All posts by Janet Powe

news, US

Vigilante guns down Jacob Blake protesters, Trump sides with racist cops

Kyle Rittenhouse shot three protesters, killing two in Kenosha Wisconsin.

If the teenager had had a Muslim name what just happened may very well have been treated as a terrorist attack, but not in America.

Instead Trump and Republicans have the audacity and gall to talk of ‘law and order’ while police departments are at war against the communities they are meant to serve.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said that Rusten Sheskey was the name of the police officer responsible for shooting Blake.

Neither Sheskey or any other officers at the scene have been disciplined.

Justice for Jacob Blake!

Shockingly, there has still not been a word from Trump directly on the murder of Jacob Blake by police, or even an attempt to reach out to the family. But protesters are determined to fight for justice whatever repression the police throw at their movement .

Meanwhile, white militia and racist groups colluded with police according to reports.

The latest outrage by racist cops has sparked rebellion across pro-sports in the US and world tennis, with fixtures being postponed.

After his murdering spree Rittenhouse is filmed walking down the road towards police with his hands up and an automatic weapon slung by his side. The police do nothing, they just roll on by. The killer went home only giving himself the following day.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEYkmq5pNIi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Also below see a moment when the police openly fraternise with the far right militia:

And much of the organising by the white militia types and vigilantes has been on Facebook, as this disturbing report from the Guardian shows:

Hours before a 17-year-old white man allegedly killed two people and injured a third at protests over a police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a local militia group posted a call on Facebook: “Any patriots willing to take up arms and defend our city tonight from evil thugs?”

It’s not yet clear if Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois teenager arrested on suspicion of murder after last night’s shootings in Kenosha, was among the people who responded to the call the militia group had posted, which was later featured on the conspiracy theory site InfoWars.

more

Facebook on Wednesday removed the page of the Kenosha Guard.

news, US

Cop fired after tasering of black woman in Georgia

A police officer in Georgia was fired as of Friday after videos on TikTok that drew millions of views showed him using a Taser in the arrest of a Black woman, the authorities said.

The Police Department in Gwinnett County, which is about 20 miles northeast of Atlanta, said it had begun its investigation into the officer, Michael Oxford, before the video spread widely on TikTok.

Investigators examined whether Officer Oxford, who is white, used de-escalation techniques and whether he violated departmental policy on Aug. 18 when he arrested the woman, Kyndesia Smith. more

@jaythegoat3476

This is America #copbrutality #blm #blacklivesmatter #justice #killercop #renegade #fyp #fyp #duet

♬ original sound – jaythegoat3476
@jaythegoat3476

Part 2 #copbrutality #blm #blacklivesmatter #justice #killercop #renegade #fyp #fyp #duet

♬ original sound – jaythegoat3476
@jaythegoat3476

♬ original sound – jaythegoat3476
news, US

Wisconsin cops shoot black man in back 7 times as gets into car with kids

Protests have broken out in Wisconsin after police shot a black man many seven times in the back in. what police describe as a domestic incident.

Victim Jacob Blake was taken to hospital for surgery and is now fighting for his life in intensive care.

The video below posted by an attorney who appeared on the scene, online shows Mr Blake being shot as gets into a car in Kenosha. His young children are in the car.

Authorities in the city declared an emergency overnight curfew after unrest broke out following the shooting.

Hundreds marched on police headquarters on Sunday night to demand justice.

Wisconsin cops still free

As of writing, no Kenosha Police Department officers have been disciplined.

https://twitter.com/AttorneyCrump/status/1297721479711334401?s=20

Reactions to the video were swift. Within hours, protesters gathered.

The short video, shot Sunday afternoon, shows members of the Kenosha Police Department (KPD) pointing a gun at Jacob Blake while he walks toward a vehicle. While Blake opens the door, an officer grabs his shirt and shoots him at close range, in the back, seven times. Blake slumps against the car horn while onlookers react in horror.

(Video may be disturbing to some viewers.)

read more

news, UK

Still no arrests or disciplining of police for violence against nurse

From the Daily Telegraph:

Police have been criticised after a number of officers were filmed apparently holding a black woman to the ground shortly after she demanded a refund from a nearby jewellery shop.

Onlookers who filmed the incident said the woman appeared to have shown no signs of aggression and was not resisting when she was held on Saturday morning.

Observers said she appeared to have been pinned to the ground by officers, but Herts police sources said the woman had herself begun to kneel down, at which point officers “lowered her” to the pavement in order to finishing applying the handcuffs “as this was safer than trying to stand her back up”.

In distressing footage posted on social media the woman – who is understood to work as a nurse for the NHS – was seen crying and asking why she was being arrested.

The woman can be heard saying: “All I did was ask for a refund. Why are they doing this to me? They listened to the white man, they didn’t listen to me. All I wanted was a refund. I didn’t break anything. I just wanted my customer rights. I didn’t damage anything. It was plastic that got smashed.”

Observers said the footage appeared to raise disturbing questions about the tactics used by some police officers when dealing with incidents involving black people. more

action, events, news

Brighton BLM protest Saturday 15 August Madeira Drive 12 noon

officialbrightonblm's profile picture

officialbrightonblm

‼️ IT’S A MOVEMENT NOT A MOMENT ‼️

We keep working hard to dismantle racism in the UK. We are all ready to see you at Madeira Drive at 12 pm.

