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August 27, 2020
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/aug/26/naomi-osaka-beats-kontaveit-in-three-and-reaches-western-southern-semi
Naomi Osaka, the highest paid female athlete in the world, has joined the wave of strikes across the major US sports leagues in protest of racial injustice by withdrawing from her semi-final at the Western & Southern Open, which was scheduled to be played on Thursday afternoon. Minutes after Osaka completed her media duties following a 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over Anett Kontaveit in New York, the Milwaukee Bucks refused to contest their NBA playoff game against Orlando Magic following the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, near Milwaukee. The strikes have now spread across the US sports world and include teams from the NBA, WNBA, MLB and MLS.
“Hello, as many of you are aware I was scheduled to play my semi-finals match tomorrow,” Osaka wrote in a statement on her social media accounts. “However, before I am an athlete, I am a black woman. And as a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis.
“I don’t expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction. Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach. I’m exhausted of having a new hashtag pop up every few days and I’m extremely tired of having this same conversation over and over again. When will it ever be enough?”
Osaka, who was one of the first athletes to travel to Minnesota in the summer to protest for and pay tribute to George Floyd, punctuated her message by hashtagging the names of Black people who had been shot or killed by the police: Blake, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain and Floyd. Earlier on Wednesday, Osaka faced a 4-6, 0-2 and 30-40 deficit against Kontaveit before crushing an 114mph ace to save the break point and then reeling off nine games in a row. She eventually eked out a tight final set to secure her third win of the week. She was scheduled to face Elise Mertens of Belgium in the semi-final, who will now receive a walkover into the final. The US Open begins on 31 August.
snip
Naomi Osaka pulls out of Western & Southern semi in protest at racial injustice
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/aug/26/naomi-osaka-beats-kontaveit-in-three-and-reaches-western-southern-semi
Naomi Osaka, the highest paid female athlete in the world, has joined the wave of strikes across the major US sports leagues in protest of racial injustice by withdrawing from her semi-final at the Western & Southern Open, which was scheduled to be played on Thursday afternoon. Minutes after Osaka completed her media duties following a 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over Anett Kontaveit in New York, the Milwaukee Bucks refused to contest their NBA playoff game against Orlando Magic following the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, near Milwaukee. The strikes have now spread across the US sports world and include teams from the NBA, WNBA, MLB and MLS.
“Hello, as many of you are aware I was scheduled to play my semi-finals match tomorrow,” Osaka wrote in a statement on her social media accounts. “However, before I am an athlete, I am a black woman. And as a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis.
“I don’t expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction. Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach. I’m exhausted of having a new hashtag pop up every few days and I’m extremely tired of having this same conversation over and over again. When will it ever be enough?”
Osaka, who was one of the first athletes to travel to Minnesota in the summer to protest for and pay tribute to George Floyd, punctuated her message by hashtagging the names of Black people who had been shot or killed by the police: Blake, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain and Floyd. Earlier on Wednesday, Osaka faced a 4-6, 0-2 and 30-40 deficit against Kontaveit before crushing an 114mph ace to save the break point and then reeling off nine games in a row. She eventually eked out a tight final set to secure her third win of the week. She was scheduled to face Elise Mertens of Belgium in the semi-final, who will now receive a walkover into the final. The US Open begins on 31 August.
snip
August 27, 2020
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/26/world/middleeast/trump-iran-nuclear-iaea.html
President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, right, meeting with Rafael Grossi, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in Tehran on Wednesday.Credit...Office of the Iranian Presidency, via Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Iran has agreed to let United Nations inspectors into two previously blocked nuclear sites, officials said on Wednesday, reversing itself during an international feud over its nuclear program that has divided world powers and increasingly isolated the United States. In a joint statement, the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran said they had reached a good-faith agreement for the inspections to verify that Tehran’s nuclear program remained peaceful. Iran is “voluntarily providing” access to the sites, the statement said, and the inspections have been scheduled. After what it called “intensive” discussions, the nuclear agency “does not have further questions to Iran,” the statement said.
Just two months ago, the I.A.E.A. had accused Iran of hiding suspected nuclear activity after inspectors were refused access in the two unidentified locations. The agency, which serves as the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, also said Iran had for nearly a year evaded inquiries about its possible undeclared nuclear material and activities. But with the U.N. Security Council split over whether to restore international sanctions against Iran’s economy — and demolish a 2015 accord that limits its nuclear program — Tehran has softened its earlier defiance. President Hassan Rouhani of Iran described relations with the I.A.E.A. as “very good” and said he hoped to increase cooperation with the agency. He said the I.A.E.A. had a “vital responsibility” in helping to keep the 2015 nuclear deal intact.
