February, 04 2012, 09:24am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Phone: (773) 878-3815,Email:,info@vcnv.org
Say No To An Attack on Iran Today!
February 4th Mass Actions Demanding: NO War! NO Sanctions! NO Intervention! NO Assassinations against IRAN
CHICAGO
Say no to an Attack on Iran Today!
Listing of actions:
Chicago Says No War on Iran: National Day of Action
Feb 4 2012 - 12:00pm
Feb 4 2012 - 2:00pm
Rally at Federal Plaza
Federal Plaza
50 W Adams
Chicago, IL 60604
US and World Wide
(Alphabetical order by State in US, then other dates and countries listed)
1. Huntsville, AL 10am, Whitesburg and Airport, 5001 Whitesburg Drive
2. Phoenix, AZ, 2pm at Cesar Chavez Plaza, 200 W Washington.
3. Tucson, AZ 6pm at Unitarian Universalist Church, 4831 E. 22 St.
4. Los Angeles, CA 2 pm at Westwood Fed Building, next to UCLA campus.
5. Los Angeles, CA Noon at Wilshire & Western Metro Stop.
6. Palm Springs, CA 101 S. Palm Canyon Drive
7. San Francisco, CA, Noon at Powell & Market, BART Plaza
8. Sacramento, CA Noon, Demonstration at 16th & J Streets
9. Truckee, CA Noon, at Donner Pass Rd/ Highway 89.
10. Colorado Springs, CO, Acacia Park 115 E. Platte Ave
11. New Haven, CT 11:00am at New Haven Green, 141 Church St
12. Tampa, FL, Noon March on McDill Air Force Base-CentComm, Rally at Gandy Bivd. & Dale Mabry Highway
13. Atlanta, GA 4:30 - 5:30pm at CNN Center, Marietta & Centennial Olympic Park.
14. Honolulu, HI 7pm in Heart of Waikiki, Kalakaua Ave & Seaside Ave
15. Des Moines, IA 6pm at Nollen Plaza, Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St
16. Chicago, IL Noon at Federal Plaza
17. Champaign-Urbana, IL 2pm at Neil and Main St.
18. Highland, IN Highway of the Flags Veterans Memorial SE corner Indianapolis Blvd & Ridge Rd
19. Wichita, KS Wichita Public Library, Main and William
20. Boston, MA 1pm at Tremont & Park St, March to Israeli consulate & Copley Square
21. Detroit MI 2pm at Grand Circus Park - Woodward Ave at Adams.
22. Kalamazoo, MI 4pm, March from Urban Blend Coffeehouse, 14 N Burdick St.
23. Kochville MI 12 noon at Bay Rd & Tittabawassee Rd.
24. Grand Rapids, MN 12 noon, Peace vigil at Pokegama Avenue Bridge
25. Minneapolis, MN 3 pm at 3rd St & Cedar Avenue South.
26. Omaha, NE 72nd and Dodge Dodge St & S 72nd St
27. Brevard, NC Noon, Transylvania Courthouse Lawn, E. Main Street & N. Broad St.
28. Jersey City, NJ 2:30pm Vietnam Veterans Community Center, Central Ave & Manhattan Ave, then march.
29. Montclair, NJ 10:30am, Near corner of South Fullerton Ave.
30. Plymouth, NH Weekly Plymouth Common Peace Vigil,Plymouth Town Common
31. Albuquerque, NM 1pm, Assemble at UNM Bookstore Corner of Central and Cornell
32. Albany NY Noon at Wolf Road & Central Ave, March 1pm to mall recruiting station.
33. Buffalo, NY 3pm at City Hall Square, then marching.
34. Delhi, NY Town Square, across from Delaware County Office Building
35. NYC, NY 1pm at North end of Times Square - Duffy Square. March to the US & Israeli missions to UN.
36. Rochester, NY 11am at The Public Market, 280 North Union Street
37. Saratoga, NY Noon at Broadway by Post Office, Weekly Vigil Site.
38. Syracuse, NY 1:30pm, Fayette St. and Salina St.
39. Cincinnati, OH 2pm, Piatt Park, E. 8th St and Vine St.
40. Columbus, OH 4pm at 15th St. & N. High St.
41. Defiance, OH Noon at Defiance County Courthouse, 221 Clinton Street
42. Tulsa, OK Noon at Southwest Corner of 41st and Yale Ave,
43. Astoria, OR Noon, The Post Office in Astoria, 8th and Commercial
44. Harrisburg, PA Noon at State Capitol Steps, 3rd Street Side at North & Walnut
45. Lewisburg, PA 2pmm Post Office 3rd and Market St.
46. Philadelphia PA Noon at 5th & Market, Independence Hall.
47. Rock Hill, SC 7pm at Byrnes Auditorium at Winthrop University, 701 Oakland Ave.
48. Nashville, TN 2pm, Teach-in / Rally at Legislative Plaza, 6th Ave. between Charlotte & Union
49. Amarillo, TX 3pm, NE corner of Elwood Park then march to Congressman Thornberry's office at 905 S. Fillmore
50. Austin, TX 1pm, Intersection of 6th St. and Lamar Blvd.
51. Dallas, TX 3:30pm, Rally at Harry Moss Park, SE corner of Greenville Ave & Royal Lane
52. Houston TX 3:30pm Westheimer & Post Oak
53. Waco, TX 1pm, Valley Mills & Waco Drive
54. Salt Lake City, UT 3pm at Downtown Federal Building, 125 S. State St
55. Blacksburg VA Noon at Federal Building.
56. Norfolk, VA 1pm at City Hall Ave at Saint Paul Blvd.
57. Richmond VA, 2pm Main Post Office.
58. Seattle, WA 1:30 at Westlake Center, March to Military processing center.
59. Madison, WI 3pm, State St. and the Capitol, 2 E. Main Street
60. Milwaukee, WI Noon at East Capitol Dr. Bridge just east of Capitol Ave & Humbold Blvd.
61. Green Bay, WI Noon at Lambeau Field.
