Demarcation line at the korean Demilitarized Zone sunday, and then took 20 steps beyond the line, which has divided north and south korea since 1953. We will go to seoul south korea, and to hawaii, for the latest. In over 4 Million People filled the streets of new york to celebrate world pride and mark the 50th anniversary of the stonewall uprising that launched the modernday lgbtq movement. We will hear voices from the que er liberation march. First, were honoring our ancestors in the fight for liberation, who started this all 50 ors ago at the stonewall bar. Amy all that and morere, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. In a a historic first for a sitting u. S. President , donald trump crossed through the Demilitarized Zone and set foot in north korea sunday, walking sidebyside with north Korean Leader kim jongun after kim greeted him at the demarcation line. They agreed to resume do new causation talks come although trump said sanctions on north korea would remain for now. North korea had said in previous negotiations that sanctions relief is a necessary precondition to any sort of deal. The symbolic move came 24 hours after trump wrote a message on twitter offering to meet kim at the dmz after the g20 summit wrapped up in japan, and four months after Nuclear Talks bebetween the two leaders broke down in february when President Trump walked out of the the nm summit. Well havave more on this story after headlines. In hong kong, thousands have taken to the streets today, the anniversary, they return of hong kongs control 22 years ago. Dozens of protesters breached the legislature building, where they were met with riot police. Protesters continue to call for chief executive carrie lam to step down over a contested bill which would allow for extraditions of hong kong residents and visitors to mainland china, which critics see as an infringement on their legal rights and on the independence of hong kong. Lam has postponed the legislation, but has not fully withdrawn it. The u. S. And c china have reachd a temporary trade truce after a meeting between trump and chinese president xi jinping saturday at the g20 summit inn japapan. The truce delays a new round of 25 taririffs on 300 billion of chinese goods. Trump also walked back a recently announced ban on selling u. S. Equipment to Chinese Telecom giant huawei. He said china will in return import large amounts of american agricultural products. The trumump administration said, however, that no timeline had been set to reach a longerterm trade deal with china. Also while at the g20 summit, trump met with Saudi Crown Prince mohammed bin salman, praising him as a reformer and telling him you have done a really spectacular job. Trump refused to answer questions from reporters about bin salmans role in the death of Jamal Khashoggi last october but said the prince was very unhappy about the killing. The United Nations u. S. Intelligence officials and u. S. Lawmakers have all found credible evidence that the crown prince was directly implicated in ordering Jamal Khashoggis murder. In sudan, at least 10 people were killed after tens of thousands took to the streets sunday, the first mass demonstration since the deadly crackdown on a peaceful protest camp by Security Forces in early june, which killed at least 128 people. Ramadan, ie 29th of felt my blood boiling in my veins. So i have to come out tonight. I had to march. I had to march for everyone killed. Add a march for the martyrs that died, march for the girls that were raped. I had to march to achieve something, anything. Amy i amid an internet and press blackout, reports emerged of police deploying tear gas, live ammunition, and stun grenades into crowds. Demonstrators are continuing to demand a civilianled government after a monthslong Popular Uprising led to the military overthrow of longstanding authoritarian president Omar Albashir in april. In afghanistan, a bomb explosion near a Defense Ministry building injured at least 65 people, including nine children, in n te capital kabul today according to local officials. The taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing, which was followed by a gun battle with afghan Security Forces. The attack comes after a weekend of violence across the country and as u. S. And taliban officials meet for another round of peace talks in qatar, to discuss the withdrawal of u. S. Troops from afghanistan. Around 300 people, mostly fighters from m both government and taliban forces, were reported killed ovover multiple attacks s friday and saturday. Eight election workers were among those killed in a Taliban Attack on a government compound in kandahar province sunday. Afghanistan is currently gearing up f for a president ial election at the end of september. R. In italy, Police Arrested carola rackete, the 31yearold german captain of a refugee rescue ship saturday, after her vessel collided with an Italian Border Police boat as she attempted to dock at lampedusa port. Rackete and 53 refugees were caught in limbo at sea for over two weeks in need of medical care and food, as authorities refused to let the seawatch 3 dock and passengers disembark. This is rackete speaking from aboard the ship the day before she was arrested. The concerns about these [indidiscernible] which are also my responsibility. Frustrated and suffer psychologically frfrom the sisituation. Amy she was referring there to italys antiimmigrant interior minister matteo salvini, who refused to let rackete dock her ship and called her actionons an act of war. German officials and human Rights