Israel-UAE deal: How the Middle East reacted
While Bahrain and Egypt praised the historic deal Turkey and Iran condemned the move

Palestinians take part in a protest against the UAE decision to normalise relations with Israel in the city of Nablus (Reuters)

By MEE staff Published date: 14 August 2020

US President Donald Trump on Thursday proudly announced a historic peace deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel.

Trump also said Israel would pause plans to annex parts of the West Bank but critics of the deal fear Tel Aviv will renege on this part of the deal.

The peace deal paves the way for normalisation of relations between the two countries and makes the UAE the third country in the Arab world to normalise relations with Israel.

Here's a rundown of how countries across the Middle East and North Africa reacted to the latest announcement:

Bahrain

Bahrain praised the normalisation of ties between Israel and the UAE and welcomed the move, according to the Bahrain News Agency.

Commenting on the deal, a Bahraini spokesperson said: "The kingdom welcomes the diplomatic efforts made by the United Arab Emirates. This historic step will contribute to strengthening stability and peace in the region."

Egypt

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi praised the efforts and said he hoped the deal to halt Israel's annexation would bring "peace" to the Middle East.

"I appreciate the efforts of the architects of this agreement for the prosperity and stability of our region," Sisi said in a tweet. 

Iran

Iran dubbed the Israel-UAE deal as an act of "strategic stupidity" and warned Abu Dhabi to accept any consequences of the historic agreement.

"This is an act of strategic stupidity from Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv which will undoubtedly strengthen the resistance axis in the region," the Iranian foreign ministry said on Thursday.

"The oppressed people of Palestine and all the free nations of the world will never forgive the normalising of relations with the criminal Israeli occupation regime and the complicity in its crimes." 

Jordan

Jordan did not welcome or condemn the deal but said its impact will depend on Israel's actions.

Reacting to the decision, Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi said that "the impact of the deal on peace efforts is linked to the actions Israel will take".

He added: "[Jordan backs] any real effort that contributes to achieving comprehensive and just peace that ends Israeli occupation and meets the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people."

Oman

Oman has welcomed the agreement in an official statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A ministry spokesperson expressed "the Sultanate’s support for the decision by the United Arab Emirates regarding relations with Israel within the framework of its historic joint declaration with the United States and Israel."
#عاجل

ناطق رسمي باسم وزارة الخارجية يعرب عن تأييد السلطنة قرار دولة #الإمارات العربية المتحدة بشأن العلاقات مع إسرائيل في إطار الإعلان التاريخي المشترك بينها وبين الولايات المتحدة وإسرائيل. pic.twitter.com/ZEcq2dPEoN— وكالة الأنباء العمانية (@OmanNewsAgency) August 14, 2020

Palestinian Authority

The Palestinian Authority announced the "immediate" recall of its ambassador to the United Arab Emirates in protest over the country's normalisation deal.

"At the request of President Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian foreign ministry has decided to immediately recall its ambassador to the United Arab Emirates," Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said in a statement to AFP. 

Turkey

Ankara condemned the deal on Friday and described the deal as a betrayal of the Palestinian people.

"While betraying the Palestinian cause to serve its narrow interests, the UAE is trying to present this as a kind of act of self-sacrifice for Palestine," the Turkish foreign ministry said.

"History and the conscience of the people living in the region will not forget and never forgive this hypocritical behaviour."




Associated Press Published: 08.14.20 

Iran and Turkey lashed out at their regional rival the United Arab Emirates on Friday over its decision to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel, accusing it of betraying the Palestinian cause, even as much of the international community welcomed the move.

Iran's Foreign Ministry called the U.S.-brokered deal a "dagger that was unjustly struck by the UAE in the backs of the Palestinian people and all Muslims." Turkey said the peoples of the region "will never forget and will never forgive this hypocritical behavior" by the UAE.


A Palestinian woman walks past a mural against Israel's plan to extend its sovereignty over parts of the West Bank, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip July 14, 2020
(Photo: Reuters)

The UAE, which has never fought Israel and has quietly been improving ties for years, said the agreement put a hold on Israel's plans to unilaterally annex parts of the West Bank, which the Palestinians view as the heartland of a future state.

But the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the UAE had no authority to negotiate with Israel on behalf of the Palestinians or "to make concessions on matters vital to Palestine."
The agreement would make the UAE the first Gulf Arab state - and the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan - to have full diplomatic ties with Israel. The Palestinians say the deal amounts to "treason" and have called on Arab and Muslim countries to oppose it.


Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
(Photo: AP)
The historic deal delivered a key foreign policy victory for U.S. President Donald Trump as he seeks re-election and reflected the changing Middle East in which shared concerns about archenemy Iran have largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians. Trump has predicted that other countries in the region will follow the UAE's lead.
Israel, the UAE and other Gulf countries that view Iran as a regional menace have been cultivating closer ties in recent years. Turkey has had diplomatic relations with Israel for decades, but under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has positioned itself as a champion of the Palestinians. Turkey and the UAE support rival camps in the conflict in Libya.
Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas welcomed both the agreement and the decision to suspend annexation and called to congratulate his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi on "this historic step."


German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi
(Photo: AFP)
"We stand by our position that only a negotiated two-state solution can bring lasting peace to the Middle East," Maas said in a statement. "Together with our European partners and the region we have campaigned intensively in past months against an annexation and for the resumption of direct negotiations."
China also said it welcomes "any measure that helps in easing tensions between Middle Eastern countries and promotes regional peace and stability."
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Beijing will "continue to firmly support the Palestinian people's just cause of restoring their legitimate national rights and building national independence."

SEE
https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/dont-be-hoodwinked-by-trumps-uae-israel.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/mbz-uae-strongman-behind-historic-deal.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/uae-excusing-and-accepting-israels.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/backgrounder-uae-efforts-to-normalise.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/opinion-israel-uae-deal-means-goodbye.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/rashid-khalidi-israel-uae-deal-to.html

BACKGROUNDER
UAE efforts to normalise Israel's apartheid should never be tolerated

As Arab states push for normalisation with Israel, Palestinians must continue fighting for freedom and equality

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed (illustration by Mohamad Elaasar/MEE)

Today, as Palestinians, we are facing a systematic campaign to liquidate our cause - the most recent manifestation being the sweeping land theft that Israel is planning to carry out by annexing 30 percent of the occupied West Bank.

