democracynow--2020-06-15--The Killing of Rayshard Brooks: Atlanta Police Shoot Dead Unarmed Man Who Fell Asleep in His Own Car

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : Today marks the 20th straight day of nationwide uprising against police brutality and racism .
It was sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
As calls to defund the police grow , another Black man was killed by a white police officer on Friday , this time in Atlanta .
Twenty-seven-year-old Rayshard Brooks was asleep in his car at a Wendy ’ s fast-food restaurant drive-thru when a police officer arrived on the scene to ask him to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on surveillance camera and by a witness .
A warning to our listeners and viewers : We ’ re about to play graphic video of police violence .
The officer , Devin Brosnan , called for backup , and a second officer , Garrett Rolfe , arrived .
The police questioned Brooks , patted him down , with his assent , and gave him a breathalyzer test , which he failed .
Rayshard Brooks asked the officers if he could lock his car and walk to his sister ’ s house a short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quote , “ I can just go home.
” Instead , the officers attempted to handcuff Brooks , at which point he began to resist and try to escape .
One of the officers , Garrett Rolfe , fired a stun gun at Brooks , who then managed to take the other officer ’ s stun gun and run away .
Garrett Rolfe then fired three gunshots at Rayshard Brooks , who was pronounced dead at the hospital later that night .
The autopsy showed the officer shot Brooks twice in the back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruled Brooks ’ death a homicide .
Less than 24 hours after the shooting , Atlanta ’ s Police Chief Erika Shields resigned .
Garrett Rolfe , the officer who killed Brooks , has been fired , and the second officer placed on administrative leave .
The Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard criticized the officer ’ s use of deadly force , saying , quote , “ [ Brooks ] did not seem to present any kind of threat to anyone , and so the fact that it would escalate to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The DA is expected to announce this week whether any charges will be filed , and is now considering murder charges .
Chris Stewart , a lawyer for the Brooks family , said the police can not claim a Taser is a deadly weapon .
AMY GOODMAN : Atlanta erupted in mass protest over the weekend as demonstrators shut down the freeway to demand justice for Rayshard Brooks .
The Wendy ’ s where he was murdered was burned to the ground .
Rayshard Brooks was the father of three daughters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to celebrate his 8-year-old daughter ’ s birthday with her on Saturday , the day after he was killed by the Atlanta police .
Well , for more , we go to Atlanta , where we ’ re joined by Mary Hooks .
Mary , welcome to Democracy Now !
Can you talk about what took place on Friday ?
Can you talk about the death of Rayshard Brooks and the response to it ?
This is a man who was asleep in his car in the parking lot of a Wendy ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it from there , Mary , co-director of Southerners on New Ground , part of the National Bail Out collective .
MARY HOOKS : Thank you so much for having me .
And yeah , you know , what we saw happen to Mr. Brooks is unfortunately something that we continue to see repeated in our communities all across this country .
What we saw , a gentleman sleeping in his car , and escalated to the point by which the police were called , ultimately turning out to be a scuffle that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that , again , what we continue to see is police being called in as first responders to things that they should not be showing up for .
And what we continue to see is people demanding that the police not be an occupying force in our communities anymore .
And so , the response that we ’ re seeing , in terms of the protest , is certainly directed toward this particular incident , but the millions , the thousands of situations and incidences where police continue to show that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ core .
And so , of course , people are in their righteous anger , in their righteous anger when they respond to the police violence that , unfortunately , across this country many pretend as if it ’ s just about one bad apple .
But we ’ re very clear that it is about a rotten system that needs to be dismantled , period .
AMY GOODMAN : I wanted to turn to Rayshard Brooks ’ wife , Tomika Miller , who spoke to CBS , saying the officers need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s Rayshard Brooks ’ wife .
Now let ’ s go to Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms speaking at a news conference Saturday .
AMY GOODMAN : Mayor Bottoms also announced the resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields .
AMY GOODMAN : So , that ’ s Atlanta Mayor [ Bottoms ] , and she ’ s talking about also the resignation of the police chief of Atlanta , who not only was dealing with — was overseeing the department with the death of Rayshard Brooks , but also with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from historically Black colleges , from Spelman and Morehouse , being tasered by the Atlanta police .
Immediately , two of them were charged — well , I think six , charges were brought against them , and two were fired .
If you can talk about , first , Rayshard Brooks and the response with the police chief , and then what happened to these students ?
And put it in a bigger picture of police violence , Mary .
MARY HOOKS : Yeah , I think what we ’ re seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shields resigning , I think we ’ re going to see a slew of police chiefs begin to leave their post , if you will , I think , because many of them know that transformation is on the rise , that transformation is inevitable , and many of them do not have what it takes to carry that water and to carry us into a different way of engaging with safety in this country .
And so , I think that it was right for her to do so .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at who else needs to move from these seats of power , so that folks who have a different vision , have some political imagination and actually can see the possibilities of what happens when we defund the police and invest resources in community , and can see the possibilities of that — and we know that defunding is not going to happen overnight .
We know that it ’ s not zero out the budget tomorrow .
But what we do know is that folks have to be committed to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which we rely and the way in which we depend on cops , cages , courts and all the systems and institutions that harm Black people and oppress people in this country .
AMY GOODMAN : Let me go to Stacey Abrams , the former leader of Georgia ’ s House of Representatives , speaking on ABC ’ s This Week on Sunday .
Her name , like Mayor Bottoms , is being floated as a possible VP pick for Joe Biden , who has stated his opposition to calls of defunding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police is necessary .
MARY HOOKS : Yeah , I think — you know , I agree , again , that the transformation is critical .
And I think that for folks who continue to propose reform as the process by which we get there have either chosen to ignore what is happening in our reality , the history that also informs our rage and our righteous anger , and so I think that beyond the reform , we ’ re no longer buying that .
You know ?
We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that many folk go into political office well intended with a lot of great intentions .
However , officers , no matter their intention , no matter their motive , they are tied and bound to a system that , by its training , its orders , its beliefs , is inherently rotten .
And so , anything less than a conversation on how we shrink that institution until it is no longer legitimate — that is the conversation .
Anything else is an insult to our suffering .
AMY GOODMAN : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media , of course , has covered what happened to Rayshard Brooks , but what isn ’ t talked about as much — I mean , the video is actually long , the surveillance video .
Now there ’ s videocam from the police officers .
It goes on for well over half an hour .
And he ’ s talking to the police officers .
He was assenting to everything they asked , about the pat-down , the breathalyzer test .
Then they try to handcuff him , and that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
What isn ’ t talked about as much is , look at that time .
We ’ re talking about just this Friday , more than two weeks after the death of George Floyd , massive protests in thousands of cities , towns across this country , certainly in Atlanta , as well — the terror that people feel around the police .
So , he lived through all of that , and then they are handcuffing him behind his back , after he ’ s spoken to them calmly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birthdays and everything else , but he ’ s still being handcuffed behind his back — exactly what happened to George Floyd .
He also was handcuffed .
People don ’ t talk about the terror that people feel of police , why someone would up and run .
MARY HOOKS : And I think it ’ s — again , I think it ’ s the cognitive dissonance that oftentimes many people in this country fail to acknowledge , because , again , we know the history of policing , that comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand the way in which they have been brought in as an occupied force in our communities , that we have seen decades and decades , generations , of the call for police violence to stop , the calls for police to change their tactics , to not use lethal force , to not use excessive force , and none of that has gotten us anywhere .
And so , it behooves me when people can watch an incident like this and see where two police officers had complete autonomy to make a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ride home .
They could have called a Lyft .
So many options were available , but they chose not to step into a different level of humanity .
They chose not to see this person as a person whose family and life mattered .
