Democracy Now! Audio - Democracy Now! 2025-08-26 Tuesday

Episode Date: August 26, 2025

Democracy Now! Tuesday, August 26, 2025

From New York, this is Democracy Now. When and where is it going to end? Are we going to let the Israel Defense Forces continue the repeated killing of journalists? there is international law. Human rights and press freedom groups are denouncing Israel's attack on Nassar Hospital in Gaza that killed at least 21 people, including five journalists. We'll speak to a doctor at Nassar Hospital, as well as Francesca Abenazi, UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory.

She's calling on the international community to break the siege on Gaza and impose an arms embargo and sanctions on Israel. Then to Chicago, as local and state officials push back against President Trump's threat to send in the National Guard. Mr. President, do not come to Chicago. You are neither wanted here nor needed here. We'll also look at Trump's new executive orders aiming to end so-called cashless bail. Two years ago, Illinois became the first state to eliminate the cash.

bail system. All that and more coming up. Welcome to Democracy Now, Democracy Now.org, the Warren Peace Report. I'm Amy Goodman. In Gaza, three more Palestinians have starved to death over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of starvation deaths from Israel's siege to 303, including 117 children. Since Monday, Israeli forces have killed at least 75 Palestinians, including 17 people seeking food. This comes as press freedom groups are blasting Israel for the double-tap strike Monday that killed at least 21 people, including five journalists at Nasser Hospital. Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza City attended funerals for the victims. This is Adli Abu Taha, the brother of slain journalists, Moaz Abu Taha.

Take a picture of me, guys. I do not have a single photo with him. We worked together so much, yet I never took even one picture with him. Meanwhile, Israeli forces killed a sixth journalist in Kaza, Monday. Hassan Duhan was a correspondent with Al-Hayat al-Jadida. He died after he was shot while sheltering in a tent in Al-Mawesi, which Israel's designated as a safe zone despite near constant attacks on the area. In Israel, thousands have blocked roads around the country, including a major highway in Tel Aviv,

burning tires, calling for the return of the hostages still held in Gaza and an end to Israel's war on the besieged strip. The protests were led by families of hostages and part of a nationwide day of disruption. Meanwhile, Israel's military chief clashed with far-right ministers, Bezal Smotrick and Itimar Ben-Gavir, about Israel's Gaza city operation with Smotrach, reportedly saying, quote, whoever doesn't evacuate, don't let them, no water, no electricity, they can die of hunger or surrender, he said. In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces injured 24 Palestinians during a raid in Ramallah, which is ongoing at the time of this broadcast. This comes as Israeli far-right minister Orit Strzouk has called on Israel to start

annexing the West Bank sometime this month. According to a report published by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Palestinian boys say they have been sexually assaulted and tortured in Israeli custody. The network published photos showing visible signs of torture from shackling and featured accounts of Palestinian teenagers accusing Israeli troops of taking new. photos and mocking and touching their bodies. Scottish police have arrested the award-winning screenwriter Paul Laverty for wearing a t-shirt reading, quote, genocide in Palestine, time to take action.

The arrest of the 68-year-old took place during a protest in Edinburgh Monday against the U.K. government's support of Israel's war on Gaza and the U.K. public support of the protest group Palestine action is a criminal offense under the Terrorism Act. Paul Laverdee is a long-time collaborator with the filmmaker Ken Loach. Laverty spoke after he was processed and released with an order to appear in court on September 18th to face terrorism charges. Although we have the law on our site, we can't implement it. So I think we have to change the narrative. I think we'll have to remember is that the most important court in the world is the court of public opinion.

Ordinary people are appalled to see starvation and genocide and the selling of arms to the apartheid state in Israel, and they're just appalled by it. Australia's expelled the Iranian ambassador efforts spy agency accused Iran's government of orchestrating two anti-Semitic attacks in Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that Australia's, quote, credible intelligence, unquote, that Iran was responsible for the arson attacks against a synagogue in Melbourne. and a kosher restaurant in Sydney. It's the first time Australia has expelled an ambassador since World War II. A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from deporting Maryland father Kilmar Abrago-Garcia, following his re-arrest by immigration and customs enforcement. On Monday morning, agents at ICE's office in Baltimore took Abrago Garcia back into custody

after he presented himself for a check-in. He'd been free for just three days, following more than five months of detention. including time in the notorious Secott megap prison in El Salvador, to which the Trump administration admitted he was wrongfully deported in an administrative error. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Paula Zinnis ordered the Trump administration not to follow through with its plans to send Abrigo Garcia to Uganda, a country he has no ties to. The judge told prosecutors, quote, your clients are absolutely forbidden at this juncture to remove Mr. Abrago Garcia. from the continental United States and asked them to confirm that they understood what she was saying. A new study finds a population of immigrants living in the United States shrank by more than a million people after President Trump retook the White House and imposed new mass deportation policies.

