Saint Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee (STL-PSC) Statement on Ferguson

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Written by STL-PSC STL-PSC

Published: 16 August 2014 16 August 2014

#HANDSUPDONTSHOOT
Posted by admin on Friday, August 15, 2014
We, members of the St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee, are writing to express our deepest condolences to the community of Ferguson. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
We recognize that Michael’s murder at the hands of the police is part of a system that routinely punishes, confines, and kills young African American men without justification. The circumstances of Michael’s death have sent shock waves of outrage and anger around the nation and throughout the world, including among the people of Palestine. We also believe that the only path to peace and justice in our world is through combatting racism and the violent institutions that perpetuate it.
We are here to offer any help we can to support your demand for real justice, not only for Michael and his community but for all the young, precious victims of this vicious system.
 
البقية في حياتكم
(al-ba’iyya fi hayatkum)
Arabic for “may his spirit remain with you”

National Day of Action in Solidarity with Ferguson, Saturday, August 16th:

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Written by Urban League of Portland and others Urban League of Portland and others

Published: 16 August 2014 16 August 2014

National Day of Action in Solidarity with Ferguson, Saturday, August 16th:
 
 Join with the Urban League of Portland and a coalition of community organizations as we stand in solidarity against police misconduct and militarization in Ferguson, Missouri and in our own communities in Portland.
 
Police racial profiling and excessive use of force has claimed the life of another young black man. We join with communities around the country to achieve justice for Michael Brown's family and community.

Portland Solidarity With Ferguson: part of a national day of solidarity and action, will take place on Saturday, August 16th, at Lownsdale Square (SW 4th Ave. & Main St.) in downtown Portland at 1pm.
 
Coalition members include the Center for Intercultural Organizing, OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon, Portland African-American Leadership Forum, and the Urban League of Portland.
 
    Enough IS Enough.

Israel-trained police "occupy" Missouri after killing of black youth

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Written by Rania Khalek Rania Khalek

Published: 16 August 2014 16 August 2014

[NOTE: Former Portland Chief of Police Mark Kroeker went to Israel for "terrorism training" as chief of police in Portland back in 2003: http://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/pbnotify.cfm?action=ViewContent&content_id=379   Not sure how much special training Portland police or other Oregon police are receiving in Israel today...  Let AUPHR know if you have information about the sending of Oregon police to Israel for "training"  at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  ]

Since the killing of eighteen-year-old Michael Brown by Ferguson police in Missouri last weekend, the people of Ferguson have been subjected to a military-style crackdown by a squadron of local police departments dressed like combat soldiers. This has prompted residents to liken the conditions on the ground in Ferguson to the Israeli military occupation of Palestine. 

And who can blame them? 

The dystopian scenes of paramilitary units in camouflage rampaging through the streets of Ferguson, pointing assault rifles at unarmed residents and launching tear gas into people’s front yards from behind armored personnel carriers (APCs), could easily be mistaken for a Tuesday afternoon in the occupied West Bank. 

And it’s no coincidence. 

At least two of the four law enforcement agencies that were deployed in Ferguson up until Thursday evening — the St. Louis County Police Department and the St. Louis Police Department — received training from Israeli security forces in recent years. 

Read more: Israel-trained police "occupy" Missouri after killing of black youth

U.S. complicit in Israel's killing of Palestinians

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Written by Zaha Hassan on OregonLive Zaha Hassan on OregonLive

Published: 13 August 2014 13 August 2014

Since the horrific killing of well over 1,800 innocents in Gaza began on July 8, demonstrations have been held all over the U.S., including here in Portland.

Why, Bob Horenstein asks, aren't similar demonstrations organized for civilians killed in other conflict zones? The answer is simple: because we are complicit. It is U.S. political cover and the over $3 billion in military and economic aid we give to Israel every year that has been funding the destruction and genocide taking place in Gaza.  In fact, at the same time President Obama was calling for a ceasefire, the U.S. released stockpiles of ammunition to Israel so that it could reload its guns.

So, yes, people of conscience around the country have come out by the hundreds and thousands not just to call for an end to U.S. support for Israel, but also to express our alarm at the way in which Palestinians have been dehumanized. Particularly offensive has been how the otherwise hamstrung U.S. Senate miraculously came together in a matter of hours to unanimously pass a resolution supporting Israel's "right to defend itself."  Surely killing one child per hour each day is not how a country defends itself. 

Read more: U.S. complicit in Israel's killing of Palestinians