July 6: National Protests To End Siege Of Gaza During Israeli PM Netanyahu Meeting With Obama

Tuesday, July 6:

End the siege of Gaza! End all U.S. aid to Israel!
Demonstrations to take place as Netanyahu meets with Pres. Obama

All out July 6th -- we need your support!

Washington, D.C.
Where: White House
When: 10 am
Email: dc@answercoalition.org
Phone: 202-265-1948

San Francisco, Calif.
Where: Israeli Consulate (456 Montgomery St.)
When: 4:30 p.m.
Email: answer@answersf.org
Phone: 415-821-6545

Los Angeles, Calif.
Where: Westwood Federal Building (11000 Wilshire Blvd.)
When: 5 p.m.
Email: answerla@answerla.org
Phone: 213-251-1025

Syracuse, N.Y.
Where: Federal Building (Washington and Clinton)
When: 12 noon
Email: syracuse@answercoalition.org
Phone: 315-491-6987

Charlotte, NC
Where: Federal Building (401 W. Trade St)
When: 12 noon
Email: charlotteaction@gmail.com
Phone: 704-759-6529

The movement to end the siege of Gaza is growing. On July 6 there will be demonstrations at the White House, and in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Charlotte, and Syracuse, which are scheduled to coincide with the Israeli Prime Minister’s meeting with President Obama.

On the eve of his White House visit Netanyahu’s government just announced its latest Gaza-propaganda ploy to derail the growing global movement to end the criminal siege. On Monday, Israel dropped its restrictions on some consumer goods into the Gaza Strip but retained tight limits on desperately needed construction materials. Israel announced that they would bar steel, concrete and other construction materials and many other goods. This makes it impossible to rebuild from the massive destruction caused by Israel’s murderous bombing campaign in 2008-2009.

Netanyahu is responding to the growing chorus of international outrage but with the goal of allowing President Obama to pat him on the back and announce that the new Israeli policy is a "step forward." It is up to each and every one of us to keep the pressure on the White House! That is what is making the difference.

A truly historic victory was won on June 20, 2010 at the Port of Oakland. For the first time ever, an Israeli ship was prevented from loading/unloading cargo in a U.S. port. The full-day shut down of work on a Zim Navigations (the national shipping line of the Israel) ship was the result of powerful picket lines at all four gates at the SSA terminal.

Next step: On July 6, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will be in Washington meeting with President Obama. The meeting was originally scheduled for June 1, the day after the deadly and piratical Israeli attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. That brutal assault has triggered a wave of international outrage and protest, of which the June 20 port shutdown was the latest manifestation.


Read the full statement here.

Your support is needed now to make the July 6 demonstrations and the other activities that will follow as successful as possible.

Lift The Siege of Gaza & End The Occupation Of Palestine!
No More U.S. Aid To Israeli Apartheid!
Hold Israel Accountable - Sanctions For Israel!

Tues., July 6, 2010
12 Noon
Federal Building
401 W. Trade St
Charlotte, NC

Charlotte protest initiated & sponsored by:
Action Center For Justice
Al-Awda, Palestine Right To Return Coalition - Charlotte
Students For A Democratic Society (SDS) - UNCC
CODEPINK Women For Peace - Charlotte
Movement For A Democratic Society (MDS) - Charlotte
Charlotte 4 Palestine
& others

*******************

Action Center For Justice
http://www.charlotteaction.blogspot.com
charlotteaction@gmail.com
704-759-6529

Protests denounce U.S. occupation of Iraq

By John Catalinotto, Workers World, March 24, 2010

The seventh anniversary of the criminal U.S.-British occupation of Iraq on March 20 gave impetus to demonstrations in cities around the world. Anti-war protesters could not forget the suffering this U.S.-led aggression has imposed on the Iraqis, killing over a million and driving 5 million people into exile.

click here for photo slideshow

On top of the Iraq occupation, the Barack Obama administration has begun a serious escalation in Afghanistan, destined to inflict similar damage upon other peoples of that region; it has intensified pilotless bombing of areas of Pakistan; and it threatens to bomb Iran.

This situation aroused protests across the U.S. Regional actions attracting thousands took place in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco, initiated by the Answer Coalition and in which many anti-war forces participated.

In Washington, some 10,000 people joined the protest, according to organizers. Among the key speakers was Cindy Sheehan, who has been an active spokesperson against U.S. wars since her son, Casey Sheehan, was killed in Iraq in 2004. Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark and anti-monopoly fighter Ralph Nader were also featured. Sheehan was arrested as part of a civil disobedience protest following the march.

Protest slogans included demands for jobs at home, not wars abroad, and pointed out how military spending drained wealth away from social benefits. The Bail Out the People Movement and the International Action Center had strong delegations from New York at the demonstration.

Workers World Party leader Larry Holmes was at the protest. “Considering all the activities going on this weekend,” Holmes told WW, “we were pleased to see so many people coming out. People came from around the country to show solidarity with the Palestinians, to tell the U.S. to get out of Afghanistan and Iraq, and to refrain from starting a new war against Iran. Young people were ready to march up to the Mortgage Bankers Association and make it a target of the protest. It’s a good sign for the future.”

In Los Angeles, thousands, including many youth of color, gathered at the intersection of Hollywood and Vine and marched down Hollywood Blvd. to the rally site at Highland Ave. There they listened to speakers prominent in left and progressive movements demand an end to U.S. militarism and money for human needs at home and abroad.

In San Francisco, 5,000 demonstrators gathered at City Hall Plaza, called by a broad coalition of anti-war, solidarity and social justice organizations.

Under the lead banner “Occupation is a crime — Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine! Fund people’s needs — not war and bank bailouts!” speaker after speaker demanded an end to all U.S.-backed military adventures abroad, including U.S. support for the continued occupation of Palestine, while at the same time demanding that funds be used for jobs, health care and education.

One of the most moving talks was given by Father Andres Tamayo, a priest and popular leader who was expelled by the Honduran junta. Tamayo brought solidarity greetings on behalf of the people of Honduras who are struggling against the U.S.-backed military government. Father Tamayo stated simply that the land and wealth of Honduras must be returned to its people.

