defendants are Arabs or Muslims, and they finance campaigns to edit and rewrite curricula in public schools so that the Middle East is always taught in a way that supports the Zionist narrative.
A deadly exchange
As the video clip of a Minnesota police officer slowly and callously choking George Floyd to death went viral, many people, including myself, remembered Palestine. Officer Derek Chauvin, who casually placed his knee on George Floyd’s neck, could have easily been an Israeli soldier or police officer holding down a Palestinian. The way he just sat there, took a knee on Floyd’s neck, ignoring Floyd who repeatedly said he cannot breathe, ignoring Floyd as he begged him to allow him to breathe and ignoring the fact that the man under his knee was slowly suffocating to death made it clear that this cop was a predator and George Floyd was merely his prey.
This happens in America just as it happens in Palestine. The similarities are no coincidence and they may well be the result of what has become known as the “Deadly Exchange,” a collaboration between the two racist states who see no problem in executing and watching the slow agonizing death of black and brown people.
Deadly Exchange is the name of a campaign to stop the collaboration between police departments across the United States and the state of Israel. The campaign put out an extensive report that outlines the cooperation between law enforcement in the U.S. and Israel. The report also lists the dangers and threats that this exchange poses to people of color in the United States.
Israeli democracy and security
Israel is wrongly heralded as a democracy facing perpetual threat. In reality, it is an apartheid state and its security apparatus is dedicated neither to safety nor security as it claims, but rather to the subjugation of Palestinians. During training sessions in Israel, U.S. law enforcement delegations meet with Israeli military, police, and intelligence agencies. They are given “opportunities” to learn about what Israel calls counterterrorism, but is in fact no more than “refining methods of racial profiling.”
Cynically taking advantage of the 9/11 attacks, within months of the attacks, American law enforcement representatives set out to Israel for their first official training expeditions. The purpose was to learn from Isreal’s so-called “expertise” in what has become known as counter-terrorism. Counter-Terrorism, it is worth noting here, is a euphemism for the violent means used to subjugate oppressed people.
The very first delegation to Israel, according to Deadly Exchange, included police chiefs and deputies from California, Texas, Maryland, Florida, and New York. The delegation also included FBI and CIA agents, future ICE officers, and directors of New York City MTA security.
Among the sponsors of this exchange program are the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which claims to fight the defamation of Jewish people, but in fact is dedicated to defamation of Arabs and Muslims, and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA). JISNA claims it is dedicated to “educating Congressional, military and civilian national security decision-makers on American defense and strategic interests,” the cornerstone of which, according to JINSA, “is a robust U.S.-Israeli security cooperation.” Both groups are well funded Zionist organizations that are dedicated to promoting and defending Israeli violence and racism no matter what.
Systemic racism
One of the many similarities between Israel and the United States is their propensity for systemic racism. From the very beginning, Israel has imposed an apartheid regime in occupied Palestine and Palestinian citizens of Israel are subjected to systematic profiling. This means that interactions with the Israeli police regularly lead to “excessive and often lethal use of force deployed with impunity.”
Not unlike the United States where black and brown Americans make up the majority of the prison population, in Israeli prisons, Palestinian citizens of Israel represent a disproportionate number of those incarcerated. A report in the Israeli publication Mekomit states that Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up about 20 percent of the overall population, comprise over 40 percent of the prison population, in fact, according to Mekomit, only about a quarter of prisoners held in Israeli prisons are Jewish, and amongst minors being held in Israeli prisons, only about 13 percent are Jews.
If we include “security prisoners,” who come from the occupied Palestinian West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip, the numbers are even more grotesque, raising the percentage of Palestinians within the Israeli prison population to a staggering 73 percent.
Israeli policing utilizes an official policy where an entire population is guilty until proven innocent and naturally, this is part of the so-called counterterrorism training offered by Israel. It reinforces institutionalized racial profiling and even the targeting of social movements that demand racial justice.
The Israeli government uses false claims of “terrorism” to treat all Palestinians as potential enemy combatants. The excuse of terrorism is also used in order to subjugate Palestinians to a different system of laws, which inevitably leads to more policing and higher rates of incarceration.
Media
The training Israel offers also includes methods to control the media. Members of law enforcement who have received the training reported that they “learned about how to intervene and shape media access and coverage of violence committed by the military and police.” The Israeli methods taught include how to use the media as an arm of the government and “reframe coverage of state violence.”
The Israeli government utilizes the office of the military censor to control all reporting on Israel’s use of force. It also reviews all books and other material before it can be made available to the public. The IDF Spokesperson’s office which also yields power over Israeli journalists, acts as Israel’s de facto public relations office, restricting and shaping local coverage of what it considers to be “security affairs.”
It should be noted that in Israel there is very little criticism when it comes to the work of the army and other security agencies and reporters work very closely with the military to present its violence against Palestinians as justified. Palestinian dissent, even when it is expressed in the most peaceful methods, is regularly reported as violence and borderline terrorism.
Israel has “normalized” the use of military force to stamp out popular protests, thus contributing to the undermining of basic civil rights of Palestinians. These violent, forceful methods of controlling dissent are shown to the American police delegations through briefings and even live demonstrations.
Parallels to Palestine
The violent encounters black communities in the U.S. experience with the police have led many people to draw parallels between Palestinians and people of color in the United States. This created a real sense of solidarity between U.S. social movements and the Palestinian struggle for liberation, a solidarity that is increasingly becoming stronger and can potentially turn the tide of public opinion on this issue in the U.S.
In its report, the Deadly Exchange Campaign demands that “the American government end its violence in the name of security.” The report also states that “We hope that local governments nationwide heed the calls from communities across Palestine and the United States to help build a world with real safety that we all can inhabit with dignity.”
Feature photo | Israeli police frisk a Palestinian man in Jerusalem, Jan 29, 2020. Mahmoud Illean | AP
Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem. He is the author of “The General’s Son. Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and “Injustice, the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”


mintpressnews--2020-05-31--National Guard, Now Authorized to Use Live Ammo, Flood America’s Streets

The national security state and the military are joining forces with the police and national guard to counter the nationwide protest movement that has exploded since the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd on Monday .
In response to the police capitulation in Minneapolis , leaving their precinct to be burned down , Minnesota governor Tim Waltz has called on the National Guard to put down the revolt .
Already deployed in multiple states , over 10,000 guardsmen are scheduled to flood Minneapolis streets , representing the first time in its 164-year history that the organization has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to carry live ammunition .
While Waltz ’ s actions might appear drastic , it appears he is actually a moderating influence , as Washington is pushing him to put active duty military on the streets .
“ I think it ’ s really important again for folks to think about the uniqueness of our nation of protecting civil liberties is to make sure that civilian control of the military and especially inside the United States is carried out by civilians , by citizen soldiers by National Guard , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ military police from Fort Bragg , North Carolina , Fort Drum , New York , Fort Riley , Kansas and Fort Carson , Colorado , to be ready to be deployed potentially anywhere in the United States within a matter of hours .
Authorities also deployed a Predator Drone to Minneapolis to monitor the protests .
According to documents leaked to The Nation , the military is actively monitoring uprisings in six other states – New York , Ohio , Colorado , Arizona , Tennessee , and Kentucky .
Waltz revealed yesterday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military , receiving “ intelligence support of what they ’ re seeing , what they ’ re signal intercepting , they have obviously from N.S.A .
and others massive support to be able to see who these operators are.
