Neighbor on why she started GoFundMe account for disabled Minneapolis woman displaced by Floyd riots

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/2MBHwod
Neighbor on why she started GoFundMe account for disabled Minneapolis woman displaced by Floyd riots Following an emotional interview with KSTP last week, a GoFundMe account was created for a disabled Minneapolis woman named Stephanie Wilford, after she described how recent riots and looting, related to the death of George Floyd, have upended her life. Fox News later reached out to the account organizer to ask how the relief effort got started. 
June 07, 2020 at 05:53AM

Kissimmee Utility Authority releases 2020 Osceola Hurricane Handbook

Kissimmee Utility Authority releases 2020 Osceola Hurricane Handbook

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/3f24KAd
To receive a copy of the printed handbook by mail, residents should contact KUA at 407-933-9838 or by e-mail at hurricane@kua.com. Persons with ...
June 07, 2020 at 03:56AM

George Floyd protests in New Zealand

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/2ANfUK0
George Floyd protests in New Zealand

TJMSmith: comment from International George Floyd protests

---

Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)

Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)
Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 3, expected 2))|place=New Zealand|coordinates=|causes=*[[Police brutality]]
*[[Institutional racism]]
*Reaction to the [[killing of George Floyd]]|goals=|methods=|status=Ongoing|result=|fatalities=|injuries=|arrests=|detentions=|charged=|fined=|effect=|effect_label=|casualties_label=|notes=|sidebox=}}

Shortly after [[George Floyd protests|protests]] seeking justice for [[Killing of George Floyd|George Floyd]], an [[African Americans|African-American]] who was [[Killing of George Floyd|killed]] during a [[Minneapolis Police Department|police]] arrest, [[List of George Floyd protests|began in the United States]], people in New Zealand protested to show solidarity with Americans and to demonstrate against issues with police or racism. Vigils and protests of up to thousands of participants have taken part nationwide.

== Reactions ==

=== Political ===
Prime Minister of New Zealand [[Jacinda Ardern]] has stated that she was "horrified" by the situation around the [[killing of George Floyd]]. Ardern had been criticized by local [[Black Lives Matter]] solidarity protesters for remaining silent about Floyd's death for a week.<ref name="The Independent Jacinda">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref><ref name="RNZ George Floyd">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref>

== Demonstrations ==

* [[Auckland]]: About 4000 protesters peacefully marched from [[Aotea Square]] down [[Queen Street, Auckland|Queen Street]] to the American Consulate General<!--note: a consulate general is not an embassy so this should not be linked to the embassy in wellington--> on 1 June.<ref name="auckland.herald"></ref><ref name="Sun Daily 1 June"></ref> The American flag in front of the consulate general appeared to have been removed prior to the protest.<ref name="newzealand.stuff"></ref>
* [[Christchurch]]: More than 500 people gathered at a demonstration in [[Cathedral Square, Christchurch|Cathedral Square]] on 1 June.<ref name="auckland.herald" /><ref name="newzealand.stuff" /><ref name="Sun Daily 1 June" />
* [[Dunedin]]: Hundreds of people protested peacefully in [[The Octagon, Dunedin|The Octagon]].<ref name="dunedin.odt"></ref>
* [[Palmerston North]]: About 30 people protested at [[Palmerston North#The Square|The Square]].<ref name="palmerstonnorth.stuff">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref> A separate group of 40 people peacefully protested outside the police station.<ref name="palmerstonnorth.stuff" />
* [[Tauranga]]: About 25 to 30 protesters marched down The Strand despite heavy rainfall..<ref name="tauranga.hub"></ref>
* [[Wellington]]: <!--added to map (attendance: ~2000)--> Over 100 people marched from [[Frank Kitts Park]] to [[New Zealand Parliament|Parliament]], Police National Headquarters, and the [[Embassy of the United States, Wellington|US Embassy]].<ref name="wellington.stuff"></ref> About 2000 people attended a vigil in the evening on Parliament's lawn, despite pouring rain.<ref name="wellington.stuff" />
<!-- although a protest may have very well happened in Hamilton (and a few other locations mentioned in the source), the source doesn't actually report that there were protests there, only that a spokesperson stated that people "are showing up and standing up" in such locations, which is vague enough that it may not actually constitute a protest. in addition, a cursory search does not appear to reveal any other reliable sources reporting on protests in these locations. -- ** Smaller protests were also held on 1 June in other New Zealand centres, such as [[Hamilton, New Zealand|Hamilton]].<ref name="tauranga.hub" />-->
== References ==




