Peace Actions Galleries

Afghanistan - The BFP Spring / Summer 2009 Peace Campaign : Jun 3, 2009 We've been out on the streets of our neighborhoods beginning in June and extending through the summer. Our goal is to raise the question of the war in Afghanistan. Almost a TRILLION DOLLARS has been allocated by Congress to wage the disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Over 4,000 Americans have given their lives and countless tens of thousands of innocent civilians have lost their lives as well. While our financial criss deepens, Congress has no problem spending more and more to prolong these wars while urgent needs go wanting at home. The campaign will flood Congress' mail boxes with thousands of voters' postcards demanding an end to the wars and a redirection of priorities away from war spending and toward meeting the needs of of our poeple for jobs, affordable housing, decent schools and rebuilding our cities.

Afghanistan - The BFP Spring / Summer 2009 Peace Campaign

Jun 3, 2009 We've been out on the streets of our neighborhoods begi ...

Updated: Jun 14, 2009 7:15pm PST

Pedal For Peace, 2009. A UFPJ-NY Fundraising Ride : May 16, 2009 What started out as a cloudy, threatening-to-ride Saturday in May turned out to be a lovely day for a bike ride. The rain scared some people away. Though it was small in numbers, the spirit was high as riders, pedaling for peace in Iraq and Afghanistan, made their way from 110th Strreet in Central Park up through Harlem to Washington Heights and High Bridge Park. After a brief snack stop, we headed down Riverside Drive and returned to our starting point. Take a look at some pictures I took of this memorable event. - Matt

Pedal For Peace, 2009. A UFPJ-NY Fundraising Ride

May 16, 2009 What started out as a cloudy, threatening-to-ride Satu ...

Updated: May 16, 2009 4:07pm PST

Peace Is Still On The Agenda : Apr 5, 2009 Thousands marched on Wall Street yesterday. They demanded an end to the still-raging wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as a cut in the Pentagon war budget so that funds could be used to build a new economy - one based onpeace and human needs. The old model, based on war and greed has outlived its usefulness - the joblessness, home foreclosures, lack of decent health care and quality schools is proof enough of that! Here are photos of the thousands demanding change in the streets of New York City. Were you there?

Peace Is Still On The Agenda

Apr 5, 2009 Thousands marched on Wall Street yesterday. They demand ...

Updated: Apr 05, 2009 6:05am PST

Brooklyn Says No To Israeli Attacks On Gaza : Jan 14, 2009 Several hundred Brooklyn residents turned out on a bitterly cold night to stand in protest on the steps of Borough hall. They were there to demand an immediate cease-fire to the Israeli bombing campaign and invasion of Gaza. They were also demanding an end to their own country's complicity in supplying Israel with $3 billion of military weapons annually. And they expressed their anger at bills passed by Congress last week that continues the rejected and discredited Bush policies of confrontation and its one-sided approach to the Middle East, siding with Israel despite illegal settlements and military actions viewed by most of the world as illegal violations of international law. Speakers noted that it is U.S. F16 jets, Apache helicopter gunships and bunker-buster missile and armaments that are being used in hideous criminal attacks against innocent civilians seeking shelter in homes, schools, mosques and hospitals. While strenuously opposing Hamas' rockets aimed at Israeli civilians, the group, nevertheless, decried Israel's totally disproportionate response which has resulted in close to a thousand deaths and many thousands of wounded - one in four of those killed in Gaza are reported to be children! israel has used the might of one of the world's most powerful militaries against the Gaza Strip. Gaza is considered one of the poorest and most densely populated areas in the world and has no air force, anti-aircraft sytems or standing army to defend itself. This massive attack, posited as "self-defense" by Israeli leaders, is, in reality, a brutal collective punishment of the entire Gazan population, an act that is a violation of the Geneva accords. Left out of any discussion by the corporate media of the recent escalation of violence is any reference to the brutal, years-long siege of Gaza by Israel. The blockade has isolated the 1.5 million Gazans from the rest of the world as the Strip is surrounded by Israel and access to and from Gaza is blocked. Prohibiting the delivery of medicine, fuel, water and other necessities of life, Israel's cruel siege is, in itself, an act of war and has resulted in an increase in poverty and unemployment, a deterioration of health standards and malnutrition. This, then, is the engine that propels this war. End the siege and peace can be be achieved. Americas who value peace and security for all people in the region, must oppose Israel's war and demand an immediate cease-fire so that humanitarian assistance can reach the large numbers of injured. We must demand negotiations, not confrontation, to reach peace and justice. War and bombing will only result in more war, more suffering, more misery and more insecurity for Israel and more oppression for Palestinians. A letter to Congressmember Ed Towns, protesting his sponsorship of the pro-war House resolution on Gaza, was signed by many at the rally and delivered to his office by a delegation as the crowd dispersed. Participants were urged to call their respective members of Congress with their protests. Free calls to Congress can be made at (800) 828-0498.

Brooklyn Says No To Israeli Attacks On Gaza

Jan 14, 2009 Several hundred Brooklyn residents turned out on a bit ...