” The N.S.A .
is supposed to be a purely foreign intelligence agency , but , as Edward Snowden revealed , the agency was conducting a massive spying operation both internationally and domestically .
Waltz later claimed that he misspoke when referencing the N.S.A .
by name .
Some National Guard members appear to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being deployed to oppose protestors .
One anonymous guardsman told The Nation ’ s Ken Klippenstein : “ We ’ re a combat unit not trained for riot control or safely handling civilians in this context .
Soldiers up and down the ranks are scared about hurting someone , and leaders are worried about soldiers ’ suffering liability , ” adding that , “ My [ colleagues ] are people of common sense and common decency .
They may not want to step over any lines when doing their jobs , but wanting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re under-trained and under-equipped.
” President Trump , however , appears very keen to see the National Guard respond to the protests .
“ I can ’ t stand back and watch this happen to a great American City , Minneapolis .
A total lack of leadership .
Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor , Jacob Frey , get his act together and bring the City under control , or I will send in the National Guard and get the job done right , ” he stated , adding that the rioting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s memory .
“ When the looting starts , the shooting starts .
Thank you !
” he concluded , clearly encouraging a violent crackdown against protestors .
The country ’ s police already resemble its heavily armed military .
Between 1998 and 2014 the value of military hardware given to U.S. police departments ballooned from $ 9.4 million to $ 796.8 million , with police departments across the country equipped with armored personnel carriers , tanks , and other machines appropriate only for a battlefield .
Police are also increasingly trained to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than members of the public they are serving .
The nationwide demonstrations flared up after video of Floyd ’ s murder went viral on social media .
Officer Derek Chauvin – somebody with a long history of police brutality ( including killing ) – can be seen suffocating a handcuffed Floyd for nearly nine minutes , including for nearly three minutes after he loses consciousness , despite onlookers pleading with him not to kill him .
Protests have erupted in dozens of locations across the United States and internationally , enraged by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught on camera .
On Friday , Chauvin was charged with third degree murder and manslaughter .
Both America ’ s police and army have serious problems with white supremacy .
The modern police force evolved from the slave patrol forces of the 18th and 19th centuries , and were a key force in maintaining and promoting white supremacy and the slave labor system .
Meanwhile , Matt Kennard ’ s book , Irregular Army , details how , after 9/11 , the U.S. military began actively recruiting from Neo-Nazi gangs and militias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The deep state has always attempted to infiltrate and derail struggles for civil rights ; the F.B.I .
infamously carried out a campaign of targeted assassinations against the black liberation movement between the 1960s and 1980s , even sending a letter to Martin Luther King Jr. telling him to kill himself .
It is unlikely , therefore , that the national security state ’ s reaction to these latest protests will be a positive one .
Feature photo | Minnesota National Guard walk past onlookers , May 29 , 2020 , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of George Floyd , who was murdered by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day .
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 @ @

The national security state and the military are joining forces with the police and national guard to counter the nationwide protest movement that has exploded since the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd on Monday.
In response to the police capitulation in Minneapolis, leaving their precinct to be burned down, Minnesota governor Tim Waltz has called on the National Guard to put down the revolt. Already deployed in multiple states, over 10,000 guardsmen are scheduled to flood Minneapolis streets, representing the first time in its 164-year history that the organization has been fully mobilized. They have been authorized to carry live ammunition. While Waltz’s actions might appear drastic, it appears he is actually a moderating influence, as Washington is pushing him to put active duty military on the streets.
“I think it’s really important again for folks to think about the uniqueness of our nation of protecting civil liberties is to make sure that civilian control of the military and especially inside the United States is carried out by civilians, by citizen soldiers by National Guard,” he said.
Yesterday, the Pentagon ordered soldiers and military police from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Fort Drum, New York, Fort Riley, Kansas and Fort Carson, Colorado, to be ready to be deployed potentially anywhere in the United States within a matter of hours. Authorities also deployed a Predator Drone to Minneapolis to monitor the protests.
According to documents leaked to The Nation, the military is actively monitoring uprisings in six other states – New York, Ohio, Colorado, Arizona, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Waltz revealed yesterday that he is already working closely with the military, receiving “intelligence support of what they’re seeing, what they’re signal intercepting, they have obviously from N.S.A. and others massive support to be able to see who these operators are.” The N.S.A. is supposed to be a purely foreign intelligence agency, but, as Edward Snowden revealed, the agency was conducting a massive spying operation both internationally and domestically. Waltz later claimed that he misspoke when referencing the N.S.A. by name.
Some National Guard members appear to be profoundly uncomfortable with the idea of being deployed to oppose protestors. One anonymous guardsman told The Nation’s Ken Klippenstein: “We’re a combat unit not trained for riot control or safely handling civilians in this context. Soldiers up and down the ranks are scared about hurting someone, and leaders are worried about soldiers’ suffering liability,” adding that, “My [colleagues] are people of common sense and common decency. They may not want to step over any lines when doing their jobs, but wanting only goes so far when you’re under-trained and under-equipped.”
President Trump, however, appears very keen to see the National Guard respond to the protests. “I can’t stand back and watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis. A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard and get the job done right,” he stated, adding that the rioting “thugs” were dishonoring Floyd’s memory. “When the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!” he concluded, clearly encouraging a violent crackdown against protestors.
The country’s police already resemble its heavily armed military. Between 1998 and 2014 the value of military hardware given to U.S. police departments ballooned from $9.4 million to $796.8 million, with police departments across the country equipped with armored personnel carriers, tanks, and other machines appropriate only for a battlefield. Police are also increasingly trained to view citizens as threats and criminals, rather than members of the public they are serving.
The nationwide demonstrations flared up after video of Floyd’s murder went viral on social media. Officer Derek Chauvin – somebody with a long history of police brutality (including killing) – can be seen suffocating a handcuffed Floyd for nearly nine minutes, including for nearly three minutes after he loses consciousness, despite onlookers pleading with him not to kill him. Protests have erupted in dozens of locations across the United States and internationally, enraged by the latest example of racist police brutality caught on camera. On Friday, Chauvin was charged with third degree murder and manslaughter.
Both America’s police and army have serious problems with white supremacy. The modern police force evolved from the slave patrol forces of the 18th and 19th centuries, and were a key force in maintaining and promoting white supremacy and the slave labor system. Meanwhile, Matt Kennard’s book, Irregular Army, details how, after 9/11, the U.S. military began actively recruiting from Neo-Nazi gangs and militias in order to fulfil its recruitment quotas. The deep state has always attempted to infiltrate and derail struggles for civil rights; the F.B.I. infamously carried out a campaign of targeted assassinations against the black liberation movement between the 1960s and 1980s, even sending a letter to Martin Luther King Jr. telling him to kill himself. It is unlikely, therefore, that the national security state’s reaction to these latest protests will be a positive one.
Feature photo | Minnesota National Guard walk past onlookers, May 29, 2020, in Minneapolis. Protests continued following the death of George Floyd, who was murdered by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. 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--2020-05-31--George Floyd Protests: Police Escalating Violence Across America

Six days after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd , asphyxiating him by keeping his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes , America is still burning with outrage .
Violent clashes have broken out across the nation as the killing has proven to be a catalyst for protests against a racist justice system .
While some in media have condemned the protests as violent “ looters ” imposing “ tyranny ” upon the country , much of the violence is being deliberately instigated and propagated by an out of control police force that appears to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their authority and their impunity to act as they wish .
