Editor’s Note From Rivera Sun
As the violence in Gaza continues, peace activists around the world are increasing their calls for a ceasefire. Notably, Jewish Voices For Peace and If Not Now held the largest civil disobedience of American Jews on behalf of Palestine in US history. Ten thousand people rallied while 500 Jews, rabbis, and descendants of Holocaust survivors were arrested inside the US Capitol Building. One public official has resigned over ‘destructive, unjust’ arms transfers to Israel and numerous other protest actions are happening. Internationally, Italian dockworkers are refusing to load weapons shipments headed to the country, and a general strike was held in several countries in support of ending the violence.
In other news, Guatemala is still gripped by a roadblocks and a general strike opposing the far-rights efforts to subvert the recent electoral results. Indigenous Australians are grieving the defeat of the historic “Voice to Parliament” vote, calling for a week of silence in protest and warning that the failure will set back decades-long reconciliation efforts. Hundreds rallied in Canada as part of a growing surge of support for First Nations, particularly around sovereignty, ending fossil fuel pipelines and denouncing colonial violence.
Some success stories this week: Kaiser health care workers held a 3-day strike and won 21% raises and guarantees to fill a critical staffing shortage. Columbus, OH, is wiping out $335 million of medical debt for the city’s poorest residents. A California childcare union led largely by immigrants and women of color won living wages.
By the way, the infamous Yes Men – social justice spoofers, extraordinaire – have released a new video. In it, they pose as Apple execs and announce the ‘iphone to end all iphones, the last iphone you’ll ever need’. In mocking planned obsolesce, they point out that the tech industry could build things to last, allow for the ‘right to repair’, and make a better product for people.
In solidarity,
Rivera Sun
Photo Credit: 10K people rally to “Let Gaza Live”. Photo by Jewish Voices For Peace.
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After Historic 3-Day Strike, Kaiser Permanente Workers Win 21% Raise Over 4 Years: Kaiser Permanente and a coalition of unions reached a tentative deal Friday morning, ending the largest healthcare labor dispute in U.S. history. The new contract aims to address staffing shortages with raises that will amount to 21% in wage increases over the next four years, to help retain current workers. The deal comes after tens of thousands of nurses, ER technicians, and pharmacists participated in a three-day strike Oct. 4-6. Read more>>
Columbus, Ohio Agrees To Wipe Out $335 Million In Medical Debt: City Council reached an agreement with four area hospitals to wipe out medical debt for those who qualify. Columbus City Hall approved on Monday evening a sweeping landmark deal to wipe out $335 million of medical debt, providing financial relief to more than 340,000 moderate-income residents in Columbus. Read more>>
For the First Time, A Garment Manufacturing Business Owner Arrested For Felony Wage Theft: Lawrence Lee, co-owner of garment manufacturer business Parbe Inc., dba Fabiola, and Soon Ae Park, a garment contractor who had a history of wage theft, have been arraigned on felony charges of grand theft of wages and perjury by declaration. “This is the first time a garment manufacturer and garment contractor have ever been arrested for wage theft,” said Labor Commissioner Lilia García-Brower. “These employers not only abused their workers by paying them as little as $6.00 per hour but they also defrauded the system. Read more>>
FCC Takes ‘Great Step’ Toward Restoring Net Neutrality Rules: Open internet advocates applauded as the Federal Communication Commission voted to begin reestablishing FCC oversight of broadband and reviving net neutrality rules rolled back under former President Donald Trump. One expert called the move “a no-brainer to the millions of Americans who want the FCC to work to ensure that all of us are connected to quality, affordable, open, and secure broadband networks.” Read more>>
How a California Child Care Workers’ Union Fought for Living Wages — And Won: The victory was a big moment for a labor movement largely led by immigrants and women of color — two groups whose domestic work has historically been undervalued and excluded from labor protection laws. Read more>>
Bozeman, Montana Votes To Ban Some Short-Term Rentals, ‘Grandfathers’ Others: Proponents say the new ordinance will help alleviate city’s housing crisis. Members of the group Bozeman’s Tenants United claimed Tuesday’s vote as a victory won through a months-long campaign to ban short-term rentals in the city. Read more>>
Protests in Guatemala Shut Down the Country for More Than a Week: The country continues toward a constitutional crisis as the far-right continues its attempts to subvert the August 20 electoral result. Since October 2, roadblocks have exploded, growing from twelve to as many as 140 across the country after Porras and Curruchiche oversaw an intervention into the country’s democratic process, seeking to cast doubt on the historic victory of the progressive anti-corruption candidate Bernardo Arévalo in the presidential run-off election Read more>>
