Well that's just what does it for this stage in our democracy now right that is if you have to have a set of March. From New York this is Democracy Now we're going to continue our recruiting for the right of the city of Chicago we're going to like continue asking the wealthy powerful in the city to. Help support the we're educating working class kids of climax and white neighborhoods across the city through the things that we're committed to school teachers in Chicago are heading back today marking the end of a historic 11 day strike that shut down the nation's 3rd largest school district we'll get the latest Then we speak to a former Gandy and beauty queen politically was the country's former dictator of great giallo known as 2 for just testified before Gambia Strewth reconciliation and reparations commission. In the one. Sex or pleasure with me. But she wanted. To hurt me. What he wanted to do was to teach me a lesson what you wanted to do. Was to money festes Ico and we go to Colombia where $5.00 indigenous leaders have been massacred in the southwestern province of Colombian president Iran has deployed $2500.00 troops to the region all that and more coming out. Welcome to Democracy Now Democracy Now dot org The War and Peace Report I'm Amy Goodman the House of Representatives voted along partisan lines Thursday to formalize the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump all 196 House Republicans. Voted against the measure and all but 2 Democrats voted in favor of the resolution which sets the stage for the 1st public hearings of the investigation this is California Democrat Adam Schiff Chair of the House Intelligence Committee the founding fathers understood that a leader might take hold of the Oval Office who would sacrifice the national security who would fail to defend the Constitution who places personal of political interests above the interests of the country they understood that might happen. And they provided a mechanism to deal with it and that mechanism is called impeachment the House vote came as Tamara Senate top official on Trump's National Security Council testified in a closed door hearing that the president withheld nearly $400000000.00 in military aid to Ukraine over the summer Morrison's account corroborated other officials claims that Trump's move which meant to pressure Ukraine's leader to publicly investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter President Trump and 1st lady Maloney a trump have filed a declaration of Dhamma Sile declaring their permanent residence to be the Mar-A Lago Club in Palm Beach Florida they were previously listed as residing at Trump Tower in New York City where Donald Trump has been a lifelong resident of New York Times cited an official close to Trump who said the move was primarily for tax purposes Florida residents pay no state income tax in a tweet New York Governor Andrew Cuomo wrote quote good riddance It's not like Donald Trump paid taxes here anyway he's all yours Florida and Afghanistan the CIA is accused of backing Afghan strike forces whose members have committed summary executions and other atrocities without accountability and if if a 3 page report released Thursday Human Rights Watch says the CIA backed Afghan soldiers unlawfully killed civilians during night raids forcibly disappeared detainees intact health care workers who allegedly treated Taliban fighters This is Patricia grow. Men Asia director of Human Rights Watch So what we're calling on all the parties involved to do is it here to the laws of war it's here to the rules in place the problem with these particular militia groups these paramilitaries is the operate outside normal chains of command within the ordinary Afghan government forces or the u.s. Forces and so they're not held accountable and that lack of transparency and civilians cannot go to someone and find out what happened get any kind of justice for the crimes that were committed the intercept reports a loophole in u.s. Law allows the CIA to ignore a rule barring the Pentagon and State Department from training or equipping foreign military units when there is credible information they've committed serious human rights abuses Iraq a prime minister. On Thursday offered to resign if lawmakers could agree on his replacement as tens of thousands of anti-government protesters continue to rally in cities across Iraq and that is resignation offer comes after more than 250 people have died at the hands of Iraqi security forces since the protests began last month they're demanding jobs better public services and an end to government corruption in Argentina thousands marched to the streets of biocide is Thursday in the capital city's 1st major demonstration a sense incumbent president would see a mockery last Sunday's election to center left candidate have better to Fernandez protesters are demanding a reversal of cuts to pensions and public utilities subsidies imposed after last year's $57000000000.00 bailout by the International Monetary Fund they're also demanding the Senate pass a bill expending food assistance to combat rampant hunger this is a step by Marcio a who led a protest outside i.m.f. Sophos But look at the 1000000 that's not what we're going through is a catastrophe the price increases on food makes the situation truly and sustainable who are debating every day is whether to eat or not. Chile's government held talks with opposition leaders Thursday in a bid to quell anti. Government protests now entering their 3rd week the protests erupted October 19th sparked by a hike in subway fares book quickly grew to nationwide demonstrations against inequality the high cost of living in privatization this week's chill this week battle President Sebastian Pinera canceled 2 major international summits as a result of the protests the upcoming APEC economic summit and the United Nations climate summit in December he announced Thursday Spain has offered to host the cop that's the climate summit what is the most on it is the yesterday I spoke with the president of Spain Beatrice and has who made the generous offer to organize the cup 25 summit in Madrid Spain the same day it was plain to be cured meaning for the 2nd to the 13th of December this year Spain will have just one month to prepare for the global summit in the dread which will follow snap elections on November 10th democracy