Peace Movement Makes Plans for 5th Anniversary of Iraq Occupation: Virginia Progressive Action Network

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Peace Movement Makes Plans for 5th Anniversary of Iraq Occupation

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Message*	By David Swanson, CCPJ The peace movement in the United States and in Virginia is making plans for a week and a half of activities, March 10-19, 2008, to resist the U.S. occupation of Iraq, to oppose new wars, and to demand the impeachment of Vice President Cheney and President Bush. Details of the national plans are posted at http://resistinmarch.org The Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice (CCPJ) is asking people in Central Virginia to indicate which activities most interest them at http://charlottesvillepeace.org/march2008 Here's a quick overview: MARCH 10 to 12, 2008 (Monday to Wednesday) in Washington, D.C.: Stop-Loss Congress This March, while tens of thousands of Americans in Washington, D.C., and all over the United States will be participating in acts of nonviolent civil resistance to protest the ongoing occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, and involuntarily deployed U.S. soldiers and innocent civilian victims will begin another year of occupation, torture, and murder, U.S. congress members will be on vacation (from the 15th to 30th, technically a "district work period"), ignoring the killing and suffering they have enabled, supported, and financed. To intensify the irony, Congress has condoned a widespread stop-loss policy in the military which requires soldiers to involuntarily extend their tours and prolong the killing. It is time to Stop-Loss Congress! On Monday March 10, and Tuesday March 11, we will deliver "official" stop-loss notices to all members of Congress in their Capitol Hill offices. These will notify them that all of their LEAVES, VACATIONS and HOME VISITS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED until further notice. Just as they require that active-duty personnel endure involuntary extensions of their tours of duty, we, the people for whom they work, are notifying them that they, too, will have their tours of duty INVOLUNTARILY EXTENDED until every foreign soldier and mercenary is out of Iraq, and home. When all the troops and contractors get home, then Congress can go home, and no sooner. Monday evening March 10, there will be a party at George Washington University with political HIP HOP performers SON of NUN and HEAD ROC along with a great DJ from B'more for dancing. Admission is by donation. Tuesday evening March 11: Premiere of the documentary short "DAD ON FIRE BLUES" by filmmaker Scott Haman at BUSBOYS & POETS in Washington, D.C. Carlos Arredondo will speak. Rick Burnley will recite poetry. There will be flamenco music. Afterward, there will be folk music at Saint Stephens Church. On Wednesday March 12, we will take nonviolent action on Capitol Hill, to ensure that, while thousands of Iraqis, Afghanis, and foreign invaders die and are injured for life, the members of Congress and their staffs do not go home but remain to DO THEIR DUTY, and immediately end the funding of the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. No members of Congress goes home until THE TROOPS COME HOME. Also on Wednesday March 12 nonviolent activists in DC will engage in an action called "Ghosts of War." To learn more (and see the full list of participating groups), get involved at http://resistinmarch.org Also on Wednesday March 12 for those not in DC: A congressional call-in day is being organized around the theme of "No to War, No to Africom." Africom is the US military's proposed new Africa Command center. To participate in planning these events, to learn meeting times and places, to help distribute flyers and organize travel, training, and other preparation, join this listserve: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/12march2008 CCPJ plans to organize carpools, vans, or buses to go to DC for the 10th to 12th or just the 12th. There will be plenty of roles on the 12th for those who do not want to risk arrest and for those who do. Please help CCPJ gauge interest in going at http://charlottesvillepeace.org/march2008 MARCH 13-16, 2008 (Thursday-Sunday) in Silver Spring, Maryland: Winter Soldier Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW)'s Winter Soldier Testimony is a truth-telling event inspired by an event of the same name held by Vietnam War