Emma Kaplan's Open Salon Blog

Protesting NATO war crimes in Chicago

Mon, 21 May 2012 22:05:35 -0400

Protesting NATO war crimes in Chicago: Because the World Can't Wait

Yesterday was pretty intense. We arrived at Grant Park to a heavy police presence. Some of us had not slept well the night before after hearing the news of that the police had raided the homes of nato protesters and then falsely charged them of “plotting terrorism. The police had also driven a car into a crowd of non violent nato protesters that same night.

After arriving we were immediately stopped by the Chicago Police. They asked us who we were and why we were carrying PVC piping (thin plastic tubes) We told them what it was for; carrying our banners. They told us that it could be used for something else, asked us what organization we were apart of and how many people were in our organization. They ran our drivers licenses and then proceeded to taunt us, asking if we would carry a banner for their precinct. After asking multiple times whether we were being detained or free to go, they confiscated our pvc piping and let us go. It was absolutely ridiculous! Here we are going to protest some of the most murderous war criminals who have OPENLY bombed entire villages and ordered executions of civilians and WE were being treated like the criminals. The only answer the powers that be have to the illegal immoral wars is repression against those who protest.

When we got to the rally and met up with our crew it was heartening to see all the people who showed up despite the police repression and we felt even greater resolve to bring those who are most affected by NATO, the nato victims. Video here:

We had a beautiful contigents with 8 different banners in 8 different languages that read “humanity and the planet come first. Stop The Crimes of the U.S. government. We also had images of the death and destruction NATO has unleashed in the middle east and south asia.

This set a really important tone for the day, and many people of different nationalities were attracted to our contigent because of this tone. There was also lots of international media that interviewed us off of seeing our banners. One Pakistani man was so happy to see that we were bringing attention to those who have been killed in Pakistan by NATO. He took video of our banners so that people in Pakistan could see that there are Americans who are opposed to what NATO is doing because they don’t know that Americans are opposed to the NATO bombings.

When the march began we chanted “ What Comes First? Humanity and The Planet” This was very moving because you had people from all over the world who were showing that they care about what happens to people around the world. One person put it, “ They have a world military alliance, why shouldn’t we have an alliance with the people of the world.” We chanted in NO to NATO in URDU and in Spanish. We showed the enlarged images of the civilians casualties to people on the sidelines and told them this is why they were protesting NATO. Many people took flyers and shook their heads at the images. At one point in the march a large group of people were chanting “ Join Us, Join Us Cause the World Can’t Wait” and people joined in off the sidewalks, took pictures of our banners. Different people agitated saying things like “ You [NATO] kill our children while they are eating breakfast, while they go to school”

After the march stopped at its destination, Iraq and Afghanistan era war veterans ( including Scott Olsen from Oakland) threw their medals over the fence towards the NATO summit with each of them saying why they were giving their medals back and sharing common cause first and foremost with the Iraqis and Afghanistan people. Video here: One veteran threw his medal for our friend Anthony Wagner, an Iraq veteran who passed away last year. Anthony toured into high school classrooms with World Can’t Wait to talk to students about his experience in the military and why they shouldn’t join.

Jason Hurd, a fomer combat medic who spent 10 years in the U.S. army said,” I’m here to return my Global War on Terror Service Medal in solidarity with the people of Iraq and the people of Afghanistan, I am deeply sorry for the destruction that we have caused in those countries and around the globe."

Reports later that day showed the police brutally beating protesters, picking people off and arresting them.

Overall it was an amazing day and hopefully the beginning of people really stepping up to oppose the Obama administration’s wars ( covert and open) and find renewed determination to stop them.

U.S. Out Of Afghanistan: Stay Out Of Iran

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:03:28 -0400

Today when I went to read my email, I saw on my front home page "U.S. Soldier held in shooting rampage that killed 16 Afghans, officials say.

I feel disgusted. I am disgusted because I know that were probably women and children who were killed.I know that these were people who posed no threat and were probably unarmed. I know that after the kicking down of doors and the terrifying screams of the children, there is nothing left that documents the horror except a trail of blood, a pile of bodies and eternal nightmares for those who are still living.

I click on the link to the article

Immediately I see a picture of an elderly man sitting inside a van, with two small bodies covered in blankets. He has such a look of pain, and agony on his face that I want to scream for him at the top of my lungs. Part of the caption reads: The dead included women and children, as least 5 others wounded in the attack.