Following the rally, a march moved through downtown San Francisco, passing two hotels, the Hilton and the Four Seasons, to express solidarity with striking hotel workers, members of UNITE HERE Local 2.

Anti-war protesters in Detroit, called out by the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice, on March 19 demanded that the U.S. immediately stop the wars against Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Somalia, Pakistan and other nations and that the Pentagon budget be used instead for people’s needs, including jobs, housing, health care and education.

According to the National Priorities Project, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan alone have cost Michigan taxpayers at least $25 billion. Protesters rallied at Detroit’s city hall and then marched behind a lead banner declaring “Michigan says no to war” to the Central United Methodist Church while chanting “Money for jobs, not for war!”

In Stockholm, Sweden, 300 people joined a cultural protest. Under banners reading, “Crimes against peace are the worst of all crimes — Nuremburg 1946” and “U.S. out of Iraq,” the Iraqi music group SUMER was joined by leading Swedish poets and actors who recited anti-war poetry. The former Swedish Foreign Minister and U.N. Ambassador Pierre Schori denounced the invasion and the fact that Swedish authorities did not charge former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for war crimes when she was in Stockholm for a conference to raise funds for the occupation regime.

An Iraqi guest speaker concentrated on the destruction of the Iraqi state and the horrendous situation for women and children. A speaker for Iraq Solidarity suggested that if Dante were writing today he would have to add another layer of hell to describe the present situation for Iraqis in their ravished homeland.

Expatriate U.S. citizens called a protest in Rome, Italy, and in Lisbon, Portugal, there was a public meeting denouncing the continued occupation of Iraq.

Judy Greenspan, Bob McCubbin, Bryan G. Pfeifer and Mike Powers contributed to this report.

"Killing is right and proper" (What happened at Travis AFB, yesterday)

“The Killing is Right and Proper”
By Cindy Sheehan, Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox Blog, Nov. 29, 2009

Yesterday, Bay Area CODEPINK and I, started our caravan to Creech AFB in Nevada with a morning peace rally at Travis AFB in Fairfield, CA.

After we got there we were informed that we had to move off the base and were shown by MPs where we could protest. As good warriors for free speech and peace, we groused about it and we were moving forward to where we were supposed to go, when a very angry older man pulled up and started yelling at us to: “Don’t go, I want to counter protest you.” I told him, first of all, he shouldn’t be drinking so early in the morning, and secondly not to worry, that we were going anywhere, we were just moving about 100 yards away.

We decided to just stop and take a picture by the Travis AFB sign and then we were going to get back in our cars to caravan down to Lemoore NAS because it was extremely windy and we were running a little late anyway.

I was giving a little speech denouncing the drone-bombing program and the upcoming 50 percent troop escalation to Afghanistan, when the angry old man, now dressed in a military uniform, charged around the corner and got right into my bullhorn—I told him to get out of my face and he very violently slaps the bullhorn away from me.

Everything happened so quickly: I was so shocked that I was actually physically assaulted that I just turned away from him and that’s when my colleague, Suzanne immediately jumped to my aid and got between the man and me. He swore profusely and pushed her—and then a mini-melee ensued. The numerous MPs and POs that were there finally intervened after I asked them to stop the man from assaulting my friends. I touched no one even though I was within my rights to defend myself. The video clearly shows that the aggressor and the person who brought unreasoning anger and violence to the rally was Sgt. Phil Ward

After the mini-melee, a Fairfield Police Officer, told Suzanne and I that we couldn’t press charges against the man who physically assaulted us because it was a “he-said, she-said” situation, when at least one dozen law enforcement officers were standing around and witnessing the events AND if we did press charges, then Suzanne and I would also have to go to jail until things got sorted out! Complete bullshit.

After all that, when we were leaving, like we were asked to, I got about 2 feet out of the parking lot and I noticed one of the CODEPINK women was not in the van, so I pulled over to the side of the road to wait for her and as soon I we got rolling again, to add insult to injury, I WAS PULLED OVER and detained for about one-half hour and kept isolated in my car from the others until I was presented with a ticket for “impeding traffic!”

We dropped my daughter’s car off and I hopped in the van with a group of desperadoes, (with me being the third youngest, at 52, and six out of eleven in the van being over 70), and we headed down to Lemoore NAS and a National Guard post in Fresno. After another three- hour drive from Fresno, we landed at a cheap motel in Mojave California and I was shocked to open my email and see that I had received numerous emails attacking me for essentially “bullying” a poor, old military veteran.

I watched the news videos to confirm my recollection, which was 100 percent correct. I got to watch an interview that Phil Ward did after his attack on us and he says that the killing in the wars is “right and proper” and was exceedingly upset with Obama because he is only sending 34,000 more troops to Afghanistan when the generals asked for 40,000 more. During an interview with me, I am clearly shaken, but I say, “no matter how much violence they bring to us, we will bring them more peace.”

A thing to think about in this whole episode, is that at least one area newspaper posted that we were going to be at Travis AFB, and it only drew ONE person out to protest us who was unreasonably aggressive and almost comically out of control? Hmm—it makes one wonder what Phil Ward was up to. He charged out of his car at us from the second he got there and felt it was okay to be physically aggressive towards me and the other protestors and he did get away with it with impunity?

We will bring them more peace, but we will also bring them justice, too, as we are planning on pressing charges against Phil Ward as soon as we return from Creech AFB.

There’s scum that attack and more scum that protect those attackers.

There’s scum that take away our rights to peaceably assemble and to freedom of speech, and more scum that protect those who try to steal those rights.

We the People need to be the ones to vigorously defend our rights and defend peace on earth from everyone from Sgt. Phil Ward to President Obama who think that killing is “right and proper.”

Video of Phil Ward attacking our protest:

http://cbs13.com/video/?id=64185@kovr.dayport.com

Getting up early to stop at Edwards AFB and Nellis AFB on our way to Creech in Nevada---the other stops yesterday were uneventful and we just want to peaceably protest without any further assaults.

