Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy Now 20150415

Amy days after a historic meeting with raul castro president obama announces plans to remove cuba from a u. S. List of state sponsors of terrorism clearing a main obstacle to restoring diplomatic relations with havana for the first time in a half century. We will go to havana to speak with former cuban diplomat Carlos Alzugaray treto. As a cuban who respect everything that is positive from the u. S. But does not want to return to the situation of subordination we had before 1959, i look forward to a normalization of relations. Amy then to Khalil Muhammad the director of the Schomburg Center for research in black culture on the condemnation of blackness race, crime, and the making of modern urban america. Khalil that does not go away. Are they the collective unwillingness to confront the past . History, ultimately, is an essential tool of empowerment. It is a matter of life and death. Amy and then fast food workers in 230 cities are walking off of the job as part of the white for the fight for 15 campaign. A push for a 15 an hour minimum wage. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved a measure that would give congress a say in the final nuclear deal with iran. The bill was passed by unanimous vote after president obama withdrew his opposition. The white house says the bill was sufficiently modified to address its concerns, but the bills sponsors say the administration backed down rather than face bipartisan opposition. The measure calls for a Senate Review of a final nuclear deal and a potential congressional vote on lifting sanctions. If Congress Votes to reject the iran deal, the senate would need a 67 vote majority to overturn a veto from president obama. Senator bob corker outlined the terms. Senator Corker Congress stays involved if an agreement is reached, and if one is not disapproved, Congress Stays involved, and every 90 days the administration has to certify that in every way iran is in compliance, and if there are violations within a 10day period they have to give that to congress, so that we have the ability, if we wish, to reapply the sanctions which if a deal is approved would be alleviated. Amy the full senate is expected to approve the measure when it takes it up later this month. If obama cant override a veto of a measure rejecting the deal, he would become the only leader involved in the multination Iran Nuclear Deal unable to fully honor the pledges made. President obama told congress that he plans to remove cuba from the u. S. List of state sponsors of terrorism, clearing away the main obstacle to restoring diplomatic relations and reopening embassies after more than half a century of enmity. Cuba was placed on the terrorism list in 1982, at a time when havana was supporting liberation struggle in africa and latin america. Once cuba is officially removed from the list, iran, sudan, and syria, will be the only countries remaining. We will have more on the story after headlines. We will go to havana cuba. The u. N. Security council has passed a resolution imposing an arms embargo on Houthi Rebels in yemen. U. S. Ambassador Samantha Power said the measure targets those stoking yemens violence. Ambassador power the United States strongly supports the adoption of todays revolution resolution which demands that the booty cease houtui cease military operations. The travel ban as well as a targeted arms embargo shows that this council will take action against those who continue to undermine efforts toward reconciliation. Amy several yemen analysts say the measure could intensify the siege of yemen, which has choked off its economy and denied vital supplies to a country in crisis. The measure adopts no restrictions on the military campaign led by saudi arabia and excludes an initial russian proposal for a humanitarian pause in the saudiled strikes. According to u. N. Figures, at least 364 civilians have been killed and over 680 wounded since the saudi strikes began three weeks ago. Both the strikes and houthi rebel attacks have been blamed. On tuesday, the u. N. High commissioner for human rights warned that both sides may have committed war crimes, and urged saudi arabia to avoid bombing civilians and public infrastructure. The saudiled strikes have hit hospitals, schools, a refugee camp and several neighborhoods. According to the wall street journal, u. S. Officials have privately voiced concerns to saudi counterparts about civilian casualties and the operations broader aims. But theyve also increased support for the strikes in recent days, providing them with direct targeting support for sites the kingdom wants to bomb. In the other news from yemen the group al qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula says one its Senior Leaders has died in a u. S. Drone strike. Ibrahim alrubaish, a top saudi figure in aqap and a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner, was reportedly killed on sunday. He had a 5 Million Dollar bounty on his head. This comes as a new study by the open Society Justice foundation has found that u. S. Drone strikes have killed yemeni civilians despite president obamas vow to launch attacks only if there is near certainty no innocents will be harmed. Abdulrasheed al faqih, the reports coauthor said, quote, in incident after incident, eyewitnesses told us of watching civilians being burned alive, or of losing parents, siblings and children in u. S. Drone strikes. Civilians wanted to know why they had been targeted when they were not affiliated with alqaeda. They wanted justice. A coalition of 45 aid groups is appealing for global pressure to end the israeli blockade of the gaza strip. The association of International Development agencies says reconstruction is barely underway on the thousands of homes destroyed in last summers sixweek israeli assault. Meanwhile Living Conditions have only worsened as israel continues the siege and foreign aid is at a trickle. Just 26 of 3. 