500+ Primary Care Doctors in Minnesota Unionize To Join Doctors Council SEIU: Through solidarity and the power of collective action, doctors at Allina Health overwhelmingly voted to unionize and join Doctors Council SEIU. This is a win not only for the doctors that stood together and the supporters who rallied alongside them but also for the patients and the communities they serve. Read more>>
Remember The Alamo (Drafthouse): America fell in love with the quirky community cinema chain. Then private equity took control. Workers are leading an uprising to save it. Read more>>
Mozambique Opposition Denounces Fraud In Local Election Amid Unrest: Demonstrations took place in Mozambique on Tuesday called by the opposition to denounce fraud in municipal elections, with police using tear gas in the capital Maputo. “We once again call on all Mozambicans to take part in a general demonstration to repudiate electoral fraud,” Renamo’s president Ossufo Momade told a crowd in Maputo. “This is the beginning of the revolution in Mozambique.” Read more>>
Reporters Without Borders Launches ‘Collateral Damage’ Campaign On Dangers of Assange Prosecution: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has launched a new global communications campaign as part of its longstanding efforts for the release of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange. Starting on 18 October, media supporters around the world will run RSF content, in print and online, highlighting the danger posed to all media and to the public’s right to know by the US government’s prosecution of Assange. Read more>>
3,700 Detroit Casino Workers to Strike: In Detroit, over 3,700 casino workers and members of the UAW are out on strike. Some make as little as $15.90 an hour and demand better wages. The workers say that the nationwide movement of strikes inspires them. Read more>>
A Hotel Worker’s 3-Hour Commute Tells The Story of LA’s Housing Crisis And Her Strike: “Rents are going high,” Mendoza said, talking to NPR just outside the JW Marriott during a short break. She decided to move last year when rent for their two-bedroom apartment rose to $3,000 a month, making it unaffordable for her. The union that represents the hotel workers, Unite Here Local 11, has come up with a unique proposal, directly tied to the housing crisis that workers face: a hospitality workforce housing fund. The idea is that hotels should charge a 7% fee on all guest rooms — and that money would help workers with their housing costs. Read more>>
Hollywood Unions Call on AMPTP to Resume SAG-AFTRA Talks “Immediately”: Major Hollywood unions are calling on the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to resume negotiations with SAG-AFTRA “immediately,” citing the suffering of industry professionals who are out of work. “Each day a fair contract addressing actors’ unique priorities is delayed is another day working professionals across our industry suffer unnecessarily,” said the Writers Guild of America, Directors Guild of America, IATSE, Teamsters, Hollywood Basic Crafts and American Federation of Musicians. Read more>>
Fuel Prices Surge In Congo Amidst Protests And Economic Struggles: In the Republic of Congo, diesel prices have risen by 25 percent in October, marking another increase following a hike in January. Similarly, since July, the pump price of gasoline has also surged by 25 percent. Authorities in Brazzaville attribute the soaring fuel prices to recommendations made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Read more>>
United Against TC Energy: Hundreds in Toronto Stand With Wet’suwet’en, Nahua, Otomi and Mixtec Land Defenders Resisting Colonial Violence: Over the past week, Wet’suwet’en leaders and Mixtec, Otomi & Nahua land defenders came together to resist TC Energy’s pipelines on their territories. Travelling 4000 kilometers east from Wet’suwet’en territory and north from Puebla, Hidalgo, and Veracruz, Mexico, these land defenders converged in Toronto to build their shared resistance to Canadian company TC Energy’s colonial pipeline projects. They took to the streets with the rallying call: NO to pipelines, colonization, militarized violence, and corporate greed stealing their land, poisoning the water, and burning the planet! Read more>>
Demonstrators In London Protest TotalEnergies’ East Africa Pipeline: Climate protesters in London on Wednesday demonstrated outside the UK headquarters of French energy giant TotalEnergies and the offices of various insurers against a controversial oil project in Uganda and Tanzania. The planned East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) will see Ugandan oilfields developed and crude piped to the Tanzanian port of Tanga on the Indian Ocean. Read more>>
