[pjw] REPORT BACK: Vigilante nation: Friday rally #87 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hello again people who believe in peace

I opened up the Friday Rally for Peace and Justice last night repeating 
what I wrote yesterday about the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict-- that a 
teenager vigilante was allowed to cross state lines with an assault rifle 
and kill Black Lives Matter protestors with impunity. I semi-joked that 
maybe we need bullet proof vests at our demonstrations now. Across the 
street, workers boarded up the Nordstrom's windows in anticipation of what 
would happen later last night, when people focused their anger at the 
police Central Precinct.

Our event did not involve anger or property damage, but did receive a lot 
of positive support last night, for the various signs including one about 
Palestine ("Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions, right on!!" said the 
pedestrian). There were eight of us there, masked up and distanced.

Recent news affecting world, national and local peace we talked about 
included:

--President Biden spoke with Chinese President Xi about disarmament Monday

  https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3156301/biden-and-xi-agreed-start-arms-control-talks-says-us-national-security?module=lead_hero_story&pgtype=homepage

---However, days later Biden floated the idea of boycotting the Olympics
  in China due to human rights concerns, quite hypocritical for a country
  that still has people detained in Guantanamo after almost 20 years

  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/biden-says-us-e2-80-98considering-e2-80-99-diplomatic-boycott-of-winter-olympics-in-china/ar-AAQS4aJ

---And as reflective of the vigilante nature of the US, rather than call
  for UN diplomacy, the US threatened China for an action it took against
  the Philippines:

  https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-warns-china-after-south-china-sea-standoff-with-philippines-2021-11-19/

--The US floated the idea of an interim version of the Iran nuclear deal...
   but not with Iran, but with Israel which rejected it.

  https://www.axios.com/us-floats-interim-iran-nuclear-deal-6f808872-010d-4ec8-8a79-f36ab120829b.html

--America also apologized about an incident in which US bomb killed about
  64 Syrian civilians in 2019... but not for the deaths, rather they were
  sorry they misidentified what kinds of bombs were used.

  https://taskandpurpose.com/news/military-syria-airstrike-civilians-killed-bombs/

--Senators Bernie Sanders, Mike Lee, Rand Paul (and Rep. Ilhan Omar)
  want to block Biden's $650 million missile sale to Saudi Arabia

  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/senators-make-bipartisan-push-to-block-dollar650m-weapons-sale-to-saudis/ar-AAQSx0R?li=BBnbfcL

--Sen. Chuck Schumer says he wants to hold a vote soon in the Senate to
  repeal the 2002 Iraq Authorization for use of Military Force.

  https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/581815-schumer-time-is-now-repeal-iraq-war-resolution

In local news-- and you'll note there's not a _news_ story linked here-- 
five groups including Portland Copwatch convinced City Council to get 
Mayor Wheeler to overturn his four-year ban on public testimony when 
Reports are presented to Council. This has prevented PCW from testifying 
about Reports on officer deadly force incidents, recommended policies from 
the current oversight board, racial profiling audits from the Auditor, and 
more. A small but important victory for democratic government!

  https://twitter.com/lwvportland/status/1461340207391727618?s=21

Along the march route, I noted that Israel edited the file it sent to the 
US to explain why it felt justifying a building in Gaza that housed 
various news agencies.

  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-revised-intel-biden-answers-gaza-bombing-ap-al-jazeera-1.10395688

And in the "home stretch" at the end, talking about money for human needs, 
not war, we noted that

a) the defense bill of $768 billion was reconciled between the House and 
Senate but won't be voted on until after Thanksgiving;

   https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/19/senate-defense-bill-thanksgiving-523042

and

b) the "build back better" $1.75 trillion plan is spread out over as long 
as 10 years, meaning the military budget if repurposed could pay for it in 
just three years.

This week there must have been extra interference by the Gucci store as 
the Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial sign turned off before we even got to 
the area where the outdoor security camera is mounted (which is usually 
where it freezes or blinks out). I turned it on again at the corner 
while one of our marchers needed a short rest, and then the sign went 
out again across from the Apple store on Yamhill, less than 100 feet from 
the corner.

Next week is the holiday tree lighting in Pioneer Square. Apparently we 
won't have to tangle with the madding crowds. From KGW:

"The annual tree lighting ceremony, which will be the square's 37th, will 
take place on Friday, Nov. 26 at 6 p.m. Instead of an in-person event, the 
celebration will be virtual this year and broadcast live on KGW in an 
effort to keep the public safe as the coronavirus pandemic continues."

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2021/11/holiday-tree-delivered-to-downtown-portlands-pioneer-courthouse-square-for-2021-season.html

However, as it will be 11 years since the FBI set up the teenager, 
I will bring our signs that say "Free Mohammed Mohamud- End FBI stings." 
Join us if you want/can/feel up to it at 5 PM next week or any week.

peace
--dan handelman
peace and justice works iraq affinity group