Monday, June 5, 2017
Portland pro-Trump, anti-Trump demonstrations converge, sparking violence
Violence broke out in Portland, Oregon, as groups of demonstrators both supporting and opposing President Trump converged downtown Sunday amid escalating tensions.
Police said people hurled bricks and at least one gas bottle at officers in Chapman Square. Law enforcement fired back with "less-lethal chemical munitions," according to police.
WARNING: PROTEST VIDEO CONTAINS PROFANITY
Officers arrested at least 14 people and confiscated various weapons, including what appeared to be a knife, brass knuckles and a homemade slingshot. They also had to dodge balloons filled with a foul-smelling liquid, Fox 12 reported.
In addition, officers detained a large crowd several blocks north of the pro-Trump rally. Several journalists at the scene said they were blocked in, along with demonstrators, and were told by officers that they were detained pending investigation for disorderly conduct. A Portland Tribune reporter tweeted that she was held but eventually released after police took photos of her ID.
Crowds at the demonstrations swelled to several thousand. Much of the city has been on edge after the deadly stabbing of two men who tried to stop another man's anti-Muslim tirade just over a week ago.
Last week Mayor Ted Wheeler unsuccessfully tried to have the permit for the pro-Trump revoked, saying it could further enflame tensions. Federal officials said there was "no basis" to revoke the permit on federal land, Fox 12 added.
DETAILS ON STABBING SUSPECT'S LIFE EMERGE
The free-speech rally organized by a conservative group called Patriot Prayer drew hundreds to a plaza near City Hall. Rally organizer Joey Gibson told the crowd that the goal was to wake up the liberty movement. "It's OK to be a conservative in Portland," he said.
Demonstrators chanted "USA" and held supportive banners.
The group was met by hundreds of counter-protesters organized by immigrant-rights, religious and labor groups. Many of them filled the steps of City Hall, drummed and played music and held signs, some of which read "Our city is greater than hate" and "Black lives matter." Some chanted "love, not hate" and "Go home, fascists."
"We build our hope and our stamina for justice by showing up," the Rev. Diane Dulin of the United Church of Christ said in a statement ahead of the rally.
The suspect in the light-rail stabbings, Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, attended a similar rally in late April wearing an American flag around his neck and carrying a baseball bat. Police confiscated the bat, and he was then caught on camera clashing with counter-protesters.
BROTHER OF DISMEMBERED BOY'S KILLER FOUND DEAD, POLICE SAY
On May 26, Christian killed two men and injured another on the light-rail train when they tried to help after he verbally abused two young women, one wearing a hijab, investigators said. Christian has been charged with aggravated murder and other counts.
In a video posted on Facebook, Joey Gibson of the group Patriot Prayer condemned Christian and acknowledged that some rallies have attracted "legitimate Nazis." He described Christian as "all crazy" and "not a good guy."
Mat dos Santos, the legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, has said it was wrong and unconstitutional for Wheeler to try to stop the demonstrations based on the viewpoint of the organizers.
Tillerson urges calm after 5 Arab nations sever diplomatic ties with Qatar
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged the Gulf nations to work out their differences after five countries severed ties with Qatar Monday for allegedly embracing several terrorist groups and its ties with Iran.
Tillerson, speaking alongside Secretary of Defense James Mattis in Sydney, said he did not believe the diplomatic crisis would affect the war against the Islamic State.
"I think what we're witnessing is a growing list of disbelief in the countries for some time, and they've bubbled up to take action in order to have those differences addressed," Tillerson said. "We certainly would encourage the parties to sit down together and address these differences."
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen all announced they would withdraw their diplomatic staff from Qatar, which is home to a major U.S. military base used for the air campaign against ISIS. Saudi Arabia also said Qatari troops would be pulled from the ongoing civil war in Yemen.
All the nations also said they planned to cut air and sea traffic. Saudi Arabia said it also would shut its land border with Qatar, effectively cutting off the country from the rest of the Arabian Peninsula.
Yemen's internationally recognized government said it would follow Saudi Arabia and supported the kingdom's decision to remove Qatari troops from the Gulf coaltion fighting the war.
Qatar had appeared unperturbed by the growing tensions. On May 27, Qatar's ruling emir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, called Iranian President Hasan Rouhani to congratulate him on his re-election.
The call was a clear, public rebuttal of Saudi Arabia's efforts to force Qatar to fall in line against the Shiite-ruled nation, which the Sunni kingdom sees as its No. 1 enemy and a threat to regional stability. Qatar shares a massive offshore gas field with the Islamic Republic.
Saudi Arabia said it took the decision to cut diplomatic ties due to Qatar's "embrace of various terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at destabilizing the region" including the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and groups supported by Iran in the kingdom's restive eastern province of Qatif. Egypt's Foreign Ministry accused Qatar of taking an "antagonist approach" toward Egypt and said "all attempts to stop it from supporting terrorist groups failed."