His comments, as reported by Iranian state media, came after a meeting in Tehran on Wednesday with Rafael Grossi, the I.A.E.A’s director general. Mr. Rouhani also said a vast majority of states on the Security Council continued to support the 2015 accord, and he expressed hope that American “unilateralism” would come to an end, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The State Department urged the inspections to be thorough and conducted immediately, given that the I.A.E.A. has yet to be assured that Iran’s nuclear program is compliant with international guidelines. “Access is only the first step,” the department said in a statement. “Iran must provide nothing short of full cooperation, and the I.A.E.A. needs answers to its questions about potential undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran.”
The I.A.E.A. inspections are not part of the 2015 nuclear deal, and the agency will focus only on nuclear material and activities relevant to specific protocols as required by the 1968 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. But the Trump administration had seized on the I.A.E.A’s findings in June as an example of Iran’s nefarious diplomacy. Although the I.A.E.A. did not identify the two sites to be inspected, Israeli intelligence officials have identified one as the Abadeh Nuclear Weapons Development Site. Experiments using conventional explosives are believed to have been conducted there. When inspectors demanded access last year, satellite photographs showed that some buildings had been razed.
snip
Iran to Allow U.N. Inspections of Previously Blocked Nuclear Sites
The reversal comes amid a United Nations Security Council split over whether to restore international sanctions against Iran’s economy — and demolish a 2015 accord that limits its nuclear program.https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/26/world/middleeast/trump-iran-nuclear-iaea.html
President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, right, meeting with Rafael Grossi, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in Tehran on Wednesday.Credit...Office of the Iranian Presidency, via Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Iran has agreed to let United Nations inspectors into two previously blocked nuclear sites, officials said on Wednesday, reversing itself during an international feud over its nuclear program that has divided world powers and increasingly isolated the United States. In a joint statement, the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran said they had reached a good-faith agreement for the inspections to verify that Tehran’s nuclear program remained peaceful. Iran is “voluntarily providing” access to the sites, the statement said, and the inspections have been scheduled. After what it called “intensive” discussions, the nuclear agency “does not have further questions to Iran,” the statement said.
Just two months ago, the I.A.E.A. had accused Iran of hiding suspected nuclear activity after inspectors were refused access in the two unidentified locations. The agency, which serves as the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, also said Iran had for nearly a year evaded inquiries about its possible undeclared nuclear material and activities. But with the U.N. Security Council split over whether to restore international sanctions against Iran’s economy — and demolish a 2015 accord that limits its nuclear program — Tehran has softened its earlier defiance. President Hassan Rouhani of Iran described relations with the I.A.E.A. as “very good” and said he hoped to increase cooperation with the agency. He said the I.A.E.A. had a “vital responsibility” in helping to keep the 2015 nuclear deal intact.
His comments, as reported by Iranian state media, came after a meeting in Tehran on Wednesday with Rafael Grossi, the I.A.E.A’s director general. Mr. Rouhani also said a vast majority of states on the Security Council continued to support the 2015 accord, and he expressed hope that American “unilateralism” would come to an end, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The State Department urged the inspections to be thorough and conducted immediately, given that the I.A.E.A. has yet to be assured that Iran’s nuclear program is compliant with international guidelines. “Access is only the first step,” the department said in a statement. “Iran must provide nothing short of full cooperation, and the I.A.E.A. needs answers to its questions about potential undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran.”
The I.A.E.A. inspections are not part of the 2015 nuclear deal, and the agency will focus only on nuclear material and activities relevant to specific protocols as required by the 1968 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. But the Trump administration had seized on the I.A.E.A’s findings in June as an example of Iran’s nefarious diplomacy. Although the I.A.E.A. did not identify the two sites to be inspected, Israeli intelligence officials have identified one as the Abadeh Nuclear Weapons Development Site. Experiments using conventional explosives are believed to have been conducted there. When inspectors demanded access last year, satellite photographs showed that some buildings had been razed.
snip
August 27, 2020
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/26/world/asia/christchurch-brenton-tarrant-sentenced.html
SYDNEY, Australia — Brenton Tarrant doctored triggers to make his weapons fire faster and be more lethal. He used a strobe light to disorient his victims. And after murdering 51 Muslims during Friday Prayer at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, last year, he told the police he wished he had killed even more. On Thursday, his campaign of hate finally ended: A judge in the resilient seaside city where he had waged his terrorism sentenced him to life in prison without any chance of parole.
While the grieving and wounded watched with a mix of anger, defiance and relief, Mr. Tarrant, 29, an Australian with thinning hair and inscrutable eyes, was hauled away to face the certainty of dying behind bars. He is the first criminal in New Zealand ever sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for release — the country’s most severe punishment. “If he still has any human feeling, he will die in guilt and remorse,” said Gamal Fouda, the imam of Al Noor mosque, where Mr. Tarrant killed 44 people. “I think he will die out of loneliness, thinking about what he did to us and his mother, his grandmother, his family.”
