Major Antiwar Protest - New Orleans - Saturday, June 18, 2005

[Dylan Garcia]

SOULSTICE EXPERIENCE
2005 SUMMER OF RESISTANCE

Dear Patriot Warriors:

The dust has now settled from the Global Day of Action surrounding the second anniversary of the illegal invasion of Iraq and, as promised, we now begin planning for the major antiwar protest in the City of New Orleans for the 2005 “Summer of Resistance”. There will be marches and a festival.

We will acknowledge our deep pounding passions and reinforce our intense sense of will along determined paths from various points throughout the City (commencing from locations and at times to be announced) to the gathering of the tribes at an undisclosed uptown location on Saturday, June 18th at High Noon.

Drawing upon the mysticism of the season we will personify life’s greatest treasures and decry its most extreme violations. Our fist in the air, we will display our strength united with the gentility of love in upbeat, but unwavering, defiance.

We will have live music with drumming, dancing, chanting and purification, a speakers’ ally with celebration, dedication and empowerment, street car parties, dog parade, poster exhibit, kite flying, bubble blowing and group picnic. This is the time to experience the force within, to be conscious of how we use our gifts and to exert our own true power.

It is only through awareness and deliberate action that we can bring the Movement to the forefront. This will set the standard for Southern Resistance against the evil which confronts us all.

Are you ready for the experience?

If so, email us immediately and we will include you on our new email group list created SOULY for the implementation of the SOULSTICE EXPERIENCE.

Onward!
Annie and Buddy Spell
[e-mail]

[AnnInLa]

1. How about a trip report about the event in NYC

that you and Annie attended? Did you get any good ideas?

[Dylan Garcia]

2. Thanks for signing up for the SOULstice, Ann

Troops Out Now! was gas. We learned a bunch and will implement those lessons at the SOULstice Experience. I predict the June event will eclipse JF4D.

Annie in Harlem during the march on the 19th:


Photo by Buddy Spell

[Dylan Garcia]

3. This is how it went, Ann:

Annie and I flew out of New Orleans on Friday morning headed to Harlem to participate in Troops Out Now! on March 19, 2005.

On Friday evening, we gathered at Union Square for a UFPJ rally designed to send off several busloads of activist veterans to Fort Bragg. The rally was well attended and we were able to visit with several of our New York friends before they headed south to Fayetteville. While a part of us wanted to be at Bragg with our many, many friends who would be there, we knew that Saturday would be a very special day for us. We weren't disappointed.

Saturday morning brought a beautiful day to Manhattan. We headed down to Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem where the march to Central Park was to commence. The early morning pre-march rally featured several speakers and cultural performances. A speech delivered by convicted people's attorney Lynne Stewart was particularly inspiring.

Troops Out Now! was the first major antiwar demonstration ever to begin in Harlem and was organized by black activists with years of experience in the fight for the Harlem community's civil rights. These incredibly talented people, who have historically acted locally, did an impressive job organizing a global statement deserving of attention. It was an honor for us to play a small role in this important moment in resistance history.

By the time we got to Central Park, we were exhausted. The emotion and physical demands of the long march wore down two not so old activists who have marched many miles over the years. We stuck around long enough to hear Howard Zinn's speech and then left to reflect on our day.

As always, there is great disagreement as to the total number of protesters who marched out of Harlem on that beautiful and empowering morning. Organizers claim 15,000 participants; the government would hazard a much lower estimate. But, from our perspective, there sure were a lot of courageous, patriotic Americans on the street with us and we returned to New Orleans with renewed zeal to keep the resistance alive in the Deep South.

It was our privilege to represent the Louisiana Activist Network at this action and our pleasure to be a part of something so very inspiring.

We have posted a few photographs from our New York visit @ http://www.newdemocracyrising.com/nyc.asp .

[AnnInLa]

4. Niiiiiice.....thanks for the report!

[Dylan Garcia]

5. Time has come today!

[Dylan Garcia]

6. The website is up!

http://www.newdemocracyrising.com/index.asp

[Dylan Garcia]

7. April 6, 2005 Update

We met last night in New Orleans and began drawing up the blue print for this action.

For those new to our group, this action is sponsored by the LOUISIANA ACTIVIST NETWORK, the same folks who staged the counter-inaugural JAZZ FUNERAL FOR DEMOCRACY .

The plan now is to organize two marches with three assembly points. Because New Orleans is so very hot in the dead of summer, we will have long (4.7 miles

[funkybutt]

8. Sounds Great!

I can't wait!

[Dylan Garcia]

9. April 13th Update

I missed the last meeting. There were some revisions. Here is the email I recieved today:

Buddy,
Next meeting is to be 4/26 same place.

We are going to have our first big push
for the SOULstice Experice on Friday,
4/22 am at every entrance to JazzFest.

I have purchase 10,000 stickers that say
"Make Music, Not War" then
"newdemocracyrising.com" on the bottom
of round sticker.

They cost me 8 cents a piece, or about $750.
I'm counting on people passing them out
to help defray the costs...any ideas?
I should have them by the end of this week
or early next.

Imagine:
1. Signs, posters, flyers, banners, etc.
all promoting SOULstice on 6/18 at
every entrance.
2. Everyone inside the JazzFest wearing
our sticker.
3. Name bands announcing from the stage
that they support the SOULstice event
and LAN / SAN...and everyone should
give us money.



Route:
1. The only march will commence at
the St. Charles Street entrance to
Audubon Park, that is across from
Loyola Univerrsity
2. Gather at 2pm, march 3pm several blocks
upriver to Carrollton, then left to the levee
or Cooter Browns.
3. People are encouraged to load the
street cars with SOULstice activists
at Lee Circle and Palmer Park so
that we make a point about what
we are doing (use imagination, please
obey the law).
4. Rallying point for everyone is the corner of St. Charles
and Carrollton, where everyone will be able
to see the various banners along the levee
toward the river.

Buddy - this has the potential for a Woodstock-type
event, but with a political purpose. Let's make
it happen. Then let's turn it around the next
day for a Juneteenth event with NAACP in
Audubon Park?

Marty