democracynow--2020-06-08--Minneapolis City Council Vows to Dismantle Police Dept. After Mass Protests & Grassroots Organizing

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : The City Council of Minneapolis announced Saturday it would disband and abolish the police department responsible for the killing of African American man George Floyd , following nearly two weeks of mass protest and growing calls to defund the police .
In a statement , nine of the city ’ s 12 councilmembers said , quote , “ Decades of police reform efforts have proved that the Minneapolis Police Department can not be reformed , and will never be accountable for its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have all the answers about what a police-free future looks like , but our community does , ” they said .
The historic announcement comes after years of organizing on the ground by groups like Reclaim the Block , Black Visions Collective and MPD150 .
AMY GOODMAN : A supermajority of Minneapolis city councilmembers support disbanding the police department , meaning Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey , who opposes abolishing the police , can ’ t override their efforts .
Organizers with Black Visions Collective and other activists convinced the mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak with them .
This is organizer Kandace Montgomery .
AMY GOODMAN : This rally was in downtown Minneapolis .
Kandace Montgomery reminded demonstrators that Mayor Frey is up for reelection next year .
Well , we go now to Minneapolis , where we ’ re joined by City Councilmember Jeremiah Ellison .
Councilmember Ellison , welcome back to Democracy Now !
This is a historic announcement that the majority of you on the City Council made at a big community rally last night , that you ’ re going to dismantle the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means .
JEREMIAH ELLISON : For me , it means that we ’ ve got to create a system of public safety that works for everybody .
You know , I think the Minneapolis Police Department , even before the murder of George Floyd , has had a whole host of issues , a handful I can just rattle off the top of my head .
You know , we dealt with an issue of the Minneapolis Police Department being involved in the illegal injection of ketamine of people who did not need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history of not taking sexual assault cases seriously , investigations seriously , and actually recently lied about how many untested rape kits we had .
And the list goes on and on .
And so , I think that there has been an acknowledgment that , you know , we have done everything we can on the reform side .
We have a chief who is probably one of the most pro-reform chiefs and has instituted every reform we legally can .
And so , where do we go from here ?
AMY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had sued the Minneapolis Police Department for racism , isn ’ t that true , years ago ?
JEREMIAH ELLISON : Yeah , that is true .
That is true .
And so , I think that when we ’ re looking at having an amazing chief and we ’ re looking at having a council who has pushed for reform — and it ’ s not just that the relationship is bad ; the relationship is untenable — where do we go from here ?
I think that that means we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best way to keep people safe , if not the Minneapolis Police Department ?
AMY GOODMAN : So , explain exactly what this would mean .
You made the announcement .
You haven ’ t had a vote in the City Council .
So what happens today ?
JEREMIAH ELLISON : Right .
So , per the commitment that we made yesterday , we ’ re going to take the next year to engage the people of Minneapolis .
You know , obviously , councilmembers have ideas , but I think that if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room for a couple days and cooked up a plan without any public engagement , I think that the community would reject that .
And so , I think we ’ re going to commit to a year ’ s worth of conversations .
I think in some ways it ’ s going to require every single resident in Minneapolis to give their input .
But the groundwork is there .
Some of the groundwork has been laid for what we can do to keep communities safe , other than have a police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what exactly do you mean , though , you ’ re going to wait a year ?
So there will not be a vote taken in the City Council ?
JEREMIAH ELLISON : No , we ’ re not going to wait a — sorry — we ’ re not going to wait a year .
We ’ re going to engage the community for a year to develop a new system of public safety .
You ’ ve got to understand , the police department has been around for 150 years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Minneapolis Police Department has been around for over 150 years .
And police departments all around the country have been around a lot longer than that .
I think that we owe it to the city of Minneapolis , to our residents , to develop a plan that moves forward intelligently , that moves forward in a way that works .
You know , we ’ re not going to hit the eject button on the police department today , for instance , because we do not have that new system in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conversation somewhere .
Yesterday was the start of that conversation .
AMY GOODMAN : So , will there be a vote ?
And what will that vote be on in the City Council now ?
JEREMIAH ELLISON : At some point there will have to be a vote about what our new system of public safety looks like .
You know , just to give you an example , one of the most effective programs that we ’ ve been able to fund , really on a shoestring budget , is our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a program that helps young men get out of gang activity and remove themselves from gang life .
It ’ s a program that ’ s been more successful in getting gang members to choose a different path forward for themselves than sending them to jail or anything else that we ’ ve tried in the past .
That ’ s just one program , for example , that I think that we need to actually put our investment in to get fully operational so that we can keep our city safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to have to figure out how to address things like active shooter situations .
And we ’ re aware of the fact that some situations are extremely difficult to deescalate .
But most of what police do — you know , we did a study last year of 911 calls , and we realized that one of the top calls that police make are for what we call emotionally disturbed persons or mental health calls .
Do we need use of force — someone with a use-of-force background to answer that call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a call like that ?
Do we need a gun present at a call for a forged $ 20 bill ?
I think that the answer to that is no .
And we ’ ve got to — but we ’ ve never , as a country , leaned into figuring out how do we address issues like this without force .
And I think that my colleagues and I are committed to figuring that out .
AMY GOODMAN : I want to ask you about the Minneapolis police union president Bob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after he called George Floyd a “ violent criminal , ” described protesters as terrorists and called on police to expand their use of force .
In April , Kroll told a radio podcaster he “ wasn ’ t bothered ” by shootings he ’ s been involved in .
AMY GOODMAN : Minnesota ’ s AFL-CIO coalition of labor unions has joined calls demanding that Minneapolis police union president Bob Kroll resign .
Jeremiah Ellison , if you can talk about the role of the police union ?
And are you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
JEREMIAH ELLISON : I would love for Kroll to be out , but I don ’ t think this is the first time people have called for Kroll to resign .
Kroll has a long history in the department of incompetence and of rage .
And , you know , I think that he , very much so , follows in this traditional model of policing .
When you look at sort of the groundwork that ’ s been laid for modern-day policing , it ’ s to enforce vagrancy laws .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of union organizers .
And Kroll , very much so , is proud of that tradition and , I think , leans into that tradition .
I think that Kroll , knowing that he is protected by the base , our department , that democratically elected him to represent them , he knows that there ’ s really no grounds for him to have to resign .
There ’ s no pressure for him to have to resign , even if people are calling for it .
I ’ m sure he finds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And Kroll doesn ’ t just represent himself .
Kroll represents — he ’ s democratically elected by our department to represent them .
And so , I think that for a long time we ’ ve underestimated what it means to have a department that elects somebody continually who advocates for extreme use of force , who recently advocated for the use of lethal rounds on demonstrators here in Minneapolis , who is the member of a biker gang with ties to white supremacist organizations .
I think that we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And I think that the truth is that for a long time he ’ s been a lot more dangerous than that .
AMY GOODMAN : Jeremiah Ellison , your father , Keith Ellison , of course , is the attorney general of Minnesota , the first African American attorney general of Minnesota .
He is in charge of the prosecution of the four officers , just increased the charges against Chauvin and charged the other three officers .
Have you discussed with him this whole issue of dismantling the police department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think he ’ s aware of the concept of dismantling the police department .
I can ’ t speak for him , obviously , but I think that this is a concept that has to be explored .
You know , as I said , I think someone asked the question , of me , “ Well , what are we going to do about sexual assault cases ?
” And I had to remind them that our current department does not solve sexual assault cases and has a track record of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of rape kits that we had untested .
I think that — I also had a constituent call yesterday , upset , saying , you know , “ Jeremiah , the police don ’ t answer when we call now .
What will we expect now ?
” And I said , “ Well , look , what I ’ m hearing from you is that the police don ’ t come when you call .
And so , we ’ ve got to figure out a system that keeps you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” This current one is not it .
AMY GOODMAN : Finally , the role of community groups , of which you were a part before you were elected — the famous photograph of a Minneapolis police officer with a gun to your head when you were protesting the police killing of Jamar Clark a few years ago .
The significance of the community groups that have been pushing for this ?
JEREMIAH ELLISON : Oh , absolutely , absolutely .
I mean , I think that the community is the most important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other cities have , call it what you want , disbanded , fired their entire police departments , only to slowly glue them back together again over time .
And I think that with community support , with community vision and leadership , this is the only way that we ’ re going to get to a point where we ’ re learning how to keep communities safe without using the police as our singular tool .
