Category: Activism

The Nuclear Arms Race Has to Stop!

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by Ann Froines, Back from the Brink

August 6 and August 9 were the anniversaries of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States Army Air Forces just days before the end of World War II. Our national and local media gave little attention to this anniversary, even as the Hibakusha—Japanese survivors of these bombings—still tell their stories in their international campaign for nuclear disarmament and world peace. NHK World – Japan, the international public television station of Japan, carried the film, The Pursuit of Peace, which describes the decades of worldwide peacemaking by the Hibakusha. Their goal is to make the Nagasaki bombing the last atomic explosion humankind will ever face.

Back from the Brink-CT Hub offers readers this update on media resources in the campaigns to prevent nuclear testing, for nuclear diplomacy (treaties) and the eventual abolition of nuclear weapons.

1. Back from the Brink website (preventnuclearwar.org) now has a series of podcasts from experts and activists discussing nuclear abolition. One podcast features Tina Cordova, a co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium (trinitydownwinders.com) which advocates for those affected by radiation as a result of the first atomic explosion at the Trinity Nuclear Weapon Testing Ground in New Mexico, other tests in the Solomon Islands and elsewhere in the Pacific.

After a 20-year campaign directed at the U. S. Congress, $8 billion was appropriated for compensation to the victims who suffered from radiation poisoning, many cancer deaths, and increased infant mortality. See the website for information about the 2023 documentary film, First We Bombed New Mexico.

2. An Ordinary Insanity is a 30-minute film of Daniel Ellsberg’s final plea for nuclear disarmament, made freely available to all by the Ellsberg family as his final legacy before his death. Ellsberg, well before the Pentagon Papers reveal and controversy, started his career at the Rand Corporation developing nuclear weapon strategy. His plea argues that “national security” cannot be obtained by nuclear weapon superiority or an arms race, but instead guarantees just the opposite: the end of civilization in a nuclear Armageddon. Search for “anordinaryinsanity’ to find the film available on YouTube.

Readers, please join this campaign by writing to U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy urging him to support Senate Resolution 323, an act urging the United States to pursue a verifiable agreement among nuclear-armed states to eliminate their nuclear arsenals. These unstable times show the urgency of taking nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert.

Back from the Brink-CT preventnuclearwar.org
ann.froines@gmail.com

Port Elizabeth NJ Shut Down by Anti-Genocide Activists

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by Mark Colville, Amistad Catholic Worker

There are two major international shipping companies (Maersk and Zimm) operating out of Port Elizabeth, NJ, which handle the bulk of arms shipments to the rogue nation of Israel for its relentless genocidal campaign of terror in the West Bank and Gaza. In October, 2025, and again on May 22 of this year, the entrance to the port was blockaded by local activists at significant physical and legal risk, in the attempt to terminate our nation’s criminal collusion in this unmitigated evil. The loading of the ships was interrupted for several hours, and apparently at significant financial cost to the shipping companies engaged in this criminal behavior. Both groups of activists were originally charged with multiple felonies, carrying the risk of several years in prison upon conviction. Subsequently, that was shown to have been a vacuous threat: in response to their collective refusal to accept any plea of guilty to a lesser “crime,” all of the serious charges in both cases were reduced to misdemeanors, and the matters have now been remanded to municipal court.

On August 4, the five indicted activists who had performed the first blockade, most of whom hail from upstate New York, journeyed several hours by car in order to appear at trial in Elizabeth municipal court the following day. This is a trial that they have insisted upon by refusing to take any plea to a lesser charge. They’d made the exact same journey less than thirty days previously, taking two days away from work and family responsibilities, only to be told at the hearing that the prosecution was not ready, and a postponement was necessary. But then, once again, at approximately 4:45 p.m. on October 5, the court sent an email to one of the accused, indicating that the state was still not prepared to go forward, and therefore the trial would, for the third time in 10 months, be postponed again. By the time anyone was informed, they’d already arrived in New Jersey. The ongoing duplicity of the court is on full display here: they show no compunction about arresting people for constitutionally protected public action, and then charging them beyond the realm of sanity and proportionality, simply as a cynical method of coercion in service to keeping the U.S. government’s status quo of criminality beyond the scrutiny of the public. At this writing, the judge has still refused to dismiss the case based on the violation of their constitutional right to a speedy trial.