[[Category:George Floyd protests|New Zealand]]
[[Category:Protest marches]]
[[Category:2020s in New Zealand]]

June 06, 2020 at 08:46AM

George Banes

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/3eJBe1Y
George Banes

PatGallacher: add sources

---

'''George Edward Banes''' (1829&ndash;1907) was Conservative MP for [[West Ham South (UK Parliament constituency)|West Ham South]].

He won the seat in 1886, lost it to [[Keir Hardie]] in 1892, won it back from him in 1895, held it in 1900, but stood down in 1906.

==Sources==
*[https://ift.tt/3cyLfxA Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs]
*Craig, F.W.S. ''British Election Results 1885-1918''
*''[[Whitaker's Almanack]]'', 1886 to 1910 editions



[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]
[[Category:Politics of the London Borough of Newham]]
[[Category:1829 births]]
[[Category:1907 deaths]]

June 05, 2020 at 09:26AM

Jacob Tsur

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/309i9lN
Jacob Tsur

Postcard Cathy: ←Created page with 'Yaakov zur Israel-Uruguay delegation1948 '''Jacob Tsur''' (1906-1991) was the f...'

---

[[File:Yaakov zur.jpeg|thumb|Yaakov zur]]

[[File:Israel-Uruguay delegation1948.jpg|thumb|Israel-Uruguay delegation1948]]

'''Jacob Tsur''' (1906-1991) was the first Israeli minister to [[List of ambassadors of Israel to Argentina|Argentina]], [[List of ambassadors of Israel to Uruguay|Uruguay]], [[List of ambassadors of Israel to Paraguay|Paraguay]],<ref name="Paraguay"></ref> and Chile (1949-1953), and was [[List of ambassadors of Israel to France|ambassador to France]] from 1953 until 1956.<ref name="jVL"></ref> From 1961 until 1977, he was Chairman of the Board of Directors for Kerel Kayemeth LeIsrael [[Jewish National Fund]] (KKL-JNF).<ref name="JNF"></ref>

Tsur was born in [[Vilna]] to father Samuel Tchernowitz and moved to Israel in 1921.<ref name="jVL" />

==References==
<references />

==External Links==
* [[:de:Jacob Tsur|German Wiki article]]


[[Category:Ambassadors of Israel to Paraguay]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Israel to Argentina]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Israel to Uruguay]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Israel to France]]
[[Category:People from Vilnius]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Israel to Chile]]

June 05, 2020 at 09:21AM

Google: Chinese, Iranian Hackers Targeted Biden, Trump Campaigns

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/2XzIkjV
Google: Chinese, Iranian Hackers Targeted Biden, Trump Campaigns

State-backed hackers from China have targeted staffers working on the U.S. presidential campaign of Democrat Joe Biden, a senior Google security official said Thursday. The same official said Iranian hackers had recently targeted email accounts belonging to Republican President Donald Trump's campaign staff. 

The announcement, made on Twitter by the head of Google's Threat Analysis Group, Shane Huntley, is the latest indication of the digital spying routinely aimed at top politicians. 

Huntley said there was "no sign of compromise" of either campaign. 

Iranian attempts to break into Trump campaign officials' emails have been documented before. Last year, Microsoft Corp announced that a group often nicknamed Charming Kitten had tried to break into email accounts belonging to an unnamed U.S. presidential campaign, which sources identified as Trump's. 

Earlier this year, the threat intelligence company Area 1 Security said Russian hackers had targeted companies tied to a Ukrainian gas firm where Biden's son once served on the board. 

