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U.S. Breaks Record with 51,000+ New COVID Cases; Pro-Democracy Activist Nathan Law Leaves Hong Kong; U.S. COVID-19 Struggle Reveals 'Post-American World'; Brazil Nears 1.5M COVID-18 Cases as Amazon Fires Pick Up; Singer Hachalu Hundessa Buried Amid Ethnic Unrest; Hong Kong's Justice Minister is Interviewed about New Security Law; Levar Stoney, Richmond, Va., Mayor is Interviewed about Removing Confederate Statues; Miami-Dade Officer to be Terminated for Striking Woman. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired July 03, 2020 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Paula Newton.
[00:00:29]
Coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, wrong direction, U.S. marking yet another record high for coronavirus cases as President Trump insists everything is under control.
Plus, taking a stand. We'll hear from the mayor of Richmond, Virginia, on his decision to remove divisive Confederate monuments.
And a controversial law will tackle the newly-imposed national security law in a rare live sit-down interview with Hong Kong's secretary of justice. That's next.
And we begin with grim news. Another 51,000 new cases of coronavirus in the United States, another single-day record surpassing Wednesday's already high-water mark.
Now, Florida is leading the way with more than 10,000 new infections. That's also a record. The death toll here in United States is now approaching 129,000.
The numbers are just staggering. Compared to last week, infections are rising in at least 37 U.S. states. Now only Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island are heading in the right direction.
Texas is now mandating face coverings in public for about 95 percent of its residents.
Public health officials are concerned about people gathering, of course, and large groups over the July Fourth holiday weekend. Now, they don't want a repeat of Memorial Day, just over a month ago, when people flocked to bars and beaches. You'll remember the video. You can see the result in this comparison.
And President Trump still seems unconcerned. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The crisis is being handled. We have some areas where we're putting out the flames, or the fires, and that's working out well.
Now we are opening it up, and it's opening up far faster than anybody thought even possible, and more successfully.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: OK. The nation's top infectious diseases expert, meantime, Dr. Anthony Fauci, had quite a different take.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: What we've seen over the last several days is a spike in cases that are well beyond the worst spikes that we've seen. That is not good news. We've got to get that under control, or we risk an even greater outbreak in the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Dr. Fauci also told the "Journal of the American Medical Association" that it is possible to reopen businesses safely and protect people's health. But right now, the country is not going in the right direction.
Chicago, in fact, is ordering travelers from 15 states arriving in that city to quarantine for two weeks. And in south Florida, Miami- Dade County will impose -- impose a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew to stop the spread of the virus.
CNN's Nick Watt has more headlines from across the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK WATT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Masks now mandatory in every Texas county. With more than 20 cases, the governor finally gave in. In Austin, they're contemplating a radical rewind.
STEVE ADLER, AUSTIN, TEXAS MAYOR: One thing we may have to go to is to go back to a stay-at-home.
WATT: With an out date to ease the pain.
ADLER: Would they do it if they knew it was for 35 days?
WATT: Record death tolls in Arizona and the biggest testing site in the state struggling to cope. That's now a nationwide fear.
JULIE KHANI, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN CLINICAL LABORATORY ASSOCIATION: We are seeing steady and significant increases in demand for testing. We're concerned that that demand is going to exceed our current capacity. WATT: In California, they say 1 in 140 Angelenos are now infected.
MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI (D), LOS ANGELES: As early as next week, as many as 1 in 100, or even 1 in 70.
WATT: California, one of 23 states now pausing or rolling back reopening, but Florida is pushing forward, despite more than 10,000 new cases today. A record.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (D-FL): I think, kind of, some of the just easy things that you can do, I think fell down by the wayside a little bit. And now people understand, this thing doesn't just go away.
WATT: Maybe not everyone.
TRUMP: And I think we're going to be very good with the coronavirus. I think that, at some point, that's going to, sort of, just disappear, I hope.
WATT: The U.S. is now -- now -- seeing all-time record numbers of new cases -- around 50,000 a day, more than many countries have suffered during the entirety of this pandemic. In a day. And it's not just more testing.
ADMIRAL DR. BRETT GIROIR, ASSISTANT U.S. SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: : This is a real increase in cases.
WATT: And now, driven not by the elderly.
GIROIR: The current outbreak is primarily due to under 35's with a lot of gatherings, not appropriate protection like -- like masks.
WATT: Take Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have seen, over the last few weeks, parties going on in the county.
WATT: Parties to purposely spread the virus with a cash prize, one city council member says.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just think it's senseless. I think it's careless, and it makes me mad as hell.
WATT: Meanwhile, in New York City, our one-time epicenter, today there is optimism.
MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D), NEW YORK CITY: I understand parents want answers. Here are some answers. Schools will be opening in September.
WATT (on camera): And Thursday afternoon, a fairly stark instruction from Dr. Deborah Birx to anyone in Florida under the age of 40 who has been in a crowd in the past four weeks. She says even if you have no symptoms, you should now get a test.
