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A Call for National Emergency Meetings on the Border Migrant Crisis: July 20 – 27 |
People throughout the country, indeed the world, are appalled by the conditions for migrant and immigrant workers at the U.S. Mexican border. Only Trumpites show racist callous disdain for caged children and dying people.
Thousands took to the streets to oppose these conditions while the white supremacist President Trump led a military parade in DC to try and bully the world into silence. But people are rising and resisting.
Now we must address the root causes of this crisis.
Join FIRE (Fight for Im/migrant and Refugees Everywhere) in EMERGENCY MEETINGS ACROSS THE COUNTRY to build the movement for people power. If you believe that people power can stop this horror, then come to these meetings. If you believe that all cages should be shut down, not just those incarcerating migrants and their children, then come to these meetings. Mass incarceration is a crime just as heinous as the caging of migrant children.
We can no longer tolerate a militarized border, the deaths of trans migrants or the scenes of dead parents with their children. Democrats may be genuinely appalled by these conditions, but who can stop this? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is right in calling out the racist agents as rogues. But how many are not rogue?
Unfortunately, we cannot rely on Congress to fix the problems they created. They just threw an obscene $4 billion at ICE with no conditions! We must be inspired and look to the power of the Wayfair workers walking out on the job for their CEO's refusal to stop furnishing detention centers. We must look to people like those facing felony charges in Arizona for merely providing water to migrants, and the thousands creating rapid response networks for the undocumented.
It is our collective labor that will bring about real change.
NO MORE CONCENTRATION CAMPS!
IMMEDIATE ASYLUM FOR ALL REFUGEES! LET THE FAMILIES IN! END MASS INCARCERATION! NO BORDERS IN THE WORKERS STRUGGLE! END U.S. IMPERIALIST INTERVENTION ABROAD!
For more information visit https://fightformigrants.org or email info@fightformigrants.org
Join FIRE at these important events:
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https://fightformigrants.org/2019/07/07/a-call-for-national-emergency-meetings-on-the-border-migrant-crisis-july-20-27/
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Campaign for Medicare for All
At San Francisco Mime Troupe Shows In July
Dear Healthcare Activist,
We invite you to help us collect postcards in support of HR 1384, the Medicare for All Act of 2019.
We send the postcards to the constituent's Congress Member asking them to support HR 1384 or thanking them if they are already a cosponsor.
In July we will be asking people at many of the San Francisco Mime Troupe shows. This year's show is about development on Treasure Island.
We will be asking people to sign postcards from noon to 2pm.
The show starts at 2pm.
Please let us know when you can help.
___ Yes, on July 4 at noon I can collect HR 1384 postcards at Dolores
Park (18th St and Dolores - 5 blocks from 16th St BART)
___ Yes, on Sat. July 6 at noon I can collect HR 1384 postcards at 41
Somerset Pl in Berkeley In John Hinkel Park.
___ Yes, on Sun. July 7 at noon I can collect HR 1384 postcards at 41
Somerset Pl in Berkeley In John Hinkel Park.
___ Yes, on Sat. July 13, I can help collect HR 1384 postcards at
Frances Willard/Ho Chi Minh Park. Derby & Hillgrass in Berkeley
___ Yes, on Sat. July 20 at noon I can help collect HR 1384 postcards in
McLaren Park at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in San Francisco
___ Yes, on Sat. July 27 at noon I can help collect HR 1384 postcards in
Balboa Park (San Jose Ave & Havelock in San Francisco)
I look forward to working with you.
Don Bechler
Chair - Single Payer Now
415-695-7891
And if you would like to make a financial contribution to keep us strong, you can send a contribution to:
Single Payer Now
PO Box 460622
San Francisco, CA 94146
Or to make a credit cards contribution: Click here.
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Hi Carole,
We're excited to announce our new fact sheet series outlining the reasons why we should abolish war.
The fact sheets are designed as printable handouts that can be used for tabling events, grassroots lobbying meetings, and much more. Each one contains a list of references, so you can learn more about any of the details mentioned.
- War Is Immoral
- War Endangers Us
- War Threatens Our Environment
- War Erodes Liberties
- War Impoverishes Us
- War Promotes Bigotry
- We Need $2 Trillion/Year for Other Things
We believe that education is a critical component of a global security system, and an essential tool for getting us there. We educate both aboutand for the abolition of war. Our educational resources are based on knowledge and research that expose the myths of war and illuminate the proven nonviolent, peaceful alternatives that can bring us authentic security.
