Reader’s Links for June 2nd, 2020

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Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.

This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.

So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.

This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

108 Replies to “Reader’s Links for June 2nd, 2020”

  1. Widespread Looting Continues In NYC In Advance Of Curfew

    Stores all over Manhattan and in other boroughs were vandalized and robbed on Monday night, not long before a city-wide curfew was set to begin.

    • Syrians in rebel-held Idlib pay tribute to George Floyd

      Syrian artists Aziz Asmar and Anis Hamdoun paint a mural depicting George Floyd in the town of Binnish in Syria’s rebel-held northwestern Idlib province.

    • CNN – DC Bishop on Trump’s photo-op: This was a charade

      Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington criticized the manner of President Donald Trump’s visit to St. John’s Episcopal Church amid protests over the death of George Floyd.

    • CBC – Toronto cyclist riding 46km a day for George Floyd, solidarity with protesters

      Toronto cyclist Matthew Cuesta says he wants to spark an “uncomfortable” conversation about racism in Canada.

      He is riding 46 kilometres every day for 46 days for George Floyd, who died at age 46.

    • MEMRI – Iranian Analyst: Blacks in the U.S. Are Deprived; They Have Literacy Skills of Iranian Third-Graders

      Iranian academic and political analyst Mohammad Marandi said in a May 30, 2020 interview on Channel 2 (Iran) that black people in the United States oftentimes live in slums and have education so poor that it is comparable to second- or third-grade education in Iran.

      He said that the media tells blacks that they are violent, smugglers, dancers, and so forth.

      Marandi stated that the only thing most blacks have left is sports.

      Marandi also discussed former U.S. President Barack Obama, saying that Obama had joined the establishment, became “one of them,” and spoke of the Founding Fathers, even though they had been slave owners and he would have been a slave if he had lived during the same period that they had lived in.

    • MEMRI – Atlanta Islamic Scholar: Destruction, Violence Part of Quranic Model Used by Muslims in Revolutions

      On May 29, 2020, a Friday sermon by Atlanta Islamic scholar Soleiman Hamed was uploaded to the Masjid Al-Islam Facebook page.

      In the sermon, Hamed reacted to the protests following the death of George Floyd and he said that he will continue talking about revolution until the Muslims “achieve having the world look like Allah would have it.”

      Saying that he does not “necessarily” advocate the violence in the recent riots, Hamed elaborated that Muslims are not “kumbaya” pacifists and that in revolutions, they should follow the Quranic examples of Abraham and Muhammad, who employed destruction and violence against polytheism and false worship.

      He added that this is the model that Muslims use when they “take over the world”.

    • CBC – Trudeau pauses for 21 seconds before answering question about Trump’s response to U.S. protests

    • zero hedge – Minnesota To Test All 7,000 National Guardsmen Deployed To Quell Riots As First Tests Positive

      Offering a preview of what’s likely coming down the pipe over the next few weeks, a local TV station just reported that a member of the Minnesota National Guard who was deployed to clash with rioters and looters over the weekend has tested positive for COVID-19 – likely the first of many.

      ================================================
      twitter @TheoKeith

      NEWS: Fewer than 10 Minnesota National Guard members are quarantined after having upper respiratory symptoms, deputy state surgeon Dean Stulz says.

      One coronavirus test has come back positive.

      All 7,000+ activated
      Guard members will be tested after activation orders end.

      https://twitter.com/TheoKeith/status/1267822439964110855
      =================================================
      https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/minnesota-test-all-7000-national-guardsmen-deployed-quell-riots-first-tests-positive

    • Greece: Protesters burn US flag outside consulate during rally for George Floyd

      …outside the US consulate of Thessaloniki

    • FRANCE pr4vd4 – George Floyd protests: “This movement is being led by black youth, it’s not being led by Antifa”

      Do violence and riots offer Donald Trump a ticket to re-election?

      As the U.S. president doubles down on what he calls “acts of domestic terror”, antifascist activist Lacy MacAuleyand University of Maryland’s Gary LaFree disagree over the impact of the violence surrounding GeorgeFloyd protests.

  3. All I can see are virus particles throwing around, but the deposed California sees wind from helicopters trying to enforce the Washington, DC curfew.
    https://twitter.com/KatieHill4CA/status/1267636868641849349

    (humorous comment related to why Mrs Hill left: Could just have the rioters sleep with staffers, that will get them out of DC.) https://twitter.com/FuzzyDunlop235/status/1267642599185276928
    Witty guy

    https://twitter.com/RealBrysonGray/status/1267480823961473025 THIS IS GEORGE FLOYD’s BLOOD BROTHER. He said that George would NEVER condone this. STOP SAYING THIS IS FOR GEORGE. No! This for a chaos, this is rage, this is misdirected emotion….BUT THIS IS NOT FOR GEORGE!

  4. Obviously crowd-source twitter feed, with fast turn-around time of videos from NY and DC. Wondering which or group funds this ….
    https://twitter.com/_Crypto_Maniac_
    disinformation: https://twitter.com/_Crypto_Maniac_/status/1267665396338958338
    comments vouch that the people are inviting protesters into their homes, not having invasions. NOT “rioters rush people’s houses”

    https://www.govexec.com/management/2020/06/federal-bureau-prisons-goes-national-lockdown-over-protests/165820/

  6. https://vosizneias.com/2020/06/01/2-brooklyn-attorneys-granted-bail-in-nypd-firebombing-case/ “One night of behavior is not a basis on which to reject somebody’s ability to make rational decisions,” U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven Gold said.
    Colinford Mattis, a 32-year-old corporate attorney, and Urooj Rahman, 31 year-old human rights lawyer, are accused of torching a police vehicle in Brooklyn on Saturday
    Prosecutors said they would appeal the judge’s order releasing the attorneys on $250,000 bail each.

