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While celebrating the Africa Day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed Russias commitment to offer support and participate in the sustainable development processes in Africa. In a videoconference held May 28 with local and foreign media, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, highlighted the history behind the establishment of the Africa Day, which is observed as an annual holiday symbolizing the desire of the peoples of the African continent to peace, independence and unity.

According to her, the close nature of friendly ties with African countries, the significant experience of mutually beneficial cooperation dates back to the early 1960s, when the Soviet Union unconditionally supported the desire of Africans to free themselves from colonial oppression. It provided them with substantial practical assistance in shaping the foundations of statehood, establishing national economies, and preparing civilian and military personnel.

In recent years, however, African countries have been actively gaining weight and influence in international affairs, are increasingly participating in solving pressing issues of modern world politics and economics, she said.

The creation of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was one of the appreciable results of the first Russia-Africa Summit held last year, Zakharova noted, and expressed hope that the mechanism of partnership between Russia and the African continent created during the summit will allow to establish and broaden cooperation.

Looking Back

Under the current circumstances, African leaders and business elites try, most importantly, to reflect on how far Africa has gone in building a unified identity and strides made in socio-economic development. These socio-economic developments in some individual countries were achieved by harnessing internal resources and through bilateral and multilateral relations with external countries and cooperation with development partners.

For example, Soviet Union and Africa had very close and, in many respects, allied relations with most of the African countries during the decolonization of Africa. For obvious reasons, the Soviet Union ceased to exist in 1991.

As a result, Russia has to struggle through many internal and external difficulties. For the past few years, it has been struggling to survive both the United States and European sanctions. Moscow still has a long way to catch-up with many other foreign players there in Africa.

Currently, Russia seems to have attained relative political and economic stability. As we regained our statehood and control over the country, and the economy and the social sphere began to develop, Russian businesses began to look at promising projects abroad, and we began to return to Africa, noted Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov early September during his interaction with students and staff of Moscow State Institute for International Relations.

Emphasizing that the process of returning to Africa has been ongoing for the past 15 years, he further explained: the return is now taking the form of resuming a very close political dialogue, which has always been at a strategic and friendly level, and now moving to a vigorous economic cooperation. But economic cooperation is not as far advanced as our political ties.

With this understanding, Dmitry Medvedev, while addressing the Russia-Africa Economic forum in July, also added his voice about strengthening cooperation in all fronts. We must take advantage of all things without fail. It is also important that we implement as many projects as possible, that encompass new venues and, of course, new countries, he said.

In addition, Medvedev stressed: It is important to have a sincere desire. Russia and African countries now have this sincere desire. We simply need to know each other better and be more open to one another. I am sure all of us will succeed if we work this way. Even if some things seem impossible, this situation persists only until it is accomplished. It was Nelson Mandela who made this absolutely true statement.

Acknowledging undoubtedly that Africa has become a new world center for global development, Russian legislators at the State Duma (the lower chamber) have advocated for supporting business and economic cooperation with Africa. Thus as a step forward, State Duma has established relations with African parliaments.

During an instant meeting held with the Ambassadors of African countries in the Russian Federation, Viacheslav Volodin, the Chairman of the State Duma, remarked: We propose to move from intentions to concrete steps. Our people will better understand each other through parliamentary relations. The full transcript is available on the official website.

Moving Forward

On April 29, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), a powerful Russian NGO that focuses on foreign policy, held an online conference with participation of experts on Africa. Chairing the online discussion, Igor Ivanov, former Foreign Affairs Minister and now RIAC President, made an opening speech. He pointed out that Russias task in Africa is to present a strategy and define priorities with the countries of the continent, build on the decisions of the first Russia-Africa Summit.

On the development of cooperation between Russia and African countries, Igor Ivanov pointed out a few steps here: Russias task is to prevent a rollback in relations with African countries. It is necessary to use the momentum set by the first Russia-Africa Summit. First of all, it is necessary for Russia to define explicitly its priorities: why are we returning to Africa? Just to make money, strengthen our international presence, help African countries or to participate in the formation of the new world order together with the African countries? Some general statements of a fundamental nature were made at the first Summit, now it is necessary to move from general statements to specificity.

