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Friends--
July 
PA Greens Attend No Kings Day of
Defiance
On June 14, members of the Green Party of
Pennsylvania (GPPA) attended the No Kings Day of Defiance, a
world-wide demonstration of outrage. More than five million people
participated in more than 2,000 separate mobilizations around the
world.
The Day of Defiance was important because
it revealed a massive opposition to the current U.S. political system.
Citizens have witnessed reduced government services, deportation of
working people, cancellation of research contracts, slashed services
for those who are hungry and homeless, layoffs of public employees,
and a wholesale attack on First Amendment Rights. Let us not forget
the racist ban on foreign travelers and students, or the economic
chaos caused by impending tariffs.
It was time for citizens of our
commonwealth to speak out in more than 80 Pennsylvania rallies. They
spoke loudly with joyous and energetic voices, heard from the smallest
village to the largest city.
In the little town of Bradford, McKean
County, every member of the Green Party attended the No Kings Day of
Defiance. Barbara Laxon, a member of the GPPA Steering Committee from
McKean County, reported, “We had at least 130 show up. They stood in
the pouring rain for an hour and a half to hear the four speakers.
They all talked about the oaths we take as citizens -- from the
Declaration of Independence to the oath of soldiers in 1776, from the
oath taken upon election to office to the one taken as a federal
employee, from the oath of citizenship to the Pledge of Allegiance.
The emphasis was that none of these oaths were to a person, but rather
to the Constitution and against all enemies of that Constitution.”
GPPA Steering Committee Member Colleen
Schmotzer said, “Theron Gilliland and I went to the No Kings protest
in Pittsburgh, and it was an amazing turnout. There were so many that
participated! Everyone was having a good time, there were great
speeches, and a lot who supported Palestine! Flags waving high, and
people chanting Free Palestine! All in all, it was a very peaceful
protest, and we had a great time.”
In Pennsylvania’s largest city, it was
difficult to find the Green Party of Philadelphia (GPOP) members among
the 100,000 people who attended the No Kings Day of Defiance in front
of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Chris Robinson, a GPOP member from
Germantown, said, “It was a doozy! I was energized by the magnitude
and dynamism of the crowd. People seemed ready to fight against the
oppressor at their doorstep. The creativity of their homemade signs
was inspiring:
No Crowns! No Clowns!
Fight Normalization!
It’s so bad, even the INTROVERTS are
here!
ICE Melts Under Pressure!
Only You Can Prevent Fascist Liars!
No Faux King Way!
It will now be the task of the Green
Party to give those demonstrators a choice which will bring them a
future that is better than the one planned for them by the
duopoly.”
PA Green News
Edited by Chris
Robinson
Tony Dastra
Announces Lancaster Mayoral Campaign
Eight years after throwing his hat into
the ring for Lancaster city’s top administrator, Tony Dastra will run
for mayor again in 2025. Dastra, 28, said he considers himself to be
the “most qualified candidate” to lead Lancaster after garnering
experience on the city’s planning commission and home rule study
commission, where he gave input into the city’s current comprehensive
plan and home rule charter. “I do feel, even though I’m 28, I have a
wealth of knowledge to bring to this community,” he said. Dastra said
he intends to focus on housing equity, ethical policing, environmental
stewardship and transportation concerns as mayor... STORY HERE
GPPA State Committee
Meets
Forty eight elected delegates and friends
of the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) met in Harrisburg, PA, and
online on June 7 for the GPPA State Committee meeting. By consensus
the delegates endorsed the candidacy of Mayor Michael Bagdes-Canning
for re-election in Cherry Valley (Butler County). They also endorsed
the candidacy of Tony Dastra for Mayor of Lancaster City (Lancaster
County). The next meeting of the GPPA State Committee will take place
on Saturday, September 13.
Green Party to Field
Candidate in Allegheny County Special Election
The Green Party of Allegheny County plans
to challenge Republican control of an at-large seat on County Council
this fall. Theron Gilliland, Jr., a researcher at the University of
Pittsburgh, will formally launch his bid on Sunday . . . . Under the
county’s home rule charter, council’s two at-large seats can’t be held
by the same party. The one on the ballot this November was previously
held by Republican Sam DeMarco, who left this past winter to take a
job with U.S. Senator Dave McCormick. Republicans picked Mike
Embrescia to hold the seat on an interim basis — but Embrescia must
run in November to fill out the remainder of DeMarco’s term...
This
fall’s special election means only one at-large seat is up for grabs,
and the county’s largest party is barred from running because Democrat
Bethany Hallam holds the other at-large seat. A win would be a chance
for the Greens — whose platform includes a commitment to environmental
sustainability, social justice, and democratic reform — to show their
viability as an independent movement... STORY
HERE
Team Reports
Edited by Patrick O.