veterans during that conflict. Winter Soldier will be held at the National Labor College, 10000 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20903. Audio and video of panels will be available live online, and if possible over cable TV and on Pacifica radio. See http://www.ivaw.org/wintersoldier There is no role for citizens who are not members of IVAW to play at the Winter Soldier event in Maryland. At IVAW's request, the peace movement is not doing anything in DC on March 13th to 16th. MARCH 13-16, 2008 (Thursday-Sunday) Antiwar Film Festival in Charlottesville, Virginia CCPJ is planning a series of four films and discussions, in at least some cases including the filmmakers or stars. Please help CCPJ gauge interest in this and express your preferences at http://charlottesvillepeace.org/march2008 MARCH 17 and 18, 2008 (Monday and Tuesday) in Washington, D.C.: Training, Lobbying, Restoring the Constitution On these days there will be training sessions in nonviolence in Washington, D.C., in preparation for March 19, and on the 18th in Washington will be "Take Back the Constitution Day." March 18th, Tuesday: CODEPINK Action Day to Take Back the Constitution Join us for a spirited day in the Halls of Power in Washington, D.C., from Congress to the Justice Department to the Parties' Headquarters to the White House, and an evening event with Constitutional scholars and writers. This is a call for impeachment, an end to the occupation, an end to torture. 9 am Meet Up: Meet at the CODEPINK House (712 5th Street NE, between G and H) for a day-long Restore the Constitution Tour/March that will be marked with actions at key points throughout Capitol Hill. The schedule is as follows... 10- 10:30 am Press Conference: Newseum Museum (555 Pennsylvania Ave, NW at 6th St.), a brand-new interactive media museum that has the 1st Amendment etched into the front of the building's stone structure! 10:30-11 am Restore the Constitution with Liz Holtzman: National Archives (700 Pennsylvania Avenue and Constitution, NW between 7th and 9th) 11-11:30 am Action at the Justice Department: Clean up your act! We will create a laundry line of all the investigations, airing out the Administration's dirty laundry and more! 11:30-12 noon: Don't Buy Bush's War Action with Ben Cohen: IRS building (Constitution between 10th and 12th). We'll unfurl our "Don't Buy Bush's War" banners and declare our resistance to being taxed for an unjust, illegal war. Noon-12:30 pm MOST WANTED Action: FBI at the J Edgar Hoover building (Pennsylvania between 9th and 10th). We will target CODEPINK's MOST WANTED Terrorists in DC: Bush, Cheney and others. This action will continue on to the Reflecting Pool. Special Cleansing at the Reflecting Pool with Visionary Activist Caroline Casey: We will make a brew from all the stops in our "Peace and Justice Cauldron". 12:30-2 pm March on Congress & lunch: Location TBA 2-5 pm Tour the Halls of Shame: We will be calling for Impeachment in Congress, marchers to visit their Members of Congress' offices on Senate and House side. 8:00 pm Evening event with Constitutional scholars and writers: Location TBA Speakers will include: Bill Moyers, Larry Sabato, Liz Holtzman, Melanie Sloan, Jamie Raskin, John Nichols, Michael Ratner and others! MARCH 19, 2008 (Wednesday) Everywhere and in Washington, D.C.: Nonviolent Resistance Nonviolent civil resistance and/or disobedience is being planned in all 435 congressional districts and in the nation's capital on the fifth anniversary of the occupation of Iraq Locations in each congressional district, to be determined locally, can include congressional offices (Congress Members and Senators will be in their districts on this day), federal buildings, military recruiters, weapons makers, war profiteers, or corporate media outlets. In Washington, with Congress out of town, the focus will be on war profiteers in the military industrial disaster-capitalism complex. Where possible, events will include a place for people not willing to risk arrest. Evening town hall forums can also include a larger audience. CCPJ is planning a nonviolent action in Charlottesville, and is also planning to organize carpools, vans, or buses to go to DC for the 17th to 19th or just the 18th or 19th. There will be plenty of roles on the 19th for those who do not want to risk arrest and for those who do. Please help CCPJ gauge interest in going at http://charlottesvillepeace.org/march2008
CAPTCHA*	Enter the sum: 25 + 15 = (What is this?)

