Baltimore Activist Alert - April 8 - 9, 2015

34] Iyad Burnal at Busboys – Apr. 8
35] Write to Purvi Patel – Apr. 8
36] “Is the Exelon Takeover of PEPCO in the Public Interest?” – Apr. 8
37] Book talk – IN OUR POWER – Apr. 9
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34] – Get over to Busboys & Poets. 5th and K Sts, 1025 5th St. NW, WDC on Wed., Apr. 8 from 6 to 8 PM and hear from Iyad Burnat, the coordinator of the Popular Committee for Freedom and Justice in Bil’in, Palestine, a small farming village 7 miles west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. For ten years Iyad and the Popular Committee have organized the people of Bil’in to participate in weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the confiscation of their land, destruction of their olive trees, and Israel’s illegal Separation Wall and settlements.

This past summer, Iyad’s 15-year-old teenage son was shot in the leg by the Israeli military, severing a nerve and requiring ongoing medical care. As part of his month long Spring 2015 U.S. speaking tour, Iyad will talk about what life is like under Israeli occupation, his village’s ongoing struggle for justice and freedom, and what inspires him to continue nonviolent resistance. This event is co-sponsored by the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, CODEPINK et al. Email andrea.l.nore@gmail.com. Visit: http://iyadburnat2015speakingtour.weebly.com/.

35] – In Indiana on March 31, Purvi Patel became the first woman in US history to be incarcerated for murder for having a miscarriage. Discuss her case, how it fits into larger anti-woman legislation that keeps being pushed forward in states across the US, and how they can organize in solidarity for Purvi Patel. Come to Potter's House, 1658 Columbia Rd. NW, WDC on Wed., Apr. 8 from 6:30 to 8 PM. Letters will be written and collected by organizers who will send them to Purvi Patel, c/o The Indiana Religious Coalition for Reproductive Justice (IRCRC), PO Box 723, Lafayette, IN 47902. See https://www.facebook.com/events/1689232507970968/.

36] – On Wed., Apr. 8 at 7 PM at the School of Law’s Moot Court Room, 5th floor, 4340 CT Ave., WDC, join the UDC Law Environmental Law Society for an exploration of a cutting-edge issue for the District and the region: “Is the Exelon Takeover of PEPCO in the Public Interest?” There will be two panel discussions. The first panel, still “under construction,” will include Tim Judson, executive director of the Nuclear Information & Resource Service. The second panel will feature alumnae DC People’s Counsel, Sandra Mattavous-Frye, ’83 and MD People’s Counsel, Paula Carmody, ’80 as well as Delaware Intervener, Jeremy Firestone, JD, PhD and utility law expert Scott Hempling, Esq. Both panels will be moderated by UDC Environmental Law Society members. A reception will follow. Register at http://www.law.udc.edu/event/Exelon.

37] – Meet Nora Barrows-Friedman at The Jerusalem Fund & Palestine Center, 2425 Virginia Ave. NW, WDC on Thurs., Apr. 9 from 1 to 2 PM. In the years following Israel’s 2008 - 2009 Operation Cast Lead assault on the Palestinians of Gaza, a new kind of student movement emerged on U.S. campuses in support of the idea that Palestinians should gain the full exercise of their human and political rights within their historic homeland. This new movement of students for justice in Palestine has helped to put BDS, the worldwide campaign supporting the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions of Israel until it abides by international law, firmly onto the national map. In 2013 and early 2014, journalist Nora Barrows-Friedman crisscrossed the United States interviewing the young activists who form the core of this movement and their voices ring out strongly from every page of her new book. “In Our Power” reveals the rich political legacy these students are building. This new student movement in support of Palestinian rights faces many challenges from on and off-campus opponents. But the strength and intelligence of the voices revealed in this book show us that truth, justice and “people power” are capable of withstanding such attacks and continuing forward to victory. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/794816537270646/. Call 202-338-1958 or email info@thejerusalemfund.org.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"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