2019-12-24: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

Trump boasts of Democrats' backing for his assault on immigrants
wsws.org | 2019-12-24
With bipartisan support, conditions on the US-Mexico border and in detention centers for immigrants have become increasingly hellish.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/24/immi…

Blood Memory Rising, Book Review of Standing with Standing Rock
Brenda Norrell | indybay.org | 2019-12-24
'Standing with Standing Rock,' is an encyclopedia of resistance, which chronicles the Water Protector movement from the first run to Washington, and on to the camps, and the surveillance by TigerSwan, to the ultimate international divestment campaign. In its 29 chapters are poetry, essays and discussions of Indigenous rights and Treaties.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/20/18829041.php

Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf orders mass arrest of Housing Justice protesters
Dave Id | indybay.org | 2019-12-24
An inspirational day of solidarity with unhoused Oaklanders turned into a traumatic night after mayor Libby Schaaf directed a small army of police and DPW workers to smash a housing rights protest held on the doorstep of City Hall. For daring to challenge the Oakland's never ending war against the homeless — the city's encampment demolitions and evictions, the towing of residential vehicles, and a lack of earnestness and urgency in addressing the housing crisis — twenty-two people were arrested and sent to Santa Rita jail, some for over two days.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/23/18829113.php

MI5 Given the Go-ahead to Allow Informants to Commit Crimes
Ceren Sagir | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-24
Human rights campaigners today vowed to appeal against a "knife-edge" divided tribunal ruling which allowed MI5 to continue authorising informants to commit serious criminal offences. | Privacy International, Reprieve, the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) and the Pat Finucane …
globalresearch.ca/mi5-given-go-ahead-allow-informants-commit-crimes/5698611

Tax Amazon: Strike While the Iron is Hot
Kshama Sawant | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-24
The history of American capitalism is full of corporate bullying, threats and even violence against working people when we stand up for our rights. | Yet in spite of Amazon's all-out, attempted hostile corporate takeover of Seattle City Hall this year, working people just beat the richest man in the world by running perhaps the strongest grassroots campaign ever in our city. When we fight, we can win.
counterpunch.org/2019/12/24/tax-amazon-strike-while-the-iron-is-hot/

Basta FridayWeekly Save Chelsea from Torture and Death Vigil&Music
orion the elder | indybay.org | 2019-12-24
Fruitvale &MacArthur oakland 94602…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/20/18829050.php

Israel cancels Jordan Valley meeting amid ICC probe
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-24
An Israeli ministerial team cancelled a scheduled meeting to discuss plans for annexing the Jordan Valley following a decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate alleged Israeli war crimes against Palestinians, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on Tuesday.The meeting had been scheduled to take place last week, but was called off last minute once ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announced intention on Friday to investigate alleged Israeli human rights violations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.During his election campaign in September, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said h…
yenisafak.com/en/news/israel-cancels-jordan-valley-meeting-amid-icc-probe-3508140

Moroccan | NGO urges Muslim world to support Uighurs against China's 'genocide'
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-24
A non-governmental organisation in Morocco urged the Arab world and Islamic organizations to stand against China's long-standing crackdown on Muslim Uighurs in the far western region of Xinjiang, calling the persecution a "genocide."The Support Committee for the Causes of the Ummah expressed its concerns in a written statement about the religious persecution, ethnic cleansing campaign, human rights violations and abuses targeting Uighur Muslim minorities in East Turkestan, the name that Uighur exiles use for Xinjiang.The NGO also called on human rights organizations to take action against racist and arbitrary det…
yenisafak.com/en/news/moroccanngo-urges-muslim-world-to-support-uighurs-against-chinas-genocide-3508148

Turkey not given up on Khashoggi murder case: Experts
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-24
Evaluating Monday verdict of a Saudi court over slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Turkish experts said the decision does not bind Turkey and called for carrying out legal process in Istanbul, where the incident took place.Criminal lawyer Ersan Sen told Anadolu Agency that only Turkey has the judiciary rights on the Khashoggi case in the world.Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post and a U.S. resident, was murdered after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 of last year on a visit to pick up paperwork for his forthcoming marriage."The UN, U.S., or Saudi Arabia, no matter who says what, it doe…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-not-given-up-on-khashoggi-murder-case-experts-3508147

Fernandez Questions International Silence Over Chilean Protests
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-23
Argentinian President, Alberto Fernández, questioned the international silence regarding the human rights violations committed by the security forces in Chile during the protests against the policies of Sebastián Piñera that began more than two months ago. | RELATED: | Opposition Party to Sue Santiago Mayor Over Human Rights Crimes | He also compared the international action regarding the situation in Venezuela and other countries in the region, pointing out how the world choo…
telesurenglish.net/news/Fernandez-Questions-International-Silence-Over-Chilean-Protests-20191223-0006.html

Chile Human Rights Abuses Worst Since Dictatorship: NHRI Warns
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-23
The repression of ongoing protests in Chile has resulted in the most serious human rights violations in 30 years since the country was ruled by the military dictatorship, the country's National Institute of Human Rights (NHRI) warned Monday. | RELATED: | Fernandez Questions International Silence Over Chilean Protests | According to the director of the country's official human rights body Sergio Micco, the state's response to the mass protests "produced, as a whole, the most se…
telesurenglish.net/news/chile-nhri-report-focused-on-carabineros-recent-violations–20191223-0016.html

