CALL FOR JULY 4, 2003, PROTEST / ENDOSE EL LLAMADO PARA LA PROTESTA NACIONAL DEL 4 DE JULIO EN FILADELFIA PARA PARAR LAS GUERRAS INTERNAS Y EXTERNAS DE LOS EE.UUDear Friends,
On Friday, July 4th George W. Bush has been invited to Philadelphia to attend the opening ceremony of the National Constitution Center. A number of Philadelphia area organizations and individuals, along with representatives from national anti-war and peace and justice organizations have come together to call for a National Protest in Philadelphia on July 4th to Stop U.S. Wars at Home and Abroad.
We ask you or your organization to endorse this call and to help build for this event. Please take time to read the call below. Please email your endorsement to July4Mobilization@hotmail.com or call: 215-701-7341.
Include the name of your organization as you would like it listed, a contact person, phone number, address and email. We are also asking endorsing organizations to consider making a pledge of financial or other material support (photocopying, food for the event, etc.) to help with this effort. Donations can be sent to: PRAWN, P.O.Box 31944, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Your prompt response to this email is appreciated so that materials we put out can show the broadest support possible. Thank you.
Pending formal endorsements, groups that have participated in building the July 4th Mobilization:
Act-Up Philadelphia, Anarcho-Communist Union of Philadelphia, Act Now to Stop War & End Racism (ANSWER), ATAC (Avenging the Ancestors Coalition), Brandywine Peace Community, Catholic Peace Fellowship, Communist Party, E.PA & DE, Defenestrator, Delaware County Wage Peace and Justice, Democratic Socialists of America (Philadelphia), Earth Charter Citizens, East Timor Action Network, Friends of MOVE, Global Women's Strike, Green Party of Philadelphia, International Action Center, International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, Minority Experience Network, National Organization of Women (Philadelphia), NION, Partnership for Civil Justice, Peace Action Delaware Valley, Philadelphia Anti-War Forum, Philadelphia Regional Anti-War Network (PRAWN), Queers for Peace and Justice, Refuse & Resist, Solidarity, Uhuru Solidarity Committee, United for Peace and Justice, Unite for Peace, Veterans for Peace, Wages for Housework Campaign, Women's International League for Peace & Freedom, Youth PAWR
Endorse the Call for a July 4th National Protest in Philadelphia to Stop U.S. Wars At Home and Abroad On Friday July 4th, join thousands in Philadelphia to protest George W. Bush 8am protest, 10am rally, 12noon march, 2pm closing event (the culmination of a July 4th Week of Actions in Philadelphia**)
Unite to Demand a total change in priorities:
On Friday, July 4th, George W. Bush, along with all living former U.S. presidents, has been invited to speak at the opening of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will also be present to receive the Liberty Medal. They will be celebrating in a building constructed on the graves of enslaved Africans. They will be culminating a week of "Welcome America" festivities sponsored by oil giant Sunoco. We are determined to stop the never-ending series of wars in the various forms it is taking against people here and abroad. We stand with people everywhere struggling for a world which values people over profits. We stand in solidarity with people living under oppression and occupation who have nothing to celebrate on this day.
Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and continues to lie when he claims the war is over, as more troops are being sent to crush Iraqi resistance to U.S. occupation. The people of Iraq are without electricity, drinkable water, or medical care as unexploded cluster bombs, a cholera epidemic, and bullets fired by U.S. troops claim more lives every day. The U.S. continues to discuss plans for regime change, either through invasions, economic pressure or stepped up covert operations, against all those who attempt to retain nominal sovereignty over their own land and natural resources. Syria, southern Lebanon, Palestine, North Korea, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Iran, Venezuela, Colombia, Haiti and other countries are slated for aggression. Yet the Pentagon's $400 billion budget is over 30 times the combined military spending of all the countries targeted in Bush's endless war plans.
We have an unelected president who stole the election by denying the Black vote in Florida. There has been a wholesale assault on the Bill of Rights through the passage of the USA Patriot Act and institutionalized racial profiling. Imprisonment is at an all time high with over 2.2 million incarcerated and over 3,000 are on death row. Single mothers of color are the fastest growing prison population. Thousands of immigrants, even U.S. citizens, have been detained without charges or trial. Due process continues to be denied for political prisoners Mumia Abu-Jamal, Leonard Peltier, the Cuban 5 and others. Racism is on the rise; Affirmative Action is under attack; restitution for slavery, the slaughter of indigenous people, and colonial occupation has not happened; and the corporate media gives right-wing politicians carte blanche to attack the rights of workers, people of color, women and lesbian, gay, bi, and trans people.
The Executive Branch under Bush has taken on near dictatorial powers - its decisions rubber-stamped by Congress and the Supreme Court. The Bush wars for US corporate interests require a massive transfer of wealth from social programs. The administration hands out lucrative contracts to Bechtel, Halliburton, and Exxon, and it has engineered over $2 trillion in tax giveaways that primarily benefit the very rich. But the majority in the U.S face record high unemployment; cuts in spending for public transportation, housing, welfare, education, childcare, veterans and HIV/AIDS benefits; and the closing of hospitals, libraries, drub rehab centers and more, as states are forced to balance their budgets because Washington won't. The income gap is widening. According to the Department of Labor, in the 1980's, income for the average CEO was 40 times that of the average worker. Today the difference is 531 times. Women earn 73% of what men earn, 63% for Black women and 53% for Latina women while women's caring work remains unvalued and unwaged.
