All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

Corporate Voices Get Behind ‘Black Lives Matter’ Cause – The New York Times

Companies like Nike, Twitter and Citigroup have aligned themselves with the Black Lives Matter movement. As Netflix posted on Twitter on Saturday: “To be silent is to be complicit. Black lives matter. We have a platform, and we have a duty to our Black members, employees, creators and talent to speak up.”

Cuomo Says Attorney General Will Investigate NYPD’s “Inexplicable” Policing Of George Floyd Protests

“They know the attorney general is going to review it. I’m telling them that if that review looks at those videos and finds that there was improper police conduct there will be ramifications.” Police clash with protesters in Flatbush, Brooklyn, May 30, 2020

“They know the attorney general is going to review it. I’m telling them that if that review looks at those videos and finds that there was improper police conduct there will be ramifications.” [ more › ]

Health officials make last-minute plea to stop lockdown easing in England | World news | The Guardian

Senior public health officials have made a last-minute plea for ministers to scrap Monday’s easing of the coronavirus lockdown in England, warning the country is unprepared to deal with any surge in infection and that public resolve to take steps to limit transmisson has been eroded.

The Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) said new rules, including allowing groups of up to six people to meet outdoors and in private gardens, were “not supported by the science” and that pictures of crowded beaches and beauty spots over the weekend showed “the public is not keeping to social distancing as it was”.

Source: Health officials make last-minute plea to stop lockdown easing in England | World news | The Guardian

US: Fueled by years of Trump’s demonization of the media, unprecedented violence breaks out against journalists covering protests | RSF

President Trump’s demonization of the media for years has now come to fruition, with both the police and protesters targeting clearly identified journalists with violence and arrests,” said Christophe Deloire, RSF’s secretary general. “It has long been obvious that this demonization would lead to physical violence. RSF has warned about the consequences of this blatant hostility towards the media, and we are now witnessing an unprecedented  outbreak of violence against journalists in the US. RSF calls on all US authorities to ensure the full protection of journalists and honor the country’s founding principles in respecting press freedom,” Deloire added.

In Minneapolis, Linda Tirado, has been left permanently blinded in one eye after being struck by what she believes was a rubber bullet fired by police officers as she photographed protests.

·       In Pittsburgh, Ian Smith – a photojournalist for KDKA TV – posted to Twitter that he had been “attacked by protestors downtown by the arena. They stomped and kicked me. I’m bruised and bloody but alive. My camera was destroyed. Another group of protesters pulled me out and saved my life.”

Reports are also emerging of arrests and detention of journalists by police. In Minneapolis, Australian 9News US correspondent Tim Arvier was detained by police at gunpoint. In Las Vegas, freelance photojournalist Bridget Bennett was arrested for “failure to disperse” and held overnight while working on assignment for AFP. Ellen Schmidt, a photojournalist at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, was also arrested and held overnight in Las Vegas.

Source: US: Fueled by years of Trump’s demonization of the media, unprecedented violence breaks out against journalists covering protests | RSF

Brazil’s left and right unite to launch pro-democracy manifesto

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Public figures call for unity against Jair Bolsonaro as criticism of president’s handling of coronavirus pandemic grows

Prominent figures from across Brazil’s political spectrum have a published a high-profile manifesto calling for a united front to protect Brazilian democracy and lives amid growing alarm over president Jair Bolsonaro’s authoritarian outbursts and shambolic response to coronavirus.

The Movimento Estamos Juntos (We’re In This Together Movement) was launched on Saturday as Brazil overtook France to become the country with the fourth highest official death toll. About a thousand coronavirus deaths are being confirmed each day as Latin America’s biggest economy cements itself as a major focus of the pandemic.

Continue reading…

bellingcat – US Law Enforcement Are Deliberately Targeting Journalists During George Floyd Protests – bellingcat

This selection of incidents demonstrates that law enforcement across multiple cities, but especially in Minneapolis, are knowingly and deliberately targeting journalists with less lethal munitions, arrests and other forms of violence.

This is a selection of the most egregious examples of violence against journalists. Many others can be seen in this thread by the author. Even as this article is being written multiple incidents of similar behaviour are being sent to us. If you have seen law enforcement deliberately targeting journalists, or experienced it yourself, please contact the author through his Twitter or at nick[@]bellingcat.com.

Considering the role of journalists to keep society informed about current events, as well as the strong constitutional protections of a free press in the United States, these actions by law enforcement represent an attack on the freedom of the press.

Source: bellingcat – US Law Enforcement Are Deliberately Targeting Journalists During George Floyd Protests – bellingcat