PeteinDC's blog
Letter to the local peace and justice movement
Submitted by PeteinDC on Mon, 12/01/2008 - 12:53am.Our fellow DC area activist-organizers,
There has been much change during the last couple years within the local peace and justice movement. The changes we have witnessed have included dissolution of the DC Anti-War Network (DAWN) as a group but not the commitment of several of its participants, there has been an increase in levels of nonviolent resistance actions, the revitalizing of the Washington Peace Center as a dynamic force in the wider DC metro community, and most recently the founding of a capacity-building coalition for future mobilizations, known as Activist Coalition of DC (ACDC). However, there is an important and vital need to share resources, creativity, and skills to unite collective energies and move beyond being only somewhat effective to being successful in our peace and social justice struggles. This needs to be our highest priority.
Rally: End the Siege on Gaza
Submitted by PeteinDC on Wed, 11/26/2008 - 8:01am.ACTION ALERT "Mercy for Palestinian Children" What: Rally to "End the Siege On Gaza" Where: NW corner of Lafayette Park, on the corner of 16th and H, Washington, DC Nearest metro is: McPherson Sq. (blue and orange). 8:00 AM - 10:45 AM
When: Wednesday 11/26/2008
On Wednesday November 26, 2008, President George W. Bush will provide a Presidential pardon to two yet-to-be-named turkeys. The turkeys will be housed the night before in a suite at the Willard Hotel and, following the ceremony, taken by motorcade and flown first-class to Disneyland.
The day will also mark nearly the fourth week that Israel has completely sealed crossings into the Gaza Strip for even the most basic humanitarian shipments, despite desperate appeals by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and others that Gaza's 1.5 million Palestinians are potentially facing one of the largest man-made humanitarian catastrophes. Half of Gaza's population is under the age of 15.
Demand Indictment of Bush and Cheney, Nov. 10th
Submitted by PeteinDC on Wed, 11/05/2008 - 10:56pm.From the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance: Dear friends, By the time you read this letter we will likely know who our next president will be. But whether Obama or McCain wins the election, we need to continue our work calling for peace and justice. We must continue to demand that the new president ends the occupation of Iraq and does not escalate military action in Afghanistan. We also must call for justice and demand that Bush and others in his administration are held accountable for the murders of millions of innocent people from Iraq, from Afghanistan, and almost 4200 US soldiers.
The Cost Of Slumber -- The Cost of Occupation
Submitted by PeteinDC on Wed, 10/29/2008 - 8:15am.By Dahr Jamail 28 October, 2008 Long before I discovered the mysterious mix of pain and relief that writing from the heart brings, I was pursuing a Masters in English Literature at Central Washington University in the small town of Ellensburg, Washington.Dahr Jamail writes the truth again... To Obama and McCain: It's the occupation, stupid!
t r u t h o u t
Five of the 10 Ghosts of War Convicted, Sentencing Delayed
Submitted by PeteinDC on Sun, 10/26/2008 - 11:54am.Contact: Max Obuszewski [410] 366-1637 or mobuszewski at verizon.net JURY CONVICTS FIVE GHOSTS OF THE IRAQ WAR/JUDGE SCHEDULES A SHOW-CAUSE HEARING ABOUT STOLEN EMAIL WHO: The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore was formed for individuals willing to engage in nonviolent civil resistance to first prevent and later to protest the war in Iraq. It is affiliated with several national peace groups, including the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance [NCNR] and United For Peace & Justice.
Ghosts of War Trial Reveals Additional Government Spying
Submitted by PeteinDC on Tue, 10/21/2008 - 11:09pm.DEFENSE TO MAKE MOTION FOR DISMISSAL IN GHOSTS OF THE IRAQ WAR TRIAL AS GOVERNMENT WITHHELD INTELLIGENCE REPORT
WHO: The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore was formed for individuals willing to engage in nonviolent civil resistance to first prevent and later to protest the war in Iraq. It is affiliated with several national peace groups, including the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance [NCNR] and United For Peace & Justice.
NCNR organized a theatrical event on March 12 inside the gallery of the U.S. Senate. Three members of the Baltimore Pledge, Maria Allwine, Ellen Barfield and Max Obuszewski, joined with Tim Chadwick, Joy First, Judith Kelly, Art Landis, Linda LeTendre, Manijeh Saba and Eve Tetaz as the Ghosts of the Iraq War.
