2019-12-11: Social Media Postees

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

Perth Pride: LGBTI community challenges corporatisation
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-12-12
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…
greenleft.org.au/content/perth-pride-lgbti-community-challenges-corporatisation

Riot Police Attack Peaceful Protesters in Colombian Capital
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-11
On Tuesday, the Mobile Riot Squadron ( Esmad ) carried out attacks against the protesters who were peacefully demonstrating at the National University of Colombia in the capital city of Bogotá. | RELATED: | Colombia: UN Denounces Murder Of 86 Human Rights Defenders | According to reports from social activists, the attacks against the protesters who participated in the peaceful demonstrations began shortly after they gathered at the university in the Colombian capital. | The people…
telesurenglish.net/news/Riot-Police-Attack-Peaceful-Protesters-in-Colombian-Capital-20191211-0005.html

On International Human Rights Day, Oppose U.S. Coup in Bolivia and Global Lawlessness: Black Alliance for Peace (BAP)
Black Alliance for Peace | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-11
December 10, 2019, on this day 71 years ago the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was launched by the United Nations. The Declaration reflected the agreed-upon principles that were expected to usher in a new period in which this …
globalresearch.ca/international-human-rights-day-congressional-black-caucus-oppose-u-s-coup-bolivia-global-lawlessness/5697368

Elected by Donors: How the University of Cape Town Was Bullied into Embracing Israel
Ramzy Baroud | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-11
While the story may only seem relevant in South Africa's political and academic contexts, in reality, it exemplifies the nature of a brewing war between supporters of Palestinian rights and Israeli interests, worldwide.
mintpressnews.com/university-cape-town-south-africa-bullied-embracing-israel/263383/

Venezuela Charges 509 Human Rights Violators: Attorney General
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-11
The Venezuelan Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, said Tuesday that since the start of this administration, the Public Ministry (MP) has charged 509 alleged human rights violaters in the Bolivarian Republic. | RELATED: | 'OAS Is Major Human Rights Violator Against Venezuela' Dussan | "770 have been charged for crimes such as homicide, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, illegitimate deprivation of liberty, and domicile violations among others. Of that total, 131 conviction…
telesurenglish.net/news/Venezuela-Charges-509-Human-Rights-Violators-Attorney-General-20191211-0003.html

We Tortured Some Folks: The Report's Daniel Jones on the Ongoing Fight to Hold the CIA Accountable
Intercepted | theintercept.com | 2019-12-11
The former top Senate Intelligence Committee investigator discusses the yearslong battle to make public the findings of the still-classified torture report.
theintercept.com/2019/12/11/we-tortured-some-folks-the-reports-daniel-jones-on-the-ongoing-fight-to-hold-the-cia-accountable/

Detainee Zahran Continues Strike For 80th Day
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2019-12-11
The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) has reported that Ahmad Zahran, 42, imprisoned by Israeli under repeatedly renewed arbitrary Administrative Detention orders without charges or trial, is ongoing with the hunger strike for the 80th consecutive day, despite his seriously deteriorating health condition. The PPS stated that the Israeli Prison Authority …
imemc.org/article/detainee-zahran-continues-strike-for-80th-day/

Constitutional Accusation Against Chilean President Goes Ahead
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-11
A constitutional accusation filed by opposition parties against President Sebastian Piñera was approved today by a committee of deputies, as the first step in that process. | RELATED: | Chile Denounces Over 350 Eye Injuries On Human Rights Day | The Committee, formed by five legislators of the Socialist, Communist and Christian Democratic parties (opposition), as well as the National Renewal and Independent Democratic Union parties of the ruling coalition, supported by three votes…
telesurenglish.net/news/Constitutional-Accusation-Against-Chilean-President-Goes-Ahead-20191211-0010.html

Chile: Senate Approves Indictment of Former Interior Minister
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-11
The two parts of the constitutional accusation obtained 23 votes in favor and 18 against, mostly from the former minister's right-wing allies. | The first part of the accusation against Chadwick points to the violation of the "Constitution and laws, omitting effective measures to prevent the violation of human rights and not having maintained public order in a rational manner." | The second and final chapter pointed to the violation of the Constitution "by declaring a state of emergency and having allowed events not contemplated in this figure. He is accused of restricting the freedom of movement and assembly…
telesurenglish.net/news/Chile-Senate-Approves-Indictment-of-Former-Interior-Minister-20191211-0016.html

Aung San Suu Kyi defends Myanmar from accusations of genocide, at top UN court
news.un.org | 2019-12-11
Myanmar will have "no tolerance" for human rights abuses committed in Rakhine state and will prosecute the military, if war crimes have been committed there, Aung San Suu Kyi told the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN's main judicial body, on Wednesday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1053221

BDS: The Full Menu of Rights
IMEMC News & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-11
12-10-19 / Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) / Palestine On the anniversaries of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and UN Resolution 194 affirming Palestinian refugees' right to return to their homes, the BDS movement insists on "the full menu of rights" for the indigenous Palestinians. Exactly 71 years ago, …
imemc.org/article/bds-the-full-menu-of-rights/

'Bolivian Coup Plotters to Be Tried for Massacres' Morales Says
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-11
Bolivia's former President Evo Morales Wednesday said that the main actors involved in the coup d'etat against him will be tried for the massacres committed in Sacaba and Senkala. | RELATED: | Evo Morales Vows to Return to Bolivia After Right-Wing Coup | The Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) leader highlighted the preliminary results of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) special mission, which confirmed killings in Cochabamba and El Alto during the coup d'etat i…
telesurenglish.net/news/Bolivian-Coup-Plotters-to-Be-Tried-for-Massacres-Morales-Says-20191211-0011.html