McNally
The Green Party of Pennsylvania has four Action
Teams.
 Communication Team
The ComTeam invites you to become a page editor for GREEN
STAR. We would like to recruit new editors for these pages: Campaign
Updates and PA Green News. Please apply via email to: [email protected]
Please join the Communication Team right here.
www.gpofpa.org/team_communications_join
 Finance Team
The Finance Team helps to manage and plan the finances of
the party. Currently, the team is deciding on a new monthly meeting
date and time. Topics of the team’s recent meetings have included a
re-do of our merchandising products and processes, and other
fundraising initiatives including our ongoing art auction at https://www.gpofpa.org/auction
Please join the Finance Team right here.
https://www.gpofpa.org/team_finance_join
 Green Wave Team
The Green Wave Team works to identify, recruit and support
candidates for office who represent our Four Pillars and Ten Key
Values.
Please join the Green Wave Team right here.
www.gpofpa.org/team_greenwave_join
 Core
Team
The Core Team establishes party rules, develops the
platform, and manages the tools and systems that maintain the party
and allow it to grow. Look for Core Team meetings on the first Monday
of each month at 6:30 pm.
Please join the Core Team right here.
https://www.gpofpa.org/team_core_join
Campaign Updates
Edited by Chris
Robinson
Four Green Party candidates have been approved to run for
local office this year. Other Green Party candidates who plan to run
in 2026 are welcome to contact GREEN STAR at [email protected].
November 4, 2025, General
Election
Michael Bagdes-Canning for
Re-Election to Mayor of Cherry Valley
Borough
Butler County
Michael told GREEN STAR, “I was
honored to be endorsed for Mayor of
Cherry Valley Borough by the Green Party of Pennsylvania. This
endorsement means a lot to me because it makes clear that I stand in
solidarity with the only political body in Pennsylvania that forswears
corporate and billionaire donations, promotes grassroots democracy and
community-based economics, rejects militarism and environmental
devastation, and embraces nonviolence and ecological wisdom. These
values are important for tiny rural communities like Cherry Valley.
For the last 50 years, as jobs and young people have left and our
infrastructure has deteriorated, the Democrats have ignored us and the
Republicans have patronized us. We need a new future-focused vision,
one which recognizes that the one-size-fits-all solutions favored by
the duopoly just don’t fit
anyone.”
Tony Dastra for Mayor of
Lancaster City
Lancaster
County
Tony told GREEN STAR, “I am running for Mayor because Lancaster City deserves a Mayor who
knows how municipal government works, listens before leading and works
for every neighborhood.”
You may follow Tony
Dastra’s campaign here, https://www.tonydastraformayor.com/
Theron Gilliland Jr. for
County Council at
Large
Allegheny County
Theron told GREEN
STAR, “With the resignation of the minority County Council At-Large,
the situation in Allegheny County is quite unique and fortuitous: a
Green Party candidate will be running in a socially progressive
metropolitan area where none of the opponents will have a 'D' after
their names, and that is always the biggest hurdle. I have been in
these streets over the past ten years for various social justice and
environmental causes, and I believe that the community will recognize
my contributions and vote for me to bring Green Party values to the
Pittsburgh area."
You may follow Theron Gilliland’s campaign
here,
Campaign Email -
[email protected]
Website - https://www.TheronForAllegheny.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theron.for.allegheny
Twitter/"X" - https://x.com/TheronForACC
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theronforallegheny
BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/theronforallegheny.bsky.social
TikTok - tiktok.com/@theronforallegheny
Alexander Noyle for Election
to Auditor of East Norriton
Township
Montgomery
County
Volunteers for Election Day may email [email protected]
or send him a message on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alex4Auditor
National Green
News
Edited by David Ochmanowicz
Jr.
Unified Call to
Confront Famine in Gaza
The Steering Committee of the Green Party of the
United States agreed to endorse this, and the Green Party has been
added to the list of signatories.
Palestinian civil society, joined by humanitarian and human
rights organizations worldwide, issues this urgent and unified call:
The manufactured famine in Gaza must be halted. The international
community must act decisively, immediately, and with full moral and
legal responsibility... STORY
HERE
Latinx Caucus of the
Green Party Condemns ICE Paramilitary Raids Across
California
The Latinx Caucus of the Green Party of the United States strongly
condemns the recent violent and militarized Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) raids that terrorized neighborhoods across
California, including Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco... STORY HERE
Green-Rainbow Party of Mass. Condemns Israel's
Deadly Attack on Iran
Statement from the Co-Chairs of the Green-Rainbow
Party
We condemn Israel's unprovoked, criminal
attack on Iran. Over 200 Iranians have already been killed by Israel's
campaign of terror bombing. The images from Tehran are heartbreaking
and reveal a war that is not being conducted against a government or a
military but against an entire nation and its people. We dispute the
claimed justifications for Israel's attack. For decades, the Israeli
government has claimed that Iran was on the verge of developing
nuclear weapons, and for decades this has not come to pass. Iran fully
complied with the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
until it was torn up by President Trump during his first term at the
behest of Israel's stooges in both parties... STORY
HERE
Nevada Green Party
Strongly Condemns Actions of Trump Administration
The Nevada Green Party strongly condemns the actions of the Trump
administration in seizing control of the National Guard, in response
to Constitutionally protected protests against the actions of ICE . .
