US Supported Israeli Government Set To Destroy Palestinian Homes In East Jerusalem

Palestinians ask Obama to press Israel to halt demolitions

Monday, February 23, 2009 - AFP

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AFP) — The Palestinian Authority urged the US president on Monday to press Israel to scrap a plan to raze almost 90 homes in annexed Arab east Jerusalem.

"We call on President Barack Obama to intervene personally to have this project stopped," said Yasser Abed Rabbo, one of the main aides of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

The Palestinian owners of 88 houses in the Silwan neighbourhood have received eviction notices saying that the structures will be destroyed because they were built or expanded without the necessary permits. The move would affect about 1,500 people.

"It is a massacre that Israel will commit in this Holy City," Abed Rabbo told a news conference, calling for "urgent Arab and international action to halt this dangerous project."

He said some of the houses affected by the orders had been built before Israel captured east Jerusalem from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War.

He called for a day-long strike in east Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied West Bank to protest against the plan.

The Gulf Cooperation Council, which groups the six Gulf Arab states, backed the call for US intervention to stop what it called these "racist acts that defy human rights and international law." Read On

White Cops Terrorize Black Citizens On Election Night

Lawsuits Claim Election Night Hate Crimes By Cops

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Two more women are suing Chicago Police for hate crimes and battery after officers allegedly sprayed pepper spray on the women and their children and barged into their West Side home as they celebrated Barack Obama's Election Night victory.

The suit marks the second in two weeks alleging police abuse of civilians celebrating Obama's win. Niger Arnold and Roslyn Arnold filed suit Thursday in U.S. District Court on behalf of their six children, including four minors, against five unnamed police officers for the Nov. 4 incident.

"If you can't trust police officers, who can you trust?" Arnold said at a news conference Thursday.

Her family was standing outside their home in the 3400 block of West Chicago Avenue cheering and celebrating Obama's victory when police squad cars drove down the street and one or more officers hung out the window and discharged pepper spray at the crowd, the suit said.

After some words were exchanged, officers exited their vehicles with guns drawn and kicked open the door to the Arnold family home, according to the suit.

The officers allegedly knocked some of the family members to the ground and made racial comments, the suit said.

Arnold says during this alleged encounter with police, the officers' guns were drawn the entire time, which terrified her 3-year-old nephew. Read On