[pjw] REPORT BACK: Shut Down Guantanamo!: Friday rally #251 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hello people who support peace, and support justice

We had the largest crowd I can remember in at least two years at the 
expanded Friday Rally for Peace and Justice last night. The 2022 
Guantanamo event had the same turnout-- sixteen people! Twelve went on the 
march. At least 5 of the 16 came from Amnesty International! And one ally 
from the Joint Terrorism Task Force campaign attended (and took a few 
photos). We were blessed with mild weather and met with a huge amount of 
supportive honks, and a few folks yelling "SHUT IT DOWN!!!!" It was also a 
bit sobering to encounter many people who looked like maybe they were born 
after Guantanamo opened 23 years ago who asked "what's Guantanamo?"

(Pause for effect as you let that sink in).

You can see two photos taken early in the event here:

  https://pjw.info/guantanamo23yl.html#photos

Remember you can also find the fact sheet on our site here:

  https://pjw.info/Guantanamo23ylfacts.pdf

A few folks handed out over 60 of them, and one person grabbed the 1/4 
sheet flyer about the Friday rally on their own initiative.

We started with a summary of the history of Guantanamo and then segued 
into the news of the week.

--It all really starts with the Spanish American War in 1898 were the US 
took Cuba as its own, then when the revolution happened they clung to 
their military base at Guantanamo Bay. They send a check to Cuba each year 
for "rent" but they government there refuses to cash them.

--After 9/11, the "war on terror" began and the US rounded up as many as 
770 people to put in a new prison camp there, a no-man's land off of the 
States to help isolate people from proper legal support and human rights 
observation. Last year there were still 30 people there, now it's 15.

--It costs an estimated $36 million per prisoner to run the "detention 
center." The latest National Defense Authorization Act continues the 
outrageous congressional prohibition on using money to transfer people to 
the US or shut down Guantanamo.

--Recent news, as I mentioned yesterday, reveals the CIA doesn't want the 
prisoners released to other countries where they might describe their 
torture or identify their torturers.

--Amnesty and other groups continue to call for Guantanamo to be closed 
NOW!!!!

OK on to the other news:

--So far in 2025, at least 600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, 
bringing the total number since October 2023 to over 46,000.

  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-death-toll-over-46000-houthis-hope-trump/

---The Pope made sure to say he wants the hostages freed as context for 
calling the Israeli bombing of civilians "shameful."

  https://news.antiwar.com/2025/01/09/pope-francis-steps-up-criticism-of-israel-says-bombing-of-civilians-is-unacceptable/

--Israel wants its "control zone" in Syria, stretching over nine miles 
past their already illegal occupation of the Golan Heights, to exist 
long-term.

  https://thecradle.co/articles/israel-plans-long-term-occupation-of-control-zone-deep-inside-syria-report

---Here's a telling tale: with Assad gone, the US has waived some 
sanctions on Syria including energy sales. Interesting, they are letting 
the oil they desire be sold once again. How about that.

  https://apnews.com/article/treasury-bashar-assad-sanctions-syria-biden-4df4fb793579c7aa820bcf5392286bd5

--Meanwhile, the US this week revealed that on December 31, they bombed 
Somalia, killing 10 people.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2025/01/08/us-launches-airstrike-in-somalia-claims-10-al-shabaab-fighters-killed/

---And just to be clear we're still a war-mongering nation, bombed Yemen 
on Wednesday, though no casualties are reported.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2025/01/08/us-launches-more-strikes-on-yemen-claims-to-target-underground-houthi-facilities/

--In a rich twist, the US through Secretary of Perpetual Conflict Antony 
Blinken accuses Sudan of genocide. Which may be accurate, but kinda 
hypocritical when you keep denying Israels' genocide in Gaza (which, as 
noted before, has been called out by Amnesty International).

  https://news.antiwar.com/2025/01/07/state-department-accuses-rsf-of-committing-genocide-in-sudan/

--Hate to talk about this guy, but incoming President Donald Trump lost 
his bid to have *his* Supreme Court delay the sentencing in his hush money 
case. It was a 5-4 vote with Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Comey 
Barrett voting against him. I guess you never can tell!

  https://www.oregonlive.com/nation/2025/01/supreme-court-rejects-trumps-bid-to-delay-sentencing-in-his-new-york-hush-money-case.html

--In Iraq, US-led strike with other nations led to the death of a 
"coalition" soldier, but they did not name what country the person is 
from.

  https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2025-01-06/isis-strikes-coalition-dead-soldier-syria-iraq-16397203.html

In local news-- which you would only have read if you're on the Portland 
Copwatch email list or found it on social media (the mainstream media 
hasn't picked up on it yet), the Sergeant who was punished previously for 
being the only person the Police Bureau could identify for putting an 
offensive, violent "dirty hippie slide" in a crowd control training 
Powerpoint was found to have _actually been the person who inserted that 
slide._ So the Police Review Board told the Chief "this guy lied so he has 
to be fired." But Sgt. Jeff McDaniel must know where the bodies are buried 
as the Chief and Mayor rejected the finding and said his punishment will 
stay at the 10 days off without pay initially imposed. !!! Furthermore 
McDaniel was the cop who sprayed a protestor directly in the mouth with 
pepper spray during Occupy Portland. And since he's still on the force, he 
might be re-assigned to the Rapid Response Team. We hope not.

  https://www.portlandcopwatch.org/PRBanalysis1224.html

Along the march route I noted that the US-backed Israeli Defense Forces 
admit they have conducted (at least) 110 airstrikes in the West Bank since 
October 7 (2023) killing 200, with the total number of Palestinians killed 
at at least 770....

  https://www.newarab.com/news/israel-escalates-aerial-attacks-occupied-west-bank

....including two children on Wednesday. And the US keeps sending them 
money.

  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-kills-two-children-air-strike-occupied-west-bank

Speaking of money, those out-of-control wildfires in California prompted 
the President-elect to complain there's no funding for FEMA. But that's at 
best half-true. FEMA got $29 billion in December, but COULD have gotten 
$43 per a request, if, say WE DIDN'T SPEND SO MUCH ON THE MILITARY.

  https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2025/01/10/will-trump-cut-wildfire-aid-to-california/77593001007/

The Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial Sign only had one message on it, which I 
hope I never have to update again: "23 years" since Guantanamo opened, 
shut it down! (It said 22 years when I got to the Square, luckily that's 
an easy edit.) Anyhoo, the sign went out again near the Apple Store, oh 
well.

We're back to the usual 5 PM start time next week if you want to join us 
at SW Yamhill and Broadway. It'd be great to keep our numbers up!

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