now will be covering the un climate summit here in New York City former secretary of state Rex Tillerson told federal court Wednesday Exxon Mobil did not mislead shareholders about the financial risks of climate change while Tillerson was c.e.o. Of the company investors suing the oil giant contend under television's leadership in 2014 Exxon kept 2 sets of books on the predicted costs of future climate regulations lowballing internal company estimates in order to justify carbon intensive projects like mining Canada's tar sands a damning report by inside climate news and Los Angeles Times your field of Exxon new fossil fuels contributed to climate changes early as the seventy's but did not take any action even as it covered up the science the student group Fridays for future n.y.c. Is leading a school strike and rally today outside the Manhattan courthouse where the Exxon trial is underway the group tweeted Exxon knew in 1902 they were stealing our future and now. They'll pay for it unquote. Swedish climate activists good attitude has turned down the Nordic Council environment prize rejecting $52000.00 in award money and a statement posted to Instagram to Mary called the offer a huge honor but wrote quote the climate movement does not need any more awards what we need is for our politicians and the people in power start to listen to the current best available science she'll be speaking today at Los Angeles City Hall in California homes in certain of San Bernardino burned to the ground Thursday as climate change fueled fires continue to erupt around California a new fire also broke out in Ventura County prompting thousands more to evacuate in North Dakota the Keystone pipeline remains idled after the t.c. Energy company that's formulae Trans Canada said a rupture spilled over 380000 gallons of crude oil and rural wetlands the spill came as the Environmental Protection Agency moved to roll back Obama era regulations meant to prevent toxic heavy metals from coal ash from leeching into groundwater California Democratic Congress member Katie Hill delivered her final remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives Thursday in a scathing critique of the what so called double standard she said that apply to men and women in Washington who was elected to represent Southern California's 25th District last November as one of the 1st openly bisexual people elected to Congress she announced her resignation this week after admitting to a consensual relationship with a campaign aide before she took office House ethics investigators are also looking into an alleged affair between Hale and her legislative director the Hill has denied that. Relationship the allegations surfaced after Red State dot org and The Daily Mail published naked images of hill without her consent Helen has accused her abusive husband of enlisting the help of hateful political operatives she said and a smear campaign based on cyber exploitation I'm leaving because of a massage mystic culture that gleefully consumed my naked pictures capitalized on my sexuality and enabled my abusive ex to continue that abuse this time with the entire country watching I'm leaving but we have men who have been credibly accused of intentional acts of sexual violence and remain in boardrooms on the Supreme Court in this very body and worst of all in the Oval Office. New York Congress member Xandra Cortez stole Politico quote This doesn't happen to male members in the same way revenge porn in this respect I don't think we're really talking about how targeted and serious this is we're talking about a major crime a cost to court has set in Missouri a series of public hearings is underway to determine the fate of the state's last remaining abortion provider a Planned Parenthood clinic in St Louis in June state officials moved to deny the clinics license to perform abortions in a move to cried by pro-choice groups as a politically motivated attack on reproductive rights on Tuesday Missouri health director Dr Randall Williams admitted he kept a spreadsheet tracking the menstrual periods of Planned Parenthood patients a database that was e-mails between Health Department employees Missouri lawmakers are demanding the gov investigate the spread sheet as a major violation of medical privacy laws on Thursday the director of surgical services of Planned Parenthood St Louis clinic broke down in tears as she testified about invasive medically unnecessary pelvic exam she was forced to administer to people seeking abortions under a state mandate that has since been reversed and August a federal judge blocked Missouri's near total ban on abortions one day before it was set to take effect a federal court halted a similar abortion ban in Alabama earlier this week citing the Supreme Court's landmark 1973 decision Roe v Wade and Gambia a beauty queen who says the president raped her when she was 18 years old testified Thursday to a public Truth and Reconciliation Commission that's investigating the atrocities of former President Jimmy fact 2 to 5 job though has become a leading voice against the former president who ruled the West African country of 2000000 people for 22 years before his regime ended in 20172 other women have also come forward to accuse the former. Resident of rape and sexual assault later in the broadcast will go to Gambia to speak with 2 for giallo about her testimony in Hong Kong Police fired tear gas Thursday evening to clear crowds of anti-authoritarian protesters who mingled with hollowing revelers in the city's busiest nightlife district the protesters use the holiday as an excuse to once again to fire government ban on face masks imposed last month as part of a widening crackdown on public assemblies. In the world are termed I think if everyone here wears a mask everyone can represent us Hong Kong has a mass ban now but our people will not yield to this ridiculous law economic data released Thursday show Hong Kong entered a recession in recent months amidst a violent response to protests that erupted in June another massive protest is being planned for Saturday and Jordan has recalled its ambassador in Tel Aviv after Israel refused to release 2 Jordanian citizens who've been held without charge since their arrest in the Israeli occupied West Bank in August Israel routinely uses its administrative detention policy to hold