Update from Ann Wilcox - DC Encampment

GPAX/Friends:

Weds. 9/26 was an awesome day at the Encampment. Folks celebrated some good press: the Washington Post covered Tuesday’s Emergency March to the White House, to Stop War on Iran. The article described the week-long encampment, including quotes from Larry Holmes of TONC.

Weds. the DC Statehood Greens sponsored a discussion on local issues: DC Statehood and empowerment, the closure of neighborhood libraries, and loss of affordable housing in DC. We had a good pre-dinner crowd and excellent feedback on the dialogue. Later, Rick and Michelle Tingling-Clemmons spoke of their trip to Japan with the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Committee, as well as the broader struggle for peace and social justice.

The evening concert was incredible: local artists including peace songstress Mary Shapiro, and Pam Parker and Luci Murphy of the DC Labor Chorus. The crowd sang along, well into the night!

Today (Thurs.) will feature a program on New Orleans recovery, with Malik Rahim of Common Ground (www.commongroundrelief.org) and others. Evening entertainment will continue, from 8 pm to 12 midnight; the nightly show is called “Rock the Rulers”! Tomorrow (Fri) we will have an evening vigil focusing on health care (joined by the cast of Michael Moore’s film “Sicko”), and folks will prepare for the big march on Saturday.

Labels: Encampment to Stop the War, green party, iran, iraq, katrina, troops out now coalition