Inspired by the October ’25 activists, I chose to join the second direct action this past May. (See a filmed report on this action as it happened, here: bit.ly/45HTghK.) On August 6 (the eighty-first anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima), we ten accused were finally brought to court for our first hearing – not in person but by a Zoom link! You can stay tuned for updates on the legal progress of this saga if you like. Just don’t expect anything to come from the courts that even pretends to be about the pursuit of justice. The law is simply being used as a bureaucratic weapon by these duplicitous and overburdened legal functionaries, for the purposes of institutionalizing government impunity and keeping those of us engaged in responsible citizenship in a constant state of instability and fear.

‘One, Two, Three, Four, Open Up the Prison Door’

by Stanley Heller, Middle East Crisis Committee

April 17 was Palestine Prisoners’ Day. In New Haven, it was marked by a march starting at the New Haven Green, going up Chapel Street and through Yale, passing by Yale Law School, and back to the Green. Some forty to fifty people marched and chanted despite a light rain. A number of Palestinian flags were carried as were two large banners that called for freedom for Dr. Abu Safiya, the Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, who has been locked in various Israeli prisons since December of 2024. Another banner said, “Resist with Palestine Until Liberation.”

An intersection was blocked by the marchers so that a short speech could be delivered.  At Yale, a chant arose demanding that the Yale Corporation divest from Israel and weapons makers.  Basel Al Najjar, who gave one of the speeches, called on the crowd to show no fear and take more actions. He claimed that supporters of Palestine were now the majority. A new poll by CNN does show that Americans are now more sympathetic to Palestinians than to Israelis.

The march was sponsored by We Will Return, the CT Palestine Alliance, UCONN MSA, Students for Justice in Palestine, and American Muslims for Palestine. It began after a Muslim prayer service but march participants were of all creeds. Several TSVN [The Struggle Video News: thestrugglevideo.org] shorts of the march received thousands of views.

 

SCSU Rally Calls For ICE-Detained Student’s Release

Thomas Breen, April 6, 2026, New Haven Independent

More than 100 students, teachers, and immigrant rights advocates gathered outside of Southern Connecticut State University’s (SCSU) Buley Library Monday [April 6] to speak up for a classmate who was detained by federal immigration agents off campus last week.

photo: Thomas Breen

photo: Thomas Breen

Speaker after speaker on Monday — including co-emcees Justin Farmer and Sam Morrison, students and faculty from SCSU, and organizers from UNITE HERE 217, the New Haven Immigrants Coalition, and Unidad Latina en Acción, among other groups — called for the detained student to be released, for the university to support undocumented students, and for a mass mobilization against the Trump administration in response to the federal government’s immigration crackdown.

[More at https://bit.ly/4tpkTpM.]

 

 

Join a Community Event to Support the Ride to End Fossil Fuels in CT

by Ella Foster, The No Pipeline Expansion Northeast Coalition

On Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31, about twenty cyclists will ride 100 miles across Connecticut to oppose the expansion of fossil fuels in our state. Along the way, we’re hosting community events in Brookfield, Middletown, and Mansfield, and you’re invited!

All three of these locations have current or proposed fossil fuel projects that damage our local environment, contribute to climate change, harm our health, and push our energy prices up. Join us as we learn about these projects, make art, cheer on the riders, and imagine a cleaner, greener, and healthier Connecticut.

Together, we can send a message to fossil fuel and utility companies that Connecticut says NO to fossil fuel expansions. Read on to learn about each of the Ride to End Fossil Fuels events and their registration details. We hope to see you there!

