[pjw] REPORT BACK: Friday rally #37 under stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hi

I have made a point of not going back to these reports to say "Oh, and I 
forgot this one thing..." but I wanted to add two things from Friday, one 
of which was a question to which I found the answer.

Item one:

One of the folks on the march was carrying a multicolor peace sign on 
their picket stick and a passer-by commented "now there's something that 
never goes out of style." (And I made a mental note to remember that for 
the report back, then forgot until after I'd sent it.) These kinds of 
affirmations help us keep going.

Number two:

I had also mentioned that an Oregon judge declared the First Amendment 
more important than cracking down on protests under the governor's orders, 
but I could not find the original story. Nobody else had heard it. But of 
course after I sent out yesterday's email I found it:

https://ktvz.com/news/government-politics/2020/12/01/deschutes-da-hummel-wont-file-charges-in-downtown-bend-anti-mask-protest/

The judge in Bend said that as long as the gathering was not violent or 
destructive he'd say the same thing regardless of the content of the 
event. I think this was a reference to the fact that the people who were 
under scrutiny were anti-maskers, which to me presents another layer of a 
problem as they are protesting the very rule they could be charged with 
violating. We continue to ask people to wear masks and socially distance. 
Like the story about how no Black Lives Matter protests had been traced to 
COVID outbreaks, the judge's ruling makes me feel confident that our 
continuing these ongoing rallies is (at least relatively) safe both from a 
health and legal standpoint.

That is all.
dan handelman
peace and justice works iraq affinity group



On Sat, 5 Dec 2020, Peace and Justice Works wrote:

> Greetings PJW supporters
>
> Last night at the 37th Friday Rally for peace since the initial COVID-19 
> lockdown order, five of us were there for the rally-- though only three went 
> on the march. We were masked up and socially distanced, which is important 
> for safety and for setting a good example while the virus rages in our state. 
> Fortunately there's been no evidence that any outbreak of COVID in Oregon is 
> connected to the many much much larger marches for social justice this year.
>
> https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/11/county-investigators-find-no-link-between-covid-19-outbreaks-and-local-protests.html
>
> We had the usual smattering of pedestrians and motorists sending supportive 
> signals. One man took (I think) all of the flyers for the upcoming January 
> Guantanamo events from the distribution rack on the little green wagon of 
> peace. Get your own flyers here
>
>  Jan. 8 http://www.pjw.info/guantanamo19yl.html
>
> and here
>
>  Jan. 12 http://www.pjw.info/guantanamo_smirk011221.html
>
> The Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial Sign had an extra message this week 
> announcing that December 25 (Christmas) will be the 1000th Friday rally in a 
> row since early November 2001.
>
> At the rally we talked about global and local peace issues, starting with
> the potential for escalation in the region if Iran decides to retaliate 
> against Israel for the assassination of a nuclear scientist, and/or Israel or 
> the US decide to conduct more provocative actions in the last weeks of 
> Trump's presidency (assuming he ever leaves).
>
> https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iran-scientist-killing-israel-us-alarm-response
>
> Then I brought up Congress' efforts to stop troop withdrawal from Afghanistan 
> by prohibiting it in their proposed budget.
>
> https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/12/05/congress-moves-block-us-troop-withdrawal-afghanistan-and-germany.html
>
> They also seek to stop troops being pulled out of Germany, which I suppose 
> could be seen as a 75-year-old occupation but certainly not in the same sense 
> as the 19+ years the US has been waging war in Afghanistan. To be "fair," if 
> military analysts OK the withdrawal, funds will be released.
>
> Noting that I was reluctant to support President Trump's efforts two stories 
> in a row, I then relayed that most of the 700 US troops in Somalia (that's 
> right, more than are allegedly in Syria*) have been ordered out.
>
> https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2435972/somalia-force-posture-announcement/
>
> Perhaps related, the US has brokered what appears to be a detente between 
> Qatar and Saudi Arabia; this is likely part of their broader effort to build 
> a coalition against Iran.
>
>  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/saudi-arabia-qatar-near-deal-help-end-gulf-crisis-sources-n1250000
>
> In local news, City Council is considering a resolution this coming Wednesday 
> which would address police use of militarized weapons against protestors-- 
> not by prohibiting their use, but by forcing the Bureau to take an inventory 
> of how many weapons they have???
>
> https://www.portlandoregon.gov/auditor/article/779102
>
> I noted that since I've never seen anybody use a less-lethal launcher shoot 
> pepper balls at a paint can to open the lid, they should not refer to these 
> weapons as "tools" in the Resolution.
>
> BTW if you want to testify about that agenda item the link is at the top of 
> the Council agenda on this page (deadline to sign up for the 10 AM Wed item 
> is Tuesday at 4 PM):
>
> https://www.portlandoregon.gov/auditor/26997
>
> When we reached the part of the march where we do updates on Israel/Palestine 
> I noted that the World Health Organization was able to get anti-coronavirus 
> supplies into Gaza, since Israel actually allows medical supplies in despite 
> the blockade. It's not clear, though, whether there are lists of "dual use" 
> items like the US prohibited from going into Iraq under the sanctions there.
>
> https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-who-gaza-idUSKBN2890HU
>
> As we headed back toward the Square I talked a little more about the 
> congressional budget, which assigns $740 billion to the military, but that's 
> not what's being talked about or (of course) objected to by the President. 
> This time, it's not even the renaming of bases which honor Confederate 
> "heroes." Instead, he wants to veto the bill unless it allows him to punish 
> social media platforms for labeling his rants--- er, posts as untrustworthy.
>
> https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/01/trump-threatens-veto-defense-bill-social-media-442115
>
> The digital sign once again made the journey _to_ the Square just fine, but 
> conked out on the east side of Pioneer Place mall, about a full block earlier 
> than last week (and than usual). After I spent about an hour with a confusing 
> computer problem in the office yesterday afternoon, I guess it was par for 
> the course to have gremlins in our technology.
>
> Stay safe, join us if you're willing, and keep pushing for peace!
>
> --dan handelman
> Peace and Justice Works
>    Iraq Affinity Group
>    PO Box 42456
>    Portland, OR   97242
>    (503) 236-3065
>    iraq at pjw.info
>    http://www.pjw.info/Iraq.html
>    Donate on line: http://www.pjw.info/pjwdonate.html
>
> *- this article says there are not 200-400 troops but closer to
>   900 in Syria:
>
> https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2020/11/outgoing-syria-envoy-admits-hiding-us-troop-numbers-praises-trumps-mideast-record/170012/
> _______________________________________________
> Peace and Justice Works mailing list
> pjw-list at pjw.info
> https://mailman.panix.com/listinfo.cgi/pjw-list
>
>
>