Palestinians indefinitely without trial in military jails on Thursday Palestinian protesters in the West Bank city of Ramallah held a solidarity rally this is demonstrator say adda. You must sit up with these protests and rallies are in solidarity with their female and male prisoners in the occupation jails especially the prisoners who are on hunger strike and especially the prisoner he beloved whose life is in danger we are all here in one voice that says we are with the prisoners both men and women who are Damien Palestinian he about the has been held in an Israeli jail without charge since August when she was arrested after crossing between Jordan and the occupied West Bank she's been on hunger strike for nearly 40 days was hospitalized after her how the teary aerated and those are some of the headlines This is Democracy Now Democracy Now dot org The War and Peace Report I'm Amy Goodman teachers in Chicago are heading back to school today marking the end of a historical 11 day strike that it shut down the nation's 3rd largest school district after weeks of tense negotiation the city agreed to reduce class sizes bring on hundreds of extra social workers nurses and librarians and increase salary by 16 percent over the next 5 years with big gains for low wage workers this is Chicago Mayor Laurie Lightfoot announcing the news. In agreement with you President Jesse Sharkey classes will resume the we invited him to come out so we could do a joint announcement he declined but we have an agreement and teachers will be back in class and students will be that class tomorrow the union demanded teachers be able to make up the full 11 days of school before agreeing to return to work they eventually settled with the city on 5 days negotiations lasted hours union members were split on whether or not to approve the deal with the city this is Chicago teachers union president yes a Sharkey this is a celebration lap with it with the mirror right now 7500 public school workers with the Service Employees International Union who have been striking also settle with the city earlier this week they stayed on the picket lines through Thursday Well for more we're joined by 2 guests in Chicago Stacey Davis Cates is with us executive vice president of the Chicago teachers Xing and and labor journalist Sarah Chafee Chinese us from Philadelphia author of necessary trouble Americans and revolt we welcome you both to Democracy Now let's go directly to Chicago Stacey Davis skates Can you talk about what this deal is that you struck the Chicago Teachers Union with the city of Chicago that if all the workers are prove and as well today as teachers are back at school. Good morning our members took a 10 day sacrifice to finally bring about some equity in the Chicago public schools our school communities will have a nurse 5 days a week in every school a social worker 5 days a week and every school school communities on the south and the west side of the city are now being prioritized they'll get the wrap around supports that they need the class size limits will go into effect almost it will go into effect faster for them look at this sacrifice that our members may as I shared in a new type of Chicago public schools that offer same she wary to their students that provides homeless students with the necessary supports we're very pleased with the outcomes and we just really think our parents in the city for staying a bias. Talk also about the salary and health care benefits that you negotiated. Virtually no change in our health insurance and our members got a 60 percent cola increase cost of living increase r.p.s. R.p.s. Our lowest wage workers in this and our bargaining unit $2.00 thirds of them were their children to qualify for free and reduced lunch prior to going on strike now we've lifted that basement and those women who serve in our school communities who are the glue in our school communities they don't have to exist in poverty anymore . The Chicago Tribune ran an editorial headlined this c t you strike has betrayed Chicago's children the editorial read in part quote There are about 300000 children Chicago who've missed nearly 2 weeks of classroom instruction after school activities there are high schoolers who fallen behind on college application preparations athletes who lost the chance to participate in post-season play offs and tournaments and there are children from every community who count on school as a sanctuary for thousands of those children school essentially was their only place of learning a motional supporting consistency the editorial went on to criticise leaders saying quote They made outlandish demands as if City Hall owed teachers not just a big wage bond but a utopian version of Chicago. Stacey Davis Gates can you respond Well we got what we need for our students it's always outlandish and Topi and when right wing sources limited resources that black children and brown children in the city get to have it is a shame that the Tribune cannot see the work that teachers did in these 10 days as a benefit for the entire city I know that our members are happy to go back to work today they are happy to go back to work because they are a part of assuring in a new way of doing public education in the city that prioritizes the least of them a bargaining structure that is for the common good because our members serve the common good and we're very pleased about the transformation that our city is going through in this moment that is live by a movement a movement of community groups of parents of students that amplified in this moment with their teachers and can you talk about the fact that it was not only the Chicago Teachers Union Bessie are you the Service Employees International Union that also. Went on strike the significance of this the significance of that is that these are black women who were making wages that did not make sense in a city. In a city that's growing increasingly an affordable these women went out on the picket line with the teachers and they won tremendous gains in their salary structure you know I'll be honest with you I don't think that this could have been as transform a transformative as. As monumental as it was with the as a you 73 members on the picket line with us those women said that their contract before we settled our hours and the very next day they were on the picket lines