5 billion dollars pledged at a donors conference in october has arrived. The groups say that without open borders and a durable israelhamas ceasefire, quote, a return to conflict and the cycles of damage and donorfunded reconstruction that accompany it is inevitable. an Egyptian Court has confirmed the death sentences of 14 people, including mohammed badie, leader of the muslim brotherhood. Muslim brotherhood. Badie has been sentenced to death before, with those sentences later reduced to life imprisonment. The court also sentenced american citizen Mohamed Soltan to life in prison on charges of supporting the brotherhood and transmitting false news. The defendants were tried for events surrounding the rabaa massacre of august 2013, when Egyptian Forces killed hundreds of protesters opposing a military coup. The verdicts will be appealed to egypts highest civilian court. They come just two weeks after the Obama Administration lifted a freeze on military aid to the egyptian regime. In a statement, the white house condemned soltans life sentence and demanded his immediate release. A nineyear old girl is reportedly pregnant after being gang raped in captivity by the militant Group Islamic state in iraq. The girl is one of over 200 Yazidi Christians released by isis last week. She has been flown to germany for medical treatment. Aid workers say she is so young, she could die if she delivers the baby. Hillary Rodham Clinton has kicked off her bid for the democratic president ial nomination with her first formal campaigning in iowa. Clinton told supporters she intends to focus on four areas see support because additional mend and to get on dependable money out of politics. Mrs. Clinton we need to strengthen families and communities, because that is where it all starts. We need to fix our dysfunctional political system, and get unaccountable money out of it once and for all, even if that takes a constitutional amendment, and lead to protect our country from the threats that we see, and the ones that are on the horizon. So, i am here in iowa to begin a conversation about how we do that. Amy two College Students have been charged for a Sexual Assault that Florida Police say was witnessed in broad daylight, but that no one tried to stop. Cellphone video shows the suspects surrounding an incapacitated woman on a crowded beach filled with College Students on their spring break. Police say the victim was then gang raped while a large crowd stood around. A third suspect is being sought. The woman says she believes she was drugged and doesnt remember the incident. Former educators in atlanta, georgia, have been given prison sentences of up to seven years for their roles in a massive cheating scandal at public schools. Prosecutors say teachers were forced to modify incorrect answers, and students were even allowed to fix their responses during exams. Twentyone other defendants avoided trial with plea deals, but the nine sentenced to jail rejected sentencing agreements so they can appeal their verdicts. It is said to be one of the Largest School cheating scandals in u. S. History. Donald bullock, an educator who reached a plea deal, apologized for his role in court. Donald i apologize to the School System as well as the Greater Community for my involvement that resulted in cheating or other dysfunctional acts. Amy the case has fueled new scrutiny of the Education Systems reliance on standardized testing, which critics say incentivizes cheating. According to the new york times, cheating has grown at School Districts around the country as standardized testing has become a primary means of evaluating teachers, principals and schools. In a major show of opposition to standardized testing, tens of thousands of parents in new york state had their children boycott the annual english Language Arts exam. The action is seen as a major challenge to the education agenda of Governor Andrew Cuomo and to standardized testing nationwide. You can find out more in democracy now cohost juan gonzalezs latest column for the new york daily news, which well link to at our website. The head of the world bank has endorsed calls for end to fossil fuels. He said they are feeling the boot of Climate Change on the. This comes as students at Harvard University are holding harvard heat week, a bid to pressure the school to divest from the fossil fuel industry. There is occupations of the Alumni Association and a blockade of buildings. Protests have been held from coast to coast in a day of action against Police Violence and racial profiling. In new york city, some 250 people with the stop Mass Incarceration Network marched across the brooklyn bridge. I want to stop the Police Brutality against latinos and black people. 