Reports said a man was seen dangling from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-key-states-that-will-likely-decide-fate-of-donald-trump-and-joe-biden-336311">Trump</a> Tower in Chicago while threatening to jump unless he was allowed to talk to President Trump.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-donald-trump-claims-his-campaign-is-doing-very-very-well-336290">Also Read:&nbsp;Donald Trump claims his campaign is doing 'very, very well'&nbsp;</a>

Authorities have launched an investigation after the man was seen hanging from the balcony for over two hours on Sunday night. 
Reports said a negotiator was finally able to get the person to climb down. The man was said to be in his 20s.&nbsp;

Media reports claimed the man allegedly belonged to the Black Lives Matter movement, although it could not be confirmed.

The man was seen hanging from the side of the riverfront skyscraper at 5:30pm local time on Sunday.

Media reports said the man allegedly said: “I have a knife. If someone will try to pull [the rope], I will cut it and I will probably die. But I don’t want to die.”

“Everyone who knows me. They know I am not crazy. I am not crazy. I am well-educated guy. But … Mr. Trump, if you think I am crazy, I am not crazy. And if you will not talk with me, I will cut, I will die,” he allegedly said, adding, “If Mr. Trump, he promise something, he should do before the election.” 
&nbsp;

Reports said a man was seen dangling from the Trump Tower in Chicago while threatening to jump unless he was allowed to talk to President Trump. Also Read: Donald Trump claims his campaign is doing 'very, very well' Authorities have launched an investigation after the man was seen hanging from the balcony for over two hours on Sunday night.

Reports said a man was seen dangling from the Trump Tower in Chicago while threatening to jump unless he was allowed to talk to President Trump. Also Read: Donald Trump claims his campaign is doing 'very, very well' Authorities have launched an investigation after the man was seen hanging from the balcony for over two hours on Sunday night. Reports said a negotiator was finally able to get the person to climb down. The man was said to be in his 20s. Media reports claimed the man allegedly belonged to the Black Lives Matter movement, although it could not be confirmed. The man was seen hanging from the side of the riverfront skyscraper at 5:30pm local time on Sunday. Media reports said the man allegedly said: “I have a knife. If someone will try to pull [the rope], I will cut it and I will probably die. But I don’t want to die.” “Everyone who knows me. They know I am not crazy. I am not crazy. I am well-educated guy. But … Mr. Trump, if you think I am crazy, I am not crazy. And if you will not talk with me, I will cut, I will die,” he allegedly said, adding, “If Mr. Trump, he promise something, he should do before the election.”

Man threatens to jump from Trump tower 'unless allowed to speak with President'

Less than 20 days. It has been a long, hard road to this election. I see fearful faces, those of tormented migrants at the Mexican border, and hate-filled faces, those of the white nationalists in Charlottesville chanting, “Jews will not replace us.”

Donald Trump has been all about the fear of replacement, or as it’s sometimes called, “the great replacement.” His has been the stand — I am tempted to say the last stand — of whites against nonwhites.

Of America-first nationalists against migrants; of straight people against LGBTQ people; of the gunned-up against the unarmed. Of Trump against all those he believes would replace&nbsp;the likes of him.

All means have been used — lies, brutality, incitement. But fear has been Trump’s main weapon. Fear, which depends on pitting one group against another, is the currency of the Trump presidency. It is therefore no surprise that the America that is about to vote is probably more fractured than at any time since the Vietnam War.

“The great replacement” is a phrase generally attributed to a French writer, Renaud Camus, who said: “The great replacement is very simple. You have one people, and in the space of a generation, you have a different people.”

That, of course, is a good definition of America.

Of its vitality, its churn, its reinvention, its essential openness. The America that Trump would deny. He wants to freeze a white America. Some strange blend of Norman Rockwell and “Mad Men,” in an imaginary United States strutting across a world pliant to its will. Behind “America first” lurks a very un-American credo.

Change can be frightening, which is what the great replacement conspiracy theory hinges on. Camus warns grotesquely of a “genocide by substitution,” the replacement of a white French and European order by Muslim hordes in a plot orchestrated by cosmopolitan elites. In Trump’s case, read a white American order replaced by brown Mexican rapists and Black pillagers.

France is worried about Muslims from North Africa. Germans were once so worried about Jews replacing them that they killed 6 million of them. In a world of mass migration, fear rages: Some idea of the nation will be diluted or lost!

America is particularly susceptible to fear today because the world has changed in unsettling ways. Power has migrated eastward to Asia. America’s recent wars have been unwon. By midcentury, non-Hispanic whites will constitute less than 50% of the population.

It is frightening to see an industry disappear, like coal in Kentucky. Trump understood that he could be the voice of that fear. He would build a wall to keep those brown people out!

He is an impostor. He puffs out his chest, Mussolini-style, but he is a bone-spur coward. A narrow ramp makes his limbs tremble. He is good at getting the blood up. He is good at undoing. He is not good at getting anything constructive done.

Less than 20 days.

America will decide whether to opt for the future or burrow self-destructively into some warped fantasy of the past. It will decide whether to reinvent itself again or turn mean and further inward.

As Edward R. Murrow remarked, “We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.”

That was in 1954, at the height of McCarthyism. For Sen. Joseph McCarthy, the danger to the Republic came from Communist infiltration of American life. The real danger came from his obsessions. From the purges and blacklists that branded countless Americans as un-American.

Murrow, a great journalist, stood up to McCarthy.

Donald Trump does business the McCarthy way. He deals in specters: immigrants, and Muslims, and brown people, and Black people, and LGBTQ people.

As with McCarthy, however, the real danger comes from Trump’s obsessions, not from these imagined enemies.

American freedom is in decline. The freedom to think, because thought depends on truth. The freedom to dissent, because Trump believes he has “the right to do whatever I want as president.” The freedom to breathe because Trumpism — its nepotism, its cozying to dictators, its incessant volume&nbsp;— is suffocating.

The freedom inextricable from the American idea that I, a naturalized American, hold sacred with an unreasonable ardor.

No, we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. We can only defend those who trample human dignity and human rights. As Trump has done with cavalier abandon.

Is it unreasonable to see renewal in a 77-year-old man, Joe Biden? No. We live in the real world, where the perfect cannot be the enemy of the good. Indecency demands the restoration of decency. That’s ground zero of this election. The choice was starkly evident in the televised town hall events Thursday as Trump spouted wild far-right conspiracy theories while Biden had the self-deprecating honesty to say that if he lost, it could suggest he’s “a lousy candidate.” Biden is not a lousy candidate; he is a good man, a brave man. I doff my hat to any parent who survives with such dignity the loss of two of his four children.

Of McCarthy, Murrow observed: “He didn’t create this situation of fear; he merely exploited it — and rather successfully. Cassius was right. ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.’ ”

The fault is in ourselves. Time for Americans to look in the mirror — and realize their America is irreplaceable if it is lost.

Less than 20 days. It has been a long, hard road to this election. I see fearful faces, those of tormented migrants at the Mexican border, and hate-filled faces, those of the white nationalists in Charlottesville chanting, “Jews will not replace us.

Less than 20 days. It has been a long, hard road to this election. I see fearful faces, those of tormented migrants at the Mexican border, and hate-filled faces, those of the white nationalists in Charlottesville chanting, “Jews will not replace us.” Donald Trump has been all about the fear of replacement, or as it’s sometimes called, “the great replacement.” His has been the stand — I am tempted to say the last stand — of whites against nonwhites. Of America-first nationalists against migrants; of straight people against LGBTQ people; of the gunned-up against the unarmed. Of Trump against all those he believes would replace the likes of him. All means have been used — lies, brutality, incitement. But fear has been Trump’s main weapon. Fear, which depends on pitting one group against another, is the currency of the Trump presidency. It is therefore no surprise that the America that is about to vote is probably more fractured than at any time since the Vietnam War. “The great replacement” is a phrase generally attributed to a French writer, Renaud Camus, who said: “The great replacement is very simple. You have one people, and in the space of a generation, you have a different people.” That, of course, is a good definition of America. Of its vitality, its churn, its reinvention, its essential openness. The America that Trump would deny. He wants to freeze a white America. Some strange blend of Norman Rockwell and “Mad Men,” in an imaginary United States strutting across a world pliant to its will. Behind “America first” lurks a very un-American credo. Change can be frightening, which is what the great replacement conspiracy theory hinges on. Camus warns grotesquely of a “genocide by substitution,” the replacement of a white French and European order by Muslim hordes in a plot orchestrated by cosmopolitan elites. In Trump’s case, read a white American order replaced by brown Mexican rapists and Black pillagers. France is worried about Muslims from North Africa. Germans were once so worried about Jews replacing them that they killed 6 million of them. In a world of mass migration, fear rages: Some idea of the nation will be diluted or lost! America is particularly susceptible to fear today because the world has changed in unsettling ways. Power has migrated eastward to Asia. America’s recent wars have been unwon. By midcentury, non-Hispanic whites will constitute less than 50% of the population. It is frightening to see an industry disappear, like coal in Kentucky. Trump understood that he could be the voice of that fear. He would build a wall to keep those brown people out! He is an impostor. He puffs out his chest, Mussolini-style, but he is a bone-spur coward. A narrow ramp makes his limbs tremble. He is good at getting the blood up. He is good at undoing. He is not good at getting anything constructive done. Less than 20 days. America will decide whether to opt for the future or burrow self-destructively into some warped fantasy of the past. It will decide whether to reinvent itself again or turn mean and further inward. As Edward R. Murrow remarked, “We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.” That was in 1954, at the height of McCarthyism. For Sen. Joseph McCarthy, the danger to the Republic came from Communist infiltration of American life. The real danger came from his obsessions. From the purges and blacklists that branded countless Americans as un-American. Murrow, a great journalist, stood up to McCarthy. Donald Trump does business the McCarthy way. He deals in specters: immigrants, and Muslims, and brown people, and Black people, and LGBTQ people. As with McCarthy, however, the real danger comes from Trump’s obsessions, not from these imagined enemies. American freedom is in decline. The freedom to think, because thought depends on truth. The freedom to dissent, because Trump believes he has “the right to do whatever I want as president.” The freedom to breathe because Trumpism — its nepotism, its cozying to dictators, its incessant volume — is suffocating. The freedom inextricable from the American idea that I, a naturalized American, hold sacred with an unreasonable ardor. No, we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. We can only defend those who trample human dignity and human rights. As Trump has done with cavalier abandon. Is it unreasonable to see renewal in a 77-year-old man, Joe Biden? No. We live in the real world, where the perfect cannot be the enemy of the good. Indecency demands the restoration of decency. That’s ground zero of this election. The choice was starkly evident in the televised town hall events Thursday as Trump spouted wild far-right conspiracy theories while Biden had the self-deprecating honesty to say that if he lost, it could suggest he’s “a lousy candidate.” Biden is not a lousy candidate; he is a good man, a brave man. I doff my hat to any parent who survives with such dignity the loss of two of his four children. Of McCarthy, Murrow observed: “He didn’t create this situation of fear; he merely exploited it — and rather successfully. Cassius was right. ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.’ ” The fault is in ourselves. Time for Americans to look in the mirror — and realize their America is irreplaceable if it is lost.

Trump, or the last stand of White America

A US woman,&nbsp;Amy Cooper,&nbsp;has been charged&nbsp;for filing false police reports and falsely accusing an African American birdwatcher of assaulting her.

Cooper had accused a birdwatcher in&nbsp;New York’s Central Park and had made two emergency 911 calls that day, it was revealed on Wednesday. The said incident was reportedly videotaped.

However, a&nbsp;Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance called Cooper's complaints and accusations to be a hoax and said it was sheer luck that nobody got injured due to this chaotic incident.

The prosecutors are hoping that Cooper's case can be resolved only by making her participate in an educational program where she can be taught the effect and harms such actions can have over her and the community.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dont-know-if-her-life-needed-to-be-torn-apart-what-mr-cooper-thinks-of-his-now-famous-racist-encounter-with-a-white-lady-301647">Also read|&nbsp;'Don’t know if her life needed to be torn apart': What Mr Cooper thinks of his now-famous racist encounter with a white lady</a>

The video, also shown in the court, reveals the man asking Cooper to follow the park rules and put her dog on a leash. After which, Cooper started accusing the man of assaulting her. On the 911 call, she was heard saying, "There’s an African American man, I’m in Central Park, he is recording me and threatening myself and my dog. Please send the cops immediately!"