62. Racine, WI 10am NW Corner of Highways 20 & 31
63. Washington DC Noon at Lafayette Square, White House
Feb 02 NO War on Iran Actions
1. Bloomington, IL 5:30pm at Center for the Performing Arts 600 East Street
2. Oklahoma City, OK, 4:30pm at Gold Dome corner, 1112 Northwest 23rd Street
FEB 3 NO War on Iran Actions
1. Baltimore, MD. 5pm McKelvin Sq, Pratt & Light Street
2. Raleigh, NC 4:30pm Federal Building, 310 New Bern Ave
3. Nashville TN 2pm, Nashville Legislative Plaza, 6th Ave & Deaderick St.
Feb 5
Vista, CA 2pm ,Vista Village Dr. and S. Santa Fe
Feb 12Portland, OR 3pm The Corner of Salmon St and Park Ave SW
Other Countries organizing for NO War on Iran actions on Feb 4:
Canada
1. Calgary, AB 11am,Consulate General of USA, 615 Macleod Trail S.E., 10th Floor
2. Lethbridge, AB 2pm, City Hall, 910 4th Ave. South
3. Vancouver,BC: Picket and rally in front of US consulate, downtown, 3-6pm
Bangaldesh capital Dacca rally and march;
India message of actions in several cities including Calcutta.
Ireland at Shannon Air Base, forward base for NATO,
Norway, Oslo, Rally initiated by Iranians in Diaspora, Supported by Peace Initative Norway, Party Red & others.
UK Leeds, University of Leeds 8pm, Parkinson Steps Woodhouse Lane Leeds Sydney Town Hall 483 George Street
Voices for Creative Nonviolence has deep, long-standing roots in active nonviolent resistance to U.S. war-making. Begun in the summer of 2005, Voices draws upon the experiences of those who challenged the brutal economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and U.N. against the Iraqi people between 1990 and 2003.
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Delayed But Not Denied: 2nd Hamas-Israeli Prisoner Swap Goes Through
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Despite an initial delay, the second round of hostages were released by Hamas on Saturday night.
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"After a delay, obstacles to release of prisoners were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian contacts with both sides," Majed Al Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry, tweeted, adding that the hostages were transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The Israeli military confirmed to The Associated Press that the hostages reached Israel after midnight local time. The hostages included seven children and six women, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. One of the hostages, a young girl named Emily Hand, was previously believed dead by her father.
The swap appeared to be in danger earlier in the day when Hamas said that Israel had not allowed enough aid to enter northern Gaza, which has taken the brunt of the Israeli military's force since October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking around 240 hostages. Israel has since killed more than 14,800 Palestinians in Gaza in its response. The two sides have agreed to a four-day cease-fire beginning Friday that will see a total of 50 Hamas-held hostages and 150 Israeli-held Palestinians released.
In explaining the delay, Hamas also said that Israel had not released enough long-serving prisoners.
"Civilians should not be pawns in a deadly standoff between warring parties who flout basic principles of humanity."
"This is putting the deal in danger," said Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official in Beirut, as AP reported.
Sari Bashi, the program director of Human Rights Watch, criticized both sides for the delay.
"Hamas is obligated to release hostages, whether or not aid enters Gaza," Bashi tweeted. "The Israeli government is obligated to supply Gaza with aid, whether or not hostages are released. Civilians should not be pawns in a deadly standoff between warring parties who flout basic principles of humanity."
However, Egypt, Qatar, and Hamas later said everything had been resolved and the exchange would go forward, according to AP, sparking great relief from the hostages' friends and families.
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Egypt had also said earlier in the day that it had received "positive signals" from both sides about a possible extension of the cease-fire, Reuters reported. Netanyahu had previously said the pause would extend one day for every extra 10 hostages that Hamas releases.
Hamas said it expected Israel to release six women and 33 teenage boys on the second day of exchanges, AP reported.
One of the prisoners released Saturday was Shorouq Dwayyat, the Palestinian woman who had been held in an Israeli jail the longest, Middle East Eye reported. Dwayyat was first arrested eight years ago when she was 18. Israel claimed she stabbed a settler, which her family denies.
