FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Paula Kahn, [email protected], 818-667-8800
When: Thursday, April 13th, 2017 10 am
Where: La Placita Olvera, across from Union Station on Alameda
This week activists across the U.S. are rising up for Yemen by calling for an end of U.S. weapons sales and airstrikes, a silencing of all guns, a negotiated settlement to the war in Yemen and humanitarian aid for the millions of Yemenis facing starvation. On April 13th, CODEPINK will join the Los Angeles interfaith community, migrant, and labor justice leaders to tell ICE to stop tearing families apart. Participants will gather at La Placita Olvera at 10 am and will march to another location for an interfaith ritual action in observance of the traditions of Passover, Maundy Thursday, and other participating faiths (prophetic action may follow past practices of resistance of Gandhi and Dr. King).
CODEPINK will be present to connect the ban on immigrants and refugees to the war zones, terror, and forced migration U.S. militarism creates.
“The populations the U.S. government is banning from entry, or trapping in immigrant detention centers that compare to concentration camps, or deporting- are people from countries the U.S. has been involved in militarily- countries the U.S. is accountable for war crimes and for upholding governments that violate human rights. Yemen is one of the Muslim majority countries listed in the Trump Administration’s ban on immigration while simultaneously has been subject to more drone strikes in the past three months than in 2016. The US creates war zones abroad and locally through the militarization of refugee communities within US borders. We are accountable locally to refugee communities and internationally to populations in war zones,” says CODEPINK campaign manager, Paula Kahn.
These actions coincide with a week-long vigil and fast in front of the United Nations by peace activists calling for peace in Yemen and standing in solidarity with its civilian population. In D.C., activists will be at the Saudi embassy and White House. In the Bay Area activists will dedicate a weekly vigil for drone victims to those in Yemen. The Trump Administration faces accountability for war crimes as more rise for Yemen. “Stop the bombing; Stop US support to the Saudi regime, and let humanitarian aid in!” is our call.