And they went from zero to 100 .
And so , again , that shows you that , of course , even on a simple call like that , where it should have clearly been , “ Hey , let ’ s just get you home so you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escalate .
And so , I , too , as many of the folk I know , walk through our communities , engage and drive in community and down the street , and are afraid .
Afraid .
I ’ ve been abused by the police before .
I ’ m very clear of that feeling .
And so , it is no — you know , people want us to pretend as if the police aren ’ t who they are , that the G.I .
Joes aren ’ t coming up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are .
And it ’ s a complete lie , and we refuse to give them the credit as if they have been the ones out here actually bringing about safety , because that ’ s not the case .
AMY GOODMAN : Mary Hooks , finally , I wanted to ask you — Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor , the Princeton professor , just wrote a piece for The New York Times headlined “ The End of Black Politics : Black leaders regularly fail to rise to the challenges that confront young people.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atlanta , where Rayshard Brooks was just killed .
It ’ s often considered the Black Mecca , with a majority African American population , led by an African American mayor .
The police chief was a woman .
Can you talk about this kind of politics and how you feel ?
MARY HOOKS : Well , you know , I think it is very specific to Atlanta .
I think it ’ s super interesting that Atlanta has not — in all of its desire to be the Black Mecca , Atlanta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it means to address the systemic violence and oppression of Black people .
And I think a big part of that is because there is an elite class here , that class , I think , is one of the major issues that prevents Atlanta from being the Wakanda it wants to pretend to be .
Atlanta has one of the highest income gaps in this country .
And most people know that either you are very well-off here in Atlanta or you ’ re struggling , period .
And I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who oftentimes will parade around talking about that they honor the legacy of Dr. King and they celebrate what happened 60 years ago , but they have no notches under their belt that shows that they actually have the same level of desire to ensure Black people get closer to our liberation .
And I think that — yeah , that that ’ s a big part of why we ’ re seeing Black mayors , even many of them who were on CNN last night , continue to show their inadequacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to address what is happening and clean up the mess that the “ war on drugs ” has created .
Many of those Black mayors and those who they come out of a legacy of , they were responsible and made horrible decisions in the '90s , in which many of us — and I 'm speaking specifically to the crime bill , that has caused so much ravage and damage in community .
And so , I think that that ’ s why we need an intergenerational movement .
That is why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deep investment in hearing what young people and a younger generation are calling for , because we ’ re the spear of the movement , if you will .
And again , if they can not align their power and align their interests with what ’ s being called for right now , then they actually have to move around , because they ’ re doing more damage than good right now .
AMY GOODMAN : Mary Hooks , I want to thank you for being with us , co-director of Southerners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is part of the National Bail Out collective and the Movement for Black Lives .
Mary is an organizer with National Black Mama ’ s Bail Out Day .
Well , we ’ ve just been talking about the escalation , police escalation , of violence , after they came upon a man , Rayshard Brooks , who was asleep in his car in a parking lot .
Within an hour , they killed him .
When we come back , we ’ ll speak with a 27-year-old African American man , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Jose police about racial bias , but police shot him in the groin with a rubber bullet during a recent anti-police-brutality protest .
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Today marks the 20th straight day of nationwide uprising against police brutality and racism. It was sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. As calls to defund the police grow, another Black man was killed by a white police officer on Friday, this time in Atlanta. Twenty-seven-year-old Rayshard Brooks was asleep in his car at a Wendy’s fast-food restaurant drive-thru when a police officer arrived on the scene to ask him to move his car. The encounter was caught on surveillance camera and by a witness. A warning to our listeners and viewers: We’re about to play graphic video of police violence.
The officer, Devin Brosnan, called for backup, and a second officer, Garrett Rolfe, arrived. The police questioned Brooks, patted him down, with his assent, and gave him a breathalyzer test, which he failed. Rayshard Brooks asked the officers if he could lock his car and walk to his sister’s house a short distance away, saying to them, quote, “I can just go home.” Instead, the officers attempted to handcuff Brooks, at which point he began to resist and try to escape. One of the officers, Garrett Rolfe, fired a stun gun at Brooks, who then managed to take the other officer’s stun gun and run away. Garrett Rolfe then fired three gunshots at Rayshard Brooks, who was pronounced dead at the hospital later that night. The autopsy showed the officer shot Brooks twice in the back. The Fulton County medical examiner has ruled Brooks’ death a homicide.
Less than 24 hours after the shooting, Atlanta’s Police Chief Erika Shields resigned. Garrett Rolfe, the officer who killed Brooks, has been fired, and the second officer placed on administrative leave. The Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard criticized the officer’s use of deadly force, saying, quote, “[Brooks] did not seem to present any kind of threat to anyone, and so the fact that it would escalate to his death just seems unreasonable,” he said. The DA is expected to announce this week whether any charges will be filed, and is now considering murder charges.
Chris Stewart, a lawyer for the Brooks family, said the police cannot claim a Taser is a deadly weapon.
CHRIS STEWART: That’s the case law here, that Tasers are not deadly weapons. So, before we even hear from their lawyers, who are going to say the same old thing they always say, you cannot have it both ways. You can’t say he ran off with a weapon that could kill somebody, when you say it’s not deadly. …
I can even say we want justice, but I don’t even — I don’t even care anymore. I don’t even know what that is. And I’ve been doing this for 15 years. I don’t know what justice is anymore. Is it getting him arrested? Is it getting somebody fired? Is it a chief stepping down? I know that this isn’t justice, what’s happening in society right now.
AMY GOODMAN: Atlanta erupted in mass protest over the weekend as demonstrators shut down the freeway to demand justice for Rayshard Brooks. The Wendy’s where he was murdered was burned to the ground.
Rayshard Brooks was the father of three daughters and one stepson. He was supposed to celebrate his 8-year-old daughter’s birthday with her on Saturday, the day after he was killed by the Atlanta police.
Well, for more, we go to Atlanta, where we’re joined by Mary Hooks.
Mary, welcome to Democracy Now! Can you talk about what took place on Friday? Can you talk about the death of Rayshard Brooks and the response to it? This is a man who was asleep in his car in the parking lot of a Wendy’s. Police were called. Take it from there, Mary, co-director of Southerners on New Ground, part of the National Bail Out collective.
MARY HOOKS: Thank you so much for having me. And yeah, you know, what we saw happen to Mr. Brooks is unfortunately something that we continue to see repeated in our communities all across this country. What we saw, a gentleman sleeping in his car, and escalated to the point by which the police were called, ultimately turning out to be a scuffle that led to his death. And I think that, again, what we continue to see is police being called in as first responders to things that they should not be showing up for. And what we continue to see is people demanding that the police not be an occupying force in our communities anymore.
And so, the response that we’re seeing, in terms of the protest, is certainly directed toward this particular incident, but the millions, the thousands of situations and incidences where police continue to show that the institution of policing is rotten to its core. And so, of course, people are in their righteous anger, in their righteous anger when they respond to the police violence that, unfortunately, across this country many pretend as if it’s just about one bad apple. But we’re very clear that it is about a rotten system that needs to be dismantled, period.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to turn to Rayshard Brooks’ wife, Tomika Miller, who spoke to CBS, saying the officers need to be put away.
TOMIKA MILLER: If it was my husband who shot them, he would be in jail. He would be doing a life sentence. They need to be put away. I feel like even though everything happened so fast, it didn’t take nothing but a split second for the other officer to say, “Hey, calm down.” He could have told his partner, “Calm down.” So, all of them need to be sentenced the same way.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s Rayshard Brooks’ wife. Now let’s go to Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms speaking at a news conference Saturday.
