Update on Iranian protests

Fierce Planet Posted on by

From Sept. 20, this is the first video I saw from the protests in Iran.

A report from Arash Azizi at Newsweek:

Iran’s Regime May Have Just Sparked a Revolution

On Sept. 17, Mahsa’s funeral in her native Kurdistan province was accompanied by massive protests which soon spread all over the country with slogans that targeted not just the hated morality police but the entire Islamic Republic of Iran. The favorite “death to the dictator” slogan, aimed at Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, made a comeback, while a new positive slogan was also heard: “Women, Life, Freedom.”

At the time of writing, four days have passed, and the protests show no sign of stopping. They’ve happened in more than 40 cities and at least 19 out of 31 provinces of the country. This makes them the largest protests since 2009. Iran is, once more, in the throes of a nation-wide mass movement with a clear aim of confronting the brutal Islamist dictatorship. Already iconic images are emerging out of the movement that will help define its brazen courage: A woman with a burning scarf in one hand and a stone in another who is wearing a casual shirt with open buttons; another with a pink backpack and green-dyed hair, casually confronting half a dozen uniformed police; a woman in wheel-chair taking off her hijab and burning it to the chants of “we are all in this together.” This is a women-led revolution.

For anybody who follows Iran, the fact that women are leading the movement comes as no surprise. Popular footballer Ali Karimi spoke for many when he predicted that Iran’s next Kaveh (a national mythical hero) will be a woman. Although it might sound like a cliche, many Iranians have long known the women of the country to be a key hope for change….

If the regime has survived this long, it is thanks to the sheer brutality it has unleashed on the people, as well as the lack of a coherent alternative. Having repressed all elements of civic or political opposition, it has repeatedly drenched popular protests in blood: In 2009, in 2017-18 and in 2019-20. But any use of force has its limits. What is already noteworthy about the 2022 movement is people are fighting back with more ferocity than ever before. During the 2009 movement, non-violence was the rule. This time around even Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi reminded the people that they had a right to legitimate defense against oppression….

And an update from Jason Rezaian at the Washington Post What’s happening in Iran? Here’s what people there are saying. (gift article, should get you past the paywall).

ETA:

Iranian state-organised marchers call for execution of protesters

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Protests against dictators around the world

Fierce Planet Posted on by

As I return home, the world is in a state of turmoil in many places. I like to think that these uprisings against authoritarian regimes will continue and spread, but we know of course that such uprisings often get suppressed and the people who engage in them may end up dead or in prison. Which only highlights the incredible courage of those people who have taken to the streets this week in Russia and Iran.

In many ways it’s easy for me to be an activist, though I’ve had moments in my life where I felt quite scared to speak out, to protest, to potentially be arrested. But as a white woman, fairly good with language and with many friends and legal connections even when I was young, I’ve been in a more-or-less safe situation. Now, as an old white woman with a decent supply of resources, I am even more secure.

But we have to remember that many, many people in this world — people I consider allies in the broadest sense — put their lives on the line any time they march in the street or hold up a sign. Even as I write this, people around the world are dying for their rights, for freedom to live as they wish, or freedom to live at all.

As Putin refuses to admit that his war against Ukraine is a failure, he begins to escalate. He has now conscripted hundreds of thousands of Russian men and forced them into combat. He has threatened the world with nuclear war if his more conventional efforts fail. The people of Russia, at least in Moscow and St. Petersburg, have taken to the streets in protest.

From the BBC, this report:

Ukraine conflict: Russia arrests hundreds at anti-war protests

Russian police are reported to have arrested hundreds of protesters rallying against the Kremlin’s decision to call up thousands of extra troops to fight in Ukraine….

Flights out of Russia sold out fast after Vladimir Putin’s announcement.

Russia’s president ordered a partial mobilisation, meaning some 300,000 military reservists – but not conscripts – will be drafted to bolster Russia’s forces who have suffered recent battlefield reverses in Ukraine.

The move came a day after occupied areas of Ukraine announced snap referendums on joining Russia.

And in remarks condemned by Ukraine and its allies, Mr Putin stressed that he would use “all available means” to protect Russian territory – implying this could involve nuclear weapons.

And from Al Jazeera, a report that Putin may force those arrested into combat as well. I’m not sure this is his smartest strategic move.

Anti-war protesters in Russia reportedly handed draft papers

More than 1,000 people have been arrested across Russia, according to a local monitoring group, following protests against Moscow’s partial mobilisation order on Wednesday.

Independent news outlets said some of those arrested were served a summons to report to military enlistment offices on Thursday, the first full day of conscription.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked about reports that men detained were being given draft papers, said it was not against the law.

 

Film clips from Moscow and St. Petersburg:

 
And of course we have reports of deaths.