"We send a message to our people in Gaza that we stand by your side and support you," Duwiyat said upon returning home, as AP reported.
Another woman released by Israel was Israa Jaabis, who was arrested in 2015 with burns covering half her body, according to Middle East Eye. Jaabis' family said that she was burned when a defective cylinder of cooking gas ignited near a checkpoint, while Israel accused her of attempting a bombing. Israeli forces raided Jaabis' home ahead of her release, forcing any journalists or distant relatives to leave.
Police also raided the home of Marah Bkeer before her release Friday, Reuters reported.
"There is no real joy, even this little joy we feel as we wait," her monther, Sawsan Bkeer, told reporters. "We are still afraid to feel happy."
Dwayyat told reporters that Israel had threatened to re-arrest the released prisoners if they celebrated, according to Middle East Eye.
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Zambrano told the UNAM Gazette that axolotl numbers had rapidly declined in surveys: from 6,000 per square kilometer in 1998 to 36 in 2014, a decline of 99.5% in less than two decades.
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The first 24 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza were released Friday evening in exchange for 39 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons.
The exchange came on the first day of a Qatari-brokered four-day cease-fire that is slated to see at least 50 Israeli hostages exchanged for at least 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israel. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the pause would be extended a day for every additional 10 hostages released.
"It's a sign of hope for Palestinians and Israelis that the cease-fire will continue and the killing will stop," Mohammed Khatib, who watched the release of the first Palestinian prisoners Friday, toldBBC News.
"I'm very happy of course, but I feel devastated by how that deal was reached… at the cost of our brothers' and sisters' lives in Gaza."
The pause in the fighting has also allowed much needed aid trucks to enter Gaza. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that 200 aid trucks were sent from Israel Friday, of which 137 were unloaded by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East, U.N. Newsreported. It's the largest convey of aid to enter Gaza since Israel's bombardment began October 7.
"Hundreds of thousands of people were assisted with food, water, medical supplies and other essential humanitarian items," OCHA said.
Four trucks full of gas and 129,000 liters of fuel also arrived in Gaza Friday.
However, Hamas has reportedly delayed the release of more hostages Saturday because it says Israel is not allowing aid to enter northern Gaza, Al Jazeera reported. The group said Israel had also violated the terms of the cease-fire by shooting tear gas and live ammunition at people who attempted to return to their homes in northern Gaza and by flying surveillance drones high over Gaza Saturday.
Hamas took around 240 hostages—both Israelis and foreign nationals—into Gaza during its October 7 attack on Israel that also killed around 1,200 people. On Friday, the group released 13 Israelis, including an 85-year-old woman and children as young as 2, as well as 10 Thai nationals and one person from the Philippines, The Guardian reported.
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The one Philippines hostage released was 33-year-old Gelienor "Jimmy" Pacheco, who had been working as a carer in Gaza. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said on social media that he was "overjoyed" by Pacheco's release, and that he was safely at the Thai embassy in Israel.
"I salute the work of the Philippine Foreign Service in securing his release, and once again thank the State of Qatar for their invaluable assistance in making Jimmy's release possible," Marcos said.
Another Philippine woman, Noralyn Babadilla, remains missing.
Meanwhile, jubilant crowds turned out in the West Bank to welcome the first Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli custody, according to BBC News. The group included 24 women and 15 teenage boys. They had been arrested for offenses ranging from stone throwing to attempted murder. While some had been convicted, others were awaiting trial. Of a total of 300 Palestinian women and children marked by Israel for potential release, less than 25% have been convicted.
Israel holds around 8,000 Palestinians in its prisons, 3,000 of whom were detained since the October 7 attacks, Al Jazeera reported. Nearly every family in the West Bank has had a relative detained at one point, according to BBC News.
The NGO Palestinian Prisoners' Club said that Israel had told the families of released prisoners that they could be fined around 70,000 shekels ($18,740) for sharing sweets to celebrate their loved ones' return, speaking to reporters, or having guests over.
One of the Palestinian prisoners released was 24-year-old Marah Bakeer, who was 16 when she was arrested for allegedly attempting to stab an Israeli soldier, something she and her family deny. Israeli forces shot her in the arm and hand 12 times before her arrest.
"I'm very happy of course, but I feel devastated by how that deal was reached… at the cost of our brothers' and sisters' lives in Gaza," Bakeer said.
The Israeli attack on Gaza has killed more than 14,800 people, around 10,000 of them women and children. This means Israel has killed women and children at a rate that outstrips the deadliest conflicts of the 21st century, The New York Times reported Saturday. More than double the number of women and children have been killed in Gaza in nearly two months of fighting than have been reported killed in Ukraine in two years. Using women and children as a conservative stand-in for overall civilian deaths would mean more civilians have died during these two months than were killed by U.S. forces in the first year of the Iraq War, and nearly as many as the 12,400 estimated killed by the U.S. and its allies during nearly two decades of war in Afghanistan.
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