Thank you to numerous volunteers, including Gayle, Joanne, Tim, and Ben, who helped us complete the fact sheet series!
For questions or more information about our peace education programs and volunteer opportunities, please email me at greta@worldbeyondwar.org.
For a world BEYOND war,
Greta Zarro
Organizing Director
World BEYOND War
greta@worldbeyondwar.org
World BEYOND War is a global network of volunteers, activists, and allied organizations advocating for the abolition of the very institution of war. Our success is driven by a people-powered movement –
support our work for a culture of peace.World BEYOND War 513 E Main St #1484 Charlottesville, VA 22902 USAPrivacy policy.
Checks must be made out to "World BEYOND War / AFGJ" or we can't deposit them.
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Political Prisoners and Assange: Carole Seligman At S.F. Assange Rally
As part of an international action to free Julian Assange, a rally was held on June 12, 2019 at the US Federal Building in San Francisco and Carole Seligman was one of the speakers. She also speaks about imperialist wars and the cases of Mumia Abu-Jamal and Fumiaki Hoshino.
For more info:
Production of Labor Video Project
www.laborvideo.org
As part of an international action to free Julian Assange, a rally was held on June 12, 2019 at the US Federal Building in San Francisco and Carole Seligman was one of the speakers. She also speaks about imperialist wars and the cases of Mumia Abu-Jamal and Fumiaki Hoshino.
For more info:
Production of Labor Video Project
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Act Now to Save Mumia's Eyesight and to
Demand His Release!
Tell them to approve Mumia's cataract surgery immediately!
Tell them to release Mumia Abu-Jamal NOW because he can receive better healthcare outside of prison and also because he is an innocent man!
Update July 24, 2019
Protestors come to central Pa. to demand medical care for inmate convicted of killing police officer
By David Wenner, July 24, 2019
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/07/protesters-come-to-central-pa-to-demand-medical-care-for-inmate-convicted-of-killing-police-officer.html
Note: this article has been revised to include updated reaction from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.
A caravan of advocates met resistance at a state office in Cumberland County on Wednesday, but were eventually promised they could deliver their petition to a prison official.
The group of about 15 had traveled to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections building in Hamden Township on behalf of Mumia Abu-Jamal, who has been in state prison since being convicted of killing a Philadelphia police officer in 1981.
Carrying signs and a bullhorn, they planned to rally and hold a news conference near the main entrance of the building on Technology Parkway.
But they were met by police officers and officials who initially told them them must move to the edge of the property. After a peaceful discussion, an official said three caravan members could enter the building to deliver their petition, which they said was signed by thousands.
They said Abu-Jamal, 65, has glaucoma, cataracts and other eye ailments that will cost him his eyesight if he doesn’t receive surgery soon. They allege prison officials are deliberately stalling and causing delays.
A corrections department spokeswoman said the department couldn’t comment on medical care given to Abu-Jamal because of medical privacy laws. An emailed statement said in part: “Health care services are provided through a contracted medical provider. The medical provider provides onsite physicians, physicians assistants and medical staff that work with Department health care administrators to ensure the delivery of quality medical services. Offsite services are coordinated with a variety of community hospitals and medical specialty groups. We can confirm that all patients are treated in accordance with the Department’s medical policies and protocols, which are available on the Department’s public website.”
Abu-Jamal’s advocates on Wednesday said he’s facing a repeat of prison officials’ denial of hepatitis C drugs — which he eventually received after going to court.
Earlier this month, he also won a court ruling which said Corrections Department employees aren’t immune to lawsuits resulting from decisions related to Abu-Jamal’s medical care.
Abu-Jamal was originally sentenced to death before his sentence was reduced to life without parole in 2011.
“Mumia should be released now not only because he can receive better healthcare outside of prison but also because he is an innocent man,” his supporters said Wednesday.
Mumia Abu-Jamal
Take Action:
1. Sign the petition
2. Call: Dr. Courtney P Rodgers – (570) 773-7851 and SCI Mahanoy Superintendent Theresa A. Delbalso - (570) 773-2158
3. Call: Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf – (717) 787-2500; PA DOC Secretary John Wetzel – (717) 728-2573; Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner – (215) 686-8000
Write to Mumia at:
Smart Communications/PA DOC
Mumia Abu-Jamal #AM-8335
SCI Mahanoy
P.O. Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL 33733
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50 years in prison:
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!