Tribal Members, Fishermen and Youth Get Trinity River Win at Hum. Sups meeting
Save California Salmon | indybay.org | 2019-12-11
Humboldt County Reconsiders Support for the Sites Reservoir Project | Eureka, California – Today the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to reconsiders its support for the proposed Sites Reservoir project in the Central Valley due to concerns it would have serious impacts on the Trinity River fishery and the counties water rights.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/10/18828787.php

The Uyghur Issue: How Can the U.S. Dare Lecturing China About the Rights of the Muslims?
Andre Vltchek | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-11
In 2019, I have written a long analysis about "the Uyghur issue"; analysis which will be soon published as a book. | For some time, I have been warning the world that the West, and the United States in particular, are …
globalresearch.ca/how-can-u-s-dare-lecturing-china-about-rights-muslims/5697390

How can the U.S. dare lecturing China about Rights of the Muslims?
Andre Vltchek | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-11
In 2019, I have written a long analysis about "the Uygur issue"; analysis which will be soon published as a book. For some time, I have been warning the world that the West, and the United States in particular, are helping to radicalize the Uyghurs in Xinjiang Province and outside. And not only that: I …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/how-can-the-u-s-dare-lecturing-china-about-rights-of-the-muslims/

Nazi Trump Declares Judaism a Nationality, Just Like Hitler
Never Forgive, Never Forget | indybay.org | 2019-12-11
In an effort to shut down dissent on college campuses to Israel's policies, Nazi Trump plans to sign an executive order this week declaring Judaism a religion or nationality, the latter being subject to the Civil Rights Act. Hitler did the same. See | www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-executive-o…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/10/18828792.php

A Second Nakba in the Making
James J. Zogby | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-11
Two years ago Friday, President Donald Trump formally recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital. We knew then that this was an irresponsible and cruelly insensitive act that would do grave harm to the rights and well-being of Palestinians and put an …
globalresearch.ca/second-nakba-making/5697468

House bill restores enforcement strength to Voting Rights Act
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2019-12-11
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to restore the full strength of the 54-year-old Voting Rights Act. So do Democratic Reps. Terri Sewell of Birmingham, Ala., who authored the bill that strengthened the law, and Marcia Fudge of Cleveland, who helped shepherd the measure through the U.S. House. And so do, strongly, U.S. unions …
peoplesworld.org/article/house-bill-restores-enforcement-strength-to-voting-rights-act/

Homogenizing India: the Citizenship Debate
Nyla Ali Khan | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-11
The federal government of India has yet to realize its obligations toward minorities. India's progress will be greatly hindered unless the federal government as well as the majority community assure minorities that their honor, liberty, and rights will be fully protected. In a diverse country, it is not only for the majority community to approve…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/11/homogenizing-india-the-citizenship-debate/

The Fight Inside the NLRB for Union Rights
Michelle Chen | progressive.org | 2019-12-11
The NLRB unions argue that a recent set of executive orders from the board prevent them from undertaking basic union functions.
progressive.org/dispatches/trump-efforts-target-board-oversees-unions-chen-191211/

The Battle for Abortion Access Is In the States
Jessica Arons | aclu.org | 2019-12-11
This past year has been a critical one in | the fight for reproductive freedom. For decades, politicians who want to | interfere with people's personal decisions about pregnancy have worked to push | abortion care out of reach. They've quietly passed 483 state abortion | restrictions since 2011 — including 59 new restrictions passed in 2019 alone. | And after Trump was able to put two new justices who are hostile to abortion | rights on the Supreme Court, politicians decided to go for broke. | Since Justice Kavanaugh's confirmation, | seven states have passed laws banning abortion from the earliest day…
aclu.org/news/reproductive-freedom/the-battle-for-abortion-access-is-in-the-states

Guess What Happened After ICE, Which Has Torn Thousands of Families Apart, Tried to Honor Human Rights Day on Twitter
Jenna McGuire, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-12-11
In 2019, a record-breaking 70,000 children were held in ICE custody. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/news/2019/12/11/guess-what-happened-after-ice-which-has-torn-thousands-families-apart-tried-honor?cd-origin=rss

'It's either sanctions or impeachment': Lavrov in trolling mode when asked about timing of his visit to US
rt.com | 2019-12-11
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denied there was anything odd about the 'timing' of his trip to Washington on a day that impeachment articles against Donald Trump were announced and the Senate debated new Russia sanctions. | Asked about the "timing" by a suspicious reporter following his Oval Office meeting with Trump on Tuesday, Lavrov joked that it was almost impossible to arrive in Washington at a non-controversial time, since something dramatic is always happening. | "It seems to me that, regardless of the day you choose to visit Washington, it will surely coincide with either sanctions or impeachme…
rt.com/usa/475605-lavrov-washington-visit-impeachment/

US Senate advances bill giving State Department right to call Russia 'sponsor of terrorism'
rt.com | 2019-12-11
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved a bill asking the State Department to determine whether Russia falls under criteria of a state sponsor of terrorism, potentially opening a way stricter sanctions. | The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved a bill asking the State Department to determine whether Russia falls under criteria of a state sponsor of terrorism, potentially opening a way stricter sanctions.The pretentiously titled 'St…
rt.com/usa/475637-us-senate-russia-sponsor-terrorism/

