June 05, 2020
THE WEEK’S BIG 3
Protests were held across the nation this week following the murder of George Floyd by four Minneapolis police officers, who are all now in custody. Three Nevada men with ties to a loose movement of right-wing extremists were arrested on terrorism-related charges for conspiring to spark violence during recent protests over Floyd’s death in Las Vegas. Twitter shut down multiple accounts it says were operated by a white supremacist group posing as far-left groups.
Read on for more on these headlines, news you can use to fight hate and the latest info about ADL from around the country.
1) Murder of George Floyd by Police Sparks Nationwide Outrage, Protests and Calls for Systemic Change
“The three Minneapolis police officers who failed to intervene while George Floyd was killed were charged on Wednesday with aiding in his death, and officials pressed a more severe charge against Derek Chauvin, the officer who pinned Mr. Floyd to the ground with a knee for nearly nine minutes while he pleaded, ‘I can’t breathe.’” The New York Times: READ MORE
+ ADL Statement on Arrest of Officers Involved in Murder of George Floyd
+ ADL Resource: George Floyd, Racism and Law Enforcement
2) Three Right-Wing Extremists Arrested Over Alleged Terror Plot in Las Vegas
“They sought to capitalize on protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis after a white officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air, prosecutors said… The three men were arrested Saturday on the way to a protest in downtown Las Vegas after filling gas cans at a parking lot and making Molotov cocktails in glass bottles.” Associated Press: FULL STORY
+ ADL Resource: The Boogaloo: Extremists’ New Slang Term for A Coming Civil War
+ ADL Resource: Extremists Weigh in on Nationwide Protests
3) Twitter says fake "Antifa" Account was Run by White Supremacists
“Twitter said the white supremacist group Identity Evropa used one fake account, @Antifa_US, to call for violence in majority white suburbs, in the name of the Black Lives Matter movement.” CBS News: FULL STORY
+ ADL Resource: American Identity Movement, formerly known as Identity Evropa
KEY ADL SOCIAL STATEMENTS
- We stand in solidarity with the Black community as they yet again are subject to pain and suffering at the hands of a racist and unjust system.
- If we are going to be a part of the change, we need to listen to our allies and amplify voices in the Black community.
- We all need to listen to @DerrickNAACP's message. Black people in America are dying as a result of #racism.
IN THE COMMUNITY
- In a time of despair, America needs compassion and justice — now (Las Vegas Sun – Jolie Brislin op-ed)
- The privilege of breathing: James Pasch (Cleveland Plain Dealer – James Pasch op-ed)
- Jewish community expresses solidarity following George Floyd’s death (South Florida Sun Sentinel)
ADL IN THE NEWS
- There are now 500,000 negative tweets about George Soros every day. Many claim he’s funding George Floyd protests. (JTA)
- Facebook shuts down far-right group planning to bring weapons to protests (CNN)
- Men wearing Hawaiian shirts and carrying guns add a volatile new element to protests (The Washington Post)