99 of the time, people are committing violence against spanish people, black people. We cannot have this. Why do they have to abuse us . Amy dozens of people were arrested as scuffles between demonstrators and police broke out and traffic was disrupted for several hours. Activists were also detained in los angeles after a large crowd blocked a metro track during tuesday rush hour. The protests follow the recent Police Killings of unarmed africanamericans walter scott in South Carolina and eric harris in oklahoma. Each incident was caught on video. Well have more on this story later in the broadcast. And protests are being held across the country today in what organizers call the largestever mobilization of underpaid workers. Fastfood workers in 230 cities are walking off the job as part of the fight for 15 campaign, a push for a 15anhour minimum wage. Hundreds of workers marched in boston on tuesday, holding their action one day early in deference to todays anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings. Students will also walk out at more than 200 schools in what is being described as the biggest campus protests since the it kicked off at a mcdonalds in brooklyn. I work at mcdonalds. Im here to fight for 15, for what we deserve. We have been working for 8. 75. It is not enough to live on. We work really hard to not be able to live. Not only fast food workers, but everybody of minimum wage should make more so that we can support our family and support ourselves. Amy students will also walk out at more than 200 schools in what is being described as the biggest campus protests since the antiapartheid movement. The students and fastfood workers will be joined by lowwage employees from other fields and businesses, including home care, child care, airport and walmart. Organizers say the actions are being held on tax day to highlight the public assistance needed to support underpaid workers. A new study says low wages are forcing working families to rely on more than 150 billion dollars in public assistance. According to the university of california, center for Labor Research and education, more than half of combined state and federal spending on public assistance goes to working families. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. President obama told congress on tuesday he intends to remove cuba from a u. S. List of state sponsors of terrorism, clearing a main obstacle to restoring diplomatic relations with havana for the first time in a half century. Obamas move came just days after he and cuban president raul castro sat down at a summit in panama for the first meeting of its kind since Dwight Eisenhower and Fulgencio Batista met in 1958 before the cuban revolution. President obama this shift in u. S. Policy represent a turning point for our entire region. The fact that president castro and i are both sitting it today marks an historic occasion. It is the first time in half a century all the nations of the americas are meeting to address our future together. Amy at the meeting, cuban president raul castro urged obama to remove cuba from the terrorism list. President castro we have expressed, and i repeated it again here to president obama, our willingness for respectful dialogue between both states within our profound differences. I see as a positive steps recent statements that he will quickly decide to remove cuba from the list of countries that sponsor state terror, on which we should never have been included. Amy cuba was placed on the terrorism list in 1982. In his letter to congress, obama wrote the cuban government has not provided any support for International Terrorism in the past six months, and has provided assurances that it will not support acts of International Terrorism in the future. Once cuba is officially removed from the list in 45 days, iran sudan and syria will become the only countries on the list. Josefina vidal, cubas top diplomat responsible for dealing with the us, said quote the cuban government recognized the fair decision made by the president of the United States to eliminate cuba from a list that it never should have been included on, especially considering our country has been the victim of hundreds of acts of terrorism that have cost 3,478 lives and maimed 2,099 citizens, she said. For decades the United States has supported anticastro militants who have carried out airline bombings, assassinations and attacks on hotels. In 1976, militants blew up a Cubana Airlines flight killing all 73 people. The mastermind of the attack was a cia operative named Luis Posada Carriles who is still living in florida. Well cuba is being removed from the terrorism list, the trade embargo remains in effect. Since 1962, companies have been banned from doing business with cuba. To talk more about the thawing of u. S. Cuban relations we go havana cuba, or we are joined by former cuban diplomat Carlos Alzugaray treto. He served as ambassador to belgium and luxembourg, and head of the Cuban Mission to the European Union. He has also taught at the university of havana and serves on the Editorial Board of temas, a leading journal of social sciences and the humanities in cuba. We welcome you to democracy now can you start by talking about the announcement that cuba will be taken off of the u. S. Terrorism list. What is your response . President castro dr. Treto amy, thank you for having me. I think this is a major step by president obama, the most complete act he has taken since he announced his decision with president raul castro to normalize the relations. This is the first app to normal relations, taking cuba off of a list that cuba should not have been ever. In 1982, it was the Reagan Administration searching for some kind of excuse to attack cuba. As a matter of fact, secretary state Alexander Haig said at the time, they wanted to go to the sources. Now we know he told president reagan in private, give me the order, mr. President , and i will turn cuba into a parking lot. So this is fair that it is being done. It opens the way for the