No details

Google declined to offer details beyond Huntley's tweets, but the unusually public attribution is a sign of how sensitive Americans have become to digital espionage efforts aimed at political campaigns. 

"We sent the targeted users our standard government-backed attack warning and we referred this information to federal law enforcement," a Google representative said. 

Hacking to interfere in elections has become a concern for governments, especially since U.S intelligence agencies concluded that Russia ran a hacking and propaganda operation to disrupt the American democratic process in 2016 to help then-candidate Trump become president. Among the targets was digital infrastructure used by 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign. 

Moscow has denied any meddling. 

Commonplace attacks

Attempts by foreign adversaries to break into presidential campaigns are commonplace. 

"We are aware of reports from Google that a foreign actor has made unsuccessful attempts to access the personal email accounts of campaign staff," a Biden campaign spokesman said. "We have known from the beginning of our campaign that we would be subject to such attacks and we are prepared for them." 

The Trump campaign, the Chinese Embassy in Washington and the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

Charming Kitten, the group identified by Google as being responsible for the targeting of the Trump campaign, has also recently been in the headlines over other exploits, including the targeting of the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences Inc . 

Earlier this year, Reuters tied the group to attempts to impersonate high-profile media figures and journalists. 

John Hultquist, senior director of intelligence analysis with U.S. cybersecurity firm FireEye Inc, described the two hacking groups as "espionage actors" and said they were likely attempting to collect intelligence rather than steal material to leak online. 

The FBI and Office of the Director of National Intelligence both declined to comment.

June 05, 2020 at 08:50AM

Lancet Retracts Study on Safety of Malaria Drugs for Coronavirus

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/3gY2zPJ
Lancet Retracts Study on Safety of Malaria Drugs for Coronavirus 

Several authors of a large study that raised safety concerns about malaria drugs for coronavirus patients have retracted the report, saying independent reviewers were not able to verify information that's been widely questioned by other scientists. 

Thursday's retraction in the journal Lancet involved a May 22 report on hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, drugs long used for preventing or treating malaria but whose safety and effectiveness for COVID-19 are unknown. 

The study leaders also retracted an earlier report that used the same company's database on blood pressure drugs published by the New England Journal of Medicine. That study suggested that widely used blood pressure medicines were safe for coronavirus patients, a conclusion some other studies and heart doctor groups also have reached. 

Even though the Lancet report was not a rigorous test, the observational study had huge impact because of its size, reportedly involving more than 96,000 patients and 671 hospitals on six continents.  

President Donald Trump tells reporters that he is taking zinc and hydroxychloroquine during a meeting with restaurant industry executives about the coronavirus response, in the State Dining Room of the White House, May 18, 2020.

Its conclusion that the drugs were tied to a higher risk of death and heart problems in people hospitalized with COVID-19 led the World Health Organization to temporarily stop use of hydroxychloroquine in a study it is leading, and for French officials to stop allowing its use in hospitals there. Earlier this week, WHO said experts who reviewed safety information decided that its study could resume. 

"Not only is there no benefit, but we saw a very consistent signal of harm," study leader Dr. Mandeep Mehra of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston told The Associated Press when the work was published. 

The drugs have been controversial because President Donald Trump repeatedly promoted their use and took hydroxychloroquine himself to try to prevent infection after some White House staffers tested positive for the virus. The drugs are known to have potential side effects, especially heart rhythm problems. 

Data questioned

The Lancet study relied on a database from a Chicago company, Surgisphere. Its founder, Dr. Sapan Desai, is one of the authors.  

Dozens of scientists questioned irregularities and improbable findings in the numbers, and the other authors besides Desai said earlier this week that an independent audit would be done. In the retraction notice, those authors say Surgisphere would not give the reviewers the full data, citing confidentiality and client agreements. 

"Based on this development, we can no longer vouch for the veracity of the primary data sources" and must retract the report, they wrote.  

