Tag: racial injustice

Police Veteran Charged in George Floyd Killing Had Used Neck Restraints Before

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Derek Chauvin, the officer who is charged with second-degree murder in Mr. Floyd’s death, is expected to go to trial next year.

MINNEAPOLIS — The former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder after pressing his knee into the neck of George Floyd for more than eight minutes had used neck and upper body restraints during at least seven previous arrests, prosecutors said in court documents filed this week.

In four of the earlier arrests over the last six years, prosecutors say that the former officer, Derek Chauvin, used those restraint techniques — which have been the subject of much debate in recent months — “beyond the point when such force was needed under the circumstances.”

Neck restraints were banned this summer in police departments in Minneapolis and other cities following the death in May of Mr. Floyd, a Black man who repeatedly said “I can’t breathe” as Mr. Chauvin’s knee pinned him to the pavement. The searing image of Mr. Floyd’s final moments, captured on video, fueled anger and protests across the country. Continue reading.

Most Americans support athletes speaking out, say anthem protests are appropriate, Post poll finds

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As a new National Football League season prepares to kick off Thursday night, a majority of Americans, including a majority of football fans, say it is acceptable for professional athletes to kneel during the national anthem, and an even larger percentage say athletes should use their platforms to tackle social issues, according to a Washington Post poll.

This summer, as widespread protests over racism and police violence roiled the nation, athletes across every major American sport have become increasingly vocal on social issues. They have sat out events, protested during the anthem and pushed for policy changes around policing, voting rights and other issues. While athlete activism promises to take center stage this week — starting with Thursday’s opener in Kansas City, Mo., and continuing through the full slate of NFL games this weekend — 56 percent of Americans now say it is appropriate for athletes to kneel during the national anthem to protest racial inequality; 42 percent say it is not appropriate.

Despite cries for athletes to “stick to sports,” particularly from conservative pundits and politicians, a 62 percent majority of Americans say professional athletes should use their platforms to express their views on national issues, including over 8 in 10 Black Americans and 7 in 10 adults under age 50. Continue reading.

‘I knew I would be here today’: Thousands demand racial justice at March on Washington

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Just past dawn Friday, more than a half-century after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the Lincoln Memorial’s marble steps and offered his vision for a fair and righteous America, thousands of protesters descended on the nation’s capital at the end of a summer that has laid bare just how distant the fulfillment of his vision remains.

Among them was Marilyn Boddy, 62, who had never attended a protest. As a decades-long federal employee, Boddy had always been reluctant to join in public demonstrations, but that changed when she heard the Rev. Al Sharpton eulogize George Floyd, who died in May beneath the knee of a Minneapolis police officer.

“It was right there, in the emotion of that moment, that I knew I would be here today,” Boddy said, describing the anger and anguish that shot through her while watching the televised service from her New Jersey living room. Continue reading.

Minnesota House POCI Caucus responds to Sen. Gazelka’s announcement of “oversight hearings” about recent unrest

House DFL logoSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Members of the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus in the Minnesota Legislature issued the following statement in response to Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka’s Thursday morning press conference:

“If oversight of law enforcement is the goal, Senate Republicans must quickly join the POCI Caucus to advance real criminal justice reforms. Why – five days after Senate Republicans walked away from this serious work – hasn’t Senator Gazelka yet responded to the House’s counteroffer during the special session to meet demands of the people for police accountability?

“There will be time to address the civil unrest that occurred in the days following George Floyd’s senseless killing, but the work to enact transformative, systemic changes within law enforcement is urgent, and Black, Indigenous, and communities of color can’t wait any longer for change. Senate Republicans have a duty to resume these critical discussions right now, or status quo systems that have failed Minnesotans for generations will continue to prevail.”

Today marks the one month anniversary of the murder of George Floyd.

The People of Color & Indigenous (POCI) Caucus includes Reps. Jamie Becker-Finn (42B), Aisha Gomez (62B), Hodan Hassan (62A), Kaohly Her (64A), Mary Kunesh-Podein (41B), Fue Lee (59A), Alice Mann (56B), Carlos Mariani (65B), Rena Moran (65A), Mohamud Noor (60B), Ruth Richardson (52B), Samantha Vang (40B), Jay Xiong (67B), Tou Xiong (53B), and Sens. Melisa Franzen (49), Foung Hawj (67), Jeff Hayden (62), Bobby Joe Champion (59), and Patricia Torres Ray (63).

 

D.C. police clear out fledgling autonomous zone near the White House

Washington Post logoD.C. police lined streets around the White House on Tuesday, periodically clearing out tents, barricades and other structures built by protesters seeking to create an autonomous zone in the area that has been at the center of weeks of protests against police brutality.