establishment of diplomatic relations. The opening of embassies. There are small steps that have to be taken like, for example facilitating that the future Cuban Embassy in washington and the mission can have a bank to which to deal, which is something that over the last two years has been a problem, and also the question of what the embassy in havana is going to do . American embassies tend to interfere in the internal affairs of countries. That is something they should not do. I recently we have to still work on a lot of things. I think this is a big step. We are moving forward. Hopefully, we will have dramatic relations, and eventually walked the long path toward normalization. Amy and what about the embargo . While cuba is being taken off of the u. S. Terrorism list, the embargo is not being lifted. Can you talk about the significance of has had on the people of cuba . Dr. Treto oh, it is a major problem for cuba. Raul castro mentioned it at the summit. In fact, president obama recognized that the embargo had caused suffering. Member, when the embargo was established in 1962, the logic behind it was really clear in the document in state department that said we have to bring sanctions in place that will bring about hunger, desperation and the overthrow of the cuban government. So the embargo has been there to cause us damage, and it has. It has been very difficult for cuba, for example, to acquire medical equipment, not only in the United States, but in different countries, because sometimes the countries that sell that equipment are subject to american companies. It is a long list. We suffer the embargo, and hopefully it will be totally lifted. Right now, president obama he has been the first president who actually said the embargo has failed. I would have liked him to add it is wrong that we had an embargo on a small neighbor, but i will take it. He obviously is interested in lifting it, which is only fair. There should not be between two neighborly countries that have so much in common, this kind of relationship, which is basically dependent on unilateral actions by the United States. This is one of the big problems that we face. Amy at a Business Forum alongside the summit of the americas facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg mentioned plans to spread the social networking to cuba. Mark there are some countries that do not have open markets, and it is not possible to operate, but as cuba starts opening up, it will be something we might consider over time, and if its within our mission, but i do not have much more specifically to say about that today. Amy that is facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. Can you talk about the significance of what he said, as well as the other companies that are pushing for a lifting of the embargo, not to mention the u. S. Chamber of commerce . Dr. Treto well, the embargo has been one of the most important obstacles in the way of connecting cuba to the internet. It is not the only one, of course, but it is a very important one. It makes it very expensive for the government to develop the necessary infrastructure. The government has said, and it is the official policy of the cuban government to bring internet to everyone at an affordable price. It is going to be difficult. It is going to be a tough way to do it, but obviously, the political will of the cuban government is there. Now, the problem is, can we connect, for example, to the cables that pass close to cuba that connect to the rest of america . We have not been able to do that, and we have been forbidden to have access to the technologies that exists in the United States, but, let me tell you, social networking is increasing in cuba. I, myself, have a facebook account, a twitter account. I know a lot of my colleagues who have it. We need to have better access, but there is no prohibition or censorship in what we do on the social networks, and that is increasing at a very fast rate. It should increase at a faster rate. I like what mr. Zuckerberg his intentions of facilitating the steps. Lets work on it, but the embargo has to be lifted so that we can work on that as best we can hear best we can. Amy were going to break, but when i come back, i want to ask you about why you think president obama has made this decision why relations are following for the first time in 50 years. Well be back the former diplomat as we speak to him in havana cuba, in a moment. [music break] victor jara. Zamba del che. This is democracy now democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We are speaking to a former cuban diplomat who served as ambassador to belgium and mexico luxembourg, a scholar, writer, and former university professor. I wanted to ask you why you believe president obama made this decision. Do you think pressure from other latin american countries played a role . Benjamin rhodes said our cuban policy, the set of isolating cuba was isolating the United States in our own backyard. Instead of isolating cuba was isolating the nine states our own backyard. Can you talk about this . Dr. Treto i think what mr. Rhodes said was right. Cuba has relations with many countries in the world. The Solomon Islands opened an embassy in cuba. A small country in the pacific that might have five or 10 embassies, and opens an embassy in havana. This is a signal of how out of step the policy of the United States toward cuba was. The netted nations has condemned the embargo since 1992. So, i think it made sense. I think president obama, despite what mr. Rhodes said, obviously the international committee, and