"I no longer have confidence in the origination and veracity of the data, nor the findings they have led to," Mehra said in a separate statement Thursday.  

The Lancet's notice said "there are many outstanding questions about Surgisphere and the data that were allegedly included in this study," and "institutional reviews of Surgisphere's research collaborations are urgently needed." 

Desai and Surgisphere did not immediately respond to requests for comments sent to phone numbers and email address listed on the company's materials. 

Good answers needed

All the authors of the study should have had access to the data, said Dr. Steve Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic. 

"You really don't know what a study showed unless you have the actual data," Nissen said. "This is unfortunate. Clearly this is a very important topic and we need good answers." 

The retraction shows "the system works," said Dr. Ashish Jha, director of Harvard's Global Health Institute. The pace of publishing scientific research has sped up in reaction to the pandemic, Jha said, leading to errors. 

As long as errors are acknowledged, the pace seems justifiable because waiting a year or two for results to be published "is way too slow for this pandemic." 

"Part of the problem is people are so anxious. They want a definite answer yes or no," Jha said. "We're moving as fast as we can in science, but we can't overreact to any single study." 

June 05, 2020 at 08:14AM

Republican Murkowski Says She’s Struggling With Supporting Trump

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/2MxNtTf
Republican Murkowski Says She's Struggling With Supporting Trump

Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she's "struggling" over whether she can support President Donald Trump given his handling of the virus and race crises roiling the U.S.

Murkowski said Thursday that she was "thankful" for retired Gen. James Mattis' extraordinary rebuke of Trump for politicizing the military. Asked about her support of president, Murkowski replied, "I have struggled with it for a long time." 

Murkowski retracted her endorsement of Trump in 2016 after the "Access Hollywood" tape revealed he had bragged about sexually assaulting women. She voted to acquit Trump of House impeachment charges earlier this year. She spoke Thursday to reporters at the Capitol. 
 
"Perhaps we're getting to the point where we can be more honest with the concerns that we might hold internally, and have the courage of our own convictions to speak up," Murkowski said. Asked whether she can still support Trump, she replied, "I am struggling with it. I have struggled with it for a long time." But she said she'd continue to try to work with his administration. 
 
Murkowski's remarks were an acknowledgment of the ongoing choice Republicans are forced to make about whether, and for how long, to support Trump when his words and actions so often conflict with their values and goals. Trump has responded to the police killing of George Floyd by calling for more "law and order," rather than addressing at any length the racial injustice that lies at the heart of the unrest.  
 
The nation is on edge, and Election Day looms, with the presidency and control of the House and Senate at stake. Trump has made clear that consequences for what he considers disloyalty can be steep.  

President Donald Trump stands outside St. John's Church, June 1, 2020, in Washington. Standing with Trump are Mark Esper, from left, William Barr, Robert O'Brien, Kayleigh McEnany and Mark Meadows.

For Republicans, the challenge peaked this week when federal forces abruptly cleared peaceful protesters from Lafayette Park near the White House so that Trump could stage a photo op in front of St. John's, the "church of presidents," holding up a Bible. 
 
Saying little or nothing, a phenomenon that began before Trump was president, remained a popular choice for Republican members of Congress — even when asked one after the other whether it had been right for the administration to use the military to suppress peaceful protests.  
 
"I'm late for lunch," Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, told reporters Tuesday when asked whether Trump's use of force against peaceful protesters was the right thing to do. 

"Didn't really see it," said staunch Trump ally Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. 
 
Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., who is retiring, said, "I don't have any comment on that."  
 
Even now, most Republicans aren't breaking with Trump. Murkowski, who has her own complicated relationship with Trump, suggested that's because those in the president's mostly-white party are looking for the right words and tone. Statements by former President George W. Bush and now Mattis, she said, help point the way. 
 
"I think right now … questions about who I'm going to vote for, who I'm not going to vote for, I think, are distracting to the moment," said Murkowski, who said she'd continue to try to work with the Trump administration. "I know people might think that's a dodge," she added, "but I think there are important conversations that we need to have as an American people amongst ourselves about where we are right now." 
 
