DSA PDX BDS: Laurie Mercier speaks with Olivia Katbi, co-chair of the Portland Democratic Socialists of America, about the recent action by six Portland city councilors to launch a nationwide pledge of city councilors to investigate whether within city limits there is any manufacturing or transport of weapons bound for Israel, and any other complicity cities may have with Israel’s illegal occupation, apartheid, or genocidal violence against Palestinians. Since the federal government has failed to uphold its duty to prevent genocide and uphold respect for international humanitarian law, cities across the United States are mobilizing to ensure that local tax dollars and supply chains do not support criminal warfare. We also hear excerpts from the press conference held on October 17 with Portland councilors Sameer Kanal, Mitch Green, Angelita Morillo and Tiffany Koyama Lane; residents have sent thanks to councilors via this link.
Left & the Law & the National Guard: Portland is again in the national news now that an Oregon U.S. District Judge has been asked to remove her second restraining order blocking federal control of any National Guard troops in Portland. In a 2-1 ruling on October 20th, a panel from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the Trump administration. In their Left & the Law segment, Jan Haaken and Mike Snedeker take up the legal wrangling around deployment of Guard troops, the laws cited and opinions issued by various courts, and the implications of these cases for resistance to the Trump regime and federal mobilization of the military to control protests. They also discuss legal issues around tear gassing and pepper spraying of protestors at the ICE facility in Portland on the October 18th No Kings Day.