Gorilla Radio is dedicated to social justice, the environment, community, and providing a forum for people and issues not covered in the corporate media.

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Welcome to Gorilla Radio, recorded April 25th and May 1st, 2024

Happy May Day! In times of yore, in the northern hemisphere, the May Day heralded Winter’s finality and the coming of Spring proper. No frosts would come to kill seeds to soon planted, or make perish younglings in the nest. For youngsters now, “May Day” as heard may first evoke panic of a Mayday! Mayday! that since 1927 has been recognized as the universal signal of distress. As international raconteur, and frequent guest on Gorilla Radio, John Helmer, (from whom this introduction is inspired) reminds, the distressful element of the Mayday derives from the French, “M’aidez”, literally “help me!” It’s a call emanating now across the World for the people of Gaza that is being answered with blunt force by authorities in the countries in support of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Palestine; a genocide promising to become a 21st Century Holocaust.

In the first half, local voices becoming a part of the global barricade to stop the slaughter and to free finally Palestine.

And; as well as genocide in Gaza, and so far less virulent attacks against freedom of speech and thought at American universities, Israel is too targeting the Palestinian culture, hunting down and killing its journalists, authors, and poets. Fascists have always feared artists and their ability to stir within our hearts aspirations for a more beautiful world, and have always tried and failed to quash that spirit; and in their attempts they reveal themselves and their vile philosophy to be the enemy of what’s best about us, and what’s best about being alive.

Terry Wolfwood is the Director and co-founder of the Barnard-Boecker Centre Foundation. She’s served as local coordinator for the Victoria chapter of Women in Black for many years, and has traveled numerous times to the refugee camps in Palestine and Western Sahara to bear witness to those suffering injustice, and to bring the message of the people she meets there back to Canada. Terry is too a poet and author; her articles have appeared at Briarpatch, Peace News, and Third World Resurgence among other places. Her poetry can be found at the Foundation’s site, BBCF.ca, and in her recently released second anthology, ‘Passion and Commitment’, published by Smallberry Press.

Terry Wolfwood and a life of passionate existence, love, (art) and resistance in the second half.

But first, Palestine’s message from Victoria to the World.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, broad/webcasting since 1999. Check out the Archive at Gorilla-Radio.com, GRadio.Substack.com, and the GR blog at: https://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/

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Last week, the United States surprised no-one in using its veto power in the United Nations Security Council to stymie again Palestine’s hopes of recognition as a full member state. In killing the resolution – a reiteration of another aborted by that body in 2011 – America said, “This vote does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood, but instead is an acknowledgment that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties.” That presumably an allusion to Israel, the UN member state currently waging a widely acknowledged genocide across Palestine’s remnant historical territories.

John B. Quigley is Professor emeritus of international law at Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law, whose numerous publications include books on international jurisprudence, and articles on human rights, the United Nations, war and peace, east European law, African law, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. In his book, ‘The Statehood of Palestine: International Law in the MIddle East Conflict’ Quigley argues the state of Palestine was extant before Israel’s creation, and remains so despite any subsequent “permutation” to its territory.

Some of Quigley’s other titles include, ‘The Case for Palestine: An International Law Perspective’, ‘Palestinian Crisis Best Understood Under International Law’, ‘International Law and the Palestinian Refugees’, ‘The Genocide Convention: An International Law Analysis’, and ‘The Statehood of Palestine’ among many others.

John B. Quigley in the first half.

And; following the UN Security Council’s quashing of the full membership resolution for Palestine, an emboldened Israel accelerated its genocide campaign against the captive Gaza; and though famine and disease threaten, and the entire Strip is being subject to land, sea and air bombardment, the international community has proven yet unable to either stop the onslaught, or get adequate food and other aid to the people there. But not everyone is waiting for the UN, or “international community” to act.