“We are getting support,” he added. “He lost himself forever.” The sentence in New Zealand’s worst mass murder was handed down by Justice Cameron Mander to a courtroom of total silence after three intense days of heartbreaking and defiant testimony by victims. In all, 91 statements were delivered in court before a rotating group of socially distanced survivors and witnesses who also filled seven additional courtrooms in the modern High Court building in downtown Christchurch. Upon hearing there would be no possibility of parole, many smiled through tears.
The life sentence, while expected, followed more than a year of unpredictable proceedings. Mr. Tarrant initially pleaded not guilty to 51 charges of murder, 40 charges of attempted murder and one terrorism charge, then changed his plea to guilty in March. He fired his lawyers in July, raising concerns that he would use the sentencing to promote the racist views he had described in a manifesto he published online just before his attacks in March 2019. But instead, as victim after victim confronted him with anger and resolve, Mr. Tarrant sat silently, gazing without emotion at those he had tried to kill or terrorize.
snip
New Zealand Gives Christchurch Killer a Record Sentence
While the grieving and wounded watched, Brenton Tarrant was hauled away to face the certainty of dying behind bars after killing 51 people at two mosques in the worst terrorist attack New Zealand has ever seen.https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/26/world/asia/christchurch-brenton-tarrant-sentenced.html
SYDNEY, Australia — Brenton Tarrant doctored triggers to make his weapons fire faster and be more lethal. He used a strobe light to disorient his victims. And after murdering 51 Muslims during Friday Prayer at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, last year, he told the police he wished he had killed even more. On Thursday, his campaign of hate finally ended: A judge in the resilient seaside city where he had waged his terrorism sentenced him to life in prison without any chance of parole.
While the grieving and wounded watched with a mix of anger, defiance and relief, Mr. Tarrant, 29, an Australian with thinning hair and inscrutable eyes, was hauled away to face the certainty of dying behind bars. He is the first criminal in New Zealand ever sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for release — the country’s most severe punishment. “If he still has any human feeling, he will die in guilt and remorse,” said Gamal Fouda, the imam of Al Noor mosque, where Mr. Tarrant killed 44 people. “I think he will die out of loneliness, thinking about what he did to us and his mother, his grandmother, his family.”
“We are getting support,” he added. “He lost himself forever.” The sentence in New Zealand’s worst mass murder was handed down by Justice Cameron Mander to a courtroom of total silence after three intense days of heartbreaking and defiant testimony by victims. In all, 91 statements were delivered in court before a rotating group of socially distanced survivors and witnesses who also filled seven additional courtrooms in the modern High Court building in downtown Christchurch. Upon hearing there would be no possibility of parole, many smiled through tears.
The life sentence, while expected, followed more than a year of unpredictable proceedings. Mr. Tarrant initially pleaded not guilty to 51 charges of murder, 40 charges of attempted murder and one terrorism charge, then changed his plea to guilty in March. He fired his lawyers in July, raising concerns that he would use the sentencing to promote the racist views he had described in a manifesto he published online just before his attacks in March 2019. But instead, as victim after victim confronted him with anger and resolve, Mr. Tarrant sat silently, gazing without emotion at those he had tried to kill or terrorize.
snip
August 27, 2020
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/08/i-moved-on-her-very-heavily-trumps-accusers-speak/615664/
In her 2019 memoir, What Do We Need Men For?, E. Jean Carroll accused Donald Trump of rape, in a Bergdorf’s dressing room in the mid-1990s. After the president denied ever meeting her and dismissed her story as a Democratic plot, she sued him for defamation. Carroll was not, of course, the first woman to say that Trump had sexually harassed or assaulted her, but unlike so many other powerful men, the president has remained unscathed by the #MeToo reckoning. Which might seem surprising, until you remember Trump’s modus operandi: He escapes the consequences of one outrage by turning our focus to another, in perpetuity. So in the run-up to the November 3 election, Carroll is interviewing other women who alleged that Trump suddenly and without consent “moved on” them, to cite his locution in the Access Hollywood tape. “I’m automatically attracted to beautiful—I just start kissing them, it’s like a magnet ... And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy.”
Who are the people who came forward to say that Trump treated them exactly as he described: as fungible collections of body parts to paw at whenever it suited his purposes? Why did the women decide to tell their stories, and what has life been like since? Carroll’s lawsuit remains in progress; the president has denied all of the women’s allegations, and the White House declined to comment for this story. Natasha Stoynoff, the subject of this first installment, likens herself and her fellow accusers to the proverbial canaries in the coal mine: among the first to warn the world about the essential nature of the 45th president of the United States.
snip
'I Moved on Her Very Heavily': Part 1 by E. JEAN CARROLL
Fifteen years ago, the writer Natasha Stoynoff went to Mar-a-Lago to interview Donald and Melania Trump on the occasion of their first anniversary.https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/08/i-moved-on-her-very-heavily-trumps-accusers-speak/615664/
In her 2019 memoir, What Do We Need Men For?, E. Jean Carroll accused Donald Trump of rape, in a Bergdorf’s dressing room in the mid-1990s. After the president denied ever meeting her and dismissed her story as a Democratic plot, she sued him for defamation. Carroll was not, of course, the first woman to say that Trump had sexually harassed or assaulted her, but unlike so many other powerful men, the president has remained unscathed by the #MeToo reckoning. Which might seem surprising, until you remember Trump’s modus operandi: He escapes the consequences of one outrage by turning our focus to another, in perpetuity. So in the run-up to the November 3 election, Carroll is interviewing other women who alleged that Trump suddenly and without consent “moved on” them, to cite his locution in the Access Hollywood tape. “I’m automatically attracted to beautiful—I just start kissing them, it’s like a magnet ... And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy.”
