ANTI-WAR MARCHES OF NEW TYPE: Washington, D.C.: Protest hits FEMA, ICE
By LeiLani Dowell
Published Oct 4, 2007 2:28 AM
Two months of anti-war activity culminated at the end of September in dynamic encampments to stop war at home and abroad and militant, anti-imperialist and anti-racist demonstrations in both Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
D.C. march steps off from Encampment.
photo: Deirdre Griswold
Here in Washington, during the Sept. 22-29 Encampment to Stop the War at Home and Abroad, more and more participants arrived and staked their tents in front of the Capitol building as the Sept. 29 mass march approached. A real sense of unity could be felt among the many activists from varied struggles who share a common enemy.
A FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) trailer brought by Katrina survivors direct from New Orleans joined the Iraq Veterans Against the War bus, which had been parked in front of the Encampment since Sept. 22. The tent city was treated to a delicious meal of shrimp, crawfish and sausage cooked by the Common Ground Collective organizers who, after traveling more than 17 hours to get to the Capitol from New Orleans, spent the next day cooking the meal.
Encampment participants, mostly women from Code Pink, disrupted a Senate Appropriations Hearing on Sep26 in which Secretary of Defense Robert Gates requested an additional $42 billion in funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gates’s appeal brings the 2008 request for war funds—above and beyond the even larger Pentagon budget—to a record high of almost $190 billion.
Members of the cast of “SiCKO”—Michael Moore’s movie exposing the exploitative for-profit health care system—arrived on Sept. 28 to augment the demand for “Health care, not warfare.”
Other events in the last three days of the Encampment included a meeting on the struggle of survivors for justice in the wake of Hurricane/Rita, and immigrant rights; a delegation that called on the acting Attorney General to free the Cuban Five; a health care vigil; a militant youth action with several targets; and a concert to demand an end to martial law in the Philippines. Rock the Rulers, the week-long concert series of the Encampment, brought cultural inspiration and resistance every night.
Mass march ties issues together
WW photo: Gary Wilson
A preliminary report issued by the Troops Out Now Coalition states: “The march on Saturday, Sept. 29 was a departure in tone and make-up from many past anti-war demonstrations. It was a serious and highly successful effort to involve more community-based organizations and issues and to link the struggle against the war with the struggles against racism, oppression and economic injustice at home.”
A multinational crowd of some 10,000 to 15,000 included contingents from organized labor; lesbian, gay, bi and trans activists; Katrina survivors; International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal; the Peoples Organization for Progress; Iraq Veterans Against the War; the Green Party of the U.S., BAYAN USA; and more.
The march route included stops to protest at the offices of FEMA, where Katrina survivors accused the agency of neglect; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, where protestors shouted “Melt ICE” and “Stop the raids;” the Department of Social Services; and the Department of Education, where Code Pink, chanting “Books not bombs,” covered up part of the “No child left behind” slogan to read “Every child left behind.”
Speakers and performers at the rally all drew clear links between the war in Iraq and the war at home, including a labor delegation with Brenda Stokely of the Million Worker March Movement, Charles Jenkins and Larry Adams of the New York City Labor Against the War, and members of District Council 37; political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, via a recorded greeting from death row; Malik Rahim, Common Ground Collective; Medea Benjamin, Code Pink; Bernadette Ellorin and Christine Hilo, BAYAN USA; Larry Hamm, People’s Organization for Progress; and David Swanson, After Downing Street.
Also speaking were Ardeshir Ommani of the Stop the War On Iran Campaign and American Iranian Friendship Committee; Ignacio Meneses, National Network on Cuba; Walter Sinche, May 1st Immigrant Rights Coalition; Rosita Romero, Dominican Women’s Development Center; Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Hip Hop Caucus; Adam Kokesh, Iraq Veterans Against the War; Ann Wright, retired U.S. Army veteran and 16-year diplomat who resigned in opposition to the Iraq war; Victor Toro, Chilean leader of MIR being threatened with deportation; Debra Sweet of World Can’t Wait; and Teresita Jacinto Oliva of Mexicanos Sin Fronteras.
Continuing the short, punchy talks were Jared Ball, and Sara “Echo” Steiner, Green Party members; Charlotte Kates of Al-Awda New York, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition; Pam Africa, International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal; political prisoner Leonard Peltier, via a statement; Sonia Umanzon of the FMLN (Faribundo Martí National Liberation Front); Katrina survivors Ivey Parker and Christine Gavin-Lathan; Mohammad Awdallah, U.S. Popular Palestine Conference Network; Ricardo Prado of the Colombian political party Democratic Pole; Tyneisha Bowens of FIST—Fight Imperialism, Stand Together; Larry Holmes, Teresa Gutierrez and Sara Flounders for TONC and the International Action Center; Omowale Clay, December 12 Movement and Friends of Zimbabwe; and Milton St. Germaine, New England Human Rights Organization for Haiti.
Independent media part of movement
While the capitalist media practically boycotted the marches on Sept. 29 and provided limited coverage of the Encampments, independent media was there in force to convey the event’s message to the world. In Your Face radio broadcast daily interviews from the Encampment throughout the week. Pacifica’s KPFK radio was the media sponsor for the Los Angeles march and Encampment.