There's a lot of talk about Florida, California, Arizona, Texas, but obviously, for a virus, state lines mean nothing. So this does not mean that the rest of the U.S. is in the clear.
Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Dr. Raj Kalsi is a board-certified emergency physician. He joins me this hour from Naperville, Illinois.
And thanks for joining us. Look, we have another day, another record. The numbers are staggering, and they're also incredibly scary. I mean, what do you fear most when you see two days in a row of cases above the 50,000 -- 50,000 people being infected?
DR. RAJ KALSI, BOARD-CERTIFIED EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN: Paula, it's a great question. What I fear most is that the fatality rates will follow like it did in the beginning of this COVID viral campaign.
So early on, COVID was effectively very deadly, compared to things like influenza which we see every year. It was a novel virus. It was a new virus. We've never seen this before.
And I worry that these surges and spikes, if it is as deadly as it was early on, then we're in for a significant problem in the next two to four weeks as we start filling up ICUs and seeing people die from this.
NEWTON: It's interesting. You know, the new shorthand around the country, especially by some of the governors, is that, look, the people who are getting it now, the average age is much lower. And they're saying everyone calm down. That means we'll have fewer hospitalizations and fewer deaths.
And while we all hope that's correct, it seems like you're saying that, look, at this point with the numbers so high, that it still poses a significant threat to everyone.
KALSI: It absolutely does. One of the things that you guys in the media are doing a great job is you're calling attention to this significant public health problem, the pandemic.
And because of that, everyone is incredibly aware when they've never, ever been aware of a viral illness or cared about a cold. They're coming to ERs, their primary doctors, to get a COVID test.
And then they're given the information that perhaps they have this virus, and then they're hopefully quarantining. So this is incredibly important thing to know whether or not you have it, even if it's young people having this illness. They are still, if they have the virus, going to spread it much more aggressively than, say, a nursing home patient who's bedbound or wheelchair-bound.
NEWTON: Yes, and that's such a good point, you know? We forget that, that they're out and about, and until they know that they have the virus, they potentially could infect so many more people.
Now, you know, there's a new study that says the way the virus has mutated, it's actually much more infectious. I think some of us have already seen the anecdotal evidence of that. Thankfully, it's not making people any sicker. But still, that information that the virus is now much more infectious, how significant is that?
KALSI: Absolutely. This will be earth-shattering news. It's truly holding up to virology, which is that, when we compare viruses like MERS and SARS-1, those incredibly deadly diseases, they kill the host, the human so quickly that that human couldn't even leave their home to go infect somebody else.
But now, in terms of virology, as a virus sort of propagates, and as more and more people get it, and the people who died from it are not around, sadly, on the planet to infect other people with the deadly strain, perhaps the less fatal virus is promoted and is the one that propagates.
NEWTON: Yes. And I guess the moral of this story is we still learn so much about this virus every day and every week. Still so much we don't know, though.
You know, Doctor, if you could take us kind of inside your world of the medical profession and the medical professionals you know, this has been a long haul for them. You know, you're working on four months. Do you worry about fatigue at this point among all of them?
[06:10:13]
KALSI: Absolutely. We are so tired. We are broken.
But Paula, we've been doing this for as long as we've been in this career, emergency medicine, the front lines. Nobody, you know, effectively took any focus on emergency medicine until you all give us the appropriate and wonderful credit that we were on the front lines, putting our lives on the line, which we -- we have done anyway.
And we knew that, if anything crazy like Ebola or this new pandemic or something more catastrophic happened, we were going to be the first ones to be exposed and putting our lives on the line.
We're tired. Also, on top of the coronavirus patients that are coming in, we're seeing droves of our typical other patients coming in. Heart attacks, trauma, people with abdominal issues, people with cancer issues, pediatric emergencies. And this is all very overwhelming at times, because we have to do so many things to precaution ourselves and protect our patients from the waiting room all the way to their disposition, either admitting to the hospital, the ICU, or being discharged home. We have to protect them from COVID. And it s taking a huge toll on us, emotionally, mentally, and physically.
NEWTON: Yes. And as you said, it's been four months, right? It's not like people have been waiting at home for medical care, and then they are now coming into the hospitals because they can wait no longer. Dr. Raj Kalsi, thanks so much for joining us. Be well.
KALSI: Thanks, Paula. You, as well. NEWTON: Now, a welcome sight, I guess, for the U.S. economy. Nearly
five million jobs were added last month, pushing the unemployment rate down to just 11 percent. Now, it is the second consecutive month of growth after more than 20
million jobs -- 20 million -- were wiped out in the United States during the coronavirus lockdown. But still, another 1.4 million Americans applied for first-time unemployment benefits just last week, and that's a bit higher than expected.
Meantime, President Trump was quick to tout the numbers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Trump: The number of unemployed Americans re-entering the labor force rose by 43 percent. And fewer workers are dropping out of the labor force than before, and the crisis is being handled.