Groups have praised the seawatch 3s mission and condemned the Italian Government for criminalizing humanitarianan aid. The u. S. Senate friday rejected a measure restricting trumps ability to go to war with iran without congressional authorization. The proposal would have retroactively attached an amendment to the 750 billion National Defense authorization act, which was passed thursday 868. A similar, bipartisan amendment to prevent unapproved military action against iran was also introduced in the house last week. In an unexpected partnership, liberal billionaire donor george soros and rightwing billionaire charles koch have teamed up to finance a new think tank with the mission of moving u. S. Foreign policy away from endless war and toward vigorous diplomacy in the pursuit of international peace. The cofounders of the Quincy Institute for responsible statecraft, which launches in september, include trita parsi, founder of the National Iranian american council, and andrew bacevich, retired colonel and vietnam war r veteran both outspoken n critics of u. S. Military and foreign policy. On friday, the Supreme Court rejected alabamas attempt to ban dilation and extraction, the most common secondtrimester abortion procedure. If allowed to go into effect, the law would have affected 99 of abortions performed after 15 weeks. In may, alabama signed the nations most restrictive abortion ban into law, effectively banning the procedure except in cases where a pregnant persons life is at serious risk. That law is currently being challenged in lower courts. In another decision friday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal by the Trump Administration over its move to end deferred action for childhood arrivals. Four federal appeals courts have since blocked the repeal of daca, which affects the immigration status of nearly 800,000 formerly undocumented people who were brought to the u. S. As children. The court will hear the case in its upcoming term, which starts in october. A federal judge has barred President Trump from using 2. 5 billion in Defense Department 10 to gone funds to build a border wall following his declaration of a National Emergency in febebruary. The move by california judge Haywood Gilliam comes in response to two separate lawsuits, and expands his ruling in may that said trump does not have the authority to circumvent congress to appropriate the funds required for construction. The aclu brought one of the suits on behalf of the sierra clubub and the souththern bordrr communities coalition. Gloria smith, an attorney at the sierra club applauded the decision, saying walls divide neighborhoods, worsen dangerous flooding, destroy lands and wildlife, and Waste Resources that should instead be used on the infrastructure these communities truly need. Former new York City Police detective and outspoken advocate for 9 11 responders, luis alvarez, died saturday at the age of 53 after a threeyear battle with cancer. Earlier this month, alvarez spoke before congress, alongside other 9 11 responders and former the daily show host jon stewart, urging lawmakers to extend healthcare protections for rescue workers like himself, who became sick after responding to the september 11, 2001 terror attacks in downtown manhattan. This fund is not a ticket to paradise. It is there to provide for our families when we cant. Nothing more. You all said you would never forget. Well, i am here to make sure that you dont. Amy the house is expected to vote this month to permanently extend the september 11 Victim Compensation fund, and Senate Majority leader mitch mcconnelel told a group of First Responders last week the senate would work to pass its authorization by august. In virginia, james fields, a selfdescribed neonazi who killed activist Heather Heyer at an antihate rally in 2017, was sentenced friday to life in prison. Fields plowed his car into a crowd of antiracist protesters in charlottesville at a counterprotest of the white supremacist unite the right rally. Following the rally and heyers killing, President Trump claimed there were very fine people on both sides. Heather heyers mother, susan bro, reacted to the verdict. The last time i saw my daughter was to identify her body and a sign the papers for her to be cremated. And i held her bruised hanan and bruised arm and i said, im going to make this count for you. And that is what i have done. And i will continue to do. You dont get to knock my child down and silence her voice without more than 500 raising up. You dont get to do that. Amy floridas republican governor ron desanantis signed a bill friday requiring formerly incarcerated people with felony convictions to repay all fines and fees to courts before they can vote again. Civil Rights Groups say it is essentially a poll tax. A lawsuit filed by former incarcerated people and groups including the aclu, and the nepalese cp immediately followed the move. Lastst november, 65 of floridaa voters a approved amendmenent 4, restoring Voting Rights to 1. 