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Download .pdf leaflet (The Triangle, North Carolina)
Oppose the U.S.-Israel War on Iran!
The decision by the Trump administration to order the bombing of Iran is a criminal act of unprovoked violence. This attack makes the prospect of a wider war in the region, and possibly the world, more likely.
Israel began this latest assault on Iran on June 12, claiming it was an act of self defense, and that Iran was about to produce a nuclear weapon. Not only did Israel provide no evidence for this, but recent U.S. intelligence reports claimed that Iran wasn’t close to producing a nuclear weapon. Despite this, the U.S. has joined Israel’s war on Iran.
U.S. officials said 125 aircraft were involved in their attack that unleashed 75 bombs on Iran, which included 14 massive 30,000 pound “bunker buster bombs” by B-2 stealth bombers, targeting three nuclear enrichment sites. A U.S. submarine fired cruise missiles in support.
It is no surprise that the Trump administration made the decision to join Israel in the attack on Iran. The U.S. was already involved, supporting and supplying Israel with military equipment and military intelligence to carry out this assault. Days before Israel launched its attacks, the Trump administration rushed a shipment of 300 surface to air missiles, which are used to defend against any counter attack. The strikes against Iran haven’t just targeted nuclear facilities, but have struck civilian areas and vital infrastructure including fuel depots, ports, and public buildings. So far over 950 Iranians have been killed.
The terror that the Iranians face from these attacks by the U.S. and its ally Israel is enormous. People across Iran are sheltering inside, awaiting new attacks, with dwindling access to supplies. They don’t know what could await them. These attacks come at a time when Israel, backed by the U.S., has also continued their genocidal assault on the people of Gaza, and their terrorism of Palestinian people in the West Bank.
The existence of the current regime in Iran has stood as an obstacle to the domination of the U.S. in the Middle East since 1979, when a popular revolution overthrew the dictatorial regime of the Shah of Iran. The Shah was put in power in 1953, when the CIA overthrew the government of the democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh, whose government posed a threat to U.S. and European interests throughout the Middle East.
The right-wing Islamic dictatorship that took power in 1979, and continues to rule, has stood in the way of the U.S. exerting its total dominance over the region. And with the U.S. wars on Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and more, the opposition to the U.S. by the Iranian regime has increased its influence in the region.
With their war on the Palestinian people and attacks on surrounding countries, both the U.S. and Israeli governments see this as an opportunity to bring the region under their control. The consequence is already horrific. And now it threatens to launch a war that extends beyond the region.
We have no reason to support this or their other wars on the people of the Middle East. It is true that a repressive dictatorship exists in Iran and in other countries in the Middle East. But Trump and Netanyahu have no right to change these regimes by waging wars. It is the regimes of Israel and the U.S. that are the greatest enemies of the peoples of the Middle East.
Their wars are a threat to us all. In the U.S., we have every reason to support the people of Iran, the Palestinian people, and people everywhere struggling to be free from oppression. We all share the same interests — to live as free people — free of the terror of war, free of oppressive regimes, hunger and an uncertain future.
In the U.S., we are in a position to have a real impact. The U.S. government spends more on war than any other government in the world. Its military bases span the entire world. It is our tax dollars that are used to wage these wars. It is our young people with few employment options who turn to the military for jobs and training.
Our future is linked with the majority of the people around the world. We must oppose those who wage these wars to extend their domination over the people and the resources of the world.
The Triangle, North Carolina: Community Fights Back Against Anti-Immigrant Legislation
Two anti-immigrant bills proposed by Republican state lawmakers were just vetoed by North Carolina Governor Josh Stein. SB 153 would have allowed state and local police officers to carry out immigration raids and HB 318 would have forced sheriffs to notify ICE before they release anyone in their custody whom ICE was seeking. Despite the veto, the fight is far from over. The veto can still be overridden. Plus, even if the bills are defeated it is naive to assume that the cops won’t cooperate with ICE.
The vetoes of these bills came after thousands of people, in Raleigh and throughout the state, have demonstrated against the terror of ICE raids. We cannot leave the safety of our communities to state legislatures or governors. We have to fight to defend our communities however we can.
Bay Area, California: Oakland Organizes to Support its Immigrant Community
In response to the ICE raids in Los Angeles and military assaults on its streets, organizers went into action to prepare for similar attacks in Oakland, and to start building toward a community-wide effort to protect immigrants.
One project to support immigrants in Oakland is pushing local politicians to increase funding for the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership (ACILEP) hotline, so that it can be made available 24/7. The ACILEP hotline is a service to report any interactions with ICE, so that sightings can be verified, and community members can be informed and protected.
Many are unaware of the hotline. Get the word out!
| Have you recently seen, interacted with, or been detained by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE)? Call the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership (ACILEP) Hotline: (510) 241-4011 Mon – Fri, 6:00am – 6:00pm |
Baltimore, Maryland: The Largest Protest in U.S. History
On Saturday, June 14—Donald Trump’s birthday—over 4,000 people demonstrated in Baltimore’s Patterson Park to protest Trump’s attacks on us.
The rally and march in Baltimore was one of hundreds of demonstrations across the country dubbed “No Kings Day” to protest Trump’s policies and authoritarianism. An estimated four to six million people participated, potentially making this the largest day of protest in U.S. history.
This is a step in the right direction, but we must go further. We must continue to gather our forces and organize. The rulers of this country want us divided against each other, not united against them. We must unite—people all races, nationalities, immigration statuses, genders, sexualities, ages, and other characteristics the bosses and politicians use to divide us.=
Newark, New Jersey: Disastrous Detention Center in Newark
Delaney Hall immigrant detention center, run by for-profit GEO Group, saw a small uprising among detainees last Thursday after days with little or no food and overcrowding. While details are unclear, reports are that detainees scuffled with guards after no lunch was served. During the melee, four detainees escaped by pushing or breaking through an external wall. The facility was not only violently mistreating its residents, it also clearly wasn’t even up to code! If the walls are that unsound, what are the conditions of the plumbing, kitchen and dining facilities, and who knows what else?
Since last month, dozens of people have gathered outside the entrance daily, protesting the conditions and the very presence of ICE detentions in Newark. ICE and GEO Group have begun transferring the prisoners to facilities in other states. Whatever happens in Newark, the inhumanity of the whole operation is clear.
