The Palestinian Assembly for Liberation-Awda NY/NJ statement on Hassan Nasrallah

PAL-Awda NY/NJ and Palestinian Assembly for Liberation join the brave people of Palestine, Lebanon, the free people of the Arab nation and the world in mourning and exalting the martyred leader and hero of Resistance, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary General of Hezbollah, and the heroic commanders who were martyred at his side.

For three decades the hand and word of El Sayed Abu Hadi, the father of martyrs, guided and inspired the forces of Resistance against the genocidal zionist entity and inflicted defeat after defeat on the brutal monster that occupies and slaughters in the land of Palestine and thirsts to seize and destroy Palestine and the Levant. Under the direction and inspiration of the Honorable Martyr Hassan Nasrallah, the U.S.-zionist imperialist monster suffered historically unprecedented defeats only to be driven twice from the soil of Lebanon, and to witness the liberation of prisoners from zionist torture dungeons and the dismantlement of those dungeons.

It is for these victories and his consistent protection and support for the Palestinian people for decades, and now again as they face genocide, that the U.S.-zionist cowards pursued his extra-judicial slaughter from U.S. soil.

El Sayed was a unifying figure across the region, mobilizing and inspiring the heroic people of Lebanon, especially the farmers and toilers of the South, to repel the massive U.S.-made zionist war machine, the most immoral army in the world. His son Hadi was martyred in that battle. He went on to organize unprecedented material and strategic aid to the people of Palestine in the battle to liberate their occupied homeland.

Under his leadership, the Resistance unified the diverse communities of Lebanon- Shia, Sunni, Maronite,Orthodox, Druse, Armenian- so long divided, into a united front for democracy and against imperialism. That unity spread across the region and terrified the forces of imperialism, zionism and Arab reaction.

Now Sayyed Hassan has joined his son in martyrdom. He and his comrades gave their lives for love for the people of Gaza and all of Palestine, fighting to stop U.S.-funded genocide. The enemy martyred hundreds of civilians, destroyed an entire neighborhood in order to take his life, to deprive the people of his wisdom and courage, his strategic and political acumen.

Sayyed Hassan knew well the nature of the hand that struck him, the hand that has martyred tens of thousands of children, women and men in Palestine and Lebanon in the past 12 months. Thirty-two years ago, he spoke at the funeral of his predecessor, Sayyed Abbas Mussawi, martyred with his family by the enemy’s U.S.-made weapons. He said:

“We blame ‘Israel’ for this blood-soaked carnage, and blame its protector, the United States of America, which is responsible for all ‘Israel’s’ massacres and all the destruction, murder, and displacement it wreaks. Everybody knows that ‘Israel’ would not have been able to stand on its own in the region had it not been for Western and American support.”

At a later date he said, “There is a misconception prevalent in the Arab world regarding ‘Israel’-U.S. relations. We keep repeating this lie about the Zionist lobby – that the Jews rule America and are the real decision makers, and so on. No. America itself is the decision maker. In America, you have the major corporations, you have a trinity of the oil companies, the weapons industry, and the so-called “Christian-Zionism.” The decision-making is in the hands of this alliance. ‘Israel’ used to be a tool at the hands of the British, and now it is a tool in the hands of America.”

His blood, like that of tens of thousands of martyrs in Palestine and Lebanon, is on the hands not only of the zionist occupation regime but of that trinity of evil and its servants in Washington. He was targeted in a criminal conspiracy between the zionist occupation regime, the White House and the Pentagon, which gifted it $8.7 billion more of free weapons the very day before the massacre in Dahiyeh. Only the endless flow of arms and dollars from the United States allows the zionist entity to commit such crimes.

El Sayyed joins the ranks of so many people’s leaders targeted by the enemy over the decades: Patrice Lumumba, Dr. Martin Luther King, Che Guevara, Fred Hampton, Ghassan Kanafani, Salvador Allende, Abu Ali Mustafa, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Qassem Soleimani, Ismail Haniyeh and many more.

The enemy thought that these blows would break the Resistance. But, from the words of Sayyed Hassan: “the Resistance will not break. It will not be defeated, because the Resistance is not a conventional army, and because the Resistance is first and foremost the people.”

They have targeted many leaders of the Islamic Resistance in Palestine and in Lebanon and of the PLO before that. But a people that produces such leaders will never be defeated, will never cease to fight for liberation. That is a lesson of the past 100 years. The name of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah echoes from the lips of millions in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, across the region and across the world. His legacy lives on in the hearts of the oppressed. It cannot be eradicated.

The cause of the Resistance, the cause Sayyed Hassan fought for, the cause of liberation is the cause of all humanity. We all must continue his fight.