4 Million People with nonviolent felonies who have fully completed their sentences, by overturning a jim crowera law aimed at suppressing the black vote. But republican lawmakers have been w working t to stop the mee from beingng fully implememente. Follllowing the signing of fridays bill, the florida rights restoration coalition, which led the campaign to pass amendment 4, announced a new fund to help those with past convictions pay off f their fins and fees, and help them register to vote via the website wegotthevote. Org. You can see our interviews with desmond meade, the head of florida rights restoration coalition, at democracynow. Org. 2020 Democratic Candidates beto orourke and Julian Castro headed to the clint, texas, the immigration jail over the weekend, which has come under intense scrutiny over recent reports of inhumane conditions and child neglect. Castro, former san antonio mayor and secretary of housing and urban development under president obama, was denied entry into the clint child jail saturday. Former Congressmember Orourke participated in a rally in front of the jail sunday, calling out the dire conditions inside. Both castro and orourke also recently visited a homestead , florida, immigration jail, along with other 2020 contenders in town for the first democratic debate, including senators warn, Kamala Harris, kirsten gillibrand, and Bernie Sanders, as well as new york city mayor bill de blasio and south bend mayor pete buttigieg. In more news from last weeks 2020 democratic debate, democrats are condemning donald trump, jr. After he retweeted an altright personality during thurday nights debate who attacked senator Kamala Harriss identity as a black american, writing Kamala Harris is not an american black. She is half indian and half jamaican. Im so sick of people robbing american blacks of our history. Its disgusting. Harris family were actually slave owners. Don jr. Reposted the tweet, adding, is this true . Wow. He deleted the tweet later that night after coming under fire, including from joe biden, who clashed with harris at the debate over his checkered track record on race. Biden tweeted the same forces of hatred rooted in birtherism that questioned Barack Obamas american citizenship, and even his racial identity, are now being used against senator Kamala Harris. Birtherism was widely promoted by donald trump while he was campaigning for president. 36 jewish activists were arrested s sunday as they protested, along with hundreds of others, in front of an immigration and Customs Enforcement immigrant jail in elizabeth, new jersey. The protest, organized by never again n action, brought t toger activists from the immigrant community and jews, who called for an immediate end to ice raids, deportations, and immigrant prisons. And for Million People took to the streets of new york city sunday and the largest lgbtq pride celebration in history. The demonstration was just one of many taking place across the United States and the world this weekend. In some cities, events were banned and efforts to mark the occasion were harshly suppressed. In istanbul, clashes broke out between police and members of the Lgbt Community after the governor banned a planned annual march for the fifth running year. Back in new york city, there were two marches to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the stonewall uprising that sparked the modernday lgbtq movement. Hundreds of thousands marched down fifth avenue for the world pride parade, surrounded by. Illions cheering them on and in sheridan square, the very site where gay and trans people clashed with police on the Early Morning of june 20 8, 1969, tens of thousands more gathered for the anticorporate am antipolice queer liberation march. This is Anne Northrup composed of the free speech tv show gay usa. Intoe parade has involved a corporate party. We just think that is ridiculous and insulting and demeaning and disempowering. So we got together to bring the Community Back into the streets. Amy we will have more voices frfrom the queer liberation marh of tens of thousands later in the broadcast. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. PrPresident Trump made h history this weekend when he became the first sitting u. S. President to step foot in north korea. Trump met north Korean Leader kim jongun at the military demarcation line at the korean Demilitarized Zone. Kim then invited trump to cross the line, which has divided north and south korea since 1953. Trump then took about 20 steps into north korea. The surprise meeting came 24 hours after trump wrote a tweeted to kim jongun, offering to meet him at the dmz after the g20 summit wrapped up in japan. After meeting at the dmz, trump and kim then held a threeway meeting with south korean president moon jaein. Trump and kim then appeared together at a news conference. Pres. Trump it t is an honor to be with you. It was an honor that you ask me to step over that line. I thought you might do that. I was not sure, but t i was reay to d do it. It has been great. One of the folks from the media were saying this could be e aery historic moment. I guess that is what it is. I enjoyed being with you. Thank you very much. Amy north k Korean Leader kim jongun also addressed reporters. In fact, i was surprised to see your message that you wanted to meet me in the morning. Then i found there has been an official offer for todays meeting in the late afternoon. Our great relationship will continue to create good events that others cant expectct. I am confident it will be missed ago powers to lead us to overcome all obstaclcles. Amy when we come back from break, we will go to seoul, south korea, as well as hawaii, to get response to this historic meeting. This is democracy now back in a minute. [music break] amy music by the south korean violinisist and peace activist hyung joon won. