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March 16th rally details from POG.
by --
Saturday, Mar. 08, 2003 at 2:38 PM
--
Program details from POG for the March 16th mass rally and march.
All out on March 16th!!!
Speakers at the rally: 2:00pm to 3:00pm
Ashsish Mahajan is a medical student at Pitt and member of Physicians for Social Responsibility.
Cecelia Wheeler is a poet, activist of the Anti-War Committee and co-founder of Hispanics for Peace.
Tim Vining is the executive director of the Thomas Merton Center. He is a former practicing labor attorney, one-time professed religious brother of the Franciscans, teacher at both the high school and college levels, co-founder of a Catholic Worker house in Baton Rouge, and a committed activist for social justice.
Claire Schoyer, co-founder of Pittsburgh Association of Peacemakers and Proactive Youth (PAPPY), is a senior at the Creative And Performing Arts high school. Building on their recent success organizing the high school walkout and rally in front of the Pittsburgh Public School Board offices, PAPPY is currently engaged in efforts to get the Pittsburgh Public School Board to pass a "Books Not Bombs" resolution.
Doug Morris is a PH.D student at Penn State. A former "Witness for Peace" delegate to Colombia, he has done numerous presentations on US policies in Colombia at colleges, universities, high schools and churches. He founded "Turning the Tide Video" an alternative media project that distributes video and audiotapes of interviews with and lectures by Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, and more. He recently formed a radical campus group at PSU called "the streets� � a group involved in theatre projects (die-ins, demonstrations, marches, flyering campaigns, etc.) that also organizes teach-ins, debates, media events, and a human rights film series.
Nia Edmondson is one of the 20+ organizers of Pittsburgh Organizing Group.
Cross Current is a local folk-influenced band started by Ginny Hildebrand and Renee Williams. Their music has been heard at many feminist, anti-racist, and peace rallies since 1987.
from http://www.organizepittsburgh.org
rally rocks
by Jon Stanley
Saturday, Mar. 08, 2003 at 2:45 PM
That is a fine looking set of speakers for any rally. A rally however is not enough. I urge everyone to take part in the un-permitted march afterwards. It looks almost certain the actions on the 16th will be taking place with a backdrop of imminent war. With the 17th being repeatedly mentioned as a final date this may be our LAST chance to make a statement before the invasion begins. Stand tall Pittsburgh. This is our hour. To the streets
Yeah
by Evan N
Saturday, Mar. 08, 2003 at 5:34 PM
Give it all you've got, this will probably be our last day to say "don't attack Iraq" and the day before we can say "STOP attacking Iraq." pour your energy into this rally and more importantly the unpermitted march afterwords. its our last stand to pre-empt peace
we will not be outnumbered
by Hami
Saturday, Mar. 08, 2003 at 6:28 PM
I was just watching the news and saw a rather weird site; there were a bunch (I'm not sure how many) of pro-war "protesters" in downtown pittsburgh today. Of course, they were all white conservatives but that's a different story. I just want to encourage everyone to hit the streets on the 16th. We cannot and will not be outnumbered by warmongers. See you on the streets
Pro-war rally today
by repost
Saturday, Mar. 08, 2003 at 8:41 PM
Pittsburgh pro-war rally draws over 1,000; anti-war women march in Philly
JOE MANDAK
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH AP) - Two rallies, two viewpoints. More than 1,000 people gathered at Pittsburgh's Point State Park on Saturday to support American soldiers and the impending war with Iraq. Across the state, about 200 women marched in an anti-war protest in Philadelphia.
Robert Bootay, 53, of Pittsburgh, rallied in that city to support his son, Spec. Glen Bootay, who's in Kuwait with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division.
"They're a little disheartened with some of the (anti (war)- reaction they're seeing though the media - but they're ready," Bootay said.
The Pittsburgh rally was publicized through handbills and The Cycle Source Magazine, a Tarentum-based publication that caters to about 20,000 motorcyclists nationwide. That produced a flag-waving, anthem-singing, red-white-and-blue - and black leather-clad - crowd from as far away as North Carolina on a bright, sunny day.
"This isn't pro-war, this isn't anti-war," said Amy Miller, a magazine employee. "It's just 100 percent support for the troops."
The crowd had other ideas.
One man invited people to wipe their muddy feet on a French flag to signify disgust with France and other nations that oppose war. A sign reading, "Give Peace a Chance: Get Saddam out of Iraq," was typical.