Sergey Lavrov, long ago, asked for more substantive dialogue on Russia-Africa issues, and chart ways for effective cooperation. In an interview with the Hommes dAfrique, he stressed time is needed to solve all those issues, but it could start with experts meetings, say, within the framework of the St Petersburg Economic Forum or the Valdai forum, and other events where business leaders of both countries participate.

Experts from the think-tank Valdai Discussion Club, academic researchers from the Institute for African Studies and independent policy observers have noted Russias policy, its current achievements and emerging economic opportunities and possibilities for partnerships in Africa. Quite interestingly, majority of them acknowledged the need for Russia to be more prominent as it should be and work more consistently to achieve its strategic goals, comparing and citing largely unfulfilled pledges over the years.

Established in 2004, its (the club) primary goal is to promote dialogue between Russia and the rest of the world. It hosted an expert discussion titled Russias Return to Africa: Interests, Challenges, Prospects with participation of experts on Africa. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Africa Department were present.

I would like to begin my speech with the words of Foreign Minister (Sergey Lavrov), who said, referring to the current situation: No more fairy tales, joked Oleg Ozerov from the Africa Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. For us, Africa is not a terra incognita: the USSR actively worked there, having diplomatic relations with 35 countries. In general, there are no turns, reversals or zigzags in our policy. There is consistent development of relations with Africa.

Over the past few years, contacts between Russia and Africa have expanded, and at the same time, this was also due to the African countries interest in Russia, he added. Nevertheless, Oleg Ozerov is now Ambassador-at-Large with the key responsibility for expediting work on the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum created at the initiative of African participants during Sochi summit.

As Head of the Secretariat, the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, his task is to prepare for the second Russia-Africa summit in 2022 in pursuance of the agreements, achieved during the first Russia-Africa summit held on October 23-24 in Sochi. The Secretariat of the Forum will also organize annual political consultations of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the troika of the African Union.

In 2010-2017, Ozerov served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Saudi Arabia, concurrently from 2011-2017, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

In conclusion, worth to say Russia sees Africa as a key potential partner in the vision for a multipolar world order, and for now, it is well-known that strengthening ties with African countries is among Russias foreign policy priorities. But, much has to be done to change image, perceptions and the old narratives.

The symbolic Russia-Africa Summit was the result of President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin authorities progressive steps taken to move toward a new phase in consolidating political and economic ties broadly at the state levels with Africa. The final declaration, joint declaration, seeks to consolidate the results of the summit. It has undoubtedly reaffirmed the goals of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

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Libertarian Perspective to the Pandemic and the Biopolitics of Survival - Modern Diplomacy

During recent months of unrest over coronavirus shutdowns and deaths of unarmed Black Americans in police custody, a right-wing extremist group aimed at overthrowing the government has been growing, experts say.

The "boogaloo" movement named for a 1980s breakdancing movieand characterized by members whocarry weapons andwear Hawaiian shirtsand tactical gear looks to exploit unrest in order to start a second civil war.

But there are various facets to the loosely organized group: One generally stems from its original ties to neo-Nazis andwhite supremacists, while a newer facet is libertarian.

"There's a lot of overlap and the boundary is blurry because they both evolved together," said Alex Newhouse, digital research lead at Middlebury Institute's Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism. "It is very difficult to know if the 'boogaloo boi' you see standing in the middle of the street at a protest is there in solidarity or to incite violence."

Antifa, explained: What is antifa and what does the movement want?

While the full groupis not expected to perform large-scale attacks, individual actors are more likely to initiate violence, Newhouse said.

Here's what to know about the boogaloo movement.

A member of a far-right movement, known as Boogaloo Bois, walks next to protesters demonstrating outside a police department in Charlotte, North Carolina. May 28, 2020(Photo: LOGAN CYRUS, AFP via Getty Images)

The boogaloo meme began emerging in both white power and antigovernment spaces online in the early 2010s, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

"In both of these communities, 'boogaloo' was frequently associated with racist violence and, in many cases, was an explicit call for race war," the SPLC said.

Recent events play into the group's hands, said Devin Burghart, executive director of the NationalInstitute for Research and Education on Human Rights.

They believe that in this current moment, the chaos that surrounds us is signaling the potential for an impending second civil war which, believe it or not, they are hoping for because they believe that will rid the United States of all its problems, Burghart told USA TODAY.