with us the solidarity that we had with the city with each other was tremendous in this moment look this is a movement that has been percolating for the last decade in this city to bring about change that focuses on those communities that have been left behind while skyscrapers in downtown Chicago are built with taxpayer money this is a shift in how we can see public resources actually helping those who need them the most this is a win for our city this is a win for our state this is a win for our country. Stacy Davis case you're a mom of 3 school kids in Chicago schools I think about that editorial that talked about this utopian version of Chicago you are looking for can you talk about what educational justice means it means a black children in Chicago don't have to beg for a nurse which is the bare minimum for most children across this country listen Chicago has a very terrible history of racism and segregation and when you read editorials like that it provokes those same feelings again look our children every single child in the Chicago Public Schools deserves more than what we've been one in this contract this contracts that's 4th in infrastructure to help us fight for even more Listen when you can take a public subsidy and build a playground and one of the richest neighborhoods in this country and call it a giveaway but then make teachers picket and strike for 10 days to get a social worker and school communities that have been ravaged by violence poverty unemployment and disinvestment there is something wrong with the priorities and values of those who are in charge what I am saying today is that I am proud that Chicago lifted his voice in unison to say that we're going to transform the way in which we prioritize children in this city our school communities in this city and the public sector in the city center Jaffe you've been looking at school strikes for years and you've also had this wave of school strikes across the country not to mention the Chicago teachers union strike of 2012 talk about the significance of what just took place with the nation's 3rd largest school district. I think we have to start with the Chicago strike of 2012 because that is where this entire wave was rooted when Stacey says that they've been fighting for a decade this is a caucus within this union that took power in 2010 that fought for the right to strike and then successfully went on strike in 2012 beat Rahm Emanuel who is in many ways more committed to privatizing to crushing the public schools a crushing the union than Laurie Lightfoot was and so that's where this movement began to reform the teachers' unions the last time I was on talking to you we were talking about Los Angeles and the Los Angeles teachers pushed for this bargaining for the common good framework and now the city to you has done that again they've come back to the center of the teachers' union movement where they belong because they've always been there they've brought demands around housing and they want to answer on housing they want extra funding for students that are suffering from homelessness they won extra social workers nurses the things that these students actually need to be able to go to schools and learn. You know Stacy Davis Gates you had talked about Mayor Lightfoot being a shero that she had the opportunity to be a shero How would you assess what she's done over these last 10 days. Well I would say we're disappointed that it's a constraint for her to make good on the promises that she put forth on the campaign trail I think that this serves as notice to all of us in the movement that when candidates assume our positions and our platforms and our agenda is that we can hold them accountable to making good on those things. This was never about a power struggle in fact for the last decade it is been about giving Chicago students what they deserved. And she was in a position to do it before the strike and certainly our members took it to a strike and they won those things for their students. Sarah Jaffe there is a lot of union activism going on right now not only teachers across the country but you have the g.m. Strike ended on Friday we're talking about nearly $50000.00 workers and the most significant strike against g.m. In like half a century and you have had Wednesday u.a.w. Reaching a deal with Ford talk about this. Where to begin it's it was surprising to almost everybody including some of the workers at g.m. That the union was willing to go to a strike in the 1st place they were out on strike for believe you know over 4 weeks for 60 days 40 days I'm sorry and when you look at what's going on in the country again I always start with Chicago is sort of reviving the strike but it g.m. You also saw the difference between what it looks like to have a union like the seat to you that is prepared for this that knows what they're going for that has a democratic bargaining structure a big bargaining team that is transparent it communicates with its members versus a lot of the g.m. Workers that I talked to were feeling kind of uncomfortable not sure what was going on didn't really feel the union leadership was communicating with them and are disappointed in the contract in the contract nearly didn't pass I talked to a lot of workers who are voting no on it so the question of whether you can take the kind of bargaining for a common good framework that the see to you and other teachers unions have been using and apply that to the private sector apply that to places like g.m. Where you know the u.a.w. Did build the middle class in this country the u.a.w. Bargaining has always also been for the common good but it's a little harder to take those issues of homelessness in the community for instance to the bargaining table when you are workers at an auto company an auto company that is facing major changes in its business model one of the fights at g.m. This time around was about the closure of certain plants they're talking about opening a battery plant for electric car production in the area around where the Lordstown plant was in Lordstown Ohio but those are not going to be covered jobs that are not going to be covered by the same contract they're going to be outside g.m. Wants those to be lower wage lower security jobs because that's actually the future of where the company is going so the g.m. Strike was a mixed bag still the big thing about it is that the workers were ready to stay out and you know for 4. 