Skip to main content
  • Худи тупак tupac sb logo мерч винтаж кофта сера polar реп (stussy carhartt dickies) — цена 650 грн в каталоге Худи ✓ Купить мужские вещи по доступной цене на Шафе , Украина #111467446
  • nike flex grey silver pink black dress pants shoes
  • nike air reversal size 12 shoes University Blue DD1391 - 102 Release Date Info , IetpShops - nike huarache 634835605 women blue shoes sandals
  • pink and black nike running shoes 2020
  • cheap yellow black white air jordan 6 retro - StclaircomoShops - Air Jordan 5 "Aqua" Now Available
  • Nike KD 15 Aunt Pearl Release Date
  • air jordan 14 retro gg hyper pink 654969 028
  • air jordan 1 mid tartan swoosh
  • air jordan 11 midnight navy
  • air jordan 4 bred black cement 2019 308497 060 release date
  • Home
  • Calendar
  • About Us
  • Watch/Listen
  • FOIL Docs
  • Editorial Policy
  • Log in
  • Publish Article

Upcoming Events

No upcoming calendar events.

From Ferguson to Palestine to Rochester: the truth perseveres! Rev. Hagler speaks!

Primary tabs

  • View(active tab)
  • Devel
Submitted by T. Forsyth (photos: Linc Spaulding, Mara Ahmed, Al Brundage) on Fri, 2015-09-25 09:07

Amid death threats, a change in venue, and pro-Israeli groups applying pressure to stop Rev. Graylan Hagler from speaking on the connections between the Palestinian struggle for justice and the Black Lives Matter movement, Christians Witnessing for Palestine and the Rochester chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace were able to secure a different speaking venue after his invitation to speak at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School had been rescinded. His tallk, "Connecting the dots: Ferguson to Palestine," was given on September 24, 2015, at The Historic German House in Rochester, NY.

Rev. Hagler spoke earlier in the day at the University of Rochester. Rochester Indymedia filmed that talk and did an interview with one of the student organizers. Both will be featured on Rochester.Indymedia.org later this week.

At The Historic German House, Rev. Hagler spoke to a rapt audience of 150+ people who listened to him drop truth and justice as he made the connection between the oppression of the Palestinians by the Israeli state and the oppression of black and brown people in Amerikkka by the police.

Part I -- introduction and Rev. Hagler's talk

From Ferguson to Palestine to Rochester: the truth perseveres! Rev. Hagler speaks! (p.1)

Part II -- Q & A session

From Ferguson to Palestine to Rochester: the truth perseveres! Rev. Hagler speaks! (p.2)

The evening started with a prayer by Rev. Richard Myers. Elaine Johnson from Christians Witnessing for Palestine was introduced, who in turn introduced two speakers before inviting Rev. Hagler to the podium.

Ms. Johnson invited Joshua Dubler, an assistant professor of religion at the University of Rochester, to speak on behalf of the Rochester Chapter of the Jewish Voice for Peace--a co-sponsor for evening event. Before he took the podium, Ms. Johnson called Jewish Voice for Peace "phenomenal" in all of its efforts to make sure Rev. Hagler would be able to speak in Rochester.

“These great enterprises—the United States and Israel—are not inherently virtuous, but nor are they inherently vicious. They are rather, what hence forth, we collectively think of them. No more and no less. This is our power and this is our duty. Can such a principle of collective responsibility truly be controversial to assert? If so, then I'm afraid that controversy is the only option available," said Mr. Dubler.

He continued, "Polemic is always easier than practical prescription. But polemic, and the call for abolition, is where we must collectively begin. To stand up and say 'No!' Not for the security of our homes and for the security of our children and certainly not for the cynical ambitions of powerful men who will not condemn the destruction of someone else's home or the murder of someone else's child. Not by missile, not by bulldozer, not by handgun, and not by nightstick. No to war, no to occupation, no to predatory policing, and no to mass incarceration.”

After Mr. Dubler, Tonya Noel was introduced by Ms. Johnson. Ms. Noel is a member of B.L.A.C.K.--Building Leadership And Community Knowledge--and went down with other members of B.L.A.C.K. to Ferguson last October for "FergusonOctober." Ms. Noel talked about her own journey of connecting the dots between the oppression in the U.S. and the oppression in Palestine.

She said, “My idea of going out to Ferguson [in October 2014] was that this is extremely patriotic. I'm going to take my American-made Jeep and drive across the country and protest because that's the American thing to do. But when you get there and you realize that the system that you've been saluting your whole life—that you think is sworn to protect you—is actually upholding a global system of oppression of white-supremacy is a big pill to swallow." She continued, "What we've learned from that is the resilience of people in Ferguson is the same as the resilience of the people of Rochester is the same as the resilience of the people in Palestine—that they will continue to work and fight to get free.”

"The whole damn system is GUILTY!" a community reportback from Ferguson

"The whole damn system is GUILTY!" a community reportback from Ferguson

After Ms. Noel concluded, Ms. Johnson invited Rev. Hagler to the podium who received a standing ovation.

Rev. Hagler made it very apparent at the start of his speech, after thanking many people and organizations, that he was "not here to destroy anybody. I'm standing here to lift up the dignity and rights of all people in the world."

In talking about some of the connections between Palestine and Ferguson, he noted, as had Ms. Noel briefly, that large police stations around the country have sent their officers to Israel--not to learn compassion and respect, but to be better at counter-insurgency--to become a better occupying army.

