The end of freedom of expression in Hong Kong

Just before the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, a new struggle for freedom is raging in Hong Kong. Writers and journalists fear censorship by the Chinese security law.


"Debasement is the password of the base / Nobility the epitaph of the noble."

Bei Dao's poem "Huida" (The Answer) became the anthem of resistance of the democracy movement as early as the first demonstrations in Beijing in 1976, as well as during the protests in 1989.


Bei Dao (Zhao Zhenkai's pen name, literally: 'Northern Island') during a reading tour in China in 2016

The now 70-year-old Chinese poet and essayist, who has been nominated several times as a candidate for the Nobel Prize for Literature, has been living in forced exile in Hong Kong since 2007.

Bei Dao does not consider himself a political poet, but his verses have taken on a life of their own.

Now, the opening lines of his poem have once again become the credo of the unruly. They spread across China's social media after the death of the physician Li Wenliang, who became a world-famous whistle-blower by reporting on the mysterious new virus in Wuhan in January.



REMEMBERING TIANANMEN SQUARE, 1989
Goddess of Democracy
As the sun rises at Tiananmen Square, protesters build a 10-meter (33-foot) Goddess of Democracy statue out of foam and paper-mache over a metal armature. In the early morning of June 4, soldiers backed by tanks and armored cars toppled the statue, which had stood directly facing the Mao portrait at the Forbidden City. PHOTOS 123456789101112

The end of civil liberties

"The biggest health care crisis in the history of the People's Republic of China has exposed considerable weaknesses in the regime," Chinese-American political scientist Minxin Pei wrote in an article on China's authoritarian leadership under Xi Jinping. The position of the Chinese Communist Party ruler has become fragile as a result of the coronavirus crisis, the article states, the German version of which was published in the magazine Cicero on April 30. To strengthen the regime's power base again, the Communist Party would have to resort to even more social control and political repression. "It would have little difficulty in suppressing internal criticism of its rule thanks to its large, effective security apparatus," writes Pei.

In order to reinforce control even in the troubled peripheral regions of the country, the party has resorted to tough sanctions. For Hong Kong, the former British colony, the Security Law approved by China's National People's Congress on April 28 marks the end of a system of government that largely allowed civil liberties even after the 1997 handover.


Ahead of debate on the bill that would criminalize abuse of the Chinese national anthem in the semi-autonomous city, riot police guard detain a protester

Restrictions and control as in China

"There has been a very vibrant media and publishing scene in Hong Kong up until now," explains Tienchi Martin-Liao, chairman of the independent Chinese branch of PEN, "even though print media, authors and publishers have been under increasing pressure for years."

When five staff members of the critical publisher Causeway Bay Books disappeared in 2015, it was was vehemently denied by the Hong Kong government that they had actually been kidnapped by Chinese agents, because such actions by the Chinese police would have violated the constitution of the special zone. Now, with the introduction of the new security law, this autonomy will be over. Beijing will then be allowed to run Hong Kong's police force without restriction.

"Writers and journalists in Hong Kong have not yet practiced self-censorship," Martin-Liao reflects. "The passing of the security law now poses a great danger to them. They can be attacked for any unwelcome comment in an article, a book, on a blog or in social media. At worst, they could be charged with compromising national security." Hong Kong journalists and writers would then be subject to the same controls and restrictions as in China.

Anti-Chinese government protesters showed solidarity with the kidnapped booksellers in 2016

Anger at the threat of a security law

The author Cai Yongmei (in Cantonese: Tsoi Wing-Mui) has been one of the first to vent her anger about the foreseeable premature end to freedom of expression in Hong Kong. Writers and journalists would be gagged by this law, wrote the former editor-in-chief of the critical magazine Open Magazine (Kaifang zazhi), which has been published since the 1990s. Books like her biography of former Prime Minister Zhou Enlai, in which she also wrote about his secret loves, could then no longer be published.

The journalist Verna Yu, who has been awarded many prizes for her reporting on human rights violations, is also committed to opposing the threat of Chinese control over Hong Kong. She is currently reporting from the Special Administrative Region for Britain's The Guardian.

Protests in Hong Kong for the release of Gui Minhai

Taiwan as a place of refuge

Gui Minhai, one of the five publishers abducted in 2015 — in his case from Thailand — is the only one still in prison in China. Before his mysterious arrest, he had written nearly 200 popular books about Chinese politicians: They were not very thoroughly researched stories, but were scandalous tales about the intrigues and secrets of Chinese leaders. Gui, who was born in China, is a Swedish citizen. In February this year he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "illegally passing on secret information to foreign countries."