  8. Hamburg Judge Linked to Far-Left Antifa Extremists and Banned Kurdish Terrorist Group (breitbart, Jun 2, 2020)
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/06/02/hamburg-judge-linked-far-left-antifa-extremists-banned-kurdish-terrorist-group/

    “A constitutional judge in Hamburg has been linked to Germany’s far-left extremist Antifa scene as well as the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist group.

    Judge Cornelia Ganten-Lange, formerly an asylum lawyer, was elected to the Hamburg constitutional court in 2009 and again in 2015. She has been reported to have a deep history with Antifa far-left extremists during her legal career.

    She has previously spoken at events held by the organisation Rote Hilfe, or Red Help, which is classified as extremist by the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. She spoke on topics relating to Turkish far-left extremists after representing several members of the PKK terror group in court cases.

    According to a report from German newspaper Die Welt, at least one of these conferences was held at the notorious Rote Flora building, an abandoned theatre in Hamburg that has been occupied by far-left Antifa extremists for over 30 years and is regarded as their headquarters in the city.

    Along with the Rigaer 94 squat in Berlin, Rote Flora is regarded as one of the most important headquarters of Antifa in Germany and was their base for the 2017 G20 riots.

    Rote Hilfe is described by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) as a legal organisation that provides “criminal and violent offenders from the left-wing extremist spectrum with political and financial support, for example in the case of legal and litigation costs as well as fines”.

    They add that the group also attempts “to discredit the security and judicial authorities and democracy based on the rule of law through public opinion work”.

    Ganten-Lange has also spoken for a similar legal fund for Kurds called Azadi which is also classified as extremist and is linked to the terrorist PKK.

    “There are close ties to PKK-related organisations and the left-wing extremist prison aid organisation Rote Hilfe eV”, a BfV report claimed. According to the newspaper, the court was not aware of Ganten-Lange’s connection to Rote Hilfe.

    Connections between Antifa and the terrorist PKK have been reported in Germany in the past, such as in 2018 when Antifa extremists admitted to firebombing Turkish mosques that were supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an enemy of the PKK.

    Similar connections have been discovered in the UK as well between the two groups. UK Antifa have even tweeted pictures showing support for PKK flags on their Twitter accounts, despite the organisation being banned as a terrorist group by the UK Home Office.

    Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Antifa, like the PKK, would be designated a terrorist group by the United States following days of riots and looting across the country.”

  9. Gunmen attack refugee camp in Niger, cut off water supply (abcnews, Jun 2, 2020)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/gunmen-attack-refugee-camp-niger-cut-off-water-71003459

    “Dozens of armed men on motorcycles have attacked a town in western Niger that has been hosting 35,000 displaced people, killing three and cutting off the community’s water supply, the U.N. refugee agency said Monday.

    UNHCR said it was working to help provide water to the community following Sunday’s attack so that people could continue washing their hands. Niger already has had 64 confirmed deaths from COVID-19, and while the virus has yet to reach the area of the attack, there are fears it may be only a matter of time.

    There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the assault in Intikane, but Islamic extremists with links to the Islamic State group are known to be active in the region along the porous borders of Niger and Mali, often operating in dozens mounted on motorcycles.

    Two of the victims were leaders within the local refugee communities, UNHCR said. The attackers also set fire to relief items and destroyed mobile phone towers, cutting off communications in the immediate area…”

  10. UN report: Afghan Taliban still maintain ties with al-Qaida (abcnews, Jun 2, 2020)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/report-afghan-taliban-maintain-ties-al-qaida-71015766

    “The Taliban in Afghanistan still maintain close ties with the al-Qaida terror network, despite signing a peace deal with the United States in which they committed to fight militant groups, a U.N. report released on Tuesday said.

    The insurgents promptly slammed the report as “baseless and bigoted.”

    The U.S.-Taliban accord, signed in Qatar’s capital of Doha at the end of February, was meant to allow for American troops to gradually leave Afghanistan after 19 years of war and pave way for intra-Afghan negotiations that would shape the country’s political future.

    Under the accord, the Taliban pledged to combat other terror groups — including al-Qaida, which they once harbored — and prevent militants from using Afghan territory to stage attacks on America.

    But the details of the Taliban counter-terrorism commitment were never publicized. Zalmay Khalilzad, Washington’s peace envoy and the architect of the deal, says the secrecy is necessary to protect intelligence operations involved in enforcing it.

    Khalilzad told reporters in Washington on Monday that the Taliban pledge was specific “in terms of their presence, in terms of training, in terms of recruiting, in terms of fundraising in the territory that they currently control.”

    He insisted that “progress has been made and our future steps in terms of force reduction and related commitments” now depend on the Taliban delivering on their promise.

    The U.N. committee behind the report said several significant al-Qaida figures were killed over the past months but a number of prominent leaders of the group, once led by Osama bin Laden, remain in Afghanistan. The report said they maintain links with the feared Haqqani network, an ally of the Taliban, and still play a significant role in Taliban operations.

    Jihad, or holy war, and a shared history continue to bind the two militant groups. Several top al-Qaida leaders, such as Ayman al-Zawahri who succeeded bin Laden as the terror network’s leader, trace their involvement in Afghanistan to the 1980s war against the invading Soviet Union, when the Afghan mujahedeen, or holy warriors, were also financed by the U.S. to oust Moscow’s troops.

    Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued an English-language statement condemning the U.N. report. The Taliban, he said, “in accordance with the Doha agreement, will not allow anyone to use the soil of Afghanistan against anyone else or maintain training camps or use our soil to fund raise against others.”

    Critics of the U.S.-Taliban deal have expressed concern at its vagueness, warning it makes monitoring the insurgents’ compliance difficult.

    “One of the many problems with a very flawed deal is that the demands of the Taliban on counter-terrorism are worded very vaguely,” said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia program at the Washington-based Wilson Center. He said the deal doesn’t even mention al-Qaida by name.

