[pjw] REPORT BACK: 85 to one response: Friday rally #203 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

IAG supporters

We had five people at the Friday rally last night, and a sixth who was 
there for about 10 minutes. As we headed out on the march two people had 
to leave, but the three remaining people were joined by an Oregon State 
Park Ranger who was off duty and visiting Portland to attend the light 
festival, and a semi-regular attendee to met us a few blocks into the 
march. So, five at the rally and five at the march.

We had plenty of positive feedback, and our new Ranger friend was actually 
greeted warmly by a few groups of people including folks in front of the 
Royal Sonesta Hotel. Last week honking horns got in the way of the news 
headlines, this time it was a disco bicycle outfitted with flashing lights 
(not sure if they were also on the way to the light festival).

I announced that we've set the Friday, March 22 rally for our annual 
remembrance of the US invasion of Iraq. Of course we're hoping we'll be 
celebrating the US leaving by that time.

  https://www.pjw.info/iraq_21yl_flyer.pdf

So, what did we talk about this week. Hmm, read on and find out.

--As noted earlier this week, three US Army reservists were killed in 
Jordan. What I didn't know then is that most of those injured are members 
of the National Guard. Exactly how is it protecting the US borders to have 
the National Guard deployed in Jordan? (Remember PJW has been trying to 
get Oregon Governors not to send troops abroad for over 15 years...)

  https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2024/02/01/national-guardsmen-were-the-majority-of-troops-hurt-in-jordan-attack/

---In "response" (more like an uncontrolled retaliation), the US dropped 
over 125 bombs on 85 targers in Iraq and Syria. And you guessed it, the 
government classifies them as "Iranian backed" sites and the media just 
repeats that ad nauseum.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/02/02/us-strikes-iranian-military-targets-in-iraq-and-syria/

---One less well publicized piece about this part of the conflict is that 
the main Iraqi Hezbollah group agreed to stop attacks on US after the 
Jordan incident due to pressure from both the Iraqi and Iranian 
governments. But that didn't stop America from blowing up people.

  https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-an-iranian-ally-iraq-was-made-stand-down-2024-01-31/

--Meanwhile, back in the heart of why US troops are being attacked, 
President Biden showed a very weak opposition to Israel by imposing
sanctions on just four settlers in the West Bank. To be fair, of the 
370 people killed there since October 7, only 8 were killed by settlers. 
Which would logically lead to the US putting sanctions on the Israeli 
Defense Forces and calling the a "terrorist group" like they do with 
Iran's Revolutionary Guard. But, don't hold your breath.

  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68173904

---The Intercept reports that US military personnel have been receiving 
word that they may be US may be sent to Gaza. Speculation is that this may 
have to do with helping Israel if there's a wider war. Ideally if such a 
thing happened they would be there to deter more carnage BY Israel.

  https://theintercept.com/2024/01/30/us-military-ground-israel-hamas-gaza/

---Oh yeah and the US was pretty explicit that they don't think Israel has 
to follow the ruling from the International Court of Justice, taking the 
stance that genocide accusations are unfounded.

  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-doubles-down-dismissing-genocide-claims-despite-icj-ruling

--Elsewhere on the globe, the US is sending new (and I mean, 
never-before-used) missiles with a 90 mile range to Ukraine, even though 
money ran out to fund that war. Apparently because there was an agreement 
signed with the manufacturer the weapons get to be shipped?

  https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/30/new-us-made-longer-range-bomb-expected-to-arrive-as-soon-wednesday-in-ukraine-00138566

--The US conducted its 11th round of strikes on Yemen in 20 days.

  http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2024-02/01/content_116978331.htm

--I'm not really surprised, but NASA os being used by the Space Force to 
send soldiers to the international space station. It was kind of 
predictable that NASA would be militarized once America claimed space as a 
war frontier (the final one?).

  https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2024/01/first-space-force-guardian-be-launched-space-summer/393803/?oref=d1-homepage-top-story

--For the first time in 15 years, the US is sending nuclear weapons to the 
UK, allegedly to deter Russia but in reality to provoke them.

  https://archive.is/05dxP
  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/01/26/us-nuclear-bombs-lackenheath-raf-russia-threat-hiroshima/

--And in the ongoing war action that nobody seems to call attention 
to or try to stop, Israel bombed Syria again this week, killing civilians.

  https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/29/719107/Israeli-regime-missile-attack-Syria-Damascus-

In local news, the Joint Terrorism Task Force Report I talked about last 
week went before City Council. The ACLU reminded the Council that concern 
over violations of the state anti-spying law are not unfounded, as they 
successfully sued Portland for livestreaming protests in 2020 where the 
focus was not on alleged criminal activity. Commissioner Rene Gonzalez 
used his vote explanation to proclaim that the video was needed to show 
the damage done by the "riots."

  https://www.aclu-or.org/en/press-releases/aclu-oregon-response-commissioner-rene-gonzalezs-tacit-support-unlawful-police

Along the march route, I talked about how the US, the UK and other Western 
powers are withholding desperately needef funding from UNRWA, the UN's 
refugee organization that has been getting aid to Gaza, due to allegations 
leaked by Israel that some UNWRA staff were involved in the Hamas attack 
on October 7. It seems like their goal wasn't an investigation, but rather 
the likely outcome of causing famine in Gaza.

  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-gaza-heads-un-agencies-call-unrwa-funding-restored

This week my "Money for human needs not war" talk was more personal and 
local than the usual headline. At a meeting on Wednesday, the Fire Chief 
was talking to the Portland Committee on Communtiy Engaged Poilcing about 
how he can't make Portland Street Response into a 24 hour program due to 
limited funding. I wrote in the chat that there would be more money if the 
US didn't spend more than the next 10 countries combined on its military.

  https://www.pgpf.org/blog/2023/04/the-united-states-spends-more-on-defense-than-the-next-10-countries-combined

Much to my surprise two pro-police accountability allies at the meeting 
connected with me (by text and phone) saying they agree with what I said 
but not where I said it. Sorry, any time we're made to fight for scraps to 
help community members it's always the right time to bring this up.

This week I was able to show off how the Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial Sign 
conks out when we walk by the Gucci store, and it obliged for our guest 
marcher.

As one regular puts it, we don't have enough arms to hold all the signs we 
need to in order to call for a free Palestine, to stop bombing Yemen, to 
get out of Iraq, to hold police accountable, and so much more. So if you 
are up for it, come down some Friday at 5 PM and join us.  Remember to 
stay safe-- there are a million active COVID cases in the US right now 
according to this site.

  https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/


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