Palestine Tet – 42 – Old Geezers Join Jewish Youth in Denver Civil Disobedience for a Ceasefire

Mike Wilzoch, one of three old geezers being carted off to jail in a civil disobedience in support of an immediate ceasefire, calling for an end of Israel’s genocidal war against Gaza. The other two – Arnie Carter and Rob Prince

Legal defense fund – Please contribute.

1.

Front Range JVP’s Fundraising Statement

This past Sunday, a coalition of @DenverBoulderJVP and our allies put their bodies on the line to SHUT DOWN a major blvd outside the Jewish National Fund’s Global Conference for Israel to demand #CeasefireNOW!

The highway was shut down for 1.5 hrs and 15 people were arrested while 200 fellow protesters surrounded the group with prayers for peace and chanting “Ceasefire Now!” to raise awareness about the ongoing genocide in Gaza, funded by our government.

The devastation continues to increase in Gaza where an estimated 15,000 Palestinians, including over 6,000 children, have been killed. These are not just numbers. Each of them is an entire universe extinguished.

We are asking our community to support those who were arrested by giving to our bail fund here. For the next week, 100% of funds raised will go directly to our chapter (instead of 25% going to National JVP). This will go to ongoing legal support for these comrades, and any other individual or collective costs for past and future actions.

If you stand against genocide, please give today, spread the word, and show up to our next event. We must mourn the dead and fight like hell for the living. We will keep showing up to say NOT IN OUR NAMES until there is a ceasefire, and until Palestine is Free!

2.

Fifteen of us protesters were arrested, charged and released as a result of the civil disobedience. Bail was generously provided by Elizabeth Epp’s Colorado Freedom Fund , a most valuable resource. Virtually all of those arrested (except myself) will need funds for legal help. I urge those of you who can afford to do so to give generously. You can start by matching – or bettering – my $1000 contribution to the legal defense fund, the link of which is here, and both above and below on this blog entry. I will not touch a penny of this money. It’s for the others. I’m retired and can handle the legal expenses. Not so for the others.

Ever go to a mainstream Jewish Zionist fundraiser? They often raise tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of dollars in one sitting. It’s time we more mature (in age anyway) supporters of Jewish Voice for Peace and Not In Your Name show that we can and will match those contributions. Of course, give what you can …

Now is the time. No excuses, no bullshit.

These young folk are out there doing what many of us should have been doing long ago but didn’t have the moxy to do so. As is known, many, nay most, are living far more frugally than their parents. They have talent, compassion, extraordinarily good anti-racist politics, ie, already, great worldly experience none of which is marketable. Now is a good time, an opportunity to make amends for lives of gluttony, unbridled materialism, narcissism and psychologically studying navals.

It’s never too late!

3.

Mike Wilzoch qualifies easily, no questions asked, as an “official old geezer”.

Mike has led a lifetime of work for the common good, working with the United Farmworkers of American grape boycott back in the day, organizing for decades with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), opposing U.S. intervention in Latin America and always there when few others were and now when many more have joined in, to support Palestinian national rights.

Besides that he is one of the finest political writers I know of, a genuine talent and a way with words. Hoping we’ll see more of that in the period ahead.

No surprise he was a part of the mix when Jewish Voice for Peace asked for volunteers to engage in civil disobedience in support of Palestine, for an immediate ceasefire of Israel’s genocidal war against Gaza, and against the Jewish National Fund’s holding of a major conference in downtown Denver. among a flood of Jewish youth, organized by Front Range Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Not In Our Name, Wilzoch was there with Arnie Carter and Rob Prince – three old geezers – shutting down traffic on Speer Blvd and Champa Street, a main thoroughfare in Denver.

And shut it down we did … with the three arthritic musketeers shortly afterwards heading off  with a dozen young Jews to Denver’s main jail where the food was terrible but the company as good as it gets for eight hours or so of bad jokes, cooking tips, political tall tails from the 1970s, some local left history – all in all of fine day of social protest, friendship, kicking the powers that be in Colorado in the shins, or perhaps, a little bit higher. No we didn’t “shut down” the Jewish National Fund (JNF) shindig but in demonstration after demonstration, each bringing together thousands, we exposed the JNF for what it is: an integral element of Zionism’s program to ethnically cleanse Palestinians off of their land.

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