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See You In Philly: Kit Will Report Live From DNC 2016 Protests
July 20, 2016. A protester with his face covered helps another activist their bandanna, near the Quicken Loans Arena, site of the 2016 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia. (MintPress News / Desiree Kane)
July 23, 2016
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See You In Philly: Kit Will Report Live From DNC 2016 Protests

Posted in Journalism, Life, and MintPress News

While delegates rally and Hillary Clinton turns on the charm at the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, the streets will be full of activists demanding justice.

MintPress News reporter Kit O’Connell will be there as supporters of Green Party candidate Jill Stein demand that she have access to the voting ballots and the debates. He’ll be at a march to end the war on cannabis users and growers. And he’ll talk to other activists representing diverse causes as they protest, march and rally outside the Wells Fargo Center from July 25 to 28.

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Hundreds Gather To ‘Wall Off Trump’ & Police Arrest 18 In Flag-Burning Demonstration At RNC 2016
July 19, 2016. An activist holds up a fist behind a "Wall Off Trump" banner, painted with a brick wall pattern and inscried "No human being is illegal." RNC 2016. (MintPress News / Desiree Kane)
July 22, 2016
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Hundreds Gather To ‘Wall Off Trump’ & Police Arrest 18 In Flag-Burning Demonstration At RNC 2016

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

In response to a proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall that Donald Trump’s turned into a hallmark of his presidential campaign, activists at the Republican National Convention built a wall of their own on Wednesday.

Using a combination of banners and brick wall-patterned costumes, activists surrounded the Quicken Loans Arena for about two-and-a-half hours to highlight the harm caused by the GOP nominee’s immigration policies.

Hundreds of people took part in the Wall Off Trump action, including many undocumented immigrants as well as a group of veterans who protected the demonstrators from interference. About 150 people came together to create the wall, which stretched for about 2,000 feet around the arena.

Read moreHundreds Gather To ‘Wall Off Trump’ & Police Arrest 18 In Flag-Burning Demonstration At RNC 2016
From Anti-Trump Activists To Open Carry Advocates: RNC 2016 Opens With A Day Of Peaceful Protest
In this July 18, 2016 photograph, Cleveland police and a protester embrace outside the Quicken Loans Arena, site of the 2016 Republican National Convention. (MintPress News / Desiree Kane)
July 19, 2016
Kit
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From Anti-Trump Activists To Open Carry Advocates: RNC 2016 Opens With A Day Of Peaceful Protest

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

The tense political landscape and presence of open carry activists didn’t dampen a day of peaceful protest for demonstrators gathered outside the Quicken Loans Arena for the opening day of the 2016 Republican National Convention.

MintPress News was present outside the arena on Monday, where attendance by protesters seemed somewhat lower than anticipated. Even during an unpermitted march led by a musical “supergroup” featuring members of Public Enemy, Cypress Hill and Rage Against the Machine, no arrests were reported.

On Saturday, Cleveland police swore in hundreds of temporary officers recruited from forces around the country in anticipation of intense protest and potential unrest. Police and FBI agents were also reported to be visiting Cleveland activists at their homes in advance of the convention, apparently in an attempt to intimidate or discourage protests.

Read moreFrom Anti-Trump Activists To Open Carry Advocates: RNC 2016 Opens With A Day Of Peaceful Protest
US Police Have Killed Nearly 9,000 Civilians Since 9/11
In this April 14, 2015 photograph, chalk in New York City's Union Square reads "Stop Murder by Police." (Flickr / The All-Nite Images)
July 14, 2016
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US Police Have Killed Nearly 9,000 Civilians Since 9/11

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

Despite a number of high-profile attacks that have resulted in the deaths of thousands of Americans both in the United States and abroad, police continue to pose a far deadlier and more immediate threat to Americans than terrorists.

At least 8,882 civilians have been killed by police since 9/11. This figure is based on government data and civilian- and media-run databases of police killings, although experts agree that the true number could be far higher. By contrast, the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, still the deadliest act of terrorism committed on U.S. soil, claimed the lives of 2,996 people and injured over 6,000 others.

Even including the “Global War on Terror,” in which about 6,879 U.S. servicemembers were killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which were a direct result of 9/11, and more recent terrorist attacks like the San Bernardino shooting (14 deaths), the Orlando nightclub shooting (49 deaths), or even Thursday’s attack on Dallas police officers protecting a Black Lives Matter march (five deaths), those who receive public funds to “protect and serve” are proving to be deadlier than terrorists.

Read moreUS Police Have Killed Nearly 9,000 Civilians Since 9/11
From Bathroom Bills To Islamophobia: It’s All Connected In America’s Anti-Diversity Backlash
London Pride marchers hold a "Solidarity" banner and signs proclaiming support for Orlando victims, Muslims and refugees. June 25, 2016. (Flickr / Alisdaire Hickson)
July 8, 2016
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From Bathroom Bills To Islamophobia: It’s All Connected In America’s Anti-Diversity Backlash

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

From anti-Muslim legislation to violence targeting mosques and those who worship there, it’s clear that Islamophobia is on the rise in the United States.

While opponents of Muslims’ religious freedom often cite terrorist attacks carried out by religious extremists to justify their bigotry, analysis of the sources of Islamophobia reveal ties to broader, national issues of systemic racism and xenophobia in the U.S., and the people who stand to profit from fomenting hate.

A November poll by the Brookings Institution showed that 61 percent of Americans hold an unfavorable view of Islam and 46 percent hold an unfavorable view of Muslims.

And compared to other forms of hate speech, anti-Muslim speech remains surprisingly acceptable. Saeed Khan, a fellow at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding and a professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, told MintPress News, “When it came to the rhetoric against Muslims … it was one of the few communities or groups by which politicians and opinion makers could speak with impunity against without facing any kind of repercussions either politically or economically.”

Read moreFrom Bathroom Bills To Islamophobia: It’s All Connected In America’s Anti-Diversity Backlash
What the US Can Learn From Canada’s Experiment With Electoral Reform
May 14, 2011. Activists in Ottawa, Canada demand electoral reform. Signs include "Far vote from coast-to-coast." (Flickr / ahblair)
July 4, 2016
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What the US Can Learn From Canada’s Experiment With Electoral Reform

Posted in Journalism, and Truthout

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was elected, in part, on a promise to change how the next government gets elected.

Although Canada’s electoral reform is very much a work in progress, activists and politicians alike are working to eliminate a majority-rule system in favor of a different, still-to-be-determined, but hopefully more representational form of voting.

“We want proportional representation,” said Kelly Carmichael, executive director of Fair Vote Canada, in an interview with Truthout, referring to one type of alternate voting system being considered.

“We never want to be stuck in a situation again where one person can take over the governance of our country,” she added, referring to Stephen Harper, Trudeau’s predecessor.

Although the US and Canada use very different systems, we can learn a great deal from this historic moment, particularly at a time when US voter turnout is plummeting and dissatisfaction with the available choices on the ballot is on the rise.

Read moreWhat the US Can Learn From Canada’s Experiment With Electoral Reform