The Pew Research Center found a record 53.3 million immigrants who were living in the U.S. in January. By June, that number had dropped to just 51.9 million. About three quarters of a million immigrants have dropped out of the U.S. labor force since Trump's second inauguration. The humanitarian A group, SOS Mediterranean A, said Monday, Libya's Coast Guard fired at his rescue vessel while the crew aboard search for a refugee boat in distress in the Mediterranean Sea. The organization charters, the Norwegian ship Ocean Viking, in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies. No injuries were reported, but the group said the vessel was damaged. Before the attack, the ship had rescued nearly 100 refugees stranded at sea, many fleeing war-torn Sudan. Libya's Coast Guard has received funding equipment and training from the European Union to crack down on refugees.

In a major escalation against the independence of the Federal Reserve, President Trump said Monday he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, the first black woman to sit on the central bank's point. board. Trump's claiming she committed mortgage fraud and that he's removing her immediately. Cook is holding firm, saying she intends to stay in her position. In a statement, she said, quote, President Trump purported to fire me for cause when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so. I will not resign. I will continue to carry out my duties to help the American economy as I have been doing since 2022, she wrote. Trump has also repeatedly threatened. to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell as he pressures the Fed to lower interest rates.

President Trump signed an executive order on Monday that would establish specialized National Guard units to be quickly deployed in Washington, D.C., and all 50 states. Under the order, Defense Secretary Pete Higgseth, will oversee the National Guard assisting local law enforcement in, quote, quelling civil disturbances, unquote. Elizabeth Goitin of the Brennan Center for Justice said, quote, having soldiers' police protests, as this order envisions threatens fundamental liberties and public safety. It violates a centuries-old principle against involving the military and domestic law enforcement, she said. This comes just weeks after Trump deployed the National Guard to Washington,

despite the fact that district's violent crime rate is at its lowest level in decades. Trump has also threatened to send troops to cities like New York, Baltimore, and Chicago. On Monday, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker joined Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and other city officials to condemn Trump's threats. Donald Trump wants to use the military to occupy a U.S. city, punish his dissidents, and score political points. If this were happening in any other country, we would have no trouble calling it what it is, a dangerous power grab. More than 180 federal emergency management agency employees sent a letter to Congress Monday,

warning FEMA's Trump-appointed, inexperienced leaders are putting the agency's work at risk, which could result in disasters as catastrophic as Hurricane Katrina. The dissenting staffers say Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and acting FEMA administrator David Richardson lack the qualifications and authority to oversee FEMA's operations. The letter came just days before the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest and costliest hurricanes in U.S. history. At least 36 employees have signed their full names to the letter titled The Katrina Declaration.

About 150 others have signed the letter anonymously. At the White House, President Trump repeatedly praised North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un during a meeting with South Korea's Leader Monday, saying he would like to meet with Kim again sometime in the future. Kim Jong-un. that way. I think it will. I have a very good relationship. I understand him. I spent a lot of free time with him talking about things that we probably aren't supposed to talk about. And, you know, I just, I get along with him really well. I think he has a country of great

potential, tremendous potential. A series of executive orders signed by President Trump Monday are drawing nationwide backlash, including a measure that aims to eliminate cashless bail and threatens to cut federal funding to Washington, D.C., as well as other jurisdictions that continue to implement the policy. Cashless bail is a system in which people accused of minor offenses are released from jail while awaiting trial without having to pay a specific cash amount. We'll have more on this story later in the broadcast when we go to Chicago. On Monday, Trump signed a separate executive order mandated. federal agencies, quote, vigorously prosecute anyone who burns the United States flag.

The order also directs administration officials to revoke the visas of immigrants accused of desecrating the flag. Trump's order defies a 1989 Supreme Court ruling that determined the burning of the U.S. flag is protected speech under the First Amendment. After Trump signed the executive order, secret service agents arrested, person who set a U.S. flag on fire on Lafayette Square across from the White House. The man identified himself as a combat veteran who served for 20 years. His protest was captured in a video posted to social media by the news outlet, the bulwark.

No president can make a law, period. No Congress will make a law infringing on First Amendment rights. I'm burning his flag as a protest to that. illegal, fastest president that sits in that house. And President Trump's former Labor Secretary, Alex Acosta, will testify in front of a House oversight panel next month about brokering a plea deal with the dead serial sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Acosta was the former U.S. attorney for South Florida when he offered a non-prosecution

agreement to Epstein back in 2008, allowing him to plead guilty to a single state charge, which ended the FBI's investigation without federal charges. In his first term, Trump appointed Alex Acosta Labor Secretary. He was forced to resign in 2019 following criticism of his handling of Epstein's plea deal. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer has also issued a subpoena to Epstein's estate for a birthday book compiled by his associate, Geelaine Maxwell, which reportedly contains birthday messages from Epstein's wealthy and connected friends like President Trump. Comer's also requesting, quote, any document or record that could be reasonably construed to be a potential list of clients, unquote.

