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grassroots democracy • social justice
ecological wisdom • non-violence
For Immediate Release: August 25, 2017
Contact: John Anthony La Pietra, Media Committee/GPMI
(269) 781-9478
Michigan Greens Start Campaign to Oppose Unconstitutional Bills
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S.720, H.R.1697 Would Criminalize Support for Boycott of Israel
The Green Party of Michigan (GPMI) has started a campaign to convince
the state's US Senators to oppose a bill that would unconstitutionally
impose civil and potentially criminal penalties for supporting a boycott
of Israel.
S.720, the "Israel Anti-Boycott Act", would punish supporters of the
Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement for acting on their
political views the way opponents of apartheid boycotted South Africa.
Gary Peters has signed on to co-sponsor S.720, though he reportedly
seemed bewildered when told that the ACLU had sent him and his
colleagues a letter explaining how the bill would criminalize free speech.
Debbie Stabenow has not yet taken a public position on the bill.
Michigan Greens are urging their fellow citizens to tell the offices of
both Senators about opposing S.720 -- and to contact their US House
members about opposing the House version, H.R.1697.
Sander Levin is the only Michigan Democratic co-sponsor of H.R.1697,
joining all of the Michigan Republicans except Justin Amash.
GPMI was a co-sponsor of last weekend's 50/50 Rally to commemorate the
50th anniversary of both the Detroit Rebellion and the occupation of
Palestine. But as GPMI Platform Committee member John Anthony La Pietra
points out, "Whether you support a boycott of Israel or not, if you
support free speech you should oppose S.720 -- and its House twin,
H.R.1697."
The Oppose S.720 campaign's Facebook page is:
The ACLU letter -- which identifies the minimum civil penalty of
$250,000 and a maximum criminal penalty of $1 million and 20 years in
prison -- can be seen at:
The article that mentions Peters's reaction to the ACLU letter is here:
For more information on the Green Party of Michigan, its values, and
its platform -- and how you can get involved -- please visit the party's
Website at www.MIGreenParty.org, or the migreens Facebook page.
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Official Press Release of the Green Party of Michigan
www.MIGreenParty.org
www.facebook.com/migreens
PO Box 504; Warren, MI 48090-0504