3 percent of the g.m. Workers were ready to continue the strike to fight for more. And the New York Times reported last year the number of workers who participated in significant strikes soared to nearly 500000 its highest point since the mid eighty's while the duration of such strikes reached a 15 year high elaborate on that Sarah and where it is what does though make the future look like. We're still nowhere near where we were before Ronald Reagan crushed the Air Traffic Controllers Union and we should remember that because that was a signal from the White House from the highest position in the land that it was open season on unions it's been now open season on union since pretty much my entire life I was born in 1900 so what we're looking at now is unions that are fighting back in the face of decades and decades of concessions decades and decades of givebacks when the public sector we're talking about fighting back after the Janice decision that made the entire public sector what we call right to work which means that they do not have to pay anything to the union to be covered by its contract despite that unions like the c 2 you have not hemorrhage members they have actually gained in strength and as we've seen they've been able to pull off really impressive strikes and win more for their births so it's the labor movement certainly not dead it's also not back at peak strength anything close to it but we're also seeing you know our industries unionizing their workers here at w.h.y. Why in Philadelphia won their union vote 2 nights ago 70 to one it's not nearly as many people as in a u.a.w. Plant but it is a sign that even sort of white collar workers are understanding that unionizing is a way that they have power on the job and that they can fight back against all sorts of things going on in this industry and finally Sarah Jaffe you just got back from London where Labor Party organizing. Is at a peak right now you have Germany more than the Labor Party leader and now saying he is challenging Boris Johnson for the prime ministership and the significance of this. The significance of this is actually related because the Labor Party somewhat like the Chicago teachers' union another of these unions that have reformed decided when it when this leadership got into power to invest in an organizing department so this is something that's easy you did this is something the United heaters Los Angeles did and now this is something that a put a major political party the biggest social democratic party in Europe has put money into so I wrote a big feature this summer about the Labor Party's community organizing unit which is doing this work on the ground around the country in marginal districts but also just in places where landlords are abusing their tenets where the in Newcastle the owner of the football team which is you know beloved by the entire community is also one of the country's biggest low wage employers and so they are taking these issues that people face every single day and saying the Labor Party cares about these and we're going to organize with you around these now and then when election time comes they're hoping that that pays off in those people feeling a connection to the Labor Party that maybe they haven't felt in their entire lifetime and want to thank you both for being with us of course we'll continue to follow the struggles in this country and around the world labor journalist Sarah Jaffe speaking to us from Philadelphia and Stacy Davis Gates executive vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union when we come back we speak to a former Gambian beauty queen who's accused the country's former dictator of rape Jell-O. Known as 2 for just testified yesterday before again be as truth reconciliation and reparations commission and then we will look at the murder of 5 indigenous activists and Colombia among them the woman known as the cow indigenous governor Christina back to East Stay with us. For. The. This is the day the scene. This is the day. This is the day at the scene of the way it. Used to drop. When me going what is. The deal. And we want to see. A long by chance the rapper featuring John Legend chance for science Saturday Night Live last weekend he was wearing a bright red sweatshirt that said See t. You Chicago teachers union This is Democracy Now I may need good men as we turn to Gambia where Gambian beauty queen he says the former president yeah Chami raped her when she was 18 years old has testified before again be as public Truth and Reconciliation Commission to giallo known as too far has become a leading voice against the former president who ruled the West African country of 2000000 people for 22 years before his regime ended in 2017 this is to 1st speaking before the commission Thursday a warning she describes the attack in graphic detail. Yeah Janick decided to. Any treat me but before he did he took. A needle from his pocket and he injected me on my am I'm not sure what it is or what it was for you I don't maybe not one. Sex made me or but I was there with me. What he wanted to do worse to hurt me what he wanted to do was to teach me a lesson what you wanted to do. Was to money Thursdays ego just like. Many of us can't believe that a girl can see know. Someone like you guys him and he's position found it very disrespectful for a 19 year old from not an elite to buy a crown or not the daughter of a president to somehow God has some kind of audacity to say no to him. That he is a man probably who hasn't had so many nor was. Mine No wasn't because of. A sense of understanding or was better off I want this to my you know it was just because I felt it was wrong that's Jhala testifying Thursday before Gambia as truth reconciliation reparations commission to other women have also come forward to accuse the former president of rape and sexual assault Human Rights Watch says that he may quote hand-picked women and girls to rape or sexually assaults while President requiring so-called protocol girls to be on call for sex Gemma denies the claims can be as true through reconciliation hearings have been live streamed across Gambia and an ongoing reckoning of the horrors committed during John May's rule including killing and disappearing hundreds of people torture and