Tag: group

Portland protests: Group takes down Lincoln, Roosevelt statues

Posted on October 12, 2020 by [email protected]_84

A social media post announcing the event called for an end of colonialism and the abolishment of police.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Police declared a riot in downtown Portland on Sunday night after a large group of about 300 people marched through the South Park Blocks, toppling statues of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt and breaking windows.

The group also broke windows and threw flares into the Oregon Historical Society. Someone stole an Afro-American Heritage Bicentennial Commemorative Quilt, which was made by 15 local Black women ahead of the bicentennial and was on display inside the museum. Officers found the quilt blocks away, soaking wet with a small tear.

Here’s the Afro-American Heritage Bicentennial Commemorative Quilt, which was stolen from the @OrHist last night. Was made by 15 local Black women (ahead of the Bicentennial).

Museum exec director says @PortlandPolice found it blocks away, wet. Has bleeding & a small tear. pic.twitter.com/qaCSO2lM65

— Maggie Vespa (@Maggie_Vespa) October 12, 2020

Members of the group also damaged multiple small businesses, including several restaurants, a jewelry store, a coffee shop and a bank. Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell said shots were fired into Heroes American Café.

Portland police made three targeted arrests Sunday night and Lovell said more arrests may be forthcoming as police continue to investigate. Portland police released the following information about Sunday’s arrests.

Malik Muhamad, 23, of Portland: First-degree criminal mischief (6 counts); riot; unlawful possession of a firearm; possession of a loaded firearm in public
Justin Bowen, 25, of Portland: Fourth-degree assault (2 counts); unlawful use of pepper spray
Brandon Bartells, 38, of Washington: First-degree criminal mischief; reckless endangering

“We are five months into this and we still have a fairly high level of violence taking place,” he said. “We need to all come together and be mindful of what we want as a city and what we’re willing to tolerate.

“These events late at night, they purport to have a racial justice nexus. But they’re not that. They’re about violence and criminal destruction. They’re really hurting our community and we all deserve better.”

Portland protesters topple statues of Lincoln, Roosevelt

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler condemned the actions of the group on Monday morning during a press conference with Lovell.

“These acts are obscene,” Wheeler said. He said it was “deeply troubling” to see the group attack the Oregon Historical Society, which he said has “gone out of its way to reflect the truth of Oregon history and educate the public about all aspects of Oregon history, the good, the bad and the ugly.”

“It’s ironic that this was the institution that was chosen to be attacked by this anarchist behavior,” Wheeler said.

RELATED: ‘These acts are obscene’: Portland mayor condemns violence, destruction at late-night protests

Earlier Monday, Portland mayoral candidate Sarah Iannarone also spoke out against Sunday night’s violence and destruction.

“Public access to art is vital to our city’s cultural fabric,” she said in a statement. “I condemn all acts of violence and destruction, especially those targeting public

F.B.I. Says Michigan Anti-Government Group Plotted to Kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Posted on October 8, 2020 by [email protected]_84

Those six men were charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping, which can carry a life sentence. Their names were listed in court documents as Adam Fox, Kaleb Franks, Brandon Caserta, Ty Garbin, Daniel Harris and Barry Croft. Mr. Croft lives in Delaware and the other five live in Michigan, the authorities said. No lawyers were immediately listed for the men.

The authorities said that Mr. Fox and Mr. Croft had decided to “unite others” to “take violent action” against state governments that they thought were violating the Constitution and that Mr. Fox was the one to initiate contact with a Michigan-based anti-government group. The F.B.I. said he had talked of storming the Michigan statehouse with 200 men and trying Ms. Whitmer for treason.

Brian Titus, the owner of a vacuum store in Grand Rapids, Mich., said that he had hired Mr. Fox, whom he had known since childhood, and even given him a place to stay in the store’s basement after he was kicked out of his girlfriend’s home. Mr. Titus said the store was raided on Wednesday.

“I felt sorry for him but I didn’t know he was capable of doing this; this is almost insane,” Mr. Titus said in an interview. “I knew he was in a militia, but there’s a lot of people in a militia that don’t plan to kidnap the governor. I mean, give me a break.”

Ms. Whitmer has been the subject of attack from right-wing protesters for measures she imposed to control the spread of the coronavirus.

In April, thousands of people gathered at the State Capitol to protest the executive orders she issued shutting down most of the state to help stop the spread of the virus that has now infected more than 145,000 Michiganders and killed more than 7,000.

President Trump openly encouraged such protests, tweeting, “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!”

The protests featured some signs with swastikas, Confederate flags and language that advocated violence against Ms. Whitmer, including one man who carried a doll with brown hair hanging from a noose. Many in the crowd carried semiautomatic weapons, leading some Democrats in the Legislature to call for a ban on guns in the Capitol.

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Thailand’s Next Protest Could Draw 100,000, Anti-Government Group Says

Posted on October 8, 2020 by [email protected]_84

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a group of people in front of a crowd posing for the camera: Students make the three-fingered salute as they stand behind the gate of Samsen school to demand for less strict school rules, more tolerance and respect during a protest in Bangkok on October 2, 2020

© Photographer: MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP
Students make the three-fingered salute as they stand behind the gate of Samsen school to demand for less strict school rules, more tolerance and respect during a protest in Bangkok on October 2, 2020

A planned anti-government protest in Bangkok next week is set to draw some 100,000 people, or twice as many participants as a demonstration last month, according to organizers.

The gathering scheduled for Oct. 14 will call on the government to resign and the monarchy to be reformed, said Arnon Nampa, a lawyer and leading figure in the campaign.

“People who want any or all of these changes should join the movement,” Arnon said at a briefing in Bangkok on Thursday. “We’re looking to increase pressure on the government.”

