[pjw] REPORT BACK: changing of the guard?: Friday rally #244 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Peace loving people

At a meeting the other night I heard people talking about bracing for the 
changes coming in with the second Trump presidency. While it's true things 
will be very newly challenging for our allies in immigrant communities, 
for women, for the LGBTQ+ community (especially the transgender community), 
and more, the people living under US bombs and those subject to police 
violence will likely not see much of a change. During the Biden 
administration, for example, Portland Police shot seven people of color 
here in Portland (four Black men, two Latinos and a mixed-race 
Asian-American). So... we have work do to.

I led with this thought last night at the Friday Rally for Peace and 
Justice, where five of us rallied. Opting for a march though only two of 
us were prepared to participate, we went ahead to ensure broader 
visibility and did our usual loop.

The response seemed more muted than usual from vehicular traffic. We had 
some positive comments including one person from Hillsboro who thanked us 
for being there and took a leaflet about the Friday rallies. The weather
was mild and decent for the ides of November.

Those at the rally were able to hear these headlines about the week's 
news:

--The Brennan Center for Justice called Trump's cabinet/other appointments 
"performance art." If you haven't heard, for example, Rep. Matt Gaetz who 
would otherwise have had a hearing on his unethical behavior yesterday 
will be nominated for Attorney General. So he resigned his seat and now-- 
no hearing.

   https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2024/11/14/so-appalling-theyre-a-form-of-performance-art-donald-trumps-bombshell-appointments/

--As noted earlier, OR Senator Jeff Merkley joined Sen. Bernie Sanders to 
force a vote next week on cutting off arms supplies to Israel since they 
did not improve delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza in the 30 days given 
by President Biden. Who for his part said (paraphrase) "ah, it's good 
enough." This update yesterday adds Sen. Warren and clarifies there are 
actually six separate resolutions addressing different weapons systems.

  https://truthout.org/articles/warren-says-she-supports-sanderss-bid-to-block-israel-weapons-deal/

---A UN panel that was created in 1968 called Israel's actions in Gaza 
genocide. Naturally, the United States disagrees.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/11/14/un-committee-says-israel-is-carrying-out-a-genocide-hrw-says-israel-is-committing-war-crimes/

---This is NOT the story I sent out on October 26, but a new story about 
how an Israeli aristrike killed people in Gaza waiting in line to 
receive humanitarian aid.

  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/palestinians-seeking-food-killed-israeli-strikes-gaza-humanitarian-zone

--A British doctor who was working in Gaza says that he saw Israeli drones 
shooting and killed children on a daily basis. Again we need to "thank" 
the US for unleashing drone warfare on the planet.

  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/gaza-war-british-surgeon-tells-mps-account-nasser-hospital

--Again remembering how we're told there are no US soldiers in combat 
zones, this week such non-existent soldiers bomber nine 9 sites in 
Syria. No word if any of them were Oregon National Guard members.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/11/11/us-bombs-iranian-aligned-targets-in-syria/

---For its part, Israel launched a single airstrike in Syria that killed 
20 people.

  https://uk.news.yahoo.com/monitor-says-militants-among-20-181224133.html?guccounter=2

---...and another that killed at least 20 people at a Civil Defense 
Center in Lebanon, where people were headquartered to rescue those wounded 
by Israeli bombings.

  https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2579357/middle-east

--Big Iraq-related news: Three Iraqis will receive $42 million from a US 
contractor whose employees tortured them at Abu Ghraib prison in... 2003. 
The wheels of justice grind slowly. This article reminded me that nine US 
service members were sentenced to prison for their part in the torture.

  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/14/what-happened-in-abu-ghraib-and-why-did-a-us-court-award-damages

In local news, two PPB lawsuits with different outcomes:

1) a woman who was pepper sprayed in the face during a protest in 2020 had 
a jury reject her claims this week.

  https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2024/11/portland-police-sergeants-blast-of-pepper-spray-to-womans-face-was-not-excessive-force-jury-finds.html

2) next Wednesday, the Council is set to award a $400,000 settlement to a 
man who uses a wheelchair and who was abused during a 2020 protest (and 
another action-- its unclear what-- in 2021).

  https://www.portland.gov/council/documents/ordinance/settlement-dustin-ferreiras-bodily-injury-lawsuit

With just two of us, we more quietly discussed than loudly announced these 
last two tidbits.

This week the US-backed IDF surrounded a home in the West Bank and killed 
25 year old young man.

  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/9/israeli-forces-kill-palestinian-man-in-raid-on-occupied-west-bank-town

Appointed as one of two people to cut government inefficiency (much has 
been made of this apparently contradictory set up), Elon Musk is 
promising to cut wasteful spending-- but so far I have seen no mention of 
the military. He's probably going to go after housing, health care and 
other human needs which get in the way of the "free market."

  https://fortune.com/2024/11/13/elon-musk-doge-tesla-government-efficiency-donald-trump-white-house/

A campaigner for the ACLU stopped me by the Apple Store (inadvertently 
helping me show the Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial Sign to the patrons 
inside) to appreciate our picket signs. They also thanked me for wearing 
purple. I had no idea but yesterday was shine the light on abuse of women 
and children day where people are encouraged to wear purple. 
Synchronicity.

  https://www.lawc.on.ca/shine-the-light-on-woman-abuse-campaign

Anyway, when the two of us were marching later, the sign turned itself off 
sometime before we got in front of the Gucci store, around the corner from 
the Apple Human Zoo and where it used to turn off months ago. Hmm.

I've been reading more about the effects of long COVID-- it's possible 
someone involved in our group has contracted it. Here's a PBS story that 
ends with the warning "Trivializing COVID-19 as an inconsequential cold or 
equating it with the flu does not align with reality."

So continue to be safe out there and think of that warning if you join us 
some Friday at the rally. We did move from requiring to requesting mask 
use, but the Keaton Otis vigil (which monthly remembers the man shot by 
the Portland Police on May 12, 2010) just moved to require them out of 
respect for the communities of color most vulnerable to bad health 
outcomes.

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