MAYOR KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS: While there may be debate as to whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force, I firmly believe that there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force, and have called for the immediate termination of the officer.
AMY GOODMAN: Mayor Bottoms also announced the resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields.
MAYOR KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS: Chief Erika Shields has been a solid member of APD for over two decades and has a deep and abiding love for the people of Atlanta. And because of her desire that Atlanta be a model of what meaningful reform should look like across this country, Chief Shields has offered to immediately step aside as police chief so that the city may move forward, with urgency, in rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our communities.
AMY GOODMAN: So, that’s Atlanta Mayor [Bottoms], and she’s talking about also the resignation of the police chief of Atlanta, who not only was dealing with — was overseeing the department with the death of Rayshard Brooks, but also with the incredible scene of these two students from historically Black colleges, from Spelman and Morehouse, being tasered by the Atlanta police. Immediately, two of them were charged — well, I think six, charges were brought against them, and two were fired. If you can talk about, first, Rayshard Brooks and the response with the police chief, and then what happened to these students? And put it in a bigger picture of police violence, Mary.
MARY HOOKS: Yeah, I think what we’re seeing with this case of Mr. Brooks and Shields resigning, I think we’re going to see a slew of police chiefs begin to leave their post, if you will, I think, because many of them know that transformation is on the rise, that transformation is inevitable, and many of them do not have what it takes to carry that water and to carry us into a different way of engaging with safety in this country. And so, I think that it was right for her to do so.
And I think that we need to continue to look at who else needs to move from these seats of power, so that folks who have a different vision, have some political imagination and actually can see the possibilities of what happens when we defund the police and invest resources in community, and can see the possibilities of that — and we know that defunding is not going to happen overnight. We know that it’s not zero out the budget tomorrow. But what we do know is that folks have to be committed to a long-term process of changing the way in which we rely and the way in which we depend on cops, cages, courts and all the systems and institutions that harm Black people and oppress people in this country.
AMY GOODMAN: Mary Hooks —
MARY HOOKS: And so, it’s a tipping point.
AMY GOODMAN: Let me go to Stacey Abrams, the former leader of Georgia’s House of Representatives, speaking on ABC’s This Week on Sunday. Her name, like Mayor Bottoms, is being floated as a possible VP pick for Joe Biden, who has stated his opposition to calls of defunding the police. She was asked if defunding the police is necessary.
STACEY ABRAMS: I think we’re being drawn into this false choice idea. The reality is we need two things. We need reformation of how police officers do their jobs, how law enforcement does its job. … I served in the state Legislature for 11 years, and I served on the Committee of Purview. I took action to increase police accountability. I took action to address the issues of criminal justice reform. But I also know that we have to have a transformation of how we view the role of law enforcement, how we view the construct of public safety and how we invest not only in the work that we need them to do to protect us, but the work we need to protect and build our communities.
AMY GOODMAN: Your response, Mary Hooks?
MARY HOOKS: Yeah, I think — you know, I agree, again, that the transformation is critical. And I think that for folks who continue to propose reform as the process by which we get there have either chosen to ignore what is happening in our reality, the history that also informs our rage and our righteous anger, and so I think that beyond the reform, we’re no longer buying that. You know? We’re no longer buying that.
And I know that many folk go into political office well intended with a lot of great intentions. However, officers, no matter their intention, no matter their motive, they are tied and bound to a system that, by its training, its orders, its beliefs, is inherently rotten. And so, anything less than a conversation on how we shrink that institution until it is no longer legitimate — that is the conversation. Anything else is an insult to our suffering.
AMY GOODMAN: Mary Hooks, a lot of the media, of course, has covered what happened to Rayshard Brooks, but what isn’t talked about as much — I mean, the video is actually long, the surveillance video. Now there’s videocam from the police officers. It goes on for well over half an hour. And he’s talking to the police officers. He was assenting to everything they asked, about the pat-down, the breathalyzer test. Then they try to handcuff him, and that’s when he gets into a scuffle with them. What isn’t talked about as much is, look at that time. We’re talking about just this Friday, more than two weeks after the death of George Floyd, massive protests in thousands of cities, towns across this country, certainly in Atlanta, as well — the terror that people feel around the police. So, he lived through all of that, and then they are handcuffing him behind his back, after he’s spoken to them calmly, talked to them about his kids’ birthdays and everything else, but he’s still being handcuffed behind his back — exactly what happened to George Floyd. He also was handcuffed. People don’t talk about the terror that people feel of police, why someone would up and run.
MARY HOOKS: And I think it’s — again, I think it’s the cognitive dissonance that oftentimes many people in this country fail to acknowledge, because, again, we know the history of policing, that comes out of slave patrols, and we understand the way in which they have been brought in as an occupied force in our communities, that we have seen decades and decades, generations, of the call for police violence to stop, the calls for police to change their tactics, to not use lethal force, to not use excessive force, and none of that has gotten us anywhere.
And so, it behooves me when people can watch an incident like this and see where two police officers had complete autonomy to make a decision. The gentleman asked for a ride home. They could have called a Lyft. So many options were available, but they chose not to step into a different level of humanity. They chose not to see this person as a person whose family and life mattered. And they went from zero to 100. And so, again, that shows you that, of course, even on a simple call like that, where it should have clearly been, “Hey, let’s just get you home so you’ll be OK,” can escalate.
And so, I, too, as many of the folk I know, walk through our communities, engage and drive in community and down the street, and are afraid. Afraid. I’ve been abused by the police before. I’m very clear of that feeling. And so, it is no — you know, people want us to pretend as if the police aren’t who they are, that the G.I. Joes aren’t coming up into our community the way in which they are. And it’s a complete lie, and we refuse to give them the credit as if they have been the ones out here actually bringing about safety, because that’s not the case.
AMY GOODMAN: Mary Hooks, finally, I wanted to ask you — Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, the Princeton professor, just wrote a piece for The New York Times headlined “The End of Black Politics: Black leaders regularly fail to rise to the challenges that confront young people.” And you are speaking to us from Atlanta, where Rayshard Brooks was just killed. It’s often considered the Black Mecca, with a majority African American population, led by an African American mayor. The police chief was a woman. Can you talk about this kind of politics and how you feel?
MARY HOOKS: Well, you know, I think it is very specific to Atlanta. I think it’s super interesting that Atlanta has not — in all of its desire to be the Black Mecca, Atlanta has not taken up the charge on what it means to address the systemic violence and oppression of Black people. And I think a big part of that is because there is an elite class here, that class, I think, is one of the major issues that prevents Atlanta from being the Wakanda it wants to pretend to be. Atlanta has one of the highest income gaps in this country. And most people know that either you are very well-off here in Atlanta or you’re struggling, period.
And I think that to see mayors and city officials, who oftentimes will parade around talking about that they honor the legacy of Dr. King and they celebrate what happened 60 years ago, but they have no notches under their belt that shows that they actually have the same level of desire to ensure Black people get closer to our liberation. And I think that — yeah, that that’s a big part of why we’re seeing Black mayors, even many of them who were on CNN last night, continue to show their inadequacy, because they have not been able to address what is happening and clean up the mess that the “war on drugs” has created. Many of those Black mayors and those who they come out of a legacy of, they were responsible and made horrible decisions in the '90s, in which many of us — and I'm speaking specifically to the crime bill, that has caused so much ravage and damage in community.
And so, I think that that’s why we need an intergenerational movement. That is why we need elected officials to actually have a deep investment in hearing what young people and a younger generation are calling for, because we’re the spear of the movement, if you will. And again, if they cannot align their power and align their interests with what’s being called for right now, then they actually have to move around, because they’re doing more damage than good right now.
