ACTION ALERT: Petition to
Stop US Aid for Saudi War in Yemen
Action Corps Vermont
(March 3, 2023) — March 2023 marks the 8th anniversary of the war on Yemen — a war that has killed tens of thousands of people and wreaked havoc on the country. While we’ve seen some progress made toward ending ongoing US support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, it’s time to press Congress to once and for all end US participation in this war.
March marks the 8th anniversary of the War on Yemen. Through the work of grassroots organizations like Action Corps, progress has been made toward ending ongoing US support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. However, Saudi Arabia could resume these strikes at any point.
A demand of the National Call to Protest is the introduction of a Yemen War Powers Resolution. This legislation has the capacity to withdraw US support to Saudi Arabia and weaken their offensive strategy. In the absence of US military support, there is an opportunity to push negotiations for a long-standing peace agreement between the parties.
Action Corps wanted to share with you the success of the nationwide March 1st, 2023 mobilizations this week. Over 70 organizations signed our National Call to Protest and there were 10 protests across the country.
Activists Want to Stop War on Yemen,
Say ‘Enough Is Enough’
Chris Mays / Brattleboro Reformer
BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT (March 1, 2023) — Outside the post office on Main Street, demonstrators held hands in a moment of silence after voicing their distress and frustration over the continued war on Yemen.
During a National Day of Protest on Wednesday, they called for the reintroduction of and vote on a Yemen War Powers Resolution to end the US military backing of the Saudi war on Yemen. Protests occurred in different parts of the state and were organized by Vermont activists, Yemeni Americans and more than 70 organizations, according to a news release.
“We might be a relatively small group what you see here,” said Isaac Evans-Frantz of Brattleboro, director of Action Corps VT and former candidate for US Senate. “But around the country today in over 10 cities in at least 10 states, people are demonstrating, people are saying, ‘The war on Yemen must stop. Enough is enough. Not in our name. Not with our resources.’”
Evans-Frantz said the Ukraine war just reached its one-year anniversary, whereas the war in Yemen has been going on for eight years. The difference, he said, is the US is on the side of the aggressor in Yemen.
Activists said the war is attributed with starving a child to death every 75 seconds. They believe Vermont’s support for the resolution is key because US Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, has been “the face of this effort in Congress,” according to the news release.
Marielle Blais, vice chairperson of the Vermont Progressive Party, said part of the organizing efforts should focus on engaging the youth of Vermont. As a retired teacher, she plans to return to classrooms to talk about what’s happening in Yemen.
“This is the silent war if we don’t talk about it,” she said. “Individuals can make a difference.”
Ellen Schwartz of the Vermont Workers’ Center said the US doesn’t stand up to Saudi Arabia because it’s an ally in the Middle East. She stressed the importance of prioritizing human rights.
Sanders and US Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., support the resolution, Schwartz said.
“What’s the rub?” she said. “I think it’s the grasp Saudi Arabia has on our foreign policy.”
Evans-Frantz said for more than 10 months, Saudi Arabia has not dropped a single bomb on Yemen.
“That’s a really important step forward but that can change any moment,” he said.
The Rev. Scott Couper of Centre Congregational Church in Brattleboro urged advocacy for the Yemeni people. He encouraged demonstrators to support the resolution “in all dimensions you work.”
Previously, Evans-Frantz explained how the resolution would force a vote to stop supporting the war.
“And it turns out,” he said at a protest last March, “the Congress never authorized this war. It’s been waged now by three administrations, first the Obama administration and then the Trump administration, and now the Biden administration.”
Daniel Sicken of Putney, peace activist, noted the American economy’s dependence on military jobs.
“Even Brattleboro, we have two companies who are making products for the military,” he said. “That’s the issue — you’re taking away jobs, jobs, jobs.”
Spoon Agave of Brattleboro, a Select Board candidate for a one-year seat and chairperson of the Progressive Party for both Brattleboro and Windham County, said he hopes more people get involved in issues addressing capitalism and greed.
Vermont groups involved in the demonstration included Vermont Anti-war Coalition, Centre Congregational Church, Burlington’s branch of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Action Corps VT, Vermont Workers’ Center, Green Mountain Veterans For Peace Will Miller Chapter, World Beyond War, Community Asylum Seekers Project, Everyone’s Books in Brattleboro, Upper Valley Affinity Group, and Windham World Affairs Council.
National Call to Protest US-Saudi War on Yemen
*Link to share this form with others:
https://forms.gle/DKQGDcQWvWuXLua46
PROTEST AT YOUR US LAWMAKER’S OFFICE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2023 —
We, the following organizations, call on people across the United States to protest the US supported, Saudi-led war on Yemen. We call on our members of Congress to take concrete steps, listed below, to bring the harmful US role in the war to a rapid and final end.
Since March 2015, the Saudi Arabia/United Arab Emirates (UAE)-led bombing and blockade of Yemen have killed hundreds of thousands of people and wreaked havoc on the country, creating the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. The US has been not only a supporter of, but a party to, this war since its inception, providing not only weapons and materiel for the Saudi/UAE war effort, but intelligence support, targeting assistance, refueling, and military defense.
While the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations have promised to end the US role in the war and reduced targeting, intelligence and refueling assistance and limited certain arms transfers, the Biden administration has resumed defense assistance relying on US troops deployed in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and expanded sales of “defensive” military equipment.
