[casi] Protesting Bush's Iraq War around the world

["Timothy Baer" <bunnysoftchloe@DELETETHIShotmail.com>]

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Saturday, Sept. 28
today 10,000 people protested and marched from Sydney (Australia)
Town Hall but the nice people of the "corporate media" said a few
thousands ..

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Action in Woodland, CA
Sat. Sept. 28
Approx. 30 people converged on the district office of Rep. Doug Ose (R) in
Woodland as it opened its doors on Friday morning.  The lobby was packed for
an hour as people voiced their oppsoition to war on Iraq and demanded that
Ose revise his statement (made just that morning for our arrival) in support
of Bush's war.
A group of 8-10 people maintaned a vigil outside the offices all day long as
more people walked into the office to voice their opposition to war on Iraq.
People who could not attend the protest were urged to call in.  They did.
The phones were ringing in Woodland and in Washington all day long. Signs of
protest were hung in front of the office which caught the eye of passersby,
several of whom then walked into the office to add their voices to the
protest.  Woodland is traditionaly a very conservative town. Several
Woodlanders welcomed this protest and lingered around talking to the
activists.

We are now pushing for a Town Hall meeting similar to the Town Hall meeting
that will be conducted in Wisconsin on Monday, Sept. 30th.
The congressman seems to beleive that the voices he is hearing against war
are not representative of his district... even while he admits that 90% of
the calls he is receiving are against war.

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Largest anti-war demonstration in Colorado today since the Gulf War
Friday, September 27, 2002 - Updated 12:45 p.m. - President George Bush, in
a Denver campaign swing today, used some of his strongest language to date
to threaten Iraq, while about 2,000 anti-war protestors chanted outside.
Associated Press
President Bush appeared in Denver Friday with Gov. Bill Owens and
congressional candidate Bob Beauprez. Bush was blunt in stating his plans to
Colorado Republicans at a fundraising lunch.
"There's no negotiation with Sadaam Hussein. There's nothing to discuss. The
U.N. can either act, or the U.S. will lead a coalition to disarm this man,"
Bush proclaimed.
More than 2,000 protestors gathered in front of the City and County Building
and marched down 16th Street to the Adam's Mark to protest a possible U.S.
attack on Iraq.
"There is a lot of anger and a lot of frustration about the way we're being
carried toward war," said Mark Sweitzer, of the Colorado Campaign for Middle
East Peace.
The group organized the protest to coincide with Bush's visit to Denver and
chanted "No War for Votes" outside the hotel where the President spoke.
Organizers said they were stunned by the size of the turnout.
"We don't buy $1,000 a plate lunches at the Adam's Mark," said Howard
Greenebaum, 72, of Sedalia. "We are Americans and we vote."
When the group arrived at the Adam's Mark, they encountered a small group of
Bush supporters. "We thought we were the majority, until this army showed
up," said Bush supporter Kevin Keeling, 19, of Boulder, who studies
political science at the University of Colorado.
A woman who said she thinks Bush's policies are Nazi-like was holding a sign
with a swastika and a Republican elephant. She attracted a lot of angry
remarks from Bush supporters. "A couple of Republicans told me they were
going to report me to child services and take my baby away," said Denise
Spencer, 35, of Denver, who held her one-year-old daughter Kayla along with
the sign.

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September 27, Oakland, California
  Approximately 150 peace activists gathered outside the Federal
Building in downtown Oakland today to protest the Bush administration's
plans for a war against Iraq.  After plenty of chanting and singing and some
fine oratory, fifteen of the protestors lay down in a "die-in" in front
of the Federal Building's doors and were arrested by federal officers.