. [and] against law-abiding residents of this country. While these
actions took place in the state of California, to our west, we are
watching with grave concern, that these actions will be mirrored in
other states, where immigrants are experiencing harsh treatment by
this administration, through ICE and its agents, who are further
seeking to avoid accountability for their actions, including through
extralegal means...
STORY
HERE
Pink Floyd Legend Calls for Justice and Backs Dr.
Butch Ware
Rock legend and Pink Floyd co-founder
Roger Waters delivers an unflinching critique of global injustice in a
powerful new interview with Palestine Chronicle TV. The 81-year-old
activist discusses everything from Gaza's ongoing crisis to his legal
battles against defamation, while endorsing Dr. Butch Ware as a
potential California governor. Waters' passionate call for universal
human rights and his condemnation of what he terms genocide offers a
stark reminder of art's role in challenging power structures WATCH THE INTERVIEW
HERE
“Maybe it’s [Dr.] Butch Ware [...] I listened to a speech
he made the other day [...] and I thought wow this guy is bright. Will
he become the governor of California? I bloody well hope
so.”
—
Roger Waters
Global Green
News
Edited by Hal
Brown
Polish Presidential
Election
The second round of the Polish presidential election . . . is being
closely watched across Europe. Although none of the candidates are
Kremlin supporters, as was the case recently in Romania, the
differences between the presidential candidates are fundamental. The
support of the Czech party, as well as that of the Polish and European
Greens, goes to Rafał Trzaskowski, a candidate who defends democratic
values, the rule of law, and European cooperation... STORY
HERE
Irish Greens Denounce Government Over Children’s
National Hospital
The Irish
Green Party has criticized the government for its inability to manage
the National Children’s Hospital project, denouncing repeated delays
and a complete lack of accountability on the part of those
responsible. Despite millions of euros spent, work is not progressing
as planned. Hazel Chu, Green Party spokesperson . . . strongly
criticized the government’s hands-off approach to national
infrastructure projects, which has led to the latest National
Children’s Hospital debacle. “With the project’s fifteenth delay and
its cost potentially reaching $2.3 billion, the information released
today by the Public Accounts Committee illustrates what happens when
the government abdicates its responsibilities and lets large-scale
projects proceed.”
STORY
HERE
Finnish Green Party Demands Equal Treatment of All
Students
Green Party
leader Sofia Virta demands that the government take steps to change
the law so that every student, regardless of educational institution,
has equal rights and opportunities for the support they need.
"Organizing learning support should be made easier through funding,
not more complicated." STORY
HERE
Green Party of
Rwanda on Participatory Democracy
Led by its President, Dr Frank Habineza,
the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) held a grand rally in
Musanze District, Northern Province, focusing on women and youth
empowerment through political education and training. The meeting
emphasized the party’s commitment to its core principles:
participatory democracy, ecological wisdom, social justice,
non-violence, sustainable development and human rights. In his speech,
Dr Habineza highlighted the importance of youth and women in building
a more democratic and sustainable future for Rwanda. STORY
HERE
GPPA Meeting Dates for 2025
All State Committee Meetings will begin at
noon
Saturday, September 13, in
Harrisburg
Sunday, November
9
GPPA Communications
Team
Issue Credits
Editors: Hal Brown, Patrick O. McNally, David Ochmanowicz,
Jr. and Chris Robinson
Contributors: Michael Bagdes-Canning, Theron Gilliland Jr,
Barbara Laxon, Alex Noyle, Chris Robinson and Colleen
Schmotzer
Layout: Hal Brown, Sherri Miller, and David Ochmanowicz
Jr.
Graphic Arts: Kevin Richardson
Everything we do is based on our
Four
Pillars and
Ten Key Values. If you find that you share these ideals,
come and join the movement.
Join
us and help bring
about a future where people and planet are valued over profits. We
have a new, tiered membership structure that allows you to determine
your level of commitment and support. And if you want to get more
directly involved, consider joining an action team
Work with other
committed progressives and activists in activities such as planning
events, developing media content, or helping with
campaigns.
The GREEN STAR is
an official publication of the Green Party of Pennsylvania
Communications Team * 2025.
Green Party of Pennsylvania
https://www.gpofpa.org/
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