FREE Chip Fitzgerald
Grandfather, Father, Elder, Friend
former Black Panther
Romaine "Chip" Fitzgerald has been in prison since he was locked up 50 years ago. A former member of the Black Panther Party, Chip is now 70 years old, and suffering the consequences of a serious stroke. He depends on a wheelchair for his mobility. He has appeared before the parole board 17 times, but they refuse to release him.
NOW is the time for Chip to come home!
In September 1969, Chip and two other Panthers were stopped by a highway patrolman. During the traffic stop, a shooting broke out, leaving Chip and a police officer both wounded. Chip was arrested a month later and charged with attempted murder of the police and an unrelated murder of a security guard. Though the evidence against him was weak and Chip denied any involvement, he was convicted and sentenced to death.
In 1972, the California Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty. Chip and others on Death Row had their sentences commuted to Life imprisonment with the possibility of parole. All of them became eligible for parole after serving 7 more years. But Chip was rejected for parole, as he has been ever since.
Parole for Lifers basically stopped under Governors Deukmajian, Wilson, and Davis (1983-2003), resulting in increasing numbers of people in prison and 23 new prisons. People in prison filed lawsuits in federal courts: people were dying as a result of the overcrowding. To rapidly reduce the number of people in prison, the court mandated new parole hearings:
· for anyone 60 years or older who had served 25 years or more;
· for anyone convicted before they were 23 years old;
· for anyone with disabilities
Chip qualified for a new parole hearing by meeting all three criteria.
But the California Board of Parole Hearings has used other methods to keep Chip locked up. Although the courts ordered that prison rule infractions should not be used in parole considerations, Chip has been denied parole because he had a cellphone.
Throughout his 50 years in prison, Chip has been denied his right to due process – a new parole hearing as ordered by Federal courts. He is now 70, and addressing the challenges of a stroke victim. His recent rules violation of cellphone possession were non-violent and posed no threat to anyone. He has never been found likely to commit any crimes if released to the community – a community of his children, grandchildren, friends and colleagues who are ready to support him and welcome him home.
The California Board of Parole Hearings is holding Chip hostage.
We call on Governor Newsom to release Chip immediately.
What YOU can do to support this campaign to FREE CHIP:
1) Sign and circulate the petition to FREE Chip. Download it at https://www.change.org/p/california-free-chip-fitzgerald
Print out the petition and get signatures at your workplace, community meeting, or next social gathering.
2) Write an email to Governor Newsom's office (sample message at:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iwbP_eQEg2J1T2h-tLKE-Dn2ZfpuLx9MuNv2z605DMc/edit?usp=sharing
3) Write to Chip: Romaine "Chip" Fitzgerald #B27527,
CSP-LAC
P.O. Box 4490
B-4-150
Lancaster, CA 93539
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Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415 863.9977 https://freedomarchives.org/
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50 years in prison:ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!