Another of the five book publishers, Lam Wing Kee, fled to Taiwan when a law threatening to allow the extradition of suspects to China was looming on the horizon in 2019. He opened a new bookstore in Taipei last autumn. "It is a great and very important thing that Taiwan is hosting writers and other intellectuals from Hong Kong," says Tienchi Martin-Liao.

Yet they can't feel completely safe there either. After all, quite a few members of the opposition think that the concern that China will increasingly assert its influence on Taiwan is quite legitimate.

Hong Kong no longer a safe haven

For writers like Bei Dao, who has been allowed to travel to China again since 2006 and who, as someone born in Beijing could theoretically live there again, Hong Kong has been a comparatively safe haven in recent decades.

Writers exiled from China, such as Ma Jian, who lives in London, traveled to the Chinese mainland incognito; film crews organized their undercover research trips there. But in the future, the safety of critical voices in Hong Kong is likely to be at risk.

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China wants to emphasize that clashes between police and protesters in US cities mean Washington has no right to criticize crackdowns in Hong Kong. But the two protests are very different, says DW's Rodion Ebbighausen. (02.06.2020)

Date 03.06.2020
Author Sabine Peschel (als)
Related Subjects Media Freedom, People's Republic of China, Hong Kong

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Keywords China, Hong Kong, freedom of expression, authors
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SIG Sauer to shutter German weapons factory

Arms manufacturer SIG Sauer says it will close its German branch late this year, blaming German strictures on sports guns. Its thriving US armoury based in New Hampshire delivers arms to the US military.


SIG Sauer, long the target of disarmament campaigners in Germany, announced Thursday it intended by year's end to close its factory at Eckernförde near Kiel, capital of Germany's northernmost state of Schleswig-Holstein.

It blamed "locational handicaps" hindering its diverse pistol and sports guns sales, claiming a "few other local producers" were preferred in government purchases for Germany's police forces and Bundeswehr military.

Public broadcaster NDR quoted manager Tim Castagne as saying the workers' council at the Eckernförde site, established in 1951, had been briefed about some 125 job losses as well plans to fulfil purchase orders.

"Due to its international orientation, SIG Sauer is systematically excluded from tenders [in Germany], said Castagne, intimating, said NDR, that most of its weapons were developed in the United States.

Origins in Switzerland

SIG Sauer, with interlinked ownerships, and origins going to 1864 in Switzerland, relocated within the USA in 1990, establishing at Newington, New Hampshire, an arms factory and "state-of-the-art" training academy, now with 1,200 employees.

SIG Sauer Inc.'s products include its P-series handguns for "the law enforcement market," rifles, including sports versions, and machine guns for the US military.

On Monday, its US branch said it was "proud" to announce delivery of lightweight "Next Generation" machine guns and "greater penetration" ammunition to the US Army.

Read more: German arms exports - what you need to know

German weapons kill 'every 14 minutes'

In April, German public broadcaster SWR reported that Kiel prosecutors were examining fresh claims that SIG Sauer's US branch was implicated in the export of weapons to Colombia and Mexicowithout a German government export permit.

Last month, when Germany published its arms export data for 2019, opposition Left Party disarmament expert Sevim Dagdelen slammed SIG Sauer, along with Heckler & Koch and Carl Walther, and federal authorities in Berlin.

"It doesn't seem to bother the Federal Government that every 14 minutes around the world a person is killed by a German weapon," exclaimed Dagdelen.

Watch video https://p.dw.com/p/3dH3i

A German town pays the price for Saudi export ban

Three pistols focus of Hanau shooting

After the shooting massacre of nine persons in Hanau, Germany, last February, and suicide-death of the 43-year-old assailant, police reportedly found three weapons: a borrowed Ceska, his own Walther and a SIG Sauer pistol.

The German parliament's interior committee was told that the gunman fired 52 shots and police found 350 cartridges inside his rucksack at home.



GERMANY SHOOTINGS: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE HANAU ATTACKS
Two shootings
The first attack took place at a hookah bar in the downtown area and the second at a cafe about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) away in neighborhood of Kesselstadt.
PHOTOS 12345678

ipj/rt (dpa, KNA)


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Brazil: Bolsonaro orders security forces to intervene in pro-democracy protests

Anti-government protesters are "outcasts, delinquents, and addicts," according to the Brazilian president. Jair Bolsonaro has threatened to call on security forces for an upcoming pro-democracy protest over the weekend.




Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday called pro-democracy protesters "delinquents" and said he had requested special security forces to intervene if scheduled demonstrations on Sunday exceed his government limits.

Speaking during the inauguration of a temporary hospital to treat coronavirus patients near the capital Brasilia, Bolsonaro appealed to his supporters to avoid the protests.