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Sept.27
Approximately 700 people protested Bush's visit to Flagstaff, Arizona
today, shouting anti-war slogans, as Air Force One landed
in local airport 5 minutes away from the demonstrators,
-Philippa Winkler

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Subject: [iraq-meet] protest in Owensboro, KY
Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2002 04:41:22 -0700 (PDT)
This may not seem like much, but Friday evening 83 people marched and
listened to spirited speeches protesting Bush's plan to invade Iraq and U.S.
foreign policy in general.  For a conservative city like this, the turnout
was great!  We're meeting again Sunday night to discuss and plan more
activist events.

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Thursday, Sept. 26
A quick report:  Ten anti-war activists were arrested during a sit-in at
Rep. Tom Lantos' office in San Mateo, CA today, while about 100 protesters
demonstrated outside.  Lantos is the leading Democratic hawk in Congress.

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September 25 Bloomington, IN
  About 82-86 people stood for Peace and in opposition to President Bush's
war
on Iraq on Wednesday, Sept. 25. Peace activists have been gathering at the
southeast corner of the Monroe County Courthouse square in Bloomington to
make a
public protest against Bush's policies of war and domination since January
2002.
In the past three months, hundreds of names have been added to the Iraq
Peace Pledge, indicating citizens' desire for no war on Iraq.

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PRE-EMPTIVE ACTIONS FOR PEACE HAPPENING NOW!  JOIN THE SIT-IN MOVEMENT!
September 25, 2002
As of this moment there are 21 protestors presently holding a sit-in in the
office of Minnesota Senator Mark Dayton (D), and 20 protestors in the office
of Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone (D).  During the day, nine congressional
offices in Minnesota were hit with sit-ins, and two senatorial offices in
Washington State were hit.  So far, four protesters have been arrested.
Already, two of these offices have issued statements declaring that they
will vote against any Congressional authorization of the use of force.

Minnesota and Washington have led the way.  Who will follow?  Colorado?
Iowa?  Vermont?  California?

The country is rife with discontent over Bush's war resolution.  Wherever
you go you find people are hungry to see someone stand up and say "No blank
check for Bush!  No dictatorial powers for Bush and company!"  And of course
we in the anti-sanctions movement are saying: "Stop killing Iraqis!  End the
war on the Iraqi people!  No US invasion!  No carpet bombing of Iraqi
cities!"
The media is hungry for stories too.  People inside the establishment are
feeling as nervous as we are about this pre-programmed war plan.
(did anyone see the ad in the New York Times today?  It was a spoof on  the
old Uncle Sam "I Want You" ad, with Osama bin Laden pointing and saying "I
want you to attack Iraq" and listing the reasons...)

So, if you're up to a sit-in, here are some ideas for you:

* So far, only offices of Democrats have been hit.  It is important that we
start hitting Republican offices too.  If you have a choice, choose the
Republican office, for right now.  The peace movement is non-partisan.
* If your group is planning a sit-in locally, please post the action to this
list and let everyone know what's happening.  Be sure to include the phrase
"LOCAL ACTION" in the subject line, so it can be spotted easily.
* Training before you do the sit-in is highly recommended, so people are
clear about what to do and what happens if and when they are arrested.
* You will get better media coverage and spin if you dress respectably.
Suits are good.  The media is more likely to put negative spin if they are
reporting on protesters in t-shirts and blue jeans.
* A straightforward and simple demand is that the senator or representative
make a public statement declaring that they intend to vote against any
Congressional authorization of the use of force against Iraq.  (Note: The UN
has not yet indicated its willingness to authorize the use of force against
Iraq, so for Congress to do so would undermine UN legitimacy and contradict
international law.
* Congress has been getting flooded with phone calls, faxes, e-mails and
letters all against the war.  We are having an impact, but it is limited.
I'm proud and thrilled to see our brothers and sisters in Minnesota and
Washington stepping things up a knotch!
-Cheers, Mike Zmolek

---
Historic Anti-War March in London
On-the-spot report by Bob Wing
*Bob Wing is the editor of War Times. He is currently in London in transit
to Palestine.
London, Sept. 28
Tony Blair may be President Bush's only European ally in his drive for war
on Iraq. But the people of the UK today forcibly demonstrated their
opposition to forcible regime change.

