So, we say one thing and do another. That doesn't represent the American people. The American people do not want this genocide to continue.
"Say one thing" referred to the Democratic Party convention hearing lie after lie from the current administration claiming they want a ceasefire while meanwhile shipping an additional $20 billion worth of weapons to Israel.
The program for the rally was varied and included speakers from several organizations that are part of the Maine Coalition for Palestine. There was a dabke dance led by Palestinian-Americans, a plea for humanitarian donations to help a family in Gaza, and a speech sharing the history of the British empire's intention to create a foothold in Asia via a Zionist homeland in Palestine even prior to WWI.
One Jewish Voice for Peace member wore a baby carrier with the message "Jewish baby against killing Palestinian babies" and another spoke saying:
Zionism doesn't protect Jews. It never has, and it never will.
From the beginning, Zionism was dreamed up by European Christian white supremacists who intended to use Jews as a glove.. while their hands were dirty extracting resources and profits from Palestine.
A problem arose when a speaker from Peace Action Maine, attorney Seth Berner, stepped to the mic. After identifying himself and his organization (which is part of the Maine Coalition for Palestine) he opened his remarks with a reference to war crimes allegedly committed by Hamas on October 7.
From the audience one of our group responded with, "Resistance to occupation is justified!" Berner was visibly irritated and asked if he should just stop speaking. I wanted to be sure that I had heard him correctly so I called out, "Did you say that Hamas committed war crimes on October 7th, Seth?"
"Yes, I did," he replied.
"Then I'm out," I said, and walked away from the rally to go sit in my car. As an attendee but not an organizer I didn't feel I could stop him from speaking, but I could register my disagreement and discomfort by leaving rather than standing by while such a claim was made.
As I departed Monument Square I could hear more comments being made from the audience, but not very clearly. According to Jessie Mathieson of Maine Labor for Palestine, the crowd began chanting, "When people are occupied / resistance is justified" led by coalition organizers. Berner stood down and did not deliver his remarks after all.
I think if he had gotten up there and started talking about the "Not Another Bomb" campaign or other electoral strategies -- that many of us know are wasted energy, but are still within the wheelhouse of organizers in the movement -- people would have let him speak.
He was stopped from speaking because he was repeating the Zionist rhetoric about October 7th.
And we cannot let someone get away with that. He was emphasizing children being murdered and placing the blame for this escalation in genocide on what happened on October 7th.
Personally, I was not surprised that Berner took this approach. His organization has been dead wrong in their analysis of the proxy war NATO is waging on Russia via Ukraine since 2014. Also, in 2022, Peace Action Maine endorsed Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree despite her repeated votes to spend billions on weapons of mass destruction. (Pingree excels at making nice words come out of her mouth while funding violence against civilians.)
I believe based on years of observation that Peace Action Maine is completely in thrall to the Democratic Party. This puts them in a tricky situation as Dems now own the Gaza genocide. As a pro-imperialism party, Democrats are going to be wrong on their characterization of world events and I believe they are going to try and sneak those messages in when they see an opportunity.
Good on the people of Portland for calling this out.
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