Federal Reserve Chairman Powell Called ‘Climate Criminal’ by Protest Group That Disrupted Speech: The founder of the protest group that interrupted Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech in New York on Thursday called him a “climate criminal,” arguing he could be doing more to regulate banks that are financing fossil fuel investments. “The Fed actually has the power to regulate these banks and significantly reduce fossil fuel financing, and yet they sit around and fiddle as the world burns.” Read more>>
Greta Thunberg Joins Second “Oily Money” Climate Protest In London This Week: Greta Thunberg has taken part in climate protests in London for the second time this week, protesting outside the JP Morgan headquarters in Canary Wharf. Apparently undeterred after being arrested and subsequently charged with a public order offence after a protest on Tuesday, the Swedish campaigner joined fellow activists in the east London financial district on Thursday morning. “Change your diet, save the climate – eat the rich,” chanted protesters sitting outside the JP Morgan building on Bank Street, as financial services workers filed past on the way to their desks. Read more>>
Local Leaders, Climate Groups Blast FERC Approval of Fracked Gas Pipeline Expansion: “This irresponsible decision will have implications on the health and well-being of communities, as well as lasting impact on generations to come,” warned one campaigner. Read more>>
Indigenous Australians Grieve The Collapse Of A Landmark Push For Rights And Recognition: In 15 October, Indigenous Australians grieved the collapse of a landmark push for Indigenous rights and recognition that was spurned by the country’s white majority in a binding constitutional referendum. Indigenous leaders called for a “week of silence” to mourn the bitter outcome of Saturday 14’s landside vote. The defeat has called into question decades-long reconciliation efforts. “We now know where we stand in this our own country. Indigenous leaders called for a “week of silence” to mourn the bitter outcome. Read more>>
800+ Legal Scholars Say Israel May Be Perpetrating ‘Crime of Genocide’ in Gaza: “The ongoing and imminent Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip are being conducted with potentially genocidal intent.” “As scholars and practitioners of international law, conflict studies, and genocide studies, we are compelled to sound the alarm about the possibility of the crime of genocide being perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” reads the statement. “We do not do so lightly, recognizing the weight of this crime, but the gravity of the current situation demands it.” Read more>>
Support Grows For Ontario Indigenous Nations: Demonstrations in Ontario have a growing sense of power and momentum over the past year and are beginning to show results, like with Doug Ford’s reversal on the Greenbelt. Read more>>
100+ Groups Urge Biden to Cancel ‘Baffling and Cruel’ Border Wall Waivers: The signers of a letter to the U.S. president “underscore the profound and irreparable harms border walls have inflicted on border communities and wildlife.” More than 100 advocacy groups on Monday urged the Biden administration to rescind its waiver of more than two dozen environmental laws in order to fast-track construction of the separation wall along the U.S.-Mexico border championed by former President Donald Trump. Read more>>
Ahead of Pivotal Supreme Court Gun Case, Domestic Violence Murders by Firearm Surge: “Intimate partner firearm homicide is increasing as the Supreme Court debates whether people subject to domestic violence restraining orders should be allowed to possess firearms,” said the president of national gun control group Brady. Read more>>
“Coming Out” Isn’t an Option for Every LGBTQ Person. Some of Us “Invite In.” It’s vital for queer communities to hold non-shaming space for people living outside the “coming out” paradigm. This week’s National Coming Out Day celebrated LGBTQ+ identities and the importance of living as your authentic self. The annual event has also sparked important inter-community conversations — most notably, questions about the assumption that “coming out” is a universal experience for all queer people. In an ever-more complex political landscape, the meaning and importance of “coming out” is evolving. Read more>>
How Nigeria Turned Men Into Better Fathers: Small group discussions among fathers about breastfeeding and maternal nutrition have a big impact when it comes to preventing child deaths. Read more>>
10K People Rally With Jewish Voices For Peace To Say “Let Gaza Live!” While 500 Jews, rabbis, and descendants of Holocaust survivors chant “Let Gaza live” and get arrested inside, a crowd of 10k sings outside. Read more>>
Thousands of Jews Use Mass Action To Call For Ceasefire: As the Biden administration’s intent to silence dissent against the United States’ backing of the Israel Defense Forces’ onslaught in Gaza became increasingly clear Friday night, at least 80 Jewish Americans and other supporters of Palestinians’ human rights were arrested for protesting outside the homes and offices of a number of Democratic lawmakers, where they demanded the U.S. government join growing calls for a cease-fire. Read more>>