There are also large protests happening in Iran, in response to what seems to be the murder by police of Mehsa Amini, a young woman detained on morality charges — they claimed she had not covered herself well enough to be on the streets. Currently the nation is under an internet shutdown and it’s hard to get reliable information, but there are reports that police have been shooting protesters here as well. I’ll have more as I find out what’s happening. The courage of the citizens in these totalitarian states is awe-inspiring.

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The Ukrainian advances around Kharkiv

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Over the past few days Ukrainian forces have moved swiftly, regaining several towns and a lot of land near Kharkiv. It is possible that this will be decisive in turning this war around at last. At the very least, Russian forces are looking very weak. From what you’ll read below, it is clear that Ukraine itself has no intention of stopping while Russians still occupy their land, but how Putin might react to these events is still uncertain.

Faster and Furiouser: Ukraine’s Forces Take Back Kharkiv Oblast and More

…the narrative in Ukraine has changed in huge way over the last six days. What initially looked like a push into southern Ukraine by its own forces turned into a blazing two-front counteroffensive with the eastern front cutting off Russia’s critical supply route from Belgorod north of the Russian-Ukraine border to the cities of Kupiansk along the Oskil River and Izium. The appearance of a push along a single southern front may have been effective information warfare.

The tweet below includes a GIF showing the ground taken back over the last week…

As always, Adam Silverman over at Balloon Juice provides excellent daily updates.

And winter is on the way. In response to the Ukrainian advances, Russian is heavily targeting gas and electrical infrastructure in the area. Last night, President Zelenskyy responded in this way:

He also said this:

Ukraine will fight to the end: Zelenskyy’s Independence Day vow

“We don’t care what army you have, we only care about our land. We will fight for it until the end,” Zelenskyy said in a video address on Wednesday, which also marks six months since the Russian invasion began.

“We have been holding strong for six months. It’s tough but we have clenched our fists and we are fighting for our destiny,” he said.

“Every new day is a reason not to give up. After such a long journey we do not have the right not to go on to the end.”

Referring to Russia, he said: “We will not try to find an understanding with terrorists”.

And there’s also this, reported today:

Putin reeling as elite marine unit mutinies and troops prepare to ‘surrender’ in Kherson

Putin cornered could be very dangerous still.

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Good news from Michigan

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In an earlier post I pointed out that Michigan’s state legislature had intervened against the will of the electorate and refused to allow abortion rights to be enshrined in the state. Today the Lege was overruled by the state Supreme Court and the measure will be on the ballot after all.

It’s not over yet, as there needs to be a final vote, but at least it seems like the voters will have their say.

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Election details

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Here’s another source of detailed information for both national and local elections. Daniel Nichanian of Bolts Magazine always has some of the best real-time information right through election day. Here’s an example focused on this very week.

What to Watch in the Primaries from September 6 to September 13

…Here are 29 races that Bolts is watching on Sept. 6 (in Massachusetts), and Sept. 13 (in Delaware, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island), as prepared by Bolts editor Daniel Nichanian. More may be added to our cheat sheet through Election Day.

Check back on Election Night as we fill in each result in the second column….

If you want to follow the mid-terms closely, you really should sign up for the Bolts newsletter. I read it always.

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Fired up

Fierce Planet Posted on by

This matches what I see/feel around the mid-terms this year (gift link, will get you through the paywall for a while).

Women Are So Fired Up to Vote, I’ve Never Seen Anything Like It

…once the actual Dobbs decision came down, everything changed. For many Americans, confronting the loss of abortion rights was different from anticipating it. In my 28 years analyzing elections, I’ve never seen anything like what’s happened in the past two months in American politics: Women are registering to vote in numbers I’ve never witnessed. I’ve run out of superlatives to describe how different this moment is, especially in light of the cycles of tragedy and eventual resignation of recent years. This is a moment to throw old political assumptions out the window and to consider that Democrats could buck historic trends this cycle….

 
And we should be fired up. You know when the Court murdered Roe v. Wade, so many people said it will all go to the states now? Maybe the people will decide whether they want their state to keep reproductive rights legal? Look at Michigan, where citizens recently passed a measure to maintain abortion rights, and the legislature simply refused to allow it to proceed.

Michigan election board rejects abortion rights initiative

A Michigan elections board on Wednesday rejected an abortion rights initiative after its two Republican board members voted against putting the proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot….

Michigan’s 1931 law — which abortion opponents had hoped would be triggered by a conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade in June — remains blocked after months of court battles. A state judge ruled Aug. 19 that Republican county prosecutors couldn’t enforce the ban, saying it was “in the public’s best interest to let the people of the great state of Michigan decide this matter at the ballot box.”…

 
Trigger laws have gone into effect in three more states. This is why we have to focus more clearly on elections for state legislators as well as on national offices.

