(2019-06-16). Rasmea Odeh speaks on Palestine and political repression. fightbacknews.org New York, NY – A crowd gathered at The People's Forum on June 9 to hear Rasmea Odeh and Suzanne Adely speak on the repression of the Palestinian solidarity movement by the United States and Israel. Rasmea Odeh is a famous Palestinian woman leader who has dedicated her life to the Palestinian struggle and liberation of her people. She was a former political prisoner of Israel, and had her human rights violated. Odeh later became the target of political repression in the United States in 2013, after FBI raids and grand jury subpoenas targeting the Antiwar 23 were defeated. | Leading up to the event, pro-Israel righ…
(2019-06-16). Video from Animal Rights Activists Convergence at Petaluma Slaughterhouse. indybay.org Over 75 Arrested on Felony Charges as 600 Animal Rights Activists Converge on Slaughterhouse, Lock Necks to Slaughter Line, Rescue Ducklings…
(2019-06-16). Know Your Rights! Training with Berkeley Copwatch. indybay.org The Grassroots House | 2022 Blake Street | Berkeley, CA 94705 | * The Grassroots House is wheelchair accessible. Please email us at berkeleycopwatch@yahoo.com with any accessibility requests.
(2019-06-16). Bernie Sanders Proposes New Economic Bill of Rights. globalresearch.ca Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders delivered a full-throated defense of democratic socialism in his June 12 speech at George Washington University. Sanders quoted FDR's 1944 State of the Union address: | "We have come to a clear realization of the fact that …
(2019-06-16). Bringing Police Torture in Chicago to the Full Light of Day. truthout.org Flint Taylor's new book, The Torture Machine: Racism and Police Violence in Chicago, is one of those remarkable works that won't fit under any one category. It's at once a history of civil and human rights battles in Chicago with national and global reach, a text of modern urban sociology, an example of critical legal theory, a long polemic against white and class privilege, a literature of political exposure, a manual of strategy and tactics, and last but not least, for Flint himself, an autobiography. In its pages, Chicago's top lawyer of the left also shares with us the intense and determined commitment, wi…
(2019-06-16). Saudi Backtracks on Executing Teen After Global Outcry. telesurenglish.net A young man from Saudi Arabia's minority Shiite Muslim community who was arrested at the age of 13 will not be executed and could be released by 2022, a Saudi official told Reuters Saturday following reports of his pending execution. | RELATED: | Saudi Arabia: 37 Executed on "Terrorism" Charges | Murtaja Qureiris, who was detained in September 2014, has received an i…
(2019-06-16). Why Venezuela Is the Vietnam of Our Time. commondreams.org Workers from Venezuela's state oil company, PDVSA, participate in an anti-imperialist march to support Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in front of the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas, Venezuela on January 31, 2019. The US slapped sanctions on Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA in an attempt to cut off a vital source of funds. (Photo/YURI CORTEZ/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-06-16). With Ongoing Cuba Sanctions, US Has No Moral Authority to Talk About Freedom. truthout.org Janine Jackson: The Trump administration announced a ban on people-to-people group travel to Cuba, a sanction merited, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin explained, because of Cuba's "destabilizing role in the Western Hemisphere, providing a communist foothold in the region, and propping up US adversaries in places like Venezuela and Nicaragua by fomenting instability, undermining the rule of law and suppressing democratic processes." | The theme of most…
(2019-06-15). Ex-US President Clinton visits Kosovo to celebrate 20th anniversary of NATO bombardment of Serbia. wsws.org The imperialist onslaught against Yugoslavia was launched by the Clinton administration under the hypocritical banner of "human rights."
(2019-06-15). Know Your Rights! Training with Berkeley Copwatch. indybay.org The Grassroots House | 2022 Blake Street | Berkeley, CA 94705 | * The Grassroots House is wheelchair accessible. Please email us at berkeleycopwatch@yahoo.com with any accessibility requests.