    “At the very least, Washington should be demanding that the Taliban cease all communication with senior al-Qaida figures,” Kugelman said.

    The U.N. report, however, did note the Taliban contribution in fighting the Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan. The IS has become increasingly aggressive, carrying out horrific attacks in the capital, Kabul. The group is also believed to have been behind a brutal assault on a maternity hospital last month that killed 24, mainly young mothers and also two newborn babies.

    In his Monday telephone interview with reporters, Khalilzad also said the Taliban have been an important part in the battle by U.S. and Afghan forces against IS.

    “Daesh is working against peace … and they have been responsible … for some of the most dastardly attacks recently,” he said, using the Arabic name for IS.

    Still, Kugelman warned against underplaying the Taliban ties to al-Qaida.

    “If the U.S. simply shrugs off the Taliban’s continued ties to the very terror group that U.S. forces entered Afghanistan to eliminate nearly 19 years ago, then you’d have some really bad optics to say the least,” he said.”

  11. Turkey seeks to arrest 118 military personnel over coup (abcnews, Jun 2, 2020)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/turkey-seeks-arrest-118-military-personnel-coup-71014173

    “Prosecutors in Istanbul issued warrants on Tuesday for the detention of 118 military personnel over their suspected links to a U.S.-based Muslim cleric as authorities pressed ahead with a crackdown on a network Turkey blames for a failed coup attempt in 2016.

    The state-run Anadolu Agency said 72 of the suspects were detained in simultaneous raids in 35 provinces across Turkey for alleged ties to cleric Fethullah Gulen’s network. Police were searching for 46 other suspects, the agency reported.

    The agency said 98 of the suspects targeted by the warrants are currently serving in the military and two of them are civilians.

    Since the coup, about 77,000 people have been arrested and around 130,000 others, including military personnel, have been dismissed from state jobs in the on-going crackdown on Gulen’s network.

    Gulen, who has been in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, denies involvement in the coup attempt which killed about 250 people and injured around 2,000 others.”

  12. Trump Deploying ‘Heavily Armed Soldiers’ to Washington, Vows to Crush Riots Nationwide

  14. Is CCP Involved in the George Floyd Riots? Terror Designation May Go Beyond ANTIFA | Crossroads

  15. Delhi Covid Spike: With 990 New Cases In Last 24 Hours, National Capital Crosses 20,000-Mark

  16. Ladakh Standoff: With India-China Armies Boosting Border Infrastructure, Will Talks Resolve Impasse?

  17. China media: US riots are ‘retribution’; CCP to retaliate; Hundreds of students w/ fever not tested

  18. China reportedly orders state-run companies to halt purchase of American farm goods

  19. Over a Thousand War Crimes Claims Against British Soldiers to be Dismissed (sputniknews, Jun 2, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/military/202006021079497945-uk-war-crimes-legal-dismissed/

    “Boris Johnson vowed to protect former servicemen from “vexatious claims” when he entered Downing Street in June 2019, then on Armistice Day in November, he further pledged to amend the Human Rights Act to safeguard veterans from legal actions.

    Over 1,000 war crime accusations levelled against British soldiers in Iraq have been dismissed, with just one case still being considered.

    Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Law in Action programme, Service Prosecution Authority director Andrew Cayley said it was “quite possible” there will ultimately be zero prosecutions.

    Cayley also said he was confident no action would be taken in a separate International Criminal Court probe into alleged abuses by British soldiers, and ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda will close the preliminary examination this year in respect of Iraq and the UK.

    Many of the 1,000 cases were brought by disgraced former lawyer Phil Shiner, through his firm Public Interest Lawyers, which passed on approximately 65 percent of the 3,392 allegations received by the Iraq Historic Allegations Team. His seemingly crusading efforts led to him being named human rights lawyer of the year in 2004 by human rights organisations Liberty and JUSTICE, for “his tremendous skill, tenacity and dedication to fighting for justice” – he went on to win the Law Society’s solicitor of the year award in 2007.

    His legal actions were central to the claim UK soldiers had captured, tortured and murdered innocent Iraqi civilians after the Battle of Danny Boy near Amara in 2004 – however, in 2014, a report by the Al-Sweady Inquiry ruled the dead had been members of the Mahdi army militia, ambushed a British patrol and were killed in exchanges of gunfire. Shiner subsequently admitted paying an Iraqi ‘middleman’ to find claimants, in breach of professional standards.

    ?Shiner was subsequently charged by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal on a number of counts of professional misconduct, but failed to attend its two-day hearing, on the basis he was unwell and couldn’t afford to pay for a defence lawyer. He nonetheless admitted eight allegations of acting without integrity, including that he made “unsolicited direct approaches” to potential clients, and also admitted another allegation of acting recklessly.

    Andrew Tabachnik, prosecuting for the Solicitors Regulation Authority, said Shiner’s defence was effectively, “I was not in full control of my mental faculties at this time and I didn’t know right from wrong and what I am doing.”

    The tribunal found him guilty of multiple professional misconduct charges, including dishonesty and lack of integrity. In all, 22 misconduct charges were proved to a criminal standard beyond reasonable doubt – including ‘cold-calling’ to find potential complainants and making payments to witnesses to alter evidence – while two other charges were left to lie on file. Shiner was subsequently struck off the Roll of Solicitors and also ordered to pay for the full costs of the prosecution, starting with an interim down-payment of £250,000.

    “His misconduct has caused real distress to soldiers, their families and to the families of Iraqi people who thought that their loved ones had been murdered or tortured. More than £30 million of public funds were spent on investigating what proved to be false and dishonest allegations,” chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Paul Philip, said in response.