"People in green and yellow [colors of the Brazilian flag], who have God in their hearts, who think of their country, who are conservative, do not attend this movement. These people have nothing to offer. Bunch of outcasts. Many of them are addicts … they are not the majority of Brazilian society. They want turmoil, confrontation," he said in his weekly Facebook broadcast.

He also called the anti-fascist Antifa movement the "third wave" caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, right behind the health emergency and the economic crisis.

Read more: Coronavirus: Brazil headed for catastrophe

The former army captain added he expects the COVID-19 pandemic to rapidly decline and the economy to recover. As of Thursday, Brazil now has the third-highest coronavirus death toll in the world.

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Weekend protests

Anti-government protests organized by a Brazilian civil society group are scheduled to take place Sunday on the Avenida Paulista, one of Brazil's most popular avenues in the center of Sao Paulo. More than 37,000 people have already registered their interest to attend the protests on Facebook.

"Next Sunday we will go to Avenida Paulista in the name of democracy. We will all be wearing masks and ensuring distance so as to not spread the virus. For life and against fascism. Here are the people without any fear of fighting!" posted the group Mais Democracia (More Democracy). The group added that they would "not let fascism grow in Brazil."

Read more: Brazil's indigenous communities resist Bolsonaro

YOU KNOW WHO OPPOSES ANTI-FASCISM

FASCISTS 

'Terrorists'

Bolsonaro appealed to parents not to let their children participate in the protests. According to the president, anti-fascist activism does not coincide with democracy.

"It is not because 'democracy' is written on a placard that the people behind it are defending democracy. They are there playing the role of a terrorist. Unfortunately, it's not classified as terrorism," Bolsonaro said.

Read more: Where could Brazil's criminal investigation of Jair Bolsonaro lead?

"If you take 100 [young protesters] and put them on an ENEM [higher education entrance exam] test, most of them don't even get a five [grade]. They don't know how to interpret a text, they don't know anything, they're idiots who are useless," Bolsonaro added.

Watch video Coronavirus: Facebook, Twitter remove Bolsonaro videos https://p.dw.com/p/3dJWk

mvb/rt (Reuters, Lusa)

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Hong Kong protesters defy ban to mark Tiananmen massacre

Despite a ban on the annual vigil to mark the Tiananmen Square Massacre, thousands have marked the event in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Protesters used the commemoration to show their ongoing resistance to Beijing.

    NY DAILY NEWS 5/6/2020

The ban on the annual vigil to mark the Tiananmen Square Massacre, the first in 30 years, didn't stop thousands of Hong Kongers from attending Thursday's mass commemoration ceremony in Victoria Park. The occasion normally attracts tens of thousands of people every year — but police banned the annual tradition this year, citing the increased risk of coronavirus infection.

Citizens removed police barricades in order to make their way to the mass vigil, with people at the scene telling media they did not think police could arrest everyone. Candlelight vigils also took place in other parts of Hong Kong, with thousands gathering to pay tribute to the victims of the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989.

Earlier in the week, in reaction to the ban, organizers had called on people to hold their own vigils in different parts of the city. Lee Cheuk-yan, one of the event organizers and the chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic and Democratic Movements of China, told DW he hopes this year's vigil will reflect Hong Kongers' defiance of the Chinese government.

Read more:Opinion: Tiananmen has always served as a moral to learn from

Protesters gather at Victoria Park in Hong Kong for a candlelight vigil to mark the anniversary of the crackdown of pro-democracy protests at Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989  MASKED AND SOCIAL DISTANCING 

"We want the candlelight to spread across Hong Kong and use it to show the world that Hong Kong people are still continuing the tradition of remembering June 4," Lee told DW. "The world should know that we are facing the most powerful authoritarian regime in the world, but we still stand firm and be defiant."

For Lee, the call for solidarity is not confined to Hong Kong. "We are collaborating with other organizations all over the world to push for the hashtag, #6431, as the unifying hashtag that everyone can use to post pictures and share articles or writings about June 4, 2020," he said.

"We hope people all over the world who share our values can stand with us. We want more concerted action on the part of the international community to stand with Hong Kong," he said.


Protesters gathered in Taiwan to mark the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre

Candles, support in Taiwan

As Hong Kongers were gathering for their vigils, more than 3,000 people attended a similar event at the iconic Liberty Square in Taipei, Taiwan. When the clock hit 8:09 p.m., everyone held up candles and paid a silent tribute to the victims of the massacre for 64 seconds, echoing the date of the tragic event.

Edith Chung, a former Hong Kong resident who owns a restaurant in southern Taiwan, had been planning the Tiananmen vigil for the last few weeks. "Gathering in Taipei with my friends from Hong Kong on June 4 is just like attending the Tiananmen vigil in Hong Kong," Chung told DW, adding that it was important to extend the tradition and remember the democratic spirit that was crushed in 1989.

