Daily Archives: December 23, 2019

2019-12-23: News Headlines

Brenda Norrell (2019-12-23). Blood Memory Rising, Book Review of Standing with Standing Rock. indybay.org 'Standing with Standing Rock,' is an encyclopedia of resistance, which chronicles the Water Protector movement from the first run to Washington, and on to the camps, and the surveillance by TigerSwan, to the ultimate international divestment campaign. In its 29 chapters are poetry, essays and discussions of Indigenous rights and Treaties.

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2019-12-22). The Real Lesson of Afghanistan Is That Regime Change Does Not Work. commondreams.org Any responsible government Americans elect in 2020 must learn from the well-documented failure and catastrophic human cost of U.S. regime change efforts in Afghanistan. (Photo: US Marine Corps/Sgt. Mark Fayloga) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Staff (2019-12-22). Why We Persist: Activists Have Protested US Drone Base for Over a Decade. truthout.org "All human beings possess the basic right under international law to engage in non-violent civil resistance activities for the purpose of preventing, impeding, or terminating the ongoing commission of [international crime]." — International law expert Francis Boyle | Nonviolent civil resistance against international crime is about effectiveness and persistence. Or as Dorothy Day might say, faithfulness. We sow seeds — awakening the cogs in the machine of imperial crime and informing th…

Staff (2019-12-22). On Hanukkah, Let's Rededicate Our Commitment to Environmental Justice. truthout.org "And when the Maccabees overcame them and emerged victorious, they searched and found only one cruse of oil sufficient to light the menorah for only one day. But a miracle occurred and they lit the menorah from it for eight days." —Talmud, Tractate Shabbat | The central story commemorated on Hanukkah comes from books 1 and 2 Maccabees, which tells of a small group of Jews in the land of Israel that fought to liberate their community from the increasingly oppressive reign of the Seleucid empire. U…

Staff (2019-12-20). 11 Pro Impeachment Activists Arrested at McConnell's Office. therealnews.com By The People is a grassroots group that has been pushing for impeachment for a long time. Instead of taking a pause to celebrate victory, they showed up at Senator McConnell's office to demand that the Senate take the charges against Trump seriously. Watch Marc Steiner interview By The People volunteer Adiel Pollydore about the…

Medea Benjamin (2019-12-20). The Real Lesson of Afghanistan? Regime Change Does Not Work. mintpressnews.com The debacle in Afghanistan is only one case in a fundamentally flawed U.S. policy with worldwide consequences. New quasi-governments installed by U.S. "regime change" in country after country have proven more corrupt, less legitimate and less able to control their nation's territory than the ones the U.S. has destroyed.

Staff (2019-12-20). Activists Demand a Migrant Justice Platform as Democratic Candidates Discuss Immigration in Debate. democracynow.org Protesters for immigrant rights demonstrated outside the Democratic debate Thursday in Los Angeles, displaying a banner that read "Migrant Justice on Day One" and demanding a moratorium on deportations and immigrant worker protections. We look at how the candidates responded, with Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer for RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services. "I'm really happy that immigration came up this time around," she notes. "In the past few debates, the issue didn't even come up."

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2019-12-20). The Real Lesson of Afghanistan Is That Regime Change Does Not Work. counterpunch.org The trove of U.S. "Lessons Learned" documents on Afghanistan published by the Washington Post portrays, in excruciating detail, the anatomy of a failed policy, scandalously hidden from the public for 18 years. The "Lessons Learned" papers, however, are based on the premise that the U.S. and its allies will keep intervening militarily in other countries, More

Tom Anderson (2019-12-20). BDS movement defiant after Tories announce anti-boycott measures and threaten international solidarity. thecanary.co Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigners have responded defiantly to Tory plans to pass an anti-BDS law. | The law is a threat to any international solidarity campaign which seeks to boycott companies or products because of the state policies of another country. As such, it presents a threat to international solidarity efforts as a whole. | Boycotting Israeli apartheid: | BDS is an international movement calling for a boycott of Israeli goods. It also calls for grassroots groups to initiate boycott campaigns against companies complicit in Israel…

splcenter (2019-12-20). Investigation: Washington State Rep. Matt Shea Poses Threat of 'Political Violence' Against U.S. splcenter.org Washington state Rep. Matt Shea has been vocal about his support for antigovernment and anti-public lands activists in the West, and a new report alleges those activities pose a threat of "political violence" against the U.S. government.