    Shiner declared himself bankrupt March 2017, owing almost £7 million to the state. In February 2018, the Insolvency Service found Shiner had sold his own house to his family and put it into a trust that allowed him to continuing living there, and had also sold two commercial properties for £550,000 each and transferred two £3,500 guitars to family trust. The Service eventually managed to recover nearly £500,000 from Shiner.”

  21. JUNE 02 2020 – Italy CRISIS: Anti-government ‘orange vest’ protests erupt in 70 Italian cities

    PROTESTORS have taken to the streets of 70 Italian cities in anti-government demonstrations staged to coincide with the country’s Republic Day celebrations

    The rallies were organised by right-wing political parties to highlight opposition against the country’s handling of the coronavirus crisis. Leaders said the demonstrations were a way to give voice to “the country that does not give up” which has been among the most badly hit by the pandemic and is struggling with the impact it has had

    The biggest of today’s protests took place in Rome’s Piazza del Popolo where Lega leader Matteo Salvini, Brothers of Italy leader Giorgia Meloni and Forza Italia politician Antonio Tajani, joined 300 fellow protestors in a symbolic nod to social distancing rules.

    Later today so-called orange vests protestors linked to former army general Antonio Pappalardo are also expected to make their way to the square.

    Organisers said the rally was effectively a rehearsal for mass demonstrations planned for July 4 but was also held to express the needs and requests of citizens who feel forgotten or helped insufficiently by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in phase two of the coronavirus recovery plan.

    Ms Meloni said: “We will be in Piazza del Popolo with the 500 metre Italian flag.

    “There is no better way to pay homage to the Republic than to give voice to those millions of citizens who will not accept an Italy condemned to decline by COVID and by the wrong choices of the government.”

    Today’s rallies follow protests across Italy over the weekend when demonstrators claiming COVID-19 was a “trick” took to the streets.

    Protests were held in cities including Rome, Milan, Bologna, Florence, Turin and Bergamo.

    Huge crowds flouted social distancing restrictions as they took part in the demonstrations across the country.

    Some protesters wore orange vests, while others waved flags and many did not have face masks.

    They called for a new government and a return to the Italian lira in place of the euro.

    Around 200 people clashed with police during a demonstration in Rome and in Milan hundreds of protesters gathered at the Piazza del Duomo.

    Milan’s mayor Beppe Sala branded the protest an “act of irresponsibility”.

    He tweeted: “I asked the prefect to report the organisers of the so-called ‘orange vest’ demonstration.

    “This is an act of irresponsibility in a city like Milan that is trying so hard to overcome the difficult situation it is going through.”

    https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1290264/italy-protests-coronavirus-crisis-lockdown-demonstrations-giuseppe-conte-orange-vests
    ==============================================
    Leader of Italy’s ‘orange vests’ inspires far-right and coronavirus conspiracy theorists

    Italian security officials are worried that right-wing extremists could exploit the Covid-19 crisis by infiltrating a new protest movement that drew thousands of people on to the streets in 30 cities over the weekend.

    The “orange vests” movement is led by Antonio Pappalardo, a retired carabiniere general who has mobilised a heterogeneous group of cranks and conspiracy theorists as well as ordinary Italians suffering the economic impact of a three-month lockdown.

    Mr Pappalardo, 73, says that the virus is a government trick intended to enslave Italians. The authorities have attributed more than 33,000 deaths to it, the third-highest toll in the world, but on Sunday he told supporters in Bari that only 111 people had actually died of the disease in Italy.

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/leader-of-italys-orange-vests-inspires-far-right-and-coronavirus-conspiracy-theorists-kxrf705v7

  22. Hongkongers’ Thoughts on CCP’s Push for National Security Law | CCP Virus | COVID-19 | Epoch News
    734 views
    •Jun 2, 2020

  23. (Richard: Remember this is Indian Government propaganda, this doesn’t mean there isn’t good info it means you have to check elsewhere on the important data.)

    A cornered China is now growling like a trapped cat

    • The video is a good analysis of the current situation it doesn’t mention the current economic problems in China which may make the Chinese move to try and steal assets. It also doesn’t mention the current left wing insurrection in the US which will (to an extent) affect what we can do to support India.

      Having said the above I would rather fight the Chinese Army then the Indian Army, the Chinese Army is use to bullying unarmed civilians, the Indian Army is use to cross border fighting with Pakistan. Translating that into GI the Indian Army has a solid core of blooded troops that will provide the stiffening for the unblooded during their first fight. The Chinese Army hasn’t fought any type of serious war since the tangled with Nam in the late 70s.There they were facing blooded troops who slowed down the Chinese advance and made it too costly to move further into Nam. Russia was probably on hand trying to talk China down. That fight was 40 to 50 years ago so none of the combat experienced troops are still in the Chinese Army.

      All of the above says that China is making trouble there to draw attention away from Hong Kong, and if the reports about China supplying money to the hard core rioters is right they are doing that for the same reason.

      Unless the Chinese economy is shakier then I think and the CCP in more danger of losing control of China I don’t see any foreign military adventure unless or until the US insurrection grows much larger. Since Trump is nationalizing the Guard and threatening to use the Insurrection Act I don’t see the conflict growing large enough to give China the Idea they can make major moves without our intervening.

      • Both India and China mess around there quite a bit. It just doesn’t reach a level of interest outside the two countries.
        PM Modi and Xi both need to distract from domestic miseries. A patriotic skirmish is always a winner. And it’s a familiar routine for managing excess males in the population.

  24. Slovenia beefs up border police as migration surge expected (abcnews, Jun 2, 2020)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/slovenia-beefs-border-police-migration-surge-expected-71023610

    “Slovenia has sent some 1,000 additional police to the border with Croatia amid an expected surge in migration toward Western Europe with the easing of lockdown measures against the new coronavirus, authorities said Tuesday.

    Police at the border are using surveillance drones, thermal cameras, motion detection cameras and helicopters, Slovenia’s Deputy Police Commissioner Joze Senica told a press conference near the border.