The action came after President Trump tweeted early Tuesday that protesters would be met with “serious force” if they tried to establish an autonomous zone and that federal officials would seek long sentences against anyone who toppled statues or vandalized monuments.

The comments followed a day of chaotic demonstrations Monday during which protesters unsuccessfully tried to topple a statue of President Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square and tried to cordon off a section of a street near the White House before police removed them. Continue reading.

Who caused the violence at protests? It wasn’t antifa.

Washington Post logoOn May 30 — five days after George Floyd was killed and four after protests erupted across Minneapolis — President Trump first said antifa forces were behind the violence that swept across the country. He has repeated this claim nearly 20 times since. Online activists and prominent right-wing Twitter personalities promoted the theory. And the nation’s top law enforcement officials — including FBI Director Christopher A. Wray and Attorney General William P. Barr — appeared to confirm it, echoing Trump’s claim.

The Fact Checker video team spoke to witnesses and reviewed arrest records, federal charges, intelligence reports, online conversations and dozens of videos and photos of violent incidents from the early days of protests in Minneapolis to determine whether a coordinated antifa campaign was responsible for the violence.

Let’s review. Continue reading.

U.S. Watched George Floyd Protests in 15 Cities Using Aerial Surveillance

New York Times logoFrom Minneapolis to Buffalo, Homeland Security officials dispatched drones, helicopters and airplanes to monitor Black Lives Matter protests.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — The Department of Homeland Security deployed helicopters, airplanes and drones over 15 cities where demonstrators gathered to protest the death of George Floyd, logging at least 270 hours of surveillance, far more than previously revealed, according to Customs and Border Protection data.

The department’s dispatching of unmanned aircraft over protests in Minneapolis last month sparked a congressional inquiry and widespread accusations that the federal agency had infringed on the privacy rights of demonstrators.

But that was just one piece of a nationwide operation that deployed resources usually used to patrol the U.S. border for smugglers and illegal crossings. Aircraft filmed demonstrations in Dayton, Ohio; New York City; Buffalo and Philadelphia, among other cities, sending video footage in real time to control centers managed by Air and Marine Operations, a branch of Customs and Border Protection. Continue reading.

Senate GOP unveils policing reform bill that would discourage, but not ban, tactics such as chokeholds and no-knock warrants

Washington Post logoSenate Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a policing reform bill that would discourage, but not ban, tactics such as chokeholds and no-knock warrants, offering a competing approach to legislation being advanced by House Democrats that includes more directives from Washington.

The Republican proposal, which Senate leaders said would be considered on the floor next week, veers away from mandating certain policing practices, as the Democratic plan does.

Instead, it encourages thousands of local police and law enforcement agencies to curtail practices such as chokeholds and certain no-knock warrants by withholding federal funding to departments that allow the tactics or do not submit reports related to them. Continue reading.

Housing Finance and Policy Division Approves COVID-19 and Civil Unrest Rebuilding Measures

House DFL logoSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today., the Housing Policy and Finance Division chaired by Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL- St. Paul) held a remote hearing to approve housing proposals related to the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.

HF 9, authored by Rep. Hausman, extends certain private tax-exempt bonds for affordable housing.

“At a time when affordable housing is critically needed, this just provides a means for projects to move forward,” said Rep. Hausman. “This measure extends a timeline for bonds to fund affordable housing and it received a unanimous approval.”

HF 82, authored by Rep. Hodan Hassan (DFL-Minneapolis), assists residential and commercial tenants in areas of civil unrest to rebuild the community.

“Many of the damaged and destroyed buildings were black and brown-owned,” said Rep. Hassan. “These owners were caught in the middle of two pandemics – COVID-19 and civil unrest. Our vibrant communities will only survive and thrive if they rebuild with our help.”

A full agenda and supporting documents can be found on the committee’s webpage. Video of the hearing will be broadcast live on the House website.

A recording of the hearing will be available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube channel.

A man tied to the far-right Boogaloo movement is accused of killing 2 officers amidst Black Lives Matter protests

AlterNet logoIn Northern California, a man with alleged ties to the far-right Boogaloo movement is facing murder charges in connection with the shootings of two law enforcement officers: Damon Gutzwiller, a sergeant in the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s office, and David Patrick Underwood, a 53-year-old federal security officer.

On May 29, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, Underwood was guarding the federal building in Oakland when a drive-by shooting occurred. Steven Carrillo, a U.S. Air Force sergeant, is accused of the shooting, and Robert Justus is alleged to be his accomplice. Gutzwiller was killed in a separate shootout in Ben Lomond, California.

In a criminal complaint, the Special Agent Brett Woolard of the FBI claimed to find evidence linking Carrillo to the far-right Boogaloo movement. In particular, a search uncovered a patch, shown below, he said was “associated with the ‘Boogaloo’ movement.” Continue reading.