AMY GOODMAN: Mary Hooks, I want to thank you for being with us, co-director of Southerners on New Ground, SONG, which is part of the National Bail Out collective and the Movement for Black Lives. Mary is an organizer with National Black Mama’s Bail Out Day. Well, we’ve just been talking about the escalation, police escalation, of violence, after they came upon a man, Rayshard Brooks, who was asleep in his car in a parking lot. Within an hour, they killed him.
When we come back, we’ll speak with a 27-year-old African American man, just like Rayshard Brooks, but he trained San Jose police about racial bias, but police shot him in the groin with a rubber bullet during a recent anti-police-brutality protest. Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-06-15--Headlines for June 15, 2020

Headlines for June 15, 2020

Protests intensified in Atlanta after a white police officer shot dead an unarmed 27-year-old African American man named Rayshard Brooks in the parking lot of a Wendy ’ s fast-food restaurant on Friday .
The encounter was caught on surveillance camera and by a witness .
A warning to our listeners and viewers : We are about to play graphic video of police violence .
Police approached Brooks after he had fallen asleep in his car .
The police questioned Brooks , patted him down and gave him a breathalyzer test .
During a scuffle , he grabbed one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to run away .
Another officer then shot Brooks in the back two times .
The officer , Garrett Rolfe , can then be heard on a bodycam video saying , “ I got him.
” The Fulton County medical examiner has ruled Brooks ’ s death a homicide .
Less than 24 hours after the shooting , Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned .
The officer involved in the shooting was fired .
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said , “ [ Brooks ] did not seem to present any kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that it would escalate to his death just seems unreasonable.
” This is Chris Stewart , a lawyer for the Brooks family .
Chris Stewart : “ That ’ s the case law here , that Tasers are not deadly weapons .
So , before we even hear from their lawyers , who are going to say the same old thing they always say , you can not have it both ways .
You can ’ t say he ran off with a weapon that could kill somebody , when you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Protests continued in Atlanta throughout the weekend .
On Saturday night , the Wendy ’ s fast-food restaurant was burned down .

Protests intensified in Atlanta after a white police officer shot dead an unarmed 27-year-old African American man named Rayshard Brooks in the parking lot of a Wendy’s fast-food restaurant on Friday. The encounter was caught on surveillance camera and by a witness. A warning to our listeners and viewers: We are about to play graphic video of police violence. Police approached Brooks after he had fallen asleep in his car. The police questioned Brooks, patted him down and gave him a breathalyzer test. During a scuffle, he grabbed one of the officers’ stun guns and attempted to run away. Another officer then shot Brooks in the back two times. The officer, Garrett Rolfe, can then be heard on a bodycam video saying, “I got him.” The Fulton County medical examiner has ruled Brooks’s death a homicide. Less than 24 hours after the shooting, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned. The officer involved in the shooting was fired.
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said, “[Brooks] did not seem to present any kind of threat to anyone, and so the fact that it would escalate to his death just seems unreasonable.” This is Chris Stewart, a lawyer for the Brooks family.
Chris Stewart: “That’s the case law here, that Tasers are not deadly weapons. So, before we even hear from their lawyers, who are going to say the same old thing they always say, you cannot have it both ways. You can’t say he ran off with a weapon that could kill somebody, when you say it’s not deadly.”
Protests continued in Atlanta throughout the weekend. On Saturday night, the Wendy’s fast-food restaurant was burned down.


democracynow--2020-06-16--Goodbye, Columbus: Bree Newsome Bass on the Movement to Topple Racist Statues Across the Globe

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González , as we turn to look at how monuments to racists , colonizers and Confederates continue to fall across the United States and around the world .
AMY GOODMAN : That was St. Paul , Minnesota , last Wednesday , when activists with the American Indian Movement tied a rope around a statue of 15th century colonizer Christopher Columbus and pulled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Capitol grounds .
The AIM members then held a ceremony over the fallen monument .
This comes as workers in Frankfort , Kentucky , removed a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis from the state Capitol building .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has joined other lawmakers demanding the removal of 11 Confederate statues from the National Statuary Hall in the Capitol .
President Trump said he will “ not even consider ” renaming U.S. Army bases named after Confederate military officers .
There are 10 such bases , all of them in Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage , and a history of Winning , Victory , and Freedom , ” unquote .
Trump ’ s tweet contradicts Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Mark Milley , who suggested they ’ re open to a discussion about renaming the bases .
Meanwhile , NASCAR has banned displays of Confederate flags from its events , where the white supremacist symbol has long been a fixture .
All of this comes as police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detained several members of an armed right-wing militia after a protester was shot on Monday .
The protester has been hospitalized in critical condition .
The shooting occurred as protesters tried to topple a statue of Juan de Oñate , a Spanish conqueror who massacred Native Americans 400 years ago .
Earlier in the day , another of his statues was removed in another part of New Mexico .
For more , we ’ re joined by someone who has inspired many of those who are taking action today .
It was five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the massacre of nine African American churchgoers by Dylann Roof , who embraced the Confederate flag , renewed protests to remove the flag from the state Capitol grounds in South Carolina .
The state lawmakers there had agreed to debate removing the flag , but early on a Saturday morning , after the huge memorial service for the African Americans who were murdered , an African American woman named Bree Newsome , equipped with a helmet and climbing gear , scaled the 30-foot flagpole on the Capitol grounds , unhooked the Confederate flag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me with hatred and oppression and violence .
I come against you in the name of God .
This flag comes down today !
” Take a listen .
AMY GOODMAN : When Bree Newsome reached the ground , she was arrested .
That was South Carolina five years ago .
And we go now to Raleigh , North Carolina , where we ’ re joined by Bree Newsome Bass now , an artist , an antiracist activist , housing rights advocate , in particular .
Bree , it ’ s great to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We were in your jail when you were arraigned with your fellow activists that day , when you pulled down that flag , the day after President Obama was there in Charleston singing “ Amazing Grace ” and thousands gathered to honor those killed at Mother Emanuel Church .
Can you talk about your action then — you were arrested , the flag was put right back up — but now what has happened today ?
BREE NEWSOME BASS : Yes , absolutely .
And thank you so much for having me back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all do with this show .
Yes , so , for me , and I think for a lot of people at that time in 2015 , not only was it obviously offensive and shocking and horrific to witness the events that happened in Charleston , but it was also offensive to see so much attention and focus be given to the Confederate flag , that had been there on display at the Capitol grounds in South Carolina since the '60s .
It was like one of these symbols of the Confederacy that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to really send a message at the time that the state , that the powers that be in South Carolina , were opposed to the civil rights movement .
In the year 2000 , they reached a compromise where they moved the flag from the dome of the Capitol to the lawn , where it was at the time that I took it down .
And at that point , they wrote into law that the flag could n't be lowered for any reason unless there was a two-thirds approval in the Statehouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impossible .
So , then , when we got to that situation in 2015 and we ’ ve had this horrific , racially motivated killing in Charleston , we had this moment of the pastor of Emanuel AME , Clementa Pinckney — he had his casket processed through the streets of Columbia because he was also a state senator .
And they lowered the United States flag , they lowered the state flag of South Carolina , but not the Confederate flag .
And just the fact that there was a refusal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Black lives that were lost there at Emanuel AME just illuminated everything that we had been saying up to that point about the valuing of property over Black life , the fact there ’ s like so little regard given to this history of violence and given to the realities of racism that we are experiencing today .
And so , it was in that spirit that I committed this act of civil disobedience , this deliberately defying basically the white power structure and the powers that be that say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to the point that we would just leave this symbol of terrorism on display even in the aftermath of what had happened .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Bree , could you have imagined five years ago what the — the movement that is now sweeping , really , not just the United States , but the world , in terms of challenging the existing of mythical figures ?