Murkowski retracted her endorsement of Trump during the 2016 election when he could be heard on the "Access Hollywood" tape bragging about assaulting women. She also voted to acquit him of House abuse and obstruction charges earlier this year after Trump's impeachment trial. 
 
Other Republicans this week needed no help finding the words.  
 
"There is no right to riot, no right to destroy others' property, and no right to throw rocks at police," said Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., a frequent Trump critic who is up for reelection. "But there is a fundamental — a constitutional — right to protest, and I'm against clearing out a peaceful protest for a photo op that treats the word of God as a political prop."

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, one of the most vulnerable Senate Republicans seeking reelection, said it was "painful to watch peaceful protesters to be subjected to tear gas in order for the president to go across the street to a church that I believe he's attended only once." 
 
"President Trump's walk to St. John's was confrontational, at the wrong time of day, and it distracted from his important message in the Rose Garden about our national grief, racism, peaceful protests, and lawful assembly," added Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who is not on the ballot this year. "The President's important message was drowned out by an awkward photo op." 
 
The president noticed, and name-checked the trio.

"You got it wrong! If the protesters were so peaceful, why did they light the Church on fire the night before? People liked my walk to this historic place of worship!" he tweeted Wednesday, suggesting that "Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. James Lankford, Sen. Ben Sasse" read a specific article. 
 
He took no such aim at Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the only black Republican in the Senate. 
 
"If your question is, should you use tear gas to clear a path so the president can go have a photo op, the answer is no," Scott told Politico. 

 

June 05, 2020 at 07:51AM

US Accuses China of Breaking Democracy Pledge for Hong Kong

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/2Y5WRTz
US Accuses China of Breaking Democracy Pledge for Hong Kong 

The United States accused China on Thursday of breaking its commitment for democracy in Hong Kong, hours after the city's legislature passed a law making it a crime to disrespect China's national anthem. 

"Unfortunately, we have seen over the past several weeks, action after action ... where China is once again showing the world that they break their promises, that they have empty commitments and they never, never intend to keep their word," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told VOA. "So, we remain very concerned at the State Department. 

U.S. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus attends a press briefing by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the State Department in Washington, Dec. 11, 2019.

"We just hope that the world now sees Chairman Xi (Jinping) for who he is and now sees the Chinese Communist Party for who they are," she said. 

Hong Kong's mostly pro-Beijing legislature overwhelmingly voted to pass the anthem law. It carries a penalty of up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of $6,450 for those who insult the anthem — "March of the Volunteers" — in public or playing and singing it in a distorted or disrespectful way. 

Ortagus noted that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently was unable to certify to the U.S. Congress that Hong Kong is autonomous from China after China announced its intention to impose national security controls over the territory, which she called "a tragedy for the people of Hong Kong." 

The new U.S. rebuke of China came as thousands of people gathered Thursday night in Hong Kong in defiance of a police ban on such crowds to remember the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. 

The crowd cheered as speakers denounced the Chinese decision to impose the national security laws on the city. They also observed a minute of silence for the Tiananmen victims, ending it with loud chants of "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our time." 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Wang Dan, Su Xiaokang, Liane Lee, Henry Li and other student leaders and survivors of the Tiananmen Square protests, June 2, 2020. (Mike Pompeo, Twitter)

Ortagus said that earlier this week, Pompeo met with Tiananmen survivors, the first time a sitting U.S. secretary of state had done so. 

"I think that that action speaks very, very loudly to the entire world," she said. "Secretary Pompeo and I were hosting these Tiananmen survivors. And the pictures, the stories were harrowing. And we promise to continue to tell their story to the world. It won't be forgotten. We remember Tiananmen." 

She also accused Beijing of trying to foment discord in the U.S. over the nights of protests against the death of George Floyd, a black man who died last week while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

"We know that they are trying to take this opportunity to make comparisons to try to sow discord in the U.S.," Ortagus said. 