An enthusiastic report on the march in Washington, D.C., can be heard on the local Indymedia affiliate (dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/141002/). The commentator states: “On the 29th of September, the campaign against the war in occupied Iraq once again took to the streets ... demanding an end not only to the war in occupied Iraq, but the global war on the poor, as fought in New Orleans, fought in Jena, fought on the Mexican border. This was a surprisingly militant march that tied the different aspects of George Bush’s crimes together.
“Apparently Troops Out Now understands that this is not just about Iraq; the same regime that wages war on the people of Iraq is also the regime that sponsors gentrification in our cities and the wholesale incarceration of African-American youth, the vicious fascist crackdown on Latin@ immigrants, and so many other evils. ... All this noise can certainly be heard in Central Cell Block where prisoners are being held.”
The report quoted Larry Adams, who expressed “solidarity with the historic Iraqi resistance, who are on the frontlines of the fight against our common enemy, which is U.S. imperialism.”
Describing the youth action that took place at the end of the rally—which blocked the streets in front of the Capitol until 10 p.m. that night—the reporter concluded: “You can think of the long occupation of Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues as target practice for things that are surely going to come as people get more and more pissed off about this war that is one war from occupied Iraq, to occupied New Orleans, from occupied Palestine to Jena, to the neighborhoods right here in occupied Washington. ... George Bush says ‘Bring it on’; well that’s exactly what we’re gonna do!”
Larry Holmes, Dani Gale, Nana Soul and Pam Parker at D.C. Sept. 29 rally.
WW photo: Liz Green
If polls showed the average person saying that the traditional protest—complete with marches, placards, chants and permits—no longer has a potent effect on an apathetic government and that bureaucrats simply bide their time until the rabid moon bats that have descended upon their provinces return to the trailer parks, projects, flooded wards and mortar-ravaged ghettos that they came from, most activists would be hard pressed to prove them wrong.
But on Sept. 22, something magical began to happen.
The Troops Out Now Coalition began a weeklong Encampment in front of the reflecting pool at the Capitol building. In contrast to the one it held last March, the Encampment would be infused with music. Unlike every other demonstration that took place this year, culture would not simply be a careless afterthought, but rather would provide the fuel needed to draw thousands of people to the demonstration.
Each day, activists spread through the neighborhood, engaging the community, and each night the Encampment grounds sprouted more tents and music filled the hearts of everyone who heard it.
From punk rock to poetry to hip hop, the Troops Out Now Coalition rocked the rulers—hence the name of the weeklong concert, reminiscent of Woodstock minus the psychedelic mushrooms (in most cases).
On Sept. 29, a rally featuring dozens of speakers from across the world addressed several issues, including the right to return for Palestinians and Katrina survivors alike, freedom for political prisoners, the need for health care, housing, better education, an end to the war in Iraq and a halt of plans of impending conquest in Iran, women’s rights, police brutality and more.
Punctuated by live music performances, the gathering alternated between lulling people and firing them up. By 2 p.m. thousands were ready to march on Washington. But the people didn’t walk alone. Thanks to a sound truck that cranked out not only chants and slogans, but anti war anthems like “War” by Edwin Starr and “I’m Black and I’m Proud” by James Brown, marchers couldn’t help but dance their way down the route.
What resulted was a parade with fire, an energetic display of dissent and culture that had people who observed it hanging from their windows waving and cheering and passing cars blaring horns in solidarity. In the front holding the lead banner were elders, youth, whites, Blacks, Latin@s, women and men. On the sidelines women went shirtless, hefting signs that said “Breasts Not Bombs!” When the throng snaked its way around a construction site, labor activists immediately began to flier and converse with the workers. And when those in front made a turn and caught sight of the tail end of the march, complete with a bus proclaiming “Iraq Veterans Against the War,” they were sent into a triumphant frenzy. The sound was deafening, empowering and mighty.
But none of this would compare to the moment when the march reached an underpass close to Third Street and Constitution Avenue. Taking advantage of the natural echo, the protestors began to bellow, letting loose all the rage and frustration against the inept and corrupt U.S. government. They mourned dead soldiers, Iraqi civilians and victims of police brutality and FEMA. They celebrated their own courage and the love with which they championed the people’s rights.
Something spread through the crowd then, something that can never be explained. Whatever it was, it was beautiful and it called for action. And so, hundreds of youth tore away from the procession and commandeered a stretch of road and blocked city traffic claiming it in the name of Freedom for several hours. The more experienced activists responded by making sure they had food, water and legal representation.
Those who attended witnessed an important piece of history, where the gaps between the old and young were bridged, where all colors spoke in the same voice, danced to the same rhythms and carried the same banner.
Black Power! Revolution, then peace!
Power to the people!
The writers are artists and activists with Black Waxx Recordings.
March out on Maryland Avenue Left on 3rd St. Go to Department of Health and Human Services Right on Independence Avenue Left on 4th St. Go to Department of Education Right on C Street Right on Maryland Right on Independence Left on 3rd St. Left on Massachusetts Right on I Street Stop at ICE Right on 4th St. Left on Massachusetts Right on 3rd St.
We All Live in Jena ; National Call to Action Monday, October 1st, 2007 at Noon, Central Time.
Artist/ Activist Mos Def along with M1, Talib Kweli, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Sankofa Community Empowerment, Change the Game, National Hip Hop Political Convention, Hip Hop Association, and student leaders from 50 campuses call for a National Student Walk-Out to rally and show support for the Jena 6, who are being denied their human rights by the Louisiana criminal justice system.
