Posts Tagged: protests

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Trump supporter fired for coughing on BLM protesters in viral video

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Screenshot: YouTube

A Utah man has apologized after he lost his job for coughing on Black Lives Matter protesters.

Robert Brissette, of Kanab, issue an apology after he was caught on viral video coughing on Black Lives Matter protesters.

The incident happened on Saturday, Oct. 10, at a Kanab gas station. Brissette told the NY Post he was pumping gas when the protesters "goaded" him by throwing rocks at his pickup truck.

"The action was screwed up on my part," Brissette said. "I should never have done that, and that part I apologize for. But to the person that I did it at, I do not apologize to. I apologize to the general public for being a dumb s—t doing that. But the person I did it at deserved it."

Brissette, 42, said he didn't actually cough on the protesters. "I only made the sound. I didn't spit on them or anything. I fake-coughed. It was a fake."

Brissette said he fake-coughed 11 times and he knocked a cap off a protester's head. He said a female BLM organizer slapped him three times in the face, but the video didn't capture that.

Brissette and the BLM protesters are Caucasian. He said he was forced to delete his social media accounts and change his phone number after receiving an avalanche of threats.

Brissette created a GoFundMe page to raise funds for his legal defense. But he took the page down after police declined to charge him.
 

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Outrage as #CancelNetflix Trends On Twitter Amid ‘Cuties’ Controversy

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Controversial French film Cuties has spawned more backlash against streaming giant Netflix, with critics alleging it over-sexualizes children.

The film tells the story of an 11-year-old Senegalese girl in Paris who joins a "free-spirited dance clique" to escape family dysfunction.

Despite the outrage, the movie earned praise when it debuted at January's Sundance Film Festival in Utah for how it addressed the hypersexualization of young girls.

Netflix previously apologized for a promo poster of the child stars posing in their dancing outfits. After the film premiered on Netflix on 9 September, the backlash continued as the hashtag "#CancelNetflix" was the top trending topic on Twitter in the U.S. the following day.

A petition on Change.org was also launched, calling on Netflix customers to cancel their subscriptions over the flick on the streaming service "that exploits children and creates a disturbing vibe".

"From cuties to Big Mouth to other movies mocking religions and exploiting children Netflix is no longer the family friendly streaming service I once believed it to be," reads a message on the campaign, which currently has over 600,000 signatures.

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Barack and Michelle Obama, who signed a multimillion dollar production deal with Netflix, have remained silent amid the controversy.

The backlash prompted Netflix officials to issue a statement, insisting the film, "Cuties is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children.

"It's an award-winning film and a powerful story about the pressure young girls face on social media and from society more generally growing up — and we'd encourage anyone who cares about these important issues to watch the movie," they told Variety of the Maimouna Doucoure-directed flick.

But critics complained about the many close up shots of the young girls' body parts, and one scene where a girl exposed her breasts on camera.
 

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Kansas City Chiefs fans boo during ‘moment of silence for equality’ (Video)

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NFL fans booed the "woke" NFL social justice activism on the field during the NFL's first game of week one on Thursday night.

The boos were the loudest when players from the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans linked arms for a moment of silence for equality (see video below).

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The Chiefs official Twitter page chose to show video of the fans cheering rather than the boos.

MSN called the booing "an unmistakable and shameful moment".

The Houston players stayed in their locker room during the "Star Spangled Banner" and the Black National Anthem "Lift Every Voice" prior to the start of the game.

The players said the decision was made to stay in the locker room because they didn't want to insult soldiers who died to protect their country.

All except one Chiefs player stood during the two national anthems. Chiefs defensive lineman Alex Okafor was the only player who kneeled. He also raised his fist in the air.

Texans defensive end JJ Watt said the booing was "unfortunate."

"The moment of unity I personally thought was good," he said after the game.

"I mean the booing during that moment was unfortunate. I don't fully understand that. There was no flag involved. There was nothing involved other than two teams coming together to show unity."

The NFL showed its commitment to equality by emblazoning the words "End Racism" and "It Takes All of Us" at the end of each end zone.

The Super Bowl champion Chiefs won the game 34-20.
 