Thailand’s political risk is back in focus following a series of protests that started mid-July, adding to challenges faced by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha’s government. The economy is headed for its worst ever full-year contraction and year-to-date foreign fund withdrawals from the equity market now exceed a record annual exodus set in 2018.

Read: Thailand’s Political Tensions Seep Into Equities: Taking Stock

Prayuth has said protesters are allowed to gather as long as they follow the law, and that he doesn’t want the movement to escalate because it’s “not good” for the country, according to government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri.

The protest organizers, representing several youth-led groups, plan to hold their gathering at Democracy Monument, a symbol of Thailand’s transition to constitutional monarchy following a 1932 coup. Thailand has since had about 20 successful putsches, the most recent led by former army chief Prayuth who now heads an elected government.

(Updates with comment from government spokesman in penultimate paragraph.)

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Athos Group Experiences Dramatic Growth and Expansion in Off-Duty Law Enforcement Market with Simple, Transparent Technology

Posted on October 6, 2020 by [email protected]_84

National off-duty service provider expands footprint with strategic acquisition and best-in-class technology that connects communities with everyday heroes

Athos Group, the nation’s fastest-growing solution and service provider in the off-duty law enforcement security and services industry, experienced continued growth in 2020 with an increase of nearly 22.5 percent of customers from Q1 to Q2 along with a strategic acquisition and technology innovation. In 2006, Athos started with fewer than 100 law enforcement officer associates and two initial clients. Since 2010, Athos has grown more than 11,000% having now worked with over 15,000+ officers across the country, representing more than 1,400 law enforcement agencies (LEAs).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201006005248/en/

Off-duty or “extra-duty” staffing has existed for decades across law enforcement agencies nationwide. By providing opportunities for law enforcement officers (LEOs) to secure private assignments, businesses can increase security, while helping officers supplement their income. Until recently, facilitating and managing off-duty staffing has been a highly manual and time-consuming process. Athos Group’s expanded footprint in the rapidly-growing $11 billion off-duty market confirms that the company is addressing the industry’s most pressing need—simple, efficient and cost-effective staffing solutions. Athos is constantly introducing new innovations, features and services to meet the needs of all key stakeholders in the off-duty market, including LEAs, LEOs, businesses, communities and coordinators.

“The Athos Group and our family of law enforcement ‘extra-duty’ companies exist to serve peace officers and the communities they are sworn to protect. We help provide clarity, transparency, and accountability to each program—as defined by their licensing agencies and requested by members of their communities,” said Chris White, Athos Group’s founder and CEO. “Now more than ever, everyone in the off-duty market is looking for ways to increase community awareness, provide greater visibility and find opportunities to gain trust with those in their care. Athos makes it possible to achieve all those goals and then some.”

With Athos Group’s team of client service experts, paired with its unrivaled software management capabilities, LEAs, businesses and coordinators can easily track and staff jobs with very little lead time. The benefits of Athos Group’s solutions also make a substantial impact on cost-savings, allowing stakeholders to reduce the administrative overhead previously associated with off-duty staffing program management. Athos Group’s top priority is connecting communities with everyday heroes in a way that provides the highest benefit and maximum transparency. In doing so, it fosters goodwill between businesses, LEAs and officers.

One contributor to Athos Group’s unprecedented growth is the continued expansion of its legacy business, Summit Off Duty Services (ODS), which serves the off-duty law enforcement security industry through unmatched partner consulting, client engagement and customer support. Summit collaborates with its partners to ensure the success of each job, by providing access to off-duty officers across the nation—at the local, county and state level. Due to the new challenges spurred by the pandemic, businesses across the country and industries are facing operational and financial headwinds. As a result, the client-focused managed services

Conservative group sues to block California boardroom diversity law

Posted on October 5, 2020 by [email protected]_84

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A conservative legal group announced Monday that it sued to block California’s first-in-the-nation law that requires hundreds of corporations based in the state to have directors from racial or sexual minorities on their boards.

Judicial Watch claimed in the suit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court that the law is unconstitutional.

“The legislation’s requirement that certain corporations appoint a specific number of directors based upon race, ethnicity, sexual preference, and transgender status is immediately suspect and presumptively invalid and triggers strict scrutiny review by the court,” the group said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill last week saying it was crucial to fighting racial injustice by giving minorities “seats at the table” of corporate power.

California already has a law requiring corporations to have at least one female director on their boards. Judicial Watch is also challenging that law in court and a trial is scheduled next summer.

The new measure cited statistics showing few of the 662 public corporations headquartered in California had Blacks or Latinos on their boards.

The measure requires at least two directors from different racial or sexual minority groups be appointed to boards with four to nine directors by the end of 2022. Three directors are required for boards with nine or more directors.

Firms that don’t comply would face fines of $100,00 for first violations and $300,000 for repeated violations.

Those who qualify would self-identify as Black, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, Native Hawaiian or Alaska Native, or as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

The lawsuit notes that a Senate analysis said the bill draws distinctions based on race and ethnicity, and therefore is “suspect.”

The group said the law is unconstitutional because the quotas don’t achieve a compelling governmental interest that is more narrowly defined than “the existence of general societal discrimination.”

Assemblyman Chris Holden, who coauthored AB 979, said research showed racial, ethnic and sexual minority groups were systematically excluded from corporate boards.

“No surprise!” Holden said in a statement about the lawsuit. “Some would rather maintain a status quo that doesn’t embrace diversity and inclusion.”

The lawsuit seeks to an order declaring it illegal to spend state funds to ensure companies comply with the law and to prevent the law from taking effect.

“California’s government has a penchant for quotas that are brazenly unconstitutional,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement. “Gender quotas and now new quotas for numerous other groups for corporate boards are slaps in the face to the core American value of equal protection under the law.”

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Group sues to block California boardroom diversity law