[pjw] REPORT BACK: Trigger-Happy USA: Friday rally #152 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

IAG supporters

Nine of us gathered last night at the Friday Rally for Peace and Justice, 
eliciting more honking horns of support than usual. Perhaps this is 
because of the heightened tensions with the US going trigger-happy on 
anything flying near its airspace. Two security guards stopped by, and one 
engaged in a lengthy debate/diatribe about how all the countries we are 
saying the US shouldn't attack are somehow tied into a plot against 
Israel. The guard said they were from Syria and had "in the past" been 
part of Islam, which they said stifles democracy (?). They encouraged us 
to think about how we have freedom of speech which they don't in Russia or 
Syria. Thinking back it would have been good to ask what happens to people 
in Israel who speak out against Israel's occupation.

ANYWAY, we did have a new batch of flyers for the March 17 "20 Years 
Later, the US is Still in Iraq" event, which I only remembered to announce 
at the end.

   https://pjw.info/iraq20yl.html

I managed to remember all these headlines for the rally talk even though I

--The three most recent balloons shot down by US missiles likely belonged 
to hobbyists who were gathering weather information. The missiles cost 
about half a million dollars each. One missed its target and fell 
"harmlessly" into Lake Huron... wonder how the wildlife in the lake felt?

  https://news.antiwar.com/2023/02/16/the-us-may-have-shot-down-a-small-hobby-balloon-with-a-sidewinder-missile/

---Also on this topic, China says the US sent 10 balloons into their 
airspace in the last year.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2023/02/13/china-says-the-us-sent-10-balloons-over-its-territory-since-last-year/

--The UN has extended the sanctions on Yemen, which have been in place 
since 2014, until November. This may actually be good news because it 
wasn't a full year renewal and they may be predicting a political solution 
to take hold by then.

  https://thecradle.co/article-view/21495/un-security-council-renews-sanctions-regime-against-yemen

--In other mixed news, the US agreed to lift sanctions on Syria for 180 
days to help with earthquake relief... but only SOME of the sanctions, 
without regard of how the overall effect is harming, not helping, ordinary 
Syrians.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2023/02/12/us-eases-some-sanctions-on-syria-for-180-days-after-earthquake/

---Also in Syria, the US shot down a drone over one of their four military 
bases. In answer to my perpetual question why does the US have bases in 
Syria, the base here is named after the Conoco oil fields it is 
protecting.

  https://thehill.com/policy/defense/3859008-us-forces-shoot-down-iranian-made-drone-circling-troop-housing-in-syria/

--180 people including children died due to cold weather in Afghanistan in 
January.

  https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-182063

--A new poll by the Associated Press shows that Americans' support for US 
aiding Ukraine's war efforts is down from 60% in May to 48% now.

  https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-politics-poland-33095abf76875b60ebab3ddf4eede188

--And again, as the US points fingers at other countries' "aggression," 
they launched two airstrikes in Somalia this week, killing 17 people. They 
claim they were "terrorists" but they probably apply that term to anyone 
who is in the areas where their bombs get dropped.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2023/02/13/africom-claims-12-al-shabaab-killed-in-latest-us-airstrike-in-somalia/
  https://news.antiwar.com/2023/02/16/us-launches-another-airstrike-in-somalia-claims-5-al-shabaab-killed/

--Iraq has expanded its agreement with General Electric to work on the 
country's electrical systems. Too bad, since GE also manufactures (or used 
to manufacture?) triggers for nuclear weapons.

  https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/160220231
  https://apnews.com/article/99d439c48f0a657c36cda92b5f50fcfa
  https://www.ge.com/sites/default/files/GEA33634_Military_Products_Feb_2020.pdf

In local news, three stories:

__The Portland Police have forced the City into arbitration over body 
camera policies. While their argument is true that most other police 
departments, including in Oregon, allow officers to review footage before 
writing reports, that doesn't make it RIGHT, and in fact flies the the face 
of the Supreme Court ruling which allows cops to use force. Graham v. 
Connor says they have to base the decision to use force on what they know 
at the time, not 20/20 hindsight.

  https://www.portlandmercury.com/cops/2023/02/17/46359657/portland-police-and-city-in-a-stalemate-over-body-camera-policy

__Portland Copwatch just posted comments on the PPB's revised "non force 
reporting" policy, which includes reports when cops shoot animals because 
they don't consider that to be a use of force. Uh, if a cop's companion 
animal got shot by a community member I think they might disagree.

  https://www.portland.gov/police/documents/090500-non-force-after-action-reporting-review-and-investigation/download

__This weekend marks one year since a white supremacist opened fire on 
people protesting police brutality, killing a woman known as "T. Rex" and 
wounding several others. The PPB arrived on the scene and prevented people 
from rendering first aid, accused the victims of wrongdoing, etc.

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandale_Park_shooting

Along the march route, I told a story related to that question above about 
free speech. The US nominee for the Organization of American States Human 
Rights panel had his name yanked from consideration because he had called 
Israel an "apartheid state." Will they also pull the title of "former 
President" from Jimmy Carter for doing the same?

  https://www.palestinechronicle.com/us-withdraws-human-rights-candidate-over-criticism-of-israel/

As we headed back to the Square, I relayed the (not funny in context, but 
kind of funny) headline from Politico saying that congress is trying to 
"inflate" the military budget because of the balloon incidents. (I thought 
they also said they were "floating the idea" but I guess I was wrong.) No 
interest in spending that money to help feed, house, clothe or get health 
care to everyone I guess.

  https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/15/lawmakers-spy-balloon-inflate-defense-spending-00083013

Although I had hopes that the Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial Sign might stay 
on around the Pioneer Place Mall this week, it went out right by the Gucci 
store almost as soon as we stepped onto that block.

Stay safe out there-- COVID's still killing over 400 people a week in this 
country! But if you are comfortable masking up and saying distanced, we're 
down a the Square every darn Friday...

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