There are mainly two wings of the boogaloo movement, but their objective of overthrowing the government and sparking societal collapse remains the same, Newhouse said.One side is made up of some neo-Nazis andwhite supremacists, whose plan fordestroying the government is by starting a race war.

"They want to spark some sort of confrontation that will kill both sides," Newhouse said."They believe, 'If we start the bullets flying, then they'll kill each other' sort of thing," with no regard for who lives or dies.

Another side is characterized as radical libertarian, notablymen carrying weapons and wearingHawaiian shirts. Some have recently beenspotted at Black Lives Matter protests, waving anti-police signs alongside protesters, Newhouse said.

They believe in defending the rights of individuals against the government and have been known to incite violence against police.

Nazis used red triangles to mark political prisoners. That symbol is why Facebook banned a Trump reelection campaign ad.

The libertarian side of the movementbecomes enraged when referred to as a "white supremacist group," said JJ MacNab, research fellow at George Washington Universitys Program on Extremism. She said there are some Black and Hispanic members.

"The earlier boogaloos were white supremacist," MacNab said."The ones that came later did not inherit that side of the belief system. Most of them arent even aware of white supremacy in subsets of the movement until they read it in the newspapers. A vast majority on Facebook are adamantly against it."

The boogaloo bois' relationship to antifa left-leaning, anti-racist groups that monitor and track the activities of neo-Nazis is murkier. The libertarian side of the movement is split between members who see antifa as communists, whom they want to dissociate from, and members who see them as "brothers-in-arms," MacNab said.

The "boogaloo" name isa code word for the second civil war and came from the 1984 movie "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo," according to Associated Press.The film is about breakdancing teens battling to save their local community center from corrupt politicians and corporate development.

Sam Firstenberg, director of the cult classic, told The Hollywood Reporter that the "Electric Boogaloo" began as a meme on the internet. "In the last 10 years or so, it became equal with the word 'sequel,'" Firstenberg said, in conjunction with the second civil war the boogaloo movement aspires to create. "Civil War 2: Electric Boogaloo" began popping up on message boards, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Boogaloo bois often wear Hawaiian shirts, body armor and carry weaponry or tactical gear.

The shirts come from the popular term in boogaloo internet spaces, "Big Luau," from the tradition of luau pig roasts, which boogaloo bois are drawn to because their common reference to police as "pigs," experts with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies say.The "Big Luau" is another code used to describe the fall of society.

Ties to boogaloo: Grand jury indicts 3 men on terror charges over Las Vegas protest plot

In Wisconsin: Young white men with long guns at George Floyd protests likely affiliated with far-right group Boogaloo

The movement,which stemmed from memes in social media pro-gun groups, has been organized through Facebook, Reddit and YouTube.The Tech Transparency Project, a public research and data initiative, identifiedroughly125 Facebook groups relatedto the movement, more than half of which were created between February and April and had recently attracted tens of thousands of members.

"Online extremists are using Facebook to plan and organize for a militant uprising in the United States as they cast coronavirus lockdowns as a sign of rising government suppression," according to a Tech Transparency Projectinvestigation.

Facebook has taken steps to limit the groups. In May, the social media company banned the use of the term boogaloo and related words when they accompany pictures of weapons and calls to action. Later, Facebook said it would no longer recommend such groups to members of similar associations.

Members of the Boogaloo Movement attend a demonstration Saturday at the State House in Concord, N.H., against the lockdown over concerns about the spread of COVID-19.(Photo: Michael Dwyer/AP)

During the coronavirus lockdowns, "something changed," MacNab said.

"It put a pressure on (the boogaloo movement)that I've never seen before. I saw (online) rhetoricthrough the roof on killing cops," she said.

This month, an Air Force sergeant, whoprosecutors claim has ties to boogaloo, faces murder charges in the deaths of a California sheriff's deputy and a federal security officer. He also is accused of wounding five other law enforcement officers.

In March, a Missouri man with ties to neo-Nazis was shot and killed when FBI agents tried to arrest him. Timothy Wilson, 36, was planning to bomb a hospital in the Kansas City area on the day that a stay-at-home order was scheduled to take effect, authorities said. Wilson told an undercover FBI agent that his goal was to kick-start a revolution and referred to his plans as operation boogaloo, according to an agents affidavit.