The Washington Post recounts what Fazal Mohammad Esaqzai, the deputy chief of the provincial council witnessed.

"Esaqzai, who said he saw the 16 bodies, provided the following account. About midnight, 11 people, including three women; four children whose ages ranged from 6 to 9; and four men were executed inside the home of a village elder.

' They entered the room where the women and children were sleeping, and they were all shot in the head,' Esaqzai said, adding that he was doubtful of the U.S. account suggesting the killings were the work of a lone gunman. They were all shot in the head.' "

I didn't predict these details because I am a psychic, I predicted this because these atrocities have been the rule not the exception to the wars of aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This is rampage is already being spun as the act of one "rogue" soldier who was not following "protocol." Once again, the lie that this was just a fluke accident or a rare incident is being repeated by the politicans and the mainstream media.

Barack Obama said " This incident is tragic and and does not represent the exceptional character of our military and the respect that the United States has for the people of Afghanistan." Marine Gen. John R. Allen and Leon Panetta expressed "shock" and the U.S. embassy said that they will make sure justice is served.

I could go on for hours detaling the evidence and stories that show that this is bullshit from the Afghan Kill Team, to the bombing of wedding parties to the Haditha Massacre. But just consider this: (1) Wikileaks revealed that civilian casualties in Afghanistan have been consciously covered up and lied about by those in highest levels of the U.S. government. (2) Iraq and Afghanistan war era veterans have come forward to testify that these atrocities are daily occurences and are inherent to the overall charcter and protocol of the U.S military. (3) These types of atrocites were ORDERED from the Bush Administration and the Obama administration went to great lengths to make sure those war criminals were protected from any kind of prosecution.

What does this tell us about the nature of these wars and the nature of the U.S. government that represents this system?

The powers that be know very well that this country's wealth was built on slavery and the genocide of native americans. The powers that be know very well that this wealth has to be expanded via coups, assasinations, massacres and illegal invasions. They will keep going until a mass movement of resistance and protest forces them to stop.

You are seriously delusional if you think that a war on Iran will not unleash the same (or worse) death and destruction on civilian populations, the same way the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and all wars for empire do.

It is long past time that those who run this empire are called out for the monsters that they are and that these monsters are stripped of their right to run the world.

We must get out to the public visibly soon to say that these wars are NOT IN OUR NAME. The U.S. needs to get out of Afghanistan now and Stay the OUT OF IRAN!

Disrupting The Democrats & the NDAA

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:12:08 -0500

Video of action here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN6tYuq8B7A

Want to see more of these kinds of actions? Make a donation to The World Can't Wait today: https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1170/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=5872

What a night! I went down to Occupy Seattle up at SCCC. Met some folks who were going to protest Maria Cantwell at the Paramount Theater. They told me about how Maria Cantwell voted for the National Defense Authorization Act. And yes, she is a democrat. The National Defense Authorization Act basically enables the military to round people up (including American citizens) and hold them indefinitely. Read more about NDAA here:http://www.worldcantwait.net/index.php/home-mainmenu-289/7484-indefinite-detention-and-the-eviction-of-occupys

Some of the organizers were speaking to how they felt this act is a major attack on civil liberties and further shredding up the Constitution. We decided it was important that we wake people to the truth. We had made signs on the spot that read Shame on Maria Cantwell and Stop Indefinite Detention Here and All Over the World.

Hundreds of people were waiting in line to get in and we had very controversial discussions Many people were shocked that Maria Cantwell voted for this, while others had no idea what the NDAA actually was. People were saying yes, they agreed with us but things would be worse if a republican was in office. I told people that it doesn't matter who is in office, it matters what is happening in the streets. We don't control the elections anyway, the elections control us!

There were some people who were incredibly hostile because they could not stand the idea of people criticizing the Democrats. One persontold a black man who was with us to "go back to Africa." If we were criticizing these policies under Bush to this crowd, it wouldn’t have been controversial at all but somehow if it is a Democrat that is doing that is carrying it out, people learn to accept it. It reminds me of a quote by Bob Avakian in the book BAsics: “If you try to make the Democrats be what they are not, and never will be, you will end up being more like what the Democrats actually are.”