"But you know there's a major difference," she said. "Obviously, we have freedom of the press here. Obviously, we have freedom to assemble. And the United States will continue those fundamental rights, which Chinese citizens, if they tried to enjoy the same rights, they would be cracked down on, the way they have in Hong Kong, and the way they were in Tiananmen Square." 

 

June 05, 2020 at 07:26AM

Google: Chinese and Iranian hackers targeted Biden and Trump campaign staffers

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/3dyMXQR
Google: Chinese and Iranian hackers targeted Biden and Trump campaign staffers A senior Google official says that Chinese and Iranian hackers attempted to access the personal email accounts of some staffers on President Trump's reelection campaign, as well as former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign.
June 05, 2020 at 06:23AM

Athletics at the 1971 Pan American Games – Men's discus throw

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/3cuuaod
Athletics at the 1971 Pan American Games – Men's discus throw

Pietaster: ←Created page with ' The '''men's discus throw''' event at the 1971 Pan American Games w...'

---

The '''men's [[discus throw]]''' event at the [[Athletics at the 1971 Pan American Games|1971 Pan American Games]] was held in [[Cali]] on 1 August.<ref>[https://ift.tt/3gyAqP8 Full results]</ref><ref name="brinkster"></ref>

==Results==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Rank !! Name !! Nationality !! Result !! Notes
|-
| || align=left| [[Dick Drescher]] ||align=left| || 62.26 ||
|-
| || align=left| [[Tim Vollme]] ||align=left| || 61.06 ||
|-
| || align=left| [[Ain Roost]] ||align=left| || 58.06 ||
|-
| 4 || align=left| [[Javier Moreno (athlete)|Javier Moreno]] ||align=left| || 57.90 ||
|-
| 5 || align=left| [[Sergio Thome]] ||align=left| || 54.40 ||
|-
| 6 || align=left| [[Dagoberto González]] ||align=left| || 51.76 ||
|-
| 7 || align=left| [[José Carlos Jacques]] ||align=left| || 51.16 ||
|-
| 8 || align=left| [[Ramón Mejía (athlete)|Ramón Mejía]] ||align=left| || 45.32 ||
|-
| 9 || align=left| [[Wilfred Burgos]] ||align=left| || 37.36 ||
|}

==References==





[[Category:Athletics at the 1971 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Discus throw at the Pan American Games|1971]]

June 05, 2020 at 03:39AM

Earthquake

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/2O2220t
Earthquakeearthquake in delhi
June 04, 2020 at 03:00AM

WOH S377

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/2BsJpkW
WOH S377

PNSMurthy:

---

WOH S377 is a luminous red supergiant or red hypergiant star. If placed in our solar system, its photosphere would engulf the orbit of Jupiter, making it one of the largest stars known.<ref>"Luminosities and mass-loss rates of Local Group AGB stars and red supergiants". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 609. arXiv:1711.07803. Bibcode:2018A&A...609A.114G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201731089.</ref>

==Related Articles==
[[List of largest stars]]

[[WOH G64]]

==References==
"Luminosities and mass-loss rates of Local Group AGB stars and red supergiants". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 609. arXiv:1711.07803. Bibcode:2018A&A...609A.114G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201731089.

June 03, 2020 at 10:26AM

US Issues 'Demonstration Alerts' as People Worldwide Voice Support for Protests

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/3eCOmG2
US Issues 'Demonstration Alerts' as People Worldwide Voice Support for Protests

The State Department is issuing "demonstration alerts" in Amsterdam, Sydney, Bermuda and elsewhere as demonstrations in support of growing protests over the death of George Floyd continue with plans to assemble near U.S. diplomatic posts.

U.S. government personnel and U.S. citizens are advised to avoid areas of demonstrations and exercise caution, as "demonstrations intended to be peaceful can quickly turn confrontational and escalate into violence," said the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in the Netherlands.   