(end video clip)
NEWTON: Now, the report comes as the U.S., though, sees of course, these massive spikes in new cases. At least 23 states have either paused or rolled back their reopening plans.
The former vice chair of the Federal Reserve says despite the silver lining in this latest jobs report, he's still worried about the economy, and he's not shy about laying blame.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAN BLINDER, FORMER VICE CHAIR, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE: It's not because the Fed's not doing its job. It's not because the treasury is not doing its job. It's because the U.S. government is not doing its job with pandemic control.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: OK. It's been just a few days since Beijing imposed its controversial national security law in Hong Kong, and the U.S. is moving forward, with new ways to try and punish China.
The Senate has unanimously approved a bill sanctioning businesses and individuals that violate Hong Kong's autonomy. It now goes to President Trump's desk for signing.
Other countries like U.K., Canada and Australia also condemned China's law, saying it will be used to target activists, journalists, and dissidents.
Pro-democracy leaders, meantime, in Hong Kong are shuttering their organizations, or, you know, leaving altogether. That is the latest news. People like Nathan Law, a prominent activist, who says he's left the city for somewhere safer.
Anna Coren is in Hong Kong, on top of all of this for me.
The sweep -- the fallout, the sweeping fallout from this law, it just continues. What can you tell us now about Nathan Law and why he says he left Hong Kong?
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Paula, it continues, because we're all beginning to really digest what this -- what this means.
For Nathan Law, he posted on social media yesterday that he has left Hong Kong. He didn't reveal his whereabouts, due to security reasons. But he said that he's going to continue fighting for Hong Kong's democracy and freedoms from abroad.
He posted this tweet: "One shall never walk alone on the right path. The July 1 crowds show once again that the fire of Hong Kongers' determination will not be easily extinguished." Extinguished, I beg your pardon. "We must sustain our resistance on all fronts."
As you say, he's the first prominent activist and former lawmaker to flee the city. Obviously, Joshua Wong, who was part of Demosisto, the political party that Nathan Law was also a part of, he quit that party on the 30th of June, and that party was then disbanded.
[00:15:06]
Shortly after, other groups have also been disbanded. People are deleting their Twitter accounts. Anyone fearing that they now may be we in -- in property of dissenting material, are really concerned.
I mean, Paula, I've spoken to protesters that I've been following for the past year. And they, themselves, said that they are truly scared, truly terrified of what the ramifications mean.
We have heard from the Hong Kong government. They say that this sign, "Liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our time," which was a slogan, really, for the democracy movement, that is now banned. That is now considered a threat to the national security law, as is the anthem, the Hong Kong anthem, which -- which protesters came up last year, "Glory to Hong Kong." The words in that alone are considered a threat to national security.
So people are truly terrified as to what the ramifications are. And from the 1st of July, Paula, 370 people were arrested in the space of hours. Hours. Police really just cracking down on these protesters who were, you know, the majority of them, were peaceful. Ten of those were arrested under the national security law. Nine have been released on bail. One is still being held by police.
But Paula, if the aim is to create fear and intimidate, well, they're certainly achieving that.
COREN: Yes, you've certainly painted a picture of that, and it really has been stunning how quickly this law has come into force. Effective force, in terms of silencing the pro-democracy movement there.
Anna Coren, thank you.
And we will have a bit more on this later in our newscast. Our Ivan Watson will be speaking with Hong Kong's justice secretary. You'll want to hear that interview.
Now, much of the developed world is getting COVID-19 under control, but as we've discussed just in the last few minutes, cases in the United States are in fact out of control. For some, it's just another reminder that we live in a, quote, "post-American world." We'll explain why.
Plus, Brazil's uphill battle against coronavirus. It's spreading, and so are fires in the Amazon. How the country is handling two disasters at once.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: China was way early. And they're getting under control just now. And Europe was way early, and they're getting it under control. We followed them with this terrible China virus. And we are, likewise, getting under control.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: OK, but here's what President Trump didn't mention there. The U.S. has now been hitting record highs when it comes to those new daily cases.
[00:20:03]
In fact, here's what the U.S. outbreak looks like compared to the E.U. It doesn't take much to figure what those lines mean. Those are spiking cases in the United States. Most of Europe, meantime, does seem to have it under control.
Now, the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic is just the latest in a long line of policies eroding allies' trust in the United States, as Nic Robertson explains now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): America's COVID-19 infection rate is putting it on an exponential path to pariah. This week, U.S. citizens barred entry from Europe, as a recent poll shows Europeans trust in Trump's America is tanking.
TRUMP: We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries.
ROBERTSON: From his inauguration, Trump's "America first" has accelerated the U.S. along a road from international respect to unreliable ally.
TRUMP: We've been talking about this for a long time.
ROBERTSON: Within days, shunning global trade deals, banning citizens of seven Muslim-majority nations from travel to the U.S.
