Photos: Animal baby boom at Palestinian zoo after people disappear

15 animals were born at the tiny Qalqilya Zoo in West Bank during the two months lockdown

Published: June 13, 2020 

Reuters and compiled by Balaram Menon, Digital Content Editor

1 of 13

Peacocks, ostriches and baboons joined in an animal baby boom at a Palestinian zoo during the coronavirus closure as they let nature take its course free from human distractions. Above: Veterinarian Sami Khader puts a diaper on a baby baboon, which was born at the Qalqilya Zoo, West BankImage Credit: REUTERS
2 of 13

Visitors hold a baby baboon at the zoo. Fifteen animals were born at the tiny Qalqilya Zoo in the Israeli-occupied West Bank during the two months that it shut its doors to visitors - three times more than usual, zoo officials said.Image Credit: REUTERS
3 of 13

"The coronavirus spread at the same time that trips were expected at the zoo. They were cancelled and therefore the animals started to give birth," said zoo veterinarian Sami Khader.Image Credit: REUTERS
4 of 13

An ostrich that laid eggs in normal years rarely had the chance to incubate them properly. But this year she produced 11 eggs and "because there weren't people around her, she was able to build a nest", he said.Image Credit: REUTERS
5 of 13

In the monkey enclosure, usually bedevilled by miscarriages, one baboon gave birth, although she had little inclination to take care of the baby.Image Credit: REUTERS
6 of 13

"My father had to bring him to our house," said the vet's daughter, Hind Khader. "I took care of him and gave him milk."Image Credit: REUTERS
7 of 13

A bear eats a watermelon. The zoo reopened in late May as Palestinian officials eased COVID-19 restrictions.Image Credit: REUTERS
8 of 13

Now zoo managers hope the newborn attractions will be enough of a draw to compensate for 200,000 lost visitors.Image Credit: REUTERS
9 of 13

A worker feeds a hippo at the zoo.Image Credit: REUTERS
10 of 13

  

A baby baboon is fed by the daughter of veterinarian Sami Khader.Image Credit: REUTERS
11 of 13

A lion is seen in an enclosure at the Qalqilya Zoo.Image Credit: REUTERS
12 of 13

Veterinarian Sami Khader looks after a baby baboon.Image Credit: REUTERS
13 of 13

A baby baboon looks from a box at the zoo.Image Credit: REUTERS

West Bank: UAE, Jordan voice Arab rejection of Israeli annexation plans

Arabs should rally the world to ensure a fair deal that will lead to a Palestinian state

Published: July 25, 2020 Gulf News

Palestinians protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, in Beta village near Nablus on June 12, 2020. Image Credit: Reuters

ALSO IN THIS PACKAGE
Photos: Animal baby boom at Palestinian zoo after people disappear
Photos: Dressmakers keep Palestinian tradition alive in refugee camp in Jordan
Palestinian youth swirl homemade sparkler firework in Gaza Strip
Tunisia welcomes back tourists after COVID-19 pandemic lockdown
13 Arab rappers to listen to instead of Drake


For the past 50 years, all international resolutions have stipulated that a future Palestinian state should be established within the borders existed on June 4, 1967. That includes all the West Bank, occupied Jerusalem, and Gaza. Thus, any plan or a proposal which overlooks this undeniable right is unacceptable.


According to the Israeli media, the United States has apparently told Benjamin Netanyahu’s government that Washington was ready to support Israel’s planned illegal annexation of at least 30 per cent of the West Bank on the condition that land should be ‘earmarked’ by Israel for the future Palestinian state. This not just absurd, it is farcical.

SEE MORE
Photos: The spectacular sandstone city of Petra
In pictures: Ancient Petra a ghost town as pandemic hits Jordan tourism
In pictures: Arab films that feature on the Cannes 2020 list
Bollywood and Hollywood stars count on Arab designers for their fashion milestones


The international community has condemned the annexation plans, except for the US, which seems to be, according to the Israeli media, negotiating the terms of giving the go-ahead for Netanyahu’s plans. Israel says the US approval is part of President Donald Trump’s so-called ‘Deal of the Century’. That is one more reason to reject the American plan. By annexing a third of the occupied land and usurping the entire Jerusalem, Israel is effectively knocking down any possibility for a viable Palestinian state.


