Friday, January 31, 2025

Baltimore Activists convicted for speaking out against genocide

 Baltimore Activists convicted for speaking out against genocide 

Friends,

   Let’s cut to the chase. On January 23, 2025 at 1:30 PM in Courtroom 310 in D.C. Superior Court, defendants Janice Sevre-Duszynska and Max Obuszewski were found guilty by Judge Risa Berkower of violating D.C. Code 22-1307[a]: Crowding, obstructing, or incommoding. We were arrested on April 9, 2024 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building cafeteria with 51 other members of Christians for a Free Palestine highlighting the fact that Palestinians were starving in the Gaza Strip.   Despite the tough on crime nature of the prosecutor John Roberts, the judge sentenced Janice to five days in jail, suspended, ninety days of unsupervised probation and $50 for the Victims of Violent Crime Act.  I got a similar sentence, but my jail time, suspended, was thirty days.  It should be noted that Judge Berkower did not issue a stay away order from the Capitol reservation, or request payment of a fine.  That was a bit of victory for the defense.

 Something that will never be answered is this question.  Why did the government expend its resources on a case which began in April 2024? Nevertheless, there is much more to report at a later date.

 Prior to sentencing, the defendants are allowed to address the court.  Janice identified herself as a Roman Catholic Womanpriest and a former teacher of English as a Second Language at Henry Clay High School in Lexington, Kentucky.  Her students were from 61 countries, and they included children from Palestine.  She vividly remembered how they told her of the trauma they suffered under occupation.  Any day the children feared that harm could come to them.

Following the continued assault on non-combatants in Gaza, she informed the court that she had to be part of the prayer service in the Dirksen cafeteria on April 9. As a priest, she has been involved in engagements of liturgy. Starvation in Gaza is criminal. For her the Eucharist is food, and food is the Eucharist.

I had this to say.  Judge Berkower, you found me guilty for speaking out against my government’s complicity with genocide.  Regardless of the verdict, I stand before you to honor Larry Hebert, who started a hunger strike on March 31, 2024.  He was a Senior Airman in the U.S. Air Force who began a hunger strike during an authorized leave from his post in Spain. Please note that Hebert's leave was terminated on April 9, the day of my arrest. He was there that day in the Dirksen cafeteria on the tenth day of his fast, and was moved to begin a fast after U.S. airman Aaron Bushnell immolated himself outside the Israeli embassy.

I would be remiss if I did not recognize members of the US government, including officials who worked closely on the arms trade and human rights policy, who resigned over the Biden administration's continued arms transfers to Israel for its operations in Gaza. In a joint statement entitled "Service in Dissent," the resigned officials wrote that "America's diplomatic cover for, and continuous flow of arms to Israel has ensured our undeniable complicity in the killings and forced starvation of a besieged Palestinian population in Gaza. This is not only morally reprehensible and in clear violation of international humanitarian law and U.S. laws, but it has also put a target on America’s back." Resigned officials who spoke to CNN stated that unnamed and non-confirmed former colleagues felt the same way but could not afford to resign. The officials included Lily Greenberg Call, Harrison Mann, Hala Rharrit, Maryam Hassanein, Mohammed Abu Hashem, Riley Livermore, Alexander Smith, Stacy Gilbert, Anna Del Castillo, Annelle Sheline, Tariq Habash, Josh Paul, and Andrew Miller.

I want to express my thanks to you and Mr. Roberts for allowing me to speak frankly about our government’s complicity with an ongoing genocide. Unfortunately, while Janice Serve-Duszynska and I were prosecuted while trying to attract attention to the war crimes ongoing against Palestinian noncombatants, I recognize that the president, the secretary of state, other Biden officials and legislators will never be prosecuted.

We all must make a decision, and Janice and I knew we had to go to the center of power with our concerns.  In this case, we went to the Dirksen Senate Office Building cafeteria to seek out ears of those who might listen to our pleas. Many legislators know that US law and international law prohibit arm sales to countries violating human rights. But a vast majority of these legislators lacked any semblance of courage and voted to send 5,000 pound bombs to a military willing and able to use them in residential areas.

During the trial, I testified that I was an organizer with the Ad-Hoc Coalition to Stop U.S. Arms to Israel. On May 7, 2024, some fifty concerned citizens went to the State Department to deliver a letter signed by several hundred people to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.  President Biden issued NSM 40 in February, and Mr. Blinken was to investigate arms sales to Israel.  I am not naïve, and was not surprised that the secretary of state made the ridiculous argument that Israel was not violating US law. 