    Police said the military are assisting in border monitoring, along with specialized border control units and police dogs.

    Slovenia’s right-wing Prime Minister Janez Jansa and his Slovenian Democratic Party are staunchly anti-immigration. Also illustrating anti-migrant sentiment in the country, citizens’ groups have been patrolling the border with Croatia to help stem the influx.

    Migrants fleeing violence and poverty in their home countries enter Slovenia from Croatia, hoping to proceed toward neighboring Austria or Italy and from there to other prosperous European Union countries.

    Senica said increased migrant movement along the so-called Balkan route has been detected in the past two weeks. He said some 10,000 people in Serbia and Bosnia are looking for ways to move toward the EU.”

  25. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet at the CTAP Solidarity Call to Action launch

    On May 29, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the President of Costa Rica Carlos Alvarado Quesada, and 36 co-sponsoring member states launched the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) with a Solidarity Call to Action.

    The WHO and the 37 co-sponsoring countries called upon key stakeholders and the global community “to voluntarily pool knowledge, intellectual property and data necessary for COVID-19.”

    The event was attended by several heads of states, government officials, academics, and leaders in the civil society community.

    This is a short clip of a statement by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

  26. Ep. 1263 This Isn’t a Protest Anymore, This is an Insurrection – The Dan Bongino Show®

  28. Florida sheriff tells citizens to shoot rioters that break into their homes

    A Florida sheriff recommended home owners shoot any looters who attempt to break into their homes on Monday during a press briefing.

    “I would tell them, if you value your life, they probably shouldn’t do that in Polk County,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said, according to Fox 13 Tampa Bay. “Because the people of Polk County like guns, they have guns, I encourage them to own guns, and they’re going to be in their homes tonight with their guns loaded.”

    “And if you try to break into their homes to steal, to set fires, I’m highly recommending they blow you back out of the house with their guns. So, leave the community alone.”

    Protests in the city of Lakeland, which is in Polk County, between Orlando and Tampa, have so far been peaceful and an 8 p.m. curfew is in place. A group of protesters blocked traffic on Sunday night, which the Lakeland Police Department described as unlawful activity.

    Protesters engaging in “criminal conduct” will be “hunted down” and “locked up,” Judd added ahead of the curfew, citing social media rumors that rioters planned to strike Monday night.

    https://www.gopusa.com/?p=89798?omhide=true

  29. Russia to vote on July 1 on constitutional changes that could extend Putin’s rule

    MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday a nationwide vote on constitutional reforms will be held on July 1, announcing a new date for a delayed ballot that could extend his rule until 2036.

    Putin postponed the original vote, which had been set for April 22, because of the coronavirus outbreak, saying the health and safety of citizens was his top priority as the global coronavirus pandemic worsened.

    But he told a government meeting on Monday that the situation had broadly stabilized and the vote could go ahead.

    The number of coronavirus infections in Moscow has dropped sharply, he said, allowing the capital to start easing some restrictions.

    The changes that Russians will vote on, already approved by parliament and Russia’s Constitutional Court, would reset Putin’s presidential term tally to zero, allowing him to serve two more back-to-back six year terms until 2036 if reelected.

    “I really hope the country’s citizens will take part actively in the vote on the amendments to the constitution,” Putin, whose current term ends in 2024, told a televised government meeting

    Critics have dismissed the vote as a constitutional coup which they fear will be rigged and urged voters to stay away or to reject the proposed changes.

    https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/politics-news-pmn/russia-to-vote-on-july-1-on-constitutional-changes-that-could-extend-putins-rule

    ======================================================
    Putin Sets July 1 For Controversial Constitutional Vote

    Russian President Vladimir Putin has set July 1 as the date for the national vote on constitutional amendments that among other things would allow him to remain in power until 2036.

    Putin announced the decision at a meeting with co-chairs of the working group on the preparation of the bill on June 1.

    Ella Pamfilova, the chairwoman of the Central Election Committee, said she supports the idea, adding that the voting will start seven days prior the official date in order to avoid large crowds.

    Pamfilova also said that in two or three regions an electronic voting system will be used, though she did not say which regions.

    The bill of constitutional amendments was approved by lawmakers and approved by the Constitutional Court in March.

    It was expected to be put to a national vote on April 22, but this was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

    Putin’s critics have said that he initiated the amendments to secure power for another 12 years after his current term ends in 2024 by resetting his previous presidential term count back to zero.

    The move has sparked protests in Russian cities and towns.

    Putin’s current term, his second consecutive six-year term, began in 2018. The existing constitution prohibits presidents from serving more than two consecutive terms, but the amendments would enable him to seek a fifth overall presidential term in 2024, and conceivably a sixth in 2030.

    Final approval of the changes will come if more than half of the country’s voters support them in the nationwide vote.

    Putin, a 67-year old former KGB officer, has ruled Russia as president or prime minister for more than 20 years.?

    https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin-july-1-contsitutional-vote/30646625.html

    =====================================

    BBC – Russia’s Putin wants traditional marriage and God in constitution

    Russian President Vladimir Putin wants marriage to be defined as the union of a man and woman in a revised constitution, ruling out gay marriage.

    It is among several constitutional amendments proposed by Mr Putin, which are set to be put to a public vote.

    Critics see the proposals as a move by Mr Putin to keep a hold on power after his presidential term ends in 2024.

    The package includes a proclamation of Russians’ faith in God and a ban on giving away any Russian territory.

    The territorial amendment would strengthen Russia’s hold on Crimea – a Ukrainian region it annexed in 2014 – and the Kuril Islands, disputed with Japan since World War Two, according to Vladimir Mashkov, a renowned actor-director involved in drafting the new constitution.

    […]Mr Putin has decided he wants Russians to vote on the proposals, he needs to find a way of getting people excited about the changes – and getting them to the ballot boxes on 22 April. That’s where the populist slogans come in – and subjects like God, family and marriage – as well as promises to include in the constitution support for wages and pensions.