The Middle East has been suffering, for more than 70 years, the results of the 1911 Belfour Declaration in which Britain promised the Jews a homeland in Palestine. Today, the Americans are doing the same, by promising Israel something that doesn’t belong to them. The Palestinians are the only people who will decide on their future.



The Arabs have made it clear that such plans are unacceptable. The latest unequivocal declaration to that effect was made on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.


It is essential to build on these initiatives internationally to exert pressure on Netanyahu to give up his atrocious plan that would undoubtedly kill whatever a glimmer of hope left in the peace process.
-


At the meeting, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and King Abdullah of Jordan said that Israel’s annexation plan would undermine the prospects of peace in the Middle East, especially the two-state solution. They called for pan-Arab coordination with other world powers to reject the plan and ensure a just, lasting and comprehensive peaceful settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which will lead to the establishment of an independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian state along the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.


The position of the two leaders is important in rallying international support for the rights of the Palestinians to restore their right to self-determination. It is essential to build on these initiatives internationally to exert pressure on Netanyahu to give up his atrocious plan that would undoubtedly kill whatever a glimmer of hope left in the peace process.

It’s too late to stop #QAnon with fact checks and account bans

Twitter and Facebook won't be able to deal with the 'omniconspiracy' without ‘rethinking the entire information ecosystem’
by Abby Ohlheiser archive page
July 26, 2020

UNSPLASH/@DOLE777


Twitter is perfect as a megaphone for the far right: its trending topics are easy to game, journalists spend way too much time on the site, and—if you’re lucky—the President of the United States might retweet you.

QAnon, the continuously evolving pro-Trump conspiracy theory, is good at Twitter in the same way as other successful internet-native ideologies—using the platform to manipulate information, attention and distribution all at the same time. On Tuesday, Twitter took a step aimed at limiting how successful QAnon can be there, including taking down about 7,000 accounts that promote the conspiracy, designating QAnon as “coordinated harmful activity,” and preventing related terms from showing up in trending and search results.

“We will permanently suspend accounts Tweeting about these topics that we know are engaged in violations of our multi-account policy, coordinating abuse around individual victims, or are attempting to evade a previous suspension,” Twitter announced. The company added that they’d seen an increase in those activities in recent weeks.

The New York Times reported that Facebook was planning to "take similar steps to limit the reach of QAnon content on its platform" next month, citing two employees of the company who spoke anonymously. On Friday, TikTok blocked several hashtags related to QAnon from search results.

This most recent push to limit QAnon's reach follows two high-profile campaigns driven by QAnon. First American model and celebrity Chrissy Teigen, who has more than 13 million followers on Twitter, was the target of an intense harassment campaign, then more recently, QAnon accounts were instrumental in spreading a bogus human trafficking conspiracy theory about the furniture marketplace Wayfair. The claims spread from Twitter's trending bar to Instagram and TikTok accounts promoting the conspiracy theory to their followers.
Related Story

How to talk to conspiracy theorists—and still be kind
Experts and r/ChangeMyView subreddit moderators offer 10 tips to debunk conspiracy theories convincingly.

“That activity has raised the profile of the very long-standing problem of coordinated brigading. That kind of mass harassment has a significant impact on people's lives,” said Renee DiResta, research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory and an expert in online disinformation.

But Twitter proficiency is only one small part of why QAnon wields influence, and just one example of how platforms amplify fringe beliefs and harmful activity. To actually stop QAnon, experts say, would take a lot more work and coordination. That is, if it’s even possible. 

An omniconspiracy

QAnon was born in late 2017 after a quip President Donald Trump made in a press conference about a “calm before the storm” spawned a series of mysterious posts on 4chan attributed to “Q,” predicting the coming arrest of Hillary Clinton. Although that didn’t happen, “Q” continued to post, claiming to know all about a secret plan led by Trump to arrest his enemies.

“QAnon has its origin in a multiplatform conversation that started off on social media, in a pseudonymous environment, where there's no consequence for speech,” says Brian Friedberg, a senior researcher at the Harvard Shorenstein Center’s Technology and Social Change Project. The posts have moved from one site to another following bans, and now appear on a messageboard called 8kun.

