| A.N.S.W.E.R. Call for March 17–18, 2007 |
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March 17–18, 2007 Mass Actions: On March 17–18, 2007 tens of thousands of people will be marching in the streets of San Francisco in what will be the largest antiwar protests since 50,000 people demonstrated in September 2005. March 17–18 will be Global Days of Action against war and occupation with demonstrations taking place in hundreds of cities around the world to mark the fourth anniversary of the start of the "shock and awe" invasion of Iraq. The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition and other anti-war organizations are calling for mass demonstrations in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago and other cities and towns throughout the United States as anti-war actions take place throughout the world on this global day of action. The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition urges that everyone in the antiwar movement come together in unity against the criminal actions of the U.S. government. In San Francisco, the march and rally will take place on Sunday, March 18. (The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade is taking place on Sat., March 17 in SF.) Stop the war against the Arab people: From Iraq to Lebanon to Palestine! The Bush administration is engaged in a non-stop war against the Arab people. Although this war constitutes one of the great crimes of the modern era it will continue unabated unless the people act. The politicians of both parties either embrace or acquiesce to the U.S. drive for conquest, as bodies mount and the slaughter reaches shocking proportions. The war in Iraq has reached genocidal proportions. As many as 655,000 Iraqis are dead as a consequence of the U.S. invasion and occupation of their country (Lancet medical journal reporting Johns Hopkins University study 10/06). The occupation has torn apart Iraqi society. Cities are bombed to rubble, homes and neighborhoods destroyed, families massacred throughout the Middle East. The U.S. has funded and supported the massive Israeli bombing of Lebanon. Likewise, the bombings, targeted assassinations and economic strangulation of the West Bank and Gaza are choking the Palestinian people which even the UN acknowledges is a "humanitarian crises," while millions of Palestinians are still denied the right to return to their homes and villages. Elsewhere in the Middle East, the U.S. Air Force and Navy are preparing for aggression against Iran, sending commandos, armaments and vessels to the area. This is a war for Empire. It is the reality of modern day imperialism operating under the slogan the "war on terrorism." This juggernaut is not only set on consuming the Middle East alone. The U.S. government is engaged in military intervention and threats, terrorism, and economic warfare against the people of Cuba, North Korea, the Philippines, Haiti, Sudan and Venezuela. Congress won't stop the war — Only the people can! It is dangerous illusion to believe that the new Congress, with the Democrats in the majority of both the House and Senate, will stop the war. Although Congress formally has the sole and exclusive authority to declare war and the "power of the purse"—its control over the budget and expenditures—this formal, constitutional power is merely a shadow. The last time Congress issued a declaration of war was in December 8, 1941. Among incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's first announcements was a pledge that Congress wouldn’t cut any of the Pentagon’s funding to keep the war in Iraq going. Congress did not declare war in Korea, nor did it end it. It did not declare war in Vietnam, and it only cut funding for the war in 1974—one year after the last U.S. soldiers left Vietnam. Congress did not declare war or have a role in the final resolution of the 1983 invasion of Grenada, the 1989 invasion in Panama, the 1991 war against Iraq, the 1992 intervention in Somalia, the 1994 intervention in Haiti, the 1999 war against Yugoslavia, the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan or the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In each of these conflicts, the Congressional talk shop, at most, passes a resolution authorizing the President to act as he sees fit, then rubber stamps all funding requests to sustain the war. The U.S. Senate voted 94-3 in favor of the new half-trillion dollar 2007 "war budget." While some Democratic politicians complain about Bush's management of the war, there is near-unanimous support for the war budget. Hundreds of thousands of people will take to the streets on March 17-18 throughout the U.S. We will unite against this war for Empire and in support of a society that makes social and economic justice its top priority. Bring the troops home now! We need to raise tens of thousands of dollars now for posters, leaflets, bus rentals, and all the logistical expenses associated with mass assembly protests. We rely on the self-sacrifice and generosity of people in the movement to make this happen. Make a donation to help build these mass anti-war actions. The Bush Administration is more than happy to send the young people of this country to kill and be killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere while at the same time it cuts money for education and reduces veterans benefits. More than 2,800 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq and the number of severely wounded is in the tens of thousands. These soldiers should have never been sent and all soldiers should be brought home now. The war in Iraq now costs $270,000,000 per day — $3,200 per second! On March 17-18 we will also be demonstrating against Bush and Congress' war against freedom of speech, civil liberties and civil rights at home. We will oppose racial and religious profiling and the targeting of the Muslim and Arab community in the United States. We will condemn the government's surveillance and warrantless wiretaps of the people and Bush and Congress' assertion of imperial presidential authority to jail anyone without charge. We will demand the shut down of Guantanamo torture facilities (as has been declared by the United Nations) and other secret prisons and torture centers. The war for Empire is a rich man's war. Working and poor people in the United States are experiencing massive cuts in social services, high taxes to pay for the bloated military budget, assaults against our unions and decent wage paying jobs, the illegal elimination of pension funds by the new corporate robber barons, severe cuts in public education, and the ongoing racist neglect as evidenced by the destruction and usurpation of the neighborhoods of New Orleans. Racism is ever present in the government's policy towards immigrant workers whose labor is super exploited while the laborers are subject to raids, imprisonment and deportations. What you can do right now Endorse the March 17-18 Global Days of Action. If you will be organizing transportation from your town or city to one of the local mass actions, click here. If you are planning a local action on March 17-18, click here to share with us the time and location of your event. Make a donation This is a critical moment. Our actions in the streets in the coming weeks and months can make the difference. We have hundreds of volunteers and organizers working to spread the word and carry out all the tasks associated with building mass demonstrations. Please contribute financially to the effort to help build these mass anti-war actions. You can make a tax-deductible today. We need to raise tens of thousands of dollars now for posters, leaflets, bus rentals, and all the logistical expenses associated with mass assembly protests. We rely on the self-sacrifice and generosity of people in the movement to make this happen. Click here to make an online donation or for information on how to send a check. A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition ________________________________________ Your help is needed! You can support the work of the A.N.S.W.E.R. online at www.progressunity.org. You can make a donation via credit card over the phone by calling us at (415) 821-6545. To volunteer, call (415) 821-6545 or e-mail answer@actionsf.org. TOP |