I stand before you with a clear conscience that on April 9 and on other occasions I spoke out against genocide.  How could I not as the Israeli military with US weapons repeatedly attacks civilians and civilian infrastructure, refuses to investigate or punish those responsible for atrocities, and kills humanitarian workers and journalists at an unprecedented rate. Israel is also engaged in arbitrary rejection of humanitarian aid trucks, which has fueled famine in the Gaza Strip. Human rights groups have been documenting Israel’s atrocities and systematic obstruction of aid for months by submitting reports to the Department of State, but the Biden administration has continued approving weapons sales for the Netanyahu government in contravention of U.S. law.

And now we have a fascist president in the White House.  What he has already done is unprecedented and will continue.  Now all of us must decide what we will do in the face of a plan Project 2025 which is designed to bring down democracy in the USA.  I extend my heartfelt thanks to Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, an American prelate of the Episcopal Church who has served as Bishop of Washington since November 2011.  She had the courage to speak truth to power. 

I urge you and Mr. Roberts to reflect on the issues brought out during this legal proceeding.  Both of you are in a much more prominent position than Janice and I.  We will continue our work against U.S. complicity with genocide.  Possibly either of you may be able to also make your voice heard as well. Now is the time to speak truth to power. I will accept whatever sentence I receive.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, and 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

“One is called to live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible. It may or may not be possible to turn the US around through nonviolent revolution. But one thing favors such an attempt: the total inability of violence to change anything for the better" - Daniel Berrigan

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Baltimore Nonviolence Center -- January 31 - February 1, 2025

53] Boycott Chevron – Jan. 31

54] Peace vigil at White House – Jan. 31

55] Women in Black vigil – Jan. 31

56] AFSC Action Hour for ceasefire – Jan. 31

57] Making Environmental Justice Real Jan. 31

58] What’s next for the Democrats? – Jan. 31

59] Metro DC DSA Chapter-Wide Happy Hour – Jan. 31

60] Trans & Queer Liberation Mutual Aid meeting – Jan. 31

61] I Bird I Vote Conservation Summit – Feb. 1

62] Support socialist candidate – Feb. 1 – 2

63] Songs to change the world – Feb. 1

64] Germán Graciano of the Peace Community Feb. 1

65] Donations needed for the Silent Fallout project

66] Baltimore activist selling her home

67] Medical supplies are needed in Ukraine

68] Read Dave Eberhardt’s book "For All the Saints- a Protest Primer"

69] Tell JHU president to renounce nuclear weapons contracts

70] Do you need a doctor?

71] Donate books, videos, DVDs and records

72] Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil

-----

53] – The Oil & Gas Action Network [info@oilgasaction.org] on Fri., Jan. 31 at 11 AM ET wants you to get involved with a #BoycottChevron action. People around the world will protest as Chevron announces its latest quarterly profits. The BDS Movement has called to #BoycottChevron because its profits come at the cost of genocide, apartheid, and the climate crisis. Join a social media storm during the Chevron earnings call on Fri., Jan. 31 at 11 AM ET. The Company will be live tweeting. Tweet at Chevron and reply to their tweets to make clear that their profits come at the cost of genocide, apartheid, and the climate crisis. See sample tweets below.

 We support the #BoycottChevron campaign because their profits come at the cost of genocide in Palestine and the climate crisis. Learn more at http://bit.ly/boycottchevron  @Chevron just announced $X fourth quarter profits. The price? Genocide in Palestine and the climate crisis. #BoycottChevron http://bit.ly/boycottchevron  Israel’s apartheid, occupation, and genocide is powered by @Chevron. Pledge to #BoycottChevron gas stations now! RSVP at http://bit.ly/boycottchevron

 Fueling Genocide: Chevron is fueling Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Chevron is currently supplying energy and millions of dollars in revenue to apartheid Israel, as it bombs and starves millions of Palestinians. The ceasefire has not ended assaults on Palestinians. Chevron operates offshore gas fields in territory claimed by Israel, manages a pipeline that runs from Israel to Egypt off the coast of Gaza, and is a key company implicated in supplying crude oil to Israel.  Fueling the Climate Crisis: Chevron is also failing to align with international commitments to phase out fossil fuels and limit global temperature rise. Among all investor-owned companies, Chevron has produced the most cumulative climate pollution in history. If the company were held partially accountable for the climate loss and damage caused by its pollution, it would owe $900 Billion. Chevron has been found liable for tens of Billions of dollars that they refuse to pay for their ecological destruction and human rights violations.

54] – There is a weekly vigil at the White House on Fridays from noon to 1 PM sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker.  Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-882-9649. 