justify jailings and sexual violence against women and girls members of death squad have admitted during the hearings to killing migrants journalists and civilians during the president's reign the perpetrators of this violence have never been brought to justice including John the Himself who fled to equitorial Guinea and 2017 after losing the 2016 presidential election at 1st he refused to cede power for weeks before the leaders in the region helped arrange his exile where we go via democracy now video stream to Gambia where we're joined by 2 foot giallo along with Attorney Reed Brody of Human Rights Watch who's currently leading the prosecution of the former Gambia and dictator Yeah we welcome you both back to. Now too far can you describe how you felt yesterday as you testified not only before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Gambia but you were live streamed throughout Gambia and the world how you did this for hours yesterday in graphic detail talk about how you feel today what this meant to you why you chose to return to Gambia to make the statement. Thank you for harming me and I'd. Actually like this it has been sent it was a very difficult day as you say the hours and hours testifying and but it was necessary and it was important that it was translated in the local languages that need to complete their missiles and warheads so it's actually fulfillment and I just hope that it contributes to what brings the gentleman and he's call Alice's to justice now you made a decision to publicly testify others who have gone through terrible abuse were protected witnesses why did you decide to be so public. Are something that I have talked about that I completely understand why women decide to be protected or decide not to come up publicly we have all seen the balance and all the implications that come with it but again there is no space to what is being said it will not be taken seriously people will think of them as just tarries and not see that human beings behind these stories so I decided that I would not high behind a fear anymore and in order to back that power I have to be able to face him no matter how difficult that makes be and what kind of response have you gotten from your fellow and sister Gambians. It's been great so far of course there supporters of the president as reluctant on calling me a liar and talking but overall woman is spatially Gambian feminist a woman and Holland. Woman and a servant in the National Assembly they've really come forward to embrace this woman and to that a lot of women have come forward we've watched to see in their seen women come in there and testify again about abuses that have been coming against their bodies so it's been a very welcome into movements that I'm here and yet the composition is really a little in online and also in our communities so can you briefly describe how you are able to testify today the fact that you fled Gambia after you were raped as you describe it by the president the dictator of Gambia you have been crowned beauty queen in Gambia and then describe what happened. I mean it's been a long journey it is a beauty pageant but also more of a scholarship pageant to be sponsored to go and study abroad was the main focus of the pageantry and it's something that I took pride in and up to date I do not regret experiences or the process I was in it would solve any other really until a woman it just so happened that the president saw it as an avenue to have access to goals of young girls and we talk actions to be managed so I still wear that crown boldly and proudly as a going to be a beauty queen debility Doe about it is that I have owned my troops and a troop of other women and gone through so much healing and also much pain it took me a long time to get here but let mother and my father has been very supportive and that helps within the context of the culture that I come from and so after you were crowned beauty queen and he summoned you to the palace. Johnny and you described graphically what happened to you which you describe that he raped you then talk about how you fled the country and why you felt you needed to I mean this is in 2015 and how old were you. Oh Miles 19 years old in 2015 an hour when or even happened because it happened once I received a call again to answer to the en route in a dictatorship are already at this point in the consequences of say you know I could not hide I couldn't say no I would have been taken when I wanted to or not so I had 2 options is either to keep being used as a sex object or I run away from everything that I love and know and static in your life. 8 I didn't know where I was go into or what awaited me and the other side of the of the table but I took that chance that I would rather be in the wilderness and then be a beer story time and time again and so you escaped the country how did you escape I escaped through a taxi and pretend I went to the magic to do groceries. Just a troll whoever after was following me and then I went to my drug which is the capital and I did not in the ferry and took a bolt because it is are likely to be found on one and then I took a not a car that was transporting livestock and I sat between 2 men in front and I was wearing any carbon to hide my face and rags entity and I found myself on the other side of the border which is Senegal. And now you are residing in Canada but have returned to Gambia an image that is so graphic is people all over the country standing up and saying with signs I am too far your name and your nickname re Brody we only have a few minutes you are leading the push for the prosecution of John May your attorney with Human Rights Watch Can you talk about the significance of 2 1st testimony and where that prosecution stands today did the president respond as he is an exile and equitorial Guinea. Sure I mean to 1st testimony yesterday was the culmination of several weeks of hearings at the Truth Commission about sexual violence and you had women coming forward to talk about being raped by Japanese interior minister by jam a secret service you had a protected witness talking about this system how she was hired to be a protocol girl she was offered jobs and scholarships and when she refused to have sex with them she was fired you had a cohort Japanese head of protocol describe the same system so there was an entire