Report on Novorossiya Today, and press release by International Action Center (No to NATO), Saturday, June 13, 2015
At least thirty protesters gathered in front of the Time Warner Building at Columbus Circle in New York City on Saturday to protest against U.S. foreign policy, the influence of U.S. media on the public and government, and the imperialist war interests of Wall Street and corporations. Protesters held placards and chanted between listening to speeches. Slogans such as “CNN promotes U.S. war in Ukraine, Donbass children die” could be seen on placards.
Watch a brief video of the action here on RT Ruptly, or click on the screen:
Protest to condemn U.S. proxy wars from Yemen to Ukraine
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, by ‘No To NATO’, June 12, 2015
Contact: Greg Butterfield (718) 541-7940, or Sara Flounders (212) 633-6646
‘Break the media blockade’ action scheduled for Sat. June 13, 1 pm at CNN Time Warner headquarters in New York’s Columbus Circle. Speakers to include activist from Iranian humanitarian aid ship to Yemen.
Anti-war and community activists will converge outside CNN’s New York offices at 10 Columbus Circle on Saturday, June 13, at 1:00 pm to condemn Saudi Arabia’s bombing of Yemen, the Ukrainian government’s war in Donbass, and other U.S. proxy wars. They will also condemn President Obama’s decision to send 450 additional U.S. troops to Iraq.
Among the scheduled speakers is Caleb Maupin, U.S.-based anti-war activist and journalist, who travelled aboard the Iran Shahed humanitarian aid ship which attempted to break the U.S.-Saudi blockade of Yemen. The ship was forced to turn back under threat of destruction.
“Thousands have been killed in wars and right-wing violence instigated by Washington and Wall Street, from Yemen to Venezuela to Ukraine,” charged Sara Flounders, co-director of the International Action Center, which initiated the protest. “We need a war here at home against racist police violence, poverty and low wages, not more wars against the people of the world.
“U.S. proxy wars lead to wider wars,” Flounders explained. “The current situation in Syria and Iraq is a perfect example. President Obama plans to send hundreds of additional U.S. troops to ‘fight terrorism’ in Iraq. Washington openly bombs neighboring Syria in violation of that country’s sovereignty. But the very crisis Congress and the White House use to justify intervention was created by the illegal U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, the brutal decade-long occupation, and the arming of reactionary forces against the Syrian government.”
Washington is also courting wider wars against Russia and China by arming and funding the regime in Ukraine and interfering in the South China Sea regional dispute, organizers said.
“Ukraine has resumed full-scale war against the independent Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, targeting civilians,” said Greg Butterfield, coordinator of the Solidarity with Ukraine Antifascists Committee. “At least 6,500 people have been killed in Donbass in the past year, according to the United Nations. The U.S. backed the coup in Ukraine, provides military training to neo-Nazis like the Azov Battalion, covers up Kiev’s violations of the Minsk ceasefire agreement — then has the gall to blame Russia for the crisis! Mainstream media have faithfully repeated Washington and Kiev’s baseless charges.
“Defense appropriation amendments introduced by Rep. John Conyers and passed by the House of Representatives June 11 acknowledge that the Azov Battalion is a fascist group and should receive no U.S. support, and that shoulder-to-air missile weapons should not be given to Ukraine,” Butterfield added. “This is an important step, but we must apply pressure from below to make sure the White House and Congress comply.”
Endorsers of the June 13 protest include former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney, the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC), BAYAN-USA, FIST—Fight Imperialism, Stand Together, Haiti Support Network, Honduras-USA Resistencia, Pakistan-USA Freedom Forum, SI Solidarity Iran, the Syrian American Forum and others.
