[pjw] REPORT BACK: really bad prank: Friday rally #245 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Iraq Affinity Group supporters

Last night we had seven people at the Friday Rally for Peace and Justice, 
and six went on the march. We had extra "No War on Russia signs and got at 
least three people telling us we _should_ attack Russia or there will be 
consequences. A gaggle (not sure of the term) of about 50 young people in 
blue track suits with suspicious-looking patches on them (Brownshirts?) 
went by in a pack and at least one said "I voted for Trump!" I was so 
thrown I guess I did not hear the honking horns reported by others, which 
seemed to me to amplify as we marched. A few people (including a person 
who came across just me and the wagon at the end) took literature.

I don't know the last time I reported this, but I use a small orange 
traffic cone to amplify my voice since the City (and in particular, 
Pioneer Courthouse Square) has strict rules on amplified sound. So, as I 
said, here was all the news that was fit to yell:

--Some may remember that when the Clinton staff left the White House for 
George W Bush, as a prank they pried the "W" keys of the computer 
keyboards. President Biden has a much worse prank in mind as he authorized 
sending landmines to Ukraine. Notably, the US and Russia are not 
signatories to the international treaty that bans these horrible weapons, 
***but Ukraine is.***

  https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-us-embassy-warning-37982f529a53f8da6e551b4116879549

---The start of this really bad "dump for Trump" came a short time 
earlier, when Biden also approved Ukraine using American long range 
missiles to  fire deep into Russian territory. Within days, Ukraine fired 
eight of those missiles. Russia responded with a nuclear-capable (as they 
were VERY SURE TO NOTE), but conventionally armed missile.

  https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-1000-days-attack-06002c8c50bfb2fc622f446a8580bc0e

--Back in that other hot war funded and supported by YOUR TAX DOLLARS, the 
International Criminal Court (which the US also isn't signed onto) issued
arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his former defence minister Gallant and a 
Hamas leader who may be dead.

  https://www.reuters.com/world/icc-issues-arrest-warrants-israels-netanyahu-gallant-hamas-leader-2024-11-21/

---As a result, Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan and 120 other nations 
must arrest any of them who set foot on their territory.

  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/full-list-124-countries-must-arrest-netanyahu-icc

---Bernie Sanders' six resolutions to block weapons transfers to 
Israel ended up being only three, and they only received 18, 19 and 17 
votes respectively (I haven't investigated the discrepancies yet). But 
Oregon's Jeff Merkley votes yes on all three. So... over 80% of the Senate 
wants to keep allowing genocide to continue. Good times.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/11/20/senate-votes-down-bernie-sanderss-efforts-to-block-weapons-deals-for-israel/

---In another congressional bad move, the House voted 219-184 (including 
15 Democrats) to allow the treasury secretary to strip the nonprofit 
status of groups they deem are supporting terrorism (read: oppose Israeli 
policies). It's not expected to pass the Senate this year but could pass 
both chambers next year. The ACLU and other groups are all over this but 
what will the Supreme Court say?

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/11/21/house-passes-bill-targeting-pro-palestine-non-profits-and-charities/

---Another vote happened this week, this time at the UN Security Council, 
where 14 countries voted to demand a cease fire in Gaza. Unfortunately all 
that matters is the one "no" vote, which the US cast and thus vetoed the 
urgently needed message. (It's their 59th veto for Israel I read.)

  https://apnews.com/article/un-gaza-resolution-veto-hamas-israel-hostages-b5281432fc2acdc1860adb3015392c0b

---For its part, Israel used airstrikes in Syria, killing at least 92 
people...

  https://www.timesofisrael.com/over-90-said-dead-including-15-hezbollah-operatives-in-alleged-israeli-strike-in-syria/

---... and other strikes which killed at least three more Lebanese 
soldiers.

  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/20/israeli-attack-kills-three-more-lebanese-soldiers-as-death-toll-passes-forty

--The Iraqi Prime Minister pushed back on Israel's claim that if militants 
attack them from Iraq they can use "self defense" to launch military 
attacks on Iraqi soil.

  https://thecradle.co/articles/pm-mohammed-shia-al-sudani-rejects-israeli-threats-to-expand-war-against-iraq

In local news, the person I talked about last week received his $400,000 
settlement from City Council on Wednesday. He lives with brittle bone 
disease and when Sgt. Justin Damerville (who's since left Portland and is 
an officer in Brentwood, Tennessee now) spun his wheelchair around and 
twisted his arm up to handcuff him, he caused serious damage. The payout, 
it seems, is both the largest for any single protestor at the 2020 
protests AND triple what it might have been since Oregon law allows such 
compensation when a vulnerable person is harmed.

  https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2024/11/city-of-portland-set-to-pay-largest-single-settlement-over-allegations-of-excessive-force-by-police-during-2020-protests.html

Along the march route, I noted that after ineffectively trying to sanction 
individual violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank, the US is now 
sanctioning companies supporting the settlements there. It's interesting 
how quietly this happened while the government continues to support the 
wiping out of Gaza.

  https://www.axios.com/2024/11/18/us-sanctions-occupied-west-bank-construction-companies

As for our "money for human needs, not war" story of the week-- maybe I 
spoke too soon last time. According to this Business Insider story, Elon 
Musk, looking to cut $2 trillion from the overall budget, says he will be 
looking for military contracts that put the US on the hook for 
overspending. But not cutting unneeded weapons programs themselves or 
scaling back the military, or sending more money for housing, healthcare 
and jobs. From his "success" with Twitter I'm not too optimistic.

  https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/elon-musk-is-looking-for-trillions-in-government-waste-and-defense-is-a-massive-potential-target/ar-AA1ubJnH

On my way in, the Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial Sign went out before I even 
crossed the street to the Apple Store. When we passed by later toward the 
end of the march, it froze up (saying just "US OUT" which is good) and 
then went out at the mystery spot.

We do welcome you to join us any Friday at 5 PM at the SW Corner of 
Pioneer Courthouse Square at Yamhill and Broadway. PLEASE NOTE that with 
the holiday tree lighting, we likely will meet diagonally across the 
street by the Fox Tower, unless it's pouring rain and there's a thin crowd 
waiting for a celebrity to flick a lightswitch.

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