Behind the U.S. anti-China campaign
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-12-23
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Dec. 18 article from Workers World. | In order to evaluate the claims of massive human rights violations of the Uyghurs, an ethnic and religious minority in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, it is important to know a few facts. | | Xinjiang Province in the far western region of China is an arid, mountainous and still largely underdeveloped region. Xinjiang has significant oil and mineral reserves and is currently China's largest natural-gas-producing region. | It is home to a number of diverse ethnic groups, including Turkic-speaking Muslim Uygh…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/12/23/behind-…

Addameer Collects Hard Evidence on Torture and Ill-Treatment Committed against Palestinian Detainees at Israeli Interrogation Centers
Staff | imemc.org | 2019-12-23
By Ad-Dameer Prisoner Support And Human Rights Association: Since its creation, the occupying state developed and enforced laws and practices that led to both the systematic use of torture and to absolute impunity for the perpetrator of this crime. There has never been any individual or agency held accountable for …
imemc.org/article/addameer-collects-hard-evidence-on-torture-and-ill-treatment-committed-against-palestinian-detainees-at-israeli-interrogation-centers/

The vanguard of Chavism has a woman's face: A chronicle of their resistance in 2019
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-12-23
In the middle of the year, we Venezuelans received a visit from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michel Bachelet, on the occasion of meeting with the different political actors in the country to "evaluate" the complex economic and social environment brought about by the White House's decision. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/12/23/the-vanguard-of-chavism-has-a-womans-face-a-chronicle-of-their-resistance-in-2019/

Much work needed to 'target unacceptable levels' of racism in Ecuador: UN experts
news.un.org | 2019-12-23
Ecuador must implement and enforce laws and policies to protect the rights of Afro-Ecuadorians, the UN Working Group on People of African Descent said on Monday, calling for an end to the "discrimination, exclusion and extreme poverty they suffer."
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1054201

Classic Orwellian Obfuscation: U.S. States Condemns DPRK, Syria, China, Zimbabwe, Iran, Venezuela, Russia for Human Rights Abuses
Carla Stea | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-23
The gloves came off, revealing the iron fist in the velvet glove of U.S. obfuscation condemning innumerable countries for abuse of human rights; a recorded vote was required on December 18, exposing which countries actually vote in support of UN …
globalresearch.ca/classic-orwellian-obfuscation-united-states-condemns-dprk-syria-china-zimbabwe-iran-venezuela-russia-human-rights-abuses/5698487

The End of Human Rights
Rafia Zakaria | thenation.com | 2019-12-23
The End of Human Rights…
thenation.com/article/human-rights-un-pakistan/

Sanctions: A new generation of warfare
Makasi Motema | workers.org | 2019-12-23
Below is a slightly edited version of a talk by Makasi Motema given at a Dec. 19 Workers World Party meeting in New York City. In the winter of 1941, the people of Leningrad survived on 125 grams of bread per day. Half of that bread was made of sawdust. . . . | Continue reading Sanctions: A new generation of warfare at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/12/45043/

BDS Movement: Boris Johnson's BDS Ban Recalls Margaret Thatcher's Support of Apartheid South Africa
Yumna Patel | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-23
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement hit back at UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plans to ban public authorities from participating in the international movement boycotting Israeli goods. | …
globalresearch.ca/bds-movement-boris-johnson-bds-ban-recalls-margaret-thatcher-support-apartheid-south-africa/5698452

Another kind of war: Unilateral economic sanctions damage Syria
Karin Leukefeld | workers.org | 2019-12-23
First published in the German daily newspaper Junge Welt on Dec. 16. Translation by John Catalinotto. At the beginning of December, the Conference of Germany's State Interior Ministers extended the ban on deportations to Syria without restrictions until at least June 2020. Originally, the interior ministers at their autumn meeting . . . | Continue reading Another kind of war: Unilateral economic sanctions damage Syria at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/12/45046/

Is the UK Government Set to Define the Boycott of Israel as 'Antisemitic'?
Ben White | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-23
One of the first bills to be introduced by Britain's new Conservative government will reportedly stop "local authorities from boycotting individual companies", a move described as targeting the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. | The Conservative Party election manifesto…
globalresearch.ca/uk-government-set-define-boycott-israel-antisemitic/5698456

German government condemns US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 pipeline
wsws.org | 2019-12-23
The temporary halt to construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has dramatically intensified tensions between the United States and the European powers.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/23/nord…

Mexico Accuses Bolivia of Intimidating Its Diplomats in La Paz
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-23
Mexico's Foreign Affairs Ministry said Monday that it was "deeply concerned" about "excessive" surveillance of the Mexican ambassador's residence and Mexican embassy in Bolivia by about 150 Bolivian intelligence and security service personnel. | RELATED: | Bolivia Joins US-Backed Lima Group Against Venezuela | Mexico said the Bolivians were "intimidating" diplomatic staff and attempted to "detain and inspect" the ambassador's vehicle on Monday. While the Undersecretary for Latin America…
telesurenglish.net/news/mexico-accuses-bolivia-of-intimidating-its-diplomats-in-la-paz-20191223-0008.html

