Daily Archives: May 1, 2020

2020-05-01: News Headlines

Calvin Deutschbein (2020-05-01). Car caravan in North Carolina demands aid for people, not companies. workers.org Durham, N.C. Following decades of genocidal governmental policies exposed by the coronavirus crisis, North Carolinians had enough! A coalition of hundreds of community groups called "NC United for Survival & Beyond" organized a 30-car caravan on April 24 — a protest that allowed activists to safely distance from one another. . . . |

Marcia Brown (2020-05-01). A County Jail Battles COVID-19 and the Opioid Crisis—At the Same Time. progressive.org The pandemic and an increase in immigration detainees create a double whammy for the rural Ohio jail.

Sasha Abramsky (2020-05-01). Trump and GOP to Nation: Go Bankrupt, Drop Dead. thenation.com Trump and GOP to Nation: Go Bankrupt, Drop Dead…

Staff (2020-05-01). If a Budding Socialist Movement Can Defeat Amazon, Imagine What Else It Can Do. truthout.org For socialists, New York has been the site of the most important electoral campaign win yet: Ocasio-Cortez's insurgent run for the House in 2018. Her victory led to an explosion of membership in DSA nationally, the biggest jump in membership after the Sanders campaign and Donald Trump's victory. It also led to a sea change in American politics, putting critical issues like a Green New Deal on the public agenda. Less examined, however, is how Ocasio-Cortez's win was part of a massive shift in…

Xinhua (2020-05-01). US Deportations Add Extra Risk to Global Public Health. telesurenglish.net In the name of protecting U.S. citizens against COVID-19, Washington has recently stepped up the deportation of illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central American nations. | RELATED: | The U.S. authorities seem to have paid no regard that such moves at the time of a ravaging pandemic may overwhelm the often vulnerable public health systems in the recipient countries and thus pose a grave danger to the global an…

WSWS (2020-05-01). US citizens married to undocumented immigrants denied stimulus checks. wsws.org A provision in the CARES Act prohibits stimulus checks from being sent to couples if one of them has used an individual tax ID number in jointly-filed returns.

Norman Solomon (2020-05-01). Joe Biden Needs an Intervention: An Open Letter to DNC Chair Tom Perez. indybay.org "It takes two wings to fly."

Aaron Maté (2020-05-01). Chomsky: COVID-19 strikes, solidarity can help defeat Trump and the neoliberal assault. thegrayzone.com Noam Chomsky on COVID-19 workers' strikes; Trump's attacks on China and the WHO; "lesser evil" voting; bipartisan war-mongering/sanctions; & what…

RT (2020-05-01). WATCH protesters light flares, gather for Walpurgis Night in Berlin despite ban on mass rallies during Covid-19 lockdown. rt.com Police have broken up a Walpurgis Night demonstration in Berlin, where protesters had gathered in violation of the quarantine measures imposed amid the Covid-19 pandemic. More unauthorized rallies are expected on May Day. | A few dozen black-clad masked left-wing activists had gathered in the German capital's Friedrichshain District on Thursday evening, despite the ban on large public assemblies. They waved burning flares while standing on two balconies of a house, set up loudspeakers and hung banners from windows. | Police arrived at the scene and ordered the protesters to clear the area. No major clashes wer…

Staff (2020-05-01). Caravan for Life: Protesters in Puerto Rico Demand More Tests & Resources to Combat the Coronavirus. democracynow.org On Thursday in Puerto Rico, activists in dozens of cars held a "Caravan Por La Vida," or "Caravan for Life," through San Juan to demand the government provide more COVID-19 tests and sufficient resources for people to stay at home during the pandemic. At least 92 people have died from COVID-19 in Puerto Rico, and last week the island was reporting a testing rate lower than any U.S. state, at an abysmal average of 15 tests a day for every 100,000 people. No one in Puerto Rico has received $1,200 checks from the government, according to San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz. Police stopped the caravan and said their sou…

(2020-05-01). Workers' Revolutionary and Anti-Imperialist International Manifesto. workers.org Workers World Party has endorsed this international declaration for May Day, initiated by the Party of Liberation of Argentina and others, and endorsed as of April 30 by the parties listed at the end. This May 1, fight together against imperialism. Activists in San Juan, Puerto Rico, hold up wooden . . . |

teleSUR (2020-05-01). Police Brutality Marks Workers' Day in Chile. telesurenglish.net On the morning of the International Workers' Day, Chileans attempted to carry out peaceful protests in various public places in their country's main cities. | RELATED: | Although they initially followed COVID-19 physical distancing prevention measures, the military police violently lashed out at citizens in unsuccessful attempts to dissuade them from protesting against President Sebastian Piñera. The pretext for the police atta…

Mike Alewitz (2020-05-01). Sanitizing the Kent State Massacre. counterpunch.org May 4, 2020 will mark the 50th anniversary of the massacre at Kent State University (KSU). We were peacefully protesting the US invasion of Cambodia when the Ohio National Guard launched a teargas attack and then opened fire at us. 67 shots in 13 seconds left our campus strewn with dead and wounded. Four dead

