Report on the 9th Annual 9/11 Truth Rally/March
September 11, 2010
Satyagraha - Truth Force - events

We rallied at 10 a.m. at the Panhandle (between Oak and Fell @ Ashbury)
We paraded at 11 a.m. (well we aimed for that, but we were running late) up Ashbury down Haight St., through Golden Gate Park to Speedway Meadows and the
12th Annual Power to the Peaceful Festival
      
Take back Gandhi's 9/11 Celebration - 104th Anniversary of Gandhi’s non-violent direct action practice of
Satyagraha – Truth Force

Following the attacks of September 11th, the first "9/11 Truth Rally and March" took place in 2002. Every year since then, we have gathered in the Panhandle and marched to the Power to the Peaceful Festival which lasts til 5 pm.

Satyagraha was born out of a meeting which took place on September 11, 1906. The spirit of satyagraha, truth force, non-violent resistance, has never been more needed than in today's world and was the theme of this year's march.

            
Vic Sadot and David Chandler and Janet Kobren and Zachary Running Wolf

Local activist, song writer, Vic Sadot performed some of his songs at the rally, and during our march. David Chandler, physics teacher, video producer, compelling critic of the official 9/11 report, and Janet Kobren, local activist, a Gaza Freedom Flotilla Survivor, and Zachary Running Wolf, local native elder, all spoke. Bernie sang us one of his songs, John Wright, who was organizing the Film Festival, also spoke. In attendance were many longtime activists, including David Kimball, from Sacramento, Cosmos (founder of truthaction.org), Ricia, local members of sftruthaction.org, Nate, Patrick, and Abby. There were many new faces, and two reporters, one from KPFA, and a reporter from a local school.

Satyagraha - Truth Force was born when people gathered together, in their struggle against empire and racism in South Africa. On September 11, 1906, at a public meeting attended by 3000 people where Gandhi spoke, Sheth haji Habib, an old Muslim resident of South Africa, was inspired to consciously speak out and state his decision to act in defiance of an unjust law, that targeted the Indian population of South Africa. Habib declared his willingness to suffer the consequences in a spiritually-endowed fight for justice in the name of God. The theory of satyagraha sees means and ends as inseparable. The means used to obtain an end are wrapped up in and attached to that end. Therefore, it is contradictory to try to use unjust means to obtain justice or to try to use violence to obtain peace. Satyagraha is a synthesis of the Sanskrit words satya (meaning "truth") and Agraha ("pursuit of"). Gandhi believed that life itself is a pursuit of truth. For Gandhi, satyagraha became strength in practicing non-violent methods, or in his words "the Force which is born of Truth and Love or non-violence." Martin Luther King Jr. defined it as "Love in Action."

Cynthia McKinney, a hero of the 9/11 Truth Movement, was on a cross country Bike for Peace journey, but spoke at the We Are Change's Our Lives Post 9/11 Conference/events in New York City. There were events taking place in many major cities, including DC and LA, (Sydney and Brussels) as well. This rally/march was in solidarity with all the efforts seeking truth, peace, justice, ecological wisdom.

We welcomed all who were for 9/11 Truth, Peace, an End to War, an End to Torture, Against the Occupation of other nations, Repeal of the Patriot Act, Repeal of the Military Commissions Act. This year we had a rather small gathering, and a police escort (which wasn't really needed - I wonder if they thought they were protecting us or the public- three police cars, two policemen on motorcycles for the 25-30 people carying a banner, signs, singing, and passing out flyers was a bit extreme.)

Arriving at the 12th Annual Power to the Peaceful Festival

Janet Kobren and David Chandler

9/11 Truth March Arrives at Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance's 9/11 Truth and Cookies Booth

Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth at the 12th Annual Power to the Peaceful Festival

The Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance and Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth had a booth and a free literature table at Speedway Meadows and passed out information to the thousands who support peace. The Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance also held its 6th Annual 9/11 Truth Film Festival simultaneously during the afternoon and into the evening. Following the Power to the Peaceful Festival-

There was a Gathering at the Gandhi statue
behind the San Francisco Ferry Building on the Embarcadero, at the foot of Market St.

