Counter-Inaugural.org Press Conference

[jsmacdonald]

Activists from DC and beyond who have been meeting in regular spokescouncil planning January 20 counter-inaugural activities are having a press conference right now as we speak

I had heard it was going to be on CSpan3, but I don't think it is now. Even so, keep an eye out for media articles that come out of this press conference.

They are organizing through http://www.counter-inaugural.org

I am one of the organizers, though I won't be in this press conference, and am organizing an action endorsed by United for Peace and Justice. Check out http://www.dawndc.net/events/j20_05/ for more details.

There are many actions going on in DC on January 20, and so keep an eye out for them. There are also solidarity actions going on throughout the country and the world, ranging from Rome to Maui.

Keep informed,
Jim Macdonald
DC Anti-War network

[Ian David]

1. Yep, it's on C-SPAN 3 right now

[Kolesar]

2. I found audio and video feeds on cspan.org

www.cspan.org

it is on the front page. Real Player, Win Media, etc

[jsmacdonald]

3. awesome

So glad it's on! Am listening to my friends speak :)

This is the power of grassroots organizing... :)

[katinmn]

4. excellent! Thanks for the heads up.

I will ABSOLUTELY be participating in the protests against the war.

[Ian David]

5. Bunch of anti-American hippies

[jsmacdonald]

6. Any questions? I can answer them

I personally know most of the panel (and have met all the panel) and am close friends with a couple of them.

If you have questions about what they are saying, or about the actions on January 20, please let me know.

Right now, David Lytel from redefeatbush is speaking, and he's also offering my group some support in our action.

Jim

[Ian David]

7. David Lytel is awesome

We were right!

[Kolesar]

8. "We were right when we told the press"....

Lytel rocks

[katinmn]

9. This is a great rallying effort!

I wonder how many people are watching right now?

edit: forgot spellcheck.

[Ian David]

11. Counter-inaugural ball-- OPEN BAR!!

Counter-inaugural ball-- OPEN BAR!!

Finally, SOMETHING good from this election!

[katinmn]

10. Jim, where's the best place to find out about local or state efforts

on Jan. 20?

[jsmacdonald]

13. counter-inaugural.org and unitedforpeace.org

I would check both sites since people are listing events to both sites. Even non-DC efforts are being posted to the counter-inaugural.org website.

[katinmn]

17. ok thanks. n/t

[Ian David]

14. Consistent Message

Bush is illegitimate and corrupt

A March To Irrelevance

By Matt Taibbi, New York Press. Posted September 11, 2004.

What positive effect did the protests during the Republican convention really have?

Hey, you assholes: The ‘60s are over!

I'm not talking about your white-guy fros, mutton-chops and beads. I'm not talking about your Che t-shirts or that wan, concerned, young Joanie Baez look on the faces of half of your women. I'm not even talking about skinny young potheads carrying wood puppets and joyously dancing in druid circles during a march to protest a bloody war.

--

Let's just start with a simple, seemingly inconsequential facet of the protests: appearance. If you read the bulletins by United for Peace and Justice ahead of the protests, you knew that the marchers were encouraged to "show their creativity" and dress outlandishly. The marchers complied, turning 7th Ave. into a lake of midriffs, Billabong, bandanas and "Buck Fush" t-shirts. There were facial studs and funny hair and man-sandals and papier-mache masks and plenty of chicks in their skivvies all jousting to be the next young Heather Taylor inspiring the next Jimi Hendrix to write the next "Foxy Lady."

--

This current American juggernaut is the mightiest empire the world has ever seen, and it is absolutely immune to the individual. Short of violent crime, it has assimilated the individual's every conceivable political action into mainstream commercial activity. It fears only one thing: organization.

That's why the one thing that would have really shaken Middle America last week wasn't "creativity." It was something else: uniforms. Three hundred thousand people banging bongos and dressed like extras in an Oliver Stone movie scares no one in America. But 300,000 people in slacks and white button-down shirts, marching mute and angry in the direction of Your Town, would have instantly necessitated a new cabinet-level domestic security agency.

--

http://www.alternet.org/election04/19840/

[Kolesar]

12. Lytel just excoriated the mainstream press

Including those in the chairs in the press conference.

[katinmn]

15. you're sending me to the dictionary

excoriated

[katinmn]

16. we need to do more excoriating of the administration

To tear or wear off the skin of; abrade.
To censure strongly; denounce: an editorial that excoriated the administration for its inaction.

[Kolesar]

18. Lytel: Rumsfeld story is a distraction from the stolen election

Again, Lytel tags the mainstream press for following the Rumsfailed story when in fact the real story is our "experiment in democracy is over".

Latest Headline:"Bush asks Rumsfeld to stay"
Lytel's Real Headline: "Rumsfeld asks Bush to stay on"

[jsmacdonald]

19. Press conference is over, but if you have any questions please ask

As you can see a wide diversity of action in DC on January 20 and a wide diversity of tactics.

[jsmacdonald]

20. AP story on the press conference

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=703&e=2&u=/ap/20041221/ap_on_re_us/inauguration_protests

***excerpt***
"Our intention is to show President Bush and the world our movement is energized, mobilized and determined to fight back," said Gael Murphy, of the activist group Code Pink.
***excerpt***
Bush, who will be in a security area known as the "Red Zone," will be surrounded by blue, the color assigned to Democratic-voting states, Lytel said.

"What I expect is more people will be here to protest Bush's inauguration than to inaugurate him," Lytel said.
***excerpt***

For more information on all events see http://www.counter-inaugural.org . Codepink and Redefeatbush are working with the DC Anti-War Network on an anti-war rally and march. We will be talking about that in a subsequent press conference in early January.

Jim
http://www.dawndc.net