E.U. leaders meeting in Malta soon after sounded the alarm.
On his first overseas trip at NATO H.Q., a few months later, Trump bullied his peers, manhandling one leader, yanking the hand of another, capping at all, refusing to endorse NATO's founding principle, Article 5: an attack on one, an attack on all.
(on camera): And now, three years later, concerns at NATO run so deep that some senior officials fear that, if President Trump is reelected, it could render the transatlantic alliance irrelevant.
But Trump's decision to pull 9,500 troops from Germany, without telling Angela Merkel, is emblematic of a bigger problem for the United States as an unreliable ally, and not just about NATO.
(voice-over): Whether on Syria, North Korea, trade, or NATO, he is unpredictable. Perhaps most so on China.
TRUMP: I think our relationship has never been better. We're very much involved with them right now on the virus that's going around.
ROBERTSON: In January, he backed China. By April, he wanted them castigated for failing to contain COVID-19 and withholding information.
At WHO's annual meeting in May, all of Trump's E.U. allies effectively sided with China. Sweden's former PM, an experienced global diplomat, Carl Bildt (ph), tweeted, "Observing the post-American world. A confident and assertive China with a clear strategic approach. And E.U. trying to rescue what is left of global cooperation. And a disruptive U.S. more keen on fighting China then fighting COVID-19."
Worse, Trump's own words on COVID-19. Whether on ingesting bleach.
TRUMP: By injection, inside, or -- or almost a cleaning.
ROBERTSON: Or use of the ineffective virus drug hydroxychloroquine, have rendered his opinions almost worthless.
(on camera): If COVID-19 were Trump's only crisis, U.S. allies could be more forgiving. But he has jangled so many nerves -- threatening war with North Korea, almost starting one with Iran, while, apparently, being in the thrall of dictators -- helping create an unstable global environment that they have seized upon.
(voice-over): On his watch, Russia's Putin has effectively become president for life, as has China's Xi, who has also floated international laws, snatching control of Hong Kong.
This Independence Day, the United States will be more alone than in decades. As COVID-19 spikes from state to state, old allies will be watching, helpless and transfixed, knowing that their fate is still tied to Trump.
Until the world's biggest economy recovers, everyone is at the mercy of the pandemic.
Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Now, the country reporting the most cases after the United States, as you know, remains Brazil. It is the hardest-hit country in Latin America by a long shot, and may not even have hit its peak yet.
Right now, Brazil's number of coronavirus infections is just shy of 1.5 million. Incredible. And as Shasta Darlington reports, the pandemic is far from being the country's only crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dining in front of Rio's famed shores, patrons attempt a return to normalcy, as Brazil's second largest city reopens for business.
[00:20:02]
ALINE DA SILVA, BAR MANAGER (through translator): We just opened after almost four months of being closed. Now we're coming back.
DARLINGTON: On Thursday, Rio de Janeiro entered its latest stage of reopening, allowing restaurants, bars, and cafes to accept a limited number of customers, with social distancing rules in place.
Residents can also return to the gym. Rio is joining other cities around Brazil in the phased reopening, as the world's second worst-hit country sees coronavirus cases nearing 1.5 million, with a steady increase in new daily infections.
ROBERTO MEDRONINO, RESEARCH DIRECTOR, CLEMENTINO FRAGA FILHO UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: We have the problem of people who are going to work, because the economy has been reopened. If they become infected, they will take this infection to their relatives, many of them elderly, many of them with complex health issues.
DARLINGTON: Despite warnings from experts, many regional leaders are desperate, as finances plummet and unemployment soars. Now, millions of Brazil's informal workers face a stark choice: Go to work and risk infection or go hungry.
MATIAS SANTOS, FOOD DELIVERY WORKER (through translator): We are totally exposed to the coronavirus every day, without any protection. And because companies do not deliver masks, we have to make our own masks, or buy them, and buy hand sanitizer.
DARLINGTON: As coronavirus wreaks havoc on Brazil's already fragile economy, it aggravates some of the country's chronic problems.
In the Amazon rainforest, deforestation is surging. Environmental activists warn illegal loggers and ranchers are capitalizing on less oversight, burning more land, as the pandemic stretches official resources.
That may be responsible for a jump in fires: the most, in June, since 2007. Now, fears are rising of a coming dry season, with more smoke posing respiratory dangers.
CARLOS SOZA JR., MEMBER, IMAZON (through translator): Slash-and-burn clearing of land already represents a serious health problem. If we have land clearing and COVID-19 together, this could mean catastrophic consequences for the region.
DARLINGTON: A burning Amazon also adds to threats facing indigenous populations, where COVID-19 is sweeping through communities.
Brazil's government has sent medical workers and military to help protect some isolated tribes, but the virus has already infected thousands of tribe members, and killed dozens. That's according to the government's special indigenous health service.
