(2020-01-19). Advocates and Unhoused Residents Seek Community Help to Build Small Homes on MLK Weekend. indybay.org The Village, a group that fights for unhoused resident rights, is asking for community support on January 18 and 19, 2020, to help with their event Guerrilla Housing: Reclaiming Dr. King's Legacy of Radical Action.
(2020-01-19). What Would Martin Luther King Jr. Do? indybay.org Chief Andy Mills is pushing a series of cruel civil rights violations against those without housing and is sponsoring the MLK March in Santa Cruz.
(2020-01-19). 20th Anniversary of Rosa Parks Day. indybay.org 20 years later the struggle continues in the City of Sacramento to honor the "Patron Saint" of the Women's Political Council who later became the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." Thankfully, Attorney Fred Gray, Esq. is still on the case and preparing to join us MLK 50 Anniversary – Sacramento Public Library.
(2020-01-19). Iraqi Forces Say Detain One of Leaders of Daesh in Al-Fallujah. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) have detained one of the leaders of the Daesh* terrorist group in the city of Al-Fallujah, Anbar province, the ISOF said.
(2020-01-19). Iran to Review Cooperation with Int'l Nuclear Watchdog In Case of 'Unjust' Steps by EU – Reports. sputniknews.com The European parties to the Iranian nuclear deal earlier launched a dispute resolution mechanism under the agreement, a process that could entail the re-imposition of sanctions on Iran.
(2020-01-19). Pompeo expresses outrage to Sisi over death of US citizen. yenisafak.com U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed outrage during a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi over the "pointless and tragic death" of detained U.S. citizen Moustafa Kassem in Egypt, a U.S. official said on Sunday.The United States on Monday confirmed the death of Egyptian-American Kassem in a prison in Egypt, where he had been in custody since 2013, and vowed to continue to raise concerns over Cairo's human rights record.A Egyptian presidency statement on the meeting made no mention of Kassem's case.
(2020-01-19). All Anadolu Agency staffers released after detention in Egypt. yenisafak.com All of Anadolu Agency staffers, who were detained by Egyptian police earlier this week, were released, said the agency head on Sunday."All our staff members, detained in Egypt on Jan. 14 have been released," Anadolu Agency Director General Senol Kazanci said.On Tuesday evening, Egyptian police raided the Cairo office of Anadolu Agency and detained four employees.Hilmi Balci, one of four detained in Egypt, was released last Thursday and he came to Turkey.Kazanci said three Egyptian citizens of Anadolu Agency staff were released on Sunday for some $600 bail on each.Turkey and the international community had condemn…
(2020-01-18). AFL-CIO to the nation: Make King's dream America's reality. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Faced with the renewed and rising right-wing onslaught against women, workers, immigrants and people of color, unionists at the AFL-CIO's annual Martin Luther King Civil and Human Rights Conference spent their two days in D.C. focusing on reclaiming voting rights, battling voter suppression and educating and empowering workers to ensure they can vote this year …
(2020-01-18). Thousands Gather for Women's March Rallies Across the U.S. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — Thousands gathered in cities across the country Saturday as part of the nationwide Women's March rallies focused on issues such as climate change, pay equity, reproductive rights and immigration. | Hundred showed up in New York City and thousands in Washington, D.C., for the rallies, which aim to harness the political power of women, although crowds were noticeably smaller than in previous years. Marches were scheduled Saturday in more than 180 cities. | The first marches in 2017 drew hundreds of thousands of people to rallies in cities across the country on the day after President Donald Trump…
(2020-01-18). Dilma Rousseff: "Torture is about pain and death. They want you to lose your dignity" peoplesdispatch.org Fifty years ago today, on Jan. 16, 1970, the 22-year-old militant Dilma Rousseff was arrested by agents of the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil from 1964 and 1985, a period when the country faced a crack down on civil liberties and freedom of speech. The regime persecuted political activists and anyone whose behavior was deemed to deviate from the norm. | "Torture is an extremely complex thing. I think that everyone who went through prison will always bear that mark. I don't like to watch movies where there is torture, for example. It's not that I don't like them. I just don't watch them. I don't want to w…
(2020-01-18). Gun-Rights Activists Gear Up for Show of Force in Virginia. truthdig.com They see Richmond protests as a rallying point for their cause, as state officials issue dire warnings over rhetoric and fears of violence.
