A call out now! March to Central Park on Sat. March 19th, 2005: The whole world will be marching and watching

The world-wide antiwar movement has called for massive demonstrations against the war on the weekend on March 19-20, 2005-- the second anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.  We have a responsibility to respond with renewed determination and commitment in the face of the Bush Administration's launching of a new phase of the war against the Iraqi people.

A few months ago, Mayor Bloomberg, the NYPD, and Bush told us that we could not march to and rally in Central Park.  We do not accept this decision and are determined to challenge it by assembling tens of thousands of people to retake Central Park --our Park.  The antiwar movement cannot afford, and must not allow, this infringement on our rights, especially in a city as important as NYC.   

We call on all antiwar and progressive activists, organizations, and coalitions to work towards building a massive march on Sunday March 19th to Central Park under the slogan OUT NOW!

We propose to set up an OUT NOW coalition, open to all individuals and organizations willing to work together to stop the war.  The reason why we are proposing that we call this movement “OUT NOW!” is because these two simple words convey the absolute zero tolerance for the occupation of Iraq that must drive our organizing hence forth. We need everyone to know that the mass movement is re-opening a full-scale campaign to stop the war and end the occupation and that the movement means business.  

We encourage you to endorse this call.

THE CHALLENGES FACING THE ANTIWAR MOVEMENT

The following points are not submitted as the basis for unity that all must agree to before working together. They are points of discussion that merit movement-wide attention at this crucial juncture.  

* WE NEED TO Demand the Immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of all U.S. occupation troops from Iraq. The occupation’s sole purpose is to control the natural resources of Iraq and render the Iraqi people and its institutions subservient to US corporate interest by military force. The principal function of the occupation is the destruction of all who dare to resist it, no matter the cost in Iraqi lives, in the destruction of Iraq’s infrastructure, and the resulting devastation of Iraqi society.

* The most important thing to know about the January 30 “elections” that are being organized under the US-created Allyawi regime, is that their purpose is to legitimize the occupation and the objectives of the occupiers. In the days ahead it will become more important for us to reject and expose any excuses put forward to justify the continuation of the colonial occupation of Iraq for even one more day, or the sending of more troops which is already under way. There is only one issue and that is ending the criminal occupation - immediately.

* We must support politically, morally and organizationally members of the U.S. armed services who are resisting the war, moreover, we must encourage this resistance.

* We must organize to fight any attempt by the Bush Administration to re-instate the draft and prepare to support resistance if conscription returns.

*It is time for the antiwar movement to acknowledge the absolute and unconditional right of the Iraqi people to resist the occupation of their country without passing judgment on their methods of resistance.  Even the founding charter of the United Nations clearly affirms the right of an occupied people to resist by force of arms.

* Bush’s doctrine of preemptive war, the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and the growing threats against Iran and North Korea make it incumbent upon us to reject that notion that smaller countries must disarm and leave themselves defenseless at the demand of Bush and the Pentagon. Such demands are not only hypocritical, irrational and unjust; they amount to little more than a pretext for more invasions and occupations.

* We must continue to draw the connections between and build solidarity all of the people in every part of the world that are resisting the empire – in Korea, the Philippines, Cuba, Venezuela, Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Haiti, where the people are actively resisting the “coupnapping” of President Aristide.

* There must no longer be any hesitation on the part of our movement regarding our support of the struggle of the Palestinian people to free themselves from occupation. As a movement we have made a huge step forward in this regard. There must be no turning back.

* We must work to facilitate the widest unity between all of the forces that are seriously organizing against the war and occupation. The world demands no less of us inside of the US. If there is a will to forge unity, then those with wide differences in political positions and even a history of poor working relations will find the basis to unite in the interest of the struggle to stop the war.

* Now that the election is over, it is clear more than ever that only a peoples’ mass movement can stop the war.  The antiwar movement should never again sacrifice its independence and demobilize itself on behalf of a political party that supports the war.  The first and most immediate task of the antiwar movement is to be back in the streets.

* It is up to us to revitalize the mass struggle against the war and to insure that it is serious, uncompromising, unrelenting and supportive of a wide array of tactics from the mass marches to the militant tactics of the youth, to the tactics that are most effective for the inclusion of workers, labor unions and people of color.

* One way of accomplishing greater fusion between the antiwar movement and the working class and the poor is through linking of the issues that affect the mass of the people with the struggle against the war in a much more strategic and substantive way. For example, very soon the Bush administration will ask congress to approve between $70 and $120 billion more for the war on top of the more than $200 billion that has already been allocated for it. Congress will be voting to fund the war and occupation at the same time that students, workers, single parents, the unemployed and retirees are being hit with the most sweeping budget cuts in the government programs that they depend on since the Reagan years. Our challenge: Can we help galvanize those who will be outraged by the specter of their money being stolen from critical needs to pay for more death and destruction into a struggle against the war budget vote? The time frame for this struggle will the period between the counter-inauguration protest in DC and around the country on Jan.20 – through the 2nd anniversary of the start of the war on the March 19/20 weekend.

* We propose to strategize and reach out to other forces with the goal of implementing this perspective.  The Million Worker March Movement has issued a call for all of the various antiwar organizations and workers struggles to unite on the weekend of March 19-20 and we endorse this call for broad unity.

How to help build March 19

1) Endorse: http://www.TroopsOutNow.org/endorse.shtml2

2) Forward this call widely

3) Help get the word out -- downloadable flyers are available at http://www.TroopsOutNow.org

4) Donate online at http://www.peoplesrightsfund.org/

5) Organize transportation from your area to NYC for March 19
mailto:transportation@TroopsOutNow.org

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JANUARY 20th -- WORLDWIDE DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST OCCUPATION AND WAR IN
IRAQ, ON THE DAY OF BUSH'S INAUGURATION

Look for bleachers at 4th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW (north side). Arrive between 9-10 am.

The Secret Service is allowing protesters to carry signs, but they are
prohibiting them from being affixed to poles or sticks for security
reasons.

On January 20, there will an opportunity to mobilize large numbers
of people for a visible show of opposition to the war and to the other
anti-people policies of the Bush administration.

On Thursday, January 20, 2005, Bush's inauguration will be the date of
demonstrations around the world. People are planning to come from all over
the country to line the inaugural route, and let the world see that the
people of the United States are taking a stand against the criminal war in
Iraq and in defense of people's rights at home. Every national anti-war
group, including the International Action Center, is involved in
mobilizing people to go to DC.

Our demonstrations will be a powerful statement in solidarity with all
those who are under attack by the Bush administration -- from Cuba to
Palestine to Haiti to the Philippines to Iran and elsewhere -- as well as
here in the US.

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