September 1-7: Veterans in 25 Cities Demonstrate for Gaza

“September Days of Solidarity with Palestine,” will see members of Veterans For Peace from California to New Hampshire conduct protests and educational events in 25 cities September 1-7.

Activities will vary from hanging banners over expressways to conducting nonviolent actions at military installations to prevent business as usual.

Those “civil resistance” actions will be conducted to nonviolently enforce several U.S. laws broken every time weapons are manufactured or shipped to Israel.  The action will include delivering an 11-page letter to the U.S. State Department Inspector-General containing 34 footnoted examples of illegal activity.

The cities are Atlanta; Binghamton NY; New Britain, CT; Columbus, Toledo and Yellow Springs OH; Dallas TX; Ft. Collins CO; Fresno, Auburn, Los Angeles and San Diego CA; Ft. Wayne IN; Asheville and Greensboro NC; Honolulu HI; Minneapolis MN; Nashville; Olympia WA; Portsmouth NH; Santa Fe NM; St. Louis MO; Syracuse NY; Tucson and Washington, D.C.

The letter from Veterans For Peace alleges U.S. government officials and weapons manufacturers are violating:

• The Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, which prohibits U.S. weapons transfers when it’s likely they will be used by Israel to commit genocide; crimes against humanity; and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions
• The Foreign Assistance Act, which forbids the provision of assistance to a government which “engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.”
• The U.S. War Crimes Act, which forbids grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, including willful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, and unlawful deportation or transfer, perpetrated by the Israeli Occupying Forces.
• Arms Export Control Act, which says countries that receive US military aid can only use weapons for legitimate self-defense and internal security. Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza goes way beyond self-defense and internal security.
• The Leahy Law, which prohibits the U.S. Government from using funds for assistance to units of foreign security forces where there is credible information implicating that unit in the commission of gross violations of human rights.
• The Genocide Convention Implementation Act, which was enacted to implement U.S. obligations under the Genocide Convention, provides for criminal penalties for individuals who commit or incite others to commit genocide.

Susan Schnall, VFP President, said, “Veterans For Peace members are sickened by the carnage in Gaza and that we pay for with our tax dollars. It continues daily right before our eyes and is immoral beyond words. But it also violates long-standing U.S. laws meant to insure we abide by international treaties enacted to prevent genocide and human rights abuses.  We believe it is our duty and responsibility to do all that is humanly possible to stop it.”

Veterans For Peace has over 100 chapters in the U.S. and since 1985 has exposed the true costs of war and militarism. Its goal is to abolish war as an instrument of national policy.

For a list of local press contacts and actions, see below.

Link to VFP letter that will be delivered to public officials and weapons makers
Link to flyer with QR code that goes to VFP letter, for street leafleting
Link to flyer for Labor Day events, thanking unions that adopted Gaza ceasefire resolutions