Arson

This is the bizarre moment that a tense confrontation between protesters and Baltimore police was interrupted - by a Michael Jackson impersonator. Violent clashes broke out as thousands took to the street last night to protest against the death of Freddie Grey, who died in custody following a run in with cops. The 25-year-old was arrested 16 days ago on a weapons charge but his death - which came from a severe spinal cord injury - sparked widespread outrage towards the Baltimore Police Department, with many claiming he was assaulted by officers. But in a surreal turn of events, a Michael Jackson impersonator hoped to lighten the mood. Busting a move: The Michael Jackson impersonator interrupts the Baltimore protests Donning a leather jacket, the unknown man takes to an emptying street which marked the divide between a police line and rioters. With the hit 1983 tune 'Beat It' playing, he decides to bust some incredible moves. The scene was a throwback to the pop … [Read more...] about Baltimore riots: Watch as Michael Jackson impersonator dances to Beat It in middle of violent protests

Federal officials said Sunday that no federal wildlife employees were in danger after a group of armed activists and militiamen protesting the prosecution of two ranchers took over a remote federal wildlife refuge in the rural southeastern corner of Oregon over the weekend. A building at the refuge seized on Saturday afternoon by the group houses the offices of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, and is operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, about 30 miles southeast of Burns, in Harney County. A representative of the Fish and Wildlife Service said the agency was monitoring the situation. “While the situation is ongoing, the main concern is employee safety and we can confirm that no federal staff were in the building at the time of the initial incident,” the press officer said. The occupation began after a demonstration on Saturday in support of Dwight Hammond, 73, and his son Steven Hammond, 46, who were to report to California prison after a federal judge ruled … [Read more...] about Wildlife Refuge Occupied in Protest of Oregon Ranchers’ Prison Terms

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails National guard troops patrolled northeastern Brazil on Thursday after three nights of rioting allegedly ordered by imprisoned gang members left windows smashed, buses ablaze and at least three people dead. Most of the violence was in Rio Grande do Norte state where a couple dozen cities have seen gun attacks on public buildings and arson attacks on buses and gas stations since Monday night. The owner of a supermarket was among those killed in the violence. Also, a rioter in Rio Grande do Norte and another one in neighboring Paraiba state were killed in shootouts with police, authorities said. Schools in both states canceled school classes Thursday for fear that school buses might be targeted, and some regular bus services were suspended. Rio Grande do Norte’s public security secretary, Francisco Araújo, … [Read more...] about 3 dead in rioting blamed on gangs in Brazil’s northeast

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department will investigate whether the Baltimore Police Department engaged in a pattern of unconstitutional policing, law enforcement officials said on Thursday, a day after the mayor asked for an inquiry . The request by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake came days after the state’s attorney for Baltimore filed criminal charges against six officers involved in the arrest of Freddie Gray, who died April 19 after being injured while in police custody. His death set off large demonstrations, arson and looting. At a policing conference earlier on Thursday, the Baltimore police commissioner, Anthony W. Batts, said he did not object to an outside investigation, adding that he was committed to reforming the Police Department. He said he recognized that Baltimore residents did not trust the city to make changes voluntarily. “I am willing to do anything it takes to win that trust back,” he said. “If it’s D.O.J., whatever it takes.” Protesters said the … [Read more...] about Justice Department Will Investigate Baltimore Police Practices

BALTIMORE — Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake called on Wednesday for the Justice Department to conduct a civil rights investigation of the city’s Police Department to determine whether officers have engaged in unconstitutional patterns of abuse or discrimination. Her request came days after the state’s attorney for Baltimore filed criminal charges against six officers involved in the arrest of Freddie Gray, who died April 19 after being injured while in police custody, sparking large demonstrations, arson and looting. “We all know that Baltimore continues to have a fractured relationship between the police and the community,” Ms. Rawlings-Blake said at a news conference. “We have to have a foundation of trust, and I believe that we need the assistance of the Department of Justice and the civil rights investigation to shore up that foundation, which is weak right now in this city.” She added, “I’m willing to do what it takes to reform my department.” Her call puts significant … [Read more...] about Baltimore Mayor, After Freddie Gray Death, Seeks Justice Dept. Police Inquiry