And those are some of the headlines. This is Democracy Now, Democracy Now.org, the Warren Peace Report. I'm Amy Goodman. Coming up, we speak to Francesca Abenazi, U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory about Israel's attack on Nasser Hospital in Gaza that killed 21 people, including five journalists. Stay with us. Yesterday I saw you standing there with your hand against the pain.

Looking out the window. at the rain and I wanted to tell you all your tears were not in vain but I guess we both knew we'd never be the same Never be the same. Why must we hide? Peaceable Kingdom by Patty Smith,

performed at Democracy Now's 20th anniversary. Next February will be our 30th anniversary. This is Democracy Now. Democracy Now.org, the War and Peace Report. I'm Amy Goodman in New York, joined by Democracy Now's Juan Gonzalez in Chicago. Hi, Juan. Hi, Amy, and welcome to all of our listeners and viewers across the country and around the world.

Human rights and press freedom groups are denouncing Israel's attack on Nassar Hospital and Gaza Monday that killed at least 21 journalists, that killed at least 21 people, including five journalists. According to eyewitnesses, Israel carried out a double-tap strike on the hospital. In the initial strike, a drone hit Hussama Masri, a cameraman who worked for Reuters. Then another strike, minutes later, hit journalists and rescue workers who were responding to the initial strike. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the hospital attack was a, quote, tragic mishap. But just hours later, Israeli forces killed a sixth journalist. Hassan Duhan, a well-known editor at Ahayat. al-Jadida. He was killed when an Israeli tank showed a tent sheltering displaced people in

Kahn Yunus. Over the past 23 months, Israel's barred all foreign journalists from reporting inside Gaza while systematically killing Palestinian journalists. According to one count, Israel's killed at least 245 journalists. On Monday, Thibault Bruton, the Director General of Reporters without borders denounced Israel's attack on journalists? When and where is it going to end? Are we going to let the Israel Defense Forces continue

the repeated killing of journalists? There is international law. There are guarantees that should be granted to journalists covering conflicts and none of that seems to be applying.

So we need to be very clear about the fact that none of the journalists that are allegedly terrorists are terrorists, they are professional journalists working for legacy, professional media, like, for example, Reuters or, for example, AP. In other news from Gaza, three more Palestinians have starved to death, bringing the total to at least 303.

We're joined right now by Francesca Abenazi, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory. She's joining us from Tunis, Tunisia. back to Democracy Now, Francesca Abenazi. Can you start off by responding to the killing of the, at this point in the last day, six journalists, five of them in a double-tap strike on Nasser Hospital? Thank you, Jaime. Yeah, of course. In a situation of conflicts, targeting or killing journalists is unlawful. Journalists as doctors and medical personnel and rescues, all those who have been killed in this attack, are civilian. So killing them is unlawful. They are protected

under international humanitarian law. However, here, it's not an isolated incident. Journalists have been killed in such high numbers. Some say 200 have been documented. Al Jazeera speaks of 270 journalists. killed. So there is a pattern of targeting and killing journalists that let us think that there is an intention behind it. There is a widespread and systematic attack against them, like there is a systematic and widespread attack against civilians. And this might qualify us also as a crime against humanity in and of itself. However, I want to remind everyone that we are on the 68th day of the assault against Gaza, which an increasing consensus denounces as genocidal. And there is famine and there is a complete destruction of the landscapes in

Gaza. So the question is, what are member states waiting exactly to intervene and stop this carnage? And Francesca Albanese, you have said, that there have to be response, you've called for sanctions against Israel. Could you talk about how those might work, especially as you mentioned, the fact that state governments are not taking any action? Oh, absolutely. Look, I would like people to understand this in the broader context of international law. No later than last year, the International Court of Justice has confirmed that Israel's presence in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and is Jerusalem is unlawful, must be dismantled totally and unconditionally.

And the General Assembly has also given Israel a very generous deadline of one year to do so, which will expire in a month from now. In the face of this, member states have an obligation not to aid and assist in any possible ways a state like Israel in maintaining the situation created by Israel's unlawful presence. So while it is abhorrent that they are not stopping Israel, this delay increases their level of responsibility, their violation of international law, and possibly their complicity with the crimes that Israel is committing. This is why my recommendations are for member states who do not want to incur in their legal responsibilities and also out of humanity to break the siege. Member states who have a port in the Mediterranean Sea must absolutely send their navies under their national flag with humanitarian aid and doctors with food and baby formula

