[pjw] REPORT BACK: Free Palestine!: Friday rally #186 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hi again IAG supporters

Sorry for the Saturday evening report-back, just wrapped up from the 
Yvonne Simmons memorial. Hope to have the video of that on line sometime 
in the next few weeks.

So.... last night at the Friday Rally for Peace and Justice, nine of us 
rallied and marched (though two split off at about the half-way mark for 
another appointment). At first a regular who brought their giant 
hand-painted Palestinian support sign was nervous about backlash, but then 
had three people say thank you and two others take a picture of it. And 
that was all before the official rally start time at 5 PM. We got many 
appreciative horn honks and pedestrian comments, including about half a 
dozen people who'd been at the 3 PM emergency rally.

Two Friday Rally regulars also had been there, sounds like a good turnout 
and it got decent media coverage.

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2023/10/hundreds-gather-in-downtown-portland-to-rally-march-in-support-of-palestine.html

https://www.kgw.com/video/news/nation-world/israel-hamas-conflict/as-conflict-rages-between-israel-and-hamas-supporters-of-palestine-hold-portland-rally/283-c44d2c18-52c1-46f9-9841-38495dd6a157

We had one woman who stopped and asked if our protest was a joke and 
whether we support terrorists who decapitate babies (more on this below). 
She argued for over 10 minutes and followed us for a block before 
disappearing.

Not surprisingly, but then again remarkably, almost every news headline 
was related to the situation in Gaza.

First, I started with my compare-and-contrast list where the larger 
country with nuclear weapons occupies and brutalizes the smaller country, 
but in one situation (Ukraine) the US supports the occupied people while 
in the other (Palestine) they support the occupier. Right or wrong, in 
both cases.

---A prominent Iraqi cleric an the leader of Turkey spoke out against 
the bombings by Israel.

  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/11/turkeys-erdogan-calls-israeli-siege-and-bombing-of-gaza-a-massacre
  https://www.newarab.com/news/iraqs-sistani-urges-end-israels-horrific-acts-gaza

---Our President spread lies about decapitated babies, women who were 
allegedly raped by Hamas and how Israel (somehow this one seems worse) 
always upholds international law. (!!!!!).

  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-war-biden-lies-fighting-hamas-gaza

(Just if you want to check the facts, here's Snopes on the babies issue:

https://www.snopes.com/news/2023/10/12/40-israeli-babies-beheaded-by-hamas/ 
)

More related news:

--The US blocked release by Qatar of Iran's $6 billion... which they just 
transferred on Sept. 18... because they claim Iran used it to fund Hamas' 
attack on Israel. Ahem NOT EVEN ISRAEL is alleging that Iran did that.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2023/10/12/us-qatar-agree-to-deny-iran-access-to-6-billion-of-its-funds/

--Over on the other side of their country, Israel bombed Syria's airport 
again, knocking it out, and... no outrage from the Biden administration 
about the breach of international law. Hmm.

  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/12/israel-cripples-syrias-two-main-airports-in-attacks-syrian-state-media

--Iraqi militants are threatening to attack US bases if the US 
directly intervenes in the conflict in Israel/Palestine.

  https://new.thecradle.co/articles/we-will-target-us-bases-if-washington-intervenes-iraqi-resistance

Related in broad policy terms, but not directly to Palestine:

--A US aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea as show of force against 
the North.

  https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-navy/2023/10/12/uss-ronald-reagan-arrives-in-south-korea/

In local news, a man is set to receive $46,000 from the City for 
an "encounter" with Portland Police during the 2020 uprising. Geez, 
Portland Copwatch just published new data on the settlements and now we 
have to modify it again.

  https://portlandcopwatch.org/top25settlements23.html

Also, City Council is three weeks into its 60 day timeline to 
approve (yay) or amend (boo) the proposal by the Police Accountability 
Commission for the new oversight board. Either way they have to propose to 
the US DOJ changes to the 2012 Settlement Agreement to match what the new 
board will do that's not the same as in the current system. This past 
week, PCW updated its fact sheet about the proposed changes.

  https://tinyurl.com/PDXoversight2023

And, one more Gaza story for the stop along the march route: Israel bombed 
a building in a refugee center in Gaza and killed 45 people there.

  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/12/at-least-45-palestinians-killed-in-israeli-strike-on-gaza-refugee-camp

Tying back into the Israel/Ukraine can do no wrong connection, President 
Biden is backtracking his request for $24 billion more for Ukraine, 
instead asking for $100 billion to fund the Ukrainian dumpster fire past 
the 2024 elections. What about housing, health care and the environment?

  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/10/07/joe-biden-huge-final-ukraine-aid-package/

I forgot to mention we had slightly rainy weather, which sometimes 
leads to slightly different responses by the Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial
Sign. It froze (on the "Justice 4" message) by the Gucci store and 
went out past the second metal mystery box (instead of next to it as 
is often the case). Weather as a factor, put that on your Bingo card.

OK, well, my real hope is that Israel decides not to launch a full-scale 
invasion and realizes that (PAY ATTENTION JOE BIDEN) depriving people of 
water, food, electricity and medicine is collective punishment and 
UNLAWFUL, but we may still be talking about the new raging warfare next 
week. If you want to join us and feel comfortable doing so, we're still 
encouraging masking up when you meet us at SW Broadway & Yahmill at 5 PM 
any Friday.

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