Ghosts of War on Trial
Submitted by PeteinDC on Tue, 10/21/2008 - 12:05pm.Peace activists Eve Tetaz (DC), Maria Alwine (Maryland), Ellen Barfield (Marlyand), Tim Chadwick (Pennsylvania), Joy First (Wisconsin), Judith Kelly (Virginia), Art Landis (Pennsylvania), Linda LeTendre (New York), Max Obuszewski (Maryland), and Manijeh Saba (New Jersey) went on trial yesterday selecting a jury of their peers. All 10 of them face a maximum sentence of six months in prison for speaking out in the U.S. Senate Gallery on March 12, 2008. All 10 citizens of conscience were calling on their elected representatives to cease funding an illegal war and occupation to the tune of hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars.
Court Refuses to Immediately Free 17 Uighurs
Submitted by PeteinDC on Tue, 10/21/2008 - 12:01pm.This is very disappointing, and a continued outrage to justice. Gotta thank those Bush1-appointed judges...
WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided federal appeals court on Monday refused to allow the immediate release into the U.S. of 17 Turkic Muslims being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, agreeing to keep them in prison for at least several more weeks.
In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sided with the Bush administration in halting the Muslims' release while the government prepares its full appeal. Lawyers for the detainees, a group of Muslims from China known as Uighurs (pronounced WEE'gurz), had asked that they be freed into the U.S. pending the time-consuming appeal.
Frederick Activist Issues Statement on Being Listed as 'Terrorist'
Submitted by PeteinDC on Mon, 10/13/2008 - 4:11pm.As a follow up to the great event WPC hosted in Takoma Park on Saturday...
Dear Max, Sue and fellow activists,
I believe I am speaking for all four of the Frederick activists so far identified as being in the MSP terrorist database. We completely agree with Max's statements that "we need to stay together in keeping the pressure on," and "we have more power as a group going together to demand our files." I am sorry that we will not be able to attend this evening's meeting in Baltimore.
A number of us are going to Pat Elder's residence this evening where we will be meeting with a reporter for the Montgomery Gazette about this matter.
There follows the statement I just provided to a reporter for the Frederick News Post:
"My wife and I and other members of the Frederick Progressive Action Coalition (FredPAC) were listed as terrorists by the Maryland State Police at least partly because of our peaceful opposition to the massive expansion of so-called 'biodefense' facilities at Fort Detrick. Our opposition has been vindicated by the recent official acknowledgment that the only bio-attack in our history, namely the anthrax letters, came from within our own 'biodefense' program. Our opposition has also been vindicated by the decision of the County Commissioners and the U.S. Congress to have the National Academy of Sciences evaluate the risk assessments and proposed safety measures associated with the expansion at Detrick.
We have been listed as terrorists only for challenging the powers that be in ways that are essential to a real democracy. If this practice of demonizing activists is not expunged by its roots, it will further develop into practices that are that much more dangerous both to activists and to what remains of the health of our battered democracy."
Peace,
Barry Kissin
Justice for 17 Uighurs Delayed
Submitted by PeteinDC on Thu, 10/09/2008 - 8:30am.Detainees’ entry to U.S. blocked, for now
*The D.C. Circuit Court blocked, for at least eight days, the entry of 17 Guantanamo Bay detainees into the U.S., putting on hold a federal judge’s order for their release. In a three-paragraph order** <http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/detainee-lawyers-seek-familiar-panel/#more-8027*>, the Circuit Court said it was issuing a stay only to give it more time to consider the Bush Administration’s not-yet-filed plea for a delay of the entry until it can pursue a full appeal. The Court said its order “should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits” of the issue of a longer delay pending the appeal.***
17 Uighurs in Guantanamo Released, Appear in Washington Friday!
Submitted by PeteinDC on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 2:31pm.Today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, 17 uighur men detained and imprisoned for seven years, first in Afghanistan and then in Guantanamo Bay were ordered to be freed and released to the U.S. Judge Ricardo Urbina rejected the government's argument that the men, all of whom were declared non-enemy combatants four years ago should remain detained against their wills in a state of legal limbo.
