[NYTr] Intl Womens day-Urgent Appeal - Women in Black, Thu 3/8 Union Sq, NYC

[nytr at olm.blythe-systems.com]

sent by Andy Pollack - Mar 6, 2007

see below; urgent appeal to support Women in Black against racists,
this Thursday, 3/8/07 Union Square NYC


URGENT APPEAL & Warm Invitation (!) from WOMEN IN BLACK

Before the disturbing situation at this past Thursday's Women in Black 
Union Square vigil, we had intended to send a special invitation for you 
to join us on March 8 in recognition of International Women's Day (see 
below.) But this past week the counter-demonstrators who have been 
dogging our vigil for some time now became much more aggressive, and we 
must, in addition, urgently appeal to you for reinforcements.

1. RACIST COUNTER-DEMONSTRATORS MORE THREATENING:

For the past few years, ever since the police stopped the right-wing
counter-demonstrators from harassing our Women in Black vigil, the
right-wingers have held their activities across 14th street, at the
"Virgin Megastore. A ridiculous little man held up a tattered orange
sign saying "God Gave Israel to the Jews," and a woman gave out
leaflets.

Some months ago they crossed over to our side of 14th street. They
began running after any passerby who took our leaflet, and insisting on 
giving them their leaflet, saying something about "reading the other
side of the story." Initially their leaflet reproduced an article by
Meir Kahane titled "There is No Palestine; There Are No Palestinians." 
Now they refuse to allow us to see their leaflet.

This past Thursday four guys showed up with prepared signs: "From the 
River to the Sea, The Land of Israel Must Be Free. Arabs Out Now; It 
Doesn't Matter How." The other sign captioned "The Real Road to Peace" 
showed a cartoon of a house, with a sign inside it saying "Palestine" 
--crossed out. As has been typical of right-wing harassers of Women in 
Black in Israel, they directed sexist insults at one of our members as 
she handed out our leaflets.

WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP. There were 4 of them, and only 7 of us (4 
women and 3 men.) PLEASE MAKE A SPECIAL EFFORT TO SHOW UP ON THURSDAY, 
MARCH 8 AT 14th Street and Broadway, 5:30-6:30.

2. CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY WITH US. No special program, but 
we do want to recognize in our leaflets and by our presence the 
importance of March 8, the international day of women's resistence. 
Having begun in the early 1900s in working women's strike for labor 
rights, International Women's Day became a world-wide struggle for 
suffrage, labor rights, and peace, currently recognized by governments 
around the world and officially observed by the United Nations. Women in 
Black is part of this proud and courageous history of women marching, 
striking and standing for peace, justice, and equality.