Racist mass murder in Buffalo, USA

This 15 May 2022 video says about itself:

An 18-year-old white gunman opened fire at a supermarket in a Black neighbourhood in the US city of Buffalo, killing 10 people in what authorities called an act of “racially motivated violent extremism”.

From the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in the USA today:

Yesterday, an 18-year-old white supremacist shot and killed at least 10 individuals in a shooting at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket that law enforcement is treating as a hate crime. In response, LDF President and Director-Counsel Janai S. Nelson issued the following statement:

“We send our deepest condolences to the victims of the racially-motivated shooting targeting Black people in Buffalo, New York. This horrific rampage is another in the long line of distinctly American mass shootings that combine racism and gun violence. This is a deepening crisis for which we must be prepared to make all the necessary sacrifices to peacefully bring to an end the scourge of hate.

“Black Americans are the leading targets for hate crimes in our country, but we also continue to witness increases in anti-Semitic attacks, as well as violence against the Latino, Asian, Muslim, and LGBTQ+ communities. The frequency and intensity of this violence has been super charged in part by social media, which provides a virtually unchecked platform for hate speech and the encouragement of violent actions. And, as we have seen by the number of attacks that have been live-streamed, a built-in audience for hate.

“Social media companies are not alone in having created this environment, however, as cable television has increasingly become a home for what were once seen as extremist views. Indeed, the Great Replacement Theory, which a shocking one in three Americans now believes to be true, has found a mainstream home on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program after being previously cited by four mass shooters – including those who committed the heinous crimes in Oslo, Norway; Christchurch, New Zealand; Dayton, Ohio; and El Paso, Texas.

…

“Unless we want to be a nation riven by increasing violence and terror, all of us – not just those of us who are the targets – must act now to end the propagation of hate speech and unchecked access to militaristic weapons that are trained on our communities.”

BUFFALO SUSPECT EMBRACED RACIST ‘REPLACEMENT’ CONSPIRACY PUSHED BY TUCKER CARLSON The teenager charged in the fatal shooting at a Buffalo supermarket was haunted in his writing by the “great replacement” conspiracy theory — a viciously racist view of the world that has been touted by Fox News host Tucker Carlson that white Americans are at risk of being replaced by people of color. The No. 3 House Republican, Elise Stefanik, also echoed the racist conspiracy. The accused shooter had threatened a shooting at his high school in June. [HuffPost]

BUFFALO SUSPECT PLANNED SECOND KILL SITE The white gunman accused of a racist rampage at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket planned to keep killing at a second location if he escaped the first scene, the police commissioner said. Authorities investigated the massacre of Black people as a hate crime and act of domestic terrorism. The troubled gunman’s legal purchase of an assault-style rifle raises new questions about so-called red flag laws. And the continuing rash of American mass killings shows “you can’t even go to the damn store in peace,” as a Buffalo resident put it. [AP]

Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of sex trafficking

This 30 December 2021 video about the USA says about itself:

Ghislaine Maxwell has been found guilty on sex trafficking charges after allegedly recruiting and grooming girls for sexual exploitation by Jeffrey Epstein.

GHISLAINE MAXWELL FOUND GUILTY IN SEX ABUSE TRIAL British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty on five counts in her trial for luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by the American millionaire Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell faces years in prison — an outcome long sought by women who spent years fighting in civil courts to hold her accountable for her role in recruiting and grooming Epstein‘s victims. [AP]

Racist killer Rittenhouse acquitted in the USA

This 20 November 2021 MSNBC video from the USA says about itself:

Legal analyst Maya Wiley On Rittenhouse Verdict: ‘We’re In More Danger Today Than Yesterday’

From the Legal Defence Fund of the NAACP in the USA:

Today, Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted on three counts of first-degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, and two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon for the respective killings of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, as well as the shooting of Gaige Grosskreutz in August 2020.

In response, LDF President and Director-Counsel Sherrilyn Ifill issued the following statement:

“Kyle Rittenhouse traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin, [crossing state lines] in response to protests over the unjust police shooting of Jacob Blake and armed himself with a semi-automatic rifle he believed was unlawful for him to own. Rittenhouse lied about being a medical professional, then shot and killed two people while injuring a third. Despite numerous confrontations in the streets on Kenosha and the presence of other armed individuals, Rittenhouse was the only person who shot and killed someone that night. After Rittenhouse shot multiple people and called his friend stating, ‘I just killed someone,’ he then approached law enforcement officers and apparently disobeyed their commands; but was still able to walk away without being arrested.