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Hundreds of Clicks Pharmacies Closed in South Africa After ‘Racist’ Hair Ads

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Protesters forced the closure of hundreds of pharmacies in South Africa after it ran a hair advertisement that many South Africans deemed racist.

The Clicks pharmacy advertisement featured pictures of African hair labeled as "dry and damaged," while an image of Caucasian hair was described as "fine and flat."

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Opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) called the adverts "racist" and "dehumanizing."

EFF leader Julius Malema organized protests outside the Clicks stores and called for all Clicks to be closed.

The company has threatened legal action against EFF, but Mr. Malema urged his supporters to be "combat ready" and said EFF wouldn't be "intimidated by threats."

"The implications of this are that black identity exists as inferior to the identity of white people. It is an assertion that white standards of beauty are to be aspired to and features of black represent damage, decay and abnormality," the EFF said in a statement obtained by Yahoo News.

Videos shared on Twitter shows some stores closed while others are guarded by security. In one incident, a bottle filled with a flammable liquid was thrown inside a Clicks store. Another video shows protesters pulling items off shelves in one store.

But demonstrations have been largely peaceful. "We are confronting white arrogance decisively. #clicksmustfall," EFF tweeted on Tuesday.

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Wisconsin Governor Tells Trump Not to Visit Kenosha: ‘Now Is Not the Time’

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President Donald Trump announced he will visit Wisconsin this week after a Black man was shot 7 times in the back by a Kenosha cop.

But Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has asked Trump to reconsider coming to Kenosha amid the ongoing conflict that includes 2 deaths and a teenager being charged with murder.

In a letter to Trump on Sunday, Evers expressed his concern, saying Trump's visit to Kenosha will "only hinder" the healing process.

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"Now is not the time for divisiveness," Evers, who is a registered Democrat, wrote.

"These past few months, from managing a pandemic to facing entrenched racial disparities and inequities, our state - like so many others - has faced unimaginable challenges. But this past week has been particularly difficult. Kenosha and communities across Wisconsin are enduring extraordinary grief, grappling with a Black man being shot seven times and the loss of two additional lives on Tuesday night at the hands of an out-of-state armed militant."]

A Trump visit, Evers added, could "delay" the city's efforts to "overcome division" and progress as a community.

"Now is not the time for divisiveness," Evers added. "Now is not the time for elected officials to ignore armed militants and out-of-state instigators who want to contribute to our anguish."

Trump responded to Evers' request on Twitter.com on Monday morning.

"If I didn't INSIST on having the National Guard activate and go into Kenosha, Wisconsin, there would be no Kenosha right now," he tweeted. "Also, there would have been great death and injury. I want to thank Law Enforcement and the National Guard. I will see you on Tuesday!"

2 minutes later, he tweeted a message to the mayor of Portland, Oregon, where riots have continued for over 90 days: "Portland is a mess, and it has been for many years. If this joke of a mayor doesn't clean it up, we will go in and do it for them!"

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Evers, 68, is pictured above with his Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes, 33, who was recently criticized for hosting a series of Victoria's Secret parties in 2009. In one invitation to a "Vicky" party, Barnes referred to women as "ratchet" and said security would be there "handin' out free choke slams and sleeper holds!!!"

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Jacob Blake’s father says son is handcuffed to hospital bed

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The father of Jacob Blake, the Black man who was shot 7 times in the back by a Wisconsin cop, said his son was handcuffed to a hospital bed when he went to visit him on Wednesday.

Jacob Blake, Sr. said he was "heartbroken" to see his son laying there handcuffed to the bed.

"I hate it that he was laying in that bed with the handcuff onto the bed," said the elder Blake, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "He can't go anywhere. Why do you have him cuffed to the bed?"

Blake is paralyzed from the waist down, his father said. He is in police custody in the hospital where he is recovering from surgery earlier this week.

A spokesperson with the Froedtert Hospital, where Blake is recovering, deferred a reporter's questions to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

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Blake, 29, was shot multiple times in the back and arm on Sunday, when Kenosha police officers attempted to detain him on an outstanding warrant for domestic assault and a sex crime.

Officers were called to the scene by Blake's girlfriend, who said he wasn't supposed to be there, according to the state Justice Dpartment.