Who are the people who came forward to say that Trump treated them exactly as he described: as fungible collections of body parts to paw at whenever it suited his purposes? Why did the women decide to tell their stories, and what has life been like since? Carroll’s lawsuit remains in progress; the president has denied all of the women’s allegations, and the White House declined to comment for this story. Natasha Stoynoff, the subject of this first installment, likens herself and her fellow accusers to the proverbial canaries in the coal mine: among the first to warn the world about the essential nature of the 45th president of the United States.
snip
August 27, 2020
https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/26/21403362/empire-market-dark-web-drug-marketplace-police-shutdown-silk-road-alphabay
Empire Market, one of the biggest dark web marketplaces, has been offline for three days, Bloomberg reports. It’s unclear what has happened to the site’s administrators, whose identities remain unknown.
According to a cybersecurity expert interviewed by Bloomberg, there are typically two outcomes for marketplaces like Empire Market. Either the admins are arrested, or they steal users’ deposits. Empire Market was popular for drug deals. It also offered fake documents, such as passports, and malware. After other sites, such as the Silk Road and AlphaBay, shut down, Empire Market was the most-trafficked dark web marketplace, Bloomberg reported.
The goods on Empire Market were exchanged for cryptocurrency. In order to operate on a market like this, anyone wishing to sell has to make a deposit. This money is held in escrow, giving the site’s administrators control over it. That makes it possible for them to simply shut down the site and walk away with the money. One security expert interviewed by Bloomberg said that the amount held in escrow by Empire Market was difficult to estimate, but at least “single-digit millions.”
At least one moderator on Empire Market fears that the administrators have made off with the funds. “I am crushed and ashamed by my admin’s apparent decision to disappear with your funds,” the moderator wrote, according to Bloomberg. “It’s hard to grasp that this is really happening. I am in shock.” Users say they can no longer access their accounts.
snip
Dark web drug haven Empire Market has mysteriously disappeared
Police? Exit scam?https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/26/21403362/empire-market-dark-web-drug-marketplace-police-shutdown-silk-road-alphabay
Empire Market, one of the biggest dark web marketplaces, has been offline for three days, Bloomberg reports. It’s unclear what has happened to the site’s administrators, whose identities remain unknown.
According to a cybersecurity expert interviewed by Bloomberg, there are typically two outcomes for marketplaces like Empire Market. Either the admins are arrested, or they steal users’ deposits. Empire Market was popular for drug deals. It also offered fake documents, such as passports, and malware. After other sites, such as the Silk Road and AlphaBay, shut down, Empire Market was the most-trafficked dark web marketplace, Bloomberg reported.
The goods on Empire Market were exchanged for cryptocurrency. In order to operate on a market like this, anyone wishing to sell has to make a deposit. This money is held in escrow, giving the site’s administrators control over it. That makes it possible for them to simply shut down the site and walk away with the money. One security expert interviewed by Bloomberg said that the amount held in escrow by Empire Market was difficult to estimate, but at least “single-digit millions.”
At least one moderator on Empire Market fears that the administrators have made off with the funds. “I am crushed and ashamed by my admin’s apparent decision to disappear with your funds,” the moderator wrote, according to Bloomberg. “It’s hard to grasp that this is really happening. I am in shock.” Users say they can no longer access their accounts.
snip
August 26, 2020
BTW, Rittenhouse was born January 3rd, 2003. He is exactly 2 months to the day too young to have even voted for Trump this time around, let alone 2016. He was not even yet a teenager yet when Trump took that fateful downward escalator ride in Trump Tower on June 16th, 2015. He is a pure distillation of Trumpian times.
https://eu.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/08/26/kyle-rittenhouse-charged-kenosha-protest-shootings-militia/5634532002/
Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old charged with shooting three people — two of them fatally — during a Kenosha protest Tuesday evening, considered himself a militia member trying to protect life and property, according to videos, interviews and social media posts. Video recorded in the hours before the shooting shows Rittenhouse hanging out with older armed men who say they're protecting a car lot. Rittenhouse, of Antioch, Ill., also did a video interview with the Daily Caller in front of a boarded up building. "People are getting injured and our job is to protect this business," Rittenhouse says in the clip. "And my job also is to protect people. If someone is hurt, I’m running into harm’s way. That’s why I have my rifle; I’ve gotta' protect myself, obviously. But I also have my med kit."