Her actions have been studied as racially and moraly incorrect. “Using the police in a way that was both racially offensive and designed to intimidate is something that can’t be ignored. Therefore we charged her,” said assistant district attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon. He also said he hopes the process of the man getting justice can be "an opportunity for introspection and education" for Cooper.

Vance Jr has said his office "will pursue a resolution of this case which holds Ms Cooper accountable while healing our community, restoring justice, and deterring others from perpetuating this racist practice."

A US woman, Amy Cooper, has been charged for filing false police reports and falsely accusing an African American birdwatcher of assaulting her. Cooper had accused a birdwatcher in New York’s Central Park and had made two emergency 911 calls that day, it was revealed on Wednesday.

A US woman, Amy Cooper, has been charged for filing false police reports and falsely accusing an African American birdwatcher of assaulting her. Cooper had accused a birdwatcher in New York’s Central Park and had made two emergency 911 calls that day, it was revealed on Wednesday. The said incident was reportedly videotaped. However, a Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance called Cooper's complaints and accusations to be a hoax and said it was sheer luck that nobody got injured due to this chaotic incident. The prosecutors are hoping that Cooper's case can be resolved only by making her participate in an educational program where she can be taught the effect and harms such actions can have over her and the community. Also read| 'Don’t know if her life needed to be torn apart': What Mr Cooper thinks of his now-famous racist encounter with a white lady The video, also shown in the court, reveals the man asking Cooper to follow the park rules and put her dog on a leash. After which, Cooper started accusing the man of assaulting her. On the 911 call, she was heard saying, "There’s an African American man, I’m in Central Park, he is recording me and threatening myself and my dog. Please send the cops immediately!" Her actions have been studied as racially and moraly incorrect. “Using the police in a way that was both racially offensive and designed to intimidate is something that can’t be ignored. Therefore we charged her,” said assistant district attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon. He also said he hopes the process of the man getting justice can be "an opportunity for introspection and education" for Cooper. Vance Jr has said his office "will pursue a resolution of this case which holds Ms Cooper accountable while healing our community, restoring justice, and deterring others from perpetuating this racist practice."

Amy Cooper charged with falsely accusing Black man of assaulting

An African-American man who was arrested and led by a rope by two white Texas police officers has sued the US city of Galveston for $1 million in damages, his lawyer told AFP Monday.

Donald Neely was detained for trespassing in August 2019 by two mounted police officers, who handcuffed him, tied a rope to his restraints and led him away.

The image caused outrage, serving as a painful reminder of some of the bleakest moments in America's brutally racist past, including the chaining of enslaved people and lynching of Black people in the Jim Crow South in the years after emancipation.

Neely was led on foot several blocks through the center of the small seaside town in&nbsp;southeast Texas, passing a number of people, some of whom photographed the incident.&nbsp;

One photo in particular quickly went viral on social media and sparked anger and indignation at the degrading treatment of the detained man.&nbsp;

In a suit filed on October 7, Neely called his treatment by police "extreme and outrageous."

"Neely felt as though he was put on display as slaves once were," the lawsuit said, saying the plaintiff suffered humiliation and fear through the police officers' actions.

Neely is seeking $1 million in compensation.

"What happened to Donald was simply wrong," his lawyer, Julie Ketterman, told AFP. "He wants to do what he can to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else."&nbsp;

"Donald wants people to know that this lawsuit isn't just about money," she said. "It's about what is right and wrong for all people -- whether they are black or white or whether they suffer from mental illness or whether they are homeless or not."

At the time of his detention, Neely -- who suffers from mental health issues -- was homeless. He was found asleep on the forecourt of a building by the two officers from the mounted patrol unit.&nbsp;

Local media reported at the time that he had been charged with trespassing on several previous occasions.

The Galveston police chief, Vernon Hale, who is himself Black, said that the technique deployed by the mounted police was one that was taught to officers, but that he had decided to discontinue its use.

He apologized to Neely and said he should have been transported in a police vehicle, but that none were available at the time.

Hale's statement sparked frustration, with some activist groups saying his response was "weak."&nbsp;

An African-American man who was arrested and led by a rope by two white Texas police officers has sued the US city of Galveston for $1 million in damages, his lawyer told AFP Monday.

An African-American man who was arrested and led by a rope by two white Texas police officers has sued the US city of Galveston for $1 million in damages, his lawyer told AFP Monday. Donald Neely was detained for trespassing in August 2019 by two mounted police officers, who handcuffed him, tied a rope to his restraints and led him away. The image caused outrage, serving as a painful reminder of some of the bleakest moments in America's brutally racist past, including the chaining of enslaved people and lynching of Black people in the Jim Crow South in the years after emancipation. Neely was led on foot several blocks through the center of the small seaside town in southeast Texas, passing a number of people, some of whom photographed the incident. One photo in particular quickly went viral on social media and sparked anger and indignation at the degrading treatment of the detained man. In a suit filed on October 7, Neely called his treatment by police "extreme and outrageous." "Neely felt as though he was put on display as slaves once were," the lawsuit said, saying the plaintiff suffered humiliation and fear through the police officers' actions. Neely is seeking $1 million in compensation. "What happened to Donald was simply wrong," his lawyer, Julie Ketterman, told AFP. "He wants to do what he can to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else." "Donald wants people to know that this lawsuit isn't just about money," she said. "It's about what is right and wrong for all people -- whether they are black or white or whether they suffer from mental illness or whether they are homeless or not." At the time of his detention, Neely -- who suffers from mental health issues -- was homeless. He was found asleep on the forecourt of a building by the two officers from the mounted patrol unit. Local media reported at the time that he had been charged with trespassing on several previous occasions. The Galveston police chief, Vernon Hale, who is himself Black, said that the technique deployed by the mounted police was one that was taught to officers, but that he had decided to discontinue its use. He apologized to Neely and said he should have been transported in a police vehicle, but that none were available at the time. Hale's statement sparked frustration, with some activist groups saying his response was "weak."

Black man led on a rope by police sues US city for $1 million

A man was fatally shot on Saturday during dueling protests by left-wing and right-wing groups in downtown Denver.

The police, in consequence, arrested a suspect they said was working as a private security guard.

An NBC News affiliate, KUSA-TV, said on its website that the man taken arrested for the shooting was a security guard hired by the television station to provide protection to its crew.

The shooting took place in a courtyard at the Denver Art Museum during a “Patriot Rally” that was met by counter-protests by groups who dubbed their rally a “BLM-Antifa Soup Drive.”

Neither the victim nor the suspected shooter has been identified by authorities. There were no other arrests during the competing rallies.

A man was fatally shot on Saturday during dueling protests by left-wing and right-wing groups in downtown Denver. The police, in consequence, arrested a suspect they said was working as a private security guard.

A man was fatally shot on Saturday during dueling protests by left-wing and right-wing groups in downtown Denver. The police, in consequence, arrested a suspect they said was working as a private security guard. An NBC News affiliate, KUSA-TV, said on its website that the man taken arrested for the shooting was a security guard hired by the television station to provide protection to its crew. The shooting took place in a courtyard at the Denver Art Museum during a “Patriot Rally” that was met by counter-protests by groups who dubbed their rally a “BLM-Antifa Soup Drive.” Neither the victim nor the suspected shooter has been identified by authorities. There were no other arrests during the competing rallies.

Man shot dead at dueling Denver protests, suspect in custody

Police used tear gas on demonstrators and arrested 28 people on Saturday following protests over the lack of charges against a suburban Milwaukee police officer who fatally shot a Black teen.

About 100 people gathered outside City Hall on Friday past Wauwatosa's 7 pm curfew and refused multiple orders to disperse during a third straight night of protests.

Police said they used tear gas on the crowd, after bottles were thrown at officers.

On Saturday, the Wauwatosa Police Department posted on Twitter that people have been asking valid questions about the police response over three nights of protests.

"Over the past three nights, we have seen an escalation in force by the protesters. Our law enforcement response is in reaction to this escalation," police tweeted.

Protesters have gathered every day since prosecutors announced Wednesday that they would not charge Officer Joseph Mensah in 17-year-old Alvin Cole's death.&nbsp;

Mensah, who is Black, shot Cole after a foot chase outside a Wauwatosa mall in February.

Police said two of Friday's 28 arrests were for felonies, one was for a misdemeanour and 25 were for municipal citations.

The protests in Wauwatosa are the latest in a series of demonstrations against police racism and brutality that have erupted across the country since George Floyd's death.

Floyd, who was Black, died in May after a white police officer in Minneapolis pressed his knee into his neck as Floyd gasped that he couldn't breathe.

Police used tear gas on demonstrators and arrested 28 people on Saturday following protests over the lack of charges against a suburban Milwaukee police officer who fatally shot a Black teen.

Police used tear gas on demonstrators and arrested 28 people on Saturday following protests over the lack of charges against a suburban Milwaukee police officer who fatally shot a Black teen. About 100 people gathered outside City Hall on Friday past Wauwatosa's 7 pm curfew and refused multiple orders to disperse during a third straight night of protests. Police said they used tear gas on the crowd, after bottles were thrown at officers. On Saturday, the Wauwatosa Police Department posted on Twitter that people have been asking valid questions about the police response over three nights of protests. "Over the past three nights, we have seen an escalation in force by the protesters. Our law enforcement response is in reaction to this escalation," police tweeted. Protesters have gathered every day since prosecutors announced Wednesday that they would not charge Officer Joseph Mensah in 17-year-old Alvin Cole's death. Mensah, who is Black, shot Cole after a foot chase outside a Wauwatosa mall in February. Police said two of Friday's 28 arrests were for felonies, one was for a misdemeanour and 25 were for municipal citations. The protests in Wauwatosa are the latest in a series of demonstrations against police racism and brutality that have erupted across the country since George Floyd's death. Floyd, who was Black, died in May after a white police officer in Minneapolis pressed his knee into his neck as Floyd gasped that he couldn't breathe.

Tear gas used, 28 arrested in protests in US

WASHINGTON — One day in September, Elizabeth Leiba opened the LinkedIn app and saw a post by Aaisha Joseph, a diversity consultant with nearly 16,000 followers on the platform.

“Ima need #companies to stop sending their dedicated House Negros to ‘deal with the Blacks’ they deem out of control,” read the item. “It’s really not a good look — it’s actually a very #whitesupremacist and #racist one.”

The post was exactly the sort of thing Leiba, an instructional design manager at City College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was looking for. These days, when she pulls out her phone in search of boisterous conversation, hot takes and the latest tea, she finds herself tapping LinkedIn, which since the killing of George Floyd has become a thriving forum for Black expression.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-announces-charges-against-chinese-malaysians-involved-in-worldwide-hacking-racket-328011">Also read|&nbsp;US announces charges against Chinese, Malaysians involved in worldwide hacking racket</a>

“I go onto Twitter and I get bored,” Leiba, 46, said. “Then I go right back to LinkedIn because it’s on fire. I don’t even have to go on any other social media now.”

It’s an unexpected development for what has long been the most polite and perhaps the dullest of the major social networks. LinkedIn was founded in 2003 as a place to network and post résumés — essentially, a directory of white-collar professionals. A few years ago, LinkedIn added a Facebook-like news feed that encouraged users to post links and updates, but it has never been a rollicking space. A team of editors helped enforce a mood best described as corporate.

“You talk on LinkedIn the same way you talk in the office,” Dan Roth, LinkedIn’s editor-in-chief, told The New York Times in August 2019. “There are certain boundaries around what is acceptable.”

Two staggering events have changed that. In early 2020, the pandemic hit, forcing millions to work from home and miss out on break-room chitchat — boosting LinkedIn as a place to vent. Then, the killing of Floyd in police custody in May put workers over the edge. Black grief went on display, uninhibited, at corporate America’s virtual water cooler.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/microsoft-to-buy-linkedin-for-262-billion-in-its-biggest-ever-deal-418">Also read|&nbsp;Microsoft to buy LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in its biggest-ever deal</a>

“I was just 43 years tired,” said Future Cain, a social- and emotional-learning director at a middle and high school in Wisconsin. “I was using LinkedIn to post positive things and uplift people during the pandemic, and I decided I can’t sit here quietly anymore.”

