January 2010 Archives
Wednesday
night, January 27, "Torture Memos" author John Yoo was confronted by about two
dozen protesters at the San Francisco stop of his national book tour for
"Crisis and Command". World Can't Wait members flyered outside the Commonwealth
Club of California (sponsor of the event), while others interrupted Yoo's
presentation inside, 7 times over the course of an hour, identifying the
speaker as a War Criminal and denouncing the Torture State he continues to
advocate, and challenging the event's moderator to take a stand. Yoo's argument
for executive privilege (that the President can do anything he pleases)
carefully avoided the real issue of what that power was used for. The
audience response was mixed at first, but more and more applauded the
disruptions as protesters were led from the room. I noted about a third of the
attendees reading our brochure [ http://tinyurl.com/yd2pbtw ], which exposes the
lies hiding under the guise of "war on terror" and properly identifies
Yoo's work as a War OF Terror. We distributed about 200 brochures in total, and
had some good discussions with people after the event, including in particular
a Commonwealth Club member who expressed her outrage at Yoo's statements and
promised to complain to the Club for giving him a platform. The
event was recorded by NPR for future airing, and should be available as a
podcast on the Commonwealth Club website [ http://tinyurl.com/yamks9n ] soon. John
Yoo speaks for the criminals who set up a torture state. Who speaks for their
victims - who speaks for the detainees at Guantanamo - at Bagram? Fire, disbar,
and prosecute John Yoo, Bybee, Addington, and stop the secret renditions and
torture NOW! EVERY PERSON
IN THIS COUNTRY HAS TO CHOOSE A SIDE: ARE YOU FOR TORTURE, OR AGAINST IT? |
On January 23, World Can't Wait was part of a broad-based
coalition of national and Bay Area feminist and community activists, united
in San Francisco's annual action to "Stop the War on Women - Day of Action for
Reproductive Justice." This rally
and counter-protest led by the Bay Area Coalition for Our Reproductive Rights
(BACORR) was in response to the anti-choice "Walk for Life--West Coast" march
where every year thousands of people are mobilized (mostly through the Catholic
church) and bussed into San Francisco for this march, near the January 22
anniversary of Roe v Wade.
The rally began in spite of heavy rain, and the people's energy and
participation was welcome. The most prominent of the speakers, Linci Comy
of Women's Choice Clinic, gave an important and clear analysis including
the following comment.
"The simple truth is that when abortion is illegal women
die. The World Health Organization (WHO) says 5
million women around the world are hospitalized each year from complications
due to unsafe illegal abortion and 70,000 of these women die."
Additional speakers helped to charge and set the pace for the march.
Among them was B. E. Johnson of World Can't Wait, bringing into the mix a more
comprehensive analysis of the broader political environment. She stated:
"There can be no common ground with maniacs. Stop tying our dreams to what is politically expedient, start
speaking the truth, and start acting like human beings with some passion and
principles!"
Just as "Walk For Life" began its march, a very diverse group of about 20
pro-choice women and men banded together to disrupt it. They were from different political groups
and movements, and ranged in age from people in their early 20's to courageous
lifelong resisters in their 80's. Facing
a group over 8,000 strong and lines of police primed to keep the anti-choice,
anti-women message uninterrupted -- these brave women
and men confronted the march, unfurling a 30' banner in the middle of
the march and refusing to move. (The initial intent was to have a
"die in" but between the rain and the police in massive numbers
stepping in, they still seized the opportunity for immediate action.) Our supporters were moving along the
sidewalk giving encouragement and helping us stand our ground.
Abortion was legalized in 1973 because it saves women's lives and benefits families; WHO research shows 220,000 children lose their mothers from abortion related deaths every year. What a travesty for these abortion opponents to call themselves "pro-life"!.
Commemorating the 37th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion in the United States, today's event is a spirited reminder of the importance of legal accessible abortion. Pro-choice advocates -- joined by representatives from the immigrant, labor, lesbian/gay/bisexual/trans gender, disability, people of color and youth communities -- lined the march route of "Walk for Life" for the next few hours to denounce escalating assaults on reproductive freedom, civil liberties, and women's health by religious fundamentalists and governmental policies - including but not limited to the regressive, anti-abortion Stupak-Pitts and Nelson-Hatch amendments added the health care bills that passed in the House of Representatives and the one currently in conference between the Senate and the House.
National Website
DRIVE OUT THE BUSH REGIME!
Local Contact
San Francisco, CA 94103
sf@worldcantwait.org
415-864-5153