Not til about 4 pm was the stage set for the chanting to begin. (Flickr Slide show)
Early on, I was challenged as an alt-right Zionist, to which I responded, "Not alt right but I don't support wiping Israel off the map. " To which my inquisitor walked away with a large roll of the eyes.
Then, after some long-winded prayers by a young boy, the speakers began.
Nerdeen Kiswani, their very anti-Semitic leader, spoke with her usual animosity for Israel and all things Zionist. (difficulty filming over the crowd. what mattered were her words)
Nerdeen: "Organized by the Muslim Congress on one of the last days of Ramadan", she continues, "... protesting for our palestinian Muslim brothers and sisters back home who are continuously denied the right to worship. Denied the right to live freely. .. as Muslims it is our moral obligation; our duty to fight injustice where ever we see it ... the suffering and the plight of the palestinian people."
"AND WE WILL FREE PALESTINE. WITHIN OUR LIFE TIME. From New York to (? ) palestine GLOBALIZE our INTIFADA."
After the Neturei Karta rabbi spoke, she made the bizarre choice to chant "Judaism, Yes. Zionism, No. The State of Israel MUST GO."
TheNeturei Karta shamefully allow themselves to be used at these protests, espousing their beliefs that there was never to be a State of Israel. Their presence is offensive, since the 'palestinian' lobby uses them as the "Real Jews".
(Rabbi's video is excerpted) "On this International al Quds Day, cities around the globe are standing up in public for al Quds. For Jerusalem. For Justice. For Peace.For the legitimate rights of the palestinian people. The Zionists have not been resting. their "occupation" is continuing. Their aggression in full swing, including killing of men, women and children. Killing journalists. Settlement expansion. on going demolitions. The latest aggression on al Aqsa. This is about the whole occupation which we condemn here today. Pro-palestinian activism is not anti-Semitism. For centuries Jews lived in peace and harmony with their Arab neighbors.The State of israel is not a Jewish State. It is a Zionist State. To be against Zionism is no way anti-Semitic. In fact Jewish people and the Jewish religion are against all of this ... rabbis and laymen are opposed to Zionist crimes against the palestinian people and the existence of the State of Israel. We pray for the speedy and peaceful dismantlement of the State of Israel."
I couldn't see over the crowd at this location, so after the Neturei Karta spoke, I moved on.
WOMEN ARE NOT INCUBATORS! Abortion On Demand & Without Apology!
May 5, 2022:"Senate Democrats are seeking to force a vote to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law ... Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced Thursday that he will file cloture on the legislation on Monday, teeing up a vote for Wednesday.
“Today, I am announcing that next week, the US Senate is going to vote on legislation to codify a woman’s right to seek an abortion into federal law,” he said in a speech on the Senate floor." [NY Post]
May 3, 2022 Dear Friends,
Last night, we learned that the Supreme Court has voted to strike down Roe v. Wade, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito.
Should this leaked draft Supreme Court majority opinion hold, it would explicitly end federal constitutional protections for safe and legal abortions - nearly 50 years after Roe v. Wade was first decided.
Today my heart is with all American women who are on the cusp of having control of their own bodies taken from them.
I am filled with rage over this news but we should all be clear that this opinion is a draft: abortion is still legal today and people still have appointments and are getting care today. New Yorkers will and should continue to book their reproductive health appointments.
As the Supreme Court finalizes its decision, however, we cannot allow our anger to give way to despair or apathy. We must use it to fuel our actions and our voices.
Today at 5:00 p.m., activists and allies will be gathering in Foley Square (at Lafayette Street and Worth Street) to express our outrage at this decision and demand that reproductive rights be upheld nationwide.
We will also be wearing green, a color that demonstrates support for abortions that are safe, legal, and accessible for all people, especially racial minorities, LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, low income people, and those who are multiply marginalized.
This is a hard day for so many, but please know that you are not alone. We are in this together, today and every day.
In service,
Erik Bottcher New York City Council Member District 3 (photo from twitter)
~~~
.Of course this was a huge protest, still growing as I left at 6:30. (Flickr Slide show)
Two videos that struck a chord of disbelief ....at how ignorant --or evil - or both these protest organizers must be.
The Rabbi and the Pastor. The Rabbi's persistent "Pregnant Person" speech was embarrassing; her relentless wokeness. These two preachers were stoking the fires of rebellion over a misunderstanding of the constitution and the supreme court.