Mike Alewitz (2020-05-01). Bright and Shining Things. counterpunch.org May 4, 2020 will mark the 50th anniversary of the massacre at Kent State University (KSU). We were peacefully protesting the US invasion of Cambodia when the Ohio National Guard launched a teargas attacked and then opened fire at us. 67 shots in 13 seconds left our campus strewn with dead and wounded. Four dead

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-01). Greek workers protest government's anti-labor policies on pretext of fighting COVID-19. peoplesdispatch.org Workers under the leadership of the All Workers Militant Front (PAME) in Greece observed the National Day of Action on April 28. PAME has demanded the abolition of the anti-worker measures introduced through bills citing the COVID-19 crisis…

teleSUR (2020-05-01). Colombia: Protests Over Lack of Food Aid Persist. telesurenglish.net Colombian protests continue due to a lack of food aid and financial help. Bogota citizens demonstrated and blocked roads despite COVID-19 preventive measures. | RELATED: | As local news media reported, Barrio Quindío inhabitants gathered at the San Cristobal locality. Crowds surpassed 20 people. Protesters stated their will not to use violent demonstrations and requested Bogota's mayor presence. | Claudia Lopez, Bogo…

RT (2020-05-01). Macron warns life 'won't be back to normal' as Covid-19 forces French to find new way of 'social distance' protest. rt.com France's president has said that the national recovery would need to be 'organized,' in a speech at the Elysee Palace as the country celebrated a subdued Labor Day, while movement in the country remains tightly restricted. | Emmanuel Macron said that the end of the nationwide lockdown in 10 days would just be a tentative first step on the road to recovery from the Covid-19 crisis. | The president said life "wouldn't be back to normal" and there will be "several phases" in lifting the restrictions, with May 11 just being "one of them." He added that a "recovery [period] has to be organized"; his comments follow…

MoveOn (2020-05-01). MoveOn Protest: Twitter Rally to Demand #RealReliefNow during COVID-19. indybay.org Protest online via Twitter…

Staff (2020-05-01). Headlines for May 1, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Touts "Very, Very Strong" U.S. Coronavirus Death Totals as States Begin Reopening | , Trump Claims Pandemic Began in Chinese Laboratory, Offers No Evidence | , Trump Blames Obama for Shortage of Tests for Virus That Emerged in 2019, Maryland National Guard Defends Coronavirus Tests from Feds in "Undisclosed Location", Texas Won't Name Nursing Homes with COVID-19 Cases; California Closes Beaches in OC, Michael Bloomberg to Lead New York Contact Tracing Program as NYC Subway Ends 24/7 Service | , Medical Professionals Stage Die-in Outside SF Mayor's Home Demanding Hotels for the Unhoused, Armed Protesters Sto…

RT (2020-05-01). CROWDS of Californians protest governor's order to close BEACHES over coronavirus fears (VIDEOS). rt.com Residents in Orange County, California turned out by the hundreds to protest Governor Gavin Newsom's order to close all beaches, in the latest outburst of frustration with Covid-19 lockdowns now entering week seven. | Newsom ordered a "hard close" of state and local beaches on Thursday, arguing that people from outside the area were coming to congregate there and posing a risk to public health. Huntington Beach, located south of Los Angeles and known as "Surf City," said it would resist. | Before the city fathers could sue, however, local residents gathered on the beach to confront mounted and heavily armed po…

WSWS (2020-05-01). Russian workers protest animal-like conditions at oil field as prime minister hospitalized with COVID-19. wsws.org Hundreds demonstrated against Gazprom at a Siberian oil field, demanding safe working conditions and proper care for sick workers…

Staff (2020-05-01). Armed Gunmen Enter Michigan Capitol Demanding End to COVID-19 Lockdown. truthout.org The right-wing movement against public health measures designed to stave off the coronavirus pandemic escalated on Thursday as armed gunmen were among those who stormed the Michigan state house and tried to enter the legislative chamber. | The protesters

Patrick Bond (2020-05-01). Should South Africa Follow the Law of the Jungle … or the Doctrine of Odious Debt? counterpunch.org South Africa's fierce debates over the costs and benefits of a proposed International Monetary Fund (IMF) bail out of $4.2 billion unveil the country's massive weaknesses and potential strengths, at a time food protests have moved from the slums of Cape Town to the Johannesburg Central Business District. Unemployment already at 40% before the Covid-19

teleSUR (2020-05-01). Germany: Working Class Protests Against Unemployment in May Day. telesurenglish.net On International Workers' Day, Germany's trade unions protested over the collapse of labor rights and the significant increase of unemployment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | According to forecasts by Angela Merkel's administration, Germany will experience the worst recession since World War II this year. | Recent unemployment figures have soared despite the economic aid that Germany's authorities have set up to prevent mass layoffs. | In Apr…

Peadar O'Cearnaigh (2020-05-01). As Amazon announces sales surge, its staff protest against poor safety conditions on International Workers' Day. thecanary.co The first quarter of 2020 saw a According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index daily ranking on 1 May, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the world's

