Protests that erupted in Ukraine last November took a violent turn this week as clashes between protesters and the police brought the death toll to at least 75. However, it appears that as of Friday, the opposition and the government have reached a deal to end the violence and set the course for political change.
On Saturday’s Melissa Harris-Perry, we will discuss the geopolitical implications of the conflict as well as take a deep dive into what the protesters are fighting for. We will also discuss the relationship between the United States and Russia, and how that relates to happenings in Iran and Syria. Joy Reid, host of the new msnbc daytime show The Reid Report — debuting on Monday at 2pm ET — will be in for host Melissa Harris-Perry.
As protests unfold in Ukraine and Syria, Venezuela has been dealing with unrest of its own. For more than two weeks, students have been protesting against the government and demanding the resignation of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro. At least six people have been killed in the violence. We’lll discuss the implications of the demonstrations in Venezuela and the U.S. response on Saturday’s show.
A statue of the first black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi, James Meredith, was found last Sunday morning with a noose around its neck. This week, nearly fifty years after Meredith’s graduation, modern day civil rights leaders met with President Obama to discuss many of the same issues that were on the agenda back then. But the notion of civil rights is no longer limited to issues of race. LGBT rights have become what some are calling the civil rights issue of our time. On Saturday’s MHP, we’ll take a closer look at the growing push for marriage equality and the new way some states are fighting against it.
This week in voter suppression: Republican lawmakers in Ohio passed two voting bills. One shortens early voting by six days and the other would end the program of mailing absentee ballots to registered voters. African American lawmakers in the state have tried to make voting a fundamental right in Ohio’s constitution, but the proposal was blocked by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. On Friday, Ohio governor John Kasich signed the bills into law. Ohio State Representative Alicia Reece, President of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, joins Joy to talk about the lawmakers’ fight for the proposal. Lastly, we’ll take a look at a public housing complex in Richmond, California deemed so deplorable by an investigative report that it has been nicknamed “Bedbug City” by residents. Be sure to read what we’ve linked above, and watch Melissa Harris-Perry Saturday at 10 a.m. EST on MSNBC! Also, don’t forget to join us on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #nerdland.
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