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. President trump made history susunday when hehe became the ft sitting u. S. President to step foot in north korea. Sunday marked trump and kim jonguns first meeting since new care talks broke down in february at a vietnam summit when President Trump walked out. It appears another round of Nuclear Talks could begin in the coming weeks. The New York Times reports the Trump Administration is now considering settling for a Nuclear Freeze in north korea after years of demanding full denuclearization. To talk more about sundays historic m meeting, we are joind by two guests. From seoul, south korea, is suzy kim. She is an associate professor of korean history at rutgers university. The author of everyday life in the north korean revolution, 19451950. And in honolulu, hawaii, is christine ahn, founder and executive director of women cross dmz, a Global Movement of women mobilizing to end the korean war. Professor suzy kim, you are there in the koreas when this sunday moment took place. What was the significance of donald trump becoming the first sitting president to step foot in nororth korea, as he walked with north korea leader kim jongun . Fortunate to have been here to be able to witness that on the Korean Peninsula. I think the significance is telling in terms of how the south korean public responded. I was able to walk around the city center yesterday as this was unfolding. An interesting convergence happened between both the left and the right, where traditionally, they are polarized, just like in the United States, but both sides in many respects welcomed President Trump and welcomed this opportunity for him to make history by stepping foot in north korean soil. I think the significance lies in hand,ct that on the one it is this border that seems very impenetrable the President Trump was able to show his willingness to be ablele to step across that border, to be able to make a commitment to continue to work towaward a Peace Process on the Korean Peninsula which was receciprocated by chairman m jongun of north korea. As significant as that was, whwt i thought was alsoso quite tellg was just how absurd that border really is. Just by the sheer ease with which the president and the chairman were able to cross it when there was the political will to do so. I do think in many respects, while there may be some cynicism u. S. Sources, i think the public and korea, they are welcoming a President Trump, despite all of his faults, i think is quite telling in terms of the urgency and the need that they feel to continue this Peace Process forward in korea. Amy christine ahn, who founded women cross dmz, you have crossed that very line. Here you are now in honolulu. Your korean yourself. Can you respond to what quickly unfolded this weekend . Did it surprise you and what do you think of what happepened and where it w will lead . Well, we very much, suzy km was also on that journey in 2015, 30 women, peacemakers, including Gloria Steinem and nobel peace laureates, and that is where we did want to cross but we ended up crossing elsewhere, which is quite symbolic because that was really the development of really committed work by the two Korean Leaders at that time during the era of the sunshinee policy to begin the process of integration. So just the right now trump cross that border, as suzy said, i think was able longheld wish and desire for the korean people, not just that people on north and south korea, but oppositely koreans all around the world, who have so longed for an end to the korean war. My friend happened to note yesterday that it was also the 30th anniversary of the south Korean University student who at the sameh korea day 30 years ago, and she became the first civilian woman to cross the dmz on her return back to south korea and was arrested, of course, and imprisoned for five years because of violating the National Security law. But,t, you know, what is soo significant is that women have really led the way in crossing that dmz and really showing the kind of absurdity of this manmade militarize border, and really the power of what people in social movements can do when in the case of now, can overthrow neoconservative leader, a corrupt leader who is now in prison, and can usher in a leader like moon jaein, who is been the key interlocutor between the u. S. And north korea instantly pushing for a Peace Process toward ending the korean war. Clearly, while the david singer peace showed that maybe what the Trump Administration settled for was accepting north korea is a defector de facto nuclear power, it is a sign that there is really no choice at this point but to pursue a programmatic approach to diplomacy that it will have to you step by step approach. We cant expect north korea to unilaterally disarm at the front end d of a process without assuriring security g guarantee. And soso i think it was ovoveraa thet day for koreans on peninsula and for americans here at home. Amy i want to turn to some of the democraticic president ial candidates weighing in on trumps meeting with kim jongun on sunday. Joe bidens Campaign Spokesperson tweeted a statement saying President Trumps coddling of dictators at the expense of american National Security and interests is one of the most dangerous ways hes diminishing us on the world stage and subverting our values as a nation. This past week he yet again fawned over kim jongun to whom hes made numerous concessions for negligible gain. That was biden. Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted our president shouldnt be squandering american influence on photo ops and exchanging love letters with a ruthless dictator. Instead, we should be dealing with north korea through principled diplomacy that promotes u. S. Security, defends our allies, and upholds human rights. Again, that was senator warren. Vermont senator Bernie Sanders addressed the visit on abcs this week with george stephanopoulos. The concern here is incrededible inconsistencies. I have no p problem with hihim sitting down with kim jonongunn north korea or anyplace else, but i dont want it simply to be a photo oppoportunity. What is going t to happen tomorw and the next day . He has weakekened the ststate department. If were going to o bring peaceo this wororld, we need strong state dedepartment. Wewe need to move forward diplomatically, not just to photo opportunities. Amy so that the senator Bernie Sanders. Suzy kim, since you are right now in seoul, south korea, probably not hearing a lot of the responses in the United States of course the Opposition Party to President Trump extremely critical, sounds like a war party but can you respond to what they are each saying about cozying up to a dictator . Yes, absolutely. My previous answer to the question i had mentioned there has been an interesting coalition happening between some of the right and the left political wings and south korea, for example in welcoming trump and his efforts for engagement with north korea. , there hasr side also been an interesting convergence happening in the u. S. Between both the conservatives traditional conservatives and the democrats or the liberals in terms of criticizing trump either by his unpredictability or for the fact he is cozying up to the socalled dictatorships around the world. As i tried to write about this last year when the first summit between trump and kim happened, i think what this signals is the fact that the american Political Leadership is quite unaware of ththe kind of opportunity that this presents for the kororean people. In o other words, just simply evaluating trump as a political undermining whatt potentiaial opening trump coulde openingg up for the korean people. That is to say, trump may h have his own interest or calculations for why he is pursuing this kind korea in with north particular in this case, it might be for self grand iceman or photo ops, as many of the quotes you presented just now, but regardless of what i is individual interest might be, i think it presents a particular opportunity in this moment where we can actually carry out a concrete Peace Process. And in that sense, what senator about sanders mentioned about the importance of the work ahead after this kind of symbolic opening is really important. And on that note, i i think it s important in mention to mention that President Trump spspecifically targeted and askd stephen begin to basically rally the state department and his staff to pursue do tell negotiations with the north korean counterpart in order to make the steps, set the foundation for the peace ahead. I think it is important to see this for what it is, whichch is that it is a symbolic opening and there is a lot of work ahead. Denuclearization talks, but the word denuclearization was not used. The New York Times or in the Trump Administration considering settling for a nuclearfreeze after years of demanding full denuclearization. What exactly does that mean . I think it just means that you need to strikeke a deal whee you freeze north Koreas Nuclear arsenal it is basically wipe camp out of samoyed. Moratorium on the nuclear and longrange missile tests. The Trump Administration one of basically the libya model. So that was not going to work for northh korea and the United States, the North Koreans were also demanding a partial lifting of the sanctions. So both sides left. What happened was in april, north Korean Leader kim jongun give a big speech and basically t a timetable. He said the u. S. Needs to basically shift their position and d me back toto the table w h the e differenence, otherwise, u conjecture what thatat means, possibly a return back to the e fire and fury, whh obviously for trump, wont be good for his 2020 bid for president because he has been well, we saying that, have succeeded in a freeze for free. Korea has not been testing longrange missiles. To be honest, i woululd agree wh trump in that stance. But i think what brought the trump administratition this momentnt, besideses kim settinge timemetable, one, the libya ml just does not work and it has not succeeded in forcing north korea to give up its nuclear weapons. They have really run the end of the line on maximum pressure, forcing north korea is due denuclearization to sanctions denuclearization through sanctions. Now it is up to china. To northgs visit korea for the first time 10 days ago was clearly a sign that china holds the keys in terms of whether maximum pressure will succeed or not. And clearly, with the mutual defense treaty between china and north korea, that is not likely to happen. But also, we are seeing a massive humanitarian disaster. And faod food program just came out with a major report, 10 million North Koreans are food insecure. 