I think that , you know , we ’ ve heard from police over the years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use less force in certain situations , “ Well , look , I ’ m not a social worker.
” And that ’ s made a lot of community members say , “ OK , well , maybe we need social workers , maybe we need mental health professionals , maybe we need people who specialize in childhood development , to be addressing these issues.
” And so , I think that the City Council ’ s position in Minneapolis is 100 % owed to the fight , the creativity and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOODMAN : Well , Jeremiah Ellison , we want to thank you so much for being with us , a member of the Minneapolis City Council , which just announced this historic decision to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department .
When we come back , we ’ re going to look at the growing movement to defund the police with activist Linda Sarsour , professor Alex Vitale , author of The End of Policing , and author Mychal Denzel Smith .
This is Democracy Now !
Back in a minute .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: The City Council of Minneapolis announced Saturday it would disband and abolish the police department responsible for the killing of African American man George Floyd, following nearly two weeks of mass protest and growing calls to defund the police.
In a statement, nine of the city’s 12 councilmembers said, quote, “Decades of police reform efforts have proved that the Minneapolis Police Department cannot be reformed, and will never be accountable for its action. … We recognize that we don’t have all the answers about what a police-free future looks like, but our community does,” they said.
The historic announcement comes after years of organizing on the ground by groups like Reclaim the Block, Black Visions Collective and MPD150.
This is Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender speaking Sunday.
LISA BENDER: Our commitment is to do what’s necessary to keep every single member of our community safe and to tell the truth, that the Minneapolis police are not doing that. Our commitment is to end our city’s toxic relationship with the Minneapolis Police Department, to end policing as we know it and to recreate systems of public safety that actually keep us safe.
AMY GOODMAN: A supermajority of Minneapolis city councilmembers support disbanding the police department, meaning Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who opposes abolishing the police, can’t override their efforts. Organizers with Black Visions Collective and other activists convinced the mayor to step outside his home Saturday to speak with them. This is organizer Kandace Montgomery.
KANDACE MONTGOMERY: Jacob Frey, we have a yes-or-no question for you: Yes or no, will you commit to defunding Minneapolis Police Department?
MAYOR JACOB FREY: Abolition of it?
KANDACE MONTGOMERY: What did I say?
PROTESTERS: Defunding.
KANDACE MONTGOMERY: We don’t want no more police.
PROTESTER: No more!
KANDACE MONTGOMERY: It’s that clear. We don’t want people with guns toting around in our community, shooting us down. Do you have an answer? It is a yes or a no. It is a yes or a no.
PROTESTER: Yes or no!
KANDACE MONTGOMERY: Will you defund the Minneapolis Police Department?
MAYOR JACOB FREY: I do not support the full abolition of the police department.
KANDACE MONTGOMERY: All right, fine! You’re wasting our time! Get the [bleep] out of here! Get the [bleep] out!
PROTESTERS: Go home, Jacob! Go home! Go home, Jacob! Go home! Go home, Jacob! Go home!
AMY GOODMAN: This rally was in downtown Minneapolis. Kandace Montgomery reminded demonstrators that Mayor Frey is up for reelection next year.
Well, we go now to Minneapolis, where we’re joined by City Councilmember Jeremiah Ellison.
Councilmember Ellison, welcome back to Democracy Now! This is a historic announcement that the majority of you on the City Council made at a big community rally last night, that you’re going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. Explain what that means.
JEREMIAH ELLISON: For me, it means that we’ve got to create a system of public safety that works for everybody. You know, I think the Minneapolis Police Department, even before the murder of George Floyd, has had a whole host of issues, a handful I can just rattle off the top of my head. You know, we dealt with an issue of the Minneapolis Police Department being involved in the illegal injection of ketamine of people who did not need it. We’ve had a history of not taking sexual assault cases seriously, investigations seriously, and actually recently lied about how many untested rape kits we had. And the list goes on and on.
And so, I think that there has been an acknowledgment that, you know, we have done everything we can on the reform side. We have a chief who is probably one of the most pro-reform chiefs and has instituted every reform we legally can. And so, where do we go from here?
AMY GOODMAN: In fact, he himself had sued the Minneapolis Police Department for racism, isn’t that true, years ago?
JEREMIAH ELLISON: Yeah, that is true. That is true. And so, I think that when we’re looking at having an amazing chief and we’re looking at having a council who has pushed for reform — and it’s not just that the relationship is bad; the relationship is untenable — where do we go from here? I think that that means we have to ask ourselves: What is the best way to keep people safe, if not the Minneapolis Police Department?
AMY GOODMAN: So, explain exactly what this would mean. You made the announcement. You haven’t had a vote in the City Council. So what happens today?
JEREMIAH ELLISON: Right. So, per the commitment that we made yesterday, we’re going to take the next year to engage the people of Minneapolis. You know, obviously, councilmembers have ideas, but I think that if the nine of us sat in a room for a couple days and cooked up a plan without any public engagement, I think that the community would reject that. And so, I think we’re going to commit to a year’s worth of conversations. I think in some ways it’s going to require every single resident in Minneapolis to give their input. But the groundwork is there. Some of the groundwork has been laid for what we can do to keep communities safe, other than have a police force.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, what exactly do you mean, though, you’re going to wait a year? So there will not be a vote taken in the City Council?
JEREMIAH ELLISON: No, we’re not going to wait a — sorry — we’re not going to wait a year. We’re going to engage the community for a year to develop a new system of public safety. You’ve got to understand, the police department has been around for 150 years. At least the Minneapolis — sorry — the Minneapolis Police Department has been around for over 150 years. And police departments all around the country have been around a lot longer than that. I think that we owe it to the city of Minneapolis, to our residents, to develop a plan that moves forward intelligently, that moves forward in a way that works. You know, we’re not going to hit the eject button on the police department today, for instance, because we do not have that new system in place. But we have to start the conversation somewhere. Yesterday was the start of that conversation.
AMY GOODMAN: So, will there be a vote? And what will that vote be on in the City Council now?
JEREMIAH ELLISON: At some point there will have to be a vote about what our new system of public safety looks like. You know, just to give you an example, one of the most effective programs that we’ve been able to fund, really on a shoestring budget, is our group violence prevention program. It’s a program that helps young men get out of gang activity and remove themselves from gang life. It’s a program that’s been more successful in getting gang members to choose a different path forward for themselves than sending them to jail or anything else that we’ve tried in the past. That’s just one program, for example, that I think that we need to actually put our investment in to get fully operational so that we can keep our city safe.
You know, we’re going to have to figure out how to address things like active shooter situations. And we’re aware of the fact that some situations are extremely difficult to deescalate. But most of what police do — you know, we did a study last year of 911 calls, and we realized that one of the top calls that police make are for what we call emotionally disturbed persons or mental health calls. Do we need use of force — someone with a use-of-force background to answer that call? Do we need a gun present at a call like that? Do we need a gun present at a call for a forged $20 bill? I think that the answer to that is no. And we’ve got to — but we’ve never, as a country, leaned into figuring out how do we address issues like this without force. And I think that my colleagues and I are committed to figuring that out.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to ask you about the Minneapolis police union president Bob Kroll. Activists are demanding he resign, after he called George Floyd a “violent criminal,” described protesters as terrorists and called on police to expand their use of force. In April, Kroll told a radio podcaster he “wasn’t bothered” by shootings he’s been involved in.
LT. BOB KROLL: I’ve been involved in three shootings myself, and not a one of them has bothered me. You know, maybe I’m different.
AMY GOODMAN: Minnesota’s AFL-CIO coalition of labor unions has joined calls demanding that Minneapolis police union president Bob Kroll resign. Jeremiah Ellison, if you can talk about the role of the police union? And are you also calling for Kroll to be out?
JEREMIAH ELLISON: I would love for Kroll to be out, but I don’t think this is the first time people have called for Kroll to resign. Kroll has a long history in the department of incompetence and of rage. And, you know, I think that he, very much so, follows in this traditional model of policing. When you look at sort of the groundwork that’s been laid for modern-day policing, it’s to enforce vagrancy laws. It’s to bust the heads of union organizers. And Kroll, very much so, is proud of that tradition and, I think, leans into that tradition.