Activist, journalist, and lawyer, Dimitri Lascaris has joined the Gaza Freedom Flotilla 2024 in Turkiye, where the three ship strong contingent has expedited its departure to “meet the profound and urgent needs of Gaza’s civilian population”. But there are forces exerting pressure to prevent the ships sailing, (as no doubt there will be the same trying to arrest the completion of their humanitarian mission).

Dimitri’s articles and recent video reports from the Middle East are available at his site, DimitriLascaris.org, and his interviews for TRNN can be found at TheRealNews.com.

Dimitri Lascaris taking to the high seas in defense of Palestine in the second half.

But first, John Quigley and the making of the State of Palestine now as it’s ever been, again.

Song: The Ballad of UK Lawyers for Israel

Artist: David Rovics

 

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, broad/webcasting since 1999. Check out the Archive at Gorilla-Radio.com, GRadio.Substack.com, and the GR blog at: https://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/

Welcome to Gorilla Radio, recorded April 17th, 2024

 

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In the Fall of 2020, amid the fear and confusion of Covid, British Columbia’s minority NDP government called a snap election. It was controversial then as much for coming barely two years into the mandate, as drawing voters together at the height of the pandemic. But, there was more electoral controversy to come. A “McCarthyite” campaign to undermined the leader of one of the province’s political parties slithered by, ultimately knocking him and his party out of the election.

Stuart Parker describes himself as a “Canadian political exile”. Living in Tanzania now, Parker left Canada last year after suffering a “three-year campaign of neo-McCarthyite blacklisting.” He has a long history of political and environmental activism in B.C. and Ontario, and was, before being chased out, the acting leader of the nascent B.C. Ecosocialist Party. Stuart’s recently released a compendium of his prodigious writings in the four-volume, ‘Collected Essays 2008-2024‘.

Stuart Parker in the first half.

And; the last two weeks the World has been on tenterhooks, not knowing how Iran would react to Israel’s April Fool’s rocket attack against the Iranian Embassy in Damascus. Now that we know; what will Israel do next?!

There’s amazing developments in this story; too numerous and changing too rapidly to keep up with in a brief introduction like this. But suffice to say; we’re entering an Age of Trepidity where each next step could spell a disastrous fall.

John Helmer’s a journalist and author who’s spent decades living in and reporting from Russia. He’s the principle behind the web news site, Dances with Bears, and has too been a professor of political science, sociology, and journalism and served as advisor to governments at the highest levels.

Among his many book titles are: ‘Skripal in Prison,’ ‘The Man Who Knows Too Much About Russia,’ ‘The Lie That Shot Down MH-17’, ‘SOVCOMPLOT: How Pirates Tried to Capture the Treasure of the Russian Seas, and Were Caught Out’, and his lately released autobiography, ‘Dunce Upon a Time: A Life of Mistakes’. His latest article at Dances with Bears is, ‘Loose Lips Don’t Sink Ships, or Israel.’

John Helmer and sparking the Electric War in the second half.

But first, Stuart Parker, a Canadian volunteer in exile.

 

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, broad/webcasting since 1999. Check out the Archive at Gorilla-Radio.com, GRadio.Substack.com, and the GR blog at: https://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/

Welcome to Gorilla Radio, recorded April 10th, 2024

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Over the weekend Israel announced a withdrawal of troops from Gaza, leaving only a brigade along the recently created divide in the centre of the Strip. It says the retreat, or retrenchment, is a temporary measure in preparation for the long-threatened ground invasion of Rafah. Meanwhile, one refugee now able to return to the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis – site of a major battle last week – reports her city in ruins, saying “There isn’t a house without a martyr, wounded, or destroyed.”

Laith Marouf is the Palestinian-Canadian founder of FreePalestine.Video. The long-time multimedia consultant and producer is currently chronicling the Palestine disaster from his base in Beirut. Free Palestine Video says it’s meant to fill a “large gap” in media coverage, “…in the absence of media supporting the resistance forces in the English language due to the ban in the West.”

Laith Marouf in the first half.