    […]Mr Putin’s drive against Western liberalism has included a controversial ban on disseminating “gay propaganda” among young Russians. The ban – condemned by many liberals and the European Court of Human Rights – has been used to harass gay rights activists.[…]

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51719764
    ====================================================

    video – Vote for the new constitution to protect children and traditional family values

  30. How Strong is the Islamic Republic of Iran?

    Catastrophic Iranian air and naval mishaps reveal severe military shortcomings.
    June 2, 2020
    Ari Lieberman

    The Islamic Republic of Iran frequently boasts of its military prowess. Periodically, the regime will showcase what it characterizes as an indigenously produced piece of military hardware, bragging about its supposed sophisticated features and uniqueness. But it’s often the case that the unveiled weapon system is either a painfully obvious, unworkable plastic model dressed up to look like something really cool or a poor replica of vintage American hardware, readily apparent to anyone with rudimentary knowledge of military hardware.

    In 2013, Iran showcased its Qaher F313, which it touted as a fifth generation fighter with stealth capabilities similar to the American F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Military experts immediately identified the aircraft as a fake, and a poor one at that. Andrew Davies of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute dryly noted that “It looks like it might make a noise and vibrate if you put 20 cents in.”

    In 2018, the Iranians tried to pull off a similar hoax with their unveiling of a purportedly domestically produced twin seat fighter jet called the “Kowsar.” The Iranians boasted that the aircraft was “completely indigenously made,” and featured “advanced avionics.” The plane was showcased before Iran’s “moderate” president, Hassan Rouhani, who boasted that the United States is fearful of Iran’s power.

    https://cms.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/05/how-strong-islamic-republic-iran-ari-lieberman

  31. North Carolina Dems Endorse Looting

    “Let me be clear about one thing: People are more important than property. Black Lives do Matter,” Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina declared.

    Property is a capitalist abstraction to Marxists. It’s also someone’s home, someone’s livelihood, someone’s life. It’s what separates free people from serfs. The Left wants serfs and so hates the idea of property.

    Governor Cooper, announcing in the middle of violent riots, that people’s property doesn’t matter when a Black Lives Matter mob is out there ransacking people’s stores, is an endorsement of the rioting, and an announcement that people will not be protected from the BLM mob.

    Just to hammer that message home, Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown declared, “I will not put an officer in harm’s way to protect the property inside of a building.”

    It goes without saying that this is not about the lives of officers, but about giving the mob an all-clear to riot and loot.

    A number of municipalities have done it officially, but in North Carolina, it’s official.

    https://cms.frontpagemag.com/point/2020/06/north-carolina-dems-endorse-looting-over-property-daniel-greenfield

  32. PURE EVIL: Police Chief Breaks Down After Describing How Richmond Leftist Rioters Torched Home with Children inside Then Blocked Fire Department (VIDEO)

    The chief of the Richmond, Virginia, police department told reporters Sunday that Black Lives Matter and antifa rioters set fire to a multi-family home with children inside and then blocking access for firefighters to get through to save the children.

    Richmond Police Chief William Smith broke down while speaking about the horrible night of chaos after an occupied building was torched by rioters.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/pure-evil-police-chief-breaks-describing-richmond-leftist-rioters-torched-home-children-inside-blocked-fire-department-video/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily

  33. OANN Reporter Chanel Rion to Kayleigh McEnany: Will Trump Administration Investigate Members of Congress for Support or Ties to Antifa? (VIDEO)

    White House Spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany held a presser on Monday afternoon following the violence and looting by leftist groups in cities across the country this past weekend.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/oann-reporter-chanel-rion-kayleigh-mcenany-will-trump-administration-investigate-members-congress-support-ties-antifa-video/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily

  34. US DOJ Claps Back at Rogue and Corrupt Judge Emmet Sullivan: “We’re the Prosecutors Here, Not You!” (VIDEO)

    The Barr Justice Department dropped its case against General Mike Flynn last month after bombshell documents were released that proved Flynn was framed by Comey’s FBI.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/us-doj-claps-back-rogue-corrupt-judge-emmet-sullivan-prosecutors-not-video/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily

  35. VIDEO: Shotgun Toting Shop Owners Fend Off Looters In LA, Cops Start Arresting Shop Owners, Eventually Catch Looters

    A crazy scene unfolded during yet another day of mayhem in Los Angeles. A couple of shop owners in Van Nuys were guarding their store with shotguns, with the help of a few neighbors. Would-be looters pulled up and started getting out of their cars, only to be confronted by the guys with the shotguns.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/video-shotgun-toting-shop-owners-fend-off-looters-la-cops-start-arresting-shop-owners-eventually-catch-looters/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily

  36. Man Faces Charges From Violent Protests in Minneapolis and Chicago | NBC Chicago

  37. Seven Thoughts on the Civil War the Other Side Wants So Badly
    None of them is a winner for Democrats.

    As a columnist and pundit, it’s usually a lot easier to hammer out good content on small, self-contained items. Some politician says something stupid. Some economic study pops out and either destroys or reinforces some narrative. And so forth.

    But the events of the last week, in which a bad Minneapolis cop killed an arrestee by kneeling on his neck — which practically everybody in America agrees was a criminal act deserving criminal charges, and those charges came to Derek Chauvin by the end of last week — and then almost three dozen cities erupted in violence purportedly as a result, make it a lot more difficult to offer punditry.

    This is too big, and it’s moving too fast. It’s hard to draw conclusions and be correct.

