On March 19, the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war, a press conference was held in Bangor at the Peace and Justice Center, featuring statements by members of Veterans for Peace.
A Voters Pledge was delivered to the campaign office of Senator Susan Collins, and to the Congressional Office of Representative Mike Michaud.
Our event supported the Massive Day of Nonviolent Action in Washington, D.C. (more details below).
This video runs 30 minutes and contains the entire event:
Participants included Ilze Petersons, Dud Hendrick, Roger Marshall, and Al Larson.
This is a much shorter video showing delivery of the Peace Voter pledges. The pledge reads: "I will not vote for or support any candidate who does not make a speedy end to the war in Iraq and preventing any future war of aggression, a public position in his or her campaign."
Josiah Curtis delivers the petitions.
When: Wednesday, March l9th 11:00 am.
Where: Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine, 170 Park Street, Bangor and downtown Bangor
What: On the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq War a press conference will be held to announce the delivery of signatures on a Voters Pledge to campaign offices. Signatures were gathered at the Chain of Concern held last Saturday to call for an end to the war. More signatures will be gathered in downtown Bangor following the press conference and then delivered.
The pledge reads:"I will not vote for or support any candidate who does not make a speedy end to the war in Iraq and preventing any future war of aggression, a public position in his or her campaign."
*Release: Massive Day of Nonviolent Action in Washington, D.C. on March 19 to
Mark Anniversary of 5 Years of War in Iraq
Contact: Samantha Miller, samantha@unitedforpeace.org
March 7th, 2008
Washington, DC -- On Wednesday, March 19, 2008, the U.S. occupation in Iraq will enter its 6th year. To mark this tragic anniversary, over 30 peace and justice organizations are uniting their efforts, under the umbrella of United for Peace and Justice, in an unprecedented day of coordinated nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience against the "Pillars of War" that sustain the illegal U.S. occupation. Details about the plans for the day can be found at 5yearstoomany.org.
More than 1 million Iraqis and nearly 4,000 U.S. servicepeople have been killed, 2 million Iraqis are living as refugees in other countries and another 2.5 million are displaced within Iraq. More than $500 billion has already been spent on the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan and now, as the country fumbles into recession, the Bush administration is asking Congress for at least another $102 billion.
The vast majority of the people of this country and in Iraq want this war to end, yet policymakers in Washington have still not used their power to bring the troops home. We are no longer just waiting on Congress to do the will of the people. We will take action ourselves
to end this war. There are already people from over 36 states coming to Washington to participate, and more are signing up every day.
Our actions on Wednesday, March 19, are aimed at the "Pillars of War" and represent a broadening of our strategy to end the war. By disrupting those who are promoting and profiting from war, we hope to drive home the popular mandate and resistance to this war. Here is a brief overview of the actions are being planned:
The Military: The people of the U.S. want our military to stop lying about supporting the troops and start doing it. Veterans will be taking action at multiple government sites.
Funding: The people of the U.S. want funding for healthcare and education -- not death and destruction through military actions. Actions include a blockade of the IRS.
War Profiteers: The people of the U.S. refuse to let these companies siphon off our tax dollars to profit from the death of innocent people. Several offices of key war profiteers, including several oil companies, will be shut down.
The Security State: The people of the U.S. will no longer fear our government and ambiguous foreign threats -- we will stand together against them and oppose their march to fascism. Look for waterboarding demonstrations and a procession of the dead.
The Media: The people of the U.S. demand the truth, and media based on responsible, investigative and robust reporting, free of governmental and corporate interests. Surprise media actions throughout the day.
Background
United for Peace and Justice is the largest grassroots anti-war coalition in the country, consisting of more than 1,400 local and
national groups throughout the United States who have joined together to protest the immoral and disastrous Iraq War and oppose our government's policy of permanent warfare and empire-building. UFPJ has organized the largest anti-war demonstrations in both NYC and Washington, DC, over the past five years. For more details, go to www.unitedforpeace.org.
To mark this 5th Anniversary, UFPJ is organizing and supporting the Winter Soldier hearings, mass nonviolent direct action in Washington DC, and local actions all around the country. We believe it has been Five Years too Many, At Too Great a Cost. Go to www.5yearstoomany.org for more info and action details.
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