Intensifying aggression against Palestinians in the targeted areas through home demolitions, burning of agricultural lands, settler attacks and land confiscation mark the final stages of Israel’s settler-colonial project to ethnically cleanse the land and prepare it for annexation.

Israel’s planned annexation has met widespread condemnation, from United Nations experts demanding effective measures against Israel’s “21st-century apartheid” to the Palestinian Authority opting to freeze all relations, including security coordination, with Israel.
Arab backlash

Amid this backdrop, Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE’s ambassador to the US, took the unprecedented step of writing an article titled “It’s either annexation or normalisation” in the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot, violating the longstanding Palestinian and Arab consensus against normalisation with the Israeli regime.

The article was purportedly written to sway the Israeli public against annexation. But did Otaiba really believe that the next day, Israelis would take to the streets to demand their government stop the annexation process? Unlikely. So what was the real purpose of this article?


The article appears to be part of a concerted effort to protect the growing, but still precarious, normalisation project of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and a number of other Arab Gulf states

Addressing the Israeli regime as an “opportunity, not an enemy”, Otaiba appears to be concerned that the annexation will generate Palestinian resistance and lead to an Arab backlash against normalisation with Israel. This would destroy the UAE’s long-term efforts, documented by the Intercept a few years ago, to build an anti-Iran alliance with Israel, the US, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

Otaiba’s article was reportedly written with the support of individuals close to the Israeli government, including Israeli-American businessman Haim Saban. Considering Otaiba’s “almost constant phone and email contact” with Jared Kushner, it likely also had the blessing of the Trump administration.

The article appears to be part of a concerted effort to protect the growing, but still precarious, normalisation project of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and a number of other Arab Gulf states, which stands in flagrant opposition to the historic principles of the Arab League and many Arab states.
Three-tiered system of oppression

Israel was established in 1948 by forcibly evicting the overwhelming majority of Palestinians from their homeland. The Israeli state continues to uproot, dispossess and evict Palestinians, and to appropriate their land.

Israel is based on a three-tiered system of oppression: settler-colonialism, apartheid and occupation. Palestinians reject any treatment of such a regime as a “normal” state with whom relations and collaboration can be established. For the UAE ambassador, however, Israel is “an opportunity” - not a state that practices colonisation and apartheid, and places itself above international law.

A man walks by Israel’s separation wall on 1 February (AFP)

Otaiba describes the UAE as providing “engagement and conflict reduction” in the region.

It is worth asking: which peace is the UAE supporting? Is it the “peace” in Yemen, where the UAE is heavily involved in the destruction, fragmentation and impoverishment of the country? Or is it in Libya, where the UAE has supported militias and fuelled the war and militarisation that has devastated the country?

In terms of the struggle for peace and justice in Palestine, the UAE has led efforts to normalise apartheid. Otaiba’s offer of normalisation if Israel halts its annexation project bypasses the fact that the imminent de jure annexation comes on top of the continued oppression and dispossession of the Palestinian people. He offers a carrot that Israel is already eating, as both countries have already normalised in various ways.

In February, the UAE aided Israeli efforts to whitewash its violations of Palestinian rights when it warmly welcomed an Israeli team to join a UAE cycling tour. Last year, Israel accepted Dubai’s invitation to attend Expo 2020.

Other Gulf countries have also strengthened ties with Israel, including Bahrain, which hosted an economic conference tied to the US “peace plan” in June 2019, and Oman, which welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2018.
Normalising apartheid

Otaiba’s article and the politics it represents warrant outrage and opposition. Normalising apartheid can never be tolerated.

Israeli annexation: If Abbas is serious this time, Palestinians should support the PA's responseRead More »

Yet, as Palestinians, we trust that the values of freedom, justice and equality will finally prevail over the alliance of regimes fuelling wars, racism and human rights violations. We believe in the power of the people globally, from the Arab streets to the US, the heart of the empire.

Today, amid growing demonstrations in the US and other parts of the world, rulers who trample human rights are standing on shaky ground. People in the Arab world and globally understand the value of our joint struggle.

The Otaibas of this world, more than anything, give us one message: Palestine is a litmus test for human rights in the modern era, and together, we can effectively defend human dignity and self-determination.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.

  

Jamal Juma' was born in Jerusalem and attended Birzeit University, where he became politically active. Since the first Intifada, he has focused on grassroots activism. Juma' is since 2002 the coordinator of the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign and since 2012 the coordinator of the Land Defense Coalition, a network of Palestinian grassroots movements. He has been invited to address numerous civil society and UN conferences, where he has spoken on the issue of Palestine and the Apartheid Wall. His articles and interviews are widely disseminated and translated into several languages.

SEE
https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/dont-be-hoodwinked-by-trumps-uae-israel.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/mbz-uae-strongman-behind-historic-deal.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/uae-excusing-and-accepting-israels.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/backgrounder-uae-efforts-to-normalise.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/israel-uae-deal-how-middle-east-reacted.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/opinion-israel-uae-deal-means-goodbye.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/rashid-khalidi-israel-uae-deal-to.html

UAE 'excusing and accepting' Israel's occupation, say Palestinian Americans
Palestinian Americans immediately rejected the UAE's plans to normalise ties with Israel, but were largely unsurprised by the move

Demonstrators call for an independent Palestinian state during a protest held outside the White House in Washington, DC on 4 March (AFP/File photo)

By Sheren Khalel in Washington Published date: 13 August 2020

Disappointed but not surprised seems to be the general feeling among Palestinian Americans following the United Arab Emirates' announcement to normalise ties with Israel.

The UAE on Thursday revealed that it will formally normalise relations in exchange for Israel's promise to halt its plans to annex large swaths of the occupied West Bank.

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash went so far as to call the deal a "death blow" to the annexation of Palestinian lands.

But Palestinian Americans were quick to object to the framing of the deal as tit-for-tat, pointing out that Abu Dhabi has been quietly warming ties with Israel for years.