Staff (2020-05-01). May Day People's Strike! Target, Amazon, Instacart Workers Demand Safe Conditions & Pandemic Relief. democracynow.org This May Day, an unprecedented coalition of essential workers from Amazon, Instacart, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target and FedEx are calling out sick or walking out during their lunch break to demand better health and safety conditions, along with hazard pay. Others are joining them for May Day actions that include rent strikes, car caravan protests and online organizing calling for a "People's Bailout" and economic recovery plan that prioritizes workers. We speak with Kali Akuno, co-founder and co-director of Cooperation Jackson, which issued a call for a people's strike starting May 1. "The corporations and the gov…

Jà∂rg Guido Hàºlsmann (2020-05-01). A Protest From France. The Great Danger of Ill-Conceived Lockdowns. globalresearch.ca After WWI, the distinguished British economist Edwin Cannan was asked, somewhat reproachfully, what he did during the terrible war years. He replied: "I protested." The present article is a similar protest against the current lockdown policies put into place in …

RT (2020-05-01). 'These are very good people': Trump urges Michigan governor to 'make a deal' with capitol protesters. rt.com US President Donald Trump has instructed Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to "make a deal" with the protesters who have been demonstrating against her decision to prolong the state's coronavirus lockdown measures. | While the atmosphere has been fraught in Michigan's state capitol, President Trump suggested that the matter could be resolved quite easily in a tweet on Friday. | "The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire. These are very good people, but they are angry," he said. "They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal." | The Governor of Michigan…

Staff (2020-05-01). Target, Amazon, Instacart Workers Demand Safe Conditions and Pandemic Relief. truthout.org This May Day, an unprecedented coalition of essential workers from Amazon, Instacart, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target and FedEx are calling out sick or walking out during their lunch break to demand better health and safety conditions, along with hazard pay. Others are joining them for May Day actions that include rent strikes, car caravan protests and online organizing calling for a "People's Bailout" and economic recovery plan that prioritizes workers. We speak with Kali Akuno, co-founder and co-di…

Martha Grevatt (2020-05-01). Columbus car protest demands prisoner release. workers.org Columbus, Ohio Over 100 cars, driven by people from all over Ohio, circled the state's Department of Rehabilitation and Correction in Columbus, the capital, on April 24. From there, the car caravan went to the Statehouse to protest the dangerous conditions in state prisons. Marion and Pickaway correctional institutions have . . . |

WSWS (2020-05-01). Democrats, unions set trap for workers with phony May Day Amazon strike. wsws.org The WSWS and International Amazon Workers Voice spoke to dozens of Amazon and logistics workers, none of whom had heard of or had any say in planning this protest.

WSWS (2020-05-01). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Protests are continuing against attempts to restart operations in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic without proper safeguards, including French teachers, German doctors and nurses in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-01). Protests over lack of government aid during lockdown intensify in Panama. peoplesdispatch.org Residents of various parts of the country have denounced that they don't have money to buy food and haven't received any aid from the government…

sputniknews (2020-05-01). Protesters Stage Public Action Against COVID-19 Measures in Berlin – Video. sputniknews.com Germany was forced to introduce lockdown measures on 17 March to battle the spread of the coronavirus in the country. However, in recent days the nation moved to relax certain restrictions reopening playgrounds, churches, and cultural institutions.

sputniknews (2020-05-01). Turkey Delays S-400 Deployment Due to Coronavirus Pandemic. sputniknews.com The country was planning to make the newly acquired air defence systems operational in April despite numerous protests from the US, which had been pressuring Ankara to ditch the systems for good.

Tyler Olson (2020-05-01). Case Asking Supreme Court to Halt Enforcement of "Stay-at-home Order". Justice Alito Orders Pennsylvania Government to Respond. globalresearch.ca

Eva Bartlett (2020-05-01). Syria is not under lockdown, is not the dystopian society of war propagandists. thealtworld.com After seeing a Basically, the piece claims people are cowering in fear and under lockdown here (we/they are not, there's a partial curfew, people still on the street, in mark…

Gary Leupp (2020-05-01). The Working Life of the Meat Packer in the Time of the Plague. counterpunch.org End of the day, factory whistle cries, Men walk through these gates with death in their eyes. And you just better believe, boy, somebody's gonna get hurt tonight, It's the working, the working, just the working life. -Bruce Springsteen, "Factory" (1978) President Trump, responding to meatpacking plant closures occasioned by COVID-19 has ordered the plants

Tim Shorrock (2020-05-01). Electoral Triumph Spurs Green New Deal in South Korea. thenation.com Electoral Triumph Spurs Green New Deal in South Korea…

Zero Hedge (2020-05-01). Pompeo Demands Countries Block Airspace to Iran's 'Terrorist Airline' After Venezuela Deliveries. globalresearch.ca The US is going on the offensive once again against Venezuela, this time attempting to break up growing Iranian cooperation and assistance to Caracas. The two so-called 'rogue states' recently targeted for US-imposed regime change are helping each other fight …

Zero Hedge (2020-05-01). "Food Supply Chain Is Breaking": Tyson Foods. globalresearch.ca News feeds in April have been inundated with food supply chain disruption stories due to

Eugene E Ruyle (2020-05-01). Lenin on Democracy and Dictatorship & its relevance for our time. indybay.org Online ZOOM Meeting. | LOG-IN INFORMATION AT OUR WEBSITE | ICSSMARX.ORG | OR EMAIL CUYLERUYLE@MAC.COM