40 of the population are in need of food aid. With the sanctions, impacting longterm humanitarian aid or operations from conducting its stable operations in north korea. Medicine is not getting to north korea because of the sanctions. It is a pr disaster for the Trump Administration. So they basically have come out of they have run out of options. This is the most pragmatic approach. Veryen egan, seems to me is a seasoned diplomat andndi think it is a good day that he is now charged with leading the working level negotiations with north korea. His speech at stanford before the hanoi summit, which many of us thought was the trajectory the Trump Administration was on, seemed very praragmatic which , basically, dealing w with north korea as they are, not as we wish them to be. Back to the point about the president ial candidates, i think sanders obviously chose the most strategic line. Denuclearization talks with north korea is not going to happen overnight. It is going to be a longterm process. The Nuclear Scientist from stamford says it will l take 20 years for north korea to completely denuclearize. It will be a longterm process. The democrats are shooting themselves in the foot when they say they take the moral high ground, that they should not engage north korea or that youllll regime inin north korea president ,they are it will come back to bite e the. Frankly, we should attack trump not from the right, but from the left. ,alling for a consistent reliable diplomacy, but also calling for a new approach that does not rely on the same failed model of maximum pressure or its predecessor, strategic patience. Amy bolting, the National Security advisor, who was not at trumps side, was not there in korea, just tweeted neither the nfc step or i have discussed or heard of any idea to settle for nuclearfreeze by north korea. Suzy kim, if you could respond, and before we end, talk about moon jaein, the president of south korea and what this means for him inside south korea. Opposition is very strong, yet he is made is the linchpin of his administration and his goals, bringing together trump and kim the significance of this meeting for him, domestically and internationanally . I could start with the second question i guess first. President moon jaein, as you mentioned, there is an opposition, largely because there has been some debate about what is the best approach with north korea. I think in some ways, similar to the kind of debates we have seen in thehe United States. For him, i think it isis imimperative, i it is for President Trump, perhaps eveven for chairmrman k, to be able to deliver on some of the promises that they have made. Resident moon has basically said , a Peace Process in the Korean Peninsula would be a winwin situation, where it could open up all kinds of Economic Opportunities for both koreas. I think President Trump has also said similar things in terms of promising north korea relief from sanctions, but that could also and up leaving to major Economic Opportunities for north korea. From the north korean side, that kind of Economic Opportunity and relief from sanctions is absolutely urgent. As christine mentioned, there is major devastating effects on the regular north korean population as a result of the sanctions. And i think the latest that is coming out from humanitarian organizations like the World Food Program or the red cross is that there is, again, a major issue whether or north koreas having to deal with affecting the total Agricultural Produce and so all of this is absolutely important for all political leaders i think to be a blue make headway to be able to make headway, even if for the survival of their own careers, it is important a see some progress on this am a witch explains a little bit about why there has been that much effort. Going back to your other question about bolton, could you remind again what your question was . Im sorrrry. About bolton saying he knows nothing about denuclearization. We have to go to break and we will save that he says he knows nothing about a Nuclear Freeze, but were going to move on to that in the coming days. I want to thank suzy kim associate professor of korean , history at rutgers university. Christine ahn, founder of women across the dmz. When we come back, 4 Million People flood the streets of new lgbtqity in the largest world pride celebration in history. Stay with us. [music break] amy horsrse print dress by Corinne Bailey rae. This is democracy y now , im amamy goodman. People took to the streets of new york city sunday in the largest lgbtq pride celebration in history. The demonstration was just one of many taking place across the country and the world this weekend. North macedonia held its first gay pride parade ever on saturday. In paris, thousands demonstrated in the streets. Trans and gay activists in istanbul were forced to disperse after Turkish Police attacked them with tear gas and rubber bullets. This came after the governor their band a planned annual pride march for the fifth year running. And in singagapore, activists demanded an n end to a law banag gay sex. X. Back i in new york city, there were actually two marches to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the stonewall uprising that sparked the modern day lgbtq movement. Revelers marched down fifth avenue, cheered on by millions for the world pride parade. And in sheridan square, at the very site where gay and trans people clashed with police on the Early Morning of june 28, 1969, tens of thousands more gathered for the anticorporate, queer liberation march. Among their chants, stonewall was a riot. We will not be quiet. We spoke to some of the activists who were there in the days of the stonewall uprising 50 years ago, as well as those who carry on the tradition today. Among them raquel willis. ,she was only became the first trans woman to become the editor of out magazine. But we begin with activistst and journalist Anne Northrup, host of the free speech tv show gay usa. I am Anne Northrup, one of the organizers of the queer liberation march for reclaim pride. The point of this march is that we are a Peoples Community political march. And that is what this march used to be when it was invented. The main parade has involved into a