As protesters took to the streets to demand police reform, Leiba and Cain were among those who discovered that LinkedIn was a place to speak to the executive class on something like their home turf. Black users have taken to the site to call out racial discrimination in the workplace and share their stories of alienation on the job.

Not that it’s all serious: Much of the posting is exuberant — full of memes, Black cultural references and linguistic panache. This summer, Leiba shared a video about code-switching, in which a Black employee transforms while greeting colleagues of color (“Oh, hey, Black queen!”) and a white one (empty-headed hiking talk). “I’ve watched it at least fifty eleven times,” Leiba wrote.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/what-after-linkedin-will-twitter-get-bought-next-or-is-the-social-network-bubble-about-to-burst-472">Also read|&nbsp;What after LinkedIn: Will Twitter get bought next or is the social network bubble about to burst?</a>

These are the kinds of conversations, and ways of speaking, that cubicle-dwelling Black workers have typically held out of earshot of their white colleagues. As unusually charismatic posts appeared in my own feed this summer, it seemed clear that Black LinkedIn was emerging as a professional cousin to Black Twitter — the unapologetically Black digital space where people expose long-ignored injustices and pump their experience into the mainstream.

What’s less clear is how comfortable LinkedIn is with the development, having placed its content moderators in the incendiary position of determining what manner of race-related speech is appropriate for its virtual workplace of 706 million users.

Black users who post in forceful tones, and some of their allies, say they feel LinkedIn has silenced them — erasing their posts and even freezing their accounts for violating vague rules of decorum.

For example, the “House Negros” post that Joseph wrote in September vanished from the platform. Joseph, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, was able to see it when she viewed her own page, but no other users could — a practice known as shadow banning. (Later, LinkedIn added an unsigned note in red, saying the post had been removed for violating the site’s Professional Community Policies, which instruct users to “be civil and respectful in every single interaction.”) Joseph began a new item: “Let me say it louder since LinkedIn wanted to delete my post the first time.” The company removed that post, too, saying it included “harassment, defamation or disparagement of others.”

Theresa M. Robinson, a corporate training consultant in Houston, said LinkedIn had deleted a post she wrote about racism, then reinstated it after she complained. She said she never received an explanation. Two others, Cain and Madison Butler, who works in Austin, Texas, also said LinkedIn had restricted their commentary on race.

In the absence of clear communication from the company, these users are left guessing as to what the rules are — and feeling that the company is not just policing their tone but stifling their opportunity to force change in corporate America.

Nicole Leverich, a LinkedIn spokeswoman, wrote in an email: “We are not censoring content and have not made any changes to our algorithm to reduce the distribution of content about these important topics.” She added in an interview that LinkedIn was introducing a new process for notifying users when their posts were flagged for violating platform rules, and that some people hadn’t been phased in by the end of September.

The company acknowledged that it had erred in taking action against some users and restored content that was found, on appeal, not to violate its policies.

“If we make a mistake, we will own it,” said Paul Rockwell, head of LinkedIn’s trust and safety division. “We will be very clear — this is a learning opportunity for us. We’re going to continue to use that in our journey to get better and better. And we do want to nail this thing.”

Hard conversations about race

Few people think LinkedIn should look anything like the wilds of Reddit or Twitter, which have a certain amount of anonymity and even anarchy built into their DNA. Much of LinkedIn’s value — Microsoft acquired it in 2016 for $26 billion — is tied to its sense of professionalism and respectful conduct. Users must share their real names and credentials, and it’s understood that their current or prospective employers might well scan anything they post.

For Black people in the corporate realm, however, words like “professional” and “respectful” are red flags. Like the natural Black hairstyles that were once widely considered unprofessional, certain behaviors — being too Black, speaking too Black or talking too much about Black topics — have long limited advancement in companies with white cultures.

That’s what has changed on LinkedIn in the last few months. Black people are being, to use a technical term, Blackity-Black Black on LinkedIn. Much of the behavior is not so different from Black Twitter; users pepper their posts with clap emojis to emphasize every syllable, and GIFs celebrate cultural touchstones like Issa Rae’s “Insecure” and Jordan Peele’s “Get Out.” The difference is that it is all happening on a social network that mirrors the business world — a place that is predominantly white.

“It is liberating. It feels like it’s about time,” Joseph said. “We are taking back what was stolen from us — and that’s our voice. I’m talking specifically to my people in the way that we talk to each other in other spaces, and without regard for any outside audience. No longer having to stifle that has been freeing.”

Part of what Black LinkedIn has done is brought together Black professionals to be their authentic selves in front of their white colleagues. For many, it has been an existential relief, and may provide a blueprint for how Black employees choose to conduct themselves once the physical workplace reopens.

“The days of hiding and masking who you are and dealing with the BS — I just can’t even go back to that,” said Jessica Pharm, 33, who works in human resources at a manufacturing firm near Milwaukee. “Any company that gets me next is getting the full-on Jessica.”

Leiba posted on Sept. 17: “It means code-switching is OUT. It means the AFRO is coming at you on a daily basis. It means you’re getting these bangle earrings and the poppin’ lip gloss.”

Inevitably, not everyone accepts this kind of exuberance. Posts about Black Lives Matter and racial justice often attract the same kind of dismissive, and sometimes bigoted, responses found on other platforms: rejoinders that “all lives matter” or claims about Black-on-Black crime. But because the activity takes place on LinkedIn, these comments typically come with the user’s headshot, place of employment and entire work history attached.

“You start to see these people who are absolutely not OK with this focus on Blackness popping up in commentary, with their name and their company fully on display, giving zero deference to the moment,” said John Graham Jr., 39, a digital marketer and strategist at a California biotechnology company. “I find it telling that people would put their careers in jeopardy and their unconscious biases on full display.”

LinkedIn has also struggled internally with how to respond to the Black Lives Matter movement. In June, chief executive Ryan Roslansky publicly apologized for “appalling” racial comments some employees had made at a companywide staff meeting.

Rosanna Durruthy, LinkedIn’s head of diversity, inclusion and belonging, said in an interview that the company was engaging in hard conversations about race, both inside the company and out.

“We’re really beginning to focus very consistently on how we begin to address this externally” on the platform, she said.

‘Break down the status quo’

One of the most vociferous presences on Black LinkedIn is Butler, a human resources consultant and vice president at a startup. She has posted on LinkedIn since 2018 and with increasing frequency and fervor this year. The potential to speak truth to capital, she said, makes the resulting rounds of death threats worth it.

“There is something to be said about the access LinkedIn gives you to powerful CEOs and VCs to help change their outlook and how they support Black employees and founders,” said Butler, 29, referring to venture capitalists. “The conversation that has to happen in order to break down the status quo in corporate America isn’t happening on Instagram.”

Butler, who has about 40,000 followers, posts on LinkedIn daily. Her style is to be prescriptive, assail corporate norms and call out whitesplainers and trolls; she tends to close each missive with the hashtags #isaidwhatisaid, #thatsthetea and #blackgirlmagic. One recent post scolded companies that make a show of cheering on the Black Lives Matter movement but haven’t done right by their employees.

“Do the Black people in your organization feel like they matter, or do they feel like the Black stock photos you used to enhance your ‘wokeness’ footprint in the marketplace. If you can’t make the Black lives under your own roof matter, do not use Black Lives Matter as a brand strategy,” Butler wrote recently. “Don’t talk about it, be about it. Period.”

Other stars of Black LinkedIn target specific companies. Joseph, for example, has recently called out Wells Fargo, DoorDash, Microsoft and Google.

There has also been no shortage of criticism of LinkedIn itself. Users are holding the company to a standard it set for itself in June, when Melissa Selcher, chief marketing and communications officer, wrote an open letter on the platform.

“We have a responsibility to use our platform and resources to intentionally address the systemic barriers to economic opportunity,” she wrote. “We also believe we play a critical role in amplifying Black voices.”

Also in June, with Black Lives Matter protests spreading across the country, LinkedIn highlighted “Black Voices to Follow and Amplify,” a curated list of chief executives, media personalities and other influencers, including the Rev. Bernice King and Karamo Brown from the Netflix show “Queer Eye.” For the most part, members of the list post content that is general, motivational and safe.

Joseph and others took to LinkedIn to say the group contained too many establishment names and not enough activists. “Where are the Tamika Mallorys of LinkedIn on that list?” Joseph wrote, referring to a co-founder of the 2017 Women’s March.

“Black voices aren’t just corporate C-Suite ones,” wrote Patricia S. Gatlin, a talent sourcing specialist in Las Vegas.

“All Black voices need to be heard in this moment,” added Scott Taylor, a recruiter in Los Angeles. “Not just the ones your team of analysts think we should hear from.”

Leverich, the LinkedIn spokeswoman, said by email: “We use a number of factors in our selection, including members who have self-identified as Black, people from a variety of industries and with an interesting perspective to share. We’re constantly adding new voices and sorting through requests to join this program.”

In September, LinkedIn used its own company page to pose a question to its 13 million followers: “What are the best ways to normalize having conversations about race and anti-racism in the workplace? #ConversationsForChange”

The responses quickly turned sour. “LinkedIn, you can facilitate that objective by normalizing those conversations on your platform,” wrote Lenzy Ruffin, a communications strategist in Washington, D.C.

“The irony that you should post this!” wrote Abi Adamson, a diversity and inclusion consultant in London. “Kindly stop censoring Black content around racism. People like me have had our engagement go down astronomically when highlighting racism or how to be anti-racist. Help amplify our voices and stop silencing us.”

Sabrina McClimans, a graduate student in Seattle, asked the platform to “stop ‘accidentally’ disappearing the posts of Black women on your platform when they talk about race and anti-racism.”

Phil Molé, who works at a software company in Chicago, added: “I have seen cases in which individuals who harass Black women on this platform have maintained their accounts while those who speak out against racism and prejudice have had accounts suspended. It’s time for a thorough review of the way the issues are handled.”

LinkedIn did not respond to those comments. Philip Mix, a consultant in London, added to the thread after a day and a half, when there were 344 comments, saying he had gone through them “three times to make sure I wasn’t mistaken.” By his count, LinkedIn had replied to five users — four times to say “Thank you for sharing” and once with “Nicely put.”

Mix concluded: “Not sure if I’m more shocked or depressed by this miserably inadequate show from LinkedIn.”

WASHINGTON — One day in September, Elizabeth Leiba opened the LinkedIn app and saw a post by Aaisha Joseph, a diversity consultant with nearly 16,000 followers on the platform.

