[pjw] REPORT BACK: crazy American SOBs: Friday rally #206 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Supporters of peace

Last week I titled the report back after President Biden's use of the word 
"thugs" to speak of allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This week 
he personally called Putin a "crazy SOB." I don't think this has to do 
with age or memory, I think this has to do with warmongering and not 
knowing how to promote conflict resolution. Which dovetails nicely with 
making people money... but more of that below in the report.

At last night's Rally for Peace and Justice we had six people, which may 
not seem like a large number but it's the biggest rally in four weeks, and 
the first in a while where everyone went on the march. It was a warm 
evening with no rain, and we had a lot of positive feedback from 
pedestrians and drivers. We gave out all of the flyers we had for the 
March 22 Iraq 21 years later event:

  https://pjw.info/iraq21yl.html

and quite a few fact sheets about Guantanamo.

Before I report the headlines we DID talk about, I had on my list to note 
that Julian Assange had a hearing in the UK this week about whether he 
will be extradited to the US; a decision may come in days or weeks.

  https://thedissenter.org/assange-is-no-ordinary-journalist-u-s-govt-opposes-appeal/

OK, here are the headlines we DID talk about:

--The US has vetoed another ceasefire resolution at the UN. Doctors 
Without Borders called for immediate action to allow aid to come in and to 
stop their own people from being killed by US-backed Israeli bombs (I 
added that US-backed part).

  https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/msf-un-security-council-people-gaza-need-immediate-and-sustained-ceasefire-now

---The vote was 13-1 (one veto that is) and one abstention, from the 
once-our-colonizer, now-our-lapdog UK.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/02/20/us-vetoes-another-gaza-ceasefire-resolution-at-the-un-security-council/

---Back at the International Court of Justice, the US told them not to 
order an end to Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory because... 
they're worried about their security? International law schminternational 
law (to paraphrase Netanyahu).

  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/21/us-tells-icj-israel-should-not-be-ordered-to-immediately-end-occupation

---In a related story, the Center for Constitutional Rights and other 
groups issued a report showing that US anti-terrorism laws, especially 
after 9/11, are designed specifically to put down the Palestinian rights 
movement.

  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/anti-terrorism-laws-root-anti-palestinian-bias-says-new-report

---Across the other side of Israel, the US-backed IDF killed a mother and 
child in airstrikes in Lebanon, bringing the total civilians killed there 
to at least 42 since October 7.

  https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240221-woman-girl-killed-in-israel-lebanon-strike-medical-source

---... and the US-backed IDF also killed two civilians by bombing a 
residential building in Syria.

  https://www.sana.sy/en/?p=325784

---This all makes one wonder who will stop Israel from bombing other 
people. Well, not the US, since the $14 billion weapons package voted on 
by the Senate (to bolster the $3.8 B regular funding) is specifically to 
ensure they can fight a multifront war.

  https://www.timesofisrael.com/14b-us-aid-package-for-israel-crafted-with-eye-to-multi-front-war-not-just-gaza/

--OK, so, as noted above Biden called Putin a crazy SOB, to which Putin 
replied that the use of such language debases the office of President. I 
can't agree with Putin's violent tactics but on that I think he's right.

  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/biden-calls-putin-crazy-sob-kremlin-debased-america-trump-navalny-rcna139929

--And adding to the global mayhem this week (and "flying under the radar" 
so to speak), Turkey killed two people in an airstrike in northern Iraq.

  https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/other/two-killed-in-iraq-strike-blamed-on-turkey/ar-BB1iFqXp

In local news, less urgently a woman harmed by police at a 2020 Black 
Lives Matter protest is set to receive $25,000 on Wednesday, adding to the 
total of over $2 million so far for such violence.

  https://www.portland.gov/council/documents/ordinance/settlement-grace-dietzscholds-bodily-injury-lawsuit

But news that broke yesterday is more alarming-- the Portland Police 
Association has filed a ballot measure to basically gut the City Charter's 
provisions for a strong oversight board. That is the part of the Charter I 
spent nearly two years helping to flesh out with the Police Accountability 
Commission, only to have the City Attorney gut most of those plans... but 
the PPA wants more. I got a little quote in this OPB article:

  https://www.opb.org/article/2024/02/23/ballot-proposal-would-undo-new-portland-police-accountability-system/

Along the march route I talked about how Secretary of State A Blinken (not 
to be confused with Abe Lincoln) criticized Israel's plan to (in the 
middle of being called out by the International Court of Justice for 
genocide in Gaza and pondering the illegality of their occupation) expand 
West Bank Settlements. Blinken said such expansion is "inconsistent with 
international law." Well so is bombing civilian infrastructure you 
hypocrite!!! Oh, sorry, I thought we lived in a free country for a sec.

  https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/blinken-says-israels-new-settlements-west-bank-inconsistent-with-international-2024-02-23/

As we got back to the Square, I noted how President Biden is trying to 
boost support for the $60 Billion fuel-on-the-fire aid to Ukraine package 
by telling people how it will boost production of weapons here in the US. 
You know because creating jobs that include murder tools is the best way 
to boost the economy, not, say, putting money into human needs and 
resolving conflicts at the negotiation table.

  https://omaha.com/news/nation-world/business/ukraine-united-states-aid-congress-funding-goes-to-factories-in-us/article_0071fdba-c3e0-5b7b-bc59-4b5d17c36e4d.html

Once again the Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial Sign turned off before we even 
crossed the Morrison street to get to Pioneer Place Mall. Maybe they don't 
like the new message I put on it last week that says
"    Gaza
ceasefire NOW "

Please join us any Friday at 5 PM as we continue this tradition started 
over 22 years ago, if you are able. We're still encouraging masking up and 
distancing though Oregon seems to be on the cutting edge of telling people 
it's ok to go out in public if they have COVID. To be fair, the advice is 
to go out when you have no symptoms and to mask up, but I think those 
details will be lost in translation.


https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2024/02/is-it-ok-to-go-out-with-covid-oregon-led-the-nation-in-saying-yes-now-the-cdc-may-follow.html


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