Green Party Congressional Candidates Protest AIPAC Funded Nellie Pou Paterson HQ Opening
On October 12, NJ 9th Congressional District Democratic Party candidate Nellie Pou opened her campaign headquarters in Paterson, NJ. Pou, like her predecessor Bill Pascrell, is an AIPAC-financed candidate. The city of Paterson, NJ has the highest per capita Palestinian-American population of any city, at roughly 7%. Two Green Party candidates protested outside the headquarters. Lily Benavides is the Green Party candidate for NJ 11th Congressional District, and Ben Taylor is the Green Party candidate for NJ 9th Congressional District. Paterson is the largest city within the 9th Congressional District. FightBackBetter’s editor joined these candidates to turn up the heat on Pou’s AIPAC-funded campaign. The candidates draped a Palestine flag over their shoulders and held signs in front of a Nellie Pou campaign banner stating, “AIPAC Pays Nellie’s Rent,” “D9 for Palestine,” and “Paterson Reject AIPAC.”
The Pou campaign and her DNC allies are touting her as the first woman Latino candidate running for US Congress in NJ. However, Lily Benavides of the Green Party (who is challenging Mikie Sherrill, a “CIA Democrat” and genocide supporter) also fits that description. She explained how she is different from Nellie Pou:
“The first difference is that I am from the Green Party and we are not funded by AIPAC or any other Super PAC or corporations. We also run for the people and by the people.” Lily Benavides Green Party D-11 for US Congress
Answering the same question, Ben Taylor stated that he also does not take AIPAC money. Ben explained that he is opposed to the occupation and the genocide in Gaza. He also warns of the expansion of the genocide into Lebanon. Ben said he is, “protesting because AIPAC should be a red line for everybody.” He continued by stating that it is completely shameful for Pou to try to represent the largely pro-Palestine Paterson community. Instead, he urges a coordinated effort to, “put someone in [NJ CD-9] who would not take money from AIPAC, and who will stand up against genocide.”
Explaining the difference between her position and Pou’s on the topic of the Israeli occupation, Lily Benavides stated, “I support this [Palestinian] community that is struggling in so many ways. The main thing is that we support Palestine and we are against the genocide, being paid for with our taxes. Families are massacred, kids . . .’
When asked about the influence of AIPAC funding on candidates, Lily Benavides stated, “That’s why we need election reform. We should not let politics be controlled by money, especially money from foreign entities like AIPAC.”
When asked about the impact of AIPAC on questions of protected free speech rights, Ben Taylor stated, “. . . H.R. 6090 in the US House is an obvious violation of first amendment freedom of speech. Beyond that, I think it’s a contradiction to try to say that standing up for Palestine . . . could possibly be ‘anti-semitic.’ [H.R. 6090] is an act that AIPAC wants to pass so that they can criminalize these types of protest . . . criminalize speaking out for Palestine . . . and against the occupation.”
Lily Benavides had this to say about the AIPAC and Democrats attempt to eliminate our protected free speech rights around criticism of Israel: “IHRA was first created for the Trump Administration to let the states decide, right? But then it was tried to be implemented . . . by the Biden administration. So that means they are unified. They do the same thing all over again. That’s against our freedom: freedom of speech, freedom of expression. Why couldn’t we say that Israel is a terrorist state? Why couldn’t we wear a keffiyeh? It’s just a symbol of Palestinians.”
Israel had transformed thousands of tech devices into bombs in Lebanon, causing thousands of injuries, including many eye and head injuries, and killing dozens. Lily Benavides explained Mikie Sherrill’s position of feigning concern while continuing support for the policies that promote Israeli terrorism. Lily states that Sherrill, “wrote some statement that she was feeling sorry for what happened, but that was it. ” Lily also stated that if we don’t do something about what is going on over there, “that is what is going to happen here next. We are next!”
Note: Some of the sound of this interview was warbled by the wind and background noise – we conducted this presence in front of several dozen Pou campaign supporters. Twice in this video you can see their campaign workers trying to move us away – but we ignored their attempt and did what we came to do. Green Party Congressional candidates Ben Taylor, NJ CD-9 and Lily Benavides, NJ CD-11 answer questions about AIPAC, campaign financing, and Nellie Pou and Mikie Sherrill’s (Democratic Party candidates in the two districts respectively) support for genocide. They also discuss clear fascist, Trump-era efforts by the Democratic Party to remove our protected free speech rights when it comes to criticizing Israel (in the form of IHRA bills).
In both of the following photos, Nellie Pou looks visibly upset with the sight of the Palestine flag and protesters raining on her genocide AIPAC parade. All genocide-supporters trying to gain (and use) power to support Israel must feel the wrath of the relentless taunting, in support of an end to genocide and a FREE PALESTINE!