'Antithesis of Justice': Five Saudi Kill Squad Members Sentenced to Death for Khashoggi Murder While Crown Prince Untouched
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-12-23
Human rights advocates criticized Saudi Arabia Monday following an announcement from the nation's public prosecutor that five people were sentenced to death and three others given various prison terms in connection with the brutal murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey last year. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/news/2019/12/23/antithesis-justice-five-saudi-kill-squad-members-sentenced-death-khashoggi-murder?cd-origin=rss

Child Labor Behind Chocolate Ferrero Rocher: UK Rights Group
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-22
The hazelnuts used by the chocolate company Ferrero in its products, including the famous Ferrero Rocher, and sold across the world for Christmas, may have been harvested by children working in the agricultural sector in Turkey, human rights campaigners denounced Friday. | RELATED: | Outrage as 2 McDonald's Employees Found Electrocuted in Peru | The Guardian reported that interviews with child workers filmed by United Kingdom campaigning group WeMove Europe and the Centre for C…
telesurenglish.net/news/Chocolate-Company-Ferrero-May-Use-Child-Labour-Rights-Activists–20191222-0009.html

Opposition Party to Sue Santiago Mayor Over Human Rights Crimes
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-22
Social organizations and parties of the Chilean opposition will lodge a complaint against the metropolitan mayor of Santiago, Felipe Guevara, for "crimes against the constitution, quasi-homicide and use of horses as an instrument of repression", and they will also require his immediate resignation. | RELATED: | Chile: TV Broadcast Live When Two Armored Cars Crushed Citizen | Among the demands, the groups and the political entities of the opposition demand the resignation of Guev…
telesurenglish.net/news/Opposition-Party-to-Sue-Santiago-Mayor-Over-Human-Rights-Crimes-20191222-0003.html

Nord Stream 2 Construction to Press on Despite US Sanctions
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-22
The construction of the new Nord Stream 2 pipeline will go ahead despite the introduction of United States sanctions, the group behind the pipeline project announced Saturday. | RELATED: | Trump Blasts Congress Over 'Unfair' Impeachment | "Completing the project is essential for European security of supply. We, together with the companies supporting the project, will work to complete the pipeline as soon as possible," said the authorities in charge of the project. | Meanwhile, the Russian Fore…
telesurenglish.net/news/nord-stream-2-construction-to-press-on-despite-us-sanctions-20191222-0008.html

Medical Opinion, Torture, and Julian Assange
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-21
On November 27 this year, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, delivered an address to the German Bundestag outlining his approach to understanding the mental health of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. These comprised two parts, the initial stage covering his diplomatic asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy, the second dealing with his formal detention in …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/medical-opinion-torture-and-julian-assange/

China detaining millions of Uyghurs? Serious problems with claims by US-backed NGO and far-right researcher 'led by God' against Beijing
Ajit Singh | thegrayzone.com | 2019-12-21
Claims that China has detained millions of Uyghur Muslims are based largely on two studies. A closer look at these…
thegrayzone.com/2019/12/21/china-detaining-millions-uyghurs-problems-claims-us-ngo-researcher/

CIA torture is 'snow secret': Edward Snowden roasts CIA's feelgood holiday tweet
rt.com | 2019-12-21
Every now and again the CIA does its best to appear relatable, and every time the agency gets put back in its place. Now, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden hijacked a festive tweet to slam the CIA's torture practices. | "It's *snow secret* that we love winter," the clandestine agency tweeted on Saturday, marking the first day of winter in the US. | Snowden was acerbic in his response. "It's *snow secret* that you tortured Gul Rahman for weeks at a black site, then chained him naked to a concrete floor until he died in the near-winter cold," he tweeted. | It's *snow secret* you tortured Gul Rahman for weeks at a…
rt.com/usa/476580-cia-snowden-snow-secret/

Activists Demand a Migrant Justice Platform as Democratic Candidates Discuss Immigration in Debate
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-20
Protesters for immigrant rights demonstrated outside the Democratic debate Thursday in Los Angeles, displaying a banner that read "Migrant Justice on Day One" and demanding a moratorium on deportations and immigrant worker protections. We look at how the candidates responded, with Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer for RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services. "I'm really happy that immigration came up this time around," she notes. "In the past few debates, the issue didn't even come up."
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/20/democrat…

UN independent experts 'deeply disturbed' by alleged mistreatment of detained Iranian protesters
news.un.org | 2019-12-20
Sixteen independent UN human rights experts called on Friday for the release of arbitrarily detained protesters in Iran who have allegedly been abused while in custody.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1054111

One appalling detail in the Queen's Speech shows voting Tory was a vote to ruin your children's future
Tracy Keeling | thecanary.co | 2019-12-20
The Queen's Speech on 19 December unveiled Boris Johnson's plans for Britain. | It confirmed that the pledge he made during the election campaign for a £10.50 living wage was, frankly, nonsense — as was the promise not to further weaken workers' rights. And i…
thecanary.co/discovery/analysis-discovery/2019/12/20/one-appalling-detail-in-the-queens-speech-shows-voting-tory-was-a-vote-to-ruin-your-childrens-future/

Media, Human Rights Groups Silent Over Politically-Motivated Murder of Journalist in Bolivia
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-20
Sebastian Moro's last known words before he was found were denouncing the kidnappings of government officials and mob attacks on journalists and media outlets.
mintpressnews.com/human-rights-groups-media-murder-journalist-sebastian-moro-bolivia/263676/