In New York City , videos have emerged of 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 .
On Saturday evening , a second incident involving the NYPD driving into crowds of protestors also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protest situations is to escalate the violence themselves , hoping demonstrators will respond in kind , giving them an excuse to use even more excessive force .
At the Occupy Wall Street protests in 2011 , police intentionally verbally , physically and sexually assaulted the smallest , oldest and weakest women in an attempt to provoke violent reactions , according to former New York Times journalist Chris Hedges .
The tactic appears to be in operation across the country .
Memphis police were caught singling out a woman from a crowd , shouting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoodie ” before swarming her .
In Salt Lake City , police threw an elderly man with a cane to the ground .
In Seattle , cops brutalized a protester , one officer leaning his knee on the man ’ s neck in exactly the same manner as Chauvin used to kill Floyd .
In Houston , a mounted police officer trampled a female bystander looking the other way , as the horse advanced into a seemingly peaceful , passive crowd .
In Minneapolis , researcher Tanya Kersson shared video footage of amped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property , firing at her and her house .
Before doing so , an officer can be heard giving the order to “ light ‘ em up , ” an expression used by the military when bombing the Middle East .
Back in New York City , images emerged of police assaulting a young woman , Dounya Zayer , shouting that she was a “ stupid fucking bitch , ” before throwing her to the ground .
Footage shows she was quickly backing up , attempting to avoid confrontation .
Zayer ended up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cops in Erie , PA , were caught on camera kicking a young girl lying in the street in the face .
The reason , according to protesters , she was lying in the street covering her face was that she had been hit with tear gas .
Power and prestige appear to be no shield from police violence .
Hollywood actor John Cusack was also attacked .
Police officers reacted to him filming a burning car by running at him with batons and hitting his bike .
TV producer Andrew Kimmel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his car , as well as those of every other one in the parking lot .
Multiple elected officials have also reported being attacked by police .
Video of all these events has been included below .
Police also appear to be making a point to shut down reporting of the situation , as a huge amount of attacks on journalists have also been reported .
Minneapolis police shot freelance reporter Linda Tirado in the face , leaving her permanently blind in one eye .
Other journalists have also been shot ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WAVE , an NBC affiliate while she was reporting live on air .
The first response from the anchor in the TV studio was to ask if they realized she was a journalist , suggesting that shooting others with pepper bullets would be acceptable .
The reporter was actually standing well away from any action , appearing to be camped out near police lines .
Denver Post employees were also attacked while covering their local demonstrations .
Photographer Hyoung Chang noted that police aimed and shot him twice .
“ If it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was an accident , ” he said .
“ I ’ m very sure it was the same guy twice .
I ’ m very sure he pointed at me.
” Another Post employee , Elise Schmelzer was also targeted while wearing a reflective vest that read “ press.
” Los Angeles Times reporter Molly Hennessey-Fiske also reported that police attacked her and a group of other journalists , firing tear gas at point blank range at her .
A CBS news crew , completely alone in a deserted parking lot was set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at them , hitting their sound engineer .
Minnesota police also shot a Reuters crew on Saturday with rubber bullets , one being hit in the face , the other in the arm and the back of the neck , despite – or perhaps because – they were clearly labeled as journalists .
On Friday an entire CNN team , led by presenter Omar Jimenez was arrested by State Patrol troopers live on air , the images continuing to be broadcast to the nation even as Jimenez and his crew were led away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( an African-American ) was arrested by NYPD while covering the New York protests .
In a perhaps not unrelated incident , an NYPD officer was filmed making a white power hand gesture at protestors .
An Australian crew for Nine News was also arrested .
Perhaps most blatantly , however , Denver police threw a reporter into a burning fire for trying to take a picture of them .
The incident was caught on live television .
In many comparable countries , such as the United Kingdom , Ireland , Norway or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always unarmed .
Yet America ’ s cops are increasingly kitted out and trained as if they are special operations troops in a warzone filled with enemy combatants .
Increasingly , today ’ s cops more closely resemble Latin American death squads than their peers in Europe .
Between 1998 and 2014 the value of military hardware given to U.S. police departments ballooned from $ 9.4 million to $ 796.8 million .
Police departments now have access to armored personnel carriers , tanks , and other weapons of war .
Authorities even flew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bomb the Middle East over Minnesota earlier this week .
Police are also increasingly trained like and by soldiers , using tactics honed by groups like the Israeli Defense Forces when dealing with Palestinian citizens .
Thus , the oppression meted out abroad is increasingly being turned upon domestic opposition , and historically , the only way to maintain enormous levels of inequality , like those seen in today ’ s United States has been through violence .
Yet at the same time as budgets for police hardware have gone through the roof @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leading to a situation where police officers resemble robocop or Iron Man and doctors are told to wear garbage bags to protect themselves from a pandemic .
The National Guard has been deployed in multiple states , with over 10,000 troops scheduled to flood Minneapolis streets .
President Trump is encouraging them to open fire on whomever he deems as “ thugs ” and “ looters.
” “ When the looting starts , the shooting starts , ” he tweeted on Friday .
Thus , it appears the only response from authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police brutality .
The irony is that being a police officer is not a particularly dangerous job .
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that a myriad of professions are far more dangerous than law enforcement , including farming , groundskeeping , gardening , virtually any job to do with construction , steel working , mechanical engineering .
Being a pilot , a teamster , a trucker or even a bartender carries with it a greater risk of death on the job than policing .
Indeed , simply being self-employed or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lethal as being a police officer .
In contrast , death at the hands of police is a leading cause of death for men of color ( like George Floyd ) .
America ’ s police are able to use seemingly unlimited amounts of force , safe in the knowledge they will rarely if ever , be held to account .
For example , during a Friday rush hour traffic jam in December , instead of apprehending a pair of suspected robbers , 19 Miami police officers opened fire on a stationary hijacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it with bullets and killing its kidnapped driver , Frank Ordonez , plus another innocent bystander .
Such is the culture of deference to authority , however , that UPS immediately thanked the police for their actions .
Ordonez ’ s union certainly did not do the same , retorting that police “ murdered ” him .
Minnesota law enforcement officials have been especially immune from the consequences of their actions , being protected from justice by a succession of state prosecutors , including potential vice-president Amy Klobuchar .
Between 1999 and 2007 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than two dozen killer officers .
In 2006 , Chauvin himself killed another man , Wayne Reyes .
He was not charged and would go on to shoot and/or kill again multiple times , including on Monday .
Police appear to be relaxed about escalating scuffles into full-blown violent confrontations .
Indeed , if history is any judge , it may be exactly what they wish to occur .
Chauvin himself was only arrested for murder after it sparked worldwide outrage , and police continue to appear confident that any action they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up by the power of the state , regardless of how unjustifiable it was .
Feature photo |A policeman aims a shotgun at protesters during a demonstration next to the city of Miami Police Department , May 30 , 2020 , downtown in Miami .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

Six days after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd, asphyxiating him by keeping his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes, America is still burning with outrage. Violent clashes have broken out across the nation as the killing has proven to be a catalyst for protests against a racist justice system.
While some in media have condemned the protests as violent “looters” imposing “tyranny” upon the country, much of the violence is being deliberately instigated and propagated by an out of control police force that appears to have gone berserk over the widespread public challenge to their authority and their impunity to act as they wish.
