November, 03 2021, 12:01pm EDT
Stand Up America's Sean Eldridge Arrested Alongside King Family, Civil Rights Leaders While Calling on Biden, Senate to End Filibuster & Protect Freedom to Vote
Eldridge: "It is an honor to stand in solidarity with the King family and all the civil rights leaders who put their bodies on the line today to demand action to protect the precious right to vote."
WASHINGTON
Today, civil rights leaders and activists joined family members of Martin Luther King Jr. in front of the White House to call on President Biden to publicly demand that the Senate end the Jim Crow filibuster and pass federal voting rights legislation, including the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the latter of which will be considered by the Senate today.
Stand Up America Founder & President Sean Eldridge commented on today's action outside the White House, where he was arrested alongside the King family and other leaders who participated in civil disobedience to force President Biden to hear their calls for his leadership on voting rights:
"It is an honor to stand in solidarity with the King family and all of the civil rights leaders who put their bodies on the line today to demand action to protect the precious right to vote.
"President Biden has said that we're facing the 'most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War'--it's time to act like it. We don't need more handwringing, more delays, or more excuses. We need action on voting rights now. It's time for President Biden to loudly call on the Senate to end the Jim Crow filibuster and protect the freedom to vote.
"Today, the Senate will consider the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, urgently needed legislation that would prevent future voting discrimination and ensure every eligible voter can make their voice heard. But, in spite of this bill's broad bipartisan support among Americans, Senate Republicans are expected to filibuster voting rights for the third time and prevent the Senate from even debating this bill. We have had moments of bipartisanship on voting rights in our nation's history, but sadly, this is not one of them. The only way to protect the freedom to vote is to end the filibuster.
"The King family and civil rights leaders from across the country came to the White House today because President Biden has the largest soapbox on the planet, and we're asking him to use it to protect voting rights before it's too late."
Stand Up America is a progressive advocacy organization with over two million community members across the country. Focused on grassroots advocacy to strengthen our democracy and oppose Trump's corrupt agenda, Stand Up America has driven over 600,000 phone calls to Congress and mobilized tens of thousands of protestors across the country.
LATEST NEWS
Biden Backers Chant 'Four More Years' as Protesters Demand Gaza Cease-Fire
"Biden and every American politician who continues to support arming Israel as it kills more and more Palestinians in Gaza every day do not deserve a moment of peace in their public lives," said one critic.
Jan 08, 2024
Demonstrators demanding a cease-fire in the U.S.-backed Israeli war on the Gaza Strip were drowned out by supporters of President Joe Biden chanting "four more years" in Charleston, South Carolina on Monday.
A few audience members disrupted Biden—who is seeking reelection this year—as he addressed a crowd at Mother Emanuel AME Church, where a white supremacist gunman killed nine Black worshippers in 2015.
"If you really care about the lives lost here, then you should honor the lives lost and call for a cease-fire in Palestine," shouted one protester, who was then joined by others in chanting, "Cease-fire now!"
As the cease-fire supporters were escorted out of the church, much louder chants of "four more years" broke out.
Biden has affirmed his "unwavering" support as Israel has waged war on Gaza since the Hamas-led attack of October 7. He asked Congress for a $14.3 billion package on top of the $3.8 billion in military aid that the U.S. gives Israel annually and his administration twice bypassed congressional oversight to approve recent arms sales to the country.
Appearing caught off-guard by Monday's disruption, Biden eventually quieted the crowd with raised hands and repeated "thank you"s.
"Look folks," the president said, "I understand their passion, and I've been quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza, using all that I can to do that. But I understand the passion."
In response to footage of the event, IfNotNow, an American Jewish group organizing to end U.S. support for Israel's apartheid system, said: "Biden was shaken. He's starting to understand the reality: His war on Gaza is horrifically unpopular, and people are fed up."
Noting that the disruption in South Carolina came after New York City demonstrators on Monday morning shut down the Holland Tunnel and three major Manhattan bridges, IfNotNow added: "Young people are furious. We will not allow Biden and the U.S. to continue to support the starvation and slaughter of Gaza."
Also welcoming the protest in Charleston, Naftali Ehrenkranz of Justice Democrats said: "Hell yeah. Biden and every American politician who continues to support arming Israel as it kills more and more Palestinians in Gaza every day do not deserve a moment of peace in their public lives. Cease-fire now."
Some Biden backers criticized the protesters for "targeting" the president on "hallowed ground," provoking responses that highlighted recent actions by Israeli forces in Gaza—from killing thousands of kids to bombing places of worship—as well as the history of this church, which was co-founded by Denmark Vesey, who was executed for planning a slave revolt.
"To dilute the history of Black churches as if they aren't the epicenter of civil rights organizing is more than a little harmful. It's downright disingenuous," argued writer and audio producer B.A. Parker. "And if young folk are protesting in a church as a call to action, then maybe they should be heard instead of 'collected.'"
Writer Todd Dillard declared on social media, "I need Democrats to understand that when a protestor shouts '20,000 dead Palestinians; their blood is on your hands' responding with 'FOUR MORE YEARS FOUR MORE YEARS FOUR MORE YEARS' is the grimmest, darkest thing imaginable."