Response to Obama’s planned Afghanistan ‘surge’: Cindy Sheehan, CodePINK head to military bases

Cindy Sheehan, CodePINK head to military bases in California, Nevada protest escalation of the war

BERKELEY – With anti-war Mom Cindy Sheehan on board, a CodePINK “NO DRONES/NO SURGE Bus” heads to Indian Springs, Nevada Saturday – with more than a half dozen demonstrations at military bases along the way – to protest President Obama’s plan for a surge against Afghanistan and the administration’s use of assassinations by “drone warfare” that kills civilians at high rates.

A NEWS CONFERENCE will be held at the bus send-off at the Marine Recruiting Station (64 Shattuck Square) in Berkeley SATURDAY at 7-7:30 a.m.

The bus, and its cadre of demonstrators from Northern California, will hold the following actions:

SATURDAY:

8:30-9:30 a.m. - TRAVIS AFB (main gate), Fairfield.

2-3 p.m. - LEMOORE Naval Air Station (main gate), Lemoore..

4-5 p.m. - FRESNO Air National Guard (main gate, Fresno.

SUNDAY:

7:30-8:30 a.m. - EDWARDS AFB (main gate), Edwards.

11-12 Noon - Marine Corps Logistics Base (main gate), Barstow.

1-2 p.m. - Ft. Irwin Army Military Reserve (main gate), Ft. Irwin.

5-6 p.m. - Nellis AFB (main gate), North Las Vegas.

Once at Creech AFB (just out Las Vegas, NV) demonstrations are planned in conjunction with International Climate Justice Action Day to protest the environmental disaster caused by wars (e.g. 51 percent of fossil fuels in the world are consumed by the U.S. military) on MONDAY.

On TUESDAY, timed to coincide with Obama’s expected announcement to increase U.S. troops against Afghanistan, Dawn to Dusk protests will be held at the front gate at Creech AFB.

“President Obama was elected to end war. We are still occupying Iraq, drone bombing against Pakistan for the past 6 months has been more than all the drone bombing under Bush and we’re escalating against Afghanistan. We have one message for U.S. troops: RESIST, REFUSE, DON’T GO, NO SURGE; and one message for Obama: Troops Home NOW” said CodePINK in a statement.

You'd think water would be a basic right

By Peter Asmus, The Sacramento Bee, July 5, 2009

In the slums of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya, about 1 million poor people pay up to 30 times more for water of dubious quality brought to them in old tanker trucks than middle-class citizens pay for clean and safe water provided by the local public water utility via standard household connections.

Some may be shocked by these disturbing disparities in the developing world, but a lack of access to safe, affordable and clean water is also an issue in California, particularly in the Central Valley and along the Central Coast. In these communities, more than 90 percent of drinking water is sucked from contaminated groundwater sources. All told, more than 150,000 California residents lack safe water for drinking, bathing and washing dishes; even more have water service disconnected because they cannot afford to pay their bill.

While the arid West – including California – has always suffered from more severe water challenges than the rest of the country, experts claim 36 states will experience local or regional water shortages over the next five years. Spain is also facing an extreme water crisis, with some wondering whether the Sahara Desert will cross the Mediterranean Sea from Africa. And droughts seem to have become a permanent way of life in Australia.

Society appears to face a global crisis in water supply as one in six people – more than 1 billion humans – do not have adequate potable water to meet their most basic survival needs. These facts have spurred efforts to enshrine the human right to water at the United Nations and in the national constitutions of countries such as South Africa and Ecuador.

Interestingly enough, the prime opponent of guaranteeing a human right to water on the international stage at the United Nations has been the United States, which, by the way, is also opposed to a human right to housing and food. It is this political dynamic of our federal government opposing human rights to water that makes Assembly Bill 1242 by Assemblyman Ira Ruskin, D-Los Altos, so interesting. The bill is moving through the California Legislature and a key vote is scheduled Monday.

International debate rages

"The language included in AB 1242 is typical of that used by organizations and campaigns around the world declaring a legal human right to water," said Jeff Conant, international research and communications coordinator for Food and Water Watch, one of the sponsors of the legislation. He went on to say that it would be up to state and local agencies to figure out how to "operationalize" this concept.

On the international stage, much of the discussion about a human right to water is wrapped up in the legal mechanics of treaties and policies at the United Nations. Patricia Jones, program manager for the environmental justice program of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, favors the concept of an "International Bill of Human Rights" that would be comprised of direct obligations and treaties that would make the human right to water both explicit and implicit. World Health Organization activists have been working on similar ideas but focused more on trying to stop the spread of endemic diseases, requiring regional governments to commit to the human right to water to receive funding for water projects.

"From a legal point of view, there most definitely is a human right to water, which is part of the right to an adequate standard of living," argues Thorsten Keifer, a human rights expert with Bread for the World, a 50-year-old German nonprofit organization. "The question of how such a right to water can finally be recognized is a very good one as there is nothing like an agreed-upon check list for recognition of implied or new human rights in international law."

From his vantage point, the right to water is not at all at odds with goals of efficiency, reduced water use and effective pricing. "The right to water does not mean that water should per se be for free, but that it should be affordable for all people," he said. "That the human right to water means that everyone should have access to water free of charge is a common misconception – propagated by a handful of activists – that has really interfered with discussions on the issue for far too long. Everyone who can pay should pay!"

So how does a corporation fulfill the human right to water? Coca-Cola has developed a "rights-based approach" because water is so fundamental to its business, and has such large impacts on ecosystems and people. This policy applies to existing and new production, and bottling plants.

"In essence, what this approach means is that our use of water should not infringe on the ability of humans to access water or impact the groundwater or the general population. Our presence as an economic entity should not raise the price of water and make water less affordable to the local community," said Greg Koch, global director, water stewardship, for the Coca-Cola Co.

Harry Ott, a retired Coca-Cola executive and a senior fellow with Future 500, a San Francisco-based organization, added this: "What I've learned is that one must meet with the local community on a regular basis, ideally, before you begin building or operating. One not only needs a government license, but a social license."

He noted that Coca-Cola's employees benefit from better water management. "If our employees have poor water quality at their homes, then they get sick and cannot work."

The California context

Californians will likely face escalating water bills to pay for facilities to treat contamination and to upgrade aging infrastructure. Many supporters of AB 1242 are concerned about the cost implications for disenfranchised citizens, particularly low- income Central Valley residents.

