Today, activists participating in the Encampment to Stop War at Home and Abroad went to the Justice Department in an attempt to present a letter of lesbian/gay/bi/trans solidarity for the Cuban 5, U.S. political prisoners who are being imprisoned because they tried to prevent terrorism being committed by right-wing organizations in Miami.
Imani Henry of Rainbow Solidarity for
the Cuban Five, initiators of today's event. photo by Mavis Yorks/Common Ground Relief
A press conference was held where participants spoke on different aspects of not only the Five, but implications of case.
Teresa Gutierrez of the New York Committee to Free the Cuban Five opened the conference with an introduction of the case.
Ivy Parker, a Hurricane Katrina survivor from New Orleans and a member of the NY Katrina/Rita Solidarity Committee, equated the terrorism of the United States with the government's response to Katrina and its hypocrisy in the treatment of the Five.
Mia Campbell of the youth group FIST--Fight Imperialism, Stand Together. photo by Mavis Yorks/Common Ground Relief
Ignacio Meneses of the National Network on Cuba discussed how the international community is supporting the Five and is paying attention to what the Justice Department is doing. He mentioned conferences on the Five occurring in Ecuador and Canada.
Brenda Stokely of the Million Workers March Movement spoke about the importance of people in the United States supporting the case of the five.
Berta Joubert-Ceci of the Women's Fightback Network spoke on the hypocrisy of the denial of visas of Adriana Pérez, the wife of Gerardo Hernández, and Olga Salanueva, the wife of René González, with all the U.S. government rhetoric on family values and democracy.
After the press conference the activists went to the doors of the Justice Department, where they were refused entry. The representative who was finally sent down to meet with them wouldn't even give them his last name.
Over four years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Greens continue to call for an immediate end to this war, and accountability at home. Our Gulf Coast remains in shambles, nooses are hung by white children in school yards to intimidate black children, and immigrant families are rounded up in the middle of the night. As Greens, we must come together to say - the United States needs to get its priorities straight, clean house, and we must bring the troops home NOW! Beginning Saturday, September 22, the Green Party of the United States have a tent set up at the Troops Out Now Coalition’s week-long encampment to end the war, on the lawn in front of the Capitol building. We invite all Greens to come to D.C. and L.A. to join with others to resist the continuing war abroad and demand accountability at home.
Jared Ball of the DC Statehood Green Party will speak at the rally on the 29th http://www.voxunion.com/jaredball/ . Ball is a nominee for the Green Party Presidential candidacy. Green Party of the U.S. Co-Chair, Echo Steiner (FL), will co-emcee the rally in Washington D.C. In Los Angeles, GPAX co-chair, Deanna Taylor (UT), and SKCM-Curry of the California Green Party will speak at the rally September 29 in front of the Federal Building. During the D.C. Encampment on Wednesday, September 26 at 5pm, the DC Statehood Party will lead a discussion on D.C. statehood, affordable housing, and preserving neighborhood libraries.
We honor the courage of those thousands who converged this week in Jena, Louisiana, to call out injustice — we seek to continue in that spirit by calling on Greens to assemble at the halls of power, to speak, to act, and to work together to take our country back for the people.
For information on transportation centers, events like the week of hip hop shows, the youth and student day of action, Impeachment Rally, Stop the War at Home Day, and more, visit www.troopsoutnow.org
To support the Green Party presence at the Encampment and rally, visit the GPAX website at www.gp.org/committees/peace — and use it to let us know you’re coming!
Today, Sept. 26, Code Pink and the Troops Out Now Coalition disrupted the Senate Appropriations Committee chaired by Senator Byrd on war funding.
Holding signs and wearing signs against war and Congressional complicity on war funding, a large group of 30 to 50 people left chanting "Troops out! Stop war! Stop war funding!" An activist from Code Pink was arrested.
