U.S. Palestinian Community Network
For Immediate Release Wednesday, July 7th, 2021
Press contact: Hatem Abudayyeh, USPCN National Chair, 773.301.4108 (call, SMS, or whatsapp preferred methods of contact), [email protected]
The Chicago chapter of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) will protest U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-9) on Thursday, July 8th, to demand that she co-sponsor U.S. Congresswoman Betty McCollum’s (D-MN-4) HR2590, the Palestinian Children and Families Act.
WHERE: U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s Chicago office, 5533 N. Broadway Ave.
WHEN: Thursday, July 8th, 2021, at 12 Noon
On June 10th, 20+ USPCN members and allies entered Schakowsky’s Chicago office and organized a sit-in to inquire as to why she had not yet co-sponsored HR2590, which would restrict U.S. military aid to Israel from being used to demolish homes, annex Palestinian land, or imprison Palestinian children in military detention facilities.
One of our members spoke to her on the phone, and she tried to deflect from the issue by claiming that she had “criticized Bibi [former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu]” in the past.
Our response was and still is, “That is not enough!” Congresswoman Schakowsky claims to be a progressive, but she is nothing close to that when it comes to Palestine.
“The Congresswoman must co-sponsor this legislation,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, Chicagoan and National Chair of USPCN. “At the very least, can’t we all say that we don’t support the imprisonment and torture of children? This bill would not allow U.S. tax dollars to be used by Israel to commit these crimes.
“We’ve given her the benefit of the doubt for so many years because she is considered a progressive, but I don’t know if we can continue to call her that if she won’t lead on this issue.”
USPCN continues to ramp up the pressure with actions that include targeting her on social media and calling her offices in Chicago and DC all week, Lights for Palestine July 7th, and a protest of her Broadway Avenue office on July 8th at 12 Noon.
Also this week, USPCN is reminding Schakowsky that her fellow Democratic U.S. Representatives from Illinois, the real progressives – Bobby Rush, Danny Davis, Marie Newman, and Jesus “Chuy” Garcia – are all original cosponsors of HR2590.
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