(2020-01-18). Israeli Forces Abduct Finnish MP, Activists On Gaza Border. imemc.org Israeli occupation forces, on Thursday, detained five Finnish citizens, including a member of parliament, for allegedly attempting to cross the fence separating the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories and the blockaded Gaza Strip. According to Israeli media sources, the Israeli forces detained Anna Kontula, a Finnish MP, and four other humanitarian …
(2020-01-18). Nuclear Weapons: Trump Regime Pressured E3 Countries (UK, France, Germany) to Trigger JCPOA Dispute Mechanism. globalresearch.ca Post-WW II, Washington transformed Western European countries into virtual US colonies — their presence status. | Judge them by their actions. Time and again, they subordinate their sovereign rights to US interests, even when harming their own. | It shows by imposing …
(2020-01-18). UN Officials: German Anti-BDS Resolution Infringes on Freedom of Expression, Basic Political Rights. imemc.org United Nations Special Rapporteurs / Germany UN officials say it is not anti-Semitic to criticize the government of Israel. UN letter is now public, as Germany did not respond within mandated 60-day period. PALAIS DES NATIONS ‚Ä¢ 1211 GENEVA 10, SWITZERLAND Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and …
(2020-01-18). Colombia: stories of pain and resistance. peoplesdispatch.org The Colombian tragedy continues without an end in sight. The last two weeks have seen a worrying surge in assassinations of social leaders, human rights defenders and ex-combatants. 19 such leaders have been assassinated since the turn of the decade. The demand by organizations and movements for protection and justice for the leaders — 800 of whom have been assassinated since 2016 — are being ignored. Meanwhile, in the first week of January, the news magazine Semana released an extensive exposé revealing that the Colombian army was illegally listening to and indulging in surveillance of journalists, pol…
(2020-01-18). With Passage of NAFTA 2.0, Congress Boosts Fossil Fuel Polluters in Mexico. truthout.org NAFTA 2.0 cleared another hurdle on January 16 as the U.S. Senate approved the trade deal with bipartisan support. | Officially called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the pact has some improvements but remains a handout to large corporations. | This is particularly evident in the USMCA rules related to investor rights. One of the most controversial aspects of the original NAFTA was that it allowed private corporations to sue governments in international tribunals, demanding co…
(2020-01-18). Former correctional officers plead guilty to causing woman's death in custody. nationofchange.org "The FBI New Orleans Field Office, in coordination with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney's Office, remain committed to protecting the rights of all Americans, to include those incarcerated."
(2020-01-18). PCHR Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (09 — 15 January 2020). imemc.org Summary | | This week, PCHR documented 179 violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and settlers in the occupied Palestinian territory. They were as follows: | As part of the Israeli shooting and excessive use of force:…
(2020-01-18). Three Palestinians Detained Near Bethlehem, Including a Former Prisoner. imemc.org Israeli soldiers, on Friday, detained at least three Palestinians from the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem, the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported. Security sources confirmed that Israeli forces conducted an invasion into Bethlehem city, resulting in the detention of two Palestinians, including a former prisoner. Soldiers also …
(2020-01-17). The Cruelty of US Justice System Exposed in a Single Video. therealnews.com 
A 19-year-old girl was punished with 9 months in a men's jail for spitting at an officer during a mental health crisis. Video reveals the extreme treatment she received and her exclusive interview reveals how law enforcement officers are badly equipped to treat the mentally ill.
(2020-01-17). 3 Arrested for Plans to Incite Violence at 'Gun Rights' Rally in Richmond. therealnews.com 
Three suspected neo-Nazis were arrested, accused of planning to incite violence at the upcoming gun rights rally in Richmond, VA. The state's capitol is in a state of emergency after finding a pattern of communications sounding like the leadup to the 2017 Charlottesville rally that killed Heather Heyer.