'When you normalise relationships with Israel or any Zionist organisation - and normalisation means interaction without centering the Palestinian problem - then you are basically excusing and accepting everything that Israel has done to us for the past 72 years'

- Amer Zahr, President of New Generation for Palestine

"The fact that the UAE is championing that it was able to get Israel to sort of promise not to formally annex is really empty, and frankly shameful. They should know better, but they're doing this for their own benefit," said Amer Zahr, law professor and president of New Generation for Palestine.

The Palestinian-American community has also largely asserted that regardless of Israel's official position, it has for decades assumed de facto annexation over the West Bank through its occupation and continuous expansion of illegal settlements.

Zahr told Middle East Eye that the real danger in this formal normalisation is that "it legitimises everything that Israel has done to [Palestinians] for the past 72 years".

"It makes it seem like our dispossession, our exile and our disenfranchisement are things now to be accepted, and when this is done by Arab countries it's even more damaging. This is a victory for Israel. It's not a victory for Arabs or a victory for the United Arab Emirates. Israel is the only one that gains when it's able to use agreements like this as propaganda," Zahr said.

"Make no mistake, Israel will be the one to use this agreement to conduct more atrocities against Palestinians, not less," he added, rejecting any notion that frames the agreement as a step towards peace.

Noura Erakat, Palestinian-American human rights attorney and professor at Rutgers University, said she was mostly insulted by the UAE's assertion that its move had done anything to help the Palestinian people.

"Despite how unsurprising it is that the UAE normalized relations with Israel, it is as disappointing as ever to witness the failure of Arab nationalism and the endorsement/surrender to a colonial future," Erakat said on Twitter.

"The greatest insult is that the UAE frames this as way to 'stop' annexation and support Palestinians. Spare us this suffocating discourse," she continued.
'Merely making that friendship public'

Omar Baddar, former deputy director of the Arab American Institute (AAI), said that it was important to keep in mind that "there is nothing 'historic' or 'groundbreaking'" about Thursday's announcement in terms of what has actually been taking place between the two countries.

"Israel and the UAE have been strong allies under the table for many years," Baddar said in a series of posts. "This is merely making that friendship public."

The UAE and Israel: More than a marriage of convenience

Read More »

Since 2015, Israel has had formal representation at the International Renewable Energy Agency based in Abu Dhabi, with Israeli officials visiting the Gulf state frequently.

Previously banned, in November the UAE announced that it planned to open up tourism to Israeli citizens.

Business ties have also been growing between the two countries. Last month, two Israeli defence behemoths signed a landmark agreement with an Emirati tech firm specialising in artificial intelligence, which was widely seen as a sign of growing ties between their countries. The deal was part of a growing partnership to tackle the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The Palestinian Authority has rejected the UAE's attempt to send humanitarian aid via Israel to the occupied West Bank, refusing in May and again in June to accept large shipments of coronavirus medical equipment and supplies from Abu Dhabi over their arrival in Tel Aviv as opposed to Jordan.

'Extremely unpopular in the region'

Tensions with Iran, a shared enemy, have also emboldened the relationship between the UAE and Israel, as the two countries hold a loose alliance with the United States and Saudi Arabia against the Islamic Republic.

6) Some Arab governments see "the Palestinian cause" as a burden, feigning concern for their human rights while secretly working with Israel on "more important" partnerships: economic, intelligence, undermining Iran's influences in the region...etc.— Omar Baddar (@OmarBaddar) August 13, 2020

Zahr said he would not be surprised if the UAE became just one of many Arab nations to formally normalise relations with Israel as a way to curry favour with the United States.

"While we hold a strong pride in our Arab culture and a strong bond with our Arab brothers and sisters on the ground that live in various Arab societies, we stopped looking to Arab governments for our salvation long ago… We'll be disappointed and frustrated and maybe even angry, but not surprised," Zahr said.

Baddar agreed, but pointed out that while Middle Eastern governments may be coming around to accepting Israel into the diplomatic fold, he did not believe that the hearts and minds of the populous in any given Arab country had been won over by Israel.

"The claim that the UAE deal is responsible for halting Israel's annexation announcement is merely a PR stunt for the UAE government, which knows full well that normalization with Israel WHILE Israel continues to brutalize Palestinians is extremely unpopular in the region," Baddar said.

"Israel may be able to normalize [with] these dictatorial governments [without] treating Palestinians like human beings who deserve basic rights, but Israel will never be truly accepted by the PEOPLE of the region so long as Palestinians live without freedom under the boot of occupation," he said.
'An opportunity to re-educate'

Yousef Munayyer, former executive director at the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR), said that he thought the timing of the move was a political scheme to rally support for US President Donald Trump as a way to frame the president as a successful peacemaker.

"There is no doubt this Israel/UAE announcement was choreographed with Trump's election in mind," Munayyer said on Twitter, adding that he would not be surprised if other countries such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia had similar announcements "already programmed for September and October".

"And, since Dem leadership is so old school in its political instincts it will find itself forced to congratulate Trump on his 'historic achievements'," Munayyer continued.



Chair @RepEliotEngel: I welcome the announcement that the United Arab Emirates and Israel are normalizing relations... I hope that this new breakthrough will give courage to other countries... and motivate Palestinians to give peace a chance.https://t.co/81HMSdyNXj— House Foreign Affairs Committee (@HouseForeign) August 13, 2020

Zahr echoed Munayyer's sentiment, telling MEE that he fully expected the Democratic leadership to rally behind the announcement.

"Unfortunately, this move will be celebrated by all factions in American politics, not just Trump," Zahr said. "I wouldn't be surprised if the Biden ticket puts out something praising this move as well."
'Don't work with Anti-Defamation League,' progressive groups urgeRead More »

Zahr told MEE that the best thing the Palestinian-American community can do now is to use this as an opportunity to re-educate people on why anti-occupation activists are against normalisation, even in terms of smaller group organising.

"The reason that we don't want American organisations to sit down with Zionist organisations and sort of talk with them while ignoring the Palestinian problem, and thereby legitimising them, is the same reason we don't want Arab governments to create these sorts of agreements with Israel," Zahr said.

"When you normalise relationships with Israel or any Zionist organisation - and normalisation means interaction without centering the Palestinian problem - then you are basically excusing and accepting everything that Israel has done to us for the past 72 years, which means: the theft of our land; the exile of our people; five million refugees wandering around the world; millions of stateless people; the abrogation of rights for Palestinians that live in Gaza and the West Bank.