"The candlelight vigil was never about how many people attended the ceremony. Rather, it's about lighting up candles and singing together with other Hong Kong people in public places."

Amy, who moved to Taiwan in 2015 after Beijing began to tighten its control over Hong Kong, was grateful for the opportunity to attend the Tiananmen vigil in Taiwan, where it is both legal and encouraged by the island democracy. "The situation in Hong Kong will only deteriorate, because Beijing is trying to extend its authoritarian rule to Hong Kong," she said.

"Our advice to Hong Kong's younger generation is that if they have young children in the family, they should try to emigrate to other places," said George, a man in his 50s. "One thing that they should definitely not do is to trust the Chinese government's promise, because they are all about making empty promises that will never be properly fulfilled."

Read more: Hong Kong parliament votes for national anthem bill despite protests


'A moment of awakening'

Chung described the Tiananmen Square Massacre as a "moment of awakening" for her and many Hong Kongers. "Even though many of us don't view ourselves as Chinese people, we were still inspired by the Chinese students' courage and determination," she said. "We witnessed how the Chinese government harmed its people with such violence, and the scenes from Beijing saddened many of us."

Chung decided to move to Taiwan after Beijing tightened its control following the mass protests in 2014 known as the Umbrella Revolution. Less than a year after she left Hong Kong in October 2018, the city descended into chaos as residents launched a monthslong protest against a controversial extradition bill. At least 8,000 people have been arrested in clashes with police since June 2019, and more than 1,500 have been prosecuted for participating in the protest.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the Hong Kong government has imposed strict rules restricting public gatherings across the city, banning all forms of large-scale public events. However, after Beijing revealed its plan to enact a controversial national security law for Hong Kong late last month, the city descended into another round of violent clashes between protesters and police. Hundreds of people were arrested within a few days.

"The most important things to Hong Kong is the freedom and rule of law that we enjoy, but now the Chinese government is trying to dismantle our whole system with this controversial law," said Melody, who attended the Taipei vigil with a group of Hong Kong friends.

"They have completely breached the promise of 'one country, two systems' and turned the governing principles to 'one country, one system.' They impose the law onto Hong Kong by circumventing all the governing institutions in the city. This is an illegal act and they have taken away all the remaining freedom that we are entitled to as Hong Kong residents."


Jung Hui-Chin, a Hong Konger living in Taiwan, hosts an event in Taipei to remember the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre

Continuing the tradition

After learning about the ban on the Tiananmen vigil, Chung realized she had the responsibility to continue the tradition, even from abroad. "I hope to remind Hong Kong people, especially the younger generation, that we choose to commemorate the Tiananmen Square Massacre because we need to support family members of the June 4 victims as well as those who have been fighting for democracy and freedom in China over the last three decades," she said.

"We can't forget that Hong Kong is still part of China, so if they don't change, it will be very hard for Hong Kong people to demand any real change as well."

In Taipei, the crowd began chanting popular slogans from last year's anti-government protests. As organizers played the theme song from Hong Kong's annual Tiananmen vigil, they stood in solidarity with their peers in Hong Kong, with the hope that more people around the world would join them in defending Hong Kong's way of life.

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Hong Kong to mark Tiananmen anniversary from home amid coronavirus fears

People in Hong Kong will hold an annual vigil in memory of the bloody crackdown by Chinese troops from home this year amid coronavirus restrictions. Critics fear China is trying to curtail the city-state’s independence.





People in Hong Kong on Thursday made preparations to hold an annual candlelight vigil commemorating the 1989 crackdown by the Chinese military in Tiananmen Square from home, a workaround in face of a ban on the usual public gathering amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The police presence around Beijing's Tiananmen Square, a popular tourist attraction in the center of the city, appeared to have been higher than normal on Thursday. Barricades had also been erected around the Hong Kong park where the vigil is normally held.

For three decades, people have gathered in the Hong Kong's Victoria Park to mark the June 4 anniversary. The event usually draws tens of thousands of people.

But police have said the event poses a public health risk. Hong Kong recently reported its first locally transmitted cases of coronavirus in weeks. Gatherings of more than eight people are currently banned due to the outbreak.


Read more: Hong Kong bans Tiananmen massacre vigil citing coronavirus crisis

Candles burn throughout the city

Organizers instead called on residents to light candles across the city at 8:00 P.M. local time (12:00 GMT) and to then observe a minute of silence.

People were also encouraged to use the hashtag #6431truth, in reference to the 31st anniversary and the date.

Despite the ban, some said they were still planning to gather in Victoria Park. Volunteers handed out white candles to people during their morning commute.