The posts have attracted followers who spend their time interpreting these messages, drawing conclusions, and leading campaigns to make the messages more visible. Some QAnon adherents have led coordinated harassment campaigns against journalists, rival online communities, celebrities, and liberal politicians. Others have shown up at Trump rallies wearing “Q” themed merchandise. The president has retweeted Q or conspiracy theory-related Twitter accounts dozens of times, although it’s an open question how aware he is of what Q is, beyond a movement that supports his presidency on the internet. And there have been multiple incidents of real-life violence linked to QAnon supporters.
Related Story

How covid-19 conspiracy theorists are exploiting YouTube culture

Covid-19 conspiracy theorists are still getting millions of views on YouTube, even as the platform cracks down on health misinformation.


The traditional understanding of QAnon was that its ideas are spread by a relatively small number of adherents who are extremely good at manipulating social media for maximum visibility. But the pandemic made that more complicated, as QAnon began merging more profoundly with health misinformation spaces, and rapidly growing its presence on Facebook.

At this point, QAnon has become an omniconspiracy theory, says DiResta—it’s no longer just about some message board posts, but instead a broad movement promoting many different, linked ideas. Researchers know that belief in one conspiracy theory can lead to acceptance of others, and powerful social media recommendation algorithms have essentially turbocharged that process. For instance, DiResta says, research has shown that members of anti-vaccine Facebook groups were seeing recommendations for groups that promoted the Pizzagate conspiracy theory back in 2016.

“The recommendation algorithm appears to have recognized a correlation between users who shared a conviction that the government was concealing a secret truth. The specifics of the secret truth varied,” she says.

Researchers have known for years that different platforms play different roles in coordinated campaigns. People will coordinate in a chat app, message board, or private Facebook group, target their messages (including harassment and abuse) on Twitter, and host videos about the entire thing on YouTube.

In this information ecosystem Twitter functions more like a marketing campaign for QAnon, where content is created to be seen and interacted with by outsiders, while Facebook is a powerhouse for coordination, especially in closed groups.

"Q" has made many incorrect predictions, and continues to advance the belief that there is a 'deep state' plot against Donald Trump.

Reddit used to be a mainstream hub of QAnon activity, until the site started clamping down on it in 2018 for inciting violence and repeated violations of its terms of service. But instead of diminishing its power, QAnon simply shifted to other mainstream social media platforms where they were less likely to be banned.

This all means that when a platform acts on its own to block or reduce the impact of QAnon, it only attacks one part of the problem.

Friedberg said that, to him, it feels as if social media platforms were “waiting for an act of mass violence in order to coordinate” a more aggressive deplatforming effort. But the potential harm of QAnon is already obvious if you stop viewing it as a pro-Trump curiosity and instead see it for what it is: “a distribution mechanism for disinformation of every variety,” Friedberg said, one that adherents are willing to openly promote and identify with, no matter the consequences.
“People can be deprogrammed”

Steven Hassan, a mental health counselor and an expert on cults who escaped from Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, known as the “Moonies”, says that discussing groups like QAnon as solely a misinformation or algorithmic problem is not enough.

“I look at QAnon as a cult,” Hassan says. “When you get recruited into a mind control cult, and get indoctrinated into a new belief system...a lot of it is motivated by fear.”


"They've had three years of almost unfettered access to develop and expand."

“People can be deprogrammed from this,” Hassan says. “But the people who are going to be most successful doing this are family members and friends.” People who are already close to a QAnon supporter could be trained to have “multiple interactions over time” with them, to pull them out.

If platforms wanted to seriously address ideologies like QAnon, they’d do much more than they are, he says.

First, Facebook would have to educate users not just on how to spot misinformation, but also how to understand when they are being manipulated by coordinated campaigns. Coordinated pushes on social media are a major factor in QAnon’s growing reach on mainstream platforms, as recently documented by the Guardian, over the past several months. The group has explicitly embraced “information warfare” as a tactic for gaining influence. In May, Facebook removed a small collection of QAnon-affiliated accounts for inauthentic behavior.