NYPD hitting a protestor with a car door in BK. Wow it’s almost like this isn’t really about protecting the public. pic.twitter.com/9DTIv1QYe9 — Zeeshan Aleem (@ZeeshanAleem) May 30, 2020
In New York City, videos have emerged of 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. On Saturday evening, a second incident involving the NYPD driving into crowds of protestors also occurred.
Escalating police brutality
A common police tactic in protest situations is to escalate the violence themselves, hoping demonstrators will respond in kind, giving them an excuse to use even more excessive force. At the Occupy Wall Street protests in 2011, police intentionally verbally, physically and sexually assaulted the smallest, oldest and weakest women in an attempt to provoke violent reactions, according to former New York Times journalist Chris Hedges.
The tactic appears to be in operation across the country. Memphis police were caught singling out a woman from a crowd, shouting “get the girl in the grey hoodie” before swarming her. In Salt Lake City, police threw an elderly man with a cane to the ground. In Seattle, cops brutalized a protester, one officer leaning his knee on the man’s neck in exactly the same manner as Chauvin used to kill Floyd. In Houston, a mounted police officer trampled a female bystander looking the other way, as the horse advanced into a seemingly peaceful, passive crowd. In Minneapolis, researcher Tanya Kersson shared video footage of amped up police attacking her on her own property, firing at her and her house. Before doing so, an officer can be heard giving the order to “light ‘em up,” an expression used by the military when bombing the Middle East. Back in New York City, images emerged of police assaulting a young woman, Dounya Zayer, shouting that she was a “stupid fucking bitch,” before throwing her to the ground. Footage shows she was quickly backing up, attempting to avoid confrontation. Zayer ended up in the hospital due to her injuries. Cops in Erie, PA, were caught on camera kicking a young girl lying in the street in the face. The reason, according to protesters, she was lying in the street covering her face was that she had been hit with tear gas.
Power and prestige appear to be no shield from police violence. Hollywood actor John Cusack was also attacked. Police officers reacted to him filming a burning car by running at him with batons and hitting his bike. TV producer Andrew Kimmel alleges that Minneapolis police slashed the tires on his car, as well as those of every other one in the parking lot. Multiple elected officials have also reported being attacked by police. Video of all these events has been included below.
I tried to send this earlier but couldn’t in the chaos. A Memphis police officer is yelling “Somebody get her. Somebody get the girl in the gray hoodie.” Then they swarm. pic.twitter.com/MlJ5y8YYbs — Desiree Stennett 〽 (@Desi_Stennett) May 31, 2020
Salt Lake City cops shove down an elderly man with a cane for the crime of standing along the street: pic.twitter.com/PCLkHqQtJg — Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) May 31, 2020
Watch this. After a Seattle officer put his knee on the neck of someone he was helping arrest tonight, observers shouted for him to stop. Then the other officer reached over and physically pulled his partner's knee off the neck. https://t.co/lrLowpnXa3 — Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) May 31, 2020
Dont let them tell you it was peaceful in Downtown Houston #BlackLivesMatter #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/JWuCRfdlNT — ª (@vikthewild) May 30, 2020
Share widely: National guard and MPD sweeping our residential street. Shooting paint canisters at us on our own front porch. Yelling “light em up” #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #JusticeForGeorge #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/bW48imyt55 — Tanya Kerssen (@tkerssen) May 31, 2020
Update: Got her permission with a fuck yeah. The cop pushed her so hard at Barclays & she flung back. She is tiny. Now she’s in the ER after a serious seizure. I’m waiting for updates but have to wait outside because of COVID-19. Please keep my protest sister in your thoughts. pic.twitter.com/MqV0QJ0D8h — Whitney Hu 胡安行 (@whitney_hu) May 30, 2020
This is the officer. He threw my phone before throwing me. As you can see I was already backing up. All I asked was why. pic.twitter.com/8mct5GrztV — Dounya Zayer (@zayer_dounya) May 30, 2020
https://twitter.com/the7goonies/status/1266989439160590336
Cops didn’t like me filming the burning car so they came at me with batons. Hitting my bike.
Ahhm herea the audio pic.twitter.com/tfaOoVCw5v — John Cusack (@johncusack) May 31, 2020
She says she was walking home with her groceries when police fired some sort of pellet in her face. Says she’s not a protester. #DallasProtests pic.twitter.com/2IyO1S9j6n — Kevin Krause (@KevinRKrause) May 31, 2020
Minneapolis Police slashed every tire on my rental car, as well as every tire of every car in this parking lot. pic.twitter.com/lchFplYQ0n — Andrew Kimmel (@andrewkimmel) May 31, 2020
Attacks on Journalists
Police also appear to be making a point to shut down reporting of the situation, as a huge amount of attacks on journalists have also been reported. Minneapolis police shot freelance reporter Linda Tirado in the face, leaving her permanently blind in one eye. Other journalists have also been shot; Louisville police hit one local reporter for WAVE, an NBC affiliate while she was reporting live on air. The first response from the anchor in the TV studio was to ask if they realized she was a journalist, suggesting that shooting others with pepper bullets would be acceptable. The reporter was actually standing well away from any action, appearing to be camped out near police lines. Denver Post employees were also attacked while covering their local demonstrations. Photographer Hyoung Chang noted that police aimed and shot him twice. “If it was one shot, I can say it was an accident,” he said. “I’m very sure it was the same guy twice. I’m very sure he pointed at me.” Another Post employee, Elise Schmelzer was also targeted while wearing a reflective vest that read “press.” Los Angeles Times reporter Molly Hennessey-Fiske also reported that police attacked her and a group of other journalists, firing tear gas at point blank range at her. A CBS news crew, completely alone in a deserted parking lot was set upon by police, firing rubber bullets at them, hitting their sound engineer. Minnesota police also shot a Reuters crew on Saturday with rubber bullets, one being hit in the face, the other in the arm and the back of the neck, despite – or perhaps because – they were clearly labeled as journalists.
On Friday an entire CNN team, led by presenter Omar Jimenez was arrested by State Patrol troopers live on air, the images continuing to be broadcast to the nation even as Jimenez and his crew were led away in handcuffs. CNN commentator Keith Boykin (an African-American) was arrested by NYPD while covering the New York protests. In a perhaps not unrelated incident, an NYPD officer was filmed making a white power hand gesture at protestors. An Australian crew for Nine News was also arrested.