The indigenous population, now part of a grim milestone. On Wednesday, Brazil reached more than 60,000 coronavirus deaths.
A tribute to those victims, lit on Christ the Redeemer, Rio's famed statue, acknowledging the morbid toll of COVID-19, as the city reopens amid crisis.
Shasta Darlington, CNN, Sao Paulo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: OK. So coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, we are taking you live to Hong Kong, and our Ivan Watson -- Ivan.
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Paula.
I'm in Hong Kong's Department of Justice, and in a few minutes, I'll be interviewing the secretary of justice, Teresa Cheng, about Hong Kong's new national security live -- law. That interview will be live, after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:30:40]
NEWTON: And welcome back to our viewers around the world. I'm Paula Newton, and you are watching CNN NEWSROOM.
We go to Ethiopia now, where the country is saying good-bye to a prominent singer and activist who was shot to death. Now, for days, deadly protests have plagued the region as the shooting inflamed tensions among the country's largest ethnic group. CNN's Eleni Giokos has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A final goodbye for Ethiopian music icon and activist Hachalu Hundessa. A moment of reflection in a week filled with anger.
Hachalu was shot dead in the capital, Addis Ababa, his death sparking protests around the country. While the motive for the killing is unclear, for Ethiopians at home and abroad, he's symbolized an uncensored voice, vital to igniting political change.
Of the Oromo people, his protest lyrics shed light on the historical plight of the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, highlighting economic and political marginalization.
Awol Allo, who has documented Hundessa's role in the political landscape, says his funeral doesn't reflect the influence he's had on the country.
AWOL ALLO, SENIOR LAW LECTURER, KEELE UNIVERSITY: This is a towering musical genius that most hold so dear, and most people would have liked to see Hachalu get the proper send-off that he deserved as a national icon.
GIOKOS: Awol says his funeral was impacted by the Internet shutdown. Alp Toker, the CEO of Internet monitoring NGO Netblocks, rarely sees the scale of information blackout.
ALP TOKER, CEO, NETBLOCKS: What you're looking at, really, is total suppression of news, media, of public opinion, criticism. And it's absolute; it's total.
And all the while, you still have state media portraying certain vision, a certain image, which is aligned with the prime minister's own vision of what democracy should be. And the reality is this isn't democracy.
GIOKOS: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, also of the Oromo people, was seen as the man who would usher in a new era. He received the Nobel Peace Prize for ending a decades-long war between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
But criticism towards him has escalated. Some say his efforts to reverse ethnic tensions at home have been slow.
In a live broadcast, Ahmed condemned the killing of Hundessa. He also spoke of the continued persecution of the group.
ABIY AHMED, ETHIOPIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): What our enemies want is that we don't finish the work that we've started. That the Oromo people, for this reason fight, are killed, that blood is spilled, that the journey that we've started gets derailed.
GIOKOS: A fight that Hundessa took on in 2015 through songs like "Maalan Jira," which means "What Existence is Mine?"
ALLO: The changes that happened in Ethiopia wouldn't have happened without Hachalu's consequential role.
GIOKOS: Further fanning frustrations is the indefinite postponement of national elections due to the pandemic.
A man with the ability to draw hundreds of thousands of fans into a stadium, whose voice echoed during times of change. Now a somber goodbye.
Eleni Giokos, CNN, Johannesburg. (END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: In Hong Kong now, where police say nine of the 10 people arrested under China's new security law are out on bail. One of them is a 15-year-old girl.
Now, they were arrested Wednesday as tens of thousands of people turned out to protest the controversial new law. A government spokesperson says the 10 protesters were suspected of, quote, "inciting or abetting others to commit secession," saying they were, waving flags and chanting pro-independence slogans.
Now, the new law criminalizes anything that Beijing decides is subversion, secession or terrorism. And activists fear that means any type of free or dissident speech.
Our CNN's Ivan Watson is live with us in Hong Kong for much more on the new law and how it will be implemented.
[00:35:00]
Ivan, good to see you.
WATSON: Good to see you, Paula.
That's right. I'm in the Department of Justice of Hong Kong, and I'm now joined by the secretary of justice, Teresa Cheng.
Thank you very much. And you're going to help explain some of this national security law for our audience.
I guess the rollout of this important piece of legislation, which your chief executive has described as the most important development for the relations between Hong Kong and mainland China in 23 years, was highly symbolic. It was written behind closed doors in Beijing, circumventing Hong Kong's elected legislature. The contents of the law were announced right before it went into force Tuesday night.
What kind of message do you think Beijing was trying to send to Hong Kong's population by imposing this law on the public this way?
TERESA CHENG, HONG KONG JUSTICE MINISTER: Well, I guess one has to bear in mind that, of course, the national security law is one of the most important thing that any -- any state would do. That's part of the exercise of a sovereign right.
So I think going through what Hong Kong has gone through in the past year in particular and, of course, for 23 years, we haven't been able to legislate timely (ph) national security legislations. The central authority see the need of having something that will ensure that the territorial integrity, the sovereignty, as well as the unity of the state, is preserved.