"It means you are accepting the status quo. That's why we are always against normalisation, so I think this is at least an opportunity to re-educate people on that and to be very clear that we are against this kind of thing, but again while we might be angry and frustrated, I don't think any Palestinian is surprised given the current political climate and make up of the Arab world".

SEE
https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/dont-be-hoodwinked-by-trumps-uae-israel.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/mbz-uae-strongman-behind-historic-deal.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/backgrounder-uae-efforts-to-normalise.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/israel-uae-deal-how-middle-east-reacted.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/opinion-israel-uae-deal-means-goodbye.html

CDC Director Robert Redfield warns that the US could see its worst fall in history in terms of public health if coronavirus guidelines are not followed 

DR. REDFIELD GROWS A SPINE 
WARNS AMERICA ABOUT TRUMPVIRUS 

CDC issues dire warning that America will see the worst fall in history for public health if people don't wear masks and social distance as the US records nearly 1,500 new deaths - the highest daily spike since May

It came as the US reported 55,910 new cases and 1,499 deaths on Wednesday - the highest number of fatalities reported in a single day since May

Redfield said measures like masks and social distancing are only effective if at least 95 percent of the population adhere to them

'I'm not asking some of America to do it. We all gotta do it,' he said

He also stressed the importance of Americans getting vaccinated for the flu 

Redfield said hospitals will likely be overwhelmed if a bad flu season arrives on top of the pandemic

By MEGAN SHEETS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: 13 August 2020



CDC Director Robert Redfield warned that the US is approaching what could be the worst fall in public health history if people fail to follow guidelines on slowing the spread of coronavirus

The US is approaching what could be the worst fall in public health history if people fail to follow guidelines on slowing the spread of coronavirus, the CDC has warned.

CDC Director Robert Redfield issued the warning on Wednesday as the US reported 55,910 new cases and 1,499 deaths - the highest number of fatalities in a single day since May.

More than 166,000 Americans have now died from COVID-19 and the average number of deaths has remained at just over 1,000 per day for two weeks.

Cases, which have now surpassed 5.2 million, have been falling nationally for three straight weeks and the average daily infection toll remains steady at about 52,000.

As autumn draws near, the CDC is heightening pleas for the public to stay vigilant in preventing the spread of the virus by wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and staying smart about gatherings.

Redfield said that if the CDC's guidelines are not followed, this could be 'the worst fall, from a public health perspective, we've ever had' as the coronavirus pandemic is compounded with flu season.


Scroll down for video

Redfield's warning came as the US reported 1,499 new deaths on Wednesday - the highest number of fatalities reported in a single day since mid-May

Nationwide 55,910 new cases of coronavirus were reported on Wednesday


The graphic above shows daily increases in coronavirus cases and deaths. On Wednesday the US saw its largest daily increase in fatalities since mid-May. A significant spike is shown on one day in late June when a large number of deaths that occurred on previous days were reported

'For your country right now and for the war that we're in against covid, I'm asking you to do four simple things: wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands and be smart about crowds,' Redfield said in an interview with WebMD.

'I'm not asking some of America to do it. We all gotta do it,' he added, stressing that the guidelines are only effective if between 95 and 99 percent of people adhere to them.

Asked what he thinks the pandemic will look like by Thanksgiving, Redfield cited the opening line from Charles Dickens' 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities.

'It's dependent on how the American people choose to respond,' he said. 'It's really the worst of times or the best of times, depending on the American public. I'm optimistic.'

Redfield's comments came as:
Florida, Georgia and Texas report record high numbers of daily deaths, driving the US increase of 1,499
Texas testing falls to its lowest rate since June while the positivity rate hits a record 24.5 percent
California begins to turn a corner with fewer daily cases and hospitalizations
Arizona is found to have the highest rate of pediatric infections - accounting for 12 percent of total cases 

National cases continue to decline despite infection rates rising in some rural areas

Redfield said that this year it will be more important than ever for people to get the flu vaccine to avoid overwhelming hospital systems already stretched with coronavirus patients.

'If there's one thing we all can do to prepare ourselves for the fall, [it is] to get the flu vaccine,' he said.

'By getting vaccinated, you can protect your children. When we look at the mortality that we see with flu, one thing is for certain. The kids that get vaccinated, they basically get protected against death.'

He noted that last year just 47 percent of the US population opted for a flu vaccine, and said the CDC is hopeful that that rate will be at least 65 percent this year.

The CDC has already purchased 10 million doses of the flu vaccine for uninsured adults this year, compared to the typical 500,000 doses.


+15




The 1,499 deaths reported on Wednesday marked the largest daily increase since mid-May. However, there is one day in late June with a large increase due to deaths that had occurred earlier in the month but were added to the total late

Redfield said he is 'very cautiously optimistic' that one or more coronavirus vaccines will be available by the beginning of 2021.

There are currently 270 vaccine trials underway, and Redfield said six of those candidates are 'moving forward very rapidly'.

He said that three vaccines entered phase three clinical trials two weeks ago and a fourth is expected to enter the final phase of trials soon.

'No one can predict scientific success, but we think from a scientific threshold, developing a COVID vaccine is not as complex as an HIV vaccine,' he said.

'I'm very optimistic that we're going to have one or more vaccines available.'

National health officials are currently seeking to quash rampant anti-vaxxer conspiracy theories about forthcoming coronavirus vaccines.

Some of the most popular theories include that the vaccines are part of a CIA scheme to take over the world, that they will be used to insert tracking devices into people, and that they've been developed using monkey brains.

A CNN poll from May found that a third of Americans said they would not get vaccinated against COVID-19, even if the vaccine is affordable widely available.

Dr Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told the outlet he was taken aback by those findings.

'Speaking for myself, I think I underestimated the level of public resistance,' Collins said. 'I didn't expect it to be that widespread.'

'We are behind here,' Collins added. 'We haven't done a good job of getting [coronavirus vaccine] information out there.'

In his interview with WebMD Redfield emphasized that there's still much to be learned about the novel coronavirus.

He said what has surprised experts the most is how infectious the virus is compared to earlier coronaviruses such as SARS and MERS, which don't spread as rapidly between people.

Another key difference is the fact that many infected individuals don't show any symptoms - which is why it's critical for everyone to do their part and follow CDC guidelines.