WASHINGTON — One day in September, Elizabeth Leiba opened the LinkedIn app and saw a post by Aaisha Joseph, a diversity consultant with nearly 16,000 followers on the platform. “Ima need #companies to stop sending their dedicated House Negros to ‘deal with the Blacks’ they deem out of control,” read the item. “It’s really not a good look — it’s actually a very #whitesupremacist and #racist one.” The post was exactly the sort of thing Leiba, an instructional design manager at City College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was looking for. These days, when she pulls out her phone in search of boisterous conversation, hot takes and the latest tea, she finds herself tapping LinkedIn, which since the killing of George Floyd has become a thriving forum for Black expression. Also read| US announces charges against Chinese, Malaysians involved in worldwide hacking racket “I go onto Twitter and I get bored,” Leiba, 46, said. “Then I go right back to LinkedIn because it’s on fire. I don’t even have to go on any other social media now.” It’s an unexpected development for what has long been the most polite and perhaps the dullest of the major social networks. LinkedIn was founded in 2003 as a place to network and post résumés — essentially, a directory of white-collar professionals. A few years ago, LinkedIn added a Facebook-like news feed that encouraged users to post links and updates, but it has never been a rollicking space. A team of editors helped enforce a mood best described as corporate. “You talk on LinkedIn the same way you talk in the office,” Dan Roth, LinkedIn’s editor-in-chief, told The New York Times in August 2019. “There are certain boundaries around what is acceptable.” Two staggering events have changed that. In early 2020, the pandemic hit, forcing millions to work from home and miss out on break-room chitchat — boosting LinkedIn as a place to vent. Then, the killing of Floyd in police custody in May put workers over the edge. Black grief went on display, uninhibited, at corporate America’s virtual water cooler. Also read| Microsoft to buy LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in its biggest-ever deal “I was just 43 years tired,” said Future Cain, a social- and emotional-learning director at a middle and high school in Wisconsin. “I was using LinkedIn to post positive things and uplift people during the pandemic, and I decided I can’t sit here quietly anymore.” As protesters took to the streets to demand police reform, Leiba and Cain were among those who discovered that LinkedIn was a place to speak to the executive class on something like their home turf. Black users have taken to the site to call out racial discrimination in the workplace and share their stories of alienation on the job. Not that it’s all serious: Much of the posting is exuberant — full of memes, Black cultural references and linguistic panache. This summer, Leiba shared a video about code-switching, in which a Black employee transforms while greeting colleagues of color (“Oh, hey, Black queen!”) and a white one (empty-headed hiking talk). “I’ve watched it at least fifty eleven times,” Leiba wrote. Also read| What after LinkedIn: Will Twitter get bought next or is the social network bubble about to burst? These are the kinds of conversations, and ways of speaking, that cubicle-dwelling Black workers have typically held out of earshot of their white colleagues. As unusually charismatic posts appeared in my own feed this summer, it seemed clear that Black LinkedIn was emerging as a professional cousin to Black Twitter — the unapologetically Black digital space where people expose long-ignored injustices and pump their experience into the mainstream. What’s less clear is how comfortable LinkedIn is with the development, having placed its content moderators in the incendiary position of determining what manner of race-related speech is appropriate for its virtual workplace of 706 million users. Black users who post in forceful tones, and some of their allies, say they feel LinkedIn has silenced them — erasing their posts and even freezing their accounts for violating vague rules of decorum. For example, the “House Negros” post that Joseph wrote in September vanished from the platform. Joseph, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, was able to see it when she viewed her own page, but no other users could — a practice known as shadow banning. (Later, LinkedIn added an unsigned note in red, saying the post had been removed for violating the site’s Professional Community Policies, which instruct users to “be civil and respectful in every single interaction.”) Joseph began a new item: “Let me say it louder since LinkedIn wanted to delete my post the first time.” The company removed that post, too, saying it included “harassment, defamation or disparagement of others.” Theresa M. Robinson, a corporate training consultant in Houston, said LinkedIn had deleted a post she wrote about racism, then reinstated it after she complained. She said she never received an explanation. Two others, Cain and Madison Butler, who works in Austin, Texas, also said LinkedIn had restricted their commentary on race. In the absence of clear communication from the company, these users are left guessing as to what the rules are — and feeling that the company is not just policing their tone but stifling their opportunity to force change in corporate America. Nicole Leverich, a LinkedIn spokeswoman, wrote in an email: “We are not censoring content and have not made any changes to our algorithm to reduce the distribution of content about these important topics.” She added in an interview that LinkedIn was introducing a new process for notifying users when their posts were flagged for violating platform rules, and that some people hadn’t been phased in by the end of September. The company acknowledged that it had erred in taking action against some users and restored content that was found, on appeal, not to violate its policies. “If we make a mistake, we will own it,” said Paul Rockwell, head of LinkedIn’s trust and safety division. “We will be very clear — this is a learning opportunity for us. We’re going to continue to use that in our journey to get better and better. And we do want to nail this thing.” Hard conversations about race Few people think LinkedIn should look anything like the wilds of Reddit or Twitter, which have a certain amount of anonymity and even anarchy built into their DNA. Much of LinkedIn’s value — Microsoft acquired it in 2016 for $26 billion — is tied to its sense of professionalism and respectful conduct. Users must share their real names and credentials, and it’s understood that their current or prospective employers might well scan anything they post. For Black people in the corporate realm, however, words like “professional” and “respectful” are red flags. Like the natural Black hairstyles that were once widely considered unprofessional, certain behaviors — being too Black, speaking too Black or talking too much about Black topics — have long limited advancement in companies with white cultures. That’s what has changed on LinkedIn in the last few months. Black people are being, to use a technical term, Blackity-Black Black on LinkedIn. Much of the behavior is not so different from Black Twitter; users pepper their posts with clap emojis to emphasize every syllable, and GIFs celebrate cultural touchstones like Issa Rae’s “Insecure” and Jordan Peele’s “Get Out.” The difference is that it is all happening on a social network that mirrors the business world — a place that is predominantly white. “It is liberating. It feels like it’s about time,” Joseph said. “We are taking back what was stolen from us — and that’s our voice. I’m talking specifically to my people in the way that we talk to each other in other spaces, and without regard for any outside audience. No longer having to stifle that has been freeing.” Part of what Black LinkedIn has done is brought together Black professionals to be their authentic selves in front of their white colleagues. For many, it has been an existential relief, and may provide a blueprint for how Black employees choose to conduct themselves once the physical workplace reopens. “The days of hiding and masking who you are and dealing with the BS — I just can’t even go back to that,” said Jessica Pharm, 33, who works in human resources at a manufacturing firm near Milwaukee. “Any company that gets me next is getting the full-on Jessica.” Leiba posted on Sept. 17: “It means code-switching is OUT. It means the AFRO is coming at you on a daily basis. It means you’re getting these bangle earrings and the poppin’ lip gloss.” Inevitably, not everyone accepts this kind of exuberance. Posts about Black Lives Matter and racial justice often attract the same kind of dismissive, and sometimes bigoted, responses found on other platforms: rejoinders that “all lives matter” or claims about Black-on-Black crime. But because the activity takes place on LinkedIn, these comments typically come with the user’s headshot, place of employment and entire work history attached. “You start to see these people who are absolutely not OK with this focus on Blackness popping up in commentary, with their name and their company fully on display, giving zero deference to the moment,” said John Graham Jr., 39, a digital marketer and strategist at a California biotechnology company. “I find it telling that people would put their careers in jeopardy and their unconscious biases on full display.” LinkedIn has also struggled internally with how to respond to the Black Lives Matter movement. In June, chief executive Ryan Roslansky publicly apologized for “appalling” racial comments some employees had made at a companywide staff meeting. Rosanna Durruthy, LinkedIn’s head of diversity, inclusion and belonging, said in an interview that the company was engaging in hard conversations about race, both inside the company and out. “We’re really beginning to focus very consistently on how we begin to address this externally” on the platform, she said. ‘Break down the status quo’ One of the most vociferous presences on Black LinkedIn is Butler, a human resources consultant and vice president at a startup. She has posted on LinkedIn since 2018 and with increasing frequency and fervor this year. The potential to speak truth to capital, she said, makes the resulting rounds of death threats worth it. “There is something to be said about the access LinkedIn gives you to powerful CEOs and VCs to help change their outlook and how they support Black employees and founders,” said Butler, 29, referring to venture capitalists. “The conversation that has to happen in order to break down the status quo in corporate America isn’t happening on Instagram.” Butler, who has about 40,000 followers, posts on LinkedIn daily. Her style is to be prescriptive, assail corporate norms and call out whitesplainers and trolls; she tends to close each missive with the hashtags #isaidwhatisaid, #thatsthetea and #blackgirlmagic. One recent post scolded companies that make a show of cheering on the Black Lives Matter movement but haven’t done right by their employees. “Do the Black people in your organization feel like they matter, or do they feel like the Black stock photos you used to enhance your ‘wokeness’ footprint in the marketplace. If you can’t make the Black lives under your own roof matter, do not use Black Lives Matter as a brand strategy,” Butler wrote recently. “Don’t talk about it, be about it. Period.” Other stars of Black LinkedIn target specific companies. Joseph, for example, has recently called out Wells Fargo, DoorDash, Microsoft and Google. There has also been no shortage of criticism of LinkedIn itself. Users are holding the company to a standard it set for itself in June, when Melissa Selcher, chief marketing and communications officer, wrote an open letter on the platform. “We have a responsibility to use our platform and resources to intentionally address the systemic barriers to economic opportunity,” she wrote. “We also believe we play a critical role in amplifying Black voices.” Also in June, with Black Lives Matter protests spreading across the country, LinkedIn highlighted “Black Voices to Follow and Amplify,” a curated list of chief executives, media personalities and other influencers, including the Rev. Bernice King and Karamo Brown from the Netflix show “Queer Eye.” For the most part, members of the list post content that is general, motivational and safe. Joseph and others took to LinkedIn to say the group contained too many establishment names and not enough activists. “Where are the Tamika Mallorys of LinkedIn on that list?” Joseph wrote, referring to a co-founder of the 2017 Women’s March. “Black voices aren’t just corporate C-Suite ones,” wrote Patricia S. Gatlin, a talent sourcing specialist in Las Vegas. “All Black voices need to be heard in this moment,” added Scott Taylor, a recruiter in Los Angeles. “Not just the ones your team of analysts think we should hear from.” Leverich, the LinkedIn spokeswoman, said by email: “We use a number of factors in our selection, including members who have self-identified as Black, people from a variety of industries and with an interesting perspective to share. We’re constantly adding new voices and sorting through requests to join this program.” In September, LinkedIn used its own company page to pose a question to its 13 million followers: “What are the best ways to normalize having conversations about race and anti-racism in the workplace? #ConversationsForChange” The responses quickly turned sour. “LinkedIn, you can facilitate that objective by normalizing those conversations on your platform,” wrote Lenzy Ruffin, a communications strategist in Washington, D.C. “The irony that you should post this!” wrote Abi Adamson, a diversity and inclusion consultant in London. “Kindly stop censoring Black content around racism. People like me have had our engagement go down astronomically when highlighting racism or how to be anti-racist. Help amplify our voices and stop silencing us.” Sabrina McClimans, a graduate student in Seattle, asked the platform to “stop ‘accidentally’ disappearing the posts of Black women on your platform when they talk about race and anti-racism.” Phil Molé, who works at a software company in Chicago, added: “I have seen cases in which individuals who harass Black women on this platform have maintained their accounts while those who speak out against racism and prejudice have had accounts suspended. It’s time for a thorough review of the way the issues are handled.” LinkedIn did not respond to those comments. Philip Mix, a consultant in London, added to the thread after a day and a half, when there were 344 comments, saying he had gone through them “three times to make sure I wasn’t mistaken.” By his count, LinkedIn had replied to five users — four times to say “Thank you for sharing” and once with “Nicely put.” Mix concluded: “Not sure if I’m more shocked or depressed by this miserably inadequate show from LinkedIn.”

Black LinkedIn is thriving. Does LinkedIn have a problem with that?

Protesters upset by social media videos of Kansas City police arresting a pregnant Black woman continued their agitation for the seventh day on Thursday.

The woman arrested is 25-year-old Deja Stallings, who is nine months pregnant. The said footage shows an officer kneeling on the back of the pregnant woman during an arrest after a gathering at a gas station.

The Kansas City Police Department said in a statement that police were called to the location on September 30 at 10:49 pm by a security officer at the gas station and convenience store who said there were "15-20 individuals fighting on the business's property."

A man then physically interfered with the officers' investigation and refused to leave. Officers attempted to arrest him but he tripped.

"At that time, a woman (seen in the video) and man tried to pull the suspect away from officers," the statement said.

The security video shows Stallings briefly step between an officer and the man he was moving to arrest, but the officer quickly pushes past her to chase after the suspect, catching up with him just a few feet later.

Police said one of the officers then tried to arrest Stallings while she was standing, but "she continued to physically resist arrest, at which point he placed her on the ground to effect the arrest."

Their arrests occurred out of view of the security camera video.

The police said that "the officer who arrested the woman stated he took care not to apply pressure with his legs."

Police called an ambulance and said Stallings was evaluated at a hospital and released.

Stallings has been charged with interfering with an arrest.

To this end, protesters plan to remain at City Hall until their demands are met or someone comes to remove them by force. They are demanding the police chief resign and want the officer involved to be fired. They are also calling for the city to redistribute 50 per cent of the department’s budget to social services to help the Black community, according to The Associated Press.&nbsp;

Stallings now reportedly has "nerve issues with her back" as well as a large bruise. She went to the hospital twice, once immediately after her arrest, but the baby appears to be uninjured by the incident.

Protesters upset by social media videos of Kansas City police arresting a pregnant Black woman continued their agitation for the seventh day on Thursday. The woman arrested is 25-year-old Deja Stallings, who is nine months pregnant.