Take Back 9/11 as a Worldwide Celebration of Peace and Love
and not endless American War Readiness & cruelest war weapons

with Poets, Musicians, Speakers, Dancers, including - INDIA COOKE, DAVE WHITAKER, ARNIE PASSMAN, SHANTEE BAKER,
AVA BIRD, SELMA SPECTOR, STONEY BURKE,
MARSHA FEINLAND, LOUIS COLBERT, JOY MOORE, CAROL BROUILLET

PEACE FOR KEEPS and U.S. OUT OF WHACK celebrated the 104th Anniversary of young Indian lawyer Mohandas K. Gandhi declaring satyagraha, nonviolent direct action in South Africa to protest the oppression of Indian workers there.

Satyagraha was the inspiration for the civil rights and anti-war movements, South African Independence, Save the Redwoods, Amazon and West Virginia Fight Backs, among others during the war branded 20th century+. PEACE FOR KEEPS is a five year devotion that has held readings at the San Francisco Gandhi statue on the Mahatma's birthday, October 2nd, since 2006. It has also celebrated the 1958 birth of the peace symbol, February 21 (Peacemas? Nth of Aquarius) in Berkeley since its Golden Jubilee.

(I didn't realize it would take me two hours to get from the Power to the Peaceful Festival to the Gandhi Statue, but I did stop to pick up hot samosas and naan to share at the celebration, so I was late...) I spoke about the morning rally/march and the latest news- announcing the new groups- Scientists for 9/11 Truth, Actors and Artists for 9/11 Truth, and Military Officers for 9/11 Truth. Former Senator and presidential candidate, Mike Gravel moderated the conference in DC with Richard Gage, AIA, founder of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth. I spoke about Project Censoredand how it has been censored because they have taken the courageous "let's investigate more stand on 9/11." One of this year's most censored stories is the failure of the media to cover Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth's press conference last February. I wondered if the media would cover the news about Dick Gregory, who ran for President years ago, and also was the man who got the Zapruder film shown on national television- which is what got Congress to reopen an investigation into that assasination and recognize that it was a "conspiracy" and not just a lone nut, as the Warren Commission ruled. However that never reached American consciousness. Dick Gregory announced

"The new forensic evidence which is being released today by Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth demonstrates the presence of controlled demolition materiel in the World Trade Center buildings One and Two...

One thing I know is that the official government story of those events, as well as what took place that day at the Pentagon, is just that, a story. This story is not the truth, but far from it.

I was born on October 12, 1932. I am announcing today that I will be consuming only liquids beginning Sunday until my eightieth birthday in 2012 and until the real truth of what truly happened on that day emerges and is publicly known."

I mentioned the Building What? campaign to let the American people see the Zapruder film of 9/11, the controlled demolition of WTC 7, the high rise building that was not struck by an airplane on 9/11. Judging how late it was, I also told them about the direct action that should have already happened by then- the third beam of light, that Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth hoped to shine on the Truth of 9/11.

Listen to the Community Currency radio show on the theme of Take Back Gandhi's 9/11 - Satyagraha - Truth Force with Arnie Passman and Carol Brouillet that was aired on Progressive Radio Network on August 19, 2010.

The Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance's 9/11 Truth Film Festival was held in Oakland, San Francisco, and San Leandro and included the documentary Satyagraha: 100 Years of Nonviolence- posted here is the 17 minute version.

Here is a Report from our 2009 9/11 Film Festival and the 8th Annual Rally to the 11th Annual Power to the Peaceful Festival.

Here is a Report from our 2008 Rally

9/11 Truth Parade on Haight Street

9/11 Truth Parade - 9/6/2008 - Golden Gate Park

9/11 Truth Parade - 9/6/2008 - Golden Gate Park

Crowd at the 2008 Power to the Peaceful Festival

ae911truth.org and Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance's booths at the Power to the Peaceful Festival

Northern California Truth Activists

Report on 2006 March/Rally/Film Festival

Report on
9-11 Truth for Peace and Justice
Films, Discussions, Dialogue, Reflection

at the Veteran's War Memorial Building, 401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, September 11th, 2005

Report on the 2005 9-11 Film Festival
The Benefit for the Northern California 9-11 Truth Alliance and Project Censored

at the Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Avenue, Oakland

Donate to the Northern California 9-11 Truth Alliance

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