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August 29, 2019 Rebecca Capua Red Net 0

By Rebecca C

Portland vs. fascists

In popular culture, the Pacific northwest is associated with grunge, 2000s-era weirdos and offbeat satirical comedies (thanks, Portlandia), coffee (thanks, Howard Schultz), hiking, big trees, etc. But the area has been battling a pervasive facsist infestation for decades now, and recent clashes in Seattle and Portland show that the unique blend of liberal politics and a history of white nationalism in the area continues to be a potent mix. Antifascist organizers are meeting the dual threat of fascist groups like the Proud Boys and the white-nationalist police forces in the streets, but the conflict continues in its urgency.

A Proud Boys rally in Portland on August 17 was a particular flashpoint. This photo was posted by a right wing writer, unintentionally providing a badass iconic image of antifascist solidarity (see thread for more footage):

And the person on the right is a medic who is running for the House in Oregon! (Donation link in thread.)

 This incident involving a hammer was hugely debated on twitter with different angles purporting to show who the agressor was, although the clearly came from a MAGA dude on the black bus.

And lastly here’s a small incident that gives a sense of how aligned law enforcement are with the facist groups they are only purporting to police:

#CloseTheCamps and Big Tech ICE contracts

Thread documenting large demonstrations in Palo Alto against Palantir, who just renewed their contract with ICE providing data aggregation and surveillance:

In light of the recent Trump (aka the self-appointed Chosen One) comments on who is and is not a disloyal Jew it’s important to recognize the bravery and intensity of Jewish groups like Never Again Action and their essential role in actions against the anti-immigration white nationalist machine:

And the news continues to get worse for immigrants being held in concentration camps:

The wrong Amazon is burning

A crisis in the Amazon region is potentially reaching a dangerous tipping point where a cycle of drying and dieback could lead to a catastrophic loss of 20% of the world’s oxygen, while at the same time spewing carbon into the air at an unprecented rate. The fires are being intentionally set, in large part, by industrial and agribusiness interests.

The always-essential Naomi Klein:

And this from an August 24 rally near the UN:

Odds and Ends

Thread from historian Eric Loomis on an important day in feminist labor history:

And lastly, our large mayor had to videoconference in to an AFL-CIO meeting in Iowa and probably wished he hadn’t:

About Rebecca Capua 117 Articles
Red Letter spotlights editor, former MWG OC