As of Monday, Israeli bombings and raids in Gaza have killed over 23,000 Palestinians and injured nearly 59,000 more. A growing number of legal scholars and world leaders have accused Israel of genocide, including at the International Court of Justice.
"The Democrats rushing to Biden's defense should realize that chanting 'four more years' in response to a protest objecting to the U.S. government's support of a genocide in Gaza is not doing anything to improve the president's standing as his poll numbers continue to drop," saidIn These Times senior editor Miles Kampf-Lassin.
As The New York Times reported Monday:
Voters broadly disapprove of Mr. Biden's handling of the war, and it has become a major political vulnerability for him.
The protest on Monday, though brief, was a stark reminder that Mr. Biden will not be able to escape the subject as he seeks reelection. Protesters calling for a cease-fire interrupted at least two of his speeches late last year, one in Minnesota and one in Illinois. More than 500 appointees and employees in the federal government signed a letter calling for a cease-fire in November, staff members held a vigil outside the White House in December, and two officials have resigned in protest of his policies on Israel and Gaza.
"I imagine there will be even larger protests like this at Biden's campaign events in swing states like Michigan and Georgia," predicted Democratic strategist Waleed Shahid.
Palestinian American political analyst Yousef Munayyer agreed, saying that this is "probably gonna be the norm for every public event on the campaign trail."
Biden is under mounting pressure from not only the public but also progressives in Congress, with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) warning in a Friday interview with Common Dreams that calling for a cease-fire in Gaza "is going to be a dividing issue for the Democratic Party for the future, like the Iraq War was... And I think the window is rapidly closing to be on the right side of history."
Referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Center for International Policy's Matt Duss told MSNBC's Chris Hayes that "Biden has essentially outsourced decision-making for an extremely consequential war... to one of the most dangerous, right-wing authoritarian leaders in the world—and I do use that term advisedly."
"The outrage at President Biden's handling of this war and his continuing unconditional support for this massacre that we've been seeing over the past three months is really off the charts," Duss added, warning that the issue could impact the November presidential election.
Keep ReadingShow Less
800+ Global Groups Back South Africa's Genocide Case as ICJ Prepares for Hearing
"The very least states can do is to submit Declarations of Intervention as a small part of fulfilling their obligations under Article 1 of the Genocide Convention," said a peace coalition.
Jan 08, 2024
An international peace coalition announced Monday that more than 800 civil society organizations from across the globe have endorsed its sign-on letter distributed to world governments, urging leaders to join South Africa in formally accusing Israel of genocidal violence at the United Nations' highest judicial body.
When Common Dreams first reported on the sign-on letter last Wednesday, just over 100 groups had joined the call.
The surge of support comes as the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, is scheduled to hold a hearing on South Africa's case on Thursday and Friday.
The International Coalition to Stop Genocide in Palestine (ICSGP)—which includes the National Lawyers Guild, the Black Alliance for Peace, World Beyond War, and Progressive International, among other groups—is calling on governments to "reinforce [South Africa's] strongly worded and well-argued complaint by immediately filing a Declaration of Intervention" at the court.
The declarations could increase the likelihood that the ICJ sides with South Africa in the case, says the coalition.
In recent days, Turkey, Malaysia, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which represents 57 member-states, have all endorsed South Africa's 84-page claim, which details genocidal rhetoric in public statements made by high-level Israeli officials as well as the Israeli military's actions in Gaza.
"The South African filing before the ICJ marks a critical juncture which tests the global will to salvage the laws and systems which were designed to safeguard not merely human rights, but to preserve humanity itself."
Jordan's government also said Thursday that it "will be preparing the necessary legal documents in consultation with legal experts to support South Africa's file," according toThe New Arab, suggesting it is preparing a Declaration of Intervention.
"Members of ICGSP are working closely with a number of other countries that are in the process of doing the same," said the coalition.
As Common Dreamsreported Monday, a member of Israel's Knesset also announced he was backing South Africa's lawsuit in order to "fight for our existence as a moral society."
Organizations that have endorsed the coalition's call span the globe and include Terreiro Pindorama in Brazil, Asociacion Nacional de Amistad Italia-Cuba in Italy, and Collectif Judeo Arabe et Citoyen pour la Palestine in France.
In addition to distributing the sign-on letter, the groups are urging organizations to join actions of support at The Hague "and to hold local rallies and vigils, including expressions of gratitude and solidarity at South African embassies, this week" as South Africa prepares to make its case.
Lamis Deek, co-founder of the Global Legal Alliance for Palestine, said that with the case looming, "the sincerity of states' commitment to the principles of the Geneva and Genocide conventions is now under heavy scrutiny."
"The South African filing before the ICJ marks a critical juncture which tests the global will to salvage the laws and systems which were designed to safeguard not merely human rights, but to preserve humanity itself," said Deek. "Genocide is the highest crime and none has been so publicly documented as the Israeli genocide in Palestine... The very least states can do is to submit Declarations of Intervention as a small part of fulfilling their obligations under Article 1 of the Genocide Convention, to assure their people—and humanity—that they have lost neither their moral compass nor abdicated their obligations under international law."