Perhaps most blatantly, however, Denver police threw a reporter into a burning fire for trying to take a picture of them. The incident was caught on live television.
an update: I am permanently blind in my left eye, and the docs absolutely refuse to let me go back to work for they say six weeks. I’m definitely not allowed to be near smoke or gas. Usually if I had to stay home I’d spend a lot of time amplifying folk but reading hurts today — Linda Tirado (@KillerMartinis) May 30, 2020
This just happened on live tv. Wow, what a douche bag. pic.twitter.com/dQKheEcCvb — Christopher Bishop (@ChrisBishopL1C4) May 30, 2020
Here's the full video of @CNN's crew being detained and arrested by the Minnesota State Patrol, live on @NewDay.pic.twitter.com/rmq1nutOiR — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 29, 2020
"I’ve covered protests involving police," writes @mollyhf from Minneapolis. "I’ve also covered the U.S. military in war zones, including Iraq and Afghanistan. I have never been fired at by police until tonight." https://t.co/v45qwv82S3 pic.twitter.com/7bcUtcLYIs — Los Angeles Times (@latimes) May 31, 2020
#denver police caught on camera throwing a reporter into a fire for trying to take a picture of the scene #DenverRiots #BlackLivesMatter #FTP pic.twitter.com/DRw5vKL0yI — Big T (@tessrmalle) May 31, 2020
This is the moment Minneapolis Police fired on our CBS News crew with rubber bullets. As you can see, no protesters anywhere near us- we all were wearing credentials and had cameras out. Our sound engineer was hit in the arm. #cbsnews pic.twitter.com/UAy7HYhGnL — Michael George (@MikeGeorgeCBS) May 31, 2020
Tonight I was shot in the arm and the back of my neck with rubber bullets in the middle of covering the Minneapolis protests. My security advisor was shot in the face; his gas mask protected him. Here’s what happened: https://t.co/fwwVLAxFIY Here’s what it looks like: pic.twitter.com/UwSBqpHv5N — Julio-César Chávez (@JulioCesrChavez) May 31, 2020
https://twitter.com/RetiredMaybe/status/1266940818545401856
America’s Militarized Police Force
In many comparable countries, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway or New Zealand, regular police officers are always unarmed. Yet America’s cops are increasingly kitted out and trained as if they are special operations troops in a warzone filled with enemy combatants. Increasingly, today’s cops more closely resemble Latin American death squads than their peers in Europe. Between 1998 and 2014 the value of military hardware given to U.S. police departments ballooned from $9.4 million to $796.8 million. Police departments now have access to armored personnel carriers, tanks, and other weapons of war. Authorities even flew a Predator Drone like those used to bomb the Middle East over Minnesota earlier this week. Police are also increasingly trained like and by soldiers, using tactics honed by groups like the Israeli Defense Forces when dealing with Palestinian citizens. Thus, the oppression meted out abroad is increasingly being turned upon domestic opposition, and historically, the only way to maintain enormous levels of inequality, like those seen in today’s United States has been through violence. Yet at the same time as budgets for police hardware have gone through the roof, funding for public hospitals has decreased, leading to a situation where police officers resemble robocop or Iron Man and doctors are told to wear garbage bags to protect themselves from a pandemic.
The National Guard has been deployed in multiple states, with over 10,000 troops scheduled to flood Minneapolis streets. President Trump is encouraging them to open fire on whomever he deems as “thugs” and “looters.” “When the looting starts, the shooting starts,” he tweeted on Friday. Thus, it appears the only response from authorities to protests about police brutality is more police brutality.
The irony is that being a police officer is not a particularly dangerous job. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that a myriad of professions are far more dangerous than law enforcement, including farming, groundskeeping, gardening, virtually any job to do with construction, steel working, mechanical engineering. Being a pilot, a teamster, a trucker or even a bartender carries with it a greater risk of death on the job than policing. Indeed, simply being self-employed or working at all past 65 is as lethal as being a police officer. In contrast, death at the hands of police is a leading cause of death for men of color (like George Floyd).
A culture of impunity
America’s police are able to use seemingly unlimited amounts of force, safe in the knowledge they will rarely if ever, be held to account. For example, during a Friday rush hour traffic jam in December, instead of apprehending a pair of suspected robbers, 19 Miami police officers opened fire on a stationary hijacked UPS truck from all angles, riddling it with bullets and killing its kidnapped driver, Frank Ordonez, plus another innocent bystander. Such is the culture of deference to authority, however, that UPS immediately thanked the police for their actions. Ordonez’s union certainly did not do the same, retorting that police “murdered” him.
Minnesota law enforcement officials have been especially immune from the consequences of their actions, being protected from justice by a succession of state prosecutors, including potential vice-president Amy Klobuchar. Between 1999 and 2007, she declined to bring charges against more than two dozen killer officers. In 2006, Chauvin himself killed another man, Wayne Reyes. He was not charged and would go on to shoot and/or kill again multiple times, including on Monday.
Police appear to be relaxed about escalating scuffles into full-blown violent confrontations. Indeed, if history is any judge, it may be exactly what they wish to occur. Chauvin himself was only arrested for murder after it sparked worldwide outrage, and police continue to appear confident that any action they take while in uniform will be backed up by the power of the state, regardless of how unjustifiable it was.
Feature photo |A policeman aims a shotgun at protesters during a demonstration next to the city of Miami Police Department, May 30, 2020, downtown in Miami.
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--2020-06-01--Lawyers of George Floyd Family to Open UN Human Rights Case, Seek Sanctions Against US

Over the past few months , the latest in a long history of extrajudicial killings of Black Americans has claimed the lives of three people : Ahmaud Arbery , a 25-year old man gunned down in February by a gang of armed white men who chased him through a South Georgia neighborhood ; Breonna Taylor , massacred in her own home by police officers who were serving a no-knock warrant on her apartment last March in relation to a drug case that had nothing to do with the budding 26-year old emergency room technician ; and finally , George Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer was graphically recorded on video and has now sparked national rage on a level never seen in this century .
The common denominator of all of these patently evil incidents is , of course , the color of the victims ’ skin .
Racial tension in this country is more American than apple pie and nothing confirms this more than the excruciatingly slow and protracted process to emerge from the foundational tenets of slavery , which built it .
It was only in the 1960s , a time still in living memory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planet , that African Americans were afforded some measure of civil rights beyond that of a house pet .
Yet , even these meager advances have only been begrudgingly accepted by entrenched White supremacist attitudes , which don ’ t always require a matching dermal tint to manifest .
The police , however , are among the least subtle agents of the structural racism that courses through the veins of America .
No one privy to their behavior since the merciless beating of Rodney King can deny just how bad things have always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the camera lens .
But now , with literally millions of cameras to catch these disgraceful acts of wonton , state-sponsored violence we have reached critical mass .
Lee Merritt and Benjamin Crump , attorneys for the families of the three victims of police brutality mentioned above , have announced that they intend to bring a case before the United Nation Human Rights Committee on behalf of their clients and seek sanctions against the United States for violating the human rights of African Americans .
Should they be successful in this legal endeavor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant .
But certainly not new .
Other minority groups have attempted a similar tack , such as the Native American community of Standing Rock , which tried – but failed – to bring a similar suit against the United States through the OAS in 2016 .
Another hurdle for Merritt , a civil rights attorney himself , and Crump , is the fact that Donald Trump pulled out of the UN human rights council in 2018 , leaving the question of how far-reaching any potential judgment in favor of the families may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the global spotlight that George Floyd ’ s murder and the subsequent social unrest has that is has brought upon the U.S. to bring such a case before an international body like the UN may have a ripple effect throughout the world and open other avenues to hold the U.S. accountable for its continued treatment of African Americans and other minorities .
If there ever was a clear cut case for human rights abuse , it is the ongoing and pervasive disregard for communities of color by the police and concomitant prison-judicial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time that the world looks at this country ’ s track record on these issues and does everything possible to stop it .
Keep the Pressure On Even as the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police receives non-stop national and international coverage , the same behind-the-scenes forces that perpetuate the problem are working to deprive Floyd ’ s family of the justice they deserve .
From the outrageous coroner ’ s report that partially attributed the death of a man executed on video to “ underlying health conditions , and any potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ridiculous third-degree murder charge initially levied on the killer , historical precedent demands that we not allow this to become another news story we remember the next time it happens .
