A15Action, Octopussy Riot & Smuggled Tibetan Resistance Footage

Editor's Note From Rivera Sun

When I read the stories for Nonviolence News, I look for sparks of courage. I search for irrepressible creativity. I look for the powerful emotions that propel humanity to stand up for change. I seek out smart strategies and savvy organizing. And I always find these things, week after week.

In Nonviolence News this week, I want you to notice the courage of the person who smuggled out rare footage of a resistance campaign in occupied Tibet. Let your heart ache with the students in New Mexico who laid out 460 pairs of shoes - each one representing 1,000 people who were sexually assaulted in the United States. See how climate activists are swarming the system to take action from all sides of the climate crisis, including finance, politics, fossil fuel industries, and public perception. Dig into the relentless organizing that ended $8/minute phone calls in the US prison system - and bankrupted the telecom company.

We have so much to learn ... and even more to do. Here are some more ways people are taking action. A woman's soccer team in Brazil is protesting on and off the field against the return of a coach known for sexual harassment. Uganda's LGBTQ+ community is reeling as a draconian anti-gay law is upheld. South Africa's 4-day work week experiment was a resounding success, with more than 90% of the workers and management saying they'd like to keep the system. One favorite story of mine was how a group called Octopussy Riot knitted octopi masks and held a musical protest against fossil fuels. (I'm always uplifted by people's creativity.)

The campaign for a ceasefire in Gaza held a worldwide day of direct action across 50 cities called the A15Action. Aiming to put pressure on the 'economic system backing genocide', they disrupted traffic on bridges, blocked entrances to companies supporting Israel's weapons and military surveillance, and more. In addition, Philadelphia activists targeted the robotics company that makes Israel's killer robots and drones. Yale students launched a hunger strike against their university's complicity. Meanwhile, Columbia's students reeled at a sharp crackdown on protesters, including arrests, expulsions, and evictions. The Freedom Flotilla has launched a fleet of global boats with humanitarian aid that will challenge the blockade in Gaza.

Find more stories in Nonviolence News>>

What can you learn from this week's Nonviolence News stories? Take the time to share your take-aways with friends or in social posts. That's how we grow stronger movements, together.

In solidarity,
Rivera Sun