The forces involved in the disruption are part of the weeklong Encampment in front of the Capitol reflection pool, that will culminate in a mass march on Sat., Sept. 29. The Encampment and march are demanding an end to war funding and immediate withdrawal of all troops. Events at the Encampment have focused on the impacts of the war at home and abroad.
Washington Post article on 9/26 encampment demo in front of White House to defend Iran
Antiwar Protesters Decry Handling of Iran
By Michael E. Ruane Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, September 26, 2007; A11
A group of antiwar protesters demonstrated outside the White House yesterday to condemn what they termed the government's "demonization" of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and said they think the Bush administration is preparing the public for an attack on Iran.
The 25 protesters, most of them from the Troops Out Now Coalition, walked in a circle on the sidewalk north of the White House, chanting "Get out of Iraq! Stay out of Iran!" and holding signs that read: "Don't Terrorize Iran" and "Don't Appease Israel."
They dismissed the criticisms this week of the Iranian president, saying the United States had criticized Saddam Hussein before invading Iraq.
"There's a hysteria in the media emanating from New York . . . against the president of Iran," coalition spokesman Larry Holmes said. "We're here in response to what's been going on in New York: the Columbia debate, the front pages of the tabloids, the electronic media, demonizing the president. And we know what it's about.
"We know that the government is in very advanced stages of planning for a war in Iran. They've got a naval armada" in the Persian Gulf, he said. "The Pentagon's got its plans. And now we see the psychological preparation."
The Iranian president has been criticized this week for questioning the Holocaust and saying there are no homosexuals in Iran.
Referring to Ahmadinejad's controversial statements, Holmes said: "I don't think it's relevant. I think that's an interesting philosophical discussion about theology, about social views, that you have over coffee."
Yesterday's protest is part of week-long antiwar rally that will culminate Saturday in a march scheduled to begin at noon from a coalition camp on the west side of the U.S. Capitol.
Spokesmen said the events are aimed mainly at stopping the war in Iraq and what they called injustice at home. The march route was being worked out, organizers said. The National Park Service said the group's permit suggests that between 2,000 and 5,000 marchers are expected.
"The focus here is stop the war at home and abroad," coalition spokesman Dustin Langley said Monday. "We think there's a real connection between the fact that they're spending $750 million a day on the war and people here die because they don't have access to health care."
The march comes after a large antiwar protest Sept. 15 and precedes an antiwar, anti-global warming rally scheduled for next month. The coalition says there have been numerous marches because the war has not ended and because antiwar groups might have different targets.
"Repeated protests are even more important than whether we get half a million people out here," Langley said. "It may just be important to be here and just dog them because they're lying to us."
Politics and protest lost on modern youth By Saira Khan Senior Staff Writer
Do you ever feel that you were born too late? That perhaps you should have been born in a different era? Well, I do. I was born in a very boring era, the 1980s. I missed out on the 60s and 70s--the great music, the sexy rock stars, the fashion, the political movements, and the wonderful leaders and figures that could enchant an arena of people with their powerful words. People such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X were known to be great orators with very commanding presences. I envy our elders who were able to witness their charm, charisma, and presence first hand. Our generation, unfortunately, has seen no such commanding political activists.
I think it is safe to say that, had I been around for the 60s, I would have been a well-rounded woman. I would have been at Woodstock and rallying with the Students for a Democratic Society in April of 1965, the first major anti-war rally that took place in Washington. That's what I love the most about that era--the youth of America were united in their efforts against the war. Students nowadays don't have a third of the passion that our parents, aunts, uncles, and/or grandparents had.
To be fair, I have to admit I have not been very politically active either. Aside from voting against the monster known as the Bush Administration in 2004 and writing a few articles bashing it, I have not done much to voice my concerns. However, I am proud to say that that will change after this coming weekend. I will be attending my first ever war protest in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, September 29.