This year’s anniversary comes amid tensions in the semi-autonomous city after China made moves last month to impose national security legislation that critics fear will curtail the policy of "one country-two systems" that allows Hong Kong to self-govern.

The city’s legislative council also voted on Thursday on a controversial bill that would make it a crime to disrespect China’s national anthem.

EU calls for right to gather

The Tiananmen Square crackdown is not officially recognized in mainland China, where the topic is considered taboo and discussion around it is heavily censored.

On Wednesday, the EU called on China to allow people in Hong Kong and Macau, another semi-autonomous city, to observe the crackdown, calling it "a signal that key freedoms continue to be protected."

China has never provided a complete death toll for the 1989 crackdown on the student-led demonstration. Officials have said it was around 300, mostly soldiers. But rights groups and people present have said fatalities could have been in the thousands.

kp/aw (AFP, Reuters)


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GOOD NEWS 

Dutch PM deems 'Black Pete' tradition racist

Mark Rutte, who once defended blackface as tradition, has now said he wants the custom to disappear. The decision comes as solidarity protests take hold in the Netherlands following the killing of George Floyd.

THE DUTCH USED SLAVERY AS THE USA DID TO BUILD CAPITALISM, ALLOWING THEM TO CREATE THE FIRST BOURSE, STOCK EXCHANGE. SO YES BLACK PETER ORIGINATES IN THIS PERIOD OF SLAVERY, AND RISE OF CALVINISM IN THE NETHERLANDS.

http://pombo.free.fr/tawney1922simil.pdf



Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on Friday that he no longer wants the Netherlands to celebrate the Saint Nicholas tradition of "Black Pete," whereby white people in blackface, afro wigs and exaggerated red lipsticks portray delinquent Moorish slaves from Spain.

Rutte described his new view point during a parliamentary debate on Thursday about anti-racism demonstrations in solidarity with US demonstrations after American George Floyd — an unarmed black man — died in police custody in Minneapolis.

Rutte said his attitude towards "Black Pete," known in the Netherlands as "Zwarte Piet," had changed since 2013. At the time, the prime minister had said: "Black Pete is just black and I can't do much about that." Rutte said he now hopes that the tradition will disappear in the Netherlands.

Watch video  Erik van Muiswinkel defends the Black Pete tradition in the Netherlands

'No more Black Petes… in a few years' 

In the Dutch pre-Christmas tradition known as Sinterklaas, the revered Saint Nicholas — who is portrayed as white — brings gifts to children accompanied by his ensemble of disobedient helpers — "Black Petes."

Rutte said that since 2013 he had met many people, including "small children, who said 'I feel terribly discriminated (against) because Pete is black'… I thought, that's the last thing that we want" in a holiday intended for children.

"I expect in a few years there will be no more Black Petes," Rutte said.

Supporters of the tradition argue that Pete is a fantasy character who does not portray any race.

Racism a 'systemic problem' in the Netherlands

Linda Nooitmeer, chairwoman of the National Institute for the Study of Dutch Slavery and its Legacy, said Rutte's comments were important in a country that has a problem with acknowledging racism.

"The magnitude of a leader in a country stating this is enormous," she said, according to Reuters.
"You can have all the legislation you want ... but if the people in power, the leader of the country, doesn't seem to support it — and that's what it looked like in 2013 when he said that about Black Pete — then the struggle will be harder."

Anti-racism demonstrations honouring Floyd took place in Amsterdam and Rotterdam this week, with more upcoming protests scheduled.

Rutte acknowledged on Wednesday that discrimination is a "systematic problem" in the Netherlands.

Every evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. Sign up to receive it directly here.

Date 05.06.2020
Author Melissa Sou-Jie Van Brunnersum
Related Subjects The Hague
Keywords Netherlands, Mark Rutte, Black Pete, racism

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Germany: Thousands attend anti-racism protests honoring George Floyd

Hamburg police have dispersed Black Lives Matter protesters, citing a violation of coronavirus restrictions. Germany held the largest demonstrations over the death of George Floyd outside the US on Friday.


WHITE VOLK MARCH FOR #BLACKLIVESMATTER



Police in the northern German city of Hamburg on Friday intervened in an anti-racism protest, declaring the rally over after just 30 minutes.

Authorities claimed the attendees had violated police instructions to adhere to coronavirus rules such as wearing face masks and maintaining physical distancing.

Around 4,500 people attended the protest outside the city's US consulate along the banks of the Alster river. The event had originally been registered for only 250 participants.

The rally was registered under the slogan: "Justice for Floyd - stop killing blacks - stop the racial terrorism in the USA." Crowds did not immediately disperse following police instructions with photos posted on social media showing people sitting instead on the ground..