Updated: Jan 14, 2009 7:37pm PST

Fort Greene Peace Visits Ed Towns' Office : Jan 12, 2009 A delegation from Fort Green Peace visited the office of their Congressmember, Edolphus Towns. They were delivering the signatures of some 1100 constituents on a petition decrying Towns' sponsorship of a resolution that incites war with Iran. The resolution urged the Bush administration to organize a blockade of Iran, considered by most legal scholars as an act of war. Towns, who in the past has supported pro-peace positions on the war in Iraq, is retreating from similar peaceful solutions by his sponsorship of this resolution. In addition, he was a co-sponsor of, and voted for, the recent one-sided House resolution on the bombing and invasion of Gaza which the group feels iss in direct contradiction to the new polices of using diplomacy and negotiation as urged by the President-Elect. Towns' distrcit voted overwhelmingly for Obama who was widely viewed as the peace candidate in November's election. Yet Towns, with his support of these resolutions, is endorsing a path that is married to the pro-war policies that were defeated in that election. Speaking to Towns' aides, Chief Of Staff Albert Wilktshire and Legislative Director Jonathan Nobel(Representative Towns was in Washington though he had promised to meet directly with the gruop) the delegation urged Towns to listen to the voices in his community that were demanding an end to the Bush policies of fomenting war. They decried the $3 billion per year in military weapons and military aide that is going to Israel which is being used in deadly ways against defenseless civilians in Gaza. Here are photos from that meeting. - Matt

Fort Greene Peace Visits Ed Towns' Office

Jan 12, 2009 A delegation from Fort Green Peace visited the office ...

Updated: Jan 12, 2009 8:46pm PST

Pedal For Peace 2008 : May 31, 2008 Several dozen fundraisers got on their bikes in NYC's Central Park and biked 11 miles in United For Peace and Justice's Pedal For Peace. This was a fundraising ride to further the New York branch of the peace coalition's work. Even more would have participated but for the dire predictions of heavy rain. And rain it did, but till the ride was half over. Still, the spirit remained high and dedicated throughout and despite some showers, it was a very rewarding and fun-filled day. Take a look at the photos I took.

Pedal For Peace 2008

May 31, 2008 Several dozen fundraisers got on their bikes in NYC's Ce ...

Updated: Jun 02, 2008 7:09am PST

Brooklyn For Peace Fundraiser With Mike Farrell at Madiba May 26, 2008 : May 26, 2008 Friends, members and supporters of Brooklyn For Peace gathered at a Dekalb Avenue hot spot, the South African Madiba Restaurant. They came to dine, drink and socialize and to listen to actor and activist Mike Farrell (of TV's M*A*S*H) and author of a new book, Just Call Me Mike, talk about his views on questions of peace and social justice. These are issues dear to BFP members and friends as it continues to demand an end to the war in Iraq, to prevent a new war in Iran and to fight for a more just society at home.

Brooklyn For Peace Fundraiser With Mike Farrell at Madiba May 26, 2008

May 26, 2008 Friends, members and supporters of Brooklyn For Peace ...

Updated: May 27, 2008 7:39pm PST

The Fifth Annual Brooklyn Peace Fair : On Saturday, April 26, 2008 the fifth annual Brooklyn Peace Fair was held at the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University. Jointly sponsored by Brooklyn For Peace and the Student Government Association of LIU, the fair attracted hundreds of people from all over the borough and beyond. Close to one hundred organizations had tables displaying their literature and wares and workshops were held on varied topics such as the role of the media, the Iraq war, the connection between the enviornmental degradation and war and police attacks against youth of color. Performers sang, danced and spoke. Featured speaker, Debbie Almontaser, the recent victim of a right-wing smear attack, losing her job as principal of the newly established Khalil Gibran Institute, was greeted warmly by the fair attendees. Borough President Marty Markowitz greeted the Peace Fair and brought a proclamation to present which declared the date as Brooklyn Peace Day.

The Fifth Annual Brooklyn Peace Fair

On Saturday, April 26, 2008 the fifth annual Brooklyn Peace Fair was h ...

Updated: Apr 28, 2008 8:44am PST

Four Thousand Lives Later : March 25, 2008 - on the day after the 4,000th U.S. soldier died in Iraq, hundreds of New Yorkers held a vigil in Union Square to silently mourn the dead.

Four Thousand Lives Later

March 25, 2008 - on the day after the 4,000th U.S. soldier died in Ira ...

