Editor’s Note From Rivera Sun
Let’s start with some good news: new research has shown that the climate strikes launched by Greta Thunberg and Fridays for the Future have changed the behaviors of one third of Switzerland’s residents. Remember this the next time asks you: what’s the point of protesting? Also remember that this research only touches upon a fraction of the global impact of the student climate strikes – the true impact is broad-ranging and impressive.
In Nonviolence News this week, Peru and Guatemala are in the middle of democracy campaigns, migrants at a Polish migrant detention center launched a hunger strike, and Tuscany is mobilizing against military installations. In Minneapolis, an interesting campaign (pictured above) is striving to end abuse of construction workers by making developers sign an ethical standards pledge. Meanwhile, the United Auto Workers started a rolling strike against the Big 3 automakers in the United States, calling up workers to ‘stand up and walk out’ when the strike call comes to their factory. In Italy, feminists have taken to the streets in large numbers with the rallying cry of ‘Non Una Di Meno’ and are opposing violence toward women and sexual assault.
A whopping 25,000 people shut down the highway in Amsterdam, demanding climate action. Around 3,100 people have been arrested over the three days (and counting) of actions. In other parts of the world, climate activists are disrupting culture and entertainment, halting tennis championships, symphonies, and even a Romeo and Juliet ballet. In the United States, more than 400 places are holding climate demonstrations and 40,000 art posters have been deployed to be wheat-pasted and hung up in cities and towns.
What if we all halted our business-as-usual and, like the symphony conductor and the tennis champion, added our voices to the protesters’ calls for immediate climate action?
In solidarity,
Rivera Sun
Photo Credit: Construction workers march for dignity and justice in Minneapolis.
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Mexico Decriminalizes Abortion, Extending Latin American Trend of Widening Access: Mexico’s Supreme Court threw out all federal criminal penalties for abortion Wednesday, ruling that national laws prohibiting the procedure are unconstitutional and violate women’s rights in a sweeping decision that extended Latin American’s trend of widening abortion access. Editor’s Note: It is Nonviolence News’ position that while an abortion may not be ‘nonviolent’, abortion access is an integral part of reproductive rights for women, a form of structural nonviolence that gives women choice and sovereignty over their bodies and lives. Read more>>
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Countering Dangerous Work at Amazon: Amazon workers at the STL8 fulfillment center in St. Peters, Missouri, filed an OSHA complaint August 3 against the company for health and safety violations in their warehouse. Amazon’s in-house medical staff, repeatedly dismiss medical complaints and keep Amazon workers on the job despite sustaining sprains, torn ligaments, slipped discs, pinched nerves, and concussions. Workers are organizing against this sort of abuse at a variety of Amazon locations. Read more>>
US School Bus Drivers Strike Amid Low Pay and Staff Shortages: Driver shortages and lagging compensation have incited several strikes as huge school bus driver strike in New York City looms. The US is facing a series of school bus strikes as the new school year begins. Every state in the US has reported at least one instance of a major school bus driver shortage, according to a recent USA Today analysis, with low driver pay, Covid-19 challenges, and inconvenient hours as some of the cited contributing factors. Read more>>
Over Three Days of Protest 25,000 People Block Amsterdam A12 Motorway: Around 3,100 arrests so far for climate protests on A12 road. Extinction Rebellion is campaigning against the use of fossil fuels and tax breaks – known as “fossil subsidies” – for companies that use them. Read more>>
UK Courts to Face Wave of Protests as Climate Campaigners Say Right to Jury Trial ‘Under Attack’: Climate campaigners say the right to jury trial faces unprecedented threats – with several activists facing court proceedings for telling jurors of their ‘right to acquit’ on conscience. Over a dozen protests are being planned to stand up for the right of juries to acquit climate activists on issues of conscience – a right those participating in direct action say is increasingly under attack. A new campaign – Defend Our Juries – will stage demonstrations outside more than a dozen crown courts in England. Read more>>
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Atlanta City Officials Refuse To Verify 116,000 Signatures to #StopCopCity: As of Sept. 11, Atlanta City officials refused to verify signatures in time for the November election in a memo issued by the City Clerk office. This development followed a dramatic and exuberant delivery of 16 cardboard boxes holding petitions of 116,000 registered Atlanta voters to have the issue of stopping the construction on the upcoming ballot. Read more>>
How Black Lives Matter Changed the US: In the decade since it began, #BlackLivesMatter has shifted the nation’s collective consciousness, whether we wanted it shifted or not. Read more>>
A History of Stop Cop City and The Struggle To Defend the Atlanta Forest: A must read for anyone interested in getting the whole story and understanding the strategic thinking informing some of the most important organizing in the country or understanding the stakes of the 61 indictments against protesters involved in the movement. Read more>>
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Tuscany Mobilizes Against Military Installations In The Region: Mobilizations and protest initiatives continue against the construction of a new headquarters for the Carabinieri’s special units in Pisa and a NATO command in the Predieri barracks in Rovezzano, Florence. Read more>>
Student Organizing Amidst War In Ukraine: On the eve of September 1st, the Day of Knowledge, Commons spoke to activists of the student union Priama Diia about the right to education in a country at war. They explain why they decided to relaunch the union, what obstacles there are to protecting students’ rights, and share their plans and dreams for the future of Ukrainian education after the war. Read more>>
Protests Meet Israeli Arms Companies At London Weapons Fair: As opposition to the DSEI arms fair intensifies, over 40 Israeli arms companies have set up shop. The Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair is taking place at the ExCeL centre in London. Activists and campaigners have already been robustly protesting it – causing some major disruption along the way. Read more>>