In May,three alleged boogaloo members were arrested on terrorism-related charges in what federal prosecutorssay was a conspiracy to spark violence during protests in Las Vegas over reopening businessesand George Floyd's death. Authorities allege the three white men filled gas cans and made Molotov cocktails in glass bottles and were headed to a Black Lives Matter protest, according to a copy of the criminal complaint.

"Violent instigators have hijacked peaceful protests and demonstrations across the country, including Nevada, exploiting the real and legitimate outrage over Mr. Floyds death for their own radical agendas," saidNicholas A. Trutanich, U.S. attorney for the district of Nevada.

More: Men tied to 'boogaloo' movement conspired to spark protest violence in Las Vegas, feds say

Contributing:Ed Komenda,Reno Gazette Journal

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The boogaloo movement is gaining momentum. Who are the boogaloo 'bois' and what do they want? - USA TODAY

We think that no matter what happens with the District 1 county commissioner race we should be prepared for a recount.

As of Tuesday night, challenger and recent Douglas County arrival Danny Tarkanian was up 12 votes on Commissioner Dave Nelson.

Over the past week, the daily counts showed Nelson ahead by margins not much larger.

To put the margin in perspective, it is a tenth of a percent of the 11,900 voters who cast a ballot in this election. It definitely confirms that while not every vote makes a difference every time, the potential is always there.

Whether Nelson is re-elected doesnt change the fact that a very different board of commissioners will be in charge in January.

Walt Nowosads lead hasnt changed much since Election Day, which means he will likely be taking a seat on the board. And while Mark Gardner has recognized he still has to win in November, the odds are heavily against his Libertarian opponent in that race.

Steve Thaler used to refer to the majority on the Board of Commissioners as the power of three, and thats a blunt, but accurate reflection, of how the board has worked over the past while.

We suspect that means anyone who has plans in Douglas County requiring action by commissioners will be rushing those over the next six months, and then will hunker down until the pendulum swings the other way.

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Close vote goes to the wire | RecordCourier.com - The Record-Courier

UNITED KINGDOM-UNITED STATES

British universities fear that the loss of tens of thousands of Chinese students next year will lead to gaping holes in their budgets, after a survey by the British Council found that only a quarter of those intending to study in the UK were still going ahead.

According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the number of Chinese students studying at British universities rose above 120,000 for the first time last year, up from 89,000 in 2014-15. Their tuition fees are a key source of income.

Clearly, though, for those coming to Western universities to study, there will be a challenge: rising Sinophobia. My PhD thesis focused on Islamophobia in the university context. It concluded that the media exerts an enormous impact on the rise of Islamophobia on campuses. Now is the time to talk about the Sinophobia and racism that has re-emerged due to the media coverage of the coronavirus.

The excessive media coverage of the coronavirus incites Sinophobia and racism that have real, harmful consequences for current and future Chinese and Asian students in universities.

Sinophobia in the US

In the early days of the US response to the pandemic, President Donald Trump intentionally and incessantly labelled COVID-19 the Chinese virus. This language, from the most powerful individual in the world, was the most dangerous example of scapegoating for political purposes, says Gordon H Chang, a professor of American history at Stanford University.

The Columbia Daily Spectator reported that Chinese and Asian students have recently been the target of racist discrimination, including a hateful message in Butler Library and the nametags of two Chinese students, which were affixed to a suite door to identify the residents living there, had been burned in late January in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

A recent Pew Research Center poll showed that about 60% of Americans have an unfavourable view of China. This is an increase of 13% since 2018, according to Pew, and is the highest unfavourability rating since the poll began.

UK-based Sinophobia

Sadly, anti-Chinese sentiment has been soaring in the UK too. Actually, British Sinophobia has been around for a long time, including during the 1919 anti-Chinese riots in London and Chinese Restaurant Syndrome in the 1960s, a group of symptoms associated with eating food from a Chinese restaurant.

The University of York, hosting 2,000 Chinese students, issued a statement asking for respect and tolerance after xenophobic and racist comments were published on the anonymous confessions page Yorfess in March.

Yinxuan Huang, a sociology research fellow at City, University of London who has been carrying out research among Chinese Christian communities in the UK, supporting Chinese students during the coronavirus crisis, states that: Almost all incidents they reported were associated with maskaphobia, a fear of masks which then triggered racist attacks.