The Case of the Jena 6
Last fall, when two Black high school students sat under the "white" tree on their campus, white students responded by hanging nooses from the tree. When Black students protested the light punishment for the students who hung the nooses, District Attorney Reed Walters came to the school and told the students he could "take [their] lives away with a stroke of [his] pen." Racial tension continued to mount in Jena , and the District Attorney did nothing in response to several egregious cases of violence and threats against black students. But when a white student--who had been a vocal supporter of the student's who hung the nooses, taunted a black student, called several black students "nigger"--sustained minor injuries from a school fight, six black students were charged with second-degree attempted murder. Last month, the first young man to be tried, Mychal Bell, was convicted. He faced up to 22 years in prison for a school fight until the Black people began to organize and his conviction was thrown out because he was tried as an adult. However the DA and the Judge still refuse to set a reasonable bail or to drop the charges in this case and Mychal is still in jail!!
Mos Def is asking students worldwide to assist in the fight against racial injustice and show solidarity for these young people, who have been treated unequally by the law. The prosecution of these young men symbolizes a terrible miscarriage of justice, by punishing students who opposed segregation in their schools and disregarding the threatening acts of others who advocate it.
As students and activists we say enough is enough! What is happening in Jena is happening all over this country. From Sean Bell to Mychal Bell, the criminal justice system is killing and incarcerating us. We will not be silent!
Demands Judge J.P. Mauffray and District Attorney Reed Walters have engaged in a string of egregious actions, the most recent of which was the denial of bail for Bell on Friday. We call for:
1. All charges against the Jena 6 be dropped
2. The immediate release of Mychal Bell
3. The United States Department of Justice to convene an immediate inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the arrests and prosecutions of the Jena 6;
4. Judge Mauffray to be recused from presiding over Bell 's juvenile court hearings or other proceedings;
5. The Louisiana Office of Disciplinary Counsel to investigate Reed Walters for unethical and possibly illegal conduct;
6. The Louisiana Judiciary Commission investigate Judge Mauffray for unethical conduct; and
7. The Jena School District superintendent to be removed from office.
Other endorsers include: Common, Immortal Technique, NyOil, Cynthia McKinney
1)Sometimes I am impatient, with myself and the antiwar movement of which I am a part.When will we get real about supporting GI resisters?I’m not just talking about the odd Conscientious Objector or AWOL soldier.I’m talking about building a support movement for GI resistance.I’m talking about reaching out to the troops and telling them they should not fight in an illegal, immoral war.I’m talking about challenging deeply embedded societal concepts concerning patriotism, fulfilling ones’ military “duty,” and being bound by the military “contract.”
2)I’ve been to meetings where counter-recruitment activists and war resister advocates have announced that their son or daughter will be deployed the following week to Iraq.And I ask myself:why are they not standing in their way, why are they allowing their children to be sent off to a war that they know is wrong?And I have talked to parents who se children have been killed in Iraq who say they didn’t agree with their children’s decision to enlist in the military but that they had tried to respect their right to make that decision, to respect that they were now adults (barely).Now they deeply regret that decision.
3)Sometimes I think we are running out of time to really build the kind of resistance movement, civilian and GI, that will be needed to end the Iraq War.But then I read that Hillary Clinton, the probable next president, will not promise to have the troops out of Iraq by the end of her first term.Neither will Barak Obama.Neither will John Edwards.(See the video clip above).Why?Because the president of the United States must be the executive director of U.S. imperialism.The Democrats want that Iraqi oil as much as the Republicans.Both parties are controlled by the uber-rich ruling class.Both parties believe that it is the U.S. destiny to dominate the world’s resources, markets and people.They debate strategy and tactics only.
4)Well, the Congress finally united this week to do something concerning the Iraq War.Both houses of Congress overwhelmingly condemned the anti-war ad of MoveOn.org that dared to challenge the credibility of General Petraeus, the latest shill for Bush’s failed war.The Senate vote was 72-25 and the House vote was 341-79.These are the kind of numbers that should be ending to the war and impeaching President Bush and his entire war cabinet.But that ain’t goingto happen.
5)It would appear, then, that the antiwar movement has been focusing its precious energies in the wrong direction.Four years of focusing on the U.S. Congress has achieved no meaningful results.There is no democracy in Washington, DC.Arguably, those who have been doing counter-recruitment work have had more impact, although that is hard to measure.The Iraq War has been the greatest counter-recruiter of all.African Americans, in particular, are enlisting in historically low numbers.
6)David Zeiger did the world a great service when he made the film, Sir, No Sir!This film uncovered a profound historical truth that is hard for many people to comprehend:Widespread resistance within the military was the final nail in the coffin of the Vietnam War.Rap groups.Coffee houses.Black Power meetings.GI newspapers.“Search and avoid” missions.Massive desertions.Sabotage.Refusal to fight.Refusal to fly.Refusal to train. “Fragging” of gung ho officers and NCOs.Withholding of intelligence data.Deserter and draft resister exile bases in Europe and Canada. Campaigns to unionize and democratize the military.