By David Swanson, CCPJ

The peace movement in the United States and in Virginia is making plans for a week and a half of activities, March 10-19, 2008, to resist the U.S. occupation of Iraq, to oppose new wars, and to demand the impeachment of Vice President Cheney and President Bush. Details of the national plans are posted at http://resistinmarch.org

The Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice (CCPJ) is asking people in Central Virginia to indicate which activities most interest them at http://charlottesvillepeace.org/march2008

Here's a quick overview:

MARCH 10 to 12, 2008 (Monday to Wednesday) in Washington, D.C.: Stop-Loss Congress

This March, while tens of thousands of Americans in Washington, D.C., and all over the United States will be participating in acts of nonviolent civil resistance to protest the ongoing occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, and involuntarily deployed U.S. soldiers and innocent civilian victims will begin another year of occupation, torture, and murder, U.S. congress members will be on vacation (from the 15th to 30th, technically a "district work period"), ignoring the killing and suffering they have enabled, supported, and financed.

To intensify the irony, Congress has condoned a widespread stop-loss policy in the military which requires soldiers to involuntarily extend their tours and prolong the killing. It is time to Stop-Loss Congress!

On Monday March 10, and Tuesday March 11, we will deliver "official" stop-loss notices to all members of Congress in their Capitol Hill offices. These will notify them that all of their LEAVES, VACATIONS and HOME VISITS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED until further notice. Just as they require that active-duty personnel endure involuntary extensions of their tours of duty, we, the people for whom they work, are notifying them that they, too, will have their tours of duty INVOLUNTARILY EXTENDED until every foreign soldier and mercenary is out of Iraq, and home. When all the troops and contractors get home, then Congress can go home, and no sooner.

Monday evening March 10, there will be a party at George Washington University with political HIP HOP performers SON of NUN and HEAD ROC along with a great DJ from B'more for dancing. Admission is by donation.

Tuesday evening March 11: Premiere of the documentary short "DAD ON FIRE BLUES" by filmmaker Scott Haman at BUSBOYS & POETS in Washington, D.C. Carlos Arredondo will speak. Rick Burnley will recite poetry. There will be flamenco music. Afterward, there will be folk music at Saint Stephens Church.

On Wednesday March 12, we will take nonviolent action on Capitol Hill, to ensure that, while thousands of Iraqis, Afghanis, and foreign invaders die and are injured for life, the members of Congress and their staffs do not go home but remain to DO THEIR DUTY, and immediately end the funding of the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. No members of Congress goes home until THE TROOPS COME HOME.

Also on Wednesday March 12 nonviolent activists in DC will engage in an action called "Ghosts of War." To learn more (and see the full list of participating groups), get involved at http://resistinmarch.org

Also on Wednesday March 12 for those not in DC: A congressional call-in day is being organized around the theme of "No to War, No to Africom." Africom is the US military's proposed new Africa Command center.

To participate in planning these events, to learn meeting times and places, to help distribute flyers and organize travel, training, and other preparation, join this listserve: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/12march2008

CCPJ plans to organize carpools, vans, or buses to go to DC for the 10th to 12th or just the 12th. There will be plenty of roles on the 12th for those who do not want to risk arrest and for those who do. Please help CCPJ gauge interest in going at http://charlottesvillepeace.org/march2008

MARCH 13-16, 2008 (Thursday-Sunday) in Silver Spring, Maryland: Winter Soldier

Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW)'s Winter Soldier Testimony is a truth-telling event inspired by an event of the same name held by Vietnam War veterans during that conflict. Winter Soldier will be held at the National Labor College, 10000 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20903. Audio and video of panels will be available live online, and if possible over cable TV and on Pacifica radio. See http://www.ivaw.org/wintersoldier

There is no role for citizens who are not members of IVAW to play at the Winter Soldier event in Maryland. At IVAW's request, the peace movement is not doing anything in DC on March 13th to 16th.