Officers used a Taser on him, the state agency said in a news release Thursday, who added Blake was shot when he opened his driver-side door and leaned inside the vehicle.

Police recovered a knife from the driver-side floorboard of his SUV after the shooting. The state agency said Blake admitted having a knife in his possession.

The Kenosha officer who shot Blake was identified as Rusten Sheskey, who has been with the department for seven years.

Sheskey and another officer have been placed on paid administrative leave, authorities said.

Blake, Sr. said Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, reached out to the family.

When a reporter asked Evers if he was concerned about Blake's restraints, he responded, "Hell, yes! I would have no personal understanding why that would be necessary. I can't imagine why that's happening and I would hope that we would be able to find a better way to have him get better and recover."

Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang tweeted Thursday that he spoke with Blake Sr. about his son.

"His first question after he woke up was, "Daddy, why did they shoot me so many times?" Yang tweeted. "He wept to his father. He has restraints on even though he can't move his legs."

"His father actually used the words 'chains.' He said my son is chained up," Yang told CNN's Erin Burnett.

Yang tweeted: "When asked what message I could share on his family's behalf, #JacobBlake Sr. said to me, 'Tell them my son is a human being.'"

The shooting sparked 3 nights of violent protests in Kenosha, where 2 people were killed and another wounded after video footage shows they attacked 17-year-old Illinois resident Kyle Rittenhouse, who was armed with an AR-15 assault rifle.

Rittenhouse is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, attempted first-degree intentional homicide and possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18.

Wisconsin is an open carry state, but Rittenhouse is a year under the legal age limit to open carry a firearm.

An Antioch, Illinois judge ordered Rittenhouse held without bail at a juvenile detention facility pending a hearing on Friday to determine whether he will be extradited to Kenosha County.

Famed Atlanta attorney Lin Wood offered to represent Rittenhouse for free after GoFundMe deleted a page launched by his father to pay his legal expenses.

Authorities say Wednesday night was peaceful in Kenosha, where a 7 p.m. curfew is in effect.

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WNBA players wear T-shirts with 7 bullet holes on the back

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WNBA players protested on Wednesday by wearing custom made T-shirts with 7 faux bullet holes on the back, representing the number of times Jacob Blake was shot on Sunday in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Blake, who is Black, was shot by a white police officer who was attempting to arrest Blake on an outstanding warrant for domestic assault and sex crimes against two minor girls. Blake, 29, survived his injuries but he was paralyzed from the waist down and he will wear a colostomy bag for the rest of his life.

The Washington Mystics lined up at center court on Wednesday in Palmetto, Florida to display their white T-shirts with a letter of Blake's name on the front to spell out "Jacob Blake." They embraced one another before kneeling to reveal the back of their shirts.

The Mystics boycotted their game against the Atlanta Dream Wednesday night before taking to the court to protest.

"We wanted everybody to feel like they were supported," said Ariel Atkins, a guard for the Washington Mystics. "Understanding that this just isn't about basketball. We aren't just basketball players and just because we are basketball players, that's our only platform. We need to understand that when most of us go home, most of us are Black."

The WNBA announced the remaining two games on the schedule were postponed following the news that the NBA boycotted their games on Wednesday and Thursday. The NBA playoff schedule is expected to resume on Friday night at the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida.

The boycotts -- for a man who was wanted for molesting two teenage girls -- rubbed NBA fans the wrong way. Fans say they are boycotting the playoffs, even though TV ratings for the playoffs were already low.

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Jacob Blake’s Mom Apologizes to ‘Our President Trump’ for Missing His Phone Call

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Jacob Blake's mother Julia Jackson stunned CNN anchor Don Lemon when she apologized to President Donald Trump live on his program Wednesday night.

Lemon is a very vocal Trump critic who frequently uses his platform to attack Trump's policies.

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Blake, 29, was shot 7 times in the back by a Kenosha, Wisconsin police officer on Sunday. He is paralyzed from the waist down and suffered extensive internal injuries.

"He had a bullet go through some or all of his spinal cord," attorney Patrick Salvi said. "He has holes in his stomach, he had to have nearly his entire colon, small intestines removed, damage to kidney and liver, and was shot in the arm."

