Please watch and then share this PSA Announcing April 7 Newark NJ Protest
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Contact Bob Witanek 908-881-5275
April 7 will be the fourth monthly “antiwar” protest in 2021 by a collective of organizers and individuals in NJ. Ecuador has been a theme at the last two such events during February and March. The next monthly protest falls on April 7, just 4 days before Ecuador’s run off election. There is great danger of US, OAS and other foreign attempts to undermine the hopes of the Ecuadorean people to follow a democratic process. That is why the monthly event on April 7 will again be dedicated significantly to send a message to the US not to attempt to impose fraud, intimidation or a coup against the democratic process in Ecuador.
Meanwhile in Haiti the US is supporting the repressive and corrupt dictatorship of Jovenal Moise who seems bent to bring back the “President for Life” days of the Duvalier era – he has refused to cede at the end of his term and is trying to rewrite the constitution to allow him to stay in power.
Many thousands of Haitians, angered by the theft of generous aid to the Haitian people from Venezuela by Moise and his predecessor Martelly – together they engineered millions of dollars stolen in the PetroCaribe scandal., have been in the streets demanding elections and the removal of Moise. There have been numerous protesters killed by point blank tear gas canister shootings and snipers that are perched and picking off protesters. US is supporting the dictatorship of Moise which was focus of a protest on March 26 at the same site of this planned protest – which will also feature Haiti as a primary focus.
According to Jean Astrel, a member of Voices of Haitians Living Abroad, “It is very important for our Haitian community, and all those who believe in democracy to participate in this important protest to make sure our democracy as per the 1987 Haitian Constitution is respected. We will not return to the “president for life” days of the Duvalier era!”
The activity is serving as a point of unity for various national struggles whose nations and peoples are beset by problems caused by interference, militarization, sanctions and violence due to intervention of United States and its allies on behalf of corporate interests.
Hugo Orosco, a Guatemalan journalist and supporter of indigenous democratic forces in his native nation will speak to the issue: “The way I see conflict impose by the imperial intervention is one struggle with many Fronts, from Guatemala to Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan. I stand in solidarity with all the struggles of liberation, demanding an end to the blockade of Cuba and Venezuela, and for the end of the imperial intervention in Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, in solidarity with the people of Honduras, Haití, Guatemala.”
Representing the effort of Bolivian people who have had to wage a protracted struggle to overcome a US backed usurpation – a coup d’etat that brought massacres to the Bolivian people, Oscar Zurita states “We will defend human rights and demand justice for the massacres perpetrated by the US supported Golpista one-year junta. We demand justice for our 38 brothers who fell in the fight for democracy – a fight in which we are victorious and will not relent.”
Madelyn Hoffman of the Green Party of NJ who continues to challenge for US Senate from a peace platform points out the closeness of the date of this event, April 7, to the date that Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. “It has been decades since violence shattered the dream of Dr. King and the US continues to shatter the dreams for freedom and democracy in places like Haiti and Ecuador, among others in Latin America, Asia and around the world. I have a feeling this will be a large protest and urge everyone to update their calendar right now for April 7, 5:30 pm, One Gateway, Newark, NJ.”
Speakers include (list in formation):
Bob Witanek #NJAntiWarAgenda
Jean Astrel of Voices of Haiti Living Abroad and other members of Haitian community
Lisa Davis of Black is Back Coalition
Madelyn Hoffman of NJ Green Party
Hugo Orosco, Guetemalean journalist
Oscar Zurita, representing Bolivian struggles
Representatives of struggles of Ecuador, Colombia and other nations and other representatives of movements and struggles within USA.
All Invited to Join the
Protest to Demand Non-Interference from US and OAS and fo Support Democracy in Ecuador!
Wednesday, April 7, 5:30 pm
1 Gateway, Newark NJ
For Information or to endorse and represent: 908-881-5275
NJ’s antiwar forces, including #NJAntiWar Agenda, Green Party of New Jersey, Black is Back Coalition, Youth Eco-Socialists, Party for Socialism and Liberation and other organizing forces have aligned these events with the #World4DemocracyinEcuador Call to Action. This effort encourages organizations and individuals throughout the US and world to join, organize and support actions demanding that the US and the OAS NOT interfere with the electoral process in Ecuador.
Hopefully this important action can encourage other formations around the US and world to endorse on to this statement and to organize additional activities as part of this effort.
You can use this design and pop in your own text and contact information to make it easier to organize local protests and rallies for Ecuador with a nice visible banner.
Leveraging the full potential of this event toward the effort to support democracy in Haiti and Ecuador
Flier can be printed from this link – please print and distribute at any event you attend before April 7:
A concerted effort between now and April 7 – we should be able to draw 100 people out on this virtually the eve of Ecuador’s elections.
We need to do a strong effort to reach out to Ecuador community in NJ and NYC to get a strong turn out. We should also reach out to those connected to other national struggles in NJ area and to all groups to make a show of force. Particularly we need to assure that the Haitian community is included and welcomed to also call for US to stop supporting the repressive dictatorship there.
Hopefully we can get strong organizational and individual commitment to do the extra organizing work. Effort should be made to have the event announced from blog and organizational sites as well as to be frequently shared. Of course remember the personal approach – old school – is often the most effective way to engage greater participation.
You can share this link with all of the associated action information as follows:
https://fightbackbetter.com/2021/04/02/april-7-pr/
To share the video PSA for this event:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuEGzRAx7bw&ab_channel=FightBackBetter
A list in formation of events that are part of this action call
PSA: Organizing Protests in Support of Ecuador / Banner Making Support
We can help you get your own banner designed and to the shop. Once you have a banner printed – you will HAVE TO organize some protests to make the demands of US government to keep HANDS OFF ECUADOR!
For banner help, text 908-881-5275 ASAP!
Join the fightback – Here are the groups and initiatives organizing around this issue:
You can use this design and pop in your own text and contact information to make it easier to organize local protests and rallies for Ecuador with a nice visible banner.