    That said, certain things are both obvious and haven’t been said quite enough, and so I’ll offer them for the perusal of our readers.

    https://spectator.org/seven-thoughts-on-the-civil-war-the-other-side-wants-so-badly/

  38. What We Must Know About the Chinese Communist Party
    Wei Zhang
    8-10 minutes

    In order to “transform the international order to align with CCP interests and ideology,” the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has launched a well-coordinated campaign to achieve dominance in the world. Its measures include military buildup and expansion, bribing politicians from other countries and international agencies, retaliating against foreign countries for criticizing its human rights violations, establishing thousands of Confucius Institutes throughout the world, putting top scientists in the U.S. and other countries on its payroll through its “Thousand Talents Program,” and acquiring strategic ports and routes in the world via its “Belt and Road Initiative,” to name a few.

    Now the world, especially the U.S., is beginning to wake up to the threat and to counter the expansion effort of the Chinese Communist Party. Most people in democracies, however, have no first-hand experience dealing with the CCP and are extremely naïve about it. Many think it is a political party like the Democrats and Republicans here. They are dead wrong and will face dire consequences if they treat the CCP as a “party.”

    https://spectator.org/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-chinese-communist-party/

    • Germany won’t be dissuaded, just the reverse.
      Recently announced it’s going full Huawei, a total buy-in.
      VW just invested billions to expand production in China, their biggest move yet into the EV market.

  39. The Protesters’ Impossible Demands
    John Jiang
    8-10 minutes

    Martin Luther King Jr.’s claim that “a riot is the language of the unheard” has been invoked by apologists for every race riot dating to the ’60s. Fire and rage make for great television — cable news certainly thinks so. Yet one wonders what unheard words this destructive behavior is supposedly substituting for.

    George Floyd’s death was police brutality at best and murder at worst. While the truth will be best discerned through careful investigation, few dispute the basic injustice of Floyd’s treatment. But the officers involved have been fired, and Derek Chauvin, the man responsible, has been arrested and charged. The gears of justice, though not fast enough for some, are turning.

    The looting and burning and sloganeering nonetheless continue. What do the protesters want?

    To be fair, it seems that a substantial portion of them just want a free coffee machine from Target, judging from on-the-ground footage. But a large number, presumably the majority, are peaceful and want genuine social change. Their demands deserve to be heard and addressed, if only because this would be a better use of the media’s time than encouraging violence.

    https://spectator.org/protesters-impossible-demands-george-floyd-riot-police-reform/

  40. Riots Elected Nixon: They Will Reelect Trump
    Violence in the 1960s had a major political impact.

    To borrow from the late, great New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra, it’s like déjà vu all over again.

    As one American city after another has exploded into seemingly endless nights of violence in 2020 — every last one of these cities run by Democrats for years — the memories of the late 1960s and the political impact of riots surges. It recalls that the violence of that period pushed one issue to the forefront: law and order.

    In 1965 in Los Angeles, a black man on parole for robbery was stopped in the Watts section of Los Angeles for reckless driving. The incident quickly spiraled out of control — for six long days and nights. It took 4,000 California National Guard troops to restore order. There were 34 people killed, and some $40 million worth of property was destroyed or damaged in lootings and burnings.

    Two years later, in 1967, 159 race riots broke out across the country. The period became known as the “Long, hot summer of 1967.” As is recorded in Wikipedia,

    https://spectator.org/riots-elect-nixon-reelect-trump-george-floyd-law-and-order/

  41. FLORIDA SHERIFF GRADY JUDD SPEAKS FOR AMERICA
    includes video – 42 secs
    Americans are literally crying out for leaders just like Sheriff Judd. They’re not getting local leadership in too many places, and our cities are being destroyed. Imagine if every sheriff, police chief, mayor, and governor spoke as forcefully and clearly to draw the line and show whose side they are on. Our nation would not have experienced the orgy of violence of the past week. Bryan Preston
    https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/bryan-preston/2020/06/01/florida-sheriff-grady-judd-speaks-for-america-n481418

  43. #believeallwomen #feminism
    NYT Says “Believe All Women” Is a Right Wing Trap
    1,839 views
    •Jun 2, 2020

  44. Libya: Haftar’s LNA begins to strike back after string of losses
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/libya-haftar-lna-strike-back-losses-west-gna

    “Following a string of significant losses in western Libya, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) has renewed its offensive in mountain regions, advancing towards the strategic town of Ghariyan.

    LNA forces retook the town of Asabiah, lying around 15km southwest of Ghariyan, on Monday, while conducting extensive aerial attacks on positions held by forces aligned to the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).

    Haftar’s progress is the first success in recent weeks, as the LNA begins to reformulate its strategy after pulling troops from the Tripoli frontlines.

    Meanwhile, the UN announced late Monday that both sides had agreed to restart ceasefire talks…”

  45. Yemen rights group says detainees face ‘slow death’ in prison
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200602-yemen-rights-group-says-detainees-face-slow-death-in-prison/

    “The Yemeni Abductees’ Mothers Association in the city of Aden yesterday warned that the detainees in Bir Ahmed Prison are facing a “slow death” due to ill-treatment by the prison administration.

    The group said in a statement that the prison administration deliberately mistreats detainees by cutting off electricity for long periods, despite the high temperatures, reducing meal portions and neglecting the prisoners’ health needs.

    The Association added that the detainees’ families had informed it that the detainees intend to declare a comprehensive hunger strike to protest against the ill-treatment.

    It called on the Yemeni authorities in Aden to expedite the release of all prisoners in Bir Ahmed and hold the prison administration fully responsible for the detainees’ lives.

    It also called on all international and local organisations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to intervene and rescue the detainees.”

  46. Turkey to continue drilling in Eastern Mediterranean, FM says
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200602-turkey-to-continue-drilling-in-eastern-mediterranean-fm-says/

    “Turkey’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday announced that the country is determined to continue drilling activities in the East Mediterranean Sea to protect the rights of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots.

    It is stated that the new licence areas that the Turkish Petroleum applied for regarding its exploration and drilling activities lie within Turkish continental shelf as declared to the United Nations.