The Canary (2019-12-20). The Home Office is causing 'additional trauma' to Windrush victims. thecanary.co Compensation payments for victims of the Windrush scandal are taking too long to be paid, campaigners have claimed as they hit out at the "slow and onerous" Home Office process.The Black Cultural Archives (BCA) group, lawyers acting on behalf of some victims and other activists said they are yet to speak to any victims who have received a final payout, with many waiting months for a response.Organisations and lawyers representing around 100 victims criticised the way claims need to be submitted, telling the PA news agency the complicated process was causing further "trauma".The Home Office said it was "wrong to c…

Andre Vltchek (2019-12-19). I Never Saw a World So Fragmented! dissidentvoice.org It is amazing how easily, without resistance, the Western empire is managing to destroy "rebellious" countries that are standing in its way. I work in all corners of the planet, wherever Kafkaesque "conflicts" get ignited by Washington, London or Paris. What I see and describe are not only those horrors which are taking place all …

Kathy Durkin (2019-12-19). Trump's order on 'anti-Semitism' aimed at pro-Palestinian movement. workers.org Photo credit: BDS Movement President Donald Trump's executive order issued Dec.11 would deny federal funds from schools that allow "anti-Semitism" on their campuses, including some anti-Israel activities. It is intended to squelch defense of — or even discussion about — Palestinian rights, and is the result of intense reactionary efforts . . . | Continue reading Trump's order on 'anti-Semitism' aimed at pro-Palestinian movement at Workers.org

Staff (2019-12-18). Activists Cheer Approval of Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants in New York, New Jersey. democracynow.org People in New York and New Jersey are celebrating two victories for immigrants' rights. In New York, thousands of undocumented people waited in line for hours at Departments of Motor Vehicles on Monday to apply for a driver's license, as the "Green Light Law" went into effect six months after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed it. The law allows undocumented people to apply for a driver's license using alternative forms of identification instead of providing a Social Security Number. Meanwhile, in the neighboring state of New Jersey, state lawmakers also passed a bill Monday to allow undocumented people to app…

The Grayzone (2019-12-17). US Venezuelan embassy protectors denied right to fair trial. thegrayzone.com Four US activists protecting Venezuela's embassy in Washington, DC face prison time after the Trump administration illegally arrested them. And now…

Staff (2019-12-16). Trump's Executive Order on Anti-Semitism Attacks Free Speech, Palestinians, and Jews. therealnews.com Dima Khalidi discusses the legal and civil society ramifications of President Trump's executive order adopting the controversial IHRA working definition on antisemitism, defining Judaism as a race or nationality, which would threaten free speech on US campuses and sow divisions among US Jews, and criminalize the BDS movement.

Staff (2019-12-16). COP25 Was a Failure, But Activists' Collective Organizing at the Talks Was Unprecedented. democracynow.org The COP25 United Nations climate summit ended in failure Sunday, after negotiators failed to agree to a deal that would limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels — a key goal of the Paris Agreement. Scores of civil society groups condemned governments in the European Union, Australia, Canada and the U.S. for a deal that requires far less action than needed to avert catastrophic climate change. Indigenous leaders and environmentalists blasted the United Nations for marginalizing civil society groups over two weeks of negotiations at the climate summit, while welcoming polluters.

Staff (2019-12-13). COP25: Developing Countries Charge Ahead with Bold Climate Plans as Rich Countries Drag Their Feet. democracynow.org As this year's United Nations climate summit wraps up in Madrid, Spain, many activists, scientists, indigenous and grassroots climate leaders say that rich countries most responsible for the climate emergency have spent the talks dialing back ambition and blocking progress. This comes as deadly droughts, flooding, cyclones and wildfires rage around the world. This week, more than 70 developing countries have announced they will accelerate their climate plans, and 72 countries have signed onto goals to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. But major emitters Australia, China, India, Brazil and Saudi Arabia have…

Susan Price (2019-12-06). Scores of Papua activists across Indonesia await trial for treason. greenleft.org.au self-determination James BalowskiIssue 1248 Indonesia West Papua Indonesian occupation of West PapuaDecember 7, 2019Surya Anta Ginting, the national spokesperson for the pro-…

Hatewatch Staff and Rachel Janik (2019-12-06). Trump Officials Address Event Featuring Anti-LGBTQ Activists. splcenter.org A conference ostensibly meant to showcase "family policy" reveals how anti-LGBTQ groups have embraced strong-family rhetoric to push their agenda of intolerance.

