NJ Citizenry Appealing to Democrats in NJ Legislature for Peace as Democrats Prepare Legislation for War on Protected Speech
This Fightbackbetter editor is of the belief that if the Democrats in the New Jersey Senate pass Bills 1292 and 2937 and the Assembly Democrats pass the corresponding bills – it is tantamount to a declaration of war on a significant portion of NJ’s citizens and residents. Indeed the passage of these bills will likely lead to bloodshed on the streets and campuses of NJ as these bills if enacted will provide a pretext to ordering police and military action against the NJ folks whose strength in opposition to genocide grows every day.
The passage of these laws will be met with defiance – not acquiescence. The fraud of the perpetrators of the genocide against the Gazan people and the cover story that it is anti-Semitic to say that Israel and the United States – and the Democrats and Republicans who vote for these policies – are doing something wrong. What sort of dictatorship do we live under where the legislators have policies that they vote upon but it is illegal to say that it is wrong to vote that way? The kind that we have in the United States and in NJ – not under Trump – but under Democrats. (Before you say “Trump would be worse” let me say “perhaps but we know what the Democrats are doing now for sure.”)
There is no way to countenance supporting a party that would create this pretext for violence against the humanitarian portions of NJ who are calling for an end to US supported Israeli genocide. How do they expect us to respond when we see the results of these fascist laws in creating repression against our colleagues of every religion and ethnicity – who are dedicated to opposing genocide.
We tip our hat for all of those across NJ unified in defense of protected free speech rights in NJ – stay steadfast to try to prevent this declaration of civil war on NJ – but also be prepared to take next steps politically as well as in defense and support of those who are and will soon be facing growing repression under USA fascism.
The following are some of the resources about the coming fight over the next few days.
Thursday NJ Senate vote to move these declarations of war forward:
Defend our right to protest a genocide:
1. Email the committee members that will vote on the IHRA bills. Find a template in the one-click link in bio and customize it to say why the bills matter to you. If you already sent an email, ask three friends to send emails.
2. Call the committee members and ask them to oppose the bill.
Call Senator Beach (856-429-1572) and urge him to oppose bills S1292 and S2937. Tell him that the IHRA definition wrongly equates antisemitism with anti-Zionism and would curtail freedom of speech.
3. If you want to testify but are unable to join the hearing, create a video of yourself reading your testimony. Post on Twitter and tag NJ legislature leadership.
@NJSenDems
@SenPresScutari
@SenMTeresaRuiz
@njassemblydems
@SpeakerCoughlin
@lougreenwald
Email the written testimony to OLSaideSSG@njleg.org.
More actions in NJ:
Wednesday, June 19:
– Newark 12pm- Protest Cory Booker @paxchristinj
Thursday, June 20:
– Virtual 9am- NJ Legislature committee hearing on antisemitism bills
– New Brunswick 12pm- Board of Governors meeting (divestment) @sjprutgersnb
– Jersey City 5:30pm- We Are the Red Line rally @ceasefirenownj
Saturday, June 22:
– Collingswood 12pm- Weekly vigil @sjforgaza
Monday, June 24:
– Montclair/Zoom 7pm- Apartheid in Palestine discussion @jvpnorthnj
If Not Now resources:
https://linktr.ee/NoIHRAforNJ
