By Debra Sweet
The world doesn’t have to be this way…it’s just the way it is now.
People say "things won’t ever change." WRONG! The people of Tunisia and Egypt showed that there is no guarantee that brutal dictatorships will last forever, even when they’re backed up by the most powerful military in the world! The public workers and students of Wisconsin have surprised everyone in massing for weeks against an attempt by those grouped around the Republican Party to break them. The people of the Middle East, and those of the heartland in this country, have surprised everyone by waking up.
The unjust occupation of Iraq, the war on the people of Afghanistan, the drone bombings of Pakistan and Yemen, the secret wars, the black sites or torture and rendition, Obama’s indefinite detention, the repression against Muslims and antiwar activists — all of this is growing worse, and seems permanent.
But none of these are permanent, and our world doesn’t have to be this way. It’s just the way it is because we have not yet stood up to it in enough numbers to back down the forces of empire and repression.
We’re going into the streets on this 8th anniversary of the attack on Iraq with a new sense of the potential power we hold. See you there!
This weekend there are three days of activities against the wars and occupations
*On Friday March 18th* anti-war veterans will be in high school classrooms as part of World Can’t Wait’s "We Are Not Your Soldiers Tour" talking to students about how important their role is in resisting these wars while others will be outside high schools throughout DC leafleting and talking to students to mobilize them for Saturday March 19th.
Help with distributing flyers at highschools…
*Time: one school lets out at 12noon. Others at 2:45 and 3pm. If you can come help flyer, call Bob at 347-693-3319 and we will get you flyers and directions.
*On March 19th* people will be converging on the White House, along side war veterans, to demand an end to the illegal wars and occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan, torture and the drone bombings in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere.
On Saturday, March 19th, Protest at the White House/Lafayette Park…
*Date/Time: Noon
Where: Lafayette Park, H and 16th Streets NW (across from the Whitehouse)
*Look for the large Predator DRONE (that is daily murdering civilians in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere) and the orange jumpsuits (yes, Guantanamo is still open and torture is still going on) and orange banners. Put on an orange jumpsuit, help carry the drone and banners!
Finally on *March 20th* we’ll head to Quantico, VA, where accused whistle-blower Bradley Manning is being tortured for allegedly releasing evidence of U.S. war crimes and demand his release!
*On Sunday, March 20th, Free Bradley Manning…*
Date/Time: 2pm
Where: Main St. and Rt. 1 (Jeff Davis Hwy.), Quantico, VA
Three 56-person buses have been reserved for five hours. Board buses in front of Union Station, 2 Massachusetts Avenue NE, in Washington, D.C., at 12:30 p.m. Buses will be boarding to return from Triangle/Quantico at 4:30 p.m. To reserve tickets for the bus ($10 round-trip). Driving directions to Quantico
If you can join in with any of the above events: dcevents@worldcantwait.net or call 347-709-2697.
On Fri, Sat and Sun call us at anytime at 347-693-3319.
Nationwide protests this weekend – find yours here.
No matter where you are protesting, send your photos, videos and reports to reports@worldcantwait.net or post to the World Can’t Wait Facebook page.
Actions planned if anti-war and international solidarity activists are called to Grand Jury or indicted
23 anti-war and international solidarity activists have been subpoenaed to appear in front of a Grand Jury in Chicago, headed by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. They have done nothing wrong. They have educated and organized against U.S. wars around the world. And they have stood in solidarity with the peoples of Palestine and Colombia.
All 23 of the targeted activists said that they will not cooperate with this witch hunt against the movements so many of us have worked to build. The U.S. attorney is working to put these activists in prison. Whether some of them are indicted, or others are jailed for refusing to testify, the threat is very real.
We pledge:
- We will carry forward the fight for our right to speak out, organize and to stand in solidarity with those who want freedom;
- We will stand up to any escalation of the attacks on anti-war and international solidarity activists;
- We will join the national day of protest when anti-war and international solidarity activists are ordered to appear in front of the Chicago Grand Jury or indicted.
Anti-war and international solidarity activism is not a crime!
Sign the pledge here.
Petraeus, Gates caught joking about Libya
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, shared what was meant to be a private joke about Libya when the two met on the tarmac in Kabul today. But the exchange was caught on an open microphone and didn’t remain private for long.
PETRAEUS: "Welcome back, sir, flying a little bigger plane than normal … You gonna launch some attacks on Libya or something?"
GATES:"Yeah [laughter]. Exactly."
Keep spreading this video: any attack on Libya must be stopped.
Friends in Japan sent this message.
They are safe, though many are not. I wanted to share these words and images with you:
The lesson we get from this natural disaster is that we, humankind, should establish more stronger civilized society against such natural disasters, rather than conflict and killing each other. Our world is only one, see attached and click to next.
Click to view (arrow or click next to scroll through the whole thing).
STOP! Don’t donate to World Can’t Wait now!
Save it up! All of us protesting next weekend, and the ones who don’t have a protest to attend, can concentrate in a surge of resistance in the form of a fund surge to STOP these wars.
World Can’t Wait aims to raise $6,000 March 19-22 to fund a spring round of the We Are Not Your Soldiers tour. Help get anti-war veterans and the Collateral Murder film into classrooms. Be part of stopping the flow of fresh troops into the occupations.
What you should do now to help is to invite your friends to participate in this funds surge. Share on Facebook.