Philip Giraldi (2020-05-01). Hasidic Jews Defy New York's Lockdown. thealtworld.com When does religious observance override community health? | Last Tuesday an estimated 2,500 male

South Front (2020-05-01). Video: Prospects of Turkish-Russian Military Conflict in Syria. globalresearch.ca The region of Greater Idlib remains the main source of tensions in Syria. | The March 5th ceasefire deal reached by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow allowed an end to be made to the …

Ahmed Abdulkareem (2020-05-01). First Official Cases of Coronavirus and Deadly Flooding Mark Ramadan in Yemen. mintpressnews.com Health officials tell MintPress that flooding has impeded coronavirus prevention measures in a country already devastated from five years of Saudi bombing that has left 70 percent of its health facilities destroyed.

Alan MacLeod (2020-05-01). Groundhog Day: Juan Guaidó Is Trying to Overthrow the Venezuelan Government Again. thealtworld.com One year since his audacious coup attempt failed spectacularly, Guaidó is once again trying to overthrow the government of Nicolas Maduro. | MPN— Exactly one year since his audacious coup attempt failed spectacularly, self-declared Venezuelan president Juan Guaidó is once again trying to overthrow the government of Nicolas Maduro. "Today I speak to the patriotic soldiers of our Armed Forces who rebelled against hunger and destruction and sided with the constitution," he

Stephen Lendman (2020-05-01). Trump Regime Threatens Escalated War on China by Other Means. globalresearch.ca Hegemons aren't like other nations. They operate extrajudicially on the world stage by their own rules — in pursuit of their aims, exploiting their own people at the same time. | The US is waging undeclared war by other means against …

Stephen Lendman (2020-05-01). Harvard Postpones Commencement Indefinitely? Tele-Education and Tele-Medicine. globalresearch.ca Founded in 1636, Harvard commencements began in 1642, a handful of graduates alone in its early years, nine in 1642. | There were few college entrants at that time. In the 17th century after the school's founding, there were no graduates …

Staff (2020-05-01). Tara Reade's Ex-Neighbor on Biden Sexual Assault Allegation: I Believed Her Then & I Believe Her Now. democracynow.org Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden denied sexual assault allegations against him on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Friday, breaking his silence after weeks of mounting pressure to respond to claims put forward by former staffer Tara Reade, who says he sexually assaulted her in 1993. In a statement, Biden said, "I want to address allegations by a former staffer that I engaged in misconduct 27 years ago. They aren't true. This never happened." Tara Reade first came forward with her allegations in March, saying Biden pushed her up against a wall and digitally penetrated her. In a Democracy Now! broadcas…

Juan Cole (2020-05-01). Trump threatened to pull US Security Umbrella from Saudi. zcomm.org Trump insisted with OPEC+ (including Vladimir Putin's Russia) that they do their effing job and put prices back up to forestall a collapse of the US petroleum industry…

2020-05-01: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

A County Jail Battles COVID-19 and the Opioid Crisis–At the Same Time
Marcia Brown | progressive.org | 2020-05-01
The pandemic and an increase in immigration detainees create a double whammy for the rural Ohio jail.
progressive.org/dispatches/county-jail-battles-covid19-and-opioid-crisis-brown-200501/

Trump and GOP to Nation: Go Bankrupt, Drop Dead
Sasha Abramsky | thenation.com | 2020-05-01
Trump and GOP to Nation: Go Bankrupt, Drop Dead…
thenation.com/article/society/trump-gop-coronavirus-immigration/

If a Budding Socialist Movement Can Defeat Amazon, Imagine What Else It Can Do
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-05-01
For socialists, New York has been the site of the most important electoral campaign win yet: Ocasio-Cortez's insurgent run for the House in 2018. Her victory led to an explosion of membership in DSA nationally, the biggest jump in membership after the Sanders campaign and Donald Trump's victory. It also led to a sea change in American politics, putting critical issues like a Green New Deal on the public agenda. Less examined, however, is how Ocasio-Cortez's win was part of a massive shift in…
truthout.org/articles/if-a-budding-socialist-movement-can-defeat-amazon-imagine-what-else-it-can-do/

UK: Indian Students Starving and Unable to Return Home
telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-01
The closure of borders in India left thousands of students stranded in the United Kingdom. Now they depend on food donations from charity institutions to survive. | RELATED: | Thousands of Migrants Workers Demand Indian Govt Trains to Go Back Home | According to local media, most Indian college students work part-time in low-paying jobs to support their studies in this European country. | "The confinement forced by COVID-19 has caused many of them to lose their jobs,"
telesurenglish.net/news/uk-indian-students-starving-and-unable-to-return-home-20200501-0004.html

US Deportations Add Extra Risk to Global Public Health
Xinhua | telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-01
In the name of protecting U.S. citizens against COVID-19, Washington has recently stepped up the deportation of illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central American nations. | RELATED: | US Deports Thousands of Migrants to COVID-19 Vulnerable Nations | The U.S. authorities seem to have paid no regard that such moves at the time of a ravaging pandemic may overwhelm the often vulnerable public health systems in the recipient countries and thus pose a grave danger to the global an…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Deportations-Add-Extra-Risk-to-Global-Public-Health-20200501-0011.html