I think that Kroll, knowing that he is protected by the base, our department, that democratically elected him to represent them, he knows that there’s really no grounds for him to have to resign. There’s no pressure for him to have to resign, even if people are calling for it. I’m sure he finds the whole endeavor amusing, quite frankly. And Kroll doesn’t just represent himself. Kroll represents — he’s democratically elected by our department to represent them.
And so, I think that for a long time we’ve underestimated what it means to have a department that elects somebody continually who advocates for extreme use of force, who recently advocated for the use of lethal rounds on demonstrators here in Minneapolis, who is the member of a biker gang with ties to white supremacist organizations. I think that we’ve often regarded him as an annoyance. And I think that the truth is that for a long time he’s been a lot more dangerous than that.
AMY GOODMAN: Jeremiah Ellison, your father, Keith Ellison, of course, is the attorney general of Minnesota, the first African American attorney general of Minnesota. He is in charge of the prosecution of the four officers, just increased the charges against Chauvin and charged the other three officers. Have you discussed with him this whole issue of dismantling the police department?
JEREMIAH ELLISON: You know, I think he’s aware of the concept of dismantling the police department. I can’t speak for him, obviously, but I think that this is a concept that has to be explored.
You know, as I said, I think someone asked the question, of me, “Well, what are we going to do about sexual assault cases?” And I had to remind them that our current department does not solve sexual assault cases and has a track record of not taking them seriously, lied about the number of rape kits that we had untested.
I think that — I also had a constituent call yesterday, upset, saying, you know, “Jeremiah, the police don’t answer when we call now. What will we expect now?” And I said, “Well, look, what I’m hearing from you is that the police don’t come when you call. And so, we’ve got to figure out a system that keeps you safe, that keeps our neighbors safe.” This current one is not it.
AMY GOODMAN: Finally, the role of community groups, of which you were a part before you were elected — the famous photograph of a Minneapolis police officer with a gun to your head when you were protesting the police killing of Jamar Clark a few years ago. The significance of the community groups that have been pushing for this?
JEREMIAH ELLISON: Oh, absolutely, absolutely. I mean, I think that the community is the most important part of this. You know, other cities have, call it what you want, disbanded, fired their entire police departments, only to slowly glue them back together again over time. And I think that with community support, with community vision and leadership, this is the only way that we’re going to get to a point where we’re learning how to keep communities safe without using the police as our singular tool.
I think that, you know, we’ve heard from police over the years, when we’ve asked them to use less force in certain situations, “Well, look, I’m not a social worker.” And that’s made a lot of community members say, “OK, well, maybe we need social workers, maybe we need mental health professionals, maybe we need people who specialize in childhood development, to be addressing these issues.” And so, I think that the City Council’s position in Minneapolis is 100% owed to the fight, the creativity and the vision of the broader community.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, Jeremiah Ellison, we want to thank you so much for being with us, a member of the Minneapolis City Council, which just announced this historic decision to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department.
When we come back, we’re going to look at the growing movement to defund the police with activist Linda Sarsour, professor Alex Vitale, author of The End of Policing, and author Mychal Denzel Smith. This is Democracy Now! Back in a minute.


democracynow--2020-06-08--Headlines for June  8, 2020

Headlines for June  8, 2020

The nationwide uprising against police violence and anti-Black racism saw hundreds of thousands of protesters take to the streets across the U.S over the weekend .
In New York , large-scale protests took place throughout the city , many continuing into the night in defiance of an 8 p.m. curfew Friday and Saturday .
In San Francisco , thousands of protesters shut down traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge .
In Richmond , Virginia , protesters toppled the Confederate statue of General Williams Carter Wickham and doused it with paint .
Many in Virginia , including some of Wickham ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Confederate statue to be torn down for years .
On Friday , protesters around the country wished a happy 27th birthday to Breonna Taylor , who was shot dead by Louisville , Kentucky , police inside her own apartment in March .
This is a protester speaking at a rally in Los Angeles .
Robert McQueen : “ Today we ’ re taking a stand against police brutality , and we ’ re taking a stand against the system of oppression we see with the police department .
And it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cop or a Black cop or a Mexican cop .
They don ’ t have color in the police department .
They have one color .
It ’ s blue.
” We ’ ll bring you voices from protests here in New York City later in the broadcast .

The nationwide uprising against police violence and anti-Black racism saw hundreds of thousands of protesters take to the streets across the U.S over the weekend. In New York, large-scale protests took place throughout the city, many continuing into the night in defiance of an 8 p.m. curfew Friday and Saturday. In San Francisco, thousands of protesters shut down traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge.
In Richmond, Virginia, protesters toppled the Confederate statue of General Williams Carter Wickham and doused it with paint. Many in Virginia, including some of Wickham’s own descendants, had called for the Confederate statue to be torn down for years.
On Friday, protesters around the country wished a happy 27th birthday to Breonna Taylor, who was shot dead by Louisville, Kentucky, police inside her own apartment in March.
This is a protester speaking at a rally in Los Angeles.
Robert McQueen: “Today we’re taking a stand against police brutality, and we’re taking a stand against the system of oppression we see with the police department. And it’s not that it’s a white cop or a Black cop or a Mexican cop. They don’t have color in the police department. They have one color. It’s blue.”
We’ll bring you voices from protests here in New York City later in the broadcast.


democracynow--2020-06-09--Amid Protests & Pandemic, 200+ Unhoused People Sheltering in Minneapolis Hotel Now Face Eviction

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
This is The Quarantine Report , as we go to Minneapolis , where more than 200 unhoused people are facing imminent eviction from a former Sheraton hotel that community organizers turned into a sanctuary for homeless people amidst citywide protests against the police killing of George Floyd .
As parts of the city erupted in flames , thousands took to the streets in protest , unhoused people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and into the largely vacant hotel on May 29th .
The hotel ’ s occupancy quickly grew to more than 200 , with a group of volunteers and organizers working around the clock to keep the operation running .
The Sheraton is just one mile from where George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police more than two weeks ago .
The hotel has provided shelter for a homeless population hit not just by citywide unrest , but also the coronavirus , which particularly threatens the unhoused .
But now the former Sheraton ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 200 people from the hotel today .
As the situation unfolds , we go to that Sheraton in Minneapolis , where we ’ re joined by Rosemary Fister , a public health nurse , outreach worker , community organizer , who ’ s been one of the volunteers on the ground keeping the hotel for the unhoused running .
Welcome to Democracy Now !
Can you talk about — in fact , when we booked this segment , we were just going to talk about this amazing place that is being run by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , Rosemary .
But now , as we go to air , we hear you ’ re being evicted .
Is this true ?
Talk about what you ’ ve created over these last 10 days .
Ten days ago , this space opened up to provide housing to people who are displaced and unsheltered .
Using hotels for emergency housing is an obvious answer .
They are largely vacant as we enter an economic depression in the midst of a global pandemic .
There have been emergencies facing this community for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an acutely dangerous situation for people who are unsheltered .
And we were able to provide housing for people to get through some of the scariest days that we ’ ve seen in this city .
People came in from the street having been shot at .
People came in from the street being chased .
People came in from the streets talking about the KKK visiting their campsites .
And today , it ’ s clear that our time at this hotel is over .
We were able to open the door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to house people through a crisis .
We opened a door and demonstrated some possibilities .
This is the time for the city , for the state , for the county , for the nonprofits , for the philanthropists to step in .
We demonstrated the clear need .
We housed well over 200 people .
As of this morning , we had 427 people on the wait list .
Not only was the owner threatening us with eviction yesterday , but there is also an emergency this morning that ’ s still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak to right now .
We ’ re still trying to find out what is happening .
But it ’ s very clear right now that the space that we ’ ve created for the last 10 days is no longer an option .
And there is nowhere for people to go .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Rosemary , many of the homeless who are in the hotel were in an encampment near the Minneapolis police precinct that ended up being burned down as a result during the protests .
Could you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hotel owner do initially ?
Did he just walk away from the hotel ?
What happened ?
And talk about the interaction between the owner and the people who are there now .
ROSEMARY FISTER : Yeah , that ’ s been an interesting and ever-changing relationship .
Just for context , we ’ ve had a massive increase in homelessness driven by unsheltered homelessness in the Twin Cities .
There is no room in the shelters .
We call every night to see if there are shelter beds , and the shelter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the morning .
This has been a crisis .
This has been a failed system .
And we had no other choice than to try to find some kind of space while the curfew was descending and the National Guard was invading our city .