(2019-06-15). Video from Animal Rights Activists Convergence at Petaluma Slaughterhouse. indybay.org Over 75 Arrested on Felony Charges as 600 Animal Rights Activists Converge on Slaughterhouse, Lock Necks to Slaughter Line, Rescue Ducklings…
(2019-06-15). #ImpeachTrump & Women's Rights Rally in San Jose. indybay.org San Jose City Hall, 200 E Santa Clara St., San Jose, 95113…
(2019-06-15). 75+ Arrested as 600 Animal Rights Activists Converge on Petaluma Slaughterhouse. indybay.org Over 75 Arrested on Felony Charges as 600 Animal Rights Activists Converge on Slaughterhouse, Lock Necks to Slaughter Line, Rescue Ducklings…
(2019-06-15). Palestinian and Jewish activists call on musician and social justice activist Xavier Rudd to cancel concerts in Israel. thecanary.co Australian Palestinian and Jewish activists have called on singer and songwriter Xavier Rudd to cancel his planned concert in Israel: We are Australians, some of Palestinian background, some Jewish, and all for universal and equal human rights, who support the Palestinian call for artists, sportspeople, and others to boycott Israel until indigenous Pales…
(2019-06-15). WikiLeaks publisher Assange faces US extradition trial next February. wsws.org The UK government has made clear that it will do everything possible to expedite Washington's vindictive attempt to render the courageous journalist to face imprisonment, torture, and execution in the US.
(2019-06-15). Study Linking US Sanctions to Venezuelan Deaths Buried by Reuters for Over a Month. theantimedia.com (FAIR) — I emailed Stephanie Nebehay of Reuters on May 22 about her article, "Venezuela Turns to Russia, Cuba, China in Health Crisis" (5/22/19). Her article depicted the impact of US sanctions as an allegation that Venezuelan government officials are alone in making. The article stated: The opposition blames [medical shortages] on economic incompetence and corruption by the …
(2019-06-15). Study linking US sanctions to Venezuelan deaths buried by Reuters for over a month. nationofchange.org 
I emailed Stephanie Nebehay of Reuters on May 22 about her article, "Venezuela Turns to Russia, Cuba, China in Health Crisis" ( 5/22/19). Her article depicted the impact of US sanctions as an allegation that Venezuelan government officials are alone in making. The article stated: The opposition blames [medical shortages] on economic incompetence and corruption by the leftist movement in power for two decades, but [President Nicolás] Maduro says US economic sanctions are…
(2019-06-14). Biggest, youngest and loudest march for abortion rights. greenleft.org.au 
The biggest and youngest and loudest abortion rights march for years was organised in Sydney on June 9. | The protest was initiated by a high school student Bella Ziade, who told Green Left Weekly the march sent a "message of hope for progressive change" and it was "just the beginning" of what was needed for change. | Abortion is still governed by the NSW Crimes Act, which does not mean it is not accessible for a price, but it does mean that those procuring or giving abortions can be prosecuted. | Several young women speakers made salient points about needing abortion to be treated as a health issue, and suggeste…
(2019-06-14). 75+ Arrested as 600 Animal Rights Activists Converge on Petaluma Slaughterhouse. indybay.org Over 75 Arrested on Felony Charges as 600 Animal Rights Activists Converge on Slaughterhouse, Lock Necks to Slaughter Line, Rescue Ducklings…
(2019-06-14). Canada Officially Bans Dolphin and Whale Captivity. theantimedia.com (TMU) — In a big win for animal rights advocates, Canada will no longer allow whales, dolphins and porpoises to be bred and held in captivity for the purpose of entertainment. The Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, which was passed by Canada's parliament on Monday, will ensure that cetaceans—or aquatic mammals—will no longer be …
(2019-06-14). Behind the Syrian Network for Human Rights: How an opposition front group became Western media's go-to monitor. thegrayzone.com Top media outlets turn to the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) for figures on deaths and detentions, never noting…
(2019-06-14). German boat captain faces 20 years in prison for saving refugees. greenleft.org.au 
A German boat captain faces a long and costly trial in Italy for charges targeting her humanitarian efforts on behalf of refugees. | Captain Pia Klemp told Basler Zeitung on June 7 that her upcoming trial in Italy for years of efforts with the civilian lifeboat Iuventa that saved at least 1000 lives, will take years and hundreds of thousands of dollars. | Klemp faces up to 20 years in prison, but whether or not she ends up in jail, she would challenge any conviction in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, if necessary. | "The worst has already come to pass," said Klemp. "Sea rescue missions have be…
(2019-06-14). Venezuela: UN Leader Michelle Bachelet to Meet With Maduro. telesurenglish.net U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet announced Friday she will visit Venezuela from June 19-21 and hold separate talks with both President Nicolas Maduro and the United States-backed, self-declared interim president, Juan Guaido. | RELATED: | 38 Accused of Assassination Attempt on President Maduro | Her visit, at the invitation of the Maduro administration, comes ahead of the U.N. Human Rights Council opening a three-week session starting June 24. Venezuela has suffered loss of…
(2019-06-14). Hong Kong extradition bill debate delayed as additional protests called. wsws.org None of the demands for democratic rights in Hong Kong or throughout China will be won through the "pan-democratic" opposition parties or by appeals to US imperialism.