Updated: Mar 26, 2008 5:10am PST

When I Came Home - the problems of homeless veterans. : Saturday, December 15, 2007. *** PLEASE CREDIT ALL PHOTOS BY MATTHEW WEINSTEIN *** A diverse group of Brooklyn residents crowded into the historic Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church on Saturday for a film screening and panel discussion. They came to watch a powerful new documentary, “When I Came Home,” by film maker and director, Dan Lohaus, which dramatically exposes a national scandal that is unknown to many Americans: the tragedy of homeless veterans of America’s wars. The problem of homelessness is on the increase as soldiers, returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan, find themselves struggling to reintegrate into society, fighting in vain for promised veteran's benefits and, unable to get a job or affordable housing, find themselves cast onto on the streets of America’s towns and cities. The meeting was jointly sponsored by Black Veterans for Social Justice, Fort Greene Peace and Brooklyn For Peace (formerly Brooklyn Parents For Peace) and was a memorial tribute to Mr. Ricky Singh, Vice-President of Black Veterans for Social Justice, who passed away recently at an early age. Mr. Singh was a dedicated champion of veterans’ rights who worked closely with returning Brooklyn soldiers. He is shown in the film which follows the tribulations of returned Iraqi soldier, Herrold Noel, a homeless vet living out of his car, child in tow, suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Noel battles uncaring politicians and a bureaucratic and underfunded veterans’ system that has failed to deliver promised benefits to America’s returning soldiers. After the film there was a lively discussion. A panel of veterans and peace activists took questions from the audience which included many veterans as well. The panel included Wendy McClinton and Cedric Smith, both veterans and leaders of Black Veterans for Social Justice, who shared the challenges they confronted on returning home from service. Dan Lohaus, the film’s director, described the difficulties and rewards in making the film and his memories of veterans’ defender, Ricky Singh. David Tykulsker, Vice Chair of Brooklyn For Peace talked about the targeting, by the military, of poor and working-class youth, particularly in communities of color, for the purpose of recruiting them for war. “The same government that sends them to battle”, he said, “then cuts their benefits when they return after they’ve used them abroad to fight their immoral wars.” He concluded “that it’s not an accident that veterans have to fight for benefits that they’re entitled to. It’s part of the same disease of the increasing militarization of our society. We see the Bush administration plundering our national treasure to the tune of a half-trillion dollars for the war in Iraq while, at the same time, this President is vetoing health care for children.” He urged those in attendance to step up the pressure on Congress and the Senate, in particular. “We must demand that they resist Bush’s latest demands for even more money for his endless wars.” For more information: NORA GORDON, Brooklyn For Peace, bfp@brooklynpeace.org (718) 624-5921 + + + +

When I Came Home - the problems of homeless veterans.

Saturday, December 15, 2007. *** PLEASE CREDIT ALL PHOTOS BY MATTH ...

Updated: Dec 15, 2007 10:06pm PST

Visions for Peace in Israel - Palestine. : The Israel-Palestine committee of Brooklyn For Peace held the first in a series of forums entitled Visions for Peace in Israel-Palestine ."The Media and New Developments in the Israel-Palestine Conflict" On Sunday, November 18, 3 to 5 pm, over 140 people gathered at St. Francis college in downtown Brooklyn to hear Palestinian and American journalists discuss the prospects for Middle East peace, expectations for the U.S.-initiated Annapolis conference, and the ways in which old and new media frame the issues. Speakers were Daoud Kuttab, award-winning Palestinian journalist; Director, Modern Media Institute at Al Quds University in Ramallah, West Bank; currently a visiting professor at Princeton University and Larry Cohler-Esses who joined The Jewish Week of New York, the country’s largest Jewish paper, as its Editor-At-Large in summer of 2005. The moderator was Joshua Friedman, Director of International Programs, at the Columbia School of Journalism and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting . Questions and discussion followed the presentation of the speakers.

Visions for Peace in Israel - Palestine.

The Israel-Palestine committee of Brooklyn For Peace held the first in ...

Updated: Nov 19, 2007 10:28am PST

CBID Town Hall on the Iraq War Nov 4, 2007 :

CBID Town Hall on the Iraq War Nov 4, 2007

Updated: Nov 05, 2007 12:44pm PST

Brooklyn Peace Vigils on the 4th Anniversary of the Iraq War : Brooklyn residents turned out on Monday night, March 20, 2007. They stood silently with candles lit to mark the fourth anniversary of the Bush debacle in Iraq. The came to bear witness for the young lives cut short and the terrible destruction wreaked on a poor and innocent country. Here are photos from two of those vigils - Borough Hall and Strong Place in Cobble Hill.

Brooklyn Peace Vigils on the 4th Anniversary of the Iraq War

Brooklyn residents turned out on Monday night, March 20, 2007. They st ...

Updated: Mar 20, 2007 7:48am PST

BPFP Vigil on Death of 3,000th US Soldier in Iraq : January 1, 2007 - the 3,000th U.S. soldier to die in Bush's immoral war. This, not to mention, the tens of thousands wounded and maimed and the countless thousands of innocent Iraqis, victims of a war based on lies and deceptions and oil greed. Brooklyn Parents For Peace held a candlelight vigil at Grand Army Plaza to express the horror, sadness at this terrible loss of life; to express solidarity with our troops by demanding their safe and speedy return home and by calling upon Congress to take action now to end the debacle in Iraq.

BPFP Vigil on Death of 3,000th US Soldier in Iraq

January 1, 2007 - the 3,000th U.S. soldier to die in Bush's immoral wa ...

Updated: Jan 03, 2007 8:21am PST