There was nowhere for people to go .
We had no choice .
We turned to a space that we identified as a space that was in the neighborhood that we could use .
We informed the owner that we were going to be staying there .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the lobby , and let him know what we were going to be doing .
He initially was very gracious .
And we went from 20 rooms to 40 rooms to 90 rooms to having master keys to all 136 rooms in the hotel .
It was a very interesting kind of dynamic .
We later learned that he had been operating without a license , working with the hotel workers ’ union , UNITE HERE , and understanding more of the dynamics behind the issues behind that situation .
And he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re still trying to find out how to address .
He started threatening us with eviction , calling the police yesterday .
And issues with the hotel keys being deactivated , people getting locked out of their rooms , really just creating kind of a sense of uncertainty , precarity and chaos , that we were trying so hard to provide sanctuary to .
So , at the prompt of the owner — JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Rosemary , I wanted to ask you , because we only have about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could talk about the connection to George Floyd to many of the residents in the hotel ?
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : He actually worked for a time in one of the city ’ s major homeless shelters , and many of the residents there knew him .
Could you talk about that , as well ?
ROSEMARY FISTER : Yeah .
George Floyd was a shelter worker .
He worked at the largest shelter in town for about three years .
A number of the people that were staying in the Sheraton , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a resident here that was present when he was murdered by the police .
And George Floyd is the person that gave us the power to make these opportunities happen .
We have to — we have an obligation to create the world that we want to live in .
We ’ ve been seeing that it ’ s a possibility .
It took burning down a police station to convince the county that we needed to open up some more options , and it still wasn ’ t enough .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have nowhere to go .
It is clear that the crisis is much larger than anything that ’ s been measured .
And right now we are at a crisis point .
We are calling upon the state , the county , the city , the nonprofits , the entire system to step in .
These people have nowhere to go now .
This is a dangerous situation .
It ’ s been a dangerous situation .
People are dying much younger than they should be .
They were already facing epidemic infectious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They were already facing epidemic overdose deaths , with massive racial disparities , Native people being 20 times more likely to be homeless than white Minnesotans .
People who are indigenous to this land should have a place to live .
AMY GOODMAN : Rosemary , we have to go , but if people want to find out more about what ’ s happening there , is there a website you can send people to ?
ROSEMARY FISTER : Yeah , the website is the SanctuaryHotel.org .
ROSEMARY FISTER : And we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today .
AMY GOODMAN : Thank you so much , Rosemary Fister , public health nurse , outreach worker , community organizer , working in Minneapolis with people experiencing homelessness .
We ’ ll keep people updated .
Will they be evicted from this former Sheraton Hotel , or will there be some kind of compromise reached ?
I want to thank the whole team that ’ s making Democracy Now !
happen today , so many working from home to protect against community spread .
Democracy Now !
produced with Renée Feltz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Libby Rainey , Nermeen Shaikh , Carla Wills .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
Stay safe .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González. This is The Quarantine Report, as we go to Minneapolis, where more than 200 unhoused people are facing imminent eviction from a former Sheraton hotel that community organizers turned into a sanctuary for homeless people amidst citywide protests against the police killing of George Floyd. As parts of the city erupted in flames, thousands took to the streets in protest, unhoused people seeking refuge first moved off the streets and into the largely vacant hotel on May 29th. The hotel’s occupancy quickly grew to more than 200, with a group of volunteers and organizers working around the clock to keep the operation running. The Sheraton is just one mile from where George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police more than two weeks ago. The hotel has provided shelter for a homeless population hit not just by citywide unrest, but also the coronavirus, which particularly threatens the unhoused. But now the former Sheraton’s owner is threatening to evict all 200 people from the hotel today.
As the situation unfolds, we go to that Sheraton in Minneapolis, where we’re joined by Rosemary Fister, a public health nurse, outreach worker, community organizer, who’s been one of the volunteers on the ground keeping the hotel for the unhoused running.
Welcome to Democracy Now! Can you talk about — in fact, when we booked this segment, we were just going to talk about this amazing place that is being run by the unhoused and the organizers, like you, Rosemary. But now, as we go to air, we hear you’re being evicted. Is this true? Talk about what you’ve created over these last 10 days.
ROSEMARY FISTER: Thank you, Amy.
Ten days ago, this space opened up to provide housing to people who are displaced and unsheltered. Using hotels for emergency housing is an obvious answer. They are largely vacant as we enter an economic depression in the midst of a global pandemic. There have been emergencies facing this community for years. The uprising in Minneapolis was an acutely dangerous situation for people who are unsheltered. And we were able to provide housing for people to get through some of the scariest days that we’ve seen in this city. People came in from the street having been shot at. People came in from the street being chased. People came in from the streets talking about the KKK visiting their campsites.
And today, it’s clear that our time at this hotel is over. We were able to open the door to a space. We were able to house people through a crisis. We opened a door and demonstrated some possibilities. This is the time for the city, for the state, for the county, for the nonprofits, for the philanthropists to step in. We demonstrated the clear need. We housed well over 200 people. As of this morning, we had 427 people on the wait list. Not only was the owner threatening us with eviction yesterday, but there is also an emergency this morning that’s still unfolding and I can’t really speak to right now. We’re still trying to find out what is happening. But it’s very clear right now that the space that we’ve created for the last 10 days is no longer an option. And there is nowhere for people to go.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Rosemary, many of the homeless who are in the hotel were in an encampment near the Minneapolis police precinct that ended up being burned down as a result during the protests. Could you talk about this — what did the hotel owner do initially? Did he just walk away from the hotel? What happened? And talk about the interaction between the owner and the people who are there now.
ROSEMARY FISTER: Yeah, that’s been an interesting and ever-changing relationship. Just for context, we’ve had a massive increase in homelessness driven by unsheltered homelessness in the Twin Cities. There is no room in the shelters. We call every night to see if there are shelter beds, and the shelter beds are generally full by 9:00 in the morning. This has been a crisis. This has been a failed system. And we had no other choice than to try to find some kind of space while the curfew was descending and the National Guard was invading our city. There was nowhere for people to go. We had no choice.
We turned to a space that we identified as a space that was in the neighborhood that we could use. We informed the owner that we were going to be staying there. We negotiated and persuaded him with a crowd in the lobby, and let him know what we were going to be doing. He initially was very gracious. And we went from 20 rooms to 40 rooms to 90 rooms to having master keys to all 136 rooms in the hotel.
It was a very interesting kind of dynamic. We later learned that he had been operating without a license, working with the hotel workers’ union, UNITE HERE, and understanding more of the dynamics behind the issues behind that situation. And he has got some significant other history that we’re still trying to find out how to address.
He started threatening us with eviction, calling the police yesterday. And issues with the hotel keys being deactivated, people getting locked out of their rooms, really just creating kind of a sense of uncertainty, precarity and chaos, that we were trying so hard to provide sanctuary to. So, at the prompt of the owner —
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Rosemary, I wanted to ask you, because we only have about a minute left, but if you could talk about the connection to George Floyd to many of the residents in the hotel?
ROSEMARY FISTER: Yeah.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: He actually worked for a time in one of the city’s major homeless shelters, and many of the residents there knew him. Could you talk about that, as well?
ROSEMARY FISTER: Yeah. George Floyd was a shelter worker. He worked at the largest shelter in town for about three years. A number of the people that were staying in the Sheraton, or the former Sheraton, knew him. There is a resident here that was present when he was murdered by the police.
And George Floyd is the person that gave us the power to make these opportunities happen. We have to — we have an obligation to create the world that we want to live in. We’ve been seeing that it’s a possibility. It took burning down a police station to convince the county that we needed to open up some more options, and it still wasn’t enough. It’s clear that people still have nowhere to go. It is clear that the crisis is much larger than anything that’s been measured.
And right now we are at a crisis point. We are calling upon the state, the county, the city, the nonprofits, the entire system to step in. These people have nowhere to go now. This is a dangerous situation. It’s been a dangerous situation. People are dying much younger than they should be. They were already facing epidemic infectious disease prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were already facing epidemic overdose deaths, with massive racial disparities, Native people being 20 times more likely to be homeless than white Minnesotans. People who are indigenous to this land should have a place to live.
AMY GOODMAN: Rosemary, we have to go, but if people want to find out more about what’s happening there, is there a website you can send people to?
ROSEMARY FISTER: Yeah, the website is the SanctuaryHotel.org.