#Netherlands: A demonstration in support of ongoing protests throughout the U.S. is expected on June 1 from 2-4 p.m. The group will assemble near the U.S. Embassy on the Museumplein in Amsterdam. The Dutch police will be present to ensure public safety. https://t.co/R0q40G77bPpic.twitter.com/M3YkJzbQnQ

— Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) May 31, 2020

The U.S. Consulate General in Sydney said it would close early on June 2, as demonstrations may take place beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday. 

#Sydney#Australia: Demonstrations may take place on June 2 beginning at 5 pm. The groups intend to protest the death in the U.S. of George Floyd. Police expect counter-protestors. The U.S. Consulate General in Sydney will close early on June 2. https://t.co/5AfTml7rqspic.twitter.com/GlCtASaM8a

— Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) June 1, 2020

Monday, the U.S. Consulate General in Bermuda said it is closed to the public but expects to reopen for emergency services only on Tuesday. Social media reports the possibility of demonstrations occurring in Hamilton, Bermuda. 

#Bermuda: Social media report possible demonstrations on June 1. The U.S. Consulate General will be closed on June 1. We expect to reopen for emergency services only on June 2. Be aware of your surroundings, and avoid crowds and demonstrations. https://t.co/DOzIV1Jfr4pic.twitter.com/IwSjQAaZyq

— Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) June 1, 2020

Local police in those cities are expected to be present to ensure public safety.

Protesters worldwide are voicing support for the anti-discrimination demonstrators in the U.S. 

The U.S. protests began last week in Minneapolis, where George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American, died after being held handcuffed, face down, with a police officer's knee on the back of his neck for more than eight minutes.

Derek Chauvin, the officer who held down Floyd, was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin was fired, as were three other officers who were present and allegedly did not intervene. Chauvin is scheduled to appear in court Monday in Minneapolis. The Minnesota attorney general's office will take the lead in prosecuting the case.

Monday, thousands of people in New Zealand marched in solidarity with those in the United States protesting Floyd's death in police custody.

Some 4,000 New Zealand protesters demonstrate against the killing of Minneapolis man George Floyd in a Black Lives Matter protest in Auckland, June 1, 2020.

Protesters in Auckland marched to the U.S. Consulate and chanted slogans familiar at U.S. protests, including "black lives matter" and "no justice no peace."

Monday's demonstrations followed those Sunday in Britain, Brazil, Canada and other countries.

Thousands of protesters gathered in central London to voice their support for those in the United States who have turned out to condemn police conduct since Floyd's death last week in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

London protesters held signs saying, "racism has no place", "justice for George Floyd" and "I can't breathe" — a reference to Floyd's words during his arrest.

Protesters in Denmark marched to the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen on Sunday, carrying placards with such messages as "stop killing black people." In Germany, protesters carried signs saying, "hold cops accountable."

Some information in this report came from the State Department.
 

June 02, 2020 at 03:43AM

In the Blood

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/36OmagC
In the Blood
June 02, 2020 at 02:00AM

Trump Praises National Guard Response to Unrest, Declares Antifa a Terrorist Group

【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/2TYrGIx
Trump Praises National Guard Response to Unrest, Declares Antifa a Terrorist Group

U.S. President Donald Trump is praising the National Guard for doing a "great job" in responding to protests that turned violent overnight in Minnesota following the death there of an African American man in police custody.

In tweets on Sunday, after a night of violence in dozens of U.S. cities, Trump blamed "ANTIFA-led anarchists" for instigating the chaos.

The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2020

"Other Democrat run Cities and States should look at the total shutdown of Radical Left Anarchists in Minneapolis last night. The National Guard did a great job, and should be used in other States before it is too late!" he said.

President Donald Trump gestures as he walks across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, May 30, 2020.

Trump said the United States will be designating Antifa as a terrorist organization.

"As this tweet demonstrates, terrorism is an inherently political label, easily abused and misused," according to Hina Shamsi, the national security project director of the American Civil Liberties Union. "There is no legal authority for designating a domestic group. Any such designation would raise significant due process and First Amendment concerns."

The Anti-Defamation League describes Antifa as "a loose collection of groups, networks and individuals who believe in active, aggressive opposition to far right-wing movements."