Most of the victims some got called virus and others got shoved were wearing masks when attacked. Many Chinese students feel that the issue of the mask is the single biggest culture shock they have ever experienced in the UK. They are now facing a dilemma and have to choose between two bad choices insecurity [about coronavirus] and fear [of racism].

A first-year chemistry student at Imperial College London who asked not to be named said: Theres a lot more fear among Chinese and Asian students than among European students.

There have been disagreements about whether to wear masks. I think everyone should be wearing them because the symptoms can take 14 days to appear. Thats why they tell people to quarantine for so long. She added: Some people are worried about wearing masks because there have been cases of racist abuse.

Different cultural approaches

The reasons for wearing or not wearing masks might stem from cultural differences and different approaches to combating COVID-19. Neo-liberal communities like the UK and the US initially maintained utilitarian and libertarian ideas in the early stages of the pandemic. In situations such as a pandemic, utilitarianism says that some people may be justly sacrificed for the greater good. It would benefit society to accept casualties, the argument goes, in order to minimise disruption.

There have been objections to wearing masks, social distancing and lockdowns on the libertarian basis that they infringe on individuals human rights. Clare Collier, director of advocacy at Liberty, said that legislation ushered in in response to the coronavirus was the biggest threat to civil liberties in a lifetime.

Some East Asian countries have successfully reduced the number of COVID-19 cases and kept their death rate down during the pandemic. Citizens have worked together to do what is best for the entire community, despite the loss of some personal freedom. Even if some associate communitarianism with authoritarianism, it has clearly been an effective factor in bids to combat the pandemic.

It is relatively common in some Asian countries to wear a face mask to protect against pollution and sickness. In the UK, however, some Chinese immigrants say wearing a mask makes them a target for hate.

Clearly, rising Sinophobia in the UK will affect Chinese and other Far East students decisions on whether to study in the UK. In an article published in China Daily, a prestigious Chinese newspaper in English, Mao Junxiang, a professor at and director of the Center for Human Rights Studies at Nankai University in China, stated that the novel coronavirus can cause epidemic outbreaks which can be contained, but the virus of prejudice will unleash a pandemic of discrimination and political antagonism which will be nearly impossible to control.

According to a survey by the Beijing Overseas Study Service Association, Chinas international education industry is one of the sectors that has suffered most from the pandemic.

The sharp decline in the number of Chinese students studying abroad for the 2020 autumn term could also be associated with increased difficulties in the application process, including visa applications and exit and entry restrictions, high unemployment rates and the current economic problems in China.

Stamp out Sinophobia

Despite the fact that US lawmakers are encouraging major social media platforms such as Facebook, Google and Twitter to cooperate in promoting credible information about the virus, their efforts seem to be ineffective. Universities and individual community members must also participate in efforts to curb misinformation and Sinophobia.

I loved learning about Chinese cuisine with my Chinese friends during my PhD time at the University of Leeds in the UK. Too many Chinese students arrive in the UK without the English language skills to engage more widely with the student community. Too many find themselves lonely and isolated. Too many find solace in sticking with those they know and understand. I was infatuated with Asian hospitality and the Chinese contribution to academia here. The University of Leeds holds a special event for the Chinese New Year.

International students believe that the UK is a place that values multiculturalism, tolerance, equality, diversity and the rule of law. The growing coronavirus-related racism is truly disturbing.

What can universities do?

As the racial vilification is unlikely to be curbed easily, American and British universities should mull over how they might prevent and address Sinophobia on campus in addition to worrying about reopening and the financial issues stemming from lost international tuition fees.

First, universities should attack prejudice with the facts. The lack of specific knowledge on the coronavirus has culminated in the development of a culture of fear that in turn has ignited the development of irrational and often-racist beliefs.

Universities should therefore hold conferences, deliver leaflets and disseminate correct information about the pandemic in order to counter the misinformation from the media that fuels polarisation.

We also need to reframe the narrative about China and the Chinese. Today, most commentary portrays China as both a security threat and a sinister culture. Universities could celebrate Chinese New Year and promote China-related cultural events in a spirit of inclusion.

Exchange programmes with Chinese universities akin to Erasmus could also enable cultural interaction.

