(2021-05-08). How Biden Funded Colombia's Deadly Police Regime. popularresistance.org In the last week, Colombia has exploded in nationwide protests and work stoppages against the government of President Ivan Duque. With over 19 people killed by state forces in the last week, and with image after image of brutal police repression going viral across the world, the protests have sparked international outrage and concerns about human rights abuses. Joining this chorus of voices is a growing number of organizations and politicians urging Joe Biden's government to take direct action to curb police violence in Colombia and stop its continued funding of the country's brutal riot cops, commonly referred t…
(2021-05-08). Colombian Security Forces Are Massacring People On The Streets. popularresistance.org In Colombia the right-wing government of Iván Duque is killing people taking part in an ongoing national strike protesting the government's economic policies and widespread human rights abuses. | Since the strike began at the end of April, Colombian human rights groups have estimated that 26 protestors have been killed by the government's infamous security forces. | In addition to the killings, there has been a major militarisation of cities, with reports of disappearances, sexual assaults on women protestors, and other abuses committed by the security forces. Local human rights organisations have registered 1,18…
(2021-05-08). Venezuela's Delcy Rodriguez Provides More Details About Bot Campaign (ICC). orinocotribune.com 
A big data investigation carried out by independent experts determined that local and international right-wing elements used social media networks to carry out a campaign of media denigration and defamation against Venezuela on the issue of human rights, with the result that the South American nation is now the subject of an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC). "They want to classify [them as] international crimes without them having been committed," said the Executive Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, in a press conference broadcast this Friday, May 7 by state-owned Venezolana de…
(2021-05-08). Why did the Biden administration reverse course on COVID vaccine patent waivers? liberationnews.org 
The Biden administration announced May 5 its support for waiving intellectual property (IP) rights for Coronavirus vaccines as the pandemic ravages countries around the world. This is a reversal of the administration's earlier position, as well as the stance that the U.S. government adopted under Trump. Western countries with high vaccination rates like the United …
(2021-05-08). Greater Idlib: Clashes Reported Following Attack On Turkish Military Convoy. southfront.org 
Turkish forces are seen near Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, Syria January 23, 2018. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi | Early on May 8, a convoy of the Turkish Armed Forces came under attack in the eastern countryside of Idlib in Syria's northwestern region. | The convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device while passing on a road linking the towns of Ma'arrat Mirin and Ram Hamadan. According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the attack resulted in a number of injuries. | Opposition sourc…
(2021-05-08). Scheer Intelligence: The Ruling Class' Revenge Against Julian Assange. popularresistance.org The mistreatment of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange over the past decade has been defined as "psychological torture" by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer. Yet, there is still no real end in sight to Assange's promethean plight. Several months after a British judge blocked his extradition to the U.S.—citing that conditions in America's inhumane prison system would be detrimental to his health—the WikiLeaks founder continues to be held in a maximum security prison in the U.K. The U.S. government, first under Donald Trump's rule and now under Joe Biden's, is appealing the extradition rul…
(2021-05-08). Divest in Israel's Elbit on Tohono O'odham Nation and in Palestine. indybay.org The 'Divest in Elbit' panel today reveals the surveillance and weapons of the Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems, targeting Tohono O'odham and Palestinians, by way of U.S. contracts and funding, violating human rights and international law.
(2021-05-08). Global Protests Target Banks Funding Line 3 Pipeline. popularresistance.org San Francisco – Today across 8 countries, 4 continents, and 50 U.S. cities, hundreds of climate and Indigenous rights activists are protesting 20 banks that have backed loans for Enbridge, the company constructing the Line 3 tar sands pipeline through Anishinaabe territory in Minnesota. The protests feature elaborate and artful displays such as a body mural in Seattle spelling "Defund Line 3," a fake oil spill in New York, a large floating banner display in Chicago, a fake oil spill and giant dance party in D.C., and a street mural in San Francisco. Activists also effectively shut down branches of the 20 target b…
(2021-05-08). Female Model Detained in Houthi-Controlled Yemeni City Faces 'Virginity Test'. sputniknews.com Arrested earlier this year, Intisar al-Hammadi was charged with carrying out an indecent act and "going against Islamic principles".
(2021-05-08). A call for solidarity. zcomm.org Our Deputy President Mqapheli Bonono and Siniko Miya are in Detention…
(2021-05-08). Myanmar: Junta Bans Satellite Television. eurasiareview.com The Myanmar junta added a ban on satellite television to existing restrictions on the internet and media, tightening its grip over information in the country, Human Rights Watch said today. On May 4, 2021, the The military junta claimed that "illegal organizations and news agencies" were broadcasting programs via satellite that threaten state…
(2021-05-08). Former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating rights of George Floyd. nationofchange.org All four defendants were charged with deprivation of rights under color of law by willfully failing to aid Floyd, who was "in clear need of medical care."