And; there’s no knowing if Israel’s destruction of Iran’s Damascus Embassy last week inspired Ecuador’s infamous violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations over the weekend, but the storming of the Mexican Embassy in that country and kidnapping of Ecuador’s former Vice President and asylee, Jorge Glas certainly reiterates the erosion of International Law.

Glas, who served in Raphael Correa’s administration and was convicted for corruption, says charges against him are politically motivated. He’d been in the Embassy since December, and was promised safe passage out of the country last week. Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador blasted the Noboa administration for the breach, saying the arrest of Glas constitutes an “authoritarian act” and is a “flagrant violation of international law and sovereignty of Mexico”.

Joe Emersberger is a Canadian-Ecuadorian engineer, journalist, and co-author with Justin Podur of the book, ‘Extraordinary Threat: The US Empire, the Media and 20 Years of Coup Attempts in Venezuela‘. Joe’s many articles focusing on Western media coverage of the Americas can be found at FAIR.org, CounterPunch, and Telesur English among other places.

Joe Emersberger and Jorge Glas getting ‘Assanged’ in Quito in the second half.

But first, Laith Marouf and the vital work of supporting and conveying the voice of the resistance to the entire world.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, broad/webcasting since 1999. Check out the Archive at Gorilla-Radio.com, GRadio.Substack.com, and the GR blog at: https://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/

Welcome to Gorilla Radio, recorded April 3rd, 2024

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Over the weekend Palestinians marked Land Day, the annual March 30th commemoration of six civilians murdered by Israeli soldiers while protesting expropriation of their homes and property in 1976. In Toronto, demonstrations were held Saturday in conjunction with those calling for a cessation to Israel’s ongoing violence, already deemed tantamount to genocide by court findings at the International Court of Justice, and ordered stopped in the UN Security Council.

The protest in Toronto proceeded much as the many preceding it had, until Toronto Police Services decided to escalate. By the end, 7 had been detained, three ultimately charged, and policing in “Toronto the Good” once again proving it ain’t so much so.

But, should we be surprised that the cops in Toronto behave like the politicians in Ottawa – and the presses everywhere in the country – unfairly serving and protecting the interests of Israel? Afterall, it’s a Canadian tradition. As Canadian author, Yves Engler says of his 2010 book, ‘Canada and Israel: Building Apartheid’, “Liberal and Conservative governments, usually with support from the NDP, have staunchly backed Israel since before its creation.”

Yves Engler is a Montreal-based political activist and the author of thirteen books, mostly detailing the dark dealings of Canada’s foreign policy elite, including the aforementioned. His latest, co-authored with Owen Schalk, is ‘Canada’s Long Fight Against Democracy’, which Yves is currently touring across Canada. He’s also a prolific essayist, whose writing appears across the internet and at his website, YvesEngler.com, where I found his recent piece, ‘Gaza the final nail in “Canada as honest broker” coffin’.

Yves Engler in the first half.

And; last week, America’s media Wurlitzer concerted in replaying a favourite from its propaganda song book. The ‘Havana Syndrome Hustle’, for those not tuned to Spook Radio, was the one about the mysterious illness allegedly suffered by American diplomats in Cuba, (and sympathetically experienced by their Canadian colleagues). Safe to say, the re-release was received with crickets from the critics, but any distraction is a welcome one for American intelligence these days.

But, it’s not all clownery in Washington, DC where former “Counterterrorizism Czar” under George W. Bush rose again last week to be named head of the NED. Covert Action Magazine has, for those unfamiliar with the Beltway players, published a program entry on the National Endowment for Democracy’s new number one, Juan Zarate.

Jeremy Kuzmarov is a journalist and author who also serves as Managing Editor at CAM. Jeremy’s book titles include, ‘Obama’s Unending Wars’, and ‘The Russians Are Coming, Again’, written with John Marciano, and his latest, ‘Warmonger. How Clinton’s Malign Foreign Policy Launched the U.S. Trajectory From Bush II to Biden’. His recent article at CAM is, ‘CIA Cutout Appoints Counterterrorism Czar Who Supported Massive Human Rights Abuses’.