And of course, very importantly, a message to the world, and of course to Hong Kong that the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong is going to be maintained. Because once these laws are enacted, as they are now, people will then be able to be more vigilant about ensuring that no such activities that's going to affect the sovereignty is going to arise. And therefore, the national security is preserved. Prosperity and stability comes as a matter of course.
WATSON: I might add that the -- it's been three days since the new law has gone into effect. Your government has banned the independence flag for Hong Kong. It has banned the slogan "Revolution in Our Time. Liberate Hong Kong."
Are you also going to ban songs, like the "Glory to Hong Kong" anthem that has been popular for protesters?
CHENG: Well, I guess using the word "ban" is a little bit too broad.
What I think is important is that certain words and certain phrases connote certain meetings that people will have to understand. And people would understand independence of Hong Kong as something that is naturally affecting the -- the unity of this nation, and the unity of the state. And therefore, understanding the meaning of those words is one thing.
The important thing, when we are talking about the national security law, is to ensure that the acts that is going to affect and -- the separating Hong Kong from China, or changing the legal status of Hong Kong, is going to be -- is going to be taking place.
And that's -- those are the actions that are being criminalized, and actions have to be taken.
So when you say the word "banning" certain phrases, I think that's not entirely accurate, because one has to look at the whole context of the evidence, and how things happened, and how those words were chanted, and what was the intent behind. And everything together with the evidence and the law before anything can be criminalized.
WATSON: Will the commemoration of the June 4 Tiananmen Square massacre, the June 4 museum here in Hong Kong, will that be allowed in the future under this national security law?
CHENG: Anything is -- First of all, I think it's important to bear in mind that, in the national security law, as well as now basic law, we reiterate the importance of preserving the rights and freedoms of people in Hong Kong. And so that is still going to be very much a core of our flow and values here in Hong Kong. So that's not going to change.
So when people ask, will that happen, or will that be allowed in the future? I think it all has to be put in context. If it doesn't violate any of the provisions in the national security law, and indeed, any other laws that are in Hong Kong, there is no reason why people do not continue to enjoy exactly the same freedoms and rights that they have enjoyed all these years.
WATSON: You know, the law also calls for more supervision and more regulation of foreign organizations here and foreign media, such as CNN. I wonder, will that extend to places of worship? Churches, synagogues, mosques, the Falun Gong movement here, organizations that have connections outside of Hong Kong, and outside of mainland China. Will they be told what to do more?
CHENG: Well, again, I go back to the point that the freedoms that are enshrined in the laws in Hong Kong are still going to be respected and protected. So, the religious freedom, that you can choose your -- your religion is something that we cherish in Hong Kong, and that's why it's not going to be affected in any way.
[00:40:07]
As to, again, whether a particular organization is going to be affected, it all depends whether they are committing any of those acts which are prohibited.
And these are not acts that any normal activities would be infringing on. So the fear of, well, will it affect news organizations, or other international bodies, or other foreign bodies in Hong Kong? I think we have to be very clear that that's -- that is not going to change.
Hong Kong will remain an international city for international businesses, international media to come and carry out their activities as normal.
So, that's -- none of -- none of what is happening in the national security law is going to change that. And wnicaragua Nicaraguae are very proud to remain a very international city and respecting the business environment, as well as the freedoms that CNN, for example, is enjoying here.
WATSON: The United Kingdom has objected to this, saying that it's a violation of international treaties. They're welcoming British overseas passport holders, in the hundreds of thousands, for a path to citizenship to the United Kingdom.
What's your position on that invitation?
CHENG: Well, I -- first of all, I love Hong Kong. I love China, and I think most people here do. So I would say that that's usually the first consideration. Where do they find as a place for home? So that's, I think, my first reaction as any individual.
Then the second question, I think, is what does one do when another -- another foreign state takes certain actions?
Now, I think it has to go back to some very important international legal principles, because one of the very important principles in international law, and in fact, declared in the U.N. in 1970, and then reiterated by the ICJ in the Nicaragua versus the United States of America case on the principle of non-intervention, meaning that you don't exert coercion or other ways in which to change or to pressure another state to change their internal affairs, economic policy, or their internal matters.
So, if any of the actions that has taken place by foreign states is taken with a view to careers or pressure or influence China in exercising their sovereign rights, in legislating for national security law, I think one has to be very careful, and it verging on breaching international legal principles. And I'm sure civilized nations would not do that.
WATSON: Do you think a majority of the population supports this law here in Hong Kong?
CHENG: I think they do. I really think they do. Because it's -- this --
WATSON: You know, one of the problems is that popular opinion polls show your chief executive is very unpopular, and that China's policies here in Hong Kong are deeply unpopular.
There was no effort to pass a referendum to get any mandate of popular support for this. This was imposed on the people here.