 55] – Every Friday from noon to 1 PM, Baltimore Women in Black vigil for peace with men and women who live in Roland Park. WIB invites all to join, and any peace sign is welcome, such as "Defuse Nuclear War."  The vigil takes place outside Roland Park Place at 830 West 40th Street and Elm Street. The VFP peace walkers will join he vigil. Parking is free at RPP or at the Rotunda across the street. Contact Ann Vinup at annvinup@gmail.com.

 56] – The American Friends Service Committee holds an Action Hour for a Cease-fire Now every Friday at noon ET. Join AFSC staff to hear updates from Gaza. Then, take action by contacting elected officials and call for an immediate cease-fire and humanitarian access to Gaza. Our elected officials need to keep hearing from us. RSVP at https://afsc.org/events/action-hour-cease-fire-now?ms=EMA24EI1103&emci=17faec34-887a-ee11-b004-00224832eb73&emdi=9695a439-f87c-ee11-b004-00224832eb73&ceid=764241

57] – Maryland LCV [info@mdlcv.org] on Fri., Jan. 31 at 12:30 PM ET wants you to participate in a webinar -- Making Environmental Justice Real - Understanding the CHERISH Act.  Discuss the CHERISH Our Communities Act, a groundbreaking bill that transforms how Maryland protects communities from pollution. Explore why some neighborhoods face multiple sources of pollution, and how this legislation ensures everyone has a voice in decisions affecting their health and environment. RSVP https://www.mdlcv.org/event/friday-digest-the-cherish-our-communities-act?emci=a2844824-aedd-ef11-88f8-0022482a9579&emdi=dea13ccf-7fde-ef11-88f8-0022482a9579&ceid=578562

58] – The DNC Environment and Climate Crisis Council [info@dncclimate.org] on Fri., Jan. 31 at 5 PM ET is holding a meeting at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Hotel, Room Maryland 5/6, 201 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill 20745. Get the New Year Plans, How to Win in 2025 + Beyond, Inspiring Speakers, and Remarks from Candidates for DNC Chair. All Democrats are welcome to attend to hear from exciting speakers and discuss what’s next for the Council in 2025! Get new polling data, an important panel on climate in the next four years and what Democrats can do, and the Council's mobilization and organization plan for 2025. Register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeuq_aVVJ_-lZn9L4Kl7ZNoEBvbYMCteFfw1NlMOylSVjs35Q/viewform?link_id=2&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-youre-invited-council-meeting-in-national-harbor-on-friday-at-5pm-est&email_referrer=email_2597851&email_subject=youre-invited-council-meeting-in-national-harbor-on-friday-at-5pm-est

59] – There will be a Metro DC DSA Chapter-Wide Happy Hour on Fri., Jan. 31 at 6 PM at Midlands Beer Garden, 3333 Georgia Ave. NW, WDC 20010. Welcome to Final Fridays with Metro DC DSA!  RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/january-2025?clear_id=true&link_id=38&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-nova-branch-dsa-upcoming-actions-and-events-195&email_referrer=email_2590813&email_subject=nova-branch-dsa-upcoming-actions-and-events

60] – Every Friday there will be a Trans & Queer Liberation Mutual Aid meeting.  The next meeting will take place on Fri., Jan. 31 from 7 to 8 PM ET. A link to attend this virtual event will be emailed upon RSVP: https://actionnetwork.org/events/trans-queer-liberation-mutual-aid-meetings?clear_id=true&link_id=7&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-nova-branch-dsa-upcoming-actions-and-events-196&email_referrer=email_2598679&email_subject=nova-branch-dsa-upcoming-actions-and-events

Join Trans and Queer Liberation’s Mutual Aid Subcommittee to be a part of supporting the local queer community. Together, stand strong for the Trans and non-binary community

61] – I Bird I Vote Conservation Summit for Maryland will take place on Sat., Feb. 1 from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 6 Herndon Ave., Annapolis 21403. Visit https://md.audubon.org/events/i-bird-i-vote-conservation-summit-maryland Tickets for this year's summit are sold out. If you would like to be added to a wait list, email Tess Wilson at tess.wilson@audubon.org.

62] –Metro DC DSA [info@mdcdsa.org] endorsed Shayla Adams-Stafford, and socialists are organizing to elect a people’s champion to the Prince George’s County Council District 5 seat. Comrades will be canvassing for Shayla on Sat., Feb. 1 & Sun., Feb. 2 from 11 AM to 2 PM ET, starting from the Progressive Maryland Office, 4500 Forbes Blvd., Lanham 20706. Knock on doors until about 2 PM and meet up afterward to debrief. Chapter members and allies are invited to participate: hand warmers will be provided, and warm dress is strongly encouraged. RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/feb-1-canvass-for-shayla-adams-stafford?clear_id=true&link_id=8&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-nova-branch-dsa-upcoming-actions-and-events-196&email_referrer=email_2598679&email_subject=nova-branch-dsa-upcoming-actions-and-events

Shayla is a former Teachers Union shop steward, has led the fight on the school board for care not policing in our schools, and fought back against developers to get strong project labor agreements on public school projects. This race will decide the balance of power on a County Council split 5 – 5 between corporate developer interests and progressives. Establishment Democrats are opposing Shayla with everything they have.