corporate party. We just think that is ridiculous and insulting and demeaning and disempowering. So we got together to bring the Community Back into the streets. That is the whole point of this, bring the Community Back into the streets and make clear our grievances, our demands for liberation and justice, and to mourn our dead and certainly to celebrate our victories. A lot of the issues have not changed from figures ago. There is still enormous violence perpetrated on our community. Of color, trans women being murdered on a regular basis now, but still, violence against members of our Community Across the board. Stillng the police are picking up people on the street for no reason, just because i dont like us, and putting us in jail. Still and trapping a man all over the place. And nondiscrimination. We do not have a national law that protects us from discrimination in housing or employment or public accommodations. This is going on all over the world, especially as rightwing dictators take power in more and more places, whether it is brazil or hungary or the United States of america. My name is raquel willis. Im here at the queer liberation march to be with our radical folks who are really fighting for the things that people like marcia and sylvia were fighting for at the original stonewall riots. Im excited to be here. Were talking about decriminalization, talking about ending the violence that our people are facing across different sectors in the world. It is important to be here today. What does it mean to be here 50 years after the stonewall uprising,s you said, people here making clear that was a riot . So what is amended be here and what is it mean to be building on that history . I think there is a lot of excitement. I also think there are so much left for us to fight for, and that is what were talking about here at the queer liberation march. I think about the ways they were fighting against police brutality, fighting against all of the state of violence that was being faced, and how we still have to keep that fight up. We have lost so many lack and brown trans sisters this year. This month alone, at least four or five. It is Important Press to continue the fight and lived up the real legacy that happened on that fateful night in june 1969. What is your message for corporations, new york city. This is taking place just weeks after a woman was found dead in at rikers island. We have to be strategic about where the dollars are being placed in a different efforts in our community. If youre not prioritizing the lives of black and brown folk him all of your other bites really matter because what are we fighting for . The people who are not here to enjoy the world we want to see very much liberated. The other part of that, we have so much visibility now. And that is a great thing, but we have to move beyond visibility to focusing on vitality and how we can keep folks alike and also crafting a next 50ration for the years. Because when the glitter settles, the crowds are gone, people are putting up their rainbow flags to what are we going to be doing on july 1 moving forward . My name is sophia and im it want toe participate. I think it is important to have another event besides wrote s. Ide to liberate the queer r rightsign says trans now and on the other side is has abolish ice. Tell me about that. Recent events have tell me to stand up for trans rights in general. There been 14 trans women killed in the u. S. Since january. It is important to honor that. And to honor the fact that black trans women are the ones who did killed on a daily basis and no one is investigating. That is what the sun is about. This march is taking place on the 50th anniversary of stonewall. What is it feel like to be out here 50 years later . I am very proud and honored i be here because, obviously, did not experience it myself so it is honor to it is important to honor the trans when the what they did for us and 50 years later nothing has changed, so we still have to fight for the rights. They did. I am 71 years old. I am out here with reclaimed pride grew liberation march because i cant stand the corporations anymore or the cops. It has been 50 years and it is time we went back to our roots. The night of the stonewall riots, i was homeless, a kid, living in Washington Square park. News filtered down through the park because the village was much different word spread like wildfire without cell phones. We all rushed out this way. It was packed. Everybody was out here, hundreds of people. They had arrested the guys already. When i got here, they were pushing us down toward the womens prison, which was on greenwich avenue and christopher. A lot of them came around the , a very short building. It ended up being us, the cops, us, and people were throwing things and setting garbage cans on fire. Smashedewall window was. The net called in the Tactical Police force. They actually had shotguns. They had billy clubs. It was exciting. It was time for us to push back. This year the queer liberation march, what it means to me is, it is a liberation. It is us coming together and saying no to everything the parade does most of of never called it a parade. A parade is for people that have all of their rights. Im still fighting. Im still margin. Today is really big for me to get back to where we started from and bringing everybody in this time, and not leaving anybody behind. A lot of people were left behind and the other movement. My name is chanel in lane and ancestors ing our the fight for liberation who started this all 50 years ago at the stonewall