And then Amy Schumer spoke very briefly, “I tell jokes and this court is a joke,” as she introduced NY's Attorney General, ( "too male, too pale") Letitia (Tish) James: It's a longer video cause Tish loves to rant.
Her plans for NY State include an OPEN Invitation to anyone who wants an abortion, paid for by NY.
"This is a five-alarm fire, my friends,” James said.
“It’s a fight that’s going to take all of us to win. And I’m here to say we will not go backwards. We will not go back to the days when we used wire hangers!”
The state will establish a fund for women who want to come to New York for a procedure as other states impose potential bans, she said. " [NY Post]
"Thousands of demonstrators packed Foley Square on Tuesday to protest the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the abortion rights case Roe v. Wade, a day after a draft opinion was leaked.
Members of the group Abortion Access Front raised blown-up cardboard cutouts of the heads of the six conservative justices on the highest court in the land – then called for demonstrators to raise their middle fingers to the images." [NY Post]
"Abortion Access Front" is a national organization that supports clinics and abortion access.
More VIDEOS: First, a few actors from an off-Broadway production of "SUFFS" sang a short a cappella selection re the suffragettes. Unaware perhaps that the suffrage movement and the Republicans of 100 yrs ago .... the Republican party as a whole .... had always been far more supportive of woman suffrage than Democrats. And they were also dealing with a Democrat President (W. Wilson) who did not believe women should vote. Inconvenient facts, I'm sure.
."Which party passed women's suffrage? It was a decisive victory, and the split among Democrats and Republicans was staggering. In all, over 200 Republicans voted in favor of the 19th Amendment, while only 102 Democrats voted alongside them.
Southern Democrats were adamantly opposed to the amendment, however, and seven of them—Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, South Carolina and Virginia—had already rejected it before Tennessee's vote on August 18, 1920."
"How long must we wait for liberty?" they claim to still be asking this in solidarity.
Next video: the Intro Speaker, Miranda. She was from "Girls for Gender Equity" (for black women and girls) Since 1994, 20 yrs and they are still fighting for "the right to have or not have a child". Quoting a feminist writer: "We must become a menace to our enemies".
Then 2nd young woman started with : "This is what democracy looks" and morphed into brief statement about the "stealing" of Manhattan from the Lenape (a current obsession of the left at rallies.) FYI: the Lenape were several bands of "Native" American people who shared cultural and linguistic traits, also known as the Delaware Indians.
Last video, a speaker wearing a sweater with 1973 across the front, this woman began her remarks with: "We knew this was going to sneakily happen. ' We must protect abortion access. Commit to that today. We must support access to every single path of self-determination. She claims that even with Roe v Wade, abortion access has not been available to most people in this country -- particularly black and brown, bi and queer folks. (She claims) available just for a small few ." ( aka white?) .
She proudly ended with, " When talking of reproductive justice, we must follow the leadership of black women; latino women, 'cause this world ain't right if they're not leadin' it."
.Margret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood would surely be a disappointed by these claims of no access to abortion since her Planned Parenthood goal was to control the reproduction of blacks and Catholics.
.And now, in 2022, these misinformed protestors are taking to the streets because, "the Supreme Court has voted to strike down Roe v. Wade, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito."
They hysterically claim, "Should this leaked draft Supreme Court majority opinion hold, it would explicitly end federal constitutional protections for safe and legal abortions - nearly 50 years after Roe v. Wade was first decided. "
As though they are overwhelmed by death (not encouraging it) they preached,"Get through the stages of grief re abortion rights so we can get to acceptance and then action for reproductive justice!"
Deconstructing our Constitution in 1973, and now the Supreme Court wants to restore it by returning the decision re abortion to the States. This is unacceptable to the Hard Left Socialists who lead the way thru out this protest of misinformation. (This includes Rise and Resist, Planned Parenthood, Ruth Sent Us, ACLU, Revcom.us, Jews For Racial and Economic Justice and SocialistAlternative.org)
And they much planned as they continue with "give us our constitutional right to abortion" or else:
15-year-old Anna Hunt at NYC student walkout over threat to Roe v. Wade: “My rights are being threatened, and I came here because I’m hoping to not allow these government officials, who think they have control over my body, to ... take us back 50 years.”
“Motherhood should be a choice, not forced by the church or the state,” the group claims. “Forced Motherhood is Female Enslavement!”
