"Justice for Kollin Elderts" T-shirts!

JUSTICE FOR KOLLIN ELDERTS!
T-shirt now available ($5)

Jury selection in the trial of Christopher Deedy is set to begin next week (pending pre-trial motions, including Deedy's Motion to Dismiss). An article on the status of the motion to dismiss, as well as jury selection, is in today's Star-Advertiser.

World Can't Wait Hawai`i has silk-screened a "Justice for Kollin Elderts" T-shirt which is now available for $5 each (the cost of the materials). The T-shirt is white with black lettering and photo. Buy one for yourself, your family, and your friends. Shirts are available in S, M, Lg, and XLg, (We had XXL but they're already gone and we'll be printing more within the next couple of weeks.   You can currently buy them at Revolution Books (all proceeds to World Can't Wait-Hawai`i to cover the cost of producing the shirt).   

 There's a quantity discount (10 shirts = $45).   If you would like us to mail you 10 shirts the cost will be $50.   Send a check for $50 to World Can't Wait-Hawaii, P.O. Box 11225, Honolulu, HI  96828   If you have any questions e-mail us at worldcantwaithawaii@lava.net.

Many people have forgotten that Deedy's previous trial for the murder of Kollin Elderts ended in a hung jury and is being re-tried.  Wearing this shirt is a way you can initiate conversation with people about what's happening, and why they need to demand justice for Kollin Elderts.

As more information is available we'll send info about the re-trial and planned actions.   If you aren't already on the World Can't Wait-Hawaii e-list, send us an e-mail asking us to add your name. 

Join the World Can't Wait Contingent in the Pride Parade

Join the World Can't Wait Contingent
in the 2014 Honolulu Pride Parade
Saturday, June 7
Meet at Magic Island by 9:30 am
(look for our blue world flag)

Chelsea Manning (born Bradley Manning), is a U.S. Army soldier and whistleblower who leaked documents to Wikileaks in 2010. The documents exposed the crimes of the U.S. Government in Iraq to millions. Chelsea is a whistleblower, whose courageous actions inspired people around the world.


Chelsea was arrested, held in solitary confinement,and then sentenced in August 2013 to 35 years in prison for telling the truth about U.S. crimes. Soon after that Manning announced that she was a trans woman.    This year Chelsea Manning was chosen as the Honorary Grand Marshal of the San Francisco Pride Parade - the largest pride parade in the world. Last year the Chelsea Manning contingent in the SF parade numbered 1,500! This year there will be Support Chelsea Manning contingents in Pride parades around the world. Our contingent will honor Chelsea Manning for her courage: There is no pride in killing people in other countries!     

 Join World Can't Wait-Hawai`i's contingent in Hawai`i's Pride Parade on Saturday. We'll have a truck decorated with signs supporting Chelsea. Our lead banner will read "Humanity and the Planet Come First." You can walk, ride on our truck, or bring your bicycle, scooter or skateboard. Bring your own signs speaking out against justice of any kind - or pick up one of ours. The parade will leave Magic Island at 10am before marching to Kapiolani Park via Kalakaua.   

 Thousands of people participate in Honolulu's Pride Parade, and thousands more line the street. Make your voices heard!       We'll have water on the truck; bring your own sunscreen. The truck will be returning to Magic Island immediately after the parade so you can get a ride back to the park if you like. There will be a Pride Festival at Kapiolani Park from 11am-4pm.   

Shut Down Guantanamo! Stop Torture!

It wasn't your usual Friday night in Waikiki as thousands of tourists aiming to escape the realities of the world were instead forced to think about the horrors of Guantanamo.   Confronted with pictures of detainees who have been "released" but continue to be detained at the world's most notorious torrture prison 12 years after being illegally kidnapped, reactions were mixed.  Some hurled ugly epithets:  "Kill them all!,"   "Nuke all those countries," "If they look like that, they're terrorists! 