And second, Hassan recommends that platforms stop people from descending into algorithmic or recommendation tunnels related to QAnon, and instead feed them with content from people like him, who have survived and escaped from cults—especially from those who got sucked into and climbed out of QAnon.

Friedberg, who has deeply studied the movement, says he believes it is “absolutely” too late for mainstream social media platforms to stop QAnon, although there are some things they could do to, say, limit its adherents' ability to evangelize on Twitter.

“They've had three years of almost unfettered access outside of certain platforms to develop and expand,” Friedberg says. Plus, QAnon supporters have an active relationship with the source of the conspiracy theory, who constantly posts new content to decipher and mentions the social media messages of Q supporters in his posts. Breaking QAnon’s influence would require breaking trust between “Q,” an anonymous figure with no defining characteristics, and their supporters. Considering “Q’s long track record of inaccurate predictions, that’s difficult, and, critical media coverage or deplatforming have yet to really do much on that front. If anything, they only fuel QAnon believers to assume they’re on to something.

The best ideas to limit QAnon would require drastic change and soul searching from the people who run the companies on whose platforms QAnon has thrived. But even this week’s announcements aren’t quite as dramatic as they might seem at first: Twitter clarified that it wouldn’t automatically apply its new policies against politicians who promote QAnon content, including several promoters who are running for office in the US.

And, Friedberg said, QAnon supporters were “poised to test these limitations, and already testing these limitations.” For instance, Twitter banned certain conspiracy-affiliated URLs from being shared, but people already have alternative ones to use.

In the end, actually doing something about that would require “rethinking the entire information ecosystem,” says Diresta. “And I mean that in a far broader sense than just reacting to one conspiracy faction.”
hide


AuthorAbby Ohlheiser

Humans and technology July 26

NAKED PROTEST BRIT STYLE

LONDON (Reuters) - A man strolled down central London’s most popular shopping street on Friday with only a mask to cover his nudity, leaving passerbys astounded, amused and shocked.

As the man walked nonchalantly along Oxford Street, naked except for the light blue face mask over his groin, some took pictures on their phones while others simply stared.

It was unclear what prompted the stunt but masks became compulsory on Friday in English shops.

A Reuters photographer caught a picture of the man from an office above the street.

Reporting by Simon Dawson, writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky

NAKED TRUTH SPEAKS TO POWER

Workers praise Disney virus safety, but will visitors come?

Published Sunday, July 26, 2020 | 5:26 a.m.

Updated 34 minutes ago

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Every week, it seems, Kaila Barker, her husband and their five children change their minds about whether to travel from their home in Connecticut to Florida's Walt Disney World as planned in September.

On the one hand, the lack of crowds means more opportunities to go on rides without long waits. On the other hand, Connecticut and Florida have implemented pandemic-related quarantines for each other's residents and visitors, and the Barkers worry whether the Disney “magic" will get lost with mandatory mask-wearing for visitors and workers, temperature checks and no parades, fireworks shows or up-close “meet-and-greets" with costumed characters.

“We keep going back and forth. It's such a hard decision to make," Barker said last Tuesday.

Two weeks after Disney World started opening its theme parks for the first time since closing in March because of COVID-19, the Barkers' quandary affects not only Disney World's future but that of central Florida's tourism-reliant economy.

More than 75 million visitors came to Orlando in 2018, mostly due to its reputation as a theme park mecca, which also includes Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando. But the coronavirus has upended Orlando's status as the most visited place in the U.S.

In the week that Disney World's Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom started welcoming back visitors, occupancy of hotel rooms in the Orlando area was down more than 60% from the previous year, a much deeper drop than the state as a whole, which declined more than 41%, according to STR, which tracks hotel data.

Less than half of Disney World's 43,000 unionized workers have been recalled to their old jobs, contributing to two Orlando-area counties having the state's highest unemployment rates last month — Osceola at 22.9% and Orange at 17.2%. Disney World has an overall workforce of 77,000 employees, the nation's largest single-site labor force.

Many of those still-furloughed workers are about to lose federal benefits at the end of the month.

“This is an extremely difficult moment,” said Paul Cox, president of the local union that represents stagehands and show technicians at Disney World. “There are still a majority of workers who are staying at home and they’re about to lose support. Things are going to get bad.”