Veterans or servicemen and their families offered off-the-cuff remarks at an open microphone during the 90-minute rally.
Vietnam veteran Russell Armstrong addressed his son, Trevor, a specialist with the 307th Military Police unit out of New Kensington. "Son, I love you. Come home," Armstrong said, adding he supports the war with Iraq.
Another Vietnam veteran, Scott Clemens, a retired Navy man, offered the rally's only dissent . After saying that Americans need to support their troops because the Bush administration does not, he was booed off the stage and confronted for a few tense moments by other veterans.
Police estimated the crowd at 1,500, although organizers said they had attracted 2,500.
In Philadelphia, protesters at City Hall beat drums, read poetry and made speeches in a rally organized in conjunction with protests in many countries coinciding with International Women's Day.
"Our country is bankrupting itself in order to control the rest of the world when people aren't being taken care of here," said Mary Jo McArthur, a 52-year-old Philadelphia therapist in the crowd.
"You've seen what happened when America went into Afghanistan. It is not OK for that to happen in Iraq," said one speaker, Pam Ladds, 53, of Flourtown, a native of Yorkshire, England.
last chance.
by larry fields
Sunday, Mar. 09, 2003 at 2:08 AM
Please people
this could be our
last chance to be
heard. Make it
count. Give it what
you got.
Re: pro-war rally
by Saleh
Sunday, Mar. 09, 2003 at 2:13 AM
info@zi-activism.net
interesting.. the article on Friday doing pre-publicity for the Point Park rally says that the organizer intended it to neither pro nor anti-war, just to show support (not that that's good or bad, but she explictly said it wasn't pro-war)
"This isn't pro-war. This isn't anti-war," said Miller, an employee of The Cycle Source Magazine, a publication for motorcyclists, which is sponsoring the rally. "This is to show support for the men and women of the military."
http://www.postgazette.com/neigh_city/20030307rallycity3p3.asp
upcoming pro-war stuff
by Evan N
Sunday, Mar. 09, 2003 at 10:07 AM
Hey the Post Gazette today said that the organizers are planning on doing another pro-war rally on March 22-23, as is the national day of action to SUPPORT our government's foreign policy towards iraq. would anyone be up for helping to organize a posse to show up with an anti-war message to that rally?
Old news
by Friend of Carlo Tresca
Sunday, Mar. 09, 2003 at 5:34 PM
The impression I got from the paper and the TV was that it was an outlaw biker rally, hidden beneath the paper-thin veneer of an American flag (like a capitol-hill democrat), several of the folks interviewed for the PG were Pagans. You can almost smell the meth labs and burning crosses.The sponsor was some kind of overpriced pre-packaged rebel biker store. It must be some kind of plea-bargain thing that they would be kissing up to the fed. That was an old Sonny Barger trick, using the Hell's Angels to disrupt anti-war marches.
As far as crashing their next party goes, it's a bit more dangerous than facing down the cops. Would be ultra-high profile, and sounds fun.
Pagans?
by Evan W.
Sunday, Mar. 09, 2003 at 7:59 PM
Pagans? Just wanted to let you know (and/or clarify) that there are a large number of Pagans against the war. There was a "Pagan Cluster" in D.C. back in September for protests of the IMF/WB meetings.
Not those Pagans, silly
by Friend of Carlo Tresca
Sunday, Mar. 09, 2003 at 8:52 PM
Not polytheists, but the outlaw biker gang, who are called the Pagans.
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/2777256.htm
http://www.cnn.com/US/9810/06/briefs.am/crime.amish/
http://newstribune.com/stories/030302/wor_0303020015.asp
comment
by commentorite
Sunday, Mar. 09, 2003 at 10:27 PM
a suggestion: instead of showing up at pro-war celebratory rallies with signs of "jesus loves peace" and "no war" and "money for healthcare not war" and the like. how about something that wont increasingly polarise the relevant viewpoints, but rather uncover the pro-war position for what it is? that is, show how absurd the war is by supporting it! carry pro-war signs and shout pro-war chants that let those present know what else they may actually be rallying in support of.
examples: signs which say "no to democracy" and "jesus likes to kill little children" and "support the police state" and "money for oil not education" etc. maybe not the best examples, but you get the idea.