US citizens married to undocumented immigrants denied stimulus checks
wsws.org | 2020-05-01
A provision in the CARES Act prohibits stimulus checks from being sent to couples if one of them has used an individual tax ID number in jointly-filed returns.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/01/care-m01.html

Joe Biden Needs an Intervention: An Open Letter to DNC Chair Tom Perez
Norman Solomon | indybay.org | 2020-05-01
"It takes two wings to fly."
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/30/18832705.php

Chomsky: COVID-19 strikes, solidarity can help defeat Trump and the neoliberal assault
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-05-01
Noam Chomsky on COVID-19 workers' strikes; Trump's attacks on China and the WHO; "lesser evil" voting; bipartisan war-mongering/sanctions; & what…
thegrayzone.com/2020/04/30/chomsky-covid-19-strikes-solidarity-can-help-defeat-trump-and-the-neoliberal-assault/

WATCH protesters light flares, gather for Walpurgis Night in Berlin despite ban on mass rallies during Covid-19 lockdown
rt.com | 2020-05-01
Police have broken up a Walpurgis Night demonstration in Berlin, where protesters had gathered in violation of the quarantine measures imposed amid the Covid-19 pandemic. More unauthorized rallies are expected on May Day. | A few dozen black-clad masked left-wing activists had gathered in the German capital's Friedrichshain District on Thursday evening, despite the ban on large public assemblies. They waved burning flares while standing on two balconies of a house, set up loudspeakers and hung banners from windows. | Police arrived at the scene and ordered the protesters to clear the area. No major clashes wer…
rt.com/news/487489-germany-walpurgis-night-protest/

Caravan for Life: Protesters in Puerto Rico Demand More Tests & Resources to Combat the Coronavirus
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-01
On Thursday in Puerto Rico, activists in dozens of cars held a "Caravan Por La Vida," or "Caravan for Life," through San Juan to demand the government provide more COVID-19 tests and sufficient resources for people to stay at home during the pandemic. At least 92 people have died from COVID-19 in Puerto Rico, and last week the island was reporting a testing rate lower than any U.S. state, at an abysmal average of 15 tests a day for every 100,000 people. No one in Puerto Rico has received $1,200 checks from the government, according to San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz. Police stopped the caravan and said their sou…
www.democracynow.org/2020/5/1/puerto_rico_caravan_por_la_vida

Workers' Revolutionary and Anti-Imperialist International Manifesto
| workers.org | 2020-05-01
Workers World Party has endorsed this international declaration for May Day, initiated by the Party of Liberation of Argentina and others, and endorsed as of April 30 by the parties listed at the end. This May 1, fight together against imperialism. Activists in San Juan, Puerto Rico, hold up wooden . . . | Continue reading Workers' Revolutionary and Anti-Imperialist International Manifesto at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/05/48074/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=workers-revolutionary-and-anti-imperialist-international-manifesto

Sanitizing the Kent State Massacre
Mike Alewitz | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-01
May 4, 2020 will mark the 50th anniversary of the massacre at Kent State University (KSU). We were peacefully protesting the US invasion of Cambodia when the Ohio National Guard launched a teargas attack and then opened fire at us. 67 shots in 13 seconds left our campus strewn with dead and wounded. Four dead…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/01/sanitizing-the-kent-state-massacre/

Bright and Shining Things
Mike Alewitz | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-01
May 4, 2020 will mark the 50th anniversary of the massacre at Kent State University (KSU). We were peacefully protesting the US invasion of Cambodia when the Ohio National Guard launched a teargas attacked and then opened fire at us. 67 shots in 13 seconds left our campus strewn with dead and wounded. Four dead…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/01/bright-and-shining-things/

Sanitizing the Kent State Massacre
Mike Alewitz | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-01
May 4, 2020 will mark the 50th anniversary of the massacre at Kent State University (KSU). We were peacefully protesting the US invasion of Cambodia when the Ohio National Guard launched a teargas attack and then opened fire at us. 67 shots in 13 seconds left our campus strewn with dead and wounded. Four dead…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/01/sanitizing-the-kent-state-massacre/

Police Brutality Marks Workers' Day in Chile
telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-01
On the morning of the International Workers' Day, Chileans attempted to carry out peaceful protests in various public places in their country's main cities. | RELATED: | Chilean Police Violently Repress Protesters in Santiago | Although they initially followed COVID-19 physical distancing prevention measures, the military police violently lashed out at citizens in unsuccessful attempts to dissuade them from protesting against President Sebastian Piñera. The pretext for the police atta…
telesurenglish.net/news/Police-Brutality-Marks-Workers-Day-in-Chile-20200501-0006.html

Armed Gunmen Enter Michigan Capitol Demanding End to COVID-19 Lockdown
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-05-01
The right-wing movement against public health measures designed to stave off the coronavirus pandemic escalated on Thursday as armed gunmen were among those who stormed the Michigan state house and tried to enter the legislative chamber. | The protesters entered the building after holding a small rally outside the State House in Lansing, calling fo…
truthout.org/articles/armed-gunmen-enter-michigan-capitol-demanding-end-to-covid-19-lockdown/