(2019-06-14). Campaigners Launch Legal Challenge over UK's 'Secret Trade Talks' with United States. globalresearch.ca Global Justice Now has launched a legal challenge at the Information Rights Tribunal over the Department for International Trade's failure to release details of numerous trade meetings it has held with the United States and other countries since the EU …
(2019-06-14). Video from Animal Rights Activists Convergence at Petaluma Slaughterhouse. indybay.org Over 75 Arrested on Felony Charges as 600 Animal Rights Activists Converge on Slaughterhouse, Lock Necks to Slaughter Line, Rescue Ducklings…
(2019-06-14). NEW VOTING RIGHTS AND INTEGRITY COALITION "SEAN" LAUNCHES TODAY. blackstarnews.com 
Secure Elections for America Now (SEAN) has just launched as a new unifying voice in the voting rights community. | The SEAN organization is a pro bono coalition comprised of experts in the elections field, dedicated to passing election modernization reforms that secure American elections without every infringing on an eligible voter's right to vote. | SEAN will be led by Executive Director Allison Javery, Senior Advisor Brad Bauman, and an advisory board. Members of the board include Co-Founder of Data for Progress Sean McElwee, former Virginia Commissioner of Elections and ERIC Chairman Edgardo Cortez, Executi…
(2019-06-14). Complaints Intensify Over Migrant Detention Conditions. truthdig.com 
EL PASO, Texas—The Trump administration is facing growing complaints from migrants about severe overcrowding, meager food and other hardships at border holding centers, with some people at an encampment in El Paso being forced to sleep on the bare ground during dust storms. | The Border Network for Human Rights issued a report Friday based on dozens of testimonials of immigrants over the past month and a half, providing a snapshot of cramped conditions and prolonged stays in detention amid a r…
(2019-06-14). Attempt to extradite Assange represents 'an assault on journalistic rights', says his defence lawyer. thecanary.co The author attended Julian Assange's extradition hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court. | Julian Assange's arrest and potential extradition to the US represents an "assault on journalistic rights" and on "principles of free speech", his defence lawyer told Westminster Magistrates' Court (MC) on 14 June 2019. Mark Summers QC was explaining why it was not practical for judge Emma Arbuthnot to decide on Assange's extradition case this year. | A complex case involving a "multiplicity of profound issues": | Most attendees expected the substantive issues to start being discussed on 14 June. But unexpectedly…
(2019-06-14). Horror on the Border: Slew of Recent Incidents Highlight Human Rights Crisis. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-06-14). Pramila Jayapal, Motivated by Wave of Right-Wing Attacks on Reproductive Rights, Draws Praise for Sharing Her Abortion Story. commondreams.org Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal's decision to share the story of her abortion in a New York Times op-ed Thursday—as right-wing politicians enact a series of anti-choice laws that ultimately aim to end the right to terminate a pregnancy nationwide—was met with admiration and gratitude from fellow lawmakers, 2020 presidential candidates, reproductive rights advocates, healthcare providers, and the Washington Democrat's constituents. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-06-14). #ImpeachTrump & Women's Rights Rally in San Jose. indybay.org San Jose City Hall, 200 E Santa Clara St., San Jose, 95113…
(2019-06-14). US Supreme Court refuses to hear Guantanamo detainee's habeas corpus appeal. wsws.org The court's refusal to hear the case of a man who has been imprisoned and tortured for nearly two decades without ever being convicted of a crime corresponds to the inexorable lurch by the entire political establishment towards dictatorship and barbarism.