AMY GOODMAN: SanctuaryHotel.org.
ROSEMARY FISTER: And we’ll be posting some updates there later today.
AMY GOODMAN: Thank you so much, Rosemary Fister, public health nurse, outreach worker, community organizer, working in Minneapolis with people experiencing homelessness. We’ll keep people updated. Will they be evicted from this former Sheraton Hotel, or will there be some kind of compromise reached?
I want to thank the whole team that’s making Democracy Now! happen today, so many working from home to protect against community spread. Democracy Now! produced with Renée Feltz, Mike Burke, Deena Guzder, Libby Rainey, Nermeen Shaikh, Carla Wills. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González. Stay safe.


democracynow--2020-06-09--"Essential Labor, Expendable Lives": Mass Transit Workers Worry About Safety as NYC Begins to Reopen

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
New York City is known as a mass transit city , where millions take subways and buses and trains to work every day .
But that changed when it became the epicenter of the pandemic .
This week , New York City enters Phase 1 of reopening amidst the coronavirus .
Officials announced their plan to keep workers and riders safe during a press conference Friday in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is Patrick Foye , head of the Metropolitan [ Transportation ] Authority , or MTA .
AMY GOODMAN : Since the pandemic began , more than 130 New York City transit workers have died of COVID-19 .
Nearly 10,000 have returned to work after being out because of the coronavirus .
Train operators , conductors have reported the most infections .
For more , we ’ re joined by Seth Rosenberg , subway operator with New York City Transit for 14 years , shop steward with [ Transport ] Workers Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coalition of transit workers called Local 100 Fightback .
Seth , welcome to Democracy Now !
Just describe the condition of the subways as more and more people take them .
What ’ s happening ?
What are you doing inside the subways , and what ’ s happening to the workers inside ?
SETH ROSENBERG : Yeah , thanks for having me on the show , Amy .
Hello to everyone .
Yeah , certainly , the trains are getting more crowded as the pandemic restrictions are lifted and so forth .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ MTA ’ s horrible track record with respect to safety for us — the numbers you stated are horrific — I ’ d say it ’ s a very stressful and dangerous situation .
The safety measures are not in place to protect transit workers or riders , and so — you know , in a number of ways that I could discuss .
And so , you know , transit workers have been — some of us have been trying to push back to try and figure out ways to keep things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s no filtration system .
The air in our cabs that we work in for hours comes from the cars .
And mask enforcement for riders is spotty .
Most people in New York are good people , and they wear them , but , really , there ’ s no way to enforce it .
So , you know , I ’ ve had co-workers who have had people coughing , sitting behind them for half an hour , operating the train , and there ’ s nothing they can do .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ And so , I ’ d say it ’ s a mess right now .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Seth , I wanted to ask you particularly about the mask situation .
Now the governor , with his executive order , and the MTA saying everyone should wear a mask , this is obviously the opposite of what was being said early on in the pandemic , when all the officials were saying , no , masks are not necessary .
But now we realize that the wearing of masks is probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being able — JUAN GONZÁLEZ : — to guard against the pandemic .
What about the workers ?
How many masks are you actually getting now , since you ’ re going to be in the subways all the time ?
SETH ROSENBERG : Yeah .
Let me say a little bit about the history behind that first .
You know , the MTA had a pandemic plan from 2012 that was supposed to stockpile PPE and then distribute it , and a number of other social distancing and sanitizing measures .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect .
With respect to the masks , they hide behind the CDC , saying , “ Well , they changed their instructions.
” But the fact is that transit workers , early , you know , in March , were clamoring for masks , saying , “ We need masks .
We ’ re exposed .
We ’ re unsafe.
” And the Transit Authority actually — their policy , early on , was that they said that we would be disciplined if we wore our own masks , and that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would worry the public .
And unfortunately , a number of people higher up in our union went along with that , as well .
And we see the results from that , right ?
Massive infection , deaths among transit workers — you know , Amy quoted it ’ s like around 140 .
The numbers are staggering .
And just to say , it ’ s not just masks , though .
They failed on sanitation , on social distancing .
When I got back to work , at late April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing measures in my workplace .
But yeah , so , you know , the Transit Authority is always playing catch-up .
And now with masks , we get — right now policy is that we get two N95 masks a week .
And I ’ ve done a lot of research on this .
I have a strong science background .
And , you know , there are ways to reuse N95 masks , but the Transit Authority does not have a policy in place .
Like , they want us to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something like that .
It ’ s just , that ’ s not a safe measure , right ?
And so , you see this flip-around from no masks to masks , being reactive instead of proactive , and then , even when they do , they ’ re really — you know , they won ’ t give us what ’ s really needed , if they don ’ t have a coherent disinfectant policy for the masks , which we really should have one per day , because they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wanted to ask you about the distancing issue .
Mayor de Blasio has recommended that the subways have a policy of every other seat being empty .
But the MTA itself , which obviously is controlled by the governor , has said , no , that that ’ s not practical , it wouldn ’ t work .
You mentioned your union .
Your union has always been pretty close to the governor in terms of being able to exact from the governor better contracts , from their perspective .
What about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole issue of public health ?
SETH ROSENBERG : Yeah , I mean , unfortunately , I think what we ’ ve seen here is that it ’ s gone — it ’ s certainly has gone the other way .
I might argue that the relationship has really been not effective for our union members for a long time , if ever .
But with respect to this , during the early days of the crisis , we were really in free fall .
The MTA didn ’ t care about our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep service going , and the union went right along with it .
When Cuomo gave the marching orders of , you know , “ We ’ ve got to keep service going , ” our union was very quiet with respect — and as deaths mounted up , there wasn ’ t any effective push on the ground to stop unsafe work or to demand things and say trains aren ’ t and buses aren ’ t going to run until our workers are kept safe .
With respect to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think it ’ s — I mean , anyone who ’ s ridden the subway for a period of time knows that with respect to riders , it ’ s completely untenable .
You know , as things get more crowded — and I think the transit system wants it to — the trains are just going to start to get packed .
An issue that ’ s — SETH ROSENBERG : Just quickly , that , you know , transit workers don ’ t have any social distancing on the trains .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The air gets through from the cabins to us .
If you look at other systems , like D.C. Metro or New Jersey PATH , Philly SEPTA , they ’ ve closed off the cars in which the crew operates .
And Transit just refuses to do that .
And I think , at this late stage in the game , after so many deaths , it ’ s just indicative of how they consider us to be sacrificial .
They consider our labor to be essential , but our lives to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following up on these measures to supposedly protect everyone , the MTA ’ s 13-point plan says wear a mask .
Governor Cuomo tweeted Monday , “ Remember : If you ’ re riding , you MUST wear a mask.
” But what is the enforcement mechanism here ?
Also , the city has shut down the subway from 1:00 to 5:00 every night , first time in what ?
Over a century .
The significance of this ?
Are they cleaning the subways ?
And your final comments ?
SETH ROSENBERG : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .
With respect to — there ’ s no enforcement mechanism .
Every day I worked last week — right ?
— I and a couple of other workers tried to create some social distancing space by putting up some tape , like is done officially in the London Underground .
You can see pictures of that .
But the MTA refuses to do anything .
When they told us we couldn ’ t do that , every day since , I ’ ve had people riding near me without masks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks on , but there ’ s really no enforcement .
And so , the possibility of transmission if there ’ s another flare-up is serious .
With respect to the shutdown , you know , I think they are doing some cleaning , but the fact is , they ’ re running the trains as normal , just without people on them .
And with respect to — you know , the homeless are an issue in the subways .
I ’ m a strong advocate for the homeless .
We demanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down for a week or two , and the homeless be given hotel rooms that aren ’ t being used , and things of that nature , and get the services that they need , which is really the worst of all worlds with respect to this , because they can ’ t do the type of cleaning they need while the trains keep running .
And the homeless are pushed out into the neighborhoods at the end of the line and then come back in without being given the real services they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seth , I want to thank you very much for being with us , subway operator with New York City Transit for 14 years , shop steward with [ Transport ] Workers Union Local 100 , member of a small coalition of transit workers called Local 100 Fightback .
And we ’ ll continue to monitor the situation as the lockdown lifts very slowly here in New York City .
And speaking of unhoused people , after break , we ’ re going to go to Minneapolis , where we ’ re going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where close to 200 unhoused people have gone in the last , well , 10 days , what ’ s happening to them there .