A man armed is seen outside the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha on Sunday. Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Earlier Tuesday, a local militia group known as the Kenosha Guard created a Facebook event called “Armed Citizens to Protect our Lives and Property.” The invitation was re-posted by the far-right website Infowars. The Kenosha Guard's Facebook page, which was taken down late Wednesday morning, called it a social club. But a post signed “Kenosha Guard Commander,” written to Kenosha Police Chief Miskins Tuesday, said this: “As you know I am the commander of the Kenosha Guard, a local militia. We are mobilizing tonight and have about 3,000 RSVP’s. Our effort has made the national media. I ask that you do NOT have your officers tell us to go home under threat of arrest as you have in the past. We are willing to talk to KPD and open a discussion. It is evident that no matter how many Officers, deputies and other law enforcement officers that are here, you will still be outnumbered.” At a news conference Wednesday, Miskinis said he didn't know what group Rittenhouse was part of. He wouldn’t comment on the circumstances leading up Tuesday night's shootings, saying the investigation was too new.
Militia groups cropping up around the country
Groups similar to Kenosha Guard have been showing up at protests promising to protect communities across the nation, said Alex Friedfeld, investigative analyst at the Anti-Defamation League. “The problem is, there is no way to vet who shows up and there is no guarantee that they're trained to handle guns,” he said. In New Mexico, a man affiliated with a militia calling itself New Mexico Civil Guard was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon for firing into a crowd. He was reportedly trying to prevent people from taking down a statue of a Spanish conquistador. Although such groups claim allegiance with police, they are promoting their own agenda, according to Friedfeld. Their rhetoric often derides the Black Lives Matter movement, he said.
Another militia group, called the boogaloo, also has attended all three nights of protests in Kenosha so far, according to Justin Mishler, a self-proclaimed member who lives Belvidere, Illinois. About a dozen armed boogaloo members were at the protests Sunday, about two dozen Monday and more Tuesday, he said. Their purpose was also to provide security and protection for businesses, he said. Mishler said the Kenosha Guard is not affiliated with the boogaloo. "It sounds like a group that's probably a day old or less,” Mishler said, adding that neither he nor his fellow "boogaloo bois" know Rittenhouse. "He's not one of us," Mishler said. That makes sense to Friedfeld, considering that boogaloo questions the legitimacy of police while civil militias such as Kenosha Guard want to align with law enforcement. "The pro-cop stuff puts them wildly at odds with the boogaloo," he said. Tuesday's shootings in Kenosha represented a worst-case scenario, Friedfeld said, one he and his colleagues had been worried about. "The fact that a 17-year-old is allowed to walk around with a long gun without being stopped adds to the tension," he said. "Just the presence of a firearm can escalate quickly to murder.”
'We appreciate you guys'
Rittenhouse appears to be a strong supporter of police, according to his Facebook page, which has since been taken down. His page featured pictures of badges with black bands across them, which police wear in mourning when a fellow officer is killed. An image of Rittenhouse and another man was framed in a blue circle that contains the words, duty, honor, courage and "Blue lives matter." Rittenhouse also was shown in a photo of participants in the Grayslake, Lindenhurst, Hainesville Public Safety Cadet program. The website for that group, also removed from view Wednesday, said cadets, who are between the ages of 14 and 20, are schooled in police procedures including traffic stops, crash investigations, firearms, domestic disputes and crime scene investigation. Rittenhouse's interactions with police and those of his fellow militiamen have been cordial during the Kenosha protests, according to accounts from reporters and videos shared on social media. In one of the video clips, shot late Tuesday night, a law enforcement officer in an armored vehicle gives bottles of water to a group of armed men that includes Rittenhouse. The officer thanks the men for their help, though they are clearly civilians in violation of the city's 8 p.m. curfew. “We appreciate you guys,” the officer says. “We really do.”
snip
Kyle Rittenhouse, charged in Kenosha protest homicides, considered himself militia
This is a really good article and shows that Rittenhouse and his ilk, whilst murderous white nationalists, are also PRO COP (pro white power coppers). They are a pure, newly minted form of Trumpian MAGAt domestic terrorist. They ARE a product of Trumpian intent. The 'boogaloo boys' on the other hand, are a different form of white power domestic terrorist They hate the cops, they are more along the lines of the Bundy clan and their penumbra of batshit cray neo-nazis. Their ideology has been around long before Trumpian intent. They do, however both share white power ideologies. These multiple typologies make combating this madness even harder. They also are basically impossible to tell apart in a fog of war combat theatre.BTW, Rittenhouse was born January 3rd, 2003. He is exactly 2 months to the day too young to have even voted for Trump this time around, let alone 2016. He was not even yet a teenager yet when Trump took that fateful downward escalator ride in Trump Tower on June 16th, 2015. He is a pure distillation of Trumpian times.
