August 24, 2024 | Pacifica FightBack National Virtual Town Hall

Host-Mimi-Rosenberg-1 Pacifica Fightback National Virtual Town Hall (August 2024)

On Saturday, August 24th, 2024 at 3pm PDT, a national town hall video conference was hosted by WBAI’s Mimi Rosenberg. The three-hour event was organized by Pacifica Fightback: Campaign to Preserve Democracy & Accountability at Pacifica Radio. Mimi Rosenberg is a Pacifica Radio producer; she is the host of Equal Rights and Justice, which airs on WBAI.

PacificaFightback Pacifica Fightback National Virtual Town Hall (August 2024)

Uhuru-three_and-attys-supporters Pacifica Fightback National Virtual Town Hall (August 2024) — Penny Hess, pictured above (4th from left), chair of the African Peoples Solidarity Committee and one of the Uhuru 3 facing trial in September, was a featured speaker.

Part One featured guest speakers: journalist Scott Ritter and members of the Uhuru 3, Omali Yeshitela (Chair of the African People’s Socialist Party) and Penny Hess (Chair of the African Peoples Solidarity Committee).

Penny Hess and Omali Yeshitela are facing a McCarthyist trial in September. In April 2023, the Uhuru 3 were indicted by the U.S. government on bogus charges of being “agents of a foreign government” because of the Uhuru Movement’s work over the past 50 years to advocate for the liberation and unification of Africa and forcibly dispersed African people everywhere.

Scott Ritter is also facing McCarthyist repression. On Wednesday, August 7, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at Scott Ritter’s home in New York state. The FBI claimed they were investigating whether Scott Ritter was functioning as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. This is based on Ritter’s freelance journalism contributing to various news outlets, especially his contributions to RT. But journalism is not a crime. First Amendment-protected activity is not a crime. What was really taking place was a frontal assault on peace.

All three featured guests spoke about their recent experiences of repression at the hands of the FBI and U.S. government. The homes of the Uhuru 3 were raided by FBI agents with guns drawn on their families because of their outspoken activism against the U.S. proxy war in Ukraine and their decades of advocacy for liberation. Journalist Scott Ritter, who is also facing bogus charges, also had his personal and work effects confiscated by the FBI for his principled reporting against war. The FBI confiscated Ritter’s belongings, including his computer and his document archives from his time as a United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq, which contradicted claims that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq at the time of the US-led war against Iraq.

A video of this Pacifica Fightback national town hall event will be edited and posted soon at PacificaFightback.org. RescuePacifica.net has been granted permission to feature the video here. So, please stay tuned!

Part-1-guest-speakers-Ritter-Hess Pacifica Fightback National Virtual Town Hall (August 2024)

Part Two featured 2024 Local Station Board candidates from various Pacifica Radio Network stations from around the country.

Part-2-LSB-Candidates Pacifica Fightback National Virtual Town Hall (August 2024)

Quotations from Pacifica Fightback email communication for this event:

“FREE SPEECH IS UNDER ATTACK

“Felipe and James are only two of the candidates you’ll meet! This is a crucial election! Let’s talk! Your vote will determine the future of your station.

“We need YOUR VOTE to save free speech and democracy in Pacifica! Shrinking our boards and putting more power in the hands of a few will NOT solve Pacifica’s financial problems. We need MORE seats at the table and the mic, not less! Democracy is the only antidote to growing fascism. Pacifica is mentioned BY NAME in Project 2025! They want to destroy the radical voices—REAL alternative media—that oppose war, defend the Uhuru 3, Scott Ritter, Stop Cop City, Mumia, Leonard, Indigenous land and water defenders, and YOUR human rights.

“Only REAL alternative media will defend Freedom of Speech!

Democracy-in-Pacifica-bullseye-image Pacifica Fightback National Virtual Town Hall (August 2024)

(More quotations from Pacifica Fightback email communication for this event)

“BUT WHAT DO PACIFICA ELECTIONS HAVE TO DO WITH THIS?

“Everything. The antidote to fascism is democracy. Even in a radio network. Back in October, 2019, a faction of the Pacifica National Board (PNB), accompanied by armed guards, illegally seized control of WBAI in NYC. They shut it down, fired the entire staff, stole the computers, padlocked the place and began piping in programming from KPFA, WBAI’s sister station in Berkeley, CA. WBAI had to go to court to get the station back.

“Since then the key players in the failed “WBAI Coup” have

lost two referenda that would strip away our democratic bylaws.
tried to sue individual Directors
Pacifica Safety Net sicced the FCC on WBAI. Now the entire network is under FCC monitorship and could easily be shut down! Pacifica is already in the crosshairs of Project 2025. This also cost Pacifica $25K and added more restrictions on fundraising!
blamed network-wide drop in radio listeners and resultant fundraising woes solely on WBAI (which some secretly want to sell)

“Their promised “New Day” has only led to new debt. Their lawsuits are draining the network.

“TAKING POTSHOTS AT OUR DEMOCRATIC BYLAWS, ONE AT A TIME

“LEAKED: Legally, Listeners and Staff have the right to VOTE on Bylaws changes that will affect them in a Referendum. But die-hard New Day supporters are attempting to BYPASS a referendum. They claim the Local Boards can just vote them up or down. THIS IS A VIOLATION OF THE CURRENT BYLAWS but they are trying it anyway!

“Here are some UNdemocratic proposed Bylaws changes New Day wants, to increase power of the majority, that will help them gain CONTROL of the network.

Cut the size of your Local Station Board in half. From 24 down to 12. Would you like it if Trump cut the size of the House of Representatives in half? In a city with millions of people, does CUTTING the # of reps INCREASE Diversity, Equity & Inclusion? NO!

Turn Runners Up into “Losers.” Currently, if an LSB member drops out, the next highest vote-getter steps up and fills the seat. New Day wants the LSB to choose who takes the seat. And guess what? Ever hear of the “Tyranny of the Majority.” Yup. Whoever controls the most seats on the LSB will get to choose who fills the vacancy.

PNB chair elected by members nationally. Sound like “direct democracy?” It’s not! It means the station with the LARGEST membership (KPFA) will always win!

The Executive Director (ED) gets more power. The ED will pick the General Manager and the Program Director. The LSB can recommend two candidates. The ED also recommends two, and has the final say. Currently the LSB does the search and presents the choices to the ED. (Again: this is a LOSS of local influence!)