https://socialistaction.org/2019/11/08/bay-area-tours-venezuelan-embassy-protectors/
Bay Area tours Venezuelan Embassy Protectors
Socialist Action / 9 hours ago
By Nick Baker
Three Venezuelan Embassy Protectors toured the Bay Area earlier this
month in an eight-event, seven-city tour. Kevin Zeese, Margaret Flowers,
and David Paul were three of the last four Embassy Protectors remaining
in the Venezuelan Embassy when police broke down the embassy doors and
arrested them. They stayed in the embassy for 37 days to prevent it from
being taken over by the fake government of U.S.-backed coup plotter Juan
Guaid??.
The Embassy Protectors spoke to large, enthusiastic audiences throughout
Northern California during the whirlwind five-day tour, organized to
rally support for the demand to Drop All Charges and raise money for
their legal defense. They talked about the occupation, the U.S.
government???s trumped up case against them on the ludicrous charge of
???interfering with the protective functions the state,??? and the
importance of opposing U.S. imperialism???s attacks on Venezuela with the
demands U.S. Out Now! and Self-Determination for Venezuela!
Initiated by Socialist Action, the tour was sponsored by the Embassy
Protectors Defense Committee and co-sponsored by 25 other national and
Bay Area organizations, including the United National Antiwar Coalition,
BAYAN-USA, Task Force on the Americas, Veterans For Peace, Committees of
Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism, and others. The events were
held in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Berkeley, Santa Rosa, and
Sacramento.
The four Embassy Protectors are being threatened with one year in jail
and fines of $100,000 each. Shortly after the tour, the U.S. government
also arrested journalist Max Blumenthal and Ben Rubinstein on made up
charges meant to persecute and intimidate those who oppose the U.S. coup
effort in Venezuela.
On April 10, after would-be coup leader Juan Guaid?? and his ???ambassador???
Carlos Vecchio had taken over the Venezuelan United Nations consulate
and the Military Attach?? office, the Embassy Protection Collective began
staying at the Venezuelan Embassy. They did so with the permission of
the Venezuelan government and stayed alongside the remaining Venezuelan
diplomats, until all diplomatic staff were forced to leave the country
by the U.S. State Department on April 24.
The Embassy Protection Collective hung 30 posters in the embassy???s
windows telling the story of the U.S.-orchestrated coup effort, hosted
forums inside the embassy on the history of U.S. imperialism, and held
anti-coup rallies in front of the embassy.
A reporter from Socialist Action visited the embassy at the time and
interviewed two embassy protectors for an article published in the June
issue of this newspaper.
Supporters of the failed coup gathered outside of the embassy, shouting
racist, sexist, and homophobic slurs at the Embassy Protectors. Kevin
Zeese described how the coup supporters attacked activists who arrived
to bring food to the besieged embassy, including even 77-year-old Jesse
Jackson, while D.C. police and Secret Service looked on. Cops shut off
power and water and joined with pro-coup groups to block the embassy
entrances so that food and water couldn???t be delivered. People who tried
to throw food to the Embassy Protectors were arrested and charged with
???throwing missiles,??? including Veterans For Peace president Gerry
Condon, who was brutally attacked and bloodied when Secret Service
jumped him and slammed his face into the pavement.
The Embassy Protectors held out for 37 days until May 16, when the cops
broke down the doors and arrested the last four remaining Embassy
Protectors (Zeese, Flowers, Paul, and Adrienne Pine) in order to turn
the embassy over to Juan Guaid?? and the coup plotters. Venezuelan Deputy
Foreign Minister Carlos Ron denounced the arrests and evictions as
violations of international law and affirmed that the Embassy Protectors
???were there with our permission.???
Drop all charges against the Venezuelan Embassy Protectors! Drop all
charges against Max Blumenthal and Ben Rubinstein! U.S. Hands Off Venezuela!
To support the Embassy Protectors legal defense, go to
DefendEmbassyProtectors.org
Share:
???Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
???Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
???Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
November 8, 2019 in Uncategorized.
Related posts
Jeff Mackler for U.S. president in 2020: Socialist Action campaigns for
socialism
Two Venezuelan embassy protectors speak out
U.S.-backed revolt fails in Venezuela
Post navigation
??? Mass anti-capitalist protests rock Chile
Chicago teachers divided over strike settlement ???
Get Involved!
Donate to help support our work
Get email updates
Join Socialist Action
Search for articles
Search
Subscribe to Our Newspaper
Newspaper Archives
Newspaper Archives Select Month November 2019?? (4) October 2019 (7)
September 2019?? (12) August 2019?? (14) July 2019?? (10) June 2019?? (14)
May 2019?? (12) April 2019?? (12) March 2019?? (13) February 2019?? (10)
January 2019?? (16) December 2018?? (12) November 2018?? (15) October 2018??
