PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

January Anti-War Convergence Info.
by Pog email admin Monday, Dec. 09, 2002 at 5:49 PM
pog@mutualaid.org

Jan 24-26 Pittsburgh Anti-War Regional Convergence Updated info. Join thousands in the streets!

As some people might already know Pittsburgh groups are organizing a anti-war convergence in January. This is going to be the largest thing to happen in our area in a LONG time and we sure could use help.

"Regional Convergence Against War- Updated info.

Join Pittsburgh at the largest local peace mobilization in 10 years. We need your help to make it happen. These events are being organized by the Pittsburgh Organizing Group, The Thomas Merton Center, and the Pittsburgh Anti-War Committee.

Tactics For over a month, the Pittsburgh Organizing Group, the Thomas Merton Center and organizations/affinity groups from throughout the region have been working on different elements of a regional convergence against war to take place January 24-26th, 2003 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This includes pog's organizing of a framework for large scale direct action against war as part of a larger mobilization that weekend. We are all working together to put on a comprehensive weekend of actions and events. If you are opposed to the Government�s militaristic policies at home and abroad there is a place for you at these events. Not everyone will want to attend every event and that's ok. Each of us can take part as we see fit. Effectiveness is in diversity. We support a diversity of non-violent tactics from flyering, vigils, holding signs on the corner, pre-announced (to the police) symbolic arrests, and active blockades. We also welcome autonomous actions. There are MANY opinions within the peace movement on what an effective direct action entails and it's likely that Jan 24-26th will reflect a multitude of these. We encourage all groups and individuals opposed to the ongoing war to open the lines of communication so that we can come together and figure out ways to have our actions work in tandem.

convergence info:

Housing: If you need, or can offer housing email us. There are a lot of people coming from outside Pittsburgh and we need to find places for them to sleep. We currently have 68 beds available. If you can put people up during the convergence please email us with the following info: where you live (this won't be made public until we match you up), How many, what arrangements (bed, floor), what days, your house policy on smoking, whether you have cats, and any other considerations. We will match requests with offers and email each party with the others contact info.

Press Conference: January 9th. This press conference will be to talk about the weekends events. We will primarily be addressing the plans for mass direct action.

Spokescouncil: Sunday January 5th, 2:00pm This is a meeting to help finalize the direct action framework and allow groups outside Pittsburgh to give input into events. If you plan on attending the January direct action events, but are outside Pittsburgh we encourage you to send a representative to the meeting.

Schedule of Events This is the framework of events happening during the weekend of the convergence.

Friday January 24th- 5:00pm-7:00pm Teach-in 8:00pm-2:00am Shows

Saturday January 25th- 9:00am-2:00pm Trainings: Medical/Legal/Direct Action. all trainings are taking place at the convergence space 11:00am-2:00pm Workshops 12:00-1:00pm Protest Vigils (these have been happening weekly) East Liberty: corner of Penn & Highland Ave . Northside: Allegheny UU Church, Resace Place and North Ave 1:00pm Poems for Peace Reading: Following the vigil. East Liberty Presbyterian Church at the corner of Penn and Highland Ave. 3:00pm-5:00pm Parade For Peace procession. A permitted display of our colorful side. Make a costume, sign, or float! bring musical instruments. 6:30pm- 8:30pm Spokescouncil at the convergence space 8:00pm-2:00am Shows 8:00pm-All Night Vigil for Peace

Sunday January 26th- Day of Action 1:00pm-3:00pm Mass March and Rally at Soldiers and Sailors field (University of Pittsburgh) 3:30pm Mass direct action + autonomous actions. Disrupt and expose the war machine. (Oakland) 7:00pm on... Nighttime celebration.

Confirmed Bands: We are aiming for ~30 bands/performers with a wide variety of genres. Confirmed: Face Death, The Channel, Krooked Grind, Piss Shit Fuck, Farewell Euclid, Control Group, Deadpan Dealings, etc.

Singing: By the Raging Grannies

Food: Pittsburgh Food Not Bombs will be serving free food throughout the convergence.

Convergence Space: There will be a convergence space open from Friday through Sunday. This will serve as a gathering space for people to gather, attend trainings, and disseminate information. Oh ya, and to keep warm in the cold. Hot Chocolate for All!

