Tuesday, November 14, 2023

At opposite ends of the US, advocates demonstrate for Israel, labor and the environment

MARC RAMIREZ, USA TODAY
November 14, 2023 

Massive demonstrations are ongoing or imminent on opposite sides of the country this week as the world’s business leaders convene in California and supporters of Israel take to the streets in the nation’s capital.

Here's what to know.

World's economic leaders convene in San Francisco


In San Francisco, demonstrations were planned around the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s 2023 Economic Leaders Week event, which started Saturday and runs through Nov. 17. Government leaders of APEC’s 21 global member economies, which account for nearly half of global trade, will gather to discuss policy priorities aimed at ensuring “an interconnected, innovative and inclusive” Asia-Pacific region.


A silk-screen poster collective offering free posters at a protest march and rally on Sunday, November 12, 2023 in San Francisco against the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. The event runs from November 11 through 17th and features leaders from 21 member economies discussing trade and business.

The event will include a much anticipated face-to-face between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden, and Biden will chair what has become one of the world’s most significant economic summits, with subgroups of finance ministers and foreign and trade representatives hosted by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Trade Representative Katherine Tai, respectively.

More than 20,000 attendees are expected, and the event is expected to disrupt traffic, parking and public transportation patterns throughout areas of the city where the venues are located. Most will take place at the Moscone Center downtown.

Sunday, the No to APEC coalition conducted a “people’s counter summit” and along with Oil and Gas Action Network has demonstrations planned throughout the week. Neither group responded to USA TODAY inquiries about the protests, but an Oil and Gas Action Network spokesman told NBC that about 200 organizations are expected to visit the city in support of causes ranging from climate justice to labor rights.

“We must continue to respond to the push for neoliberal globalization across the Global South, especially Asia and the Pacific,” No to APEC said on its Instagram account.

The group has criticized APEC member economies for trade practices that it says suppress wages, force migration, plunder natural resources and destroy the environment while maximizing corporate profit.

Security bolstered with federal designation


Last month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security designated the APEC summit a National Special Security Event based on its significance, size and attendees, ensuring considerable federal resources would be deployed to put in place a robust security plan.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen welcomes Treasurer of Australia Jim Chalmers at the start of a bilateral meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit on November 12, 2023 in San Francisco, California. The APEC Summit is currently taking place through November 17. (Photo by Loren Elliott / AFP) (Photo by LOREN ELLIOTT/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. Secret Service said local security measures have also been heightened for the duration of the gathering. The area around the Moscone Center, for instance, will be fully locked down.

“While an event of this size will undoubtedly impact the people of San Francisco, the goal of the Secret Service and our law enforcement and public safety partners is to provide a secure environment while minimizing impact and inconveniences to residents and businesses,” said Jeremy Brown, the Secret Service’s APEC Summit coordinator assistant special agent-in-charge.

San Francisco’s emergency operations center said city leaders have been cooperating with the Secret Service, U.S. State Department and the White House to minimize public impact as much as possible.

San Francisco police have established areas beyond the secure zones “to ensure balance between the rights of individuals to exercise their First Amendment rights with public safety and event security.”

William Scott, San Francisco’s chief of police, said the entire force has been mobilized for the summit.

“Our message is simply this,” Scott said. “People are welcome to exercise their constitutional rights in San Francisco, but we will not tolerate people committing acts of violence, property destruction or any other crimes.”

Israel supporters to gather in Washington


Meanwhile, at the National Mall in Washington demonstrators will assemble Tuesday afternoon in support of Israel at an event organized by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

The March for Israel is described as a chance to gather in solidarity with the Israeli people and demonstrate commitment to “America’s most important ally in the Middle East” while condemning rising antisemitic violence and harassment and demanding the safe release of 240 hostages Israel says are being held by Hamas and other militant groups.

Members of the Jewish community and supporters of Israel attend a rally calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas, in Times Square, New York on October 19, 2023. The US intelligence community has estimated there were likely 100 to 300 people killed in the strike at the Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza, according to excerpts of a document seen October 19, 2023 by AFP -- far fewer than the nearly 500 deaths that health authorities in the Hamas-ruled enclave originally described.More

In response to queries about what preparations the department was making for the march, Sgt. Adrian Channer, a spokesperson for Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department, issued a statement.

“The Metropolitan Police Department is working closely with our local and federal partners to ensure safety and security surrounding First Amendment activities planned for Tuesday,” it said. “MPD does not provide specifics on operations, tactics or staffing.”

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas was sparked when Hamas militants breached the border and killed more than 1,400 mostly civilian Israelis on Oct. 7, taking hostages. Israel has since refused requests for a humanitarian cease-fire until the hostages are released.

Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry says Israeli offensives have killed more than 10,500 Palestinians.

“Israel must eliminate the terrorist threat on its border and restore safety and security to its people,” Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, said in a press release. “…. As patriotic Americans, we will gather on the National Mall to ensure that the entire world knows that America supports the people of Israel in its time of need.”

'We rely on other communities'

William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents, said the march represents an extension of the group’s work defending the interests of Jewish people in the U.S. and abroad.

“Hamas’ brutal and ongoing acts of terror have no place in a civilized world and directly undermine global efforts to seek just and lasting peace in the Middle East,” Daroff said. “It’s imperative that America sends a resounding message of support to our ally that we stand in solidarity with the victims, hostages and their families.”

Among the groups that will be participating in the march is Maccabi USA, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that promotes Jewish pride and community for Jewish youth and young adults through athletic and cultural enrichment opportunities.

An Ultra-Orthodox Jewish man walks outside the walls of the old city of Jerusalem, on which are projected pictures of the hostages abducted by Palestinian militants on the October 7 attack and currently held in the Gaza Strip, on Nov. 6, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas.

Dan Kurtz, the group’s senior director of strategic initiatives, said Maccabi USA’s involvement reflects a Jewish tradition of standing up for disenfranchised and marginalized groups but is especially crucial given a recent spike in antisemitic incidents.

“It’s also important because the answer to combatting any bias, whether it’s antisemitism or racism or bias against sexual preference, is never solely within the community itself,” Kurtz said. “We rely on other communities. So the march is an opportunity to put names and faces to the problems that the Jewish community is facing now – and hopefully to win some allies.”

The event, he said, also offers an opportunity to reclaim a sense of community for Maccabi alumni who may reside in places where there are small Jewish populations.

“In moments like this, where the Jewish community feels by and large that we’ve been abandoned by allies and peers, that organizations we stood up and marched for and with have turned their backs on us, it can be isolating and scary and make young people feel very alone,” Kurtz said. “It’s important for us to be at the march to give our alumni the opportunity to connect with the larger Jewish community.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Across US, activists march for Israel, climate health and labor rights

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