(2021-05-08). Days Against Homophobia and Transphobia Began in Cuba. orinocotribune.com HAVANA, Cuba, May 5 (ACN) With the purpose of contributing to the development of comprehensive education on sexuality and the recognition and guarantee of the sexual rights of all people, the 14th edition of the Cuban Conference against Homophobia and Transphobia began on Tuesday, scheduled to last until May 31. | Specialists from the National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX), who coordinate and organize the activities together with civil society institutions and the Cuban State, in a press conference said that this year the awareness-raising actions are framed in the process of modification of the Family Code,…
(2021-05-08). US Backs Plan To Waive Vaccine Patents, Ball In EU Court — Analysis. eurasiareview.com By Seema Sirohi | After months of indecision, the United States has finally It's a significant move in all its manifestations. Credit must go to strong and persistent advocacy by Democratic Party progressives and advocates of patient rights and to Indian and South African diplomats for…
(2021-05-08). Iran Says US Has Yet To Offer Enough Sanctions Relief. popularresistance.org The fourth round of talks aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal kicked off in Vienna on Friday. Iran's top negotiator said he believes the US is "serious" about returning to the agreement but that it has not yet offered adequate sanctions relief. | "The information transferred to us from the US side is that they are also serious on returning to the nuclear deal and they have so far declared their readiness to lift a great part of their sanctions," Iranian negotiator Abbas Araqchi said. | "But this is not adequate from our point of view and therefore the discussions will continue until we get to all our demands,…
(2021-05-08). US accuses an Iranian citizen of violating sanctions law. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 08 (MNA) — The US Department of Justice has indicted an Iranian citizen for allegedly violating Iran's sanctions from 2007 to 2011.
(2021-05-08). Iran Says US Is 'Serious' About Reviving Nuclear Deal But Has Yet to Offer Enough Sanctions Relief. news.antiwar.com The fourth round of talks aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal kicked off in Vienna on Friday. "The information transferred to us from the US side is that they are also serious on returning to the nuclear deal and they have so far declared their readiness to lift a great part of their sanctions," Iranian negotiato…
(2021-05-08). Sunday 5/30: Animal Sanctuary Volunteer Day. indybay.org 2785 Franklin Canyon Rd, Martinez…
(2021-05-08). Burning a Police Station Led to Justice. sputniknews.com As people of good will celebrate or merely breathe a sigh of relief in response to the conviction of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the videotaped torture and murder of George Floyd, it is worth noting that this victory would never likely not have occurred had it not been for a spectacular act of property destruction.
(2021-05-07). 471 People Have Disappeared Amid Protests In Colombia. telesurenglish.net Colombia's Working Group on Enforced Disappearances (MTDF) on Thursday informed that 471 people went missing from April 28 to May 5 during the social outbreak against President Ivan Duque. | RELATED: | "Three hundred and seventy-nine of the victims are still missing. Most of the people who reappeared claimed that they were arbitrarily detained and transferred to unauthorized places and without the presence of judicial authorities," the organizatio…
(2021-05-07). COHA Denounces Brutal Repression by Security Forces in Colombia. orinocotribune.com 
The Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) denounces the systematic violations of human rights perpetrated by the security forces of the government of Colombia. The government of President Iván Duque has deployed special units of the police and military to brutally repress broad based demonstrations that began on April 28, 2021 against a neoliberal tax reform package that proposed to rescue Colombia's IMF credit rating on the backs of the working class. Now that Duque has withdrawn the proposed reform package, protests continue over numerous other topics, including the violations of the peace accords, and urgent l…
(2021-05-07). Over 370 People Go Missing During 9 Days of Tax Reform Protests in Colombia, Rights Group Says. sputniknews.com MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) – A total of 379 people went missing in Colombia over nine days of protests triggered by the now-shelved tax reform, the Movice National Movement of Victims of State Crime has announced.