MARCH 13-16, 2008 (Thursday-Sunday) Antiwar Film Festival in Charlottesville, Virginia

CCPJ is planning a series of four films and discussions, in at least some cases including the filmmakers or stars. Please help CCPJ gauge interest in this and express your preferences at http://charlottesvillepeace.org/march2008

MARCH 17 and 18, 2008 (Monday and Tuesday) in Washington, D.C.: Training, Lobbying, Restoring the Constitution

On these days there will be training sessions in nonviolence in Washington, D.C., in preparation for March 19, and on the 18th in Washington will be "Take Back the Constitution Day."

March 18th, Tuesday: CODEPINK Action Day to Take Back the Constitution

Join us for a spirited day in the Halls of Power in Washington, D.C., from Congress to the Justice Department to the Parties' Headquarters to the White House, and an evening event with Constitutional scholars and writers. This is a call for impeachment, an end to the occupation, an end to torture.

9 am Meet Up: Meet at the CODEPINK House (712 5th Street NE, between G and H) for a day-long Restore the Constitution Tour/March that will be marked with actions at key points throughout Capitol Hill. The schedule is as follows...

10- 10:30 am Press Conference: Newseum Museum (555 Pennsylvania Ave, NW at 6th St.), a brand-new interactive media museum that has the 1st Amendment etched into the front of the building's stone structure!

10:30-11 am Restore the Constitution with Liz Holtzman: National Archives (700 Pennsylvania Avenue and Constitution, NW between 7th and 9th)

11-11:30 am Action at the Justice Department: Clean up your act! We will create a laundry line of all the investigations, airing out the Administration's dirty laundry and more!

11:30-12 noon: Don't Buy Bush's War Action with Ben Cohen: IRS building (Constitution between 10th and 12th). We'll unfurl our "Don't Buy Bush's War" banners and declare our resistance to being taxed for an unjust, illegal war.

Noon-12:30 pm MOST WANTED Action: FBI at the J Edgar Hoover building (Pennsylvania between 9th and 10th). We will target CODEPINK's MOST WANTED Terrorists in DC: Bush, Cheney and others. This action will continue on to the Reflecting Pool.

Special Cleansing at the Reflecting Pool with Visionary Activist Caroline Casey: We will make a brew from all the stops in our "Peace and Justice Cauldron".

12:30-2 pm March on Congress & lunch: Location TBA

2-5 pm Tour the Halls of Shame: We will be calling for Impeachment in Congress, marchers to visit their Members of Congress' offices on Senate and House side.

8:00 pm Evening event with Constitutional scholars and writers: Location TBA
Speakers will include: Bill Moyers, Larry Sabato, Liz Holtzman, Melanie Sloan, Jamie Raskin, John Nichols, Michael Ratner and others!

MARCH 19, 2008 (Wednesday) Everywhere and in Washington, D.C.: Nonviolent Resistance

Nonviolent civil resistance and/or disobedience is being planned in all 435 congressional districts and in the nation's capital on the fifth anniversary of the occupation of Iraq

Locations in each congressional district, to be determined locally, can include congressional offices (Congress Members and Senators will be in their districts on this day), federal buildings, military recruiters, weapons makers, war profiteers, or corporate media outlets. In Washington, with Congress out of town, the focus will be on war profiteers in the military industrial disaster-capitalism complex. Where possible, events will include a place for people not willing to risk arrest. Evening town hall forums can also include a larger audience.

CCPJ is planning a nonviolent action in Charlottesville, and is also planning to organize carpools, vans, or buses to go to DC for the 17th to 19th or just the 18th or 19th. There will be plenty of roles on the 19th for those who do not want to risk arrest and for those who do. Please help CCPJ gauge interest in going at http://charlottesvillepeace.org/march2008