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González. New York City is known as a mass transit city, where millions take subways and buses and trains to work every day. But that changed when it became the epicenter of the pandemic. This week, New York City enters Phase 1 of reopening amidst the coronavirus. Officials announced their plan to keep workers and riders safe during a press conference Friday in the empty terminal of Grand Central Station. This is Patrick Foye, head of the Metropolitan [Transportation] Authority, or MTA.
PATRICK FOYE: Secondly, we will continue our unprecedented cleaning and disinfecting program. Third, face coverings and masks are mandatory at all time for all customers and employees. Four, we’re enhancing safety and security by increasing the presence of NYPD, MTA Police and other personnel systemwide. Fifth, our nation-leading employee safety initiatives will continue. The Temperature Brigade will continue testing workers for fevers. Rear-door boarding will remain in place on buses at this time. And we’ve installed hundreds of plastic barriers at employee workplaces across the system. Six, we’re exploring innovative cleaning suggestion with pilots already underway, testing the use of ultraviolet light, antimicrobials and electrostatic applicators for disinfecting purposes.
AMY GOODMAN: Since the pandemic began, more than 130 New York City transit workers have died of COVID-19. Nearly 10,000 have returned to work after being out because of the coronavirus. Train operators, conductors have reported the most infections.
For more, we’re joined by Seth Rosenberg, subway operator with New York City Transit for 14 years, shop steward with [Transport] Workers Union Local 100, member of a small coalition of transit workers called Local 100 Fightback.
Seth, welcome to Democracy Now! Just describe the condition of the subways as more and more people take them. What’s happening? What are you doing inside the subways, and what’s happening to the workers inside?
SETH ROSENBERG: Yeah, thanks for having me on the show, Amy. Hello to everyone.
Yeah, certainly, the trains are getting more crowded as the pandemic restrictions are lifted and so forth. And, you know, given the MTA’s horrible track record with respect to safety for us — the numbers you stated are horrific — I’d say it’s a very stressful and dangerous situation.
The safety measures are not in place to protect transit workers or riders, and so — you know, in a number of ways that I could discuss. And so, you know, transit workers have been — some of us have been trying to push back to try and figure out ways to keep things safe ourself. Right now there’s no filtration system. The air in our cabs that we work in for hours comes from the cars. And mask enforcement for riders is spotty. Most people in New York are good people, and they wear them, but, really, there’s no way to enforce it. So, you know, I’ve had co-workers who have had people coughing, sitting behind them for half an hour, operating the train, and there’s nothing they can do. They’ve been quite scared. And so, I’d say it’s a mess right now.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Seth, I wanted to ask you particularly about the mask situation. Now the governor, with his executive order, and the MTA saying everyone should wear a mask, this is obviously the opposite of what was being said early on in the pandemic, when all the officials were saying, no, masks are not necessary. But now we realize that the wearing of masks is probably one of the most important ingredients to being able —
SETH ROSENBERG: Right.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: — to guard against the pandemic. What about the workers? How many masks are you actually getting now, since you’re going to be in the subways all the time?
SETH ROSENBERG: Yeah. Let me say a little bit about the history behind that first. You know, the MTA had a pandemic plan from 2012 that was supposed to stockpile PPE and then distribute it, and a number of other social distancing and sanitizing measures. And it really just was not put into effect.
With respect to the masks, they hide behind the CDC, saying, “Well, they changed their instructions.” But the fact is that transit workers, early, you know, in March, were clamoring for masks, saying, “We need masks. We’re exposed. We’re unsafe.” And the Transit Authority actually — their policy, early on, was that they said that we would be disciplined if we wore our own masks, and that we couldn’t have masks because it would worry the public. And unfortunately, a number of people higher up in our union went along with that, as well.
And we see the results from that, right? Massive infection, deaths among transit workers — you know, Amy quoted it’s like around 140. The numbers are staggering. And just to say, it’s not just masks, though. They failed on sanitation, on social distancing. When I got back to work, at late April, I had to push for social distancing measures in my workplace. But yeah, so, you know, the Transit Authority is always playing catch-up.
And now with masks, we get — right now policy is that we get two N95 masks a week. And I’ve done a lot of research on this. I have a strong science background. And, you know, there are ways to reuse N95 masks, but the Transit Authority does not have a policy in place. Like, they want us to clean them off with sanitizing wipes or something like that. It’s just, that’s not a safe measure, right? And so, you see this flip-around from no masks to masks, being reactive instead of proactive, and then, even when they do, they’re really — you know, they won’t give us what’s really needed, if they don’t have a coherent disinfectant policy for the masks, which we really should have one per day, because they’re disposable masks.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And I wanted to ask you about the distancing issue. Mayor de Blasio has recommended that the subways have a policy of every other seat being empty. But the MTA itself, which obviously is controlled by the governor, has said, no, that that’s not practical, it wouldn’t work. You mentioned your union. Your union has always been pretty close to the governor in terms of being able to exact from the governor better contracts, from their perspective. What about the responsibility of union leaders in this whole issue of public health?
SETH ROSENBERG: Yeah, I mean, unfortunately, I think what we’ve seen here is that it’s gone — it’s certainly has gone the other way. I might argue that the relationship has really been not effective for our union members for a long time, if ever. But with respect to this, during the early days of the crisis, we were really in free fall. The MTA didn’t care about our lives and was willing to sacrifice us to keep service going, and the union went right along with it. When Cuomo gave the marching orders of, you know, “We’ve got to keep service going,” our union was very quiet with respect — and as deaths mounted up, there wasn’t any effective push on the ground to stop unsafe work or to demand things and say trains aren’t and buses aren’t going to run until our workers are kept safe.
With respect to the social distancing, you know, I think it’s — I mean, anyone who’s ridden the subway for a period of time knows that with respect to riders, it’s completely untenable. You know, as things get more crowded — and I think the transit system wants it to — the trains are just going to start to get packed. An issue that’s —
AMY GOODMAN: Seth, I wanted to —
SETH ROSENBERG: One thing I —
AMY GOODMAN: Go ahead.
SETH ROSENBERG: Just quickly, that, you know, transit workers don’t have any social distancing on the trains. We’re in our cabs. The air gets through from the cabins to us. If you look at other systems, like D.C. Metro or New Jersey PATH, Philly SEPTA, they’ve closed off the cars in which the crew operates. And Transit just refuses to do that. And I think, at this late stage in the game, after so many deaths, it’s just indicative of how they consider us to be sacrificial. They consider our labor to be essential, but our lives to be expendable.
AMY GOODMAN: So, following up on these measures to supposedly protect everyone, the MTA’s 13-point plan says wear a mask. Governor Cuomo tweeted Monday, “Remember: If you’re riding, you MUST wear a mask.” But what is the enforcement mechanism here? Also, the city has shut down the subway from 1:00 to 5:00 every night, first time in what? Over a century. The significance of this? Are they cleaning the subways? And your final comments?
SETH ROSENBERG: Yeah, a lot to say about that. With respect to — there’s no enforcement mechanism. Every day I worked last week — right? — I and a couple of other workers tried to create some social distancing space by putting up some tape, like is done officially in the London Underground. You can see pictures of that. But the MTA refuses to do anything. When they told us we couldn’t do that, every day since, I’ve had people riding near me without masks. Sometimes I ask them politely to put masks on, but there’s really no enforcement. And so, the possibility of transmission if there’s another flare-up is serious.
With respect to the shutdown, you know, I think they are doing some cleaning, but the fact is, they’re running the trains as normal, just without people on them. And with respect to — you know, the homeless are an issue in the subways. I’m a strong advocate for the homeless. We demanded a plan where the system would shut down for a week or two, and the homeless be given hotel rooms that aren’t being used, and things of that nature, and get the services that they need, which is really the worst of all worlds with respect to this, because they can’t do the type of cleaning they need while the trains keep running. And the homeless are pushed out into the neighborhoods at the end of the line and then come back in without being given the real services they need.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, Seth, I want to thank you very much for being with us, subway operator with New York City Transit for 14 years, shop steward with [Transport] Workers Union Local 100, member of a small coalition of transit workers called Local 100 Fightback. And we’ll continue to monitor the situation as the lockdown lifts very slowly here in New York City.