(2020-01-17). Sanctions harm reconstruction in Syria's Homs province. workers.org 
Published in Junge Welt, Dec. 16. Translation by John Catalinotto. According to Gov. Talal Barasi, about half a million people fled from Homs province, the largest in Syria, during the war. Some 2.3 million people had lived in Homs before the war, Barasi explained in an interview with Junge Welt. . . . | Continue reading Sanctions harm reconstruction in Syria's Homs province at Workers.org
(2020-01-17). Abby Martin Banned From Speaking at US University. telesurenglish.net Former teleSUR presenter and creator of The Empire Files Abby Martin was blocked from delivering a keynote speech at Georgia Southern University for refusing to "sign a contractual pledge to not boycott Israel" to comply with the anti-Boycott, Divest and Sanctions state law. | RELATED: | YouTube Censors Empire Files' Abby Martin on Israeli Militarism | "After I was scheduled to give a keynote speech at an upcoming Georgia Southern conference, organizers said I must comply with…
(2020-01-17). Headlines for January 17, 2020. democracynow.org Senate Impeachment Trial Opens as Accountability Office Says Trump Broke Law by Withholding Aid, Pentagon Contradicts Trump and Says 11 U.S. Troops Injured in Iranian Strikes, Senate Votes to Approve USMCA, Report: Six Banks Reaped $18 Billion Last Year from Trump Tax Cuts, Guatemalan Protesters Demand Outgoing President Be Arrested for Corruption, Deported Immigrant Rights Leader Jean Montrevil Sues U.S. Government, FBI Arrests 3 Suspected Neo-Nazis Ahead of Pro-Gun Rally in Richmond, Virginia, Florida Supreme Court Upholds Law Limiting Voting Rights for People with Felony Convictions, Harvard Law Students Prote…
(2020-01-17). The ERA Just Got Ratified by Virginia, the Needed 38th State! counterpunch.org Here's a big deal that's bound to become a lot bigger this year. Exactly 100 years after women finally won the vote with ratification of a 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, the state legislature of Virginia on January 15 finally became the needed 38th state of the Union to ratify the proposed Equal Rights More
(2020-01-17). The impeachment trial begins as Trump escalates fascistic appeals. wsws.org The Democratic impeachment process will not stop Trump's increasingly blatant assault on the constitutional foundations of basic democratic rights.
(2020-01-17). 2019 Proved We Can Stop Face Recognition Surveillance. aclu.org This piece originally appeared on Fast Company. | In 2019, we proved face recognition surveillance isn't | inevitable. Now, it's time for Congress to rein in the technology once and for | all. | Last year, communities banded together to prove that they | can — and will — defend their privacy rights. As part of ACLU-led campaigns, three | California cities — San | Francisco,…
(2020-01-17). The Maldives Seek Financing to Manage Climate Change Impacts. telesurenglish.net The Republic of Maldives' Foreign Affairs Minister Abdulla Shahid Thursday indicated that his country, a small island nation located in the Indian Ocean, is struggling to find financing that will allow it to build infrastructure to mitigate the risks of sea-level rise. | RELATED: | Germany Agrees on Plan to Phase out Coal Power by 2038 | "For the Maldives, and, for the world over, climate change can be best described as a security and human rights challenge," said Shahid at the Raisina…
(2020-01-17). The World Looks to Abandon the Dollar as US Sanctions Tighten Their Grip. globalresearch.ca When the US places financial sanctions on one country, it de facto sanctions many other countries as well — including many of its allies. | This is because not all countries and firms are interested in participating in the US sanctions-based …
(2020-01-17). Millions Expected to Join Global Women's March to 'Act as a Catalyst for Political and Social Change'. commondreams.org Millions of advocates for women's human rights are expected to take to the streets in dozens of cities worldwide on Saturday, Jan. 18 for the fourth annual Global Women's March. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-01-16). Conspiracy Theories, Threats of Violence Loom Over Coming Gun Rally in Richmond. splcenter.org Gun-rights activists and antigovernment extremists are planning a protest in Richmond, Virginia, on Monday fueled by antigovernment conspiracy theories and accompanied by online calls for violence.
