Published on Truthout (http://www.truth-out.org)
Occupy AIPAC: "The Battle for Justice in the Middle East Is Our Battle "
Monday 5 March 2012
by: Allison Kilkenny, In These Times [3] | Report
Hundreds of protesters from Occupy AIPAC protested outside AIPAC's annual policy conference in
The group spelled out "NO WAR ON IRAN" in giant letters [4] and set up mock checkpoints and an "Annexation Wall."
Protesters remarked on the increased awareness [5] and interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict following the Arab Spring:
“Last year we galvanised the
Though having adopted the "Occupy" title, the group was the brainchild of Code Pink, Women for Peace, and other peace, faith, and solidarity groups. This week, Occupy Wall Street's General Assembly did pass a motion of solidarity with Occupy AIPAC, though the original Occupy chapter has always tried to steer clear of that particular issue.
the issue of
Laurie Penny reported from outside the event and was one of the only reporters on scene to speak with protesters themselves, who ranged from youth expressing solidarity with the Arab uprisers to one conspiracy theorist rambling about Zionist property developers bankrolling the 2001 attacks on the World Trade centre.
The United States gives billions of dollars to Israel in military aid every year, money which has been used to kill at least 6,439 Palestinians (1,328 children) since 2000, according to B'Tselem. Comparatively, about 590 Israelis were killed by Palestinians since 2000.
Activist and author Chris Hedges, who Penny reports was given a somewhat tepid response following his denouncement of anarchist tactics, spoke outside the AIPAC conference.
"The battle for justice in the
"What is being done in
A move to bomb
"Those in Washington who advocate attacking Iran, knowing as little about the limitations and chaos of war as they do about the Middle East, believe they can cripple nuclear production and neutralize the 850,000-man Iranian army. They should look closely at the 2006 Israeli air campaign in southern
While Chris Hedges and company protested outside AIPAC, one young activist decided to take her message inside the conference. Liza Behrendt, 22, from Young, Jewish, and Proud (the youth wing of Jewish Voices for Peace) stood up during the conference in a breakout session called "The Struggle to Secure Israel on Campus" to call attention to what she calls the silencing of Palestinians.
Source URL: http://www.truth-out.org/occupy-aipac-battle-justice-middle-east-our-battle/1330976880
Links:
[3] http://inthesetimes.com/uprising/entry/12828/occupy_aipac_the_battle_for_justice_in_the_middle_east_is_our_battle
[4] http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=260395
[5] http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/occupy-activists-fear-that-americas-proisraeli-lobbyists-want-a-war-with-iran-16126432.html
[6] http://www.truthdig.com/report/print/aipac_works_for_the_1_percent_20120304/
Donations can be sent to the
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
No comments:
Post a Comment