A few weeks ago I came across a single flier sitting in the Commons reading "STOP THE WAR NOW." The flier advertised a week-long demonstration that is taking place right now in Washington (September 22-29) and a parallel one taking place in Los Angeles. Between these dates you will be able to see and participate in music, speeches, and all sorts of creative art protesting the "War on Terror." The week will end on with a mass march. It is expected that more than 100 buses and numerous vans and cars will be arriving at the nation's capital to attend the demonstration. I definitely plan on being there. And, if you do not support the war, then so should you.
Support for the war is at an all-time low. The Washington Post reported the results of a survey they conducted: about three-quarters of Americans feel that the number of casualties in Iraq is "unacceptable," two-thirds say the U.S. military is "bogged down," roughly 6 out of 10 say the war "was not worth fighting," and about four out of ten Americans believe that the Iraq war is becoming similar to the experience in Vietnam.
We have entered a period where the American population is more united that it has is ever been in regard to this war. Therefore, it is imperative for all of you that share the same sentiments of the thousands of people who are at this very moment camping out in Washington and doing their bit to end the bloodshed, to come out and join the march and demonstrations. We need to give a face to our anger, our antiwar rage, and let that face be mine, and yours, and of the person next you, and so on. Come out on the 29th and together let's try and bring the troops home.
To get involved, contact the Baltimore All People's Congress at (410)467-6132 for information regarding transport or visit www.TroopsOutNow.org. To volunteer with the Troops Out Now Coalition call (212)633-6646). Some of the endorsers for this march include: Rep. Cynthia McKinney, Donna Smith from the movie Sicko, All Peoples Congress, Baltimore, MD, Black Radical Congress, and Code Pink.
Join us at the White House in an emergency protest, Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 3 p.m. to demand:
NO WAR ON IRAN!
As Iran's president prepares to speak to the UN General Assembly, a tsunami of pro-war propaganda is being aimed against yet another oil-rich country in the Middle East.
The Troops Out Now Coalition, which is currently staging an Encampment at the Capitol to tell Congress to stop funding the war against Iraq and instead fund people's needs at home, will be marching to the White House to tell Bush:
Get out of Iraq and stay out of Iran!
TONC calls on progressive organizations and the anti-war movement to join it and stand against the racist demonization of Iran. The Bush administration is trying to divert attention from its crimes in Iraq, where an immense humanitarian crisis rages because of the war and continued occupation.
The world's No. 1 terrorist lives in the White House!
Gather at 2 p.m. at the TONC Encampment near 3rd St. on the west side of the Capitol, by the Reflecting Pool.
Join us at the Lafayette Park side of the White House for a 3 p.m. protest. Don't let the oil billionaires start yet another war!
A press conference was held Sept. 24 to announce the Encampment and the mass march on Sept. 29. Larry Holmes of the Troops Out Now Coalition opened the conference, saying, "The Democrats say they want to cut war funding but they can't get past a veto. We know this isn't true. They could simply make sure the funding question doesn't get to the floor. Meanwhile, Bush is prepared to veto $30 to $35 billion for health care for children."
Holmes also discussed the serious threat of a new war on Iran: "Iranian President Ahmadinejad is being demonized in the media, and we're not naive. We know that they are preparing the population for an expansion of the war in Iraq to war in Iran. But the biggest terrorists are in the world sit in the White House."
Rev. Lennox Yearwood spoke about unity in the people's struggle against multiple wars: "I'm so pleased to see support here at the Encampment for the struggle in Jena; I was pleased to hear, in Jena, people talking about how the bombs in Baghdad are affecting people in the United States. ... If it calls for getting arrested, getting in the way, then we'll get arrested and get in the way. Our struggles will continue, but we will win." Yearwood was recently beaten by D.C. police at an anti-war press conference.
Adam Kokesh, Co-Chair of the board of directors for Iraq Veterans Against the War described his organization's demands, including immediate withdrawal of all forces from Iraq, "and when we say all forces, we mean Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Blackwater, Halliburton"; and full payment of reparations to the people of Iraq.
