http://www.iacenter.org/Iraq/iraq-encampment0031707.htm
Troops Out Now Coalition
ENCAMPMENT TO STOP THE WAR In Washington DC
Message to Congress:
*CUT OFF ALL WAR FUNDING
*END THE WAR
*BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW
Beginning March 12 in Washington DC
(Before the March on the Pentagon on Saturday march 17)
Detailed Schedule for the Encampment to Stop the War March 12 Encampment begins directly in front of the Capitol Bldg in Washington DC March 13 Encampment to End the War March 14 Encampment to End the War March 15 Encampment to End the War March 16 Encampment to End the War March 17 March on the Pentagon
stay in DC for the Encampment to End the War March 18 Encampment to End the War March19+ Encampment to End the War
WHERE? on the mall directly in front of the Capitol building (3rd street between Constitution and Independence)
WHY NOW? During the week beginning March 12, Congress will begin voting on Bush’s request for $100 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afganistan. If Congress votes to cut off funds, they can end the war now and bring the troops home. If they approve Bush’s war funds, the killing, and dying and occupation will go on…it’s as simple as that. This vote will be the most important war related vote since Congress voted to authorized Bush to invade and occupy Iraq in October of 2002. The antiwar movement must be there to let Congress know that we won’t let them get away with it this time. Right now, the Troops Out Now Coalition is working with local organizers, churches and mosques, unions, and community groups to prepare for a long-term occupation of Washington by the anti-war movement. Local organizers across the U.S. are organizing buses, vans, and car caravans.
We have a real opportunity if we act decisively–and we need your help. Please contact us by Monday, February 26 –use the “comments” section of the volunteer form to let us know:
1. Can you come to Washington for the Encampment to Stop the War? On what day can you join the encampment? For how long? Some are planning to come for a day or two, others are staying longer.
2. Do you have equipment that would be useful for an encampment (tents, sleeping bags, etc.)??
3. Can you volunteer to take on a task during the encampment (logistics, medical, security, legal, transportation, etc)?
4. If you live in the Washington DC area, do you have space for people to sleep or freshen up?
How You Can Help
Volunteer – complete the volunteer form at http://troopsoutnow.org/feb17mar17volunteer.shtml and use the comments section to let us know when you can come to Washington DC, how long you can stay, what you can bring, and what tasks you can take on in the Encampment to Stop the War.
Help Get the Word Out – Download leaflets from http://www.troopsoutnow.org and take them to your school, workplace, union hall, church or mosque, community center, etc.
Donate – http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml – Please help with the enormous expenses of preparing for the Encampment to Stop the War.
Contact your local organizing center and help organize your local contingent to the Encampment.
Partial list of Endorsers: Brenda Stokely, co-convener, New York City Labor Against the War*; Teresa Guttierez, May 1 Immigrant Rights Coalition*; Sharon Black, Million Worker March; LeiLani Dowell, FIST – Fight Imperialism Stand Together; Joseph Parko, founding member, Georgia Peace & Justice Coalition*, Atlanta, GA; Elliot Markson, Veterans For Peace*, Brooklyn, NY; Mona Parsons, Military Families Speak Out*, Mount Vernon, OH; Julie Levine, Steering Committee, Topanga Peace Alliance*, CA; Manik Mukherjee, AIAIF, All India Anti-imperialist Forum, Calcutta, India; The Most Rev. Filipe Teixeira, Ofsjc, Diocesan Bishop, Catholic Church Of The Americas*, Brockton, MA; Louis Lafortune, Member: County Council, Green Party Santa Cruz California*, Santa Cruz, CA; Ardeshir Ommani, Chair, American-Iranian Friendship Committee (AIFC), Armonk, NY; Paul “Zool” Zulkowitz, Green Party Peace Action Comm (GPAX)*, Woodmere, NY; Ivy Nightscales, Shop Steward, SEIU*, Seattle, WA; Amelia Core Jenkins, Code Pink*, Dallas, TX; Ruth Valdez, Chair Social Action Comm., Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Of Santa Cruz*, Freedom, CA; Leslie Feinberg, Co-Chair LGBT Caucus National Writers Union*; Steve Gillis, Vice President USWA Local 8751 Boston School Bus Drivers and Monitors; Minister Malik Shabazz-el Bey, President-General, New Marcus Garvey Movement-Black Panther Nation, Detroit, MI; Paul Kangas, co-chair, Thc Troops Home By Christmas, San Francisco, CA; Ronald Kuykendall, Veterans For Peace*, Asheville, NC; Hasan Tarique Chowdhury, Bangladesh Peace Council*, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Anthony Ehrlich, West Volusians For Peace And Justice*, Barberville, FL; Mark Bradshaw-Miller, Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church*, Saint Louis, MO; Paul Gattone, Executive Vice-President, National Lawyers Guild*, Tucson, AZ; Mattie Thomas, Move On*, Brooklyn, NY; Jerry Messick, AFSCME*, Norman, OK; Sylvia Zisman, Bklyn Parents For Peace*, Bklyn, NY see growing list of endorsers at http://www.troopsoutnow.org/CutOffWarFundingEndorsers.html
A CALL TO AN ENCAMPMENT TO STOP THE WAR Washington DC – STARTING MONDAY MARCH 12
Congress is about to vote to continue the war We must not let them get away with it!
