Portside

In June the Japanese island of Okinawa saw one of the biggest demonstrations in two decades, involving at least 50,000 people who protest against heavy US military presence after a local woman was murdered by an ex-Marine and a string of other incidents.

No one should take what Donald Trump stands for this election year less seriously because the man with the bouffant hairdo is the most fragile of creatures, and that the illusion of a campaign he had so singlehandedly created might dissolve at any moment. He may not be ultimate messenger; serious human being or candidate; but those he’s rallied to his side couldn’t be more human, serious, or needy. The messenger might not last; the message is another story entirely.

As the Pentagon prepares to lift a ban on transgender people serving in the military, Lily Zheng calls for a more radical "transgender rights" movement outside of assimilationist rhetoric and policies.

Thousands of people have reached out over the past week to connect with SURJ and find ways to move into action against police violence and for racial justice. Below is a statement from SURJ’s leadership in light of the 136 murders of Black people by police this year and the shooting in Dallas last night.

Native American cooking has all the makings of a culinary trend, but it’s been limited by many diners’ unfamiliarity with its dishes and its loaded history.

Do police in the US keep anyone safe and secure other than the very wealthy? How do history and global context explain recent police killings of young Black people in the US? What alternative ways might there be to keep communities safe? These are questions explored in Truthout's first print collection, Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? Police Violence and Resistance in the United States.

The working women’s group 9to5 developed innovative ways for women to talk about their experiences in the workplace, in a way that was safe and encouraging. 9to5 showed that more than just presenting facts, good organizing also required creating spaces for workers to discuss their feelings.

One of the most compelling undercurrents of the show is how it's developed a kind of “against the grain” feminism with its female characters. This came to a head in Season 6, arguably Game of Thrones' most feminist season yet.

What was intended to be a rule protecting workers’ rights has been stopped from taking effect by a judge’s order that was solely focused on the rights of union-busters.

On both sides of the English Channel, politics should now be directed at understanding how, in a democracy, the political establishment could have done so little to address the concerns of so many citizens. Every EU government must now regard improving ordinary citizens’ wellbeing as its primary goal. More neoliberal ideology won’t help.