Universal adherence to those guidelines has proved challenging as the Trump administration has sought to undermine the CDC's authority and refused to introduce federal mandates for measures like face coverings.

As a result many states have seen a surge in cases and deaths over the past two months.

While cases have finally begun to decline nationwide, deaths are on the rise as the total number of fatalities rose by nearly 1,500 on Wednesday, following an increase of 1,300 on Tuesday. 

Nationwide daily new cases have finally begun to fall after a large surge in July

Daily deaths increased by nearly 1,500 on Wednesday, the largest single-day spike since May

The increase in deaths was driven, in part, due to Florida, Georgia and Texas reporting record high fatalities.

Florida reported 276 new fatalities on Tuesday and 212 on Wednesday, bringing the statewide death toll to 8,765.

Meanwhile, the number of cases in Florida continue to trend downward following a huge summer spike across the Sunbelt states. The state reported 8,183 cases on Wednesday, down from the record 15,000 in mid-July.

In Georgia, a record high of 136 deaths were added to the state's death toll on Tuesday, followed by 109 on Wednesday, bringing the total to 4,456.

There has been an uptick in deaths in the state since late July and the average death toll increased by five percent last week compared to the previous seven days.

The increase in deaths comes after infections across the state started trending upwards in late June. Cases appeared to plateau in Georgia in late July but are now increasing slightly after a decline in the first week of August.

Texas broke its record for new deaths with 324 reported on Wednesday, bringing the state total to over 9,000.

The positivity rate in Texas currently stands at 24.5 percent - the highest rate since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the Texas Department of State Health Service.

Meanwhile testing for COVID-19 in the state dropped to its lowest level since June, with fewer than 35,000 new tests conducted Wednesday.

Texas reported 6,200 new cases on Wednesday, down significantly from its peak in mid-July when there were several days with more than 10,000 new cases.

In the last week, 11 states saw increases in COVID-19 cases including Hawaii (124%), Vermont (27%), North Dakota (19%), Indiana (18%), South Dakota (16%), Illinois (15%), Virginia (15%), Arkansas (7%), Idaho (5%), Kansas (5%) and Minnesota (3%).


The increase in deaths was driven, in part, due to Florida and Georgia reporting record high fatalities. Florida reported 212 new deaths and 8,183 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the statewide totals to 8,765 and 550,901, respectively

Florida reported 109 new deaths and 3,660 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the statewide totals to 4,456 and 226,153


Texas broke its record for new deaths with 324 reported on Wednesday, bringing the state total to over 9,000

The continuing decline in national cases comes largely from the recent hotspots of California, Arizona, Florida and Texas where infections have slowed after seeing huge spikes in the last two months.

California reported 11,645 new cases on Tuesday. While that number is well above the state's seven-day rolling average of 8,762, officials emphasized that more than half of the cases reported had been confirmed on previous dates.

The state also reported 180 new deaths, bringing the state death toll to 10,648.

In Arizona, just 229 new cases and seven deaths were reported on Tuesday, though that number is expected to increase as more comprehensive information becomes available.

Arizona currently leads the nation with pediatric coronavirus cases, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The state's rate of cases in children and young adults ages 19 and younger is 1,206.4 per 100,000 people in that age group. It's also the only non-Southern state in that group, alongside South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi.

As of Tuesday, more than 23,000 Arizonans under age 20 have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 11 have died.

In New York, the hardest-hit state in the early months of the pandemic, 737 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. The positivity rate in the state hit a record low of 0.78 percent this week. 

CDC warns the public of the risk of getting coronavirus

California reported 11,645 new cases on Wednesday. While that number is well above the state's seven-day rolling average of 8,762, officials emphasized that more than half of the cases reported had been confirmed on previous dates


In Arizona, just 229 new cases and seven deaths were reported on Tuesday, though that number is expected to increase as more comprehensive information becomes available

In New York, the hardest-hit state in the early months of the pandemic, 737 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. The positivity rate in the state hit a record low of 0.78 percent this week


Read more:
Redfield: This Fall Could Be ¿Worst¿ We¿ve Seen
US coronavirus: The CDC issued a dire warning for the fall - CNN

Dr Fauci tells Matthew McConaughey that the death toll would be 'enormous' if the US tried to achieve herd immunity - as new CDC model projects 189,000 American fatalities by September 5

During Instagram discussion on Thursday, Dr Fauci told Matthew McConaughey that death toll would be 'enormous' had the US tried to achieve herd immunity

'If everyone contracted it, even with the relatively high percentage of people who are without symptoms... a lot of people are going to die,' Fauci said 

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a grim forecast predicting 189,000 deaths from COVID-19 by September 5 

So far, at least 167,071 Americans have died from COVID-19; the US is also reporting the highest number of cases globally with more than 5.2 million

By VALERIE EDWARDS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM 14 August 2020

Dr Anthony Fauci explained to Matthew McConaughey on Thursday that the death toll would be 'enormous' had the US attempted to achieve herd immunity.

In a discussion with the actor on Instagram, the nation's top infectious disease expert said: 'If everyone contracted it, even with the relatively high percentage of people who are without symptoms... a lot of people are going to die.'

'If you look at the United States of America with our epidemic of obesity as it were, with the number of people with hypertension, with the number of people with diabetes, if everyone got infected the death toll would be enormous and totally unacceptable,' Fauci said.

'And that's the reason why we are against saying "let if fly, let everybody get infected and we'll be fine" that's a bad idea,' Fauci, who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, added.

His comments come hours after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a grim forecast that predicts 189,000 Americans could die from COVID-19 by September 5.

Fauci warns McConaughey about 'enormous' herd immunity death toll





Dr Anthony Fauci explained to Matthew McConaughey on Thursday that the death toll would be 'enormous' had the US attempted to achieve herd immunity

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Fauci's remarks came on the same day the CDC updated its ensemble model (pictured) that is now predicting that 189,000 Americans could die by September 5


'This week’s national ensemble forecast predicts that 4,200 to 10,600 new COVID-19 deaths will be reported during the week ending September 5 and that 180,000 to 200,000 total COVID-19 deaths will be reported by that date,' the agency's website reads

'This week’s national ensemble forecast predicts that 4,200 to 10,600 new COVID-19 deaths will be reported during the week ending September 5 and that 180,000 to 200,000 total COVID-19 deaths will be reported by that date,' the agency's website reads.