Protesters upset by social media videos of Kansas City police arresting a pregnant Black woman continued their agitation for the seventh day on Thursday. The woman arrested is 25-year-old Deja Stallings, who is nine months pregnant. The said footage shows an officer kneeling on the back of the pregnant woman during an arrest after a gathering at a gas station. The Kansas City Police Department said in a statement that police were called to the location on September 30 at 10:49 pm by a security officer at the gas station and convenience store who said there were "15-20 individuals fighting on the business's property." A man then physically interfered with the officers' investigation and refused to leave. Officers attempted to arrest him but he tripped. "At that time, a woman (seen in the video) and man tried to pull the suspect away from officers," the statement said. The security video shows Stallings briefly step between an officer and the man he was moving to arrest, but the officer quickly pushes past her to chase after the suspect, catching up with him just a few feet later. Police said one of the officers then tried to arrest Stallings while she was standing, but "she continued to physically resist arrest, at which point he placed her on the ground to effect the arrest." Their arrests occurred out of view of the security camera video. The police said that "the officer who arrested the woman stated he took care not to apply pressure with his legs." Police called an ambulance and said Stallings was evaluated at a hospital and released. Stallings has been charged with interfering with an arrest. To this end, protesters plan to remain at City Hall until their demands are met or someone comes to remove them by force. They are demanding the police chief resign and want the officer involved to be fired. They are also calling for the city to redistribute 50 per cent of the department’s budget to social services to help the Black community, according to The Associated Press. Stallings now reportedly has "nerve issues with her back" as well as a large bruise. She went to the hospital twice, once immediately after her arrest, but the baby appears to be uninjured by the incident.

Kansas City protest over arrest of pregnant Black woman enters seventh day

Toronto lawyer Annamie Paul was Saturday named head of the Green Party, becoming the first Black woman to lead a national political party in Canada.

The 47-year-old mother of two, the daughter of immigrants from the Caribbean, described herself as a "descendant of slaves."

Paul hailed her victory as a "historic moment" during her speech after the announcement of the results of the internal ballot in Ottawa.

"We have done something that has never been done before in Canadian politics," said the Jewish lawyer, who has reported being the victim of anti-Semitic attacks on social media.

"Colonialism has robbed me of my original identity," Paul added in her speech, saying she was ready to support indigenous peoples in particular in their fight against systemic racism within the police.

She succeeds Elizabeth May, who led the Greens for 13 years before stepping down at the end of 2019, following a federal legislative election where her party won only three seats in the House of Commons.

Paul said that under her leadership the party would have two priorities: building a social security net for all Canadians and tackling "the existential crisis of our time, which is the climate emergency."

"This is the chance of a lifetime for us to move towards a more just, a more resilient society," she said. "We believe it can be done."

To repair the economic ravages of the coronavirus pandemic, Paul said the government needed to invest in a "green transition" for a path to the future.

"The choice is yours, if we want different outcomes then we need to make different choices," said Paul, who previously worked at the International Criminal Court.

The new leader of the Greens said she will run in a legislative by-election in Toronto at the end of October, in the constituency vacated after the surprise resignation of former Liberal finance minister Bill Morneau.

Toronto lawyer Annamie Paul was Saturday named head of the Green Party, becoming the first Black woman to lead a national political party in Canada. The 47-year-old mother of two, the daughter of immigrants from the Caribbean, described herself as a "descendant of slaves.

Toronto lawyer Annamie Paul was Saturday named head of the Green Party, becoming the first Black woman to lead a national political party in Canada. The 47-year-old mother of two, the daughter of immigrants from the Caribbean, described herself as a "descendant of slaves." Paul hailed her victory as a "historic moment" during her speech after the announcement of the results of the internal ballot in Ottawa. "We have done something that has never been done before in Canadian politics," said the Jewish lawyer, who has reported being the victim of anti-Semitic attacks on social media. "Colonialism has robbed me of my original identity," Paul added in her speech, saying she was ready to support indigenous peoples in particular in their fight against systemic racism within the police. She succeeds Elizabeth May, who led the Greens for 13 years before stepping down at the end of 2019, following a federal legislative election where her party won only three seats in the House of Commons. Paul said that under her leadership the party would have two priorities: building a social security net for all Canadians and tackling "the existential crisis of our time, which is the climate emergency." "This is the chance of a lifetime for us to move towards a more just, a more resilient society," she said. "We believe it can be done." To repair the economic ravages of the coronavirus pandemic, Paul said the government needed to invest in a "green transition" for a path to the future. "The choice is yours, if we want different outcomes then we need to make different choices," said Paul, who previously worked at the International Criminal Court. The new leader of the Greens said she will run in a legislative by-election in Toronto at the end of October, in the constituency vacated after the surprise resignation of former Liberal finance minister Bill Morneau.

Lawyer named as first Black woman to lead national party in Canada

Twitter has reacted to the recent media reports and cleared the air regarding the service that monitors tweets for police.

The service in question is Dataminr, which is a customer of Twitter's API that taps into the public tweets to alert the police about any possible danger to the lives of people.

Many accused Dataminr of defying the rules of the&nbsp;surveillance ban. However, Twitter has slammed back and rubbished all these accusations claiming the service is not used for surveillance.

"Twitter prohibits the use of our developer services for surveillance purposes. Period,"&nbsp;Twitter's spokesperson said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-launches-guide-on-fighting-misinformation-during-us-elections-331332">Also read:&nbsp;TikTok launches guide on fighting misinformation during US elections</a>

"We are committed to protecting the people who use Twitter from abuse, both on our service and through our APIs. We see a societal benefit in public Twitter data being used for news alerting, first responder support, and disaster relief," company added.

Twitter claimed that the monitoring service is used to observe the flow of the public tweets related to any threat being posed to civilians and civil movements. This is done through the use of artificial intelligence that looks out for specific assigned keywords.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-erupts-over-a-questionable-chai-latte-recipe-take-a-look-at-these-hilarious-takes-331121">Also read:&nbsp;Twitter erupts over a questionable 'Chai Latte' recipe. Take a look at these hilarious takes!</a>

As per the company, the service&nbsp;"notifies first responders about critical events as they're happening, minimizing response time and enabling them to act quickly and confidently."

The First Alert is based purely on the tweets collected from the public domain and has been coded to strictly follow the&nbsp;Twitter policy against surveillance.

This, as per the company, helps in curbing attacks near sensitive areas such as schools — which have often been a target of shooting.

The issue was raised by the American daily newspaper Wall Street Journal that issued a report citing an email&nbsp;in which Dataminr had supplied information related to upcoming protests, related to Black Lives Matter, from various Twitter handles of general public. The claim has not been proved.

Twitter, however, has claimed that they conduct regular audits related to the safety issue and "proactively enforce our policies to ensure customers are in compliance and will continue to do so," the Twitter spokesman said.

"We consistently hold ourselves accountable to rigorous standards, including third-party audits of key products and services like Dataminr."

Twitter has also clarified that the data being observed is strictly limited to tweets, and no personal information is extracted in any case. For the locked accounts, "nothing is viewable".

The spokesperson has also clarified that an extensive audit was conducted through independent auditors and no evidence that&nbsp;corroborates the claim made in the WSJ’s article were found.

Twitter has reacted to the recent media reports and cleared the air regarding the service that monitors tweets for police. The service in question is Dataminr, which is a customer of Twitter's API that taps into the public tweets to alert the police about any possible danger to the lives of people.

Twitter has reacted to the recent media reports and cleared the air regarding the service that monitors tweets for police. The service in question is Dataminr, which is a customer of Twitter's API that taps into the public tweets to alert the police about any possible danger to the lives of people. Many accused Dataminr of defying the rules of the surveillance ban. However, Twitter has slammed back and rubbished all these accusations claiming the service is not used for surveillance. "Twitter prohibits the use of our developer services for surveillance purposes. Period," Twitter's spokesperson said. Also read: TikTok launches guide on fighting misinformation during US elections "We are committed to protecting the people who use Twitter from abuse, both on our service and through our APIs. We see a societal benefit in public Twitter data being used for news alerting, first responder support, and disaster relief," company added. Twitter claimed that the monitoring service is used to observe the flow of the public tweets related to any threat being posed to civilians and civil movements. This is done through the use of artificial intelligence that looks out for specific assigned keywords. Also read: Twitter erupts over a questionable 'Chai Latte' recipe. Take a look at these hilarious takes! As per the company, the service "notifies first responders about critical events as they're happening, minimizing response time and enabling them to act quickly and confidently." The First Alert is based purely on the tweets collected from the public domain and has been coded to strictly follow the Twitter policy against surveillance. This, as per the company, helps in curbing attacks near sensitive areas such as schools — which have often been a target of shooting. The issue was raised by the American daily newspaper Wall Street Journal that issued a report citing an email in which Dataminr had supplied information related to upcoming protests, related to Black Lives Matter, from various Twitter handles of general public. The claim has not been proved. Twitter, however, has claimed that they conduct regular audits related to the safety issue and "proactively enforce our policies to ensure customers are in compliance and will continue to do so," the Twitter spokesman said. "We consistently hold ourselves accountable to rigorous standards, including third-party audits of key products and services like Dataminr." Twitter has also clarified that the data being observed is strictly limited to tweets, and no personal information is extracted in any case. For the locked accounts, "nothing is viewable". The spokesperson has also clarified that an extensive audit was conducted through independent auditors and no evidence that corroborates the claim made in the WSJ’s article were found.

Twitter claims monitoring service not for 'surveillance purposes'; no personal data collected

The UK is trying out a distinct way to honour its Black population in view of Black History Month - it is repainting a few of its signature red postboxes!

The red pillar post boxes are considered symbolic of Britain and can be seen on an array of items including postcards.

Earlier, the Royal Mail had decided to choose a postbox each in all constituent territories of the United Kingdom - England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.&nbsp;

<h6><img alt="A pedestrian films a Royal Mail postbox, painted black instead of traditional red, to honour Black Britons, as part of the forthcoming Black History Month, in Brixton, London, Britain, September 30, 2020." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e034de18-d92e-4d3a-b868-4eeaec015df9" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%282%29_109.jpg" />A pedestrian films a Royal Mail postbox, painted black instead of traditional red, to honour Black Britons, as part of the forthcoming Black History Month, in Brixton, London, Britain, September 30, 2020 | Reuters 
&nbsp;</h6>

As visible in the pictures, the top of all postboxes are painted black with a gold rim. These shall remain this way for all of October which is marked as Black History Month.

The postbox in Britain which has been repainted is stationed nearby the Black Cultural Archives heritage centre in South London, which is a hub for the Caribbean community and other Black groups.

In Britain, the postbox features an image of “Queuing at the RA”, a painting by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare, who is known for art grappling with cultural identity and the remnants of colonialism.

<h6><img alt="A pedestrian films a Royal Mail postbox, painted black instead of traditional red, to honour Black Britons, as part of the forthcoming Black History Month, in Brixton, London, Britain, September 30, 2020" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="323b16e2-3440-4ddf-8111-34d42cbcadd7" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%283%29_77.jpg" />A pedestrian films a Royal Mail postbox, painted black instead of traditional red, to honour Black Britons, as part of the forthcoming Black History Month, in Brixton, London, Britain, September 30, 2020 | Reuters</h6>

&nbsp;

Scotland’s black postbox in Glasgow carries the image of Walter Tull, the first Black player to be signed in the city’s soccer team - the Rangers. He was later killed during the First World War.

Cardiff in Wales spots the image of Jamaican nurse Mary Seattle, who cared for soldiers during the Crimean War between 1853-1856.

The postbox in Northern Ireland features the picture of comedian Lenny Henry. The Royal Mail claimed that he was “instrumental in helping a multi-cultural society to embrace multi-cultural comedy".

The UK is trying out a distinct way to honour its Black population in view of Black History Month - it is repainting a few of its signature red postboxes! The red pillar post boxes are considered symbolic of Britain and can be seen on an array of items including postcards.