War and Poverty: Out of Sight, Out of Mind?
Submitted by PeteinDC on Fri, 09/26/2008 - 9:52am.This morning, I rolled out of bed and grabbed a bus downtown. I was determined to be bear witness to what many in our country have never seen, and seldom ever hear of... The last 50 homeless men were kicked out of Franklin Shelter at 13th and K Streets NW. Out of sight, out of mind.
I got to the front of the shelter at 6:55 a.m. There were a couple of the men standing out front with some young white folks, mostly students, some anarchists. One man, I had seen the evening before when we chanted and protested in the nearby intersection, was on the lower steps of the shelter loudly expressing himself. I thought of the Biblical figure of John, the voice crying out in the wilderness. Alone but full of truth.
GLOV's second meeting from Metro Weekly
Submitted by PeteinDC on Thu, 09/25/2008 - 1:01pm.A recently launched, grassroots effort to respond to violent attacks against members of the GLBT community made notable progress Monday evening, Sept. 22. Two weeks after the group held its first meeting in the conference room at The Center, the metro area's GLBT community center, the second meeting was a few blocks away from the first in the literal sense, but a world away in the figurative.Anti-Crime Encore
New group's second meeting draws crowd, cops, Council
Fatal Hate Crime in Baltimore
Submitted by PeteinDC on Wed, 09/24/2008 - 8:48am.2 WPC Board Members Reflect on GLOV Working Group Meeting
Submitted by PeteinDC on Tue, 09/23/2008 - 12:43pm.Here are the reflections from myself and Malachy regarding the important Gays and Lesbians Opposed to Violence (GLOV) meeting last night...
Hi all! I think Chris and Todd did a great job facilitating, and the turnout was excellent. We know we have strength when elected politicians and MPD brass show up! However, this was clearly a community awareness meeting and not an organizing meeting. I think some of the pols and brass there thought they pacified us, but they didn't. That's good and bad, but it means they probably won't be as interested in coming to our next meeting, which will be an organizing one.
Bashing victim releases photos of injuries
Submitted by PeteinDC on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 11:14pm.This is an article covering the first meeting of the GLBT Anti-Violence Working Group... We meet again on the 22nd. Bashing victim releases photos of injuries ZACK ROSEN One of three men injured in an Adams Morgan anti-gay attack in July has sparked renewed interest in the case — and in other local hate crimes — by releasing photos of his injuries. In the July 13 incident, three gay men were assaulted by a group of five men who used anti-gay epithets. The Blade reported details of the attack a week after it happened. Last week, the victim released photos of himself that appeared on a blog, thenewgay.net. Since then, local radio station WAMU has covered the story. The victim, who asked be identified only by his first name Todd, said that he chose to release the graphic photos to raise awareness about homophobia and hate crimes in Washington. “[I thought] maybe it would help people understand that this was still an issue,” Todd told the Blade. “We can get very comfortable here in D.C. and forget that there is still homophobia and bigotry here and that it’s probably even worse outside of our gay enclave.” Todd’s injuries have healed since the attack, but he said that he remains disappointed in the police response time and unhappy that his case was not referred to the city’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit. Brett Parson, commander of the force’s liaison units, said that GLLU officers will assist in cases where they are needed, but they do not have enough time or resources to work on each gay-related case that is reported. “We can’t handle every case — that’s impossible,” Parson said. “It’s just more efficient to have a detective who’s dedicated full time and has resources available.” Parson said that the case is still under investigation and that progress has been made. The developments prompted a community meeting Sept. 8 to discuss anti-gay violence. Facilitated by Pete Perry of the Washington Peace Center and others, the meeting was billed as a first step toward raising awareness of hate crimes in D.C. and ensuring that the Metropolitan Police Department is fully equipped to handle such cases. “I hope to bring together a wide variety of GLBT activists here in D.C. to combat what I think is a high rate of anti-GLBT hate crimes in the city,” Perry said. The gay man identified as Todd attended the meeting, but was not alone in his experience. While his injuries were the most extreme that were discussed, others at the meeting talked about their first- and Two of the guests who spoke on anti-gay violence were Tracey Conalty and Tom Donegan, who previously acted as co-chairs for the group Gays & Lesbians Opposed to Violence. Conalty and Donegan said that the organization formed during the ’90s, after several high-profile hate crimes occurred, and sought to address such violence by organizing rallies and holding sensitivity training for new classes of D.C. police cadets. Many people who attended the Sept. 8 meeting agreed the best way to address the resurgence in hate crimes was to reform Gays & Lesbians Opposed to Violence. Perry said a consensus eventually was reached that an umbrella organization would be necessary to oversee the compiling of hate crime statistics, determine the GLLU’s exact responsibilities and gauge expectations local gays hold of that force. He also said it would be important to educate people on how they can best avoid becoming the victim of a hate crime, and how to report them if they do happen. Perry said local gays must know that hate crimes remain a problem. “When I go out to bars and clubs, the sentiment I get from the GLBT community is that we’ve been living in this rose-colored bubble where everything seems happy, and it’s not,” he said. “There’s a heck of a lot of violence in this city and, sadly, a lot of it is directed toward the GLBT community.”