Some environmental organizations, such as the Natural Resources Defense Council, argue that we do not charge enough for water, and that's why so much is wasted.

"We need to decouple revenue from sales," argued Ronnie Cohen, water policy director for NRDC, referencing pricing strategies employed in the electricity sector in California. "The city of Los Angeles has such an adjustment mechanism to account for (water) conservative programs, but most water agencies lose money if people conserve too much. These water agencies need to sell water to collect revenue to run their programs."

California part of the conversation

AB 1242 does not delve into any of these specifics of water pricing or water management, but it is viewed as the first step in addressing water issues most pressing in the Central Valley akin to safety and cost issues more commonly witnessed in the developing world. California does not have a universal statewide lifeline water rate or allocation – one similar to our lifeline rates for energy and phone service – so when costs become excessive, families cannot pay their bills and risk losing water service entirely.

The issues facing the Central Valley are much more common in the developing world and China, where, oddly enough, multinationals often are better at cleaning up their acts than are local governments.

AB 1242's general affirmation of the human right to water is intended to address a specific challenge regarding groundwater contamination and access to affordable water in Central California. But it is also part of a much larger conversation.

Declaring a human right to water is one thing. Figuring out how to guarantee access to this elixir of life is a Rubik's cube. Yet we certainly must begin somewhere, and soon.


Peter Asmus is an environmental writer based in Stinson Beach and author of the new book "Introduction to Energy in California," published by the University of California Press.

Hundreds Of Calif. Homeless March For Land Rights

By Richard Gonzales, NPR, July 2, 2009

click here to listen to audio

It has been about three months since city officials shut down a large "tent city" occupied by Sacramento's homeless people.

Now, some of the tent city's residents say they feel like refugees, with no place to go. They staged a loud demonstration Wednesday, in hopes of pressuring Sacramento officials to find them a new place to camp.

'Where Am I Supposed To Live?'

Philip Grice, 45, has been on the move ever since the tent city closed.

"When we moved out, we moved over to a private area two fields over. They wanted us off of there too. Just like shuttling cattle, that's all it is," said Grice, a carpenter by trade, who wears a T-shirt that reads, "Where am I supposed to live?" "We're supposed to be the eyesore, but actually we're citizens and we're human beings. We're supposed to have rights like everybody else; it don't matter what we have in our pockets."

Grice joined about 250 other homeless people and their supporters for a march through the northern end of Sacramento.

Their action coincided with the closure this week of a temporary shelter where many of the tent city residents had found a roof for the winter. Now these individuals say they need a year-round legal camp on what they call "safe ground."

Rodney Frazier, 43, a single father and disabled brick mason, participated in the march.

"A lot of these people are brick masons, they are tile setters, they are dentists, they had some very nice jobs," said Frazier. "They contribute to the world, to society, and they had a downfall in life. They need help getting up."

No Legal Place To Sleep

The march ended up in a hot and dusty city-owned lot next to a police station, where organizers set up a symbolic occupation. Val Jon Farris, founder of a group called iCare America, set up a tent on the lot.

"There is no legal place for people to live unless they own, rent or lease a home. So if you're homeless it's illegal to exist. You can't even lay your head anywhere without getting arrested, prosecuted or criminalized," said Farris. "So this is a demonstration in order to create a civil liberty that ought to already exist, which is [that] people have the right to be, to live without the threat of being incarcerated in their own country."

Sacramento police officer Mark Zoulas, who has served on the homeless beat for the past decade, said a legal campground makes sense to him.

"You need something for that immediate need," said Zoulas. "I like the winter shelter. I'm not saying that's the best answer in the world necessarily. But at least it gives you a choice. And that's now closed and everyone using it is out. And that leaves, for the minute, nothing, and nothing is never the answer."

The idea of a safe ground for homeless campers divides officials in city hall. The mayor, Kevin Johnson, has been receptive, but others, including the city manager, Ray Kerridge, is not. There is also a disagreement over how much it will cost at a time when the city and county are already slashing basic services.

What is not in dispute is that this week Sacramento has 200 more people with no place to sleep.

MEHSERLE ORDERED TO STAND TRIAL FOR MURDER

Demian Bulwa, San Francisco Chronicle, June 4, 2009

OAKLAND -- Former BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle must stand trial for murder in the New Year's Day shooting death of an unarmed man, an Alameda County judge ruled today.

After hearing seven days of testimony since May 18, Superior Court Judge C. Don Clay said prosecutors had presented ample evidence to show that Mehserle could be found guilty of murdering Oscar Grant, 22, at the Fruitvale Station in Oakland.

Grant's mother, Wanda Johnson, sobbed loudly as Clay announced his decision, and other family members cried. Mehserle showed little reaction.

The case has drawn nationwide attention, in part because the shooting was filmed by BART passengers with digital cameras and played repeatedly on television and online. Mehserle, 27, is the first police officer in California in at least 15 years to be charged with an on-the-job murder.

BART police pulled Grant and several other young men off a Dublin-Pleasanton train about 2 a.m. Jan. 1 on suspicion of brawling onboard. Testimony showed that police were trying to arrest Grant for allegedly obstructing officers when Mehserle shot him.

One video showed Mehserle trying to pull Grant's hands behind his back as the Hayward resident lay face-down, then pulling out his pistol and shooting him.

Prosecutors said Mehserle had fired his pistol at Grant for no good reason. The defense said the officer had meant to shock the supermarket worker with a Taser stun gun but had accidentally fired his pistol instead, and that at most the case was manslaughter.

"This is not a murder because there is no malice, and there's no malice because Mr. Mehserle didn't intend to use his firearm," defense attorney Michael Rains told the judge.

However, in announcing his decision, Clay said, "There is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Mehserle intended to shoot Oscar Grant with a gun and not a Taser."

Clay heard from numerous witnesses during the preliminary hearing, including passengers who captured parts of the incident on cameras and other BART police officers who responded to the scene.

However, Mehserle himself did not testify. Clay said that without hearing from the former officer, he had no way to know what Mehserle may have been thinking when he pulled the trigger.

