June, 15 2016, 12:15pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
NYC and National: Helena Wong, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, World March of Women - US Chapter, (917) 270-0322, helena@ggjalliance.org
Sha-Grogan Brown, GGJ, (540) 445-0819, sha@ggjalliance.org
Los Angeles: Aracely Barboza, Communities for a Better Environment, (323) 637-3608, aracely@cbecal.org
Albuquerque: Beva Sanchez-Padilla, SouthWest Organizing Project, (210) 394-5536, beva@swop.net
#JusticeforBerta June 15 Global Day of Action: End US Military Aid to Honduras
NYC: Honduras Consulate, 255 W 36th St, June 15, 12pm EST Albuquerque: Menaul and Louisiana, June 15, 5pm EST Los Angeles: Contact press contacts for details
Today, June 15th marks the global day of action calling for justice for Berta Caceres, an indigenous Lenca woman and environmental justice and indigenous land rights leader in Honduras who was assassinated earlier this year. Her organization COPINH (Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras) called for this global day of action where people all over the world will be holding demonstrations and protests at Honduran consulates and embassies. Grassroots Global Justice Alliance (GGJ) and the World March of Women-US chapter (WMW) will be leading demonstrations in New York City, Los Angeles and Albuquerque, denouncing the role of the US State Department in creating the conditions for Berta's murder by supporting the current Honduran government.
Berta was murdered on March 3, 2016, gunned down in her own home, because of her fearless and tireless work against the repressive Honduran state, whose military receives significant financial support from the U.S, and the extractive and hydroelectric industries destroying her ancestral land and waters. Over 20 years ago, she co-founded COPINH, a grassroots organization of workers, women, Indigenous people and farmers. Caceres was leading the successful campaign to defeat one of Central America's biggest hydropower projects, the Agua Zarca Dam in the Gualcarque River basin. Three of the five men arrested in connection with Caceres' assassination work for either the DESA Corporation, the dam builders, or the Honduran military that has been guilty of beating and harassing Caceres and other indigenous and environmental activists. Several other COPINH activists have also been killed for their resistance against Agua Zarca Dam. DESA, the Honduran military and the US government are all implicated in these assassinations. Since Caceres' death, the repression and harassment and targeting of human rights defenders has only increased, and her family is calling for an independent and transparent investigation into her murder.
GGJ and the WMW-US Chapter stand in solidarity with the family of Berta Caceres and COPINH in their calls for #JusticeforBerta. GGJ and the WMW-US Chapter demand that the US State Department put pressure on the Honduran government to allow for an independent investigation into the murder of Berta Caceres, led by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and call for the termination of US military training and aid to Honduras and the immediate and definitive stop to the construction of the Agua Zarca Dam.
"From June 15th to the RNC and DNC in July, we will continue with our message of an immediate end to US military aid and training to Honduras. The US government must stop spending public resources to kill indigenous, environmental, human rights and LGBTQ activists and to harm poor and working communities, and instead deal with the tragic and senseless violence in our own country and serious societal problems, including failing schools, racial and gender injustice and increasing economic inequality," says Helena Wong, National Organizer with GGJ and the WMW-US Chapter coordinator.
In this elections period, it is imperative that US elected officials respond to the direct and negative impact that US foreign policy has on frontline communities all over the world, causing recurring harm, like in the case of thousands of Central American children fleeing their countries only to be deported back to US-backed violence.
Today, June 15th, we join the COPINH and thousands of people around the world to say #JusticiaParaBerta!
Petition calling for these demands here: https://bit.ly/Justice4Berta
FB page for the NY Action: https://www.facebook.com/events/1897800743780119/
FB page for the Albuquerque action: https://www.facebook.com/events/965430240221757/
FB page for Global Actions: https://www.facebook.com/events/482138155315119/
LATEST NEWS
'War Criminal' Pete Hegseth Hammered on True Costs of Iran Debacle During Senate Hearing
"The greatest obstacle to peace is the incompetence of the secretary of defense and of the president of the United States," declared Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Apr 30, 2026
"Pete Hegseth, you're a war criminal. You should be arrested!" an anti-war activist shouted at the US secretary of defense, who was on Capitol Hill Thursday to testify at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing about the administration's unprecedented Pentagon budget request, President Donald Trump's illegal war on Iran, and more.
"What you're doing is despicable," the CodePink activist, Gus, told Hegseth as he was escorted out of the hearing and arrested. "The American people do not want to go into this war. We don't want to fight a war with Israel!"
As civilian casualties across the Middle East and gasoline prices across the United States have soared, so has the US public's disapproval of Trump and Israel's war on Iran. There are ceasefire agreements in place for both that assault and Israel's related attacks supposedly targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon—but, as Amnesty International noted in a Wednesday statement demanding international action to promote sustainable peace in the region, those deals are "fragile, temporary, and in danger of collapse at any moment."