because 500,000 people, according to the United Nations, are really close to starvation. But also, as we see the Sumud Flotilla, so ordinary citizens, jumping on boats and trying to do what member states are not doing, I feel that it's totally moral and irresponsible to let individuals like this take this risk when it's a state obligation to break the siege. But also it's time to cut ties with Israel, to cut trade because this is also what the ICJ has reminded member states. They need to take all steps to prevent trade and investment relations that are assisting

in the maintenance of Israel. an unlawful presence. And we must recall that while Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, is also advancing, as I would say, in the beginning, at an incredible speed. So there is no way out of this other than a firm robust action from member states. And I wanted to ask you, the Trump administration, instead of heeding your calls as the special rapporteur, have instead imposed sanctions on you, supposedly claiming that your naming of dozens of companies who are profiting from the Israeli occupation and genocide in Gaza. And the Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, quote, Albanese's campaign of political and economic warfare against

the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated. Your response to these kinds of words from leaders of the United States? Well, first of all, as a non-American, but as someone who has lived in the United States, I wonder how American people understand this, because of course it's a violation of the First Amendment, right? I mean, I've just done my job, which is a pro bono job. I've been requested by the United Nations to investigate and report on the most prominent violations of international law that occur in the occupied parliament.

and territory. And I have simply stated facts, according to businesses, say there is an economy of the occupation, and this is the reason why Israel has profited and has allowed private entities, arms manufacturers, even banks, pension funds, universities, really, to help and profit, to help it and profit from Israel's maintenance of the unlawful occupation. Now, this occupation has also turned into genocidal over the past 688 days, and have announced it. said, how come that Israelis were coming, many Israelis were becoming poorer and poorer, and Israeli stocks exchange kept on going up? Because of that, I've been sanctioned, which is something unprecedented, that no states in 80 years of life of the United Nations

have ever attempted, and ever dared, because it's an violation of international law of the UN Charter of the Convention on Privileges and Unities. And still, the United States maintains the sanction, which are now entering the second month. It's abominable. And this is the situation. But do you understand, against a person who has just written a report, I have been called a threat to global economy. It's clear that I hit a nerve, but this is not the way to react to this. I want to turn to the last story that the Reuters cameraman, Hussama Masri, filmed before he was killed by Israel on Monday at Nasser Hospital. On Saturday, just two days before, Al-Masri shot this interview with Hikmot Fogjo, a Palestinian woman whose

relatives were killed in another Israeli strike. While they were sleeping, they were hit by missiles. While they were sleeping, an entire family was lost, and he was praying. He was praying. He was praying. His children were gone. Two were martyred. They were born after 10 years of waiting.

One was sleeping. And the woman's hands and legs. But God willing, it's all right, God willing, it doesn't matter. If my nephew's hand remains amputated, it doesn't matter, but may he stay alive, O Lord. So that was one of the last pieces of video that the Palestinian journalist, the Reuters journalist, Husam Amasri film, before he was killed Monday in that double tap strike. He had apparently was setting up a live stream at the 4th floor balcony, which journalists used when he was hit. So now I want to go to Reuters reporter Steve Holland, who questioned President Trump about this in the Oval Office. If we could get your reaction, sir, the Israelis bomb a hospital in Gaza that killed 20 people, including five journalists.

When did this happen? This happened overnight. today. I didn't know that. Any reaction to this? Well, I'm not happy about it. I don't want to see it. At the same time, we have to end that whole nightmare. I'm the one that got the hostages out. I got them out. All of them.

That was President Trump. Francesca Abenazi, can you talk about the responsibility of the United States? And tell us more about the mechanisms at the U.N. Since it's very clear, they block any kind of action at the U.N. security. Council. Yeah, as I said, there are clear indication, clear instructions from International Court of Justice on how to deal with the situation. The only lawful thing that Israel can do in the occupied Palestinian territory is to withdraw. Withdraw the troops, dismantle the settlements, stop exploiting Palestinian resources. In the face of these, any aid, any support,

any exchange of commerce, military intelligence, and others from the United States or others is a breach of the obligation not to render aid and assistance in maintaining the situation. However, on top of this, there are proceedings for genocide pending before the International Court of Justice which trigger an obligation to prevent, which as a minimum, as the ICJ has said in the case of Nicaragua versus Germany, entails the ban on transfer of weapons to a state which is committing violations of international humanitarian law, meaning even war crimes. You know, we don't even need to go and bother the genocide convention. So yet again, another layer of responsibility of the United States.

And then there are proceedings against Benjamin Netanyahu and you have Gallagher, land for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including starvation. Because of this, even if the United States is not a party to the ICC, it should be respectful of international law, international criminal law. And instead of giving, of receiving the ICC wanted Netanyahu, if it was really a war hero, as it's been defined, the United States should, facilitate justice and accountability. Instead, they are waging a war against the ICC itself, not just me. All the judges of the ICC have been sanctioned and so the prosecutor of the court. So this is the situation. Of course, there are complicities on the side of this administration.