On Sept. 24, hundreds of demonstrators shut down Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. The march was in response to the over 500 people killed in one day in Lebanon by the U.S.-backed and supplied Israel. The Palestinian Youth Movement initiated the protest at the Westwood Federal Building. Many Palestinian and progressive organizations endorsed and mobilized for the rush hour action.  

John Parker of the Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice (pictured here) recalled the stories from his father of seeing Black men lynched/hanging from trees. “We recognize this genocide. We cannot tolerate this genocide. It is no surprise that it was South Africa, with a deep memory of apartheid, that brought this current Israeli apartheid and genocide to the International Court of Justice. We need the money for housing and healthcare not for the bombs they are sending to Israel.”

The lights went out at 6:10 on Tuesday, September 24. Lights go out for everyone naturally when it is time. But the glow of a precious candle is snuffed out far too frequently when murder and racism are the cause.

The Missouri Department of Corrections pronounced Marcellus Williams, who is Black, dead at 6:10 p.m. after lethal injection. He was tried for allegedly killing Felisha Gayle, who is white, at her home during a robbery.

Williams held on to his truth that he was innocent. And even the prosecutor believed Williams’ truth.

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell presented a new DNA lab report showing that the murder weapon did not have Williams’ DNA and that the prosecutors mishandled the murder weapon.

Bell wrote in the motion to rescind Williams’ sentence: “Bloody shoeprints were present near a knife sheath in the kitchen, in the hallway leading to the front foyer, and on the rug near Ms. Gayle’s body. Bloody fingerprints were found along the wall. And hairs believed to belong to the perpetrator were collected from Ms. Gayle’s t-shirt, her hands, and the floor. None of this physical evidence tied Mr. Williams to Ms. Gayle’s murder.”

Williams was convicted on the testimony of two who were in legal trouble and promised $10,000 in reward money.

The NAACP and the Council on American-Islamic Relations also tried to stop Williams’ execution, as did two jurors: “After considering this new DNA evidence, it is something I would have considered at the guilt phase and it may have made a difference with the jury,” the foreperson said.

“Having reviewed this information, I am disturbed that none of this was presented at trial and that the jury never had the opportunity to consider it. … I strongly believe that had this information been provided to the jury, it would have made a difference in the verdict and sentence,” said an alternate juror.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the appeal for a stay, as did Missouri Gov. Mike Parsons, who would not consider evidence that came to light as early as 2017 about the DNA that was not Williams’.

It was not hidden. Reports hitting the major news media almost two weeks before the execution exposing the evidence and the very public pleas from the prosecutor and family were easy to see, especially toward the view of Democratic and Republican candidates vulnerable to their response to the execution.

Time, ABC, NBC, USA Today, Reuters, and other corporate news media could easily be seen by candidates such as Trump and Harris. Both remained silent, even after the Rolling Stone inquiry to Harris: 

“Meanwhile, the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris — once a critic of the death penalty — has seemingly gone silent on the topic, even after President Joe Biden promised in 2020 to stop federal executions and propose legislation to abolish the death penalty at the state level. The Democratic Party platform this year, for the first time since 2004, lacks any mention of the death penalty. The campaign has not returned several requests for comment.”

Silence equals complicity, especially when your position of power could and would make a difference. Neither President Biden nor Vice President Harris chose to lift a finger nor make a peep.

And, those who could make a difference in Legislative or Executive branches didn’t even seem to mind when a Black man was executed four days earlier, also despite evidence of innocence.

Freddie Owens was put to death in South Carolina by lethal injection on Sept. 20, the Friday before the Tuesday execution of Williams.

The primary witness, Steven Golden, on Wednesday before the Friday execution, signed a sworn statement that he lied to escape the death penalty: “I did that because I knew that’s what the police wanted me to say, and also because I thought the real shooter or his associates might kill me if I named him to the police,” he said. “I am still afraid of that. But Freddie was actually not there.”

Again, the U.S. Supreme Court and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster chose to ignore the evidence and refused to block the lethal injection in Owens’ Black skin.

Owens was given a choice – the electric chair, the firing squad, or the needle. He let his lawyer pick.

There is evidence that some are not entirely unconscious from drugs preceding the poison in the needle.

And again, there is nothing but silence and complicity from the Legislative and Executive Branches, including the presidential candidates.

Since 2015, the killing of Black and Brown people by police has continued to break the yearly record year after year, and 2024 is on track to beat 2023.

From 2000-2016, there had been 1,300 on-duty police shootings in L.A. County alone, with not one cop being prosecuted at that time. A bill, AB 86, would have taken the decision of prosecuting killer cops out of the unwilling hands of prosecutors and given that power to Attorney Generals, forcing them to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate cop killings. Then-Attorney General Kamala Harris opposed this.

Harris’ support for the genocide here in the U.S. mirrors her for support for genocide outside the U.S. — in Gaza. 