The UK is trying out a distinct way to honour its Black population in view of Black History Month - it is repainting a few of its signature red postboxes! The red pillar post boxes are considered symbolic of Britain and can be seen on an array of items including postcards. Earlier, the Royal Mail had decided to choose a postbox each in all constituent territories of the United Kingdom - England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. A pedestrian films a Royal Mail postbox, painted black instead of traditional red, to honour Black Britons, as part of the forthcoming Black History Month, in Brixton, London, Britain, September 30, 2020 | Reuters As visible in the pictures, the top of all postboxes are painted black with a gold rim. These shall remain this way for all of October which is marked as Black History Month. The postbox in Britain which has been repainted is stationed nearby the Black Cultural Archives heritage centre in South London, which is a hub for the Caribbean community and other Black groups. In Britain, the postbox features an image of “Queuing at the RA”, a painting by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare, who is known for art grappling with cultural identity and the remnants of colonialism. A pedestrian films a Royal Mail postbox, painted black instead of traditional red, to honour Black Britons, as part of the forthcoming Black History Month, in Brixton, London, Britain, September 30, 2020 | Reuters Scotland’s black postbox in Glasgow carries the image of Walter Tull, the first Black player to be signed in the city’s soccer team - the Rangers. He was later killed during the First World War. Cardiff in Wales spots the image of Jamaican nurse Mary Seattle, who cared for soldiers during the Crimean War between 1853-1856. The postbox in Northern Ireland features the picture of comedian Lenny Henry. The Royal Mail claimed that he was “instrumental in helping a multi-cultural society to embrace multi-cultural comedy".

UK paints its signature postboxes black in honour of Black History Month

The Black lives matter (BLM) protests sparked removal of federal statues. We bring you one such incident from California's City of Venture, watch the report.

BLM protests sparked removal of federal statues in US

A public garden, honouring a Black woman who fought for the liberation of slaves on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, was inaugurated in Paris.

Mayor Anne Hidalgo also announced plans to erect a statue of the woman, Solitude, at the site in northeastern Paris. It will be the city’s first statue honouring a Black woman.

Amid global protests against racism, French leaders have resisted taking down statues but pushed instead to design new monuments to honour more of lesser-known historical figures.

Solitude was born around 1772 to an African slave who was raped by a white sailor on the ship bringing her to the Antilles, according to newspaper Le Monde.

Solitude later joined Guadeloupe's resistance movement, according to city hall. Napoleon's forces arrested a then-pregnant Solitude, and sentenced her to death.

She gave birth on November 28, 1802, and was hanged the next day.

France abolished slavery again in 1848. Guadeloupe, a part of France, saw protests earlier this year against racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd's death in the US.

A public garden, honouring a Black woman who fought for the liberation of slaves on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, was inaugurated in Paris. Mayor Anne Hidalgo also announced plans to erect a statue of the woman, Solitude, at the site in northeastern Paris.

A public garden, honouring a Black woman who fought for the liberation of slaves on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, was inaugurated in Paris. Mayor Anne Hidalgo also announced plans to erect a statue of the woman, Solitude, at the site in northeastern Paris. It will be the city’s first statue honouring a Black woman. Amid global protests against racism, French leaders have resisted taking down statues but pushed instead to design new monuments to honour more of lesser-known historical figures. Solitude was born around 1772 to an African slave who was raped by a white sailor on the ship bringing her to the Antilles, according to newspaper Le Monde. Solitude later joined Guadeloupe's resistance movement, according to city hall. Napoleon's forces arrested a then-pregnant Solitude, and sentenced her to death. She gave birth on November 28, 1802, and was hanged the next day. France abolished slavery again in 1848. Guadeloupe, a part of France, saw protests earlier this year against racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd's death in the US.

Paris inaugurates city’s first park honouring a Black woman

Protesters took to the streets following the grand jury charges in the Breonna Taylor case on Saturday. Outrage and heartbreak has boiled over into demonstrations in cities across the US.

Breonna Taylor protests: 2 cops shot and wounded, at least 24 people have been arrested

Curfew continued for another night in Louisville city, US on Thursday as protests spiralled following the court decision that no one would face charges for the killing of Breonna Taylor.

After the grand jury decided to not charge anyone in connection with the police killing of Taylor, a black woman, on Wednesday, there were protests in Louisville and other cities across the country.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-enough-us-athletes-decry-charges-in-breonna-taylor-shooting-329923">'Not enough': US athletes decry charges in Breonna Taylor shooting</a>

Over a thousand protesters gathered in Louisville's downtown on Thursday evening to continue night-long protests, with many taking refuge on a church premise after the curfew began.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ban-no-knock-warrant-biden-harris-react-to-breonna-taylors-unjust-ruling-329887">'Ban no-knock warrant': Biden-Harris react to Breonna Taylor's unjust ruling</a>

"No way we can be peaceful any longer," Michael Pyles, a black man told news agency AFP, saying he has been demonstrating against racism for 120 days, and possessed a 9mm handgun.

"We're out here to protect our people and the people who support us," the 29-year-old said.&nbsp;

"We are under attack."

Grace Pennix, a 19-year-old African American, spoke about how she fears a similar fate as faced by Taylor.&nbsp;

"I often be passing by my front door and thinking, dang, the police could be coming at my door and shoot me and kill me just like they did with Breonna," she said.&nbsp;

"It could be me, my friend, cousin, aunt, mom."&nbsp;

Thousands of protesters hit the streets of Louisville, the city where Taylor resided, demanding justice for her and demonstrating peacefully in the beginning.&nbsp;

However, these protests turned violent as the demonstrators clashed with police.

On Wednesday, two cops were also shot in the protests.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Curfew continued for another night in Louisville city, US on Thursday as protests spiralled following the court decision that no one would face charges for the killing of Breonna Taylor.

Curfew continued for another night in Louisville city, US on Thursday as protests spiralled following the court decision that no one would face charges for the killing of Breonna Taylor. After the grand jury decided to not charge anyone in connection with the police killing of Taylor, a black woman, on Wednesday, there were protests in Louisville and other cities across the country. Also read | 'Not enough': US athletes decry charges in Breonna Taylor shooting Over a thousand protesters gathered in Louisville's downtown on Thursday evening to continue night-long protests, with many taking refuge on a church premise after the curfew began. Also read | 'Ban no-knock warrant': Biden-Harris react to Breonna Taylor's unjust ruling "No way we can be peaceful any longer," Michael Pyles, a black man told news agency AFP, saying he has been demonstrating against racism for 120 days, and possessed a 9mm handgun. "We're out here to protect our people and the people who support us," the 29-year-old said. "We are under attack." Grace Pennix, a 19-year-old African American, spoke about how she fears a similar fate as faced by Taylor. "I often be passing by my front door and thinking, dang, the police could be coming at my door and shoot me and kill me just like they did with Breonna," she said. "It could be me, my friend, cousin, aunt, mom." Thousands of protesters hit the streets of Louisville, the city where Taylor resided, demanding justice for her and demonstrating peacefully in the beginning. However, these protests turned violent as the demonstrators clashed with police. On Wednesday, two cops were also shot in the protests.

Curfew continues in Louisville as protesters seek justice for Breonna Taylor

A Kentucky grand jury brought no charges against Louisville police for the killing of Breonna Taylor during a drug raid gone wrong

Police officers not charged for killing Breonna Taylor

Louisville Police Chief Robert Schroeder said the police officers shot on Wednesday did not have life-threatening injuries

Breonna Taylor: Two officers shot during Louisville protests

Protesters took to the streets across the U.S. on Wednesday (September 23), rallying against a grand jury ruling in the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor.

Breonna Taylor case: One cop indicted for 'wanton endangerment'

A Kentucky grand jury has brought no charges against Louisville police for the killing of Breonna Taylor during a drug raid gone wrong, with prosecutors saying two officers who fired their weapons at the black woman were justified in using force to protect themselves.

Only 1 of the 3 involved officers indicted in Breonna Taylor's death | Black Lives Matter

People are protesting and demanding justice for the&nbsp;Breonna Taylor who was shot by police officers in her own home on March 13.

Taylor's home was raided for narcotics on March 13, and she was shot multiple times in her own bed. People have been demanding justice for her death and urging the court to charge the three police officers for&nbsp;murder or manslaughter.&nbsp;

However, the court, on Wednesday, charged&nbsp;Brett Hankison — <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kentucky-grand-jury-indicts-at-least-one-of-three-officers-in-breonna-taylor-case-329783">one out of three policeman</a> — with&nbsp;"wanton endangerment" for firing into a neighbour's apartment in Louisville.

As per the&nbsp;Kentucky law, someone charged under this can have five years of jail time with each count —&nbsp;Hankison was charged with three counts.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-is-now-more-intolerant-of-migrants-than-ever-before-new-poll-reveals-329639">Also read:&nbsp;World is now more intolerant of migrants than ever before, new poll reveals</a>

People took to streets to protest against this judgement. Protestors marched to Jefferson Square Park — where a memorial for the 26-year-old has been placed — and chanted "Say her name -- Breonna Taylor.&nbsp;No lives matter till black lives matter."

During these protests in Louisville, two policemen have been shot.

As of now, names of the two police officers have not been revealed. The injuries were "not life-threatening" and both the officers are undergoing treatment, as reported by the Louisville interim police chief Robert Schroeder. As of now, the police has&nbsp;"one suspect in custody", but no further details have been released yet.

A state of emergency and a 9:00 pm curfew has been declared by the mayor of the city, which has a population of 600,000.

'We condemn'

Taylor's lawyer,&nbsp;Attorney General Daniel Cameron, issued a statement on behalf of the family saying,&nbsp;"This is outrageous and offensive to Breonna Taylor's memory," he said in a statement. "It's yet another example of no accountability for the genocide of persons of color by white police officers.

"If Hankison's behavior constituted wanton endangerment of the people in the apartments next to hers, then it should also be considered wanton endangerment of Breonna," Crump said.&nbsp;

"In fact, it should have been ruled wanton murder."

People are protesting and demanding justice for the Breonna Taylor who was shot by police officers in her own home on March 13. Taylor's home was raided for narcotics on March 13, and she was shot multiple times in her own bed.

People are protesting and demanding justice for the Breonna Taylor who was shot by police officers in her own home on March 13. Taylor's home was raided for narcotics on March 13, and she was shot multiple times in her own bed. People have been demanding justice for her death and urging the court to charge the three police officers for murder or manslaughter. However, the court, on Wednesday, charged Brett Hankison — one out of three policeman — with "wanton endangerment" for firing into a neighbour's apartment in Louisville. As per the Kentucky law, someone charged under this can have five years of jail time with each count — Hankison was charged with three counts. Also read: World is now more intolerant of migrants than ever before, new poll reveals People took to streets to protest against this judgement. Protestors marched to Jefferson Square Park — where a memorial for the 26-year-old has been placed — and chanted "Say her name -- Breonna Taylor. No lives matter till black lives matter." During these protests in Louisville, two policemen have been shot. As of now, names of the two police officers have not been revealed. The injuries were "not life-threatening" and both the officers are undergoing treatment, as reported by the Louisville interim police chief Robert Schroeder. As of now, the police has "one suspect in custody", but no further details have been released yet. A state of emergency and a 9:00 pm curfew has been declared by the mayor of the city, which has a population of 600,000. 'We condemn' Taylor's lawyer, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, issued a statement on behalf of the family saying, "This is outrageous and offensive to Breonna Taylor's memory," he said in a statement. "It's yet another example of no accountability for the genocide of persons of color by white police officers. "If Hankison's behavior constituted wanton endangerment of the people in the apartments next to hers, then it should also be considered wanton endangerment of Breonna," Crump said. "In fact, it should have been ruled wanton murder."

Police officers shot in Louisville during protests over Breonna Taylor shooting case

2020 Emmy awards Black Nominees - At the star-studded Emmy awards on Sunday night, Anthony Anderson and Jimmy Kimmel mentioned 'Black Lives Matter' on several occassions as recod number of Black artists were nominated in 2020 edition of the awards. 
 
Anderson, star of the series of 'Black-ish' took to stage at the staples center for a commedy bit that focussed on how the Emmys were different this year with record number of Black nominees. Anderson rued that the show would have been hiostoric had it not gone the vitual way. 
 
"These Emmys would have been NBA All-Star Weekend and Wakanda all wrapped into one. This was supposed to be the Blackest Emmys ever," Anderson said. "Y'all wouldn't have been able to handle how Black it was going to be. But because of COVID we can't even get in the building," he said. 
 
"Instead of that sexy melanated energy, here I am, in a sterilized green room, trying not to sneeze on a llama," Anderson said. 
 
