(2019-02-24). Lima Group Members Invoke Human Rights While Trampling On Them. therealnews.com
Venezuelan human rights activist Antonio Gonzalez Plessman discusses the human rights situation in Venezuela and other Latin American states…
(2019-02-24). Red Cross Denounces Unsanctioned Use of Its Emblems to Smuggle US Aid to Venezuela. globalresearch.ca The largest international aid organization has demanded that activists at the Venezuela-Colombia border not use the insignia of the Red Cross, which isn't participating in what Caracas has dismissed as a US "propaganda show." | The Red Cross learned that some …
(2019-02-24). The Prison Industry in the United States: Big Business or a New Form of Slavery? globalresearch.ca This incisive and carefully researched article was first published by Global Research eleven years ago in March 2008. | Human rights organizations, as well as political and social ones, are condemning what they are calling a new form of inhumane exploitation …
(2019-02-24). 'Embrace democracy, Venezuela!' Bolton threatens new sanctions, Pompeo vows 'action'. rt.com Failure of the attempted forcing of US "humanitarian aid" into Venezuela has not deterred the Trump administration hawks from seeking regime change in Caracas. They now threaten new sanctions unless Venezuela "embraces democracy."
(2019-02-23). How America Rescued Its Weapons Runners After Their Arrest in Haiti. mintpressnews.com
"The fact that the U.S. took these people and did not charge them, it shows there was a conspiracy. They didn't want them to go before Haitian justice." — Pierre Esperance, National Human Rights Defense Network…
(2019-02-23). US Sanctions on Venezuela Possibly Worse than Iraq Sanctions Before War. therealnews.com
News about humanitarian aid shipments to Venezuela almost never compare how tiny a fraction this aid is relative to the devastating damage that US sanctions against Venezuela have caused, which is now as draconian as the pre-Iraq war sanctions were, says CEPR's Mark Weisbrot…
(2019-02-23). Whitewashing Dr. King. truthdig.com The repudiation of MLK's image as the "nice civil rights leader," venerated while used to advance American repressive interests, is the most valuable contribution of a new book.
(2019-02-23). Hakeem al-Araibi's release celebrated in Pascoe Vale. greenleft.org.au
On February 22, I had the privilege of attending the Pascoe Vale Football Club's celebration of Hakeem Al-Araibi's homecoming after roughly 2.5 months in a Thai jail for no crime — other than being a refugee and a human rights advocate. | It was a moving event, and gave a glimpse of the incredible diversity of people who had worked for Hakeem's release, starting with the Bahraini community who alerted many to Hakkem's arrest when they organised a 7-day protest in front of the Thai consulate in…
(2019-02-22). Watch | Abby Martin & UN Rapporteur Expose Venezuela Coup. mintpressnews.com On the eve of another US war for oil, Abby Martin debunks the most repeated myths about Venezuela and uncovers how US sanctions are crimes against humanity with UN investigator and human rights Rapporteur Alfred De Zayas.
(2019-02-22). Minneapolis protest Saturday to be part of global day of action against U.S. intervention in Venezuela. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN — Twin Cities area peace and anti-war groups are organizing a Minneapolis protest on Saturday, February 23 as part of a day of local actions around the U.S. and around the world opposing U.S. intervention in Venezuela. | The Minneapolis protesters will gather on Saturday, February 23 at 1 p.m. at Hennepin and Lagoon Avenues in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis. There will be signs and banners with the anti-intervention message. | The event is called under the themes: "U.S. Hands Off Venezuela – No Coup; No Sanctions – No U.S. War on Venezuela!" | A statement issued by organizers says in…
(2019-02-22). He Can't Breathe: Palestine's Eric Garner. mintpressnews.com
In Hebron, Palestine on May 17th, 2017, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) surrounded a young man as he walked through a market. He was about to join the roughly 40% of the male Palestinian population who, since 1967, have been detained or arrested.