Germany: 2023 Aachen Peace Prize Recipients: This year’s Aachen Peace Prize goes to a network of Russian pacifist women and human rights activists in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. The Feminist Anti-War Resistance (FAR) network and The Human Rights Defenders Fund receive this years award. Read more>>
Climate Protester Glues Feet To Floor At US Open: Coco Gauff’s U.S. Open semifinal victory over Karolina Muchova was delayed by 50 minutes because of a disruption by four environmental activists in the Arthur Ashe Stadium stands. One protester glued his bare feet to the concrete floor. Read more>>
Building Dignity: Can a Code of Conduct Stop Abuse of US Construction Workers? Minnesota advocates hope to end exploitation of construction workers by making developers make ethical standards pledge. Several activists, labor unions and a prominent workers center, the Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL) came up with an innovative idea: they founded the Building Dignity and Respect Standards Council, a group they want Minneapolis-area building developers to join. Read more>>
Symphony Conductor Tells Audience To ‘Let Climate Protestors Speak’: Two climate protestors interrupted a concert at a world-leading classical music festival, and conductor Vladimir Jurowski asked the audience for quiet as the activists “had their say”. Read more>>
Building Hope and a Halfway House In Washington, DC: An experimental halfway house in the nation’s capital will bring humane and empowering programs to those returning from incarceration. Read more>>
How Guatemalans Are Mobilizing To Defend Their Fragile Democracy: A multipronged movement in Guatemala is rising to defend the surprise election of a progressive president who is under attack from the corrupt old guard. Read more>>
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Sarah Bagley & the Lowell Women’s Strike: In the 1830s and ’40s—before they could even vote—women mill workers agitated for equal treatment. Read more>>
400+ Actions to End Fossil Fuels Planned Around the World for Sept. 15-17: More than 780 organizations have endorsed the day of action and millions of participants are expected to rally from Cape Town, South Africa to Manila, Philippines and Lahore, Pakistan, as well as in dozens of cities and towns across the United States. Learn more>>
Speak Out Against Cop City: We must show up against the unchecked expansion of police power, environmental degradation, and the racial injustice Cop City embodies. Sign the petition to demand transparency and accountability from the Atlanta City Council and ensure voters determine the fate of Cop City! Learn more>>
Defuse Nuclear War Week of Action: Join the Defuse Nuclear War Coalition in organizing nationwide protests, vigils, demonstrations, and other actions – for diplomacy with Russia and Ukraine; disarming ICBMs; and reinstating ABM, INF and Open Skies treaties. (Sept. 24-30) Read more>>
Peace In Ukraine – Global Days of Action: Peace in Ukraine Coalition, a US-based organization in support of a mutual ceasefire and diplomacy to end the Russia-Ukraine War., is mobilizing a week of action. They say, “STOP the weapons! START the talks!” The White House and Congress must come to their senses to avert a wider war that poses the risk of nuclear annihilation. Please join us to organize and mobilize for peace. (Sept. 30 – Oct. 8) Read more>>
How to Fight a Mega-Jail: In 2017, New York City committed to a plan to close Rikers Island Jail Complex and build four smaller jails around the city in Manhattan’s Chinatown, Downtown Brooklyn, Mott Haven in the Bronx, and Kew Gardens in Queens. This talk explores how concerned groups are working to bridge their differences and develop strategies to fight the new jail construction. (Oct 25) Read more>>
Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act: The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has not yet announced their decision on this case. However, the court’s ruling is not the only way to protect Oak Flat. The Save Oak Flat from Foreign Mining Act was introduced to the United States House of Representatives by Representative Raúl Grijalva of Arizona on March 3. This bill would protect Oak Flat from mining and effectively undo the land transfer written into the Defense Authorization Act of 2015. Read more>>
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Speak Out For Conscientious Objectors in Ukraine and Russia: Thank you to everyone who contacted the Biden administration to support conscientious objectors in Ukraine, Russia, and around the world. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, people in both countries have faced repression, arrest, and detention for refusing to join the armed forces. If you haven’t already, please send a message today! Read more>>
Tell Blinken: Negotiate Don’t Irradiate! Please sign and circulate this letter to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, calling for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine before It escalates to nuclear war. This letter for nuclear abolition groups and activists has been in the works for a while. Its first signer is Daniel Ellsberg. Sign here>>
Campaign Nonviolence Action Days: From Sept 21 to Oct 2, 2023, (Int’l Day of Peace to Int’l Day of Nonviolence), join tens of thousands of people in calling for a culture rooted in nonviolence. Last year, people held over 4,600 actions, events and marches across the USA and in 20 countries. Over 60,000 people participated in these events. (Sept 21-Oct 2) Learn more>>
#NoWar2023 Conference – Nonviolent Resistance To Militarism: Throughout three days of virtual panels, training, and discussion sessions, #NoWar2023 will make the case for the efficacy of nonviolent resistance as a tool for conflict resolution, highlighting case studies from around the world of unarmed civilian based defense against invasions, occupations, and dictatorships. (Sept 22-24) Learn more>>
Third Harmony Film Screening & Discussion: Watch the movie The Third Harmony: Nonviolence and the New Story of Human Nature with a group and then enjoy an online discussion. The Third Harmony tells the story of nonviolence – humanity’s greatest (and most overlooked) resource. (Oct 1) Learn more>>
The Path To Nonviolence & The New Story: In this five-week book club, three special guest facilitators from Beyond War Northwest will lead an exploration of the stories we’ve been told and the uplifting alternative that awaits in The Third Harmony: Nonviolence and the New Story of Human Nature. (Oct 18-Nov 15) Learn more>>