He said, "Ask yourself a question if you really want to understand what's going on with Black Lives Matter. How can a domestic police department be trained by those who are trained to occupy a community? You end up as occupiers. That's your mentality. If that's the curriculum you're going in to study, then you're not there to form partnerships with people, you're there to occupy the community!"

In Rochester, NY, not so far away, according to the records access officer for the City of Rochester who handles FOIL requests, 93% of Rochester Police Department officers live outside the city limits while only 6% live within the city limits. It's practically the entire force--and depending on who you are and where you live--it's an occupying army.

Rev. Hagler continued by talking about some of the military equipment that gets shunted to local police departments. "The tear gas used in Gaza came from the same company in Pennsylvania that manufactured the tear gas that was used in Ferguson," he said. "Think about that relationship."

Later on, he seemed to admonish people who told him not to come to Rochester. 

"When folks tell me that I should not come to Rochester to speak about this, I'm gonna come anyway," he said. "When you say that, you should know that I'm gonna come. Don't tell me that I can't come some place—oh the hell with that—I'm coming, I'm speaking, I'm doing what God has called me to do."

Before ending his speech by acknoweldging the importance of the affirmation "Black Lives Matter" and linking it with the Palestinians, he let people know that, "We—all of us—need to start speaking out about the injustice. We need to start speaking out about the Palestinians. We need to start speaking out about the injustices that go on in our own communities. We need to start speaking out before we become sensitized to the things going on that hamper and hinder human life."

It was a powerful delivery and a wonderful speech.

Witness Palestine Film Series

The Witness Palestine Film Series is in high gear! See the films coming up at the beginning of October as well as the cultural event scheduled for Friday, October 9, 2015, below.

  • Where Should the Birds Fly, Sunday, October 4, 2015, 2:00 p.m. @ the Little Theatre
  • Al Helm, Monday, October 5, 2015, 6:45 p.m. @ the Little Theatre
  • The Road to Silverstone, Wednesday, October 7, 2015, 7:00 p.m. @ St. John Fisher College
  • Celebrate Palestine, Friday, October 9, 2015, 5:30 p.m. @ Asbury First United Methodist Church

Watch the Film Series trailer

Witness Palestine Film Series

Related: Threats against speaker are “not the Rochester way” | We believe one voice cannot speak for all Jewish people | New venue found for Palestinian rights speaker after divinity school rescinds invite

Photos by Linc Spaulding: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Photos by Mara Ahmed: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Photos by Al Brundage: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15

Photos by T. Forsyth 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Rochester Indymedia is also selling DVD copies of the talk (both the introduction, talk, and Q & A on 2 discs) for a suggested donation of $10. All proceeds go to Rochester Indymedia. For more information, please contact Ted at Knight0440@yahoo.com.

DSC01264.JPG

 

Police and Jails
Poverty
Protest / Resistance
Miscellaneous
Media
International Politics and Economics
Religion
Labor
Theory and Information
Youth Culture
Immigrant Rights / No Borders
Housing Justice
Civil Liberties / Human Rights
Cultural Criticism
Anti-War / War + Peace
Anti-racism / Racism
Anti-fascism / Fascism
Environment
Economy
Education
  • Facebook logo
  • Google logo
  • identi.ca logo
  • Twitter logo
  • Digg logo
  • del.icio.us logo
  • Reddit logo
  • StumbleUpon logo
  • Yahoo logo
  • Log in or register to post comments

Search form

Local News

Did District Attorney Sandra Doorley Violate Ethics Guidelines While Attending a Local Republican Fundraiser in May?
Jim Goodman - Sleeper Cell for the Revolution!
The Press as Powdered Donut with Blue Badge in the Middle
Blueprint for Engagement: Evaluating Police / Community Relations Final Report (2017)
The Police-Civilian Foot Patrol: An Evaluation of the PAC-TAC Experiemnt in Rochester, New York (June 1975)
Police Killing of Denise Hawkins (1975)
Complaint Investigation Committee Legislation (1977)
Race Rebellion of July 1964
Selections Regarding the Police Advisory Board (1963-1970)
Prelude to the Police Advisory Board
A.C. White (January 26, 1963)
Police Raid on Black Muslim Religious Service (January 6, 1963)
Rufus Fairwell (August 12, 1962)
Incarcerated Worker sheds light on Prison Labor Conditions during Pandemic
Police and Political Commentary
BWC video indicates Mark Gaskill was holding his phone as police shouted "gun"
How the NY Attorney General's defended the police who killed Daniel Prude
Hats off to Kropotkin!!
Agreement between the City of Rochester and the Rochester Police Locust Club, 2016 - 2019
Facebook Posts Lead to Federal Rioting Charges for Justice for Daniel Prude Protester

Recent Comments

Any status on FOIL request?
Media's Goebbels
Related
Related
USA as NAZI criminals
oops
PS
A message of Truth from Geral
Fyi
See related data...

Syndication

  • Feature Stories
  • Local News

Account Creation Policy Change

Rochester Indymedia is now requiring editor approval for account creation.

We came to this decision after we had repeated spam posted to our website that caused difficulty with the website's functioning.  We will still have open publishing and keep our site as nonrestrictive and accessible as possible.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.  As before, we will continue to be Rochester's grassroots news and education site.  Thank you for your continued support and remember, "Don't hate the media, be the media!"

Editorial Meeting Times / Locations

The Rochester Independent Media Center (R-IMC) is no longer meeting regularly.
We will set up meetings by necessity and appointment. Please contact us at rochesterindymedia@rocus.org.
Our home is still the Flying Squirrel Community Space at 285 Clarissa St. Occasionally, we hold meetings at RCTV located at 21 Gorham Street.

Global IMC Network

To be downloaded