7)These acts of GI rebellion and organizing were organic, both spontaneous and planned.The antiwar movement cannot will them into being.They also took place within the context of a political awakening in the U.S., the rise of anti-imperialist, socialist and Black Consciousness movements, and a “cultural revolution” of youth.In other words, they took place within a revolutionary climate.Perhaps that is what we are lacking now, more than anything.
8)GI resistance organizing must come from the GIs themselves.However, it is somewhat unique in requiring lots of “outside” help from civilians.Some of this work must necessarily be clandestine, but much of it can be done in the open.
9)One can assume that any effective efforts at reaching out to GI’s or supporting their organizing will bring serious attention from various police and intelligence agencies.GI organizers will most likely be infiltrated by government agents, as will their civilian supporters.The government spies will be there to provide intelligence, to provoke disputes, to incite violence, to isolate and entrap leaders, and, in general, to attempt to undermine the resistance.
10)To my knowledge, not a single civilian was prosecuted during the Vietnam War for “aiding and abetting” AWOL GI’s or for stirring up resistance within the military.Why this is the case, I do not know.Perhaps government and military leaders did not want to bring attention to the GI resistance.There are certainly laws on the books they could use.In the age of Homeland Security, anything is possible.But until the government begins to aggressively pursue those who are supportingGI resisters, we should consider this activity to be relatively low risk.
11)There is a taboo in the antiwar movement against actually calling on the troops to resist.Only Iraq Veterans Against the War have begun to cross that line (see video above).What is behind this taboo?I believe there are a number of factors.One is fear of the perceived legal jeopardy.As I addressed above, this is somewhat of a myth.Nobody has been prosecuted for encouraging GI’s to resist, not during the Vietnam War and not since.
12)Another part of the taboo against calling on the troops to resist is that many antiwar organizations, especially the larger and more established, are organized as nonprofit organizations (501c3) for purposes of receiving tax-deductible organizations.They fear they might lose their nonprofit status if they advocate actions the government would consider illegal.To my knowledge, this has not happened.But nonprofits’ boards of directors tend to be pretty conservative about such matters.Many of them also wrongfully believe that their nonprofit status will be jeopardized if they engage in any advocacy or support legislative proposals.
13)Then there are the moral and ethical concerns.Some activists say that civilians don’t have the right to tell GI’s what they should be doing.Others say we should not put the moral burden for ending the war upon the soldiers.These concerns are worth exploring.
14)To me, the most compelling concern is this:If we encourage GI’s to resist, are we going to be there for them when they do?If they are court-martialed, will we bring legal and political support?If they go to jail, will we remember them?If they go AWOL, will we help them?Can we provide them with housing and money?Can we help them get to a safe haven outside the U.S.?Can we provide them with sanctuary within the U.S.?These are the very capacities that some of us are working to develop.
15)Underlying many of these concerns, I believe, is a very profound question:If we ask GI’s to take the risks involved with resisting within the military, or going AWOL, are we willing to share those risks?Not everybody is in a position to do so.And relatively few people are committed enough to risk the potential disruption of their lives, up to and including political persecution and possible imprisonment.In other words, if we aren’t ready to put our lives on the line, how can we ask these young soldiers to do so?
16)Well, some of us are willing to put our lives on the line.But this is more easily said than done.Most activists have families, jobs, careers and recreational activities that are important to them.They may be struggling financially or with health concerns.It is hard enough to attend meetings or to go to demonstrations.Even relatively tame civil disobedience actions will give many people pause.This is understandable, but should it mean that we do not call on GI’s to resist?
17)I do believe it is important for those of us who encourage GI resistance, directly or indirectly, to be prepared to come to the aid of those who heed our call.On the other hand, I do not believe that GI’s face any greater risk from resisting the war than they do from being part of the war.GI resisters do not generally risk their lives, their limbs, brain damage, PTSD, their ability to love their families, etc.But all of these horrible things are epidemic among those who go to war.
18)What does a GI actually risk by resisting?A lot.Persecution by military superiors.Disapproval and rejection by fellow GI’s.Disapproval and rejection by some family members.Self doubt and loss of self-esteem.Jail time.The stigma of a less-than-honorable discharge.The inability to support their family.Jeopardy to educational and career goals.
19)And AWOL soldiers risk the trauma of prolonged separation from their families (but the war does that too).Those who leave the country may not be able to return without facing prosecution.And they face an uncertain future in their new country.There is plenty of stress and trauma, for sure.But how does that compare to the risks and trauma and moral consequences of going to war?GI’s who refuse, in one way or another, to go to war, are actually decreasing the risks to themselves – physically, psychologically and morally.
20)I believe it is time for the antiwar movement to relocate to the gates of every military base in this country, and abroad.Democracy has failed in Washington.Seventy percent of the U.S. people want the troops out of Iraq as soon as possible.But the Congress says no way.And the presidential candidates of both parties say no way.In this election cycle, the antiwar movement should not spend one ounce of its energy backing any candidate who is not credibly committed to ending the war and giving Iraq back to the Iraqis.
21)Instead of wasting our energy on the politicians, we in the antiwar movement should take democracy into our own hands.The slogan “Troops Out Now” should be directed at the troops themselves.We should encourage and assist our citizen soldiers to vote with their feet.As Bertold Brecht famously suggested, the war machine cannot function if the troops won’t fight.Even the drones and the robots require humans to direct and repair them.
