Please indulge me in answering a question, about Oct.25 Anti-War rallies

A request for your indulgence.


A question for my fellow DUers:
- Do you have any interest in attending the major anti-war rallies coming up on October 25?

-if not, could you please take a brief moment to explain?

I'm not here to browbeat anyone , I simply would like to understand the dynamics of people's feelings at this time. :-)

-Information:
**A day of protest is being planned for October 25 in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles and places in between. For information about these events, go to:
http://www.truemajority.org/ctt.asp?u=36640&l=112

**Stopping Bush's war abroad and his war at home is a matter of life and death. None of us has the luxury of waiting. The time to act is now. Read the October 25 Call in its entirety:
http://www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/o25/index.html#call

--
a short explanation of this post ----------------------------

-A major anti-war demonstration will be happening October 25. After much negotiation the two major groups who organised the massive protests before the war, United For Peace and Justice (UFPJ) and ANSWER, are working together on this one. www.TrueMajority.org and www.Voice4Change.org have sent out alerts on this.

For months people have been asking why there have been no large marches planned in light of the terrible situation and continued death in Iraq.

Here at DU there seems to be for all intents and purposes, little interest. Less than a handful of people have shown interest in the most recent announcements posted here and in the activism forum.

I could launch into the reasons why I think this is important, but I'd rather first ask DUers if they have any interest in attending or helping to mobilize others to attend the October 25 peace march.

The pre-war demonstrations were so successful because we generated energy and enthusiasm.

I'd welcome any comments.

As a person who helped with organizing the VoterMarch protests, I can tell you that the interest shows up the day or two before the protest. I swear. It's the most frustrating thing for bus planners because we have to go out on a limb on financial matters to reserve these busses. But people always reserve at the last minute.


Cher

as one who has also helped organise in the past.. The last time around we chartered five buses, this took some time and a lot of grass roots organising. Oct 25 is not really that far off.

there is a march in St Louis I will probably attend. I would not go to DC as I don't have the money to fly.

I think many are lukewarm on the Oct 25 demonstration because International ANSWER is one of the major sponsors. I recall much arguing about ANSWER at the beginning of the year. They are perceived by many more mainstream people as too far to the left.

I find many of the antiwar rallies in St Louis to be too mamby pamby and TOO mainstream. Radical speakers who are critical of capitalism are not allowed to speak.





edit: added graphic and new paragraph

in the past. That is why it is heartening that they have decided to work together this time.

but I live in walking distance to the Pentagon so it's no monetary sacrifice for me.


We have a lot of unemployed people on DU who may have financial hardships that prevent them from going or even concentrating on something not related to their own survival at this time.

I have been layed off twice in recent times. Thanks to the Bush economy!
This is completely understandable and one of things I was hoping to get feedback about.

When I lived in the Boston area and had a job, it wasn't a problem -- ANSWER fielded 4 or 5 buses last October from Boston.

But from western Mass it's more difficult, and $50 is now nearly half my disposable income for the month. So I've to think carefully about both positive and negative impacts.

I just don't know where to stay....Do you get a hotel room outside D.C and then bus with a group into the area? I never did an out of state protest...yet..:)

http://www.unitedforpeace.org

They may have info on buses, etc. coming from your area or lodging.

I plan to be there. I was in DC last October (the most lovely fall day) and this past January (one of the coldest days I've spent hours just standing around).

This is the way the busing works if you go from WI. The bus leaves Friday afternoon and drives all night to arrive in DC on Saturday AM. After the rally the bus leaves Saturday night, drives all night and arrives in WI Sunday. It's a hard trip but they stop along the way for breaks and food. The bus also has a bathroom. I plan on going with my mother and son.

I was there back on March 15th and while the Invasion still happened it was an amazing event. The energy was phenomenal.

.

this war was illegal and unjust but now how can we abandon the Iriqi people. We need to step away from the oil and turn that opperation over right away to show that we are really there for the people, fat chance, ha ha. But I think people are confused about should we leave or stay now that the first mistake was made.

Thats how the Gremans and French are stipulating it....I support that completely.

and I'll be at this one.

that we keep the pressure on and don't let chimp grab the headlines and lead the media. The more demonstrations and demonstrators the better.

for regional Demonstrations to coordinate with the Washinton Protest. A day of protest all over America! I've hoped that NC could have another large demonstration......since we had such a large turn out for the last one in Raleigh. But, a large organizer like A.N.S.W.E.R and United for Peace has to be behind it. Local groups imho, just don't have the organization skills to get all the permits and whatever is needed to organize a large event.

I don't plan to go to Washintong.......so I hope there will be local events coordinated for those of us who want to stay local.

Thanks for this important post.

in NC are planning something. If I can find out anything I'll let you know.

Permits are not always such a problem to obtain, they just need to be applied for early enough.
I hope something gets organised in NC.

BTW. I recieved some further info on the Cheney protest (parking, directions, etc.) It's posted in activism. :-)

He posts in the environment forum frequently. He lamented that he posts all of this material and links but no one seemed interested because no one responded. I had been reading his posts, but never had anything profound to say so never responded myself. Perhaps if DU still had the "number of views" feature, one would see more interest.

You are so correct that we should still be protesting the Iraq war. That we had been lied to about the threat posed by Iraq is insufferable. I keep thinking about those daily barrages from the White House that appeared in the press: "The United States stridently objects that Saddam Hussein is not disarming", when all the while Bush had no proof Saddam had chem/bio/nuclear weapons. In fact, it seems apparent that Bush knew that Saddam was no threat. He was lying about intelligence and we should be protesting.