Press Conference and Kick-off: May 30th, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., in Brookfield, CT. The ride will start in Brookfield, Connecticut, where riders will join community members to highlight the proposed doubling of the methane gas compressor station. The compressor station is located in Brookfield, only 1,900 feet from the town’s middle school. Register at bit.ly/4to5juN.

Art for Our River: May 30th, 3 p.m.-6 p.m., in Middletown, CT. Riders will ride 60 miles from Brookfield to Middletown, where we will host a community art project, highlighting the proposed Eversource pipeline under the Connecticut River. This pipeline would impact state parks in Middletown, East Hampton, and Higganum. Register at bit.ly/4cKldsm.

Ride to End Fossil Fuels Rally: May 31st, 3 p.m., in Mansfield, CT. Riders will complete the final 40 miles of their ride before we cheer them across the finish line in Mansfield. Here we will talk about the impact of the interstate Enbridge pipeline that runs through Connecticut, including Mansfield. Register at bit.ly/4sQUssb.

For more information, email sena.wazer@sierraclub.org.

Protest the Fascist Trump Regime

by New Haven Chapter of Refuse Fascism

Join with the New Haven Chapter of Refuse Fascism along with New Haven groups and individuals to protest against all of the fascist Trump regime with the unifying demand: TRUMP MUST GO NOW!

Every Monday, 4-5 p.m., weather permitting, join us on South Frontage Road near the corner of Church Street South, outside The Towers’ east gate. Bring signs, banners, whistles, etc.

Info: newhaven@refusefascism.org, RefuseFascism.org

Join a No Kings 3 Postcard Team

by Connecticut For All

When our families are under attack and costs are pushing people to the brink, silence is not an option. We stand united to protect ourselves and our communities against Trump’s billionaire agenda and constant acts of violence. The solution in Connecticut is the Stand Up CT agenda which, if passed, will ensure stability for all working people in our state through funding and policies that protect our civil rights and public services. Enough is enough.

Our goal is to collect 1000+ postcards and deliver them to our Governor & Legislative Leadership on April 15 during a Tax Day action at the CT State Capitol.

Our Postcard Teams are going to be at No Kings protests in Danbury, Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford.

Want to join the fight? Please register at

https://bit.ly/40MPYqQ.

For details about the Tax Day action, please email info@connecticutforall.org.

Next NO KINGS Protest – Saturday, March 28th New Haven Green, 3-5:30 p.m.

Thank You, Activists, for Your Organizing!

by Progressive Action Roundtable Planning Committee

In this sadly historic time of a US president’s dismantling of democracy and the impending imposition of fascist rule and takeover of other nations, activists all around the country have upped the level of their resistance.

As we go to press, people throughout the US are planning thousands of massive demonstrations and rallies for March 28, No Kings Day 3, in which millions in the country will join in. They (and we at PAR) are determined to put a halt to the racist, anti-immigrant, cruel, war-mongering, nationalistic, misogynistic, LGBTQIA+-hating, genocidal, imperialistic policies of the controlling forces of the federal government that threaten humanity and the environmental balance of the entire planet.

Thank you! You are mobilizing an event that can help turn this country around by raising awareness, multiplying resistance, bringing optimism and forging plans to halt this country’s slide into authoritarianism and the continuation of degradation and impoverishment of its citizens and the people of the world.

If this April issue reaches you before Saturday, March 28, we hope you find a No Kings protest to attend. New Haven’s No Kings rally is on the New Haven Green, 3-5:30 p.m. Other CT rallies will be in Danbury, Hartford, Guilford, Branford, Greenwich, Waterbury, New Britain, Killingly, New London, Mystic, Granby, and many more towns. For details on these protests and to find others, please go to nokings.org.

We look forward to seeing your reports and photos of the various demonstrations and actions you’re involved in for our May Progressive Action Roundtable newsletter. Email them to parnewhaven@hotmail.com.

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