[pjw] REPORT BACK: Happy return: Friday rally #162 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Can't believe I forgot to mention that as we wrapped up I acknoledged the 
death of Harry Belafonte, a human rights champion. Abot 10 years ago he 
appeared in a video by local jazz megatar Esperanza Spalding about closing 
Guantanamo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c68gcu30MnA

One of the greats.
dan h.

On Sat, 29 Apr 2023, Peace and Justice Works wrote:

> Iraq Affinity Group supporters
>
> Today's subject line refers to the re-appearance of a key Portland Peaceful 
> Response Coalition member who led the Friday Rally for Peace and Justice for 
> many years until the pandemic struck. I didn't ask but I think the recent 
> lifting of mask mandates in hospitals helped with this decision. (Reminder, 
> though, last week I sent an article where the World Health Organization 
> reported 23,000 deaths and 3 million COVID cases worldwide in a 28 day 
> period, saying "the COVID pandemic [is] still volatile, [and] there could be 
> further trouble before the virus settles into a predictable pattern.")
>
> Overall eight of us gathered to rally and seven marched. We had a lot of 
> supportive honks from cars and interest from pedestrians, including some 
> exchange students from Zimbabwe here to study acting who said we're doing 
> good work! We handed out another 30 or so fact sheets; I will soon tally up 
> how many we've gone through since the March 17 Iraq rally.
>
> It was a beautiful day, and though record-breaking (--cough-cough climate 
> change--) our route is all in the shade, so it was mostly comfortable.
>
> Here are some of the headlines we talked about:
>
> --While we still can't generally praise Rep. Matt Gaetz, he has now put 
> forward two War Powers Resolutions to end US military actions... which 
> unfortunately failed. The newer one on Somalia was voted down 102-321 with 
> Val Hoyle the only representative from Oregon voting yes.
>
> https://news.antiwar.com/2023/04/27/house-votes-down-resolution-to-withdraw-from-somalia/
>
> --The US and the Philippines went ahead with their war games to push China's 
> buttons, firing on a practice ship they floated out to destroy, saying it was 
> "No Hollywood drill."
>
> https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-12014561/US-Philippine-troops-fire-rockets-ship-largest-drills.html
>
> --The UN Security Council unanimously condemned Afghanistan's ban on women 
> from the UN working in that country. Good to see unanimity for women's 
> rights, let's just hope the US doesn't use this as an excuse to re-invade the 
> country, though. What would that be, imperio-feminism?
>
> https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/un-security-council-condemns-taliban-ban-afghan-women-working-un-2023-04-27/
>
> --For the first time since the 1980s, America is sending nuclear armed 
> submarines to South Korea to "defend" them against the North. Hey, maybe 
> instead we can sign a treaty ending the Korean war once and for all? (This 
> July will mark 70 years of an armistice with no peace treaty.)
>
> https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/us-send-nuclear-submarines-south-korea-agreement-kim-jong-un-threats-rcna81510
>
> --China has talked with the Ukrainian government, which may signal a 
> willingness to find a diplomatic end to the war with Russia. Which is helpful 
> since the US opposes a cease-fire (how else can we keep the war economy 
> afloat???)
>
>  https://archive.is/gxIcw
>  https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/04/26/zelensky-xi-jinping-ukraine-china/
>
> --Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido was whisked out of Colombia to 
> seek refuge in Florida since he wasn't supposed to leave his country. He was 
> trying to attend a summit on the Venezuela's future. His recognition by 
> Western powers as the true head of state is kind of moot at this point.
>
>  https://archive.is/2ZBYs
>  https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/04/25/guaido-exile-miami/
>
> --Iraq, which has one of the largest reserves of oil in the world, has to 
> import many of its energy needs, especially from Iran, due to the devastation 
> of the oil industry over the decades. They expect a new deal with France will 
> give Iraqis energy independence in 3-5 years.
>
> https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/26042023
>
> In local news, the Portland Police, who had not shot anyone since November, 
> worked with Clackamas County Deputies to shoot and kill a man on Monday.*
>
> https://www.opb.org/article/2023/04/25/clackamas-county-portland-police-shooting-use-of-force-crime-homicide-suspect/
>
> Also, a law that protects Oregonians against police spying was amended by 
> request of the City of Portland to allow officers to record "social, 
> political or religious affiliation" information by accident if a body 
> camera's 30-second buffer catches it. However, a version of the bill 
> basically gutting the 40-year-old law passed the Senate last week (18-10). It 
> is set to be heard by a House committee on May 9. Ruh roh.
>
> https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/SB614
>
> Just as another tip of the hat to our returning PPRC comrade, they always 
> used to talk about Israel/Palestine and then money for human needs at about 
> the same places on the march that we've echoed these last 3 years+.
>
> This week on the first topic, Norway has banned products labeled as "Israeli 
> made" which are actually produced in the occupied territories.
>
> https://thecradle.co/article-view/24091/norway-bans-goods-services-from-israeli-settlements
>
> On the second, a new study updated the well-known figure that US military 
> spending is higher than the next 10 countries combined. Now it's higher than 
> the next ELEVEN. (Russia and China are included in those 11 as distant 
> 2nd/3rd highest.) What about health care, education, and housing??
>
> https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/record-american-military-spending-equals-total-of-next-11-countries/
>
> This week I made the mistake of explaining the Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial 
> Sign's quirks while we were standing in front of the Gucci store, and the 
> sign conked out there (a block earlier than the last several weeks).
>
> The weather's getting better and we'll soon know whether the imminent (May 
> 11)  federal end to the COVID emergency is premature. (My guess: Probably, as 
> many of the decisions are made based on political and economic pressures 
> rather than science.) Regardless, we're at SW Yamhill and Broadway every week 
> at 5 PM, join us if you can.
>
> thanks
> --dan handelman
> peace and justice works iraq affinity group
>
>
> *- at the rally we had copies of the new Portland Copwatch newsletter, which 
> carries a headline about how Portland Police guns have been thankfully 
> silent. Ah, well.
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