Israel and its key allies, including the U.S., have been increasingly isolated in pushing for the continuation of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, which has killed over 23,000 people so far, more than two-thirds of whom were women and children despite Israel's claim that it is targeting Hamas fighters.
The U.S. alone vetoed a cease-fire resolution at the U.N. Security Council last month, and was joined by just nine other countries in opposing a similar resolution at the U.N. General Assembly, while 153 governments supported the measure. The U.S. has also vociferously denied that Israel is committing a genocide despite clear indications otherwise from the Israeli government.
While hundreds of civil society groups have joined the ICSGP's call, Israel has launched its own pressure campaign urging governments to denounce South Africa's allegations.
Morgan Ody, general coordinator of La VÃa Campesina International, which is backing the coalition, called on governments, "in particular progressive governments and those in the Global South, to do everything in their power to stop Israel's apartheid and colonization."
"Those governments have the responsibility to coordinate their efforts in order to ensure a future for Palestine and for all Palestinian people," said Ody, "and to make sure that those responsible for Israel's crimes against humanity are held accountable."
Keep ReadingShow Less
If Elected, Trump Threatens to Weaponize DOJ Against Biden
The impeached and indicted Republican also confirmed he'll appear in court Tuesday in an effort to dismiss one of the four criminal cases against him.
Jan 08, 2024
Former Republican President Donald Trump made clear Monday that if returned by voters to the White House this year, he plans to weaponize the U.S. Department of Justice against Democratic President Joe Biden.
Trump's threat against Biden, who is seeking reelection, came as the ex-president prepares for oral
arguments before a panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Tuesday regarding his claim that he is immune from federal election interference charges.
Just a week away from the Iowa caucuses, Trump
said well before dawn Monday on his social media platform:
I will be attending the... Federal Appeals Court Arguments on Presidential Immunity in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Of course I was entitled, as President of the United States and Commander in Chief, to Immunity. I wasn't campaigning, the Election was long over. I was looking for voter fraud, and finding it, which is my obligation to do, and otherwise running running our Country. If I don't get Immunity, then Crooked Joe Biden doesn't get Immunity, and with the Border Invasion and Afghanistan Surrender, alone, not to mention the Millions of dollars that went into his "pockets" with money from foreign countries, Joe would be ripe for Indictment. By weaponizing the DOJ against his Political Opponent, ME, Joe has opened a giant Pandora's Box.
Reporting on the remarks, Business Insidernoted that "in all federal criminal cases, a grand jury must be empaneled and agree to move forward with the charges. That being said, the former president has historically favored a level of involvement in the judicial branch that calls into question the fundamental values of the separation of power and the rule of law that Americans hold so dear."
Special Counsel Jack Smith—who was selected by Biden-appointed U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to take over Trump-related federal cases in 2022, after the Republican announced his current presidential campaign—had asked the right-wing United States Supreme Court to skip over the appeals court and swiftly rule on Trump's immunity claim.
However, the high court—which includes three Trump appointees and Justice Clarence Thomas, whose wife was involved in the "Big Lie" effort after the 2020 election—punted on the question last month, meaning the federal appeals court will weigh in first, following arguments on Tuesday. The immunity battle could delay the trial scheduled to begin in March.
"Regardless of the court's decision, Trump has for months now been planning his revenge on prosecutors and Democrats,"
Rolling Stonepointed out Monday, referencing its August reporting that "the former president and his allies have already begun laying the groundwork to restructure and weaponize the Justice Department into an execution tool for the far-right's agenda."
In addition to threatening to go after Biden if reelected, Trump on Monday sought the dismissal of the other election interference case against him, in Georgia, again claiming presidential immunity. His attorneys also made arguments based on due process and the U.S. Constitution's supremacy clause. That trial is set for August but could be delayed by an immunity fight.
Following caucuses and primaries beginning next week, the Republican Party is set to choose its presidential nominee at a convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in mid-July. The Democratic convention is scheduled for a month later, in Chicago, Illinois.
Biden was in Charleston, South Carolina on Monday for a speech at Mother Emanuel AME Church, where a white supremacist gunman killed nine Black churchgoers in 2015. Recalling the U.S. Civil War, he said that "once again there are some in this country trying to turn a loss into a lie—a lie which, if allowed to live, will once again bring terrible damage to this country. This time the lie is about the 2020 election."
The president stressed the stakes of the next election, echoing his Friday speech in Pennsylvania, during which he argued that Trump's "assault on democracy isn't just part of his past—it's what he's promising for the future."
It's not just Biden in Trump's cross-hairs. In November, the GOP front-runner vowed that if reelected, he will "root out" those he called "radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country," phraseology that drew comparisons to the fascist rhetoric of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party.
"Trump's not concerned about your future, I promise you," Biden said Friday. "Trump is now promising a full-scale campaign of revenge and retribution, his words, for some years to come."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular