From Progressive Action Global Exchange
On early Saturday local time, President Trump launched strikes near Damascus and Homs. These attacks are the latest in a series of damaging US interventions in the country and only put Syrian lives further at risk. While supposedly acting to punish Syria for committing war crimes, Trump launched the attacks without seeking or obtaining Congressional approval and in violation of international law. With warmongers like John Bolton already in the cabinet and Mike Pompeo nominated to join, even more human lives are in imminent danger from American bombs and weapons.
In scary times like these, we must fight for peace. This week, we’ll focus on what we can do to prevent and protest U.S. military action and speak out against state-sponsored violence, as well as prepare for the November elections that are our best chance for checking this administration’s bloodlust and disregard for human life.
Because the stakes are so high, we’d also like to ask for your help right now in forwarding this email to friends, family members, and like-minded acquaintances, where they can join our community by clicking on this link to our sign-up sheet.
As always, our actions are curated for US Americans abroad and global citizens. If you’re new to PAGE, get in touch with us at engage.with.page@gmail.com, or check out our website and updated toolkit.
In solidarity,
PAGE Global Coordinating Committee
Priority Actions
Stop the war on Syria! For the third time since 2001, the U.S. is moving towards military action that will create or prolong the suffering of people in the Middle East. Dozens of demonstrations are being planned around the U.S. to say no to war on Syria.
Ask Congress to oppose Trump’s attacks in Syria. More violent US interventionism is not the solution in war-torn Syria. Congress cannot allow Trump - a reckless, cruel, and impulsive man - to make a bad situation worse. Only Congress can grant the power to make war and Trump does not have their permission. Demand that your MoC call for a vote AND oppose further militarism in Syria using Indivisible’s script. Do this by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting on April 19th!
Organize a virtual demonstration by creating signs and messages against the war on social media using the hashtag #NoWarOnSyria. Tell the media you won’t stand for their push towards war. Coverage at major media outlets like CNN, MSNBC, and ABC has featured a drumbeat to war, with few if any interviews with people opposing the war in Syria. Our Twitter account, @PAGEofDemocracy will host a tweet storm at 3pm Tuesday April 17 CET - join us!
Take action that can actually help Syrians. The best way to help Syrians suffering from Bashar Al-Assad’s cruelty would be to allow them to enter the US as refugees. Yet only the US has only admitted ELEVEN Syrian refugees this year. Use this script from the International Refugee committee to call your MoC and tell them to fight for refugees today!
Show the world that Americans won’t stand for the suffering people of Gaza. For over three weeks, thousands of Palestinians have been protesting along the Gaza fence, which keeps them trapped in a prison with inhumane conditions including lack of clean water, insufficient food, and the despair that comes with abandonment by the world and the constant threat of violence. Over 1000 people were wounded on Friday, including 223 from gunshots, as Israeli forces fired on protesters along the wall.
Listen to this devastating report from the Intercepted podcast on this month’s massacre of 17 Palestinians who were protesting the inhuman conditions in which 2 million people are trapped in Gaza.
The United States has suspended funding to support Palestinian refugees via the U.N. Reliefs and Work Agency, which is mostly staffed by refugees. Show Americans care about Palestinian refugees by making a donation to the UNRWA. You can also donate to Islamic Relief USA, a highly-rated charity which has been providing humanitarian relief in Palestine since 1994.
Share your donation on social media, and mention it to friends and family members. Tell them what you’ve learned about the conditions and crisis in Gaza, and encourage them to donate as well!
Raise an outcry about Mike Pompeo’s confirmation. Following Rex Tillerson’s firing as Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo has been nominated to replace him. Pompeo is a Muslim-hating, climate-change-denying, Iran deal-endangering war hawk - it is hard to overstate the danger of his taking the reins as America’s leading contact with the world outside our borders. Stopping his confirmation won’t be easy, but if every Senate Democrat votes against him, Pompeo will be blocked.
Tell the Senate Foreign Relations Committee how it important it is NOT to confirm Mike Pompeo, using this form from Code Pink.
If you have a Democratic Senator, call him or her today using this script and information from Indivisible. Then look at this map of the U.S. Senate, and click on the “Current Senate (115th Congress)” to see every state with a Democratic Senator. Think about friends and family members you have in these states - share this information with them and urge them to act today!
Join fellow US-Americans abroad to Get Out The Vote for November elections! Get people excited to register themselves and their community by checking out this series of humorous skits from our friends at Action Together Zurich - here’s PAGE’s personal favorite! Share widely with friends and on social media, along with a link to VoteFromAbroad.Org - and don’t forget to use this form to organize and track the number of people you register to vote and tweet us @PAGEofdemocracy to tell us about your efforts, using #NotTooFarAwayToVote!
We are highlighting some of our favorite progressive candidates each week leading up to the 2018 elections. Normally we focus on up and coming candidates, but this week we want to hold up Representative Barbara Lee (CA-D) for being one of the few voices for peace in the US Congress.
Representative Barbara Lee (CA-D) was the only dissenting vote on the Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) just days after September 11th, which has since been used as legal justification for the U.S.’s endless wars around the world. Representative Lee’s courageous, principled vote was criticized as unpatriotic at the time, but she has been vindicated again as Trump attacks Syria with missiles. Listen to a recent interview with Representative Lee on the latest attack and her opposition to the AUMF.
** Thank you for your progressive action! **