Target, Amazon, Instacart Workers Demand Safe Conditions and Pandemic Relief
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-05-01
This May Day, an unprecedented coalition of essential workers from Amazon, Instacart, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target and FedEx are calling out sick or walking out during their lunch break to demand better health and safety conditions, along with hazard pay. Others are joining them for May Day actions that include rent strikes, car caravan protests and online organizing calling for a "People's Bailout" and economic recovery plan that prioritizes workers. We speak with Kali Akuno, co-founder and co-di…
truthout.org/video/target-amazon-instacart-workers-demand-safe-conditions-and-pandemic-relief/

Should South Africa Follow the Law of the Jungle … or the Doctrine of Odious Debt?
Patrick Bond | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-01
South Africa's fierce debates over the costs and benefits of a proposed International Monetary Fund (IMF) bail out of $4.2 billion unveil the country's massive weaknesses and potential strengths, at a time food protests have moved from the slums of Cape Town to the Johannesburg Central Business District. Unemployment already at 40% before the Covid-19…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/01/should-south-africa-follow-the-law-of-the-jungle-or-the-doctrine-of-odious-debt/

As Amazon announces sales surge, its staff protest against poor safety conditions on International Workers' Day
Peadar O'Cearnaigh | thecanary.co | 2020-05-01
The first quarter of 2020 saw a surge in Amazon sales as a result of the coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown. Sales are also expected to increase again in the second three months of the year. | According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index daily ranking on 1 May, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the world's richest man. The pandemic has also resulted in his personal wealth rising by £19bn. And the increase in online shopping has boosted the company's…
thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2020/05/01/as-amazon-announces-sales-surge-its-staff-protest-against-poor-safety-conditions-on-international-workers-day/

CROWDS of Californians protest governor's order to close BEACHES over coronavirus fears (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-05-01
Residents in Orange County, California turned out by the hundreds to protest Governor Gavin Newsom's order to close all beaches, in the latest outburst of frustration with Covid-19 lockdowns now entering week seven. | Newsom ordered a "hard close" of state and local beaches on Thursday, arguing that people from outside the area were coming to congregate there and posing a risk to public health. Huntington Beach, located south of Los Angeles and known as "Surf City," said it would resist. | Before the city fathers could sue, however, local residents gathered on the beach to confront mounted and heavily armed po…
rt.com/usa/487602-california-beach-protest-coronavirus/

Russian workers protest animal-like conditions at oil field as prime minister hospitalized with COVID-19
wsws.org | 2020-05-01
Hundreds demonstrated against Gazprom at a Siberian oil field, demanding safe working conditions and proper care for sick workers…
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/01/ruga-m01.html

Macron warns life 'won't be back to normal' as Covid-19 forces French to find new way of 'social distance' protest
rt.com | 2020-05-01
France's president has said that the national recovery would need to be 'organized,' in a speech at the Elysee Palace as the country celebrated a subdued Labor Day, while movement in the country remains tightly restricted. | Emmanuel Macron said that the end of the nationwide lockdown in 10 days would just be a tentative first step on the road to recovery from the Covid-19 crisis. | The president said life "wouldn't be back to normal" and there will be "several phases" in lifting the restrictions, with May 11 just being "one of them." He added that a "recovery [period] has to be organized"; his comments follow…
rt.com/news/487565-macron-coronavirus-may-day/

MoveOn Protest: Twitter Rally to Demand #RealReliefNow during COVID-19
MoveOn | indybay.org | 2020-05-01
Protest online via Twitter…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/30/18832707.php

Africa: Comoros Registers its First COVID-19 Case
telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-01
Comoros' President Azali Assoumani Thursday announced the first COVID-19 case in this South-Eastern African nation. | RELATED: | Germany: Working Class Protests Against Unemployment in May Day | "While other countries who were hit earlier are preparing to go back to normality, our country is entering a critical phase," Assoumani warned.‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã | The COVID-19 patient is a Comoran citizen who was in contact with a 50-year-o…
telesurenglish.net/news/africa-comoro-registers-first-covid19-case-20200501-0005.html

Colombia: Protests Over Lack of Food Aid Persist
telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-01
Colombian protests continue due to a lack of food aid and financial help. Bogota citizens demonstrated and blocked roads despite COVID-19 preventive measures. | RELATED: | Colombia: Medical Team to Assist Villavicencio Prison Inmates | As local news media reported, Barrio Quindío inhabitants gathered at the San Cristobal locality. Crowds surpassed 20 people. Protesters stated their will not to use violent demonstrations and requested Bogota's mayor presence. | Claudia Lopez, Bogo…
telesurenglish.net/news/colombia-protests-over-lack-of-food-aid-persist-20200501-0009.html

Russian workers protest animal-like conditions at oil field as prime minister hospitalized with COVID-19
wsws.org | 2020-05-01
Hundreds demonstrated against Gazprom at a Siberian oil field, demanding safe working conditions and proper care for sick workers…
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/01/ruga-m01.html