Salvi said Blake will undergo more surgeries and has a long road to recovery ahead of him. The family plans to file a civil suit against the city and the police department.

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Jackson, accompanied by attorney Benjamin Crump, appeared on Lemon's CNN program via Skype on Wednesday night. She denounced the violent protests and looting in her city.

But she stunned Lemon when she apologized to Trump for missing his phone call. Jackson also apologized for the behavior of a family member who criticized Trump.

"My family and I are very hurt. And quite frankly disgusted," she told Lemon. "And as his mother, please don't burn up property and cause havoc and tear your own homes down in my son's name. You shouldn't do it, people shouldn't do it anyway, but to use my child or any other mother or father's child - our tragedy - to react in that manner, it's just not acceptable," she said.

She said the ongoing violence was not helping her son or anyone else who has suffered from alleged police brutality.

When asked by Lemon whether she had a message for any politicians, including Trump, Jackson apologized to "our President Trump" on behalf of a family member who had said something that was "not kind."

"She is hurting, and I do apologize for that," Jackson said, adding, "That does not reflect our behavior."

She continued, "for President Trump, I'm sorry I missed your call because had I not missed your call, maybe the comments that you made would have been different, and I'm not mad at you at all. I have the most respect for you as the leader of our country."

Recent polls show 37% of Black Americans approve of President Trump. Only 8% of Black voters approved of Trump in 2016.
 

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Teenager arrested in fatal shootings of 2 BLM protesters in Kenosha

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A 17-year-old was arrested and charged in the fatal shootings of two Black Lives Matter protesters during violent Jacob Blake protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin Tuesday night.

Kyle Rittenhouse, who is a Caucasian Blue Lives Matter activist, was arrested Wednesday at his home in Antioch, Illinois, and charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide.

Rittenhouse was initially labeled a "fugitive from justice" because he "fled the state of Wisconsin with intent to avoid prosecution".

The teenager is being held without bond while awaiting extradition to Wisconsin. Antioch police Cmdr. Norman Johnson said Rittenhouse was charged as an adult.

Famed Atlanta attorney Lin Wood, who recently settled a defamation lawsuit against CNN for teenager Nicholas Sandmann, offered to represent Rittenhouse for free after GoFundMe deleted an account created by the teen's father for legal expenses.

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

In the above photo, Rittenhouse opens fire with his AR-15 rifle at Black Lives Matter protester Gaige Paul Grosskreutz, who was armed with a pistol. Grosskreutz was wounded in the arm. Anthony Huber, 26, (pictured foreground) was shot in the chest after hitting Rittenhouse in the head with a skateboard. He was later pronounced dead.

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A man ties a tourniquet above a gunshot wound sustained by Grosskreutz, who allegedly pointed a pistol at Rittenhouse before he was shot. News outlets described the handgun as a "cellphone".

A 36-year-old white male Kenosha resident, later identified as Joseph Rosenbaum, was fatally shot in the head during an earlier confrontation with Rittenhouse. Rosenbaum allegedly yelled, "Shoot me, ni**a!" before throwing something at Rittenhouse.

The shootings occurred around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Rittenhouse (3rd from left) is pictured hours before the shootings cleaning graffiti off a Kenosha courthouse.

He was interviewed by a street journalist minutes before he shot and killed two BLM protesters and wounded a third.

"So people are getting injured and our job is to protect this business," he said in the video. "And part of my job is to also help people. If there is somebody hurt I'm running into harm’s way. That's why I have my rifle because I need to protect myself, obviously. I also have my med kit."

Rittenhouse said he was "pepper sprayed" by a demonstrator in the crowd during the protests. When asked if he was using non-lethal crowd control, he replied, "We don't have non-lethal."

According to video footage, Kenosha police drove past Rittenhouse who had an AR-15 rifle slung over his shoulder as members of the crowd were yelling for them to arrest him because he had shot people.

Photos from Rittenhouse's deleted Facebook page shows him as a youngster wearing a police uniform and wielding a semi-automatic rifle.