https://eu.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/08/26/kyle-rittenhouse-charged-kenosha-protest-shootings-militia/5634532002/
Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old charged with shooting three people — two of them fatally — during a Kenosha protest Tuesday evening, considered himself a militia member trying to protect life and property, according to videos, interviews and social media posts. Video recorded in the hours before the shooting shows Rittenhouse hanging out with older armed men who say they're protecting a car lot. Rittenhouse, of Antioch, Ill., also did a video interview with the Daily Caller in front of a boarded up building. "People are getting injured and our job is to protect this business," Rittenhouse says in the clip. "And my job also is to protect people. If someone is hurt, I’m running into harm’s way. That’s why I have my rifle; I’ve gotta' protect myself, obviously. But I also have my med kit."
A man armed is seen outside the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha on Sunday. Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Earlier Tuesday, a local militia group known as the Kenosha Guard created a Facebook event called “Armed Citizens to Protect our Lives and Property.” The invitation was re-posted by the far-right website Infowars. The Kenosha Guard's Facebook page, which was taken down late Wednesday morning, called it a social club. But a post signed “Kenosha Guard Commander,” written to Kenosha Police Chief Miskins Tuesday, said this: “As you know I am the commander of the Kenosha Guard, a local militia. We are mobilizing tonight and have about 3,000 RSVP’s. Our effort has made the national media. I ask that you do NOT have your officers tell us to go home under threat of arrest as you have in the past. We are willing to talk to KPD and open a discussion. It is evident that no matter how many Officers, deputies and other law enforcement officers that are here, you will still be outnumbered.” At a news conference Wednesday, Miskinis said he didn't know what group Rittenhouse was part of. He wouldn’t comment on the circumstances leading up Tuesday night's shootings, saying the investigation was too new.
Militia groups cropping up around the country
Groups similar to Kenosha Guard have been showing up at protests promising to protect communities across the nation, said Alex Friedfeld, investigative analyst at the Anti-Defamation League. “The problem is, there is no way to vet who shows up and there is no guarantee that they're trained to handle guns,” he said. In New Mexico, a man affiliated with a militia calling itself New Mexico Civil Guard was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon for firing into a crowd. He was reportedly trying to prevent people from taking down a statue of a Spanish conquistador. Although such groups claim allegiance with police, they are promoting their own agenda, according to Friedfeld. Their rhetoric often derides the Black Lives Matter movement, he said.
Another militia group, called the boogaloo, also has attended all three nights of protests in Kenosha so far, according to Justin Mishler, a self-proclaimed member who lives Belvidere, Illinois. About a dozen armed boogaloo members were at the protests Sunday, about two dozen Monday and more Tuesday, he said. Their purpose was also to provide security and protection for businesses, he said. Mishler said the Kenosha Guard is not affiliated with the boogaloo. "It sounds like a group that's probably a day old or less,” Mishler said, adding that neither he nor his fellow "boogaloo bois" know Rittenhouse. "He's not one of us," Mishler said. That makes sense to Friedfeld, considering that boogaloo questions the legitimacy of police while civil militias such as Kenosha Guard want to align with law enforcement. "The pro-cop stuff puts them wildly at odds with the boogaloo," he said. Tuesday's shootings in Kenosha represented a worst-case scenario, Friedfeld said, one he and his colleagues had been worried about. "The fact that a 17-year-old is allowed to walk around with a long gun without being stopped adds to the tension," he said. "Just the presence of a firearm can escalate quickly to murder.”
'We appreciate you guys'
Rittenhouse appears to be a strong supporter of police, according to his Facebook page, which has since been taken down. His page featured pictures of badges with black bands across them, which police wear in mourning when a fellow officer is killed. An image of Rittenhouse and another man was framed in a blue circle that contains the words, duty, honor, courage and "Blue lives matter." Rittenhouse also was shown in a photo of participants in the Grayslake, Lindenhurst, Hainesville Public Safety Cadet program. The website for that group, also removed from view Wednesday, said cadets, who are between the ages of 14 and 20, are schooled in police procedures including traffic stops, crash investigations, firearms, domestic disputes and crime scene investigation. Rittenhouse's interactions with police and those of his fellow militiamen have been cordial during the Kenosha protests, according to accounts from reporters and videos shared on social media. In one of the video clips, shot late Tuesday night, a law enforcement officer in an armored vehicle gives bottles of water to a group of armed men that includes Rittenhouse. The officer thanks the men for their help, though they are clearly civilians in violation of the city's 8 p.m. curfew. “We appreciate you guys,” the officer says. “We really do.”
snip
August 26, 2020
https://thebanter.substack.com/p/american-police-are-now-openly-working
This weekend, the Portland police department wanted to make sure everyone knew exactly where they stood. After almost three months of violently assaulting BLM protesters, peaceful or otherwise, they decided that maybe Saturday would be a good day to stop doing that. Normally, this would be good news, but, being the Portland PD, there was a catch. They weren’t standing down in the interest of public safety or community relations. Instead, as The Washington Post reports, they were standing aside to let the neo-fascist terrorist group The Proud Boys start a street fight with antifa:
Just a bunch of armed white nationalists looking for a fight. What’s wrong with that?