In 1989, five Black and Brown youths that were framed for rape in New York’s Central Park. These children were abused by the cops and forced to give a confession after 24 hours of terror. Even though the youths did not plead guilty, they were convicted. Trump paid $85,000 to place full-page ads in the New York Times, Daily News, Post, and Newsday calling for their execution. After several years in prison, the DNA proved their innocence, and the culprit was found. They were released.

Yusef Salaam, one of the Central Park Five, ran for office and is now a New York City Councilmember, District 9.

If they had received a death sentence and the DNA evidence came out after the trial and appeals were done, like in the case of Williams and Owens — it wouldn’t matter.

And like Kamala’s complicity of silence, Trump, to this day, says his action calling for the execution of the five was correct.

Marcellus Williams’ son said: “This is murder.”

What is it called when the government murders people of color through both direct and indirect enabling and silence, which allows ethnicity to be the basis for the denial of the privilege of life? It is called genocide. And it is telling when the promoters of genocide fall into the same ethnicity as the targeted.

Diversity is a good thing, but the ruling class can also use it in a manner that serves genocide.

Genocides carried out by presidents, former presidents, vice presidents, justices, and governors cannot be tolerated, even when they look like the targeted.

Their shameful complicity in genocide cannot be tolerated.

And it won’t be – not in Africa, Latin America, in the Global South, by the international working class, and right here in the U.S. Genocide will be stopped — by any means necessary.

Statement from ARE (Association of Raza Educators), Armadillos NUMM, Union del Barrio, Mecha SDCC, 43 San Diego. 

Until there is justice, there will be no peace! 

Ten years of struggle for truth and justice.

One hundred twenty months, 43 students, the Mexican government is guilty. We will neither forgive nor forget.

Early morning of Sept. 26, 2024, 10 years after the kidnapping and disappearance of 43 students, many gathered in front of the San Diego Mexican Consulate in solidarity with the families of the 43 missing students and the Mexican People. 

 “Ten Years of Struggle for Truth and Justice”— Statement from the protest organizers. 

On the night of Sept. 26, and in the early morning of Sept. 27, 2014, a criminal organization with the support of municipal, state, and federal law enforcement (mostly the army) kidnapped and disappeared 43 students and murdered 6 more people in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico.

The president, Enrique Pena Nieto, wanted to close the case quickly. To do so, he developed a theory known as “the historical truth,” which was riddled with falsehoods and rejected by national and international experts. 

AMLO (President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador) promised to resolve the case when he met with the relatives of the 43 while he was still campaigning and then reaffirmed his promise as president. Now, at the end of his mandate, we denounce AMLO for not honoring his promise, for sabotaging the investigation, and for protecting the accomplices in the disappearance of the 43, the armed forces.

ALMO had the time, resources, and authority to complete the investigation and bring those responsible to justice. As AMLO spoke convincingly with the mothers and relatives of the 43, everyone hoped that the boys’ fate would be known and the guilty would also be punished. Unfortunately, none of this happened since, from the beginning, it was clear that the president was seeking to prolong the investigation and at the same time protect the military forces. That wasn’t all.

The president sabotaged the investigation when he hinted at the work of Omar Gomez Trejo, the special prosecutor in charge of the investigation, to the point that he was forced to resign. This happened, in September 2022. In addition, the work of the Interdisciplinary Group on Independent Experts (GIEI), which had done so much during the previous government, ended once the Mexican army, with the support of AMLO, refused to hand over important documents. These documents, in addition to helping to find the students, demonstrated the participation of the armed forces in their disappearance.

In his attempt to protect the armed forces, AMLO accused the representatives of the families of the 43 of obeying foreign interests and being part of an international campaign to discredit the armed forces. AMLO forgets, very conveniently, that if anything characterizes the Mexican armed forces, it is their repressive and unpatriotic actions. The list of the army’s repressive and murderous conduct is endless. We will only mention the massacre of Tlatlaya in 2014, and that of Tlatelolco in 1968, and the “death flights” between 1974 and 1998, which consisted of throwing more than 1,500 social justice fighters into the ocean from an Israeli-made plane owned by the Mexican Air Force.

The undersigned organizations and groups are aware that all struggles in all corners of the world are the same struggle. For this reason, we reaffirm our solidarity with Palestinians and demand the immediate total departure of the Israeli genocidal forces from the occupied territories, the boycott of all kinds against the state of Israel, the international trial of its leaders, and a definitive solution to the Zionist occupation, including recognition of Palestinian demands.

Pena Nieto’s  “historic truth” did not pass the test of history. AMLO’s protection of the armed forces and the baseless accusations that go hand in hand with the former has become another “historical truth” 10 years after the state crime; there is no truth, there is no truth, there is no justice. Claudia Sheinbaum, remember that your election was possible thanks to the participation of the people and a government of the people is needed — your turn.