What purpose do demonstrations serve? At the time when Bush had already attacked Iraq, the local press reported on why the local peace movement was "still" demonstrating. There was a feeling that it was not influencing anybody. The peace demonstrators seemed to be meeting just to express mutual solidarity. Since that time, however, we have uncovered mass lies by the Bush administration. The Ambassador Joe Wilson story and the lies about "yellowcake uranium" are huge. Our soldiers are getting maimed and killed for a lie. That is worth protesting.

How can we make our protestations influence the public? Mass demonstration seems appropriate. Some of the presidential candidates are doing a fine job of keeping this story alive, although none have not yet delivered the real knockdown hit yet. Then there are other means. We should be writing volumes of letters to the editors. We should be holding forums on campuses. I am rather new to this organizing, so I cannot determine what would be most effective, but it is true that we have to do something.

(By the way, there are four buses leaving from my town for that demonstration October 25. Are you "on the bus"?)

all of the Viet Nam demos were during the war.

whatever happens, we need to remind people that the Rumsfeld gang cannot
be trusted to "fix" anything. Halliburton is still in the wings and these folks still have plans for their New World Order.

thanks for the thoughtful post!

And we know they will use all means possible to distract from the truth. They are hoping to use the UN now under US command, so that they can deflect the spotlight away from themselves yet STILL continue with the Pax Americana/PNAC/NWO/Halliburton/Privatization etc. masterplan.
We must NOT let them slither their way forward. You are right we MUST do something. In the mean time, let's keep badgering the hell out of Congress and the media!

***just say no the "Biden mindset" LOL

:-)'s

re-arranging my work schedule to be in D.C. If I can't make it there, there usually has been a simultaneous one in Chicago, which I definitely will attend.

this is just the kind of response I was hoping for!

for many it's money, for others confusion over the situation regarding what the resposibility of the US is now that Iraq is in a state of basic chaos.
For others it's ANSWER's involvement.

Thanks for the dialogue, As a local organiser, I think it's very constuctive.

I have to go out (some part time work! yea!), but will check in later. Thank you all!
peace & love G_j

:hi: :toast:

...we'll be there!

there most likely will be something happening.
The main call to action says, DC, LA and everywhere inbetween. :-)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=106&topic_id=2022

9/28 and 10/25 :bounce:

Vote No War sends me invites for the DC protest. I go to their website, and last I looked, no info on sister protests in other cities. I wrote an email to them asking that it be advertised for all major cities and they didn't respond.

Basically - I think the word among the people is that it is going to just be in DC. I can't go to DC.

I will look for a protest in the city closest to me.

But Vote No War needs to stop the email alerts that just say "DC" and advertise ALL the cities.

although I may be the only one from Arkansas there!! Send off an email to the now defunct(?) Omni Peace organization at the UofA when the Oct. 25 march was first announced....still haven't received any reply. Locally, there was a chapter for NoIraqWar called Arkansas Citizens Against the War before the invasion that was active with the Feb. & March protests. However their website now says to see the Omni site.

:hi:

I hope to bring some friends along too.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=106&topic_id=2279

and,
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=106&topic_id=2022

I opened this here to get a feeling of what people are thinking.
Maybe it would be good to open a discussion in activism to get a read on what local peace groups and organisers are thinking/doing.

You're helping organize this in DC? Which group are you involved in?

we have organised in the past within our community to get folks to DC, work such as spreading the word, chartering buses, finding lodging etc.

sorry if I wasn't clear on that.

These have been very important to me these last 2 years... from the day I stood with just 2 other people at a busy San Francisco intersection holding a pathetic little sign that read "Justice for Palestine" to the huge rallies we had this last year...

Lots of DUers will attend. Don't be discouraged! :)

a 9-11 kick from a former NYer.

See you all there! IT IS TIME TO ENLARGE AND MAXIMISE! Get out and get loud! Put your heart, soul and mind into letting the world know your anger and rage at the unjustice of it all!

:hi:

My sign: Shock and Awe-fully Stupid

I have 2 weekends blocked out at the end of sept. working for the candidate of my choice. I'm currently working about 12 hours a day. There's no one to help keep the house running and the mundane chores of life done while I'm killing myself at work.

The energy I have to offer is currently focused on the '04 campaign and evicting *. Which, to me, is the first step in righting any wrong.

The end of October is way too far ahead for me to know if I can manage another event. We'll see how my schedule looks as it gets closer.

all this is helpful. Keep your ears open for events that may be more local to you. Hope your staying well in the midst of your busy schedual. :-)

then I might go. I had thought it was just ANSWER, in which case I would not go.

This is not just because of ANSWER'S connections to Marxism, but because the ANSWER demonstrations in NYC were busts compared to UPJ's.

this is happening a week after the black voices for peace rally that is on oct. 18.

i dont know who planned theirs first (i got a flyer in june for the BVP rally) but having two rallies in two consecutive weeks is over kill. its called burn out people!!

yes that's unfortunate. It sounds like the issue of peace might put them on the same page. Too bad they aren't happening together! Well, that's the left for you. Do you have more info on the black voices for peace rally? Perhaps you could post it in activism, I haven't seen it mentioned there.

I wish they would stay on point. They seem to go off on tangents about everything and everyone. If the march is about stopping the war, educate us about the war and the methods we can take to do that. Don't go off about every liberal idea that can be crammed into a few hours. Stopping the war is something that isn't necessarily just a "liberal" issue and when the message becomes extreme, it alienates those who are only there because they disagree with the war and don't like the direction our country is taking. jmho