(2020-01-16). Syrian conflict has 'erased' children's dreams: new UN report. news.un.org Nearly nine years of conflict in Syria have robbed boys and girls of their childhood and subjected them to "unabated violations of their rights", including being killed, maimed, displaced, forced to fight or subjected to torture, rape and sexual slavery.
(2020-01-16). Arkansas Legislators' Attack on Abortion is Unconstitutional. aclu.org The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled time and again that | reproductive privacy is "central to personal dignity and autonomy, [which] are | central to the liberty protected by" the Constitution. The Court has made | eminently clear that under the Constitution, the right of a pregnant person to | terminate a pregnancy prior to viability is a right so essential to our freedom | that our government cannot ban or impose an undue burden on its exercise. But | despite the long-standing clarity of this principle, reproductive health and rights | continue to come under blistering, unrelenting attack. | Nowhere is this cl…
(2020-01-16). Iraqi Prime Minister Backs Off Expelling US Troops. theantimedia.com (ANTIWAR.COM) — After repeated threats from President Trump to sanction Iraq, to seize its primary bank account, and cut all military aid, Iraqi PM Adel Abdul-Mahdi has backed away from calls to expel US troops from Iraq. Iraq's parliament voted 170-0 earlier this month on the ouster, though US officials have said they don't intend to …
(2020-01-15). 3 people detained after live mortar round found in car at Pearl Harbor base gates. rt.com 
Three men have been arrested attempting to bring a live mortar round into the US' Pearl Harbor military base in their vehicle, according to military officials. The incident shut down the base for hours. | It's not clear why the group had the explosive device, which authorities said did not have a firing device attached but could be modified and triggered by something other than the usual mortar tube. A spokesman for the Hawaii base, Charles Anthony, called the device a "deadly weapon." | The trio, all civilians without authorized access to the base, were stopped on their way into the sprawling facility by secu…
(2020-01-15). Headlines for January 15, 2020. democracynow.org House to Vote to Send Impeachment Articles to Senate, WaPo: Threatening Text Messages Show Yovanovitch Was Under Surveillance, War Powers Resolution Limiting Trump on Iran Could Pass Senate | , Six Democratic Candidates Took Stage in Des Moines, Iowa, 5,000 Puerto Ricans Still Homeless After 6.4 Magnitude Earthquake, HRW Blasts China for Human Rights Violations Against Uyghurs & Protesters | , 15 Women Murdered in Honduras in First 2 Weeks of This Year, American Citizen Moustafa Kassem Dies in Egyptian Prison After Hunger Strike, Seattle Bans Foreign-Influenced Companies from Political Spending, "Jeopardy!" Apolo…
(2020-01-15). Iran's Rouhani Demands US, EU Troops Leave the Middle East or Face "Danger" theantimedia.com (ZH) — A day after European signatories to the Iran nuclear deal took took the drastic step of triggering the agreement's dispute resolution mechanism regulating conformity to the deal by formally notifying the EU Iran is in breach, seen as the harshest measure taken thus far given it means EU sanctions are possible, President Hassan Rouhani has responded with …
(2020-01-15). Keeping with its Crackdown on Alternative Voices, Google Deletes Press TV from YouTube. mintpressnews.com Without warning, tech giant Google "permanently removed" Iranian government-owned media channel Press TV UK's YouTube channel Monday night amid increasing American hostility to Iran. | "This attack on the freedom of speech of Press TV's journalists seems to be part of an anti-Iran purge as the West sets its sights on regime change in Iran," Press TV said. Its content, in its own words, focuses on "anti-imperialis…
(2020-01-15). Pennsylvania prisoners resist media censorship. workers.org 
When Vol. 61 No. 48 of Workers World newspaper came across the desk of the prison staff at State Correctional Institution Frackville in December, censors seized on an article that criticized the Pennsylvania facility's administration for a variety of offenses. In direct violation of the inmates' First Amendment rights, staff . . . | Continue reading Pennsylvania prisoners resist media censorship at Workers.org