specifically the Latin American Community and region said you have to have relations with cuba otherwise relations with us will not be better, and it has been a problem, even with allies of the United States at the European Unions European Union and canada. I think president obama is a person who, in the past, in 2004 spoke against the embargo. In 2008 he said he was ready to talk to raul castro. In 2009, already president all at the summit of the americas, he said he wanted a new beginning. I think he had it in his mind to do it, but of course the problem in the United States system is a small minority of rightwing cuban americans and other conservatives were blocking him by, one might say, political terrorism. I think he realized that it was arriving through the last two years of his presidency and he had not moved in the direction that he wanted, and at the same time the latin american and caribbean countries had said in 2012 that if cuba is not present at the summit we are not going, so here you heading on states facing a major diplomatic setback. The summit of the americas process was created by the administration of president clinton in 1994. You had a number of things. It was obvious people policy was wrong, and was not getting anywhere. Most people recognized that it had failed. President clinton, himself, in private, headset so. Had said so. So, i think he did something that was right and was the right thing to do. Amy so, talk about the substance of the meeting between the two leaders between president obama, raul castro they were meeting, again, for the first time in more than half a century a u. S. Senate cuban leader since president eisenhower met with batista. Dr. Treto well, those are to be were different meetings. I am surprised that people compare them. In activity 61 president eisenhower met with batista in 1956, when president eisenhower met with batista that meeting did not have a real significance because it was the hegemon talking to the guy who was representing u. S. Interest in cuba at the time. This was a conversation between raul castro and barack obama, a conversation among equals, and this is very important. For cubans, it is very significant that the president of the United States did what he promised, by the way, in the election in the campaign of 2008, which was talking to our president in respectful terms and i see a movement in that direction. I think whatever whenever i have been asked in the past what you want from the head states, i answer respect, and this is it. President obama is treating the cuban president with respect, and i think the spirit of that has been well signaled by president raul castro. He said we want a civilized relationship where we learn the art of accepting our differences , and as a matter of fact, there are number of regions in which cuba and the United States can cooperate for the benefit of both countries on counter narcotics, protection of marine life a demonstration of what both countries did on ebola in africa we could have a good relationship, even if we have differences. If we do what both president s do what they are signaling they want to do, cooperate with issues that are of common interest, and then contain the differences to the reasonable, civilized level. People should talk to each other about their differences, and i think that is what they are signaling. Sorry i got a little passionate about this issue. Amy last week in panama at the summit, cuban delegates protested over reports that Felix Rodriguez, who was set to kill che guevara in bolivia in 1967 was meeting with opposition groups in panama city. The last picture of che guevara alive has Felix Rodriguez standing next to him. What is your understanding of this . Dr. Treto well, it was obviously an insult for cuba to have a guy like Felix Rodriguez, who was in the cia, and the versions are different. Somebody said he gave the orders, summary said that he actually shot che guevara after he had been killed. This is a significant thing for cubans. It is an insult to us, a humiliation that the organizers in prominent panama except that this guy should be there. It was a clear provocation. One of cubas most influential intellectuals said it is like throwing mud into our faces. So, the reaction of our people in panama might be a little overthetop, but it is perfectly understandable when you realize this guy represented everything the United States did against cuba in the 1960s, the persecution of che guevara anyone who knows how they persecuted che guevara until they got him killed must feel very bad about what happened. Amy on tuesday, republican president ial candidate marco rubio blasted the Obama Administrations plan to remove cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Senator rubio it is unfortunate. Cuba is a sponsor of terrorism. It is also the country that is helping north korea of eight weapons sanctions. They should have remained on the list ofs of state sponsors of terrorism and its sons a chilling message that this sends a chilling message that this white house is no longer serious about calling terrorism by a proper name amy . Amy that is sent name. Amy that is senator marco rubio. He has Just Announced for president. Your response to this, dr. Question mark dr. . Dr. Treto well, in the first is, mr. Rubio is not cuban america. Cubanamerican. He was not born in cuba. Secondly, he should know about terrorists, he has terrorism not 90 miles from florida. He has it in miami. He does not complain. He is basically lying saying all of these things that he said. Cuba has