David Bacon (2019-12-04). Twenty Years After Seattle's WTO Protests. progressive.org On November 30, 1999, thousands of activists flooded downtown Seattle, protesting the global economic order and forging a new understanding of the world, a vision very much in play today.

Kathy Kelly (2019-12-02). Trident is the Crime. zcomm.org The U.S. nuclear weapon arsenal creates anguish, fear and futility worldwide. Yet "holy ground" exists as activists work toward abolition of nuclear weapons…

Moon Of Alabama (2019-11-19). There Are Riots In Iran And The Usual Suspect Are On It. thelastamericanvagabond.com There are a few riots in Iran and Amnesty International is on it: Amnesty International @amnesty — 15: 50 UTC ∑ Nov 19, 2019 At least 106 protesters in 21 cities have been killed in #Iran, according to reports we have received. Verified video footage, eyewitness testimony & information gathered from activists outside Iran reveal a harrowing …

Hatewatch Staff (2019-11-13). Evangelical Franklin Graham Addresses Anti-LGBTQ Hate Group's Event. splcenter.org Influential evangelical leader Franklin Graham has continued his anti-LGBTQ associations by speaking to a hate group that brands "trans" activists as guilty of harming children.

Ricardo Vaz (2019-11-01). Venezuelan Leftist Parties and Unions Stage Protest, Demand Gov't Answers. venezuelanalysis.com Dozens of activists demanded better wages and respect for collective bargaining rights.

2019-12-23: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

Blood Memory Rising, Book Review of Standing with Standing Rock
Brenda Norrell | indybay.org | 2019-12-23
'Standing with Standing Rock,' is an encyclopedia of resistance, which chronicles the Water Protector movement from the first run to Washington, and on to the camps, and the surveillance by TigerSwan, to the ultimate international divestment campaign. In its 29 chapters are poetry, essays and discussions of Indigenous rights and Treaties.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/20/1882904…

The Real Lesson of Afghanistan Is That Regime Change Does Not Work
Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies | commondreams.org | 2019-12-22
Any responsible government Americans elect in 2020 must learn from the well-documented failure and catastrophic human cost of U.S. regime change efforts in Afghanistan. (Photo: US Marine Corps/Sgt. Mark Fayloga) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/21/real-l…

Why We Persist: Activists Have Protested US Drone Base for Over a Decade
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-22
"All human beings possess the basic right under international law to engage in non-violent civil resistance activities for the purpose of preventing, impeding, or terminating the ongoing commission of [international crime]." — International law expert Francis Boyle | Nonviolent civil resistance against international crime is about effectiveness and persistence. Or as Dorothy Day might say, faithfulness. We sow seeds — awakening the cogs in the machine of imperial crime and informing th…
truthout.org/articles/why-we-persist-act…

On Hanukkah, Let's Rededicate Our Commitment to Environmental Justice
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-22
"And when the Maccabees overcame them and emerged victorious, they searched and found only one cruse of oil sufficient to light the menorah for only one day. But a miracle occurred and they lit the menorah from it for eight days." –Talmud, Tractate Shabbat | The central story commemorated on Hanukkah comes from books 1 and 2 Maccabees, which tells of a small group of Jews in the land of Israel that fought to liberate their community from the increasingly oppressive reign of the Seleucid empire. U…
truthout.org/articles/on-hanukkah-lets-r…

The Real Lesson of Afghanistan? Regime Change Does Not Work
Medea Benjamin | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-20
The debacle in Afghanistan is only one case in a fundamentally flawed U.S. policy with worldwide consequences. New quasi-governments installed by U.S. "regime change" in country after country have proven more corrupt, less legitimate and less able to control their nation's territory than the ones the U.S. has destroyed.
mintpressnews.com/real-lesson-afghanista…