(2019-02-22). Brazil's Unions Push Back on Assault on Labor. therealnews.com
Brazil's labor movement is gradually mobilizing against the new right-wing president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, who is putting his program of assaulting labor rights and social security into effect. Mike Fox reports from Brazil…
(2019-02-22). Why is the Venezuelan Government Rejecting U.S. Food Supplies? counterpunch.org
There's no denying that a serious economic and humanitarian crisis faces Venezuela. Millions of citizens have left the country, and those who have remained have lost considerable weight and have inadequate access to food and medicine. Hyperinflation continues unabated, and, with the Trump administration recently leveling sanctions against the Venezuelan state oil company (PDVSA), the crisis is only intensifying. More
(2019-02-22). Venezuela's Former Minister of Communes and Culture Talks to TRNN About the Crisis. therealnews.com
Well-known Venezuelan writer and theorist, Reinaldo Iturriza, says US sanctions and the low price of oil have devastated Venezuela'seconomy…
(2019-02-22). I Moved to Colorado for Freedom as a Transgender Man. Instead, I Found Discrimination. aclu.org Dashir Moore came to Colorado in part for the transgender friendly laws, but he found his employer refused to cover transition-related care. | This piece was originally published in The Denver Post. | When I was a kid, my mom gave me Barbies, but I preferred to play with G.I. Joes. By high school, I was dressing in my brothers' clothes. At Georgia State University, I first heard the word to name who I am: transgender. | I began living as male. I shaved my head and started getting fade haircuts. I started tak…
(2019-02-22). SPLC and Latin GRAMMY Award-winning band release song that teaches immigrants their rights. splcenter.org ‚ÄãThe SPLC and the Latin GRAMMY Award-winning band Flor De Toloache launched a new song today whose lyrics teach immigrants about the rights they can exercise when interacting with law enforcement and immigration authorities.
(2019-02-22). Defying US Borders, Native Americans Are Asserting Their Territorial Rights. thenation.com Defying US Borders, Native Americans Are Asserting Their Territorial Rights…
(2019-02-22). US actor Danny Glover slams US over Venezuela. greenleft.org.au During an interview with the Real News Network, US actor and activist Danny Glover criticised the US over its actions against Venezuela. | Glover accused the US of having "taken the billions of dollars that rightfully belonged to the Venezuelan people, [and] placed sanctions on…
(2019-02-22). Philippines: Break the culture of silence, violence and impunity. greenleft.org.au
The following statement on the February 13 arrest of Filipino journalist Maria Ressa was issued by the Filipino human rights movement, iDefend. | iDefend condemns the arrest of Maria Ressa by the National Bureau of Investigation on February 13 on charges of cyber-libel. | Ressa's arrest is the latest demonstration of how government critics are silenced in a manner which mirrors a familiar style of the late Marcos dictatorship. | For two years, Senator Leila de Lima remains incarcerated on unproven drug charges; former Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno was removed from her post in a Quo Waranto proc…
(2019-02-22). US sanctions cost Venezuela US$38 billion. greenleft.org.au
Venezuelan Vice President of Planning, Ricardo Menendez said on February 18 that direct losses to the nation's economy from US financial sanctions are estimated to be US$38 billion. | The figure corresponds only to the effects on the production of goods and services, as well as on the oil trade, he said in an interview with the Venezuelan News Agency. | Of this total, $23 billion corresponds to the impact on GDP. $15 billion is related to the siege against Citgo, a subsidiary of the Venezuelan state oil company, in the US, which was seized at the end of January. | The greatest amount of production losses coi…
(2019-02-21). Headlines for February 21, 2019. democracynow.org White Supremacist Coast Guard Lt. Had "Hit List" of Democratic Targets, Trump Considering Anti-Science Adviser to Head Climate Change Committee, SCOTUS Limits State and Local Civil Asset Forfeiture, Massive Fire Kills At Least 80 in Bangladesh, Mexico: 2 Radio Journalists Killed in Past Week, U.N. Warns of Oil Company Complicity in South Sudan Mass Atrocities, Egypt Executes 9 Men over 2015 Prosecutor Killing Amid Claims of Torture, Syria: Civilians Evacuated from ISIS Enclave, Trump Says Alabama Woman Who Joined ISIS Should Not Be Allowed Back in U.S., West Virginia Teachers End Strike After Killing Pro-Charter…
(2019-02-21). SPLC lawsuit: ICE raid at Tennessee slaughterhouse violated workers' constitutional rights. splcenter.org On a quiet, chilly morning in April 2018, Alma drove through the verdant Tennessee hillsides to the ramshackle slaughterhouse where she had been working on the kill floor for more than two years.