The outcry over Grant's death had racial overtones, with some African American community leaders saying that the shooting was part of a larger problem of police brutality against young men of color. Mehserle is white; Grant was black.

The shooting prompted several protests, including one Jan. 7 in downtown Oakland in which crowds smashed storefronts and set several cars ablaze. For the preliminary hearing, Alameda County sheriff's deputies maintained a visible presence at the courthouse.

Protesters ringed the building for the duration of the hearing. Many held signs that read, "We are Oscar Grant," and used bullhorns.

Oakland police joined deputies today to keep the peace outside the courthouse.

Mehserle resigned after the shooting and is now free on $3 million bail. He will return to court June 18 to be arraigned.

E-mail Demian Bulwa at dbulwa@sfchronicle.com.

Growing stronger

The right to return is not up for negotiation, reports Anayat Durrani from the Al-Awda conference
Al-Ahram Weekly, May 28 - June 3, 2009 Issue #949

"Freedom for Palestine, Growing Our Global Movement" was the theme for the seventh Annual International Al-Awda Convention 22-24 May in Garden Grove, California, attracting some 1,000 attendees. The convention marked the 61st year of the ongoing Nakba, or catastrophe, and 61 years of the struggle to return.

"Our objective is to keep the right of return at the centre of any discussion of the Palestinian cause," said Zahi Damuni, co-founder of Al-Awda.

Among the speakers was Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey was killed during his service in Iraq. Sheehan gained international attention when she protested against the Iraq war, camping outside President George Bush's Texas ranch.

"My son is the victim of US foreign policy, as are the people of Palestine the victim of US foreign policy," said Sheehan. She spoke against the "aid" to Israel and described the US-Israel relationship as an "unholy alliance", affirming that "more Americans would have compassion for the Palestinian cause if they knew the truth."

Fernando Suarez Del Solar, a Mexican who lost his son Jesus when he stepped on a US cluster bomb while fighting in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, travelled to Iraq and was deeply moved after visiting a Palestinian refugee camp on the border of Jordan. He asked children what they wanted most and a 10-year-old girl told him, "I want to go home. I am from Palestine."

Richard Becker of the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) coalition, said the US administration is finally realising it must address the Palestinian issue seriously, setting the stage for conflict with the Israeli government. "What Israeli leaders want is land. They want all of the land of Palestine," said Becker. "The US has a different perspective... what they want is to dominate the region and eliminate all resistance that stands in the way of their domination. And this domination is part of a strategy of global domination."

Michael Prysner, an Iraq war veteran and ANSWER activist called for the right of return for all Palestinian refugees, and reparations. "For any individuals who had a hand in the Gaza massacre, from Israeli generals to US politicians to media CEOs who distorted the reality, we demand they be indicted for war crimes," said Prysner.

University of California professor Jess Ghannam said Palestinians form the largest, oldest refugee problem in the world. "What started in 1948 with 800,000 refugees has grown into well over six million refugees," he said. Over 100,000 people in Gaza were displaced and lost their homes as a result of the Israeli attack in December 2008. He said there are people living in Gaza who lost their homes in 1948, lost their homes once again in 1967, again in 2002 and for a fourth time in Gaza.

Jamal Nassar argued that Israel's offensive against Gaza was in response to missile attacks by Hamas in violation of the ceasefire were false. "It is a lie. In fact, the ceasefire was broken by the Israelis while we in the US were busy electing a new president," said Nassar. "On 5 November, Israel went in and killed a number of Palestinians activists, and destroyed some houses there. That was the beginning of the breakdown of the ceasefire." Regarding the new Israeli government, he said, "clearly our enemy has gone to the extreme. Anytime your enemy goes to the extreme, you are closer to achieving your dream."

Regarding media coverage of Gaza, Al-Jazeera correspondent Khaled Dawoud said Israel miscalculated how their offensive into Gaza played out. "Israel started this war with this very solid media propaganda plan of how to control the way the outside world is going to see this war. And they failed," said Dawoud. He said Al-Jazeera showed the side that Israel did not want seen, "what the rest of the world does not show." He strongly credited "citizen journalists" and the Internet with helping show the real situation on the ground and exposing it to the rest of the world.

British MP George Galloway discussed the upcoming US Viva Palestina Convoy, expected to raise $10 million, to leave by air on 4 July from New York to Cairo where participants will purchase 500 trucks and ambulances and drive across the Rafah border into Gaza. The fiscal sponsor for the convoy will be Pastors for Peace. Americans will drive the convoy in vehicles flying American flags. Vietnam veteran and peace campaigner Ron Kovic, the hero of Oliver Stone's "Born on the Fourth of July" will be the co-leader of the convoy.

Galloway said it was fitting that the convoy leave from America, "where a black man whose father would not have been served in the cafeterias of Washington, now occupies the White House built by black slaves." He believes the election of Obama is significant. "Because he knows the truth. He's the first president who knows about Palestine."

The legendary British MP reminded his audience about the little girl who asked him, following the successful entry of UK Viva Palestina into Gaza, "Where are the Arabs?" He said this time he will have an answer. "The Arab countries have left you alone. But the Arabs in America are with you all the way."

Anti-war protesters criticize President Obama during visit

Carla Rivera, L.A. Now, May 27, 2009
click here for more photos from CODEPINK

About 40 anti-war protesters were holding a peaceful but noisy demonstration near the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where President Obama is holding a fundraiser. They demanded the release of torture photos and the prosecution of Bush-era officials for war crimes.

The demonstrators were beating on drums and chanting, “Obama and Cheney are just the same. They do torture in your name.” A few of the protesters were wearing orange jumpsuits and black hoods over their heads, mimicking the photos of Guantanamo detainees.

Though small, the demonstration was eliciting honks and thumbs-up signs from motorists passing through the intersection of Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards. The protest, which began about 3:30 p.m., was organized by World Can’t Wait, a group coordinating demonstrations in 15 other cities this week. (CODEPINK was also an organizer & participant -ACFJ)

“In terms of national security and state policy, Obama and Bush are one and the same," said Dennis Loo, a professor of sociology at Cal Poly Pomona and a member of the national steering committee for World Can’t Wait. “In fact, Obama is extending the war in Afghanistan and into Pakistan. A lot of people feel betrayed because they expected something different from him.”