Dozens detained on suspicion of preparing major terrorist attack in Denmark
rt.com | 2019-12-11
Denmark's police have arrested some two dozen people suspected of planning a massive terrorist attack "motivated by Islamism" in a large-scale nationwide operation. | Along with the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, law enforcement authorities launched a "comprehensive and coordinated" operation in at least six regions of the northern European country, including its capital Copenhagen. Police said the action was aimed at preventing allegedly planned "terrorist attacks with a militant, Islamist motive." | The Danish media reported large forces of heavily armed police officers being deployed to the Co…
rt.com/news/475624-denmark-police-raid-terrorist-attack/

Battling anti-Semitism or shielding Israel? Trump signs executive order targeting 'discriminatory' boycotts & activism on campuses
rt.com | 2019-12-11
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that he claims will help combat anti-Semitic discrimination based on "race, color, or national origin," as critics say it only shields the state of Israel from any criticism. | Citing the "rise of anti-Semitism" on college campuses and elsewhere, the move seeks to apply the 1964 Civil Rights Act to Jewish Americans, and calls on the government to find new ways to "use nondiscrimination authorities" to address the issue. | "This is our message to universities: if you want to accept the tremendous amount of federal dollars you get every year, you must rejec…
rt.com/usa/475640-trump-judaism-nationality-anti-semitism/

Aung San Suu Kyi appears at ICJ as UN rights expert urges greater protection for Myanmar activists
news.un.org | 2019-12-10
Authorities in Myanmar and social media companies are being urged to take greater action to protect activists in the south-east Asian country who are fighting for justice and accountability for crimes committed against the minority Rohingya population in 2016 and 2017.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1053121

U.S. Sanctions Are Driving Iran to Tighten Its Grip on Iraq
James Risen | theintercept.com | 2019-12-10
Iran was the great beneficiary of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, which created an opportunity for Iraq's Shia majority to gain power in Baghdad.
theintercept.com/2019/12/10/sanctions-iran-iraq-protests/

Colombia: UN Denounces Murder Of 86 Human Rights Defenders
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-10
At least 86 human rights defenders were murdered this year in Colombia, according to a report released Tuesday by Alberto Brunori, the country's representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. | RELATED: | Colombia National Strike Committee Announces More Protests Against Duque | Brunori stressed that the defense of human rights i…
telesurenglish.net/news/colombia-un-denounces-murder-of-86-human-rights-defenders-20191210-0013.html

Chile Denounces Over 350 Eye Injuries On Human Rights Day
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-10
After more than two months of mobilizations against the policies of right-wing President Sebastian Piñera, sectors of the population took to the streets Tuesday in what was called "March for the Eyes of Chile," in commemoration of the International Human Rights day. | RELATED: | Social NGOs Launch Camp-In to Protest Chilean Gov't Inaction | The Chilean people denounced the government's excessive violence after 352 people lost their vision partially or totally during the violent re…
telesurenglish.net/news/chile-denounced-eye-wounds-due-to-govt-violence-on-hr-day–20191210-0020.html

Haiti: Worst Violence in Years as Gang Violence Increases
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-10
Already mired in extreme poverty, corruption, and violent political unrest, Haiti is now facing the resurging problem of gang violence, as the country's residents say criminal groups are fighting over territory, where they make the law, extricate "protection" fees and carry out drugs and arms trades. | RELATED: | Social Inequality is Generating Conflict in Latin America: UNDP | According to Haitians as well as human rights advocates, all the politicians in the country includin…
telesurenglish.net/news/Haiti-Descends-into-Chaos-as-Violence-Is-the-Worst-in-Years–20191210-0018.html

Tuesday's Daily Brief: Human Rights Day, Samoa measles, COP25, economic slowdown, Myanmar at ICJ
news.un.org | 2019-12-10
A recap of Tuesday's stories includes a day of activism on Human Rights Day; 70 Samoan lives now claimed by measles; COP25 news roundup from Madrid; global trade on the slide; and legal proceedings begin at the ICJ against Myanmar, as Aung San Suu Kyi prepares to defend her country against genocide allegations.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1053201

Human Rights Day Is Every Day
Andrea Arroyo | thenation.com | 2019-12-10
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations on December 10, 1948. It consists of 30 articles affirming an individual's rights.
thenation.com/article/human-rights-day-is-every-day/

Self-Defense in the Civil Rights Movement: the Lessons of Birmingham, 1963
Michael Barker | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-10
Hope is the fuel upon which working-class movements for social change draw their core strength. But hope divorced from solid organizing leads no-where. So, if we are to continue to propel our class forward it is vital that we learn the full lessons of how our sweetest victories are seized from the hands of our…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/10/self-defense-in-the-civil-rights-movement-the-lessons-of-birmingham-1963/

Aboriginal leader Sam Watson's farewell draws big numbers
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-12-10
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…
greenleft.org.au/content/aboriginal-leader-sam-watsons-farewell-draws-big-numbers

"Listen to Mother Earth": Indigenous Youth Leaders at COP25 in Madrid Protest Fossil Fuel Extraction
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-10
"Our movements must be bigger than recycling and braver than holding signs," said Rose Whipple, a member of the Santee Dakota and Ho-Chunk, and youth delegate with SustainUS, who joined a panel of youth climate activists at the United Nations climate summit in Madrid, Spain. Indigenous peoples from Canada and the United States are at the summit, speaking out against extraction, new pipeline projects and the environmental devastation of their territories, and calling for movements to center the rights of indigenous peoples.
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/10/listen_t…