Italian Dockworkers Stop Weapons Shipments To Israel: In response to the call from Palestinian trade unions and workers. S.I. Cobas, an Italian rank-and-file union in the logistics sector, vows to block arms shipments to Israel. Read more>>
US State Department Official Resigns Over ‘Destructive, Unjust’ Arms Transfers to Israel: “I fear we are repeating the same mistakes we have made these past decades, and I decline to be a part of it for longer,” Josh Paul wrote in his resignation letter. Read more>>
The U.S. Labor Voices Opposing Military Aid to Israel: “U.S. military aid going in is pouring gasoline onto a fire. It encourages that there be military solutions, and military solutions will get more people killed. Read more>>
Hundreds of US Congressional Staffers Sign Open Letter Demanding Gaza Cease-Fire: “We feel compelled to raise our voices in this moment,” the staffers wrote. “Millions of lives hang in the balance.” Read more>>
600+ Western Writers, Artists Back Call for Immediate Cease-Fire in Gaza: “We plead for an end to all violence, an end to all oppression and denial of human rights, and a path towards a just and sustainable peace for all.” Read more>>
WBW Protests Giant Weapons Show in Halifax: As DEFSEC Atlantic kicks off in Halifax, activists with World BEYOND War, Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace, and allies have been making sure it’s clear to all that military arms fairs like this one are precisely where war crimes start. DEFSEC is the second largest arms-dealing trade show in Canada. Activists are showing up each day to protest the presence and purpose of DEFSEC Atlantic at the Halifax Convention Centre. “No more profiteering off of war and bloodshed! Arms dealers are not welcome here!” Read more>>
Wisconsin Peace Activists Hold Speak-Out at Farmers Market: At the protest, speakers shared messages in support of peace in Ukraine. The event also featured music, singing and silence in a ritual of commemoration, grief and hope. They sent some core demands to legislators, including a mutual ceasefire, peace talks without preconditions, and no more weapons and military training. Read more>>
Peace Advocates Are Locked to Boats, Blocking the Entrance to a Headquarters of the Merchants of Death: On the morning of Thursday, October 12, members and supporters of the Demilitarize Western Mass collective created a blockade in front of L3Harris offices, the ninth largest weapons manufacturer in the world. The blockade consists of protesters locking themselves to a large boat and three trailers, preventing cars from entering either of the driveways to L3Harris. They intend to maintain the blockade to cause disruption to L3Harris’ profits and manufacturing, as well as increase public awareness of L3Harris and its role in perpetrating violence. The protest also includes community members congregating for an on-site rally, featuring signs and chants against L3Harris and the violent systems to which they contribute. Read more>>
She Faces 10 Years In Jail For Anti-War Stickers – Now She’s Being Starved: She is accused of replacing price tags in a St Petersburg supermarket with anti-war stickers. For this, she faces up to 10 years in prison. Apparently, her actions amount to spreading “fake news” about the Russian army – a new crime that the Russian authorities have introduced since their full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Read more>>
Skydiver Releases 100 Million Seeds of Native Plants Into Amazon: Brazilian stunt performer Luigi Cani is an incredible athlete. The skydiving legend has completed nearly 14,000 jumps and set 11 world records over his two-decade-long career. That would be impressive on its own, but Cani’s legacy has only grown as he’s used his talents to better the world. In 2022, he performed one of his most nerve-wracking stunts to date—skydiving into a deforested part of the Amazon with a box containing 100 million seeds from 27 native plants. Read more>>
The Yes Men Partner To Create the New Apple Phone! The social justice stunt group Yes Men has released a new mock product – the IPhone to end all IPhones. You’ll never have to replace it. Plus, you can repair it with its open-sourced “Right To Repair” friendly design. Read more>>
Extinction Rebellion’s “Charred Earth Awards” Spoofs Greenwashing PR Week Awards Ceremony: Hypocritical public relations firms, nominated for awards at PR Week ceremony, exposed for their work with the fossil fuel industry. Extinction Rebellion disrupted the prestigious 2023 PR Week Awards, last night (18 October), holding its colorful, alternative ‘Charred Earth’ awards, to shine a light on the hypocrisy and ghastly greenwashing activities of the public relations companies that hide their work with some of the world’s worst polluters and their funders. Read more>>
Cranberry Growers Are Bringing Wetlands Back from the Dead: In Massachusetts, the onetime cranberry capital of the world, former bogs are transforming into thriving, carbon-storing swamps. Read more>>