never cuba has been the victim of terrorism, and that should worry if he is really cubanamerican, he should be worried about that. He claims to know cuba. He does not know anything about cuba. I think at the same time, i believe he said a few months ago in december, that even if 99 of the people were for normalization of relations, he would be against them. Is that democratic . Is that the sign of being a democrat . I do not think so. The other thing i might add, he is accusing Hillary Clinton of being someone from the past, and he is repeating accusations and allegations not proven, by the way, from the past. Come on. Come on. That is crazy. Amy will cuba be calling for the extradition of luiz, who lives in United States, and for the audience who does not know who he is, can you explain . Amy he was behind the bombing of a plane in 1976. He said so to the new york times. He said i am not sorry. He was behind the bombing of hotels in 1997. He tried to bomb the university of panama because fidel castro was talking there. He is been arrested and convicted in venezuela and panama. This guy is a terrorist, no doubt about it and the u. S. Government knows he is a terrorist. There are documents of the Justice Department excepting that yet he is free in miami. This guy simply should not be on the streets. He should pay for everything that he has done. What was the second part of your question . Amy would you call for his extradition . Dr. Treto well, we have let venezuela ask for the extradition, because in venezuela he was actually tried and convicted for a bombing in 1976. By the way, that process was the result of a common investigation between cuba barbados, and venezuela, and it was not the venezuela of google chavez. They found hugo chavez. They found him guilty. He got out of jail in 1999 out of jail. In 1999 he was convicted in panama, and later, the president to has been receiving money from miami, pardoned him. This guy should not be in the streets. He is a danger, even though he is very old now. Obviously, he is not paid for his crimes. He cold bloodedly murdered cubans, and he is simply around. He laughs about that. It is terrible. It is something that gives you really mad that a guy like this is being protected by the United States. Amy so, what will the mobilization look like . What, on the ground, what kind of difference will it make for the cuban people . What are we going to see over the next month . Dr. Treto well, amy, this is not going to happen very quickly. There are a lot of things to solve the embargo being one. The policy of subversion that the u. S. Government has in place, including, for example, the transmissions of propaganda stations in cuba that nobody sees or watches in cuba, and unfortunately the american taxpayer pays. There is a question of guantanamo we want guantanamo back. We want the territory. We are ready you talk with United States we are ready to talk with the net states about how to get guantanamo back, even with an american presence in guantanamo. In the 1970s, during a castro administration, we started to negotiate that, and the americans said they wanted guarantees that cuba would not hand the base to the soviets and we said lets establish a reserve center for tropical disease man together by cubanamerican Health Workers and the american side said that is a great idea. So, as you can see, we can turn this bad thing into good things. President raul castro said the other day in panama we can disagree on some things, and maybe next week we will agree. I think the most important thing is that we are talking to each other. It is going to be a long way. There are all these issues. There is the cuban adjustment act that is a stimulus for a brain drain from cuba, and we want that repealed. As a matter of fact, in a 241995, when we negotiated that in 19941995, when we negotiated that, it was agreed. That was an act that allows cubans to stay in the United States, a privilege nobody else has. There are so many issues to be discussed. Eventually, we should have trade, maybe large trade. We can export a lot of things to the United States. We can import a lot of things from the United States. The most important thing will be towards him. What i have seen tourism. What i have seen shows there is a market for about 3 million, 5 million americans to come to cuba. It is a big challenge. Were getting, right now, 2 million tourists, mainly from canada. Canada is our best market. Three or 5 million americans coming to cuba will be significant. Raul castro said we are looking for to our people visiting each other. I myself have a daughter and two grandsons in new york. I would like to see more connections, flights to be cheaper, these is to be easier. Visas to be easier, so that we can connect. I think this will be a great thing, even though i am aware of the problems of tourism. Tourism can be a problem, but if we handle it correctly americans want to come to cuba. That is my experience with the ones im talking to now. They want to come to cuba, to see our cultures, to see the places they have read in history books. They have read in history books about san juan hill, and they can visit everything that is there. They will know there were three armies the cuban army, the american army, and the spanish army. It is a beautiful city. I believe most americans will be very happy with that. Amy thank you for being with us. Dr. Carlos Alzugaray Treto is a former cuban diplomat who served as ambassador to belgium and luxembourg, and head of the Cuban Mission to the European Union. He is a scholar and writer