'Silent plight' carolers show solidarity with county jail inmates
Martha Grevatt | workers.org | 2019-12-20
Cleveland Question: Where are holiday carolers unwelcome this time of year? Answer: In the Cuyahoga County "Justice Center," when they represent the Coalition to Stop the Inhumanity at the Cuyahoga County Jail, and they have changed the words "Silent night, holy night" to "Silent plight, violated rights." Singing rewritten . . . | Continue reading 'Silent plight' carolers show solidarity with county jail inmates at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/12/45021/

Four Lawyers. Four Projects. One Non-Stop Year
aclu.org | 2019-12-20
It isn't news that the Trump administration has kept ACLU attorneys working at breakneck speed for the past three years. In 2019 alone, we saw historic moments and victories–from defeating the citizenship question on the 2020 census and bringing the first trans civil rights case to the Supreme Court, to blocking a wave of abortion bans and many of the administration's attempts to dismantle the asylum system. To name a few. | Here are some of our attorneys' takes on 2019 and the year ahead–what's changed for the better and for the worse, and how the outcome of the 2020 presidential election will a…
aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/four-lawyers-four-projects-one-non-stop-year

Expert Q&A: Trump's executive order on campus antisemitism
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-12-20
Last week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order requiring federal agencies to use a definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism when investigating civil rights complaints alleging antisemitism on campus. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/12/20/expert-qa-trumps-executive-order-on-campus-antisemitism/

BDS movement defiant after Tories announce anti-boycott measures and threaten international solidarity
Tom Anderson | thecanary.co | 2019-12-20
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigners have responded defiantly to Tory plans to pass an anti-BDS law. | The law is a threat to any international solidarity campaign which seeks to boycott companies or products because of the state policies of another country. As such, it presents a threat to international solidarity efforts as a whole. | Boycotting Israeli apartheid: | BDS is an international movement calling for a boycott of Israeli goods. It also calls for grassroots groups to initiate boycott campaigns against companies complicit in Israel…
thecanary.co/opinion/2019/12/20/bds-movement-defiant-after-tories-announce-anti-boycott-measures-and-threaten-international-solidarity/

From a Blessing to a Curse: How UN Resolution 2334 Accelerated Israel's West Bank Colonization
Ramzy Baroud | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-19
UN Resolution 2334, although externally supportive of Palestinian rights, turned out to be one of the most costly decisions ever made by the international institution.
mintpressnews.com/un-resolution-2334-israel-settlements-international-law/263603/

Rights expert welcomes Pope's decision to lift 'veil of secrecy' on child abuse cases
news.un.org | 2019-12-19
The Vatican must take action to ensure justice for people who were sexually abused by priests during childhood, a UN independent human rights expert said on Thursday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1054031

On the picket line
Martha Grevatt | workers.org | 2019-12-19
New Illinois labor law seeks to counter Janus decision The Dec. 2 Labor Tribune reported that a bill to uphold rights of public sector unions, which are threatened by the Supreme Court's 2018 Janus decision, was passed by the Illinois Legislature on Nov. 13. Ill. Gov. Pritzker promises to sign . . . | Continue reading On the picket line at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/12/44984/

10 LGBTQ Moments that Defined 2019
aclu.org | 2019-12-19
1. Aimee Stephens goes to the Supreme Court: | In October, the Supreme Court heard its first trans civil rights case ever. The case was brought by our client Aimee Stephens, who was fired from her job at a funeral home solely for being transgender. That's sex discrimination and it violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. , | We have yet to see whether the Supreme Court will uphold the civil rights of trans people. But no matter what, history has already been made. , | "I'll never forget the feeling of coming out of the Supreme Court and seeing a crowd of trans people and allies chanting to…
aclu.org/news/lgbt-rights/10-lgbtq-moments-that-defined-2019

Activists Cheer Approval of Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants in New York, New Jersey
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-18
People in New York and New Jersey are celebrating two victories for immigrants' rights. In New York, thousands of undocumented people waited in line for hours at Departments of Motor Vehicles on Monday to apply for a driver's license, as the "Green Light Law" went into effect six months after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed it. The law allows undocumented people to apply for a driver's license using alternative forms of identification instead of providing a Social Security Number. Meanwhile, in the neighboring state of New Jersey, state lawmakers also passed a bill Monday to allow undocumented people to app…
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/18/newyork_…

A Secret CBP Team is Targeting and Detaining Innocent Travelers. We're Suing
Tarek Ismail | aclu.org | 2019-12-18
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is deploying secret teams that target, detain, and interrogate innocent travelers. We're suing to expose their activities. | In November 2018, three CBP officers detained Andreas | Gal, a former chief | technology officer at Mozilla Corporation and current Apple employee, at San | Francisco International Airport after he landed from a business trip to Sweden. | Andr…
aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/a-secret-cbp-team-is-targeting-and-detaining-innocent-travelers-were-suing

A Tennessee City Banned Surgical Abortion Within the City Limits. We're Taking Them to Court
Melissa Grant | aclu.org | 2019-12-18
For 30 years, I have | worked in reproductive health care. In my current role as Chief Operating | Officer of carafem, a nonprofit with a national network of health centers, I | know the difference compassionate and comprehensive reproductive health care | makes in the lives of our clients. I have witnessed the personal impact when | people who have the legal right to have a child or to have an abortion are denied | those rights due to outrageous societal barriers. Abortion providers are used | to opposition, but we've never experienced the kind of explicit targeting we | received from politicians in the city…
aclu.org/news/reproductive-freedom/a-tennessee-city-banned-surgical-abortion-within-the-city-limits-were-taking-them-to-court