Of course , you mentioned that you were inspired by the Rhodes Must Fall campaign at the University of Cape Town , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the industrialized world , whether it ’ s the campaign against Cecil Rhodes , King Leopold in Belgium , the symbols of the Confederacy and the forts , all the U.S. forts named after Confederate generals .
Your response to what you ’ re seeing as this vast movement that has now developed in the last few weeks ?
BREE NEWSOME BASS : Well , I just think it ’ s incredible .
And I am certainly proud to be a part of it .
I consider myself as stepping into a movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And I wouldn ’ t be here , I wouldn ’ t have done what I did in 2015 , if I didn ’ t believe , you know , if I didn ’ t believe in the power of the people to work together and transform the world .
So , the things that I ’ m seeing now , I mean , that ’ s what I fight for .
I think that ’ s what everyone who participates and takes action in social justice movement , that is what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s what we believe .
I think it reflects around the world an impatience with the pace of incremental progress .
I think people want transformational change .
I think people are tired of centuries of colonialism and white supremacist ideology .
As I mentioned before , I think the taking down of monuments and symbology , specifically , is also about challenging this idea that white property and state property is more valuable than our lives .
I mean , that was really the ideology that informed colonialism , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and lands for profit because profit and property is worth more than lives and natural resources .
And so , this groundswell that we ’ re seeing now around the world is really about rejecting that and about calling for a greater sense of humanity , a greater sense of human citizenship , a call for dignity and for a better future , and a rejection of that kind of ideology of the past .
AMY GOODMAN : I want to ask you , following up on what Juan asked about , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are named after commanders in the Confederate Army who fought against U.S. troops during the Civil War to preserve slavery .
The Washington Post writes , quote , “ Fort Benning in Georgia , the home of Army infantry and airborne training , is named after Brig .
Gen. Henry Benning , who led troops at Antietam and Gettysburg .
In remarks in 1861 laying out slavery as the reason for secession , Benning that abolition would lead to 'black governors , black legislatures , black juries , black everything .
Is it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will stand for that ? '
” he asked .
In The Atlantic , retired general and former CIA Director David Petraeus called Benning , quote , “ such an enthusiast for slavery that as early as 1849 he argued for the dissolution of the Union and the formation of a Southern slavocracy.
” Meanwhile , Fort Hood in Texas is named for the Confederate General John Bell Hood , who wrote a letter to Union General William Sherman in 1864 that described his conviction that , quote , “ negroes ” were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ You came into our country with your Army , avowedly for the purpose of subjugating free white men , women , and children , and not only intend to rule over them , but you make negroes your allies , and desire to place over us an inferior race , which we have raised from barbarism to its present position , which is the highest ever attained by that race , in any country , in all time.
” Again , that ’ s General Hood .
And it goes on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that President Trump is now defending over his chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and defense secretary , who are saying we should have a discussion about this , and one general after another saying these names should be removed from these bases .
If you could respond to what they represent ?
Of course , President Trump started his business career , with his father , being sued by the U.S. government for not allowing African Americans into his housing developments in Queens .
BREE NEWSOME BASS : Yes .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s important to recognize and name the ideology of white supremacy , which is exactly what that quote that you read articulates , this idea that the , quote-unquote , “ white race ” is the superior race and that all other people have been elevated into civilization , you know , as a byproduct of colonialism and slavery , right ?
And then , I think there also needs to be an acknowledgment of how mainstream white supremacist ideology is .
So , if we ’ re going to really have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renaming things , I want us to also be careful that we don ’ t just engage in a surface-level way of going about it — right ?
— where we just simply change the names , but we don ’ t address the ideology .
Military bases , for instance , of course , are a major part of United States imperialism .
United States imperialism is very much informed by white supremacist ideology .
So , when Trump is making this claim that he will never change the Confederate — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Confederates , and people are saying , “ Oh , that ’ s so outrageous , ” I think , yes , of course , it is outrageous , but we also need to examine why was it named after a Confederate to begin with .
I mean , that clearly indicates how mainstream the ideology of the Confederacy continued to be and continues to be in the United States of America , that we ’ re still having this debate in 2020 .
And then , secondly , like I said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are also examining what exactly is white supremacist ideology , because the Confederacy was half of the United States .
And I think there tends to be this narrative around the South being uniquely racist , it is only the South that benefited and profited from slavery , it is only the South that continues to uphold white supremacist ideology .
This most recent spate of police killings and a lot of the uprisings , these are happening all over the nation .
Many of these uprisings are happening in cities where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we even have like Black police chiefs and Black mayors .
So we have to dig deeper in really understanding what it means to uproot and root out white supremacist ideology as we go through this process of renaming things and changing symbols .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Bree Newsome , we ’ re heading , obviously , toward a presidential election in November .
You ’ ve suggested that this year could be the most significant election since the Civil War .
Could you explain why ?
And what are some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BREE NEWSOME BASS : Absolutely .
I do think that this is the most consequential election since the Civil War , because I think it ’ s really addressing the same issues , right ?
We had the election of the nation ’ s first Black president , followed by the election of an overt white supremacist , who pretty much ran on a platform of trying to undo the Black presidency and ran on a platform of catering to everyone who felt anxiety around the idea of the changing demographics of America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a multiracial democracy .
And that is essentially what not just this election , but this moment is about , because one of the concerns that I have is whether or not we can even have an election .
Will we be able to have an election ?
Will it be free and fair and secure ?
Are we certain that the Trump administration will vacate office , vacate the White House , vacate these offices , if we vote them out ?
Because what we see on the opposite side , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump represents as a movement , is very much white supremacy , white nationalism , this belief that America was made for white people , should only be for white people , and they really see this as a do-or-die moment .
And I think it ’ s important for everyone else to recognize that that is what is at stake .
We ’ ve already seen armed white militiamen storming capitols in America , at the same time that we see the Trump administration sending people without clear insignia , troops that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , out to the streets in D.C. to face off with anti-police-brutality protesters .
So we really need to recognize what is at stake in this moment in terms of facing off both authoritarianism , fascism and white nationalism .
AMY GOODMAN : And before we end , Juan , we just have 30 seconds , but I was wondering if you could comment on the taking down of the statue of Frank Rizzo , the former police chief and mayor of Philadelphia , after it was defaced by protesters .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was a long time coming .
Frank Rizzo was probably the most racist and most overtly fascist political leader in the modern history of the North of the United States .
And I lived in Philadelphia during his period of time as mayor .
He personally led police charges when he was commissioner , attacking Black citizens .
And his police systematically terrorized the Black community .
So , for the Rizzo statue to come down is a real step forward in rewriting the history of Philadelphia .
AMY GOODMAN : Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bass for being with us , artist , antiracist activist and housing rights advocate .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
Thanks so much for joining us .
Stay safe .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González, as we turn to look at how monuments to racists, colonizers and Confederates continue to fall across the United States and around the world.
AIM ACTIVISTS: [cheering]
AMY GOODMAN: That was St. Paul, Minnesota, last Wednesday, when activists with the American Indian Movement tied a rope around a statue of 15th century colonizer Christopher Columbus and pulled it from its pedestal on the state Capitol grounds. The AIM members then held a ceremony over the fallen monument.
This comes as workers in Frankfort, Kentucky, removed a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis from the state Capitol building. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has joined other lawmakers demanding the removal of 11 Confederate statues from the National Statuary Hall in the Capitol.
President Trump said he will “not even consider” renaming U.S. Army bases named after Confederate military officers. There are 10 such bases, all of them in Southern states. Trump tweeted, quote, “These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom,” unquote. Trump’s tweet contradicts Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Mark Milley, who suggested they’re open to a discussion about renaming the bases.