Breaking News: Prop 8 decision

American Civil Liberties Union, May 26, 2009

Today, personal freedom took a big hit in California. In a 6-to-1 decision, the California Supreme Court ruled against us in our case to overturn Proposition 8.

Marriages of same-sex couples will continue to be banned in California.

This is deeply disappointing, especially in light of the recent Iowa Supreme Court ruling saying that it is unconstitutional to keep gay couples from marrying -- and the passage of laws opening marriage to everyone by the Vermont and Maine legislatures. Public support for marriage for same-sex couples is gaining ground, but California is being left behind.

Matt Coles, the director of the ACLU's LGBT project, recorded a personal message about California's decision, what it means for people’s lives and its impact on the freedoms of all Americans.

Please take a minute to watch this video and share it with your friends and family:

click here for video from ACLU

This decision legitimizes discrimination and allows the government to intrude on our most intimate commitments. You can be sure the ACLU will continue to work for fairness for gay couples and families.

But this case goes beyond the LGBT community. It is also about the government imposing one group’s idea of morality on everyone else. And when that happens, you can be sure the ACLU will be there.

Listen to what Matt has to say about the Prop 8 decision and the important work the ACLU is doing to protect the personal freedoms of all Americans.

Those opposed to same-sex marriage are on the wrong end of history. And, with your help, the ACLU will wage and win this battle for equality no matter how long it takes.

Sincerely,

Anthony D. Romero
Executive Director
American Civil Liberties Union

Mourning the Victims of Empire: Day of the Dead

By CINDY SHEEHAN, CounterPunch, May 25, 2009

I was on an airplane flying to Orange County from Sacramento to attend the al-Awda Conference; which is a Palestinian Right's Conference. Al-Awda translates to "The Returning," when the Pilot's voice filled the cabin to make an announcement that I think went unnoticed by most of my fellow passengers, but I heard it.

As the plane was on the approach to John Wayne airport, the Captain came on the intercom to remind us all to "remember our brave troops who have died for our freedom." Even in this post 9-11 paranoid paradigm, if I wasn't belted in for landing, I would have popped out of my seat at 13D and charged up to the cockpit to let the pilot know that my son was killed in Iraq and not one person anywhere in this world is one iota more free because he is dead.

As a matter of fact, the people of Iraq, the foreign country thousands of miles away where my oldest child's brains, blood, and life seeped into the soil, are not freer, unless one counts being liberated from life, liberty and property being free. If you consider torture and indefinite detention freedom, then the Pilot may have been right, but then again, even if you do consider those crimes freedom, it does not make it so.

Here in America we are definitely not freer because my son died, as a matter of fact, our nation can spy on us and our communications without a warrant or just cause and we can't even bring a 3.6 ounce bottle of hand cream into an airport or walk through a METAL detector with our shoes on. Even if we do want to exercise our Bill of Rights, we are shoved into pre-designated "free speech" (NewSpeak for; STFU, unless you are well out of the way of what you want to protest and shoved into pens like cattle being led to slaughter) zones and oftentimes brutally treated if you decide you are entitled to "free speech" on every inch of American soil.

If you watch any one of the cable news networks this weekend between doing holiday weekend things, you will be subjected to images of row upon row of white headstones of dead US military lined up in perfect formation in the afterlife as they were in life. Patriotic music will swell and we will be reminded in script font to "Remember our heroes," or some such BS as that.

Before Casey was killed, a message like that would barely register in my consciousness as I rushed around preparing for Casey's birthday bar-be-que that became a family tradition since he was born on Memorial Day in 1979. If I had a vision of how Memorial Day and Casey's birthday would change for my family, I would have fled these violent shores to protect what was mine, not this murderous country's. Be my guest, look at those headstones with pride or indifference. I look at them, now with horror, regret, pain and a longing for justice.

I can guarantee what you won't see this holiday weekend are images of the over one million Iraqi dead. Say we assign, in an arbitrary way for purely illustrative purposes, an average height of 5 feet for every person killed in Iraq and then lined those people up from head to toe. That gruesome line would stretch from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon…950 driving miles up Interstate 5. If we count the Iraqis who have been forced to flee, we would have to go back and forth between L.A. and Portland another four times.

There are obscene amounts of people who have been slaughtered for the US Profit Driven Military Empire who do not count here in America on any day. People in Vietnam are still dying from the toxins dumped on their country by the US, not to mention the millions who died during that war. Let the carnage escalate in Afghanistan while we protect our personal images by turning a blind eye to Obama's war crimes. Are you going to feel a lump of pride in your bosom when the coffins start to be photographed at Dover for this imperial crime of aggression? Will you look at those flag-draped boxes of the lifeless body of some mother's child and think: "Now, I am free." Is it better to be dead when Obama is president?

A tough, but real, aspect of this all to consider is, how many of the soldiers buried in coffins in military cemeteries killed or tortured innocent people as paid goons for Empire? To me, it is deeply and profoundly sad on so many levels. If I have any consolation through all of this, I learned that my son bravely refused to go on the mission that killed him, but he was literally dragged onto the vehicle and was dead minutes later before he was forced to do something that was against his nature and nurture.

Casey will always be my hero but he was a victim of US Imperialism and his death should bring shame, not pride, as it did not bring freedom to anyone. I will, of course, mourn his senseless death on Memorial Day as I do everyday.

However, we do not need another day here in America to glorify war which enables the Military Industrial Complex to commit its crimes under the black cloak of "Patriotism."

From Palestine to Africa to South America, our quest for global economic domination kills, sickens, maims or oppresses people on a daily basis and about 25,000 children per day die of starvation. I am not okay with these facts and I am not proud of my country.