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Black Lives Matter activists took to Twitter Wednesday night to complain that police helped Rittenhouse and let him go when protesters chased him after the shooting.

Democratic nominee Joe Biden finally condemned the riots and violence on Wednesday, after CNN anchors Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo pleaded with him to speak out because the riots hurt the Democrats' chances in November.

Cuomo said, "I think [the riots] probably represents the biggest threat to the Democratic cause."

"Kenosha is a Rorschach test for the entire country, and I think this is a blind spot for Democrats. I think Democrats are ignoring this problem or hoping that it will go away, and it's not going to go away," Lemon said Tuesday night.

Speaking remotely from his beach house in Delaware, Biden urged protesters to remain peaceful and avoid "needless violence". Biden quoted Jacob Blake's mother, Julia Jackson, who said her son would not want to see violence and destruction carried out in his name.

Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot 7 times in the back by a white police officer responding to a domestic disturbance call on Sunday. Police were advised that Blake was wanted on warrants for domestic violence and sex crimes.

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Don Lemon pleads with BLM to stop rioting because they’re hurting the Democrats’ chances in November

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Screengrab: YouTube

CNN anchors Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo sounded the alarm about new polling that shows the Democrats' chances of winning in November are slipping away due to the riots.

Lemon pleaded with Democratic nominee Joe Biden to do something about Black Lives Matter activists because the ongoing riots are hurting the Democrats' chances in the upcoming elections.

Lemon cited polling that shows Americans are turning away from the Democratic Party after months of anti-police rioting following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Kenosha, Wisconsin exploded like a powder keg after an unarmed Black man was shot 7 times in the back by a police officer on Sunday.

Kenosha residents and business owners armed themselves and fired "warning shots" at protesters on Tuesday night. 2 protesters, both white males, were shot dead and one wounded in separate shootings.

Liberals are finally realizing that supporting rioters may not be the best strategy to win the election.

CNN anchor Chris Cuomo said, "I think [the riots] probably represents the biggest threat to the Democratic cause."

Lemon agreed, saying, "Kenosha is a Rorschach test for the entire country, and I think this is a blind spot for Democrats. I think Democrats are ignoring this problem or hoping that it will go away, and it's not going to go away."

He pushed Biden to come out of his basement and talk to Americans. But Biden previously said he supports the protesters and he has not condemned the riots.

Lemon suggested Biden's absence from the campaign trail - and his lack of leadership during the rioting - will have dire consequences.

Biden has said he plans to campaign from his basement until the November elections.

"Unless someone comes up with a solution... in the next 68 days -- the problem is not going to be fixed by then," said Lemon. "But what they can do -- and I think maybe Joe Biden may be afraid to do it -- he's gotta address it. He's gotta come out and talk about it. He's gotta do a speech like Barack Obama did about race. He's gotta come out and tell people that he is going to deal with the issue of police reform in this country, and that what's happening now is happening under Donald Trump's watch."

Lemon added: "The rioting has to stop. Chris, as you know and I know, it's showing up in the polling. It's showing up in focus groups. It is the only thing — it is the only thing right now that is sticking."
 

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Porsha Williams and Yandy Smith Arrested at Breonna Taylor Protest

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Porsha Williams (left) and Yandy Smith were both arrested while demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, an emergency medical worker who was killed by police in her Louisville home in March.

The reality TV personalities were at a protest for Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky on Tuesday when they were cuffed and booked.

The pair, who star in Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta and VH1's Love & Hip-Hop respectively, were among 68 people arrested while calling for the arrest of two cops who fatally shot Taylor multiple times during a bungled drug raid after three officers executed a no-knock warrant at her home.

The protest followed BreonnaCon - an event that spanned several days focused on bringing the community together to get justice for Taylor - and saw protesters march from South Central Park to the Louisville Metro Police Department Training Academy.

Police blocked protesters from going past the Denny Crum Overpass, and charged those taken into custody with obstructing the roadway and disorderly conduct.

Williams shared a photo of her and Smith sitting in the street with their fists raised in front of a line of cops. She wrote in the caption: "SAY HER NAME #BreonnaTaylor."
 

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SAY HER NAME ? #BreonnaTaylor ??

