PEACE CENTER ACTIVIST ALERT

August 17th, 2026

MONDAY, AUGUST 17th, 7 - 8:30 PM

(doors and tabling open 6 PM)

WESTHOPE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

12850 SARATOGA AVE. SARATOGA



FOSNA and FOSNA SILICON VALLEY

hosts

HUWAIDA ARRAF

of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla

HER FINAL BAY AREA APPEARANCE

Genocide is unfolding on our dime:

Time to end our complicity.

Huwaida Arraf is a Palestinian-American lawyer and human rights activist,

co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), and co-editor of Peace Under Fire: Israel, Palestine, and the International Solidarity Movement. She co-founded the Free Gaza Movement and led five pioneering civilian sea voyages to the Gaza Strip challenging Israel’s illegal blockade.

Arraf serves on the Steering Committee of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which continues to organize civilian flotillas to challenge Israel’s illegal siege. She is also lead counsel for Taxpayers Against Genocide in a

complaint against the government before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

• Register here. Note: You can also join this event online! Select “Virtual Attendance” at registration.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 18th, 5 - 6 PM

ONGOING WEEKLY PROTESTS

Intersection of Mt. Diablo Blvd. and Moraga Road

LAFAYETTE

5:00 - 6:00 PM

A PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING - THE WORK CONTINUES!

ADDED A WEEKLY FOOD DRIVE TO THE MIX!

Meet Local Activists,

Bring your own signs or make one when you arrive.

MORE INFORMATION BELOW

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19th, 4 PM PT

BLOCK THE BOMBS and STOP THE DEADLY MERGER WEEKLY PHONE BANKING PROJECT CONTINUES

organized by:

ADALAH JUSTICE PROJECT and USCPR ACTION

We'll be calling supporters of Palestinian rights and connecting them with their senators ahead of critical votes on the NDAA. These votes could permanently merge the US and Israeli militaries and approve a ridiculous $1.5 TRILLION total Pentagon budget.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26th,

6:30 PM

ZOOM STATEWIDE MEETING

(LAST WEDNESDAY EACH MONTH)

Who votes, who doesn't,

and what to do about it.

With fewer than four months until the midterms there's a lot to do to protect voting rights. And you have probably wondered: why don't people vote? We hear remarks that our votes don't matter, but since 2018 in California alone ten elections were won by ten votes or fewer. The news is full of stories - from the right and the left - about voter suppression, but California has high voter registration rates.

RSVP now

Forward together, California Poor People's Campaign

Are you seeking out

independent media?

Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center is collecting a variety of media including readings, documentaries, and podcasts on the topics of the day, to be read and shared.

Our goal is to educate, encourage discussion, and inspire activism.

NEW THIS WEEK:

NIMA R. ALKHORSHID interview: Alastair Crooke: Trump’s Card Just Broke the Status Quo

Analysis about Iran War & Trump's Recent Comments

NIMA R. ALKHORSHID interview: Pravin Sawhney: Trump Declares Hormuz U.S. Soil: "We Can Destroy the Whole Place"

opinions of a former Army office and analyst

UPDATE on NATIONAL DEFENSE

AUTHORIZATION ACT (NDAA )2027

Regarding discussion of Section 1217 in the NDAA 2027, pending before the Senate.

Background is below, beginning from the leading opposition groups, continuing down with updates. Turns out the sections of the NDAA regarding Israel were simply incorporated from the U.S.-Israel FUTURES Act, proposed in February 2026.,

That bill, which Netanyahu has referenced as “my bill,” never made it out of committee in either the House or Senate. So Plan B was to bury it inside the NDAA.  

REJECT THE MERGER HERE

UNITED STATES - ISRAEL FUTURES ACT

Details outlined in Wikipedia

US-Israel Defense Integration on Horizon as House Keeps Sec. 219 in NDAA

The House passed the NDAA with Section 219 intact, advancing expanded U.S.-Israel defense cooperation despite bipartisan opposition, News from Military.com

HOUSE PASSES 2027 NDAA WHILE MEASURE REMAINS STALLED IN THE SENATE

“[There are] provisions in this bill that some folks disagree with, but understand that this is just a single step in a long process,” House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said on the chamber floor today. News from BreakingDefense.com

FROM LAST WEEK:

WILLIAM HARTUNG: The Long Life and Slow Death of “Military Keynesianism”

NIMA R. ALKHORSHID: The Inevitable Just Happened in the Middle East

NIMA R. ALKHORSHID interview: Pravin Sawhney: JUST IN: Yemeni Forces Claim Responsibility for Overnight Aramco Refinery Attack

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PLEASE READ/WATCH and SHARE!

ARE YOU TAKING ACTION THIS WEEK?

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VOTE NO ON VOTER RESTRICTIONS!

Sign the petition: BLOCK the SAVE America Act

The U.S. House passed the SAVE America Act, an extreme “show your papers” voter suppression bill fueled by far-right propaganda and anti-immigrant conspiracy theories.¹

Trump is trying to force through national voter ID at the polls. He’s demanding proof of citizenship to register to vote. The SAVE America Act will stop millions from casting ballots in the midterms.² Our Senators must oppose Trump’s attempt to shred our constitutional right to vote.