Nana Soul of Artists and Activists United for Peace, a TONC member organization, described the weeklong concert that is being held as part of the Encampment. "The movement needs cultural inspiration, talent and creativity. Iraq may be the issue today, but we know that this isn't the first time that the United States has invaded a sovereign nation. They use tools at home like not funding health care and education. We have a chance to translate these actions."
Rick Clemens, Ann Wilcox and Joyce Robinson-Paul represented the Green Party. Clemens, a Vietnam War veteran, stressed: "This war is about imperialism, about the exploitation of labor power and markets of other peoples. There is no thing as ending the war without ending the economic system that perpetuates war--capitalism." Wilcox discussed the effects of the war at home in Washington, D.C., where neighborhood libraries are being closed and thousands of affordable housing units have been lost.
Toby Blomé of Code Pink Women for Peace described the two encampments their group has undertaken at Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's house, after she refused to meet with them to discuss war funding for three months. They plan on going to her office regularly during the Encampment and will be fasting for the week as "another way to show commitment to ending the occupation and bringing the troops home."
Vernon Hoffman, who biked 4,500 miles with his family from Portland, Oregon to join the Encampment, said he'd "rather bike for peace than kill for oil." He described how throughout the country, people took opened up their homes for the family and their anti-war message.
Lastly, a young war resister described how he enlisted in the military in 2005 because of limited career opportunities in his hometown. However, he says, "I happened to join at the same time as Hurricane Katrina, and I saw on TV the bodies floating in the streets. It really hit home to me. I got out of training 25 weeks later and nothing had changed. Despite all the rhetoric about homeland security and national security, this government's priorities are not for the people."
Other actions at the Encampment today included an event on Pelosi hosted by Code Pink, and an outreach sound truck caravan through the streets of D.C. to mobilize for the march on the 29th.
Here are pictures from the Los Angeles Encampment to Stop the War, 9.22.07
It was beautiful weather, a great day. More people joined us, and of course Ron Kovic moved the group with his recollections of his experience over 30 years ago where he and other disabled veterans took over the 17th floor of the Veterans Adminstration leading to a 17 day hunger strike.
Vernon Hoffman, Michelle Darr, Tala, Willow and Grace bicycled all the way from Portland, Oregon to join the Encampment to Stop the War. They will be with us all week and will participate in the national march on September 29.
End the War - Keep War Funding Off The Floor! What if Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi refused to present a bill on the floor of Congress to fund the criminal U.S. occupation of Iraq? The possibility of a Bush veto would not be an issue.
Although there are billions of dollars still in the pipeline, Bush and the Pentagon, faced with a new political reality, would be forced to begin making plans for withdrawal.
As Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi has full control over which pieces of legislation make it onto the floor of House to be voted on. The Democratic Party majority in Congress could just sit on any war spending bill and there would be no funds for the war
Funding for war in Iraq could be stopped at any number of steps in either the House or Senate.
According to the U.S. constitution spending bills have to originate in the House of Representatives. Congress has control over executive branch by having decisive control of funds for war.
Not only does the Speaker of the House control the legislation put on the floor for a vote, the Democrats, as the majority party, currently control the chair of all committees in both houses of congress. The Appropriations Committee could also just not bring the funding bill out of committee.
As the new majority Speaker of the House, one of Nancy Pelosi’s first acts was to declare that Impeachment proceedings against President Bush were ‘off the table’. This meant she would refuse to allow this burning issue to come to the floor of House. If instead as House Speaker, Pelosi were to declare that war funding is ‘off the table’, funding for war would not be possible.
When millions of people voted for Democratic Party politicians, who claimed to be anti-war last November, this is exactly the kinds of legislative actions they expected a Democratic, supposedly anti-war majority in Congress to take.
It is important to confront the direct fraud that the Democratic majority in Congress is putting forth in their complicity on voting to fund the war.
Even though they control the majority in both houses even since election they have given endless excuses about how they do not have the votes to do what they promised to do.
