Calling All Greens:
It is important to the future of the Green Party in New York and antiwar
politics in New York that the Greens have strong presence at the Sept 29
antiwar demonstration in Syracuse (details below).
The Sept. 29 demonstration promises to be the biggest antiwar demonstration
in upstate New York since the Vietnam War. It is important that the Green
Party follow up its endorsement of the demonstration with wide Green
participation.
Most of the peace movement has relied on the Democrats to stop the war
(Kerry in 2004, Democratic Congress in 2006), but the Democrats have refused
to vote down every war authorization and war supplemental spending bill
since before the war began.
The Democratic leadership in Congress has already capitulated again for FY
2008, making it clear that they won't attempt to vote down the $150-200
billion war supplemental Bush is requesting this month.
The Democrats claim -- and the corporate media dutifully echoes this myth --
that the Dems don't have the two-thirds votes they need to overide a Bush
veto. But all the Dems need is a simple majority to vote down the
supplemental in the next few weeks, which they have in both houses of
Congress.
The leading Democratic presidential candidates (Clinton, Obama, Edwards) all
call for "redeploying" only "combat units" out of Iraq, leaving tens of
thousands of US troops in Iraq to continue the occupation, manning the
massive military bases the US built, training the army and police of the
Iraqi puppet government, and providing the air war, advisors, and special
forces to support the Iraqi government's ground forces.
Aside from slightly longer periods for troop rotations home, the Democratic
"redeployment" will escalate the US military profile throughout the Middle
East -- in Kuwait and Qatar, in a new military surge in Afghanistan, and
possibly expanding on the 3000 US special forces deployed to the Somalia
occupation.
Yet too many in the antiwar movement are counting on the Democratic
President and Congress to end the war after the 2008 election. The
Democratic leadership has made it clear it will implement an Iraqization of
the Iraq war akin to Nixon's Vietnamization of the Vietnam War -- US ground
troops draw down gradually while US air power and military trainers and
advisors and special forces continue the war supporting Iraqi boys on the
ground missions.
The Sept 29 demonstration is the Green Party's chance to show the antiwar
movement in New York that the Greens are a viable political alternative to
supporting the pro-war Democrats as the lesser evil in 2008. The Greens have
an opportunity here to challenge antiwar activists in New York to support
Greens -- and to run as Greens for Congress -- on a clear all-troops-home
platform in the 2008 presidential and congressional elections.
September 29 will also be a chance to show the Ft. Drum Iraq vets who
initiated this demonstration that the Greens support their resistance to
unlawful wars of aggression and colonial occupations, a position the Dems
and GOP will never take.
Armed forces' resistance was a key factor forcing the US government to end
the US occupation of Vietnam. It forced the demobilization after World War
II when US rulers wanted to send US forces to help the British, French, and
Dutch imperialists reclaim their colonies in Asia. It was Portuguese army
that ended colonial rule in Africa and came back to overthrow fascism in
Portugal in 1974. It was the Venezuelan Army that backed Chavez against the
US-backed coup attempt in 2002. We need the rank and file of the armed
forces on our side, for democracy and against imperialism.
Greens will be marching with banners, tabling, leafletting, speaking from
the rally podium, and networking after the march and rally.
Please organize your local Green group to bring everyone they can to join
this demonstration.
If you are coming from farther away, come Friday night. We have floor space
for sleeping and we'll get the final details organized Friday night for the
marching, tabling, leafletting, and networking.
Solidarity,
Howie Hawkins
Green Party Candidate for Syracuse City Council
"Soldiers & Civilians Speak Out"
Anti-War March and Rally
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2007
11 am Greens gather for feeder march (place TBA)
1 pm Rally - Everson Museum Plaza, 401 Harrison Street, Syracuse
2pm March to Syracuse University (through public housing and by the VA
hospital)
4pm Closing Rally at Syracuse University (Green Party Speaker at 4:45-4:40
pm)
5-7 pm Antiwar Networking (Green Party caucus, then report to general meeting)
7:30pm Antiwar Panel at Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University (Scott
Ritter, Dahlia Wasfi, Jimmy Massey)
THE MARCH AND RALLY DEMANDS ARE:
---Immediate, complete, unconditional US withdrawal from Iraq (including
private contractors)
---Full health benefits for returning veterans
---Reparations to the Iraqi people
---Money for jobs, education and health-care, not occupation and warfare
BUS TO SYRACUSE
ROCHESTER AGAINST WAR has buses. Seats cost $25 ($10 for low income or students)
Meet in back MCC parking lot. Bus leaves at 9am, will arrive back in Rochester approx. 9pm
Reserve your seat with payment at the Antiwar Crisis Center Storefront,
658 Monroe Avenue, 585 – 271-2620 or email events@rochesterAgainstWar.org for more information
ENDORSING GROUPS
Military Families Speak Out-Upstate NY, International Socialist
Organization, Interfaith Peace Network of Western NY, WNY Peace Center,
Rochester Against War, Catholic Worker, Campus Antiwar Network, Peace Action
and Education Task Force of Metro Justice, The Storefront Antiwar Crisis
Center on Monroe, Rochester Declaration of Peace, Syracuse Citizen Action,
Utica Citizen Action, Schenectady Neighbors for Peace, Guilderland Neighbors
for Peace, The Solidarity Committee of the Capital District, NYS Green
Party, Women Against War, Grannies for Peace, Muslim Solidarity Committee,
Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace, Upper Hudson Peace Action, Troy Area Labor
Council, Citizens Environmental Coalition, 8th Step Coffee House, Saratoga
Peace Alliance, Tom Paine Chapter of Veterans for Peace, Pax Christi of WNY,
Vets for Peace, The Social Justice Center of Albany, The Cortland Community
for Peace, Southern Rensselaer Neighbors for Peace, Peacemakers of Schoharie
County, Troy Neighbors for Peace, Northeast Peace and Justice Action
Coalition, UU Peace Advocates of Rochester, Peace Action of CNY, Mohawk
Valley Peace Coalition, Lewis County Citizens for Peace in Iraq, Chatham
Peace Initiative, Berkshire Citizens for Peace, Veterans for Peace Chapter
51, Iraq Veterans Against the War NY, Syracuse Peace Council, SEIU 1199,
Syracuse Cultural Workers.
Initiated by
New York Iraq Veterans Against the War
Hosted by
The Syracuse Peace Council & SEIU-1199
For more information contact:
Syracuse Peace Council 315-472-5478 or spc@peacecouncil.net
or visit
No comments:
Post a Comment