A Campaign of Sustained, Nonviolent Civil Disobedience to End Iraq War Funding

[laststeamtrain]

The Occupation Project

By JEFF LEYS

On February 5, 2003, Secretary of State Colin Powell delivered his infamous speech to the United Nations in which he set forth the deceptions about Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction program. At the conclusion of his speech, no doubt remained: the U.S. invasion of Iraq was imminent.

On February 5, 2007, the Occupation Project will launch a campaign of sustained nonviolent civil disobedience focused upon Representatives and Senators who refuse to publicly pledge to vote against any additional funding for the Iraq war. The campaign will continue at least through the start of April. Let there be no doubt that the antiwar movement will use all means of nonviolence to end our country's war in and occupation of Iraq.

Initiated by Voices for Creative Nonviolence, the campaign is growing exponentially as such national organizations as Veterans for Peace, CODEPINK, Declaration of Peace, National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance and Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space join the campaign.

The premise is simple. Representatives and Senators: publicly pledge to vote against the $100 billion supplemental war spending package which President Bush will submit in early February or we will occupy your offices.

The premise is simple. This will not be a singular action on a single day. We will return again and again and again until you pledge to vote against funds for the Iraq war.

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http://www.counterpunch.org/leys01082007.html

I think actions like this are as necessary as all the civilly obedient actions; a part of full-spectrum opposition to the occupation. Different people do different things. Many paths, one goal. First stop THIS war and then the conditions that make war possible & profitable...

[illinoisprogressive]

1. How many forget what happened the last time

Everyone is screaming to cut of all funding but, the last time the dems did this to stop another unjust war, the very people screaming the same thing, turned on the dems and made them pay a terrible price in the white house, the congress and thier reputations.
If they do this again, who is to say you won't turn on them the same way.
30 years of being tagged whimps, not being trusted, seen as weak and silly and not getting any respect in foreign policy for all those years have left scars. Why is it that the boomers are now conservatives? Because they wanted the same thing and so the dems obliged only to be punished for it.
they are just coming in from the cold when this generation is demanding the same thing. again. and what price will they have to pay for obliging you again. Will you turn your back on them again???

[mike_c]

2. what would you suggest?

As long as it stops the war. Silence is complicity.

[babylonsister]

3. I think it's a great idea. Whatever works, and the more people

participating in any project that promotes positive change is okay in my book. The logical place is to start with the politicians who represent us.