and former Havana University professor. Speaking to us from havana cuba. This is democracy now democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. When we come back, we will about the issue of Police Brutality. Mass protests around the country yesterday. We will talk with the head of the Schomburg Center for research in back culture. Stay with us. [music break] amy that is nina simone singing strange fruit. This is democracy now democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. On tuesday, protests were held coast to coast. Robert bates says he thought he was using a taser instead of a gun when he killed harris over the month. Video was released over the weekend. Major shannon clark, of the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office said the shooting was a mistake. Major clark mr. Harris fled, attempted to flee from capture and when he was attempting to be subdued and still in a Ground Combat with deputies, this deputy bates approached and attended to use a less lethal device. Inadvertently, he uses handgun instead. Amy robert bates has been charged with seconddegree manslaughter. He was released on 25,000 bond. If convicted he faces a maximum of four years in prison and a fine of 1,000. On tuesday, andre harris questioned the Police Version of his brother erics death. Andre if he had as much training as he supposedly had he would definitely know a 357 from a taser. He did not have to. This is something that either he did not really think about or he just decided that he wanted to shoot, and he would worry about it later. Amy robert bates is a wealthy executive and heavy donor to the Police Department who gets to volunteer on the force as a reserve. Meanwhile the South Carolina Police Officer charged with murder for fatally shooting walter scott will probably not face the Death Penalty if he is convicted. Prosecutors say Michael Slager would still be eligible for a sentence of life in prison. On tuesday several members of Congress Took to the house floor to denounce police misconduct, and georgia congressman hank johnson called for congressional action. Representative johnson it feels like open season in america for black men, and i am outraged. All americans are at risk when bad actors in Law Enforcement use their guns instead of the head. Despite a bipartisan nationwide calls for action, and despite my bills to reform the broken broken grand jury process, hold police accountable, and despite colleagues bills to encourage body cameras, this congress does nothing no blue commissions no hearings, no nothing. I would like unanimous consent to enter this list of People Killed by the police into the record so that my colleagues will no longer ignore this crisis. Mr. Speaker, here are just a few names of our colleagues and neighbors, and relatives. Walter scott, from north carolina. Michael brown, from missouri. Anthony hill, from georgia. Tony robinson, from wisconsin. Kevin davis from georgia. Nicholas thomas, georgia. Daniel elrod, nebraska. Antonio zambrano, washington. David, of pennsylvania. Jessica hernandez, colorado. Kevin davis georgia. Dennis, texas. Brisbane, phoenix. Tamir rice, ohio. Akai gurley, new york. Carlos perez, nevada. The genie powell, missouri. Ford, california. Dylan taylor, utah. John the third of ohio. Charlie lando of california, and the list goes on. Amy that is Georgia Democratic Congress Member hank johnson speaking on the for the house of representatives. For more, were joined by Khalil Muhammad, author of the book the condemnation of blackness race, crime, and the making of modern urban america. He is the director of the new york public librarys Schomburg Center for research in black culture, and also a visiting professor at the cuny graduate center. Welcome to democracy now hank johnson, what he just said the litany of names. Khalil it reminds me of the rollcall of lynching victims. They used to publish it every year, and the primary goal was to acknowledge and provide data for the evidence of the unjustness of the lives taken by vigilantes and state actors, year after year, decade after decade. Here we are again, 100 years after the lynching era began and we are faced with the same crisis because we have not dealt with the underlying issues. Amy that connection that you see Brian Stevens just did a big report on lynching in america what are the connections that you see . We talking about policing the United States. Khalil most of the lynching era turned on both of personal responsibility of the individual that was lynched, the alleged criminality, and in some cases, their actual criminality. In every instance, the mob was kind of, an unfortunate response, a set of individual actors who took the law into their own hands. The system was never on trial in the way that it should have been except for africanamericans who led antilynching campaigns. In 1934, for example, Howard University students with members of the naacp protested outside of the white house. Then president frank delano roosevelt, his attorney general had a National Coalition on crime. For them, if they were having a National Coalition on crime in america, which was extensively about bank robbers, it should have also been about lynch mobs, and it was not. They pointed out in our contemporary moment that black lives matter and students stood there with nooses around the next to indicate this. There is no question of the failures of the lynching era where the failures to take systematic account that jim crow america legitimated the kinds of actions that we saw time and time again. Amy i wanted