Garland Nixon, cohost of Fault Lines on Radio Sputnik, reminds us to judge politicians on their records, not on their platitudes. This unrest is not only about the murder of George Floyd: that was the spark that ignited social unrest simmering under the tens of millions out of work, trying to get by on one measly government check, too poor to go to the doctor, with no guidance on how to best take care of themselves in this pandemic. He blows up the double standard on visiting protesters, that somehow it’s great when people come from across the country for a right-wing protest, but it’s a crime when people travel to show solidarity with Black Lives Matter. They also discuss Keith Ellison leading the prosecution against the officers who killed George Floyd, what needs to happen to start police reform and make some predictions about a very hot July.
Eugene Puryear, journalist with BreakThrough News, brings a report from the ground in Minneapolis and confirms that the demonstrations there are being driven by locals, by real people with real anger, including at local officials they say consistently protect violent police. He also confirms that many issues are driving people to the streets: poverty, police violence, the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on black communities, and more. People are recognizing that white supremacy is a pillar of our capitalist system, he says, and people in Minneapolis are excited to see the other protests popping off in the US and around the world.
Brianna Griffith, producer and host of People’s Republic, reports that she did not hear anyone speaking Russian at protests in Austin, but she did encounter American officials pulling administrative strings to shut down legitimate protest. Is this making Americans safer? No. But mainstream media wants to run with this narrative about foreign instigators exacerbating American tensions to turn people’s minds away from class oppression to a foreign bogeyman. She and host Jamarl Thomas also trashed former President Barack Obama’s weak call for people to vote in response to police violence and the toothless analysis from the Sunday news shows.
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