The CDC also said that 'state- and territory-level ensemble forecasts predict that the number of reported new deaths per week may increase over the next four weeks in Colorado and may decrease in Arizona, the Northern Mariana Islands, Vermont, and Wyoming'.

Previously, the ensemble forecast that was published on August 6 predicted that about 181,000 people in the US could die by August 29.

So far, at least 167,071 Americans have died from COVID-19. The US is also reporting the highest number of cases globally with more than 5.2 million.

Washington has invested more than $10billion in six vaccine projects and signed contracts guaranteeing the delivery of hundreds of millions of doses should they be approved following clinical trials.

So far, at least 167, 071 Americans have died from COVID-19. The US is also reporting the highest number of cases globally with more than 5.2 million


If a COVID-19 vaccine is proven effective, the US will ensure it's distributed for free to all Americans, officials said Thursday.

The vaccine doses themselves will be paid for by the government.

Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said he was 'cautiously optimistic' that at least one of the six vaccines the US had invested in would come through by the end of the year.

Critics of President Donald Trump have expressed worries that the administration may bypass safety precautions to announce a vaccine is available before the election on November 3 - a charge Paul Mango, a senior health department official, denied.

'We are not at all reducing the regulatory rigor with which we will evaluate and hopefully approve vaccines,' he said, adding that the US 'is on track to deliver hundreds of millions of doses by January 2021'.

Russia this week approved a vaccine even before the start of the last phase of clinical trials, in which the drug is injected into tens of thousands of volunteers to verify its effectiveness and safety.

'I hope that the Russians have actually definitively proven that the vaccine is safe and effective, but I seriously doubt that they've done that,' Fauci said at a virtual panel hosted by National Geographic.

The speed at which Russia is moving to roll out its vaccine highlights its determination to win the global race for an effective product, but has stirred concerns that it may be putting national prestige before sound science and safety.

AOC urges Donald Trump to release his college transcripts after he called her 'not a good student'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez challenged President Donald Trump to release his college transcript after he called her a 'poor student' 

'Let's make a deal, Mr. President: You release your college transcript, I'll release mine, and we'll see who was the better student,' she tweeted 

She said that the loser 'has to fund the Post Office,' which has become a political football between the Trump White House and Congressional Democrats

By NIKKI SCHWAB, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: 14 August 2020

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez challenged President Donald Trump to release his college transcript after he called her 'not even a smart person' and a 'poor student' in a Thursday morning interview.

'Let's make a deal, Mr. President: You release your college transcript, I'll release mine, and we'll see who was the better student,' the New York Democrat tweeted. 'Loser has to fund the Post Office.'

Trump went on a woman-bashing spree during his interview with Fox Business Network's Maria Bartiromo, lashing out at Joe Biden's VP pick Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 'Morning Joe' co-host Mika Brzezinski and progressive firebrand AOC.



Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez challenged President Donald Trump to release his college transcript after he said she was 'not even a smart person' and a 'poor student' during a Thursday morning interview on Fox Business Network


Rep. Ocasio-Cortez said the academic loser would have to 'fund the Post Office,' which has become a political football in recent months

THE ACADEMIC RECORDS OF REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ VERSUS DONALD TRUMP


DONALD TRUMP

Alma Mater: Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, after first attending Fordham University for two years

Degree: Bachelor's degree in economics

Year Graduated: 1968

His commencement brochure indicates that he was not among the graduates to receive honors

In his niece's new book, she claims he paid someone to take his SATs so he was able to get into Wharton, which he denies

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ

Alma Mater: Boston University

Degree: Bachelor's degree in international relations and economics

Year Graduated: 2011

Her school named her a 'Distinguished Alumni' in 2019

Some news reports say she graduated cum laude, which Snopes.com rated as 'true'

That means she had to have at least a 3.0, or B, grade average at graduation 

The president claimed that Biden, the Democrats' presumptive nominee, was going to increase taxes to pay for 'AOC's plan,' which was perhaps a reference to the Green New Deal.

Biden hasn't come out in support of the 'Green New Deal' by name, but has committed to spending $2 trillion during his first term as president to combat climate change and boost green job growth.

Trump then went into full attack mode on Ocasio-Cortez.

'AOC was a poor student - I mean, I won't say where she went to school, it doesn't matter,' Trump said. 'This is not even a smart person, other than she's got a good line of stuff. I mean she goes out and she yaps.'

Ocasio-Cortez graduated from Boston University in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in international relations and economics. Her school named her a 'Distinguished Alumni' in 2019. A Boston University spokesperson has yet to respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment on more information about her academic record.

Some news reports say she graduated cum laude, which Snopes.com rated as 'true.' That means she graduated among the top 30 per cent of her class, but not within the top 15 per cent. The BU website said that all of their students who receive so-called 'Latin honors' have above a 3.0, or B, grade average.

Trump's niece Mary alleged that he paid someone else to take his SATs to get into the University of Pennsylvania's prestigious Wharton business school, a claim that the president denies. Reporting from The Daily Pennsylvanian suggests that Trump did not graduate with honors, according to a program from the school's 1968 commencement ceremony. He transferred to Wharton after spending two years in New York at Fordham University.

Trump has never released his transcripts.

The president then suggested that 'these guys' - meaning other Democrats - are 'all afraid of her because if you notice all of these progressives are beating the regular Democrats.'

Trump pointed to Rep. Eliot Engel, who had chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee, being ousted in the New York Democratic primary by Jamaal Bowman, a progressive endorsed by AOC.

'You know you look at Eliot Engel, poor Eliot Engel, he's still going, "What happened? What happened? Has anybody seen what happened, what are the results?"' Trump said. 'You lost, Eliot.'

Trump the predicted that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer would 'get beaten by her' if Ocasio-Cortez challenges him for his Senate seat in 2022.

'And he knows that and he's going to get beaten by her unless he can talk her out of doing it, he has no chance,' Trump predicted. 'Of course she's done so many bad things who knows whether or not she'll get there,' Trump added.

AOC's challenge to have Trump fund the Post Office comes as the agency has become a political football in recent weeks.