“Fifteen days prior to that deadly evening, Rittenhouse was recorded saying that he wished he had his rifle in order to shoot some men he believed were shoplifters. Months after the shootings in Kenosha, Rittenhouse was seen at a bar flashing a white power sign as men reportedly sang the anthem of the white nationalist Proud Boys group to him. Wisconsin’s guns laws have been repeatedly loosened, strengthening the ability to carry openly in 2011, and loosening other protections in 2015, opening the door for people to brazenly transport and carry weapons, including semi-automatic rifles, with[out] substantial protections.

“Rittenhouse’s actions before, after, and during that night in Kenosha, and the impunity afforded to his actions do not exist in isolation from the larger context of racism, lax gun laws, and the deep flaws in our criminal justice system that so powerfully shape public life in this country.

“We should not forget that these killings took place amid protests in Kenosha. The history of protest is integral to the fight for racial justice in this country and there remains a concerted attack to encroach on this right. Rittenhouse’s conduct must be understood within an environment in which armed militias and vigilantes are acting to silence protesters, and where state legislatures have advanced anti-protest bills in the aftermath of demonstrations calling for racial justice.

“While the actions of all parties during the trial will be scrutinized over time, the acquittal of Rittenhouse on all charges, and the lauding of him as a hero, by right-wing elected leaders and others, will embolden would-be vigilantes who intimidate protestors demanding racial justice to believe that they can escape accountability for their violence.”

Journalist murdered, Saudi crown prince off the hook?

This video says about itself:

Saudi Crown Prince personally approved Khashoggi murder says US report – BBC News

A US intelligence report has concluded that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally approved the murder of the exiled journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

He was killed while visiting the Saudi consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

The declassified intelligence report says Prince Salman approved a plan to either “capture or kill” Khashoggi, who had criticised the Saudi regime.

It’s the first time America has publicly named the crown prince, who has denied ordering the murder.

Sophie Raworth presents BBC News at Ten reporting by North America correspondent Nick Bryant.

BIDEN PROMISED TO TAKE ON SAUDI ARABIA OVER JAMAL KHASHOGGI. THE SAUDIS WON. In the nine months since he took over from Trump, Biden could have meaningfully punished Saudi Arabia and its prince over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Instead, the U.S. response to Khashoggi’s killing has been too puny to deter future abuses, experts say. Catch up with the case here. [HuffPost]

Islamophobic massacre in Canada

This 8 June 2021 video from Canada says about itself:

Reaction from the Muslim community as 4 family members killed in London, Ont. vehicular attack

Members of the Muslim community react to the tragedy that occurred Sunday evening in London, Ont., which saw four members of the same family killed when they were struck by a vehicle in what police believe was a targeted act due to their faith.

Three adults and a teenager were killed when they were struck by the vehicle, said Chief Steve Williams on Monday. A child from the same family is in serious, but non-life-threatening condition.

Global News’ Catherine McDonald and Erica Vella report.

DRIVER IN CANADA KILLS 4 IN SUSPECTED ISLAMOPHOBIC ATTACK A Canadian man is accused of hitting five members of a Muslim family who were out for a walk with his car on Sunday night, killing four of them in what police suspect was a premeditated attack motivated by Islamophobia. Police in London, Ontario, have charged a 20-year-old Canadian with first-degree murder. [HuffPost]

Liechtenstein prince poaches ‘Romania’s largest bear’

This 5 May 2021 video says about itself:

The bear hunter AKA Emanuel von und zu Liechtenstein

Speak against injustice and against all those who think they are entitled to do what they want.

The bear killer who takes pride in obtaining the so-called ‘trophies‘ should be punished or not? What do you think?

From Politico.eu, 6 May 2021:

Liechtenstein prince accused of poaching ‘Romania’s largest bear’

NGOs say the royal killed a 17-year-old brown bear in an act of trophy hunting.

By Eddy Wax

Environmental NGOs have accused a prince from the Liechtenstein royal family of shooting Romania’s largest bear in an act of trophy hunting.

Romania’s Agent Green and Austrian group VGT said in a joint statement published Wednesday that Prince Emanuel von und zu Liechtenstein visited Romania in March this year and killed a 17-year-old brown bear on a protected nature reserve.

According to the NGOs, the prince, who lives in Austria, came to Romania under the pretense of shooting a female bear for which the Romanian government had issued a special hunting derogation. The female was disturbing locals in a village in a nature-protection site in the Carpathian mountains.

However, the bear the prince shot was a male nicknamed Arthur that had been under observation by an Agent Green ranger and had always kept away from the villagers, the NGOs said.