(2020-01-14). "Morir Soñando": Martín Espada Reads Poem About Luis Garden Acosta, Young Lord & Community Activist. democracynow.org 
Last week marked the first anniversary of the passing of Luis Garden Acosta, the founder and longtime president of the nationally known El Puente youth and community leadership program in Brooklyn. Long regarded as one of New York City's foremost human rights and Latino community activists, Garden Acosta died last January at the age of 72. A former seminarian who had been active in the Catholic antiwar movement, Garden Acosta joined the Young Lords Party in 1970 and later founded that group's Massachusetts chapter while he was still a student at Harvard Medical School. He went on to pioneer successful nonviolent…
(2020-01-14). The World Must End The US' Illegal Economic War. dissidentvoice.org 
The United States is relying more heavily on illegal unilateral coercive measures (also known as economic sanctions) in place of war or as part of its build-up to war. In fact, economic sanctions are an act of war that kills tens of thousands of people each year through financial strangulation. An economic blockade places a …
(2020-01-14). The Trump Administration Weakens Standards for ICE Detention Facilities. aclu.org Last month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officially released a new version of its National Detention Standards (NDS), which govern the treatment of immigrant detainees held in almost 140 facilities in 44 states. These facilities include local and state jails and prisons — some operated by private prison companies — under contract with ICE. Despite being considered "civil detention," almost 20 percent of ICE detainees are held in these jails and prisons, many of which are located in remote, rural locations. | ICE describes its…
(2020-01-14). US Sanctions Venezuela's New Parliament Leader, Senior Opposition Lawmakers. venezuelanalysis.com The legislature's new opposition leadership "categorically" rejected the sanctions.
(2020-01-14). Colombia: 'Staggering number' of human rights defenders killed in 2019. news.un.org The UN human rights office, OHCHR, is "deeply troubled by the staggering number of human rights defenders killed in Colombia" last year, its spokesperson said on Tuesday.
(2020-01-13). Venezuela Blames Sanctions After UN Voting Right Suspended. venezuelanalysis.com Venezuela, which has one of the highest UN contribution rates in the region, has not paid its dues since 2018.
(2020-01-12). Ex-US intel officer: Pompeo 'lying through his teeth' on Iran. thegrayzone.com The Trump administration is imposing new sanctions on Iran and defying Iraq's call for a US troop withdrawal. This comes…
(2020-01-10). The Critical Role Auditing Plays in the Battle Against Police Surveillance. therealnews.com 
Auditors across the country are turning the tables on police surveillance. The Police Accountability Report spoke to an auditor who was arrested to understand how filming cops ultimately preserves our civil rights.
(2020-01-10). Pregnant Workers Are Still Fighting for the Right to Work. aclu.org In 2015, | Michelle Durham, an ACLU client, was faced with an impossible choice: | continue working and risk the health of her pregnancy or give up her paycheck. | She was working | as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for Rural/Metro Corporation, a company | in Alabama that provides emergency medical care to people living in areas that | lack basic medical services. Shortly after joining Rural/Metro Corporation in | Alabama, Michelle learned she was pregnant with her first child and was advised | by her health professional not to lift more than 50 pounds. She was confident | the company would grant her a…
(2020-01-10). Venezuela: Guaido installs parallel parliament, US threatens more sanctions. greenleft.org.au 
Venezuela Ricardo VazIssue 1248 Venezuela Juan Guaido US Vice President Mike PenceJanuary 10, 2020Opposition leader Juan Guaido installed a "parallel" parliament in Caracas on January 7. | The…
(2020-01-08). Venezuela: Guaido Installs Parallel Parliament After Washington Threatens More Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The Trump administration is reportedly mulling sanctions against opposition deputies who voted against Guaido.