22)This is somewhat of a revolutionary proposal.But it now appears that nothing short of a revolutionary movement will bring an end to the Iraq War.Nothing less than a revolutionary movement will prevent the next war.And nothing less than a revolutionary movement will finally put an end to the global warring that is a central component of U.S. imperialism.
23)I’m not saying we need to build a revolutionary party or prepare ourselves for armed revolution.But we need to think like revolutionaries and act like revolutionaries.We need to shed the illusion that we can end the cycle of U.S. war mongering though polite discourse with our congresswoman.We have to internalize the fact that we are, in fact, at war with our own government and system.We have to be willing to take risks.And we have to be willing to ask others to take risks, especially when it is in their own interests.
24)When we ask GI’s to take the risk of resisting, we will not be putting an unethical burden upon them.We will probably be saving their lives.And, yes, we must be there for them too.We must share the risks.Maybe we’ll be saving our lives too.
25)This is the context I see for supporting “war resisters.”Our goal should be to empower the soldiers to play their historical role in the worldwide movement to end to U.S. militarism.Not everyone to agree with this perspective.Activists from many different perspectives can still provide war resisters with valuable support, be it counseling on their legal options, money, housing, transportation, political support, or helping them make their voices heard.
26)It is one thing to oppose a war, it is another to actually resist it.Even many peace activists oppose actions that might violate the law.They consider it reckless to call for GI resistance, or even to tell GI’s they can go to Canada.What’s up with that?It’s time to change the paradigm.
27)Another thing that is holding us back is that hardly anybody really knows how to do this work.Few people have any relevant experience. And the mostly middle class and over-40 peace movement does not know how to talk to the poor and working class youth of today’s “volunteer” military.But it’s high time we started learning.By trial and error.For those of us in the Northwest, what better laboratory than Fort Lewis, one of the largest Army bases providing troops to the Iraq War. The local papers announce the deaths of Washington state GI’s almost daily.Where are we?
Music with a message hit Washington this week as anti-war activists hosted a concert series to raise awareness for their cause.
"Rock the Rulers" is part of a week-long encampment next to the Capitol's West Side reflecting pool hosted by the Troops Out Now Coalition, a New York City-based grassroots movement, along with Artists and Activists United for Peace.
The movement will hit its peak Saturday, with a march beginning at noon at the Capitol. This is the second encampment this year for Troops Out Now, who teamed up with other organizations to reach a broader range of supporters through music and entertainment.
"We want to make the connection between the war abroad and the war at home," said Troops Out Now Media Liaison LeilLani Dowell. "We realize that culture is a very important part of this too."
Dowell and other organizers and volunteers spent the week putting up tents, booths, and a small stage to vie for attention while debates for war funding rage in Capitol Hill.
"They could force the issue," said Dowell, referring to the Democrats elected to Congress last November. "We are trying to hold them accountable."
The event attracted a wide variety of visitors. Topics of interest brought up at tables and during the entertainment include support for Katrina survivors, Code Pink (a movement of women against war in Iraq), immigrant workers' rights, money for health care, and education.
Each night, from 8 p.m. until midnight, musicians from around the country performed on stage, expressing frustrations and hopes for peace. Though many performers are scheduled for specific slots throughout the week, organizers encourage anyone to come and share their art and passions on stage.
Carol Ann Moccio ’10 is one of the people attracted to the encampment by the prospect of joining music with the anti-war movement. A self-proclaimed Beatles fan and peace activist, Moccio said she found out about "Rock the Rulers" after seeing the movie "Across the Universe" with friends. The Beatles-inspired musical featured the struggle of young Americans during the Vietnam War as they attempted to give peace a chance.
"I was like 'Wow, I want to continue that'," said Moccio. "Hopefully our generation can be as motivated as theirs."
Moccio said looking up "D.C. peace marches" on the Internet led her to the "Rock the Rulers" Web site.
Dowell said she thinks the currently college-aged generation and older ones are fed up with war and are responding to the music.
"We've seen a lot more people come through than the last time," she said. "It's time to heighten the struggle as much as possible."
Moccio said that she thinks that the appeal of music is going to help more students identify with the cause.
"Music is something that is special for everyone," she said, noting that many students may not be incredibly passionate about the anti-war movement, but will find the music a great incentive to become involved.
Michelle Dar of Portland, Ore., biked across the country with her partner and three daughters to participate in the protests. They were part of the "bike for peace" that ended in Washington with participants getting involved in actions for peace.
"We refuse to be silent," Dar said. "We'll put our bodies and our families out there."
Dar says that she and her family have been enjoying the nightly music outside the Capitol. Her daughter Tala danced and sang along to the Black Eyed Pea's "Where is the Love?" on stage Tuesday night. Dar finds the enthusiasm of those at the encampment empowering.
"It's tremendously inspiring, and reminds us why we are here," Dar said. "It gives us the courage to do more. The people have had enough. The people are rising up."
Anti-war activists, veterans, military families and community organizers from across the U.S.—from as far away as Oregon, Florida and Maine—arrived here beginning Sept. 22 for the Encampment to Stop the War at Home and Abroad, a tent city positioned in front of the Capitol building organized by the Troops Out Now Coalition (TONC).
WW photos: LeiLani Dowell
The Encampment will culminate in a march on Sept. 29 with multiple targets: Congress for its complicity in funding the war; the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for its continued racist neglect of the survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offices for the anti-worker raids and detentions against immigrants.
