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Sharon Grimes, W A M M
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Courts Challenge West Bank Wall
Two courts issued rulings against Israel’s wall along the West Bank. On June 30, Israel’s Supreme Court ordered the army to remove part of the wall and reroute it because of the harm it imposed on the Palestinians. It did say, however, that Israel has a security reason for building the wall, but must balance that with humanitarian considerations. A nonbonding ruling by the International Court of Justice in The Hague said that the wall is illegal and violates the human rights of the Palestinians. Although it says the wall must be dismantled, the ruling is nonbinding.
Hong Kong Protesters March for Democracy
In July, an estimated 530,000 protesters marched for democracy in sweltering heat in Hong Kong. China has refused to allow Hong Kong residents to elect their next chief executive or to expand 2008 legislative elections, even though a high degree of autonomy had been promised when Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
Conceal and Carry Ruled Unconstitutional
Minnesota’s gun permit law, which was passed in April 2003, was declared illegal by a Ramsey County judge in July. He ruled it unconstitutional because of the way it was enacted. It was attached to an unrelated Department of Natural Resources bill and hearings were not held on the amended bill. Attorney General Mike Hatch has said he will appeal the ruling.
Detainees Seek Justice
The Supreme Court ruled in June that prisoners at Guantánamo cannot be held without an opportunity to challenge their detention. Since then, detainees have begun to appear before military tribunals to plead for their freedom. In July, four Iraqis held at the Abu Ghraib prison and the widow of one who died filed suit in a U.S. court alleging that the prisoners were tortured and abused. The suit was against two U.S. firms, CACI International and Titan Corp., which had employees at the Iraqi prison under a Pentagon contract.
Venezuela Withdraws from the SOA
Venezuelan Vice President José Vicente Rangel announced in February that the Venezuelan government will cease all training of its soldiers at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (SOA/WHISC), the U.S. combat training school for Latin American soldiers, formerly known as the School of the Americas.
Ohio and New Jersey Officials Oppose Paperless Voting
Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell blocked further implementation of paperless voting machines; 31 counties had been considering their use in this November’s election. The Computer Ate My Vote campaign is working to ensure that unsecure computer voting machines are not used in November. In New Jersey, Mercer County executive Brian Hughes said he will offer a paper ballot option and, after getting the attorney general’s approval, have New Jersey’s other counties follow Mercer County’s lead.
Presbyterian Church (USA) Divests from Israel
The 216th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States voted 431 to 62 in early July to approve a plan to stop investing in Israel as a measure to protest the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
Global Women’s Strike Demands Redirection of Worldwide Military Budget
Global Women’s Strike (GWS), a grassroots, multiracial, anti-war, anti-occupation group of activists with members from 60 countries on every continent, is challenging U.S. priorities that put war and profit before the needs of the people. GWS planned protests at both the Democratic and Republican Conventions, followed by a 17 Million Worker March in Washington, D.C., October 17. They say that women and children pay the highest price for U.S. foreign and economic policy and therefore have the biggest stake in the outcome of U.S. elections. GWS demands include that the “$1 trillion worldwide military budget instead go to payment for care-giving work, pay equity globally, abolition of Third World debt, and an end to poverty and all other violence.”
NYPD Officer Refuses to Arrest Homeless Person
“My position in life is to treat people like I want to be treated . . . That’s what Jesus taught. That’s what I instill in my children,” said New York City Police Officer Eduardo Delacruz, who faces a departmental trial that could cost him his job and pension for his refusal to arrest a homeless person (New York Times). |
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© 2004 Women Against Military Madness. All rights reserved.
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Complete September 2004 Index - click here
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