BURNS, Ore. — The courthouse is still blocked by concrete bollards. Tires have been slashed. Family members and old friends have argued and refused to speak again. Fights have broken out in church. The occupation at a wildlife refuge near here by a band of outsiders — 11 of them have been arrested and one killed, and four remain in the compound — has turned this patch of small-town America into a community at war with itself. Rather than uniting the hamlet of Burns around a common cause, the rebellion at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by anti-government protesters has exposed divisions among residents, some who support federal regulation of public land and others who bristle at Washington’s sway. The tumultuous events of the occupation — still not over after 27 days — have left divisions that residents said would not soon heal, even after the drama ends and the world’s attention shifts. “This county is so tore up, it will never be the same — ever,” said Jeff Dixson, 68, a … [Read more...] about Oregon Town Torn Apart by Protest at Wildlife Refuge

JOHN DAY, Ore. — Ammon Bundy, the leader of an armed seizing of a federal wildlife refuge in rural eastern Oregon , was arrested and one person was killed Tuesday afternoon in a traffic stop in rural Oregon, the F.B.I. and the Oregon State Police said. Seven other people, including Mr. Bundy’s brother Ryan Bundy, were arrested, the authorities said. Another person was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening. The authorities did not identify the man who was killed, but a member of the Nevada State Assembly, Michele Fiore, who has been a supporter of the Bundy family, said on Twitter that it was LaVoy Finicum. Mr. Finicum had become a de facto spokesman for the occupiers. The confrontation came after more than three weeks of growing tension and anxiety that put the tiny community of Burns — about a five-hour drive from Portland — into an international debate about homegrown right-wing militias, public lands and constitutional rights. Mr. Bundy, … [Read more...] about Ammon Bundy and 7 Oregon Protesters Held; LaVoy Finicum Is Reported Dead

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Amarey Brookshire was devastated when she heard about the fire at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for seriously ill children — her camp. The February 2021 blaze destroyed much of the retreat in the woods of eastern Connecticut , which was founded by the late actor Paul Newman in 1988 to give children with devastating medical conditions a place to, as he said, “raise a little hell.” The blaze burned the center of the camp, which had been made to look like an Old West town and housed the woodworking shop, the arts and crafts area, the camp store, and an educational kitchen. Fire investigators determined it was not arson but could not pinpoint a cause. Amarey, now 13, said she was in the hospital when her mom told her the news. “She told me that it was the arts and crafts and the wood shop area, so I was … [Read more...] about Paul Newman’s camp for sick kids rises from the ashes

A Russian anti-Putin partisan movement called Black Bridge has claimed responsibility for last week's fire at a building used by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don near to the Ukraine border. Black Bridge, one of several partisan movements in Russia, called the FSB "a stronghold of hypocrisy, violence and injustice" in a Telegram post on Monday about the March 16 blast and blaze . At least four people were reported killed and five were wounded in the fire that broke out at the building belonging to the FSB, whose roles include internal security and counter-terrorism in the country. The security service issued an official statement saying fuel and lubricants had caught fire in a workshop, which caused an explosion and the building's partial collapse. Ukraine denied involvement in the fire. Black Bridge said that the fire broke out due to an improvised explosive device, which was placed in a container of fuel. "It is the employees of … [Read more...] about What Is “Black Bridge”? Anti-Putin group claiming FSB building fire

This briefing has ended. Here’s what you need to know: Seattle’s mayor defends protesters’ ‘autonomous zone’ from Trump’s ire. Chicago police officers relaxed in a congressman’s office with chaos outside. ‘I should not have been there,’ General Milley says about the Trump photo op. The Pentagon will review the National Guard’s role in policing the protests. A march through Manhattan leaves a trail of symbolic blood. Biden says Floyd’s death is having a bigger impact than the King assassination. Louisville Metro Council votes to ban ‘no-knock’ warrants. Seattle’s mayor defends protesters’ ‘autonomous zone’ from Trump’s ire. Seattle’s mayor on Thursday defended the city’s decision to allow protesters to declare an “autonomous zone” on the city’s streets, pushing back a day after President Trump threatened to send federal resources to crack down on the protesters, whom he labeled terrorists. The mayor, Jenny Durkan, said it was the … [Read more...] about Seattle Mayor Defies Trump