So, it's hard to claim that a majority of the population supports this, especially if opposition activists are closing down their political offices out of fear right now, and clearing their history of social media.
CHENG: Right, there's a whole number of questions there.
WATSON: Sure.
CHENG: Let me start with them, and I think it's important to bear in mind where I started just now, that as national security is the sovereign right. And in fact, for every state that is one of the most important things. For every national, and in particular in Hong Kong as I said, we're very -- a very international city. We -- we look at people here as Hong Kong residents who come from all of the world. They still have an allegiance to Hong Kong, because, you know as a matter of common law, there is a concept of temporary allegiance, as well.
But they all love Hong Kong as a home. They all want Hong Kong to be stable and prosperous. They all want to move forward from the difficult times that we had last year.
The national security law will give us just that environment for us to calm down, stop all that. And one other thing that has to be observed -- and it's worth mentioning -- that there is no retrospective effect. So in other words, it's a clean break. Everybody now knowing what should not take place.
WATSON: A fresh start.
CHENG: A fresh start.
WATSON: And there have been at least 10 arrests under this new law.
Madam Secretary, we're running out of time. Thank you very, very much.
This is the secretary of justice for Hong Kong, Teresa Cheng, explaining this new law to our audience. Back to you, Paula.
HANCOCKS: And thank you, Ivan. A lot to parse there, and we'll continue to go through that interview, certainly shedding some light on what the thinking is behind the new law.
Ivan Watson for us, live in Hong Kong. We will be right back with much more news in a moment.
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[00:46:54]
NEWTON: A crowd in Richmond, Virginia, there cheering the removal of a statue of a Confederate general. Now, the mayor is using his emergency powers to have Confederate statues removed. They're being put into storage while the city council reviews his decision.
Now, demonstrators have toppled monuments and statues they consider racist during Black Lives Matter protests. U.S. President Donald Trump has deemed the monuments an important part of the country's heritage.
But polls indicate an increasing number of Americans support removing them from public spaces.
Joining me now is the mayor of Richmond, Virginia, Levar Stoney.
And I want to thank you, Mayor, for being with us. Here's the thing, this is a lot of monuments, a lot of history. They've been up in Richmond, Virginia, for decades. Why now? Why is it important now?
MAYOR LEVAR STONEY (D), RICHMOND, VIRGINIA: Well, first, you know, thank you, Paula, for having me, this -- to be able to chat with you about this.
And I want to begin by saying that, you know, for the last 34 days, my city has experienced social and civil unrest. We've had over 139 calls for service, emergency calls, to this area of Monument Avenue, and so it's become a public safety hazard, really.
And I'm the emergency management director for the city of Richmond, and so I thought it's my No. 1 responsibility to protect life and property. But beyond that, I also would say that it's time. You know?
These monuments have stood for more than 100 years. They have been a shadow over our city, even after the end of the Civil War, and that burden has been carried by a number of my black and brown residents from generations.
And so the right thing to do is to remove these monuments, and we're going to put them in temporary storage. But we're going to remove these monuments because, you know, they stand for symbols of division and for bigotry. And we're not that city any longer. And we're the capital for compassion and for equity. And that's we want to be moving forward. NEWTON: And the counterpoint, as you know, because you've heard it so
many times. This is history. And I noticed a little nuance in the attitude of Joe Biden the other day, as well. He seemed to indicate, well, we've got to move them over to a museum.
What do you think of that attitude?
STONEY: Well, you know, we have a process that we're going to really go. The Commonwealth of Virginia, the General Assembly here in Virginia passed a piece of legislation that said that the community and the members of the city council here will have a choice on where these monuments will go.
I'm likely to hear from a number of battlefields or museums who would like to take this into their ownership, and we will consider that.
I do believe that people should know their history. People should know from whence -- from where we were, where we were, and how we got there. So I'm open to museums being the future home of this. But I don't believe -- they should not be glorified on grand boulevards in -- in the middle of different cities. I just don't believe in that.
[00:50:05]
NEWTON: And viscerally, how do you think people of color, people like yourself, in Richmond or from all over the world, will feel now, when they can be on those avenues and not have those statues staring down at them?
STONEY: For me, I've never visited any of these statues. People say there's a Civil War -- there's Civil War tourism, that people want to come and flock to cities like Richmond because of these monuments.
But as a resident of the city of Richmond, I've never visited these monuments, because why would I? As a black man, why would I ever appear at the Robert E. Lee statue or the Stonewall Jackson statue?
I mean, these are individuals who wanted me in chains, in bondage, and never wanted me to be educated or even hold an elected office. So why would I ever visit?
So I think, moving forward, we can build a city that is focused on compassion, a city focused on unity, a city focused on atonement and reconciliation. And that's what we plan to do, working with our community.
NEWTON: Mayor, you've had a tough few weeks. How have you been able to lead people in your community, especially people in your community who have been marginalized for so long who are really hurting? What do you do to kind of lead them so that they have hope and don't feel the despair?