(2019-02-21). Ex-Pinochet secret police agent Adriana Rivas' extradition case deferred. greenleft.org.au
Former secret police agent under dictator General Augusto Pinochet Adriana Rivas will face court again on March 1 to see if she is extradited back to Chile, where she is facing charges relating to alleged torture and kidnapping offences. | While visiting Chile in 2007, Rivas was arrested for the aggravated kidnapping of seven victims in 1976. At the time she was the principal assistant to Manuel Contreras, the former head of Pinochet's National Intelligence Directorate (DINA). | All of the victims subsequently disappeared after undergoing vicious torture sessions. | However, Rivas breached her conditional bail an…
(2019-02-21). Profiteering from misery. greenleft.org.au
The Australian Financial Review has revealed that the federal Coalition government awarded a $423 million security and cleaning contract for three Manus Island refugee detention centres to Paladin Group, a company that, at the time, was registered to a Kangaroo Island beach shack. | Incredibly, the minister for cruelty and home affairs Peter Dutton claims he knew nothing about it. However, we now know the home affairs department secretary authorised a "closed tender" fo…
(2019-02-20). A Supreme Court Milestone for Students' Free Speech Rights. aclu.org In 1969, a group of public school students protesting the Vietnam War made First Amendment history that stands strong to this day. | This month marks 50 years since the landmark Supreme Court ruling that cemented students' rights to free speech in public schools, Tinker v. Des Moines. We're inspired to see that students still take advantage of their First Amendment rights and speak out on political issues today. | We grew up in Iowa, where our father was a Methodist minister. Believing that faith s…
(2019-02-20). Saudi Scholar: My Father Faces the Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia for Supporting Human Rights. democracynow.org
While the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October sparked international outrage, far less attention has been paid to the ongoing Saudi repression at home. We speak with Abdullah Alaoudh, whose father has been locked up in solitary confinement in Saudi Arabia for his political activism since September 2017. Prior to his arrest, prominent Islamic scholar Salman Alodah had been a vocal critic of the Saudi monarchy who had called for elections with 14 million Twitter followers. But for the past 17 months, Salman Alodah has been silenced. He was one of dozens of rel…
(2019-02-20). Civil rights groups sue New Orleans for map of surveillance camera locations. splcenter.org Representing a Louisiana public defender, the SPLC and the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana today filed suit against the City of New Orleans over its refusal to provide a map of the city's 400 real-time surveillance cameras. Though the cameras themselves are publicly visible, the City of New Orleans has refused to comply with a public records request for a map of their locations.