A college student who majored in history and joined us on the spot, was challenging people to think critically about the democrats and to "wake up!" Two people came up to us out of the line off of our signs and soapboxing and gave us 2 tickets to go inside. There were more than a couple people waiting in line who had 99% stickers on. While me and an occupier named Salvador were waiting to go in, he started talking to me about the war on terror. The military had attempted to recruit him when he was in high school and he was seriously considering joining but a military veteran told him not to do it. He now has another friend who toured Iraq who is "just not the same" after coming back. He talked about how the whole war on terror is just bullshit, that the powers that be want to instill fear in people and how they are after the resources of people in that region of the world.

When Maria Cantwell starting speaking, I yelled Mic Check and starting agitating about the National Defense Authorization Act and why it was wrong and the need for people to oppose it. Some people starting chanting "6 more years", meaning 6 more years of Democrats (and essentially 6 more years of war, torture indefinte detention etc) One guy tried to choke me while another person attempted to cover my mouth with his hand. At the same time, there were other people who pointed at me and stood up and said yes I agree with you. And others who were clapping and giving the thumbs up. We got dragged out pretty quickly but we shouted about the NDAA the whole way. We left to go up to the college to upload our video. One of the other protesters told us that one guy came out and asked if they were with that girl who disrupted Maria Cantwell because of the NDAA. He said, "Yes I was really offended about that." The protester asked what he meant and he said, " I was really offended that Maria Cantwell voted for that."

Raids in Oakland, Raids in Afghanistan. Enough!

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:10:02 -0400

I have been watching the footage of Oakland in absolute shock and disgust. Peaceful protesters being attacked with rubber bullets and tear gas. This was a mass attack where they arrested over 100 people

Read more from revolutionaries on the ground last night: http://revcom.us/a/248/raid-on-occupy-oakland-en.html

People who are old enough for me to could have gone to school with, having open wounds on their face and black eyes. Some people will say that they are disgusted but not shocked by this display.

I am shocked because this to me is completely unacceptable.

To me, Oakland looked like a war zone and it made me think of the images I have seen of children in Afghanistan and Iraq screaming and crying. Of teenagers bloodied and bruised after military raids. Of wedding parties being bombed by the U.S. because the people of Afghanistan are seen standing in the way of U.S. interest, the same interests that those on Wall St are representing. And no, the war in Iraq is not over!)

I also can't help but think of the utter hypocrisy of a government that condemns places like Libya and Iran for their "lack of freedom" but their own country is no different.This is a country that talks "freedom and democracy" but walks police brutality and empire.

This Saturday, I will be marching with Occupy Seattle in solidarity with those who have been raided and to show support for everyone who is standing up to stop the crimes of our government. I will be bringing in the message that The whole world is the 99%. Bring this message jto an occupation near you. Occupy together to stop all brutal occupations.

Occupy Seattle To Stop U.S. Occupation of the Globe!

Thu, 6 Oct 2011 19:10:59 -0400

For Immediate Release

Occupying To Stop U.S. Occupations.

Oct 6/7 is the 10 year anniversary of the Afghanistan war. For ten years, the richest country in the world has been "at war" with the poorest country in the world. Today in Washington D.C. , thousands are beginning an open ended protest to let the world know that we will not allow these wars to continue in our name. In Seattle, protests will begin on Friday Oct 7 at 4:30 pm and march to Westlake in to mark the anniversary. We will end with a die-in.

On the evening of Oct 4, Seattle Mayor McGinn issued a statement in which he said that due to our scheduled anti-war protest and International Indigenous Peoples’ Day, he was ordering the tents to be taken down.

We express our enthusiastic solidarity with the morally and physically courageous people of Occupy Seattle and all others now forming occupations in their cities. They have not resigned themselves to accepting the way the world is and in doing so, they have been enduring brutal attacks by police and the corporate media’s malign neglect.

We support the right of Occupy Seattle to set up tents during which we have a permit in the park and call on people to support any encampments that continue thereafter.

Let Oct. 7 be about bearing witness to the brutality the 1% of the U.S. has brought to the Middle east through its wars because the whole world is watching!

Endorsed by:

The Seattle Chapter of World Can’t Wait, The ANSWER Coalition, organizers of the International People's Day, October 22 Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression, & the Criminalization of a Generation Seattle Affiliate