Support the troops...
by pjd
Monday, Mar. 10, 2003 at 12:02 AM
...is ALWAYS just code-language for "support their murdrer bosses"!
comment
by commentorite
Monday, Mar. 10, 2003 at 2:27 AM
in my opinion, 'support the troops' can be. supportation of government agents of death, destruction, oppression and captialism-state-peace may not explicitly support said actions of occurance and supportation of government agents may in fact entail none more than simple that. but supportation of ACTIONS of government agents of death and destruction has no confusion in the translatory understanding of support. furthermore, the supportation of policy of head-master-government-agent-mastermind likewise has no confusion in the policy of support. furthermore, explict support of non-commital government agents apart from or in spite of so-called government-state-capital-enemy likewise shows forthright the motives behind such brainwashed-television support.
therefore, the communicative mechanism of demonstration can make SHOW of the both motives and theorized-idealized results of actions of both government-computerized-super-agents AND policy of head-master-government-dictator-joseph stalin-reborn!
haha
by Evan N
Monday, Mar. 10, 2003 at 7:25 AM
I love that pro-war to the extreme idea - i'd love to go and do that - but im not trying to do so without a large posse of people incase those biker dudes want to snap me in half. if people are interested in organizing a group to go let me know and we'll hook something up
We Support Our Troops
by Sam
Monday, Mar. 10, 2003 at 10:45 AM
Those opposed to the war are the ones who truly support American troops. We're trying to save their lives.
Oops...
by Sam
Monday, Mar. 10, 2003 at 10:46 AM
Didn't mean to post that in two messages...
pro-warness
by commentorite
Monday, Mar. 10, 2003 at 4:39 PM
yes, a small group of us have in the works plans to make absurd or to incorporate reality into the pro-war rallying in this way. email us here: <a href='mailto:naaa1123@yahoo.com'>naaa1123@yahoo.com. if anyone else is interested or has any other ideas send us your thoughts too, the more people the better. we also would appreciate any information regarding the location, date and time of any pro-war rallies.
we had in mind similar tactics at the previous PEACE protest. we distributed the following propaganda: <a href='http://www.geocities.com/efac5/iraq.html'>here.
coreysmom
by Bernice Leo
Wednesday, Mar. 12, 2003 at 9:57 PM
MY SON IS IN THE ARMY. DO YOU THINK I WANT A WAR? NO! BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? MY SON IS NOT A MURDERER, HE DOES NOT WANT TO KILL ANYONE. HOWEVER, HE IS MATURE ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT HE MADE A COMMITMENT TO HIS COUNTRY, EVEN AS HE ENLISTED TO GAIN HELP WITH COLLEGE, 6 YRS. AGO., AND HE IS READY TO HONOR THAT COMMITMENT NOW. IT MAKES NO NEVERMIND WHO SENT HIM THERE OR WHY. HE NEEDS SUPPORT TO DO HIS JOB OF DEFENDING YOU. PEOPLE, OPEN YOUR EYES. ANTI-WAR, PRO-WAR, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SOLDIERS. I WANT THEM ALL HOME TOMORROW. THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. SO SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS NOW.
oh mom
by ---
Thursday, Mar. 13, 2003 at 3:37 AM
truly one of the worst arguments of all time. I can't believe I considered responding to what is probably just a troll post anyway. At least make it semi logical next time.
To Bernice - save your son!
by Rovin' Workman
Thursday, Mar. 13, 2003 at 9:01 AM
Maybe...just maybe...if you don't want your son to die, you should be more vocal and outspoken against the war. Do you think there might have been more dead in Vietnam if there had not been a high level of dissatisfaction -- voiced openly-- against the war? The best way to support "our" troops is to fight to bring them home, so they aren't killed and do not kill others. Obviously, one also needs to get the message out that we support the workers who are sent overseas to fight in a war that does not really benefit them as a class.
Usually, these "committments" are not well thought out, and are predicated upon glossy targeted ads by the military, and often by one's financial situation.
Of course, there is not only a chance military personnel will be killed, but an even higher chance they will be poisoned by their own country, through experimental drugs, exposure to chemical weapons, and through the use of nuclear material -- i.e., depleted uranium. Also, there is the ineptitude of the really higher ups, who may see your son as a number and not a human being.
attn:commentorite
by mike
Thursday, Mar. 13, 2003 at 11:01 AM
sorry commentorite, but your flyer you were handing out at the last rally was pretty pointless and is a horrible idea
Hands clenched strong in solidarity
by Joe Gallagher
Thursday, Mar. 13, 2003 at 9:50 PM
REMEMBER..