NEW! Daily Updates on the Encampment to Stop the War available at http://encampmenttostopthewar.blogspot.com
During the week of March 12, Congress will begin voting on President Bush’s request for $245 billion more to finance war and occupation. Let there be no mistake, this vote is no mere routine matter. It has nothing to do with “supporting the troops.” It is a vote to continue the war. In fact, the upcoming war funding vote will be every bit as important as the vote by the 109th Congress to authorize the war in October 2002.
Congress must understand that the people will not accept any excuses for its vote to continue the war by approving funding for it. The people are not fooled by symbolic, non-binding resolutions that only oppose the “surge.” It is a betrayal of the people for Congress to fool around with proposals to merely limit scope of the war by placing restrictions on the funding, or to “re-authorize” a more limited war.
Last November the people voted to change the leadership of Congress so that it could do what the President is unwilling to do — to end the war now. As Sen. Russ Feingold said recently at a Senate Hearing on Congress’s war powers, “Congress has the power to stop the war if it wants to.” Now the people have given you the mandate to do that.
If Congress votes to continue funding the war it will be voting to kill more U.S. soldiers, it will be voting to order U.S. soldiers to kill more Iraqis, it will be voting to continue the war. If Congress votes for more war funding, then no one can claim that this is solely the President’s war, or the Republican Party’s war; it will be Congress’s war.
It is not excuse for any member of Congress to say that they oppose the war, but that their voting for more war funding to support the troops. The real support that the troops and their families need is for you to act decisively, cut off the war funding and bring everyone home alive.
There is only one Congressional vote that the people, the solders, the families of solders, the Iraqi people, and the people of the world want to read about, and that’s a vote against any more war funding. Such a vote is in effect a vote to end the war and bring all the troops home now. Join us at the Encampment to Stop the War beginning Monday March 12 on the Mall in Washington DC to pressure Congress to end the war now.
Endorsers: DC Anti-War Network, Code Pink, After Downing Street, Axis of Logic, Brenda Stokely, co-convener, New York City Labor Against the War*; Teresa Guttierez, May 1 Immigrant Rights Coalition*; Rebecca Rotzler, co-chair Green Party USA, Deputy Mayor of New Palz NY; Sharon Black, Million Worker March; Florida Military Families Speak Out; LeiLani Dowell, FIST – Fight Imperialism Stand Together; Joseph Parko, founding member, Georgia Peace & Justice Coalition*, Atlanta, GA; Elliot Markson, Veterans For Peace*, Brooklyn, NY; Mona Parsons, Military Families Speak Out*, Mount Vernon, OH; Julie Levine, Steering Committee, Topanga Peace Alliance*, CA; Manik Mukherjee, AIAIF, All India Anti-imperialist Forum, Calcutta, India; The Most Rev. Filipe Teixeira, Ofsjc, Diocesan Bishop, Catholic Church Of The Americas*, Brockton, MA; and thousands more. See growing list of endorsers at http://www.TroopsOutNow.org/CutOffWarFundingEndorsers.html
NYCLAW: NYC Labor Against the War 