R&R! Atlanta is a part of the Georgia Coalition for Peace which is the anti-war coalition that is still an ongoing group. The Coalition was able to secure a place to march in the MLK day parade. As a part of that group, R&R! Atlanta organized a contingent to focus on the Disappeared in the USA and begin to build for February 20th (National Day of Solidarity with Arab and Muslim Immigrants).
We made blue triangle out of posterboard and stenciled "Disappeared in the USA" on them. We called for people in our contingent to wear all black and wear the triangle around their neck. Our formation in the street was also in the form of a triangle. The people in the back carried a sign that said "In Solidarity with the Arab and Muslim people arrested by the US gov't since 9/11." The march went well. We had about 17 people in our contingent. Most came prepared to work with us in black, and we had other people who came to meet the Coalition join us on the spot. About 50 people came out to hook up the the Georgia Coalition contingent.
R&R! Atlanta put together a flyer for the march. (The coalition had one too that also take about the disappeared and promoting Feb. 20th.) We made 2000 flyers and all of them were given out (see below).
We jumped into the parade just behind the Jamil Al-Amin contingent. So we all marched together. There were lots of bystanders to the parade, but I think, by far, the most people were in the parade. It is not a float type parade, just people on foot with banners, megaphones etc. Many unions, high school drill team, activists, organizations etc. We all felt that we did quite well, and we did stick out with our signs and all... many people are now alerted to the situation.
STOP THE ATTACKS ON OUR ARAB AND MUSLIM BROTHERS AND SISTERS!
We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. - Martin Luther King, "Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963
* Since September 11th, over 1,100 people - mainly Arabs and Muslims - have been rounded up by the FBI and INS. They are kept in detention, many on the basis of secret evidence or no evidence at all, and without any contact with a lawyer. The government has refused to reveal the identities, nationalities and whereabouts of the detained people. They have been "disappeared."
* On November 13th, Bush signed an executive decree that any accused terrorist (now only non-US citizens) could be tried and sentenced by a special military tribunal. In December, Attorney General Ashcroft ordered 5000 more immigrants to be interviewed.
WEAR THE BLUE TRIANGLE
Immigrants, gypsies and so-called "stateless" people under Nazi rule were forced to identify themselves by wearing blue triangles. They were also rounded up and sent to concentration camps and killed.
We are wearing the blue triangle - joining with other organizations across the country - to show that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our immigrant brothers and sisters, whether they're from Afghanistan, Palestine, Pakistan, Mexico, the Philippines or any other part of the world.
IT'S A CALL FOR SOLIDARITY
"First they came for the Communists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, but by that time, no one was left to speak up." -Pastor Martin Niemoeller
It is crucial now to support the right to dissent, and defend those who exercise that right in the coming period. All who oppose the new policies since 9/11 need to mobilize people to speak out, to take up this fight and to build the resistance to all forms of repression.
IT'S A CALL FOR RESISTANCE
"Some of us strongly believe in the principles and values to which this country has historically aspired; others of us find oppression and injustice to be rooted in these same principles. But ALL of us agree on the need to repudiate this new course of 'Resurgent America.' The transformation now taking place is not some periodic swing of the pendulum from 'left' to 'right,' but a departure directly connected to preparations for war, repression of dissent, and promotion of U.S. global dominance and superiority over other people..." - from the Founding Statement of Refuse & Resist!, June 1987
September 11th was a pivotal moment in our history, a point from which we'll measure what we did. We call on people from all walks of life to accept responsibility for a different future - to refuse to go along with the police state measures being carried out today. We will not say "we didn't know." We will Refuse and Resist.
Refuse & Resist!
Atlanta Chapter
PO Box 15003
Atlanta, GA 30333
404-239-8054
email: randr_atl@leveller.org
National Office:
305 Madison Ave. Ste 1166
NY, NY 10165
212-713-5657
info@refuseandresist.org
http://www.refuseandresist.org
JOIN US ON FEBRUARY 20:
A NATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH ARAB AND MUSLIM IMMIGRANTS
[posted 1/24/02]
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305 Madison Ave., Suite 1166, New York, NY 10165
Phone: 212-713-5657
email: info@refuseandresist.org