PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

General Meeting for March 20th Sit-In Participants- those considering taking part
by POG'er Tuesday, Mar. 09, 2004 at 6:52 AM
pog@mutualaid.org www.organizepittsburgh.org

General meeting for March 20th sit-in participants and those considering taking part: Friday, March 19th, 7pm at the corner of Forbes and Bouquet St in Oakland, directly across from The Original Hotdog Shop.

***

March 20th is the one-year anniversary of the first full day of bombing in the latest war in Iraq as waged by George W Bush. United for Peace and Justice has called for mass protests across the country.

On March 20th, the Pittsburgh Organizing Group has called for a non-violent direct action against the war machine in Pittsburgh. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) has been chosen as our target because of its extensive military ties: From problem-solving studies for the Navy at the Psychology department, to developing weapons for the Marines at the Robotics Institute, the US military is major source of funds for many departments and centers at CMU. What is called for on March 20th is a mass-participation sit-in to demand that CMU sever its ties to the Military-Industrial Complex and redirect its resources and energies towards more socially responsible research. In order to prepare people for what is planned on March 20th, and to dispel any rumors regarding what POG is and is not planning on doing, there is an informal meeting scheduled for Friday, March 19th at 7pm, initially gathering at the corner of Forbes and Bouquet St in Oakland, directly across from The Original Hotdog Shop. Once gathered, we will move to an indoor location suited to the turnout.

If you are planning on, or considering, taking part in the non-violent sit-in on March 20th, please attend this meeting. We will be handing out legal support forms to fill out in case of arrest and giving a general debriefing about what events are planned followed by a session for questions.

This is not a secure meeting, so expect undercover police to be in attendance. Considerable time and thought has been put into the planning for March 20th and this is not meant to be a giant brainstorming meeting about tactics but more of a briefing on the what and why of the planned sit-in.

We expect the sit-in to be very inclusive and encourage participants to bring food, water, a good book, musical instruments and a positive and defiant demeanor to help make this a success!

For more information about the permitted events of the day and the planned sit-in see: http://www.organizepittsburgh.org and http://www.pittsburghmarch20.org

***

add your comments