63] –MAPA [info@masspeaceaction.org] on Sat., Feb. 1 at 7 PM ET is holding a Midwinter Concert of Songs to Change the World. You will laugh, you will cry, but you will leave renewed to face the rest of the winter and the challenges of our world that lay ahead.  Welcome back and revel again in Ben Grosscup's topical music as they both help all mourn the atrocities of the past year, laugh at the absurdities we confront each day, and set us off one more time to change the world for the better. Charlie is a co-founder of the People’s Music Network for Songs of Freedom and Struggle and Ben is the executive director. Both are troubadours of our peace and justice movement. You can view the concert by Zoom at https://secure.everyaction.com/sJN_25PxCkOOx43lRdWIZQ2?ms=email&emci=08334613-bddd-ef11-88f8-0022482a9579&emdi=5687034d-c0dd-ef11-88f8-0022482a9579&ceid=269591

64] – The Colombia Support Network on Sat., Feb. 1 at 7 PM ET will hold a conversation with Germán Graciano of the Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado.  Please provide your email address at the bottom of the form linked here, and you will receive the Zoom link ahead of the presentation. Additionally, if you have any questions for German, please include those in your response. RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfCA3_CTaQAiMMRnaJ4BFQtGxQkCIavfavzWIQjl9N8g-_IAQ/viewform?usp=preview

Germán Graciano Posso, born in 1982 in Apartadó, Colombia, is currently the Legal Representative of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, to which he has belonged since its foundation in 1997. From a very young age, Germán has actively participated in the organization of the Peace Community, leading initiatives for the protection of human rights and the environment. The Peace Community ( CdP) is a campesino initiative of resistance to armed conflict in Colombia, founded in 1997 by more than 500 peasants who, despite the violence, decided to remain in their territory, adopting the principles of International Humanitarian Law and committing themselves to not carrying arms, not giving information to armed actors, fighting impunity and opting for peace through dialogue and negotiation. It has become a model for peacebuilding both nationally and internationally.

65] – Hideaki Ito [silentfalloutproject.org@gmail.com] wants to give you an update about the Silent Fallout Project. It has been more than five months since Silent Fallout was screened in Baltimore. He wants to express his sincere gratitude to all who supported the project during its US tour and hosted screenings. The film was shown in 20 locations over 43 days to over 600 people. The film aims to raise awareness about the reality of radiation contamination across the American continent and how many Americans are unknowingly exposed. It helps people understand that they are impacted by this issue and then use the US as a starting point to spark a global conversation about radiation.

Currently, the project is facing a deficit of $100K, and its future is uncertain. However, Ito is determined to raise funds and continue its activities. In 2025, which marks the 80th year since the birth of the atomic bomb, there is a plan to embark on a European screening tour, produce a new film, conduct a second US tour, and host a large-scale event on August 6th. Make a donation at https://www.silentfalloutproject.org/donation

66]A home in Baltimore is for sale on a dead-end street in the Lauraville neighborhood, with three bedrooms, and one bath. The yard backs into a field and then a forest. There is a serene and quiet setting with an abundance of wildlife. The owner will be asking a reasonable amount for the property but it will not be overpriced. Contact her by text only at 443 500 6733. On the text, leave your name and phone number, and she will get back to anyone that reaches out. 

67] -- If you are able to donate any kind of surplus medical supplies for field hospitals in eastern Ukraine, please email Brendan.walls@seaseton.org or call 410-721-70 x231.  There is a colleague whose father is a medic on the front line. One container is shipped every month to the Donbass region. Donations can be picked up in Baltimore and Columbia every Thursday, and on other days in Annapolis and Crofton.

68] – David Eberhardt was a member of the Baltimore Four with Father Philip Berrigan, Tom Lewis and Rev. James Mengel.  The group poured blood on draft files on October 27, 1967.  They would be convicted and sentenced to prison.