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Meanwhile, Smith posted a clip of herself being escorted away by cops amid the protest, and penned: "If we don't get no justice." She captioned another protest video: "Matter fact you ain't gonna take me sitting down. I'm standing my ground!!!!!!!!"

Both Williams and Smith were also arrested following a similar protest in Louisville in July, which took place at the home of Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

It has been over five months since Breonna Taylor was killed. None of the officers have been arrested as yet, with one of the three fired for use of deadly force in June.

Louisville's mayor, City Council and the state's governor are all Democrats.
 

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If we don’t get no justice

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Copyright Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the photograph(s) or video(s) used in this post. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" of photographs for purposes such as parody, criticism, commentary, news reporting, education, and research.

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Chicago Mayor Vows to Arrest Looters After Night of Unrest in Affluent Downtown

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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot vowed to arrest rioters who went on a looting spree in downtown Chicago after news of a police-involved shooting in the city's Englewood neighborhood.

Mayor Lightfoot joined Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown and city officials at a news conference following a night of unrest reportedly due to a police-involved shooting in Englewood, a neighborhood in Chicago. The 20-year-old victim is in stable condition at a hospital.

After the shooting, a crowd gathered on the South Side, The Loop, Mag Mile and the Gold Coast areas. Social media posts encouraged "a caravan of cars" to go loot downtown. 400 officers were dispatched to the downtown area.

Social media videos shows looters ransacking stores and fleeing with cash registers. In one video, a stolen Audi was rammed into a Tesla dealership. More than 100 looters were arrested on Sunday night.

Superintendent Brown said the looting happened on Sunday night because there were no consequences after the George Floyd riots. Very few criminals were prosecuted after previous riots in May and June.

Mayor Lightfoot was heated, as she called the rioters "felony criminals," and she instructed one reporter not to "bait" her and the police chief with loaded questions.

"This was not protected First Amendment speech," Mayor Lightfoot said. "This was not poor people engaged in petty theft to feed themselves. This was straight-up felony criminal conduct."

The mayor said the shooting in Englewood was not a driving factor in the looting last night. She said the looting was "deeply painful" for residents and merchants, and she thanked the police for their professionalism.

The former prosecutor urged law enforcement to put their best officers on the investigation into the looting.

"To those who engaged in this criminal behavior, let's be clear, we are coming for you... You have no right to take and destroy the property of others."
 

 

 

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Black Lives Matter protester killed in Austin, TX after reportedly pointing an AK-47 at driver *Update*

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A Black Lives Matter protester was gunned down by a motorist at a demonstration in Austin, Texas on Saturday night.

Witnesses say Garrett Foster, 27, was killed after he reportedly pointed an AK-47 at a driver who was blocked by demonstrators in the roadway. The driver shot Foster with a handgun before he sped off.

Foster was pushing his fiancee Whitney Mitchell in a wheelchair in downtown Austin in the moments before he was shot. Mitchell, a quadruple amputee have dated since they were 17.

A grainy photo circulating on Twitter.com shows Foster with his AK-47 near the driver's side window of the vehicle. Whitney is not seen in the photo.

Austin police confirmed a 911 caller told the dispatcher he was just involved in a shooting after 10 p.m. on Saturday. The caller said he shot a man who approached his vehicle and pointed an assault rifle at him.

The caller was instructed to park his vehicle and an officer would be dispatched, according to Austin police.

Officers arrived and brought the caller to the homicide division where he was interviewed. His handgun and vehicle were secured as evidence.

Officers at the scene of the shooting spoke with witnesses and received several different versions of the incident.

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Police spoke with another individual who said he heard the first volley of gunshots and observed the vehicle speeding away.

The witness said he drew his handgun and fired at the fleeing vehicle. His handgun was also taken into evidence and he is cooperating with police.

Both individuals were released by police. Both men had valid carry/conceal licenses.

Cell phone video captured the sounds of the shooting. Gunfire from a semi-automatic rifle can be heard, then a brief pause followed by several shots from a small caliber weapon.

Reddit.com users identified the first shots as gunfire from a semi-automatic rifle similar to an AK-47.
 

A police officer is seen securing the Ak-47 in another cellphone video after the shooting.