Meanwhile, NASCAR has banned displays of Confederate flags from its events, where the white supremacist symbol has long been a fixture.
All of this comes as police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, have detained several members of an armed right-wing militia after a protester was shot on Monday. The protester has been hospitalized in critical condition. The shooting occurred as protesters tried to topple a statue of Juan de Oñate, a Spanish conqueror who massacred Native Americans 400 years ago. Earlier in the day, another of his statues was removed in another part of New Mexico.
For more, we’re joined by someone who has inspired many of those who are taking action today. It was five years ago, in 2015, when the massacre of nine African American churchgoers by Dylann Roof, who embraced the Confederate flag, renewed protests to remove the flag from the state Capitol grounds in South Carolina. The state lawmakers there had agreed to debate removing the flag, but early on a Saturday morning, after the huge memorial service for the African Americans who were murdered, an African American woman named Bree Newsome, equipped with a helmet and climbing gear, scaled the 30-foot flagpole on the Capitol grounds, unhooked the Confederate flag and said, “You come against me with hatred and oppression and violence. I come against you in the name of God. This flag comes down today!” Take a listen.
BREE NEWSOME: You come against me with hatred and oppression and violence. I come against you in the name of God. This flag comes down today!
AMY GOODMAN: When Bree Newsome reached the ground, she was arrested. That was South Carolina five years ago. And we go now to Raleigh, North Carolina, where we’re joined by Bree Newsome Bass now, an artist, an antiracist activist, housing rights advocate, in particular.
Bree, it’s great to have you back on Democracy Now! We were in your jail when you were arraigned with your fellow activists that day, when you pulled down that flag, the day after President Obama was there in Charleston singing “Amazing Grace” and thousands gathered to honor those killed at Mother Emanuel Church. Can you talk about your action then — you were arrested, the flag was put right back up — but now what has happened today?
BREE NEWSOME BASS: Yes, absolutely. And thank you so much for having me back. I so appreciate everything that you all do with this show.
Yes, so, for me, and I think for a lot of people at that time in 2015, not only was it obviously offensive and shocking and horrific to witness the events that happened in Charleston, but it was also offensive to see so much attention and focus be given to the Confederate flag, that had been there on display at the Capitol grounds in South Carolina since the '60s. It was like one of these symbols of the Confederacy that was placed during the civil rights movement to really send a message at the time that the state, that the powers that be in South Carolina, were opposed to the civil rights movement. In the year 2000, they reached a compromise where they moved the flag from the dome of the Capitol to the lawn, where it was at the time that I took it down. And at that point, they wrote into law that the flag couldn't be lowered for any reason unless there was a two-thirds approval in the Statehouse, I mean, making it virtually impossible.
So, then, when we got to that situation in 2015 and we’ve had this horrific, racially motivated killing in Charleston, we had this moment of the pastor of Emanuel AME, Clementa Pinckney — he had his casket processed through the streets of Columbia because he was also a state senator. And they lowered the United States flag, they lowered the state flag of South Carolina, but not the Confederate flag. And just the fact that there was a refusal to even show the slightest bit of regard for the Black lives that were lost there at Emanuel AME just illuminated everything that we had been saying up to that point about the valuing of property over Black life, the fact there’s like so little regard given to this history of violence and given to the realities of racism that we are experiencing today. And so, it was in that spirit that I committed this act of civil disobedience, this deliberately defying basically the white power structure and the powers that be that say that the status quo of racism is acceptable, to the point that we would just leave this symbol of terrorism on display even in the aftermath of what had happened.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Bree, could you have imagined five years ago what the — the movement that is now sweeping, really, not just the United States, but the world, in terms of challenging the existing of mythical figures? Of course, you mentioned that you were inspired by the Rhodes Must Fall campaign at the University of Cape Town, but also now we’re seeing throughout the industrialized world, whether it’s the campaign against Cecil Rhodes, King Leopold in Belgium, the symbols of the Confederacy and the forts, all the U.S. forts named after Confederate generals. Your response to what you’re seeing as this vast movement that has now developed in the last few weeks?
BREE NEWSOME BASS: Well, I just think it’s incredible. And I am certainly proud to be a part of it. I consider myself as stepping into a movement that existed long before I got here. And I wouldn’t be here, I wouldn’t have done what I did in 2015, if I didn’t believe, you know, if I didn’t believe in the power of the people to work together and transform the world.
So, the things that I’m seeing now, I mean, that’s what I fight for. I think that’s what everyone who participates and takes action in social justice movement, that is what we’re fighting for, and that’s what we believe. I think it reflects around the world an impatience with the pace of incremental progress. I think people want transformational change. I think people are tired of centuries of colonialism and white supremacist ideology.
As I mentioned before, I think the taking down of monuments and symbology, specifically, is also about challenging this idea that white property and state property is more valuable than our lives. I mean, that was really the ideology that informed colonialism, that it’s OK to exploit people and lands for profit because profit and property is worth more than lives and natural resources. And so, this groundswell that we’re seeing now around the world is really about rejecting that and about calling for a greater sense of humanity, a greater sense of human citizenship, a call for dignity and for a better future, and a rejection of that kind of ideology of the past.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to ask you, following up on what Juan asked about, the renaming of the 10 Army installations that are named after commanders in the Confederate Army who fought against U.S. troops during the Civil War to preserve slavery.
The Washington Post writes, quote, “Fort Benning in Georgia, the home of Army infantry and airborne training, is named after Brig. Gen. Henry Benning, who led troops at Antietam and Gettysburg. In remarks in 1861 laying out slavery as the reason for secession, Benning that abolition would lead to 'black governors, black legislatures, black juries, black everything. Is it to be supposed that the white race will stand for that?'” he asked. In The Atlantic, retired general and former CIA Director David Petraeus called Benning, quote, “such an enthusiast for slavery that as early as 1849 he argued for the dissolution of the Union and the formation of a Southern slavocracy.”
Meanwhile, Fort Hood in Texas is named for the Confederate General John Bell Hood, who wrote a letter to Union General William Sherman in 1864 that described his conviction that, quote, “negroes” were an “inferior race.” He wrote, “You came into our country with your Army, avowedly for the purpose of subjugating free white men, women, and children, and not only intend to rule over them, but you make negroes your allies, and desire to place over us an inferior race, which we have raised from barbarism to its present position, which is the highest ever attained by that race, in any country, in all time.” Again, that’s General Hood. And it goes on from there.
These are the men that President Trump is now defending over his chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and defense secretary, who are saying we should have a discussion about this, and one general after another saying these names should be removed from these bases.
If you could respond to what they represent? Of course, President Trump started his business career, with his father, being sued by the U.S. government for not allowing African Americans into his housing developments in Queens.
BREE NEWSOME BASS: Yes. So, I think, one, it’s important to recognize and name the ideology of white supremacy, which is exactly what that quote that you read articulates, this idea that the, quote-unquote, “white race” is the superior race and that all other people have been elevated into civilization, you know, as a byproduct of colonialism and slavery, right?
And then, I think there also needs to be an acknowledgment of how mainstream white supremacist ideology is. So, if we’re going to really have this process of removing symbols, of renaming things, I want us to also be careful that we don’t just engage in a surface-level way of going about it — right? — where we just simply change the names, but we don’t address the ideology.
Military bases, for instance, of course, are a major part of United States imperialism. United States imperialism is very much informed by white supremacist ideology. So, when Trump is making this claim that he will never change the Confederate — the names of the bases that are named after Confederates, and people are saying, “Oh, that’s so outrageous,” I think, yes, of course, it is outrageous, but we also need to examine why was it named after a Confederate to begin with. I mean, that clearly indicates how mainstream the ideology of the Confederacy continued to be and continues to be in the United States of America, that we’re still having this debate in 2020.