He has written a book "For All the Saints- a Protest Primer"- documenting the Baltimore Four action and many others up to and including the most recent Plowshares action – Kings Bay Plowshares 7.  Dave printed new copies of For All the Saints, a Protest Primer- 250+ pp w photos-therefore #'s 351-400 making it o so collectable with two Berrigan book reviews added. The books are signed, and the price remains $25. Will send free if need be- he is not in it for the money! If you want one, send him a check, or contact Dave Eberhardt, 4 Hadley Square North, Baltimore, MD 21218 by email at 1941mireille@gmail.com

69] -- This is A PLEA TO CONVINCE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY TO OBEY INTERNATIONAL LAW. The world reached a historic milestone on January 22, 2021: The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons [TPNW] entered into force and become binding international law -- https://www.icanw.org/the_treaty.

Prevent Nuclear War/Maryland has called attention to the growing danger of nuclear war and the outrageous $1.7 trillion dollars we are spending to upgrade the nuclear arsenal. On July 18, 2017, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, a U.S. Navy - affiliated research center received a seven-year, $92 million contract to continue its systems engineering and research-and-development services for the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center. Help convince JHU to renounce nuclear weapons contracts. Contact the president, Ron Daniels, to urge him to reject all nuclear weapons contracts: Office of the President, 242 Garland Hall, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Maryland 21218.  Call his office at (410) 516-8068 or email president@jhu.edu.

70] – Yousef Zarbalian [yzarbali@gmail.com] started his own medical practice in December before the pandemic hit. It is called East-West Medicine and Rheumatology, and its website is EastWestMD.com.  Yousef is licensed in Maryland and Virginia. He is doing primary care as well as rheumatologic care (focusing on joint problems and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and sjogren's).  He is offering telemedicine visits, and he has very reasonable rates for uninsured individuals.  He makes use of herbs (which can be sent directly to patients from the herbal dispensary) as well as prescribing medications to their local pharmacy if needed.  

71] -- If you would like to get rid of books, videos, DVDs, records, tarps and table cloths, contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at comcast.net.

72] -- A Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil takes place every day in Lafayette Park, 1601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 24 hours a day, since June 3, 1981. Go to http://prop1.org; call 202-682-4282.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, and 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

“One is called to live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible. It may or may not be possible to turn the US around through nonviolent revolution. But one thing favors such an attempt: the total inability of violence to change anything for the better" - Daniel Berrigan

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Baltimore Activist Alert -- January 30 - February 4, 2025

42] Trump’s first days – Jan. 30

43] Christian Nationalism – Jan. 30

44] Trump’s nuclear arms challenge -- Jan. 30

45] Power Half-Hour for Gaza – Jan. 30 – 31 & Feb. 3 - 4

46] Time to Care meeting – Jan. 30

47] Boycott Chevron – Jan. 30

48] Lobby training – Jan. 30

49] Mutual aid meeting – Jan. 30

50] Emergency call to deal with Trump – Jan. 30

51] CODEPINK community call – Jan. 30

52] PDA meeting – Jan. 30

----

42] –HIAS [info@hias.org] wants you to join in on Jan. 30 at noon ET for a webinar Trump’s First Days: What Happened and How to Fight Back to learn more about the impacts on refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers, and how we move forward together. RSVP at https://hias.org/events/trumps-first-days-what-happened-and-how-fight-back/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=EngagingNetworks&utm_campaign=events&utm_content=FY25+01+Refugee+Shabbat+Invite+3

43] – UMKR [info@kairosresponse.org] on Thurs., Jan. 30 at 1 PM ET is hosting a webinar: Christian Nationalism, Zionism, and Hindutva - dangers of Religious Nationalism around the world.  REGISTER at https://palestine.events/30jan2025

Religious nationalism in the United States, Israel, and India: what do these dangerous ideologies have in common and what threats do they bring to our lives and our communities? Religious nationalism has roots in racist perspectives about humanity and unholy beliefs about God's favoritism, conflating those in order to grant power and privilege to one people over another.

44] – On Thurs., Jan. 30 at 2 PM ET, check out President Trump’s nuclear arms challenge and the dangers ahead. Join the Pulitzer Center, Outrider Foundation and Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists for a conversation with Rachel Oswald, CQ Roll Call's foreign policy reporter, and Scott D. Sagan, co-director and senior fellow, Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) at Stanford University. Among topics under consideration: New administration cabinet and staff picks, global developments in the Middle East, Russia, North Korea and other regions and countries, and the status of nuclear arsenals and technologies that pose potential proliferation risks. RSVP at https://events.zoom.us/ev/An4PUl3ORAWLF3D9BqIWnOIGloB-burazoswzZi-bcYMhNDGviuo~Aq0cRlF0sSwYj3EBYnm7C6zN_aRQjqCz4eCoDiQnBu2d17hfsC_WM3GRIw?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=3a7b94687a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_01_13_09_33&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-3a7b94687a-505420700