Anderson pointed out that while he was dissapointed at how the the awards had to be organised he was still happy at the Black domination at this year's awards. "I'm still rooting for everyone Black. Because Black stories, Black performances and Black lives matter. Say it with me, Jimmy," he said and Kimmel and Anderson recited the phrase louder a few more times. 
 
"That's right, and because Black lives matter, Black people will stay at home tonight to be safe. Which is fine, because guess what? Y'all don't know how to light us anyway."

&nbsp;

2020 Emmy awards Black Nominees - At the star-studded Emmy awards on Sunday night, Anthony Anderson and Jimmy Kimmel mentioned 'Black Lives Matter' on several occassions as recod number of Black artists were nominated in 2020 edition of the awards.

2020 Emmy awards Black Nominees - At the star-studded Emmy awards on Sunday night, Anthony Anderson and Jimmy Kimmel mentioned 'Black Lives Matter' on several occassions as recod number of Black artists were nominated in 2020 edition of the awards. Anderson, star of the series of 'Black-ish' took to stage at the staples center for a commedy bit that focussed on how the Emmys were different this year with record number of Black nominees. Anderson rued that the show would have been hiostoric had it not gone the vitual way. "These Emmys would have been NBA All-Star Weekend and Wakanda all wrapped into one. This was supposed to be the Blackest Emmys ever," Anderson said. "Y'all wouldn't have been able to handle how Black it was going to be. But because of COVID we can't even get in the building," he said. "Instead of that sexy melanated energy, here I am, in a sterilized green room, trying not to sneeze on a llama," Anderson said. Anderson pointed out that while he was dissapointed at how the the awards had to be organised he was still happy at the Black domination at this year's awards. "I'm still rooting for everyone Black. Because Black stories, Black performances and Black lives matter. Say it with me, Jimmy," he said and Kimmel and Anderson recited the phrase louder a few more times. "That's right, and because Black lives matter, Black people will stay at home tonight to be safe. Which is fine, because guess what? Y'all don't know how to light us anyway."

Emmys 2020: Anthony Anderson makes Jimmy Kimmel chant 'Black Lives Matter' on stage

A stretch of a Minneapolis street that includes the place where George Floyd was killed will soon be named in his honour.

According to the Star Tribune, the street will still be called Chicago Avenue, but the blocks between 37th and 39th streets will be referred to as George Perry Floyd Jr. Place.

The City Council approved the naming on Friday, and Mayor Jacob Frey’s office said he would likely sign off on it as well.

Floyd, a Black man, died May 25 after Derek Chauvin, a white officer, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck even as he said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd’s death was captured in widely seen bystander video that set off protests across the United States and around the world.

Months after Floyd’s death, the intersection remains barricaded and now holds a memorial.

The city had announced plans to reopen 38th Street this summer but backed off, avoiding a confrontation.

A stretch of a Minneapolis street that includes the place where George Floyd was killed will soon be named in his honour. According to the Star Tribune, the street will still be called Chicago Avenue, but the blocks between 37th and 39th streets will be referred to as George Perry Floyd Jr.

A stretch of a Minneapolis street that includes the place where George Floyd was killed will soon be named in his honour. According to the Star Tribune, the street will still be called Chicago Avenue, but the blocks between 37th and 39th streets will be referred to as George Perry Floyd Jr. Place. The City Council approved the naming on Friday, and Mayor Jacob Frey’s office said he would likely sign off on it as well. Floyd, a Black man, died May 25 after Derek Chauvin, a white officer, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck even as he said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd’s death was captured in widely seen bystander video that set off protests across the United States and around the world. Months after Floyd’s death, the intersection remains barricaded and now holds a memorial. The city had announced plans to reopen 38th Street this summer but backed off, avoiding a confrontation.

Minneapolis to name stretch of street for George Floyd

The Black Lives Matter movement is linked to more than 9 in 10 riots across the country, according to a recent study. US experienced 637 riots between May 26 and September 12, and 91% of those riots were linked to the BLM movement.

New study shows BLM movement is linked to 91% riots over 3 months

A group of as many as 19 families have purchased a piece of land in the United States to create a city safe for Black people.

The 97-acre land sits just East of Macon in rural Wilkinson County, Georgia. The purchase was made back in August.

Real estate agent Ashley Scott and her friend, investor and entrepreneur Renee Walters were prompted to search for a new community by the unrest that took hold of the US earlier this year after the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police.

The women reached out to family and friends to see who might be interested in joining their effort. Together, they created the Freedom Georgia Initiative to spearhead the purchase. They hope to incorporate the land they bought into a new Black city, called Freedom, Georgia.

They hope to grow within a few years. By the end of their development plan, they hope to have a fully operational, self-sufficient city -- putting Freedom, Georgia, on the map. 
&nbsp;

A group of as many as 19 families have purchased a piece of land in the United States to create a city safe for Black people. The 97-acre land sits just East of Macon in rural Wilkinson County, Georgia.

A group of as many as 19 families have purchased a piece of land in the United States to create a city safe for Black people. The 97-acre land sits just East of Macon in rural Wilkinson County, Georgia. The purchase was made back in August. Real estate agent Ashley Scott and her friend, investor and entrepreneur Renee Walters were prompted to search for a new community by the unrest that took hold of the US earlier this year after the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police. The women reached out to family and friends to see who might be interested in joining their effort. Together, they created the Freedom Georgia Initiative to spearhead the purchase. They hope to incorporate the land they bought into a new Black city, called Freedom, Georgia. They hope to grow within a few years. By the end of their development plan, they hope to have a fully operational, self-sufficient city -- putting Freedom, Georgia, on the map.

Over 15 families buy land in Georgia to create a city safe for Black people

The brutal beating death of a young Black man has shaken up the entire Italy, as hundreds of people joined his funeral procession on Saturday.

Willy Monteiro Duarte, 21, was killed during a fight in Colleferro, a city on the outskirts of Rome, early September 6. Four Italians have been arrested, including two brothers with police records and a martial arts background.&nbsp;

There is, however, no evidence that say the slaying was racially motivated.&nbsp;

Italian news reports say Duarte intervened while seeing a friend get beaten up in the fight and was then fatally beaten himself.&nbsp;

This came in the aftermath of the May 25 killing of George Floyd, another Black man, in Minneapolis, US due to police brutality. The episode triggered mass protests not only in the US but also across various parts of the world.

Duarte's funeral procession featured hundreds of people, most wearing white shirts and face masks, walking toward the sports stadium where he was being honoured.

Premier Giuseppe Conte and Italy's interior minister attended the funeral. 
&nbsp;

The brutal beating death of a young Black man has shaken up the entire Italy, as hundreds of people joined his funeral procession on Saturday. Willy Monteiro Duarte, 21, was killed during a fight in Colleferro, a city on the outskirts of Rome, early September 6.

The brutal beating death of a young Black man has shaken up the entire Italy, as hundreds of people joined his funeral procession on Saturday. Willy Monteiro Duarte, 21, was killed during a fight in Colleferro, a city on the outskirts of Rome, early September 6. Four Italians have been arrested, including two brothers with police records and a martial arts background. There is, however, no evidence that say the slaying was racially motivated. Italian news reports say Duarte intervened while seeing a friend get beaten up in the fight and was then fatally beaten himself. This came in the aftermath of the May 25 killing of George Floyd, another Black man, in Minneapolis, US due to police brutality. The episode triggered mass protests not only in the US but also across various parts of the world. Duarte's funeral procession featured hundreds of people, most wearing white shirts and face masks, walking toward the sports stadium where he was being honoured. Premier Giuseppe Conte and Italy's interior minister attended the funeral.

Hundreds turn up at funeral of Black man brutally beaten to death in Italy

Derek Chauvin who pressed his knee against 46 years old George Floyd, which led to his death has been charged with second degree murder and manslaughter. Three other policemen are charged with abetting the murder of Floyd, whose death sparked the famous Black Lives Matter protest across the world in May.

4 ex-cops charged in Floyd death case, Chauvin charged with manslaughter

Derek Chauvin, the US police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd -- the Black man whose death sparked nationwide protests -- was due to appear in court in person for the first time on Friday.

Chauvin was filmed on May 25 pressing his knee on handcuffed Floyd's neck until he passed out on a street in Minneapolis. He faces one count of second degree murder, one count of third degree murder, and one count of second degree manslaughter.

Three other Minneapolis officers who were with Chauvin when Floyd was arrested have been charged with aiding and abetting second degree manslaughter. All four were fired the day after Floyd's death.

The 46-year-old African-American man had been detained for allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a grocery.

As Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck, two other officers pinned down Floyd's back and legs, and the fourth prevented bystanders from intervening to save his life.

In his first live appearance in a courtroom, Chauvin's lawyers are expected to argue that Floyd was on drugs at the time and died of a fentanyl overdose.

Prosecutors want to try all four together, saying the worked in concert, and that a joint trial would be more efficient and would save Floyd's family anguish.

Defense attorneys want to have the four tried separately and also are asking to change the venue for the trial.

Outside the Family Justice Center in downtown Minneapolis early Friday, several dozen protestors chanted "George Floyd!" and carried placards and a large flag that read "Black Lives Matter".

Derek Chauvin, the US police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd -- the Black man whose death sparked nationwide protests -- was due to appear in court in person for the first time on Friday.

Derek Chauvin, the US police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd -- the Black man whose death sparked nationwide protests -- was due to appear in court in person for the first time on Friday. Chauvin was filmed on May 25 pressing his knee on handcuffed Floyd's neck until he passed out on a street in Minneapolis. He faces one count of second degree murder, one count of third degree murder, and one count of second degree manslaughter. Three other Minneapolis officers who were with Chauvin when Floyd was arrested have been charged with aiding and abetting second degree manslaughter. All four were fired the day after Floyd's death. The 46-year-old African-American man had been detained for allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a grocery. As Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck, two other officers pinned down Floyd's back and legs, and the fourth prevented bystanders from intervening to save his life. In his first live appearance in a courtroom, Chauvin's lawyers are expected to argue that Floyd was on drugs at the time and died of a fentanyl overdose. Prosecutors want to try all four together, saying the worked in concert, and that a joint trial would be more efficient and would save Floyd's family anguish. Defense attorneys want to have the four tried separately and also are asking to change the venue for the trial. Outside the Family Justice Center in downtown Minneapolis early Friday, several dozen protestors chanted "George Floyd!" and carried placards and a large flag that read "Black Lives Matter".

US policeman accused of murdering George Floyd to appear in court

After various clashes between the federal army and the protestors during a&nbsp;series of protests related to the 'Black Lives Matter' movement, the Portland mayor has ordered the police to stop using tear gas to control crowd in any way.

Mayor Ted Wheeler, who also works as the Chief of Police, has often been criticised for poorly handling the situation in the state.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tear-gas-fire-bombs-as-police-declare-portland-protest-a-riot-325540">Also read:&nbsp;Tear gas, fire bombs as police declare Portland protest a 'riot'</a>

The issue started after an unarmed black man, George Floyd, was killed by white policemen. A series of protests started after the news broke out about Floyd. While the protestors mainly marched and were not violent, things started to get ugly when the police was spotted attacking the masses with tear gas.

Wheeler was criticised for letting the police use tear gas in massive amounts. So much so, some locals even complained about the tear gas smell entering their homes and leaving an impact.

Considering this, Wheeler has now ordered a stop on the use of tear gas.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-supporters-and-counter-protesters-clashed-at-oregons-capital-326225">Also watch:&nbsp;Trump supporters and counter-protesters clashed at Oregon's Capital</a>

"It's time for everyone to reduce the violence in our community. We all want change. We all have the opportunity and obligation to create change. We all want to focus on the fundamental issue at hand -- justice for Black people and all people of color," Wheeler said in a brief taped announcement.

"That's why, as Police Commissioner, effective immediately and until further notice, I am directing the Portland Police to end the use of CS gas for crowd control," he said.

While the decision has been welcomed by locals, some have righty pointed out that some units of the law officers who were a part of the massive use of tear gas report to the Governor, and therefore do not have to follow this order.

After various clashes between the federal army and the protestors during a series of protests related to the 'Black Lives Matter' movement, the Portland mayor has ordered the police to stop using tear gas to control crowd in any way.

