Kit O'Connell

A gonzo journalist from Austin, Texas and Staff Writer for MintPress News, Kit O'Connell's writing has also appeared at Truthout, the Texas Observer, and The Establishment.

Hundreds Gather To ‘Wall Off Trump’ & Police Arrest 18 In Flag-Burning Demonstration At RNC 2016

Although targeted at the GOP and its nominee, Donald Trump, activists also criticized President Barack Obama, writing, ‘When he leaves office he will leave behind to his successor the most sophisticated and well-funded human-expulsion machine in the history of the country.’

Desiree Kane
Kit O'Connell
By Desiree Kane
And Kit O'Connell

CLEVELAND --- In response to a proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall that Donald Trump’s turned into a hallmark of his presidential campaign, activists at the Republican National Convention built a wall of their own on Wednesday. Using a combination of banners and brick wall-patterned costumes, activists surrounded the Quicken Loans Arena for about

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$6B Spent Fighting ISIS, 50,000 Bombs Dropped In Iraq & Syria, And Still No End In Sight

‘The U.S. taxpayers will pay once to blow the place up and then pay again to build it back up,’ wrote one analyst of the seemingly endless campaign to destabilize Syria and the Middle East.

Kit O'Connell
By Kit O'Connell
In this picture taken on Saturday, April 18, 2015, a car passes in an area that was destroyed during the U.S. bombing campaign in Kobani, north Syria. (AP Photo/Mehmet Shakir)

WASHINGTON --- After two years of bombing, the U.S. recently marked a horrendous milestone in a war with no clear end in sight. Vocativ reported that the American-led coalition in the Middle East has now dropped 50,000 bombs in the ongoing campaign against Daesh (an Arabic acronym for the terrorist group commonly known as ISIS or ISIL in the

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From Anti-Trump Activists To Open Carry Advocates: RNC 2016 Opens With A Day Of Peaceful Protest

The opening day of the Republican National Convention also featured a concert and protest by Prophets of Rage, a ‘supergroup’ featuring members of Public Enemy, Cypress Hill and Rage Against the Machine.

Desiree Kane
Kit O'Connell
By Desiree Kane
And Kit O'Connell

CLEVELAND --- The tense political landscape and presence of open carry activists didn’t dampen a day of peaceful protest for demonstrators gathered outside the Quicken Loans Arena for the opening day of the 2016 Republican National Convention. MintPress News was present outside the arena on Monday, where attendance by protesters seemed somewhat

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In Dallas & Baton Rouge, Media Ignores That Veterans Pulled The Trigger

‘[I]f not for racism, those black male shooters being vets would do something interesting to the media narratives around these killings,’ one media analyst tweeted.

Kit O'Connell
By Kit O'Connell
Micah Johnson, the honorably discharged U.S. Army veteran who killed five Dallas police officers.

BATON ROUGE --- In the wake of shocking, deadly acts of violence, many in the media have been quick to tie the recent slayings of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to the Black Lives Matter movement, which advocates for the civil rights of those disproportionately affected by police violence. Reporters even asked the family

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US Police Have Killed Nearly 9,000 Civilians Since 9/11

One analyst suggested in 2012 that Americans are eight times more likely to be killed by a cop than a terrorist. But that estimate is probably low because police departments don’t have to disclose details on police killings and the U.S. government doesn’t formally track them.

Kit O'Connell
By Kit O'Connell
Tia Williams, left, and her daughter Aissa create a display on the street outside the Minnesota governor's official residence Thursday, July 7, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn., as people gathered to protest the shooting death of Philando Castile by police.

MINNEAPOLIS --- Despite a number of high-profile attacks that have resulted in the deaths of thousands of Americans both in the United States and abroad, police continue to pose a far deadlier and more immediate threat to Americans than terrorists. At least 8,882 civilians have been killed by police since 9/11. This figure is based on government

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Secretive Internet ‘Kill Switch’ And Apple Patent Could Stop You From Filming Police & Protests

The Supreme Court refused to force the Department of Homeland Security to reveal further details of its program to shut off internet access during ‘emergencies’ despite the concerns this poses for freedom of speech.

Kit O'Connell
By Kit O'Connell
Apple patented a technology to prevent phones from filming at live music events, but privacy advocates say police could use it against activists.

AUSTIN, Texas --- As smartphones revolutionize how people interact with breaking news, internet freedom advocates are warning that “kill switch” technology could shut down this newfound form of expression during times of civil unrest. Viral video footage of the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two black men recently fatally shot

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Human Rights Watch Rated Among Least Transparent Think Tanks In US

‘The number of organizations who still consider it acceptable to take money from hidden hands behind closed doors is rapidly dwindling,’ noted the executive director of an NGO studying think tank transparency.

Kit O'Connell
By Kit O'Connell
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, speaks during the annual press conference of the non governmental organization in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014.

AUSTIN, Texas --- A nonprofit that studies global think tanks considers Human Rights Watch to be among the least transparent think tanks in the United States, at least in terms of its funding sources. According to Transparify, think tanks around the world are becoming more transparent about the sources of their funding and how they put that

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