Union officials estimate the Disney parks are no more than a third full, but that may be more by design to maintain social distancing. Disney World doesn't release attendance figures, but in pre-pandemic times its four parks and two water parks could host around 150,000 visitors a day.

Florida has had a surging coronavirus caseload recently, and other Disney parks around the globe have run into coronavirus-related roadblocks. Hong Kong Disneyland Park was forced to close earlier this month following the city’s decision to ban public gatherings of more than four people, and Disney's California parks delayed reopening while they awaited state guidelines.

Cowen Inc. estimated recently that Disney's parks and resorts won't return to pre-pandemic profitability until fiscal year 2025, and there is a “meaningful” probability that Disney World could close again because of the pandemic.

Leaders of the Disney World workers' unions describe the virus-related safety measures Disney has taken as “exemplary."

After workers complained about patrons walking around with their masks pulled down while eating food like turkey legs, Disney World updated its mandatory mask policy, requiring visitors to eat in one place while maintaining social distancing.

In response to other worker concerns, Disney has distributed personal hand sanitizer containers for workers to wear on their belts, added additional break rooms to limit the number of workers in them and reduced the number of riders on buses that shuttle workers from parking lots to the parks. Performers dressed as Disney princesses being driven in a horse-powered carriage through the parks now sit individually in rows separated by clear-plastic window partitions.

“Singing their praises seems so strange," said Julee Jerkovich, an official with a United Food & Commercial Workers union, which represents Disney merchandise and banquet workers. “As far as this grand experiment, I would have to say Disney has done a really good job."

But not all unions are happy. The union that represents actors and singers has filed a grievance with Disney World, saying their 750 members were locked out of returning to work after they complained about Disney ignoring their demands for getting coronavirus tests since they can’t wear masks while performing. Some performers, though, are eager to return to work and are pushing the union to reach an agreement with the company, as they worry about Disney replacing their shows with temporary ones featuring non-actors.

There have been isolated cases of workers and visitors connected to the theme parks getting sick with COVID-19, “but we haven’t seen any large number of positive cases that come from any of the parks,” Dr. Raul Pino, health officer for Florida's Department of Health, said last Monday.

Disney's policy of granting sick workers with paid time off so they can quarantine has made a difference, said Eric Clinton, president of Unite Here! Local 362, which represents Disney World park greeters, attractions workers and custodians.

But Clinton wonders if the current operating model can last until the pandemic is over, given that just over 20,000 of the 43,000 workers represented by unions have returned to work, only half of Disney World's 30 onsite hotels currently are back open and several in-park restaurants still are closed.

“Disney is a strong brand. They have a great product, but does the novelty wear off? Do people want to go to a theme park now? Is it more appealing with less crowds?" Clinton said. “I’m hopeful but nervous.”

—-

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP

Protesters March On The Strip 

PHOTOS

Protesters march on the Las Vegas Strip Friday, July 25, 2020. A coalition of groups called for an end of police brutality and racism. The march was held in solidarity with protesters in Portland, Ore., said organizer Zyera Dorsey

https://lasvegassun.com/photos/galleries/2020/jul/26/0725_sun_StripProtest/#/0

Portland protesters breach fence around federal courthouse

By GILLIAN FLACCUS and SARA CLINE  TODAY


1 of 11

Demonstrators shield themselves behind a toppled fence as federal officers deploy tear gas during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Sunday, July 26, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Authorities declared a riot early Sunday in Portland, Oregon, where protesters breached a fence surrounding the city’s federal courthouse building where U.S. agents have been stationed.

Police described via Twitter the “violent conduct of people downtown” as creating a “grave risk of public alarm.” Police demanded people leave the area surrounding the courthouse, around 1:20 a.m. Sunday, and said that those who fail to adhere may be arrested or subjection to teargas and impact weapons.

By 1:40 p.m., both federal officers and Portland police could be seen on the streets, surrounding the courthouse, attempting to clear the area and deploying teargas.

Protesters remained in the streets past 2:30 a.m., forming lines across intersections and holding makeshift shields, as police patrolled and closed blocks abutting the area. Multiple arrests were made, but it wasn’t immediately clear how many.