Mostly peaceful protests

Unrest across America has followed what had been generally peaceful protests in the days after the death in Minneapolis of 46-year-old George Floyd, an African American man, who died after a white officer held Floyd down, pressing a knee into his neck for more than eight minutes.

A police officer sprays protesters in the Brooklyn borough of New York City during a march against the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, May 30, 2020.

States impose curfews

Curfews have been imposed in at least 25 cities in 16 U.S. states.

The violence came close to home for Trump again Saturday night, occurring within blocks of the White House while U.S. Park Police, the Secret Service and the National Guard defended a perimeter around nearby Lafayette Square.

As pepper spray pushed back hundreds of protesters, vandals smashed windows of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in the 1400 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, two banks and dozens of other businesses were damaged and looted within blocks of the White House, as well as in the upscale Georgetown neighborhood.

Protesters set small fires inside two restaurants across the street from the White House Historical Association, just off Lafayette Square, and multistory scaffolding was also set on fire in a portion of the nearby U.S. Chamber of Commerce building under construction, adjacent to the Hay-Adams Hotel.

The White House and surrounding areas

Vandalism on National Mall

There were also numerous instances of vandalism to sites around the National Mall.

"For generations the Mall has been our nation's premier civic gathering space for non-violent demonstrations, and we ask individuals to carry on that tradition," pleaded the National Park Service in a tweet Sunday afternoon.

The Washington fire department responded to the larger fires, but witnesses said local police were conspicuously absent as the vandalism occurred, some of it playing out live on local and national television.

The violence was conducted by an "organized group more bent on destruction than on protest," Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters, explaining that she walked around the area at 3 a.m. to see the many businesses that had been attacked, but also observed a "beautiful downtown D.C. still standing."

The mayor added "it was maddening to think that anybody would destroy property, put our officers in danger and put themselves in danger."

Demonstrators clash as people gather to protest the death of George Floyd, May 30, 2020, near the White House in Washington.

DC police officers injured

Eleven D.C. Metro Police officers were injured during Saturday night's protests, according to the department's chief, Peter Newsham. He said one officer sustained a compound leg fracture and was to undergo surgery Sunday.

A total of 29 of the department's vehicles were damaged or spray painted, according to Newsham.

The Secret Service, in a statement, said more than 60 of its uniformed officers and special agents had been injured since Friday night, with 11 taken to hospital after being hit by projectiles, "kicked, punched and exposed to bodily fluids."

People have a right to protest but "not to destroy the city," Bowser said.

A reporter asked the mayor about her earlier criticism of the president's tweeted comments that were interpreted by many as adding fuel to the fire.

"The president has a role to play nationally in calming the unrest that we see in cities across America," she said. "At the least, he has to not incite violence and that is what we expect."

If Trump addresses the nation, "I hope that it's presidential" and calms the nation.

Download File

Embed

" />

Download Audio

Video of protests near White House recorded by VOA's Turkish Service

Bracing for Sunday evening events

Newsham told reporters "we are hoping that cooler heads will prevail" at planned events Sunday evening. "We will have sufficient department resources to manage this."

President Trump, who was in the White House both Friday and Saturday night, praised the Secret Service response and tweeted on Saturday that if demonstrators had come any closer the authorities would have responded with "vicious dogs" and "ominous weapons."

Trump claimed Secret Service agents told him they were clamoring for engagement with the demonstrators.

"We put the young ones on the front line, sir, they love it, and good practice," he quoted them as saying.

Anti-police violence protesters gather near White House, Sunday, May 31, 2020. (Photo: Ralph Robinson / VOA)

Trump appeared to invite his supporters to amass on Saturday to counter the protesters.

"Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE???" he tweeted, using the acronym for his campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again."

The professionally managed so-called "protesters" at the White House had little to do with the memory of George Floyd. They were just there to cause trouble. The @SecretService handled them easily. Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE???

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020

No such crowd of the president's supporters appeared.
 

June 01, 2020 at 04:01AM