And speaking of unhoused people, after break, we’re going to go to Minneapolis, where we’re going to find out about a Sheraton hotel where close to 200 unhoused people have gone in the last, well, 10 days, what’s happening to them there. Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-06-09--DACA Recipients "Want to Be in the Streets Building Solidarity" But ICE Arrests 3 at Phoenix Protest

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : We turn now to Phoenix .
Immigration agents are also facing accusations of targeting protesters who are recipients of DACA — that ’ s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program .
Police in Phoenix , Arizona , arrested community activist Máxima Guerrero as she was leaving a protest May 30th with a group of legal observers .
She was one of three DACA recipients arrested over that weekend in Phoenix .
Guerrero is an organizer with the immigrant rights group Puente Human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monitor , so ICE is monitoring her constantly .
She was released on June 1st with help from lawyers , and addressed supporters .
AMY GOODMAN : So , that ’ s Máxima Guerrero , who is a DACA recipient .
Well , for more , we go to Phoenix , Arizona , to speak with Sandra Castro Solis , advocate with the immigrant rights group Puente Human Rights Movement .
We welcome you to Democracy Now !
, Sandra .
Can you explain Máxima ’ s case ?
I mean , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now in confronting police brutality , with a number of brutal police facing them , is that immigrants also face the possibility of deportation .
Talk about Máxima ’ s case and the other people who you are working with .
Yeah , with the case of Máxima Guerrero and the other individuals , so , Máxima was present on May 30th as a legal observer .
She was at the downtown facilities , where there was the ongoing protests , really advocating justice for George Floyd and Dion Johnson , someone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Public Safety .
So , in our community , there was a lot of protest .
And Máxima is a DACA recipient , was there primarily to ensure there was safety going on with Phoenix Police Department , because , with us , the history has always been that they act out with excessive force when it comes to meeting protesters .
So she was there documenting .
And towards the end of the night , around 1 a.m. , she was actually picked up and arrested getting into her car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important we keep on repeating it over and over : She was there as a legal observer , and she was picked up and arrested .
Once she was arrested , she was given these harsh charges by Phoenix Police Department , including rioting , which is a felony , a felony 1 conviction , which would automatically alert ICE to put an ICE hold on her .
So this is how she got trapped in what we call the web of deportation system , a mechanism that was already placed , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works in Arizona , where then , inside of 4th Avenue Jail , under Sheriff Paul Penzone ’ s watch , ICE was able not only to place the hold , but also go and pick her up along with the other DACA recipients .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Sandra , I ’ m wondering if you can talk about the whole issue of — AMY GOODMAN : Juan , I ’ m going to have to jump in , because we ’ re actually having trouble hearing you .
Ah , the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I didn ’ t get to hear your question to amplify on it , Juan .
But if you can talk about the other protesters , Sandra , and the kind of risk they face , and what people are willing to face , as they take on this issue of police brutality and honor George Floyd , these other cases ?
SANDRA CASTRO SOLIS : Right .
So , right now we ’ re in a moment where people want to be out , out in the streets advocating , building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re talking about the Latinx , the Chicanos , undocumented community .
They want to be out in the streets in solidarity .
And a lot of folks are coming .
They are seeing that these protests are being met with excessive force .
However , they are seeing that this call for justice is far too big to not answer .
And a lot of folks are going , such as Johan , who is also another DACA recipient who was caught in .
One thing that is very important to note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we ’ re talking about anybody going to protest , whether it is a DACA or somebody who does not have any papers whatsoever , is that protests are supposed to be considered sensitive locations .
The Trump administration had even acknowledged protests being a sensitive location , just like hospitals , just like funerals , just like weddings , where ICE is not supposed to be allowed to even be around the periphery , but also there is not to be any raids .
But we see now what really this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ICE isn ’ t out there rounding people up , targeting individuals who they want to pick up , like what we ’ re seeing with the cases in New York , it is the police departments themselves who are arresting and giving high charges to individuals , who may or may not have DACA recipient — may be eligible to be DACA recipients , and streaming them into this deportation pipeline .
So this is what ’ s happening .
It ’ s all a mechanism that has already existed , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black and Brown bodies .
AMY GOODMAN : What ’ s at stake for the immigrants ’ rights movement with the call to defund police ?
How does that include — or does it — ICE ?
SANDRA CASTRO SOLIS : I mean , you know , I think when individuals , when communities , when our communities say “ defund police , ” we ’ re talking about all systems of policing , all systems that continue to criminalize , that continue to kill individuals .
And so , when we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the movement is defunding the police , you know , lots of communities , especially in Arizona , nationwide , have been saying , “ Abolish ICE.
” And when we ’ re talking about defunding the police , we ’ re talking about defunding every single mechanism , and really deconstructing these mechanisms , that continue to exist and not only criminalize , but really capitalize on our bodies , not only being targeted , but also detained .
AMY GOODMAN : And also , Sandra Castro Solis , could you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like La Palma , among the U.S. ICE jails with the largest COVID outbreak ?
SANDRA CASTRO SOLIS : Sure , yeah .
So , at this time , you know , Arizona is also on the map where we are one of the top 10 COVID-19-infested areas , when we ’ re talking about detention and we ’ re talking about prison .
Arizona ranks sixth on the chart .
So , in La Palma alone , that detention center has over — JUAN GONZÁLEZ : I don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — AMY GOODMAN : Keep going .
Keep going , Sandra .
SANDRA CASTRO SOLIS : So , that detention center has over 78 positive cases of COVID-19 .
And ICE continues to release — denies the number of information that they ’ re putting in as far as how many tests that they ’ re given .
So , this is a facility with 3,000-bed space , 78 already confirmed cases , and no signs of how many people inside detention are being given tests , what that protocol looks like , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what type of tests the staff or anybody who is coming inside and outside of these facilities .
What we ’ ve seen with the Arizona Free Them All campaign that we ’ ve been launching is that detention centers , prisons , these are hotbeds .
And these are not only areas for vast contamination with people who are inside , but we ’ re also seeing that the guards , the staff who come in and out these different prison and detention towns are also aiding to the high contamination rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison towns and these prison cities .
Yuma , Arizona , is a specific example for this , where it is considered the hotbed for COVID-19 in our state .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Sandra , I wanted to ask you — first , my apologies for dropping out there .
I was trying to — we were having some microphone difficulties .
But I wanted to ask you about the issue of accountability on the part of ICE .
With local police departments , increasingly , more and more police departments have body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers .
Some of them , an increasing number , have local police review boards .
What kind of accountability exists for monitoring the actions of ICE , given the fact that it is a national law enforcement agency ?
SANDRA CASTRO SOLIS : Well , at this moment , I believe , you know , our community believes , there is no accountability .
And I think that that ’ s why Puente and other organizations , you know , we are — these organizations , we are the people on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accountable .
I mean , at this time , ICE can ’ t even track how many tests they ’ re administering , or , rather , they don ’ t want to share how many ICE tests — COVID-19 tests they ’ re giving .
ICE isn ’ t tracking how long it took — you know , ICE isn ’ t giving us the information how long it took once these charges for the DACA recipients were dropped , how long — how and why they were still held in 4th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was able to pick them up , how and why ICE was able to tell these folks , including Máxima , that they were going to take them — that they would end up in La Palma detention center by the end of the day .
So , you know , at this time , I believe that the way that this administration is running , the way that this administration is set up , there is no basis of accountability .
There aren ’ t — you know , the local governors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground , nobody is holding ICE accountable .
It is set up to where , you know , local elected officials are unable to hold them accountable because they are a federal agency .
And so , the Trump administration isn ’ t going to hold them accountable .
Then , who is ?
And I think the answer for us in our community is us .
And it starts with really putting the information out there , exposing them for who they are , and really exposing them for wanting to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continuing to conduct their raids through a pandemic , continuing to target and pluck people out of protests , and continuing to allow the spread of COVID-19 and deaths to occur inside of the detention centers , and continuing to deport people while they have been proven to test positive for COVID-19 .
So they are running like a rogue agency at this time .
AMY GOODMAN : I want to thank you so much , Sandra Castro Solis , for joining us , advocate with the grassroots immigrant justice group Puente Human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Phoenix .
When we come back , as the lockdown is slightly lifted in New York , what does this mean for the largest transportation system , the city ’ s mass transit system , the subway ?