And in my opinion, even on the previous one, but this is something that belongs to the American people. It's the American people that need to, or the American political landscape that needs to take action on this. And Francesca Albania, I wanted to ask you, in a few weeks, the UN, the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly will take place. Leaders from all over the world will come and give speeches to the UN General Assembly. Do you think this is a defining moment for the United nations as an institution and its inability of the member states or the unwillingness of the member states to stop a genocide that the entire world has been witnessing now for two years? Yeah, I will take the opportunity to also answer the other part of Emmy's question,

which I dropped. But it's, yeah, I think that it's a, it's an historical moment, the one we live in. And it's a defining one. We will not. get out of this genocide with the same pretense of innocence that we had when we entered. The crimes of Israel against the Palestinians were already 56 plus years old when the assault against Gaza on the terrible after the terrible day that October 7 was, and there is no question about that. So there had been a tolerance of Israel's impunity for decades. However, the United States is the single most important factor.

of crisis in the United Nations system at the moment, because the United Nations are clearly paralyzed in the face of a crisis which is political, legal and humanitarian. And the United States have contributed to that paralysis by also, for example, what are the mechanisms to impose sanctions or to dispose of coercive or non-coercive measures against Israel within the UN would be through the Security Council, and the United States have firmly and steadily sheltered Israel from most important instances of accountability. A rare exception is the 2016 Security Council resolution that recognized the illegality of the settlement under international law. So it's a catch-22 situation, but at the same time, I want to remind everyone that the international community

is constituted by 193 member states. And the other 191 that are not part of the Gaza genocide as much as Israel and the United States should do the utmost not only to stop the genocide but also to salvage what remains of the multilateral system because so far it has protected. I wouldn't say all of us, but most of us, especially in the West, and it seems that we are really giving it for granted,

but we will miss human rights very much when we don't have them anymore. Francesca Albanese, the International Criminal Court has said it deplores new U.S. sanctions on its judges and prosecutors. Last week, the U.S. State Department announced new sanctions on two judges and two prosecutors in the ICC for engaging in efforts to prosecute U.S. and Israeli citizens. The ICC statement said, these sanctions are a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution, which operates under the mandate from 125 state parties from all regions. They constitute also an affront against the court's state parties, the rules-based international order, and above all, millions of innocent victims across the world. I'm wondering if you can comment on this latest development, the sanctions against the ICC prosecutors and judges, and also your own situation. You are the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, and the U.S. has sanctioned you.

And if you can talk exactly about what that means. Look, the sanctions are very heavy and frankly an awful, awful instrument when targeting, when directed at people whose job and whose efforts are in the pursuit of justice and accountability. So look at the absurdity of using an instrument which is meant to protect U.S. U.S. interests and U.S. citizens being used to punish people who are trying to stop and make account, make people responsible for crimes accountable. Where is the harm to the U.S. citizens? What is harmed, and this is why I often say these sanctions are a sign of fragility of those who use it, you use them. I mean, what's the harm that is done to the, to the, to the, to the the American interest other than to the illegality that is denounced. Yes, the special

rapporteur has put on notice 48 businesses and what? Why didn't defend themselves? Why didn't they interact with me? Most of them, surely the American companies. Why did they went to complain to the American administration who put me on notice not to continue this investigation already in May? Again, look, I come from a place which has been plagued by mafia style, logics, techniques. And I'm fully familiar with this way of behaving. And this kind of threats win only if they meet fear. But the people united must resist this. And this is why I'm not going to step back and I'm not going to stop my work. And I wanted to ask a final question about the West Bank. As we went to air, I think something like 24 people have been injured in Ramallah

in an Israeli military raid. This is not God. This is Ramallah. At the same time, you have the far-right ministers talking about starting to annex the West Bank this week. What does this mean? And what role does the UN have in this? Yes, two things. First, when we say this is not Gaza, last week, the Israeli newspaper 972 local call issued a report based. on a leaked document by the Israeli army, which admitted that only one of six of the people

killed in Gaza were Hamas combatants. And I want to underscore that Israel's definition of combatant is much broader than what is, in fact, afforded by international law. So it confirms and actually aggravates the accusations of the UN, independent experts, and others that the death toll has steadily been at least 70% women and children and therefore civilians. So they are saying that in fact 80% plus of the death toll in Gaza is made of civilians. The situation is not different from the West Bank, where Israel is advancing its ethnic cleansing agenda through annexation. This is not new. In February 2023, the coalition government passed an agreement that basically transferred to Bezalelz Motrix,

so the Minister of Finance, control over large swates of the West Bank. This was yet another act of annexation, but formalizing what Israel has been doing for 57 years, creating settlements, which are a war crime in occupied territories for Israeli Jews only, that were on stolen land and were resulting in for this possession and forcible displacement of Palestinians. Of course, today, this has reached abysmal proportion because there is even that veneer of respect

