AIPAC, what  do these initials mean?
A Portal:  http://www.ThePortlandAlliance.org/aipac
 
The media—always soft on AIPAC—evidently blacked out yesterday’s protest, making Dan Handelman’s report
especially valuable.--MM
 
 
 
REPORT BACK:
"No War on Iran: Occupy AIPAC" rally

While you wouldn't know it from the mainstream media, a boisterous crowd 
of about 80 people flanked the sidewalks by the Mittleman Jewish Community 
Center Sunday evening to protest the American Israel Political Action 
Committee dinner being held there. AIPAC's terrible track record on 
Palestinian human rights and its current push for war on Iran were the 
main topics of signs and chants facing the folks heading into the dinner. 
The protest started at 4, the pre-dinner at 5, the dinner at 6, and the 
last folks left the protest site at 8 PM though the event was not quite 
over.

The protest signs, in coordinated red and black, said "Occupy AIPAC," "No 
War on Iran" and "Stop Funding Israeli Apartheid." Many, many drivers and 
passers-by honked and gave the thumbs up or a peace sign. A smaller number 
of folks used profanity and swore at the protestors, who generally 
responded by blowing kisses or otherwise "turning the other cheek."

While the protest has been going on for five years now, three things made 
this event different:
1) the organizers asked community members to contact elected officials 
ahead of time to propose that they not accept an invitation to the dinner;
2) the threat of war on Iran made for an arguably more focused and more 
broad message; and
3) along with the gatherings at the entrances and across the street from 
the Mittleman Center, there was a 12-foot tower of peace about 300 feet 
down Capitol Highway.

Here are photos facing east (1) and west (2):
http://www.pjw.info/occupyaipac1.jpg
http://www.pjw.info/occupyaipac2.jpg
http://www.pjw.info/occupyaipac3.jpg

Two people expressed interest in attending the dinner in order to get 
first-hand information about what was actually being said. But, like a 
secret society of sorts, the AIPAC folks rejected both the people despite 
their willingness to pay for tickets and go through the security 
checkpoint (metal detector and ID presentation) on the way in.

Among the elected officials spotted going into the event despite the 
contacts from the citizenry were:
--Sen. Ron Wyden, who reportedly hid his face on the way in, making him
resemble a wanted criminal heading into court (though he did wave at
the tower-sitters as he left at 7:10 PM);
--Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, who, like Wyden, reportedly made remarks to the
crowd;
--Secretary of State Kate Brown;
--Mayor of Beaverton Denny Doyle;
and,
--presumably (confirmation pending), City Commissioner Amanda Fritz.
(You may recall that organizers invited Fritz to the protest when she 
said she was attending the AIPAC dinner because she goes to any event 
she's invited to.)

It may be worth contacting those folks to let them know of your 
disappointment in them, as well as to ask what was talked about and 
whether they could let you know what they said if they spoke.

If you'd like to contribute at all, FYI while PJW was able to recoup most 
of the costs of building the tower, we came about $60 shy of breaking even 
when including the costs of building a temporary roof rack to transport it 
to the site. It was quite the eyeful, visible coming up the hill from 
Portland or down from the West side, people got the message: No War on 
Iran!

Thanks to all who helped make "Occupy AIPAC" a success.
--dan handelman
Peace and Justice Works
Iraq Affinity Group
PO Box 42456
Portland, OR 97242
(503) 236-3065 (Office)
iraq@pjw.info
http://www.pjw.info/Iraq.html



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