Mass Actions on the 6th Anniversary of the Iraq War - March 21, 2009
Bring All the Troops Home Now - End All Colonial Occupations!
Fund People's Needs, Not Militarism & Bank Bailouts!
Marking the sixth anniversary of the criminal invasion of Iraq, thousands will take to the streets of Washington D.C. and other cities across the U.S. and around the world in March 2009 to say, "Bring the Troops Home NOW!" We will also demand "End Colonial Occupation in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and Everywhere," and "Fund Peoples’ Needs Not Militarism and Bank Bailouts." We also insist on an end to the war threats and economic sanctions against Iran.
The ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) is organizing for unified mass marches and rallies in Washington D.C., Los Angeles (a Southern California regional action), San Francisco, Chicago, Miami and other cities on Saturday, March 21, 2009. Stay tuned for more details on the L.A. action, including organizing and volunteer meetings. Months ago we obtained permits for sixth anniversary demonstrations. ANSWER has been actively involved with other coalitions, organizations, and networks to organize unified anti-war demonstrations in the spring of 2009. ANSWER participated in the National Assembly to End the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and Occupations that was held in Cleveland, Ohio on June 28th-29th and attended by 450 people, including many national and local anti-war coalitions. The National Assembly gathering agreed to promote national, unified anti-war demonstrations in the Spring of 2009
I've never been a big fan of ANSWER. The times I've been around them, they can be a pain over trying to claim all the credit, hog all the speaker spots on the platform, etc ... ie, all the little organizational details that go on behind the scenes during a rally.
BUT, if they are the ones organizing a big anti-war march, then that's it. This is something where we need unity and numbers to appear together. Splitting and holding a different march just because you don't like the group organizing it is self-defeating. Thus, mark your calendars ... antiwar marches in several cities on 3/21/2009!
2 comments:
PS ... reading the very start of the quote from their page shows one of the problems I tend to have with how ANSWER does things.
They tend to mix a lot of messages into one big confusing mix. Note how they don't have one theme for the marches on the anniversary of the Iraq war. Instead, they have to also bring in opposition to colonialism and comments on bank bailouts.
Its not that I disagree with them on those issues. But, sometimes you need focus. Watch the pros at politics and messaging, and they'll always talk about staying 'on message'.
To me, what we need is a big antiwar march. One clear message. Especially when its on the anniversary of the attack on Iraq. End the wars now!
I agree! ANSWER does this all the time! I went to one rally, and, I was there to protest the invasion of Iraq. Sure, Wall St needs to be protested--the lack of services and poverty do, too.
But, as I listened, they covered Native Am issues, women's issues, Asian isues, Palestinian issues--not that I disagree with any of that!
But, as you say, if you completely lose focus, people will just say, "what was that all about"?
Do you think it is because they do not want to protest anything Obama? cp-usa is the same way. I is hard for me to understand.
Or is it to "build a broad progressive coalition" as they have said? If you broaden it TOO much, you just end up pragmatic--then, what is the point?
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