[pjw] REPORT BACK: political violence: Friday rally #227 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hello again IAG supporters

Last night was the largest Friday Rally for Peace and Justice of 2024! 
With 13 people in attendance, we held strong in the heat. Eight of us went 
on the march. At first it seemed the response was muted. One man said he 
thought he wanted to support us but wasn't sure because what does 
"justice" mean and some (unnamed) foreign countries are running the US. 
The horns started picking up (probably in part to a sign that says "honk 
for peace" showing up) and we had a regular cacophony on one block of the 
march.

We got some flyers handed out for Hiroshima Day:

https://www.pjw.info/Hiroshima2024flyer.pdf

(It looks better printed out than on the screen, believe me).

>From Oregon PSR: If you were wondering why we use sunflower imagery:
  Sunflowers can take up high concentrations of radioactive isotopes and
  sequester them in stems and leaves, so they have been employed to clean
  up contaminated sites following nuclear disasters.

So what did we talk about this week?

--I repeated my rant from the email last Sunday about the hypocrisy of the 
politicians and pundits decrying the use of political violence. Look here 
on the streets where the police carry out political violence, or any time 
the death penalty is enacted. And the litany of countries where it's OK 
for the US to use political violence to meet its goals... oh yeah, this 
was in response to the person shooting at former President Trump.

--The International Court of Justice declared that Israel's occupation of 
the West Bank and Gaza are illegal. To which I say, "Duh!" They ordered 
settlements to stop immediately... but have no authority to enforce the 
ruling. Still, it gives support to countries who don't just want to let 
Israel do whatever it wants (like ours).

  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/19/world-court-says-israels-settlement-policies-breach-international-law

---Netanyahu vetoed a proposed kids' field hospital on Israel/Gaza border 
for political reasons.

  https://www.timesofisrael.com/pm-vetoes-gallants-field-hospital-for-gaza-kids-defense-officials-hes-playing-politics/

---230 US congressional staffers urged their bosses to boycott 
Netanyahu's talk next week. This is tremendous--- but it remains to be 
seen whether anyone listens.

  https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4779317-congressional-staffers-letter-protest-benjamin-netanyahu-address-congress/

---The US-backed (USB) Israeli Defense Forces killed another Hamas leader 
in Lebanon

  https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-drone-strike-in-lebanon-killed-hamas-commander-behind-attacks-on-israel/

---...and in Syria, the USB-IDF killed a soldier and a business man in 
separate strikes.

  https://www.yahoo.com/news/syrian-state-media-says-soldier-143912830.html
  https://www.timesofisrael.com/prominent-regime-linked-syrian-businessman-said-killed-in-alleged-israeli-strike/

---Tel Aviv was hit by drones launched from Yemen. (This morning I heard 
that Israel retaliated by adding Yemen to the list of countries they're 
bombing.)

  https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-military-says-tel-aviv-blast-apparently-caused-by-drone-2024-07-19/

--Speaking of Yemen, the US bombed Yemen again _last_ week-- three times, 
on Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/07/14/us-launches-heavy-strikes-in-yemen/

--China has stopped engaging in arms control talks with US because the US 
keeps supplying Taiwan with weapons. Oh well, there was some hope for 
de-escalation.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/07/17/china-stops-arms-control-talks-with-the-us-over-arms-sales-to-taiwan/

--Secretary of Perpetual Chaos Antony Blinken reversed course and now says 
it was a mistake to tear up the Iran "nuclear deal" and hinted the US may 
try to revive it.

  https://en.mehrnews.com/news/210936/Big-mistake-to-tear-up-Iran-nuclear-deal-Blinken

--Despite being shut out in Switzerland last month, Russia may be invited 
to the next Ukraine peace summit.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/07/16/kremlin-wants-clarification-from-zelensky-on-peace-summit/

--A drone hit a US base in Iraq, there were no casualties but this raises 
the question again WHY ARE THERE US BASES IN IRAQ?

  https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2024-07-18/us-troops-drone-attack-iraq-14530518.html

In local news, the City's meeting about the new oversight board actually 
involved the City listening (a little) to community concerns. There's not 
much more time to get them to make appropriate changes to their draft City 
Code; they want comments in by Monday July 22 via 
DOJ-Comments at portlandoregon.gov . More info here:

https://pdfhost.io/v/rPtIsynTe_UDPATED_City_Attorney_letter_from_former_PAC0724final

Video is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAIN9VWhvyU

Along the march, I noted that the violence by West Bank settlers has 
become so intense that the NY Times ran an article about how Israel's 
allies in the European Union and the US have imposed new sanctions there. 
Remember, though, the last round just led to GoFundMe dollars empowering 
the vigilantes.

  https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/16/world/middleeast/settler-violence-west-bank.html

And as we headed to the endpoint I noted that the F-35 warplanes we've 
focused on several times were picked out in this article as the most 
expensive single weapons program, at $12.4 billion for 68 planes. Guess we 
can't be spending that money on housing, health care or education!

  https://247wallst.com/military/2024/07/18/this-us-military-weapons-program-is-costing-taxpayers-12-billion-next-year/



The Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial Sign made it all the way to the "mystery 
spot" across from the Apple Store again, and a few extra yards as I 
sprinted past it. If it hadn't been over 90 degrees out maybe I'd have run 
all the way up the block. ?

Well it certainly was refreshing to have such a relatively large crowd 
this week. Remember we're at SW Yamhill and Broadway every Friday at 5 PM 
if you want to join us and feel safe doing so!


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