Google workers are speaking up and rallying against the use of Google technology and AI to target Palestinians in Gaza. Thousands of people rallied outside Google San Francisco on December 14th. They also talked about retaliation against Muslim workers at Google.
***
Thousands of trade unionists rallied for Palestine in Oakland, California and New York City on Saturday December 16th. In Oakland, SEIU 1021 steward Linda Currey Omille spoke about the Palestinian struggle and her local’s struggle to overcome the union bureaucracy’s resistance to solidarity.
Bay Area Unions & Thousands Of Workers Rally & March For Palestine In Oakland
***
Jewish American political scientist and activist Norman Finkelstein highlights what Israel set as their goals from the get-go and describes them as a “recipe for genocide”. Finkelstein was debating attorney Alan Dershowitz on the “Piers Morgan Uncensored” show.
***
A recent example of Israel’s targeting of civilians in Gaza was the killing by Israeli soldiers of three Israeli citizens who had been taken to Gaza as captives. The Israeli citizens had disrobed and were holding up a white flag, signaling that they posed no threat to the Israeli soldiers. Author and activist Dr. Hatem Bazian said that this exposed Israel’s reckless rules of engagement.
***
Somalia has suffered catastrophic floods displacing between one and two million people and killing up to 100. In a recent video, Somalis wade through flooded streets and sleep and sell produce on the banks of floodwaters. Pacifica’s Ann Garrison spoke to Somali American software developer Jamal Abdulahi, who has joined fellow Somali Americans to fund a flood relief effort.
***
In South America, the countries of Venezuela and Guyana are in disagreement over who has sovereignty over the Essequibo region, an oil and resource rich area which Venezuela has claimed since its independence from Spain in 1824.
Guyana, however, a former British colony which only became an independent republic in 1970, contests Venezuela’s claim. Guyana’s claim to the Essequibo is based on a conference of colonial powers that in 1899, without Venezuela’s consultation, decided the area belonged to the British.
Tensions between these two South American countries increased after Venezuela held a referendum on December 3, when a decisive majority spoke out strongly in favor of protecting their nation’s interests in the Essequibo. Since 2015, Guyana had already begun granting exploitation concessions in the region to transnational companies such as Exxon Mobil.
Last Thursday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Guyanes President Irfaan Ali began talks in St. Vincent and the Grenadines aimed at easing tensions over the Essequibo.
Prior to the face-to-face meeting, Maduro and Ali held separate meetings with the leaders of the member countries of the Community of Caribbean States (CARICOM) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
These regional institutions have been promoting dialogue between Venezuela and Guyana to avoid an escalation of the geopolitical conflict. Pacifica’s Don Debar reports.
We thank all of Pacifica’s sister stations and affiliates who contribute to the production of this show. This week’s program was produced by the Capitalism, Race, and Democracy collective with contributions from Steve Zeltzer, Ann Garrison, Don Debar, Freddy Libertad, and Polina Vasiliev.
Thanks for listening.
Music:
Palestinian version of “Bella Ciao”
Ali Primera, “América Latina Obrera”
Sounds of Somalia, Traditional Somali music
Ramzi Aburedwan, “Bahar”