FREE Chip FitzgeraldGrandfather, Father, Elder, Friendformer Black PantherRomaine "Chip" Fitzgerald has been in prison since he was locked up 50 years ago. A former member of the Black Panther Party, Chip is now 70 years old, and suffering the consequences of a serious stroke. He depends on a wheelchair for his mobility. He has appeared before the parole board 17 times, but they refuse to release him.NOW is the time for Chip to come home!In September 1969, Chip and two other Panthers were stopped by a highway patrolman. During the traffic stop, a shooting broke out, leaving Chip and a police officer both wounded. Chip was arrested a month later and charged with attempted murder of the police and an unrelated murder of a security guard. Though the evidence against him was weak and Chip denied any involvement, he was convicted and sentenced to death.In 1972, the California Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty. Chip and others on Death Row had their sentences commuted to Life imprisonment with the possibility of parole. All of them became eligible for parole after serving 7 more years. But Chip was rejected for parole, as he has been ever since.Parole for Lifers basically stopped under Governors Deukmajian, Wilson, and Davis (1983-2003), resulting in increasing numbers of people in prison and 23 new prisons. People in prison filed lawsuits in federal courts: people were dying as a result of the overcrowding. To rapidly reduce the number of people in prison, the court mandated new parole hearings:· for anyone 60 years or older who had served 25 years or more;· for anyone convicted before they were 23 years old;· for anyone with disabilitiesChip qualified for a new parole hearing by meeting all three criteria.But the California Board of Parole Hearings has used other methods to keep Chip locked up. Although the courts ordered that prison rule infractions should not be used in parole considerations, Chip has been denied parole because he had a cellphone.Throughout his 50 years in prison, Chip has been denied his right to due process – a new parole hearing as ordered by Federal courts. He is now 70, and addressing the challenges of a stroke victim. His recent rules violation of cellphone possession were non-violent and posed no threat to anyone. He has never been found likely to commit any crimes if released to the community – a community of his children, grandchildren, friends and colleagues who are ready to support him and welcome him home.The California Board of Parole Hearings is holding Chip hostage.We call on Governor Newsom to release Chip immediately.What YOU can do to support this campaign to FREE CHIP:1) Sign and circulate the petition to FREE Chip. Download it at https://www.change.org/p/california-free-chip-fitzgeraldPrint out the petition and get signatures at your workplace, community meeting, or next social gathering.2) Write an email to Governor Newsom's office (sample message at:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iwbP_eQEg2J1T2h-tLKE-Dn2ZfpuLx9MuNv2z605DMc/edit?usp=sharing3) Write to Chip: Romaine "Chip" Fitzgerald #B27527,CSP-LAC
P.O. Box 4490
B-4-150
Lancaster, CA 93539
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Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415 863.9977 https://freedomarchives.org/
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Support Chuck Africa for Parole
Michael Africa Jr. started this petition to Pennsylvania Governor
Charles Sims Africa #AM 4975 has been in prison since age 18. He is now 59 years old and a recovering cancer patient. He has been eligible for parole since 2008 but continually denied because of his political views.
Charles has 8 codefendants. Two has died in prison, four has been released from prison onto parole. Chuck's sister Debbie Sims Africa is one of the four codefendants released onto parole.
Since coming home from prison, Debbie is thriving. Our community of support has supported Debbie to excel and we are committed to do the same for Chuck so that he can excel as well.
http://chng.it/Yprs8pXBBp
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On Abortion: From Facebook
Best explanation I've heard so far..., Copied from a friend who copied from a friend who copied..., "Last night, I was in a debate about these new abortion laws being passed in red states. My son stepped in with this comment which was a show stopper. One of the best explanations I have read:, , 'Reasonable people can disagree about when a zygote becomes a "human life" - that's a philosophical question. However, regardless of whether or not one believes a fetus is ethically equivalent to an adult, it doesn't obligate a mother to sacrifice her body autonomy for another, innocent or not., , Body autonomy is a critical component of the right to privacy protected by the Constitution, as decided in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), McFall v. Shimp (1978), and of course Roe v. Wade (1973). Consider a scenario where you are a perfect bone marrow match for a child with severe aplastic anemia; no other person on earth is a close enough match to save the child's life, and the child will certainly die without a bone marrow transplant from you. If you decided that you did not want to donate your marrow to save the child, for whatever reason, the state cannot demand the use of any part of your body for something to which you do not consent. It doesn't matter if the procedure required to complete the donation is trivial, or if the rationale for refusing is flimsy and arbitrary, or if the procedure is the only hope the child has to survive, or if the child is a genius or a saint or anything else - the decision to donate must be voluntary to be constitutional. This right is even extended to a person's body after they die; if they did not voluntarily commit to donate their organs while alive, their organs cannot be harvested after death, regardless of how useless those organs are to the deceased or how many lives they would save., , That's the law., , Use of a woman's uterus to save a life is no different from use of her bone marrow to save a life - it must be offered voluntarily. By all means, profess your belief that providing one's uterus to save the child is morally just, and refusing is morally wrong. That is a defensible philosophical position, regardless of who agrees and who disagrees. But legally, it must be the woman's choice to carry out the pregnancy., , She may choose to carry the baby to term. She may choose not to. Either decision could be made for all the right reasons, all the wrong reasons, or anything in between. But it must be her choice, and protecting the right of body autonomy means the law is on her side. Supporting that precedent is what being pro-choice means.", , Feel free to copy/paste and re-post., y
Sent from my iPhone
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Celebrating the release of Janet and Janine Africa
Take action now to support Jalil A. Muntaqim's release
Jalil A. Muntaqim was a member of the Black Panther Party and has been a political prisoner for 48 years since he was arrested at the age of 19 in 1971. He has been denied parole 11 times since he was first eligible in 2002, and is now scheduled for his 12th parole hearing. Additionally, Jalil has filed to have his sentence commuted to time served by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Visit Jalil's support page, check out his writing and poetry, and Join Critical Resistance in supporting a vibrant intergenerational movement of freedom fighters in demanding his release.