of international humanitarian law has gone. There are settlers and soldiers ravaging the West Bank. And the Jordan Valley is unprotected. other than from by a few Israeli activists to go there night and day and trying to protect shepherds and pastoralist communities. But look, the situation is abominable, abominable. And now the state of Palestine has requested an intervention from the international community. Some presidents, like some authorities like the Irish president,

has called for a military intervention. And I understand that everything must pass in accordance with international. national law through the Security Council. And at the same time, because Israel has no sovereignty whatsoever over Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, it's about time that the deployment of our protection presence is considered, because there is no other way to stop what Israel is doing. Francesca Albanese, want to thank you for being with us, UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory. We were hoping to reach a doctor at Nasser Hospital,

could not reach him today. Coming up, we go to Chicago as local and state officials push back against President Trump's threat to send in the National Guard. We'll also look at Trump's new executive orders, ending so-called cashless bail. Stay with us. What's bugging you, baby? How come you hum like you do? Why must you raise a stone? and get your grue in a stew What's bugging you, baby? You mean and you quick on the bit Don't make wind gone, maybe

Don't miss when you ought to hit Every time I flips a dime You start blow down, you start blow in your town. It must be big cost as you're awake. The late folk singer-songwriter Michael Hurley performing, What's Bugging You, Baby, at our Democracy Now studio. This is Democracy Now, Democracy Now.org.

I'm Amy Goodman in New York. Juan Gonzalez is in Chicago. President Trump signed an executive order Monday that would establish specialized National Guard units to be quickly deployed in Washington, D.C. in all 50 states. Under the order, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will oversee the National Guard assisting local law enforcement and, quote, quelling civil disturbances, unquote. The move comes weeks after Trump deployed the National Guard to Washington, where district crime rate was already at its lowest level in decades.

Trump's also threatened to send troops to, oh, New York, Baltimore, Chicago, and other cities. This is President Trump. I made the statement that next year to be Chicago, because, As you all know, Chicago's a killing field right now. And they don't acknowledge it. And they say, we don't need them. Freedom, freedom, freedom. He's a dictator.

A lot of people are saying maybe we like a dictator. I don't like a dictator. I'm not a dictator. Meanwhile, Democratic Illinois, Governor J.B. Pritzker, respond to Trump Monday at a news conference surrounded by state and local officials and business and community leaders. Thank you. Thank you. So, you know,

I'm going to . So, you know, I'm going to So, you know, So, the Yeah,

I'm yeah, and I'm and I'm I'm I'm

and I'm so and I'm and That's Pritzker speaking Monday. For more, we go to Chicago, where we're joined by Alderman Byron Sikha Lopez, who represents Chicago's 25th Ward. He immigrated to the U.S. from Ecuador

was first elected in 2019 as a Democratic Socialist with support from the Chicago Democratic Socialists of America, DSA. We welcome you, Alderman, to Democracy Now. You held a meeting this weekend, bringing together people all over your chair of the Housing and Real Estate Committee, if you can talk about your response to what President Trump is threatening. No, thank you. And it's an honor to be here with you in this critical time. When Trump talks about many people, maybe like a dictator, nobody likes a dictator, and nobody wants to see the normalization of military troops.

in American cities, we joined the many calls of our communities to defend our city. We cannot normalize the militarization, the disappearing of our neighbors, the kidnapping of our neighbors, as we saw in June 4th here in our city, when masked men basically created a human trapped and kidnapped mainly women from our community. We do not normalize, we organize, we organize, we do not despair. afraid. We do not comply to dictators. And here in the city of Chicago, what we've done, what we have done when this was first announced, the mass deportations, we organized to the frustration of the Trump administration that have seen an inform, a well-organized

community, and that's what they're going to continue to see. We have, if anything, as a former labor organizer, we see that the boss is our best organizer. He's uniting our city, he or united or immigrant community, he's organizing and he's unifying our city now more than ever. Now we have labor leaders, faith leaders, that are ready to make sure that our schools or churches or hospitals

are safe grounds as it should be. And we want to make sure that he knows that on Labor Day, we, as Trump prepares to make this the last Labor Day in our city, we want to make sure that he knows that this is going to be a historic Labor Day, faith leaders, everybody across

the city coming together to defend every neighbor. Not only are Texas legislators now fleeing political violence from the Trump administration. We have many neighbors who have kidnapped, families. We still have families, thousands of kids, from the first Trump administration that

is still unaccounted for. So here in Chicago, we organize. We mobilizing labor, faith leaders, community leaders to stand for our city. We're not going to normalize a dictator. We're not going to normalize militarized zones. In a time like this, we stand up and we organize.