On Sept. 22, a large banner was erected that reads, “Congress, the whole world is watching: CUT OFF WAR FUNDS.” The Encampment is timed to coincide with the expiration of the current round of funding for the war and the ongoing debates in Congress. The appropriations passed in the last session of Congress are due to expire on Oct. 1.
Parked in front of the Encampment is the tour bus of Iraq Veterans Against the War, which features large signs reading, “Don’t attack Iran” and “Impeach Bush.” Along with TONC, Code Pink—Women for Peace, the Green Party and others have pitched their tents. More tents will be pitched as Katrina survivors, youth and students, Cuba solidarity and immigrants rights activists arrive in the coming days.
Press conference announces Encampment
Organizers held a press conference Sept. 24 to announce the Encampment and the mass march on Sept. 29. TONC spokesperson Larry Holmes opened, saying, “The Democrats say they want to cut war funding but they can’t get past a veto. But they could simply make sure the funding question doesn’t get to the floor.”
Rev. Lennox Yearwood spoke about unity in the struggle: “I’m so pleased to see support here 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. ... 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 of Iraq Veterans Against the War, described his organization’s demands, including immediate withdrawal of all forces from Iraq—”and 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 described the weeklong concert being held as part of the Encampment. “The movement needs cultural inspiration, talent and creativity. We know that [Iraq] isn’t the first time that the United States has invaded a sovereign nation. ... We have a chance to translate the [U.S. government’s] actions.”
Representing the Green Party, Vietnam War veteran Rick Clemens 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.”
WW photo: Dustin Langley
Toby Blomé of Code Pink described the encampments their group has undertaken at Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s house, after months of her refusing to meet with them to discuss war funding. They plan on visiting her office regularly during the Encampment and will be fasting throughout the week; the group hosted an organizing meeting on Sept. 24 at the Encampment.
Vernon Hoffman, who biked 4,500 miles with his family from Portland, Ore., to join the Encampment, said he’d “rather bike for peace than kill for oil.”
Lastly, a young war resister described how he enlisted in the military in 2005 because of limited career opportunities in his rural 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.”
Hub of anti-war activity
The Encampment has become a veritable hub of anti-war activity in the D.C. Metro area. At daily morning and evening meetings, activists converge to plan their outreach strategies to build for the mass march on Sept. 29.
From the Encampment, teams have fanned throughout the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Md., areas putting up posters, handing out leaflets, riding in sound cars and talking to students on campuses and workers on the streets. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.
In addition, passersby to the Encampment, including many tourists, have been appreciative of its work. An activist reported that one such person showed his identification card—as an employee of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. He assured the activist that many people in the Green Zone in Iraq are in agreement with the sentiments of the Encampment.
‘Get out of Iraq! Stay out of Iran!’
Responding to the venomous attacks against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his visit to New York for a UN General Assembly meeting, Encampment activists piled into the IVAW bus on Sept. 26 and rode to the White House, where they held a picket line to demand, “Get out of Iraq! Stay out of Iran!” Recalling the demonization of former Iraqi President Sassam Hussein, activists denounced the attacks on Ahmadinejad as an attempt to prepare the U.S. population for an expansion of the war to Iran.
Upcoming events include a discussion on the war at home in Washington, D.C.—where libraries are closing, thousands of units of affordable housing have been lost, and residents can’t vote—hosted by the Green Party; an event entitled “Justice for the Jena 6, Katrina/Rita survivors and immigrant workers: Fighting racism is building solidarity”; a vigil with the cast of the movie “SiCKO” for those who have died due to inadequate health care; a youth and student day of action; and events to free the Cuban 5 and to demand an end to political repression in the Philippines.
Gather at reflecting pool on west side of Capitol at 11 a.m for rally March will step off between 1 and 2 pm, and will pass by the Department of Health and Human Resources, FEMA headquarters and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency headquarters before returning to the Capitol for an ending rally. The purpose of this route is to draw attention to the resources that should be invested in health care instead of being spent on war; the ongoing injustices in the wake of Hurricane Katrina; and the campaign against immigrants. Volunteers needed at 8:30 am.
Nearest METRO stop: Federal Center SW (on Blue line and Orange line) Bus dropoff: west side of 3rd Street between Constitution and Independence (which is at the site of the Encampment to Stop the War) Bus pickup: same location. Buses should make their own parking arrangements at Union Station garage, 40 Massachusetts Ave NE (3 blocks from the rally and march site). Union Station information: 202-371-9441.
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.
NO JUSTICE! NO PEACE! FREE THE JENA 6! Eyewitness reports, Jena, LA., Sept. 20
By Gloria Rubac
A militant, dignified and powerful sea of mostly African Americans filled almost every street in the small rural town of Jena, La., today to let the world know that Jim Crow injustice is not going to be tolerated any longer.
With chants of “Enough is enough--Free the Jena Six” and “No justice, no peace, no racist police!” throngs of people protested in front of the LaSalle Parish Courthouse, on the lawn of the Jena High School, in a large city park and on many city streets.
They came from all over the United States, mostly from every single Southern state, by train, plane, bus, motorcycle and car, to support the Jena Six.