Publication sparks community meeting to discuss hate crimes
Friday, September 12, 2008
second-hand experience with verbal and physical harassment.
Today: Protest Police State Practices at the FBI
Submitted by PeteinDC on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 6:02am.Protest Police State Practices at the FBI
10th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Today, 1:30 PM
Bring a sign expressing your rage at the violent police crackdown, led by the FBI, on nonviolent demonstrators and members of the media in the Twin Cities during the RNC!
Amy Goodman of Pacifica Radio and two of her producers were arrested and falsely charged with crimes – Restore the First Amendment!
Hundreds of nonviolent demonstrators were illegally arrested for simply dissenting – Stop Fascism!
GLBT Community Action Working Group
Submitted by PeteinDC on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 3:15pm.There apparently seems to be a recent rash of anti-gay hate crimes around 14th Street and Adams Morgan. A WPC GLBT Community Action Working Group is forming. E-mail me at pete4peace@gmail.com to get involved! See this recent article. And here is some news from our friends at the DC Trans Coalition. This is an important meeting, and I plan on attending: Activists from the DC Trans Coalition hand-delivered over 200 petition signatures and comments from the online petition, in addition to formal commentary from the Coalition and comments from the Silvia Rivera Law Project in New York.Petitions delivered to OHR, stay tuned!
Amy Goodman Arrested at RNC
Submitted by PeteinDC on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 12:25am.Just in case some doubted before, it's time to acknowledge that fascism is alive and well in America. We are now losing all of our civil liberties, including the First Amendment. I am quite stunned that the Ramsey County Police and the FBI in the Twin Cities had the audacity to arrest Amy Goodman of Pacifica!
It's not a real big deal when some of us activists are arrested for demonstrating without a permit, or engaging in nonviolent civil resistance, but when the state starts going after the media, the "free press," you know something is seriously wrong.
GI War Resister Imprisoned for 3 Weeks
Submitted by PeteinDC on Thu, 08/28/2008 - 8:49am.While we march, and hope that elections still mean something, war resisters are going to jail. I hope we can show them our support. Thank you to our friend Lt. Col. Ann Wright for being at Robin Long's trial. By Courage to Resist. August 22, 2008 Robin Long, an Iraq War resister deported from Canada into U.S. military custody last month, was sentenced today to 15 months of confinement and dishonorable discharge, receiving credit for 40 days of time served. He will spend 2-3 weeks in a county jail outside of Fort Carson, Colorado before being transferred to a Army stockade.
Conscientious Objector Udi Nir sentenced to 21 days in military prison
Submitted by PeteinDC on Sun, 08/24/2008 - 6:57am.Our friend Nora Bawa, who serves on our Palestine Working Group, and is a member of Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace has indeed returned to Palestine to once again work there as an educator. She passes along this important peace news from Palestine. High school students are resisting war and occupation!
Dear Friends,
CO Udi Nir, 19, from the Tel-Aviv suburb of Hertzlia, has been sentenced yesterday (20 Aug. ) to 21 days in military prison.
