War & Peace

On Sunday, November 8th, Beth El Synagogue in St. Louis Park hosted former Secretary of State, National Security Adviser and oil company apparatchik Condoleezza Rice; Twin Cities Indymedia got footage of Rice attacking the Goldstone Report which exposed Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

Members of Beth El's congregation protested the offensive invitation for months, only to get refused access to the congregation newsletter and board discussions. Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) led the organizing of an anti-torture protest outside.

During the action, Beth El security and the police attempted to demand the protest relocate away from the nearest public sidewalk into a so-called "FIRST AMENDMENT AREA" because Beth El had obtained its own protest permit from the St Louis Park police, apparently a 'covert op' of sorts. (The police didn't indicate if free speech still existed in other 'areas'.) On two occasions beforehand the police refused to return calls about any possible permits, then they attempted to spring this setup on WAMM, merely proving further the hopeless corruption and futility of the entire demonstration permit system itself. Of course profits were involved for Rice, who netted cash from the high-price event. Below: more videos, photo stills, detailed notes on Rice's speech, and the fight inside Beth El.

Antiwar organizations across the country have called for Oct. 17 to be a national day of local and regional actions protesting the continuation of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

President Obama's award of the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday added him to a list of laureates that in addition to legendary human rights activists includes such other warmakers as Al Gore and Henry Kissinger.  However, his escalation of the war in Afghanistan--he's currently debating whether to send an additional 40,000 troops to supplement that occupation--has not made him popular in the Twin Cities on this, the 8th anniversary of that war's beginning.

On Wednesday - as some do every Wednesday at evening rush hour - people gathered at the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue bridge to bear witness to the war, which in Afghanistan has killed unknown thousands of civilians and 869 U.S. soldiers. "For 8 years, the people of Afghanistan have suffered attacks on their families and the destruction of their homes and villages. We say this is 8 years too many!" declared a statement by the vigil organizers.

Related: Rochester IMC | Washington, DC (1, 2, 3) | New York City | San Francisco | Minneapolis: March October 17 | Recruiting Station Cleared Out

(click photos to enlarge)

A crowd estimated at about 8,000 by g20media.org gathered at 5th and Craft in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh to take their antiwar demands and other messages to the G20 summit - or at least as close as they could get.  Seven feeder marches, from Iraq Vets Against the War, free Tibet activists, Students for Justice in Palestine, a spirituality/peace group, a climate contingent, women's coalition, and a Bailout the People march (which joined about an hour later), supplemented the turnout.

Israeli security forces have refused entry to three U.S. solidarity activists. They are being treated as criminals, while their only goal was to learn about the reality of life for the Palestinian people. Sarah Martin and Katrina Plotz have refused voluntary deportation, and are appealing their case to the Israeli courts. Their case will be heard today, and we urge supporters to take the actions below.

We have just learned that Israeli security forces have refused entry to three U.S. activists attempting to visit the Palestinian Territories. One of them, Karen Sullivan, is being sent home on a flight tonight, and two others, Sarah Martin and Katrina Plotz have refused to leave, and are being taken into custody. They are being treated as criminals, while their only goal was to learn about the reality of life for the Palestinian people. All three should be allowed to enter the country, as millions of tourists do every year.

Given the special relationship that the U.S. has with Israel, it is no surprise that U.S. citizens would want to travel there, and see how our tax dollars are spent. In spite of its special relationship with the U.S., the Israeli government showed no regard for the rights of American visitors, whose only crime was to express solidarity with the people of occupied Palestine.

Palestinians experience repression every day. There is no way to travel to Palestinian cities, or from one Palestinian city to another, without passing through Israeli military checkpoints. Palestinian refugees who live outside the territories, have a legal right to return home, but face the same obstacles that stopped Karen, Katrina and Sarah at the Tel Aviv airport today.

Katrina and Sarah have refused to cooperate in the face of this injustice, and have been sent to an Israeli jail. They have been told they will not be allowed to enter the country, and instead will be handcuffed and forced onto a departing plane.

We urge everyone to call, write and fax the officials below to demand the immediate release for Katrina Plotz and Sarah Martin, and to urge Israeli authorities to allow both women into the country to witness the reality of life inside the Palestinian Territories, where they have been invited and are welcome. [Contact info below]