On Wednesday, March 30th, 2022, Yad Yamin-NY, and other supporters of Israel, met across from the headquarters of Friends of IDF Headquarters (at 60 East 42nd Street) to show SOLIDARITY with Israel.
Video Part 1- begins across from the Friends of the IDF Headquarters.
At the same time,"inciting violence against Jews, here and in Israel", "Zionaphobics" demonstrated in front of the NY Friends of IDF headquarters.
The anti Zionists declared this to be "Land Day (an annual commemoration of the killings of six Palestinians by Israeli forces during a general strike against land expropriation in 1976.)
Inciting violence against Jews. THIS is anti-Zionism. And Anti-Zionism is one form of anti-Semitism.
Even though anti-Semitic crimes are up FOUR HUNDRED PERCENT in NYC, these anti-Zionists continue to call for Intifada, a pogrom targeting Jews in Israel.
Video Part 2 as anti Israel protestors assemble
.Calling for Death to Israel (and the U.S.) Calling for the murder of Jews right after a week of terror in Israel. The anti-Zionist -"Zionaphobics" demanded the closure of the Friends of the IDF.
This must not go unanswered. This is not the time to be silent.
Flickr slideshow, Part 1. Yad Yamin-NY and Friends of Israel showed SOLIDARITY with Israel.
Re "LAND DAY" 2022, a statement from an anti-Zionist sponsor explaining their protest:
"We mark the 46th Palestinian Land Day on 30 March 2022. This day is an occasion to celebrate, intensify and uphold Palestinian resistance to Zionism, colonialism, apartheid and occupation, recalling those whose lives have been stolen in defense of the land and people of Palestine and to organize and struggle for return and liberation: from the river to the sea. As the Palestinian people continue to rise up and take action in resistance to defend their people and liberate their land, the Day of the Land is not only an anniversary but a day of living struggle to uproot colonialism from Palestine." (samidoun)
Video Part 3 -NYPD was very present for these two groups. No incidents. Just lots of anti-Israel chants.
..They challenged settler-funding Zionist organizations that fund Israel: Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Central Fund of Israel and the American Friends of Ateret Cohanim.
#DefundRacism and #DefendPalestine.
Resist "settler colonialism". Defend "palestine".
Show solidarity with the "palestinian" people.
End Israel’s "settler colonialism".
One-way narratives are dangerous.
Flickr slide show Part 2 - the anti-Zionist,"Zionaphobics" outside the Friends of the IDF headquarters.
..Outside the headquarters, Nerdeen Kiswani was filmed by Russian state-owned news, RUPTLY TV. Nerdeen is alLaw student, community activist & “palestine” legal client: Nerdeen Kiswani, She claims she has faced a barrage of attacks for her campus and local organizing for “palestinian” freedom, alongside@CUNYLawSJP and@cunyjlsa .
On March 25, 2022, a crowd of mostly teens that some estimated to be a thousand- (maybe, maybe not) poured into Foley Sq, after marching across the Brooklyn Bridge. Except for the few Rise And Resist senior citizens (perhaps reliving their youthful activism) peppered amongst the under 21 protestors.
Rabidly committed to the idea that Mother Earth is going to BURN ("I want to die, but not like this")
these climate activist TEENS demanded elected officials address the climate crisis NOW.... the Climate Clock is ticking....
“What do we want? Climate Justice! When do we want it? Now!” And "Climate Justice is Racial Justice"!
The Marxist agitprop drummed in their impressionable skulls has made quite an impression; these kids honestly believe they have No Future.
However,
in spite of the doom and gloom messages ,the prevailing emotion was
PARTY-Time.No weeping nor rending of garments was observed from this
obedient crowd. Students told to Stand. Stood. Sit. They Sat.
Sadly, these are the Future AOC Marxist/Socialists of America.
From "Fridays for the Future", Face Book:
More from a Rise and Resist Face book observer: "It was a thrill to be with Rise and Resist as we volunteered to be marshals for Fridays for a Future, a youth-led and organized Global Climate Strike movement that started in August 2018 when 15-year-old Greta Thunberg began a school strike for climate.
Their three demands are:
1. Keep the global temperature rise below 1.5 °C compared to pre-industrial levels. (34.7 F)
2. Ensure climate justice and equity.
3. Listen to the best united science currently available.
.... exuberant young people participated in a powerful march and rally ... from Borough Hall to Foley Square. "Our oceans are under attack. What do we do? Stand up fight back." ACT UP Lives on. Our souls were lifted."