“It is clear that the prince did not come to solve the problem of the locals, but to kill the bear and take home the biggest trophy to hang it on the wall. We are dealing with a game of poaching, since they shot the wrong bear,” said Agent Green President Gabriel Paun in his statement. …

The Associated Press reported it had seen documentation showing the prince paid the equivalent of €7,000 to obtain a four-day hunting permit.

Brown bears are protected from deliberate hunting under the EU habitats directive and derogations can be granted only under special circumstances, such as if the animal is putting the public or other wildlife in danger. …

She added, “It’s a great problem that rich people actually all over the world still do trophy hunting as a social activity.”

Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos kills workers

This 4 April 2021 video from the USA says about itself:

Jeff Bezos‘ Culture of Utter Psychopathy Puts Profits Before Lives

Status Coup’s Jordan Chariton shares original reporting he’s done with the Brown family, where one sister, Poushawn, has died after being required to administer COVID tests to other Amazon workers, and another sister, Christina, was met with concern for the Amazon vehicle and not herself when icy conditions flipped her delivery van. This points to a culture of psychopathy at Amazon that starts from the top.

This 4 April 2021 video from the USA says about itself:

Amazon‘s SHOCKING Culture of FEAR Harms Efforts to Unionize

Independent journalist Tina-Desiree Berg of District 34 (interviews Amazon workers who detail efforts to unionize, but also a culture of fear and a feeling of being very replaceable among the Staten Island Team.

Murderous anti-Asian racism in the USA

This 18 March 2020 video from United States TV says about itself:

Six of the eight victims in the Atlanta shooting spree were of Asian descent, and the attack came as Asian Americans face increased discrimination, hate and violence. NBC investigative and consumer correspondent Vicky Nguyen reports for In Depth TODAY.

Atlanta shootings expose growth of anti-Asian violence in the US. A subcommittee of the House of Representatives held a hearing on Thursday entitled “Discrimination and Violence Against Asian Americans,” the first time the US Congress has addressed the issue since the 1980s when Chinese American Vincent Chin was murdered: here.

LET’S CALL IT WHAT IT IS The words “racist misogyny” need to enter the conversation about the Atlanta spa shootings, writes HuffPost’s Brittany Wong. Police said it was “too early” to determine if racism was at play after a gunman fatally shot eight people, including six women of Asian descent. The fetishization of Asian women is, in itself, racist. [HuffPost]

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE VICTIMS Xiaojie “Emily” Tan was a business owner and “the sweetest person you’d ever meet,” said a friend and customer. Cherokee County officials have released the identities of the five people shot ― four of whom were killed ― at Young’s Asian Massage, the first spa where the gunman opened fire Tuesday. [HuffPost]

2 ASIAN WOMEN STABBED IN SAN FRANCISCO Two older Asian women were stabbed on the street while waiting for the bus in San Francisco this week as anti-Asian violence rises nationwide. They are recovering from their injuries. “San Francisco is my home and my Grandma’s home. We need to feel safe where we live and not in constant fear,” wrote the granddaughter of one of the victims. [HuffPost]

WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT FAILS HATE CRIME VICTIMS  Police statements in Atlanta served as a reminder of the failures of the American criminal justice system, specifically when it comes to investigating crimes that stem from race-based bias and hatred, writes HuffPost’s Rowaida Abdelaziz. Police are often reluctant or refuse to liken crimes to racial animus, which only further traumatizes people in the targeted community. [HuffPost]

pic.twitter.com/rNQljM64c9

— Chris brown (@chrisbrown2075) March 19, 2021

Racist, sexist massacres Asian women, Atlanta, USA

This 17 March 2020 video about the USA says about itself:

Robert Aaron Long, a White Supremacist with ‘passion for guns & God‘ arrested after 8 Asians killed

#AtlantaShootings​: Suspect, 21, with ‘passion for guns and God‘ arrested after eight killed.. 6 Asian women, 1 White man & 1 White woman at three separate massage parlors in a span of 1 hour

White supremacist propaganda nearly doubled in 2020 to most in a decade, ADL says: here.

A 17 March 2020 video about the USA used to say about itself:

At least eight people have been killed in a series of shootings at three Atlanta area massage parlors. Authorities described a number of victims as women of Asian descent. A 21-year-old man, Robert Aaron Long, has been taken into custody. The first shooting occurred at Young’s Asian Massage near Acworth in Cherokee county, just north-west of Atlanta. Police officers responded to a reported robbery at Gold Spa in the city’s north-east and were then alerted to another shooting across the street at the Aromatherapy Spa.

This 17 March 2020 video about the USA says about itself:

All but one of the people killed were women and six of them were Asians.