In an interview about the case with RT at the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis , Lee Merritt expressed surprise that officer Chauvin , who killed George Floyd was arrested so quickly , but made sure to underscore the fact that he , as the attorney representing the Floyd family in the case , had yet to see Chauvin ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the disgraced police officer had actually been apprehended .
“ I ’ m not even sure that the man is in custody , ” said Merritt , adding that he questions whether the speedy announcement of his arrest was made to “ pacify the crowds ” instead of providing any kind of justice .
Feature photo | Lee Merritt , a lawyer representing the family of Ahmaud Arbery , poses for a photo by a mural in the likeness of Arbery painted by artist Theo Ponchaveli in Dallas , May 9 , @ @ @ @ @ @

Over the past few months, the latest in a long history of extrajudicial killings of Black Americans has claimed the lives of three people: Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year old man gunned down in February by a gang of armed white men who chased him through a South Georgia neighborhood; Breonna Taylor, massacred in her own home by police officers who were serving a no-knock warrant on her apartment last March in relation to a drug case that had nothing to do with the budding 26-year old emergency room technician; and finally, George Floyd, whose murder by a Minneapolis police officer was graphically recorded on video and has now sparked national rage on a level never seen in this century.
The common denominator of all of these patently evil incidents is, of course, the color of the victims’ skin. Racial tension in this country is more American than apple pie and nothing confirms this more than the excruciatingly slow and protracted process to emerge from the foundational tenets of slavery, which built it.
It was only in the 1960s, a time still in living memory of most human beings currently inhabiting this planet, that African Americans were afforded some measure of civil rights beyond that of a house pet. Yet, even these meager advances have only been begrudgingly accepted by entrenched White supremacist attitudes, which don’t always require a matching dermal tint to manifest.
The police, however, are among the least subtle agents of the structural racism that courses through the veins of America. No one privy to their behavior since the merciless beating of Rodney King can deny just how bad things have always been for the African American community behind the camera lens. But now, with literally millions of cameras to catch these disgraceful acts of wonton, state-sponsored violence we have reached critical mass.
A Case for the Age
Lee Merritt and Benjamin Crump, attorneys for the families of the three victims of police brutality mentioned above, have announced that they intend to bring a case before the United Nation Human Rights Committee on behalf of their clients and seek sanctions against the United States for violating the human rights of African Americans.
Should they be successful in this legal endeavor, it would be almost unprecedented and significant. But certainly not new. Other minority groups have attempted a similar tack, such as the Native American community of Standing Rock, which tried – but failed – to bring a similar suit against the United States through the OAS in 2016. Another hurdle for Merritt, a civil rights attorney himself, and Crump, is the fact that Donald Trump pulled out of the UN human rights council in 2018, leaving the question of how far-reaching any potential judgment in favor of the families may ultimately be.
Nevertheless, taking advantage of the global spotlight that George Floyd’s murder and the subsequent social unrest that it has brought upon the U.S. to bring such a case before an international body like the UN may have a ripple effect throughout the world and open other avenues to hold the U.S. accountable for its continued treatment of African Americans and other minorities.
If there ever was a clear cut case for human rights abuse, it is the ongoing and pervasive disregard for communities of color by the police and concomitant prison-judicial complex in America. It is high time that the world looks at this country’s track record on these issues and does everything possible to stop it.
Keep the Pressure On
Even as the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police receives non-stop national and international coverage, the same behind-the-scenes forces that perpetuate the problem are working to deprive Floyd’s family of the justice they deserve. From the outrageous coroner’s report that partially attributed the death of a man executed on video to “underlying health conditions, and any potential intoxicants in his system,” to the ridiculous third-degree murder charge initially levied on the killer, historical precedent demands that we not allow this to become another news story we remember the next time it happens.
In an interview about the case with RT at the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis, Lee Merritt expressed surprise that officer Chauvin, who killed George Floyd was arrested so quickly, but made sure to underscore the fact that he, as the attorney representing the Floyd family in the case, had yet to see Chauvin’s mug shot or any other evidence that the disgraced police officer had actually been apprehended. “I’m not even sure that the man is in custody,” said Merritt, adding that he questions whether the speedy announcement of his arrest was made to “pacify the crowds” instead of providing any kind of justice.
Feature photo | Lee Merritt, a lawyer representing the family of Ahmaud Arbery, poses for a photo by a mural in the likeness of Arbery painted by artist Theo Ponchaveli in Dallas, May 9, 2020. Tony Gutierrez | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-06-01--Lessons from Palestine: America’s People of Color Need a Sustained Resistance Movement

Will Smith was quoted saying that racism isn ’ t getting worse , it ’ s getting filmed , and indeed , it is being filmed a lot lately .
No sooner did we begin to recover from one victim of racist violence , the next victim is slain .
Just as we began to wrap our heads around the murder of Breonna Taylor , we saw the lynching-murder of Ahmaud Arbery , and then came the murder of George Floyd .
It ’ s interesting that the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd took place in broad daylight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught on camera , meaning that the perpetrators felt they could act with impunity .
It is also clear that it was the public outcry and the use of social media platforms in the wake of these murders that drove the authorities to act .
Without being filmed and without demands for justice , the perpetrators would probably not have been held accountable .
In Palestine , within a manner of days , the Israeli authorities shot three people , killing two .
Two of the three were young Palestinian men with special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had no history of violence much less aggressive behavior , yet they were shot .
Ahmad Tamimi from Nabi Saleh , a young man whom I have known for many years , was shot in the leg and thankfully was not killed .
This was after another man , Fadi Adnan Sarhan Samara , a father of five from the village of Abu Qash north of Ramallah , was killed by Israeli forces not far from the village of Nabi Saleh .
The other man is Iyad Khairi Hallak , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can expect that none of the soldiers or police officers involved in these shootings will face a court of law , or even a reprimand .
As these words are being written , it seems as though the United States is in the midst of an uprising .
Not rioting as some describe it , but a real uprising .
From Minneapolis to Miami , From Los Angeles to Washington D.C. , people are rising and more cities across the United States are joining every hour , and they demand justice .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence .
However , racism and violence are such an integral part of the United States that one has to wonder if a change is even possible .
Racism and violence are the driving force , they are the foundational pillars of the United States .
From the genocide of the Native Americans to the mass murders in Iraq and Afghanistan , the American empire has been fueled by greed and due to the racist attitudes and violent nature of the empire , it managed to become the force that it is today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim that the current expressions of racism in the U.S. are new and unrelated to American history .
It would be equally naive to think that anything less than structural change will make a difference .
If the current uprising is able to sustain itself and then meet and negotiate with representatives of the government to bring about systemic change , then there is a chance that things will be different in America .
With presidential elections just around the corner , COVID-19 and the health care crisis together with the government ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be an opportunity .
The questions remain as to how centralized the uprising is and how long it can be sustained .
There are lessons that can be learned from the Palestinian experience .
Palestinians , not unlike people of color in America , have experienced broken promises , have been on the receiving end of rampant incitement , subjected to racist laws , and are on the receiving end of military and police violence .
One important lesson to be learned from the Palestinian experience is that it is not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a racist regime .
Israel is an apartheid state that was imposed on Palestinians and gives privilege to Jewish settlers at the expense of the Palestinian native population .
Furthermore , for the better part of the last hundred years , the state of Israel and its predecessor , the Zionist establishment in Palestine , have been engaged in a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinian people .