The Double Standard For Law Enforcement
The police have long been accused of treating white nationalists with kid’s gloves while treating everyone else to a face full of pepper spray. And that’s if the police are in a good mood. When they’re not, you get this.
https://twitter.com/greg_doucette/status/1268299264461025285
Or this.
https://twitter.com/greg_doucette/status/1268385711675396097
Or this.
https://twitter.com/rulajebreal/status/1270347142473924611
Or if you’re black, you might just be gunned down and labeled a “thug” who should have complied with police orders. But when you’re a violent white nationalist, you don’t have to worry about that sort of thing. The police are very accommodating. If they’re not giving you a full escort to make sure your First Amendment rights are protected, a luxury they don’t afford to everyone, they’re buying you Burger King after a hard day’s work killing a church full of black people. You may think I’m being snarky here but I’m actually quite serious. We’ve been watching the police viciously attack peaceful protesters for months (years, really) but we’ve also seen them cozying up to white nationalists:
https://twitter.com/AynRandPaulRyan/status/1268944020035653632
The key words here are “don’t look like we’re playing favorites.” Naturally, warning the armed white nationalists to get off the streets so you don’t have to arrest them while you’re getting ready to gas BLM protesters and arrest them, is the literal definition of playing favourites. The Salem police chose a side. They just didn’t want to be seen doing it. The Portland police have been caught before taking sides, as well. The Portland Mercury documented how they literally coordinated with white nationalists like they were on military manoeuvres:
There were no such communications with any BLM protesters. Granted, there are no leaders to the current round of protests but even if there were, what are the chances the police would do anything other than place them under surveillance? The Portland police have clearly sided with white nationalists and they’re not putting much effort into hiding it at this point. Even their excuse for allowing neo-fascist terrorists to rampage in the streets was painfully transparent:
That’s a nice story, but the Portland PD always seems to have more than enough cops on hand to shoot chemical weapons, flash bangs, and rubber bullets at protesters they don’t like before wading into the crowds and smashing them with clubs and fists. The last time I went to watch white nationalists on parade, the police kept both them and the counter protesters separated by a wide margin and tolerated no bullshit from either side. It wasn’t that hard to do and did not require a massive police presence to accomplish. It’s far more likely that the reticence of the Portland PD stems from their inability to tell the combatants apart in the middle of a huge melee. After all, most of the people fighting are white with their faces covered. How do you know if the person you’re smashing into the ground with four of your fellow “officers of the law” is a filthy Marxist Hippie anti-fascist protester that deserves it or a white nationalist comrade in the war to make America great again? Chemical weapons can’t differentiate between ideologies and it won’t do to gas your own side, would it? It’s a total mystery why people are still protesting against the police.
Cops Across America Went All In On Racism And It Will Cost Them
I’m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time. Trump was president and promised the police free rein to be as awful as they wanted. White supremacy was the law of the land and the good times would never end! But Trump is not the president of state and city governments, and there’s a very good chance he won’t be the president of anything next year. He doesn’t get to dictate the budgets of police departments and while “Defund the Police” is not a particularly good slogan (you still need some cops), the premise is excellent. American law enforcement is as bloated as the military. Strip a few billion from the collective budget of the police and redirect that money into other community services. Like magic, we’ll find that improving mental health services and job opportunities reduces the need for a massive militarized police force. Several cities have started to do this already because the police are out of control. That’s at the local level. If (when) Trump flees the country to someplace without an extradition treaty, things will get significantly worse for those police departments full of “bad apples” all over the country.
snip
much more at the top link
American Police Are Now Openly Working With Violent White Nationalist
The police are signaling that they welcome militia help to pacify protests, and kill unarmed citizenshttps://thebanter.substack.com/p/american-police-are-now-openly-working
This weekend, the Portland police department wanted to make sure everyone knew exactly where they stood. After almost three months of violently assaulting BLM protesters, peaceful or otherwise, they decided that maybe Saturday would be a good day to stop doing that. Normally, this would be good news, but, being the Portland PD, there was a catch. They weren’t standing down in the interest of public safety or community relations. Instead, as The Washington Post reports, they were standing aside to let the neo-fascist terrorist group The Proud Boys start a street fight with antifa:
The two groups sparred for more than two hours, as people exchanged blows, fired paintballs at each other and blasted chemicals indiscriminately into the crowd. People lobbed fireworks back and forth. At least one person was hit in the abdomen with a device that flashed and exploded, causing bleeding. … As the brawls unfolded, Portland police officers remained at a distance. They made several announcements over loudspeakers, encouraging the crowds to “self-monitor for criminal activity,” even as people beat others with sticks, and at least two right-wing activists brandished handguns.