system in place now and the Truth Commission as you mentioned earlier is just spewing out information about torture assassination is now rape committed by the former president who lives in exile equitorial Guinea the hope is that when the Truth Commission finishes its work it will recommend the prosecution of jam may as well those other people who who bear the greatest responsibility for the crimes of that period and that we will move from the truth process which is very important to the justice process which for for most victims is even more important than which Jamey's henchmen and hopefully g.m.a. Himself the government will seek his extradition since Jimmy has victimized not only Gambians but there was a massacre of migrants from Guyana and I Syria in Senegal and Togo and Cote d'Ivoire that there will be a regional consensus in favor of bringing Yeah yeah jam it to justice. Well I want to thank you both for being with us to fudge Gandee an attitude rape activists returning to Gambia to boldly confront her rapist on national television and Reed Brody Human Rights Watch turning We want to thank you both for being with us and your bravery too for is. Is just overwhelming I think for so many people and inspiring when we come back Colombia is reeling after 5 indigenous leaders were massacred in Calcutta earlier this week among them the woman known as the indigenous governor of Christine about Tista Now the president of Colombia has deployed over 2000 troops to the region Stay with us. Claimant calling by the Colombian American Band Maku sound system performing and democracy now studios to see the interview as well as performances of go to Democracy Now dot org I mean the good men we end today's show in Colombia where the massacre of 5 indigenous leaders in the southwestern region of Kaka Tuesday essential cool. If through Colombia the massacre unfolded one a group of men in a black vehicle reportedly opened fire on a convoy of indigenous guards and to k.o. According to the association of indigenous councils of Northern Kouka the men also fired an ambulance tending to those who were injured in the attack among the victims was Christine about Tista the chief of the semi autonomous indigenous reservation if not to k o 4 of the communities on armed guards were also killed while 6 others were wounded on Monday night just hours before being murdered Christine about the status Sentinel alarming audio recording to some of her whatsapp contacts. For months we're in the checkpoint at the headquarters and a black fan just drove by the men started shooting thank God no one was wounded but we are on high alert because there is activity here at the shelter Colombian president even Duke a vowed Wednesday to deploy 2500 troops to the region he blamed dissidents of the fark real rebel groups who oppose the country's peace accords but police have made no arrests and no suspects have been named in the massacre since the signing of the peace accords in 2016 at least $700.00 social leaders have been murdered in Colombia according to the Institute for Development and Peace Studies with Afro Colombian an indigenous activist at the forefront of the targeting will For more we're joined by Mario Mario vice dean of the School of Communications at Hofstra University award winning journalist who's extensively reported on Colombia and the region of Calcutta Welcome back to Democracy Now I went to see you lead a discussion yesterday at New York University the morning of people not only in Colombia but I mean Christine about Tista was just recently here in the United States a leader in the Indigenous community and resistance can you talk about what you understand took place in schizo No and I'm sure you're doing this this is shocking talking to the community in fact all day yesterday being in touch with folks on the ground and look we do in other parts of. There's shock there's fear there's a sense of immobilisation and that's very that's exactly the strategy is to do precisely that against indigenous movement it's shocking that it's not new and as you pointed out over $700.00 people killed and the genus and other social movement leaders killed in in. The numbers are about 200 over 200 in a slow leaders targeted. Threatened the ombudsman's office the Colombian government itself says from 2016 to 2900 over 1300 cases of threats of of cases of torture and I think 40 in the past year indigenous leaders themselves and killed directly and we've been seeing it one by one but now suddenly we see this massacre the other day and now people are paying attention to it but it's been going on consistently pretty much over the last 3 years and really for the last 10 years it's been going on as the coca cultivation continues to escalate in that area and being such a strategic location for the cocoa groups the traffickers who are trying to ship it out and get it out of the country and as you understand and try to reconstruct as you communicate with people from that region what took place well what's happening there is really a battle of territory and it's really once again the indigenous communities who for years for decades have been struggling to control their sacred territory and do it through peaceful means through the autonomy the the indigenous autonomy and authority that they have Christine about the study is representative of that of. Confronting armed groups confronting all armed groups on the armed forces themselves the state security forces but paramilitary groups guerrilla groups and narco trafficking militias small groups that are working in different ways we were talking last night with the former president of the creek the indigenous Regional Council of cocoa who's here in New York as I read Emma and he pointed out the. The big difference now than in the what was going on 3020 years ago is that in the past there was a clear definition as to who was who the community knew that these were for that matter in Fark combatants there or combatants paramilitary groups are operating and working with narco traffickers and obviously the government forces themselves now what you have is you have a whole dispersed group of fighters and armed combatants the government immediately embraced this narrative that this was far dissidents and there's a good chance that there were indeed but there's like 6 or 7 different groups that