Protest AIPAC
San Francisco 2009

This protest took place at the San Francisco Hilton on December 15th. Over 120 people came out in support of new US policies for peace and justice, rejecting the AIPAC agenda of war and occupation.

During the demonstration, the names of children killed in Gaza just one year ago were read. A group  called "Mourning Mothers" also did a solemn remembrance of the horrors of war.

The protest was covered briefly on KTVU news. For 30 seconds.

Inside, two protesters disrupted the proceedings and were arrested. The party was disrupted.

As the AIPAC Executive Director, Howard Kohr, gave a national briefing, he had indicated that AIPAC is ready to come to the negotiating table with the Palestinians. Nancy Mancias and Victoria Quevedo rose up out of their seats and said “How can the Palestinians come to table if they live under constant oppression and occupation.” While chanting “No War, No Occupation, Free Palestine” private security immediately lifted Mancias and Quevedo up from beneath their arms and ejected them from the ballroom. See full press release below.

Endorsers.  

No Thanks, AIPAC!

Why this Protest:

AIPAC seeks to build US support for Israeli policies, policies of war and endless military occupation. It supports massive annual subsidies by US taxpayers of the Israeli military as it continues to control the lives of millions of Palestinians.

In October, AIPAC supported a congressional resolution (H.Res. 867) that sought to quash official United Nations inquiries into Israel's conduct during the war on Gaza last winter. The 22 day military onslaught brought a terrible toll to the 1.5 million people of Gaza, killing over a thousand people including hundreds of children, wounding thousands more, and destroying much of what was left of the civilian infrastructure to care for those that survived. Water treatment plants were damaged. Schools destroyed. A University bombed. Large Food facilities bulldozed into oblivion. It was clearly an act of punishing the whole civilian population. Yet AIPAC has sought, with considerable political success, to get congressional backing to end all legitimate UN Inquiries that will hold Israel accountable for its clear war crimes against the Palestinian people.

AIPAC lobbies for Congress to ignore Israel's violations of past agreements with the US and other nations as Israel continues its illegal building program in the West Bank.

AIPAC is also very active in supporting a confrontational approach with Iran, supporting sanctions and supporting threats of military intervention. At the same time, AIPAC opposes rational approaches to resolving issues regarding nuclear weapons in the Middle East, including insisting that Israel become part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, despite Israel's massive nuclear arsenal. AIPAC also opposes the concept of a nuclear-free Middle East.

Finally, AIPAC is still giving political support to religious fundamentalist organizations, including Rev. Hagee's organization "Christians United For Israel". These extremist organizations sow hatred and intolerance.

We will protest AIPAC and its folly and instead call for alternative US policies of support for human rights, international law as the means to a sustainable future. We oppose all US aid to Israel as it continues to oppress Palestinian rights. We support global nuclear disarmament. We support a peaceful future, one that includes equal rights and respect for all the people of the Middle East.

Beyond our protest on the 15th, we are urging people to contact as soon as possible their elected political representatives at every level of government: city, state and federal, and urge these politicians not to attend AIPAC festivities. We believe their presence at such events lends credibility to AIPAC that it does not deserve. You can see more of our "No Thanks, AIPAC" campaign. We also have postcards available for people to send. A list of some suggested politicians to contact is here.

Protest Endorsed by:
Middle East Children's Alliance
Code Pink
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (Bay Area)
The Bay Area Campaign to End Israeli Apartheid
International Solidarity Movement, (Northern California)
Justice for Palestinians (San Jose)
Friends of Deir Ibzi'a
 

Press Release by Code Pink:

(San Francisco) Activists with the women's peace group CODEPINK took their message of no war and occupation to  the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) gala dinner at the Hilton Towers Hotel in San Francisco on December 15th.

As the AIPAC Executive Director, Howard Kohr, gave a national briefing, he had indicated that AIPAC is ready to come to the negotiating table with the Palestinians. Nancy Mancias and Victoria Quevedo rose up out of their seats and said "How can the Palestinians come to table if they live under constant oppression and occupation." While chanting "No War, No Occupation, Free Palestine" private security immediately lifted Mancias and Quevedo up from beneath their arms and ejected them from the ballroom. The two were handed over to the San Francisco Police who then handcuffed, searched, arrested and transferred them to the Tenderloin Police station where they were cited and released.

Mancias and Quevedo are scheduled to appear in court for "disrupting an assembly" in late January.

While AIPAC claims to represent the U.S. Jewish community, its wholesale support of the Israel government goes against the majority opinions of the Jewish Americans. According to a recent survey by the Jewish lobby group J Street, 76 percent of American Jews support a two-state solution, 69 percent support negotiating with a Fatah-Hamas unity government, and 59 percent felt the Gaza invasion did not improve Israel’s security.
--- Also posted at Code Pink blog.