Just a bunch of armed white nationalists looking for a fight. What’s wrong with that?
The Double Standard For Law Enforcement
The police have long been accused of treating white nationalists with kid’s gloves while treating everyone else to a face full of pepper spray. And that’s if the police are in a good mood. When they’re not, you get this.
https://twitter.com/greg_doucette/status/1268299264461025285
Or this.
https://twitter.com/greg_doucette/status/1268385711675396097
Or this.
https://twitter.com/rulajebreal/status/1270347142473924611
Or if you’re black, you might just be gunned down and labeled a “thug” who should have complied with police orders. But when you’re a violent white nationalist, you don’t have to worry about that sort of thing. The police are very accommodating. If they’re not giving you a full escort to make sure your First Amendment rights are protected, a luxury they don’t afford to everyone, they’re buying you Burger King after a hard day’s work killing a church full of black people. You may think I’m being snarky here but I’m actually quite serious. We’ve been watching the police viciously attack peaceful protesters for months (years, really) but we’ve also seen them cozying up to white nationalists:
https://twitter.com/AynRandPaulRyan/status/1268944020035653632
The key words here are “don’t look like we’re playing favorites.” Naturally, warning the armed white nationalists to get off the streets so you don’t have to arrest them while you’re getting ready to gas BLM protesters and arrest them, is the literal definition of playing favourites. The Salem police chose a side. They just didn’t want to be seen doing it. The Portland police have been caught before taking sides, as well. The Portland Mercury documented how they literally coordinated with white nationalists like they were on military manoeuvres:
"We have a large group of antifa trying to flank us an [sic] you. We are stopping them for now... but not sure how long." This is one of hundreds of text messages sent between Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Lt. Jeff Niiya and Joey Gibson, leader of Vancouver alt-right group Patriot Prayer over the past two years. Like many messages discovered in a records request made in August by the Portland Mercury, it reflects many of the public's suspicions that the Portland police have been sympathetic—if not protective—of the right-wing extremist group. … "Heads up just told 4-5 black Bloch [another nickname for antifa] heading your way. One carrying a flag," writes Niiya during a protest on December 23 2017. "We will have officers nearby but you may want to think about moving soon if more come."
There were no such communications with any BLM protesters. Granted, there are no leaders to the current round of protests but even if there were, what are the chances the police would do anything other than place them under surveillance? The Portland police have clearly sided with white nationalists and they’re not putting much effort into hiding it at this point. Even their excuse for allowing neo-fascist terrorists to rampage in the streets was painfully transparent:
“Each skirmish appeared to involve willing participants and the events were not enduring in time, so officers were not deployed to intervene,” the Portland Police Bureau said in a statement. Police said they did not stop the violence, although the event met the criteria to be declared a riot, because too few officers were available to respond and they deemed it too dangerous to intervene. Officers were tired from responding to a much smaller and less volatile protest that was declared a riot the night before, the bureau said in a statement, and incident commanders also had concerns that officers would be targeted by the crowd.
That’s a nice story, but the Portland PD always seems to have more than enough cops on hand to shoot chemical weapons, flash bangs, and rubber bullets at protesters they don’t like before wading into the crowds and smashing them with clubs and fists. The last time I went to watch white nationalists on parade, the police kept both them and the counter protesters separated by a wide margin and tolerated no bullshit from either side. It wasn’t that hard to do and did not require a massive police presence to accomplish. It’s far more likely that the reticence of the Portland PD stems from their inability to tell the combatants apart in the middle of a huge melee. After all, most of the people fighting are white with their faces covered. How do you know if the person you’re smashing into the ground with four of your fellow “officers of the law” is a filthy Marxist Hippie anti-fascist protester that deserves it or a white nationalist comrade in the war to make America great again? Chemical weapons can’t differentiate between ideologies and it won’t do to gas your own side, would it? It’s a total mystery why people are still protesting against the police.
Cops Across America Went All In On Racism And It Will Cost Them
I’m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time. Trump was president and promised the police free rein to be as awful as they wanted. White supremacy was the law of the land and the good times would never end! But Trump is not the president of state and city governments, and there’s a very good chance he won’t be the president of anything next year. He doesn’t get to dictate the budgets of police departments and while “Defund the Police” is not a particularly good slogan (you still need some cops), the premise is excellent. American law enforcement is as bloated as the military. Strip a few billion from the collective budget of the police and redirect that money into other community services. Like magic, we’ll find that improving mental health services and job opportunities reduces the need for a massive militarized police force. Several cities have started to do this already because the police are out of control. That’s at the local level. If (when) Trump flees the country to someplace without an extradition treaty, things will get significantly worse for those police departments full of “bad apples” all over the country.
snip
much more at the top link
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