And then, secondly, like I said, we need to make sure that we are also examining what exactly is white supremacist ideology, because the Confederacy was half of the United States. And I think there tends to be this narrative around the South being uniquely racist, it is only the South that benefited and profited from slavery, it is only the South that continues to uphold white supremacist ideology. This most recent spate of police killings and a lot of the uprisings, these are happening all over the nation. Many of these uprisings are happening in cities where the leadership is Black now, and we even have like Black police chiefs and Black mayors. So we have to dig deeper in really understanding what it means to uproot and root out white supremacist ideology as we go through this process of renaming things and changing symbols.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Bree Newsome, we’re heading, obviously, toward a presidential election in November. You’ve suggested that this year could be the most significant election since the Civil War. Could you explain why? And what are some of your concerns about the election?
BREE NEWSOME BASS: Absolutely. I do think that this is the most consequential election since the Civil War, because I think it’s really addressing the same issues, right? We had the election of the nation’s first Black president, followed by the election of an overt white supremacist, who pretty much ran on a platform of trying to undo the Black presidency and ran on a platform of catering to everyone who felt anxiety around the idea of the changing demographics of America, the idea that America could really be a multiracial democracy.
And that is essentially what not just this election, but this moment is about, because one of the concerns that I have is whether or not we can even have an election. Will we be able to have an election? Will it be free and fair and secure? Are we certain that the Trump administration will vacate office, vacate the White House, vacate these offices, if we vote them out?
Because what we see on the opposite side, what we see in terms of what Trump represents as a movement, is very much white supremacy, white nationalism, this belief that America was made for white people, should only be for white people, and they really see this as a do-or-die moment. And I think it’s important for everyone else to recognize that that is what is at stake. We’ve already seen armed white militiamen storming capitols in America, at the same time that we see the Trump administration sending people without clear insignia, troops that are armed and are not clearly designated, out to the streets in D.C. to face off with anti-police-brutality protesters. So we really need to recognize what is at stake in this moment in terms of facing off both authoritarianism, fascism and white nationalism.
AMY GOODMAN: And before we end, Juan, we just have 30 seconds, but I was wondering if you could comment on the taking down of the statue of Frank Rizzo, the former police chief and mayor of Philadelphia, after it was defaced by protesters.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Yes, Amy. Well, that was a long time coming. Frank Rizzo was probably the most racist and most overtly fascist political leader in the modern history of the North of the United States. And I lived in Philadelphia during his period of time as mayor. He personally led police charges when he was commissioner, attacking Black citizens. And his police systematically terrorized the Black community. So, for the Rizzo statue to come down is a real step forward in rewriting the history of Philadelphia.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, we want to thank Bree Newsome Bass for being with us, artist, antiracist activist and housing rights advocate. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González. Thanks so much for joining us. Stay safe.


democracynow--2020-06-16--Black Trans Lives Matter: Movement Pushes for Justice & Visibility Amid "Epidemic" of Violence

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : I wanted to turn now to the massive march in Brooklyn that took place Sunday .
It brought out at least 15,000 people to the streets to protest violence against Black transgender people , particularly women , who face disproportionate levels of violence at the hands of police and on the streets .
Demonstrators wore white and flooded the front of the Brooklyn Museum and surrounding blocks .
Journalist and activist Raquel Willis addressed the crowd .
AMY GOODMAN : The protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were killed last week .
In Ohio , 25-year-old Riah Milton was shot and killed last Tuesday during a robbery in Liberty Township , according to local authorities .
Two people have been arrested and charged with her murder .
Milton worked as a home healthcare aide and attended the University of Cincinnati .
One day earlier , Dominique “ Rem ’ mie ” Fells was found dead in Philadelphia .
An investigation is underway .
Friends remember her as a social butterfly .
Fells was a dancer and artist who hoped to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are believed to be at least the 13th and 14th violent deaths of transgender people this year .
The American Medical Association has declared the killings of trans women of color an epidemic .
For more , we ’ re going to Imara Jones , who was there on the stage , creator of TransLash , at the Brooklyn protest .
Can you talk about the significance of what is taking place right now , also the murder of Tony McDade in Tallahassee ?
IMARA JONES : It ’ s the mash-up of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are grinding together and , I think , creating this moment of intensity , that both is leading to this ongoing crisis and deaths of Black trans women and also leading more than 50,000 — I ’ m sorry , 15,000 people out on the streets .
These events are together .
And it was significant , because I personally couldn ’ t remember a gathering for Black trans lives that large .
I would be shocked if it wasn ’ t the largest ever .
And it may actually be the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in American history .
And so , that ’ s significant .
And , you know , we have these two forces that are at work right now , where we have tremendous visibility , tremendous realization of the presence of trans people , the need for trans rights , our power , our contributions both now and throughout history , and at the same time a tremendous backlash , that is very real , that is funded , that is coordinated , that is on the march .
And these two things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the significance of this moment , that we have to hold the reality of both of these things occurring at the same time .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Imara , I wonder if you could talk , as well , about the story of Layleen Polanco , the Afro-Latinx transgender woman who was found dead in a jail cell at Rikers Island last June ?
She was held in solitary confinement .
And a new video shows that guards tried to wake her for approximately 90 minutes , before they called for medical assistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are so many things that are tragic about the death of Layleen Polanco , besides the fact that she was a beautiful human being .
The tragedy in her case is the fact that she was in jail waiting for a $ 500 bail .
The fact is that her death could have been prevented if Rikers , you know , the worst of the worst prisons , the largest jail in the world , had followed its own rules about monitoring people who had epilepsy , if they had followed their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as you mentioned .
And all of this ties to the fact that she was viewed as less than a human being .
One of the things that is really clear on the tape is that when guards found her and were taking her body out , that they were laughing , making light of the fact that she had died , making light of her appearance .
And that dehumanization is at the core of so much of our mistreatment .
And that ’ s one of the things that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And I think that ’ s why the clip that you played for Aimee Stephens is so powerful in that , that at the end of the day , regardless of how different we may appear to other people or the way they may or may not understand who we are , that at the end of the day our humanity is equal to theirs , and therefore we deserve to have the same access and be availed of the same rights as everybody else .
AMY GOODMAN : I want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angela Davis , speaking on a panel about abolition , hosted by Dream Defenders , Sunday .
ANGELA DAVIS : If we want to develop an intersectional perspective , the trans community is showing us the way .
And we can ’ t only point to — and we need to point to cases such as the murder of Tony McDade , for example .
But we have to go beyond that and recognize that we support the trans community precisely because this community has taught us how to challenge that which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t think we would be where we are today , encouraging ever larger numbers of people to think within an abolitionist frame , had not the trans community taught us that it is possible to effectively challenge that which is considered the very foundation of our sense of normalcy .
So if it is possible to challenge the gender binary , then we can certainly effectively resist prisons and jails and police .
AMY GOODMAN : That ’ s Angela Davis .
If you ’ d like to see our hour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracynow.org , as she talked about defunding police and abolition and Tulsa and so much more .
But , Imara Jones , if you can talk about the centering of Black trans lives in the Black Lives Matter movement , in this uprising that ’ s going on , not only around the United States , but around the world right now ?
IMARA JONES : Well , I would say that it ’ s not yet centered .
I think that it is beginning to be centered .
And I think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened on Saturday is that it was the culmination of a lot of knowledge in our community , the fact that even though Black and Brown trans women started the fight for LGBTQ liberation at Stonewall , that we were pushed out of it and have not benefited from the movement that we helped to start .