And Alderman, I wanted to ask you, you represent the 25th Ward where the community of Pilsen, the historic Mexican and Latino community is centered. What is the condition on the ground right now in terms of raids in Chicago? And in June, there were at least a dozen people arrested by federal immigration agents after they showed up to a routine immigration appointment at an office in the South London. What's the situation right now in terms of these raids? Well, we have been one of the first communities that the Trump administration targeted. We had early on one father that was detained after his family had left the kids in school. Just at the end of last school year, ICE was setting shop right next to one of our elementary schools in laundry. waiting for parents at dismissal. This is intended to create terror, to scare people, to create fear, to push people to deport themselves.

So we see also with now that they not only don't respect rights, they're using violence as a tool of fascism. They did not respect constitutional rights when they enter one of our businesses a few months ago and detained two workers. In our community, right now there's serious concerns. and fear of the Trump administration coming and snatching families, the snatching or being around schools, around hospitals, churches. So in our community, we're organizing. We are making sure that we denounce the Trump administration for coming to churches, hospitals, schools.

We are preparing. We're working together with all community leaders, as we did when the administration threatened with mass deportations. We organized, and now we're organizing with labor leaders to make sure that our labor leaders, elected leaders, faith leaders, our community at the front lines, that we keep vulnerable communities safe in safe spaces, and that we come heavy with a mass mobilization on Labor Day on September 1st, led by the Chicago Teachers Union and many other leaders, to make sure that the Trump administration

will see dignity or solidarity to LA or solidarity to D.C. We see what's happening. We need to make sure that there's more coverage of that. We invite all the media to come to Chicago. We are organizing to protect our communities. We are prepared to mobilize, as we did, not only to organize about knowing our rights, it's clear that the Trump administration does not respect our constitution on the rights. So we're going to make sure that we are organized to protect our people and going to offense. We need to hold them accountable for the people who are dying in ice facilities. For the concentration camps illegally built, and also for the kids are being separated for the multiple atrocities. We are prepared here in Chicago, we are a strong

labor city, we're not going to normalize fascism, and we are prepared to face the dictator hate on, and we know that we can defeat Project 2025 and the dictator that want to consolidate power. And, Alderman, I want to ask you, you're a close ally of Mayor Brandon Johnson. Your discussions with the mayor in terms of how he's going to respond if Trump sends the National Guard in, especially the issue of how will the Chicago police respond? Yes, we have been in close communication with Mayor Johnson, just as we did when we launched a huge Know Your Rights campaign to make sure that the mayor knows that is critical that the city of Chicago stands strong and he today will be joining us on an announcement to have a major mobilization for Labor Day. We also have talked about the importance of making sure that there's no collaboration between the Chicago Police Department and the Trump administration.

We have seen that on June 4th. There was an investigation, multiple leaders and electricians that condemn the actions of ICE and any kind of collaboration on June 4th, the incident that you mentioned. And the mayor has shown his support for our community, his standing strong. He went to Washington to defend our Constitution or state and city code, and we are here prepared to mobilize on Labor Day, Mayor Johnson being one of the people standing with us. There will be no collaboration with the Chicago Police Department and ICE agents, and that's what we suspect that the Trump administration is deploying military forces because they know that there's no way that they can conduct such operations again without the collaboration of the Chicago Police Department. in this case, he wants to send the military. We will continue to push back. We will continue to make sure that there's no collaboration with Chicago Police Department,

but more than anything else, we want to make sure that there's massive mobilization in our city to make sure that we protect each other, protect our neighbors. I'm glad that Mayor Johnson is joining today the launching of the Labor Day movement to protect our city. Chicago is a labor city, is a labor town, and we're going to join LA and D.C. fighting fascism. and we know that we're going to defeat Project 2025 here in Chicago. We're ready, as my sister, Stacey Davis-Gate said, for a third attempt to reconstruct and rebuild our country. Americans are courageous Americans will not stand for kings of dictators,

and here in Chicago we show, and we will show the power of the labor movement along with faith leaders and our immigrant communities together. The dictator has unified our city, and we're ready to take on this because we must defeat fascism. Chairman Ferhampton said it clearly and well. If we did not defeat fascism, fascism will stop every single one of us. So here in Chicago, in the land of Chairman Fred Hampton, in the land of the labor movement, we said to Trump, we're not afraid. We're not going to be intimidated, and we will not comply with a dictator.

We're speaking to older person, Byron Ciccio Lopez, speaking to us from Chicago. I want to bring into this conversation another Chicago guest. Two other executive orders, President Trump's sign Monday, which are drawing nationwide backlash, they aim to eliminate so-called cashless bail and threaten to cut federal funding to D.C. and other jurisdictions that keep the policy in place. Cashless bail was a system in which people accused of minor offenses are released from jail while awaiting trial without having to pay. a specific cash amount. This is President Trump.