THEY WERE TAKEN ALIVE, WE WANT THEM BACK, ALIVE!

FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, Palestine Will Be Free!

ARE (Association of Raza Educators), Armadillos NUMM, Union del Barrio, Mecha SDCC, 43 San Diego (Facebook and Instagram) Email: 43sandiego43@gmail.com

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine exalts the great national Arab leader, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, who passed on Friday 27/9/2024, as a result of a treacherous zionist raid on the southern suburb of Beirut after he carried out his duties of struggle toward our Arab nation in defense of Lebanon and Palestine.

The banner of resistance will not be broken, and the martyrdom of the Master of Resistance marks the beginning of a new phase of greater strength and determination to continue on the same path.

The Popular Front mourns the Master of Resistance, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, and a group of Hezbollah’s brave leaders, martyrs on the path to Al-Quds.

In the name of its Secretary-General, his deputy, its Political Bureau, Central Committee, and all its cadres and members at home and in the diaspora, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine mourns to our people, the nation, the Axis of Resistance, and the liberation movement, the leader of the resistance, the master of martyrs, and the inspiration of an entire generation, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah “Abu Hadi,” the Secretary-General of Lebanese Hezbollah, and a group of heroic leaders of the resistance who were martyred in a cowardly zionist assassination in the southern suburb of Beirut, coordinated and planned with the criminal American enemy.

The Front expresses its deep solidarity with the brothers in Hezbollah—leadership, cadres, and fighters—and the Lebanese people, and the Axis of Resistance, in this great and significant loss. We send them a clear message: Your wound is our wound, the blood of your leaders is our blood, and the martyrdom of the Master of Resistance, Hassan Nasrallah, represents the beginning of a new phase of resistance, more powerful and determined to continue on the same path.

Palestine, Lebanon, the entire nation, and indeed the global liberation movement have lost an exceptional leader and a symbol of Arab and revolutionary resistance worldwide. The great martyr was a unique leadership figure in every sense of the word, enjoying a high stature in the struggle against occupation and the American enemy. He was distinguished by his steadfast positions supporting the rights of Arab peoples, foremost among them the Palestinian cause. He was characterized by rare courage in facing threats and by political acumen that enabled him to anticipate regional and international developments, making him capable of dealing with the most complex challenges that faced the resistance, whether militarily or politically. He had clear fingerprints on the victories achieved by the resistance in Lebanon, foremost among them the July victory and the expulsion of the zionist occupation from southern Lebanon in 2000.

The great martyr dedicated his life to serving the cause of resistance, sacrificing the precious and dear, most notably the loss of his eldest son, Hadi, who was martyred in a heroic battle against the occupation, setting an exemplary model in sacrifice and loyalty to the cause.

The impact of martyr Nasrallah was not limited to the Lebanese arena alone but transcended borders to become a symbol of resistance throughout the region and a pivotal leader in supporting Palestinian resistance factions, providing them with all the logistical support, military training, and weapons they needed. His historic decision to support the resistance in Gaza during the Al-Aqsa Flood battle had a great impact in enhancing the capabilities of the Palestinian resistance. Since the founding of Hezbollah, the Palestinian cause was strongly present in its doctrine, and the martyr always emphasized that the liberation of Al-Quds is a legal and moral duty. Through his role in developing the party’s arsenal of advanced rockets and weapons, he managed to create a balance of horror with the zionist entity, contributing to protecting Lebanon from repeated attacks.

The Master of Resistance departed to join his fellow martyrs, never abandoning his position in the front lines, resisting until the last moment. While we today feel the bitterness of loss, we stand tall in facing this enemy who thought that targeting the leaders of the resistance, foremost among them the great martyr Hassan Nasrallah and his fellow leaders, would break the will of the resistance.

The martyrdom of the Master of Resistance represents a grave loss, but it will not weaken the resolve of the resistance nor diminish its determination; on the contrary, the ranks of the resistance in Lebanon and everywhere will increase in insistence on continuing the confrontation with this tyrannical enemy who understands only the language of force. The blood of these martyrs will form new fuel for the fire of resistance, which will not die down until the liberation of Palestine and all occupied Arab lands.

We pledge to the martyred leader and all the free resistance fighters that the response to this zionist crime will be commensurate with the crime itself. The resistance continues, stronger and more united on all fronts of support like one body, armed with the will of the peoples and their rallying around the legitimate option of resistance in defending our occupied lands and our dignity until achieving victory over this usurping zionist entity and its allies and agents in the region.

Glory and eternity to the soul of the martyr leader and the martyr leaders, and we will certainly be victorious.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Political Bureau
28 September 2024

https://t.me/PalestineResist/59507

The 33,000 Boeing workers on strike since Sept. 13 are fighting a corporate giant with nearly $78 billion in sales last year. While strikers are concentrated in the Seattle metropolitan area, workers are also picketing in Portland, Ore., and Southern California. 

