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Democracy Now! stories, posts and pages that relate to Civil Rights

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  • Sharif

    Shock Doctrine in Egypt: Sharif Abdel Kouddous on Post-Mubarak Economic Crisis, Presidential Race

    As Hosni Mubarak’s former spy chief Omar Suleiman announces he will run for president and Egypt teeters on the edge of an economic crisis, we discuss the state of post-revolution Egypt with Democracy Now! correspondent Sharif Abdel Kouddous, based in Cairo. Suleiman headed Egypt’s intelligence services for more than 18 years, becoming a close U.S. ally and playing a key role in the Bush administration’s extraordinary rendition...
    Apr 10, 2012 | Story

  • Kenneth Chamberlain's Family Says Autopsy Contradicts Police Account Of His Death

    By Juan Gonzalez

    The former Marine shot by cops in his apartment died from a single bullet that entered his right arm and ripped through both lungs, according to an autopsy report obtained by the Daily News. The lawyer for Kenneth Chamberlain’s family said the autopsy contradicts the police account of his death.

    Apr 11, 2012 | Columns & Articles
  • Zimmermanlargemug

    45 Days After Killing Trayvon Martin & Sparking National Outcry, George Zimmerman Finally Charged

    Forty-five days after George Zimmerman shot and killed unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, he has been charged with second-degree murder. Special Prosecutor Angela Corey says the charges are based on the merits of the case and were not influenced by the several weeks of nationwide protests and a massive social media campaign. We speak with NAACP President Benjamin Jealous, who disagrees. "The reality is that [Corey] would not be the prosecutor...
    Apr 12, 2012 | Story
  • Benjealous

    Connecticut Poised to Repeal Death Penalty as Momentum Grows for Supreme Court Challenge

    Lawmakers in Connecticut have given final approval to a measure that would repeal the state’s death penalty for future convictions. The bill now goes to Gov. Dannel Malloy, who’s pledged to sign it into law. Connecticut would become the fifth state in five years to abolish the death penalty and the 17th state overall, moving activists closer to the 26 states needed to bring a challenge to the Supreme Court. "This is our first...
    Apr 12, 2012 | Story
  • Anastasio_hernandez_rojas

    Death on the Border: Shocking Video Shows Mexican Immigrant Beaten and Tased by Border Patrol Agents

    A new PBS documentary exposes the tasing and beating death of a Mexican immigrant by U.S. border agents in California and has renewed scrutiny of what critics call a culture of impunity. In May 2010, 42-year-old Anastasio Hernández-Rojas was caught trying to enter the United States from Mexico near San Diego. He had previously lived in the United States for 25 years and was the father of five U.S.-born children. But instead of deportation, Hernández-Rojas’s...
    Apr 24, 2012 | Story
  • Button-egypt

    Egyptian Military Rulers Face Growing Unrest as 11 Killed in Pre-Election Clashes

    A mass protest has been called for Friday in Egypt after the killing of at least 11 demonstrators outside the Defense Ministry in Cairo. The attack came as hundreds protested the ejection of ultra-conservative Islamist candidate Hazem Abu Ismail from the pending presidential election because his mother has dual Egyptian-U.S. citizenship. The killings were the latest to fuel anger against the country’s ruling military council ahead of elections...
    May 03, 2012 | Story
  • Thumbncgayvote

    North Carolina Voters Approve Constitutional Amendment Banning Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions

    North Carolina voters have turned out in large numbers to pass a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as solely between a man and a woman. While North Carolina law already bans same-sex marriage, the amendment means civil unions and potentially other types of domestic partnerships will no longer be recognized legally by the state. Some lawyers say the measure is vaguely worded and could impact the state’s 150,000 straight couples...
    May 09, 2012 | Story
  • Button-montes

    FBI Crackdown on Antiwar Groups Targets Chicano, Brown Beret Activist Carlos Montes

    Supporters of a longtime California activist, Carlos Montes, rallied outside a courthouse in Los Angeles Tuesday calling on authorities to drop his prosecution. Montes faces four charges, including one for firearms possession that dates back to the 1960s. A longtime leader in the Chicano, immigrant rights and antiwar movements, Montes’ arrest in a May 2011 raid followed similar FBI raids on activists in Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois targeting...
    May 16, 2012 | Story
  • Button-trayvon-headshot

    Ben Jealous: "Heartbreaking" Trayvon Tapes Capture Experience of Millions Racially Profiled in U.S.

    Benjamin Jealous, the president and CEO of the NAACP, joins us to react to the new audio recordings and documents released in the investigation of Trayvon Martin’s killing. The evidence indicates a fight occurred between Martin and his alleged killer George Zimmerman, but police determined the deadly encounter was "ultimately avoidable" if Zimmerman had not pursued Martin. An autopsy also shows Martin died from a single gunshot...
    May 18, 2012 | Story
  • Button-houston-jealous

    All-White Jury Acquits Houston Ex-Police Officer in Videotaped Beating of Black Teen Chad Holley

    Hundreds of people rallied in Houston on Thursday to protest the acquittal of a former police officer in the videotaped beating of an African-American teenager. On Wednesday, the officer, Andrew Bloomberg, was found not guilty by an all-white jury in the beating and stomping of 15-year-old burglary suspect Chad Holley. Video taken of the March 2010 incident shows Holley being stopped by a police vehicle. After Holley falls to the ground, he is...
    May 18, 2012 | Story