Dozens of historically Black colleges and universities had delegations, including Texas Southern University, Prairie View A & M University, Paul Quinn College, Dillard University, Spelman College, Grambling State University, Jackson State University, North Carolina Central University and Southern University.
Of the buses from Houston and surrounding areas, two were from Prairie View, three were from Texas Southern, and three had working people, students, youth and elders. Hundreds from Dallas caravanned with their churches, universities or groups of friends.
Many in Jena had never marched before but came with their school. Many others were working people who had taken a day off; a large number of them had participated in the 1960s civil rights marches and protests.
Some groups of families and elders sat in portable, lightweight chairs in groups of 10 to 25, talking about the Jena Six, eating homemade picnic lunches, and reminiscing about the struggles that brought about the victories of the civil rights movement. They eagerly accepted literature and signed petitions.
A large delegation from North Carolina Central University Law School sat together in maroon law school shirts, taking in all the activities with wide eyes. One young woman commented, “I thought this only happened in history books. And here I am!”
A middle-class Black family sat together in lawn chairs with a big sign that read “No justice, no peace—OKC” and had a large peace sign in the middle. When asked if the “OKC” meant Oklahoma City, they proudly said that they had driven all night from there to be a part of history and take a stand in support of the Jena Six.
Working Black ranchers from rural Florida attended. They said to tell everyone that Black ranchers were represented in Jena and emphasized that they not only owned their ranches but also worked them every day.
Folks from all over Louisiana attended, from big cities like Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Lake Charles to small towns like Broussard, New Iberia, Bunkie, Wilson, Houma, Crowley and Opelousous.
Traditional civil rights organizations were well represented. Large groups carried NAACP signs from many cities. The SCLC also had hundreds of signs.
There were also members of the New Black Panther Party, the Millions More Movement, the National Black United Front, and many other activist and militant organizations.
People on top of a large white RV owned by Robert Clark of Monroe, La. spoke to the crowds all morning. A man recited Martin Luther King’s speech on Vietnam as well as his “I Have a Dream” speech from the 1963 march on Washington.
Supporters donated bail money all day for Mychal Bell, one of the Jena Six. Over $18,000 was collected in donations of $5, $10, $20 and $100. The crowd on that block cheered every time someone put a bill in the box. Clark gave their names and home city. When it was announced that over $18,000 had been raised and that they would try to bail out Mychal Bell that afternoon, the crowd went wild.
Because every street in Jena has only two small lanes, and because the courthouse rally had an inadequate sound system for such a huge crowd, each block began its own impromptu rallies, street meetings, drumming, second line dancing, picnics, reunions, conga lines and marches.
The mood of the crowd was very serious, militant and determined. Many conveyed the feeling that they knew the whole world was watching Jena and so they were careful to maintain discipline while being excited, angry and focused. Participants picked up every scrap of paper and every empty water bottle off lawns and streets.
Taking photos and videos was the order of the day. At the Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement table, several people asked that the banner be held straighter as they snapped the shutter so folks at home could see who was there in Jena.
Two men from Mobile, Ala., held a big white banner. They asked people to sign it so they could send it to the Jena Six families. It read, “Free the Jena Six—Mobile, Alabama.” Hundreds of people signed with their names and hometowns.
At least a dozen different Jena Six tee shirts were being sold. Many organizations had come wearing their own originally designed shirts. Others sold shirts on the street. Some tee shirts depicted the virulent racism in Jena, by showing nooses or "The White Tree,” and some had quotes by noted civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer. Over 90 percent of the crowd wore black, as requested by organizers.
Some sympathetic whites in Jena waved to the buses while sitting in their yards. One elderly man gave two thumbs up to the crowd and told them,” Thanks for coming!"
Despite the 90-degree heat and not a cloud in the sky, people were focused and unity was the theme. Everyone agreed that each state has its own Jena, that it isn’t just Louisiana. And all left with a determination to continue the fight, not only for the Jena Six but for justice, when they get back to their homes.
Gloria Rubac is from Houston where she is an organizer with the Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement.
There is probably no way to determine the exact number of people who filled the streets of Jena, La., for more than 12 hours today.
It was both a work and a school day in this small town in rural Louisiana, far from any major population center and accessible mainly by a two-lane road. Yet, from dawn until dusk, the scene in downtown Jena was one of an ever-flowing crowd of people wearing black tee shirts--people of all ages but of one mind: to demand justice now for six African-American teen-agers whose prosecution for a schoolyard fight with a white classmate illuminates the racial disparities endemic to the U.S. justice system.
It is clear to all that many, many thousands gathered in Jena. Was it 100,000, as some say? For sure, tens of thousands came representing hundreds of thousands; came demanding justice for the millions of African-American people throughout the country who suffer daily from racial discrimination, national oppression and racist profiling.
When millions of immigrants demonstrated on May 1, one year ago, to demand dignity and human rights, the corporate media, as usual, was oblivious to the massive mobilizations taking place in communities of color. Jena is no exception.
Arrogant in their ability to define what is news and smugly confident that people have been rendered incapable of acting in their own interests, the major television networks and newspapers scrambled to catch up with these historic actions.
A vital element is the role of the radio talk show hosts whose programs aired the issues concerning the community.
Michael Baisden, Tom Joyner and other nationally syndicated radio personalities played a major role in alerting Black communities across the country to the situation that was unfolding in Jena.