Protest organizers appealed to demonstrators to go home peacefully. The rally eventually started to break up in the late afternoon.

Read more: Germany struggles to face its own police racism

Watch video What's it like to be black in Berlin? https://p.dw.com/p/3dK3h

Mass protests take hold in Germany

The largest anti-racism demonstrations outside of the US on Friday appeared to be in Germany. In addition to the Hamburg protest, thousands of people rallied in Germany's financial hub, Frankfurt.

Protesters were seen with raised hands in the air, holding banners with slogans such as: "Your Pain Is My Pain, Your Fight Is My Fight."

In reference to the George Floyd killing caught on camera by bystanders in Minneapolis, one poster at a Frankfurt demonstration read: "How Many Weren't Filmed?"

Read more: Europe must step up anti-racism efforts, rights agency says

Police described the Frankfurt demonstration as peaceful and said that those attending had followed the rules introduced to curb the spread of the coronavirus, including wearing face masks.



Watch video One voice among many demanding an end police brutality

 https://p.dw.com/p/3dK3h
mvb/rt (dpa, Reuters)


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ACLU sues Trump administration over controversial clearing

The American Civil Liberties Union has accused White House officials of unlawfully conspiring to violate protesters' rights. Officials described the Lafayette Park clearing an "unprovoked and frankly criminal attack."


The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the Trump administration, alleging that White House officials "unlawfully conspired to violate" protesters' rights when US security forces forcefully cleared Lafayette Park earlier this week.

Police fired smoke bombs and pepper balls at peaceful protesters in order to make way for US President Donald Trump's walk to a photo-op at a historic church.

Read more: George Floyd latest: Memorials take place across the US

The lawsuit accuses US Attorney General William Barr and other senior officials of wrongful action, describing the dispersal as a "coordinated and unprovoked charge into the crowd of demonstrators."

"The President's shameless, unconstitutional, unprovoked and frankly criminal attack on protesters because he disagreed with their views shakes the foundation of our nation's constitutional order," said Scott Michelman, legal director at ACLU's Washington DC branch.

'He tries to divide us'

The Trump administration has come under fierce criticism, including from current and former officials, for repressing the protest in order to make way for Trump to walk to a historic church for a photo-op.

Shortly before the protesters were dispersed, Trump threatened to deploy the US military on American soil to quell protests, a remark that was criticized by former generals, including Mike Mullen, the 17th Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Earlier this week, Trump's former defense secretary, James Mattis, denounced the US President for intentionally seeking to divide the country and trying to politicize the military.

Read more: Opinion: US racism part of everyday life

"Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to," Mattis said in a statement published by The Atlantic magazine.

"Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort."

ls/rc (AFP, AP)

Date 05.06.2020
Related Subjects Donald Trump
Keywords Donald Trump, George Floyd, civil rights, ACLU

Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3dHhA


BOOGEY MAN
George Floyd protests: Trump, officials blame extremist 'outsiders' for violence

Both far-right and far-left groups have been blamed for violence at recent US anti-racism protests, with videos showing white people escalating tensions. Black protesters worry that they'll end up in the crossfire.

US state and federal officials say that organized rioters have been attending protests against police brutality in several major cities with the specific aim of sparking violence and destruction.

Public anger has poured onto the streets following the death of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis on Monday, who died when a white police officer pressed his knee into Floyd's neck while being arrested.

Officials have offered up little evidence to support their claims that these groups are the primary drivers of violent unrest, with the chaos at the demonstrations making it difficult to verify their identities and motives.

Trump blames AntifaUS President Donald Trump and his administration have solely blamed left-wing extremists and Antifa for prompting violence at the protests — but again, have not provided evidence.

Trump's main target has been Antifa, a loose network comprised of radical left-wing activists that confront right-wing extremists, neo-Nazi groups and white supremacists.

On Sunday, the US leader railed against Antifa and other left-wing groups on Twitter, congratulating the National Guard for a "total shutdown" of protesters.

He also said that the US will be "designating Antifa as a terrorist organization," a threat he also made last year which sparked an international backlash.

Trump's push to blame the far-left and to blame local leaders for their handling of the protests is a move that will likely cause more national divisions in the days and weeks to come.

Read more: Donald Trump: Twitter hides tweet for 'glorifying violence'

Even drug cartels blamed

On Saturday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz told reporters he'd heard unconfirmed reports that white supremacists and even drug cartels "are trying to take advantage of the chaos." The city of Minneapolis has seen five consecutive nights of protests following the death of George Floyd in police custody.

Vice News, however, reported that several members of far-right militia groups were spotted at the protests in Minneapolis, including from the "Boogaloo Bois" and the "III% militia" network — two groups that advocate for violent confrontation with law enforcement and hope to stoke civil war in the United States.

