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May 17, 2024

This May 15 was the 76th Anniversary of the Nakba (Arabic for “Catastrophe”), when 750,000 Palestinians were driven out of what would become the state of Israel. This is the underlying cause of the ongoing crisis in Palestine.

May 19 will mark the 99th anniversary of the birth of Black Liberation leader Malcolm X and the 134th anniversary of the birth of Vietnamese Liberation leader Ho Chi Minh.

HUNDREDS OF VCU GRADS WALK OUT ON GOVERNOR YOUNGKIN

May 11 was graduation day at Virginia Commonwealth University and the graduates gathered at the Greater Richmond Convention Center for their big commencement ceremony. Opening remarks were given by Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos and VCU President Michael Rao. But as the commencement speaker, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, began his address, hundreds of students stood up and silently walked out of the building in protest. Gathering outside, they were joined by a march of supporters chanting against academic censorship, the “politicization of education,” outrage at the university’s cooperation with city and state-sanctioned violence against its own students to end a peaceful pro-Palestinian protest and and its refusal to address divesting from companies that do business with Israel. As stated in a letter to the Board of Visitors by the VCU NAACP, “The intimate collaboration between VCU and Governor Youngkin raises significant questions about the University’s commitment to inclusivity and belonging.” (Read The Virginia Defender’s coverage HERE.)

The VCU student walk-out received local, national and international news coverage: Al-jazeera – The Guardian – BBC – Washington Post – NPR – Richmond Times-Dispatch

PROTESTERS MARCH ON VIRGINIA-ISRAEL ADVISORY BOARD

Ignoring the rain, dozens of pro-Palestine protesters marched to the State Capitol May 14 to draw attention to the existence and role of the Virginia-Israel Advisory Board, the only state agency specifically set up to promote trade with a particular country. (Read MORE.)

PALESTINE SUPPORTERS AGAIN PACK RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL, DEMANDING A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION

Supporters of a free Palestine again packed Richmond City Council chambers May 13 to demand that council pass a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. One of those who spoke in favor of the resolution was Dionne DiBlasio-Lenassi. Listen to her remarks HERE.

AS ASSAULT ON RAFAH INTENSIFIES, ‘GENOCIDE JOE’ PREPARES TO SEND ISRAEL $1 BILLION IN TANK AMMO, TACTICAL VEHICLES & MORTAR ROUNDS

The Associated Press is reporting that, according to three Congressional aides, the Biden administration is planning to send more than $1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel. This is after Biden announced he was “pausing” the delivery of 3,500 one-ton bombs because of concern they could be used against civilians in the current Israeli siege of Rafah. According to the AP, the new package will include “… about $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds … .” In other words, just the kind of things that would be used in a ground operation. The hypocrisy of this administration knows no limits.

ANTI-GENOCIDE ACTIVISTS DELIVER OPEN LETTER TO SENATOR TIM KAINE

On May 6, more than 100 people marched from Richmond’s Monroe Park to the downtown office of Senator Tim Kaine. Their goal was to deliver an Open Letter calling on the powerful Democratic leader to pledge to oppose any more funding for Israel and to publicly support the thousands of university students across Virginia calling on their institutions to divest from Israel. This was an important action, coming just a week after the VCU administration called in hundreds of cops to break up a peaceful pro-Palestine encampment. (See the above article.) The day after the police action, Kaine voted to send another $26 billion to the genocidal Israeli regime. (Read the Open Letter with endorsers HERE.)

VCU CALLS IN COPS AGAINST PEACEFUL PROTESTERS

At about 8:30 on the evening of April 29, Virginia Commonwealth University put out an alert that a “violent protest” was taking place on the campus of the state’s largest public university. There was violence, but it wasn’t from the protesters, who had set up a modest encampment on the lawn outside Cabell Library. No, the violence was from the VCU, Richmond and Virginia State Police, in full riot gear, who attacked a line of students chanting against the cops who were ransacking their encampment. (Read MORE.)