Trump has said he opposes additional funding for the Post Office, which is struggling financially. But he's also said that by not funding the Post Office it will be more difficult for states to convert their voting systems into mail-in ballots, which Democrats say is sabotage.

The president has previously suggested he believes Republicans are hurt when elections are held by mail. 

California judge DENIES Uber and Lyft's requests for more time to appeal injunction forcing them to reclassify drivers as employees after DoorDash became the latest gig economy company to face injunction

A San Francisco Superior Court judge on Thursday denied Uber and Lyft's requests for more time to appeal the injunction granted on Monday

Judge Ethan Schulman said he found no reason to push back his 10-day stay on the injunction set to go into effect on August 20 

Uber and Lyft have said they will appeal the latest ruling on the extension

It came one day after the heads of both companies said that they will be forced to shut down service if Monday's injunction isn't overturned

The injunction will require the companies to immediately reclassify their drivers as employees rather than independent contractors 

It was filed as part of a lawsuit accusing Uber and Lyft of violating a state law 

San Francisco's district attorney on Wednesday filed a similar preliminary injunction against DoorDash, which is also accused of violating the law

By MEGAN SHEETS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and REUTERS 13 August 2020

A California judge has refused to grant Uber and Lyft more time to appeal his decision requiring the ride-sharing companies to classify drivers in that state as employees rather than independent contractors.

At a hearing in San Francisco Superior Court on Thursday, Judge Ethan Schulman said he found no reason to push back his August 20 deadline for the companies to appeal the preliminary injunction he issued on Monday before it could take effect.

'I am unconvinced that any extension of the 10-day stay is required,' Schulman said. 'Both applications are denied.'


Uber and Lyft have said they will appeal the latest ruling, which came one day after the heads of both companies said that they will be forced to shut down service if Monday's injunction isn't overturned.

The injunction came in a lawsuit where California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and the attorneys for Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco accused Uber and Lyft of violating Assembly Bill 5, a new state law making it harder to treat 'gig' workers as independent contractors.

San Francisco's district attorney on Wednesday filed a similar preliminary injunction against food delivery firm DoorDash, which is also accused of violating AB5.


A California judge on Thursday refused to grant Uber and Lyft more time to appeal his decision requiring the ride-sharing companies to classify drivers in that state as employees rather than independent contractors (file photo)

All three app-based companies have argued that their workers prefer the flexibility that comes with being classified as a contractor worker.

The companies have saved millions of dollars each year with the designation, because treating workers as employees would require benefits such as minimum wage, paid sick and family leave, unemployment insurance and workers' compensation insurance.


San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman (pictured) said he found no reason to give Uber and Lyft an extension on their 10-day deadline to file an appeal against the injunction he granted on Monday

Uber and Lyft have indicated that they will both have to suspend service in California for several months beginning on August 20 if the injunction goes into effect on that date.

'If the court doesn't reconsider, then in California, it's hard to believe we'll be able to switch our model to full-time employment quickly,' Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told MSNBC on Wednesday.

'We will have to shut down until November.'

Lyft co-founder and president John Zimmer issued the same warning about a probable shutdown on a call with investors.

'We may appeal this ruling and request a further stay. If efforts here are not successful, we would be forced to suspend our operations in California,' Zimmer said.

Becerra balked at the threats of Uber and Lyft leaving the state in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday.

'Any business model that relies on shortchanging workers in order to make it probably shouldn't be anywhere, whether California or otherwise,' he said.
Uber may be forced to stop California operations after court ruling

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is pictured in an MSNBC interview on Wednesday, where he warned that the ride-sharing company could be forced to shut down service in California for several months if a state court does not overturn a ruling requiring it to reclassify its drivers

In his Monday ruling, Schulman concluded that there is an 'overwhelmingly likelihood' that the Uber and Lyft are in violation of AB5, which requires companies to classify workers as employees if they controlled how workers did their jobs, or the work was part of their normal business.

Lawyers for the firms had said they are not violating the law because drivers are not fundamental to the business, arguing the companies are 'multi-sided platforms' whose activities encompass much more than transportation.

But Schulman rejected that argument, writing that it 'flies in the face of economic reality and common sense' and assailing the companies' 'prolonged and brazen refusal' to comply with state law.

He also addressed the companies' gripe that restructuring will take a long time and cost a lot of money, saying that low ridership during the pandemic means that now could be the best time for them to make changes.

Neither Uber nor Lyft is profitable, and both have suffered steep ridership declines during the coronavirus pandemic.

Shares in both firms took a hit on Thursday afternoon, with Uber's down 0.9 percent and Lyft's down 4.8 percent. Lyft had reported dismal second-quarter results late on Wednesday, fueling the drop.

Labor advocates praised Schulman's ruling as a milestone in their fight to apply traditional worker protections to a fast-growing segment of the labor force.

'This is a resounding victory for thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers who are working hard - and, in this pandemic, incurring risk every day - to provide for their families,' Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer said in a statement.


California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (right) and Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer (left) are leading the state's lawsuit against Uber and Lyft. After their injunction was granted on Monday, Feuer said: 'This is a resounding victory for thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers who are working hard - and, in this pandemic, incurring risk every day - to provide for their families'


Both Uber and Lyft have pledged to spend more than a hundred million dollars to support a November ballot measure, Proposition 22, that would exempt them from AB5. Pictured: Drivers protest the proposition on August 6 in Los Angeles

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin filed a lawsuit accusing DoorDash of violating AB5 in June, and on Wednesday sought an injunction against the company.

'We are seeking an immediate end to DoorDash's illegal behavior of failing to provide delivery workers with basic workplace protections,' Boudin said.

'All three branches of California's government have already made clear that these workers are employees under California law and entitled to these important safeguards.'

A DoorDash spokesman responded to the motion by saying it was ill-timed and that the company's internal data suggested the majority of its workers wanted to remain as contractors.

'In the midst of one of the deepest economic recessions in our nation's history, today's action ... threatens billions of dollars in earnings for California Dashers and revenue for restaurants that rely upon sales from delivery to keep their businesses open', the spokesman told Reuters.

If the injunction is granted, DoorDash is expected to file an appeal.

Should they lose their respective appeals, Uber, Lyft and DoorDash will have to refocus their fight on a November ballot measure, Proposition 22, which would exempt certain gig economy companies from AB5.

