“September Days of Solidarity with Palestine,” will see members of Veterans For Peace from California to New Hampshire conduct protests and educational events in 25 cities September 1-7.
Activities will vary from hanging banners over expressways to conducting nonviolent actions at military installations to prevent business as usual.
Those “civil resistance” actions will be conducted to nonviolently enforce several U.S. laws broken every time weapons are manufactured or shipped to Israel. The action will include delivering an 11-page letter to the U.S. State Department Inspector-General containing 34 footnoted examples of illegal activity.
The cities are Atlanta; Binghamton NY; New Britain, CT; Columbus, Toledo and Yellow Springs OH; Dallas TX; Ft. Collins CO; Fresno, Auburn, Los Angeles and San Diego CA; Ft. Wayne IN; Asheville and Greensboro NC; Honolulu HI; Minneapolis MN; Nashville; Olympia WA; Portsmouth NH; Santa Fe NM; St. Louis MO; Syracuse NY; Tucson and Washington, D.C.
The letter from Veterans For Peace alleges U.S. government officials and weapons manufacturers are violating:
The Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, which prohibits U.S. weapons transfers when it’s likely they will be used by Israel to commit genocide; crimes against humanity; and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions
The Foreign Assistance Act, which forbids the provision of assistance to a government which “engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.”
The U.S. War Crimes Act, which forbids grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, including willful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, and unlawful deportation or transfer, perpetrated by the Israeli Occupying Forces.
Arms Export Control Act, which says countries that receive US military aid can only use weapons for legitimate self-defense and internal security. Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza goes way beyond self-defense and internal security.
The Leahy Law, which prohibits the U.S. Government from using funds for assistance to units of foreign security forces where there is credible information implicating that unit in the commission of gross violations of human rights.
The Genocide Convention Implementation Act, which was enacted to implement U.S. obligations under the Genocide Convention, provides for criminal penalties for individuals who commit or incite others to commit genocide.
Susan Schnall, VFP President, said, “Veterans For Peace members are sickened by the carnage in Gaza and that we pay for with our tax dollars. It continues daily right before our eyes and is immoral beyond words. But it also violates long-standing U.S. laws meant to insure we abide by international treaties enacted to prevent genocide and human rights abuses. We believe it is our duty and responsibility to do all that is humanly possible to stop it.”
Veterans For Peace has over 100 chapters in the U.S. and since 1985 has exposed the true costs of war and militarism. Its goal is to abolish war as an instrument of national policy.
For a list of local press contacts and actions, see below.
Asheville NC
Sept. 4
VFP letter to Cong. office in Hendersonville, then leaflet with QR codeto VFP letter.
Gerry Werhan
(704) 957-2924
gwerhan@gmail.com
Atlanta
Sept. 6
VFP letter delivery at Dobbins AFB
Adrian Bernal
404-734-8220
adrian_bernal_2001@yahoo.com
Auburn CA
Sept. 6
I-80 banner hang
Jim Hard
916-296-1243
jim.r.hard@gmail.com
Binghamton NY
Sept. 5
Disrupting weapons companies recruiting students
Jack Gilroy
607-239-9605
jgilroy1955@gmail.com
New Britain CT
Sept. 12
8am-8pm Central CT State Univ., New Britain. Fasting with students, leafleting
Jim Brasile
860-508-3685
VFPCONNECTICUT42@GMAIL.COM
Columbus OH
TBA
TBA
Sandy Bolzenius
614-843-6170
sbolzenius72@gmail.com
Dallas
TBA
VFP letter to local Congressional rep and local weapons maker
Leslie Harris
214-437-6047
jharris866@aol.com
Yellow Springs OH
Sept. 6-7
VFP letter to Rep. Ryan in Dayton. Noon rally downtown Yellow Springs
Dirk Lakovich-VanGorp
937-554-4452
54belmond@gmail.com
Ft. Collins CO
Sept. 6
Leafleting at Woodward Governor Corp. plant
Joe Mondello
404-217-1538
joemondello4@gmail.com
Fresno CA
Sept. 3
VFP letter to 21st Congressional Dist. office
Josh Shurley
559-512-9469
joshuashurley@gmail.com
Ft. Wayne IN
Sept. 5
Public witness at local weapons maker
Cliff Kindy
260-982-2971
kindy@cpt.org
Greensboro NC
Sept. 6
Leafleting folk festival / Clothesline with infant wear for babies killed in Gaza
Kim Carlyle
336-346-4588
kcfromchi@gmail.com
Honolulu
Sept. 6
VFP letter to Congressional offices. Rally at Pearl Harbor Navy Base.
Ann Wright
808-741-1141
microann@yahoo.com
Los Angeles
Sept. 6
VFP letter to weapons maker. Location TBA for civil resistance action.
Fernie Islas
323-392-7109
fernie_islas@yahoo.com
Minneapolis
Sept. 2, 4, 6
Chapter 27 bus makes the rounds, with watermelon refrigerator magnets and lit. & CedarFest
Dave Logsdon
612-203-9768
dlvfp27@gmail.com
Nashville
Sept. 4
VFP letter to Cong. offices of Blackburn, Hagerty and Green, then leaflet with QR code to VFP letter.
Jim Wohlgemuth
703-403-6135
jrwohlgemuth@outlook.com
Olympia
Sept. 3
VFP letter to Cong. offices of Murray, Cantwell, Strickland
Steph Goedecke
360-688-8268
steph_goedecke@yahoo.com
Portsmouth NH
Sept. 3
Delivering VFP letterto Rep. Pappas office
Will Hopkins
603-254-4727
Willofpeace@gmail.com
San Diego
Sept. 7
10-noon Gaza Ceasefire rally, Ocean Beach
Gilbert Field
858-342-1964
gilfield48@gmail.com
Santa Fe
Sept. 4
Noon rally at NM Capitol
Ken Mayers
505-577-1975
kenmayers@vfp-santafe.org
Syracuse
Sept. 1
Rally at NY State Fair. 9-2 Banner Drop over I-81
Ron VanNorstrand
315-247-7040
ron@vannorstrandlaw.com
Toledo
Sept. 1
Labor Day leafleting. Civil resistance action TBA.
Mike Ferner
314-940-2316
mike@veteransforpeace.org
Tucson
Sept. 4
Delivering VFP letterto US House and Senate members
Jim Driscoll/Cara Bissell
520-250-0509
jimwdriscoll@gmail.com
Washington DC
Sept. 2-4
Delivering VFP letteron Capitol Hill
Ellen Barfield
410-243-5876
ellene4pj@yahoo.com
Link to VFP letter that will be delivered to public officials and weapons makers
Link to flyer with QR code that goes to VFP letter, for street leafleting
Link to flyer for Labor Day events, thanking unions that adopted Gaza ceasefire resolutions