Ninety-four percent of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) members voted to reject Boeing’s meager wage offer that would barely keep up with inflation.

They also want their pensions back, which were stolen from them a decade ago. Instead of being guaranteed a fixed amount of money every month when they retire, Boeing workers had 401(k) plans foisted on them.

These schemes guarantee nothing. With them, workers’ retirement income is subject to the casino capitalism of the stock market. 

Boeing CEO Robert Kelly Ortberg doesn’t have to worry about his retirement. He’s raking in $22 million this year.

While workers struggle to afford housing, Ortberg just bought a $4.1 million house. Ortberg’s predecessor as Boeing’s CEO, Dave Calhoun, collected $32.7 million last year. 

Instead of bargaining in good faith, Ortberg has flown in 400 janitors from Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas who are doing the work of IAM members. 

Meanwhile, Boeing is forcing non-union employees to take an unpaid week off every month during the strike. The company’s proposal to its aerospace engineers to take voluntary layoffs sank like a lead balloon. It was turned down unanimously by the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace executive board.

Boeing has constantly been the largest U.S. exporter and is an important part of Wall Street’s empire. Its B-17 planes dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and its B-52s continue to threaten the world with their nuclear payloads.  

Capitalist greed and mass murder

Boeing’s greed led to the death of 346 people in crashes of its 737 Max aircraft in Ethiopia and Indonesia. According to a 2020 congressional report, Boeing’s rush to sell the plane ignored design flaws and other safety concerns. Former Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg was aided in a coverup by the heads of the Federal Aviation Administration.

“Boeing — under pressure to compete with Airbus and deliver profits for Wall Street — escaped scrutiny from the FAA, withheld critical information from pilots and ultimately put planes into service that killed 346 innocent people,” said the former House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairperson Peter DeFazio. “What’s particularly infuriating is how Boeing and [the] FAA both gambled with public safety in the critical time period between the two crashes.” 

Capitalist competition led to corporate murder. Boeing’s archrival Airbus had announced plans in 2010 to bring out a new plane — the 320 Neo — that would be more fuel efficient. Airlines’ profits are tied to fuel prices.

Boeing executives were confronted with the prospect of American Airlines placing a big order with Airbus. So, they canceled plans to build a brand-new aircraft that would have taken a decade to complete. 

Boeing instead launched a frenzied program in 2011 to bring out an updated version of its 737 model that first flew in 1967. Bigger, less fuel-hungry engines would be attached to its wings. 

The problem was that the larger engines would have scraped the ground if they were put below the wings. Boeing’s solution was to place the jet engines higher and more forward on the aircraft.

This remedy changed the plane’s aerodynamics, making it liable to stall in flight and then crash. Boeing created a defective software program called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System that was supposed to address this danger.

Muilenburg was forced to walk the plank but still collected a $62.2 million bonus. That’s $179,000 for each of the 346 passengers killed in the 737 Max crashes.

Boeing’s troubles with the 737 have continued. On Jan. 5, a panel flew off a Max 9 in flight, leaving a big hole in the airliner.  Fortunately, no one was killed on the Alaska Airlines plane.

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are currently stranded in space because Boeing’s Starliner was unable to bring them home from the International Space Station.

Give us back our pensions!

None of these tragedies and fiascos are the fault of Boeing workers. Management’s crimes include taking away the IAM members’ defined benefit pensions.

An important part of the anti-labor offensive since the 1970s has been eliminating these pensions. These company plans, like Social Security, promise a guaranteed monthly payment depending upon your wages and years of employment.

Corporations have ditched these pension plans because it forces them to pay the promised benefits. From 1962 to 2010, the percentage of employees with defined benefit-only pensions fell from 44% to 20% of the workforce. 

Shedding these pensions allowed corporations to make billions more in profit. The 401(k) plans are a poor substitute.

Boeing workers only agreed to the theft of their pensions because the corporation threatened to move more work to a non-union plant in South Carolina. Now they’re fighting to get them back.

Last year’s strike by the United Auto Workers against the Big Three auto companies got rid of the hated pay tiers where younger workers got lower pay and benefits. It led to the UAW winning a union representation election at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Any victory by the IAM members at Boeing, particularly in getting back their pensions, can help get a union for the Boeing workers in South Carolina.

It will also echo throughout the United States. Millions of workers have no retirement plan at all. Billionaires want you to work until you drop.

A victory for the IAM members on strike at Boeing will be a victory for all working and poor people.

Thousands of people came out on New York City streets on Sept. 24 to protest the slaughter of Lebanese people by the Zionist apartheid regime occupying Palestine. 

