Emergency Actions: If War Breaks Out

Millions March Against War on March 15 in Cities Worldwide; Isolated in the Azores; Emergency Actions: If War Breaks Out - Walkout

Dear VoteNoWar Member,

March 17, 2003--The continued worldwide outpouring against Bush's planned war of aggression with Iraq makes it clear why the Bush administration chose the isolated Azores Islands in the Atlantic to have his photo opportunity with the UK's Tony Blair and Spain's Jose Maria Aznar -- it's the only place they could go without being confronted by massive protests.

We want to thank all the VoteNoWar members who are continuing, in these critical hours, to go all out to stop Bush's war on Iraq and who made this weekend's Emergency demonstrations happen. While George W. Bush has tried for months to convince the world of inevitability of war, he had been held back day by day -- each week insisting that war was just around the corner, and each week being confronted by new obstacles of world wide opposition.

Even at this urgent moment, rather than be demoralized, people are continuing to struggle to stop the war. Well over a quarter of a million people demonstrated in the U.S. on Saturday against a U.S. war with Iraq in emergency mobilizations called on short notice by the ANSWER coalition. 100,000 demonstrated in Washington, 100,000 came out in San Francisco, and many thousands of people braved the driving rain in Los Angeles.

The Washington demonstration completely filled the broad boulevards of Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues simultaneously, with demonstrators marching shoulder to shoulder in a turnout that surpassed rally organizers' expectations. Even with dozens of buses making the trip to Washington from as far away as Florida, Minnesota, Iowa and Maine, demonstrations also took place in Lansing, MI; Columbus OH, Lexington, KY, Tucson, AZ; Albuquerque, NM, and scores of other cities.

We are grateful to all those who helped build this weekend's emergency actions. They could have not taken place without the commitment of hundreds of volunteers and the support of those who could provide financial contributions. Please help us at this urgent time continue in the fight against this mad and reckless war drive. Visit http://www.votenowar.org/donate.html to make a tax deductible contribution online, or for address information to write a check.

With cities around the world responding to the call for emergency actions, March 15 was an urgent and critical day of global anti-war protest, as millions of people turned out to demonstrate against Washington's rush to war. Turnouts were dramatic: Millions marched in Spain and Italy, two countries whose governments have supported the U.S. war. 100, 000 came out in Berlin; 150,000 in France; 40,000 marched in Brussels.

According to the Associated Press, "Hundreds of thousands rallied worldwide, in some cases pressing close to the symbols of American power: the White House and the Washington Monument, the U.S. air base in Frankfurt, Germany, and U.S. embassies in Greece and Cyprus. They also took to the streets throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East."

Thousands more turned out in Tokyo, Calcutta, Buenos Aires, Yemen, Frankfurt, Moscow, Turkey, Cairo, Amman, Beirut, many Palestinian cities and refugee camps, Bangkok, Seoul, Montreal, Toronto, Moscow and many other cities and countries -- one day after millions of European workers conducted work stoppages to protest the war.

Now Bush stands virtually alone, flying to Azores to hold a photo shoot with the only heads of state who will stand with him, doing so against the overwhelming will of their own countries' populations. The image of these men was striking -- standing by themselves in an island in the Atlantic, plotting the first world war of the 21st century, surrounded by 6 billion opponents. Behind them, their image makers had to bring multiple flags for each of their countries to fill out the otherwise empty flag backdrop.

The Bush administration signaled on Sunday that it is determined to defy world public opinion and to continue its rush towards war. While Bush can order war - he can't make it happen without the cooperation of people world wide. If the war starts we must be organized to resist the war machine.

---Emergency Response Protests and Walkouts

The DAY a new U.S. war on Iraq starts -- Emergency Protest at a central location -- in Washington, D.C. at the White House, in New York at Times Square, in San Francisco at Powell and Market -- to protest the war followed by a march through city neighborhoods beginning at 5 p.m. (the next day at 5 p.m. of the bombing begins at night). Many cities and communities have a tradition of holding these emergency actions in response to U.S. military aggression. If your community does not have a traditional plan, pick a busy location/intersection, a Federal Building, Town Hall, etc.

If War Breaks Out - WALKOUT

The Morning After a War Starts - Walk Out / Stay Away. Organize Walk Outs from school, work, leave your home. Spend the morning leafleting for people to join the anti-war movement. A.N.S.W.E.R. offices and organizing centers around the country will be open in the morning to pick up leaflets and from there you can head out with others into your community. Converge mid-day at noon at city centers -- in Washington, D.C. at the White House, in New York City at Union Square, in San Francisco at Civic Center Plaza -- to engage in protest actions against the war. Download flyers at http://www.internationalanswer.org and locate organizing centers in your area.

Regional Protests - The first Saturday After, Converge at the White House

The Saturday after a new war on Iraq is launched, thousands of people will be converging at regional locations, including the White House in Washington DC at 12 noon.

To list your city's Emergency Response Mobilization Plan, fill out the form at http://www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/emerg/index.html#emergevent .

In solidarity,

All of Us at VoteNoWar