After various clashes between the federal army and the protestors during a series of protests related to the 'Black Lives Matter' movement, the Portland mayor has ordered the police to stop using tear gas to control crowd in any way. Mayor Ted Wheeler, who also works as the Chief of Police, has often been criticised for poorly handling the situation in the state. Also read: Tear gas, fire bombs as police declare Portland protest a 'riot' The issue started after an unarmed black man, George Floyd, was killed by white policemen. A series of protests started after the news broke out about Floyd. While the protestors mainly marched and were not violent, things started to get ugly when the police was spotted attacking the masses with tear gas. Wheeler was criticised for letting the police use tear gas in massive amounts. So much so, some locals even complained about the tear gas smell entering their homes and leaving an impact. Considering this, Wheeler has now ordered a stop on the use of tear gas. Also watch: Trump supporters and counter-protesters clashed at Oregon's Capital "It's time for everyone to reduce the violence in our community. We all want change. We all have the opportunity and obligation to create change. We all want to focus on the fundamental issue at hand -- justice for Black people and all people of color," Wheeler said in a brief taped announcement. "That's why, as Police Commissioner, effective immediately and until further notice, I am directing the Portland Police to end the use of CS gas for crowd control," he said. While the decision has been welcomed by locals, some have righty pointed out that some units of the law officers who were a part of the massive use of tear gas report to the Governor, and therefore do not have to follow this order.

Portland Mayor bans use of tear gas by police after locals complain

A group of activists took a Congolese funeral statue from a Dutch museum, saying they were recovering art looted during the colonial era. The entire sequence of events was streamed on Facebook.

The activists were quickly arrested and the statue returned undamaged, the museum said Friday.

The Afrika Museum said in a statement that the statue was removed on Thursday from the museum located in Berg en Dal, near the eastern Dutch city of Nijmegen.

The incident came amid continuing anger at symbols of colonialism and slavery in the United States and Europe after George Floyd's death in police custody -- leading to global protests against racial injustice.

The statue action in the Netherlands came the day that prosecutors in neighbouring Belgium said that a tooth presumed to be from Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba would soon be handed back to his relatives after years of lobbying efforts.

The said Facebook livestream ended with police handcuffing one of the activists on a road near the museum.

A group of activists took a Congolese funeral statue from a Dutch museum, saying they were recovering art looted during the colonial era. The entire sequence of events was streamed on Facebook.

A group of activists took a Congolese funeral statue from a Dutch museum, saying they were recovering art looted during the colonial era. The entire sequence of events was streamed on Facebook. The activists were quickly arrested and the statue returned undamaged, the museum said Friday. The Afrika Museum said in a statement that the statue was removed on Thursday from the museum located in Berg en Dal, near the eastern Dutch city of Nijmegen. The incident came amid continuing anger at symbols of colonialism and slavery in the United States and Europe after George Floyd's death in police custody -- leading to global protests against racial injustice. The statue action in the Netherlands came the day that prosecutors in neighbouring Belgium said that a tooth presumed to be from Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba would soon be handed back to his relatives after years of lobbying efforts. The said Facebook livestream ended with police handcuffing one of the activists on a road near the museum.

Black activists take Congolese statue from Dutch museum

A US university has issued an apology for creating online separate cafes for white people and blacks.&nbsp;

The apology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn near Detroit came after two virtual events were held on Tuesday, with one advertised as "non-POC (people of colour) cafe" for discussing their experience as students in the college and as non-POC outside the campus.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-white-professor-disguised-as-black-woman-resigns-326432">US: White professor disguised as black woman resigns</a>

The second event was also organised on similar lines and was named as "BIOPIC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) Cafe" and promoted as a forum for "marginalised racial/ethnic/cultural communities" to gather and put forward their experiences in the college and in the outside world, as reported by news agency AP.&nbsp;

The university, in its statement, said that they apologise for referring the sessions as "cafes", but insisted, they were not intended to be exclusive or exclusionary for any particular race.&nbsp;

Its Vice-Chancellor Ken Kettenbeil said that the use of word "cafe" created much confusion, and people thought two separated cafes are built to segregate communities from each other.&nbsp;

"The terms used to describe these virtual events and the descriptions themselves were not clear and not reflective of the university''s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion," the statement said.

A US university has issued an apology for creating online separate cafes for white people and blacks. The apology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn near Detroit came after two virtual events were held on Tuesday, with one advertised as "non-POC (people of colour) cafe" for discussing their experience as students in the college and as non-POC outside the campus.

A US university has issued an apology for creating online separate cafes for white people and blacks. The apology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn near Detroit came after two virtual events were held on Tuesday, with one advertised as "non-POC (people of colour) cafe" for discussing their experience as students in the college and as non-POC outside the campus. Also read | US: White professor disguised as black woman resigns The second event was also organised on similar lines and was named as "BIOPIC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) Cafe" and promoted as a forum for "marginalised racial/ethnic/cultural communities" to gather and put forward their experiences in the college and in the outside world, as reported by news agency AP. The university, in its statement, said that they apologise for referring the sessions as "cafes", but insisted, they were not intended to be exclusive or exclusionary for any particular race. Its Vice-Chancellor Ken Kettenbeil said that the use of word "cafe" created much confusion, and people thought two separated cafes are built to segregate communities from each other. "The terms used to describe these virtual events and the descriptions themselves were not clear and not reflective of the university''s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion," the statement said.

US university apologises for creating segregated events for whites and POCs

Top police leaders in New York's third-largest city are retiring en masse amid criticism of the city's handling of the suffocation death of Daniel Prude, the mayor of Rochester has said.

La'Ron Singletary, the city's police chief, is among those retiring, as is Deputy Chief Joseph M Morabito and possibly other senior commanders, Mayor Lovely Warren said on Tuesday.

Warren made the surprise announcement of the retirements at a City Council briefing being held online. Council members had expected the chief to appear in person to discuss ongoing protests over the death of Prude, a 41-year-old Black man who died several days after an encounter with police March 23.

Also see|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/daniel-prude-video-shows-black-man-suffocating-after-cops-put-hood-on-his-head-in-us-324886">Daniel Prude: Video shows black man suffocating after cops put hood on his head in US</a>

"As you all know, this has been a very challenging time for the city of Rochester, and the chief was not asked to give his resignation because I do believe that he's giving his very best," Warren told council members.

Rochester, a city of 200,000 people on Lake Ontario, erupted with protests last week after the Prude family released body camera footage showing officers had used a mesh hood and pinned Prude, a 41-year-old Black man, to the pavement during the March arrest.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/daniel-prude-police-officers-suspended-after-death-of-black-man-in-spit-hood-325110">Daniel Prude: Police officers suspended after death of Black man in 'spit hood'</a>

The release of the footage five months after Prude's death had raised questions of a possible cover-up and turned&nbsp;Rochester&nbsp;into the latest flashpoint in a summer of protests over racial injustice first sparked by George Floyd's May 25 death.

Seven police officers involved in the arrest were suspended last week. The medical examiner ruled Prude's death a homicide by asphyxiation, with the drug PCP a contributing factor. He was having a psychotic episode when he was arrested.

Black Lives Matter activists had called for Singletary's resignation. But as recently as Sunday, amid a weekend of demonstrations, he had said he intended to stay on, and Warren backed him. Both he and the mayor are Black.

"As a man of integrity, I will not sit idly by while outside entities attempt to destroy my character," Singletary said in a statement, noting his 20 years on the force.

"The mischaracterization and the politicization of the actions that I took after being informed of Mr. Prude’s death is not based on facts, and is not what I stand for."

Warren, who has also come under pressure for the handling of Prude's arrest and death, said Singletary's deputy, Joseph Morabito, had also retired and that "there may be a number of others that will decide to leave as well."

The mayor said she was unsure when the retirements would take effect.

Free the People ROC, a local Black Lives Matter group, welcomed the resignations in a Facebook post but demanded more.

"Let's keep the pressure up until all those responsible for Daniel Prude's murder and cover up — including Mayor Lovely Warren - have resigned, taken responsibility and donated their pensions to the families they allowed to be harmed," it wrote.

Separately on Tuesday, Dallas police department chief Reneé Hall also agreed to resign after a backlash against her department's handling of demonstrations against racism and police brutality. Hall, who wrote her resignation letter on Tuesday, will stay on until the end of the year.

Last month, some Dallas City Council members said they had lost trust in Hall's leadership citing lack of transparency regarding the force that police used that injured some demonstrators.

Warren apologized to the Prude family last week and suggested she had been misled by Singletary - an allegation he denied. Singletary also pointed to his ordering of an internal investigation soon after the incident.

The&nbsp;Rochester&nbsp;police union's head, Michael Mazzeo, defended the officers last week, saying they followed procedure in using the so-called "spit hood," necessary because Prude claimed he had the coronavirus. Mazzeo also said Singletary's office told him after the arrest there were "no concerns" with the officers' actions.

Top police leaders in New York's third-largest city are retiring en masse amid criticism of the city's handling of the suffocation death of Daniel Prude, the mayor of Rochester has said.

Top police leaders in New York's third-largest city are retiring en masse amid criticism of the city's handling of the suffocation death of Daniel Prude, the mayor of Rochester has said. La'Ron Singletary, the city's police chief, is among those retiring, as is Deputy Chief Joseph M Morabito and possibly other senior commanders, Mayor Lovely Warren said on Tuesday. Warren made the surprise announcement of the retirements at a City Council briefing being held online. Council members had expected the chief to appear in person to discuss ongoing protests over the death of Prude, a 41-year-old Black man who died several days after an encounter with police March 23. Also see| Daniel Prude: Video shows black man suffocating after cops put hood on his head in US "As you all know, this has been a very challenging time for the city of Rochester, and the chief was not asked to give his resignation because I do believe that he's giving his very best," Warren told council members. Rochester, a city of 200,000 people on Lake Ontario, erupted with protests last week after the Prude family released body camera footage showing officers had used a mesh hood and pinned Prude, a 41-year-old Black man, to the pavement during the March arrest. Also read: Daniel Prude: Police officers suspended after death of Black man in 'spit hood' The release of the footage five months after Prude's death had raised questions of a possible cover-up and turned Rochester into the latest flashpoint in a summer of protests over racial injustice first sparked by George Floyd's May 25 death. Seven police officers involved in the arrest were suspended last week. The medical examiner ruled Prude's death a homicide by asphyxiation, with the drug PCP a contributing factor. He was having a psychotic episode when he was arrested. Black Lives Matter activists had called for Singletary's resignation. But as recently as Sunday, amid a weekend of demonstrations, he had said he intended to stay on, and Warren backed him. Both he and the mayor are Black. "As a man of integrity, I will not sit idly by while outside entities attempt to destroy my character," Singletary said in a statement, noting his 20 years on the force. "The mischaracterization and the politicization of the actions that I took after being informed of Mr. Prude’s death is not based on facts, and is not what I stand for." Warren, who has also come under pressure for the handling of Prude's arrest and death, said Singletary's deputy, Joseph Morabito, had also retired and that "there may be a number of others that will decide to leave as well." The mayor said she was unsure when the retirements would take effect. Free the People ROC, a local Black Lives Matter group, welcomed the resignations in a Facebook post but demanded more. "Let's keep the pressure up until all those responsible for Daniel Prude's murder and cover up — including Mayor Lovely Warren - have resigned, taken responsibility and donated their pensions to the families they allowed to be harmed," it wrote. Separately on Tuesday, Dallas police department chief Reneé Hall also agreed to resign after a backlash against her department's handling of demonstrations against racism and police brutality. Hall, who wrote her resignation letter on Tuesday, will stay on until the end of the year. Last month, some Dallas City Council members said they had lost trust in Hall's leadership citing lack of transparency regarding the force that police used that injured some demonstrators. Warren apologized to the Prude family last week and suggested she had been misled by Singletary - an allegation he denied. Singletary also pointed to his ordering of an internal investigation soon after the incident. The Rochester police union's head, Michael Mazzeo, defended the officers last week, saying they followed procedure in using the so-called "spit hood," necessary because Prude claimed he had the coronavirus. Mazzeo also said Singletary's office told him after the arrest there were "no concerns" with the officers' actions.

Rochester, New York, police chief resigns in wake of Daniel Prude's death