The Real Lesson of Afghanistan Is That Regime Change Does Not Work
Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-20
The trove of U.S. "Lessons Learned" documents on Afghanistan published by the Washington Post portrays, in excruciating detail, the anatomy of a failed policy, scandalously hidden from the public for 18 years. The "Lessons Learned" papers, however, are based on the premise that the U.S. and its allies will keep intervening militarily in other countries,…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/20/the-real-les…

BDS movement defiant after Tories announce anti-boycott measures and threaten international solidarity
Tom Anderson | thecanary.co | 2019-12-20
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigners have responded defiantly to Tory plans to pass an anti-BDS law. | The law is a threat to any international solidarity campaign which seeks to boycott companies or products because of the state policies of another country. As such, it presents a threat to international solidarity efforts as a whole. | Boycotting Israeli apartheid: | BDS is an international movement calling for a boycott of Israeli goods. It also calls for grassroots groups to initiate boycott campaigns against companies complicit in Israel…
thecanary.co/opinion/2019/12/20/bds-movement-defiant-after-tories-announce-anti-boycott-measures-and-threaten-international-solidarity/

Investigation: Washington State Rep. Matt Shea Poses Threat of 'Political Violence' Against U.S
splcenter.org | 2019-12-20
Washington state Rep. Matt Shea has been vocal about his support for antigovernment and anti-public lands activists in the West, and a new report alleges those activities pose a threat of "political violence" against the U.S. government.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/12/20/inves…

11 Pro Impeachment Activists Arrested at McConnell's Office
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-12-20
By The People is a grassroots group that has been pushing for impeachment for a long time. Instead of taking a pause to celebrate victory, they showed up at Senator McConnell's office to demand that the Senate take the charges against Trump seriously. Watch Marc Steiner interview By The People volunteer Adiel Pollydore about the…
therealnews.com/stories/11-pro-impeachme…

The Home Office is causing 'additional trauma' to Windrush victims
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-12-20
Compensation payments for victims of the Windrush scandal are taking too long to be paid, campaigners have claimed as they hit out at the "slow and onerous" Home Office process.The Black Cultural Archives (BCA) group, lawyers acting on behalf of some victims and other activists said they are yet to speak to any victims who have received a final payout, with many waiting months for a response.Organisations and lawyers representing around 100 victims criticised the way claims need to be submitted, telling the PA news agency the complicated process was causing further "trauma".The Home Office said it was "wrong to c…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/12/20/the-home-office-is-causing-additional-trauma-to-windrush-victims/

Activists Demand a Migrant Justice Platform as Democratic Candidates Discuss Immigration in Debate
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-20
Protesters for immigrant rights demonstrated outside the Democratic debate Thursday in Los Angeles, displaying a banner that read "Migrant Justice on Day One" and demanding a moratorium on deportations and immigrant worker protections. We look at how the candidates responded, with Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer for RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services. "I'm really happy that immigration came up this time around," she notes. "In the past few debates, the issue didn't even come up."
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/20/democrat…

Trump's order on 'anti-Semitism' aimed at pro-Palestinian movement
Kathy Durkin | workers.org | 2019-12-19
Photo credit: BDS Movement President Donald Trump's executive order issued Dec.11 would deny federal funds from schools that allow "anti-Semitism" on their campuses, including some anti-Israel activities. It is intended to squelch defense of — or even discussion about — Palestinian rights, and is the result of intense reactionary efforts . . . | Continue reading Trump's order on 'anti-Semitism' aimed at pro-Palestinian movement at Workers.org
workers.org/2019/12/44972/

On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, disabled activists, allies demand elevators, not more subway cops
Edward Yudelovich | workers.org | 2019-12-19
Dec. 3, inside Macy's. The United Nations established the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Dec. 3, 1992, in a victory for the worldwide struggle of people with disabilities. IDPD has been celebrated around the planet to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, . . . | Continue reading On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, disabled activists, allies demand elevators, not more subway cops at Workers.org
workers.org/2019/12/44981/