Immigrants have been Denied Due Process for Years. In New England, that's about to Change
Matthew Segal | aclu.org | 2019-12-09
One of the bedrock principles of our judicial | system is that the government can't just lock people up without showing why | it's necessary. | For noncitizens caught up in Trump's deportation | machine, though, that principle doesn't always apply. But now because of our | litigation in New England that's about to change. | Gilberto Pereira Brito was detained in March by ICE | — snatched from his wife and three children, all of whom are U.S. citizens — and | brought before an immigration judge for a bond hearing. To keep him in | detention, the government had to prove nothing, whereas Gilberto had…
aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/immigrants-have-been-denied-due-process-for-years-in-new-england-thats-about-to-change

Under Attack by Trump, Immigrant Justice is Advancing in the States
Naureen Shah | aclu.org | 2019-12-09
This year was another of devastating attacks on immigrants' rights | by the Trump administration. However, in both red and blue states, we fought | and won new measures that stymie Trump's deportation machine. These local wins, | though often overshadowed by the president's xenophobia, are powerful. Here are | some of the most surprising and significant of our 2019 immigrant justice victories | in the states. | In | Michigan, a former marine's arrest prompts police reform | Grand Rapids, Michigan police kept veteran and U.S. citizen Jilmar | Ramos-Gomez in immigration detention for 3 days — even though
aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/under-attack-by-trump-immigrant-justice-is-advancing-in-the-states

Question for Kirbymoorside UK Hustings Meeting: Would you stand up for Julian Assange?
Heather Stroud | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-09
To those candidates who are putting themselves forward as MPs to become a voice within the UK Parliament — would you stand up for Julian Assange and for those who. in speaking truth, have the audacity to challenge the dialogue of power? I am disappointed that my question relating to the arbitrary detention of Julian …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/question-for-kirbymoorside-uk-hustings-meeting-would-you-stand-up-for-julian-assange99425/

Human Rights Day celebrates 'tremendous activism' of the world's young people
news.un.org | 2019-12-09
Activists, students and UN officials came together on Tuesday to pay tribute to young people's "tremendous activism" in promoting human rights for everyone.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1053061

Arizona educators, progressives confront ALEC summit and Betsy DeVos
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-12-09
Tucson, AZ – On December 4, a coalition of union educators, immigrant rights, police crimes, and climate change activists confronted the agenda of corporations like UPS and energy industry giants and billionaires like Charles Koch and Sheldon Achelson. At its height the crowd numbered around 200 with signs reading: "ALEC: Oligarchy in progress" and "Privatization, criminalization, incarceration, climate change, imperialism: #ALECisBehindIt." | The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a notorious organization of hardcore conservatives, was holding its States and Nation Policy Summit in Arizona. ALEC hoste…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/12/8/arizona-…

Monday's Daily Brief: increasing inequality, human rights and climate, civil war crimes, Ethiopia reforms
news.un.org | 2019-12-09
New UN development report warns global inequality breeding a "new generation of inequalities"; human rights linked to climate change by senior UN official; intentional starvation in civil wars classified as a war crime, UN rights expert calls for Ethiopia reform support.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1053091

On Human Rights Day, Let's Abolish Nuclear Weapons
Martin Fleck | progressive.org | 2019-12-09
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.
progressive.org/op-eds/human-rights-day-nuclear-weapons-fleck-191209/

The Government Has Taken At Least 1,100 Children From Their Parents Since Family Separations Officially Ended
John Washington | theintercept.com | 2019-12-09
Border Patrol agents, untrained in child welfare, decide that some parents are unfit to stay with their children based on brief interactions in detention.
theintercept.com/2019/12/09/family-separation-policy-lawsuit/

Three Ways the "Fairness for All Act" Doesn't Protect LGBTQ People from Discrimination
Ian S. Thompson | aclu.org | 2019-12-09
On Friday, Congressman Chris Stewart (R-Utah) and | several of his Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives introduced | the so-called "Fairness for All Act." The bill is being described by its | supporters as a compromise that protects both LGBTQ people and religious | liberty. | In reality, the bill facilitates the Trump | administration's ongoing efforts to give a greenlight to those who would turn | LGBTQ people away from jobs, health care, housing, even taxpayer-funded | programs, simply because of who they are. The bill also weakens some | longstanding protections in federal and state laws…
aclu.org/news/lgbt-rights/three-ways-the-fairness-for-all-act-doesnt-protect-lgbtq-people-from-discrimination

Israel's Case Against Human Rights Watch Reveals How Its Normalizing West Bank Land Theft
Miko Peled | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-09
The argument made by an Israeli court has been defacto reality in Israel since 1967: there is no West Bank, instead, the region is called Judea and Samaria, legitimate parts of the State of Israel.
mintpressnews.com/israel-case-human-rights-watch-director-omar-shakir-theft-west-bank/263312/

Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron & BP Could Be Legally & Morally Liable for Climate Crisis in Philippines
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-09
The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines has just determined that 47 major companies, including Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP and Total, could be found legally and morally liable for human rights harms to Filipinos resulting from climate change. The commission found the companies could be held accountable under civil and criminal laws. Climate activists have hailed the decision as a landmark victory for climate justice. According to Greenpeace, this marks the first time big polluting companies have been found responsible for human rights harms resulting from the climate crisis. We speak to Yeb Saño, exe…
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/9/shell_exx…