The tiny island nation of Bahrain blamed Qatar's "media incitement, support for armed terrorist activities and funding linked to Iranian groups to carry out sabotage and spreading chaos in Bahrain" for its decision.
Qatar said later Monday there was "no legitimate justification" for the Arab nations to cut ties.
The crisis comes after U.S. President Donald Trump's recent visit to Saudi Arabia for a summit with Arab leaders. Since the meeting, unrest in the region has grown.
At that Saudi conference, Trump met with Qatar's ruling emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
"We are friends, we've been friends now for a long time, haven't we?" Trump asked at the meeting. "Our relationship is extremely good."
Al Gore: Trump's Paris climate decision 'reckless,' indefensible’
Another Idiot is back. |
Former
Vice President Al Gore, a champion of environmental issues, on Sunday
blasted President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from
the 2015 Paris climate agreement, saying the move was “reckless” and
“indefensible."
“It makes no sense to me,” Gore told “Fox News Sunday.” “I think that it was a reckless decision, an indefensible decision.”
Trump, citing economic reasons, decided last week not to join six other industrial nations in reaffirming their country's commitment to the accord -- an effort to curb global warming by reducing greenhouse gases and other air pollutants.
Gore talked in person to Trump after he won the 2016 presidential election. Gore said Sunday that the substance of their conversations will remain confidential, but made clear he tried to convince Trump to stay in the Paris deal.
“I did my best to persuade him that it was in the country’s best interest,” said Gore, whose 2006 documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” warns about the dangers of global warming. “Climate change is real. … The president won’t say it, but it’s true.”
Gore argued Sunday that reducing carbon emissions is a global challenge and that Trump’s decision to withdraw from the accord has hurt America’s stature.
“I think it undermines our nation’s standing in the world and isolates us and threatens to harm humanity’s ability to solve this crisis in time,” he said.
Earlier on “Fox News Sunday,” EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt responded to such claims, saying: “We’re the United States. We’ll always have a seat at the table.”
“It makes no sense to me,” Gore told “Fox News Sunday.” “I think that it was a reckless decision, an indefensible decision.”
Trump, citing economic reasons, decided last week not to join six other industrial nations in reaffirming their country's commitment to the accord -- an effort to curb global warming by reducing greenhouse gases and other air pollutants.
Gore talked in person to Trump after he won the 2016 presidential election. Gore said Sunday that the substance of their conversations will remain confidential, but made clear he tried to convince Trump to stay in the Paris deal.
“I did my best to persuade him that it was in the country’s best interest,” said Gore, whose 2006 documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” warns about the dangers of global warming. “Climate change is real. … The president won’t say it, but it’s true.”
Gore argued Sunday that reducing carbon emissions is a global challenge and that Trump’s decision to withdraw from the accord has hurt America’s stature.
“I think it undermines our nation’s standing in the world and isolates us and threatens to harm humanity’s ability to solve this crisis in time,” he said.
Earlier on “Fox News Sunday,” EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt responded to such claims, saying: “We’re the United States. We’ll always have a seat at the table.”
London attacks: Trump vows to protect US from 'vile enemy'
President Donald Trump spoke out on the latest London terror attacks on Sunday night, vowing to do whatever was needed to protect his country from a "vile enemy."
Giving his first public comments on the attacks, Trump said, "This bloodshed must end, this bloodshed will end." He was appearing with First Lady Melania Trump at a fundraiser for Ford's Theater in Washington, the site of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.
"America sends our thoughts and prayers and our deepest sympathies to the victims of this evil slaughter and we renew our resolve, stronger than ever before, to protect the United States and its allies from a vile enemy that has waged war on innocent life, and it's gone on too long," Trump added. "As president I will do what is necessary to prevent this threat from spreading to our shores and work every day to protect the safety and security to our country, our communities and our people."
The president said he had spoken with British Prime Minister Theresa May to express America's "unwavering support" and offer aid. He tweeted a string of comments in the hours after the attack, offering help for the U.K. and criticizing political correctness, among other things.
The attacks at London Bridge and nearby Borough Market killed at least seven people and wounded nearly 50 others Saturday night. Police said they shot and killed the three attackers.
After more than 20 people were killed in the suicide bombing last month at a concert in Manchester, England, Trump condemned the assault as the act of "evil losers" and called on nations to band together to fight terrorism.
Earlier Sunday, Trump had criticized London's mayor after he sought to reassure residents about a stepped-up police presence following the attack, the third in the country in past three months, arguing on Twitter for leaders to "stop being politically correct" and focus on "security for our people."
The mayor's spokesman said he was too busy to respond to Trump's "ill-informed" tweet.
In a series of tweets that began late Saturday, Trump also pushed his stalled travel ban, mocked gun control supporters and pledged that the United States would be there to help London and the United Kingdom.
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