    In the statement, ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy said Turkey will be resolutely continuing to exercise its sovereign rights over the area.

    “We are fully committed to protecting both our rights and Turkish Cypriots’ rights in the Eastern Mediterranean. In this regard, our seismic exploration and drilling activities are being carried out according to the previously adopted plan,” he added.

    The statement came after Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias accused Turkey of “illegally drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

    Turkey has been carrying out exploration and drilling activities within the country’s maritime borders in the Eastern Mediterranean since last year, using two drilling ships, Fatih and Yavuz.

    The Greek government and the Greek Cypriot administration oppose its activity and have threatened to arrest the ships’ crews. The Greeks have enlisted EU leaders to condemn Turkey’s activities.

    Ankara has consistently contested the Greek Cypriot administration’s unilateral drilling in the area, asserting that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus also has rights to the resources according to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

    In 1974, following a coup against Greece’s annexation of Cyprus, Turkey intervened as a guarantor power.

    The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was founded in 1983.”

  47. Gambia calls for transparent probe of U.S. police shooting of diplomat’s son
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-gambia-usa-police/gambia-calls-for-transparent-probe-of-u-s-police-shooting-of-diplomats-son-idUSKBN23933T

    “Gambia’s government called on Tuesday for a credible and transparent investigation into the shooting death of one of its citizens by U.S. police in the state of Georgia last Friday.

    The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said in a statement on Friday that it had been asked by the police department in the town of Snellville to investigate an officer involved in the shooting of a driver following a car chase.

    The GBI identified the driver on Tuesday as Momodou Lamin Sisay, who lived in the nearby town of Lithonia. Sisay, 39, is the son of Lare Sisay, a Gambian diplomat who also worked for the U.N. Development Programme.

    The GBI statement on Friday said preliminary information indicated police officers pursued Sisay after he failed to stop when they tried to pull him over for a vehicle tag violation.

    The statement said that when the car eventually stopped and officers approached it, Sisay pointed a handgun at the officers, who fired on the vehicle and retreated to find cover behind their vehicles.

    During an ensuing standoff with a SWAT team, the statement said, Sisay fired his weapon at the officers, one of whom returned fire. Sisay was pronounced dead at the scene, it said.

    Gambia’s foreign affairs ministry, in a statement Tuesday, said it had “asked the Gambian Embassy in Washington D.C. to engage the relevant U.S. authorities including the State Department, to seek a transparent, credible and objective investigation in the matter”.

    Gambian media quoted Sisay’s father as saying he was withholding judgment on the incident pending results of an autopsy and findings from a private investigator, while referring to his son as “somebody who abhors violence”.

    African leaders have condemned police violence in the United States over the past week following the death on May 25 of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis after a policeman knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.”

  48. African, Haitian migrants in Honduras defy border closure in attempt to reach U.S.
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-honduras/african-haitian-migrants-in-honduras-defy-border-closure-in-attempt-to-reach-u-s-idUSKBN2392U3

    “African, Cuban and Haitian migrants stranded in Honduras after borders were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic began trekking northward on Tuesday in an attempt to reach the United States, migration authorities said…”

  49. Belgian-Moroccan Terrorist a Lead Suspect in Kidnapping Case
    https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/06/304604/belgian-moroccan-terrorist-a-lead-suspect-in-kidnapping-case/

    “A Belgian-Moroccan terrorist convict has been arrested in Belgium under allegations that he is a kingpin in a kidnapping case carried out in late April.

    Khalid Bouloudo, 45, is among five individuals suspected of storming the family home of a 13-year-old boy in the middle of the night with masks, heavily armed, and kidnapping the boy.

    After holding the teenager under a hefty ransom for 42 days, rescuers carried out a successful operation involving support from French, Dutch, and American authorities. Authorities safely retrieved the boy from his kidnappers in exchange for a €330,000 payment.

    A book titled “Not Only Syria? The Phenomenon of Foreign Fighters in a Comparative Perspective,” published in 2016, states that “Bouloudo is one of the most renowned Jihadists from Belgium.”

    In 2006, Bouloudo served a five-year prison sentence after being identified as a key figure in the GICM terrorist movement linked to Al-Qaeda and presumably linked to attacks in Casablanca (45 dead on May 16, 2003) and Madrid (191 dead on March 11, 2004).

    Accused of radicalizing and recruiting people in Maaseik, Limburg to fight with the Islamic State in Syria, authorities again arrested Bouloudo in 2015 and sentenced him to 10 years for terrorism. However, following an appeal, the court reduced his sentence to three years with parole.

    Bouloudo’s involvement in the kidnapping has caused politicians to question why authorities did not follow up with the paroled convict more carefully. Regional parliament members have expressed an outpouring of criticism over the matter.

    “How is it possible that someone is paroled and yet can gather weapons, form a gang, and commit such offenses? Surely he should be kept under surveillance?” questioned Kristien Van Vaerenbergh, a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives.

    Little information has been released regarding the motives of the kidnapping. However, the boy’s father has a criminal record tied to drug trafficking while his uncle is currently serving a 15-year sentence after being identified as a lead in the European drug trafficking network.

    Authorities are tracking the ransom money, used to secure the boy’s safe release, for fear that it will be used to fund terror– or drug-related networks and activities.”

  50. Pakistan condemns extra-judicial killing of Kashmiris in IOK by Indian forces
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2233918/1-pakistan-condemns-extra-judicial-killing-kashmiris-iok-indian-forces/

    “Pakistan on Tuesday strongly condemned the extra-judicial killing of thirteen Kashmiris in a single day by Indian forces in occupied Kashmir .

    The Foreign Office (FO), in a statement, said Pakistan is deeply concerned over unabated extra-judicial killings of Kashmiri youth in fake encounters and so-called “anti-infiltration” operations…”