(2019-02-19). Trump's Iran strategy: regime change or regime collapse? uwidata.com
When Donald Trump took office in January 2017, he made it clear that countering Iran was a top priority on his agenda. Trump ripped up the Iran Nuclear Deal, also known as JCPOA; reimposed pre-JCPOA sanctions and even added new ones that were unprecedented in terms of their scope and scale; and put Iranian citizens, …
(2019-02-19). A Wisconsin School District Shrugged After High School Coaches Body-Shamed Cheerleaders. aclu.org Parents say staff are subjecting students to pervasive gender discrimination in the Kenosha Unified School District. | The cheerleaders at Tremper High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, looked forward to the annual spring banquet as a time to celebrate their hard work in the company of over 100 friends and family members. What they never expected was for the banquet to become a humiliating exercise in body shaming. | In the banquet hall of a Kenosha restaurant in March 2018, the cheer coaches presented some squad members with…
(2019-02-19). Former Pinochet secret police agent Adriana Rivas arrested in Sydney. greenleft.org.au
The following statement was released by the Australian-based National Campaign for Truth & Justice in Chile on February 19. | *** | After years of eluding justice, notorious Chilean torturer Adriana Rivas has finally been arrested and her extradition request by the Chilean state accepted by Australian authoriti…
(2019-02-18). Jewish Activists Hold Solidarity Shabbat Defending Angela Davis in Birmingham & Across U.S. democracynow.org
Jewish supporters of Angela Davis across the nation held solidarity Shabbat on Friday evening, the night before the civil rights icon had been expected to receive the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. The institute rescinded the honor in January due to Davis' support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting the Israeli government and Israeli institutions. The institute later reversed this decision after international outcry, but Davis has yet to accept the award. Democracy Now! was in Birmingham on Friday and attended a Shabbat in support of An…
(2019-02-18). Angela Davis Returns to Birmingham, Reflecting on Palestinian Rights & Fight for Freedom Everywhere. democracynow.org
Civil rights icon and scholar Angela Davis returned to her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, over the weekend. She originally planned the visit to receive the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, but the institute withdrew the award last month, soon after the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center sent a letter urging the board to reconsider honoring Davis due to her support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting the Israeli government and Israeli institutions. Facing swift and widespread outcry, the institute then reversed its decision and reinst…
(2019-02-18). Birmingham Civil Rights Group Reoffers Award to Angela Davis—But She Says Community Should Decide. democracynow.org
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute sparked international outrage in January when it rescinded the Fred L. Shuttlesworth award for civil rights icon Angela Davis, soon after the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center sent a letter urging the board to reconsider honoring her due to her support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Facing swift and widespread outcry, the institute then reversed its decision and reinstated the award, but Davis has yet to accept it. Democracy Now! spoke with the president and CEO of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Andrea Taylor, on Saturday, before an alternate e…
(2019-02-18). Racial Equity Groups Mobilize In Support of Voting Rights Act Hearings. naacp.org Atlanta Event 2nd in Series of National Hearings to Restore Voting Rights ATLANTA (February 18, 2019) — On Tuesday, February 19, all eyes will be on Georgia when the Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee on House Administration holds its "Field Hearing on Voting Rights and Election Administration in Georgia." Scheduled for 9: 30 AM EST …
(2019-02-18). Trump Hits Venezuela with More Sanctions as US Military Planes Bring 'Aid'. venezuelanalysis.com Three USAF planes landed 8km from the Venezuelan border, allegedly carrying "humanitarian aid."
(2019-02-16). The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and NAACP to Sign Historic Memorandum of Understanding During Annual Board Meeting. naacp.org The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American Men, and the nation's oldest and largest grassroots civil rights organization, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) share common priorities and interests in ensuring the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons …
(2019-02-16). NAACP Restructures to Advance Advocacy Strategy. naacp.org New York (February 16, 2019)—The nation's most prominent civil rights organization announced today during its annual national board meeting in New York, a strategic restructuring which better positions the organization to lead the critical policy advocacy and social justice work needed to ensure the rights of all people. The group also signed memoranda of understanding …
(2019-02-15). Public Citizen: Trump's National Emergency Declaration Paves Way for Sweeping Authoritarianism. democracynow.org
With one day left to pass a government spending bill before today's midnight deadline to avert another government shutdown, both the House and Senate passed the measure Thursday that came out of the bipartisan conference committee earlier this week. The bill includes nearly $1.4 billion to build 55 miles of new border barriers out of steel, far less than the $5.7 billion requested by President Trump. Democrats quickly condemned the news, and consumer rights nonprofit Public Citizen vowed legal action against him. We speak with Public Citizen President Robert Weissman.
(2019-02-15). Black Civil Rights Advocate Takes Control of Neo-Nazi Hate Group the National Socialist Movement. splcenter.org The antisemitic and neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Movement (NSM) is now under the control of a black civil rights advocate from California who once dissolved a notorious Ku Klux Klan chapter in Mississippi.