Vice also reported that a fascist group used its Telegram channel to encourage neo-Nazi followers to attack black people at the protests and spark a "race war."

Minnesota Public Radio also cited several witnesses who spotted armed white men at the protests, some who were traveling in vehicles with white supremacist insignias.

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“You’re going to get maced!” Police threaten DW reporter  
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Protesters worried about appropriation
GLAD TO REPORT THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED JUNE 6,2020
Although the motives behind those carrying out the looting and rioting remain unclear, there is stronger evidence that some of the more violent protesters in recent days traveled to dozens of US cities to take part in the protests.

In New York City, police charged a white woman from upstate New York who threw a Molotov cocktail at a police vehicle while four officers were inside.

In Detroit, 37 of the 60 protesters arrested did not live in the city. Although Detroit is almost 80% black, many of those arrested were white, police said.

Videos have circulated on social media of white people leading the charge in vandalizing buildings or in looting stores.
Local groups in Minnesota have noticed the trend as well — raising concerns about the effect that their sometimes violent involvement will have for local black communities and potentially diluting the overall message of the protests.

"I think about a third of the people are from out of town here to make the city burn,'' said Justin Terrell, executive director of the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, to the Associated Press.

"It is just putting black people in a crossfire not just between fascists and anarchists — but putting us in a crossfire with the national guard."

rs/mm (AP, AFP)

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Reddit co-founder resigns, requests black board member

Alexis Ohanian, Sr., said he would use future gains from his Reddit stocks to "curb racial hate." He added that he wanted to be answerable to his black daughter.


Alexis Ohanian, Sr., the co-founder of the US social aggregation website Reddit, has resigned from the board of the company and requested the board to fill his vacancy with a black candidate.

While Ohanian did not directly attribute his move to the recent protests in the US to the killing of George Floyd, he said he would use future gains from his Reddit stocks to "curb racial hate," beginning with a $1 million (€885,400) donation to Know Your Rights Camp, a charity founded by former NFL star Colin Kaepernick.


Ohanian said he decision was for himself, his family and the country

In a statement on his blog, Ohanian said, "I'm doing this for me, for my family and for my country." He added that he had taken the step to be answerable to his black daughter. Ohanian is married to US tennis star Serena Williams.

Ohanian co-founded Reddit in 2005. The company does not have a black board member, and only promoted its first female board member last year.

Racism on Reddit

Earlier this week, over 25 popular Reddit threads went private to protest against racist content on its platform. The company's chief executive, Steve Huffman has been criticized by several Reddit moderators for not taking action against hateful comments and threads on the platform.

Huffman recently told Zachary Swanson, a cybersecurity researcher, that Reddit didn't want to be a "thought police" as it was a private entity.

On Tuesday, the former CEO of Reddit, Ellen Pao, criticized the social media platform for not shutting down the thread – the_donald – a subreddit with about 800,000 members that frequently has comments on white supremacy.


am/sms (AP, Reuters)

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Twitter, Facebook remove Donald Trump tributes to George Floyd

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have all taken down a video tribute to George Floyd posted by the US president's campaign team. The clip was removed for infringing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.




US President Donald Trump courted further controversy with his social media posts on Friday. This time with Twitter, Instagram and Facebook all disabled a video tribute to George Floyd over copyright issues.

Trump's campaign team posted a clip showing images and video footage of protest marches along with examples of violence in the aftermath of Floyd's death, with Trump speaking in the background.

As a result, a number of complaints were submitted and a Twitter representative said: "We respond to valid copyright complaints sent to us by a copyright owner or their authorized representatives."

Floyd was killed when a police officer pressed his knee against Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes. Floyd pleaded for mercy as he was struggling for breath, but to no avail.

Turbulent protests against racism and police brutality, both in the United States and across the globe, followed Floyd's death.

Trump has made a series of public remarks on the issue but on this occasion, it appears he has fallen foul of copyright. Facebook, which owns Instagram, said it took down the video after receiving the creator's complaint under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

"Organizations that use original art shared on Instagram are expected to have the right to do so," Facebook said via an official statement.

Trump criticized the removal by Twitter. "They are fighting hard for the Radical Left Democrats. A one sided battle. Illegal," he wrote in a post on Twitter.

Trump's social media dispute

It is not the first time Trump has landed himself in hot water with social media giants. Last week Twitter hid and attached a disclaimer to a tweet posted by the president, accusing him of "glorifying violence," and said his post had violated their policies. In reference to the unrest sparked by the May 25 killing of George Floyd, Trump tweeted: "Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts."