Jeremy Kuzmarov and Spook World not so golden oldies reprised at Foggy Bottom in the second half.

But first, Yves Engler on Toronto’s protest policing, Foreign Minister, Melanie “Genocide” Joly’s public meltdown, and Israel’s escalation through bombing of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus.

Song: This Is a Genocide (Remix LIVE at CCB)

Artist: David Rovics

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, broad/webcasting since 1999. Check out the Archive at Gorilla-Radio.com, GRadio.Substack.com, and the GR blog at: https://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/

Welcome to Gorilla Radio, recorded March 27th, 2024

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Russia held its presidential elections ten days ago, and if you haven’t heard, incumbent candidate, Vladimir Putin won reelection. At least that’s what they’re saying in the Russian press. On this side of the Atlantic however, America (and by default its Euro-allies) filled the week after with stories of the fix being in, trying to convince their viewers and readers the man with the 80+ percent approval rating had figuratively defenestrated opposition voters to steal the win, etcetera, etcetera, blah, blah, blah.

But that was before the terror attack in Moscow that claimed 139 lives at last count, and wounded hundreds more.

Dan Kovalik was in Russia for the vote, acting as an election observer. It’s something he has a lot of experience in, having performed that function many times in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Colombia. Dan’s a lawyer, educator, labour, peace, and justice activist, democracy defender, journalist, author, and filmmaker. His book titles include: ‘Cancel This Book: The Progressive Case Against Cancel Culture’ the “Plot to” series on American efforts to undermine the governments and economies of Iran, Venezuela, and Russia, ‘No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using ‘Humanitarian’ Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interest’, ‘Nicaragua: A History of US Intervention & Resistance’. His latest is, ‘The Case for Palestine: Why It Matters and Why You Should Care’ due out in May.

Dan Kovalik in the first half.

And; as stated, the horror in the Crocus City Hall music venue has quashed the Western fake news campaign to delegitimize Putin’s election, and now looks to effect the nature of the two-plus years war between Russia and Ukraine.

John Helmer’s a journalist and author who’s spent decades living in and reporting from Russia. He’s the principle behind the web news site, Dances with Bears, and has too been a professor of political science, sociology, and journalism and served as advisor to governments at the highest levels.
Among his many book titles are: ‘Skripal in Prison,’ ‘The Man Who Knows Too Much About Russia,’ ‘The Lie That Shot Down MH-17’, ‘SOVCOMPLOT: How Pirates Tried to Capture the Treasure of the Russian Seas, and Were Caught Out’, and his lately released autobiography, ‘Dunce Upon a Time: A Life of Mistakes’. His latest article at Dances with Bears is, ‘The Evidence on the Crocus Gang Attack in Moscow‘.

John Helmer and what is known about the heinous Moscow attack in the second half.

But first, Dan Kovalik observing democracy in action in Russia, and making the case for Palestine.

Songs: “This Is Genocide” “Evening News“

Artist: David Rovics

 

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, broad/webcasting since 1999. Check out the Archive at Gorilla-Radio.com, GRadio.Substack.com, and the GR blog at: https://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/

None were surprised Vladimir Putin won an overwhelming mandate to continue in the office of the President in Russia over the weekend, but to hear the Anglo-American media reports, that entirely predictable event is merely a “claim” being made by the Kremlin. Just how are we in the West to go on in the World with our faculties clouded with such nonsense? And, every day it gets worse with ever more draconian message-management measures being devised to reach right into social media.

John Helmer is an antidote to the poisoned press, on Russia especially. John’s a journalist and author who’s spent decades living in and reporting from there, and persists as the principle behind the web news site, Dances with Bears. John has too been a professor of political science, sociology, and journalism, and has served as advisor to governments at the highest levels.

