[pjw] REPORT BACK: who's the aggressor?: Friday rally #170 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Iraq Affinity Group supporters

Seven people rallied and six marched last night at the Friday Rally for 
Peace and Justice. It was very humid and there were a few scattered 
minutes of rain. While things started slow, people eventually warmed up to 
us and began giving horn honks and other appreciative signs. Four women 
from Syria stopped to take a picture of a sign about Israeli apartheid and 
one against US war on Syria. One person assumed our nonviolence stance 
meant we were only for the police having guns and he couldn't support 
that; he didn't wait to hear people say "nobody should have guns!!!"

Here are some of the stories we talked about from the week's news:

--Ukraine is censoring frontline reporting, even if it shows their military 
advancing on the battlefield. Another sign of a democracy (like the US 
which stopped reporters in many of its recent wars).

  https://theintercept.com/2023/06/22/ukraine-war-journalists-press-credentials/

--President Biden refuses to apologize for calling Chinese President Xi a
dictator right after Secretary of State Blinken met with the leader. Nice 
diplomacy!

  https://news.antiwar.com/2023/06/22/china-lodges-formal-complaint-over-biden-calling-xi-a-dictator/

---Once again while people keep warning about China's aggression, the US 
sent a Coast Guard cutter through the Taiwan strait...

  https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/22/asia-pacific/us-coast-guard-taiwan-strait-china-coast-guard/

---...and sent B2 bombers to Indonesia for the first time. What would we 
do if China encircled the US with military equipment? (By the way this 
article also mentions US bombers landing in Sweden for the first time too 
as Turkey holds the key to whether the Swedes can join NATO.)

  https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-b-52s-indonesia/

--Maybe the US isn't planning to re-invade Afghanistan? They have stopped 
teaching Pashto to the troops.

  https://taskandpurpose.com/news/defense-language-institute-pashto-training-ends/

--In more signs that US hegemony is not dictating what countries talk to 
one another, the president of the United Arab Emirates spoke with Iran's 
foreign minister. Following the thaw between Saudi Arabia and Iran, maybe 
the US should realize they're not the only game in town.

  https://apnews.com/article/uae-iran-politics-diplomacy-gulf-nuclear-3f604be2c864de9db863a63e8d91a756

--Congress wants to send air defense weapons to the Kurds in northern 
Iraq. Notably this was never an issue when it was only Turkey bombing that 
region, but now that there's one (alleged) attack from Iran they want to 
pour more fuel on that fire.

  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-congress-wants-give-air-defence-kurdish-fighters-iraq

In local news, if you look at the new contract that the Lieutenants in the 
Portland Police Commanding Officers Association are going to get ratified 
at City Council on Wednesday, you'll see that language in the officers' 
collective bargaining contract (Portland Police Association) which makes 
it possible for the new oversight board to investigate misconduct is not 
present. Hmm. Who was asleep at the wheel on this one? Remember that the 
City invited public input into the PPA contract but not this one.

  https://www.portland.gov/council/documents/ordinance/ppcoa-cba-ratification

At the usual spot along the route, I talked about how an Israeli drone 
strike in West Bank killed three people. This article says it was the 
first aerial bombardment of the West Bank in 17 years.

  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/palestinian-car-west-bank-struck-israeli-drone-strike

With a new cabinet minister who's adamantly insisting on building more 
settlements in the occupied land, will the US stand up to the Israeli 
government or just keep sending financial and military aid? (rhetorical 
question).

  https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/top-minister-says-israel-keep-promoting-settlements-despite-us-concern-2023-06-19/

On the last block of the march, to talk about money for human needs not 
war, here are two things to thing about:

--The Pentagon announced that it overvalued many of the weapons the US 
already sent to Ukraine, since it was old and they used the original 
purchase prices. Thus they say they can send an extra $6.2 billion in aid 
to the now-perpetual conflict zone.

  https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/pentagon-accounting-error-extra-62-billion-ukraine-military-100254358

--On Wednesday, City Council found $500,000 to add to the police budget 
for overtime (or as one Copwatch member put it, "behind the couch 
cushions). While that's a lot of money to you or me (or the many social 
service agencies who could be helping people), it's only 0.2% of the PPB 
budget.

  https://www.portland.gov/sites/default/files/council-documents/2023/item-519-proposed-amendment_0.pdf

The Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial Sign did its thing again where it froze on 
the top line (this time it was "Justice 4") and went out around the corner 
from the Gucci store. Maybe we should all dress in aluminum foil and 
surround the wagon. (When we wrapped the back of the sign in foil it 
seemed to help a little bit, but the foil won't stay on in transport.)

Hey, hope you all are planning to attend and invite friends to watch 
Norman Solomon on Tuesday on youtube.com/peaceandjusticeworks

  https://pjw.info/solomon_livestream062723.html

Weird weather phenomena notwithstanding, the Friday rally is still a 
great place to communicate with the public and hear what they're thinking. 
We still are asking folks to mask up, so remember that if you are ready to 
come down sometime to SW Broadway and Yamhill one Friday at 5 PM.

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