bar. Cops at prideng have got to do. Why is that crucial . The march is about love and about equality and about liberation. Cops kill people every day. Black, brown, gay, lesbian, trans black women, and they dont care about our lives or our bodies. They do not protect us. We do not see them as a safety net. To fightut here today aids awareness. Today we are representing the 17 people who have died and i custody that were hivpositive or had aids. It is especially heinous that ice is not getting people the proper medication they need so they are dying. It is all under our government. People should be outraged. I am coming from albuquerque, new mexico. I am here to bring two spirit medicine to the queer liberation march. Currently im working to support trans asylumseekers. The unfortunate part is transphobia is rampant in different countries. The Violence Toward our trans cocommunity is incredibly inten. Relatives are our fleeing for their lives. This is not just because theres some kind of discrimimination. Their lives are being threatened. Their friends are being murdered and killed. They have to leave. If not, does their life. Were working to free allejan dra, 20year trans activist that was threatened and had to leave her country. She is been detained for twtwo years now. Were asking ice to release her. Were asking that she be able to be released from detention so she can fight her case from the outside. I am leslie, part of the core organizing team from reclaimed pride. I am part of this effort because that only am i a lesbian for many, many years, not only to i know the fight of the queer communities and are many subsections of our community not only is the fight for from over, but were at a critical moment in the history of this community and so many other communities that we must find a way to bring a greater cohesion and unity to our struggle. So today, were all lifting the equality is not enough, acceptance is not enough. Being integrated into the norms and the structures of this society is far from enough. We need to build a Strong Enough movement, a queer movement, a movement connected to other mood thats Strong Enough to actually challenge institutions and the structures that so rigidly defined all of our lives will im here because of a coming to pride since i was 13. My parents brought me. It is were i always felt like home, fell like myself. Being surrounded by all of these people, it is a magical day. It is amazing to be able to fight for our rights. It is ridiculous we still have to do this but it is nice to gather together and be together. Likeyour message to groups bank of america or google that have the rainbow flag but maybe dont have the politics to back it up . Just do better. If you are going to show you are full of pride, than actually be full of pride. No more discrimination am in no more transphobia. It is ridiculous we still have to fight for this but at the same time, they need to wake up and realize our march is not for their advertisement. It is not for them to make money. This is what we need. We need more. We need justice. I and out here today queerting in regards to liberation. Especially in the philippines because the increase of human thets violations going on, people are frustrated were not able to get the necessary basic needs met and the fact that the government and the corporations are complicit to it. We are tired of it. It is time we stand up and voice that. Were going to continue marching until we are all free. I came all the way from chicago. Im here mainly for the 50th anniversary of stonewall to pay my respects but also march against the corporatization of pride and the police presence. Close your sign says Affordable Housing for all. Talk about how this march is engaging in all of these issues, abolishing eyes, portable housing. As seen multiple signs are all kinds of issues. Issues do harm queer people, especially housing. N unfortunate amount of able to stay with family. Folks i name is martha. I was one of the people who started the Gay Liberation front within one week after the stonewall riots. We had our first protest march exactly one month after stonewall. There were about 400 people who showed up. For most of them, was the first time they had been gay in public. What does it mean for you to be here today 50 years later . It is essentially the spirit we have then, anticorporate, liberation for all people. The most important thing present that time was the right to control your own body. The right to have sex with the people of your choice. The right to ingest the drugs of your choice without being thrown in prison. The right not to have your [bleep] drafted and shipped off to vietnam. Equal rights for everybody regardless of their color or ethnicity or religion. Those rights are starting to be rolled back by the current administration, and we have to fight back. We have to fight to save the planet. If we have a hot, uninhabitable planet, what good are our rights . Liberation front founder and lavender menace member martha shelley. She was there 50 years ago today in the aftermath of the stonewall uprising, the where liberation march kicked off at 9 30 sunny morning between it and the world pride march for a Million People gathered in the streets of new york. The pride march ended after midnight, the largest lgbtq event in history. Democracy now is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. Email your comments to outreach democracynow. Org or mail them to democracy now p. O. Box 693 new york, new york 10013. [captioning made possible by democracy now ]