Hegseth—whose controversial Senate confirmation required a tiebreaking vote from Vice President JD Vance—last appeared before the Senate committee in June. As the panel's ranking member, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) pointed out to the Pentagon chief in his opening remarks Thursday, since then, "you and President Trump have unwisely taken the United States to war with Iran."
That war has killed at least 3,375 Iranians, and injured another 25,000, while recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 2,200 people and wounded over 7,500, according to Amnesty. Iran and Hezbollah's retaliatory strikes have killed at least 21 civilians in Israel, four Palestinians in the illegally occupied West Bank, and 29 people across the Gulf, including 13 US service members.
The Department of War—as Hegseth and Trump call it—estimated that the first six days of the Iran assault cost an average of $1.88 billion per day, and Pentagon comptroller Jules "Jay" Hurst told Congress on Wednesday that it cost $25 billion in total, though some lawmakers and experts believe the figure could be far higher.
Beyond the Middle East, Hegseth has led a US attack on Venezuela and directed an "ongoing illegal boat strike campaign in the Caribbean and Pacific," Reed noted. At the defense secretary's direction, the senator continued, "our forces have bombed Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, and Ecuador."
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Reed went on to express skepticism about Trump's massive defense budget request and rip the president's incoherent strategy on the Iran war. He also acknowledged various costs of the conflict, stressing that "American families are bearing the cost of a war they wanted nothing to do with, and have gained nothing from."
Other standout moments from the hearing included Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) grilling Hegseth about others' suspicious bets related to the Iran war and oil prices, as well as his own investments—the latter of which drew hostile responses from the secretary.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) has had a contentious relationship with Hegseth since the retired US Navy captain participated in a November video advising military service members that they have a duty to disobey unlawful orders, which drew legally dubious retaliation from the Pentagon secretary.
On Thursday, Kelly questioned Hegseth about his March declaration that "no quarter" will be given to "our enemies" in Iran—which was similar to previous comments from the secretary, who said last September that "we also don't fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt, and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement, just common sense, maximum lethality, and authority for warfighters."
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (Mich.), a former Central Intelligence Agency analyst who joined Kelly in the video to service members, questioned Hegseth about how he would handle Trump directing him to have troops seize ballots or voting machines during the 2026 midterm elections.
Hegseth was openly dismissive of Slotkin, chuckling at her, calling her question "yet another 'gotcha' hypothetical, which is your specialty," and accusing the senator of "performing for cable news."
As Hegseth, Hurst, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine testified on Capitol Hill for the second day in a row—they also appeared before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday—the United States' largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group sent Congress a report calling for the defense secretary's impeachment.
"The record presented here establishes that military operations carried out under Secretary Hegseth's leadership constituted war crimes under US and international law, including the killing of civilians, the destruction of infrastructure indispensable to civilian survival, and the targeting of protected religious and other civilian sites," states the foreword of the report from the Council on American-Islamic Relations and CAIR Action.
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CAIR Action executive director Basim Elkarra, the report's co-author, said in a statement that Hegseth's record not only "establishes a basis for impeachment," but also "raises serious questions of criminal liability."
While testifying to House panel about Trump's Iran War, Hegseth claimed that "the biggest challenge—the biggest adversary we face at this point—are the reckless, feckless, and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans."
Responding on Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said on the floor: "Take a look in the mirror. Our greatest challenge in Iran is Donald Trump and Secretary Hegseth, and Americans know it. The war is unpopular, they blame Trump for it of course. The greatest obstacle to peace is the incompetence of the secretary of defense and of the president of the United States."
Hegseth's Senate testimony came on the eve of a key deadline that increases pressure on Congress to pass a war powers resolution ending Trump's assault on Iran. So far, multiple efforts in both Republican-controlled chambers have failed—though Democrats haven't stopped trying.
"Tomorrow marks 60 days since Donald Trump officially notified Congress about his attack on Iran. After we cross that 60-day threshold, there can be no more doubts that he's violating the War Powers Act," Schumer stressed. "Republicans are out of hollow excuses, they're out of hiding places. End this war, Republicans. Bring our troops home, stop bleeding taxpayers dry, support our war powers resolution."
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Apr 30, 2026
Labor groups, students, and families are among those preparing for nationwide rallies and marches set for Friday as part of this year's May Day Strong protests "to demand a nation that puts workers over billionaires" amid worsening US wealth inequality under President Donald Trump and Republican rule.
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As Common Dreams reported, May Day Strong—a coalition of 500 labor and community organizations—has planned over 3,000 events across the nation to demand higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans, abolition of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) amid Trump's deadly crackdown on immigrants and their supporters, an end to the illegal US-Israeli war of choice on Iran, and expanding democracy over corporate rule.