Among his many book titles are: ‘Skripal in Prison,’ ‘The Man Who Knows Too Much About Russia,’ ‘The Lie That Shot Down MH-17’, ‘SOVCOMPLOT: How Pirates Tried to Capture the Treasure of the Russian Seas, and Were Caught Out’, and his lately released autobiography, ‘Dunce Upon a Time: A Life of Mistakes’. His latest article at Dances with Bears, ‘WHEN IT COMES TO FIGHTING RUSSIAN DIAMONDS, THE JEWISH DIAMOND TRADE AND DE BEERS ARE A BUSTED FLUSH’ looks at the cascading negative effects for Israel of its barbarous Gaza campaign.

Today, John Helmer and Europe Four Flushing Russia…

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, broad/webcasting since 1999. Check out the Archive at Gorilla-Radio.com, GRadio.Substack.com, and the GR blog at: https://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/

Welcome to Gorilla Radio, recorded March 2nd, 2024

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The horror in Gaza intensifies by the moment. This past week, the World witnessed the infamous targeting of starving civilians gathered by some of the few aid trucks allowed in by Israel southwest of Gaza City.

The Flour Massacre, as this infamy is now being called, claimed at least 112 lives outright, with more than 750 people wounded to varying degrees. This latest outrage though is small beer when counted against the tens of thousands killed in Palestine, hundreds of thousands injured, and more than a million and a half people rendered homeless.

It is a purposefully made humanitarian catastrophe, an undeniable genocide. And yet, those in Canada calling for an end to the killing are being assailed by the government, attacked in the media, and in true McCarthyite fashion, blackballed from their professions.

Dr. Yipeng Ge is one of these. The family practice doctor and resident physician in Public Health and Preventive Medicine at the University of Ottawa’s faculty of medicine, Ge was suspended in November for social media posts criticizing Israel and calling for a ceasefire. The University subsequently backed down, giving indications of rescinding that suspension, but Ge refused to return saying, “I feel incredibly harmed by this process, and I don’t know how to continue within this institution because of what’s happened.”

Ge too resigned his membership on the Canadian Medical Association board in protest of that institution’s silence on the targeting of hospitals, doctors, and the entire medical system there.

Since then, Dr. Ge has traveled to Gaza to see for himself, ostensibly to work at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, but unable to do so due to “targeted attacks on healthcare workers.”

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, broad/webcasting since 1999. Check out the Archive at Gorilla-Radio.com, GRadio.Substack.com, and the GR blog at: https://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/

Welcome to Gorilla Radio, recorded February 17th, 2024

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Despite his death in prison yesterday, Russian “democracy activist”, Alexei Navalny will continue to serve his Western masters in their effort to unseat Vladimir Putin’s government. Since the news broke, the Free Press has inundated the cybersphere, airwaves, and teevees of Europe and America with extollations of the man’s courage and journalistic integrity with testimonials coming from them in high places; those same silent on the bitter fate of Julian Assange, long dying but not dead yet in a British dungeon.

Would it be too soon unkind to remind, Navalny cosseted neo-fascists; was a performative if not demonstrable racist, and an asset of the CIA and MI6? Yes, the only thing worse than living in prison perhaps is dying there, and few deserve that, so rest in peace Alexei, if you can find it.

John Helmer is a journalist and author who’s spent decades living in and reporting from Russia. Principle behind the web news site, Dances with Bears, Helmer has too been a professor of political science, sociology, and journalism, and has served as advisor to governments at the highest levels.

Among his many book titles are: ‘Skripal in Prison,’ ‘The Man Who Knows Too Much About Russia,’ ‘The Lie That Shot Down MH-17’, ‘SOVCOMPLOT: How Pirates Tried to Capture the Treasure of the Russian Seas, and Were Caught Out’, and his lately released autobiography, ‘Dunce Upon a Time: A Life of Mistakes’. Helmer has also written voluminously on Navalny; his activities, methods, goals and sponsors.

John Helmer and the use of Alexei Navalny in life, and afterwords.

Song: Once the Last Palestinian’s Killed

Artist: David Rovics

 

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, broad/webcasting since 1999. Check out the Archive at Gorilla-Radio.com, GRadio.Substack.com, and the GR blog at: https://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/