STONEY: Hey, there's -- there's a lot of anxiety out there about what's around the corner. We've been dealing with the pandemic. We have an economic downturn, and now we have -- we've had social unrest. There's a lot of anxiety, and there's a lot of fear. They don't know what's coming around the next corner.
My job is to do what's right. That's the best thing I think any leader can do right now is doing what's right. What's in their gut and what's in their heart, most of all.
And I think right now, doing what's right and what's actually in the -- in the case of public safety is the removing these monuments. And so all I can do is lead and do the best I can with the best of my ability towards what's right for my city. And that's what I plan to do moving forward.
NEWTON: Some people would say removing the statues, though, is just a start. A very beginning. What do you hope comes after, because it certainly feels like this could be an inflection point for the United States?
STONEY: That is right. Remember, this is the former capital of Confederacy. The removal of these monuments officially mean that we are the former capital confederacy.
We've held that title now for over 155 years, roughly. But we're -- we were never the official former capital of the Confederacy until we removed these Confederate symbols. Now, we are.
Now moving forward, this is a moment for healing, I think. But it's also a moment for us to redesign and design a future that I think is more inclusive, more equitable for those who have been marginalized.
And so, I'm going to lead in that way to ensure that those who have been marginalized for too long for generations can actually live here and be -- we can be the capital for opportunity for all those residents, as well.
NEWTON: I'm sure the residents of your city like the sound of that, and we wish you the best of luck, certainly, as the city goes on to the future, and obviously, gets over the pandemic, first and foremost.
Mayor Stoney, thanks so much for your time.
STONEY: Thank you, Paula.
NEWTON: Great conversation. Thank you.
Now police officials say an officer will be terminated for an ugly incident at Miami International Airport Tuesday. Now, the officer hit a woman during an argument with racial overtones. U.S. correspondent Dianne Gallagher picks up the story from there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Way too excessive force is the way that the Miami-Dade mayor described this video that you're seeing here.
Now that officer, Miami-Dade Police Officer Anthony Rodriguez, has been relieved from duty. But you could see in there that the woman began shouting at him.
She says to him, "You're not black. Why are you acting white?"
And then he strikes her in the face.
Now, look, according to the Police Benevolent Association, well, that's something called a diversionary strike. It's an open-handed slap, they say. And they pointed out that, in their view, the woman was the aggressor in this situation.
But the mayor of Miami-Dade said that's not the way that he took that video.
MAYOR CARLOS GIMENEZ (R), MIAMI-DADE COUNTY: Obviously, it was uncalled for. And, you know, we -- I need to apologize, we need to apologize to -- to the lady that -- that was struck by the officer. The excessive use of force cannot be condoned, and action will be taken. And swift action will be taken, you know, against this officer.
GALLAGHER: The state's attorney's office has said that it is already investigating. Again, the officer was relieved of duty. However, they are in the process of obtaining all of the body camera footage, as well as interviewing witnesses and the victim herself.
Dianne Gallagher, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: OK, and switching gears here, we have your work from home moment. Two moms doing TV interviews, live ones, found out just how tough it can be when working from home with kids during the pandemic. Tell me about it.
[00:55:08]
On Wednesday, both of their children interrupted them in two separate interviews on the BBC and Sky News. Look for yourself.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIAN FRASER, BBC NEWS: OK, so, obviously --
SCARLETT WENHAM, DR. CLARE WENHAM'S DAUGHTER: What's his name?
DR. CLARE WENHAM, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF GLOBAL HEALTH POLICY, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: Shh.
S. WENHAM: I need his name already.
FRASER: Do stop me if you need to crack on. Do tell us.
C. WENHAM: No, I'm doing -- shh.
S. WENHAM: What's his name?
FRASER: My name is Christian. S. WENHAM: What's his name?
WENHAM: His name is Christian.
S. WENHAM: Christian?
FRASER: Yes.
S. WENHAM: I'm just deciding where it can go and where Mommy wants it to go.
FRASER: Right, where does Mommy want you to go?
S. WENHAM: Where do you want this to go?
C. WENHAM: I think just on that shelf is great. Thank you. I'm so sorry.
FRASER: This is the most informative interview I've done all day.
DEBORAH HAYNES, FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, SKY NEWS: -- David Cameron was talking about -- oh, I'm really sorry. That's my son arriving. Sorry, really embarrassing. Sorry.
Hold on one second.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I have two biscuits?
HAYNES: Yes, you can have two biscuits.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Well,, if only a biscuit would solve problems in my house. It's always the dog. They're always playing with the dog.
Now, later in a tweet, that Sky News correspondent confirmed, in fact, her son got his snack. And we're happy for him, and he had those very high-stakes negotiating skills. Of course, I would call it blackmail, but you know, that's just me.
I am Paula Newton, and this is CNN NEWSROOM. And we will be right back in a moment.
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