45] – Jewish Voice for Peace is doing a Power Half-Hour for Gaza: Channel grief & outrage into action to stop a genocide.  A year into the genocide in Gaza, we are overwhelmed with sorrow and rage. There are no words to describe the devastating pain of the past year in which the Israeli military has killed over 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including more than 17,000 children. The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court have both declared that Israel must stop the genocidal acts being committed on the Palestinian people. And the U.S. government is actively supporting the Israeli military as it wreaks devastation on the over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza. JVP continues to come together as a political community in its daily half-hour to take action, Monday through Friday, for the past year. Join in and take collective action to demand an arms embargo to Israel, immediate end to the genocide, a lasting ceasefire and an end to Israeli siege, apartheid, occupation, and oppression of Palestinians and Lebanon. All are welcome. All are needed. Get involved at 3 PM ET on Thurs., Jan. 30, Fri., Jan. 31, Mon., Feb. 3 & Tues., Feb. 4.  Visit https://jvp-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Un0Lupy1SFObVVXJaZO5UQ?_x_zm_rtaid=8L0JUS3pQkenMGtx9ha3mQ.1732760660364.03949df73aedc7035fc618f76c52fc75&_x_zm_rhtaid=249#/registration

46] –  The Time to Care Coalition [info@timetocare.net] on Thurs., Jan. 30 at 4 PM ET is holding an important Coalition Meeting - 2025 Legislative Session Update.  Support the Time to Care Act, as the Maryland Department of Labor prepares to implement the law and launch the new Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program. There have been some relevant bills introduced during the 2025 Maryland General Assembly session that threaten to delay implementation, and help organize a coalition effort to push back against any more implementation delays. Reach out to Lisa Klingenmaier at lklingenmaier@marylandfamilynetwork.org. RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/time-to-care-coalition-meeting-2025-mdga?link_id=2&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-draft-regulations-supportive-comments-needed&email_referrer=email_2597991&email_subject=important-coalition-meeting-2025-legislative-session-update

47] – Tell Chevron to Stop Fueling Genocide and to Divest from Israel on Thurs., Jan. 30 from 4:30 to 5:45 PM ET at the Chevron government affairs office, 600 13th St. NW, WDC 20005. As a major contributor to the global climate crisis, Chevron has devastated indigenous communities throughout the world. This year the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement has called for an escalation in consumer boycott and divestment campaigns against Chevron for its role in the genocide of the Palestinian people.  Join for hot drinks, dialogue, and art outside Chevron Government's Affairs Office the day before the company's quarterly earnings are announced. https://actionnetwork.org/events/chevron-stop-fueling-genocide-divest-from-tamar-and-leviathan-gas-fields?link_id=55&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-january-3-2025-2&email_referrer=email_2593574&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-january-24-2025 Visit afsc.org/BoycottChevron, and consider sending a letter to the Chevron CEO: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/boycottchevron

48] – Dustin Branch [dustin@chesapeakeclimate.org] wants you to know lobby volunteer training on Thurs., Jan. 30 at 6 PM ET. This training is for everyone on the lobby team, and if you're a Lobby Captain there will be a practice session for the upcoming meetings with legislators. Go to https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84679199966#success

Lastly, the RENEW Act is being heard in the Senate on 2/13, and the Abundant and Affordable Clean Energy Act will also be heard during the EEE Committee's 2/13 hearing. The hearing in the House is on 2/6. 

49] –The Metro DC DSA [info@mdcdsa.org] on Thurs., Jan. 30 at 7 PM ET is hosting a Northern Virginia Mutual Aid interest meeting.  Corporate profits are up, rent is up, homelessness is up, food insecurity is up, income is … stagnant. Are you interested in highlighting the contradictions of capitalism and its inability to feed, clothe, and house the working class, while working together to directly improve our material conditions? Discuss how to create a sustainable, long-term mutual aid project in the NIMBY suburbs of Northern Virginia. The working class needs to know that when capitalism fails them, socialists will be there with a working, humanizing, empowering alternative. RSVP for the interest meeting here. https://actionnetwork.org/events/nova-mutual-aid-wg-meeting-0?link_id=17&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-january-3-2025-2&email_referrer=email_2593574&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-january-24-2025