Read more: Twitter hides tweet for 'glorifying violence'

Since then, Trump has escalated the dispute by pledging to introduce legislation that may scrap or weaken a law that protects social media firms from liability for content posted by their users.

In this latest episode for which Trump and his team have been accused of copyright infringement, a three-minute 45-second video was posted on Twitter by his campaign on June 3. It was also uploaded on the president's YouTube channel and his campaign's Facebook page. The clip has received more than 1.4 million views on YouTube and Facebook combined.

Facebook change of tack

Meanwhile, Facebook has also joined in with the debate over the "looting starts, the shooting starts" comment from Trump.

At the time Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg seemed to be in favor of Trump's right to post whatever he liked, but after a number of staff members walked off the job and numerous others objected, Zuckerberg has vowed to review that policy.

"I know many of you think we should have labeled the president's posts in some way last week," Zuckerberg wrote, referring to his decision not to take down Trump's message.

"We're going to review our policies allowing discussion and threats of state use of force to see if there are any amendments we should adopt," he wrote. "We're going to review potential options for handling violating or partially-violating content aside from the binary leave-it-up or take-it-down decisions."


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Turning Fake News into Hard Cash

jsi/sms (Reuters, AP)

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Date 05.06.2020
Related Subjects Facebook, Donald Trump, Instagram, Twitter, White House
Keywords United States, Donald Trump, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, copyright

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ABOUT TIME
NFL says players' protests during national anthem should be allowed

DOES KAPERNICK GET HIS JOB BACK?!Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionColin Kaepernick (centre) and two other players kneel during the national anthem in 2016

The National Football League has said players should be allowed to protest during the national anthem as rallies against racial discrimination continue.

"We were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said.

The NFL had previously banned players from dropping to one knee, a practice started by Colin Kaepernick in 2016.

Meanwhile, a large protest is expected in Washington DC on Saturday.

The demonstration is the latest in a series against police brutality and racism that have been held across the US following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on 25 May.

Mr Floyd, an unarmed black man in handcuffs, died after a white policeman knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The officer has been charged with murder while three colleagues stand accused of aiding and abetting.

'Pandemic of racism' led to Floyd's death, memorial told
DC mayor names plaza 'Black Lives Matter'
Biden: Trump 'despicable' for invoking Floyd

On Friday, Minneapolis officials said police would be banned from using neck restraints and California pledged to follow suit.
What did the NFL commissioner say?

In a video, Mr Goodell denounced racism in the US in comments that came shortly after a number of players urged the NFL to take a stronger stance on racism and police brutality in the country.

WATCH: 'I remember George Floyd as me' AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE

"We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter. Protests around the country are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality and oppression of black players, coaches, fans and staff," he said.

"I will be reaching out to players who have raised their voices and others on how we can improve."

President Donald Trump has stridently opposed kneeling during the national anthem, and on Friday again voiced his opposition to such protests, saying on Twitter: "We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart. There are other things you can protest, but not our Great American Flag - NO KNEELING!"

He criticised New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees for dropping his opposition to NFL kneeling protests.

Brees responded on Saturday by saying: "We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform."

More on George Floyd's deathVIEWPOINT: Tipping point for racially divided nationWATCH: 'This is why we are protesting'TIMELINE: Recent black deaths at hands of policeBACKGROUND: Five pieces of context to understand the protestsCRIME AND JUSTICE: How are African Americans treated?

What's the story behind Kaepernick's kneeling?

The practice of kneeling during the customary pre-game playing of the national anthem was started by black player Colin Kaepernick in 2016 in protest against racial injustice.

A number of other players soon joined Kaepernick, who was a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers at the time.

He became a free agent after the 2016 season and remains unsigned. Kaepernick filed a grievance against NFL owners in October 2017, believing they were conspiring not to hire him because of his kneeling protests.

The two sides resolved the grievance in February under a confidentiality agreement.
What else is happening in the US?

On Friday, the Minneapolis City Council and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights agreed to ban police neck restraints and chokeholds.

The new policy, which will be enforceable in court, requires any officer regardless of rank to verbally and physically intervene if they witness a colleague using such unauthorised force.

Meanwhile, California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom said he would move to end state police training in the use of the "carotid restraint".

San Diego police banned the technique this week. Officials in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles have all previously taken steps to ban or limit the use of chokeholds by members of their police departments.

Meanwhile, a federal judge in Denver has ordered police to stop the use of tear gas, plastic bullets and other non-lethal force on peaceful protesters. The order came after four protesters filed a lawsuit against aggressive police action

Trump: 'Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying this is a great thing that’s happening' In a separate development, President Trump was condemned by his Democratic challenger Joe Biden for invoking Floyd's name in a speech to mark a surprise US jobs rebound.