Civil Rights Icon Dolores Huerta Discusses Music’s Key Role In The Latino Farmworker Movement: Activists will tell you that music has the power to change things. Dolores Huerta, one of the most influential labor activists in the 20th century, attests that music was a crucial spark in America’s largest farmworker movement. “So much of the music from that time was meaningful. And it told the story of migrants who had come to America to work,” Huerta said in an interview with NBC News. “Their songs memorialized what was going on.” Read more>>
New Orleans Urban Farmers Prepare for Overlapping Climate Disasters: Sprout NOLA has long been helping farmers in the aftermath of hurricanes. Now, it is working on expanding its efforts to include a range of unprecedented climate disasters in Louisiana, including extreme heat, drought, and saltwater intrusion. Read more>>
Why I Believe The BDS Movement Has Never Been More Important Than Now: The anti-racist, nonviolent BDS movement, supported by labor and farmers unions, as well as racial, social, gender and climate justice movements that collectively represent tens of millions worldwide, is inspired by the South African anti-apartheid struggle and the US civil rights movement. But it is rooted in a century-old, often unacknowledged heritage of indigenous Palestinian popular resistance to settler colonialism and apartheid. This nonviolent resistance has taken many forms, from mass workers’ strikes, to women-led marches, to public diplomacy, to building universities, to literature and art. Read more>>
How Did California Fast-Food Workers Win $20 an Hour? The fast-food industry threatened to undo a major labor law in California. But even a compromise bill appeasing the industry is a huge step forward for low-wage workers. Read more>>
The First One To Commit To Nonviolence Wins: Nonviolent struggle has a remarkable track record. Can it help stop entrenched conflicts like between Israel and Palestine? Read more>>
Take Action For Palestine! Here are groups and organizations with a long – and current – history of nonviolent resistance against apartheid and for a peace rooted in justice in Palestine and Israel. Learn more>>
Tell Public Officials To Call For a #CeasefireNow: Add your voice to the global chorus calling for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and the chance for peace. Ask your member of Congress, Senators, and President Biden to support a Ceasefire NOW. Learn more>>
Global Day of Action For #NuclearBan: As governments, experts and campaigners get ready for a week of building on the treaty banning nuclear weapons in #NYC, join the int’l day of action on Nov 26 to call for an end to nuclear weapons and bring attention to the #NuclearBan! Learn more>>
Teach-in Trainings For Native Knowledge 360: A day of online conversation, curriculum highlights, workshops, and idea exchange — preceded by a short keynote presentation. Teachers select two workshop breakout sessions that include relevant and resource-rich training experiences to support effective use of American Indian-focused classroom lessons, and resources from Teaching for Change and NMAI. (Nov 4) Learn more>>
Apache Stronghold Day of Prayer: A Resolution Copper mine threatens to destroy Oak Flat. From the beginning of time, Apache Stronghold has grounded their resistance in the strength of their religious practice and spiritual relationship with the land. Apache Stronghold asks people of other faiths to join them in this spiritual struggle. On November 4, Apache Stronghold will amplify these intercessions into a prayer-rising for the preservation of Oak Flat. (Nov 4) Learn more>>
Organize a #DefundMVP Bank Teach-In Action Near You: Following the passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the #StopMVP movement lost its legislative and judicial means of stopping the project. The movement is now focusing energy on building up its financial campaign to #DefundMVP, including by advocating for the top banks behind the project (Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, PNC & BNP Paribas) to pull out. We need your support to share information with your community about the money behind this disastrous project in order to prepare for calls to action coming soon! Fill out this Google form if you want to host a solidarity action (An organizer will be in touch with resources to help you get plugged in). Read more>>
Tell Congress: Ceasefire in Gaza Now – Open a Pathway to Humanitarian Aid: Gaza, an open-air prison, under blockade and siege for 16 years, is at a breaking point. Medical personnel and aid workers are facing huge barriers to delivering desperately needed supplies to the over two million who are trapped there. Israel has cut off lifelines of electricity, water, and food and now Gaza is out of fuel. Call for a ceasefire now. We need a humanitarian corridor into Gaza to protect civilian lives. Read more>>
Foundations of Nonviolence with Ela Gandhi: Join Ela Gandhi for a four-week Zoom course exploring the foundations of nonviolence, including constructive program, cultivating a nonviolent approach to conflict resolution, reconciliation, restorative justice, and more. (Fridays in Nov) Read more>>
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