In the hours leading up to the riot declaration, thousands of people gathered in the city Saturday evening for another night of protests as demonstrations over George Floyd’s killing and the presence of federal agents sent by President Donald Trump showed no signs of abating.

Crowds began to march toward the city’s federal courthouse around 9:15 p.m., some marching from 5 miles (8 kilometers) away. A large group of demonstrators in the North Portland neighborhood also paraded by the police precinct there, which was roped off and had officers in riot gear standing outside the building.

Protesters paused outside a downtown hotel, where federal agents are staying, chanting “Feds go home” and yelling the names of Black people killed by police.

As protesters marched down the streets, the Portland Police Bureau posted on social media for people to not walk or block the street as they may be subject to charges such as disorderly conduct and interfering with peace officers.

Hundreds of others crossed the Steel Bridge around 11 p.m. to the courthouse, meeting up with thousands of people that had already been tear-gassed by federal agents.

The fence surrounding the building had flowers and banners draped across as federal agents emerged from the courthouse to inspect it. They were met with fireworks shot over the fence.

Federal agents tossed canisters of teargas at the crowd, while people ran towards the plumes, picked up some of the canisters and threw them back over the fence.

As some protesters attempted to cut the fence using power tools, streams of pepper spray were spewed at the crowd.

At the nearby Justice Center, images and words were projected onto the building including “Keep fighting. Keep pushing.”

During demonstrations the previous night federal agents repeatedly fired tear gas to break up rowdy protests that continued into the early morning Saturday. Authorities say six federal officers were injured and one person was arrested.

Demonstrators try to topple a steel fence during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

A demonstrator tries to climb over a fence during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Sunday, July 26, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Federal officers advance on demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Demonstrators shield themselves from federal officers during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Demonstrations have happened in Oregon’s largest city nightly for two months since Floyd was killed in Minneapolis in May. Trump said he sent federal agents to Portland to halt the unrest but state and local officials say they are making the situation worse.

There were demonstrations for police reform and against the increased presence of federal law enforcement in cities across the country Saturday. In Seattle, police declared a riot Saturday afternoon following large demonstrations and deployed flash bangs and pepper spray to try to clear crowds. Authorities made more than 40 arrests said 21 officers suffered mostly minor injuries.

Chuck Lovell, the Portland police chief, released a video message on social media Saturday night calling for peace.

“Across the country people are committing violence, supposedly in support of Portland,” Lovell said. “If you want to support Portland then stop the violence, work for peace. Portland police officers and police facilities have been threatened.

“Now more than ever, Portland police need your support. We want to be with you in the community and working on the real relationships that will create change. We want to get back to the critical issues that have been hijacked by people committing crimes under the cover of the crowds.”

Late Friday, a federal judge denied a request by Oregon’s attorney general to restrict the actions of federal police.

Demonstrators gather during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The Federal Protective Service had declared the gathering in Portland that began Friday evening an unlawful assembly. Harry Fones, a Homeland Security spokesman, said at a news conference Saturday afternoon some people launched large fireworks, threw hard projectiles and used power tools to damage property.

Craig Gabriel, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, said at the news conference that of the six federal officers who were injured, one suffered a concussion and another was taken to the hospital for burns.

He said one person was arrested for failing to comply with orders. That person was later released without charges, bringing the total number of people arrested on or near the courthouse property since early July to 60.

PAGAN RESISTANCE  LRP

___

PAGANS LOVE CIRCLE FIRES AND DRUMMING

Cline reported from Salem. Cline is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.
___

Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus.

Federal officers line up to deploy tear gas at demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Sunday, July 26, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Federal officers launch tear gas at a group of demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Sunday, July 26, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

EYEWITNESS

Portland: A city under siege, overrun with anarchists? It's a far more complex picture

The only common ground in this complex picture is that no one can see how it is going to end.


By Sally Lockwood, correspondent in Portland, Oregon
SKY NEWS (A MURDOCH COMPANY0
Sunday 26 July 2020 UK

Image:A demonstrator is detained at an anti-racism protest in Portland, Oregon

There is nothing straightforward about what is happening here in Portland.

After the arrival of federal troops this month it has morphed into something else.