I will spend my reflective time on MD to mourn not only the deaths of so many people all over the world due to war, but mourn the fact that they are the unseen and uncared for victims of US Empire.

click here to listen to the weekly show Cindy Sheenhan's Soapbox

RALLY at Johannes Mehserle's Evidentiary Hearing - Justice for Oscar Grant

A BADGE IS NOT A LICENSE TO MURDER:
Make sure the murderer Mehserle is charged with murder

• End the D.A.'s and BART's coverup—Open an independent public investigation
• Disarm the BART police
• BART police out of Oakland
• Drop all the charges against protesters

Build the New Civil Rights Movement to Stop Police Brutality

Monday, May 18th, 8:00AM
Rene C. Davidson Courthouse
12th St. + Oak (near Oakland City Center/12th St. BART Station)

Only an independent, youth-led civil rights movement in Oakland, Berkeley, and across California can win justice for Oscar Grant, the man who was shot and killed by BART police officer Johannes Mehserle on New Year’s Day.

WHAT IS AT STAKE
The only way to stop future police murders is to organize to make sure Johannes Mehserle is convicted for murder and that the other BART officers are charged for their role in Grant's killing. Most immediately, we must make sure that Mehserle's May 18 pre-trial hearing does not result in his murder charge being lowered or dropped.

This fight can have two possible outcomes. First: we can make an example of the police who killed Oscar Grant and reduce the chances of this happening again. This is a precious opportunity to draw a line in the sand and show the police that if they kill, they will be jailed. The other possibility is that the police demonstrate they can get away with murder even when the evidence is strong against them. A statewide police officers’ fund is financing Mehserle’s high-priced attorney, and District Attorney Orloff is trying to let Mehserle walk free because they want to maintain the police’s prerogative to harass, brutalize, and kill black and Latina/o youth with impunity.

In the past 15 years, although more than 5,000 have been killed by the police, only six cases resulted in police being charged with murder. None were convicted, even when the murders they committed were obvious and egregious. However, through mass organizing, such as the campaign that got murder convictions of police officers in Detroit in 1993 for killing Malice Green, we can win a conviction and increase the power of our communities no matter what the legal outcome.

END THE D.A.'S AND BART'S COVER-UP
District Attorney Orloff—who normally works on behalf of the police—and BART are attempting to cover up the murderous actions of the police. Orloff charged Mehserle with murder two weeks after he shot Grant, only after massive community protest. The only evidence he has presented has been police testimony. Orloff's prosecuting attorney sat silently during the bail hearing and failed to raise a single objection to stop the two-month delay that was granted to Mehserle's lawyer to buy more time to slander Oscar Grant. Orloff still has not charged Tony Pirone and the other BART police who were accomplices to Oscar Grant's murder and cover-up, yet he is prosecuting protesters who have stood up against this injustice.

The BART cover-up and legal conspiracy for injustice went one step further in their recent response to charges filed by Oscar Grant's family. In complete disregard of the evidence, BART claims that police officers Mehserle, Pirone, and Domenici were acting in self-defense. In spite of having had the opportunity to investigate this murder for months, BART is claiming they have insufficient evidence to address the host of specific allegations made by family, friends, and the movement for justice for Grant.

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums has not spoken out against the handling of the investigation and the prosecution of this case.

It is clear that Oscar Grant is not going to get justice through the police, the Alameda prosecutor's office, or any of the official bodies. Only a youth-led civil rights movement in Oakland that conveys that if there is no justice there will be no peace can ensure that justice is done.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Join the campaign to win justice for Oscar Grant. Demonstrate at the May 18th evidentiary pre-trial hearing to make sure Mehserle's murder charge is not lowered or droped. Join the public independent investigation into Grant’s killing. Also, join the mass petition campaign at BAMN.com/oscargrantpetition.asp This is a way to organize our community, express our power, and compel officials to respond to our demands. Join the "Justice for Oscar Grant Action Page" on Facebook (type these words into Google) for news and action alerts.

Sponsored by: Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration, & Immigrant Rights & Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN)
(510) 501-2435
ronaldsf@gmail.com

Thousands Attend Anti-War Rally in Hollywood

KTLA News, March 22, 2009

HOLLYWOOD -- About 4,000 people took to the streets of Hollywood Saturday to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The march was part of a nationwide "Day of Action" on the 6th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Similar rallies were being held in San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

The demonstration was sponsored by the A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) and Los Angeles Iraq Veterans against the war. It began with a rally around noon at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.

Among the protesters were "peace mom" Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in action, former Marine Ron Kovic, and Academy award-winning director and screenwriter Paul Haggis.

Kovic has spent 41 years in a wheelchair after a bullet pierced his spinal cord during the Vietnam War. He is also the author of the book "Born on the Fourth of July," which was made into a movie by Oliver Stone.

People in the crowd held placards with peace signs and anti-war slogans such as "Out of Iraq" and "End the War." Activists spoke from a flatbed truck, which served as a stage.

During his speech, Kovic asked President Obama to stop funding the Pentagon budget, and direct funds instead to programs for veterans and the unemployed. He also called for the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

After the rally at Hollywood and Vine, protesters marched for about 1.5 miles down Hollywood Boulevard chanting anti-war slogans and carrying 40 mock coffins draped in the flags of America, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The event finished with a symbolic "die in" led by Kovic at Hollywood and Highland in front of the Kodak Theater. All the demonstrators laid down in the street there briefly.

There were no arrests stemming from the protest, and no property was damaged.

The demonstration in San Francisco turned ugly when a large group of protesters started throwing sticks and water bottles at police. Several people who were pushing and shoving police officers were detained.

Barriers were then erected to separate police and the protesters, and the activists quickly dispersed.

Activists in both Los Angeles and San Francisco said they were encouraged by Obama's plan to withdraw 100,000 troops from Iraq, but many were disappointed by the increased troop deployment to Afghanistan.

http://www.ktla.com/landing_news/?Thousands-Attend-Anti-War-Rally-in-Holly=1&blockID=245798&feedID=171

Across the country: Thousands in streets defend same-sex rights

Right-wing churches bankrolled Prop. 8 in Calif.
Imani Henry, Workers World, Nov. 14, 2008

The election victory of Barack Obama will go down in history as a triumphant step forward in the struggle against racism and national oppression in the U.S. Unfortunately, it was also an election where more than 10 million voters in Florida, Arizona and California supported right-wing ballot initiatives to deny marriage rights to lesbian, gay, bi and trans people.

Thirty states now have constitutional bans on same-sex marriage. A proposal in Arkansas was also passed to stop gay men and lesbians from adopting children.

