Category: War and Peace

This Saturday, May 18th, 2024 at Noon in Ocean Beach !!

Come join a growing number of your friends and neighbors, 45 folks last Saturday, our largest group yet, standing out on a busy corner in Ocean Beach, demanding a CEASEFIRE in Gaza, and demanding that the U.S. stop providing Israel with weapons that have already killed 32,000+ Gazans.

This weekly demonstration, organized by the San Diego Veterans For Peace and the progressive women’s group, Code Pink, will mark the sixteen consecutive Saturdays at the same location,

The following was a talk given at a May 4, 2024 march in solidarity with Palestine in Olympia, Washington, and updated May  14.

By Peter Bohmer

Student movements have played a major role in radical history and revolutionary struggles.  For example, France in May 1968 began with a student strike and then spread to worker occupation of many factories. They didn’t win their demands although they gained substantial increases in student rights and wages.

On May 4, 1970, 54 years ago from the day of this demonstration, four students were killed at Kent State University for protesting the US invasion of Cambodia by the Ohio National Guard. 

Come out This Saturday, May 11th, 2024 at Noon in Ocean Beach !!

This weekly demonstration, organized by the San Diego Veterans For Peace and the progressive women’s group, Code Pink, will mark the fifteen consecutive Saturdays at the same location, corner of West Point Loma Blvd and Sunset Cliffs Blvd

By Frank Gormlie

In my book, The May 1970 Rebellion – about the  height of the anti-Vietnam war movement, I discuss “outside agitators.” Here’s an excerpt:

From college administrators, mayors, local politicians and governors to the President of the United States, the real instigators of all the violence and turmoil were the outside agitators, the Weathermen, professional instigators and rioters.

For example, Kentucky Governor Louie Nunn blamed “outside agitators” and “professionals” for the disturbances at the University of Kentucky. At Ohio University Athens and at the University of Minnesota in Duluth, outside agitators were blamed for the violence.

The May Rebellion of 1970: It Hastened the early withdrawal from Cambodia and the End of the Vietnam War

By Frank Gormlie

The month of May 1970 was the very height of the anti-Vietnam war movement — and I just wrote an entire book about that fateful month, The May 1970 Rebellion. Here, then, is an excerpt from an earlier edit.

The May Rebellion changed America and changed American politics forever – both in the immediate sense and over the ensuing decades.

A contact of the Rag’s at UC San Diego has just informed us that the situation on campus appears that law enforcement is preparing to shut down the Palestine solidarity encampment.

The encampment — now in its 5th or 6th day — consists of some 50 tents and is mainly near the Geisel Library.

Students at UC San Diego have settled into their encampment of support for Palestinians in the Middle East, near the Geisel Library. And due to the protest, UC San Diego officials announced the cancellation of the annual Sun God Festival that was scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 4.

The UCSDivest Coalition is demanding a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. Among the group’s other demands is a call for the university to divest from all of its Israeli financial interests.

Meanwhile, Jewish Faculty and Students at UCSD just released a statement of solidarity with the campus protest.

Every Saturday at 10:30 am. Climate Mobilization Coalition Meetings May 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th.  Keep up-to-date on climate issues and Climate Action events. To register email Jon Findley at  jon@climatemobsd.org.  More info: https://www.facebook.com/SDClimateMobilization/

Every Saturday 12 pm – 1 pm Peace Vigil for Palestine: Advocate for Peace and Justice in Gaza and Everywhere Join CODEPINK SD, San Diego Veterans for Peace, and Palestine Pals every Saturday at 12:00 pm on the plaza corner of Sunset Cliffs Blvd. and W. Point Loma Blvd., entry to Ocean Beach, San Diego. Wear pink and bring a peace-related poster if you have one! Contact: Nathanael · nathandw@riseup.net

May 1st to May 31st Bike Month 2024! Events by San Diego County Bike Coalition Bike Month is our favorite time of the year!  For list of events and more info:  https://sdbikecoalition.org/event/bike-month-2024/

1300 Arrests and Calls for National Guard to Deal with Palestinian Protests Echo May 1970 Rebellion and Kent State Murders

Whether I submit to it or not, because I’ve just finished writing a book about the height of the anti-Vietnam war movement over 50 years ago, I am now an expert on the era that brought us the Kent State massacre and the first national student strike of May of 1970.

The reports of up to 1300 arrests nation-wide of pro-Palestinian protesters, up to 2 dozen college campuses undergoing protests, numerous building take-overs and encampments, clashes between police and students, threats to bring in the National Guard and now claims of “outside agitators” — all echo what happened during the high-water mark of the decade long movement against the US wars in Southeast Asia.

As pro-Palestinian protests have erupted on college campuses nationwide, protesters — including students and faculty — have been arrested. The protests grew after an encampment on the campus of Columbia University in New York City led to the arrest of more than 100 protesters on April 18.