Wednesday's Daily Brief: Global Refugee Forum, Venezuela human rights, breast cancer hopes
news.un.org | 2019-12-18
Our top stories for Wednesday include: First Global Refugee Forum ends in Geneva; Venezuela misery on multiple fronts, outlined by UN rights chief; and a breast cancer update that could make treatment affordable for millions more women.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1053971

In the Midst of Trump's Attacks, Offshoots of Progress in Congress for Immigrants' Rights
Madhuri Grewal | aclu.org | 2019-12-17
From the continued separation of families, to attacks on asylum-seekers, to the largest immigration raid ever in a state, to an unprecedented number of immigrants jailed by ICE, this year was filled with new lows for the…
aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/in-the-midst-of-trumps-attacks-offshoots-of-progress-in-congress-for-immigrants-rights

For Many of the World's Children, Education Proves Elusive
Elin Martinez | progressive.org | 2019-12-17
Especially in countries with widespread human rights abuses, kids–especially girls–don't get the chance to go to school.
progressive.org/dispatches/for-many-children-education-proves-elusive-martinez-van-esveld-191217/

Democratic Candidates Focus on Public Education at Historic Forum with Civil Rights & Labor Groups
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-17
Ahead of the last Democratic presidential debate of the year this Thursday, seven candidates appeared Saturday at the historic Democratic Presidential Forum on Public Education in Pittsburgh, an event organized by public education organizations, unions, civil rights organizations and community groups. We play highlights from the forum and get response from Keron Blair, director of the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools in Atlanta; Jitu Brown, national director of the Journey for Justice Alliance; and Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education Action. She recently authored a report titled "S…
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/17/democrat…

COP25 Was Moved to Spain to Conceal Chilean Government's Human Rights Violations
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-12-13
The concept of "loss and damage" and carbon markets are a sticking point at the UN's climate summit, and protests are continuing in Chile, the original site of the talks. Oxfam's Nafkote Dabi and Gary Hughes of Biofuelwatch discuss the realities of COP25.
therealnews.com/stories/cop25-spain-chile-human-rights-violations

2019-12-23: News Headlines

Eds. (2019-12-23). The vanguard of Chavism has a woman's face: A chronicle of their resistance in 2019. mronline.org In the middle of the year, we Venezuelans received a visit from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michel Bachelet, on the occasion of meeting with the different political actors in the country to "evaluate" the complex economic and social environment brought about by the White House's decision. | Source

Brenda Norrell (2019-12-23). Blood Memory Rising, Book Review of Standing with Standing Rock. indybay.org 'Standing with Standing Rock,' is an encyclopedia of resistance, which chronicles the Water Protector movement from the first run to Washington, and on to the camps, and the surveillance by TigerSwan, to the ultimate international divestment campaign. In its 29 chapters are poetry, essays and discussions of Indigenous rights and Treaties.

orion the elder (2019-12-23). Basta FridayWeekly Save Chelsea from Torture and Death Vigil&Music. indybay.org Fruitvale &MacArthur oakland 94602…

Rafia Zakaria (2019-12-23). The End of Human Rights. thenation.com The End of Human Rights…

WSWS (2019-12-23). German government condemns US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 pipeline. wsws.org The temporary halt to construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has dramatically intensified tensions between the United States and the European powers.

RT (2019-12-23). Company laying pipes for Nord Stream 2 withdraws vessels from Baltic Sea — report. rt.com Allseas, a Swiss-Dutch company that has been laying underwater tubes for the German-Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline off the Danish coast, has withdrawn both of its pipelaying vessels from the Baltic Sea, Bloomberg news reported. | Allseas announced its decision to wind down operations at the bottom of the Baltic Sea and exit the $11 billion project just before US President Donald Trump signed the 2020 national defense spending bill on Friday, introducing harsh sanctions for the companies involved in the construction of the flagship pipeline. The sanctions would have seen the company's assets in the US frozen, e…

RT (2019-12-23). US sanctions against Nord Stream 2 is 'intimidation policy,' Lavrov says, promises reaction. rt.com By imposing sanctions on the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the US demonstrated that its diplomacy is aimed at intimidating the opponent, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. | Washington has once again demonstrated that its diplomacy "comes down primarily to intimidation by various methods — sanctions, ultimatums, and threats," Lavrov told the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament. | "When the closest allies are punished for solving their economic problems, tasks related to energy security, I think that no country in the world should ever doubt that if the US pr…