Together with Instacart and Postmates, the companies are spending more than $110million to promote Proposition 22 and ensure that it passes.


DoorDash is facing an injunction to reclassify its California contractors as employees - marking the latest effort by state prosecutors to force gig economy companies to provide benefits to their workers, including health insurance, paid time off and sick leave (file photo)

Uber CEO Khosrowshahi has warned that permanently restructuring its operations in California would result in 'much smaller service [and] much higher prices', hurting both drivers and customers.

'That's a reality, so it's not a game of chicken one way or another,' he said. 'It's really up to the courts and we're going to comply with the law, and we will look to get going again.'

He said that service would have to pause for a few months, and when it resumed it would be much more limited and concentrated in cities rather than suburbs.

Khosrowshahi penned an op-ed in the New York Times over the weekend calling for states to require all gig economy companies to establish benefit funds for their workers instead of forcing them to classify workers as employees.

He called the current employment system 'outdated and unfair' and said it 'forces every worker to choose between being an employee with more benefits but less flexibility, or an independent contractor with more flexibility but almost no safety net'.

'Uber is ready, right now, to pay more to give drivers new benefits and protections,' Khosrowshahi wrote.

'But America needs to change the status quo to protect all workers, not just one type of work.'
Judge blocks Uber and Lyft from classifying drivers as contractors

California judge DENIES Uber and Lyft's requests for more time to appeal injunction

No Pasaran! (THEY SHALL NOT PASS)
Hundreds of protesters clash with ICE agents during tense 10-HOUR standoff in Bend, Oregon after blocking buses carrying two undocumented violent criminals who've been longtime residents in the sanctuary city
Protesters in Bend, Oregon rallied to block ICE agents from detaining two men
The men, including one identified as Marcos, were arrested early Wednesday morning and loaded onto two unmarked white buses
Word of the arrests spread in the community after one of the men called his wife
Crowds gathered at a parking lot for hours to block the vehicles' path
ICE officials said the men have a 'history of criminal violent behavior' and had warrants out for their arrests
Members of the community said the two men had lived in the area for a decade

By KAREN RUIZ FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 13 August 2020

Hundreds of protesters in Bend, Oregon, clashed with ICE agents during a tense 10-hour standoff on Wednesday after they detained two undocumented immigrants in the sanctuary city.

Crowds of people gathered in the city's Old Mill district on Wednesday afternoon to block two unmarked white buses transporting two men who were taken into custody earlier that morning.

One of the men had been located at a gas station and the other had been pulled over in his car, immigration attorney Micaela Guthrie, who is working with the two detainees, told OPB.

ICE officials on Thursday said they had been operating on a mission to 'arrest criminal aliens presenting a danger to public safety and take them off the street.'

The two men had a history of criminal violent behavior, according to authorities.

Scroll down for video





Protesters clashes with federal agents during an hours-long standoff on Wednesday after they tried to block ICE officials from detaining two undocumented immigrants in Bend, Oregon

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Crowds of people gathered at the parking lot of Crane Shed Common on Wednesday afternoon to block two unmarked white buses transporting two men who had been arrested earlier that morning

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Protesters stood their ground for hours, demanding authorities release the detainees or provide an arrest warrant

'While ICE respects the people to voice their opinion peacefully, that does not include illegally interfering with their federal enforcement duties,' the agency said in a statement.

'ICE will take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of its officers and detainees, and will vigorously pursue prosecution against anyone who puts them in harm's way.'

Both of the detainees were described as 'long term residents' of Oregon.

A family member said word of their arrests had spread in the area after one of the detained men, identified only as Marcos, called his wife.

Members of the community banded together after locating the two buses in the parking lot of Crane Shed Commons, where an hours-long protest ensued.

Dramatic video footage of the scene showed protesters swarming the vehicles and blocking their path for hours as they demanded officials release the men or produce an arrest warrant.

The standoff continued late into the night until a team of Border Patrol agents in tactical gear arrived to disperse crowds with pepper spray, KTVZ reported.

Protesters cleared the area by midnight after federal agents emptied the buses and took the two men away, according to OPB.

Bend, located three hours southwest of Portland, is set in Deschutes County, a sanctuary county where local authorities do not enforce immigration law.

Mayor Sally Russell said on Twitter that the arrests were not an immigration sweep and that she had been informed the men had warrants out for their arrest.

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As night fell, protesters continued to rally against the ICE operation in the sanctuary city

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The clash continued into the late hours of the night, when authorities dispersed crowds with pepper spray

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Protesters gathered at a parking lot to block the path of two white buses carrying two undocumented immigrants

'To be clear, in no way do I support ICE. Nor can our Bend Police Force, because Oregon is a sanctuary state and it is illegal. I am very worried for everyone in our community, and especially our Latinx community,' Russell said in a tweet.

'This is a very tough moment. ICE is a Federal agency and frustratingly we have no power over the Executive Branch of our country.'



Spontaneous protest to stop ICE from detaining two longtime residents of Bend is in its 6th hour. pic.twitter.com/UeHvvxfGUd— Emily Cureton (@emilycureton) August 13, 2020

Guthrie said the two men had lived in central Oregon for almost a decade. Details of their alleged crimes were not released.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said officers had responded to a call from a federal official seeking help with the people blocking their path earlier that afternoon.


One woman was seen cleaning off one of the buses after it was vandalized by one of the participants

Immigration attorney Micaela Guthrie, who is working with the two detainees, said the men were long term residents of Oregon








The Bend Police Department confirmed they had been called to the scene to help control crowds, but were not involved in the ICE operation

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ICE officials said the two men had warrants out for their arrest and had a history of 'criminal violent behavior'

In a statement posted on Twitter around midnight, Krantz confirmed officers arrived to help keep the peace but were not involved in the ICE operation.

'We do not use funds or personnel or equipment to enforce federal immigration laws or to detain people based on immigration status. This is consistent with Oregon Law and Department policies,' Krantz said.

'We are on scene to allow free speech and a peaceful area to assemble and to provide life safety support. We are not there in an assisting role with ICE.'

Portland-based nonprofit Innovation Law Lab has asked a federal court to keep ICE from taking the men out of central Oregon, the ACLU announced Wednesday night.