VCU BOWS TO YOUNGKIN PRESSURE ON RACE LITERACY COURSES

One day after taking office in January 2023, Governor Glenn Youngkin made good on his promise to eliminate all state-level DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) programming.

Late last Friday afternoon, May 10, student and faculty advocates for Virginia’ Commonwealth University’s Racial Literacy initiative were heartbroken when the VCU Board of Visitors voted 10-5 to oppose the Racial Literacy mandate they’d worked so hard to bring to reality since the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020.

“… removing this course to placate the political agenda of our governor compromises the legitimacy of our mission that states that our University: ‘Strives for intellectual truth with responsibility and civility, respecting the dignity of all individuals.’ Excluding this Racial Literacy course, designed to promote truth and dignity of all, causes this part of the mission to ring hollow.” Excerpt from VCU NAACP letter to the VCU Board of Visitors, President Michael Rao and Rector Tom Haymore

Click HERE for the full story, including links to the VCU NAACP letter, the BOV meeting recording and more.

ODESSA SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN WEBINAR MARKS 10th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ODESSA MASSACRE

This May 2 marked 10 years since a mob led by openly fascist organizations murdered scores of progressives by driving them into the House of Trade Unions in Odessa, Ukraine, and setting the building on fire. Each year, the Odessa Solidarity Campaign, founded by the Virginia Defenders, has promoted local actions around the world to commemorate the victims and educate people about the true nature of today’s Ukrainian state. This year, the OSC sponsored a webinar featuring four U.S. antiwar activists who have traveled to Ukraine and explain why they oppose U.S. support for Ukraine in its current war with Russia. To date, the webinar has been viewed more than 2,300 times. Please take advantage of this unique opportunity to educate yourself about another of the ongoing U.S.-backed wars. (View the webinar HERE.)

UPCOMING EVENTS

FRI., MAY 17 – NORFOLK – RETURNING CITIZENS TRANSFORMATIVE AND EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT – 5-8 pm, Slover Library, 3rd Floor Reading Room, 235 Plume St., Norfolk. The Defenders will have a literature table – drop by and say hello!

Sun., May 19 – D.C. – AFRICAN LIBERATION DAY/PALESTINE (NAKBA) DAY – Noon – 6 pm, Malcolm X Park, Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (General Command). Information: https://www.a-aprp-gc.org/

Sun., May 19 – ROANOKE – PLOWSHARE-PROGRESSIVES POTLUCK – 6 pm, Roanoke Quaker Meetinghouse, 505 Day Ave., Roanoke. “An opportunity for activist groups and individuals in southwest Virginia to gather and get to know each other. A joint effort of the Tree of Life Church and Plowshare Peace Center. Website: https://plowshareva.org/

MON., MAY 20 – RICHMOND – COURT SUPPORT FOR THE I-9 DEFENDANTS – The nine individuals arrested March 11 for blockading Interstate 95 will appear in court this Monday, May 20, at 10 am. The group says their action was motivated by the desire to force the topic of Israel’s assault on Gaza into the mainstream, which it certainly did. The I-9, as they are being called, and other community members have asked that people show up for court support to show solidarity as they fight to have all charges dropped by Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin. (Fun fact: McEachin was a member of the VCU Board of Visitors from 2014 – 2017. At the time, she was an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney under Michael N. Herring. Both CAs were known for their reluctance to prosecute police officers, no matter how grievous the misconduct.) To join the court support: 10 am Monday, May 20, at John Marshall General District Court, 400 N. 9th St., downtown Richmond.

Thurs., May 23 & Sat., May 25 – HENRICO COUNTY – CONVERSATION SERIES TO DISCUSS AND EXPLORE THE ISRAEL/PALESTINE STRUGGLE – Sponsored by the Henrico County Branch NAACP. Information: See the above graphic.

Sat., May 25 – NORFOLK – ANNOUNCING FORMATION OF HAMPTON ROADS PALESTINE SOLIDARITY COALITION – 5 pm, Town Point Park, 1 Waterside Drive, downtown Norfolk (Next to Nauticus.)