Just cause somebody says they "support the troops.." or hate terrorists doesn't mean they necessarily WANT the war to happen, though they may not at the time (of a gathering or speaking engagement) know it. Nobody here wants the difficulties that war will present to this economy or our lives, many may see the governments preached point of view as beiong the only alternative, though... Especially if they see "peace rallyers" as whining bleeding-hearts or religious and hear comments of generalization about racism, drug use, bikers, and other derogation tossed about.
To hold to the basic concepts of being against the war for whatever reason should not require anyone to push their own biases or agendas as doing so outside of tieing the issues together can only be detrimental. To promote the idea of being anti-war it's fine to not want the US troops to die (even though i cannot condone their voluntary involvement). If someone is a biker they can be against war (easily). A racist can be against the war, too (there are racist rationales intermingled w/ bush's message as well as racist groups who don't want this war to take place). Drug-users can be against the war no matter what the "use drugs and support terrorism" messages say (i'm sure drug-use is widespread enough in this culture that users are both for and against the war).
Any bias cannot justify collectively calling a group supporters of the war and use thereof cannot help reason with anyone.
Most everybody does not want terror to be stricken upon them & they are justified in defense of their own livelihoods (not a "capitalist" comment) to oppose terror. THAT does not equate as reason enough for this war to proceed though, as the war can not aide in that concern. Most everybody does not want a country as this USA to fall (as we all* live here and will in turn be directly effected) due to being imperial and/or failing to meet it's own domestic needs in a domestic fashion. And THAT is resason to be opposed to these war-mongering efforts for anyone here in this country, regardless of ethnicity, background, or bias unless they are in the small minority who will personnaly benefit from this wars motion.
It's our future. Let's take controll of it individually, collectively, and so forth. Let us not be mis-understood. Let people realize that this war is useless, NOT of best interest for the populace, and unjust.
Let's end this war with education, as is the point of protesting and activism at heart, not through misinterpretation, slogans, emotions, and jingles(catchy as they are and useful as they can be), such is used as the propaganda & methodology of war-mongering brain-washing efforts.
Stooping to fight can hurt your back. Keep your back straight and use your legs to move your fellow through battle.
response to mike
by commentorite
Thursday, Mar. 13, 2003 at 11:50 PM
thats fine if you think its a horrible idea and our flyer pointless. we think that absurdity and satire not only can serve as a useful tactic, but can also be fun. we feel that a way to make ridiculous an absurd position can be by agreeing with it.. and then demonstrating its absurd conclusions. you dont have to do it and we think its better that way, the use of uniform tactics can be boring and alienating.
SVC Group
by Jason
Friday, Mar. 14, 2003 at 2:55 PM
deadhead68_1999@yahoo.com
Hey friends in solidarity,
The anti-war movement is beginning to heat up at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. We are organizing a group called Students for Social Justice. We are also planning on bringing a group to the rally this weekend. We've already begun our civil disobedience by doing chalk anti-war slogans all on the pavement on campus. It hasn't been removed as of this hour, but since this is parents weekend, it won't be long. See you all on Sunday.
The hopes and dreams of all those involved..
by Axel Fear
Saturday, Mar. 15, 2003 at 10:52 AM
axelfear@yahoo.com
My heart goes out to the friend I lost in Afganistan during an unannounced invasion of a supposed "Taliban HQ"..... He served this country proudly and lost his life in a flagrant mistake by the Armed Forces. And I say: Where is the honor in that?
For those of you that think that protesting doesn't change anything, look at the results of what we have done so far....
See yenz at the rally in Schenely Park in Oakland...
Peace Eternally,
Troy
www.geocities.com/axelfear/axel_fear.html
re supporting the troops
by helen
Saturday, Mar. 15, 2003 at 5:04 PM
I don't make a habit of criticizing people--just their policis. I think that is true of everyone in the anti-war effort. I haven't heard a single negative comment regarding the honorable nature of military service. Your son's image is not tarnished by the fact that he is stuck in the military during an unpopular war. Similar uncomfortable situations occur in businesses which are tangled in disagrreable policies(Arthur Andersen, Union Carbide in Bhopal). The public separates institutional policy from people.
![[masthead]](/images/masthead_140.png)