Foster was interviewed moments before he was killed. He said he was licensed to carry a weapon and that he carried the AK-47 to protect himself. "They don't let us march in the streets anymore, so I've gotta practice some of our rights," Foster said in the video.

When asked if he planned to use the weapon, Foster said, "Nah… If I use it against the cops, I'm dead. I think all the people that hate us and want to say sh** to us are too big of pussies to stop and actually do anything about it."

Foster's mother, Sheila Foster, told ABC News her son and his fiancee were demonstrating in the street, when the driver, "got out of his car and started firing shots, and my son was shot three times."

An unidentified protester told a reporter, "A car drove up. We were taking the streets, and he shot Garrett. Garrett is the husband of Whitney, a quadriplegic in a wheelchair, and he is her caretaker and has been for like 10 years. They've been out here for ... all 50 days so far."

Other witnesses described a blue car "swerving" into the crowd of demonstrators. Some of the protesters pounded on the trunk of the car. No one mentioned Foster firing the AK-47 in the seconds before he was killed.

Foster's friends and family say he is a hero for protecting his girlfriend.

In a Facebook post, Foster appeared to approve of three federal officers suffering permanent blindness after BLM rioters pointed lasers at their eyes.

"They're cops it doesn't matter," he wrote.

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Facebook.com

 

Copyright Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the photograph(s) or video(s) used in this post. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" of photographs for purposes such as parody, criticism, commentary, news reporting, education, and research.

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Trump to send federal troops to Chicago after 63 shot, 12 killed – including 2 children – in weekend violence

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Photos: Getty Images

President Trump vowed to send federal troops to Chicago after a bloody weekend of violence left 63 shot and 12 people killed, including two children.

Tensions between Trump and the mayor of Chicago erupted after he tweeted about the ongoing violence in her city.

Trump vowed to send federal troops to the Democratic stronghold this week to quell the violence.

"How about Chicago? Would you say they need help after this weekend?" Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. "You know the numbers that you hear, the numbers? Many, many shot. Many, many killed."
 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she had concerns about federal troops who disrupted Antifa and Black Lives Matter uprisings in Portland, Oregon over the weekend.

"I have great concerns about that in particular, given the track record in the city of Portland," Mayor Lightfoot said.

Federal agents in unmarked cars ambushed startled protestors in Portland and took them to unknown locations over the weekend.

Unlike the National Guard, federal agents have more powers to arrest and detain people who trespass or commit crimes on federal property.

"I have talked to the mayor of Portland (and) we don't need federal agents without any insignia taking people off the street and holding them, I think, unlawfully," Lightfoot added.

At least 18 Chicago police officers were hospitalized after hundreds of protesters - many holding black umbrellas to shield their identities, assaulted police with frozen water bottles, rocks, and other projectiles as they tried to take down the statue of Christopher Columbus in Grant Park on Friday.

Mayor Lightfoot blamed "a group of vigilantes" who came to Chicago "for a fight, not a peaceful protest."

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Porsha Williams Arrested at Breonna Taylor Protest

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Porsha Williams is cooling her heels in a Louisville jail cell. Williams was arrested while protesting the murder of Breonna Taylor by Louisville police officers in March.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta TV personality joined other protesters outside the home of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron in Louisville to demand justice for Breonna.

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Taylor, an emergency medical worker, was fatally shot multiple times in her own home during a bungled drug raid by three plainclothes police officers.

One officer has since been fired, but protesters say that's not enough. They won't rest until all three officers are let go.

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

According to Williams' fiance Dennis McKinley, the reality TV star and mom-of-one was arrested alongside Women's March co-organizer Tamika D. Mallory, rapper Trae tha Truth, and Love & Hip Hop co-creator and star Yandy Smith, among others.

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Fans and friends admired Porsha's courage and willingness to give her freedom for what she believes in.

"She has always been fearless. You mess with her people, you mess with her," her sister Lauren Williams wrote on Instagram. "She takes the case of #breonnataylor personally and she's sacrificing work, time with her loved ones, and her comfort to make sure the offenders are held accountable for their actions.

"This is her passion, this is her purpose. God please protect them," she added.