Slide show 1
Slide Show 2
.VIDEO 1. A crowd of mostly teens poured into Foley Sq. after marching across the Brooklyn Bridge, except for the few Rise and Resist senior citizens peppered amongst the under 21 protestors. Clearly, this is still the TEEN movement of Greta Thunberg.
VIDEO 2 : Obediently, the children SAT DOWN, when ordered, so they could listen to a poet, chants of climate justice is racial justice and to the horrors of the Bklyn pipeline. Clearly, this is still the TEEN movement of Greta Thunberg.
Their knee jerk ignorance .... sadly disturbing.
[Where indicated, Pictures and Videos property of Pamela Hall-VSB]
Sat, March 19, 2022, Times Square Leftist War Resisters observed 19th Anniversary U.S. Invasion of Iraq
March 19, 2022 , found familiar anti-war Commies gathering in front of the Times Square Recruitment Station, demanding an end to the IRAQ war; to all wars. The U.S.War machine must end.
Attacking and invading a country is a crime.
The War Resisters League affirms that all war is a crime against humanity. We are determined not to support any kind of war, international or civil, and to strive nonviolently for the removal of all causes of war, including racism, sexism and all forms of exploitation.
At first, Grannies For Peace serenaded passersby, briefly, followed by Debra Sweet of World Can’t Wait … obsessing on Iraq and the Bush Regime with a perfunctory acknowledgement of Ukraine; what mattered to her was U.S. war crimes in IRAQ.
"War with Iraq: No WMD; not a part of the WTC. It was based on a lie. Unjust. The Bush regime began it. it was a War Crime. Immoral. 45 million people displaced by this war of aggression by the U. S. Creating a huge refugee crisis across Europe and the Middle East; by the U.S. invasion and occupation. It is our responsibility to do everything we can to STOP U.S. War. Re Ukraine: every decent person should get off the band wagon to use more violence in Ukraine. Possible repercussions are enormous. NO U.S. intervention. NO NATO intervention.As for Iraq. After 20 years there must be many stories from people in Iraq/Syria who were affected by this war."
VIDEO:
It was a Vigil, a March, a Demonstration protesting the 19th anniversary of the "unending U.S. war in Iraq" that has caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands civilians and combatants, and cost more than $2 trillion. But also warning not to support WAR in Ukraine.
The "End the 19-year-old U.S. War in Iraq, Ban Killer Drones" protest was sponsored by NYC War Resisters League, the World Can't Wait as well as Catholic Worker, Kairos Community, Pax Christi New York State, Brooklyn For Peace, Veterans For Peace/NYC Chapter 34, New York City Raging Grannies, Granny Peace Brigade NYC, Peace Action New York State, Peace Action Manhattan, Pax Christi Metro New York, CodePink NYC. (Facebk LINK]
Flickr slideshow They stressed that as citizens of these United States, we should Resist All War.
Found this comment re the protest from Face Book:
"On yesterday's 19th anniversary of the endless U.S. war in Iraq ...the war in Ukraine grimly highlights the United States doesn't have a monopoly on raining terror down upon civilians, but does make clear the hypocrisy of media's wall-to-wall coverage of Russia's war while downplaying or even not covering similar horrors in Iraq and other Middle East countries perpetrated by the United States for the past two decades." Ed Hedemann .
NEXT on their agenda- Monday, April 18th, 2022 TAX DAY : DIVEST YOUR TAXES FROM WAR Noon – 1:30 pm
"We will protest at the IRS, calling for refusal to pay war taxes, and on Wall Street — starting at one location then marching to the other in order to make connections between U.S. tax dollars and war contractors who rake in profits as a result of arms sales and the constant promotion of war."
How to Refuse to Pay Taxes for War. (Introductory Workshop)
TOPICS INCLUDE which taxes go to war; how to resist; risks, joys, and consequences of resistance; federal budget basics; resources and support; plenty of time for Q & A.
“Let them march all they want, just so long as they continue to pay their taxes.” —Alexander Haig, U.S. Secretary of State, responding to the 1982 March for Nuclear Disarmament
The American Communist orgs never rest. Neither should we.
[Where indicated, pictures and videos property of Pamela Hall-VSB]