All attempts by Palestinians to recognize the legitimacy or to negotiate with the Zionist state have made things progressively worse for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point where it is almost widely understood and accepted that justice for Palestinians can only be reached once the Zionist apartheid state is dismantled and a democratic state that guarantees equal rights , one person one vote and the of the refugees to return is established in its place .
It has become clear that the settler-colonizer establishment , aka Israel , must be dismantled before Palestine will experience justice and peace .
The clearest and indeed the only sustained Palestinian demands for justice are expressed in the call for boycott divestment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The demands include an end to the Israeli military rule , equal rights for Palestinians , and the return of the refugees .
The demands are clear , reasonable , uncompromising , and achievable .
In the United States , the legal system of apartheid may have been dismantled but it was replaced with another repressive system that only pretends to offer freedom and opportunity for all .
The current system , in fact , works to keep people of color , and any other groups that the white patriarchy currently steering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the circle of opportunity .
The notion of an ongoing resistance by people of color in the United States sounds outlandish but might be what is needed in order to rid America of its racist and violent attitudes towards people of color .
This will require a sustained resistance and a clear list of demands , similar to the Palestinian call for boycott divestment and sanctions , or BDS .
It is remarkable that in spite of systemic racism and violence towards people of color in America , the accomplishments and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States are remarkable .
It is hard to think of a field in which the names of African American , Latino , Arab or Asian Americans do not appear at the top .
This leverage may have to be utilized to bring about the systemic change needed .
Be it in Georgia , Minneapolis , Jerusalem , or Ramallah , the victims pile up and one wonders if enough is ever going to be enough .
Feature photo | Black Lives Matter protesters wave a Palestinian flag during a march ahead of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latif | Reuters Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem .
He is the author of “ The General ’ s Son .
Journey of an Israeli in Palestine , ” and “ Injustice , the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five .
”

Will Smith was quoted saying that racism isn’t getting worse, it’s getting filmed, and indeed, it is being filmed a lot lately. No sooner did we begin to recover from one victim of racist violence, the next victim is slain. Just as we began to wrap our heads around the murder of Breonna Taylor, we saw the lynching-murder of Ahmaud Arbery, and then came the murder of George Floyd. It’s interesting that the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd took place in broad daylight, in plain view, and were caught on camera, meaning that the perpetrators felt they could act with impunity.
It is also clear that it was the public outcry and the use of social media platforms in the wake of these murders that drove the authorities to act. Without being filmed and without demands for justice, the perpetrators would probably not have been held accountable.
In Palestine, within a manner of days, the Israeli authorities shot three people, killing two. Two of the three were young Palestinian men with special needs. They posed no threat, they had no history of violence much less aggressive behavior, yet they were shot. Ahmad Tamimi from Nabi Saleh, a young man whom I have known for many years, was shot in the leg and thankfully was not killed. This was after another man, Fadi Adnan Sarhan Samara, a father of five from the village of Abu Qash north of Ramallah, was killed by Israeli forces not far from the village of Nabi Saleh.
The other man is Iyad Khairi Hallak, who was shot and killed in Jerusalem. One can expect that none of the soldiers or police officers involved in these shootings will face a court of law, or even a reprimand.
An uprising
As these words are being written, it seems as though the United States is in the midst of an uprising. Not rioting as some describe it, but a real uprising. From Minneapolis to Miami, From Los Angeles to Washington D.C., people are rising and more cities across the United States are joining every hour, and they demand justice. They demand an end to racism and state-sponsored violence. However, racism and violence are such an integral part of the United States that one has to wonder if a change is even possible.
Racism and violence are the driving force, they are the foundational pillars of the United States. From the genocide of the Native Americans to the mass murders in Iraq and Afghanistan, the American empire has been fueled by greed and due to the racist attitudes and violent nature of the empire, it managed to become the force that it is today.
It would be a lie to claim that the current expressions of racism in the U.S. are new and unrelated to American history. It would be equally naive to think that anything less than structural change will make a difference. If the current uprising is able to sustain itself and then meet and negotiate with representatives of the government to bring about systemic change, then there is a chance that things will be different in America. With presidential elections just around the corner, COVID-19 and the health care crisis together with the government’s inability to demonstrate control, this might be an opportunity. The questions remain as to how centralized the uprising is and how long it can be sustained.
Lessons from Palestine
There are lessons that can be learned from the Palestinian experience. Palestinians, not unlike people of color in America, have experienced broken promises, have been on the receiving end of rampant incitement, subjected to racist laws, and are on the receiving end of military and police violence.
One important lesson to be learned from the Palestinian experience is that it is not only pointless but extremely damaging to negotiate with a racist regime. Israel is an apartheid state that was imposed on Palestinians and gives privilege to Jewish settlers at the expense of the Palestinian native population. Furthermore, for the better part of the last hundred years, the state of Israel and its predecessor, the Zionist establishment in Palestine, have been engaged in a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinian people.
All attempts by Palestinians to recognize the legitimacy or to negotiate with the Zionist state have made things progressively worse for the Palestinians. Things have reached the point where it is almost widely understood and accepted that justice for Palestinians can only be reached once the Zionist apartheid state is dismantled and a democratic state that guarantees equal rights, one person one vote and the of the refugees to return is established in its place. It has become clear that the settler-colonizer establishment, aka Israel, must be dismantled before Palestine will experience justice and peace.
The clearest and indeed the only sustained Palestinian demands for justice are expressed in the call for boycott divestment and sanctions, or BDS, against Israel. The demands include an end to the Israeli military rule, equal rights for Palestinians, and the return of the refugees. The demands are clear, reasonable, uncompromising, and achievable.
The United States of Apartheid America
In the United States, the legal system of apartheid may have been dismantled but it was replaced with another repressive system that only pretends to offer freedom and opportunity for all. The current system, in fact, works to keep people of color, and any other groups that the white patriarchy currently steering the United States does not favor, out of the circle of opportunity.
The notion of an ongoing resistance by people of color in the United States sounds outlandish but might be what is needed in order to rid America of its racist and violent attitudes towards people of color. This will require a sustained resistance and a clear list of demands, similar to the Palestinian call for boycott divestment and sanctions, or BDS.
It is remarkable that in spite of systemic racism and violence towards people of color in America, the accomplishments and contributions they have made in the United States are remarkable. It is hard to think of a field in which the names of African American, Latino, Arab or Asian Americans do not appear at the top. This leverage may have to be utilized to bring about the systemic change needed.
Be it in Georgia, Minneapolis, Jerusalem, or Ramallah, the victims pile up and one wonders if enough is ever going to be enough.
Feature photo | Black Lives Matter protesters wave a Palestinian flag during a march ahead of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Adrees Latif | Reuters
Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem. He is the author of “The General’s Son. Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and “Injustice, the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”


mintpressnews--2020-06-01--Agent Provocateurs: Police at Protests All Over the Country Caught Destroying Property

The United States is on fire .
Since the police killing of George Floyd on May 26 , millions have taken to the streets in protest , clashing with police .
At least 11 people have died , and thousands have been arrested .
15 states ( plus Washington , D.C. ) have called in the National Guard to quash protests raging in over 100 cities .
Violence has been widespread , particularly in the epicenter Minneapolis , where Floyd was killed , with buildings engulfed in flames , stores looted and vehicles destroyed .
While protestors are undoubtedly responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s law enforcement officials have also been caught multiple times sabotaging and destroying property as well , presumably in an attempt to escalate the situation or to defame the protests .