(2021-05-07). Colombia: 471 Persons Disappeared During the Mobilizations that Began April 28th. libya360.wordpress.com The Working Group on Enforced Disappearances in Colombia warned that 471 people disappeared in Colombia between April 28 and May 5, in the framework of the #ParoNacional. 379 of them are still missing. The Working Group on Enforced Disappearances in Colombia — MDTDF, warned about the human rights crisis experienced in the country as a…
(2021-05-07). Chris Hedges on the Ruling Class' Revenge Against Julian Assange. scheerpost.com Art by Mr.Fish] Click to subscribe on: Apple / Spotify / Google Play The mistreatment of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange over the past decade has been defined as "psychological torture" by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer. Yet, there is still no real end in sight to Assange's promethean plight. Several months after a British judge blocked his extradition to the U.S. |
(2021-05-07). Federal Grand Jury Indicts Derek Chauvin and 3 Other Ex-Cops on Civil Rights Violations. theroot.com 
Seeing actions actually have consequences for cops is a continually bizarre experience. A federal grand jury has indicted Derek Chauvin and the three other officers involved in the death of George Floyd on U.S. civil rights charges.
(2021-05-07). Police in Brazil Kill Two Dozen in Deadliest Favela Raid in Rio's History. truthout.org 
More than 100 heavily armed Brazilian police officers stormed a sprawling Rio de Janeiro favela Thursday and killed at least two dozen people, a raid that human rights activists, researchers, and journalists described as the The hourslong operation, purportedly aimed at drug traffickers in the poverty-stricken Jacarezinho favela, ultimat…
(2021-05-07). Federal Grand Jury Indicts Chauvin, 3 Officers Present at George Floyd's Murder. truthout.org 
Four former Minneapolis police officers were charged by a federal grand jury on Friday for willfully violating George Floyd's constitutional rights when Derek Chauvin violently murdered the 46-year-old Black man. | Chauvin
(2021-05-07). "They Were Tortured": 4 Families Torn Apart by Trump Are Reunited. 1,000+ Still Separated, Missing. democracynow.org 
This week, four parents from Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico were reunited with their children in the United States after being separated under former President Trump's "zero tolerance" immigration policy. They were the first families to be reunited on U.S. soil since the Biden administration began its reunification process. "Although we love to see the reunifications and they're very moving, we have to keep in mind what led to that and that it should never have happened in the first place," says Carol Anne Donohoe, managing attorney for the Family Reunification Project at Al Otro Lado. We also speak with Lee Gele…
(2021-05-07). Ahmad Abuznaid on Israel/Palestine Apartheid, James Love on Bill Gates & Vaccine Politics. fair.org 
New York Times ( This week on CounterSpin: "Rights Group Hits Israel With Explosive Charge: Apartheid." You don't need to be a linguist to think there's something leading about the New York Times choice of
(2021-05-07). In Wake of HRW Apartheid Report, Israeli Propagandists Launch Global PR Offensive. mintpressnews.com 
Much of the online anger at the Human Rights Watch report was actually manufactured by an Israeli government-sponsored app, Act.IL, which organized supporters of the Jewish state to act in sync to create an artificial groundswell of opposition to it.
(2021-05-07). National Lawyers Guild Urges Biden to Align US Israel-Palestine Policy with International Law. orinocotribune.com 
"The United States cannot turn its back on the atrocities, including war crimes, enabled by U.S. policies, particularly its decadeslong policy of shielding Israel from accountability." | Less than a week after Human Rights Watch
(2021-05-07). My (Your) University is Still Racist and Equity Training Won't Change That. counterpunch.org 
When I began teaching almost 40 years ago, Ronald Reagan was president. Denouncing affirmative action and "welfare queens," and endorsing "states' rights" and Apartheid South Africa, Reagan described the America of Jim Crow as a golden age, the "shining city on a hill." Racism increasingly appeared to be woven into the fabric of national and international politics with no way to unravel it.
(2021-05-07). Northern Ireland: dealing with the past. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
Lawyers working on cases dealing with Northern Ireland's troubled past know that this field of legal work develops slowly. Sometimes, however, developments occur at an unexpected and unwelcome speed. Such has been the case this week. From the collapse of a controversial trial to the reporting of a legislative "amnesty", the legacy of the Troubles …
(2021-05-07). Corona restrictions not limit perseverance in ideal of Quds. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 07 (MNA) —While stressing on patience and rights of Quds in religious circles with holding various exhibitions, Head of Islamic Development Org. said that COVID-19 restrictions did not create any obstacle on perseverance of cause of Quds.
(2021-05-07). Germany Rejects Proposal to Waive COVID-19 Vaccine Patents. telesurenglish.net Germany's Health Minister Jens Spahn on Friday said his country rejects the U.S. proposal to waive patent rights on COVID-19 vaccines. | RELATED: | To justify his country's stance, this senior official recalled that Germany seeks to establish itself as an "innovation hub" that is interested in protecting intellectual property rights. | "The main issue is not the question of patents. The main issue is production capacities," the Hea…
(2021-05-07). Delhi Protest Against Bill Gates for Refusing to Share Vaccine Tech With Developing Nations. sputniknews.com Just days before Joe Biden's administration supported India's proposal to waive intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, Bill Gates spoke out against sharing such patents with developing countries. His remarks have provoked much anger in India, which is battling the second coronavirus wave.
