Is This all there is? Divided and Conquered?

by author name (required) Sun Mar 09, 2003 21:20

March 15
EMERGENCY CONVERGENCE ON
THE WHITE HOUSE to
STOP THE WAR
ON IRAQ
with parallel actions in
San Francisco & Los Angeles

[endorse]
[ list transportation from your city (become an organizing/transportation center)]
[view transportation arrangmenets from your area]
[logistical information for March 15]

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition and other organizations are calling for an Emergency National Anti-War Convergence to TAKE IT TO THE WHITE HOUSE on Saturday, March 15. There will be a parallel activities in San Francisco (gather at 11 am at Civic Center Plaza) and Los Angeles (gather 12 noon at Olympic and Broadway, march to Downtown Federal Building).

The Emergency Convergence had originally been set for March 1 because we wanted to continue to mobilize pro-actively to prevent war before it started. It appeared that the Bush administration would seize upon negative or ambiguous language presented in the UN weapons inspectors February 14 report and use it as a pretext for a quick launching of the war.

We propose now that March 1 be a day for local organizing and that the Emergency Convergence at the White House be on March 15. Now the Bush war timetable has been pushed back because of the political developments that took the administration by surprise in the last week.

1) The report by the inspectors to the Security Council on February 14 and the subsequent discussion inside the UN was a significant set back for the Bush administration's plans. Included in his report, Hans Blix debunked some of the dramatic presentation points made by Secretary of State Powell in his February 5 speech at the UN indicting Iraq. The presentation by International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohammed ElBaradei revealed that the inspectors had seen no indication that Iraq was working on a nuclear weapons program. It was clear from the response of various UN delegates that the Bush administration had been momentarily pushed into a defensive posture, its arguments and rationale for a rush to war exposed.

2) While the events of Friday at the UN were significant, the real factor is the massive street protests of the past few months that have forced some governments to at least temporarily pull back from a rush to war. This weekend brought tens of millions of people around the globe into simultaneous action against the war. The social and political relevance of the reemergence of a global mass movement is altering the political equation. It has been the basic premise of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition that the only thing that could prevent this aggression against Iraq was for the people themselves to become a major force though mass action. Every government in the world and all the mass media are recognizing this central fact.

The New York Times agrees with the Bush agenda for the overthrow of the Iraqi government and it supports a war to accomplish that end. Thus, it is worth including a few words from a front page article from the Times which summarizes the importance of the mass movement:

"The fracturing of the Western alliance over Iraq and the huge antiwar demonstrations around the world this weekend are reminders that there may still be two superpowers on the planet: the United States and world public opinion.

"In his campaign to disarm Iraq, by war if necessary, President Bush appears to be eyeball to eyeball with a tenacious new adversary: millions of people who flooded the streets of New York and dozens of other world cities to say they are against war based on the evidence at hand." (New York Times, Monday, February 17, A1, "A New Power in the Streets")

Because of the intervention of the people, the Bush administration has again been at least momentarily frustrated in its rush to war. Sinal this is a dynamic struggle between the "two superpowers" (as the NY Times puts it), we all need to be prepared to respond as necessary to effectively counter Bush's war drive.

A.N.S.W.E.R. organizers around the country feel that there is a significant advantage to moving the Emrggency Convergence on the White House to March 15. With two additional weeks of organizing time, the mobilization can be significantly stronger.

We also know that there will be March 15 mobilizations in Spain, Greece, Japan, and we expect in a growing number of cities around the world.

March 1 is still a significant date and we encourage coordinated local demonstrations on that day. This is the date that the UN inspectors are now scheduled to give a follow up report to the United Nations.

Also, on March 5 A.N.S.W.E.R. is supporting and organizing for the National Moratorium Day, and on March 8 there will be local events recognizing International Women's Day (as there are every year), for which A.N.S.W.E.R. is mobilizing around the country.

by mwah Sun Mar 09, 2003 23:06

We dont have to sit around waiting for IAWM to do something, it's up to everyone to do what they can. Get in touch with some people, spread word, March 15th?? Sounds good. Money, posters, and yer all set.
I like Paddy's day tho, t'would seem a shame to pick the one good day of the year and spend it listening to boring speaches, there's going to be a war blah blah..i will now tell you why you are here..blah....Bush is bad... Iraqi children will die.. As if we didn't know it. Nothing new is learned by these speeches at protests. If people are there,they know why the are there. We can all read (i hope) this interweb is a mad place full of useful info we can find in our own time. How bout summink fun? Reclaim some space for the public voice? Space to show we dont want war? Time is getting short tho.

by Paddy X Sun Mar 09, 2003 23:30

Why do we have to listen to these fat, middle-class, middle-aged politicians at protests meetings?

by Eoin Dubsky - Refueling Peace Mon Mar 10, 2003 00:00

In reply to Paddy X's comment: Prepare an action with a few people you trust, take the bus out to Shannon Airport, and "just do it!"

Don't waste another moment.

by protestor Mon Mar 10, 2003 15:32

Encourage everyone to bring black flags.

by mwah Mon Mar 10, 2003 19:44

Aint gonna stop the war. We need to get more mass movement going on, another feb 15th but doing something worthwhile, storm the dail or something. Eoin, I respect what you've done and all but that's not gonna stop the war either.
We need lots of people, all over the world, yes we need direct action but shannon is only part of it when our stupid govt are going to back the war. We need to get through to them, not airline companies.