The Democrats claim that because they do not have a 2/3 majority they are powerless to over rule Bush's veto on the war funding. So they must pass a bill that Bush would approve. They could simply refuse to present a bill for ANY war funding.
They clearly have the Constitutional authority, the legislative power and political mandate.
But it will take a massive determined, angry and independent movement to force the conciliatory Democratic majority in Congress to put Impeachment on the table and take war funding off the table.
The Democrats with endless help from the corporate media have presented a hand wringing theatrical fraud about their lack of sufficient votes to take any action against the war.
Spending bills originates in House Appropriations Committee. Dave Obey (D Wisc). Obey could also simple refuse to move funding for the war out of committee. This is the fate of many hundreds of bills introduced into Congress each your. Most bills ‘die in committee’.
The Appropriations Committee has a Sub-committee on Defense chaired by John Murfa (D-PA), who says he wants to bring troops home He could do this by refusing to bring forward funding for the war.
At every stage Congress could act to stop funding the war.
After a funding bill is approved in the House of Representatives it moves to the Senate. Senator Robert Byrd, D-VA, head of the Senate Appropriations committee and so eloquently opposed to war could just refuse to move the bill thru the Senate Appropriations Committee. Harry Reid, Senate Majority leader could refuse to bring a bill to the Senate floor. Any of these measures would also ‘kill’ the multi-billion dollar war funding bill.
There would be no need to have a 60% majority to stop a Republican filibuster nor would the supposed anti-war Democrats need a 2/3 majority to overcome a presidential veto.
JUSTIFYING COLLABORATION
To further justify their collaboration on the war, members of Congress use their supposed concern for U.S. troops as a human shield. They are hiding behind soldiers and the threat that if they cut off funds U.S. soldiers would wake up tomorrow and not have food, water, even have funds to pull out.
This is also a fraud. The Pentagon does not live pay check to paycheck like working people do. The budget and supply process is decided months and years in advance. There is a long supply chain – planning and allocation are known many months in advance.
The Pentagon is using the funds for Iraq war to plan and prepare new wars against Iran. Half the U.S. navy has moved to within striking range of Iran. More than 10,000 sites have been targeted by Pentagon planners.
Congress and media know the determination of corporate America is to stay in Iraq for a generation or more.
As Congress again votes before the October 1 deadline to continue the war a political challenge is being prepared by the Troops Out Now Coalition. The greatest contribution of the Encampment scheduled to take place directly in front of Congress from Sept 22 to 29 is to show the kind of independent mass action that is needed to really end the war. Learning through bitter experience about the role of both capitalist parties is an essential part of the struggle to end the war.
Schedule for Encampment to Stop the War: Sept 22-29
Schedule for Encampment to Stop the War: Sept 22-29
Below is a preliminary schedule of events for the Encampment to Stop the War, beginning on Saturday, September 22: ACTIONS ALL WEEK
People from around the country will start arriving on Saturday, September 22 and Sunday, September 23. The Encampment will expand to major actions on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, culminating in a mass march on Saturday, September 29.
Saturday, 9/22 & Sunday 9/23 Help erect scaffolding for a giant billboard demanding: 'Congress: Stop Funding the War - Fund Peoples' Needs.' Music and work at the site on tents, canopies, and displays. Crews will be doing outreach throughout neighborhoods in the DC/Baltimore area with sound cars and leafleting brigades.
Monday, 9/24 & Tuesday, 9/25 Actions demanding: - Impeachment of Bush & Cheney for War Crimes - Stop War on Iran - action and a strategy meeting on Emergency Network to focus on the growing threat of a U.S. attack on Iran
Wednesday, 9/26 - Turn up the heat Actions TBA in the halls and offices of Congress to confront their political complicity in the war - Funding the war is a war crime.
Thursday, 9/27 - Stop the War at Home Day - Katrina survivors from New Orleans & Immigrant Rights activists from around the country organizing actions challenging FEMA & ICE. Events at the Encampment focusing on funding people's needs, not war.