(10) September 2018?? (8) August 2018?? (12) July 2018?? (13) June 2018??
(11) May 2018?? (19) April 2018?? (15) March 2018?? (17) February 2018??
(14) January 2018?? (13) December 2017?? (13) November 2017?? (13) October
2017?? (16) September 2017?? (15) August 2017?? (16) July 2017?? (17) June
2017 (16) May 2017?? (17) April 2017?? (14) March 2017?? (13) February
2017?? (19) January 2017?? (13) December 2016?? (12) November 2016 (19)
October 2016?? (12) September 2016?? (10) August 2016?? (10) July 2016??
(14) June 2016?? (14) May 2016?? (9) April 2016?? (12) March 2016?? (14)
February 2016?? (8) January 2016?? (11) December 2015?? (11) November 2015??
(9) October 2015?? (8) September 2015 (10) August 2015?? (7) July 2015??
(13) June 2015?? (9) May 2015 (10) April 2015?? (12) March 2015?? (9)
February 2015?? (11) January 2015?? (10) December 2014?? (12) November
2014?? (11) October 2014 (9) September 2014?? (6) August 2014?? (10) July
2014?? (11) June 2014?? (10) May 2014?? (11) April 2014?? (10) March 2014??
(9) February 2014?? (11) January 2014?? (11) December 2013?? (10) November
2013?? (11) October 2013?? (17) September 2013?? (13) August 2013?? (10)
July 2013?? (11) June 2013?? (15) May 2013?? (14) April 2013?? (14) March
2013?? (12) February 2013?? (10) January 2013?? (17) December 2012?? (7)
November 2012?? (8) October 2012?? (19) September 2012?? (2) August 2012??
(27) July 2012?? (18) June 2012?? (3) May 2012?? (19) April 2012?? (14)
March 2012?? (17) February 2012?? (19) January 2012?? (17) December 2011??
(3) November 2011?? (33) October 2011?? (14) September 2011?? (13) August
2011?? (34) July 2011?? (24) June 2011?? (19) May 2011?? (19) April 2011??
(15) March 2011?? (15) February 2011?? (15) January 2011?? (15) December
2010?? (17) November 2010?? (1) October 2010?? (6) September 2010?? (3)
August 2010?? (8) July 2010?? (7) June 2010?? (2) May 2010?? (10) April 2010
(3) March 2010?? (8) February 2010?? (3) January 2010?? (9) December 2009??
(6) November 2009?? (5) October 2009?? (16) September 2009 (3) August
2009?? (2) July 2009?? (5) June 2009?? (2) May 2009?? (7) April 2009?? (6)
March 2009?? (16) February 2009?? (9) January 2009 (10) December 2008??
(11) November 2008?? (8) October 2008?? (16) September 2008?? (14) August
2008?? (18) July 2008?? (12) June 2008 (3) May 2008?? (2) April 2008?? (3)
March 2008?? (14) February 2008 (11) January 2008?? (11) December 2007??
(8) November 2007?? (1) July 2007?? (1) June 2007?? (1) April 2007?? (1)
March 2007?? (1) February 2007?? (3) December 2006?? (11) November 2006??
(11) October 2006 (13) September 2006?? (15) August 2006?? (11) July 2006??
(18) June 2006?? (7) May 2006?? (14) April 2006?? (6) March 2006?? (14)
February 2006?? (5) January 2006?? (2) December 2005?? (9) November 2005??
(8) October 2005?? (13) September 2005?? (12) August 2005?? (9) July 2005??
(16) June 2005?? (16) May 2005?? (16) April 2005?? (12) March 2005?? (14)
February 2005?? (19) January 2005?? (15) December 2004 (14) November 2002??
(17) October 2002?? (19) September 2002?? (22) August 2002?? (21) July
2002?? (15) May 2002?? (21) April 2002?? (21) February 2002?? (15) January
2002?? (15) December 2001?? (17) October 2001?? (24) September 2001?? (18)
July 2001?? (19) June 2001?? (18) October 2000?? (17) September 2000?? (21)
August 2000?? (19) July 2000?? (16) June 2000?? (26) May 2000?? (21) April
2000?? (22) March 2000?? (28) February 2000?? (18) January 2000?? (20)
December 1999 (20) November 1999?? (26) October 1999?? (25) September
1999?? (18) August 1999?? (40) July 1999?? (38) June 1999?? (24) May 1999??
(27) April 1999?? (25) March 1999?? (26) February 1999?? (29) January 1999??
(24) July 1998?? (12)
Social Media
???View socialistactionusa???s profile on Facebook
???View SocialistActUS???s profile on Twitter
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events
View Calendar
Follow
--
---
David Hume
??? In our reasonings concerning matter of fact, there are all imaginable
degrees of assurance, from the highest certainty to the lowest species of moral
evidence. A wise man, therefore, proportions his belief to the evidence. ???
??? David Hume,