Many youth, especially on the campuses of historically Black colleges and universities, became educated about the case through the Internet. Blogs aroused students to mount demonstrations and rallies and teach-ins on their campuses as schools came into session this fall. The Color Of Change activists harnessed this technology to blast the case all over cyberspace.
The support of Rev. Al Sharpton and his National Action Network, Rev. Jesse Jackson, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Nation of Islam, the NAACP, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and other national organizations and famous personalities were important in bringing the case to light and persisting, despite the lack of interest by the corporate media.
The grass-roots character of many of the organizers showed everywhere. Those who chartered and filled hundreds of buses were first-time demonstrators from colleges and universities; union members from Detroit's auto plants and Teamsters from Atlanta; church women, Black business people; parents; and neighborhood activists mostly from towns and cities across the South but also from the Northeast, Midwest, Southwest and West Coast.
Carloads of families and friends drove for hours, bringing children so they could be part of “making history."
Grey-haired seniors who had experienced the terror of Klan night-riders and lynchings during the 1960s; residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast who have survived criminal neglect and injury by the government during Katrina and Rita; mothers and fathers who can never escape worrying about whether their children will be victims of police brutality, all melded together in the courthouse square, in parks where parallel rallies were taking place, and along the streets in front of shuttered businesses.
The slogans on two of the most common signs explain why the protest defied all expectations: "Enough is enough" and "We are the Jena 6."
Distrust of the justice system, the presence of inequality every day decades after the passage of civil rights legislation, the ever-looming possible loss of employment, housing, healthcare and education, and the weight of endless war and occupation caused an eruption from below.
It was a remarkable day, not just in Jena but everywhere else that people rallied and marched in solidarity, wore black to work or school, and talked about organizing to make a change. Dianne Mathiowetz is a leader of the Atlanta chapter of the International Action Center.
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.
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!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts: LeiLani Dowell 1-917-701-7593 Dustin Langley 1-646-354-8056 Frank Neisser 1-617-792-8136 http://troopsoutnow.org
When: Monday, September 24, 3:00 p.m.
Where: Anti-war Encampment on the West Side of the Capitol Reflection Pool, near 3rd Street on the Capitol Mall
THE DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS HAVE THE POWER TO CUT OFF WAR FUNDING--THE MOVEMENT MUST MAKE THEM DO IT
MARCH ON WASHINGTON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 STOP THE WAR BY CUTTING OFF WAR FUNDING
The Troops Out Now Coalition (TONC) will be holding a press conference on Monday, Sept. 24 at 3 pm at the site of a weeklong anti-war Encampment, on the Capitol mall at the west side of the reflection pool.
Participants in Monday's press conference will include:
• Adam Kokesh, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and other Iraq veterans • Members of the Hoffman family, which traveled 4,500 miles by bicycle from Portland, Oregon to attend the Encampment • Rev. Lennox Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus • Nana Soul, Artists and Activists United for Peace • Rev. Graylan Scott Hagler, Plymouth Congregational Church, DC • Anne Wright, career Army veteran and former State Dept. official • Larry Holmes, Vietnam War GI resister and spokesperson for TONC • Representatives from Code Pink, the Green Party, the student movement, labor and the community.
This week, Congress begins preparation for voting on President Bush and the Pentagon's request for $200 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. On Saturday, Sept. 29, thousands will gather at the anti-war Encampment to march and demand that not one more dollar be approved for war.
TONC spokesperson Larry Holmes said: "The Democrats in Congress don't need enough votes to override a presidential veto in order to cut off all war funding. All the leadership of Congress has to do is simply keep any vote on war funding from coming to the floor, or even getting out of the Senate or House Appropriations committees."
Participants at the press conference will discuss plans for the Sept. 29 march and the five days of action at the Encampment before the big march.
There will be a volunteers outreach meeting this week on Wednesday at 7PM. Some of us will already be in Washington at the Encampment. We still need to try to do last minute leafleting at rush hour. When we were out leafleting at Times Square on Saturday afternoon, we met some people who decided to go to March. One man who is an EMS worker came back to tell us that he had called in to his work to get the day off and it was granted.
We will also need many volunteers for many tasks at the demonstration on September 29th. If you are able to take on a task, please come to the table with the "Volunteer sign-in" sign.
Remember to purchase your bus tickets if you haven't already. .
Well, I've been posting leaflets on the bulletin boards at the Fashion Institute of Technology here in Manhattan, where I take a Spanish class. They stay up a day or two until removed. This week I hear it paid off, and someone from the school called the office and will leaflet with one of the regulars tomorrow.
Yesterday I ran into these folks in the Times Square subway station as they were handing out flyers for next's week's anti-war March On Washington. The events, according to the Troops Out Now site:
A weeklong encampment directly in front of Congress. A giant billboard and round-the-clock political challenge to Congress to STOP funding the war . Actions every day and resistance music and culture every evening. We are open to many displays and actions. Just contact us with your ideas.
Every day - music, spoken word, creative acts of resistance and protest. 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.
The Troops Out Now Coalition (TONC) is a national grassroots coalition of antiwar activists, trade unionists, solidarity activists and community organizers.
For more information, or to find out how you can get involved, visit our homepage at TroopsOutNow.org
Pam Parker at D.C. Sept. 29 rally. " border="0"> 