One march, called by the Palestinian Youth Movement and backed by the Shut It Down for Palestine Coalition, rallied in New York’s crowded Herald Square, where several subway lines cross. It marched through the streets past Grand Central Terminal, ending in Times Square. 

Another, called by Within Our Lifetime, gathered in Madison Square Park and marched to Grand Central Terminal. That march was ambushed and viciously attacked by NYPD’s Strategic Response Unit, who arrested at least 25 people. The cops broke one activist’s wrist. 

At the Herald Square rally, speakers denounced President Biden for supplying the bombs that Netanyahu’s planes dropped on Lebanese and Palestinian children. They linked the U.S.-backed genocide in those countries to racist police violence and state terror in the United States. 

That terror is exemplified by the state murder that very evening of Khaliifah Ibn Rayford Daniels, aka Marcellus Williams. The state of Missouri executed the Black man despite strong evidence of his innocence. A poem he wrote from death row, The Perplexing Smiles of the Children of Palestine, was read at the rally. 

Chants and speakers emphasized the unity of the people of Palestine and Lebanon in the fight for liberation and the full responsibility of U.S. imperialism in this genocidal war. 

Hands off Lebanon! Free Palestine!

Bill Camp, a leader in the union movement who fought tirelessly for workers’ rights, died Sept. 23. Camp was known not just as a labor union leader but equally for his years of work in solidarity with the workers of Cuba to end the damage inflicted on the people of Cuba by the U.S. government blockade of that country.

Lianys Torres Rivera, the head of the Cuban Mission in the United States, posted on X: “Deepest condolences to Bill Camp’s family, whom the Cuban people will never forget for his unconditional solidarity and ongoing struggle for justice, peace and better relations between our country and the U.S. RIP Dear friend🖤.” 

When Bill Camp received a diagnosis of brain cancer last summer, he never paused in his organizing work, determined to get Cuba off the list of “countries who support terrorism,” a fallacious narrative started by Trump and continued by Biden, to tighten the deadly strictures of the blockade on Cuba.  

A long life lived well with many accomplishments 

Bill Camp was born in 1944 in the cotton mill town of Anderson, South Carolina. While at College in Jackson, Mississippi, during the 1960s, he joined in actions supporting integration. The Mississippi White Citizens Council targeted Camp with a KKK-type death squad. He managed to escape across the border before sundown.

In 1968, while enrolled in a Ph.D. program at Duke University, he played a lead role in organizing student support for a strike by the Black workers on Duke’s maintenance staff who were receiving less than minimum wage. The strike was successful, and Camp was expelled from Duke.

In Redding, California, Bill Camp’s efforts helped to create the national model for parent participation in the early childhood education program, Head Start. 

From there he and his spouse, Catherine Camp, moved to Sacramento, where he worked for the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board. This state agency guaranteed the organizing rights of farm workers. He ran elections to recognize the bargaining rights of farm workers, investigated illegal actions by growers, and played a key role in helping to win the first collective bargaining contracts for lettuce workers in the Imperial Valley.  

California Gov. Deukmejian eliminated his job after Camp reported on illegal appointments to run the Prosecutorial Division of that State agency.

He joined the Sacramento Central Labor Council (SCLC), and during the 15 years he served on the Labor Council, it became a significant voice for the working class in the area. He remained on the Board of the SCLC and the SCLC newspaper even after he retired in 2014.

In 2015, Bill received a union flag signed by UFW President Arturo Rodriguez and Cesar Chavez Foundation President Paul Chavez, recognizing his decades of selfless service to farm workers.

His son Bayliss Camp noted that “my father may have been living with this cancer for perhaps two years before it was diagnosed. … During those two years, he organized trips to Cuba.”

Bill Camp was instrumental in organizing a group of union members, their union officers, and supporters, mainly from the U.S. West Coast, in the aptly named Building Relations with Cuban Labor (BRCL). That included leading a group of labor leaders and members to celebrate Cuba’s May Day 2024 in Havana. The visit was planned to support Cuban workers and see the many accomplishments of the Cuban workers.

Louisiana governor Jeff Landry – who recently tried to stop summer school lunch programs – is pressuring Louisiana State University (LSU) to resume parading its live tiger mascot at home football games. This hasn’t happened since 2015, when Mike the Tiger VI was still alive. The current Siberian Bengal tiger, Mike VII, kept in an enclosure at LSU’s Baton Rouge, has never been subjected to this.

In a statement, LSU veterinary school spokeswoman Ginger Guttner clarified: 

“LSU will not bring Mike VII to the Nicholls game and is not in discussions to bring Mike to any games this season.” 

An LSU statement explained that the old practice contradicts current standards of “responsible care for live exotic animals.” 