There are still thousands of people who protest peacefully in support of Black Lives Matter each evening. But as night falls, a crowd surrounds the federal courthouse. Among them, a violent contingent who lob fireworks and push against the temporary metal fence separating the troops and the public.

Image:Federal police are guarding the courthouse in downtown Portland

Image:For 11 nights tear gas and rubber bullets have been fired back at protesters

For 11 nights tear gas and rubber bullets have been fired back at protesters. But their response is well-coordinated, repelling the CS gas with leaf blowers, the bullets with homemade shields.

There are troublemakers here, there's no question. Some who clearly seek to antagonise and hurt the federal troops. They're not the majority but images of this violence support Donald Trump's narrative that this is a city under siege, overrun with anarchists.

The reality is very different, the picture far more complex.

Day to day life for most people has not changed, with the unrest confined to a few square blocks in the city centre.

Peaceful protesters are still by far the biggest demographic here, on the streets each evening to protest racial injustice. But after the president deployed federal troops earlier this month to protect monuments and federal property, more people have gathered to protest against their presence in the city. As many peaceful protesters leave at night, the remaining crowd gets more angry and some violent.
Opposite the federal courthouse, a park has now become a protest camp. Even here the picture is complex - mixed with the protesters are the homeless, drug addicts, and the mentally ill. A traffic cone, thrown in broad daylight at an unmarked police car, triggered a rapid response from federal police. A fragile stand-off followed between the protest camp and federal officers. Some chanted "Feds go home", others hurled abuse. It felt volatile, like it could kick off at any moment.

A young black man appointed himself mediator and bravely stood between the protesters and federal agents. The mere sight of him appealing to officers was worrying but the conversation went well and the situation was defused. The man told me he had explained the person who threw the traffic cone suffered from bipolar disorder. Without his involvement it could have ended very differently. The arrival of federal officers on the scene antagonised protesters who responded by shouting abuse. It feels on a knife edge.

Image:Neither side is showing any sign of backing down in Portland

Even during the day some of the scenes in Portland are surreal. In the early afternoon I see a protester running through the streets dragging a table, followed by a police car. As they reach the traffic lights they stop to yell at a police car following at a safe distance. Their destination is the federal court house, where they tell me they've been protesting with the group Riot Ribs since 30 May.

In the constant melee outside the courthouse I spot two men on the periphery who look out of place. The father and son have driven from Sandy, around 30 miles away, to see what's going on. Both voted for Donald Trump at the last election and plan to vote for him again in November. "They should just disperse them. Get it done," the father, Randy, tells me. "The election is where this ends. If he takes over the house and senate then this is going to escalate, huge." I ask if that's what he wants to happen. "No. No. I want Trump to win and I want this to go away. And if Biden wins I think it'll go away because they're going to get what they want."

Away from the square, the volatile epicentre of this unrest, I seek views from local people who aren't involved in the demonstrations. One government worker walks with me as he carries his groceries home. I ask him how he feels about what he's seeing in his city. "If the federal agents weren't here, a lot of the protesters wouldn't be either," he says. "I'm happy that people want to get out and make their voices heard because most Americans are super complacent."

Image:Unrest is confined to a few square blocks in the city centre

A hotel worker who doesn't attend the protests either tells me he supports a lot of the reasons behind the demonstrations, despite the financial impact it's having on business. He tells me he has been affected by the tear gas at work after three canisters were deployed in the street outside. "I had to go and deliver sheets to a guest's room after being tear gassed," he says. "The reality is before the feds arrived the protests had dropped to around 100 hardcore people. The big marches had stopped and it had calmed down. Now look."

The presence of federal troops in Portland has upset many, even some who aren't demonstrating. The government has the right to protect federal buildings but it's very unusual for an administration to send in law enforcement without an invitation from local officials and the local police. That is what has happened here and this is what has made so many people so angry. The mayor of Portland and the governor of Oregon have said they're not welcome. One of the state's senators has said America is staring down the barrel of martial law.

Meanwhile, the intense stand-off between federal troops and protesters is entering a 12th night. Neither side is showing any sign of backing down - if anything they're upping the ante. It feels increasingly dangerous.

The only common ground I've found in this complex picture is that no one can see how it is going to end.