identify as far as dissident groups that basically did not take part in a negotiation that led to the signing of the peace accord in 2016 but these groups have long ties with. State security forces the fact that they were there without any interference and they were talking about very small thoroughfares where there's only one way in or out and that they were in the stub in the Can these are military checkpoints they have to go through their numbers bases and Calcutta right and this is precisely the argument that the indigenous leaders are making and when the armed forces announce that they were going to send troops there and they were going to militarize that with cooperation of the indigenous leadership the indigenous movement immediately pointed out no no no no wait a minute we're not we're not asking for any military intervention because they're there in many ways the ones who are killing us and there are plenty reports even 2 days before this particular massacre there was a report of an indigenous leader and got into that was an indigenous organizer activist who was killed and tortured by military forces and then the military itself made the argument that this was a combatant who died in combat and all the evidence shows that this is just another common common person that I want to go to an indigenous activist who was in close touch with Christina democracy now reached her Thursday night last night. Wilma a major She's also an awesome Isaak woman indigenous leader friend and colleague of Christine about Tista Villa was in Quito Ecuador when we reached her and she describes the last time she heard from Christina earlier this week. Actually you know. You know those. 2 years ago I identified with her a lot because she was a humble woman and she was a very committed woman but she also addressed the contradictions we talked about the different contradictions that were seen in our movement and they needed to open spaces for dialogue and get on the right path again as she would say we had a fluid communication via what just this Monday she added me to a whatsapp group with approximately 70 people from the north of go but mainly from the town of me or you know Google it what's. Good son has. To realize is he let the legal muster in that what sub group we circulate the information or what happens in the territory and that Monday at 1030 at night and a message saying alert we are at the light post in a van with men shooting drills by I saw that nobody in the Whites up reacted nobody asked Then I sent a message to police and asked what was happening and that if she could record an audio to circulated and that at least make an alert she send me that audio I received it at about 1030 at night and at 11 I circulated bed and she said that she was very worried that she felt very alone and that it was in her turn to patrol that region that they but that she has the authority and caretaker of the territory it was her responsibility to be there We then talked at Lake 12 at night the next day as I am here and while I am not in Colombia we had commitments and we left the night that not talk to her that morning and then the afternoon I heard the terrible news of the massacre and right now we just heard that another massacre has occurred in court. And then went on to share her message with an. Audience which for decades has funded the so-called war on drugs in Colombia and currently backs the government of right wing press and even took a joke as a woman I would as the people the processes and the movements to understand that what is happening in Colombia the war they are inflicting upon us is precisely to guarantee the reproduction of the patriarchal colonial and capitalist system to accumulate wealth there in the United States and then the last Sunday will be who is profiting with this blood with death with use Cleese men with destruction of one of the here understand that we are being subjected to war to guarantee the preservation of a system that not only exists in Korea but in different parts of the world and that the challenge we have peoples and movements is to try to see beyond this that inflicts war we need to sell it organize defend ourselves. And how Tun them is resistant on the institution which is the one that is killing us that's again Vilma a mentor and NASA Misako a woman indigenous leader from Calcutta remembering her friend special thanks to democracy and media to Cena. I be an American journalist have worked so hard on the issue of Colombia for decades there is that enormous repression and there is the resistance what is being resisted I think that's really the threat that the indigenous movement represents to the powers that be and the armed groups. Already that they pose and at the present in terms of protecting the territory in terms of the founding the land you know we're talking a green movement and Colombia the original green movement they're using their constitutional authority to protect the land and confronting actors who are who are taking advantage. From extractive industries throughout the country mining illegal mining and coca in other parts of the country to the armed groups that are involved in Arco trafficking all of those are part of the extractive philosophy that the Colombian government unfortunately notwithstanding its discourse against drug trafficking is is embracing the the government of due care when he talks about coming and sending in troops to the coca that's precisely what they want him to do militarized zone and the gate the the authority and the and the right for the indigenous communities to resist those those forces and I think that's really complicated to understand people that's why don't they want the military there the military part of the problem and unfortunately the u.s. Policy for decades has been driven by military and anti-narcotics so-called drug and drug war policies that do not take into consideration the rights of the people in terms of their interest to the movement and their rights to resist that that policy of course will continue to follow this Meirman real world winning journalist and author extensively covered Colombia and specifically Kalka among his books Colombia and the United States war unrest and destabilization and as we wrap up today's show Welcome to the World Zionist Needham and congratulations to his parents and and the.