But we do not face these difficult times without hope. Millions of people from all walks of life came together in this country and around the world in an unprecedented outpouring against war and for social justice, and we can't give up now. Let's draw from our peoples' histories of resistance to injustice and stand up to be counted. We in Philadelphia have been solid in our unity. By making our voices heard in protests, by entering the political process directly, we the people become a decisive factor. The eyes of the world will be on Philadelphia on July 4th. We ask you to be here with us.
To join the growing list of organizations endorsing this call contact: July4Mobilization@hotmail.com or call: 215-701-7341
The week of local actions include:
July 1 oppose the state budget cuts;
July 3 - 10am Women's march vs ROTC, cuts & privatization; 12 noon demonstration vs the death penalty; 4pm Avenging the Ancestors Coalition demonstration at the National Constitution Center;
July 6 - Interfaith Prayer Vigil.
THOUSANDS WILL MARCH TO PROTEST GEORGE W. BUSH in PHILADELPHIA on JULY 4
The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition congratulates the local Philadelphia organizations who have come together to issue a call for thousands of people to join in a national march on July 4 in Philadelphia protesting U.S. wars at home and abroad. The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition urges its Organizing Centers and all people of conscience to be in the streets of Philadelphia on July 4.
Karl Rove, Bush's chief political strategist, corrected a student who challenged him last week by asking how the administration could justify war with Iraq when no weapons of mass destruction have been found. Rove responded: "First of all, its the battle of Iraq, not the war." He then explained that "the war" is an ongoing war against terrorism that has no fixed end date. This is the most explicit confirmation that the Bush administration plans to carry out regime change, either through invasion or stepped up covert operations, against all those who attempt to retain nominal sovereignty over their own land and natural resources. Syria, southern Lebanon, Palestine, North Korea, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Iran and other countries are slated for aggression. We must all come together to support the call of the local Philadelphia organizations in order to ensure the largest mobilization possible.
Following is a statement issued by a number of the local Philadelphia organizations about the July 4 national march. In addition to the July 4 national protest, a number of groups are sponsoring local and regional protests on that weekend. Philadelphia organizations involved in the local, regional and national protests include Philadelphia A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism), PRAWN (Philadelphia Regional Anti-War Network), Minority Experience Network, Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC), Unite for Peace, International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, and others.
George W. Bush has been invited to the opening of the National Constitution Center. We need to be there to say No to U.S. Wars at Home and Abroad; No to Colonialism and Empire; End the Occupation of Iraq; No to Racism, Attacks on Civil Rights and Immigrants, the USA Patriot Act and the Shredding of the Constitution; and to Call for Funding of Social Programs - not the Pentagon's War Machine.
The 4th of July weekend offers a great opportunity to remind the world of our determination to oppose the never-ending series of wars in the various forms it is taking against people here and abroad. The Bush wars for empire require a massive transfer of wealth from social programs. While the administration hands out lucrative contracts to Bechtel, Halliburton, and Exxon, and pushes for major tax giveaways to the already very rich, it fails totally to address the problems of widespread unemployment, increasing imprisonment, and cuts in healthcare, education, transportation and housing. The income gap is widening -- the average CEO today makes 531 times the average worker. Repression is deepening --over 2.2 million people are incarcerated, 3,000 on death row and due process continues to be denied for U.S. political prisoners Mumia Abu-Jamal, Leonard Peltier and others. Bigotry is on the rise - thousands of immigrants are detained without trial, Affirmative Action is under attack, and rightwing politicians seem to feel they have carte blanche to attack the rights of workers,people of color, women and lesbian, gay, bi and trans people.
Many people are expressing fear and concern about the direction the U.S. seems headed in with the ultra-conservative administration of Bush, Cheney, Ashcroft, Rumsfeld, Perle, Wolfawitz and the rest. Congress appears unwilling to offer any real opposition, and the Supreme Court seems to be just a rubber stamp for administration decisions. It is up to the people of the U.S., in solidarity with the global movement for peace and justice, to take up the challenge.
Already groups are planning local, regional and national protest, actions and events for the first week of July: Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC) has a protest for July 3; groups may be protesting the PA state budget cuts slated for July 1; and more.
Let's work together to support these events and to build for the National Protest.
ENDOSE EL LLAMADO PARA LA PROTESTA NACIONAL DEL 4 DE JULIO EN FILADELFIA PARA PARAR LAS GUERRAS INTERNAS Y EXTERNAS DE LOS EE.UU
El viernes 4 de julio, únase a miles en Filadelfia para protestar contra George W. Bush.
La protesta comenzará a las 8 a.m., mitin 10 a.m., marcha 12 mediodía, evento de clausura 2 p.m.