RT (2019-12-23). Russia has ships to complete Nord Stream 2 pipeline without European help. rt.com Russia says the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will be finished despite all the challenges, after Swiss-Dutch company Allseas decided to stop its works on the project in the Baltic Sea, under the threat of US sanctions. | Over the weekend, the engineering company reportedly withdrew its ships, which had been engaged in the laying of the last section of the pipeline. The pull-out occurred shortly after US President Donald Trump signed into law the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which provides for harsh sanctions on foreign contractors involved in the project. | | Pipelay vessel Pioneering Spirit &copy…

yenisafak (2019-12-23). Soldier killed in military base attack in Venezuela. yenisafak.com Venezuela's defense minister confirmed that one soldier was killed in an attack on a military base in the southeastern Gran Sabana region."In the early morning hours today, a military unit in the south of the country was assaulted by extremist sectors of the opposition, and a batch of weapons was taken from the unit," Vladimir Padrino Lopez announced Sunday on Twitter."From this terrorist attack, an army troop was killed."Padrino added that police and military agents were deployed in the area and managed to capture some of the attackers, as well as the stolen weapons.He said the detainees are providing informatio…

yenisafak (2019-12-23). US pipeline sanctions won't go unanswered: Russia. yenisafak.com Russia will respond in kind to U.S. sanctions against the TurkStream and NordStream II projects, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.Speaking at the upper chamber of the Russian parliament in Moscow, the Council of Federation, Lavrov said preparing a fitting response needs both time and analysis."I assure you that such absolutely unacceptable, rough actions in violation of all norms of international law, all diplomatic and human decency will not remain without reaction," Lavrov said, taking lawmakers' questions.A defense budget passed by the U.S. Congress last week included sanctions on companies involv…

yenisafak (2019-12-23). Kremlin hopes US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 will not impede construction. yenisafak.com A Kremlin spokesman said on Monday that the sanctions introduced by the United States against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project would not hinder its construction.U.S. President Donald Trump signed a bill on Friday that included legislation imposing sanctions on companies laying pipes for Nord Stream 2, which seeks to double gas export capacity along the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline route to Germany.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was too early to talk about reciprocal measures against the United States, but added that the sanctions won't go unanswered.He declined to say when Russia expects th…

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2019-12-22). Medical Opinion, Torture and Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca On November 27 this year, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, delivered an address to the German Bundestag outlining his approach to understanding the mental health of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. These comprised two parts, the initial stage …

Sara Flounders (2019-12-22). Behind the U.S. Anti-China Campaign. globalresearch.ca In order to evaluate the claims of massive human rights violations of the Uyghurs, an ethnic and religious minority in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, it is important to know a few facts. | Xinjiang Province in the far …

Binoy Kampmark (2019-12-21). Medical Opinion, Torture, and Julian Assange. dissidentvoice.org On November 27 this year, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, delivered an address to the German Bundestag outlining his approach to understanding the mental health of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. These comprised two parts, the initial stage covering his diplomatic asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy, the second dealing with his formal detention in …

Ajit Singh (2019-12-21). China detaining millions of Uyghurs? Serious problems with claims by US-backed NGO and far-right researcher 'led by God' against Beijing. thegrayzone.com Claims that China has detained millions of Uyghur Muslims are based largely on two studies. A closer look at these…

V. Arun Kumar (2019-12-21). India's freedom struggle 2.0, this time it's against fascists. peoplesdispatch.org On December 19, as part of an all India strike against discriminatory citizenship law (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), thousands protested in New Delhi's Red Fort and Mandi House. Peoples movements and left parties have called these measures as fascist. The Delhi police imposed prohibitory orders and suspended internet in various parts of Delhi on Thursday. Hundreds of protesters, both at Red Fort and Mandi House were detained by the police. Despite the police crackdown, people continued their resistance against CAA and NRC. | Protest marches were also organised across India, and according to report…

WSWS (2019-12-21). Trump signs Pentagon budget imposing new sanctions on Syria. wsws.org The record $738 billion National Defense Authorization Act was passed with the overwhelming support of House and Senate Democrats.

RT (2019-12-21). CIA torture is 'snow secret': Edward Snowden roasts CIA's feelgood holiday tweet. rt.com Every now and again the CIA does its best to appear relatable, and every time the agency gets put back in its place. Now, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden hijacked a festive tweet to slam the CIA's torture practices. | "It's *snow secret* that we love winter," the clandestine agency tweeted on Saturday, marking the first day of winter in the US. | Snowden was acerbic in his response. "It's *snow secret* that you tortured Gul Rahman for weeks at a black site, then chained him naked to a concrete floor until he died in the near-winter cold," he tweeted. | It's *snow secret* you tortured Gul Rahman for weeks at a…

Alan Macleod (2019-12-20). Media, Human Rights Groups Silent Over Politically-Motivated Murder of Journalist in Bolivia. mintpressnews.com Sebastian Moro's last known words before he was found were denouncing the kidnappings of government officials and mob attacks on journalists and media outlets.

Staff (2019-12-20). Activists Demand a Migrant Justice Platform as Democratic Candidates Discuss Immigration in Debate. democracynow.org Protesters for immigrant rights demonstrated outside the Democratic debate Thursday in Los Angeles, displaying a banner that read "Migrant Justice on Day One" and demanding a moratorium on deportations and immigrant worker protections. We look at how the candidates responded, with Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer for RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services. "I'm really happy that immigration came up this time around," she notes. "In the past few debates, the issue didn't even come up."

Martha Grevatt (2019-12-20). 'Silent plight' carolers show solidarity with county jail inmates. workers.org Cleveland Question: Where are holiday carolers unwelcome this time of year? Answer: In the Cuyahoga County "Justice Center," when they represent the Coalition to Stop the Inhumanity at the Cuyahoga County Jail, and they have changed the words "Silent night, holy night" to "Silent plight, violated rights." Singing rewritten . . . | Continue reading 'Silent plight' carolers show solidarity with county jail inmates at Workers.org

Vijay Prashad (2019-12-20). India's Government is Going to War Against Its Own People. counterpunch.org On December 13, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights released a powerful statement that criticized India's new citizenship law. This "fundamentally discriminatory" Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 2019 would expedite citizenship for persecuted religious minorities from India's neighboring countries. But in the list of those minorities, it names only Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians. It does not name Muslims. More

news.un (2019-12-20). UN independent experts 'deeply disturbed' by alleged mistreatment of detained Iranian protesters. news.un.org Sixteen independent UN human rights experts called on Friday for the release of arbitrarily detained protesters in Iran who have allegedly been abused while in custody.