(2019-06-14). "Advocate": Israeli Attorney Lea Tsemel Reflects on Defending Palestinians Who Resist Occupation. democracynow.org 
Attorney Lea Tsemel has defended Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli courts for nearly half a century, insisting on their humanity and their right to a fair trial. Her work has earned her the scorn and reprobation of many Israelis, as well as death threats. A staunch critic of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, Tsemel has long argued that Palestinians who carry out politically motivated violence are freedom fighters, not "terrorists." In 1999, Tsemel won a landmark case in the Israeli Supreme Court, making it illegal for Israeli officials to torture detained Palestinians during interrogations. The docume…
(2019-06-14). Premature baby found in Texas Border Patrol prison. peoplesworld.org 
The teenage girl with pigtail braids was hunched over in a wheelchair and holding a bunched sweatshirt when an immigrant advocate met her at a crowded Border Patrol facility in Texas. She opened the sweatshirt and the advocate gasped. It was a tiny baby, born premature and held in detention instead of where the advocate …
(2019-06-14). European Union threatens to sanction Italy over budget deficit. wsws.org The dispute over Italy's state debt has flared up once again following the European elections.
(2019-06-14). Bilateral Relations Between Moscow, Washington Souring: Putin. telesurenglish.net Russia-U.S. relations are getting worse, particularly due to the sanctions imposed by Washington on Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday in an interview with Mir TV channel. | RELATED: | Russia Blasts Trump for Destabilizing Europe With Plan To Increase Troops in Poland | "They (our relations) are going downhill…
(2019-06-14). US Repeats Same Script against Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. plenglish.com 14 de junio de 2019, 09: 53New York, US, Jun 14 (Prensa Latina) The United States is repeating the same script against Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, as it tries to discredit those countries" social achievements and to punish them with sanctions that affect their economies and their peoples.
(2019-06-14). Study Linking US Sanctions to Venezuelan Deaths Buried By Reuters for Over a Month. commondreams.org Reuters depiction (6/7/19) of Venezuelan refugees. (Photo: Pilar Olivares/Reuters) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-06-14). Study Linking US Sanctions to Venezuelan Deaths Buried by Reuters for Over a Month. fair.org 
By Joe Emersberger Reuters ( 5/22/19) attributes the idea that US sanctions are causing a health crisis in Venezuela to Venezuelan Health Minister Carlos Alvarado. | I emailed Stephanie Nebehay of Reuters on May 22 about her article, "Venezuela Turns to Russia, Cuba, China in Health Crisis" ( 5/22/19). Her article depicted the impac…
(2019-06-13). Germany Passes Deportation Legislation. therealnews.com 
Germany's parliament adopted the first part of a new legislation packet to restrict the rights of asylum-seekers and refugees in Germany, denying them the right to work, sending them to prison once room in the deportation centers runs out, and even allowing apartment raids in search of "illegal" immigrants…
(2019-06-13). TROUBLE BREWING IN LIBERIA FOR PRESIDENT WEAH. blackstarnews.com 
June 10, 2019 (GIN) — Liberian President George Weah is having a few bad days. And more may be on their way. | A citizen action group — the Council of Patriots (COP) — has a long list of demands covering governance, human rights and the rule of law, national peace and reconciliation, integrity and accountability, among others. | The group has called on President Weah to part ways with some of his close lieutenants they believe are not up to the task and may cause him more harm politically. | Thousands of Liberians turned out on June 7 to protest corruption and economic decline that many blame on…
(2019-06-13). Despite Police Crackdown, Historic Hong Kong Protests Against New Extradition Law Continue. democracynow.org 
Authorities in Hong Kong have shut down government offices and postponed debate in the Legislative Council, one day after riot police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray at tens of thousands of demonstrators who took to the streets to protest a bill that would allow the extradition of Hong Kong residents to mainland China. On Wednesday, demonstrators attempted to storm the Legislative Council Building, where lawmakers are debating the extradition bill. Human Rights Watch criticized Hong Kong authorities for using what it described as "excessive force" to suppress peaceful demonstrations. Protesters de…
(2019-06-13). Six new books for an ecosocialist bookshelf. greenleft.org.au 
System Change Not Climate Change: A Revolutionary Response to Environmental Crisis
| Edited by Martin Empson
| Bookmarks, 2019 | Marxist essays on the global crisis. It includes Ian Angus on Metabolic Rift; Kohei Saito on Marx's Ecosocialism; Camilla Royle on the Anthropocene; Martin Empson on agriculture; Amy Leather on plastic; Sarah Ensor on biodiversity; Ian Rappel on 'Natural Capital'; Suzanne Jeffery on social movements; Michelle Robidoux and Carolyn Egan on tar sands and Indigenous rights. It is availabl…
(2019-06-13). New Zealand protest opposes persecution of Julian Assange and Australian journalists. wsws.org Tom Peters of the Socialist Equality Group warned that press freedom and democratic rights are "not compatible with endless war and endless attacks on living standards."