I Never Saw a World So Fragmented!
Andre Vltchek | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-19
It is amazing how easily, without resistance, the Western empire is managing to destroy "rebellious" countries that are standing in its way. I work in all corners of the planet, wherever Kafkaesque "conflicts" get ignited by Washington, London or Paris. What I see and describe are not only those horrors which are taking place all …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/i-never-saw-a…

Activists Cheer Approval of Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants in New York, New Jersey
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-18
People in New York and New Jersey are celebrating two victories for immigrants' rights. In New York, thousands of undocumented people waited in line for hours at Departments of Motor Vehicles on Monday to apply for a driver's license, as the "Green Light Law" went into effect six months after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed it. The law allows undocumented people to apply for a driver's license using alternative forms of identification instead of providing a Social Security Number. Meanwhile, in the neighboring state of New Jersey, state lawmakers also passed a bill Monday to allow undocumented people to app…
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/18/newyork_…

US Venezuelan embassy protectors denied right to fair trial
The Grayzone | thegrayzone.com | 2019-12-17
Four US activists protecting Venezuela's embassy in Washington, DC face prison time after the Trump administration illegally arrested them. And now…
thegrayzone.com/2019/12/16/venezuelan-em…

Trump's Executive Order on Anti-Semitism Attacks Free Speech, Palestinians, and Jews
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-12-16
Dima Khalidi discusses the legal and civil society ramifications of President Trump's executive order adopting the controversial IHRA working definition on antisemitism, defining Judaism as a race or nationality, which would threaten free speech on US campuses and sow divisions among US Jews, and criminalize the BDS movement.
therealnews.com/stories/trumps-executive…

COP25 Was a Failure, But Activists' Collective Organizing at the Talks Was Unprecedented
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-16
The COP25 United Nations climate summit ended in failure Sunday, after negotiators failed to agree to a deal that would limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels — a key goal of the Paris Agreement. Scores of civil society groups condemned governments in the European Union, Australia, Canada and the U.S. for a deal that requires far less action than needed to avert catastrophic climate change. Indigenous leaders and environmentalists blasted the United Nations for marginalizing civil society groups over two weeks of negotiations at the climate summit, while welcoming polluters.
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/16/cop25_fa…

COP25: Developing Countries Charge Ahead with Bold Climate Plans as Rich Countries Drag Their Feet
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-13
As this year's United Nations climate summit wraps up in Madrid, Spain, many activists, scientists, indigenous and grassroots climate leaders say that rich countries most responsible for the climate emergency have spent the talks dialing back ambition and blocking progress. This comes as deadly droughts, flooding, cyclones and wildfires rage around the world. This week, more than 70 developing countries have announced they will accelerate their climate plans, and 72 countries have signed onto goals to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. But major emitters Australia, China, India, Brazil and Saudi Arabia have…
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/13/cop25_de…

Scores of Papua activists across Indonesia await trial for treason
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2019-12-06
self-determination James BalowskiIssue 1248 Indonesia West Papua Indonesian occupation of West PapuaDecember 7, 2019Surya Anta Ginting, the national spokesperson for the pro-…
greenleft.org.au/content/scores-papua-activists-across-indonesia-await-trial-treason

Trump Officials Address Event Featuring Anti-LGBTQ Activists
Hatewatch Staff and Rachel Janik | splcenter.org | 2019-12-06
A conference ostensibly meant to showcase "family policy" reveals how anti-LGBTQ groups have embraced strong-family rhetoric to push their agenda of intolerance.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/12/06/trump…

Twenty Years After Seattle's WTO Protests
David Bacon | progressive.org | 2019-12-04
On November 30, 1999, thousands of activists flooded downtown Seattle, protesting the global economic order and forging a new understanding of the world, a vision very much in play today.
progressive.org/dispatches/twenty-years-…

Trident is the Crime
Kathy Kelly | zcomm.org | 2019-12-02
The U.S. nuclear weapon arsenal creates anguish, fear and futility worldwide. Yet "holy ground" exists as activists work toward abolition of nuclear weapons…
zcomm.org/zmagazine/trident-is-the-crime…