Many more stopped to take pictures, ask questions, or thank us.  A Pakistani woman who stood away for a time finally came to us saying:  "I saw those pictures and was sure you were saying bad things about them, but then I felt so good when I saw you were with us!"  She asked if she could take pictures to put up on her facebook.   Others from Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan thanked us enthusiastically.  Japanese tourists smiled broadly and quietly gave us a "thumbs up."    Many took pictures to post on social media.

An ex-Army Ranger was passing by on his bicycle when he stopped and said he'd actually accompanied prisoners to Guantanamo but had no idea what he was really doing.  He'd been in the Army for 11 years, and had gone on 7 deployments.  He quit the military because he couldn't stand the killing.  He was now has PTSD and is unemployed.  Groups of soldiers read the signs, studied the pictures, and stood around in groups to talk among themselves and with us.  Many knew nothing about Guantanamo.  One shook his head and quietly said:  "I thought there wouldn't be another war when I signed up 6 months ago but now I'm worried about the Ukraine."  

We were a small crew, but we had a big presence.  Our signs and photos were seen by thousands; we distributed about 300 leaflets.   As we left a couple who had been watching us stopped us saying:  "Thanks so much.  What you're doing is an inspiration to all of us who should be standing out there with you." 

May 23 Global Day of Action!

Close the USA's Torture Camp at Guantanamo NOW! 

End Indefinite Detention!

Friday, May 23, 6-8pm

Signholding & Leafleting

Corner of Seaside & Kalakaua Avenues

Waikiki

Friday, May 23rd, is a GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION.  Actions have been called in more than 25 cities -- and the list is growing.   We intend to be there with them!

Across the globe, the word “Guantánamo” has come to mean torture, unjust detention, brutality, and inhumane degradation. The prison camp was intended not just to imprison captives but to send a message to the entire world that the U.S. could do whatever it wants to whomever it wants.

One year ago on May 23, when the Guantanamo hunger strike was at its height, Obama promised once again to close the US torture camp at Guantanamo.  Instead the hunger strike was brutally repressed and broken.  Prisoners were forced into isolation cells and force-fed -- both of which are torture.

We must rise up in our hundreds and thousands in villages and cities, here and around the globe, to demand an end to this shameful result of the "war on terror."

Join us at the corner of Seaside & Kalakaua in Waikiki on Friday evening between 6-8pm to join with people around the globe who are demanding the immediate closure of Guantanamo.

We'll have some signs -- and we urge you to bring your own.   Wear Orange!  This is the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend and our message will be seen by thousands, who will then beam pictures around the world via social media.

Leafleting to Stop Drone Warfare and Drone Surveillance

A small crew got out more than 1300 anti-drone brochures and leaflets at two recent events.  On Tuesday we went to the talk by Al Gore; on Friday to the Bruno Mars Concert.   While we got rained on during leafleting at both events, we felt each was a big success. 

At the Bruno Mars concert we were able to hold our big "Stop the Killer Drones" banner in front of the ticket office while others leafleted the crowd going to the concert.   A few people still didn't know what drones were.  Some refused to take the brochure making comments like "I like drones," "drones give me my job," or "I want a drone of my own."  However, many thanked us for being there and said things like "yeah, get the drones out of Hawai`i" and "drones scare me."  We had little time to actually talk since were rushing to get in line to enter the filled-to-capacity arena but our brochure is very detailed and we hope many people sat down to read it while waiting for the concert to begin.   Thousands more saw our banner. 

Hawai`i is at the center of research and development for drone warfare and surveillance.  Williams Aerospace in Ewa manufactures drones.   UH-Manoa and HPU are both involved in drone research.  Drones are based at Kaneohe and are being tested at Pohakuloa.  Yet many people don't know what they are -- or that they are used to assassinate people and for surveillance. 