Friday, 9/28 - Youth actions challenge military recruiters, war funding & police repression. 'Money for Education, NOT War.'
- Join Evening Vigil with SiCKO cast members at the Lincoln Memorial to remember those who died because they were denied health care.
- A concert of hip-hop and spoken word at the Encampment with BAYAN Philippine Alliance to oppose U.S. military in the Philippines.
Other actions & meetings TBA. Set up, banner & sign making, outreach & organizing all day.
The Troops Out Now coalition has requested legal support from the progressive legal community for their encampment & march in Washington DC from Sept 22-29 . We especially need legal observers for the Sept 29th march.
If you are available to be in DC anytime during the or be on-call, or have additional questions, please contact Imani Henry imani@troopsoutnow.org with your availability and contact information. There is a need for on-call attorneys the entire week, but especially on the 29th.
CALL FOR HOUSING
Housing is desperately needed for encampment participants. City policy prevents participants from actually sleeping on the campsite. Therefore, we need to find free and cheap housing in/around DC for the period of the encampment, in order to make participation in the encampment as broad as possible.
If you can share any space (bed, floorspace, sofa/bed) in your apartment, house, organization or other space, please email housing@troopsoutnow.org. If you are unable to email, please call (917) 279-9720.
Please try to include at least the following information in your email:
* Your Name & Email * Your phone (& best times to call) * Your location * How many people you can house, and what dates (We mainly need housing starting 9/21, but may need some housing earlier for key organizers)
Other helpful information:
* Nearest Metro line/station * Sleeping conditions ("i.e. 1 queen bed plus floorspace for 3 sleeping bags") * Other considerations (i.e. "I have cats/dogs", "It is a 4th-floor walk-up", "Not near any public transportation", etc.)
Drivers/Cars Needed
Attention drivers with vehicles:
If you live in and/or are familiar with the DC-metro area, your help is greatly needed. We will need experienced drivers during then week, to help transport people to/from motels, food from restaurants, equipment, and various other events. If you have availability during the encampment, to help out with this task please contact us at logistics@troopsoutnow.org with the following information:
* Your name and email * Your phone(s) and best times to call * Your Availability to drive from 9/21 to 9/30 * Your vehicle type / how many it seats * Storage space in vehicle.
Other helpful information:
* Your location / distance from Downtown DC
Even if you do not have much time available, but can make your vehicle available, we would greatly appreciate it, as that would greatly reduce rental costs.
Call for Medical Workers for S29 and the Encampment
As part of the preparations for the encampment and the march and rally, we are asking for volunteer health care workers who are doctors, nurses, first aiders and medics to assist at the first aide tent at the encampment and at the demonstration on Saturday.
We will have a bus at the back of the march that will pick up people who are unable to walk the march route. This vichicle will have water and first aide equipment. There will be an orientation the morning of the march.
If you are able to help out please call the International Action Center at 212-633-6646 and ask for or leave a message for Sharon Eolis. You may also email sharone@wwpublish.com.
Namibia Donadio, youth organizer for Troops Out Now and FIST (Fight Imperialism, Stand Together), discussed the struggle for encampment permits at the LA Federal Buildings and the September 29 demonstration to Stop the War - at home AND in Iraq, Afghanistan and everywhere.
Donadio stressed that the encampment and march will go on as planned! Also interviewed was Fernando Suarez whose son was killed in Iraq. Suarez also spoke at the TONC press conference at the Veterans' Cemetery. Listen to the interview on Enfoque Latino con Ruben Tapia at
""I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil." ~ Alan Greenspan, ex Fed chairman said in his memoir, "The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World,"
Donate!
If you can't join us at the Encampment - you can still be a part of this mobilzation to Stop the War at Home and Abroad. Please consider making a generous donation to help cover the costs of transportation, food, tents, sound equipment, and much more. You can donate online donate online at http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml.