Indeed, LSU and other stadium games are so loud, and there is so much movement that they register on the Richter scale. This can only be stressful for tigers, which are primarily solitary animals. 

But oil-and-gas-investment millionaire Landry doesn’t care about harming tigers. His cruelty is well-established. Earlier this year, he tried to prevent Louisiana from participating in the summer school lunch program for needy children.

In Louisiana, 267,950 – one in four – children face hunger. Having been a legislator and attorney general, Landry is well aware of this. He simply doesn’t care about the kids. His attempt to snatch  food out of children’s hands was so shocking and unpopular that lawmakers from his own party forced him to back down. 

Local animal advocate speaks

We talked to New Orleans animal rights activist, Katie P., about Landry’s proposal. 

SLL:  You have a history of advocating for animals forced to perform, particularly whales. Can you say a bit about past campaigns you’ve worked on and protest actions you’ve attended?

KP: I’ve been actively involved in advocating against the captivity and exploitation of animals, particularly those forced to perform for entertainment. One of the first protests I participated in was back in 2015, targeting the Ringling Brothers circus for their use of animals, especially elephants and tigers, during their performances. This protest took place at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. 

As many know, Ringling Brothers retired all their elephant performers in 2016, before taking a hiatus. When they returned for their 2023 North American tour, they featured no live animals at all. This major shift was the result of years of activism, state-level bans on live animal performances, and declining ticket sales driven by public outcry over the abuse of these animals.

I also have a deep concern for marine mammals, especially whales kept in captivity. The origin stories of places like SeaWorld, where wild cetaceans were captured and forced into confinement, are heartbreaking and cruel. These captures didn’t just affect individual animals but also had lasting impacts on the native pods they were taken from.

One case that really brought me back into activism recently was Tokitae, an orca who was captured as a baby from her family pod in the 1970s and lived in the smallest whale tank for the rest of her life. Tokitae endured decades of psychological and physical suffering, neglect, and poor nutrition, performing daily for food until she passed away in August 2023. 

The Miami Seaquarium, where she was held, has gained a reputation for its poor treatment of animals. After her death, investigations revealed that she likely died as a result of captivity-related issues like malnutrition, pneumonia, and inadequate veterinary care.

In response to Tokitae’s situation and other marine mammal abuses, a group called UrgentSeas was formed in 2022. One of its founders, a former animal trainer at Marineland in Ontario, Phil DeMers, became an activist after witnessing the behind-the-scenes abuse at these marine parks. I was inspired by their work and traveled to Miami in September 2023 to protest alongside them at the Miami Seaquarium following Tokitae’s death.

Since then, there has been significant progress. The USDA has conducted surprise inspections and found numerous violations, including the tragic death of a dolphin who swallowed a four-inch bolt. As a result, Miami-Dade County began the eviction process against the Seaquarium due to its repeated violations, particularly concerning its animal care standards.

I’m incredibly proud of the impact we’ve achieved in these two cases. It’s taken a lot of dedication and effort from both organizers and supporters, but it’s proof that direct action can make a difference. Moving forward, it’s crucial to continue educating the public and raising awareness because things are not always what they seem.

SLL: Do you think that this kind of animal exploitation is driven by the profit motive?

KP: Yes, animal performances and captivity are entirely profit-driven. There’s no doubt about that. When it comes to animal entertainment, the primary motivation is financial gain, not conservation. Many parks and attractions claim they are contributing to conservation efforts, but that’s often a misleading narrative. If animals are being made to perform or are generating revenue for the company, it’s not about protecting or conserving them — it’s about maximizing profit.

SLL: Do you have any information about the conditions of the workers at these places? 

KP: While I don’t have extensive firsthand knowledge about the working conditions across all these establishments, it’s clear that there’s a range depending on the venue — from smaller, roadside attractions like the Miami Seaquarium to larger, more technologically advanced facilities like SeaWorld. 

The conditions for employees can also vary based on their roles. For example, vendors and cleaning staff are reportedly paid low wages at the Miami Seaquarium. I wouldn’t be surprised if many don’t have access to adequate benefits like health insurance.

The company’s cost-cutting practices also extend to the animals, as it was revealed they were skimping on food, failing to pay rent, and neglecting necessary investments in the animals’ environments and overall care. 

If the animals’ welfare was being compromised to save money, it’s highly likely that the workers were also facing financial hardships. Moreover, when companies prioritize cutting costs, it creates unsafe working conditions, leaving the employees to bear the consequences as well.

SLL: A horrific example of this is the 2010 death of animal trainer Dawn Therese Brancheau. She was killed at SeaWorld Orlando while working with an orca during a show. Orcas are highly intelligent, social animals that live in close-knit groups called pods, meaning that orcas in captivity are in unnatural, stressful situations. 