This afternoon, at least 350,000 people from all over the United Kingdom
descended upon the corridors of power for a massive and peaceful "Don't
Attack Iraq/Freedom for Palestine" march and rally.

As I file this report at 4 p.m., less than half the march, which commenced
at 12:30 p.m., has arrived at the Hyde Park Rally.

The action was the largest of its kind in the UK in 30 years. It was
dramatic, and so large that it was truly impossible to guage its size.
Certainly it numbered in the hundreds of thousands of people of every
ethnicity, age and class.

Recent polls show that 70 percent opposed Britain joining a U.S.-led
military action. "There is not just opposition to the prospect of war--there
is boiling
anger," asserts Andrew Murray, chair of the Stop the War Coalition.

The turnout was a shot across the bow of Prime Minister Tony Blair and a
preview of next weeks Labor Party Conference.

The demonstration was jointly sponsored by the Stop the War Coalition and
the Muslim Association of Britain. It was endorsed by 12 national trade
unions, numerous Muslim and anti-racist organizations, Members of Parliament
and the Mayor of London.

Organizers have called for another massive "Don't Attack Iraq Day" for Oct.
31.

"Opposition to this war in this country is the most incredible coalition I
have ever seen," says Jeremy Corbyn, a Labor MP.

"Since Sept. 11, Islamophobia has spread across the UK and activated the
Muslim and South Asian populations," said Asad Rehman, national organizer
for the Stop the War Coalition and chairman of the Newham Monitoring
Project. South Asians are the largest group of color in the UK, numbering
about 15 percent in London alone.

"I didn't go on earlier demonstrations but I am now because the countdown to
war has started and I find it terrifying," explained march Jemma Redgrave.

Robert "3-D" Del Naja of the pop group Massive Attack says "I am marching
because I feel very disheartened about our government and the way it reacts
to America
and American foreign policy."

Meanwhile, in Parliament, Labor Party members are staging a revolt against
Blair's Iraq policy. They warn that the 56-strong rebellion of this week is
just a warm up. Blair also faces powerful opposition at next week's national
Labor Party conference.

Charles Kennedy, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, the third largest
in the UK, declared his opposition to what he called the U.S.'s
"imperialist" policy.

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CITIZENS DEMONSTRATE AGAINST WAR IN IRAQ
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 28, DOWNTOWN MADISON

Do U.S. citizens truly support a war in Iraq?
Wisconsin does not!
On Saturday, September 28, 10am, Wisconsin residents will assemble in
front of Senator Herbert Kohl's downtown Madison office to protest U.S.
military intervention in Iraq. Senator Kohl is the focus of this event so
that citizens can encourage him to vote against the war. U.S. Representative
Tammy Baldwin has already stated her opposition, and Senator Russ Feingold
has urged caution.

The demonstration will begin at 10:00 at 14 West Mifflin Street. Picketers
will proceed to the Farmer's Market around 11:00 to distribute literature
and hold a silent vigil. The public will be encouraged to call, fax and
write their legislators this week.

EVERYONE OPPOSED TO MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ is welcome to attend.
Rae Vogeler of the Madison Area Peace Coalition explained, "We are
organizing this picket at Senator Kohl's office to give a voice to the
people who have been ignored by the polls, the press and many
politicians. The Iraqi people are not our enemy; we do not want to go to war
against them."

Informational materials will be available and the public will be
encouraged to call, fax and write their legislators this week.
Confirmed speakers at the event include:
- Will Williams, a two-term Vietnam War veteran and member of Wisconsin
Vietnam Veterans, Chapter 5. Mr. Williams, born in Mississippi, is a
Madison resident and great-grandfather of four.
- Matthew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive magazine.
The demonstration has been planned by the Madison Area Peace Coalition and
is supported by other area peace organizations.





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