Page 22 - Florida Sentinel 8-23-19

National
NYPD Commissioner Fires Officer Daniel Pantaleo Over Chokehold Death Of Eric Garner
It’s ‘Racial’: Illinois Prison Banned Books On Black History And Empowerment From Inmate Program
Some 3 out of every 4 in- mates in Illinois prisons are black, yet, an Illinois prison banned an inmate education program from using books discussing black history or empowerment due to their “racial” content.
Now, prison officials are apologizing and pledging to overhaul their review system, according to the Chicago Tribune, but not before offi- cials at Danville Correctional Center had removed some 200 books from a prison li-
brary and banned for use in the education program “sev- eral classic books of African American history, including
The Souls of Black Folk, the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the memoir of former slave and aboli- tionist Frederick Dou- glass.”
According to Illinois cor- rection records the Tribune received under a Freedom of Information Act request, the dispute between the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Education Justice Project run under the aus- pices of the University of Illi- nois went back months.
In this May 13 photo, Officer Daniel Pantaleo leaves his house in Staten Island.
More than five years after a confrontation over the alleged illegal sale of one cigarette led him to put Staten Island man Eric Garner in a fatal chokehold, NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo was fired Monday by police commis- sioner James O’Neill.
“The unintended conse- quences of Eric Garner’s death must have conse- quences of its own,” O’Neill said at a news conference at police headquarters in Lower Manhattan. “It is clear that
Daniel Pantaleo can no longer effectively serve as a New York City police officer.”
O’Neill said he was “confi- dent” that firing Pantaleo was right.
His long-awaited decision, on the heels of a recommen- dation by an NYPD judge that the officer get the ax, caps a painful saga helped spark the Black Lives Matter movement and prompted the police to better train officers in how to de-escalate tense street con- frontations.
Proud Boys, Outnumbered By Anti-Fascists, Get Police Escort After 30-Minute Rally
PORTLAND, Ore. ― A few hundred fascists once again invaded Portland for a much- anticipated rally Saturday, but this time were mostly de- prived of the violent spectacle they crave, as a much larger group of anti-fascists made them know they weren’t wel- come in this city.
The fascists belonged to far-right groups including the Proud Boys, Patriot Prayer and the Three Percenters. And whereas at previous Portland rallies these groups have often confronted and at- tacked anti-fascist protesters, this time they were barely given the chance to do so. Upon arriving at Tom McCall Waterfront Park around 11.am. Saturday, they were kept separated from their foes by concrete barriers and a phalanx of police.
The fascists ambled about, singing the national anthem and chanting “USA” for a mere 30 minutes before de- ciding it was time to leave. An accommodating Portland Po- lice Bureau — which has been criticized for siding with, and sometimes maintaining friendly relationships with, such far-right extremists — then escorted them to the Hawthorne Bridge, which was closed off to the rest of the city’s residents, for a happy march across the Willamette River.
It was a striking scene: the same group of out-of-town fascists that have terrorized people here for years, given
Proud Boys and other fascists march across the Hawthorne Bridge on Saturday.
free rein over a city bridge, on their way back from an un- permitted rally in a public park, after weeks of threaten- ing to harm and kill local anti-fascists.
But the police depart- ment’s decision nevertheless may have prevented blood- shed, as it largely stopped fascists from crossing paths with their enemies. (“We did not show preferential treat- ment, but rather facilitated a de-escalation of potential conflict,” Police Chief Danielle Outlaw later ar- gued.)
There were concerns, after all, that this rally would be Portland’s most violent since President Donald Trump took office. Portland officials have for years allowed the Proud Boys and their buddies in the Washington state- based extremist faction Pa- triot Prayer to hold “free speech” gatherings here that have served as nothing more than thinly veiled excuses to
fight leftists in the city’s streets.
But the messaging leading up to this particular rally car- ried an air of vengeance. Proud Boys billed it as direct action against anti-fascists in response to an incident at a June rally that left far-right blogger Andy Ngo with a black eye. Although bloodied faces have become the norm at these rallies, Ngo’s in- juries quickly made him into a cause celebre among the far right, which is eager to depict anti-fascism as a violent movement worthy of govern- ment repression.
Early Saturday morning before the rally, the Proud Boys received a big endorse- ment for their cause. “Major consideration is being given to naming ANTIFA an ‘OR- GANIZATION OF TER- ROR,’” the president tweeted. “Portland is being watched very closely. Hopefully the Mayor will be able to prop- erly do his job!”
Woman Sets Man's House On Fire After Calling Her For Sex Then Falling Asleep
A New Jersey woman is being held without bond after police say she set a man's house on fire for falling asleep after the two planned a wee- morning hour sexual ren- dezvous.
According to The New York Daily News, Taija Russell, 29, received a text message from the unidentified man to come over and have sex. However, the gentleman caller fell asleep prior to her arrival. Russell reportedly called him eight times and when he didn't respond she grew irate and texted: "I see you wanna die." As well as “You wasted my money to come out here.”
Russell then went to a nearby gas station in Wood- bury, N. J., and purchased lighter fluid and a lighter and started a fire at the man's home with him inside.
The victim was able to es-
TAIJA RUSSELL
cape wearing only his T-shirt that was reportedly covered in soot. He then ran to a nearby police station at about 4:30 AM to get help.
Law enforcement said the man's home and his furnish- ings were completely de- stroyed, however, firefighters were able to save his dog. Russell was arrested Tues- day (Aug. 13) on arson and at- tempted murder charges.
PAGE 10-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019