For more information about Workers Over Billionaires, or to find the nearest action to you, go to maydaystrong.org.
— 50501: The People’s Movement ❌👑 (@50501movement.bsky.social) April 30, 2026 at 10:52 AM
"Following the examples of the historic 2006 day without immigrants that reshaped May Day and the Black-led corporate campaigns that have unseated CEOs, to Minnesota’s resistance to occupation, together we will flex our collective power in a tremendous day of action—rallying, marching, and taking action to demand a country that puts workers over billionaires, with many refusing business as usual," the coalition added. "No Work. No School. No Shopping."
As Neidi Dominguez, executive director of Organized Power in Numbers—one of the coalition's leaders—said, "We want our tax dollars going to good jobs, schools, and housing, not to sending federal agents into our cities to attack our neighbors."
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Labor author & historian, @kimkelly.bsky.social talks about the importance of channeling momentum into action, and how May Day Strong can help do that.#mayday #workersoverbillionaires #kimkelly
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— Organized Power in Numbers (@opinorg.bsky.social) April 28, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO—which represents nearly 15 million workers and 65 affiliated unions—said Wednesday that “for the labor movement, Workers Memorial Day and May Day aren’t just days of reflection—they are days of demand."
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American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten said in a statement that “May Day has its roots in the fight for fair wages, safe workplaces, and a better life—and a reminder that real change happens when working people act together."
“That includes attacks on immigrant workers who are an essential part of our workplaces and communities," she added. "That’s why May Day isn’t just about showing up in the streets. It’s about using our power in every way it counts.”
Tomorrow, a wave of young people is taking action for May Day. We need a Green New Deal — not more wars for oil profit — and we're building the muscle to shut down the billionaire status quo until our demands are met.Read more on our substack. vist.ly/42h52
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— Sunrise Movement (@sunrisemvmt.bsky.social) April 30, 2026 at 12:02 PM
Hundreds of thousands of people rallied from coast to coast last May 1 to mark International Workers’ Day with spirited demonstrations supporting labor rights and protesting Trump’s “billionaire agenda” and attacks on the rule of law, unions, immigrants, Palestine defenders, transgender people, and others.
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Even Trump-friendly CNBC anchor Joe Kernen jumped in to fact-check false claims by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
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A top Republican in the US House of Representatives on Thursday lied so blatantly that even a Trump-friendly CNBC host felt compelled to fact check him.
During an appearance on CNBC's "Squawk Box," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La) defended Republicans' management of the US economy, which is currently experiencing an oil price shock thanks to President Donald Trump's illegal war of choice with Iran.
Scalise predicted that Republicans would hold onto their narrow House majority in the November midterms, and then falsely claimed that gas prices today are lower than they were two years ago when former President Joe Biden was still in office.
"People will remember, two years ago, we were paying almost $6 per gallon of gasoline, right now it's in the [$3 range]," Scalise falsely claimed. "Obviously, we've seen a jump with the Iran conflict..."
At this point, host Joe Kernen, a longtime Trump golfing buddy, interjected.
"When were we paying $6 [per gallon]?" Kernen asked.
"Two-and-a-half years ago," Scalise replied.
"That wasn't the average price," Kernen said.
SCALISE: We've delivered. People will remember that two years ago, we were paying almost $6 a gallon for gas. Right now it's in the $3s
KERNEN: When were we paying $6?
SCALISE: Two and a half years ago
KERNEN: That wasn't the average price
SCALISE: We are lowering inflation… pic.twitter.com/xPD172NdYq
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 30, 2026
According to data collected by AAA, the average price for a gallon of gas in late October 2023 was $3.53 per gallon, or nearly $0.80 lower than the current average price of $4.30 per gallon.
Scalise also said that gas prices would drop at the end of Trump's illegal war with Iran, which he falsely claimed was close to developing a nuclear weapon.
"Did anybody want a nuclear-armed Iran?" Scalise said. "I think if you ask most normal people, they would say absolutely not... they were about to get a nuclear weapon, and President Trump stopped that."
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified under oath before the Senate Select Intelligence Committee last month that Iran’s nuclear weapons program had been “obliterated” by US-led airstrikes that were launched last year, and that there “has been no effort since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability."
After lying about Iran's nuclear weapons program, Scalise pivoted to making more false claims about the economy.
"So if you look across the board, we are lowering inflation, interest rates are starting to come down," he said. "They're not where we want them to be, by the way, we have a lot of work to do, but do you want to go back to the days when interest rates were in double digits?"
Inflation has been going up in recent months, not declining. The US Bureau of Economic Analysis on Thursday released data showing that the core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rose to 3.2% in March, the highest level since November 2023.
In 2024, Trump campaigned on immediately ending inflation in the US economy, going so far as to promise grocery prices would fall beginning on his first day in office.
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