PCHR (2019-12-20). PCHR Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (12 — 18 December 2019). imemc.org Summary This week, PCHR documented 149 violations of the international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and settlers in the occupied Palestinian territory. As part of the Israeli violations of the right to life and bodily integrity: In terms of excessive use …

Tracy Keeling (2019-12-20). One appalling detail in the Queen's Speech shows voting Tory was a vote to ruin your children's future. thecanary.co The Queen's Speech on 19 December unveiled Boris Johnson's plans for Britain. | It confirmed that the pledge he made during the election campaign for a £10.50 living wage was, frankly, nonsense — as was the promise not to further weaken workers' rights. And i…

Tom Anderson (2019-12-20). BDS movement defiant after Tories announce anti-boycott measures and threaten international solidarity. thecanary.co Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigners have responded defiantly to Tory plans to pass an anti-BDS law. | The law is a threat to any international solidarity campaign which seeks to boycott companies or products because of the state policies of another country. As such, it presents a threat to international solidarity efforts as a whole. | Boycotting Israeli apartheid: | BDS is an international movement calling for a boycott of Israeli goods. It also calls for grassroots groups to initiate boycott campaigns against companies complicit in Israel…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2019-12-20). 'A Win for the Planet!': Dutch Supreme Court Issues Landmark Ruling Mandating Climate Action. commondreams.org Advocates for climate action celebrated Friday after the Supreme Court of the Netherlands upheld a landmark ruling that found the Dutch government is obligated under international human rights law to more ambitiously reduce greenhouse gas emissions that drive global heating. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Eds. (2019-12-20). Expert Q&A: Trump's executive order on campus antisemitism. mronline.org Last week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order requiring federal agencies to use a definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism when investigating civil rights complaints alleging antisemitism on campus. | Source

ACLU (2019-12-20). Four Lawyers. Four Projects. One Non-Stop Year. aclu.org It isn't news that the Trump administration has kept ACLU attorneys working at breakneck speed for the past three years. In 2019 alone, we saw historic moments and victories—from defeating the citizenship question on the 2020 census and bringing the first trans civil rights case to the Supreme Court, to blocking a wave of abortion bans and many of the administration's attempts to dismantle the asylum system. To name a few. | Here are some of our attorneys' takes on 2019 and the year ahead—what's changed for the better and for the worse, and how the outcome of the 2020 presidential election will a…

Ramzy Baroud (2019-12-19). From a Blessing to a Curse: How UN Resolution 2334 Accelerated Israel's West Bank Colonization. mintpressnews.com UN Resolution 2334, although externally supportive of Palestinian rights, turned out to be one of the most costly decisions ever made by the international institution.

news.un (2019-12-19). Rights expert welcomes Pope's decision to lift 'veil of secrecy' on child abuse cases. news.un.org The Vatican must take action to ensure justice for people who were sexually abused by priests during childhood, a UN independent human rights expert said on Thursday.

Martha Grevatt (2019-12-19). On the picket line. workers.org New Illinois labor law seeks to counter Janus decision The Dec. 2 Labor Tribune reported that a bill to uphold rights of public sector unions, which are threatened by the Supreme Court's 2018 Janus decision, was passed by the Illinois Legislature on Nov. 13. Ill. Gov. Pritzker promises to sign . . . | Continue reading On the picket line at Workers.org

Kathy Durkin (2019-12-19). Trump's order on 'anti-Semitism' aimed at pro-Palestinian movement. workers.org Photo credit: BDS Movement President Donald Trump's executive order issued Dec.11 would deny federal funds from schools that allow "anti-Semitism" on their campuses, including some anti-Israel activities. It is intended to squelch defense of — or even discussion about — Palestinian rights, and is the result of intense reactionary efforts . . . | Continue reading Trump's order on 'anti-Semitism' aimed at pro-Palestinian movement at Workers.org

ACLU (2019-12-19). 10 LGBTQ Moments that Defined 2019. aclu.org 1. Aimee Stephens goes to the Supreme Court: | In October, the Supreme Court heard its first trans civil rights case ever. The case was brought by our client Aimee Stephens, who was fired from her job at a funeral home solely for being transgender. That's sex discrimination and it violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. , | We have yet to see whether the Supreme Court will uphold the civil rights of trans people. But no matter what, history has already been made. , | "I'll never forget the feeling of coming out of the Supreme Court and seeing a crowd of trans people and allies chanting to…

Staff (2019-12-18). Activists Cheer Approval of Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants in New York, New Jersey. democracynow.org People in New York and New Jersey are celebrating two victories for immigrants' rights. In New York, thousands of undocumented people waited in line for hours at Departments of Motor Vehicles on Monday to apply for a driver's license, as the "Green Light Law" went into effect six months after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed it. The law allows undocumented people to apply for a driver's license using alternative forms of identification instead of providing a Social Security Number. Meanwhile, in the neighboring state of New Jersey, state lawmakers also passed a bill Monday to allow undocumented people to app…