The orca, Tilikum, had been captured in Iceland in 1983 and forced to perform ever since. He had already been involved in the deaths of trainers Keltie Lee Byrne in 1991 and Daniel Patrick Dukes in 1999. 

After Brancheau’s death, SeaWorld resumed performances with Tilikum in 2011, though with less human contact. He died in 2017, likely from a bacterial infection. 

SLL: What do you make of Landry’s ambitions to bring Mike the Tiger out at football games? 

KP: I believe it would be a terrible idea to take Mike the Tiger to LSU games. 

First and foremost, it’s clear that Governor Landry doesn’t have a strong track record when it comes to being conscious or compassionate about environmental or animal welfare issues. His stance on matters like climate change denial and disregard for scientific evidence in decision-making reflect that. Recently, he’s gained attention for pushing questionable laws and making decisions that seem more about creating controversy than serving the best interests of the state.

What’s unclear is the reasoning behind his push to bring Mike to live games. I’ve tried to find a clear justification, but there doesn’t seem to be one. If the motivation is simply that  he “wants to,” then we need to ask ourselves, is that really a valid reason? 

When we consider decisions like this, we have to prioritize the well-being of the animal. It’s important to step back and ask: Are the personal desires of one group more important than the needs and health of Mike? To me, the answer is obvious — Mike should not be taken to live games.

Beyond the ethical concerns, all of Mike’s veterinarians have stated that it’s not in his best interest to be transported to these events. Ignoring expert medical advice, simply to satisfy one person’s ego or agenda, is not just irresponsible — it’s harmful.

In September, and for the fourth consecutive year, U.S. President Joe Biden renewed U.S. sanctions on Cuba under the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA), an archaic 1917 law designed to cut off trade with Germany during World War I and a significant pillar of the blockade. The announcement means that the economic blockade, a policy upheld by both Republican and Democratic administrations for over six decades, will remain imposed on the island through 2025, despite Cuba’s urgent calls for it to end. Let’s not forget that it was Biden, the democrat who while campaigning for president, said he would improve relations with us.

The Caribbean Island is the only country in the world still subject to sanctions under the century-old law, which was originally intended to be used only in times of war. It is also the main obstacle preventing Cuba’s economic growth, as it is forced to face the same world crises, such as pandemics, inflation, and shortages, but under conditions to which most countries worldwide are not subject.

“Washington imposes another year of blockade against Cuba,” Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez reported when the White House released the news. The damages are in the billions and will continue to accumulate. From March 1, 2023, to February 29, 2024, alone, the blockade caused economic losses to Cuba estimated in the order of 5 billion 56.8 million dollars, which represents an increase of 189.8 million dollars compared to the previous report.

“The current challenges of the Cuban reality would have a better and easier solution if Cuba could have at its disposal the substantial resources that the blockade deprives it of. This policy is illegal and inhumane and severely affects key sectors such as social, public services, energy, and tourism, as well as the state-run industry and the private sector,” Rodriguez added.

In November, the Biden administration will reach its end without any profound changes in bilateral relations. Let’s recall that, during his 2020 electoral campaign, the Democratic candidate gave signs that his policy towards Cuba would return to the path of the so-called “constructive engagement” developed by the Obama administration, of which Biden was vice president. He assured he would lift the relentless policy of hostility followed by his predecessor, Donald Trump (2017-2021), who imposed over 200 coercive measures against the island during his mandate.

However, his discourse changed once Biden was installed in the White House.

“Our policy towards Cuba is being studied and is guided by two principles. First is support for democracy and human rights, which is the center of our efforts. The second is the Americans, especially the Cuban Americans, the best ambassadors of freedom in Cuba, so we are going to review the policies of the Trump administration,” said the then press secretary, Jen Psaki.

With few weeks ahead before the U.S. Presidential elections, with vice-president Kamala Harris and Republican and former president Donald Trump as candidates, Cuba is no priority for either of them since Cuba represents no threat to U.S. politics and security. They haven’t even mentioned what policy they will pursue toward the Caribbean island other than keeping a blockade that is strangling the Cuban people intact.

At this moment, they have many other hot topics to debate about, like who is the bigger supporter of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Palestine, the upheaval of tensions in the Middle East, or the rise of gun violence in the country. They could care less whether the island remains one more year under the yoke of the blockade 60 years later. Let’s be honest, humane policies of mutually beneficial relations are never on the minds of our imperial neighbor to the North.

Meanwhile, Cuba keeps struggling, being a victim of an archaic, outdated, and harmful policy, under which most of the Cuban population has been forced to live, which causes shortages, prejudice against Cubans, separation, and pain. However, they will never watch us tumble. “Despite the serious damage caused by the hostile policies of the U.S. governments on the Cuban people, they continue to fail in their objective of destroying the Revolution,” Rodriguez reaffirmed.

Source: Resumen Latinoamericano – US