50] –Popular Democracy [cpd@populardemocracy.org] on Thurs., Jan. 30 at 7 PM ET is holding an emergency call to fight Trump’s cuts and protect our communities! RSVP at https://click.everyaction.com/k/101193067/525202259/-2143797642?ms=EM NationalCallJan30 PD&nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9UU00vQ1BELzEvNzg0ODQiLA0KICAiRGlzdHJpYnV0aW9uVW5pcXVlSWQiOiAiYmI2Yzc5ZDMtN2JkZS1lZjExLTg4ZjgtMDAyMjQ4MmE5NTc5IiwNCiAgIkVtYWlsQWRkcmVzcyI6ICJtb2J1c3pld3NraTIwMDFAY29tY2FzdC5uZXQiDQp9&hmac=d2b4zxksvsFP3QZaLt3-GZ7HRoH12OZoBs3QSVBI7z4=&emci=0be134cd-7bde-ef11-88f8-0022482a9579&emdi=bb6c79d3-7bde-ef11-88f8-0022482a9579&ceid=447376

We all deserve to be safe, cared for, and free. But right now, the Trump administration is attacking us from every angle—gutting our healthcare system, ramping up immigration raids, and fueling fear to keep us divided—all while billionaires get a free ride off what we contribute. On this call, expose how these federal cuts will devastate our families and communities, take action to ensure the wealthy pay what they owe, so we all can thrive and organize our local communities through our very own tool: Empower!

51] -- CODEPINK is hosting a Community Call on Thurs., Jan. 30 at 8 PM ET. The monthly community call is the space for all those in the CODEPINK community to connect! Hear from national staff, share updates from local chapters, and discuss important topics in war and peace. RSVP at https://www.codepink.org/communitycall1?utm_campaign=january_member_newsletter&utm_campaign=january_member_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_medium=email&utm_source=codepink&utm_source=codepink

52] -- Mike Fox for Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] on Thurs., Jan. 30 at 9 PM ET wants you to know about Building the Resistance and Winning Special Elections on this Campaign to Victory Call. Want some good news in these dark times? Join a Campaign to Victory Team call. Identify where we're succeeding, how we build upon that, and how we bring in not only a big victory in FL-06 in the primary on January 28, but in other early year Special Elections. Discuss what we all can do to make a real difference with just an hour here or there. Register and the machine will send you your secure link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrcuGgrDItHdeYV7F9QQsruFMypvcMt5Fc#/registration

To be continued. Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph.: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.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

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Baltimore Activist Alert -- January 29 - 30, 2025

33] Free Thieu’s Political Prisoners – Jan. 29

34] Sierra Club Advocacy Happy Hour – Jan. 29

35] Power Half-Hour for Gaza – Jan. 29 – 30

36] Detention 101 Training -- Jan. 29

37] Team Enough – Jan. 29

38] Healthy Homes – Jan. 29

39] Yoon’s coup – Jan. 29

40] Defend DC – Jan. 29

41] National Teach-in – Jan. 29

---

33] –Vietnam Peace Commemoration Committee [vnpeacecomm-gmail.com@shared1.ccsend.com] on Wed., Jan. 29 at 4 PM ET will do a webinar – The Antiwar Movement’s to Free Thieu’s Political Prisoners. Register at https://vnpeacecomm.blogspot.com/2025/01/thieus-political-prisoners.html

34] –On Wed., Jan. 29 from 5 to 7 PM ET, the Sierra Club will do an Advocacy Happy Hour at the Colada Shop, 7993 Tuckerman Lane,  Potomac 20854. RSVP at https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po00000cNCVeIAO&mapLinkHref=https://maps.google.com/maps&daddr=Advocacy%20Happy%20Hour%20@%20Colada%20Shop@39.041036,-77.158634

Socialize, learn how to fight for clean energy, equitable transportation, and eliminating plastic pollution in the 2025 legislative session, and take action with your neighbors! Contact Zoe Layton at zoe.layton@sierraclub.org and (812) 219-9325.

35] – Jewish Voice for Peace is doing a Power Half-Hour for Gaza: Channel grief & outrage into action to stop a genocide.  A year into the genocide in Gaza, we are overwhelmed with sorrow and rage. There are no words to describe the devastating pain of the past year in which the Israeli military has killed over 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including more than 17,000 children. The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court have both declared that Israel must stop the genocidal acts being committed on the Palestinian people. And the U.S. government is actively supporting the Israeli military as it wreaks devastation on the over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza. JVP continues to come together as a political community in its daily half-hour to take action, Monday through Friday, for the past year. Join in and take collective action to demand an arms embargo to Israel, immediate end to the genocide, a lasting ceasefire and an end to Israeli siege, apartheid, occupation, and oppression of Palestinians and Lebanon. All are welcome. All are needed. Get involved at 3 PM ET on Wed., Jan. 29 through Thurs., Jan. 30.  Visit https://jvp-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Un0Lupy1SFObVVXJaZO5UQ?_x_zm_rtaid=8L0JUS3pQkenMGtx9ha3mQ.1732760660364.03949df73aedc7035fc618f76c52fc75&_x_zm_rhtaid=249#/registration