(2021-05-07). Bill Gates' Stand on Intellectual Property Is Facing a Pushback. peoplesdispatch.org Alexander Zaitchik discuss Bill Gates' recent comments on intellectual property rights in the context of COVID-19 vaccines, his long history as a spokesperson for Big Pharma, and the various struggles across the world for a fairer IPR regime and health for all…
(2021-05-07). German government playing with fire by lifting restrictions and extending special rights to vaccinated citizens. wsws.org An incessant debate about special rights for those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine or recovered from an infection is being conducted in the German media.
(2021-05-07). Crucial Next Steps for a Successful People's Vaccine. commondreams.org "The Biden administration's decision to stop opposing a proposed Covid-19 waiver of certain intellectual-property rights under World Trade Organization rules is a welcome move. But ending the pandemic also requires scaling up knowledge and technology transfer, as well as public production of vaccine supplies." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-05-07). Academics urge ICC to not rely on Israeli investigations while probing war crimes in Palestine. peoplesdispatch.org The letter asks the ICC to work with Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups to gather evidence and documentation for its war crimes investigation in Palestine…
(2021-05-07). 'No time to lose', stop flow of deadly weapons to Myanmar military now, urges UN rights expert. news.un.org The United Nations independent human rights expert on Myanmar on Friday called on countries that have not yet done so, to impose arms embargo on the country urgently, to stop the "massacre" of citizens across the country.
(2021-05-07). In the United States, Democratic Socialism Can Win. commondreams.org "The DSA's legislative proposals—rent control, free college and reproductive rights—are classic socialist issues, updated for the 21st century." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-05-07). Vigil for Refugee Rights, Stop Child Detention, Recognize Asylum at UUSF. indybay.org Unitarian Universalist Society of S.F. holds Cinco de Mayo morning Vigil…
(2021-05-07). Brazil: UN rights office urges independent probe into deadly police operation in Rio de Janeiro. news.un.org The UN's human rights office (OHCHR) on Friday called for an independent, thorough and impartial investigation into a major police operation in a favela in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, in which at least 25 were reportedly killed, including a police officer.
(2021-05-07). Stop evictions in East Jerusalem neighbourhood immediately, UN rights office urges Israel. news.un.org The UN's human rights office (OHCHR), on Friday, called on Israel to immediately halt all forced evictions, including those in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, as well as to exercise maximum restraint in the use of force while ensuring safety and security there.
(2021-05-07). Castigating Its Competitors: Western Hypocrisy and China. counterpunch.org The West's political and media assault on China increases week by week. Human rights has become the primary means of criticism and justification for sanctioning China over its actions in Hong Kong and treatment of the Uighers. This info war is creating a divide — those pro-Western 'values' arguing China has to be brought to
(2021-05-07). US: Jury Indicts 4 Ex-Police Officers in George Floyd Case. telesurenglish.net "A federal grand jury in Minneapolis, Minnesota, returned two indictments that were unsealed today. The first indictment charges former Minneapolis Police Department officers Derek Chauvin, 45; Tou Thao, 35; J. Alexander Kueng, 27; and Thomas Lane, 38, with federal civil rights crimes for their roles in the death of George Perry Floyd Jr.," the Department said in a release. | RELATED: | Charges against Chauvin include violating Floyd's…
(2021-05-07). India Protests Bill Gates' Stance Against Vaccine Tech Sharing. telesurenglish.net Swadeshi Jagran Manch, the economic branch of a nationalist organization in India, protested against Bill Gates in New Delhi on Friday over his recent remarks against waiving intellectual property rights (IPR) on vaccine patents, which would enable developing nations to use the ingredients and produce their own versions. | RELATED: | Swadeshi Jagran Manch is the economic branch of Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swaya…
(2021-05-07). US Jury Indicts 4 Ex-Officers for Violating George Floyd's Civil Rights. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — A US federal grand jury has charged all four of the former police officers involved in George Floyd's death with civil rights violations including violating his constitutional rights, the Justice Department said on Friday.
(2021-05-07). Johnson, Macron Will Try to 'Dial Down Rhetoric', Reset Ties Amid Fishing Rights Standoff. sputniknews.com Tempers flared on Thursday between the UK and France in a maritime standoff over fishing rights to waters around the Channel island of Jersey as the French side accused the self-governing British Crown Dependency of restricting licences for small boats to operate within 12 miles of its shores, in a breach of the Brexit agreement.