In conclusion, let’s listen to Jemele Hill. And then vote, and get everyone you know to vote as well.

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Good morning!

Fierce Planet Posted on by

Not sure this Biden speech will change many minds, but I am so glad he said what he did. It’s a moment in our country’s history that deserves recognition, and the danger must be named. I think he named it well, and judging by all the fainting and whines today, other people think so too.

 
I haven’t posted much recently because I’ve been busy. In addition to writing up my thoughts on the midterms, with a reference guide to the most important Senate races, I spent a couple of days following virtual sessions of Netroots Nation 2022. I live-tweeted a bunch of screenshots and recapped the panels I watched. I think all the live-streamed panels are available at that YouTube link, and next week I’ll write up a recap of my #NN22 experience.

The next weekend I spent entirely absorbed in ARMY’s Global Streaming Battle of the Eras, which was a blast. I was on #TeamHYYH of course, as I am still quite involved in thinking about the Bangtan Universe material. I spent several hours over two days recapping old videos set in the BU, as part of a hashtag battle. (My team won that portion of the fight, but alas, #TeamLY won the overall Battle.) A good time was had by everyone, near as I could tell.

I still have my notes for a potential Bangtan Universe essay, but I’m afraid I won’t get back to that until after the mid-terms. Maybe sometime, though. Those thoughts are still alive for me.

Bunny cakeAnd of course ARMY celebrated JK Day on Sept. 1, the birthday of Jungkook of BTS. I saw a number of fundraising initiatives that were created in his honor. One raised funds for at-risk children in Korea. Another was funding menstrual supplies for people in parts of Africa. Others went by with details I didn’t catch.

And separately, ARMY charity accounts were raising money for survivors of the terrible floods in Pakistan. It’s nice to see people do good things in the world.

I’ll leave you with these very true words from Greg Sargeant at the Washington Post (gift link, no paywall), about the Biden speech yesterday.

MAGA Republicans are seething with rage because Biden hit his target

…That’s a call for Americans to defeat Trump and MAGA in a manner that is peaceful and democratic. Biden is saying that an anti-MAGA majority exists in this country that can and must mobilize to stabilize our system.

And the idea that this majority is out there and exists for the rousing — well, that’s what enrages Republicans most of all.

 
Remember to check your voter registration, everyone. Some states are stripping voters from the rolls for no reason at all.

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The 2022 midterms are now

Fierce Planet Posted on by

The mid-terms are coming up fast and the political situation in this country is in flux. I want to focus on the key races that will help us hold, or perhaps even expand, our Senate majority. That’s looking very possible right now, even though the more traditional election forecasters still rate most of these races as toss-ups at best. I don’t have to tell you how important this election is. I honestly believe the future of our nation depends on holding the line this year and in 2024.

I’m focusing here on Senate races that need to be top priorities as we seek to increase our hold on that body. Covering the House races requires more time than I have to give, so for that, and for all the down ballot and state races that are so important, I would send you to the Elections Team at DailyKos. Ballotpedia is also a rich source of candidate and election information generally.

You may not live in the states where these Senate candidates are campaigning, but there are plenty of ways to get involved from a distance. If you have cash of course you can donate. You might check to see how much cash on hand each candidate has in order to target campaigns that might be lagging. Open Secrets has that information available.

You might look into an initiative called Give Smart, which can help you target donations. There was a lot of frustration the past couple of cycles that large amounts of cash ended up with candidates who really weren’t going to win. This effort tries to correct that.

And the good folks over at Balloon Juice are targeting these Senate races and as a group will aggregate donations to the candidates. They are always a good source of information for taking action.

If you have time more than money, there are several groups that pull together Get Out The Vote campaigns using letters, post cards, and/or texts. Most are affiliated with different branches of Swing Left, Vote Forward, or local Indivisible groups. Generally they target campaigns to voters who might vote occasionally but may not vote regularly. They will have a list of names in targeted states and districts, and some ideas about what to say.

Whatever campaign you choose, please consider getting involved in these efforts. Now is the time to get everyone on board for the elections in November.

Having dumped all that information on you, let’s look at the Senate races we have the best chance to win. Three of these are incumbents, and those must be our highest priority. I’ve included links to their web sites and a general assessment of the race as judged by the usual election prognosticators such as The Cook Report. Most of the experts have had these races as toss-ups at best, and mostly leaning to Republicans. Much of this is because mid-terms usually swing against the party in power, plus the fact of Biden’s poor polling this past year.

But I can feel the change in the electorate and its mood as this Administration has begun to pass at least early forms of initiatives that are very important to Democrats and those of us on the left. And of course the gutting of Roe v. Wade through the Dobbs decision has changed everything. I think myself that we have a strong chance of holding the Senate this year, and at least a small chance of holding the House too. We shall see.

And the candidates to work for are…

Continue reading →

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