First, I wish strength and healing for the surviving relatives and friends of this heinous mass murder.

This massacre is a consequence of preceding anti-Asian racism and misogyny. Ever since then United States President Donald Trump started an anti-China witchhunt to deflect anger about his mismanagement of the coronavirus disaster, with a little help of the Rupert Murdoch media empire, there came a wave of racism and violence against people of (perceived) Chinese or other Asian ancestry. In the USA, also in other countries like Britain and the Netherlands. Similarly, the anti-women stance of the Trump administration also likely influenced this Georgia, USA mass killer Long.

CHINA PARANOIA FUELS ANTI-ASIAN RACISM Former President Trump spent years demonizing China and perpetuating anti-Asian sentiments. Joe Biden condemned anti-Asian racism in his first speech as president and signed an executive order, but his administration continues to mostly describe China as a threat — language that could be dangerous for Asian Americans. [HuffPost]

MASSAGE SPA MASSACRE NEAR ATLANTA At least eight people, including six of Asian descent, were killed during three shootings at massage spas in the Atlanta area. Police arrested 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, of Woodstock, Georgia. While there still aren’t concrete details about the killer’s motive, the country has seen a “documented pattern of recent attacks against our community,” said Stop AAPI Hate, a collective of advocacy organizations for Asian American and Pacific Islander people. [HuffPost]

‘BAD DAY’ COP PROMOTED RACISM Capt. Jay Baker, a spokesperson for the Cherokee County sheriff’s office, said the man charged with the Atlanta shootings wasn’t motivated by race. But HuffPost verified that Baker has used his Facebook account to promote merchandise that demonized the Asian community over the coronavirus. [HuffPost]

INCIDENTS OF ANTI-ASIAN RACISM SOAR For more than a year, Asian Americans have faced an alarming deluge of racist attacks and harassment, such as being shunned, spit on and denied services. While the current wave of racism is tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s one chapter of a long history of racism and discrimination against Asian Americans, writes HuffPost’s Marina Fang. [HuffPost]

I’m Asian. I’ve spent the last year in constant fear of attack.

TERROR TEARS THROUGH ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES A white gunman was charged Wednesday with killing eight people at three Atlanta-area massage spas in an attack that sent terror through the Asian American community, which has increasingly been targeted during the pandemic. The shootings appear to be at the “intersection of gender-based violence, misogyny and xenophobia,” said Georgia state Rep. Bee Nguyen. [AP]

HOW TO HELP Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Asian Americans have reported being targeted in nearly 4,000 hate incidents nationwide. If you want to help, first recognize that the community is under attack, and then take action. Activists and advocates share eight things you can do to help the community as an ally. [HuffPost]

The extreme right in the USA

This 4 February 2021 video says about itself:

The US government is warning violent right-wing groups may be emboldened by the riot at the Capitol building last month.

The Department of Homeland Security’s threat assessment analysts are suggesting there may be additional attacks and there are concerns conspiracy theories are continuing to fuel hate.

Al Jazeera’s Rob Reynolds reports from Los Angeles, US.

Trump and January 6: The evidence of a planned political coup: here.

Every antisemitic thing Marjorie Taylor Greene has said and done (so far): here.

Don’t laugh at Marjorie Taylor Greene — her Jewish constituents must live with her hate: here.

In any politically healthy system, the Republican Party would have been irreparably discredited and disgraced by its complicity in the attempted coup. Yet less than three weeks later, it arrogantly and defiantly reasserts its defense of Trump and his fascist supporters: here.

The GOP Isn’t Big Enough for Jews and for Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Jew-hate. Republicans’ disinterest in ostracizing Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, an extremist who proudly peddles antisemitic conspiracies, is devastating for Jewish conservatives: here.

February 4: White supremacy and far-right extremism: Is the Capitol siege the end or the beginning? Here.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE VIOLATES BOND Kyle Rittenhouse has violated his bond agreement by apparently moving out of his home without notifying the court, and now Wisconsin prosecutors are seeking a warrant for his arrest. In a court filing, prosecutors said several attempts to contact the teenager have failed. The 18-year-old faces multiple homicide charges related to the shooting deaths of two unarmed Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last summer. [HuffPost]

CANADA DECLARES PROUD BOYS A TERRORIST GROUP The Canadian government officially designated the Proud Boys as a terror organization, ranking the group alongside al Qaeda and Boko Haram. The move to designate the Proud Boys ― a violent, pro-Trump street gang full of extremists and white nationalists ― as a criminal entity was already under consideration before the deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol last month for which numerous members of the gang have been charged. [HuffPost]