WaPo: Large Rally Planned Saturday on Mall

[babylonsister]

We're getting some media coverage! Who'd a thunk it?!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012401957.html

Large Rally Planned Saturday on Mall
Organizers Oppose Increase in Troops and Plan to Seek Withdrawal Deadline

By Michael E. Ruane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 25, 2007; Page B06

Tens of thousands of peace advocates from across the country are expected in Washington on Saturday for an anti-war rally that could be among the biggest since the war in Iraq began, organizers said yesterday.

They said the rally on the Mall, followed by a march near the Capitol, will target President Bush's intention to send more troops to the Iraq war.

The president's policy is "fight, war, occupation, death, destruction, spend our tax dollars," Leslie Cagan, national coordinator of United for Peace and Justice, the umbrella group that is one of the main organizers of Saturday's events, said at a media briefing.

Citing what she called "this devastating debacle of lies and horror," Cagan said: "The people of this country have had it. This Saturday, January 27, on the heels of the Bush administration's decision to send another 21,000 U.S. troops into Iraq, hundreds of thousands of people from all across this country will come to this capital city to make it clear."

The marchers are calling for an end to the occupation of Iraq and the beginning of "an orderly, speedy and safe" withdrawal of troops, said Hani Khalil, a spokesman for the group. They want dates announced for the start of troop withdrawal as well as a specific deadline for its completion, he added.

United for Peace and Justice describes itself as a coalition of 1,400 local and national organizations. Among them are the National Organization for Women, United Church of Christ, the American Friends Service Committee, True Majority, Military Families Speak Out, Iraq Veterans Against the War, the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, CodePink, MoveOn.org, and September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows.

Among the featured speakers will be Vietnam War-era protester Jane Fonda, according to the organizers. Others include actors Danny Glover, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, and Carlos Arredondo, who in 2004 set himself on fire after learning of the death in Iraq of his Marine Corps son, Alexander.

more...

[Demeter]

1. Hope Hillary Is Watching; I Know She Won't March or Speak

[babylonsister]

6. She doesn't realize how much people might respect her for

getting involved in this; her loss.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. at the very time that a military heat ray will be used domestically

as a test.

[babylonsister]

3. Now there's a pleasant thought. not! nt

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. you realize that the DOD announced that they would test this

weapon here in the US BEFORE they deployed it anywhere else?
checking for efficiency and effectiveness.

[babylonsister]

5. I briefly saw the article after you posted your comment but can't

find it now. I trust they won't try to 'test' it this weekend.

[Freedomofspeech]

7. The word trust and our administration..

do not belong in the same sentence. Wow, nothing I was planning on wearing Saturday, offers protection from this, only protection from the cold. Hmmm, maybe I should shop at the Army Navy store for an outfit.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

13. I am sure that a metal screen, fine mesh, will gather and reflect

microwaves, but you best be holding it with a wooden handle, if you don't want to burn your hand.

Of course, their next step will be to hit you with a high pressure water hose, tear gas, and attack dogs.

Why do I have visions of Chile, Greece, and other American countries - marchers in the streets attacked by the government? What has happened to our democracy?

[hippiechick]

10. Well, since the temps are in the low 20's ...

... a heat ray might actually help!

Knowing the inaccuracy and ineptitude of the Bush Administration and everything they put their signature on ... it'll probably melt all the lobbyists offices on K Street, and just raise the temperature around the rally to something bearable !!!

:)

[OregonBlue]

8. I don't think having Jane Fonda there will help the cause. Is she scheduled

to speak?

[babylonsister]

9. Yes, I think so. And I'm all for ANYONE who's anti-war. Here's a CSPAN

link on their coverage and Fonda is mentioned:

http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/fullschedule.csp?timeid=212036599548

[mod mom]

11. Where was WaPo in Sept 2005 when we were 500,000 strong? I guess better late than never.

[babylonsister]

12. I agree, but I'm happy to see this getting some coverage. nt

[babylonsister]

14. pm kickin