CAMPUSES ARE ABUZZ: BUSH CAN'T STOP D.C. PROTESTS, ORGANIZERS SAY
Washington DC--Organizing for fall protests against the right-wing Bush program, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank has picked up momentum here in Washington since the beginning of the school year.
District of Columbia colleges are currently facing a housing shortage and so are offering college students free room and board if they defer their admission for a year. Over 100,000 college students have come to Washington, D.C., in the last week to attend school.
Organizers from the International Action Center have attended several first-year college orientations and leafleted during the first week of classes. They are promoting a demonstration to "Beat Back the Bush Attack" on Sept. 29, drawing a connection between globalization abroad and at home.
"In the past two weeks, we've been to American University, Howard University, George Washington University, University of the District of Columbia, University of Maryland, University of Virginia at Charlottesville and more. The schools have been swamped with students. Just standing outside of the bookstore entrance at one school, we were able to pass out hundreds of flyers in less than an hour," said Sarah Sloan, youth coordinator for the IAC.
Mervyn Marcano, a Baruch High School student from New York City who spent his summer organizing for the protests, found a great response. "At each of the schools, we've met many students who are interested in organizing for the demonstrations. Our hope is to set up organizing centers on all of these college campuses to bring more people to the protests. Students are interested in handing out flyers, hanging up posters, and holding organizing meetings on their campuses."
Staff people from the IAC reported hundreds of calls from interested people who have received leaflets, seen posters in their neighborhoods or on their way to work, or have seen press coverage of the event.
Kelly Morrison, a staff organizer from the national office of the IAC in New York City, spoke of a similarly positive response nationally. "Coordinating outreach nationally has been extremely successful. We have helped set up almost 100 organizing centers, from Maine to Florida to Texas and California. People are organizing buses, vans and car caravans, and coming by plane and train to attend the protests.
"Since the government's announcements of plans to restrict the protests by building a huge exclusion zone, there has been an increase in interest. When people around the country find out that the DC police and the federal government want to deprive tens of thousands of people of their First Amendment right to protest, they become interested in all of the protests taking place against the IMF, World Bank and Bush program."
ORGANIZERS: 'THE PROTEST WILL CONTINUE'
IAC organizers released a statement addressing concerns about police and government attempts to prevent demonstrations. "The IAC believes that the fight for free speech and the right to protest has become an added dimension to the protests against the IMF, World Bank and Bush administration," said the statement. "Those coming to the protests from around the country should know that activists in Washington, D.C., have formally initiated a legal and political struggle against the D.C. police over their attempts to deprive tens of thousands of protesters of their First Amendment rights."
On Aug. 20, the Partnership for Civil Justice--on behalf of the IAC, the Latin American Solidarity Conference, 50 Years Is Enough Network, and the Kwame Ture Work Study Institute and Library--filed a complaint for injunctive relief against the Washington police and federal agencies.
The legal action is based on the authorities' intent to refuse march permits to protest organizers and to declare a "no-protest zone" in downtown Washington during the Sept. 29- 30 IMF and World Bank meetings. This zone includes areas for which protesters already hold permits.
The statement continued, "We consider the exclusion zone to be illegal and invalid. We intend to fight all police attempts to restrict demonstrations in the courts and in the streets.
"No matter what, there will be a mass assembly of tens of thousands of demonstrators in Washington, D.C., on September 29.
"National and Washington, D.C.-based groups organizing for the September 29-30 protests include the Latin American Solidarity Conference, Anti-Capitalist Convergence, Mobilization for Global Justice, AFL-CIO and the National Coalition for the Dignity and Amnesty of Undocumented Workers.
"Please stay in touch with the IAC for updates on the logistics."
To reach the International Action Center, call (202) 543- 2777 or email iacenterdc@yahoo.com in Washington. There is an email listserve that will include all logistical and political updates; updates can also be found at www.beatbackbush.org and www.iacenter.org
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