Colombia: Medical Team to Assist Villavicencio Prison Inmates
telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-01
Colombia's National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (INPEC) Thursday decided to send a medical team to the Villavicencio prison, a public facility located in the Meta department that has 1,738 inmates and at least 421 COVID-19 cases. | RELATED: | Colombia: Hunger Protests Continue Amid Pandemic | "They will have to ensure that the social isolation protocol is respected," the INPEC Director Norberto Mujica said. | He also explained that the Penitentiary Services Unit will be in charge of hi…
telesurenglish.net/news/colombia-medical-team-to-assist-villavicencio-prison-inmates-20200501-0008.html

CROWDS of Californians protest governor's order to close BEACHES over coronavirus fears (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-05-01
Residents in Orange County, California turned out by the hundreds to protest Governor Gavin Newsom's order to close all beaches, in the latest outburst of frustration with Covid-19 lockdowns now entering week seven. | Newsom ordered a "hard close" of state and local beaches on Thursday, arguing that people from outside the area were coming to congregate there and posing a risk to public health. Huntington Beach, located south of Los Angeles and known as "Surf City," said it would resist. | Before the city fathers could sue, however, local residents gathered on the beach to confront mounted and heavily armed po…
rt.com/usa/487602-california-beach-protest-coronavirus/

Greek workers protest government's anti-labor policies on pretext of fighting COVID-19
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-01
Workers under the leadership of the All Workers Militant Front (PAME) in Greece observed the National Day of Action on April 28. PAME has demanded the abolition of the anti-worker measures introduced through bills citing the COVID-19 crisis…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/01/greek-workers-protest-governments-anti-labor-policies-on-pretext-of-fighting-covid-19/

Germany: Working Class Protests Against Unemployment in May Day
telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-01
On International Workers' Day, Germany's trade unions protested over the collapse of labor rights and the significant increase of unemployment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Germany Bans All Hezbollah Activities | According to forecasts by Angela Merkel's administration, Germany will experience the worst recession since World War II this year. | Recent unemployment figures have soared despite the economic aid that Germany's authorities have set up to prevent mass layoffs. | In Apr…
telesurenglish.net/news/germany-working-class-protests-against-unemployment-in-may-day-20200501-0002.html

'These are very good people': Trump urges Michigan governor to 'make a deal' with capitol protesters
rt.com | 2020-05-01
US President Donald Trump has instructed Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to "make a deal" with the protesters who have been demonstrating against her decision to prolong the state's coronavirus lockdown measures. | While the atmosphere has been fraught in Michigan's state capitol, President Trump suggested that the matter could be resolved quite easily in a tweet on Friday. | "The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire. These are very good people, but they are angry," he said. "They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal." | The Governor of Michigan…
rt.com/usa/487562-trump-michigan-governor-deal-capitol-protesters/

A Protest From France. The Great Danger of Ill-Conceived Lockdowns
Jà∂rg Guido Hàºlsmann | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-01
After WWI, the distinguished British economist Edwin Cannan was asked, somewhat reproachfully, what he did during the terrible war years. He replied: "I protested." The present article is a similar protest against the current lockdown policies put into place in | …
globalresearch.ca/protest-france/5711469

May Day People's Strike! Target, Amazon, Instacart Workers Demand Safe Conditions & Pandemic Relief
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-01
This May Day, an unprecedented coalition of essential workers from Amazon, Instacart, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target and FedEx are calling out sick or walking out during their lunch break to demand better health and safety conditions, along with hazard pay. Others are joining them for May Day actions that include rent strikes, car caravan protests and online organizing calling for a "People's Bailout" and economic recovery plan that prioritizes workers. We speak with Kali Akuno, co-founder and co-director of Cooperation Jackson, which issued a call for a people's strike starting May 1. "The corporations and the gov…
www.democracynow.org/2020/5/1/kali_akuno_peoples_strike_may_day

May Day People's Strike! Target, Amazon, Instacart Workers Demand Safe Conditions & Pandemic Relief
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-01
This May Day, an unprecedented coalition of essential workers from Amazon, Instacart, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target and FedEx are calling out sick or walking out during their lunch break to demand better health and safety conditions, along with hazard pay. Others are joining them for May Day actions that include rent strikes, car caravan protests and online organizing calling for a "People's Bailout" and economic recovery plan that prioritizes workers. We speak with Kali Akuno, co-founder and co-director of Cooperation Jackson, which issued a call for a people's strike starting May 1. "The corporations and the gov…
www.democracynow.org/2020/5/1/kali_akuno_peoples_strike_may_day

Democrats, unions set trap for workers with phony May Day Amazon strike
wsws.org | 2020-05-01
The WSWS and International Amazon Workers Voice spoke to dozens of Amazon and logistics workers, none of whom had heard of or had any say in planning this protest.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/01/amaz-m01.html

Democrats, unions set trap for workers with phony May Day Amazon strike
wsws.org | 2020-05-01
The WSWS and International Amazon Workers Voice spoke to dozens of Amazon and logistics workers, none of whom had heard of or had any say in planning this protest.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/01/amaz-m01.html