Udi Nir is the first conscientious objector to be imprisoned among a new group of high school seniors, who signed a collective declaration of refusal to serve in the Israeli army of occupation. He has been called up to enlist this Monday, 18 Aug., but planned to delay his imprisonment (technically - by going AWOL) to join other signatories of the letter. This intention, however, was noted by the press (Udi appeared in a TV feature and a negative newspaper feature over the weekend). This resulted in what was arguably the quickest operation of its sort in Israel's history. On Tuesday, one day after he has not showed up at the Induction Base, Udi Nir was arrested by civilian police (itself an unprecedented move), and was subsequently given a conditional sentence of 6 days in prison. The following day he was again tried, this time for refusing an order to enlist, and was sentenced to 21 days in prison.
A small demonstration to protest Udi's imprisonment was organised by other members of the high school seniors group (see images on the right), and has received some media coverage.
In a brief statement made on the day of his arrest, Udi Nir said:
I cannot take part in the activities of an occupying army, which constantly violates human rights. As an Israeli citizen and as an adolescent liable for enlistment I feel a sense of extensive responsibility for the cycle of violence and for all the choices I am making. It is out of this sense of responsibility that I refuse to enter the cycle of bloodshed and to add fuel to the fire of hatred raging here. I refuse to enlist into an occupying army so that I will not lend my own hand to the occupation and to acts that contradict my most basic values: human rights, democracy and the personal responsibility each and every human being bears towards fellow human beings.
Udi's full declaration of refusal was sent in a letter to the Minister of Defence. You can write to Udi in prison at the following address:
DC Library Dynamos in Action!
Submitted by PeteinDC on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 9:02am.A great new local activist group has formed around the issue of saving and preserving our neighborhood libraries... Read on:
Dear Ward 2 Residents and Library Advocates:The Shaw Library Study Group would like to thank those who participated and signed petitions on Saturday in front of Shaw's Giant Food Store.
Over 100 members of the public got on board to demand the best for our
libraries and a real community engagement process (attached find the
petition for you to copy and get your friends involved).
There is blog entry at Commissioner Chapple's website here >>
http://tinyurl.com/5d2ws6
(please add your own comments to his blog)
The feedback was clear... the new design is more of an "institution,"
(it has been compared to a prison), and the plans are simply "not
creative." People asked, "Where did all the glass [natural light,
windows and airy spaces] go?" The exterior has changed dramatically in the last seven months >> http://tinyurl.com/5bun2f
At our event on Saturday, several concerns were raised about library
floor plans. People called attention to the gaping flaws in customer
service and the lack of security in the facility. Library planners
failed to include any dedicated space to important library programming
such as adult literacy training, computer-skills training, and allotted spaces for Shaw's seniors. Equally disturbing to residents is that the library will not be built with a possibility for future
expansion. See the floor plans here >> http://tinyurl.com/5oa6ct
Our Question: why can't Shaw have a library fit for the 21st Century??
Considering that this facility will cost taxpayers two to three times
the cost of similar branch libraries in regions as close as Baltimore
and Montgomery Counties, we the people in the District of Columbia
believe we deserve better than what DC Public Libraries and the Board of Library Trustees are offering.
Check out the evolution of your new Ward 2 library online here >>
http://www.districtdynamos.org/dynamos/shaw/library_evolution
If you are not satisfied with how your library is being planned by DCPL, please consider joining the Shaw Library Study Group at the next
DCPL-hosted Shaw Library design meeting on September 4.
--------------------------------------------------
DCPL Shaw library design meeting
Thursday, September 4, 2008 6:30 - 8:30 pm
at the Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Interim Library
945 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
as seen on the DCPL website here >>
The Grassroots is Winning Against H. Con. Res. 362
Submitted by PeteinDC on Sat, 08/16/2008 - 5:07pm.James O'Donell with Code Pink and I visited several offices in the House of Representatives (next stop, the Senate) with the attached document on Thursday.
Staffers were mostly friendly toward us. Foreign Affairs legislative assistants in the offices of Maxine Waters, Jesse Jackson Jr., and Barbara Lee sat with us for a few minutes. In Waters' and Lee's offices the staffers insisted that 632 was not going to move. They said that this was an excellent example of resistance (in congressional districts and in D.C.) from the grassroots making a difference.
James compiled our version of House Concurrent Resolution 362 -- a pithy prescription for wresting our foreign policy from the neoconservatives and taking a peace and social justice- based approach to America's policies in the Middle East. It incorporates a lot of historical facts, the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), and other government reports.