The struggle around California’s Proposition 8, which amends the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry, garnered national attention. Prop. 8 was the highest-funded campaign in any state and exceeded every other electoral campaign in spending except for the presidential race.

Prop. 8 was launched by ProtectMarriage.com to counter the California Supreme Court’s May 15 ruling which deemed unconstitutional a 2000 ban on same-sex marriage. “Vote Yes on Prop. 8” forces raised $35.8 million. The ban won 52 to 48 percent.

The coalition of right-wing organizations that supported Prop. 8 included the Roman Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, American Family Association, Focus on the Family and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon).

The Utah-centered Mormon Church actively organized support for Prop. 8 and raised significant funds in both that state and California. Every congregation was read a letter in support of the bigoted ballot measure and urged to donate and raise funds. About 45 percent of donations to ProtectMarriage.com from outside California came from Utah, much more than any other state. (Mercury News, Oct. 24)

Prop. 8 marriage ban ignites protests

On Nov. 4 across the country, LGBT people of all nationalities gathered to watch and then celebrate Obama’s victory. But on Nov. 5—with the announcement of the passing of Prop. 8—a new firestorm of protest was ignited. LGBT political and legal organizations immediately started an appeal process.

An estimated 10,000 people rallied, marched, sat down in the streets and/or shut down traffic in Los Angeles and San Francisco. On Nov. 6, the protests spread to more cities, including San Diego and Westwood, Calif. More than 3,000 people protested on Nov. 7 in downtown Salt Lake City at the Mormon temple and church headquarters.

Actions took place throughout California on Nov. 8, including a march of 13,000 in Los Angeles and 10,000 in San Diego. On Nov. 9, the California Highway Patrol was forced to close two state highway traffic ramps for 13 hours, as 350 people protested outside the largest Mormon temple in Oakland.

Saturday, Nov. 15, has been called as a national day of action against Prop. 8. In California, protesters are planning massive rallies at city halls all across the state. Legal and economic campaigns have been launched throughout the country to strip the Mormon Church of its tax-exempt status. An economic boycott is being discussed.

According to the Associated Press: “Utah’s growing tourism industry and the star-studded Sundance Film Festival are being targeted for a boycott by bloggers, gay rights activists and others seeking to punish the Mormon church for its aggressive promotion of California’s ban on gay marriage. It could be a heavy price to pay. Tourism brings in $6 billion a year to Utah.” (Nov. 6)

Don’t blame Prop. 8 win on Black community

In a despicable effort—played heavily in the media—to deflect attention from the rich and powerful religious right, California’s Black communities have been blamed for Prop. 8’s passage. The media falsely concluded that the high voter turnout of Black people resulted in the measure’s passage.

The LGBT movement has been erroneously depicted as entirely white and middle class, and Black communities as politically conservative, highly religious and heterosexual.

But LGBT communities and movements in the U.S. are overwhelmingly multinational and working class in character, and neither Prop. 8 nor the oppression of LGBT people originates from the African-American community. The millions in donations raised by the anti-LGBT forces did not come from the pockets of Black churchgoers.

A new study released by the University of California, Los Angeles-based Williams Institute indicates that more than 7,400 Black men and women in California are in same-sex relationships. Fifty-five percent of Black women and 11 percent of Black men are raising children within these couples, the study found. It also found economic disparities among Black same-sex couples and their heterosexual counterparts.

Christopher Ramos, the study’s co-author, noted: “These analyses break stereotypes about gay, lesbian, and bisexual people, like the idea that they are all wealthy. We find that gay and bisexual [African-American] men in California have household incomes that are 44 percent lower than their heterosexual counterparts.” (L.A. Reporter, Oct. 23)

In a statement, Kathryn Kolbert, a reproductive rights attorney and president of the pro-LGBT People for the American Way, countered the divisive news coverage: “[We have looked] at the basic numbers and concluded that it is simply false to suggest that Prop. 8 would have been defeated if African Americans had been more supportive.

“The amendment seems to have passed by more than half a million votes, and the number of black voters, even with turnout boosted by the presidential race, couldn’t have made up that difference. ... Republicans and white churchgoers, among many other groups, voted for Prop. 8 at higher rates than African Americans. ...Who’s really to blame? The religious right.” (www.pfaw.org)

The right-wing campaign of lies and deception during the campaign included “robocalls” directed at Black households that falsely portrayed Obama as a Prop. 8 supporter. In fact, it was Black communities and religious leaders who mobilized to counter much of the right-wing efforts.

The California NAACP sent mailers opposing Prop. 8 to 140,000 Black households. In October the campaign in the Black community against Prop. 8 ranged from an evening of preaching against Prop. 8 at a predominantly Black church in San Francisco to a press conference held on the steps of Oakland’s city hall by prominent African-American leaders.

While John McCain was a supporter of Prop. 8 and Obama publicly opposed it, both candidates voiced opposition to gay marriage. Obama is only for the right of civil unions for LGBT persons, which do not confer the same rights and benefits as marriage does.

According to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force: “The 1,138 federal benefits and protections of marriage are only available to couples that are allowed to legally marry. These include Social Security survivor and spousal benefits, the ability to file a joint tax return, immigration rights, and coverage under the Family and Medical Leave Act. To date, civil unions are not ‘portable,’ meaning that when a couple moves to another state, none of the benefits, rights or responsibilities coming from civil unions move with them.”

At the heart of the Prop. 8 and marriage equality struggle is the right to health care and employment benefits that all workers of every nationality, gender and sexuality should have. LGBT marriage is essentially about workers’ rights. This is why organized labor has fought the bosses to have domestic partner benefits in their contracts. Prop. 8 is a setback to the entire progressive movement for social and economic justice.

It is not surprising during this capitalist economic crisis that the right wing poured millions of dollars into a campaign to deny benefits to LGBT workers. At the heart of their efforts is an attempt by the entire ruling class to pit workers and oppressed communities against each other in the hope we won’t unite to fight back against them.

The struggle to overturn Prop. 8 will continue. A multinational, multisexuality movement will be a powerful force to turn back all the economic attacks coming down on the working class in this period.