Remembering Lawyer/Journalist/Activist Kevin Zeese
AntiWar.com
(September 6, 2020) — Kevin Zeese had a heart attack and died suddenly last night following a dinner at home with his partner, Margaret Flowers.
From Medea Benjamin:
Heartbreaking! Our dear Kevin Zeese passed away suddenly.
Kevin was a brilliant writer, organizer, strategist and visionary. Wherever there was injustice, Kevin was there, with his partner Margaret Flowers and Popular Resistance.
We miss you, brother.
Editor’s Note: Antiwar.com carried many of Kevin’s articles over the years, view his archives here. Scott Horton interviewed Kevin many times, listen here.
¡Kevin Zeese, Presente!
The Dedicated, Long-Time Organizer Is Being Remembered For His Important Work On The Frontlines Of Countless Struggles For Justice.
(September 6, 2020) — US lawyer, advocate, writer, activist-organizer and comrade, Kevin Zeese, passed away on Sunday morning.
Zeese, alongside his partner Margaret Flowers, was the Co-director of Popular Resistance, an online resource providing news and information, which brings together movements for peace and economic, racial and environmental justice.
He sat on the advisory board of Courage Foundation defending Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, Jeremy Hammond, Chelsea Manning and other whistleblowers, where he stood up for dissidents and journalists.
In 2019, Zeese was among a group of US solidarity activists who became known as the ‘Embassy Protection Collective’ for participating in a weeks-long live-in at the Venezuelan embassy in Washington DC.
There, he and three others were arrested, jailed and charged for defending Venezuelan sovereignty against a breach of international law as members of the Venezuelan opposition planned an illegal takeover of the property, with the help of US authorities.
Margaret Flowers, Adrienne Pine, David Paul and Zeese were fearless in their rejection of the US-orchestrated coup attempts in Venezuela and stood firm on the principles of sovereignty, the self-determination of peoples, non-interference and peace and were persecuted because of it.
An outpouring of tributes can be seen on social media, with fellow activists remembering Zeese’s fight for justice on issues including poverty, economic justice, war, healthcare, and more.
At the time of his passing, Zeese was involved in the campaign against the attempt to extradite Julian Assange.
His dedication and commitment to social justice and his great capacity as an organizer, strategist and visionary will be remembered.
Kevin Zeese: A Giant in the World of Activism
Andrea Merida Cuellar and Robert Smith / HowieHawkins.com
“Kevin leaves an enormous hole in his wake. He would want his legacy to be that we filled it by multiplying our efforts to bring about a better world.” — Green Party Presidential Candidate Howie Hawkins
(September 6, 2020) The Hawkins/Walker campaign is very sad to report that our Press Secretary, comrade-in-arms and brother, Kevin Zeese, passed away last night. He was 64 years old.
“I lost a friend. All of us lost a prolific, tireless, and principled advocate and activist for peace and justice. My condolences go out to his partner, Margaret Flowers, also a committed activist, his family, and the many people whose lives were enriched by Kevin and his work,” Howie Hawkins said.
Kevin was a giant in the world of activism, from peace and justice to cannabis legalization to healthcare to independent politics. He was a well-known scholar, attorney, and writer. He was co-editor of Popular Resistance, one of the left’s most popular sources for news and opinion from a left-radical perspective, which he led with his partner, Dr. Margaret Flowers. He served as Press Secretary for the Nader/Camejo campaign in 2004.
He was most recently in the news as one of the Embassy Protection Collective, one of the last four to protect the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, D.C. against the forces of the illegitimate presidency of Juan Guaidó and the passivity of the secret service and federal security forces of the Trump administration.
Kevin, Margaret and others nonviolently resisted the embassy’s takeover by puppets of the United States and tenanted the diplomatic building with the permission of the Venezuelan government for more than a month. Ultimately, they were arrested and after a trial plagued with restrictions against the defense, all federal charges brought by the Trump administration were dropped.
Kevin was also an active force of solidarity with several Latin American movements, causes and peoples against US imperialism and illegal intervention. He worked tirelessly to denounce US illegal sanctions and covert operations that affect the progressive efforts of the peoples of Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Cuba, and beyond. His legal background only strengthened his conviction about the illegality of all these US unilateral sanctions that only increase the suffering of millions of Latin Americans.
“This unexpected loss of a compassionate and hugely intellectual friend is stunning,” commented Angela Walker, the Green Party nominee for vice president. “My thoughts are with his partner, his family and with all who love him,” she continued.
“Kevin leaves an enormous hole in his wake. He would want his legacy to be that we filled it by multiplying our efforts to bring about a better world,” Hawkins said.
