{"article":{"id":223915,"heading":"Local Groups Join Forces to Oppose Gaza Offensive","author":"Strangest Dream","created":"2009-01-17 22:32:28","modified":"2013-11-11 00:59:40","last_modified":"Mon, 11 Nov 2013 08:59:40","article":"<p>January 15, 2009: On the 80th birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., about 17-18 activists gathered in front of  the downtown L.A. Federal Building to protest the offensive against Gaza. <br><br> The speakers, all of whom spoke passionately and eloquently, included John Parker of the International Action Center, Hank Jones of the San Francisco Eight, Dedon Kamathi of KPFK's Freedom Now (<a href=\"http:\/\/kpfk.org\/programs\/100-freedom-now.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/kpfk.org\/programs\/100-freedom-now.html<\/a>), and Margaret Prescod of KPFK's Sojourner Truth and part of the weekly vigil for kidnapped Haitian activist Lovinsky Pierre-Anoine. (See: <a href=\"http:\/\/la.indymedia.org\/news\/2008\/05\/217447.php\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/la.indymedia.org\/news\/2008\/05\/217447.php<\/a>. This vigil went on hiatus this week to support the victims in Gaza, as did its sister vigil in London.) <br><br> During the speeches, it was noted that world opinion is against Israel's attack on Gaza&mdash;except here in the U.S., thanks in large part to our infotainment which passes as news.  <br><br> It was also said that Israel, in addition to occupying Palestine, also occupies the U.S. Congress. <br><br> Also, this event was characterized as an important show of solidarity by African Americans for the Palestinians. The speakers underscored a need for people in the black diaspora to become concerned about people of color around the world, including Gaza--rather than just worrying being Americans. These speeches were the most intense and moving I had witnessed in a long time. <br><br> The event piqued the interest of passersby, several of whom stopped to read\/take our literature. <br><br>  <br>  <br> <\/p>\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","summary":"Demonstration at the Federal Building in downtown L.A.\r\n","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazalargebanner.jpg","filesize":"1.1 mebibytes","article_url":"\/news\/2009\/01\/223915.php","image":{"original":"\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazalargebanner.jpg","small":"\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazalargebanner.jpgthumb.jpg","medium":"\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazalargebanner.jpgmid.jpg"}},"attachments":[{"id":223916,"heading":"Protesting the violence in Gaza","article":"","author":"Strangest Dream","parent_id":223915,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2009-01-17 22:32:29","modified":"2009-01-17 22:32:29","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazabloodysign.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazabloodysign.jpg"}},{"id":223917,"heading":"Hank Jones of the San Francisco 8. (KPFK in the foreground)","article":"","author":"Strangest Dream","parent_id":223915,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2009-01-17 22:32:29","modified":"2009-01-17 22:32:29","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazahank.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazahank.jpg"}},{"id":223918,"heading":"Margaret Prescod","article":"","author":"Strangest Dream","parent_id":223915,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2009-01-17 22:32:29","modified":"2009-01-17 22:32:29","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazamargaret.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazamargaret.jpg"}},{"id":223919,"heading":"John Parker (KPFK in foreground)","article":"","author":"Strangest Dream","parent_id":223915,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2009-01-17 22:32:29","modified":"2009-01-17 22:32:29","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazajohnparkerkpfk.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazajohnparkerkpfk.jpg"}},{"id":223920,"heading":"Dedon Kamathi  of KPFK's Freedom Now","article":"Freedom Now is on every Tuesday a 8pm and is not to be missed.","author":"Strangest Dream","parent_id":223915,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2009-01-17 22:32:29","modified":"2009-01-17 22:32:29","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazadedon.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazadedon.jpg"}},{"id":223921,"heading":"Speaking out against world-wide opression","article":"","author":"Strangest Dream","parent_id":223915,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2009-01-17 22:32:29","modified":"2009-01-17 22:32:29","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazalovinskycontingent2.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazalovinskycontingent2.jpg"}},{"id":223922,"heading":"Protesting oppression--from Oakland to Palestine","article":"","author":"Strangest Dream","parent_id":223915,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2009-01-17 22:32:30","modified":"2009-01-17 22:32:30","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazaoaklandtopalestine.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazaoaklandtopalestine.jpg"}},{"id":223923,"heading":"&quot;Save Lives with Peace&quot;","article":"","author":"Strangest Dream","parent_id":223915,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2009-01-17 22:32:30","modified":"2009-01-17 22:32:30","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazasaveliveswithpeace.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazasaveliveswithpeace.jpg"}},{"id":223924,"heading":"Another demonstrator","article":"","author":"Strangest Dream","parent_id":223915,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2009-01-17 22:32:30","modified":"2009-01-17 22:32:30","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazapaintedfacesign.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazapaintedfacesign.jpg"}},{"id":223925,"heading":"Close-up of sign","article":"","author":"Strangest Dream","parent_id":223915,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2009-01-17 22:32:30","modified":"2009-01-17 22:32:30","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazacardboardsigncu.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2009\/01\/gazacardboardsigncu.jpg"}}],"comments":[]}