Embassy Protection Collective

This is a reportback from the second day of the trial involving four members of the Embassy Protection Collective in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. This court is presided by Chief Judge Beryl Howell.

The most important development today was the judge overruled the state’s objection to the defense team’s requested exhibits, which included tweets from Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and Venezuelan Vice Minister for North America Carlos Ron. She also overruled the state’s request to exhibit a video of the Embassy Protection Collective’s April 2019 event.

The defense attempted to establish the case agent did not determine the defendants were a danger, based on how he approached them and carried himself in their presence, as seen in a photograph the state had exhibited. He also testified on the easy access he had to the defendants—they had exchanged cell phone numbers.

Embassy Protection Collective

The defense also attempted to establish the state “requesting” the defendants to leave the building was distinct from an “order” that would need to be obeyed. This appeared to be the defense’s attempt to weaken the state’s argument that the defendants had violated the trespass notice and “interfered with certain protective functions” the State Department is required to perform for all countries’ diplomatic properties in the United States. The case agent also testified he heard one of the State Department agents tell the defendants, “If you want to leave, let us know.” The case agent testified the trespass notice was not on any official letterhead with a signature or seal.

It was unclear at the end of today’s proceedings if the defense would present witnesses tomorrow. If not, both sides can give closing arguments. The judge encouraged both sides to negotiate on the terms the jury can use to provide a verdict.

The defendants are charged with “interfering with certain protective functions” of the State Department. If found guilty, they face a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine each.

Court proceedings are open to the public. The trial reconvenes at 9 a.m. tomorrow at 333 Constitution Avenue NW, Courtroom 22, Washington D.C.

The United States has been waging war with Venezuela by slapping economic sanctions that had killed 40,000 Venezuelans in 2017 and 2018 and by backing a fake president named Juan Guaido. This extreme loser failed at three coup attempts in 2019, was last month voted out of National Assembly leadership and is being investigated by the Venezuelan opposition for alleged misuse of U.S. money meant for “humanitarian aid.” Guaido violated a government ban by traveling to South American countries and to Europe for the World Economic Forum. Then he arrived in the United States, where Democrats and Republicans cheered him at the State of the Union because both parties agree on regime change. When he returned yesterday to the airport in Caracas, he was met with jeers and protests because he is an unpopular figure.

Thank you Julie for writing this!

Embassy Protection Collective

Vigil to Honor Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Women Rising: Celebrating A Decade Of Women Leading Struggle

130 E Juneau, Milwaukee, Village Church, 6-9 P.M.

https://bit.ly/2OPoSe0

The Labor Department has asked for the public to comment on its proposal. So far, hundreds of individuals have weighed in, many of them Trump supporters who support the proposed rule as a way to “drain the swamp” and take down public sector unions. You can see the comments filed to date here.

Make sure that the Labor Department hears from you too about why the proposed rule is unnecessary and will come at too high a cost to the priority work of your union.  You can file a comment below. Please be sure to edit the draft letter to include information about who you are and why you oppose the change to the LMRDA. https://bit.ly/2OPoSe0

Photo: Joe Brusky

https://bit.ly/2vrWCXW

Last Thursday, we won a huge victory in the House of Delegates with the passage of Del. Guzman’s HB 582, a comprehensive bill to permit school employees, nurses, firefighters, and other public workers to engage in collective bargaining with their employers.

Now the fight turns to the Senate.

Urge your Senator to support a strong collective bargaining bill that will give you a voice in the working (and learning) conditions in your school.

Thanks to your hard work, Virginia public schools are among the best in the nation. Yet Virginia teachers are paid $8,500 under the national average. Collective bargaining will give you a voice in the working and learning conditions in your school, as well as in your wages and benefits.

Contact your Senator now!

https://bit.ly/2vrWCXW

Oakland, CA / Photo: Joe Brusky

WSFBA Letter to the Consulate w Signatories 2.10.2020

Attn: Yves Beaulieu

Consul, Foreign Policy and Diplomatic Service

Consulate General of Canada

580 California Street, Suite 1400

San Francisco, CA 94104

February 10, 2020

To the Consulate General of Canada,

We are writing on the fifth day of the RCMP invasion of Wet’suwet’en territory, to express our utter outrage and dismay at the horrific colonial violence being imposed against the Wet’suwet’en people and their hereditary leadership.

To see this happening in a country such as Canada, which has professed to be entering into “reconciliation” with Indigenous people, and a province such as British Columbia, which has professed to now be adhering to the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, is atrocious. However, for those of us who are familiar with the colonial history of Canada, this is not surprising at all.

Our concern, most immediately, is for the safety of the land defenders – the Wet’suwet’en people and their supporters who are rightfully living on the lands. We demand that the Consulate use it’s channels to express this demand for the RCMP to immediately stand down and leave Wet’suwet’en territories.

Our additional concern is over the illegal injunction and occupation of the Wet’suwet’en territories by both industry and police. There is legal precedent that states that the Wet’suwet’en have title to their lands and thus Canada is in breach of this as well as the traditional law of the hereditary Wet’suwet’en leadership.

We demand that the government of Canada stop brazenly backing the corporations who are illegally invading Wet’suwet’en territories, respect the stated opposition by the five hereditary chiefs of the

Wet’suwet’en and respect their jurisdiction, as was affirmed by Canada’s highest court.

We ask that you follow through with your stated commitment of sharing this with those in positions of power within the Consulate and beyond.

Sincerely the Undersigned,

1000 Grandmothers for Future Generations

Anti Police-Terror Project

Annie Banks

Debbie Bayer

Richard Bell

Amanda Bloom

James Burch

Catalyst Project

Communist Workers League Bay Area

Confederated Villages of Lisjan

Don Cornejo

Stephanie Dodaro

El Cerrito Progressives Social/Racial Justice Committee

Extinction Rebellion SF Bay Area

forELK.org

global movement network

Corrina Gould

Idle No More SF Bay

Indian People Organizing for Change

Justice Teams Network

LAGAI-Queer Insurrection

Movement Rights

Dwight Ost

Peoples Alliance

Queers for Climate Justice

Nancy Roberts

San Francisco Food Not Bombs

Showing Up For Racial Justice San Francisco

Wet’suwet’en Solidarity Front Bay Area

http://ucscfa.org/2019/12/scfa-solidarity-with-graduate-students/

The Santa Cruz Faculty Association (SCFA) supports the graduate students’ demand for a COLA to deal with the extreme rent burden they face living in Santa Cruz. The students have spelled out in clear terms the reasons why they are conducting a grading strike. Their letter, below, provides their rationale as well as their views for how faculty can support their campaign.

Wildcats and allies shut down campus today! #payusmoreucsc#payusmoreuc#solidarityforever