Únase para demandar un cambio total en prioridades:
El viernes, 4 de julio, George W. Bush, junto con todos los ex presidentes vivos de los EE.UU., han sido invitados a hablar en la apertura del Centro Nacional de la Con sti tución en Filadelfia. Sandra Day O'Connor, jueza del Tribunal Supremo de Justicia, estará también presente para recibir la Medalla de la Libertad. Ellos estarán celebrando en un edificio construido sobre las tumbas de africanos esclavizados. Estarán culminando una semana de festividades llamadas "Bienvenida América" patrocinadas por la gigantesca firma de petróleo Sunoco.
Estamos determinados a parar la serie interminable de guerras contra el pueblo tanto de aquí como en el exterior. Nosotros nos solidarizamos con los pueblos que por todas partes del mundo luchan para un mundo que valúa al pueblo por encima de las ganancias. Nos solidarizamos con los pueblos que viven bajo la opresión y la ocupación, los cuales no tienen nada celebrar en este día.
Bush ha mentido sobre las armas de destrucción masiva en Iraq y continúa mintiendo cuando dice que la guerra ha terminado, mientras manda más tropas para aplastar la resistencia Iraquí. El pueblo de Iraq está sin electricidad, sin agua potable, y sin cuidado médico mientras bombas -- racimo sin explotar, epidemias de cólera, y balas disparadas por tropas de los EE.UU. -- claman vidas todos los días. Los EE.UU. continúan discutiendo planes para cambios de régimen, ya sea por invasiones, presión económica o aumentando las operaciones secretas, contra todos los que procuran retener su soberanía nacional. Siria, Líbano, Palestina, Corea del norte, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Irán, Venezuela, Colombia, Haití y otros países se designan para la agresión. Sin embargo, el presupuesto de $400 mil millones del Pentágono es 30 veces más que el presupuesto combinado de defensa de todos los países que son blanco de los planes guerreristas de Bush.
Tenemos a un presidente que hurtó la elección negando el voto Negro en la Florida. Ha habido un asalto mayor a la Carta de Derechos por el pasaje del Acta Patriótica y la legalización del perfil racial. El encarcelamiento está en aumento con más de 2.2 millones de personas encarceladas y sobre 3,000 en pena de muerte. Las madres solteras de color son la población de la prisión que más rápido crece.
Miles de inmigrantes, incluso ciudadanos de los EE.UU., han sido detenidos sin cargos ni audiencias. Los derechos constitucionales se les sigue negando a los presos políticos Mumia Abu Jamal, Leonard Peltier, a los 5 cubanos y a otros. El racismo está en aumento; los programas de Acción Afirmativa están siendo atacados; la restitución por la esclavitud, por el genocidio indígena, y por la ocupación colonial no ha acontecido; y los medios informativos le dan carta blanca a los derechistas políticos para atacar los derechos de trabajadores, los pobres y personas que sufren diferentes grados de opresión.
La Rama Ejecutiva bajo el mando de Bush opera bajo modo dictatorial--sus decisiones fácilmente avaladas por el Congreso y el Tribunal Supremo.
Las guerras de Bush a favor de los intereses corporativos, requieren una transferencia masiva de fondos de los programas sociales. La administración reparte contratos lucrativos a Bechtel, a Halliburton, y a Exxon, y ha ingeniado $2 billones en recortes de impuestos que benefician principalmente al más rico. Pero la mayoría en los EEUU encuentra un alto desempleo; ha habido recortes en el presupuesto para el transporte público, viviendas, bienestar social, educación, cuido de niños, beneficios para los veteranos y personas con VIH; hay cierres de hospitales, bibliotecas, centros de rehabilitación de drogas y más, cuando los estados se fuerzan a equilibrar sus presupuestos porque Washington no ayuda.
Se aumenta la disparidad de ingresos. Según el Departamento del Trabajo, en los años 80, el ingreso promedio de los grandes ejecutivos era 40 veces más que el del trabajador promedio. Hoy la diferencia es 531 veces. Las mujeres ganan 73% de lo que los hombres ganan, 63% para mujeres Negras y 53% para mujeres Latinas.
Pero no encaramos estos tiempos difíciles sin esperanza. Millones de personas de todas las esferas se reunieron en este país y alrededor del mundo en manifestaciones inauditas contra la guerra y para la justicia social, y no podemos rendirnos ahora. Saquemos energías de las historias de resistencia de nuestros pueblos. Nosotros en Filadelfia hemos estado firmes en la unión. Haciendo que nuestras voces sean oídas en protestas, entrando en el proceso político directamente, el pueblo llega a ser un factor decisivo.
Los ojos del mundo estarán en Filadelfia en el 4 de julio. Le pedimos a usted que esté con nosotros.
July 4 Mobilization--(215) 701-7341 o July4Mobilization@hotmail.com
International Action Center
39 West 14th Street, Room 206
New York, NY 10011
email: iacenter@action-mail.org
En Espanol: iac-cai@action-mail.org
web: http://www.iacenter.org
CHECK OUT SITE http://www.mumia2000.org
phone: 212 633-6646
fax: 212 633-2889
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go to http://www.peoplesrightsfund.org