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Reinstates Angela Davis' Award
patrick | bdsmovement.net | 2019-12-08
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Reinstates Angela Davis' Award: In the NewsThe organization faced backlash and internal dissension after previously rescinding the honor–a decision Davis and allies attributed to the racial justice activist's support for Palestinians' rights and BDS. | Right To BoycottJanuary 25, 2019 | By: | | COLORLINES …
bdsmovement.net/news/birmingham-civil-rights-institute-reinstates-angela-davis-award

Dear Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook Is an Engine of Anti-Muslim Hate the World Over. Don't You Care?
Mehdi Hasan | theintercept.com | 2019-12-07
What happened to the guy who told his Muslim employees in 2015 that he would "fight to protect your rights and create a peaceful and safe environment"?
theintercept.com/2019/12/07/facebook-mark-zuckerberg-muslims-islamophobia/

US Claims "Fresh Intelligence" Of Iran Attacks Yet Provides Zero Evidence — MSM Blindly Regurgitates
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2019-12-07
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 …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/tdwu-clips/us-claims-fresh-intelligence-iran-attacks-yet-provides-zero-evidence-msm-blindly-regurgitates/

2019-12-10: News Headlines

RT (2019-12-10). 'Guided by prejudices & biases': India hits back at US after it threatened sanctions over citizenship bill. rt.com New Delhi slammed the US state-run religious freedom watchdog after it claimed that India's new citizenship bill is discriminatory towards the country's Muslims and threatened India with sanctions. | The criticism of the citizenship bill by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is "neither accurate nor warranted," India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday. | The position articulated by USCIRF is not surprising given its past record. It is, however, regrettable that the body has chosen to be guided only by its prejudices and biases on a matter on which it clea…

James Risen (2019-12-10). U.S. Sanctions Are Driving Iran to Tighten Its Grip on Iraq. theintercept.com Iran was the great beneficiary of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, which created an opportunity for Iraq's Shia majority to gain power in Baghdad.

Tenant Sanctuary (2019-12-10). Renters' Rights Workshop: The California Tenant Protection Act. indybay.org Louden Nelson Community Center (301 Center Street) Room 4…

Art Persyko (2019-12-10). Celebrate Human Rights Day in S.F. at City Hall! indybay.org San Francisco City Hall east steps (address: 1 Carlton B Goodlett Place, which is the name of Polk Street on that block)…

Michael Barker (2019-12-10). Self-Defense in the Civil Rights Movement: the Lessons of Birmingham, 1963. counterpunch.org Hope is the fuel upon which working-class movements for social change draw their core strength. But hope divorced from solid organizing leads no-where. So, if we are to continue to propel our class forward it is vital that we learn the full lessons of how our sweetest victories are seized from the hands of our More

RT (2019-12-10). US knows best? Washington threatens India with sanctions over citizenship bill for persecuted religious minorities. rt.com The US has decided to give India its foreign take on the country's hotly debated citizenship bill, threatening Indian government officials with sanctions for failing to list Muslims among 'persecuted' minorities. | The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) claimed it was "deeply troubled" by the citizenship bill, which passed the Indian parliament's lower house, the Lok Sabha, in a 311-80 vote, calling it nothing short of a "religious test for Indian citizenship" which "excludes Muslims." | "The United States government should consider sanctions against the home minister and other principal…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2019-12-10). 'Inhumane': US Border Officials Deny Request by Doctors to Administer Free Flu Vaccine to Detained Migrants. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Heather Stroud (2019-12-09). Question for Kirbymoorside UK Hustings Meeting: Would you stand up for Julian Assange? dissidentvoice.org To those candidates who are putting themselves forward as MPs to become a voice within the UK Parliament — would you stand up for Julian Assange and for those who. in speaking truth, have the audacity to challenge the dialogue of power? I am disappointed that my question relating to the arbitrary detention of Julian …

WSWS (2019-12-09). Hundreds of journalists around the world sign open letter demanding freedom for Assange. wsws.org The signatories declare: "As journalists and journalists' organizations that believe in human rights, freedom of information and of the public's right to know, we demand the immediate release of Julian Assange."

Matthew Segal (2019-12-09). Immigrants have been denied due process for years. In New England, that's about to change. aclu.org One of the bedrock principles of our judicial | system is that the government can't just lock people up without showing why | it's necessary. | For noncitizens caught up in Trump's deportation | machine, though, that principle doesn't always apply. But now because of our | litigation in New England that's about to change. | Gilberto Pereira Brito was detained in March by ICE | — snatched from his wife and three children, all of whom are U.S. citizens — and | brought before an immigration judge for a bond hearing. To keep him in | detention, the government had to prove nothing, whereas Gilberto had…

Naureen Shah (2019-12-09). Under Attack by Trump, Immigrant Justice is Advancing in the States. aclu.org This year was another of devastating attacks on immigrants' rights | by the Trump administration. However, in both red and blue states, we fought | and won new measures that stymie Trump's deportation machine. These local wins, | though often overshadowed by the president's xenophobia, are powerful. Here are | some of the most surprising and significant of our 2019 immigrant justice victories | in the states. | In | Michigan, a former marine's arrest prompts police reform | Grand Rapids, Michigan police kept veteran and U.S. citizen Jilmar | Ramos-Gomez in immigration detention for 3 days — even though <...