(2019-02-14). Border Patrol Detained Me for Speaking Spanish in Montana. Then My Town Turned Against Me. aclu.org
Customs and Border Protection violated our rights as U.S. citizens just for speaking Spanish in a grocery store. | I moved to Havre, Montana — near the U.S.-Canada border — in 2014 with my husband and our two young children. Home to around 10,000 people, I've always found Havre to be a friendly town, one where I felt good about raising my kids. But that all changed last May when my friend and I were illegally targeted and detained by a Customs and Border Protection agent, just for speaking Spanish to each other in a convenience store. | I didn't think it was possible for one incident to change our liv…
(2019-02-14). No EU cost for Israeli 'apartheid' in West Bank. bdsmovement.net
No EU cost for Israeli 'apartheid' in West Bank: In the NewsBy Andrew Rettman Sanctions and governmentsFebruary 14, 2019 | By: | | euobserver
(2019-02-14). New Hampshire Is Trying to Stop College Students From Registering to Vote. aclu.org Voting is my right. I shouldn't have to jump through hoops to exercise it. | Growing up, my parents taught me that voting is not only a right, but a privilege. They voted in every local, midterm, and presidential election, and every time they did so they were sure to show me their "I voted" sticker. | As I grew older, they discussed propositions or candidates with me, asking me what I thought and even providing me with sample ballots. My dad and I would talk about why our opinions were the same or different, and what information we were basing those votes on. When 2016 rolled around, I still wasn't old enough to…
(2019-02-07). Lawsuit Dismissed Against American Studies Association Over Israel Boycott. bdsmovement.net
Lawsuit Dismissed Against American Studies Association Over Israel Boycott: In the NewsUS federal judge dismisses lawsuit seeking to deter academic associations from adopting boycotts for Palestinian rights. | Academic Boycott Right To BoycottFebruary 5, 2019 | By: | | Palestine Legal
(2019-02-05). Palestinian Professors' Unions Urge Pitzer College to Uphold Faculty Vote to Suspend Study Abroad with Complicit Israeli Institutions. bdsmovement.net
Palestinian Professors' Unions Urge Pitzer College to Uphold Faculty Vote to Suspend Study Abroad with Complicit Israeli Institutions: Open LetterThe Palestinian Federation of Unions of University Professors and Employees (PFUUPE) urges Pitzer College to stand by an overwhelming majority of its faculty refusing to be complicit in Israel's denial of Palestinian rights and its blatan…
(2019-02-01). UPDATED Venezuela: US Rejects Calls for Dialogue Ahead of Dueling Marches. venezuelanalysis.com Draconian US sanctions and calls for dialogue set the stage for pro- and anti-government marches this weekend.
(2019-01-28). US Hits PDVSA with More Sanctions as UNSC Fails to Pass Resolution on Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com US Treasury imposed a de facto oil embargo against Venezuela as the diplomatic standoff over Guaido's self-proclamation continues.
(2019-01-10). The BDS movement salutes Angela Davis. bdsmovement.net
The BDS movement salutes Angela Davis : PACBI StatementThe Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), a founding member of the BDS movement for Palestinian rights, salutJanuary 10, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI)
(2018-12-08). German Court Confirms BDS Advocacy is Protected Freedom of Expression and Assembly. bdsmovement.net
German Court Confirms BDS Advocacy is Protected Freedom of Expression and Assembly: In the NewsA German court confirms that advocating for BDS and Palestinian rights constitutes freedom of expression and assembly, rights that are protected by the German constitution and are essential for democracy. The court ruled that the German city of Oldenburg unlawfully violated these fundamental rights when it revoked a perm…
(2018-11-25). Trump Putting Venezuela on 'State Sponsor of Terrorism' List? zcomm.org The Trump administration is actively exploring the option of placing Venezuela on the state sponsor of terrorism list, to further intensify sanctions that have already caused significant damage to Venezuela's economy…