Tarek Ismail (2019-12-18). A Secret CBP Team is Targeting and Detaining Innocent Travelers. We're Suing. aclu.org U.S. Customs and Border Protection is deploying secret teams that target, detain, and interrogate innocent travelers. We're suing to expose their activities. | In November 2018, three CBP officers detained Andreas | Gal, a former chief | technology officer at Mozilla Corporation and current Apple employee, at San | Francisco International Airport after he landed from a business trip to Sweden. | Andr…

Melissa Grant (2019-12-18). A Tennessee City Banned Surgical Abortion Within the City Limits. We're Taking Them to Court. aclu.org For 30 years, I have | worked in reproductive health care. In my current role as Chief Operating | Officer of carafem, a nonprofit with a national network of health centers, I | know the difference compassionate and comprehensive reproductive health care | makes in the lives of our clients. I have witnessed the personal impact when | people who have the legal right to have a child or to have an abortion are denied | those rights due to outrageous societal barriers. Abortion providers are used | to opposition, but we've never experienced the kind of explicit targeting we | received from politicians in the city…

news.un (2019-12-18). Wednesday's Daily Brief: Global Refugee Forum, Venezuela human rights, breast cancer hopes. news.un.org Our top stories for Wednesday include: First Global Refugee Forum ends in Geneva; Venezuela misery on multiple fronts, outlined by UN rights chief; and a breast cancer update that could make treatment affordable for millions more women.

Staff (2019-12-17). Democratic Candidates Focus on Public Education at Historic Forum with Civil Rights & Labor Groups. democracynow.org Ahead of the last Democratic presidential debate of the year this Thursday, seven candidates appeared Saturday at the historic Democratic Presidential Forum on Public Education in Pittsburgh, an event organized by public education organizations, unions, civil rights organizations and community groups. We play highlights from the forum and get response from Keron Blair, director of the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools in Atlanta; Jitu Brown, national director of the Journey for Justice Alliance; and Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education Action. She recently authored a report titled "S…

Madhuri Grewal (2019-12-17). In the Midst of Trump's Attacks, Offshoots of Progress in Congress for Immigrants' Rights. aclu.org From the continued separation of families, to attacks on asylum-seekers, to the largest immigration raid ever in a state, to an unprecedented number of immigrants jailed by ICE, this year was filled with new lows for the…

Elin Martinez (2019-12-17). For Many of the World's Children, Education Proves Elusive. progressive.org Especially in countries with widespread human rights abuses, kids—especially girls—don't get the chance to go to school.

Staff (2019-12-13). COP25 Was Moved to Spain to Conceal Chilean Government's Human Rights Violations. therealnews.com The concept of "loss and damage" and carbon markets are a sticking point at the UN's climate summit, and protests are continuing in Chile, the original site of the talks. Oxfam's Nafkote Dabi and Gary Hughes of Biofuelwatch discuss the realities of COP25.

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-13). UN Counters US Claims Of "Proof" Iran Attacked Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu Impunity & Turkey Sanctions. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/12/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Staff (2019-12-12). Support the Workers of Iran, but Oppose US Sanctions. therealnews.com How is it possible to oppose the violent suppression of Iranian protest while still condemning U.S. sanctions on Iran?

pip.hinman (2019-12-12). Perth Pride: LGBTI community challenges corporatisation. greenleft.org.au LGBTIQ rights Petrina HarleyIssue 1248 Australia Rainbow Rebellion PerthDecember 12, 2019Perth Pride assembled its biggest parade to date on November 30, with 115 floats. But many in the LGBTIQ comm…

Michelle Chen (2019-12-11). The Fight Inside the NLRB for Union Rights. progressive.org The NLRB unions argue that a recent set of executive orders from the board prevent them from undertaking basic union functions.

pip.hinman (2019-12-10). Aboriginal leader Sam Watson's farewell draws big numbers. greenleft.org.au Aboriginal rights Jim McIlroyIssue 1248 Australia BrisbaneDecember 11, 2019More than 1000 people attended the funeral for Wangerriburra and Birri Gubba leader Sam Watson in Musgrave Park on December 6. | Watson passed away on November 26, just two weeks after his 67t…

Martin Fleck (2019-12-09). On Human Rights Day, Let's Abolish Nuclear Weapons. progressive.org A nuclear war would create one of the worst humanitarian crises imaginable, one for which no nation would have an adequate emergency or health response.

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-07). US Claims "Fresh Intelligence" Of Iran Attacks Yet Provides Zero Evidence — MSM Blindly Regurgitates. thelastamericanvagabond.com Here we go again with "fresh intelligence" to justify the continued sanctions and destabilization of Iran. It's a plan that has been well documented even by their own writings (See Which Path to Persia? — 2009). Of course, complicating U.S. foreign policy is the involvement of Israel. The Last American Vagabond covers the latest political posturing, distortion, and general …

Mina Khanlarzadeh (2019-12-06). Anti-Imperialism As An Intellectual Trap. zcomm.org The US-led economic sanctions have caused a great deal of death and destruction in Iranian society, and the IMF policies in Iran, similar to other developing countries, have resulted in a widening of the class gap, poverty, severe marginalization of the peripheries, and a lowering of living standards. Yet, the US sanctions together with IMF Read more…