Ride Info: A Ride Board should be up soon for those coming from outside the Pittsburgh area.

Flyers: available from the website.

Art and Theatre: One of our goals with these events is to fuse more creativity into the protest nature of rallies, marches, and events. To do this we need to get all of our creative juices flowing and reach out to everyone with more in-depth artistic experience. We would like to especially invite the involvement of those of you who regard art-theatre as your driving passion. There is a meeting to talk about war related (not specific to Jan events) street theatre on December 10th.

Logistical Help: We need people to help staff the convergence center, staff phones for legal support, move puppets-banners-supplies around, and a ton of other things that require people to commit to.

Contacts in your area: We have contacts in a number of cities who we can pass you along to for flyers or logistical info on the convergence or a particular aspect of it. If you would like to help spread info and/or organize in a particular area please contact us.

Pittsburgh- pog@mutualaid.org, pittsburgh_october@hotmail.com (412)682-4035 (pog), info@ThomasMertonCenter.org (412)361-3022 (TMC), Thomas Merton Center 5125 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15224, Anti-War Committee: Pete Shell, (412)422-7435, pshell@cs.cmu.edu, or Ali Hebshi at ahebshi@earthlink.net

We now have convergence contacts in the following cities. Email us and we will pass the message along: Erie, Indiana (PA), Latrobe, Ithaca, Chicago, Columbus, Lansing, Greensberg.

We are talking to people in the following cities. We're working on contact info: Morgantown- NYC- DC- Buffalo- Cleveland- Columbus-Richmond.

Calls To Action: We are almost done with our call to action. Please note we have not endorsed these. We are mainly concerned with providing an effective framework for the actions. We would like to stress that the pog consensus is that we don't feel anything in the these calls goes against the spirit or framework of the convergence. Call for a Disobedient Bloc - Anarchist Call To Action-

Money: If you can donate any money, it�s greatly appreciated. We are doing all we can to spend as little money as possible while raising funds through benefit events, however mobilizations of this kind are not cheap. POG�s resources were sorely stretched by all the bail money paid in D.C. for those wrongfully arrested during the People's Strike protests against the IMF and World Bank (at which 60+ from Pittsburgh were arrested) and none of us are particularly wealthy. You can donate money to either POG or the Thomas Merton Center and earmark it for the January convergence.

Supplies: We could use donations of any of the following- Sheets, large Tarps, Duct tape, large dowel rods (for puppets and banners), swimming goggles, bandannas, poster board, general art supplies, paint, computer supplies, tools-hardware, large plastic rain barrels, garbage cans, and anything similar you can spare."

www.organizepittsburgh.org/war.htm

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bloc info
by disobedient Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2002 at 11:13 AM

"the disobedience bloc is meeting at:

12:45pm at the corner of 5th Ave & N Bellefield Ave to join the AWC Mass anti-war march. The bloc will re-assemble prior to the start of the direct actions at 2:45pm (location to be announced). There are supposed to be a couple thousand people at the march so PLEASE gather at the meeting point which is right across the street from where the AWC march is assembling at."

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Ideas for January?
by trevor Friday, Dec. 13, 2002 at 12:07 PM

So it looks like there are going to be thousands of people in Pittsburgh in January. Does anyone have any suggestions for how we can people can make the convergence special?

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endorsers
by 99 Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2002 at 6:53 PM

Parade and Mass March and Rally
Endorsed by: Pittsburgh Organizing Group, Thomas Merton Center's Anti-War Committee, Roots Action Group (Erie), Progressive Student Alliance (Carnegie Mellon University), Voices For Peace (Indiana, PA), No Blood For Oil (NYC), Green Party of Allegheny County Green Party of Allegheny County, UE (United Electrical Workers of America) District Council 6, PAPPY. Pittsburgh Area Pax Christi, Professors for Peace, Pitt, Zi, CMU, Socialist Party of Southwest PA, Abolition 2000, Solidarity, Pittsburgh chapter, Pittsburgh Palestine Solidarity Committee, WILF

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all we are saying
by knobody Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2002 at 10:27 AM

thousands of people in the streets of pittsburgh singing
"All we are saying is give peace a chance"

would make a great impression and present a beautiful image of our city to the rest of the world.

i will be there singing

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