(2019-06-13). China Invites UN To Visit 'Education Centers' in Xinjiang. telesurenglish.net The Chinese envoy to the United Nations has formally welcomed U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet to visit China, including Xinjiang, where Beijing has been accused of putting more than one million ethnic Uyghurs in mass detention centers. | RELATED: | Floods Kill 16, Affect Millions in China, With More Rain To Come | According to the Chinese envoy, the U.N. human rights chief is more than welcome to visit their "education training centers", which Beijing claims is helpin…
(2019-06-13). New York Activists Are Leading the Charge on Sex Work Decriminalization. truthout.org The struggle for sex workers' rights is ramping up around the U.S. Over the winter, the Decrim NY coalition came together in New York City to win sex workers the right to survive and not be harassed by state law enforcement. In May, 100 current and former sex workers, trafficking victims and advocates who were part of the coalition traveled to Albany, where they spoke to legislators about how the existing laws governing the industry enable the profiling of trans people for allegedly selling sex. They also pushed for expanding relief for those with criminal records. | Thi…
(2019-06-13). New York's Top Leaders, De Blasio and Jumaane Williams, Hail Rent Bill Boosting Tenants' Rights. blackstarnews.com 
Jumaane Williams. Photo: Twitter | | New York City's top elected officials including Mayor Bill de Blasio and Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams have hailed the bill that will significantly increase tenants rights. | | The new bill which could be voted on as early as Friday includes several protections such as: protection against evictions from apartments so long as a tenant occupies the unit in a preferential unit and blocking landlords from exponentially increasing rents; the so-called vacancy bonus whereby landlords could increase rent by as much as 20% when a unit is vacant has been eliminated; lan…
(2019-06-13). Despite Police Crackdown, Historic Hong Kong Protests Against New Extradition Law Continue. democracynow.org Authorities in Hong Kong have shut down government offices and postponed debate in the Legislative Council, one day after riot police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray at tens of thousands of demonstrators who took to the streets to protest a bill that would allow the extradition of Hong Kong residents to mainland China. On Wednesday, demonstrators attempted to storm the Legislative Council Building, where lawmakers are debating the extradition bill. Human Rights Watch criticized Hong Kong authorities for using what it described as "excessive force" to suppress peaceful demonstrations. Protesters de…
(2019-06-13). Community Demands Answers After Trans Black Latinx Woman Died at Rikers. truthout.org Outrage is mounting over the death of Layleen Polanco, a transgender Afro-Latinx woman who was found dead in a cell at Rikers Island on Friday. Polanco was arrested on misdemeanor charges and jailed on Rikers in April when she was unable to post $500 bail. Nearly two months later, she was dead. Her family, friends and transgender rights activists are now demanding answers for the conditions that led to the 27-year-old's death. The city says the cause of death has not yet been determined. Polanco was held in a unit for transgender women while jailed at Rikers, but a week before her death she was transferred to…