48 years is enough. Write, email, call, and tweet at Governor Cuomo in support of Jalil's commutation and sign this petition demanding his release.
http://freedomarchives.org/Support.Jalil/Campaign.html
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Painting by Kevin Cooper, an innocent man on San Quentin's death row. www.freekevincooper.org
Decarcerate Louisiana
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New Prison and Jail Population Figures Released by U.S. Department of Justice
By yearend 2017, the United States prison population had declined by 7.3% since reaching its peak level in 2009, according to new data released by the Department of Justice. The prison population decreases are heavily influenced by a handful of states that have reduced their populations by 30% or more in recent years. However, as of yearend 2017 more than half the states were still experiencing increases in their populations or rates of decline only in the single digits.Analysis of the new data by The Sentencing Project reveals that:
- The United States remains as the world leader in its rate of incarceration, locking up its citizens at 5-10 times the rate of other industrialized nations. At the current rate of decline it will take 75 years to cut the prison population by 50%.
- The population serving life sentences is now at a record high. One of every seven individuals in prison – 206,000 – is serving life.
- Six states have reduced their prison populations by at least 30% over the past two decades – Alaska, Connecticut, California, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont.
- The rate of women's incarceration has been rising at a faster rate than men's since the 1980s, and declines in recent years have been slower than among men.
- Racial disparities in women's incarceration have changed dramatically since the start of the century. Black women were incarcerated at 6 times the rate of white women in 2000, while the 2017 figure is now 1.8 times that rate. These changes have been a function of both a declining number of black women in prison and a rising number of white women. For Hispanic women, the ratio has changed from 1.6 times that of white women in 2000 to 1.4 times in 2017.
The declines in prison and jail populations reported by the Department of Justice today are encouraging, but still fall far short of what is necessary for meaningful criminal justice reform. In order to take the next step in ending mass incarceration policymakers will need to scale back excessive sentencing for all offenses, a key factor which distinguishes the U.S. from other nations.
[Note: China's population is 1,419,147,756* as of April 26, 2019 with 1,649,804 in prison***; while the population of the USA is 328,792,291 as of April 27, 2019** with 2,121,600 in prison.***
*http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/china-population/
**https://www.census.gov/popclock/
***https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarceration_rate]
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Drone vet turned activist facing 50 years for whistle-blowing
Daniel Hale, an Air Force veteran and former US intelligence analyst was arrested May 9th and charged with violating the Espionage Act. Daniel is a well-known anti-drone activist who has spoken out a number of anti-war events and conferences. He's a member of About Face: Veterans Against the War, and he's featured in the documentary "National Bird." For years, Daniel has expressed concern that he'd be targeted by the government. Learn more.
Podcast: "There were US anti-war soldiers all over the world" - Hal Muskat
"I told my command officer that I wasn't going to, I was refusing my orders [to Vietnam] … In his rage, he thought if he court-martialed me, he'd have to stay in the Army past his discharge date." While stationed in Europe, Hal Muskat refused orders to Vietnam and joined the GI Movement, resulting in two court martials. This Courage to Resist podcast was produced in collaboration with the Vietnam Full Disclosure effort of Veterans For Peace. Listen to Hal Muskat's story.
Chelsea Manning returned to jail after brief release; Faces half million dollar fine in addition to another 18 months prison
Since our last newsletter less than two weeks ago, Chelsea Manning was freed from jail when the grand jury investigating Julian Assange and WikiLeaks expired. However, a few days later, she was sent back to jail for refusing to collaborate with a new grand jury on the same subject. District Court Judge Anthony Trenga ordered Chelsea fined $500 every day she is in custody after 30 days and $1,000 every day she is in custody after 60 days -- a possible total of $502,000. Statement from Chelsea's lawyers.