And we are saying that that ’ s not going to happen , that we understand from history that when we try to — as Dr. Davis was alluding to , when we try to prioritize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to prioritize certain groups of people over others , historically , we know that all the rights that are gained that way are fragile , that they don ’ t last very long .
And so , the bottom line is that we all go , or nobody goes .
And what we ’ re saying is that we ’ re going .
And it ’ s really important against the context of Black Lives Matter itself , because , of course , Black Lives Matter was started — two out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trans rights are one of the stated goals of Black Lives Matter .
And so , what we ’ re saying is that we have to make sure that these movements learn from history , that we have to make sure that these movements return to their roots , and that we all go , or nobody goes .
And that was such a powerful thing that I saw when I was on the stage — actually , covering it for TransLash , not there speaking — and that struck me in that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to be left out .
AMY GOODMAN : Imara Jones , I want to thank you so much for being with us , journalist and founder of TransLash , and Chase Strangio , deputy director for transgender justice with the ACLU ’ s LGBT & HIV Project .
When we come back , as more monuments celebrating the nation ’ s racist history are toppled or removed , we ’ ll speak with Bree Newsome , the woman who five years ago shimmied up a flagpole on the state Capitol grounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flag .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : “ # StayStrong : A Love Song to Freedom Fighters ” by our next guest , Bree Newsome .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to turn now to the massive march in Brooklyn that took place Sunday. It brought out at least 15,000 people to the streets to protest violence against Black transgender people, particularly women, who face disproportionate levels of violence at the hands of police and on the streets. Demonstrators wore white and flooded the front of the Brooklyn Museum and surrounding blocks. Journalist and activist Raquel Willis addressed the crowd.
RAQUEL WILLIS: I believe in my power.
CROWD: I believe in my power.
RAQUEL WILLIS: I believe in your power.
CROWD: I believe in your power.
RAQUEL WILLIS: I believe in our power.
CROWD: I believe in our power.
RAQUEL WILLIS: I believe in Black trans power.
CROWD: I believe in Black trans power.
AMY GOODMAN: The protest came as two more Black trans women were killed last week. In Ohio, 25-year-old Riah Milton was shot and killed last Tuesday during a robbery in Liberty Township, according to local authorities. Two people have been arrested and charged with her murder. Milton worked as a home healthcare aide and attended the University of Cincinnati. One day earlier, Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells was found dead in Philadelphia. An investigation is underway. Friends remember her as a social butterfly. Fells was a dancer and artist who hoped to become a fashion designer. The killings are believed to be at least the 13th and 14th violent deaths of transgender people this year. The American Medical Association has declared the killings of trans women of color an epidemic.
For more, we’re going to Imara Jones, who was there on the stage, creator of TransLash, at the Brooklyn protest. Can you talk about the significance of what is taking place right now, also the murder of Tony McDade in Tallahassee?
IMARA JONES: It’s the mash-up of so many different forces right now that are grinding together and, I think, creating this moment of intensity, that both is leading to this ongoing crisis and deaths of Black trans women and also leading more than 50,000 — I’m sorry, 15,000 people out on the streets. These events are together.
And it was significant, because I personally couldn’t remember a gathering for Black trans lives that large. I would be shocked if it wasn’t the largest ever. And it may actually be the largest gathering for trans rights, overall, in American history. And so, that’s significant.
And, you know, we have these two forces that are at work right now, where we have tremendous visibility, tremendous realization of the presence of trans people, the need for trans rights, our power, our contributions both now and throughout history, and at the same time a tremendous backlash, that is very real, that is funded, that is coordinated, that is on the march. And these two things are colliding. And that’s the significance of this moment, that we have to hold the reality of both of these things occurring at the same time.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Imara, I wonder if you could talk, as well, about the story of Layleen Polanco, the Afro-Latinx transgender woman who was found dead in a jail cell at Rikers Island last June? She was held in solitary confinement. And a new video shows that guards tried to wake her for approximately 90 minutes, before they called for medical assistance.
IMARA JONES: I mean, there are so many things that are tragic about the death of Layleen Polanco, besides the fact that she was a beautiful human being. The tragedy in her case is the fact that she was in jail waiting for a $500 bail. The fact is that her death could have been prevented if Rikers, you know, the worst of the worst prisons, the largest jail in the world, had followed its own rules about monitoring people who had epilepsy, if they had followed their own rules about calling for medical attention, as you mentioned.
And all of this ties to the fact that she was viewed as less than a human being. One of the things that is really clear on the tape is that when guards found her and were taking her body out, that they were laughing, making light of the fact that she had died, making light of her appearance. And that dehumanization is at the core of so much of our mistreatment. And that’s one of the things that we have to be equally focused on overturning. And I think that’s why the clip that you played for Aimee Stephens is so powerful in that, that at the end of the day, regardless of how different we may appear to other people or the way they may or may not understand who we are, that at the end of the day our humanity is equal to theirs, and therefore we deserve to have the same access and be availed of the same rights as everybody else.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to turn to the renowned scholar, activist Angela Davis, speaking on a panel about abolition, hosted by Dream Defenders, Sunday.
ANGELA DAVIS: If we want to develop an intersectional perspective, the trans community is showing us the way. And we can’t only point to — and we need to point to cases such as the murder of Tony McDade, for example. But we have to go beyond that and recognize that we support the trans community precisely because this community has taught us how to challenge that which is totally accepted as normal. And I don’t think we would be where we are today, encouraging ever larger numbers of people to think within an abolitionist frame, had not the trans community taught us that it is possible to effectively challenge that which is considered the very foundation of our sense of normalcy. So if it is possible to challenge the gender binary, then we can certainly effectively resist prisons and jails and police.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s Angela Davis. If you’d like to see our hour with her last Friday, go to democracynow.org, as she talked about defunding police and abolition and Tulsa and so much more. But, Imara Jones, if you can talk about the centering of Black trans lives in the Black Lives Matter movement, in this uprising that’s going on, not only around the United States, but around the world right now?
IMARA JONES: Well, I would say that it’s not yet centered. I think that it is beginning to be centered. And I think that what’s really powerful about what happened on Saturday is that it was the culmination of a lot of knowledge in our community, the fact that even though Black and Brown trans women started the fight for LGBTQ liberation at Stonewall, that we were pushed out of it and have not benefited from the movement that we helped to start. And we are saying that that’s not going to happen, that we understand from history that when we try to — as Dr. Davis was alluding to, when we try to prioritize some rights over others, when we try to prioritize certain groups of people over others, historically, we know that all the rights that are gained that way are fragile, that they don’t last very long.
And so, the bottom line is that we all go, or nobody goes. And what we’re saying is that we’re going. And it’s really important against the context of Black Lives Matter itself, because, of course, Black Lives Matter was started — two out of the three founders are LGBTQ women. Trans rights are one of the stated goals of Black Lives Matter. And so, what we’re saying is that we have to make sure that these movements learn from history, that we have to make sure that these movements return to their roots, and that we all go, or nobody goes. And that was such a powerful thing that I saw when I was on the stage — actually, covering it for TransLash, not there speaking — and that struck me in that moment, is that we’re not going to be left out.
AMY GOODMAN: Imara Jones, I want to thank you so much for being with us, journalist and founder of TransLash, and Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice with the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project.
When we come back, as more monuments celebrating the nation’s racist history are toppled or removed, we’ll speak with Bree Newsome, the woman who five years ago shimmied up a flagpole on the state Capitol grounds in South Carolina and removed the Confederate flag. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: “#StayStrong: A Love Song to Freedom Fighters” by our next guest, Bree Newsome.