Fight Back (2019-12-09). Arizona educators, progressives confront ALEC summit and Betsy DeVos. fightbacknews.org Tucson, AZ – On December 4, a coalition of union educators, immigrant rights, police crimes, and climate change activists confronted the agenda of corporations like UPS and energy industry giants and billionaires like Charles Koch and Sheldon Achelson. At its height the crowd numbered around 200 with signs reading: "ALEC: Oligarchy in progress" and "Privatization, criminalization, incarceration, climate change, imperialism: #ALECisBehindIt." | The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a notorious organization of hardcore conservatives, was holding its States and Nation Policy Summit in Arizona. ALEC hoste…

IMEMC News & Agencies (2019-12-09). Hunger-striker in Serious Condition. imemc.org Ahmad Zahran, a Palestinian administrative detainee held in Israeli jails who has been on hunger strike for 78 consecutive days, in protest against his incarceration without charge or trial, is in serious health condition and has been admitted to an Israeli hospital, today, said the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS). Zahran, …

John Washington (2019-12-09). The Government Has Taken At Least 1,100 Children From Their Parents Since Family Separations Officially Ended. theintercept.com Border Patrol agents, untrained in child welfare, decide that some parents are unfit to stay with their children based on brief interactions in detention.

IMEMC News & Agencies (2019-12-09). Brown University Corporate Responsibility Committee Votes to Divest from Companies Connected to Israeli Occupation. imemc.org December 2019 / Mondoweiss / United States Michael Arria On Dec 2, Brown University's Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies (ACCRIP) voted to recommend that the school divest from companies that facilitate Israeli human rights violations. Six ACCRIP members voted in favor of divestment, two voted against it, and …

news.un (2019-12-09). Human Rights Day celebrates 'tremendous activism' of the world's young people. news.un.org The United Nations is highlighting the role of young people in leading the way to a better future for all people for this year's observance of Human Rights Day, celebrated on Tuesday.

news.un (2019-12-09). Monday's Daily Brief: increasing inequality, human rights and climate, civil war crimes, Ethiopia reforms. news.un.org New UN development report warns global inequality breeding a "new generation of inequalities"; human rights linked to climate change by senior UN official; intentional starvation in civil wars classified as a war crime, UN rights expert calls for Ethiopia reform support.

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.

WSWS (2019-12-09). America's torturers and their co-conspirators must be prosecuted. wsws.org Five years after the release of the Senate report on CIA torture, the gruesome drawings contained in the Seton Hall Law School paper on "How America Tortures" are a powerful indictment of the entire US political establishment.

Thomas Knapp (2019-12-09). Meet Virgil Griffith: America's Newest Political Prisoner. counterpunch.org On November 29, FBI agents arrested hacker and cryptocurrency developer Virgil Griffith. His alleged crime: Talking. Yes, really. The FBI alleges that Griffith "participated in discussions regarding using cryptocurrency technologies to evade sanctions and launder money." Griffith, a US citizen who lives in Singapore, gave a talk at conference on blockchain technology in April. Because More

Staff (2019-12-09). Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron & BP Could Be Legally & Morally Liable for Climate Crisis in Philippines. democracynow.org The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines has just determined that 47 major companies, including Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP and Total, could be found legally and morally liable for human rights harms to Filipinos resulting from climate change. The commission found the companies could be held accountable under civil and criminal laws. Climate activists have hailed the decision as a landmark victory for climate justice. According to Greenpeace, this marks the first time big polluting companies have been found responsible for human rights harms resulting from the climate crisis. We speak to Yeb Saño, exe…

Ian S. Thompson (2019-12-09). Three Ways the "Fairness for All Act" Doesn't Protect LGBTQ People from Discrimination. aclu.org On Friday, Congressman Chris Stewart (R-Utah) and | several of his Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives introduced | the so-called "Fairness for All Act." The bill is being described by its | supporters as a compromise that protects both LGBTQ people and religious | liberty. | In reality, the bill facilitates the Trump | administration's ongoing efforts to give a greenlight to those who would turn | LGBTQ people away from jobs, health care, housing, even taxpayer-funded | programs, simply because of who they are. The bill also weakens some | longstanding protections in federal and state laws…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2019-12-09). Supreme Court Won't Hear Appeal of Kentucky's Forced Ultrasound Law, Allowing Law Intended to 'Shame' Patients Stand. commondreams.org Kentucky will uphold a law reproductive rights groups say is intended only to "shame and intimidate" patients who seek abortion care, following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on Monday not to hear an appeal to H.B. 2, or what the ACLU calls a "forced narrated ultrasound law." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Miko Peled (2019-12-09). Israel's Case Against Human Rights Watch Reveals How Its Normalizing West Bank Land Theft. mintpressnews.com The argument made by an Israeli court has been defacto reality in Israel since 1967: there is no West Bank, instead, the region is called Judea and Samaria, legitimate parts of the State of Israel.

RT (2019-12-08). 'I plan to seek justice': Max Blumenthal vows legal action after US govt drops 'bogus' assault charges against him. rt.com The US government has dropped all charges against Max Blumenthal, after arresting the journalist over a dubious 5-month-old warrant. But the Grayzone editor says the case is far from closed. | Blumenthal was detained for nearly two days after police raided his Washington, DC home in October. The month-old warrant for his arrest listed the journalist as "armed and dangerous," and police carrying out the warrant reportedly threatened to kick down his door.The government's case was based solely on an unsubstantiated claim made by a right-wing Venezuelan opposition activist, Naylet Pacheco, who alleged that Blumen…

patrick (2019-12-08). Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Reinstates Angela Davis' Award. bdsmovement.net Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Reinstates Angela Davis' Award: In the NewsThe organization faced backlash and internal dissension after previously rescinding the honor—a decision Davis and allies attributed to the racial justice activist's support for Palestinians' rights and BDS. | Right To BoycottJanuary 25, 2019 | By: | | COLORLINES

Mehdi Hasan (2019-12-07). Dear Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook Is an Engine of Anti-Muslim Hate the World Over. Don't You Care? theintercept.com What happened to the guy who told his Muslim employees in 2015 that he would "fight to protect your rights and create a peaceful and safe environment"?

news.un (2019-12-07). 'We all must step up' collective action on disability inclusion — UN deputy chief. news.un.org The international community has agreed truly ground-breaking frameworks to advance the rights of persons with disabilities, including in the context of development, but there remains a significant gap between these ambitions and the reality experienced daily by millions of persons with disabilities, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a conference in Doha on Saturday.

