[pjw] REPORT BACK: land back acknowledgment: Friday rally #180 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Iraq Affinity Group supporters

We aren't sure whether the three-day weekend had something to do with it, 
but there were just five of us last night for the weekly Rally for Peace 
and Justice. We did have a noticeably large number of supporters honking at 
us, wanting to take pictures of our signs and a few who were interested 
enough to take literature (including the new Portland Copwatch 
newsletter).

One piece of lit is a flyer for the special Friday rally we're holding on 
September 29 marking 9 years of US war in Syria and 22 years since the US 
invaded Afghanistan. Unfortunately I haven't uploaded the flyer to the 
website yet but here's a link to the announcement, flyer should be up by 
this evening:

https://www.pjw.info/afghanistan22yl.html

Before I started the announcements, I expressed my relief at no longer 
being a "city official" where I was reading the City's land acknowledgment 
into the record. It talks about the past harms done to indigenous, 
immigrant and people of color... as if those harms have stopped. And it 
talks about recognizing harm done to the land, without calling for the 
land to be given back to those from whom it was stolen. I noted that our 
scrolling sign says "US Out of North America." Well before I made this 
announcement a passer-by repeated that slogan with a raised fist of 
approval.

OK, so, then we got into reporting on the news that's going on here and 
around the world.

--Perhaps trying to win the "Captain Obvious Award" the head of the UN 
made the bold statement that the Ukraine war will end, but not soon.

  https://www.voanews.com/a/ukraine-cites-gains-pushing-russia-out-of-kharkiv-/6566572.html

---Here in the US, President Biden wants to solidify a treaty so that 
future Presidents have to keep sending weapons to Ukraine, even if, I 
suppose, the Azov Brigade takes over and creates a new country full of 
Nazis.

  https://archive.ph/QmPGT
  https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/u-s-allies-seek-long-term-military-aid-for-ukraine-to-show-wests-resolve-6964c66f

--The US and Israel are preparing a simulation drill where the pretend to 
be bombing Iran's nuclear sites. Will they also include a simulation of 
what happens when you unleash radioactivity all over the Middle East?

  https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-set-to-hold-several-major-joint-military-drills-with-us-in-coming-months/

--Over 10,000 members of a brutal CIA/Afghan military unit that 
terrorized and killed people on raids are going to lose their US visas 
soon. When you lie down with the CIA, it's hard to have sympathy.

  https://new.thecradle.co/articles/afghans-from-cia-ghost-unit-face-legal-limbo-in-us

--North Korea fired a nuclear missile test while the US/and South Korea 
are playing war games. Way to de-escalate, USA!

  https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-says-it-conducted-tactical-nuclear-strike-drill-2023-08-30/

--In another military coup in Africa, Ali Bongo was pushed out of 
leadership of Gabon. Bongo was known as "Obama's man" and he supported 
the US' illegal 2011 war on Libya. So again, I'm not a fan of military 
coups, but also not a fan of US imperialism...

  https://thegrayzone.com/2023/08/31/obamas-africa-arrest-coup-gabon/

--Once again, Israel bombed Syria's airport, and once again the rest of 
the world sat on its hands and did nothing about it.

  https://www.barrons.com/news/israel-strikes-force-closure-of-syria-airport-state-media-d9d89373

--Iran and Iraq working together is a great thing to push back on US 
hegemony, but it's a little worrisome that their newest agreement is to 
disarm Kurdish militants. This will leave that population vulnerable to 
government attacks by each nation, not to mention Turkey.

  https://www.dw.com/en/iran-iraq-agree-to-disarm-kurdish-militants-tehran/a-66650509?maca=en-rss-en-world-4025-rdf

--As I say each time this happens (so it's now becoming a tired cliche), 
yes the US is still at war... this past week they launched another 
airstrike in Somalia, killing 13 people.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2023/08/27/us-launches-airstrike-in-somalia-claims-13-al-shabaab-killed/

--A US Navy commander says that China's "aggressive behavior" in the 
South China Sea has to be confronted. Uh, have you taken a look in the 
mirror lately and seen your warships and planes sailing and flying around 
there... an area pretty far away from the US mainland?

  https://www.reuters.com/world/chinas-aggressive-behaviour-south-china-sea-must-be-challenged-us-navy-official-2023-08-27/

In local news, as I noted yesterday, the Police Accountability Commission 
has finished its work drawing up plans for the new oversight system. It 
will be the first in the country with the power to discipline officers 
(that is, other than some that are Police Commissions that run the whole 
departments). And as I noted we'll keep you posted about how and when to 
let City Council know they should support the PAC's recommendations!

Along the march route, I relayed the disturbing news that Israel's not 
satisfied having 170,000 illegal settlers in the West Bank, now they want 
to quintuple that number to 1 million by 2050.

  https://www.newarab.com/news/israel-ministers-want-million-settlers-west-bank-2050

And rather than build homes, provide health care, fix the environment, or 
other good things, the US now wants to spend $1 billion for new drone 
swarms that can be used in a theoretical war against China. They won't do 
much good if we're all melted down from the prior nuclear holocaust.

  https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2023/08/28/pentagon-unveils-replicator-drone-program-to-compete-with-china/

For the second week in a row, the Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial Sign made 
it around the corner and past the first "mystery junction box" by the 
Pioneer Place Mall on Yamhill before it turned itself off. I'm told it 
froze up just before it went out.

You're welcome to come on down to SW Yamhill and Broadway any Friday at 5 
PM to be part of the Friday rally. We're still asking people to mask up 
for safety-- while it's more of an advertising plug for mask sales (?!?) 
this article in the Oregonian from yesterday talks about the imminent 
arrival of a new COVID variant.

https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2023/09/restock-your-face-masks-as-covid-19-pirola-variant-emerges-best-deals-on-n95-or-kn95-with-fast-shipping.html

So, as I say here all the time, stay safe!

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