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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