Scan the QR code to access our linktree and a bunch of other important and useful resources, as well as the list of chants to use at the protest.

We will see you there!

Keep saying their names even when the hashtag is no longer trending

With love and solidarity,
Brighton BLM

brighton blm 15 august 2020
news, UK

Police arrest 14-year-old, youth workers – Colindale fights back! Join Tottenham BLM protest on Saturday

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Police have arrested at least five people including two youth workers after an outrageous raid in Colindale in the north London borough of Barnet.

Young people from the 4FrontProject were helping do their bit to promote the Tottenham BLM protest at the police station.

The police dragged youth workers along the ground in a violent and totally racist and oppressive outburst of policing, even by the Metropolian police’s standard.

The confrontation with the police all began with the arrest of a 14 year old and the arrival of at least six police vans of territorial support group heavies.

The police deliberately escalated the situation and young people gathered at the police station to force the release of those arrested.

Andre, one of the arrested and organiser of the 4FrontProject event didn’t get home until late evening. All those arrested have now been released. One person has a broken wrist.

Andre has led campaigning work to expose the ‘Gang Matrix’ and the way the police use it to justify their victimisation of black youth.

This outrage will be met with a protest at Tottenham police station against racist policing that had been previously planned, and 4FrontProject were helping to build.

Temi spoke to the Guardian:

Temi Mwale, director of the 4Front Project, which works with young people on the Grahame Park estate, used a PA sound system to berate officers inside the station. “We tried to de-escalate the situation, I actually think it was going well,” she said. “But at some point, someone … decided it would be appropriate to send four, five huge vans full of hundreds of you, to start dragging community workers across the floor.” more

Temi Mwale
Members of the 4Front Project

BLM Protest at Tottenham police station
– Saturday 8 August, 1pm

Protest called by Monitoring Project and others.

Scrap Section 60 – Briefing

action, events, news, UK

Protest at Tottenham police station Saturday 8 August 1pm – No Justice, No Peace

No justice, No peace

Saturday 8th August 2020

Protest at Tottenham Police Station – 1pm

Our immediate demands:

Stop the overpolicing of black communities

Stop the use of excessive force

Stop the use of tasers

Stop S60 searches

Stop the disproportionate use of handcuffs during searches

Supporters include: by Tottenham Rights, Stopwatch and BLMUK

#blacklivesmatter

news, UK

Derby Black Lives Matter launches manifesto for change

Report by Derby BLM – Friday 31 July 2020:

Thank you everyone for an amazing launch today! Thanks to everyone who contributed ideas and worked on the manifesto and for the wonderful speakers, powerful poets, performers and support today.

You can read the manifesto at the link here.

Now we need all the agencies to turn words into action – you can help make it happen – keep telling your Councillor, public sector services, schools, enterprise agencies, local media & arts & heritage venues that this manifesto needs to be implemented, keep the momentum!

Taking The Knee in Derby on Friday at the launch of the Derby BLM Manifesto

With thanks to the BLM Derby Steering Group and to the organisations who have endorsed the manifesto in solidarity thank you: Spectrum Derbyshire Open Doors Derby Stand Up To RacismANFC Church DerbyHadhari project centre Noir Sports Derby West Indian Community AssociationDerbyshire Refugee SolidarityVox FeminarumRainbow RoutesDeeds Not Words Towards LiberationM-prez Enterprise International Women’s Day Derby Derby & Derbyshire Inspirational Women Awards Thanks to Communication Unlimited for BSL Interpreting today.

A copy of the Derby BLM Manifesto can be found at the link below:

https://issuu.com/blmderbyuk/docs/blm_derby_manifesto_final

Contact Derby BLm via their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BlackLivesMatterDerby

Bristol, news, UK

Car attack in Bristol by violent racist minority trying to foment backlash

A health worker is lucky to be alive after racists deliberately drove their car into him.

The man has been left traumatised and is too scared to give his real name – but performs music under the name Kdogg.

Those who witnessed the attack said a dark blue Honda was involved and was driven directly at the NHS worker, who works at Southmead Hospital, Bristol.

The assailants jumped out of the car and hurled racist abuse at the victim.

He is now unable to climb stairs, and said he is traumatised by the attack.

Witnesses told police that a dark blue Honda Accord was deliberately driven at K before two men shouted racial abuse at him and then ran from the car.

The attack is being seen by many as part of a violent racist backlash against the black lives matter movement by frustrated racists and fascists.

Bristol was the site of the now famous incident in which an overwhelmingly white crowd estimated at 15,000 protesters, tore down the statute of slaver Edward Colston.

Kdogg is being supported by the charity Stand Against Racism & Inequality (Sari).

He told the media: “People came to help me off the wall I was on and I just remember bleeding.

“As I was helped off, I got laid on the floor and bandaged up.

“I want to thank the people who helped me because of how quickly they responded and how they rang the emergency services because, obviously, if it wasn’t for them I’m not sure if I would be here.”

There has been a spate of serious violent racist attacks over the past few days, for example in Bishop Stortford where there is a protest by anti-racists today (Saturday 1 August).