36] –Detention Watch Network [program@detentionwatchnetwork.org] wants you to join Detention 101 Training on Wed., Jan. 29 from 4 to 5:30 PM ET. Learn about the nuts and bolts of the immigration detention system and its role in facilitating and driving deportations. How does the detention system operate? How are people funneled into the immigration detention system? Participants will develop a stronger analysis to understand various pressure points to dismantle immigration detention in the US. Sign up at https://detentionwatchnetwork.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/detentionwatchnetwork/event.jsp?event=382&

37] –On Wed., Jan. 29 from 6 to 7 PM ET, get with a virtual Team ENOUGH Welcome Session (For Young People under 26).  RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/425528/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_closest

Are you a young person between 13 and 25 years old who is interested in taking action around preventing gun violence? Learn more about the different ways you can engage. Team ENOUGH is a youth-led program whose mission is to educate young voices about gun violence and mobilize them to take meaningful action against it. Supported by Brady United, it harnesses the expertise and experience of today’s youth to advance its intersectional work across the country. This event will continue on Wednesday, December 18 from 6 to 6:30 PM ET.

38] – CCAN [info@chesapeakeclimate.org] on Wed., Jan. 29 at 7 PM ET is holding a meet-up with Councilperson Mark Conway! RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/ccanactionfund/event/748625/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=engagingnetworks&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=MD-Baltimore+December+meetup+SINGLE+1224-c3+14:59:53

 Conway will discuss the Baltimore Healthy Homes Act at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. Dangerous houses should NOT be the norm. Luckily, there is a chance to ensure safe all-electric new buildings become the new standard in Baltimore. Let’s make it happen. 

39] – The Campaign for Peace, Disarmament & Common Security [joseph@cpdcs.ccsend.com] on Wed., Jan. 29 at 7:30 PM ET will hold a webinar -- YOON’S FAILED SOUTH KOREAN MILITARY COUP: IMPLICATIONS FOR KOREA AND THE WORLD.  In early December South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol announced a military coup. Given the Republic of Korea’s brutal history of military dictatorships, thousands of Koreans and opposition parties committed to upholding democracy immediately mobilized and reversed the declaration of martial law in a matter of hours. Yoon has since been impeached and arrested, but whether he will be forced from office remains an open question. Also uncertain are South Korea’s political future, the political turmoil’s impacts on the country’s alliance with the U.S. and Japan, and for the region as a whole, including China.

 Hear from Francis Daehoon Lee of PEACEMOMO in Seoul who has been research professor for peace studies at SungKongHoe University. Also hear from Tim Shorrock, a journalist and writer based in Washington, DC. Register at [mo1] https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pPuVFt4HQ9e4qa55qrizvw#/registration

40] –Defend DC is holding a mass meeting on Wed., Jan. 29 from 6:30 to 8 PM ET in Ward 8 at Matthews Memorial Baptist Church, 2616 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE, WDC.  Doors will open at 6 PM with dinner. The disenfranchised people of DC will not be silenced or forgotten. The meeting will offer:

Space to reflect on current threats to our communities from the new President and Congress, Connections to organizing happening now to protect our people, and Breakouts focused on specific issues and skills.  Dinner and childcare provided. Interpretation available upon request. https://actionnetwork.org/forms/defend-dc-mass-meeting-january-29?clear_id=true&link_id=6&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-january-3-2025-2&email_referrer=email_2593574&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-january-24-2025

Keep on the lookout for ICE. Trump’s regime is plotting mass roundups of migrants and families, ripping families apart. To report ICE raids or other activity, locals are urged to call the local emergency hotline at 202-335-1183 to report suspicious activity from ICE. DMV locals should orient themselves with DC Migrant Mutual Aid for additional information. Resist zoning out — resistance will come from organized working-class movement’s united for real change. NOW is the time to get organized. Register at bit.ly/DefundDCJan29

41] –RootsAction Education Fund [info@rootsaction.org] invites you to a national teach-in on Wed., Jan. 29 at 8 PM ET on How to Protest, hosted by the Teach-In Network. RSVP at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dsYVj3XITxSlynm1hQjcGg#/registration?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=afa7891d-583a-4e0d-ad67-d378a4599bc5

 Efforts to silence and mis-educate the young are as old as the hills. But efforts by college administrators and many politicians to shred the First Amendment on campuses have reached a new low.  Yet students continue to organize against militarism abroad and the fascistic politics now in control of the U.S. government. With the need for effective, nonviolent action to combat these forces, supplying organizers with the knowledge and tools to support these efforts has never been more urgent.

 To be continued.

 Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph.: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.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