Thursday, January 15 - Day of Conscience to Act Against U.S. role in Supporting the War Crime going on in Gaza

Report from Jan. 15th NYC Day of Conscience:
Act Against U.S. Support of Israeli War Crimes

From the Emergency Town Hall Meeting (see previous emails) a DAY OF CONSCIENCE Against the U.S. support for war crimes was called on two day's notice, of which World Can't Wait was an initiator and one of the organizers. Here is a brief report:

FIRST ACT: Noon In front of U.S. Consulate to the United Nations

70 people turned out, the majority high-school students. This display of youthful defiance was very important and encouraging, and needs to multiply exponentially in the weeks and months to come! During a spirited rally in front of the Consulate, chants included "If you see something/say something/stop the war crimes now!" Some of us brought shoes, pacifie rs, and baby bottles and laid them on the street to symbolize Israel's horrific massacre of children in Gaza.

SECOND ACT: Grand Central Station

We saw a photo of the Samouni family, who had lost 30 members, including 3 infants, when the Israeli's bombed their homes during the assault on Gaza. The funeral procession photo became what we wanted to present to the public. Artists from PriceTagsArt helped design the action, which included dozens of people holding shrouds of infants. Others held signs.

When we arrived, there were dozens of police. The commander told us we could not do the action, because people coming through the terminal were upset about the airplane that had landed that afternoon in the Hudson River. By that time all the passengers had been reported safe, but we knew that people in Gaza were not. We said we were going ahead, as there is the right to freedom of assembly and speech. People going by were mixed; this being New York, some called us names. Others said, thanks for doing this.

After an hour, the police told us we had to finish up. But more people were arriving, including students from Hunter College, and the police backed off and didn't act to stop the protest, others joined back in, chanted some, and the whole thing went on, with more joining in, for two hours.

Emergency Town Hall Meeting

Stop the Israeli Massacre in Gaza!

A Call To Act:

We Condemn the U.S. Role in this War Crime!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 7:00 PM
New York Society for Ethical Culture
2 West 64th Street @ Central Park West NYC
$10 admission

Speakers:
Chris Hedges-Pulitzer prize winning journalist, former New York Times Mideast Bureau Chief, author of many books including Collateral Damage: America's War Against Iraqi Civilians

Cynthia McKinney-2008 presidential candidate, who was on a Free Gaza Movement boat bearing aid for Gaza that was fired upon by the Israeli Navy on December 29, 2008

Alan Goodman-writer for Revolution newspaper who held a banner at the Holocaust Museum stating, "After the Holocaust, the worst thing that has happened to Jewish people is the state of Israel."

Adam Shapiro-filmmaker, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement

Peter Weiss- Vice President, Center for Constitutional Rights

Najla Said- playwright and actor, performing an excerpt from her play PALESTINE about a visit to Gaza in early 1980 with her father Edward Said and their family

Others to be announced...

A great crime is being committed. The horror of Israel's invasion of Gaza mounts daily. The 1.5 million people of Gaza - fenced in on all sides - are being subjected to a brutal military assault from land and air. Civilian casualties are in the thousands. Food, medicine, and fuel are blockaded. Israel has declared this to be a "war to the bitter end." The United States has backed Israel both with new, sophisticated military weaponry and with full diplomatic support.

We, living in this country have a great and urgent responsibility to act against what must be recognized as a War Crime by Israel with the full support of the United States. Too many who watch the assault on Gaza with horror and outrage, have remained silent. Too few have acted. This must, and can, change. On Tuesday January 13, 2009, at this Emergency Town Hall Meeting at Ethical Culture Society, we will carve open space for the truth to be spoken and we will call on people to act now to stop the massacre in Gaza.

Whether the world sees political protest and resistance, and mass outpourings of opposition and outrage in different forms in this country...or whether it sees continued support for and passive complicity with these attacks coming from the people here...all this will matter greatly, not only here in the US, but to people all over the world.

Initiated by Revolution Books

Endorsed by: World Can't Wait; James Abourezk; Brooklyn Greens; Henry Chalfant; Kathleen Chalfant; Mitchell Cohen; Committee for Open Discussion of Zionism; Shreen Elkenani; Daniel Ellsberg; Nina Felshin; Dennis James; Joel Kovel; Adam Shapiro; Michael Steven Smith; Leonard Weinglass

To help, and for more information, call 917-548-4853:

From Guantanamo to Gaza: Stop the U.S. War OF Terror and Torture!

January 21st - Marks the 7th Anniversary of the U.S. torture center at Guantanamo!

End to the U.S. torture state NOW!

January 21st - 700 Palestineans kills, thousands more wounded and Israel promising to further escalate.

Stop the U.S.-backed Massacre in Gaza!

March and Rally: Sunday, January 11th, 1:00 PM Times Square

Join the Orange Jumpsuit / World Can't Wait contingent and declare:

From Guantanamo to Gaza:
Stop the U.S. War OF Terror and Torture!

Be part of a procession dressed as those tortured in Guantanamo have been forced to dress, in orange jumpsuits and black hoods. Stand with those who have been tortured in our names, and demand an and the U.S. backed massacre in Gaza. Hook up at 12:30 PM in front of "Juan Valdez Coffee", 41st and Broadway. Volunteers needed: call 347-678-5905 or email: nyc@worldcantwait.org

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(photo above:) In Harlem Saturday, a very diverse crowd braved the snow and freezing cold to denounce the U.S.- backed war crimes in Gaza. Demonstrators held signs reading "Trail of U.S. War Crimes: Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza" and "From Guantanamo to Gaza: Stop the U.S. War OF Terror and Torture" Others carried images of Palestinians who have been massacred by Israel. Marching down 125th Street, energetic chants rang out: "From Harlem to Gaza/ We're All Palestinians"

One particularly positive thing about the Harlem demonstration was that people of many different ethnic backgrounds joined together to denounce Israel's criminal assault on Gaza. This was great to see, because it is critical that the massacre of Gaza not be viewed simply as a "Palestinian issue" or an "Arab issue, " but rather as a human issue. People of all races and backgrounds share a moral responsibility to speak out against the crimes Israel is committing with full U.S. backing.

Hundreds of NYC youth engage with the "We Are Not Your Soldiers" anti-recruiter tour! Tour now extended a second week in NYC

The tour has been to classes and assemblies at City College and a number of high school classes.

There has been intense discussion, about the war, the military and what can be done. In one school several students asked for passes so they could attend it again.

This leg of the tour has featured two GI resisters:

Carl Dix -- one of the "Fort Lewis 6" - Black soldiers who refused orders to go to Vietnam (listen/view Carl's talk at City College) and

Matthis Chiroux who served 5 years in the Army, was honorably discharged, and then was called up again to go to Iraq, and has publicly refused those orders.

An example of what happened in the classrooms: One high school student raised her hand after hearing their testimony and angrily declared, "but those are human beings over there [in Iraq and Afghanistan] just like us!", leading to some deep interplay between the students and the visiting speakers.

Arrangements have been made for the tour to continue next week in NYC area. Already they are scheduled for five more classes.

If you are a student or teacher and want to have the tour come to your school, contact us immediately.

If you are a student, and want to get involved in the tour and in organizing protests to stop these recruiters from spewing their poisonous lies unapposed, contact us.

If you are a parent or anyone else who wants to support this tour, with a generous donation, or your time, contact us. Donate on line.

nyc@worldcantwait.org or 347-678-5905 or 866-973-4463

For more detail news and on-line discussion of the progress of the tour nationally: www.wearenotyoursoldiers.org