** On June 24, for the Emergency
Forum on Iran which WCW co-sponsored with the
Berkeley Revolution Books there were
over 200 people who came to hear a dynamic, impressive four-person panel
of Gareth Porter, Larry Everest, Shahram Aghamir, and Daniel Ellsberg. The event was
held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall in Berkeley, and
was co-sponsored also by the UU’s Social Justice Committee. The
panel laid out the emerging, alarming facts about the current build-up
to a possible military attack on Iran, and they called on people to
step into action to prevent this possibility. There was some thought-provoking
debate sparked among the speakers over positions on the elections and
Obama, as well as lively discussion from the entire room once the Q
and A opened up.
** On July 4th in Berkeley there
is always a traditional community fair and fireworks day at the Marina.
WCW did a (very big) freeway banner (“No War On Iran” for
a few hours right where people cross over to the marina, with an orange-and-literature
table along the walkway. Our freeway banner got an even stronger
honk-and-wave greeting from drivers than we had for the “Fire John
Yoo” banner last month – from families, vacationers, truckers,
motorcyclists, the response was overwhelmingly supportive.
** This week, WCW endorsed and
helped plan an emergency protest rally focused on the House resolution
setting up sanctions (“stringent inspection regulations”)
and a blockade of Iran. The July 8th protest was initiated
by “Stop AIPAC” and along with World Can’t Wait, groups like
Direct Action to Stop the War, Code Pink, Cindy For Congress, ANSWER
Coalition, United for Peace and Justice, and Act Against Torture helped
mobilize and publicize. About 75 protestors gathered outside the SF
Federal Building. It was quite visual, with many signs and a lot
of chalking. Here are some pictures [THESE WERE SENT EARLIER TODAY]
The protestors gathered streetside and
then moved up onto the Federal Building Plaza, where we formed a circle
and passed a bullhorn around so that everyone could bring out facts,
evidence, and calls to action. WCW leafleted every departing Federal
Building worker we could reach and we estimated that about 25% were
informed enough about the Iran war news to express support for our protest
and real opposition to the US moves toward war — another 25% were at
least tuned in enough to express the opinion that such a war wouldn’t
be good, and to take our flyer to get more information. And a
lot of the rest of people (whether they’d take a flyer or not) were
just not at all concerned — didn’t seem to even have much awareness
of the news that these war drums have been beating.
Meanwhile, part of the group marched
into the building and paid a visit to the office of Nancy Pelosi, where
they demanded to speak with her representative – he was forced to
hear a full accounting of the demands from the people, and denunciations
of Pelosi’s role in ruling ongoing US marauding in Iraq and now military
attacks on Iran ON the table, while ruling impeachment of the war criminals
OFF that table.
As an emergency plan for mass protest
in the streets should there be an attack on Iran, we’ve been announcing
and trying to broaden our call for a “TDO/TDA” Action (The
Day Of or The Day After) – we have announced a meet-up spot for protest
on both sides of the Bay, 5 PM. This is something any city or campus
can put into effect — and even though we really need to loudly tell
people it’s NOT enough to make a plan for mass protest if an attack
actually comes because there is a lot people can do NOW to fight to
prevent that, there does need to be this kind of emergency plan known
widely among the people NOW…..