PeteinDC's blog

Protest to save Gaza tomorrow on Capitol Hill!

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 21:53:08 -0500

Today Israel launched a ground invasion into Gaza. Thousands blocked traffic for hours in New York City around Times Square.

Let's act here in DC! People of good conscience are now called to save our brothers and sisters in Gaza. Below is the announcement of an action tomorrow (Sunday)...

Event: A protest for GAZA on Constitution Avenue (near 1st Street NW) - Washington DC
"Palestine, Islam,Arabs, Israel, Gaza"
What: Protest
Host: Mutaz alawaleh
Start Time: Tomorrow, January 4 at 12:00pm
End Time: Tomorrow, January 4 at 3:00pm
Where: the park infront of the Congress

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=109938505326

Take Action to Stop Genocide in Gaza

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 09:14:54 -0500

The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation has issued the following call... It is time we start doing the right thing to stop this vicious cycle of bloodshed. We must let our government know that enough is enough!

December 27th, 2008

As of this writing, Israeli Air Force attacks today on the occupied Gaza Strip killed an estimated 200 or more people and injured hundreds more. These Israeli attacks come on top of a brutal siege of the Gaza Strip, which has created a humanitarian catastrophe of dire proportions for Gaza's 1.5 million Palestinian residents by restricting the provision of food, fuel, medicine, electricity, and other necessities of life.

While the scope of civilian casualties in today's attacks is not yet clear, it is unmistakable that Israel carried out these attacks with F16 fighter jets and missiles provided by the taxpayers of this country. From 2001-2006, the United States transferred to Israel more than $200 million worth of spare parts to fly its fleet of F16's. In July 2008, the United States gave Israel 186 million gallons of JP-8 aviation jet fuel. Last year, the United States signed a $1.3 billion contract with Raytheon to transfer to Israel thousands of TOW, Hellfire, and "bunker buster" missiles.

In short, Israel's lethal attack today on the Gaza Strip could not have happened without the active military and political support of the United States. Therefore, we need to take action to protest this attack and demand an immediate cease-fire.

TAKE ACTION
1. Contact the White House to protest the attack and demand an immediate cease-fire. Call 202-456-1111 or send an email to comments@whitehouse.gov.

2. Contact the State Department at 202-647-6575 or send an email by clicking here.

3. Contact your Representative and Senators in Congress at 202-224-3121 or find contact info for your Members of Congress by clicking here.

4. Contact your local media by phoning into a talk show or writing a letter to the editor. To find contact info for your local media, click here.

5. Organize a local protest or vigil and tell us about it by clicking here.

6. Sign our open letter to President-Elect Obama calling for a new U.S. policy toward Israel/Palestine and find out other steps you can take to influence the incoming Administration by clicking here.

US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

Police Dismiss Charges Against Hampstead Heroes

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 14:06:07 -0500

Police arrested and trampled on vets and other activists (including our intern Paul) during the last presidential debate, but this past week they dismissed the bogus charges...

Amy Goodman's Democracy Now TV show incorrectly stated that all 15 of the IVAW "Hempstead 15" Escaped Charges today.

That is incorrect. Mike Spinnato, & James Gilligan had excused absence, and Geoff Millard had an unfortunate incident, which made him an hour late, and the Judge refused to gr

Letter to the local peace and justice movement

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:53:20 -0500

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

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:01:32 -0500

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).

When: Wednesday 11/26/2008

8:00 AM - 10:45 AM

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

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:56:31 -0500

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

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:15:11 -0400

Dahr Jamail writes the truth again... To Obama and McCain: It's the occupation, stupid!

By Dahr Jamail

28 October, 2008
t r u t h o u t

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.

Five of the 10 Ghosts of War Convicted, Sentencing Delayed

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:54:03 -0400

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

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:09:18 -0400

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

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:05:07 -0400

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

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:01:21 -0400

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'

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:11:53 -0400

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

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:30:14 -0400

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!

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:31:36 -0400

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.
Judge Urbina ordered the immediate release of all the men, and scheduled a hearing for Friday at 10 a.m. to discuss the details of the men's acclimation to living inside the U.S.

Uighurs are an Islamic ethnic group residing in western China.

War and Poverty: Out of Sight, Out of Mind?

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:52:41 -0400

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.