We'll continue to concentrate on stopping drone warfare and drone surveillance through the months of April and May as part of the national Campaign (see the national website at www.worldcantwait.net).  Join us in leafleting outside of the talk by Bill McKibben on climate change on Thursday evening, April 24th.  We'll be at the reception at the Sustainability Courtyard between 5-6pm and then at the Art Dept Auditorium where he's speaking.  After the talk we'll be getting leaflets out at the on-campus Earth Day concert.   We're planning more leafleting events, protests, and a press conference later in April and during the month of May.  Stay tuned. 

Signholding Against LANPAC

From 4-6pm on Wednesday afternoon 15 people joined a signholding to protest the LANPAC (Land and Power in the Pacific) Symposium and Exposition being held at the Sheraton Hotel in Waikiki.  

As thousands of people in cars, on bicycles, and riding tourist trolleys passed by the banner and signs lining Kalakaua Avenue,  many gave a thumbs up, shaka, or waved.  One trolley driver yelled a loud "Ku`e!" 

Several hundred leaflets were given to tourists at one of the busiest corners in Waikiki.  Many were puzzled as to why we were protesting in the heart of the tourist area, but when they heard that the military had organized an international conference to further militarize the Pacific many thanked us, including 2 soldiers and 4 tourists from the Middle East who took extra leaflets to give to their friends.   A few still asked what drones were, and there were many who said they felt safer with drones.  One even said she was against all wars, and was so thankful that we now had drones to keep wars from happening!  

This action the first of many that World Can't Wait-Hawai`i has called in solidarity with the national Spring Months of Action to End Drone Killings, Surveillance, and Global Militarization.   The next leafleting will be at the talk by Al Gore at the Stan Sherif Center (lower UH Manoa Campus) from 6-7 pm on Tuesday, April 15.  As one WCW activist said:  "If Al Gore really wants to help Hawai`i save its environment, he should help get the U.S. military out of Hawai`i!"  

Honolulu Launching of Spring Days of Action!

April & May 2014
Spring Days of Action to Stop Drone Killing,
Drone Surveillance and Global Militarization!

Over the next two months World Can't Wait will organize a number of actions focused against drones and militarization. There will be an action to protest LANPAC in Waikiki on Wednesday, April 9th. We are also co-sponsoring the film "Wounds of Waziristan at Revolution Books on Sunday, April 6, 2014. A number of other actions are planned for April and May. See below for info about the action on April 9 and the Film Showing on April 6.

Signholding and Protest
Against LANPAC Military Conference
Wednesday, April 9, 4-6pm
at the corner of Kalakaua & Royal Hawaiian Avenue

The Association of the United States Army’s Institute of Land Warfare and the U.S. Army Pacific and U.S. Pacific Command are organizing LANPAC (Land & Power in the Pacific) at the Sheraton Waikiki from April 10-April 12.

Representatives from more than 30 countries have been invited, and speakers include generals from the U.S., Japan and Bangladesh. According to a spokesperson from the AUSA, “Participants will explore, in depth, the concept of strategic land power and the future of the Asia-Pacific theater with valuable perspectives from U.S. military and civilian leaders, industry leaders and service leaders from allied countries in this very important region of the world." The meeting will include an "industry exhibit." We expect that drone techniology will be front and center.

This will be a signholding (we have lots of anti-drone banners and signs) along Kalakaua Blvd. near the Sheraton entrance. Bring your own signs against drones, militarization, etc.
 

Sunday, April 6, 3pm
Film Showing: Wounds of Waziristan
Followed by Discussion
@ Revolution Books

Wounds of Waziristan is a 24 minute film that highlights the stories of those directly impacted by drone attacks in Pakistan–in their own words. After the film we will discuss the Spring Days of Action against Drone Warfare, Surveillance, and Global Militarization, including your suggestions for actions on O`ahu. This event is co-sponsored by by World Can't Wait-Hawai`i and Revolution Books.

We urge members from other groups and organizations to join us as we discuss the urgency of raising our voices against drones and ever-expanding global militarization.
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