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 …

RT (2019-12-07). 'We can make a deal together': Trump thanks Iran for 'very fair negotiation' that led to prisoner swap. rt.com In a reprieve from the usual bellicose rhetoric, President Donald Trump thanked the leaders of Iran for swapping an American prisoner with a detained Iranian scientist. Senior officials, however, told a different story. | Princeton scholar Xiyue Wang left Iran for the US on Saturday morning, while Iranian Scientist Massoud Soleimani returned to Tehran from America. Wang had been in Iranian custody since 2016 and was serving a ten-year term on espionage charges, while Soleimani was arrested in Chicago last year for sanctions violations and was awaiting trial. | The prisoner exchange came after weeks of negotiat…

news.un (2019-12-06). UN rights chief 'extremely concerned' over deadly crackdown on protesters in Iran. news.un.org In the wake of recent protests in Iran, the top United Nations human rights official expressed alarm on Friday over multiple human rights violations which have reportedly taken place across the country.

news.un (2019-12-06). Rise in Caribbean children displaced by storms shows climate crisis is a child rights issue: UNICEF. news.un.org The number of Caribbean children displaced by storms has risen approximately six-fold in the past five years, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reveals in a new report released on Friday.

patrick (2019-12-06). UK Labour Party votes to stop arms trade with Israel, apply international law to trade, and support refugee return. bdsmovement.net UK Labour Party votes to stop arms trade with Israel, apply international law to trade, and support refugee return: In the NewsAt the UK Labour party's annual conference, the party voted overwhelmingly for refugees right to return, to stop "any arms trade with Israel that is used in violation of the human rights of Palestinians" and to apply international law to UK trade wi…

Shaw Drake (2019-12-05). A Border Officer Told Me I Couldn't Opt Out of the Face Recognition Scan. They Were Wrong. aclu.org "Look at the camera," a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) | officer told me as I approached the primary inspection point at the Paso del | Norte port of entry. | "Is that the face recognition technology?" I asked. "If so, I want to opt-out." | "Look at the camera." | "I want to opt-out." | "Look at the camera." | On the evening of November 25, 2019, I crossed from Mexico into the United States. Signs in the port noted the new use of face recognition technology and United States citizens' option to "undergo alternative procedures." After handing over my U.S. passport card, and despite my repeated protests…

Alice Speri (2019-12-05). New Legislation Aims to End the "School to Confinement Pathway" theintercept.com Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts introduced new legislation Thursday aimed at ending the "school to confinement pathway." The bill targets discriminatory and punitive school discipline policies that push black and brown students out of schools at disproportionately high rates, often directly into the criminal justice system. | The bill offers incentives to states and schools that commit to ban most suspensions and expulsions, as well as corporal punishment and the physical restraint of students. It also allots resources to the Education Department's Office of Civil Rights at a time when the Trump administrat…

Matthew Cole (2019-12-05). Donald Trump Keeps Navy SEALs Above the Law. theintercept.com Rear Admiral Collin Green had a problem. Green, a Navy SEAL and commander of Naval Special Warfare, knew that his community — 3,000 active duty SEALs, their families, and the several thousand former and retired SEALs who make up their elite military tribe — was locked in a culture war over one notorious SEAL. What could he do about Eddie Gallagher? | Gallagher, a sniper and medic, was accused of stabbing an injured and unarmed ISIS detainee who may have been as young as 14 during a deployment in Mosul, Iraq, in 2017. The case had made headlines internationally, and Gallagher had won prominent support…

Staff (2019-12-05). Aminatou Haidar Honored For Decades of Peaceful Resistance in Western Sahara, Africa's Last Colony. democracynow.org In Stockholm, Democracy Now! sat down with one of the winners of this year's Right Livelihood Award: Sahrawi human rights leader Aminatou Haidar. For over three decades, Haidar has led a peaceful campaign to resist the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara, which is often called Africa's last colony. Morocco has occupied Western Sahara — a small region just south of Morocco in northwest Africa — since 1975. Thousands have been tortured, imprisoned, killed and disappeared while resisting the occupation. Peaceful protesters, led by women, are routinely beaten in the streets. Despite this violent repress…

Staff (2019-12-05). Edward Snowden: If I Came Back to the U.S., I Would Likely Die in Prison for Telling the Truth. democracynow.org The Right Livelihood Awards celebrated their 40th anniversary Wednesday at the historic Cirkus Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, where more than a thousand people gathered to celebrate this year's four laureates: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg; Chinese women's rights lawyer Guo Jianmei, Brazilian indigenous leader Davi Kopenawa and the organization he co-founded, the Yanomami Hutukara Association; and Sahrawi human rights leader Aminatou Haidar, who has challenged the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara for decades. The Right Livelihood Award is known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize." Over the past four deca…

pip.hinman (2019-12-05). Rights for workers means no going soft on Hansonism. greenleft.org.au union rights Sam WainwrightIssue 1248 Australia Ensuring Integrity Bill ACTUDecember 5, 2019Supporters of workers' rights breathed a big sigh of relief when the Coalition's union-busting Fair Work (…

