[pjw] REPORT BACK: False Flag Experts: Friday rally #95 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Iraq Affinity Group supporters

At the Weekly Friday Rally for Peace and Justice last night, six of us 
held signs, wore masks, stayed distanced, and educated the public. We 
received what I felt was a larger set of appreciative responses than 
usual, which was refreshing. We had at least one heckler. And, two weeks 
in a row now, no rain!

Here is some of the news we talked about at the rally:

--The White House says Russia is planning a fake event as excuse to invade 
Ukraine. I wondered how the US was such an expert on so called "false 
flag" operations (***cough*** Gulf of Tonkin ***cough***):

  https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/14/politics/us-intelligence-russia-false-flag/index.html

--The UN Secretary General is calling for the roughly $10 billion in 
frozen Afghan assets to be released so they can ease their hunger crisis; 
$9 billion is in US banks.

  https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-01-13/u-n-chief-appeals-for-release-of-money-to-save-afghan-lives

--This past week the Justice Department announced they created a Domestic 
Terrorism unit. (Notably, there is no criminal statute about domestic 
terrorism.) Sure, right now it's focused on the violent right wing groups 
and individuals involved in the Capitol insurrection but how long until 
they turn on immigrants, Muslims, people of color and activists (like us)?

  https://www.axios.com/justice-department-domestic-terrorism-unit-1a025d5e-09d1-46ca-ac77-cc60ca687d1b.html

--A rocket attack on the US embassy in Iraq wounded two people, after 
those three failed drone attacks last week. But hey, why does the US still 
have the world's largest embassy in Iraq if most of our troops are gone 
and Iraq is a sovereign nation?

  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/13/two-wounded-in-rocket-attack-on-baghdads-green-zone

--The US and Iran are locked in negotiations because the US says Iran has 
to stop enriching nuclear material and Iran says the US has to lift 
sanctions. The western powers are now floating early February as a deadline.

  https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-us-lock-horns-over-sanctions-relief-nuclear-curbs-vienna-talks-2022-01-12/

--Last week's rally focused on Guantanamo prison, which turned 20 years 
old on Tuesday. Al Jazeera cited many people criticizing the US "detention 
camp" including the ACLU calling it a symbol of injustice:

  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/11/guantanamo-20-years-on-a-legacy-of-injustice-and-abuse

----On the bright side, Biden approved five more prisoners to be released, 
meaning that now 18 of 39 (almost half) can finally leave... but Biden 
hasn't taken action to get anyone out yet.

  https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/11/us/politics/guantanamo-releases-approved.html

In local news, this Wednesday Council will be voting to dole out another 
$22,500 for police violence against a protestor.

  https://www.portland.gov/council/documents/ordinance/settlement-lydia-fuller-bodily-injury-lawsuit-22500

The City's lawyer originally claimed they wouldn't pay because the victim 
couldn't clearly identify it was the Portland Police who used less lethal 
weapons against her.

  https://www.wweek.com/news/2021/10/27/portland-city-attorneys-asked-to-toss-a-police-use-of-force-lawsuit-because-an-injured-protester-couldnt-tell-officers-apart/

Along the march route, I noted that the US has finally called for an 
investigation into a Palestinian who was swept up in an Israeli raid and 
subjected to abusive custody. Why are they speaking up? The 80 year old 
man in question is also an American citizen. Still, counts for something.

  https://www.palestinechronicle.com/us-calls-for-investigation-into-death-of-palestinian-american-in-west-bank/

As we were getting back to Pioneer Square I noted the Pentagon is 
complaining because their huge $778 billion budget was approved but 
Congress didn't vote on appropriations bills to allow them to spend it 
yet. I think the words I used were "Boo hoo, get in line behind the people 
being thrown out of their homes, unable to get jobs, and in need of other 
basic support before you get your money to kill people."

  https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2022-01-12/Pentagon-caught-in-funding-fight-4274324.html

This week I added a "ferrite bead" (look it up, it's small ring of iron 
mean to stop interference with electronics) to the Ann Huntwork Peace 
Memorial Sign. Unfortunately, not only was the experiment a failure but 
the cover I still had over the remote control receiver didn't work wither, 
and it turned off by the Gucci store. Oh well, back to the drawing board.

If you're up for it, do join us some Friday at 5 PM, until further notice 
our rallies are continuing weekly.

thanks

--dan handelman
peace and justice works iraq affinity group