Stand with Reality Winner, rally in DC
June 3, 2019 at 7pm (Monday)
Lafayette Square, Washington DC
Please join friends and supporters as we raise awareness of the persecution of this young veteran and brave truth teller. This marks two years of imprisonment of Reality for helping to expose hacking attempts on US election systems leading up to the 2016 presidential election. For more info, visit the "Stand with Reality" pages on Twitter or Facebook. Order "Stand with Reality" shirts, banners, and buttons from Left Together protest shirts.
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COURAGE TO RESIST ~ SUPPORT THE TROOPS WHO REFUSE TO FIGHT!
484 Lake Park Ave #41, Oakland, California 94610 ~ 510-488-3559
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Funds for Kevin Cooper
https://www.gofundme.com/funds-for-kevin-cooper?member=1994108
For 34 years, an innocent man has been on death row in California.
Kevin Cooper was wrongfully convicted of the brutal 1983 murders of the Ryen family and houseguest. The case has a long history of police and prosecutorial misconduct, evidence tampering, and numerous constitutional violations including many incidences of the prosecution withholding evidence of innocence from the defense. You can learn more here .
In December 2018 Gov. Brown ordered limited DNA testing and in February 2019, Gov. Newsom ordered additional DNA testing. Meanwhile, Kevin remains on Death Row at San Quentin Prison.
The funds raised will be used to help Kevin purchase art supplies for his paintings . Additionally, being in prison is expensive, and this money would help Kevin pay for stamps, paper, toiletries, supplementary food, and/or phone calls.
Please help ease the daily struggle of an innocent man on death row!
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Don't extradite Assange!
To the government of the UK
Julian Assange, through Wikileaks, has done the world a great service in documenting American war crimes, its spying on allies and other dirty secrets of the world's most powerful regimes, organisations and corporations. This has not endeared him to the American deep state. Both Obama, Clinton and Trump have declared that arresting Julian Assange should be a priority. We have recently received confirmation [1] that he has been charged in secret so as to have him extradited to the USA as soon as he can be arrested.
Assange's persecution, the persecution of a publisher for publishing information [2] that was truthful and clearly in the interest of the public - and which has been republished in major newspapers around the world - is a danger to freedom of the press everywhere, especially as the USA is asserting a right to arrest and try a non-American who neither is nor was then on American soil. The sentence is already clear: if not the death penalty then life in a supermax prison and ill treatment like Chelsea Manning. The very extradition of Julian Assange to the United States would at the same time mean the final death of freedom of the press in the West.
The courageous nation of Ecuador has offered Assange political asylum within its London embassy for several years until now. However, under pressure by the USA, the new government has made it clear that they want to drive Assange out of the embassy and into the arms of the waiting police as soon as possible. They have already curtailed his internet and his visitors and turned the heating off, leaving him freezing in a desolate state for the past few months and leading to the rapid decline of his health, breaching UK obligations under the European Convention of Human Rights. Therefore, our demand both to the government of Ecuador and the government of the UK is: don't extradite Assange to the US! Guarantee his human rights, make his stay at the embassy as bearable as possible and enable him to leave the embassy towards a secure country as soon as there are guarantees not to arrest and extradite him. Furthermore, we, as EU voters, encourage European nations to take proactive steps to protect a journalist in danger. The world is still watching.
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/16/us/politics/julian-assange-indictment-wikileaks.html
[2] https://theintercept.com/2018/11/16/as-the-obama-doj-concluded-prosecution-of-julian-assange-for-publishing-documents-poses-grave-threats-to-press-freedom/
https://internal.diem25.org/en/petitions/1
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Words of Wisdom
Louis Robinson Jr., 77
Recording secretary for Local 1714 of the United Auto Workers from 1999 to 2018, with the minutes from a meeting of his union's retirees' chapter.
"One mistake the international unions in the United States made was when Ronald Reagan fired the air traffic controllers. When he did that, the unions could have brought this country to a standstill. All they had to do was shut down the truck drivers for a month, because then people would not have been able to get the goods they needed. So that was one of the mistakes they made. They didn't come together as organized labor and say: "No. We aren't going for this. Shut the country down." That's what made them weak. They let Reagan get away with what he did. A little while after that, I read an article that said labor is losing its clout, and I noticed over the years that it did. It happened. It doesn't feel good."
[On the occasion of the shut-down of the Lordstown, Ohio GM plant March 6, 2019.]
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/05/01/magazine/lordstown-general-motors-plant.html
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