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Welcome to Call to Decision
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Iraq
War Veterans Drop Banner
at Veterans Administration Headquarters:
"Veterans
Say No to War and Occupation!
March 21st - March on the Pentagon"
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Above:
The banner hangs on the VA building
Below: U.S. Army National Guard veteran
Forrest Schmidt is handcuffed and detained
Photos: Bill Hackwell, AnswerCoalition.org
(photos can be used with credit)
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Iraq War veterans carried out a dramatic banner drop at
the headquarters of the Veterans Administration in
Washington, D.C., on the 6th anniversary of the invasion
of Iraq.
A U.S. Army National Guard veteran scaled the facade of
the VA building and dropped a 25 foot-long, 6 foot-high banner
that read "Veterans Say No to War and Occupation,
March 21st - March on the Pentagon." He was
handcuffed and detained.
The dramatic banner drop was carried out in front of a
well-attended press conference organized by the Veterans
and Service Members Task Force of the ANSWER Coalition.
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can't do this work without your continued support.
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"This is the beginning of three days of sustained
activities timed to coincide with the sixth anniversary
of the illegal invasion of Iraq. On Saturday, March
21st, veterans and service members will be the lead
contingent in the National March on the Pentagon,"
stated James Circello, an Iraq War veteran and a
spokesperson for the group.
Other speakers at the press conference included
representatives from Iraq Veterans Against the War. Also
present were delegations from Veterans for Peace and
Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
Eric Murillo, a U.S. Army veteran from El Paso, Texas,
decried, "Military recruiters are targetting young
people in Latino communities. Our communities face high
unemployment and young people are struggling to be able
to pay the tuition costs necessary to go to school. The
recruiters are offering the promise of citizenship to
immigrant youth. This is the most cynical manipulation
by the Pentagon. Our young people need real jobs.
We need affordable education and immigrants need
full legal rights."
Similar actions were organized today in cities
throughout the country by the Veterans and Service
Members Task Force of the ANSWER Coalition.
Click
here to read about the Associated Press article about
the action that was published by the Army Times.
More than 1,200 organizations are co-sponsoring the
protests set for Saturday, March 21st in Washington,
D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco. The demonstration
in Washington, D.C., will begin at 12:00 noon at 23rd
St. and Constitution Ave. NW. The demonstration will
march to the Pentagon, and then on to the headquarters
of Boeing, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and KBR
(the former Halliburton subsidiary), located in Crystal
City, Virginia. The marchers will carry hundreds of
flag-draped coffins representing the multinational
victims of the U.S. war drive.
Get
on the bus! Buy your bus ticket today
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The PentagonMarch.org website lists over 65
departure locations from 20 different states
across the East Coast, Midwest and South.
Click
here for details.
Seats are still available, but buses are filling
fast, so get your ticket today! Many cities
offer online ticket sales. |
Sign
up to be part of the dramatic action being planned
When we march on the Pentagon and the Corporate War
Profiteers, we will be carrying hundreds of coffins
representing the victims of war from Iraq to
Afghanistan, Palestine, Pakistan, Lebanon, Somalia, the
Philippines, and Yemen, as well as the U.S. GIs who have
been killed.
There are several ways that you can be a part of this
important action:
- Be part of a team that carries
a coffin in the march
- Bring a coffin to carry in the
march
- Participate in the worksession
to prepare the coffins
Click
here to sign up to be part of this dramatic action.
Volunteer
on Saturday, March 21
Volunteers are needed to help out with a myriad of tasks
throughout the day beginning at 5:00 am! Please come as
early as you can to help out. By 7:00 am, there will be
a clearly marked Volunteer Table where you can check in
throughout the day to find out how you can help.
Volunteers should come to 23rd St. and Constitution Ave.
NW as early as they are available.
The metro (closest stop is Foggy Bottom on the
blue/orange line) will be opening early at 5:00 am on
the 21st, so if you are coming by public transportation,
you will be able to arrive very early. Early morning
volunteers will find ample street parking.
Click
here to view a list of volunteer tasks and to sign up.
If
you are in DC early ...
Friday, March 20: Join fellow activists
to make signs in preparation for Saturday's march (no
artistic skills are required). This will also be an
opportunity to sign up to volunteer on Saturday and to
find out more information about the plans for the
demonstration. The worksession will take place at
7:00 pm at 421 Seward Square SE (near 5th St. &
Pennsylvania Ave. Southeast), metro: blue/orange
line to Eastern Market.
What
you need to know if you are attending
The PentagonMarch.org
Logistics Page features maps,
directions, and sections on transportation to DC, public
transportation in DC, parking, housing, disability
access, bathrooms, what to bring and more. All those
attending are encouraged to view this page.
Essential
details for bus organizers
We have compiled the essential details for bus
organizers on a special page on the PentagonMarch.org
website.
Bus drop off will be on 23rd St. north of Constitution
Ave., right across the street from the opening rally
site. After dropping off passengers, buses will drive to
the bus parking location, which is on Potomac Ave.
between S. Glebe Rd. and 27th St. in Arlington, VA
22201. Buses will pick up passengers on Crystal Dr.
between 23rd St. and 26th St. after the march ends; this
is just a few blocks from the bus parking.
Click
here for an expanded explanation, and printable maps and
directions for bus captains and drivers.
Make
an urgently needed donation
Go to http://www.pentagonmarch.org
for more information.
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A.N.S.W.E.R.
Coalition
http://www.answercoalition.org/
info@internationalanswer.org
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New York City: 212-694-8720
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