Efforts to Stop the War: President Biden, during his campaign, promised to end US weapons sales and military support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen. On January 25, 2021, his first Monday in office, 400 organizations from 30 countries demanded an end to Western backing of the war on Yemen, creating the largest anti-war coordination since the Iraq War in 2003. Just a few days later, on February 4, 2021,
President Biden announced an end to US participation in offensive operations in Yemen. Despite President Biden’s commitments, the US continues to enable the blockade – an offensive operation on Yemen – by servicing Saudi fighter jets, assisting Saudi and UAE with military defense operations, and providing military and diplomatic support to the Saudi/UAE-led coalition. The humanitarian crisis has only worsened since Biden took office.
The US Role in Enabling the War: We have the power to help stop one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. The war on Yemen is enabled by continued US support as the United States provides military, political, and logistical support to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
People and organizations from across the US are coming together to call for an end to US involvement in the war in Yemen and solidarity with the people of Yemen.
We Demand that Congress Immediately:
→ Pass a War Powers Resolution. Introduce or co-sponsor a Yemen War Powers Resolution before International Women’s Day on March 8th, to end US participation in the war in Yemen. The war has exacerbated gender inequality in Yemen. Congress should reassert its constitutional authority to declare war and end executive branch overreach in embroiling our country in disastrous military campaigns.
→ Stop Weapons Sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Oppose further arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, in compliance with US laws, including Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act, prohibiting arms transfers to governments responsible for gross violations of human rights.
→ Call on Saudi Arabia and the UAE to Lift the Blockade and Fully Open Airports and Seaports. Call on President Biden to insist he use his leverage with Saudi Arabia to press for the unconditional and immediate lifting of the devastating blockade.
→ Support the People of Yemen. Call for the expansion of humanitarian aid for the people of Yemen.
→ Assemble a Congressional Hearing to Examine the US Role in the War in Yemen. Despite nearly eight years of active participation of the US in this war, the US Congress has never held a hearing to examine exactly what the US role has been, accountability for US military and civilian officials for their role in violations of the laws of war, and US responsibility to contribute to reparations and reconstruction for the war in Yemen.
→ Call for the Removal of Brett McGurk from his position. McGurk is the National Security Council’s Middle East & North Africa coordinator. McGurk has been a driving force for failed United States’ military interventions in the Middle East over the last four administrations, resulting in major catastrophes. He has championed support for the Saudi/UAE war in Yemen and expanded arms sales to their governments, despite the opposition of many other senior officials in the National Security Council and State Department, and President Biden’s commitment to end it. He has also supported the extension of dangerous new US security guarantees to these authoritarian governments.
We ask individuals and organizations across the states to protest at the district offices of their members of Congress on Wednesday, March 1st with the above demands.
Below please add your organization’s name to this statement. More information about the US-enabled blockade of Yemen: every75seconds.org. For more information about ending US participation in the war, please contact national@actioncorps.org.
SIGNATORIES:
- Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation
- Yemeni Alliance Commitee
- CODEPINK: Women for Peace
- Antiwar.com
- World Can’t Wait
- The Libertarian Institute
- World BEYOND War
- Twin Cities Nonviolent
- Ban Killer Drones
- RootsAction.org
- Peace, Justice, Sustainability NOW
- Health Advocacy International
- Mass Peace Action
- Rising Together
- Peace Action New York
- LEPOCO Peace Center (Lehigh-Pocono Committee of Concern)
- Commission 4 of the ILPS
- South Country Peace Group, Inc.
- Peace Action WI
- Pax Christi New York State
- Kings Bay Plowshares 7
- Union of Arab Women
- Maryland Peace Action
- Historians for Peace and Democracy
- Peace & Social Justice Com., Fifteenth St. Meeting (Quakers)
- Taxes for Peace New England
- STAND
- About Face: Veterans Against War
- Office of Peace, Justice, and Ecological Integrity, Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
- Veterans for Peace
- The New York Catholic Worker
- American Muslim Bar Association
- Catalyst Project
- Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
- Baltimore Nonviolence Center
- North Country Peace Group
- Veterans for Peace Boulder, Colorado
- Democratic Socialists of America International Committee
- Brooklyn for Peace
- Peace Action Network of Lancaster, PA
- Veterans For Peace – NYC Chapter 34
- Syracuse Peace Council
- Nebraskans for Peace Palestinian Rights Task Force
- Peace Action Bay Ridge
- Community Asylum Seekers Project
- Broome Tioga Green Party
- Women Against War
- Democratic Socialists of America – Philadelphia Chapter
- Demilitarize Western Mass
- Betsch Farm
- Vermont Workers’ Center
- Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, US Section
- Burlington, VT branch Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
- Cleveland Peace Action
- Peace Action
- Vermont Anti-war Coalition
- Blue Future
- United for Peace and Justice
- Upper Valley Affinity Group
- Seattle Democratic Socialists of America
- Earth Care not Warfare
- Avaaz
- Community Alliance for Global Justice
- Veterans For Peace 92
- Seattle Anti-War Coalition
- Rehumanize International
- Seattle ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism)
- Seattle Fellowship of Reconciliation
- Baltimore Phil Berrigan Memorial Chapter Veterans For Peace
- Veterans For Peace Chapter 61
- Pathways for Yemen
- Progressive Democrats of America
- Madison-Rafah Sister City Project
- Peace Action Maine
- Environmentalists Against War
