Sacramento Protest Against Ehud Barak and Gen. Tommy Franks

Sacramento Protest Against War & Occupation
By John Green
Socialist Worker correspondent

Two out-of-state killers visited Sacramento today, delivering speeches at the Metro Chamber’s “Perspectives” event.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak joined retired U.S. Army General Tommy Franks at the exclusive $185-a-person forum that also included right-wing comedian Dennis Miller.

But local activists didn’t let them off the hook. Thirty-five protestors assembled by 9 a.m. to pass out literature and express solidarity with Iraq and Palestine.

“Sacramento is not honored to have both of these criminals here,” Isma’il Kamal told Socialist Worker. “We’re protesting to bring attention to our side of the story.”

Gen. Franks led the recent U.S. invasion of Iraq that human rights groups have estimated took the lives of thousands of Iraqi civilians. Barak oversaw intensified expansion of illegal settlements and increased assassinations of prominent Palestinian leaders and activists.

Some of the mostly elderly, conservative crowd jeered us as “losers”, told us to “fuck off” and even tried to provoke a fistfight. But Tu Huynh was undeterred. She simply smiled and said, “I’m here to represent the underrepresented.”

Maragret Tipps of CSU Sacramento added that the demonstration was “one form of getting attention to the needs of Palestine.” Local television ended up interviewing several impromptu spokeswomen for our side.

International Socialist Organization member Sarah Barnes summed up the mood of the event saying, “I’m here to show my opposition to military occupations and violence towards the oppressed. And I won’t be silenced.”

Peace Action organized the demonstration, with members of Code Pink and Students for Justice in Palestine bringing out supporters.

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