Monthly Archives: December 2011

NYC Labor Against the War: 12.19.11 OWS Report: Mobilize to Defend the Egyptian Revolution

NYC Labor Against the War
12.19.11 Occupy Wall Street Report:

Urgent Appeal to Occupy and All Social Justice Movements:
Mobilize to Defend the Egyptian
Revolution

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We ask Occupy and all U.S. social justice activists to join us in mobilizing to defend our Egyptian brothers and sisters by immediately organizing mass convergences on Egyptian embassies, missions, consulates, and at U.S. government offices.’
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Urgent Appeal to Occupy and All Social Justice Movements:
Mobilize to Defend the Egyptian Revolution
December 19, 2011

Endorse the statement here.

In recent days, protesters demanding civilian rule in Egypt have again been murdered, maimed and tortured by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and the Interior Security Forces (ISF).

The conspiracy, being brutally implemented in Egypt, is part of a global conspiracy to suffocate mass movements for socio-economic justice and is being done with direct assistance of the American government and the private interests which direct that government. We have word from friends in Egypt that SCAF, ISF and their hired thugs — armed by ongoing shipments of $1.3 billion in weapons from the U.S. government — plan to execute one by one all the leaders of the revolution, and as many activists as they can.

Accordingly, we need to ensure that people and organizers in the US and internationally are involved in closely monitoring the events unraveling in Egypt. By keeping track of the atrocities committed by SCAF and ISF, keeping track of those detained, tortured or targeted, and continuously contacting officials in Egypt and the US to demand accountability, cessation of the atrocities and justice, we can add pressure on SCAF, ISF and the forces they represent. In this way we may be able to play a role in helping save the lives of our Egyptian brothers and sisters.

Evidence of the conspiracy to execute the leaders and participants of Egyptian freedom movement, includes in very small part the following:

  • Sheikh Emad of Al Azhar was killed by a bullet entering his right side from short range. This was seen at first hand by witnesses known to members of our coalition. Sheikh Emad was one of a small number of Azhar Imams issuing decrees in support of the revolution. His murder was no accident.
  • Sally Tooma, Mona Seif, Ahdaf Soueif, and Sanaa Seif, all female friends and relatives of imprisoned blogger and activist Alaa abd El Fattah, and all known internationally for their political and/or literary work, were detained, and beaten in the Cabinet building.
  • A woman protesting against General Tantawi, head of SCAF, was detained and then tortured by having the letter “T” in English carved into her scalp with knives.
  • Detainees are being tortured while in courtroom holding pens. Two men (Mohammad Muhiy Hussein is one of them) were killed in those pens.These are only a small number of the horror stories we are hearing. And we continue to receive reports from Cairo about a massive army presence in Tahrir Square and the constant sound of gunshots.These are only a small number of the horror stories we are hearing. And we continue to receive reports from Cairo about a massive army presence in Tahrir Square and the constant sound of gunshots.

In every way, Egypt’s fight is our fight. Just like us, Egyptians are the 99%, fighting for social, political and economic justice.

The same 1% that arms the Egyptian dictatorship commits systematic violence in this country against the Occupy movement; antiwar and solidarity activists; and Arabs, Muslims, and other communities of color.

As the US Palestinian Community Network recently observed, “the same US-made tear gas rains down on us in the streets of Oakland, Cairo and Bil`in.”

Because of Egypt’s key strategic location, the fate of its revolution echoes across the world. Its success will bring us all closer to achieving economic and social justice. But its defeat would be a major blow to social justice movements everywhere, including Occupy.

In short, Egypt is key to the continued success of the Arab Revolution, and movements she has inspired.

For all these reasons, we ask Occupy and all U.S. social justice activists to join us in mobilizing to defend our Egyptian brothers and sisters by immediately organizing mass convergences on Egyptian embassies, missions, consulates, and at U.S. government offices, to demand:

  • Cancel all US aid and shipment of military and police materiel to Egypt!
  • Stop the murders, tortures and detentions!
  • Release all detainees and political prisoners!
  • Immediate end to military rule in Egypt!

Issued by (list in formation):

Ad Hoc Coalition to Defend the Egyptian Revolution
Al-Awda NY: The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
Egyptian Association for Change- NY
Existence is Resistance
International Socialist Organization
Jan25 Solidarity for Democracy Network
New York City Labor Against the War
Labor for Palestine
Raha Iranian Feminist Collective
Siegebusters Working Group
6 of April Youth Movement America
Socialist Action
United National Antiwar Coalition
US Palestinian Community Network

Please endorse and circulate this appeal widely. Please send statements with these demands to the bodies listed below*

www.defendegyptianrevolution.org and defendegyptianrevolution@gmail.com

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:

TUESDAY

Call/write-in to Egyptian government.