Investing in ethical infrastructure is crucial too. For instance, the University of California, Berkeley has revised the health information it gives students, which now reads: Be mindful of your assumptions about others and Self-awareness is important in not stigmatising others in our community.

In addition, universities could switch to a more punitive approach to discipline. Columbia University has called on students to report any racist incidents.

Ultimately and above all, we must abandon racial stereotyping. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, said in a recent speech on the dangers of the coronavirus: The greatest enemy we face is not the virus itself; its the stigma that turns us against each other.

Serkan Aydin is an independent journalist and a research assistant at the University of Leeds, United Kingdom.

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Why universities need to actively combat Sinophobia - University World News

By Michael GersteinThe New Mexican

The future has a way of being unimaginable.

The framers of New Mexicos 1911 constitution might never have predicted the general public and lobbyists would ever have to watch democracy in action from outside the state Capitol, as the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled they would in a 3-2 decision Tuesday.

Chief Justice Judith Nakamura described the ruling as a difficult one to make, but nonetheless concurred with Justices Barbara Vigil and Michael Vigil in denying a petition by several lawmakers to open the Roundhouse to the public for the special legislative session this week.

The ruling means those who want to follow the session will be watching hearings from their computer screens rather than in committee rooms and House and Senate galleries due to ongoing public health concerns from the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the court issued an order denying the petition, it has not yet released an opinion explaining the prevailing justices rationale.

Nakamura said one would be coming. The issues presented in oral arguments Tuesday were very important, and we do plan to write about the decision, she said.

Blair Dunn, a lawyer on behalf of 24 predominantly Republican lawmakers and the states former land commissioner, Libertarian Aubrey Dunn, who had filed the petition, had argued the framers of the state constitution intended for people to be physically present for legislative sessions.

Democracy dies in darkness, Blair Dunn said in his opening remarks to the court, quoting the slogan of the Washington Post.

Blair Dunn is Aubrey Dunns son and was a 2018 Libertarian candidate for attorney general.

Starting Thursday, lawmakers gather at the Capitol will begin debating tough decisions on how to shore up an estimated $2 billion shortfall in projected revenues for the fiscal year 2021 budget, largely because of financial havoc wreaked by the pandemic. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham also has outlined five key proposals that might come up for a vote during the session, including efforts to streamline the November general election and financial assistance for small businesses affected by the pandemic-related shutdown.

The Legislative Council announced earlier this month the building would be accessible only to members of the media, lawmakers and their staff.

The general public and the states corps of lobbyists will not be allowed into the building to watch floor hearings from the chamber galleries, offer input during committee hearings where legislation is debated and often amended before it moves to the House or Senate floor or rub elbows with lawmakers, as has happened for years before COVID-19 arrived.

Blair Dunn argued Tuesday the state constitution requires public access to the Roundhouse. Meaningful participation in a legislative session requires physical presence, he said and making an appearance is an action that should be protected under the First Amendment.

He also argued about the possible pitfalls of a technological solution to a closed Capitol.

Underscoring those arguments, the courthouse lost its internet connection for nearly 10 minutes Tuesday, forcing the Supreme Court to pause oral arguments.

When they came back online, justices questioned whether lawmakers would pause legislative proceedings this week if there are problems with video feed.

Thomas Hnasko, an attorney for the Legislative Council, assured justices that lawmakers would do so.

Hnasko argued streaming debate, committee hearings and votes online satisfies the constitutional requirement that the public be allowed to observe the New Mexico Legislature in action.

They would take that extremely seriously and stop the proceedings if technical issues prevent online streaming, he said. I have the utmost faith in that.

At the discretion of House committee chairs, the public will be allowed to speak at hearings via a Zoom video conference. The Senate has decided, however, the public will only be allowed to email a committee, rather than take part in a video conference, Hnasko said.

Meeting in person could result in a catastrophe for our citizens from a public health standpoint, he added.

Hnasko said virtual proceedings balance the need to protect the public from the acute public health problems brought by the pandemic with the need to ensure the legislative session remains open and transparent.

New Mexico Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce denounced the justices decision in a statement.

Its the peoples government, Pearce said. Its a violation of what open government represents.

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Court: Roundhouse closed to public during special session - Silver City Daily Press and Independent