In Seattle , police were caught on camera smashing through the door of a local Target , seemingly far away from any conflict or commotion .
In Boston , video circulated appears to show multiple police officers destroying their own car .
In San Bernardino , CA , protestors claim they held four hours of peaceful demonstrations until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area was engulfed in flames .
In Chicago , images show a group of police swarm a car , hitting it with clubs .
Eyewitnesses say they were looking for looters but they attacked the wrong vehicle anyway .
Earlier this week there was also the suspicious case of the Minnesota vandal dubbed “ Umbrella Man.
” Video shows the oddly dressed individual methodically smashing the windows of an Autozone store .
Umbrella Man was immediately identified as Jacob Pederson of the Minneapolis Police Department by online sleuths and real-life acquaintances , something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond doubt , however , is that police all over the world commonly use agent provocateurs to undermine protests .
During the 2009 G20 protests in the United Kingdom , authorities used undercover agents to blend into crowds , spying on them .
Police also regularly pose as members of the masked anarchist group Black Bloc , attempting to incite riots .
At a 2016 anti-austerity demonstration in Montreal , officers were exposed and fled the protest .
While the level to which police themselves are destroying property is debatable , what is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at many protests .
In Houston , a mounted police officer trampled a female bystander looking the other way at an otherwise passive protest .
In New York , videos of multiple cars driving through and over scores of protestors went viral .
An NYPD officer also attacked a retreating young woman , shouting that she was a “ fucking bitch ” as he threw her to the ground .
She ended up in the hospital with her injuries .
Law enforcement in Erie , PA , were caught on camera kicking a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the face .
The reason she was lying in the street covering her face , according to protestors , was that she was incapacitated due to tear gas .
The police also appear to be making a point of attacking journalists .
Denver police threw a reporter into a burning fire for getting too close to them .
Minneapolis cops shot freelance reporter Linda Tirado in the face , leaving her permanently blind in one eye .
Minnesota police also shot a Reuters crew on Saturday with rubber bullets , one being hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arm , and the back of the neck .
Los Angeles Times reporter Molly Hennessey-Fiske also reported that police attacked her and a group of other journalists , firing tear gas at point-blank range at her .
A CBS News crew , totally alone in a quiet parking lot was set upon by armed officers firing rubber bullets at them , hitting their sound engineer .
Regardless , it is doubtful whether there will be any legal consequences for the police involved in these situations as law enforcement operates under a culture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Derek Chauvin – Floyd ’ s killer – for example , was protected by successive state prosecutors in Minnesota , despite multiple times shooting , and in one case , killing civilians while in uniform .
If police can often get away with murder , property damage will likely be no big deal .
Feature photo | A policeman walks in front of a burning vehicle as protesters demonstrate , May 30 , 2020 , in Salt Lake City .
Rick Bowmer | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

The United States is on fire. Since the police killing of George Floyd on May 26, millions have taken to the streets in protest, clashing with police. At least 11 people have died, and thousands have been arrested. 15 states (plus Washington, D.C.) have called in the National Guard to quash protests raging in over 100 cities. Violence has been widespread, particularly in the epicenter Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed, with buildings engulfed in flames, stores looted and vehicles destroyed.
While protestors are undoubtedly responsible for some share of the destruction, the country’s law enforcement officials have also been caught multiple times sabotaging and destroying property as well, presumably in an attempt to escalate the situation or to defame the protests.
In Seattle, police were caught on camera smashing through the door of a local Target, seemingly far away from any conflict or commotion.
WHY IS SEATTLE POLICE DESTROYING PROPERTY PLEASE EMAIL TO SPD pic.twitter.com/VYUdt4CwRV — madison (@macaronimadi) May 31, 2020
In Boston, video circulated appears to show multiple police officers destroying their own car.
https://twitter.com/realDavidOnline/status/1267313633391869953
In San Bernardino, CA, protestors claim they held four hours of peaceful demonstrations until the police arrived, at which point the area was engulfed in flames.
https://twitter.com/itsablurrsir/status/1267307186767556608
In Chicago, images show a group of police swarm a car, hitting it with clubs. Eyewitnesses say they were looking for looters but they attacked the wrong vehicle anyway.
Chicago Police smash car windows of suspected store looters. An eye witness says police got the wrong car pic.twitter.com/CeKPjJYM6U — Kollege Kidd (@KollegeKidd) May 31, 2020
Earlier this week there was also the suspicious case of the Minnesota vandal dubbed “Umbrella Man.” Video shows the oddly dressed individual methodically smashing the windows of an Autozone store. Umbrella Man was immediately identified as Jacob Pederson of the Minneapolis Police Department by online sleuths and real-life acquaintances, something the police have denied.
What is beyond doubt, however, is that police all over the world commonly use agent provocateurs to undermine protests. During the 2009 G20 protests in the United Kingdom, authorities used undercover agents to blend into crowds, spying on them. Police also regularly pose as members of the masked anarchist group Black Bloc, attempting to incite riots. At a 2016 anti-austerity demonstration in Montreal, officers were exposed and fled the protest.
Escalating Violence
While the level to which police themselves are destroying property is debatable, what is not is that they have escalated violence at many protests. In Houston, a mounted police officer trampled a female bystander looking the other way at an otherwise passive protest. In New York, videos of multiple cars driving through and over scores of protestors went viral.
An NYPD officer also attacked a retreating young woman, shouting that she was a “fucking bitch” as he threw her to the ground. She ended up in the hospital with her injuries.
Update: Got her permission with a fuck yeah. The cop pushed her so hard at Barclays & she flung back. She is tiny. Now she’s in the ER after a serious seizure. I’m waiting for updates but have to wait outside because of COVID-19. Please keep my protest sister in your thoughts. pic.twitter.com/MqV0QJ0D8h — Whitney Hu 胡安行 – #DefundTheNYPD #AbolishPolice (@whitney_hu) May 30, 2020
Law enforcement in Erie, PA, were caught on camera kicking a young girl lying in the street in the face. The reason she was lying in the street covering her face, according to protestors, was that she was incapacitated due to tear gas.
Erie, PA cop viciously kicks a woman while she sits on the floor covering her face, this is insane pic.twitter.com/UoZPgw8mMo — Denis (@Gramatik) May 31, 2020
The police also appear to be making a point of attacking journalists. Denver police threw a reporter into a burning fire for getting too close to them. Minneapolis cops shot freelance reporter Linda Tirado in the face, leaving her permanently blind in one eye. Minnesota police also shot a Reuters crew on Saturday with rubber bullets, one being hit in the face, the other in the arm, and the back of the neck. Los Angeles Times reporter Molly Hennessey-Fiske also reported that police attacked her and a group of other journalists, firing tear gas at point-blank range at her. A CBS News crew, totally alone in a quiet parking lot was set upon by armed officers firing rubber bullets at them, hitting their sound engineer.
Regardless, it is doubtful whether there will be any legal consequences for the police involved in these situations as law enforcement operates under a culture of immunity from prosecution or even censure. Derek Chauvin – Floyd’s killer – for example, was protected by successive state prosecutors in Minnesota, despite multiple times shooting, and in one case, killing civilians while in uniform. If police can often get away with murder, property damage will likely be no big deal.
Feature photo | A policeman walks in front of a burning vehicle as protesters demonstrate, May 30, 2020, in Salt Lake City. Rick Bowmer | 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.