ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545
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http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email============================================
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Dear friend,
Next Tuesday, September 19, President George Bush will be addressing the United Nations in defense of the disastrous Iraq War. United for Peace and Justice has planned a peaceful march and rally to voice our opposition and call for the troops to come home.
Yesterday we met with the New York Police Department, who informed us they will not allow any marches near the United Nations that day. In fact, they said they would not allow any marches east of Park Avenue, south of 52nd Street, or north of the mid 30s.
The police are invoking "security concerns" to justify shunting us so far away from the site of Bush's speech that we might as well be in another borough. We wouldn't just be out of earshot and out of visual range -- we'd be many long blocks away. Is this what democracy looks like?
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The NYPD is refusing to allow us to march anywhere near the United Nations when President Bush speaks there next Tuesday, 9/19. We need your support in responding to this attempt to silence our opposition to the war.
* Make plans now to join us in New York:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/transport* Tell us how you think we should respond by participating in this online survey:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/sept19survey* Tell the police how you feel via email:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mailnypd.html* Help us raise our voices for peace by making a donation here:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/donate*******************************************************************************
We were completely willing to discuss a range of reasonable march routes, but the NYPD refused. Their only proposals were for marches far from the UN or a slot for a short rally at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, among at least eight other organizations working on an array of issues.
This is another in a long line of actions by the New York City Police Department -- and the federal government -- that undermine our right to dissent. Time and time again, United for Peace and Justice has had to fight to exercise our basic right to peaceful protest. They tried to stop us from rallying in the lead-up to the Iraq War. They tried to sideline our protest against the Republican National Convention to the sun-baked West Side Highway.
We didn't back down then, and we're not backing down now. United for Peace and Justice is determined to have the strongest possible antiwar presence on the streets of New York City on September 19 while Bush speaks at the UN. We know this is a workday, but we urge you if you possibly can to make plans to join us in the streets.
As we review options and decide how to proceed, we want your input and need your support.
* Click here to take part in an online survey about how we should respond (accept the police offer? engage in nonviolent civil disobedience?).
* Forward this email to everyone you know, and post it widely on appropriate blogs, listservs, and bulletin boards:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/sept19survey* Help us raise our voices for peace by making an urgently needed financial contribution to support our work:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/donate============================================
Help us continue to do this critical work: Make a donation to UFPJ today --
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/donateACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545
To subscribe, visit
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email