to ask you not only about the shooter in the case of Michael Slager in South Carolina or robert bates, who is 73 years old and the daily beast has an adjusting piece on him. He was a sheriff defended him , and longtime friend who served as his Insurance Agent and onetime Election Campaign chair. They also showed cell phone photos of him fishing with bates, a millionaire insurance executive. He said we both love to fish, is it wrong to have a friend . Former officers said this was a pay to play policeman, donating thousands of dollars of vehicles and equipment to the force. When he shot and killed eric harris, he said i shot him, i am sorry. After that, the police have him down. They are handcuffing him on the ground. He says i cannot breathe. One of them says f your breath. They know he has been shot with a real gun. It is not just the shooter. There is the one that put him in the chokehold, like eric garner, and the Others Holding him down. Khalil i think it is the culture. We want to either talk about rotten apples, and the case of mr. Bates, who is the shooter but we ignore, as you just point out it is a space that looks much more like how we treat enemy combatants. If any perceived threat is a legitimate response for execution, we have Police Officers that not only our judge, jury, and executioner but also celebrate victory in the annihilation of people who have posed a threat to them. So, we really have to look at the contradiction between the coziness of an individual who pays to be on the police force and the total alienation of the police from the members of the community that they are there to protect and serve. That gap has grown greater than it has ever been. Juan amy amy what you think needs to happen . Khalil as so many have called for, i think we need to get past the need for commissions and transform a political culture that makes us ok. We have a problem that simply says the 14th amendment was established to protect black lives not all lines the 40 the moment was established to protect black lives. If we do not teach that and come to terms with that in our political culture, we are stuck with a generation after generation wrestling with this. There are no shortcuts to that. That is political work, educational work. We need to hold all police actors accountable for the crimes they commit when they engage in criminal behavior. Amy right now you have protests taking place around the country, a number of people arrested feeling there is no accountability. They issue studies, even knowing who is killed by this country by police in this country. Often those who defend the police say we do not have figures on this. Is that an actual defense . Khalil it is not a defense because if we start to collect the data, criminologist and others will start to say last show we saw a 5 reduction in Police Killings, so on one hand, it seems commonsensical that we should know this, and the fact that we do not is evidence of the the ali g that tells us what is important and what is not and at the same time once we that tells us what is important and what is not. Amy we will continue the conversation. Khalil muhammad is the director of the new york public librarys Schomburg Center for research in black culture. He is the author of the condemnation of blackness race, crime, and the making of modern urban america. As we move right now, speaking of protests, to what has just happened, fast food workers are walking off the job as part of the fight for 15. Organizers are calling it the largest ever mobilization of underpaid workers. Protests began this morning and broken, new york, outside of a mcdonalds, just after 6 00 a. M. Who is ready to fight . Who is ready to fight . Good morning, everybody. My name is ashley, and i work at mcdonalds. Today, we have fast food workers in 200 cities, 40 countries, and we also have strikers outside of the United States in italy striking with us today. My name is captain. Catherine my name is catherine. Im here to fight for what we deserve. We work for a dollar . 75. I feel like we should all not only mcdonalds, fast food workers, everybody that lives off of the nonweight should make more to support our families support ourselves lives off of minimum wage should make more to support our families, support ourselves. James i am the Green Party Candidate for district 11 in new york, and im here today in downtown brooklyn supporting the 15 now movement. Right now, the richest executives in the country are saying they cannot afford to pay 15 now, when what they make in a single day is what they are paying their workers for a whole year. We need to make serious change. I want to create public jobs at a living wage, and we think this can be done in this country if we stop the greed, the cycle of greed that goes on in this country. It has to end today. That is why im here supporting this movement. Whose city question mark our city. We are fighting for all workers wages fast food workers, laundry workers. We have to stick together and get better wages, better Living Conditions, better life caret too many rich people not sharing the wealth and we or working hard. We won our fair share, that is all. Amy some of the protesters outside of a mcdonalds in brooklyn. Fast food workers in 230 cities are walking off the job as part of the fight for 15 campaign, a push for a 15 dollar an hour minimum wage. Organizers are calling it the largest ever mobilization of underpaid workers. That does it for our broadcast. 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. Were looking to hire a social media producer