Columbus car protest demands prisoner release
Martha Grevatt | workers.org | 2020-05-01
Columbus, Ohio Over 100 cars, driven by people from all over Ohio, circled the state's Department of Rehabilitation and Correction in Columbus, the capital, on April 24. From there, the car caravan went to the Statehouse to protest the dangerous conditions in state prisons. Marion and Pickaway correctional institutions have . . . | Continue reading Columbus car protest demands prisoner release at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/04/48056/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=columbus-car-protest-demands-prisoner-release

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
wsws.org | 2020-05-01
Protests are continuing against attempts to restart operations in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic without proper safeguards, including French teachers, German doctors and nurses in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/01/wor2-m01.html

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
wsws.org | 2020-05-01
Protests are continuing against attempts to restart operations in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic without proper safeguards, including French teachers, German doctors and nurses in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/01/wor2-m01.html

Protests over lack of government aid during lockdown intensify in Panama
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-01
Residents of various parts of the country have denounced that they don't have money to buy food and haven't received any aid from the government…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/01/protests-over-lack-of-government-aid-during-lockdown-intensify-in-panama/

Protesters Stage Public Action Against COVID-19 Measures in Berlin – Video
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-01
Germany was forced to introduce lockdown measures on 17 March to battle the spread of the coronavirus in the country. However, in recent days the nation moved to relax certain restrictions reopening playgrounds, churches, and cultural institutions.
sputniknews.com/europe/202005011079158244-protesters-stage-public-action-against-covid-19-measures-in-berlin—video/

Turkey Delays S-400 Deployment Due to Coronavirus Pandemic
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-01
The country was planning to make the newly acquired air defence systems operational in April despite numerous protests from the US, which had been pressuring Ankara to ditch the systems for good.
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202005011079158623-turkey-delays-s-400-deployment-due-to-coronavirus-pandemic/

Hating Arabs as a Common Ground: Why Israel's Coalition Government is Likely to Survive
Ramzy Baroud | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-01
Shortly after an agreement to form a "national emergency government" in Israel, leader of the Blue and White (Kahol Lavan) party, Benny Gantz, tweeted triumphantly that 'democracy' in Israel has been 'safeguarded'. But how is a deal that would grant Israel's right-wing Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, a veto power over the very judicial system which…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/01/hating-arabs-as-a-common-ground-why-israels-coalition-government-is-likely-to-survive/

Hating Arabs as a Common Ground: Why Israel's Coalition Government is Likely to Survive
Ramzy Baroud | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-01
Shortly after an agreement to form a "national emergency government" in Israel, leader of the Blue and White (Kahol Lavan) party, Benny Gantz, tweeted triumphantly that 'democracy' in Israel has been 'safeguarded'. But how is a deal that would grant Israel's right-wing Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, a veto power over the very judicial system which…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/01/hating-arabs-as-a-common-ground-why-israels-coalition-government-is-likely-to-survive/

Video: Prospects of Turkish-Russian Military Conflict in Syria
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-01
The region of Greater Idlib remains the main source of tensions in Syria. | The March 5th ceasefire deal reached by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow allowed an end to be made to the …
globalresearch.ca/video-prospects-turkish-russian-military-conflict-syria/5711491

Pompeo Demands Countries Block Airspace to Iran's 'Terrorist Airline' After Venezuela Deliveries
Zero Hedge | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-01
The US is going on the offensive once again against Venezuela, this time attempting to break up growing Iranian cooperation and assistance to Caracas. The two so-called 'rogue states' recently targeted for US-imposed regime change are helping each other fight …
globalresearch.ca/pompeo-demands-countries-block-airspace-iran-terrorist-airline-after-venezuela-deliveries/5711461

Pompeo Demands Countries Block Airspace To Iran's 'Terrorist Airline' After Venezuela Deliveries
Zero Hedge | iranian.com | 2020-05-01
The US is going on the offensive once again against Venezuela, this time attempting to break up growing Iranian cooperation and assistance to Caracas. The two so-called 'rogue states' recently targeted for US-imposed regime change are helping each other fight coronavirus as well as Washington-led sanctions. Specifically, Tehran has ramped up cargo deliveries related getting Venezuela's …
iranian.com/2020/04/30/pompeo-demands-countries-block-airspace-to-irans-terrorist-airline-after-venezuela-deliveries/

Electoral Triumph Spurs Green New Deal in South Korea
Tim Shorrock | thenation.com | 2020-05-01
Electoral Triumph Spurs Green New Deal in South Korea…
thenation.com/article/world/south-korea-elections-climate/

Blaming the Victim Is the West's Latest Infowar Tactic Against China
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-01
Fewer and fewer people believe Western officials and their media, which is the West's own fault for confusing their targeted audience with the mixed messages that they disseminated about COVID-19 over the past couple of months. It was an epic …
globalresearch.ca/blaming-the-victim-is-the-wests-latest-infowar-tactic-against-china/5711478

Experts Warn of New Nuclear Arms Race After Trump Signals US Withdrawal from START Treaty
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-05-01
While much of the corporate press has blamed Russia and China for the sudden failure of multiple longstanding nuclear treaties, experts put the blame on squarely on the Trump administration.
mintpressnews.com/experts-warn-of-new-nuclear-arms-race-after-trump-signals-us-withdrawal-from-start-treaty/267181/