Fight Back (2019-12-04). Immigrant rights activists protest ICE detention at Sherburne County commissioners' meeting. fightbacknews.org Elk River, MN – Immigrant rights activists mobilized to the Sherburne County commissioners' meeting at 9: 00 in the morning Tuesday, December 3 in Elk River, a town of around 20,000 people an hour northwest of Minneapolis. They held signs throughout the meeting, and several of them spoke passionately during the public comment section of the agenda, appealing to the commissioners to stop participating in and profiting from immigrant detention in the Sherburne County Jail. | The Sherburne County Jail has a contract for 300 beds to detain immigrants for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), making it the la…

Fight Back (2019-12-04). Activists decry Minnesota investments in border militarization, climate destruction. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) held its quarterly meeting at the State Capitol December 2 and got sharp criticism from immigrant rights and anti-war activists, as new documents revealed a nearly $1 million increase in investment in a controversial military technology company. Youth climate strikers also highlighted the SBI's inaction over state ties to environmental destruction. Both groups were met with vacillation and excuses from the board which is tasked with the responsible investment of public pensions and related funds. | At issue was Elbit Systems, an Israel-based manufacture…

Lucas Koerner (2019-12-04). TIAR Countries Blacklist Top Venezuelan Officials as US Slaps New Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Venezuela of "hijacking" mass anti-neoliberal protests in "our own backyard."

news.un (2019-12-04). Wednesday's Daily Brief: 2020 humanitarian plan, malaria latest, greener tourism, people key to SDGs, Fall Armyworm. news.un.org A recap of Wednesday's stories: A record number of people will need humanitarian aid in 2020; WHO calls for more funding to protect women and children from malaria; the transport and tourism sectors are urged to tackle carbon emissions; a group of rights experts want to see more people helping make the SDGs a reality; Fall Armyworm pest sparks new global action plan; and how the UN is helping impoverished landlocked nations develop.

Alex Emmons (2019-12-04). Seventeen Years After His Arrest, Alleged USS Cole Plotter Is Still Fighting to See Records of His CIA Torture. theintercept.com Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri's lawyers say that details of his torture are essential to defending him against death penalty charges.

Staff (2019-12-04). U.N. Report Finds Over 7 Million Children Worldwide Are Being Held in Various Kinds of Detention. democracynow.org A damning United Nations report says that 7 million children are deprived of their liberty worldwide, from children imprisoned on the U.S.-Mexico border to the missing children of ISIS fighters. The Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty says that at least 410,000 of those children are detained in jails and prisons, where violence is "endemic." The study also found that the number of children detained in the context of armed conflict has dramatically risen. The global study was published in November, on the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the landmark international treaty affi…

Staff (2019-12-04). "Alternative Nobel Prize:" Right Livelihood Award Celebrates 40 Years Honoring Grassroots Activists. democracynow.org The Right Livelihood Award is marking its 40th anniversary. The award was established in 1980 to honor and support those "offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us." It has since become known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize." Over the past four decades, the award has been given to activists and grassroots leaders around the globe. A number of them have gone on to win the Nobel Peace Prize. This year's winners are: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg; Sahrawi human rights leader Aminatou Haidar, who has challenged the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara for decades; Chi…

Staff (2019-12-04). Headlines for December 4, 2019. democracynow.org House Impeachment Report Accuses Trump of Soliciting Foreign Interference in 2020 Election, Report: Europe Could Face Annual Extreme Heat Waves Due to Climate Change, Kamala Harris Ends Her 2020 Presidential Campaign, ProPublica: McKinsey Helped Trump Speed Up Mass Deportation Program, Detained Asylum Seekers Protest in Winnfield, Louisiana, House Votes for Bill to Punish China over Mass Imprisonment of Muslims, ICC Begins Hearing over Alleged U.S. Military Torture in Afghanistan, Rikers Island Officers Stood By as Teenager Attempted to Hang Himself, Today Marks 50th Anniversary of Assassination of Fred Hampton…

Sonia Gill (2019-12-03). Congress Must Act to Protect the Right to Vote. aclu.org Update 12/06/19: The House passed the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would update the Voting Rights Act for the first time since it was last reauthorized in 2006. | Read the ACLU's report to Congress on the importance of restoring the Voting Rights Act. | This week, the House is expected to vote on H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019. The bill would help ensure racial barriers to voting are removed from elections across the country. Passing the VRAA will advance needed protections for people whose right to vote is under attack based…

Staff (2019-12-03). Meet Yetnebersh Nigussie: A Blind Ethiopian Lawyer Fighting for Global Disability Rights. democracynow.org December 3 is International Day of Persons With Disabilities. "Unfortunately, disability-based discrimination is still a global phenomenon," says Yetnebersh Nigussie, a lawyer and disability rights activist from Ethiopia who in 2017 received the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize." Nigussie is the director for advocacy and rights at Light for the World and the former chair of the Ethiopian National Association of the Blind women's wing. She has been blind since the age of five. Yetnebersh Nigussie speaks with us in Stockholm. She is one of many former Right Livelihood Award recipie…

splcenter (2019-12-02). Prison By Any Other Name: A Report on South Florida Detention Facilities. splcenter.org