[NYTr] Encampment to stop wars gathers steam in D.C. and L.A.

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Workers World - Sep 13, 2007 issue
http://www.workers.org/2007/us/encampment-0913

Encampment to stop wars gathers steam in D.C. and L.A.

By Scott Scheffer
Los Angeles

The mainstream media has been writing about the upcoming Congress
sessions as if some epic battle between anti-war forces and the
Bush/Cheney cabal will take place there.

Not many are as excited about it as the media is. After the last
national election, newly elected Democrats wasted no time in making it
clear that they would not cut war funding, and that calls to impeach
Bush and Cheney for war crimes would be ignored.

The real momentum against the war comes from the people, and there is
growing excitement over parallel anti-war/social justice mobilizations
during the week of Sept. 22-29 in Washington, D.C., and in Los Angeles.
Activists will set up ‘tent cities’ on the lawn of the Capitol in the
week leading up to major demonstrations on Sept. 29. In Los Angeles,
there will be a three-day tent city at the Westwood Federal Building,
followed by a 15-mile walk across Los Angeles on Sept. 25 to the
Downtown Federal Building. Another tent city will be set up and will
remain there until the mass march and rally on Sept. 29.

The walk across town itself will be a day-long protest with stops at
the Israeli Consulate, to demand liberation and the right of
Palestinian people to return to their homes, and at the Salvadoran
consulate, where the local FMLN will demand that Salvadoran troops pull
out of Iraq. Other stops may be added as plans develop.

The actions were called by the Troops Out Now Coalition to carry out an
anti-war event that includes organizations and activists fighting for
immigrant rights, those who are struggling against the heightening
assault on workers, and all others affected by the war. This is
reflected in the list of endorsers and participants (see
troopsoutnow.org).

In Los Angeles, the events will be kicked off a day earlier with an
important action at the Filipino Consulate to mark the anniversary of
the imposition of martial law and to protest the arrest of Filipino
people’s leader Jose Maria Sison, organized by BAYAN-USA.

Code Pink plans actions in Washington, D.C., and in Los Angeles, and
the Los Angeles chapter of American Friends Service Committee, which
shut down a Hollywood military recruiting center last year, will carry
out a civil disobedience action.

Healthcare will be a major issue at the protests, and some of the
people who were featured in Michael Moore’s film “SiCKO” will organize
a vigil in Washington on Sept. 28th.

Sept. 27 has been selected to be the day for major immigrant rights
actions at both encampments.

As a result of efforts by the Los Angeles chapter of U.S. Labor Against
the War, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor has endorsed. Union
officials will join Ron Kovic, other anti-war veterans and military
resisters such as Agustin Aguayo in a press conference to push the
encampment next week. L.A. USLAW plans a teach-in on the war and labor
solidarity.

Other actions will highlight the connection between racism and violence
against the Iraqi people and others victimized by U.S imperialism, and
repression, racism and sexual and gender oppression in the U.S. In Los
Angeles, there will be a special event to honor Victoria Arellano, a
transwoman who was denied access to AIDS medication by jail officials
and died as a result.

>From across the country people are boarding buses, flying and driving
long distances to get to Washington, D.C., or Los Angeles with their
tents and their protest signs to join in these unique and important
actions to stop the war against workers and the poor, and to stop the
U.S. wars abroad.

Articles copyright 1995-2007 Workers World. Verbatim copying and
distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without
royalty provided this notice is preserved.

Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww at workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe at workersworld.net