Ministry of Defense
Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi Soliman
Phone: 01120222916227
Fax: +(20) 2 2 5748 822 (+20) 22 291 6227
E-mail: mod@idsc.gov.eg
Website: http://www.mmc.gov.eg

Dr.Kamal El Ganzory, Prime Minister
Phone: +202-2793-5000
Fax: +202-2795-8048
E-mail: pm@cabinet.gov.eg
Website: http://www.cabinet.gov.eg/Cabinet/Prime_Minister.aspx

WEDNESDAY

2:00pm until 7:00pm
Protest against SCAF in NYC
Egyptian consulate, 1110 2nd Ave # 201 New York, NY 10022-2093
https://www.facebook.com/events/260847190641653/

NYC Labor Against the War: 12.18.11 OWS Report: Egypt: Urgent Call for Global Solidarity

NYC Labor Against the War
12.18.11 Occupy Wall Street Report:

Egypt: Urgent Call for Global Solidarity

mahmud_hassan_tahrir.jpg

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‘Please mobilise urgently to demand that Egypt’s military rulers immediately stop attacking protesters. Call on governments worldwide, and especially the Mubarak regime’s main backers, the USA, UK and other western states, halt arms sales to Egypt and end their financial and material support for the repressive apparatus of the Egyptian regime.’
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Egypt: Call for global solidarity after 16 Dec army attack on protesters
Posted on December 18, 2011

Protesters against military rule in Egypt have appealed for global demonstrations against the latest brutal assault led by the Egyptian army on the sit-ins at the Cabinet Offices and Tahrir Square in Cairo on 16 December 2011.

By 18 December 10 people had been killed and hundreds injured in the attack. Solidarity protests were beginning to spread across Egypt and worldwide in response.

Please mobilise urgently to demand that Egypt’s military rulers immediately stop attacking protesters. Call on governments worldwide, and especially the Mubarak regime’s main backers, the USA, UK and other western states, halt arms sales to Egypt and end their financial and material support for the repressive apparatus of the Egyptian regime.

What you can do:

1. Organise or join protests outside Egyptian embassies worldwide. See below for details of global solidarity action. Send reports and pictures of protests to menasolidarity@gmail.com or post on facebook here: www.facebook.com/mena.solidarity

2. Organise a solidarity statement and collect signatures. Send or deliver to the Egyptian embassy in your country and send copies to menasolidarity@gmail.com or post on facebook here: www.facebook.com/mena.solidarity

3. Share and translate reports of the military attack on the protesters to help counter the lies being put out by Egyptian state media. Follow @3arabawy on Twitter and see Ahram Online’s website for detailed coverage.

Global solidarity actions for protesters against military rule in Egypt
Latest update: 18 December 5pm

UK
Protest at the Egyptian Embassy, London
Saturday 17 December 4-7pm
Picture here:http://yfrog.com/oc21zlaj
Protests are continuing daily 4-7pm

Ireland
Protest at the Egyptian Embassy, Clyde Rd, Dublin
Monday 19 December, 5-6 pm
supported by Irish Anti War Movement

Canada

Toronto protest against military rule in Egypt

Monday, December 19 at 5pm, Yonge Dundas Square

200 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5B1Y7

http://menasolidaritynetwork.com/2011/12/18/occupycabinetsolidarity/

NYC Labor Against the War: 12.3.11 OWS Report: Stop Militarization of Our Communities

NYC Labor Against the War
12.3.11 Occupy Wall Street Report:

Stop Militarization of Our Communitiestahrir-teargass-620x300.gif

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‘We will not allow corporations to profit off the brutality against our people in the US or abroad! Egyptian revolutionaries have asked for the movements in the US to shutdown the manufacturing and shipment of weapons and we heed their call in solidarity. We are calling for a targeted campaign against the corporations that profit off the use of these chemical weapons.’
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Labor for Palestine and New York City Labor Against the War are endorsers of this statement, which was initiated by multiple organizations in Northern California and the Bay Area. To endorse, email: bay2egypt@gmail.com.

Stop Militarization of Our Communities in the US and Abroad!
November 30, 2011

As 2011 gives way to 2012, people’s movements for justice are met with unprecedented global militarization. From Oakland to Egypt, people are demanding democracy and an equitable distribution of wealth while attacked with tear gas and pepper spray, rubber bullets and live ammunition. We have become all too familiar with the recent images of the words “Made in the USA” on tear gas canisters used against Egyptians, thousands of whom have been injured and scores killed. Others have experienced firsthand the brutality of these weapons used against the decolonize/occupy movements in the US. Tear gas, however, is but one manifestation of this assault.

Militarization is not new. Police brutality is not a recent phenomenon. Communities of color and poor communities have long faced the violence of systems of power. Police brutality, racial profiling, surveillance of communities, control of media and communication, and attacks on immigrants in the US are all connected to the global militarization we are seeing in Egypt and other places where people are fighting for their freedom. What we are witnessing today is an illumination of these acts of violence as thousands stand together in defiance of such assaults.

We echo this resolve. We will not allow corporations to profit off the brutality against our people in the US or abroad! Egyptian revolutionaries have asked for the movements in the US to shutdown the manufacturing and shipment of weapons and we heed their call in solidarity. We are calling for a targeted campaign against the corporations that profit off the use of these chemical weapons. These corporations have paved the way for a systemic attack against movements for justice.

We must also hold our government accountable for their hand in repression abroad and demand they stop military aid to Egypt. We will not allow our tax dollars to be used in supporting corporations and dictators that profit from and facilitate state violence against our people in the US and abroad!

Endorsed By:

Ad-Hoc Coalition to Defend the Egyptian Revolution
Al-Awda, SF — Palestine Right of Return Coalition
ANSWER — Act Now to Stop the War and End Racism
AROC — Arab Resource and Organizing Center
IJAN — International Jewish Antizionist Network
ISO — International Socialist Organization
LFP — Labor for Palestine
NYCLAW — New York City Labor Against War
SJP — Students for Justice in Palestine at UC Davis
Syrian American Council, Bay Area
USPCN — US Palestine Community Network
War Resisters League, New York