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: We turn now to Phoenix. Immigration agents are also facing accusations of targeting protesters who are recipients of DACA — that’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Police in Phoenix, Arizona, arrested community activist Máxima Guerrero as she was leaving a protest May 30th with a group of legal observers. She was one of three DACA recipients arrested over that weekend in Phoenix. Guerrero is an organizer with the immigrant rights group Puente Human Rights Movement and already wears an ankle monitor, so ICE is monitoring her constantly. She was released on June 1st with help from lawyers, and addressed supporters.
MÁXIMA GUERRERO: This morning at — I came to ICE around like 2 a.m. At 7 a.m., they started the processing, and I was going to be sent to Eloy. And then, through, of course, attorneys and Ray and the efforts there, I was able to be out for now.
AMY GOODMAN: So, that’s Máxima Guerrero, who is a DACA recipient.
Well, for more, we go to Phoenix, Arizona, to speak with Sandra Castro Solis, advocate with the immigrant rights group Puente Human Rights Movement.
We welcome you to Democracy Now!, Sandra. Can you explain Máxima’s case? I mean, the level of risk that all protesters take now in confronting police brutality, with a number of brutal police facing them, is that immigrants also face the possibility of deportation. Talk about Máxima’s case and the other people who you are working with.
SANDRA CASTRO SOLIS: Hi. Good morning, everybody.
Yeah, with the case of Máxima Guerrero and the other individuals, so, Máxima was present on May 30th as a legal observer. She was at the downtown facilities, where there was the ongoing protests, really advocating justice for George Floyd and Dion Johnson, someone who was also murdered on May 25th by Department of Public Safety. So, in our community, there was a lot of protest.
And Máxima is a DACA recipient, was there primarily to ensure there was safety going on with Phoenix Police Department, because, with us, the history has always been that they act out with excessive force when it comes to meeting protesters. So she was there documenting. And towards the end of the night, around 1 a.m., she was actually picked up and arrested getting into her car. So, it’s very important we keep on repeating it over and over: She was there as a legal observer, and she was picked up and arrested.
Once she was arrested, she was given these harsh charges by Phoenix Police Department, including rioting, which is a felony, a felony 1 conviction, which would automatically alert ICE to put an ICE hold on her. So this is how she got trapped in what we call the web of deportation system, a mechanism that was already placed, when we’re talking about how immigration works in Arizona, where then, inside of 4th Avenue Jail, under Sheriff Paul Penzone’s watch, ICE was able not only to place the hold, but also go and pick her up along with the other DACA recipients.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Sandra, I’m wondering if you can talk about the whole issue of —
AMY GOODMAN: Juan, I’m going to have to jump in, because we’re actually having trouble hearing you. Ah, the pandemic broadcast of people broadcasting from home. And I didn’t get to hear your question to amplify on it, Juan. But if you can talk about the other protesters, Sandra, and the kind of risk they face, and what people are willing to face, as they take on this issue of police brutality and honor George Floyd, these other cases?
SANDRA CASTRO SOLIS: Right. So, right now we’re in a moment where people want to be out, out in the streets advocating, building that solidarity, especially when we’re talking about the Latinx, the Chicanos, undocumented community. They want to be out in the streets in solidarity. And a lot of folks are coming. They are seeing that these protests are being met with excessive force. However, they are seeing that this call for justice is far too big to not answer. And a lot of folks are going, such as Johan, who is also another DACA recipient who was caught in.
One thing that is very important to note when we’re talking about protesting and we’re talking about anybody going to protest, whether it is a DACA or somebody who does not have any papers whatsoever, is that protests are supposed to be considered sensitive locations. The Trump administration had even acknowledged protests being a sensitive location, just like hospitals, just like funerals, just like weddings, where ICE is not supposed to be allowed to even be around the periphery, but also there is not to be any raids. But we see now what really this umbrella guise is, is that if ICE isn’t out there rounding people up, targeting individuals who they want to pick up, like what we’re seeing with the cases in New York, it is the police departments themselves who are arresting and giving high charges to individuals, who may or may not have DACA recipient — may be eligible to be DACA recipients, and streaming them into this deportation pipeline. So this is what’s happening. It’s all a mechanism that has already existed, and it has existed to continue to criminalize Black and Brown bodies.
AMY GOODMAN: What’s at stake for the immigrants’ rights movement with the call to defund police? How does that include — or does it — ICE?
SANDRA CASTRO SOLIS: I mean, you know, I think when individuals, when communities, when our communities say “defund police,” we’re talking about all systems of policing, all systems that continue to criminalize, that continue to kill individuals. And so, when we’re talking about right now the priority of the movement is defunding the police, you know, lots of communities, especially in Arizona, nationwide, have been saying, “Abolish ICE.” And when we’re talking about defunding the police, we’re talking about defunding every single mechanism, and really deconstructing these mechanisms, that continue to exist and not only criminalize, but really capitalize on our bodies, not only being targeted, but also detained.
AMY GOODMAN: And also, Sandra Castro Solis, could you talk about the immigration jails in Arizona, like La Palma, among the U.S. ICE jails with the largest COVID outbreak?
SANDRA CASTRO SOLIS: Sure, yeah. So, at this time, you know, Arizona is also on the map where we are one of the top 10 COVID-19-infested areas, when we’re talking about detention and we’re talking about prison. Arizona ranks sixth on the chart. So, in La Palma alone, that detention center has over —
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: I don’t know if she’s already talked about —
AMY GOODMAN: Keep going. Keep going, Sandra.
SANDRA CASTRO SOLIS: So, that detention center has over 78 positive cases of COVID-19. And ICE continues to release — denies the number of information that they’re putting in as far as how many tests that they’re given. So, this is a facility with 3,000-bed space, 78 already confirmed cases, and no signs of how many people inside detention are being given tests, what that protocol looks like, and also we don’t know what type of tests the staff or anybody who is coming inside and outside of these facilities.
What we’ve seen with the Arizona Free Them All campaign that we’ve been launching is that detention centers, prisons, these are hotbeds. And these are not only areas for vast contamination with people who are inside, but we’re also seeing that the guards, the staff who come in and out these different prison and detention towns are also aiding to the high contamination rate when we’re talking about these prison towns and these prison cities. Yuma, Arizona, is a specific example for this, where it is considered the hotbed for COVID-19 in our state.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Sandra, I wanted to ask you — first, my apologies for dropping out there. I was trying to — we were having some microphone difficulties. But I wanted to ask you about the issue of accountability on the part of ICE. With local police departments, increasingly, more and more police departments have body cam videos, body cams on their officers. Some of them, an increasing number, have local police review boards. What kind of accountability exists for monitoring the actions of ICE, given the fact that it is a national law enforcement agency?
SANDRA CASTRO SOLIS: Well, at this moment, I believe, you know, our community believes, there is no accountability. And I think that that’s why Puente and other organizations, you know, we are — these organizations, we are the people on the ground who are actually there holding them accountable. I mean, at this time, ICE can’t even track how many tests they’re administering, or, rather, they don’t want to share how many ICE tests — COVID-19 tests they’re giving. ICE isn’t tracking how long it took — you know, ICE isn’t giving us the information how long it took once these charges for the DACA recipients were dropped, how long — how and why they were still held in 4th Avenue Jail, how and why ICE was able to pick them up, how and why ICE was able to tell these folks, including Máxima, that they were going to take them — that they would end up in La Palma detention center by the end of the day.
So, you know, at this time, I believe that the way that this administration is running, the way that this administration is set up, there is no basis of accountability. There aren’t — you know, the local governors, Governor Ducey, here on the ground, nobody is holding ICE accountable. It is set up to where, you know, local elected officials are unable to hold them accountable because they are a federal agency. And so, the Trump administration isn’t going to hold them accountable. Then, who is?
And I think the answer for us in our community is us. And it starts with really putting the information out there, exposing them for who they are, and really exposing them for wanting to take advantage of the situation of COVID-19, continuing to conduct their raids through a pandemic, continuing to target and pluck people out of protests, and continuing to allow the spread of COVID-19 and deaths to occur inside of the detention centers, and continuing to deport people while they have been proven to test positive for COVID-19. So they are running like a rogue agency at this time.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to thank you so much, Sandra Castro Solis, for joining us, advocate with the grassroots immigrant justice group Puente Human Rights Movement, speaking to us from Phoenix.
When we come back, as the lockdown is slightly lifted in New York, what does this mean for the largest transportation system, the city’s mass transit system, the subway? Stay with us.