Sign the petition: Block the SAVE America Act

Under Trump’s restrictive bill, people can’t register to vote or update their registrations without a passport or original birth certificate — documents that 21 million people don’t have ready access to. Tens of millions of women who’ve changed their last names after marriage and may not have a passport or birth certificate with their current last name would face additional burdens. And every single voter would need to show a government-issued photo ID with an up-to-date address and current name before casting a ballot.³

The SAVE America Act is yet another Trump attempt to interfere in our free and fair elections. There is no mass “noncitizen” voting that justifies any of this. The 2020 election was not stolen. But Trump, Stephen Miller, and Pam Bondi are counting on enough Republicans and MAGA loyalists to get behind these myths so they can rig the midterms. Steve Bannon even wants to send ICE to “surround the polls” come November.⁴

The Senate must reject the worst voter suppression bill in modern history.

Reject the SAVE America Act now!

Sources:

1. The Associated Press, "House GOP pushes strict proof-of-citizenship requirement for voters ahead of midterm elections," February 11, 2026.
2. Democracy Docket, "New version of GOP suppression bill would impose nationwide proof of citizenship, photo ID requirements," February 7, 2026.
3. ACLU Press Release, "ACLU Condemns House Passage of SAVE America Act as Dangerous Assault on Democracy," February 11, 2026.
4. Democracy Docket, "White House ‘can’t guarantee’ ICE won’t be at polls," February 5, 2026.

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ONGOING WEEKLY LOCAL PROTESTS

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TUESDAY EVENINGS

Intersection of Mt. Diablo Blvd. and Moraga Road

LAFAYETTE

5:00 - 6:00 PM

A PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING - THE WORK CONTINUES!

ADDING A WEEKLY FOOD DRIVE TO THE MIX!

Meet Local Activists, Bring your own signs or make one when you arrive.

AND A MESSAGE FROM THE ORGANIZERS OF THIS WEEKLY EVENT:

We are concerned with safety and have a monitor at each corner wearing an orange vest. They will help keep the crosswalks and sidewalks clear for pedestrians. If you have any questions or concerns, please let one of them or Gordon Lake, our main event organizer, know.  

Our mission statement and some norms for our group: .

Mission:

We are meeting to collectively defend democracy and support and protect the institutions which are vital to the wellbeing of all of us, and which are now under attack. Our goals are to meet every week to express our values and ideas, to promote solidarity and mutual support within our protest community, and to encourage other like-minded citizens to join us.

Norms:

We are non-violent in word and deed. We will follow all laws and act in ways that ensure personal safety. We will not block crosswalks or walkways.

We will not respond to those in cars or on the street who express different views. We will contact monitors in orange vests if we have questions or concerns.

LAMORINDA PEACE & JUSTICE GROUP

NEED INFORMATION ON FOOD DONATIONS?

Food collected at this protest will go to the

NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR FOOD PANTRY

CLICK HERE FOR SUGGESTIONS

WE THE PEOPLE PROTESTS

taking place on various days

WALNUT CREEK, LAFAYETTE,

MARTINEZ and OAKLAND!

CHECK THE SCHEDULE HERE

Organized by Indivisible ReSisters Contra Costa!

Join us for a rousing honk and wave visibility action.

Bring your signs and raise your voice for democracy and to protect our rights!

This is a nonviolent event. Stay within your rights, don’t break laws, stay safe, stay peaceful, and avoid any risk you don’t feel comfortable with. Don’t obstruct traffic, impede pedestrians, or commit any acts of property damage.

If counter-protestors appear, do your best to ignore them. When people shout from cars, just remember that we are standing for their rights, too. They just don't know it.

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ADDITIONAL ONLINE SOURCES FOR ACTIONS and INFORMATION ON PALESTINE/GAZA and other MILITARY ACTIONS WORLDWIDE

ACTIONS TO TAKE!

Continue contacting Congress to

demand they pass these resolutions: 

Block the Bombs – Support H.R. 3565

Call on your member of Congress to support the

Block the Bombs Act (H.R. 3565), introduced by

Rep. Delia Ramirez, to stop U.S. weapons transfers to Israel.

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/block-the-bombs-act

RECENTLY RELEASED!

2026 edition of Mapping Militarism

24 interactive maps to highlight

the state of war and peace on our planet.

Each map allows the viewer to spin the globe,

zoom in and out, scroll the timeline back through the years,

or switch from map view to list view. 

TRY IT HERE!

World BEYOND War has

a DIVESTMENT campaign!

About the Campaign

Grassroots-led war divestment campaigns are springing up all over the world, from students organizing to divest university endowments, to municipalities and states coming together to divest public pension funds. Divestment means organizing to remove public and private assets from weapons manufacturers, military contractors, and war profiteers.

Public pension and retirement funds especially are often invested, directly and indirectly, in weapons companies. Teachers and other public servants whose interests lie with promoting human needs have their retirement security tied up with maintaining or enlarging the war industry. Every dollar currently invested in weapons and war is a dollar that could be better spent on job creation, education, housing, healthcare, food security, and so much more.

War profiteering is largely normalized today. We’re working to stigmatize the war machine. World BEYOND War assists divestment campaigns led by our chapters, affiliates, other coalitions, and individuals around the world.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN HERE

This website provides comprehensive information including events & campaigns

CHECK HERE FOR LINKS TO REACH OUT TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES!

Includes a frequently updated

calendar of local events

Peace work in the Quaker tradition

American Friends Service Committee

BOYCOTT

DIVESTMENT and SANCTIONS!

CHECK OUT THIS HANDY APP!