Cashless bail, they thought it was discriminatory to make people put up money because they just killed three people lying on a street. Any street all over the country, cashless bail, we're ending it. So two years ago, Illinois became the first state to eliminate cash bail. For more, we're joined in Chicago by Sharon Mitchell Jr. He leads the Cook County Public Defender's Office was part of a coalition that supported the bill to remove money from the bail process in Illinois. Welcome to Democracy Now, Mr. Mitchell. I'm wondering if you can start off by explaining what cashless bail is.

I know you don't even like that term, but explain the significance of President Trump's attack not only on Illinois, but around the country. Thank you so much for having me. I'm a true fan of the show, and it's great to be here. Listen, this is, this is tyranny. This is what Kings do. A duly elected state legislator passed a criminal justice reform package to improve the quality of bail decisions in 2021. It was put in play in 2023, and despite predictions from the right, the bail system did not fail, crime did not explode. And Trump has decided that he doesn't like the policy, not because of the facts or the day.

but because of the politics. So he literally issues of effective order that threatens the star of the state. Republicans, Democrats, poor people, black people, brown people, Asian people, white people, all people. Until the duly elected legislator bends to his will, not because they agreed with him, but because they decide to bend to his threat. Your last guest talked about mafia-style threats. Amy this ain't different. what this reform is is when somebody goes before a judge after they've been accused of an offense that we're not using money to make the determination about whether that person remains in jail now.

The old system was broken and people on both sides of the aisle really hated it. There were people that felt that people who were accused of crimes could buy their way out of jail despite their risk of harm or threats to leave the jurisdiction. and there were people that looked at the jail population and said these people remain in jail because of their lack of ability, their inability to pay bail amounts, not because of some finding by a judge. The old system was a disaster, and you saw predictions that these changes could blow up the system or explode crime, and it didn't.

The system is working. It's been working since September of 2023. But despite all that, despite the duly elected legislation, coming up with the reform, an entire reform package. It being, taking two years to put into place and actually put it in place, Trump has decided to resort to mafia-style tactics. And it's another line, it's another move and a long line of policies that are intended to destabilize the efforts to reduce prime in this city.

But Trump is threatening to do what? He's going to withhold federal funds from local jurisdictions that don't, that remove money from the bail process? Is there any way to stop this, or is it even legal? I'm a lawyer. I would tell you lots of legal arguments. I'm not sure the law matters anymore, right? you know my hope is that well this is what I know I know there will be lots of resistance I know that there is a commitment to this policy because the policy works it isn't perfect

but no judge has been given a crystal ball these are difficult decisions but the old decision the old process was awful we had hearings the last 37 seconds and then judges would come up with a number out of thin air and the decision about whether somebody was release was based upon whether they had a rich grandma or rich aunt or a girlfriend who was willing to put up the money. And women, mainly black and brown women, had to make the decision about whether they were going to pay the rent or they were going to buy their loved ones free. So I know there is lots of energy in this community, in this city, in this region, in this county, in this state to protect these reforms. And I know that there are going to be thousands of people

out there trying to protect them. And we only have about a minute or so left, but didn't the Illinois Supreme Court already ruled in favor of this legislation? Absolutely. The legislation was passed in 2021. There was an intentional two-year wrapping up period because it is a significant change. At the last second, there was essentially an injunction filed.

It went through the process from January of 2023 to September of 2020. the Illinois Supreme Court founded to be constitutional and we have two years essentially of success of this policy yet and still Trump is paying politics not caring about the people of Cook County Chicago and again it's another step in destabilizing the city we've seen community violence intervention dollars things that help drop the murder rate being stripped away defunded from our communities And this will also hurt communities, as we know that jail, especially inappropriate jail, reduces the criminalogical factors or increases the criminalized factors that bring people back into the criminal legal system.

People can't get jobs, people can't get education, and they resort to things that we don't like because the system intentionally stars them of the resources they need to contribute to our communities. Sharon, I want to thank you very much for being with us. Of course, we'll continue to look at this story. Sharon Mitchell, Jr., Chief Cook County Public Defender, part of the coalition that helped support the bill to remove money from the bail process. Thanks also to Chicago older person, Viren Siegio Lopez, older person of the 25th Ward in Chicago and chair of the Housing and Real Estate Committee of the Chicago City Council. We will continue to follow these stories and what happens on Labor Day. This is Democracy Now, produced with Mike Burke, Renee Felt, Dina Guzder, Messiah, Roads, Nermaine Sheik, Maria Teresana, Nicole Salazar, Sarah Nassar, Trina Nudra, Sam Alcock, Tamarou,

a studio, John Hamilton, Robbie, Karen, Honey, Massoud, and Safwat Nasal. I'm Amy Goodman with Juan Gonzalez.